RTHK: US-led forces 'killing more Afghans than Taliban' Afghan civilians are for the first time being killed in greater numbers by US and pro-government forces than by the Taliban and other insurgent groups, according to a UN report. The US has increased its air campaign while pushing for a peace deal with the Taliban, who now control or influence more parts of the country than at any time since they were ousted in 2001. During the first three months of this year, international and pro-government forces killed 305 civilians, compared to 227 killed by insurgent groups, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) said in a quarterly report. The majority of the deaths resulted from US air strikes or from search operations on the ground, primarily conducted by US-backed Afghan forces, some of which Unama said "appear to act with impunity". "Unama urges both the Afghan national security forces and international military forces to conduct investigations into allegations of civilian casualties, to publish the results of their findings, and to provide compensation to victims as appropriate," the report states. In September, Masih Rahman's family of 12 - his wife, four daughters, three sons and four nephews - were killed when a US bomb flattened their home in the Taliban-controlled Mullah Hafiz village in central Maidan Wardak province. "It's not just my family, there are dozens of families just like mine who have been lost in bombings," Rahman said. "The people have no power. ... We are the ones who are dying." Rahman, who was working in Iran at the time of the airstrike, blamed both pro-government forces and the Taliban, saying a Taliban-run prison was located just 400 metres from his home. Colonel Dave Butler, spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan, said the US military holds itself "to the highest standards of accuracy and accountability" and that it strives for precision in all its operations. "We reserve the right of self-defence of our forces as well as the Afghan Security Forces," Butler said in a statement. In 2017, the US military started quickening its operational tempo after President Donald Trump loosened restrictions and made it easier for American forces to bomb Taliban positions. (AFP, AP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Edward Yau meets Tourism Minister Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau met Minister of Culture & Tourism Luo Shugang in Beijing today to explore strengthening tourism co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland. Updating Mr Luo on Hong Kong's latest tourism developments, Mr Yau thanked the Ministry of Culture & Tourism for its support of the city's tourism industry, including the ministry's presence at the Hong Kong International Tourism Convention last December and its promotion of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area tourism development, as well as co-operation in regulating the Mainland and Hong Kong tourism markets. "Hong Kong, with its rich tourism resources and well-established transport infrastructure, can take up the role of the international travel hub of the Greater Bay Area, attracting more foreign visitors to travel to the region via Hong Kong and facilitating the overall tourism development in the region. To further strengthen our role as the tourism hub, we look forward to launching more facilitating immigration policies or measures for the travel trade of Hong Kong to help them open up business opportunities." Mr Yau added the Tourism Federation of Cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was jointly established by the tourism authorities of Hong Kong and 10 other bay area cities in 2017 to strengthen tourism co-operation and promotion, as well as enhance regulation amongst them. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. MINNEAPOLIS - The Latest on the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder and manslaughter in the 2017 fatal shooting of an unarmed woman (all times local): 4:50 p.m. A former Minneapolis police officer on trial for fatally shooting an unarmed woman cried on the witness stand and said he felt like my whole world came crashing down when he realized he had shot an innocent person. Mohamed Noor is charged with murder and manslaughter in the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. The dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia had called 911 minutes earlier to report a possible crime near her home. Noors testimony Thursday was the first time hes spoken publicly about the shooting. He refused to talk to investigators. Noor said he heard a loud bang on the officers squad car as he and his partner were rolling down the alley behind Damonds home. He said he saw his partner go for his gun and said he saw fear in his eyes. Noor said he saw a woman in a pink shirt with blond hair outside Harritys window raise her arm. He said he fired with intent to stop the threat. ___ 2:30 p.m. A former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault near her home is testifying in his own defence. Mohamed Noor is charged with murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia. Noor never talked to investigators after the shooting. He took the stand Thursday as the defence began presenting its case, and described how he came to be an officer and some of his training. Noor testified that the training included how to respond to possible ambushes. He said he was drilled to understand that action is better than reaction and that reacting too late may mean you die. Defence attorneys have said that Noor shot Damond when she approached his squad car because he was startled by a loud noise and thought he and his partner were being ambushed. ___ 12:50 p.m. Prosecutors have rested their case against a former Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed an unarmed woman who approached his squad car, and it appears the former officer will soon testify. Mohamed Noor is charged with murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond , a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia. She had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home minutes before she was shot. Noor refused to talk to investigators after the shooting. He was fired from the force after being charged. Its been unclear whether he would testify. After the prosecution rested Thursday, one of Noors attorneys asked the judge whether defence experts could be in the courtroom during the fired officers testimony. LOS ANGELES - The Latest on a measles outbreak (all times local): 2:30 p.m. A quarantine order has been issued for students and staff at two Los Angeles universities who may have been exposed to measles and either have not been vaccinated or cant verify that they have immunity. The University of California, Los Angeles, said that as of Wednesday there were 119 students and 8 faculty members under quarantine. The number of those quarantined at California State University, Los Angeles, is not immediately known. UCLA says some people could remain in quarantines for up to 48 hours before they prove immunity. A few may need to remain in quarantine for up to seven days. The orders come as a small outbreak of measles is occurring in Los Angeles County involving five confirmed cases linked to overseas travel. ___ 11:05 a.m. State health officials say the number of measles cases is up in California this year and much of the increase is linked to overseas travel. Dr. Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health, says the state recorded 38 measles cases as of Thursday, versus 11 around the same time last year. She says the state typically sees fewer than two dozen cases a year. This year, Californias cases stretch across 11 counties and affect patients from 5 months to 55 years of age. She says more than 76% of patients were not vaccinated or didnt receive the recommended two doses of vaccine. Fourteen of those infected had travelled overseas to countries including Philippines, Thailand, India and Ukraine. Measles symptoms include high fever, a cough and a rash. WASHINGTON - The presidents communications director didnt sugarcoat it: The emails, Hope Hicks told Donald Trump, were really bad. They concerned an as-yet unpublicized meeting in Trump Tower a year earlier involving Donald Trump Jr., his brother-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. The emails showed how the presidents oldest son had accepted a meeting with a Russian lawyer with the promise of receiving dirt on his fathers opponent, Hillary Clinton. Not only that, hed been told the dirt was part of the Russian governments ongoing support for his father. I love it, Trump Jr. had replied. When Kushner tried to bring the documents to Trumps attention, on June 22, 2017, his father-in-law didnt want to discuss them, and shut the conversation down, Hicks said. But she looked them over on her own the next week, and went to see the president. She warned him that when a story about these messages broke, it would be massive. She was right. ___ EDITORS NOTE Another in a series of stories focusing on events detailed in the report of special counsel Robert Mueller, drawing from the documents trove. ___ The June 9, 2016, meeting had been brief and, by the accounts of participants on both sides, fairly uneventful even boring. It brought together an unlikely cast of characters, including a gregarious music promoter, a Russian-American lobbyist with a background in Soviet military counterintelligence and a Russian lawyer with links to the Kremlin. The gathering was initiated by Emin Agalarov, a pop star in Russia whose real estate developer father Aras had worked with Trump on a Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013. The younger Agalarovs publicist, a British music promoter named Rob Goldstone, emailed Trump Jr. on June 3 with an enticing offer. The Crown prosecutor of Russia had met with Aras Agalarov and was offering documents that would incriminate Clinton and her dealings with Russia. This was part of efforts by Russia and its government to help his father, Goldstone wrote. Minutes later, Trump Jr. memorably responded: Seems we have some time and if its what you say I love it especially later in the summer. The meeting occurred as scheduled, though it is disputed who knew what in advance. Trumps deputy campaign chairman, Rick Gates, said Trump Jr. had told other campaign officials that he had a lead on negative information, originating from a group in Kyrgyzstan, on the Clinton Foundation. But others said they had no memory of Trump being told in advance about the meeting. Trump said in written answers supplied to Muellers office that he had no recollection that he knew about it ahead of time. At the centre of the meeting was the lawyer thought to be delivering dirt on Clinton Natalia Veselnitskaya, a former prosecutor whod aggressively lobbied against a U.S. law known as the Magnitsky Act that imposed sanctions on Russian officials. Russia had retaliated by banning U.S. adoptions of its children. At the meeting, Veselnitskaya raised allegations that Clinton and the Democratic National Committee benefited from dirty Russian money. The conversation pivoted to sanctions and adoptions. The Trump campaign representatives were not impressed. An impatient Trump Jr. insisted there was nothing his father, a private citizen, could do about sanctions. Kushner texted waste of time to Manafort, and asked his assistants to give him an excuse to leave. That was that at least until a year later, when emails about the meeting were discovered as Trump associates complied with congressional requests for documents relating to contacts with Russians during the 2016 campaign. Trump was attending the G20 summit in Germany in July when he learned The New York Times was preparing a story about the meeting. He told Hicks whod earlier advised making the emails public to get ahead of negative publicity not to comment. It was an unusual reaction, she said, for a loquacious president who considered not responding to the media to be the ultimate sin, according to Muellers report. When he asked her later that day what the meeting was about, she said shed been told the purpose was to discuss Russian adoptions. Then just say that, he insisted. As they flew home, she presented Trump with a draft statement on his sons behalf that said simply hed been asked by someone he knew from the Miss Universe pageant to meet someone who might have information helpful to the campaign. Too much information, Trump told her. Just say the meeting was brief and about adoption. Hicks wasnt so sure, and neither was Trump Jr. He insisted that the statement be amended to say theyd primarily discussed adoptions. After all, he conceded to Hicks, the meeting had opened with some Hillary thing. It wasnt entirely about adoptions. Hicks agreed, but boss man worried it involves a lot of questions, according to text messages reviewed by Muellers team. Trump Jr. stood firm: If I dont have it in there it appears as though Im lying later when they inevitably leak something. The statement that was ultimately produced did include the word primarily, leaving open the possibility other topics were discussed. But, importantly, there was no mention of Hillary Clinton, nothing about the dangled promise of dirt, no hint that the presidents son had embraced aid he was told was coming from Russia. As the story unspooled for days, the Trump team fumbled the response. One of the presidents personal lawyers asserted incorrectly that Trump had had no role in the statement, only to admit months later that he had personally dictated a short but accurate response. Three days after the meeting was disclosed, Trump Jr. published his own emails on Twitter to pre-empt their disclosure by the Times. As Trump Jr. did his own form of damage control, he tweeted after news of the meeting surfaced that he just had to listen to the lawyers information and told Sean Hannity of Fox News that he considered it ordinary opposition research. In retrospect, he said on Fox, I probably would have done things a little differently. ____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP EDITORS NOTE _ Another in a series of stories focusing on events detailed in the report of special counsel Robert Mueller, drawing from the documents trove. WASHINGTON - The White House blocked adviser Stephen Miller from testifying before congressional committees on immigration and a staff shakeup at the Department of Homeland Security, prompting lawmakers on Thursday to demand internal communications on the topic from Homeland Security officials. In a letter dated Wednesday, the White House counsel said Miller and other members of President Donald Trumps executive staff could refuse the request. The precedent for members of the White House staff to decline invitations to testify before congressional committees has been consistently adhered to by administrations of both political parties, counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in his letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md. Trump has said he is opposed to aides testifying. Miller is Trumps top immigration policy adviser, and several people familiar with the matter say he orchestrated the effort to replace top leaders at Homeland Security when Trumps frustrations boiled over again recently on border security. The people were not allowed to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The shakeup started with the withdrawal of Ron Vitiello to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen then resigned, and so did Undersecretary for Management Claire Grady. Some, like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services head Lee Francis Cissna, were rumoured to be on the chopping block but have not yet left. The Democratic heads of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Homeland Security Committees sent a letter to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan on Thursday saying they were investigating the shakeup and asked for all internal communications related to the departure of several top officials. We are deeply concerned that the firing and forced resignation of these officials puts the security of the American people at risk, the lawmakers wrote. The decision not to allow Miller to testify comes as Trump contests Democrats efforts to ramp up investigations following the release of special counsel Robert Muellers report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Were fighting all the subpoenas, Trump declared on Wednesday. SUNNYVALE, Calif. - A former Army sharpshooter with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder plowed his car at high speed into a group of pedestrians in a Silicon Valley suburb, injuring eight people, then told authorities that he intentionally hit them, police said. Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, gave no indication why he targeted the group in Sunnyvale, California, authorities said. He was charged Thursday with eight counts of attempted murder. Four of the pedestrians remained hospitalized, including a 13-year-old girl who was in critical condition. Peoples was jailed without bond and scheduled to appear in court Friday. A witness said he watched in horror as the car sped through a crosswalk in a shopping area Tuesday evening and bodies went flying. It was a warm night, around dinnertime, and people were out in cafes and restaurants. I saw this woman fly through the air right in front of me. She flipped upside down and then fell right in front of my car, Don Draper said. He marched over to Peoples car, which had swerved onto a sidewalk and crashed into a tree. He said Peoples did not appear drunk but looked dazed and was mumbling over and over, Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Sunnyvale Police Chief Phan Ngo declined to discuss details of interviews with Peoples and said police are still working to determine his motivation. When we took him into custody, he did not behave in any manner that would be considered bizarre, Ngo said. He has not shown any remorse. Though the FBI was assisting in the investigation, there was no evidence linking Peoples to any terrorist organization and, so far, no evidence of a federal crime, said Ngo, who said Peoples had picked up food and was on his way to deliver it to his Bible study group. Investigators were processing evidence found Wednesday in a search of Peoples apartment in Sunnyvale, about 50 miles (80 kilometres) south of San Francisco. Police also gave him a blood test for drugs and were checking into accounts from family members that he had a history of mental illness. Family and friends described Peoples as quiet and polite and expressed shock at his involvement. His mother, Leevell Peoples of Sacramento, said she could not imagine any situation in which her son would deliberately crash into innocent people other than something related to the PTSD she said he experienced after serving in Iraq. Unless the car malfunctioned, he would not have done that. Hes like the perfect, model citizen, she said. Her son graduated from Sacramento State University after returning from Iraq in 2007 and was working as an auditor for the Defence Department in nearby Mountain View, she said. He basically probably has no friends but the people he works with, she said. Hes an Army vet. Hes a good kid, never been arrested. I promise you: It was not deliberate. If anything, it was that Army. She said Peoples had a bad episode with PTSD in 2015, for which he was hospitalized, and has told her that he had been taking medication regularly since then. The mother said the Army forced her son to retire because of PTSD. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col Carla Gleason confirmed that he retired from the Army. Peoples served as a civil affairs specialist in the Army Reserve from March 2004 to July 2009 and attained the rank of sergeant, and he was deployed to Iraq from June 2005 to May 2006, according to another Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Emanuel Ortiz. He did not answer questions about whether Peoples departure from the Army was due to PTSD. Peoples was honourably discharged from the Army, and police were investigating the PTSD report, Ngo said. Peoples had no criminal record and owned one weapon, a disassembled and inoperable shotgun that was in the trunk of his vehicle, according to the police chief. Other witness statements matched Drapers account that the driver was speeding and drove directly toward the pedestrians without trying to veer away or stop. Six people were taken to hospitals, including the youngest victim, a 9-year-old boy who was treated and released. Miguel Balbuena, 15, was on his bike waiting to cross when he heard a woman scream. He tried to get out of the way but failed. He was on crutches after a metal pole squeezed his leg. Its not something you see every day, he told television station KTVU, saying it was like a scene out of a movie. It was really hard to see. Isaiah Peoples former housemate Chuck Herrera described him as quiet someone who had to be coaxed into going out for drinks or dinner. He said Peoples was kind to Herreras toddler son. He recalls Peoples always had a lot of pills and a cough. The guy I met was not someone who you think will hurt someone, he said. My guess is something happened. ___ Har reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez and Juliet Williams in San Francisco also contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to eliminate language that erroneously indicated authorities were investigating whether a police captain had a history of mental illness. The investigation was focused on the suspect, whose family members described such a history. The opportunity to be judged fairly by a jury of ones peers is a foundational tenet of our criminal justice system. But too often that standard is not truly met because of the way juries are selected. Its welcome, then, that Ontario is moving to turn that principle of law into more of a reality in courtrooms across the province by vastly expanding the pool of people who are called to jury duty. The Ford governments budget bill, making its way through the Ontario legislature now, changes the primary source list for creating juries from property assessment rolls to the provinces health card database. That will include tenants and others who dont own property and make for a far more diverse group of potential jurors. Juries dont need to look exactly like the accused but they should be a fair representation of the diverse communities in which they live. And weve long known that using a property ownership database results in a group that is richer, older and whiter than society at large. The problem with that was starkly illustrated through a Toronto Star/Ryerson School of Journalism investigation last year. In an analysis of 52 trials in multi-cultural Toronto and Brampton, reporters found that 71 per cent of the jurors were white. Thats particularly troubling when 46 per cent of the accused in those trials were Black and just 7 per cent of the jurors were Black. By expanding the jury pool, Ontario is finally taking an important step to address that inequity. But if the goal is creating truly representative juries, which it should be, this change takes the province only halfway. By law, employers must give people time off work if theyre called for jury duty, but they dont have to pay them. Some do, but many dont. So while Ontarios overall jury pool will now be more diverse, actually serving on a jury will still be an impossible ask for far too many people. Its an awfully small group of people who can afford to go without being paid for any length of time. Thats only going to get worse as employment patterns continue to change with more contract work and self-employment and fewer people working for the large companies that are more likely to pay an employees salary during jury duty. And Ontario, which by law expects citizens to do their civic duty, lags behind other jurisdictions in making it financially possible to do so. Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province that requires employers to pay employees their regular wages while serving on a jury. Every other provincial or territorial government directly provides some compensation. Of those, Ontario is the only province that provides no compensation at all for the first 10 days of jury duty. Jurors then receive $40 a day for days 11 through 49, and $100 a day after that. Those rates are substantially below what most other provinces and territories provide. Most also cover some expenses, such as transportation and childcare, which Ontario does not. In the case of one Brampton murder trial, where jurors sat for 70 days, they were paid far below minimum wage for that vital public service. For Ontario to make the most of its improved jury rolls it needs to address its lagging compensation. Otherwise too many people that a properly diverse jury should include will continue to be excused simply because they cant afford to do their civic duty. And those on trial will continue to be sentenced by juries that dont seem to represent them or the communities they live in. By taking the first step, Attorney General Caroline Mulroney has shown that she understands the problem. She needs to take the next step to positively address it. Its long past time that the 12 men and women sitting in a jury box, deciding someones fate, more fairly reflected Ontarios diversity. Daesh claims Easter attacks in Sri Lanka, April 24 UJA Federation of Greater Toronto is overwhelmed by the desecration of the Easter holiday in Sri Lanka, by the murder and wounding of hundreds of innocent worshippers, tourists and other victims, and by the destruction wrought by hatred and violence. We stand united with our Sri Lankan neighbours in Toronto, and we mourn together with Sri Lankans and people of goodwill everywhere. As Canadians, we are fortunate to have experienced few such harrowing incidents but, as the 2017 murders at a mosque in Quebec City reminds us, (as well as the more recent shootings at a synagogue in Pittsburgh and a mosque in New Zealand) Canada and the West are not immune to the ravages of racist ideologies. In the aftermath of crushing tragedy, it is incumbent on community leaders of all faiths and backgrounds to work together to root out extremists, and for all levels of government to redouble efforts to partner on security funding and cooperation, so we can continue to observe our faiths in peace and harmony. May the memories of those lost to this senseless atrocity be for a blessing. Adam Minsky, President & CEO, United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto Again, a shocking tragedy that uses faith as a weapon, rather than a source of healing. Today, we join the mourners in Sri Lanka and those living in the Diaspora and yet again we are shaken by the tragedy of politicizing religion. Whether Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or other faith or secular; whether white or colored, straight or gay, Indigenous or immigrant we share a common humanity. All religions share the same fundamental messages of love and a responsibility to care for others. There are many legitimate political grievances, human rights concerns and an unfair distribution of wealth in most countries that should be addressed. But it is a distortion of any faith tradition when fundamentalism is used in a struggle for political power to justify the killing of innocent civilians. As a society that benefits in so many ways from our diverse traditions, we urge all faith leaders to speak out against the weaponizing of religion, which at its core, is intended to humanize us. We call on governments to redouble their efforts to resolve longstanding conflicts, with justice, fairness and peace. Shahid Akhtar and Dr. Barbara Landau, Co-chairs, Canadian Association of Jews and Muslims, Mississauga Read more about: On April 16, Greta Thunberg, the teenage activist and international sensation from Sweden, spoke bluntly to the European Union Parliament about the devastating impacts of climate change. Our house is falling apart and our leaders need to start acting accordingly because at the moment they are not, she said after she tearfully spoke about deforestation, erosion, ocean acidification, and loss of insects and wildlife. Later that day Albertans chose UCP leader Jason Kenney to be their premier. Kenney isnt a climate change denier but given his platform he might as well be. He has already promised he will move quickly to eviscerate the legacy of the Rachel Notley NDP government, including scrapping the carbon tax, significantly reducing levies for industrial greenhouse gas emitters, lifting the cap on emissions from the oilsands operations, and ending the phaseout of coal-fired power plants. Kenney has also said a UCP government will not offer incentives for renewable energy projects, even though Albertas newest wind farms provide the cheapest power option in Canada. Read more: New study suggests Albertas oilsands greenhouse gas emissions have been underestimated Jason Kenneys Alberta election vow will not derail national carbon tax, says environment minister Opinion | Heather Scoffield: Politicians are falling behind in the conversation about climate change In other words, fossil fuels must reign forever no matter what they do to the planet. And who cares about Greta and all the students she has inspired to publicly protest in Europe and North America? The trouble is, as Greta seems to understand, climate change doesnt just disappear because you want it to. Or because you think its all a hoax invented by the Chinese as Donald Trump once said. Or because you believe that humans will always overcome nature. After all, its not 1957 anymore. Thats when Walter Gordon as head of the Royal Commission on Canadas Economic Prospects trumpeted oil and gas as essentials of modern industrial man that prove man can overcome nature. when abundant energy resources are available and techniques are known for transforming them into power, his fortunes can change dramatically. No longer is he fettered by the relative impotence of his puny hands and one of the indispensable conditions for economic progress has been met. So the steam engine, the gas engine, the diesel engine, the turbine and generator have all to be seen in close relationship to modern industrial man as attributes of his increasing ascendancy over nature, Gordon wrote in the commissions final report. Gordon later went on to become finance minister in Lester Pearsons Liberal government. These days it looks like nature is in ascendancy and will continue to be if we dont transition to low carbon living. It may soon be forgotten but it was astounding that with the NDP in power in Alberta, a province that earns its way with the production and export of fossil fuels was willing to recognize the dangers of human-caused climate change and impose some limits on both the petroleum industry and individual consumers of carbon. Alberta could have been an inspiration for people all over the world. And given the increasing threats of warming temperatures, drought, fires, floods, species extinction, and mass migration, it is equally astounding that leaders like Jason Kenney and Canadas other conservative premiers have the nerve to challenge the constitutionality of a carbon tax in court. Never mind all the other moves they are making that will step back the advances made to lessen or mitigate climate change. Marc Jaccard, an expert in sustainable energy at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, is a leading voice on climate change policy in Canada. He was surprised recently to find out that many of his international colleagues see Canada as a leader in global climate policy. A big change since Stephen Harper was prime minister. Jaccard wondered if most Canadians actually appreciate the advances that have been made in the past few years and how much that has influenced other nations. Given our current crop of conservative premiers, and the possibility that Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives could form the next federal government, its clear that much of what has been put in place in Canada to address climate change could soon be dismantled. Lets hope that Canadians come to appreciate how important those policies are before they completely disappear. Read more about: Like the Toronto Maple Leafs in game seven of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the TTC is reliably disappointing. It can be counted on to make you late, to make you feel like you need a shower, to make you surface at the subway station where your train is stalled, at which point you have no choice but to grab an Uber in order to arrive at your destination on time adding another 10 bucks to the $3.25 youve already coughed up. In short, theres no more obvious civic scapegoat than a big city transportation system. Every city dweller has at some point been inconvenienced by it and Torontos provides daily material for commuter backlash. And yet, though I am a frequent rider of the TTC myself, and a rider frequently inconvenienced by its uneven service, I feel the need to defend my transit system this week. More specifically, I feel the need to defend the Torontonians whose job it is to ferry us from stop to stop. Read more: How Fords clawback of gas tax revenues could affect TTC service TTC receives first battery-powered, zero-emissions bus Province could absorb skilled TTC staff if subway upload goes through, Torontos city manager says On Wednesday, the website BlogTO published a story called People Keep Getting Mad at TTC Bus Drivers for Getting Coffee. And its true. They do. This week, a TTC rider took to Twitter to air her grievance with a bus driver she claims stopped mid-shift to grab a coffee at Tim Hortons. The rider surreptitiously photographed the TTC driver, a woman pictured walking toward the bus holding what looks like a Tim Hortons beverage. The Twitter user captioned the photo: The TTC driver just went to get a coffee while a bus of people is waiting for her #TTC #Unbelievable Social media is rife with these types of complaints and sometimes theyre deserved. For example in 2010, a TTC bus driver was suspended when a passenger uploaded video footage of the driver taking a lengthy Country Style coffee break in the middle of a late night shift behaviour the rider said was a pattern. But what many TTC riders dont know, and what they ought to know, is that on average, TTC drivers work eight-nine hour shifts, in many cases, with only one official break. This is why, according to TTC communications specialist Stuart Green, the TTC allows drivers to make unscheduled stops for bathroom breaks. Drivers are also permitted to grab a coffee on one of these breaks, provided they are able to stay on schedule. What would not be acceptable, says Green, would be stepping out only to grab a coffee and waiting in line to grab a coffee. He says the challenge of the social media age is that theres a lot of cellphone vigilantes who are more than happy to snap pictures, who may not know the full picture. Of course there are probably TTC drivers out there who stop for Double Doubles on the job and dont care that theyre breaking the rules or inconveniencing their passengers. But certainly there are also times when the full picture, as Green puts it, is a full bladder. Do we really want to live in a city where we begrudge someone for relieving herself in the middle of a long shift, because shes added three minutes to our travel time? Featured stories: Jagmeet Singh opens up about sexual abuse, fathers alcoholism, in new memoir Ford promises $10.9-billion Ontario Line will be built by 2027 leaving experts, politicians looking for details Citizens dont feel safe as hate fills Edmontons streets TTC drivers arent commonly known for their people skills, but they are indeed people, and people have to use the toilet at inopportune times. In journalism were told to avoid cliches, but theres no other way to say it: When you gotta go, you gotta go. And if after youve gone you notice theres no lineup at the Coffee Time, why shouldnt you grab a drink? Torontonians frustration with subpar transit service with delays and short-turns, etc. is warranted and understandable. But Torontos transit problems run deeper than unscheduled coffee breaks. If you want to complain about poor transit service, pick on the big guys, not the little ones: leaders of all political stripes who time and time again promise to improve transit, but who seldom do because they value partisan politics more than meaningful change. According to recent reporting by Ben Spurr in this newspaper, city officials warn that the Ford governments cancellation of a promised increase from gas tax revenues will set Torontos [transit] network on a path toward more crowded and less reliable service. Drivers may contribute to delays, but they are nowhere near as culpable in this regard as politicians who, its worth noting, can take as many coffee breaks as they like. OTTAWAIt was a eureka moment when they found the grave of Pte. Stewart Groat in the Eday Old Churchyard cemetery. It had taken Diana Beaupre and Adrian Watkinson two ferry rides to reach the isolated island in the Orkneys off the Scottish coast. At the churchyard, it took them hours of searching, scouring aging headstones with markings obscured by sea moss or eroded over time. Finally, with daylight fading, they found Groats grave. Groat, a member of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps, died of illness on July 22, 1918 at the age of 26. He was hard work, Watkinson recalled Wednesday. It took us hours and hours ... That was a eureka moment. Mr. Groat was very elusive, said Beaupre. Groats grave was one of 3,882 graves the couple have visited over the past 12 years as part of a project to profile and document the burial sites of the 3,902 men and women serving with the Canadian forces who died in the United Kingdom during the First World War. Not all Canadian soldiers who died in that war are found in the neatly manicured plots tended by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Because many of those serving with the Canadian Expeditionary Force were British-born, those who died in the United Kingdom were often buried privately in family graves that today are neglected, overgrown and difficult to find, even using location details provided by the commission. Beaupre, 74, and Watkinson, 73, photograph each gravesite for posterity, mindful that some churchyards are being lost to development. But they also use old photos, newspaper clippings, genealogy data and military records to compile a profile of each casualty, bringing to life the names etched on the headstones. Every one of the casualties has a story, no matter how modest. They put their lives on the line, she said. In recognition of their efforts, Beaupre and Watkinson will be honoured Thursday with the Meritorious Service Medal from Governor General Julie Payette in a Rideau Hall ceremony. Their meticulous research has inscribed those names onto previously incomplete pages of Canadian military history, reads the citation for the honour. On Wednesday, the English couple sat down with the Star to talk about their daunting retirement project, which they have titled Far from Home. From their home in Canterbury, they have travelled across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in search of the burial plots. They are closing in, with just 20 graves left to go. As 2019 marks the centenary of the wars conclusion, their goal is to visit the final sites by years end, completing a journey they figure has taken them some 32,000 kilometres to 872 locations. Beyond the travel, it has taken thousands of hours to comb through archival military and church records and dogged detective work to find the gravesites and uncover the stories of those who died. Some had been wounded in Europe and brought to Britain for treatment only to succumb to their injuries. But the deaths of many others were not related to the battlefield illness, accidents and suicides also took their toll. The real challenge to us is to find the ones in these far-flung churchyards, little tiny cemeteries on top of mountains, where theres no plan of where they are, Beaupre said. They have even succeeded in locating graves of 25 personnel for whom there had been no known resting place. At each grave, they leave a Canadian flag and memorial cross and take a few minutes to pay their respects, mindful that it may have been decades or more since anyone last visited. We spend a few minutes with each casualty most of the ones we visit have not been acknowledged or visited maybe since they were put there, Beaupre said. We have a little talk with them and we tell them that they are not forgotten. Watkinson said their research into the individuals notably those who lied about their ages to enlist left him wondering whether such a sense of duty exists today. The thing that has struck us over and over is the sense of patriotism that the men and women felt in the early 20th century is so unrecognizable to the patriotism as we look at it today, he said. Theyve compiled their work into volumes corresponding with the county boundaries. Their website offers a daily tribute to the Canadians who died that day. They hope to leave their research in Canadian hands as a resource for future years. But their work isnt done yet. The burial sites for two soldiers have remained elusive, despite knowing the dates and locations of their deaths. One is Samuel McNeice, who died in Northern Ireland of tuberculosis. He drives me around the bend because I think, where is he? Beaupre said. We wont give up. A developer for Foxboros former fire station opposite the Common rotary wont be named until after the May 6 town election now that potential remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Lululemon, the purveyor of $100 yoga pants, is setting its sights on a growing market: Men. The Vancouver-based chain said Wednesday it plans to double its men's business in the next five years as it looks beyond its women's and accessories business for growth. Lululemon is also adding travel and office products, starting a "self care" line and opening an "experiential store" in Chicago with yoga studios, meditation space and a juice bar. "We're ready to build upon our success and embark on the next phase of growth at Lululemon to realize the full potential of our brand," chief executive Calvin McDonald told analysts Wednesday. "We believe Lululemon has a unique opportunity to push beyond traditional expectations." More for you Half Moon Bay's yoga hack: Adding baby goats to each class Increasingly, that means winning over men who shop at competitors like Nike and Under Armour. Lululemon recently introduced two styles of boxers - priced between $28 and $68 - and plans to expand its line-up of men's running gear in the coming months. The company, which last year had $3.3 billion in revenue, says it expects men's business to become a $1 billion-a-year business by 2020. "Men's is one of our largest and most exciting areas of future growth," McDonald said in an earnings call with analysts last month. The company, he said, wants to help customers "achieve their goals of living the Sweatlife." Executives say men are looking for well-fitting but comfortable pants they can wear to the office. Lululemon promotes its ABC pants, which are made with moisture-wicking, stretchy materials and designed to give men a little more room in the crotch. The products aren't the only attraction. Unlike some of its larger competitors, analysts said Lululemon makes shopping simple by offering a limited number of products. "Shopping at Lululemon is quick and easy, and that is often very attractive to men," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. "It's not like walking into a Nike store where you're overwhelmed by lots of different products for lots of different sports." That was certainly the case for Raj Nijjer, vice president of marketing for tech start-up Yotpo, who says he was tired of sifting through racks of workout wear at Nordstrom. He happened into one of Lululemon's 440 stores last fall, "tried on a bunch of stuff and bought it all at full price." His favorites, he said, are the company's pants and polos, which fit well and don't wrinkle. "It's great because it's not a giant hodgepodge of options," said Nijjer, 41, who lives in New York. "After a long day, the last thing I want to do is make another freaking decision." Nijjer said some of his friends are still skeptical of the brand, which rose to popularity for its women's clothing, but he's slowly starting to see more men wearing Lululemon at the Manhattan Equinox where he works out. "There's an amazing community of folks who like Lululemon," he said. "It sounds cliche, but we really do high-five each other when we walk by in our Lululemon. It's beyond gender at this point." Sales of men's pants and shorts at Lululemon rose 28 percent last year, compared to 21 percent growth for women's bottoms. Even so, it's still women who are doing much of the buying: "About 40 percent of our men's product sales today are to women," Stuart Haselden, Lululemon's chief operating officer, told Quartz in January. "It's an important catalyst for our men's business, and has been in building it to where it is today." Lululemon has become a retail darling in recent years by tapping into Americans' growing love for "athleisure." Annual revenue grew 24 percent to $3.3 billion last year, while profit rose 30 percent to $1.8 billion. Earlier this week, McDonald told the Wall Street Journal he has no plans to mark down the company's $100 yoga pants to compete with lower-priced retailers. The company is also rapidly expanding into Asia and Europe, and said it expects international revenue to quadruple by 2023. Its success abroad, the company said Wednesday, "demonstrates that the sweatlife translates across cultures and geographies." JERSEYVILLE Fingerprints found on the car of Bonnie Woodward, who police say was kidnapped in Alton and killed in Jersey County, will be admitted as evidence at trial, a judge ruled Tuesday. Jersey Circuit Judge Eric Pistorius denied a motion by attorneys of Roger W. Carroll, who is charged in Woodwards death, to hold a hearing on the prints and to exclude them. Defense attorneys contend new science calls the legitimacy of such prints into question. Carroll was charged April 12, 2018, with the 2010 death of Woodward. He is also accused of concealing a homicidal death in Jersey County and aggravated kidnapping in Madison County. Trial is set for July 9. The fingerprints were found on Woodwards car, which was left in the parking lot of Eunice Smith Nursing home June 25, 2010. The prints could be important because Carroll allegedly told police he was in Jersey County at the time witnesses claim they saw Woodward being driven away by a man in his 40s. In her written response to the fingerprint question, Special Prosecutor Crystal Uhe argued that there is no new or groundbreaking science that would cast doubt on fingerprint evidence. In his motion, defense attorney David Fahrenkamp noted that a fingerprint expert from Illinois State Police is expected to testify that a print collected from Woodwards car matched a fingerprint submitted by the prosecution. Fahrenkamp argued that there is a substantial error rate in fingerprint analysis. He said that the defense is concerned a jury may not realize that fingerprint evidence isnt 100 percent reliable. The judge told the defense attorney that it was the attorneys job to bring that possibility out during the trial. The judge noted that fingerprint evidence has been accepted as legitimate evidence in criminal court for about 120 years, and he did not find anything new from the defendants pleadings that would lead him to keep them out. Uhe is the first assistant states attorney in Madison County. She has been appointed to serve as special prosecutor, along with former Madison County First Assistant States Attorney Jennifer Mudge. The prosecution claims that Woodward was driven to the defendants property in rural Jersey County, where she was shot, and her body burned over a period of days. Part of the initial investigation also centered on the disappearance of Woodwards stepdaughter Heather Woodward, then 17. Former Alton detective Scott Golike has testified that Nathan Carroll, the son of the defendant, said he father used Heather as bait. Bonnie was desperately looking for Heather and he used that to get her to come with him, Golike said at a hearing last year. He said Nathan Carroll appeared before a Madison County grand jury on March 29, 2018. The son testified that his father said Bonnie Woodward was a bad person and he was going to kill her, Golike said during a previous hearing. Golike said at a hearing last year that police got a search warrant and excavated at the site of the fire, and found a spent 9mm shell casing and a 9mm projectile. Both matched the pistol that Nathan Carroll described his father loading. WASHINGTON - Sen. Cory Booker released 10 years of tax returns Wednesday, which showed he earned $1.7 million for paid speeches he gave when he was mayor of Newark. He earned the most from his speaking engagements in 2011 and 2013, pivotal years in his rise to national stardom. Booker's campaign provided The Washington Post a list of the places where he gave paid speeches between 2008 and 2013, most of them at universities. He also was also paid to speak by nonprofits and companies, including Google, General Mills and MetLife. Booker of New Jersey, who is the latest Democratic presidential candidate to make multiple years of tax documents public, last year reported his lowest income of the decade. He made just his Senate salary of $152,715 in 2018 and gave $24,000 to charity, which is about 15.7 percent of his income, the documents show. In previous years, Booker earned considerably more income from speeches and later book royalties. Paid speeches became a flash point in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary election after candidate Hillary Clinton was forced to defend earning millions for giving speeches to Wall Street executives. A May 2013 USA Today article about Booker's paid speeches says that from 2008 to 2013, Booker donated $620,000 of the income earned from them to charity. His newly released tax returns show his charitable giving from 2009 to 2013 at about $363,000. His 2008 returns were not available. Most of that charitable giving came in 2013 when he gave away stock to charities in and around Newark, including the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation and the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children. Booker was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2013. He made the highest income of his Senate career in 2015 - $554,598 - mostly from advance royalties for his book, "United," which was released in 2016. In 2016 and 2017, his income was $466,168 and $450,073, respectively, mostly from book sales. Presidential candidates have long voluntarily released their tax returns, but it's become a campaign issue due to President Donald Trump's refusal in 2016 and the current year to release his. WASHINGTON - A split Supreme Court delivered a win to business owners Tuesday, saying workers cannot band together in arbitration proceedings unless their employment contracts specifically allow it. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court's conservative majority in the 5-to-4 decision, said because class arbitration is fundamentally different from individual proceedings, it must be expressly agreed to by an employer in the contract. "Neither silence nor ambiguity provides a sufficient basis" for concluding there is a right to class arbitration, wrote Roberts. Many companies prefer to settle differences through arbitration rather than court proceedings because it is faster and less likely to result in large financial awards for aggrieved employees. Arbitration clauses have become increasingly common in employee contracts and in the fine-print agreements consumers sign. The court's four liberal justices are concerned enough about the trend - and the Supreme Court's endorsement of it - that each registered a dissent in Tuesday's opinion. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said she wrote to "emphasize once again how treacherously the court has strayed from the principle that arbitration is a matter of consent, not coercion." The case involved a California company, Lamps Plus. In 2016, a hacker tricked an employee into disclosing the tax information of about 1,300 employees. Soon afterward, Lamps Plus employee Frank Varela found that a fraudulent federal income tax return had been filed in his name. Like most of the company's employees, Varela had signed an arbitration agreement when he began work. But he filed suit against the company in federal court, bringing state and federal claims on behalf of himself and others whose tax information was stolen. The court said Varela's complaint had to be handled through arbitration but could proceed as a class. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit agreed, saying that because Varela's contract was ambiguous, California law allowed the class arbitration to proceed. But Roberts said that was wrong, and Tuesday's decision follows a 2010 ruling that class arbitration is not allowed if a contract is silent on the subject. "Class arbitration is not only markedly different" from individual arbitration contemplated by the Federal Arbitration Act, Roberts wrote, "it also undermines the most important benefits of that familiar form of arbitration. "The statute therefore requires more than ambiguity to ensure that the parties actually agreed to arbitrate on a classwide basis." Roberts' 13-page opinion prompted 31 pages of dissent. Justice Elena Kagan wrote the principal one. She disputed that Varela's employment contract was ambiguous and said that when Varela agreed to submit "any and all disputes, claims, or controversies" to arbitration, that covered both individual and class actions. Even if it was ambiguous, Kagan wrote, California law requires that ambiguities be resolved against the party that writes the contract. "Lamps Plus drafted the agreement," she wrote. "It therefore had the opportunity to insert language expressly barring class arbitration if that was what it wanted. It did not do so." Ginsburg wrote that the decision was another in a line of arbitration decisions by the court that "deny to employees and consumers effective relief against powerful economic entities." "Arbitration clauses, the court has decreed, may preclude judicial remedies even when submission to arbitration is made a take-it-or-leave-it condition of employment or is imposed on a consumer given no genuine choice in the matter," Ginsburg wrote. The case is Lamps Plus Inc. v. Varela. WASHINGTON - A critical federal subsidy for the Washington Metro would increase to $200 million a year on condition that the agency adopt new oversight and safety measures, under legislation the region's senators plan to introduce. The long-awaited Senate proposal would extend the decade-old federal funding program that has provided the transit agency with $150 million a year for another 10 years. In addition to increasing the annual funding by $50 million a year, the legislation also would strengthen the office of Metro's inspector general, tighten procedures for capital spending and create two task forces to improve safety on Metrorail and Metrobus. A draft of the bill, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, was hammered out over months in talks with Metro, government leaders and other stakeholders, including key senators from outside the region. It is being circulated for final comment before being filed. The legislation is viewed as a promising vehicle for winning long-term continuation of the federal subsidy that has been a vital part of Metro's capital budget for purchasing rail cars, buses and other equipment. Congressional staffers and others familiar with the bill said they were optimistic that it would pass this year. They noted that Metro has had bipartisan support and that the system plays an important role in transporting the federal workforce. Some of the proposed changes were designed in part to win support from Republicans in the GOP-controlled Senate, including ensuring the independence of the inspector general guaranteeing funding for the office and requiring more rigorous planning for capital spending. The bill also strongly advises the Metro board to continue to limit the role of its alternate members - a practice that was started last year as a way to streamline the panel and improve its effectiveness. The board has eight voting members and eight alternates. As previously reported, the planned bill would block the federal subsidy altogether if Metro buys its next generation of rail cars from the state-owned China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. CRRC's penetration of the U.S. transit car market has raised concerns in Congress, the Pentagon and elsewhere that it will dominate the sector and possibly provide a platform for cyberespionage. Metro typically does not like conditions placed on its funding, but the agency did not mention any concerns in a brief statement welcoming the proposed legislation. "We are especially grateful to our senators and the entire congressional delegation for supporting funding for Metro and taking this important step toward continued investment in safety and reliability improvements," spokesman Dan Stessel said. The 10-year federal subsidy for Metro was created as part of the 2008 Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, or PRIIA. The program expired in October, and Metro recently received its last allocation of funding authorized under the act. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin of Maryland, all Democrats, have been laboring to draft a bill to extend the subsidy. The legislation would extend the $150 million annual authorization through 2029 without new conditions. As before, Metro would get the money only if the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia each contribute $50 million a year in matching funding. Even with the authorization in place, the money must be appropriated by Congress each year. Of the additional $50 million a year proposed in the bill, $45 million would be for capital spending and preventive maintenance projects. The money would be conditional on the reforms but would not have to be matched by the jurisdictions. The remaining $5 million of new funding would go to the office of the inspector general and would have to be matched by nonfederal funds from Metro's budget, raising the total for the office to $10 million a year. Congress ordered the creation of the inspector general's office as part of PRIIA to provide extra oversight of Metro for the sake of safety, fiscal responsibility and customer service. Partly because of congressional support, Inspector General Geoff Cherrington has seen his budget nearly double, to $9.8 million, since he took office two years ago. "I think Congress just wants to ensure that the $10 million is consistent and can't be taken away," Cherrington said of the draft legislation. The proposed reforms to the agency's capital spending process reflect recommendations from the Government Accountability Office in a January report. The proposal for two task forces originated in a House bill proposed in the previous congressional session by Reps. Jamie Raskin and Anthony Brown, Maryland Democrats. The task forces have the support of Metro's largest union, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, and are named for two Metro workers who died on the job: Jeanice McMillan, the train operator who was killed in the 2009 Red Line crash near Fort Totten, and Thomasine Maria Smith, a bus driver who was killed in a 2013 crash in Silver Spring. Both task forces would review Metro's safety programs for on-track rail and bus service, and make recommendations for improvements. HARTFORD More than 700 local fourth-grade students will have a chance to experience life on the frontier of Illinois as part of the 14th annual Education Day, part of the Point of Departure weekends at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Hartford. The 215th-anniversary celebration of Departure Day will be open to the public 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12. Point of Departure celebrates the official launching on May 14, 1804 of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, formally known as the Corps of Discovery. The expedition had spent the winter at Camp River Dubois, gathering supplies and getting ready for their journey. The corps stayed in Illinois because at the time everything west of the Mississippi River was still French territory. On Friday the elementary school students will learn about the lifestyle of the early Illinois settlers from historic artisans demonstrating frontier skills such as woodworking, blacksmithing, candle making, broom making and fire starting. Many of the demonstrations will feature hands-on participation. Military reenactors will demonstrate black powder muskets, military drills, and camp life, with scientific demonstrations of beekeeping and frontier medicine methods studied and used by Lewis and Clark. Experts will be present to discuss the rocks and minerals that Lewis and Clark cataloged on their journey as well as the animals that they documented along their route. Many of those same demonstrators will be on hand for the public portion of the weekend. Over the weekend the military reenactors will portray soldiers of the Lewis and Clark Expeditions Corps of Discovery. Other military units will be on hand to demonstrate black powder muskets and artillery. The First Royal Regiment of Foote will discuss the British role in Colonial wars and westward expansion while the War of 1812 American 2nd Regiment Artillery will discuss the war in which many Lewis and Clark Expedition members would serve. Volunteers will interpret the White Pirogue, a replica of the only boat to complete the entire round trip with the Corps of Discovery. The term Point of Departure comes from Captain Meriwether Lewis himself. His journal from May 14, 1804, reads: The mouth of the River Dubois is to be considered as the point of departure. As the expedition pulled out of what is now known as Wood River on that spring day, they began a journey that would change the face of the United States forever. Point of Departure Weekend sponsors include Phillips 66, the Lewis and Clark Society of America, the Village of Hartford, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Lewis and Clark State Historic Site is located on Illinois Route 3 in Hartford. The Interpretive Center and reconstructed Camp River Dubois reveal the important role that Illinois played in the Corps of Discoverys preparations as they wintered from December 1803 to May 1804. The site is open during summer hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Lewis and Clark State Historic Site is administered by the IDNR and is supported by the Lewis and Clark Society of America. Morgan County Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Eric L. Peters, 34, homeless, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 4:32 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of criminal trespass to land. Walter L. Sanders, 28, of 816 N. Church St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:11 a.m. Wednesday on charges of aggravated battery and mob action. A 15-year-old boy was arrested at 10:56 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of resisting a peace officer after police say he failed to comply with police orders. OTHER REPORTS A rock was thrown through a window of a residents in the 800 block of Nottingham Lane between 1:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to a report filed at 11:38 a.m. Wednesday. Calhoun County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Mark A. Chronister, 59, of Grafton was booked into the Greene County Jail at 5 p.m. Monday on a Calhoun County arrest warrant accusing him of possession of a controlled substance. Steven B. Hoots, 45, of Eldred was booked into the Greene County Jail at 3:14 a.m. Saturday on a charge of driving while license is suspended. Natalie E. Stevanus, 34, of Eldred was booked into the Greene County Jail at 2:38 a.m. Saturday on a Greene County arrest warrant accusing her of criminal damage to property. Greene County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Brittany M. Orr, 27, of Jacksonville was booked into the Greene County Jail at 3 a.m. Tuesday on a Greene County petition to revoke probation. Brittany M. Barnes, 31, of Pittsfield was booked into the Greene County Jail at 2:08 a.m. Saturday on a charge of driving while license is suspended. Carrollton Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Ronald T. Gresham, 26, of White Hall was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:51 a.m. Sunday on a reckless driving charge. Roodhouse Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Alexandria A. Newingham, 27, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 6:58 a.m. Saturday on a possession of a hypodermic syringe charge. Jerry L. Pinkerton, 33, of Winchester was booked into the Greene County Jail at 2:52 a.m. Saturday on charges of home invasion, battery and resisting a peace officer. State police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Chad W. Combs, 40, of Pearl was booked into the Greene County Jail at 9:32 p.m. Saturday on a domestic battery charge. White Hall Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Jason L. Johnson, 37, of White Hall was lodged in the Greene County Jail at 5:46 p.m. Friday on a possession of a hypodermic syringe charge. Matthew R. Smith, 29, of East Alton was booked into the Greene County Jail at 6:05 p.m. Friday on a possession of a hypodermic syringe charge. Roberta L. Roberts, 49, of Murrayville was booked into the Greene County Jail at 4 a.m. Friday on charges of disorderly conduct, possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jeremiah J. Meza, 18, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 3 a.m. Friday on charges of battery, consumption of alcohol by a minor, possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia. Pike County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Michael S. West, 24, of Columbia, Missouri,was arrested at 6:22 p.m. Sunday on charges of possession of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of controlled substances. Ty W. Pruett, 21, of Pleasant Hill was arrested at 1:47 a.m. Sunday on a driving under the influence charge. William T. Fulmer, 53, of Griggsville was arrested at 2:06 a.m. Sunday on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. Luther D. Davis, 42, of Nebo was arrested at 10:33 p.m. Saturday on charges of operating an uninsured motor vehicle and attempting to flee or elude police. Jon M. Provo, 52, of Monticello was arrested at 10:54 p.m. Friday on a charge of driving while license is suspended or revoked. Joshua D. Smith, 36, of Baylis was arrested at 8:28 p.m. Friday on a petition to revoke bond. Kaitlyn E. Grimes, 24, of Bowling Green, Missouri, was arrested at 1:17 a.m. April 17 on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Stephanie D. Wood, 26, of Barry was arrested at 7:45 p.m. April 17 on a domestic battery charge. David A. Burgess, 30, of Milton was arrested at 9:04 p.m. April 17 on charges of improper turning, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a weapon by a felon. Christopher D. Wood, 34, of Barry was arrested at 7:45 p.m. April 17 on a domestic battery charge. Ashley N. Bolen, 28, of Griggsville was arrested at 3:10 p.m. April 16 on a petition to revoke bond. Scott County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Casey A. Brown, 39, of Winchester was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:50 p.m. April 18 on a violation of an order of protection. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer, Rosalind Essig and Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree FAIRFAX, Va. - It was well before 9 a.m., but the Immigration and Customs Enforcement waiting room was already packed. Women held babies with one arm while filling out forms with the other. Men in dirt-caked boots rifled through dog-eared documents. Outside, in a crowded hallway on a Wednesday in April, children played underneath an "Enforcement & Removal Operations" sign. At the far end of the hallway, Haydee Reyes fidgeted nervously. Two weeks earlier, her sister and 10-year-old niece had crossed the Rio Grande and asked for asylum. Now, after being released and bused to northern Virginia, it was time for their first ICE check-in. Reyes, a legal resident of the United States, wasn't sure what would happen. But as she waited in the whitewashed basement in Fairfax, she witnessed a disturbing reminder of one possible outcome. Click. Click. Click. It was the sound of handcuffs locking into place. As children suddenly stopped playing and the hallway grew quiet, Reyes watched as an ICE agent arrested a slender young man in a black sweater, putting him on the path to deportation. When the man's wife began arguing with the agent, she, too, was cuffed and led away. Over the past year, amid fierce debates over family separation, migrant caravans and billions of dollars for a border wall, the nation's attention has been fixed on the U.S.-Mexico border. Yet every day, the futures of thousands of undocumented people are decided far from that frontier, in drab suburban office complexes like this one - part of the vast and often overwhelmed system designed to enforce U.S. immigration laws. The surge in the number of people seeking asylum, despite the Trump administration aggressive attempts to reduce immigration, has only burdened that system further. Over the past two years, as record numbers of Central American families have turned themselves in at the border, the number of immigrants required to report regularly to ICE has jumped by 26 percent to 2.9 million. On April 17, there were 153 check-ins at the Fairfax office, more than twice the number a year ago. For the people presenting themselves to immigration authorities, including more than a million already facing final orders of removal from the United States, each check-in can feel perilous. As she watched the couple next to her get arrested, Reyes wondered if her sister, somewhere in the line ahead, would be next. - - - The glass and concrete building on Prosperity Avenue betrays few hints of the drama underway inside. Apart from a sign for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which occupies the first and second floors, the only other indication is the families who line up outside before the doors open at 6:30 a.m. and emerge hours later, sometimes smaller in size and sobbing. Through a metal detector and down an elevator lies room C-22. Here, immigrants are met by a smoky glass window, behind which a shadowy human form tells them to fill out an intake form. There are about 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center, and most are unknown to authorities. In addition to the roughly 50,000 being detained, another 2.9 million are on what ICE calls its "non-detained docket," meaning they have been released while their immigration cases wind through backlogged courts. Some were arrested after years of living in the United States and then posted immigration bonds. But a growing number are Central American families who turned themselves in to Border Patrol agents, asked for asylum and then were quickly released on parole. Those on the non-detained docket are required to report periodically to a deportation officer, either in person or by phone, except for roughly 100,000 immigrants who instead check in with a government contractor and are often outfitted with ankle bracelets as an alternative to detention. An ICE spokesman said the agency does not track how many immigrants fail to show up for check-ins. Nor does it know how many check-ins occur each day across the country, but it is easily in the thousands. They take place in more than two dozen locations, from San Francisco to San Antonio to south Florida. Fairfax is among the busiest. A report by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General found that in 2016, deportation officers in the Washington suburb each handled an average of more than 10,000 non-detained cases per year: five times as many as in Seattle or St. Paul, Minnesota. The Fairfax office tripled the size of its waiting room last summer, but on this Wednesday morning, all the seats were filled within minutes. And by 9 a.m., the hallway was so full that a custodian could not push her cart down it. "Oh, my gosh," exclaimed one ICE agent as he entered. Bright green signs warned that children and companions were not allowed. Yet women breast-fed their babies as toddlers dozed on plastic seats and teenagers tapped away at smartphone games. When somebody pointed to one of the signs, a mother shrugged. "What am I supposed to do?" she said of her young son. "Leave him outside on his own?" Many asylum seekers checking in for the first time hoped to make a good first impression. Some women wore bright dresses and high heels as if headed to church. One father wore a freshly ironed shirt with the tag still on it. Huddled in the corner of the room, Yensy Santos nervously glanced at her cellphone, counting the minutes until her name was called. The 20-year-old wore red lipstick that matched her purse. She had arrived three weeks earlier from Honduras but now had no idea what was going to happen. Adding to the anxiety: She was 4 1/2 months pregnant. "Honduras is no place to raise a child," she said later in Spanish. Cecilia Bolanos didn't bother dressing up. She's been checking in for six years, ever since she was detained at the border fleeing gang violence in El Salvador. Now the 24-year-old is married to an American citizen, working as a waitress and about to close on a house. "The first couple of years I was kind of nervous" checking in, she said in English, "but then you get used to it." Not everyone views the check-ins as routine. Under President Barack Obama, ICE prioritized deporting undocumented immigrants convicted of serious crimes, immigration attorneys and activists said. But under President Donald Trump, the agency has taken a broader, more aggressive approach, including opening immigration cases that had been previously closed. "If there is bed space open, there is now a real fear that someone could be arrested [during a check-in], even if they have been playing by the rules for years," said Nicholas Katz, legal program manager for the immigrant rights group CASA. That is the worry for Ahlam Mohamed. She said she came to the United States when she was 10 from Somalia, where her father was killed in front of her. Her mother and sisters are American citizens, but Mohamed's green card was revoked because of drug and fraud convictions. She checked in on April 16 - her sixth appearance in as many years. "Every time I come here, I feel like it's my last day," said Mohamed, who was told to return on April 28, 2020. "If they send me back to Somalia, that's a death sentence." The fear is strongest for the 1.05 million people who already have final orders of removal, meaning they could not only be arrested at a check-in, but also quickly deported. The day of Mohamed's check-in, the lawyer for a 63-year-old Ghanaian immigrant with no criminal record was locked in an intense discussion about his fate with a deportation officer. The man had lived in the United States for more than 25 years but was suddenly facing removal. "I can give him six months; then it's a final order," the deportation officer told the attorney. "I understand there are people who've been here for a long time, but things are different now." - - - The following day, the young man and his wife were not so lucky. A different deportation officer called their names and took them to the same side corridor where the Ghanaian man had nearly been arrested. They had no lawyer with them. As the wife began arguing and pulling documents from a bright red binder, the ICE agent struggled to understand. "Does anybody speak Spanish and English that can translate?" the officer asked. "Sure," volunteered a man waiting for his mother's check-in. After the couple's arrest, the eerie silence slowly evaporated. People kept arriving for check-ins, unaware of the couple's fate. An hour later, ICE arrested another young immigrant in the same corridor as his wife silently looked on. One of the three arrested was later released, according to an ICE spokeswoman. Of the two who remained in custody, one had recently been ordered removed after missing a court hearing, and the other had unlawfully entered the United States multiple times, the spokeswoman said. Most people, however, checked in without incident. They went to the front window, where the disembodied voice delivered temporary reprieves in poor Spanish. "Come back six months." "See you 2020." - - - Strained faces melted into smiles. Sighs of relief filled the elevator on its ascent from the underworld. Instead of a date, some were given a time, an hour or two later, to report to another office and receive a GPS ankle monitor. One was a middle-aged man in a wheelchair. Another one was Yensy Santos, the pregnant 20-year-old from Honduras. She looked stunned as her 17-year-old sister led her toward the exit, where an Uber would take her to get the monitor. (It would be taken off two days later, when she provided a doctor's note proving she was pregnant.) Bolanos was told to check in again in October, by which time she hoped to have applied for a green card through her husband. After an hour waiting, Reyes clasped her hand over her mouth when she spotted her sister walking down the hall. The 30-year-old blew her a kiss and smiled. She had just gotten her teaching degree in El Salvador when gangs began extorting her. Now, she told her family, she and her 10-year-old daughter had been given a year before they had to check in again. In the meantime, their asylum claim would join the more than one million cases already in U.S immigration courts. By noon, the waiting room was half empty. By 2 p.m., there was only one person left to check-in: a small Central American woman who said she had been coming here for years. "Blanca?" said the voice beyond the glass. "Thank you," Blanca answered, retrieving her paper work and shuffling toward the door. She'd be back. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's defiance of congressional attempts to investigate his administration has put new pressure on the legislative branch's ability to serve as a constitutional check on a president who sees few limits on his executive power. Since taking office, Trump has consistently treated Congress as more of a subordinate than an equal - often aided by the tacit approval of congressional Republicans who have shown little interest in confronting the president. But tensions between Trump and Capitol Hill have escalated in recent days as the White House refuses to comply with subpoenas from newly empowered House Democrats eager to conduct aggressive oversight of his administration. Trump's decision not to cooperate with House committees, coupled with reluctance from Republicans in control of the Senate to cross him, has left Congress struggling to assert itself as a coequal branch of government - most likely leaving it to the courts to settle a series of power struggles that could define the relationship between the executive and legislative branches for years to come. "A respect for the limits of your branch of government, a respect for the role of other branches of government is sort of the oil that makes the machinery work," said Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., a member of the House Oversight Committee. "Absent that, things break down. And I think we're definitely seeing that with this administration in unprecedented ways." This week alone, the White House and top Trump administration officials have resisted subpoenas issued by Democrats on at least three fronts - limiting how much oversight Democrats can exert as both sides prepare for a potentially protracted standoff. First, the White House directed a former personnel security official to not appear at a scheduled deposition as part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into the administration's security clearance practices. The official, Carl Kline, could now be held in contempt of Congress. The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed former White House counsel Donald McGahn, prompting administration officials to indicate they would assert executive privilege to block his testimony as Democrats seek more information about special counsel Robert Mueller III's Russia investigation, including whether the president obstructed justice. And on Wednesday, the Justice Department said it will not comply with a bipartisan subpoena from the Oversight Committee that sought testimony for its ongoing investigation of the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. The Treasury Department this week also blew through another House-issued deadline, though not technically a subpoena, to turn Trump's tax returns over to the Ways and Means Committee. "We're fighting all the subpoenas. These aren't, like, impartial people," Trump told reporters Wednesday, charging Democrats are motivated solely by politics. "The Democrats are trying to win 2020." Democrats, determined to punch back harder with every rejection from the administration, warn that Trump's attempts to resist congressional oversight could set a dangerous precedent. "If Trump is allowed to get away with ignoring Congress, then, in effect, we no longer have a representative system of government," said Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., a member of the House Judiciary Committee. "We have more like a monarchy. That's exactly what our framers wanted to prevent." The president and his allies have dismissed these complaints, noting he is not the first president to go around a recalcitrant Congress or to clash with lawmakers eager to investigate an administration. His defenders also argue Democrats are overreaching in their probes, which launched shortly after the party took control of the House on Jan. 3. "He obviously wants to work with Congress because he has an agenda that, most of it, doesn't go anywhere without Congress," said a former senior White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the president's views. "But I also think he looks at Congress in the way he looks at all of Washington. . . . These people were sent here to do specific things they ran on and they don't do a whole lot." The former official added: "America's general scorn toward Congress . . . I think that's pretty widely shared in the West Wing." While Trump's subpoena fights with Democrats are new, his lack of deference to Congress has been a theme throughout his presidency, when for the first two years a Republican-controlled Congress rarely challenged him. He continues to brush aside some concerns voiced by Senate Republicans over nominees, his assertion of executive power and trade policy. Trump has openly expressed his preference for acting Cabinet members, even while vacancies persist at the highest levels of the administration, despite senators' argument that senior officials who don't go through the confirmation process can be less accountable to lawmakers and the public. Several key Cabinet posts are filled by acting officials, including the secretaries of defense and homeland security. The year began with a historically long partial government shutdown that ended only after Trump issued an emergency declaration to circumvent Congress to secure funding that lawmakers would not provide for his border wall - despite early warnings from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that such a move would be unpopular with GOP senators. The administration has also blown off some requests from powerful Republicans, such as a demand from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, in February that he be provided with a copy of a Commerce Department report examining whether tariffs on foreign-made cars and auto parts could be imposed on national security grounds. As of this week, he hasn't been provided one. "The Finance Committee is the committee of jurisdiction for trade policy," said Michael Zona, a Grassley spokesman. "So there's no good reason the Commerce Department shouldn't share an official trade policy report with the chairman." A bipartisan investigation requested by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last fall into the death of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi called on the administration to send a report to Congress required under a law aimed at combating human rights abuses. But in February, the Trump administration declined to do so. A senior administration at the time said Trump has discretion to "decline to act on congressional committee requests when appropriate." Senate Republicans have shown more willingness to break with the president - if gently - in recent weeks. Opposition from at least four Senate Republicans doomed any prospects of former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain getting nominated to the Federal Reserve. And GOP leaders are urging Trump to get input from their members earlier and more often in the confirmation process - a tacit acknowledgment that their constitutional role and influence has been shrinking under Trump. "He seems to be comfortable with people in an acting role," said Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., the No. 2 Senate Republican. "I think it's better for the process, for him, and for the people that are being nominated to these positions if they go through a full confirmation process and get the validation of the United States Senate under the advise and consent requirement in the Constitution." The dynamic between the White House and House Democrats is becoming increasingly bitter, even as leaders in both branches continue to hold out some hope that bipartisan deals might be possible in the second half of Trump's first term. The president and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are scheduled to meet next week about infrastructure, although the specter of congressional investigations will almost certainly hang over the discussion. "They're supposed to be talking about infrastructure," counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said. "If she's coming here under the ruse of infrastructure and wants to talk about subpoenas, I'll let you know." And on Wednesday, Trump suggested he would go to the Supreme Court to stop any attempt by Democrats to impeach him, despite legal scholars saying that power is clearly given to Congress in the Constitution. "I DID NOTHING WRONG," Trump wrote in a tweet. "If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only are there no 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors,' there are no Crimes by me at all." Around the time in 2016 when Paul Manafort began sharing the Trump campaign's internal polling data with an associate linked to Russian intelligence, each man was trying to advance an agenda. Manafort was seeking to end a long-running business dispute with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. The associate, Konstantin Kilimnik, was peddling a peace plan that would give Moscow more influence in eastern Ukraine. And Deripaska, who knew Manafort from the years of political consulting he had provided with Kilimnik's help, was looking to reverse years of visa woes that had crimped his ability to move freely about the U.S. That's the backdrop described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian election interference, which doesn't conclude why Manafort, as chairman of Donald Trump's campaign, directed the handover of polling data about the key battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. Prosecutors were unable to determine what became of the data or if Deripaska received it. Kilimnik, in an email exchange on Thursday with Bloomberg News, said he had no ties to Russian intelligence and didn't pass along detailed polling data. "I never got any in-depth polling data," Kilimnik said. "This is the main issue being misinterpreted. As someone who worked with Paul on political campaigns for over 10 years I was very much interested in the U.S. presidential race. The notion that I got detailed polling data on several key states is simply nonsense. I did not share it with anyone." The report paints the fullest picture yet of the motives and disguised actions by Manafort and Kilimnik, revealing that they had discussed the peace plan at least four times and that their correspondence continued into 2018. "All that is required to start the process is a very minor 'wink' (or slight push)" from Trump, Kilimnik wrote in a Dec. 8, 2016, email as Trump was preparing to take office, "and a decision to authorize you to be a 'special representative' and manage this process." The 448-page Mueller report concluded that Trump's campaign didn't conspire with Russia to influence the election. Mueller's office also didn't identify evidence that Manafort's sharing of polling data was connected to Russia's meddling in the campaign. Much about Manafort's and Kilimnik's relationship remains unknown, as Mueller blacked out sections about it. That leaves unresolved how or whether the polling data was used by the Russians, a tantalizing thread that could prompt investigations by Congress, prosecutors or counterintelligence officials. "It's deeply troubling that the campaign chairman was turning over polling data to an intelligence officer of an adversary who we already knew was interfering with the election," said Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor. "There's just too much we don't know about why the polling data was turned over -- whether it was to influence the Trump campaign or it was Manafort going rogue for his own profit." Trump, in response to written questions from Mueller, said he had no knowledge of the transfer of internal polling results. Even more details could emerge if a federal judge in Washington decides to remove blacked-out portions of court filings about Manafort, 70, who pleaded guilty in September and agreed to cooperate with Mueller. Prosecutors said he lied repeatedly during debriefings, including about his interactions with Kilimnik. Manafort was sentenced to 7 years in prison for tax and bank fraud, as well as conspiring to engage in illegal foreign lobbying and witness tampering. In 2005, Manafort started offering his services as an international political consultant to Deripaska, who Mueller's office describes as "closely aligned with Vladimir Putin," the Russian president. Deripaska, who founded the aluminum producers En+ Group and United Co. Rusal, paid Manafort tens of millions of dollars over four years and lent him millions more, according to Mueller. Deripaska used Manafort to "install friendly political officials in countries where Deripaska had business interests," Mueller's report says, citing an FBI interview with Manafort's former right-hand man, Rick Gates. After pleading guilty to conspiracy and false statements, Gates cooperated with Mueller. At the same time he worked for Deripaska, Manafort advised pro-Kremlin politicians in Ukraine, where he helped Viktor Yanukovych win the presidency in 2010. Manafort also grew close to several wealthy businessmen in Ukraine. A translator linked by the FBI to Russian intelligence, Kilimnik was a key aide to Manafort because he had close access to Yanukovych and "multiple Ukrainian oligarchs," according to Mueller. He also had a relationship with Deripaska's deputy and facilitated many of Manafort's communications with Deripaska, the report said. Kilimnik had been fired from the Moscow office of the International Republican Institute, a nonpartisan group with a mission to advance democracy, because "his links to Russian intelligence were too strong," the report said. Gates also suspected that Kilimnik was a spy, according to the report. In the Bloomberg interview, Kilimnik said: "I have never had any ties to the Russian intelligence. Or any other intelligence in the world." He said Deripaska doesn't know him. "He has zero reason to be aware of my existence," Kilimnik said. Kilimnik added that the peace plan he discussed with Manafort had nothing to do with Russian influence over eastern Ukraine. "We were talking about Ukraine," Kilimnik said. "There was no written plan of any kind. Paul has a much deeper understanding of Ukrainian politics than all 'Ukraine experts' combined" and was looking for a way to bring stability to the country. The relationship between Manafort and Deripaska soured after Deripaska invested $26 million in a failed cable-television venture backed by Manafort and Gates. The billionaire later sued the men. After Yanukovych fled to Moscow in 2014, Manafort, Gates and Kilimnik began to work for a party known as the Opposition Bloc. But that work petered out, as well. By the time Manafort joined the Trump campaign on an unpaid basis in March 2016, he had "no meaningful income" but believed that reviving his U.S. career could help him in the future, according to the report. Manafort said that joining the campaign would be "good for business," Gates told Mueller. Gates also said that Kilimnik and Manafort discussed how to use the appointment to try to collect his Ukrainian political debts and persuade Deripaska to drop his litigation. Deripaska wanted a visa to the U.S., Mueller's report says. Gates said that "having Manafort in a position inside the campaign or administration might be helpful to Deripaska, and that Manafort's relationship with Trump could help Deripaska in other ways," according to Mueller. Manafort offered Deripaska "private briefings" about the campaign, although Manafort told prosecutors they never took place. Gates told prosecutors he didn't know what, if anything, Manafort was offering to Deripaska. Gates told Mueller that Manafort ordered him in April or May 2016 to share polling data with Kilimnik that he could then pass along to Ukrainian oligarchs and Deripaska. At Manafort's behest, Gates "periodically sent Kilimnik data" via an encrypted-messaging app and then deleted the communications daily. Gates told prosecutors that he believed the polling data let Manafort showcase his work and open doors to jobs after the campaign. For his part, Manafort denied he told Gates to send internal data to Kilimnik, according to the report. The report also spells out new details about how Kilimnik pushed a plan to enlist Manafort's support for a "peace plan" in eastern Ukraine after the Russian invasion of Crimea. Under that plan, Yanukovych would serve as head of a newly autonomous region in Ukraine. Kilimnik pushed Manafort to secure Trump's support if he was elected. They discussed the peace plan for months, including at a meeting at an upscale New York cigar bar on Aug. 2, 2016, according to the report. Kilimnik arrived in New York on a commercial flight, and around the time of the meeting, Deripaska arrived at a nearby airport on a private jet with his family. The report doesn't indicate how Kilimnik returned home or the significance of Deripaska being nearby at the time of the meeting. Manafort told prosecutors he thought the plan was "crazy." Manafort and Kilimnik also discussed the plan at later meetings in Washington during Trump's inauguration and in Madrid. If Manafort could get the process moving, Yanukovych would ensure his reception in Russia "at the very top level," Kilimnik wrote, according to the report. The peace plan never took root. After the election, Manafort initially sought to "monetize" his relationship with the new president as he traveled to the Middle East, Cuba, South Korea, Japan and China, collecting money "to explain what a Trump presidency would entail." Events unfolded badly for Manafort and Gates. They were charged in October 2017 for crimes related to their work in Ukraine, not on the Trump campaign. Kilimnik was later charged with Manafort in an attempt to tamper with witnesses. Deripaska, for his part, was among the most prominent tycoons hit with sanctions by the Trump administration. The move followed passage of a law to retaliate against Moscow for its election interference. In April 2018, the U.S. Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Deripaska and six other Russians it labeled oligarchs in response to the Kremlin's "malign activity around the globe." In March, Deripaska sued the Treasury Department and Secretary Steven Mnuchin, asking a federal judge to lift the restrictions. In his complaint, the magnate said he was "the latest victim" of "political infighting and ongoing reaction to Russia's purported interference" with the 2016 election. ALTON Edwardsville resident Yolanda Crochrell spends countless hours pursuing her passion: helping those in need, especially children. When asked how she would describe herself, she said she strives always to be compassionate and caring toward everyone. A generally happy person, she enjoys laughter and gets a kick out of doing for others. Its not always easy, she said. But I know its the right thing to do. As a 2019 Women of Distinction honoree, Crochrell said it took a moment to grasp when she heard that she had been chosen. It took a minute to sink in, and after I read what it really meant to receive this, it took my breath away, she said. It is such an honor, and I hope I can follow in the footsteps of the other women who have received this recognition through the years. Originally from Carson, California, Crochrell moved to the area after marrying her husband, Delanders, whom she met at a wedding in Florida. After a long-time, long-distance relationship, the two married, and she relocated to his hometown of Madison, and she immediately developed a heart for the community. She co-developed and serves as director of the Quad City Community Development Center in Madison in 2012, a nonprofit organization that provides social services and opportunities to the surrounding communities. The center offers a number of programs for people of all ages, but she considers Quad Citys Summer Camp for local youth one of the biggest accomplishments. Without it, there would be children in the community who would go hungry, or not have a place to go in the summer months, she said. Operating for about 10 years, Quad City survived the first five years through support from Mt. Nebo Missionary Baptist Church and donations from other sources. For the last five years, Crochrell was able to get a Community Service Block Grant through Madison County Community Development. She is also the program director for 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school program in the Madison Community School District. In addition, Crochrell is a board member of the Madison County Leadership Council and served as a precinct committeeman in Edwardsville. And I am so proud that as a campaign manager, four out of six of my candidates won in the recent election three on the school board and one alderman in Madison, she said. She is the third vice president of the Madison/Venice branch of the NAACP and is involved in several other community-based programs, such as Peacekeepers Madison/Lovejoy/Venice, an organization that partners with residents and area agencies to provide resources and support that enables residents to be safe, healthy and successful. She works as an administrative manager and planner at Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, as well as serving as a deaconess and trustee for the church. She is currently attending ministry school to further her passion for missionary work. I am just so glad that I have the energy and the mindset and the helping hands to make a difference, Crochrell said. Crochrell studied at UCLA Anderson School of Management and earned an associates degree in business management at Ashworth University in Atlanta. Past recognitions have included an outstanding service award from the Madison County Housing Authority and a Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award, among others. This is one part of a series introducing this years YWCA of Alton Women of Distinction honorees from Edwardsville. The YWCA of Alton will host the 29th annual Women of Distinction recognition ceremony at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 2, at the Commons at Lewis and Clark Community College. Tickets are $60 per person, $480 per table of eight or $600 for table of 10. Reservations can be made at altonywca.com, at the YWCA at 304 E. Third St., or by calling 618-465-7774. Elizondos Call to Action In September 2010, when the Pentagons neatly concealed Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program was going full throttle, UFOs & Nukes author Robert Hastings assembled a press conference which was unlike anything Washington had ever seen before. With CNN live-streaming, seven retired Air Force veterans, including a missile-targeting officer, a combat crew commander, and a former base commander, converged on the National Press Club to testify about ominous and sometimes-destabilizing UFO activity around Americas nuclear By Billy Cox De Void 4-24-19 launch control facilities. Their stories were sobering, but even so they represented just a fraction of the 150-plus veterans who went on record with Hastings about events unfolding in restricted airspace above our weapons of mass destruction.Washington paid no mind, of course, and the media bungled the coverage CNN didnt even bother to staff it or follow up. The best the Washington Post could scrape together was a columnist who wrote about how he only showed up to eat free cookies. But its hard to believe, considering former AATIP director Luis Elizondos statements last month in Huntsville, Alabama, that the Defense Department would blow off those veterans eyewitness accounts, given the stakes.Former intelligence agent Elizondo left a military career in 2017 because the information he was accumulating was being stovepiped by mid-level higher-ups who refused to send it up the chain of command. A generous and accessible public speaker, he capped an hour-long presentation by fielding queries from a surprisingly well-informed audience for another two hours. But the questionsraised about the imperatives of strategic defense make De Void wonder if were on the verge of a blunder as consequential as Project Blue Book.Before plunging into all that, a word or two about Elizondo, whos been angrily labeled in some quarters as the perfect disinformation agent, given his history with counterintelligence. Yes, he maintains contacts in the Pentagon and freely admits it. In fact, as he told the 125 or so people attending the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies conference, just days before his lecture, one of his former DoD colleagues called to discuss the evolvingsurrounding The Great Taboo since the NY Times broke the AATIP story on 12/16/17.He said, you know, Lue, its funny, because a conversation that I had to have with you, just a year and a half ago, in a vault with in a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility), in a TS/SCI (top secret sensitive compartmented information) facility thats SAP (special access program) cleared and we had to whisper to have this conversation I can now have this conversation in the open halls of the Pentagon. Imagine that, how far weve come.Its also true that Elizondo remains bound by a security oath, and he put his listeners on notice: Its not our job to come out and be full disclosure. People tell me all the time, we demand the truth, we deserve the truth. Well, I dont doubt that. But no offense, but I dont work for you. Im trying to do something here thats for the collective good.At least one token of that collective good, he offered, will get a public hearing next month when The History Channel serves up a six-part nonfiction series called Unidentified: Inside Americas UFO Investigation. Now, given Historys goofball track record with UFOs from the Ancient Aliens conspiracies to reimagining real-life astronomer J. Allen Hynek as James Bond in Project Blue Book the prospects are a little unsettling, like when you realize you just swallowed a salamander with that last gulp of ice tea. And theres this: the rock star founder of To The Stars Academy, the private company which has been teasing elements of its research projects over the past year or so to attract crowd-sourced investors, is the Unidentified executive producer.Say what you will about Tom DeLonges more reckless UFO assertions (e.g., the hieroglyphics on the crashed Roswell craft are available online), he does understand the promotion business. And in October 2017, when he introduced a truly impressive cast of TTSA board members, including Elizondo, it was clear that celebrity can indeed create alliances outside the reach of ordinary mortals.Elizondo did his best to assure listeners that TTSA, which has gone quiet about its research over the past year, will make a big bang on Unidentified with a load of new material. For instance, You will see that we even had people from the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) on camera, analyzing, he volunteered. Ive never seen anything like that in my career. For the record. On camera.But exactly how much will Unidentified yield about the full scope of the mystery? TTSAs private-venture setup prompted a listener to note that the company would have the right to patent whatever it learns from UFO technology, meaning it would be under no obligation to share the results of its analyses.Sure. Youre right, Elizondo affirmed. But the material thats not ours, that we are stewards of, is again not ours, so were not gonna patent something that doesnt belong to us. Some of these individuals have been very generous and patient with us and have allowed us to analyze their material, allowed us to store that material provided we provide that information back to them. But it is at the end of the day their material.Of course, that doesnt apply to material procured through other means. Which brings us to the heart of Elizondos presentation in Huntsville. Ever since going public, TTSAs point man has talked at length about the five observables that distinguish UFO technology from everything else: instantaneous acceleration, hypersonic velocity, low observability or stealth, positive lift or antigravity, and the ability to freely navigate multiple environments, space, the atmosphere, and water. Yes, he said, these things do leave sonar signatures.Elizondo asked his audience to imagine if a military rival were to command just one of those observables. Better yet, imagine if we have a craft that can do all five of those think how terrifying that would be, right? So yeah, its incumbent upon us to make sure we avoid strategic surprise by one of our potential adversaries I think its safe to assume our adversaries are doing the same thing.But what if they arent? What if foreign superpowers have decided that diverting resources to UFOs is a major waste of time? What if, for a moment, we could discountwitness-based reports of UAP rendering American missiles inoperable at SAC bases across the Northern Plains during the Cold War? Would we still have reasons to be concerned?We tend to define threats as intentional, someone who is out to harm you on purpose, Elizondo said. But what happens if you stand too close to a jet engine? You go deaf. Is that a threat? What if, as has been reported more than once, you approach a strange light hovering at treetop level and it looks like (you) got radiation burns. Is that a threat? Elizondo wonders. Well, sure, its a chemical threat.Reaching a consensus on what does and doesnt constitute a threat would seem a reasonable way to proceed. However, Elizondo reminded listeners that Americans no longer have the luxury of moving forward (assuming they ever did) with the same set of facts. When a listener asked about UFOs busting security around our weapons of mass destruction, Elizondo was not ambivalent. Yes, he replied, we do know for a fact that theres some strategic interest in our nuclear capabilities, albeit whether its nuclear energy, nuclear weapons development, nuclear delivery capabilities thats about all I can say.If I didnt have a security clearance I could probably talk more about this, but I cant. I cant even speculate. The crown jewel of U.S. defense is its nuclear capability, and the U.S. government is very, very protective of that information.This is a sea change from 1969, when the Air Force shut down Project Blue Book by proclaiming UFOs posed no threat to national security. Today, we have Navy footage of UFOs outperforming our frontline warplanes, confirmation of a secret Pentagon research program, and a grownup conversation that couldnt have been imagined half a century ago. In fact, just yesterday, the Navy issued a statement to Politico indicating it is now updating and formalizing the way it handles reports of unauthorized incursions into military-controlled ranges and designated air space.Fifty years ago, critics blasted Blue Book because, they charged, the military never shouldve been allowed to take the lead on scientific investigation. Today, the military continues to play by its own set of rules. A private corporation is digging for evidence that may well never enter the public domain. For those who like neither of those options and want more transparency, the man who operates under a selective gag order offers some perspective.Until you tell me a UAP has just blown up one of my aircraft carriers, thats not my priority. From a military perspective, that makes sense, I dont necessarily agree with it But at the end of the day, its not a national priority because you didnt make it a national priority, and yes, Im putting that on your shoulders squarely, Elizondo told his listeners. Because you are the people, you are the ones who elect officials, you are the ones that set what the priorities should be.So if youre not doing it, then someone else will do it for you. So if you want this to be a national priority, then you have to engage your elected officials, you are the ones that set what the priorities should be. So if youre not doing it, then somebody else will do it for you.For the record, GovTrack has contact info for every Senator and Representative on Capitol Hill. Job Title: Financial Controller Organisation: Steel and Tube Industries Limited (STIL) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Reports to: General Manager Finance About US: Steel and Tube Industries Limited (STIL) is one of the leading and most reliable manufacturer and supplier of Steel profile in Uganda. Job Summary: The Financial Controller will apply principles of accounting to analyze financial information and prepare financial reports Key Duties and Responsibilities: Apply principles of accounting to analyze financial information and prepare financial reports Compile and analyze financial information to prepare entries to accounts, such as general ledger accounts, documenting business transactions. Analyze financial information detailing assets, liabilities, and capital, and prepares balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and other reports to summarize current and projected company financial position, using calculator or computer. Audit contracts, orders, and vouchers, and prepares reports to substantiate individual transactions prior to settlement. Direct and coordinate activities of accountants, cashiers and clerical staff performing accounting and bookkeeping tasks. Maintain STIL tax preparation system and tax filing deadlines. Oversea the preparation and filing of corporate, income tax, and other statutory obligations like NSSF, LST etc . Agree and establish tables of accounts codes and assign entries to proper accounts. Collaborate with other managers to prepare annual departmental and corporate budgets. Monitor actual against budget performance regularly. Prepare monthly management accounts and financial reports and submit to general manager. Check and authorise necessary official documents e.g. requisitions, invoices, etc.. Responsible for tax and all other statutory financial matters. Endorse Bank Reconciliations and follow up with the bank and wealth manager as necessary. Plan cash outflow commitments in line with cash inflows and balances to ensure liquidity status of the company. Facilitate payment of employees at the required time and place when need arises. Maintain full knowledge of traded items, client services and manufactured steel products. Exercising tight control over capital and revenue expenditures of the company. Develop and implement rigorous expenses control and reduction plans. Focus on debt collection and institute debt recovery measures so as to maintain a sound liquid position. Efficient and expedite customer order execution from the financial aspect to achieve best customer delivery. Must wear PPE and adhere to all safety rules To understand, Implement and maintain all ISO systems in the company. Perform any other duties as they may be assigned Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The applicant should hold a Bachelors degree in Accounting, Commerce, economics, Business or an equivalent. ACCA, CPA is Must A masters degree is an added advantage At least eight years experience in accounting, finance or a related field. Knowledge of Manufacturing industry. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills Excellent interpersonal skills Result oriented Excellent communications skills, both orally and in writing How to Apply: All candidates should send their applications by hand delivering or send via E-mail. The complete applications must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, copies of academic transcripts, names of at least three professional referees and current salary details: The Human Department, Deals House, Jinja Road Nakawa Industrial Area, Plot 38-40, Mukabya Road E mail to: jobs@stil.co.ug Deadline: 26th April 2019 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Admin & Accounting Assistant Organisation: Association for Aid and Relief (AAR Japan) Duty Station: Uganda Salary Range (Gross): UGX 890,000 1,150,000 per month (depending on the experience and skill of a candidate) About US: Association for Aid and Relief (AAR Japan) was founded in 1979 by Yukika SOHMA, our first chairperson, with a mission to help refugees from Indochina, and as a civil organization without any political, religious, or ideological affiliations. It has since then grown into an international organization approved and registered by the United Nations. AAR Japan has five main pillars of activities; 1) emergency assistance, 2) assistance to persons with disabilities, 3) landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) action, 4) action against infectious diseases and 5) public awareness raising about global issues in Japan. Since the beginning, AAR Japan has operated in over 60 countries. Currently we are active in 15 countries and areas, including 4 African countries namely Kenya, Zambia, Sudan and Uganda. Job Summary: The Admin & Accounting Assistant will manage and accomplish assigned project activities from planning, procurement, mobilization, budget and asset control, implementation and reporting, and other assignments relevant to our project in education and protection area. The person will be based in Yumbe, but may have frequent business trips to Kampala, Arua, and Moyo District. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Administrative work supporting Administrative Officer Manage office supplies stock and place orders Arrange accommodation, travel and postal service Make drafts of various contracts either related to project or administration. Keep proper and correct records of all the office consumables and assets with Microsoft Excel. Arrangement and control stock of project materials in warehouse or storeroom Carry administrative duties such as filing, typing, copying, binding, scanning, etc. Perform other duties instructed by supervisors. Accounting work supporting Accounting Officer Control petty cash in office Accounting Journal Entry to AARs financial system on a daily basis Fill in, check and organize accounting documents (bills, cash slips, invoices, financial supporting documents, receipts) Assist in supervising and giving advice as necessary to other staff to ensure their compliance with the required financial procedure Assist in preparing internal monthly financial reports and financial reports for donors Assist in preparing project audits and annual audits File monthly tax return Fulfill all the demands pertaining to accounting and finance process Update and manage staff payroll providing advice on compiling organization accounting manuals Perform other duties instructed by supervisors. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The applicant must hold a Bachelors Degree or higher in in relevant field. A minimum of two years of experience working in accounting / finance or administration in a reputable firm, public body or NGO. Good knowledge of English and preferably of a language commonly used in West Nile. Good Computer Skills especially in Word, Excel accounting software and knowledge of other database preferred. High integrity, self-driven, able to work under challenging circumstances, and able to complete assignments with tight deadlines under minimal supervision. How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested individuals should submit their application to aar.uganda.hr@gmail.com or hand deliver their application to AAR Japan Yumbe Office (*Incomplete application shall not be considered.) The Subject Name for the email shall be: Admin & Accounting Assistant_Name Cover Letter (Shall not exceed one A4 page) Curriculum Vitae (CV) Copy of academic and work certificates Deadline: 30th April 2019 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: IT Assistant Organization: International Rescue Committee (IRC) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About US: The International Rescue Committee helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. It was created by Albert Einstein more than 80 years and has been working in Uganda since 1998. It has particularly working in the conflict zones where tens of thousands of people have been kills and over 1.6 million displaced. Following a peace agreement in 2006, Ugandans are returning home and looking to rebuild their lives. The IRC is there to protect women and children from violence and exploitation by fostering a safe environment and encouraging education, and is supporting farmers and small businesses, and helping communities promote peace and long-term development. Job Summary: The IT Assistant will be primarily responsible for facilitating the installation and configuration of IT infrastructure, staff training and operations of IT activities in the IRC Imvepi office. The IT Assistant will offer 1st and selected 2nd level support to the Country Program IT team and work closely with the IT Officer, and on request with the IT Manager, Field Manager and Regional IT Director and all program sectors to ensure proper ICT functioning and support. Key Duties and Responsibilities: IT Support Provide Level 1 and Level 2 Support Work with end-users or IT Officer (or Service Desk) on resolving Level 1 issues in Imvepi. Resolve or escalate Level 2 and Level 3 issues on request to appropriate internal or external resource (IT Officer, IT Manager, management) as necessary. Liaise with various in country Internet Service Providers (ISP) for the purpose of improving the system and resolving any breakdown in internet services. Ensure that antivirus programs on each machine are updated regularly. Work with Helpdesk to create email addresses, update mailing lists, and keep proper tracking of email addresses. Installation, configuration And maintenance Provide systems administrative support to the Servers, Windows server 2016 operating system, Domain and essential network services. Desktop/laptop hardware and software, and peripherals, using IRC standard Windows 7/10 operating system image. Local Area Network, wireless network, peer-to-peer or client server architecture, as appropriate. Provide monitoring reports with information on condition of network and ISPs to the IT Officer to assist with timely upgrades and necessary changes. Ensure SUN 4.4.2 and QA BI is properly installed and functional on all Finance departmental computers in the office. Maintenance, Repair and Security Perform preventative maintenance on all IRC computers and network resources. Ensure that server backup is done on regular basis and that staff are reminded to do back up before their computers are sent out for repairs. Ensure data security backups and protection of the LAN against data corruption. Work with the IT Officer to update and maintain network documentation to include but not limited to IP address, Network and Server system access, email creation systems, upgrades and changes to original network, etc. Diagnose hardware and software faults by questioning clients patiently about a problem and explaining the procedures to them. Closely collaborate with International and HQ IT team on helpdesk, connectivity and other in country and global IRC IT projects. Provide technical input and support to the Imvepi office Local Area Network. Ensure proper record keeping of breakdowns, problems and maintenance carried out. Training, Evaluation and Testing Provide regular user and support staff training, including training on basic care and maintenance of computers and equipment for users which include training IRC staff and guests on the safe handling and general operation of computers and accessories and ensure that all IRC staff are in compliance with IT policies and procedures. Training of organizational applications and roll-outs. Research and suggest new technology as required by Regional and HQ IT. Prepare and submit regular weekly, monthly and trip reports that provide sufficient detail for HQ to understand the country offices computer environment, needs, IT staff availability and skill levels and future plans. IT Asset Management Keep an up-to-date ICT asset register by performing monthly asset verifications for all IT assets in the Imvepi office including Software & licenses (Box, WebEx and Cyberoam FWs). Create and maintain IRC computer software/hardware inventory ensuring accuracy. Policies & Protocols Implement available plans for repair of dysfunctional laptops, desktop computers, photocopiers, printers, etc. Implement appropriate protocols for regular maintenance of all IRC computer related equipment. Implement global IT Policy for IRC Uganda in coordination with IT Officer, IT Manager, DDO and Regional IT support team. Any other IT related tasks assigned by the IT Officer, IT Manager or Regional IT team to accomplish the overall organizational goals. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The applicant for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) IT Assistant job should hold a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science or equivalent technical work experience. CCNA course desired, MCSE or equivalent experience is a plus. One to two years of experience in IT profession. Experience installing, configuring and managing both wired and wireless LAN, and firewalls. Computer imaging skills required. Outlook experience required. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required. Customer/Client service experience Able to work independently within a team environment. Strong sense of personal integrity. Attention to detail. Team spirit and problem solving abilities. Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required. How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates should apply online at the link below. Click Here For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Part Time Driver Organisation: Self Help Africa (SHA) Duty Station: Kabale, Uganda Reports to: Senior Administrator About US: Self Help Africa (SHA) is an International Non-Governmental Organization implementing rural development, sustainable food and livelihoods security programmes in nine countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. SHAs vision is an economically thriving and resilient rural Africa with a mission to support sustainable livelihoods for Ugandas smallholder farmers. SHA has been working in Uganda for close to 20 years. About Project: Self Help Africa (SHA) in partnership with African International Christian Ministry (AICM) and the District local governments of Rubanda and Kabale are implementing a project on Striking a Balance: Developing a green economy around the Lake Bunyonyi basin. The partners committed to improve household disposable income and access to sufficient food for the targeted beneficiaries. The project is being implemented in two Districts. Job Summary: The incumbent will drive staff and to manage the project vehicle for Self Help Africa Key Duties and Responsibilities: Drive the project vehicles with strict adherence to local traffic laws and in accordance to project rules and regulations pertaining to vehicles Transport project staff and materials in Kabale, Rubanda District and other regions Maintain the vehicle in a satisfactory condition, including weekly cleaning of the interior and exterior and periodic (quarterly) cleaning of the motor and chassis. Ensure that tyres are in good working conditions at all time, and that spare tyre is in good condition Ensure that vehicle usage log is updated on a daily basis and submitted on a monthly basis. Ensure that fuel consumption report is submitted as required. Ensure regular maintenance of the vehicle, and that fluids (water, oil, fuel, washer liquid, etc.) levels are at required levels Check on vehicle comprehensive and 3rd party insurance Ensure that vehicle comprehensive and 3rd party insurance are valid. Report any apparent malfunction to the Supervisor. Report any damage or accident to the Supervisor immediately. Ensure that the vehicle is safely parked and locked when not in use. Carry out project errands as required. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate for the Self Help Africa Part Time Driver job must hold a UCE certificate A minimum of five years of driving experience with preferably Non-Governmental organisations English Language proficiency and the local language (Rukiga/ Runyankole) Must possess a valid drivers license with preferably classes B and CM Should have basic computer knowledge (Microsoft Word and Excel) Knowledge of driving rules and regulations and skills in minor vehicle repairs. Knowledge of email, telephone and other applications. Trustworthy, high sense of responsibility, alertness; physical fitness on duty, emotional stability, neat and courteous. Good knowledge of the Project activity areas and the current conditions of roads and highways. Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. Flexibility to fit into often changing priorities Ability to fluently communicate in both verbally and written language(s) applicable to project requirements How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send a completed application form, Download Here, CV & Cover Letter by E-mail as follows: uganda@selfhelpafrica.net. Please type Part time Driver [your name] in the subject line of the e-mail. Deadline: 2nd May 2019 Please do not send certificates at this stage. Due to the anticipated high volume of applications, kindly note that only short listed candidates will be contacted. For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Car thefts rose by nine per cent last year, a new Office for National Statistics report shows. A total of 113,037 cases of stolen vehicles were reported to the police in England and Wales in 2018, the ONS confirmed as part of its full-year crime figures. That works out at one car every five minutes being taken without the consent of the keeper. Edmund King, AA president, says the rise was driven by the recent spike in keyless car theft tactics used by organised gangs and tech-savvy criminals - and called for motorists to take the necessary measures to avoid having their vehicles stolen remotely. Thefts on the rise: Criminal gangs are hacking keyless car systems to remotely steal vehicles from the homes and work places of owners. As a result, vehicle thefts in England and Wales increased 9% in 2018 Vehicle crime offences were up by two per cent in total by the end of 2018, with 463,497 separate cases reported to the police in the full year. Almost a quarter of these are were thefts, the stats show. According to the ONS, motor crime has been on the rise since 2015, mostly caused by the growing use of remote vehicle thefts. In fact, figures show a 47 per cent spike in stolen motors since the record low theft figures from March 2014 when just 70,053 cars were unlawfully taken from owners by criminals. Devices are used to relay a signal from the key - which is safely kept inside the vehicle owner's home - to the car, tricking the system into allowing thieves access to the vehicle. With many of these systems having keyless ignition, it also means the signal can be replicated to start the engine and drive the car away without raising suspicion. Home Office figures released at the start of the year showed a 50 per cent rise in vehicle thefts in the last five years, with 300 cars being taken a day. Recent data from the Association of British Insurers showed an 11 per cent rise in the number of motor insurance-settled claims relating to theft in the first nine months of last year. More concerning is that fewer than half of stolen cars in Britain are recovered and returned to their rightful owners. Just 45.3 per cent of motors taken without the consent of their keepers between 2009 and 2018 were traced and reclaimed, UK forces confirmed to Auto Express following a Freedom Of Information request earlier this year. Merseyside Police had the best recovery rates of 75 per cent, while West Midlands had the lowest with fewer than 12 per cent of vehicles stolen from the area being found, the investigation found. Fewer than half of cars stolen in Britain are returned to their owners, according to police records AA president Edmund King said the nine per cent rise in vehicle thefts was 'very worrying'. 'One area of concern is the increase of cars with keyless entry being stolen,' he added. 'When it comes to stealing cars, thieves have changed their tactics from 'smash and grab' to 'bounce and roll', as they bounce the radio signals off the key to unlock the car and roll away with it. 'Having access to your keys is the easiest way for a thief to steal your car, so drivers need to ensure they protect them properly.' How you can protect your car from keyless car thefts by Grace Gausden, This is Money Reporter The ABI provided some tips on how you can keep your car safe: Car security basics: Ensure your vehicle is parked in a well-lit or secure area, properly locked and all valuables are removed. Once in your home or office, ensure your car keys are as far away from doors and windows as possible, preferably shut inside a drawer. Signal-blocking Faraday pouches: Don't assume that wrapping your key in foil will do a good enough job. As keyless car crime has spiked, several anti-theft pouches have hit the market that are designed to block signals emitted by the key. The idea is simple - keep your key inside the Faraday pouch when not in use, and special material will prevent a relay amplifier from picking up its unique signal and transmitting it. We'd recommend only buying these from a reputable outlet, however, and looking for reviews and accreditation to ensure it will work. Switch off the key: The wireless signal from some keyless fobs can be turned off, although the feature isn't always obvious and can require a combination of button presses. Consult the manual or contact the manufacturer to find out if this is possible for the keys to your car. Switching off the key should certainly thwart keyless car thieves, and could also be recommended when heading off on holiday. It's also worth checking with the manufacturer if any software updates are available, as it may be that a system for preventing keyless car theft has been developed since you got your car. Physical security measures: As criminals turn to technology, many owners are resorting to low-tech physical security devices like steering wheel locks and driveways with locked gates or barriers. Make life difficult for thieves in this way and even if they can unlock the car, hopefully they won't be able to drive away in it. Many criminals will also move on to an easier target when faced with extra security that's time consuming and noisy to defeat. Tracking devices: It's possible to subscribe to a security company like Tracker, which can fit a tracking device to your car and use it to trace its location if it's stolen. According to the company, 96 per cent of cars fitted with its technology are recovered when stolen, compared with just 50 per cent in other cases. Earlier this year, a new vehicle security rating scheme was launched in the UK to identify which new cars are most and least vulnerable to these relay thefts. Five of the 11 models initially reviewed by security experts Thatcham Research last month were labelled as having 'poor' defences against relay thefts due to a lack of built-in measures to prevent gangs from hacking the keyless systems. Suzuki's 15,500 Jimny SUV was given the lowest rating available - 'unacceptable' - for its lack of security options. As well as vehicles thefts and offences, there were 811,000 individual cases of criminal damage to a vehicle last year - a 14 per cent increase. Mr King said: 'We believe a large proportion of these could be down to vehicles in car parks being bumped or scraped by others and then fleeing the scene.' Fortunately, the ONS report showed a seven per cent decrease in 'aggravated vehicle-taking' - or hijackings - which ended a continuous increasing trend since March 2015. Life cannot be the same again for Sainsburys or Asda following the failed merger attempt. Shareholders will be unforgiving of Mike Coupes attempt to escape the heat of competition by seeking a merger with Asda, which has cost Britains oldest established grocer a year of progress. New chairman Martin Scicluna will have little choice but to speed succession planning. Coupe could redeem himself by improving the Sainsburys offer by making sure stores are fully stocked, making maximum use of Argos logistical skills and developing its stand-alone bank. Spoiled goods: Shareholders will be unforgiving of Mike Coupe's attempt to escape the heat of competition by seeking a merger with Asda There is a possibility that with the shares in a weakened state, Sainsburys biggest investor, Qatar, with 22 per cent of the stock, may seek to consolidate its ownership. That could prove as toxic as the Asda proposal. Then there is the question of what happens to Asda now. It starts off in a much better place having managed to take on the German discounters at their own game, delivering seven successive quarters of rising market share. But unless there is a change of direction at the home of parent Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas, then ownership of Asda is no longer a priority. Walmart is seeking to focus more closely on four key markets: Canada, India, China and Mexico. There are a couple of possibilities. Asda could be smartened up and returned to the stock market as a stand-alone enterprise. Alternatively, one of the big private equity groups such as KKR could opt for a buyout. But one suspects there might be concern about how quickly an exit might be achieved. Finally, either Sainsburys or Asda could be snapped up by one of the digital giants. Amazon would be most likely. But its battle with Walmart in the US suggests it will get no traction with Asda. That would leave Sainsburys as the better target. Staley struggle Jes Staley could have done with some bumper results from Barclays investment bank in the first quarter. With maverick New York-based investor Ed Bramson breathing down his neck with a 5pc stake, partly financed by Bank of America, it would have been good to have put the predator off the scent. Barclays chief executive cannot be blamed for events on the equities market in the first quarter. There have been similar dull outcomes from the US investment banks Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. Barclays returns from investment banking slipped to 9.5 per cent from 13.2 per cent in the same quarter of last year. Nevertheless, the investment banks is still in good enough shape to beat its targets. Overall, Barclays profit before tax slipped 10 per cent to 1.5billion and, like much of the banking sector in the UK, it is a serial underperformer on the stock market. The shadow of the financial crisis and the need to hold more regulatory capital has made UK banks safer but less profitable than in the gung-ho days of Bob Diamond and Fred Goodwin. It is no secret that investment banking is a highly volatile business and that utility banking, of the kind being done by Lloyds, can be much calmer territory. That is as long as banks steer clear of stupid lending on property and discard zero-offer credit cards which are an invitation to bad debts. Barclays is still having some remarkable successes with M&A and fixed interest in investment banking and is keeping the flame of a European presence alive. Deutsche Bank cannot even forge a deal with neighbouring Commerzbank (despite government support) and is becoming a bit player. Swiss banks are focusing more on wealth management rather than deal making. If London is to maintain its hegemony as a financial centre it needs to be more than just an offshoot of New York. Thats something that Bramson, a business destroyer, doesnt understand. Wonder women A really encouraging aspect of the search for next governor of the Bank of England is the choice of head hunters Sapphire Partners with an all-women management team. It is inspiring that there are so many strong women candidates on the list including Sharon White of Ofcom, Shriti Vadera of Santander and former deputy governor Minouche Shafik, director of the London School of Economics. Moreover, it looks like RBS commercial director Alison Rose is the likely successor to Ross McEwan who has just resigned from the top job at the bank. All a necessary and deserving sea change. British investors piled money into long-term growth funds and investment trusts as the tax year drew to a close at the start of April, new analysis shows. Fundsmith Equity and Lindsell Train Global Equity funds topped the bestsellers list at DIY investor platforms Hargreaves Lansdown, Interactive Investor and AJ Bell in the first quarter of 2019, having tempted investors with their stellar returns. It was a similar story in the investment trust sector, with industry stalwarts Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and City of London Investment Trust coming top of the class across the three platforms on aggregate. Fundsmith, managed by Terry Smith, has returned a whopping 333 per cent in a little over eight years since it was launched (to 22 April 2019), turning a 1,000 investment into 4,330, according investment research tool FE Analytics. Remember that good past performance does not always mean positive results in the future Lindsell Train Global Equity, headed by Nick Train and launched four months later in April 2011, is up 279 per cent, turning 1,000 to 3,790 since inception. To put this into perspective, the MSCI World index benchmark and the average actively managed global fund where a fund manager cherry picks stocks, returned 84 per cent and 66 per cent respectively over the same period. Few would contest that both are among the best funds that scour global stock markets for the best growth opportunities in market. For a more in depth review of how the two funds approach investing, read our analysis here. Other popular funds during the Isa season included Baillie Gifford American, which is top performer in the North America sector over three and five years, and Vanguard's one-stop-shop Lifestrategy fund range. AJ Bell Isa season bestsellers Funds Investment Trusts Fundsmith Equity Scottish Investment Trust Lindsell Train Global Equity Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust AJ Bell multi-asset City of London Investment Trust Fidelity Global Special Situations Finsbury Growth and Income Fidelity Index World Witan Evenlode Income Murray International Polar Capital Global Technology Smithson Jupiter Special Situations Edinburgh Investment Trust Vanguard Lifestrategy Merchants Lindsell Train UK Equity RIT Capital Partners Popular investment trusts Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust is one of the best performers of all global investment trusts and has beaten broad global indices such as FTSE All World over five years (178 per cent versus 87 per cent). Meanwhile, the City of London Investment Trust, which aims to provide long-term growth in income and capital, principally by investment in equities listed on the London Stock Exchange, has racked up an astonishing 52 years of dividend rises - a record held by only two other trusts. Hargreaves Lansdown Isa season bestsellers Funds Investment Trust Artemis Income Bankers Investment Trust plc Baillie Gifford American City of London Investment Trust Fundsmith Equity Edinburgh Investment Trust plc JPMorgan Emerging Markets Fidelity China Special Situations PLC LF Lindsell Train UK Equity Finsbury Growth & Income Trust plc Lindsell Train Global Equity Lindsell Train Investment Trust plc (The) Newton Global Income Merchants Trust plc Rathbone Global Opportunities Murray International Trust plc Royal London Sterling Extra Yield Bond Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Threadneedle UK Equity Income Smithson Investment Trust Plc Illustrating further Nick Trains popularity, another portfolio under his helm, Finsbury Growth & Income Trust, is also among the Isa season bestsellers across the three platforms. The newly launched Smithson, backed by Terry Smith, made the cut on Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell platforms although Smith is not managing the trust on a day to day basis. He is said to be offering 'support and advice' to the managers Simon Barnard and Will Morgan. Interactive Investor's Isa season bestsellers Funds Investment Trust Fundsmith Equity Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Lindsell Train Global Equity City of London Investment Trust Vanguard Lifestrategy (80 percent equity) Allianz Technology Trust Baillie Gifford American Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Baillie Gifford Global Discovery F&C Investment Trust Moira ONeill, head of personal finance at Interactive Investor, says: 'The 2018/19 Isa top picks show a strong element of investors sticking with solid, tried and tested names and brands. 'Among funds and investment trusts, it is those with a clear, well communicated strategy, combined with strong long-term performance, that time and again attract the greatest share of the pie.' She added: 'They make it look so easy, but with the same names appearing time and again, many would like to know the secret. Royal Bank of Scotland boss Ross McEwan is quitting, claiming to be leaving the lender in a 'much stronger financial position' than when he joined over five years ago. The news was announced ahead of the bank's annual general meeting in Edinburgh today and has sent its shares down over 5 per cent to 242.95p this morning. The RBS share price is still well below the 502p the Labour government paid at the height of the financial crisis. Leaving: Royal Bank of Scotland boss Ross McEwan is quitting the group Mr McEwan said: 'After over five-and-a-half very rewarding years, and with the bank in a much stronger financial position, it is time for me to step down as CEO.' He added: 'It is never easy to leave somewhere like RBS. 'However with much of the restructuring done and the bank on a strong and profitable footing, I have delivered the strategy that I set out in 2013 and now feels like the right time for me to step aside and for a new CEO to lead the bank.' Mr McEwan has a years notice period and will stay in post until a successor has been appointed, with his leaving date to be confirmed at a later stage. Mr McEwan took the top job in October 2013 and has led the bank through testing times, with the lender having been left largely in the hands of the State after a 45billion taxpayer bail out during the financial crisis. It was over 80 per cent owned by the Government at one stage, but the taxpayer's stake has since been reduced to 62.4 per cent. Shares: The bank's share price is still well below the 502p the Labour government paid for them amid the financial crisis New Zealander Mr McEwan has presided over a return to profit at RBS, which in February reported its second successive year in the black and announced a 1.6billion final dividend, resulting in a near 1billion windfall for the taxpayer. The lender saw bottom-line profits more than double from 752million last year to 1.62billion, marking a 116 per cent increase. Full year pre-tax operating profit rose 50 per cent to 3.4billion. This marked the banks second year in the black following a decade-long run of stinging losses, during a period marred by crisis-era legacy and conduct charges. RBS chairman Howard Davies said the search for Mr McEwan's successor would start immediately. He paid tribute to Mr McEwan's time in charge. Mr Davies said: 'The board and I are grateful for the huge contribution Ross has made in one of the toughest jobs in banking. 'His successful execution of the strategy to refocus the bank back on its core markets here in the UK and Ireland has helped to deliver one of the biggest UK corporate turnarounds in history.' Landmark appointment? Alison Rose is favourite to succeed Ross McEwan as RBS boss The boss of taxpayer-backed Royal Bank of Scotland is standing down paving the way for the High Street lender to get its first female head. Ross McEwan is leaving after six years in charge of RBS. The favourite to succeed him is Alison Rose, its 49-year-old commercial and private banking chief. If Rose wins the leadership battle she would be the first woman to run a so-called Big Four lender in a landmark moment for the industry. She would serve alongside current finance director Katie Murray, making them the first all-female team at the head of of a global bank. McEwan, 61, has not yet got another job lined up, but hinted he may move back to his native New Zealand. He said: We will keep our connections up here our daughter and her husband and my grandson are staying up here. Ive no thoughts about what I will do next. McEwan leaves Natwest owner RBS in better shape that he found it when he took charge in 2013. At the time it was still battling its way towards stability after helping to cause the financial crisis through reckless over-expansion. McEwans predecessor Stephen Hester had faced criticism for his massive bonus payments while presiding over IT meltdowns and cutbacks. After taking over, McEwan led a massive restructuring drive which saw RBS pull out of 26 countries, axe 42,000 jobs and slash assets from more than 1trillion to 694bn. He also oversaw hundreds of branch closures, sparking fury from critics who claim this has devastated rural towns and villages and made it hard for vulnerable people to access basic services. RBS made losses of 8.8billion in the first three years of McEwans time in charge. But he brought it back to profit in 2017 for the first time since the financial crisis, and the lender has remained in the black since. Shares under McEwan have fallen 30 per cent although much of this movement is thought to be due to the performance of the global economy, uncertainty over Brexit and other factors beyond the banks control. McEwan who was not in charge of RBS at the time of the worst behaviour set up a 400million compensation scheme but has been accused by some alleged victims of doing too little. Last night he said the worst of the banks problems are behind it and his successor should focus on providing the best possible customer service. Born into a military family, Rose travelled the world while growing up before coming home to England aged 15. T he mother-of-two wrote a report earlier this year arguing more must be done to help female entrepreneurs. The competition watchdog today blocked Sainsbury's 12billion merger with Asda because it would lead to higher prices for customers and damage competition. A super-merger between the duo, the UK's number two and three supermarkets, would have created a supermarket titan bigger than Tesco with revenues of 51billion and a network of 2,800 Sainsbury's, Asda and Argos stores. But the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today revealed that it would lead to increased prices in stores, online and at petrol stations across the UK. Shoppers and motorists would be 'worse off' if Sainsbury's and Walmart-owned Asda were to merge, and a tie-up would lead to price rises, reductions in the quality and range of products or a poorer overall retail experience, the CMA said. The super-merger would have launched a price war to fight back against discounters Aldi and Lidl and the emerging threat of Amazon. Following today's announcement, shares in Sainsbury's tumbled more than 4 per cent at the market open to 217.2p. The Competition and Markets Authority has blocked Sainsbury's 12 billion merger with Asda The watchdog claimed that the deal would result in a 'substantial lessening of competition' The watchdog claimed that the deal would have resulted in a 'substantial lessening of competition' at a national and local level for people shopping in supermarkets. Caroline Normand, Which? Director of Advocacy, said: 'The CMA is right to block this merger, which could have reduced competition in the sector resulting in a number of problems for shoppers including increased prices, reduced quality and choice, and a poorer shopping experience. 'Sainsbury's and Asda have fallen behind the pack recently in this trusted sector - with both finishing in the bottom four of our annual supermarket survey as rivals like Aldi and Lidl have done a better job of giving shoppers what they want.' Stuart McIntosh, chairman of the CMA inquiry group, added: 'It's our responsibility to protect the millions of people who shop at Sainsbury's and Asda every week. 'Following our in-depth investigation, we have found this deal would lead to increased prices, reduced quality and choice of products, or a poorer shopping experience for all of their UK shoppers. 'We have concluded that there is no effective way of addressing our concerns, other than to block the merger.' Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe said that the decision 'effectively takes 1 billion out of customers' pockets.' Prior to Thursday's decision, Sainsbury's and Walmart-owned Asda had offered to sell up to 150 stores as part of efforts to address competition concerns, and claimed that shoppers would be deprived of lower prices should it be blocked. The duo had pledged to make a number of post-merger commitments, had the deal been approved. Asda then & now After running under the name of 'Queens', the Asquith family merged with Associated Dairies Asda's turnover (including food, clothing, toys etc) is 21.7bn The average basket of shopping costs 80.05 Corporate giant Walmart's 6.7billion takeover made Asda a subsidiary of the US firm in 1999 It was Britain's second-largest supermarket chain from 2003-2014 by market share, but has now slipped to third The chain uses the EE network to run its own mobile phone company Advertisement Sainsbury's then & now John James Sainsbury opened the first store with his wife Mary Ann with the ethos: 'Quality perfect, prices lower.' Its turnover is currently at 28.4bn The average cost of a shopping basket is 81.80 Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, is currently the supermarket's largest shareholder Sainsbury's is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the UK, with Tesco in first place Its holding company also owns Argos Advertisement It included investing 1 billion a year in lowering prices by the third year of the deal completing, equating to a 10 per cent cut on everyday items. Mr Coupe said today: 'The specific reason for wanting to merge was to lower prices for customers. 'The CMA's conclusion that we would increase prices post-merger ignores the dynamic and highly competitive nature of the UK grocery market. The CMA is today effectively taking 1 billion out of customers' pockets. 'Sainsbury's is a great business and I am confident in our strategy. We are focused on offering our customers great quality, value and service and making shopping with us as convenient as possible.' Sainsbury's, Walmart and Asda have now mutually agreed to terminate the transaction. Fears had been expressed that suppliers could get squeezed as a result, with the tie-up giving the merged entity increased buying power. The move to reject the tie-up marks the first major decision the CMA has made since the appointment of former Tory MP Andrew Tyrie as chairman. Best known for his role as head of the influential Treasury Select Committee, Mr Tyrie gained a reputation as an effective inquisitor of corporate figures. It remains unclear where the duo go from here, but it is understood that Walmart will continue to look to sell Asda to another buyer. Walmart chief executive Judith McKenna said: 'While we're disappointed by the CMA's final report and conclusions, our focus now is continuing to position Asda as a strong UK retailer delivering for customers. Walmart will ensure Asda has the resources it needs to achieve that.' Roger Burnley, the Asda boss, said he was 'disappointed' in the CMA's decision. Unions reacted with delight at the decision, with the GMB and Unite hailing it as a victory for staff amid fears of store closures and job losses as a result of the deal. Attention will now turn to Mr Coupe, who is expected to face questions over his future following the breakdown of the deal. The chief executive drew criticism last year after he was caught on camera singing 'we're in the money' following the merger announcement. He later apologised, calling it an 'unfortunate choice of song' from the musical 42nd Street. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. 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There is not enough analysis data for MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund. 5.0 Community Rank Outperform Votes MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund has received 79 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund has received 25 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund has received 75.96% outperform votes from our community. 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. Previous Next Hannover RAck SE, together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance products and services worldwide. It operates through Property & Casualty Reinsurance, and Life & Health Reinsurance segments. The Property & Casualty Reinsurance segment offers specialty lines comprising marine, aviation, facultative and direct business, credit, surety, and political risks reinsurance products; and treaty, catastrophe XL, and structured reinsurance, as well as insurance-linked securities. This segment also provides risk solutions for agricultural, livestock, and bloodstock businesses; aviation and space business; and marine and offshore energy business. The Life & Health Reinsurance segment offers group and individual credit life, enhanced annuities, group life and health, and Sharia-compliant Takaful reinsurance products. This segment also provides risk solutions in the areas of critical illness, disability, health, longevity, long term care, and mortality and morbidity, as well as underwriting services. In addition, it offers various financial solutions, including new-business financing; monetization of embedded value; reserve and solvency relief; and divestiture of non-core businesses. The company was formerly known as Hannover RAckversicherung AG and changed its name to Hannover RAck SE in March 2013. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Hanover, Germany. Hannover RAck SE is a subsidiary of Talanx AG. Read More CHP Plans Children's Attic Consignment Sale for May 18-19 GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. Community Health Programs will hold its annual childrens consignment sale, including quality maternity and childrens clothing, toys, games, books, baby equipment and more, on Saturday and Sunday, May 18, and 19, at its Route 7 campus at 444 Stockbridge Road. Families are invited to The Children's Attic to stock up on clothes for summer, back to school or everyday use. Proceeds benefit consignment families and CHP Family Services programming. Salisbury Bank will host a Community Shred Day as well on Saturday. The Childrens Attic is hosted by CHP Family Services and sponsored by Salisbury Bank. It will be open fro 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 18 and 9 a.m. to noon on May 19. Call 413-528-0457 for more information, to donate or volunteer. Laura Dubester of the Center for EcoTechnology, right, presents Wendy Penner with the award named for Dubester and fellow longtime CET Director Alan Silverstein. Center for EcoTechnology Honors Williamstown's Penner Nancy Nylen of the Center for EcoTechology, right, talks about the work done by Penner. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. With passion, persistence and patience, Wendy Penner long has been one of the leading environmental advocates in the town. On Monday, Earth Day, she was publicly recognized for her engagement in the uphill battle to stem the tide of climate change. "To me, leadership is the ability to engage people, to race a problematic reality and do some work," said Laura Dubester, a co-director of the Pittsfield-based Center for EcoTechnology for 30 years. "In this case, the problematic reality is climate change and its impact on people, businesses, communities and the planet. "Wendy understands the science and why people want to avoid this issue whether from fear, despair or hopelessness and she's able to engage people. "This requires many personal qualities, including understanding, patience, listening.Skills like working collaboratively and problem solving. Wendy has demonstrated all of those." Dubester was at Town Hall along with CET Associate Director Nancy Nylen to recognize Penner with the Alan Silverstein and Laura Dubester Award for Community Environmental Leadership. The award was created in 2015 to recognize volunteers in the community whose work complements that of the center. The 2016 honoree Lauren Stevens of Williamstown was in the audience on Monday when Penner received the award at a meeting of the town's Select Board. "I'm blessed to have worked side by side with [Silverstein and Dubester] for almost three decades," Nylen said. "Laura and Alan were true pioneers. They practically invented the energy audit. "They always cared so much about the local community and the people who lead by example. They realize how important it is to take practical steps, large and small. They know what dedication and hard work it takes but also that it is so rewarding. It all makes a difference. "Change a light, begin to change the world." Penner has been responsible for a lot of changed lightbulbs in the Village Beautiful through her work on Williamstown's Cool Committeee. Cool, which was founded in 2001, set goals like calling for each household in town to replace at least five bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. "If every household in Williamstown were to switch five ordinary incandescent bulbs to CFLs, it is estimated that this would prevent nearly 3 million pounds of CO2 emissions each year," according to the committee's website. Nylen told the Select Board she did not have time to list all of Penner's activities in support of environmental causes, but she highlighted her work with the local elementary and middle-high school to do outreach programs for students and families, the local talks she organized with internationally recognized environmentalists Bill McKibben and Elizabeth Kolbert and the Cool Committee's successful campaign with Solarize Mass that saw 80 homeowners install solar panels. It was no accident that Penner was honored at one of the Select Board's twice-monthly meetings. The honoree noted that the Cool Committee was created because Nylen and Hank Art went to the Select Board and asked for a resolution to recognize the civic group. "I am so proud to be a resident of Williamstown and of the leadership Williamstown has shown on the issue of climate change and sustainability," Penner said. "Not only did the Select Boar support Nancy and Hank's request [Select Board member] Jane Allen became chair of the Cool Committee. "The town has been a true partner with the citizen's committee that the Cool Committee is. Thank you to [Town Manager] Jason [Hoch], to Peter Fohlin, your predecessor and to [Public Works Director] Tim Kaiser, who has been a very strong partner." Penner also thanked the leadership of the CET, particularly the work of Dubester and Silverstein, who died in 2014. "When I moved to Williamstown and thought I was going to be an academic and realized that that wasn't going to be my path, CET became a home to me," Penner said. "I was amazed and inspired by Laura and Alan. Thank you for all the ways you and CET have touched me over so many years." After thanking Penner and the guests from CET for their efforts, the board continued with a relatively light agenda. The other highlight was the annual proclamation of Arbor Day, this year on April 26. Chairwoman Anne O'Connor, herself a longtime environmental activist, delivered the proclamation, which continues a tradition started in Nebraska in 1872. " Whereas trees, wherever they are planted, are a source of joy and spiritual renewal,' " O'Connor read, pausing briefly from the written proclamation to interject that trees also contribute to air quality. "The [Williamstown Board of Selectmen] urges all citizens to plant trees to gladden the heart and promote the well being of this and future generations," the proclamation concludes. In other business on Monday, the board approved a change of manager of the liquor license at the Clark Art Institute, where Kelly Turner has taken over for Dawn VanNess, and appointed Robert Mathews as an alternate to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Hoch also gave the board a disappointing update on the status of a planned bike trail that is designed to start near the junction of Syndicate Road and North Street (Route 7), wend along the Hoosic River and ultimately take bikers, walkers and joggers through the former Spruces property on Main Street. The town had hoped the Williamstown portion of what ultimately will be an expanded Ashuwillticook Rail Trail could proceed before North Adams settles the issue of how the trail will pick up in the Steeple City. But in the last month, the town has confirmed that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation wants to "realign the timetables," Hoch told the board. That means the Williamstown portion will not be ready to go to bid until the North Adams segment is ready to be bid. The town had been operating on the assumption that the project within its town line would be ready to go out to bid this September and the North Adams portion would "catch up," Hoch said. "Right now, this would push to an ... end of the year preparation for advertising," Hoch said. "I think the concern is that at some point when you shift the DOT timetable out for advertising, you run the risk of losing another construction season." With its mountains and desert, beach resorts and Berber villages, Morocco is a feast for travelers of all kinds, including those who want to explore the kingdom's deep Jewish roots. The presence of Jews in Morocco stretches back more than 2,000 years. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, estimates put their number as high as about 275,000, which was considered the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world, said Roy Mittelman, director of the Jewish studies program at the City College of New York. Today, after vast waves of departures over the years, only about 2,000 Jews remain in Casablanca and about 500 elsewhere in Morocco, but the Jewish presence is still alive in a variety of sights. The Museum of Moroccan Judaism in suburban Casablanca, for instance, is the only museum on Judaism in the Arab world. Jews of Moroccan descent, in Israel and around the globe, return to the North African kingdom often and some maintain second homes in familial regions. Jewish heritage tours to Morocco are abundant and easy to track down. Most cities have a mellah, which is an old Jewish quarter, along with Jewish cemeteries and synagogues. Mittelman, who has spent 40 years absorbing the history, culture and religious practices of Jews in Morocco, leads groups of students on tours of Jewish sights as part of an advanced seminar. He said there's plenty to read ahead of a visit. He recommends Shlomo Deshen's "The Mellah Society: Jewish Community Life in Sherifian Morocco" for more on pre-colonial Morocco, based on the writings of 18th- and 19th-century Judeo-Moroccan sages. To learn more about the spiritual history of the Jewish quarter in Marrakech, he recommends the travelogue of Bulgarian Jewish writer Elias Canetti, "The Voices of Marrakesh: A Record of a Visit." Mittelman has honed his travel itineraries over the years. Here are some of his favorites and other sights: Casablanca The last Moroccan Jewish day school, Neve Shalom, is in Casablanca, which is the economic and business center of the kingdom. Watch the children playing outside in the yard, enjoy them singing Jewish songs and learn more about the school's Hebrew classes and Bible studies, Mittelman said. Visit the Tahiti Beach Club, once a local Jewish hangout. Among Mittelman's walking tours of Jewish residential areas in Casablanca are stops at the Beth El and Eim Habanim synagogues. There's also a newer synagogue, David HaMelech, in the tony, beachside Corniche quarter not far from the beach club. Casablanca has a traditional kosher bakery and kosher restaurants, as do other cities. The city is a good place to start for a grounding in Jewish heritage and history. Marrakech Just over 100 Jews remain in Marrakech, including a handful who live in the old Jewish quarter, Mittelman said, but the mellah is bustling. Among the synagogues that remain is the tiny blue-and-white Lazama, along a narrow street. Ask a local how to find it. Visitors may enter for a small fee. There's an inviting riad-style courtyard with a fruit tree and a few chairs for weary travelers. The original synagogue dated to 1492 but it was later rebuilt. The mellah isn't the only place for synagogues. Head to the city's newer section of Gueliz, with a heavy European influence, for shabbat services at Temple Beth El Synagogue. Any taxi driver should know how to get there. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. For a day trip out of Marrakech visit the Jewish heritage sites at Essaouira, once a thriving Jewish center and a former Portuguese fishing town. It was also a stop for 1960s and '70s rock stars who made pilgrimages to Marrakech. The town, dating to the 1700s, has a synagogue, cemetery and mellah, with plaques indicating buildings where ancient, long-gone synagogues once stood. Fes The city had a large Jewish community in the 17th century and has a well-known Orthodox synagogue, Ibn Danan. Once crumbling, it was refurbished in the 1990s with help from the World Monuments Fund and American Express. King Mohammed VI has committed to reviving Jewish sites around Morocco. The mellah here is a maze within walls. You WILL get lost and that's half the fun. It was the first mellah in Morocco, dating to around 1438. In addition to a Jewish cemetery, where a couple of eminent medieval rabbis are buried, there's a site in Fes that is considered sacred among women, the Tomb of Solika. With a last name that varies, Solika as one retelling goes was a Jewish woman of great beauty who was beheaded in 1834 for refusing to convert to Islam. Maimonides, one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars in the Middle Ages, lived in Fes from 1159 to 1165. His stone home, with weathered engraving marking the location, is worth a stop. Walk a few steps and you're bound to find somebody willing to guide you in Fes and elsewhere, but one who knows "Jewish Morocco" is harder to come by, Mittelman said. Do some research beforehand to find just the right drivers and guides if you're traveling independently. Off the beaten path If you favor this style of traveling, Mittelman said you should have no trouble in small towns and villages tracking Jewish influences and history. "Find yourself the first 80-year-old and say, 'Do you remember Jews here?' Chances are they'll say, 'Yeah and here are their names and that crumbling house over there is where they used to live.'" ALBANY Federal officials said Wednesday that Daniel J. Fillerup, 33, of Albany, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling fentanyl that caused a woman's death. The U.S. Attorney's office and Albany FBI field office said as part of his guilty plea on Dec. 20, Fillerup admitted that on Sept. 29, 2016, he arranged to supply the woman with two bags of heroin. Amsterdam Police An Amsterdam man is charged with a felony after police said he robbed a convenience store earlier this month. Police were called around 9:40 p.m. on April 13 to the Kings Food and Fuel on Guy Park Avenue for a reported armed robbery. ALBANY Former top Cuomo aide Joe Percoco can add disbarment to the list of consequences stemming from his decision to accept more than $300,000 in bribes from developers in exchange for official favors. Responding to a request from the regional Attorney Grievance Committee, the state Appellate Division's Third Department formally struck Percoco's name from the roll of attorneys. ALBANY New Yorkers with developmental disabilities might need to wait several weeks for a newly created identification card as state officials are processing about 200 per day. More than 7,000 ID cards have been requested in the two months since the state's Office for People With Developmental Disabilities began accepting applications. About 4,500 New Yorkers have received their cards, which are designed to aid in interactions with law enforcement officials and emergency responders. "It seems like people were waiting for these cards to be created," said Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, a Rotterdam Democrat who spearheaded the push to create the optional identification. The legislation creating the cards was signed into law last fall, and Santabarbara has been promoting the program through social media platforms, public awareness campaigns and news stories. "(The state) got so overwhelmed the first few weeks they asked me to slow down my roll out of this," he said, estimating that nearly 1,000 requests were made this month at Autism-themed events his office hosted in Rotterdam and Albany. "You worry some programs aren't being used," Santabarbara said. "To see people respond like this means we've identified a need." OPWDD says the initial response has been "tremendous" and their agency expects the turnaround time to decrease as requests taper off. The wallet-size card includes a message on the front warning first responders that they may have "difficulty understanding and following" directions and could become physically agitated. The rear includes emergency contact information and can be personalized, such as detailing an aversion to making eye contact or being touched. For Santabarbarba's 17-year-old son, Michael, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder as a toddler, it was important that his card noted his tendency to repeat words and phrases. "This was a big one because it confuses people," he said. "You always worry about someone misunderstanding." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The card came in handy for Santabarbara during a recent family trip on an airplane. He said airport security stations, which feature a lot of sensory inputs, can be a chaotic experience that becomes more complicated when explaining his son's condition to a security agent. After displaying his son's card, like it was just another travel document, they were able to bypass the normal screening with limited questions and were checked through security together. "The fact that it was a standard ID card was very helpful," Santabarbara said. New Yorkers can apply for a card online at www.opwdd.ny.gov/iddidcards. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87 Our Enemies Dont Understand That We Arent Going Anywhere Stand for Israel | April 25, 2019 Embed from Getty Images Last month, we were horrified to learn that a family home in central Israel was destroyed by a terrorist rocket launched from Gaza, an attack that injured seven, including two small children. But the story of the Wolf family, whose home was hit, has taken a turn for the better. Israel Hayoms Yaron Doron reports that despite the tragedy they suffered, this strong and resolute family has just welcomed a new member: This Sunday, the Wolf family whose home on Moshav Mishmeret in the Sharon region was destroyed by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip last month welcomed their fifth grandchild, a girl. Its such a delight, something wonderful amid all this mess. It gives us all the strength in the world, grandfather Robert Wolf tells Israel Hayom. Wolf is excited not only because of his new granddaughter, but because he sees his vines and strawberry tree starting to blossom. For me, this is life. I see it and Im moved, he says. The family, who initially after the rocket hit moved in with Roberts daughter Talia, have now rented an apartment. They spent the Passover seder with their next-door neighbors at Mishmeret. Emotionally, its really hard. Were always thinking about what used to be. Susan, my wife, still his shrapnel in her head and doctors havent decided whether or not to take them out, whether or not theyre dangerous. Shes at the hospital for tests almost every day. She was wounded all over her body because she had her back turned, Wolf says. She, like any good mother, took care that everyone made it into the safe room and didnt manage to get inside herself. She was the most seriously wounded. This will be with us for a long time, but we have strength. Shes a very strong woman. The first thing she said in the hospital was, Were so lucky it landed on us, [since] we have a safe room, and not on the neighbors, who dont. Thats amazing. Wolfs son Daniel was the hero of the story ALBANY The heart of St. John Vianney, a French priest who died in 1859, will visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Friday as part of its national tour. Born Jean-Marie Vianney in 1786, the saint was a simple parish priest who was known to spend as many as 18 hours a day hearing confession in Ars, north of Lyon. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925, and is designated as the patron saint of parish priests. In the year since the arrest of the man believed to be the notorious Golden State Killer, the world of criminal investigation has been radically transformed. Using an unconventional technique that relies on DNA submitted to online genealogy sites, investigators have solved dozens of violent crimes, in many cases decades after they hit dead ends. Experts believe the technique could be used to revive investigations into a vast number of cases that have gone cold across the country, including at least 100,000 unsolved major violent crimes and 40,000 unidentified bodies. Many have called it a revolutionary new technology. But credit for this method largely belongs to a number of mostly female, mostly retired family history lovers who tried for years to persuade law enforcement officials that their techniques could be used for more than locating the biological parents of adoptees. One was Diane Harman Hoog, director of education at DNA Adoption, who realized in 2013 that she could apply the techniques she was using to identify two bodies she had read about in a Seattle newspaper. This is too complicated, she said she was told when she reached out to a detective. Four years later, Margaret Press, a retired computer programmer and skilled family tree builder in California, tried to help her local sheriff with a similar case. No one would return her calls. Fast forward to April 25, 2018, the day that a gaggle of California prosecutors announced that an innovative DNA technology had been used in the Golden State Killer case. The innovator was Barbara Rae-Venter, a genetic genealogist who had uploaded crime scene DNA to GEDMatch.com, a low-key genealogical research site run out of a little yellow house in Florida. Rae-Venter, 70, and her team soon found a suspect by using the genetic and family tree data provided by his cousins. And that was how a former police officer, Joseph DeAngelo, came to be charged with 26 counts of murder and kidnapping in connection with scores of rapes and killings that were committed across California in the 1970s and 80s. In interview after interview, Paul Holes, a determined investigator who had spent decades chasing false leads, rejoiced in his decision to involve Rae-Venter. Barbara really braved the pass, said CeCe Moore, a genetic genealogist who was also among the first to see the potential in the technique. Within a few weeks of the announcement, she began working with Parabon, a forensic consulting firm. In rapid succession, Parabons work led to 49 genetic identifications, reopening a number of cold cases: the 1987 double killing of a young Canadian couple, six rapes in North Carolina and the slaying of a Stanford University graduate 46 years ago. The technique resulted in at least 17 arrests, including people who had never been under any suspicion, such as a well-established party DJ and childrens entertainer in Pennsylvania. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is revisiting about 700 cases involving unidentified childrens remains and has identified about 15 in the past year. An additional 300 cases are in the works: old killings, serial sexual assaults, and unidentified bodies, according to estimates by various genealogists and investigators. Some question the ethics and legality of the technique. They point out that customers of genealogy companies did not realize they would be signing up to help criminal investigations, although GEDmatch discloses that profiles could be used to investigate violent crimes. A recent decision by FamilyTreeDNA to pivot from secretly cooperating with the FBI to marketing itself as a means to catch killers has also left many alarmed. Some want to see the same regulations for family genealogy sites that states have imposed on the use of government DNA databases, such as the FBIs Codis system. Charles E. Sydnor III, a state legislator in Maryland, said, When were not going according to the law, I think that makes us no better than lawbreakers. In Maryland, police are banned from identifying suspects through relatives in criminal DNA databases. Despite the law, police departments in two counties have done precisely that with GEDmatch. The law aside, individuals have little recourse to protect their genetic data. If you are an American, it is likely that your biological profile can be extrapolated even if you have never taken a DNA test. In the hands of an advanced genealogical sleuth, often all that is needed to identify someone from a drop of saliva, blood or semen are the DNA profiles of two third cousins. What is a third cousin? It is someone who shares a set of your 16 great-great-grandparents. We all have at least 800 of them out there somewhere, and there is a good chance that some were once excited enough about genealogy to join GEDmatch or FamilyTreeDNA. Several recent cases show what this technique could mean for the future. A woman in Washington is surprised when her DNA leads to a cousins arrest in Iowa. The Facebook message did not make sense at first. In March, a stranger congratulated Brandy Jennings of Vancouver, Washington, for helping to solve a 1979 killing in a small town in Iowa. Her second cousin once removed, Jerry Lynn Burns, a 64-year-old small business owner and widower, had been charged. They had never met. It teaches me to read what I agree to, Jennings said. She had uploaded her Ancestry.com file to GEDmatch but had never returned to the site, finding it too confusing. The search warrant revealed that investigators had found her profile useful in making a match. She said she wished that she had been given a heads up or that she had been eligible for the long-standing reward, though she feels positive about her contribution. Any murder deserves to be solved, she said. A young mother was stabbed to death in 2009. Nine years later, a neighbor confessed. On Nov. 1, 2009, Holly Cassano, 22, who lived in a mobile home park in Mahomet, Illinois, failed to pick up her baby girl from her mothers home. The worried grandmother went to check on Holly and found she had been stabbed to death after her evening shift as a supermarket cashier. Last May, after the publicity over the Golden State Killer arrest, Parabon began offering its hundreds of clients a $3,500 add-on service in which Moore or another genetic genealogist builds a series of interlocking family trees. The Champaign County Sheriffs Office was a client. Getting from cousin to great-grandmother to suspect can be complicated. The case did not look promising when Moore began working on it last summer. But then, during a root canal, she said, I was lying there in a chair and something popped into my head. Other experts describe similar epiphanies when building family trees. In this case, DNA extracted from a discarded cigarette reinforced her hypothesis. In August, the neighbor who had smoked that cigarette, Michael Henslick, confessed to the killing. It is not just about old cases, as a sexual assault case in Utah shows. A week before the Golden State Killer announcement, a man broke into the house of Carla Brooks, 79, in St. George, Utah, beat her and sexually assaulted her. In July, the police department there became one of the first agencies to apply genetic genealogy to a recent case. When theres the potential to stop someone in their tracks, its a different feeling, Moore said. The trail of cousins led across the country to Massachusetts and back to Spencer Glen Monnett, 31, who was arrested in Utah. He pleaded guilty in February. The case raises questions that the police, genealogists and victims families have mentioned in interviews: Why choose one case over others? Should the priority be new cases? Easier cases? Those in the media spotlight? Are older cold cases worth pursuing, even if the people who committed them are likely dead? Yes, says Bill Thomas. His sister Cathy was among eight people who were killed in southeastern Virginia in the late 1980s in a series of slayings that came to be known as the Colonial Parkway murders. For me and for my family its never been about a prosecution, he said. Im not seeking closure. Its not like the sun will come out tomorrow. I dont care if he is dead. I want to know who he is. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. A Jane Doe, found shot to death on a trail in Nevada, finally has a name. A week before the Golden State Killer arrest, a tiny piece of a bloody shirt was headed to a lab. A month later, Press, the retired computer programmer, and Colleen Fitzpatrick, a retired rocket scientist, uploaded the genetic file to GEDMatch. They were seeking relatives of an unidentified woman whose body was found on a hiking trail outside Reno, Nevada, in 1982. The pair had been using genetic genealogy to identify bodies for nearly a year through their organization DNA Doe. Several changes in 2017 and 2018 had led to a boom, Press said. DNA sequencing had gotten better and cheaper. More important, she said, the size of genealogical databases had grown rapidly. In fact, according to a recent study, the DNA of 90% of Americans of European descent will soon be identifiable using genetic genealogy. Americans with that background are overrepresented on sites like GEDmatch. Some believe this levels the playing field. African Americans are overrepresented in the FBIs Codis database. Now, so long as a persons ancestors have been in the United States for a few generations, Press and others estimated that a skilled genetic genealogist has at least a 60% chance of making an identification. In the case of the woman on the trail, Press said she was extremely lucky, spotting a first cousin once removed. Alas, one of the next key matches had been adopted, so they located the cousins biological parents. Within a few months, the woman on the trail had a name. It has not been announced, because investigators are now trying to figure out who killed her. A trial in a 1987 double-murder in the Pacific Northwest could be legally important. A case that could result in legal precedents involves William Earl Talbott II, 55, who is scheduled to go on trial on June 3 in Snohomish County Superior Court in Washington in a double killing committed nearly 32 years ago. He is accused of killing a Canadian couple, Jay Cook, 20, and Tanya Van Cuylenborg, 18, who were last seen alive on the ferry to Seattle from their home on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Van Cuylenborg was found dead in a ditch in the woods in Skagit County in November 1987. Cooks body and van were found a week later. After tracing DNA evidence to second cousins on GEDmatch, Moore drew a connection to a couple who lived 7 miles from the crime scene. Their son was Talbott, who was 23 at the time of the killings. The judge could decide to treat clues from genealogical sites the same way that evidence from Codis or Instagram is handled, said Blaine Bettinger, a genealogist and intellectual property lawyer who works with GEDmatch. Or the judge might find the technique to be a violation of Fourth Amendment protections against unlawful search and seizure. Leah Larkin, who runs a DNA analysis service called The DNAGeek, believes that it is. I dont think that the cops should be able to look into any home they want without a warrant, she said. There is much more private information in my DNA than there is in my underwear drawer. The Sacramento district attorney, Anne Marie Schubert, disagrees. We dont get our hands on peoples DNA in these genealogy databases, she said, just clues to how they are related. At stake are thousands of criminal cases and perhaps the future of genetic privacy in general. It could end there, or it could keep on going to the Supreme Court, Bettinger said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times A Troy man was charged with felony driving while intoxicated after State Police said they caught him driving drunk with two children in his car. At around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, troopers stopped Cheyenne K. Niles, 36, on Division Street in Waterford for traffic infractions. Washington The Trump administration escalated its defiance of Congress on Wednesday, as the Justice Department refused to let an official testify on Capitol Hill and President Donald Trump vowed to fight what he called a "ridiculous" subpoena ordering a former top aide to appear before lawmakers. "We're fighting all the subpoenas," Trump told reporters outside the White House. "These aren't, like, impartial people. The Democrats are trying to win 2020." The moves added to a week of stonewalling by the Trump administration after the release of the report by special counsel, Robert Mueller, that revealed the scope of the Russian operation to help Trump win the 2016 election and detailed his attempts to impede an investigation he saw as imperiling his presidency. Trump's flurry of moves this week to block multiple congressional investigations signaled a new phase of constitutional friction that could redefine long-murky boundaries of Congress' power to conduct oversight of the executive branch and the power of presidents to keep government affairs secret from lawmakers. Trump's strategy sets the stage for open warfare with House Democrats heading into the 2020 election. The results could be unpredictable at a time when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tried to keep a lid on liberal demands for impeachment proceedings by channeling their energies into oversight investigations. As a matter of law, Trump's declared tactic of fighting every subpoena faces steep obstacles, legal experts said. The House can vote to hold in contempt officials who refuse to show up in response to subpoenas and ask judges for orders requiring compliance with them. Litigation over whether those subpoenas were legitimate will turn on precedents that require both branches to make good-faith efforts to accommodate each other's needs. It will also delve into whether executive privilege is waived in instances in which the Trump administration has already disclosed some of the information that the president is trying to keep from Congress. Prevailing in court may not be the goal. By essentially forcing Democrats to keep filing lawsuits to try to enforce their subpoenas, Trump will be fighting what he can portray as "presidential harassment" and stall the inquiries. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. On Wednesday, the Justice Department said a civil rights division official, John Gore, would defy a subpoena to testify Thursday about its addition of a citizenship question to the census. This week, White House lawyers indicated they would tell former White House counsel Donald F. McGahn II and other former officials not to comply with subpoenas for their testimony, a person familiar with the legal strategy said. Trump has also sued to block a congressional subpoena of his accounting firm, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin missed a deadline to turn over Trump's tax returns to lawmakers and the former head of White House personnel security, Carl Kline, ignored a subpoena ordering him to appear for a deposition about overriding recommendations to deny security clearances. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Trump cited the end of the special counsel investigation to declare he had been investigated enough. "I thought after two years we'd be finished with it," he said. "No. Now the House goes and starts subpoenas." He added, "I say it's enough." A leading Tipperary dementia awareness group are set to raise a cup in aid of the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland as part of a nationwide fundraising campaign taking place throughout the country next week. Dementia Friendly Thurles will host their own Alzheimer's Tea Day at the Memory Cafe at the Bookworm Thurles next Wednesday, May 1. The event is open to all members of the community and patrons are welcome to make a donation to the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland on the day. Any donations of cakes and buns will also be greatly received by the event organisers. It is estimated that there are currently 1,900 people living with dementia in Tipperary and for every one person with dementia three others are directly affected. The memory cafe, which is the brainchild of Ursula Paine, Margaret Pollard and Jennifer Manning from Dementia Friendly Thurles, at is aimed at all members of the community who may have concerns about their memory, those who have been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimers and their carers. The cafe meet on the first Wednesday of every month from 11am to 12.30pm in the Bookworm on Liberty Square, Thurles. [April 25, 2019] Bimbo Bakeries USA, North America's Leading Baked Goods Provider, Orders Motiv's All-Electric EPIC Chassis Equipped Step Vans FOSTER CITY, Calif., April 25 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Motiv Power Systems (Motiv), the leading provider of all-electric medium duty fleet chassis for buses and trucks, announced today a five-vehicle purchase order from Bimbo Bakeries USA, the U.S. business of Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo. The vehicles will feature Motiv's all-electric EPIC 6 chassis (based on the popular Ford F-59 platform) with step van bodies built by Utilimaster Corporation. Bimbo Bakeries USA will be deploying these vehicles for fuel-efficient product delivery in Ceres, California. "Last mile delivery of baked goods is a perfect use case for EPIC based step vans," said Matt O'Leary, Motiv's CEO. "These are high-volume, low-weight applications operating on fixed routes. As such, they are particularly well-suited for electrification." EPIC chassis feature Motiv's proprietary operating software, which enables a unique, modular approach to safely and reliably control various battery and hardware technologies. They are Ford eQVM approved and CARB certified. "Sustainability is built into our company's Purpose - building a sustainable, highly productive, and deeply humane company, said Eric McCann, Field Service Manager for Bimbo Bakeries USA. "We are continuously looking for new ways to preserve the environment and reduce our carbon footprint. Incorporating these vehicles into our fleet is an important step toward reducing our fleet's dependence on fossil fuels and we look forward to introducing the EPIC platform into our supply chain." The electric delivery vans will be fitted with Utilimaster's step van bodies, the industry-standard for delivery and service vehicles, and will feature a highly modular cargo area and multiple door configurations, providing maximum versatility. "Utilimaster is encouraged by the strong market response to our Motiv all-electric F-59 offering," said Chad Heminover, President of Utilimaster Corporation. "It really comes as no surprise to see the rapid expansion of demand for these cost-effective, zero-emissions vehicles into an increasing cross-section of commercial fleet deployments." The Bimbo Bakeries USA vehicles will be sharing the road with Motiv's other EPIC powered electric step vans, including recent deployments with United States Postal Service and AmeriPride Services, a subsidiary of Aramark Corporation. About Motiv Power Systems Founded in 2009, and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Motiv Power Systems, a leading provider of software and technology to electrify medium-duty cmmercial vehicles, is committed to freeing fleets from their dependence on fossil fuels. Motiv's EPIC (Electric Powered Intelligent Chassis) are CARB certified, GSA approved, and available for many configurations including step vans, box trucks, work trucks, shuttle buses, school buses, trolleys, and other specialty vehicles. An EPIC offers uncompromised performance and functionality without the pollution, noise, heat, and vibration of gasoline or diesel power. Motiv is the only Ford eQVM-approved provider of all-electric chassis for commercial trucks and buses and benefits from engineering insights and support from Ford to ensure safety and reliability. With more than 550,000 miles logged among several of the largest fleet operators in the United States, the EPIC family eliminates 100 percent of vehicle emissions, dramatically reduces operating and maintenance costs, and creates a healthier environment for riders and communities, while also reducing driver fatigue. For more information and career opportunities, please visit www.motivps.com and follow us on Twitter @motivps, Facebook and LinkedIn. About Bimbo Bakeries USA Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU) is a leader in the baking industry, known for its category-leading brands, innovative products, freshness, and quality. Our team of 20,000 U.S. associates operates more than 50 manufacturing locations in the United States. Over 11,000 distribution routes deliver our leading brands, such as Arnold, Artesano, Ball Park, Bimbo, Boboli, Brownberry, Entenmann's, Eureka!, Little Bites, Marinela, Oroweat, Sara Lee, Stroehmannand Thomas'. BBU is owned by Mexico's Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V., the world's largest baking company, with operations in 32 countries. About Spartan Motors Spartan Motors, Inc. is the North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing and assembly for the commercial and retail vehicle industries (including last-mile delivery, specialty service, and vocation-specific upfit segments), as well as for the emergency response and recreational vehicle markets. The Company is organized into three core business segments, including Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services, Spartan Emergency Response, and Spartan Specialty Vehicles. Today, its family of brands also include Spartan Authorized Parts, Spartan Factory Service Centers, Utilimaster, Strobes-R-Us, Smeal, Ladder Tower, and UST. Spartan Motors and its go-to-market brands are well known in their respective industries for quality, durability, aftermarket product support, and first-to-market innovation. The Company employs approximately 2,300 associates and operates facilities in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota; Saltillo, Mexico; and Lima, Peru. Spartan reported sales of $816 million in 2018. Learn more about Spartan Motors at www.spartanmotors.com. Media Contact for Motiv: Technica Communications Lisa Ann Pinkerton 408-806-9626 [email protected] Media Contact for Bimbo: Megan Keohane [email protected] 610-228-0404 Media Contact for Spartan: Matt Jackson Managing Partner Lambert & Co. 616.233.0500 [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bimbo-bakeries-usa-north-americas-leading-baked-goods-provider-orders-motivs-all-electric-epic-chassis-equipped-step-vans-300838038.html SOURCE Motiv Power Systems [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] CompanionMx to Discuss Technology's Positive Influence on Mental Health at Upcoming Conferences CompanionMx, Inc., the digital companion to sense, understand and prevent mental health episodes, announced its participation in two upcoming industry events: Imagination in Action and the Future of Health Technology Institute (FHTI) Summit. Sub Datta, CEO and co-founder of CompanionMx, will present on the role of AI-powered technology in monitoring behavioral vital signs to predict the onset of mental health episodes. THE PRESENTATIONS: Imagination in Action serves as a subset of the "best of Davos," gathering leaders from business, government, academia, media and civil society to share their views on improving the world through emerging technology in five-minute talks. Mr. Datta will present on the clinical evidence and positive impact of the Companion system in mental health patients. WHERE: The MIT (News - Alert) Media Lab, 75 Amherst St. in Cambridge, Mass. WHEN: April 27, 2019 at 1:25 p.m. ET To learn more about Imgination in Action, visit: http://imaginationinaction.xyz/ serves as a subset of the "best of Davos," gathering leaders from business, government, academia, media and civil society to share their views on improving the world through emerging technology in five-minute talks. Mr. Datta will present on the clinical evidence and positive impact of the Companion system in mental health patients. Future of Health Technology Institute (FHTI) Summit explores developments at the frontiers of medicine and AI-driven genomics, wearables, nano-sensors, and connection science. The program will focus on new ways to approach care models, medical training, and drug discovery in the era of "connected drugs." Mr. Datta will present on how a patient centered app for continuous monitoring of mood, combined with a clinician dashboard, can improve workflow and outcomes in mental health. WHERE: Bartos Theater, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Mass. WHEN: May 22, 2019 To learn more about FHTI, visit: http://fhti.org/ explores developments at the frontiers of medicine and AI-driven genomics, wearables, nano-sensors, and connection science. The program will focus on new ways to approach care models, medical training, and drug discovery in the era of "connected drugs." Mr. Datta will present on how a patient centered app for continuous monitoring of mood, combined with a clinician dashboard, can improve workflow and outcomes in mental health. ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Subhrangshu (Sub) Datta is the Co-Founder and CEO of CompanionMx, a digital health technology company that launched in 2018. Prior to joining CompanionMx, Sub was the Chief Business Officer of Soft Robotics. Over the course of the past decade in healthcare, he has held senior leadership roles building and scaling start-up business units within Smith & Nephew and EMD Serono. With multiple issued and pending patents, expertise in product development, strategy, operations and commercialization, Sub is deeply passionate about behavioral health and using technology to make a meaningful difference in people's lives. Sub holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, an MS in Engineering Systems from MIT, an MS in Materials Science & Engineering from The Ohio State University and a BEng in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. About CompanionMx CompanionMx, Inc. is a digital health technology company with a proven platform for proactive mobile mental health monitoring for better clinical outcomes. Born out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab and clinically validated at Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals and multiple Veterans Affairs clinics, the Companion system uses active monitoring of voice and passive monitoring of other smartphone metadata to continuously produce acoustic and behavioral biomarkers that predict core symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders. CompanionMx is headquartered in Boston. Learn more at www.companionmx.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005223/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] UN Teaches Palestinian Kids to Wage War on Israel Stand for Israel | April 25, 2019 Embed from Getty Images Palestinian incitement to violence towards the Jewish state and her people begins at a very early age. And its not just perpetrated by Palestinian leadership, either. JNS Shlomo Deutsch reports that the latest textbooks being used in UNRWA-run schools not only do not mention Israel, but teach violence against the Zionist occupation: in 2016, the P.A. issued new textbooks that were even worse, based on three principles: delegitimization of the existence of the State of Israel, which is a full member state of the United Nations; demonization of both Israel and the Jews; and advocacy of a violent struggle for the liberation of all of Palestine, including pre-1948 borders, thus wiping Israel off the map. These books and their curricula are used in first grade through 10th grade in UNRWA-supported Palestinian refugee camps, and are financed by 67 donor nations. The newest editions of the textbooks do not mention Israel even once; instead, the Jewish nation has been replaced with the Zionist Occupation. Fifth-graders, as part of their Islamic-education class, are taught that holy sites like the Western Wall have no connection to Jews: The Al-Buraq Wall is part of the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque and it is an absolute right of the Muslims alone, instruct the textbooks. In their social-studies textbooks, eighth-grade students are prompted: Let us think and discuss: I will compare the tragedy of the red-skinned Indians, the original inhabitants of America, and the tragedy of the Palestinian people. While learning Arabic, ninth-graders read a story that mentions a barbecue partythat is, a bus in the Psagot colony (a Jewish settlement in the West Bank) being burned by Molotov cocktails (presumably filled with people). And third-graders are taught in a national/social-upbringing class that Jerusalem has no historical or modern-day connection to Jews: Jerusalem is an Arab city built by our Arab ancestors thousands of years ago. Jerusalem is a holy city among Muslims and Christians [April 25, 2019] Decernis Presents at and Hosts Global Food Contact and Packaging Meetings WASHINGTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Decernis LLC (http://www.decernis.com), the leading provider of technology and content solutions for compliance, safety, and risk management will present on food contact regulations in Japan and host a user group at the Global Food Contact 2019 conference held in Lisbon, Portugal from 14th to 16th of May, 2019. Decernis will also be present as a key educator at the Asia-Pacific Food Contact Legislation Training held in Brussels, Belgium from May 16th-17th of May 2019. Food & Beverage companies are driven by meeting global market demands on the backdrop of a constantly changing Packaging regulatory landscape. The ability of these businesses to continue to market and sell their products meeting the challenging, changing regulatory requirements in Packaging is essential for effective sales. The Global Food Contact 2019 conference in Lisbon is a key forum to receive the latest information on regulatory requirements in all the key markets businesses export to including Africa, Canada, China, India, Japan, the United States, and many more. It will feature high level discussions on key issues facing the global food contact industry. Dr. Ruud Overbeek, Chief of Strategy and Business Development at Decernis will present on "Food Contact Regulations in Japan" at the Global Food Contact 2019 conference including an update of past, current, and future trends including Japan's new positive lists. He will share information on changes linked to key associations including JHOSPHA- trade association in Japan - who currently play a pivotal role with Food Contact Materials (FCM) in Japan. And, review the changing role of the Ministry of Health in Japan and what it means for the industry. The Decernis User Group at the Global Food Contact 2019 conference will bring together attendees who will benefit from the latest updates on the global regulatory landscape, learn of others experiences and best practices, and can network and exchange information with colleagues. They can also obtain direct answers to their business questions and discuss application of the Decernis solution with industry peers. Kevin C. Kenny, Chief Operating Officer at Decernis will present as a keynote educator on Food Contact Regulations at the Asia-Pacific Food Contact Legislation conference in Brussels. The event will provide a series of sessions focusing on current and future legislation covering food contact materials and articles in Asian markets focusing on China, India, Japan, and Korea. This will include extensive examination of regulatory framework, individual substrate regulation, new substance approval processes, and supply chain certification requirements. Decernis' technology-enabled risk management solutions help guide business objectives through the fastest go-to market and cost-effective route to satisfy the necessary global requirements. To help customers and prospects learn more, Decernis offers real time demonstration of Decernis capabilities providing an understanding of how the tools will benefit your business requirements and objectives. These online training can also enable a business's employees to better understand and utilize these tools for their company's benefit. "The events, presentations, and user group will help companies understand and meet the challenge of the increasing pace of existing and newly introduced regulatory requirements worldwide," said Kevin C. Kenny, Chief Operating Officer at Decernis LLC and a member of the Global Food Contact 2019 event advisory board. "Effective strategies will be discussed to efficiently fulfil regulatory and customer requirements utilizing Decernis' solutions, allowing a faster introduction of new products into new markets." Please visit the Decernis website, www.decernis.com, to learn about all upcoming event participation. About Decernis Decernis LLC delivers global solutions for product compliance, safety, and risk management through smart technology, Intelligent Systems Technology, Big Data Analytics, and global expertise. Our horizon scanning, enterprise solutions, supply chain management and experts in global food, consumer, and industrial product safety support our clients in meeting complex market demands and key decisions. Decernis tracks regulatory developments in more than two hundred countries on a day-by-day basis. Decernis contact: Americas Contact: Susanne Kuehne Senior Manager, Business Development Decernis LLC Phone +1 240.428.1800 [email protected] www.decernis.com EU/APAC Contact: Christina Zimmermann Decernis GmbH Germany Tel. +49 (6483) 915303 [email protected] www.decernis.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/decernis-presents-at-and-hosts-global-food-contact-and-packaging-meetings-300834883.html SOURCE Decernis LLC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Developing countries become BRI's biggest beneficiaries BEIJING, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on Belt and Road Initiative: After two years, many heads of state will gather again in Beijing to chart the course for future cooperation at the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. A large proportion of them are from developing countries. Arguably, developing countries are the biggest beneficiaries of the cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework. These countries boast rich natural resources, but at the initial stage of industrialization and urbanization, they lack capital and external support in technology, equipment and financing. Getting involved in the BRI means access to high cost performance products as well as medium-and high-end manufacturing capacity from Chinese enterprises. The advanced technology and ideas of Western multinationals will also become available. All these factors are essential for developing countries to improve their technology and R&D capacity, which are key to accelerating industrial transformation and upgrading. Infrastructure has been a major focus of the BRI cooperation. According to statistics from Rand Corp, exports in the BRI region have been improved by 2.8% due to the rail connection between trading partners. Meanwhile, research suggests that every 1% of GDP invested in infrastructure can translate to more than 1 million jobs, either directly or indirectly. As China has relatively advanced technologies and extensive experience in infrastructure projects overseas, developing countries have received tangible benefits through cooperation under the BRI. Furthermore, foreign investors, including those ofwestern countries, can also benefit from those projects which seek mutual benefit in a wider scope. Take, for example, the Sino-Myanmar pipeline. This project serves not only as a gateway to the natural gas market in Myanmar, but also as a stimulus to promote employment. Statistics show that, as of the end of this January, the direct economic yield contributed by this project to Myanmar had reached US$210 million, with a total of 2.9 million jobs created. The list of such projects has continued to grow since the first B&R Forum for International Cooperation in 2017. And so far, all the 279 projects signed during the first forum have been completed. As Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his speech at the opening of the first B&R Forum, "Peaches and plums do not speak, but they are so attractive that a path is formed below the trees." The fruitful achievements of the BRI are attracting more and more countries. And we welcome further deals of cooperation with successful outcomes at the second B&R Forum. China Mosaic http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm Developing countries become BRI's biggest beneficiaries http://www.china.org.cn/video/2019-04/25/content_74719895.htm About China.org.cn Founded in 2000, China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn/China.com.cn) is a key state news website under the auspices of the State Council Information Office, and is managed by China International Publishing Group. We provide round-the-clock news service in ten languages. With users from more than 200 countries and regions, we have become China's leading multi-lingual news outlet introducing the country to the outside world. We are one of the country's authoritative outlets for government press releases and are authorized to cover various major events. "Live Webcast" is our online webcasting service to present State Council Information Office press conferences in both Chinese and English languages. We are reputed for timely and accurate delivery of news and information, and wide interactions with audiences. In addition, we are authorized to publish and live broadcast major events and press conferences of ministries, local government agencies and institutions as well as enterprises. In the era of mobile internet, we endeavor to create an array of products for mobile devices headed by the multilingual WAP platform and the mobile APP. We also use Chinese and international social media to publish information for different user groups. In the future, CIIC will continue to offer authoritative information about China, tell China's stories, voice China's opinions, and introduce a vivid, panoramic and multicultural China to the world through multi-language, multi-media and multi-platforms. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/developing-countries-become-bris-biggest-beneficiaries-300838067.html SOURCE China.org.cn [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] ESO Acquires eCore Software, Leading Scheduling Platform for EMS Agencies and Fire Departments ESO, the leading data and software company serving emergency medical services (EMS), fire departments and hospitals, today announced the acquisition of eCore Software. The acquisition will extend ESO's broad product portfolio and provide a one-stop shop to fulfill the needs of most EMS agencies and fire departments. ESO will retain eCore's office in Dallas. "The addition of eCore to our portfolio gives our customers access to a comprehensive suite of tools to help them improve efficiency all while focusing on what's important - using software and data to improve the health and safety of their communities," said Chris Dillie, President and CEO of ESO. "We believe this data Is critical to help our customers manage work hours, paramedic and firefighter mental health, as well as other related topics." eCore provides an all-encompassing tool that delivers employee schedule management, online time clock and attendance, as well as payroll control. The software quickly generates and distributes employee schedules while providing channels to receive feedback from employees, as well as ensures that information is up-to-date and exact. The time and attendance solution allows organizations to compare posted schedules to actual attendance "W're excited to be a part of the ESO family," said Steven Turner, Executive Vice President from eCore Software. "ESO is driving the industry forward with its innovative approach to software and data insights, and we feel our scheduling platform can play a key role in helping organizations gain operational efficiencies while delivering quality care in their communities." eCore, founded in 1998, is based in Dallas, Texas and has been providing value to public service organizations like EMS operations and fire departments since that time. About ESO ESO is dedicated to improving community health and safety through the power of data. Since its founding in 2004, the company continues to pioneer innovative, user-friendly software to meet the changing needs of today's EMS agencies, fire departments, and hospitals. ESO currently serves more than 10,000 customers throughout North America with a broad software portfolio, including the industry-leading ESO Electronic Health Record (EHR), the next generation ePCR; ESO Health Data Exchange (HDE), the first-of-its-kind healthcare interoperability platform; ESO Fire and ESO FIREHOUSE Software for fire departments; and ambulance revenue recovery/billing software. ESO is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.eso.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005331/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Government of Canada invests in world-leading clean technology innovation Investment to lower energy consumption in oil and gas industry operations and reduce costs for producers SQUAMISH, BC, April 25, 2019 /CNW/ - A strong economy and a clean environment go hand in hand. That's why the Government of Canada is supporting the development of technologies that lead to less pollution, healthier communities and the creation of well-paying middle-class jobs. Today, Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs), on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced an investment of $2.89 million in Rotoliptic Technologies Incorporated. This investment supports the high-efficiency positive displacement pump technology developed by Rotoliptic. Consisting of only two parts, the unique pump architecture of this revolutionary technology means simple deployment, lower operating costs and applicability to a wide range of pumping needs. This innovation has the potential to lower both the energy consumption and the cost of ownership by approximately 40%. The investment will also help maintain 9 jobs and create 6 additional ones. This project received funding and support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), which helps Canadian entrepreneurs accelerate the development and deployment of globally competitive clean technology solutions. Investments in clean technology are part of the Government's Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy to position Canada as a global leader in innovation and create good middle-clas jobs right across the country. Quotes "Innovative technologies like the one developed by Rotoliptic demonstrate how a strong economy and a clean environment go hand in hand. Today's investment will help the oil and gas industry lower its energy consumption, reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions, and maintain and create jobs by reducing costs for the producers." Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs) "When it comes to clean technology, Canada has the opportunity to be a true global leader, creating good middle-class jobs for Canadians while helping meet our climate change goals. By making clean tech a priority today, our government is securing Canada's international leadership position so all Canadians can reap the benefits of this fast-growing market now and into the future." The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development "Pumps use more electricity than any other piece of equipment in the oil and gas sector. Rotoliptic's new pump design will reduce energy consumption by up to 40%. Adoption of this technology will support the Canadian oil and gas sector's leadership in clean tech." Leah Lawrence, President and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada "Industrial pumping of fluids accounts for 20% of global electricity consumption and 5.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The revolutionary Rotoliptic pump architecture has the potential to reduce these numbers significantly. We are excited to continue innovating with the help of SDTC and the Government of Canada, and this funding allows us to both expand our team and advance our technology towards commercialization. This funding gives us the ability to continue to develop our high-efficiency pump that will have far-reaching clean technology implications for the global pumping industry." Brendan Downes, Executive Chairman and CMO, Rotoliptic Technologies Incorporated Quick facts The world is taking notice of Canada's clean technology leadership: 12 Canadian companies were recently recognized on the 2019 Global Cleantech 100 list. Of those, 10 have received support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada. That's 10 percent of the world's leading clean tech companies. clean technology leadership: 12 Canadian companies were recently recognized on the 2019 Global Cleantech 100 list. Of those, 10 have received support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada. That's 10 percent of the world's leading clean tech companies. Rotoliptic Technologies Incoporated is headquartered in Squamish, British Columbia , and will demonstrate its technology in Canada and the United States . , and will demonstrate its technology in and . SDTC has invested over $1 billion in more than 300 companies, creating 11,000 well-paying jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 13.8 megatonnes annually. in more than 300 companies, creating 11,000 well-paying jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 13.8 megatonnes annually. Budget 2017 set aside more than $2.3 billion to boost growth in Canada's clean tech space. That's the largest public investment ever committed to this area in Canada . to boost growth in clean tech space. That's the largest public investment ever committed to this area in . Clean tech companies can get advice from a team of experts from across government through the Clean Growth Hub. The Hub provides a single, easy point of contact for connecting with clean technology programs and services. Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA Follow Sustainable Development Technology Canada on Twitter: @SDTC_TDDC SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Graham Media Group Honored with Six Murrow Awards Three Graham Media Group television stations are proud recipients of a combined six Regional 2019 Edward R. Murrow Awards by the Radio Television Digital News Association. Houston's KPRC 2 received three awards, including the highly coveted Overall Excellence in Large Market Television which recognizes the station's commitment to quality journalism. KPRC's entry in this category featured examples of breaking news, investigations, and special event coverage, as well as community service initiatives and digital content. Another of KPRC 2's Regional Murrow Awards was presented for Best News Series in Large Market Television for "Inside MS-13," Anchor/Reporter Jacob Rascon's in-depth reports on the notoriously violent transnational gang, and the evolving fight against it from El Salvador to Houston. KPRC 2 News at 6PM was awarded Best Newscast in Large Market Television for "Tragedy in Santa Fe," which featured team coverage of the May 2018 school shootings in Santa Fe, Texas. The KPRC team worked to provide complete and compassionate coverage to their community in the immediate wake of such a horrific event. WDIV-Local 4/ClickOnDetroit received two awards, including Excellence in Sound in Large Market Television for "Criss-Cross Crash," a beautifully crafted story which exemplifies the art of audio. WDIV-Local 4/ClickOnDetroit's second Regional Murrow Award was presented for Social Media in Large Market Television, recognizing several examples including "Death of Aretha Franklin," and "Meteor in Michigan," to name a few. Their digital efforts offer unparalleled social media coverage to provide useful, concise information on topics important to our audience. Roanoke's WSLS 10 was recognized for Excellence in Innovation in Small Market Television for "In the Navy," a series featuring what it's like to be a sailor for a day with News Anchor John Carlin attempting the Navy's water survival training course. "We're honored by our team's recognition by our peers in the Radio Television Digital News Association," said Graham Media Group President & Chief Executive Officer Emily Barr. "Our main mission is to inform and celebrate the communities we serve. We share these awards with our viewers and the communities we so proudly cover." Graham Media Group's six regional winning entries will now go on to the national RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards judging round. Winners will be announced in June, and presented at the annual RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on October 14 in New York City. The Radio Television Digital News Association has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of electronic journalism. Graham Media Group, a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC), owns seven local television stations - each in a top-70 market and all recognized as news leaders: KPRC-Houston, WDIV-Detroit and WSLS-Roanoke (NBC); KSAT-San Antonio (ABC); WKMG-Orlando(CBS); WJXT-Jacksonville (fully local), and WCWJ-Jacksonville (CW), as well as Social News Desk, a leading provider of social media management tools designed to connect newsrooms with their users. The stations also broadcast digital channels focusing on classic television and lifestyle programming, in addition to operating market-leading websites, mobile sites and mobile apps delivering breaking news, weather and community news, reaching millions of users across each platform. All are deeply involved in local initiatives and public service projects designed to serve, inform and improve their respective communities. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425006018/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Michigan State Medical Student Develops Device to Bring Mobile Health Care Apps into Sterile Settings EAST LANSING, Mich., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A medical student in the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine today announces the public launch and availability of the CleanCase sterile mobile devices cover, the first device-specific, fully FDA-complaint product on the market that allows surgeons to safely bring mobile devices into the sterile surgical field. The CleanCase cover, which was developed with investment from Red Cedar Ventures and Quantum Medical Concepts, uses patented technology to allow surgeons full mobile device functionality without compromising patient safety. Surgeons bring mobile devices into the surgical field for two main reasons: to capture media for medical records and to use mobile medical applications. "The CleanCase is a first-of-its-kind product that will empower physicians to use the best and latest medical technology on their mobile devices, without ever compromising patient safety," said Rob Zondervan, PhD, Chief Executive Officer at SteriDev, LLC, the Lansing-based medical device company that developed the technology. "Health care mobile applications are developing at a remarkable rate, and in the hands of a great physician, they can make a real difference in the care of patients. Currently, mobile applications are improving the delivery of health care in non-sterile settings. The CleanCase mobile device covers expand their usage into sterile environments so surgical patients can also benefit." Zondervan, a medical student at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, came up with the idea when assisting during an operation. He has over 10 years of clinical and academic medical experience. He serves as the Spartan Innovations Senior Fellow, providing medical advice to start-up companies. "We are so proud of SteriDev's recent momentum. Today, we celebrate this milestone achievement," said Jeff Wesley, executive director, Red Cedar Ventures. "From the company's launch to the development of its groundbreaking product to FDA approval of CleanCase, Rob and his team are taking SteriDev to the next level." Launched in 2016, Red Cedar Ventures has deployed more than $3.5M in pre-seed and follow-on capital into MSU-based startups and licensed technologies. Those dollars have gone on to be leveraged, raising over $100M in outside venture capital. "Startups are challenging," explained Wesley, "I admire anyone with the grit and determination to take an idea and forge it into a reality. Watching Rob balance the challenges of a startup with the rigors of a medical residencythat's a feat. We're honored to invest in this Spartan startup team." The CleanCase sterile mobile device cover is built on a combination of established operating room techniques and novel technologies that uses a removable sleeve through which the device is passed. Once the mobile device is secured in the device-specific case, the sleeve is removed, and the case is closed and ready to use. The case is made of rigid plastic which features a touchscreen face and an unobstructed camera window, making the mobile device fully functional, protected and easy to manipulate, especially through gloved hands. For more information about the CleanCase sterile mobile cover, or to place an order, please visit www.SteriDev.com. About Red Cedar Ventures Red Cedar Ventures, the wholly owned venture investment subsidiary of the Michigan State University Foundation, supports promising MSU student and faculty initiatives through investment capital and programming. Red Cedar Ventures's investments focus on propelling the work of MSU's thinkers, innovators and doersthe faculty, researchers, and student entrepreneurs ready to bring their solutions, technologies and companies to market. Find out more by visiting www.redcedarventures.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/michigan-state-medical-student-develops-device-to-bring-mobile-health-care-apps-into-sterile-settings-300837978.html SOURCE Red Cedar Ventures [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Rave Mobile Safety Announces Significant Investment from TCV FRAMINGHAM, Mass., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Rave Mobile Safety (Rave), the leading provider of critical communication and data platform solutions trusted to save lives, today announced it has received a significant investment from TCV, one of the largest growth equity firms backing private and public technology companies. The investment and expertise from TCV will help Rave fuel its product innovation and growth plans and position the company to continue to build on its market-leading portfolio of communication solutions deployed by top education and healthcare institutions, enterprises, and state and local public safety agencies. "Today is a wonderful milestone for Rave and a testament to the tremendous results our customers have seen using the technology that they helped design to improve the safety of those they protect," said Todd Piett, President and CEO of Rave Mobile Safety. "TCV has a history of investing in category-redefining companies and their partnership reaffirms our innovation track record, market-leading customer retention and the rising demand for holistic crisis and emergency management solutions. This investment will fast-track our vision for the business, and we're eager to step into this next chapter of our company's history." Since its inception in 1995, TCV has raised over $15 billion across 10 funds and invested over $11 billion in leading technology companies including Netflix, Facebook, Expedia, Spotify, Airbnb, GoDaddy, and Zillow. TCV also brings significant software buyout experience, having partnered with leading vertical market software companies, including ETQ, IQMS, Watermark, SMT, CCC, and Avetta. "The Rave platform is unique in that it helps effortlessly bring together the various entities involved in citizen safety. We were impressed with Rave's stellar customer base across multiple idustries and steady product innovation in a market that is ripe for disruption," said Kapil Venkatachalam, General Partner at TCV. "Rave will be able to leverage a broad range of TCV's resources, including our deep sector knowledge and network of advisors to capitalize on growth opportunities in present and untapped market segments." "Today's safety leaders are utilizing innovative technology to prepare better, respond faster, and communicate more effectively," said Bob Burke, Venture Partner at TCV. "We are delighted to partner with an experienced executive management team and help shape the company's expansion following on Rave's 10 years of consecutive double-digit growth." Rave has over 5,000 customers deployed in the United States. The City of Chicago, Washington D.C. Schools, the City of Cincinnati, Iowa State University and City of Virginia Beach are some of the 1,100 customers added during the past year. Thousands of agencies and institutions across law enforcement, 9-1-1, state and local emergency management agencies, corporations, healthcare organizations, K12 districts, colleges and universities depend on Rave's solutions. "The community in Virginia Beach has to not only account for the safety of our 450,000-plus citizens, but also for the millions of visitors who travel to our shores each year," added Stephen Williams, Director - Emergency Communications Citizen Services for the City of Virginia Beach. "We recently upgraded to the Rave Mobile Safety platform from a legacy system because of Rave's robust Mass Notification feature set and ability to deliver critical information to 9-1-1. Rave gives us that advantage and the peace of mind that comes from knowing we can shorten response times and handle spikes in activity during our busy tourist season." Shea & Company served as financial advisor to TCV. Raymond James & Associates acted as exclusive financial advisor to Rave Mobile Safety. For more information about Rave, visit RaveMobileSafety.com. About Rave Mobile Safety Rave Mobile Safety, a trusted safety software partner, provides the leading critical communication and data platform trusted to help save lives. Used by leading education and healthcare institutions, enterprises and state and local public safety agencies, the award-winning Rave platform including Rave Alert, Rave 911 Suite, Rave Panic Button, Rave Guardian, Rave Prepare and Rave Eyewitness SwiftK12 and Swift911 protects millions of individuals. Rave Mobile Safety is headquartered in Framingham, Mass. For more information, please visit https://www.ravemobilesafety.com/ . About TCV Founded in 1995, TCV provides capital to growth-stage private and public companies in the technology industry. TCV has invested over $11 billion in leading technology companies and has helped guide CEOs through more than 120 IPOs and strategic acquisitions. TCV's software investments include Alarm.com, Altiris, Ariba, Avalara, ExactTarget, ETQ, FinancialForce, Genesys, IQMS, OSIsoft, Sitecore, SMT, and Splunk. TCV is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with offices in New York and London. For more information about TCV, including a complete list of TCV investments, please visit http://www.tcv.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rave-mobile-safety-announces-significant-investment-from-tcv-300837252.html SOURCE Rave Mobile Safety [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Rockford Mutual Concludes Implementation of Guidewire InsuranceNow via Guidewire Cloud for Core Operations Rockford Mutual Insurance Company, a Midwest Property and Casualty (P&C) insurance provider, and Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE: GWRE), provider of the industry platform P&C insurers rely upon, today announced that Rockford Mutual has successfully implemented Guidewire InsuranceNow, a core component of Guidewire InsurancePlatform via Guidewire Cloud, to its commercial package policy and farm lines of business. With the completion of this project, InsuranceNow is now implemented across the company to modernize its technology platform and transform the way it operates across all of its lines of business. William Hanby, chief information officer, Rockford Mutual said, "It is important for insurers to recognize that unless they evolve their technology, it will be difficult for them to compete in the marketplace in the future. Our previous environment consisted of disparate systems and processes that required a wide variety of technical skills to maintain, leading to a high level of complexity that affected our speed to market." "The all-in-one nature of InsuranceNow and using configuration to make changes made the implementation process faster and less risky, giving us a high level of confidence in a successful project," continued Hanby. "Feedback from our users has been positive so far; they really like the system's intuitiveness and the new features and functionality available to them." "We congratulate Rockford Mutual on the successul conclusion of its InsuranceNow implementation project," said David Burns, vice president, Professional Services, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Software. "We applaud the company's mission of providing exceptional service, innovation, security, and ease of doing business to its agents and customers, and are pleased that our P&C core Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) platform is enabling Rockford Mutual to adapt and succeed in a rapidly-changing insurance market." About Rockford Mutual Insurance Company Rockford Mutual Insurance Company primarily writes automobile, homeowners, farmowners, and commercial multi-peril in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Policies are produced with our independent agents appointed throughout our areas of operation. Rockford Mutual Insurance is helping families, individuals and businesses today and during their time of need by providing exceptional service, innovation, security, ease of doing business and paying claims promptly and fairly. This is accomplished by hiring the best associates, cultivating their talents, living our core values while leveraging technology. About Guidewire Software Guidewire delivers the industry platform that Property and Casualty (P&C) insurers rely upon to adapt and succeed in a time of accelerating change. We provide the software, services, and partner ecosystem to enable our customers to run, differentiate, and grow their business. We are privileged to serve more than 350 companies in 32 countries. For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com and follow us on twitter: @Guidewire_PandC. NOTE: For information about Guidewire's trademarks, visit https://www.guidewire.com/legal-notices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005048/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Route sees record growth, adds Qualtrics vet to join as CTO SALT LAKE CITY, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Route, a post-purchase customer experience platform, has announced significant growth in just a few months since launch. The company has also announced the addition of Ryan Debenham, formerly of Qualtrics, as CTO to lead further expansion. Within a few short months of their launch in mid-January, Route has seen record-breaking growth, obtaining 625 clients and has grown their team by over 400%. "We are thrilled to be partnered with Route to improve the post-sale experience e-commerce merchants give to customers," said John Mayfield from Peak Venture Capital with whom Route closed an early seed stage venture round in January. "Their phenomenal growth of acquiring over 600 customers in the first three months makes them one of the fastest growing companies we have ever seen." Route's expansion of their Utah based headquarters includes building out a bigger engineering team, lead by Qualtrics vet Ryan Debenham as CTO. "The momentum behind the company right now is exhilarating. Ryan is an incredible addition to our growing team that notonly has the experience with high growth companies but also has a track record of building out world-class development teams and products. More than anyone we could have found, Ryan shares our same vision around the product and the ability to help build out our expanding team of engineers in Utah," says Evan Walker, Founder and CEO of Route. Prior to joining Route, Debenham was a Director of Engineering at Qualtrics, helping scale the engineering team from 30 to over 500 in five years. His contributions at Qualtrics included personally building out several engineering departments of more than 70 people, leading the AI division, and improving the platform scale by more than 100x. "I am thrilled to join Route and help build the technology and team that will enable people to see, share, and discover the world's products. Route has a business model and vision that rivals the best tech companies in the world. Combined with an outstanding team, I believe that Route is one of Utah's most interesting early-stage tech startups," said Debenham. About Route: Route is a one-click premium shopping experience for online ordering and the only way to view all of your online orders, from any merchant, visually in one place. Online shoppers can insure and visually track everything they order online in one centralized app. E-commerce merchants from boutique brands to household names can add Route to their website enabling one-click solutions for their customers for shipping insurance, visual package tracking, and one-click claim handling. With offices in both Silicon Slopes, Utah (HQ) and Santa Monica, California. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/route-sees-record-growth-adds-qualtrics-vet-to-join-as-cto-300838588.html SOURCE Route [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Tridonic Simplifies Wireless Lighting Control in the US DORNBIRN, Austria, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tridonic's basicDIM Wireless control technology provides an intuitive path towards wireless luminaire communication. The control system simplifies the configuration of lighting controls, while providing energy savings for office and classroom environments. Two Casambi Ready wireless modules and a 5DP sensor, along with the basicDIM Wireless intuitive interface are now available for the U.S. LED lighting market. Tridonic's basicDIM Wireless technology is the ideal solution for updating conventional lighting without requiring any additional wiring or construction. Conveniently controlled via Bluetooth, switching on and off as well as dimming functions are just as simple as grouping luminaires and creating lighting settings. Ideally suitable for office buildings or classrooms, each room and zone benefits from the system's easy-to-use and multi-functional intelligence. The Casambi Ready technology enables energy savings in open-plan offices, design flexibility for conference rooms, personalized lighting for one- to two-person offices and the control to illuminate spaces with a soft or energizing light. Flexible system thanks to diverse range of components The basis for the wireless light management is formed by the luminaire with the LED module, a driver and one of the basicDIM Wireless modules. Optional sensor integration allows for automated adjustment of the lighting. Luminaire control is performed with Tridonic's intuitive user interface or with the free 4remote BT app on an Android or iOS smartphone. The basicDIM Wireless 0-10V 2CH is equipped with two configurable 0(1)-10V output channels and is therefore able to handle different applications like Tunable White, direct/indirect luminaires and dimmable luminaires. Tridonic's two Casambi Ready wireless modules and 5DP sensor form the basis to the basicDIM Wireless portfolio. Due to their compact size, both the passive and constant-voltage basicDIM Wireless modules can be easily integrated into existing lighting installations. "For Bluetooth-based communication between luminaires, Tridonic bolstered its bascDIM Wireless portfolio by introducing two new Casambi Ready wireless modules and 5DP sensor," said Paul A. Montesino LC, Product Director Americas, Tridonic USA. "Casambi Ready control technology allows for versatile interaction with all the luminaires in a room, either by using the free 4remote BT app or the user interface. The basicDIM Wireless modules can be easily and flexibly integrated into existing systems and with the addition of sensors, can offer considerable potential energy savings for offices and classrooms. We are happy to bring this wireless control capability to the U.S. market." Constant-voltage basicDIM Wireless module PWM CV 4CH Up to four channels can be switched and dimmed using Bluetoothfor example, four linear Tridonic LLE FLEX strips or even completely different constant-voltage LED modules. With this module, existing LED strips can be easily dimmed without the need for additional DALI lines or drivers. The maximum output current is 6 Amps, which can be split among the four channels. Passive basicDIM Wireless module 0-10V 2CH This passive module can be integrated in luminaires that are not equipped with basicDIM Wireless drivers. Using Bluetooth technology, the wireless module connects the luminaires without the need for an external gateway. It can also be linked to the new 5DP basicDIM Wireless sensor to detect room occupancy and ambient light in network control. 5DP basicDIM Wireless sensor The new wireless sensor offers daylight-dependent lighting control and room occupancy detection. It has been designed for network control of open-plan offices, training and presentation rooms as well as corridors, passageways and garages. You are invited to attend Tridonic's booth where it will be showcasing the basicDIM Wireless portfolio. Go to booth #4039 in the IoT Pavilion during LIGHTFAIR International 2019, May 21-23 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also at the booth will be a live demo using Tridonic's companionSUITE software tools to program LED drivers via NFC technology in the production line. Stop by to learn more. About Tridonic Tridonic is a world-leading supplier of lighting technology, supporting its customers with intelligent hardware and software and offering the highest level of quality, reliability and energy savings. As a global driver of innovation in the field of lighting-based network technology, Tridonic develops scalable, future-oriented solutions that enable new business models for lighting manufacturers, building managers, systems integrators, planners and many other types of customer. To promote the vision of the "Internet of Light", Tridonic relies on partnerships with other specialists. The goal is the joint development of innovative technological solutions that convert lighting systems into intelligent networks and thereby enable associated services. Its profound, technical industry expertise makes Tridonic an ideal partner for established brands and for newcomers to the market. Tridonic is the technology company of the Zumtobel Group and is headquartered in Dornbirn, Austria. In the 2017/18 tax year, Tridonic generated sales of 352.7 million. 1,690 highly skilled employees and a worldwide sales presence in over 50 countries provide the basis for developing and launching new, smart and connected lighting systems. www.tridonic.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tridonic-simplifies-wireless-lighting-control-in-the-us-300838100.html SOURCE Tridonic [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Zones Canada Named CDN Top 100 Mobile Provider of the Year Zones, LLC., today announced that Zones Canada was named CDN's Top 100 Mobile Provider at the Top 100 Solution Providers Gala April 24. The national award recognizes Zones Canada as a top solution provider in Canada based on revenue attributed to mobility. "We are delighted to offer Zones Canada this well-deserved recognition," said Fawn Annan, President of ITWC, a company which counts CDN among its portfolio of important companies. "Mobility management is key for many companies in the channel to take their companies to the next level and we are happy to acknowledge Zones Canada's leadership." Zones Canada, a comprehensive IT solutions provider, ranked an impressive 45th overall on the list and continues to grow, especially in the areas of cloud, security, and mobility. "Being named to the CDN Top 100 Mobile Provider list is exciting and an honour," said Zameer Hussain, Country Manager at Zones Canada. "Zones Canada has experienced growth of more than 800% year-over-year - driven by configuration and deployment as well as project management and consulting services. More clients continue to trust and partner with us because our team members have a relentless passio for the overall client experience. This award is a testament to our rapid growth as well as the hard work and dedication of the Zones Canada team." Today's top companies count on Zones and its world-class partners transform their enterprises. Zones offers products and services across Workplace Modernisation, Network Optimisation, Data Centre Transformation, and Security Fortification solutions to lead clients through their digital transformations. That's what makes Zones the First Choice for IT. The Top 100 Solution Providers event was sponsored by Tech Data, HP Canada, Dell EMC, VMWare, ViewSonic and Eaton Industries. The gala was preceded by a channel building workshop sponsored by Avaya (News - Alert) and Veeam and the Canadian Channel Chiefs Council. Samsung was an event supporter. About Zones Zones, LLC. is a $2.3 billion global IT solutions provider committed to helping businesses complete their digital transformation by partnering with leading technology brands and focusing on four key Solution Environments: Workplace Modernisation, Network Optimisation, Data Centre Transformation, and Security Fortification. As a certified Minority Business Enterprise based in Auburn, WA., with operations in more than 80 countries around the world, Zones has helped companies of all shapes and sizes successfully transition into the digital age. Visit www.zones.com or call (800) 408-9663 to learn more. Follow Zones: Twitter and LinkedIn About CDN CDN is an ITWC company. ITWC, formerly IT World Canada, is the exclusive Canadian affiliate of International Data Group (IDG) which publishes more than 300 publications worldwide. ITWC is a privately-owned digital media and content marketing services company. Building on over three decades of solid relationships with Canada's technology decision-makers through award-winning excellence in journalism, we deliver incisive, relevant information to executive and managerial audiences. It also provides leading, integrated marketing content strategies to clients, including over 200 global Fortune 1000 companies. www.itworldcanada.com Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005271/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 24, 2019] Global Healthcare IoT Security Market: Focus on Systems, Solutions (Network Security and Endpoint Security, among others), Services (Consulting and Design & Integration, among others), and Region - Analysis and Forecast, 2019-2028 NEW YORK, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Healthcare IoT Security Market to Reach $27,775.8 Million by 2028 The global healthcare IoT security market consists of a multitude of companies catering to different needs within an IoT security environment.The broad segments, the market could be defined under are: healthcare IoT security solutions, and healthcare IoT services. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05770872/?utm_source=PRN The healthcare IoT services are further defined under: consulting services, risk assessment services, design and integration services, and managed security service, among others. Moreover, the healthcare IoT solutions are further defined under: network security, endpoint security, cloud security, application security, and content security, among others. Healthcare IoT services is the leading segment contributing to 61.32% of the overall market in 2018. The healthcare IoT services market is primarily driven by increasing connectivity of healthcare IoT devices with the caregivers, increased proliferation of cybercrimes in healthcare, and increased data privacy and security concerns among consumers. The purpose of this study is to gain a holistic view of the global healthcare IoT security market in terms of various influencing factors, such as regional adoption trends, key developments, among others.The scope of this report constitutes of an in-depth study of the global healthcare IoT security market, including a thorough analysis of the products across different regions. The market has been chiefly segmented into 'solutions and services' and 'region'.The report presents the reader with an opportunity to unlock comprehensive insights with respect to the market and helps in forming well-informed strategic decisions. The research uncovers some of the substantial parameters that must be taken into consideration before entering into the market. This research report aims at answering various aspects of the global healthcare IoT security market with the help of key factors driving the market, restraints, and challenges that can possibly inhibit the overall market growth and the current growth opportunities that are likely to shape the future trajectory of the market expansion.The report includes an in-depth examination of the key ecosystem players and key strategies and developments taking place in this market. In addition, the report includes market dynamics (market drivers, opportunities, and challenges) and industry analysis. The research study consists of patent analysis, opportunity matrix, detailed product mapping, and growth share analysis by products and by region. The market (by region), the key market trends, key players, and the recent developments have been listed in each sub-segment. The answers to the following key questions can be derived from this report: What are the IoT-enabling technologies in the healthcare IoT market? What are the key applications of the healthcare IoT? What is the healthcare IoT ecosystem and healthcare IoT security architecture? What are the key reasons o focus on healthcare IoT security? What are the underlying structures resulting in the emerging trends within the global healthcare IoT security market? How is each segment of the global healthcare IoT security market expected to grow during the forecast period and what is the anticipated revenue generated by each of the segments by the end of 2028? What are the significant developmental strategies which are implemented by the major players in order to sustain in the competitive market? What are the key success factors for companies to remain relevant and competitive in this crowded market? Who are the leading players with significant offerings to the global healthcare IoT security market? What is the expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to be witnessed by the leading players in the market during the forecast period 2019-2028? Which healthcare IoT solutions are anticipated to have the most promising growth? Who are the key manufacturers in the global healthcare IoT security market? What is the growth potential of the global healthcare IoT security market in North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest-of-the-World? The key players which have been contributing significantly to the global healthcare IoT security market include Cisco Systems, Inc., DELL Corporation, IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, Checkpoint Software Technology, Trend Micro, Inc., Oracle Corporation, Symantec Corporation, and ATMEL Corporation, among others. Executive Summary The global healthcare IoT security market is a huge market comprising the companies catering to different needs of security for IoT devices. Some of the broad segments the market could be defined under are: Healthcare IoT security solutions, and healthcare IoT security services. Healthcare IoT security services is the leading segment contributing to 61.32% of the overall market in 2018. In 2018, global healthcare IoT security services market was estimated to be $571.8 million and is expected to reach a value of $16,305.1 million by the end of 2028. The market is primarily driven by increased data privacy and security concerns among consumers. The market segment comprises a broad range of services such as consulting services, risk assessment services, design and integration services, and managed security service, among others. The overall healthcare IoT security market has been witnessing a steady growth. The market is expected to continue to grow with a double digit CAGR of 41.38% during the forecast period 2019-2028. Just like the healthcare IT industry, cloud storage has always been the paramount factor for success in the global healthcare IoT security market. However, lack of technological awareness about IoT threats among healthcare organizations, and lack of one standard IoT regulation are some of the challenges that are hampering the steady growth of the market. The purpose of this study is to gain a holistic view of the global healthcare IoT security market in terms of various influencing factors, such as regional adoption trends, and key developments, among others.The scope of this report constitutes of an in-depth study of the global healthcare IoT security market, including a thorough analysis of the products across different regions. The market has been chiefly segmented into 'solutions and services' and 'region'.The report presents the reader with an opportunity to unlock comprehensive insights with respect to the market and helps in forming well-informed strategic decisions. The research uncovers some of the substantial parameters that must be taken into consideration before entering into the market. The global healthcare IoT security market comprises four distinct regional markets: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest-of-the-World. In 2018, North America was estimated to be the largest regional segment with a value of $435.7 million and is anticipated to reach $11,383.1 million by the end of 2028. North America leads the global healthcare IoT security market in 2018. Increase in healthcare expenditure, growing geriatric population, and increasing proliferation of cybercrimes in healthcare promote the growth of healthcare IoT security market in North America . The key manufacturers who have been contributing significantly to the global healthcare IoT security market include Cisco Systems, Inc., Inside Secure SA, Dell Corporation, Intel Corporation, ATMEL Corporation, Symantec Corporation, EUROTECH SPA, Fortinet, Inc., Oracle Corporation, and Deutsche Telekom AG, among others. Countries Covered North America Europe Asia-Pacific (APAC) Rest-of-the-World (RoW) Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05770872/?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 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-healthcare-iot-security-market-focus-on-systems-solutions-network-security-and-endpoint-security-among-others-services-consulting-and-design--integration-among-others-and-region---analysis-and-forecast-2019-2028-300837756.html SOURCE Reportlinker [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 24, 2019] Fifth Annual Bolton Foundation 'Throw Down' cornhole tournament raises over $180,000 for California nonprofits at Rose Bowl Stadium Over 160 teams competed in the fifth annual Bolton Foundation "Throw Down," a fundraising cornhole tournament at Rose Bowl Stadium that raised over $180,000 for California nonprofits. The event, created by the philanthropic arm of insurance broker Bolton & Company, invites business partners, colleagues and employees to participate in the organization's largest annual fundraising effort. "This is our chance to give back to those who have given so much to the communities where we work, live and grow," said Mike Morey, Bolton Chief Operating Officer and Foundation Chairman. "It's a lot of fun for an amazing cause, and everyone who takes part can leave knowing that they have helped empower some incredible organizations." Money raised during the event through participation fees and sponsorship opportunities is used to provide grants to select nonprofits each year. Grant recipients are selected by the Bolton Foundation Committee based on their alignment with the Foundation's grant funding priority areas of community development, education, youth services and multiculturalism. This includes the Bolton Foundation Beacons, four annually selected nonprofit organizations that each receive a $10,000 grant in recognition and support of the outstanding philanthropic work they do within their community. This year A Window Between Worlds, Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, Get Lit - Words Ignite, and Operation Healing Forces were recognized as the 2019 Bolton Foundation Beacons. In addition, the Bolton Foundation recognized the following nonprofit grant recipients during the event: Culinary Arts Kids Eat Echoes of Hope Family Promise of San Gabriel Valley Human IT Lighthouse Counseling & Family Resource Center Maryvale Operation Save the Streets Reading Partners The Prentice School Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind "The nonprofits recognized during the 'Throw Down' are local heroes," said Bolton President and CEO Steve Brockmeyer. "They do incredible work throughout the year and help change lives every day. This is our way of celebrating their success and investing in their efforts so that they can continue to thrive." To date, The Bolton Foundation "Throw Down" has raised over $700,000 for nonprofits. Bolton closes its offices the day of the event, which is entirely employee-volunteer driven. For more information about The Bolton Foundation and to learn how to nominate a nonprofit, visit boltoncofoundation.org About The Bolton Foundation: Launched in 2014, The Bolton Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a component fund of the Pasadena Community Foundation. The Foundation's mission is to empower those who serve others by providing grants to nonprofit organizations that address community development, education, youth services and multiculturalism within our local communities. Since its inception, the Foundation has raised more than $700,000 for California nonprofits. About Bolton & Company: Established in 1931, Bolton & Company is one of the nation's largest employee-owned insurance broker agencies providing clients worldwide with insurance and risk management services, employee benefits and financial products. As a partner of Assurex Global, Bolton employs over 180 insurance professionals and places over $600 million in annual premiums on behalf of their clients. Learn more by visiting www.boltonco.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190424006158/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 24, 2019] SurePrep CEO David Wyle to Speak at BDO Alliance USA Conference IRVINE, Calif., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SurePrep, a California-based software and service provider to the tax and accounting industry, today announced that CEO David Wyle will speak on Monday, April 29, 2019, at the BDO Alliance USA Conference in Las Vegas. The presentation will focus on the company's patent-pending, next-generation scan-and-populate technology, which automatically verifies data OCRs from native PDFs, thereby eliminating the human verification required by other solutions. "SurePrep customers will be able to leverage an unprecedented level of efficiency with this auto-verification for native PDFs. 1040SCAN is recognized as the premier scan-and-populate solution in the tax and accounting field," says Greg Pope, Vice President of Marketing, "and this technology takes it to the next level." "This remarkable next-generation scan-and-populate technology radically increases tax return preparation efficiency and demonstrates SurePrep's continued commitment to innovation and leadership in the tax document automation field," sys Will Hosek, SurePrep CITO. To learn more visit: https://corp.sureprep.com/next-generation-scan-and-populate/ Press Contact: Greg Pope (800) 805-8582, [email protected] Company Overview SurePrep was founded in 2002 and is the leader in tax automation for CPA firms. SurePrep's solutions deliver seamless integration with tax software to automate and streamline the entire 1040 process for both the taxpayer and tax professional. SurePrep's solutions are used by nearly 20,000 tax professionals ranging from Big 4 firms to sole practitioners to reduce administrative costs, automate workpaper preparation, maximize review efficiency and improve client service. SurePrep's technology is covered by numerous United States patents, including United States Patent Numbers 7,454,371; 7,610,227; 7,636,886; 7,720,616; 7,769,646; 7,853,494 and RE45007. For more information on SurePrep's products and services, visit sureprep.com or call (800) 805-8582. SurePrep and 1040SCAN are registered trademarks of SurePrep, LLC. Related Images sureprep-patent-pending-scan-and.png SurePrep Patent-Pending Scan-and-Populate Technology Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0TKutiyXEo View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sureprep-ceo-david-wyle-to-speak-at-bdo-alliance-usa-conference-300837804.html SOURCE SurePrep [April 24, 2019] 3D Bioprinting Market - Global Forecasts to 2023: Growing Government Support is Also Attracting Many Investors to Invest in R&D Programs DUBLIN, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "3D Bioprinting Market - Growth, Trends and Forecasts (2018 - 2023)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global 3D Bioprinting Market was valued at USD 385.56 million in 2018 and is expected to register a CAGR of 25.36% during the forecast period (2019-2024). The global 3D bioprinting market is expected to grow, owing to its revolutionary breakthrough in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. The increasing technological advancements, government intervention for improving healthcare, and increasing investments in R&D are also significant factors driving the studied market growth. The primarily growing bioprinting applications include 3D bioprinted tissue and hair follicles, as they are very beneficial to cosmetics companies, especially in Europe, where animal testing for cosmetics was banned in 2013. For a cosmetic company, the advantage will be the ability to economically and ethically test products (i.e., not on animals) across varying skin types, for more accurate results. Growing government support is also attracting many investors to invest in R&D programs, which is expected to develop space for the studied market. In 2018, Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. announced that it had been awarded a contract of USD14.8 million, with options for an additional USD 32.0 million, by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). Further, a significant increase in the number of older adults is projected in the coming decades, which is expected to drive the need for 3D bioprinting reflecting the growth of the market. Scope of the Report 3D bioprinting is an emerging field represented by various biologically applied deposition and assembling systems, which include direct writing, photolithography, microstamping, extrusion, laser writing, stereolithography, electro-printing, microfluidics, and inkjet deposition. Key Market Trends Drug Testing to Hold Major Share 3D bioprinters are of the highest importance for drug testing and clinical trials applications expected to drastically reduce the need for animal trials (therefore not only being ethically beneficial but also being cost-effective). Traditionally, clinical trials for new drug development involved testing on animals with artificially induced affected tissues. With the advent of 3D bioprinting, drug developers will be able to address the complications associated with huma clinical trials of new drugs, by identifying them in a short period (since these can be tested with human-like 3D printed tissues). Thus, they are expected to reduce the losses incurred during late-stage failures. The regulatory agency of the United States Food and Drug Administration has already started to consider integrating alternatives for drug safety and efficacy assessment, providing scope for the market. Companies like Organovo (US based) were instrumental in the development of 3D bioprinter able to develop liver and kidney tissue for drug discovery applications. Cosmetic companies are also potential buyers of the bioprinter technology. In 2013, the European Union prohibited the use of cosmetics developed by animal testing. Prohibition of retailing products tested abroad on animals was also levied. Such regulations have accelerated the use of alternatives like bioprinting. Asia-Pacific Anticipated to Witness Fastest Growth Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing market for 3D bioprinting, mainly due to a strong existing consumer base that will drive demand for 3D bioprinting, huge scope of 3D printing in medical services, increasing R&D for 3D printing, and government support and tax incentives. The growing number of cancer cases and the increasing the number of cancer treatments in the region are also expected to fuel the adoption of 3D bioprinting technology. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, the cancer rate is the highest in Australia and New Zealand in the world. Competitive Landscape The 3D bioprinting market is highly competitive and consists of several major players. In terms of market share, few of the major players currently dominate the market. These major players with a prominent share in the market are focusing on expanding their customer base across foreign countries. These companies are leveraging on strategic collaborative initiatives to increase their market share and increase their profitability. In Feb 2018 , 3D Systems introduced NextDent 5100, a Figure 4-based 3D bioprinter designed for dental labs. NextDent 5100 facilitates high-speed 3D bioprinting for production of dental appliances and sacrificial castings. Further in Dec 2018 , Aspect Biosystems has made a collaboration with the Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine (MERLN) at Maastricht University in the Netherlands . This collaboration includes the placement of an RX1 Bioprinting Platform in Professor Lorenzo Moroni's Lab, where it will be used to develop kidney tissue by a head of bioprinting research, Dr. Carlos Mota . Under the terms of the collaborative research agreement, Aspect has an option to further develop and commercialize products based on the results of the research. Key Topics Covered: 1 INTRODUCTION 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 MARKET DYNAMICS 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Introduction to Market Drivers and Restraints 4.3 Market Drivers 4.3.1 Increasing Geriatric Population 4.3.2 Increasing Organ Transplant Requirements 4.3.3 Increasing Investments In R&D 4.4 Market Restraints 4.4.1 Operational Challenges 4.5 Industry Attractiveness Porter's Five Force Analysis 4.6 Industry Value Chain Analysis 5 MARKET SEGMENTATION 5.1 By Technology 5.1.1 Syringe/Extrusion Bioprinting 5.1.2 Inkjet Bioprinting 5.1.3 Magnetic Levitation Bioprinting 5.1.4 Laser-assisted Bioprinting 5.1.5 Other Technologies 5.2 By Component 5.2.1 3D Bioprinters 5.2.2 Biomaterials 5.2.3 Scaffolds 5.3 By Application 5.3.1 Drug Testing and Development 5.3.2 Regenerative Medicine 5.3.3 Food testing 5.3.4 Research 5.3.5 Other Applications 5.4 Geography 6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 6.1 Company Profiles 6.1.1 3D Systems Corporation 6.1.2 Aspect Biosystems Ltd 6.1.3 GeSIM GmbH 6.1.4 Bio3D Technologies 6.1.5 Allevi Inc. 6.1.6 Cyfuse Biomedical KK 6.1.7 Envision TEC GmbH 6.1.8 Organovo Holdings Inc. 6.1.9 3Dynamic Systems Ltd 6.1.10 RegenHU SA 6.1.11 Stratasys Ltd 6.1.12 REGEMAT 3D 6.1.13 3D Bioprinting Solutions 6.1.14 Arcam AB (GE Company) 7 INVESTMENT ANALYSIS 8 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bvrtwy Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/3d-bioprinting-market---global-forecasts-to-2023-growing-government-support-is-also-attracting-many-investors-to-invest-in-rd-programs-300837544.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 24, 2019] Alphabet's Loon and SoftBank's HAPSMobile Form Strategic Relationship to Advance High Altitude Network Connectivity SoftBank Corp.'s HAPSMobile and Alphabet's Loon have formed a long-term strategic relationship to advance the use of high altitude vehicles, such as balloons and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), to bring connectivity to more people, places, and things worldwide. As part of the new relationship and HAPSMobile's financial and investment strategy, HAPSMobile has made a decision to invest $125 million USD in Loon. Loon has obtained the right to invest the same amount in HAPSMobile in the future. Furthermore, to strengthen the relationship, the companies are actively exploring commercial collaborations to accelerate the deployment of high altitude network connectivity solutions, with a focus on expanding mobile internet penetration, enabling internet of things (IoT) applications, and assisting in the deployment of 5G. Specifically, the companies have entered into formal negotiations on a number of areas of potential technical and commercial collaboration, including: A wholesale business that would allow HAPSMobile to utilize Loon's fully-functioning vehicle and technology. Likewise, Loon would be able to utilize HAPSMobile's aircraft, which is currently in development, upon its completion. A jointly developed communications payload that is adaptable to multiple flight vehicles and various ITU compliant frequency bands. A common gateway or ground station that could be deployed globally and utilized by both Loon and HAPSMobile to provide connectivity over their respective platforms. Adapting and optimizing Loon's fleet management system and temporospatial SDN for use by HAPSMobile. Creating an alliance to promote the use of high altitude communications solution with regulators and officials worldwide. Enabling flight vehicles from each party to connect and share the same network connectivity in the air. With the deployment of such technology, people will be reachable in areas where connectivity is lacking; such as mountainous terrain, remote islands, and developing countries. Each company brings important and complementary strengths to the table. HAPSMobile, SoftBank's subsidiary, is a joint venture with AeroVironment, Inc. HAPSMobile has completed its development of HAWK 30, its aircraft-type stratospheric telecommunications platform. SoftBank is one of Japan's telecommunication carriers and has significant experience in network planning, operations, and bringing connectivity solutions to the market. Loon brings technical leadership through an exsting, fully-functioning high altitude vehicle and communications system that has already flown over 30 million kilometers and connected hundreds of thousands of users worldwide. In addition, Loon has nearly a decade of experience developing, launching, flying, and managing a high altitude platform. High altitude network connectivity platforms operate in the stratosphere, which is above ground infrastructure, but below satellites, allowing fornear ubiquitous coverage that avoids ground clutter and significant latency issues. These advantages make such vehicles a promising solution for expanding mobile coverage to those who need it as well as IoT and 5G use-cases. HAPSMobile and Loon, cooperating with strengths and technology from each party, seek to provide next generation global connectivity and revolutionize the world's mobile networks. Junichi Miyakawa, Representative Director & CTO of SoftBank Corp., also President & CEO of HAPSMobile Inc. said, "Building a telecommunications network in the stratosphere, which has not been utilized by humankind so far, is uncharted territory and a major challenge for SoftBank. Working with Alphabet's subsidiary Loon, I'm confident we can accelerate the path toward the realization of utilizing the stratosphere for global networks by pooling our technologies, insights and experience. Even in this current era of coming 5G services, we cannot ignore the reality that roughly half of the world's population is without Internet access. Through HAPS, we aim to eliminate the digital divide and provide people around the world with the innovative network services that they need." Loon CEO Alastair Westgarth (News - Alert) said, "We see joining forces as an opportunity to develop an entire industry, one which holds the promise to bring connectivity to parts of the world no one thought possible. This is the beginning of a long-term relationship based on a shared vision for expanding connectivity to those who need it. We look forward to what the future holds." Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at X said, "From the very beginning, Loon's mission has been to connect the unconnected. While at X the team made incredible technical progress. We're delighted to now be cheering them on as they collaborate with SoftBank's HAPSMobile to bring the benefits of connectivity to more people around the world." About HAPSMobile (www.hapsmobile.com) HAPSMobile is a joint venture between SoftBank Corp. and AeroVironment, Inc. formed in December 2017 to plan and operate the HAPS business with the aim of bridging the world's digital divide. HAPSMobile is mainly engaged in network equipment research and development for the HAPS business, construction of core networks, new business planning and activities for spectrum usage. About SoftBank Corp. (https://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/) SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434), a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO:9984), provides mobile communication, fixed-line communication and Internet connection services to customers in Japan. Leveraging synergies with other companies in the SoftBank Group, SoftBank Corp. aims to transform lifestyles through ICT and expand into other business areas including IoT, robotics and energy. About Loon (www.loon.com) Loon's mission is to connect people everywhere by inventing and integrating audacious technologies. By leveraging these advanced technologies, Loon is making it possible to expand internet access to the billions who currently lack it. Loon works with a range of partners to expand and supplement existing networks and enable new solutions that will meet the connectivity needs of the future. To date, Loon's stratospheric balloons have travelled more than 30 million kilometers around the world and connected hundreds of thousands of people. Loon is a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google (News - Alert). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190424006184/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 24, 2019] DIPLOMAT PHARMACY 24 HOUR DEADLINE ALERT: Approximately 24 Hours Remain; Former Louisiana Attorney General and Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Remind Investors of Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit against Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. - DPLO Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors with large financial interests that they have only until April 25, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO). Investor losses must relate to purchases of the Company's securities between February 26, 2018 and February 21, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Diplomat and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you 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 or via email ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-dplo/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action by overseeing lead counsel with the goal of obtaining a fair and just resolution, you must request this position by application to the Court by April 25, 2019. About the Lawsuit On February 22, 2019, Diplomat disclosed the postponement of the release of its Q4 and full-year 2018 earnings as it worked to finalize the amount of an impairment charge, which was "expected to be equal to a significant portion of the PBM's Goodwill and Definite-lived intangible assets, which total approximately $630 million as of December 31, 2018, prior to impairment charges." On this news, the price of Diplomat's shares plummeted. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include 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. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190424006177/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Software AG Launches New Digital Transformation Center in Mumbai MUMBAI, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Facility to provide cloud solutions for Fortune 1000 companies Leading German enterprise software maker, Software AG (Frankfurt MDAX: SOW) today, announced the launch of its new facility in Virar, Mumbai. Currently, housing 40 employees, the new facility will be a digital transformation center, focused on contributing to cloud innovation along with the future integration products at Software AG. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877195/Software_AG_Virar.jpg ) The facility was initially started by a leading integration platform as a service company, Built.io, that was recently acquired by Software AG. The new center will be one of the key business units of the organisation, as it will provide integration solutions to Fortune 1000 companies that will allow them to transform their business in to the digital age. Speaking on the launch, Vasudeva Kothamasu, Senior Vice President, Cloud R&D, Software AG, said, "We are xcited with the launch of our new facility. We chose Virar as it is an area with a lot of colleges and dwellings, but few work opportunities. This center will allow us to tap skilled talent and offer them opportunities to work on cutting-edge innovation in the cloud domain, enabling us to offer world-class integration solutions to our customers." Software AG will also work very closely with the local colleges by delivering seminars and hackathons to mould the new students and keep them in line with the latest and greatest in technology innovations that is used by the industries. About Software AG Software AG (Frankfurt MDAX: SOW) helps companies with their digital transformation. With Software AG's Digital Business Platform, companies can better interact with their customers and bring them on new 'digital' journeys, promote unique value propositions, and create new business opportunities. In the Internet of Things (IoT) market, Software AG enables enterprises to integrate, connect and manage IoT components as well as analyze data and predict future events based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Digital Business Platform is built on decades of uncompromising software development, IT experience and technological leadership. Software AG has more than 4,500 employees, is active in 70 countries and had revenues of 879 million in 2017. Software AG | Uhlandstrae 12 | 64297 Darmstadt | Germany Detailed press information about Software AG including a picture and multimedia database are available under: http://www.softwareag.com/press Follow us on Twitter: Software AG Global Media Contact: Natasha George [email protected] +91-9916905059 The PRactice [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Pasternack Releases New Temperature-Conditioned, Low-Loss RF Cable Assemblies IRVINE, California, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Pasternack, an Infinite Electronics brand and a leading provider of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, has introduced a new line of temperature-conditioned, high-reliability RF cable assemblies that are ideal for avionics, military electronics, IFF, SATCOM, ECM and other mission critical applications. Pasternack's new series of pre-conditioned, low-loss, high-reliability cable assemblies consist of 128 basic configurations from three different cable types for a total of more than 1100 part numbers that are all available within 24 hours. These cables provide operating frequencies to 18 GHz and VSWR as low as 1.35:1. Captivated stainless steel connectors and thermally pre-conditioned, triple-shielded coaxial cable are assembled using J-STD soldering processes and WHMA-A-620 workmanship criteria. The combination of stable materials, processing and acceptance testing work together to create a dependable cable assembly for applications where performance over time is important or the cost of failure is high. The final commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) cable assemblies are 100% tested and include a test report, as well as material lot traceability. They areideal for defense, aerospace and transportation industries, or any place where system operability is critical. "This new line of assemblies is the second release in our new series of high reliability cables that are designed to address mission critical applications that require the highest quality components and workmanship. Like our MIL-DTL-17 Hi-Rel cables, these new assemblies are available now and can be shipped in 24 hours or less," said Dan Birch, Product Manager. Pasternack's new temperature-conditioned, low-loss cable assemblies are available now with no minimum order quantity. For detailed information on these products, please visit https://www.pasternack.com/pages/RF-Microwave-and-Millimeter-Wave-Products/temperature-conditioned-low-loss-rf-cable-assemblies.html? For inquiries, Pasternack can be contacted at +1-949-261-1920. About Pasternack: A leader in RF products since 1972, Pasternack is an ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturer and supplier offering the industry's largest selection of active and passive RF, microwave and millimeter wave products available for same-day shipping. Pasternack is an Infinite Electronics brand. About Infinite Electronics: Infinite Electronics is a leading global supplier of electronic components serving the urgent needs of engineers through a family of highly recognized and trusted brands. Our portfolio brands are specialists within their respective product set, offering broad inventories of engineering-grade product, paired with expert technical support and same-day shipping. Over 100,000 customers across a diverse set of markets rely upon Infinite Electronics to stock and reliably ship urgently needed products every day. Press Contact: Peter McNeil Pasternack 17792 Fitch Irvine, CA 92614 (978) 682-6936 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877097/Temperature_Conditioned_Low_Loss_RF_Cable_Assemblies.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/431140/Pasternack_Logo.jpg SOURCE Pasternack [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Smarter Greener Cities through cross-border and G2G collaborations SINGAPORE, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore was recently declared as the top performing smart city in the world, outperforming major cities like San Francisco, Seoul, London and New York[1]. Yet, this achievement can only be lauded if the move towards smart cities creates a net positive value for humanity and the planet. There is no question that smart cities are in vogue with governments across the world today as the overall market size for smart cities is projected to grow from US$308 billion in 2018 to US$717.2 billion by 2023[2] globally. While this is an overall positive development for the world, we need to acknowledge the fact that if not done right, the rise of smart cities may turn out to be one of the toughest challenges of our time. Smart Cities polluting our future? Alarmingly, up to 4.2 million deaths occur yearly as a result of exposure to air pollution and 91 per cent of the world's population currently live in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits[3] -- and that is just for air pollution alone. The rapid rate of industrialisation, driven by the appetite for smart city development, is exacerbating the problem of pollution in many parts of the world. Proliferation of data centres and IoT control towers -- core components of smart cities -- places an incredible strain on existing infrastructure, leading a rise in carbon emission as well as land pollution. As countries race ahead in their bid to accelerate smart city development through industrialisation, the environment and ultimately humanity is paying the price for this phenomenon. This is most clearly seen in Asia, where 99 of the world's 100 most polluted cities, hail from this region[4] and environmentalists have sounded the alarm as pollutant levels continue to increase across Asia. The answer to this challenge should lie in the smart cities themselves. By harnessing technology -- the very same force that is driving smart city development and environmental degradation -- we can tackle pollution right at its source. Through ideas such as leveraging existing infrastructures instead of erecting new ones, technology such as smart energy grids can be inbuild to current buildings to collect, analyse and manage energy and other data. Leveraging G2G collaborations However, it is important to understand that technology alone will not solve the problem of pollution. Similarly, a smart city by itself will not impact the environment as much as a regional network of smart cities would. The problem of pollution is a global one and to address this, we need a collaborative approach between cities and countries so synergies between multiple parties can potentiate the environmental benefits of technology. For instance, the recent Singapore-Nanjing Special Projects Cooperation Panel (SCNP)[5] saw both cities signing agreements in water management and clean tech solutions in line with Nanjing's plan to curb pollution and drive the growth of ecological economy. In doing so, solutions provider from the private sector will be able to tap on the advanced technological ecosystem in Nanjing, using it for test-bedding, and if successful, scaling it for the wider region. G2G collaborations such as the SCNP allows cities to learn from one another, harmonising efforts while working towards one common goal. This will in turn cut down overlapping work while freeing up resources, ensuring only the most efficient and commercially viable solution is developed and brought to the market. Some of the key drivers towards smarter and greener cities would also involve the agreement between governments to pass environmental-friendly mandates such as universal standards for green buildings. This requires significant efforts on the policy, legal and logistics front as it is often challenging to align two different bureaucracies. Transparency and constant communication will be vital for meaningful G2G collaborations, particularly around the development of common standards and approach towards addressing environmental issues. Smart Cities Network (SCN) is currently working on the region's first 'Digitally-Twinned Smart Cities' which will be tested as a pilot project involving Singapore, Jakarta, Cauayan City (Philippines) and cities in the West Java Digital Province in Indonesia. It aims to address existing and emerging challenges of food and energy security issues, natural disasters, economic development, business and technology disruptions, as well as other global issues affecting the region. Getting insights and a better understanding of the current state of the cities, analysing the data captured, and developing solutions across the participating cities to address their problems will improve the quality of life of the city dwellers, inject dynamism into the economy while minimising the ecological impact of our economic activities. For more on how to achieve smarter and greener cities, and what the future of such cities will look like, join the panel titled 'Future Cities Panel - Building the Foundations of Smart Cities and Beyond' at ConnecTechAsia2019 Summit, Day 1, 18 June at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. For more information on ConnecTechAsia, please visit www.ConnecTechAsia.com. Media registration is now open at www.ConnecTechAsia.com/media-registration. Join our social conversation: FB | Twitter | LinkedIn #ConnecTechAsia FB | Twitter | LinkedIn #BroadcastAsia FB | Twitter | LinkedIn #CommunicAsia FB | Twitter | LinkedIn #NXTAsia [1] https://newsroom.intel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2018/03/smart-cities-whats-in-it-for-citizens.pdf [2] https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/smart-cities.asp [3] https://www.who.int/airpollution/en/ [4] https://www.airvisual.com/world-most-polluted-cities?continent=&country=&state=&page=1&perPage=50&cities= [5] https://www.gov.sg/~/sgpcmedia/media_releases/enterprise-sg/press_release/P-20180531-1/attachment/MR01418__Singapore%20and%20Nanjing%20deepen%20collaboration%20on%20sustainable%20urban%20solutions%20and%20AI%20at%206th%20Singapore-Nanjing%20panel%20meeting_2018%2005%2031.pdf About UBM ConnecTechAsia 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. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smarter-greener-cities-through-cross-border-and-g2g-collaborations-300837219.html SOURCE UBM Singapore [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Expands Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Nikolaos Theodorakis Joins the Firm's Brussels Office PALO ALTO, California, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that Nikolaos Theodorakis has joined the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice as Of Counsel in the Brussels office. Theodorakis' practice focuses on matters of EU data protection law, GDPR compliance, cybersecurity preparedness, advertising, and marketing, and includes both non-contentious matters and investigations with supervisory authorities. He represents multinational companies across a wide range of industries, including technology, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, food and beverage, insurance, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and automotive. Theodorakis also works with start-ups and established companies in the EMEA region, and, in particular, Greece and Cyprus. Having advised on a broad spectrum of corporate matters, he has developed an expert insight into the increasing interplay between data protection, financial services (PSD2), competition law, and international trade law. He is at the forefront of advising on emerging privacy challenges on matters of AI, biotech, fintech, and blockchain. "Nikolaos has substantial experience in areas of priority to the firm's clients, especially those that must take steps to comply with the GDR and EU data protection laws," said Jan Dhont, a partner based in WSGR's Brussels office who previously worked with Theodorakis and also joined the firm recently. "As another new member of our firm's EU teamwhich is already among the largest and most sophisticated in and around BrusselsNikolaos adds to our capacity to advise companies of all sizes on complex privacy and cybersecurity issues, and we also look forward to him extending our reach into markets like Greece and Cyprus," added Cedric Burton, global co-chair of the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice. Theodorakis is also an associate professor of law at the University of Oxford and a fellow at Stanford Law School, focusing on technology and intellectual property issues. Previously, he taught and conducted research at the University of Cambridge, Harvard Law School, and Columbia Law School. He has been widely published and frequently receives invitations for public engagements, including guest lectures across the world, international symposia, and TEDx conferences. Prior to joining the firm, Theodorakis was counsel in the Brussels office of Alston and Bird LLP. He also worked as an associate in the Brussels office of Sidley Austin LLP. Theodorakis earned a PG.C. at University of Oxford; Ph.D. at University of Cambridge; PON at Harvard Law School; LL.M. at University College London; M.Phil. at University of Cambridge; and J.D. at University of Athens. He is fluent in English, Greek, and French. Theodorakis is the fourth senior-level attorney to join the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice in recent months. In January 2019, Jan Dhont joined WSGR's Brussels office as a partner, in December 2018, Allison Bender joined WSGR's Washington, D.C., office as Of Counsel, and in October 2018, Lore Leitner joined WSGR's London office as Of Counsel. In addition, as of February 1, 2019, the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice includes two more partners, Beth George and Matt Staples, who focus on cybersecurity and transactional privacy, respectively. Both were elected partner in December 2018. About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati For more than 50 years, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offered a broad range of services and legal disciplines focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/817811/WSGRVert_HiRes_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Guardian of Social Startups: Zoe Saldana Announced as Judge of Chivas Venture 2019 Actress and entrepreneur joins judging panel of $1m social startup competition in Amsterdam LONDON and NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Zoe Saldana, has been announced as a judge of the Chivas Venture - a global competition that gives away $1 million in no-strings funding every year to the hottest social startups from around the world. The Avatar and Avengers star will join a panel of expert judges at the Chivas Venture Global Final, hosted at Europe's leading tech festival, TNW Conference, in Amsterdam, on 9th May 2019. From the red carpet to the boardroom, Saldana has significant experience in business and philanthropy, to inspire the Chivas Venture social entrepreneurs and help the panel decide how the prize fund should be split between the five grand finalists. As the founder of digital media platform BESE, which aims to celebrate diverse cultures and combat their lack of representation in mainstream media, Saldana works to shine a light on underrepresented communities. The actress and activist was also the ambassador for the 'Lend A Hand' campaign, which works to help impoverished women build their own businesses. Zoe Saldana comments: "We live in a time where th impossible is merely an undeveloped idea; a time where technology has given us access to multiple platforms allowing us to learn, innovate, create and make an impact on a global scale. That's what these entrepreneurs are doing - they're a true force for social change, blending ambition with generosity to tackle global issues. Their drive and determination will shape generations to come - I cannot wait to be inspired by them." Saldana will be joined by an array of distinguished judges: Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard parent company of Scotch whisky business Chivas Brothers will be on the panel for a fifth consecutive year. Alongside Alexandre will be Cemal Ezel, founder of Change Please and global winner of the Chivas Venture 2018; and Sonal Shah, economist and founding Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University. The Chivas Venture Global Final will be hosted by BAFTA winning actor, writer, director and television presenter, Richard Ayoade, who will be taking to the TNW Conference stage to present this year's final five. Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard, commented: "We have a fantastic group of global finalists in this year's competition who are all blending profit with purpose to positively impact our world. Every year I look forward to seeing these entrepreneurs in action and finding out more about their businesses and the global problems they are tackling. As a CEO as well as an individual, I always learn a lot from them. It's always a tough job to be a judge at the Chivas Venture luckily I have a great panel, with a blend of skills and experience, to help with selecting this year's winners." In just two weeks' time, the 20 global finalists will go head-to-head in a series of quarter and semi-final rounds for a chance to pitch on the main stage and receive a share of the $1m fund at the Chivas Venture Global Final. The 20 entrepreneurs will be whittled down to just five grand finalists, who will each have three minutes to impress the acclaimed panel of judges and an audience of global business leaders, tech professionals, investors and entrepreneurs. Until 30th April 2019, the public can show their support for their favourite finalist by voting online via the Chivas Venture website. These public votes will determine how the first $100,000 in funding is split between the finalists. Through the Chivas Venture, Chivas aims to show that blended is better, in life, business and Scotch a belief instilled by founding brothers James and John who shared their success with the local community as their business grow. To date, Chivas has given away $4m to social businesses around the world, impacting millions of lives. To learn more about the Chivas Venture global finalists and vote for your favourite, visit www.chivasventure.com. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876741/Zoe_Saldana_Chivas_Venture.jpg) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876740/Zoe_Saldana_Chivas_Venture_Judges.jpg) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] BEONTRA Selected to Improve Planning Efficiency at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru KARLSRUHE, Germany, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), operator of the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport), has signed a three-year agreement with BEONTRA, a subsidiary of Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), to use their Scenario Forecasting & Capacity Planning Suite to maximize the efficiency of its terminal operations and support the growth. BIAL operates the BLR Airport on a Public-Private Partnership model and is currently developing new infrastructure, including a new terminal, a second runway, a new multi-modal transport hub, expansion of road infrastructure and utilities. The Airport, which has been fully-operational since May 2008, welcomed more than 33.3 m passengers in FY 2018-19. BIAL and BEONTRA have signed a three-year agreement for long-term forecasting, schedule-based passenger forecasting, capacity planning, route development and business analytics to support the BLR Airport's current and future needs. This advanced technology will effectively manage the impact of the Airport's growth on both strategic planning and day-to-day operations and will help improve resource planning throughout the Airport to ensure an excellent passenger experience. BEONTRA is a data analytics platform that sources and aggregates data. It will enable BIAL to forecast and plan its capacity across large time horizons. Aggregating this on a single platform, BEONTRA tools allow greater collaboration between BIAL and its key stakeholders to optimize infrastructure usage and manage issues throughout the passenger journey. The technology will also allow BIAL to create state-o-the-art route studies to attract more airlines to the BLR Airport. Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy and Development Officer of BIAL said: "Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru is amongst the fastest growing airports in the world. Given the strength of the market as well as our forecast growth rate over the next decade, we expect to approximately triple in passenger volumes before 2030. We are in the midst of our largest capital programme expansion since our founding and need to take informed decisions with respect to market analyses, route development and allocation of valuable capacity resources to meet demand. Together with Beontra's suite of tools, we expect to test out a range of scenarios and outcomes as we move forward with our vision of enabling journeys, creating experiences and touching lives as the gateway to a new India." Thorsten Kolbinger, Managing Director of BEONTRA said: "We are excited to continue expanding our global footprint with our first customer in the rapidly growing Indian airport and aviation market. Establishing ourselves in India with an innovative partner such as the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru will enable us to bring our unique capabilities in scenario planning and terminal capacity optimization to the rest of the country. Together with BLR Airport, we look forward to fulfilling our own mission of helping our customers achieve both excellence in passenger experience and maximum operational efficiency." About BEONTRA BEONTRA provides an integrated corporate scenario planning software suite for the aviation sector (BEONTRA Scenario Planning), which enables companies to create traffic forecast scenarios, capacity scenarios and estimate aviation and non-aviation revenues as well as cost scenarios. From their headquarters in Karlsruhe, Germany, BEONTRA has been supporting airlines and airport operators as an aviation system supplier and consultant for almost 20 years. For more information, visit: http://www.beontra.com/ About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $10.19 billion for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2018. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. Contact: Erin Tindell 757-880-1254 [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/4662/leidos_logo_4817_21071_.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Tableau, Mapbox, Exasol, and Alteryx commit $4.3 million to accelerate malaria elimination efforts for more than 60 million people Software and services donation will back expansion of PATH-led initiative in up to six countries across sub-Saharan Africa PARIS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tableau (NYSE:DATA), Mapbox, Exasol, and Alteryx (NYSE: AYX) today announced a collective $4.3 million technology contribution over the next three years to help governments eliminate malaria for an estimated 60 million at-risk people in sub-Saharan Africa. This new grant to PATH, a global organization dedicated to accelerating health equity, expands on the early success of its Visualize No Malaria initiative and was announced at the World Malaria Day 2019 event hosted by the RBM Partnership to End Malaria in partnership with the City of Paris and the French government at the Hotel de Ville in Paris. With the grant, PATH will support national governments and regional organizations in up to six sub-Saharan countries in the use of real-time data and analytics to bolster decision-making around elimination efforts. These data-informed insights allow officials to determine where and how to deploy resources to respond most effectively in fighting disease. The investment will also provide training to hundreds of frontline health workers and officials on how to use the power of timely and accurate data to tackle malaria and other diseases. "Successful malaria elimination programs require accurate data that moves faster than the disease itselfto help shorten the distance and time it takes to find and treat cases, and even to predict risk and direct resources before cases occur," said Steve Davis, President and CEO of PATH. "We're excited to continue working with our technology partners to expand the support and tools governments need to get the upper hand in controlling and eventually eliminating a disease that still kills more than 400,000 people every year." Originally launched in 2015 as a collaboration between PATH, Tableau Foundation, and the Zambian Ministry of Health, the Visualize No Malaria digital technologies make real-time, actionable data about malaria available to everyone from national and district-level health officials to thousands of frontline health workers. Through the combination of improved use of data with other malaria control efforts, the Zambian government has reduced reported malaria cases by 85 percent and malaria-related deaths by 92 percent across a population of 1.8 million people in the country's Southern Province. Reducing the amount of time to see and understand health data from months to hours, health officials can now make faster decisions about the best ways to deploy a mix of interventions, including drug delivery, indoor residual spraying, bed net distribution, and other proven techniques to most effectively respond to existing cases and prevent new ones. In low-burden areas, this approach has proven to be a cost-effective way for governments to control malaria, and in high-burden areas, it could be an important differentiator in creating and sustaining steep drops in disease incidence. The Visualize No Malaria tools and approach are currently being replicated in Senegal, which has seen a similar 60 percent drop in reported malaria cases across a northern Senegal population of 1.8 million in just two years, and the initiative is set to expand in Senegal and neighboring countries under this new commitment by partners. "Senegal's National Malaria Control Program sees new tools to make data faster and easier to use and act upon as critical to helping us win the fight against malaria," said Dr. Doudou Sene, Director of Senegal's National Malaria Control Program. "With this new commitment, we can increase the number of districts where we use the Visualize No Malaria stack and make informed, real-time decisions across the nation, as well as support our cross-border collaboration with The Gambia." In 2017, an estimated 219 million cases of malaria occurred globally, whic resulted in an estimated 435,000 deaths, the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa where the Visualize No Malaria effort is concentrated. Sixty-one percent of these deaths occurred in children under the age of five. With this renewed commitment, PATH will work to mobilize an additional $2.5 million in funding through its country and agency partnersand together, the Visualize No Malaria initiative will: Scale nationally across Zambia to serve the country's total population of 17 million people by equipping four remaining provinces. to serve the country's total population of 17 million people by equipping four remaining provinces. Build on work and relationships in Senegal and The Gambia to expand the tools and training across West Africa . and The to expand the tools and training across . Expand to three additional countries in the Elimination 8 initiative in southern Africa , allowing those countries to collaborate on an interoperable regional disease surveillance system. For Tableau Foundation, this is the second major grant and first in the global health space following the $100 million pledge announced by Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky at the 2018 Tableau Conference. It also honors the commitment made in March 2018 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting to expand the Visualize No Malaria initiative in sub-Saharan Africa. "Data and analytics are only as valuable as the ability of a decision-maker to use them. Since the outset of the Visualize No Malaria initiative, we've seen countries and communities develop incredibly effective resources for fighting malaria and other complex health issues," said Neal Myrick, Global Head of Tableau Foundation. "We're proud to work alongside so many of our technology partners to help a generation of leaders make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of men, women, and children." As part of its Alteryx for Good program, Alteryx is contributing the data science and analytics engine as well as on-site training in Africa. This will allow spatial analytics, custom macros, data validation and cleansing, and repeatable workflows to accurately target and eliminate malaria across borders. The Alteryx Platform workflows designed for Visualize No Malaria run in 0.6 seconds, analyzing tens of millions of records and producing multiple outputs to address different analytical questions. "The Alteryx for Good program was designed to empower nonprofit organizations in delivering game-changing social outcomes with data science and analytics," said Tori Adamo, Senior Manager, Alteryx for Good at Alteryx. "The Visualize No Malaria initiative is a prime example of our commitment to influencing social change with the Alteryx Platform and the impact technology can have in solving some of the world's biggest challenges. We are proud to support PATH and partner with fellow technology leaders to help eliminate malaria across the globe." Exasol's in-memory analytics database compresses massive amounts of data and serves them up fast in low-resource, lower-bandwidth settings. "We strongly support Visualize No Malaria's approach of using data as the foundation for decision-making as part of their initiative to wipe out malaria," said Eva Murray, Head of Business Intelligence at Exasol. "We are proud to be part of this partnership and look forward to our continuous involvement in improving the lives of people in sub-Saharan Africa with our tools, expertise, and our passion for doing the right things." Mapbox powers the mapping tools and geospatial data that can be combined with other datasets to create interactive maps within the Visualize No Malaria dashboards. Mapbox is providing remote and on-site technical support and training, as well as testing new offline mapping tools. "Our company's roots began with global development projects in Afghanistan, Congo, Haiti, and the United States, so the mission of Visualize No Malaria is very close to our hearts," said Mapbox CEO Eric Gundersen. "We built these tools to help people understand context in data so they can solve problems. It's incredible to see people use these platforms to literally save lives." About Tableau Foundation The Tableau Foundation is a philanthropic initiative led by the employees of Tableau Software (NYSE: DATA) that encourages the use of facts and analytical reasoning to solve the world's problems. Tableau Foundation grants combine Tableau's two most valuable resourcesits people and its productswith financial support to nonprofits that are using data to reshape communities around the globe. To learn more, please visit www.tableaufoundation.org. About Mapbox Mapbox is the live location platform for more than 1.5 million developers. Mapbox's mapping, search, data, and navigation solutions power industry leaders, like Facebook, General Electric, Instacart, Porsche, Tableau, and The Weather Channel. Founded in 2010, Mapbox has offices in San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Berlin; Helsinki; Minsk; and Shanghai. Learn more at www.mapbox.com. About Exasol Exasol is the future of data analytics. Its unique development team have combined cutting-edge innovation and unrivalled know-how to create the world's fastest data analytics platform, designed to give users the power, flexibility, and scalability to meet the demands of an organization's long-term data strategy. To learn more about Exasol, please visit www.exasol.com. About Alteryx, Inc. Revolutionizing business through data science and analytics, Alteryx offers an end-to-end analytics platform that empowers data analysts and scientists alike to break data barriers, deliver insights, and experience the thrill of getting to the answer faster. Organizations all over the world rely on Alteryx daily to deliver actionable insights. For more information, visit www.alteryx.com . About PATH PATH is a global organization that works to accelerate health equity by bringing together public institutions, businesses, social enterprises, and investors to solve the world's most pressing health challenges. With expertise in science, health, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales solutionsincluding vaccines, drugs, devices, diagnostics, and innovative approaches to strengthening health systems worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.path.org . [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Butterfield to Acquire ABN AMRO (Channel Islands) Limited The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited ("Butterfield") (NYSE: NTB) (BSX: NTB.BH), a leading offshore bank and trust company headquartered in Bermuda with significant operations in the Cayman Islands and Channel Islands, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ABN AMRO (Channel Islands) Limited ("ABN AMRO Channel Islands"), the Channel Islands-based banking business of ABN AMRO Bank N.V. through its wholly owned subsidiary, Butterfield Bank (Guernsey) Limited, a company incorporated in Guernsey ("Butterfield Guernsey"). The aggregate purchase price is approximately 161 million in cash (US$208 million), subject to certain purchase price adjustments. The transaction combines two leading banking operations in the Channel Islands to create an organization with a widened and diversified offering, as well as the ability to service a broader array of clients around the globe. With the acquisition of ABN AMRO Channel Islands, Butterfield will significantly expand its presence in Guernsey and Jersey. For ABN AMRO Channel Islands, the transaction will bring the benefits of a more extensive loan product offering, as well as the opportunity to extend its service offering to the private equity and insurance industries. Michael Collins, Butterfield's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "In ABN AMRO Channel Islands, we have found an ideal partner through which to expand our core Channel Islands banking business. This acquisition is another important step in our strategy to grow through acquisitions in the highest quality offshore markets where we have scale and expertise. It underscores our continuing commitment to expand Butterfield's presence in the Channel Islands and the importance of these two jurisdictions to our multinational clients. ABN AMRO Channel Islands brings a conservative risk management culture, similar to that of Butterfield, and will contribute both management talent and sales expertise to our combined business. "This represents an excellent opportunity for clients and employees, and we look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to Butterfield. Together, we bring long histories of client service at the highest level." Established in Guernsey for over 35 years, ABN AMRO Channel Islands today offers well-established banking, investment management and custody products to three distinct client segments, including trusts, private clients, and funds. As at December 31, 2018, ABN AMRO Channel Islands has a well-balanced client base with 2.9 billion in deposits and 3.5 billion in assets under management and custody. Highly regarded and recognized for its excellent client service, ABN AMRO Channel Islands is committed to the highest levels of compliance and finding bespoke solutions that meet the evolving needs of its clients. The transaction is anticipated to close during the third quarter 2019, subject to regulatory and other customary closing conditions. After the Closing, ABN AMRO Channel Islands business and employees will be integrated with the existing Butterfield Guernsey operations and operate under the Butterfield name. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as financial advisor to Butterfield, and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is serving as legal counsel. Rothschild & Co. is serving as financial advisor to ABN AMRO and Allen & Overy LLP is serving as legal counsel. Transaction Highlights: Entity being acquired ABN AMRO (Channel Islands) Limited Business profile Provides banking, investment management and custody services to private clients, trusts, and funds in the Channel Islands 2.9 billion of deposits (at 12/31/18) 3.5 billion of AUM/AUC (at 12/31/18) 35-year banking history in Channel Islands Consideration ~161 million (US$ 208 million), all cash, subject to certain adjustments Earnback (cross-over method) Expected within three years Impact on Butterfield financials Expected to be marginally accretive to earnings in year 1, and 3% to 5% accretive to earnings post-integration Closing Anticipated before end Q3; business integration to continue into 2020 Agreement Description On April 25, 2019, Butterfield, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Butterfield Guernsey entered into a deed for the sale and purchase of the shares of ABN AMRO (Channel Islands) (the "Purchase Agreement"), by and among Butterfield Guernsey, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., a company incorporated in the Netherlands ("ABN AMRO") and Butterfield, solely to guarantee the obligations of Butterfield Guernsey under the Purchase Agreement. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, and upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Butterfield Guernsey will acquire ABN AMRO (Channel Islands) through the purchase of all the issued shares in the capital of ABN AMRO (Channel Islands), for an aggregate purchase price of approximately 161 million in cash, subject to certain purchase price adjustments specified in the Purchase Agreement. Under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the parties' obligations to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement are subject to customary closing conditions, including, among other things, the receipt of certain regulatory approvals. In addition, Butterfield Guernsey's obligation to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement is subject to there not having occurred, since the date of the Purchase Agreement, a Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Purchase Agreement). The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2019. The Purchase Agreement also contains customary termination rights for Butterfield Guernsey and ABN AMRO. Upon any termination of the Purchase Agreement, the Purchase Agreement will become void, except that certain specified obligations of the parties will survive, including obligations concerning confidentiality. The cash consideration payable at the Closing is expected to be financed with cash on Butterfield's balance sheet. The parties' obligations to consummate the transaction are not subject to any condition related to the availability of financing. The Purchase Agreement contains representations, warranties and covenants of Butterfield, Butterfield Guernsey and ABN AMRO that are customary for a transaction of this nature, including among others, covenants by ABN AMRO regarding the conduct of ABN AMRO (Channel Islands)'s business and by the parties regarding public disclosures during the period between signing of the Purchase Agreement and the Closing. The representations and warranties of Butterfield, Butterfield Guernsey and ABN AMRO in the Purchase Agreement will survive the Closing and any claims in relation thereto are subject to customary financial and temporal limitations. The Purchase Agreement includes indemnification obligations of ABN AMRO in favor of Butterfield Guernsey for certain specified matters. The Purchase Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby have been unanimously approved by Butterfield's board of directors and Butterfield Guernsey's board of directors. Conference Call Information Butterfield executives will also host a conference call for investors to discuss both first quarter 2019 results and this transaction today (Thursday, April 25, 2019) at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Callers may access the conference call via the investor relations page of Butterfield's website at www.butterfieldgroup.com, or by dialing +1 (844) 855 9501 (toll-free) or +1 (412) 858 4603 (international). A replay of the call will be archived on the Butterfield website following the live call. Forward-Looking Statements This communication may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 based on current assumptions and forecasts made by The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited ("Butterfield") management. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as "may," "will," "anticipate," "assume," "should," "indicate," "would," "believe," "contemplate," "expect," "estimate," "continue," "plan," "point to," "project," "could," "intend," "target", "to be", "likely to", "can" and other similar words and expressions of the future. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of Butterfield and the estimates given here. These factors include the following: Butterfield's ability to successfully complete the proposed acquisition of ABN AMRO (Channel Islands) Limited ("ABN AMRO (Channel Islands)") or realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction in the expected time-frames or at all; Butterfield's ability to successfully integrate ABN AMRO (Channel Islands)'s operations into those of Butterfield; such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; the failure of any of the conditions to the proposed transaction to be satisfied; revenues following the proposed transaction may be lower than expected; operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, clients or suppliers) may be greater than expected following the proposed transaction; risks associated with the disruption of management's attention from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; the parties' ability to meet expectations regarding the timing and completion of the proposed transaction; delays in obtaining any approvals required for the proposed transaction or an inability or perceived inability to obtain them on the anticipated schedule (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the transaction); the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Butterfield or ABN AMRO (Channel Islands); and other factors. All forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in our Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC (News - Alert)") reports and filings. Such reports are available upon request from Butterfield, or from the SEC, including through the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Except as otherwise required by law, Butterfield assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. NOTES TO EDITORS: About Butterfield Butterfield is a full-service bank and wealth manager headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, providing services to clients from Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey, where our principal banking operations are located, and The Bahamas, Switzerland, Singapore and the United Kingdom, where we offer specialized financial services. Banking services comprise deposit, cash management and lending solutions for individual, business and institutional clients. Wealth management services are composed of trust, private banking, asset management and custody. In Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and Guernsey, we offer both banking and wealth management. In The Bahamas, Singapore and Switzerland, we offer select wealth management services. In the UK, we offer residential property lending. In Jersey, we offer select banking and wealth management services. Butterfield is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: NTB) and the Bermuda Stock Exchange (symbol: NTB.BH). Further details on the Butterfield Group can be obtained from our website at: www.butterfieldgroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005307/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] 3M Reports First-Quarter 2019 Results; Company Initiates Restructuring 3M (NYSE: MMM) today reported first-quarter 2019 results. "The first quarter was a disappointing start to the year for 3M," said Mike Roman, 3M chief executive officer. "We continued to face slowing conditions in key end markets which impacted both organic growth and margins, and our operational execution also fell short of the expectations we have for ourselves. As a result, we have stepped up additional actions - including restructuring - to drive productivity, reduce costs, and increase cash flow as we manage through challenges in some of our end markets. "While we take actions to manage through the near-term, we also continue to invest in growth to position 3M for the future," Roman continued. "We recently implemented a significant portfolio realignment from five to four business groups, which will enable us to better serve our customers and global markets. Moving forward, I am confident that we are making the necessary changes and focused on the right priorities to accelerate 3M into a stronger future." First-Quarter Results Sales were down 5.0 percent to $7.9 billion. Organic local-currency sales declined 1.1 percent while divestitures, net of acquisitions, decreased sales by 0.5 percent. Foreign currency translation decreased sales by 3.4 percent year-on-year. Total sales grew 0.3 percent in Health Care, with declines of 1.9 percent in Consumer, 4.2 percent in Safety and Graphics, 6.6 percent in Industrial, and 11.8 percent in Electronics and Energy. Organic local-currency sales increased 0.9 percent in Consumer and 0.7 percent in Health Care, with decreases of 0.1 percent in Safety and Graphics, 2.8 percent in Industrial, and 3.0 percent in Electronics and Energy. On a geographic basis, total sales grew 0.1 percent in the U.S., with declines of 6.5 percent in Latin America/Canada, 7.4 percent in Asia Pacific, and 9.4 percent in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Organic local-currency sales increased 0.8 percent in Latin America/Canada and 0.7 percent in EMEA, with decreases of 0.4 percent in the U.S. and 3.6 percent in Asia Pacific. First-quarter 2019 GAAP earnings were $1.51 per share, an increase of 54.1 percent versus the first quarter of 2018. During the first quarter of 2019, the company recorded significant litigation-related pre-tax charges of $548 million, or $0.72 per share, as referenced in the "Significant Litigation-Related Update" section below. First-quarter 2018 GAAP earnings were $0.98 per share which included a $0.36 per share impact for an expense related to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and a $1.16 per share impact for significant litigation-related charges. Excluding the above items, first-quarter 2019 adjusted earnings were $2.23 per share versus $2.50 per share in the first-quarter 2018, as referenced in the "Supplemental Financial Information Non-GAAP Measures" section. First-quarter operating income was $1.1 billion with operating margins of 14.4 percent. Excluding significant litigation-related charges, operating income was $1.7 billion with operating margins of 21.4 percent. The company's operating cash flow was $1.0 billion, contributing to conversion of 74 percent of net income to free cash flow, as referenced in the "Supplemental Financial Information Non-GAAP Measures" section. 3M paid $830 million in cash dividends to shareholders and repurchased $701 million of its own shares during the quarter. Significant Litigation-Related Update Two significant litigation issues impacted 3M's first-quarter results. The company established a reserve of $235 million to resolve certain environmental matters and litigation, in which 3M is a defendant, related to its historical manufacture and disposal of PFAS-containing waste. 3M manufactured or used PFAS at five manufacturing plants globally, including in Alabama, Illinois and Minnesota in the United States, as well as in Belgium and Germany. The company also increased its respirator reserve by $313 million to address the cost of resolving all current and expected future coal mine dust lawsuits in Kentucky and West Virginia. These actions resulted in a total significant litigation-related pre-tax charge of $548 million. 3M's upcoming Form 10-Q filing will include additional details. First-Quarter Business Group Discussion Industrial Sales of $2.9 billion, down 6.6 percent in U.S. dollars. Organic local-currency sales decreased 2.8 percent, foreign currency translation decreased sales by 3.7 percent, and divestitures decreased sales by 0.1 percent. On an organic local-currency basis: Sales increased in advanced materials; declined in industrial adhesives and tapes, automotive aftermarket, separation and purification, abrasives, closure and masking, and automotive and aerospace. Sales grew in Latin America/Canada and EMEA; declined in the U.S. and Asia Pacific. Operating income was $585 million, a decrease of 18.0 percent year-on-year; operating margins of 20.0 percent. Safety and Graphics Sales of $1.7 billion, down 4.2 percent in U.S. dollars. Organic local-currency sales decreased 0.1 percent, foreign currency translation decreased sales by 4.0 percent, and divestitures decreased sales by 0.1 percent. On an organic local-currency basis: Sales increased in personal safety; declined in commercial solutions, transportation safety and roofing granules. Sales grew in Latin America/Canada and EMEA; the U.S. declined. Operating income was $396 million, a decrease of 17.7 percent year-on-year; operating margins of 23.2 percent. Health Care Sales of $1.5 billion, up 0.3 percent in U.S. dollars. Organic local-currency sales increased 0.7 percent, foreign currency translation decreased sales by 3.6 percent, and acquisitions increased sales by 3.2 percent. On an organic local-currency basis: Sales growth was led by food safety, health information systems, medical consumables, and oral care; declined in drug delivery. Sales increased in Asia Pacific and EMEA; the U.S. declined. Operating income was $432 million, a decrease of 5.6 percent year-on-year; operating margins of 28.1 percent. Electronics and Energy Sales of $1.2 billion, down 11.8 percent in U.S. dollars. Organic local-currency sales decreased 3.0 percent, foreign currency translation decreased sales by 2.2 percent and divestitures decreased sales by 6.6 percent. On an organic local-currency basis: Energy-related sales grew 5 percent; electronics-related sales were down 6 percent with declines in both display materials and systems and electronics materials solutions. Sales grew in the U.S.; Latin America/Canada and Asia Pacific declined. Operating income was $284 million, a decrease of 15.6 percent year-on-year; operating margins of 23.8 percent. Consumer Sales of $1.1 billion, down 1.9 percent in U.S. dollars. Organic local-currency sales increased 0.9 percent and foreign currency translation decreased sales by 2.8 percent. On an organic local-currency basis: Sales grew in home improvement; declined in home care, and consumer health care. Sales grew in the U.S.; EMEA, Latin America/Canada, and Asia Pacific declined. Operating income was $219 million, down 0.7 percent year-on-year; operating margins of 19.5 percent. Restructuring and Other Actions Reflecting a slower than expected 2019, 3M has initiated restructuring and other actions that will result in an expected reduction of 2,000 positions worldwide with an estimated annual pre-tax savings range of $225 million to $250 million, with $100 million in the remainder of 2019. The company anticipates a pre-tax charge in 2019 of approximately $150 million, or $0.20 per share. These actions will span all business groups, functions and geographies, with emphasis on corporate structure and underperforming areas of the portfolio. 2019 Updated Outlook The company updated its 2019 GAAP earnings expectations to be in the range of $8.53 to $9.03 per share. Excluding the impact of significant litigation-related charges, 3M expects its adjusted full-year 2019 earnings to be in the range of $9.25 to $9.75 per share versus a prior expectation of $10.45 to $10.90 per share. 3M also updated its organic local-currency sales growth guidance to be in the range of minus 1 to plus 2 percent versus a prior range of 1 to 4 percent and its expectation for return on invested capital of 20 to 22 percent versus a prior range of 22 to 25 percent. The company maintained its full-year expectations for free cash flow conversion of 95 to 105 percent. See the "Supplemental Financial Information Non-GAAP Measures" section for applicable information. 3M will conduct an investor teleconference at 9:00 a.m. EDT (8:00 a.m. CDT) today. Investors can access this conference via the following: Live webcast at http://investors.3M.com. Live telephone: Call 800-762-2596 within the U.S. or +1 212-231-2916 outside the U.S. Please join the call at least 10 minutes before the start time. Call 800-762-2596 within the U.S. or +1 212-231-2916 outside the U.S. Please join the call at least 10 minutes before the start time. Webcast replay: Go to 3M's Investor Relations website at http://investors.3M.com and click on "Quarterly Earnings." Go to 3M's Investor Relations website at http://investors.3M.com and click on "Quarterly Earnings." Telephone replay: Call 800-633-8284 within the U.S. or +1 402-977-9140 outside the U.S. (for both U.S. and outside the U.S., the access code is 21900593). The telephone replay will be available until 11:30 a.m. EDT (10:30 a.m. CDT) on May 3, 2019. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information about 3M's financial results and estimates and business prospects that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by the use of words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "aim," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "will," "should," "could," "target," "forecast" and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance or business plans or prospects. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: (1) worldwide economic, political, regulatory, capital markets and other external conditions and other factors beyond the Company's control, including natural and other disasters or climate change affecting the operations of the Company or its customers and suppliers; (2) the Company's credit ratings and its cost of capital; (3) competitive conditions and customer preferences; (4) foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates; (5) the timing and market acceptance of new product offerings; (6) the availability and cost of purchased components, compounds, raw materials and energy (including oil and natural gas and their derivatives) due to shortages, increased demand or supply interruptions (including those caused by natural and other disasters and other events); (7) the impact of acquisitions, strategic alliances, divestitures, and other unusual events resulting from portfolio management actions and other evolving business strategies, and possible organizational restructuring; (8) operational execution, including scenarios where the Company generates fewer productivity improvements than estimated; (9) unanticipated problems or delays with the phased implementation of a global enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, or security breaches and other disruptions to the Company's information technology infrastructure; (10) financial market risks that may affect the Company's funding obligations under defined benefit pension and postretirement plans; and (11) legal proceedings, including significant developments that could occur in the legal and regulatory proceedings described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018, and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q (the "Reports"). Changes in such assumptions or factors could produce significantly different results. A further description of these factors is located in the Reports under "Cautionary Note Concerning Factors That May Affect Future Results" and "Risk Factors" in Part I, Items 1 and 1A (Annual Report) and in Part I, Item 2 and Part II, Item 1A (Quarterly Reports). The information contained in this news release is as of the date indicated. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this news release as a result of new information or future events or developments. 3M Company and Subsidiaries CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME (Millions, except per-share amounts) (Unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net sales $ 7,863 $ 8,278 Operating expenses Cost of sales 4,310 4,236 Selling, general and administrative expenses 1,948 2,573 Research, development and related expenses 477 486 Gain on sale of businesses (8 ) (24 ) Total operating expenses 6,727 7,271 Operating income 1,136 1,007 Other expense (income), net 48 42 Income before income taxes 1,088 965 Provision for income taxes 195 359 Net income including noncontrolling interest $ 893 $ 606 Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 2 4 Net income attributable to 3M $ 891 $ 602 Weighted average 3M common shares outstanding - basic 577.5 596.2 Earnings per share attributable to 3M common shareholders - basic $ 1.54 $ 1.01 Weighted average 3M common shares outstanding - diluted 588.5 612.7 Earnings per share attributable to 3M common shareholders - diluted $ 1.51 $ 0.98 3M Company and Subsidiaries CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET (Dollars in millions) (Unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2019 2018 ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,938 $ 2,853 Marketable securities - current 539 380 Accounts receivable - net 5,173 5,020 Inventories 4,538 4,366 Prepaids 713 741 Other current assets 473 349 Total current assets 14,374 13,709 Property, plant and equipment - net 8,829 8,738 Operating lease right of use assets 797 - Goodwill and intangible assets - net 13,658 12,708 Other assets 1,482 1,345 Total assets $ 39,140 $ 36,500 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities Short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt $ 790 $ 1,211 Accounts payable 2,309 2,266 Accrued payroll 517 749 Accrued income taxes 183 243 Operating lease liabilities - current 255 - Other current liabilities 3,071 2,775 Total current liabilities 7,125 7,244 Long-term debt 15,580 13,411 Other liabilities 6,678 5,997 Total liabilities $ 29,383 $ 26,652 Total equity $ 9,757 $ 9,848 Shares outstanding March 31, 2019: 576,426,706 shares December 31, 2018: 576,575,168 shares Total liabilities and equity $ 39,140 $ 36,500 3M Company and Subsidiaries CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS (Dollars in millions) (Unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES $ 1,048 $ 143 Cash flows from investing activities: Purchases of property, plant and equipment (391 ) (304 ) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (704 ) - Purchases and proceeds from sale or maturities of marketable securities and investments - net (142 ) 473 Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash sold 6 40 Other investing activities 6 72 NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES (1,225 ) 281 Cash flows from financing activities: Change in debt 1,591 1,581 Purchases of treasury stock (701 ) (937 ) Proceeds from issuances of treasury stock pursuant to stock option and benefit plans 215 219 Dividends paid to shareholders (830 ) (810 ) Other financing activities (17 ) (7 ) NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES 258 46 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 4 (32 ) Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 85 438 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 2,853 3,053 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 2,938 $ 3,491 3M Company and Subsidiaries SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION NON-GAAP MEASURES (Dollars in millions, except full-year 2019 forecast) (Unaudited) Three months ended March 31, Major GAAP Cash Flow Categories 2019 2018 Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 1,048 $ 143 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (1,225 ) 281 Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 258 46 Free Cash Flow (non-GAAP measure) Full-Year 2019 Forecast (Billions) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 1,048 $ 143 $6.4 to $7.2 Purchases of property, plant and equipment (391 ) (304 ) ($1.6 to $1.7) Free cash flow (a) 657 (161 ) $4.7 to $5.6 Net income attributable to 3M $ 891 $ 602 $5.0 to $5.3 Free cash flow conversion (a) 74 % (27 )% 95% to 105% (a) Free cash flow and free cash flow conversion are not defined under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Therefore, they should not be considered a substitute for income or cash flow data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. The Company defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property, plant and equipment. It should not be inferred that the entire free cash flow amount is available for discretionary expenditures. The Company defines free cash flow conversion as free cash flow divided by net income attributable to 3M. The Company believes free cash flow and free cash flow conversion are meaningful to investors as they function as useful measures of performance and the Company uses these measures as an indication of the strength of the company and its ability to generate cash. March 31, December 31, Net Debt (non-GAAP measure) 2019 2018 Total debt $ 16,370 $ 14,622 Less: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities 3,523 3,270 Net debt (b) $ 12,847 $ 11,352 (b) Net debt is not defined under U.S. GAAP and may not be computed the same as similarly titled measures used by other companies. The Company defines net debt as total debt less the total of cash, cash equivalents and current and long-term marketable securities. 3M believes net debt is meaningful to investors as 3M considers net debt and its components to be an important indicator of liquidity and a guiding measure of capital structure strategy. 3M Company and Subsidiaries SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION NON-GAAP MEASURES - (CONTINUED) (Dollars in millions, except full-year 2019 forecast) (Unaudited) Twelve months ended Full Year Estimated Return on Invested Capital (non-GAAP measure) December 31 2018 2019 (in billions) Net income including non-controlling interest $ 5,363 $5.0 to $5.3 Interest expense (after-tax) (1) 268 ~$0.3 Adjusted net income (Return) $ 5,631 $5.3 to $5.6 Average shareholders' equity (including non-controlling interest) (2) $ 10,407 $9.0 to $10.0 Average short-term and long-term debt (3) 14,912 $16.0 to $17.0 Average invested capital $ 25,318 $25.0 to $27.0 Return on invested capital (non-GAAP measure) (c) 22.2 % 20% to 22% (1) Effective income tax rate used for interest expense 23.4 % 20% to 22% (2) Calculation of average equity (includes non-controlling interest) Ending total equity as of: March 31 $ 11,039 June 30 10,428 September 30 10,311 December 31 9,848 Average total equity $ 10,407 (3) Calculation of average debt Ending short-term and long-term debt as of: March 31 $ 15,660 June 30 14,519 September 30 14,846 December 31 14,622 Average short-term and long-term debt $ 14,912 (c) Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) is not defined under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Therefore, ROIC should not be considered a substitute for other measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. The Company defines ROIC as adjusted net income (net income including non-controlling interest plus after-tax interest expense) divided by average invested capital (equity plus debt). The Company believes ROIC is meaningful to investors as it focuses on shareholder value creation. 3M Company and Subsidiaries SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION NON-GAAP MEASURES - (CONTINUED) (Unaudited) Adjusted income, operating income margin, earnings per share, & effective tax rate (non-GAAP measures) (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts) Net Sales Operating Income Operating Income Margin Income Before Taxes Provision for Income Taxes Effective Tax Rate Net Income Attributable to 3M Earnings Per Diluted Share Earnings per diluted share percent change Q1 2018 GAAP $ 8,278 $ 1,007 12.2 % $ 965 $ 359 37.2 % $ 602 $ 0.98 Adjustment for significant litigation-related charges - 897 897 187 710 1.16 Adjustment for measurement period accounting of TCJA - - - (217 ) 217 0.36 Q1 2018 Adjusted Non-GAAP Measure (d) $ 8,278 $ 1,904 23.0 % $ 1,862 $ 329 17.6 % $ 1,529 $ 2.50 Q1 2019 GAAP $ 7,863 $ 1,136 14.4 % $ 1,088 $ 195 17.9 % $ 891 $ 1.51 54.1 % Adjustment for significant litigation-related charges - 548 548 124 424 0.72 Q1 2019 Adjusted Non-GAAP Measure (d) $ 7,863 $ 1,684 21.4 % $ 1,636 $ 319 19.5 % $ 1,315 $ 2.23 (10.8 )% Estimated Full Year 2019 Adjusted income, earnings per share, & effective tax rate (non-GAAP measures) (Dollars in billions, except per share amounts) GAAP Measure Adjustment for Significant Litigation- related Charges Adjusted Non- GAAP Measure (d) Income before taxes $6.4 to $6.6 $0.5 $6.9 to $7.1 Provision for income taxes $1.3 to $1.4 $0.1 $1.4 to $1.5 Effective tax rate 20.0 to 22.0% 20.0 to 22.0% Net income attributable to 3M $5.0 to $5.3 $0.4 $5.4 to $5.7 Earnings per diluted share $8.53 to $9.03 $0.72 $9.25 to $9.75 3M Company and Subsidiaries SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION NON-GAAP MEASURES - (CONTINUED) (Unaudited) (d) In the first quarter of 2019, the Company recorded significant litigation-related charges of $548 million ($424 million after tax) related to historical PFAS (certain perfluorinated compounds) manufacturing operations and coal mine dust respirator mask lawsuits. In the first quarter of 2018, the Company recorded significant litigation-related charges of $897 million ($710 million after tax) from the previously disclosed agreement reached with the State of Minnesota that resolved the Natural Resource Damages (NRD) lawsuit. Also during the first quarter of 2018, 3M recorded a tax expense of $217 million related to a measurement period adjustment to the provisional amounts recorded in December 2017 from the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). In addition to providing financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company also provides non-GAAP measures that adjust for the impacts of significant litigation-related charges and enactment/measurement period adjustments to the impact of the enactment of the TCJA. These items represent significant charges/benefits that impacted the Company's financial results. Operating income, operating income margin, effective tax rate, net income, and earnings per share are all measures for which 3M provides the GAAP measure and an adjusted measure. The adjusted measures are not in accordance with, nor are they a substitute for, GAAP measures. The Company considers these non-GAAP measures in evaluating and managing the Company's operations. The Company believes that discussion of results adjusted for these items is meaningful to investors as it provides a useful analysis of ongoing underlying operating trends. The determination of these items may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. 3M Company and Subsidiaries SALES CHANGE ANALYSIS (e) (Unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 Europe, Middle Latin Sales Change Analysis United Asia- East and America/ World- By Geographic Area States Pacific Africa Canada Wide Volume - organic (1.2 )% (4.3 )% (0.7 )% (0.3 )% (2.0 )% Price 0.8 0.7 1.4 1.1 0.9 Organic local-currency sales (0.4 ) (3.6 ) 0.7 0.8 (1.1 ) Acquisitions 1.5 - 0.1 0.1 0.6 Divestitures (1.0 ) (0.3 ) (2.4 ) (1.2 ) (1.1 ) Translation - (3.5 ) (7.8 ) (6.2 ) (3.4 ) Total sales change 0.1 % (7.4 )% (9.4 )% (6.5 )% (5.0 )% Three months ended March 31, 2019 Worldwide Sales Change Organic local- Total sales By Business Segment currency sales Acquisitions Divestitures Translation change Industrial (2.8 )% - % (0.1 )% (3.7 )% (6.6 )% Safety and Graphics (0.1 ) - (0.1 ) (4.0 ) (4.2 ) Health Care 0.7 3.2 - (3.6 ) 0.3 Electronics and Energy (3.0 ) - (6.6 ) (2.2 ) (11.8 ) Consumer 0.9 - - (2.8 ) (1.9 ) Total Company (1.1 )% 0.6 % (1.1 )% (3.4 )% (5.0 )% (e) Total sales change is calculated based on reported sales results. The components of sales change include organic local-currency sales, acquisitions, divestitures, and translation. Organic local-currency sales includes both organic volume impacts (which excludes acquisition and divestiture impacts), and selling price changes. Acquisition and divestiture impacts are measured separately for the first 12 months post-transaction. 3M Company and Subsidiaries BUSINESS SEGMENTS (Dollars in millions) (Unaudited) As part of 3M's continuing effort to improve the alignment of its businesses around markets and customers, the Company made the following changes, effective in the first quarter of 2019, and other revisions impacting business segment reporting: Continued alignment of customer account activity As part of 3M's regular customer-focus initiatives, the Company realigned certain customer account activity ("sales district") to correlate with the primary divisional product offerings in various countries and reduce complexity for customers when interacting with multiple 3M businesses. This largely impacted the amount of dual credit certain business segments receive as a result of sales district attribution. 3M business segment reporting measures include dual credit to business segments for certain sales and operating income. This dual credit is based on which business segment provides customer account activity with respect to a particular product sold in a specific country. Creation of Closure and Masking Systems Division and Medical Solutions Division 3M created the Closure and Masking Systems Division, which combines the masking tape, packaging tape and personal care portfolios formerly within Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division in the Industrial business segment into a separate division also within the Industrial business segment. 3M created the Medical Solutions Division in the Health Care business segment, which combines the former Critical and Chronic Care Division and Infection Prevention Division (which were also both within the Health Care business segment). Additional actions impacting business segment reporting The business associated with certain safety products sold through retail channels in the Asia Pacific region was realigned from the Personal Safety Division within the Safety and Graphics Business segment to the Construction and Home Improvement Division within the Consumer Business segment. Additionally, certain previously non-allocated costs related to manufacturing and technology of centrally managed material resource centers of expertise within Corporate and Unallocated are now reflected as being allocated to the business segments. The financial information presented herein reflects the impact of the preceding changes for all periods presented. Refer to 3M's Current Report on Form 8-K furnished on March 8, 2019, for additional supplemental unaudited historical business segment net sales and operating income information. BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION Three months ended NET SALES March 31, (Millions) 2019 2018 Industrial $ 2,929 $ 3,135 Safety and Graphics 1,704 1,779 Health Care 1,540 1,535 Electronics and Energy 1,190 1,350 Consumer 1,123 1,145 Corporate and Unallocated 21 - Elimination of Dual Credit (644 ) (666 ) Total Company $ 7,863 $ 8,278 BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION Three months ended OPERATING INCOME March 31, (Millions) 2019 2018 Industrial $ 585 $ 714 Safety and Graphics 396 481 Health Care 432 458 Electronics and Energy 284 336 Consumer 219 220 Corporate and Unallocated (f) (624 ) (1,037 ) Elimination of Dual Credit (156 ) (165 ) Total Company $ 1,136 $ 1,007 (f) Corporate and Unallocated operating income was impacted by significant litigation-related charges in the first quarter of 2019 related to historical PFAS (certain perfluorinated compounds) manufacturing operations and coal mine dust respirator mask lawsuits. Corporate and Unallocated operating income was also impacted by significant litigation-related charges in the first quarter of 2018 related to the previously disclosed agreement reached with the State of Minnesota that resolved the Natural Resource Damages lawsuit. About 3M At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. With $33 billion in sales, our 93,000 employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to the world's problems at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005428/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Mobica joins eSync Alliance SILICON VALLEY, Calif., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The eSync Alliance announces that Mobica, a global software services company, has joined to become one of its newest members. Companies in the eSync Alliance include Alpine, Excelfore, HELLA, Molex and ZF, amongst others. The eSync Alliance is an industry-wide initiative established to build a secure, multi-vendor platform for end-to-end over-the-air (OTA) updating and data services for the connected car, leveraging a global network of participating suppliers. The Alliance is based around eSync, an OTA platform of server and embedded software which provides a secure bi-directional data pipeline between the cloud and electronic end devices in vehicles. eSync can deliver and update software and firmware over-the-air, while collecting real-time operational data from any number of end devices in the vehicle. Derek Forcher, Sr Vice President of Sales for North America at Mobica, said, "Mobica is an enabler we work with leading global companies to deliver competitive advantage through technology. Joining the eSync Alliance will enable us to provide an eSync-compliant best-of-breed OTA solution for our customers and partners, and to participate in the further development of a true industry-wide standard." Rick Kreifeldt, Executive Director at the eSync Alliance, said, "Mobica is a valuable addition to the eSync Alliance, bringing strong automotive experience and outstanding expertise and innovation in software. Their participation brings into focus the true value of an open alliance, as Mobica is joining not just to be a user of eSync, but to develop and bring to market their own OTA solutions based on eSync specifications." With software recalls estimated to have cost some $3 billion in the USA in 2016 alone, the eSync system aims to help prevent increasingly costly and inconvenient vehicle recalls. It provides new opportunities for carmakers to enhance vehicle software and features on vehicles in the field. About the eSync Alliance The eSync Alliance is an industry initiative to drive a multi-company solution for over-the-air (OTA) updates and diagnostics data in the automotive electronics space, potentially saving billions of dollars per year for automakers. By working together in the Alliance, companies benefit from a simplified development environment made possible by a standardized yet customizable open platform. The Alliance is based around the eSync platform of cloud and embedded components, originally developed by Excelfore, for providing a secure data pipeline to devices within a vehicle. Further information at www.esyncalliance.org About Mobica Mobica is a global software services company, delivering and enabling technologies that transform business outcomes for the leading brands in Automotive, Silicon, FinTech, Media and Telecoms. Headquartered in Wilmslow UK with offices across Europe and the US, our technical and delivery excellence in high quality software engineering drives success for our customers on every continent, every day. For more information, see www.mobica.com. Press contacts: eSync Alliance US: Cynthia Hoye, embedded PR Phone: +1 (408) 858-2602 [email protected] Europe: Anja-Maria Hastenrath, embedded PR Phone: +49 89 64913634-11 [email protected] eSync, and the e-in-s logo, are trademarks of the eSync Alliance. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mobica-joins-esync-alliance-300838120.html SOURCE eSync Alliance [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Leading BioSciences to Present at Planet MicroCap Showcase 2019 CARLSBAD, Calif., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading BioSciences, a drug development company focused on improving human health through therapeutic protection of the Gastrobiome, today announced that its chief executive officer, Tom Hallam, Ph.D., will deliver a corporate presentation at the Planet MicroCap Showcase 2019, being held April 30 May 2, 2019 at Ballys Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Details for this presentation are as follows: Planet MicroCap Showcase 2019 Time/Date: 9:00 a.m. PT on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 Location: Ballys Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV Room: 4 Webcast Access: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2059/30409 Additionally, the Leading BioSciences management team will take part in 1-on-1 meetings at the conference and discuss LB1148, the companys lead development program. LB1148 is a patent-protected formulation of a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor designed to neutralize the activity of potent digestive enzymes that can cause a range of serious complications if they escape the intestines through a compromised mucosal barrier during major surgery. The ability to safely and effectively inhibit the activity of digestive protases can prevent the damage they cause to gastrointestinal (GI) tissues once they escape the intestines, speed the return of GI function and shorten patients post-surgery stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital. The company previously reported positive interim results from its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of LB1148 in patients undergoing major cardiovascular surgery. Results from the planned interim analysis demonstrated that subjects treated with LB1148 had a decrease in stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) of 1.1 days and an overall decrease in hospital length of stay of 3.2 days, as compared to placebo. Additional findings demonstrated a statistically significant 18-hour improvement in return to normal bowel function for patients treated with LB1148 as compared to placebo (p = 0.044), the studys primary endpoint. The interim study results also suggest that LB1148 was well tolerated with an adverse event profile that was comparable to placebo. To request a meeting with Leading BioSciences at the Planet MicroCap Showcase 2019, please contact Stephanie Diaz of Vida Strategic Partners at [email protected] . About Leading BioSciences Leading BioSciences is developing novel therapeutics designed to improve human health through therapeutic protection of the Gastrobiome. Leading BioSciences initial focus is combatting the interruption of GI function (ileus) following major surgery to reduce recovery times and shorten patients length of stay in the hospital. Additionally, the company believes that its programs have the potential to prevent the formation of post-operative adhesions (reducing hospital re-admissions and additional surgeries), as well as to address the myriad of health conditions and complications associated with chronic disruption of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Learn more at: www.leadingbiosciences.com Contacts: Vida Strategic Partners Stephanie Diaz (Investors) 415-675-7401 [email protected] Tim Brons (Media) 415-675-7402 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Varsity Healthcare Partners Completes Partnership with Angels of Care Varsity Healthcare Partners, a leading lower middle-market private equity firm focused on healthcare services, announced today the completion of a growth equity investment in Angels of Care, a leading and rapidly growing provider of home health services to pediatric patients with complex medical conditions. The partnership with Varsity will provide Angels of Care with strategic guidance and capital to support its continued rapid growth, both organically and through acquisitions. The current management team, including Jessica Riggs as CEO, will continue in their leadership roles. Jessica Riggs said: "I am thrilled to partner with Varsity which will support our mission to provide high-quality compassionate care to the underserved pediatric population with complex medical needs. We were extremely impressed with Varsity's deep knowledge, expertise, relationships and successful track record in healthcare, specifically with home health providers including pediatrics. Just as importantly, Varsity understood the value of our differentiated approach and organizational culture and shared our fundamental commitment to delivering excellent patient care." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About Angels of Care Founded in 2000 by Bonnie West and based in Sherman, TX, Angels of Care is a leading provider of long-term home health services to pediatric patients with complex medical conditions and employs over 3,000 clinicians across 18 locations. The company provides high-quality private duty nursing care, skilled therapy, and other home health services to patients in Texas and Colorado. Angels of Care operates under its core principles of Heart, Advocacy, Love, and Outreach (HALO) to carry out its mission to provide children and young adults in need with high-quality home health care in a loving, caring and professional manner. For more information please visit: angelsofcare.com. About Varsity Healthcare Partners Varsity Healthcare Partners is a lower middle-market private equity investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs and management teams to build leading healthcare services companies. Varsity has been successful in developing and executing a tailored value creation plan, in partnership with the leadership of each company, that typically emphasizes an appropriate investment in infrastructure followed by an aggressive organic and acquisition growth strategy. Varsity draws upon its extensive healthcare industry experience and relationships, as well as its hands-on partnership approach to effectively drive growth and maximize value. For more information please visit: www.varsityhealthcarepartners.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005505/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Medneon Launches Landmark Patient Registry on Use of Predictive Genetics to Prevent Breast Cancer CUPERTINO Calif., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Medneon, a digital health company, today announced the launch of a groundbreaking clinicogenetic patient registry to investigate whether identifying high-risk individuals and managing their genetic mutations over time can prevent hereditary breast cancer. The iGAP (Informed Genetic Annotated Patient) Registry is unique because it will include both breast cancer patients and their unaffected at-risk family members, as well as other high-risk individuals. The registry will debut at the upcoming meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS), April 30 to May 5 in Dallas. iGAP is an IRB-approved database that will capture information regarding breast cancer risk assessment, genetic testing utilization, and the impact of genetic information on treatment practices and patient outcomes. Researchers plan to enroll at least 10,000 women this year. Over time the registry will expand to include other conditions with hereditary associations. iGAP was developed as a follow-on to a recent study by Peter Beitsch, MD et al. in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). The authors found that nearly half of breast cancer patients with a genetic mutation are being missed by current testing guidelines. As a result of that study, ASBrS recently updated its guidelines to recommend that all patients diagnosed with breast cancer e offered genetic testing to check for inherited mutations. Nearly 5 million U.S. women have a genetically high risk of developing breast cancer, but 90 percent have not been identified. "Now that we're moving toward offering genetic testing to the majority of breast cancer patients, we want to take it a step further to include women who don't have breast cancer yet, but who may have a high risk of developing it based on certain risk assessment models," said Dr. Beitsch, a surgical oncologist and iGAP principal investigator. Dr. Rakesh Patel is an oncologist and the iGAP co-principal investigator. "The easiest way to identify these additional high-risk women is cascade testing their unaffected relatives," said Patel. "We want to see if this will provide actionable insights that could prevent the disease altogether, or at least enable detection at much earlier stages." A key component of the registry will be correlating an individual's genetic results with clinical and patient-reported outcomes - that is, taking into account a patient's clinical history and following them over time to assess how the genetic results influenced their risk and medical management decisions. In addition, this will enable ongoing communication with registry participants if their risk of developing breast cancer changes as research evolves. "Our goal is to help individuals be more proactive about their health by informing registry participants, their family members, and their health care providers about rapidly changing risk and management guidelines," said Kamal Gogineni, co-founder of Medneon. "This is a key mission of the iGAP registry and something we believe will contribute to the precision prevention of hereditary breast cancer." Results from the iGAP registry could potentially affect millions of women. In the United States, there are roughly 4 million breast cancer survivors, and nearly 40 million women undergo breast cancer screening each year - many of whom have not received genetic testing. It is estimated that 50-80% of at-risk individuals have not received genetic testing in part because they do not meet the criteria of current testing guidelines and may lack insurance coverage for testing. Approximately 330,000 patients are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the U.S. For these breast cancer patients, genetic test results can help guide treatment decisions. And, for the millions of their unaffected but at-risk family members, risk assessment and appropriate testing can help them better understand their own risk for developing a variety of cancers. Research for the iGAP registry will be conducted by physicians in the TME Research Network, which also led the 2018 study published in JCO. TME Research is a subset of the Breast Care Network, a group of more than 300 leading breast cancer physicians focused on advancing treatment for breast cancer. For more information about the iGAP registry and Medneon, ASBrS attendees can visit Booth #353. About Medneon Medneon is a digital health company that empowers patients and physicians through the identification and management of genetic mutations before they evolve into cancer. The innovative Medneon digital AI platform curates up-to-date, actionable and personalized information regarding an individual's risk of developing cancer and generates insights on appropriate preventive and management strategies over time. For more information, visit medneon.com . Contact: Liz Dowling Dowling & Dennis PR (415) 388-2794 [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medneon-launches-landmark-patient-registry-on-use-of-predictive-genetics-to-prevent-breast-cancer-300838079.html SOURCE Medneon [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Voltaiq and A&D Technology Announce Strategic Partnership BERKELEY, Calif., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Voltaiq, the leader in Battery Intelligence software solutions, and A&D Technology, a leader in integrated test automation and lab management solutions, today announced a strategic partnership that combines Voltaiq's expertise in battery data analytics with A&D Technology's expertise in battery technology and electric vehicle powertrains to deliver end-to-end solutions to customers. This partnership will provide battery manufacturers and transportation companies with a comprehensive solution that joins A&D Technology's integrated test lab management solutions and services with Voltaiq's industry-leading battery data analytics platform. Even as the overall complexity of powertrains has decreased, the complexity associated with batteries electrochemical systems that are extremely sensitive to how and where they operate necessitates a level of analytics beyond what has historically been required. "As A&D expands our focus on electrification to meet growing market demands, Voltaiq is a natural partner to help our customers make the most of the data being generated from A&D test systems," said Jay Hatkow, Executive Account Manager, A&D Technology. "The added challenges associated with battery systems, namely maintining safety, performance and longevity in a dynamic driving environment, compel the transportation industry to require a deeper understanding of the powertrain." "We are very excited to partner with A&D Technology, a company with decades of experience supporting global OEMs in powertrain development," said Tal Sholklapper, CEO, Voltaiq. "We are impressed with A&D Technology's ability to provide customers with a trusted solution, especially as customers are working to electrify their vehicle fleets." "With the realities of data overload, manual manipulation of data and a tight talent pool, A&D is proud to collaborate with Voltaiq in providing world class turnkey solutions," said Mike Uhl, CEO and President, A&D Technology. "Together, integrating all test equipment and all test data. Increasing automation and allowing meaningful data analysis." About Voltaiq Voltaiq is the industry leader in advanced battery analytics solutions for the consumer electronics, transportation, and energy storage market segments. Fortune 500 companies, major universities and leading-edge battery companies trust Voltaiq to provide a comprehensive and transparent view of all their battery data across the product lifecycle. The company's real-time software solutions provide actionable insights that measurably reduce product development time, create more robust products, and mitigate product risk. For more information, please visit www.voltaiq.com. About A&D Technology A&D Technology delivers integrated test and lab management solutions and services to the transportation & energy markets for a wide range of applications, from durability to vehicle simulation. With over 30 years of experience and more than 1000 installations worldwide, A&D has the experience and proven technology to help you implement the most advanced and cost-effective solution for your testing challenge. For more information, please visit aanddtech.com. CONTACT Rob Haralson for Voltaiq [email protected] (202) 674-6679 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/voltaiq-and-ad-technology-announce-strategic-partnership-300837991.html SOURCE Voltaiq [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Cradlepoint Delivers First Gigabit-Class Private LTE Edge Router Solutions for Initial Commercial Deployments on CBRS Spectrum Cradlepoint, the global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G Ready wireless network edge solutions, has announced it is the first provider of Gigabit-Class Private LTE (News - Alert) edge router solutions, referred to as User Equipment (UE), to achieve FCC Certification and Initial Commercial Deployment (ICD) status. Part of Cradlepoint's Pathway to 5G strategy, the new Private LTE solutions are based on the company's NetCloud service and recently introduced Gigabit LTE edge routers, which support Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) shared spectrum at 3.5 GHz. Under the ICD program, Cradlepoint will collaborate with tried-and-tested CBRS infrastructure partners and system integrators to provide customers with Private LTE proof-of-concept (PoC) networks. This CBRS ecosystem includes vendors of Citizen Band Radio Service Devices (CBSDs), also called LTE access points or LTE small cells, Enhanced Packet Cores (EPCs) and Spectrum (News - Alert) Access Systems (SASs) infrastructure. The company expects candidates for the ICD program to include seaports, airports and railways, large distribution centers, major cities and other organizations that require an enhanced wide-area LAN environment. Cradlepoint has been conducting Private LTE field trials since the fall of 2017 under various experimental FCC (News - Alert) licenses. Earlier this year, the company joined the CBRS Alliance (www.cbrsalliance.org) and, with today's announcement, is the first LTE UE router solution to be listed on its website that tracks FC-authorized equipment for CBRS Band 48. "Advancements in LTE technology along the Pathway to 5G and new federal regulations that open up under-utilized spectrum for sharing are a real catalyst to the Private LTE market," said Ken Hosac (News - Alert), vice president of IoT strategy, Cradlepoint. "Together with our ecosystem partners and integrators, Cradlepoint is the first to offer an Initial Customer Deployment program to serve a growing list of customers looking to evaluate the enhanced coverage, security and reliability of Private LTE with CBRS to augment or replace existing wireless LAN environments." As connected devices continue to proliferate, Private LTE is poised to address the emerging whitespace within today's WAN and LAN infrastructures-wide-area LAN connectivity. Private LTE can span greater distances, provide better traffic management and security characteristics, and offer more economical connection density than today's wireless LAN infrastructures. From a public LTE perspective, Private LTE can provide better coverage, especially in buildings, and delivers the security and control of a closed network along with dedicated bandwidth. These attributes make Private LTE ideal for reliable and secure communications for site personnel, vehicles and IoT devices-such as video surveillance cameras-in highly-distributed and connection-dense locations, including shipyards, airports, large factories or industrial plants, or distribution centers. "The market opportunity for Private LTE is rapidly emerging due to software-defined cellular infrastructure, the availability of unlicensed and shared spectrum, and the evolution of LTE technology on the pathway to 5G," said Alex Glaser, vice president at Harbor Research. "There has been an inflection of interest from Enterprise and public sector organizations that want to pilot Private LTE utilizing CBRS spectrum for a number of higher bandwidth and density IoT use cases, but the missing link has been CBRS-ready user equipment. Cradlepoint has solved this missing link with an enhancement of its NetCloud service that includes CBRS-capable edge routers for branch, mobile and IoT networks." Private LTE Solutions and Availability Cradlepoint offers Private LTE capable solutions for both enterprise and public sector markets. Any Cradlepoint NetCloud service plan for branch, mobile or IoT that is paired with a Gigabit-Class LTE edge router, such as the AER2200 or IBR1700, can support Private LTE over CBRS Band 48. To learn more about the ICD program, visit: https://cradlepoint.com/private-lte. About Cradlepoint Cradlepoint is the global leader in cloud-delivered wireless edge solutions for branch, mobile, and IoT networks. The Cradlepoint NetCloud service, based on the Elastic Edge vision, delivers agile, pervasive, and software-driven wireless WANs built on LTE and 5G services to connect people, places and things everywhere with resiliency, security, and control. More than 25,000 enterprise and government organizations around the world, including 75 percent of the world's top retailers, 50 percent of the Fortune 100, and first responder agencies in 10 of the largest U.S. cities, rely on Cradlepoint to keep critical branches, points of commerce, field forces, vehicles, and IoT devices always connected and protected. Major service providers use Cradlepoint wireless solutions as the foundation for innovative managed network services. Founded in 2006, Cradlepoint is a privately held company headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with a development center in Silicon Valley and international offices in the UK and Australia. Learn more at cradlepoint.com or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @cradlepoint. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005353/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] CLS Investments Debuts Five New Tax-Managed Portfolio Strategies CLS Investments, LLC ("CLS") a third-party money manager and leading strategist of exchange-traded fund ("ETF") portfolios has announced the launch of five new direct indexed, tax-managed strategies to be made available on the TAMP platform offered by FTJ FundChoice, an open architecture TAMP based in Cincinnati. The strategies, which are a response to growing client and investor demand for tax-efficient investment options, use a quantitative rules-based approach that aims to track market-cap weighted U.S. indices with the key benefit of tax-loss harvesting to off-set capital gains. "We're excited to launch these new strategies for FTJ FundChoice clients looking to gain access to a level of customization and tax management that was once only available to institutional investors," says Shana Sissel, CAIA, Portfolio Manager at CLS. "We think this is very powerful - each client, depending on when they fund the account, will have different opportunities to replicate the index and tax-loss harvest and we're taking that into account on an individual level." Over the last couple of years, direct indexing has grown in popularity among financial advisors and investors, primarily because of the additional tax alpha it can provide. When advisors utilize direct-indexing models, they can capitalize on tax loss harvesting opportunities to offset clients' capital gains elsewhere. CLS will be optimizing these investor accounts on a daily basis utilizing technology from sister company Orion, creating a unique basket of securities that most closely replicates the index at the time of investment. By utilizing this technology, CLS will be able to harvest tax losses at an individual level-rather than a model level. Being able to harvest losses for individual secuities is important because clients fund accounts at different times, and tax harvesting opportunities vary depending on each security's cost basis. Three of the strategies provide exposure to a large basket of individual stocks within their respective indices. The portfolios include a built-in portfolio reallocation framework: CLS S&P 500 Market Beta Portfolio CLS US Large Cap Market Beta Portfolio CLS US Small Cap Market Beta Portfolio The other two rules-based strategies provide tax-efficient portfolios with a more active approach based on behavioral factors: CLS US High Dividend Yield Tax Managed CLS US Quality Value Target (News - Alert) Tax Managed Although these five new portfolio options will be available first to only users of the FTJ FundChoice platform, CLS's sister company, the investment manager has plans to broaden distribution in the future and continue allowing advisors to provide full transparency into their clients' exact holdings-enabling them to differentiate their services. "We've looked to CLS for investment thought leadership and solid investment strategies as a valued strategist on our TAMP platform since 2011," says Dean Cook, CEO of FTJ FundChoice. "Now, providing access to additional CLS strategies that address the growing investor interest in a tax-aware investment approach, helps us work toward our goal to consistently support the evolving needs of our clients." About CLS Investments, LLC CLS is an Omaha-based registered investment adviser managing in excess of $9.2 billion. As one of the largest third-party money managers and ETF strategists in the U.S., CLS partners with thousands of advisors, plan sponsors, and institutions to offer a full suite of outsourced portfolio management solutions for more than 44,000 individual investors. CLS specializes in creating portfolios based on a distinct risk budgeting methodology and active asset allocation approach. The CLS investment process is governed by systematic research across asset classes and strategies and the continuous measuring of risk. CLS claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS). CLS Investments, LLC is a registered investment adviser. To obtain a copy of a fully compliant presentation and/or a list of composite descriptions, contact us at 888-455-4244. CLS is a subsidiary of NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC (NorthStar), which currently has over $802 billion in assets under management and administration. To learn more, visit www.clsinvest.com. About FTJ FundChoice, LLC Founded in 2001, FTJ FundChoice, LLC, an SEC (News - Alert) Registered Investment Advisor, provides advisors access to independent asset allocation strategies and model trading functionality. With more than $15 billion in assets under administration,* FTJ FundChoice assists advisors in simplifying their business by absorbing back-office tasks, such as trade reconciliation, account administration, fee billing, and performance reporting, allowing the advisor to spend more time on client relationship-building activities. To learn more about FTJ FundChoice, please visit www.ftjfundchoice.com. *As of April, 2019. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005556/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Security Innovation to Deliver Expert Blockchain Training at BlackHat USA WILMINGTON, Mass., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Security Innovation, an authority in software security assessment and training, today announced Mick Ayzenberg, the companys Blockchain Center of Excellence lead, will teach a 2-day course on August 3rd and 4th at BlackHat USA 2019 in Las Vegas. As Blockchain platforms become more developed, companies are beginning to investigate how this emerging technology might improve their business. However, every new technology comes with risks to consider with respect to construction and integration. The course , titled Intro to Hacking Blockchain Applications and Smart Contracts, focuses on the methodologies used when developing smart contracts for Blockchain enabled DApps (Decentralized Applications), with specific attention to Ethereum and Solidity. Leveraging a Smart Contract CTF (capture the flag) product built by Mr. Ayzenberg, attendees will learn and apply techniques to exploit vulnerabilities in these technologies. A lot of projects are experimenting with Blockchain and smart contracts, said Mr. Ayzenberg. There is very interesting research happening right now that could solve a lot of existing problems in terms of scalability, such as layer two solutions and zero knowledge proofs. Training those who design and implement these systems is paramount to ensuring our Blockchain future remains secure and protects privacy. Bonus training for your extended staff Organizations that register for BlackHat training before April 30 will receive one-months free access to our industry-largest secure DevOps training platform for five people. To register or learn more, click here: https://www.blackhat.com/us-19/training/schedule/index.html#an-introduction-to-hacking-blockchain-applications-and-smart-contracts-1399 Security Innovation Blockchain Expertise Mr. Ayzenberg has delivered Blockchain trainings and presentations at Appsec USA 2018, TruffleCon 2018, OWASP Training Day 2018, ISACA Phoenix 2019, and other industry events. He will also deliver Intro to Hacking Blockchain Applications & Smart Contracts at OWASP Tel Aviv in May. Security Innovation has conducted numerous security audits of blockchain and smart contract designs, used in stable coins, remittance services, and other solutions. The company provides Executive Blockchain Workshop and Technical Training solutions for organizations considering Blockchain. Additionally, Blockchain CTF is a DApp containing vulnerable smart contracts with business use cases ranging from decentralized trust funds and open source lottery systems, to ICOs and automated royalty agreements. Since its launch last year, thousands of transactions have been processed. ABOUT SECURITY INNOVATION Security Innovation is a pioneer in software security and trusted advisor to its clients. Since 2002, organizations have relied on our assessment and training solutions to make the use of software systems safer in the most challenging environments whether in Web applications, IoT devices, or the cloud. The companys flagship product, CMD+CTRL Cyber Range , is the industrys only simulated Web site environment designed to build the skills teams need to protect the enterprise where it is most vulnerable at the application layer. Security Innovation is privately held and headquartered in Wilmington, MA USA. For more information, visit www.securityinnovation.com or connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter . Security Innovation Media Contact: Joshua Milne [email protected] 617-501-1620 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Blancco reveals 42% of used drives sold on eBay are holding sensitive data 15% contained personally identifiable information (PII), putting individuals at risk of becoming victims of cybercrime AUSTIN, Texas and LONDON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blancco Technology Group (LON: BLTG), the industry standard in data erasure and mobile device diagnostics, today announced the findings of a new report, which looks at residual data on used storage drives purchased on eBay, the world's largest online marketplace. Conducted in conjunction with partner, Ontrack, the study analysed 159 drives purchased in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Finland. Sensitive data was discovered to be present on 42% of devices, with 15% containing personally identifiable information (PII). This included: A drive from a software developer with a high level of government security clearance, with scanned images of family passports and birth certificates, CVs and financial records University student papers and associated email addresses 5GB of archived internal office email from a major travel company 3GB of data from a cargo/freight company, along with documents detailing shipping details, schedules and truck registrations University student papers and associated email addresses Company information from a music store, including 32,000 photos School data, including photos and documents with pupils' names and grades For every 20 drives, at least three had PII. Furthermore, each seller Blancco interacted wth as part of the process stated that the proper data sanitisation methods had been performed so that no data was left behind. This highlights a major concern that while sellers clearly recognise the importance of removing data, they are in fact, using methods which are inadequate. "Selling old hardware via an online marketplace might feel like a good option, but in reality, it creates a serious risk of exposing dangerous levels of personal data," said Fredrik Forslund, VP, cloud and data erasure, Blancco. "By putting this equipment into the wrong hands, irreversible damage will be caused not just to the seller, but their employer, friends and family members. It is also clear that there is confusion around the right methods of data erasure, as each seller was under the impression that data had been permanently removed. It's critical to securely erase any data on drives before passing them onto another party, using the appropriate methods to confirm that it's well and truly gone. Education on best ways to permanently remove data from devices is a vital investment to negate the very real risk of falling victim to identity theft, or other methods of cybercrime." As part of the research, a range of used hard drives from leading brands, including Samsung, Dell, Seagate, HP, Hitachi were purchased at random. The only requirement was that the drives had not been wiped using Blancco products. They were analysed in early 2019 by partner Ontrack, using proprietary data recovery tools. Once the recovery exercises were complete, the drives were then sanitised by Blancco to ensure permanent removal of the data. To learn more about preparing old hard drives for sale and more, download the full report, Privacy for Sale: Data Security Risks in the Second-Hand IT Asset Marketplace. About Blancco Technology Group Blancco is the industry standard in data erasure and mobile device diagnostics. Blancco data erasure solutions provide thousands of organisations with the tools they need to add an additional layer of security to their endpoint security policies through secure erasure of IT assets. All erasures are verified and certified through a tamper-proof audit trail. Blancco data erasure solutions have been tested, certified, approved and recommended by 18 governing bodies and leading organisations around the world. No other data erasure software can boast this level of compliance with the rigorous requirements set by government agencies, legal authorities and independent testing laboratories. Blancco Mobile Diagnostics solutions enable mobile network operators, retailers and call centers to easily, quickly and accurately identify and resolve performance issues on their customers' mobile devices. As a result, mobile retailers can spend less time dealing with technical issues and, in turn, reduce the quantity of NTF returns, save on operational costs and increase customer satisfaction. Additionally, Blancco Mobile Diagnostics solutions empower mobile processors, 3PLs, Recyclers and Repair & Refurbishment Operations to easily, quickly and accurately process used mobile devices to identify any issues and determine overall value. By incorporating Blancco Mobile Diagnostics, mobile processors automate processes, deliver intelligent routing based on device attributes and increase overall efficiency, while driving incremental revenue and profitability. For more information, please contact: CCgroup for Blancco Technology Group (UK) Abbie Godward / Josh Cobb T: +44 (0) 20 3824 9214 E: [email protected] CCgroup for Blancco Technology Group (US) Lori Scribner T: +1 619 798 0043 E: [email protected] Blancco Technology Group Liz Adams, Global Marketing Director T: +44 (0) 7725 010 412 E: [email protected] Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/274522/blancco_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Intrinio Secures $5 Million In Series A Financing Round Led By Nyca Partners SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Intrinio announced today that it has raised $5m in a Series A Financing Round led by Nyca Partners (Nyca), with participation from existing investors, Engage, Bascom Ventures and VilCap Investments. Intrinio democratizes market data enabling fintech developers to efficiently incorporate vast amounts of data in their applications in minutes. This investment will allow Intrinio to expand its product development, data coverage, and market penetration to further make an impact on the fintech developer and institutional investment landscape. Nyca Investment Partner Tom Miglis will join Intrinio's Board of Directors. Nyca Partners invests and cultivates the next generation of Fintech companies that integrate technological innovation directly into the global financial system. It boasts a team with strong experience in financial infrastructure, and is led by Hans Morris, a former senior executive at Citigroup and President of Visa. Intrinio was founded by Rachel Carpenter and Joey French, fintech developers whose original start-up was thwarted by the exorbitant pricing of data. After this experience, they created Intrinio to break down this barrier by building a data platform that reinvents the way data is sourced, cleaned and distributed. Intrinio's transparent pricing and flexible licensing options are a breath of fresh air in an industry tht has resisted technological innovation for the sake of preserving profit margins. Over the past few years, Intrinio's platform has begun to redefine data delivery for both the largest financial institutions and the smallest fintech innovators. "Our team continues to build the best data infrastructure possible for programmers and data scientists since they are the future of the financial industry. Our model bypasses traditional vendors, delivering instant, a-la-carte, and powerful data feeds straight to the hands of innovators. This is all supported by powerful infrastructure that streamlines the data supply chain and presents a massive opportunity for financial institutions to rethink data sourcing and governance." At Intrinio, data scientists collide with CPAs and entrepreneurs in an environment that fosters consistent innovation which creates features that are for developers because they are by developers. Access to the data is instant, and uniquely a-la-carte or bundled, giving users the choice. This year as Intrinio expands and continues to serve programmers and institutions, the future of fintech is increasingly "Powered by Intrinio." "Intrinio is solving the cost and complexity conundrum of market data feeds which are critical for innovation. Rachel and Joey identified this roadblock and solved it for themselves and are now making it easy and cheap for others looking to build their financial tools. Expensive market data killed lots of good fintech ideas, and Intrinio can help them flourish," said Hans Morris of Nyca. About Intrinio Intrinio is a financial data company on a mission to power fintech innovation by providing affordable, high-quality data to developers and engineers from fintech companies, large institutions, hedge funds, startups, and universities. The Intrinio platform consists of an application programming interface (API) supported by over 300 types of financial data feeds that can be easily integrated into applications, websites, widgets, algorithms, and next-generation financial tools. To learn more, visit www.intrinio.com. Courtney Lothridge Intrinio 727-776-0628 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intrinio-secures-5-million-in-series-a-financing-round-led-by-nyca-partners-300838391.html SOURCE Intrinio [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Visual AI Training Company Chooch AI Raises $2.8 Million Led by Vickers Venture Partners SAN FRANCISCO and SINGAPORE, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chooch.AI, an artificial intelligence training platform for visual recognition, has raised a $2.8 million seed round led by venture capital firm Vickers Venture Partners. The round also includes funding from angel investors. The funds will be used to expand market reach and grow the team, including hiring additional engineers. Choochs novel technology, with its focus on AI training and flexible integrations, means that it is uniquely positioned to be an end-to-end, deep learning visual AI solution, and an alternative visual solution to Google Vision or Amazon Rekognition. We look forward to working closely with the Chooch team as they expand across regions, commented Vickers Venture Partners Chairman Dr. Finian Tan. Chooch has been easily deployed by customers for a wide range of applications on many platforms. Chooch is rapidly trained to be a visual expert in any field, from aircraft engine parts, to types of human faces, to counting cancer cells. When Chooch is presented with images or videos that contain perceptions learned by its neural networks, Chooch returns metadata such as a persons identity or a model of a helicopter. Chooch can be trained to accurately identify features in any media, such as web-based video or images on mobile phones, live drone feeds and medical imagery. Weve made machine learning for computer vision super easyto use and implement at scale, explains Emrah Gultekin, CEO of Chooch AI. This provides massive competitive advantages to companies who integrate Visual AI into their processes. The ROI is immediate because of the increased speed of tagging images for media, e-commerce and security companies, e.g., Chooch can do facial recognition training in real time, increase revenue by 5x for video advertising and reduce costs by 80x for tagging of visual data like photojournalism. Thats a game changer for our business, says Jonathan Wells, CEO of the photo agency SIPA USA. We can be processing 1000s of photos per day and dozens of shoots from LA to Milan. The photo agency SIPA USA uses Chooch to tag photos in real time from the Oscars red carpet, sporting events and fashion runways worldwide, an illustrative case study of the value of Chooch. About Chooch.AI Chooch.AI provides Visual AI for media, e-commerce, security, and medical industries, among others. Chooch performs object recognition and facial recognition by matching data in its neural network perception library which acquired with machine learning. Its API is compatible with photo or video content from any source, live streams, apps, web, robots, or drones. Chooch provides a full suite of computer vision services, from data to predictions. For more information or a technology demonstration, please visit www.chooch.ai or contact [email protected] About Vickers Venture Partners: Vickers Venture Partners is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in Asia and beyond. The firms portfolio covers life sciences, technology, media, and telecommunications as well as consumer and financial services. Some of its partners have track records that include hits such as Baidu.com, Inc, Focus Media Holding Ltd, Kongzhong Corp, Cambridge Real Estate Investment Trust, Sunfun Info Co. Asian Food Channel (trade sale), UUCUN (trade sale), TWG Tea (trade sale), RTG Asia (trade sale), JJE (trade sale), Hillstone (trade sale), M-Daq (trade sale), Tenfen (trade sale), Kuyun (trade sale) and Mainspring (trade sale). The total market value of the companies that the partners have helped grow exceeds US$90 billion today. Vickers Venture Partners announced in October 2017 that they have raised US $230 million to invest in startups across the world, with a particular focus on Deep Tech across the globe and impact investments in emerging markets. Vickers Venture Partners was founded by Finian Tan, Khalil Binebine, Jeffrey Chi, Damian Tan, and Linda Li in 2005. It is based in Singapore with offices in Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, San Diego and San Francisco. http://vickersventure.com For media queries or interviews: REDHILL Pranav Rastogi [email protected] +6587487919 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Alliance Memory Announces New Dual-Die 8Gb DDR3L SDRAMs in 78-Ball and 96-Ball FBGA Packages SAN CARLOS, Calif., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alliance Memory today introduced new dual-die 8Gb DDR3L SDRAMs that are pin-for-pin drop-in replacements for and fully compatible with end-of-life, single-die 8Gb DDR3Ls from Micron Technology Inc. Alliance Memory Part Number Configuration Package Type AS4C1G8D3LA 8 banks x 128M x 8 78-ball FBGA AS4C512M16D3LA 8 banks x 64M x 16 96-ball FBGA When Micron announced a last-time buy date for some of its most popular 8Gb DDR3L single-die SDRAMs, we responded by offering the original Micron part numbers, along with Alliance Memory identical replacements of the monolithic devices, said David Bagby, president and CEO of Alliance Memory. In keeping with our commitment to supporting our customers legacy SDRAM needs, were excited to now announe the immediate availability of dual-die-package 8Gb DDR3L SDRAMs for long-term support and new designs. Featuring a DDR architecture, the AS4C1G8D3LA and AS4C512M16D3LA provide speed of 10ns, extremely fast data rates of 1866Mbps, and clock rates of 933MHz. Operating from a single +1.35V power supply, with backward compatibility to 1.5V, the SDRAMs are optimized for main memory applications in laptops, desktops, servers, and embedded / industrial designs. The devices are available in commercial (0C to +95C), industrial (-40C to +95C), and automotive (-40C to +105C) temperature ranges. The AS4C1G8D3LA and AS4C512M16D3LA support sequential and interleave burst types with read or write burst lengths of 4 or 8. An auto pre-charge function provides a self-timed row pre-charge initiated at the end of the burst sequence. Easy-to-use refresh functions include auto- or self-refresh. RoHS-compliant, the devices are lead (Pb)- and halogen-free. Learn more about Alliance Memorys offering of single- and dual-die 8Gb DDR3L SDRAMs at https://www.alliancememory.com/micron-eol-8g-ddr3l-sdrams-now-available-direct-from-alliance-memory/ . Samples and production quantities of the dual-die AS4C1G8D3LA and AS4C512M16D3LA are available now, with lead times of six to eight weeks. Pricing depends on density, configuration, and order size. About Alliance Memory Inc. Alliance Memory is a worldwide provider of critical and hard-to-find DRAM and SRAM memory ICs for the communications, computing, consumer electronics, medical, automotive, and industrial markets. The companys product range includes DRAMs and SRAMs with commercial, industrial, and automotive operating temperature ranges and densities from 64Kb to 8Gb. Privately held, Alliance Memory maintains headquarters in San Carlos, California, and regional offices in Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America. More information about Alliance Memory is available online at www.alliancememory.com . All trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners. Editor resources: Product photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alliancememory/albums/72157704747742752 Link to more information: https://www.alliancememory.com/micron-eol-8g-ddr3l-sdrams-now-available-direct-from-alliance-memory/ Agency Contact: Bob Decker Redpines +1 415 409 0233 [email protected] Alliance Memory Contact: Kim Bagby CFO +1 650 610 6800 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Federal investment supports innovation in Alberta's electricity grid NAIT's Centre for Grid Innovation will help companies develop, test, and demonstrate innovative power generation technologies EDMONTON, April 25, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada's future prosperity goes hand-in-hand with a sustainable and clean environment. A clean economy creates growth and well-paying jobs, while preserving Canada's natural heritage for generations to come. Today, Randy Boissonnault, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 Issues, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), announced $1,889,500 in funding towards Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)'s new Centre for Grid Innovation (CGI). This new facility will promote innovation and growth in Alberta's clean technology sector. Through this investment, the CGI, which will be located at NAIT's Productivity and Innovation Centre (PIC), will help companies explore innovative power generation technologies and move them to market by providing a 'plug and play' microgrid to develop, test and demonstrate new grid technology and renewable energy prototypes. The facility will also help foster partnerships between businesses, utilities providers and vendors. Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan aims to build an economy in which Canadians have access to high-quality jobs and Canadian businesses are well-placed to participate in a rapidly evolving and competitive global marktplace. Quotes "Our government is laying the foundation for Canadians to become more competitive and succeed in the global economy. Today's investment in NAIT's Centre for Grid Innovation builds on our competitive advantages and will result in small businesses testing new grid technologies and bringing them to market, boosting economic growth and creating good, middle-class jobs for Canadians." - The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada "The Centre for Grid Innovation will help companies develop important technologies that could transform the electricity industry in Western Canada and beyond. By supporting initiatives like this, the Government of Canada is ensuring that Canadian businesses are competitive in the global low-carbon economy." - Randy Boissonnault Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 Issues "The Centre for Grid Innovation will allow NAIT's industry partners to develop new technologies that will strengthen the utilities sector. I want to express our appreciation to the Government of Canada for their contribution to this centre." - Dr. Glenn Feltham, President and CEO, NAIT Quick Facts CGI will help companies develop new grid technologies that may result in a bi-directional grid, where consumers can also be producers by harnessing energy alternatives such as solar, wind, batteries, and combined heat and power. CGI aims to address challenges such as managing the remote control of assets; forecasting the generating capacity of new technologies; assuring grid protection; managing bi-directional energy flows and connections; certification and testing of new technologies; and resilience against cyber attacks. Additional Links Western Economic Diversification Canada Innovation and Skills Plan NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter: @WD_Canada, @ISED_CA, @NAIT WD Homepage WD Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-WEST (9378) TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388 IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL. SOURCE Western Economic Diversification Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] UiPath Supports Byte Back to Prepare the Workforce of the Future UiPath, the leading robotic process automation (RPA) software company, today announced a partnership with Byte Back, a DC-based nonprofit with 22 years of experience providing inclusive tech education. The collaboration aims to create a pathway for more diversity in tech and enable adults who have been traditionally left out of the digital economy to enter living-wage careers using RPA. Beginning earlier this year, UiPath offered a four-month program designed to teach students about RPA through business analyst training and three levels of developer training. Through this course, enrolled students were taught about robotics through a blended experience of online classes, in-class mentoring and class activities. Students learned how to identify business processes that could be automated, understand where efficiencies could be created and develop and implement the required bots. The first cohort of 11 students has completed and passed the first two phases of the curriculum. The program will culminate with a certification exam, administered by an independent facility. "It was a big blessing to get into Byte Back's UiPath class," said Mario Fernandez, a student in the class. "This training will definitely help my resume and my career in tech." UiPath welcomed the students to its Together Washington event today to learn about the use cases and opportunities for RPA in local federal agencies. The company also announced that those students who complete the course and pass the test will be offered full-time jobs at UiPath partner Anika Systems, a Leesburg, VA-based small business consulting company. "This program has piqued my interest in computer science and possibly changed the direction of my career," said Tasneem Abdus-Shakur, a Byte Back student. "It excites me to become one of the grassroots individuals who may enable change with how work is approached in daily life." "I'm grateful Byte Back and UiPath teamed up to offer such cutting-edge RPA technology training," said Carla Chambers, a Byte Back studet. "Such an opportunity means that no willing and able members of the community are left behind in pursuit of a career in technology." "UiPath's goal to democratize RPA and Byte Back's goal to put 'Tech Within Reach' made this partnership as easy as building a robot," said Jim Walker, UiPath federal CTO and director of public sector marketing. "Often we hear about a digital workforce of the future, but the future is here. With Anika's announcement, our students can be on the leading edge of the AI employment wave. Our desire to get them 'work ready' is only surpassed by their personal drive and determination. Partnering with Byte Back and the efforts of the students both inspires and humbles our team." "Imagine what poverty in this country would look like if everybody had the opportunity to have a living-wage career in tech," said Elizabeth Lindsey, executive director of Byte Back. "Together, UiPath and Byte Back are providing skills that will drive the workplace of the future, and we're fortunate to have a partner that is leading the industry in AI and automation." UiPath firmly believes in preparing the workforce of the future. According to research from Brookings, under-represented groups are likely to be the most affected by automation. This intentionally inclusive initiative is a proof point of the strides UiPath is taking to make this a reality. In addition to its work with Byte Back, UiPath also provides the broader community with opportunities to learn and collaborate through free online training via the UiPath Academy and the Academic Alliance, which partners with colleges and universities. For more information about UiPath and educational initiatives, please visit www.uipath.com. About UiPath UiPath is leading the "automation first" era - championing one robot for every person, delivering free and open training and collaboration and enabling robots to learn new skills through AI and machine learning. Led by a commitment to bring digital era skills to more than a million people, the company's enterprise Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform has already automated millions of repetitive, mind-numbing tasks for business and government organizations all over the world, improving productivity, customer experience and employee job satisfaction. Recently named by Comparably as the 6th happiest place to work and the 11th best company culture among large businesses, UiPath has become one of the fastest growing enterprise software companies in history. About Byte Back Byte Back provides a pathway of inclusive tech training that leads to living-wage careers. As a leader in digital inclusion since 1997, Byte Back has helped hundreds of graduates launch living-wage careers that use technology. In 2018, 50 graduates were hired, earning $27,599 more per year than before Byte Back training. Please see more at byteback.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005085/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] VersaBank Announces the Results of Its 2019 Meeting of Shareholders VersaBank (TSX: VB) reports the results of its 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting") held in Toronto, Ontario on April 24, 2019. Each of the director nominees listed in VersaBank's management information circular dated March 1, 2019 were elected as directors of the Bank. The detailed results of the vote are as follows, with percentages rounded to two decimal places: Director Number of Votes Cast Percentage of Votes Cast Robbert-Jan Brabander In Favour: 7,082,865 99.91 % Withheld: 6,231 0.09 % Gabrielle Bochynek In Favour: 7,062,795 99.63 % Withheld: 26,301 0.37 % David A. Bratton In Favour: 7,055,798 99.53 % Withheld: 33,298 0.47 % Richard W. Carter In Favour: 7,055,042 99.52 % Withheld: 34,054 0.48 % The Honourable Thomas In Favour: 7,054,605 99.51 % A. Hockin Withheld: 34,491 0.49 % Colin E. Litton In Favour: 7,082,376 99.91 % Withheld: 6,720 0.09 % Susan T. McGovern In Favour: 7,036,480 99.26 % Withheld: 52,616 0.74 % Paul G. Oliver In Favour: 7,056,080 99.53 % Withheld: 33,016 0.47 % Avery Pennarun In Favour: 7,024,781 99.09 % Withheld: 64,315 0.91 % David R. Taylor In Favour: 7,084,365 99.93 % Withheld: 4,731 0.07 % At the meeting the Shareholders also approved the re-appointment of KPMG LLP as auditors of the Bank. VersaBank's Voting Results with respect to all matters voted upon at the Meeting will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ABOUT VERSABANK VersaBank adopted an electronic branchless model in 1993, becoming the world's first branchless financial institution. It holds a Canadian Schedule I chartered bank license and obtains its deposits, and the majority of its loans and leases, electronically. VersaBank's Common Shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol VB and its Series 1 Preferred Shares and Series 3 Preferred Shares trade under the symbols VB.PR.A and VB.PR.B, respectively. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005702/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Looker Named One of 50 Highest Rated Private Cloud Computing Companies to Work For Looker, a leading data platform company, was recognized as one of the 50 Highest Rated Private Cloud Computing Companies to Work For in a list released by Battery Ventures, a global investment firm and cloud investor, with data specifically provided by Glassdoor*, one of the world's largest job and recruiting sites. The list highlights 50 privately held companies - all business-to-business, cloud-computing companies - where employees report the highest levels of satisfaction at work, according to employee feedback shared on Glassdoor. The distinction placed Looker at number 21 (out of 50 total) with an overall company rating of 4.7. The broader average across Glassdoor is 3.4. Looker's CEO, Frank Bien, boasts a 99% approval rating on Glassdoor - compared to an average of 69% for all approximately 900,000 employers on the site - and the company has a 94% percent positive business-outlook rating, again based on feedback shared by employees. The broader Glassdoor average is 49%. A positive business outlook means employees believe business will improve in the next six months. This is the third year Battery has issued the list, along with a related ranking of the 25 Highest Rated Public Cloud Computing Companies to Work For. The rankings highlight the broader trend of businesses increasingly turning to the cloud to run critical technology systems and software, instead of using on-premise systems. They also highlight the increasing importance of cohesive culture and employee happiness in running a successful business, said Neeraj Agrawal, a Battery general partner who specializes in cloud investing. "The private companies on this list have not only scaled their products, teams and business functions-but they've managed to scale culture," Agrawal said. "We view these rankings as a key indicator of company health and longevity, and we hope all companies on this list view it as an honor to be included." It was also more difficult to make the list this year, compared with last year, Agrawal added. A Glassdoor economic research study, as well as other third party studies, show that companies with high employee satisfaction often post stronger financial performance. "A great culture is a virtuous cycle," said Lloyd Tabb, Founder, CTO and Chairman of Looker. "Working in a culture loved and respected by employees makes everything better - better product, better talent, and most importantly better days for everyone." "Our top priorities and values center around building and maintaining a healthy, inclusive and productive culture," said Jen Rettig, VP of Recruiting at Looker. "We are honored to be recognized as one of the top cloud computing companies to work for and are proud of all of our employees that make our culture what it is." Glassdoor noted that employees at these highly rated companies commonly mention in online reviews that they enjoy working for mission-driven companies with strong and unique company cultures; employers that promote transparency; and companies with experienced senior leaders who regularly and clearly communicate with employees. Full lists of the highest-rated 50 private cloud companies and 25 public cloud companies to work for can be found here. About Looker Looker is a unified data platform that delivers actionable business insights to employees at the point of decision. Looker integrates data into the daily workflows of users to allow organizations to extract value from data at web scale. Over 1600 industry-leading and innovative companies such as Sony, Amazon, The Economist, IBM (News - Alert), Spotify, Etsy, Lyft and Kickstarter have trusted Looker to power their data-driven cultures. The company is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, with offices in San Francisco, New York, Boulder, London, Tokyo and Dublin, Ireland. Investors include CapitalG, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Meritech Capital Partners, Premji Invest, Redpoint Ventures and Goldman Sachs. For more information, connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube or visit looker.com. About Battery Ventures Battery strives to invest in cutting-edge, category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, Web infrastructure, consumer Internet, mobile and industrial technologies. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at stages ranging from seed to private equity and invests globally from offices in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, London, New York and Israel. Follow the firm on Twitter (News - Alert) @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here. *By a company name, denotes a Battery investment. For a full list of all Battery investments and exits, please click here. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005810/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Moody's Analytics to Host Innovation Summit: April 30 in New York Moody's Analytics, a global provider of financial intelligence, invites business leaders to examine how the world's largest financial firms are embracing technology and disrupting from within, at its 2019 Innovation Summit on Tuesday, April 30. This year's event focuses on actionable innovation insights. Hosted by the Moody's Analytics Accelerator, the Innovation Summit will feature experts from Moody's Analytics, Credit Suisse, and Munich Re, who will discuss what it means to innovate with purpose. Sean Belka, of Fidelity, will deliver the keynote address, sharing insights and experiences on Enterprise innovation gained as Head of Fidelity Labs. A series of "lightning pitches" from Quantifind, Fintech Sandbox, and the Moody's Analytics Accelerator will allow attendees to learn from real examples of collaboration between startups and established enterprises. Other sessions will focus on how Moody's Analytics uses machine learning to automate the financial spreading process and how the company is using previously unusable, unstructured data to improve data usability and meet compliance goals. "The financial services industry is embracing new ways of working through the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the cloud, to name a few," said Keith Berry, Executive Director of the Moody's Analytics Accelerator. "At our Innovation Summit, we will bring together experts in the field to discuss how new technologies are enabling solutions that lead to better, faster decisions. Attending the conference offers an exceptional opportunity to be part of this timely and important conversation." Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about Moody's Analytics innovation strategy, hear how other finance giants are innovating in the enterprise and network with industry peers. Registration is complimentary. Click here to register for the Innovation Summit. Click here to find out more about the Moody's Analytics Accelerator. About Moody's Analytics Moody's Analytics provides financial intelligence and analytical tools to help business leaders make better, faster decisions. Our deep risk expertise, expansive information resources, and innovative application of technology help our clients confidently navigate an evolving marketplace. We are known for our industry-leading and award-winning solutions, made up of research, data, software, and professional services, assembled to deliver a seamless customer experience. We create confidence in thousands of organizations worldwide, with our commitment to excellence, open mindset approach, and focus on meeting customer needs. For more information about Moody's Analytics, visit our website or connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Moody's Analytics, Inc. is a subsidiary of Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO). Moody's Corporation reported revenue of $4.4 billion in 2018, employs approximately 13,200 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 42 countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005825/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Jenzabar Announces Life Is Good's Co-Founder Bert Jacobs To Keynote At Jenzabar's Annual Meeting BOSTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jenzabar Inc., a leading technology innovator in higher education system solutions, today announced that Life is Good Co-founder and Chief Executive Optimist, Bert Jacobs, will deliver the opening keynote at the company's annual user conference, JAM 2019. This year's event will take place from May 29 - June 1 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. In his keynote, "Harnessing the Power of Optimism to Innovate and Thrive," Jacobs will focus on inspiring others to choose optimism, grow the good in their lives, and share his vision for leadership and social responsibility. JAM is the annual conference where over 1500 Jenzabar customers, partners, and associates gather to network, learn more about Jenzabar's education technology solutions and services, and discuss industry best practices. With over 350 content-rich breakout sessions and numerous networking opportunities, JAM provides a powerful learning environment for users to discover how their peers are cutting costs, boosting revenues, maximizing their technology, and optimizing data for decision-making reporting. Attendees will hear what's new and forthcoming from Jenzabar and learn new approaches and innovative ideas to tackle their daily tasks and long-tem challenges to maximize institutional success. "JAM is a dynamic, collaborative environment where customers, partners, and employees come together to learn, share, and connect with the goal to maximize institutional success," said David Kaupp, Vice President of Marketing at Jenzabar. "Bert Jacobs' powerful optimism, good vibes, and messages of gratitude and simplicity will be a great fit with our Jenzabar community." Sessions will focus on new methods, timesaving techniques, case studies and best practices around hot topics including data analytics, cloud, the new student, online learning, mobile, academic planning, enrollment management, student advising, retention, advancement, finance, human resource, payroll, student life and institutional intelligence. Bert Jacobs is a Co-founder and Chief Executive Optimist of The Life is Good Company, which spreads the power of optimism through inspiring art, a passionate community, and groundbreaking nonprofit work. Bert and his brother John launched their business with $78 in their pockets, selling t-shirts in the streets of Boston. Today, Life is Good is a $100 million positive lifestyle brand sold by over 2,000 retailers, positively impacting over 1 million kids annually through the Life is Good Kids Foundation. Registration is now open for JAM 2019. For additional information and to register, visit https://www.jenzabarevents.com/jam/2019/registration_form.cfm . Group discounts are available to schools that send five or more attendees. About Jenzabar Created out of a passion for education and a vision for technology, Jenzabar offers disruptive, innovative software solutions and services that empower student's success and helps higher education institutions meet the demands of the modern student. Over 1,350 higher educational campuses harness Jenzabar solutions for improved performance across campus and a more personalized and connected experience for the student. For further information, please visit www.jenzabar.com or on Twitter @Jenzabar or LinkedIn. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jenzabar-announces-life-is-goods-co-founder-bert-jacobs-to-keynote-at-jenzabars-annual-meeting-300838600.html SOURCE Jenzabar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Learning Resources Partners With Giuliana & Bill Rancic To Share The Value Of Early STEM Play For Kids With The Fun Hands-On Science Of Beaker Creatures VERNON HILLS, Ill., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Educational toy company Learning Resources is celebrating the release of more crazy creatures and smart science from its STEM-themed collectibles line Beaker Creatures in partnership with celebrity parents Giuliana and Bill Rancic. The public knows Giuliana from her prolific work on red carpets and Bill from his win on the first season of The Apprentice, as an entrepreneur and NYT best-selling author. But now, the Rancics join with Learning Resources to raise awareness for their lesser-known passion--early STEM play for kids. The Rancics, who launched the online parenting platform PEAR in 2018, have observed firsthand the value and importance of early STEM exposure through their son, Duke, who attends a STEM school in Chicago. "Whether Duke is taking apart a gadget to see how it works or playing with STEM toys like Beaker Creatures, it's very clear that this type of engagement with science and engineering is having a dramatic impact on the way he is learning to think," said Giuliana Rancic. "STEM is new to a lot of parents and it can be daunting to figure out how to integrate it into kids' lives. We wanted to partner with Learning Resources to help raise awareness about just how simple and natural it can be." The Rancics are part of the nearly 85% of parents who agree that early STEM learning is critical for their kids. But many parents don't know how to help support STEM learning outside the classroom. By partnering with the Rancics, Learning Resources, an industry leader in STEM, is hoping to shine a spotlight on simple and easily implementable ways all parents can expose their kids to STEM. "For more than 30 years, Learning Resources has helped millions of children develop a love of larning and build the educational skills that help them get ready to take on the world," said Marie LaPlante, Learning Resources CMO. "We are thrilled to partner with the Rancics, who share our passion for learning through play and providing the essential STEM tools to set children up for future success." Learning Resources' partnership with the Rancic family includes a series of STEM-focused articles in addition to tips for easily incorporating STEM learning at home. It will culminate in an event in May at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago where Giuliana and Bill will host a "STEM Spectacular" complete with hands-on Beaker Creatures experiments for students from Chicago Public Schools. Learning Resources will also make a $100k product donation to CPS as part of their ongoing commitment to give back to local children and classrooms with a focus on early STEM education. Launched in 2018 with a broad lineup of new products rolling out this year, Beaker Creatures is a line of STEM-themed collectibles that combines the thrill of collecting with hands-on science experiments that build skills and spark curiosity. Having already secured a 2019 Toy of the Year nomination and more than 100 million views on YouTube, the line now boasts more than 100 creatures to collect along with even more science learning for kids to experience. Beaker Creatures is founded in real science, from the bubbling Reactor Pods that reveal the creatures to the hands-on lab sets and crazy experiments that teach kids about the world around them. For more information about Beaker Creatures and Learning Resources and to access content developed in conjunction with the Rancics, visit www.LearningResources.com. About Learning Resources: We're the toy cash registers that help kids learn to count. We're the alphabet puzzle blocks that inspire a love of reading. We're the coding mouse that schools use to prepare students for tomorrow. We are Learning Resourcesand our mission is to help kids love to learn. For over 30 years we've been the leader in educational toys, with more than 1,000 items sold in over 80 countries. Our toys are designed to help children build educational skills and get ready to take on the world. For more information, visit www.learningresources.com, or follow the brand on Twitter @LearningHandsOn, Facebook @LearningResources and Instagram @learningresources. Contact: Hastings Malone, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/learning-resources-partners-with-giuliana--bill-rancic-to-share-the-value-of-early-stem-play-for-kids-with-the-fun-hands-on-science-of-beaker-creatures-300838601.html SOURCE Learning Resources [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] City of Aurora and Creating IT Futures Bring Free IT Training & Career Program for Adults to Aurora DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with the City of Aurora, Creating IT Futures is bringing its free IT-Ready career program to Aurora, IL, this summer. IT-Ready trains, certifies and places unemployed and under-employed adults in their first jobs as help desk technicians in the information technology (IT) field. With a shortage of qualified workers, the IT industry has nearly 30,000 tech jobs open in the greater Chicago area, and in 8 weeks of full-time classroom training, Creating IT Futures can prepare students for many of those jobs. The Aurora class will be held at the Aurora Customer Service Center & Fire House #8, (3770 McCoy Drive, Aurora, IL 60504), from July 8 August 30. Applications will be accepted through June 7 at www.CreatingITFutures.org/Aurora. "We are excited that free IT training will be mde available to our Aurora citizens," said Mayor Richard C. Irvin, City of Aurora. "Recognizing the growth trajectory of IT careers, it is imperative that we, as a city, support efforts to increase the pipeline of qualified future employees in the IT industry and beyond." Students work toward CompTIA A+ certification in Creating IT Futures' IT-Ready Technical Support class. With financial support from the City of Aurora, Cognizant U.S. Foundation and CompTIA, as well as partnerships with Wounded Warrior Project, students can attend classes for free. Students must be at least 18 years old and U.S. citizens, have a high school diploma or GED, and commit to 8 weeks of full-time training. "We wholeheartedly support Creating IT Futures' mission of increasing the number of underrepresented people in the growing IT field. The IT-Ready program, to be offered to City of Aurora residents, provides technology training and executive skills development that will open up that IT career door," said Adrienne Holloway, Ph.D., chief innovation officer, City of Aurora. "City of Aurora schools have graduated approximately 3,000 high school students over the last several years where not all went on to attend college. The IT-Ready program provides our graduates with an alternative career option." What Do IT-Ready Students Learn? In the IT-Ready Tech Support class, students learn technical skills such as repairing and maintaining computer equipment, networks and operating systems as well as key business "soft" skills such as professional communication and problem solving. After completing their training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam. "IT-Ready is built along 4 key steps assessment, training, certification and job placement in order to get graduates successfully employed in the tech industry," said Sue Wallace, executive director, national workforce solutions, Creating IT Futures. "First, we do a thorough assessment to make sure students are ready for our class. Then we support students with 8 weeks of classroom-based training, which lead to industry certification with the CompTIA A+ exam. Last, we work with more than a dozen employers in the greater Chicago area, and more than 75 employers nationwide, to place our students in their first tech jobs. On average, 86% of our graduates find full-time employment in the tech industry." Applications are accepted through June 7 at www.CreatingITFutures.org/Aurora. Chicago businesses who would like to interview certified IT-Ready graduates for entry-level IT positions should contact Anderson Lee at [email protected]. About Creating IT Futures Founded in 1998 by CompTIA, Creating IT Futures is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org. Media Contact: Lisa Fasold Creating IT Futures 630-678-8558 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/city-of-aurora-and-creating-it-futures-bring-free-it-training--career-program-for-adults-to-aurora-300838629.html SOURCE Creating IT Futures [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Grubhub Reports First Quarter 2019 Results CHICAGO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Grubhub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB), the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. The Company posted revenues of $324 million, which is a 39% year-over-year increase from $233 million in the first quarter of 2018. Gross Food Sales grew 21% year-over-year to $1.5 billion, up from $1.2 billion in the same period last year. "We are extremely proud of our entire team for another fantastic quarter of execution - record new diner growth, thousands of new quality restaurants added to our platform and a sixth consecutive quarter of organic order acceleration. Even with our recent ramp in growth investments, adjusted EBITDA per order improved during the quarter, underscoring our ability to grow in a long-term sustainable manner," said Grubhub Founder and CEO Matt Maloney. "Our partnership model allows restaurant brands, large and small, to own their online business. The success of the Taco Bell launch, which drove meaningful incremental business to both Taco Bell and Grubhub, exemplifies how powerful these partnerships can be." First Quarter 2019 Highlights The following results reflect the financial performance and key operating metrics of our business for the three months ended March 31, 2019, as compared to the same period in 2018. First Quarter Financial Highlights Revenues: $323.8 million , a 39% year-over-year increase from $232.6 million in the first quarter of 2018. , a 39% year-over-year increase from in the first quarter of 2018. Net Income: $6.9 million , or $0.07 per diluted share, a 78% year-over-year decrease from $30.8 million , or $0.34 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2018. , or per diluted share, a 78% year-over-year decrease from , or per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2018. Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA: $50.9 million , a 21% year-over-year decrease from $64.1 million in the first quarter of 2018. , a 21% year-over-year decrease from in the first quarter of 2018. Non-GAAP Net Income: $27.9 million , or $0.30 per diluted share, a 41% year-over-year decrease from $47.2 million , or $0.52 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2018. First Quarter Key Business Metrics Highlights1 Active Diners were 19.3 million, a 28% year-over-year increase from 15.1 million Active Diners in the first quarter of 2018. Daily Average Grubs (DAGs) were 521,000, a 19% year-over-year increase from 436,900 DAGs in the first quarter of 2018. Gross Food Sales were $1.5 billion , a 21% year-over-year increase from $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2018. "The strong momentum in our business throughout 2018 continued in the first quarter of 2019, including continued accelerating growth and a 21% sequential increase in adjusted EBITDA. The dramatic increase in the scale and diversity of our diner base combined with the consistent diner value outlined in the supplemental disclosure sets us up for a great future," added Grubhub President and CFO, Adam DeWitt. "We anticipate our typical seasonality in the second and third quarters and remain on track for both our topline and bottom-line objectives for the full year 2019." Second Quarter and Full Year 2019 Guidance Based on information available as of April 25, 2019, the Company is providing the following financial guidance for the second quarter and full year of 2019. Second Quarter 2019 Full Year 2019 (in millions) Expected Revenue range $305 - $325 $1,315 - $1,415 Expected Adjusted EBITDA range $49 - $59 $235 - $265 First Quarter 2019 Financial Results Conference Call and Supplemental Information Grubhub will webcast a conference call today at 3:30 p.m. CT to discuss the first quarter 2019 financial results. The webcast can be accessed on the Grubhub Investor Relations website at https://investors.grubhub.com. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same website. This quarter the Company will post supplemental information about the business and financial results, which will be available on the Grubhub Investor Relations website, along with the Company's earnings press release and financial tables. About Grubhub Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as the largest diner base. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub strives to elevate food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub is proud to work with more than 115,000 restaurant partners in over 2,200 U.S. cities and London. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, Tapingo, AllMenus and MenuPages. Use of Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Grubhub, "the Company's" or our management's future expectations, beliefs, intentions, goals, strategies, plans and prospects, including the expected benefits to, and financial performance of, Grubhub including its acquisitions. Such statements constitute "forward-looking statements", which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the matters set forth in the filings that we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including those set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 28, 2019, which is on file with the SEC and is available on the Investor Relations section of our website at https://investors.grubhub.com. Additional information will be set forth in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that will be filed for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, which should be read in conjunction with these financial results. Please also note that forward-looking statements represent management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we disclaim any intention to, and undertake no obligation to, publicly update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders are financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income adjusted to exclude acquisition, restructuring and certain legal costs, income taxes, net interest expense, depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation expense. Non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders exclude acquisition, restructuring and certain legal costs, amortization of acquired intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense and other nonrecurring items as well as the income tax effects of these non-GAAP adjustments. We use these non-GAAP financial measures as key performance measures because we believe they facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period by excluding potential differences primarily caused by variations in capital structures, tax positions, the impact of acquisitions, restructuring and certain legal costs, the impact of depreciation and amortization expense on our fixed assets and the impact of stock-based compensation expense. Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders are not measurements of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciliation" below for a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders. 1 Key Business Metrics are defined on page 29 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 28, 2019. GRUBHUB INC. STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Revenues $ 323,770 $ 232,570 Costs and expenses: Operations and support 161,350 96,283 Sales and marketing 78,454 48,756 Technology (exclusive of amortization) 27,250 17,331 General and administrative 22,787 17,697 Depreciation and amortization 25,089 20,951 Total costs and expenses 314,930 201,018 Income from operations 8,840 31,552 Interest expense - net 2,812 1,022 Income before provision for income taxes 6,028 30,530 Income tax benefit (862) (236) Net income attributable to common stockholders $ 6,890 $ 30,766 Net income attributable to common stockholders Basic $ 0.08 $ 0.35 Diluted $ 0.07 $ 0.34 Weighted-average shares used to compute net income per share attributable to common stockholders: Basic 90,951 87,085 Diluted 92,918 90,091 KEY BUSINESS METRICS Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Active Diners (000s) 19,286 15,078 Daily Average Grubs 521,000 436,900 Gross Food Sales (millions) $ 1,502.3 $ 1,245.0 GRUBHUB INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except share data) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS: Cash and cash equivalents $ 189,694 $ 211,245 Short-term investments 14,704 14,084 Accounts receivable, less allowances for doubtful accounts 141,047 110,855 Income tax receivable 10,865 9,949 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 19,936 17,642 Total current assets 376,246 363,775 PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT: Property and equipment, net of depreciation and amortization 136,347 119,495 OTHER ASSETS: Other assets 22,427 14,186 Operating lease right-of-use asset 78,674 Goodwill 1,005,381 1,019,239 Acquired intangible assets, net of amortization 534,989 549,013 Total other assets 1,641,471 1,582,438 TOTAL ASSETS $ 2,154,064 $ 2,065,708 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES: Restaurant food liability $ 140,469 $ 127,344 Accounts payable 15,677 26,656 Accrued payroll 18,586 18,173 Taxes payable 1,179 422 Current portion of long-term debt 10,156 6,250 Current operating lease liability 13,436 Other accruals 50,164 44,323 Total current liabilities 249,667 223,168 LONG-TERM LIABILITIES: Deferred taxes, non-current 31,411 46,383 Noncurrent operating lease liability 82,405 Long-term debt 328,193 335,548 Other accruals 751 18,270 Total long-term liabilities 442,760 400,201 STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY: Common stock, $0.0001 par value 9 9 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,664) (1,891) Additional paid-in capital 1,107,047 1,094,866 Retained earnings 356,245 349,355 Total stockholders' equity $ 1,461,637 $ 1,442,339 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 2,154,064 $ 2,065,708 GRUBHUB INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net income $ 6,890 $ 30,766 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities: Depreciation 6,193 5,050 Deferred taxes (986) (2,976) Amortization of intangible assets and developed software 18,896 15,901 Stock-based compensation 16,478 10,231 Other 735 2,048 Change in assets and liabilities, net of the effects of business acquisitions: Accounts receivable (30,391) (172) Income taxes receivable (916) 4,090 Prepaid expenses and other assets (10,666) (3,516) Restaurant food liability 13,099 6,885 Accounts payable (18,644) 601 Accrued payroll 411 (3,295) Other accruals 12,845 5,887 Net cash provided by operating activities 13,944 71,500 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Purchases of investments (12,160) (10,537) Proceeds from maturity of investments 11,636 18,166 Capitalized website and development costs (10,692) (6,262) Purchases of property and equipment (8,018) (5,462) Acquisition of other intangible assets (5,379) Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired 127 737 Other cash flows from investing activities 16 Net cash used in investing activities (24,486) (3,342) CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Taxes paid related to net settlement of stock-based compensation awards (9,966) (11,485) Proceeds from exercise of stock options 2,424 6,948 Repayments of borrowings under the credit facility (2,031) (25,781) Payments for debt issuance costs (1,647) Net cash used in financing activities (11,220) (30,318) Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash (21,762) 37,840 Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 232 356 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of year 215,802 238,239 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of the period $ 194,272 $ 276,435 SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH ITEMS Cash paid for income taxes $ 351 $ 227 GRUBHUB INC. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES RECONCILIATION (in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net income $ 6,890 $ 30,766 Income taxes (862) (236) Interest expense - net 2,812 1,022 Depreciation and amortization 25,089 20,951 EBITDA 33,929 52,503 Acquisition, restructuring and legal costs 486 1,329 Stock-based compensation 16,478 10,231 Adjusted EBITDA $ 50,893 $ 64,063 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net income $ 6,890 $ 30,766 Stock-based compensation 16,478 10,231 Amortization of acquired intangible assets 11,942 11,543 Acquisition, restructuring and legal costs 486 1,329 Income tax adjustments (7,862) (6,677) Non-GAAP net income $ 27,934 $ 47,192 Weighted-average diluted shares used to compute net income per share attributable to common stockholders 92,918 90,091 Non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders $ 0.30 $ 0.52 Guidance Three Months Ended June 30, 2019 Year Ended December 31, 2019 Low High Low High (in millions) Net income $ 0.6 $ 7.5 $ 29.7 $ 50.4 Income taxes 0.3 3.4 13.4 22.7 Interest expense ? net 2.8 2.8 11.4 11.4 Depreciation and amortization 27.0 27.0 106.0 106.0 EBITDA 30.7 40.7 160.5 190.5 Acquisition and restructuring costs 0.5 0.5 Stock-based compensation 18.3 18.3 74.0 74.0 Adjusted EBITDA $ 49.0 $ 59.0 $ 235.0 $ 265.0 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grubhub-reports-first-quarter-2019-results-300838648.html SOURCE Grubhub Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Yelp Announces Date of First Quarter 2019 Financial Results Yelp (News - Alert) Inc. (NYSE: YELP), the company that connects people with great local businesses, announced that it will release its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 after the market closes on Thursday, May 9, 2019. Yelp will issue a press release when its Shareholder Letter for the quarter has been posted on its investor relations website at www.yelp-ir.com. Following the release of the Shareholder Letter, Ylp will host a webcasted conference call to discuss its first quarter results starting at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on the same day. The live and archived webcasts will be accessible from Yelp's investor relations website at the same web address as above. About Yelp Yelp Inc. (www.yelp.com) connects people with great local businesses. With unmatched local business information, photos and review content, Yelp provides a platform for consumers to discover, interact and transact with local businesses of all sizes. Yelp was founded in San Francisco in July 2004. Since then, Yelp has taken root in major metros in more than 30 countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005858/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Assured Guaranty Ltd. to Report First Quarter 2019 Financial Results on May 9, 2019 Assured Guaranty Ltd. (NYSE: AGO)(the Company) today announced that it will issue its financial results press release for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 after 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (5:00 p.m. Atlantic Time) on Thursday, May 9, 2019. The press release and Assured Guaranty Ltd.'s Financial Supplement for March 31, 2019 will be available in the Investor Information section of the Company's website located at AssuredGuaranty.com. The Company will host a conference call for investors at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time (9:00 a.m. Atlantic Time) on Friday, May 10, 2019. The conference call will be vailable via live and archived webcast in the Investor Information section of the Company's website at AssuredGuaranty.com or by dialing 1-877-281-1545 (in the U.S.) or 1-412-902-6609 (International). A replay of the call will be made available through August 10, 2019. To listen to the replay, dial 1-877-344-7529 (in the U.S.) or 1-412-317-0088 (International), passcode 10130898. The replay will be available one hour after the conference call ends. Assured Guaranty Ltd. is a publicly traded Bermuda-based holding company. Its operating subsidiaries provide credit enhancement products to the U.S. and international public finance, infrastructure and structured finance markets. More information on Assured Guaranty and its subsidiaries can be found at AssuredGuaranty.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005017/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] MPHASE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF AIROBOTICA SERVICES LIMITED New York, NY, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- mPhase Technologies, Inc. (OTC Pink:XDSL) (the Company) today announced that it has entered into a stock purchase agreement with AIRobotica Services Limited (AIRobotica), a Bangalore, India-based technology company focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). In its first two years in business, AIRobotica has already signed contracts or is developing projects for entities in government, manufacturing, healthcare, automotive, retail, real estate and logistics industries. In addition to third-party contracts, the new division will support the commercialization of existing and future mPhase technology. The divisions goal is to expand its core team to encompass a wide range of applications, creating a one-stop shop for custom solutions in AI, MI, robotic process automation (RPA), AI/ML solutions for SAP and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). One of the companys initial commercial technologies is a Chatbot that can mimic human interaction as the front-end of customer service applications, but this is just the first in a long-term plan to develop technologies targeting multiple industries. AIRobotica has assembled exactly the kind of team that I have been looking for to help complete and complement our mPhase projects, explained Verus CEO Anshu Bhatnagar. But just as importantly, they also represent a turnkey revenue center, with projects in work that can make this division self-supporting and profitable. We are aligning with AIRobotica right at the point where they are transitioning from their development phase to their revenue phase, so the timing could not be better. We expect this business unit to have a solid triple digit growth rate with thepotential to exceed $10M in sales during its first year subject to funding to be provided by mPhase. The Company intends to add to the AIRobotica talent pool via some key hires in coming months. While the initial goal is to generate business via specific contracts, an equally important goal is to create (over time) a bankable collection of intellectual property that can be adapted for additional applications. Terms of the acquisition will be available in conjunction with public filings. Interested investors can visit the AIRobotica website to explore this new mPhase operating unit in greater detail. https://airoboticatech.com/ Investors are also invited to visit our corporate website to learn more about the changing face of mPhase. https://www.mphasetech.com/ About mPhase Technologies, Inc. mPhase Technologies, Inc has historically engaged in technology R&D, with a particular emphasis on long-life, battery cell technology. The Company is currently transitioning into a consumer-oriented technology and services company. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are identified by the use of the words could, believe, anticipate, intend, estimate, expect, may, continue, predict, potential, project and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Contacts: Investor Contact: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] Caryn Marooney Elected to Elastic's Board of Directors Elastic N.V. (NYSE: ESTC), the company behind Elasticsearch and the Elastic Stack, announced that its shareholders elected Caryn Marooney to the company's board of directors at the extraordinary general shareholder meeting that took place today. The term of office for Ms. Marooney will expire at the end of the 2022 annual general meeting of shareholders. Marooney is a globally recognized marketing executive who is currently Vice President of Global Communications at Facebook (News - Alert). She has been with Facebook for eight years. She has strong roots in the technology industry, having worked with many companies who have, and continue to, disrupt the status quo. As CEO and co-founder of The OutCast Agency, she helped companies like Amazon, Netflix, Salesforce and VMware build their brands into the household names that they are. At Facebook, Marooney leads global communications, shaping the company vision and arrative for Facebook and its family of apps including Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Oculus. Since 2014, Marooney has served on the board of directors of Zendesk. Holders of approximately 71.6% of the company's ordinary shares were represented at the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders. About Elastic Elastic is a search company. As the creators of the Elastic Stack (Elasticsearch, Kibana, Beats, and Logstash), Elastic builds self-managed and SaaS (News - Alert) offerings that make data usable in real time and at scale for use cases like application search, site search, enterprise search, logging, APM, metrics, security, business analytics, and many more. Elastic and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Elastic N.V. and its subsidiaries. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements herein are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations. Various important factors could cause actual results to differ materially, including the risks identified in our SEC (News - Alert) filings. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this report and the exhibit hereto. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005877/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] MetLife Investment Management Names Matthew Mosca Global Head of Institutional Client Group MetLife Investment Management (MIM), MetLife Inc.'s (NYSE:MET) institutional asset management business, today announced the appointment of Matthew Mosca as global head of the firm's Institutional Client Group. Mosca joins from BlackRock, where he was most recently head of strategy for BlackRock's Official Institutions Group. In this role he oversaw strategy, business development and operations for BlackRock's relationships with sovereign institutions. He was also a member of the Institutional Client Business leadership team. Based in Whippany, New Jersey, Mosca is responsible for MIM's institutional client strategy and the delivery of investment solutions to clients globally. He will also oversee client relationship management and consultant relations. Steve Goulart, president of MIM and executive vice president and chief investment officer for MetLife, said: "Matt's deep client relationships and significant asset management experience will be instrumental as we further strengthen our offerings across public fixed income, private fixed income and real estate, and accelerate the growth of our business globally." Prior to joining MIM, Mosca spent more than 25 years at BlackRock in a number of senior leadership positions. During his tenure, he also served as chief operating officer of BlackRock's Institutional Client Business where he was responsible for overseeing group operations and client service for BlackRock's institutional clients. Mosca has extensive experience working with institutional investors across the globe, including two years as co-head of Nomura BlackRock Asset Management in Japan. MetLife Investment Management, which launched as a third-party asset manager in 2012, has approximately $589 billion in total assets under management as of 31 December 2018. About MetLife Investment Management MetLife Investment Management, MetLife, Inc.'s institutional asset management business, is a global fixed income and real estate manager providing differentiated investment solutions to institutional investors worldwide. MetLife Investment Management provides institutional investors including corporate and government pension plans, insurance companies and other financial institutions with long-term public and private investment and financing solutions. MetLife Investment Management leverages a disciplined credit research and underwriting process to provide institutional investors with asset origination and acquisition opportunities and proprietary risk management analytics across public fixed income strategies, private placements, and commercial real estate debt and equity investing, among others. For more information, visit https://investments.metlife.com. About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements and Non-GAAP Financial Information This release may contain or refer to forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give expectations or forecasts of the future using terms such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "will," and other terms tied to future periods. Results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and expectations. They involve risks and uncertainties, including the "Risk Factors" MetLife, Inc. describes in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company has no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement. Parts of this release may include additional information on forward-looking statements. The release may also contain measures that are not calculated based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP. Parts of this release, the Investor Relations portion of MetLife's website (www.metlife.com), or other parts of that website include information on non-GAAP financial information. Explanatory Note on Non-GAAP Financial Information Total Assets Under Management ("Total AUM") is a financial measure based on methodologies other than accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). Total AUM are comprised of GA AUM, plus Indexed SA AUM plus TP AUM (each as defined below). MetLife believes the use of Total AUM enhances the understanding of the depth and breadth of its investment management services on behalf of its general account investment portfolio, separate account index investment portfolios and unaffiliated/third party clients. General Account Assets Under Management ("GA AUM") is a financial measure based on methodologies other than GAAP. MetLife utilizes GA AUM to describe assets in its general account investment portfolio which are actively managed and stated at estimated fair value. MetLife believes the use of GA AUM enhances the understanding and comparability of its general account investment portfolio. GA AUM are comprised of general account Total Investments and cash and cash equivalents, excluding policy loans, other invested assets, contractholder-directed equity securities and fair value option securities, as substantially all of these assets are not actively managed in MetLife's general account investment portfolio. Mortgage loans and certain real estate investments included in GA AUM have been adjusted from carrying value to estimated fair value. Classification of GA AUM by sector is based on the nature and characteristics of the underlying investments which can vary from how they are classified under GAAP. Passive-Indexed Separate Account Assets Under Management ("Indexed SA AUM") are passive-indexed insurance company separate account investment portfolios, which are stated at estimated fair value, managed by MetLife that track the return of industry market indices. Indexed SA AUM represent separate account assets of MetLife insurance companies which are included in MetLife, Inc.'s consolidated financial statements at estimated fair value. Third Party Assets Under Management ("TP AUM") are non-proprietary assets managed by MetLife on behalf of unaffiliated/third party clients, which are stated at estimated fair value. TP AUM are owned by such unaffiliated/third party clients; accordingly, TP AUM are not included in MetLife, Inc.'s consolidated financial statements. GA AUM and Total AUM are non-GAAP financial measures and should not be viewed as substitutes for Total Investments, the most directly comparable GAAP measure. A reconciliation of Total Investments to GA AUM and Total AUM is set forth in the table below. Total Investments under GAAP includes short-term investments and excludes cash and cash equivalents. Additional information about MetLife's general account investment portfolio is available in MetLife, Inc.'s quarterly financial materials for the quarter ended December 31, 2018, which may be accessed through MetLife's Investor Relations Web page at http://investor.metlife.com. Reconciliation of Total Investments to General Account Assets Under Management and Total Assets Under Management ($ in Billions) 12/31/2018 Total Investments $ 436.2 Plus cash and cash equivalents 15.8 Plus fair value adjustment - mortgage loans 1.0 Plus fair value adjustment - real estate and real estate joint ventures 5.7 Less policy loans 9.7 Less other invested assets 18.2 Less contract holder-directed equity securities and fair value option securities 12.6 General Account Assets Under Management $ 418.2 Plus passive-indexed separate account assets under management 14.4 Plus third party assets under management 156.1 Total Assets Under Management $ 588.7 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425006019/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] $450K Grant Helps Fund Construction of Six New Special-Needs Homes in Louisiana A $450,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant to St. Mary's Residential Training School (St. Mary's) from Red River Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) helped fund the construction of six new group homes for developmentally disabled adults with severe or profound intellectual disabilities in the Alexandria, Louisiana, area. The media is encouraged to join local dignitaries and bank representatives at a ribbon cutting ceremony and check presentation at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 at St. Mary's Group Homes at 6715 Highway 1 North in Boyce. FHLB Dallas annually returns 10 percent of its profits in the form of AHP grants to the communities served by its member institutions, like Red River Bank. AHP grants fund a variety of projects, including home rehabilitation and modifications for low-income, elderly and special-needs residents; down payment and closing cost assistance for qualified first-time homebuyers; and the construction of low-income, multifamily rental communities and single-family homes. Each group home contains eight individual living areas in addition to a laundry facility, community room, kitchen and handicap accessible bathrooms. Since the inception of the AHP in 1990, FHLB Dallas has awarded more than $278 million in AHP and AHP-funded grants to assist more than 51,000 families. For more information about the AHP, visit fhlb.com/ahp. WHAT: Ribbon Cutting and Check Presentation WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, 2019 WHO: Jannease Seastrunk, Vice President, Community Relations and CRA Officer, Red River Bank Ben St. Romain, Assistant Vice President, Red River Bank Tamara McNulty, Director of Development, St. Mary's Residential Training School Erica Poe, Events Coordinator, FHLB Dallas WHERE: St. Mary's Group Homes 6715 Highway 1 North Boyce, Louisiana 71409 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425006031/en/ [April 25, 2019] Statement by Minister Bains and Minister Gould on the Privacy Commissioner findings on Facebook privacy practices OTTAWA, April 25, 2019 /CNW/ - The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Democratic Institutions, made the following statement: "Social media platforms play a meaningful role in promoting a healthy and resilient democracy. They provide a forum for sharing ideas, and enable Canadians to engage in a dialogue about important issues and facilitate economic activity. But they also have a responsibility to manage their communities. "Facebook must back up its commitment to protect Canadians' personal data with consistent and measurable actions. It is clear that Canadians expect and deserve greater transparency and control over the use of their personal information. "We thank the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C. for their findings today, which reinforce the need for companies to be held accountable for their behaviour. "Our government has taken immediate action to address these concerns including the modernization of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, which could result in fines of up to $100,000 for companies failing to comply. We have also introduced measures in Bill C-76, the Elections Modernization Act, and more work is being done to position Canada as a global leader in the digital economy. "Our government continues to engage with online platforms and communicate our expectations. We expect greater action and specific measures to increase transparency, authenticity, integrity, and to combat the spread of disinformation. We also recognize the importance of privacy and trust as a linchpin of Canada's leadership in the data and digital world and will be taking concrete actions in the area in the coming weeks." Stay connected Find more services and information at Canada.ca/ISED. Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media. Twitter: @ISED_CA, Facebook: Canadian Innovation, Instagram: @cdninnovation and LinkedIn SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The 6.1-inch Galaxy S10 may be the middle child of the S10 lineup, but don't sleep on this powerful smartphone or its beautiful display. The 6.1-inch Galaxy S10 may be the middle child of the S10 lineup, but don't sleep on this powerful smartphone or its beautiful display. Make way, Galaxy S10. The Samsung Galaxy S20 series is here, which bring advanced cameras, 120Hz displays and improved performance to the company's flagship phone. That brings up an interesting question: should prospective buyers entertain one of the newer models, or snag a Galaxy S10 on the cheap, while many retailers have heavily discounted their stock? That all depends on how badly you want the S20's upgrades. The S20 models packs 5G connectivity and Snapdragon 865 power; a triple-lens rear camera with a 48-megapixel, 3x optical zoom lens; a 120Hz display; and a larger, 4,000-mAh battery, among other upgrades. es. You could save nearly a quarter of what the S20 costs and still get one of last year's finest phones in the Galaxy S10, with its dazzling OLED display and great (if not class-leading) cameras that come alive when shooting low light. Even with the S20 looming large, the S10 is still every bit the jack-of-all-trades premium Android handset it was when it launched not to mention one of the best smartphones money can buy. If you're on the fence, be sure to check our Galaxy S20 versus Galaxy S10 comparison to see all the differences. And see how Samsung's flagship stacks up against Apple's in our Galaxy S10 vs iPhone 11 Pro face-off. Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Price and availability You can buy a Galaxy S10 from all major retailers. The big four U.S. carriers AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile carry the S10, as do U.S. Cellular and Xfinity Mobile. You can also order an unlocked Galaxy S10 online. Following the Galaxy S20's launch, Samsung began offering the 128GB Galaxy S10 for $749 and the 512GB model for $899. Those models cost $899 and $1,149, respectively, before the S20 entered the picture. Check out our roundup of best Galaxy S10 deals for more opportunities to save. Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Specs Price $899 Display (Resolution) 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED (3040 x 1440) Rear Camera(s) 16-MP ultrawide (/2.2), 12-MP dual-pixel wide (/1.5, /2.4), 12-MP telephoto (/2.4) Front Camera 10-MP dual-pixel (f/1.9) CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 RAM 8GB Storage 128GB, 512GB microSD Yes, up to 512GB Battery 3,400 mAh Colors Prism Black, Prism White, Prism Blue, Prism Green (except U.S.), Flamingo Pink (except U.K.) Size 5.9 x 2.77 x 0.3 inches Weight 5.5 ounces Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Display Almost every other smartphone maker has eliminated bezels by adding a notch that swoops down from the top of the device to disguise the front-facing camera. Samsung avoided that trend altogether with all three Galaxy S10 models, instead developing the unique Infinity-O display, which embeds the front-facing camera lens directly in the screen. The midsized S10 sports a hole-punch-size cutout for its single selfie lens, which is far less distracting than the S10 Plus' oval-shaped cutout. I read lengthy New York Times articles, raced my trusty Mitsubishi Lancer in Asphalt 9 and took multiple selfies with the S10, and the hole punch never took away from the experience. When snapping photos of myself, I realized that the obvious cutout ensured I always looked directly at the lens. For those of you who never seem to nail eye contact with the camera lens, the S10's cutout is a great feature, making this task ridiculously easy. You can also hide the hole punch with Samsung's cleverly designed wallpapers. That won't help when you're streaming videos or browsing the web, but the disguise looks pretty damn good when you show it off to friends. The slightly curved glass practically cascades from the phone's frame. That curved glass also makes it a little too easy to accidentally press something simply because you were holding the device; this was also a problem in past generations of Galaxy phones. If you want to hide the cutout altogether, thats an option, but that effect is so ugly that you may as well buy another Android device with a notch and call it a day. The S10 broke DisplayMate's records for display brightness, color accuracy and image contrast, and the list goes on, so the S10 earned an A+ for a virtually perfect display. We found the same in our testing. The S10's AMOLED display covers 208.2 percent of the sRGB color gamut and notched a 0.38 Delta-E rating for color accuracy (numbers closer to 0 are better). The S10 hit a peak brightness of 611 nits when we shone a flashlight on its sensor, making the phone's panel almost as bright as that on the S10 Plus (625 nits). The Pixel 3 is ultra dim by comparison, hitting just 362 nits. Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Design Aside from the hole-punch display, the Galaxy S10 is the same as every other smartphone on the market. That's not a bad thing, but if you're waiting for innovative smartphone design before spending close to $1,000 (or far more) for a new device, you'll have to hold out for the foldable phones arriving this year. The 6.1-inch S10 has the exact same dimensions as Apple's 6.1-inch, $749 iPhone 11 but is more than a full ounce lighter. The S10 isn't a one-handed device for those of us with petite paws; the 5.8-inch S10e is both smaller and cheaper, so go for that device if size is the deciding factor for you in phone selection. The S10 comes in the same colors as the larger $999 Galaxy S10 Plus, which offers a few simple options (like white and black) and some bolder ones (blue, Flamingo Pink). I tested the Prism Black model, which is a terribly boring glassy black slab. I suggest going with Prism White, or one of the more interesting hues, which will help you stand out. The black model collects so many fingerprints that you'll look like a really uncool forensics investigator. Like all Galaxy S models, the S10 is rated IP68 water-resistant, meaning it can survive in up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water for a half-hour. That's respectable in the flagship phone realm, and thus earns the Galaxy S10 a spot on our list of the best waterproof phones. Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Cameras The S10 and S10 Plus have one key difference, aside from the larger phone's bigger display: The Plus sports an additional 8-megapixel, depth-sensing, front-facing camera for better selfies. Both devices have a selfie-portrait effect, which enables other effects, including wind-swept and black-and-white backgrounds. But the S10 achieves those effects using software instead of an additional depth-sensing lens, and it shows when comparing the two side by side. As you can see in the black-and-white Live Focus image above, the S10's camera software gets a little messy around my curls. Meanwhile, the S10 Plus seamlessly softens the background around them, creating a more natural effect. Otherwise, the S10 and S10 Plus have the same rear triple-lens camera array, with telephoto, standard and wide-angle shooters for capturing a variety of viewpoints. I compared the S10 with a Pixel 3 by capturing a Brooklyn storefront. Both images capture the detail in the brick and the gleam of the coffee shop's sign, but the S10 is more color-accurate; the neon "No Sleep Till" sign glowed more yellow than blue-white in real life. I also compared the S10's telephoto lens and optical zoom with the iPhone XS cameras by playing tourist with a photo of the Statue of Liberty as seen from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. It's an almost impossible shot, because Lady Liberty is extremely far away and the midday sun is not helpful. The iPhone's optical zoom fared better, as the S10's image is darker, with more artifacts in the photo. The S10's cameras are good, though if you want more dramatic photos, the Pixel 3 and newer Pixel 4 remain better options, while the latest iPhones capture more-natural shots. Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Security Samsung can't compete with Apple on biometric authentication, and we're not sure the Galaxy maker is even trying. This is one area where Samsung needs to work harder to ensure that unlocking your phone and authenticating payments are locked down with the most secure biometric scans that money can buy. In our testing, the S10's facial recognition is easily fooled by a photograph of a person's face. That's just plain embarrassing. The photo trick doesn't work if you turn off Fast Facial Recognition in the S10's settings, but the facial-authentication method is still less secure than it should be. That's because Samsung doesn't use hardware to create a 3D map of your face the way Apple does with its Face ID. The S10's in-display reader is more secure, due to an ultrasonic sensor that maps the 3D curves of your fingerprint. You have to press a little longer on the sensor than you would think, but the phone unlocks quickly enough, and I appreciate that it's not a two-step process, like on the iPhone XS. (On that phone, you have to wait for the camera to scan your face and then swipe up.) There have been some complaints about the Galaxy S10's ultrasonic fingerprint sensor not working properly when a screen protector is applied to the phone. In fact, one woman claims that anyone could unlock her Galaxy S10 after she purchased a screen protector off of eBay. Fortunately, Samsung issued an update designed to fix this problem shortly after release. Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Performance The Galaxy S10 Plus and smaller S10 have the same exact specs, and it shows in their performance power. With Qualcomm's 7-nanometer Snapdragon 855 processor and 8GB of RAM, the S10 easily matches the larger S10 Plus' speed. The two devices scored evenly on Geekbench 4, a synthetic test of overall system performance. The S10 notched a multicore score of 10,813, sneaking just ahead of the larger phone's performance (10,732). Both phones lag behind the iPhone XS' A12 Bionic processor, which blows away the competition with a 11,420 score. But both S10s handily crush their Android rivals, including the Pixel 3 (7,316) and OnePlus 6T (8,972). MORE: Best phones: Here are the 10 best available And the S10, like the S10 Plus, pulled ahead of both the iPhone and competing Android flagships in the 3DMark Slingshot Extreme graphics-performance benchmark. The S10 notched a score of 5,606 on the OpenGL ES 3.1 test, just behind the larger S10's score (5,648) and easily ahead of the results from the OnePlus 6T (5,183), Pixel 3 (4,396) and iPhone XS (4,339). I unlocked one premium race car after another in my favorite graphics-intensive game, Asphalt 9, easily killing 45 minutes burning rubber around the globe. The S10 never lagged or felt warm to the touch. Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Battery life The Galaxy S10's 3,400-mAh battery isn't as large as the massive, 4,100-mAh pack inside the S10 Plus. And as expected, the smaller device doesn't last as long on a charge, though you can still go a long time without topping off your battery. The S10 eked out 10 hours and 19 minutes on the Tom's Guide Battery Test, which consists of continuous web surfing over 4G LTE. The S10 Plus landed near the top of our list of longest-lasting smartphones, reaching 12 hours and 35 seconds on that test. MORE: Smartphones with the longest battery life The Galaxy S9 Plus, released in 2018, also lasts longer on a charge than the S10, but that older phone has a slightly larger, 3,500-mAh battery. The S10e and its smaller, 3,100-mAh unit died after 9 hours and 42 minutes. The S10 outlasted both the iPhone XS (9:41) and the Pixel 3 XL (9:30). In the iPhone 11 Pro vs. Samsung's S10 face-off, the Pro lasted four minutes longer (10:23) than the S10. All three Galaxy S10 models have a new Wireless PowerShare feature that we wish every smartphone on the market offered. The tool, which you toggle on in the shortcuts menu by swiping down, lets you charge up any Qi-compatible device. I used this to charge up Samsung's Galaxy Watch Active, and the process works quickly and seamlessly. Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Software The OneUI software on the Galaxy S10 is streamlined as promised and fairly to easy to use. The settings menu, for example, presents a lot fewer options than previous Galaxy phones. By default, theres a Recent Apps, Home Button and Back button along the bottom of the display. But you can switch to full-screen gestures. You'll swipe up from the bottom left to see recent apps, up from the bottom to go home and up from the right to go back. The Galaxy S10 also now offers some of the more compelling software features of the Galaxy Note 10. These include Live Focus video for applying bokeh effects to your footage and Samsung DeX for PC, which allows you to see notifications and send and receive messages on your laptop without having to fire up your phone. Samsung Galaxy S10 review: Verdict Even more than a year since its release, the Galaxy S10 offers superfast performance and a beautiful display, with a less distracting camera cutout than on the larger, pricier S10 Plus. I also love that the S10 offers my favorite feature, Wireless PowerShare. That means you don't have to splurge on the priciest Galaxy to reverse-charge all of your devices. Apple and Google's latest flagships sport better cameras, depending on whether you prefer more dramatic or more natural shots. And if you want longer battery life, the S10 Plus is a better bet, provided you can handle a larger, 6.4-inch screen. We do prefer the S10 to the value-priced OnePlus 6T, based on our face-off. Sure, the Galaxy S20's redesigned triple-camera stack and 5G connectivity could put the Galaxy S10's photography and data speeds to shame. But at the end of the day, if all you're looking for is a well-rounded, well-crafted Android flagship that can do it all including work with a pair of good old-fashioned wired headphones for a price you can sleep easy at night spending, the Galaxy S10 remains an unbeatable proposition. (Image credit: AMD) Nobody outside AMD knows when the first GPUs based on its Navi architecture will debut. But a new report claims the company is close to open-sourcing the code behind its Navi driver for Linux, and that could mean the new graphics architecture will make its debut sooner than later. Phoronix reported that the AMDGPU LLVM back-end had recently seen commits--code changes pushed to Git repositories used to manage many software projects--referencing Navi by its GFX1010 identifier. The code has yet to be posted for public review, but the outlet said AMD is likely working through its legal review of the code, which is the last step that needs to be completed before the company can publicly release its work. The driver nearing its release lends credence to the idea that AMD will reveal Navi products in the near future. Rumors have named different events as host to the architecture's debut. There's Computex 2019 at the end of May, and a Navi reveal would make sense for AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su's keynote at the conference. E3 2019 is in June, and with Navi being at the core of the PlayStation 5, it could make sense to announce it there. Navi's inclusion in the PS5 offered some more details about the platform's capabilities. Sony told Wired its next console would allow people to play games at 8K resolutions and would support the ray tracing tech Nvidia has pushed so hard over the last few months. (And which other companies have now started to hype as well.) That isn't particularly specific, but at least it gives us an idea of what Navi-based GPUs will be capable of. You can learn more about what we've heard about Navi over the last few months in our "AMD Navi GPUs: Rumors, Release Date, All We Know" post. The information Phoronix gleaned from Git repositories might not offer much more information, but at least it lines up with other Navi rumors. Kansas City Mayor Sly James announced his endorsement in the race to succeed him on Thursday. He said he would support Councilwoman Jolie Justus in a video released by her campaign. Will Sly James make a difference in Kansas City's mayoral race? Some KC leaders push for city to build its own jail The Jackson County jail is about to stop housing city inmates. Because of that, city leaders are scrambling to come up with a plan. The jail's problems with overcrowding, staffing and security means they cannot handle Kansas City's inmates."They don't want us at all. The sheriff does not want us at all. The public has been mostly excluded from this discussion as politicos and activists FAILED to settle the matter behind the scenes. Here's an important overview of the question that will begin yet another local human rights hot mess like the unresolved Jackson County Jail drama. Read more: Missouri Republicans' gerrymandering power grab is a political emergency In November 2018, a resounding 62 percent of Missouri voters approved Constitutional Amendment One, better known as Clean Missouri. The amendment restored a modicum of sanity and fairness to a legislature with a reputation for the kind of corruption that tends to grow out of a lack of transparency. As always, the term "ethics" in Missouri politics requires a quick chortle . . . And tonight we take a look at Missouri Democratic Party talking points pushed by this magazine that didn't bother to reportas well. You decide . . . Kansas City Affordable Housing Shortage Revisited By Robot Reporters Renting in Kansas City: What will $1,300 get you? Curious just how far your dollar goes in Kansas City? We've rounded up the latest rental offerings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to locating a rental in Kansas City if you're on a budget of $1,300/month. Read on for the listings. Traffic Trouble Report MoDOT construction project to snarl traffic along I-435 Breaking News A major road project is likely to cause headaches for a lot of Kansas City drivers beginning Friday morning. The Missouri Department of Transportation is making changes in connection with its South Loop Link project to update bridges and Interstate 435. The work is part of Phase 2 of the overall project. Kansas City Doggie Survivor Meet Kansas City's most dog-bitten mail carrier John "Kibble and Bits" Adams KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- The city of Kansas City, Missouri, ranks among the nation's worst for dog attacks on mail carriers. Last year, 5,714 letter carriers were bitten or attacked by dogs nationwide, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Impending Summer Shut Down Redux Kansas City Schlitterbahn Water Park Permits Expire Mid-Summer In 2016, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was killed while riding the 17-story water slide that was billed as the world's largest at the time. Schlitterbahn, its co-owners and other employees were later charged in connection to Caleb's death, but those charges have since been dropped. Hipsters Already Planning Weekend Brisket and Waffles, Pizza Shuttle & Other Weekend Possibilities Pizza Shuttle (12094 W. 135th St.) has landed, Overland Park. Over the past three decades, Pizza Shuttle is the spot that's been on the other end of many a late night call in Lawrence, Kansas. Cowtown Forecast For Now Foggy morning, windy afternoon with isolated storms possible Rain is likely this weekend. Local Selling Season Tradition KC's Spring Parade of Homes 2019 The spring Parade of Homes in Kansas City offers something for everyone. Upgrade to a larger home or downsize or realize your dream as a first-time buyer. The Home Builders To star this #TBT we take a look at the local legacy of disaster and then quickly transition into a few newsworthy items from the morning media cycle. Checkit:And this is thefor right now . . . Toyota Motor Corp., Denso Corporation and the SoftBank Vision Fund (SVF) will invest US$1bn in Uber Technologies Inc.s Advanced Technologies Group (Uber ATG) to accelerate the development and commercialization of automated ridesharing services. Under the terms of the funding, Toyota and Denso will together invest US$667m and SVF will invest US$333m, valuing the newly formed Uber ATG corporate entity at US$7.25bn on a post-money basis. Toyota invested US$500m in Uber in August 2018, when the two companies announced their intention to bring pilot-scale deployments of automated Toyota Sienna-based ridesharing vehicles to the Uber ridesharing network in 2021, combining the strengths of Uber ATGs self-driving technology alongside the Toyota Guardian advanced safety support system. The further investment and expanded partnership builds on the progress made to date, deepening the companies collaboration in designing and developing next-generation autonomous vehicle hardware. Expected to close in the third quarter of this year, the deal will also prepare the companies and industry for the mass production and commercialization of automated ridesharing vehicles and services. Toyota will also contribute up to an additional US$300m over the next three years to help cover the costs related to these activities as the partnership moves toward its ultimate goal of creating safe autonomous ridesharing at scale. The majority of Uber ATGs previous autonomous research has involved Volvo and Ford vehicles. This investment and our strong partnership with the Toyota Group are a testament to the incredible work of our ATG team to date, and the exciting future ahead for this important project, alongside great partners, commented Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. The development of automated driving technology will transform transportation as we know it, making our streets safer and our cities more livable. This announcement, along with our ongoing OEM and supplier relationships, will help maintain our position at the forefront of that transformation. Shigeki Tomoyama, Toyota executive vice president and president of the auto makers in-house Connected Company, said, We are dedicated to realizing a safe and secure future mobility society. Leveraging the strengths of Uber ATGs autonomous vehicle technology and service network and our vehicle control system technology, mass-production capability, and advanced safety support systems, such as Toyota Guardian, will enable us to commercialize safer, lower cost automated ridesharing vehicles and services. We believe that the combined work of Toyota, Denso and Uber ATG on developing n ext-generation autonomous vehicle hardware will accelerate the timeline for and early success of automated ridesharing services. Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, executive vice president of Denso, added, Among the biggest challenges facing automated driving, most lie in how to implement both the hardware and the software at scale. As a global automotive supplier, we are excited to collaborate with Uber ATG and Toyota to develop advanced automated driving hardware that we believe will transform future mobility. Rajeev Misra, CEO of the SoftBank Vision Fund, noted, The team at Uber ATG has made significant progress developing highly robust automated ridesharing technology. With a comprehensive platform of hardware and software, the largest global ridesharing network and Toyotas partnership, this collaboration is well-positioned to deploy automated ridesharing services at scale. Cameroons trade composition with Africa is relatively concentrated in a few products in terms for both imports and exports, albeit imports are more concentrated. Cameroon has a trade deficit with Africa. In 2017, intra-Africa exports were valued at US$ 778 million while imports were over US$ 1.8 billion. Intra-Africa exports account for 12% of Cameroons global exports while intra-Africa imports account for 18% of Cameroons global imports. The bulk of exports were destined to ECCAS states Chad; Gabon; Central Africa Republic and Congo and accounted for 52% of Cameroons intra-Africa exports. Nigeria; Senegal and Togo, although not members of ECCAS featured in the top 10 with a combined share of 26% of Cameroons intra-Africa exports in 2017. Top 10 export destinations accounted for 91% of Cameroons total intra-Africa exports. In terms of import sources, Togo; Nigeria; Morocco and South Africa (all of which are non-REC members) accounted for 70% of Cameroons intra-Africa imports. Mauritania; Ivory Coast; Egypt and Senegal accounted for an additional 16% share of Cameroons intra-Africa imports. Top 10 countries had a combined import share of 92% in 2017. C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitments Travel Salary Index March 2019 (TRAVPR.COM) ENGLAND - April 24th, 2019 - Salaries Rise But Travel Candidate Shortage Hits Market C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitments Travel Salary Index March 2019 March 2019 % Change In Month % Change In Year 12-Month Average Average Salary 27,579 +4.15% +2.49% +4.71% Standard Travel Salary 24,817 +2.25% -1.28% +7.02% Salaries rise to highest point since September Standard travel wages increase for first time in 2019 Placements rise but new candidate numbers see further fall Strong month for travel salaries With a 4.15 per cent monthly increase, salaries for the average new job in travel have risen to their highest level since last September, according to the latest Travel Salary Index from C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment which surveyed all new vacancies registered with the companies during the month. Marchs figure of 27,579 is also up 2.49 per cent from the same month in 2018 and up 4.71 per cent on the rolling 12-month average. It was also a positive month for standard travel jobs (those paying up to 40,000) with average salaries rising by 2.25 per cent to 24,817 their first monthly increase of the year. There was a big jump of 7.02 per cent on the rolling 12-month average, but wages fell by 1.28 per cent compared to March 2018, which was the first year-on-year fall since December 2017 following 14 months of successive rises. Candidate numbers slip in March It was a poor month for new candidates, with registrations falling to their weakest March total since at least 2011 meaning that the number of new job seekers has now dipped year-on-year for ten months in a row. Despite this, the amount of successful job placements remained healthy and rose by three per cent compared to March 2018, while the volume of new travel jobs also stayed above average after a marginal monthly rise of one per cent despite a year-on-year fall. Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Director at C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment, said: "Travel salaries increased by an average 4.15 per cent last month, but more importantly, they rose across all levels of the travel industry from entry positions to executive roles. This is great to see and means that the average new travel job now pays 669 more than at the same point in 2018. "However, it's concerning that candidate numbers are down year-on-year once again. It's hard to say exactly how much impact the prolonged Brexit uncertainty is having on the recruitment market, but it clearly is a factor for many potential candidates who are choosing to remain in their current roles rather than look for a change. However, now that the UK appears to be remaining in the EU until at least the end of October, we're hopeful that we'll see activity levels improve over the rest of spring and into summer." All figures are drawn from the salaries of the months new vacancies advertised with C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment. C&M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK. For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Content Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk). ### If a building doesn't meet these basic and necessary criteria, it doesn't deserve an award. A decade ago, sustainable architecture looked different. In 2009 I asked Why is so much green architecture so ugly? and wrote: Making a green building great is a lot harder when you have to worry about so many additional issues. Your material choices are limited, they are often more expensive, and the technologies are new. Green architecture is at an awkward stage, as architects learn how to play with this new palette. At the time you could look at a building and tell whether it was "architecture" or whether it was a "green" building that met some LEED standard. That's why the Committee on the Environment introduced the AIA/COTE awards to encourage sustainability and give a prize to the weird new stuff the hippies were doing. Daniels School Toronto, photo Nic Lehoux Today you can't tell the difference. I have been wandering around my alma mater, the Daniels School of Architecture, for the last year and it didn't occur to me that it was actually "green", but evidently "design strategies were multifaceted to address environmental, economic, and social values." Lakeside Seniors/ Photo Bruce Damonte It is the same with the other winners; they no longer look odd or ugly, they look like... buildings. When you compare them to the "real" AIA awards, they are pretty much indistinguishable. Arlington Elementary School/ AIA Awards The AIA award winners share many of the same features. TheArlington Elementary School has the same skylights that the Daniels School makes a big deal about. The New Orleans Starter Homes look like they could be a Passivhaus project in Munich. Amherst College/ photo Chuck Choi The criteria for the COTE awards were upgraded two years ago in what they called an "extreme makeover" which raised the bar, including more things that should be in every building. They explained: Some elements of previous measures have been merged together, and issues that have gained prominence in recent yearshealth, comfort, resilience, and economyhave been brought to the forefront. Metrics have been updated to reflect what current tools enable designers to track, with carbon emissions associated with construction, building operation, and occupant transportation earning special attention. Tashjian Bee discovery center/ Richard Brine So, are the AIA awards given to buildings that are uncomfortable and unhealthy carbon spewing energy hogs? Of course not. Two years ago, I asked, "should there be a prize for sustainable architecture?" I quoted Lance Hosey who explained the history of the awards, who noted that they were supposed to sunset in five to ten years, "once all architects understood that great design is not possible without great performance." Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex/ Warren Jagger Photography This year I am going to turn it around, and ask, "Should there be a prize for buildings that are NOT sustainable?" Surely in these times when we are desperate to cut our carbon emissions, every single submission to the AIA for an award should have to fill out that application that COTE has prepared to show how they address carbon emissions, embodied energy, transportation energy intensity, not to mention health. Frick Environmental Center/ Photo Ed Massery Looking at a lot of the AIA award winners, I suspect that many might have made it to the COTE awards had they bothered to fill in the form. Next year, the AIA should scrap the the basic AIA awards but keep the COTEs. Frankly, in these times, if a building doesn't meet the criteria established by the COTE, it doesn't deserve an award of any kind. UPDATE: In his article two years ago, Lance Hosey said exactly the same thing, turning it around as well. I wont debate the other design merits of this years winners, although I will point out that every one of them has won several awards focused on architecture separately from sustainability. By my count, so far these include two national AIA Institute Honor Awardsthe professions highest recognition of works that exemplify excellenceas well as two dozen local or regional AIA design awards and nearly 50 design awards from other organizations. Excluding Top Ten, the median number of awards each project has won is five. So, if Betsky feels they are thoroughly mediocre, his beef is with the industrys standards of design, not sustainability. Given this, lets reverse his question: Should awards be bestowed upon buildings that boast other design merits but lack sustainable credentials? In other words, if were forced to make a Sophies Choicea false premise, as I point out belowwhich is more acceptable: to look good to one critic but perform poorly, or to perform well but look bad to that critic? Everyone loves a good story. Whether it be told from a good book, a movie, around a campfire, or perhaps even a theatrical performance. But what about in retirement with a cast that is both intergenerational and multicultural? That is what the residents of the Kendal at Longwood Intergenerational Initiatives Committee set out to do to tell a good story but to perhaps even more so, to make everlasting friendships and improve their communities. The residents set out on a project that is based on the international story exchange model called Narrative4, founded in 2011 by Irish author Colum McCann and his colleague, Lisa Consiglio. Narrative4 has more traditionally focused on youth but they were really excited about the Kendal emphasis on creating an intergenerational model. The focus of Narrative4 is bringing together people who would normally not talk together, to bridge divides, create empathy and understanding and turn that into action to improve their communities through storytelling and fellowship. With a grant awarded through the Kendal Affiliate Grant Application process, the residents were funded and set out on fulfilling their project. Committee member and resident, Andrea Taylor travelled to New York in September 2018 to get trained as a Narrative4 facilitator. Along with fellow resident and committee chair, Betty Warner, and Lincoln University faculty member, Marilyn Button, they led a group of resident volunteers and students from nearby Lincoln University, a Historically Black College and University, into an inspired and transformative experience. At first, several gatherings took place with the residents and the students in order to get to know one another, build trust, and to learn a little bit more about the each other. Dinners, tours of the Kendal and Lincoln campus, ice breaker exercises, excursions, etc. all led to the actual story exchange which took place on March 15, 2019. It was exciting to see the relationships that developed, the trust between the students and residents, and the mutual learning that took place. I am moved when I think about it, says Taylor. The finale of the project was a performance in April at Kendal at Longwood by the students to celebrate their journey and their new friendships. Essence Hayes, a participating student from Lincoln University sums up the experience as, the story exchange project opened my heart to being more vulnerable while teaching me how to be more empathetic. We see this project as a vehicle that could further establish Kendal as a leader in transforming the role of older adults in their communities. There is potential for widespread outreach using this model not only in our local community but in other senior communities, organizations, intergenerational activities, and more, says Warner. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Baghdad, April 25 Iraqs oil minister said on Thursday his country had the capacity to increase its oil production to 6 million barrels per day (bpd) if needed, but it was committed to OPEC-led output cuts and would not take unilateral action to boost supply. Thamer Ghadhban also said there were no acute oil shortages for the time being, but Iraq would continue to monitor the market to assess any need for additional barrels at the next OPEC meeting, due in June. On Monday, the United States decided not to renew exemptions from sanctions against Iran granted last year to buyers of Iranian oil, taking a tougher line than expected and triggering a rally in oil prices on fears of oil supply shortages. We have plenty of time to assess the markets reaction, Ghadhban said at a joint news conference in Baghdad with the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol. Asked about the effect of US sanctions on markets, Ghadhban said there was no need for fear and panic. Birol said the IEA expected Iraq to add 1.2 million bpd in 10 years to reach 6 million bpd of production in 2030. The minister also said his country sought fair oil prices for producers, adding that he believed prices had improved. Baghdad would meet soon with authorities from the Kurdistan Regional Government to discuss issues relating to oil exports from the semi-autonomous region, as well as the budget agreement, Ghadhban said. Studies were being carried out to increase production capacity from the Kirkuk oilfields by 50 per cent, he added. Ghadhban said Iraq would install a monitoring system on fuel trucks to check movements and prevent smuggling. The system will allow authorities to track fuel trucks around the clock, he said. Reuters editorial@tribune.com New Delhi, April 24 Cash-strapped Hotel Leelaventure today said capital markets regulator SEBI has barred it from selling its four hotels and other assets to Canadian investment fund Brookfield Asset Management till further directions. On March 18, Hotel Leelaventure Ltd (HLVL) had announced sale of its four hotels located in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Udaipur, as well as a property to Canadian investment fund Brookfield for Rs 3,950 crore. It had sought shareholders approval. The SEBI in its letter to Hotel Leelaventure said it has received representations from ITC, which has also moved the National Company Law Tribunal against Hotel Leelaventure alleging oppression and mismanagement, and minority shareholder Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). Diversified group ITC has made certain alllegations against HLVL, its promoters and JM Finanacial Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd with respect to postal ballot notice seeking shareholders nod for the sale, the letter said. ITC had on Tuesday moved the Mumbai Bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against Hotel Leelaventure alleging oppression and mismanagement. As per the latest information available on bourses, ITC holds a total of 7.92% stake in Hotel Leelaventure Ltd. PTI ITC moves NCLT against Hotel Leela editorial@tribune.com New Delhi, April 24 Tata Teleservices is in talks with American Tower Corporation (ATC) to sell its entire stake in the mobile tower business for about Rs 2,500 crore at a price of Rs 212 per share. Tata Teleservices sold half of its stake to American Tower Corporation (ATC) in October 2018. It has an option to sell the rest of the stake it holds along with Tata Sons in this fiscal. The process for sale has started for valuation of around Rs 2,500 crore at Rs 212 per share, a source, who did not wish to be identified, said. No immediate reply was received from ATC and Tata Teleservices on an e-mail query sent to them in this regard. PTI editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Ambala, April 24 Ambala Sessions Judge Vikram Aggarwal today sentenced a resident of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, Nitin, alias Kaku, to five years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him in a case of snatching. In default of the payment of the fine, the convict shall further undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of one year, the court ordered. However, the period already undergone by the convict during investigation or trial of this case shall be set off against the substantive sentence. According to the challan, the accused snatched a gold chain from complainant Bhavika Gupta, who sustained injuries in the incident on October 12, 2016. The court held the accused guilty of the offence punishable under Section 379 A of the IPC and convicted him. In his statement before the court, the convict stated that his family comprised his two minor children, ailing parents and a brother, who was studying in Class IX. Claiming himself to be the sole breadwinner of his family, he prayed for a lenient view in the sentence. However, the public prosecutor contended that in view of the nature of the offence and the manner in which it was committed, the convict deserved to be awarded the maximum possible sentence. WHAT THE SESSIONS JUDGE SAID No doubt, the convict is young, aged 26, and has the responsibility of looking after his family, being the only breadwinner. At the same time, it has to be borne in mind that the offence of snatching is on the rise and a strong deterrent is required in such cases. In view the facts and circumstances, the manner in which the crime was committed and the arguments advanced by counsel for the parties, I sentence convict Nitin, alias Kaku, to rigorous imprisonment for five years and to pay a fine of Rs 25,000 for the offence punishable under Section 379 A of the IPC..., the Sessions Judge pronounced in an open court. editorial@tribune.com Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 24 The decision of the Municipal Corporation to allow Sampark centres to charge an extra Rs 100 plus service tax on each bill from owners depositing commercial property has been opposed by the owners, who have termed the extra fee illegal. Over 23,000 owners of commercial properties have been left with no option but to pay an extra Rs 100 plus service tax of Rs 18 for depositing property tax at Sampark centres as the MC has stopped accepting the tax at banks from April 1. While the online payment service is yet to start, the MC is also not accepting cheques at its office. Devinder Singh Babla, Leader of the Opposition in the MC House, said the extra amount was never approved by the MC House and MC officials could not charge even a rupee extra for any service rendered by the civic body without the approval of the House. He said he would raise the issue at the next meeting of the House. Naveen Manglani, president of the Chamber of Chandigarh Industries, questioned why owners the commercial properties should pay extra while depositing the tax at Sampark centres. Collecting the tax was the responsibility of the MC, he said, adding that while owners of commercial properties had been asked to pay an extra Rs 100 per bill, the MC was also paying Rs 50 per bill to the Sampark centres. Mayor Rajesh Kalia said he would look into the issue. KK Yadav, Commissioner, said the MC had requested the IT Department to rationalise the charges. He said these were facilitation charges fixed by the IT Department and not by the MC; so there was no need for approval of the House. Vigilance probe sought into missing records RK Garg, a social activist, has demanded a Vigilance inquiry into misplaced records of property tax. In a complaint to the Chief Vigilance Officer, Chandigarh, he said the MC was issuing notices to owners for payment of property tax even though they had already done so. Owners have no choice Over 23,000 owners of commercial properties have been left with no option but to pay an extra Rs 100 plus service tax of Rs 18 for depositing property tax at Sampark centres as the MC has stopped accepting the tax at banks from April 1. While the online payment service is yet to start, the MC is also not accepting cheques at its office. MC cant impose tax without approval Ajay Jagga, an advocate, said the MC could not impose any tax, except tax on land and buildings, and advertisements (as provided u/s 90-1) without the approval of the government. No tax could be imposed without providing an opportunity to residents to file objections. Any tax imposed by the MC in the absence of government approval and without providing an opportunity to the people to file objections is arbitrary and not sustainable. The whole process must be probed. VIKASH NARAIN RAI VIKASH NARAIN RAI Former director, National Police Academy, Hyderabad What does the ongoing public spat signify, pitting the electoral presence of Hindutva icon Pragya Thakur against the professional memory of martyred IPS hero Hemant Karkare? The context of the 26/11 Mumbai attack gives an edge to Karkare, whereas his handling of the Malegaon blast probe continues to be a tightrope walk in contrast to bhagwa righteousness of Pragyas advocates. Ironically, Karkare was never awarded for his Malegaon breakthrough; rather those who destroyed his line of investigation have harvested a bonanza of service extensions and post-retirement positions. It mirrors the impact of political signals in shaping the familiar policing response of going soft on hard-hitting Hindutva vigilantism. It came to Karkares lot to unmask such a phenomenon in the last months of his life. Pragyas candidature, a calculated insult to his memory, is proving that point. There are reasons why Karkare would be acknowledged a martyr for paying with his life while combating the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Mumbai in 2008. He died leading from the front and needs no certificate of martyrdom from any quarter, having shown professional determination in pursuing the leads uncovered in the 2008 Malegaon bombings. On the other hand, Pragya and others are still facing trial, in spite of the NIA being manipulated to get them discharged through a supplementary chargesheet in May 2016 on the plea that there were lacunae in the evidence. Fortunately, this time the trial court declined to endorse it. Karkare, on return to Maharashtra after his deputation with RAW, took over as the Mumbai ATS chief in January 2008, in which capacity he inherited the case of the Malegaon bombings of 2006 from his predecessor KP Raghuvanshi. The case holds the key to understanding the awkward way the police had initially responded to a series of terror cases against Muslim targets in an era dominated by the threat of radical Islamist organisation SIMI. It was banned in 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attack in the US, but its continued activities appeared regularly on the radar of intelligence agencies. The course of progression of the Malegaon 2006 case is also conclusive of the fact that the ATS under Karkare moved against Pragya and Abhinav Bharat (Hindu militant group of Colonel Purohit) members on the basis of solid evidence much later, unearthed in the phase two Malegaon bombings that occurred in 2008. What proved most crucial was the linking of Pragyas motorcycle with the crime; she could be linked to the 2006 bombings and subsequent terror cases only after this. The 2006 bombings were a series of blasts that took place in Malegaon, a town in Nashik district. The ATS initially blamed the bombings on SIMI, but a chargesheet filed by the NIA in 2013 put the blame on Abhinav Bharat. On April 25, 2016, the NIA court found the initial ATS charges to be fabricated and released the nine Muslims previously arrested. The explosions which resulted in 40 fatalities took place in a Muslim cemetery, adjacent to a mosque, after Friday prayers. Most victims were Muslim pilgrims. A curfew was imposed and state paramilitary forces were deployed in sensitive areas. The above pattern of crime targeting Muslims was to be thrice repeated by the Abhinav Bharat gang at large in the following year, by way of Samjhauta Express blast at Panipat (February 2007), Mecca Masjid blast at Hyderabad (May 2007) and Ajmer Sharif blast (October 2007). The police and affected peoples response, barring in the Samjhauta Express case, had followed the pattern of Malegaon-2006. Amidst the signs of a quick breakthrough by Karkares ATS in Malegaon (2008), I had a chat with him over the phone from my office in Madhuban, Karnal. He sounded stressed and was reluctant to share specific details. But whatever I learnt from him was professionally rewarding. An SIT had been created under me to investigate the Samjhauta case. We initially carried out the investigation on the assumption of involvement of a Muslim terror organisation, with an agenda to derail Indo-Pak talks. However, we recovered an unexploded device from the train and its components could be traced back to their sources. An extensive research established Indore as the epicentre of the crime and pointed to the involvement of some Hindutva extremist group. In the meanwhile, a principal suspect and RSS man, Sunil Joshi, had been murdered in 2007 by his own associates. Pragya Thakur was going to be indicted in the murder case as the chief conspirator by the Madhya Pradesh Police. It could move forward only due to Karkares breakthroughs. There was course correction in finalising the Mecca Masjid and Ajmer Sharif cases too. Herein is the crux of Karkares contribution to professional policing against the menace of organised vigilantism. It restored the trust of victims in the rule of law and lent legitimacy to governance. Cutting across individual prejudices, the police fraternity as well as other bureaucratic echelons have saluted Karkares sacrifice. They have condemned Pragyas despicable remarks on Karkare in her election speeches. Even the BJP, which has fielded her in the fray, seems to have backtracked as far as respecting the martyrdom of Karkare is concerned. Would it not be befitting to pay a tribute to his professionalism by extending the scope of these well-meaning interventions to question the NIAs complicity? How long will they run without accountability a regime of not producing best evidence and not preferring appeals against engineered acquittals? Bhartendu Kumar Singh Bhartendu Kumar Singh Indian Defence Accounts Service AFTER the Balakot airstrikes, the role of weapons in the war strategy is being hotly debated. A major milestone was the downing of Pakistans F-16 by Indias vintage MiG-21. Similarly, memorable battles have been fought and won against technological odds in Indias military history. Nevertheless, superior weapons are being emphasised upon for technological preponderance, tactical advantage and overwhelming military strength. Consequently, there are demands for more imports of such weapons. However, while weapons with superior technology and lethality do matter, a cost-effective strategy warrants that in the long term these are domestically produced. In the past, the necessity for superior weapons through the imports gateway has impacted our weapons philosophy in several ways. One, two-thirds of the weapons are being imported without enabling sufficient scope for reverse engineering, design changes and qualitative improvements in imported weaponry to suit our requirements and optimise these costly imports. Two, the imports mechanism also leads to distortions in terms of demand-supply mismatches (procuring lesser number of weapons than intended due to prohibitive costs), temporal delays, qualitative (not getting technologically up-front products) and other specification issues. Inspection reports and field trials of imported weapons may not be enough to suit Indias diverse geographical topography. Three, there are always minor issues related to the procurement and supply of spare parts, maintenance issues, logistical support and operational preparedness. Foreign suppliers often exploit our vulnerability and dependence. Moreover, they are no match for the cost-effective comforts of similar services provided by the domestic military industrial complex (MIC). If we analyse the economics of weapons technology, it becomes clear why India is compelled to perpetually import high-technology weapons. Externally, the producer-supplier countries have the advantage of in-built knowledge over importing countries due to familiarity of turf, ongoing R&D engagement with focus on improvisation of existing weapons and sharing of only need to know technical knowledge with importing countries. India remains a victim of such structural defects in the international arms market where the weapons supplier firms and countries see us only as a Big Emerging Market (BEM) rather than a potential arms producer. We do not often get the best of technology and even the sporadic transfer of technology (ToT) is backwards by at least one generation. Internally, our domestic MIC is small and monopolised by defence PSUs. Unlike other sectors of economy, the defence economy is still regulated with restricted space for independent and autonomous growth of private sector entrepreneurship. The MIC is also characterised by the bureaucratisation of defence R&D, low salaries for the scientific fraternity and the absence of institutional linkages with the industry and services. While the investment in defence R&D is fairly good, overall investments in scientific education and R&D remain poor. Constrained economic conditions also mean little investments in the promotion of generic R&D. We can boast of very few universities and research institutes with top-class scientific research activities. These issues have repercussions through poor R&D culture, fewer number of patents and products and internationally cited research papers. While we are on the cusp of joining the great power club, the technical edifice of our military power projection is shaky. For futuristic wars, we need plenty of front-end technology to remain confident in a tech-propelled warfare environment. Can we really import all the technologies in appropriate quantity and at the appropriate time? Further, can we really afford to pay through our nose since imported technologies extract a heavy price for patent development? Most importantly, can we really become a military power through large-scale weapon imports? We need to meditate on this. Unless we gear up, we would perpetuate our technological dependency on the international market, and in turn, our vulnerability would remain in situ. The weaponry challenge for India is manifold. One, we need technological parity with China that has invested heavily in basic sciences education and research and has gone miles ahead in the past four decades vis-a-vis our own negligent treatment of scientific disciplines. Two, we cannot afford numerical preponderance along with technological preponderance. The extra flab in services can be trimmed; money saved can be invested in technology. Concurrently, the force profile needs an incremental change with technical skills and knowledge to all arms of the services, including the infantry. Three, better civil-military synergy would lead to weapons being developed with lesser integration and adaptation problems and greater acceptability among the services. Every year, thousands of engineering and technical-background officers and men retire. They could be laterally deployed in the domestic MIC. This would enable better user specifications and responsive designs and may lead to an innovative technology and weapon culture as exists in countries like Israel. The Balakot aftermath provides an opportunity to explore our technological prowess. We have political will through the Make in India scheme and an implementational roadmap through the two upcoming Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs). We also have an assured domestic market. Most importantly, we have relative peace on our borders. We should use this scenario to strategise long-term and medium-term options. Minimal import philosophy, preference ordering, strong techno-nationalism, building our defence and offence capabilities through augmenting our strong areas (like missile systems) are some of the representative solutions. Most importantly, we need to make heavy investments in scientific education and research. Probably, there lies the potential for Indias emergence as a true military power. Views are personal harinder@tribunemail.com The Supreme Courts directions to the Gujarat Government to give Rs 50-lakh compensation, a job and accommodation of her choice to Bilkis Bano will help in bringing closure to the gang-rape survivor and her family. Bano was five-month pregnant when she had been sexually assaulted at Randhikpur village near Ahmedabad during the post-Godhra riots in March 2002. Seven members of her family had been killed in a mob attack, including her three-year-old daughter. It is with dogged determination that Bano and her family members have taken the legal battle to its logical conclusion. A special court had on January 21, 2008, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment 11 men for raping Bano and murdering her kin, while acquitting seven persons five policemen and two doctors. Nine years later, the Bombay High Court had convicted these policemen and doctors under Sections 218 (not performing their duties) and 201 (tampering of evidence) of the IPC. Finally, three guilty officials have been stripped of pensionary benefits and an IPS officer has been demoted by two ranks. The state government had cited its policy of granting Rs 5-lakh compensation in such cases, but Bano rejected the offer and approached the apex court for exemplary relief. The court was told that she was living a nomadic life and surviving on charity. She has come up trumps on this front too as the government will have to loosen its purse strings to rehabilitate her. Clearly, no amount of compensation is enough to heal Banos wounds, inflicted during one of the darkest chapters in the history of Independent India. However, the monetary support and employment are expected to go a long way in securing her familys future. Interestingly, hours after Tuesdays judgment, Bano cast her vote in Gujarats Dahod district along with her husband and relatives, underlining her faith in democracy despite her horrifying ordeal. The wheels of justice should also move faster for the other survivors of the Gujarat riots so that they can overcome trauma and rebuild their lives. editorial@tribune.com Bijendra Ahlawat Tribune News Service Faridabad, April 24 The battlelines for the most populated Faridabad seat in Haryana is almost drawn. While the BJPs Krishan Pal Gurjar will try to retain his seat for the second time, Congress Avtar Singh Bhadana will be attempting to register a win for the fourth time. The AAP-JJP and the BSP candidates are greenhorns, but with a capability to impact the result. As the BJP and the Congress have betted on the same candidates who had battled in 2014 elections, the candidates fielded by other parties like the AAP-JJP, the BSP and the INLD are rather new. While Gurjar (62) will be trying for the second time, his main rival Bhadana (62) will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections from this seat for the fifth time. Bhadana had won from here in 1991, 2004 and 2009 elections. However, in 2014, he had lost to Gurjar. Naveen Jaihind (38) of the AAP-JJP alliance is a greenhorn and is in the field for the first time. Mandhir Mann (43) of the BSP and Mahender Singh Chauhan of the INLD are also first-timers. Though the picture is likely to be more clear after the withdrawal of nominations on April 26, political analysts say these elections could be a repeat of 2014 as the main two rivals (BJP and Congress) remain the same. While the anti-incumbency factor faced by Bhadana in 2014 will now be a challenge for Gurjar, the pact between AAP and the JJP, both rising political forces, is sure to play an important role, claims Ajaydeep Lathar, a political analyst. The BSP, which had a definite vote bank, was also a factor to reckon with, he said. Seasoned vs first-timers editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Mahendragarh, April 24 Some farmers led by INLD candidate from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Balwan Fouzi on Wednesday gheraoed Mahendragarh SDM Vinesh Kumar at a makeshift grain market here. They were protesting non-procurement and non-lifting of mustard produce. Some of them did not let the SDM leave and allegedly misbehaved with him. The police were called to disperse the gathering. The SDM later filed a complaint with Deputy Commissioner Garima Mittal, demanding appropriate action against the protesters, said sources. She said the complaint filed by the SDM was marked for inquiry to the Chief Executive Officer of the Zila Parishad. Action will be taken as per the inquiry report, she said. The sources said the SDM came to the grain market in the morning to resolve farmers complaints about non-procurement and non-lifting of mustard. After taking stock of the situation, he assured farmers of procured mustard getting lifted soon. Fouzi and others reached the spot and gheraoed the SDM when he was about to leave, the sources added. Talking to mediapersons, Fouzi said he had come to the grain market on getting messages from farmers that neither was mustard being procured nor was procured mustard being lifted. I raised the issue with the SDM, but he did not pay any heed. Farmers gheraoed him and stood in front of his car. Some people manhandled my personal assistant and misbehaved with me, he said. He claimed that a false case was lodged with the intention of gaining political mileage. He said he did not fear such action and would launch an agitation if the authorities failed to resolve farmers grievances. editorial@tribune.com Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Karnal, January 24 For former Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, the Congress candidate from Karnal, it is about regaining the family legacy. The Karnal seat was won by his late father Chiranji Lal four times in a row, thrice defeating BJP bigwig Sushma Swaraj. The BJP, which won this seat in 2014 with the highest margin in the state with its candidate Ashwani Chopra, has fielded CM Manohar Lal Khattars confidant Sanjay Bhatia this time. Sharma, who filed his nomination papers yesterday, opened election offices in Panipat, Panipat-Rural, Israna and Assandh today. His supporters gathered outside a showroom at the Safidon-Panipat road at Matlauda where he opened his office amid heat and haze, with the mercury touching 41 degress Celsius. The BJP is just trying to cash in on the sacrifices of our soldiers by seeking votes in the name of surgical strikes. We are proud of our soldiers, but the BJP has no right to politicise the forces, he tells the crowds. The BJP government has nothing to say on development and has announced a mere Rs 6,000 per annum for farmers, he adds, lauding Congress president Rahul Gandhis NYAY scheme ensuring Rs 72,000 per annum to the poor. The BJP nominee, whose candidature was announced on April 6, has already taken the lead in campaigning. Though a lesser known face with his area of influence limited to Panipat alone, it is Bhatias proximity to the CM that makes him a formidable opponent. Owing to the CMs preference for Bhatia, Arvind Sharma was allotted the much tougher Rohtak seat though he had joined the BJP in the hope of being fielded from Karnal. An unassuming Bhatia addresses crowds in Punjabi and Multani at Kalampura, Dabri, Pundrak villages. It was because of Modis strong policies that post Pulwama, our soldiers carried out surgical strikes in Pakistans territory even as Congress leaders spoke in Pakistans language, demanding proof for the same. Will our soldier drop bombs or count the dead? he asks a crowd at Dabri. The response is a rapturous applaud. Had Pakistan not returned pilot Abhinandan within 24 hours, the IAF would have wiped off Pakistan from the worlds map, he adds dramatically. As Bhatias cavalcade moves from village to village, farmers are seen harvesting the wheat crop. Nearly 60 per cent of the crop has been harvested, but 40 per cent has been delayed owing to rains, observes a BJP worker in Bhatias entourage. LOOKING BACK uttara@tribuneindia.com New Delhi, April 25 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary chargesheet against former Haryana chief minister OP Chautala in connection with a money-laundering case on Thursday. The agency mentioned in the chargesheet that immovable assets worth Rs 3.68 crore were attached by it on April 13 in relation to four properties in Delhi, Panchkula and Sirsa. It said the investigation conducted so far under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had revealed that Chautala laundered the disproportionate assets by depositing illegal cash in the bank accounts of his and his family members. The ED said this was done to avoid the back trail of money, merge the illegal cash with genuine income and show it as untainted. This laundered money was further used to purchase new properties or carry out construction on the already acquired properties. The chargesheet was filed before special judge Kamini Lau, who posted the matter for consideration on May 16. Referring to Chautala's affidavits filed before the 2005 and 2009 Haryana Assembly polls, the agency said he had disclosed his assets to publicly project the tainted properties as untainted. "During the period between May 24, 1993 and May 5, 2006, OP Chautala, while functioning as a public servant (the CM of Haryana), allegedly acquired assets disproportionate to his income to the tune of Rs 6,09,79,026. The value of the disproportionate assets acquired by OP Chautala is in the form of various movable and immovable properties which constitutes 'proceeds of crime' in this case. "The calculation of these accumulated disproportionate assets of Chautala was based on oral and documentary evidence collected by the CBI during investigation and included all sources of income and expenses. Chautala had invested these disproportionately acquired assets mainly in the following properties, a portion of which was used to purchase new properties and the rest was used to carry out construction activity on the already acquired properties," the chargesheet said. It added that it was suspected that there were more properties involved in money laundering that needed to be unearthed as there were many people who were yet to join the investigation. The ED told the court that the investigation in the case was in progress. "It is established that OP Chautala is involved in activities connected to proceeds of crime, including its concealment, possession, acquisition and projecting the proceeds of crime as untainted property and thus, shall be guilty of the offence of money laundering," it said. The agency had earlier informed the court that disproportionate assets worth Rs 6.09 crore were "illegally generated" by Chautala between May 1993 and May 2006 through corruption and were projected as untainted property by utilising those in the construction and acquisition of movable assets. Chautala is currently serving a jail term for illegally recruiting 3,206 Junior Basic Trained (JBT) teachers in Haryana in 2000. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had on March 26, 2010, named the former Haryana chief minister in a chargesheet, indicting him for allegedly possessing assets worth Rs 6.09 crore. The ED had filed a separate case based on the CBI's FIR. PTI editorial@tribune.com Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Karnal, April 24 Political parties are leaving any stone unturned for victory in the Lok Sabha election, but lack of organisational structure at the block and district levels has put the Congress on the back foot. The BJP has penetrated into voter list by appointing panna pramukhs, while the Congress has to work overtime to reach out to voters and reactivating the block and district-level machinery. As per political experts, it may be tough for the Congress to reach out to voters in a short span against the well-oiled party mechanism of the BJP. The BJP has formed an organisational structure, but the Congress has not constituted district and block-level bodies for the last three years due to which party leaders have to work hard to reactivate their old mechanism, said a political expert. A former district president of the Congress said the district and block bodies were dissolved across the state around three years ago and had not been reconstituted so far. We have contacted all old body members to work for ensuring the victory of party candidates. Had it been formed three years ago, the situation would have been different, he said. Ashok Tanwar, state Congress president, admitted the party did not have presidents in any district and 178 blocks, but said all office-bearers, MLAs, former MLAs and MPs along with the party workers were working to ensure the victory of the party candidates. He said all its cells, including women, youth, kisan, panchayati raj, legal and human right, had been working tirelessly for the election. On the other hand, Vedpal, state general secretary of the BJP, said the party had more than two lakh dedicated panna pramukhs, who had been assigned the duties of contacting voters. In addition to this, there are 4,000 shakti kendra pramukhs and each is responsible for four to five booths. We have formed booth samitis, comprising 11 members each. As many as 290 mandal office-bearers, district and state bodies, and all MLAs and MPs are working for the victory of all 10 candidates, he said. Congress district, block units headless vinaymishra188@gmail.com Sunit Dhawan Tribune News Service Rohtak, April 24 A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a DIG-level officer, has been constituted to probe the fake accident for insurance claim racket operating in several districts of the state. The matter is being investigated by the Special Task Force (STF) and State Crime Branch of Haryana Police. DGP (Crime) PK Agrawal said an SIT led by STF in-charge DIG Satheesh Balan had been formed to get to the bottom of the matter. As per official sources, a gang of fraudsters used to contact the families of poor cancer patients with offers of insurance cover. They even used to pay the insurance premiums themselves. After the death of the patient, they used to stage an accident and lodge an FIR, claiming that the person had died in a road mishap or due to electrocution. They would get the insurance claim and give a part of it to the family of the deceased, pocketing a good amount themselves. Most such cases were from Sonepat, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Hisar. Sources said the gang used to bribe police officials, doctors conducting the post-mortem examination, insurance-surveyors and medical record-keepers for their services. The medical record-keepers were roped in to destroy the records of the deceased patients so it could not be established that they had been suffering from cancer. More than 50 such cases have come to our knowledge so far. We have arrested three members of the gang of fraudsters, including kingpin Pawan Bhoria of Sewli village in Sonepat, his accomplices Mohit and Vikas, besides Pradeep, a computer operator at Sonepat Civil Hospital and Pramod, an employee at the Rohtak PGIMS, said DSP (STF) Rahul Dev. editorial@tribune.com bika Sharma Tribune News Service Solan, April 24 In a bid to enhance voter participation, the district administration is making special efforts to encourage the elderly voters to cast their vote. In Solan district, there are 20 voters above 100 years with two voters in Kasauli and Solan Assembly constituencies being as old as 108 years. They are Tash Bahadur from Solan and Lakshmi Nand from Kasauli. Solan has the highest number of eight such voters where two voters are 100 years and two of 101 and one each of 103, 104 and 105 years. Nalagarh is the lone Assembly segment where there is no voter in the age group of 100 and above while in the remaining three constituencies - Arki, Doon and Kasauli - there are four such voters in each segment. District Returning Officer Vinod Kumar said he has instructed all Assistant Returning Officers to visit and encourage them to participate in the poll process. He added that he would take the initiative to meet and persuade them to vote. SDM, Arki, Vikas Shukla, who recently met 103-year-old Chhanga Ram Sharma at Talog village near Manju, said he had served in the personal staff of former Presidents and also seen the British raj. He started his job in 1940 and superannuated in 1980. Residing with his grandchildren, Sharma recalled how the British were particular about the norms and even he had been denied entry until he produced his identity card while in service. He had served in Shimla during the British raj. Sharma urged the voter to vote as it was an occasion to choose a person of his choice. Sharma was still alert and recalled his long association with President Rajendra Prasad, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed,etc. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Most of the national and some regional parties election manifestos are in public domain. Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY or minimum income scheme) mentioned in the Congress manifesto is a big-ticket promise which covers most of Indias poor. The manifesto states that decisive and focused intervention has the capacity to eliminate poverty by 2030. It claims that during its 10-year rule, the UPA pulled 14 crore people out of poverty. On the other hand, the BJP manifesto is mostly about rejigging ongoing schemes of the government like the doubling of farmers income by 2022 or extending the PM-Kisan scheme to all landowners. The question that arises from this extension of PM-Kisan is that if 85 per cent farmers are in need of this kind of support in 2019, what happens to the doubling of farmers income project which does not seem to be on course to achieve its target. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) manifesto claims farmers income has tripled in West Bengal in seven years. The Congress manifesto only promises to double the value of dairy and poultry output in five years. The NYAY scheme is proposed to be implemented jointly by the Centre and the states. The assumed participation of the states may not happen as expected, which is unlike the PM-Kisan scheme wherein the entire scheme is implemented by the Union Government. The major question this scheme faces is: if, in the next few years, poverty is likely to decline in terms of proportion of BPL families as claimed in its (UPAs) performance record for the previous terms, why should each family get it for five years? Importantly, the PM-Kisan scheme targets only landowning marginal and small farmers (not even all rural poor) and therefore, is limited in its coverage, unlike NYAY, which has larger and more relevant coverage of poor households (both urban and rural) and higher amounts paid per family (Rs 6,000 per month compared with Rs 6,000 per year under PM-Kisan).When it comes to the exclusion of the landless from PM-Kisan, strengthening of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is suggested as an alternative. Both PM-Kisan and NYAY move towards direct cash transfers instead of product or service subsidies. It is debatable whether the poor, especially small producers, need only cash as that would reduce the leakage, or access to adequate and quality services/products if these subsidies are merit subsidies. MSP, farm loans & crop insurance It is interesting to note that the Congress and BJP manifestos avoid even a mention of MSP or any such measure for ensuring better farmers income. Like the Congress, the DMK is also evasive on the MSP promise, saying that efforts would be made to fix MSP in a manner that farmers get their product cost plus fair profit. It is very vague and not even like the NDA promise, which at least stated the minimum percentage of profit over cost of production though it did not deliver the same adequately. The DMK is very specific about the MSP for paddy and sugarcane crops and mentions the desired minimum support price for both. The BJD states that it would press the Union Government for paddy MSP of Rs 2,930 per quintal . The TMC promises appropriate procurement price for rice, wheat, jute and other major crops. However, on farm loan waivers, it just says small land marginal farmers unable to pay their debts would be in our thoughts for some suitable relief. It also promises to enhance the livelihoods of landless labourers, though no measures are spelt out, and to review the national livestock policy from the small holders perspective. The CPI and CPM manifestos are very clear and detailed about the agrarian issues and their take on these. They more or less adopt the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) resolutions on farmer issues like implementation of the Swaminathan Committee recommendations on the prices of farm produce, loan waivers and seeking a special session of Parliament to discuss agrarian issues. Interestingly, the CPI asks for MSP for milk. It is a different matter that no one has ever examined and questioned whether 50 per cent is the logical margin over the comprehensive cost of production. The CPM promises to make the MSP a legal right of the farmers, as demanded by the AIKSCC. But, we saw the implications when it was imposed on private traders in Maharashtra through an amendment to the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Act recently; it had to be withdrawn within a week. The question which should be thought through before taking such hasty and problematic decisions is: The MSP is promised, declared and implemented by the government which can be made legally bound to buy at this price. Why should a trader be penalised without any fault of his as he never committed to buy at the MSP? Such measures can kill private trade in Indian agriculture. The BJP manifesto also promises populist measures of interest-free credit up to Rs 1 lakh up to five years under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) on timely payment. The CPM mentions (like the BJP) low or minimal interest credit for farmers. Similarly, the DMK manifesto states that it would urge the Centre to waive all crop loans and provide subsidy on farm inputs. The BJD manifesto, which is targeted at Odishas farmers, promises that all farmers and landless workers would be brought under KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) and a commission set up to monitor the implementation of the scheme and recommend revised rates every three years. The Samajwadi Partys manifesto promises 100 per cent loan waiver and proposes a move to a community-based financing model run by women SHGs (self-help groups) which would be supported by the state on the lines of the Kerala model of farmer debt relief commission. This reflects thinking which goes beyond standard solutions which dont work as the larger conditions are not recognised and attempted to be changed. But the party does not have any other concrete proposals or promises. The BJP also promises to make enrolment under PMFBY (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana) voluntary. Which way it would take the entire scheme is not difficult to judge, especially when no alternative measures to strengthen crop insurance coverage or reduce production risk are suggested. The Congress manifesto talks of making crop insurance a no profit, no loss scheme with the protection of farmers benefit. But how it can be done is not spelt out. Reforming agri markets The Congress proposal to repeal the APMC Act and make trade in agricultural produce, including export, and inter-state trade free from all restrictions is an ill-thought proposal. First, it is not possible to reform markets just by repealing the Act, as seen in the case of Bihar which did it in 2006. Today, there is a free for all in agricultural markets in that state. Surprisingly, the BJP manifesto does not promise anything big on agricultural market reforms, though the NDA has been implementing many initiatives on this front with limited success. Unlike the Congress promise of repealing the APMC Act, the NDA has recently come out with the model APLM (Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing) Act-2017 and has not excluded fruits and vegetables from the model APLM Act, though these Acts also move towards more of facilitation and promotion of markets rather than regulation. It would have been advisable for the Congress manifesto to dwell more innovatively on bringing new channels for farmers produce like contract farming, direct purchase, private wholesale markets and regulating them for inclusive and effective market linkage. The CPM manifesto asks for a review of the Contract Farming Act-2018, repeal of the Seed Act, and the APMC Act (like the Congress) but only for its contract farming aspects (like the CPI). It is surprising to note that the TMC manifesto is silent on agri market reforms. It is also important to realise that agriculture and agricultural markets are state subjects and the Union Government cant enforce any policy or regulation. Promoting FPOs Most of the other proposals in the Congress manifesto such as promotion of FPOs (Farmers Producers Organisations), focus on food processing and cold storage and warehousing, encouragement to organic farming and rejuvenation of the extension system are also part of the BJP manifesto and many of these policies are already in place. But, the BJP manifesto is more precise and targeted in these domains and takes the mission mode as seen from the promise to promote 10,000 new FPOs, setting up of 50,000 van dhan vikas kendras (VDVKs), besides providing Rs. 10,000 crore for marketing infrastructure for the fisheries sector and bringing one crore hectares under micro irrigation and 20 lakh hectares under organic farming in hilly, dry and rainfed areas over five years. The TMC manifesto talks of emphasising value addition of milk and the promotion of food processing and cold chain infrastructure. The BJD promises that all panchayats would have storage and warehousing facility. The DMK manifesto talks about the promotion of agri business infrastructure like warehouses and cold chains and promotion of organic farming. It is the only manifesto which addresses the gender gap in wages and minimum wages for agri workers and it is also the only one to promise free power for irrigation to farmers. The DMK expects the Union Government to provide 100 per cent subsidy on paddy harvesting machines to co-operatives at the village level and set up a rural products marketing corporation to help farmers sell their produce without intermediaries. The CPM manifesto talks of the promotion of only co-operatives, not other forms like producer companies, unlike the Congress and the BJP, whereas the CPI manifesto is silent on the collectivisation of farmers. Public Distribution System The Congress manifesto has sensible proposals like including pulses and millets under the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme and PDS (Public Distribution System), which is much needed and long overdue to change the dominance of wheat and paddy in the publicly funded and driven food production and consumption system of India. The CPI also promises the use of milk in the MDM and ICD (Integrated Child Development) schemes. Like the CPM and the DMK, the CPI asks for universalisation of the PDS and also, additionally, including nutri-cereals and pulses and edible oil in it, without linking it to Aadhaar. It is only the CPM which promises Rs 6,000 allowance under the Food Security Act for pregnant women without conditional ties. It is against cash transfers of any food subsidy. The manifestos are lofty on promises and compete over standard ongoing schemes but fall short on innovation and deliverables or big-ticket steps, except NYAY, to some extent, and some of the Lefts proposals. It is sad that even the prevailing agrarian crisis has not led political parties towards serious thinking and reflection on the issues of caste, class, gender and environment and the right mix of market and state roles to propose tangible mechanisms for dealing with the crisis and moving toward sustainable livelihoods and inclusive development. The author is a professor at IIM Ahmedabad editorial@tribune.com Azhar Qadri Tribune News Service Srinagar, April 24 Senior security officers on Wednesday said a massive offensive against foreign militants has severely impacted the insurgency in the Kashmir valley and also claimed that militant recruitment has drastically dropped in recent months. Addressing a press conference here, General Officer Commanding of Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen KJS Dhillon and Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said 69 militants had been killed so far this year and 12 had been arrested. The Army commander said 41 militant were killed in the aftermath of the Pulwama suicide bombing in February. Out of them, 25 belonged to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit and 13 were Pakistanis and category A militants, he said. We have targeted Jaish leadership and the situation now is that no one is coming forward to take over the leadership of the JeM in the Valley, he said. The state police chief said there were satisfying trends in the counter-insurgency campaign as the recruitment of youth into militancy had drastically decreased, surrenders had increased and civilian protests during anti-militant operations had also reduced. The DGP said the killing of more than 270 militants last year and continued counter-insurgency operations this year in which many foreign militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and JeM were neutralised had dented militancy. He said the focus in recent weeks had been to conduct the elections peacefully due to which engagement with militants had lessened. But the (counter-insurgency) operations are on, he said. The GOC said the biweekly restriction on civilian traffic along the highway was being eased and described it as a temporary measure. He said the restrictions would be further relaxed once the elections are over. A militant from Pakistan, who was arrested on Monday near north Kashmirs Pattan town, was also produced before the media with the state police chief saying that he was a live evidence of neighbouring countrys involvement in militancy. Identifying himself as Waqar Awan, the militant said he was a resident of Pakistans Punjab province. He said he trained for four months in Pakistan and infiltrated into the Kashmir Valley in July 2017. Baramulla SSP Abdul Qayoom said the militant had initially operated in the Handwara area of north Kashmir and later shifted base to Srinagar where he operated for past two years. The district police chief said the militant was apprehended when he was on way to Baramulla, which was recently declared militant-free, with an aim to revive militancy. editorial@tribune.com New Delhi, April 24 A Delhi court on Wednesday sent JKLF chief Yasin Malik, arrested in a case related to funding of separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir, to judicial custody till May 24. Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal also sought reply from the defence counsel on a plea of the Tihar Jail authorities seeking to produce Malik through video conference due to security concerns. The court had sent Malik to NIA custody. He was brought to the national capital after a court in Kashmir granted his transit remand to the National Investigation Agency. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has reserved its judgment on a CBI plea for reopening three-decade-old cases in which Malik was an accused. The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief is facing charges of kidnapping and murder for being allegedly involved in abducting Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 1989, and killing of four Indian Air Force personnel in 1990. The JKLF was recently banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. SHRC issues notices to govt on Maliks detention The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Wednesday issued notices to the Jammu and Kashmir Government on the detention of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Following a petition filed before the SHRC by human rights activist Ahsan Untoo, the rights body issued the notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, asking them to submit a detailed compliance report regarding Maliks detention. The petition said the shifting of Maliks custody by the state government to the NIA was illegal. The notice was issued by SHRC chairman Justice (retd) Bilal Nazki. The petitioner said Malik was not able to even speak when his lawyer had met him in a hospital in Delhi on April 20. This has created serious apprehensions about the well-being of Malik, who is a political leader, the petitioner said. PTI/IANS vinaymishra188@gmail.com Actress Kate Beckinsale is set to star in Jolt, a female-driven action-comedy by director Tanya Wexler. Written by Scott Wascha, the film follows Lindy, a bouncer with a slightly murderous anger-management problem that she controls with the help of an electrode-lined vest she uses to shock herself back to normalcy whenever she gets homicidal. After the first guy shes ever fallen for is murdered, she goes on a revenge-fuelled rampage to find the killer while the cops pursue her as their chief suspect. Production is due to begin in July in the UK and Sofia, Bulgaria. Jolt is a kick-ass and painfully funny script. When I saw that Kate Beckinsale was attached to play the lead, I jumped at the opportunity to make the movie. This is the movie for right now - a revenge-action film for every woma, Wexler said. IANS vinaymishra188@gmail.com Our Correspondent Ranchi, April 24 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attacked the Opposition parties for raising doubts over the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs) saying that they were desperate after their abysmal performance in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections. In Lohardaga, Modi said: The Mahamilawati (grand alliance) has accepted its defeat after three phases of elections. But it wants to defend its defeat by raising doubts over EVMs, the way schoolchildren blames resources for their underperformance in an examination. Modi also slammed Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy for his alleged remark on the armed forces. What a statement is being delivered! Those who send their children in the Army are beggar and they join the Army only for bread. The Pulwama martyrs had joined the Army as they were not getting bread at home. A lot of courage is needed to fight on the border. The PM claimed that the Modi government worked for India without discriminating people. When 46 nurses were held captive in Iraq, we rescued them. When Kokkatas Judith DSouza was kidnapped in Afghanistan, my government also rescued her as our concern is to provide safety and security to the country, he claimed. Slamming the Congress, he said Naxalism and terrorism had thrived on the liberal attitudes of Congress and the country was to incur a heavy loss. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 24 The US will seek to mitigate the gang-press on India that led to its turning away from oil trade with Iran by engaging New Delhi in conversations on issues that impinge on its strategic calculations. The top official for South Asia from the US State Department, Alice Wells, is already in town for talks with her Indian counterparts on Indo-Pacific and other pressing bilateral issues. Wells will also be travelling to Bhutan where India is seeking partnerships to obviate the need for Thimphu to break bread with China. The next big visit will be by the US Special Envoy on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, to address Indias pique at being left in the cold while a settlement to two decades of violence appears within grasp. India has spoken out against toppling the current government in Kabul and replacing it by an interim government. Indias counsel, expressed by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale that a governance structure that has worked for 18 years in Afghanistan must not be dismantled, seems to have fallen on deaf ears while the Doha talks with the Taliban were in a full swing. The US now appears to be course-correcting after the Taliban launched a spring offensive that has killed American soldiers. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeos phone conversation with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani seems to be vindicating the Indian position. Randall Schriver, a senior Pentagon official, will arrive next to discuss Indias priorities in the defence sector and to take forward decisions on cooperation arrived at a recently held meeting of the Indo-US Defence Trade and Technology Initiative committee which is working out the modalities of part-production of American defence equipment in India. uttara@tribuneindia.com London, April 25 A UK-based legal team on behalf of AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case accused Christian Michel has approached the UN, alleging that he was unlawfully handed over to India where he has been held in squalid conditions in violation of human rights and subjected to torture. Michel is currently being held in judicial custody in Delhis Tihar Jail and in the latest court intervention in India, the Delhi High Court granted more time to him and the CBI to respond to a plea by Tihar Jail authorities challenging an order allowing him to make international phone calls in violation of prison rules. Michel was arrested by the ED and later by the CBI in a bribery case related to the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland deal dating back to 2010. He is among three alleged middlemen being probed in the case. London-based specialist barristers chambers Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers claimed that the 57-year-old British national was unlawfully handed over to the Indian government as part of a quid pro quo following the Indian authorities alleged involvement in the abduction of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al Maktoum and her return to the UAE in March 2018. It is alleged that Mr Michel was extradited to India following a formal request being submitted to the United Arab Emirates. The reality is that Mr Michel was unlawfully handed over to the Government of India, the procedure resembling more rendition than a lawful extradition process, Guernica 37 said in a statement. Having been returned to India, Mr Michel has been held in squalid conditions that breach basic human rights conditions, subjected to repeated and prolonged interrogations aimed at securing a confession through coercion, and subjected to ill-treatment of such severity that may constitute torture at the hands of the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) and the Enforcement Department (ED), it noted. As part of its Urgent Communication filed with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the legal team claims that the detention and any subsequent trial will not adhere to relevant fair trial standards. The communication reads: It is quite clear that the level of political interference with the case was such that it is devoid of an independent judicial process and can only be characterised an unlawful transfer from one state to another that is reminiscent of rendition. It is of particular note that the petitioner was handcuffed, blindfolded and transported by private jet, clearly being taken in a hurried and unlawful manner without the ability to challenge any decision. The Enforcement Directorate, in its chargesheet filed in 2016, alleged that Michel had received 30 million euros (USD 33 million) from AgustaWestland. The CBI, in its chargesheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros to the exchequer in India due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros. Guernica 37, as part of its UN petition filed on Tuesday, claimed that the Italian High Court has previously rejected Michels involvement in the scandal, ruling that there was no evidence to implicate him in the case. The process by which Mr Michel was extradited to India did not follow due process and further, is a clear attempt to override international protocols relating to the process. The process that led to his removal from the UAE can only be described as a flagrant denial of justice that circumvented due process and seriously undermines any purported commitment to the rule of law, it said. The legal team is urging the UN Special Procedures Branch to examine the circumstances of Michels rendition, detention and ongoing ill-treatment with a view to his release and exoneration. The UN body will seek responses from the Indian and the UAE authorities and can make a non-legally-binding ruling on the detention. Free and fail trial A court here on Thursday reserved order on the plea of British national and alleged AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal middleman Christian Michel's plea seeking a "free and fair" trial as the fresh supplementary charge sheet filed in the case was accessed by some media outlets. Special Judge Arvind Kumar said that he will deliver order on the plea on May 3. The Enforcement Directorate has opposed Michel's plea, saying that it is not maintainable. The fresh supplementary charge sheet names Michel's partner David Syms and his two firms Global Services FZE, UAE, and Global Trade and Commerce Ltd. Agencies amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, April 25 If the Indian Air Force possessed high levels of technological asymmetry, then it would have been able to inflict heavy damage on Pakistan during its aerial raid on February 27, according to an IAF report. The report analysed various aspects of IAFs air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist training camp in Pakistans Balakot on February 26 and the subsequent Pakistani retaliation the next day. India carried out the air strike to avenge the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. In the report, the IAF said Pakistan Air Force has been consistently enhancing its air defence and offensive capabilities since the Kargil war in 1999 and there was a need for India to bolster its technological asymmetry for aerial combat, official sources said sharing details from the report. At present, Pakistan has some edge with its fleet of F-16 jets with AMRAAM missile fitted with them, said an official. The sources said the planned induction of Rafale aircraft with deadly Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India a significant advantage over Pakistani Air Force. We felt we could not punish the adversaries appropriately. So we need to bolster technological asymmetry so that the enemy does not even dare to come close to the border, said a source. On the Balakot strikes, the report said the Israeli Spice 2000 precision guided munitions (PGM) fired from Mirage 2000 jets hit five out of the six designated targets in the JeM training facility. However, one Spice PGM did not leave the aircraft because of a drift in the inertial navigation system. The report said the deception used was successful as Pakistan was caught off guard despite their air force being put on highest alert. Various packages of jets flew in several directions, including a fleet of Jaguars went towards Bahawalpur, a key air base of Pakistan Air Force, sources said. In the list of possitives from the strike, the IAF talked about accuracy of intelligence inputs, precise selection of targets, demonstration of its ability to carry out precision strikes and its success in maintaining secrecy of the operation though over 6,000 personnel were involved in it. In its analysis of possible areas for improvement, the IAF sought superior technological asymmetry and air defence system over Pakistan, sources said. It also talked about the need for procuring new weapons and other platforms for enhancing the IAFs overall combat capabilities. Induction of Rafale jets along with Meteor beyond-visual-range missile and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India an edge over Pakistan, according to the report. India is procuring a batch of S-400 air defence system from Russia at a cost of USD 5 billion. India is also buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. During the aerial combat of February 27, IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman had engaged with one of the Pakistani F-16s and shot it down before his Mig-21 Bison was downed. Varthaman was captured by Pakistan and was released after spending nearly 60 hours in Pakistani custody. The Indian Air Force had on February 28 displayed pieces of an AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to prove that Pakistan deployed the US-manufactured fighter jets during the raid. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 25 The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed former apex court judge AK Patnaik to probe into an alleged conspiracy to force Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to resign by implicating him in a false sexual harassment case. Meanwhile, Justice NV Ramanawho was a part of three-member panel headed by Justice SA Bobderecused himself from an in-house inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment against the CJI on Thursday. A Special Bench of Justice Arun Mishra, Justice Rohinton F Nariman and Justice Deepak Gupta ordered the CBI Director, Intelligence Bureau Director and Delhi Police Commissioner to extend assistance to Justice Patnaik in the probe. The Bench ordered advocate Utsav Bainswho had claimed that there was a conspiracy to force the CJI to resign and that he was offered a bribe of Rs 1.5 croreto submit all the documents and material he had to Justice Patnaik. The court also rejected his claim of privilege over certain information under the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Upholding the contention of the Attorney General and SCBA president Rakesh Khanna, the Bench made it clear to Bains that he might have to disclose information he claimed privilege over. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising wanted to say something after the pronouncement, but the three judges immediately left the court. Later, she spoke to the media and demanded that all administrative and judicial work should be withdrawn from CJI Ranjan Gogoi. He (CJI) cant continue to be the master of roster, she told reporters. Earlier, the Bench had reserved its order in the pre-lunch session after hearing advocate Utsav Bainswho claimed there was a conspiracy afoot against the CJI. Noting that there was a systematic attack and systematic game to malign the institution, the Bench asserted in the forenoon session that the rich and powerful cant run the Supreme Court. Dont play with fire. We want to send a message to the people of this country, the rich and powerful that they cannot control or run this court, it said. On Wednesday, the Bench had summoned the CBI Director, Intelligence Bureau Director and Delhi Police Commissioner for an in-chamber discussion and asked them to seize all relevant material mentioned by Bains to support his claim of conspiracy against the CJI. The way this institution is being treated for the last three-four years is as if this institution is going to die. People of this country should know the truth. Do the powerful of this country think they can run this country? it said during arguments. It went on, Everyday we hear of Bench-fixing. Can the Registry be allowed to be managed by muscle and money power? This fixing allegation is so serious. The Supreme Court cant be remotely controlled by any force....We are in anguish. This institution will not survive. Justice Mishra said, This institution belongs to you (Bar). This institution has been built by Nani Palkhivala, Attorney General.... Fali Nariman, etc...We (judges) come and go. At the very outset of the hearing, Bains submitted an additional affidavit in a sealed cover to the top court. What about privilege part? asked Justice Mishra after going through the affidavit submitted by Bains. Venugopal read out Section 126 of Evidence Act, 1872, and painted out that Bains has said one Ajay came to him offered Rs. 1.5 crore. He doesnt talk about any client. If there is no client, no privilege under Section 126 is available, Venugopal told the Bench. Opposing Bainss claim of privilege over certain communication, he said under the criminal procedure code, courts can summon any documents they found necessary. SCBA president Rakesh Khanna supported Venugopals submissions, saying there was no sacrosanct right to withhold documents. The Bench said in any case the court had power to inspect the documents as courts were not debarred from perusal of any document. As the court was about to pass order, senior advocate Indira Jaising started making her submissions. Jaising took exception to the order passed by the top court on Wednesday. She expressed apprehension that the Special Bench might go into the allegations of the dismissed woman SC employee. Jaising demanded both the proceedings, i.e., Special Bench hearing and in-house inquiry, be clubbed together. We will clearly say that we wont go into allegations of sexual harassment, Justice Arun Mishra said. This person (Bains) doesnt say that the complainant (dismissed woman employee of SC) had come to him but says one Ajay came to him and he sees a conspiracy. We will clarify it in our order, the Bench said. But Jaising continued to attack Bains by questioning his credentials. I have reconfirmed the entry of the car (in which Bains had come to the SC) without sticker. I have enquired about procedure for such entry. It cannot be done without knowledge of the courts Registry. She demands that credentials of Bains must be looked into and the court should make sure he approached it with clean hands. Solicitor General Mehta again demands an SIT probe. Mr. Mehta, dont provoke us to say many things, Justice Mishra told Mehta. I am also saying exactly what Your Lordships are saying, institution should be protected, Mehta submitted. Justice NV Ramana recuses himself Justice NV Ramana's recusal came a day after the dismissed top court woman employeewho levelled the allegations against the CJIwrote a letter to the panel objecting to Justice Ramanas inclusion in the panel on the ground that she will not receive an objective and fair hearing as he was a close friend of the CJI and a regular visitor to his residence. The woman said she should be allowed to appear along with a lawyer and the proceedings of the committee be video recorded so that there can be no dispute about what transpired in the inquiry, sources said. The complainantwho was supposed to appear before the panel on Fridayalso raised question over the presence of only one woman judgeIndira Banerjeein the panel. She said it was not in accordance with the Vishaka Guidelines on sexual harassment at work place which required the committee to have a majority of women. Later, Justice Indu Malhotra was appointed in place of Justice Ramana in the in-house panel, sources said. The in-house panelwhich has no time frame to complete the inquiryis expected to be re-constituted after Justice Ramanas recusal, they added. The allegations against the CJI became public after four news portals published stories on April 20 based on an affidavit sent by her to 22 judges of the Supreme Court. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Mumbai, April 25 Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Thursday accused the Indian government of engaging in a "witch-hunt" and putting pressure on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him. In a statement issued here, Naik, who fled India in 2016, said he was aware of the "pressure the Indian government was applying on the Interpol" to issue a red corner notice against him. "It's part of an elaborate witch-hunt. But having verified with a few member countries, I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date," he claimed. "One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government which, as a matter of fact, have been going on for over two years now," he said. Naik said the Interpol had already cancelled a red corner notice against him once. "And it's been one-and-a-half years since the government submitted a charge sheet and started applying pressure on the Interpol. But as things stand, I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure," he said. Naik, said to be in Malaysia at present, has been under investigation since 2016, when the Centre banned his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years. He is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on several charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The preacher, declared a proclaimed offender by a special NIA court here in June 2017, is accused of inciting youth to take up terror activities, giving hate speeches and promoting enmity between communities. The NIA filed a charge sheet against Naik and others before a Mumbai court in October 2017. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com Bhopal, April 25 About Rs 1.58 crore was spent for making arrangements for the stay of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and three of his top bureaucrats in Switzerland, among other expenses, according to RTI documents. Kamal Nath and Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary S R Mohanty, Principal Secretary to the chief minister Ashok Barnwal and Principal Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion of the state government, Mohammed Suleman participated in the World Economic Forum, 2019 in Davos, Switzerland held in January, it said. The delegation of Madhya Pradesh Government participated in the exclusive business lounge in Davos to co-brand the state along with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India, the RTI documents said. The state government, in its response, however, said the actual amount spent was roughly Rs 1 crore. It also named other states which had attended the meeting and also mentioned the expenditure incurred by them. Further, Madhya Pradesh is not the only state which participated in the annual meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Maharashtra have also participated in the Davos annual meeting, a statement issued by the state government said. As per reports available Andhra Pradeshs delegation was of 11 members and states expenditure was of roughly Rs 16 crore on the entire visit, it said. Telanganas overall expenditure was reported roughly around Rs nine crore for the visit. Similarly, Maharashtras reported expenditure was of Rs 7.63 crore in five days. It clearly emerges from the above facts that Madhya Pradesh has managed to attend the same event in relatively a very small expenditure, the statement said. It said Davos is the most prestigious investment event across the world and participation in the event helped in brand building of Madhya Pradesh. The state is facing tough competition from competitor states, therefore branding and promotion of the existing industrial ecosystem and its conducive policies is vital, the statement said. During this (Davos annual meeting) event, state has received numerous investor interests. With nearly 20 of them, the discussions have reached in advanced stages of investments, it said. Further, new investment opportunities were identified in Madhya Pradesh by 4-5 investors across sectors like auto, IT, manufacturing, etc, the statement said. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com Jabalpur (MP), April 25 Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday claimed that Malegaon blast accused and BJP candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat Pragya Singh Thakur stabbed a man in 2001. Thakurs conduct was not becoming of a Sadhvi (ascetic or holy woman), the Congress leader said, speaking at a press conference here. Pragya Thakur has a connection with our Chhattisgarh. Her brother-in-law worked at a warehouse in Bilaigarh (in Balodabazar district), Baghel said, when asked whether the BJP was playing the Hindutva card by fielding her. She used to carry a knife and stabbed a young man named Shailendra Devagan in the chest with a knife in Bilaigarh in 2001, Baghel said. Pragya also used to indulge in fights, and from the beginning her conduct was like that of a habitual criminal and not like that of a Sadhvi, the chief minister said. Thakur is currently out on bail. Rubbishing Baghels claims, a BJP spokesperson said the Chhattisgarh CM should talk sense. Baghel ji should talk sense and refrain from making any statement sans proof. He should apologise for his outlandish remarks against Sadhvi ji or be ready to face a defamation suit from us, Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai said. Six people were killed and over 100 injured in a bomb blast at Malegaon, a communally sensitive textile town in north Maharashtras Nashik district, on September 29, 2008. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Thakur and others in the case, alleging they were part of a Hindu extremist group which carried out the blast. The National Investigation Agency later gave Thakur a clean chit, but the trial court in Mumbai did not discharge her. She is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code sections. PTI vinaymishra188@gmail.com Banda/Fatehpur, April 24 Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi today termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as pradhan prachar mantri and accused the BJP of wasting drinking water to clean roads in Banda, an arid town in Uttar Pradesh's Budelkhand region. Her comments drew a sharp reaction from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who said her statements show that the fear of defeat has gripped the Congress. The Congress attack on Modi and the BJP came a day ahead of the PMs visit in Banda. Water from tankers was being used to clean roads to welcome our pradhan prachar mantri (chief publicity minister), she claimed. This is happening at a time when "the entire Bundelkhand, the men and women living there, school-going children, crops, birds and animals are facing the spectre of drought", the Congress general secretary said. She tweeted, Is he a chowkidar (watchman) or a shahnshah(emperor) coming from Delhi. Rebutting allegations, Adityanath said, The fear of defeat has gripped the Congress so much that it can be proved from the fact that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has termed an 11 seconds of washing of keechad (mud), as the washing of an entire road. He tweeted: The Congress is a factory of lies. Even after tendering an apology in the Supreme Court, these Congressmen are not mending their ways. His reference was to Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressing regret in the top court on Monday over his remark chowkidar (watchman) Narendra Modi chor hain in connection with the Rafale judgment. Meanwhile, in Fatehpur, Priyanka today asked voters here to help end the politics of divisiveness and negativity and teach the BJP a lesson in the ongoing elections. Change politics not only of your area or for your needs, but for your future generations and to save the country, as the country is in danger, she said at an election meeting in Fatehpur. Remove the politics of divisiveness and negativity, and usher in politics which speaks about you, your grievances and makes efforts to redress them, the Congress general secretary said. In democracy, there is nothing bigger than the power of the people, Priyanka said. She accused the BJP of trying to weaken democracy and claimed that people in UP have told her that they are beaten up for raising their voices. I met a woman teacher who had participated in a protest since she was not getting her salary. She was beaten up, sent to jail and even booked under the NSA (National Security Act), she said. Imagine the NSA being slapped on a woman teacher only because she was demanding her salary, she said. PTI Teach BJP a Lesson "The politics of the BJP is no longer the politics at the grassroots level. It has no connection with the people and it is just in the air. Teach them a lesson." Priyanka Gandhi, Congress Gen Secy Cop hurt in Roadshow Banda: A woman constable was injured while discharging her duty during a roadshow of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi in Mahoba district on Wednesday. City Circle Officer Jatashankar Rai said constable Khushi was injured when the front wheel of a vehicle in the Congress leaders roadshow ran over her feet. Khushi, posted with local intelligence unit of the UP Police, has been admitted to the district hospital. amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, April 25 A military tribunal on Thursday gave three weeks to the Defence Ministry to decide on a petition by Vice-Admiral Bimal Verma, challenging the appointment of Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next Navy Chief overlooking his seniority. Vice Admiral Verma, the senior-most naval commander, on Tuesday once again moved the Armed Forces Tribunal here challenging appointment of Vice Admiral Singh to the top post after the defence ministry did not respond to his statutory complaint. Verma, commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, approached the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) on April 8, but withdrew his petition the next day after the tribunal asked him to first explore internal remedies. The AFT has directed the government to dispose of Vice Admiral Vermas petition by May 15 and fixed May 20 as the next date of hearing in the case, Vermas lawyer Ankur Chhibber said. He said though the government sought four weeks time, the AFT granted only three weeks to it. Vice Admiral Verma filed a statutory complaint with the Defence Ministry on April 10, challenging appointment of Vice Admiral Singh as the next navy chief, and asked it to respond within 10 days. However, as there was no response from the ministry, he again approached the AFT on Tuesday. Verma, the senior most naval commander, is contesting appointment of his junior Vice Admiral Singh to the top post. In his petition, Verma wondered why he was overlooked for the top post despite being the senior-most in the line of command, terming as wrongful the governments decision to appoint Singh to the post. The government had last month named Singh as the next chief of naval staff, to succeed Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on May 30. The government made the selection following a merit-based approach and did not go with the tradition of appointing the senior-most eligible officer to the post. Verma, senior to Singh, was among the contenders for the top post. While appointing the Army chief in 2016, the government did not follow the long-held tradition of going by seniority. Bipin Rawat was appointed Army chief superseding then Eastern Command Chief Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Command Chief PM Hariz. Besides Verma, the other contenders for the Navy Chief post included Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, FOC-in-C of Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar and FOC-in-C of Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla. Singh, who is at present serving as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, will be the first helicopter pilot to become chief of naval staff. Verma is brother of former Navy chief Nirmal Kumar Verma. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 25 Months after Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat promised to allow women to be recruited as jawanscalled other ranks in military parlance--in select non-combat streams, the process starts from Thursday. Online registration for recruitment in the Corps of military police has been opened from Thursday and the last date for application is June 8. This Corps does not come in direct contact with the enemy. So far, women have been inducted only as officers in the Army and this is the first time they would be taken in as jawans or in the other ranks. The project for recruiting women in the Military Police was okayed by the Ministry of Defence in January after a detailed study to induct women in the military police with an aim to enhance their representation in the three services. Women, even those recruited as officers, are not on direct combat with the enemy, though they have been drafted into the Corps of Signals and Corps of Engineers and get posted in forward locations. editorial@tribune.com Parvesh Sharma Tribune News Service Sangrur, April 24 Waiting for officers of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for the last 24 hours, farmers at the Bahadurpur village grain market on the Sangrur-Barnala road had an unexpected guest when the cavalcade of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh stopped there and started checking the purchase of wheat. The Cm was going to Faridkot to attend a public meeting of the party candidate there after attending a meeting of party workers at Sangrur. FCI officers have been harassing us and they are not making the required purchase. Yesterday there was no purchase as officers were unwilling even to listen to us and saying that there is high moisture content in grains, said Avtar Singh Kaler, sarpanch of Bahadurpur. After the CM entered the grain market, within minutes a large number of farmers converged. The Chief Minister had interaction with farmers for almost 15 minutes and farmers shared their tales of woes and demanded immediate action against officers concerned. The CM assured them of taking up the matter with higher officers of the FCI at the earliest. After the CMs intervention, the FCI has started purchase, said Gurmukh Singh, another farmer from the village. editorial@tribune.com Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 24 The ISIS militants, who claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks in Sri Lanka killing more than 300, had marked their footsteps in that country in late 2017 with smuggling of Tramadol tablets to Syria from Amritsar by re-routing the consignment from Sri Lanka. The Tribune had in a series of reports in November 2017 exposed how a consignment of about 24 million Tramadol tablets manufactured in Amritsar for a Dubai-based company was diverted to Syria for ISIS militants from the Sri Lanka port. The consignment had reached Sri Lanka from where the boxes were either transferred illegally to Syria or were re-packaged, investigating officers had told The Tribune. The consignment was eventually seized by the Italian police when they checked the ships at one of its ports, where it had docked. Following The Tribune report on the seizure and Amritsar connection, former director of the Narcotics Control Board, North Zone, Kaustubh Sharma had got cancelled manufacturing licences of two Amritsar-based firms. Sources said the Indian and Sri Lankan agencies at the Central level could not investigate and locate the persons who had got the consignment re-routed or changed at the Sri Lanka port. Many ships from India bound for other countries first dock at Sri Lanka for delivery of goods in that country as it falls in the way. Sources said the security agencies could have traced the footsteps and lead to the sympathisers of the ISIS group in Sri Lanka and may have averted the deadly attacks. Though Indian agencies had reportedly warned Sri Lanka of a probable attack, but the ISIS presence was not followed much. Officials concerned with investigations at the state and Centre level were not willing to discuss the issue. Fighter drug vinaymishra188@gmail.com Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 24 Former Punjab Congress chief and Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa today fired a salvo at Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, questioning why MLAs should be held responsible for accomplishing Mission 13 and not the state leadership. The CM had earlier in the day reportedly warned ministers they could lose Cabinet berths and the MLAs may be denied the party ticket for the next Assembly polls, if they did not ensure the partys victory in all 13 constituencies. Bajwa tweeted: I welcome the high commands decision to make the elected representatives responsible for Mission 13, but it is the state leadership that must be held accountable. One must lead by example, and if not, then let others grace the podium. He stopped short of naming the CM and PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar. Leaders close to the state leadership claimed the party diktat was applicable to Bajwa too. Performance in the Lok Sabha elections and not seniority will be the criterion for their inclusion on boards and corporations, the CM was quoted as having told his legislators. The instructions, issued after Capt Amarinder accompanied party nominees from Jalandhar, Sangrur and Faridkot for filing nomination, comes amid reports of infighting in Anandpur Sahib, Ferozepur, Sangrur, Faridkot, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. Partys Punjab affairs incharge Asha Kumari is learnt to have faced angry workers when she visited the residence of former Union Minister Santosh Chaudhary to request her to accompany Hoshiarpur nominee Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal for filing papers. Chaudhary finally obliged. In Ferozpepur, state minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi and others who were in the ticket race have yet to come out in support of party nominee Sher Singh Ghubaya wholeheartedly. Ghubaya is reported to have called on Sodhi at his residence to break the ice. In Gurdaspur, local leaders owing allegiance to Bajwa are reportedly reluctant to campaign for Jakhar. Given the partys stakes in Bathinda, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur, the CM has decided to accompany nominees Raja Warring, Ghubaya and Jakhar during the filing of nominations. editorial@tribune.com Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 24 Vada khilafi karan valiya rajneetik partiyan da pind andar aana mana hai (Entry of the political parties that have not fulfil their promises made before coming to power is banned). This is how politicians will be welcomed when they go to seek votes from the rural populace in the state. On the call given by the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, farmers organisations in Punjab will paste the message on hoardings and install these at the entry of every village in the state. Farmers have said despite this, if any candidate comes to a village, he/she will have to give every promise in writing on a legal paper. If any of the promises is not fulfilled, people will move court. There will be no verbal assurances accepted this time, they maintain. The message that will be written on the hoardings further reads, Yaad hai jo tuhadi party ne pichli chunava dauran vada kitta si? (Do you remember the promises your party made during the last elections?) Also, the promises are written, which include implementation of the Swaminathan report, waiving loans of every farmer, jobs to unemployed, bringing back black money and depositing Rs 15 lakh in the accounts of every resident and eradicating drug menace from the state. Jagjit Singh Dallewal, state president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta, Sidhupur, who is monitoring the activity in the state, said, Every party makes promises and then they forget to fulfil them. Farmers give their votes to the parties and when later they want to remind the parties of the promises they had made before coming to power, then they are dealt with force. He said, Now the situation has worsened as neither the farmers are allowed to enter Jantar Mantar in Delhi, nor they have the right to go to Chandigarh to protest. How are we supposed to tell the parties our problems? There is no alternative left. So, this is the only way left to make us heard about our problems and issues. We know that the leaders will come but we want to give them a message that if they want to come, then they will have to recall various assurances they had earlier given, said Satnam Sahni, spokesperson for the Doaba Kisan Sangharsh Committee. editorial@tribune.com Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 24 While Punjab may not figure high on the agenda of major political parties as it sends only 13 MPs to the 543-member Lok Sabha, this General Election is crucial for the border state as it will determine the future political discourse here. If the 2014 parliamentary elections saw the emergence of a formidable third front in the form of Aam Aadmi Party, which continued to surge up the political scale till 2017 when it became the main Opposition party, this election seems to once again veer towards a two-party system. In spite of the emergence of Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) led by Punjabi Ekta Party (PEP), a breakaway group of AAP, and Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali), formed by rebel Akali leaders, these rebels as well as AAP candidates seem to have failed to cut much ice with the electorate in a majority of the 13 constituencies. With all parties now having named their candidates, the electoral battle seems set between the ruling Congress and the Akali-BJP alliance. Though both AAP and the PDA comprising PEP, Lok Insaaf Party, BSP and Left have fielded candidates in all 13 seats, their electoral prospects seem restricted to just four. Also, the Akali Dal Taksali, led by MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, has fielded candidates in just two seats. It thus seems their fight against the two traditional parties will be restricted. Within two years, when the third political front had emerged as a formidable political force, it seems this election will steer the state back to a largely two-party system. This is not the first time that the third front has lost its sheen on the states political spectrum. In 1989, Simranjit Singh Mann's SAD (Amritsar) had sent six MPs and the BSP one. In 2014, four AAP MPs were elected from Punjab, while in the 2017 Assembly polls, the party saw its graph fall, managing just 20 MLAs in spite of having created a strong favourable public perception in its favour. This election is crucial as it will create a public perception of political parties that will determine their course in the 2022 Assembly elections. For the Congress, it is important to show it still enjoys voters trust, especially after sweeping to power by winning 77 seats in the 2017 elections. With the ghost of the sacrilege incidents continuing to hound Akali Dal in the Malwa region, which has eight seats, anti-incumbency may work in its favour, thus helping them gain more numbers. editorial@tribune.com Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Faridkot, April 24 The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab Police on Wednesday filed a 792-page chargesheet against former Moga SSP Charanjit Sharma in the police firing incident at Behbal Kalan, in which two persons were killed, in October 2015. The chargesheet has been filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Faridkot. It has been filed two days before Sharma getting default bail under Section 167 of the CrPC. Sharma was arrested on January 27 from Hoshiarpur. Had the SIT not filed the chargesheet before April 26, Sharma was entitled for default bail, following completion of his 90 days of police and judicial custody. Former SSP, Sharma is at present lodged in the Patiala jail and hearing on his bail application is pending at the Punjab and Haryana High Court for May 7. On the controversy over keeping four persons as accused or witness in this case, the SIT on Wednesday retained all these four suspects, including an advocate, Maruti car agencys owner, his security guard and manager, as witnesses. In its chargesheet, the SIT claimed that to fabricate false evidence against the peaceful protesters at Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015, former SSP Charanjit Sharmas escort gypsy was taken to the house of a lawyer in Faridkot where Bikramjit Singh, then Fazilka SP, had asked a car dealer to arrange for a gun. The dealer reportedly sent his companys manager and his private security guard to provide a gun to Bikramjit Singh and the latter had fired from this gun to fabricate 18 bullet marks on the escort gypsy at the advocates residence. While the SIT has retained the advocate, car agency owner, his manager and security guard as witnesses, the public prosecutor had earlier objected to this move of the SIT, saying they were among the prime accused in fabricating false evidence against innocent persons. However, the SIT has offered the logic of them being accused without any discernible mens rea (intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a crime). The chargesheet against all other four accused police officers, including suspended IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal, in this case will be filed later. What it says... harinder@tribunemail.com WITH reference to Mr. Fishers reply in the House of Commons that Mr. Montagu had not received any telegram supporting to be from the Moderate Party as such praying for the disallowance of the Anarchical Crimes Act, the Bengalee says:-The attitude of the Moderate Party towards the Rowlatt Act has been abundantly demonstrated. The leaders of that Party in the Legislative Council opposed the Bill with a strenuousness which extorted the admiration of even their opponents. In the Press, the Moderate organs have followed the same policy. The Moderate Party has not met since the passing of the Bill. rchopra@tribunemail.com Washington, April 25 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he expected bumpy talks ahead with North Korea but that he still hoped to reach a potentially landmark denuclearisation deal. US President Donald Trump in February cut short a summit in Hanoi with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with Pyongyang later blaming Pompeo for pushing a hard line and calling for his exclusion from future negotiations. In an interview with CBS News, Pompeo on Wednesday said the Hanoi summit had more nuance than publicly reported, with the two sides sharing their positions. Its going to be bumpy. Its going to be challenging. I hope we get several more chances to have serious conversations about how we move this process forward, Pompeo said. North Korea has demanded an easing of sanctions and Trump has indicated sympathy, saying he is fond of Kim. But Pompeo has insisted on maintaining pressure until a comprehensive deal on ending North Koreas nuclear programme. Pompeo said years of previous diplomatic efforts had made a mistake with North Korea by handing them a bunch of money in exchange for too little. Were determined not to make that mistake, and I think the North Koreans now see that pretty clearly, he said. Pompeo, who travelled to Pyongyang four times last year, said he absolutely believed that Kim was willing to take a major step to give up his nuclear weapons in return for less isolation. Only time will tell for sure, but Ive seen enough to believe that there is a real opportunity to fundamentally shift the strategic paradigm on the peninsula there. His remarks came as Kim flew to Russias far east for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, whose country has historically been an ally of North Korea. AFP rchopra@tribunemail.com Lima, April 25 Police in the worlds highest town are investigating the mysterious killing of seven men whose bodies were found with gunshot wounds inside a Peruvian gold mine. The prosecutors; office said in a statement on Wednesday that they were directing the first steps in the investigation to clarify the alleged murder of seven miners at La Rinconada gold mine. Seven bodies with gunshot wounds to the head were discovered on Monday by security guards inside a tunnel, located more than 5,000 metres (16,000 feet) above sea level. The mines manager Policarpio Calla said none of the dead men were employed at the mine, where work had been suspended for the Easter holidays. Calla said the seven men could have entered the tunnel during the four-day holiday period to steal gold and clashed with another group. La Rinconada is the worlds highest permanent settlement, perched atop Mount Ananea in the Peruvian Andes close to the Bolivian border. The population snowballed to around 50,000 during the 2000s when a spike in the price of gold drew tens of thousands of prospectors to brave the often sub-zero conditions. AFP Senior Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) manager Leroy Baptiste will replace Watson Duke as president of the Public Services Association (PSA), effective January 1, 2022. The decision came during a meeting of the PSA Conference of Delegates yesterday morning. In a notice to members following the meeting, the PSA said Baptiste was appointed by majority vote. Wherever in the world a pan is touched and enjoyed, the name Anthony Williams should be spoken with awe and celebrated with praise and thankfulness. In the pantheon of pan, Anthony Williams, holder of the nations highest honour, the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT), occupies a commanding space among the most illustrious few at the very top. Kenyans with taxable incomes can quit looking forward to enjoying their hard-earned April salary because according to the new housing levy in Kenya, employees and employers are each supposed to remit 1.5% of the employees income in a bid to fund the National Housing Fund Kenya. Image: instagram.com, @nationalhousingcorporationke Source: Instagram The National Social Housing Development Fund Kenya has been met with negativity from most Kenyans who have already suffered numerous tax increments over the past few years. The fund, which was first announced in June last year, is set to accumulate about 492.7 million dollars annually, and build up to 200,000 houses a year to deal with the acute housing problem in the country. The new housing tax Kenya is set to make a reality President Uhurus dream of better housing for his citizens, one of the Big Four Agenda by the Jubilee government. Housing levy Kenya effective date The National Housing Development Fund Kenya effective date is on the 9th of May, 2019. It is by this date that employers and employees should have submitted their contributions to the Affordable Housing Project, as the government dubs it. READ ALSO: Government to use lottery in giving out houses How much will I be taxed under the National Social Housing Development Fund Kenya? The 1.5% housing tax in Kenya is set to deduct 1.5% of an employees basic salary. Still, the fund will require the employer to remit the same amount. However, the total amount contributed by both the employee and their employer cannot exceed Kshs. 5,000 What you need to know about the housing fund tax Kenya: The fine print The fund was announced in June 2018 as part of the Finance Act 2019. Initially, the tax contribution was to be 0.5% of an employees basic salary. However, the rate has since increased to 1.5%. Image: bomayangu.go.ke Source: UGC The government intends to use the money contributed under the scheme to fund the building of approximately 200,000 houses a year to enable low and middle-income households to have access to decent housing. Note that the government will not be building the houses; it will fund the project. This means that the homes will be built by private companies who will then sell them to the government. The government will then sell the units to qualified applicants through either mortgages or through a tenant purchase scheme. READ ALSO: Relief as court suspends Uhuru's 1.5% housing levy deductions Also, note that it is not automatic that you will be eligible to purchase the houses once you start making the contributions. To be eligible, you have to: Be a Kenyan citizen Be at least eighteen years of age Have a valid national identification number. Furthermore, for eligibility purposes, you need to register yourself at the Boma Yangu website, the governments website intended for the Affordable Housing Program(AHP). Once you register, you will be required to input your personal details and your home preferences, after which the relevant authorities will verify your personal details. After the registration process, you will be given a unique identification number which you will use to make the contributions. One will not have to wait for the five years to elapse before they get a house. On the contrary, contributors to the scheme will have access to the homes as soon as they are ready. Applicants who qualify to purchase the houses will be selected through a transparent allocation process. However, if one is not selected, they will be added to a waiting list for the next allocation. Eligibility for allocation will depend on factors such as family status, when you registered, and the total demand for the housing units. READ ALSO: Huduma Namba NIIMS registration requirements, forms, centers, and deadlines What types of houses are availed? The housing tax deduction Kenya will make it possible for citizens to access a variety of houses, for example, A one bedroomed house, 30sqm which will go for Kshs. 1,000,000 A two bedroomed house, 40sqm, which will cost Kshs. 2,000,000 A three bedroomed house, 60sqm, which will cost Kshs. 3,000,000 A one-room unit which will go for Kshs. 600,000 A two room unit which will cost Kshs. 1,000,000 A three room unit which will cost Kshs. 1.350,000 The houses will also be built in rural areas. Are the contributions refundable? Since it is evident that not everyone who contributes to the scheme will get a house, those who miss the houses can transfer their contributions to a pension scheme or withdraw the funds after at least 15 years from the date of the initial contribution. Additionally, it is automatic that those who earn more than one hundred thousand Kenyan shillings a month will have access to a refund plus interest after fifteen years. However, the contribution made by employers is not refundable. What the FKE and COTU have to say about the housing levy The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) have termed the levy illegal because on April 8th, 2019, the two bodies obtained an order to suspend the implementation of the levy until May 20th when the case will be heard. FKE boss Jacquelin Mugo has gone ahead to tell employers not to remit the taxes as it is illegal. It is hard for Kenyans to come to terms with the housing levy in Kenya. The program looks promising enough, but with the rampant corruption scandals day in and day out in the country, it is justifiable for one to be skeptical about the scheme, as lucrative as it seems. READ ALSO: Federation of Kenya Employers declares illegal Uhuru's move to implement 1.5% housing levy World Bank projects Kenya's economic growth to slow in 2019 Source: Tuko.co.ke - Ruto was among 62 maize suppliers who were being investigated for attempting to defrauding NCPB millions of shillings - The suppliers were suspected to have imported maize from Uganda at a cheaper price and sold to the board at double price - The Anti-graft agency established that Ruto and 11 others had genuinely supplied maize to NCPB from their respective farms - The deputy president will now be paid KSh 19.2 million that had been withheld pending investigation - Ruto had supplied a total of 6, 000 bags of maize to the board from his 430-acre land in Uasin Gishu county Deputy President William Ruto is set to receive KSh 19.2 million from National Cereals Produce Board (NCPB) after the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission approved his maize supply to the board. Ruto and 11 other suppliers had there payments frozen after suspicions that they bought maize elsewhere at a cheaper price and sold to NCPB at exorbitant prices. READ ALSO: Kenya's Samburu listed among 25 most beautiful places in the world Ruto to receive KSh 19.2M from cereals board after EACC approves his maize supply.Photo/William Ruto/Facebook Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Blow to Uhuru's Huduma Namba programme as Parliament blocks company providing technology According to the finding by EACC, the deputy president through his 430-acre Koilel farm in Uasin Gishu county produced and supplied 6, 000 bags of maize to the board in 2017 and was owed KSh 19.2 million, Nation reported. NCPB Managing Director Albin Sang said the DP and 11 others who were cleared by the anti-graft agency would be paid within one week after the Strategic Food Reserve agreed to release the money. "I spoke to the SFR and they promised to release funds to clear these farmers," said Sang READ ALSO: William Ruto insists he will continue worshiping God despite calls for ban on church harambees EACC stepped in to investigate alleged cases of unscrupulous businessmen defrauding the cereals board millions of money through importing cheap maize from Uganda and selling it to NCPB at double prices. Cartels had also colluded with some NCPB officials, agricultural officers and local administrators to facilitate delivery of maize to local depots resulting to fraudulent payments. Ruto was among the 62 farmers that EACC sought to investigate over attempts to defraud the board through backdoor deals. The agency stated in February that six out of the 62 were charged in court and 44 others were still being investigated. With Ruto and 11 others cleared, Kenyans will be waiting to see what happens to the remaining suspects. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Follow us on Telegram: Tuko news The Man Who Built Kenyans a Road I Tuko TV Source: Tuko News - The county urged employees to register for Huduma Namba to enable it root out ghost workers from its payroll - The county wants all employees to resister so that it can do away with fake workers and cut on huge wage bill - The county will consider all unregistered employees as ghost workers Homa Bay county government has warned that it will fire all employees who will not register for the Huduma Namba. The county government, through Deputy Governor Hamilton Orata revealed it will start using the Huduma Namba to audit employees payroll, therefore the need for its staff to get registered. READ ALSO: Raila caught on camera dozing off during launch of Huduma Namba registration in Mombasa Deputy Governor Hamilton Orata registering for the Huduma Namba. Photo: Standard Source: Instagram READ ALSO: Presbyterian Church directs members to register with Huduma Namba Speaking to members of the press at the county headquarters just minutes after registering for the Huduma Namba, Orata held unregistered county employees will be considered as ghost workers. Any employee who wants to continue working with the county government must register for Huduma Namba. A person whose details fail to feature in the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) will be removed from the payroll, Orata stated. READ ALSO: Huduma Namba: Govt to switch off phone SIM cards of those who fail to beat registration deadline Homa Bay county government warned that it will fire all employees who will not register for the Huduma Namba. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Linturi azikana picha za ndoa ya jadi baina yake na aliyekuwa mkewe, asisitiza ana mke mmoja According to the Deputy Governor, Homa Bay county has been dealing with a huge wage bill thanks to the high number of employees. Orito held the high number of employees could means there are probable ghost workers benefiting from the county's coffers who can only be cleared after genuine employees register for the Huduma Namba. Somebody might be using different names to get double pay. We are going to use the Huduma Namba in streamlining our payrolls to weed out ghost workers, Orata said. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news VOX POP: Describe your EX using one Kenyan food Source: Tuko Newspaper Oxford Glen Memory Care at Owasso is helping bring history to life. The senior care facility, located at 11113 E. 103rd St. N., is set to host the national WWI Mobile Museum, Lest We Forget, on Thursday, May 23. The WWI Mobile Museum is a nonprofit traveling exhibit that tours various communities across the country to honor those who sacrificed their lives in the Great War a century ago. Lisa Truett, Oxford Glen executive director, said she wanted to host the museum after seeing the impact it made at a sister community in Wichita, Kansas. She said she hopes the gallery will draw locals of all ages. This is a way that we never forget. Anytime that you can keep history alive, its very important, Truett said. Were hoping that children, students will be able to attend and maybe learn hands-on things they can see and touch so to the next generation we can pass that on. Various artifacts, pictures and documents will be on display in Oxford Glens atrium for attendees to peruse and admire, and the museums curator will also be on site to share stories and answer questions. Right now in Oklahoma, offenders serve 70 percent longer for property crimes and 79 percent longer for drug crimes than the national average. Excessive sentencing for repeat nonviolent offenders has caused Oklahoma to have the highest incarceration rates in the nation, which is extremely expensive for taxpayers and does nothing to help these individuals re-enter society as self-sufficient, productive citizens, Coleman said. Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisianatheyve all reduced crime and incarceration rates at the same time. I think its time for Oklahoma to do the same. Lets get our growing prison population under control and make Oklahoma more in line with the rest of the country on sentencing for nonviolent offenders. The court added that it believed Glassco correctly determined there was an insufficient quantum of evidence connecting two possible third-party suspects to the case, which meant it was proper for him to exclude information about them from consideration by the jury. The examiner testified at trial that casings recovered at the apartment, Poores mothers backyard and at the scene of an unrelated armed robbery appeared to have been fired from the same .40-caliber weapon. James Poore contested the constitutionality of the search of his mothers home for evidence, but the appellate court said the affidavit used as reason for the search had sufficient evidence to justify it. With regard to the two other possible suspects, the appellate court wrote, Appellant did not offer any viable evidence connecting either of these two men to the crimes and went so far as to say allegations about one of the men was based on unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo. Samantha Vicent 918-581-8321 samantha.vicent@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @samanthavicent Senate bills not heard in the House by Thursdays close of business will be dormant for the remainder of the session. Wednesdays blue ribbon for expository prose went to the last bill of the day. Rewritten in the House Rules Committee last week, SB 441 would combine a $1,200 teacher pay increase sought by Gov. Kevin Stitt with new restrictions on four-day school weeks. Opponents of SB 441, which passed 68-30 after more than two hours of discussion and debate, say the bill is an unfunded mandate on school districts and that most teachers would rather see an increase in classroom support than a pay raise. Legislative leadership is asking education boosters to trust them. They insist that schools will receive more money for operations when the final appropriations bills are rolled out. But, as Wednesdays skeptics observed, nobody has actually seen those appropriations bills yet. Leaderships reasons for tacking the teacher pay raise which has already passed the House and Senate onto SB 441 last week are unclear. As the bill came from the Senate and went through House committee, it dealt only with the somewhat more contentious issue of weaning nearly 200 school districts off four-day weeks. The last time possible sites were examined was in the late 1990s and early 2000. The technology we have available (today) is light years from what they had available to them then, Bynum said. Related story: Bynum's proposed 2020 budget targets compensation, reserve funds, raises for new officers and firefighters One man was killed and another critically injured in a crash on Oklahoma 100 in Cherokee County. A westbound car attempted to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone on a curved section of Oklahoma 100 south of Tahlequah and was struck by a tractor-trailer about 9:36 a.m. Wednesday, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol news release. The driver of the car, Chase Oneal, 21, of Stilwell, was pinned for about 15 minutes before being flown to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa in critical condition. His passenger, Jimmy Oneal, 62, of Evansville, Arkansas, was pronounced dead at the scene, troopers reported. No one else was injured, but the car Oneal attempted to pass was struck by debris, according to the release. Chase and Jimmy Oneal were not wearing seat belts, the OHP reported. Kelsy Schlotthauer 918-581-8455 kelsy.schlotthauer@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @K_Schlott Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. It is beginning to look a lot more like Christmas for several families who now have a new pl Over the past four years, more than 11,000 Ukrainian military and employees of security services have been trained by Canadian instructors for free as part of Operation UNIFIER. This mission, whose mandate has recently been extended until 2022, has become one of Canada's many contributions to strengthening Ukraine's defense capability. About 200 Canadian soldiers have stayed in Ukraine on a rotating basis since the launch of the mission at the end of 2015. Ukrinform communicated with one of the leaders of the sixth rotation, Sergeant-Major Vincent Gagnon, who was just completing his half-year mandate in Ukraine. Question: Members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have been training Ukrainian counterparts for four years already. Do you adjust your training programme to meet the current requirements? Answer: The mission has evolved significantly throughout six rotations weve been in Ukraine. The first rotation concentrated mainly on collective training here, on training center in Yavoriv. However, through five rotations that followed, the mission has evolved to touch other aspects: individual training, non-commissioned officers, engineers, medical workers. Moreover, right now we are in nine different locations all over Ukraine. Q: Are Ukrainians themselves interested in Canadian training? A: They are very interested in what we are proposing, mainly a systematic approach to their training, which is more aligned with what other NATO counties would do in terms of training. Q: And what about the challenges that you face during training? What is the most difficult thing you have to overcome? A: There are several challenges, one of them obviously being language. We are from a French-speaking regiment, so we speak English only as a second language. While Ukrainians use mainly Ukrainian and English so we have to use interpreters more often than Id like to. So one of the big challenges is communication. Q: Minister of National Defence of Canada Harjit Sajjan once said that Operation UNIFIER is a process of a mutual exchange of experiences. What can Ukrainians teach Canadians? A: Ukrainians have been involved in combat operations since 2014, so obviously, they have very recent and very tangible experience that we can learn from. Q: After spending some time in Ukraine, what do you think about the Ukrainian armed forces (UAF)? How professional are they? A: The UAF are progressing very rapidly, their morale seems very high. Ukrainian soldiers tell us that their equipment is getting better, their support is getting better, they are overall some better organized. So they are professionalizing at a rapid rhythm. Q: Are you able to pick one strongest side of the UAF? A: I would say, their resolve as they are being involved in a protracted, prolonged conflict. So resolve, moral are characteristics of the Ukrainian forces. Otherwise, they wouldnt be able to hold the line. Q: And what are the main challenges that are facing them nowadays? A: The conflict being prolonged is an issue because fatigue, wear and tear of soldiers whove been doing this for years and being rotated in and out of the conflict zone takes its toll. We understand that the Ukrainians are aware of that and they offer more and more support to make sure that soldiers stay fit and healthy both physically and mentally. Q: Do you have soldiers of Ukrainian origin among your personnel? Do they feel any special role in this mission? A: We have several soldiers who are of Ukrainian descent. They speak the language so they are used as translators and advisors. They do take a very active role and are very proud of coming back home lets say. Q: Did you have a chance to communicate with the local population? How they react to the presence of Canadian soldiers on their soil? A: We travel openly in military uniform and everywhere weve been the reception has been very, very positive, be it in western Ukraine, in the capital or elsewhere. The reception without a doubt is very positive everywhere we go. Q: Do you receive any feedback about the usefulness of the training on the real battlefield? A: Yes, we call it a feedback loop. As far as we are involved both in collective and individual training, we can validate at either end of the spectrum if instructions, training and education that we are giving are worthwhile. The feedback shows that it is. The best example will be in a medical field where we train combat medics. There are real applications to the training that we are giving - saved lives of Ukrainian soldiers. Q: Canada has training missions in other parts of the world as well. Whats special about mission in Ukraine? A: Canada has indeed been involved in security forces capability building missions elsewhere: in Afghanistan, Iraq, as well as some parts of Africa. The difference with the UAF is perhaps that they are a larger, more mature and advanced organization than other security forces with whom weve worked before. Q: Ukrainian military personnel is being trained in nine different locations. But you only have around 200 CAF members in Ukraine. Is it enough to perform your tasks? A: Its never enough to do what wed like to, however, the resources we have, the personnel we use in those different locations are very well-employed, they are force multipliers everywhere they go. Be it in developing standards, training plans or assessing, we believe that the right soldiers with the right skills will do a job that many more people usually required to complete. Q: Do you provide advice to the senior leadership of the UAF? A: That would be a territory to explore at this point. We started six rotations ago in collective training and now try to have more institutional and enduring effects. But to achieve that we have to move up the value scale. So engaging more senior Ukrainian armed forces deciders and leaders will be the next step. Q: Are there any important aspects of training that are left out from Operation UNIFIER at the moment? A: We stay within the task that we are given. We have several training groups working different efforts and always trying to find more opportunities to influence higher up the value scale also bearing in mind that we want our job here to have a longlasting effect. Maksym Nalyvaiko, Ottawa Photo credit: Aviator Stephanie Labossiere, Joint Task Force-Ukraine On April 25, 2019, Ukraine and the Commonwealth of Dominica signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries. The Embassy of Ukraine in the UK reported this on Facebook. "Following the signing ceremony, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom Natalia Galibarenko stated that this event would promote the development of political dialogue and trade and economic cooperation between the two countries as well as strengthen Ukraines position in the Caribbean region," the embassy noted. Special attention was paid to the development of the legal basis of bilateral relations. "In this regard, the conclusion in the near future of an intergovernmental agreement on exemption of visa requirements for citizens of both countries was discussed with Janet Charles, the Acting High Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Dominica," reads the report. ish The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) sent 13 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas, according to the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Thirteen trucks from the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross to the temporarily occupied territories crossed the Novotroitske checkpoint," the report says. It is noted that trucks were carrying 217 tonnes of humanitarian cargo consisting of construction materials, medical supplies, food sets, office equipment, and animal feed. iy Secretary Pompeo Twitter page Washington, Apr 25 (Sputnik/UNI) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the initial evidence suggests that the Sri Lanka terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday were at least inspired by the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia). "I will say that every indication is that this was at the very least inspired by ISIS and I think we'll have more information developed about whether there were any actual connections," Pompeo told CBS News in an interview that aired on Wednesday. Pompeo explained that the scale of the Sri Lanka attacks raises the possibility that the terrorist organization received assistance from an outside group. On April 21, Sri Lanka was shaken by a series of coordinated attacks that left 359 people dead and over 500 injured. Colombo launched a massive security operation in the wake of the tragedy, and at least 24 people have been detained in connection with the attacks. The authorities also imposed curfews and deployed an extra 1,000 troops to the capital. 04/24/2019 By Ed Brennen Should I bring the napalm? Kimberly Merriman, professor of management in the Manning School of Business, was the last member of her unit to cross the raging river on the makeshift bridge they had fashioned out of wood planks and rope. With the four others safely across, it was up to Merriman to carry the canister of napalm, the highly flammable petroleum substance used in making bombs. Merriman wasnt really carrying napalm, of course. And there wasnt a river raging below. She and her colleagues from the Manning Schools Ph.D. program were actually in the safe confines of a leadership reaction course at Fort Devens, taking part in a military orientation day with cadets and soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guards 101st Engineer Battalion. Dubbed Operation River Hawk, the special visit was arranged by Lt. Col. Joshua Goodrich, battalion commander of the 101st and a part-time doctoral student in the leadership/organization studies concentration of the Ph.D. program. The goal of the exercise was twofold: to let the UML guests experience how the Army teaches leadership and organizational behavior, and to give them a better understanding of the sacrifices required of student cadets and soldiers. Photo by Stg. 1st Class James Lally Photo by Stg. 1st Class James Lally Ph.D. Program Director Kimberly Merriman learns how to fire a grenade launcher from cadet Devin Gannon, a sophomore chemical engineering major, during 'Operation River Hawk.' Merriman was joined by Asst. Profs. of Management Elizabeth Altman and Karoline Evans and doctoral students Holly Butler and David Greenway for the half-day excursion, held on a sunny Saturday in early April at the sprawling, 5,000-acre military installation located 20 miles from campus. Goodrichs unit is based at the National Guard Armory in Methuen, where it conducts drills with ROTC student cadets from UMass Lowell. That connection sparked the idea for Operation River Hawk. We use education benefits as a big incentive for people to join the Massachusetts National Guard, so I thought it made sense to bring everybody together and strengthen the partnership with UMass Lowell, says Goodrich, a native of Oxford, Mass., who has been in the Army for 27 years. Three cadets from UMass Lowell senior Kyle LeBlanc, junior Collin DesRoches and sophomores Nicholas Coughlin and Devin Gannon helped facilitate the visit by leading briefings and demonstrations. In addition to the leadership reaction course, the visitors fired simulation rounds from an M320 grenade launcher, learned how to use a gas mask to protect themselves from chemical and biological attacks, and got inside looks at military vehicles and command posts. Photo by Ed Brennen Photo by Ed Brennen Lt. Col. Joshua Goodrich, center, poses with UML guests and cadets following 'Operation River Hawk' at Fort Devens. Gannon, a chemical engineering major and Honors student, led the grenade launcher demonstration. Hes a member of both the National Guard and the ROTC through the Armys Simultaneous Membership Program. Balancing time between classes and research, especially as an engineer, and then coming to drill can be tough, Gannon says. Its nice to be able to show faculty what I do when Im not in class. Evans current research focuses on leadership in teams that are working under duress and in uncertain environments. So the experience of working together in limited time to get through the leadership reaction course proved extremely applicable. This is exactly the kind of thing Ive done with mine rescue teams, says Evans, who looks at how decisions are made when there are multiple agencies and chains of command involved. It was fun to see this point of view. There are definitely some touch points here and ways we could potentially collaborate on projects. Photo by Ed Brennen Photo by Ed Brennen Doctoral student David Greenway receives a certificate from Lt. Col. Joshua Goodrich. Greenway also received the Manning School's Doctoral Student Teaching Excellence Award this spring, along with Yue Jiao. Merriman, the Ph.D. program director, says the day was even better than she expected. Not only did we learn from the cadets what theyre doing and balancing while theyre in class, but we learned a good amount about leadership, says Merriman, who teaches a doctoral seminar on the subject. We have a lot to discuss in our next class. Manning School Dean Sandra Richtermeyer, who comes from a family with deep ties to the Army and the Air National Guard, thanked Goodrich for organizing what they hope becomes an ongoing collaboration. It was an opportunity to get people out of their comfort zone that really came together well, Goodrich says. Im hoping its a partnership that we can strengthen. Three young children wait to be evacuated from Libya to Niger, at UNHCR's Gathering and Departure Facility in Tripoli. UNHCR/Mohamed Alalem UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has today evacuated some 325 refugees from the Qaser Ben Gasheer detention centre in southern Tripoli amid deteriorating security and escalating violence. The relocation, carried out together with IOM, was triggered by reports on Tuesday of the use of armed violence against detainees who were protesting the conditions in which they were being held, with gunshots reported to have been fired in the air. While there were no bullet wounds, 12 refugees endured physical attacks that required hospital treatment. The dangers for refugees and migrants in Tripoli have never been greater than they are at present, said Matthew Brook, UNHCR Deputy Chief of Mission in Libya. It is vital that refugees in danger can be released and evacuated to safety. The refugees have been transferred to the Azzawya detention centre, where they are at reduced risk of being caught up in the hostilities. Upon arrival they were provided with key aid items and medical care by UNHCR and its partner the International Medical Corps. The most vulnerable, including women and children, are being identified and will be taken to UNHCRs Gathering and Departure Facility. The relocation was carried out with support from the Libyan authorities, UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), partner LibAid and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), who facilitated a humanitarian corridor to make the transfer possible. The relocation is the fourth UNHCR-organized transfer since the recent escalation of the conflict in Libya as our teams endeavour to get detainees out of harms way. UNHCR has relocated more than 825 refugees from the Ain Zara, Abu Salim, Qaser Ben Gasheer, Tajoura and Zintan detention centres in the past two weeks alone. UNHCR remains concerned for some 3,000 refugees and migrants who remain in detention centres in Tripoli. The deteriorating security situation means it is imperative that refugees and migrants are immediately released and provided a pathway to safety. While the violence continues, UNHCR and humanitarian agencies teams have restricted access to detention centres to provide vital lifesaving aid and assistance. Current conditions in Libya continue to underline the fact that it is a dangerous and unsuitable place for refugees and migrants. UNHCR reiterates that no effort should be spared to prevent those rescued at sea from being returned to Libya. For more information on this topic, please contact: A ministerial conference on the Eradication of Statelessness in the Great Lakes Region was held in Nairobi from 16-18 April 2019, with participants drawn from 12 Member States from the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). The event that was co-organised by Government of Kenyas Ministry of Interior, the ICGLR Executive Secretariat, and the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR agreed on common approaches on the right to belong for minority groups in the great lakes region. By 2020, Government of Kenya pledges recognition as citizens and registration of the Shona community The Government of Kenya through the Chief Administrative Secretary, Patrick Ole Ntutu came bearing good news especially for the Shona community. By 2019, Kenya will re-establish a task force on statelessness and validate the draft national action plan followed by its implementation. Hon Ole Ntutu remarked, By 2020, Government of Kenya pledges recognition as citizens and registration of the Shona community who qualify under the law, as well as by 2020,enactment of the Births and Deaths Registration Act that provides safeguards to prevent statelessness. Among the participants was 19 year old Nosizi Dube, from the Shona community, whose great grandparents from Zimbabwe arrived in Kenya in the 1960 as missionaries. Her grandparents and parents were born in Kenya, and she has called Kenya home all her life. We exist but we are not recognized Nosizi is a secondary school student in Kiambu County, near Nairobi. She narrates how she was fortunate to be sponsored by the Member of Parliament where she resides for her excellent performance in primary education and mastery of the local dialect while reciting a poem on prize giving day. She hopes to find sponsorship for university education and to graduate as a neurosurgeon or financial engineer. Education is part of my soul. If I lose it, I lose my identity completely. Nosizi says. With education, I know I will represent my community and encourage more people to go to school and not lose hope. Nosizi Dube is a 19 year old girl from the Shona community, whose great grandparents originated from Zimbabwe. She remains stateless event though she has lived in Kenya all her life. UNHCR/Caroline Opile Nosizi, Happiness and Diana Gichengo from Kenya Human Rights Commission, one of the organisations that works closely with UNHCR to advocate for an end to statelessness in Kenya. UNHCR/Caroline Opile. Participants at the ministerial conference on statelessness in Nairobi. UNHCR/Caroline Opile. However, she is among the few from her community that have completed primary school and enrolled in secondary school. Happiness Kapota, was not as fortunate. The 24 year old mother of three dropped out of school when she was in primary 7 for lack of a birth certificate to enrol for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). I was born in Kenya, and my parents were also born in here. I am the third generation of the Shona community. My only inheritance is statelessness and thats what I have passed on to my children. She has three children who are also stateless and according to her, have no hope of a better life. Happiness makes a living from basketry while her husband is a carpenter. My only inheritance is statelessness and thats what I have passed on to my children In Kenya, it is estimated that there are more than 18,500 stateless persons from various communities that include Shona, Pemba, Persons of Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, Malawi and Zambian descent. Children born in Kenya to British Overseas citizens are also stateless due to conflict in nationality laws resulting in the impossibility to be attributed the nationality of their parents at birth or the attribution of the nationality of the country where they are born and where they have their habitual residence. This lack of recognition of any nationality may continue during all their childhood and often remains even after reaching majority. So far, the Makonde and Nubian communities have been granted citizenship by the Government of Kenya. John Amugune from the stateless Maragoli in Uganda, hopes to belong with a new constitutional amendment in the country. UNHCR/Caroline Opile. Makonde community recognised by Kenya government in 2016 were at the conference to entertain participants at the conference. UNHCR/Caroline Opile. Belgium Ambassador to Kenya follows through proceedings at the ministerial conference. UNHCR/Caroline Opile. In the same forum, John Amugune keenly follows proceeding to know his fate as a stateless Maragoli in Uganda. Born in 1962 in Uganda, John discovered he was stateless during a constitutional amendment in 1995 that excluded the Maragoli, whose origin is Kenya, from the list of tribes. We have done business, paid taxes and voted in Uganda, therefore the Government cant wish us away. John says. He notes that their government has been supportive and remains hopeful of being recognized as citizens when the constitution is amended. Their stories are just a glimpse into the world of stateless persons. Across the globe millions of people are stateless according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Raouf Mazou, UNHCR Director of Africa Bureau says, In the Great Lakes region, the main drivers of statelessness includes discrimination, conflict in law, migration before independence and lack of access to proof of nationality. Raouf observed that statelessness can be a cause or a consequence of forced displacement. Ministers from Angola, DRC, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, South Sudan, Central African Republic (CAR), Kenya and Republic of Congo gathered to adopt common approaches in addressing statelessness. Jointly, the ministers agreed to extend the Action Plan of ICGLR to eradicate statelessness to 2024, to expand the Action Plan with an additional objective aimed at strengthening access to proof of legal identity including birth registration and nationality documentation , both documents to be adopted at the next Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee of ICGLR. The conference marked the midway point in the Global Campaign to end statelessness by 2024. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Ukraine exports over 41 mln tonnes of grain since July 1 11:28, 25.04.19 918 Ukrainian farmers have already shipped 14.1 million tonnes of wheat abroad. Ukraine's central bank seeks talks with IMF on new program 22:30, 25.04.19 928 Under the existing program, Ukraine this year may receive two more loan tranches worth $1.3 billion. Rutte says he is looking forward to working with Zelensky. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has discussed the probe into MH17, a Malaysian Boeing shot down by Russian-led forces in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in summer 2014, with Ukraine's President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky. Read alsoMH17 tragedy: Largest class-action lawsuit filed against Putin "Just spoke with upcoming Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to congratulate him on his electoral victory. Among other things, we talked about stability in the region and the importance of progress on the MH17 dossier. I look forward to working together," Rutte wrote on Twitter on April 24, 2019. UNIAN memo. Malaysia Airlines' MH17 Boeing 777 heading from Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, over militant-occupied territory in Donetsk region. All 298 people on board who were citizens of 10 countries were killed in the crash. The majority of the victims, 196, were citizens of the Netherlands. The Dutch Safety Board October 13, 2015, issued a report on the causes of the accident. It was revealed that the plane had been shot down by a Buk anti-aircraft missile system. The Joint Investigation Team in its report published on September 28, 2016, confirmed that the plane had been downed by a Russian-made Buk brought to Ukraine from Russia. Dutch Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said his office had identified 100 "persons of interest" in the investigation, including those who organized the arrival of the rocket and oversaw its transportation from Russia to Ukraine and back. He invited all journalists to a briefing at the entrance of the prosecutor's office at 14:00 on April 25 to give more details on his resignation. Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Eugene Enin has submitted a letter of resignation. According to a copy of the letter posted on his Facebook page, it was signed on April 24. In addition, he invited all journalists to a briefing at the entrance of the prosecutor's office at 14:00 on April 25 to give more details on his decision. Now a group of prosecutors engaged in an investigation into Ukrainian businessman Serhiy Kurchenko's case will be disbanded, the LB.ua news outlet reported. As UNIAN reported earlier, in late March, Enin canceled suspicions to politicians who are involved in the investigation of the criminal case against Serhiy Kurchenko. Deputy Chief of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Department of International Legal Cooperation, Head of the Criminal Procedural Management Department Kostiantyn Kulyk later said such a move was illegal. According to Kulyk, these actions allowed the defendants in the case, in particular Deputy Head of Presidential Administration Oleksiy Filatov, to leave Ukraine and influence witnesses, because Enin "promotes Kurchenko's organized criminal group." Eugene Enin was appointed Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine for International Legal Cooperation in June 2016. He has three higher education degrees, speaks three foreign languages. Previously, he worked at the Main Intelligence Directorate of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine, the Foreign Intelligence Service and was an adviser to the Embassy of Ukraine in Italy. Video conferences may be held before, if necessary. Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) Ambassador Martin Sajdik has said the TCG on the settlement of the situation in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, will meet in Minsk, Belarus, on May 22. Read alsoU.S. condemns Putin's decree on Russian passports in Donbas "Due to the forthcoming holidays, the next meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine will take place in Minsk on May 22. Video conferences may be held before that if necessary," he said after a meeting on April 24, the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA) said. "The sides are in favor of the Easter truce idea as a matter of principle, but, unfortunately, they've been unable to come up with an agreed text of the statement. I hope that in practice the parties will refrain from combat actions, in particular, for the duration of the forthcoming Easter and May holidays," the diplomat said. Russian passports for the occupied Donbas? Nothing new here. Russia is simply legalizing what's been stolen. And it's not the first time Russia is doing it, either. The case was similar with Crimea five years ago. However, the Donbas case also involves 13,000 victims of the war launched by "unifiers". Kremlin couldn't care less about Ukrainian citizens living in the occupation - the seized parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions have long been turned into a ghetto. Russian dictatorship has been established there, automatically depriving people of their voting right. For dissenters, there will always be a spot reserved in a "cellar" (that's what dungeons are colloquially called there). This is not a free Ukraine, where people can tell authorities: "I don't like this." Moscow is taking another step to justify the operation to coerce Ukraine to peace if necessary. After all, now it will be not only about insurgent "miners and tractor drivers", but "Russian citizens" In this case, another problem is being solved: is taking another step to justify the operation to coerce Ukraine to peace if necessary. After all, now it will be not only about insurgent "miners and tractor drivers", but "Russian citizens." Further developments will go by the South Ossetian scenario where the "we-are-not-there" guys will be transformed into invaders with official Russian army insignia on uniforms. Russia never intended to withdraw from Donbas, and it isnt going to. Naturally, Moscow will explain the legalization of the occupation by humanitarian considerations and protection of "Russian speakers". Some will explain this as Putins revenge for the closing of polling stations in the occupied Donbas and diplomatic missions of Ukraine in Russia. There is no doubt that the "gods of PR" will explain everything correctly. They will claim that "Kyiv authorities" have deprived 6 million citizens of Ukraine of their right to vote. This has already been voiced by Putins political operative in Ukraine Viktor Medvedchuk. The decision on Russian passports for Donbas residents had long been in the making. It had been discussed in the Russian media and commented on by the Kremlin, but it remained unclear when it would be officially announced. At first, it was assumed that the Kremlin would respond with "passports" to the election win of the absolute evil, Petro Poroshenko. Also, it was assumed that in the case of Volodymyr Zelensky's triumph, the issue will be put on pause so that the new head of state could manifest himself. Who knows, perhaps he's not a Russophobe after all? For the Kremlin, the president-elect of Ukraine has gone rotten before even taking office However, even though Volodymyr Zelensky hasn't taken office yet, he has already convinced Putin that he, is unlikely to become a president to make easy deals with, and Poroshenko wasn't, either. How arrogant was it for Zelensky to dare say he stands against any special status for the occupied areas of Donets and Luhansk regions and amnesty for militants, and also intends to wage an information war to win back the minds of Ukrainians living in the occupied territories. For the Kremlin, the president-elect of Ukraine has gone rotten before even taking office. At the same time, Russian officials will keep repeating the mantra about the lack of alternatives to the Minsk agreements and "internal Ukrainian conflict." There is only one objective here: first, to create information noise on the subject, and in the meantime, to find the answer to the main question of how to remove Ukraine from the world's political map. And the name of Ukraine's president doesn't matter, really. Roman Tsymbaliuk Joanna Taft has a hypothesis: People say they want to live in a big city, but in their hearts, people actually want the small-town feel that comes with a connected neighborhood and close friends living nearby. Its why Taft, executive director of the Harrison Center, has been porching with her family since 2007, and the Harrison Center started promoting porching events in 2014. But wait, what is porching? Its sitting on the porch, Taft said. Isnt that crazy? Porch parties can take many forms, and they often do around Indianapolis. Some people host music-themed porch parties with musicians and instruments. In the Monon 16, which includes the Hillside and Kennedy King neighborhoods, residents can go to a porch party hosted by a motorcycle club. The Harrison Center, in partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is kicking off this season of porching with an Indianapolis 500-themed porch party May 3 in the Harrison Center courtyard. Indianapolis neighborhoods are then encouraged to start their own porching traditions that carry on into the rest of the summer. Terri Taylor, a long-time resident of the Martindale-Brightwood area, had a porch party last year (she doesnt have a porch, so people set up tables in her front yard) where she told neighbors her stories about growing up in that community. People was coming by and blowing their horns, said Taylor, 65. Sometimes I didnt even know who it was. To register your own porch party and become eligible for deliveries, celebrity drop-ins and ticket giveaways, visit indianapolismotorspeedway.formstack.com. You can also register a porch party at harrisoncenter.org. Some neighborhoods have a big one-off event for everyone, while others prefer porch parties that spring up sporadically. Taft said the Central State neighborhood on the west side is doing a one-day porch party in the middle of May and is specifically looking to invite renters, who sometimes feel less connected to their communities than home owners. When you think about where we are as a culture today, modernization has affected all of us, right? Taft said. We have air conditioning, we have TV. There are all these things that call us inside. That whole front porch thing is kind of an old-fashioned idea that people are hungry for once again. Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick. FIRST FRIDAY PORCH PARTY When: 6-10 p.m. May 3 Where: Harrison Center City Gallery courtyard, 1505 N. Delaware St. Cost: Free Registration: To receive deliveries, ticket giveaways and other goodies, register at indianapolismotorspeedway.formstack.com. You can also register your porch party at harrisoncenter.org It is envisaged to establish an organizing committee to prepare and hold the NATO PA spring session. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has passed a resolution to host the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) in Kyiv on May 22-25, 2020. Relevant resolution No. 10091 was backed by 235 out of the 345 MPs registered in the session hall, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoStoltenberg invites Zelensky to visit NATO HQ It is envisaged to establish an organizing committee to prepare and hold the NATO PA spring session. The Verkhovna Rada's chairman shall head the committee. The resolution approves the composition of the organizing committee, according to the list of positions, and authorizes the chairman of the organizing committee to change its composition if necessary. The organizing committee should also approve within two weeks an action plan to prepare and hold the NATO PA spring session. In addition, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers should decide within two weeks on the participation of relevant ministries and other central executive agencies in preparations for the NATO PA spring session and ensure timely financing from the 2020 national budget. Kniazhytsky said the relevant law "being fair to Ukrainians, in no way demeans any national minorities." Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Culture Committee Mykola Kniazhytsky promises the law on the protection of languages of national minorities and indigenous peoples will be adopted in six months. Read alsoPoroshenko calls adopted draft law on Ukrainian language historic decision "The law needs to be adopted, and we promise you this [will happen] in six months the legislation on the protection of languages of national minorities and indigenous peoples. We will do everything so that these people who live in Ukraine, so that all citizens feel at home," he said at a parliament meeting before the adoption of the draft law on ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the national language, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Kniazhytsky said the relevant law "being fair to Ukrainians, in no way demeans any national minorities." As UNIAN reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, on April 25 adopted the draft law on ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the national language. Some 278 Members of Parliament backed the decision. Moscow is offering Russian passports to residents of the occupied parts of Donbas to push the president-elect toward settling for a compromise as soon as possible. Vladimir Putin has swiftly moved to test Ukraines new president-elect, signing a law that could allow millions of Ukrainians living in the occupied regions of Donbas to receive Russian passports. The provocative decision came just three days after the 41-year-old Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian with no political experience, won a landslide victory in presidential elections, according to The Guardian. Read alsoUkraine appeals to UN Security Council over Putin's move to issue Russian passports in occupied Donbas The publication recalls that the Kremlin has not yet congratulated Zelensky or officially recognized the election result. In campaigning, Zelensky had signalled he could be more amenable to compromise on Donbas than the outgoing president, Petro Poroshenko, and he campaigned in part on Ukrainians exhaustion with the war. Now, Russias challenge could force him to take a harder line. His team released a statement on Wednesday calling Russias move another sign that Russia was an aggressor state that is waging war against Ukraine. The offer of Russian passports will be seen in Kyiv as an attempt to continue the integration of the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions into Russia, as well as to pressure the new president to come to the negotiating table. Read alsoZelensky: Minsk process will be rebooted; hostages in Russia, Donbas must return home Its raising the stakes. This is a serious message for Ukraine as well as the west, said Balazs Jarabik of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This would make the status of the territories more and more complicated, and the idea is to force Zelensky to start negotiations as soon as possible. The timing of the decree, just after Zelenskys victory, may make it politically harder for the incoming president to seek compromise. Prior to the election, Zelenskys chief of staff Ivan Bakanov signalled during meetings in Washington that the Zelensky team would be amenable to negotiating directly with the so-called "LPR" and "DPR", according to a source briefed on the contents of the discussions. Western diplomats have cautioned the Zelenskyy team against such a course, as it would play into Russias narrative of an "internal conflict". The president-elect suggests that the agency is delaying the announcement of official results so that the Verkhovna Rada also reschedules the inauguration date. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President-elect of Ukraine, in a statement recorded on video, accused the Central Election Commission of delaying the announcement of election results. The delay, the politician suggests, aims at having his inauguration take place after May 27. This way, he will have no opportunity to dissolve the Verkhovna Rada. "Very funny things are happening now. There is victory, but there's no authority. Someone is hiding my mace from me," he said, hinting at one of the symbols of presidency. Read alsoZelensky faces battles with Ukraine's hostile parliament: Reuters Zelensky suggests that the CEC is delaying the announcement of the results, so that the Verkhovna Rada will also delay the inauguration and set it on a date later than May 27. The future president believes that this is done because after this date, by law, he will have no right to dissolve parliament. "It seems to me, this is unfair. A president who has 73 percent of public trust must at least have the right to consider this and have such opportunity. The System is scared. It means one thing we will win," said Zelensky. The NSDC is confident that the Kremlin is trying to implement in eastern Ukraine the Abkhazia scenario. The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine believes the Kremlin will not dare annex the occupied territories of Donbas to Russia, NSDC Deputy Secretary Serhiy Kryvonos said. "The situation repeats itself, as it was in Abkhazia, and this doesn't play in favor of our country: it is undermining the confidence of those who are waiting for us to return, but on the other hand, it is an attempt to show that 'you have too few chances, no one is waiting for you any longer,' and in the future this may turn into a referendum and, possibly, the accession of these regions [to Russia]," said Kryvonos. Read alsoRada appeals to int'l community over Putins decree on Russian passports for Donbas residents At the same time, he added he did not believe in the scenario of accession, because, in his opinion, this would be an excessive economic burden for Russia, given the number of disabled residents living in the occupied territories. "Perhaps, it's more about the attempts to influence, not fulfilling these intentions," Kryvonos said. He added that the Ukrainian side was awaiting a meeting of the UN Security Council. After the reaction of the international community, an NSDC meeting will be held on the Kremlins decision to issue Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens living in the occupied territories. Two invaders were killed and another three were wounded on Wednesday, intelligence reports say. Russia's hybrid military forces on April 24 mounted 14 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action. Read alsoUkrainian officer posts raw video of double strike on enemy positions in Donbas "One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the past day. According to intelligence reports, two invaders were killed and another three were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update published on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on April 25, 2019. Russian occupation forces opened fire from 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Under attack were Ukrainian positions near the towns of Avdiyivka, Maryinka, and Popasna, as well as near the villages of Mykolaivka, Verkhniotoretske, Novohnativka, Vodiane, Novozvanivka, Troyitske, Shumy, and Luhanske. "Since Thursday midnight, Russia-led forces have attacked Ukrainian positions near the villages of Hnutove and Lebedynske, using grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. There have been no casualties among the Ukrainian military [on Thursday]," the report said. The piece was published on the company's website on April 23. Editor-in-Chief of the Czech radio company Cesky rozhlas Petr Sabata has apologized for an article by journalist Jan Fingerland titled "Jew at the Head of Ukrainian Fascists" about showman Volodymyr Zelensky who won the presidential election runoff in Ukraine. The article was published on the company's website on April 23, the Embassy of Ukraine in Prague wrote on Facebook. Sabata says he considers the content of the material correct and does not see any reason to remove it from the audio archive. However, in his opinion, the title of the article was troublesome. He has already changed it for "Jan Fingerland: Jew at the head of Ukraine." Read alsoCzech Republic: Ongoing militarization of Crimea represents blatant breach of international law Fingerland claimed in his article that Ukrainians had chosen a "Jewish clown simply because other attempts were unsuccessful." The journalist writes that Zelensky's opponent, incumbent Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, in his program "focused on Ukrainian nationalism." Fingerland also suggested that Zelensky's victory could be viewed as a "rejection of chauvinism." "If the wording of the title hurt someone, I'm sorry, and I apologize," the editor-in-chief added. Indiana law forbids both medical and recreational marijuana, so many might be confused when they see cannabidiol (CBD) products now legally available in medicinal and natural food stores. Both CBD oil and marijuana derive from cannabis, so why is one legal when the other is not? The answer is that despite coming from the same family of plant, CBD products are different from marijuana. CBD products are an alternative medicine with anecdotal cases suggesting the remedies fight pain, inflammation, anxiety and more. Due to its medicinal properties, many Indianapolis citizens are using and selling CBD to address a variety of symptoms. CBD products come from industrial hemp, which contains much lower levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical in marijuana that creates a high feeling. CBD products in Indiana cannot legally have more than 0.3% THC. By comparison, the National Institute on Drug abuse said the average amount of THC in marijuana was 9.6% in 2013. Due to the lower THC levels, industrial hemp does not impact the mind but often reduces pain and inflammation within 30 minutes of use. People most often ingest CBD by applying drops on the tongue. Ointments, edible items and vape pens are also ways to take CBD. In addition to physical pain, CBD also relieves anxiety and depression. Amy Sawyer, owner of CBD provider Rooted Scales, first discovered CBD about two years ago. She found CBD addressed her anxiety and insomnia and soon went into business selling it herself. Sawyer said CBD oil is valuable to groups experiencing both physical and mental stress such as veterans and first responders suffering from PTSD. She even offers a discount to service members and their families. A lot of the symptoms people in our service community are facing directly correlate with the benefits of CBD oil, Sawyer said. PTSD is not the only neurological disorder CBD can assist with. David Phipps, communications director of Indiana Norml, said CBD oil can help with epilepsy, noting cases where some child patients went from over 100 seizures a day to near zero when they started taking CBD. That was pretty much unheard of from their parents, their caretakers, before CBD oil was available, Phipps said. Unlike other medication for such disorders, CBD products have no side effects. Sawyer noted how even over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol or aspirin can degrade the lining of the stomach and kidneys, while stronger drugs, such as opioids or prescription medication, can be addictive or deadly. Nichole Lewis, a Rooted Scales customer, appreciates the lack of side effects. Over-the-counter medication made her feel sick while not fully addressing her neck pain and migraines, and Lewis was too afraid to try stronger medication because her aunt developed liver cancer as a result of arthritis medication. Lewis said CBD oil addressed her symptoms without making her feel sick. I really, really wish with all of my heart eight years ago that I knew about any type of CBD oil or this product because I believe she [Lewis aunt] would still be here, Lewis said. CBD products are more expensive in Indiana than in other states because while it is legal to sell CBD products it is illegal to grow industrial hemp. Businesses such as Rooted Scales need to buy materials from out of state. However, this may change soon. In February, the Indiana Senate passed SB 516, a bill that would both allow Hoosiers to grow industrial hemp and create the Indiana Hemp Advisory Committee to monitor and regulate that farming. The bill passed 47 to 1 in the Senate and is currently awaiting review in the House of Representatives. If SB 516 passes, then Sawyer predicted CBD prices should fall. Contact staff writer Ben Lashar at 317-762-7848. Follow him on Twitter @BenjaminLashar. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Johanne Hesse described his son Paa-Nii as joyful and always smiling, but there was a period where Paa-Nii, who has autism, constantly lived in a state of stress. Living in Oklahoma at the time, other students picked on Paa-Nii to the point where Hesse had to visit the principals office once a month because of bullying. When Hesse moved to Indianapolis, he wanted a school that would not only accept Paa-Nii but also prepare him for the future. He eventually found The Independence Academy of Indiana, a school exclusively for children on the autism spectrum. Hesse enrolled his son, and Paa-Nii grew happier and more confident while improving his social skills. In addition, the staff taught Paa-Nii the skills to one day live on his own and gain employment. I cannot emphasize how huge the change has been on not just him but on me and other family members, Hesse said. April is Autism Awareness Month, and stories such as Paa-Niis show the importance of treating those on the spectrum with kindness. In addition, the month is a good time to examine the educational and vocational challenges people with autism face. Marisa Gill, director of The Independence Academy, said the educational process can be difficult for children with autism. They require more attention than other students, and schools are not always able to provide that attention. Gill also said schools may not properly diagnose students, particularly African American children, with autism because they may assume the child is just misbehaving. Gill said because students with autism have difficulty socializing, nearly two-thirds of 6- to 15-year-olds with autism have experienced bullying. She added bullying as well as other stressful factors including lack of support from adults can cause children with autism to withdraw socially or seek approval from peers, which could lead to bad choices. To combat these factors and address difficulty with communication, Independence develops both academic and social skills. Its that piece that people with autism really needs the help with, Gill said. Its not a matter of their intelligence. Its not a matter of their ability. Its more a matter of how do we help you understand social cues and communicate. Independence Academy lives up to its name by helping 100% of its students move on to college or a career, Gill said. Although Independence Academy usually only has 30 to 45 students depending on the year, its doing its part to improve the lives of adults with autism, as research from the Autism Society shows more than half of young adults with autism are unemployed and arent enrolled in higher education and almost half of 25-year-olds with autism have never had a job. The high unemployment rate among individuals on the spectrum is not because they are cognitively unable to pursue a career, but because theres a lack of resources for adults with autism, said Kelli Higgins, state outreach manager at the Autism Society of Indiana. Because autism awareness often focuses on children, adults with autism often are overlooked. Many of those adults require assistance finding a job. There is not just a whole lot of support out there for individuals as adults, not only for career services but also social support, Higgins said. Unfortunately, a lot of these individuals are still home with their parents. Hesse, who is a computer programmer, sees a future in coding for his son who has a logically-skilled mind. For example, Hesse can talk about a line of code using numbers one through 10 and Paa-Nii can come up with a possibility Hesse never considered such as using zero. To fill the gap, the Autism Society of Indiana began the Career Service Program, an employment resource that connects people on the spectrum age 14 and older with career counselors who can help plan a career path, write a resume and develop interviewing skills. Advisors are available throughout a persons career to provide guidance on how to thrive in the workforce. Hesse is impressed by the number of organizations supporting people with autism but believes theres more work to do. At least when its Autism [Awareness] Month, I feel like we should do more and support companies who are doing great things, hiring people on the spectrum and schools like Independence Academy that provide a safe atmosphere for kids on the spectrum to learn and be successful, Hesse said. Contact staff writer Ben Lashar at 317-762-7848. Follow him on Twitter @BenjaminLashar. Myths about sexual assault make it difficult for people to report or discuss assaults, which is a problem considering the number of Hoosiers who are victims of sexual assault. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20.4% of Indiana residents have experienced sexual violence. We need to be more aggressive in having deep and meaningful conversations about healthy relationships and consent and really talking about what it is to be genuinely kind citizens of the world, Tracy Horth Krueger, CEO of the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault, said. I think we have problems having those conversations. A way to make those conversations easier is to spread more awareness and understanding about sexual assault. However, doing so requires peeling back the cultural stigmas and misunderstandings about sexual assault. Myth 1: Strangers mostly commit sexual assault The phrase sexual assault usually conjures images of dangerous strangers, but strangers are not the most common perpetrators of sexual assault. According to Aly Austin, a survivor advocate at Families First, 70% of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. This could be anyone from a coworker to a family member. Burton Patterson, rape prevention education coordinator at the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault, said sexual assaulters also often groom the victim by creating a trusting relationship with the victim before sexually assaulting him or her. The goal is to cause the target to drop their guard while faking a healthy relationship because if others believe the assaulter is engaging in a normal relationship, then they are less likely to believe allegations. Theres people who dont believe the victim. Austin said. Sometimes they are like, No, that person couldnt do it because they are so well respected, and they are so nice, so it is harder. Myth 2: Its only a womens issue The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 16% of boys were sexually abused before turning 18 years old. Most male victims were abused before turning 18, according to Austin. Austin added men are expected to be strong and independent, the opposite of the stigma of sexual assault victims. That causes male victims to be less likely to report sexual assault to friends, family, organizations and authorities than women. Often male victims of sexual assault are too afraid of being labeled weak or gay to speak out. There is this whole idea that men need to be tough, Austin said. They need to be able to protect themselves. Theyre strong. How could they let this happen? Myth 3: It doesnt involve me. If you havent experienced sexual assault, its easy to write it off as someone elses problem. According to Austin, victims of sexual assault are six times more likely to suffer from PTSD, 26 times more likely to abuse drugs and are at a higher risk of attempting suicide. Patterson said sexual assault is never just one persons problem. Dealing with sexual assault is a long-term process, one that victims often share in with those close to them. Chances are, we all know someone who has been affected by sexual assault, and that ripple effect is very real, and I think it can be very devastating for a victims parents or family or friends because they see the pain their loved one is going through, Patterson said. Contact staff writer Ben Lashar at 317-762-7848. Follow him on Twitter @BenjaminLashar. Sexual assault resources: Families First familiesfirstindiana.org Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault indianacesa.org RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network rainn.org Center of Hope ecommunity.com/services/emergency-medicine/center-of-hope Julian Center juliancenter.org Center for Victim and Human Rights cvhr.org (@FahadShabbir) MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2019) The transit of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline in the direction of Ukraine for Czech, Hungarian and Slovak refineries is underway and the contaminated crude will reach hubs in Hungary and Slovakia in four to five days, Gomeltransneft Druzhba, the Belarusian operator of the pipeline, said in a statement on Thursday. Last week, the Russian company Tatneft acknowledged that the level of chlorides in the Russian crude transported via the Druzhba pipeline exceeded standards, saying it would take action to restore the high-quality exports shortly. "Oil transit toward Ukraine for refineries in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary is underway. Offgrade oil will arrive at hubs in Hungary and Slovakia in four to five days," the statement read. The statement noted that the Polish side had suspended the transit of Russian oil through Belarus at the Adamovo hub due to the level of chlorides surpassing the norm. Though the transit of the Russian oil through Belarus to Poland has been suspended, transit to Ukraine is still underway with around 40,000 tonnes of oil passing through the pipeline daily, the main engineer of Gomeltransneft Druzhba said earlier in the day. National Minority Health Month is recognized across the nation every April, and it serves as a reminder to state agencies, health advocates and community leaders that the best way to improve the well-being of our communities is to ensure that every conceivable option is made available to families working to care for an elderly, sick or disabled loved one. Last month, I gathered several statewide health and advocacy organizations, including AARP and Caregiver Homes of Indiana, together for the first ever Indiana Senior Day at the Statehouse. Many of the attendees came from my east side Indianapolis district and the congregations at Eastern Star and New Beginnings Churches; most had never been to the Statehouse or spoken with elected officials, who make critical decisions about health care funding and outreach programs to minority communities. It is critical for people to come together and use their collective voices to speak out about whats happening in their lives and with their families, especially when your loved ones cant do it for themselves. According to the AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, in 2013, nearly a million Hoosiers served as a caregiver for an adult with limited abilities. A quarter of those family caregivers said they felt burdened by that duty physically, emotionally or financially. Further research by the American Geriatrics Society tells us that minority families more often take on the generational task of family caregiving than Caucasian families and that minority caregivers suffer greater stress from the added work. That is why we in Indiana must continue to innovate and find solutions for Hoosier families. Five years ago, Caregiver Homes of Indiana became the first company to offer the model of Structured Family Caregiving to Hoosier families. The service provides a full care team, including a registered nurse, to support family caregivers looking after aging and disabled loved ones. The service also pays a stipend to the caregiver. Indiana needs more options like Structured Family Caregiving to address the needs of minority communities, who see negative disparities in life expectancy, infant mortality, and maternity health. Indiana is home to some of the largest and most influential companies in health care. We can do more for the health of Hoosiers, but we need the advocacy and the political will to see them through. State Rep. Robin Shackleford represents District 98 and is ranking minority member of the Public Health Committee. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Three-day entrepreneurship fair 2019 organized by the Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC), Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) concluded here on Thursday RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Apr, 2019 ) :Three-day entrepreneurship fair 2019 organized by the Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC), Fatima Jinnah Women University FJWU ) concluded here on Thursday. The Chief Guest of the event was former AJK minister Farzana who addressing the participants appreciated the efforts of the students. She said the university was playing a very important role to educate females and train the young women entrepreneurs. At the occasion, the Vice Chancellor, FJWU, Prof Dr Samina Amin Qadir said that remarkable ideas were presented in the fair. The university would keep providing such platforms to young women entrepreneurs to showcase their products, talents and business ideas, she said. The basic cause of fair was to motivate the students and young business women of twin cities for establishment of their businesses and how they can become successful entrepreneurs, she added. Prof Dr Samina Amin Qadir said that in the coming years, the students of FJWU would become job providers instead of job seekers. She emphasized that entrepreneurs can play a vital role in the development by taking moderate amount of risk, being ethical and socially responsible. She also said that entrepreneurship has its importance in corporate sector as well as social sector. No doubt, entrepreneurship is profit generating but yet responsible to give back to the society, and develop civic sense and character building characteristics. Continuing the previous year's tradition of organization of successful Women Entrepreneurship Fair, this year, once again, ORIC, FJWU arranged the fair aimed at bringing together aspiring and current women business owners and entrepreneurs from diverse ages, educational levels and industries for networking and bench-marking. At the same time, it assisted to instill an entrepreneurial spirit and underscore the worth of this spirit in students, community organizations and businesses. More than 80 stalls were displayed by the exhibitors including FJWU current students, alumni and established business women from twin cities. A large number of visitors including students, women and children attended this event. Display of products and services included personality assessment, pottery, paintings, sports, photography, color carnival, clothing, jewelry, handicrafts and food items. The scholars, writers and intellectuals of Dhivehi Language Academy will visit Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) on Friday ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Apr, 2019 ) :The scholars, writers and intellectuals of Dhivehi Language academy will visit Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) on Friday. The seven-member delegation includes Ashraf Ali, President of Dhivehi Language Academy, Naseema Ahmed, Director General, Shahma Ali, Assistant Director (History), Mohamad Fauzan Ahmed, Assistant Director, Ashraf Abdul Raheem, Writer/Scholar, Ahmed Nadeem, IT consultant and Anas Mohamed, a press release said. The PAL is arranging a meeting/discussion with the language experts, writers and scholars to discuss about the understanding of urdu language corpus and get benefited from the comprehensive corpus of Urdu language. In a meeting, the signing of memorandum of understanding by mutual consent of both the countries Pakistan and Maldives would be held to enhance cooperation in making arrangements in the field of translation of literary works and publication of books of each other countries, making arrangements to organize literary festivals, book exhibitions/book fairs and conference/seminars to promote literature along with culture in both the country, reciprocal visits of writers, intellectuals, poets and scholars to each other country and exchange of their experiences respectively. Belgium prosecutors have opened a murder investigation after the body of a 9-year-old Palestinian boy was found Wednesday at an asylum seekers' centre near Antwerp Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Apr, 2019 ) :Belgium prosecutors have opened a murder investigation after the body of a 9-year-old Palestinian boy was found Wednesday at an asylum seekers' centre near Antwerp. "An investigation will be conducted in a transparent and independent manner. The culprits must be punished," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel wrote in a tweet, offering his condolences after this "tragic death". According to initial findings provided by the prosecutor's office on Thursday, the death resulted from violence and was considered suspicious. Five people arrested on Wednesday were still in police custody on Thursday morning, Kristof Aerts, spokesman for the Antwerp prosecutor's office, told AFP. The boy, born in Lebanon and of Palestinian nationality, was staying with his 26-year-old mother in the Broechem asylum centre when he disappeared on Monday evening, Aerts said. A search operation found the boy's lifeless body in a ditch on the grounds of the reception centre on Wednesday afternoon. Belgium, a country of about 11 million inhabitants, receives about 20,000 asylum seekers annually, many of whom come from conflict areas in the middle East, according to the Fedasil agency website. Bulgarian prosecutors handed down Thursday the first indictments in a probe for massive misuse of EU rural development funds that caused a wave of indignation in the bloc's poorest country Sofia, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Apr, 2019 ) :Bulgarian prosecutors handed down Thursday the first indictments in a probe for massive misuse of EU rural development funds that caused a wave of indignation in the bloc's poorest country. Deputy minister of economy Alexander Manolev resigned last week after media reports alleged he and his family were the only users of a posh holiday estate near the southern town of Sandanski built with EU aid subsidies for guest houses in rural areas. Manolev and an alleged accomplice were charged "for crimes against the financial interest of the EU," chief prosecutor spokeswoman Rumyana Arnaudova told journalists. The ex-deputy minister and the official owner of the villa built on his land -- the 25-year-old daughter of his children's nanny -- received by the end of 2015 almost 200,000 Euros ($225,000) of EU cash based on documentation indicating they would build a guest house, Arnaudova said Thursday. "But they had no intention to develop tourism (...) This house was used only and solely by Alexander Manolev and his family," the prosecutor added. Manolev was already a deputy minister of tourism when he received the subsidy. The revelations caused an outcry among poor Bulgarians especially as they came amid another scandal about posh property acquisitions by top officials at below-market prices that had already prompted a wave of probes and resignations. The scandals have undermined support for the ruling GERB party of conservative premier Boyko Borisov ahead of next month's EU parliamentary elections. Three separate recent polls show the opposition Socialists slightly ahead of the GERB for the first time in years. In response to the latest scandal, the prosecution launched on Wednesday thorough checks of all 746 guest houses built in the country since 2011 with EU aid amounting to more than 100 million euros. Bulgaria joined the European Union 12 years ago under a special monitoring mechanism aimed to spur progress in improving the work of the judiciary and the combating of widespread corruption and organised crime. (@ChaudhryMAli88) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2019) Mali expects Russia's possible assistance in fighting terrorism, Malian lawmaker Oumar Mariko said Wednesday. "Russia, as the organizer of this conference, is a country that is fighting terrorism and terrorist organizations on the battlefield, and has fighting experience. I am here to learn from Russia's experience in resolving these issues. We would like Russia to provide us with possible assistance in solving the problem of terrorism," Mariko told reporters during the Conference on International Security (MCIS) in Moscow. He added that apart from Mali, other African states also had similar problems. The annual MCIS, organized by the Russian Ministry of Defense since 2012, will last until April 25. It mainly focuses on the crucial issues of international security. Manila views the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) as a "very optimal" international platform for the conflict settlement in the dispute-ridden South China Sea, the Philippine defense undersecretary, Cardozo M. Luna, told Sputnik in an interview MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th April, 2019) Manila views the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) as a "very optimal" international platform for the conflict settlement in the dispute-ridden South China Sea, the Philippine defense undersecretary, Cardozo M. Luna, told Sputnik in an interview. "ASEAN is very optimal on that. We are one and we are cooperating closely with one another to be able to come into a code of conduct with China with regards to the West Philippine Sea [the name for the disputed South China Sea in Philippine official government use] and South China Sea," Cardozo Luna said. He noted that the Philippines had been the most active nation in dealing with China on the matter, reiterating that Manila saw the latter's military presence in the disputed areas as a security threat. "They are building military bases there. And there is information that they have established missile capability there. But we believe those missiles are not intended for us. Because we are not their enemy," he, however, added. ASEAN nations have been engaged in discussions on a Code of Conduct, aimed at preventing incidents with China in the disputed South China Sea for over two decades. The Philippines and China, in particular, have long been in dispute over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea a major shipping route and home to fishing grounds that is also potentially rich in gas and oil. The overthrow of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi undermined the situation in the whole of Africa and turned Libya into one of the epicenters of global instability, Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) spokesman Maj. Gen. Sergey Kovalyov said Wednesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th April, 2019) The overthrow of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi undermined the situation in the whole of Africa and turned Libya into one of the epicenters of global instability, Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) spokesman Maj. Gen. Sergey Kovalyov said Wednesday. "The West-backed overthrow of the Gaddafi regime resulted in tectonic shifts in the entire security system on the African continent. Former Jamahiriya [Gaddafi's Libya], which had served as the backbone of regional stability before the foreign interference, turned into one of the main countries for the transit of migrants, weapons and drugs," Kovalyov said on the sidelines of the Moscow Conference on International Security. He pointed out that, according to UN data, up to 1.5 million Libyans are in dire need of humanitarian aid, 220,000 of whom are internally displaced. Kovalyov also noted that the majority of migrants coming to the European Union were from Africa. "According to the International Organization for Migration's data, almost 500,000 (25 percent) out of 2 million migrants, who came to the European continent within last five years, are Africans," Kovalyov said. He added that most migrants were arriving from Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan. Following the outbreak of a civil war in Libya, Gaddafi, who had been in power for over 40 years, was brutally killed by western-backed militia in 2011. The country has been engulfed in constant political turmoil since then. UN Special Rapporteur Rhona Smith will visit Cambodia to assess the human rights situation in the country and follow up on developments since her previous visit in November, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a press release on Wednesday UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th April, 2019) UN Special Rapporteur Rhona Smith will visit Cambodia to assess the human rights situation in the country and follow up on developments since her previous visit in November , the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a press release on Wednesday. "The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Rhona Smith, will visit the country from 29 April to 9 May 2019, at the invitation of the royal government," the release said. Smith said she will continue her examination of the human rights situation in Cambodia with a particular focus on the issues of non-discrimination and equality as well as participation and accountability. OHCHR explained that Smith will meet during her 11-day visit with senior government officials and civil society leaders as well as conduct field trips to gather relevant information first hand. The UN Special Rapporteur undertakes missions to Cambodia and reports annually to the Human Rights Council. Smith is scheduled to present her next report to the Human Rights Council in September. Human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch have said that the Cambodian government detained in 2018 a number of political figures, including supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), human rights advocates, activists and journalists, for criticizing the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) or Prime Minister Hun Sen. UN human rights officials have called on the Cambodian government to ensure an open political debate after the July 2018 election. US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has come under scrutiny from US officials for allegedly distributing foreign propaganda in favor of authoritarian regimes in Central Asia, media reported on Thursday WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2019) US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has come under scrutiny from US officials for allegedly distributing foreign propaganda in favor of authoritarian regimes in Central Asia media reported on Thursday. Officials from the US State Department earlier this year sent a six-page memorandum to the RFE/RL leaders criticizing the pro-government stance by its Tajikistan network, the Wall Street Journal reported. The State Department's memorandum came after repeated complaints by US diplomats, network employees and academics urging the agency to intervene, the report said. In addition, Federal officials asked the State Department Office of Inspector General to investigate several contracts between RFE/RL's Tajikistan network, called Radio Ozodi, and a broadcast company controlled by a relative of Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon. RFE/RL confirmed in a statement the complaints against its Tajikistan network. "Earlier this month, RFE/RL asked the State Department's Office of the Inspector General to investigate. Corrective action will follow any investigation by the OIG, as warranted," the broadcast organization said. RFE/RL were founded in 1950 and 1953, respectively, to combat propaganda in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. The two radio stations merged in 1973. The broadcast organization is one of several US government-funded network overseen by the US Agency for Global Media and monitored by the State Department. The signing of the Vt380 million loan agreement: Minister of Finance, Gaetan Pikoune (c) of photo, Air Vanuatu Board Chairman Joel Lengsau, (on the Ministers left), Air Vanuatu CEO Derek Nice (far left), and Ministry of Finance officials. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The people of Mozambique continue to pay the high price of climate change as yet another tropical cyclone prepares to make landfall. The southeast African Nation is reeling from the impact of the disastrous Cyclone Idai that killed 1000 people and displaced half a million in March. By Linda Bordoni Cyclone Kenneth is a tropical storm expected to make landfall over the northern part of Mozambique and the southern part of Tanzania by Friday. Mozambique is struggling to recover after the devastation left by Cyclone Idai, which struck southeast Africa on 15 March near its port city, Beira, triggering floods and causing much death and destruction. That cyclone killed over 1,000 people and displaced more than 500,000. They now have to cope with a cholera outbreak and the threat of famine in the coming months as crops and livelihoods and infrastructure has been washed away. Father Bernardo Suate heads the Portuguese for Africa Programme of Vatican News. Originally from the city of Pemba in Mozambique, he told Linda Bordoni the people have been alerted and will hopefully take action to avoid being in the direct path of Cyclone Kenneth. Listen to the interview with Fr Bernardo Suate Fr Bernardo said authorities in Mozambique have alerted the population in cities like Pemba and Nacala and in other towns along the rivers encouraging them to move to less risky areas. In the disastrous aftermath of Cyclone Idai and the flooding it triggered, authorities were accused of not having sounded the alarm bells, but Fr Bernardo said there is a warning system and usually people are alerted in time. Concerning Cyclone Idai, he said, they probably did not expect it to be so powerful. Nobody could imagine that Idai would be so devastating. Maybe now that we have had this tragedy people will be more cautious and more careful and move from the river sides to better positions he said. He pointed out that Mozambique is used to a rainy season weather pattern with storms and floods expected between November and March, but this time it was definitely more serious. People, he added, do not want to leave their homes and prefer to stay and wait the storm out, but following the tragedy caused by Cyclone Idai, they will behave differently with Cyclone Kenneth. Many people have come forward to help Regarding the current response to the far-reaching disaster caused by the Cyclone Idai, Father Bernardo noted that the national and the international communities as well as private donors and many faith-based organizations have proved to be present. Many people really came forward to give some help, he said, but on the other hand it is very difficult to handle such a dramatic situation with disrupted infrastructure, cholera and other diseases and all the issues of rebuilding or rehabilitating infrastructures. The challenges are enormous. The price of Climate Change When Gracia Machel, Mozambiques former First Lady travelled to Beira in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, she said the city would go down in history as the first to be 90% wiped out by climate change. Fr Bernardo agrees with this dramatic assertion saying it is most certainly the worst natural disaster to have struck his country, and that it has really brought home the fact that the people are paying the price of climate change on their skin. He said it is increasingly urgent to take action both to help people deal with the effects of climate change by behaving in a different way and by promoting awareness regarding the consequences of climate change that cannot but be perceived across the world. Awaiting Pope Francis Pope Francis is scheduled to travel to Mozambique in September. Fr Bernardo said he is awaited with great trepidation by all Government, people and Church. The presence of the Pope, he said, will be very encouraging, not only for the faithful, but also for those who are most of the times the forgotten people, the marginalized people, the people in the far-away peripheries. For them it will be an opportunity, once in a lifetime, to be in the eyes of the world. Are marijuana stocks worth getting into in 2019? In recent times, there has been a huge explosion surrounding the interest in these stocks, including medicinal marijuana stocks, spiking and massive hike and their price and value recently. However, this sudden interest is not unwarranted. The reasons for this include the recent changes in legalities surrounding the substance, for example, Canadas recent legalization of marijuana. Canada however is not the only place to have legalised marijuana, many states also have the reasons for legalisation are varied with some for medicinal, and some for both medicinal and leisure use. Regardless of the reasons for the recent more widespread legalisation of marijuana and marijuana related products, it has meant that more people are now open to the idea of the substances acceptance, and are beginning to see the positives behind its legalisation. There are also a lot of other states in the United States of America that are now considering the legalization of marijuana, with a number of these suggesting it be added as a voting option in order to gain a greater opinion. Millions of Americans live in a state that allows marijuana. The fact that marijuana is becoming more legal in more and more places all the time, it has caused the stocks to become more popular, with people seeing that the industry has great potential. More and more companies that are associated with marijuana are now becoming more stood on various stock exchanges, and the industry is starting to receive more funding as well. Marijuana has started to receive a mass of support in every way, in the eyes of the law, what society thinks of it, and how people view the drug in general when compared against how they used to. Marijuana stocks have it treated some massive profits during a recent years as a result of these new views amongst other factors. Before you invest in marijuana stocks, you should be sure to make yourself aware of a number of points surrounding the industry and its stocks, as well as what to look for in marijuana stocks before you make the decision to invest. As with any other stocks or investment that you are considering making, it is always a good idea to lean a bit about the industry and how it has developed in the recent years before you make your investment. If you have knowledge on the industry and good and bad things that can happen within it, then it can allow you to make more sense of the news surrounding the stocks that you might interpret and those that should influence your decision on which ones to purchase. There are different areas of the marijuana industry that you might want to consider investing in, with some more lucrative than others. One could invest in the initial step of the marijuana process which is those that produce the marijuana the growers. These are companies that sell the raw product as long as marijuana is used by people, this step of the process will be essential and therefore most likely a relatively reliable investment. It is also important to remember that investing in marijuana stocks is not massively different from any other stocks in what should be considered the same rules still apply. You should research the company as you would with any other, ensure that they have a good management structure and that the company has a positive track record. This point about positive track record however can be difficult to obtain, or more difficult to obtain one should say in an industry such as marijuana as it is a relatively new and has only recently became legal. This means that any companies that have been operating before the legalisation of marijuana was passed would most likely not have been keeping genuine records as to their companies successes. But, with the ever-growing nature of marijuana stocks and the industry itself, it is not likely that the stocks for it will slow down or cause one to lose their investment unless they happen to make an extremely bad decision. However, as is the nature of purchasing any stocks there is always an element of risk. The risks with marijuana stocks are arguably even more so than those with other normal stocks. Another point to consider is that a large amount of companies that are operating in the marijuana sector are not yet making profit. This means that in order to raise a respectable capital they must continually issue new stocks in order to do so. This, as you will know if you are an experienced trader, results in the dilution of those shares that already exist. Dilution is not a good thing as it can drastically reduce the value of your holding compared to what your holding was worth before the new shares issuance. It is also important to consider that with the new nature of marijuana stocks, excitement is high and the stock prices at present reflect this. Should the industry not grow as its current investors expect, the stock prices of the industry could drop massively which would have detrimental effects on the finances of those that hold large amounts of stock before this happens. All of this information poses the final question should or should you not invest in marijuana stocks in 2019? This of course, is a matter of whether you are willing to take a risk or not. Currently, stocks in the marijuana industry are a high risk but can also provide a very high return, but then again, they might not! Should you choose to invest in marijuana stocks in 2019, one of the most important things to consider it is not to sink all of your available capital into one stock should the company not pull through, you will be at a massive loss. When investing in marijuana stocks, it is a good idea to spread out this years that you buy in small amounts this can allow you to examine more closely what is happening and how successful each of them may be. Dianne Bystrom, director emeritus of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State, speaks about how the media treats men and women in politics differently. "My dissertation research actually got some attention this year from reporters because there was a lot of comparisons between 2018 and 1992," Bystrom said. Nadezhda Krupskaya Lenins wife and ally this status was firmly connected to Nadezhda Krupskaya. Many do not perceive Krupskaya apart from the leader of the proletariat, although she was a self-sufficient person who was actively engaged in literary, educational, and social activities. Krupskaya didnt have any children, which prompted various kinds of rumors and gossip. It is all about a terrible autoimmune disease the Graves disease which not only made her infertile but every year deprived the woman of her attractiveness more and more. Krupskaya was fine with Lenins relationship with Inessa Armand, giving her husband complete freedom and maintaining warm relations with his mistress. Actions of Krupskaya after the death of Lenin were quite ambiguous. On the one hand, she tried to prevent the establishment of the command-administrative system, and on the other, she signed the documents that initiated the trial of her former comrades-in-arms. Gudrun Ensslin Gudrun Ensslin belongs to the post-war generation, for which fascism has become a disgrace to the German nation. She saw hidden fascism in the state apparatus of the Federal Republic of Germany, with whom she decided to wage a merciless war. This is a fascist state, ready to kill us all it is pointless to discuss anything with them, she said at one of the rallies. Ensslin combined quite a few contradictory features. The daughter of a theologian and artist, a direct descendant of Hegel, she was fond of philosophy and pedagogy but also reprinted National Socialist literature. On the one hand, she was a staunch pacifist, and on the other, she was a supporter of terrorist acts. So far as Gudrun and her comrades in the left-radical Red Army Faction robbed banks to earn money for weapons they were sympathized with, but when the terrorists carried out a series of explosions that resulted in dozens of victims, the society was shaken. After one of the attacks in 1969, Gudrun was arrested and imprisoned with two accomplices. In 1977 she was found hanged in her cell. The basic version of her death is suicide. However, researchers question it to be true. Mata Hari Mata Haris life is an all-consuming pursuit of fame and luxury that knows no boundaries. First, she was just a dancer, and then a spy. Step by step, she achieved her goals. Mata Hari understood that it was not enough to capture the attention of the public. You need to keep that attention. The everyday story of a divorced woman was INSERT d by the legend of the heir to the Indian throne: it was so convincing that no one doubted the truth of the royal origin of the courtesan. She captivated the most powerful, famous, and rich men with amazing ease. Many have suffered because of it from the composer Jules Massenet, who tried to commit suicide, to the German crown prince Wilhelm, whom the emperor sobered up just in time. Mata Hari was a beautiful woman; she stole the hearts of every man she knew. If you want to meet a beautiful woman in your life, then be sure to visit http://yourbrides.com/. As is often the case, Mata Hari was let down by the desire to serve two masters. France accused her of spying for Germany, and the queen of dance was sentenced to death. After the execution of Mata, Hari was remembered only by her ex-husband: No matter how she lived her life, she didnt deserve such a death. Frida Kahlo Mexican artist Frida Kahlo lived and worked in spite of physical and mental suffering. Frida said that in her life there were two accidents: one is the car accident, after which she remained disabled, and the second Diego Rivera. Frida knew about the constant cheating of her husband, but the only thing she was able to do is to ignore it. Immersion in herself influenced the nature of the works of Frida Kahlo. Her favorite genre was the self-portrait, and her paintings were full of symbols and fetishes accompanied by stylistics of Mexican folk art. Despite the worsening state of health over the years, Frida tried to lead the life of a full-fledged person. She preserved her relaxed and extravagant nature, drank a lot of alcohol, cursed and sang inappropriate songs. Some rumors say that she has some sort of connection to Trotsky, who was fascinated by Frida Kahlos works. More transparent legislation and a fair tax system are just two areas which could prevent further discontent, Photo: Le Toan After exploiting 6.9 tonnes of gold worth more than VND5 trillion ($217.4 million) at the Bong Mieu mine, one of the two largest gold mines in Southeast Asia, Canadas Besra Group has fled without returning the site to its original state as required by the law, leaving behind unpaid debts of dozens of millions of US dollars. Le Van Thang, who used to be a foreman at Bong Mieu Gold Mining Co., Ltd. and now works for a local company as a security guard at the Bong Mieu mine is sadly looking at the rusting, empty facilities, while saying: Bong Mieu went bankrupt and the investor has left, but their disastrous mess remains. Life has not returned to normal. The Bong Mieu mine was the most modern gold facility in the country when it was opened in the central province of Quang Nam in 2005 amidst high-sounding promises of enriching local state coffers and creating jobs for the locals. However, Bong Mieu Gold Minings financial statement paints a very different picture, reporting VND1.26 trillion ($54.78 million) of debts and VND1 trillion ($43.48 million) in accumulated loss, which exceed its total equity by VND966 billion ($42 million). As of November 2017, the companys debts include tax arrears, unpaid social insurance, and loans to around 100 creditors. Despite officially going bankrupt, Bong Mieu Gold Mining has not closed the mine or restored the site due to a lack of finances, providing an opportunity for locals to enter the area to illegally exploit and glean gold dust, poisoning the local rivers and streams. In another case, Indonesian firm PT Vietmindo Energitama also fell short of expectations when it was accused of illegally exploiting 80,000 tonnes of high-quality coal in the northern province of Quang Ninh. In addition, Vietmindos ongoing contractual dispute with local contractor Tan Viet Bac (TAVIBA) also made headlines after a scuffle at the mining site. The dispute revolves around Vietmindos unilateral termination of its contract with TAVIBA, claiming that the latter had been continuously failing to fulfil its contractual obligations. Protesting the termination, TAVIBA blocked major roads at the mining site with its vehicles, machinery, and equipment for the past 10 months. The company also submitted increasing compensation demands, from VND60 billion ($2.6 million) to VND400 billion ($17.39 million). The dispute has brought about damage to both sides and caused a headache for local authorities. Vietmindo even declared to permanently stop the mining project before the scheduled ending time in 2021. The declaration is even considered a ploy to pressurise the province and government officials and goes against Vietmindos statement at a recent press event that it had submitted a proposal to extend the time of exploitation at the mine by 20 years. Another leading factor behind investors breaking their promises in Vietnam is price fluctuation, highlighted by the example of the Ban Phuc Nickel mine project invested by Ban Phuc Nickel Mines LLC (BPNM), a subsidiary of Canada-based Asian Mineral Resources Ltd. (AMR). The Ban Phuc nickel mine contains more than 200,000 tonnes of nickel and 18,000 tonnes of copper reserves in highly concentrated and disseminated sulfur ore. Immediately after going into operation in 2013, the entire volume of nickel-copper sulfur ore was used to produce and export 9.5 nickel concentrate. As of November 2016, the company had exported 42 shipments of pure nickel ore, paying the state VND929 billion ($40.39 million) as export tax. However, the company suspended exploitation and processing at the Ban Phuc Nickel field from September 2016 to the end of September 2018 because it claimed the revenue generated by the project was not enough to offset operating costs. Eventually, in May last year, AMR entered into an agreement to divest its 90 per cent ownership in Ban Phuc Nickel Mine to Ta Khoa Mining Ltd., a company established by AMRs longstanding in-country senior manager, Stephen Ennor. This transaction will allow AMR to achieve an orderly exit from Vietnam and move forward to focus on exploring new investment opportunities in resource-based companies or other potential strategic options, stated the company website. Difficult experiences Le Chi Thanh, deputy chairman of the Quang Nams People Committee, admitted that Bong Mieu gold mine was a painful lesson in managing foreign-invested projects in the province. The Mineral Law should be revised for stricter and more effective management of mineral activities such as granting exploration licences, said Thanh. Meanwhile, at the recent forum to review the implementation of policies governing the Vietnamese mining industry, experts said that although the Mineral Law 2010 as well as the Law on Environmental Protection clearly stipulate the responsibilities of mining organisations and individuals to restore the environment and pay a deposit for environmental restoration, as well as their specific responsibilities for environmental rehabilitation and restoration in the course of mineral mining and the revaluation of public property before closing mines, there are no feasible mechanisms to sanction mining organisations and individuals who fail to implement proper mine closure plans. Trinh Anh Hung, a lawyer from the Quang Nam Bar Association, called for more transparency in tax management as well as allocating responsibilities among state authorities for tax losses incurred from mining exploration. Bankruptcy does not mean that the tax debt disappears. The company representative must be responsible for unresolved tax arrears, he stressed, adding that when a firm leaves with unsolved tax debt, the first responsibility should belong to the local tax department and the finance ministry. Urgency to revise legislation Dr Oliver Massmann, general director of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC, said that a modern mining project would have a positive impact by creating a large number of jobs, promoting local goods, and bringing new orders to service providers, while at the same time improving infrastructure. To sum it up, there are essentially three solution concepts. First, existing mining legislation could be revised and made more transparent, clearer. Investor-friendly rules could be created. Second, state co-ordination with law enforcement can be established to ensure the consistent and effective application of the relevant rules. Third, a fair tax system for the government and investors likewise should be created, Massmann suggested. Currently, the Vietnamese mining industry remains largely undeveloped with most operations being insufficient and causing harm to the environment. However, there remains great potential in the industry due to the abundance of unexploited mineral resources. The discovery of new minerals can be significantly facilitated by foreign investment. This provides an opportunity to use modern, efficient, sustainable, and secure technologies, which could have a huge impact on the nations economic growth and would lead to a reduction in public debt. Massmann added that Vietnam should persistently and resolutely follow its policy of restricting the export of raw materials to the utmost, with clear and consistent communication by state management agencies to urge businesses to invest in intensive processing to increase export value. At the same time, the country needs a comprehensive strategy covering the extraction, processing, and use of all mineral resources. Source: Southern Institute of Water Resources Research Despite not being impacted by salinity intrusion, Cargill Vietnams production has been heavily impacted by African swine fever (ASF). Cargill has swiftly implemented solutions, focusing on biological work to organise two layers of defence, including safe food and safe breeding from factory to farm. The company reviews all raw material suppliers who must have the necessary safety and quarantine certificates. It also implements a policy of biological safety, isolating people and vehicles from epidemic zones, disinfecting vehicles entering or leaving the factory, providing single-use clothes, not allowing employees to bring any food from the outside into the factories, and increasing heat in pellets. Besides, Cargill also requires suppliers to strictly comply with bio-safety regulations. In addition to strengthening ASF prevention and control at the factory and throughout the supply chain, Cargill also organises consultation activities on disease control and prevention to farmers and dealers. More than 3,000 households in Phu Tan commune in Tan Phu Dong district of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang have been suffering from daily shortages of fresh water, forcing them to use saline water for washing and cleaning to save fresh water. Tran Thi Xem, a local resident, said that they have to ration fresh water to have enough for cooking and drinking. Each family must dig holes covered with awnings to store fresh water. The water has a different colour and is sometimes full of dead insects, but we have to use it, she said. Not only Tien Giang, neighbouring Hau Giang is also under siege by saline intrusion, and local authorities have been encouraging people to store fresh water. Besides, the province has also completed 32.5 kilometres of dykes, 20 open culverts, and 18 circular culverts to create a system of dykes, sluices, and dams to prevent saltwater intrusion as part of the action plan by 2020 with vision to 2030. Besides, farmers across the Mekong Delta are also switching to fast growing trees like peanut, pineapple, and dragon fruit, instead of depending on rice. Meanwhile, to keep themselves out of fresh water shortages, many enterprises have opted to develop their factories in industrial zones (IZs) where there are often stable fresh water supplies. For example, US-based Cargill Vietnam has seven factories at IZs across the Mekong Delta where it has been able to secure sufficient fresh water for production. According to Cargills Public Relations Department, so far they have not noted any decrease in production due to saline intrusion, while the impact of African swine fever was deeply felt. Severe alinity intrusion According to the latest report of the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, saline intrusion in many river estuaries in the Mekong Delta is higher than last year, and can encroach 40 to 50km farther inland. For example, on the Vam Co River, salinity intrusion has been 70-80km, which is 18-30km farther in than during the 2017-2018 dry season, but 10-20km back against 2015-2016. In terms of salinity, the highest rate measured at Ben Luc Station on the East Vam Co River is 5.8 per mille, while it was 4.9 per mille at Tan An Station on the West Vam Co River 4.5 and 4.4 per mille higher than in the last dry season, respectively. Recently, salinity levels of 4 per mille have been measured in the estuaries of Cua Dai, Co Chien, and Ham Luan rivers in Ben Tre province. Adaptation by technology In order to adapt to climate change and ensure their livelihood, locals have been proving tremendously resourceful in utilising technology. People in Luong Hoa A commune of Chau Thanh district in Tra Vinh province now can farm much easier. They can check water salinity without having to taste it or use traditional measurement methods, while at the same time, they can turn pumps on and off around the farm all on the same smart mobile phone app. With the Rynan water monitoring app, I can easily tell the water level, salinity, PH, and turbidity to decide whether to pump water or not. I can even pump water when I go out with friends, Truong Van Thanh, a local farmer, said. Besides the Rynan app, to improve the quality and efficiency of his rice farm, Thanh has recently begun using smart fertiliser. A dose of this fertiliser is planted along with each young rice stalk by a machine. It saves expenses, human work, and improves productivity by 20-30 per cent, Thanh explained. The technologies Thanh uses are made by Rynan Agrifoods, a company established by 60-year-old overseas Vietnamese Nguyen Thanh My in 2016. Witnessing the loss of thousands of hectares to salinisation, My decided to build a buoyant salinity level measuring station. These buoys are attached to sensors. Every 15 minutes, the sensors upload information on the Internet where people can access it by mobile phones, My told VIR. Currently, Tra Vinh province has invested VND1.5 billion ($434,800) in the installation of 10 buoys in five districts, and Rynan Agrifoods donated an additional three. Each buoy can collect information on an area of 10 square metres. We use simple and cheap pump gateway controls to make irrigation systems that were installed dozens of years ago smart, My explained, adding that the tool costs only VND1 million ($43.47) he can even give it away for free. The pump gateway controls help save over 30 per cent of water and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 per cent. The companys smart fertiliser also helps reduce GHG emissions, which is especially important as rice planting in Vietnam has been the second largest source of GHG emissions after power production. While My has been helping famers adapt to climate change, three architects from the Hanoi Young Intelligentsia club have been helping desalinate water for everyday consumption. After the 2016 dry season, Tran Vu Thanh, chairman of the club, started by installing 13 salt water purifiers with the capacity of 300 litres per hour in seven provinces. So far, more than 20 purifiers have been installed at schools in nine provinces of the Mekong Delta and on the Spratly Islands. Most of the purifiers have been installed with funds collected by a charity programme run by Hanoi Young Intelligentsia, Thanh said, explaining that the system produces water meeting the drinking water standards of the Ministry of Health. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia on Apr 25, 2019. (Photo source: Reuters/Alexander Zemlianichenko) "I am confident that your visit today to Russia ... will help us to better understand how we can resolve the situation on the Korean peninsula and what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are currently taking place," Putin said as the two began their first-ever talks in Russia's Far East. "In terms of bilateral relations, we have a lot to do to develop economic relations," Putin added. A relative newcomer to the market, condotels need much clearer regulations to ensure transparency and safety for buyers and developers alike, Photo: Le Toan Nguyen Hoang Linh, a 45-year-old man from Ho Chi Minh City, was considering buying a condotel unit at Ocean Vista, a condotel project in the central province of Binh Thuan. According to the projects developer Rang Dong Group, with 300 days in use every year, the project can have 35-50 per cent room occupancy with the rental rate of $200 per day. Apart from reserving 20 days per year for my own use, I can have stable rental income around the year, and this profit rate can return owners capital in 10 years. I think this is attractive enough for me, Linh said. Due to their good profit commitments, condotels have been very attractive for buyers in the last three years, with more and more capital being poured into the segment by domestic and foreign investors. Market observers said the tourism sector has seen rapid growth in recent years, with the number of foreign tourists arriving to Vietnam increasing by 30 per cent per annum in the last three years, leading to the surging supply of resorts, hotels, and condotels. Another reason for the booming condotel market is the growth of the Vietnamese middle class. With the cost of VND1-3 billion ($43,500-130,500), most middle-class earners can afford a unit as their second-home as these properties double as investment due to their rental yield. Big investors such as Vingroup, Sun Group, and CEO Group have been investing in condotel projects. According to figures from the Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA), more than 12,500 out of the more than 22,800 available condotels were traded successfully in 2017 in major destinations like Danang, Khanh Hoa, Phu Quoc, and Binh Thuan in the central region, as well as in the northern province of Quang Ninh. According to the VNREA, Khanh Hoa has the most condotels, with the number of more than 11,800 apartments, followed by Danang (more than 7,000), while newcomer Quang Ninh launched 1,300 condotel apartments as of 2017. According to the Vietnam Association of Realtors, it is only since 2017 that there has been a boom in the supply of properties and condotel resort transactions. Outstanding projects include Vinpearl in Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Danang, as well as Grand World Phu Quoc, Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc, Movenpick Resort Waverly Phu Quoc, Coco Ocean Resort Danang, and Ariyana Smart Condotel Nha Trang. According to Trinh Van Quyet, chairman of the Management Board of FLC Group a developer building thousands of condotel units nationwide condotels had a remarkable impact on the market since they added a strong new supply to the hospitality segment which has been in serious shortage. This new supply contributed a meaningful resource for tourism development, creating more jobs, attracting foreign currency, and bolstering the state budget, Quyet said. For developers, according to him, this is an effective channel for capital mobilisation. Developers can sell their condotels and collect the proceeds from the sale but not from leasing. After selling to buyers, developers can represent owners to lease out the units to collect rent and share it with the owners. The proceeds from selling condotels come from buyers which means it comes from the real demand and has less risk, and helps developers reduce their dependence on bank loans, which have become tighter, Quyet said. Meanwhile, for buyers, condotels are an effective source of stable rental income without the need to manage or lease out the units on their own. Legal risks However, Pham Thanh Hung, deputy chairman of CEN Group, warned that even though the condotel segment has developed much during the past years, it remains fraught with legal risks, especially when it comes to the issuance of red books to buyers. A clear legal framework will reduce risks for all participants, from developers to investors, Hung said. According to statistics from the Ministry of Construction, in the 2015-2018 period, over 25,000 condotels were launched nationwide. According to Nguyen Hoai An, director of CBRE Vietnams Hanoi Branch, condotels are a good economic concept for the sharing of burdens and benefits between buyers and developers. Unlike with expensive resort villas, condotels are more suitable for small side investors and individuals. Their liquidity, therefore, is also high and they attract many buyers. Doubtful profit commitments In order to successfully sell their condotels, many developers have made profit commitments of 10-15 per cent a year to buyers. While lauding the markets potential, industry experts, however, are in doubt about these claims. Kai Marcus Schroter, general director for Hospitality Tourism Management (HTM), said that the condotel model was popular in the Mediterranean and Europe around 20 years ago, and in Thailand 10 years ago. However, its disadvantages have become apparent in the time since and condotels have been on a downward trend. This was caused by ineffective business results in these countries, which explains why the model is essentially non-existent in the Asia-Pacific region. I have not seen profit commitments of 10 per cent a year anywhere else in the world, he said. Schroter believed nowhere can developers commit such a high profit rate because tourism has its high and low seasons, while occupancy and rental fees also cannot be stable. Meanwhile, Adam Bury, senior vice president, Investment Sales Asia at JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, said that the 10-15 per cent profit was mostly for advertising. Such profit rates are not offered in other countries. In Vietnam, developers are offering such profit because they do not quite understand this type of property. The most important factor for them is to successfully sell condotels to buyers, and they do not worry about how to get such high profit through the lease programme, Bury said. Condotels can only reach such high profits when they are located in famous tourist hotspots and receive a strong and steady flow of tourists throughout the year, he added. The developer may be able to maintain this profit commitment for one or two years, but it is not feasible for the whole 10 years, he said. Nguyen Manh Ha, deputy chairman of the VNREA, also agreed that profit commitments are too high and can bring many difficulties to developers. The profit is attractive to customers, but if it is too high, up to 12-15 per cent, developers will run into difficulties. It is not true that all places have high occupancy, especially as the tourism market is becoming more competitive, Ha said. Buyers should be warned about this. When they invest, they have to bear the risks. The more profitable the condotel, the higher the risk, he added. However, since late 2017, there have been signs of oversupply in the condotel segment, with too many developers jumping into the segment, a trend which turned into a lull in 2018 and the first quarter of 2019. Liberty Central Saigon Riverside You might want to indulge yourself in this one-of-a-kind experience on this Independence Day. On the evening of April 30, Central Restaurant will offer a seafood night priced at VND999,000 ($43) ++ per guest, with free Sparkling wine. Reserve 24 hours in advance to get a 10 per cent discount via the hotline 0906 980 800. Located in the heart of the central district, Liberty Central Saigon Riverside welcomes you to a place where comfort and convenience are in perfect balance, along with spectacular views of the Saigon River. Home to 170 well-designed rooms and suites, the hotel also offers plenty of recreation facilities, such as an infinity swimming pool right next to the rooftop Vertical Sky Bar or the exclusive Executive Lounge with private Venus boardroom to help leisure and business travellers make the most of their stay in Ho Chi Minh City. Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel, managed by Odyssea Hospitality Address: 2nd floor, 17 Ton Duc Thang street, Ben Nghe ward, District 1 Website: libertycentralsaigonriverside.com Mexican soldiers drive along a section of the US-Mexico border fence. (AFP/GUILLERMO ARIAS) Trump was apparently referring to an Apr 13 incident in which Mexican troops reportedly questioned and pointed their weapons at two US troops conducting surveillance on the border. "Mexico's Soldiers recently pulled guns on our National Guard Soldiers, probably as a diversionary tactic for drug smugglers on the Border. Better not happen again!" he tweeted. "We are now sending ARMED SOLDIERS to the Border. Mexico is not doing nearly enough in apprehending & returning!" Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said his government would analyse the incident, take into account Trump's comments, and act "in keeping with law within the framework of our sovereignty." "We are not going to fall for any provocation," he told reporters in Mexico City. "The most important thing is to tell (Trump) we are not going to fight with the government of the United States. The most important thing is to say we want a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation for the sake of development." It was unclear if Trump was signalling a new deployment or any change in the way US troops on the border are armed or in the rules under which they operate. A Pentagon official told AFP some of the 2,900 active duty and 2,000 National Guard troops deployed at the border have always been armed "for force protection only." "We are always reviewing our policies," the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. UNMARKED BORDER AREA US Northern Command said the two US soldiers involved in the Apr 13 incident were in an unmarked vehicle conducting "border support operations" on the American side of the border when they were approached by five to six Mexican military personnel. The incident occurred north of the Rio Grande in Texas, but in an unmarked area south of the border fence. An inquiry "revealed that the Mexican military members believed that the US Army soldiers were south of the border. However, the US soldiers were appropriately in US territory," NORTHCOM said. Defence officials told CNN the Mexican soldiers pointed their weapons at the US troops, removed a soldier's sidearm and returned it to their unmarked vehicle. The command's statement said only that the Mexican soldiers departed the area "after a brief discussion between the soldiers from the two nations." "Throughout the incident, the US soldiers followed all established procedures and protocols," it added. The Mexican Foreign Ministry confirmed the incident but downplayed it, saying the Americans were in fact in an unmarked car south of the fence but north of the border in a spot that is not clearly marked either as Mexico or the US. "This kind of incident is common, as it is a matter of verifying an ordinary patrol, without consequences for either government, which communicate permanently and fluidly." the ministry said in a statement. TRUMP: BIG NEW CARAVAN Trump, who has made the immigration the core of his message to his conservative base, also said on Twitter that "a very big Caravan of over 20,000 people" is making its way through Mexico toward the US. "It has been reduced in size by Mexico but is still coming. Mexico must apprehend the remainder or we will be forced to close that section of the Border & call up the Military. The Coyotes & Cartels have weapons!," Trump wrote. Mexico's president wants to curb the flow of migrants through his country toward the US, mainly to ensure their safety as the trip is very dangerous. These travelers, often with children and even babies, risk violence and kidnapping from crime gangs as well as physical exhaustion. Mexican authorities recently have proposed replacing existing humanitarian visas that allow migrants entering Mexico to travel freely around the country, with one that restricts their movements to its southern states. Migrants who move north toward the US under the proposed new visa would risk expulsion. In yet another tweet, Trump praised what he said was great work being done by US border patrol and law enforcement officials. "So far this year they have APPREHENDED 418,000 plus illegal immigrants, way up from last year," Trump wrote. Since October of last year, thousands of Central American migrants grouped into so-called caravans have traveled through Mexico in the hope of reaching the United States and a better life. Investors are waiting to swoop down and pick up Vietnam Airlines new shares on HSX, Photo: Le Toan The Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HSX) has approved the listing of 1.4 billion shares of Vietnam Airlines (VNA) (ticker: HVN) at the price of VND10,000 ($0.43) per share. Total assets are at VND82.4 trillion ($3.58 billion), and chartered capital is nearly VND14.2 trillion ($617.4 million), with the state holding 86.19 per cent. This information pushed HVN up on the unlisted public company market (UPCoM) on April 12 by 4.6 per cent, reaching VND40,900 ($1.78) per share. As planned, the airline will stop listing on UPCoM on April 22. Short-term effects Analysts are upbeat about the listing, although they believed that the good news can only bring short-term effects. Researchers at Ho Chi Minh Securities were positive about the HSX debut for Vietnams flag-carrier, stating that stock is likely to enter the VN30 Index for the 30 biggest Vietnamese stocks. Inclusion in the VN30 is important as it enables the airline to join in the investment list of various backers, from active ones to exchange-traded funds. The HSX listing will improve the liquidity of the airlines stocks and financiers can borrow money to invest in the stock six months afterwards, stated the analysts. Evidently, VNA is appealing to investors thanks to its solid performance in 2018, and future growth potential of the aviation industry, which saw an on-year increase of 12.9 per cent in passengers and a 7.7 per cent on-year rise in cargo volume in 2018. It is also forecast to gain an average growth rate of nearly 14 per cent in the next five years, reaching 150 million passengers by 2035. According to analyst Che Thi Mai Trang at Bao Viet Securities, the Hanoi-based airline improved profitability in 2018 thanks to better management of the cash flow and a lower ratio of debt over owners equity, at only 2.07 compared to 5.13 in 2015. Although fuel costs went up by 25 per cent in 2018, the airline still made profit thanks to hiking fare rates. Another strong point for VNA is that its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar finally reached break-even point last year, building a strong foundation for the years ahead. VNA is likely to receive strong attention from overseas investors when they make a listing debut on the HSX. This is a positive point for the airline in the short term, said Trang. She forecast that the after-tax profit of the parent company in 2019 will raise 15 per cent on-year to reach VND2.9 trillion ($126.1 million). Thomas J. Treutler, partner and managing director of Tilleke & Gibbins Consultants, said that foreign investors will certainly be interested in well-established airlines. Travel to Vietnam for business and tourism will continue to rise, as will outbound travel for home-grown businesses reaching out internationally and Vietnamese travellers. Domestic travel within the country is also booming with more affordability. Thus, it certainly has the potential for continued development and can be a lucrative investment, Treutler told VIR. Industry insiders said that free trade agreements will likely have a positive effect on the Vietnamese aviation sector. As shown in the last several months, various European countries such as Spain and the Czech Republic have announced expanding co-operation with Vietnam in order to increase air travel. Longer-term prospects Experts, however, held that recent fleet expansions may bring challenges for VNA. The carrier is scheduled to receive 22 new planes in 2019, a record number compared to the previous five years. Although the airline is confident that passenger numbers will rise by around 14 per cent in 2019, Trang believed stiff competition, slow growth of Vietnams airline industry, and stagnating airfares may prevent this. In addition, international investors might have to wait for more information until the Ministry of Transport finalises divestment plans for the airline, and for the draft amendments to Decree No.92/2016/ND-CP issued in July 2016 on governing conditional business lines in the civil aviation sector. The ceiling for foreign investment in an air carriage business may be raised to 49 per cent from the previous limitation of 30 per cent. The current free-float rate of VNA is only 20 per cent, due to concentrations of stocks in the governments hands and the strategic partner Japans ANA Holdings, leaving little room for investors to buy. This is similar to other equitised state-owned companies such as Sabeco, whose 90 per cent of shares a decade ago were held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and HEINEKEN. It was only in 2016 that overseas investors began to hear of the divestment, in which Thai Beverage emerged as the sole winner in 2017. Another possible downside is the airlines debt in foreign currencies, common for airlines. Analyst Pham Van Tuan at Phu Hung Securities pointed out that fluctuations in the exchange rate may hurt the carriers earnings, together with rising fuel costs. VNA, as a full-service carrier, also faces competition from low-cost airlines, although it may benefit from business travellers and wealthy passengers. The HSX debut may only affect stocks of VNA positively in the short term, wrote Tuan. Phu Hung Securities advised investors to keep a close watch on the airline for its long-term prospects and consider whether it can manage its finance in a time of stronger oil prices. A conservative forecast for VNAs stock price, according to Tuan, is VND36,000 ($1.56) per share. In spite of the possible challenges, the HSX listing is expected to be optimal way for the airline to fulfil its divestment plan on time, as well as be a springboard for multinational corporations to penetrate into the burgeoning market. VNA is to sell 35.16 per cent of its state stake in 2019, thus cutting state ownership in the airline to 51.03 per cent under the prime ministers Decision No.1232/QD-TTg released in August 2017 on a list of state-owned enterprises in state capital divestment plans in the 2017-2020 period. VNA gained a valuable partner in 2016 when ANA, Japans largest airline, bought an 8.8 per cent stake for VND2.38 trillion ($103.5 million). It is seen as possible ANA will move on the opportunity to increase its holding in VNA from its current stake. Prime Minister Hun Sen this week joined world leaders in condemning the series of bloody bomb attacks in Sri Lanka this week that left at least 350 people dead. He said the attacks highlighted the increased need for security in states that may be vulnerable to such attacks, including Cambodia. I would like to take to this chance to strongly condemn the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, he said. We should not be careless, this is why I always keep reminding our police, military police and all authorities. At least six simultaneous blasts targeted churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing some 350 people and injuring at least 500. Forty people were arrested in connection with the attacks. British, American and Dutch nationals were among the victims of the Sunday attacks, though the vast majority of those killed were Sri Lankan. Leaders around the world condemned the attacks, including US President Donald Trump and the UK Prime Minsiter Theresa May. The Cambodian foreign ministry issued a statement on Sunday joining the condemnation and expressing condolences for the loss of life. Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday said the attacks and the massacre in New Zealand earlier this year should lead to increased gun control in Cambodia. Experiences in Sri Lanka and New Zealand give lessons to Cambodia. We need to continue managing explosives and weapons strictly. Too much freedom on usage of weapons is not a freedom for citizens happiness, he said. Lao Mong Hay, a veteran political analyst, welcomed the comments, but added that the government should pay particular attention to weapons smuggling by military officials. It is important to manage the inventory of weapons in every government entity, especially security forces, both inside and outside of Cambodia. As we know from the past, there are some weapons stores in Toek Thla market. They sell weapons and military uniforms, he said. The law on weapons control was enacted in June 2005 to impose restrictions on weapons usage. Four decades since the Khmer Rouge regime collapsed, survivors continue to search for justice for the crimes of its leadership. Daze of Justice, a documentary that follows a group of survivors as they journey back to Cambodia to face two of the regimes senior officials, on trial for their crimes at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, was screened for the first time on US public television in March. The film, produced by Michael Siv, himself a survivor, follows the group as they give testimony in Case 002 against Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea, the last two remaining senior regime leaders. Siv told VOA Khmer the film was dedicated to exploring what justice means to survivors of the regime. Beyond Reach? Since the tribunal first convened in 2006, few officials have been charged over their participation in genocide and crimes against humanity. As a result, the court has come under pressure for delaying proceedings and criticism for a perceived high cost-benefit ratio. Marie Chea, one of the survivors featured in Daze of Justice, said they do not feel the court has provided justice, providing both hope and disappointment to survivors. Sometimes I agonize over it because the reason I went to Cambodia and the court was to seek justice for my family and relatives who lost their lives during the regime, but we could not get the justice we wanted and the truth remained hidden, she said. Henry Chorn, another survivor, said he remained pessimistic about the progress at the tribunal. I will continue to seek the truth because the court is assisted by the United Nations. So, I hope to call on the international community to participate and push this process forward, he said. Recovery Chea said the film hoped to show this frustration, to provide sympathy and solace to survivors. The film is intended to encourage survivors to speak up and share their grievances so that they can help each other recover, he said. In the film, the son of notorious prison chief Comrade Duch, Pheng, makes an appearance. Sopharoth Ith, a Cambodian-American undergraduate student at the University of Portland in Oregon, said the inclusion of Pheng made the film unique. have seen many documentaries about the Khmer Rouge. Most of them only highlight the grievances of the victims while ignoring the suffering of the perpetrators family members who have also been mentally and physically affected because they live their lives facing hatred and bearing the responsibility. She added: I think this shows another consequence that the Khmer Rouge caused. The most interesting part of film is the relationship between Cambodian-American survivors and the fact that the group of survivors was able to separate Pheng from Duchs wrongdoings. They did not discriminate against Pheng. Chea agreed it was important to consider all impacts of the atrocities. We say that we are affected by the Pol Pot massacre, but we see that Pheng, Duchs son, also suffered. So, it is not just us, but the perpetrators families are also affected. The grievances and suffering cannot be redressed in any way; hence, we must learn to forgive. Hope for Justice Forgiveness is one thing, but justice is another. Although Pheng showed sympathy, acknowledged the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge and apologized before the survivors on behalf of his father, the demand for justice and truth remains strong. Chea told VOA Khmer that the perpetrators themselves must be held accountable for their crimes and they must apologize. Ith agreed. I understand Phengs situation and appreciate that he decided to apologize. I would accept his apology, but I may not forgive Duch. I think what Cambodians and I want the most is a sincere apology from all Khmer Rouge leaders because I havent seen a statement of apology from any of them. In 2017, judges in Case 002 found that Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan were guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment. The tribunal is now proceeding with Case 003 against Meas Muth and Case 004 against Ao An, Im Chaem and Yim Tith. Seven years after Chut Wutty was killed in an altercation with security forces, the family of the forest activist has once again called for justice to be served to the perpetrators. A court case in 2012 found Wutty was killed by military police officer In Ratana, who was himself fatally shot at the scene in an apparent accident as a security guard for the Timbergreen company, Rann Borath, attempted to take the gun from Ratana. Wutty was in Koh Kong province with two journalists from the Cambodia Daily investigating alleged illegal logging by the company as it cleared land ahead of the construction of a hydropower dam. According to court documents from the inquiry, Wutty argued with Borath after the security officials ordered Wutty and the reporters to hand over memory cards containing photographs of logging at the Timbergreen concession. Ratana shot Wutty with an AK-47 before being shot himself, according to the court records. Borath received a suspended sentence of 18 months and was released shortly after the verdict. Cheuy Oudom Reaksmey, Wuttys son, said he held out no hope that the authorities would find the real murderer, saying he had given up hope. The family is preparing to hold a commemoration ceremony on Friday in Kandal province to mark the seventh anniversary of the killing. Heoun Sophea, an activist with the Prey Lang Community Network who worked with Wutty, said his death had spread fear throughout the activist community and led to faster rates of forest degradation. Since Wutty got killed, we saw that forest land is decreasing because activists, authorities, and institutions are scared to be shot like him. I think it is a big loss. He was a great person for Cambodia. Neth Pheaktra, environment spokesman, and government spokesman Phay Siphan could not be reached for comment. Former U.S. vice president Joe Biden announced Thursday he is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, instantly catapulting him to the top of an increasingly crowded Democratic field vying to challenge Republican President Donald Trump. The veteran Delaware senator and two-term vice president in the Obama administration has rivaled Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and other Democratic presidential aspirants in recent polls, although it is uncertain whether he will be able to match their fundraising prowess. His experience in the areas of foreign affairs, criminal justice and domestic policy is unmatched by other presidential candidates. In a message released on video, Biden said the core values of the United States and its standing in the world are at stake. "I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an abhorrent moment in time," he said. "But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House we will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen." Trump responded on Twitter, saying, "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!" Recently, at least seven women, including a one-time candidate for lieutenant governor in Nevada, accused the 76-year-old politician of inappropriate touching, hugs and kissing at public events. While Biden has defended his past behavior as consistent with his lifelong effort to make a human connection with women and men alike, he pledged in a recent video to be mindful of peoples boundaries going forward. WATCH: Soul of Nation at Stake, Biden Says, Launches Presidential Bid Biden, who was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Delaware, has been in national politics almost his entire career. After Biden won his first Senate race in 1972, he spent the next 36 years in the chamber. He then served as president Barack Obama's vice president for eight years. Shortly after Biden's announcement, two current Democratic senators, Chris Coons of Delaware and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, endorsed his candidacy. Biden has twice before run for president, seeking the nomination in 1988 and 2008, but failed to gain much support from voters either time. Former Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday he will seek the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, instantly catapulting him to the top of an increasingly crowded Democratic field vying to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump. " The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States," Biden said in a message posted on Twitter. The veteran Delaware senator and two-term vice president in the Obama administration has rivaled Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and other Democratic presidential aspirants in recent polls, although there is some question of whether he will be able to match their fundraising prowess. Bidens experience in the areas of foreign affairs, criminal justice and domestic policy is unmatched by other presidential candidates. But the 76-year-old politicians old-school style of glad-handing and pressing the flesh recently came back to haunt him, when at least seven women, including a one-time candidate for lieutenant governor in Nevada, accused him of inappropriate touching, hugs and kissing at public events. While Biden has defended his past behavior as consistent with his lifelong effort to make a human connection with women and men alike, he pledged in a recent video to be mindful of peoples boundaries going forward. I get it, I get it, I hear what theyre saying, and I understand, Biden said in the online video, although he subsequently twice made jokes about the recent criticism during a speech to a labor group. Blue-collar roots Biden, who was born in Scranton, Pa., and later moved to Delaware, has a quality that many of his challengers lack more than a half of century of experience in government and a long record of political decision-making some of it at the highest echelons of government. He served for nearly four decades in the Senate, rising to chair the Judiciary Committee and Foreign Relations Committee. And then he served as President Barack Obamas trusted vice president for eight years. He gave his support to several U.S. foreign interventions, including the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and was instrumental in passing gun control legislation as well as a major overhaul of the criminal justice system. However, through the prism of time and changing partisan values, some of Bidens decisions and actions are highly suspect among more liberal-leaning Democrats and independents. He has had to answer for what many say was the Senate Judiciary Committees shabby treatment of Anita Hill during the 1991 hearings of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, as well as the fact that the criminal justice reform he championed in 1994 condemned many black men to long prison sentences. While some in the Democratic Party think Bidens career in Washington will help him convince voters he can beat Trump next year, others argue the party needs a fresh face, someone who, like Trump, has experience outside Washington. Whether Bidens record will be seen as an asset or a liability is the $64,000 question, said Jim Kessler of the Third Way, a center-left public advocacy group. Early years and heartbreak Biden has been in national politics almost his entire career. When he was 29 years old, he launched a long-shot Senate race against Delaware Republican Caleb Boggs, a war hero who had never lost an election. Biden edged out Boggs by a percentage point. His victory in 1972 made him, at that time, the second-youngest senator in U.S. history. That victory was followed a few weeks later by unimaginable heartbreak: His wife, Neilia, and baby daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash a week before Christmas while shopping for a Christmas tree. His two sons, Beau and Hunter, suffered serious injuries but survived the accident, and Biden took the Senate oath of office at Beaus hospital bedside in 1973. Biden wrote in his memoir, Promise Me, Dad, that his sons saved my life after the accident with their emotional support. More than 40 years later, Biden, who was by then remarried, was again touched by an unexpected tragedy the death of his son, Beau, from brain cancer at the age of 46. Biden has cited his familys grief following Beaus death in May 2015 as a reason he did not enter the Democratic presidential primary that year against Hillary Clinton. In his memoir, Biden said he wrote in his diary the night after Beaus death: May 30. 7:51 p.m. It happened. My God, my boy. My beautiful boy. Joel Goldstein, of Saint Louis University School of Law, the author of two books on the vice presidency, told VOA the way Biden handled the tragedies says something about his resilience, character and strength. You get the sense that he, as someone who having suffered those tragedies, is very empathetic with other people. He is a comforter, Goldstein said. Senate years After Biden won his Senate race in 1972, he spent the next 36 years in the chamber, commuting by train most days more than 100 kilometers from Wilmington to Washington. Biden has always advocated for bipartisanship, something his supporters view as a strength, but his challengers see as a potential liability to exploit in a hyper-polarized political environment. In March, Biden described Vice President Mike Pence as a decent guy, but then had to backtrack from the remark after drawing criticism on the left because of Pences position against gay rights. Biden later tweeted, There is nothing decent about being anti-LGBTQ rights and that includes the vice president. The fact that he needed to reverse himself on that is telling as to what Democrats are looking for in their candidates, said Kyle Kondik, a political analyst at the University of Virginia. Earlier this year, Biden told a conference of mayors in Washington, I read in The New York Times today that one of my problems is, if I ever run for president, I like Republicans. OK, well, bless me Father, for I have sinned. Biden went on to say that the state of political polarization is hurting the country. Its like weve divided the country into pieces. How can we be one America if we continue down this road? I dont care what your party affiliation is, he said. Challenging legislation Biden has expressed regret for parts of his Senate record, including support of the sweeping 1994 crime bill with its tougher sentencing requirements and his vote to authorize the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He has also apologized for his treatment of Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearing, saying in March, To this day, I regret I couldnt come up with a way to get her the kind of hearing she deserved. For all of the political retribution Biden faces for his past actions, he also boasts major successes, such as sponsoring the Violence Against Women Act, which made it easier to prosecute domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking. Biden was also instrumental in helping to pass the Brady Bill, which required background checks for the purchase of most fire arms. It is fair to be criticized for the things that dont hold up to history, but [Biden] should be credited on the things that do, Kessler said. Presidential runs Biden has twice before run for president, seeking the nomination in 1988 and 2008, but failed to gain much support from voters either time. He was forced to drop out of his first presidential race over a plagiarism scandal when he quoted the British politician Neil Kinnock verbatim during a debate at the Iowa State Fair, but did not cite him. He dropped out of the 2008 race after coming in fifth place in the Iowa caucuses, capturing less than 1% of the vote. During his second campaign, Biden was known for his propensity to make verbal gaffes, including when he described his then-Democratic rival, Barack Obama, as the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. Biden has more recently said he believes his verbosity would not necessarily hurt him if he ran for president again, writing in his memoir, Promise Me, Dad, that by 2016, The voting public was tired of careful and carefully packaged candidates. He added, My reputation as a gaffe machine was no longer looking like a weakness. The public could see that I spoke from the heart and I meant what I said. Obama, who went on to win the Democratic nomination and later the presidency, chose Biden as his vice presidential running mate in large part because of Bidens long experience on the international stage, which Obama hoped would balance his own lack of resume in that area. Vice presidency When Biden assumed the vice presidency, he was put in charge of many large projects, including the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and the distribution of hundreds of billions of federal dollars to state and local governments to help the economy recover from the Great Recession. He also became the point person to work with Republicans in Congress to avoid government shutdowns and debt defaults. He was instrumental in every deal between Congress and the White House, including Obamas signature health care bill, Kessler said. Obama surprised Biden in 2017 with the nations highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Obama described him as the best vice president Americas ever had. The two men were famously affectionate, chronicled in countless internet memes, and their families were also close, including a friendship between first lady Michelle Obama and second lady Jill Biden as well as friendships between Obamas daughters and Bidens granddaughters. The future After serving in Washington for nearly a half-century, Biden has been in public life longer than some of his Democratic challengers have been alive. He once defied his age in 1972 to become one of the youngest senators elected, and is again in an election where his age is front and center this time, he would make history if elected by becoming the oldest person ever to enter the presidency. While Biden is likely to be seen as the Democratic Partys elder statesman and standard-bearer, he still has his work cut out to prove he is the best representative of the party, which has shifted considerably left even in the two years since Biden has been out of the vice presidency. Despite the challenges, most national polls showed Biden at or near the top of the pack just before he entered the race for the Democratic nomination. The fact that he is doing well in the polls does show something a genuine affection among Democrats for Biden, not just name recognition, Kessler said. However, Kondik, the University of Virginia analyst, noted it is also possible that his polling numbers are now a high watermark. Everything is great until you become a candidate. Cuba is challenging the Trump administration to back up its allegations that the communist government has embedded troops and intelligence agents throughout the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at a press conference Thursday that National Security Advisor John Bolton is a pathological liar for saying some 20,000 Cubans sent to Venezuela were providing security support for Maduro. Rodriguez said they are mostly medical workers. He cited what he called a classified document circulated among U.S. embassies in the region containing talking points on Cuba and Venezuela. I invite them to provide evidence. The infamous document says tens of thousands of Cubans in Venezuela have infiltrated the institutions and services of that country. I invite them to provide proof, Rodriguez said. Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, is bracing for a peace jirga a traditional gathering of elders and prominent Afghans with heightened security next week, as nearly 3,000 delegates from across the country stream into the city. We came from a remote, insecure area. Its really good of the government to invite us so we can meet the others, said Syeda Nadiri, a high school teacher from Khashrod district in Nimroz province. She was in the capital to demand peace and for the Taliban to allow women their rights. Taliban should let girls get educated. When their own wives are sick, they cant take them to the male doctors. They need female doctors, she said. Nadiri's area has a heavy Taliban presence, but she said they have so far left schools and clinics alone. The traditional gathering, is scheduled to start on Monday and last several days. The idea, according to President Ashraf Ghani, is to let the people decide how negotiations with the Taliban should proceed. The Taliban have been negotiating to reach a possible peace deal with an American team led by U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad since last September. So far, however, they have refused to include the Ghani administration in the process, despite U.S. pressure. Members of his administration say sooner or later, the Taliban will have to talk to the government. Even if the U.S. makes a deal with the Taliban to have peace in Afghanistan, the responsibility for implementing that deal will fall on the Afghan government, said Ziaul Haq Amarkhel, a senior adviser to Ghani. The jirga seemed to be preparing for that eventuality. There are two major objectives of this jirga, said Ezatullah Pezhand, a member of the jirga preparation commission. To decide what the Afghans want from peace, and to decide on the red lines for negotiations with the Taliban. Some of the delegates were clear about what parameters they were going to put down in their discussions. Women rights and human rights are both key. We want to preserve them based on the law. Women are concerned about losing their rights, but we will insist on upholding the law, Syed Ibrar, an elder from Kunar province, said. Amarkhel said this was just the kind of guidance the government was seeking. This jirga will create the boundaries for the Afghan government, for negotiations with the Taliban, he said. The participants in the jirga will be divided into 50 committees, to be able to better discuss the issues in a smaller setting. Each committee will be given a set of questions. The committees will choose spokespersons to communicate their answers. It is supposed to end with a declaration announcing the final decisions. The governments claims that the gathering is designed to take the Afghan public onboard has not stopped it from becoming controversial. Afghanistan is in an election year, and several leading presidential candidates have already boycotted the event. One of them is Hanif Atmar, a former national security adviser to Ghani, who resigned over disagreements. Atmar claimed the jirga was a waste of money designed to benefit Ghanis election campaign. Another candidate, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, was upset over what he said was a lack of consultation with him during the planning and preparation of the jirga. He also said the mechanism for the election of delegates was not transparent and that he expected no concrete result from the exercise. A young Syrian refugee who lives with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair told U.N. diplomats Wednesday that people like her are invisible in conflicts and said their needs must not be overlooked. While living in a country at war is daunting for anyone, it is particularly challenging for someone with a disability, Nujeen Mustafa, 20, from Kobani in Aleppo, told the Security Council. It is the first time that the council has been briefed by a person with a disability on this issue. She said life in Syria before the war began in 2011 was not easy for persons with disabilities. For me, it meant not being able to go to school, hang out with friends or go to the cinema. It was almost like house arrest, Mustafa said in perfect English. Having a disability in Syria often means that you are hidden away. You confront shame, discrimination and physical barriers. You are someone who is pitied. She said she was lucky because she had a loving and supportive family. Feared for family But then the regime of Bashar al-Assad began a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters and soon the country was mired in a civil war that has seen 6.2 million Syrians displaced inside the country and 5.6 million flee to other countries, and life changed. I quickly realized that I was the main obstacle standing in the way of my familys safety, Mustafa said. Every day, I feared that I could be the reason my family was one or two seconds too late. My brother called us 'the walking dead. She said for other disabled Syrians, living in a war zone is both challenging and frightening. While they may have learned to cope in normal circumstances, conflict conditions present new and frightening challenges. A blind person may know how to manage in her own environment, but can you imagine what it must be like to navigate the rubble and debris strewn across their path to safety? she asked. In January 2014, her family decided to seek safety outside Syria, crossing the border into southeastern Turkey and renting an apartment in Gaziantep. Mustafa did not have a wheelchair in Syria and had to be carried to safety. She received one in Turkey. As the situation continued to worsen back home, Mustafa, then 16, and her sister decided to undertake the dangerous journey to Europe. Their parents remained in Gaziantep. Over the next month, the two girls traveled 5,600 kilometers, crossing eight borders by plane, bus, train, foot and a rubber boat with a group of about 30 other Syrian refugees. I had to roll on a very difficult terrain that is not at all suitable for a wheelchair, she said. I had to sleep in the wilderness with no blankets. I spent days eating just Nutella and sugar, which is not as fun as it sounds. I almost drowned in a dinghy. Disabled refugees, women at risk She told diplomats that the risks are even greater for disabled refugees and women. On Sept. 21, 2015, they arrived at a small border town south of Munich. One of the happiest moments of my life was just seeing the sign saying we had arrived in Germany, she said. But this is not just my story, it is the experience of thousands of Syrians with disabilities who struggle to survive because of the limited to no basic services still functioning in the country, lack of accessibility, and the constant threat of violence, especially against women and girls, she told council members. Mustafa said the council must do more to include the needs of the disabled in all aspects of their work, including specific programs designed to reach disabled individuals with health services, assistive devices and psychosocial support. I understand that there are many competing priorities in this conflict and the humanitarian response, but you need to address the needs of people with disabilities, particularly women, she said, This is not a favor. This is not charity. This is our rights. Mustafas appearance at the council nearly did not happen. Human Rights Watch, which helped arrange her visit with council president Germany, said that she was rejected twice by the U.S. government for a visa to come to New York. It was only after appeals were made and efforts exerted by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations that she received her visa. Mustafa has lived in Germany now for 3 years and speaks the language well. She is a student and has written a book about her experiences. Anecdotal reports suggest that both the U.S. and Chinese governments are tightening restrictions on travel by academics between the two countries, leaving experts worried about the impact those actions could have on mutual understanding between the leaders of the worlds two largest economies. In recent weeks, news media in both countries have recounted the stories of academics, some of whom have been traveling between the U.S. and China for decades, suddenly being informed that they would no longer be allowed to do so. One Chinese scholar was intercepted by FBI agents at Los Angeles International Airport in January as he prepared to return to Beijing. According to the New York Times, the agents took his passport and crossed out the 10-year visa that had allowed him to travel freely between the two countries. Last week Michael Pillsbury, who works for the Hudson Institute and has advised the Trump administration on China policy, revealed to the website Axios that a routine visa application he filed in order to be able to attend a conference in Beijing was slow-walked by the Chinese embassy in Washington for so long that he was unable to attend. While there are no available records that would indicate precisely how many academics have been denied visas in the recent past, or how much of an increase there has actually been in denials, the impression many in the field of U.S.-China relations have is of a notable escalation. (The Global Times, a tabloid newspaper under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, reported that 280 Chinese academics have had visas revoked or denied since 2018, but provided no source for that figure.) Writing in the South China Morning Post last week, David Shambaugh, a professor of Asian studies and international affairs, and director of the China Policy Program, at George Washington University said that clamping down on academic exchanges can only hurt both countries. This kind of tit-for-tat action is a race to the bottom, only hurts both sides and adds to mutual suspicions, he said, While it may be tempting for each side to retaliate against the other, it is mutually harmful. Both governments should depoliticize scholarly visas and allow unfettered academic exchanges between the two countries so as to contribute to scholarly research and enhance mutual understanding. Visa denials are not a new tactic for either country, but in the past, most of the denials have been one-way. China has long resisted allowing academics whose research is critical of the Communist Party into the country. Authors of high-profile works, such as U.S. academics who provided material for a 2004 book on Chinas treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang, have found themselves on what amounts to blacklists, barring them entry to the country. This time, though, the impetus for an uptick in visa denials appears to be coming from the U.S., where officials are increasingly concerned about the Chinese governments power to coerce non-government officials, such as university professors and think-tank researchers, into gathering information on behalf of state intelligence services. These concerns echo those of other government officials who have raised national security concerns around the use of telecommunications equipment made by Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE. Chinese law compels companies operating there to assist government intelligence services if asked to do so, leaving U.S. officials concerned that Chinese equipment could be engineered to create back-door access to critical U.S. infrastructure. Chinese companies have already been implicated in multiple instance of industrial espionage and intellectual property theft, and there appears to be concern among U.S. officials that those tactics could bleed over into other settings as well. Indeed, over the weekend, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center confirmed that it had fired two Chinese researchers and were in the process of firing a third after an investigation suggested that they had been involved in efforts to steal data related to federally funded research. Dr. Peter Pisters, the centers president, announced the move in a statement Sunday. A small but significant number of individuals are working with government sponsorship to exfiltrate intellectual property that has been created with the support of U.S. taxpayers, private donors and industry collaborators, he said. The firings come several months after the National Institutes of Health issued a blanket warning to U.S. biomedical researchers about Chinese nationals stealing information and sometimes going so far as to set up shadow laboratories in their home country to replicate proprietary research methods. The NIH has indicated that there are dozens of ongoing investigations around the country into activities similar to those that resulted in the firings at the University of Texas. Some experts worry that the list of people and organizations that are reciprocally barred from travel between the U.S. and China will only grow with time. In an interview with VOA, National Foundation for American Policy executive director Stuart Anderson said he worries that the recent visa denials are only the most recent step down a dangerous path -- one that could negatively affect the U.S. economy. If the U.S. government keeps expanding the scope of industries and individuals that are barred from the country, he said, the result could be a reduction in the number of foreign companies willing to even try to do business here. He added, The U.S. is usually good at eventually coming up with a balance. But if we start to go too far in a direction of protection in that area, you might just start to see some unfortunate unintended consequences. But not everyone is pessimistic. Pillsbury, the Trump administration China adviser who missed a conference this month after his visa was delayed, told VOA that he is confident that things will improve. I'm optimistic [the] Chinese government will eventually give me another visa, he said. I visited China five times in the last two years. I have many friends in China. There are more conferences to attend this year, so I think there should be a ceasefire in the visa war. Too many scholars are needed in Beijing to come to Washington, and Washington to go to Beijing. Citing former Chinese president Jiang Zemins call to decrease misunderstandings [and] increase trust he said, We cannot implement this guidance from Jiang Zemin and other Chinese leaders unless we have a free flow of scholars who are experts on U.S.-China relations. President Donald Trump is flatly refusing to cooperate in numerous U.S. congressional probes of himself and his administration, taking a defiant stance that could trigger protracted court fights with House of Representatives Democrats. In an unprecedented step, the Trump administration has filed a lawsuit to try to block one congressional subpoena; some Trump advisers have been told to ignore other subpoenas; and a request for Trump's tax returns has not been fulfilled. In most instances, Trump risks trouble with Congress over subpoenas, "contempt of Congress" citations and civil enforcement actions in court. Trump's stonewalling has hardened since the release last week of a redacted report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller on the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trump viewed the report as an exoneration because the special counsel did not charge him with conspiring with Russia or with obstruction of justice. However, the report detailed the Trump campaign's welcoming of help from the Russians and his later efforts to thwart Mueller's inquiry. Like other senior Democrats who are treating the Mueller report as a road map for further investigations by Congress, House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings accused the Trump administration on Wednesday of a "massive, unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction." The following are ways Trump has defied Congress in recent days: McGahn Don McGahn, former White House counsel, was a key witness in the Mueller probe and House Democrats want to hear from him. But the White House plans to assert executive privilege to prevent McGahn and other current and former administration officials from testifying to Congress, the Washington Post has reported. Unredacted Mueller report Parts of the Mueller report were redacted, leaving some questions unanswered. Democrats have issued a subpoena in an attempt to obtain the full report without redactions and evidence Mueller relied on. Attorney General William Barr must decide by May 1 whether to comply. Barr has said he has a legal obligation to keep secret information obtained from grand jury proceedings, and that other redactions were necessary to protect U.S. intelligence sources and avoid harm to ongoing law enforcement matters. Tax returns Unlike past presidents in recent decades, Trump has refused to make public his tax returns, raising questions about what is in them. Democrats are probing Trump's past business dealings and possible conflicts of interest posed by his continued ownership of extensive business interests. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin failed to meet a congressional deadline on Tuesday for turning over Trump's tax returns to the House tax committee, setting the stage for a possible court battle between Congress and the administration. Mnuchin said he planned to make "a final decision" on whether to provide Trump's tax records by May 6. Legal experts said House Democrats could vote to hold Mnuchin or IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig in contempt of Congress if they ignore a subpoena, as a step toward suing in federal court to obtain the returns. Mazars Trump on Monday filed a lawsuit attempting to keep U.S. lawmakers from obtaining his financial records. The unprecedented suit seeks to block a subpoena issued by Cummings, whose panel is looking into Trump's financial record. The subpoena sought eight years of documents from Mazars USA, an accounting firm long used by Trump to prepare financial statements. Cummings issued the subpoena after Michael Cohen, formerly Trump's personal lawyer, testified to Congress in February that Trump had misrepresented his net worth. Security clearances Cummings said on Tuesday that his panel will soon vote on whether to cite a former White House official with contempt for failing to appear for questioning on allegations that the Trump administration inappropriately granted security clearances to some of the president's advisers. The White House told the Oversight Committee that it had directed Carl Kline, who was White House personnel security chief for the first two years of Trump's presidency, to ignore the committee's subpoena to appear. Census and citizenship On Wednesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) rebuffed the Oversight Committee's request for an interview with John Gore, an official who was involved in the administration's decision to include a citizenship question in the 2020 census. The Justice Department said Gore, a lawyer in its Civil Rights Division, would not participate in a deposition set for Thursday if he could not have a department lawyer at his side. The committee had offered to let a lawyer sit in a different room. A DOJ official said the committee had provided "no legitimate or constitutional basis for excluding a DOJ lawyer from assisting at the deposition." Impeachment Trump on Wednesday vowed to fight any effort by congressional Democrats to launch impeachment proceedings against him, promising to go to the Supreme Court, even though it plays no role in the constitutional impeachment process. Hotel documents Congressional Democrats said in March that a U.S. government agency was responding too slowly to their requests for documents about the Trump administration's abandonment of a plan to move the FBI. Before he became president in January 2017, Trump supported moving the Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters to the suburbs of Washington, Democrats looking into the matter said. They said that after Trump was elected and disqualified from bidding to acquire the site for commercial development, he switched his position. Democrats have subsequently raised questions about a possible Trump conflict of interest. Immigration aide The White House refused a request for Trump's top immigration aide Stephen Miller to testify to Congress in a letter Wednesday to the House Oversight Committee. Miller, a former Senate aide, has helped shape some of Trump's most controversial immigration policies, from the first Muslim travel ban shortly after he took office in 2017 to the child separation policy for migrants who illegally crossed the U.S.- Mexico border, both of which were rejected by courts. Police in Pakistan say unknown gunmen shot dead a female polio vaccinator and wounded another Thursday, raising the number of deaths to three in attacks against this weeks national immunization campaign. The latest shooting incident occurred in southwestern Baluchistan province where, police said, assailants on a motorbike opened fire at a polio team in a remote district on the Afghan border. They described the conditions of the injured female health worker as critical. "The women were coming back from the field after administering polio drops to children when they were shot at by two unknown men riding a motorbike," said Rashid Razzaq, a senior official at the polio emergency center in the provincial capital of Quetta. He told VOA that one victim died instantly while the other received "serious" bullet injuries and is undergoing treatment in a Quetta hospital. Razzaq confirmed authorities have temporarily suspended the vaccination campaign in Chaman. Other attacks took place in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, also bordering Afghanistan, where gunmen shot dead two police offices escorting polio vaccinators. Additionally, authorities also arrested 10 men in the provincial capital Peshawar for spreading unfounded rumors through fake social media videos that a polio vaccine had led to fainting and vomiting. One of the detainees, identified as school teacher Nazar Muhammad, could be seen in the scaremongering Twitter videos instructing his students to faint and pretend to be sick from the oral polio vaccine (OPV). The videos quickly went viral, sparking widespread protests in parts of Peshawar, with angry mobs destroying a local health unit. Clerics in mosques used loudspeakers to warn parents against having their children vaccinated. The scare prompted panicked families to rush their children to hospitals, where doctors examined more than 25,000 and concluded that none had suffered an adverse reaction after receiving the vaccine drops. Islamic clerics and residents in parts of the religiously conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan have long been suspicious of the polio vaccine, claiming it is a Western plot to harm or sterilize Muslim children. Militants linked to outlawed extremist groups also have taken responsibility for attacks against anti-polio teams in Pakistan, accusing them of working as government spies. The suspicions and attacks have hampered Islamabads efforts to eradicate the crippling polio disease from the country, officials admit. The violence against workers associated with polio immunization efforts have in recent years killed dozens of people in Pakistan, one of three countries in the world along with Afghanistan and Nigeria where wild polio virus is still endemic. Nigeria has not reported any new cases for two consecutive years. For the third time in four years Spaniards head to polling stations Sunday, and are likely to confirm a Europe-wide electoral pattern of voters moving away from traditional parties. With the emergence of new populist-based factions, European politics is becoming more fragmented, leading to minority governments, misshapen governing coalitions, more political deadlock and less predictability. That is likely to be the fate of Spain come Sunday, with some analysts forecasting another snap election may have to be called later in the year. The election will confirm the fragmentation of politics, according to Ivan Llamazares, a political scientist at Universidad de Salamanca. He says it will be very difficult to form stable legislative majorities in the coming years in Spain thanks to a breakdown in centrist, consensual politics. The Socialists, led by Pedro Sanchez, the current prime minister, are expected to attract the largest share of the vote in an ill-natured general election on April 28, which has seen tempers fray and accusations of treason being hurled with abandon. The rise of the ultra-nationalist Vox party, which last December won 12 seats in the regional parliament in Andalusia, has added a sharpness and volatility to the election. Socialists more united under Sanchez Coming out on top of the polls Sunday will be a remarkable achievement in itself for Sanchez until last year the Socialists were mired in vicious splits and appeared out for the count following two bruising electoral defeats. Pollsters suggest Sanchezs party will secure 30 percent of the vote. But, despite their revival, the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) will likely be denied an overall majority. It will be best positioned, though, to try to form a formal coalition government, the first at the national level since the restoration of democracy in 1977, predict pollsters and analysts. Sanchez began the Socialist comeback last May when he seized on a string of corruption scandals to unseat the Conservative government of Mariano Rajoy with a surprise no-confidence motion that attracted the support of lawmakers in the the leftist Podemos party as well as Catalan and Basque nationalists. Since then as the prime minister of a minority government, Sanchez has been astute in rebuilding the PSOEs base with a series of progressive actions. They have included hiking the minimum wage, appointing a female-dominated Cabinet and starting the legal process to move the embalmed body of the late military dictator, Gen. Francisco Franco, from a huge mausoleum near Madrid, which has become a shrine for far-right activists. Those moves have helped the PSOE shoot ahead in the opinion polls of the Conservative Popular Party (PP). Until 2015, the PSOE and the PP alternated in power, sometimes relying on Catalan or Basque nationalists to make up the numbers to secure a working parliamentary majority. But with newer populist-based parties vying for votes, including the right-of-center Ciudadanos, leftist Podemos as well as the far-right Vox, the ease of what was in essence a two-party political system has long disappeared. Vox party: 'Make Spain great again' One factor that has helped Sanchez the most, according to Anna Rosenberg, a global investment adviser, has been the emergence of Vox, which promises to make Spain great again and crack down on immigration. People are really scared of the rise of the right-wing parties and that will mobilize voters that might not have been expected to vote before, she forecast. Vox, an ultra-nationalist party led by Santiago Abascal, has risen from nowhere to become a serious electoral force. Last December it won 12 seats in regional elections in Andalusia, overturning a post-1977 article of political faith in Spain that an avowedly far-right party couldnt establish itself because of memories of Spains long-running dictatorship. Franco ruled Spain from 1939 to his death in 1975. Ivan Llamazares says Vox, which is attracting Conservative voters angry with Catalan efforts to separate from Spain, has fragmented the right and pulled its two main parties, the conservative PP and center-right Ciudadanos, to more extreme ideological positions. Vox leaders say pollsters are getting it wrong. They maintain they will be able to form a right wing coalition after Sundays vote with the PP and Ciudadanos. I dont expect the socialists to be able to form a government, says party official Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros. Last week Sanchez told supporters at an election rally in his hometown outside Seville that he hadnt been able in his short stint as prime minister to take on the more ambitious structural reforms he believes the country needs, from overhauling a moribund education system to shaking up labor market regulations. But we have managed to change its course, he said. Sundays election will determine whether that is true or not. Or if Spain is heading for greater, paralyzing deadlock. A French warship passed through the strategic Taiwan Strait this month, U.S. officials told Reuters, a rare voyage by a vessel of a European country that is likely to be welcomed by Washington but increase tension with Beijing. The passage, which was confirmed by China, is a sign that U.S. allies are increasingly asserting freedom of navigation in international waterways near China. It could open the door for other allies, such as Japan and Australia, to consider similar operations. The French operation comes amid increasing tensions between the United States and China. Taiwan is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and Chinas increasingly muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom of navigation patrols. Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a French military vessel carried out the transit in the narrow waterway between China and Taiwan April 6. Naval parade invitation revoked One of the officials identified the warship as the French frigate Vendemiaire and said it was shadowed by the Chinese military. The official was not aware of any previous French military passage through the Taiwan Strait. The officials said that as a result of the passage, China notified France it was no longer invited to a naval parade to mark the 70 years since the founding of Chinas Navy. Warships from India, Australia and several other nations participated. China said on Thursday it had lodged stern representations with France for what it called an illegal passage. Chinas military sent navy ships in accordance with the law and the rules to identify the French ship and warn it to leave, defense ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told a regularly scheduled media briefing, while declining to say if the sailing had led to the withdrawal of Frances invitation to the parade of ships this week. Chinas military will stay alert to firmly safeguard Chinas sovereignty and security, he said. Routine US passage Colonel Patrik Steiger, the spokesman for Frances military chief of staff, declined to comment on an operational mission. The U.S. officials did not speculate on the purpose of the passage or whether it was designed to assert freedom of navigation. The French strait passage comes against the backdrop of increasingly regular passages by U.S. warships through the strategic waterway. Last month, the United States sent Navy and Coast Guard ships through the Taiwan Strait. The passages upset China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory. Beijing has been ramping up pressure to assert its sovereignty over the island. Chen Chung-chi, spokesman for Taiwans defense ministry, told Reuters by phone the strait is part of busy international waters and it is a necessity for vessels from all countries to transit through it. He said Taiwans defense ministry will continue to monitor movement of foreign vessels in the region. This is an important development both because of the transit itself but also because it reflects a more geopolitical approach by France towards China and the broader Asia-Pacific, said Abraham Denmark, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia. The transit is a sign that countries like France are not only looking at China through the lens of trade but from a military standpoint as well, Denmark said. Last month, France and China signed deals worth billions of euros during a visit to Paris by Chinese President Xi Jinping. French President Emmanuel Macron wants to forge a united European front to confront Chinese advances in trade and technology. It is important to have other countries operating in Asia to demonstrate that this is just not a matter of competition between Washington and Beijing, that what China has been doing represents a broader challenge to a liberal international order, Denmark, who is with the Woodrow Wilson Center Washington has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help provide the island with the means to defend itself and is its main source of arms. Tens of thousands of people marched in Sudan's capital Thursday for what organizers called a "million strong march" in support of civilian rule. The rally took place even though Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) and opposition groups agreed to form a committee to resolve their disagreements. Throngs of protesters poured onto Khartoums streets Thursday, calling for military leaders who toppled president Omar al-Bashir to hand over power to civilian leaders. Sudans main protest group, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), organized the march after talks with the Transitional Military Council deadlocked. Three members of the TMC resigned late Wednesday after the SPA called for the march. The TMC identified them as Lieutenant-Generals Omar Zain al-Abideen, Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh, and Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel. But their resignations were not immediately accepted. Mohamed al-Wasilla took part in Thursday's protest and has also been part of a two-week sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum. He said the timing of the resignations is no coincidence. He said the military council has realized the effectiveness of their sit-in; it puts pressure on them. The people are the power now, he said, but the military thinks they can defuse them by playing games with time. The SPA was demanding the three lieutenant-generals be dismissed and tried over their alleged roles in a crackdown that killed dozens of protesters. Sudan's opposition and the TMC agreed late Wednesday to form a committee to try to resolve their disagreements. The spokesman of TMC Shams Eldin Kabashi stressed in a press conference after that they agreed in principle to push the situation forward. He said the TMC and the protesters Forces for Freedom and Change are complimentary to each other. Theyre looking forward to establish what fulfills Sudanese ambitions, said Kabashi. Political analyst Mutasim Ahmed said the military resignations and meetings with protesters are a good sign. He said now that trust has been restored between the two main forces, Freedom and Change forces and the TMC, and that those two forces have changed the former regime. But their mission now, said Ahmed, is to get rid of the former regimes roots. After four months of anti-government protests, the military ousted Bashir on April 11 after he spent three decades in power. Military leaders took over, promising elections within two years. But protesters are demanding immediate civilian rule and have refused to leave the streets. On Thursday, Reuters news quoted opposition leader Sadiq Mahdi as saying Sudan could face a counter-coup if military rulers and the opposition dont reach an agreement on transition. Pakistan says it is highly dismayed at the recent surge in hostilities in Afghanistan from all sides, warning it would harm ongoing efforts to bring peace to the war-ravaged neighboring country. Prime Minister Imran Khan issued the statement Thursday as the United States makes diplomatic efforts to seek a negotiated settlement to the 17-year-old Afghan war. Pakistan implores all parties to recognize the importance of the moment and seize it, said Khan whose government takes credit for arranging Washingtons ongoing direct talks with the Afghan Taliban. However, the months-long U.S.-initiated dialogue process did not discourage the Islamist insurgent group from launching this years spring offensive," which marks an increase in deadly battlefield attacks in Afghanistan. The Taliban justified the move, saying the country was still under foreign occupation and U.S.-backed Afghan security forces unleashed their own spring operations against insurgents. Afghan leaders have long accused Pakistan of covertly supporting the Taliban to regain power in Kabul, in what they call an effort to continue Islamabads meddling in Afghan affairs, charges Pakistani officials deny. Pakistan has committed all diplomatic and security capital to success of peace process. Pakistan will not be party to any internal conflict in Afghanistan anymore, Khan asserted while responding to skeptics. Zalmay Khalilzad, who is leading the U.S. team of negotiators in talks with the Taliban, embarked on a fresh visit this week to Afghanistan and regional countries, hoping to make progress on resolving differences between various Afghan groups and the Taliban to bring them to the table for intra-Afghan peace talks. Khalilzad is scheduled to hold another round of talks with Taliban envoys in Qatar during his current trip that will also take him to meetings with leaders in Pakistan. Khan underlined in his statement Thursday the ongoing Afghan peace effort offered a historic opportunity for bringing peace to the region and ending decades of Afghan suffering. "Pakistan is fully supporting the process, including the next logical step of an intra Afghan dialogue wherein Afghans will themselves decide upon the future of their country, the Pakistani leader stressed. The Taliban, however, refuses to engage in any formal Afghan political dialogue for peace until a timetable is set for all U.S.-led foreign forces to leave Afghanistan. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he believes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could give up his nuclear weapons if he first receives security guarantees. Putin made the comment Thursday after holding his first ever summit with Kim in the far-eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. At a news conference following the talks, Putin also advocated a phased approach to denuclearization, in which the United States and North Korea slowly take steps to build trust. If we move step-by-step with respect for each others interests, then this goal can be achieved in the final end," Putin said, according to Russias state-run Tass news agency. North Korea also prefers an incremental approach, under which it would commit to giving up parts of its nuclear weapons as Washington gradually relaxes sanctions. Trump is seeking what he calls a big deal in which North Korea agrees to give up its entire nuclear program in exchange for normalized ties with the United States. Kim said very little during his meeting with Putin, which included nearly two hours of one-on-one meetings, an expanded dialogue session with their delegations, and a dinner. I had candid, meaningful talks with President Putin, Kim said, adding he would like to relentlessly strengthen ties with Russia. It is not clear what security guarantees North Korea may demand in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons. According to the Russian news agency Tass, Putin said it is the international, legal ones. In the past, North Korean officials have called for the United States to completely remove its strategic and nuclear-capable military assets from the region, which it views as a threat. WATCH: Putin-Kim Summit Likely Won't Impact Nuclear Talks No breakthrough? The meeting was held in the Russian port city of Vladivostok, about 200 kilometers from the border with North Korea. Kim is expected to stay in the city through Friday, touring various sites, including the Russian Pacific Fleet and an oceanarium, according to several media reports. Although Kim and Putin met for almost twice as long as expected, no major breakthroughs were announced at the summit and no joint statement was released. North Korea, which is hurting from international sanctions, wants more economic and diplomatic support from Russia, especially since nuclear talks with the United States have broken down. "North Korea needs an ally, says Jang Se-ho, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Institute for National Security Strategy. And Russia has been seeking a chance to become involved more in the Korean peninsula. They now have a chance to do so." Putin said he would like to expand economic cooperation with North Korea, but gave no obvious sign that he is willing to give Kim any help that would further damage talks with the United States. Kim out of breath As he sat next to Putin during their opening remarks, Kim appeared to be tired and breathing heavier than usual, drawing speculation about his health from some North Korea watchers. The North Korean leader, believed to be around 35 years old, also appeared to be out of breath during an appearance Wednesday after arriving in Russia. All of Kims appearances are watched closely for such signs, in part because until recently the public had not often gotten unscripted looks at him. [Kims health] is a big deal in a long-term perspective, though its not clear it will have a short-term impact, said Olga Krasnyak, a professor at Seouls Yonsei University. Meetings a boost for Kim Until last year, Kim hadnt left North Korea since taking power in 2011. Since then, Kim has met twice with U.S. President Donald Trump, three times with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, four times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and once with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong. The meetings not only help Kim shed his image as an international pariah, they also provide a crucial internal propaganda boost, says Andrew ONeil, a Korea specialist and professor at Australias Griffith University. A lot of what Kim Jong Un does internationally is directed inwardly, to reinforce his legitimacy in the eyes of the ordinary North Korean population...and within the North Korean elite structures, ONeil said. But with North Koreas economy suffering from international sanctions and no relief on the horizon, Kim may need more than just symbolic support. At a February summit in Hanoi, Trump rejected Kims offer to dismantle one of North Koreas main nuclear complexes in exchange for significant sanctions relief. Trump and Kim agreed last June to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but the United States and North Korea have not agreed on what that phrase means. Putin: not much of a help? By meeting Putin, Kim may be signaling that he has other options for economic help. Russias economy has its own problems, partly due to international sanctions imposed after Moscows annexation of Crimea. And without buy-in from the United States, it is not clear how much Russia could do anyway. Russia-North Korea trade fell dramatically last year by more than 56 percent to $34 million. Kremlin officials say that is primarily because Russia was restrained by sanctions. The Soviet Union was once a crucial economic backer of North Korea. But in recent decades, Moscow has carried out a carefully balancing act with Pyongyang. Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, signed onto tougher sanctions amid North Koreas nuclear and missile tests in 2016 and 2017. It has since called for the sanctions to be eased - a move that would require unanimous Security Council support. Facebook isnt typically described in a positive way when it comes to security or privacy. And the company has taken some big hits recently. In todays quarterly earnings report, the social network has revealed its preparing for a huge fine for violations related to privacy. Facebook today officially announced its latest quarterly earnings for the year 2019. According to Facebooks data, it had a revenue of $15.08 billion for the quarter. However, in anticipation for an FTC fine for privacy violations, it has set aside a whopping $3 billion to cover the cost. Facebook is anticipating that the fine from the FTC will be between $3 billion and $5 billion. Facebook notes that its possible the fine from FTC isnt that high, and notes that the matter is still unresolved for now. However, its anticipating the huge amount and has set aside the money just in case. We estimate that the range of loss in this matter is $3.0 billion to $5.0 billion, Facebook said in a statement. The matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final outcome. Facebook says that things are going to change moving forward. As reported by CNBC, the CEO of the social network, Mark Zuckerberg, says that shifting to privacy will be a central focus for the company over the next five years or longer. Zuckerberg added that he doesnt see the pivot to privacy to be a real contributor to Facebooks business over the next couple of years. Building from that, Facebook will be also putting a bigger focus on marketplace and payment features. The Facebook Marketplace is already a popular way for people to sell goods online. And Instagram is a burgeoning marketplace in its own right, thanks to so many influencers out there hawking products on a regular basis. With that in motion, Zuckerberg says that more companies will be handing over money for advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Our Take These could all be empty words from Zuckerberg. Unless something actually changes with the social network, and there isnt such a huge focus on handing out user information, none of what Zuckerberg has planned, or says whats planned, will actually matter. Heres hoping it turns into something worthwhile, though. [via CNBC The following are key quotes from a rare press conference by French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, responding to months of "yellow vest" protests with new measures. On Macrons government reforms "I asked myself: Should we stop everything that was done over the past two years? Did we take a wrong turn? I believe quite the opposite." "We live in a country where disagreements are expressed vehemently. I'm fully convinced it was right not to give in over these first two years on the issues that are still at the heart of our project for this country." On Frances town hall debates after the protests "We are above all children of the Enlightenment. And it is from these debates, these deliberations, this capacity to contradict one another ... that good solutions can emerge for the country." On schools and hospitals "We must maintain public service (in the countryside) ... guarantee the access for all to health services and guarantee that no school or hospital will be closed without the mayor's approval." On reforming Frances civil service and elite schools "I want to reform our senior public service. This is not a meritocratic system any more ... We don't need job-for-life protection." Macron also confirmed he would scrap France's Ecole Nationale d'Administration, a postgraduate school that was founded in 1945 by Charles de Gaulle to train a postwar administrative elite drawn from across all social classes. "To carry this reform we need to put an end to the ENA... It's not at all about stigmatizing the ENA, I went to this school, I owe it a lot." On scrapping Frances wealth tax Macron ruled out re-introducing the wealth tax known in France as the ISF that his government replaced by a tax on lucrative property deals and real estate assets. "Since it's a pragmatic reform, it will be re-evaluated in 2020. If it's not efficient, we'll amend it." On tax cuts Macron said he wanted to "significantly" reduce income tax to alleviate the burden on the middle classes. "Workers who pay income tax have widely contributed in past decades. So I'll be simple, I don't want tax increases. I want cuts for those who work by significantly reducing the income tax." Macron outlined some of the ways the tax cuts would be financed: "I've asked the government to implement this tax reduction by closing some corporate tax loopholes, making people work more and cutting public spending." On immigration Macron called for better control of borders at the national and European level. He said changes should be brought to the Schengen Area, even if it led to a reduction of its scope or to fewer member states. "To be open, you need limits; to welcome someone, you need a house, so you need borders." On working more and retirement "We have to work more, I've said it. France works a lot less than its neighbors. We have to have a real debate about this." Macron said he did not wish to push back the legalretirement age beyond the current threshold of 62. But he also outlined the need for measures that would require French citizens to contribute for a longer period to the pension system before retiring. On Frances 2022 presidential election Asked whether he would stand as a candidate in France's next presidential election, Macron said: "I don't care about the next election. What I really want is for this mandate to be a success. And I take full responsibility for having to probably take other decisions that will be unpopular." Authorities on the U.S.-Mexico border have distanced themselves from an armed civilian group that detains asylum-seeking families, but the United Constitutional Patriots have never been shy about saying they work with Border Patrol agents. After its activities drew widespread criticism, the group was thrown out of its camp this week for trespassing in Sunland Park, New Mexico, a suburb of El Paso, Texas. Frequent social media posts show masked men in combat fatigues chasing migrants and ordering them to stay put until border agents arrive. Videos capture agents taking migrants into custody. Jim Benvie, a spokesman for the group, said in a March 7 video on Facebook titled "Hunting illegals/us Mexico border'' that he agreed to join the effort because he was "looking for action and video.'' He encouraged anyone who "wants to do the militia thing'' to come to Sunland Park - with a gun, if available. "Everything is registered, so you work in hand with the Border Patrol,'' he said. Armed civilian groups have been an intermittent presence on the border for years, portraying themselves as auxiliaries to the Border Patrol and operating in areas where agents are not stationed. As the videos show, U.S. authorities keep them at arm's length while also responding to reports of people entering the country illegally. Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol, said Friday on Twitter that it "does not endorse or condone private groups or organizations that take enforcement matters into their own hands.'' "Interference by civilians in law enforcement matters could have public safety and legal consequences for all parties involved,'' the agency said. The Sunland Park police chief said he had told the small group they could stay as long as they did not try to arrest anyone or hold anybody at gunpoint. Three Democratic members of Congress, including Veronica Escobar of El Paso, wrote FBI Director Christopher Wray asking for an investigation into the presence of armed civilians and any assistance from U.S. authorities. "The right to stop and detain should be reserved to law enforcement,'' they wrote. Border Patrol spokesman Carlos Antunez said Wednesday that agents will investigate such groups only if a migrant complains, which has not happened with the United Constitutional Patriots. If the group is detaining migrants, "that's all they're doing,'' Antunez said. "At that point, we take charge ... We end up arresting the people that entered illegally, and then we take it from there.'' The group's leader, Larry Hopkins, was arrested last weekend on federal weapons charges. Hopkins, 69, was transferred Tuesday out of a New Mexico jail after suffering unspecified non-life threatening injuries, the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office said. Benvie narrated a March 13 video under the words "Caught another group of well-dressed illegals.'' He said the Border Patrol will arrive "in a minute'' and then showed an agent taking a small group into custody. Three days later, he posted another video under the heading "Detained a man with a baby!'' As an agent arrived, Benvie said, "The border is overrun. We're being invaded.'' In another video, he said: "It's a war zone, guys. This is like the Wild West, but we caught these guys right away.'' A video that drew strong criticism included a man who could be heard reporting on a group of at least 200 migrants. Benvie alerted viewers when the Border Patrol arrived. The group was thrown out of its camp Tuesday after Union Pacific Railroad posted no-trespassing signs nearby. "Base camp is relocating, new videos coming soon!'' Benvie wrote the next day. Two El Paso men who were fishing on the Rio Grande in Sunland Park were skeptical of the group. "We all look Mexican. How are they going to know the difference?'' asked Angel Martinez, a 34-year-old factory worker. "That's what Border Patrol is for.'' His friend and fellow fisherman Henry Aguilar, a delivery driver, once worked at an immigration detention center where he came into contact with hardened Central American gang members from MS-13, who he's glad were deported. But the families being detained by the militia "are not even threats,'' he said. In the past, vigilante patrols interrupted his fishing farther downstream, near where the United Constitutional Patriots plan to relocate. He believes a member of the group approached him last summer. "He told us we couldn't fish there. I told him to identify himself, and he refused to do so,'' Aguilar recalled. "He had camo gear on, and he had a hat, and he was covered from the nose down.'' As mourners buried the remains of Christian worshippers killed in the Easter suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, hundreds of Muslim refugees fled Negombo on the countrys west coast where communal tensions have flared in recent days. At least 359 people were killed in the coordinated series of blasts targeting churches and hotels. Church leaders believe the final toll from the attack on St. Sebastians Church in Negombo could be close to 200, almost certainly making Negombo the deadliest of the six near-simultaneous attacks. On Wednesday, hundreds of Pakistani Muslims fled the multi-ethnic port an hour north of the capital, Colombo. Crammed into buses organized by community leaders and police, they left fearing for their safety after threats of revenge from locals. Because of the bomb blasts and explosions that have taken place here, the local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses, Adnan Ali, a Pakistani Muslim, told Reuters as he prepared to board a bus. Right now we dont know where we will go. Ahmadi community punished Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks, yet despite Islamic State being a Sunni jihadist group, many of the Muslims fleeing Negombo belong to the Ahmadi community, who had been hounded out of Pakistan years ago after their sect was declared non-Muslim. The fallout from Sundays attacks appears set to render them homeless once more. Farah Jameel, a Pakistani Ahmadi, said she had been thrown out of her house by her landlord. She said get out of here and go wherever you want to go, but dont live here, she told Reuters, gathered with many others at the Ahmadiyya Mosque, waiting for buses to take them to a safe location. Sri Lankas government is in disarray over the failure to prevent the attacks, despite repeated warnings from intelligence sources. Police have detained an unspecified number of people in western Sri Lanka, the scene of anti-Muslim riots in 2014, in the wake of the attacks, and raids were carried out in neighborhoods around St. Sebastians Church. Police played down the threats to the refugees, but said they have been inundated with calls from locals casting suspicion on Pakistanis in Negombo. We have to search houses if people suspect, said Herath BSS Sisila Kumara, the officer in charge at Katara police station, where 35 of the Pakistanis that gathered at the mosque were taken into police custody for their own protection, before being sent to an undisclosed location. All the Pakistanis have been sent to safe houses, he said. Only they will decide when they come back. I have nothing now Two kilometers away, makeshift wooden crosses marked the new graves at the sandy cemetery of St. Sebastians Church, as the latest funerals Wednesday brought the number buried there to 40. Channa Repunjaya, 49, was at home when he heard about the blast at St. Sebastians. His wife, Chandralata Dassanaike and 9-year-old daughter Meeranhi both died. I felt like committing suicide when I heard that they had died, he told Reuters by the open graves. I have nothing now. Meeranhis grandmother, with her head still bandaged after being wounded in the attack, was held by a relative as the first handfuls of earth were scattered upon her child-sized coffin. Buddhist country, some minorities Most of Sri Lankas 22 million people are Buddhist, but the Indian Ocean islands population includes Muslim, Hindu and Christian minorities. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the islands conflict and communal tensions. There were signs of some religious communities pulling together following Sundays outrage. Saffron- and scarlet-robed Buddhist monks from a nearby monastery handed out bottled water to mourners who gathered under a baking afternoon sun. But the town, which has a long history of sheltering refugees, including those made homeless by a devastating tsunami in 2004, may struggle to recover from Sundays violence, said Father Jude Thomas, one of dozens of Catholic priests who attended Wednesdays burials. Muslims and Catholics lived side by side, he said. It was always a peaceful area, but now things have come to the surface we cannot control. Detained former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn paid 500 million yen ($4.5 million) in bail, the Tokyo District court said Thursday, signaling he would likely soon be released. Ghosn was arrested in November, released on bail in March but re-arrested in April on new allegations and taken to the Tokyo Detention House. He has been charged with underreporting his post-retirement compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money and allegedly having it shoulder his personal investment losses. Ghosn, 65, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, says he is innocent. He contends the compensation allegedly underreported was never decided on or paid and the payments considered to be a breach of trust were legitimate. The latest bail agreement follows 1 billion yen ($9 million) in bail that Ghosn posted for his earlier release. For that release, his defense team offered special conditions such installing a surveillance camera at the entrance to a specified residence for the former star executive and promising to use a cellphone and the internet only under specified conditions. The latest release requires similar restrictions, including not leaving the country, according to the court. Ghosns case has reignited criticism, both internally and internationally, against lengthy detentions without a trial or conviction in Japan, which critics call hostage justice. His latest arrest prompted outrage, as re-arresting someone who cleared bail conditions is rare, even in Japan. Prosecutors have argued against his release, saying he may tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. Ghosn led Nissan Motor Co. for two decades and was credited with steering the success of the global alliance with Renault SA of France and smaller Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Nissan lowered its profit forecasts for the fiscal year through March for the second time Wednesday, acknowledging the downward revision reflected the fallout from the Ghosn scandal, as well as slowing markets and rising costs in some regions. Questions are also growing about a potential leadership vacuum at Nissan, which in the past was dominated by Ghosn, and about the future of its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi. Renault owns 43 percent of Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 percent of Renault. Sales are falling, especially in France and Japan, where Ghosn was widely known. Although Nissan has promised to strengthen corporate governance, its image has suffered. Nissan, based in Yokohama, has declined comment on the criminal case. It has said an internal investigation found misconduct, and has ousted Ghosn from the board. The Pentagon's watchdog agency has cleared Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan of wrongdoing in connection with allegations that he had used his official position to favor his former employer, Boeing Co., a U.S. official said Thursday. The decision by the Defense Department inspector general opens the door for President Donald Trump to nominate Shanahan and seek his Senate confirmation as defense secretary. The White House, however, has not said whether Trump intends to do so. Shanahan has been serving as the interim Pentagon chief since Jan. 1, after Jim Mattis resigned. The allegation of pro-Boeing bias stemmed from Shanahan's time as deputy defense secretary in 2017-18. The inspector general's office was expected to release details of its findings later Thursday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the outcome of the probe before its formal release. After Mattis quit in protest of Trump's policies, the president did not rush to send Shanahan's nomination to Capitol Hill, seemingly content with letting him and a number of other administration officials languish as temporary appointments. I like acting. It gives me more flexibility, Trump said in January. Although Trump has publicly praised Shanahan's job performance, the former Boeing executive's situation became more precarious last month, when a watchdog group filed an ethics complaint with the inspector general. In the complaint, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington alleged that Shanahan has appeared to make statements promoting Boeing and disparaging competitors, such as Lockheed Martin. Shanahan spent more than 30 years at Boeing, leading programs for commercial planes and missile defense systems. The inspector general formally opened an investigation and moved quickly to do interviews. Shanahan publicly welcomed the decision to review the allegations. At the time, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat-Connecticut, said that scrutiny of Shanahan's Boeing ties is necessary. In fact, it's overdue. Boeing is a behemoth 800-pound gorilla raising possible questions of undue influence at DOD, FAA and elsewhere, Blumenthal said. Shanahan signed an ethics agreement in June 2017, when he was being nominated for the job of deputy defense secretary, a job he held during Mattis' tenure. The agreement outlined the steps he would take to avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest, and said he would not participate in any matter involving Boeing. The CREW ethics complaint, based to a large part on published reports, including one by Politico in January, said Shanahan has made comments praising Boeing in meetings about government contracts, raising concerns about whether Shanahan, intentionally or not, is putting his finger on the scale when it comes to Pentagon priorities. One example raised by the complaint is the Pentagon's decision to request funding for Boeing's F-15EX fighter jets in the 2020 proposed budget. The Pentagon is requesting about $1 billion to buy eight of the aircraft. Shanahan, 56, joined Boeing in 1986, rose through its ranks and is credited with rescuing a troubled Dreamliner 787 program. He also led the company's missile defense and military helicopter programs. Trump has seemed attracted to Shanahan partially for his work on one of the president's pet projects creating a Space Force. He also has publicly lauded Boeing, builder of many of the military's most prominent aircraft, including the Apache and Chinook helicopters, the C-17 cargo plane and the B-52 bomber, as well as the iconic presidential aircraft, Air Force One. This is only the third time in history that the Pentagon has been led by an acting chief, and Shanahan has served in that capacity for longer than any of the others. Presidents typically take pains to ensure the Pentagon is being run by a Senate-confirmed official, given the grave responsibilities that include sending young Americans into battle, ensuring the military is ready for extreme emergencies like nuclear war and managing overseas alliances that are central to U.S. security. Prince Harry has attended a service commemorating war dead from Australia and New Zealand as he and his wife Meghan await the birth of their first child. Meghan is due to give birth soon, though the couple hasn't revealed the due date or their birth plans. Harry was a last-minute addition to Thursday's Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey, attending alongside his sister-in-law Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William is visiting New Zealand, where he has met survivors of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Harry's attendance led bookies to shorten the odds on the baby being born in May. Rupert Adams of William Hill said bookmakers "were as surprised as everyone else that Harry decided to attend a public event as we assumed the baby was imminent." Fighting for control of Libya between two rival governments is turning civilian neighborhoods into "battlegrounds," the International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday. "The humanitarian situation in and around Tripoli has deteriorated sharply over the past three weeks," the ICRC said. "Tripoli's basic services and infrastructure, such as hospitals and water pumping stations which have already suffered from violence over the past eight years are being weakened further." The group said indiscriminate shelling was making it increasingly dangerous for medical workers to treat victims. The United Nations estimates more than 35,000 people have fled their homes and are staying with relatives or hunkered down in public buildings. U.N. officials evacuated 325 refugees from a government-run shelter after reports that some of the people living there had been attacked. The Libyan government has asked the Security Council to send a team of experts to Tripoli to investigate alleged attacks on civilians. Haftar blamed Elmahdi Elmajerbi, Libya's U.N. ambassador, circulated a letter blaming the attacks on forces loyal to Gen. Khalifa Haftar, the Libyan strongman who has set up a government in the east and sent his fighters to try to take Tripoli from the internationally backed government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. The White House said President Donald Trump telephoned Haftar last week and talked about "a shared vision for Libya's transition to a stable, democratic political system." Bloomberg News reported that several White House officials said Trump endorsed the general's assault on Tripoli and his efforts to try to take over the country. Trump's alleged backing of Haftar would directly contradict Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's declaration earlier this month. Pompeo said the United States has "made it clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar's forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital." Some material for this report came from The Associated Press. Saudi Arabia's beheading of 37 Saudi citizens Tuesday included a young man who had been accepted for admission to Western Michigan University seven years ago. Mujtaba al-Sweikat was 17 when he was detained at King Fahd International Airport in 2012, according to the Detroit Free Press. Al-Sweikat reportedly attended a pro-democracy rally at the same time as the Arab Spring, which led to his arrest, the Free Press reported. He was reportedly imprisoned, beaten, tortured, kept in solitary confinement and not allowed to see his family. "The violent killing of Mutjaba al-Sweikat is disturbing," U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said in an online statement. "Mutjaba had a bright future ahead of him and Michigan was prepared to welcome him as a student. Instead, he faced inhumane torture and pain ultimately leading to his execution. "Every human, regardless of where they may be in the world, should have the right to speak openly without fear of persecution or death. Right now, I stand in unity with Mutjaba's family and friends. I will never stop speaking up for all who promote free speech and due process around the world," Dingell's statement said. Saudi dissident Ali Al-Ahmed, who runs the Gulf Institute in Washington, said 34 of those executed were Shiites, a religious minority in Sunni-led Saudi Arabia. 'This is political' Al-Ahmed described Tuesday's executions as a politically motivated message to Iran. Saudi Arabia and Iran do not have diplomatic relations and compete for dominance in the Middle East because of religion, geopolitics and oil production. "This is political,'' he said. "They didn't have to execute these people, but it's important for them to ride the American anti-Iranian wave." Critics say the Saudi kingdom and its Sunni-led Arab allies have been bolstered by their relationship with the United States, which has been pressuring Iran's Shiite clerical leadership to behave according to its expectations. The Saudi Interior Ministry said those executed had been convicted of charges that included adopting extremist ideologies, forming terrorist cells to spread chaos and provoke sectarian strife, attacking security installations with explosives, killing a number of security officers, and cooperating with enemy organizations against the interests of the country. It said the individuals had been found guilty under Saudi law and ordered executed by the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh, which handles terrorism trials. The statement was carried on state-run media, including the Saudi news channel al-Ekhbariya. It opened with a verse from the Quran that condemns attacks that aim to create strife and disharmony and warns of great punishment for those who carry out such attacks. The human rights group Amnesty International said the individuals were convicted in "sham trials'' that relied on confessions extracted through torture. Saudi students offer views In a dissertation written by Molly Heyn in 2013 at Western Michigan University, some male Saudi students discussed their views about geopolitics after studying in the U.S. as international students. "Freedom is a big thing because if [Americans] see something wrong in the government or anything, [they] can talk," a student identified in the dissertation as Fahed said. Americans "can go on television and speak ... [they] can change something ... it doesn't matter what it is, they can change it." A student identified as Mansoor in the dissertation said he learned about his own country while studying in the U.S. "I met international students and I learned about Saudis. I spoke with Saudis from different parts of Saudi and from different families. It made me realize different cultures and like styles of life," Mansoor said. "I think more about things and think from others' perspectives. It makes me more aware of the differences and there are people from different cultures and that some people did not get a chance to see a different culture, to see a different people." In 2017, when faculty at Western Michigan were made aware of al-Sweikat's imprisonment, they issued a statement, according to the Free Press. "As academics and teachers, we take pride in defending the rights of all people, wherever they may be in the world, to speak freely and debate openly without hindrance or fear. We publicly declare our support for Mujtaba and the 13 others facing imminent execution. No one should face beheading for expressing beliefs in public protests," their statement read. The statement continued: "Mujtaba showed great promise as an applicant for English language and pre-finance studies. He was arrested at the airport gates as he readied to board a plane to visit our campus. We were unaware that at the moment we were ready to welcome him, he was locked away, beaten and tortured and made to 'confess' to acts for which he was condemned to death." Please share your thoughts in the Comments here, and visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Sri Lanka banned drones and unmanned aircraft and set off more controlled detonations of suspicious items Thursday four days after suicide bombing attacks killed more than 350 people in and around the capital of Colombo. Sri Lankas civil aviation authority said that it was taking the aircraft measure in view of the existing security situation in the country. Hobby drones have been used by militants in the past to carry explosives. Iraqi forces found them difficult to shoot down while driving out the Islamic State group, whose members loaded drones with grenades or simple explosives to target government forces. And Yemens Houthi rebels have used drones, most recently to target a military parade in January, killing troops. Sri Lankan police continued their search for explosives, detonating a suspicious item in a garbage dump in Pugoda, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Colombo. The attacks Easter Sunday mainly at churches and hotels killed at least 359 people and wounded 500 more, the government said Wednesday. Most were Sri Lankan but the Foreign Ministry has confirmed 36 foreigners died. The remains of 13 have been repatriated. Fourteen foreigners are unaccounted for, and 12 were still being treated for injuries in Colombo hospitals. A top Sri Lankan official has said that many of the suicide bombers were highly educated and came from well-off families. Junior defense minister Ruwan Wijewardene said at least one had a law degree and others may have studied in the U.K. and Australia. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said one of the bombers had been in the country on a student visa with a spouse and child before leaving in 2013. A British security official also confirmed one bomber is believed to have studied in the U.K. between 2006 and 2007. The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, said British intelligence was not watching Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed during his stay in the country. His name was first reported by Sky News. Sri Lankan government leaders have acknowledged that some intelligence units were aware of possible terror attacks against churches or other targets weeks before the bombings. The president asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief without saying who would replace them. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local extremist group, National Towheed Jamaat, whose leader, alternately named Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi, became known to Muslim leaders three years ago for his incendiary online speeches. On Wednesday, junior defense minister Ruwan Wijewardene said the attackers had broken away from National Towheed Jamaat and another group, which he identified only as JMI. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Authorities remain unsure of the groups involvement, though authorities are investigating whether foreign militants advised, funded or guided the local bombers. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara has said 58 suspects have been detained since the bombings. VOA's Wayne Lee and Carla Babb contributed to this report. LONDON The U.S.-led coalition's offensive to oust Islamic State from the Syrian city of Raqqa killed more than 1,600 civilians, according to the results of an investigation, released jointly Thursday by Amnesty International and the group Airwars. The report said the deaths were a direct result of "thousands of U.S., U.K., and French air strikes and tens of thousands of U.S. artillery strikes in Raqqa between June and October of 2017. "Coalition forces razed Raqqa, but they cannot erase the truth," said Amnesty International's Donatella Rovera. "Amnesty International and Airwars call upon the Coalition forces to end their denial about the shocking scale of civilian deaths and destruction caused by their offensive in Raqqa." Airwars director Chris Woods called on the coalition to "fully investigate what went wrong at Raqqa and learn from those lessons." A Pentagon spokesman, in an email to VOA, said, "The Coalition complies with the Law of Armed Conflict and has taken extraordinary measures to minimize civilian casualties and collateral damage. We look at any and all sources for allegations of civilian casualties to include self-reports, social media, NGOs, news organizations and personal allegations. A U.S.-led coalition spokesman provided a much lower death toll from Raqqa. "According to our records, there have been 69 credible allegations out of Raqqa, resulting in 318 killed. Of note, there are still open allegations under investigation. Amnesty International provided us with 86 new allegations, 43 of which had already been assessed as credible and previously reported or were deemed not credible because the allegation did not corroborate with our strike records," said Col. Scott Rawlinson." We requested that Amnesty International provide us with additional information on the remaining 43 allegations if they have it so that we would be able to determine whether we could conduct an investigation." Researchers for Amnesty and Airwars combined firsthand accounts on the ground with open source and satellite data to identify individual air strikes and victims. Following a two-year investigation, Amnesty says it has gathered names for more than one thousand of the victims and claims to have verified 641 deaths on the ground in Raqqa This is not a situation of a few individual cases, isolated cases. It is much more systemic than that, said Rovera. The IS militant group seized Raqqa in early 2014 and was defeated by U.S.-backed fighters earlier this year. During its control of Raqqa, IS conducted mass killings and enslaved minorities, actions the United Nations said amounted to genocide. The battle for Raqqa was "marked by violations committed by all sides and came at an extremely high cost to civilians," U.N. human rights experts said in a report last year. Amnesty's Rovera said that the weaponry used in Raqqa meant some of the coalition strikes were effectively indiscriminate. U.S. forces boasted that they had used more artillery in Raqqa than in any place at any time since the Vietnam war. And that is nothing to be proud of because the risk for civilians is unacceptable. And on the air-delivered munitions, the munitions were precise but any precision munition is obviously only as precise as your intelligence, she said. Amnesty says it has previously documented how Islamic State used civilians as human shields in Raqqa, mined exit routes from the city and shot at those trying to flee. When you get rid of a phone, or any piece of technology really, resetting it completely should be step one in the process. But sometimes that doesnt happen, and in a worst-case scenario that phone can get back out int the world. Which appears to be the case in one new story. Stuff has the story this week. Glen Cottle lives in New Zealand and visited a Smiths City store in Timaru to buy a new iPhone. The device was sealed and ready to go, as one might expect, but when Cottle turned the phone on and started using it he discovered it wasnt so fresh. Specifically, there was still data on the handset including voice messages from the previous owners daughter, health data, bank information, and flight info as well. However, while a previous owner is suggested, its possible thats not the case, as pointed out by Apple Insider on Thursday. Its likely that the handset was a demo unit at some point in its lifecycle, with hints on the device pointing to that possibility. That includes a note in the Noes app talking about a trip up Big Sur in California. Apples marketing leans into its California roots, even in international markets. For Cottle to be able to use the phone, especially if it was previously owned, suggests the handset wasnt secured by a passcode or through Face ID. That could also lean into the idea that its a demo unit. Whatever the situation is, whether its a demo unit resealed or a previously-owned handset that had the same treatment, its imperative to remember to completely wipe a handset you plan on selling. [via AppleInsider U.S., British and French air and artillery strikes against Islamic State in the Syrian city of Raqqa killed more than 1,600 civilians, according to an investigation by Amnesty International. Researchers combined first-hand accounts with open source and satellite data to identify individual airstrikes and victims. As Henry Ridgwell reports, coalition forces acknowledge that some civilians were killed during the 2017 operation but dispute the scale of the casualties. John William King, who was convicted of one of the grisliest crimes in modern American history, has been executed in Texas. King, 44, was executed by lethal injection Wednesday night at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. The avowed racist was the second person to be executed for the dragging death of a black man, James Byrd Jr., in Jasper, Texas, in 1998. Officials said King kept his eyes closed and replied, "No," to the warden when asked whether he had any last words. But he did release a written statement that said, "Capital Punishment: Them without the capital get the punishment." Shocking crime King was only 24 when he orchestrated Byrd's murder, which shocked the nation. In the predawn hours of June 7, 1998, three white men, King, Lawrence Brewer and Shawn Berry, offered Byrd a ride. Instead, they drove him to a secluded area where they beat him and spray-painted his face before tying a logging chain around his ankles, attaching it to the back of the truck and dragging him down a secluded road in the woods for about 5 kilometers. Officials said Byrd was alive for at least the first 3 kilometers before his body was torn apart. His naked body was left near a black church just outside Jasper. The rest of his body was found about 2 kilometers away, court records show. He had been decapitated and dismembered during the drive. While no motive was presented during the trials, prosecutors have repeatedly pointed to racism as the reason for the crime. All three men, King, Brewer and Berry, were convicted of capital murder. King and Brewer were sentenced to death and Berry received a sentence of life in prison. Brewer was executed in 2011. In the years since the dragging, Byrd's family has established the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing. His sister, Louvon Byrd Harris, 61, said her family still hopes to build a multicultural center and museum in Jasper to promote diversity and education. Hate crime legislation Considered one of the most gruesome crimes in U.S. history, it shocked not only local residents, but the nation. It also brought about hate crime legislation in Texas and the U.S. Congress. One such law was the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. Shepard was a gay student in Wyoming who was beaten, tortured and left for dead in October 1998. He died of his wounds six days after he was attacked. According to the Justice Department, the law has been used to indict 88 defendants in 42 hate crimes cases, with 64 convictions, as of last summer. France on Wednesday observed it first "national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide" provoking a furious reaction from Turkey. April 24, 1915, is considered the start of the World War I-era massacres of ten of thousands of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. France was the first major European country to recognize the massacres as genocide in 2001. Turkey disputes the description, saying the toll has been inflated and considers those killed to be victims of a civil war. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says nations who accuse Turkey of genocide should look at their own "bloody past." Erdogan has previously accused France of of being responsible for the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Rwanda's government has also accused France of being complicit in the mass killings of minority Tutsi community by majority Hutus. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also strongly criticized a statement issued by the White House on the Armenian killings. "Today, we commemorate the Meds Yeghern and honor the memory of those who suffered in one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century. Beginning in 1915, one-and-a-half million Armenians were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths in the final years of the Ottoman Empire," the White House statement said. Turkey objected to the Trump administration's use of the Armenian term, Meds Yeghern, which means "the great calamity." "We reject the statement by U.S. President Trump on the 1915 incidents on April 24, 2019," the Turkish statement said. "Based on the subjective narrative fictionalized by the Armenians, this statement has no value at all. The distortion of history for political objectives is unacceptable." Ukrainian lawmakers have approved a language law that seeks to increase the use of Ukrainian in a country where Russian is also widely used. The Supreme Rada on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to support the bill which will force increased use of Ukrainian in the media and in public administration. The office of the U.N. Human Rights Commissioner as well as the Council of Europe has expressed its concern over the previous draft of the bill, saying that it could infringe the rights of language minorities. Most Ukrainians switch between Ukrainian and Russian effortlessly but generations of Ukrainian politicians have exploited and encouraged the language divide in this country of 45 million. WATCH: Russia Condemns Ukrainian Language Law The language issue became a major point of discontent in 2014 when separatists took control of parts of eastern Ukraine after Russian officials and media fanned fears that the new pro-Western government in Kyiv would be forcing the Ukrainian language on the residents in that predominantly Russian-speaking region. The language bill was passed a day after the Kremlin said that it would be offering fast-track Russian citizenship to Ukrainians living in the areas under separatist control. President Vladimir Putin on Thursday defended his decision, saying it will help people stranded in areas where Ukrainian government services are not available. Ukraines president-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a Russian speaker who won a whopping 73% of the vote, including in the Ukrainian-speaking west of the country, came out with mild criticism of the bill. In a statement posted on Facebook, he lamented that the bill was adopted without a prior broad discussion with the public and vowed to look into the law once it is officially published to make sure that all constitutional rights and interests of all Ukrainian citizens are respected. Outgoing President Petro Poroshenko who stays in office until next month has rejected the criticism and said he would sign it into law. U.S. officials have expressed confidence that those who have been operating under waivers to buy Iranian oil will be able to find alternative supplies when those waivers expire next week. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, the officials cited China, Irans biggest oil customer, as a country they say should be able to fulfill its oil needs elsewhere. WATCH: China Tests Trump's Sanctions Strategy on Iranian Oil China has criticized the U.S. decision, saying Chinese business with Iranian companies is transparent and legal. U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran last year after he abandoned the 2015 international agreement that gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for it limiting its nuclear activity. The sanctions are meant to pressure Tehran to change what the administration calls Irans malign activities, and so far, the Trump administration says the measures have denied the Iranian government $10 billion. The United States issued eight waivers when it brought back the sanctions in November, temporarily exempting most of the biggest buyers of Iranian oil. Those included China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy and Greece. Since the sanctions were reintroduced, Italy, Greece and Taiwan have halted their Iranian oil imports. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday his country must resist the sanctions because the Trump administration does not intend to negotiate in good faith with the Islamic republic. The U.S. is not ready to hold negotiations at all and its measures are aimed at breaking up the Iranian nation, Rouhani said. He added that Iran will have to make the U.S. regret its decision for which we have no choice but to resist. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said despite the U.S. actions, Iran would still be able to export our oil to the extent that we need and when we decide. He added the actions will not remain without an answer, but did not provide details. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also warned the United States, saying at an Asia Society event in New York it should be prepared for the consequences if it tries to stop Iran from finding buyers of its oil and using the Strait of Hormuz to transport it. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo justified ending the temporary waivers that were granted at a news conference Monday. The goal remains simple: to deprive the outlaw regime of the funds it has used to destabilize the Middle East; he said. Ayaz Gul in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report. The U.S. envoy negotiating with the Taliban in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, says the answer to lowering the death toll in that country is to achieve a peace deal. Wednesday, the United Nations released a report saying more Afghan civilians were killed in the first three months of 2019 by U.S. and Afghan government forces than by the Taliban and other insurgents. Khalilzad said Thursday on Twitter that the deaths "outrage us all & we stand w/Afghans who protest the deaths & want to end the bloodshed." He said, "We deeply regret any loss of innocent life during military operations" and added the "real solution is a cease-fire or reduced violence as we pursue lasting peace." The U.N. report said in the first three months of 2019, pro-government forces caused 305 deaths and 303 injuries among civilians, while insurgent groups killed 227 civilians and injured 736. Women and children made up half of the civilian casualties from all aerial operations, according to the report. But overall, it was the least deadly first quarter since 2013. The U.N. attributed the lower number to the decrease in suicide bombings in the embattled country. "It is unclear whether the decrease in civilian casualties was influenced by any measures taken by parties to the conflict to better protect civilians, or by the ongoing talks between parties to the conflict," the United Nations report said. "A shocking number of civilians continue to be killed and maimed each day. All parties must do more to safeguard civilians," Tadamichi Yamamoto, U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement. "All parties must do more to safeguard civilians." Khalilzad echoed that sentiment Thursday, saying in a third tweet, "For us, peace is the agenda." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Yamamoto met Thursday with the head of the insurgent group's "political office," Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in Qatar and "showed his appreciation for the decrease in civilian casualties caused by the Islamic Emirate [Taliban]." In a statement sent to journalists, Mujahid noted the "extensive discussions" between the two sides in Doha covered the Afghan peace process, civilian casualties and humanitarian operations in Taliban-controlled areas. He said that Baradar "encouraged" Yamamoto and his delegation in Afghanistan to "strictly adhere to the principles of impartiality in such issues and appropriately discharge their responsibilities in the discussed arenas." The Taliban spokesman said some members of their team engaged in negotiations with Khalilzad also attended the meeting. The U.N. office in Kabul in a tweet Friday defended Yamamotos meeting with insurgent officials without commenting on Taliban assertions about the outcome of the interaction. In support of Afghan people and governments efforts to end the war, reduce civilian casualties to zero and provide humanitarian aid to most vulnerable Afghans, U.N. envoy to Afghanistan Yamamoto yesterday held a regal meeting with Taliban in Doha, it said. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo has advised people to avoid places of worship in Sri Lanka over the coming weekend, citing Sri Lankan reports that additional attacks may occur. "Continue to remain vigilant and avoid large crowds," the embassy said Thursday on its official Twitter account. The warning comes days after a devastating attack on Christian worshipers on Easter Sunday when suicide bombers killed more than 250 people. Officials had earlier set the death toll at more than 350 but revised the number on Thursday, saying some of the bodies may have been counted twice. Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Hemasriri Fernando quit Thursday in the wake of the bombings, heeding calls from Sri Lanka's president for his resignation. President Maithripala Sirisena had called on Fernando as well as the police chief Pujith Jayasundara to step down after he promised in a televised address to take stern action against officials who did not share with him the intelligence alerts that came from India days prior to the bombing of churches and luxury hotels. As the government faces an outpouring of public anger over the failure to heed the warnings, senior officials admit it has been a "major lapse." Fernando said that there had been no failure on his own part, but he resigned to take responsibility for the failures of some institutions he headed, Reuters reported. Reports say Indian intelligence agencies sent out several warnings to Sri Lanka, and that Indian security agencies had gathered details about Islamic militant group National Thowfeek Jamaath (NTJ), which is suspected of carrying out the attacks. The government also faces scrutiny on whether bitter political wrangling between Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe contributed to the failure to act upon warnings about the attacks. Wickremesinghe said that there had been a breakdown in communication. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombings. Feminist author and activist Gloria Steinem once said, Women have always been an equal part of the past. We just havent been a part of history. But American women became an important part of history when they gained the right to vote in 1920. Making waves Reaching that groundbreaking milestone was the culmination of decades of struggle by women working at the state and national levels for political empowerment. Women such as social reformer Susan B. Anthony, abolitionists Sojourner Truth and Lucy Stone, and activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who helped organize the first women's rights convention in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. Now, a major new exhibition at the Smithsonians National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., explores that complex period in American history. Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence offers a rich visual presentation of the womens suffrage movement over a span of 130 years, ahead of the 100th anniversary of passage of the 19th Amendment. Portraits of persistence As a historian, I was really interested to look at the 19th Amendment and what that meant in 1920, and how its legacy unfolded, said historian and exhibit curator Kate Clarke Lemay. She explained that the suffrage movement didn't just appear out of nowhere. They had these abolitionist foundations. They had partnerships with the temperance movement. And that is really how they built momentum across the country in the very early stages. The seven-room exhibit features more than 120 objects from 1832 to 1965. Photographic portraits and paintings, videos depicting historical footage, and books, banners and posters, provide an in-depth look at the people and events that helped shape American history. It highlights well-known and lesser-known figures associated with the womens movement. How many people know, for example, that Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to run for president, on a third party ticket in 1872? Or that activist Lucy Burns served six different prison sentences for picketing the White House? Or that a group of American women, while studying abroad in England, were inspired by the British suffragette movement to organize at home? Led by suffragist Alice Paul, they staged the first major nonviolent march on Washington on March 3, 1913, which attracted between 5,000 and 8,000 women. Silent sentinels Its really important for the Smithsonian, and certainly the National Portrait Gallery, to put faces to the women who really marched toward getting the vote and the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920, said Kim Sajet, National Portrait Gallery director. This exhibition is really about that journey, and about the women who really agitated for the vote, but also for the women who were left out of the history books, she said. About a third of the collection includes representations of women of color, she said, because theyve really been erased from history in many ways. That includes African American women, who were often excluded by white women from the main suffrage organizations. That is particularly relevant, given that "black women were organizing just as much as white women, Lemay said. So this exhibition works to show a more complete history of the women's suffrage movement by looking at biographies of African Americans, Native Americans, and other women of color, to complement the better-known story that we have in our textbooks." The exhibit includes abolitionist Sarah Parker Remond, who filed one of the earliest lawsuits protesting race segregation; Ida B. Wells, who advocated for federal laws against lynching; and Mary Church Terrell, who established the National Association of Colored Women. Women today American women have immense political power today, Lemay observed. They make up a huge voting bloc, more than 120 women now serve in Congress, and many others are in major leadership roles. If you start from where the exhibition starts in the 1830s and then trace that thread with the suffrage movement up to this very day when women are actually leading our country, you can see the great continuum and the grand narrative journey that these women had to undergo to achieve that, Lemay said. And I'm really excited to see what happens from here on. Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence is part of the Smithsonian American Womens History Initiative, Because of Her Story, and one of the countrys most ambitious undertakings to research, collect, document, display and share the compelling story and history of American women. The museum hopes the exhibit, which runs through January 5, 2020, will deepen peoples understanding of womens contributions to the nation and the world. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the area hardest hit by malaria, which, despite registering some declines over the years, the battle is far from over, according to the World Health Organizations latest report, which noted no significant gains between 2015 when declines were registered and 2017. An estimated 435 000 people died from malaria in 2017 worldwide. In observing World Malaria Day under the theme, Zero malaria starts with me, WHO launched a pilot phase of the first ever vaccine to be used in Africa, with Malawi, Ghana and Kenya being the three countries selected to test it on 360 000 children every year. The three countries have the highest number of malaria cases and treatment facilities. Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe, the recent cyclone that ravaged through the eastern part of the country, dampened the news of the gains the country had made in reducing the number of deaths and infections from malaria, since 2015. National Malaria Coordinator, Dr. Joseph Mberikunashe, said Zimbabwe had attained a close to 60% decline in malaria deaths and infections. We have seen some significant decline, probably Id put it at 57% decline since 2015 so far, said Mberikunashe, who added that the country had been making a bit of some progress toward our goal of realizing malaria elimination in the country, and of course working with our neighbors in the region. However, he said, the onset of Cyclone Idai which tore through Chipinge and Chimanimani in the eastern province of Manicaland, set the country back. We are in the peak period of transmission, weve also seen about 25% increase in the disease burden ever since the cyclone hit Manicaland from the 15th of March to date, compared to the same period last year, we are seeing about a 25% rise and we definitely believe that is due to the risks that were posed by the cyclone, Mberikunashe said. Mberikunashe explained that Cyclone Idai, promoted the breeding ground more, because there was more rain, destruction of homes which we had sprayed, thereby exposing people, to more mosquito bites and malaria as a disease. As a result of the destruction from the tropical cyclone, Zimbabwe has now redoubled its efforts to prevent more deaths in the Manicaland Province, by treating stagnant pools of water and areas where mosquitos lay eggs. Mberikunashe said they are also providing traditional prevention tools such as mosquito nets. We have since moved in with mosquito nets, for the population that were left homeless, to provide protection during the night when they are in the tents, in the schools or churches, where they are currently being domiciled, he explained. Data released by Zimbabwes health ministry to commemorate World Malaria Day showed that there were 264,278 malaria cases and 192 deaths in 2018. U.S. President Donald Trump, in his latest bucking of constitutional norms, is threatening to proactively take his case to the Supreme Court if the House of Representatives considers impeaching him. "If the partisan Dems ever try to impeach, I would first head to the Supreme Court," Trump announced Wednesday on Twitter. "Not only are there no 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors,' there are no Crimes by me at all," the president stated in a pair of tweets in his latest comments about the special counsel's report on the two-year investigation into whether there was collusion between Trump's 2016 election campaign and Russia. Since the redacted report's release, Democrats, who control the House, have been debating whether to commence impeachment proceedings against the president. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is urging caution, although some members of her party worry Democrats will pay a political price with liberal voters if they do not begin impeachment. Roles of House, Senate, Supreme Court Trump's threat to approach the Supreme Court puzzles three constitutional scholars, contacted Wednesday by VOA, who do not see the high court intervening. "Giving the Supreme Court a role in the impeachment process was considered but deliberately discarded by the framers [of the U.S. Constitution] in 1787," Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe told VOA. "The only [Supreme Court] justice who has a role is the chief justice, who presides at the impeachment trial of the president." Robert Pushaw, a law professor at Pepperdine University, agrees. "The Supreme Court has held correctly, in my view that impeachment is a political question committed by the Constitution to Congress, not a 'justiciable' legal issue for courts. Therefore, any such request by President Trump would almost certainly be rejected," he said. "The Constitution says that the House shall have the sole power of impeachment, and has authority to determine its own rules of proceeding. On its face, that appears to shut out the courts," Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Thomas Jipping, a former chief counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told VOA. "That said, House members all have an obligation to ensure that such constitutional responsibilities are not hijacked for partisan political purposes." The Supreme Court also ruled in 1993 that courts would have no role in the impeachment process. After any such proceeding in the House, under the law, the Senate, which is controlled by Trump's Republican Party, would be responsible for determining whether to convict the president. Only twice in American history has the Senate voted on whether to convict a president. Both Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1999 were acquitted on all charges. 'Fighting all the subpoenas' Trump, since launching his presidential campaign in 2015 as a political novice, has broken with convention, both in rhetoric and action delighting his supporters and infuriating detractors. "Whether currently indictable or not, it is clear that the president has, at a minimum, engaged in highly unethical and unscrupulous behavior which does not bring honor to the office he holds," Pelosi said in a letter to her party colleagues Monday. Trump is clearly indicating his administration will defy requests from Democratic lawmakers for information and testimony. "They want to know every deal I've ever done," Trump told reporters Wednesday on the White House South Lawn, before he boarded the Marine One helicopter. "We're fighting all the subpoenas." The president accused opposition party lawmakers of using their investigations as a strategy for next year's presidential election. The House Judiciary Committee has issued a subpoena for former White House counsel Don McGahn, while the House Oversight Committee is moving to hold former White House personnel security director Carl Kline in contempt for failing to appear at a hearing. A second demand from House Democrats for Trump's tax returns spanning a six-year period has been defied by the Treasury Department. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sent a letter Tuesday to the House Ways and Means Committee saying he would give a final response on May 6, noting that the request raises "serious constitutional questions" and his department is continuing to consult with the Justice Department. TikTok is one of the most popular short video sharing apps out there. It unfortunately hit a bit of a roadblock when it was banned in India earlier this month, though. But multiple reports have confirmed that ban has been lifted. Earlier this month, when the Indian government banned TikTok, they said that the app was, in part, spreading cultural degradation and a range of explicit content. It appeared that the ban would be a lengthy won, consider the grievances the government was placing on the app and its developers. However, turns out the ban was only for about a week. CNN Business, Reuters, and TechCrunch are all reporting that the Indian government has lifted the ban on TikTok, making it available once again in country. Of course, the ban itself was only for new users and preventing them from downloading the app from app stores. For those 120 million active members every month were still able to use the app to their hearts content. Despite that, TikToks developer, ByteDance, said that it was losing upwards of $500,000 a day due to the ban. But now its time for a victory dance, and ByteNow has a statement on the decision and the lift of the ban: We are glad about this decision and we believe it is also greatly welcomed by our thriving community in India, who use TikTok as a platform to showcase their creativity. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our users better. While were pleased that our efforts to fight against misuse of the platform has been recognised, the work is never done on our end. We are committed to continuously enhancing our safety features as a testament to our ongoing commitment to our users in India. So, ByteDance is going to keep making changes and tweaks to TikTok to make it an appropriate app in each region its available. Its good news for TikTok users, especially those who might not have installed the app yet, but even better news for ByteNow. [via CNN Business Billions of dollars' worth of gold is being smuggled out of Africa every year through the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East - a gateway to markets in Europe, the United States and beyond - a Reuters analysis has found. Customs data shows that the UAE imported $15.1 billion worth of gold from Africa in 2016, more than any other country and up from $1.3 billion in 2006. The total weight was 446 tons, in varying degrees of purity up from 67 tons in 2006. Much of the gold was not recorded in the exports of African states. Five trade economists interviewed by Reuters said this indicates large amounts of gold are leaving Africa with no taxes being paid to the states that produce them. Previous reports and studies have highlighted the black-market trade in gold mined by people, including children, who have no ties to big business, and dig or pan for it with little official oversight. No-one can put an exact figure on the total value that is leaving Africa. But the Reuters analysis gives an estimate of the scale. Reuters assessed the volume of the illicit trade by comparing total imports into the UAE with the exports declared by African states. Industrial mining firms in Africa told Reuters they did not send their gold to the UAE indicating that its gold imports from Africa come from other, informal sources." Informal methods of gold production, known in the industry as "artisanal" or small-scale mining, are growing globally. They have provided a livelihood to millions of Africans and help some make more money than they could dream of from traditional trades. But the methods leak chemicals into rocks, soil and rivers. And African governments such as Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia complain that gold is now being illegally produced and smuggled out of their countries on a vast scale, sometimes by criminal operations, and often at a high human and environmental cost. Artisanal mining began as small-time ventures. But the "romantic" era of individual mining has given way to "large-scale and dangerous" operations run by foreign-controlled criminal syndicates, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo told a mining conference in February. Ghana is Africa's second-largest gold producer. Not everyone in the chain is breaking the law. Miners, some of them working legally, typically sell the gold to middlemen. The middlemen either fly the gold out directly or trade it across Africa's porous borders, obscuring its origins before couriers carry it out of the continent, often in hand luggage. For example, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a major gold producer but one whose official exports amount to a fraction of its estimated production: Most is smuggled into neighboring Uganda and Rwanda. "It is of course worrisome for us but we have very little leverage to stop it," said Thierry Boliki, director of the CEEC, the Congolese government body that is meant to register, value and tax high-value minerals like gold. The customs data provided by governments to Comtrade, a United Nations database, shows the UAE has been a prime destination for gold from many African states for some years. In 2015, China the world's biggest gold consumer imported more gold from Africa than the UAE. But during 2016, the latest year for which data is available, the UAE imported almost double the value taken by China. With African gold imports worth $8.5 billion that year, China came a distant second. Switzerland, the world's gold refining hub, came third with $7.5 billion worth. Most of the gold is traded in Dubai, home to the UAE's gold industry. The UAE reported gold imports from 46 African countries for 2016. Of those countries, 25 did not provide Comtrade with data on their gold exports to the UAE. But the UAE said it had imported a total of $7.4 billion worth of gold from them. In addition, the UAE imported much more gold from most of the other 21 countries than those countries said they had exported. In all, it said it imported gold worth $3.9 billion about 67 tons more than those countries said they sent out. "There is a lot of gold leaving Africa without being captured in our records," said Frank Mugyenyi, a senior adviser on industrial development at the African Union who set up the organizations minerals unit. "UAE is cashing in on the unregulated environment in Africa." The Dubai Customs Authority referred Reuters' queries to the UAE foreign ministry, which did not respond. The UAE government media office referred Reuters to the UAE federal customs authority, which also did not respond. Not all the discrepancies in the data analyzed by Reuters necessarily point to African-mined gold being smuggled out through the UAE. Small differences could result from shipping costs and taxes being declared differently, a time-lag between a cargo leaving and arriving, or simply mistakes. And gold analysts say some of the trade, especially from Egypt and Libya, could include gold that has been recycled. But in 11 cases, the per-kilo value that the UAE declared importing is significantly higher than that recorded by the exporting country. This, said Leonce Ndikumana, an economist who has studied capital flows in Africa, is a "classic case of export under-invoicing" to reduce taxes. Matthew Salomon, an American economist who has researched the use of trade statistics to identify illicit financial flows, said the issue deserves scrutiny. "Persistent discrepancies in the trade of particular goods and between particular countries ... can identify significant risks of illicit activity," he said. Pollution, conflict and bandits Over the past decade, high demand for gold has made it attractive for informal miners to use digging equipment and toxic chemicals to boost the yield. Contaminated water is returned to rivers, slowly poisoning the people who need the water to live. Small-scale miners have long used mercury - easy to buy at around $10 for a thumb-sized vial - to extract flecks of gold from ore, before sluicing it away. Mercury's toxic effects include damage to kidneys, heart, liver, spleen and lungs, and neurological disorders, such as tremors and muscle weakness. Cyanide and nitric acid are also being used in the process, according to researchers and miners in Ghana. Industrial mining companies have also been responsible for pollution, ranging from cyanide spills to respiratory problems linked to dust produced by mining operations. But almost a dozen states including DRC, Uganda, Chad, Niger, Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Burkina Faso, Mali and Sudan have complained in the past year about the harms of unauthorized mining. Burkina Faso has banned small-scale mining in some areas where al Qaeda-linked Islamists are active, and earlier this month Nigeria's government suspended mining in the restive northwestern state of Zamfara, saying intelligence reports established what it called "a strong and glaring nexus" between the activities of armed bandits and illicit miners. Strong prices have fueled the boom. Today, gold trades at over $40,000 per kilo, which is below a peak from 2012 but still four times the level of two decades ago. Western investors want gold so they can diversify their portfolios; India and China want it for jewelry. But most Western companies - and the banks that finance them - avoid handling non-industrial African gold directly. They are unwilling to risk using metal that may have been mined to fund conflict or that may have involved human rights abuses in, for instance, DRC or Sudan. Various Uganda-based traders have been sanctioned for handling gold smuggled out of DRC. Destination Dubai In other states, including the UAE, these concerns have been less of a problem. Over the last decade, gold from Africa has become increasingly important for Dubai. From 2006 to 2016, the share of African gold in UAE's reported gold imports increased from 18 percent to nearly 50 percent, Comtrade data showed. The UAE's main commodity marketplace, the Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre (DMCC), calls itself on its website "your gateway to global trade." Trading in gold accounts for nearly one-fifth of UAE's GDP. However, no big industrial companies reached by Reuters - including AngloGold Ashanti, Sibanye-Stillwater and Gold Fields - say they send gold there. Reuters contacted 23 mining companies with African operations, the smallest of which produced around 2.5 tons in 2018: 21 of them said they did not send metal to Dubai for refining, the other two did not respond. While the big South African miners have local refining capacity, the main reason others gave is that no UAE refineries are accredited by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), the standard-setter for the industry in Western markets. The LBMA is "not comfortable dealing with the region" because of concerns about weaknesses in customs, cash transactions and hand-carried gold, its chief technical officer Neil Harby told Reuters. Investigators and people in the gold industry say the ease with which smugglers can carry gold in their hand-luggage on planes leaving Africa helps gold flow out unrecorded. And limited regulation in UAE means informally mined gold can be legally imported, tax-free. Gold can be imported to Dubai with little documentation, African traders told Reuters. A DMCC spokesman said it has a robust regulatory framework that includes strict responsible sourcing rules. These are aligned with the international benchmark for responsible sourcing laid out by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Sanjeev Dutta, head of commodities at DMCC, said in January that the center is building strategic relationships with most gold-producing countries on the African continent, "and we are very confident of how that production is done and how responsible" it is. Over the past 12 months, he said, DMCC has firmed up a standard for refineries, called Dubai Good Delivery, which he said is very strict on responsible sourcing and sustainability. "We track right from responsible sourcing to sustainable development, things like human rights etc.," he said. "We demand export certificates." A "very limited" number of refineries accept gold that has been imported as hand luggage, Dutta said, but gave no figures. Gold to go Some African miners are swapping their pickaxes and shovels for diggers and crushers - increasing production volumes exponentially. Regulation remains scant, and accidents are frequent. In one week this February, three accidents at illegal mining operations in Zimbabwe, Guinea and Liberia claimed the lives of more than 100 people. Often, miners must surrender a cut of their output, as commission, to the people who control a pit, let out the equipment, or buy and sell the gold. NGOs such as Global Witness and Human Rights Watch have documented child labor, corruption and links to conflict at some of these mines. At one mine in Zimbabwe visited by Reuters, people said they had to hand over some of their find before they would even be allowed out of the pit. Reuters presented its analysis to 14 African governments. Of them, five said it reflected an existing concern about gold being smuggled out of their countries that they are trying to address. One said they did not think gold smuggling was a problem for them. The rest declined to comment or did not respond. Governments across Africa are trying to work out how to manage a sector that, whatever its risks, provides a livelihood for many of their citizens, and which could be harnessed as a source of revenues. Some, including Ivory Coast, are taking gradual steps to regulate their informal mining operations. Ghana and Zambia have sent security forces into mining areas to halt operations so miners can be registered and regulations put in place. Ghana, concerned that a rush of mainly Chinese-led ventures is harming the environment, has arrested hundreds of Chinese miners and expelled thousands in the past six years. At the end of last month, Ghana temporarily banned the import of excavator equipment to try to stem a surge in illegal mining using heavy machinery. In Sudan, one of the continent's biggest producers, the government has unveiled a $3 billion plan for private banks to work with the central bank to buy gold from small-scale miners, offering prices that would make it less attractive to sell on the black market. A Tanzanian parliamentary report estimated that 90 percent of annual production of informally mined gold is smuggled out of the country: The government wants the central bank to buy this up. In March, President John Magufuli launched a plan to establish hubs where the trade would be formalized by offering access to financing and regulated markets. In Burkina Faso, Oumarou Idani, minister of mines, believes his country is leaking gold to UAE on a massive scale. Of the 9.5 tons of gold the government estimates informal miners dig up each year, just 200 to 400 kg are declared to the authorities, he said. Much of the gold is smuggled from landlocked Burkina Faso to its Atlantic coast neighbor Togo, according to the minister. In Togo, virtually no taxes are imposed on gold. Togo's director of mining development and controls, Nestor Kossi Adjehoun, said informal mining is "an area that we have not properly figured out." For now, he said, Togo saw no reason to suspect gold was being smuggled through the country. "I understand that Dubai is the destination for this gold," his Burkina Faso neighbor, Minister Idani, told Reuters in an interview last year. "But since (the trade) is fraudulent, I have no details." The Democratic chairman of the House oversight committee accused the Trump administration of a "massive, unprecedented and growing pattern of obstruction" for ordering federal employees not to comply with congressional investigations. President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr "are now openly ordering federal employees to ignore congressional subpoenas and simply not show up without any assertion of a valid legal privilege," Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland said in a statement. The Justice Department on Wednesday rebuffed the House Oversight and Reform Committee, which had sought to interview an official involved in the Trump administration's decision to put a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census. The department said John Gore, a deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division, would not participate in a deposition scheduled for Thursday if he could not have a Justice Department lawyer at his side. The committee had offered to allow a lawyer to sit in a different room. Cummings said the subpoena issued to Gore was adopted on a bipartisan basis and that there was no privilege asserted by the White House or Justice Department that would preclude him from appearing. "This is a massive, unprecedented and growing pattern of obstruction," Cummings said, warning the federal employees to "think very carefully about their own legal interests" in refusing to comply with the panel's requests. At least 60 people have been killed and more than 1,000 have fled their homes after heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides along South Africa's eastern coast, authorities said on Wednesday. Most of the deaths were in KwaZulu-Natal province. Flooding also killed at least three people in neighboring Eastern Cape province, state broadcaster SABC said. The rains mainly hit areas around the port city of Durban. Multiple dwellings collapsed in mudslides, said Robert McKenzie, a KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services spokesman. Rescue workers were digging through collapsed buildings on Wednesday. Victor da Silva, a resident of the coastal town of Amanzimtoti, said his family managed to evacuate before the floods destroyed their home and cars. "On Monday, the water was just crazy. And yesterday morning I got here, everything was fine, my garage was still here, the other part of the house was still here, and it just couldn't stop raining," Da Silva said. "And then an hour and a half later, everything poof (vanished) because the rain just hasn't stopped. Authorities in southern Tanzania ordered evacuations of residents from low-lying areas and the closure of schools and offices ahead of landfall of Tropical Cyclone Kenneth on neighboring Mozambiques coast on Thursday. "We've decided to evacuate all residents of valleys and other low-lying areas and we advise them to seek refuge at public spaces," Mtwara regional commissioner Gelasius Byakanwa, told reporters. Johan Fourie said he fled his home in Amanzimtoti, Kwazulu-Natal, just before part of it collapsed. "I nearly lost my life, and my neighbor, I believe, is in hospital," Fourie told eNCA television. The region had been hit by heavy rains for days, but authorities did not foresee the extent of the downpour late on Monday, said Lennox Mabaso, a spokesman for the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs department. "As a result, there was flooding and some structures were undermined and collapsed on people," Mabaso said. Some people were swept away by the water, he added. President Cyril Ramaphosa visited affected communities in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday and was expected in the Eastern Cape in the next few days. "This is partly what climate change is about, that it just hits when we least expect it," he said. Last week, 13 people were killed during an Easter service in KwaZulu-Natal when a church wall collapsed after days of heavy rains and strong winds. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in the far eastern region of Russia for his first ever meeting with Vladimir Putin, which Kim says is the initial step toward closer ties with Moscow. Wearing a black fedora hat and matching dark overcoat, the smiling Kim was greeted by Russian officials and a military band Wednesday in the port city of Vladivostok. The North Korean leader made the short trip to Vladivostok via his signature armored green and yellow train. During an earlier stop in the border city of Khasan, Kim said this will not be the last trip to Russia, adding it is the first step toward improved Russia-North Korea relations, according to a readout issued by local Russian authorities. At the Thursday summit, Kim is expected to push Putin for economic aid specifically relief from international sanctions that remain in place after nuclear talks with the United States broke down. Kim no longer a pariah? It is the latest high-profile summit for Kim, who until last year hadnt left North Korea since taking power in 2011. Over the past year Kim has met twice with U.S. President Donald Trump, three times with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, four times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and once with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong. "What this has mainly done is give Kim some international credibility. I mean, he was a pariah a year ago. And now he's everybody's prom date, everyone wants to be seen with him on their arm," said Ralph Cossa of the Pacific Forum, a non-profit foreign policy research institute based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Although the meetings have raised Kims global stature, they have failed to reduce the sanctions pressure hurting his economy. After a February Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi ended in no deal, the United States has insisted it will not relax sanctions until North Korea commits to abolishing its nuclear weapons program. Putin: not much of a help? With Putins own economy hurting, it isnt clear that North Korea is a priority. And without buy-in from the United States, it is not clear how much he could do anyway. Russia-North Korea trade fell dramatically last year, by more than 56 percent to $34 million, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, who was quoted in Russian state media. This is primarily due to the fact that Russia is forced to follow international sanctions that were imposed on the DPRK, said Ushakov, using the acronym for North Koreas official name. By contrast, North Korea was earning about $100 million a year in hard currency from the Kaesong Industrial complex before it closed, points out Troy Stangarone of the Washington DC-based Korea Economic Institute. Kaesong, located just north of the inter-Korean border, used South Korean capital and North Korean labor to produce goods, before being closed after a North Korean nuclear test in 2016. South Korea has expressed an interest in reopening the complex, but appears unable to do so unless the United States relaxes sanctions. Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, signed onto tougher sanctions amid North Koreas nuclear and missile tests in 2016 and 2017. However, Moscow later called for sanctions against Pyongyang to be eased. Putin as spoiler? Under Putin, Russia has attempted to disrupt U.S. interests around the world, in countries including Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela. During a visit to Seoul Wednesday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons said it would be a great disappointment for Mr. Putin to again insert himself in a way thats unhelpful. But it wouldnt be the first time, added Coons, who along with Senator Maggie Hassan met South Koreas defense and foreign ministers. But Putin is not likely to play the role of spoiler in the North Korea-U.S. talks, in part because he doesnt have much leverage over Pyongyang, said Andrei Lankov, a professor at Seouls Kookmin University. And in this case, Russias interests are not that different from that of the United States. Both sides want to preserve the status quo and want denuclearization, Lankov said. The Soviet Union was once one of North Koreas main financial backers. But after the Soviet Union broke up, Moscow prioritized relations with the South, before later adopting a policy of equidistance between the two Koreas. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Bill Cosby. Photo: Getty Images Despite having called his incarceration amazing earlier this year, convicted felon Bill Cosby now says he wants out. After being convicted in 2018 of the drugging and sexual assault of a woman in his suburban Philadelphia home 15 years ago, he was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison. But in a new motion filed by his lawyers this week, Cosby is claiming that the judge in his trial trampled on his rights, and he should now be entitled to bail. Since being sentenced in September of last year, Cosby, 81, has been living in a 7-by-13-foot cell at SCI Phoenix, a maximum-security prison about 20 miles from his home outside of Philly. After initially being housed alone near the infirmary, the comedian was eventually moved into the general population where he now reportedly socializes with other inmates. The prison currently houses more than 3,800 men. Even though Cosby has said in the past that his experience behind bars has been positive, he recently released a statement accusing the judge in his trial of being prejudice, and calling his the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States. The new motion filed by his attorneys with the Pennsylvania Superior Court specifically accuses Judge Steven ONeill of failing to promptly file a posttrial opinion. The lawyers claim that his supposed delay is holding up the appeals court poised to review Cosbys conviction. Mr. Cosbys right to have his appeal heard in a timely manner by this court is being trampled by the lower courts inordinate delay, says the motion. The motion also argues that Cosby should be considered for bail given his age and health (Cosby says hes legally blind). His lawyers are confident that his conviction will not stand on appeal. At the time of his conviction, Cosby stood to receive up to 30 years in prison (10 years for each of the three felony counts). Cosby is also calling for ONeill to be removed immediately from the bench, accusing him of harboring racial hatred. Cosby said ONeill is complicit in the corruption against me. Earlier this year, Cosbys spokesperson said that the comedian feels like a political prisoner, and that Cosby has compared himself to men like Nelson Mandela. But the judge isnt the only one Cosby is railing against these days. The disgraced comedian is also upset that a defamation suit was settled against seven women who had accused him of sexual assault. According to Cosbys spokesperson Andrew Wyatt, insurance company AIG reached the settlement without Cosbys consent. Mr. Cosby did not settle any cases with anyone, Wyatt told CNN. He is not paying anything to anyone, and he is still pursuing his counterclaims. Wyatt said that AIG settled the cases without Cosbys permission, and that Cosby still maintains his innocence. Nora Roberts. Photo: Rob Carr/AP/REX/Shutterstock In some good, salacious book drama, Nora Roberts, a romance writer who has published more than 200 novels, is suing the Brazilian author Cristiane Serruya claiming that she has committed multi-plagiarism in copying work from Roberts and many other writers novels. Per The Guardian, Roberts claims that Serruyas books are a literary patchwork, piecing together phrases whose form portrays emotions practically identical to those expressed in the plaintiffs books, and that the Brazilian authors work also plagiarizes from dozens of other authors. Roberts is asking for publication of Serruyas books to be stopped until the allegedly plagiarized material is removed and damages of at least $25,000, which she promised to donate to a literacy organization in Brazil. Several other writers have come forward against Serruya, including Courtney Milan, who called her a copyright infringer, a plagiarist, and an idiot in a blog post a few months ago after discovering that Serruya had copied several passages word for word from one of her novels. A lot of the other writers involved in this, they dont have the money to fight it, Roberts told the New York Times about her suit. I do have the money. Shes previously blogged about Serruya, and claimed that Amazons Kindle Unlimited platform incentivized writers to produce large amounts of shoddy work because they are paid in terms of the number of pages readers read. In an interview with the Associated Press, Serruya denied that she had intentionally copied Robertss work but said she often used ghostwriters for her books and could not guarantee that no part was copied. My books are big, she said, adding that shes using software to analyze them now. In a book of 120,000 words its difficult to know how many supposedly came from a work of Nora Roberts. The Today at Apple sessions are ridiculously popular events at Apple retail stores, and now the company is expanding the effort beyond its own storefronts. A new report reveals that Apple will host the events over the course of several weeks at a popular cultural spot in Barcelona, Spain. Today at Apple will host special events at the Fundacio Joan Miro Museum in Barcelona beginning Saturday, April 27. The events will take place every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and will run for eight weeks in total. Apples program of free creative and educational sessions has traditionally been held only in Apple retail stores themselves. While some activities like Photo Walks venture out into the surrounding community, sessions always begin and end in each stores Forum. By collaborating with the Fundacio Joan Miro, Apple is pushing Today at Apple beyond the store altogether and into a space filled with creative inspiration. There will be Art Walks and Photo Walks, and a Coding Lab for Kids event with the Sphero Robot. The report states that the events will be scheduled for rooms like the library, other exhibition rooms, and even on the museums rooftop terrace. You will need to head through the foundations website below to reserve a spot for one of the events. Entry is free, though. Our Take This is an exciting way to branch out from the Apple Stores, and it will be interesting to see if Apple sees this type of support from other museums, or other sites, across the globe. [via 9to5Mac The Black Glasses Film Festival, Baylor Universitys Film and Digital Media divisions annual recognition of student work, hits another festival milestone this Saturday with its 20th anniversary. The festival recognizes the best student features and shorts of the school year and gives those films a public viewing, most recently at the Waco Hippodrome. To mark its 20th year, the festival will add a commemorative dinner at The Palladium, located across the street from the Hippodrome. FDM chairman Chris Hansen said the event has grown considerably since its beginning days in the Castellaw Communications Building. At best, it was a friends and family and department affair, he said. Over time, the festival became less of an informal get-together and more like an actual film festival. Tighter screening meant not all student efforts were accepted for showing. Department alumni contributions enabled a $1,000 Best Picture prize with awards for other categories. A move to the Waco Hippodrome also broadened its audience to the greater Waco public. Kitten season is well underway, but the Humane Society of Central Texas cat room has not yet experienced its usual seasonal cat boom. The shelter now houses about 10 cats, including some kittens. Executive Director Don Bland discussed the unusually low number during an Animal Welfare Board meeting Wednesday. Weve been in the 20s and 30s total for animals, Bland said. Weve just not seen the numbers come in. Weve had some litters, but its nothing like what weve seen. Kitten season refers to the stretch between spring and early fall when shelters are often stretched thin by the high number of kittens coming in. Bland said he does not know for sure, but the change could be a result of the citys trap, neuter and release program in which feral cats are returned to where they were found after receiving a rabies vaccination and the procedure to limit the growth of their population. Our community has been TNR-ing cats for a long time, Bland said. I dont know if its finally paying off, but were not having the kitten season that other cities are having. Texas Rangers arrested former Marlin City Manager Alan Grindstaff on a Class A misdemeanor charge of abuse of official capacity Wednesday evening. The charge stemmed from Grindstaffs effort in February to implement a quota requiring Marlin police to write a predetermined number of traffic tickets, according to a grand jury indictment unsealed Wednesday. The Marlin City Council fired Grindstaff last month in a unanimous vote, but Mayor John Keefer said Wednesday he was unaware the Rangers were investigating Grindstaffs actions as a city manager. Keefer also said he was unaware of the allegations noted in the indictment. He said he has no comment on Grindstaffs arrest. Grindstaff was booked into Falls County Jail after his arrest at about 5 p.m. He remained in jail Wednesday night with bond listed at $15,000, Falls County Sheriff Ricky Scaman said. According to the indictment, Grindstaff used his position as city manager to make a plan to evaluate, promote, compensate, or discipline Marlin Police Chief Nathan Sodek according to his departments issuance of a predetermined or specified number of any type of combination of types of traffic citations within a specified period. There is no parole in the federal system, and officials estimated the Almaguers could spend about 51 years in prison before their release. Albright sentenced Perez to 20 years in prison for receiving the images of child pornography from his brother and sister-in-law, the maximum sentence for his charges. In a press conference after the hearing, Bash, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, said the horrificness of the Almaguers crimes tops all he has seen since he took office in December 2017. To me, this is the most significant case weve prosecuted since I became U.S. Attorney, Bash said in a press release. The Almaguers were serial child abusers. They abused 25 children that we know about children from the neighborhood, children from church, children they babysat, children who just came over to play with their five children. The youngest victim was an infant, and the nature of the abuse was unimaginable. They also made videos of the childrens torture and shared them. These are two of the most wicked criminals in Texas history. About 12 to 15 people who were sheltered inside multiple RVs were rescued out of 20 campers parked at Waco RV Park on Wednesday night after heavy rains caused flooding throughout McLennan County. Waco fire swift water rescue crews were called to Waco RV Park, 7224 E. State Highway 6, around 9 p.m. when campers began to get stranded by rising waters from Tehuacana Creek, Waco Fire Department officials said. Assisted by the Texas Task Force 1 Water Strike Team, rescuers saved about 12 to 15 campers who were staying at the park and one dog, Waco fire Battalion Chief Patrick Kerwin said. The water was only about 2 to 3 feet deep, so fire crews walked the boats in and got people out and moved to higher ground, Kerwin said. The water was moderate, and it did move one RV off its original position, but no RVs were turned over. The American Red Cross was called and is assisting five park occupants with emergency shelter, Kerwin said. One person was taken to the hospital for evaluation late Wednesday night, but no one was seriously injured. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. In a large number of cases, moreover, the predators upload images or videos of the abuse to the internet so that the childrens torture can be viewed over and over by other people, forever. Our office has managed to obtain substantial punishment in these cases, such as a 60-year sentence in El Paso. (Under a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision, child rapists may not be put to death, no matter the frequency or brutality of the abuse.) And my colleagues all across the country are devoting major resources to sex abuse cases under DOJs Project Safe Childhood Program. But its not enough. These federal cases, as heartbreaking as they are, encompass only a tiny fraction of child abuse nationwide. Federal authority to prosecute child abuse is limited. Most child abuse cases are prosecuted by resource-strapped state authorities. And worse still, an intolerably large amount of abuse undoubtedly goes unpunished. Children, especially very young ones, are less likely to report sexual assaults than adults (and are in many cases totally unable to do so). As Ed Kilgore noted April 23 in the New York Intelligencer, that sounds a lot like the shock and awe strategy used four years ago by Jeb Bush, who did indeed raise lots of money and get lots of endorsements. Youll remember how that turned out. On the other hand, we can easily forget that theres a significant portion of the Democratic electorate that is more moderate and older than the median Democrat. Their presence may be as much of a reason why Biden has led in early polls as simple name recognition. But Im guessing that he will spend a good deal of his time making a case that hes best able to beat Donald Trump, which is indeed of paramount importance to Democrats. His theory is that there is a large population of Trump voters who, with the proper courtship and the right candidate, could be persuaded to vote for a Democrat. The competing theory is that what this increasingly diverse party needs to do is energize its own voters, particularly the young and people of color, to get to the polls the way they did in 2018. The advocates of that theory argue that it isnt so much a question of writing off Trump voters as not counting on them to deliver you to victory. Republicans have now controlled the Supreme Court for the last 49 years ever since Roe v. Wade (even though the American people have voted for Democrats for president in six of the last seven elections over the last 30 years). Republicans even held a 7-2 court majority for 19 of those years. Republicans legalized abortion, have controlled the Supreme Court ever since, and have been running against abortion ever since. So heres my question: How many years and how many judges will it take for them to reverse Roe v. Wade? Charles Reed, Waco Issue of our day Jimmy Dorrell ( April 21) rightfully challenges pro-lifers to address the issues of poverty, teen pregnancy, racial prejudice, homelessness, and the sustainability of the earth. Dorrell argues that these issues rival abortion in importance. He overlooks the fact that not a single aborted baby ever lives to face ANY issue or any opportunity to help the poor or others in need. Abortion is the life-or-death issue of our day. Tom Harrison, Waco Good riddanace Of the 54 pre-applications submitted, 18 came from Wahoo. There were 11 from Prague, 10 from Ashland, five from Yutan, five from Ceresco, three from Cedar Bluffs and one from Weston. The DED grant is based on cost share with the communities. In order to participate, each city or village needed to commit to a 10 percent match for total funding for its community. Estimated amount of match per project was determined to be $3,150 by SENDD. Ashland City Administrator Jessica Quady said Ashlands experience with the housing rehabilitation program was about what they had been expecting as well. Quady said the City of Ashland committed $15,750 to help an estimated five homes. She said if the county did receive the funding, then she hoped to see more applicants from Ashland than in the pre-application phase. Quady said if the county didnt get the finding it was hoping for, then it would just wait for a similar program. It wouldnt be a bad idea to go again. Wed try again as soon as we possibly could, Quady said. Benes said it also gives kids the chance to interact with other kids from different communities. Its important to know folks not just from your school, he said. Whether it is interacting in the barn, being together in the show ring or just tossing a ball around in the grass when there is some down time, Benes said shows like this are a great way to network and gain social skills. There were plenty of people from multiple communities to socialize with too. Show participants came from Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. Several families traveled from McCook. We did have a little more from Western Nebraska than we ever have, Benes added. Several reasons were listed for the bump up in attendance this year. Benes said having the show on the day before Easter seemed to be an advantage. With many schools closed on Friday, families had more time to get ready and make the trip. The weather had an influence too. It was a rough winter. Usually by now, we went to three or four cattle shows, Donahue said. James Arthur Vineyards was one of the first vineyards in the state. Everything we created was kind of a hobby to begin with that got a little out of control, explained Jim Ballard, owner and winemaker at the vineyard. The signature grape at James Arthur Vineyards is Edelweiss, a Minnesota varietal that is one of the most popular in Nebraska. At Niobrara Valley Vineyards, wine pairs with cattle ranching. The history of our winery probably starts with a passion, I guess, for trying to make a living in rural Nebraska, said owner Greg Nollette. Niobrara Valley Vineyards began by growing grapes on a small number of acres, and expanded into making wine. Near Lincoln, Deer Springs Winery owner Jim Partington retired from the Navy, returned home to the farmstead that had been in his family for four generations and got his family involved in the wine business. Theres just so much about wine, theres so much history and mythology even, and all kinds of aspects to wine that just draws people together and who doesnt think its fun to just sit with friends and have a bottle of wine? said Jen Reeder, a winemaker at Deer Springs. His intention was for the average person at home to get a feel for war its uncertainty, the paradoxical nature of what it is like to be a service member, and how absurd war is. Combat Obscura is a new documentary set in Afghanistan. It tells the story of U.S. Marines in that country, but not in the way American documentaries usually show the Marines. This is not a documentary where the Marines serve God and country, take out the bad guys, and win over the hearts and minds of the natives. Miles Lagoze, the director of the film, is a former Marine who was deployed to Afghanistan. His job in the Marines was combat camera which required him to record footage of Marines for both operational use on the battlefield and PR use back home. Combat Obscura was released on March 15th using footage Lagoze shot for the Marines along with footage shot by a fellow Marine, Justin Loya. In the film, Lagoze condemns the U.S. troops behavior in Afghanistan and decries the unnecessary loss of life caused by American military intervention in that country. https://youtu.be/eqNZeThOFjk Lagoze joined the Marines straight out of high school, when he was 18 years old. He was a film enthusiast while growing up and knew that the military had opportunities to film for them. He saw it as a way to become a film director. He was stationed in Afghanistan in 2011. The troops he worked with were tasked with clearing a route to a dam in Kajacki so that it could be repaired. The dam supplies electricity to an entire province of Afghanistan. The Marines were transitioning out of the country at that time and Lagoze was supposed to capture images of that transition. He was ordered not to show the Marines cursing or smoking. He was supposed to show the Marines in full combat gear. Importantly, the Marines didnt want him to document much bloodshed since they were supposedly pulling out after successfully winning the war. Eight years later, Marines are still stationed in Afghanistan. He used the footage he took to make the documentary. His intention was for the average person at home to get a feel for war its uncertainty, the paradoxical nature of what it is like to be a service member, and how absurd war is. Lagoze wanted people to see that there was no clear understanding of what it meant to win the war in Afghanistan or what the outcome was supposed to be. He purposefully left the film without a sense of closure so that they are experiencing the moment without an answer for what is happening. Lagoze says that the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan created an almost uninhabitable environment for the civilians who live there. They had been oppressed by the Taliban before the U.S. forces arrived but after the Marines came, they were stuck between two forces. He says that many of the Afghan troops want the U.S. military to stay in their country. They feel that they will lose to the Taliban without American aid. But many of the civilians are worried that they will remain stuck in the middle without any end in sight. Read another story from us: The Fighters Americans In Combat In Afghanistan And Iraq One of the things Lagoze hopes viewers will realize is that it isnt just politicians that are responsible for what has happened and continues to happen in Afghanistan. The service members themselves are responsible for their actions, too. But he also wants Americans to realize that while their taxes funded the war, they didnt pay attention to what was really happening. Around 1,000 Greek villages were destroyed, thousands of Greeks died of starvation,and tens of thousands were killed by German forces. On April 17th, the Greek parliament voted in favor of a campaign to pressure Germany into paying billions of euros for damages caused by the German occupation of Greece during World War II. For their part, German authorities say the matter was already resolved years ago. A parliamentary commission in 2016 determined that Germany caused over 300 billion euros worth of damages in Greece. The proposal voted on in parliament did not name a figure that Germany must meet to satisfy the Greek authorities. The proposal received backing from both the ruling coalition and opposition members. The vote is the first official decision by the Greek parliament about WWII reparations from Germany. It is likely to further strain relations between the two countries. Many in Greece blame Germany for recent austerity measures that were imposed by the European Union in return for bailout loans to help Greece in their financial crisis. The proposal calls on the government to take every appropriate legal and diplomatic action to pressure Germany into satisfying the demands of the Greek government. It was submitted for voting by parliamentary speaker Nikos Voutsis after a twelve-hour debate. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called the claim for reparations Greeces historic and moral duty. He said that Greece needed to close the open cases of the past in order to move forward to a better future and he called on Germany to do the same. He added that the Greek government would approach the German government diplomatically about the issue. In 1960, the West German government paid Greece 115 million Deutschmarks for wartime suffering. Germany has apologized for Nazi-era crimes but has not been willing to discuss further reparations. A spokesman for the German government, Steffen Seibert, said that the question of reparations had been settled. He stated that Germany is aware of our historic responsibility. Just within the last year, Greece finished ten years of austerity which the EU imposed on them when granting bailouts during the financial crisis that began in 2010. Tsipras said that the Greek government did not want the two issues connected. This has been a criticism raised due to the delayed reaction to the 2016 report. Germany invaded Greece in May of 1941. Around 1,000 Greek villages were destroyed, thousands of Greeks died of starvation,and tens of thousands were killed by German forces who were trying to stop Greek resistance fighters. The 2016 commission report placed the cost of that occupation at a minimum of 269 billion euros. When combined with money that Nazi leadership forced the Bank of Greece to give them in 1942 in order to pay for the Germans campaign in Africa, the amount rises to over 300 billion euros. The vote comes before national elections in October. Kyriakos Mitsotakis has stated that any government led by him in the future would comply with the proposal and seek the repayment of the occupation loan. Read another story from us: A Slippery Road: Mussolinis Disastrous Invasion of Greece The bailouts and emergency loans provided to Greece in 2010 amounted to 289 billion euros. The money was provided amid concerns that Greeces unemployment situation would crash the eurozone. The Greek economy has shown signs of improvement since the crash. While the interception of the Wise Honest initially looked like a victory for enforcement, Indonesia recently defied U.N. monitors instructions to seize the coal, allowing it to be transferred to another vessel, which promptly set sail for Malaysia, Griffiths said. He called this a clear violation of sanctions and said he has asked Malaysia to investigate. Indonesian and Malaysian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But for all his talents, Kodak born Dieuson Octave, before changing his name to Bill K. Kapri is a controversial figure. That same lyrical paintbrush has been used as a weapon, and hes drawn backlash for making offensive comments. He has a record of drug and weapons charges, including an arrest last week at the U.S.-Canada border. On Wednesday, before he was set to perform at the Anthem in Washington, five people were arrested on suspicion of carrying guns without licenses on a tour bus outside the venue. (D.C. police were unable to confirm whether the tour bus was Kodaks.) Factory Workers Jobs 2019 in Malaysia Latest Al Mughal Travel & Tours Agency Labor Posts Malaysia 2021 Experienced, energetic and strong persons for the positions of Factory Workers required urgently for a well established and large Factory in Malaysia. How to Apply on Al Mughal Travel & Tours Agency 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. Thats when a white police officer, Paul Evans (Noel Fisher), bursts through the door and seeing a black man in a hoodie and a bleeding clerk immediately shoots and kills the unarmed Brennan. The incident becomes a watershed event across the demographic chasms of Chicago (or, one should say, the overblown Chicago we so frequently see on the TV schedule). Harrison leaves behind a husband, Daniel Calder (Noah Wyle), and the couples teenage daughter, Jira (Aliyah Royale), whom they adopted as an infant. In her grief, Jira has a renewed fervor to meet her biological mother on the premise that her white father cannot fully relate to her grief as the black daughter of a black father who was shot by a cop. You can never understand, Jira tells Daniel, because this sort of thing would never happen to you. Recently, West Elm and Rent the Runway announced a partnership for customers to rent textiles such as quilts, blankets, throw pillows and linens. At the end of a fixed period, customers can buy the items or swap them for something new. Similarly, several start-ups including CasaOne, Fernish and Feather are already renting full suites of upscale furniture to aspiring urban homemakers on both coasts. Even low-cost Ikea is getting in on the concept: The company announced this month that it would launch a pilot rental program in 30 countries in an effort to keep its furniture out of landfills. Some companies are even renting baby furniture. These companies are betting on consumers who arent ready to commit to one set of furniture. But Scarano was intrigued enough to join 40 other applicants who went through the screening process. There were some SAT-esque questions. (She remembers one required her to calculate how much to turn a sailboat to make it go in the correct direction.) But the biggest hurdle was a practical test. She was given paper, tape and scissors, and told to build a ballerina shoe. I thought it would be easy cut it and put tape on it, says Scarano, who soon realized her original design would not just be a flat, but flat. To keep her creation from collapsing, she tinkered until she figured out exactly where to insert extra pieces of paper. Maren R.: Warming cream cheese at room temperature is best for its consistency and flavor, but in a pinch, you can remove the cream cheese from the package (the wrapper may be foil, which cant go in the microwave) and place in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high in 10-second increments until you achieve the desired softness. If you have the gumption for a steep climb, head to Dog Mountain. This calf-burner covers more than 2,800 feet of elevation gain, so its not a walk in the park. But the sweat equity is more than worth it for the views at the upper meadows. Youll be rewarded with swaths of yellow balsam root that practically drip over the walls of the gorge. Cluster lilies, baby blue-eyes and Indian paintbrush flowers are interspersed throughout, creating a sensory experience unlike any other. If you dont have the fortitude (or lung capacity) to tackle that much climbing, stop at the lower meadows located at Mile 1.5. There are still plenty of flowers, and youll save yourself nearly 1,300 feet of climbing. In the high season (March 31 through July 1), a permit is required and can be obtained through recreation.gov. Only 150 are issued per day. The day-use fee is $5 per vehicle, plus a nonrefundable $1 reservation fee. A visit isnt complete without stopping at the St. Sophia Cathedral which took about 20 years to build and dates to the 11th century and to Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, a unique burial ground built by monks in 1051. Before the Holocaust, the city had one of the largest Jewish populations in Eastern Europe, and the Central Synagogue, now the Museum of Jewish Heritage, is also worth a stop. And dont miss Khreshchatyk, the main shopping street in Kiev, where you can also get killer street food such as shashlik: skewered grilled pork or lamb. For any reason, they could say Im breaking my lease and then Id have to deal with a whole lot of nonsense, he said as he unloaded groceries from his car the other day. Andrews said he worries that the pot laws could be a way for the authorities to get us caught up in something so they can move us out and free up land to sell to developers. Our focus remains on ensuring an excellent education for every student, and particularly accelerating student achievement in Wards 7 and 8. We recognize that some families do not have confidence in their neighborhood school, which leads to decreased enrollment, Ferebee said in his opening statement Wednesday to the D.C. Council. Our schools will see new investments and opportunities next school year beyond our school-based budgets. Rojas, with Spanish speakers on one side of his family and Vietnamese and Cantonese speakers on the other, knows the seal goes against strong feelings among some people that English should be No. 1. Foreign-language skills are often overlooked, he said, but bilingualism is helpful when forming new connections with people around the country, whether it be for social or work purposes. While the group was largely quiet throughout the rituals, several features of the Seder drew universal laughter such as a comment on the decided unfluffiness of the flat matzoh bread and the pungency of the maror, or bitter herbs otherwise known as fresh horseradish. (The pungent root prompted collective coughs from the crowd, with one woman dabbing her eyes with a napkin.) I thought as an actor, How am I going to have an audience believe that this guy is not some imbecile who keeps coming back, [only] to get whipped? I thought the only way is to add some humor to it, just to say, Dust yourself off, get up and start all over again. Windom did not explain in court why prosecutors had not brought more serious charges against Hasson if they believe he aimed to carry out an act of domestic terrorism. Hasson has been charged with illegal possession of unregistered and unmarked silencers, illegal possession of 15 firearms by an unlawful user or addict of controlled substances, and simple possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested in February and has pleaded not guilty. The 30-year-old blew her a kiss and smiled. She had just gotten her teaching degree in El Salvador when gangs began extorting her. Now, she told her family, she and her 10-year-old daughter had been given a year before they had to check in again. In the meantime, their asylum claim would join the more than 1 million cases already in U.S. immigration courts. There is nothing like the wisdom and verve of a seasoned person who continues to live life with gusto. Especially when it comes to women, many of whom raised families and had to beat down the walls of misogyny to get their turn at the helm (House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (79 and a D from California), Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (86) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (the Democrat from Massachusetts who is 69), among others. The legislation would extend the $150 million annual authorization through 2029 without new conditions. As before, Metro would get the money only if the District, Maryland and Virginia each contribute $50 million a year in matching funding. Even with the authorization in place, the money must be appropriated by Congress each year. The first phase of the rail line, with four stops in Tysons and one in Reston, opened in July 2014. The rail lines second phase, which will extend service to Dulles International Airport and into eastern Loudoun County, has been beset with a series of problems ranging from flawed precast concrete panels at four of its rail stations to issues with concrete rail ties that dont meet project standards. There also have been problems at the Dulles Airport station, where the contractor is trying to figure out how to reinforce concrete pedestals that have cracked. The rail line is more than a year behind schedule. The body, believed to be that of Andrew AJ Freund, was wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave in a rural area of Woodstock, Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference. Woodstock is about 50 miles northwest of Chicago and a few miles from the familys home in Crystal Lake. A report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics states that the number of prisoners under state or federal jurisdiction by the end of 2017 had dropped to 1.48 million people, down from 1.61 million in 2009. The vast majority were held in state-run facilities, while a smaller share were in federal prisons. At the end of 2017, states held 1.3 million prisoners, down 1 percent from the end of the previous year. (Some states combine prisons and jails.) The report also touches on significant racial divergences, with incarceration rates among black people far exceeding those for white people. Two months after the failed U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi, all eyes are on Kim Jong Un, who must make the next move. The Trump administration is holding firm to its all-or-nothing bid for a grand bargain with Pyongyang. The smart play right now is a form of strategic patience, to give Kim one last chance to make the right decision. Now CNN, the New York Times and others are reprinting Moores greatest hits, including his joke about how he potty-trained his son by pasting a photo of Hillary Clinton with a bullseye target on the bottom of the potty. And his hilarious tale about showing his children pictures of the mangled and bloody corpses of Saddam Husseins sons with the message THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO KIDS THAT GROW UP TO BE DEMOCRATS! And the riotous bit about him hitting on a gorgeous 20-something blond, then telling his concerned son how nice it would be if you had a much younger mommy. Housing first was a key pillar for the three states and 66 communities nationwide that ended veteran homelessness. In the District, housing first has helped reduce veteran and long-term homelessness, respectively, by 39 percent and 10 percent since 2013, giving thousands of people a place to call home for the first time in years. Individuals who receive housing under this model are more likely to stay housed. At Miriams Kitchen, 97 percent of residents remain in housing after one year. With that stability, they are better able to manage health challenges, reconnect with family, hold a job and more. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), an announced candidate for president, has proposed making public college tuition-free for millions [Warren introduces plan to tackle student debt and make public college free, news, April 23]. For the past eight years, we have systematically saved and invested tens of thousands of dollars in Maryland 529 plans to offset the cost of higher education for our three grandchildren, the oldest of whom is only 8. Evidently, we are not alone. The College Savings Plans Network reports that as of mid-2018, Americans had invested almost $330 billion in 529 plans. It took me months to feel even close to normal: My heartrate was unusually elevated and I was fatigued. During that slow recovery, I had a long talk with my parents to try to understand my medical history. It turned out that I had never been vaccinated against any infection not measles, not polio, not tetanus in my 30 trips around the sun. Its hard to draw out the specifics of their beliefs, or drill down to the root cause of their immunization denial. They dont believe that some vast conspiracy is imposing vaccines on us; theyre just predisposed to be suspicious of unnatural medical intervention, and they stand behind their decision. I love them, and I try not to judge them too harshly: Medical information is much more widely accessible now than it was in the 1980s, when they were raising us and the measles vaccine became widely available. Still, people with that attitude have put their childrens lives at risk. Western Pennsylvania is at the heart of the electorate that Trump carried in 2016 and where Democrats must recoup if they hope to win in 2020. The Monday rally, symbolically, will be Bidens way of saying to Democrats that if you want someone who can win back Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, look no farther than me. It will be his way of saying that he, better than others in the race, can rekindle enthusiasm among white working-class voters who have abandoned the party. Booker was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2013. He made the highest income of his Senate career in 2015 $554,598 mostly from advance royalties for his book, United, which was released in 2016. In 2016 and 2017, his income was $466,168 and $450,073, respectively, mostly from book sales. A broader network of friends and former aides has signaled hope for months that Biden would enter the race so they can join his campaign, an advantage his aides hope will allow him to quickly pull together a large organization. An underwhelming fundraiser in his first two campaigns for president, he is likely to be aided this time by deep-pocketed donors he got to know during the Obama years. Hill told the Times that one apology does not make up for how the Judiciary Committee made victims of sexual violence feel after they saw how poorly she was treated after coming forward with allegations of harassment by Thomas. For those who want and advocate for illegal immigration, just take a good look at what has happened to Europe over the last 5 years! he tweeted last year. A total mess! They only wish they had that decision to make over again. I was actually at the March on Washington with Dr. King back in 1963, and as somebody who actively supported Jesse Jacksons campaign, as one of the few white elected officials to do so in 88 I have dedicated my life to the fight against racism and sexism and discrimination of all forms, Sanders said. That prompted audible groans. McGahn did not respond to Trump on Thursday and is eager to avoid a dramatic showdown with his former boss, according to an ally, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. McGahn is shrugging off the tweets and has described them to associates as part of Trumps raging political battle with House Democrats rather than a personal battle with him, the ally said. Jill Weinlein The release date for the much awaited Avengers: Endgame is April 26, 2019. It will be shown in 4,600 theaters, with round-the-clock screenings of the final stand in Marvel Studios' grand conclusion to twenty-two films. I was recently invited to the courtyard of the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California for the "Avengers: Endgame" handprints in the cement ceremony. Leading film critic and film historian Leonard Maltin introduced some of the stars of the mega-hit movie franchise. Walking out on the red carpet were celebrities Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, along with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. Together they made Hollywood history, walking out into the courtyard to find their spot and sign their name before placing both hands in wet cement. Actor Mark Ruffalo did a handstand in his designated box to make a deeper impression. There are almost 200 handprints, footprints, and autographs in the concrete of the theater's forecourt. The first impressions were made by Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford on April 30, 1927. In Southern California this is our history, said Maltin who attended the movie premiere in Hollywood the night before. He told a crowd of Marvel fans movie audiences feel the emotions that go with each Avengers movie." Audiences have been fascinated with super heroes for almost 90 years. It all started with Flash Gordon as a comic strip in the 1930s. It showed for 13 weeks every Saturday in motion picture theaters, Maltin informed the crowd. This Avengers series has been a 10 year journey filled with risks and taking chances. Kevin (Feige) took enormous risks in hiring directors and casting each movie. What makes these Marvel Studios movies cutting edge, is that it takes major film making steps by including a strong female protagonist and hiring females behind the camera. With each movie, we care about the characters embodied by the talented actors. "We care because this movie embraces cultural and society changes, said Maltin. Movies lead our thinking of the real world, as well as give us a form of escapism. Escape and see "AVENGERS: ENDGAME" to be thoroughly entertained by a stellar cast of characters. Jill Weinlein Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson placing their autograph in wet cement in the courtyard of TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Jill Weinlein American film critic and film historian Leonard Maltin. Jill Weinlein Some of the 'Avengers: Endgame' cast members making history at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Jill Weinlein Robert Downey Jr's handprint and signature in wet cement in Hollywood. He obviously wants to work with Congress because he has an agenda that, most of it, doesnt go anywhere without Congress, said a former senior White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the presidents views. But I also think he looks at Congress in the way he looks at all of Washington. . . . These people were sent here to do specific things they ran on and they dont do a whole lot. In his original request sent last week, Cummings asked that Miller appear before the panel on May 1 because it appears that you are one of the primary moving forces behind some of the most significant and in my view, troubling immigration policies coming out of the Trump White House. But the American said he did not have to lie in his report. Whatever had happened to put Warmbier into that state, it was evident that he had received really good care in the hospital, he said. The doctors had done state-of-the-art resuscitation to revive Warmbier after he suffered a catastrophic cardiovascular collapse, and it was remarkable that he had no bedsores, Flueckiger said. Many shops and restaurants remained closed in Colombo, where a nighttime curfew stayed in effect, and in the nearby seaside city of Negombo, where the deadliest bombing took place. Church officials in Negombo have held about 75 funerals and burials since Monday, but formal religious ceremonies there have now been paused for security reasons. One church official said he had been told that police were still searching for bombing suspects in the area. We communicated our concerns about the very tense climate this would provoke, he said. Asked about the response he got, Lopez told the judges he remembered perfectly. Carles Puigdemont then president of Catalonias regional government, now living in exile in Belgium was firm in his reply. Mr. Puigdemont, Lopez recalled, told us that if the scenario we had predicted took place, he would declare independence at that very moment. Wilson said she was concerned about the appearance of the Musk meeting, which took place soon after Boeing beat SpaceX for an Air Force space launch services contract, and told Shanahan he probably needed to recuse himself, the report said. A member of Shanahans staff sought advice from the Defense Department Standards of Conduct Office and was told that there were no objections to the proposed meeting. This is not the first time that Trump has expressed concern about the costs of an arms race. He said in March 2018 that he wanted to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin because it was getting out of control. In a December tweet, he said that at some time in the future he would hold talks with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping about a meaningful halt to what has become a major and uncontrollable Arms Race. During the meeting, Kim said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is at a standstill and may return to its original state, blaming the United States for taking a unilateral attitude in bad faith in Hanoi, the Norths state news agency reported. He said peace and security will depend entirely on the U.S. attitude in the future, adding that North Korea will gird itself for every possible situation. Of course, theres no guarantee Mexico will hold on to the No. 1 spot. Economists note that a major reason Mexico looked so good was that U.S. trade with China shrunk by more than 10 percent in January and February compared with the same period in 2018. That was because of trade disputes and seasonal factors. Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean islands do not have anywhere near the number of Venezuelans as are in Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. But the Caribbean countries have emerged as growing draws for those fleeing Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-island nation of 1.4 million, is now home to nearly 40,000 Venezuelans, the United Nations estimates, although the country has no asylum laws and has criminalized irregular migration. Venezuelans arriving there illegally face arrest, official harassment and gangs of human traffickers. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. For the second time in a dozen years a Coalition government is, according to the polls, facing electoral defeat, easily characterised as stubborn and prejudiced on key policy issues, a team of (mostly) men of the past, lacking a vision or the policies to back it up. It was American statesman and diplomat Adlai Stevenson who remarked in a 1963 address to the UN that ignorance is stubborn, and prejudice dies hard. He could well have been describing the Coalition. Where is the contest of ideas? Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten. Credit:Dom Lorrimer/Alex Ellinghausen Fundamental to the Howard governments demise in 2007 was John Howards stubbornness and prejudice on two key issues. These were his unwillingness to say sorry for the past mistreatment of our First Australians, and his (now admitted) personal agnosticism on climate, preventing him from ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, even though we had clearly played something of a leadership role, punching well above our weight, in the development of that protocol. He remained intransigent despite repeated pressure from his cabinet. This allowed Kevin Rudd to essentially tag Howard as passe, and to move on to offer a broad vision for our future an education revolution, the NBN, a climate action plan and a message of HOPE, rather than NOPE. Howard not only lost government, but also his cherished seat of Bennelong. Late last year my beautiful fiance, George, died suddenly at 66. He was 17 when he went to war, brimming with courage, tenacious in his conviction that he was serving the country and working with his mates to survive the brutality of daily events. George was a Vietnam veteran. He served as an ordinary seaman, a navy diver on HMAS Vendetta, destroyer class. His role was particularly perilous, and he performed tasks that would have left a lesser man cowering. He would dive into the depths of murky waters in the dead of night to explore the hull of his ship for explosive devices that the enemy might have attached. Navy diver George at 17. On one occasion, he told me, he was blown across the ships deck by a powerful cannon blast. The practice was to shout out "clear!" so sailors could take shelter. This time there was no warning. He only just survived after being resuscitated and suffered lifelong injuries that would haunt him on a daily basis. They also haunted me. I had to watch him suffer and battle his demons. George was never fully recognised for those wounds because they didnt make it on the prescribed list of injuries and thus he was never compensated. For that he felt cheated and disrespected. Thousands of West Australian servicemen and women gathered with civilians at Kings Park in the early hours of Thursday morning for this year's Anzac Day Dawn Service. April 25 is one of Australias most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. A soldier stands guard by the State War Memorial in Kings Park as the sun slowly rises over Perth. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola Captain Nikita Irvine gets emotional during the Dawn Service proceedings. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola The suffering inflicted on Australian soldiers during the last days of their First World War battle for Mouquet Farm, near Pozieres in the Somme Valley of France, remains all but unimaginable. The misery inflicted on the mother of four of those soldiers bears no imagining at all. The Potter brothers - Hurtle, Tomas, Ralph and Edward pose for the camera. Tens of thousands of Australian parents have endured the agony of losing sons to war but none, surely, lost more to a ghastly few hours than Eliza Potter. Mrs Potter and her husband Benjamin, living in the remote town of Yongala 250 kilometres north of Adelaide, were to learn that three of their boys had died in a single battle over a single night and morning in September, 1916. The lead Senate candidate for Fraser Anning's Conservative National Party in the ACT is a veteran who assaulted a police officer and choked an RSPCA inspector in Canberra in 2015. Shane Van Duren pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court in May 2017 to assault and strangulation. He was given a suspended prison sentence of two years and six months as well as 200 hours of community service. Shane Van Duren was spared jail after he clashed with authorities trying to seize his companion dog. Credit:Megan Gorrey The offences occurred when police and RSPCA inspectors were trying to seize his companion dog, a Belgian shepherd named Kalu, which he had freed from an RSPCA shelter. Mr Van Duren said the dog assisted him with post-traumatic stress disorder caused by his time while serving as a soldier in East Timor. Vladivostok: Kim Jong-un huddled with Russian President Vladimir Putin in their first-ever summit on Thursday, as the North Korean leader sought diplomatic support to help him find a way around UN sanctions crippling his country. The leaders said they had fruitful talks about how to defuse a stand-off over Pyongyang's nuclear program. "I believe this meeting will be productive as the whole world focuses on the Korean Peninsula," Kim told Putin ahead of their closed-door session at Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island near Vladivostok. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time in Vladivostok. Credit:AP Putin has a track record of making world leaders wait for him, but on Thursday the Russian leader arrived at the venue about half an hour before Kim showed up, Reuters reported. Colombo: One of the ringleaders of the Sri Lankan bomb attacks was the son of a spice tycoon who was "brainwashed" by his radical younger brother. The first images have emerged of Inshaf Ahmed Ibrahim, the suicide bomber and alleged mastermind of the atrocity that killed 359 people. Security services are understood to be examining his links to Britain after a source confirmed he had travelled to the UK frequently in recent years. Ibrahim, 33, blew himself up at the Cinnamon Grand hotel restaurant just before 9am local time on Easter Sunday. Separately, one of the bombers is understood to have studied in Australia. Ibrahim's younger brother Ilham also killed himself when he detonated a suicide bomb at the Shangri-La hotel, also in the capital Colombo, at almost exactly the same time. Their attacks claimed the lives of at least 41 foreigners, including all eight British victims - three of them children. Byrd's sister, Clara Taylor, who watched King die, said he "showed no remorse then and showed no remorse tonight". "The execution for his crime was just punishment," she said. "I felt nothing - no sense of relief, no sense of happy this is over with." From left: John William King, Lawrence Russell Brewer (both of whom have been executed) and Shawn Allen Berry (who was sentenced to life in prison). As witnesses emerged from the prison, about two dozen people standing down the street began to cheer. The killing of Byrd was a hate crime that put a national spotlight on Jasper, a town of about 7600 residents near the Texas-Louisiana border that was branded with a racist stigma it has tried to shake off ever since. Local officials say the reputation is undeserved. James Byrd jnr, who was chained to the back of a truck and dragged for nearly five kilometres along a secluded road in the woods outside Jasper, Texas. Byrds body was found in pieces along the road. Forensic investigators said injuries that killed him - cuts and scrapes around his ankles and other abrasions on his body - indicated that his ankles had been wrapped together with a chain and that he had been dragged by a vehicle. A day after Byrds body was found, police pulled over a truck driven by a man named Shawn Allen Berry for a traffic violation. In the vehicle, they found a tool set that matched the wrench found at the crime scene. Dried blood discovered under the truck and on one of the tyres matched Byrds DNA. The cigarette butts were also tested for DNA, and one came up with a hit for King, who had previously served a prison sentence for burglary. Kings trial opened in January 1999. Prosecutors from the Jasper County district attorneys office showed evidence of Kings "violent hatred" of black people, according to court documents. Prosecutors played a videotape showing theroad along which Byrd had been dragged behind the truck. Prosecutors called 43 witnesses; Kings attorney called three. King did not testify. After five days of testimony, a jury returned a verdict of guilty of capital murder within 2 hours. King, who maintained his innocence, appealed against his verdict numerous times with complaints about the lawyer he had during his trial. Over the years, King had suggested the brutal slaying was not a hate crime, but a drug deal gone bad involving his co-defendants. In 2018, an appeals court wrote: "During his first stint in prison [which ended about a year before Byrd was killed], King was the 'exalted cyclops' of the Confederate Knights of America (CKA), a white-supremacist gang." It also drew attention to his tattoos, which included a Confederate flag, Nazi "SS" lightning bolts, a cartoon in a Ku Klux Klan robe, "KKK," a swastika, "Aryan Pride" and a depiction of a black man hanging from a tree by a noose. King had spoken of starting a race war while in prison "and about initiating new members to his cause by having them kidnap and murder black people", the appeals court wrote. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles turned down King's request for either a commutation of his sentence or a 120-day reprieve. King's lawyers had tried to stop his execution, arguing his constitutional rights were violated because his trial attorneys didn't present his claims of innocence and conceded his guilt. A. Richard Ellis, one of King's attorneys, wrote in a petition to the US Supreme Court, "From the time of indictment through his trial, Mr King maintained his absolute innocence, claiming that he had left his co-defendants and Mr Byrd sometime prior to his death and was not present at the scene of his murder. Mr King repeatedly expressed to defense counsel that he wanted to present his innocence claim at trial." But the Supreme Court rejected King's last-minute appeal. King, who grew up in Jasper and was known as "Bill", was the second man executed for Byrd's killing. Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011. Berry, the third participant, was sentenced to life in prison. Loading King declined an interview request from The Associated Press in the weeks leading up to his execution. In a 2001 interview with the AP, King said he was an "avowed racist" but wasn't "a hate-monger murderer." Louvon Byrd Harris, one of Byrd's sisters, said earlier this month that King's execution would send a "message to the world that when you do something horrible like that, that you have to pay the high penalty." King and Brewer got "an easy way out" compared to "all the suffering" that her brother suffered, Harris said. Billy Rowles, who led the investigation into Byrd's death when he was sheriff in Jasper County, said after King was taken to death row in 1999, he offered to detail the crime as soon as his co-defendants were convicted. When Rowles returned, all King would say was, "I wasn't there." Rowles, who now is sheriff of Newton County, said: "He played us like a fiddle, getting us to go over there and thinking we're going to get the rest of the story." A week before Brewer was executed in 2011, Rowles said he visited Brewer, who said "the whole thing was Bill King's idea". Mylinda Byrd Washington, another of Byrd's sisters, said earlier this month that the family would work through the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing to ensure her brother's death continued to combat hate everywhere. "I hope people remember him not as a hate crime statistic. This was a real person. A family man, a father, a brother and a son," she said. by Pierre V.L. Dupuch The "Graduate" never ceases to amaze me. After saying all the good things Rupert Roberts has done in his life time he proceeds to get nasty, degrading and personal. Yes, Mr. Roberts has made money. Yes, Mr. Roberts is on the top of the pile. He got there by hard work and at the same time helping others. The Graduate, on the other hand, has sucked his way to the top, helping nobody on his way up! When I was Minister of Agriculture I started a campaign "Buy Bahamian". Mr. Roberts was the first one to join in. When I returned from a trip to Exuma, I phoned Mr. Roberts and told him that the farmers there were unable to market their peppers. He sent his people there and bought virtually all the peppers. All Bahamian produced products got prime position on the shelves of Super Value. When I put a ban on bananas to help Bahamian farmers get into the market, Super Value bought as many as could be supplied. City Markets, on the other hand, refused to buy any. The Graduate says that City Markets gave many scholarships. They did indeed. Super Value gave as many. He helped people build homes and develop businesses. And the Graduate says he's a doddering old man who needs to "evolve". That's what you call ingratitude!!! And all this criticism because he does not believe that joining the WTO is good for The Bahamas? True, Mr. Roberts has no formal University training in economics, but he does have a PhD from the University of Hard Knocks. Personally I would have thought that advice from a man with Mr. Roberts' local experience and knowledge would be far better than someone with little or no experience on the local scene. Obviously, he spoke of how it would affect his business, which he knows best. With this knowledge he would be able to predict how it would affect other businesses. The Graduate indicates that he should be happy to know that his business has been protected in the WTO agreement and, therefore, should not worry. Yes, this is how the Graduate thinks ... himself only. Mr. Roberts, on the other hand, thinks of how it would affect those other Bahamian businesses that are not protected. The Graduate indicates that Mr. Roberts should "partner" with a foreign company in order to modernize his stores and thus bring prices down. Experience shows and history tells us that a foreign owned company does not automatically bring prices down. But let us for one minute buy the Graduate's argument. Let us say the foreign "partner" buys 45% of Super Value. This means that when dividends are declared, 45% of the amount declared would leave the country. What!!!??? To save money, the 45% foreign investor may suggest that Super Value's administrative operations should be moved out of the country. This means more Bahamian jobs could be lost. What!!!??? (Don't believe me? Check BPL and BTC.) Maybe the Graduate has another motive. Maybe, just maybe he/she/it has a friend or family waiting in the wings to get a piece of the action. Just maybe. The argument that we must join the WTO in order to eliminate import duties has been used quite frequently. This is not true. Import duties and joining WTO are two different things. Our form of taxation was designed assuming that duties would be around 10%. It taxes from the "bottom up". In other words, it becomes part of the "cost of doing business" which means it is added to the price of the item, which pushes prices up. On the other hand, "corporate tax" is charged from the "top down". This means that a person is taxed on his/her profits and it's not added to the cost of the goods. Whether we join the WTO or not, the system of Import Duties has to change because it's pushing prices too high. The "little man" is being asked to bear too much of the burden. Today, the Government is making more on a car than the dealer who is now being accused of "over pricing". The government makes more than the merchant on most ... if not all ... items that are brought into this country. Yes my friends be careful. WTO may bring plenty of money for some people and make others slaves. But why does the Graduate care, he/she/it has a strong suction cup!!!??? April 23, 2019 The views expressed are those of the author, and not necessarily those of Weblog Bahamas (which has no corporate view). Netiquette Die Kommentare auf weltwoche-daily.ch dienen als Diskussionsplattform und sollen den offenen Meinungsaustausch unter den Lesern ermoglichen. Es ist uns ein wichtiges Anliegen, dass in allen Kommentarspalten fair und sachlich debattiert wird. Scharfe, sachbezogene Kritik am Inhalt des Artikels oder wo angebracht an Beitragen anderer Forumsteilnehmer ist erwunscht, solange sie hoflich vorgetragen wird. Personlichkeitsverletzende und diskriminierende Ausserungen hingegen verstossen gegen unsere Richtlinien. Sie werden ebenso geloscht wie Kommentare, die eine sexistische, beleidigende oder anstossige Ausdrucksweise verwenden. Beitrage kommerzieller Natur werden nicht freigegeben. 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Unzulassig sind Wortmeldungen, die Nichts mit dem Thema des Artikels zu tun haben Kommerzieller Natur sind andere Forumsteilnehmer personlich beleidigen einzelne Personen oder Gruppen aufgrund von Rasse, Ethnie oder Religion herabsetzen in Rechtschreibung und Interpunktion mangelhaft sind verachtliche Abanderungen von Namen oder Umschreibungen von Personen enthalten mehr als einen externen Link enthalten einen Link zu dubiosen Seiten enthalten Nur einen Link enthalten ohne beschreibenden Kontext dazu 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. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Rick Wangler, Kimball County Weed Superintendent, recently attended the Nebraska Weed Control Associations Spring Training, held at the Ramada Inn, Kearney, on April 3-4, 2019. This was the second opportunity for required continuing education in 2019. At each training session, superintendents must answer roll call twice a day, complete and pass the exam at the end of each day to receive his or her continuing education credit hours. Wednesdays topics included: Cropland Weeds, Jenny Rees, UNL Extension Educator; Flora, Fauna and Photography, Justin Haag, NE Game and Parks; Surveys and County Responses, Mitch Coffin, NE Dept. of Ag; Invasive Species Impact Assessments, Dirac Twidwell, UNL Agronomy Dept. and Dillon Fogarty, UNL PhD Student; ATV and UTV Safety, Ric Voelker, Nebraska Safety Council Thursdays topics included: Weed Free Forage and Gravel Inspection, Rod Stolcpart, Rock County Weed Supt .; Japanese Hop Identification, Todd Boller, Fillmore County Weed Supt .; NWCA Weedmapper Update, Marty Craig, Dawson/Gosper County Weed Supt .; Watch List Weed ID, Kristi Paul, Sheridan County Weed Supt .; Endangered & Threatened Species Permitting, Michael Bernhardt, NE Game & Parks; Organic Certification, Angie Tunink, OCIA International, and Prescribed Fire for Weed Control, Scott Stout, Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council. New Superintendents Training was held at the same location April 2 for those weed managers who have three or less years of experience. All programs must be approved by the NDA, as described in the Nebraska Noxious Weed Act. The next opportunity for continuing education will be the NWCA Fall Training, November 6-7, at Kearney. Fall training will also be recertification for commercial applicators licenses, for county weed superintendents. BRIDGEPORT After years of talks, the citys police force will finally have a contract. It was passed overwhelmingly by the membership, according to the union, AFSCME Local 1159, on Wednesday. The union said the vote passed 275 to 31. To be approved, the citys Department of Labor and the union had to agree on the contract. The citys police force has been without a contract since July 2016. Under this new contract, there will be an increase police surcharge rate from $10 to $17 per hour, according to a statement from the city. The city has also reduce the call back pay from a mandatory eight hours to a four hour minimum. The city said this will reduce unnecessary overtime. Also mentioned was a revised article in the contract that helps the city expedite the disciplinary process preventing officers from being out of work on paid leave for an extended period of time, reducing costs incurred by the city. In a prepared statement, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim expressed satisfaction with the contract. I am very happy that this contract agreement has been resolved in a fair and equitable way for all parties, Ganim said. A number of the points that were agreed to in this contract will go a long way toward meeting our collective challenges. The city extended the terms of the contract an additional year to June 30, 2021 to eliminate additional expenses related to having to negotiate a new contract. Back in August 2017, Sgt. Chuck Paris, head of the police union, told Hearst Connecticut Media negotiations were headed for arbitration before a state board because an agreement hadnt been reached by the union and the city. While the two sides had been in arbitration, they did have the option to settle outside of arbitration to reach an agreement. In January 2018, Hearst reported the police union rejected a new four-year contract. WETHERSFIELD - The two officers involved in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old during a car stop Saturday had no disciplinary history, according to police. Officer Layau Eulizier, known as "Junior," fired his service weapon during the incident that led to the death of Anthony Jose Vega Cruz. Eulizier grew up in Wethersfield and was a police explorer in town for many years, police said. Officer Peter Salvatore was present during the shooting but did not fire his gun, police said. He also grew up in Wethersfield, police said. Eulizier joined the department in August of 2018. He previously was a Manchester police officer and one of several officers involved in the fatal shooting of a 53-year-old man, but didn't fire his service weapon during that incident, reports said. Eulizier graduated from Wethersfield High School in 2010. He attended Central Connecticut State University where he received a bachelors degree in 2014. He joined the United States Air Force in 2011 while attending college and served until 2017, police said. Salvatore graduated from Wethersfield High School in 2008 and attended CCSU until 2011. He has served with the Army National Guard since 2011, police said. Salvatore was hired by Wethersfield police in 2013. Both officers have no record of any disciplinary action, police said. Vega Cruz was driving a vehicle that the officers tried to stop on the Silas Deane Highway Saturday night, reports said. During the incident police allege Vega Cruz hit a cruiser and tried to drive at an officer on foot when Eulizier fired at the car. Vega Cruz was critically injured. He succumbed to his injuries Monday night just hours after protestors demanded the release of any dash camera or body camera videos from the shootings. Hartford State's Attorney Gail Hardy who has taken over the investigation into the use of deadly force issued a statement saying she would release the videos after she determines whether or not the evidence would hamper the investigation. Police are also prepared for demonstrators at 5 p.m. Thursday at the police station. Police Chief Chief James Cetran posted on Facebook, Please be assured the safety and peace of mind of residents and visitors is our foremost priority. We are preparing for this event to ensure the safety of participants and our community. We will respect the First Amendment rights granted to all to exercise free speech and peaceably assemble. Drivers should anticipate road closures and delays on Silas Deane Highway in the area of Nott St., Cumberland Ave., Oxford St., and Jordan La. Please avoid the area and seek alternate routes to ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for Vega Cruzs funeral expenses. The page was set up on Wednesday by Tashmia Bryant. She wrote, Anthony Jose Vega Cruz or Chulo was killed. by Wethersfield Police on Saturday, April 20, 2019. The Saturday evening shooting left Cruz with critical injuries. He died Monday night at Hartford Hospital after being kept alive on life support. While the shooting is currently undergoing investigation, the family is now left to prepare funeral arrangements for their loved one, Chulo. Please join me in helping Chulo have a beautiful home going by donating. ALL donations will be given to his father Jose Vega for funeral arrangements. The incident was the second police-involved shooting in less than a week. A Hamden and a Yale University officer fired on a couple in New Haven, injuring a female passenger. The body camera footage of that incident was released Tuesday afternoon during a press conference with state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James Rovella. Since neither officer turned on their body camera prior to the gunfire, only limited "recall" images could be culled from the videos. FAIRFIELD Fairfields emergency communications center for fire, medical and police services is conveniently located in the basement of the police department. It also just happens that its in a flood zone. And since it dates back to 1990, equipment is nearing the end of its lifetime. A plan to relocate to Sacred Heart University in the former General Electric building would see Fairfield and Westport combine to run a joint dispatch center, expected to be up and running by Jan. 1 of next year. Fairfield Fire Department Chief Denis McCarthy described the effort as good strategic sense and a two-town force would help people in the field get faster backup. This is something we should have done a long time ago, Westport Police Department Chief Foti Koskinas said. Westport currently has two dispatch centers: one at police headquarters for police and Emergency Medical Service calls and another at the fire department for fire related calls. Fairfield Deputy Chief Donald Smith said savings would be in the long-term, particularly in the purchase and replacement of equipment. Instead of one municipality paying to upgrade their center, its now multiple municipalities splitting the cost to upgrade centers, he said. Towns with a population larger than 40,000 receive subsidies from the state toward dispatch centers; with a consolidated force, Westport would also benefit from these monies. Smith noted while there may be potential for other municipalities to join forces with Westport and Fairfield, it would be limited to these two for the time being as it is a pretty large project. Costs related to moving and equipment, according to Smith, would come in the $2 million to $2.5 million range, an amount the town bodies could bond. The towns would pay the university a symbolic $1 for the space on a yearly basis as part of a partnership. The decision to combine forces at Sacred Heart University is part of a yearlong process. Back in March 2018, Fairfield and Westport split the cost of an $80,000 consultant study from Virginia-based Federal Engineering on how a combined center could be run. Former Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara, now the executive director for public safety and government affairs at Sacred Heart University, said the university was prepared and anxious to form a partnership with the two towns. The General Electric campus had a worldwide dispatch center and they were able to monitor all their properties and communicate pretty effectively, MacNamara said of the facilities previous owner. ... (The location) is secure and the state has a lot of guidelines for 911 centers and this space already meets a lot of those guidelines. He also noting the cost to the towns of being at SHU was less than if each town built their own dispatch center. In addition to cost-savings, the combined dispatch center will improve response time, Koskinas said. Currently, if a serious call is made in the part of Westport near the Fairfield border, Fairfield emergency services are not notified, even if they may be closer to the scene. Well continue to provide individual services to individual towns, but when seconds count, these are very important things to take into account, Koskinas said. Regionalization efforts, particularly for dispatcher and emergency services, have been discussed for the last decade but have gained more momentum in the last year. At the state level, there are at least two proposals to push toward regionalizing municipal services, such as House Bills 6155 and 6381, proposed by Rep. J. P. Sredzinski, R-112, and Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-85, respectively. Recently, the Southwestern Regional Communications a nonprofit that provides telecommunication services to 16 communities departments moved from its cramped quarters at the Old Bridgeport Hospital to 100 Beard Sawmill Road in Shelton. In Ansonia, where plans for a new police headquarters are being discussed, a regional police training center and 911 dispatch center are potential proposals. The public gets better service from us. It all comes back to what is the service were delivering to the public, and its improved because we have access to the resources of both communities as they do ours, and mutual aid becomes more automatic and seamless, McCarthy said. Includes reporting by Sophie Vaughan humberto.juarez@hearstmediact.com Programme Specialist, Women Peace and Security, Kabul with travel to provinces Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme Country: Afghanistan City: Kabul, Afghanistan Office: UNDP Kabul, Afghanistan Closing date: Tuesday, 30 April 2019 Programme Specialist, Women Peace and Security-Re-advertised Advertised on behalf of : Location : Kabul with travel to provinces, AFGHANISTAN Application Deadline : 30-Apr-19 (Midnight New York, USA) Type of Contract : FTA Local Post Level : NO-C Languages Required : English Duration of Initial Contract : One year extendable Background Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women works on the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing womens rights at the center of all of its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinate United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. In Afghanistan, UN Women works in four thematic areas i.e. Governance and Participation, Ending Violence Against Women, Women Economic Empowerment, and Women Peace and Security (WPS). On Women Peace and Security, UN Women is catalyzing the UN system and supporting Afghanistan to deliver on the women, peace and security agenda and enhanced capacities and opportunities for gender equality advocates to participate in peace processes at all levels. UN Women ACO assists the Government of Afghanistan to implement their commitments on women, peace and security and more women and civil society organizations and those actors with gender equality agendas, influence peace, and security processes. UN Womens priority outcomes for WPS in Afghanistan are the following: (i) supporting an enabling environment for the implementation of WPS commitments; (ii) ensuring that women are represented and meaningfully participate in all peace and security, peacebuilding and recovery processes, including formal and informal peace negotiations processes; and; (iii) supporting gender-responsive security sector and justice reforms. Under the overall guidance from the Country Representative and Deputy Representative, , the WPS Specialist will report directly to the Head of WPS Thematic Area and will primarily focus on engagement with civil society, as well as with government counterparts and be responsible for coordinating, and monitoring of UN Women interventions implemented through civil society organizations and selected government institutions Administration Assistant, Bhopal, India Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme Country: India Field location: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India Office: UNDP Bhopal, India Closing date: Monday, 6 May 2019 Administration Assistant (AA) Location : Bhopal (M.P), INDIA Application Deadline : 06-May-19 (Midnight New York, USA) Type of Contract : Individual Contract Post Level : National Consultant Languages Required : English Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 01-Jun-2019 Duration of Initial Contract : One Year Background The UNDP project signed with the Department of MSME, GoMP on 28th January 2016 Agreement on Building an institutional structure to provide marketing support and capacity building for Entrepreneurs under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Yojana from year 2016 to 31stMarch 2019. The project activities were developed and designed to give Training on General Management and Specific Sector issues. Support in resolving the Banking related issues. Support and guidance was also given to entrepreneurs with regards to release of subsidies and other entitlements under the scheme of MYUY. Keeping a close check on the claims of the subsidies from the Branch to the Nodal Banks was another major activity under the existing project. The project aimed to provide relevant, context specific training and hand-holding support to entrepreneurs and build their capacities in relevant areas of entrepreneurship development and marketing. The support includes design and delivery of focused training module for the entrepreneurs, development and dissemination of in-depth analytical reports on key problems faced by the entrepreneurs and provide a state-wide platform for knowledge management and experience sharing for all the entrepreneurs in the state. The project aimed to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the state with all the relevant stakeholders - bankers, government, technical agencies, training institutions and entrepreneurs working on a common platform leveraging their respective strengths. MYUY project has evidently laid foundation for promotion of successful entrepreneurship in the state; the project has earned considerable appreciation and confidence of the budding entrepreneurs as well as those already engaged in the respective business. The inputs on latest regulations, policy changes, state and national development of various applicable Acts, etc. enable entrepreneurs to strengthen their business in a pragmatic manner. This site is temporarily unavailable If you manage this site and have a question about why the site is not available, please contact iPage directly MOOSE JAW, Sask. - The owner of a dance fitness studio who was embroiled in a loud music dispute with Canadian rock legend Burton Cummings has pleaded guilty to a noise bylaw ticket. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Burton Cummings arrives at the JUNO Gala dinner in Calgary, Saturday, April 2, 2016. The owner of a dance fitness studio who was embroiled in a loud music dispute with Canadian rock legend Burton Cummings has pleaded guilty to a noise bylaw ticket. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh MOOSE JAW, Sask. - The owner of a dance fitness studio who was embroiled in a loud music dispute with Canadian rock legend Burton Cummings has pleaded guilty to a noise bylaw ticket. Kyra Klassen of Kyra's Dance Fitness Studio was fined $150 in Moose Jaw, Sask. She plans to relocate her business in May. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Klassen said she moved into the mixed-use building nearly one year ago. The Guess Who singer lives in a neighbouring residential building. There were no problems at first, but then Klassen said she started to get messages, complaints and visits from Cummings himself about the loudness of her music. Klassen has said she worked with her landlord to add soundproofing to the studio and didn't think she was breaking any laws. Police eventually laid six noise bylaw charges. The other charges were dropped after her guilty plea to one ticket. (Discover Moose Jaw, The Canadian Press) LONDON - What would the founding fathers think? Almost 250 years after the United States launched a revolution to rid itself of the British royal family, the next royal baby could be an American. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Dec. 1, 2017 file photo, Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle arrive at Nottingham Academy in Nottingham, England. The child of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be seventh in the line of succession to the British throne, and also could be an American. The baby expected to arrive in the next few weeks would be the first citizen of BritainAos former colonies born into the upper echelons of the royal family. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File) LONDON - What would the founding fathers think? Almost 250 years after the United States launched a revolution to rid itself of the British royal family, the next royal baby could be an American. The idea that a scion of the former colonies would be seventh in line to succeed Queen Elizabeth II to the throne could change the royal family from within and help extend a surge in popularity for the monarchy. The child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle became a duchess when she wed Prince Harry a year ago is due very soon. Baby Sussex, as the child is known ahead of its birth, will be a product of two cultures: its father a prince who is a symbol of Britain; its mother quintessentially American a self-made TV star with a white father and an African American mother. Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge, leave the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, in London, Thursday April 25, 2019. Anzac Day has been commemorated in London since the first anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli in 1916, when King George V attended a service at Westminster Abbey and more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets. (Victoria Jones/Pool Photo via AP) The child is unlikely to ever become king or queen, but the presence of a half-American child who may choose to hold dual nationality could shake up the royal family, just as the arrival of Meghan has had a modernizing effect on the stately but sometimes stodgy House of Windsor. "It's quite possible the child will have a lot of American influence," royal commentator Hugo Vickers said. "The royal family is not totally unused to that kind of thing. Children have been born with Greek mothers or German mothers in the past, obviously, but Meghan is the first American mother so close in the royal family." Certainly, Meghan isn't following any of the royal scripts when it comes to childbirth preparations. Unlike Harry's brother Prince William and his wife Kate, Harry and Meghan have chosen to keep the details about their baby planning private , despite or perhaps because of intense media interest in the baby's arrival, expected in the next few weeks. The couple haven't revealed where Meghan intends to give birth, so there isn't likely to be a 24/7 media stakeout outside the hospital as was the case for the births of William and Kate's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Don't expect a photo of the happy family walking out of the hospital looking picture perfect hours after the birth either Harry and Meghan have said they want to celebrate privately with their extended family before telling the world a baby has been born. Palace officials accustomed to having a role in choreographing the coverage of major royal events are concerned that Harry and Meghan may announce the birth on their brand-new Instagram account and give the public its first glimpse of the baby via Instagram as well. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Harry faces less pressure to conform to royal protocol than William because of William's role as a likely future king: he will follow his 70-year-old father Prince Charles to the throne. That also makes the baby's American parentage less of a pressing issue, since it would take a series of tragedies to hit William's children for Baby Sussex to become monarch. That hasn't kept the British media from speculating that Meghan will choose an American as a nanny Mary Poppins be damned! and possibly even put a man in that crucial role. Some believe Meghan will insist on dual citizenship for the child, a status that is allowed by both countries. Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine, says many people have no issues with evolving traditions in the monarchy. "Our royal family, like all the other European royal families, are no longer marrying within royal families, so this is inevitable, and many would say a good thing," he said. Read all Associated Press coverage of the latest royal baby at https://www.apnews.com/RoyalBaby The Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) has been a development engine for two decades, but its not done yet. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) has been a development engine for two decades, but its not done yet. At the WAAs annual meeting on Wednesday, CEO Barry Rempel said the imminent redevelopment of some east-side property including a large Air Canada cargo building and the potential redevelopment of 260 acres on the west side of the airport could bring in an additional 5,000 jobs and more than $100 million in tax revenue for three levels of government. The redevelopment of the Air Canada cargo building and a couple of other smaller buildings at the western end of Sargent Avenue will become possible after construction on the $27-million Ground Services Equipment (GSE) building is completed. Air Canada currently uses its cargo building at the end of Sargent to house its ground service equipment, but since a new federal regulation came into effect four years ago requiring a primary security line, it means that equipment has to pass back and forth through that security line every day, a process that takes at least 20 minutes out of the work day. Air Canada will move its equipment into the new GSE building, which will be within the security area. Rempel said the Air Canada building will come down it will need a much smaller space for its cargo warehouse and that east-side area will be redeveloped, at least partially, on behalf of an as-yet-unnamed overnight air cargo company that Rempel said is just waiting for the space to allow it to expand operations in Winnipeg. "Its like a puzzle. You have to move pieces around," he said. "Its eventually going to allow us to do a full-scale redevelopment there." Just like the process being undertaken to development land in neighbouring Centreport Canada, the potential greenfield develop of the 260 acres on the west side of the airport campus needs sewer and water services before it can be marketable. Rempel said by the end of this year, there should be much more information as to how much that would cost. Meanwhile, the corporation that runs the airport is in good financial state. It received two ratings upgrades from credit rating agencies last year even though it has to pay down a $125-million bond offering by the end of this year and will still have another $600 million in long-term debt on its books. But the WAA had solid revenue increases across the board in 2018, generating $5.5 million in profit after posting a loss of $6.4 million in 2017. Rempel said its debt management will not impede its ability to continue to generate funds to reinvest. "We do 30-year projections on all of our finances," he said. "Were confident it (management of WAAs long-term debt) will not impair our ability to continue to grow, going forward." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. And with passenger traffic up to 4.5 million in 2018 and expected to hit five million by 2023, Rempel sees the additional development in the area as just another means to encourage more passenger traffic at the airport. To that end, he said there are already actions being taken to maximize efficiencies at the Winnipeg Richardson Airport only 71/2 years after its $585-million terminal opened. The WAA is budgeting about $75 million in capital expenditures this year, including the GSE building, an upgrade to some baggage handling equipment and the construction of about 1,200 square feet of "new" space near the Gate 10 departure lounge. Because of the configuration of the space in the western end of the departure gates that includes a stairway with open space a passenger bottleneck was occurring. The new space being created will be built over the empty stairwell space to allow existing concessions to be moved, allowing for better passenger flow. The other major expense this year is the rehabilitation of the northwest-southeast runway 13/31, which was closed earlier this week. The work is expected to be completed in September and it is anticipated that it will not cause any disruption in air traffic. However, it does mean that north-south runway 18/36 will be the only one in operation through these months and means neighbourhoods such as Assiniboia, Charleswood, The Maples, St. James, Tuxedo and Tyndall Park will notice an increase in plane traffic. (The WAAs 24-hour noise line is 204-987-9403 or email construction@waa.ca.) martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca WASHINGTON - Shares of Altria Group, the nation's largest tobacco company, fell Thursday after the company's earnings missed expectations on lower cigarette revenue and big expenses aimed at diversifying its business. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE- This June 14, 2018, photo shows Marlboro packs and cartons cigarettes, made by the Altria Group, on sale at JR outlet in Burlington, N.C. Shares of Altria Group, the nationAos largest tobacco company, fell Thursday, April 25, 2019, after the companyAos earnings missed expectations on lower cigarette revenue and big expenses aimed at diversifying its business. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File) WASHINGTON - Shares of Altria Group, the nation's largest tobacco company, fell Thursday after the company's earnings missed expectations on lower cigarette revenue and big expenses aimed at diversifying its business. The Richmond, Virginia-based company reported first quarter profit of $1.12 billion, or 60 cents per share. Adjusted for one-time costs and expenses the company earned 90 cents per share. That fell short of Wall Street expectations of 92 cents per share, according to an analyst survey by Zacks Investment Research. Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes and Copenhagen chew, has been working to shift its business away from traditional tobacco products amid steady declines in the category. The U.S. smoking rate has been falling for decades amid smoking bans, higher taxes and public health efforts urging smokers to quit and discouraging young people from ever starting. But Altria said cigarette shipments declined by 14%, faster than expected, pushing its revenue for Philip Morris USA and other smoking brands down 7%. Company management reiterated full-year earnings in the range of $4.15 to $4.27 per share. Analysts expect $4.19 per share, according to FactSet. FILE - In this Dec. 20, 2018, file photo Juul products are displayed at a smoke shop in New York. Shares of Altria Group, the nationAos largest tobacco company, fell Thursday, April 25, 2019. Quarterly results were weighed down by $159 million in expenses mainly tied to AltriaAos investments in Canadian cannabis investment firm Cronos and Juul, the e-cigarette startup company. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) Quarterly results were weighed down by $159 million in pretax expenses mainly tied to Altria's investments in Canadian cannabis investment firm Cronos and Juul, the e-cigarette startup company. Altria is betting those investments will help replace falling cigarette sales in years ahead. But they noted the company assumes "little-to-no earnings" from Juul or Cronos in the current year. Altria, which also sells cigars and wine, posted revenue of $5.63 billion in the period. Its adjusted revenue or revenue net of excise taxes was $4.39 billion, which also fell short of Street forecasts. Altria issued more than $16 billion in debt to finance its recent investments, which includes a 35% stake in Juul, the Silicon Valley startup that has quickly conquered the U.S. vaping market. But Juul's appeal to underage teenagers and Altria's investment have also attracted scrutiny from regulators. The Food and Drug Administration has been scrambling to reverse an unexpected explosion in teenage vaping after 2018 survey results showed nearly twice as many high school students used e-cigarettes than the year before. In March, the FDA summoned executives from Juul and Altria to the agency to discuss the problem. Altria CEO Howard Willard said Thursday the FDA "encouraged" the companies "to take actions that might help reduce youth usage of e-vapour products." Willard pointed to the company's recent advocacy for laws that would raise the minimum age to purchase all tobacco and vaping products to 21 from 18. "We feel like we've taken significant actions, and frankly, that Juul and I have been on the leading edge of really proactively addressing that issue," Willard told analysts and investors. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A dozen states, including California, Massachusetts and Virginia, have passed legislation raising the purchase age to 21, some with lobbying support from Altria. Last week Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he plans to introduce legislation that would raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco on a national level. Altria is supporting that effort. Tobacco industry critics have suggested Altria is supporting the age restrictions, in part, to head off harder-hitting proposals that would ban all flavoured vaping products and menthol cigarettes, which comprise roughly one-third of the U.S. cigarette market. Altria Group Inc. shares fell $3.63, or 6.6%, to $51.08 in midday trading. _____ Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MO at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MO TOKYO - Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn walked out of a Japanese detention centre Thursday evening, his head held high, after paying 500 million yen ($4.5 million) in bail and winning a court rejection of an appeal from prosecutors. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this April 3, 2019, photo, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, center, returns to his residence in Tokyo. Japanese prosecutors said Monday, April 22, 2019, they have indicted NissanAos former chairman Ghosn with additional charges of breach of trust, with his alleged misconduct expanding outside Japan. (Mizuki Ikari/Kyodo News via AP) TOKYO - Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn walked out of a Japanese detention centre Thursday evening, his head held high, after paying 500 million yen ($4.5 million) in bail and winning a court rejection of an appeal from prosecutors. Ghosn walked solemnly out of the Tokyo Detention House with one of his lawyers by his side. They got into a dark van without speaking and drove off, watched by dozens of journalists who had been waiting for his release for hours. In this undated photo, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn leaves his lawyer's office in Tokyo. A Japanese court approved the release for detained Nissan ex-chair Ghosn on 500 million yen, or $4.5 million, bail Thursday, April 25, 2019.(Kyodo News via AP) Prosecutors had fought to keep him in custody, contending he could tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. But the Tokyo District Court decided in the evening he should be released. In a new twist, the court also decided to restrict Ghosn's contact with his wife, Carole Ghosn, targeting her as someone related to the latest allegations, according to his legal team. In a statement issued shortly after his release, Ghosn said the new bail conditions were "cruel and unnecessary." Ghosn was arrested in November, released on bail in early March, but re-arrested and detained again April 4 on new allegations. The latest bail comes on top of the 1 billion yen ($9 million) Ghosn posted for his earlier release. He has been charged with under-reporting his post-retirement compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money and allegedly having it shoulder his personal investment losses. Ghosn's lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, said the bail conditions require advance notice of contacts between Ghosn and Carole Ghosn. They will not be able to live together and a lawyer must be present when they meet. In this Jan. 9, 2019, photo, a man walks past the logo at global headquarters of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Nissan has lowered its profit forecast for the fiscal year through March as the Japanese automaker, contends with slowing sales and the fallout from the loss of its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn. Nissan Motor Co. said Wednesday, April 24, 2019 it expects to post a 319 billion yen profit ($2.9 billion) for the fiscal year, marking a 22 percent drop from its earlier 410 billion yen ($3.7 billion) profit forecast earlier. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) Carole Ghosn is not a suspect, and she had been looking forward to being with her husband. She is mentioned in the latest allegations that centre around payments by an Oman business to operations allegedly run by Ghosn, which reportedly have some links to his wife's business. She was called in for questioning earlier this month. "We love each other very much, she answered all of the prosecutors' questions in court, and she has done nothing wrong," Carlos Ghosn said in the statement. Carole Ghosn, who has said both her husband and she are innocent, has been a vocal proponent, appealing to public opinion and human rights groups about Ghosn's treatment. Hironaka said he had expected the restrictions because bail conditions generally prohibit contact with people linked to the case. He said the legal team will work to moderate the restrictions. Ghosn, 65, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, contends the compensation he allegedly underreported was never decided on or paid and the payments were for legitimate services. Journalists prepare to film at Tokyo Detention Center, where former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn is detained, Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Tokyo. Detained former Nissan chairman Ghosn paid 500 million yen ($4.5 million) in bail, the Tokyo District court said Thursday, signaling he would likely soon be released. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) "I maintain my innocence and am committed to vigorously defending myself against these meritless and unsubstantiated accusations. I hope to be given a fair trial where the truth will come to light and I will be fully vindicated," he said in the statement. For his earlier release, his defence team offered special conditions such as installing a surveillance camera at the entrance to a specified residence for the former star executive and promising to use a cellphone and the internet only under certain conditions. The latest release requires similar restrictions, including not leaving the country, according to the court. The lawyer who was with Ghosn when he was released, Takashi Takano, has denied Japanese media reports that Carole Ghosn had contacted people related to the allegations and stressed Ghosn's entire family has been abiding by the terms of his bail agreement. "If they had done such a thing, the release on bail would end, and they would lose bail money," he said in a recent blog post. Japanese social media and mainstream media had been buzzing with speculation over how Ghosn would appear when he left detention. Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn leaves the Tokyo Detention Center, in Tokyo Thursday, April 25, 2019. Ghosn walked out of detention Thursday evening, his head held high, after a Japanese court rejected an appeal from prosecutors and his 500 million yen ($4.5 million) in bail was paid earlier in the day. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) When he was released on March 4 after more than 100 days in detention, he wore a cap, mask and what appeared to be a construction worker's outfit. Ghosn was still easily recognizable, and the "disguise" provoked widespread amusement and commentary. Ghosn's case has reignited criticism, both internally and internationally, against lengthy detentions without a trial or conviction in Japan, which critics call "hostage justice." Although prolonged detentions are routine in Japan, rearresting a person who has cleared bail is unusual. But legal experts say Ghosn's release is unusual in coming so soon after being charged. Some have expressed hopes that Ghosn's case will help to gradually change the system. Ghosn led Nissan Motor Co. for two decades and was credited with steering the success of the global alliance with Renault SA of France and smaller Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Renault owns 43 per cent of Yokohama-based Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 per cent of Renault. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. His departure has raised concern over a potential leadership vacuum at Nissan, which he dominated until his arrest, and about the future of its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi. In a video statement released April 9, Ghosn said a few Nissan executives had plotted against him in "a conspiracy." A date for Ghosn's trial has not been set. In Japan, trial preparations tend to take months. Both sides have said that the case is complex. The allegations against him involve payments to a Saudi dealership, as well as the funds paid to an Oman business. ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en HALIFAX - Nova Scotia has turned its trade focus to growing its European exports through a new strategy that builds on successful efforts to boost trade with China. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Premier Stephen McNeil announces plans for a new location and building for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, in Halifax on Thursday, April 18, 2019.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX - Nova Scotia has turned its trade focus to growing its European exports through a new strategy that builds on successful efforts to boost trade with China. Premier Stephen McNeil said Thursday that although the Nova Scotia-Europe Engagement Strategy sets no targets, the idea is to grow trade and investment opportunities with the European Union, which is the province's third largest export market after the United States and China. McNeil said there is an opportunity to expand ties established through the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) which came into force in 2017, despite the current unrest between the European Union and Great Britain over Brexit. "We know that is a challenging situation for those going in, but that is not a reason to stay away," he said. "Potentially we will have two marketplaces to deal with, but we can do that." In 2018 Nova Scotia exported $597-million worth of goods to Europe including seafood, berries, wood and energy products. However, the European market has remained relatively flat over the last 10 years, accounting for between nine and 12 per cent of Nova Scotia's international exports, according to the province. Shipping containers are seen at the Fairview Cove Container Terminal in in Halifax on August 25, 2017. Nova Scotia's Liberal government is pushing to grow the province's trade ties with Europe, through a new strategy that builds on its succesful efforts to boost trade with China. Premier Stephen McNeil says although the Nova Scotia-Europe Engagement Strategy sets no targets, the idea is to grow trade and investment opportunities with the European Union, which is the province's third largest export market after the United States and China. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan McNeil said while his government will do what it can to smooth the way, it's up to the province's companies to seize opportunities. "Without you this doesn't work," he said. "With you I think we'll surpass even our wildest dreams about the potential for this relationship to continue to grow." The government said the strategy will look to increase exports through research and development partnerships, immigration, tourism revenue, and investment. Meanwhile, McNeil said he will lead a trade mission between April 29 and May 15 that will include stops in Ireland, Holland, Portugal, Belgium, and France before moving on to Guangdong province in China. A similar strategy to grow trade in China was launched in 2016. At the time the government said exports to China totalled $420-million in 2015. Last year those exports reached a new high of $794-million. Jean-Paul Deveau, president and CEO of Acadian Seaplants, was on hand Thursday to stress the importance of increasing trade in a province with a small and aging population. "How are we going to have an economy that's going to allow us to pay for hospitals and schools? So what we have to do is we have to do more with less, and this is where exporting high value goods and services is so important to the economy of Nova Scotia." Deveau's bio-tech company is the largest independent manufacturer of seaweed-based products in the world and currently exports to more than 80 countries. It operates six processing facilities in Atlantic Canada, Ireland and Scotland. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. He said on a recent trip to Paris he was able to negotiate a new five-year deal with his company's largest customer in France. In addition, Deveau said the company is on the verge of a deal to buy another company in the United Kingdom. "Those acquisitions gives us critical mass and allows us to be competitive globally," said Deveau. "The bigger that we get, the easier it is to fend off that competition." According to the province, Nova Scotia's top export markets in Europe are the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Spain. McNeil said the strategy also aims to grow the number of Nova Scotia companies doing business in Europe. "We need to make sure that companies that haven't grown at the rate they (Acadia Seaplants) have recognize that this marketplace is now even more attractive than it was with the tariffs that have come off." He said it's a question of putting companies in a position to "capitalize on that huge market." NEW YORK - A bidding war is breaking out over Anadarko Petroleum, with Occidental making an offer that it says is about a 20% premium to Chevron's deal announced earlier this month, a rare move not often seen in the U.S. oil industry. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This combo of file photos shows the logo for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on April 12, 2019, left, and a logo on the Occidental Petroleum building in Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2010. A bidding war is breaking out over Anadarko Petroleum, with Occidental making an offer worth $76 per share in cash and stock that it says is about a 20% premium to Chevron's $33 billion deal. (AP Photos) NEW YORK - A bidding war is breaking out over Anadarko Petroleum, with Occidental making an offer that it says is about a 20% premium to Chevron's deal announced earlier this month, a rare move not often seen in the U.S. oil industry. Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. said the proposed combination would bolster its position in the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico, where it is already the largest oil producer. In this undated photo provided by Occidental Petroleum Corp., Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub poses for a photo. A bidding war is breaking out over Anadarko Petroleum, with Occidental making an offer that it says is about a 20% premium to Chevron's deal announced earlier this month, a rare move not often seen in the U.S. oil industry. (Occidental Petroleum Corp. via AP) "We have been focused on Anadarko for several years because we have long believed that we are ideally positioned to generate compelling value from a combination with them," Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub said in a statement. Occidental said in a letter to Anadarko's board on Wednesday that its bid is worth $76 per share in cash and stock and would give Anadarko shareholders $38 in cash and 0.6094 shares of Occidental stock for each Anadarko share. Occidental puts the value of its proposal at $57 billion, including debt and book value of non-controlling interest. Chevron's deal was valued at $33 billion in cash and stock, or $50 billion including debt and book value of non-controlling interest. The merger and rival bids are strong evidence that the Permian Basin is hot and only gaining potential as global supplies decline in the wake of sanctions in Venezuela and Iran, said Ryan Fitzmaurice, energy strategist at Rabobank. "There's still a lot of runway out there in the Permian," Fitzmaurice said. "If people thought that the resource was dwindling or if the potential was becoming less, I don't think you would see these types of transactions." The competitive bids also indicate that in some cases, it makes more sense to expand by swallowing up a competitor than to invest in traditional oil exploration. "On the exploratory side, a lot of the easy stuff around the world has been already had," said Leo Mariani, managing director and equity research analyst with KeyBanc Capital Markets. "It's a difficult game, and it's a low probability game if you want to find really big pools of oil out there." In a letter to Anadarko's board of directors, Hollub said Occidental made three proposals to acquire Anadarko since late March, and that each offer was significantly higher than what Anadarko accepted from Chevron. She said Occidental was surprised and disappointed that Anadarko didn't engage with Occidental on a previous proposal. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Anadarko said in a news release that its board of directors would carefully review Occidental's proposal to determine what course of action would be in the best interest of the company's stockholders. It said the board hasn't determined whether Occidental's proposal is superior to its merger agreement with Chevron. Chevron, of San Ramon, California, did not respond to requests for comment. It appears Occidental's management team didn't feel that they could negotiate successfully with the Anadarko board and management, so they took their proposal directly to shareholders, Mariani said. "A lot of the energy executives know each other fairly well, and a lot of them have been at the same helm at the same companies for many years, so as a result, we tend not to see this type of hostile approach in the sector," Mariani said. "It's incredibly rare." Occidental said it is looking to close on the deal during the second half of the year. Shares of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. jumped 11.6% to close Wednesday at $71.40. Occidental slipped 0.6% and Chevron's shares declined 3%. WASHINGTON - The Pentagon's watchdog agency on Thursday cleared Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan of wrongdoing in connection with allegations that he had used his official position to favour his former employer, Boeing Co. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan speaks during a meeting with Japan's Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya at the Pentagon, Friday, April 19, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) WASHINGTON - The Pentagon's watchdog agency on Thursday cleared Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan of wrongdoing in connection with allegations that he had used his official position to favour his former employer, Boeing Co. The decision by the Defence Department inspector general appears to open the door for President Donald Trump to nominate Shanahan to succeed Jim Mattis as defence secretary. The White House, however, has not said whether Trump intends to do so. Shanahan is not thought to face any organized opposition to Senate confirmation, although his career service in the defence industry and limited government experience could be issues. After Mattis quit last December in protest of Trump's policies, the president installed Shanahan as acting secretary but did not nominate him. Although he has publicly praised Shanahan's work, Trump has seemed content letting him remain in limbo, as he has with a number of other Cabinet-level officials and others. "I like acting. It gives me more flexibility," Trump said in January. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan speaks with reporters before an arrival ceremony for Japan's Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya at the Pentagon, Friday, April 19, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Shanahan, who spent 31 years at Boeing, has been serving as the interim Pentagon chief since Jan. 1, after Mattis resigned. The allegations of bias toward Boeing stemmed from his 18 months as deputy defence secretary, beginning in July 2017. In a written statement summarizing the outcome of its probe, which began on March 15, the inspector general's office said it "did not substantiate any of the allegations and determined that Acting Secretary Shanahan fully complied with his ethical obligations and agreements regarding Boeing and its competitors." Glenn Fine, the interim inspector general, issued a separate statement saying the probe had been conducted "fairly, thoroughly and expeditiously." A spokesman for Shanahan, Army Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, said Shanahan's ethics agreement "ensures no potential for a conflict of interest with Boeing on any matter." He said Shanahan is focused on "retooling the military for great power competition," executing the national defence strategy and caring for service members and their families. Among the allegations investigated: That Shanahan had "boosted" Boeing in Pentagon meetings; that he made disparaging remarks about Boeing competitors; and that he "repeatedly dumped" on Lockheed Martin's F-35 aircraft. FILE - In this March 20, 2019 file photo, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan speaks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. A U.S. official says the PentagonAos watchdog agency has cleared Shanahan of wrongdoing in connection with allegations that he had used his official position to favor his former employer, Boeing Co. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) "We did not substantiate any of the allegations," the IG report said. The 47-page report cited examples of Shanahan strictly adhering to the commitment he made in June 2017 not to be involved in Boeing matters. It said that in September 2017, Air Force Gen. John Hyten, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, approach Shanahan to brief him on a Boeing program. "General Hyten told us that Mr. Shanahan said, 'Stop. That's a Boeing program. I can't talk about it.' General Hyten told us that he asked Mr. Shanahan, 'Not even conceptually about future capabilities?' and that Mr. Shanahan said, 'No, I can't talk about that at all.'" It quoted Mattis, who was among former officials interviewed by the IG's office, as calling Shanahan "my ethical standard bearer" and "part of my solution when it came to ethical endurance." Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also were interviewed and said they had seen no instance of ethical slips by Shanahan. The report said the IG received allegations about Shanahan from several sources. On Feb. 7, 2019 a Senate Armed Services Committee attorney forwarded an anonymous allegation to the IG that alleged bias toward Boeing. A week later, the staff of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat who is a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, forwarded three additional allegations to the IG that asserted Shanahan pressured the military services to buy Boeing aircraft. Several newspaper articles reported similar anonymous allegations against Shanahan. In March, a watchdog group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed an ethics complaint with the IG. It alleged that Shanahan has appeared to make statements promoting Boeing and disparaging competitors, such as Lockheed Martin. This and all other allegations investigated by the IG were found to be unsubstantiated. Shanahan had publicly welcomed the decision to investigate the allegations. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. At the time, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said that scrutiny of Shanahan's Boeing ties was necessary. "In fact, it's overdue. Boeing is a behemoth 800-pound gorilla raising possible questions of undue influence at DOD, FAA and elsewhere," Blumenthal said. Shanahan signed an ethics agreement in June 2017, when he was being nominated for the job of deputy defence secretary, a job he held during Mattis' tenure. The agreement outlined the steps he would take to avoid "any actual or apparent conflict of interest," and said he would not participate in any matter involving Boeing. Shanahan, 56, joined Boeing in 1986, rose through its ranks and is credited with rescuing a troubled Dreamliner 787 program. He also led the company's missile defence and military helicopter programs. Trump has seemed attracted to Shanahan partially for his work on one of the president's pet projects creating a Space Force. He also has publicly lauded Boeing, builder of many of the military's most prominent aircraft, including the Apache and Chinook helicopters, the C-17 cargo plane and the B-52 bomber, as well as the iconic presidential aircraft, Air Force One. This is only the third time in history that the Pentagon has been led by an acting chief, and Shanahan has served in that capacity for longer than any of the others. Presidents typically take pains to ensure the Pentagon is being run by a Senate-confirmed official, given the grave responsibilities that include sending young Americans into battle, ensuring the military is ready for extreme emergencies like nuclear war and managing overseas alliances that are central to U.S. security. After decrying the provision of election rebates and attempting to get rid of them entirely in March Premier Brian Pallister said the Progressive Conservatives will continue accepting rebates from the next provincial election. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. After decrying the provision of election rebates and attempting to get rid of them entirely in March Premier Brian Pallister said the Progressive Conservatives will continue accepting rebates from the next provincial election. "Absolutely, well accept them. It was agreed to in a resolution in the house, and its the agreed solution. Members supported it, and well go ahead with that," Pallister said late Tuesday, adding the party may re-evaluate collecting rebates at a later date. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister said the Progressive Conservatives will continue accepting rebates from the next provincial election. "We dont think its the right thing to do in the long term, but in the interim period, I think it was fair, frankly, and I think our colleagues certainly agreed," he said later. "I think the NDP, though they wont issue us a thank-you note, I think they and the Liberals also appreciated the compromise." On March 7, the PC government put forward an omnibus budget bill that included clauses eliminating 50 per cent election rebates for political parties and candidates who earn 10 per cent of votes cast in their ridings. "That's a subsidy directly to political organizations that does nothing for Manitobans," Pallister said March 8. "Manitobans don't get 50 per cent back when they have a small business and they buy ads." By April 17, the provincial Tories and NDP had struck a deal. They amended the bill to include a 25 per cent election rebate for parties and candidates who draw at least five per cent of the vote. NDP Leader Wab Kinew called it a "win," and Pallister said the move ensured an even playing field for all parties heading into the next election (which is scheduled for Oct. 6, 2020, but the premier has hinted it may happen sooner). MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew The premier said Tuesday although his party has worked "very, very hard at our fundraising" raking in more than $2 million in donations, according to annual returns from 2018 he believes keeping rebates for the time being was a "fairness issue." "And making a change as we had originally proposed in mid-term or later would have put a disadvantage on (opposition parties) that I dont think would have been fair," Pallister said. Both the NDP and the Progressive Conservatives have said the changes to election rebates may help Green party candidates most, since their party doesn't often crack the 10 per cent vote threshold. However, as far as Green Leader James Beddome is concerned, hed prefer to see a per-vote subsidy brought back. (The Pallister government never accepted what it called a "vote tax" and scrapped the measure when it took office in 2016.) "Its funny for people to complain that, Oh, now the rules are going to be more fair for the smaller parties. For years, weve been getting the short end of the stick on the way that things are structured, and now its being structured a little bit more fairly," Beddome said of the rebate changes. JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Green Party leader James Beddome: "Now its being structured a little bit more fairly." Asked what he thought of Pallister choosing to accept the rebates after opposing them, the Green leader said he wasnt surprised. "I think theres a role for public financing of political parties. I think its an important, pivotal asset of democracy. That said, the Conservatives have been hypocritical and inconsistent for years and, at every opportunity, Ive pointed that out to them." Paul Thomas, a political scientist emeritus with the University of Manitoba, wondered why tax credits issued for political party donations are, so far, escaping critique. "So if youre going to say, on principle, were not in favour of giving public money to political parties, theyre private organizations, they should raise their money all of it privately. Then youve got to explain why some types of money from the public purse are more acceptable than others," Thomas said. jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @_jessbu Four anti-smoking groups are pushing the provincial government to include an amendment to its budget bill that would increase tobacco taxes instead of making cigarettes cheaper when the scheduled PST cut happens July 1. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Four anti-smoking groups are pushing the provincial government to include an amendment to its budget bill that would increase tobacco taxes instead of making cigarettes cheaper when the scheduled PST cut happens July 1. Sarah Hawkins, a spokeswoman with the Canadian Cancer Society, said she and representatives from Heart & Stroke, the Lung Association of Manitoba, and the Manitoba Tobacco Reduction Alliance met with the Manitoba government before it released Bill 16 in early March. At the time, they suggested the province increase the tobacco tax in the event of a possible provincial sales tax reduction. The government didnt follow their suggestion when it announced the one percentage point PST cut March 7. "I dont really want to speculate on their reasons for implementing the bill as they did. From a public health perspective, tobacco taxes arent just about government revenue. They are proven to be one of the most powerful policy tools we have to discourage youth from starting to smoke," Hawkins said in an interview. Manitoba has the highest tobacco taxes in Canada, but hasnt implemented any new increases since 2015, Hawkins said. In a letter sent to all members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba this week, the alliance of anti-smoking groups suggested adding a $1.15 tax increase per carton of cigarettes to offset the cost of the one percentage point PST reduction. They pointed out the previous federal Conservative government under Stephen Harper undertook similar measures when it reduced the GST in 2006 and 2008, increasing tobacco taxes both times. The advocates also suggested a tobacco tax increase could raise $5.5 million per year in revenue for the provincial government. "We believe that this amendment is straightforward, would benefit public health and public revenue objectives, and would find support from all parties. We urge all MLAs to support the amendment at the earliest opportunity," they wrote April 23. Health Minister Cameron Friesen wouldnt commit to implementing the suggested amendment Wednesday, but noted the issue is on the governments radar. "I think its a fair concern to raise by these groups and I would suggest that probably in the days to come, there will be a liaison with our minister of finance (Scott Fielding) on the issue, because this goes to pricing and it goes to provincial tax," he said. NDP Leader Wab Kinew criticized the government for not immediately committing to raise the tobacco tax. "We actually are maybe a little bit surprised that theyre not willing to take a clear stand today against cancer. This is about fighting cancer. This is about ensuring young people dont start smoking," he said. The Manitoba NDP raised two other health-related matters in the house Wednesday. First, the party tabled results of a freedom-of-information request that showed the number of cardiac surgery cancellations at St. Boniface Hospital hit 449 between April 2016 and February 2019. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The surgery cancellations were broken down by month, and showed December 2018 was the hardest hit, with 35 procedures in need of rescheduling. Friesen said the numbers were even higher under the former NDP government, but noted he was going to investigate whether there are more ways the government can prevent future cancellations. The NDP also asked the government for the date of the previously-announced Concordia Hospital emergency room closure. The minister couldnt provide an exact date Wednesday, but said the province is looking at late June. jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @_jessbu On the other end of the phone line, from her office in Cross Lake, Louann Flett sighs. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. On the other end of the phone line, from her office in Cross Lake, Louann Flett sighs. Louann Flett (Supplied) The community restorative-justice worker has heard it all. Amid the catalogue of concerns that crop up over and over again anytime someone mentions Manitobas northern justice system, one rises to the top of her list. "There arent too many cases diverted to our program," she explains. Since she began her work as a justice worker in Cross Lake about three years ago, more than 200 criminal cases have been diverted out of criminal courts and into community justice forums, which usually involve anger management and domestic violence counselling alongside cultural teachings. When individuals complete the programs, their criminal charges are dropped. The First Nations community about 500 kilometres north of Winnipeg is home to roughly 7,000 people and one of the most active restorative-justice committees in northern Manitoba. Its been running for a decade and has about a 90 per cent success rate. Its work means people who dont need to be in jail particularly youths and first-time offenders arent separated from their families and sent hundreds of kilometres south. But progress has been slower than Flett would like. Her office could take on more cases, but its generally up to police and prosecutors to hand over the files, and she says only a select few of the least serious cases are offered for diversion. "Even though we would like to, and help out our people, but were not given that," Flett says. "The court handles them." Restorative justice is often heralded as a solution to widespread problems within Manitobas courts and correctional institutions a way to relieve pressure on an overburdened, under-resourced legal system, act as an alternative to overcrowded jails and truly get through to those accused of crimes before they become repeat offenders. But, like so many other services in remote and rural areas, access is spotty. About this series Click to Expand This is Part 3 in Katie May's series on justice in Manitoba's North. Part 1: Remote life, rough justice: Justice delayed is the reality for many northern Manitoba residents caught in an overburdened legal system starved for resources Part 2: The high price of justice: Manitoba spends about $1.5 million annually on an overwhelmed, weather-delayed 'flying circus' northern circuit court system that many communities don't trust In the North, where solutions to overwhelming poverty, trauma, addictions and crime are sorely needed and especially elusive, some see restorative justice as a partial fix for a broken system that routinely locks northerners up for weeks or months on relatively straightforward criminal charges, and systemic practices have been declared unconstitutional. Of the 49 volunteer-driven community justice committees that exist in Manitoba, 11 are north of Thompson. Most of the northern-based Indigenous justice programs are run through Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and the Manitoba Metis Federation, funded by the federal and provincial governments. But they lack resources to reach all of the communities in the North and meet their extensive needs. A glimpse into restorative-justice resources in remote communities is the focus of the final instalment in a three-part Free Press series examining the challenges involved in accessing justice in northern Manitoba. Even though restorative justice has long been traditionally practised in Indigenous communities, it has become a popular political talking point for current and former provincial governments that have boosted Manitoba as a potential leader in the growing field. In 2015, Manitoba was the first province in Canada to enshrine restorative-justice principles in law. Three years later, the province joined in on a national strategy aimed at increasing its use. Any resulting advantages have been slow to spread beyond Winnipeg. But that may soon change. Consultations are ongoing within the provincial government to see what restorative-justice hubs might look like in areas outside of the city. Manitoba Justice Minister Cliff Cullen (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) "Theres lots of opportunity for enhanced capacity in these communities, and I think that will again enhance what were trying to accomplish as far as accessibility to justice for northern Manitobans," Justice Minister Cliff Cullen says. Building trust will be key to expanding restorative-justice work, says Roy Smith, who has been involved for more than two decades. Smith is a justice worker for Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak who has been overseeing restorative-justice committees in 14 of Manitobas most isolated communities for 22 years. The organization was one of the first to do restorative justice work in the North. It sometimes feels as though those working in criminal justice see restorative-justice practices as mere tokens within a colonial system, he says. "If they had more trust in a lot of our First Nation elders, and are involved in the community, theyd be able to refer more cases," he says. "They have to build the trust." If they had more trust in a lot of our First Nation elders, and are involved in the community, theyd be able to refer more cases. They have to build the trust. Roy Smith Police and prosecutors follow procedures that prevent them from diverting more than a small percentage of cases. Cross Lake RCMP Staff Sgt. Courtney Sookermany said officers in the area deal with many alcohol- and drug-fuelled assaults, often perpetrated by people who already have criminal records. But police are typically bound by policies that prevent them from diverting cases in which someone was hurt or when the accused is a repeat offender. Pulling in the same direction Years ago, when the Canadian Mental Health Association was trying to start a housing-first program in Thompson, executive director Paullette Simkins was part of a group that found out the highest volume of calls to police, emergency room visits, addictions-counselling sessions and use of other emergency services within the city could be traced back to the same small number of homeless people. Now, more than 40 of the citys most vulnerable people are part of the CMHAs Project Northern Doorway, which runs a housing complex and partners with local landlords to try to solve social problems by giving the homeless a roof over their head. click to read more Thompson regularly finds itself among the most crime-ridden communities in the country. The northern Manitoba city of about 12,500 consistently ends up near the top of violent-crime rankings. Manitobas crime-severity index is already well above the national rate, as measured by Statistics Canada, and the crime severity index in Thompson is more than double that of the rest of Manitoba. But the roots of all that crime go deeper. Years ago, when the Canadian Mental Health Association was trying to start a housing-first program in Thompson, executive director Paullette Simkins was part of a group that found out the highest volume of calls to police, emergency room visits, addictions-counselling sessions and use of other emergency services within the city could be traced back to the same small number of homeless people. They were the people drinking and defecating in public, stealing from grocery stores and fighting with each other. But when theyre sober, theyre like a family, Simkins says. Paullette Simkins (Katie May / Winnipeg Free Press) Now, more than 40 of the citys most vulnerable people are part of the CMHAs Project Northern Doorway, which runs a housing complex and partners with local landlords to try to solve social problems by giving the homeless a roof over their head. Housing outreach workers help by taking them to appointments (including court hearings, because there is overlap between the homeless and the people who end up charged with assault) and arranging education upgrades and reunions with family members. Taxpayer dollars are being utilized in a more effective manner. Police are actually policing now versus dealing with social issues downtown, Simkins says. Sgt. Brian Edmonds, officer in charge of the Thompson RCMP detachment says working with community groups and the municipal government is key to solving root problems in what is one of the busiest jurisdictions for RCMP officers. RCMP Insp. Brian Edmonds (Katie May / Winnipeg Free Press) We and all these other agencies are being proactive in trying to avoid individuals potentially going through the court system, Edmonds says. He says dealing with calls that stem from alcohol and drug abuse is No. 1 for RCMP in the hub of the North. Tackling those addictions issues, as well as domestic violence and the high number of youths reported missing from child-welfare agencies, are priorities Edmonds says hes working on with the city. Theres a lot more work happening behind the scenes than crime stats show, he says. People outside of Thompson need to realize, yeah, we have challenges, but were not sitting idly by not taking on those challenges. And that comes down to working in partnership with the courts, the Crown, the defence, the local agencies. Were doing a lot of good, solid, proactive work to deal with these challenges, and were not going to stop doing that. Katie May Close "I dont think its a lack of trust," Sookermany says. "I think it all falls into the severity of the charges that would be laid, if it was to go through the court system, and the offence that is committed." He says the detachment is diligent about diverting cases where the accused is a youth or a first-time offender, and when the allegations involve some kind of non-violent mischief, such as breaking a window. They "gladly" divert cases when they can, he says, describing the communitys restorative-justice committee as largely successful. "A court case can take up to a year, two years, to go through the system. And then youre jamming the whole system with these minor cases that can be resolved in a different way by going to restorative justice, mediation, whatever it may be," he says. According to Manitoba Justices 2015 prosecution policy on restorative justice, all offences are "potentially eligible" for restorative justice, but diversion should be used rarely for violence or other serious crimes. Community justice workers who spoke to the Free Press said decisions on what types of cases prosecutors decide to divert to restorative justice can vary dramatically from community to community. Across Manitoba, restorative-justice programs have handled 5,000 cases over the past year. As the field continues to grow, theres room to consider allowing more serious cases to be diverted, says Shauna Appleyard, the provinces executive director of restorative justice and rehabilitation services. "We have to be open to having those conversations and working with the communities towards whatever makes the most sense. I dont think thats a closed door; I think thats an open door, and I think we need to have those conversations." In October 2017, a centralized Restorative Justice Centre opened in Winnipeg, providing a kind of one-stop shop for counselling programs for city dwellers. It focuses on diverting domestic-violence crimes that would get a probation sentence in court, and similar work is being done in some northern communities on an uneven basis. As a former probation officer, Shelley Dillman saw first-hand that holistic programs are necessary to stop a revolving criminal-court cycle. During the five years she worked in Lynn Lake, Leaf Rapids and South Indian Lake, she was sometimes the only government employee "the be-all and end-all" residents of those smaller communities could talk to, despite some having a palpable sense of distrust for government-funded services. Her role didnt allow for her to focus on prevention, and she says thats ultimately why she left the job. So many of the communities want to do restorative justice and have their own committees and have healing circles and sharing circles they try so hard. They just dont have the capacity." Shelley Dillman "There was no room to build the trust and relationships needed to begin healing the issues that led to the offence and the extremely high rates of recidivism," she says. Most of her clients were on probation for alcohol-fuelled crime, much of it rooted in past trauma. "The reality of the issues that are faced by the people that live in those communities is you cant really describe it. You have to see it, you have to live it," she says. "The issues that are happening with our clients in the North go way deeper than what we can deal with on a six-month or a two-year probation order where you see them once every two weeks or once a month or once every three months." A wider focus on restorative justice, she hopes, will eventually make a difference. "So many of the communities want to do restorative justice and have their own committees and have healing circles and sharing circles they try so hard. They just dont have the capacity," she says. Despite visions for the justice system to move beyond a crime-and-punishment model, it remains an important economic driver in the hub of northern Manitoba. Crime rates in Thompson are consistently among the highest in the country, more than double the national average, but the closest jail is nearly 400 kilometres away in The Pas. The city owns the 12 holding cells at Thompson's RCMP detachment, and sheriff's cells in the provincial court office have a capacity to hold about 16 people, but there are often more prisoners than places to put them. Manitobas current Progressive Conservative government, the former NDP government and federal government officials all turned down a proposal to build a multi-purpose restorative justice centre and jail in Thompson. Download Restorative Justice Facility report The plans were endorsed by the city, Indigenous groups, local businesses and then-provincial court Chief Judge Ken Champagne, who wrote in a 2011 letter on behalf of the court that he would "strongly support" the construction of a provincial correctional facility near Thompson, "in particular one that is designed to meet the specific needs of our northern inmate population." The idea for the restorative-justice facility was presented as a high-priority way forward for Thompsons stalwart mining families, as well as for its most vulnerable residents who found themselves caught in the criminal justice system. It was billed as having the potential to create 200 jobs in a local workforce largely at the mercy of volatile natural resource industries. For people accused of crimes, it promised "housing" ranging from maximum security cells to semi-independent living units, as well as treatment programs and ongoing traditional cultural education. Former Thompson mayor Dennis Fenske (Ian Graham / Thompson Citizen) Eight years after the Thompson Economic Diversification Group unveiled its plans, the city is still pushing for implementation. But there is no political will to build a correctional facility in Thompson, and the provincial governments centralized approach to restorative justice in Winnipeg has yet to make any impression on northerners, says former Thompson mayor Dennis Fenske. "The northern residents who are involved with the justice system arent benefiting from those changes, and economically, if youve followed the economics of northern Manitoba the last 10 years, theres been a real big hit on employment in regards to the resource sector, mining (and) forestry," Fenske says. "So this was also seen as an economic driver." Theres not the political will to invest in restorative justice in northern Manitoba. Dennis Fenske The former mayor says hes encouraged by the progress many First Nations communities are making on restorative justice, but he says it requires real buy-in from governments to get at root causes as Thompson continues to appear near the top of crime-rate rankings across Canada. "And well always be there because of where we are geographically, our demographics and the lack of amenities and facilities to deal with the issues, whether it be addictions, mental health or justice," Fenske says. "Theres not the political will to invest in restorative justice in northern Manitoba." katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. To the uninitiated, a career working in quality assurance for the cannabis industry might seem like a bit of a lark. This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. To the uninitiated, a career working in quality assurance for the cannabis industry might seem like a bit of a lark. "Because a lot of people think it means that we smoke a lot of weed and say how good it is we get that joke a lot," said Chris Stone, director of quality at Vancouver Island-based Broken Coast Cannabis. Reality is much different, explained Stone, who has a background in quality assurance for other regulated industries, such as pharmaceuticals and food. Quality assurance in Canada's regulated marijuana sector is all about creating a controlled manufacturing environment, "so that if we've produced a product that the end consumer views as 'good' this week, we should be able to produce it again next week," he said. Achieving that goal while complying with complex Health Canada regulations that govern everything from security clearances to record-keeping to pest management is a tall order. That's why Stone and others launched a new industry group, the C-45 Quality Association, in Winnipeg Thursday at the culmination of a three-day conference. Stone is the association's inaugural president. The group is named after federal Bill C-45, which legalized marijuana for recreational use last October. The law has multiple goals, two of which have received the vast majority of media attention: keeping kids away from weed and curtailing the black market for the drug. But another explicit purpose of legalization is giving Canadian adults a chance to access quality-controlled cannabis, said Tom Ulanowski, president of Coquitlam, B.C.-based Nextleaf Labs. His company is applying for Health Canada licences to process cannabis and research it, and plans to produce cannabis extracts from plants grown by other companies. Cannabis producers, such as Delta 9 in Winnipeg, have to achieve quality control while complying with Health Canada regulations that govern everything from security clearances to record-keeping to pest management. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) Quality assurance is "the foundation of this industry," said Ulanowski, who used to work in quality assurance for licensed producer Canna Farms. "No product gets sold without our signatures," he said. But Ulanowski thinks the general public probably doesn't realize how much work goes into producing regulated cannabis. "They just assume it's just growers growing and packaging and selling, but really, at every step along the process, we need to prove that what we've done adheres to the regulations, and makes the regulators happy." Those regulations aren't prescriptive, meaning they don't instruct cannabis producers exactly how to grow their plants to Health Canada's satisfaction. Ulanowski said that can sometimes lead to ambiguity and trouble interpreting the government's wishes but on the other hand, it leaves room for "creative compliance" with different cannabis producers developing unique production practices that suit their business models. Ulanowski plans to join the nascent industry group, and hopes it will help his company and others improve their regulatory acumen. "The point of this organization is for all of us on those front lines to come together and go, 'Yeah there's many ways to do things, but what's the best way?'" Jodi McDonald (left) and Chris Stone are two of the founding members the C-45 Quality Association, which aims to ensure quality control standards are met throughout the Canadian cannabis industry. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press) More than 200 people attended the three-day conference in Winnipeg, said Jodi McDonald, president of Edmonton-based cannabis testing laboratory Keystone Labs and newly minted secretary of the C-45 Quality Association. "The idea is that as an association, we can communicate with Health Canada as a single voice, collect common questions and provide them to Health Canada, instead of each individual person asking the same question multiple times," she said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Right now there's a huge backlog in communicating with Health Canada, and part of that is, we all have the same questions." Stone said the group will help quality-assurance teams at cannabis producers share thoughts on regulatory interpretation, and compare notes on their interactions with the federal regulator. The general public probably won't hear much from the association, added Stone, who explained that quality-control professionals are accustomed to working in the background, but he hopes the association will eventually help build greater confidence in the cannabis industry in Canada. "And if that's a behind-the-scenes feeling, that they don't know why they feel better about it, but they feel better about it, I feel like we've done our jobs," he said. solomon.israel@theleafnews.com @sol_israel A second man has been charged in the March 3 home-invasion death of 17-year-old Tec-Voc High School student Jaime Adao. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A second man has been charged in the March 3 home-invasion death of 17-year-old Tec-Voc High School student Jaime Adao. On Wednesday, Winnipeg Police Service officers from the homicide unit arrested and charged a man already in custody at the Headingley Correctional Centre. FACEBOOK Jaime Adao "It is believed that the male was inside the residence and present during the homicide," police said in a news release Thursday. Geordie Delmar James, 34, of Winnipeg, was charged with manslaughter. He remains in custody. Jaime and his grandmother were in their home on the 700 block of McGee Street when a break in was reported around 9 p.m. on March 3. The teen was attacked with a weapon while calling 911; officers arriving on the scene shot a male suspect to stop the attack, police said. Jaime died of his injuries. Ronald Bruce Chubb, 29, who was on probation at the time of the killing, was taken to hospital in critical condition and charged March 16 with second-degree murder and attempted murder. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Family and friends gathered outside 745 McGee Street at a vigil for Jaime Adao after he was killed. Police have not said what type of weapon was used in the attack. Jaime, who was a culinary arts student at Technical Vocational High School, worked at his parents business, Jimels Bakery, on McDermot Avenue. He had planned to attend Red River College and become an executive chef. Court records viewed by the Free Press showed Chubb's lengthy history of theft and break-and-enter offences, which were committed to fuel a drug habit. Hes been in and out of jail, a cycle perpetuated by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and addictions, documents say. Manitoba judges have repeatedly called attention to Chubbs low cognitive functioning, how he continues to commit crimes and breach the terms of his probation, despite the fact hes been given long-term FASD support and access to disability services. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FIELS Imelda Adao, Jamie's mother. In August 2018, seven months before he allegedly killed Jaime, Chubb admitted in court to assaulting a police officer at a time he was wanted for violating probation. A fundraising campaign by a family friend is still collecting money to start a baking class in honour of Jaime nicknamed Jimboy by his family and assist his family with costs of a memorial. As of Thursday, it had raised just over $10,000 toward its $12,000 goal. "Jimboy has touched so many people around him one way or another. It was so unfortunate that a very innocent, God-fearing, loving, sweet, thoughtful, respectful kid, a very kind 17-year-old boy, full of life, with wonderful vision and dreams will suddenly brutally die on someones hand," a statement on the fundraising page reads. "His life was taken just like that, leaving grieving parents who will never be ready to face this kind of situation so early and in this kind of tragedy." ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca St. Boniface Hospital says one of its employees inappropriately viewed the personal health records of 38 patients earlier this year. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. St. Boniface Hospital says one of its employees inappropriately viewed the personal health records of 38 patients earlier this year. The Winnipeg hospital said Wednesday the snooping occurred between Feb. 28 and March 6. The institution said the patient information was accessed through its electronic records system. Micheline St-Hilaire, a hospital spokeswoman, said an audit found the employee, a unit clerk, had access to patient names, addresses and personal health information numbers. The audit showed the clerk did not access patient health-care information, such as treatment or test results. The unauthorized access to the patient records is a breach of Manitobas Personal Health Information Act. St-Hilaire said she could not say what the employees motivations were for accessing the patient files. The hospital did not detect any obvious connection between the targeted files, she said. The breach was brought to the hospitals attention by another employee. The snooping employee was disciplined, St-Hilaire said, but wouldnt say what punishment was meted out, including whether the person was fired. The hospital said its now in the process of contacting each of the patients affected by the breach and inviting them to contact its privacy officer with any questions or concerns. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "We deeply regret this matter and want to assure the public that we take such matters and our role in protecting our patients privacy very seriously," Martine Bouchard, St. Boniface president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. Its unknown how often snooping into patient records occurs in Winnipeg hospitals. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority does not alert the public in all instances, although it will issue a news release when significant numbers of patients are targeted. The WRHA also says it doesnt keep statistics on how often employees are caught snooping. Earlier this year, the Free Press reported a Grace Hospital employee was fired for snooping into the personal health information of five Winnipeg Jets players in 2015. Manitobas ombudsman has recommended the information act be amended to require health organizations to report any serious breach of a persons health data to his office. The province is currently in the process of reviewing the legislation. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Just in time for the summer job season, Ottawa will again fund the Youth CEO program, creating 100 positions for Indigenous, immigrant and refugee high school students. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Just in time for the summer job season, Ottawa will again fund the Youth CEO program, creating 100 positions for Indigenous, immigrant and refugee high school students. Now in its third year, the program hooks up students with summer internships in the largest companies headquartered in Manitoba. The initiative is part of a national effort to help the country compete as hub of innovation in the global marketplace, while also setting up opportunities for youth to get a taste of life in the Canadian middle class. "We need to ensure our young people are equipped with the skills they need to take on the future. This is why the government of Canada, through the Innovation and Skills Plan, is implementing targeted initiatives to give Canadians access to the skills, technology, funding and other resources needed to seize new economic resource opportunities," Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North) told an audience of potential applicants Thursday in Winnipeg. Ottawa will provide $211,759 in funding to the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Association Inc. for the program. In total, Youth CEO will provide 120 summer internships. The Business Council of Manitoba and the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development are partnered with WASAC to plug the students into the internships, with program details to follow later this spring. Thursday's announcement was a chance for all involved to applaud a program WASAC and the business council started three years ago. For WASAC, the internships give its students a door into the business market they wont otherwise have and the chance to explore jobs they may want to pursue in the future. "Now we can offer a direct line to some of the most amazing innovative companies this province has to offer," executive director Trevor LaForte said. For the business council made up of more than 80 chief executive officers with some of the provinces biggest businesses the internships give companies access to a labour pool on the cusp of the future. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Business council president Don Leitch said he can speak from personal experience about how valuable such access is. "I know myself, I was raised in Elmwood, my father was a (house) painter and when I was going to high school, my summer job was working with my father. I finished Grade 12 and I got my first summer job working with a grain company downtown at Portage and Lombard. I got to see what went on inside a big company, all the jobs that are there," Leitch said. The business council also provides post-secondary scholarships to Indigenous students to help with college and university costs, distributing some $6 million over the last 19 years. The program is also key to the future for students training at programs at Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development, advocates said. "CAHRD is in this partnership because we think its really important that youth have a continuum to work on, they work with WASAC to get good job exposures and then CAHRD is here to help them walk the last mile when theyve finished their education and theyre preparing for that job," centre executive director Marileen Bartlett said. alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca If you were to hazard a guess as to Canadas ranking for press freedom, where do you think we would stand globally? In the top five? Top 10? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion If you were to hazard a guess as to Canadas ranking for press freedom, where do you think we would stand globally? In the top five? Top 10? Surprisingly, Canada barely cracks the top 20 in the global ranking of press freedoms according to Reporters Without Borders, an organization which monitors countries for their stance on freedom of information and their treatment of journalists around the globe. Canada sits at 18 out of 180 countries, maintaining its ranking from last year, which improved from 22 in 2017. Norway occupies the coveted top spot on the list released mid-April familiar territory for the Nordic country that has held that ranking since 2016 for its constitution which favours press freedom and its limited violence against journalists. One of the red flags for Reporters Without Borders in Canadas ranking was the arrest of Justin Brake, charged in October 2016 while covering Indigenous protests at the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project in Labrador. He was cleared of civil contempt charges in March by the Court of Appeal in Newfoundland and Labrador, but still faces criminal charges. In its decision, the court noted that Brake was covering an Indigenous land protest and concluded that in achieving the goals of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, the media can play a role in understanding Indigenous Peoples issues and needs. APTN was one of the interveners in this case. Judge Derek Green, writing for a three-member appeal court panel, said Brake was simply doing his job and not breaking the law. "The evidence from APTN, which I accept, is that Aboriginal communities have been historically underrepresented in the Canadian media," he wrote. "That makes freedom of the press to cover stories involving Indigenous land issues even more vital." But Brakes legal troubles are indicative of other instances of government overreach, particularly toward smaller newspapers or independents. Grant Buckler, who volunteers with the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, wrote a piece recently in the Canadian Journalism Project publication J-Source, pointing out similar cases of arrests of reporters from smaller news organizations and independents covering protests that involve large corporations and Indigenous protesters. As Buckler writes, "People in power dont like reporters to go beyond the press releases and official statements. They employ armies of public relations staff to spoon-feed the media with the story they want the public to read or hear. They make it clear to most employees other than those PR people that they are not to talk to reporters. "They are helped quite a bit in their efforts by the continuing shrinkage of news budgets and staffs, which leave many reporters with little alternative but to rely on the official version of things. But some reporters notably those who work for a handful of the best media outlets and for small, alternative outlets driven more by idealism (and sometimes ideology) than by profit still try to get beyond the party line. That bothers some people." So companies use the power of the courts and police (the state) to control the message. The large media outlets have lawyers to back them up. The smaller outlets? Well, not so much. We should be worried. Particularly because having fewer media outlets means that public relations staff outnumber journalists. If youre wondering how well the United States did in press-freedom rankings, the short answer is: not very well. In fact, for a democratic country that likes to tout its free press, its ranking is dismal. The U.S. came in 48th, behind Romania, Chile, Botswana, Tonga, Italy and Taiwan. Much of the finger-pointing must go to the presidency of Donald Trump, who just this week celebrated CNNs low ratings and has regularly looked the other way while journalists were attacked at his rallies, calling them "the enemy of the people." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Media watchers are also concerned about the concentration in the U.S. market and the ownership of television stations by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. News this week is that Sinclair, a massive conservative broadcaster with 193 television outlets in 89 markets across the United States, is now making a move to push for a national news presence. The broadcast group is hiring news anchors to position itself as a national news competitor to Fox News ahead of the 2020 election. Sinclair television stations have been criticized for pushing pro-Trump talking points. More fake news, more news suppression, less information. Frightening. Meanwhile, internationally, 29-year-old Irish freelancer Lyra McKee was killed while covering while covering riots in Northern Ireland. A woman in the dissident group the New IRA has been charged. In 2018, 53 journalists were killed just because they were doing their jobs. Thats the ultimate outcome of a failure to protect press freedoms. Shannon Sampert is the director of the media centre for public policy and knowledge mobilization at the University of Winnipeg. s.sampert@uwinnipeg.ca Twitter: @paulysigh Ukraine has a new president, and hes a comedian! Oh, wait a minute, thats not such a big deal. Guatemala was the first country to elect a comedian as president: Jimmy Morales, back in 2015. Although Morales turned sort of serious once he took office: hes a right-wing nationalist who supports the death penalty and opposes abortion. Whereas Volodymyr Zelenskiy hasnt turned. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Ukraine has a new president, and hes a comedian! Oh, wait a minute, thats not such a big deal. Guatemala was the first country to elect a comedian as president: Jimmy Morales, back in 2015. Although Morales turned sort of serious once he took office: hes a right-wing nationalist who supports the death penalty and opposes abortion. Whereas Volodymyr Zelenskiy hasnt turned. Right through the presidential election campaign in Ukraine, Zelenskiy avoided speeches. Mostly he just toured the country with a comedy troupe, performed in skits and did standup. And hes not just a comedian, hes a Jewish comedian, the very best kind. His style is south Ukrainian, sort of vaudeville, with a distinctive Jewish inflection, and people love it. Congratulations to Ukraine, by the way, for having Jews as both president and prime minister (Volodymyr Groysman) at the same time, in the heart of traditionally anti-Semitic eastern Europe, and not even making a fuss about it. But what is Zelenskiy going to do for Ukraine now that he has been swept into office with a landslide majority (73 per cent)? Nobody actually knows, and this may include Zelenskiy himself. When Zelenskiy did offer more than jokes, in the short videos he released from time to time during the campaign, it still wasnt policies. More like mood music, really. "Hes from a family of Jewish Soviet intellectuals from a Russian-speaking industrial region (in eastern Ukraine)," Vyacheslav Likhachev of the National Minorities Rights Monitoring Group in Kyiv told the Haaretz newspaper. "He has repeatedly made fun of over-the-top (Ukrainian) national patriotic discourse." "Zelenskiy might make some symbolic gestures toward nationalist sentiment to fend off accusations that hell sell us out to Russia," Likhachev continued, "but that seems unlikely to me. He probably realizes that itll be hard for him to win over the most nationalist-oriented part of society, so hell wash his hands of them so as not to alienate the majority." That will be a welcome change after five years of the pompous nationalist bilge of billionaire Petro Poroshenko, who won the presidency in 2014 after a popular revolt overthrew the pro-Russian stooge Viktor Yanukovych. In a video Poroshenko released just before the sole presidential debate in Kyivs huge Olympic Stadium last Friday, he tried to play the patriotic card: "Theres no room for jokes here. Being a president and supreme commander is not a game... it means being responsible for the people, for the country." It would have sounded more persuasive if Poroshenko had done something about the corruption that has made oligarchs like him rich. Zelenskiys response was lethal: "Im not your opponent. Im a verdict on you. I am the result of your mistakes." And by a majority of almost three to one, Ukrainians voted to put their future in his hands. Although, to be frank, most of them doubt that he can really deliver the future of peace and prosperity that they hope for. The only evidence they have of Zelenskiys dedication, honesty and wisdom is the television series he writes and stars in, Servant of the People. Its a heartwarming story of a humble high school history teacher whose rant about the dreadful state of the country is secretly recorded by his students, and goes viral when they upload it to YouTube. So he is elected president of Ukraine. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Zelenskiy is not a high school teacher; he is a show-business millionaire with his own production company. He may be just as warm and sincere in person as Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko, the former teacher and accidental president whom he plays in Servant. (Its one of Ukraines most popular series, and is now nearing 50 episodes.) Or he may not be. Journalists are now working their way through all the box sets of Servant of the People, trying to glean some clues about what the new president has in mind. But thats a thankless task, because a lot of the show is sheer fantasy (like the sequence where the frustrated Holoborodko machine-guns the entire parliament). Ukrainian voters are not fools. They know they are buying a pig in a poke. But they calculate that things might change if Zelenskiy becomes president, whereas they certainly wouldnt change if any of the usual suspects won the presidency. And things are certainly not good now. Ukraine has become the poorest country in Europe far poorer than Russia. Millions of Ukrainians have left the country seeking work in Poland or Russia, and the low-intensity war against the Russian-backed separatists in the east drags on endlessly. No post-Soviet leader of Ukraine has made even a dent in the corrupt rule of the oligarchs. Indeed, most of them have been oligarchs themselves. So why not vote for Zelenskiy? Most Ukrainians feel that they have nothing left to lose. Gwynne Dyers latest book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work). BALTIMORE - When Catherine Pugh was inaugurated as mayor, she vowed to help transform Baltimore into "the greatest city in America." Halfway through her first term, she has thrust her chronically struggling city back into the spotlight, for all the wrong reasons. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service agents search the home of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun via AP) BALTIMORE - When Catherine Pugh was inaugurated as mayor, she vowed to help transform Baltimore into "the greatest city in America." Halfway through her first term, she has thrust her chronically struggling city back into the spotlight, for all the wrong reasons. Demands for Pugh's resignation dramatically intensified as FBI and IRS agents carried off boxloads of documents in raids of her City Hall offices, her homes and other locations on Thursday. A federal grand jury has been empaneled, and while the scope of the tax agency's criminal investigation isn't clear, it follows state and local probes of murky arrangements that earned the Democrat roughly $800,000 over the years in exchange for self-published children's paperbacks about health and nutrition. Accusations that the mayor might have received kickbacks in exchange for government favours hasn't helped restore public trust in Maryland's biggest city, where Pugh promised transformational change in the wake of massive riots and protests over police abuses. But whether Baltimore is having trouble functioning amid this latest mess depends on who you talk to. Acting Mayor Bernard "Jack" Young, a veteran councilman who took over day-to-day responsibilities when Pugh's indefinite absence began on April 2, likens himself to a skipper with a steady hand in a storm. But others say the unfolding scandal is clearly interfering with city business. "We can't waste any more time on this issue. There are many important issues in front of us that require the complete attention of a fulltime mayor," said City Council member Brandon Scott. FILE - In this June 8, 2018 file photo, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh addresses a gathering during the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Boston.When Bernard AuJackAu Young automatically became BaltimoreAos acting mayor on April 1, he emphasized that heAod act only as a AuplaceholderAu for the embattled elected mayor. But itAos been more than three weeks since Mayor Catherine Pugh slipped out of sight on an indefinite leave of absence, and it appears Young is settling in for a lengthy stint as BaltimoreAos No. 1 official. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) Political analyst Karsonya Wise Whitehead, a radio talk show host and associate professor at Loyola University Maryland, said Baltimore is "at a standstill," with nobody knowing when the mayor's "Healthy Holly" book scandal will hit bottom. "Even as we turn our attention elsewhere, something happens to bring our attention back to the mayor and to Healthy Holly. It is exhausting," Whitehead said in a Friday email. One thing's for certain: Another headline-making scandal with no resolution in sight is the last thing this tarnished city government needs. Baltimore is startlingly segregated, and has long been among America's poorest cities. There's a roughly 20-year life expectancy gap between deeply disenfranchised and overwhelmingly black neighbourhoods and areas that are whiter and more well-to-do. Opioids and the deadly gun violence that surrounds a thriving drug trade are a staggering scourge. The public schools have dismal proficiency levels, and police are under federal oversight. This isn't the first time Baltimoreans have seen crime investigators raiding a mayor's house. Former Mayor Sheila Dixon spent much of her tenure fighting public corruption charges before resigning in 2010 to save her pension and preserve the possibility of working for the city or state again. Pugh edged out Dixon by roughly 3,000 votes to clinch the 2016 Democratic primary. Baltimore's great fear is to be "seen as a laughingstock, like Detroit was years ago until the governor of Michigan put it in receivership," said John Dedie, a professor who is the political science co-ordinator at the Community College ofBaltimoreCounty."But Detroit's problems were fiscal mismanagement; Baltimore's is political incompetence." Indeed, old scars about Baltimore's dysfunctions have again become comedy fodder, with John Oliver recently skewering Pugh's "Healthy Holly" debacle on "Last Week Tonight." A cursory listen to Baltimore's talk radio proves she still has supporters who cite accomplishments over her career as a state lawmaker and city leader or theorize that the African American mayor is being targeted for embarrassment. But with her political career in free-fall and ethics questions deepening, many others have lost confidence in her ability to lead. "Clearly, Pugh no longer has a political future. Whether she has a future that involves jail appears to be an open question," said Donald Norris, professor emeritus of public policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. For nearly a month since beginning her paid leave, Pugh has made no effort to salvage her image. In late March, Pugh called her no-contract book deals a "regrettable mistake," and then she slipped out of sight, citing deteriorating health. Her lawyer, Steve Silverman, insists the ailing 69-year-old Pugh is in such a fragile state that she needs more time "to be physically and mentally sound and lucid enough to make appropriate decisions." Pockets of the curious gathered outside City Hall and her homes during Thursday's raids, trying to catch a glimpse of the mayor, or federal agents carrying out evidence. Jameela Smith, a 25-year-old college student who hails from gritty West Baltimore, said she's fed up with the public servants in her hometown. "It's very disappointing to have somebody that we personally elected to do this to us," Smith said outside City Hall, where she lingered to share her exasperation. "As a city we've already been hurt and traumatized by our leaders." ___ Follow McFadden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcfadd The rush to complete annual income tax forms is now over for most Americans, unless they have filed for an extension. The April 15 deadline has come and gone and taxpayers have seen the individual impact of the tax law changes instituted in 2018. Gone were the personal exemptions for family members. The standard deduction was raised to $12,000 for singles, $18,000 for heads of households, and $24,000 for married couples, so fewer people itemized deductions. The child tax credit went to $2,000, and a $500 child tax credit was added for older children. The combination of changes had varying effects on individual payers. The beginning of 2018 also saw a reduction in withholdings, whether Americans noticed or not. Less money was withheld from most taxpayers throughout the year. Typically, taxpayers experienced fewer total taxes withheld, even if their income was the same, which caught many by surprise. After about 40 years of the same basic format of a two-page Form 1040, with a signature on the bottom of page 2, the 1040 had a new look this year, with fewer lines for entries, and only half-pages to complete. Well also have to see statistics on how many folks decided to get tax help because of the changes in the look. Local Pheasants Forever members receive awards at state convention The Wisconsin Pheasants Forever State Convention was held at Three Bears Resort in Warrens on Jan. 19. Wisconsin Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever wildlife biologist Alex Weber presented awards to Columbia/Marquette County Chapter of Pheasants Forever on April 9. Tally Hamilton was awarded the 2018 Fresh Feather Award for new members and her active service doing exemplary work for the local and state chapters. She is also the Farm Bill biologist serving Columbia, Marquette, Green Lake, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Ozaukee, and Washington counties. Joe Schultz was awarded the 2018 Dedication Award for his continuing efforts organizing the Columbia/Marquette Pheasants Forever banquet/fundraiser including the Portage High School Clay Busters team recognition and fundraiser. Alliant Energy is making progress on the Beaver Dam Commerce Park. Alliant first announced the 520-acre project last summer to bring large-scale development and new jobs to what is now farmland, bolstering economic development in Beaver Dam. Right now, Alliant is working to get the project Certified in Wisconsin through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the states private-public organization that works to promote business growth within the state. An industrial site being certified could mean faster approvals and turnarounds for a project, according to the WEDC. Thats really been the focus for the past several months, said Scott Reigstad, a spokesman for Alliant. Now thats spring is here, we expect there might be some more ramp-up of businesses looking in the spring. He said this is the first spring of the projects development, given that it was first announced last August, with marketing efforts now due to pick up by reaching out to executives, attending conferences and so on. The company hired someone to boost marketing efforts and sent a newsletter to local residents for the spring, with plans for more sent out periodically. Hollinshead was found dead in a back room of the house, Scott said. Medina Espinosa went to his parents house that day shortly after Hollinshead had arrived with their daughter. Scott said Hollinshead had brought the girl to see her grandparents and they were in the kitchen at the time. The defendant suddenly entered from the front door with gifts in hand, Scott testified. The daughter was excited and ran to her father, Scott recalled. Medina Espinosas mother said she went to the living area, but she soon went back to the kitchen where Hollinshead remained. She heard several gun hots, Scott said from her conversation with the mother of Medina Espinosa. She ran to him, and she saw him throw the pistol in the sink. That is when she saw Stacia, and she was not moving. Public defenders Ramneek Button and Greg Vollen represented Medina Espinosa. Button asked if there were any weapons around Hollinshead and if they could tell if the wounds were entry or exit wounds. Scott said there were no weapons around Hollinshead, and they were not able to determine if the wounds were entry or exit wounds. When Kirstie Keith purchased a car earlier this year, she said she had to confront negative thinking that reflected how far she has come in her battle against heroin addiction. I worked really hard for this, but I dont trust myself, Keith said. She asked herself, How am I going to mess this up? But she reminded herself how far she has come in the three years since she stopped using heroin and it is a story and feeling she wants to share with others. I want people to know life can get better, the 27-year-old Keith said. I never envisioned my life as good as it is now. Keith was born and raised in Madison and lived in Janesville before moving to Beaver Dam three years ago. Just a few months later, Keith overdosed in Madison for the final time and her life began going in a different direction. I was living here, but I used to go back home to use, Keith said. Keith said she began using prescription drugs at age 17 as a party drug and tried heroin when she was 19 because she couldnt find narcotics pills. The European Union has granted the United Kingdom a Brexit extension until Oct. 31. Although thats Halloween, Groundhog Day the movie comes to mind. The latest delay in the UKs move to leave the EU seems like an endlessly repeating event. Indeed, British political dysfunction has kept Parliament from passing Prime Minister Theresa Mays multiple Brexit proposals seeking to avoid a hard Brexit, or a chaotic crash out of European trade protocols that could be a jeopardizing jolt to the British, European and even global economies. Despite or perhaps because of the extension, theres no sense that British lawmakers have any newfound resolve to come to agreement anytime soon, even though May, a Conservative, has crossed party lines to try to forge an accord with Labour members of Parliament. The delay may result in dissonance for some Brits, who despite voting in 2016 to leave the EU are set to vote in the European Parliament elections May 23-26. While normally a pretty placid plebiscite, the election could bring in a fresh wave of Eurosceptic or EU-supporting legislators, which may amplify the UKs divide. Food for America Application: Due May 1. This award application asks the chapter to explain the programs it offered to teach young students about where their food comes from and modern agricultural practices. The Columbus FFA officers will complete this application within the next week. Scoops of Thanks at Culvers: Help support the FFA and come to Culvers May 3 to buy a scoop of frozen custard for $1! May 3Grain Adventures: Columbus FFA will be hosting the Grain Adventures Program at Duffy Grain again this year for the fifth grade class. The program will focus on showing the fifth grade students how crop and grain production applies STEM skills and knowledge. Experts in the field of seed production, grain storage, agronomy and equipment will be on site to tell the students about their careers and how they use STEM skills. The fifth grade will then travel to the Baerwolf Dairy farm to learn about the logistics of how the grain is used to feed the dairy cow that has a calf to produce the milk that is bottled and sold at the store. The FFA members will help explain to the fifth grade students the process and production of milk and dairy products. Agriscience Class The report also names Wisconsin as one of just six states in which total revenues meaning state money and tuition dollars had returned to pre-recession 2008 levels. However, that particular analysis didnt include local money, such as property taxes. The Wisconsin Technical College System in 2015 lost $406 million in property tax money, but gained the same amount in state tax money. Because of the switch in the funding source, the offset is not apparent in the analysis. The bottom line is we have not recovered yet, which goes to what we felt intuitively, especially with the tuition freeze and the cuts, said Noel Radomski, executive director of the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education. It becomes a question of does the state want to return funding to where we were prior to the recession? Future funding UW System officials asked in August for $107 million more in the 2019-21 budget, three-quarters of which would be awarded to campuses based on performance metrics. Portage High Schools next principal is a Pardeeville native who did two tours in Iraq as a member of the U.S. military. The Portage School Board on Monday unanimously approved hiring Joshua Sween, the current principal of Mosinee Middle School and an active member of the Wisconsin Air National Guard. Sween will replace Robin Kvalo on July 1. Kvalo is retiring after serving 25 years in the district and her eighth as the high school principal. Sween is a 1999 graduate of Pardeeville High School who has 13 years of experience working in education. He first taught social studies at Oshkosh West High School for seven years and then spent two years as the assistant principal of Mosinee High School. Hes been the principal of Mosinee Middle School for the past four years. Honestly, this is a dream job for me because I grew up in the area, Sween said. I spent lot of time in Portage as a young man and really looked at Portage as the big city, coming from the small town of Pardeeville. To me, this is home. Condolences poured in after news broke former Republican state Rep. Ed Brooks died April 23 at 76. Brooks represented Wisconsin Assembly District 50 for 10 years until he decided not to run for re-election in 2018. The longtime Reedsburg resident announced that he had been diagnosed with leukemia in May 2017. Brooks' Facebook page recently announced he had been discharged from the hospital into hospice care. Current District 50 Assembly Rep. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc, fought back tears in a phone interview as he described the generosity Brooks displayed. "He would purchase animals from kids and that money went into those young men and womens educations, Kurtz said. That is something he would never tell people about, but its just the generosity that touched a lot of lives. Reedsburg School Board President Gary Woolever said Brooks was a great representative for the 50th District. He also served as chairman of the town of Reedsburg, a post he served in for more than 30 years. Former State Rep. Ed Brooks died April 23 after moving to hospice care while battling cancer. Brooks represented Wisconsin District 50 for 10 years until he decided not to run for re-election in 2018. He announced his cancer diagnosis in May 2017. Brooks' Facebook page recently announced he had been discharged from the hospital into hospice care. State Senator Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, said a press release, "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend Ed Brooks. Ed was far more than a legislative colleague. He was my friend and mentor and I will miss him." Brooks also served as the town of Reedsburg chairman for 30 years. A funeral for Brooks is scheduled for 11 a.m. April 29 at St. John Ev. Lutheran Church in Rock Springs. Visitation will be held from 2-7 p.m. April 28 at Farber Funeral Home in Reedsburg. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc., ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics. The following companies are subsidiares of Valero Energy: AIR BP-PBF DEL PERU SAC, BELFAST STORAGE LTD, CANADIAN ULTRAMAR COMPANY, COLONNADE TEXAS INSURANCE COMPANY LLC, COLONNADE VERMONT INSURANCE COMPANY, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY LLC, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OF CANADA INC., DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL HOLDINGS LLC, DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL LLC, DIAMOND K RANCH LLC, DIAMOND OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., DIAMOND SHAMROCK REFINING COMPANY L.P., DIAMOND UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., DSRM NATIONAL BANK, ENTERPRISE CLAIMS MANAGEMENT INC., GCP LOGISTICS COMPANY LLC, GOLDEN EAGLE ASSURANCE LIMITED, HAMMOND MAINLINE PIPELINE LLC, HUNTWAY REFINING COMPANY, MAINLINE PIPELINES LIMITED, MAPLE ETHANOL LTD., MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT GP LLC, MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT L.P., MRP PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, NECHES RIVER HOLDING CORP., NORCO METHANOL LLC, OCEANIC TANKERS AGENCY LIMITED, PARKWAY PIPELINE LLC, PENTA TANKS TERMINALS S.A., PI DOCK FACILITIES LLC, PICKARD PLACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, PORT ARTHUR COKER COMPANY L.P., PREMCOR USA INC., PROPERTY RESTORATION L.P., PURE BIOFUELS DEL PERU S.A.C., PURE BIOFUELS HOLDINGS L.P., Parkway Pipeline, Premcor, Pure Biofuels Del Peru, SABINE RIVER HOLDING CORP., SABINE RIVER LLC, SAINT BERNARD PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, SUNBELT REFINING COMPANY L.P., THE PREMCOR PIPELINE CO., THE PREMCOR REFINING GROUP INC., THE SHAMROCK PIPE LINE CORPORATION, TRANSPORT MARITIME ST. LAURENT INC., ULTRAMAR ACCEPTANCE INC., ULTRAMAR ENERGY INC., ULTRAMAR INC., Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, V-TEX LOGISTICS LLC, VALERO (BARBADOS) SRL, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS GP LLC, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS LIMITED, VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ARUBA ACQUISITION COMPANY I LTD., VALERO ARUBA FINANCE INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA HOLDING COMPANY N.V., VALERO ARUBA HOLDINGS INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA MAINTENANCE/OPERATIONS COMPANY N.V., VALERO BROWNSVILLE TERMINAL LLC, VALERO CANADA FINANCE INC., VALERO CANADA L.P., VALERO CAPITAL CORPORATION, VALERO CARIBBEAN SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO COKER CORPORATION ARUBA N.V., VALERO CUSTOMS & TRADE SERVICES INC., VALERO EAST BAY LLC, VALERO ENERGY (IRELAND) LIMITED, VALERO ENERGY ARUBA II COMPANY, VALERO ENERGY INC., VALERO ENERGY LTD, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS GP LLC, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS LP, VALERO ENERGY UK LTD, VALERO ENTERPRISES INC., VALERO EQUITY SERVICES LTD, VALERO FINANCE L.P. I, VALERO FINANCE L.P. II, VALERO FINANCE L.P. III, VALERO FOREST CONTRIBUTION LLC, VALERO GRAIN MARKETING LLC, VALERO H2 PIPELINE COMPANY LLC, VALERO HOLDCO UK LTD, VALERO HOLDINGS INC., VALERO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC., VALERO LIVE OAK LLC, VALERO LOGISTICS UK LTD, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY (PANAMA) LLC, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY COMPANY, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPY INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO MARKETING IRELAND LIMITED, VALERO MKS LOGISTICS L.L.C., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEW AMSTERDAM B.V., VALERO OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONS SUPPORT LTD, VALERO PARTNERS CCTS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS EAST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS WEST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS EP LLC, VALERO PARTNERS HOUSTON LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LOUISIANA LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LUCAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MCKEE LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MERAUX LLC, VALERO PARTNERS NORTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PAPS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PORT ARTHUR LLC, VALERO PARTNERS SOUTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS TEXAS CITY LLC, VALERO PARTNERS THREE RIVERS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WYNNEWOOD LLC, VALERO PAYMENT SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE LLC, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE OIL TERMINAL LTD, VALERO PLAINS COMPANY LLC, VALERO POWER MARKETING LLC, VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL PARTNERS LLC, VALERO REFINING AND MARKETING COMPANY, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-ARUBA N.V., VALERO REFINING COMPANY-CALIFORNIA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-OKLAHOMA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-TENNESSEE L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-MERAUX LLC, VALERO REFINING-NEW ORLEANS L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-TEXAS L.P., VALERO RENEWABLE FUELS COMPANY LLC, VALERO SECURITY SYSTEMS INC., VALERO SERVICES INC., VALERO SKELLYTOWN PIPELINE LLC, VALERO TEJAS COMPANY LLC, VALERO TERMINAL HOLDCO LTD, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO TEXAS POWER MARKETING INC., VALERO ULTRAMAR HOLDINGS INC., VALERO UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., VALERO WEST WALES LLC, VRG PROPERTIES COMPANY, VTD PROPERTIES COMPANY, WARSHALL COMPANY LLC, and ZELIG COMMERCIAL INC.. Chairman Seung Myung-ho of The Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo delivers an opening speech for the 6th Korea Forum at the Hotel Shilla in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun By Park Si-soo Chairman Seung Myung-ho of The Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo called Thursday for bipartisan efforts to tackle regulatory and sociopolitical hurdles facing Korea to enable the country to "lead" in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. "The world economy stands on the cusp of an epoch-making change called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We have no time to stay idle, sticking with conventional growth recipes such as exports, trade and technology that have buttressed the Korean economy." Seung made the remarks in an opening speech for the 6th Korea Forum, the "Third year of the Moon Jae-in administration and three hurdles lying ahead," held at the Hotel Shilla in Seoul. Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund 2 is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc. The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC, Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, and Wellington Management Company LLP. It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund invests in undervalued mortgage-backed securities consisting primarily of non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities with a favorable total return potential. It seeks to invest in below investment grade securities. The fund employs fundamental analysis with a focus on bottom-up stock picking approach based on rigorous analysis of the credit performance of the mortgage loan portfolios underlying the MBS, security structure characteristics such as the priority of payment, credit enhancement and default patterns of underlying loans, and the relative financial strength of the mortgage loan servicer to create its portfolio. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund 2 was formed on December 16, 2009 and is domiciled in the United States. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services medical devices and software products for treating cancer and other medical conditions worldwide. It operates through Oncology Systems and Proton Solutions segments. The Oncology Systems segment offers hardware and software products for treating cancer with radiotherapy, fixed field intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, artificial intelligence based adaptive radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, as well as quality assurance equipment. Its products include linear accelerators, brachytherapy afterloaders, treatment accessories, and quality assurance software; and information management, treatment planning, image processing, clinical knowledge exchange, patient care management, decision-making support, and practice management software. This segment serves university research and community hospitals, private and governmental institutions, healthcare agencies, physicians' offices, medical oncology practices, radiotherapy centers, and cancer care clinics. The Proton Solutions segment designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and services products and systems for delivering proton therapy for the treatment of cancer. The company has a strategic agreement with McKesson Corp. to supply treatment delivery systems and planning, services, and radiotherapy information system solutions to its U.S. Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated sites of care; and a strategic partnership with Siemens AG to represent Siemens diagnostic imaging products to radiation oncology clinics in the United States and other select markets. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. was formerly known as Varian Associates, Inc. and changed its name to Varian Medical Systems, Inc. in April 1999. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Read More BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More 11 hours ago 3 Small Cap Stocking Stuffers for a Happy New Year Although its been a volatile December, the U.S. stock market is days away from recording another strong year. Outsized returns in many individual stocks have many investors looking for ways to spread some holiday cheer by embracing the risk-on trade. It remains to be seen whether the recent pandemic concerns can put a major dent in the markets festive run since last March. Read Article Invesco CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust's stock was trading at $90.68 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, FXY shares have decreased by 9.4% and is now trading at $82.18. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Cordoba Minerals Corp., a mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of base and precious metal properties in Colombia and the United States. The company explores for copper, silver, and gold deposits. It primarily holds a 100% interest in the San Matias project with exploration licenses covering 147.23 square kilometers and has an additional 1,861.85 square kilometers of exploration licenses under application located in the municipality of Puerto Libertador, in the Department of Cordoba, Colombia. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Cordoba Minerals Corp. is a subsidiary of High Power Exploration Inc. Read More Seung Myung-ho, center, chairman of The Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo, stands hand in hand with VIP guests for the 6th Korea Forum at the Hotel Shilla in Seoul, Thursday. Under the theme "Third year of the Moon Jae-in administration and three hurdles lying ahead," the one-day forum attracted hundreds of dignitaries, including top government officials, leaders of political parties, ambassadors and senior embassy officials. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc.. Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Prim + Preux, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer panty hoses, tights, and leggings under the brands of Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, GT a GoldToe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brand names; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, or embellishers, as well as to retailers and consumer brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More GNC Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of health, wellness, and performance products. The company operates through three segments: U.S. and Canada, International, and Manufacturing/Wholesale. Its products include proteins, performance supplements, weight management supplements, vitamins, herbs and greens, wellness supplements, health and beauty products, food and drink products, and other general merchandise. The company also provides third-party contract manufacturing services. It sells its products under the GNC proprietary brands, as well as under third-party brands. As of December 31, 2018, the company had approximately 8,400 locations of which approximately 6,200 retail locations in the United States and franchise operations in approximately 50 countries. It sells its products through company-owned retail stores and its Website GNC.com, as well as third-party Websites; wholesale partnerships; and domestic and international franchise activities. GNC Holdings, Inc. has a strategic partnership with Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holding Co., Ltd. and International Vitamin Corporation. The company was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc.. 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.. Yang Eui-sig, president of the Asia Model Festival Organizing Committee (AMFOC), poses during an interview in The Korea Times newsroom on April 18. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul By Kang Hyun-kyung Yang Eui-sig's memories of growing up on a farm are far from nostalgic or idyllic. The youngest of six children, he was raised in the rustic, mountainous land of Sinpung, a landlocked township in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. He was "born with a mud spoon" in his mouth, a phrase referring to poor people. Unlike people his age who spent their childhoods in urban areas, Yang had to take care of chores around the farm. Lots of manual work waited for him once he returned home from school. He collected firewood and fallen branches and cut grass in the fields to feed livestock. He grew tired of farm life. Yang, now president of the Asia Model Festival Organizing Committee (AMFOC) which oversees the hosting of the annual contest to select Asia's next top model, said he was an ambitious boy dreaming to be a big shot in the future. "I hated farm work and tried to leave home as soon as I could," he said during a recent interview in The Korea Times newsroom. The AMFOC president, 55, has lived apart from his family since he went to high school in the nearby city of Daejeon. Yang's traumatic childhood memories also led him to lose his appetite for the rural lifestyle. Some of his young neighbors committed suicide. He called them "nunim" or sisters, although they were not his biological siblings. "I remember one sister cut her life short by hanging herself under a big tree in our village. There was another girl who died after ingesting pesticide," he said. He recalls the two girls migrated to cities at different times for work after finishing elementary or middle school. One worked as a bus conductor and the other was a sweatshop worker, a job often described at that time using the derogatory term gong-soon-ee (uneducated manufacturing sector girl). The two girls met their love interests in the city and fell in love. But their boyfriends' parents didn't approve their marriages, so they returned to their hometown in despair and committed suicide. "Although I was very young at that time, I knew why they themselves chose to cut their lives short," Yang said. "They were frustrated because of social class. At that time, girls like them who were poorly educated with humble background had few opportunities for upward social mobility." Yang said his young neighbors' tragic love stories caused him to think seriously about how to succeed in life. "I wanted to be successful, so I kept thinking about what I could do best and in which field I could outperform others," he said. Since his childhood, he heard a lot from his classmates as well as teachers that he was handsome and should consider pursuing an acting career. Finding no other talent in himself, he was determined to follow their advice. After he arrived in Seoul to attend university in 1980, he took part in auditions for an agency. He made the cut, but later realized it was a fraud. The agency kept asking for money for various purposes, including photo shoots. After years of struggles, Yang finally debuted as a commercial model in 1984. Along with two child stars, he appeared in a TV commercial to promote ice cream. His successful debut, however, was brief. He took a three-year career break to complete his mandatory military service from 1986 to 1988. During his absence, there were a lot of changes in the modeling industry. An advertising boom started in 1986 when the nation hosted the Asian Games which was followed by the 1988 Seoul Olympics. "The advertising industry had grown exponentially in the 1980s. Lots of companies promoted their products through TV ads or other types of advertisements. It was a golden era for TV ads," he said. "Unlike today, however, few people evaluated the effectiveness of their TV ads through ROI or other measures. Companies rushed to advertising because their competitors did and a sort of peer pressure played out." The booming ad industry created lots of jobs for commercial models, some of whom earned fortunes. But that was not the story for Yang. He started from scratch again after he returned to Seoul following the completion of the military service. "Modeling is a waiting game," he said. "You need to wait until someone calls you up and offers you a job. Being a model is tougher than being a salesperson. Sales clerks can sell their products if they know what those products are about and how to promote them. In contrast, models sell themselves. We need a certain period of focused training to sell ourselves because few of us know who we are and presenting ourselves to others requires a lot of effort, too." Yang promotes the Samsung Anycall mobile phone in this 1993 file photo. / Courtesy of Yang Eui-sig National Australia Bank Limited provides financial services to individuals and businesses in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. It operates through Business and Private Banking, Personal Banking, Corporate and Institutional Banking, and New Zealand Banking segments. It operates through Business and Private Banking; Personal Banking; Corporate and Institutional Banking; New Zealand Banking; Corporate Functions and Other; and MLC Wealth segments. The company accepts transaction accounts, savings accounts, deposit accounts, and term deposits; and specialized accounts, such as foreign currency, business interest, statutory trust, community free saver, farm management, and project bank accounts, as well as farm management deposits. National Australia Bank Limited also provides home loans; personal loans; business loans; vehicle and equipment finance; and trade and invoice finance, as well as business overdrafts and bank guarantees. In addition, the company offers insurance products consisting of car, home and content, landlord, travel, caravan and trailer, life, and business insurance products; and pension, superannuation, self-managed super funds, cash management, and financial planning and advisory services. Further, it provides investment products; credit, debit, and business cards; payments and merchant services; travel services; online and internet banking services; small business services; international and foreign exchange solutions; and industry specific banking services. National Australia Bank Limited was founded in 1834 and is based in Docklands, Australia. Read More Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells industrial wood pellets for industrial electrical power generation and home heating consumption in North America, Asia, and Europe. The company produces renewable fuel in the form of industrial wood pellets for electricity generation, which are used by utilities and large-scale power generators to produce renewable and baseload power. It also owns and operates the Westview port facility at Prince Rupert for the storage, handling, and loading of third party wood pellets. The company was formerly known as Pinnacle Renewable Holdings Inc. and changed its name to Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. in December 2018. Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Richmond, Canada. As of April 13, 2021, Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Drax Group plc. Read More By Park Si-soo Four North Korean diplomats were executed early April in Pyongyang over responsibility for the failed summit between Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, a Japanese news organization reported on Wednesday, citing sources. It is hard to verify, but rumors are spreading in Pyongyang and other regions, reported in a Korean article. It ran detailed testimony from a source living in North Hamgyong Province that the outlet reportedly secured on April 22. "The execution took place early April in Pyongyang," Asia Press quoted the source as saying. "A total of four people from the North Korean embassy in Hanoi and the foreign ministry were executed by firing squad in front of ranking military and foreign ministry officials." They were charged with "selling" confidential information to the U.S. before the summit, resulting in the "fruitless" summit, the source said. The outlet said the source "feels" authorities are "deliberately spreading" rumors. "While there are people who take the story at face value, some take it with a grain of salt," the outlet quoted the source as saying. UTICA, N.Y. -- The Genesis Group, Mohawk Valley Community College, and Oneida County BOCES brought together 75 career representatives from around the county to help students find a career path. A total of 1,000 students from 18 different schools came to hear about what kinds of opportunities are available right in the Mohawk Valley. Students were given the chance to choose which business they wanted to hear from while they consider the career they may want to pursue. The businesses that gave up their time to participate in this career day also benefit from the students. This is a wonderful opportunity because it gets them out of the office to promote who they are and what they're doing, but it also opens doors for people who might want to do an internship. We're heading into summer. You know they might hear of internships or opportunities that could help the students, so it is a win, win for the career representatives and our students, said Ray Durso Jr., the Genesis Group director. Representatives from the military, police, fire department, to the medical industry, and WKTVs own Jason Powles was there to represent us in the television industry. The career day was open specifically to ninth graders because it's this age group that students really start to think about their career path. Twenty veterans die by suicide every day in this country. Congressman Anthony Brindisi is calling on the federal government to do something about it. He's proposing legislation that would require the comptroller general to conduct assessments of "suicide prevention coordinators" at the VA. These coordinators, tasked with identifying at-risk veterans, say they're overworked. Brindisi wants the comptroller general to look at workload, responsibilities and vacancy rates of the coordinators. Suicide prevention coordinators are the face of the VA's efforts to combat veteran suicide. they identify at risk veterans an ensure they receive appropriate care, conduct outreach and promote awareness of suicide prevention practices within the VA, said Brindisi. The White House has a VA hotline to help veterans at 1-855-948-2311. This is a non-emergency, around the clock call center. New Hartford Animal Hospital is warning dog owners that heartworm is more prevalent this year than it has been in past years. And the reason is unknown. Heartworm is a parasite that is spread by mosquitos. It does what the name suggests. It's a worm that goes to the heart of the dog and lives and reproduces there. This can be deadly, but it's also preventable. There are many options but we suggest a monthly chewable that you give your dog and if you give it every month, all year long, you'll never have to worry about heartworm, said Veterinarian Abby Regner. Symptoms of heartworm include a persistent cough, reluctance to move and reduced appetite. Every year around this time, NewsChannel 2 teams up with the Oneida County Bar Association for Legal Line. This is your chance to talk to local attorneys about if you have a case. Legal Line is for informational and educational purposes only. There is no attorney-client relationship. If you want to establish an attorney client relationship you can call the New York State Bar Association at 1-800-342-3661. Call the line at 315-292-6565 and phones are open from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. UTICA, N.Y. -- Dontae Joseph, a MVCC engineering student, and Melissa Barlett, a professor, sat down for a NewsTalk on STEM Fest, which gives students an opportunity for hands-on learning. Mohawk Valley Community College will host STEM Fest, a celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 27, in the Alumni College Center Commons at the Utica Campus. The event is designed to inspire and encourage the scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians of the future. The event is open to all ages, and admission is free. For this event, MVCC's Alumni College Center will be transformed into a showcase of STEM, giving both children and adults a unique, hands-on opportunity to explore the worlds of science, technology, engineering, math, and nanotechnology. For more information about the event, contact Associate Professor Shahida Dar at sdar@mvcc.edu or 315-792-5633. For more information about MVCC and its programs, visit www.mvcc.edu. A Rome man was arrested Monday for alleged sexual contact with a child, according to the Oneida County Sheriffs Offices Chief Deputy Joseph Lisi, director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center. William Lighthall Jr., 25, is charged with felony third-degree criminal sexual act. Lisi says Lighthall allegedly had sexual contact with a male child under 17 years old in the city of Rome on April 29. Lighthall was arraigned in Rome City Court and sent to the Oneida County Jail on $2,500 cash bail or bond. An order of protection was requested on behalf of the victim, who has also been offered services through the Child Advocacy Center. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Thursday, before their first ever summit. AP-Yonhap Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un exchange gifts following their talks at the Far Eastern Federal University campus on Russky island in the far-eastern Russian port of Vladivostok on April 25. AFP Artists perform during a reception after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Far Eastern Federal University campus on Russky Island in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25. AP NK leader wants security guarantee for denuclearization By Lee Min-hyung North Korean leader Kim Jong-un participated in his first-ever summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Thursday, that addressed denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula among other topics. In a post-summit press conference, Putin said that what Kim Jong-un wants is a security guarantee before realizing nuclear disarmament on the peninsula. Putin said a resumption of the six-party talks could be an effective solution to discuss this issue, as Pyongyang believes Washington and Seoul cannot guarantee the security of the Kim regime. The six-party nuclear talks, which have been stalled for years, refer to multilateral negotiations among six countries, China, Japan, Russia, the United States, and the two Koreas. Established in 2003, they discussed peaceful methods for the North's nuclear disarmament. "We believe the six-party talks need to be resumed when discussing a security guarantee for North Korea," Putin said. The summit comes at a pivotal moment when the North needs outside support to tackle its deadlocked nuclear diplomacy with the United States and prop up its sanctions-hit economy. "All eyes from across the world are focused on the issue of the Korean Peninsula, and we are going to exchange each other's views on that and continue joining hands to settle the issue," Kim said in his pre-summit opening remarks at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. Observers note that the "issue" was the almost year-long denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang. Kim is likely to have asked for Putin to support his approach of seeking partial sanctions relief in exchange for phased nuclear disarmament steps. This, however, hit a snag at the February summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, between President Donald Trump and Kim after the U.S. leader refused to accept the approach during their second face-to-face meeting. DELPHI, Ind. (WLFI) - In a press conference on Monday, Indiana State Police announced several pieces of new information in the Delphi double homicide investigation. ISP released a video, additional audio and a new sketch of the suspect. Release audio recording of suspect Indiana State Police have released a new video, sketch and audio of who they believe killed Abigail Williams and Liberty German in Delphi on Feb. 13, 2017. Read all the new information released here: https://t.co/WAQy2GPOYO pic.twitter.com/sbNXiHdnkN WLFI News 18 (@WLFI) April 22, 2019 State police are looking for a vehicle parked in the DCS office lot between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Feb. 13, 2017. The office is on County Road 300 North near the Hoosier Heartland Highway. According to ISP Superintendent Doug Carter, the suspect appears to be from, or have close links to Delphi. Carter said they believe he is between 18-40 years old. The video released shows the man taking a few steps on the Monon High Bridge. Carter said to keep in mind that he is walking on an old railroad track and that could alter the way he walks. There was no sound to the video. The audio released is a few seconds longer than what was initially sent out from the beginning of the investigation. The new clip ends with the initial clip where the suspect says "down the hill." According to Carter, there is just one person talking and it came from Libby's cellphone. "I can assure you that how you left them in that woods is not what they're experiencing today." -@IndStatePolice Supt. Doug Carter @WLFI #JusticeForAbbyAndLibby/#DelphiMurders Trevor Peters (@TrevorPetersTV) April 22, 2019 Carter said the first sketch, released on July 17, 2017, is now secondary. The new sketch appears to show a younger person. In the initial sketch from 2017, ISP said the alleged killer is 5'6 to 5'10, 180 to 220 pounds with "reddish-brown" hair. Police said the man has an unknown eye color, but "definitely not blue." Besides the sketch, new information on description was not provided in Monday's update. This is who police believe murdered Abby and Libby. Do you recognize him? Call the tip line now! pic.twitter.com/BF7iEkWUci Kayla Sullivan (@KaylaReporting) April 22, 2019 No questions were taken and the media was asked not to talk to the family for two weeks. The girls were dropped off by a family member to walk near the Monon High Bridge on Feb. 13, 2017, but they never showed when they were supposed to be picked up. The next day, their bodies were found less than a mile upstream from where they were last seen. Police have received thousands of tips, but none have yet to lead to an arrest in this investigation. Investigators in Carroll County released an audio clip of who they believe is the main suspect. They say the clip and two blurry pictures were captured from Libby's phone. A police sketch was released on July 17, just five months after their deaths. Indiana State Police said the alleged killer is 5'6 to 5'10, 180 to 220 pounds with "reddish-brown" hair. Police said the man has an unknown eye color, but "definitely not blue." Anyone with information on the deaths of Abby and Libby should email abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com. It is two different weather worlds in the area right now with some sunshine & nice weather in the northwest to showers moving back into the south & some patchy drizzle in the heart of the area. Temperatures vary from 55-64 as of 12:30 p.m. The warmest temperatures are in the far northwest. It appears that any sunshine today will be confined to our far northwestern areas. Highs today should run 58-68 with warmest temperatures in the far northwest. The system is accelerating some so.............. Showers will continue to migrate northward with time today, so count on showers & even a few embedded t'showers increasing with from south to north. Rainfall coverage & intensity should peak early this evening to early tonight. However scattered showers will continue through the overnight hours, then end Friday morning. Friday should turn mostly sunny by afternoon & after morning lows of 45-52, highs should reach 62-66. Winds wil be strong from the west to west-northwest at 20-35 mph, adding some chill to the air despite the 60s & all of the sunshine. Some high clouds will begin streaking in from the northwest & west at sunset. These high thin clouds will be increasing gradually north of a warm front Friday night to Saturday morning. Friday night-Saturday morning lows will still be cold at 37-44. A few patches of frost are possible once again in our northeastern areas. Clouds will continue to increase & thicken Saturday morning before we are mostly cloudy to cloudy by late morning-midday. A few isolated showers are possible midday to early afternoon, then scattered showers & t'storms will be on a rapid increase mid-afternoon & beyond. The greatest coverage & concentration of rainfall will be in the northern half of the viewing area. Warm front will set up near our southern counties, separating 50 from 70s. Note the heavy, accumulating snowfall northwest of us with temperatures around 32 Saturday with several inches of accumulation likely. Some isolated severe weather risk could develop south of the warm front & just ahead of the cold front from central Illinois to Missouri Saturday late afternoon-evening. At this point, I do not see any severe weather risk for our area. There will be a big difference in temperature along the warm front Saturday. Note how it is low 30s in far northwestern Illinois, but lower 70s in far northeastern Missouri & upper 60s in far southeastern Iowa. Here, our highs will vary from 52-67. It will run 52 in the north to a late evening high of 62 at Lafayette to 67 in our far south in the evening. Front will be south of us Sunday, so it will be cool & windy with skies becoming partly cloudy & highs 57-62 after 39-44 in the morning. Warm front will move back northward Monday & stall near I-74 with a round of showers & t'storms in the morning & a few lingering into the afternoon. It will be the same thing Tuesday with a round of rainfall in the morning & then again in the afternoon-evening. At this point, much of the area looks to stay north of the warm front, containing any severe weather risk largely south of the area. This also keeps us cooler in the 40s & 50s to some 60s. Some 70s may attempt to get into the far southwest or south. The warm front shows up well at midday Tuesday. Note how it is already mid to upper 70s in far southern Indiana at that point, but only mid 40s in far northern Indiana. It is all-out summer in the South with temperatures already well into the 80s to near 90 at midday. It is all attributed to the position of the warm front & the blocking ridge west of Greenland. The [west of] Greenland Block is just not allowing the storm systems or warm front to be thrust northward until perhaps Wednesday to Friday period. Then, warm weather with some severe weather risk could occur. Near noon time Wednesday, front may be trying to move northward. At that point, it may be 80-82 in far southern Indiana, but the 70s sneaking into our southern counties with 50s in the far north. It will still be all-out summer from New Jersey to southern Indiana to Arkansas & Texas & east & southward. We will monitor. This is a tedious forecast of figuring out exactly where the warm front will set up, separating winter & early spring from summer-like weather. Thursday-Friday period finally shows midday temperatures in the 70s over much of the area. We shall see! Still going with this forecast trend. Looks like it could be the upper trough & pretty strong low pressure in the Plains that bucks the trend of Greenland blocking, allowing progression of the warm front northward. This will likely result in severe weather Thursday from Missouri to Oklahoma. We may get in on some of it Thursday evening-night & some perhaps Friday. The worst of it looks to stay west & southwest of our area, however. From today to next Friday night (May 3-4), a total of 2-5" of rainfall is likely area-wide. At least it will not be all falling at once or in a 24- or even 48-hour period, but stretched out over a week. Regardless, this will result in further delays in spring field work. I did see a large field today that just had anhydrous ammonia put on it, but given the additional rainfall, it will not be planted in corn for a while. If we can just push this warm front way north, we could get the strong, warm, humid southerly winds. That wind & 77-81 warmth would help to dry things. Unless this new data changes, the front will not get thrust north of our viewing area for nearly another week! LEBANON, Ind. (WLFI) Officers from the Lebanon Police Department and Boone Sheriffs Office arrested two suspects shortly after an armed robbery in Lebanon. According to a Lebanon Police Department press release, around noon on Thursday police were dispatched to the Verizon Wireless Store, located at 2415 North Lebanon Street, for an armed robbery. While responding, they were informed of a possible vehicle description and suspect descriptions. With the help of a GPS device that was put in with the stolen property, officers were able to locate the suspects and vehicle in the area of Lebanon Street and Northfield Street. After the suspects spotted the officers, their vehicle began traveling south on Lebanon Street at a high rate of speed, then turned westbound on Camp Street. Boone County Sheriffs Detective Captain Mike Beard was pursuing the suspect vehicle with his emergency lights activated as they traveled westbound on Camp Street. Lebanon Officers also joined the pursuit as it approached Camp Street and Lafayette Avenue. The suspect vehicle was speeding and disregarded stop signs along Camp Street. At the intersection of Camp Street and Lafayette Avenue, the vehicle attempted to make a right turn but was unable to make the turn and struck a vehicle traveling southbound on Lafayette Avenue. Two occupants exited the vehicle and fled on foot west into the Hoosier Estates Mobile Home Community. After a short foot pursuit, both suspects were taken into custody. Kaeron Ray, 22 from Indianapolis, was booked into the Boone County Jail on preliminary charges of Armed Robbery, Intimidation, Criminal Confinement, Theft, Resisting Law Enforcement, Possession of Stolen Property, and Pointing a Firearm. Ray was also found to have active warrants out of Marion County for Burglary and Hendricks County for Armed Robbery. Timothy Cottrell, Jr., 25 from Indianapolis, was also booked into the Boone County Jail on preliminary charges of Armed Robbery, Intimidation, Criminal Confinement, Theft, Resisting Law Enforcement, Possession of Stolen Property, and Pointing a Firearm. The people in the vehicle struck by the suspect vehicle during the pursuit suffered minor injuries. Both suspects also suffered minor injuries during the collision and apprehension. No officers were injured during this incident. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The Purdue Veterinary Teaching Hospital has been put on "probationary accreditation." As News 18 previously reported, the hospital's accreditation is at risk because its facilities are no longer up to regulation codes. Probationary accreditation means that the university has two years to fix the problem. Luckily, the state budget passed the legislature yesterday. The budget includes the full amount that Purdue President Mitch Daniels lobbied for from the state to help rebuild the new hospital. Purdue University has also committed $35 million to the new hospital project, an amount that includes fundraising by the College of Veterinary Medicine. The total project will cost $108 million. Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine Dean, Willie Reed, gave News 18 a statement regarding the money gained from the state budget, and the change in accreditation status: "We are very excited by the news that the Indiana General Assembly has approved a $73 million appropriation toward construction of a new Veterinary Teaching Hospital! With this support, and pending the state budget bill being signed by the governor and the hospital project receiving formal approval by the Purdue Board of Trustees, we can say that the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine's dream of having a new state-of-the-art hospital facility will become a reality. "The timing of this development could not be more fortuitous. The new Veterinary Teaching Hospital will address a key issue affecting our College's accreditation. After the accreditation review team from the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) visited our College last fall, the COE cited problems with the existing hospital facility as a "major" deficiency. We recently were notified that, as expected, our accreditation status therefore was changed from "full accreditation" to "probationary" accreditation. While this designation has no near term effect we remain an accredited College of Veterinary Medicine it does highlight the urgency of building a new hospital facility. The new Veterinary Teaching Hospital project is exactly what we need to correct the deficiency and restore the College's full accreditation status. "Again, this temporary change in accreditation status has no impact on our day-to-day operations we will continue granting accredited degrees and our renowned Veterinary Teaching Hospital will continue providing outstanding medical care including advanced specialty and emergency treatment for all animals. The development that WILL affect our College for years to come is the state appropriation just approved by the Indiana legislature that enables us to look forward with excitement to the fulfillment of our long-awaited dream of a new hospital facility. As our College celebrates its 60th Anniversary, and the 150th Anniversary of Purdue University, we truly are poised to take our next Giant Leap!" British Ambassador to Korea Simon Smith, center, and Singaporean Ambassador to Korea Yip Wei Kiat, to his left, listen to a speech during the Korea Forum 2019 hosted by The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo at the Shilla Seoul, Thursday. Forty representatives of more than 20 diplomatic missions, including 12 ambassadors were invited to the forum. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk By Yi Whan-woo Korean Presidents only serve a single, five-year term, so their third year has always been a challenge to either move forward or falter. In this regard, foreign envoys based in Seoul said they found the theme for this year's Korea Forum very "topical, relevant and actual." Hosted by The Korea Times and its sister paper Hankook Ilbo, Thursday, the forum at the Shilla Seoul took place under the theme _ "Three hurdles in the third year of the Moon Jae-in presidency _ Labor market reform, policy on big firms and innovation and social values." The envoys said they especially found the discussion on labor market reform interesting, pointing out that unemployment and its associated problems have been haunting Korean leaders for years. President Moon is grappling with the highest unemployment rate in nine years, on top on the diplomatic front of the aftermath of the Hanoi summit breakdown, which apparently marred his vision for a peace-driven economy. Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan, left, and Macquarie Group of Companies in Korea Chairman John Walker, second from left, listen to a speech during the Korea Forum 2019. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk "Economic policy is at the center of politics for the Korean government. And the theme is very topical and relevant," Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan said. She was among 40 representatives of more than 20 diplomatic missions, including 12 ambassadors, who were invited to the forum. Singaporean Ambassador to Korea Yip Wei Kiat found the theme "very relevant," adding Moon, who took office in May 2017, is getting toward the midpoint of his term and that this is what many people are concerned about. "Personally I'm most interested in labor reform. This is something about not just the current government but an issue that has been ongoing for some time," he said. British Ambassador to Korea Simon Smith said the themes were "very important and actual." He said topics related to the labor market were of "direct interest to me," adding it is the issue that "all governments of developed countries are grappling with." "We have an important decision to take on how technologies of the future will impact our societies, and in particular, how we regulate new industries and technologies," he said. "And I think we have to be brave about that." Malaysian Ambassador to Korea Mohd Ashri Muda, right, and Mexican Ambassador to Korea Bruno Figueroa Fischer, second from right, participating in the Korea Forum 2019. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk For Malaysian Ambassador to Korea Mohd Ashri Muda, the Korea Forum 2019 was the first he has attended since arriving here in February and presented his credentials to President Moon in March. He said he found the forum very positive. "It is very good that you discuss openly and it's very good for everyone to chip in to solve problems." From left, Danish Ambassador to Korea Thomas Lehmann, Croatian Ambassador Damir Kusen, Costa Rican Ambassador Rodolfo Solano Quiros and Australian Ambassador James Choi join the Korea Forum 2019. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk Foreign wives attend a job fair held at Seoul City Hall on April 5. / Yonhap By Lee Suh-yoon For Kat (pseudonym), a Cambodian woman who divorced her abusive Korean husband in 2015, renewing her F-6 visa every year is a distressing process. Though the court which dealt with the divorce suit stated the cause of divorce was attributable to her husband's physical violence, she must resubmit hospital records and harrowing photos of injuries from the beatings to renew her F-6 visa at the immigration office every year. "The court verdict clearly states the husband is culpable in the divorce, but they ask for evidence and other documents, effectively putting her on trial a second time," Kang Hye-sook, director at the Women Migrants Human Rights Center in Daegu, told The Korea Times, Thursday. Kim (pseudonym), a Chinese woman married to a Korean husband for four years, wanted to file for divorce saying her husband had stopped working and showed signs of delusional jealousy. But she stalled, scared she might be kicked out of the country. Kat and Kim's cases were presented by the human rights center in Daegu, a city where some 8,800 foreign wives reside, during a symposium hosted by the Korean Women Lawyers Association in Seoul, Wednesday. Both cases were examples of the uncertainties migrant women face when they want to divorce their Korean partners. There are around 160,000 foreign wives living in Korea. Forty-two percent are from Vietnam, 29 percent from China, and the rest are predominantly from other Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Cambodia. In 2017, one in 20 marriages in Korea took place between a Korean man and a foreign woman, according to Statistics Korea's most recent report. But in cases where a Korean man ties the knot with a foreign partner from a relatively poorer Asian country, it's rarely a marriage of equal partners. Marriage migrant brides 18 years younger on average than their Korean spouses are sexually objectified from the moment they are listed on international marriage broker sites. Many face various forms of abuse from their partners or in-laws in Korea, according to the center. A panel discussion is held during a symposium on the rights of abused migrant women in Korea in southern Seoul, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon Chile is a country in South America, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Andean Mountains range in the east. The country covers an area of 796,096.3 km2 and has a population of 17,574,003. Given its range in latitude, the countrys landscape varies significantly from north to south. Chile contains many volcanoes, including 105 that are active. Ojos del Salado is Chiles highest volcano, as well as the worlds highest active volcano. The tallest volcanoes of Chile are highlighted below. The Five Highest Volcanoes in Chile 1. Nevado Ojos del Salado Ojos del Salado is located on the international border between Chile and Argentina, in the Andean Mountains, and has an elevation of 6,893 m. Despite its height, the volcano experiences little precipitation due to its close proximity to the Atacama Desert. However, snow often remains on its peak during the winter. Ojos del Salado also features a permanent crater lake, which is located an at an elevation of 6,390 m and has a diameter of about 100 m. The volcano is relatively easier to climb than other mountains of its height. 2. Llullaillaco The worlds second highest active volcano, Llullaillaco, is Chiles second highest volcano. The volcano is located on the Chile-Argentina border, in the Puna de Atacama (Atacama Plateau), near the Atacama Desert. Llullaillaco has an elevation of 6,739 m above sea level, and last erupted in May 1877. Like Ojos del Salado, Llullaillaco also experiences a cold and dry climate, with snow cover occurring only near its peak. Presently, the volcano exhibits no fumaroles, but the possibility of a major future eruption cannot be completely ruled out. The first recorded climb of Llullaillaco occurred in 1950. The volcano is the worlds highest archeological site, and the mummified remains of children were found at its summit in 1999. 3. Incahuasi Incahuasi is Chiles third highest volcano, with an elevation of 6,621 m above sea level. The volcano is located on the Chile-Argentina border, and consists of a caldera and two stratovolcanoes. The first recorded climb of Incahuasi was achieved by Walter Penck in 1912, although evidence of ancient ceremonial structures suggests the volcano was previously climbed by Inca people. Although the volcano is believed to be in a dormant or extinct state, the unpredictability of volcanoes in the region cannot rule out the possibility of a future eruption. Like most volcanoes in the region, Incahuasi experiences a cold and dry climate, and snowfall occurs only during the winter. 4. Tupungato Located on the Chile-Argentina border, Tupungato is Chiles fourth tallest volcano, with an elevation of 6,570 m. It is an extinct stratovolcano that is estimated to have erupted 0.8 million years ago. Tupungato was the site of a plane crash, the airliner Star Dust, in 1947. The plane crashed into a glacier on Tupungato, which triggered an avalanche and buried the plane. 5. Parinacota Parinacota is a dormant stratovolcano located on the Chile-Bolivia border. The summit of the volcano has an elevation of 6,380 m above sea-level, making it the fifth highest volcano in Chile. A 500 m wide crater is located at the summit of Parinacota. Guano is the accumulated fecal excrement of bats and seabirds. It is an effective fertilizer with a high content of potassium, phosphate, and nitrates that are essential for the growth and development of plants. In the past, the excrement was used to manufacture gunpowder and explosive materials. Throughout the 19th century, guano played a vital role in the development of farming, but demand declined after the discovery of synthetic fertilizers. The guano trade led to the exploration and colonization of isolated bird islands in several parts of the globe. Sourcing Guano Bird guano is found in dry climate away from rainfall and moisture that leaches nitrogen and ammonia. However, the best guano is produced by marine birds along the east coast of the South Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Bat guano is mined in caves, but the process of extracting the manure is associated with diminishing biodiversity as the waste provides nutrition for bat-residing invertebrates. In addition, guano deposits store paleoclimatic records of environmental changes over thousands of years that cannot be recovered once disturbed. Guano In Peru By the 1830s, American ships were already mining guano from Chincha Islands off the coast of Peru. The large population of guanay cormorants, pelicans, and boobies had deposited about 200 feet of guano over a vast area. The Peruvian guano became a favorite fertilizer in the United States and led to the exploration of similar islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific but the guano found was of low quality due to the degradation of nitrates by moisture. The Guano Trade The high demand for guano in the United States prompted businessmen to rush to South American islands in search of the product. Ships sailing the dangerous waters of Cape Horn risked capsizing in the intense waves while sailors suffered from seasickness and tropical diseases. The locals disagreed on the prices and ownership of the islands as corporations began privatizing sections of the islands to deter others from accessing and mining guano. Ammonia and nitrogen exposed sailors and miners to hazardous levels of toxic fumes. Contribution To Agriculture Farmers in the United States realized that guano was a better fertilizer that significantly increased production than cattle manure. Word quickly spread around North America, and despite the high prices imposed by the Peruvian government, demand continued to rise. The trade became a critical component of agriculture that President Millard Fillmore vowed to engage the Peruvian government in talks over the prices of the product. Stars are portrayed on several country flags. The flag of the United States has the highest number of stars at 50, followed by the flag of Brazil with 27 stars, and the flag of Uzbekistan with 12 stars. The American flag has numerous nicknames including the Star-Spangles Banner, Old Glory, and the Stars and Stripes. The current 50-star version of the American flag is the countrys 27th flag, and it is the longest-used version of the US flag. The American Flag The US flag is made up of thirteen horizontal red and white stripes with a blue canton bearing 50 white stars. The small 5-pointed white stars are arranged in 9 rows. The 50 stars represent the fifty American states, and the thirteen stripes symbolize the 13 British colonies which became the first American states. The American flag has been modified 26 times since 1977. President Eisenhower ordered the 50-star flag on August 21, 1959, and it was officially adopted in 1960 after Hawaii gained statehood. Hawaii was the final state to join the United States. The 50-star flag has been used for over 59 years, followed by the 48-star flag which was used for 47 years before being replaced on July 4, 1959, by the 49-star version. Evolution of the US Stars and Stripes Flag The original stars and stripes flag had thirteen stars representing the Thirteen Colonies, the first original states which included Rhode Island, New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Maryland among others. The 13-star flag was used from 1776 to May 1, 1795. Betsy Ross designed the 13-star flag. The 15-star flag was adopted on May 1, 1795, when Kentucky and Vermont gained statehood. The 15-star flag was used until July 3, 1818, when five more states were added on the blue canton representing Indiana, Mississippi, Louisiana Tennessee, and Ohio. The 20 stars were arranged in 4 rows on the blue canton. The Congress approved Captain Reids suggestion of addition of 5 stars, with each star representing the 5 new states on April 4, 1818. The Act also specified that the new flag would become official on the next July 4 after the addition of a new state. The 23-star flag became official in 1820 after Maine and Alabama gained statehood. 14 more stars were added from 1822 to 1867 symbolizing the addition of 14 new states including Nebraska, Kansas, Oregon, Iowa, and Texas among others. The more recent alteration of the US flag occurred in 1960 when the fiftieth star was added after Hawaii gained statehood in August 1959. The 50-star flag surpassed the 48-star flag in 2007 becoming the longest-used version of the American flag. The Future of the US Flag Puerto Rico voted in favor of joining the United States in 2012, but the results were disputed. The unincorporated American territory held another referendum in 2017, but the turnout was quite low (23%), even though 97% of the people who voted were in favor of the territory gaining statehood. The District of Columbia held a statehood referendum in 2016 where 86% of the residents voted in favor of the proposal. Therefore if a new state will be admitted into the Union in the future, the flag will have to be redesigned to create room for the new state. Three Wrangell High School Seniors were selected for the Sasayama/Alaska Pulp Corporation Scholarship this week. The Alaska Pulp Corporation operated in Sitka and Wrangell for many years, and the scholarship is still given to three students from Sitka and Wrangell each year. This year's winners for Wrangell are Kellan Eagle, Helen Decker, and Jean-Luc Lewis. Pictured here is (left to right): Franklin Roppel, part of the selection committee, Eagle, Decker, Lewis, and Anne Morrison, also part of the selection committee. The scholarship is worth $20,000, which will go towards the students' college or vocational school. Three senior students at Wrangell High School were informed Monday that they were chosen as recipients of the 2019 Sasayama/Alaska Pulp Corporation scholarship. The scholarship was first put together in 1992, according to Franklin Roppel. The Alaska Pulp Corporation began operations in Wrangell around 1954, he said, and was a major employer in Wrangell, Sitka, and the Southeast Alaska area for many years. Every year since 1992, Roppel said, three students from Wrangell and three students from Sitka are awarded the scholarship, to help pay for their post-secondary education. "So far, about $... By Bahk Eun-ji The Seoul Metropolitan Government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), Wednesday, with six food franchises and delivery service providers to replace pollution-emitting scooters with electric ones in an effort to cope with fine dust pollution. The participating franchises are McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Kyochon Chicken and three delivery service providers, Baemin Riders, Vroong and Barogo. Among some 446,000 scooters and motorcycles registered with the city government, about 100,000 are used for delivery. Under this partnership, Seoul City and the companies plan to replace them with eco-friendly electric ones by 2025. The companies plan to adopt 1,050 electric scooters this year to replace the old gas-powered vehicles. The city government will provide subsidies which can cover about 30 percent of the purchase costs. Gas-powered two-wheelers have been commonly used for delivery services due to their convenience, but their engines produce six times more nitrogen oxide emissions than small cars. The city government will also develop new standard battery models that can be charged more easily, and will improve the charging system by adding more charging stations and adopting a battery sharing system. "Seoul City will take all possible measures to combat fine dust, through cooperation with private companies as well as participation of citizens," Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in a statement. As more and more details emerge about the disappearance on October 2 of the well-known Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, it is becoming clear that a monstrous crime has been committed with serious worldwide implications. The Turkish media has published photographs and video footage documenting the arrival at Ataturk airporton the same day as Khashoggis disappearanceof a 15-member Saudi death squad. It included two air force officers, intelligence operatives and members of the elite personal guard of the Saudi monarchy. Also among them, according to Turkish authorities, was a forensics expert, who reportedly came equipped with a bone saw. Turkish media reports indicate that Khashoggi had visited the consulate a week earlier seeking documents he needed for his planned marriage to a Turkish woman. He was told to return on October 2 at 1 p.m. Local staff were instructed to take the afternoon off as the 15 state assassins arrived. Khashoggi was, according to accounts of Turkish security officials speaking on condition of anonymity, dragged from the consuls office and killed, and his body then dismembered with the saw. This crime has attracted worldwide attention for its brazenness and brutality, as well as because of the identity of the apparent victim. Khashoggis journalistic career has been that of an insider within Saudi ruling circles, with close connections to some of the Kingdoms most powerful officials and billionaires. He served as an aide to the long-time Saudi intelligence chief and former ambassador to the US, Prince Turki bin Faisal, and was known as an interlocutor between the monarchy and Western media and officials. In September 2017 the kingdoms de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)praised by the Western media as a great reformer and feted by the Trump administration as well as Americas financial elitelaunched a brutal crackdown, including against members of the royal family, prominent business figures and some journalists. The dictatorial actions were largely ignored or supported by the Western media. The ineffable foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times, Thomas Friedman, who was wined and dined at a royal palace in Riyadh, wrote at the time that not a single Saudi I spoke to here over three days expressed anything other than effusive support for this anticorruption drive. Khashoggi chose to avoid imprisonment through self-imposed exile in the US, where he was given a column in the Washington Post and initiated the process of becoming a US citizen. He used the column to criticize Mohammed bin Salman from a standpoint reflecting the divisions within the royal family itself. Most recently, he wrote a condemnation of the war waged by the Saudi regime against Yemen, an intervention initiated by MBS. Despite his prominence, the Trump administration has been extremely reticent to call any attention to Khashoggis disappearance, waiting a week to make any statement. Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he knew what everybody else knowsnothing about the journalists fate. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement calling on the Saudi monarchy to support a thorough investigation of its own crime. It appears, however, that the US government was well informed of Saudi plans to eliminate Khashoggi, with the Washington Post reporting that before his disappearance, US intelligence had intercepted communications between Saudi officials revealing a plan to abduct the journalist. Whatever the case, Saudi Arabias vicious monarchical regime has long been the linchpin of imperialist domination and political reaction throughout the Middle East. These tiesunder both Democratic and Republican administrationshave remained firm as the regime has routinely beheaded political opponents and non-violent offenders, putting 150 to the sword in 2017 alone. Before Khashoggis disappearance, an estimated 30 Saudi journalists had already been imprisoned or disappeared, without any protest from the Western powers, the US chief among them, who sell billions of dollars in arms to the kingdom and profit off its oil wealth. The US-Saudi connection has grown only closer under the Trump administration, which has sought to forge an anti-Iranian axis based upon Saudi Arabia and Israel, while continuing and expanding US aid to the near-genocidal war against the people of Yemen. This relationshipunderscored once again by Washingtons official reaction to the disappearance of Khashoggiexposes the unmitigated cynicism and hypocrisy of US imperialisms human rights pretensions and feigned outrage over alleged crimes carried out by governments that it views as strategic rivals or that it is seeking to overthrow, from Russia and China to Iran, Syria and Venezuela. The Khashoggi affair has far broader international significance. It is emblematic of a sinister shift in world politics, in which such heinous crimes are becoming more and more common and accepted. It recalls the conditions that existed in the darkest days of the 1930s, when fascist and Stalinist death squads hunted down and murdered socialists and other opponents of Hitler and Stalin throughout Europe. Journalists have suffered the consequence of this change in global politics, with the Committee to Protect Journalists reporting 48 killed this yeara 50 percent increase over all of 2017as well as another 60 disappeared around the planet. Targeted assassinations, developed by the Israelis as a central instrument of state policy, were adapted by Washington in its so-called global war on terror on an industrial scale. The killings, torture and extraordinary renditions begun under the Bush administrationfor which no one was ever punished, not to mention a black site torturer being elevated to director of the CIAwere institutionalized under Obama with the White House organizing its so-called terror Tuesdays in which targets for assassination were selected from files and photographs presented to the president and his aides. US wars of aggression that have claimed the lives of millions, the routine assassination of supposed terrorists, and the wholesale repudiation of international law as an unacceptable fetter on American interests, have created a fetid global political environment in which crimes like that committed against Khashoggi are not only possible, but inevitable. In the face of growing social tensions and sharpening class struggle rooted in the crisis of the global capitalist system, there has been a sharp turn to the right and toward authoritarianism in bourgeois politics, from the rise of Trump in the US, to the increasing strength of far-right forces in Europe, to the near election of a fascistic former army captain in Brazil. Under these conditions, the methods of assassination and disappearances as a means of dealing with opponents of the existing governments and social order will become ever more prevalent. The fate of Jamal Khashoggi, whose high-level connections apparently failed to protect him, must be taken as a serious warning. Those who place themselves in the hands of the state in virtually any country have no reliable expectation that they will emerge intact. The only answer to this threatand that of a global relapse into fascism and world warlies in the building of a mass revolutionary socialist movement to unite the international working class in the struggle against social inequality, dictatorship and war. Dozens gathered in Londons Parliament Square yesterday to demand the release of Julian Assange. The WikiLeaks founder is incarcerated in Belmarsh prison in southeast London in conditions tantamount to solitary confinement, after police seized him from the Ecuadorian Embassy on April 11. He is due to reappear in court on May 2 for an extradition hearing. Protesters gather in Parliament Square opposite the House of Commons The lively demonstration organised by the Julian Assange Defence Campaign (JADC) was supported by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and World Socialist Web Site. SEP and International Youth and Students for Social Equality members took part alongside Ecuadorian and South American citizens, journalists, and other workers and youth. Tourists and passers-by joined the protest. Protesters assembled outside the Supreme Court, which has played a critical role in the British judiciarys trampling on Assange democratic rights over the last decade. They chanted slogans including, UK, USA, Free Julian Assange!, There is only one condition. No extradition! and Free Press-Free Assange. SEP placards read Free Chelsea ManningFree Julian Assange, British government must grant Assange free passage to Australia, No Internet Censorship and Defend Free Speech. Emmy Butlin of the JADC said, Were gathered here today in Parliament Square to protest at Julian Assanges incarceration. Were going to rally everybody together to build up popular support for his freedom. This morning WikiLeaks Twitter account informed us that Julian has finally had some video contact with his lawyers and will meet with them on April 26. That is good news. Conchi, a tourist from Spain said, We did not know about this protest but when we saw we had to stop and join in. Julian Assange has done a very good job showing all about the wars we have had. He was very courageous and what he did was very important for the whole world. Conchi and daughter Maitane Conchi compared what has happened to Assange with the attacks on democratic rights in Spain. Commenting on the way Catalan separatism has dominated the April 28 election there, she said, It is the economy, jobs and health that are the most important. The people in Catalonia should have a chance to say what they want. That is a democratic right. The Catalan politicians should not be in jail. A London hospital doctor, Ezra, said that following Assanges removal from the Ecuadorian Embassy people have to realise that this is a really crucial time. It is a turning point for his future and our futures too. We have to build up more momentum. We have to have a big presence at Belmarsh on Saturday and at Julians May 2 court appearance. Ezra Ezra criticised the way the media and politicians had whipped up lies that Assange had to answer rape allegations in Sweden stemming back to 2010. The case was dropped [by the Swedish authorities]. Julian is very happy to go to Sweden to answer the allegations, but they cant guarantee he wont be extradited to the US. We have to make people more aware that there is a much bigger game going on here. If Julian is extradited to the US they will pile up the charges against him as they did with Chelsea Manning. She was let go but is now in prison again. There is no benchmark for those in power. They are a law unto themselves. The US, the UK, all these governments are above the law. They do what they like, Ezra concluded. Another protester, Kyle, said, The media has been put to shame by WikiLeaks who are real journalists. WikiLeaks reveals uncomfortable truths and makes the mediathe BBC, the Guardian look bad. Wikileaks has told us more about how the world works than all the media agencies combined. In the past the labour movement would have supported people like Julian Assange, Kyle said, but it had collapsed. However, All the potential for a socialist movement is there. We have to explain that all the problems we face are linked to the underlying causecapitalism, imperialism and militarism. Kyle Maxine said, Im here today because Julian Assange needs support. He needs rescue from the jaws of imperialist states. Their reason for persecuting him is because he and WikiLeaks exposed their filthy war crimes, their torture programmes and all the covert wars that they fight against people in the world. If you cannot at this point defend Assange, you are worthless as a left-wing person or as a liberal, you are a fake. Asked why she thought so few on the nominal left have defended Assange, Maxine replied, I think its absolutely despicable. Most of them have argued, Why doesnt he just get extradited to Sweden? and actually thats disgraceful. Since when did the left become the police? He needs support. This is the acid test for what little remains of democratic rights. If we lose then just wait and see what happens next. Maxine said she very much saw the treatment of Assange as part of a broader attack on the freedom of the working class and broader movements to fight for their rights and against the disgusting people who rule over us, the elites, and what they do to keep in power. We need to be able to expose that and WikiLeaks has helped us to do it. The struggle for democratic rights is essential. Im here to protest the injustice of this man being held in Belmarsh prison, as a political prisoner of the UK, said another participant, Jeff. I think the main political parties havent said anywhere near enough. That includes the Labour Party and nominal parties of the left. We need to see an awful lot more said and done. Assange is in a Category A prison for terrorists and murderers and yet so far he is just on a charge of bail violation. There have been no charges coming from Sweden and hes not yet being officially extradited to the US. Protesters gather outside the UK Supreme Court I think theres a problem on the left, or what you might call the liberal left, where people think that on the issue of an accusation of rapewhich is very serious, obviously, whenever its madethat we cant judge it for ourselves. I believe in always going where the evidence takes you. So if it looks like a spurious charge, then I think we should be able to say so without being accused of being rape apologists. That bothers me. Its a very restrictive culture where you can very quickly be told youre a part of the problem, that youre involved in disempowering women and things like that. I find that poisonous. Jeff spoke of the significance of Julian Assange: I think hes scooped just about all the other journalists, particularly the Guardian which has a very squalid place in all this. They made a huge reputation from his material, had a multi-million-pound book deal and movie tie-in. Theyve profited from his leaks tremendously and theyve spent the past seven years mocking the man. Even now, they weakly simper that theyre not in favour of him going to America, but theyre happy for him to go to Sweden, knowing that since 2000 Sweden has had a 100 percent compliance record with US extradition requests. The Socialist Equality Party and its candidates are issuing a clear demand in the federal election: The Australian government must immediately act to secure the release of Julian Assange from Britain and provide for his safe passage to Australia with a guarantee against extradition to the United States. Assanges brutal arrest by the British police on April 11 and the attempts to extradite him to the US are an attack on the working class. Julian Assange The WikiLeaks founder and publisher has committed no crime. He is being pursued by the most powerful governments in the world for his role in the exposure of illegal wars, mass surveillance operations and sordid diplomatic intrigues affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people. The Trump administrations request for Assanges extradition is nothing less than an extraordinary rendition operation. If Assange is dispatched to the US, on bogus computer hacking charges, he will likely face additional charges over WikiLeaks lawful publishing activities, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty. He would be at the mercy of the war criminals and CIA torturers WikiLeaks has done so much to expose. The political establishment in every country is using the persecution of Assange to deepen the assault on the democratic rights of ordinary people. If Assange is prosecuted in the US, it will set a precedent for the jailing of journalists everywhere who expose government crimes and wrongdoing. It will mark a new stage in the open repudiation of freedom of the press and free speech. The persecution of Assange is aimed at sending a message to workers and young people: if you oppose militarism, war, social inequality and job cuts, and if you take social and political action against the powers-that-be, you will face state repression. Governments everywhere know that millions of workers are opposed to their plans for war, along with their assault on social rights and civil liberties. Representing a tiny corporate oligarchy, they have seen the re-emergence of major class battles over the past year, including strikes by teachers in the US, factory workers in Mexico, hundreds of millions of Indian workers, and the Yellow Vest protests in France. The ruling classes are terrified. They are responding by promoting extreme right-wing forces to attack the working class, and by turning to dictatorship. The persecution of Assange is at the cutting edge of this turn to authoritarianism. Successive Australian governments, and the entire political establishment, have played a linchpin role in this global assault on democratic rights. If the federal government fulfilled its obligations to Assange, an Australian citizen and journalist, the attacks against the WikiLeaks founder could not have proceeded as they have. Beginning with the Greens-backed Labor government of Julia Gillard, every Australian government has refused to defend Assange, instead collaborating in the US-led vendetta against him. In 2011, Gillard falsely declared that WikiLeaks had committed illegal acts, lining up with a campaign that included calls from senior US politicians for Assanges assassination. The parliamentary parties are hostile to Assange, because they are committed to the US military alliance, and to participating in all of American imperialisms predatory wars. As it has participated in the attacks against Assange, the political establishment has aligned Australia with a massive US military-build up throughout the Asia-Pacific in preparation for war against China. State and federal governments, whether headed by Labor or the Liberal-Nationals, have stripped whistleblower protections, expanded state surveillance and passed draconian laws targeting social and political opposition. The attitude of the major parties to Assange has been demonstrated by their refusal to oppose his arrest and the extradition proceedings. Coalition ministers have made empty claims that Assange will be provided with unspecified consular assistance, committing them to nothing. Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek shared a tweet slandering Assange as a foreign agent, and denouncing his supporters as cultists. Corporate reporters, who make their living by repeating government lies, have declared that Assange is not a journalist. Using weasel words, the Greens now claim to oppose Assanges extradition to the US, but they are doing nothing to defend him. For years, Greens politicians have remained silent over his plight. In this election, as in every other, they are appealing for closer collaboration with Labor, a pro-imperialist party of the banks. The rest of the political establishment, from the pseudo-left groups to the right-wing populists, has said virtually nothing about the assault on Assange, signalling their complicit support for his persecution. Part of an SEP rally in defence of Assange on March 10 The SEP is the only political party fighting to make the defence of Assange a central issue in the election. Over the past 18 months, the SEP has held a series of rallies and meetings, to build the mass movement required to compel an Australian government to use its diplomatic powers and legal discretion to free Assange. On Saturday, it will hold an election rally in Parramatta to advance this crucial fight, followed by a series of public meetings. The SEP is the sole party defending Assange and democratic rights, because it fights for the independent interests of the working class and for socialism. Capitalism is in the midst of its deepest crisis since the 1930s. The ruling elites program of war and austerity, and the dominance of societys resources by a tiny corporate elite, are incompatible with democracy. The only social force that can defend all civil liberties and take society forward is the working class. While capitalist politicians and the corporate media stenographers of the intelligence agencies loathe Assange, he is rightly viewed as a hero by millions of workers and young people. They must be mobilised. This crucial struggle is inextricably tied to the fight for socialism. This is because securing fundamental democratic rights requires nothing less than the revolutionary transformation of society by the working class to meet social needs, not the profit interests of the financial aristocracy. Democracy must be extended to all aspects of social life by placing the banks and the corporations under public ownership and democratic workers control, and by dismantling the military-intelligence apparatus. This is a global fight requiring the unification of workers around the world. This internationalist and socialist perspective animates the 2019 International Online May Day Rally, organised by the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site. Register today! Authorised by James Cogan for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky won the Ukrainian presidential elections Sunday with over 73 percent of the vote, in a massive repudiation of the incumbent president, Petro Poroshenko, and the imperialist-orchestrated 2014 coup that brought him to power. The chocolate oligarch Poroshenko became president in the wake of the operation in February 2014 that toppled the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovich. Behind the coup stood the major imperialist powers, above all the US and Germany. Basing themselves on sections of the Ukrainian oligarchy and upper middle class, they mobilized fascist forces to install a puppet regime that would be immediately subservient to their economic interests and war preparations against Russia. The bourgeois media hailed this fascist-led coup as a democratic revolution. They were joined by the middle-class left, including organizations such as the now-defunct International Socialist Organization, which systematically worked to downplay the role played by the extreme right and the US State Department in the creation of this revolution. The results of the 2014 coup for the working class have been nothing less than catastrophic. In the past five years, the Poroshenko regime has stood at the forefront of the imperialist military buildup against Russia. Ukrainian military spending has risen to a staggering 6 percent of GDP. The systematic ratcheting up of tensions with Russia by the Kiev regime, most recently with its reckless provocation in the Azov Sea, have dramatically heightened the danger of a full-scale war in Europe, which could quickly escalate into another world war. The ongoing civil war in the Eastern Ukraine has cost the lives of over 13,000 people. At the same time, the Ukrainian oligarchy has undertaken the most far-reaching attacks on the already low living standards of the Ukrainian working class since the restoration of capitalism. Almost one million Ukrainians are now living on the brink of starvation; tens of thousands are left to freeze in the winter. For the implementation of these policies, the Poroshenko regime mobilized fascist forces such as the notorious Azov battalion. The glorification of the Nazi collaborators of the UPA and the OUN-B, which massacred thousands of Jews, Poles and Ukrainians during World War II, has become official state policy. References to communism and symbols of the Soviet Red Army, which defeated the Nazis in the war, have been criminalized. Russian artists and works of art have been banned from entering the country. It is these conditions that propelled the vast majority of the Ukrainian population to either abstain from the electionsthe voter turnout was just 62 percentor vote for Zelensky. Poroshenko was unable to garner any significant support outside a small province in West Ukraine and the district in Kiev where the countrys super rich reside. Yet whatever his appeals to antiwar sentiments and the enormous anger about social austerity during the campaign, Zelensky will defend the interests of the Ukrainian oligarchy against the working class, and work in alliance with imperialism. Throughout the entire election campaign, Zelensky deliberately concealed his real political and economic agenda. He instead relied almost exclusively on demagogic appeals to the widespread hatred of Poroshenko. During the campaign, Zelensky made promises to enter direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a peaceful settlement of the war in East Ukraine. Yet in an interview published days before the election, he called Putin an enemy and stated that it was perfectly fine and great that people considered the Nazi collaborator Bandera as a hero. On April 12, Zelensky met with French President Emmanuel Macron. His team has hired a PR firm in Washington to arrange meetings with officials of the Trump administration and influential think tank figures. Zelensky also maintains close connections to the oligarch Ihor Kolkomoisky, and now seeks to work together with Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia, who had been installed through a US-backed color revolution. The enormous opposition within the working class to imperialism and the policies of austerity and war of the oligarchy has found only an initial, highly distorted expression in the vote for Zelensky. However, under conditions of an international upsurge of the working class, this opposition will sooner rather than later take the form of open class struggle. In France, hundreds of thousands of yellow vests have been protesting against social inequality and the Macron government for months. Earlier this year, auto parts workers in Matamoros, Mexico launched what has been the biggest strike on the North American continent in two decades. In the United States, the center of world imperialism, the past year has seen a 20-fold increase in the number of workers on strike. On the northwestern border of Ukraine, over 300,000 Polish teachers are striking against the right-wing government of the Law and Justice Party (PiS). The reemergence of the class struggle raises fundamental questions of historical perspective and leadership. In the unfolding political and military crisis in Ukraine, workers are faced with the outcome of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. In order to fight the dangers they are confronting, workers must take up a socialist program. But this is only possible by assimilating the lessons of the October Revolution and the struggle waged by the Trotskyist movement against Stalinism. The Left Opposition, formed by Leon Trotsky in 1923, recognized in Stalinism and its program of socialism in one country a nationalist reaction against the internationalist revolutionary program of permanent revolution that had formed the basis of the October Revolution. In the following decades, the national opportunist policies of Stalinism led to countless betrayals and defeats of revolutionary struggles by the working class in Europe and Asia. The crimes of the Stalinist bureaucracy culminated in the Great Terrorwhich physically exterminated the leaders of the Russian Revolution and entire generations of socialist revolutionariesand the assassination of Leon Trotsky himself in 1940. The Fourth International, founded by Trotsky in 1938, warned that, unless overthrown in a political revolution by the working class, the Stalinist bureaucracy would eventually destroy the Soviet Union, restore capitalism and transform itself into a new ruling class. This is exactly what happened in 1989-1991. Opposition within the working class to the bureaucracy exploded into the open in the late 1980s when a powerful mass movement of workers developed in Poland. The struggles in Poland helped encourage a major strike of coal miners in the Soviet Union, centered in Siberia and Eastern Ukraine. However, decades of Stalinism had severely undermined the political and historical consciousness of the working class. The equation of the Stalinist dictatorship with socialism and Marxism dragged the program of socialist revolution through the mud. At the same time, the Pabloites, a revisionist tendency that had emerged within the Fourth International, provided a left fig leaf for the counterrevolutionary policies of Stalinism. The Pabloites intervened in the workers strikes, hailing the bureaucracy as a progressive historical force and its program of capitalist restoration as self-reform. This made it possible for the Stalinist bureaucracy to liquidate the Soviet Union, massively enriching themselves by privatizing social resources through the restoration of capitalism. The social and political disaster that followed with the restoration of capitalism found a particularly sharp expression in Ukraine, which has since been ruled by a profoundly corrupt and ultranationalist oligarchy, continuously maneuvering between the different imperialist powers. Today, as workers are again entering into struggle, they must base themselves on lessons of these critical historical experiences. The way forward lies in the fight to build a Trotskyist party, that is a Ukrainian section of the ICFI, to lead the coming struggles of the working class. It is 18 days since more than 300,000 teachers across Poland launched an indefinite nationwide strike, closing schools across the country to oppose decades of cuts to education funding and the slashing of wages to poverty levels. The strike is the largest in Poland for decades, and the first nationwide walkout by teachers in 25 years. It is part of an upsurge of working class struggles in Europe and internationally over the past year, including strikes by teachers across the United States, in Argentina, Portugal, Algeria, Morocco, India and France. The government, led by the extreme-right Polish Justice Party, has refused to meet the teachers demand of a 30 percent raise. The government is fearful that such an increase would encourage strike action by other sections of workers, under conditions in which social inequality and poverty have rapidly increased over three decades since the restoration of capitalism in 1989. This is already a rebellion, not an average strike, warned the leading liberal newspaper Wyborcza yesterday. Under these conditions, the trade unions are working desperately to shut down the walkout without meeting any of the teachers demands. Yesterday, Adam Zygmunt, the president of the Polish Teachers Union (ZNP) in the West Pomeranian region, called for ending the strike in the name of allowing students to complete their examinations. Zygmunt adopted the same slanderous argument used by the political establishment, church and the media: that striking teachersnot the political establishment that has slashed education funding for decadesare harming students. We do not want to be the ones who will prevent students from approaching the baccalaureate, Zygmunt declared. That is why I am asking you in the communique for the union branches to suspend the strike for the duration of the baccalaureate. He claimed that this was only his personal opinion and not the view of the entire union leadership. While the unions are working to sell out the strike, teachers who spoke to the WSWS expressed their determination to fight, for themselves and for the students. We are always told that teachers shouldnt strike, said Ania, a teacher with 21 years experience in an industrial town in the coal-mining region of Upper Silesia. We are constantly being attacked by politicians, and even by some priests during service who preach that we are lazy and should stop striking. She added, For 17 days, there have been no classes because our government will do nothing to help, and whats more they are trying to turn the population against us. The Vice Minister of Justice compared teachers to the Wehrmacht [the Nazi army that invaded Poland in 1939]. Others denounce us as terrorists, for taking the students hostagemeaning not teaching them. Ania described the working conditions and poverty-level wages that teachers confront. I earned a bachelors and then a masters degree and then studied Surdopedagogy, which means Im qualified to teach kids with hearing problems. I know two foreign languages and did lots of other courses, mostly at my own cost. I earn about 700 a month. The same for my husband. He got two jobs just to earn a normal living, she said. He found a second school where he works for two days a week for three hours each. Its a 14-km trip both ways to get there, and in the end he will get 200 a month. Previously, he took second jobs on construction sites and delivering pizzas. My friend, who is 28, has a degree in history, and is still at university to complete a doctorate of history. She is paid about 450 a month for 22 hours a week. You can earn the same working in a supermarket. Meanwhile, the average politician gets 3,000 a week. We are being humiliated every day, she said. The strike that is currently taking place in Polish schools is a fight for the dignity of the teaching profession and for the future of education, said Agata, a teacher with over 20 years in Krakow. I work extra hours at my school because there are no teachers who want to work there. I have a second job doing additional lessons several times a week. In our classrooms, we only have the most necessary things. I do all the tests, work cards, paper aids myself at home. I work on my home computer, printer, and buy ink for the printer; I cut out and laminate the worksheets myself. We also talk often about the fact that teachers earn extra money working second jobs in stores during the holidays. Dorota, who has taught for more than 20 years, said she had seen what is happening to schools in the United States, and in my opinion we are heading in the same direction. Teachers in Poland often have two jobs or we give private afternoon lessons. The system is so sick that students who either cant catch up or are ambitious pay extra money for lessons after school. Joanna, who has taught for 15 years, said she had heard of last years state-wide walkouts in the United States, and strikes by teachers in France. She said teachers in Poland should unite together with other teachers internationally. Each building is as strong and indestructible as the individual elements. In unity, we have power, and we must support each other, she said. When I started work, the teaching profession was respected, she said. Now its not. Its very difficult for me to strike. I chose this profession out of passion. But the overloaded programme is impossible. I work every night when I get home until 10-11 p.m. Fortunately, my husband is not a teacher, but I am very burdened by the fact that all the maintenance of our family rests mainly on him, she said. She spoke against the broader austerity offensive carried out by successive governments, including both the Law and Justice government and the Civic Platform (PO). There are no doctors or nurses in Poland. The average age is such that soon there will be no one to treat us. Politicians dont care because their children go to private schools, and they get treatment in private hospitals or state hospitals especially for them. Meanwhile, billions of dollars are spent on military spending. The arming of the military scares the hell out of me, she said. Joanna said she had no faith that the union would fight for teachers interests. Honestly, I dont belong in a union, she said. I personally believe they do not represent their union members. They get involved in political or financial arrangements. And that is why many people in Poland do not belong to unions. Follow the WSWS on Facebook and sign up for the daily newsletter. The monarchical dictatorship of Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that it had carried out another killing spree, publicly executing 37 people in the cities of Riyadh, Medina and Mecca, as well as in central Qassim Province and in the kingdoms Eastern Province. One of the headless corpses was then crucified and left hanging in public as a hideous warning to anyone who would even contemplate opposing the absolute power of the ruling royal family. The regime announced that those who were brought into public squares to be decapitated with swords had been punished for adopting terrorist and extremist thinking and for forming terrorist cells to corrupt and destabilize security. In Saudi Arabia, an antiterrorism law adopted in 2017 defines as a terrorist anyone disturbing public order, shaking the security of the community and the stability of the State or exposing its national unity to danger. The law essentially provides the death penalty for anyone daring to criticize the Saudi monarchy or its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Under bin Salman, the Trump administrations closest ally in the Arab world, the number of executions has doubled. While last year, the regime beheaded 149 people, it has already chopped off the heads of 105 people in 2019. It is known that at least 33 of the 37 put to death this week were Saudi Shias. In the case of 14 of them, their alleged crimes stemmed from the mass protests that swept Saudi Arabias predominantly Shiite Eastern Province in 2011, expressing popular demands for democratic reforms and an end to the discrimination and oppression of the Shiite population at the hands of a Sunni monarchy, whose rule is bound up with the official, state-sponsored religious doctrine of Wahhabism, an ultraconservative Sunni sect. Another 11 were accused of spying for Iran. None of these individuals were allowed to speak to lawyers during investigations that were carried out by means of torture. They were denied visits from their families and kept in solitary confinement during these ordeals, and were sentenced to death in sham mass trials that lacked even a modicum of due process. The barbaric mass state murders carried out by the regime in Riyadh constituted a calculated political act driven by both domestic and international objectives. Its immediate aim is to intimidate the Shia minority, which constitutes approximately 15 percent of the population and is concentrated in the Eastern Province, a key oil-producing region. At least three of those put to death were minors at the time of their alleged offenses, making their executions a flagrant violation of international law barring the death penalty for children. Abdulkarim al-Hawaj, was 16 when he was arrested and charged with participating in demonstrations and using social media to incite opposition to the monarchy. He also was alleged to have helped make banners with slogans denouncing the regime. He was convicted based on a confession extracted through torture, including electric shocks and being held with his hands chained above his head. Salman Qureish was arrested just after his 18th birthday for alleged crimes that took place when he was a juvenile. Denied his basic legal rights, he was sentenced to death in a mass trial. Mujtaba al-Sweikat was 17 when he was arrested at King Fahd International Airport, grabbed as he prepared to board a plane to the United States to begin life as a student at Western Michigan University. He was severely tortured and beaten, including on the soles of his feet, until he provided his torturers with a confession. The faculty at Western Michigan University issued a statement in 2017 in response to the news of al-Sweikats imprisonment: As academics and teachers, we take pride in defending the rights of all people, wherever they may be in the world, to speak freely and debate openly without hindrance or fear. We publicly declare our support for Mujtaba'a and the 13 others facing imminent execution. No one should face beheading for expressing beliefs in public protests. Mujtaba'a showed great promise as an applicant for English language and pre-finance studies. He was arrested at the airport gates as he readied to board a plane to visit our campus. We were unaware that at the moment we were ready to welcome him, he was locked away, beaten and tortured and made to 'confess' to acts for which he was condemned to death. The Saudi regime, headed by its de facto ruler Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ignored this protest along with others from United Nations and human rights organizations, convinced that it enjoys absolute impunity based upon the support it enjoys from Washington. The bloodbath organized by the Saudi regime on Tuesday was the largest since 2016, when it beheaded 47 men in a single day, including the prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqral-Nimr, a leading spokesman for Saudi Arabias oppressed Shiite minority. The state killings touched off angry protests in the region, including in Tehran, where crowds stormed the Saudi embassy. The furor was seized upon by Riyadh as the pretext for breaking diplomatic relations with Tehran and escalating its anti-Iranian campaign throughout the Middle East. Since then, relentless repression in the Eastern Province has been joined with the near-genocidal war that is being waged by Saudi-led forces against Yemen, claiming the lives of at least 80,000 Yemenis and leaving more than 24 million people80 per cent of the populationin need of humanitarian assistance, many of them on the brink of starvation. The Sunni monarchy views the rise of the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a potential threat to its own internal situation, fearing that it could inspire the oppressed Shia population to revolt. The main responsibility for the crimes of the Saudi regime rests with its principal patron, US imperialism. The savage monarchy in Saudi Arabia, with its public beheadings, is not merely some remnant of feudal backwardness. It is rather the direct product of US imperialist intervention in the Middle East, from the concessions secured by Texaco and Standard Oil in the 1930s and 1940s to the current massive arms sales that make the Saudi monarchy todays number one customer of the US military-industrial complex. Washington has responded to the mass beheadings in Saudi Arabia with a deafening silence. While the day before the beheadings were announced, the State Department issued a statement in connection with its severe tightening of punishing sanctions against Iran, demanding that it respect the rights of its people, there was no such appeal to Riyadh, much less any condemnation of minors having their heads chopped off in public squares. The Pentagon and the CIA are full partners in the Saudi monarchys repression at home, just as the US has provided the bombs and targeting information, along with the midair refueling of Saudi bombers, that have made possible the criminal war against Yemen. While the savage state murder and dismemberment of the dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the monarchys consulate in Istanbul last October touched off a brief flurry of recriminations against Saudi Arabia, this heinous crime has largely been forgotten. While Riyadh is going through the motions of a trial of 15 state officials charged with carrying out the gruesome killing, no action is being taken against Crown Prince bin Salman, who ordered the killing, or his senior adviser, Saud al-Qahtani, who reportedly supervised the torture, murder and dismemberment of Khashoggi via a Skype connection from Riyadh. Barely a year ago, Crown Prince bin Salman was feted as a reformer by the US government, Harvard and MIT, as well as a host of US billionaires, from Bill Gates to Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey. With the medias attention to the Khashoggi murder grown cold, this myth is once again being revived, even in the face of the mass beheadings. The day after the executions, top Wall Street financiers took the stage with regime representatives at a financial conference sponsored by the monarchy in Riyadh. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, HSBC CEO John Flint and JPMorgan's Chief Operating Officer Daniel Pinto were all present, along with Morgan Stanley's Asia managing director, Chin Chou, all of them anxious to cash in on a proposed initial public offering (IPO) by its national oil giant Aramco. BlackRocks Fink brushed off a question about the mass executions, stating, The fact that there are issues in the press does not tell me I must run away from a place. In many cases it tells me I should run to and invest because what we are most frightened of are things that we dont talk about. The executions in Saudi Arabia provide an appropriate prism for viewing the entire US policy in the Middle East. The bloodbath is a manifestation of the predatory aims pursued by US imperialism in the region. Washingtons defense of and reliance upon this ultrareactionary regime exposes all of the pretexts given for successive US military interventions, from the so-called war on terrorism to the supposed promotion of democracy and human rights. In the end, a US foreign policy that is founded upon a strategic alliance with the House of Saud will inevitably prove to be a house of cards that will come crashing down with the revival of the class struggle in the Middle East, the United States and internationally. Follow the WSWS on Facebook and sign up for the daily newsletter. Lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party hold a sit-in protest to block a meeting of the special committee on judiciary reform aimed to approve reform bills to be fast-tracked at the National Assembly, Thursday. / Yonhap LKP members hold BMP lawmaker for hours By Park Ji-won The National Assembly is set to fast-track controversial reform bills to secure an early vote on them despite fierce opposition from the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and several members of the minor Bareunmirae Party (BMP). Two special Assembly committees on judiciary and political reform, both headed by liberals, plan to hold meetings soon to forward the bills to a vote. The bills, respectively, increase the number of proportional representation seats in the Assembly, establish a special investigative unit to look into alleged corruption by high-ranking government officials, and expand the police's independent investigative authority. If they are approved by the special committees, they will be put to a vote in the National Assembly within 330 days irrespective of any bipartisan agreement. If the bills take effect, next year's general election will be carried out under a revised Election Law with an increased number of proportional representatives. National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang approved the BMP leadership's request Thursday to replace its lawmaker, Rep. Oh Shin-hwan, who earlier vowed to vote against fast-tracking the bills, with Rep. Chae Yi-bae, a supporter of the reform measures. The speaker reportedly made the decision after being hospitalized the day before due to low blood pressure after a scuffle in his office with LKP members protesting the bills. The replacement was necessary for the BMP leadership to push ahead with fast-tracking the bills as Oh openly opposed the move. Thanks to the replacement, the special committees are expected to promptly forward them to the Assembly. Chae held the de-facto casting vote when added to the 10 in-favor votes from the parties supporting the move as the committee needs to secure 11 supporters out of its 18 members. The meetings by the special committees were planned to be held in the early afternoon, but were delayed by a sit-in protest by LKP and some BMP members inside the Assembly. Chae was also trapped in his office for hours as lawmakers from the main opposition party prevented him from leaving. He called the police and firefighters to help him leave the office and was able to do so later. The LKP and the group of BMP members oppose fast-tracking the bills, claiming it was a unilateral decision made without their consent. They filed suits with the Constitutional Court to seek an injunction to block approval and question the speaker's right to approve of the process. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and three opposition parties agreed Tuesday to fast-track the bills after months of discussions. The DPK, the BMP, the Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) and the Justice Party held their own general meetings to push for the passage of the bills. The law on fast-tracking bills was initially passed to prevent them from being held up in the Assembly for too long after failing to win bipartisan support. According to the Assembly Law, fast-tracked bills should be reviewed by the related standing committees within 180 days. If this is not done, the bills will be given another 90 days to be reviewed by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. If the committee does not do this, the bills will automatically be put to a vote within 60 days in an Assembly session. This process takes at least 330 days but can be reduced if parties agree to advance the bills. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walk together during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25. AP-Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul South Korea and Russia may push for a summit between President Moon Jae-in and Russian President Vladimir Putin for discussions on the North Korea nuclear issue, a presidential aide said, Thursday. Moon met with Russian security chief Nikolai Patrushev at Cheong Wa Dae, a few hours after Putin had a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok. The presidential aide said Moon and Patrushev "held wide and in-depth discussions and exchanged opinions on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula." Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, is also viewed as one of the Russian leaders' top confidants, said Cheong Wa Dae officials. The Moon-Patrushev meeting is the first of such since September 2017, when they met to finalize the key agenda ahead of Moon's summit with Putin in Vladivostok. Cheong Wa Dae didn't provide more details about Patrushev's visit to the presidential office. However, one presidential aide told The Korea Times that President Moon and the Russian security chief discussed ideas about a potential summit between Moon and Putin. "During the meeting, Patrushev told President Moon about key issues discussed at the Putin-Kim summit and Russia's possible role in supporting North Korea's denuclearization because Russia expressed its interest in being actively involved in the process," the presidential aide said. By Park Si-soo National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang is under pressure to step down after he touched a female lawmaker on the cheeks in a physical confrontation with lawmakers over a controversial reform bill on Wednesday. Photos show Moon putting his hands on the cheeks of Rep. Lim Lee-ja of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP). She was trying to block Moon from leaving his room that was packed with protesting lawmakers. The controversial "cheek touching" came on the heels of Moon hugging Lim abruptly. According to witnesses, the hugging was an "accident" that happened when the Speaker was in a shoving match with protesting lawmakers. Lim complained to the Speaker over the touch, saying "This is a sexual harassment." The Speaker then touched her on the cheeks, saying "Is this too?" Moon, who managed to escape, is being hospitalized to treat hypoglycemic shock, which his aides blamed on the confrontation that lasted half an hour. Lim said she "felt ashamed" by Moon's touching and demanded he step down as Speaker. The LKP's female lawmakers held a joint protest on Wednesday and also called on Moon to step down. Moon remained silent, but his spokesman said LPK lawmakers were also responsible for the trouble. "LPK lawmakers virtually locked the Speaker in the room in protest," the spokesman said. "This was a grave show of disrespect for the Speaker, as well as disrespect for the rules and orders stipulated in the National Assembly Acts." The spokesman demanded that the LPK apologize first. Communities losing Shopko stores partner with WBC to find ways to fill merchandise gaps WORLAND Big Horn Basin communities are teaming up with Wyoming Business Council and National Main Street Center as they look to fill product gaps as Shopko stores close this spring. According to Wyoming Business Council Northwest Regional Director Amy Quick, I cover the four counties of the Big Horn Basin: Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie. When the first Shopko closures were announced, I was in close contact with the economic development professionals in the three communities initially affected (Greybull, Thermopolis and Worland), and everyone was very concerned about what it would mean for their residents and businesses. I reached out to the National Main Street Center, which we work closely with for our Wyoming Main Street programs, to see what resources or ideas they might have and started working with Matt Wagner, vice president of revitalization programs, on an initiative to look at both short- and long-term ways to address the situation, including data collection, education and capacity building. Once it was announced that all Shopko stores will be closing nationwide, including 13 stores in Wyoming and additionally Powell in our region, the situation immediately became more concerning and we expanded the scope of the project. Wagner said, The National Main Street Center has a history in Wyoming through the Wyoming Main Street Program of working with retailers and examining retail markets within rural Wyoming communities as well as more than 1,600 nationally. Thus, when the closures were announced we were asked to explore how communities might transition in both the short and long run given the pace at which retailing is changing nationally. Quick said that last week, she and Wagner made half-day visits to each of the communities affected in Northwest Wyoming: Powell, Greybull, Worland, and Thermopolis with the Worland visit on Wednesday, April 17. Those visits consisted of multiple focus group listening sessions with community leaders, local retailers, and consumers as well as community tours. Prior to these visits, economic developers in each of the communities conducted informal inventories of businesses with product categories similar to Shopko, Quick said. Quick said that the work in the Northwest region is being used as a pilot project to launch a larger statewide initiative where we can take the information and best practices we learn here and share it with other communities so they can replicate it with assistance from the Wyoming Business Council, Small Business Development Center, Market Research Center, local economic developers and other community leaders. WORLAND VISIT According to Washakie Development Association Executive Director LeAnn Baker, the group in Worland met with one focus group in the morning on Wednesday, April 17, and then the Wyoming Business Council representatives including Quick, Wagner, Baker and Worland Building Official Randy Adams toured the entire community making brief stops at the Washakie Medical Center, Washakie Museum and Cultural Center, Worland Aquatic Center and other amenities. They also looked at the empty storefronts and the industrial park. While the meetings were being set up, Baker said that she was reaching out to stores in Worland to see who might be able to fill the merchandise gaps that were opening up with the closing of Shopko. Worland was blessed because Bomgaars came in and filled some of the gaps, not all, where some of these other towns didnt have that happen, Baker said. She had identified some stores that could fill the gaps. During the tour on Wednesday, April 17, they visited Bomgaars, Kennedy Ace, Kings Carpet One and Browns Western Appliance, who are considering carrying product lines that Shopko used to carry. Baker added, Worland is ahead of some of the communities. We have some great complimentary businesses. She also noted that the pharmacists from Shopko have purchased property to build and operate their own pharmacy. FOCUS GROUP The third session in Worland was a 45-minute meeting with a diverse focus group that included people of different ages, gender and socioeconomic status. They sought information from the focus group on how often they shopped at Shopko, where they planned to shop now and what they purchased when they did shop at Shopko. She said the results were mixed with some shopping a few times a year to others shopping at Shopko a few times a week. Regarding all four meetings in the region, Wagner said, They were very productive, in that while market data is important, input from users gives you firsthand information on how consumers may react with their shopping habits, whats important to them, such as price, quality, selection, and certain product categories. With these focus groups you can go very deep in your understanding of the impact. Quick added, Each community went above and beyond to bring diverse groups of people to the table to share their insights into the Shopko closures and larger retail discussion. I was very impressed with everyones engagement and willingness to share their feedback. It was certainly a testament to the strength of our small communities. Baker said they received good information from the focus group, but she felt the process also helped those in the focus group to open their minds to the fact that businesses are in business to profit and have employees. Not everything is profitable in a small population. You just dont get to have everything in Worland that you can have in a big city, Baker said. We may lose some [products], but we may also provide an opportunity for some of our local businesses to grow, Baker said. Some things that have been identified as gaps are womens shoes, womens clothing and undergarments, discount furniture, some outdoor sporting good items, home goods and electronics. She added that identifying gaps was not a way to criticize current businesses but an opportunity to show local businesses where they could expand and grow. Wagner said, Many business owners are being proactive at examining their own product lines, talking with suppliers that they work with and seeing how they may be able to expand into complementary product areas. Some of that is already taking place in areas such as bedding/linens, pet supplies, some electronics like TVs, etc. Nationally, certain aspects of apparel and shoes categories have been difficult for both department stores like Shopko and mom and pop retailers due to the impacts of online shopping. Thus in particular, I think given the need for so many varieties and sizes, smaller retailers need to be highly boutique/specialized (like construction or agriculture clothing) or thrift, to offer a lower price point. WHATS NEXT Baker said Wagner will go back to his office, digest what hes heard at these four communities and add that to some market research data and eventually develop a report to be presented in a webinar on June 6. Wagner said, Working with the Wyoming Business Council, who are driving this effort, we plan to follow-up with a webinar in June to present the findings from the focus groups, a survey (which will go out this week) and market analysis. The findings will be around which categories we sense can be recaptured either in the form of expansion and/or new business opportunities, as well as programs communities may want to establish in order to facilitate this effort. In addition, we plan to hold a regional workshop in the near future to address longer-term growth opportunities by building a support system for new entrepreneurs so that there are pipelines for new businesses to grow and expand within the region. The problems Worland and other communities are going through in trying to replace Shopko and other businesses is not unique to the Big Horn Basin or Wyoming, Wagner said, There is certainly a great deal of retail contraction across the U.S. We are overbuilt in the amount of retail square footage and that is being further exasperated by the growth of online retailing. However, much of the impact has been felt by the national chain and big box stores. Most mom and pop retailers are aligned well with current consumer trends demanding unique products, experiential shopping opportunities in which they can be educated, witness a product being made or be socially engaged. This is something that is hard to do in an online environment and thus gives independent store owners in small towns a great opportunity to compete. Regarding online sales, Baker said e-commerce is part of the issue for small businesses. It is so simple, it is so convenient and often times appears to be less expensive, Baker said, adding that across the nation people see big chain stores closing. These big retailers are gone, theres no one in the pipeline waiting to move into these communities where Shopko is leaving, Baker said. She added that they have reached out to Walmart but Walmarts focus right now is on e-commerce [and competing with Amazon]. We are going to have to take care of our community. It starts here with how we shop, how we can help our businesses to be profitable, how we can support one another. Those types of concepts, although they sound traditional, thats how small communities are going to survive. When you choose to live in a small community you are making a lifestyle choice. Were going to evolve and adapt. Worland is a strong community and there are so many positives right now, signs that Worland is alive and well, Baker said. Dignitaries applaud at the 6th Korea Forum at the Shilla Seoul, Thursday. They are, from left, Korea Times Chairman Seung Myung-ho, Bareunmirae Party Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu, Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Secretary General Yoon Ho-joong, Hankook Ilbo President Lee Jun-hee and Rep. Song Young-gil of the DPK. / Korea Times photo by Ko Young-kwon Experts discuss policies on labor market, big companies at 2019 Korea Forum By Kim Hyun-bin Reforming the rigid labor market, resetting the role of large conglomerates and helping innovative new businesses are the three key tasks the nation needs to deal with for economic growth, according to experts. Labor experts who took part in the Korea Forum 2019, Thursday, discussed major problems holding back the country's economic growth. The annual forum, co-hosted by The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo, was held at the Shilla Seoul under the theme "Three hurdles in the third year of the Moon Jae-in presidency." Prestigious politicians, experts and scholars had an in-depth discussion, including 2011 Nobel Prize in Economics winner Thomas Sargent. Seung calls for 'bold, forward-looking' deals to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution Envoys find discussion on labor reform practical Korea Forum 2019 [PHOTOS] In the first session focused on labor market issues, former Labor Minister Kim Dae-hwan pointed out the country's dual structure. "The biggest problem our labor market faces is the dual structure, especially the widening gap between large and small companies, as well as the gap between regular and irregular workers," Kim said. "If the dual structure is not addressed, social and economic inequality and inefficiency will get worse." He also blamed the government for not being able to create jobs. "Government policies are not creating jobs. This is because most of the labor policies are for those who are already employed," he said. Kim advised the government to secure labor flexibility and increase productivity through various types of employment, shortened working hours and the improvement of job training. Senior secretary for economic affairs Yoon Jong-won said the government has enhanced the job market, but there is much room for improvement. "Business indicators are good, but social and living standard indicators are at rock bottom," Yoon said. "We need to simultaneously improve both the economy and social norms." In a welcoming speech, Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo Chairman Seung Myung-ho called for bipartisan efforts to tackle the regulatory and sociopolitical hurdles the country faces. "We can no longer put off labor reform and the restructuring of industries. And this will require bold concessions and painstaking but forward-looking compromises among the parties involved," Seung said. WORLAND University of Wyoming Extension Offices around the state will be holding their third annual UW Signing Day Wednesday, May 1. The UW Signing Day in Washakie County will celebrate with students from Worland and Ten Sleep. Traditionally, student-athletes going on to play at the collegiate level have participated in a signing day with dignitaries and their parents in attendance. However, since 2017, the University of Wyoming Office of Admissions and Wyoming 4-H have partnered to give academic students who will be furthering their academic career in college the same opportunity as these athletes with a designated statewide signing day. According to Washakie County Extension Youth and 4-H Educator Amber Armajo, approximately 14 students from Worland will be signing, and three from Ten Sleep. "UW Signing Day in Washakie County has been great in the past with tremendous support from the school, community and families," Armajo said. "It is fun to take a few minutes out of their busy schedules and celebrate the kids planning to attend UW this fall." Signing events are open to the public. Those attending are asked to RSVP by Monday, April 29 as there will be a reception following the signing. In order to RSVP, contact Amber Armajo at [email protected], or by calling (307) 347-3431. The signing day starts at Worland High School at 10:35 a.m., with Ten Sleep's at Ten Sleep High School at 2 p.m. This year the Wyoming Army National Guard will deploy about 300 soldiers in operations across the world, the largest deployment in 10 years. According to the WANG, its been almost a decade since Wyoming sent about 700 soldiers overseas. The brigade-sized element was augmented by guardsmen from five other states, most of whom performed non-routine jobs such as convoy support into Iraq, or mayor cell duties on the various military bases in Kuwait. According to Lt. Col. Charles Thompson, the states mobilization readiness officer, the plan for the 2019 deployment, so far, is for all the units to deploy to the Central Command area of responsibility. That could be Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan or United Arab Emirates, said Thompson. The units are set to perform their standard missions. Included among the about 300 are 14 soldiers from the Big Horn Basin, six from Worland. The Northern Wyoming News would like to let our readers know exactly who is deploying but that information can only come from the soldiers themselves. We have reached out to one family and asked them to send word to the others. They can contact us at 347-3241 or via email at [email protected] While the May deployment has 14 of the Big Horn Basins finest being deployed there may be more in other deployments. There may be others in other armed forces also serving overseas. Were also happy to share that information if the soldiers agree and contact us. Why would we want to announce the names? For several reasons, first to recognize them for their service to our country and second so the community can keep them specifically in our thoughts and prayers. Wyoming and the Big Horn Basin as long as I have been alive have supported our troops. I cant speak beyond that. I know troops serving overseas were not always shown appreciation in our country, including those who served in Vietnam and Korea. Whether you agree with sending our troops overseas or with the United States foreign policy, our troops deserve our thanks and our respect. While men over 18 still have register for the draft, our military is a volunteer military at the present time. Men and women are volunteering to serve their country, whether its helping out during national disasters, at our own borders, or overseas. They volunteer, they train and they are prepared to deploy in service to their country. So as the 2-300th gets set to deploy lets remember them and thank them, along with all of our brave men and women serving in all branches of military service. *** Worlands Support Our Troops organization is a true example of supporting our troops all the time. They meet the first Thursday of every month at the American Legion. Volunteers are welcome. The recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance opens the event at 6:30 p.m. sharp and then the volunteers begin filling boxes for the troops. Donations of food, fun and funds, are welcome. Snacks can include jerky, granola bars, fruit bars, small tubes of Pringles, and, of course, home-baked goods are always appreciated. Non-food items can include paperback books, magazines. Donations may be dropped off at Legion. American actor Danny DeVito arrived in Budapest this Wednesday to shoot his latest film, a boxing drama based on a true story. Also while in town DeVito will give a master class at Urania cinema next week. The 74-year-old star will play alongside Ben Foster in a movie entitled Harry Haft, set in World War II. It is to be directed by Barry Levinson, who was awarded an Oscar for Rain Man. DeVito has a huge fan base in Hungary since many of his films were screened here in Hungarian. Shooting of Harry Haft is due to begin next week. Update: According to our friends at local film production company Pioneer.hu Harry Haft will also star John Leguizamo, Peter Sarsgaard, and Vicky Krieps, along with DeVito and Foster. Bron Studios and New Mandate Films are producing it in association with Creative Wealth Media, which is financing the film, reports Pioneer. The film is set post-World War II and follows Harry Haft, a boxer who fought fellow prisoners in the concentration camps to survive. Haunted by the memories and his guilt, he attempts to use high-profile fights against boxing legends like Rocky Marciano as a way to find his first love again. The true story is written by Justine Juel Gillmer based on the novel Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano by Alan Scott Haft. Principal photography began this February. Main photo via Facebook The Hungarian foreign ministry will provide 11 million forints (EUR 34,000) of fast aid to Sri Lanka (Photo courtesy of Northfoto), where several terrorist attacks killed at least 321 during the Easter festivities. The ministry said the aid would serve to ease the damage done by the attacks and help the severely injured. The ministrys aid comes in addition to the 9 million forints offered earlier within the Hungary Helps programme, the statement said. The ministry said that the shocking attacks, which injured some 500 people in a series of blasts, are proof that Christianity is under attack and that its protection is the duty of all countries based on Christian culture. The European startup market achieved records in terms of both the number and volume of investments in 2018, with the number of capital investments in Hungary growing at the fastest pace year-on-year proportionally, according to EYs Start-Up-Barometer. During the entirety of 2018, European startups received a total of 4,199 investments, up 15% from 2017. The volume of investments grew by 11%, amounting to more than EUR 21 billion in total, according to the EY study. In Hungary, 132 startup investment transactions took place, twice as many as the preceding year, a growth unmatched across the continent. The sharp increase means that Hungary is now in eighth place in Europe regarding the number of investments, ahead of Russia and Denmark. From the CEE region, only Hungary managed to crack the top ten. "In Hungary, the startup ecosystem is increasingly developed and partially thanks to this, the domestic startup community is one of the most active in Europe," says Ferenc Nagy, expert of EY Hungarys transaction advisory branch. "It cannot be emphasized enough that an innovative mindset and a good idea are not enough by themselves to achieve success," he adds. "A dedicated and authentic team is indispensable, and so is an international business mindset and strategy, playing a key role in the founders finding the optimal investor for their future plans for themselves." The largest value of startup investments, EUR 7 bln, was registered in the United Kingdom, followed by Germany (EUR 5 bln), and France (EUR 3.5 bln). Share your story We're interested in your stories, and photos, related to expat life in Hungary. Your contributions, and Press Releases, are invited for review before publication in the loop. By Michael Duffy A few years ago I came across a magazine article about the first woman to cycle around the world, Annie Londonderry. Besides the fact that I had never heard about this remarkable feat before, I was intrigued by her claim that one of the stops on her global tour was Korea. There didn't appear to be any contemporary reports of her visit to this country, so I looked up the 2007 account of the trip by Annie's great-nephew Peter Zheutlin, "Around the World on Two Wheels." Annie's real name was Annie Cohen Kopchovsky. Originally from Latvia, she lived with her husband and three children in Boston, where she sold newspaper advertising. Her new name came from a mineral water company that was one of the sponsors of her ride. Aged 24, she set out from Boston on June 27, 1894, and by late September, she had reached Chicago, but with winter approaching, she decided to head back east. At the same time she changed to a much lighter bike, though like the first it had no gears or freewheel, and also no brakes. She embarked in New York two months later, and arrived in France on Dec. 3, making her way to Paris and then Marseille, from where she sailed via the Middle East to Asia. Annie was, to put it kindly, an unreliable narrator. For one thing, she didn't so much cycle around the world as travel around the world with a bicycle. In the two U.S. legs of the journey and in France she undoubtedly covered a considerable distance in the saddle, but she also made considerable use of trains. She also embellished her accounts with implausible episodes like a visit to Jerusalem and a tiger hunt in India. The Asian stage of her journey was mostly on the water, and occupied just seven weeks, starting on Feb. 7, 1895, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, then dropping in at Saigon, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Nagasaki. This speedy progress would scarcely have left any time for Annie to do any pedaling apart from the odd day trip at her various stops. Nevertheless, before sailing home from Yokohama on March 9 she supposedly found time in a four-day period for a side-trip from Japan that took her to the Sino-Japanese War in northern China and to Vladivostok. So did she turn a pedal, or even set foot in Korea? It's feasible she made a stopover en route to Nagasaki, though the voyage from Shanghai would have taken only two days. On the other hand, there is one rather uncomplimentary entry in her diary that recalls my own early days in Korea. After arriving in San Francisco, she wrote: "I was glad enough to get away from the land of rats and rice and into a country where one could get a decent bed. The furnace beds of Corea are peculiar institutions. A fire is built underneath and the occupant is obliged to keep turning in order to avoid roasting to death. One side will freeze while the other is being roasted." Personal experience, or a secondhand story? I guess we'll never know for sure, but Annie's ride still commands respect on many counts, not least the terrible bike. Michael Duffy (mgduffy45@hotmail.com) comes from England, and has lived in Korea since 1988. From that time until his retirement in 2011, he taught English at various universities and colleges, most recently at the Korea National Railroad College in Uiwang. Suzan and Lili's Last Postcard Sisters Suzan-Zsuzsa and Lili wrote these words in the last postcard that they sent to their father, Hugo Klein, who was in a labor battalion in Margitta-Marghita, near the Austrian border. The girls were deported with their mother to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where they were murdered. Hugo survived. Hugo Klein and his wife, Matild nee Szabo, lived in the town of Hencida, in the Bihar district of Hungary. In 1930, the Jewish population there numbered 81. Matild and Hugo had two daughters, Suzan-Zsuzsa-Shoshana (b. 1935) and Lili-Lilka (b. 1937). In 1938-39, the Hungarians enacted anti-Jewish legislation, which affected the ability of Hencida's Jews to make a living, and in 1941, the recruitment of men for forced labor began. Hugo was drafted to a labor battalion in 1943, and Matild remained in Hencida with the children. In May 1944, the Jews in the Bihar district were moved into a small ghetto in the suburbs of Nagyvarad and were settled on agricultural land in deplorable living conditions. On 24 May, after weeks of starvation and suffering, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, arriving on 29 May. Matild and her girls were amongst the deportees. All three were murdered. Hugo survived the labor battalions. In 1946, he married Ilona Mezei, a cousin of Matild's who had survived Auschwitz. In 1947 their son George was born. In 1957 they immigrated to Israel. In 1985, Ilona Kertesz submitted Pages of Testimony to Yad Vashem in memory of her sister Matild, her nieces Suzan-Zsuzsa and Lili, and other relatives. As part of the "Gathering the Fragments" project, Ilona-Ilana Klein and her son George donated the postcards that George's half-sisters had written to their father, together with locks of their hair that had been cut off in their infancy and preserved as mementoes. We still dont have a title for Bond 25, but weve got a baddie (Bohemian Rhapsody Oscar winner Rami Malek), a Bond lady (Ana de Armas from Blade Runner 2049), and a premise for Cary Joji Fukunaga to direct. Obviously, it was less than what we were hoping for, as producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced the full cast during a live stream event Thursday from author Ian Flemings GoldenEye retreat in Jamaica (the spiritual home of the franchise where Dr. No and Live and Let Die were filmed). Eschewing the usual Bond launch press conference, they were joined by James Bond star Daniel Craig and Fukunaga (Maniac, True Detective, Beasts of No Nation), who answered a few fan questions from Twitter. Meanwhile, Malek provided a quip via a video feed from New York about making sure that Bond doesnt have an easy ride. Related stories Why Phoebe Waller-Bridge Is the Perfect Choice to Make 'Bond 25' Better Bond 25 Confirms Rami Malek and Full Cast, Phoebe Waller-Bridge Writing, and Jamaica Setting A word about #BOND25 from Rami Malek pic.twitter.com/CLJ5mpO9mu James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019 Fortunately, a follow-up press announcement provided a plot description and additional crew announcements. Craigs Bond has retired to Jamaica but returns to active duty when his old CIA pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) turns up asking for help to rescue a kidnapped scientist, which leads Bond to a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new tech. Story continues That checks off many of the usual Bond boxes and then some for Craigs fifth and final outing. Returning for duty are Lea Seydoux (Spectres Dr. Madelaine Swann), Ben Whishaw as Q, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny, and Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner. Joining them are Billy Magnussen (Maniac), Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), David Dencik (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), and Dali Benssalah (Nox). However, Rodrigo Perez of The Playlist (@YrOnlyHope) tweeted on Thursday that Christoph Waltz might be returning as arch-villain Blofeld (Spectre), based on his own early intel. Bond 25 starts principal photography this week in Jamaica. Theyve already done preliminary shooting in Norway, and will wind up in the ancient Italian town of Matera after filming in London and the home base of Pinewood Studios. Oscar-winning cinematographer Linus Sandgren (La La Land) will go large-format with 65mm Panavision and IMAX 65mm (to shoot the action sequences) for the first time in franchise history. Team Damien Chazelle will also be represented by Oscar-winning editor Tom Cross (Whiplash), who shares editing duties with Elliot Graham (Captain Marvel, Milk). Other crew members include Production Designer Mark Tildesley (Phantom Thread, Sunshine), Costume Designer Suttirat Larlarb (Steve Jobs), Supervising Stunt Coordinator Olivier Schneider, 2nd Unit Stunt Coordinator Lee Morrison and Visual Effects Supervisor Charlie Noble. Returning members to the team include 2nd Unit Director Alexander Witt, Special Effects and Action Vehicles Supervisor Chris Corbould and Casting Director Debbie McWilliams. However, theres still no confirmation on a composer. Bond 25 has been a tumultuous ride thus far in trying to conclude Craigs tenure on a high-note after the disappointing Spectre. Fukunaga replaced director Danny Boyle and his Trainspotting writing partner John Hodge, when their shocking story idea hit a creative wall. Go-to scribes Neal Purvis & Robert Wade returned to the fold and were soon joined by Scott Z. Burns (The Laundromat, The Bourne Ultimatum), who shares credit with Fukunaga, and, finally, Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) was brought in to sprinkle in her wry humor, reportedly at Craigs request. Shes by no means the first female Bond scribe: Johanna Harwood wrote the first Bond movie, Dr. No, and Dana Stevens (The World is Not Enough) and Leslie Dixon (Tomorrow Never Dies) have also made contributions. After the elusive title, the question remains: How to conclude Craigs arc as Bond, the most gritty, personal, and introspective portrayal in franchise history? Clearly, with the presence of both Leiter and Seydoux, the story will continue the journey that began with Casino Royale and left off with Spectre, exploring the dilemma of 007 as half-monk, half-hit man, searching for happiness and a quantum of solace after a lifetime of pain and suffering orchestrated by his childhood rival turned villain Blofeld. But with the opportunity to let Bond have more fun and be playful and witty. And, with the addition of Malek as the latest iconic baddie, the franchise has the opportunity to tap a younger audience that otherwise might avoid cinemas longest running franchise at nearly 60 years. Craig said on Thursday that its all about consistency and standing out different from the other moviesand the enduring theme of Ian Fleming. Bond 25 will be released in the U.S. on April 8, 2020 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer via United Artists Releasing and a joint venture with Annapurna, and through Universal and MGM in the U.K. and internationally on April 3, 2020. Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. James Bonds next adventure will go untitled for a little longer. In a promotional video tied to the start of production on the upcoming 007 sequel, the filmmakers behind the movie unveiled the cast, confirmed that Oscar-winner Rami Malek will be the villain, but stopped short of sharing a moniker for the spy thriller. It will continue under its working title of Bond 25. The films producers and star Daniel Craig did hint at certain plot details even if many of the castings they confirmed had been widely reported. Related stories Phoebe Waller-Bridge to Polish 'Bond 25' Script Box Office: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Surpasses $900 Million Worldwide Weve got quite a ride in store for Mr. Bond, promised producer Barbara Broccoli. She also left a few breadcrumbs about what that ride might entail, telling viewers that the film will start with Bond out of active service and on holiday. Hes enjoying himself in Jamaica, said Broccoli, who added that the production has built an extraordinary house for the famous agent and his license to kill. The official log-line states that [Bonds] peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Malek was working in New York and couldnt join the cast and crew in Jamaica where they shot the promo at Bond creator Ian Flemings Goldeneye estate. I will be making sure that Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it in this, his 25th outing, said Malek. None of these statements fall into the spoilers category, but they are what passes for a big reveal in the maddeningly secretive world of 007. At one point, Naomie Harris, set to return as Moneypenny, was asked innocuously if shed be joining Bond in the field only to wave the query off as giving way too much information. Story continues This edition will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the filmmaker who made the first season of True Detective a water cooler event. He took the reins after the original director Danny Boyle parted ways over creative differences. Fukunaga told fans that Craig, who plays the super spy as a hard-drinking bruiser, was his favorite Bond. I want to make sure that this run of filmshave a really great next chapter and just keep upping the ante so whoever is next has a harder job, said Fukunaga. Locations for the movie also include London, Italy and Norway, where some shooting has already taken place. The cast will include returning actors Lea Seydoux (Dr. Madeleine Swann), Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter), Ben Whishaw (Q), Rory Kinnear (Tanner) and Ralph Fiennes (M). Newcomers include Lashana Lynch, David Dencik, Ana De Armas and Dali Benssalah. The producers confirmed a Variety scoop that Billy Magnussen has joined the cast. Variety also previously reported Maleks casting. The producers confirmed that the script will be written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The team behind the franchise said Bond has remained relevant because they are willing to shake things up while remaining true to Flemings take on the secret agent. We do update the stories and we do update the plots, but we stay true to the character, said producer Michael G. Wilson. The next chapter in Bonds story hits theaters on April 8, 2020, at which point one hopes it will be called something other than Bond 25. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. BuzzFeed will no longer include a regular reporter in the White House travel pool that accompanies the president on trips at home and abroad. The development comes amid broader cost concerns and financial pressures the company has faced in recent months. We decided not to continue in the smaller group that makes up the traveling pool, but remain enthusiastic members of the in-town print pool, a spokesperson for the company told TheWrap on Thursday. News of BuzzFeeds departure was reported by the Washington Posts David Nakamura on Twitter, Wednesday. In his tweet, Nakamura noted the high cost to news organizations that come with keeping correspondents as part of the regular traveling pool. Also Read: NYC Mayor Calls Out BuzzFeed Over Union Talks: 'You Insulted All Working New Yorkers' BuzzFeed has dropped out of the WH print travel pool rotation that follows @potus on AF1 for domestic and foreign trips. Such duties are costly for news organizations which pay for flights, meals, other travel costs, he said. BuzzFeed spokesperson Matt Mittenthal confirmed that the decision reflected both time and cost considerations, and that BuzzFeed doesnt generate daily coverage of Trump goings on in the travel pool unlike many other outlets who did maintain a permanent presence there. Mittenthal also added that the network had no intention of dialing back any coverage of the broader Trump administration or federal agencies. The travel pool scaling back comes as the company has been buffeted by financial pressures. BuzzFeed which remains unprofitable slashed 220 jobs in January 2019, accounting for roughly 15 percent of their domestic staff. Revenue growth by itself isnt enough to be successful in the long run, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti said in a memo to staff at the time explaining the decision. The restructuring we are undertaking will reduce our costs and improve our operating model so we can thrive and control our own destiny, without ever needing to raise funding again Story continues The company has also been rocked by internal unrest in recent weeks, as the layoffs have spurred a vigorous unionization effort from staff. Talks with management, however, stalled with reps for the still unrecognized union calling out the company for canceling a negotiating session. Also Read: BuzzFeed Staffers Criticize Company After Management Bails on Union Talks: 'Slap in the Face' We came to the table today ready to meet with BuzzFeed execs about finally recognizing our union. Five minutes after the meeting was scheduled to start, they told us they werent going to show up, the union said in a tweet earlier this month. This meeting was a crucial opportunity to make progress in agreeing on a bargaining unit, after more than 7 weeks of frustratingly slow communication with BuzzFeed. Instead, they abandoned todays negotiations. BuzzFeed management is engaging in clear union-busting. BuzzFeed has made specific, reasonable offers (and concessions) with the goal of voluntarily recognizing a BuzzFeed News union. We hope the union will return to discussing specific titles and positions the subject of weeks of negotiations rather than focusing on an area where we continue to disagree, a spokesperson said in response. The company also engaged in a public fight about the issue with the New York City mayor Bill de Blasio who came out publicly in favor of recognition. Read original story BuzzFeed Drops Out of White House Travel Pool Amid Cost Concerns At TheWrap Dad Kills Mom in Murder-Suicide, and Baby Who Survived 2 Gunshots Is Found Crawling by Relative Dad Kills Mom in Murder-Suicide, and Baby Survives 2 Gunshots A Pennsylvania father fatally shot a woman and himself, also injuring the pairs 11-month-old son who survived two gunshot wounds, police say. Police in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, have confirmed that SheKierrah Adams was killed Tuesday by 23-year-old Raquill Holland. According to investigators, a family member checking in on the couple arrived at their apartment Tuesday to find them dead. Their son, Raquill Jr., was crawling around on the floor, PEOPLE confirms. The child sustained two gunshot wounds: one to the torso and another to the leg, according to Sharon Hill police. Police said that the baby was crawling around just feet from the bodies of his dead parents and wasnt even crying when police arrived. She'Kierrah Adams | Facebook 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. He was rushed to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, where hes listed in stable condition. Officials said he is under the care of Children and Youth Services as they look for surviving family members to place him with. According to 6ABC, family members said the killer had a history of domestic violence and had repeatedly threatened Adams. If you suspect domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. By Alicia Powell OCHO RIOS, Jamaica (Reuters) - Oscar winner Rami Malek will play the international villain who Daniel Craig's James Bond must battle in the British spy franchise's 25th film set for release next year, the producers announced on Thursday. Malek, 37, drew critical acclaim for his portrayal of Queen front man Freddie Mercury in last year's "Bohemian Rhapsody." "I promise you all I will be making sure that Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it," Malek said in a recorded announcement from New York aired as part of a webcast about the new movie. In an interview, Malek promised a different type of villain than Bond fans have come to expect. The film will take "the perspective of what it means to be a villain, and perhaps flipping that on its head in some way, shape or form," he said. The still untitled movie known by the working title "Bond 25" will be Craig's fifth go-around as Britain's most famous fictional secret agent, and will feature on-location scenes in Jamaica, the producers said in the webcast from the Caribbean island. After 2015 film "Spectre," Craig had said he would rather slash his wrists than play Bond again. But in 2017, the actor confirmed he would return to the role one last time. "A break was what I needed," Craig told Reuters on Thursday in Jamaica, where some of the cast members are filming. "I'm incredibly excited just to get going." Actors who will reprise their roles alongside Craig include Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny and Ben Whishaw as Q. Joining the cast are Jeffrey Wright, Billy Magnussen and Dali Benssalah. Producers had already announced that the movie, set for release next April, will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the man behind the first season of the U.S. television drama "True Detective." Among trademarks of Bond movies are their exotic locations, beginning with Jamaica when the franchise was launched with "Dr. No" in 1962. "We consider Jamaica Bond's spiritual home," said producer Barbara Broccoli. The new film will be shot in Italy, Norway and London in addition to Jamaica, the producers said. The Bond franchise, based on the Ian Fleming novels about the British secret agent who outsmarts international villains, overcomes certain death and charms glamorous women, first hit screens during the Cold War with Sean Connery as Bond. Bond has also been played by George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. (Reporting by Alicia Powell in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Peter Szekely in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and James Dalgleish) For 27 years, Munira Abdulla had been in a coma following a horrific car crash at the age of 32 in the United Arab Emirates. Shed not uttered a word since 1991. Then, at a clinic in Germany last June, she awoke and called out her sons name. When we realized that she was talking with us, we were ecstatic, Dr. Friedemann Muller, the chief physician at the Schoen Clinic in Bad Aibling, told NBC News. None of us, he told the outlet, had ever experienced that someone wakes again after 27 years. Her 32-year-old son, Omar Webair, was 4 when he survived the crash that led to his mothers severe brain injury. He told The National, I never gave up on her because I always had a feeling that one day she will wake up. Emirati woman who miraculously woke up from a 30-year-long coma is grateful for the global outpouring of support https://t.co/EeTgJSXvsw The National (@TheNationalUAE) April 24, 2019 Abdulla arrived at the clinic, near Munich, for treatment of seizures, reports The New York Times. Doctors said they didnt think Abdulla would ever open her eyes again, according to The National. Unresponsive, Abdulla had no awareness of her surroundings, was tube-fed and underwent physiotherapy to prevent muscle atrophy. In Germany, a device placed into her spine to deliver medication may have led to her improvement, Muller told The Times. Its not like waking up in the morning, he told NBC. It was a process over weeks as reactions and vocalizations increased and improved. RELATED: How Police Learned Woman in Coma Had Given Birth: Baby Was Fighting for Life, Mom Was Helpless A few weeks after saying her sons name, Abdulla began reciting verses from the Quran shed remembered from before the accident. Story continues We didnt believe it at first, Muller told the Times. But eventually it became very clear that she was saying her sons name. Webair told The National that when his mother called his name, I was flying with joy. For years I have dreamt of this moment, and my name was the first word she said. Now, Abdulla is in Abu Dhabi undergoing further rehabilitation, according to The National. She can hold conversations and tell her doctors when shes feeling pain, Webair told the publication. I shared her story to tell people not to lose hope on their loved ones, Webair said. Dont consider them dead when they are in such a state. Photo credit: Getty Images From Esquire It is a troubled time in America. Institutions are tottering. Widespread discontent is evident in the streets. There is a profound lack of faith in our ability to govern ourselves and in the ability of our leaders to solve the crises that seem to be growing by the hour. The president is embattled. He is besieged. His re-election seems uncertain. In these desperate hours, a veteran leader, a former vice-president, steps forward and offers himself in service to his country. He assures us we are strong enough to meet all these challenges, and that we are a better people than we have demonstrated ourselves to be. He says: "...your responsibility is greater than ever. The nation is in grave difficulties, around the world and here at home. The choices we face are larger than any differences among Republicans or among Democrats, larger even than the differences between the parties. They are beyond politics. Peace and freedom in the world, and peace and progress here at home, will depend on the decisions of the next President of the United States. For these critical years, America needs new leadership. During [my] years in Washington, I learned the awesome nature of the great decisions a President faces...I have had a chance to reflect on the lessons of public office, to measure the nation's tasks and its problems from a fresh perspective. I have sought to apply those lessons to the needs of the present, and to the entire sweep of this...century. And thus did Joe Biden announce his candidac...no, wait. That's Richard Nixon from 1968. Photo credit: Getty Images Here's a better one. Did we come all this way for this? Did American boys die in Normandy and Korea and in Valley Forge for this? Listen to the answers to those questions. It is another voice, it is a quiet voice in the tumult of the shouting. It is the voice of the great majority of Americans, the forgotten Americans, the non shouters, the non demonstrators. Theyre not racists or sick; theyre not guilty of the crime that plagues the land; they are black, they are white; theyre native born and foreign born; theyre young and theyre old. They work in American factories, they run American businesses. They serve in government; they provide most of the soldiers who die to keep it free. They give drive to the spirit of America. They give lift to the American dream. They give steel to the backbone of America. Theyre good people. Theyre decent people; they work and they save and they pay their taxes and they care.Like Theodore Roosevelt, they know that this country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless its a good place for all of us to live in. Story continues And thus did Joe Biden announce his candidac...no, wait. That's Richard Nixon again, accepting the Republican nomination for president in 1968, after having failed to be elected president in 1960, and after having failed to be elected governor of California in 1962. Joe Biden is not Richard Nixon. (Although, to be fair to the historical record, they once held the same position on busing.) He is not history's yard waste. He does not teem with angry angst and delusions of persecution and self-esteem that can be measured in a teaspoon. He enters the 2020 presidential campaign with a lifetime in politics to defend, and with eight years of being Barack Obama's vice-president that served to take much of the edge off that lifetime of politics. In his campaign announcement video, he makes clear that he learned about the politics of this perilous moment from those eight years as Obama's wingman. I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen. The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America is at stake. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States. Folks, America's an idea-an idea that's stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It gives hope to the most desperate people on earth. It guarantees that everyone is treated with dignity. It gives hate no safe harbor. It instills in every person in this country the belief that no matter where you start in life, there's nothing you can't achieve if you work at it. This is Biden channelling the spirit of Obama's famous breakthrough speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, a speech that subsequent history-and Mitch McConnell-have fed into the shredder, and a speech that the election of this president* proved to be woefully naive and, quite honestly, as full of shit as the Christmas goose. The fact is that many of us are not better than the politics we see today, that this moment in time is not as aberrant as Biden says it is. In 1968, Richard Nixon subtly stirred the same politics of resentment while simultaneously saying he would bring us together. Photo credit: Getty Images The current president* just doesn't bother with the second part, is all. We indeed are in a battle for the soul of this nation and one of the major fronts in that battle is just what the soul of this nation truly looks like. That question remains wide open. Does Biden recognize this? Does his vaunted appeal to regular Joes and Janes blind him (and us) to the fact that a lot of those people have been digesting the ideological crud spooned out to them for so long that they've developed a taste for it, that a lot of the salt of the earth hath lost its savor? The arc of Joe Biden's long career almost perfectly traces the rise of conservative politics that culminated inevitably in the election of the current president. It tracks precisely the end of the Roosevelt coalition and the powerful salience among those same voters of appeals to racial and cultural hatred. It follows in close harmony the endless attempts by the Democratic Party to backtrack on its most profound principles in order to bring back people who have been taught to hate it day after day on their radios and television sets, and by the politicians who have convinced them that their lowest impulses are their highest triumphs, and that the better angels of their nature wear brass knuckles and carry a sap under their robes. To argue that we are better than the politics of the Trump Era requires a whopping offer of proof. Is Biden able to provide it? Standing in this same place a third of a century ago, Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed a Nation ravaged by depression and gripped in fear. He could say in surveying the Nation's troubles: "They concern, thank God, only material things." Our crisis today is the reverse. We have found ourselves rich in goods, but ragged in spirit; reaching with magnificent precision for the moon, but falling into raucous discord on earth. We are caught in war, wanting peace. We are torn by division, wanting unity. We see around us empty lives, wanting fulfillment. We see tasks that need doing, waiting for hands to do them. To a crisis of the spirit, we need an answer of the spirit. To find that answer, we need only look within ourselves. When we listen to "the better angels of our nature," we find that they celebrate the simple things, the basic things--such as goodness, decency, love, kindness. Greatness comes in simple trappings. The simple things are the ones most needed today if we are to surmount what divides us, and cement what unites us. Richard Nixon said that on a cold day in January of 1969, seven months before Americans landed on the moon and a year before he first approved a plan devised by an ambitious young fascist named Tom Charles Huston to use the intelligence apparatus of this country to spy on political activists and political opponents. Eventually, he rescinded that plan, formally, but several elements stayed active within the government. In 1972, he was re-elected in an unprecedented landslide. Joe Biden is not Richard Nixon. Neither is he Donald Trump nor Barack Obama. He is joyful where Nixon was paranoid and where Obama was cool and considered. He is not grossly cynical, nor is he imperturbably rational. He is as he always has been-an incurable optimist whose burbling good will occasionally run ahead of his syntax and his ideas. He believes we are better than we keep proving ourselves to be. He'd better be right, because the stakes are mortal this time around. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook Page here. ('You Might Also Like',) Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe, President Donald Trump tweeted shortly after former Veep Joe Biden officially announced his 2020 White House race. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! Related stories Jeffrey Katzenberg Officially Joins Joe Biden Hollywood Fundraiser As Co-Chair; Ex-DWA Boss Was Big Obama Donor Biden had blasted Trump in a Thursday morning Get This Bum Out Of The White House announcement. Unveiling a video that opened with clips of the 2017 Charlottesville march, in which a woman was killed protesting neo-Nazis who were chanting Jews will not replace us and other hate speech. Trumps shocking response that there had been some very fine people on both sides of that incident revealed him to be a threat to this nationunlike any Id ever seen in my lifetime, Biden blasted. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, he warned. The former Vice President kicks off his campaigning in Pennsylvania, a state Trump barely won against Hillary Clinton. Trumps tweet suggests hes taking Biden seriously. By 9:30 AM ET, Joe Biden was trending on Twitter worldwide, and his announcement owned the Top 10, also including: #DerangedDonald #Joe2020 #Biden2020 Uncle Joe Sleepy Joe Here is Trumps tweet: Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Ken Kercheval, the actor best known for his longtime role as Texas businessman Cliff Barnes on the CBS soap opera Dallas, has died. He was 83. Kercheval passed away on Sunday, April 21, a spokesperson at the Frist Funeral Home in his hometown of Clinton, Indiana, told Deadline. At this time, a cause of death for the actor remains unclear. Representatives for Kercheval did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Kerchevals passion for acting began in 1954 when he dropped out of Indiana University after one semester in 1954 to accept the lead in a Terre Haute production of Kiss Me, Kate, he told PEOPLE in 1981. He then studied drama for a year in California before heading for New York, where he met other young actors like Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman and Suzanne Pleshette. Kercheval first bog show role was in the Broadway production of Something About A Soldier in 1962 and the Off-Broadway production of Berlin to Broadway in 1972, Deadline reports. The actor then starred in several other productions, including The Apple Tree, Cabaret, Heres Where I Belong, and Fiddler on the Roof. Ken Kercheval in Dallas | Lorimar/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock RELATED: As the Ewing Familys Foe, Ken Kercheval Is Edging His Way into the Drivers Seat on Dallas In 1962, Kercheval transitioned to screen and it wasnt long before he became a staple in the television and film world. On the small screen, the Indiana native made appearances on The Secret Storm, Kojak, CHiPs, Starsky & Hutch, The Love Boat, Matlock, Highway to Heaven, before landing the role of Barnes, the brother of Victoria Principals character Pamela Ewing on the CBS soap opera in 1978. The actor remained on the show until its end in 1991 and even had the opportunity to direct two episodes. In 2012, he reprised his role in the revival of the soap opera for two years, according to his IMDb page. Speaking to PEOPLE in 1981, Kercheval noted how different he was in comparison to his iconic businessman character. Money, power and prestige are what Cliff Barnes aspires to, even though he sees that the Ewings live in misery, he said. For me, happiness is doing my best and trying to be helpful. Being a star and having money do not make for a happy person. I think Ive learned the lesson, even if Cliff hasnt. Story continues RELATED VIDEO: All My Children Star Mark LaMura Dies at 68: Reports Besides Dallas, Kercheval also appeared on E.R., L.A. Law, Murder She Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder. As for the big screen, Kerchevals credits include Network, Corporate Affairs, The Seven-Ups, F.I.S.T, The Promise, and most recently in 2019, Surviving in L.A. In his personal life, Kercheval faced a number of health battles. In 1994, he had part of his lung removed after he was diagnosed with lung cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor also admitted to smoking 2 to 3 packs of cigarettes per day and being an alcoholic for 20 years, the outlet reports. Kercheval was married and divorced multiple times. From those relationships, he leaves behind three children, Fox News reports. Elements of Sri Lanka's government had been warned weeks ago of impending terrorist attacks but failed to share the information. Quite possibly as a consequence, they then failed to prevent the bloody Easter Sunday bombings, or at least to protect the more than 300 people who were killed and the hundreds who were wounded. Without in any way diminishing the culpability of the suicide bombers or their co-conspirators, blame for the killings also falls on the dysfunctional relationship between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who haven't cooperated since a government crisis began in October. Sirisena's security council had frozen out Wickremesinghe, so details offered by intelligence officials in India and the U.S. as early as April 4 went unheeded by anyone who could act on them. The perpetrators are alleged to be the National Thowheed Jamath, a home-grown Islamist group. Its targets were Christian worshipers and Western tourists. But the sophistication of the bombings suggests the involvement of other terrorist groups, and Islamic State reportedly claimed the attack was in retaliation for the March 15 shooting attack on Muslims in New Zealand. Muslims and Christians are both integral yet relatively small strands of the South Asian island nation's fabric. Much larger are the mostly Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the minority Tamils, predominately Hindu. The two fought a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers. Since then, the nation has struggled to recapture the peace and cooperation that formerly existed among its ethnic and religious groups. Like many nations, Sri Lanka is a pluralistic society. States of such diverse ethnicities were once held together by armies and ruling families, but pluralism today is most successful when accompanied by liberalism. The rule of law and protection of individual rights lend minorities confidence they will not be repressed by larger groups. Free press and open communication foster debate and combat falsehoods and prejudices. In the absence of liberal institutions, a pluralistic society easily descends into suspicious and bitter factions. Rifts and rivalries can be ethnic or religious, political or personal. And they can be deadly. Each appears to have played a role in this tragedy. It's disturbing, then, that Sri Lanka's government has responded by clamping down on communication. It is true that social media can amplify and accelerate falsehoods and hatred. Indeed, some factions such as the Myanmar military have weaponized these networks to distribute misinformation and foment violence. But shutting them down also prevents families from learning the fate of their loved ones, spreading pleas for calm or combating insularity. As one study of social media blackouts in India has shown, collective violence more often increases than decreases in the absence of those connections. Stanching communication does little to restore the cooperation and confidence that are so essential and were so lacking within the government in Colombo. The above editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times. It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A childish, easily distracted president of the United States with a slippery grasp on facts and a short temper. Ummm, without getting too political about an explicitly political episode, this weeks Twilight Zone is a bit of a Rorschach test for viewers. Is it a new-century take on the classic episode Its a Good Life, or is it a commentary on the current occupant of the White House? You decide! We open on Raff Hanks (John Cho), who wakes up in a brightly lit operating theater, confused, bleeding, and in pain. Then we flashback to the events that led him this moment. Five years earlier, Raff was the wunderkind (no, really, thats the name of his soon-to-be-released autobiography!) who spearheaded the campaign to reelect the most unpopular president in history. Alas, on election night, Raffs fancy data fails him and the president becomes a one-term joke. Skip ahead two years, and Raffs finding comfort in the bottom of a bourbon glass, bitterly watching still-in-favor political pundits pontificate on cable news. Based on the clips we see, the new president isnt doing much better than the old one, though. But soft, what light through yonder TV breaks? Its 11-year-old YouTube sensation Oliver Foley (Jacob Tremblay), whose vlog moved from Minecraft to Fortnight as he gained fame and followers over time. Now, his announcement that hes running for president has racked up 12 million views, thanks in part to his a video game in every house platform. Raff watches in wonder as the barflies all agree that theyd totally vote for Oliver, who values niceness and honesty above all else. Then the Narrator pops up to tell us that Raffs road to redemption will take him through the Twilight Zone. Sensing an opportunity, Raff joins the Foleys for spaghetti dinner and is charmed by Olivers authenticity and ability to connect with people. At first, Olivers parents think its a joke, but Raff explains that Olivers mother, Helen, would actually be the one on the ballot, which makes it legal. And yes, Raff may be an opportunist seeking his way back into power, but he also believes in the kid. Story continues So Oliver hits the campaign trail inwhere else?Iowa, where Raffs joined by his former campaign colleague Maura McGill (Allison Tolman). Oliver promises the crowd better air quality and fewer Star Wars movies, then he trots off the stage anticipating baby carrots on the campaign bus and a slot on Maddow that night. But first, he issues Raff a cutely stern warning about doing better with hits on his videos. Awww, adorable, right? Right?? Olivers behavior continues to fluctuate on the trail. Sure, average citizens on the news sing his praises, and his campaign music video, complete with backup dancers and his face on Mount Rushmore, is a huge success. But he also throws a screaming tantrum about being forced to go to a doctors appointment and is shaky during debate prep. At the debate itself, alongside the adult candidates, Oliver crumbles under the weight of his uninformed answers and has to be carried off the stage by his mother as Raff watches it unfold in horror. He returns to the bottle, but Maura lures him back with the news that Olivers dog, Homer, has terminal cancer, and Oliver wants to make one more vlog. This animates Raff, who realizes it can get them back in the Iowa race. Thats not good, Allison mutters as he leaves. In the Homer video, Oliver sits with his family and his dog and promises that as president, hed surround himself with the nicest, smartest people. Then in rapid succession, we cut to Olivers first-place Iowa caucus finish with Raff in front of the cable news cameras, then to his inauguration parade packed with cheering crowds. Once in the Oval Office, Oliver climbs onto the desk and declares, This is the president! Bomb Russia! Just kidding! When Helen explains that he cant actually give people free video games, he threatens to replace everybody if they dont get him what he wants, constitutionality be damned. Also, his title is Mr. President, thank you very much. As time rolls along, Oliver installs penguins on the White House lawn and comic book art and pinball machines in the Oval. (Actually, all of that is pretty cool.) Less cool is his prohibition against old doctors when hes told Congress is requiring him to get a physical. Then he takes off to ride through the White House hallways on a tricycle straight out of the Danny Torrance toy catalogyet somehow, improbably, its even scarier in this setting. This point is driven home when Raff stops one of Olivers military advisers to suggest that the president is acting like a spoiled child. The man looks coldly at Raff and warns him not to talk treason. Likewise, Raffs attempts to reach Helen also fall on deaf ears, and Maura, who took a post-campaign job in the private sector, tells him its a phase thatll pass. Things come to a head when Raff joins Oliver on the indoor White House putting green, which disappoints the president with its lack of windmills and pirate ships. Raff tries to bring up his concerns about Olivers behavior, but Olivers enraged that his earliest supporter isnt backing him unconditionally, gloating that he faked Homers terminal cancer to get Raff back on his team. Then he knocks over a full basket of balls, spilling them on the green, and screams that he finally made a hole in one. Hes the president, after all; if he says it happened, it happened, and any disagreement is treason. When Raff objects to this irrational bully distorting reality on a whim, Oliver orders the Secret Service to open fire. They do, and the public immediately adopts the opinion that Raff deserved what he got for attacking that sweet little boy. Now, were back where we started, with Raff strapped to an operating table awaiting surgery on his ruptured spleen and punctured lung. But the man whos been attending him reminds him that, by law, hes not permitted to be a doctor any longer. A child then steps up and grabs a large knife to hurriedly slash his way through Raffs operation. Hes got a video game to get back to, after all. The Zone zone Ah, yes, I recognize this Twilight Zone formula: an outlandish premise made nightmarishly real, plus a narratively satisfying twist, in a story that lends itself to multiple interpretations. Its good that you did that, writers. This series reboot is absolutely bursting with onscreen talent. Allison Tolman should be in everything always (RIP, Downward Dog), and I was left wanting much, much more John Larroquette as the bad one-term president. A modest proposal: Pair Larroquette/Tolman in the Veep spinoff of our dreams! You cant squander such a perfectly named political operative like Maura McGill. Okay, if you were president, whats the first thing youd install in the Oval? Pinball? Black lights? Soda fountain? Let me know in the comments! Related content: Georgia Mom Admits Stabbing 4 Kids, Husband to Death in Attack that Spared 1 Daughter Georgia Mom Admits Stabbing 4 Kids, Husband to Death The Georgia mother who fatally stabbed her husband and four of her children nearly two years ago pleaded guilty on Tuesday to seven criminal counts, and subsequently received five life sentences from a judge. A spokeswoman for the Gwinnett County District Attorneys Office tells PEOPLE Isabel Martinez, 35, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to five counts of murder on Tuesday. Martinez also entered guilty pleas to one count of aggravated assault and one count of cruelty to children for stabbing a fifth child the lone survivor from the July 2017 attack. RELATED: 9-Year-Old Survivor of Georgia Home Horror Is Learning Her Dad and Four Siblings Are Dead as Her Mom Is Charged with Murder Martinez admitted in court to fatally stabbing her husband, Martin Romero, 33, and four of their children: Isabela Martinez, 10; Dacota Romero, 7; Dillan Romero, 4; and 2-year-old Axel Romero. She also injured another daughter, Diana Romero, in the vicious knife attack. Isabel Martinez | John Bazemore/AP Diana Romero, who was 9 at the time of the incident, told child welfare workers Martinez started stabbing the children first as they slept inside the familys Loganville home. Martin Romero tried to stop her and Martinez stabbed him. Diana Romero said that Martinez was not crying or screaming as she stabbed her family members to death, and at one point during the attack, told her she would be going to the sky to see Jesus. The girl told her mother she did not want to see Jesus, according to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE. RELATED: Georgia Mom Accused of Fatally Stabbing Husband, Kids Told Surviving Daughter She Was Going to See Jesus Diana Romero, the sole survivor | GoFundMe Martinez cut herself before calling 911 to report the killings. Martinez initially confessed to the killings, according to court documents. She later changed her story, telling authorities a family friend committed the murders. RELATED: Georgia Mom Allegedly Fatally Stabbed Four Children and Husband But Prosecutors Wont Seek Death Penalty Story continues Prosecutors declined to seek the death penalty against Martinez, citing her mental state. 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. Martinez will never be able to seek parole. In addition to the five life sentences, the judge sentenced her to another 21 years. We knew how good we had it. John Milius, 33 years old, said that to the Los Angeles Times in 1977. At the time, he was shooting Big Wednesday, his third full-blown feature film as a director. Supposedly, it was about surfing in Southern California. In truth, the movie was about John, and that one glorious moment in his life those years on the beach, in the early 1960s when he was briefly at one with the times. Related stories Jan-Michael Vincent Tribute In Works At Malibu Surf Shrine Milius was back on the beach Wednesday (no accident, that particular day of the week), where he anchored a gathering at Dukes, in Malibu. The occasion was a memorial service for Jan-Michael Vincent, who died last February after a long, troubled life that was only briefly interrupted by his role as surf legend Matt Johnson in Big Wednesday. He was a good bad boy, said actress Lee Purcell, who played his wife and lover in Big Wednesday, to murmurs of approval from the crowd of four or five dozen Vincent friends and admirers. A troubled Golden Boy, Milius called Vincent in a video recapping the actors career. The reel got rolling on Wednesday when Milius growled Action! It acknowledged but didnt dwell on the drug and alcohol struggles that were already baked into Vincents Big Wednesday character, who opened the movie drunk, and at one point caused a traffic debacle that matched any number of crack-ups in the actors later life. Inevitably, Milius was a center of attention on Wednesday night. Chris Kobin, who helped organize the event and featured Milius in the documentary Hollywood Dont Surf!, of which Kobin was a producer, stayed out of the limelight as one guest after another Jeff Berg, Gary Busey, Billy Katt paid court at the Milius table. And there he was, grizzled as ever, working somewhat to overcome the effects of a stroke he suffered in 2010, and wearing a bright red cap that said: Make Surfing Great Again. Clearly, he is still at odds with his industry, his era, the prevailing political winds with almost everything except for that very short time when, like his avatars in Big Wednesday, he lived on and for the beach. Story continues In truth, Milius was never really about nostalgia: Other than his surf years, he didnt seem to have much use for any of the decades in which he was assigned to live. I just dont like the present, Milius told Variety in 1993, shortly after the release of Walter Hills Geronimo: An American Legend, of which he was one of the writers. Instead, he yearned for times mythic or otherwise in which clear, inviolable codes applied. Before Michael Ovitz popularized Sun Tzu and the Chinese art of war, Milius was a student of Bushido, a Samurai way of life built around honor, courage and compassion. Though unmentioned, that code bound the surfers in Big Wednesday. In life, it dragged Milius through a series of films that sometimes worked, sometimes didnt, but which almost always stunned critics and the casual observer with their stark refusal simply to blend in. Pauline Kael thought his best work had fascist tendencies. How else to explain scenes like the Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? moment from his Dirty Harry rewrite, or the napalm in the morning line from Apocalypse Now? But Milius consistently denounced Sam Peckinpah for what he saw as film violence without moral purpose. And Janet Maslin, in the New York Times, denounced Milius when, as in Big Wednesday, he kept the violence down to some fairly harmless party fights. Youd have thought the film would have boasted at least enough trigger-happy machismo to make it controversial, she complained. It wasnt just that 2010 stroke that moved Milius farther and farther from Hollywoods center. More, it was his stubborn insistence on another element of the Samurai code, the need for mastery actual knowledge of real things, and an ability to use them. In a digital world, Milius remains an analog man. He gets in the water, or did until his 50s. (Those boards hanging in his Culver City office werent just wall art.) He doesnt just write about shooting, he shoots. A hunter, he would insist that to watch an elk die was horrifying, but should be faced, not just by the writer of a Milius script called Liver-eating Johnson (it became Jeremiah Johnson with Robert Redford, minus the Crow livers) but those who eat meat. Famously, Milius refused to start working on Dirty Harry until Warner Bros. delivered a Purdey shotgun, part of his fee. He often insisted on tangible compensation of that sort. In the early 1990s, a story around Columbia Pictures said the studio gave him a Cuban cigar every day when he turned in his pages (or page) for the Texas Rangers. Maybe it was even true. Certainly, those on the lot were glad to believe it, because the yarn marked Milius as an increasingly rare individual who valued the real, both in life and in his work. This is all real. These are real surfers on the beach, Milius said in a Big Wednesday-era clip that was included in the Vincent memorial. Sometimes, reality ran away with him. There was a feud with writer John Fasano over the authenticity of the guns in a Milius project. (I watched Fasano, since deceased, dump a bag full of pistols on the table in a meeting to establish his credentials in the matter.) On Flight Of The Intruder, the budget ballooned as Milius juggled Paramounts imperatives against his own fascination with military hardware, including his proudest prop, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Independence. In 2003, his former accountant was arrested for embezzling $3 million from Milius, in part by fabricating purchases of collectible guns, thus using the filmmakers fascination with real things to defraud him. By then, Milius was outside the film industrys mainstream. I am to the right of most people in the movie business, he had told Esquire, with rare understatement, as early as 1973. When his Red Dawn was much later being remade by others with Chinese (changed to North Korean) invaders replacing the Russians as villains, Milius, more blunt than politic, shared a now perhaps unthinkable thought with the Los Angeles Times. I would have done it about Mexico, he said. Sentiment of that sort can bring banishment in the age of social media. Yet he was still standing proud as of Wednesday, the same John Milius. Crusty. Weathered. More than a bit damaged. But still real, and still unbowed. Mostly, he laughed, and repeated a few happy phrases, Oh, yes, yes, yeah, and very good! Gary Busey said simply: God bless John Milius. Those of us lucky enough to have run across Milius now and then could only concur, and be grateful. We knew how good we had it. Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Joe Biden has told his former boss not to endorse him. Hours after Biden, 76, announced his 2020 presidential campaign, the former vice president told reporters that he purposely urged Barack Obama to hold off on declaring his approval. I asked President Obama not to endorse, Biden told reporters on Thursday. Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits. Meanwhile, Obama offered kind words of encouragement to the man he often referred to as his brother. The White House Official Photographer President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made, Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said in a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday. He relied on the Vice Presidents knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today, the statement concluded. A source familiar with Obamas thinking also told PEOPLE it is unlikely that he will throw his support behind a specific candidate this early in the primary process preferring instead to let the candidates make their cases directly to the voters, adding that President Obama is excited by the extraordinary and diverse talent exhibited in the growing lineup of Democratic primary candidates. He believes that a robust primary in 2007 and 2008 not only made him a better general election candidate, but a better president, too. RELATED: Meet the 2020 Presidential Candidates So Far! Obama, who awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2017, has yet to endorse a candidate. The longtime senator from Delaware-turned-presidential candidate-turned-running mate and vice president announced his campaign early Thursday morning with a video message. The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracyeverything that has made America America is at stake, the text alongside the video said. Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. Story continues RELATED: Joe Biden Announces He Is Running for President Against Donald Trump After Skipping 2016 Race J. Scott Applewhite/Getty Biden served as Obamas right-hand man for two terms and enters a crowded field of Democratic candidates as the immediate frontrunner in name recognition and most polling, even if his age and historically more moderate voting record put him at odds with the partys progressive wing. In the months leading up to his announcement, Biden has repeatedly made the argument he is the most qualified challenger against Donald Trump. Ill be as straight with you as I can. I think Im the most qualified person in the country to be president, Biden told a cheering December crowd at the University of Montana. The issues that we face as a country today are the issues that have been in my wheelhouse, that Ive worked on my whole life. Joe Scarborough offered some advice to Joe Biden on the first official day of the former vice presidents 2020 presidential campaign, telling the Democrat that he should keep elite opinion and social media pundits at arms length. Joe Biden and other candidates, they need to ignore the blue check marks and what the blue check marks say and what the Washington elites say and what the Manhattan elites say, Scarborough said. If this class of people had influence over the Democratic party, Bill Bradley would have been president in 2000. The reference to blue checks marks refers to verified users of social media though Scarborough was almost certainly talking about Twitter specifically given his proficient use of the platform. Also Read: Joe Scarborough Claps Back at Trump for Calling Him 'Morning Psycho': 'He Just Can't Quit Us' It is black Americans, it is Hispanic Americans, it is a lot of people youre not hearing from now that wont be heard in fact until this South Carolina primary that determine who the Democratic nominee is working class Americans, Scarborough added, noting that Biden historically performed well with these groups. The former vice president is no stranger to presidential politics, first seeking the highest office in 1988. He ran again in 2008 before ultimately being tapped by Barack Obama to be his running mate. Bidens years at Obamas side have given him unrivaled name recognition, but his campaign has been riven in recent days by scandal including allegations from multiple women of inappropriate touching. In a piece for The Cut, Nevada activist Lucy Flores said Biden had touched her shoulders, kissed the back of her head and smelled her hair without prior consent during a campaign event in 2014. Also Read: Mika Brzezinski Recalls 'Unbelievably Inappropriate Hug' From Donald Trump on Set (Video) My brain couldnt process what was happening. I was embarrassed. I was shocked. I was confused, Flores wrote. I couldnt move and I couldnt say anything. I wanted nothing more than to get Biden away from me. Story continues In a statement, released hours later, Biden said he remembered things differently. In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort, he said. And not once never did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention. Bidens handsy behavior is far from a recent development and he was even called out by Jon Stewart for groping during a segment on the Daily Show in 2015. Still, Biden has never been accused of any form of sexual misconduct and has frequently found strong defenders on Morning Joe particularly co-host Mika Brzezinski, who has openly pushed back against Bidens female accusers. Hes affectionate and Im just going to push back and I know I put myself at great peril here, there could be more, whatever. More of what? I want to ask, she said earlier this month. So far, these two women have gotten national coverage for something they say was not sexual. So what was it? Affectionate and they didnt like the affection? I dont know what line were drawing here. Read original story Joe Scarborough Tells Biden to Brush Off Social Media: Ignore the Blue Check Marks (Video) At TheWrap Mark Medoff, the prolific playwright and educator best known for his 1979 play Children of a Lesser God, died Tuesday of undisclosed causes. He was 79.His death was announced on Facebook by his daughter, Jessica Medoff Bunchman. The Las Cruces Sun News reported that he was battling cancer at the time of his death.Its heartbreaking to see him move on from this place, but so heartwarming to remember the enormous love he gave, Medoff Bunchman wrote Tuesday.Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2019 (Photos)Born in 1940 in Illinois and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, Medoff studied at the University of Miami and Stanford, beginning his career in theater in 1966 with his first play, The Wager.He wrote prolifically over the next decade, but his breakthrough came with Children of a Lesser God. The play, which follows the complicated relationship between a deaf woman and her former teacher, was a critical and popular success, winning Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play for star John Rubinstein.The 1986 film adaptation, co-written by Medoff and Hesper Anderson, was similarly successful. Starring William Hurt and Marlee Matlin, it was nominated for five Academy Awards, with Matlin winning for Best Actress. Matlin remains the only deaf performer to win an Oscar.Medoffs other plays include 1974s When You Comin Back, Red Ryder? and most recently, Marilee and Baby Lamb: Assassination of an American Goddess in 2015. His other screenplays include Claras Heart in 1988, notable as the debut of Neil Patrick Harris, and the 1992 film adaptation of the novel City of Joy, starring Patrick Swayze.Medoff also taught, and served as a professor at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces for more than 50 years. Beginning in the English department, he later transferred to the schools Theatre Arts department, and co-founded its American Southwest Theatre Company in 2005.Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2018, From Stan Lee to Aretha Franklin (Photos)Hes survived by his second wife, Stephanie, their three children, and several grandchildren.On Twitter, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham paid tribute to Medeoff. He selflessly invested in the development of countless actors and writers, she wrote. Our state is better for his decades of commitment.Read original story Mark Medoff, Tony Award-Winning Children of a Lesser God Playwright, Dies at 79 At TheWrap Mark Medoff, the prolific playwright and educator best known for his 1979 play Children of a Lesser God, died Tuesday of undisclosed causes. He was 79. His death was announced on Facebook by his daughter, Jessica Medoff Bunchman. The Las Cruces Sun News reported that he was battling cancer at the time of his death. Its heartbreaking to see him move on from this place, but so heartwarming to remember the enormous love he gave, Medoff Bunchman wrote Tuesday. Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2019 (Photos) Born in 1940 in Illinois and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, Medoff studied at the University of Miami and Stanford, beginning his career in theater in 1966 with his first play, The Wager. He wrote prolifically over the next decade, but his breakthrough came with Children of a Lesser God. The play, which follows the complicated relationship between a deaf woman and her former teacher, was a critical and popular success, winning Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play for star John Rubinstein. The 1986 film adaptation, co-written by Medoff and Hesper Anderson, was similarly successful. Starring William Hurt and Marlee Matlin, it was nominated for five Academy Awards, with Matlin winning for Best Actress. Matlin remains the only deaf performer to win an Oscar. Medoffs other plays include 1974s When You Comin Back, Red Ryder? and most recently, Marilee and Baby Lamb: Assassination of an American Goddess in 2015. His other screenplays include Claras Heart in 1988, notable as the debut of Neil Patrick Harris, and the 1992 film adaptation of the novel City of Joy, starring Patrick Swayze. Medoff also taught, and served as a professor at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces for more than 50 years. Beginning in the English department, he later transferred to the schools Theatre Arts department, and co-founded its American Southwest Theatre Company in 2005. Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2018, From Stan Lee to Aretha Franklin (Photos) Story continues Hes survived by his second wife, Stephanie, their three children, and several grandchildren. On Twitter, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham paid tribute to Medeoff. He selflessly invested in the development of countless actors and writers, she wrote. Our state is better for his decades of commitment. Read original story Mark Medoff, Tony Award-Winning Children of a Lesser God Playwright, Dies at 79 At TheWrap Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys royal baby is set to make history in more ways than one. In addition to being the first modern biracial royal in line for the throne (7th, in fact), Baby Sussex will also technically be a U.S. citizen and hold dual citizenship in the U.K. According to the U.S. State Department, a baby born abroad to a U.S. citizen and a non-American automatically acquires U.S. citizenship at birth if the U.S. citizen parent has lived in the U.S. or one of its outlying possessions for five years prior to the persons birth (which Meghan has), at least two of which were after the age of fourteen. An American can automatically transmit their citizenship to their child, and being a British citizen does not mean you cant be a U.S. citizen. Even though the baby will born an American citizen, the couple will have to report the birth to an American consulate in order to acquire the official documents needed to prove U.S. citizenship. Then they will be eligible to apply for a passport for the baby, for example. RELATED: Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys Baby Is Unlikely to Be a Prince or Princess The palace previously said that Meghan, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, had plans to become a U.K. citizen (which is known to be a lengthy process) after marrying Harry. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Dominic Lipinski/Getty A spokesperson for the family said at the time that it was too early to say if she will retain her American citizenship after she becomes a British citizen. But while shes going through the process, she will remain an American citizen. As it stands, their baby would obtain dual citizenship for the U.S. and U.K. if Meghan does not give up her American citizenship before shes due to give birth. There isnt much precedent when it comes to foreigners marrying into the British royal family. The last time an American married into the family, it caused a constitutional crisis: King Edward VIII was forced to abdicate the throne to marry his divorced American fiancee, Wallis Simpson. Story continues Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Though clearly times have changed, and this American was welcomed into the royal family fold, theres still a few hurdles shell have to jump through even if she gets a fast pass to British citizenship. Cant get enough of PEOPLEs Royals coverage? Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! As for whether Meghan will have to give up her American citizenship, it doesnt seem so. Since shes not marrying the heir to the throne, theres less pressure all around. And she doesnt come from royalty herself, as Prince Philip did (he had to renounce his title of Prince of Greece and Denmark before marrying Queen Elizabeth in 1947). Holding onto her American citizenship wouldnt be quite as controversial as retaining a foreign title would have been. Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Also unknown as of right now is what title the royal boy or girl will receive. If their baby is a boy, he could be known by the title Earl of Dumbarton, the secondary Sussex title, before inheriting the dukedom. If its a girl, she could potentially be called Lady (Her Name) Mountbatten-Windsor. But its unlikely that the baby will receive a title of prince or princess. Actor Michael Madsen has been charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office said Wednesday.In all, the Hateful Eight actor was charged with one count each of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol within 10 years of another DUI offense and driving with a .08% blood alcohol content within 10 years of another DUI offense.Madsen, 61, faces a possible maximum sentence of 364 days in jail if convicted as charged.Also Read: 'Ray Donovan' Actor Marion 'Pooch' Hall Reaches Plea Deal in DUI, Child Abuse CaseAccording to the district attorneys office, Madsen crashed his SUV into a pole while driving in Malibu, California, on March 24.Madsen is expected to be arraigned on May 20.Michael Madsen is very busy doing films in Europe. He appreciates his fans interest in his well being. The past year has seen many incidents involving celebrities arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Madsens attorney, Perry C. Wander, told TheWrap in a statement.Honestly, its stressful being a celebrity, dealing with the fact that being famous and having money does not bring happiness presents very difficult existential challenges that are often dealt with through self-medication. Michael has a lot of insight into his situation and is going to take this matter very seriously. He has a loving family that are supportive of him. He humbly requests that the media respect his request for privacy for him and his family.Read original story Michael Madsen Charged With DUI After March Arrest At TheWrap Actor Michael Madsen has been charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office said Wednesday. In all, the Hateful Eight actor was charged with one count each of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol within 10 years of another DUI offense and driving with a .08% blood alcohol content within 10 years of another DUI offense. Madsen, 61, faces a possible maximum sentence of 364 days in jail if convicted as charged. Also Read: 'Ray Donovan' Actor Marion 'Pooch' Hall Reaches Plea Deal in DUI, Child Abuse Case According to the district attorneys office, Madsen crashed his SUV into a pole while driving in Malibu, California, on March 24. Madsen is expected to be arraigned on May 20. Michael Madsen is very busy doing films in Europe. He appreciates his fans interest in his well being. The past year has seen many incidents involving celebrities arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Madsens attorney, Perry C. Wander, told TheWrap in a statement. Honestly, its stressful being a celebrity, dealing with the fact that being famous and having money does not bring happiness presents very difficult existential challenges that are often dealt with through self-medication. Michael has a lot of insight into his situation and is going to take this matter very seriously. He has a loving family that are supportive of him. He humbly requests that the media respect his request for privacy for him and his family. Read original story Michael Madsen Charged With DUI After March Arrest At TheWrap Origins is a recurring feature that asks musicians if they can explain the different inspirations behind their new music. After years making a name for himself in the band Blue Blazer, Los Angeles indie songwriter Jonny Shane launched a solo project in the hopes of creating more direct, autobiographical material on his own terms. Modern Love Child is his new musical medium, and one that hes been molding with the Ben Kweller, whom he considers a friend and role model. The two first met by chance in the LA neighborhood of Venice, then again all the way across the country at a coffee shop in Connecticut. I kept running into Jonny in the most random places, Kweller said in a press statement. It was like the universe was speaking to us. Shane and Kweller heeded the universes message, and soon, the pair was diligently working on Shanes debut album, MLC. Due out later this year, the record is being previewed today with a song called Just For Kids, co-written by Kweller. As Shane tells Consequence of Sound, the track was inspired by a memorable trip he took with a girlfriend: The song was inspired from when I drove along the coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles, at the time I was just starting to fall in love with a girl who I started seeing romantically. The feeling I had in my stomach of nerves and excitement was the same feeling I had when I had a crushes on girls when I was a little kid. Hence the line falling in love aint just for kids.' The steady, consuming feeling of love is captured neatly on the driving Just for Kids, which can be streamed below via its official music video. Shane has offered more details on what sparked the creativity that led to Just for Kids. Pacific Coast Highway: Driving along the coast of California in all its beauty. There is a line, I think Ive been here before in one of my dreams On certain stretches of the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), it literally looks like its something from a dream. The farmland that turns into the rugged coastline that melts into the big Pacific blue ocean. Hard not to feel something when you see that, especially if your falling in love at the same time. Story continues In-N-Out fries: modern love child premiere Modern Love Child shares the Origins of new song Just for Kids: Stream On this drive along the coast, me and my girl talked about everything and anything. We totally opened up. We left no stone unturned. For a long period of time argued which fast food restaurant has the best fries. We obviously concluded that McDonalds has the best fries and In and Out fries kinda suck. The moon: moon mlc premiere Late at night, in the middle of nowhere, the man in the moon starts to feel like company. Towards the end of this drive, which inspired this song, the moon seemed brighter and bigger than normal. Or maybe it just seemed that way because I was with a beautiful girl. Im pretty certain there is a word in French for the moon reflecting off the ocean, not sure what it is in English, but when I was writing this song, that image was stuck in my head. The radio: radio mlc premiere Modern Love Child shares the Origins of new song Just for Kids: Stream Theres something special about being on a long drive with a friend or lover and listening to the same songs on the radio over and over and over. Often on a long drive, there are times where things are just silent and theres nothing to talk about, the radio helps for those times in-between. It fills the void and connects the dots. Finally, theres nothing like driving in a car and singing your heart out to your favorite song with friends or lovers. Clouds: nasa clouds mlc premiere Modern Love Child shares the Origins of new song Just for Kids: Stream I wrote, You see what I see in the clouds, which to me means, you have the same dreams as me, you see the world how I see it and you want the same things. When I was a little kid, I used to look up at the clouds and describe them as different objects, like, Oh that cloud looks like an ice-cream cone, and so on. I think the idea of two people seeing the same thing in the clouds is kinda beautiful. Its connecting over something that wont be there forever. But maybe that connection will. It kinda brings it back to the whole kid thing where, whether your talking about clouds as a kid or french fries as an adult, the feeling you have in your stomach when youre falling for someone is the same feeling no matter what age you are. Modern Love Child 2019 Tour Dates: 04/26 Seattle, WA @ Barboza # 04/28 Portland, OR @ Star Theater # 05/01 Denver, CO @ Lost Lake # # = w/ Ben Kweller A United Arab Emirates woman woke up calling her sons name last June almost three decades after she went into a coma following a horrific car crash in 1991, reports say. Munira Abdulla was 32 years old when she and her then-4-year-old son Omar Webair collided with a bus in their car shortly after she picked the little boy up from school, the BBC reported. Shielded by his mother, Webair escaped mostly unscathed. But Abdulla suffered a severe brain injury that sent her into a coma in which shed remain for decades. I never gave up on her because I always had a feeling that one day she will wake up, Webair, now 32, told The National of his mother. All those years, the doctors told me she was a hopeless case and that there was no point of the treatment I was seeking for her, but whenever in doubt I put myself in her place and did whatever I could to improve her condition. A car crash in 1991 left Munira Abdulla in a comatose state but her son never lost hope that she would wake up https://t.co/wD2vtr0KJU The National (@TheNationalUAE) April 23, 2019 Doctors said they didnt think Abdulla would ever open her eyes again, according to the National. Unresponsive, Abdulla had no awareness of her surroundings, was tube-fed and underwent physiotherapy to prevent muscle atrophy. Over the years, Abdulla has lived at several different hospitals and ended up at a facility in Germany. RELATED STORY: How Police Learned Woman in Coma Had Given Birth: Baby Was Fighting for Life, Mom Was Helpless Meanwhile, Webair never failed to visit his mother and overseeing her care To me she was like gold; the more time passed by, the more valuable she became, Webair told the publication. Then, last June, something unexpected happened, She was making strange sounds and I kept calling the doctors to examine her. They said everything was normal. he said. Then, three days later, I woke up to the sound of someone calling my name. It was her. She was calling my name. I was flying with joy. For years I have dreamt of this moment, and my name was the first word she said. Now, Abdulla is in Abu Dhabi undergoing further rehabilitation, according to the National. She can hold conversations and tell her doctors when shes feeling pain, Webair told the publication. I shared her story to tell people not to lose hope on their loved ones, Webair said. Dont consider them dead when they are in such a state. Samsung should use incident to turn misfortune into blessing Samsung Electronics has decided to postpone the release of its Galaxy Fold smartphone in the United States. The decision will likely cause a backlash, as it came only three days before the scheduled launch of what Samsung had advertised as the world's first "foldable phone." Still, it was just as well that Samsung has prevented far more substantial damage through the pre-emptive move made ahead of the phone's release. However, the world's largest tech company, however, should look humbly back on its poor initial handling of criticism of flaws in its demo products. Announcing its decision, Samsung said, "Preliminary inspections of recalled products found some impacts on the top and lower parts of the hinge mechanism where the folding screen is exposed, and signs of damage on displays caused by an alien substance." When reports first came out on May 15 pointing to critical defects in the products provided to U.S. media reviewers and YouTubers, however, Samsung attributed it to users' mistakenly removing the display's protective film. Samsung officials should engage in some introspection for having revealed their anxiety to win another "world's first" title. The company had a hard time in 2016, too, when its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones caught fire because of battery problems. Samsung was forced to announce a complete recall just two weeks after its release, and even stopped production two months later, causing severe damage to its reputation. It's a good thing the company has minimized property damage and prevented a further slide in credibility, but the ongoing state of affairs poses many challenges for Samsung. In the short term, it should investigate what caused the flaws and come up with damage prevention measures. It should also enhance product maturity and communicate better with consumers. Samsung executives and employees should not be the only ones who want to remain "market leaders," and not losing industrial leadership to China in the 5G era, given the tremendous effects the company's setback could have on the Korean economy. We hope Samsung will make the most of its ongoing trials and challenges as an occasion to turn evils into blessings. Based on the series of novels by Kerry Greenwood, Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries made a splash on ABC in Australia in 2012, telling the tale of Phryne Fisher, a detective in 1920s Melbourne who balanced crime-solving with (gasp!) cocktail drinking and (gasp!) fast car driving and (gasp!) professional-caliber flirting and (big gasp!) opinion-having. After its Aussie debut, the show gained an American fanbase with subsequent airings on PBS, Netflix, and Acorn TV. Now, in an Acorn TV Original series that aired in Australia earlier this year and will debut in the U.S. on April 29, spinoff Ms. Fishers Modern Murder Mysteries updates the scenario to the 1960s, with Peregrine Fisher Phrynes niece, who inherits her estate after she disappears and is presumed dead (but cmon, no body = no death; this is TV) arriving on the scene to take over detective duties. Related stories Critics Pick the Best Alternative Streaming Platforms Beyond Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon The Best TV Shows to Binge and Where to Watch Them February 2019 There is a comforting checklist to both Miss Fisher/Ms. Fisher incarnations, in no small part because Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox are the creators of both versions. A tart-tongued heroine? Yes, with Essie Daviss centerpiece role in the original capably filled by Geraldine Hakewill as Peregrine. Hot cop who finds Miss/Ms. Fisher bewildering yet alluring? Joel Jackson steps up as Det. James Steed in the 1960s update. Gorgeous hit-pause-so-you-can-see-every-detail costuming? Maria Pattison has tremendous fun with the color palette and keeping the incredibly short skirts of the era still functional for the legwork required to catch murderers. But and what makes Ms. Fishers Modern Murder Mysteries as satisfying as its original incarnation and keeps it away from the dreaded cozy label, redolent of teapots and elderly tabbies is that beneath all the glamour is the undercurrent of how women with very little interest in the tedious social expectations of their time handle their systemic dismissal with verve. Story continues In the two episodes provided for review, uncovering the keys to the crimes stems from Peregrines expertise in oft-derided womens knowledge: how to use a hairpin to pick locks, ways to dye hair, shoe sizing, the composition of makeup. Peregrine finds herself accepted by The Adventuresses Club, a group of women battling against the misogyny of their era to find a place in society where they can contribute their talents. (Louisa Mignone is a standout in this group as chemist Violetta Fellini; sure, the ol taking-off-the-glasses-to-reveal-shes-a-bombshell routine is a trope, but its very effectively deployed here as a commentary on how messages sent by television are manipulated.) Yes, Ms. Fisher is formulaic enough to be predictable but fundamentally thats the power of the Miss Fisher/Ms. Fisher universe. The more things change in the world, the more things stay the same. Grade: B Ms. Fishers Modern Murder Mysteries is available to stream on Monday, April 29 on Acorn TV. Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. An Ohio school superintendent is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old male student and attempting to have sex with another male teenage student multiple times, according to multiple reports. Windham Exempted Village Schools Superintendent Laura Amero, 35, has been charged with two counts of sexual battery, two counts of attempted sexual battery and one count of witness intimidation, according to WKBN, the Akron Beacon Journal and WCMH. On Monday, she pleaded not guilty to the charges. The indictment against Amero alleges she had sex with the 16-year-old boy in 2017 and tried to have sex with the other boy between 2015 and 2017, when he was 16 and 17. At the time of the alleged incidents, Amero was principal of Windham Junior/Senior High School, according to the paper. She allegedly intimated an unspecified witness in March, according to WCMH. 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. In early April, Amero was placed on paid administrative leave, according to the Beacon Journal. She is now suspended without pay. The district said in a statement to the paper that board members and administrators learned of Ameros indictment Monday morning. One parent of a student at the school told WFMJ she learned of the allegations from her son, not the school. I just feel like that was something that we should have been notified about immediately, Dominique Hardwick said. It needs to be addressed to make sure there arent any other victims. Amero became superintendent in February, WFMJ reports. Attorney information for her was not available Thursday. The school district could not be reached for comment. Amero is being held on a $350,000 cash bond, according to the Beacon Journal. Throughout his prolific career, Prince made a name for himself not just as a talented musician in his own right, but also a brilliant writer when it comes to other artists, too. Just in time for what would have been the Minneapolis legend's 61st birthday, his estate has announced that they'll be releasing a new album with Warner Bros. featuring songs he wrote for other performers. Originals is a 15-track release featuring 14 previously unreleased songs by Prince, and it's due for release June 7. The tracklist is comprised of songs he recorded and eventually gave to other acts, such as "Manic Monday," and "Nothing Compares 2 U" among others. Originals will first be available on TIDAL for 14 days before arriving on other streaming services. The physical release will arrive on June 21, with a special vinyl addition coming July 19. "In the spirit of sharing Princes music with his fans as he wanted, the album will be available to stream in Master quality via Tidals HiFi subscription tier," a press release reads. "Members will be able to hear the recordings just as the Artist intended the tracks to sound." The selection of songs was chosen by Troy Carter on behalf of the Prince Estate, and JAY-Z. In other Prince news, the Blast reports that the late musician's family was denied a request for more control over his estate. His heirs complained that Comerica Bank, the administrator of his estate, recently spent $45 million on estate costs. The Minnesota judge ruled that they did not have enough evidence to back up their claims. This is the latest installment of Breaking Black, a weekly column focused on emerging black talent. Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu is determined to combat long-standing depictions of the African continent in defeat. With her second feature film, the lesbian love story Rafiki, Kahiu is spearheading a burgeoning artistic movement she co-founded called Afrobubblegum, with the intention of promoting a fun, fierce, and fantastical representation of Africa. The ethos reflects a growing frustration with the way Africa is perceived around the world, and it has taken her on a journey from festival breakout to rising Hollywood talent. Related stories How Nia DaCosta Went From Wide-Eyed NYU Film Grad to Hollywood Director on the Rise 'Native Son' Director Rashid Johnson Wants to Celebrate Famous Black Artists by Reimagining Their Work The Cannes-acclaimed Rafiki came from a place of personal frustration, as Kahiu has experienced misperceptions about Africa up close. In a recent interview, the filmmaker recalled traveling to foreign countries to showcase her award-winning 2009 short film Pumzi, and being questioned by custom agents at airports about the nature of her visits. From experience, Ive learned to be always ready with all my paperwork to show that Im not there to stay, she said. In one specific instance, she explained to immigration officials the premise of Pumzi a futuristic sci-fi film set in a fictional east African territory and was asked why the film was so important that she had to travel around the world with it. I couldnt quite blame her for such an awkward question, said Kahiu. She wasnt used to lions speaking, because to have the hunter always tell stories about Africa, you would think that its a continent full of desperation and despair. So when African artists like myself challenge that thinking with an alternate vision, often we are asked to defend our having an imagination. Story continues The message for Kahiu has been that, as an African filmmaker, the expectations for the stories she should tell are rigid, and they often come from non-Africans who continue to be the main financiers of top-shelf African cinema. That itself, she said, needs to be changed. Its sort of like they are asking, How dare you feel like you have the luxury to imagine, to create, instead of dealing with what they believe to be more important issues facing Africans?' she said. These issues include poverty, famine, war, disease and those very incomplete single stories that are prevalent about the continent. She added Africans have often taken the reductive narratives about their continent for granted, which has limited the creative potential for filmmakers there. To that end, she started Afrobubblegum a movement inclusive of artists of all kinds in 2017 to curate, commission and produce what she describes as fun work that celebrates the joy, love and happiness of Africa. And it was out of this movement that Rafiki, a love story set in Kenya, emerged. I just wanted to show images of young Africans in love, Kahiu said. It occurred to me that the last time I saw a movie in the cinemas that told a story about young Africans in love, was very long ago, which was just so ridiculous to me that such a basic universal thing was so uncommon for us when it came to the cinema. Kahiu acknowledged that African love stories have existed on film before, although they have been largely relegated to home video or straight-to-TV movie offerings. But truly cinematic African love stories are too few and far between, she said, and I just wanted to add our love to cinematic history with Rafiki.' The film epitomizes what Kahiu calls the Afrobubblegum Test which, like the Bechdel test (which measures the representation of women in fiction) comes equipped with specific criteria. In order to qualify as Afrobubblegumist art, a film must show at least two healthy Africans with financial stability who are having fun and enjoying life, per Kahius breakdown on her site. Kahius philosophy stems from her upbringing in Nairobi, Kenya, where she was raised by a pediatrician mother and businessman father. She developed a passion for filmmaking as a teenager, and after moving to England, she enrolled at the University of Warwick in Coventry and majored in business management. From there, she relocated to Los Angeles and studied filmmaking at UCLA. That experience brought her back to Kenya, where she aimed to fill a void. Its always been very hard to be a filmmaker in Kenya, because its a mostly underappreciated art, she said. But perceptions are shifting. As with most hurdles that might initially seem insurmountable to overcome, time is an ally. But filmmaking in Kenya brought some new challenges. The lesbian love story at the center of Rafiki resulted in the censorship of the film by the Kenya Film Classification Board, which operates under the Government of Kenya. And in order to qualify as the countrys entry under the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2019 Academy Awards, Rafiki had to be released in local theaters. The ban received international coverage, and raised awareness of the film around the world, drawing attention to the east African nation where homosexuality is a criminal offense under a colonial-era law. Eventually, the ban was lifted, although for just one week during which time it enjoyed sold-out audiences in a single Nairobi theater. Despite the progress the film has made, Kahiu was still shocked about the censorship experience. Nairobi is such an incredibly cosmopolitan city that of course includes members of the LGBTQ community, who are around us, and in our lives personally, whether we want to acknowledge them or not, she said. So to pretend that stories like the one I tell arent an ongoing reality is just absurd. The fact that people came in droves to see the film speaks to this. She became invested in screening the film for as many people as possible throughout the country. There were people who turned up to see why this film was being banned, and who, I have to say, were quite disappointed that it was just an innocent, little film, she said. But they werent the only ones. Young people came to watch the film, some with mothers and fathers, then went home and came out to their parents, she said. That was a big deal for me. And now her little film is reaching audiences in ways that African films rarely do. Film Movement has released Rafiki in select American cities, where reviews have been kind. The added attention has brought Kahiu attention from Hollywood: In the wake of the films international attention, she signed with management firm The Gotham Group, which led her to set up multiple studio gigs: First off, at Universal, she will direct Stranger Things breakout Millie Bobby Brown in an adaptation of Ali Benjamins acclaimed YA novel The Thing About Jellyfish. A selection of the 2017 Black List, Jellyfish tells the story of a young girl whose best friend dies in a drowning accident forcing her to retreat into her imagination. And over at Amazon, Kahiu is developing Wild Seed, a drama series based on the first book in Octavia E. Butlers acclaimed Patternist sci-fi series, which Viola Davis is set to produce. Co-written by award-winning sci-fi novelist Nnedi Okorafor and Kahiu (who also plans to direct), Wild Seed is a love/hate story of two African immortals who travel the ages, from pre-Colonial West Africa to the far future, as their personal battles change the course of history. Its the kind of imaginative, expansive story about Africans that Kahiu dreams of telling, and one that exemplifies Afrobubblegums fun, fierce and fantastical motto. She considers Wild Seed a favorite of all Butlers novels a sweeping, at times frightening, and utterly singular work of literary fiction. By merging the spiritual with the scientific, and connecting people on the African continent with the African Diaspora globally, the adaptation couldnt be more timely. The lions are speaking, or at least insisting on a way of expression that the hunter hasnt quite heard before, Kahiu said. And the present couldnt be a better time for the hunter to start to listen to that joy-filled language. Rafiki is now in theaters. Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. World The Daily Beast ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/GettyMOSCOWAfter months of bubbling tensions and threats of all-out war, Ukraine has made the shock decision to grant one of President Vladimir Putins greatest wishes.As far as overtures go, this was a grand gesture indeed.Ukraine has charged former President Petro Poroshenkowho is described in Moscow as Washingtons puppetwith state treason and financing terrorism. The longtime enemy of Putin faces as much as 15 years in prison if convicted.Even more delicious for Moscow, Desiree Finnegan will be the new chief executive of Screen Ireland, replacing the outgoing James Hickey. Finnegan, who hails from Dublin, joins from Warner Bros. Pictures where she was SVP, theatrical marketing and publicity, and guided strategy for campaigns across the EMEA region. In a 15-year stint at the Hollywood studio she worked on campaigns for Dunkirk, The Dark Knight trilogy and the Harry Potter franchise among others. Prior to Warner Bros., Finnegan was in New York, working with Enterprise Ireland, supporting the development and growth of Irish enterprise in the U.S. Related stories Jim Gallagher Joins Warner Bros. as EVP of Marketing, Animation and Family Warner Bros. Invests in Spyglass Media I am delighted to be returning home to take up the post of chief executive of Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland and for the opportunity to continue building on the critical and commercial success of the Irish film, television and animation industry, Finnegan said. My passion for supporting great storytellers and those with creative vision has played an important role throughout my career and I am sincerely looking forward to working with the incredible wealth of Irish creative talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Screen Ireland chair Dr. Annie Doona said Finnegan is an experienced leader who brings huge energy to her work and has a strong commitment to the screen industries. She added: Her wide knowledge of the international film industry will benefit the Irish industry and we are delighted to welcome her back to Ireland to lead the agency into the next phase of growth. Finnegan takes up her new role at Screen Ireland, formerly known as the Irish Film Board, in August. Hickey will remain at the helm until then. Doona paid tribute to Hickey, who has been chief executive of Screen Ireland for eight years. During this time production activity levels across the film, television and animation industry have doubled and the sector has experienced huge success with award winning and critically acclaimed films including Room, Brooklyn, The Lobster, Sing Street, The Young Offenders, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, Black 47 and Hole in the Ground, amongst many others. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thats my guy Larry, says director Todd Phillips upon learning that Variety has selected his favorite DP, Lawrence Sher, as a billion-dollar cinematographer. The duo have worked together on a half dozen films, including all three installments of the Hangover franchise, Due Date, War Dogs and the upcoming Joker, with Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro, due out from Warner Bros. in October. Related stories Cinematographer Lawrence Sher Shoots Smash Comedies and Big Blockbusters Alike CinemaCon Buzzmeter: What's Hot and Cold in Las Vegas Larry has the most fantastic eye and instinct, and he works harder than anyone Ive ever met, says Phillips. Hes pretty much become my filmmaking partner. I talk to him about the making of the movie, not just the look. I run casting by him, he looks at cuts with me Larry is pretty much my most consistent partner. On their first project, 2009s The Hangover, we were like brothers on the set, says Phillips. We clicked, and that was it. Since then, Ive only gone to him. I let him know way in advance about when were shooting so hell be available. The director and DP begin their collaboration way before shooting starts. We break down the script, go through it page by page, talk how were going to shoot each scene, says Phillips. The duo go together on location scouts and discuss all the setups in advance. We do so much prep that we dont have to speak so much on set, say Phillips. Im dealing with actors, so we just trust each other and have a shorthand. Phillips adds: Weve flown the world together. Ive traveled more with Larry than my wife or anyone else. On the R-rated Hangover franchise the pair have tried to make the films look less like comedies, which tend to be bright, because, I guess, bright is funny. We tried to give them a more cinematic look. Phillips and Sher prefer to avoid second-unit work, though theyve used it occasionally, especially on The Hangover Part II, which was shot in Thailand. Story continues That experience was memorable. It was hot and packed and crowded and they dont give a shit. If youre shooting on the street in New York there are cops and traffic cones. In Bangkok its like a war zone. They dont shut anything. They just let you do it. Its liberating. All those people in the movie, theyre not extras. As Shers career advances, Phillips acknowledges that its getting harder to book him. Hes more and more in demand, which is great, but I just cant imagine doing a movie without Larry. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin meet for 1st time, discuss nuclear stalemate in historic summit originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted North Koreas ruler, Kim Jong Un, at a summit in the Russian port of Vladivostok on Thursday, the first time the two have met as leaders, amid efforts by the United States to persuade the North to abandon its nuclear weapons. The two met at a university on Russky island, a large island in the Sea of Japan linked to Vladivostok by a bridge. Putin received Kim with a Russian honor guard on a red carpet, with the two exchanging a long handshake before going inside for talks. Speaking at the opening of the talks, Putin said he welcomed Kims efforts to normalize relations with the U.S. and said he hoped the talks would help Russia play a role in ending the diplomatic standoff over North Koreas nuclear arms. PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un take an escalator heading to the talks in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Putin said he believed that Kim could be ready to continue the negotiations provided the U.S. "demonstrates a desire for constructive dialogue," though he told reporters it was better to ask Kim. He also said he would tell Trump and his administration about his meeting with Kim, which the Korean leader had asked him to do. Putin said he was sure the meeting "will allow us to better understand what ways we can resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, [and] what Russia can do in order to support the positive processes which are happening now." (MORE: Kim Jong Un arrives in Russian port city for summit with Vladimir Putin) Following the talks though, which lasted a little less than two hours, it was unclear if any concrete details came out of them despite Putin's pronouncement of "quite a substantial talk." Ahead of the summit, experts said it was very unlikely the meeting would produce anything concrete. Instead, the encounter for both sides was more about the image it broadcast. Kim gave just two short statements before and after the talks with Putin, but said the two had exchanged views and thanked the Russian president repeatedly for what he said had been a "very wonderful time. Story continues The meeting is the first time Putin and Kim have met since he became North Koreas ruler in 2011 and comes against the backdrop of President Donald Trumps efforts to make North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons and the U.S. presidents own two summits with Kim in the past year. After concluding their discussions, Putin and Kim appeared at a televised session seated with their delegations, which included senior ministers. They gave very brief statements saying they had exchanged opinions on the Korea conflict and thanked one another for coming. "I was very glad to meet with you Mr. President and with Russian friends, Kim said. I would like to again express my sincere gratitude that you flew here, far from Moscow, thousands of miles and gave us the time to substantively discuss questions." Putin said the two talked about the nuclear dispute, saying, We exchanged opinions about what, and how, we need to do so that the situation has a good prospect for improvement. PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Putin followed a similar line in a press conference after the talks, saying he believed Kim could be persuaded to denuclearize provided there were sufficient security guarantees. He said he thought Kim ultimately was a supporter of nonproliferation. "I have got the impression that that the North Korean leader adheres that point of view. They only need a guarantee of their security. Thats it, Putin said. He said it was necessary to think of how such guarantees could be found, but did not go into detail. (MORE: North Korea's Kim arrives in Russia before summit with Putin) The breakdown in talks at Hanoi raised questions whether the U.S. and North Korea will be able to continue negotiations. North Korea recently called for U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to be replaced as the lead negotiator, a demand the White House has rejected. Putin said he believed that Kim could be ready to continue the negotiations provided the U.S. demonstrates a desire for constructive dialogue, though he told reporters it was better to ask Kim. PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to meet with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) The meeting was most notable for the fact it had taken place. Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday, travelling on the armored train he uses for foreign trips. The summit is billed as a way for Russia and North Korea to bolster their relations and discuss the dispute over the Norths nuclear weapons. Russia has been involved for years in efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal and has joined with the U.S. in imposing tough United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang. But Russia has also sought to maintain friendly relations, which draw on the countries' shared Communist past, and the Kremlin has criticized the U.S. for being overly aggressive and relying too heavily on sanctions to persuade the North Koreans. North Korea's weapon-test claim attempt to get US back to table: Analysts) Russia meanwhile has felt like it has been locked out of the efforts to handle the crisis between the U.S. and North Korea and sees meeting with Kim as a way to underline its involvement. The summit "brings Moscow back into the diplomatic game focused on the Korean Peninsula," Alexander Gabuev, chair of the Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center, wrote in an article ahead of the summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands after the talks in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Thursday they had go (The Associated Press) Kim is expected to remain in Vladivostok for another day after Putin leaves to tour cultural sites. Details of the summits preparations have been closely held, but some have leaked out in Russian and South Korean media reports. The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported this week that Kims itinerary may include a trip to a local theater or the Russian Pacific Fleets museum, as well as to a number of other sites that Kims father, Kim Jong Il, visited during a similar official trip he made in 2002. At the summit, Kim and Putin went through several rather stilted rituals of friendship, including a champagne toast, which both read from pieces of paper. Kim also gifted Putin a golden sword, which he said "represents strength, represents my soul and the soul of our people, who support you." Photo credit: Dulin - Getty Images From Men's Health You probably wake up after a night of heavy drinking feeling like crap, but sometimes the aftermath leaves you with more than just a headache and craving for greasy food. Although people generally drink alcohol to lift their spirits, having too many drinks can leave you stressed, worried, or plagued with guilt, an experience informally called "hangxiety." It's not surprising that anxiety is sometimes fueled by too much alcohol. How many times have you woken up wondering if you said-or did-something offensive? Clinical psychologist Moe Gelbart, Ph.D., and Executive Director of the alcohol and drug abuse program at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in California, says anxiety about foolish behavior is common. "Theres lots of behavior that causes one to feel down and strange and sometimes anxious," he says. "They begin to feel out of control. 'What did I actually do?'" It's important to remember that alcohol isn't easy for your body to process, meaning you'll naturally feel fatigued after heavy drinking. Tolerance levels vary, but Gelbart says four alcoholic beverages in one sitting is potentially damaging for anybody. And when talking about hangxiety, it's important to note that this typically doesn't occur after just one drink. "Alcohol is an assault on your body physiologically," he tells Men's Health. "Its kind of like beating up on yourself on the inside." This explains why you vow to never drink again after suffering the consequences from ordering that fourth beer. Of course, you feel great while drinking, but that changes when the hangover sets in. "You begin to feel miserable," says Gelbart. Although people believe booze helps them sleep, research shows the opposite is true. Your entire sleep cycle is thrown out of balance after four drinks, according to a 2013 review of studies published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Scientists found that people who drink at least four beers had fewer dreams and were awake for longer periods of time. Story continues "Sleep is an important part in recharging," says Gelbart. "It restores you." Last year, researchers found that anxiety increased by 30 percent in sleep deprived people, Popular Science reported. Sleep loss triggers the same brain mechanisms that make us sensitive to anxiety to begin with-regions that support emotional processing and also regions that support emotion regulation, Eti Ben-Simon, study co-author and researcher in the department of neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, told the magazine. Photo credit: Dulin - Getty Images Aside from from ruining sleep, alcohol messes with your brain too. Researchers know that drinking affects neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers that regulate mood and behavior. Dr. Aparna Iyer, M.D., psychiatrist and assistant professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, explained to SELF that alcohol binds to GABA receptors in your brain. This initially makes you feel good, but the effect doesn't last. People who already have a pre-existing anxiety disorder, even if it's a small one and kind of underlying everything, whatever they have quieted by drinking the alcohol, that can come back full force or even worse, she told the magazine. You may want to question the reason for your drinking, because underlying problems trigger hangxiety. "Not everybody who drinks heavily is depressed afterwards," says Dr. Lance Dodes, M.D., and training and supervising analyst emeritus at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. "I think it depends on why people were drinking." People who turn to alcohol when they're unhappy will still be upset once the booze wears off. "Drinking to deal with your problems is like taking your credit card bills and putting them in a shredder to deal with your debts," says Gelbart. "They only go away for a moment." He recommends tallying how often you suffer negative consequences due to drinking. You may want to seek medical help if you're continually getting into fights after guzzling beers. For more information on treatment options in your area, visit the National Institute of Health. ('You Might Also Like',) Summit in Vladivostok does not have much impact North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Thursday. It is the first time Kim has visited Russia since he took power in 2011 following the death of his father Kim Jong-il. His father, who was born in Russia, had a strong affinity for the country and held a summit in Russia with Putin in 2002 and also visited Russia in 2011. Despite the long friendship of the two countries, Russia has been somewhat sidelined from the security issues on the Korean Peninsula, particularly since the six-party talks, involving the two Koreas, Japan, the U.S., China and Russia, have been put on hold for an extended period since North Korea pulled out in 2009. By hosting a summit with North Korea, Putin is seeking to reassert himself as a key player in the security issues of the region. But it is unclear whether the summit will produce any significant outcome in inducing North Korea to take the necessary steps toward denuclearization. Kim had arrived in Vladivostok a day earlier and even talked to a local journalist from the state media Rossiya-24. It was the first time for the young leader to give an interview to a member of the foreign press. He said he had come with warm wishes from his people and he hoped for a successful and useful meeting with the Russian leader to deal with the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The meeting comes just two months after the collapse of his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, where the two leaders walked away on the final day of the summit without reaching any agreement on North Korea's denuclearization due to the vast differences in their positions. Although the world is watching the Kim-Putin meeting keenly, it has failed to generate the level of anticipation that had preceded his previous overseas trips to meet Trump or his multiple meetings with President Moon Jae-in last year. The novelty of the North Korean leader's overseas trips has worn off and after Hanoi, many have come to realize that Kim may not be all that serious about getting rid of his nuclear program. During their summit, the leaders of North Korea and Russia exchanged only perfunctory words on their respective positions on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and well wishes. It was reported that Putin would make a suggestion to restart the six-party talks. But since talks have not proven to be all that useful in turning the situation around on the peninsula, that may not be a very timely suggestion at this point. The two Koreas will mark the first anniversary of the Moon-Kim summit in Panmunjeom, Saturday. Kim's visit to Russia seems to be a part of his strategy to pressure the U.S. Kim should focus more on resuming negotiations with the U.S. by honoring his pledge for denuclearization. Kim should revisit the spirit of the first meeting with Moon and think about making the right decisions for permanent peace on the peninsula. Photo credit: CBS From ELLE Colorado attorney Lindasue Smollen spent $9,000 of her own money on six billboards along Highway 34 just outside Denver to send a pointed message about gun violence. She was inspired by Frances McDormand's character, Mildred Hayes, in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, who used billboards to bring attention to local law enforcement's inability to solve her daughter's unsolved rape and murder. Smollen is using her billboards to advocate for gun reform in Weld County, which, according to KUSA, was declared a "2nd Amendment sanctuary by the board of county commissioners in response to the passing of a red flag gun control law allowing law enforcement to seize guns from people who pose a threat to themselves or to others. According to The Trace, at least nine states, including Colorado, have passed red flag laws since the Parkland shooting in February 2018. Her signs read, More Americans have died of gun violence since 1970, including murders, suicides and accidents (1.4 million), than in all the wars in American history (1.3 million). Thoughts and prayers are not enough." "Its really about education," Smollen told CBS4. "This is not political. This is not a democratic issue, its not a republican issue, its a human rights issue." Photo credit: CBS The billboards, she says, are in direct response to Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams, who, according to The Washington Post, "has emerged as perhaps the loudest voice opposing the red-flag law." Reams has refused to acknowledge and enforce the red flag law, which Governor Jared Polis signed earlier this month. Reams went on CNN and Fox News to say he'd rather be incarcerated in his own jail than enforce it. Photo credit: CBS Smollen told 9NEWS that she finds it "distasteful... that he would not enforce a law that could prevent suicides." On the Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams Facebook page, a post reads, "I'm glad the person who spent the money on these has the protection of the 1st Amendment to do so. I'll keep her in my thoughts and prayers as I continue to stand for our Constitution and the 2nd Amendment as well as the 4th, 5th and 14th that are being attacked through the Red Flag Law. One additional point, if this person were truly concerned about public safety they would understand that about 1.3 million people (world wide) are killed in motor vehicle accidents every year yet the signs were posted along a busy highway..." Story continues When asked by CBS4 why she didn't just "send the sheriff a letter," Smollen told the station that she could have-but it wouldn't have grabbed his attention in the same way. I certainly could," she said. "I think my billboards are more effective." ('You Might Also Like',) The longest-lasting relationship of my life began on a Saturday afternoon at the mall. (Remember those?) The year was 2009; the place was the Westfield Brandon Mall, outside of Tampa, where I was window-shopping and product-testing with a friend. I didn't lock eyes with a new romantic interest, nor did I stumble upon a pair of jeans that magically fit us both like a certain fictional sisterhood's. No, the earth-shattering, world-shifting meeting I'm referring to is laying eyes on BareMinerals Eyecolor in Bare Skin. I understand how this could sound like a paradox: How could an eyeshadow with a name like "Bare Skin" catch anyone's attention? In the row of glittering products at Sephora, I latched on to Bare Skin for its promise of a natural glow. I wasn't technically allowed to wear makeup at the time, but I wanted to startand this "bare" shadow struck me as a sly way to get my beauty life going. I remember brushing the mineral powder shadow onto the back of my hand and marveling at its faint glimmer under the florescent lights: all this for $15. I was sold. A lot has changed in the decade that passed since my first eyeshadow purchaseprimarily, I'm a grown woman who doesn't need permission for any part of my beauty or fashion routine. If I wanted to, I could wear a full Teflon face as often as I pleased. Ten years later, though, I still wear Bare Skin every single day. Even at Glamour, where our beauty editors generously allow the rest of the team to try new products, I've never asked to take part in an eyeshadow testI'm so attached to this shadow, I'm not interested in considering alternatives. It isn't nostalgia alone that keeps me coming back to BareMinerals Bare Skin. Part of the appeal is pure staying power. Other eyeshadows I've tried faded or turned sweat-shiny without a thick layer of primer underneath. BareMinerals stays on for a full day without fading or smudging, no primer needed. Story continues Its best quality is, by far, the color. It's a soft, dewy pinka lot like my favorite Charlotte Tilbury lipstick, but with a tad more sparkle. When I was younger, it was an age-appropriate intro to eye makeup (subtle but not sheer). As an adult, it's just enough shimmer for a day-to-night, one-shade eye look. And it brightens my eyes on mornings when I'm prone to Resting Tired Face (read: every morning). My application process hasn't changed since I first bought Bare Skin. I shake a bit of powder into the lid, then brush it on with an E.L.F. C-shape eyeshadow brush. Then I'll line my eyes with MAC's Coasta Riche eye pencil. The whole process lasts all of three minutesI timed it. My affection for easy-on, easy-off makeup hasn't faded in the years since that first discovery. (Nor has my stockpile: One jar of this eyeshadow lasts several months longer than other palettes I've tried.) Even if I were to find another pinky-nude eyeshadow with all-day durability, BareMinerals Bare Skin eyeshadow would be my first choice. It's like they say, you never forget your first love. Halie LeSavage is the fashion associate at Glamour. Follow her @halielesavage. Over the Easter weekend, a North Carolina mother was arrested after she got into a dispute with a Frontier Airlines flight attendant over vomit from a previous flight left uncleaned on her daughters seat. The altercation landed Rosetta Swinney in jail with a misdemeanor charge. "What really hurt me is for my child to see me getting handcuffed and taken away from her," Swinney told Raleigh, N.C. news station WTVD-TV. "Twelve hours I was in jail. Twelve hours." The 53-year-old mom and her daughter were in Las Vegas over the weekend for a wedding. Passengers were told that their Frontier flight to Durham, N.C. was delayed so that the staff could clean the aircraft. However, when her and 14-year-old daughter boarded the plane, they were astonished to find puke on the seat. "She jumped up and said, Mom, my hands are wet. She smelled it. She said, This is vomit, mom. So, we went to look, Swinney said. It was on the bag, all over her shirt, her hands. Swinney said that when she alerted a flight attendant about the puke, the Frontier Airline employee got offensive and responded that it was not her job to clean the mess. If it wasnt her job, why wasnt it attended to? Swinney told WTVD-TV. In a statement provided to Yahoo Lifestyle, Frontier Airlines said that the flight attendant apologized to the mother and her teenage daughter and offered cleaning products for herself and invited to use the lavatory to wash up. The statement said that the mother and daughter were also told that once boarding was complete they would be provided other seats if available. Swinney disputes Frontier Airlines account, saying that the attendant neither attempted to clean the mess or offered them new seats. Several other passengers on the same flight took to social media with videos and written posts similar to Swinneys version of events. The North Carolina mom claims that the attendant asked her to leave when she tried to address the issue again. When the 53-year-old mom refused, the attendant called security to escort her and her daughter off of the aircraft. Story continues Frontier alleges that because Swinney became disruptive, attendants determined that the mother and daughter should be deplaned and accommodated on a different flight. When the mother refused, attendants followed procedure by alerting law enforcement and de-planing passengers so that the mother and daughter could be removed. Videos of the Saturday incident show Swinney being handcuffed in the gate terminal while her 14-year-old daughter watched crying. Her 14 year old daughter is screaming and she is being hauled away by the police, wrote the passenger who filmed the incident in its entirety. Her video has since gone viral garnering 1,400 likes and 2,900 shares on Facebook. The videos are now also circulating on Twitter. Now theyre cleaning up the same vomit the lady complained about initially because its a biohazard! Frontier Airlines is DEAD WRONG FOR THIS! We apologized to our passengers for the inconvenience caused by the departure delay, Frontier Airlines statement said. The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority at Frontier. Local law enforcement put the North Carolina mom in jail for 12 hours and placed her daughter in child protective custody. "I felt humiliated," Swinney told WTVD-TV. "I felt more bad that my child had to see me be handcuffed and taken away from her." After she was released from jail, Swinney purchased a $1,000 flight home with Delta Airlines. Although Frontier Airlines refunded her for the cost of her original flight, the mom has hired a civil rights lawyer to fight her misdemeanor charge. Swinney also vowed to never fly Frontier Airlines again. Yahoo Lifestyle was not able to locate Swinney for comment. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: 16 airline passengers hospitalized after landing in Boston American Airlines flight 'nearly crashed' after departing from JFK, source claims Video of Spirit Airlines employee dancing with cheerleaders during flight delay goes viral Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Jennifer Daly kissing her son as he grabs her face and smiles. He is sitting on his wheelchair. On April 12, Jennifer Daly took her two boys to the 7:30 p.m. showing of Dumbo at the AMC movie theater in Lake in the Hills, Illinois. Daly planned ahead to make the experience enjoyable for her youngest son, who is 3 years old and has a disability. Daly made sure they were high up in the theater where her son could access the screen due to his limited head mobility. Daly even selected a spot to the side so his medical equipment wasnt in anyones way. Yet halfway through the film, a manager approached Daly and asked the family to leave due to complaints of a baby crying. Daly said her son was not crying, he was laughing at the funny parts in the movie. Although she explained this to the manager, she was told the theater has a strict policy about noise complaints. I got kicked out of Dumbo,' Daly told The Mighty, A movie about an elephant who is ostracized and not accepted because he is different. Related: Mayor Proposes Bizarre Phrase to Replace the Word Disability Situations like this, unfortunately, happen more often than people may realize. When a family that has a child with a disability goes to the movies they are no different than any other family out to have a good time. However, unlike other families, families that have kids with disabilities are often treated differently from being asked to leave the theater to being refused accommodations. You are kicking me out of the movie because someone doesnt understand how my son laughs, Daly told the manager. The manager tried to rectify the situation by offering them tickets to a different movie. Daly declined, asking if they would be kicked out of the other film if her son laughed. The manager said they could finish watching Dumbo if they sat in the front of the theater. However, the seats were in a spot that didnt accommodate Dalys sons needs, and the family had already missed 20 minutes of the film. The manager offered movie vouchers for Saturday morning, but the option did not work with the Daly familys schedule. Story continues Related: How Theatre Can Change the Lives of People With Disabilities Daly said the manager could have approached the situation quite different. To her knowledge, the manager did not take the time to observe what the complaint was about. I think she reacted because of the disturbance call and asked me to leave. But they never gave me a warning, Daly said, adding that no one in the audience complained to her. Daly posted a Facebook message to AMC the following day and received a reply from an AMC representative, who said the companys team would review her case. Related: 'Peppa Pig' Introduces Mandy Mouse, New Recurring Character With a Disability Daly hopes their situation creates some needed change in staff training. I want their staff to know how to evaluate a situation and working with different customers, she said. The Daly familys experience is one of many. Kids with disabilities and their families are frequently discriminated against because they look or act differently than able-bodied children. And different behaviors are often seen as a child being naughty or undisciplined. In 2014, Emily Colson and her son, Max, were forced out of a movie theater by audience members who hurled insults at her and her son. When the previews before the film began, Max was startled by the change in noise level and screamed, I want to go home! A woman rudely asked Colson to quiet her son, saying she knew he was autistic, But why should the rest of us have to suffer. Colson wrote: It was applause for our exit. It was the sound of an angry mob chasing us away with their jeers and taunts. And dont come back, I heard as we slowly made our way down the stairs in the dark. As we neared the exit, passing center stage, I heard a voice from the back of the theater. It was a man shouting over the thunder of the crowd like a crack of lightening. Hes retarded. I lost all bearings. Society needs to be more understanding and accepting of peoples differences. But families also need more options for safe and inclusive excursions. We need more accessible events that work for our kids. We need accommodations that work for our kids that arent just publicity stunts for companies. There are some theaters that offer sensory-friendly experiences. AMC is known for its Sensory Friendly Films, designated showings where the lights are turned up, the sound is turned down and singing, dancing and moving around is OK. While its site publicizes that sensory films are available on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month and Tuesday nights, each AMC theater runs its own schedule and not all AMC theaters offer these options. Daly was told she should have taken her son to a sensory friendly film, but her local AMC only offers films one Sunday morning per month. Her son doesnt need a sensory-friendly environment, he is perfectly fine in a regular viewing, she said. The problem was that someone did not like how he laughed. The problem is that we still see children with disabilities as not belonging. There are people who feel uncomfortable with disability and sadly, their ignorance is projected onto our families. Dalys son was laughing, there was absolutely no reason for him to leave the movie. Sometimes my daughter, who has Down syndrome, cheers and claps during a movie (at very appropriate times), so what if someone is bothered by the way she enjoys the movie? People talk differently, they move differently, they laugh differently. Different is not wrong. Different is not unacceptable. Different is just different. Everyone belongs. If a family goes to the movies, chances are they know their child can tolerate the experience. Any unusual vocalization may be a momentary transition. Or maybe the child is laughing, and they just make sounds that others are not used to. That is not noise, it is laughter. Kids should laugh at a movie with funny parts in it, thats the point. The Mighty reached out to AMC for a statement and has yet to hear back. Read more stories like this on The Mighty: Police Department's 'Sassy' Post Reminding People to Respect Accessible Parking Goes Viral To the 2020 Presidential Candidates, From a Voter With a Disability What It's Like to Have a Disability in India Photo credit: Getty Images From Best Products Ticks are most prevalent from April through October, and experts warn that bug populations are rising this year. Contrary to popular belief, people in urban areas can also get tick bites Here are the steps you need to take to prevent tick bites Warm weather is finally here, ushering in picnics, trips to the beach, and a giant "tick explosion," according to health experts. Dr. Thomas Mather, the director of the University of Rhode Islands tick-borne disease center, warns that this summer will see higher than average tick populations throughout the country. Theyre up and looking for a host hoping something will walk by that they can latch on, he told Boston's WXFT. Though tick populations are active from April through October, they tend to rise in the summer, and numbers this year are expected to be higher than previous seasons, thanks to bizarre weather patterns that provide ideal environments for the blood suckers. This means you're at greater risk of coming into contact with a tick this year, which in turn puts you at greater risk of getting Lyme Disease. To make matters worse, while we typically think that ticks tend to be concentrated in rural, woody areas, Kayla Socarras, a microbiology researcher at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Penn., says ticks can be a problem in every region of the United States. But its not hard to protect yourself from these creepy creatures. Heres how. 1) Wear the Right Clothes. Photo credit: Gallery Stock After months of enduring heavy coats and bulky sweaters, the last thing you want is to hide under more layers of clothes. But Socarras says long-sleeved shirts and pants are the best way to ward off bites. She also recommends trading grey and black for summer white, as bugs tend to blend in with darker items. Wear light-colored clothing, she tells MensHealth.com. Youre much more able to spot the ticks on your legs. Stuff your pants into your socks for ultimate protection. Story continues 2) Invest in Sprays. When it's just too damn hot for long sleeves and you yearn to feel the sun on your skin. you should turn to insect repellents, advises Dr. Michael Zimring of the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Look for formulas containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus to deter ticks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're really overzealous, you can even spray your clothes with products containing permethrin, which will stay on garments even after a few cycles through the washer. The permethrin is good for four to six weeks, maybe more, he tells MensHealth.com. 3) Perform Tick Checks. [asset removed due to syndication rights] Even if you follow every tick-fighting tip in the book, Socarras recommends thoroughly checking your skin for black spots after a trip outside. Ticks are so small, people sometimes confuse them for a freckle, she warns. You should also hop in the shower to wash off and inspect your more, um, hidden regions. They like moist areas, like the groin and under your arms, Socarras says. 4) Dont Assume Ticks Only Lurk in the Woods. [asset removed due to syndication rights] Ticks are more than just a nuisance for hikers and outdoorsy types. They can also be found in city parks and backyard apple trees. If you have one in your backyard, pick up any fruit and clear out dead leaves, which can also harbor ticks, Zimring suggests. City dwellers also arent in the clear. Ticks can easily latch on to birds, mice and other animals while youre enjoying that Sunday picnic in the grass. In general, you can be bitten by a tick in the most urban of places. Its a common misconception that you cant get bitten in the city, Socarras says. "I would recommend that everyone takes precaution." ('You Might Also Like',) One day while idly scrolling through social media, I saw that the Instagram account Pechuga Vintage had posted an image of a pair of Gucci pants. These werent just any Gucci pants. They were from Spring 1997, one of the most retroactively Instagrammable Tom Fordera Gucci collections. The pants came with embedded exposed leather thong straps that ever so slightly crept up the hip bone. The buckles were in the shape of rectangular Gs filled with rhinestones, glinting like tiny sizzling disco balls. And they were in my size. I had to have them! By the time I had messaged the owner, I was frothing at the mouth. As luck would have it, I scored the pants. I beat out over 25,000 hardcore, equally rabid Pechuga followers for this piece of Gucci history. The pants arrived at my office one crisp spring afternoon, along with a personal note from founder Johnny Valencia. They were silky smooth but structured. The thong straps were mint. No wear or tear in sight. I went to the bathroom to try them on. One pant leg in. Ah, sweet success! And then suddenly the pants stopped, with a screeching halt, if you will. My perfect pants couldnt fit over my butt. The feeling of not fitting into these pants felt something like publicly getting rejected by a crush at a middle school dance. Or maybe sneezing while kissing someone for the first time. I felt like I was experiencing firsthand the urban legend that clothes back in the day were made markedly smaller, back when Victorian women had waists like Polly Pocket dolls. But this was the late 90s! The human body cant change that much evolutionarily over a 20-year period. Still, the pants were puzzlingly small. Photo: firstView I had no intention of getting rid of these pants. These were going to be my go-to-the-grave look, my very saucy burial attire. Determined, I asked around the office for a solution. I was recommended to speak with Vogue Contributing Editor Lynn Yaeger, who had sworn by a demigod tailor at the famed Alteration Specialists, dedicated to the fine art of tailoring. According to Lynn, I had to speak with Ornela. Lynn explained to me that Ornela Flamuri was the Da Vinci of garments, who could dig into the depths of her wild imagination to fix nearly any piece. Story continues I once gave them two identical too-small fuzzy pink Zara coats and asked her to make it into one that fit me, Lynn wrote to me. Most people would have shown me and my coats the doorbut Ornela took it on. She told me there was fluff all over the workroom by the time she finishedbut she did it! Ornela could be the Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, for my pants. I scheduled an appointment with the Alteration Specialists on 62nd and Madison. (There are four locations in New York City.) Its a big deal there. Sometimes, clients are so high profile that they have body doubles come in to get things altered. While making my appointment, I learned that tailoring my pants would also be a big deal; theyd likely have to be heavily altered and enlarged. Eileen Nunez, the director of operations for Alteration Specialists, explained that clients frequently need garments let out, not just taken in, and tailors typically add a panel to accomplish this. Easy right? Not quite. Panel fabric has to match the original piece itself, a process that becomes more difficult if the fabric is designer or vintage. Sometimes, corsets have to be added into dresses. In other words, these tailors have to get creative. When I finally arrived to Alteration Specialists, I nervously waited to meet Ornela with my pants clutched in my hands. I imagined her as a wise, ancient Italian woman bent over like a right angle, wearing a necklace of pin cushions like a rosary. Instead, a perky young woman emerged from the backroom. Ornela is from Albania and began training in the art of tailoring at the age of 15, learning from her grandmother at first and later going to school to study it professionally. I can make something from scratch! she told me. Id initially thought these pants would need weeks-long reconstructive surgery. I assumed Ornela would have to go on a fabric pilgrimage before sewing the panel. But she simply took the waistband of the pants and tugged them gently. They need to be let out, she told me. Someone had gotten them taken in. Within five minutes, Ornela returned and handed me the pants. They slid up my leg, and I fastened them. Voila! The pants fit. I went from sulking to red-hot. Turns out, getting pieces let out that were previously taken in is a relatively common occurrence. Nunez tells me its most typically seen in vintage garments; Alteration Specialists usually sees about five such cases a month. It makes sense: Now that much of vintage shopping is increasingly done online and not in person, people are buying things at their own risk by approximate sizes or measurements. More often than not, consumers fail to read closely. In many cases, sizes are listed without mention of possible alterations during a garments lifetime. Coincidently, soon after my pants fiasco, my colleague, Vogues Fashion News and Emerging Platforms Editor, had a similar run-in with a too-small vintage piece. Steff Yotka bought a stellar black Givenchy Fall 2015 corset from The RealReal in perfect conditionan item shed been hunting for. When it arrived I immediately ripped it out of the packaging and put it on over my clothes to the horror that there were about six inches between the two sides of the zipper on my back, she told me. Upon further inspection, Yotka also realized that her corset had been taken in at some point. (She did not go a tailor but rather broke the stitches with a mail opener at her desk. To each their own.) Either way, let it be a lesson that if something doesnt fit, there are plenty of possibilities in the world of alterations. And remember: Dont let it go, let it out. The Daily Beast ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/GettyMOSCOWAfter months of bubbling tensions and threats of all-out war, Ukraine has made the shock decision to grant one of President Vladimir Putins greatest wishes.As far as overtures go, this was a grand gesture indeed.Ukraine has charged former President Petro Poroshenkowho is described in Moscow as Washingtons puppetwith state treason and financing terrorism. The longtime enemy of Putin faces as much as 15 years in prison if convicted.Even more delicious for Moscow, CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australia's prime minister played down Thursday any potential link between the arrest of a suspected Islamic State group member in Turkey and a World War I battle commemoration in Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders. Prime Minister Scott Morrison was responding to media reports that detained Syrian national Abdulkerim Hilef had been planning an attack on the annual dawn service at ANZAC Cove to mark the April 25, 1915, landing of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops in an ill-fated campaign to take the Dardanelles Straits. Morrison said the arrest took place three hours away from the Gallipoli service and no changes to security were made as a result. "The reports that we are receiving are inconclusive about any link between that arrest and any possible planned event at Gallipoli itself," Morrison told reporters. "In fact, to make that assumption would be, I think, making a very big assumption." A Turkish official agreed that the 26-year-old suspect's arrest was unconnected to the Gallipoli ceremonies. He was detained in the northwestern province of Tekirdag because he had been in contact with a group of Islamic State group suspects near the Syrian border in the southern Turkish province of Osmaniye, the official said. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations that bar civil servants from speaking publicly without prior authorization. It is not clear when the arrest took place. Morrison said Australian Defense Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell represented Australia at the service and praised Turkish police and military security. "I was not concerned for the safety or security of this event," Campbell told reporters at Gallipoli. The Australian government estimated more than 1,400 attended the service under tight security involving x-ray screening and armed Turkish military guards. Story continues Concerns over security at Gallipoli escalated last month after an Australian was arrested following the killings of 50 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand on March 15. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Australians and New Zealanders visiting Turkey with anti-Muslim views would return home in coffins, like their ancestors who fought at Gallipoli. Morrison slammed the comments as "highly offensive." He later said Erdogan's office had explained the president's words were "taken out of context." On Thursday, Erdogan issued a welcoming message of peace, saying it was everyone's duty to "protect the message of friendship that was etched in Gallipoli on rocks, earth and the sea, through blood, life, determination and courage." "A great responsibility befalls us all to ensure that no new war takes place and the generations to come can live in peace," Erdogan said. "I commemorate our Gallipoli heroes and salute our guests attending the ceremonies ... with sincere feelings," he added. Erdogan's statement did not mention the Syrian's arrest. ANZAC Day services were held throughout Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, with Britain's Prince William laying a wreath in the New Zealand city of Auckland. On Friday, the Duke of Cambridge is to visit the mosques in Christchurch where 50 Muslims were killed and another 50 wounded. Attendance at the Gallipoli dawn service has been falling since the centenary in 2015. But Dennis Basham, global head of sales for On The Go Tours, said his company did not receive any requests to cancel trips to Gallipoli because of the tensions following the Christchurch massacre. The Australian and New Zealand soldiers Erdogan referred to as leaving Turkey in coffins, actually were buried at Gallipoli. A monument near the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to the Turks' victorious military commander at Gallipoli, Kemal Ataturk, is inscribed with his reassuring words to Australians that their war dead "are now lying in the soil of a friendly country." Ataturk, the first president of the Turkish Republic, is quoted as saying in 1934: "You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well." Neil James, chief executive of the security think tank Australian Defense Association, said Australians and New Zealanders should not expect Turkey to always welcome large-scale Gallipoli commemorations. Increasingly, in Turkey the battle is seen as a religious war. "It's the Islamist nationals who are now running the show and I can actually foresee a time when we don't have major ceremonies at Gallipoli anymore because it just wouldn't be possible culturally and politically in Turkey," James said. "What we've taken for granted as having access at the Turks pleasure to the Gallipoli peninsula might not be a long-term proposition," he said. ___ Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report. Facebook headquarters Photo: Jason Doiy/ALM Facebook Inc. has set aside $3 billion for a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over its consumer data privacy practices. Menlo Park, California-based Facebook estimated a "probable loss" of $3 billion to $5 billion due to an ongoing FTC inquiry into its data protection and privacy practices in its first-quarter results 8-K filing Wednesday. "The matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final outcome," Facebook's filing stated. A fine against Facebook would not be tax deductible, and the company stated its operating margin "would have been 20 percentage points higher, our effective tax rate would have been 14 percentage points lower" without the estimated settlement. The FTC launched a non-public investigation into Facebook last month after a series of privacy-related scandals, including data breaches, which the agency claimed could violate a previous settlement it had with the company requiring Facebook to up its protection of consumer data. Facebook is also under investigation in Europe for alleged General Data Protection Regulation violations. A $3 billion FTC fine against Facebook would be the largest the agency has levied on a U.S. tech company, and its largest data privacy-related fine. Richard Newman, a data privacy and FTC compliance attorney at Hinch Newman, said in an email that "data privacy regulation remains atop the FTCs enforcement policy agenda." But University of California, Berkeley, privacy law professor Chris Hoofnagle said "the money doesnt matter" and the bigger question is "whether Zuckerberg himself is held liable." The European Union and the state of California have both passed privacy-related regulations in recent years, with more U.S. states moving toward similar laws. Google Inc. currently holds the tech industry record for largest FTC penalty, settling charges it violated a privacy agreement with the agency for $22.5 million in 2012. "The FTC is firmly and fully committed to using all of its tools to protect the privacy of consumers," Tom Pahl, acting director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a press release announcing the investigation last month. His agency declined to comment further. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Facebook announced Monday it hired the State Department's top lawyer, Jennifer Newstead, as its next general counsel. Newstead, a veteran of the George W. Bush administration who helped draft the Patriot Act, will replace Colin Stretch, Facebook's general counsel of nine years. Read More: Facebook Hires State Department Adviser as General Counsel Facebook's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year Potential FTC Facebook Fine Could Signal Stricter US Enforcement of Tech's Privacy Policies By Nam Hyun-woo Korea's regulatory measures on chaebol should be focused on disciplining companies after their misdeeds, not on setting up preventative hurdles, Fair Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Kim Sang-jo said Thursday. During The Korea Forum 2019 co-hosted by The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo at the Shilla Seoul, Kim and his rival panelists participated in the forum's second session, highlighting Korea's policies on conglomerates and agreeing that the government's regulation on large firms "should not be preventative." "There's always a bright side and a dark side on the chaebol issue," said Kim, a well-known hardliner against conglomerates. "Chaebol played a huge role in the advancement of the Korean economy, but at the same time they have two problems in terms of growth and ownership structure." Priests walk on a blocked street as soldiers stand guard outside St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo (Getty) A fourth bomb reportedly failed to explode at a luxury hotel in Sri Lanka because of a faulty suicide vest. According to the The Times, the bomber, named as former Kingston University student Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, failed to blow up the explosive at his intended target of the five-star Taj Samudra hotel. The paper cites an intelligence source who told them that Mohamed retreated to a safe house in Colombo where the device was repaired and later used at a guesthouse close to Colombo zoo, killing two people. The source said that the death toll wouldve been far higher had it gone off at its intended target. The intended target for the failed bomb was the Taj Samudra hotel (Getty) At least 359 people were killed in the blasts (PA) Mohamed is understood to have studied in the southeast of England at some point between 2006 and 2007 - and later did a postgraduate course in Australia, before returning to settle in Sri Lanka. His identity was reported after officials in Sri Lanka claimed one of the suicide bombers may have studied in the UK. Many of the attackers came from well-educated, middle-class families, and had been part of a pair of little-known extremist Muslim groups, Sri Lanka's junior defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told reporters. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Free bus passes for pensioners should be scrapped White supremacist executed for dragging death of black man Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un meet for first summit He added at least one had a law degree and some may have studied in the UK and Australia. Scotland Yard and a UK Government spokesman declined to comment. Following the deaths of at least 359 people in the deadly attacks, Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defence secretary and national police chief. A priest conducts religious rituals during a mass burial for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka (PA) Soldiers stand guard at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo following the attacks (PA) The move marks a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks. It was not immediately clear who would be replacing them, but President Maithripala Sirisena said during a televised speech that he planned to change the head of the defence forces within 24 hours. Story continues The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which struck Christians worshipping in three churches and people at three luxury hotels. Authorities remain unsure of its involvement, though many suspect experienced foreign militants were advising, funding or guiding the attackers. Judge Robin Rosenbaum of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Photo: Melanie Bell Judge Robin Rosenbaum of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Photo: Melanie Bell A Georgia employment discrimination case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is in the mix for review in the next term when the U.S. Supreme Court considers LGBT rights. The high court agreed Monday to decide whether the nation's major workplace anti-bias law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and transgender status. The cases, closely watched by employers, consumers, civil rights groups, conservative and religious organizations, will draw the high court back into the culture wars during the 2020 presidential campaign. From the Eleventh Circuit, Bostock v. Clayton County rejected protection on a sexual preference claim, and the full court refused to review the panel decision. Circuit Judge Robin Rosenbaum filed a dissent on the issue of reconsideration, calling the case "indisputably en-banc-worthy" and noting action by other circuits. Gerald Bostock blamed his firing as a child welfare services coordinator on a Georgia county's discovery that he was gay. The Eleventh Circuit applied its 39-year-old precedent holding "discharge for homosexuality is not prohibited by Title VII." Brian Sutherland of Atlanta's Buckley Beal is counsel to Bostock; Clayton County is represented by Jack Hancock of Freeman Mathis & Gary. The justices will hear arguments next term on Bostock, Altitude Express v. Zarda from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from the Sixth Circuit. At the center of each case is Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars employers from discriminating because of sex, race, color, national origin or religion. The Bostock and Zarda cases ask the justices whether "because of sex" includes an individual's sexual orientation. The Second Circuit said it does; the Eleventh Circuit disagreed with that conclusion. Altitude Express, a New York skydiving company, was accused of firing skydiving instructor Donald Zarda after he told a customer that he was gay. In examining the text of Title VII, the Second Circuit, in a 10-3 opinion said, "The most natural reading of the statute's prohibition on discrimination 'because of sex' is that it extends to sexual orientation discrimination because sex is necessarily a factor in sexual orientation." Saul Zabell of Zabell & Associates in Bohemia, New York, represents Altitude Express. The Zarda estate's counsel is Gregory Antollino of New York. In R.G. & G.R. Funeral Homes, the justices limited the petition to one question: Does Title VII prohibit discrimination on the basis of transgender status or sex stereotyping under their 1989 decision in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins? The Sixth Circuit answered yes to both questions. It ruled that the funeral home owners discriminated against employee Aimee Stephens by applying a dress code based on the employee's biological sex rather than gender identity. The owners fired the employee, who was born male, after the employee informed the employer of her intention to transition to female and to dress as a female. In October 2017, while the case was on appeal, then-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum stating, Title VIIs prohibition on sex discrimination encompasses discrimination between men and women but does not encompass discrimination based on gender identity per se, and Title VII is not properly construed to proscribe employment practices (such as sex-specific bathrooms) that take account of the sex of employees but do not impose different burdens on similarly situated members of each sex. The Justice Department's brief in the funeral home case lined up against the position of the EEOC. No agency lawyers appeared on the brief. The agency took the position in the lower courts that Title VII covers transgender discrimination. The funeral home owners are represented in the high court by James Campbell of Alliance Defending Freedom. Aimee Stephens's counsel is John Knight of the American Civil Liberties Union. Story continues Read more: US Appeals Court Is Urged to Protect LGBT Employees Against Discrimination Why This Quinn Emanuel Litigator Are Fighting for LGBT Workers Justice Dept. Takes Stance Against EEOC at the US Supreme Court On Tuesday night, at the TIME 100 Gala, comedian Hasan Minhaj had the opportunity to deliver a toast to some of the people whom the magazine dubbed the most influential figures in the world. He took the chance to make a plea for currently imprisoned Saudi Arabian activist Loujain Al-Hathloul, who fought against the country's ban on women drivers. This is a very this is a very powerful room, and you know, I know theres a lot of very powerful people here. It would be crazy ifI dont know, if there was just like aI dont know, like, if there was a high-ranking official in the White House that could WhatsApp [crown prince Mohammad bin Salman] and say, Hey, maybe you could help that person get out of prison because they dont deserve it, but that would be crazy. That would be that person would have to be in the room, but thats just a good comedy premise. Of course, there was someone in the room who could do exactly that: Jared Kushner, White House adviser and son-in-law to Donald Trump. Kushner's been criticized for chit-chatting with the crown prince via the personal messenging service WhatsApp rather than through official, secure channels. According to TIME, Minhaj said the request was sincere: "I was just hoping he could send a WhatsApp message. [It could say] hey, this person has been fighting for civil liberties for all people. Maybe you should let them out of prison." Kushner probably won't be super receptive to Minhaj's idea, though: The comedian's show, Patriot Act, has been censored in Saudi Arabia for an episode that was critical of Mohammad bin Salman. Paris (AFP) - French authorities have opened an investigation into the leaking of a classified military note which revealed French weapons are being used by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in Yemen, sources told AFP on Wednesday. The note details the use of weapons -- including tanks, artillery and military ships -- in the war against Huthi rebels. The use of French weapons in Yemen appears to contradict previous public statements from France's government. The classified 15-page note from the French military intelligence service, published in April by new investigative media outlet Disclose, concluded that the UAE and Saudi Arabia had deployed French weaponry. The note -- provided to the government in October 2018, according to Disclose -- said 48 CAESAR artillery guns manufactured by the Nexter group were being used along the Saudi-Yemen border. Leclerc tanks, sold in the 1990s to the UAE, have also been used, as have Mirage 2000-9 fighter jets, while a French missile-guiding technology called DAMOCLES might have been deployed, according to the assessment. Cougar transport helicopters and the A330 MRTT refuelling plane have also seen action, and two French ships are serving in the blockade of Yemeni ports which has led to food and medical shortages, the DRM military intelligence agency concluded. Under pressure for years by rights groups over the sales, the Paris government has always insisted that the arms are only used in defensive circumstances to deter attacks by the Huthis. The investigation into the "compromise of national defence secrecy" was launched by prosecutors on December 13 last year after a complaint by the armed forces ministry, a judicial source said. France's domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, is leading the inquiry, which concerns the compromise of information involving a government employee and a third party, the source said. - 'Attack on press' - France, the third-biggest arms exporter in the world, counts Saudi Arabia and the UAE as loyal clients in the Middle East and has resisted pressure to stop the arms trade -- unlike Germany, which has suspended sales. Story continues Rights groups have regularly accused Paris of being complicit in alleged war crimes committed in Yemen where around 10,000 have died and millions have been forced to the brink of starvation. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, which own billions of dollars' worth of weapons bought from the United States, France and Britain, intervened in 2015 to support the Yemeni government against Huthi rebels, which are backed by rival Iran. The UN calls the situation in the war-torn country the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Experts have concluded that all the warring parties have violated international humanitarian law. "The confidential documents revealed by Disclose and its partners are of major public interest, that bring to the attention of citizens and their representatives what the government wanted to conceal," said an editorial for Disclose and its partners. Disclose worked with several media organisations including public broadcaster France Info, online brand Mediapart and Franco-German television channel Arte. The founder of Disclose, Geoffrey Livolsi, told AFP that at least three journalists who took part in the investigation have been called in for a hearing conducted by the DGSI next month. "This judicial investigation has only one objective: to know the sources that allowed us to do our job. It is an attack on the freedom of the press and the protection of the sources of journalists," Livolsi said. French Armed Forces Minister Francoise Parly said during an interview in January on the France Inter radio station: "I'm not aware that any (French) arms are being used in this conflict." President Donald Trump may count Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among his international allies, but New Delhi is smarting over unexpected US decisions it sees as ignoring the interests of an increasingly close partner. The Trump administration this week said it would start to sanction countries that do not comply with its orders to stop buying oil from Iran, demanding that eight governments -- including India and China -- end all imports when six-month waivers run out next week. The move, which triggered a hike in global oil prices that could disproportionately hit poorer Indians, came just as Modi was campaigning for a new mandate in ongoing, multi-phase elections. The Iran diktat followed Trump's announcement in March that India, along with Turkey, would no longer enjoy a preferential trading status for a wide range of manufactured goods. Trump, who has rocky relations with the leaders of numerous Western allies, has publicly highlighted his bond with Modi, a Hindu nationalist who shares the US president's hawkish stance on radical Islam. India's main opposition Congress party quickly seized on the Iran sanctions to attack Modi. Its spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted that the Indian leader is "sitting as a mute spectator over the country's oil needs and security." Trump, while popular among much of the Hindu right, has also drawn resentment in India over viral reports that he mimics Modi's accent in private -- a far cry from the reverential treatment US presidents since Bill Clinton have shown Indian leaders. - 'Surprised and disappointed' - An Indian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described New Delhi as "surprised and disappointed" by the decision on Iran, saying the Trump administration had sent a message in March that India's cuts in imports were sufficient to be granted a fresh waiver. "We thought that, as a major defense and strategic partner, the United States would take into consideration our concerns," the official said. Story continues Trump is seeking to eliminate Iran's top source of revenue in a bid to curb the clerical regime's regional clout, including its backing of Shiite militants. India is the world's third-largest oil importer. The official said the South Asian nation has cut Iranian oil from 17 to five percent of its total crude imports and had also ended oil purchases from Venezuela, succumbing to US pressure as Trump tries to oust leftist President Nicolas Maduro. "We did this not because we agree with the US, but because we are strategic partners," he said. Similarly, the official said the Trump administration ignored a detailed proposal from New Delhi when it announced it would scrap its designation in the Generalized System of Preferences, which grants favorable access to goods from developing countries. India is proposing a 90-day delay in implementation as the government cannot make a counter-proposal under laws that forbid policy decisions during elections, the official said. Another rift could come up as India -- a Cold War partner of the Soviet Union turned major buyer of US defense equipment -- finalizes its purchase of Russia's advanced S-400 missile system. Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently told AFP that India has been "heard and understood" by the United States, which imposed sanctions on China and has warned NATO ally Turkey over buying the S-400. - Years of growing ties - Few expect India and the United States to drift apart significantly, let alone return to their Cold War estrangement, with the major parties in both democracies broadly supporting a strong relationship. And Trump pleased Modi in February by backing India's air incursions into rival Pakistan, home to virulently anti-Indian militants, in response to an attack on Indian forces in divided Kashmir. Tanvi Madan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of its India Project, said that this week's sanctions decision for the United States "is about Iran, not about its approach to India." "But I think that India will feel once again that it will be collateral damage," she said. "It reinforces the sense in India that the US isn't factoring in Indian interests when it comes to these decisions, yet they affect India." Madan added that New Delhi was less concerned about oil than with preserving a relationship with Tehran, even while developing close ties with Iran's rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia. India is hoping to keep working with Iran on its Chabahar port, through which New Delhi hopes to send supplies to war-torn Afghanistan, cracking the landlocked country's reliance on Pakistan. Madan said there was one wild card that could shake up US-India ties -- if China seized on the rift and offered reconciliation with India by making concessions on the Asian giants' myriad disputes. "Will that happen? I find it hard to believe the Chinese will get around to doing it," she said. "But the possibility exists." IRBIL, Iraq (AP) The children of Yazidi women raped by Islamic State men will be welcomed into the minority faith, a community leader said Thursday, allowing women taken as slaves by the militant group to return to Iraq from Syria. Eido Baba Sheikh, son of the Yazidi spiritual leader Baba Sheikh, said the children of the formerly enslaved women will be treated as members of the faith, resolving one of the most difficult questions facing the community since the Islamic State group's 2014 campaign to try to exterminate the minority. Thousands of women and girls were forced into sexual slavery when the extremists attacked Yazidi communities in northwestern Iraq. But the community shunned the women returning from captivity with children, a reflection of the deeply held Yazidi traditions to view outsiders with suspicion as a response to centuries of persecution. U.S.-backed Kurdish forces defeated the last fragments of the IS group's self-styled "caliphate" in Syria in March, raising the possibility that thousands of missing Yazidi women and children might be found and reunited with their families. Still, some 3,000 Yazidis are still missing. Many of the children enslaved by militants in 2014 were separated from their parents and given to IS families for rearing. Boys were pressed into the militants' cub scouts, given military training, and indoctrinated in jihadi ideology. Officials at the Beit Yazidi foundation in Kurdish-administered northeast Syria said Yazidi women with children who could have returned to Iraq were choosing to stay in Syria, instead, in order not to be separated from their children. Other women gave their young ones up for adoption to find acceptance among their community. The Yazidi Supreme Spiritual Council issued a decree welcoming the survivors of slavery, and their children, into the Yazidi community, on Wednesday. Murad Ismael, a founder of the global Yazidi charity Yazda, said it will nevertheless take time for the community in Iraq to accept the mothers and their children, because of the stigma of rape. Story continues "It will take a couple of years for the community to digest this fully," he said. He said many women and children will have to seek resettlement in other countries, some to escape the stigma of their situation, and to find psychosocial services to heal after the trauma of slavery. The community sent two representatives to search for Yazidi women and children in the camps in northeast Syria, where tens of thousands of civilians who survived the IS caliphate are waiting to be returned to their places of origin, said Eido Baba Sheikh. He said it is believed that there could be Yazidi children among foreign or IS families in the camps, a result of the sale of Yazidis under the caliphate. Complicating the search will be that many of the children may have never learned to identify as Yazidis, or to speak Kurmanji, the language of the community. Women and older children may have started to identify with their captors, as well, confounding search efforts. And though the community will recognize the children of Yazidi survivors as Yazidis, they will still face legal difficulties in Iraq, said Eido Baba Sheikh. Under the country's family laws, a child is registered under the nationality and religion of their father, and it is unclear whether Iraq will allow Yazidi survivors to register their children as Iraqi Yazidis when there are questions about the children's patrimony. Also on Thursday, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish regional government, asked for continued U.S. support to allow Iraqis displaced by the war with IS to return to their homes, according to a State Department statement on a call between Barzani and Vice President Mike Pence. Iraq's Kurdish region hosts more than 1 million displaced people, including many of the 200,000 Yazidis forced to flee their homes when the Islamic State militants attacked their communities in 2014. ___ Associated Press writer Philip Issa in Baghdad contributed to this report. Actor Ken Kercheval, best known as Texas businessman Cliff Barnes on the CBS series Dallas, has died. A cause of death is not known, but a spokesperson at the Frist Funeral Home in the actors hometown of Clinton, Indiana, told Deadline that Kercheval died Sunday. He was 83. Kerchevals character was a signature presence on Dallas along with his bitter rival J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), Barnes was the only character to appear in all 14 seasons (1978-1991) of the soapy saga about Texas crude and crude Texans. The character was originally modeled on Robert F. Kennedy but that template didnt hold for long. Instead Barnes was defined by his familys rivalry with the Ewings and his character was spun in varied directions as needed his job title, for instance, changed a dozen times over the course of the series (assistant district attorney, head of the oil regulatory committee, legislative counsel to a state senator, Vice President of a tool and die company, among them). Related stories Stefanie Sherk Dies: Canadian Actress, Model, Wife Of Actor Demian Bichir Was 37 Kercheval was also in the 1986 prequel Dallas: The Early Years, a TV movie that fleshed out the franchises central conflict, the rivalry between the two oil industry families. Kercheval also returned to the character for the 1996 television movie Dallas: J.R. Returns and then again for three seasons (2012-2014) of a Dallas revival, which presented the career-bouncing Barnes as a casino industry player. Dallas also gave Kercheval a chance to experiment with job directions himself: He went behind the camera to direct an episode of the series in each of its final two seasons. Kercheval was born July 15, 1935, in Wolcottville, Ind., and raised in nearby Clinton. A music and drama major at Indiana University he later studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. Kercheval began his professional acting career on the stage, making his Broadway debut in the 1962 play Something About A Soldier. He went on to appear Off-Broadway in 1972s Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill revue. His other theatre credits include The Apple Tree, Cabaret (replacing Bert Convy as Cliff), and Heres Where I Belong. He also appeared as the title character in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, co-starring with Herschel Bernardi, Maria Karnilova, Julia Migenes, Leonard Frey, and Pia Zadora. It was television, however, where Kercheval became a face familiar to millions. His credits included appearances on E.R., L.A. Law,, Murder She Wrote, CHiPs, Highway to Heaven, Kojak, The Love Boat, Matlock, and Starsky & Hutch. His film credits include Network, The Seven-Ups and F.I.S.T. in the 1970s. Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Two months after he failed to win a badly needed easing of sanctions from President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is traveling to Russia in a possible attempt to win its help as the U.S.-led trade sanctions hurt his country's already-struggling economy. There are no signs of a financial or humanitarian crisis in North Korea. But some observers say the sanctions, toughened over the past several years, are gradually drying up Kim's foreign currency reserves and he is desperate to find ways to bring in hard currency. His propaganda service is already saying that North Koreans can survive with only "water and air." Russia, along with China, has called for the easing of the sanctions, though both are members of the U.N. Security Council, which has approved a total of 11 rounds of sanctions on North Korea since 2006. Some experts say Kim may ask Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting set to take place in Vladivostok on Thursday to voice strong opposition to the sanctions, enforce them less stringently and send humanitarian food aid to North Korea. It's still unclear how much assistance Kim could get from Putin. Along with China, Russia isn't likely to want to openly evade the sanctions and face diplomatic friction with the United States. More than 90% of North Korea's foreign trade has gone through China, with which it shares a long, porous land border. Analyst Go Myong-Hyun of the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies said Kim's Russia trip, the first by a North Korean leader since 2011, may have been planned long before the February breakdown of the second summit between Kim and Trump in Vietnam. Go said North Korea and Russia had wanted to discuss economic cooperation if the summit had resulted in an easing of sanctions. What will still likely be on the agenda is a request by Kim for food aid. In February, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, issued an unusual appeal for "urgent" food assistance. North Korean officials blamed the shortage on bad weather and the sanctions. Story continues Analyst Cho Bong-hyun of Seoul's IBK Economic Research Institute said North Korea needs more than 1 million tons of food aid, so it would want Russia to provide hundreds of thousands of tons of corn, flour and other foodstuff. Russia could send North Korea food, but mostly in a secret manner, Cho said. Kim will also likely raise the issue of thousands of North Korean workers in Russia, who must return home along with other overseas North Korean workers worldwide by the end of this year under the U.N. sanctions. "There is a high possibility that Kim will ask Putin to be flexible on the issue as it's related to the inflow of dollars," said analyst Shin Beomchul of the Asan institute. He said North Korea may seek to persuade Russia to overlook North Korean visitors with short-term non-employment visas engaging in illegal work. In May last year, South Korea's Unification Ministry said North Korea sends an estimated 50,000 workers aboard, mostly to China and Russia. Most work at factories, construction sites, lumber camps and restaurants. They often toil in tough working conditions and large portions of their salaries are taken by North Korea's government, according to activists and defectors. After Kim failed to get sanctions relief from Trump in Vietnam, he called for national unity under the banner of self-reliance to surmount the sanctions. His state media called self-reliance "the treasured sword," a term previously used to refer to his nuclear weapons. "It is necessary to sweep away the whirlwind of sanctions by the hostile forces," Kim said in a rare speech at the country's rubber-stamp parliament earlier this month. The Vietnam summit collapsed after Trump rejected Kim's calls for the end of five of the 11 sanctions that he said impede his country's civilian economy in return for partial steps toward nuclear disarmament. They include a ban on key exports such as coal, textiles and seafood; a significant curtailing of oil imports; and the repatriation of North Korean overseas workers by December. These sanctions, approved one by one since 2016 when Kim began a series of nuclear and missile tests, are inflicting more pain than the six previously imposed sanctions that largely target North Korea's weapons industry. The new sanctions especially affect North Korea's official external trade. According to China Customs figures, China's imports from North Korea dropped by 88% and exports to the North by 33% in 2018. South Korea's central bank said North Korea's economy contracted 3.5% in 2017 from a year earlier. North Korea monitoring groups in Seoul say the prices of rice and other key commodities at hundreds of markets in North Korea remain largely unchanged. South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers last month that it hasn't detected any signs of mass starvation. Some experts say Kim has likely used some of his foreign currency reserves to import goods from China to maintain price stability. Some say North Korea's huge trade deficit may have been offset by illicit border trade with China that is likely thriving again with lax enforcement of the U.N. sanctions. Others say North Korea is trying to locally produce items it had imported. "It's certain that North Korea is releasing a large amount of money," Go said. "When its money runs out, it'll face an urgent situation and step up calls for sanctions relief." There is no independently confirmed data on the size of North Korea's foreign currency reserves. Go said some economists estimate them at $5 billon. Outside speculation varies over how long North Korea can withstand the impact of the sanctions without major economic and social chaos. Cho speculates North Korea will likely hold out for the next three to five years. But others say it could face a drain on its foreign currency reserves sooner, by December or next year at the earliest. Whether the sanctions will eventually force Kim to fully give up his nuclear program is unclear. Kim considers his nuclear weapons a stronger security assurance than any non-aggression promises the U.S. could offer. In his April 12 parliamentary speech, he described the sanctions as a plot to disarm North Korea before trying to overthrow his government. If there is an indication of a humanitarian crisis in North Korea, many experts say China will likely make large-scale food shipments to prevent the exodus of refugees from the North. Thae Yong Ho, a former minster at the North Korean Embassy in London who defected to South Korea in 2016, said in a recent blog post that there are rumors among North Korean residents that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, in May. He said North Korea's hard-line stance will continue for the time being if it gets help from Russia and China. ___ Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) The Latest on the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka (all times local): 10:30 p.m. Sri Lankan authorities say the death toll from the Easter Sunday suicide attacks is lower than previously stated and now stands at "approximately" 253 people. Top health ministry official Dr. Anil Jasinghe said in a statement late Thursday that the explosions had damaged some bodies beyond recognition, making positive identification difficult. On Wednesday, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara had said the death toll was 359 people. Officials did not immediately explain the discrepancy. Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said on Thursday that 40 foreigners had died. ___ 10 p.m. The world's tallest building is showing the Sri Lankan flag in remembrance of the victims of the Easter suicide bombings. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is displaying the flag on the LED display running up the side of the 828-meter (2,715-foot) building. Many expatriate workers in Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates come from Asia. ___ 8:50 p.m. The British government is warning its citizens against traveling to Sri Lanka, amid an intense security operation after bomb attacks on churches and hotels. The Foreign Office on Thursday advised against all but essential travel to the country, saying it's unclear how great a threat there is of further attacks. Eight Britons were among more than 350 people killed when suicide bombers attacked on Easter Sunday. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he hopes the advice could be changed "when the current security operation has concluded." Hunt said "we all hope the situation will return to normal very soon, and that the Sri Lankan tourism industry is able to get back on its feet following the terrorist attacks." The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka also warned that people should avoid places of worship over the weekend because of possible attacks. ___ 7:15 p.m. The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka has tweeted a warning that people should avoid places of worship in the island nation over the weekend because of possible extremist attacks. Story continues The embassy in Colombo sent the tweet Thursday night after security was stepped up in the capital city and elsewhere in the country. The tweet read: "Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship. Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow, April 26th through Sunday, April 28th. Continue to remain vigilant and avoid large crowds." Police on Thursday appealed to the public for information about three women and one man suspected of involvement in the Easter suicide attacks that killed over 350 people. ___ 7 p.m. The office of Sri Lanka's president says the country's defense secretary has resigned following a failure of security forces to stop the Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings on Easter that killed over 350 people. The office issued a statement Thursday saying that Hemasiri Fernando would continue to serve until his replacement has been appointed. President Maithripala Sirisena had announced on television Tuesday that he planned to shake up the security forces. On Wednesday, he asked for the resignations of both the defense secretary and the national police chief. Government leaders have acknowledged that some intelligence units were aware of possible attacks weeks before the bombings Sunday that struck three churches and three luxury hotels. Sirisena said he had been kept in the dark on intelligence about the planned attacks and vowed to "take stern action" against officials who failed to share it. ___ 6:45 p.m. Sri Lanka's prime minister has acknowledged to The Associated Press that minority Ahmadi Muslims who are refugees from Pakistan have faced attacks since the Easter bombings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Thursday that security forces were trying to help the Ahmadis. Wickremesinghe said that some people "had become suspicious of foreigners, not of Muslims per se. . In the heat of the moment, a few have been attacked." Sunday's Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings killed over 350 people. On Thursday, Ahmadis described to the AP how they have faced violence in the time since. About 500 have fled their homes in Negombo and are living some 30 kilometers (20 miles) away under police protection. Others live under police and military protection at the Ahmadi mosque in Negombo. ___ 6:15 p.m. Police in Sri Lanka have issued an appeal for information about three women and one man suspected of involvement in the Easter suicide bombings that killed over 350 people. Police made the appeal Thursday over Sri Lankan media. They released pictures of the four. All appeared to be in their 20s. Police did not elaborate on how the four may have been involved. However, police and soldiers tightened security across Colombo and elsewhere Thursday as fears of another attack continued. They identified the suspects as Mohamed Shahid Abdul Haq, Fathima Latheefa, Abdul Cader Fathima Kadia and Pulasthini Rajendran, who also had the alias Zara. ___ 3:40 p.m. Pakistan's minority Christians have gathered at a church in the Islamabad amid tight security to pay their respects to the victims of Easter bombings in Sri Lanka in which more than 350 people were killed. It was the first such gathering since Sunday, when suicide bombers attacked churches, hotels and other sites in Sri Lanka. The participants at Thursday's special service lit candles and observed a minute of silence to remember the victims of the attacks. Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy close relations and Pakistan helped train Sri Lankan army officers in their civil war battle against Tamil rebels. ___ 2 p.m. Sri Lanka's former navy chief says the father of two of the Easter suicide bombers has been arrested on suspicion of aiding his sons. Jayanath Colombage, who now is a counter-terrorism expert at the Pathfinder Foundation, confirmed the arrest to The Associated Press on Thursday. Sri Lankan police could not immediately be reached for comment. Sunday's coordinated suicide bombings targeted three churches and three hotels, killing at least 359 people and wounding 500 more. Authorities have blamed a local group, National Towheed Jamaat, for the attack. The group was previously only known for vandalizing Buddhist statues and for the extremist online sermons of its leader, alternately named Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi. On Tuesday, the Islamic State group asserted it carried out the assault, bolstering its claim by publishing images of Zahran and others pledging loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. ___ 12:45 p.m. Businesses in Colombo are advising staff to stay indoors until 2 p.m. because of a possible security threat and an ongoing search operation in the capital. John Keells Holdings, the parent company of the Cinnamon Grand hotel, one of the sites stricken in the Easter Sunday bombings, sent an email to its staff on Thursday about the unspecified threat. It was not immediately clear where the warning originated. A police spokesman was not available for comment. A series of coordinated suicide bombings at churches and hotels in and around Colombo killed 359 people on Sunday. Police say a local extremist group was behind the attack. 10:20 a.m. Australia's prime minister said one of the suicide bombers in the Sri Lanka Easter attacks had been in Australia years earlier. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the person had been in Australia on a student and a graduate skilled visa with a spouse and child visa as well. The individual left in early 2013. Morrison told reporters Thursday the person's Australian link was part of an ongoing investigation and wouldn't comment further. Separately, a British security official has confirmed one of the bombers was believed to have studied in the U.K. between 2006 and 2007. The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, said British intelligence was not watching Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed during his stay in the country. His name was first reported by Sky News. Associated Press journalist Greg Katz in London contributed to this report. ___ 10 a.m. Sri Lanka has banned drones and unmanned aircraft as authorities continue controlled detonations of suspicious items four days after a series of suicide bombing attacks killed more than 350 people in and around the capital of Colombo. Sri Lanka's civil aviation authority said Thursday that it was taking the measure "in view of the existing security situation in the country." Hobby drones have been used by militants in the past to carry explosives. Iraqi forces learned that they are difficult to shoot down while driving out the Islamic State group from northern Iraq, where the extremists loaded drones with grenades or simple explosives to target their forces. Also Thursday Sri Lankan authorities detonated a suspicious item in a garbage dump in Pugoda, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Colombo. ___ 6 a.m. Japan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed one Japanese national was killed and four others injured in the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka. The body of the person who died was returned to Japan early Thursday. Officials at Narita airport near Tokyo lowered their heads as the coffin, covered with blue tarp and a bouquet of white flowers on top, came out of the plane. Japanese media have identified the victim as 39-year-old Kaori Takahashi. The reports say she was having breakfast with her family at the Shangri-La hotel when she was killed and that her husband and a daughter were injured in the attack. The Foreign Ministry has not released the identities of the dead and injured. Sri Lankan police have said at least 359 people were killed and more than 500 wounded in Sunday's bombings, which mainly targeted churches and hotels. Most of the victims were Sri Lankan but more than 30 of the dead were foreigners. Nouakchott (AFP) - A Mauritanian blogger who came to world attention after being given the death penalty for blasphemy is being held in "temporary detention" despite serving jail time under a downgraded sentence, the justice minister said Wednesday. Cheikh Ould Mohamed Ould Mkheitir's case was taken up by rights watchdogs after he was sentenced to death on December 24, 2014 for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a blog post. After he repented, an appeal court on November 9 2017 downgraded the sentence to a two-year jail term. But he remains in custody, even though lawyers say he should have left jail immediately as he had already spent four years behind bars. On Wednesday, Justice Minister Dia Moctar Malal told the National Assembly that Mkheitir was in "temporary detention" and that "only the Supreme Court can rule on his fate." "Neither the executive branch nor the legislative branch can impose a decision concerning him," he said. The authorities had previously said that Mkheitir was being held in "administrative detention awaiting the end of the judicial process," without giving further details or his whereabouts. That position was blasted by rights groups as a breach of Mauritanian law and fundamental freedoms. Mkheitir, believed to be aged about 35, was accused of challenging decisions taken by the Prophet and his companions during holy wars in the seventh century. The case surrounding Mkheitir, also spelt Mkhaitir, unleashed fierce passions in the conservative Muslim state. The appeal court decision triggered angry protests, prompting the government, in April 2018, to harden religious laws so that showing repentance for blasphemy and apostasy could no longer prevent the death penalty. The law was approved despite an appeal by the African Union's human rights body for the government to review the bill. The Mkheitir case contributed to Mauritania falling 17 spots in Reporters Without Borders' 2018 World Press Freedom Index, the biggest drop of any African nation. The death sentence has not been applied in the country since 1987. RTHK: Oil and gas boom 'threatens global warming fight' The global pace of new oil and gas pipeline construction has tripled in less than two decades, a multi-billion-dollar boom in infrastructure that experts warned on Thursday could torpedo hopes for limiting global warming. In the first worldwide survey of its kind, the Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker identified a potential investor bubble ready to burst as renewable energy prices plummet and climate regulations begin to bite. It paints a picture of fossil fuel companies rushing to complete projects in order to lock countries and investors into oil and gas use for decades, even as calls for drastic cuts to greenhouse gas emissions grow louder. "Everyone knows there's a drilling boom in North America but they don't look at the infrastructure," said Ted Nace, executive director of Global Energy Monitor, a network of fossil fuel industry trackers. "When you drill a well you have it for a year or two, but building infrastructure is building things that are going to be around for 40 or 50 years," hesaid. The analysis which used open-source data to map hundreds of new delivery plans around the world found that fully a third of more than 180,000 kilometres of oil and gas pipelines in development were in North America. By the metric of overall number of projects, 51.5 per cent were planned for the continent. The accelerated rate of new pipeline construction echoes the recent US coal-mining crash, which saw investors left on the hook after American coal prices cratered due to a rapid increase in the domestic production of coal in China, once a major client. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Sanjeev Miglani and Joe Brock COLOMBO (Reuters) - Details began to emerge in Sri Lanka on Wednesday of a band of nine, well-educated Islamist suicide bombers, including a woman, from well-to-do families who slaughtered 359 people in Easter Sunday bomb attacks. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks on three churches and four hotels. If that connection is confirmed, the attacks looks likely to be the deadliest ever linked to the group. Both the Sri Lankan government and the United States said the scale and sophistication of the coordinated bombings suggested the involvement of an external group such as Islamic State. The Islamist group released a video late on Tuesday through its AMAQ news agency, showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag, declaring loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The one man in the video with his face uncovered was Mohamed Zahran, a Sri Lankan preacher known for militant views. While the video showed eight men, Sri Lanka's junior defense minister, Ruwan Wijewardene, said there were nine suicide bombers. Eight had been identified and one of them was a woman, he said. "Most of the bombers are well-educated, come from economically strong families. Some of them went abroad for studies," Wijewardene told a news conference. "One of them we know went to the UK, then went to Australia for a law degree. Foreign partners, including the UK, are helping us with those investigations." Two of the bombers were brothers, sons of a wealthy spice trader and pillar of the business community, a source close to the family said. Intelligence officials and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believe that Zahran, a Tamil-speaking preacher from the east of the Indian Ocean island country, may have been the mastermind. He was well-known for his militant views and fiery Facebook posts, according to Muslim leaders and a Sri Lankan intelligence report issued earlier and seen by Reuters. The government suspects two Sri Lankan Islamist groups - the National Thawheed Jama'ut, of which Zahran was believed to have been a member, and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - were responsible, with outside help. MISSED WARNINGS The early Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that has existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu, ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago, and raised fears of a return to sectarian violence. Sri Lanka's 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island's conflict and communal tensions. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and military were also supporting the investigation into possible foreign connections, the U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina Teplitz, told reporters. "If you look at the scale of the attacks, the level of coordination, the sophistication of them, it's not implausible to think there are foreign linkages," Teplitz said. As well as the huge death toll, 500 people were wounded in the worst ever such militant attack in South Asia. It has also exposed a significant Sri Lankan intelligence failure, with warnings of strikes not acted on and feuds at the highest levels of government. "It is a major lapse in the sharing of intelligence information," Wijewardene said. "We have to take responsibility." Lakshman Kiriella, the leader of parliament, said senior officials had deliberately withheld intelligence about possible attacks. "The top brass security officials did not take appropriate actions," Kiriella, who is also minister of public enterprise, told parliament. He said information about possible attacks was received from Indian intelligence on April 4 and a Security Council meeting was chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena three days later, but it was not shared more widely. Sirisena has said his office never received the Indian report. The prime minister also had not been told of warnings of an attack, a minister said. The president fired Prime Minister Wickremesinghe last October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Two sources close to the president said he had asked the police chief and defense secretary to resign. 'CHECKING ON MUSLIM AREAS' A total of 60 people have been detained for questioning across Colombo, Wijewardene said. That total includes a Syrian, according to security sources. Raids included areas near the Gothic-style St Sebastian church in Negombo, north of the capital, where scores were killed on Sunday, a police spokesman said. An unspecified number of people were detained in western Sri Lanka, the scene of anti-Muslim riots in 2014. "Search operations are going on everywhere, there is tight checking of Muslim areas," a security source said. Most of those killed and wounded were Sri Lankans, although officials said 38 foreigners were also killed. That included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Forty-five children were among the dead. The government has imposed emergency rule and an overnight curfew. It said it has also blocked online messaging services to stop the spread of inflammatory rumors that it feared could incite communal clashes. (GRAPHIC: Sri Lanka bombings - https://tmsnrt.rs/2Xy02BA) (GRAPHIC: A decade of peace shattered - https://tmsnrt.rs/2W4wZoU) (Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Paul Tait, Robert Birsel and Alex Richardson) Nearly two years after the death of Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old college student who was released from imprisonment in North Korea in a coma, it has been revealed that the United States was presented with a significant hospital invoice. North Korea issued a $2 million bill for the hospital care of Warmbier, according to the Washington Post and CNN. Joseph Yun, the former State Department Special Representative for North Korea, was ordered to travel to Pyongyang in June 2017 and bring Warmbier home. However, Yun was reportedly handed the $2 million bill and told to sign it before the University of Virginia student could be released, the Post reported. Before signing the bill, Yun called then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and informed him about the invoice, according to CNN, which also reported that Tillerson then called Trump, who ordered Yun to sign the paper. RELATED: Parents of College Student Who Died After North Korean Arrest Blast Trump for Defense of Kim Jong-Un Kyodo We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement to PEOPLE. Yun told CNN he could not confirm the reports about the $2 million bill but said, My orders were completely do whatever you can to get Otto Warmbier back. Warmbiers father Fred told the Post that he had no previous knowledge of the bill, characterizing it as ransom for his deceased son. Fred and his wife Cindy sued North Korea over son Ottos death and were awarded $501 million in damages in December. The $2 million bill, which went to the Treasury Department, remains unpaid, according to CNN. RELATED: Otto Warmbier, 22, Dies Days After North Koreans Released Him with Brain Damage: He Was at Peace, Says Family Kyodo Warmbier, who was a native of the Cincinnati, Ohio, area, died on June 19, 2017, at age 22. He was sentenced to 15 years of prison and hard labor for allegedly stealing a political propaganda poster from his Pyongyang hotel. He was in North Korea with a tour group and was arrested on Jan. 2, 2016, while trying to board a plane back to the U.S. Story continues After being detained for more than 17 months, Warmbier was released to the U.S. on June 13, 2017, in a coma. He died days later. It would be easy at a moment like this to focus on all that we lost future time that wont be spent with a warm, engaging, brilliant young man whose curiosity and enthusiasm for life knew no bounds, a statement from Warmbiers parents read at the time. But we choose to focus on the time we were given to be with this remarkable person. You can tell from the outpouring of emotion from the communities that he touched that the love for Otto went well beyond his immediate family. Evan Vucci/AP/Shutterstock At the time of Warmbiers death, Trump said in a statement: Melania and I offer our deepest condolences to the family of Otto Warmbier on his untimely passing. There is nothing more tragic for a parent than to lose a child in the prime of life. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ottos family and friends, and all who loved him. However, in February 2018, Trump defended Kim Jong Un, saying that North Korean dictator was not at fault for the American students death. What happened is horrible. I really believe something very bad happened to him and I dont think that the top leadership knew about it, the president said. [Kim] tells me he didnt know about it and I will take him at his word. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused the US of acting in "bad faith" at his summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Pyongyang's state media said Friday after he secured Moscow's backing in his standoff with Donald Trump. Kim and Putin met Thursday in the far eastern Russian port of Vladivostok for their first summit -- squarely aimed at countering US influence with Pyongyang and Washington deadlocked over the North's nuclear arsenal. Putin was keen to put Moscow forward as a player in a new global flashpoint -- and it appears Kim was eager to take him up during talks described by KCNA as "unreserved and friendly". Putin, known for delaying meetings with international guests, was waiting for Kim when he emerged from his limousine and the two leaders greeted each other warmly before nearly five hours of meetings on an island off Vladivostok. During the discussions, Kim said the Korean situation was "a standstill and has reached a critical point", the official Korean Central News Agency said. He added the US adopted a "unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks", the agency said, and that "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude." The Kim-Trump summit broke down in late February without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal, after cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions but the two sides disagreed over what the North was prepared to give up in return. Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Moscow denies. Just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks, accusing him of derailing the process. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supports efforts to reduce tensions and prevent nuclear conflicts. Story continues But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". It was "what the North has been saying all along" said Kim Keun-sik, professor of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University, adding that Putin's support for Pyongyang's stance was the "biggest prize" Kim won in Vladivostok. - 'New heyday' - Both leaders said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. The two shared a lunch that included borscht, crab salad and venison dumplings, Russian news agency TASS reported. The North Korean leader invited Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. "Kim met Putin because he wanted to show he had someone on his side," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "Kim is seeking an upper hand for future talks with the US and meeting foreign leaders like Putin can help him do that." But Washington was unlikely to be swayed, he added, with analyst Kim also doubting the US would be "surprised or alarmed". Kim attended a wreath-laying at a World War II memorial to Russia's Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok on Friday, and was expected to board his armoured train later to return home. - 'No secrets - The Vladivostok summit was Kim's first with another head of state since returning from Hanoi. It followed repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one each with the leaders of Vietnam and Singapore. There were no concrete announcements or agreements in Vladivostok, but analysts said Thursday's meeting was valuable to both sides. "For North Korea, it's all about securing another exit. China talks about sanctions relief but it doesn't really put it into action," said Koo Kab-woo, of the University of North Korean Studies. "For Russia, North Korea is elevating it back to one of the direct parties, on the same footing as China." Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations with Pyongyang and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. The last meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launches of missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland. By Darya Korsunskaya and Pavel Polityuk ST PETERSBURG, Russia/KIEV (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed an order simplifying the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport for residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine, prompting calls for more international sanctions from Kiev. Five years of war between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed forces have killed 13,000 people despite a notional ceasefire signed in 2015. Russia's move is an early test for the Ukrainian president-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who won a landslide victory in Sunday's presidential election and has pledged to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Zelenskiy said Putin's action showed Russia was waging war in Ukraine and brought the two sides no closer to peace. He called for the international community to threaten Russia with more sanctions. Outgoing President Petro Poroshenko said Russia might try to annex the Donbass region. The United States called the Putin's action "absurd and destabilizing". Rebellions broke out against Ukrainian government rule in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2014. Moscow provided military help for the separatists, according to evidence gathered by Reuters, though Russian officials have denied providing material support. Plans have been in the works for several months to streamline the issuing of Russian passports to residents of the two regions, according to sources close to the separatist administrations. If those plans had been announced before the Ukrainian election, it could have bolstered the chances of Poroshenko, the candidate Moscow least wanted to win. "We have no desire to create problems for the new Ukrainian leadership, but to tolerate a situation in which people living in the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk republic are generally deprived of any civil rights, this is already crossing the line from the point of view of human rights," Putin said. "CRIMINAL ACTIONS" Ukraine urged residents not to apply for Russian passports and informed the United Nations about Russia's move. Kiev also asked the European Union to take "prompt and decisive" action. Swathes of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are now under the de facto control of the Moscow-backed rebels, while Ukraine says it is determined to re-assert its control, a position backed by most Western countries. Zelenskiy's office said his priority was achieving peace but called Russia's actions "another evident confirmation for the world community of Russia's true role as an aggressor state, which is waging a war against Ukraine", a statement said. Russia has consistently denied Western and Ukrainian accusations that it sends troops and heavy weapons to fight Ukrainian forces in the region. Relations between Ukraine and Russia plunged after the Maidan street protests in Kiev in 2014 prompted a Kremlin-backed Ukrainian president to flee into exile. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula a month later in March 2014, triggering Western sanctions. The United States, the European Union and Russia will be closely watching Zelenskiy's foreign policy pronouncements to see if and how he might try to end the conflict. Immediately after Zelenskiy's victory, the Kremlin had said it was premature to talk of Putin congratulating Zelenskiy or the possibility of the two leaders working together. Zelenskiy has pledged to keep Ukraine on a pro-Western course while sounding less emphatic than his predecessor Poroshenko about possible plans for the country of 42 million people to one day join the EU or NATO. The head of Poroshenko's security council said Russia's move was intended to give Moscow legal cover for deploying troops to eastern Ukraine on the pretext of protecting Russian citizens. "It is actually about the Kremlin's preparations for the next step of aggression against our state -- the annexation of the Ukrainian Donbass or the creation of a Russian enclave in Ukraine," said Poroshenko, who remains president until Zelenskiy is inaugurated, likely to be next month. Poroshenko urged Ukraine's allies "to prevent the worst scenario, to severely condemn the destructive and criminal actions of the Russian authorities and to strengthen the regime of international sanctions". (Additional reporting by Anton Zverev in Moscow, Andrei Makhovsky and Natalia Zinets in KIev; Writing by Anton Kolodyazhnyy, Christian Lowe and Matthias Williams; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Alison Williams) Reed Smith offices in Washington, D.C. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ ALM The Reed Smith lawyers defending a Russian company indicted in the special counsel investigation are pushing to have U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Robert Mueller III held in contempt over the release of a redacted version of the special counsels report last week. Lawyers for Concord Management and Consulting asked U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich of the District of Columbia to order the government to show cause as to why Barr and Mueller shouldnt be held in contempt for violating a local criminal rule. Reed Smith argued in its Thursday filing that the release of the 448-page report interfered with Concords right to a fair trial by releasing prohibited information and opinions regarding the guilt of the accused. The practical effect of the broadside by AG Barr and SC Mueller on Concord was to advise the world (including potential jurors) that the allegations in the indictment are true and that the defendants in this case were operating as part of a Russian-government led interference campaign expressly linked to the allegations in United States v. Netyksho, Reed Smith partner Eric Dubelier said in the filing. This despite the fact that the indictment contains no such allegation. Moreover, the statements of AG Barr and the report authored by SC Mueller are devoid of the demonstrably provable fact that of the nearly 4 million documents produced in discovery to date there is not a single document to indicate that the defendants were aware of the Federal Election Campaign Act or the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Dubelier added. The filing notes that Reed Smith partner Katherine Seikaly also requested a federal prosecutor handling the case in March to disclose any exculpatory material. With respect to your email dated March 12, 2019, the government is not aware of any exculpatory evidence, Jonathan Kravis, an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., wrote back, according to the filing. As Concord has noted in its filings, including its motion to dismiss for failure to state an offense under 18 USC 371, the absence of certain information from the target accounts (such as information reflecting an awareness of the requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act or the Foreign Agents Registration Act) could be viewed as exculpatory. For weeks, the two sides have quibbled in court papers and proceedings over how to handle voluminous amounts of sensitive discovery in the case. Concord is fighting charges that it participated in a scheme to interfere with the 2016 U.S. election. Concord was the only one among a group of Russian nationals and companies indicted in July 2018 to answer to the charges brought by the special counsels office. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington, D.C., is now handling the case. The Justice Department did not immediately return requests for comment. The U.S. Attorneys Office in D.C. declined to comment. Read more: DC Circuit Questions Broad Secrecy in Mystery Company's Mueller Fight Donald McGahn Once Said He Represented 'Pictures on the Wall,' Not Trump Mueller's Team Touts Skadden's 'Extensive' Cooperation in Foreign-Lobbying Case The Mueller Probe Was a Gift to the White-Collar Bar Tripoli (AFP) - Intensified fighting for control of the Libyan capital is turning residential areas of Tripoli into "battlefields", the International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday. "The humanitarian situation in and around Tripoli has deteriorated sharply over the past three weeks," since military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive on April 4 against forces loyal to the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), the ICRC said in a statement. "More than 30,000 people are said to have fled their homes and are sheltering with relatives or in public buildings," it said, a figure which Libyan authorities and the United Nations say has risen to almost 35,000. "Tripoli's basic services and infrastructure, such as hospitals and water pumping stations, which have already suffered from violence over the past eight years, are being weakened further," it said, referring to the insecurity in Libya since the 2011 uprising that ousted Moamer Kadhafi. Youness Rahoui, the head of office in Tripoli for the ICRC, singled out the impact of the violence, which has focused on Tripoli's southern suburbs, on residents of the capital. "One of our greatest concerns is for civilians living near the frontlines. Densely-populated residential areas are gradually turning into battlefields," Rahoui said. He also said it was becoming "increasingly dangerous for medical workers to retrieve the wounded, with mounting reports of indiscriminate shelling". At least 278 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the clashes, according to the latest casualty toll from the World Health Organization. Forces loyal to the GNA, which is based in Tripoli, launched a counter-attack last weekend. The UN voiced concern earlier this week that civilians had been trapped by shelling on densely populated parts of the city. The International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Libya office also highlighted the plight of some 3,000 migrants held at detention centres in areas hit by fighting. Story continues People traffickers have operated freely across much of Libya since the 2011 uprising and the country has become a major conduit for sub-Saharan African migrants desperate to reach Europe. The UN's refugee agency UNHCR said it had evacuated 325 refugees from a centre in Qasr ben Ghachir on Wednesday night, a day after the IOM reported a "random shooting" at the centre south of Tripoli. UNHCR said armed men had attacked migrants as they protested against conditions in the centre. "There were no gunshot wounds, but 12 refugees suffered physical attacks that required hospital treatment," it said. The agency says it has transferred more than 825 migrants out of combat zones over the past two weeks. GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran is willing to negotiate with America only when the United States lifts pressure and apologizes, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, according to state media. Oil prices hit their highest level since November on Tuesday after Washington announced all waivers on imports of sanctions-hit Iranian oil would end next week, pressuring importers to stop buying from Tehran and further tightening global supply. "We have always been a man of negotiation and diplomacy, the same way that we've been a man of war and defense. Negotiation is only possible if all the pressures are lifted, they apologize for their illegal actions and there is mutual respect," Rouhani was quoted as saying. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Catherine Evans) Samsungs high-profile Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone that received scathing media reviews for problems with its screen will now debut in June, nearly two months later than originally planned. In an email on Wednesday, AT&T, one of Samsungs carrier partners, told customers who pre-ordered the Galaxy Fold that the device would now ship on June 13. Also, David Cogen, a host of the YouTube show The Unlockr, publicly shared an e-mail he received from AT&T support on Tuesday that said his initial ship date of April 26 had been switched to June. Several people responded to his tweet with screen captures of their own also showing the updated release date. A person familiar with Samsungs plans told Fortune that the June 13 release date is accurate. Neither Samsung nor AT&T has publicly confirmed the new release date. The device, which will cost $1,980, was originally to hit store shelves on April 26. But over the past couple of weeks, the phone received several bad reviews including that its foldable screen flickered on and off. Others said that debris could easily slip behind the foldable screen and cause damage. Some reviewers said they mistakenly removed a protective film over the display that rendered the device useless. Earlier this week, Samsung said that it would delay the Galaxy Fold while it investigated those problems. The company said that its initial findings suggested that a flaw in the hinge that folds the display may allow debris under the screen. On Wednesday, iFixit, a company that takes apart electronics and reports on how easy they are to repair, published its take on the Galaxy Fold. The company said that a crease in the Galaxy Folds screen creates a small gap between the display and the top and bottom edges that allow for particles to get inside. The iFixit report also cautioned that the Galaxy Folds hinge has holes that could let debris get behind the display. Samsung hasnt released its final report, and its unclear what steps the company may take, if any, to fix the Galaxy Fold. But with seven weeks until the smartphones new release, the clock is ticking. By Maria Vasilyeva and Vladimir Soldatkin VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at a summit designed to show that Washington is not the only power able to set the agenda on Pyongyang's nuclear program. The two men will sit down together on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. The summit in Vladivostok - the first ever between Putin and Kim - provides Pyongyang with an opportunity to seek support from a new quarter, Russia, and possible relief from the sanctions hurting its economy. For the Kremlin, the summit is a chance to show it is a global diplomatic player, despite efforts by the United States and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding sanctions until the North dismantles its nuclear program, analysts said the summit was unlikely to produce any tangible help for Pyongyang, beyond a show of camaraderie. In an interview with Russian state television as his train made a stop off on the journey to Vladivostok, Kim said he was looking forward to useful talks. "I hope that we can discuss concrete questions about peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula, and our bilateral relations," he said through an interpreter. ARMORED TRAIN Kim Jong Un, making his first trip to Russia as North Korean leader, arrived at the train station in Vladivostok on Wednesday on board an armored train -- his preferred mode of international transport. After a brief delay while the train had to be repositioned to line up with the red carpet laid out on the platform, he disembarked and headed in a convoy of limousines and minivans across a bridge linking mainland Vladivostok to Russky island, the summit venue. Putin has yet to arrive in Vladivostok. Putin's last summit with a North Korean leader was in 2002 when his counterpart was Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, the Putin lieutenant who was then Russian president. There was heightened security around Vladivostok in preparation for the summit, with an unusually heavy police presence, especially at the university campus on Russky island where the talks will take place. Classes were still in progress on Wednesday but students were having their documents checked on the way in, and vehicles were no longer allowed to enter the campus. The Russian and North Korean flags fluttered from lamp-posts around the university. (Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Gareth Jones) Khartoum (AFP) - Tens of thousands of protesters converged from all directions on Sudan's army headquarters Thursday after calls for a "million-strong" demonstration to demand the ruling military council cede power. The day after three council members resigned following talks with protest organisers, demonstrators flocked towards the central Khartoum site Thursday evening, beating drums and singing revolutionary songs, said an AFP journalist at the scene. "We want the military council out. We want a civilian government," said protester Adam Ahmed, a medical student. The rally came after Sudan's new military rulers and protest leaders agreed to set up a joint committee, to chart the way forward two weeks after the ouster of veteran president Omar al-Bashir. The Alliance for Freedom and Change, an umbrella group leading the protests, had called for a million-strong march to "continue to protect our revolution and to ensure that all our demands are achieved". Many of those rallying chanted "Blood for blood! We will not accept compensation!", demanding punishment for officials responsible for killings during Bashir's iron-fisted, three-decade rule. "All those responsible for the conflicts in Sudan should be tried and brought to justice," said protester Ismail Jadallah. Also at the protest were dozens of judges, dressed in their robes, who had marched from the constitutional court, an AFP photographer said. "We are here to give a message that the judiciary should be independent without any political intervention," a judge told journalists. But protesters expressed anger at the judges when they arrived at the demonstration, an AFP photographer said. "Leave, Leave!" protesters shouted, blaming the judges for pro-regime verdicts during Bashir's rule. An AFP photographer in downtown Khartoum said crowds of protesters had gathered earlier outside Egypt's embassy and consulate, which were surrounded by riot police. Story continues Several people held banners calling on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi not to "interfere in our affairs", after Cairo hosted a summit of African leaders who said more time was needed for a transition to civilian rule in Sudan. Across the city, demonstrators arrived at the army headquarters from the states of Jazeera, White Nile and also from Bashir's hometown Shendi, boosting the ranks of those already camped at the site, many of them for the past several weeks. The giant rally followed a late-night meeting between the military council and leaders of the protest movement's umbrella group. "We have an agreement on most demands presented in the document of the Alliance for Freedom and Change," Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman of the military council, told reporters afterwards. He did not elaborate on the key demand of handing power to a civilian government, but said there "were no big disputes". The Sudanese Professionals Association, which initially spearheaded months of protests against Bashir, described the meeting as a step towards "confidence-building". "Both sides agreed on the importance of joint cooperation to steer the country towards peace and stability," the SPA said Thursday. Writing on Twitter, the association said a "joint committee" was being set up to "discuss outstanding disputes" as part of efforts to reach a "comprehensive agreement". - 'Middle path' - On Thursday, activist Ahmed Najdi said he was expecting "a joint military-civilian sovereign council, which I think is the middle path and most protesters would agree to that". He said he would participate in the demonstration throughout the night. "More crowds are expected in the evening. We will continue our sit-in through the night, tomorrow and up until we achieve our demands," Najdi told AFP. Wednesday's meeting was followed by the military council announcing three members of the ruling body had stepped down after demands from protesters. The United States has backed protesters' demands. State Department official Makila James said Tuesday that Washington supports "the legitimate demand of the people of Sudan for a civilian-led government" and urged all parties to work together to that end. Siddiq Farouk, a protest leader, said demonstrators were preparing for a general strike if the military council continues to refuse to hand over power. The council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since his predecessor quit after barely 24 hours in the post, says it has assumed power for a two-year transitional period. Protestors have flocked to Khartoum from across the country, including on a packed train Tuesday which rolled in from Atbara, where protests began on December 19 against a decision by Bashir's government to triple bread prices. They swiftly turned into nationwide rallies against his rule and that of the military council that took his place. Protester Hayam Kamal said she had returned from the Gulf to take part in the protest. "I have been living in Saudi Arabia all my life," she told AFP. "I returned to call for our freedom and better living conditions so that I can come back and live here." By Khalid Abdelaziz KHARTOUM (Reuters) - A huge crowd massed outside Sudan's Defense Ministry on Thursday to demand civilian rule, a Reuters witness said, challenging the Transitional Military Council that removed President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month to cede power. They were responding to a call by the Sudanese Professionals' Association (SPA), the main organizer of protests including a sit-in outside the Defense Ministry compound that began on April 6, for a million people to join the march. A Reuters reporter estimated the crowd to number hundreds of thousands. Earlier, about 100 Sudanese judges demanding civilian rule had walked from the Supreme Court in Khartoum towards the sit-in, joining anti-government protests for the first time, a Reuters witness said. Wearing their black robes, some of the judges carried signs reading "judges for change" as they marched through central Khartoum to the Defense Ministry, the witness said. "Civilian, civilian, protected by the judiciary", they chanted. Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the opposition have been at loggerheads over how long it will take to move to civilian rule after the military ousted Bashir on April 11 following months of protests against his 30-year rule. The military then established the TMC to run Sudan for a period of up to two years. Thursday's march was the first by judges in Sudan since before Bashir took power in an Islamist-backed military coup in 1989. "We demand reform of the judiciary until justice prevails and corruption is prosecuted," appeals judge Abu al-Fattah Mohamed Othman told Reuters. "We demand the removal of symbols of the former regime from the judiciary and the dismissal of the head of the judiciary to achieve justice." Shortly after the judges' march began, the TMC announced it would retain "sovereign authority only", while civilians would hold the post of prime minister and head all government ministries. "The Transitional Military Council has the sovereign authority only, while the head of the cabinet, the civilian government and all the executive authority will be completely civilian," TMC spokesman Shams El Din Kabbashi told al Arabiya television. RAPID HANDOVER OF POWER The opposition has demanded a rapid handover of power to civilians. The sit-in outside the Defense Ministry, which began five days before Bashir's removal, has continued as protest leaders press for faster and deeper change. On Wednesday evening, the opposition and the TMC agreed to form a committee to resolve their differences. Three TMC members resigned, the TMC said late on Wednesday, but their resignations are yet to be accepted. The members were Lieutenant-General Omar Zain al-Abideen, head of the political committee, Lieutenant-General Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh and Lieutenant-General Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel. One of the SPA's demands was that the three lieutenant-generals be dismissed and tried over their alleged role in a crackdown that killed dozens of protesters. The SPA has insisted a civilian ruling council with representation for the military should take over. Dozens of protesters gathered outside Egypt's embassy in Khartoum to demand President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi not interfere in Sudan, footage aired by Al Jazeera Mubasher showed. "Tell Sisi this is Sudan, your borders are just (until) Aswan", they chanted. At a Cairo meeting led by Sisi on Tuesday, African leaders agreed to give the TMC three months to implement democratic reforms, extending a 15-day deadline set by the African Union last week. Sisi holds the rotating African Union presidency. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Yousef Saba; Editing by Catherine Evans) Khartoum (AFP) - Three members of Sudan's ruling military council resigned Wednesday after it said it reached "agreement on most demands" with protest leaders who have called for a million-strong march to demand a civilian government. The 10-member military council had invited the protest leaders for a meeting after the leaders suspended talks with the army rulers on Sunday. "We have an agreement on most demands presented in the document of the Alliance for Freedom and Change," Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman of the ruling military council, told reporters after the meeting between the council and leaders of the umbrella group leading the protest movement. He did not elaborate on the key demand of handing power to a civilian government, but said there "were no big disputes". One of the protest leaders who attended the meeting, Ahmed al-Rabia, said the two sides had also agreed to form a joint committee, but did not elaborate for what. Minutes later in a separate statement the military council announced that three members of the ruling body had resigned. They were Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Abdin, Lieutenant General Jalaluddin Al-Sheikh and Lieutenant General Al-Tayieb Babikir. Wednesday's late night developments came as Siddiq Farouk, one of the leaders of the protests, told reporters that the demonstrators were "preparing for a general strike" if the ruling military council refuses to hand power to a civilian administration. He also said that a "million-strong march" is planned, confirming a call for the mammoth protest Thursday by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the group that initially launched protests against longtime leader Omar al-Bashir in December. For the first time, Sudanese judges said they would join an ongoing sit-in outside army headquarters "to support change and for an independent judiciary". The demonstrations initially began in the central town of Atbara on December 19 against a decision by Bashir's government to triple bread prices. Story continues They swiftly turned into nationwide rallies against his rule and that of the military council that took his place. - 'We demand civil rule' - The council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since his predecessor quit after barely 24 hours in the post, says it has assumed power for a two-year transitional period. Hundreds of protesters came from the central town of Madani to join the sit-in on Wednesday, the second major batch of new arrivals from outside the capital in as many days. A train laden with demonstrators had rolled in from Atbara -- the crucible of the protests -- on Tuesday. "Revolutionaries from Madani want civilian rule," the latest arrivals chanted, according to witnesses. The protesters suspended earlier talks with the council Sunday over its refusal to transfer power immediately. But the military council invited the protesters to fresh talks Wednesday, acknowledging their role in "initiating the revolution and leading the movement in a peaceful way until the toppling of the regime" of Bashir. - 'Ready to talk' - Earlier in a press conference, senior opposition figure Omar el-Digeir said protest leaders were prepared to meet directly with Burhan. "We are ready to talk with the chief of the military council and I think the issue can be solved through dialogue," he told reporters. Thousands have camped outside the military headquarters in central Khartoum since before Bashir was deposed, and have vowed not to leave the area until their demands have been met. Late Wednesday, crowds of protesters carrying Sudanese flags marched through the protest site outside the army headquarters, an AFP correspondent reported. "Fall or not, we are staying," the protesters chanted. Protester Ayman Ali Mohamed said he was planning to join Thursday's march. "We fear that the military council might steal our revolution, so we have to participate until the transfer to civilian rule is accomplished," he said. "We are standing our ground no matter what." The protesters have found support in Washington, which has backed their call for civilian rule. "We support the legitimate demand of the people of Sudan for a civilian-led government, and we are here to urge and to encourage parties to work together to advance that agenda as soon as possible," State Department official Makila James told AFP on Tuesday. On Tuesday several African leaders, who had gathered in Cairo at the behest of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, insisted on "the need for more time" for a transition, according to Sisi's office. The leaders urged the African Union to extend by three months an end-of-April deadline for the council to hand power to a civilian body. President Donald Trump's goal of cutting Iran's oil exports to zero may spark another round of gasoline price increases, analysts say. Washington is tightening sanctions just as seasonal demand for gasoline demand picks up. The decision could lead to a "more painful summer at the pump" for Americans. President Donald Trump 's goal of bringing Iran to its knees threatens to exact a heavy toll on American drivers this summer, fuel analysts warn. The White House surprised the oil market on Monday, announcing new measures aimed at driving Iran's crude exports to zero in just over a week. The sudden policy shift comes on the heels of nine straight weeks of rising U.S. gasoline prices and at the outset of the annual uptick in gasoline demand. The national average for regular gasoline has finally paused at $2.84 a gallon, following the roughly two-month rally, according to fuel price technology firm GasBuddy. While prices continued to bubble higher in most states last week, the pace of has finally slowed. But the Trump administration's shock decision to end all sanctions waivers for Iran's oil buyers may cause another round of gas price increases, creating a "more painful summer at the pump," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. Gas prices across the US, source: GasBuddy The Trump administration is relying on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other OPEC members to hike output and prevent a price spike. But analysts say the producers are fearful of sparking a repeat of last year's oil price crash, and will likely proceed with caution rather than open the taps. "With such a policy move, if OPEC fails to increase output to offset the likely drop from an end to Iran waivers, expect oil prices to continue to surge. This will cost Americans billions if the Administration enforces the end to waivers," DeHaan said. Oil prices, which account for more than half of the cost of gasoline, have already surged more than 3% to nearly six-month highs since Trump announced the decision. The move now threatens to push prices at the pump past key psychological levels and ding drivers in the pocketbook. Story continues "U.S. consumers could be staring down a $3 per gallon national average now, at least for a time as we get into the start of the summer driving season. That's going to hit consumer confidence," John Kilduff, partner at energy hedge fund Again Capital told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. Consumers may not feel that pinch immediately because wages are rising, said Savita Subramanian, head of U.S. equity and quantitative strategy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. But with California's gas prices hovering above $4 a gallon, "we're getting to a point where this could turn ugly." Ahead of a contentious 2020 presidential election, the pain at the pump is starting to spread beyond blue states, according to Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at Oil Price Information Service. "There's probably a half dozen states that the president needs to carry in the next election which are going to go above $3 a gallon in this driving season," he told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Monday. Kloza said the timing of the Iran policy shift was "very inelegant to say the least." Gas prices are already lofty because of refinery outages, and refineries will soon hike crude oil processing by 1 million-1.5 million barrels per day to meet summer gas demand. On top of that, U.S. oil production is still being held back by a shortage of pipelines in the Permian Basin, the epicenter of the U.S. drilling renaissance. Those bottlenecks won't clear until the second half of the year. "All of this is happening with near chaos in Libya, trouble in Nigeria and total chaos in Venezuela," Kloza said. "We had some time. Probably if this happened five months from now we'd be in a lot better shape because the U.S. will be producing another million barrels a day of crude." More From CNBC COLOMBO (Reuters) - The United States had no prior knowledge of the Easter Sunday suicide bombing attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, but now believes there is ongoing terrorism plotting in the country, Washington's ambassador to Colombo said on Wednesday. "We had no prior knowledge of these attacks," Ambassador Alaina Teplitz told reporters in Colombo. "We believe there are ongoing terrorist plots. Terrorists can strike without warning. Typical venues are large gatherings, public spaces." (Reporting by Joe Brock; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Darren Schuettler) Britain's National Security Council agreed to let Huawei provide "non-core" technology for 5G, several media outlets reported Wednesday. A U.K. decision to allow Huawei to build parts of the country's new networks could set up a clash with key allies like the U.S. and Australia. A U.K. government report published last month found Huawei's telecommunications equipment raises "significant" security issues but stopped short of recommending a full ban of the company's gear. The U.K. government will reportedly allow Huawei to build out parts of its 5G wireless networks, defying U.S. demands for a blanket ban on the Chinese tech giant. Citing unnamed sources, The Daily Telegraph first reported that Britain's National Security Council agreed on Tuesday to let Huawei provide "non-core" technology, like antennas, to the country's mobile operators for the next-generation networks. The U.K. will not allow the Chinese firm to provide "core" technology, which includes software and other equipment that link primary internet connections, several media outlets reported. In a statement to CNBC on Wednesday, a U.K. government spokesperson said, "National Security Council discussions are confidential. Decisions from those meetings are made and announced at the appropriate time through the established processes." "As part of our plans to provide world class digital connectivity, including 5G, we are conducting an evidence based review of the supply chain to ensure a diverse and secure supply base, now and into the future. This is a thorough review into a complex area and will report with its conclusions in due course," the statement continued. A U.K. decision to allow Huawei to build parts of the country's new networks could set up a clash with key allies like the U.S. and Australia that have outright banned the company's 5G equipment, citing concerns it could provide a backdoor for Chinese espionage. Story continues Huawei has repeatedly denied that it would engage in any form of spying or provide data to the Chinese government. Experts have been skeptical about Huawei's assurances that it isn't a security risk, pointing to Chinese laws that allegedly mean every domestic company is legally mandated to assist the country in intelligence gathering if Beijing requests it. Huawei welcomed the media reports in a statement Wednesday saying, "While we await a formal government announcement, we are pleased that the U.K. is continuing to take an evidence-based approach to its work and we will continue to work cooperatively with the government, and the industry." 5G is designed to bring faster speeds and lower lag times than previous wireless networks like 4G and 3G. It has been touted as a game-changer for industries like driverless cars or remote surgery that require quick, reliable internet connections. Huawei is the world's largest provider of telecommunications equipment, followed by and Finland's Nokia NOKIA-FI and Sweden's Ericsson ERIC.B-SE . While Australia, Japan and the U.S. have barred Huawei from providing 5G equipment, European countries have taken a more cautious approach . A U.K. government report published last month found Huawei's telecommunications equipment raises "significant" security issues but stopped short of recommending a full ban of the company's gear. The report primarily blamed poor software engineering and a lack of "cybersecurity hygiene" for security concerns, rather than defects directly related to Chinese state interference. News of the U.K.'s decision on Wednesday was met with opposition from some British leaders. Tom Tugendhat, chair of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a tweet "there's a reason others have said no" to Huawei. Tweet The U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand are part of an intelligence alliance called the "Five Eyes." Officials from each of the countries participated in a cybersecurity conference in Glasgow, Scotland on Wednesday. More From CNBC The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution condemning sexual violence in warfare, but only after language on a womans right to reproductive health was removed to avert a veto by the anti-abortion Trump administration. The German-sponsored resolution expresses deep concern at the full range of threats and human rights violations and abuses experienced by women and girls in armed conflict and post-conflict situations. It passed Tuesday with 13 votes in favor and abstentions by Russia and China. Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. has grown increasingly hostile toward resolutions at the UN General Assembly promoting sexual and reproductive health. The U.S. says such language gives implicit backing for abortion. We are extremely surprised that some states asked to withdraw sexual and reproductive health rights from the resolution text, said Francois Delattre, Frances ambassador to the world body. This kind of omission is unacceptable and undermines the dignity of women. U.S. Ambassador Jonathan Cohen, speaking at the Security Council, said America is committed to aiding victims of sexual violence, supporting early warning systems to help prevent it and holding perpetrators responsible. The United States is resolute in its recognition that conflict-related sexual violence is a matter of international peace and security that demands collective action to promote prevention, hold perpetrators accountable, and support survivors, Cohen said. He didnt address the reproductive rights clause. European ambassadors lamented the removal of the disputed language even as they lauded passage of a resolution intended to fight the rape of women and girls during wars. Among speakers urging action against sexual violence in emotionally charged speeches were Nobel Peace Laureates Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. Story continues The resolution calls for commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions as mechanisms to verify and investigate allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights law. Clooney, who represents Murad, a Yazidi refugee, called on the council to bring Islamic State perpetrators of rape to justice, telling diplomats this was their Nuremberg moment. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the world body is prioritizing the fight against sexual violence. Sexual violence continues to be a horrific feature of conflicts around the world, Guterres said. Washington (AFP) - The US envoy negotiating with the Taliban voiced regret Thursday over findings that US-backed forces were killing more civilians than the militants, and said the solution was a peace deal. A UN report released Wednesday found that international and pro-government forces were responsible for the deaths of 305 civilians in the first three months of the year -- the first time they were behind more killings than the Taliban since the US-led coalition toppled the extremists' regime in 2001. "We deeply regret any loss of innocent life during military operations. We never target innocents," said Zalmay Khalilzad, the US negotiator who is set shortly to resume talks with the Taliban in Qatar on ending the war. "War is treacherous, and unintended consequences are devastating. While we strive to prevent casualties, real solution is a ceasefire or reduced violence as we pursue lasting peace," he tweeted. Khalilzad appealed to the Taliban and other Afghans to "work to make this the year of peace." He struck a different tone than the spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, Colonel Dave Butler, who said the United States pursued "the highest standards of accuracy and accountability" and that troops "reserve the right of self-defense." President Donald Trump is eager to find a negotiated way to pull out troops and end the longest-ever US war. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, with whom the Taliban refuse to negotiate, has called for next week a "loya jirga," a traditional gathering of all the country's communities, although it is unclear how broad the attendance will be. Celebrations are in order for Vietnamese inmate Doan Thi Huong, who is set to be released from Kajang Womens Prison, just outside of Malaysia capital Kuala Lumpur, at 9am May 3. Having been initially on the hook for murdering the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 using VX nerve agent along with her Indonesian accomplice, Siti Aisyah, her impending release is positive news for Doan, the only figure charged and convicted in the assassination. Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong was filmed practicing at the airport two days before the incident Having plead guilty to a lesser charge of causing voluntary hurt by a Shah Alam High Court, and she served a total of three year and four months in jail, dating back from the time of her arrest. So, shorter than the time Remy Ma spent in the clink, but more than Gucci Mane. Doan is expected to board a flight home to Vietnam on the day of her release, with her lawyer telling media that she has an evening flight booked on Vietnam Airlines. Unfortunately, Doans fate seemed to be less gilded than her Indonesian cohort, who after two years in legal limbo, was been set free by a Malaysian court in March. Indonesian Siti Aisyah waves after a press conference in Jakarta on March 11, 2019. Shock and delight rippled through the Indonesian town of Sindangsari on March 11 as residents got word that a local woman accused of assassinating the North Korean leaders half-brother had been freed. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP) All murder charges pending against Indonesian national Siti Aisyah were dropped, without an acquittal, after prosecutors decided to withdraw their case. She had pleaded not guilty to the accusations. No reason was given for the swift turn of events. Both women claimed that they were told they were participating in a prank game show when in actuality, they were the cogs in an international assassination. Investigators have long believed that four North Korean agents were the masterminds of the hit; however, none were ever arrested or brought to trial in the case. Safe travels, Doan. Stay away from bizarre-sounding game shows. This article, Vietnamese woman charged in Kim Jong-nam assassination to be released next week, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! Woman survives shark bite in Hawaii while kayaking with husband originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Kimberly Bishop and her husband were kayaking at one of their favorite spots, Anaeho'omalu Bay, just like they had been since they first started coming to the Big Island of Hawaii in 1984. The two part-time Hawaii residents, who also call Glendale, California, home, have "never seen a shark at A Bay," Bishop told ABC News affiliate KITV. "We've seen dolphins and a whale, but not sharks." She told KITV a shark hit the side of the couple's kayak, tipped it over, then "chomped into my leg." (MORE: 19-year-old surfer gets 50 stitches after shark attacks him off California coast) "She started yelling, 'Shark! Shark!'" Bishop's husband, Kim, told KITV. "I turned and saw she was capsizing. She fell and tried to put her body across the kayak, but I could see the fins behind her. They were right behind her!" Kimberly Bishop and her husband were kayaking at one of their favorite spots, Anaeho'omalu Bay, when she was attacked and bitten by a shark. (KITV) "It wasn't a reef shark, and it especially was not just a five-foot shark," he said, adding it was "very big." After the attack, people paddling a canoe nearby helped her get to shore. She was airlifted to the North Hawaii Community Hospital with a significant leg injury. (MORE: Teen 'tackled' by great white shark in Southern California at first thought it was friend 'trying to mess with me') "It is a curved bite mark above and below the knee that is 12 to 13 inches in diameter," her husband said. Kimberly Bishop and her husband were kayaking at one of their favorite spots, Anaeho'omalu Bay, when she was attacked and bitten by a shark. (KITV) Her doctors were able to close the wound with stitches and staples, the couple told KITV. (MORE: California 13-year-old who survived shark attack says he can't wait to 'get back out there') "I was very lucky," she said. "I can walk on my leg, and it has feeling in it. The bite didn't hit any arteries, or nerves." The Department of Land & Natural Resources, which tracks shark bites, is still investigating to determine the species and size of the shark. There was a shark attack at the same beach just a month ago, KITV reports. Bishop told ABC News affiliate KITV she and her husband got engaged on that very beach 35 years ago. Even with those good memories, she shared a word of caution for anyone venturing to the ocean: "Never head out on the water alone." Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. We trust our doctors and expect them to know how to optimally treat our maladies to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, though, the huge pressure medical experts are exposed to prevents them from providing the best possible care to their patients. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter That being the case, many patients receive substandard care that lacks the personal touch necessary for proper healing. In the worst-case scenario, the patient finds themselves suffering from malpractice. Medical consultation 1. Only 10 minutes per patient Currently, patients are allotted ten minutes for an appointment with their family physician. There are multiple tasks that the doctor must accomplish in this short amount of time. In addition, the doctor also must fill out various forms of paperwork and issue prescriptions. Ten minutes is simply not enough time for him to carry out his work properly. 2. Unnecessary emergency room referrals Due to the pressure doctors face, often they send patients to the emergency room needlessly. There, the patient must wait in a crowded waiting room for, what is generally, a long amount of time, all while being exposed to dangerous bacterial infections due to the environment. According to a Health Ministry report, the ratio of hospital beds is 1.78 per thousand, a three-decade low. The lack of hospital beds in emergency rooms increases overcrowding in the hospital wards and increases the danger of exposure to dangerous viral and bacterial infections. 3. Doctors lacking adequate family health skills A 2018 study by the Health Ministry showed that 44% of doctors at neighborhood health clinics lack training in the field of family health and only have general healthcare skills. Such doctors have not undergone a four-year internship in comprehensive family health including internal medicine, emergency care and pediatrics. 4. Deficient specialization for specific sectors Some sectors of the population, the elderly, infants and children, visit the doctor more than others. Ideally, doctors specialize in family medicine for specific age groups. Doctors without the proper training should not be engaged in geriatrics of pediatrics. 5. Treatment based primarily on economic considerations Often, a doctor recommends a specific treatment that requires the approval of a senior doctor. At times, the treatment is not approved due to its high cost and the patient is referred to a cheaper, but less effective, treatment. A patient in such a situation should seek a second opinion from another medical expert. 6. Long waits for urgent diagnostic tests Due to a lack in manpower or equipment, patients are often given appointments weeks, or even months, later than would be optimal. For example, waiting too long for a MRI or CT scan can result in discovering a problem too late for the treatment to be successful, or lessen its chance for success, endangering patients' lives. Stress, burnout 7. Doctors suffering from burnout The doctor-patient ration in Israel has been declining steadily in recent years. The doctors that are working are subject to immense stress and it has a detrimental effect on their physical and mental health. 8. Lack of proper medical documentation Medical documentation is crucial for follow-up medical care and monitoring a patient's condition. A patient doesnt know whether the doctor is writing down all the necessary information that can help shed light on their condition at a later date, which can lead to malpractice or redundancies. 9. Lack of understanding consent forms When asked to sign a form, many patients assume that it merely a bureaucratic procedure and rarely go through the effort of reading what it is they are signing. But they could be ignoring certain risks inherent in a procedure that they know little about. Patients need to understand exactly what it is they are signing. 10. Online chat with doctors Some Health Maintenance Organizations allow for clients to chat with a doctor online without going through the hassle of leaving the house and waiting in line. While for many people this may be quite convenient, it entails certain risks. Without ever having seen the patient, it is difficult for a doctor to really diagnose their problem and provide the right care. Quality medical care can only take place in the physical presence of a medical expert knowledgeable in the specific field relating to the patient's complaint. Attorney Amikam Harlap is an expert on tort claims, medical malpractice, accidents and insurance at Amikam Harlap & Partners. Although it seems that the task of forming a government coalition is a complicated puzzle, in fact, not much has changed and the election results dictate that portfolios will be distributed more or less on a sectarian basis so that each party can have something to show its electoral base. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Even if ministers is keen on serving all sectors of Israeli society, most likely they will be obliged to cater primarily to their niche voters, or risk political consequences. Controversial candidate for Justice Minister Yariv Levin, flanked by Regev and Bitan Liebermna (Photo: Ohad Z) Yahadut Hatorah, with its eight Knesset seats, will return to the Finance Committee and Health Ministry. Their party Chairman Yaakov Litzman was once a highly popular minister of health (passing legislation for child dental care), but later became trapped in internal sectarian matters of the ultra-Orthodox populace. The party will undoubtedly also seek deputy ministerial positions in the education and housing ministries. Litzman (C), Gafni (L) and Porush A strengthened Shas Party will continue to be at the helm of the Interior Ministry and will probably seek expanded powers in matters related to planning and businesses operating on Shabbat. They will also seek the Religious Affairs Ministry and posts responsible for the periphery, finance and education departments. Interior Ministry Deri The Union of Right-wing Parties is seeking the Justice Ministry, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems determined to give it to his fellow party member Yariv Levin. They might have to suffice with the Housing Ministry, vital for approval of construction projects in West Bank settlements and Jerusalem. Although Netanyahu already promised that the Education Ministry will be manned by a Likud MK, he will have trouble following through and that post will probably go to Rafi Peretz, as the religious Zionist community highly values the post. And thus, there is nothing new under the sun. If there are no last-minute surprises and once the smoke clears from the internal Likud squabbling over portfolios, we will once again find a government whose ministers are mainly concerned with sectarian issues at the expense of the nation as a whole. In his election victory speech, Netanyahu pledged to be the prime minister of all citizens. The same must be true for ministers. This does not go to say that a politician should not have their own world view or that he or she should abandon their base voters, but they must be ready to represent even minority sectors. In a democracy, the majority ought to protect the rights of the minority. A few decades ago, we, members of the Herut Party, and earlier, in the Revisionist movement, were a minority persecuted by the majority ruling class. "It is folly to identify majority rule as the essence of freedom and democracy," wrote Ze'ev Jabotinsky, "In an ideal state, there ought to be an acceptable compromise between the majority and the minority as a permanent practice." Netanyahu won a resounding victory, but he is trapped in a situation which leaves him very little choice: he must satisfy his partners in order to form a coalition, or he will be left without a government. In order to escape the model in which ministers cater almost exclusively to their electoral base, Netanyahu should forma coalition with the Blue and White Party, or with elements of it, for the benefit of the nation. Although this might seem like an unrealistic option at this point, "never say never" is a good rule to follow in politics. Perhaps the option is still on the table. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at a summit designed to show that Washington is not the only power able to set the agenda on Pyongyang's nuclear program. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The two men embarked on a day of talks on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with US President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. Putin and Kim, in their first ever face-to-face encounter, smiled broadly and shook hands outside the summit venue, a university campus, then sat down in a conference room to exchange greetings in front of the television cameras. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (Photo: AP) Putin said he hoped Kim's visit would "help us better understand by what means we can reach a settlement on the Korean peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes now underway." "Without question we welcome your efforts to develop dialogue between the Koreas, and to normalize North Korean-US relations," Putin said. Kim, who had arrived in Vladivostok a day earlier on board his armoured train, told Putin the meeting would help strengthen and develop ties between Russia and North Korea, which share a long history of friendship. As world attention is focused on the Korean Peninsula, there will be very meaningful dialogue for us to jointly assess the Korean peninsula policies and share, coordinate and study our views, Kim said. The summit in Vladivostok provides Pyongyang with an opportunity to seek support from a new quarter, Russia, and possible relief from the sanctions hurting its economy. Kim and Putin shake hands (Photo: AFP) For the Kremlin, the summit is a chance to show it is a global diplomatic player, despite efforts by the United States and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding sanctions until the North dismantles its nuclear program, analysts said the summit was unlikely to produce any tangible help for Pyongyang, beyond a show of camaraderie. Putin has a track record of making world leaders wait for him, but on Wednesday the Russian leader arrived at the venue around half an hour before Kim showed up, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene. Putin's last summit with a North Korean leader was in 2002 when his counterpart was Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, the Putin lieutenant who was then Russian president. There was heightened security around Vladivostok in preparation for the summit, with an unusually heavy police presence, especially at the university campus on Russky island where the talks were taking place. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif does not believe US President Donald Trump wants war with Iran, but he told Reuters on Wednesday that Trump could be lured into a conflict. "I don't think he wants war," Zarif said in an interview at the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York. "But that doesn't exclude him being basically lured into one." Zarif said a so-called "B-team," including Trump's national security adviser John Bolton, an ardent Iran hawk, and conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could goad Trump into a conflict with Tehran. The Counter-Terrorism Bureau in Israel on Thursday raised its travel warning for Sri Lanka to level 2, indicating an immediate threat. The decision comes in light of a series of terror attacks on the Indian Ocean island that killed at least 359 people. Israels Counter-Terrorism Bureau on Thursday raised its travel warning for Sri Lanka to Level 2, indicating an immediate threat. The decision comes in light of Easter Sunday terror attacks on the Indian Ocean island that killed at least 359 people and wounded 500 others. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter "In the wake of a deteriorating security situation which might lead to further attacks in the near future, we call upon the Israelis to refrain from traveling to the country, and those already residing in its territory should leave immediately," the bureau said in a statement. Islamic State on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings, which targeted three churches and three luxury hotels. Sri Lanakan soldier stands guard outside St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo on April 25, 2019 The bureau also asked Israelis currently in Sri Lanka not to approach the sites of the bombings as well as churches that had been targeted, follow the instructions of the local security forces and avoid crowded places that lack security. "Additional explosive devices have already been located and there are fears of additional terrorist attacks, said the statement. The Prime Minister's Office said the travel warning will be reexamined once the security situation in the country stabilizes. Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry has confirmed 36 foreigners died in the blasts. The remains of 13 have been repatriated. Fourteen foreigners are unaccounted for, and 12 were still being treated for injuries in hospitals of Sri Lanka's capital of Colombo. On Thursday, Colombo still remained jittery as authorities set off controlled detonations of suspicious items, soldiers stopped and searched vehicles and some businesses advised staff to stay indoors. Police at the scene of one of the bombings (Photo: AFP) John Keells Holdings, the parent company of the Cinnamon Grand hotel, one of the sites stricken in the Easter Sunday bombings, told employees at its various hotel properties to stay inside until at least 2pm "further to the communications we have received" in an email. It was not immediately clear where the warning originated, and a police spokesman did not respond to several calls and messages. The streets around Dematagoda, a wealthy Colombo neighborhood where officials say many of the bombing suspects lived, were quiet Thursday. Investigators continued to comb through a mansion with nine front balconies where investigators said suspects detonated a ninth bomb on Sunday that killed three police officers who were pursuing them. A white BMW was parked outside a garage partially blown out in the blast. Funeral of the victims killed in Sri Lanka terror attacks (Photo: Reuters) Sri Lanka's civil aviation authority also banned drones and unmanned aircraft "in view of the existing security situation in the country," according to a statement. Hobby drones have been used by militants in the past to carry explosives. Iraqi forces found them difficult to shoot down while driving out the Islamic State group, whose members loaded drones with grenades or simple explosives to target government forces. And Yemen's Houthi rebels have used drones, most recently to target a military parade in January, killing troops. A top Sri Lankan official has said that many of the suicide bombers were highly educated and came from well-off families. Junior Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said at least one had a law degree and others may have studied in the UK and Australia. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said one of the bombers had been in the country on a student visa with a spouse and child before leaving in 2013. A British security official also confirmed one bomber is believed to have studied in the UK between 2006 and 2007. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kulanu Chairman Moshe Kahlon met Thursday at prime ministers home in Caesarea, as part of the coalition negotiations. The two agreed to meet again next week. Former Vice President Joe Biden formally joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday, betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obama's presidency will help him overcome questions about his place in today's increasingly liberal Democratic Party. He made his announcement in a video posted on Twitter. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Thursday's announcement marks the unofficial end of the chaotic early phase of the 2020 presidential season. The field now features at least 20 Democrats jockeying for the chance to take on President Donald Trump next year. Several lesser-known candidates may still join the race. Joe Biden announces 2020 presidential bid (: ' ) X Biden, a 76-year-old lifelong politician, becomes an instant front-runner alongside Jewish Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is leading many polls and has proved to be a successful fundraiser. Among Democrats, Biden has unmatched international and legislative experience, and he is among the best-known faces in US politics. But the anti-establishment wave that swept Trump into office has not been kind to either party's statesmen. Biden's team worries about his fundraising ability and his tendency to commit gaffes. His centrist approach in a party moving left on major policy debates raises questions about his appeal. Four years Trump's senior, Biden would be the oldest person ever elected president should he win. Yet his allies believe the skeptics will ultimately warm to his strong connections to the Obama years. Biden has said he would campaign as an "Obama-Biden Democrat," who is as pragmatic as he is progressive. He's aiming to be a conduit between working-class white voters and the younger, more diverse voters who backed Obama in historic numbers. The Republican Party wasted no time seeking to undercut Biden's record, releasing a video on Wednesday questioning economic growth under Obama and Biden while resurrecting conservative arguments against Obama's health care law and a failed investment in green energy company Solyndra. The video ends with the words, "Joe Biden: Backwards, not forwards." Biden speaks at AIPAC in 2016 (: AP) Yet privately, Trump allies have warned that Biden might be the biggest re-election threat given the former vice president's potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Trump a path to the presidency. The Republican video notably does not argue a Biden candidacy would lead to socialism, as Trump and his backers have said would happen with many in the large 2020 Democratic presidential field. Biden is paying special attention to Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. The former vice president will be in the state three times within the opening weeks of his campaign. He'll be in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast. Biden is aiming to raise $500,000 at the event. He will hold an event in Pittsburgh on Monday and will return to Philadelphia in the next two weeks for a major rally. His plans were described by people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss his schedule and fundraising goals. With a record that stretches half a century, Biden's challenges are easy to find. Most recently, he struggled to respond to claims that he touched 2014 Nevada lieutenant governor nominee Lucy Flores' shoulders and kissed the back of her head before a fall campaign event. A handful of other women have made similar claims, though none has alleged sexual misconduct. Biden initially said he didn't recall the Flores incident but credited her with coming forward. He took a different approach in a subsequent statement, saying, "Never did I believe I acted inappropriately." Biden was recently accused of alleged sexual misconduct (Photo: AP) Biden later pledged in an online video to be "much more mindful" of respecting personal space but joked two days later that he "had permission" to hug a male union leader before addressing the group's national conference. The episode offered a stark reminder of Biden's proclivity to gaffes and his long record in public office that has never felt the full glare of the spotlight that comes along with being a presidential front-runner. His first White House bid in 1988 ended after a plagiarism scandal. He dropped out of the 2008 race after earning less than 1 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses. Later that year, Obama named Biden as his running mate. More recently, Biden's willingness to work with Republicans has caused him political headaches. He was forced to walk back a comment last month that Vice President Mike Pence is "a decent guy" after intense blowback from liberal activists upset with Pence's opposition to gay rights. In recent weeks, Biden also has been repeatedly forced to explain his 1991 decision, as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, to allow Anita Hill to face difficult questions from an all-male panel about allegations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, who later was confirmed to the high court. Biden has since apologized for his role in the hearing. But in the #MeToo era, particularly after the contentious confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the episode remains a significant political liability. Likewise, Biden once played a key role in anti-crime legislation that had a disproportionately negative impact on African Americans. And while several 2020 Democratic contenders have embraced the possibility of reparations to African Americans for slavery in recent weeks, Biden last month struggled to explain comments he made as a freshman senator in 1975 about the school busing debate. Biden being honored by Barack Obama (: AP) Biden's 2020 bid comes four years after he opted against challenging Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic contest. In a book he wrote about conversations with his dying son, he opened up about the difficult choice to sit out the last presidential race: abandon a careerlong quest for the presidency or lose precious time with a family he'd held together through tragedy, from his first wife's and his daughter's deaths in a 1972 car accident to son Beau Biden's 2015 death from cancer. "He was worried that what I'd worked on my whole life, the things that mattered to me the most since I was a kid, that I'd walk away," Biden said of his son. Ultimately, the draw to take on Trump in 2020 was too strong. President Barack Obama is weighing in on Joe Biden's entry into the 2020 presidential race, saying through a spokeswoman that selecting Biden as his running mate in 2008 was "one of the best decisions he ever made." Obama did not endorse Biden, nor is he expected to endorse any candidate early in the Democratic primary. But the fact that he released a statement - something he has not done after any other candidate announcements - underscores his close personal bond with Biden. Adolf Hitlers final memo, dubbed by many as his suicide note is up for auction and might be worth a staggering $90,000. The letter is believed to be the only evidence of Nazi leaders refusal to leave the besieged city of Berlin in April 1945. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The telegraph message - thought to be written as the Russian Army was surrounding the German capital - was sent to Field Marshal Ferdinand Schorner (the last commander-in-chief of the German Army during the Nazi regime) on April 24, some four days after the dictators 56th birthday. I shall remain in Berlin, so as to take part, in honourable fashion, in the decisive battle for Germany, and to set a good example to all those remaining, Hitler wrote. I believe that in this way I shall be rendering Germany the best service. Hitler's 'suicide note' up for auction For the rest of you, every effort must be made to win the struggle for Berlin. You can there help decisively, by pushing northwards as early as possible. The president of the company thats auctioning the item, Bill Panagopulos of Alexander Historical Auctions in the United States, said: "This is essentially Hitler's suicide note In it, he tries to portray himself as a valiant leader of his men until the end, when in actuality he shuffled into his bedroom and fired a bullet into his head, Panagopulos added. Hitler and his partner, Eva Braun, in 1940 (Photo: Getty Images) The auction will also feature Schorners response letter, where hes pleading with the German dictator to leave his Berlin bunker and escape. I should like to ask you, at this grave hour, to leave Berlin and to assume command If you fell, Germany would also," he wrote. Panagopulos said Schorner's letter appears to be genuine since he was aware of being Hitlers favorite commander. He was a devoted underling, and most certainly wanted Hitler to get out of Berlin." Schorner managed to escape Germany and fled to Austria where he was captured by US troops, while Hitler and his partner, Eva Braun, committed suicide in the Nazi leaders bunker on April 30, 1945. At least 192 countries are expected to participate in the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, organizers said Thursday, while in Paris, the International Exhibition Bureau said Israel has been invited by the Gulf Arab emirate. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Israel's participation. "We are delighted to be part of this joint venture," they said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the invitation, saying it was "once again proof that Israel is on the rise in the Middle East and the world." VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed during their first summit Thursday that he is willing to give up his nuclear weapons -- but only if he gets an ironclad security guarantee first. The Russian president stressed that Moscow and Washington both want North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. But he said the security guarantees should be underwritten by multiple countries, hinting at an arrangement like the six-nation talks Russia participated in until their collapse in 2009. Putin added that Kim encouraged him to explain the nuances of Pyongyang's position to President Donald Trump. He said he's willing to share details of the summit with the American president. The IDF often participates in training exercises alongside foreign militaries, generally the Air Force or small, special units. Recently though, some 300 infantry troops travelled to Germany, with all of their weapons and equipment, to participate in an international military exercise; they were joined by a Ynet reporter. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The IDF leased a Boeing 747 to transport the troops and an additional 25 tons of weapons and combat gear, including canines, were also sent. Some 6,000 kosher ready to eat meals (MREs), meant to feed American Jewish troops stationed in Germany, were allocated to the Israeli soldiers, along with meat, chicken, fish, cheese and fresh fruits and vegetables, all kosher, which were acquired in Europe. Paratroops in Germany Night exercise The troops spent almost three weeks in Europe; the exercise itself lasted ten days and was held at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC), a WWII era Wermacht base currently occupied by US forces, in the southern German state of Bavaria. A German armored corps officer Aside from ammunition, which was supplied by the Americans, the troops brought practically everything along with them from Israel: sleeping bags, radio equipment, combat dogs and specialized equipment. A canine unit Upon landing in Munich airport, the troops went through a specially set-up customs and passport control, arranged by German authorities to ease the process, and were then transported to the training base by rented busses. Israelis in a German APC The troops were fed two meat meals a day in a kitchen supplied by the American forces that was made kosher by the military rabbinate. Refrigeration containers were rented and food pantries were also supplied by US forces. Because the elections took place while they were abroad, a team from the Israeli Consulate, headed by Orit Danon, made sure to bring polling booths for the soldiers to vote in the Knesset elections. A map of the terrain IDF in Germany Lt. Col. Zisman advised Maj. Gen. Kobi Barak, commander of the IDF Ground Forces, who came to observe the exercise, to make it an annual event. (True) there are associated logistics and transportation costs, but here the exercise is held with simulated fire without ammunition, which in Israel would have cost a lot of money. Here we get transported by helicopter and collaborate with tanks, all for free. According to Lewis, 95 percent of people say they think being an organ donor is a good thing, however only 58 percent of eligible people in the United States are registered donors. In the state of Nebraska, that number is just under 80 percent, so way to go Cornhuskers, Lewis added, reminding the audience that every donor can save up to nine peoples lives. Some choose not to register as an organ donor due to bad information, said Lewis, who dispelled the top three myths: 1. Its going to cost my family money. This is simply not true, Lewis explained, noting that all costs associated with transplant are the responsibility of the recipient, not the donor. 2. Im too old, or have something wrong with me that makes me ineligible to be a donor. Lewis explained that most people are eligible to give something, from skin to corneas, and that it should be left up to the experts to decide. He encouraged everyone to register, regardless of age or physical limitations. 3. I wont be able to have a normal funeral. In 98 percent of cases, there are no visible changes to the body of an organ donor and no change to the appearance, so this really shouldnt be a concern that limits participation in the registry, said Lewis. CITY OF Wakefield employees work together on Wednesday afternoon to hold back a surge of water from Sunday Lake in the area of Lakeshore Drive and Ascherman Avenue. City manager Bob Brown said sand bags helped the overflow to recede later in the day. By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] Wakefield - Sunday Lake and Little Black River overflowed their banks Wednesday, causing street closures and concerted work by City of Wakefield employees who tackled the issue at several locations in town. By mid-day, water on the south side of the lake had reached U.S. 2, although it did not pool on the highway. The area around the Krist Food Mart and gas station, however, became an extension of the lake, with that stretch of Lakeshore Drive and the southern end of Ascherman Avenue engulfed. "The lake is oversurged with water, so it's starting to come over the banks," said city manager Bob Brown in an afternoon phone call with the Globe. "The lake level is up dramatically between the rain we got and the snow melting and the water in the ground," he said, adding that the lake's dam is "flowing like a torrent." The city manager added that city workers made a "valiant effort" to drop sand bags in the area as a means of controlling the surge. "I think the guys did a great job," said Brown, who claimed that water then began receding quickly. City clerk Sue Ahonen said students from Wakefield-Marenisco K-12 School also helped with the effort. According to Brown, city workers also closed Eddy Street, as well as the area of Sunday Lake and Charles Street, on Wednesday morning. Brown said workers unplugged at least one storm water outlet, and said they had planned to leave the closures in place overnight until they can evaluate the related roads today. "As far as I know, no homes have been inundated," said Brown. In referring to the forecast of several dry days, he concluded, "If we don't get rain, I think we've seen the worst of it." Brown said the city, already on Monday, also had released "untreated, highly diluted, raw sewage" into the storm water system, which he said flows into Planters Creek. "There was no discharge into Sunday Lake this time," he said, referring to a previous discharge earlier in the spring. In a separate press release issued Wednesday morning, Brown stated that the discharge posed no health risk in relation to city drinking water or any other issue. He explained that the action was necessary "to prevent and lessen diluted, untreated sewage from backing up into basements." "The city is in the early process of developing a multi-year strategic plan to improve the capability, capacity, and reliability of our sanitary sewer system," stated Brown in the release. He concluded that the city "continues to coordinate with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Gogebic Health Department." LADD HONKALA checks the progress on his weld as he prepares for the 2019 U.P. Welding Skills Challenge on Friday held in the Jacobetti Complex on NMU. By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] IRONWOOD - High school welding students from Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties are competing in the 2019 U.P. Welding Skills Challenge held at Northern Michigan University on Friday. The competition gives the students a chance to "show their stuff" said Mike Lutz, welding instructor with the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District. Top welding students from across the U.P. will be required to interpret prints and fabricate an item using multiple processes, he said. Student's welds are judged according to weld preparation and the overall... One of the most important dates to be drawn into a property sales contract is the anticipated day the sellers are to vacate the premises and allow you to move into it or take possession as a landlord otherwise known as settlement day. However, the process can sometimes throw errors, causing a delay to occur, even despite both parties having already signed off on the agreed date the keys will be handed over. From the seller waiting on the bank to discharge their mortgage, and problems with paperwork, to the buyer discovering a problem in the final inspection of the property, and unforeseen life hurdles getting in the way the reasons for why settlement delays can occur are wide-ranging and often stress-inducing. It is especially stressful if you are a proactive investor who has lined up a tenant to move into the property, as the delay has the potential to impact the new renters. Fortunately, there are a few legal rights the buyer is disposed to if the seller delays settlement day, whilst of course, also keeping in mind that some problems cant be helped. There should exist a level of understanding from the buyer depending on what has caused the delay however, if a delayed settlement truly doesnt suit you, there is recourse available. The right course of action all depends on the state youre purchasing in but also keep in mind that settlement laws can change and its always best to team with a professional conveyancer or solicitor throughout the buying process. For the full story of how to manage the situation if the seller has delayed settlement, including a state-by-state guide to your legal rights, including proven strategies to get back in control of your financial future, read the complete feature article in the May 2019 edition of Your Investment Property magazine. On sale at news agencies and Coles supermarkets 11th April to 9th May or download the magazine now. Opinion / Guest Commentary / Our Readers Write: What were the authors of Senate Bill 50 and Senate Bill 330 thinking when they unilaterally decided to invalidate the rights of the voters of San Diego County when they drafted a bill that suspends San Diegos coastal 30-foot height limitation? These two bills call for new multi-family units to be built, depending upon their distance from a major transit site, to be a maximum of 45 to 55 feet in height. The bill further invalidates every local Coastal San Diego town council and zoning committee by suspending single-family zoning ordinances. SB 50 allows multi-family units to be built within single family residential-zoned areas that are within a quarter- to half-mile of a major transit stop. There is a reason that 40-some years ago San Diegans voted in the coastal 30-foot height limitation. Just look at the photograph of the mural within the La Jolla Post Office on Wall St. Look at the beauty of that mural and imagine the same mural if drawn in 10 years impacted by large residential apartment buildings. The voters knew what they were doing when they voted in the coastal 30 foot height restriction. They wanted to keep the San Diego coastline pure and not screw it up as most coastal cities have done. We are San Diego, we are not Miami Beach, not Honolulu, not Chicago, not Vancouver, not Monaco; just to name a few of world coastal cities whose beachfronts have been mucked up with towering buildings. San Diego is a West Coast beach town with a Midwest-feel and this is what separates us from Los Angeles and Bay Area cities. Many of us who live along the coast have lived here for decades and have worked with local agencies to make sure our single-family residential neighborhoods are separate from those sub-markets where multi-family units, retail strips and office buildings are permitted. Its not our desire to become another Houston where there is no zoning. The idea of the State de-legitimizing our 30-foot height restriction is ludicrous. Its a simple stealing of a past election. What if the State Senate was controlled by folks from Southern California where we live in a continuous water shortage? Would it be OK for these elected officials to unilaterally decide to dam Yosemite Valley? Of course not. We all know there is a housing shortage in California, but the State Senate should not be making decisions that make no sense and rescind longstanding rights. If the State feels there is a need to create additional middle- and low-income housing near public transit lines, the State always has the right to obtain land near public transit sites, by eminent domain, and go to the expense of building the needed structures. There is nothing stopping the State from floating bonds to cover the cost of said housing. Should these bills come to pass, there will be extra stress placed on our local infrastructures, i.e. streets, sewers, schools, police to name a few. We already know the roads in and out of La Jolla are overwhelmed and there is a parking issue. It seems presumptuous of these bill-writers to just assume local towns will cover these extra expenses. To create additional revenue to pay the cost of our infrastructure burden and, at the same time, generate additional homes for sale, fees that out-of-state owners of California residential real estate should be increased. Currently, many States charge out-of-state residential property owners a higher property tax than in-state residential owners pay. This is due to the fact that these out-of-state property owners pay very little state sales tax and no State income tax. California should consider a 1/2 percent surcharge, of the value of a residential unit owned by out-of-state property owners, with the added revenue going to the local community to cover infrastructure improvements. Something has to be done in regard to short-term rentals that allow absentee homeowners to retain ownership and thus depress the For Sale market. Simply make it illegal to rent out an unoccupied home for 60 days or less. This would be great for neighborhood stability and super for the hospitality industry. Concurrently, the local hotel room limit should be eliminated and replaced with the ability to convert existing retail or office properties in the commercial core of La Jolla into boutique hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, similar to what has been done in Carmel by the Sea. The Village of La Jolla has plenty of room in commercially zoned districts close to bus lines to allow the construction of multi-family residential thus eliminating the need for multi-family units to creep into residential neighborhoods. Additionally, there are enough buildings that, if rehabbed, and kept at a 30-foot limit, could generating a plethora of multi-family residential to satisfy the market with mixed-use housing units above retail in The Village core, on streets like Ivanhoe, Herschel, Girard, Fay and Pearl. We all know that if the two bills, as written, are approved residential neighborhoods along the San Diego coast will be destroyed and our unobstructed vista views obliterated. No low-income or middle- income families will occupy the multi-family buildings constructed as they will all be rented out to the wealthy, and eventually, sold off as high-priced condominiums. This fact is further reinforced in section 65918.51 subsection (B) further subsection (II) of SB 50, which states that residential projects of 10 or fewer units need to provide no low- or middle-income units and that residential projects of 11-20 units may pay an in-lieu fee to get around housing low- or middle-income families. Phil Wise is a long-time resident of Princess Street in La Jolla. Whats on YOUR mind? Letters published in La Jolla Light express views from readers in regard to community issues. To share your thoughts in this public forum, e-mail them with your name and city of residence to editor@lajollalight.com or mail them to La Jolla Light Editor, 565 Pearl St., Suite 300, La Jolla, CA 92037. Letters reflect the writers opinions and not necessarily those of the newspaper staff or publisher. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Opinion / Letters to the Editor / Our Readers Write: The following are Letters to the Editor from recent issues of La Jolla Light as La Jollans speak out on local issues. Letters published in La Jolla Light express views from readers in regard to community issues. To share your thoughts in this public forum, e-mail them with your name and city of residence to editor@lajollalight.com or mail them to La Jolla Light Editor, 565 Pearl St., Suite 300, La Jolla, CA 92037 Springtime at The Cove cliffs We had some nature photographer friends visit us recently from McKinney, Texas. They took some gorgeous photos of the Brandt Cormorants on the cliffs next to La Jolla Cove. I asked if I could submit them to the Light so readers could see them, too. Photographer Linda Pinkham happily agreed. Inga This one was on the edge and dancing for a mate ( Linda Pinkham ) A mom tending her eggs; we counted 3, but only 2 are obvious here. An Independent La Jolla will take people, money and lets-do-it votes As a response to the letter submitted by Paul Kennerson Independent La Jolla hinges on revenue, we at Independent La Jolla would like to correct a few factual errors therein. It references a 2002 public gathering on cityhood for La Jolla, where it states that the whole effort died aborning because no one and no group could seem to muster even the pittance it would take to fund a lawsuit to pursue the matter. Factually, no effort has died. What did occur in 2002 and has held true since Independent La Jolla began in the 1950s is that people were not interested in forming a City via a lawsuit. A lawsuit and the Special Reorganization process are two completely different roads to take. At another point, the letter states: The Wilson-era statute authorizing secession made it virtually (and, as it turns out, actually) impossible to separate. This is completely untrue. This process occurs via public ballot and is managed by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), a Sacramento-based taxpayer-funded government entity. Its entire role is managing Special Reorganizations and Special Districts. The A-Z cost via LAFCO is roughly $1.8 million for one ballot. Many new cities are passed by voters on a second ballot. The $1.8 million does not need to be fully re-spent, as some costs carry over. A lawsuit gives another choice, but not one that Independent La Jolla can pursue. Special Reorganization is voted on, akin to the Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) being placed on a public ballot. Further, Kennerson states: The work has already been done (though it is in need of updating) that La Jolla as a separate city could well comply with this obligation. Factually, there is nothing that needs to be updated by Independent La Jolla; all of the paperwork has been done by us already. But to actualize the LAFCO process to its conclusion, La Jollans have to pay the LAFCO fees so as to create the City of La Jolla. An Independent La Jolla does not hinge on revenue. The revenue neutrality has already been established, as it is State law. It hinges on people getting involved, donating money and voting. Special Reorganization and a lawsuit are two different avenues to attempting cityhood. A lawsuit may certainly be undertaken if the community wishes to fund it. For more information on the LAFCO process in Special Reorganization, visit our website at cityoflajolla.org Melinda Merryweather, on behalf of Independent La Jolla Project traffic along Torrey Pines Road frustrating residents The massive traffic jam outbound from La Jolla on Friday, April 19 caused me to miss a medical treatment! If that in any way affects my condition, the City will be hearing from me! Whoever thought blocking an outbound lane vs. an inbound lane would be better has not been thinking. There needs to be two lanes open inbound and outbound during the day. This work must be done at night to leave both inbound and outbound lanes open on Torrey Pines Road during the day. Ina B Get behind Energy Innovation & Carbon Dividend Act With so much reporting recently on climate change, I was curious if Congress is doing anything about it. I was pleased to find many answers on the website of Congressmember Scott Peters in his Climate Playbook, a compendium of bills Congress can act on now to slow climate change. Included within the Playbook is a solution endorsed by economists across the political spectrum: The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, HR 763. The bill has been co-sponsored by Peters as well as Congressmember Mike Levin. Both see the benefits of a revenue neutral carbon tax to propel our transition to a clean energy economy, while protecting the most vulnerable with a monthly dividend. Kudos to our San Diego County representatives for stepping up and taking leadership on a bipartisan, durable approach to addressing climate change. Judy Berlfein Whats on YOUR mind? Letters published in La Jolla Light express views from readers in regard to community issues. To share your thoughts in this public forum, e-mail them with your name and city of residence to editor@lajollalight.com or mail them to La Jolla Light Editor, 565 Pearl St., Suite 300, La Jolla, CA 92037. Letters reflect the writers opinions and not necessarily those of the newspaper staff or publisher. Two Senate Bills that have gotten local attention were discussed at a special albeit tepidly attended meeting April 18 at REBA La Jolla. The two bills are SB 330, dubbed the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, authored by State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and released in February; and SB 50, dubbed the More HOMES (Housing, Opportunity, Mobility, Equity and Stability) Act, introduced by San Francisco Sen. Scott Weiner Dec. 3, 2018. Real estate broker James LaMattery has been making the rounds to local community planning groups (such as the La Jolla Community Planning Association and the La Jolla Shores Association) to inform members about the bills, and encourage advocacy against them. At the special meeting, attorney Cory Briggs was also on hand to answer legal questions and explain a constitutional amendment he had drafted to maintain local control in light of the Senate Bills. Nothing was voted on at the meeting. Progress on the bills Regarding SB 330, a statement from Skinners office reads: The (Housing Crisis Act of 2019) would suspend specific local rules and regulations that are recognized as obstacles to housing production, and it would establish reasonable time periods for processing housing permits. A spokesperson for Skinner told the Los Angeles Times that would mean San Diegos coastal height limit would be suspended for new homes should the bill pass. On April 10, the Senate Governance & Finance Committee passed the bill 6-0-1, but said it must be referred to the Committee on Housing. Regarding SB 50, a statement from Senator Wieners office reads: SB 50 eliminates hyper-low-density zoning near public transit and job centers, thus legalizing apartment buildings and affordable housing in these locations so that more people can live near transit. SB 50 creates new zoning standards for the construction of housing near job centers and public transportation. On April 2, SB 50 passed the Senate Housing Committee, with a vote of 9-1. The bill was set to be heard April 24 (beyond La Jolla Light deadline) by the Committee on Government & Finance. If it passes there, it will next go to the Appropriations Committee before it can go to the full Senate in June. Local questions At the meeting, LaMattery said SB 50 addresses development east of Interstate 5, and SB 330 would address development west of I-5. La Jolla Shores resident and attorney Dolores Donovan asked Briggs to opine on how these bills would cooperate with the Coastal Act. I would like to know your opinion on the relevance of the Coastal Act to SB 330 because I read the bills, although quickly, and SB 330 could leave the Coastal Act in force, she said. The Coastal Act says the California Coastal Commission would regulate development along the coast. Attorney Cory Briggs addresses the room to give his opinion of Senate Bills 330 and 50. Ashley Mackin-Solomon Briggs responded: The Coastal Act applies to development in the coastal zone; essentially, what is west of the nearest major freeway. It doesnt regulate height, floor area ratio area or parking spaces. It is the local regulations that are affected by SB 330. You could still have the California Coastal Commission say, for reasons of public access and maintaining affordable access it could regulate development. But it is not required to do that. The Coastal Commission tries to work with what local regulations require, if it were lawful to build high rises on every block, at some point the Coastal Commission can only pull back so much. In delving more into the bills themselves, he continued: SB 330 essentially says it is all the local jurisdictions fault that we dont have more housing, and therefore, the state is going to take away local authority. A big part of 330 is that local jurisdictions cannot deny a project unless they make certain findings that a project must be really bad. In other words, there is now a presumption in favor of a project as opposed to a developer needing to prove that the project qualifies under local grounds. SB 50, he continued, would give incentives to developers who build in areas close to transit areas or what is known as job-rich areas. Job rich areas are not defined but a transit area is something within a quarter-mile of a bus line. Briggs said he and LaMattery drafted a constitutional amendment with four high-profile signers, I cant tell you who, which he said would tell the State they dont get to tell us how we plan our neighborhoods and dictate how much density we take unless there are provisions that solve the infrastructure problem. He elaborated: It would tell the State if it pays to bring our communities up to modern infrastructure standards then you can tell us we are not pulling our fair share when it comes to housing. But until you bring out the checkbook, we can solve the problem. The community (across the state, community-by-community) would then get to decide if they are willing to be brought up to modern times in exchange for increased density. Some communities would take it, others would figure it out for themselves. The problem with a one-size-fits-all solution from the State is (we could see) a full build-out in the City of San Diego, then La Mesa, then El Cajon then Julian. A follow-up meeting was not scheduled, but LaMattery said more meetings would be held in La Jolla. New Delhi: The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Thursday said that it will not sell any diesel cars effective from next year. Maruti Chairman RC Bhargava said that effective from April 1, 2020 company will not sell diesel cars from its portfolio considering that there are no mass demand. Though MSI may consider selling diesel cars above 1500 CC. Notably, only recently launched Baleno falls under this category Only 1500 CC diesel vehicle has a future. We will see if we need to produce diesel vehicles depending on market demand, he said. The government has set 31st March 2020 as the deadline to sell and register a BS IV Vehicle. Maruti believes that diesel engines below 1500 CC will not make any economic sense once BS VI norms kick in. The MSI chairman further said that BS VI and new safety regulations will have an impact on the company's books adding that manufacturer and dealers have to work together to keep prices stable and there is a good margin. We will work out our production and ensure no BS IV vehicle is left before the due date. We will upgrade all 16 models by the due date, Bhargava said. Bhargava noted that Election results have created an uncertainty in the sector while there is also uncertainty on fuel prices due to Iran issue. Talking about slowdown in the auto industry he said, This year we're faced by the fact that auto sector is in a slow down. Slowdown happens usually before during elections like in 2008 and 2013. In 2008 and 2013 market picked up though we're not sure whether market will pick up this time. The Maruti Chairman set the minimum range for sales and production at 4 percent and upper range for sales and production at 8 percent. We have decided to keep a range of target instead of having a yearly target, he said He said that the company has decided to grow its LCV range. "BS VI Diesel LCV will see a sharp cost increase, hence we have decided not to produce any diesel LCV in 2020. We will have petrol and CNG variant of LCV. We will stop domestic BS IV production before March 2020" he added. Speaking on international production, he said it will depend on norms of those country. New Delhi: Budget carrier GoAir has announced 28 additional flights effective April 26 with enhanced connectivity amongst 12 destinations. Among the flights are Mumbai (8 flights), Delhi (7), Nagpur (3), Ahmedabad (2), Goa (1), Chandigarh (1), Ranchi (1), Jaipur (1), Lucknow (1), Patna (1), Pune (1) and Kochi (1). The company has also launched new flights for the first time between Delhi-Nagpur-Delhi and Delhi-Kochi-Delhi sector. The company said that these 28 additional flights will immediately alleviate the shortage of flights and inconvenience caused to passengers due to the Jet Airways flight cancellations. GoAir is committed to provide travelers a value for money proposition through highest standards of customer service and affordable air fares as low as Rs 1368 on select routes. GoAir is also committed to provide secure and efficient transportation at all times with attention to essential details, Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir, said. In Mumbai, all flight numbers starting from G8 2000 to G8 2999 will depart and arrive at Terminal 2, effective April 26, the company added. New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be responsible if Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power in the Lok Sabha polls, promising his party will do everything to stop the Shah-Modi duo in Delhi. Speaking to the media over a possible alliance between the AAP and Congress in the national capital, he said his party would have left all the seven seats for Congress if it was in a position to win. "But the Congress cannot win even a single seat in Delhi." "They don`t have an intention (to forge an alliance). For the past two months, we have been trying for an alliance. I am saying this with huge sadness that if Modi and (BJP President Amit) Shah return to power, only one person will be responsible -- Rahul Gandhi. "The way he is weakening the opposition in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh and Haryana, this is not a good thing," the Delhi Chief Minister said after releasing AAP`s Delhi manifesto. He said his party was giving a tough fight to the BJP and claimed, "we can defeat the BJP in Delhi". Kejriwal said the AAP was born amid corruption charges during Congress rule. "The thought of an alliance with the Congress was something we could not even think of at one point. But the tough situation the country is facing made us take such a decision." The talks between the AAP and Congress for an alliance in Delhi were on for some time but both the parties will now contest the May 12 Lok Sabha battle in Delhi on their own. Kejriwal also slammed Rahul Gandhi for tweeting discussions related to the alliance. "Where in the world an alliance took place on Twitter or through newspaper headlines?", referring to Rahul Gandhi`s tweet accusing the AAP chief of "another U turn" on the alliance. "If they were serious about forming an alliance they should have come to the table for negotiations." While the AAP had named its candidates last month, the Congress named all its Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi, ending any possibility of a pre-poll tie-up between the two after weeks of negotiations for giving three of the seven seats to the Congress. "An alliance with Congress by giving them three seats would be with like forming an alliance with BJP. My conscience does not allow me to give three seats to BJP," he said.A He also said the 2019 elections can prove a turning point in the history as this election is to save the country, democracy and the Constitution and Delhi`s seven seats will play a crucial role in the governmnet formation. "India is a 4,000-year-old country with a rich tradition. And despite diversity, India is one and its tradition has strengthened the country and given it power to face all kinds of attacks in the past. "But today, its unity is being attacked. And if the country gets divided on the basis of religion and caste, then it will lose its centuries-old tradition." "We will do everything to stop the Modi-Shah duo. We will support any grand alliance government. The BJP is against minorities. We are Indians first, then Hindu or Muslim," he said adding that the seven seats in Delhi will play a crucial role in the government formation at the Centre. London: Actor Zac Efron says he found it impossible to detach himself from the role of serial killer Ted Bundy while shooting for "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile". The film charts the murderous ways of one of America's most disturbing criminals. "I've never played a role in which I really have to separate myself from when I go home at night and it was almost impossible. I'd like to say that I did it successfully but I couldn't," Efron said here, reports dailymail.co.uk. He added: "I really wasn't interested in playing a serial killer. I'm not in the business of glamourising a horrendous person or his acts, but there is something unique about the way we went into the psyche of Ted, and his longtime girlfriend Liz (played by Lily Collins). "It's a different perspective and not your run-of-the-mill serial killer cliche, body count gets higher and higher ... This is what it was like to be there on the day, we didn't know if he was innocent or guilty, we just saw Ted Bundy through their eyes." New Delhi: A case was registered against Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Friday for violating the model code of conduct. The complaint the registered against the minister at Begusarai police station. Here's the copy of the complaint filed against the firebrand leader: The complainant alleged that Singh's remarks hurt the sentiments of a section of a minority group. Giriraj is known for his hardline Hindutva views and has often triggered controversy with his harsh opinions. On Tuesday, Giriraj Singh stokes a controversy when he demanded the Election Commission to impose a ban on the use of green flags, which is often associated with political and religious bodies associated with Muslims. Giriraj alleged that the green flags spread hate and create a perception of being used in Pakistan. Known for his hardline Hindutva views that have often triggered controversies, Singh said his fight from this parliamentary constituency is against a "gang" working for "breaking up" India, and asserted that he represents the agenda of cultural nationalism and development. Singh is locked in a triangular contest with RJD's Tanveer Hasan and young CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar. He had won with a margin of over 1.4 lakh votes from Bihar's Nawada Lok Sabha constituency in 2014, but has been shifted to Begusarai this time. He had publicly expressed his anguish over the shift but was placated by the central leadership with party president Amit Shah himself reaching out to him. The constituncy goes to polls on April 29. An Air India aircraft caught fire on Wednesday night at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The plane was empty at the time of repair work. According to a video released by news agency ANI on Thursday, the fire could be seen at the tail end of the aircraft. The Boeing 777 flight, which was scheduled for San Francisco, caught fire in the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). The fire in the flight AI-173 started during the repair of the AC. Taking to Twitter, Air India announced that the flight, which was scheduled to depart on Thursday has been postponed. The airline apologised for the same. #WATCH Air India Delhi to San Francisco (Boeing 777) flight caught fire in Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) yesterday at Delhi airport. Fire started during AC repair. Air India terms it minor incident, plane was empty at the time of repair work, fire was doused immediately. pic.twitter.com/Og790FVABE ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2019 "AI-173/DEL- SFO of 25th April is postponed and will now depart at 1000LT. We apologize to our esteemed passengers for this delay," tweeted Air India. #FlyAI: #Flight #update AI-173/DEL- SFO of 25th April is postponed and will now depart at 1000LT. We apologize to our esteemed passengers for this delay. Air India (@airindiain) April 24, 2019 The airline has termed it a minor incident, according to ANI. The fire was doused immediately. There has been no reports of any injuries or damage. In two separate letters, allegedly by Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), threats have been issued to target Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, according to the Uttar Pradesh police. The letters, received at UP's Shamli and Uttarakhand's Roorkee railway stations, also threatens to carry out blasts at important religious places and hit several railway stations in western Uttar Pradesh, said the police on Wednesday. A high alert has been sounded in the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. UP Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh confirmed that the two letters were handwritten and were received at the two railway stations. He added that it was claimed to have been written by a JeM area commander on April 21. According to a senior official, the two letters were similar in content. The threatening letters spoke about targetting important religious places in Uttar Pradesh--Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and Ram Janam Bhoomi in Ayodhya, besides blasts at different temples in UP, Delhi and Haryana. The terror group allegedly threatened to target railway stations in western Uttar Pradesh. The official said though the letter seemed to be an act of mischief, it could not be taken lightly. This is the second such incident within a week. On April 19, a letter was received by senior Railways authorities that threatened to blow up several railway stations across Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. The letter, issued by JeM area commander Mansoor Ahmed, was written in Hindi. One such letter was addressed to Vivek Kumar, Divisional Rail Manager of Firozpur division, Northern Railway. In the letter, JeM stated that it would avenge the killings of its jehadis (militants) by exploding bombs at Firozpur, Jalandhar, Faridkot, Amritsar and Barnala railway stations on May 13. The proscribed terrorist group also threatened to blast Rajasthans railway stations, bus stands and military bases in Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Sriganganagar on May 13. Another letter was sent to Railway authorities in Uttarakhand threatening to blow off Roorkee, Haridwar and 10 more railway station in the state on May 6. Authorities had informed Uttarakhand Police about this. The Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) had conducted joint operations at the targetted railway stations. After a letter from Jaish-e-Mohammad threatening to target Punjab and Rajasthan railway stations, we launched a joint operation with RPF to search and check suspicious elements at railway stations. Nothing major found yet, Mamta Vishnoi, Government Railway Police (GRP) Superintendent, Jodhpur had said. SRINAGAR: Lashing out at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for summoning the teenage daughter of jailed separatist Shabir Ahmad Shah in a money laundering case, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Thursday on Thursday said that the ED's decision is nothing but "shameful". In an indirect attack on the BJP, the PDP chief that the party was victimising the people of Jammu and Kashmir in order win votes across the country. "They arrested Mohammad Yasin Malik, then they called Mirwaiz to Delhi (for questioning) and now Shabir Shah's daughter has been summoned. It is regrettable and shameful for the country," Mehbooba told media The former chief minister is contesting the Lok Sabha poll from Anantnag parliamentary constituency, where polling is scheduled to take place in three stages. The ED has summoned Sama Shabir, the 19-year-old daughter of Shah for questioning in a 14-year-old money laundering case against the separatist leader. Sama is currently studying at Manchester in the UK. Mehbooba said that Sama must have been barely five-years-old when this case was registered. Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani also condemned the ED summons and said that Shabir Ahmad Shah and Altaf Ahmad Shah have remained bars for most of their life and the government can ask any question from them. He added that it is completely undemocratic and immoral to issue notices to their children. The EC had issued summons to Sama at her home in Srinagar. The first date for her to appear before the agency was on April 18 and the second on Wednesday, PTI reported. It may be recalled that Shabir Shah was arrested on July 25, 2017 in connection with a money laundering case. A case was registered by the ED in 2007 based on the investigation by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in the August 2005 case, when an alleged hawala dealer named Mohammad Aslam Wani was arrested by the police. During questioning, Wani had admitted that he passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah. New Delhi: Taking a jibe at the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) scheme on financial inclusion, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he would complete the task of depositing money in the bank accounts which were opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the said scheme. "Narendra Modi ji is very clever. He deposited money in accounts of Mehul Choksi, Lalit Modi, Anil Ambani. He says that he will open bank accounts for you. But he did not deposit money in those bank accounts. Now, I will complete the task and will deposit money of NYAY scheme in the bank accounts opened by him," Gandhi said while addressing an election rally here. "Narendra Modi asks where the money will come from. I say I will take Rs 45000 crore directly from thief Anil Ambani. He has forgiven debts of Rs 5,55,000 crore of 15 people," he claimed. Gandhi further said that the Congress` poll promise of NYAY in which the party will give Rs 72,000 to 20 per cent of poor whose income is under Rs 12,000, has two major goals."There are two goals of NYAY scheme - first, putting money in the pockets of the poor in the country and secondly, to kickstart the country`s economy," he said. "Modi has derailed India`s economy with demonetisation and Gabbar Singh tax. As soon as money of NYAY scheme goes to the accounts of your mothers and sisters, there will be a boost in demand and purchases. The closed factories will open again and generate employment and the economy will be on track eventually," the Congress president said while underlining that his party will make changes in the existing Goods and Services Tax (GST). Gandhi reiterated the poll promise made to farmers and said that no farmer will be put behind bars if he fails to repay loans. He also promised that there will be a separate budget for farmers if the party is voted to power in 2019. "As soon as our government is formed, 33 per cent seats will be reserved for women in Parliament and state Legislative Assemblies. After 2019 elections, 33 per cent jobs of the central government will be reserved for women," he added. SRINAGAR: Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists died in an encounter with security forces on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. The terrorists were identified as Safder Amin Bhat (25) and Burhan Ahmad Ganie (25). Bhat, a Class 9 passout, joined Hizbul Mujahideen in May 2017. Ganie, also know as Saifullah, was pursuing Bachelor of Physiotherapy and had been a member of the terror outfit since June 2018. Based on credible intelligence inputs, local police and security forces launched a joint cordon and search operation in Bagender Mohalla of Bijbehara area in South Kashmir's Anantnag district in the wee hours of Thursday. During the search operation, terrorists opened fire on the forces who retaliated back leading to an encounter. One AK rifle and one Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) recovered has been recovered from the site. Police have registered a case in the matter. Police warned citizens not to venture inside the encounter zone as exposure to explosive materials can prove dangerous. "People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any," they added. The development comes a day after official released names and information of 10 militants, who crossed over to Pakistan, set up businesses across the border with the aid of the ISI and were involved in funnelling weapons, narcotics, fake currency to terrorists and funds to separatists in Jammu and Kashmir through the recently suspended cross-LoC trade. LUCKNOW: Union textile minister Smriti Irani, BJP's candidate from Amethi Lok Sabha seat, lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday at an election rally here, accusing him of neglecting the development in the region. Calling him a "missing MP since last 15 years", Irani referred to the MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development) fund, and said that "Rahul had 75 crores rupees in 15 years so that he could do developmental works in the region but these 75 crore rupees were not used for the public," reported news agency ANI. The Congress chief is in the fray from Amethi for the fourth time in the Lok Sabha Election 2019 and has been pitted against Union minister Smriti Irani, who had lost to him in 2014. In the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the BJP had won four of the five seats under Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, while the fifth seat went to the Samajwadi Party. The SP-BSP combine has not fielded any candidate from Amethi in the general election this time. Speaking to the public, Irani alleged that there was no toilet constructed for any poor family. "Amongst all those who are sitting here, is there anyone in whose home Rahul has constructed a toilet?" she questioned. What has Prime Minister Narendra Modi done? Prime Minister Modi provided two lakh toilets to the poor families in Amethi. Missing MP (Rahul Gandhi) shows dreams but could not build a toilet for the sake of the dignity of women, and the party for which you did not vote to make it win the seat that lotus bloomed the flowers of development here," she said, reported ANI. Referring to schemes launched by BJP-led NDA government, Irani said that PM Modi ensured toilets, cooking gas cylinder, gave 4000 rupees to farmers and healthcare treatment of Rs 5 lakh. She added "Darkness will prevail" if Modi does not get votes and all developmental schemes will end. The election in Amethi will be held on May 6, 2019, as per the Phase V schedule announced by the Election Commission of India. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday took a dig at the Congress for not fielding Priyanka Gandhi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. In a blog titled 'Refuge in Wayanad and a Refuge Away From Varanasi The Story of a Family Dynasty', the senior BJP leader said that she was deeply disappointed with the Congress for deciding against giving ticket to Priyanka to contest from Varanasi. He added that Priyanka took a formal plunge into politics two months ago and her entry into politics has driven home the point that India has changed and the voters are not going to support dynasties anymore. "Deeply disappointed with the Congress Partys decision of not fielding Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi. The last two months that she has been in the public life has driven home the point, India has changed, dynasties dont matter". Her exit from the contest shows what matters," Jaitley said. Deeply disappointed with the Congress Partys decision of not fielding Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi. The last two months that she has been in the public life has driven home the point, India has changed, dynasties dont matter". Her exit from the contest shows what matters. Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) April 25, 2019 Jaitley added that the Congress leaders always believed that Priyanka's formal entry into politics will boost the prospects of the party but this myth has been broken. He remarked that the cards are now out in open and people can see that Priyanka is not going to change Congress' fortune. Jaitley also advised Congress to introspect what has the party done for the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli in the last forty years and compare it to the development carried out by PM Modi in Varanasi since 2014. "The myth of Priyanka will make a difference was worth a lakh. Today, the myth has lost its value. The cards are out in the open for public scrutiny. The Gandhis must introspect the plight of Amethi and Rae Bareli in the last forty years and compare it to what the Prime Minister has done in Varanasi in the past five years," noted Jaitley. The myths of Priyanka Gandhi stands demolished. Indias conventional wisdom has been , . The Myth of Priyanka will make a difference was worth a lakh. Today, the myth has lost its value. Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) April 25, 2019 Jaitley took a potshot at the Congress hours after the grand old party confirmed that party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will not contest from Varanasi and instead gave ticket to local leader and five-time legislator Ajay Rai from Varanasi. It may be recalled that Rai had contested against Modi in 2014 too and he had forfeited his deposit too. Live TV The speculations that Priyanka may contest against Modi from Varanasi started doing the rounds after she herself said she was willing to contest against if the party will ask her to do so. Congress president Rahul Gandhi added to the speculation when he said in an interview last week that he will like to leave everyone in suspense over Priyanka's candidature from Varanasi. PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar made a strange appeal to women voters during a recent Lok Sabha election campaign rally. Speaking on Wednesday at an election rally in Madhubani, Nitish addressed the women and said, If men of the house vote as per your choice, give them food and feed them with love. And if they fail to vote according to you, make them fast for the whole day. Nitish was campaigning for the NDA candidate Ashok Yadav, son of sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav, when he made the statement. The Bihar Chief Minister also asked women to cast their votes early in the morning. JD(U) is a part of BJP-led NDA and has fielded Kavita Singh from Siwan constituency, while the BJP has nominated Rama Devi from the Sheohar seat and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has put up Veena Singh from Vaishali. Nitish also addressed a rally in Darbhanga, where he highlighted the benefits reaped by the common people from central and state governments schemes. Nitish has assiduously tried to create women vote bank by implementing several schemes for them like bicycles for the girl students, a ban on liquor, Mukhya Mantri Napkin Yojana as well as Kanya Vikas schemes. VARANASI: As lakhs of BJP supporters are waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrive in Varanasi and embark on his roadshow, PM Modi on Thursday tweeted saying that he is heading to Kashi after addressing huge public rallies in Darbhanga and Banda. PM Modi added that he will attend a series of programmes in Kashi which would give him an excellent opportunity to interact with the people of city. "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi. There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!," tweeted PM Modi. After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi. There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev! Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 25 April 2019 The prime minister is scheduled to hold a mega roadshow and "Ganga aarti" in Varanasi on Thursday before filing his nomination from this parliamentary constituency on Friday. Live TV NDA leaders including Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal, Lok Jan Shakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan and some other leaders from Northeast will join the PM during the roadshow. Besides these leaders, the PM will also be accompanied by BJP president Amit Shah, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Piyush Goyal and other party leaders Lakshman Acharya, Sunil Oza and Ashutosh Tandon. PM Modi will start his roadshow from Lanka Gate of Benaras Hindu University (BHU) after putting a garland on the statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya's statue. During his roadshow, PM Modi will pass through 150 areas, including Muslim-dominated areas of Madanpura and Sonarpura, in Varanasi. The PM will end his roadshow with Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. After the conclusion of roadshow, the PM will hold dialogue with 3000 intellectuals those who have excelled in their field. He will also talk to people from all sections of society as part of his 'Mission All' program. This event is scheduled to take place at Hotel de Paris in Varanasi. Security has been tightened across Varanasi and small drones have also been deployed to maintain fool-proof security in the city. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's son, Aditya Thackeray, is playing an important role in changing the Shiv Senas style of campaigning through his Yuva Sena. Aditya's Yuva Sena is trying to give a new voice to the party that has largely been viewed as conservative in its view. Aditya, the young face of Shiv Sena, is consciously making efforts to change the image of Shiv Sena by discussing contentious issues in public domain and reaching out to the people who are not considered the vote bank of Shiv Sena. In an apparent effort to strike a chord with the youth and 45 million new voters, Aditya has come up with a new platform named Aditya Sanvad. The young Sena leader is using this platform to get in touch with youth of Maharashtra. He is also using this platform to take feedback from the common people and trying to create a blueprint for the future of state using the feedbacks received from them. Aditya's approach is unique because in India, political campaigns are mostly about road shows, rallies, and big speeches. And, Aditya is the only leader who has shown interest in listening to the views of public and trying to establish a two-way communication with them. Through Aditya Sanvad, the young Sena leader has been taking on questions from the audiences on a range of issues, including nepotism, relations with the MNS, Shiv Senas vision for the state, etc. The event of Aditya Thackeray is different from other political events because it has a concert like stage set-up with bands and local artists performing before the interaction. After the event, Adityas team distributes cards that have a number where people can call him/ his team, and provide feedback or raise their concerns. At his office, Aditya has set-up a special team of callers to tackle the traffic on this phone number. According to Yuva Sena, the events of Aditya have been highly successful with over thousands of youth attending it across Maharashtra Another major change which Aditya has brought in Shiv Senas campaign style is that the party has now started to recognize the growing significance of the untapped capacity and talent of women leadership and cadre. The Shiv Sena has now accepted the fact that a full-fledged and equitable participation of women is required to make the party strong and vibrant. This vision has led to the birth of Yuvati Sena, which is made up of idealistic, young, college-educated volunteers. The Yuvati Sena is tasked with holding direct, face-to-face interactions with demographically representative pool of voters - including those who are against the ideological leanings of Shiv Sena. Around 1,000 female volunteers are currently part of Yuvati Sena. The volunteers are connecting with the people who live in areas where Shiv Sena has not been strong. The Yuvati Sena was also behind the successful culmination of Aditya Sanvad in Mumbai which was organised on April 22. Both these campaigns launched by Aditya Thackeray are unique in their own way. While Yuva Sena is focused at bringing youth in Shiv Sena, the Yuvati Sena is paving for a larger role for women in politics, both at the leadership as well as cadre level. Coalition and instability were the two prominent words which defined Indias political climate between the Lok Sabha elections of 1996 and 1998. These years saw a number of developments in the Indian Parliament which was essentially highlighted by two factors the Bharatiya Janata Party emerging as a national force capable of challenging Indian National Congress past hegemony, and regional parties turning into entities that needed to be wooed into alliances. The Lok Sabha election of 1996 had already shown that both BJP and the Congress felt an urgent need to align with regional parties in their respective bids to make it to the majority mark in the Parliament. Gone were the days when national parties or confluences of smaller parties with a national outlook could aspire to make it on their own. For all practical purposes, the mid-1990s in India saw a bi-polar political scenario where each side was ought to woo smaller, regional parties for their support, often as much as trying to impress voters themselves. What also unfolded after the 1996 election was political manoeuvrings hitherto unseen. The BJP had emerged as the single-largest party for the first time but the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government could not muster up the numbers and collapsed in just 13 days. The United Front was not as united as its names suggested and HD Deve Gowda and IK Gujaral each had one shot at trying to govern the country as Prime Ministers. Dictating the terms from the shadows was Congress, a party that chose to provide support rather than attempt to muster up the numbers for itself. Being number 2 to BJP in 1996 may have had something to do with this. Deve Gowda as PM The BJP had been invited to form the government after the 1996 election and told to prove majority in two weeks by President of the time Shankar Dayal Sharma. The numbers, however, were not coming, forcing Vajpayee to resign after just 13 days. In walked Janata Dals Deve Gowda who was part of the United Front and, with the support of Congress, took command on June 1 of 1996. His government of just over 10 months was more about walking the tightrope of coalition politics than taking giant nation-building steps. Deve Gowdas cabinet had ministers from his own Janata Dal, TMV, CPI, SP and DMK, and with Congress keeping a close watch from close quarters. Critics maintain till date that it was a patchwork that meant to satiate the political ambitions of leaders from these parties than a union formed for the progress of the country and welfare of its people. The tug of war between the ministers with hugely differing ideologies eventually threatened the government at the time coming apart at the seams. Tensions were high and it was eventually decided that Congress would support a fresh face from the United Front. What had Congress to gain? The condition that Congress would be consulted before any significant decision by the government remained intact. Also, the party succeeded in keeping a resurgent BJP at bay, at least for the time being. IK Gujral as PM There was a tussle within the United Front regarding who would replace Deve Gowda and sit in the PMs chair. Political ambitions, as mentioned before, were astronomically high at this point. It was eventually decided that Inder Kumar Gujral a non-controversial leader who had thus far served as the foreign minister under Deve Gowda would take over. Gujrals name was given the stamp of approval largely because he was the consensus candidate and not primarily because he was the most capable of the available options. As such, many see his major achievement during a short stint as PM as being able to remain PM for as long as he had. Troika of Threats Much like when Deve Gowda was the PM, Gujral too had to spend a lot of his energies in ensuring that the delicate balance in his government, and the uneasy support of Congress remained. Despite all his efforts, however, three controversies posed massive challenges for the Gujral government and eventually led to its demise. First among these was when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) attempted to take action against Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with the Fodder Scam. There was a revolt within the Janata Dal of which the PM himself was a part. Several members of the United Front began calling for Lalus resignation who was the Bihar CM at the time. The Congress reportedly made only muted calls echoing the demands for resignation. As such, Gujral faced the problem by remaining mute and, eventually, by transferring the then CBI Director Joginder Singh. This failed to help Lalus cause as Janata Dal leader would go on to expel Lalu and the Bihar leader would resort to establishing the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The entire episode hardly helped Gujral as he was accused of being a non-effective authority and one who tried to create roadblocks in the due process of justice and investigation. Gujral would once again come under immense political fire when his government recommended Presidents Rule be imposed in Uttar Pradesh following violence during a trust vote in the state assembly. The BJP state government under Kalyan Singh saw it as a move to snatch power even as President KR Narayan refused to give his assent to the Centres recommendation. Subsequently, the Allahabad High Court too ruled against Presidents Rule in the state, leaving the Gujral government rather red-faced. The flash point came about on November 18 of 1997 when the Jain Commission report was leaked. Established to investigate possible conspiracies that may have been at play behind the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi, the commission is believed to have found that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) may have been sympathetic towards LTTE terrorists accused of the assassination. Almost immediately after, calls for DMKs ouster from the ruling coalition began gaining decibel levels. Congress wanted the report to be presented in Parliament to which Gujral refused as he may have not wanted to antagonise DMK at the time. He later established a Joint Parliamentary Committee to which Congress agreed. Amid calls that anybody from DMK named in the report ought to resign, the report was presented in Parliament and Congress once again demanded the exit of DMK from the ruling coalition. The uneasy truce had been shattered with Gujral resigning but not calling for the Parliaments dissolution. At this stage, no possible hand holding appeared workable and the stage was set for yet another round of Lok Sabha election. Election 1998 Status of States: The Lok Sabha election 1998 was conducted across 32 states and union territories in India. These were: Andhra Pradesh Assam Arunachal Pradesh Bihar Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Nagaland Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttar Pradesh West Bengal Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chandigarh Dadra and Nagar Haveli Daman and Diu National Capital Territory of Delhi Lakshadweep Pondicherry Political parties in the fray: There were seven national parties and another 30 state parties which contested the Lok Sabha 1996 election, apart from many other registered (unrecognised) parties. These were: National Parties: Bharatiya Janata Party Bahujan Samaj Party Communist Party of India Communist Party of India (Marxist) Indian National Congress Janata Dal Samata Party State Parties: Arunachal Congress All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Asom Gana Parishad All India Indira Congress (Secular) Autonomous State Demand Committee Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam All India Forward Bloc Hill State Peoples Democratic Party Haryana Vikas Party Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Janata Party Kerala Congress Kerala Congress (M) Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Mizo National Front Manipur Peoples Party Muslim League Kerala State Committee NTR Telegu Desam Party (Lakshmi Parvathi) Pattali Makkal Katchi Republican Party of India Revolutionary Socialist Party Shiromani Akali Dal Sikkim Democratic Front Shiv Sena Samajwadi Party Telegu Desam Party Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) United Democratic Party United Goans Democratic Party Election 1998 Congress is often blamed for engineering a situation which made snap election inevitable in 1998. This was to be the second election in as many years which prompted doubts on how effective coalition politics is. The past two years had been strenuous in terms of nation-building with most of the attention being put on keeping alliance members together. It would come undone. The election bugle was sounded and India got ready to once again choose a government. The Lok Sabha election of 1998 was conducted across 7.73 lakh polling stations in 545 parliamentary seats. After a record 13,952 candidates in the previous edition, Lok Sabha election of 1998 saw just 4,750 candidates enter the battle, thanks to Election Commission of India hiking the deposit amount from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000. The number of candidates contesting was, in fact, the lowest since 1984-85. The average number of candidates per constituency fell from 25.7 in 1996 to 8.7 in 1998. But while the number of candidates contesting may have fallen, there was no shortage in the zeal of political parties to reach out to voters with their tall promises. The BJP was determined to seize the opportunity at hand and ensure that it not only comes to power but that it remains in power. Once again, the party underlined its commitment to core Hindutva values, support for the cause of building Ram Temple in Ayodhya and formulation of a Uniform Civil Code. The partys manifesto also stressed on abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, of maintaining Indias security and of removing poverty and providing jobs. It also attacked Congress for engineering political instability and charged it, once again, for being a largely corrupt party. The Congress hit back through its manifesto and assured voters of a responsive administration. The party also stressed on the need for a stable government and for inclusive economic development. By this time, Sonia Gandhi had taken the political plunge as well and she was put out as the face of a resurgent Congress. The other parties regional and national also mostly promised more of what they had already been swearing by. Pre-poll alliances too were being constructed aplenty with BJP, especially, reaching out to smaller parties to ensure they can agree on a working arrangement. Promises and alliances would eventually help BJP deal a solid punch to Congress in the Lok Sabha election of 1998 which had a voter turnout of 61.97 per cent. The party won 182 seats on its own merit and while this may have been short of the majority mark, it was a massive statement of intent. Through alliances, BJP managed to go where not many would have thought possible. Indeed, the party managed to get 31 per cent of the votes all along the eastern coastline of the country where it had secured only nine per cent of the votes only two years back. The voter swing in this region was an impressive 22 per cent. At the other end of the electoral spectrum was Congress. The Congress only bettered its 1996 showing by one seat, winning 141. The grey area of concern for the party, however, was that there was a 2.66% downward fall in voter swing. In fact, in the politically charged state of Uttar Pradesh, Congress was smashed to smithereens and was unable to hold on to even Amethi the bastion of the Gandhi family. Several regional parties once again performed well and were instrumental in shaping how things would work in New Delhi eventually. The National Democratic Alliance together would account for 254 seats, 110 seats more than Congress and its allies together. The United Front was relegated to a distant third with wins in just 64 seats. The result showcased that while the BJP did maintain a firm foothold in the Hindi-belt, it could partner the right partners in the south and towards the east to make a solid mark in Lok Sabha elections. Vajpayee was back in the PMs chair and he attempted to lead the country into a new era of peace and security while trying to project India as a power player at the world stage. What followed was the nuclear test in Pokhran and the Kargil War and both showcased India as a power that ought not to be underestimated. Within the country though, politically speaking, the constraints of coalition politics would remain as vicious as ever, eventually resulting in yet another Lok Sabha election in the country. NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal released the party`s Delhi manifesto for the Lok Sabha poll on Thursday, vowing to secure "full statehood" for the national capital if AAP wins all seven seats in Delhi. Kejriwal released the manifesto in presence of senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and Sanjay Singh. The 35-page manifesto of AAP titled `Le Kar Rahenge Purna Rajya` (We will secure full statehood) said that full statehood was needed for the devlopment of Delhi as only this would give the state government control over land, law and order, police and other government officials. "With full statehood, several dreams of the people of Delhi will be realized. Women safety will considerably improve. Law and order in Delhi will improve. Youth will get jobs. Every child who has scored more than 60 per cent marks in 12th standard will get a college admission. Sealing will be stopped in Delhi. Every Delhi resident will have a house of his/her own. Unauthorized colonies will be regularized. Delhi will be a clean and beautiful city. Delhi will accelerate towards the path of development," the Delhi Chief Minister said in a message. Kejriwal slammed both the BJP and Congress for not making any commitment on the question of granting complete statehood to Delhi. He said that both the Congress and the BJP had their government at the centre and in Delhi but these parties failed to take any effective step aimed at giving full statehood for Delhi. "Even today, the stance of BJP and Congress is not favourable towards granting full statehood," read the AAP manifesto. In a direct attack on PM Narendra Modi, the AAP supremo said that before becoming the Prime Minister, Modi had also demanded full statehood for Delhi but he backtracked on his promise after coming to power. In the manifesto, the AAP claimed that the Delhi government had faced several hurdles from the Centre but it still managed to achieve remarkable progress in the fields of education, health, electricity and water. "We fulfilled all the promises that we made. With full statehood, we assure you that we will fulfil all the above promises," Kejriwal said. Appealing to the voters of Delhi, Kejriwal said that this time the people must vote to make Delhi a full state. "History and almighty give an opportunity only once. Delhi has that opportunity at this moment. This time, vote for AAP so that Delhi becomes a full state," he said. The Madhya Pradesh IAS Officers' Association on Thursday expressed displeasure over the threat issued by former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Choudan to Chhindwara Collector. The Madhya Pradesh IAS Officers' Association has written a letter to Election Commission saying that the remarks made by the senior BJP leader against the Collector at a public meeting were aimed at undermining the officer. The association said that such remarks will demoralize the machinery which is focused on conducting the election in a free and fair manner. The association has requested the poll panel to take note of such incidents and issue advisory to prevent the repeat of such incidents in the future. On Wednesday, Shivraj Singh Chouhan had threatened Chhindwara district Collector asking what will happen to him if he (Chouhan) comes back to power again. The former Madhya Pradesh CM made the remarks after the Collector had denied him permission to land his chopper in Chhindwara. He said, "O puppet collector! I will come back to power once again. What will happen to you then?" Chouhan had said. Chouhan was scheduled to land in Umreth at around 5:30 pm but the Collector's office informed him he cannot land there after 5 pm. "I would have reached Umreth at around 5:30 pm. But my staff was informed that I was allowed to land there by 5 pm, else they won't let me land," Chouhan had said. Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to witness polling for ongoing Lok Sabha poll in four phases on April 29, May 6, 12 and 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that he may campaign for Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP's candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency. In an exclusive interview to Zee Media, Fadnavis also talked about the controversial statement made by Sadhvi Pragya about 26/11 terror attack martyr Hemant Karkare and said that the statement made by Sadhvi Pragya was 100% wrong. The Maharashtra CM added that Karkare was a very good police officer and it is possible that Sadhvi Pragya may have been angry at the torture she had faced while in custody for her alleged involvement in 2008 Malegaon blast but it is not right to say anything wrong about a martyr. Fadnavis remarked that Sadhvi Pragya has already apologized for statement and it is time that people should stop talking about it. In an exclusive interview to Zee Media, the Maharashtra CM said that he is a worker of the party and he will go for campaigning wherever the party will ask him to go. Fadnavis added that if the party will ask him to campaign for Sadhvi Pragya then he will follow the party's order. When asked whether the Maharashtra government will launch a probe into the allegations of torture made by Sadhvi Pragya while in custody, chief minister Fadnavis said that probe cannot be started on the basis of statements made in media. He added that if Sadhvi Pragya will submit a written complaint in this regard then a probe will be ordered in this matter. Fadnavis noted that the government cannot launch a probe suo moto as this can be done only by court. The fight for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat will be keenly watched because Congress has fielded its senior leader and two-time former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh from this seat. Sadhvi Pragya is still an accused in 2008 Malegaon blast case and she is currently on bail. It is to be noted that a special NIA court on Wednesday rejected an application seeking an order to bar Sadhvi Pragya from contesting Lok Sabha poll. While hearing the petition, the special NIA court had said that it can't stop Sadhvi Pragya from contesting the election because it doesn't have any legal powers to prohibit anyone from contesting the election. The special court added that a decision in this regard should be made by Election Commission of India. The plea challenging Sadhvi Pragya's nomination was filed by the father of a man who died in 2008 Malegaon blasts. VARANASI: Congress on Thursday ended all speculation around party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting Lok Sabha Election from Varanasi constituency. The party once again pitted local leader and five-time legislator Ajay Rai from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress Central Election Committee announces the next list of candidates for the ensuing elections to the Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. Congress also fielded Madhusudhan Tiwari from Gorakhpur constituency against BJP candidate and Bhojpuri megastar Ravi Kishan. A former BJP student leader, Rai shifted to Samajwadi Party after being denied a Lok Sabha ticket. In 2014, Rai contested from Varanasi seat on Congress ticket, which was won by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He finished third in the contest, after Modi and Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal. The announcement comes on the day of PM Modi's mega roadshow and 'ganga aarti' in Varanasi. Congress president fuelled speculation after he said last week, "I will leave you in suspense. Suspense is not always a bad thing," when asked if he planned to field sister Priyanka against PM Modi. "I have said this repeatedly that I will do what the party asks me to do," Priyanka had quipped at the time. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party has fielded Shalini Yadav, daughter of former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Shyamlal Yadav, as the joint candidate of the SP-BSP alliance in Varanasi. She had unsuccessfully contested the Mayoral polls in Varanasi on a Congress ticket in 2017. LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address a mega rally in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya on Wednesday, May 1. This will be his first visit to Ayodhya after the 2014 election. PM Modi will address a joint election rally for Ayodhya and Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha seats, said the party. The rally will be held in Maya Bazaar which falls under Goshainganj Assembly constituency in Ayodhya district, nearly 25 kilometres away from Ram Janmabhoomi. Party members began preparations for PM Modi's rally. Ayodhya falls under Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to polls in the fifth phase on May 6. PM Modi will also hold a mega roadshow and "Ganga aarti" in Varanasi on Thursday, a day before filing his nomination from the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha constituency on April 26. The roadshow will witness NDA's show of strength and unity with top leaders of BJP and its allies along with several state Chief Ministers accompanying PM Modi. The Supreme Court Thursday refused to hear a petition seeking a ban on candidates contesting elections from more than one constituencies on an urgent basis but will take it up after two weeks. The plea, filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, had challenged Section 33 (7) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, which allows candidates to contest from two seats. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had earlier supported the ban on candidates contesting on more than one seat by filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court. In the affidavit, the poll panel had suggested that laws should be amended to ensure that a person cannot contest from more than one seat since it results in the winning candidate forfeiting one seat thereby necessitating a bypoll. In his PIL, Upadhyay says that the practice of one candidate contesting multiple seats is also a drain on the public exchequer and government machinery since it necessitates a bypoll. SRINAGAR: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Thursday reiterated his stand on Article 370 and Article 35-A, aying that those who are trying to tinker with these articles are playing with fire. It is to be noted that Article 370 and Article 35-A of the Constitution guarantee special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The veteran NC leader stressed that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is already volatile and steps should be taken to restore peace in the state, PTI reported. "The need of the hour is to douse these flames and not to add fuel to the fire," Abdullah said. The former chief minister stressed that Kashmiris are very strong and no one can think of subduing them. "History bears the testimony to the fact that no one was able to enslave Kashmiris. We have fought Mughals, Pathans and other despotic regimes and never let anyone subdue us," noted Abdullah. The NC chief said that Kashmiris will respect New Delhi only when they will get respect from the other side. "New Delhi will have our respect, only if they respect the people of this state. No one should dare tinker with our self esteem for the Kashmiris have always responded to the brickbats thrown at them with determination," he said. Abdullah also warned the people of state against those who want to take away special status from Jammu and Kashmir. He added that those who are against state's special status come in different hues and colors trying to destroy it. "Kashmiris, however, have never allowed such forces to succeed in their nefarious designs; today the situation is no different. Today we see the BJP-RSS cheekily taking vows to destroy the identity and integrity of our state," he said. Defending Article 370 and Article 35-A, the NC chief said that these articles protect the state natives rights to jobs, land holdings and scholarships. He threatened any attempt to tinker with these articles will not go down well with the people of the state. Abdullah, however, asked the people of state to look for the solution to their problems through ballots and not bullets. "The problem cannot be resolved by using guns or pelting stones. It is only through the use of vote that the people of Kashmir can find a way forward," he said. VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reiterated that his commitment was to "India first", saying that his government had given a response to terrorists "in their own language". On the eve of filing his nomination papers from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, PM Modi said that terrorists were frequently targeting `aastha` (faith) till 2014 by carrying out attacks at religious places such as Varanasi's Sankat Mochan temple and Akshardham temple in Gujarat, but the then Congress-led government at the Centre was interested in only holding talks with Pakistan. "But our style is different. In similar circumstances, we told them that the new India does not just talk and tolerate, but we respond to terrorists in their own language," he said, referring to the daring airstrikes carried out by Indian Air Force's fighter jets at Balakot in Pakistan after Jaish-e-Mohammad carried out the cowardly terror attack in Pulwama. Live TV "Whether it is the Pulwama attack, Uri attack or any other issue, I have only one mantra with which I have lived - the country comes first, India first," he said. The prime minister made the statement while addressing a gathering in Varanasi. The prime minister also talked about the February 14 terror attack on CRPF convoy which resulted in the martyrdom of 40 CRPF personnel and said that the Indian forces have managed to kill 42 terrorists since the ghastly attack. "The count could go up as we speak," he added. Referring to the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lankan capital Colombo, PM Modi asked what was the mistake of those who were present at churches to offer prayers. Earlier on Thursday, PM Modi held a mega roadshow in Varanasi after paying tributes to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya's statue outside Banaras Hindu University. During his roadshow, PM Modi's cavalcade covered seven kilometres and passed through Lanka and Madanpura areas of the temple city. The roadshow ended at Varanasi's famous Dashashwamedh Ghat. Before arriving in Varanasi, PM Modi posted a tweet saying that his scheduled programmes in 'beloved Kashi' would give him an opportunity to interact with his "sisters and brothers" of the town. "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi. There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!" Modi tweeted. Thousands of supporters lined up on the streets of Varanasi to catch a glimpse of PM Modi. PM Modi is scheduled to file his nomination from Varanasi on Friday. In 2014, Modi had defeated Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party by 3.37 lakh votes to win from Varanasi. The polling in Varanasi is scheduled to take place on May 19 in the seventh and the last phase of the Lok Sabha election. New Delhi: Fatima Rasool Siddique, the BJP's lone Muslim candidate in the 2018's Madhya Pradesh assembly election, seems to have been unhappy with Sadhvi Pragya's latest controversial remarks on Babri Masjid and former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare. Upset by Sadhvi Pragya's remarks, Siddique said on Thursday that some of her statements were communal and obnoxious. She added that her remarks on former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, 26/11 attack martyr, had also hurt her badly. She further announced that she has decided to not campaign for Sadhvi Pragya, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Bhopal, a BJP bastion since 1989. Sadhvi Pragya has been fielded by BJP against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh from the seat. According to Siddique, Sadhvi Pragya has also tarnished the image of BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who according to her has good connect with Muslims. "I decided to enter politics because of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The minorities in the state have a lot of expectations from him. However, this year, the BJP has decided to field a candidate from Bhopal who will not be able to win from here. I have already conveyed my opinion to the party leadership," she said today. When asked if she will join the opposition Congress party, Siddique firmly said 'no'. "I have no plans to quit BJP nor I am planning to join any other political party," she said. Siddique is a medical student and is fairly new in politics. Daughter of former state minister and Congress leader Rasool Ahmad Siddique, Fatima joined BJP in November 2018 and contested on the party ticket from the Bhopal North assembly constituency. However, despite a fairly good number of Muslim women coming out in support for her, she lost the seat to Congress candidate Arif Aqueel. In 90s, Fatima's father Rasool Ahmad Siddique represented the Bhopal constituency not once but twice. New Delhi: Ever since the impactful trailer of 'Bharat' has been unveiled, fans can't stop waiting for more scoops before the film releases in June. Adding to the excitement level, makers had unveiled teaser of the first song from 'Bharat' titled 'Slow Motion' featuring Salman Khan and Disha Patani. The teaser made everybody go gaga over it and took the excitement level for the song to new heights. Well, the wait is now over as the full song is now out! Disha looks gorgeous in her trapeze artist avatar while Salman looks dapper as the younger version of himself. Check out the song here, as unveiled on YouTube: Well, we bet that got you grooving! Sung by Vishal & Shekhar and also featuring Nakash Aziz and Shreya Ghoshal, the lyrics of the song are by Irshad Kamil. Coming to 'Bharat', the film stars Katrina Kaif as the female lead with Varun Dhawan, Nora Fatehi, Sunil Grover and Tabu to name a few playing important parts. The film is one of the biggest releases of this year and is ready to set the screens ablaze on June 5. Excited? We feel you! Chandigarh: Veteran actor Anupam Kher Thursday described his co-star Sunny Deol, who has been fielded by the BJP from the Gurdaspur seat in the Lok Sabha polls, as a credible and a dependable person. Deol, 62, is pitted against sitting Congress MP and party candidate Sunil Jakhar, AAP's nominee Peter Masih and Punjab Democratic Alliance's candidate Lal Chand. "Sunny is a very credible and a very dependable person and I think it (fielding Sunny from Gurdaspur) is a great choice," Anupam Kher said here. "I wish him great luck and I am 100 per cent sure that he is going to win," Anupam Kher told PTI. Deol and Anupam Kher have worked together in many films like "ChaalBaaz", "Salaakhen", "Darr", among many others. After joining the BJP in Delhi on April 23, Deol had said, "Whatever I can do for this family (BJP), I will do it. I won't talk, I will show you through my work." Asked whether Deol would be as successful in politics as he was in Bollywood, Anupam Kher said there was nothing called as a successful politician. "The intention of the person, who is elected, should be to serve the people of his constituency. There is nothing called seasoned politician or something like that. The world has changed and youths are very smart," he said. "In fact, they do not like cliches, they like people who are earnest and honest, and who can deliver. From that point of view, politics in the last 10 years has changed a lot. It is a completely different ballgame. Dynast is not going to survive," he said. To a question on elections in Chandigarh from where his wife Kirron Kher is seeking re-election, he said, "Rather than thinking of what the opposition is doing, we should strengthen on positive things. We should say what we can do and that should continue. I do not believe in just criticising the opposition. It is not going to help us." "She (Kirron) has shifted her base from Mumbai to Chandigarh five years back and settled down here. She was not a professional politician and she proves that you do not have to be a professional politician. You have to be a good intention person who wants to work for the betterment of people," Anupam Kher added. New Delhi: Dimple Yadav, the sitting Samajwadi Party Member of Parliament from Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency, on Monday shared the stage with her husband and party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati in Kannauj. Dimple, who is seeking reelection from Kannauj, as the joint candidate of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, was seen taking a blessing of BSP supremo Mayawati on the stage. News agency ANI shared a video in which Dimple is seen touching Mayawati's feet while the latter is about to address a gathering along with Akhilesh. Watch the video here: #WATCH Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav takes blessings of BSP chief Mayawati at a 'mahagathbandhan' rally in Kannauj, earlier today pic.twitter.com/ZGUny3aPET ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 25, 2019 Mayawati today said that she considers Dimple as her daughter-in-law and she shares a special relation with her that will continue. The BSP chief also added that Akhilesh respects her a lot. The BSP supremo appealed the voters to re-elect Samajwadi Party candidate Dimple Yadav by pressing the 'cycle' poll button. Mayawati also urged the voters to ensure transfer of votes to BSP candidates fielded elsewhere as joint nominees of the alliance to ensure a clean sweep by the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh. COLOMBO: A blast was heard on Thursday from vacant land behind the magistrates' court in the town of Pugoda, 40 km (25 miles) east of the capital Colombo, police and local residents said. Police said they were investigating the explosion, which came at a time of high tension in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday suicide bomber attacks on the island state that killed 359 people and wounded about 500. This is a developing story. More details are awaited. On Tuesday, the Islamic State (IS) had claimed responsibility for the attacks and the terror group had also released a picture of terrorists who were involved in carrying out the attacks. Besides releasing the pictures of the terrorists involved in the deadly attacks, IS also revealed their names. According to IS, the attacks were carried out by Abu Ubaida, Abu al-Mukhtar, Abu Khalil, Abu Hamza, Abu al-Barra, Abu Muhammad and Abu Abdullah. The picture released by the IS, however, had eight terrorists and the terror group had revealed the name of only seven men. The IS did not share any information about the eighth man who is also seen standing in the picture. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday confirmed that India had offered specific intelligence and warned the island nation of threats from extremist Islamic groups. "There has always been sharing of information between our 2 countries in regard to terrorism. There was specific intelligence on this," he said. At least 40 people, including the driver of a van allegedly used by the suicide bombers, have been arrested so far in connection with the attacks. Sri Lanka's deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene Wijewardene, most of the suicide bombers were well-educated and belonged to the middle or upper-middle class. He added that the attackers were financially independent and some had law degrees. VLADIVOSTOK: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at a summit designed to show that Washington is not the only power able to set the agenda on Pyongyang`s nuclear programme. The two men will sit down together on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim`s summit with US President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. The summit in Vladivostok - the first ever between Putin and Kim - provides Pyongyang with an opportunity to seek support from a new quarter, Russia, and possible relief from the sanctions hurting its economy. For the Kremlin, the summit is a chance to show it is a global diplomatic player, despite efforts by the United States and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding sanctions until the North dismantles its nuclear programme, analysts said the summit was unlikely to produce any tangible help for Pyongyang, beyond a show of camaraderie. In an interview with Russian state television as his train made a stop off on the journey to Vladivostok, Kim said he was looking forward to useful talks. "I hope that we can discuss concrete questions about peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula, and our bilateral relations," he said through an interpreter. ARMOURED TRAIN Kim Jong Un, making his first trip to Russia as North Korean leader, arrived at the train station in Vladivostok on Wednesday on board an armoured train -- his preferred mode of international transport. After a brief delay while the train had to be repositioned to line up with the red carpet laid out on the platform, he disembarked and headed in a convoy of limousines and minivans across a bridge linking mainland Vladivostok to Russky island, the summit venue. Putin has yet to arrive in Vladivostok. Putin`s last summit with a North Korean leader was in 2002 when his counterpart was Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un`s father and predecessor. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, the Putin lieutenant who was then Russian president. There was heightened security around Vladivostok in preparation for the summit, with an unusually heavy police presence, especially at the university campus on Russky island where the talks will take place. Classes were still in progress on Wednesday but students were having their documents checked on the way in, and vehicles were no longer allowed to enter the campus. The Russian and North Korean flags fluttered from lamp-posts around the university. COLOMBO - Sri Lankan officials revised the death toll from Easter Sunday bombings down by about 100 on Thursday, blaming the difficulty in identifying body parts at bomb scenes for the earlier inaccurate number. The new official figure was 253, down from an earlier 359, Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said. He blamed inaccurate data provided by morgues for the discrepancy. Anil Jasinghe, the director general of Sri Lanka`s health services, told Reuters any figure was an estimate: "It could be 250 or 260. I can`t exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure." The suicide bomb attacks on three churches and four hotels have exposed an intelligence failure, with accusations that warnings had not been acted on and feuds at the top levels of government had undermined security cooperation. This is the new live TV code which is to be used in the stories. Live TV Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks, although he insisted on Thursday that the authorities had been acting in response to intelligence tips from India warning of imminent attacks. "We were working on that. All those agencies were working on that," Fernando told Reuters. He said he had resigned to take responsibility for institutions he ran, but said there had been no failure on his part. Police issued names and photographs of four men and three women wanted in connection with the attacks, as bomb scares and security sweeps kept the country on edge. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities have said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many tourists sitting to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. About 500 people were wounded. Britain on Thursday warned its nationals to avoid the country unless it was absolutely necessary as there could be more attacks. SNAPSHOTS The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. It released a video that showed eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The government said there were nine suicide bombers, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Authorities have focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups - National Thawheed Jama`ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - they believe carried out the attacks. A picture has emerged of a group of nine well-educated, home-grown suicide bombers. Two were brothers, sons of a wealthy spice trader, a source close to the family said. At least 76 people, including several foreigners, have been rounded up since Sunday, but police on Thursday for the first time identified seven people they were looking for and appealed to the public for help in finding them. Photographs, apparently casual snapshots, posted with a wanted notice showed young bearded men, one with a Muslim cap, and three young women, all with headscarves. Fears that more bombers are at large has kept Sri Lanka on edge all week. Authorities locked down the central bank and shut the road to the capital`s airport for part of the day because of bomb scares as communal tension simmered. Office workers in Colombo`s business district were asked to go home early, police said, to avoid vulnerable throngs of people at rush hour. City-centre restaurants also shut early. Police arrested three people and seized 21 locally made grenades and six swords during a raid in Colombo, a spokesman said. He did not give details or suggest that the raid was linked to the suicide bombings. RECRIMINATIONS The bombings shattered the relative calm that has existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago. Sri Lanka`s 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island`s conflict and communal tensions. It seems unlikely that Fernando`s resignation will end the questions and recriminations over why authorities failed to act more effectively to stop the plotters. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in the sharing of intelligence information. Lakshman Kiriella, the leader of parliament, said senior officials had deliberately withheld the intelligence about possible attacks. Both President Maithripala Sirisena and his rival, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, denied seeing the Indian intelligence warnings, officials have said. The president fired Wickremesinghe last October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, fears are growing of a surge of communal tension. Muslims have fled the Negombo region on Sri Lanka`s west coast since scores of worshippers were killed in the bombing of the St. Sebastian church there on Sunday. Hundreds of Pakistani Muslims have left the port city, crammed into buses, after threats of revenge. "The local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses," one of them, Adnan Ali, told Reuters on Wednesday, as he prepared to board a bus. On April 16, Governor Jared Polis signed SB-181, also known as Protect Public Welfare Oil and Gas Operations, into law. The bill, which had originally proposed significant changes to Colorados long-standing oil and gas regulatory system, changed shape as it passed through both the state House and Senate and weathered the amendments that allowed it to land on the Governors desk. While neither the proponents nor the opponents of the bill are entirely satisfied with its final form, its existence, according to Anna Lee Foster, Communications Director of Colorado Rising, the grassroots citizen group behind Prop 112, represents a sea change in how the industry will be controlled and regulated in Colorado. While SB-181 does not address all of the concerns and threats associated with industrial fracking activity, it is a desperately needed tipping back of enormously unbalanced scales in favor of people and environment. SB-181 is the most substantial shift we have seen in decades and puts communities on much better footing when confronted with industrial oil and gas in their backyards, Foster said in a statement. For decades, Colorado residents have pushed for common sense protections (Protect Act, Regulate Oil Gas Operations for Protect Public Safety bill, Operators Liable For Oil And Gas Operations bill, etc.) to prioritize health and safety that have died at the hands of an oil and gas controlled legislature, Foster said. Without the constant pressure and environmental advocacy applied by Colorado Rising and partner organizations, the oil and gas industry would still be operating in its usual haphazard and dangerous manner. Our success in getting Prop 112 on the ballot and securing 45 percent of the electorate despite being outspent at least 40-1 last year, forced lawmakers to take heed to citizen pleas and reckon with this reckless and monied industry. Colorado Petroleum Council (CPC) spokesman Ben Marter said in a statement, Governor Polis signature makes Senate Bill 181 law, which fundamentally alters the natural gas and oil industrys future in the State of Colorado. From the introduction of the measure early last month, our industry vigorously opposed the policy and the process. Senate Bill 181 remains a threat to one of the foundations of Colorados economy. Marter stated, We are appreciative that legislative leaders heard our concerns and worked with us to begin to address them. Colorados energy future is too important to be wielded as a partisan weapon, and all Coloradans deserve to know the consequences of this bill, both intended and unintended. While Senate Bill 181 remains deeply flawed, Governor Polis and state officials have pledged to work with industry to create a reasonable regulatory framework that works for all Coloradans, and we are committed to that process. While the bill moved through several changes in the House and then Senate, there were four key amendments that helped it make it to Governor Polis desk. They included more regulatory power to local governments; a restructuring of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC); more direction in enacting new emissions rules; and adjustment to consent percentages in pooling applications: More regulatory power to local governments means that local governments will have more say in well placement. The bills original language gave localities the power of regulating oil and gas development in order to generally minimize adverse impacts on public health and the environment, and this language remained mostly intact as the bill matured. However, final amendments limit that power to regulating the surface impacts of oil and gas development, and have also tailored local impact minimization measures to the extent necessary and reasonable to protect public health, safety, and welfare and the environment, leaving some room for interpretation. There will now be a technical review board procedure to provide qualified input on local well siting determinations, allowing a locality or operator to request that COGCC-appointed experts report on the technical and operational suitability of the localitys preliminary or final well siting decision, with the stipulation that local governments will not be required to reconsider or amend siting decisions based on technical review board reports. The restructuring of the COGCC must be final by July 1, 2020. The current COGCC de-emphasized oil and gas qualifications among its nine members, but the revamped COGCC will have seven members, including at least one member with substantial experience or formal training in the oil and gas industry; planning and land use; environmental and wildlife protection or reclamation; and public health. The mission of the COGCC has shifted substantially, as well, from fostering the growth of the oil and gas sector to regulating it and prioritizing the protection of public safety, health, welfare, and the environment in the regulation of the oil and gas industry. As far as the bills impact on enacting new emission rules, SB-181 now directs the COGCC to re-examine its existing rules and consider stricter requirements with respect to: leak detection and repair; pipeline inspection; emissions from pneumatic tools (e.g. gas-driven pumps and compressors); and continuous methane monitoring at facilities with large emissions potential, at multi-well facilities, and at facilities in close proximity to occupied dwellings. Conversely, the new law no longer requires emissions monitoring installation at every oil and gas facility in the state. Forced pooling only underwent some minor changes with the new law. The original language of SB-181 would have required a 50 percent minimum consent threshold on forced pooling applications and a 15 percent statutory royalty on oil and gas for non-consenting, unleased owners. The final bill instead requires consent to be pooled from parties comprising 45 percent of the interest of reasonably locatable owners and a statutory pooled royalty of 13 percent on oil and 16 percent on gas. As expected, ballot initiatives are already in the works to attempt to reverse and repeal the new regulations. As with any new law and revamped regulations to such a large industry, the impacts, both positive and negative, are unknown. According to the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, about 30,000 people are directly employed by the oil and gas industry in Colorado. And there is certain language in some last-minute amendments that requires any new rule change be "reasonable and necessary. Dan Haley, president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said, We feel like that adds a degree of certainty for our industry. Others feel as though that amendment leaves too much interpretation as to what the industry might find unreasonable. "I think there are some concerning amendments that open up local governments and even the state to litigation," said Colorado Risings Foster. Culture / Events With freshly shucked oysters, the sand between your toes and a sunset as your cinema backdrop, Peroni Sunset Cinema on SIngapores Sentosa Beach is here to redefine and exceed your cinema expectations Apr 25, 2019 | By Angelyn Tan After previous years sold out editions, Peroni Sunset Cinema is back again. As the sun sets, Sentosas Tanjong Beach becomes an experiential lifestyle venue for Peroni, where one can enjoy the windy outdoors in a relaxed setting of drinks, dinner, live DJs and eventually, film on Singapores most iconic beach. Peroni Sunset Cinema Returns for its 3rd Edition, 2nd to 15th May Italian beer brand, Peroni, enhances your weekend drinking experience once again with the 3rd edition of the Peroni Sunset Cinema, happening from 2nd to 15th May. Tropical sunset, gourmet food and award-winning academy films, Peroni Sunset Cinema is back again after its previous two sell-out editions at Sentosas Tanjong Beach. Outdoor film parties like Films At The Fort held at Fort Canning and Open Air Film Club Singapore at The Hive have been ongoing for the last few years but none carry the same panache and style as Peroni Sunset Cinema. Peroni redefines the cinema experience with a more elevated offering. The highly-anticipated open-air cinema brings together a selection of Academy Award-level films featuring well-received films like audience favourite Green Book, the iconic Bohemian Rhapsody, and the highly discussed A Star is Born, Other curated titles for the latest edition of Peroni Sunset Cinema includes Widows, a crime thriller revolving around four women left with nothing but a debt from their dead husbands corrupted activities; A Private War, chronicling the life of a war journalist, the fearless Marie Colvin; and The Old Man and The Gun, Robert Redfords final role before retirement in a true story about a career robber who escaped from prison multiple times. Do not miss Clint Eastwood as a penniless man who unknowingly signed up to be a drug courier for a Mexican cartel in The Mule, and Emma Thompson in The Children Act, where she faces a decision that could change a teenagers life. Adding on, the origin story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the famed second female justice (after Sandra Day OConnor) of four to be confirmed to the US Supreme Court, comes to life with the duo of Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer in On The Basis of Sex. The beach cinema pair films with ice-cold Peroni beers, a pre-show DJ and comfortable European-summer Deck Chairs or Folding Beach Chairs. With noise-cancelling headphones, you get to immerse yourself in record-breaking and critically acclaimed soundtracks like Shallow performed by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga from A Star is Born. With personal volume control, patrons get to enjoy a silent-cinema experience and tune out everything else but the film. Doors open at 5pm with screenings kicking off at 7.45pm. Be sure to arrive early to enjoy dinner whipped up by Tanjong Beach Club and Peroni beers by the beach. The ticket includes a deck chair seat and wireless headphones. Complimentary shuttle bus is available after the show between 9:15PM and 10:15 PM. Tickets for Key Showings at Peroni Sunset Cinema are running out. Book here. Apr 25, 2019 | By Jonathan Ho Founded in 2000 by the 3rd generation of the family to improve the quality of life around the world, the spirit of Ermenegildo Zegna lives on in Fondazione Zegna. In funding sustainable projects in cooperation with no-profit organisations both in their native Italy and abroad, the brands values- moral and business ethics, and aesthetics, handed down from their namesake founder. Calling its headquarters in Biella and Trivero where the Ermenegildo Zegna Wool Mill was first birthed in 1910, Fondazione Zegnas philanthropic endeavours across a wide genre of social issues from environmental concerns to ensuring health and wellbeing for children, thrives in Casa Zegna which houses the brands archives and a plethora of culturally enriching activities including AllPerto, a site-specific contemporary art project. Fondazione Zegna launches Exhibition Padre e Figlio Father and Son This is the point: it is all about leaving a legacy for our fathers.- M. Pistoletto On 17 April 2019, Franco Ferraris, president of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Biella, the artist Michelangelo Pistoletto, the founder of Cittadellarte Fondazione Pistoletto, Anna Zegna, president of the Fondazione Zegna, and the curator of the exhibition Alberto Fiz inaugurated the exhibition Exhibition Padre e Figlio Father and Son; a curated body of work of Michelangelo Pistoletto and that of his father Ettore Pistoletto Olivero. Three venues for a single exhibition project set up by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Biella, Cittadellarte Fondazione Pistoletto and Fondazione Zegna, Padre e Figlio Father and Son, explores the work of Michelangelo Pistoletto, one of the most important figures on the international art scene, and that of his father Ettore, a celebrated landscape and still-life painter, represent the starting point for a detailed examination of the relationship between father and son in its many different forms and consequences. Padre e Figlio Father and Son presents more than one hundred works including paintings, mirror paintings, installations, light-boxes, videos and photographs, complemented with video-dialogues held between curator Alberto Fiz and President of Fondazione Zegna, Anna Zegna, expressing a concept of the father-son relationship which is not unidirectional: leaving a legacy for our fathers, instead of simply leaving children with the responsibility of communicating the knowledge and interests of their parents. The rich and variegated exhibition allows a multi-layered reading of a very topical theme. Taking cues from the dialogue between Michelangelo Pistoletto and his father, it is possible to examine the concepts of historic and subjective time, as well as the need to accept the differences which can, at times, even result in a form of intimate complicity, Alberto Fiz The exhibition is located in three iconic venues in the Biella area: Palazzo Gromo Losa, a period mansion which has been restored and donated to the city by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Biella, Cittadellarte Fondazione Pistoletto, and Casa Zegna, the home of the historic archive and an exhibition space belonging to the foundation of the same name. This theme of reflection which is a consequence of this view of the parent-child relationship in this case also coinciding with that of master-apprentice is presented in articulated and at times provocative combinations proposed by the exhibition layout. Incidentally, Padre e Figlio Father and Son will be taking place during a very important year for the city of Biella, which in 2019 will be submitting its candidacy for the UNESCO Creative Cities network, with Michelangelo Pistoletto himself as the official ambassador for the project. Michelangelo Pistoletto has created a symbol of the Third Paradise dedicated to the candidacy and has already had its ambassadors throughout the world sign a manifesto. I candidacy received more than 100 letters of support from all over the world. Biella, an active manufacturing area where modern industry is carrying forward a centuries-old tradition handed down from father to son, is a virtuous example of how art and entrepreneurship can actively collaborate, providing benefits not only for the local economy but also focusing on the creation of places for socialisation and culture. Dow Transportation Stocks Sector Is Testing Resistance The DOW Transportation Index continues to test resistance near $10,050 as earnings drive the NQ well past historical all-time highs. Our interest in the Transportation Index is because it acts as a fundamental indicator for the US and global economies in terms of future transportation/shipping expectations. When the Transportation Index rises, it is a good sign that business and consumers have faith in the future economy and the continued demand for goods to be supplied to retailers and distribution centers. The fact that the TRAN is back to near December 2018 highs means we have reached an expected economic expansion level that equals that level just before Christmas 2018. A continued rally would push expectations even higher going into the Summer months. With earnings hitting the market hard today driving a strong rally in almost all the major US stock indexes, we are surprised that the TRAN did not move a bit higher on the news. Should the resistance level near $11,050 continue to operate as a ceiling for the TRAN, well know soon enough as price should begin to move back below $11,000 and possibly attempt to retest $10,800. A key Fibonacci trigger level currently rests near $10,800 that would indicate a potential for a new bearish trend if this level is broken. This Weekly TRAN chart, below, highlights just how important the current resistance level really is. This $11,050 level actually plays a key role in the 2018 price rotation and is the key resistance level for the December 2018 rotation peak. As weve continually suggested, Fibonacci price theory suggests that price must always attempt to establish new price highs or new price lows. If this new price high, above the $11,050 fails, then price should attempt to rotate lower and attempt to break the $10,000 low level created in early April 2019. We suggest traders take a very cautious long-biased stance in the markets right now. Weakness could come out of the shadows fairly quickly as earnings hit. The Iran Oil news hit the markets quickly on Monday. We could wake up to some dire earnings news this week that could send the markets lower and push some of these resistance levels into a topping formation. Additionally, as you look at this Weekly chart, pay attention to the fact that we could be setting up a Right Shoulder of a Head-n-Shoulders pattern if new all-time highs are not reached. There are many ways to attempt to read this chart and the TRAN should lead the markets if a price move does breakout. Our research says we should continue to see an upward price bias for at least another 10~35+ days before any real sign of weakness shows up. We are still urging traders to take a very cautious approach to their trading until we see the TRAN break to new highs. We feel it is wise to trade this area very cautiously over the next 30+ days. Get My Swing Trade Signals Today! Click Here 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. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. 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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. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Minister Peter Tinley (2nd from left) visits Australian Interflour Company in Ba Ria Vung Tau province. (Photo: congthuong.vn) According to Minister Peter Tinley, West Australia state has a dynamic Vietnamese Australian community. In a recent population survey, up to 15,845 people born in Vietnam are living in the state, an increase of 24.6% compared to 2011. Vietnamese people have made important contribution to the states economic development and community, he said, adding that he hoped to bring cooperation opportunities to Vietnamese people in the state. Vietnam is the 16th largest trade partner of West Australia state, with two-way turnover of over AUD1.2 billion in the 2017-2018 financial year. Meanwhile, West Australia state has developed a strong trade and investment relationship, as well as important cultural and historical relationship, with Vietnam. The close geographical distance between West Australia state and Asia brings with advantages and cooperation opportunities in different areas, including education, trade, investment and tourism. Additionally, since 1990, Vietnam has been listed among countries with world leading growth in GDP per capita, at an average of 6.4% in the 2000s. Therefore, the two sides share similarities in economics and culture. During the visit, Minister Peter Tinley had meetings with leaders of economic sectors, and representatives of authorities and businesses./. [April 25, 2019] Cloud Investor Battery Ventures Reveals the 25 Highest-Rated Public and 50 Highest-Rated Private Cloud-Computing Companies to Work For Battery Ventures, a global investment firm that backs cloud companies, has for the third year revealed the 25 Highest Rated Public Cloud Computing Companies to Work For, as well as the 50 Highest Rated Private Cloud Computing Companies to Work For, with data specifically provided to Battery from Glassdoor.* This year's lists highlight a number of new, fast-growing cloud firms-including many based outside traditional technology centers like Silicon Valley-as well as publicly traded, business-focused cloud companies that continue to be rewarded for positive company culture. The companies on both lists represent those where employees report the highest levels of satisfaction at work, according to employee feedback shared on Glassdoor, one of the world's largest job and recruiting sites. "Glassdoor is on a mission to help people everywhere find a job and company they love through greater workplace transparency," said Robert Hohman, Glassdoor co-founder and CEO. "For the third year, Battery Ventures found in an independent study of Glassdoor data the top cloud companies based on employee sentiment. We are proud to help shed light, through our data, on employers that work hard to create and grow strong company cultures. In today's competitive hiring environment a strong company culture can make all the difference in attracting and retaining top talent." This year, marketing-and-sales software company HubSpot took top honors on the public-company list for the second year in a row. But on the private-company list, all of the top five cloud companies are new to the rankings-and five of the top 10 are not based in California. The No. 1 private company, product-experience software provider Pendo.io, is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. Pendo.io was too small, in terms of employee count, to make the list last year. Additionally, eight of the top 50 private companies from the 2018 list went public or have been acquired in the last year. These companies include PagerDuty, Duo Security, Smartsheet, Pluralsight, Carbon Black, SendGrid, Datorama and TrendKite*. "These exits underscore the fact that to succeed in the public markets or be acquired today, a cloud company not only has to have a great product, management team and go-to-market strategy-it has to focus on cultivating a great culture as well," said Neeraj Agrawal, a Battery general partner who specializes in cloud investing. "It's also telling that it continues to get tougher each year to make our list, showing that companies can't rest on their laurels when it comes to promoting employee happiness in today's brisk tech-hiring market." Agrawal served on the board of Glassdoor before its acquisition by Japan's Recruit Holdings last year. "We believe that a great product attracts lots of great customers in the same way that a great culture attracts lots of great employees," added Brian Halligan, CEO and co-founder of HubSpot. "From very early on, we've worked hard to make HubSpot a great place to work and I'm happy to see that the employees feel that way. A big thank you to our employees who have shared their perspective of what it's like to work at HubSpot. At the same time, building a great culture is something that is never done, so we'll continue to evolve it and improve it, so it scales with size and time." Battery's Agrawal added that all the innovative companies on both lists this year are powering the trend of businesses increasingly turning to the cloud to run critical technology systems and software, instead of using on-premise systems. The highest-rated companies on both lists sell cloud technology in a range of areas, including sales, marketing, human resources, social-media management and industries like construction and trucking. To qualify for the list, private cloud companies were required to have more than 200 employees; at least 30 employee reviews on Glassdoor; and have raised funding since July 2015. Public companies required at least $500 million in total enterprise value as of the end of Q1 2019, according to CapIQ. (A more detailed explanation of the list methodology is below.) The reports also include data on whether employees approve, or disapprove, of their companies' CEOs and gauge their views on how their companies' businesses will perform in the next six months (though these additional data points did not impact the overall company ratings or rankings). For reporting simplicity, the company ratings below are rounded to the nearest tenth of a point, though actual calculations extend beyond the thousandth decimal place to determine rank. The ratings are based on a five-point scale, with 1.0 denoting "very dissatisfied", 3.0 indicating "OK" and 5.0 signaling "very satisfied." Many third-party studies show that companies with high employee satisfaction often post stronger financial performance. Here are the highest-rated public and private cloud-computing companies to work. Full lists of the 25 Highest Rated Public Cloud Companies and the 50 Highest Rated Private Companies can be found here. 25 Highest Rated Public Cloud Companies to Work For (Top 10) Rank Company Company Rating CEO Approval Rating CEO % Positive Biz Outlook 1 HubSpot 4.6 97% Brian Halligan 90% 2 The Ultimate Software Group 4.5 97% Scott Scherr 90% 3 Elastic 4.5 97% Shay Banon 91% 4 DocuSign 4.4 97% Dan Springer 89% 5 Guidewire Software 4.4 97% Marcus Ryu 88% 6 Paylocity 4.4 97% Steve Beauchamp 88% 7 Eventbrite 4.4 96% Julia Hartz 85% 8 Zendesk 4.3 95% Mikkel Svane 83% 9 Smartsheet 4.3 98% Mark Mader 85% 10 AppFolio 4.3 99% Jason Randall 85% 50 Highest Rated Private Cloud Companies to Work For (Top 25) Rank Company Company Rating CEO Approval Rating CEO % Positive Biz Outlook 1 Pendo* 4.9 98% Todd Olson (News - Alert) 98% 2 Sysdig 4.9 100% Suresh Vasudevan 100% 3 Highspot 4.9 98% Robert Wahbe 98% 4 Instapage 4.9 97% Tyson Quick 97% 5 Dataiku* 4.9 98% Florian Douetteau 97% 6 SalesLoft 4.9 99% Kyle Porter 99% 7 Zoom*** 4.9 99% Eric Yuan 97% 8 Asana 4.9 100% Dustin Moskovitz (News - Alert) 95% 9 Sonatype 4.8 100%** E. Wayne Jackson III 100% 10 Sprout (News - Alert) Social 4.8 99% Justyn Howard 96% 11 Amplitude* 4.8 100% Spenser Skates 98% 12 Segment 4.8 100% Peter Reinhardt 98% 13 nCino 4.8 99% Pierre Naude 97% 14 Confluent 4.8 100% Jay Kreps 98% 15 KeepTruckin 4.7 98% Shoaib Makani 94% 16 Procore 4.7 99% Tooey Courtemanche 93% 17 Greenhouse Software 4.7 95% Daniel Chait 95% 18 Lucid Software 4.7 100% Karl Sun 93% 19 Auth0 4.7 100%** Eugenio Pace 88% 20 BounceX* 4.7 96% Ryan Urban 91% 21 Looker 4.7 98% Frank Bien 94% 22 Justworks 4.7 99% Isaac Oates 95% 23 Podium 4.7 95% Eric Rea 94% 24 Outreach 4.6 100%** Manny Medina 93% 25 BambooHR 4.6 97% Ben Peterson 91% Employees at these highly rated companies commonly mention in online reviews that they enjoy working for mission-driven companies with strong and unique company cultures; employers that embrace and promote transparency; and companies with experienced senior leadership teams who regularly and clearly communicate with employees. Here is a sample of what employees have to say: "They care about employees as people, not just part of a balance sheet. They are transparent when something isn't working and how they are going to fix it. People care about their work and their colleagues. People are respectful of one another. (Executives are) very present and engaged no matter what your title is." - Current employee, HubSpot, marketing - Current employee, HubSpot, marketing "The product is incredible. Anyone in software appreciates the concept and the execution. The work environment is super positive and supportive. You win and lose as a team, but your individual success and happiness are held in equal measure. My peers are talented, driven, honest, and brilliant and I am better for them." - Current employee, Pendo Glassdoor offers millions of the latest job listings online, paired with 47 million workplace reviews and insights for approximately 900,000 companies around the world. Currently, the average company rating on Glassdoor is 3.41. When an employee submits a company review on Glassdoor, he or she is asked to give their opinion on some of the best reasons to work for their employer (pros), any downsides (cons), and is encouraged to provide advice to management. Employees are also asked to rate how satisfied they are with their employer overall, among several other workplace attributes employees can rate and review. Methodology: The private- and public-company reports identify cloud computing companies that are highest rated on Glassdoor, based on company ratings shared by employees. To be considered, a cloud company must have received at least 30 company reviews on Glassdoor as of 3/21/19. The private-company report tracks independent, non-public cloud companies that, according to Battery research and data from research service Crunchbase, are based in the U.S.; have a B2B business model; are categorized as SaaS (News - Alert), cloud-computing and/or enterprise software, according to Crunchbase; have more than 200 employees (as of 4/12/2019, according to company data provided to LinkedIn and Battery research); and have raised funding on or after 7/01/2015). The public-company report tracks public cloud companies with a B2B business model that have at least $500 million in total enterprise value as of March 31, 2019, according to CapIQ. A company's CEO approval rating and positive business outlook rating-indicating the percentage of employees who believe their employer's business will get better in the next six months-was not taken into account to determine rank or overall company rating on either list, though we display these added data points for additional insight into each of these companies. *By a company name denotes a current or past Battery investment. For a full list of all Battery investments and exits, please click here. **Next to CEO approval rating or positive business outlook rating denotes that data is based on less than 30 ratings. ***Denotes a private company that went public or was acquired after 3/21/19 The information provided is solely intended for the use of entrepreneurs, corporate CEOs and founders regarding Battery Ventures' potential financing capabilities for prospective portfolio companies. The information is current as of the date it was published. The contents are not intended to be used in the investment decision-making process related to any product or fund managed by Battery Ventures. No assumption should be made that the investments identified above were or will be profitable. It should also not be assumed that recommendations made in the future will be profitable or equal the performance of the companies identified above. Battery Ventures has no obligation to update, modify or amend the content of this report nor notify its readers in the event that any information, opinion, projection, forecast or estimate included, changes or subsequently becomes inaccurate. About Battery Ventures Battery strives to invest in cutting-edge, category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, Web infrastructure, consumer Internet, mobile and industrial technologies. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at stages ranging from seed to private equity and invests globally from offices in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, London, Israel and New York. Follow the firm on Twitter (News - Alert) @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005294/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] Black & Veatch Retains Engineering News-Record Top Ranking in Telecommunications Driven to help clients meet their goals for a connected future through rapid growth in densification of high speed wireless and wireline networks, Black & Veatch (News - Alert) has retained the top global telecommunications ranking among U.S.-based engineering companies in Engineering News-Record's "Top 500 Design Firms" report. The rankings, released Thursday, place Black & Veatch's Telecommunications business at No. 1 for the ninth time in the past 10 years, reflecting the company's leadership status among global engineering, construction and consulting companies. Numerous trends are driving the company's telecommunications success, including continual client demand for high-speed/low latency public- and private-network broadband networks. In addition, economic development and public safety goals are driving investments in smart city/connected communities strategies that include robust network deployment programs. International demand for Black & Veatch's diverse set of infrastructure services - including power generation and delivery, renewable energy, and water and wastewater treatment - fueled the company's performance in ENR's power and water rankings. The rankings come as utilities embrace new technologies that are reshaping power generation, transmission and distribution. Many organizations are advancing their systems through aggressive grid modernization, deploying smart devices, predictive analytics and active network management strategies. These new technologies are meeting old challenges posed by aging infrastructure assets as customers increasingly demand clean energy, reliability and a lowered carbon footprint. "In each case, the development of these systems requires new approaches to network design, project construction and execution. For Black & Veatch, that requires greater reliance on the cross-functional capabilities of our global resources," said Steve Edwards (News - Alert), Black & Veatch's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We recognize that our clients are evolving and need us to bring more comprehensive, integrated solutions that are part of a complete infrastructure system." The newly released list, which places Black & Veatch 12th overall on the Top 500 list and no. 9 in the Top 50 Designers in International Markets list, placed the diversified company second in power, fifth in water and sixth in sewer/wastewater. Black & Veatch projects in 2018 included: ELECTRIFY AMERICA: Black & Veatch continued design and construction work of hundreds of sites for Electrify America's high-powered DC Fast Chargers, part of a nationwide network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that will dramatically reduce charging times and raise convenience for EV consumers. Electrify America's ultra-fast electric vehicle chargers are capable of delivering enough energy for up to 20 miles of range per minute - or seven times faster than today's 50kW DC chargers. SHELL MICROGRID: Black & Veatch designed, procured and constructed a microgrid for Shell, which is using it to generate power while it also serves as a working test lab to explore advancements in renewable energy. Shell's microgrid is intended to speed the adoption of technology by helping researchers better understand the challenges of integrating the components to provide safe, seamless, and reliable power to consumers. WASTEWATER-ULU PANDAN: The Singapore Public Utilities Board's wastewater treatment demonsration plant at Ulu Pandan was set up to test advanced used water treatment processes before full deployment in the future. The project captured global attention and won the Water/Wastewater Project of the Year Award at the 2018 Global Water Awards. The plant, jointly developed by PUB and a Black & Veatch + AECOM Joint Venture, enables PUB to test and validate advanced wastewater treatment technologies, allowing it to mitigate operating risks before incorporating the technologies at a larger scale, at the future Tuas WRP. When completed, Tuas WRP will be the world's largest membrane bioreactor (MBR) facility, with a 30 percent more compact footprint compared to conventional plants. TENASKA WESTMORELAND GENERATING STATION: Westmoreland Station began commercial operation ahead of schedule in December 2018 and features the first and only U.S. installation of fast-start MHPS J Series gas turbine generators. The 926-megawatt plant included a 500 Kv switchyard and switching station, as well as 1.5 miles of power transmission lines to connect the plant to the PJM grid. GOOGLE-RENEWABLES: Diode Ventures, a Black & Veatch company, was selected to finance and develop a solar farm of up to 10 megawatts in Tainan City, Taiwan that will help expand Google's position as the world's largest purchaser of renewable energy. Black & Veatch will provide owner's engineering and construction management services. LNG-PRICO: Full commercial operations began aboard Golar LNG's Hilli Episeyo, the pioneering floating liquified natural gas vessel featuring Black & Veatch's patented PRICO technology solution. The first two cargos of LNG produced aboard the ship left Cameroon, marking a major milestone in global market confidence in FLNG solutions. In April 2019, Black & Veatch earned a full notice to proceed on work to jointly outfit another Golar vessel, the Gimi, with PRICO liquefaction technology. BATTERY STORAGE: Black & Veatch completed 25 first-of-a-kind Hybrid Electric Buildings in Irvine, California, part of the company's efforts in support of Advanced Microgrid Solutions' (AMS) commitment to provide Southern California Edison (News - Alert) (SCE) with 50 megawatts of behind-the-meter battery storage capacity. Black & Veatch is providing site design, electrical engineering, permitting and construction services for AMS (News - Alert) across several property portfolios. HYPERLOOP: Black & Veatch, in partnership with Virgin Hyperloop One, released findings of a feasibility study to determine the potential for a Hyperloop route connecting Kansas City and St. Louis along Interstate 70. Hyperloop conceptually involves whisking passengers and cargo in pods hundreds of miles per hour through a low-pressure tube. Backers of the technology's application in Missouri say such a trip between Kansas City and St. Louis would take roughly a half hour, far below the four hours required to drive it now. Black & Veatch, in the feasibility study released in October 2018, deemed the project commercially plausible, given that a leading possible route - the Interstate 70 corridor linking those two regional hubs - already is relatively flat and straight. GROUNDWATER REPLENISHMENT SYSTEM FINAL EXPANSION: Black & Veatch completed final design of the Groundwater Replenishment System Final Expansion in Orange (News - Alert) County, CA. The project is the world's largest advanced water purification system for potable reuse. Black & Veatch also designed the initial expansion of the facility, which brought capacity to 100 million gallons per day. When construction is completed, the plant will have capacity for 130 million gallons per day. YORKSHIRE WATER DYNAMIC MAINTENANCE PLANNING: In the United Kingdom, Black & Veatch is implementing a lean reliability-centered maintenance program encompassing Yorkshire Water's entire asset base. This program, which features innovative use of data and mobile technology, enables the implementation of an effective predictive maintenance initiative covering 695 water and wastewater treatment works and 83,000 kilometers of water and sewerage pipes. Editor's Notes: Demand for Black & Veatch's services is being met by more than 11,000 professionals who deliver and support engineering, construction, procurement, consulting and technology solutions. Engineering News-Record is a 101-year-old industry publication of BNP Media. ENR provides news, analysis, commentary and data that construction industry professionals use to do their jobs more effectively. is a 101-year-old industry publication of BNP Media. ENR provides news, analysis, commentary and data that construction industry professionals use to do their jobs more effectively. The Top 500 Rankings are based on revenues within Black & Veatch's individual business lines. About Black & Veatch Black & Veatch is an employee-owned, global leader in building critical human infrastructure in Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Government Services. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries through consulting, engineering, construction, operations and program management. Our revenues in 2018 were US$3.5 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and in social media. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005787/en/ [April 25, 2019] WebDesign309 Makes Waves with New Florida Offices TAMPA, Fla., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- WebDesign309, a top website design and online marketing company, expands its business to the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Orlando markets. With an excellent reputation and various locations throughout the Midwest, and an office already successfully serving clients in Key West, WebDesign309 is taking the next steps to begin offering their services to help more of Florida's local businesses grow and succeed. "After successfully building a South Florida client portfolio, and seeing this work help clients' significantly increase revenue and market-share, establishing offices in the Tampa Bay and Orlando markets will allow us to help more Florida businesses achieve new growth and drive bottom-line results," Chris Malone, Chief Operating Officer of WebDesign309, had to say about the expansion. "I began my marketing career in Clearwater, and this is a market that we are genuinely passionate about. The Tampa and Orlando areas offer so much, in terms of talent and creativity, and we saw a chance to not only bring new jobs to these markets but to do so in a way to help companies grow in a meaningful and aggressive manner through effective webste development and digital marketing." As a full-service digital marketing agency, WebDesign309 provides services perfect for both new and established companies. Such services include custom website design, ecommerce sites, mobile web development, search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), social media promotion and traditional media marketing. WebDesign309's portfolio encompasses hundreds of clients, such as home services contractors, physicians, attorneys, e-commerce companies and more. They continue to develop new websites focused on conversion and craft digital ad strategies for small companies and national brands alike. Unique in comparison to companies of similar nature, WebDesign309 produces the entirety of their digital marketing campaigns in-house. "Unlike most agencies, we have made the intentional decision to run every client campaign in-house," explained Malone. "For our clients, this means we can react more quickly to market trends, ensure they aren't paying unnecessary fees, and ultimately deliver an ROI superior to other agencies." To learn more about WebDesign309, visit them online at www.webdesign309.com. WebDesign309 is a leading integrated marketing agency with the broad expertise required to grow your business. They specialize in building performance-based client campaigns leveraging SEM, SEO, Social Media, Programmatic Digital Video and Display Ads, Reputation Management, Website Development & Traditional Media. You can contact WebDesign309 at 813-461-5095. Their corporate office is located at 7620 N. University St., Ste. 109, Peoria, IL 61614. Contact: Chris Malone Phone: Tampa, FL: 813-461-5095 | Peoria, IL: 309-213-9398 Email: [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/webdesign309-makes-waves-with-new-florida-offices-300838354.html SOURCE WebDesign309 [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com/wimax's Homepage ] Minister of Public Security To Lam and Under Secretary General of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Voronkov (Photo: VNA) During his talks with Under Secretary General of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Voronkov in New York on April 22nd, Lam said since its establishment nearly 74 years ago, the UN with 193 member states has affirmed its important role in ensuring sustainable peace and world order. Vietnam recognises the UNs significant role in strengthening coordination and linking global efforts to deal with terrorism more effectively, he said, adding that Vietnam has taken reaped success in implementing the UNs global counter-terrorism strategy. He said Vietnam will carry out the UN Security Councils resolutions on terrorism prevention, stand ready to host international conferences on border control, join projects and initiatives on aviation security management and join the UNs regional conferences scheduled for later this year in Belarus and the UN High-Level Conference on Counter-Terrorism in 2020. According to Lam, Vietnam will take the role of ASEAN Chair in 2020 and will closely work with the UN together with other ASEAN member states in efforts to combat terrorists. Vietnam wants to make further contributions to ensuring global peace and security and run for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure, he said. Voronkov, for his part, spoke highly of work between the UN agencies and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security in the fight against terrorism over the years, especially in personnel training, experience and information sharing, and joining radicalisation prevention projects, ensuring aviation security and preventing funding for terror activities. The same day, Lam held a working session with the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the UN, detailing Vietnams security and order in early 2019 and the outcomes of work between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the UN over the years. He lauded the mission for fully follow the Party and States external policy, serving as a bridge in diplomatic ties and promoting multilateral ties in diverse areas. Lam hoped the mission will urge the UN to work with Vietnamese agencies and the Ministry of Public Security to launch projects, especially assisting Vietnam in training and sharing of experience in addressing non-traditional security challenges./. Hattal-Taylor Post looking for new members Mr. Boubou Cisse (Source: Reuters) The President of the Republic has decided to name Doctor Boubou Cisse to the function of Prime Minister, Keitas office said in a statement. Former Finance Minister Boubou Cisse, has been tasked with forming a "broad government" to stem the bloodshed in the country, the presidential office announced in a statement on April 22nd. Cisse began his career as an economist for the World Bank in Washington, D.C. in 2005. In 2008, he was promoted to principal economist and project director of its Human Development Division. He later worked in Nigeria and Niger as a resident representative for the World Bank. He served as Minister of Industry and Mines in 2013, Minister of Mines in April 2014 and Minister of Economy and Finance in 2016. Mali's former Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga and his government resigned last week after a massacre of almost 160 herders from the Fulani community by an ethnic vigilante group in the town of Ogossagou shocked the nation. While no reason was given for the move, it came amid heavy criticism that Mr. Maiga had failed to deal with the country's worsening security situation./. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. RTHK: Putin, Kim start talks aiming to forge stable ties Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-un met face-to-face for the first time on Thursday, vowing to seek closer ties as they look to counter US influence. The summit in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok comes with Kim locked in a nuclear stand-off with Washington and Putin keen to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint. The two leaders shook hands in the city of Vladivostok and shared smiles as they met and gave brief statements before heading in for the talks, held at a university campus on the Pacific port city's Russky island. Both said they were looking to strengthen historic ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il-sung. Praising the two countries' "long friendship and history", Kim said he hoped to turn the modern relationship with Moscow into a "more stable and sound one". "As the world is focused on the Korean peninsula, I think we will hold a very meaningful dialogue," Kim said. Putin said the visit would give a boost to bilateral ties and help Moscow understand "what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are currently taking place" in the peninsula. Putin also said there was "a lot to do" to develop economic relations between the two countries. The meeting was Kim's first one-on-one talks with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal in February. Among the issues likely to be on the table is the fate of some 10,000 North Korean labourers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Kim, whose government has told the United Nations it is facing food shortfalls this year, will also be keen to see Moscow continue or boost its aid. For Putin, the summit is a chance to push Russia's agenda of opposing US international influence. In an interview with China's official People's Daily published on Thursday, Putin lashed out at "countries claiming sole global leadership". "They carelessly trample on the norms and principles of international law, resort to blackmail, sanctions and pressure, and try to force their values and dubious ideals on entire countries and populations," said Putin, who is heading to China after the talks for another summit. The Vladivostok meeting follows repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera hold talks ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera held talks in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China and Chile should take joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative as a new opportunity to deepen political mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation, and push the China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, Xi said. Xi said the two countries should promote the upgrading of bilateral trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as mining, clean energy, telecommunication, e-commerce, technological innovation and Antarctic science. Efforts should be made to better hold a series of celebrations next year that will mark the 50th anniversary of China-Chile diplomatic relations, and boost people-to-people ties, he said. China supports Chile in hosting the UN climate change summit and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting this year, and will work with Chile to push forward the construction of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and uphold multilateralism as well as the multilateral trading system, said Xi. The nature of cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries is South-South cooperation, and the two sides should continue to support and help each other, complement each other with respective strengths, pursue win-win cooperation, so as to achieve common development and rejuvenation, and jointly forge a community with a shared future between China and Latin America, he said. Pinera said Chile and China had achieved marked progress in bilateral relationship since the two countries established diplomatic ties. Chile supports joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance connectivity among regions, Pinera said. Chile hopes to learn from China's achievements in innovation-driven development and green development, and expand bilateral cooperation in such areas, he said. Pinera also noted that Chile would enhance coordination and cooperation with China on regional and multilateral affairs, and continue to play an exemplary role in promoting relations between Latin America and China. After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents. 5 1 [ Editor: WPY ] Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Toshihiro Nikai, Japanese prime minister's special envoy and secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Toshihiro Nikai, Japanese prime minister's special envoy and secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) in Beijing. Noting China-Japan relations are back on normal track and gaining positive momentum, Xi said the two sides should abide by the principles affirmed in the four China-Japan political documents, adhere to the general direction of peace and friendship, continue to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties. The two countries should implement their political consensus that "they never pose a threat to each other" and "they are cooperative partners supporting each other's peaceful development," and push bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields to a new level, Xi said. The two sides should tap the potential for cooperation, Xi noted. China welcomes Japan's continued and in-depth participation in China's reform and opening up, and hopes that Japan will play a more active role in jointly building the Belt and Road, Xi said. The two sides should strengthen communication and coordination, jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade, and promote the building of an open world economy, Xi said, adding that China supports Japan in hosting the G20 Osaka Summit. As this year is the China-Japan Youth Exchange Promotion Year, Xi said the two sides should sow the seeds of friendship among the people of the two countries, especially among the youth, to promote people-to-people ties. Nikai delivered a letter signed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Xi and said it is gratifying that Japan-China relations are back on track. Nikai said he is deeply touched by President Xi's views on bilateral relations. The Belt and Road Initiative put forward by Xi is a grand vision with great potential, Nikai said, adding that the Japanese side appreciates China's important contributions to the world and the region through this initiative. As the special envoy of the prime minister to attend the BRF, Nikai said Japan is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in this regard and support extensive exchanges between various sectors of the two countries, especially among the youth. Xi accepted Abe's letter and asked Nikai to convey his regards to Abe. 2 1 [ Editor: WPY ] Work is nearing completion on the towns 10-year planning roadmap. The state requires communities to update their Plan of Conservation and Development every 10 years to ensure theyre in line with state goals and regulations for planning, economic development, conservation, transportation and infrastructure. A public information session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 30, where Plainville residents will learn about the initiatives and policies being considered in the towns 10-year-plan. If people have visions for the town, now's the time to speak, said Vice Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission Glenn Petit. A draft was released on the town website on April 8 and hard copies were distributed to the library and town offices for public review. I think its coming out fine we hired a good consultant (Planimetrics) to help guide us through the process, Petit said. Interim Town Planner Garrett Daigles hope is that residents will read the plan and be inspired to get involved in town projects that appeal to them. "We wanted to make it easier to read, more accessible for people to understand. No one wants to read a huge book, but I think especially given that it's to the point, there's some extra blurbs, footnotes, if people want to read further," Daigle said. "It's a lot more inviting. It looks more like a book you'd want to thumb through. Speaking of the POCD, Daigle said, "One of the things we'll be looking at is the Planned Development District zone, which opens up a lot of opportunities for some parcels that have been vacant or severely underutilized for a long time. The changes would allow landowners to get approval for a zone change, text amendment and site plan all at once, making development faster and easier. Daigle is also looking forward to continuing work on rejuvenating downtown. The new plan encourages the creation of a core downtown zone and explores the potential for the White Oak property adjacent to Town Hall on West Main Street. The Plan of Conservation and Development recommends supporting a mixed use development with an active streetfront and access to the Pequabuck River in the rear. The site is currently being surveyed for environmental issues. Continuing from Plainvilles last POCD is the development of land along Long Swamp Road or Loon Lake Road in the northeastern corner of town, behind the Cancer Center of Connecticut. The current plan recommends rezoning the residential land, which has a few homes, to a technology park zone and creating a circular road. After this months information session, Plainvilles Plan of Conservation and Development will go before the state Office of Policy Management and the Capital Region Council of Governments for review. Daigle said this process typically takes around 65 days. Residents will then have another chance to comment on the plan during a public hearing. From there, final revisions will be made, and the Planning and Zoning Commission could approve the plan sometime between July and September. dleithyessian@ record-journal.com 203-317-2317 Twitter: @leith_yessian SOUTHINGTON A 21-year-old man faces charges after police said he sexually assaulted a minor at a local motel in August and September last year. Carlos Padilla, 21, of 107 Martin Luther King Dr., New Britain, was charged April 12 with two counts each of first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. Police received reports in October 2018 about the incidents and began investigating, police spokesman Lt. Stephen Elliott said. Police submitted an arrest warrant to the Bristol State Attorneys Office in January, and it was approved. At the time police served Padilla with the warrant, he was being held on seperate charges. According to the state judicial website, Padilla was charged with three counts each of first-degree sexual assault and illegal sexual contact by the New Britain Police Department. Those charges stem from Aug. 1, 2018. Padilla was arraigned on the Southington sexual assault charges in Bristol Superior Court. His bond was set at $250,000. Lauren Sel lsellew@record-journal.com 203-317-2225 Twitter: @LaurenSellewRJ Local residents packed into North Haven High Schools auditorium Monday evening to hear Republicans plan to fund transportation without the governors proposed highway tolls. The event was hosted by ranking members on the Transportation Committee, Rep. Laura Devlin, R-Fairfield, and Sen. Henri Martin, R-Bristol. Questions were also fielded by Sen. Len Fasano, R-North Haven, Rep. David Yaccarino, R-North Haven, Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, and Rep. Joe Zullo, R-East Haven. A couple weeks ago, Gov. Ned Lamont laid out his plans for tolls, which he said would come before the state legislature by combining three tolling bills into one. Lamonts plan proposes 53 gantries along four major highways, Interstates 91, 95, 84 and Route 15. Republicans claim other roads, like Route 7, may be included, raising the number of gantries to 82. Fasano said passing the bill would only mean authorizing Lamont to add tolls, arguing that after that, the legislatures opinions would not be sought as to how many or where the tolls should go. Tolls would bring in $800 million annually, according to Democratic estimates. During her presentation Monday night, Devlin said that 60 percent of toll revenue would be paid by Connecticut residents, around $645 million. Adding the $500 million in gas taxes, Republicans say residents would be paying $1.1 billion in transportation costs. Republicans have proposed an alternative to tolling that they believe will still work to fix the states infrastructure problems, but through bonding instead of tolls. Their plan is called Prioritize Progress. Martin presented information on Prioritize Progress during the forum, saying its goal is to stabilize the Special Transportation Fund without raising taxes. Connecticut has a $1.9 billion cap on bonding that was included in the most recent budget, which got support from Democrats and Republicans. Prioritize Progress would likely mean allocating as much as $700 million in bonding for transportation, according to the GOP lawmakers presentation. Zullo said that Prioritize Progress is a great solution for the present and a predictable solution for the future, especially compared to tolls, which the representatives said wouldnt generate revenue for at least another five years, and be less predictable. One of the things that Prioritize Progress does is it delivers predictability, it delivers sustainability, Zullo said during the forum. He also said all the numbers that have been presented are hypothetical, even the ones put forth during the forum. Nobody has solid figures yet. Nobody has actually come to us and said, these are the figures, this is the plan, this is what it's going to cost to build, in a concrete fashion, Zullo said. We should not be being asked to vote on something like that and you should not be even asked to consider it. Some residents asked the group about the tolling plan, as well as Prioritize Progress. Questions varied from whether Prioritize Progress would increase debt service expenditures, if the federal government could be petitioned to stop any toll plans that are approved by the state, and if their voices really mattered because tolls seem like a done deal. The forum will be available to watch on NHTV, North Haven Community TV. bwright@record-journal.com 203-317-2316 Twitter: @baileyfaywright International British legal team takes Michel case to UN, allege torture by India Christian Michel (File) London,Apr 25 (AGENCIES) | Publish Date: 4/25/2019 12:16:52 PM IST A UK-based legal team on behalf of AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case accused Christian Michel has approached the UN, alleging that he was unlawfully handed over to India where he has been held in squalid conditions in violation of human rights and subjected to torture. Michel is currently being held in judicial custody in Delhis Tihar Jail and in the latest court intervention in India, the Delhi High Court granted more time to him and the CBI to respond to a plea by Tihar Jail authorities challenging an order allowing him to make international phone calls in violation of prison rules. Michel was arrested by the ED and later by the CBI in a bribery case related to the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland deal dating back to 2010. He is among three alleged middlemen being probed in the case. London-based specialist barristers chambers Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers claimed that the 57-year-old British national was unlawfully handed over to the Indian government as part of a quid pro quo following the Indian authorities alleged involvement in the abduction of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al Maktoum and her return to the UAE in March 2018. It is alleged that Mr Michel was extradited to India following a formal request being submitted to the United Arab Emirates. The reality is that Mr Michel was unlawfully handed over to the Government of India, the procedure resembling more rendition than a lawful extradition process, Guernica 37 said in a statement. Having been returned to India, Mr Michel has been held in squalid conditions that breach basic human rights conditions, subjected to repeated and prolonged interrogations aimed at securing a confession through coercion, and subjected to ill-treatment of such severity that may constitute torture at the hands of the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) and the Enforcement Department (ED), it noted. As part of its Urgent Communication filed with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the legal team claims that the detention and any subsequent trial will not adhere to relevant fair trial standards. Regional PETA India awards Mizoram boy who rushed an injured chicken to hospital New Delhi, Apr 25 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 4/25/2019 11:57:23 AM IST Six-year-old Derek C Lalchhanhima from Mizoram who rushed an injured chicken to the hospital has received PETA Indias Compassionate Kid Award. According to Latestly report, the little one had become the face of innocence earlier this month after a photo of him holding the chicken in one hand and a 10-rupee-note in other went viral. He had mistakenly run over the animal while riding his bicycle leaving it injured. On understanding that the animal was injured, Derek took the chicken in his hand and decided to take it to the vet. As the photo was shared widely people commented on his innocent face and the praiseworthy gesture. Soon, the child became an internet sensation and was even felicitated by his school. A photo of him holding an Appreciation certificate, flowers and a traditional shawl at his school St Pio, Sairang in Aizawl district was also shared widely on social media. As pictures of Derek continued to flood the internet, an artist from Kerala painted a portrait of Derek standing on the globe with the chicken in one hand and money in other. Sunil Pookode took to Facebook sharing the photo with the caption, You are great, Derek. Meanwhile, according to News Nation, Derek has received the Compassionate Kid Award from PETA India in recognition of his concern for animals. Developing empathy for animals is a key step towards developing empathy for and rejecting violence against all beings, including humans. Its important, therefore, that students learn at an early age that the animals with whom we share this planet are, in many ways, not so different from us, PETA India said a statement. PETA Indias Compassionate Citizen programme is especially designed to help students between the ages of 8 and 12 years better understand and appreciate animals. It consists of a 23-minute video with fascinating footage of animals, along with cartoons and a text pack. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, who is here for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held from April 25 to 27 in Beijing. Xi said leaders of different countries will discuss issues of common concern including synergy of development policies, connectivity of infrastructure and sustainable development under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits at the forum, so as to make greater contributions to promoting world economic growth and international economic cooperation. Noting that China and Mozambique have agreed to jointly promote the Belt and Road (B&R) cooperation plan, Xi said the two sides should commit themselves to improving quality and efficiency of cooperation while enhancing people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation, so that the traditional friendship between the two countries can be inherited and carried forward. Nyusi said the joint building of the B&R is conducive to world economic growth and balanced development, adding that it is also of great importance for Mozambique and Africa. Mozambique congratulates the People's Republic of China on its 70th anniversary and is ready to deepen its strategic partnership with China, Nyusi said. Mozambique is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in a wide range of fields and exchange experience in state governance, Nyusi noted. The Mozambican side is also willing to play an active role in jointly building the B&R in the African subregion, he said. After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents. 2 1 [ Editor: WPY ] Littleton Courier Immigration detains local residents by Angel Larcom Juan Pu's family recently discussed the impact his immigration detainment is having on their lives. Pictured, left to right, are his 14-year-old son John; his wife, Natalia Pu-Calan; his four-year-old son, David; and his 16-year-old daughter, Jessica. (Photo by Angel Larcom) (click for larger version) LITTLETON On the afternoon of April 11, Juan Pu, the chef at Plain Kate's Riverside Saloon and All Ways Inn in Franconia, was taken into custody by Border Patrol agents as he was leaving Meadow Ice Cream and Seafood in Littleton with his family. Earlier in the month, former Mount Washington and Bailiwick's employee, Calvin Madpole was also detained and placed in custody. While Madpole had been living in the area for a few years, Pu and his family relocated to northern New Hampshire from West Palm Beach, Fla. only nine months ago. Pu lived and worked in Florida for 16 years before moving to the White Mountains. According to Cornelia Lorentzen, his current employer and the owner of Plain Kate's Riverside Saloon and All Ways Inn, Pu was a regular face in the kitchen at Imoto, an esteemed Florida restaurant belonging to celebrity chef and James Beard nominee Clay Conley. Although Pu is a native of Guatemala, two of his three children are American-born. Lorentzen said it is this fact, as well as the fact that he was the sole breadwinner for a family of five, that makes his case a particularly poignant and difficult one, regardless of whether he was in violation of the law. Attempts by our reporter to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for information regarding the cases against Pu and Madpole were unsuccessful. Lorentzen has become Pu's champion in the fight to return him to his family. Not only has she successfully rallied the local community; she has also secured support from the offices of Congresswoman Annie Kuster, as well as Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassen. She also intends to reach out to Gov. Chris Sununu. In addition to an active GoFundMe drive, Lorentzen says additional support has been arriving from outside the realm of internet-based campaigns. While unwilling to discuss actual numbers, Lorentzen said they have received "substantially more than what you see online." "It's been incredibly heartening," she continued, as she discussed the overwhelming amount of support coming in on Pu's behalf. To date, Pu's situation has garnered support from both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the American Friends Committee. SangYeob Kim, Immigration Legal Fellow at the ACLU of New Hampshire, has recently taken his case. "We will be representing Mr. Pu for his bond hearing so that he can fight his case while at home with his familywhere he belongs," said SangYeob Kim. Simultaneously, Madpole is in contact with and receiving support from local friends Linda Warden and her daughter Janalese. But America's immigration system does not make it easy to locate, much less communicate with detained parties once they are in the system. When asked how Pu's family is bearing the pressure of the situation, Lorentzen said his wife, Natalia, is a woman of profound faith. "I am humbled by how gracefully she is dealing with this," Lorentzen added. Natalia Pu-Calan said she has not gone out since Border Patrol took her husband into custody two weeks ago. As the mother of a four-year-old, a 14-year-old and a sixteen-year-old, she now bears sole responsibility for their safety and well-being. Pu's family said they have been able to speak with him on the phone. They currently rely on the care and generosity of both their church and the local community in his absence. Jessica, a high school sophomore and Pu's eldest child, said "Mom wants him to come back because it's affecting all of us. He's the only one who works in the family." While immigration remains a heated issue, Lorentzen maintains that it is not a simple black or white situation. The process of first securing and then maintaining legal citizenship in the United States is complex, time-sensitive and expensive, and those who come to the United States legally can unwittingly slide into illegal status without realizing it due to a lack of understanding on their part that they are expected to monitor their own status, and may not receive official notification in the event of scenarios such as expired Visas. Lorentzen also pointed to cases brought forward by the ACLU of Border Patrol practices that some believe unfairly hinder the rights of alleged illegals and result in their cases being pushed through the court system too quickly to guarantee due process. The cases of both Juan Pu and Calvin Madpole are the first to garner widespread local awareness about such practices. LITTLETON On the afternoon of April 11, Juan Pu, the chef at Plain Kate's Riverside Saloon and All Ways Inn in Franconia, was taken into custody by Border Patrol agents as he was leaving Meadow Ice Cream and Seafood in Littleton with his family. Earlier in the month, former Mount Washington and Bailiwick's employee, Calvin Madpole was also detained and placed in custody.While Madpole had been living in the area for a few years, Pu and his family relocated to northern New Hampshire from West Palm Beach, Fla. only nine months ago. Pu lived and worked in Florida for 16 years before moving to the White Mountains.According to Cornelia Lorentzen, his current employer and the owner of Plain Kate's Riverside Saloon and All Ways Inn, Pu was a regular face in the kitchen at Imoto, an esteemed Florida restaurant belonging to celebrity chef and James Beard nominee Clay Conley.Although Pu is a native of Guatemala, two of his three children are American-born. Lorentzen said it is this fact, as well as the fact that he was the sole breadwinner for a family of five, that makes his case a particularly poignant and difficult one, regardless of whether he was in violation of the law.Attempts by our reporter to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for information regarding the cases against Pu and Madpole were unsuccessful.Lorentzen has become Pu's champion in the fight to return him to his family. Not only has she successfully rallied the local community; she has also secured support from the offices of Congresswoman Annie Kuster, as well as Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassen. She also intends to reach out to Gov. Chris Sununu.In addition to an active GoFundMe drive, Lorentzen says additional support has been arriving from outside the realm of internet-based campaigns. While unwilling to discuss actual numbers, Lorentzen said they have received "substantially more than what you see online.""It's been incredibly heartening," she continued, as she discussed the overwhelming amount of support coming in on Pu's behalf.To date, Pu's situation has garnered support from both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the American Friends Committee. SangYeob Kim, Immigration Legal Fellow at the ACLU of New Hampshire, has recently taken his case."We will be representing Mr. Pu for his bond hearing so that he can fight his case while at home with his familywhere he belongs," said SangYeob Kim.Simultaneously, Madpole is in contact with and receiving support from local friends Linda Warden and her daughter Janalese. But America's immigration system does not make it easy to locate, much less communicate with detained parties once they are in the system.When asked how Pu's family is bearing the pressure of the situation, Lorentzen said his wife, Natalia, is a woman of profound faith."I am humbled by how gracefully she is dealing with this," Lorentzen added.Natalia Pu-Calan said she has not gone out since Border Patrol took her husband into custody two weeks ago. As the mother of a four-year-old, a 14-year-old and a sixteen-year-old, she now bears sole responsibility for their safety and well-being.Pu's family said they have been able to speak with him on the phone. They currently rely on the care and generosity of both their church and the local community in his absence.Jessica, a high school sophomore and Pu's eldest child, said "Mom wants him to come back because it's affecting all of us. He's the only one who works in the family."While immigration remains a heated issue, Lorentzen maintains that it is not a simple black or white situation. The process of first securing and then maintaining legal citizenship in the United States is complex, time-sensitive and expensive, and those who come to the United States legally can unwittingly slide into illegal status without realizing it due to a lack of understanding on their part that they are expected to monitor their own status, and may not receive official notification in the event of scenarios such as expired Visas.Lorentzen also pointed to cases brought forward by the ACLU of Border Patrol practices that some believe unfairly hinder the rights of alleged illegals and result in their cases being pushed through the court system too quickly to guarantee due process. The cases of both Juan Pu and Calvin Madpole are the first to garner widespread local awareness about such practices. Littleton Courier Ammonoosuc Habitat for Humanity seeks director Grafton County Nursing Home relaxes visitation restrictions Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com Newfound Landing Fugitive arrested in New Hampton by Donna Rhodes write the author NEW HAMPTON After being featured as last Wednesday's "Fugitive of the Week" by the U.S. Marshal's Service, 27-year-old Thomas Kent Drake was taken into custody in New Hampton for a warrant issued by the Grafton County Sheriff's Office on probation violations stemming from a previous narcotics-related charge. The U.S. Marshals-N.H. Joint Task Force had been actively tracking down leads on Drake's whereabouts, and once he was featured as Fugitive of the Week, several sightings were reported to police in the Lakes Region. Those sightings soon led to New Hampton where a relative of Drake's was known to reside. When officials from the joint task force and several local law enforcement agencies arrived at that home last week, they observed Drake running off into the nearby woods. Bristol Police Officer Nick Kelley and his K9 Arro began tracking the suspect as other officers spread out to surround the area. While Arro's presence seemed to push Drake further into the woods, officers from the task force were waiting for him on the other side and an arrest was made. Drake was processed for his outstanding arrest warrant at the Bristol Police Department then transported to the Grafton County Jail where he was held pending an upcoming court appearance. The New Hampshire Department of Justice said in a press release that Drake's capture was the result of a cooperative effort by the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force from Belknap, Strafford and Rockingham County Sheriff's Offices and police officers from Bristol, New Hampton, Alexandria and Danbury. Just the week before, those agencies were also able to capture another person in central New Hampshire featured as "Fugitive of the Week" on April 10. Once USMS announced that morning that they were looking for 31-year-old Robert Adkins, Jr., police almost immediately began receiving phone calls that were specific as to Adkins' residency in Bristol. The Joint Fugitive Task Force then teamed up with officers from Bristol, Alexandria and Danbury to respond to the address they were given. While Adkins did leave the home once law enforcement arrived in the area, he was soon taken into custody at a nearby gas station. He was being sought on an outstanding arrest warrant for possession of controlled drugs and receiving stolen property. The New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force was formed by the U.S. Marshal Service in 2002 and since that time their partnerships with local law enforcement teams have resulted in nearly 7,500 arrests. Each week the USMS releases the name and photo of a wanted fugitive, broadcasting it around the state through television, print media and the internet, along with notifications to police. Through this action, people they have apprehended have been wanted for crimes such as murder, assault, failure to register as a sexual offender and other serious offenses. NEW HAMPTON After being featured as last Wednesday's "Fugitive of the Week" by the U.S. Marshal's Service, 27-year-old Thomas Kent Drake was taken into custody in New Hampton for a warrant issued by the Grafton County Sheriff's Office on probation violations stemming from a previous narcotics-related charge.The U.S. Marshals-N.H. Joint Task Force had been actively tracking down leads on Drake's whereabouts, and once he was featured as Fugitive of the Week, several sightings were reported to police in the Lakes Region. Those sightings soon led to New Hampton where a relative of Drake's was known to reside.When officials from the joint task force and several local law enforcement agencies arrived at that home last week, they observed Drake running off into the nearby woods.Bristol Police Officer Nick Kelley and his K9 Arro began tracking the suspect as other officers spread out to surround the area. While Arro's presence seemed to push Drake further into the woods, officers from the task force were waiting for him on the other side and an arrest was made.Drake was processed for his outstanding arrest warrant at the Bristol Police Department then transported to the Grafton County Jail where he was held pending an upcoming court appearance.The New Hampshire Department of Justice said in a press release that Drake's capture was the result of a cooperative effort by the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force from Belknap, Strafford and Rockingham County Sheriff's Offices and police officers from Bristol, New Hampton, Alexandria and Danbury.Just the week before, those agencies were also able to capture another person in central New Hampshire featured as "Fugitive of the Week" on April 10.Once USMS announced that morning that they were looking for 31-year-old Robert Adkins, Jr., police almost immediately began receiving phone calls that were specific as to Adkins' residency in Bristol. The Joint Fugitive Task Force then teamed up with officers from Bristol, Alexandria and Danbury to respond to the address they were given. While Adkins did leave the home once law enforcement arrived in the area, he was soon taken into custody at a nearby gas station. He was being sought on an outstanding arrest warrant for possession of controlled drugs and receiving stolen property.The New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force was formed by the U.S. Marshal Service in 2002 and since that time their partnerships with local law enforcement teams have resulted in nearly 7,500 arrests. Each week the USMS releases the name and photo of a wanted fugitive, broadcasting it around the state through television, print media and the internet, along with notifications to police. Through this action, people they have apprehended have been wanted for crimes such as murder, assault, failure to register as a sexual offender and other serious offenses. Plymouth Record Enterprise Local schools host residency by acclaimed children's author by Donna Rhodes write the author Donna RhodesMiddle school students at Russell Elementary School in Rumney were spellbound by acclaimed children's author Patricia Polacco's stories and personal conversations with on bullying them when she paid a visit to SAU 48 last week. (Photo by Donna Rhodes) (click for larger version) RUMNEY During his presidency, Barak Obama and the Library of Congress both declared Patricia Polacco to be one of the Top 10 children's authors of the past 100 years, and last week, elementary and middle school students in the Pemi-Baker School District were privileged to not only have her visit them to read some of the 115-plus books she has written, but to hear her messages for them as well. SAU 48's Assistant Superintendent Ethel Gaides was instrumental in bringing Polacco to the district for an Author In Residence program, made possible through Title 1 and Title 2-A grants. "This has been my dream, to have Patricia come here to our district, so when I saw her availability online I immediately put in for the grants," she said. Polacco is not only an author; she illustrates her books as well. Born in Lansing, Mich., her mother's family were Jewish immigrants from Russia and the Ukraine while her father's family came from the County of Limerick in Ireland. Both came from cultures that treasured their histories and kept them alive through storytelling, which now figures prominently in her work. Polacco has a Bachelor's, Master's and Ph.D. in Art and Art history and has studied abroad over the years in England, France, Russia and Australia. Now in her 70's, she is a guest lecturer at many universities and holds honorary degrees in Arts and Letters. Polacco has also been honored for her work by heads of state at both the Kremlin and the White House. Her biography includes the many close ties she made at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where she lost some of her friends in the deadly shooting that occurred there in 2012. "The grief of this set her on a path of establishing a series of lectures designed to raise the awareness of the plight of our classroom teachers as well as encouraging students to reach out to each other and include those who are perceived to be 'different,'" it reads. As a result of that fateful day, she has also created an anti-bullying campaign that has earned her national recognition. While in New Hampshire last week, Polacco visited all of the elementary schools in the Pemi-Baker District. For each age group, she took time to read one of her books then had a meaningful chat with them. At Russell Elementary School in Rumney last Friday, her time with middle school students was well spent. She read "Pink and Say," the real life Civil War story of her great-great grandfather, Sheldon "Say" Russell Curtis, and Pinkus "Pinky" Aylee, a black man he befriended when he was wounded in battle. "It's a heartbreaking story, but I know it to be true. It was passed down through the family to me from my father William," she said. The students were spellbound by the tale. The horrors of the Civil War, where more soldiers were lost than in all wars after combined, were shocking. Even more so was how the story ended with the death of "Pinky" after he and his friend Say were captured and sent to Andersonville Prison. Polacco asked that the students say Pinkie's name out loud as a remembrance of a brave and kind soul who might otherwise be forgotten in the annals of history. Closing her book, she then turned to the more pertinent topic of bullying. Polacco told the students she was born with dyslexia and several other learning disorders, therefore having to read aloud at Oakland Technical High School in California was torture. "I didn't dare have dreams. Reading in class was my nightmare," Polacco said. She was not alone in the bullying, though. Her friend Frank Oznowicz was also subjected to cruelty for his appearance and intelligence. Polacco said that after graduation, Frank and his father moved to Canada where he met a man named Jim Henson and together they gave the world The Muppets. As Frank Oz, her friend also became the voice of Yoda in Star Wars and has directed many American films and television shows. At the age of 41, she herself finally overcame her nightmarish view of literature and began to write. "My son was diagnosed with diabetes and the literature they gave him on how to take care of himself was awful," she recalled. In an attempt to help him, she rewrote that literature to be something a child could understand. A pharmaceutical company published her work, and the rest, as they say, is history; another win for bullied children. "When Frank and I (and another bullied pal known today as Tom Hanks) went to a reunion, everyone wanted to know us. As grownups we knew they probably didn't mean to be cruel to us back then, but oh, did we remember them," she said. She cautioned the students to never laugh at someone who was different because they had no idea how much it could hurt. Polacco instead asked them to be kind, protect those who need it and remember that one day things will all change. "You kids are going to make a critical difference in this world, especially if you lead with your hearts. Right here today I'm looking at the faces of the future," said Polacco. "I want you to get out there and change this world because this old lady is counting on you." Teachers in all the schools were as touched by her messages as the students themselves. Gaides shared some of their comments about Polacco's visit where they praised her, not just as a natural born storyteller but as a person, too. Principal Julie Flynn at Plynouth Elementary School said it was a special day for her students, filled with strong lessons on kindness, human connections, history and hope. Holderness Central School's Media Specialist Stephanie Finnegan said students approached her all day to say Polacco was the best author who ever visited, adding, "I cannot tell you how many middle school students told me what an impact she had on them." The next day, HCS teacher Stacy Frizzell also noticed that students not only mingled with one another at all grade levels in the cafeteria, but that no one child sat alone. "How sweet!" she said. Through Gaides's grants, each school was also received autographed copies of Polacco's books for their libraries, as well as age-appropriate books for each classroom. RUMNEY During his presidency, Barak Obama and the Library of Congress both declared Patricia Polacco to be one of the Top 10 children's authors of the past 100 years, and last week, elementary and middle school students in the Pemi-Baker School District were privileged to not only have her visit them to read some of the 115-plus books she has written, but to hear her messages for them as well.SAU 48's Assistant Superintendent Ethel Gaides was instrumental in bringing Polacco to the district for an Author In Residence program, made possible through Title 1 and Title 2-A grants."This has been my dream, to have Patricia come here to our district, so when I saw her availability online I immediately put in for the grants," she said.Polacco is not only an author; she illustrates her books as well. Born in Lansing, Mich., her mother's family were Jewish immigrants from Russia and the Ukraine while her father's family came from the County of Limerick in Ireland. Both came from cultures that treasured their histories and kept them alive through storytelling, which now figures prominently in her work.Polacco has a Bachelor's, Master's and Ph.D. in Art and Art history and has studied abroad over the years in England, France, Russia and Australia. Now in her 70's, she is a guest lecturer at many universities and holds honorary degrees in Arts and Letters. Polacco has also been honored for her work by heads of state at both the Kremlin and the White House.Her biography includes the many close ties she made at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where she lost some of her friends in the deadly shooting that occurred there in 2012."The grief of this set her on a path of establishing a series of lectures designed to raise the awareness of the plight of our classroom teachers as well as encouraging students to reach out to each other and include those who are perceived to be 'different,'" it reads.As a result of that fateful day, she has also created an anti-bullying campaign that has earned her national recognition.While in New Hampshire last week, Polacco visited all of the elementary schools in the Pemi-Baker District. For each age group, she took time to read one of her books then had a meaningful chat with them.At Russell Elementary School in Rumney last Friday, her time with middle school students was well spent. She read "Pink and Say," the real life Civil War story of her great-great grandfather, Sheldon "Say" Russell Curtis, and Pinkus "Pinky" Aylee, a black man he befriended when he was wounded in battle."It's a heartbreaking story, but I know it to be true. It was passed down through the family to me from my father William," she said.The students were spellbound by the tale. The horrors of the Civil War, where more soldiers were lost than in all wars after combined, were shocking. Even more so was how the story ended with the death of "Pinky" after he and his friend Say were captured and sent to Andersonville Prison.Polacco asked that the students say Pinkie's name out loud as a remembrance of a brave and kind soul who might otherwise be forgotten in the annals of history.Closing her book, she then turned to the more pertinent topic of bullying. Polacco told the students she was born with dyslexia and several other learning disorders, therefore having to read aloud at Oakland Technical High School in California was torture."I didn't dare have dreams. Reading in class was my nightmare," Polacco said.She was not alone in the bullying, though. Her friend Frank Oznowicz was also subjected to cruelty for his appearance and intelligence. Polacco said that after graduation, Frank and his father moved to Canada where he met a man named Jim Henson and together they gave the world The Muppets. As Frank Oz, her friend also became the voice of Yoda in Star Wars and has directed many American films and television shows.At the age of 41, she herself finally overcame her nightmarish view of literature and began to write."My son was diagnosed with diabetes and the literature they gave him on how to take care of himself was awful," she recalled.In an attempt to help him, she rewrote that literature to be something a child could understand. A pharmaceutical company published her work, and the rest, as they say, is history; another win for bullied children."When Frank and I (and another bullied pal known today as Tom Hanks) went to a reunion, everyone wanted to know us. As grownups we knew they probably didn't mean to be cruel to us back then, but oh, did we remember them," she said.She cautioned the students to never laugh at someone who was different because they had no idea how much it could hurt. Polacco instead asked them to be kind, protect those who need it and remember that one day things will all change."You kids are going to make a critical difference in this world, especially if you lead with your hearts. Right here today I'm looking at the faces of the future," said Polacco. "I want you to get out there and change this world because this old lady is counting on you."Teachers in all the schools were as touched by her messages as the students themselves. Gaides shared some of their comments about Polacco's visit where they praised her, not just as a natural born storyteller but as a person, too.Principal Julie Flynn at Plynouth Elementary School said it was a special day for her students, filled with strong lessons on kindness, human connections, history and hope.Holderness Central School's Media Specialist Stephanie Finnegan said students approached her all day to say Polacco was the best author who ever visited, adding, "I cannot tell you how many middle school students told me what an impact she had on them."The next day, HCS teacher Stacy Frizzell also noticed that students not only mingled with one another at all grade levels in the cafeteria, but that no one child sat alone."How sweet!" she said.Through Gaides's grants, each school was also received autographed copies of Polacco's books for their libraries, as well as age-appropriate books for each classroom. Plymouth Record Enterprise Plymouth Holiday Parade kicks off the season Ashland selectmen discuss use of old school for town library Recent Donna Rhodes Winners of Alexandria Cons. Comm. Calendar Photo Contest announced 2021-Dec-09 Plymouth Holiday Parade kicks off the season 2021-Dec-09 Christmas Parade returns to Tilton this weekend 2021-Dec-02 Public input sought on renaming of local cemetery 2021-Dec-02 Founders reflect on Turkey Trots 40-year history 2021-Nov-24 PRHS students, staff organize fundraiser for student in need 2021-Nov-24 More... Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Indias state-run oil firms have been asked to look for new sources of supplies to fill in the gap created by stoppage of imports from Iran.We have been readying ourselves for this by tapering off imports from Iran. We cut our monthly imports from Tehran by 50 per cent in February itself. Now that the US has made it clear that there will be no more waivers for India and other countries, we will peruse leads that we already have, which include the possibility of increased supplies from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait as well as Iraq, said top petroleum ministry officials. Indian firms will also be talking to Mexican and US shale oil suppliers to increase offtake from there. However, officials said that Indias mix would require more of West Asian supplies. All refiners mix crude supplies from various sources as each kind of crude has its own properties. The White House, while announcing the end of waivers, had said that the US and its allies Saudi Arabia and UAE would ensure adequate oil supplies to global consumers. However, Saudi Arabias energy minister Khalid al-Falih said on Wednesday that he saw no need to raise oil output immediately after the US ends waivers granted to buyers of Iranian crude, but added that the kingdom would respond to customers needs if asked for more oil. Indian officials, however, said, We have long standing relations with our suppliers in West Asia and do not anticipate problems in supplies. However, prices are determined by the market. As large buyers, we do get some better prices on contracts that we enter into. India imported some $115 billion worth of crude oil in the 2018-19 financial year, 40 per cent of it from West Asia. Brent oil prices were at $74.24 per barrel at 0058 GMT, down 27 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their last close. Analysts said the lower prices were on account of inventories built up by most big buyers ahead of the US decision to end waivers to a regime of blocking Iranian oil sales. The US State administration had on Monday said that all exemptions would end by May 2. Looking west Indian officials are banking on suppliers from West Asia now. India imported around $115 bn worth of crude oil in FY19, 40 per cent of it from West Asia By PTI LONDON: The number of Indian companies investing in the UK registered a jump over the previous year despite the ongoing uncertainties around Brexit, according to a new report tracking Indian investments in the UK. The annual 'India Meets Britain Tracker' released in London on Wednesday finds that the number of Indian companies doing business in Britain has increased from 800 in 2018 to 842 in 2019, with a combined turnover of 48 billion pounds. The report, published by business advisory firm Grant Thornton UK LLP and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), revealed a more than doubling of the Corporation Tax paid by these companies to hit 684 million pounds, up from 360 million pounds in the previous year. "The headline figures in the Tracker are startling. They are testament to the strength and entrepreneurialism of the Indian business community, with some companies growing by more than 100 per cent year on year," UK minister for investment Graham Stuart said at the launch. The minister pointed out that the figures are likely to see a further jump from next year, when the UK's Corporation Tax, from the current level of 19 per cent, will drop to 17 per cent. "We will always welcome Indian investments and we recognise India's importance as one of our most critical bilateral investors," he said. Among some of the other highlight figures from the Tracker, 24 per cent of Indian companies in the UK have at least one woman on their board, up from 19 per cent last year, and they employ an estimated 104,783 people in the country. "The report brings out in such graphic terms the contribution that Indian businesses are making to the UK. We all wondered how the Brexit process would have affected the investment sentiment from India and now we have the answer, Indian business retains its positive outlook towards the UK," said Ruchi Ghanashyam, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK. The report, now in its sixth year, provides a tracker of the fastest growing Indian companies in the UK with turnover of more than 5 million pounds, year-on-year revenue growth of at least 10 per cent and a minimum two-year track-record in the UK. Among these Accord Healthcare Ltd, Milpharm Ltd and Secure Meters (UK) Ltd have been consistently recorded as fast growing ever since the Tracker was launched in 2014. Anuj Chande, Partner and Head of South Asia Group at Grant Thornton UK LLP, noted: "Given the continuing uncertainty driven by the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), it is encouraging to see that Indian investors continue to invest confidently in the UK and in fact, there are now more Indian businesses active in the UK than ever before." "The fall in the value of sterling has also had a role to play, making UK assets increasingly attractive to overseas investors. Low rates of corporation tax and the ease of doing business in the UK also remain significant draws." Lakshmi Kaul, Head & Representative UK, CII, added: "As India's economy continues to grow, Indian companies will increasingly have greater choice over where to invest and the UK must ensure that, beyond Brexit, it remains a leading investment destination." Three companies in this year's Tracker reported growth of more than 100 per cent, with the fastest growing of these being TMT Metal Holdings Limited, with a growth rate of 649 per cent. This was followed by Route Mobile (UK) Limited, which reported growth of 189 per cent, and BB (UK) Ltd, which achieved turnover growth of almost 129 per cent. At an awards ceremony to coincide with the Tracker launch, TMT bagged the Fastest Growing Company award for the year and Route Mobile won the award in the tech category. Tata Motors Limited was named the Top Employer in the UK, employing over 43,000 people, and Union Bank of India was named the Fastest Growing Financial Services Company. As in the previous years, technology and telecoms companies dominate the Tracker, accounting for 35 per cent of the fastest-growing companies. Engineering and manufacturing companies are the next in line, accounting for 16 per cent, followed by pharmaceutical and chemicals companies at 15 per cent. By Express News Service Global audio giant, Spotify, has agreed to remove over 1 lakh songs owned by Indian music company Saregama from its streaming platform. Launched in India in February this year, Spotify was challenged in the Delhi High Court for allegedly violating the Intellectual Property rights of Saregama by posting their content without a license agreement. In the hearing on April 23, Sajan Poovayya, counsel for Saregama, Indias oldest music label, told the HC that the company had agreed to partner up with Spotify for its India launch and even handed over copyrights for their music. However, the deal could not be finalized and Saregama requested Spotify to block its content on their app. ALSO READ: Spotify hits 1 million user base in India In response to this, Spotify told the apex court that they did not consider the litigation as an adversarial one. It added that the platform was willing to unlist all Saregama content within 10 days of the court order. Spotify had faced a similar situation in February when music label WMG filed for an injunction in the Bombay High Court over licensing rights. Amit S Upadhye By Express News Service BENGALURU: Purushotham Reddy, 45, who was injured in the blasts in Sri Lanka, has been airlifted to Bengaluru for treatment. He is admitted at Manipal Hospitals, and was from Colombo on Wednesday afternoon. Hospital sources said that Reddy is currently in critical condition and on ventilator support. On the morning of the blast, Reddy was eating breakfast with his relative S R Nagaraj, who died in the blast. On April 21, hotel management and rescue workers shifted Purushotham to a hospital in Colombo. He was being treated there for burn and shoulder injuries. On Tuesday, a team of doctors from Bengaluru went to Colombo to check on Reddy and decided to shift him to Bengaluru. ALSO READ | Close shave for six DMK men in Colombo blast Sources told TNIE that the injuries to his shoulder are severe, and doctors are also treating Reddy for burn injuries on his back. Reddy was holding a plate in his hand when the blast occurred. His shoulder was pierced by flying shrapnel, sources said. Reddy was chief counsellor in Macedonia and was a serving member of UNs Human Rights Defence Committee. He was to receive an honorary doctorate from a university there. A spokesperson from Manipal Hospitals said that Reddy is being treated by a multidisciplinary team of specialists. He is being evaluated and is getting treatment. He is in a critical condition, the spokesperson said. By Express News Service BENGALURU: It was an emotional day for the families of those who lost their lives in the recent Sri Lanka bomb blasts, when friends and relatives came to pay their respects. The bodies of K M Lakshminarayana, K G Hanumantharayappa, H Shivakumar and M Rangappa were handed over to the families on Wednesday at around 5 am, while the bodies of H Puttaraju, Lakshmana Gowda Ramesh and A Maregowda were handed over at around 3.15 pm. I never thought they would meet such a tragic end. They had many dreams and wanted to work for the party. They had also done a lot of good work for the people in their village, said a grieved family member. Thousands of people gathered at the homes of the victims. Political leaders, including former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and chief minister Kumaraswamy, visited the residences, after which the bodies were laid to rest. ALSO READ | Injured businessman airlifted from Colombo, admitted to Manipal Hospitals, remains critical Venkatesh, Lakshminarayanas brother, said, We received the bodies at around 5 am at Kempegowda International Airport and kept them in front of their homes for two hours before shifting all four bodies to Government High School in Nelamangala. Thousands of people had gathered at the school premises to see their loved ones for the last time. Prakash L, Rameshs relative, said, We received Rameshs body, along with those of Puttaraju and Maregowda, at around 3.15 pm. The last rites were performed in the evening. The workers had gone to Sri Lanka on holiday on April 20 after campaigning for the first phase of the elections in the state. All of them hailed from Nelamangala in Tumkur district, about 50 km away from Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the mortal remains of Narayan Chandrashekar, another victim assumed to be from Karnataka, is still in Colombo. Netas pay their respects Apart from the chief minister and deputy chief minister, many other leaders, including Congress leaders Veerappa Moily, Krishna Byre Gowda and Ramalinga Reddy visited Nelamangala to pay their respects. BJP leaders Sadananda Gowda and Tejasvi Surya visited Nagaraj Reddys house and paid their condolences. Cops step up vigil at tourist spots in Mysuru, Mandya Mysuru: Mandya and Mysuru police have sounded alerts and beefed up security at major tourist spots in the region. As a precautionary measure, security has been beefed up at KRS Dam, Brindavan Gardens, Balamuri falls, Srirangaptna and other places. Authorities are also checking vehicles heading towards Brindavan Gardens and closely monitoring CCTV camera footage. Mandya SP Shivaprakash Devaraju said they have reviewed security in tourist spots. Security has been beefed up at St Philomenas Church, bus and railway stations in Mysuru. Ashwini M Sripad By Express News Service BENGALURU: Drought, along with hailstorms and heavy wind, has left mango growers in Kolar - where more than 70 per cent of mangoes are grown in Karnataka - in dire straits. They have lost more than half their crops to drought, say farmers. Adding to their misery, mangoes that were about to ripen in May, were lost to hailstorms and heavy winds this week. Karnataka is among the top mango-growing states in the country, with the fruit being grown in 1.7 lakh hectares in 16 districts, including Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Dharwad and Ramanagara. Annually, the state has the capacity to grow more than 10 to 12 lakh tonnes of mangoes. Kolar alone, especially Srinivasapura taluk, Sidlaghatta and Mulbagal, contributes 8 lakh tonnes of mangoes. Normally, the flowering period in the state is from November to January, and depending on water availability and soil moisture, the flowers turn into fruit. Srinivasa Gowda, a mango grower from Sidlaghatta, said that in the monsoon of 2018, there was no rain during the South Western monsoons or North East monsoons, so flowering was not as per expectations. In some villages in my taluk, there was flowering in January, but with no moisture in the soil, flowers fell even before turning into fruits. At a few places, mangoes grew and we expected to see them ripen by May, he said. Shivarama Reddy from Srinivasapura said in last five to six days, Kolar saw 6 cm rainfall with hailstorms and heavy wind. This has affected the crop even more. This is a huge loss for us, he said.Now, farmers are expecting barely 1.5 lakh tonnes of mangoes from Kolar instead of 7-8 lakh tonnes. This, according to him, will impact the demand and supply chain. The quality of mangoes left wont be good, he said. Farmers will not get back the amount they have invested, he added. The Kolar District Mango Cultivators Associations president, Chinnappa Reddy, said that many mango growers take gold loans from banks. They pledge their gold jewellery to get loans of Rs 50,000 to a lakh, which van be availed on the spot and does not require many It also does documents. Mango growers use this loan money to buy fertilizers and other material for their crops. But now, with yields not as expected, the farmers arent able to pay back their loans. The government only waives off land loans. We are requesting the concerned authorities to include this type of loan under the waive off scheme, he said. They are now also requesting the Kolar district commissioner to survey the number of fruits lost in the recent hailstorms. GUANGZHOU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Customs authorities in south China said it has seized a batch of chips, watches and women's bags that infringed upon intellectual property rights (IPR). The Huangpu Customs made the seizure when they were inspecting a batch of parcels to be shipped across the border. "When we used an X-ray to check the parcels, we discovered that the X-ray images were not consistent with what was on the paper," said Huang Hongjie, an e-commerce inspector of the customs at the Dongguan post office. The boxes are printed with logos of Intel Core i7 CPU but the products inside had gathered rust, and did not look like authentic Intel CPUs, he said. The 836 CPUs were found to be refurbished ones, and therefore infringed upon Intel's IPR, he said. Inspectors also found 25 watches and 31 women's bags which were knockoffs of Gucci and Cartier brands. Huang said the fake goods fit a pattern in which domestic sellers mail used or knock-off products overseas to personal shoppers, who sell them back to Chinese buyers. "IPR protection has become one of the important functions of customs. We continue to fight the entry and exit of commodities that infringe upon IPRs through more strict inspections and targeted crackdowns," Huang said. Huangpu Customs oversees an important maritime foreign trade corridor in south China. In 2018, the total value of imports and exports under its jurisdiction was 1.53 trillion yuan (228 billion U.S. dollars). Since 2018, the Huangpu Customs seized 6 million yuan worth of goods that were suspected to have violated IPR. Bao Liming, deputy director of the customs, promised strict IPR protection to protect scientific innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. [ Editor: WPY ] By Express News Service The Internal Complaints Committee constituted by Madras Christian College has finally released the report of their enquiry into the sexual abuse allegations against the Zoology professor. According to the copy of the report handed to them, the students said that ICC has found the professor, R Raveen and his colleague, Samuel Tennyson (who encouraged his behaviour) guilty of sexually abusing the students and has directed the administration to take strict action against them. The ICC issued a 12-page letter stating the allegations, the result of their investigation and finally, their recommendation to the administration regarding the two professors. Copies of the 12-page letter were distributed among the women who were part of the enquiry. The students said that the report has already been submitted to the administration and they are yet to issue a statement about the action that will be taken against the professors. About two weeks ago, allegations of sexual abuse became public. Students from the Zoology department had complained about the R Raveen behaving inappropriately with them while they were on an excursion to Karnataka. The students had said that he had entered their rooms and lay down with one of them. He had also made inappropriate comments about their bodies. The students had stated that they had approached Samuel Tennyson for help but he paid no attention to them and instead encouraged Raveen's behaviour. After the allegations became public, a few alumni had also claimed that they had been subject to similar situations. According to the report, the students have said that the ICC has found both the professors guilty. Earlier this week, the students had approached the ICC seeking the results of the enquiry and were promised the report at the end of the week. The students had contemplated protesting incase the ICC did not stick to its work. Now that the report has been handed over to the victims, the students are now awaiting the decision of the administration. The Principal was not reachable for comment. This story originally appeared on Edexlive.com By Express News Service NEW DELHI: It started off as just another argument between Apoorva Shukla Tiwari and her husband Rohit Shekhar Tiwari on the night of April 16. It ended with Rohit losing his life at the hands of his wife. Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Rajiv Ranjan confirmed that Apoorva had been arrested and she had apparently confessed to the murder. After sustained interrogation, Apoorva broke down and admitted to killing her husband. According to the police, the crime was not premeditated but a repercussion of an argument between the couple over Rohits closeness with a female relative. On April 15, on their way back to Delhi from Uttarakhand, Rohit had been consuming liquor along with his cousins wife in the car. His mother and servants were travelling in another car, a police officer said. Rohit returned home at 10.30 pm and ate dinner with his wife. Then they withdrew to their room. ALSO READ | Rohit Shekhar had an unhappy life, wanted divorce from his wife: Lawyer who fought his paternity suit His mother reached in a while with her other son, Siddharth, and the servants. She called the two of them downstairs, chatted for a while. Later, Rohit went back to his room on the first floor with a servant as he was inebriated. By 11pm, police said, the mother and servants went to their rooms, while Apoorva sat down to watch television. She went back to her room by 12.45 am. Rohit and Apoorva had an altercation regarding the female relative and in the heat of the moment, Apoorva pounced on Rohit and killed him, the officer said, adding that after the incident, she spent the night in the other room. The next day, a servant found Rohit unresponsive and rushed him to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. Rohit and Apoorva both lawyers had married last year in May. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A Pall of gloom had descended over the neighbourhood where Vemuri Tulsiram, the 34-year-old who died in the serial suicide blasts in Sri Lanka, resided. Teary-eyed family members and friends bid their last goodbyes to the scar-ridden body of the Hyderabadi businessman, who was buried on Wednesday afternoon at a church in Borabanda. He was a good man, Tulsirams cousin Phani Kumar told Express. His entire family had congregated in their residence in Nagarjuna Nagar colony after the burial, and Tulsirams mother, who had lost her husband a decade ago was attending to her relatives. She was very ill until yesterday. Tulsiram used to take care of her. She has been inconsolable. However, she is better now with everyone around her. For Phani, Tulsiram was a man who did what he wanted. He loved taking drives. He often drove all the way from Hyderabad to Vijayawada to visit me. He was also taking flight lessons, Phani, a businessman by profession, said, adding that he was unsure if Tulsiram wanted to take up flying commercially. ALSO READ | 'Not your enemies': Sri Lanka Muslims fear backlash post-Easter blasts Tulsiram, who belonged to an upper-middle class family, had considerable business interests in various places including Kurnool, where he owned a land. He was at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lanka with his friends when the incident happened. He was on business over there and had plans to open a casino. We came to know of what happened when one of his friends, who escaped alive from the blast, returned to India. Later, we were also intimated by the Embassy in Sri Lanka and they helped us get his body back, Phani said, adding that they realised the intensity of the blast when they saw Vemuris body which, despite being embalmed, had scars all over it. On Sunday, 8 bombs ripped apart Sri Lanka, leaving over 359 dead. That attack has been claimed to be perpetrated by ISIS as a retaliation to the Christchurch terror attack on mosques. u mahesh By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Upset about the falling strength of the Government Boys Primary School at Tadbund in Secunderabad, three techies took it upon themselves to renovate the school. The trio, who raised Rs 1.5 lakh from their pocket, revamped the school in just around 20 days. For the last two years, the trio has been donating various books to the school. When they contacted the school officials to do so for the upcoming academic session, they were informed that 65 students had dropped out after the last academic session. Speaking to Express, S Satish, who works at an MNC said, When we started book distribution, the school had a good strength of students. When we approached the school this year, they gave us a list of only 45 students. We were shocked. Apparently, as the school was in a dilapidated condition and is situated next to a graveyard, many parents did not want their children to study there. An education department official said that the government is allocating only `8,000-`10,000 per annum for maintenance, which is insufficient to take up the maintenance works. Aggrieved by the situation, the trio decided to renovate the school. In a few weeks, they got the school painted, got new furniture and constructed a new playground as well. Govt funds not enough An education department official said that the government is allocating only `8,000-`10,000 per annum for the repair and renovation works. But this is insufficient to take up all the repairs the school needs By Express News Service KOCHI: The district administration and the security apparatus have set up foolproof security arrangements to store EVMs, VVPAT and other relevant documents in the two strong rooms set up at CUSAT and Kalamassery Polytechnic for the Ernakulam and Chalakkudy constituencies respectively. As per the instruction of the Election Commission three-tier security has been ensured for the two strong rooms. While the CISF has been deployed for the inner circle security of the strong rooms, the armed force of the Kerala police are in charge of the outer periphery of the strong rooms. Besides, the local police are also deployed at the premises as part of tightening security. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Around 80 central force personnel have been deployed for a single strong room to ensure the security of the strong rooms. The whole premise would be under the surveillance of the force for another one month, said S Surendran, City Police Commissioner when asked about the security arrangements of strong rooms. To restrict the entry through other areas, the strong room has only one entry point and a double lock system. The keys of both locking systems are kept with the Returning Officer and the AROs. Even the windows of the strong rooms have been sealed, the Commissioner added. Besides, a logbook is also maintained by the security personnel to monitor the visit of any persons. A flying squad has been deputed under the Assistant Commissioner who will ensure patrolling at regular intervals, said a top police officer. Meanwhile, the shifting of voting machines and other relevant documents from the collection centres were completed on Wednesday morning. The control unit and documents will be taken out in the presence of the Returning Officers and the representatives of political parties on the counting day which is scheduled to be held on May 23. Ajay Kanth By Express News Service KOCHI: In the wake of the Sri Lankan serial blasts, the Kerala police have started collecting details of 60 Malayalees associated with a faction linked to Tamil Nadu-based Thowheeth Jamaath, an organisation whose name cropped up during the investigation of Easter day attacks. It has been discreetly functioning for the Islamic State (IS) over the past two years. The police have increased the surveillance after the IS circulated the video statement claiming responsibility for the blasts in Tamil and Malayalam in addition to Arabic and English. Foreign agencies have analysed the IS made the Tamil and Malayalam statements with the sole purpose of convincing the youth in southern states about its capability. The state intelligence has confirmed the 60 people, from Vandiperiyar, Perumbavoor, Thrissur and Palakkad, had attended meetings organised by Towheeth Jamaath in 2016 at Madurai and Namakkal. ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath now on intelligence watch list The video might have been originally made in Arabic and later translated into Malayalam and Tamil by local IS fractions. Were analysing the development, said a senior intelligence officer. UNDER RADAR State police chief Loknath Behera said the department has put certain elements under radar and is verifying the details Video in Malayalam Officers said the IS videos Malayalam version, widely circulated through a few social media accounts, was found to be removed later US-based The Atlantic reported, ...The pronouncement suggests the organisation has recruits fluent in what are essentially regional languages with lesser speakers. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: BJP State vice-president S Vishnu Vardhan Reddy demanded that a suo moto case be booked against TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for his comments that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) could be hacked. Reddy also questioned the government as to why it was being careless in the controversy surrounding TTD gold. He demanded that a high-level probe be held into the issue. Why didnt the government suspend the Executive Officer and the Joint Executive Officer? How can it consider the statements of the EO, who is involved in the careless transportation of the yellow metal? The BJP leader also demanded an apology from the TDP as one of its MPs, JC Diwakar Reddy, made derogatory comments against the people of Rayalaseema. Gopinath Rajendran By Express News Service Arguably the biggest film of the year, Avengers: Endgame is almost upon us now, with just a day remaining untill release. Theres a lot at stake for the core Avengers and their allies, as they deal with half the universe getting wiped out. During the break between both films, fans of MCU got busy and did what they do best: Unleash their creativity on theories over what could ostensibly happen in the most important film of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While some are outlandishly silly, many seem quite plausible. Here goes: The Ant-Man explosion This is the wackiest and the most famous theory concerning Thanos destruction. Given the monumental failure of the Avengers to stop Thanos in the first film, fans came up with the theory that is now famously called the Thanus theory. According to it, Ant-Man, who wasnt seen in Infinity War, shrinks in size, goes up the mad Titans posterior, and expandes inside him. What started as a Reddit joke became a viral meme that even the directors, the Russo brothers, and actor Josh Brolin, who plays Thanos, commented on. The director duo teased it by changing their Instagram profile picture to a venn diagram version of the meme. Brolin went further ahead and shared a video on Instagram of him apparently pushing Ant-Man out inside a restroom and made the hashtag #flushantman go viral. Cat got the tongue Goose, the adorable cat, made his first appearance in Captain Marvel, and as Nick Fury realised later, its not a cat but an alien creature known as Flerken. Its mouth is home to alarmingly long tentacles of destruction, and its body, the storage space for a Tesseract. Fans are almost certain that the cat has outlived its lifespan and will play an important role in Endgame. WATCH TRAILER: The machinations of Red Skull In Infinity War, it was a shocker to see Captain Americas arch-nemesis, Red Skull, who was last seen in 2011s Captain America: The First Avenger. The man, who was also experimented on with the same serum that made Steve into Captain America, was stranded in Vormir, having become the keeper of the Soul Stone. Now that the stone is with Thanos, this makes him free to travel outside the planet. What if he returned to earth to take revenge on Captain America? Theres another theory that Red Skull tricked Thanos into killing his daughter Gamora so that he could have a face-off with Thanos later on, without the complication of having to deal with Gamora. Power of the Photon Remember Carol Danverss fellow pilot and best friend Maria Rambeau and her daughter Monica whose house became a hideout spot for Captain Marvel? Well, considering that film was set in 1995 when Monica is 11 years old, she should be in her mid-30s now. This suggests that Monica could potentially make an appearance in Endgame because, as per the comics, the kid becomes a superhero called Photon. In Captain Marvel, Monica expresses her desire to fly in space like Carol and get glowy like her aunt. Seeing her fight alongside Captain Marvel would be quite a treat. Vision again The humanisation of Vision made it hard to stomach the beloved Android getting dispensed with in Infinity War. But for a while before that happened, Wakandas child genius and Black Panthers sister Shuri was busy downloading Vision into her database. Though dead, Vision isnt a human unlike the other fallen people but a sophisticated program created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. That makes it possible for the remaining Avengers to download the AI and give it another form, which surely would make Scarlet Witch happy! ALSO READ | Have not watched the movie, I don't know if I will live or die: Chris Hemsworth Tony Stark will meet his daughter This is as shocking as theories can get. Theres enough evidence from set pictures to suggest there might be a time-travelling portion (more on it later). If they have the power to go back in time, they can also go forward and the theory states that Tony Stark could meet his daughter in the future. This makes sense considering, in Infinity War, Tony told Pepper about a dream in which they have had a kid together. Katherine Langford of 13 Reasons Why fame was cast in a mysterious role and her picture from the sets affirmed the same. Only time would tell. Resurrection of Gamora Gamora, the adopted daughter of Thanos who gets sacrificed by the Titan in order to get the Soul Stone, is also thought of to be the character that can land the final blow on her father. Considered to be the only weakness of Thanos, the theory states that the last standing person of the Zen-Whoberis species is not technically dead but is captured inside the Soul Stone similar to that of a Pokemon. Moreover, Zoe Saldana who plays the character in the film posted an image on her Instagram story showing her once again covered in green paint. Thanos being killed by someone he loves, is a fitting end. Good luck killing Loki One of the first deaths in Infinity War was that of the god of mischief, Loki. What if the one who died was one of his mirror images though. This certainly wouldnt be the first time he staged his own death. When Rocket Racoon asks Thor about his family in Infinity War, the god of thunder mentions that Loki had been dead before. Meanwhile, a Netflix series has been planned on Loki too. Another theory states that Loki has actually taken the place of Bruce Banner as he just wants to be around the Avengers, given its the safest place to be. This also explains why Bruce couldnt transform himself into Hulk throughout the last Avengers film. WATCH | 'Avengers: Endgame' trailer 2: Crucial details you may have missed Nebula kills Thanos Ever since Nebula was introduced to the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy, she has been portrayed as a mean, killing machine. I will hunt my father like a dog and I will tear him apart slowly, piece by piece, until he knows some semblance of the profound and unceasing pain I knew every single day, she says in the same film. Even in Infinity War, Thanos captures her when she sneaks aboard his ship to kill him only to be pardoned after Gamora reveals the location of the Soul Stone. Nebula has plenty of reason to seek vengeance. Unfulfilled dreams Leaked set photos indicate that instead of using the quantum realm as a gateway to multiple universes, it takes them back on time to a suitable time where they will have, well, enough time to come up with a plan to stop Thanos. IN PHOTOS | Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey and other stars dazzle at Avengers Endgame premiere in Los Angeles This makes sense considering the past is the only time when Thanos didnt have possession of all the stones. Leaked photos show the heroes wearing costumes from previous time periods and even sporting different hairdos. Moreover, many characters want to relive or correct their past Rogers wants to have that date with Peggy Carter, Stark wants to stop weapons falling into wrong hands, Black Widow wants to stop herself from making her share of mistakes, Peter Quill would love to say goodbye to his mother on her deathbed you get the idea. Each of these characters would want these outcomes whatever it takes. The famous multiverse theory The quantum realm has been stated many times over the three phases of the MCU and the reason is obvious now than ever. The theory which almost every Marvel fan seems to agree on is that the Avengers would travel into a parallel universe in order to undo the damage. War Machine, Captain America and Black Widow. (Photo | FB@Marvel Studios) This idea isnt new as the recently completed Infinity Wars comic book featured the question of using one universes Infinity Stones in another universe, as heroes crossed realities in an attempt to find a way to deal with a villain wielding seemingly uncontrollable power. This could also explain how Scott Lang survived as seen in the trailer, after being left all for himself in the realm at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp. Remember when Doctor Strange says that he saw 14,000,605 futures and we only succeeded in one? What if there are those many universes? Captain Marvel to save the day The presence of Captain Marvel cannot be underestimated. She didnt fight the Titan in Infinity War and in the trailer for Endgame, when Banner asks how the Avengers could potentially hope for a different outcome this time, Carol Danvers quips, Because, before, you didnt have me. Steve Rogers and/or Tony Stark will die Marvel has been accused of not letting go of its favourite characters. The makers could well make a point by killing off a few major characters in Endgame. There are no winners, after all, in war. Our bet is on Steve Rogers and Tony Stark for the most obvious reasons. The contracts of these actors are running out and most of the first few films from MCU concentrated more on these two characters backstory. Moreover, Rogers, even before becoming Captain America, showed that he would happily lay down his life for the greater good. On the other hand, we have Stark who is generally thought to be selfish. What better time than now to prove that he can be selfless? A new Hawkeye One of the hints the trailer of Endgame gave was a quick glimpse of Clint Barton teaching a young woman on how to shoot a bow. This suggests that hes passing over the torch to his daughter, Lila, who later becomes the new Hawkeye similar to that of Kate Bishop in the comics. While it would be implausible for two Hawkeyes to exist in the same universe, the same trailer also shows us that Clint has turned into Ronin. The wedding of Tony and Pepper Considering the tragic ending of Infinity War, it would only be fair if Endgame had a happy ending. And what better happiness than a wedding? A theory suggests that the film will end with the grand wedding of Tony Stark and his fiance Pepper Potts that will be attended by all the important characters of MCU. Amrutha Kuber By Online Desk Avengers Infinity War gave us one of the most shocking cliff-hanger endings. We all can remember the collective gasp we took at THAT moment. Can we ever forget our favourite heroes turning to dust, leaving us confused and transfixed and unable to digest the ending we just saw? I mean, does this even happen in the biggest and most hyped superhero movie of the decade (apart from the complete let down that was Justice League)? It also raised important questions - what happens next? will they remain dead? who is going to save the heroes, reassuring us that there will probably be a second part to the movie that will conclude the series? Besides, during the release of Infinity War, the only news fans knew about was the proposed Captain Marvel movie which was confirmed by the post-credits scene - the tiniest of the hint that the heroes will be, after all, rescued. While there were multiple discussions, theories and debates about who will die and will likely survive, the release of Spider-Man Far From Home trailer (the events of which are supposed to be taking place AFTER Endgame) showed us our friendly neighbourhood Spiderman and Nick Fury was alive and well after all! (If you havent seen the trailer yet, oops) ALSO READ | Read these fifteen theories before Avengers Endgame release So keeping in mind the future sequels the MCU has planned, what the actors have revealed and hinted, actors contract plans, we put together a list of characters who will likely survive or die. Pictorial representation of the author in the last year, trying to figure out who survives and who doesn't Captain America: Might not survive Currently alive and having survived Thanos snap, we saw Steve Rogers in the many many trailers and clips released struggling to move on after the events of Infinity War and resolving to do whatever it takes. Though speculations have been rife that he is a character who is most likely to die; besides, actor Chris Evans tweeted an emotional goodbye in October 2018 to the character, saying shooting has been wrapped up for Endgame. In a 2018 Infinity War press tour, Evans had also said contracts of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth and his own were through and that by 2019, thats it. With no other future sequels of Captain America announced, it is safe to assume that he might not survive Endgame. Iron Man: Might not After Steve Rogers, the other highly speculated character is Tony Stark, who is currently stranded in space afloat the Benetar. After the release of the first trailer, he is seen recording a message to Pepper Potts signalling that he might not make it. But then came the second trailer where he is seen joining the other Avengers to do whatever it takes. Towards the end of the second trailer, the trinity - Tony, Steve and Thor - could be seen approaching a blurred Thanos. This could mean the end as well. Also, the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer did not reveal Tonys fate although when Happy Hogan hands Peter a cheque, it has Peppers sign instead of Tonys - which could mean he does not survive the events of Endgame. In addition, there are also no sequels announced to Iron Man 3. IN PHOTOS | Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey and other stars dazzle at Avengers Endgame premiere in Los Angeles Thor: Might not Thor Odinson is alive butmourns the loss of his friends and brother. Will he stay alive until the end? We cant be sure. Comprising the trinity of Iron Man and Captain America, the second trailer shows him about to fight Thanos (maybe this time he will go for the head). But there has been no explicit talk of Hemsworths contract so far, although he did say a 2018 interview that playing Thor seemed never-ending and is potentially finishing. No sequels have been announced on the character either. Ant-Man Despite getting sucked into the time vortex at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp, Steve Langs appearance in Endgame trailer urging Captain America and Black Widow to let him inside the building suggested that could be alive after all. Contractually, Paul Rudds character could return as he has appeared in only 3 Marvel movies so far. A sequel to Ant-Man and the Wasp has not been announced yet. Black Widow: Might survive Alive and well, Black Widows scenes in the trailers were clear signals of the time jump in Endgame. Her standalone movie was finally confirmed in October 2018 and reportedly began filming in February. Black Panther: Could live The king of Wakanda said Up general! This is no place to die, only for him to die the next second! But the sequel to Black Panther was confirmed before Infinity War and director Ryan Coogler has also been signed on to direct it, so it's a given that TChalla will survive in Endgame. Bucky Barnes & Falcon Steve Rogers beloved best friend was dusted in Infinity War and seems unlikely to come back from the dead but it could also be a ruse - a TV series on the Winter Soldier and Falcon is in the works which means Bucky will most likely be back! ALSO READ | Tamilrockers does it again, leaks Avengers Endgame online two days before release Doctor Strange As Steven Strange tells Tony in his final moments there was no other way and having seen a possibility of the Infinity War outcome, it is likely Dr.Strange will not remain dead. Besides, there is a Doctor Strange sequel in the works, which could mean he will live after all. Guardians of the Galaxy Will the (dusted) Guardians stay dead? A Guardians 3 movie was already in the works before Infinity War (before James Gunns firing). After his firing, Drax actor Dave Bautista had also said he had shot scenes for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 and that he will leave the franchise if Disney does not use Gunns script for the movie. Now that James Gunn has been reinstated as director of the movie, we can say with some confirmation that the Guardians will survive the movie. Hawkeye As the Russo brothers said Hawkeye will have a bigger role in Endgame. Also, his new avatar, Ronin takes shape in the movie which could mean hes here to stay. There are also rumours that a solo Hawkeye movie is being talked about. The Hulk Alive and.well, not fully functional, the Hulk will play an important role in Endgame, it could be Mark Ruffalos end of contract (not considering his firing after his reveal in the Jimmy Fallon show!). Talks on Hulks solo movie have not been confirmed though the actor revealed to Cinema Blend that Kevin Feige had discussed a possibility of a standalone movie. ALSO READ | 'Avengers: Endgame' breaks India booking records Loki We heard it from Thanos himself that, there wont be any revivals this time and our hearts broke! Though Loki isnt exactly an Avenger, fans have been rooting for his comeback. And yet, Disneys Tv series on Loki along with actor Tom Hiddlestons confirmation on the same are keeping hopes everywhere alive that the God of mischief will indeed be brought back. Spider-Man and Nick Fury Can we ever forget the I dont feel so good and Motherf- from Peter and Furys last moments in Infinity War? Indeed we cannot! But then the trailer for Far From Home gave us a breather! Now weve only to find out how the two will be brought back to life in Endgame! By Express News Service After wrapping up the Mumbai portions of the film, Rani Mukerji and team are now headed for the Rajasthan schedule of Mardaani 2. The action-packed schedule will see Shivani Shivaji Roy, a cop played by Rani, leading a manhunt for the films 21-year-old villain. Gopi Puthran, director of the sequel, says, Its an intense one-month long schedule in Rajasthan, which forms the backdrop to the story. Ranis investigation will take her to Jaipur and Kota. Given that we are shooting in the peak summer in Rajasthan, it will be physically demanding because Rani will be performing action stunts too. The entire team is thrilled to be shooting in the beautiful state of Rajasthan, and we are looking forward to the love and cooperation from the people. Mardaani 2 is produced by Yash Raj Studios. The first film in the franchise was directed by Pradeep Sarkar. Rani Mukerjis last appearance was in Hichki. She was also seen in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Zero. PYONGYANG, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on Wednesday arrived in Vladivostok, a Far Eastern city of Russia, the official media Korean Central News Agency reported on Thursday. The report said a private train with Kim Jong Un on board pulled in at the Vladivostok railway station at 18:00 local time (0800 GMT). According to the report, Kim is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. This will be his first ever summit with Putin since he became top leader of the DPRK in late 2011. The two leaders were supposed to discuss bilateral relations and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kim was greeted at the railway station by Minister of Development of the Far East and Arctic of Russia Alexandr Kozlov, Vice Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, Governor of Maritime Territory Oleg Kozhemyako and Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Alexandr Matsegora. There was a ceremony for welcoming Kim to visit the Russian Federation and Kim reviewed the guard of honor of the three services of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, the report added. [ Editor: WPY ] By PTI GENEVA: The world's first malaria vaccine has been launched in Malawi after concerted efforts of over 30 years to protect children from the deadly disease that claims over 435,000 lives globally every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the Government of Malawi's landmark pilot programme. The launch of the first and only malaria vaccine, known as RTS,S, makes Malawi the first of three countries in Africa where it will be made available to children up to 2 years of age. Ghana and Kenya will introduce the vaccine in the coming weeks, WHO said in a statement. Malaria remains one of the world's leading killers, claiming the life of one child every two minutes. Most of these deaths are in Africa, where more than 250,000 children die from the disease every year. WHO estimates that India accounts for 89 per cent malaria cases in South-East Asia. According to National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), 1,090,724 cases and 331 deaths due to malaria were reported during 2016 in the country. Children under five are at greatest risk of its life-threatening complications. ALSO READ | More people die after surgery than from HIV, TB, and malaria combined Worldwide, malaria kills 435 000 people a year, most of them children. "We have seen tremendous gains from bed nets and other measures to control malaria in the last 15 years, but progress has stalled and even reversed in some areas," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "We need new solutions to get the malaria response back on track, and this vaccine gives us a promising tool to get there. The malaria vaccine has the potential to save tens of thousands of children's lives," Ghebreyesus said in a statement. Thirty years in the making, RTS,S is the first, and to date the only, vaccine that has demonstrated it can significantly reduce malaria in children. In clinical trials, the vaccine was found to prevent approximately four in 10 malaria cases, including three in 10 cases of life-threatening severe malaria. "Malaria is a constant threat in the African communities where this vaccine will be given. The poorest children suffer the most and are at highest risk of death," said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. "We know the power of vaccines to prevent killer diseases and reach children, including those who may not have immediate access to the doctors, nurses and health facilities they need to save them when severe illness comes," Moeti said. "This is a day to celebrate as we begin to learn more about what this tool can do to change the trajectory of malaria through childhood vaccination," she added. The pilot programme is designed to generate evidence and experience to inform WHO policy recommendations on the broader use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine. It will look at reductions in child deaths; vaccine uptake, including whether parents bring their children on time for the four required doses; and vaccine safety in the context of routine use. The vaccine is a complementary malaria control tool -- to be added to the core package of WHO-recommended measures for malaria prevention, including the routine use of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor spraying with insecticides, and the timely use of malaria testing and treatment. The WHO-coordinated pilot programme is a collaborative effort with ministries of health in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi and a range of in-country and international partners, including PATH, a non-profit organization, and GSK, the vaccine developer and manufacturer, which is donating up to 10 million vaccine doses for this pilot. "We look forward to the start of vaccination in Ghana, and then Kenya later this year. A vaccine for malaria is among many innovations needed to bring an end to this disease, and we proudly stand with all countries and our many partners in progressing towards a malaria-free world," said Steve Davis, President and CEO of PATH. The malaria vaccine pilot aims to reach about 360,000 children per year across the three countries. Ministries of health will determine where the vaccine will be given. They will focus on areas with moderate-to-high malaria transmission, where the vaccine can have the greatest impact. In selected areas in the three countries, the vaccine will be given in 4 doses: three doses between 5 and 9 months of age and the fourth dose provided around the second birthday. H Khogen Singh and Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service How do you think the BJP will perform in the Northeast? There are 25 seats in the Northeast, including Sikkim. There is the BJP and there is the NEDA (Northeast Democratic Alliance, a BJP-led alliance of non-Congress parties). I believe the BJP alone will get 16 to 17 seats. With allies, it will get another three. Out of 25, my projection is the BJP will win 19 seats in the worst case and 21 in the best case. The BJP had won 10 seats in 2014 because of one personality, Mr Narendra Modi. After Amit Shah took over as the BJP chief, he said the party should expand organisationally in the South, East and the Northeast. Today, we are all over the Northeast. We have our own governments in some states and some with regional alliances. Today in the Northeast the Congress is almost non-existent. There was a lot of resistance against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Will the BJPs prospects be affected by it? CAB was a bigger issue in Manipur than Assam. We said when we reintroduce the Bill, we can accommodate the concerns expressed by the people of Manipur. In my view, a state where the National Register of Citizens is not updated, CAB will have no applicability immediately because nobody is going to come voluntarily and say he has come from Bangladesh because of religious persecution. Through a dialogue process, we have been able to assuage the peoples feelings. Thats why CAB was not an electoral issue in the final days of voting. In Assam, the number of people endorsing CAB was more than those opposing it. Assam has difficult demography with many believing that the state will not be affected negatively by the accommodation of Bengali Hindu immigrants who came prior to December 31, 2014 (the CAB cut-off date). FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE But yes there is a section that opposes CAB as it violates the Assam Accord. So the public opinion is fractured. But the people think the re-election of Mr Modi is much more important than discussing CAB. Given this, I think CAB was put in the backburner during the entire election process. Neither the Congress nor the AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) raised it vociferously. We also did not make it a big issue as we had to capitalize on brand Modi and development. There is a perception that CAB is aimed at consolidating the Hindu population in Assam and winning over the Bengali Hindu immigrant voters in Bengal. For the sake of stability, Assam needs CAB as it is getting a high degree of Muslim immigrants. They have become the states single largest community. By pushing back five lakh Hindus, we cannot give any dividends to the people of Assam. At the end of the NRC, there will be five-six lakh Hindus who will be CAB beneficiaries. When you have already accepted 1.35 crore Muslim immigrants who are better at manipulating the NRC legacy data by claiming their fathers name and title as that of anyones, the people of Assam will not gain anything by dealing firmly with five-six lakh Hindu migrants. And where will they be pushed back? If they are pushed back to Bangladesh or Pakistan, they will be further persecuted. A criticism of CAB is that it identifies people along religious lines, people belonging to six communities are welcome to India but not Muslims. Can you give me an example of a single Muslim in India who came prior to December 31, 2014, claiming he migrated as he was persecuted for practising Quran in Bangladesh or Pakistan? Even if persecuted, why will he come to India? There are so many officially-declared Muslim countries in the world. When you dont have a single Muslim who will say he has been religiously persecuted in Bangladesh or Pakistan, why do you create a gate for those people to enter by giving a back date? Isnt it true that some of your allies in the Northeast have reservations on CAB? In the Northeast, no regional party can completely align with the BJP on all issues. There will be a difference of opinions. It is there between the JD(U) and the BJP in Bihar as well. Modi talks about sab ka Saath, sab ka Vikas, yet the BJP did not field a single Muslim candidate in Assam despite the community accounting for 34 per cent of the population. We dont have a religious quota. Our alliance partner, the AGP, has fielded a Muslim in Dhubri. SCs and STs are official quotas. We should focus on individuals and not create sub-quotas which the Constitution does not provide for. Beyond the SC/ST quota, it is all about efficiency. At some point, all 14 candidates could be Muslims or Christians or Hindus. We go by winnability. How do you think the BJP will perform in the country? The sense that I got by talking to people is that there is huge enthusiasm. In 2014, it was a wave. Now, it is logic. Let me also put it this way, when you are in the opposition and you want to replace a government, it is like a revolution. There is a lot of noise around the effort to dislodge a government. This is what happened in 2014 when there was a huge noise around Mr Modi. People were fed up with corruption, policy paralysis etc and they wanted a change. But re-election of a government is always a quiet affair. For instance, when Manmohan Singh was re-elected in 2009, there was hardly any noise. Re-election is about continuity and always less talked about. But when change is imminent, there will be a huge noise. In this election, I have seen that people have already decided to vote for Modi. If Congress were destined to change Modi, there would have been a huge noise, but where is the noise? My number is 250 plus for the BJP alone. This is my reasonable and conservative estimate. How do you view the Congress promise of Nyay? The people are not talking about Nyay. If Nyay were announced by Modi in 2014, it would have been discussed. Today, the people have decided they are not going to bring the Congress to power so whether they promise Nyay or anyay, people are not taking cognizance of it or discussing it. Congresss Nyay will only be a subject of research for students of economics. Do you think Opposition unity is possible? For a realignment of Opposition parties to take place, an anchor party is needed. The anchor party will be able to attract others to its fold. And this anchor party has to have at least 150 seats (in the Lok Sabha). Unless you have that number, nobody is going to align with you. Congress is not going to perform that anchoring role because it will not get 150 seats. When there is no anchoring party, even calling for meetings will be difficult. On the day of the election results, the people will see there is no party to anchor the Opposition. Small parties will immediately support Mr Modi. So instead of regrouping of the Opposition, I foresee de-grouping of the Opposition. How many seats do you give to the Congress? Where will the Congress improve? The only state it can improve is Chhattisgarh. In Jharkhand, the Congress is not contesting in a significant number of seats on its own. In Tamil Nadu, it will be in alliance with no significant number of seats. I dont know how Congress will cross 75 (seats). My assessment is 75-85 in the best case scenario. How do you view Rahul Gandhis performance as the Congress chief? I have seen him for the last 7-8 years. He is an average Indian. There is nothing in him intellectually, spiritually or enterprisingly. Had he not been a Gandhi, nobody would have taken cognizance of him. People talk about him only because of his surname. By IANS PANAJI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa on Thursday accused some of the state's Catholic priests of acting like agents of the Congress, appealing to the people to vote for the party. The majority of the state's population is Christian. Addressing a press conference here, AAP's Goa convenor Elvis Gomes said "I cannot brand all religious leaders in one group. Such people are there in all religions. But some (priests) do feel they should contribute to the Congress. There are three or four, who really act like agents. They leave religion aside and play politics." ALSO READ: AAP releases manifesto, promises 'full statehood' for Delhi "But I do not want to categorise the whole bunch into one lot. Even in the last week, when (prayer) services were on, they appealed directly to vote for the Congress. I only appeal to their (Church) hierarchy to take cognisance of this. Such things should not happen during elections," Gomes said. In the run up to the elections, two videos showing Catholic priest Father Conceicao D'Silva badmouthing Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar and BJP President Amit Shah went viral triggering a controversy. The influential Catholic Church in Goa, which is the religious and spiritual guide to more than a quarter of the state's population, was forced to express regret for the video. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE However, days before the April 23 polls, Goa Archbishop Father Filipe Neri Ferrao created another furore by urging the electorate to vote out corrupt and communal candidates who promote division in the society. On polling day, Gomes also expressed his dissatisfaction about the functioning of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and even lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC). During the press conference, Gomes also formally announced the candidature of Valmiki Naik as the party's candidate for the May 19, Panaji Assembly bypoll. He is pitted against Congress candidate and former Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate. The BJP may either field Parrikar's son Utpal or former Panaji MLA Sidharth Kuncalienkar. The Panaji bypoll was necessitated by the death of Parrikar who represented the constituency. By PTI AHMEDABAD: The Congress approached the Gujarat Assembly secretariat Thursday, seeking expulsion of disgruntled leader Alpesh Thakor as a legislator for his "anti-party activities". Thakor resigned from all the posts he held in the Congress earlier this month, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The "appeal" seeking his "expulsion" as MLA was submitted to the Assembly secretariat by chief whip of the Congress legislative party Ashwin Kotwal and senior party MLA Baldevji Thakor. Kotwal told reporters that as Thakor is no longer with the Congress and had engaged in anti-party activities, he had no right to be an MLA of the party. READ| Alpesh Thakor couldn't handle respect and power given by Congress: Hardik Patel Thakor, a prominent OBC leader who was elected from Radhanpur on Congress ticket in 2017 Assembly polls, resigned from party posts on April 10, claiming that he and his Thakor community were insulted and betrayed by the Congress. Kotwal said Thakor had also given up the primary membership of the party. "Alpesh Thakor was elected on Congress' symbol. But he has resigned from the party and even engaged in anti-party activities by supporting independent candidates in the Lok Sabha election. He worked against Congress candidates in Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat and Unjha assembly seat (during a by-poll)," Kotwal said. "Since he has already resigned from the party, he does not have any right to remain an MLA. The Speaker would take a call on our appeal," he said. Thakor, who also heads Thakor Sena, a community outfit, was Congress secretary in-charge of Bihar, and was a member of all key committees of the Gujarat Congress for the Lok Sabha polls. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Fifteen days after PM Narendra Modi made a reference to airstrikes, the Election Commission is yet to decide if it was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The EC said it will soon decide the case and take appropriate action. However, the ECs grievance redressal portal shows that the complaint has been resolved. Now, the EC has sought an explanation from the returning officer concerned for the error. The status should have shown that the matter has been referred to Election Commission headquarters. But the entry reflected that the complaint as resolved ... it is being rectified, explained an EC functionary. Earlier, the commission had instructed political parties and leaders to refrain from making references to the armed forces during campaigning. However, many BJP leaders have referred to the armed forces in some or the other way. The PM while campaigning in Maharashtra had appealed to young voters in the name of soldiers and martyrs who died in the suicide attack in J&Ks Pulwama. Thereafter, Opposition parties had complained to the Election Commission. Sources with the EC said that the commission has looked into the content and a final decision will be taken soon.EC officials on Tuesday said the commission is studying the whole transcript of the speech and many aspects are being looked into before arriving at a decision. Its the reason it is taking so many days, added the officials. Abhijit Mulye By Express News Service NANDURBAR/NASHIK: As India announced it was calling off all normal trade ties with Pakistan and even went to the extent of withdrawing the Most Favoured Nation status granted to its neighbour, following the Pulwama terror attack, it hit the grape and onion growers in Vidarbha, Marathwada and Khandesh hard. The sheer scale of the impact it had on the export market was nothing short of an earthquake. Nashik farmers had invested widely in vineyards but the returns were plateauing. The blow came with the closing of borders with Pakistan and then, other countries flooded the traditional markets the world over especially Europe with their produce. The palpable and universal anger over falling prices of these food items and pulses and lack of a better support price must have been the reason why, when PM Narendra Modi campaigned at Pimpalgaon in the Dindori Lok Sabha constituency on Monday, he spoke about both draksh (grapes) and kanda (onions) and assured that the government has taken right steps and the issues of their prices and sale would be addressed soon. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE These assurances didnt just underline the importance of farmers issues, along with that of tribal land and water, with regard to the poll discourse, but also brought them to the front and centre of an election campaign in the Nashik-Nandurbar belt that will vote in the fourth phase on April 29. Probably, the threat of farmer agitation a sense that the electorate can go against them might have compelled the PM to speak on farm-related issues. However, the Centre and state policies are wrong. Like the previous government, this government also thinks that money coming from treasury can save agriculture. The Congress NYAY and BJPs Kisan Sanman are both examples of this mentality. None of them want to open up markets or strengthen them. That is the real issue, said Shyam Ashtekar, a Nashik based scholar on agricultural economy and a farm activist. Krishna Dongre, an onion grower at Yeola, who stopped wearing shirts after he incurred heavy losses due to sudden slump in the onion market three years back, was not allowed to attend the PMs rally. If they are so scared of my agitation, why dont they do something? he said. Asked how he incurred losses, Dongre said that he had doubled the area under onion cultivation, on his farm, and the slump in the market next year resulted in him suffering heavy losses. This is a typical situation. Volatility in the market price and area instability are interdependent. It makes for a vicious cycle. Timely market information on prices, upgrading information, creating storage facility and extending weather-based crop insurance to farmers is the key to overcoming such issues and we are certainly moving towards that direction, Sadabhau Khot, minister of state for agriculture in Fadnavis government, said. The area under onion cultivation in Maharashtra has been increasing at a rate of around 6.4% over the last 10 years, but, on productivity count, it lags behind several countries in the world. India tops onion production in the world and Maharashtra holds 33% of the domestic production share.However, to keep the urban voters happy, the government intervenes whenever prices go up and bans exports. This is unfair, said Anil Ghanwat, state president of Shetkari Sanghatana, pointing out that overproduction is becoming a problem for farmers as it leads to drop in prices. Grape growers in Nashik have started producing export quality grapes. However, due to excess production, those expecting to sell their produce at a rate of between Rs 35 and Rs 40 per kg got only between Rs 17 and Rs 18. This happened despite the fact that Maharashtra accounts for almost 80% of the countrys grape export, Ghanwat said, blaming the Modi government for continuing the previous governments policies of minimal intervention in this particular sector. Increasing processing industries like wineries is the way out, but the government has no policy on this, he said.In Nandurbar, Modi assured tribals of their right on forest land and said the water from Naar-Paar project on the Tapi would come to the fields in north Maharashtra. Though he was not very clear and only said that, No one would be able to snatch land from tribals, the statement is being interpreted in the light of the long march of tribals last year seeking settlement of forest right claims and the fact that the force behind the march, CPI(M) MLA JP Gavit, is a candidate from Dindori. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRI NAGAR: A senior Army commander on Wednesday said the governments crackdown against Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in the Valley had left it without a leader and that no JeM operatives were willing to lead the operatives again. The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police also produced a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant arrested several days ago. So far, 69 militants have been killed in encounters with security forces in the Valley this year. Of them, 41 were killed since the February 14 suicide attack on a CRPF bus at Pulwama, in which 40 paramilitary personnel were killed, General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, said while addressing a joint press conference with J&K police chief Dilbag Singh and IG CRPF Zulfiqar Hassan. He said of the 41 militants killed since February 14, 25 belonged to JeM. A total of 13 of the 25 slain Jaish militants were Pakistanis, he added. Top commanders of the group have been killed in encounters with security forces. Lt Gen Dhillon said the situation had reached a point where nobody was ready to take over Jaish leadership in the Valley. Asked how many militants were present in the Valley currently, the GoC said, refused to divulge the details. Weighing in on militant recruitment, DGP Dilbag Singh said it had gone down. It continues to be low and it is a healthy sign, he asserted. Meanwhile, the arrested militant was also allowed to speak to the media on Wednesday. I am 27-years-old and my name is Mohammad Waqar Awan. I hail from Mian Mohalla, Mianwali, Pakistan, he told the media. Waqar further said he had infiltrated into Kashmir in 2017 and had undergone four months training in weapons handling in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Speaking of his indoctrination, Waqar said he was told there was oppression in Kashmir, where women were being attacked and people were not allowed to offer prayers. But I saw nothing like that, he added. By PTI AHMEDABAD: PepsiCo on Tuesday sued Gujarati farmers for 'infringing its right' by growing the potato variety used in its Lay's chips. The multinational giant dragged nine farmers from Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts to court for allegedly growing a variety of potatoes for which it has claimed Plant Variety Protection (PVP) rights. Over 190 activists on Wednesday urged the Centre to ask PepsiCo India to withdraw its "false"cases against Gujarat farmers for allegedly illegally growing a particular variety of potatoes "registered" by the company. In a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture, 194 signatories have sought financial aid and protection of rights of farmers who have been sued for growing and selling a potato variety called FC-5 potato, for which PepsiCo India Holdings claimed to have obtained "exclusive rights in the country in 2016". The multinational giant has sought damages of Rs 1 crore from each of four farmers in its suit at a court in Ahmedabad, and Rs 20 lakh from each of the farmers sued at a district court in Modasa, activists said at a press conference here. The matter in Ahmedabad court will come up for hearing on April 26, they said. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority Act, 2011 exempts farmers from PVP rights, said Kapil Shah, who heads Jatan, an organisation dedicated to organic farming. "It is for the state government to ensure that farmers are not harassed. The company should immediately withdraw the case which is untenable," said Sagar Rabari of the Gujarat Khedut Samaj. In a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture, 194 signatories have sought financial aid and protection of rights of farmers who have been sued for growing and selling a potato variety called FC-5 potato, for which PepsiCo India Holdings claimed to have obtained "exclusive rights in the country in 2016". Reached for its reaction, a company spokesperson said that "given the issue is sub-judice, it would not be proper to offer detailed comments". Richa Sharma By Express News Service NEW DELHI: As speculation on Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadras candidature against PM Narendra Modi in Varanasi refuses to die down, the party is considering if it will be worth making her contest from Varanasi. Congress party sources said several requests have been coming for Priyanka to campaign in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. She is also expected to hold road shows in Delhi next month. There has been a lot of thinking in the party if she should contest from Varanasi as in that case, she would have to be in the constituency for rest of the elections for putting up a serious fight against Modi. It cant be limited to her just filing nomination and continuing with her campaigns elsewhere, said party sources. The sources also said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi has given her a bigger role as general secretary, East UP, and she has a lot of responsibilities, including reviving the party in the state keeping in mind the 2022 Assembly polls. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra meets her supporters in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday | PTI Priyanka has also expressed willingness to contest from Varanasi while interacting with party workers in UP but said any decision will be taken by the party. The last date for filing nomination for Varanasi, which goes to poll in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 19, is April 29.Rahul and other top party leaders have repeatedly told the media to wait and watch and that a decision regarding her candidature will be taken soon. Priyankas campaign has been so far limited to UP with just two exceptions - one in Wayanad in support of her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi and another for Sushmita Dev, president of the All India Mahila Congress and party candidate seeking re-election from Silchar in Assam. The cadre in UP has been demanding that Priyanka should take on Modi. The PM is scheduled to hold a roadshow on April 25 and file his nomination on April 26 from Varanasi. Arrangements on a large scale are being made for the roadshow. Shun politics of divisiveness Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Fatehpur asked voters to help end the politics of divisiveness and negativity and teach the BJP a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections. Change politics not only of your area or for your needs, but for your future generations and to save the country, as the country is in danger, she said at an election meeting. By Online Desk Supreme Court on Thursday appointed former court judge Justice A K Patnaik to hold inquiry into claims of lawyer alleging conspiracy against CJI. A special bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, Rohinton Nariman and Deepak Gupta earlier in the day had reserved its order on setting up the inquiry committee. READ MORE | 'Rich and powerful cannot run judiciary': Supreme Court on conspiracy claims against CJI Ranjan Gogoi During the course of the hearing, advocate Utsav Bains, who made the claim about a conspiracy to frame Justice Gogoi, submitted an additional affidavit on the direction of the court. Continuing the hearing in the afternoon session, the SC bench ordered for the inquiry committee to probe into Bains' claims and asked the directors of CBI, IB and Delhi Police to render cooperation to Justice Patnaik as and when sought by the latter. The apex court said that on the completion of inquiry, Justice (Retd) Patnaik will file a report in a sealed cover before the court after which the matter will be heard again. ALSO READ | Indira Jaising questions Utsav Bainss entry into top court campus SC also noted that the inquiry committee will not go into the issue of sexual harassment allegations against the CJI and the outcome of the Justice Patnaik probe will not affect the in-house inquiry. Meanwhile, Justice N V Ramana, part of 3-member in-house inquiry panel set up to examine the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, recused himself from it on Thursday. The development comes a day after the former apex court woman employee, who levelled the allegations against the CJI, wrote a letter to the panel expressing reservation over the inclusion of Justice Ramana. On behalf of the Vietnamese Government, Ambassador Hung expressed best wishes to Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith and handed him the New Year greetings letter from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. The diplomat availed himself of the occasion to thank the Lao minister and his staff for their constant support, help and facilitation for the Vietnamese embassy to accomplish its tasks. He said he is glad to see the practical fruits of the special Vietnam - Laos relations, and affirmed that Vietnam is actively realising bilateral high-level agreements. For his part, the Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith thanked the Vietnamese diplomat and asked him to convey his gratitude to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh for sending the letter. This reflects the relations of brotherhood and comradeship between the two ministries in particular and the two countries in general, the minister stressed. He also affirmed the Lao Foreign Ministry will continue closely collaborating with the Vietnamese embassy to effectively implement the agreements and commitments of high-ranking leaders of the two countries, pushing up and broadening cooperation opportunities, thus helping further strengthen the relations of great friendship and special solidarity between the two countries. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service ETAWAH: The 302-km-long Lucknow-Agra Expressway does not need any signage for motorists to know Etawah. The smoke spitting brick kilns can be seen from afar. UPs brick hub and the nerve centre of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadavs Samajwadi movement. The city has been the political hotbed for the Yadavs, a caste which established unchallenged dominance, especially after the rise of Mulayam Singh. He was first elected MLA in 1967 from Jaswant Nagar, now in Mainpuri Lok Sabha segment post-delimitation. At 10 am, every tea stall on the outskirts of Etawah and its interiors share a similar picture. People are debating on the prospects of the SP-BSP alliance and also the BJP, which performed well in 2014. Etawah is poised for a direct fight between BJPs Ram Shankar Katheria, sitting Agra MP and Kamlesh Katheria, son of former SP MP Prem Shankar Katheria both Jatavs. Congress has fielded BJP turncoat and sitting Etawah MP Ashok Dohre. A reserved seat with Dalits making 25% of the total population, Etawah is a case study for the Maya-Mulayam bonhomie. While the alliance is banking on Dalit-Yadav-Muslim votes, upper castes are rooting for the BJP. However, the well-off Yadavs, who rule the roost here, are just 10.6% of the population. As one foray deep into the constituency, a wide rural-urban divide is evident. While rural Etawah is batting for the mahagathbandhan, urban voters are advocating a second term for Narendra Modi. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE There has been no development since Akhilesh Bhaiyya lost in 2017. Even Modiji has not given jobs promised in 2014 and stray animals are a big problem, says Akhtar Raza, 50, a trader selling locks and managing a small repairing centre at Besrehar rural. He is joined by son Rizwan, 28, a polytechnic diploma holder who manages the repair workshop. Whatever he (Modi) did was for votes only. He has no concern for issues, says Rizwan. Asked whether the alliance has been received well by Yadavs and Dalits, they say: Of course. More so, after Behenji (BSP chief Mayawati) and Netaji (Mulayam) shared the stage in Mainpuri, said Kuldeep Singh Yadav, 45, a farmer. However, as one reaches out to the Dalits of Aminabad, which had witnessed an infamous massacre of a Dalit family in 2011, the differences surface. Why should we waste our vote for mahagathbandhan when it is not going to form government at the Centre, says Ram Kumar, 29, a class 10 pass out. The Dalit votes dont decide the fate in this reserved seat. The upper castes and Muslims do. While upper castes dominate the demographics of Etawah, they tend to back BJP. Muslims are expected to go with alliance, said political analyst Subhash Tripathi. G S Vasu By Express News Service With neither the NDA nor the UPA touching the magical halfway mark becoming a real possibility after three phases of Lok Sabha elections, six leaders from five states in North, East and South could emerge as the key players when the question of government formation arises. Between them, the six Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati in UP, Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, Naveen Patnaik in Odisha, K Chandrashekar Rao in Telangana and Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh are expected to notch up at least 20% of the total seats. That they are currently not part of the two big pre-poll alliances gives them the flexibility to call the shots. Going by current calculations, KCR and Jagan, between them, are likely to end up with 30-35 seats of the total 42 in the two states put together and both have dropped sufficient hints that they shall sail together insofar as their role in government formation at the Centre is concerned. Though unlikely to do a repeat of 2014 in Odisha, Naveen Patnaik might still end up with at least 14-15 of the total 21 seats in the bag. Of the other two key states, Mamata may not suffer severe bruises though the BJP, by all accounts, is expected to perform better than in the past, but this could be at the expense of the Congress and the Left. According to political watchers, the TMC is more than likely to retain 34 out of the 42 seats or might just end up losing a couple of them in the worst-case scenario. In UP, the Maya plus Akhilesh combination is clearly seen as having the potential to win at least 40 out of the 82 seats, if not more. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE In the event of a hung Parliament, (taking into account pre-poll allies), it throws the door open for all options depending on the NDA or the UPAs final tally. There are tricky questions, though. Mamata may be open to taking support but whether she will extend support to even a UPA-led formation is doubtful. KCR and Jagan appear to be the ones to have kept all options open while Naveen Patnaik remains as unpredictable as always. In UP, having struck a pre-poll alliance, the natural expectation would be that the SP and the BSP together take whatever decision when the time comes, but there could be an outside chance of their drifting apart. If the six are able to pick a leader from among themselves, the clout of this group will enhance significantly, but whether they will be able to manage that is unsure.Three scenarios emerge as of now (see box). Since many months, KCR has been openly advocating the need for a Federal Front, which has neither the BJP nor the Congress. He is said to be planning a tour to Delhi and some key states before the results are out to explore the scope for such a formation. The numbers game Parties led by Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, K Chandrashekar Rao and Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy taken together are expected to get at least 20% of the total LS seats in India. Can they build the chemistry to leverage the math advantage? Three scenarios By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will not stop until it gets to the bottom of the sensational claims made by a lawyer that the sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi could be part of a larger conspiracy by vested interests. A three-judge special bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said if fixers are indeed able to manipulate the judiciary as alleged, then neither the institution nor any of the judges will survive. This institution of judiciary is greater than all of us. If any fixing circle is operating here, the entire country will lose faith in judiciary, we want to go to the root of alleged conspiracy, Justice Mishra observed.The hearing comes a day after the apex court constituted a three-judge in-house committee to examine allegations of sexual harassment raised by a former woman employee against CJI Gogoi. Lawyer Utsav Singh Bains, who made the conspiracy claim, on Wednesday submitted the evidence to substantiate his claims and said that he has some more material to place before the court. The bench asked him to file another affidavit by Thursday morning with full details. The court also asked him to corroborate charges that the two court masters sacked for tampering with an order in connection with a case related to industrialist Anil Ambani had hatched a conspiracy with the former woman employee who has accused the CJI of sexual harassment. This is a serious matter that needs to be looked into, the bench said adding that it will take up the matter for hearing on Thursday. On the request of senior advocate Indira Jaising that this hearing shall not have any bearing on the in-house committee probe, the bench said, We clarify that the exercise which is undertaken by the court on the judicial side is outside the scope of the said matter, the correctness of which has to be looked into on the administrative side by the appropriate authorities. We are taking up the matter so as to ascertain the correctness of the averments made in the affidavit, to ascertain the various aspects which have been mentioned which cannot be done without proper investigation and any order passed on judicial side by this Court shall not affect the matter on administrative side.Earlier in the day, the court asked the chiefs of the CBI, IB and Delhi Police to meet the judges in their chambers. It, however, rejected request of Attorney General K K Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to order a court-monitored SIT probe. Accuser wants Ramana out The former SC staffer who made allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has expressed concerns about the presence of Justice N V Ramana in the inquiry panel saying he is a close friend of the CJI By Online Desk The Congress has finally put to rest speculation that Priyanka Gandhi will contest from Varanasi by announcing Ajay Rai as their candidate for the Lok Sabha seat against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rai is no stranger to the Varanasi constituency. A resident of the town, he was fielded by the Grand Old Party against Modi in the 2014 general elections too. A five-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh, Rai has his roots in the saffron party as he began his political career as a member of the BJP's youth wing. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE He fought his first assembly elections in 1996 and won the Kolasla seat on a BJP ticket. He left the BJP in 2009 after the party denied him a ticket to contest the general elections from Varanasi. He later contested from the seat as a Samajwadi Party candidate. However, he didn't taste success in the elections. In 2012, Rai contested in the assembly elections and won from Pindra seat representing the Congress. But he lost against Modi in the Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi two years later, finishing third with just 75,614 votes. According to myneta.info website, Rai has nine criminal cases against him, including three charges relating to attempt to murder. Varanasi will go to the polls in the last phase on May 19. The results of the Lok Sabha elections will be announced on May 23. By PTI MUMBAI: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday denied Opposition's allegation that the BJP was politicising security forces' valour to seek votes, saying her party was only talking about the "political will" necessary to combat terror." "Who is politicising the (valour of) security forces? We haven't done it," she said, speaking to reporters here. The UPA government led by Manmohan Singh lacked the political will to combat terrorism which was evident after the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the BJP leader said. The Narendra Modi government took "decisive" steps and showed "political will" to combat terror, which was seen in the 2016 surgical strike and Balakot air strike in February in the aftermath of Uri and Pulwama attacks, respectively, Sitharaman said. "The Congress feels hesitant to talk about political will, hence it thinks we are politicising (the valour of soldiers)," she said. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE "We are not politicising the valour, but talking about the political leadership's will to take action which is not politicisation," the defence minister said. She also attacked the Congress over its poll promise to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, saying it would be difficult for the Army to operate in a state such as Jammu and Kashmir in its absence. "For AFSPA to be removed, changes have to be brought on the ground first through programmes. Till that time, it cannot be removed," the minister said. Sitharaman also hit out at Opposition for questioning the Balakot air strike or seeking the proof of the surgical strike. She felt "sad", she said, adding that Pakistan would like Opposition's language. To a question, Sitharaman said due procedure was followed in negotiating the Rafale deal. There was no need to change the defence procurement policy in the context of the deal, which the Congress is criticising for alleged irregularities, she added. By PTI NEW DELHI: US envoy to India Kenneth I Juster on Thursday launched a new initiative designed to help India's corporate sector in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). The initiative supports the Indian government's ambitious goal of eliminating TB by 2025, which would be five years ahead of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal. It creates a shared platform for corporations committed to ending TB in India. The event was held in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM India) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the US Embassy said in a statement. "This platform will recognise corporations for their commitment and contributions to ending TB, and link them with the resources they need to better plan and implement TB programs," it said. The Ministry of Labour and Employment, with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is scheduled to sign a new Workplace Policy Framework for TB in the coming weeks, which will create a shared understanding of how companies can contribute to control TB in the workplace. As part of this effort, the USAID is launching a 'TB Pledge' to encourage the private sector to increase resources to combat TB, raise awareness of TB as a curable disease, and ultimately, improve TB health outcomes, the statement read. This pledge will contain several tiers, based on a company's level of commitment to adopt a TB workplace policy, implement TB workplace programs, and fund TB programs through corporate social responsibility resources. "The US is proud to be working with the Indian government to bring the corporate sector and civil society together to eradicate this devastating but curable disease. Indian companies can play a key role in assuring a healthy India. We ask all of you here today to get involved in the fight against TB through the TB pledge," Juster said. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The mortal remains of all seven JDS workers and the businessman who were killed in the serial blasts in Sri Lanka on Sunday were handed over to the respective families on Wednesday. The families performed the last rites of their loved ones at their respective places. The bodies were flown in from Colombo in separate Sri Lankan Airlines flights and taken to their homes to allow the public to pay homage, said Vijay Mahantesh, state protocol deputy secretary in a statement to the media. Several politicians, including JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Deputy CM G Parameshwara visited the residences of all seven JDS workers. The body of another Bengaluru victim, S R Nagaraj was handed over to his family on Tuesday night, and last rites were performed on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Purushotham Reddy, who was injured, was airlifted to Bengaluru and admitted to Manipal Hospitals. He is on ventilator support, the hospital said. Rajesh Abraham By Express News Service KOCHI: Various theories are being floated on the determining factor of the elections in Kerala. Whats interesting is that a large number of women voters, who ventured out to poll - sometimes even staying back for even seven hours to cast their franchise - will be the deciding factor. Though the higher women turnout has led to a theory that Sabarimala issue may be the reason for the increased numbers, a close analysis of the numbers shows no clear signals. In fact, there are chances the rise may be due to other reasons, including consolidation of Muslim votes. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE In Idukki and Kottayam, men outnumber women Consider this: The top constituencies where women polled outnumbered men in a big way are Vadakara (89,546), Ponnani (83,416), Attingal (81,550) and Kasargod (81,281) - all of them have significantly higher Muslim votes. In Kasargod, however, Hindu votes and the Sabarimala factor are also determining factors, said political analysts. On the other hand, constituencies where the BJP is capitalising on the Sabarimala issue, viz., Tpuram (23,284) and Pathanamthitta (40,892), did not see huge margin in favour of women votes polled. An exception to this is only Thrissur where 62,954 women polled more than men, perhaps some reason for the BJP camp to cheer about. An analysis of the data shows there was an increase in both male and women votes polled in 2019 compared to 2014, but the rise was higher in women voters. While the voting by men rose from 73.95 per cent in 2014 to 76.48 per cent in 2019, the women votes polled increased from 73.85 per cent in 2014 to 78.80 per cent in 2019 - a clear difference of 2.32 percentage points in favour of women. During 2014, in percentage terms, men polled more than women in the state, a trend which was turned in favour of women in 2019. Based on these numbers, its very difficult to connect to the Sabarimala issue. But, if you look at the constituencies where women voted in large numbers, viz., Ponnani, Vadakara, Kasargod and even Attingal, the common thread is that these places have a large concentration of Muslim population. So, it could be that there is a consolidation of minority votes who may be voting against the Modi Governments anti-Muslim stand. This could be one interpretation, said K N Harilal, professor, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram. CMP leader C P John, however, said the constituencies where women outnumbered men in votes polled are areas where a large number of men are working outside the state, mostly in the Gulf region. While the men have not returned to cast their votes, the women who had stayed back in their homes last time, have ventured out to vote, he said. The view was echoed by Sebastian Paul, a former legislator. Constituencies like Ponnani and Vadakara are areas where a large number of people are working abroad. So, this could be the reason for the higher number of women votes polled, Sebastian Paul said. Only in Idukki (-14,478) and Kottayam (-5771), out of the 20 constituencies, women went behind men in the total number of votes polled. C P John attributes this to migration. In both Idukki and Kottayam, the migration is by women, most of whom are working as nurses abroad, he said. Manoj Viswanathan By Express News Service KOCHI: Two sets of depression in the Indian Ocean have triggered gusty winds and turned the sea rough, forcing the Kerala Fisheries Department to issue an alert advising fishing boats to return to the coast by Friday evening. A low-pressure region, tentatively named Fani, is developing off Sri Lankas southeastern coast while a moderate tropical storm Lorna is centred over open seas about 900 miles southeast of Diego Garcia. These systems are expected to merge and move towards Nagapattinam coast in Tamil Nadu by Sunday. However, Fanis location has caused concern among the Fisheries authorities in the state as it is the same region where Cyclone Ockhi had developed. Ockhi deviated to the western coast unexpectedly and unleashed devastation along the Kerala coast on November 30, 2017. ALSO READ | 'Fani' may bring heavy rains to northern Tamil Nadu Weve started making an announcement using loudspeakers in the coastal belt cautioning fishermen against venturing into the sea. All fishers whove set off for fishing are being alerted to return to the coast by Friday evening. Were also using Reliance Foundations voice message system to reach the fishing boats that have ventured for deep-sea fishing. The Coast Guard is also trying to alert deep-sea fishers, Fisheries Deputy Director S Mahesh told Express. Choppy seas to prevail along the Kerala coast High waves have been battering the coastal belt of south and Central Kerala from Wednesday, causing damages to a few houses in Thiruvananthapuram district.According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the low-pressure area is likely to intensify into a depression during the next 24 hours over east Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal. Its very likely to intensify into a Cyclonic Storm during the subsequent 24 hours. Its expected to move northwestwards along and off the Sri Lankan coast during the subsequent 72 hours and reach near north Tamil Nadu coast by April 30, said the IMD in an alert issued on Thursday. Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls and squally winds are likely over Kerala. Gale winds, speed reaching 90-100 kmph, are likely over Southwest Bay of Bengal and off Tamil Nadu coasts. This could result in very rough sea condition over south Bay of Bengal, said the IMD.The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services has forecast rough sea conditions along the Kerala coast due to the swell waves, having 1.5-2.4 m height. Wind speed may touch 50 kmph over Kerala from Sunday morning and could increase to 60 kmph from Monday morning, said the forecast. Therere three sets of depression in the Indian Ocean, two of which below the equatorial region. As per predictions, therere chances of the three systems merging into one and reaching the Nagapattinam coast by Sunday. Its impossible to predict the path of the cyclone, but its expected to move up the Bay of Bengal, said Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute principal scientist K Sunil Mohamed. According to meteorologists at Acuweather, a moderate tropical storm Lorna is centred over open seas about 900 miles east-southeast of Diego Garcia. It will strengthen over the next three days. Another weak tropical low is centred a few hundred miles east of Lorna. The low should eventually be drawn into the larger circulation of Lorna by the weekend. A tropical low is developing in the northern Indian Ocean to the west of northern Sumatra. This low is likely to strengthen and could develop into a tropical cyclone late in the week or weekend.A track to the northwest may eventually threaten areas from Sri Lanka to the east coast of India, said the alert. By Express News Service CHENNAI/MADURAI: The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday attached properties worth Rs 40 crore belonging to a granite firm linked to Dayanidhi Alagiri, son of former Union Minister and expelled DMK leader MK Alagiri. The ED has attached 25 movable and immovable properties of Olympus Granites, of which Dayanidhi is a promoter, director and share-holder. The properties attached include lands and buildings in Madurai and Chennai, apart from the Rs 40.34 crore worth fixed deposits. The action pertains to an illegal granite mining case filed against the firm. S Nagaraj and Dayanidhi Alagiri, along with other accused, criminally conspired and indulged in illegal mining activities in the TAMIN leased land, causing loss to the government and wrongful gain to parties involved, said a statement released by the ED. The State police had, earlier, filed an FIR and charge sheet against the company, its promoters, directors and other individuals, based on which the ED has been probing Olympus Granites in Madurai for violating the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The company, according to the charge sheet, has committed various offences, including under the Explosive Substances Act. Investigation has revealed that Olympus and its promoters have committed a Scheduled Offence, claims the ED release. The proceeds derived from the illegal mining were relentlessly incubated, thereby resulting in further accruals of proceeds of crime, all of which were camouflaged in the organizational system as business income or earnings. According to the agency, the police charge sheet discloses commission of various offences as a result of alleged illegal granite mining. Neither Dayanidhi, nor any other company representative has reacted to the development. The ED, meanwhile, said further inquiries would be conducted. Rs 40 crore deposits attached by agency Properties attached include 25 moveable and immovable assets in Madurai & Chennai and Rs 40.34 crore in fixed deposits, which allegedly are proceeds of the crime Welcoming the PM at the airport were leaders of Beijing, the Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo, leaders of Chinas Foreign Ministry and Vietnamese Ambassador to China Dang Minh Khoi. The Vietnamese PM is scheduled to have talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, pay a courtesy call to General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President Xi Jinping, and meet member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee and Secretary of the CPC Central Committees Secretariat Wang Huning. PM Phuc will attend the BRFs opening and the welcoming ceremony for heads of delegations, as well as three discussion sessions of the forum. The first session will focus on promoting connectivity to seek new growth motivations, the second on the strengthening of policy resonance and building of closer partnerships, and the third on promoting green and sustainable growth for implementing the UN Agenda 2030. The PM will have some bilateral meetings with leaders of attending countries, and meet Chinese businesses in infrastructure, energy, technology and finance. On April 25, he will visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing and meet the Vietnamese community in China. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Holding Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and TRS working president KT Rama Rao responsible for the suicides of 20 Intermediate students, senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao on Wednesday asked the police to register criminal cases against the duo for their negligence in the matter. Hanumantha Rao and his followers were arrested on a day when the students, parents and the leaders of the student unions and political parties continued with their protests at the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) office. The veteran Congress leader demanded that Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao tender a public apology for the Intermediate exam goof-up and sanction ex-gratia to the families of the students who committed suicide. Revanths open letter to Guv Meanwhile, TPCC working president A Revanth Reddy has written an open letter to Governor ESL Narasimhan, asking him to take proactive action in resolving the burning issues of the Inter exam results fiasco. In the letter, the Congress leader urged the Governor to be the chancellor of all State universities. He also asked the Governor to put the Education Department back on track. Stating that the intervention of the Governor is of utmost importance in the issue, Revanth Reddy appealed to Narasimhan to talk to the families of the students. Only when you talk to them will you understand the gravity of the problem, Reddy said in his letter. KCR playing with lives of students Alleging that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos government is playing with the lives of thousands of Intermediate students, TPCC Womens Wing president Nerella Sharada threatened to hold mass protests if the students do not get justice. By IANS SYDNEY: One of Australia's most popular tabloids has blamed a printing error after pages from a rival newspaper appeared in its Thursday edition. The Sydney-based Daily Telegraph accidentally printed two pages of the Sydney Morning Herald, reports the BBC. The pages include a letter calling for action to tackle climate change. The Telegraph has apologised for the mistake and said it happened during the production process. "Both papers share the same printing facility in Sydney's west," it said in a statement posted to Twitter. "We apologise for any confusion this has caused." The mistake was spotted by a number of readers who were quick to see the funny side. No need to apologise, having some @smh pages is a reader bonus. https://t.co/uwIzNnL6xV Kate McClymont (@Kate_McClymont) April 25, 2019 "No need to apologise," wrote Sydney Morning Herald journalist Kate McClymont. "Having some (Herald) pages is a reader bonus." "Might have been someone's last day on the job," a Twitter user said. "Extreme cost cutting? From sharing printing facilities to now sharing (the) same newspaper," another wrote. By PTI LONDON: A UK-based legal team on behalf of AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case accused Christian Michel has approached the UN, alleging that he was "unlawfully" handed over to India where he has been held in "squalid conditions" in violation of human rights and subjected to "torture". Michel is currently being held in judicial custody in Delhi's Tihar Jail and in the latest court intervention in India, the Delhi High Court granted more time to him and the CBI to respond to a plea by Tihar Jail authorities challenging an order allowing him to make international phone calls in violation of prison rules. Michel was arrested by the ED and later by the CBI in a bribery case related to the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland deal dating back to 2010. He is among three alleged middlemen being probed in the case. London-based specialist barristers' chambers 'Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers' claimed that the 57-year-old British national was "unlawfully" handed over to the Indian government as part of a quid pro quo following the Indian authorities' alleged involvement in the abduction of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al Maktoum and her return to the UAE in March 2018. "It is alleged that Mr Michel was extradited to India following a formal request being submitted to the United Arab Emirates. The reality is that Mr Michel was unlawfully handed over to the Government of India, the procedure resembling more rendition than a lawful extradition process," Guernica 37 said in a statement. "Having been returned to India, Mr Michel has been held in squalid conditions that breach basic human rights conditions, subjected to repeated and prolonged interrogations aimed at securing a confession through coercion, and subjected to ill-treatment of such severity that may constitute torture at the hands of the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) and the Enforcement Department (ED)," it noted. READ MORE | Tihar officials deny torture of Christian Michel As part of its "Urgent Communication" filed with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the legal team claims that the detention and any subsequent trial will not adhere to relevant fair trial standards. The communication reads: "It is quite clear that the level of political interference with the case was such that it is devoid of an independent judicial process and can only be characterised an unlawful transfer from one state to another that is reminiscent of rendition. "It is of particular note that the petitioner was handcuffed, blindfolded and transported by private jet, clearly being taken in a hurried and unlawful manner without the ability to challenge any decision". The ED, in its chargesheet filed in 2016, alleged that Michel had received 30 million euros (USD 33 million) from AgustaWestland. READ MORE | AgustaWestland: Court asks Tihar authorities to produce CCTV footage on Michel's torture allegation The CBI, in its chargesheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros to the exchequer in India due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros. Guernica 37, as part of its UN petition filed on Tuesday, claimed that the Italian High Court has previously rejected Michel's involvement in the scandal, ruling that there was no evidence to implicate him in the case. "The process by which Mr Michel was extradited to India did not follow due process and further, is a clear attempt to override international protocols relating to the process. "The process that led to his removal from the UAE can only be described as a flagrant denial of justice that circumvented due process and seriously undermines any purported commitment to the rule of law," it said. The legal team is urging the UN Special Procedures Branch to examine the circumstances of Michel's "rendition, detention and ongoing ill-treatment" with a view to his release and "exoneration". The UN body will seek responses from the Indian and the UAE authorities and can make a non-legally-binding ruling on the detention. By IANS COLOMBO: Police in Sri Lanka on Thursday arrested three suspects during a raid in Colombo and seized 21 hand grenades, six swords and a van. The raid was carried out by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) and the Special Task Force (STF) personnel in the city's Modara area, the Daily Mirror reported. ALSO READ: Sri Lanka's new visa-on-arrival programme put on hold Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police spokesman, Ruwan Gunasekera said that more than 70 suspects have been arrested across the country since the Easter Sunday bombings that claimed the lives of 359 people and injured over 500 others. He said the suspects have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism, aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit terrorism. Gunasekera added that the four most serious cases are in the custody of the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID). ALSO READ: After Coimbatore ISIS case probe was completed, India alerted Sri Lanka regarding terror plot A further 33 suspects are in custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). All remaining suspects are being held by local police. The majority of the suspects were arrested in Colombo, four of which are women. All of the suspects are from Sri Lanka and most are family members and friends of the suicide bombers that carried out the carnage. By AFP COLOMBO: Hundreds of Muslim refugees in western Sri Lanka have taken refuge in mosques and a police station after facing intimidation following the deadly Easter bombings, activists said Thursday. At least 359 people died in Sunday's coordinated suicide blasts, including more than 100 Christians attending mass at St Sebastian's church in Negombo on the island's west coast. The attacks have been condemned by leaders of the country's Muslim minority who have said mosques will not bury the bombers, and the community has been left in fear of a backlash. Scores of Ahmadi Muslims who settled in Negombo after fleeing persecution in their home countries have been thrown out of their accommodation by landlords, according to officials. "Today these refugees have become refugees again in Sri Lanka. They have been displaced for a second time," Ruki Fernando of Inform, a Sri Lankan human rights group, told reporters. The refugees are from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iran. Ahmadis have faced repeated attacks in these countries by hardline Islamist groups who do not consider them to be Muslim. Relations between Ahmadis and native Sri Lankans have long been tense with many locals in Negombo accusing the refugees of driving up rent prices. ALSO READ | 'Where is God?': Sri Lankans stunned after deadly blasts Ahmadis complain of harassment while rights groups accuse Sri Lanka's government of not doing enough to protect the community. Fernando said homeowners had evicted the refugees because they feared their properties would be targeted by groups seeking revenge for the bomb blasts which were carried out by Islamist extremists. Many others have fled of their own accord, fearing for their safety. "Some unknown people broke into their houses in Negombo and beat them," Fernando told reporters. He said numbers had yet to be verified but around 700 refugees were believed to have sought shelter in one Negombo mosque. Around 120 were at a police station while several hundred more were at another mosque in Pasyala, in Gampaha, 25 kilometres (15 miles) from Negombo. 'Won't accept their bodies' He said that dozens got on buses to leave Negombo on Wednesday but turned back after they were advised against heading to the capital Colombo over security fears. "People are scared. They are in a vulnerable position and don't have basic facilities," said Herman Kumar from Unity of Negombo Citizens, a group trying to foster communal harmony in the city. The comments came at a press conference in Colombo where community leaders from Sri Lanka's different religions urged unity and calm as tensions simmer on the island. "We appeal to all communities to come together and protect each and every person," Kumar said. Sri Lankan Muslims account for 10 percent of the island's population of 21 million, which is dominated by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. ALSO READ | Days after multiple blasts, SL police arrest three suspects in Colombo with 21 hand grenades, six swords Muslims have been on the receiving end of sporadic violence and hate attacks since the civil war ended in 2009 and the bombings have left many feeling vulnerable. Sri Lankan authorities say local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath carried out the blasts with the help of militants from abroad. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility without providing evidence. The leader of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, the main umbrella body for Sri Lanka's Islamic clerics, told journalists Thursday that funerals would not be held for the attackers. "Those who committed this barbaric attack on innocent civilians do not belong to us and hence we categorically state that we will not accept their bodies," said Rizwe Mufti, the group's president. The country's Minister for Muslim Affairs Abdul Haleem meanwhile called Thursday for mosques to cancel Friday prayers in a show of solidarity "against the barbaric acts of the ruthless terrorists". He said Muslims should instead pray at home that "almighty Allah destroys the activities of those inhuman terrorist murderers". By PTI COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Catholic churches on Thursday suspended all public services until the security situation improves as the head of the church urged politicians to leave aside differences to rebuild the country struck by the Easter Sunday bombings that killed nearly 360 people. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the head of the local Catholic church, said that Easter Sunday's attacks were coordinated by an organised group with powerful nations behind them and also noted that these attackers had no religion. READ MORE | Sri Lanka bans drones, unmanned aircraft after bombings All Catholic churches were asked to stop public mass until the security situation improves, Cardinal Ranjith's office quoted him as saying. "There will be no public mass said until further notice," an official said. He urged the government to leave aside all political differences and work together at this time to rebuild the country again. Sri Lankan media and some ministers have criticised the rift between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after it emerged that authorities had prior intelligence from India and the US about the possible attacks by the National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) jihadist group. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of a local Islamist extremist group NTJ, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches, two of them Catholic, and three luxury hotels packed with Easter worshippers on Sunday. READ MORE | Minor explosion reported in Sri Lanka's Pugoda Security has been beefed up in Sri Lanka as the army increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. Also, drone flights were banned and licences issued to commercial operators were suspended with immediate effect. The Sri Lankan authorities Thursday intensified their raids with the help of the army and arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the country's worst terror attack that killed nearly 360 people and left over 500 injured. By Online Desk COLOMBO: Two of the nine suicide bombers involved in the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka were members of a prominent family in Colombo, sources have told CNN. The brothers, identified as Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim and Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, were sons of spice merchant Mohamed Ibrahim. Ibrahim, the founder of Colombo-based Ishana Exports, was among one of the dozen people detained in the wake of the attacks. READ MORE | Minor explosion in Sri Lanka, no casualties; public urged not to panic Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government late on Wednesday reimposed a curfew till Thursday morning in the wake of the devastating blasts which have caused multiple casualties in the island nation, a police spokesperson said. Eight explosions rattled various suburbs in the Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikade and Batticaloa as the people celebrated Easter Sunday on April 21. Over 350 people have lost their lives until now, as more than 560 people have been injured. Out of the deceased, around 39 people have been identified as foreigners, reported CNN. READ MORE | 'Not your enemies': Sri Lanka Muslims fear backlash post-Easter blasts On Wednesday, Sri Lanka's State Defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told reporters that the culprits of the Easter attacks were well educated, belonged to the upper-middle-class families, and financially independent. "That was a worrying factor," he added. (With ANI inputs) By PTI WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump may count Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among his international allies, but New Delhi is smarting over unexpected US decisions it sees as ignoring the interests of an increasingly close partner. The Trump administration this week said it would start to sanction countries that do not comply with its orders to stop buying oil from Iran, demanding that eight governments -- including India and China -- end all imports when six-month waivers run out next week. The move, which triggered a hike in global oil prices that could disproportionately hit poorer Indians, came just as Modi was campaigning for a new mandate in ongoing, multi-phase elections. The Iran diktat followed Trump's announcement in March that India, along with Turkey, would no longer enjoy a preferential trading status for a wide range of manufactured goods. Trump, who has rocky relations with the leaders of numerous Western allies, has publicly highlighted his bond with Modi. India's main opposition Congress party quickly seized on the Iran sanctions to attack Modi. Trump, while popular among much of the Hindu right, has also drawn resentment in India over viral reports that he mimics Modi's accent in private -- a far cry from the reverential treatment US presidents since Bill Clinton have shown Indian leaders. An Indian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described New Delhi as "surprised and disappointed" by the decision on Iran, saying the Trump administration had sent a message in March that India's cuts in imports were sufficient to be granted a fresh waiver. "We thought that, as a major defense and strategic partner, the United States would take into consideration our concerns," the official said. Trump is seeking to eliminate Iran's top source of revenue in a bid to curb the clerical regime's regional clout, including its backing of Shiite militants. India is the world's third-largest oil importer. The official said the South Asian nation has cut Iranian oil from 17 to five per cent of its total crude imports and had also ended oil purchases from Venezuela, succumbing to US pressure as Trump tries to oust leftist President Nicolas Maduro. "We did this not because we agree with the US, but because we are strategic partners," he said. Similarly, the official said the Trump administration ignored a detailed proposal from New Delhi when it announced it would scrap its designation in the Generalized System of Preferences, which grants favorable access to goods from developing countries. India is proposing a 90-day delay in implementation as the government cannot make a counter-proposal under laws that forbid policy decisions during elections, the official said. Another rift could come up as India -- a Cold War partner of the Soviet Union turned major buyer of US defense equipment -- finalizes its purchase of Russia's advanced S-400 missile system. Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently told AFP that India has been "heard and understood" by the United States, which imposed sanctions on China and has warned NATO ally Turkey over buying the S-400. Few expect India and the United States to drift apart significantly, let alone return to their Cold War estrangement, with the major parties in both democracies broadly supporting a strong relationship. And Trump pleased Modi in February by backing India's air incursions into rival Pakistan, home to virulently anti-Indian militants, in response to an attack on Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Tanvi Madan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of its India Project, said that this week's sanctions decision for the United States "is about Iran, not about its approach to India." "But I think that India will feel once again that it will be collateral damage," she said. "It reinforces the sense in India that the US isn't factoring in Indian interests when it comes to these decisions, yet they affect India." Madan added that New Delhi was less concerned about oil than with preserving a relationship with Tehran, even while developing close ties with Iran's rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia. India is hoping to keep working with Iran on its Chabahar port, through which New Delhi hopes to send supplies to war-torn Afghanistan, cracking the landlocked country's reliance on Pakistan. Madan said there was one wild card that could shake up US-India ties -- if China seized on the rift and offered reconciliation with India by making concessions on the Asian giants' myriad disputes. "Will that happen? I find it hard to believe the Chinese will get around to doing it," she said. "But the possibility exists." The ambassador made the affirmation at a high-level open dialogue on sexual violence in conflicts held by the UN Security Council in New York on April 23. Ambassador Quy expressed his concern over the continued sexual violence in conflicts and its adverse impacts such as discrimination against victims and children born out of sexual violence during conflict. Apart from stepping up the prevention of conflicts, which is seen as the root cause of the problem, the international community needs to take prompt actions and urgent solutions to ease the situation, he suggested. He applauded the progress in urging the parties concerned to make concrete commitments to preventing and handling this issue. Ambassador Quy proposed that priorities should be given to improving public awareness, eliminating social discrimination and prejudice against the victims, and enhancing cooperation between the relevant sides to improve the efficiency of support for the victims, while highlighting the main role played by countries in this regard. The diplomat also emphasised that it is necessary to promote gender equality and womens roles. He stressed Vietnams stance on backing womens participation in peace progress and their role in developing the culture of peace, spreading humanitarian values, building peace and promoting sustainable development. The dialogue was chaired by Heiko Maas, Foreign Minister of Germany which is holding the UN Security Councils rotating presidency in April. Representatives of more than 80 member countries of the council strongly condemned the use of sexual violence as a war and terror weapon, and committed and called for greater medical, psychological and legal support to the victims. In his remarks, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stressed that justice and assistance are the two essential factors in the fight against sexual violence during conflicts. Despite joint efforts, these acts are still occuring, causing serious consequences to women and girls, worsening conflicts and extinguishing peace prospects, he pointed out. The situation requires a comprehensive approach, he said, emphasising the efforts required to prevent these deeds, support the victims and improve the efficiency of law enforcement in investigation and legal proceedings. The delegation is led by Sen. Lt. Gen. Phan Van Giang, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army and Deputy Minister of National Defence. They are among more than 1,000 delegates from 111 countries and international organisations to the event. The conference from April 23 to 25 focuses on current security challenges and threats at global and regional levels, terrorist threats, new approaches and cooperation in military and regional security in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Vietnamese delegation will attend all the four plenums and four special sessions of the event. At the opening ceremony, Secretary of Russias Security Council Nikolai Patrushev read out President Vladimir Putins greetings to the conference. In his message, President Putin said the conference brings together heads of defence agencies, representatives of the supreme commands of the armed forces, heads of international organisations and leading experts from different countries to discuss the most acute problems and challenges that the international community is facing. The high interest in the forum is confident proof of its status as a respected and widely recognised international discussion platform in the field of security. This year, the focus will be on a number of highly relevant current issues, including assistance in restoring and normalising life in Syria and Iraq after the defeat of terrorist groups, as well as development prospects for Africa and the Middle East. In the greetings, the Russian President shows his belief that this conference will be held in a constructive manner, serve as a weighty contribution to the consolidation of efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremism, in resolving regional conflicts and ensuring global security, and in carrying out highly relevant peacekeeping missions. Participants in the opening ceremony also heard speeches delivered by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Vladimir Norov, and UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. The speeches underlined growing global and regional security challenges. They shared the view that only cooperation in the constructive and united spirit can resolve the problems. Reporter/Columnist Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth). One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Besides attending the Belt and Road Forum, the Vietnamese PM is scheduled to meet with senior Chinese leaders to exchange ideas on measures to boost the development of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner; enhance the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation in economics, trade and investment; expand the market for Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural, forestry and fishery products, as well as maintain peace and stability in the East Sea. PM Nguyen Xuan Phucs trip to attend the 2nd Belt and Road Forum comes at a time when the relationship between the two countries continues to maintain stable development and record new positive progresses. High-level visits and meetings are held frequently, helping to reinforce political trust between the two sides. Cooperation and exchange mechanisms at various levels, and between the two countries agencies and localities, continue to be implemented effectively. Economic, trade, investment and tourism cooperation has seen steps of substantive development while people-to-people exchange is actively promoted. Both countries senior leaders have emphasised that the Vietnam-China friendly relationship is a valuable asset of the two countries and their peoples, which needs to be safeguarded, inherited and developed while affirming that they will take efforts to make the bilateral relationship develop in an intensive manner. The two countries leaders also support each other in their respective causes of renovation, opening-up and socialist construction, in the interest of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large. The two sides have also agreed to expand and enhance the quality of cooperation in various fields, control disagreement, and maintain the positive development trend of the bilateral relationship. During a state visit by Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping to Vietnam in November 2017, the two sides signed a government-level memorandum of understanding on promoting connectivity between Vietnams Two Corridors, One Belt initiative and Chinas Belt and Road initiative. It is noted with pleasure that China is currently Vietnams largest trading partner, largest import market and second largest export market while Vietnam is Chinas largest trading partner in ASEAN. In 2018, bilateral trade reached US$106.7 billion, up 13.8% from a year earlier. China is currently the seventh largest investor in Vietnam, with a total capital of US$14.2 billion. After more than five years of implementing the Belt and Road initiative, China has recorded significant progresses and has gradually turned this initiative into a formal cooperation framework. At the first Belt and Road Forum, high-ranking leaders of 29 countries, including Vietnam, agreed on the main principles of Belt and Road cooperation in accordance with the laws and policies of each country. Accordingly, cooperation will be based on the spirit of peace, openness, transparency, inclusiveness, equality, learning from each other, mutual benefit and respect through promoting cooperation on the basis of broad-based consultations and rule of law, striving together, sharing benefits, and equal opportunities. The second forum takes place under the theme Belt and Road Cooperation: Shaping a Brighter Shared Future. Vietnam supports Chinas successful organisation of this forum to promote international cooperation and regional connectivity, for common peace, development and prosperity on the basis of the major principles and goals of the Belt and Road cooperation agreed upon by countries at the first forum. Vietnam welcomes initiatives to promote regional economic connectivity and cooperation, including the Belt and Road initiative. The implementation of the Belt and Road initiative needs to ensure the principles of peaceful cooperation, equality, and mutual benefits, in accordance with international laws and the Charter of the United Nations, contributing to the development and prosperity of countries. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs trip to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is significant to the Vietnam-China relationship and to Vietnams external relations in general. On the occasion, Vietnam affirms its consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development; multilateralisation and diversification of international relations, with the motto Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community, aiming to maintain a peaceful and stable environment, take advantage of external resources to develop the country and enhance the peoples standards of living; enhance the countrys position and reputation. May Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs trip to attend the second Belt and Road Forum be a success, helping to enhance substantive cooperation in various fields, especially economic cooperation between the two countries, while promoting the time-honoured friendly neighbourliness and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China to develop in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner, for the sake of the two countries peoples, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large. The Mainland-Hong Kong Joint Funding Scheme is inviting proposals for applied research and development (R&D) projects jointly conducted by both sides under the two specific themes of biotechnology and artificial intelligence. The Innovation & Technology Commission (ITC) launched the scheme today to further enhance R&D collaboration between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has collaborated with Guangdong and Shenzhen to fund R&D projects since 2004 and 2005. To encourage further collaboration between Hong Kong and various Mainland provinces, the Innovation & Technology Bureau signed an agreement with the Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST) in September 2018 to launch a new joint funding scheme and set out its framework and modus operandi. Applications for the scheme must be submitted simultaneously by the Hong Kong and the Mainland institutions to the ITC and MOST respectively, and the R&D work must be conducted in both places. The ITC and MOST will provide funding to the Hong Kong and the Mainland applicant organisations, and monitor project progress according to their own requirements. The application deadline is June 12. Click here for details. Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau (third left) meets Minister of Culture & Tourism Luo Shugang (second right) in Beijing. Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau met Minister of Culture & Tourism Luo Shugang in Beijing today to explore strengthening tourism co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland. Updating Mr Luo on Hong Kong's latest tourism developments, Mr Yau thanked the Ministry of Culture & Tourism for its support of the city's tourism industry, including the ministry's presence at the Hong Kong International Tourism Convention last December and its promotion of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area tourism development, as well as co-operation in regulating the Mainland and Hong Kong tourism markets. "Hong Kong, with its rich tourism resources and well-established transport infrastructure, can take up the role of the international travel hub of the Greater Bay Area, attracting more foreign visitors to travel to the region via Hong Kong and facilitating the overall tourism development in the region. To further strengthen our role as the tourism hub, we look forward to launching more facilitating immigration policies or measures for the travel trade of Hong Kong to help them open up business opportunities." Mr Yau added the Tourism Federation of Cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was jointly established by the tourism authorities of Hong Kong and 10 other bay area cities in 2017 to strengthen tourism co-operation and promotion, as well as enhance regulation amongst them. Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip (fifth left) meets representatives of Hong Kong organisations and students living in Zhejiang. Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury James Lau (third left) tries out services available at WeDoctor in Hangzhou. Alibaba Group Executive Chairman Jack Ma (right) greets Secretary for Innovation & Technology Nicholas Yang (left) at the groups Hangzhou headquarters. Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip, Secretary for Innovation & Technology Nicholas Yang and Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury James Lau wrapped up the duty visit to major cities in the Yangtze River Delta Region with lawmakers today. They visited the Alibaba Group headquarters in Hangzhou to learn about its development of e-commerce, intelligent logistics and financial inclusion systems. They were briefed on the groups traffic management system which combines artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and big data technologies. They also exchanged views with the groups Executive Chairman Jack Ma and senior staff members on the use of big data in improving city management. In the afternoon, the delegation met Hong Kong people working and living in Zhejiang to understand more about their life in the province. The delegation then toured the Hangzhou Hi-tech Industry Development Zone and visited a company specialising in ocean energy application technologies. Their last stop was WeDoctor, a company that has set up an online platform linking the information systems of hospitals in the countrys different provinces and provides online medical consultation services to clients. Concluding the trip, Mr Nip said the four-day visit covered major development areas in Shanghai and Hangzhou, including innovation and technology, culture and conservation, education, financial services and tourism. He said the visit enhanced lawmakers' knowledge and understanding of the developments and opportunities in the Yangtze River Delta Region. Hong Kong and the delta region can seize the development opportunities by enhancing co-operation, he added. Financial Secretary Paul Chan met China Securities Regulatory Commission Chairman Yi Huiman in Beijing today to boost Hong Kong-Mainland co-operation. Mr Chan thanked the commission for its support in consolidating and raising Hong Kong's status as international financial centre and global offshore renminbi business hub. He briefed Mr Yi on the latest developments of the city's economic situation and its financial industry, in particular the Governments efforts in maintaining financial security and stability. Both sides expressed the hope to enhance the development of the mutual market access schemes and include more investment products under the schemes. Supplies of chlorine gas started arriving at Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant yesterday ensuring that water treatment continues in Harare after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) released US$150 000 to the city council. Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs Senator Oliver Chidawu said the water situation in Harare was dire and Government was working on a raft of measures to solve Harare water woes after the city approached his office. As of yesterday according to mayor Cllr Herbert Gomba, the city did not have any lime in stock, HTH chlorine (for yesterday only), no sulphuric acid, chlorine was supplied yesterday, four to five days supply of aluminium sulphate and there was enough carbon in stock. Council has made us aware. We have a very serious situation. The statistics that I initially had were not correct. It is worse than I thought. We were under the impression that the installed capacity of Morton Jaffray was 800 mega litres a day. It turns out the installed capacity is only 600 mega litres a day, said Minister Chidawu. Of that 600 (MI), only 200 (MI) is being pumped and 60 percent of that is being lost. We are only pumping 80 mega litres against a demand of 1 800 mega litres. We are putting a paper that we want to present to Government so that it gives this matter the urgency it deserves otherwise Harare has no water. Minister Chidawu, however, said he could not disclose the details until Cabinet approves the proposal. The situation is dire. This morning I had a meeting with officials from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority who have appraised me of the current situation. I am also in contact with Harare Water Department who also appraised us. They told us about the shortage of foreign currency. If we get the US dollars, we will be able to bring back up to 300 (MI), Minister Chidawu added. Mayor Gomba said, Supplies of chlorine gas have started arriving at Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant ensuring that water treatment continues. We continue to engage the monetary authorities (RBZ) for payment to other suppliers of different chemicals to be done: the arrival of chlorine gas is as a result of the RBZ releasing US$150 000 last night (Tuesday). The question of when the water challenges will be resolved depends on RBZ availing foreign currency and I have highlighted to the Governor on the need of urgency in dealing with the situation. If only we can get foreign currency, we will be able to replenish our supplies. Most of the chemicals are imported and only a few are produced locally by Zimchem and Zimphos, he said. He said it was difficult for council to procure foreign currency on the interbank market at the rate of RTGS$3,1 to US$$1. The city cannot afford it. Harare would need RTGS$9 million per month to buy US$3 million, if the rate remains the same, he said. He added that they had reduced pumping to accommodate the remaining water treatment chemical stocks, hoping to get new stock and avoid closing the plant. In a statement on Tuesday, HCC corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme said they had engaged the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe over the timely release of foreign currency. Harare City Council has enhanced engagement with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe over the timely release of forex to companies that import water treatment chemicals from South Africa and China. Currently our water production is very depressed. We are managing only 100 million litres against a daily average of 450 million litres. Our available stocks of chlorine gas can only last us for two days, he said. He said the RBZ had promised to release an initial US$150 000 towards the importation of chlorine gas. We use a tonne of chlorine gas daily. Chlorine is used as a disinfectant to kill bacteria in the water. The city requires US$3 million every month for the purchase of water purification chemicals. The other chemicals we use are activated carbon for removing odours, alum sulphate and sodium silicate for removing solid particles, lime for pH regulation, sulphuric acid to reduce pH, HTH for removing algae and ammonia for chlorine retention in the reticulation system. A MARANGE woman has been jailed for four years after she killed her 13-year-old son by attacking him with switches and smashing his head against the wall after he was sent back home from school for not having a pen. Lydia Kahwema of Mangatu Village under Chief Marange was initially jailed for eight years when she appeared before High Court judge Justice Hlekani Mwayera charged with culpable homicide. Justice Mwayera set aside four years of her jail term on condition that she does not commit a similar offence within the next five years. Kahwema was initially charged with murder after she assaulted her son, Tafadzwa, to death, before the State preferred culpable homicide charges. In sentencing Kahwema, Justice Mwayera said the court had to weigh in and show that the sanctity of human life cannot be eroded by violent and irrational individuals. The accuseds conduct bordered on recklessness as she brutally and viciously assaulted her 13-year-old child using switches and further busting the head against a wall, he said. The moral blameworthiness is high given the child looked up to the mother for protection and support. The child had been sent away from school for a ballpoint pen and for him to be visited with such a vicious attack by the mother was unwarranted. The mother had a duty and obligation to maintain the child. Justice Mwayera described the attack as the worst form of domestic violence which calls for severe punishment. A civilised community should uphold a homely atmosphere which is peaceful and readily available to resolve differences in a peaceful manner, said Justice Mwayera. To severely and fatally assault a child for a pen is unacceptable and must be condemned. The child was subjected to torture both at home and at school. The right to education was offended by being chased away from school. Further, the childs rights were crushed by the mother who violently attacked the child instead of shouldering the duty of care and provision on herself. The irresponsible and cruel conduct by the mother calls for a custodial sentence. Circumstances leading to Kahwemas arrest were that on February 26 last year, the late Tafadzwa was sent home from school for not having a ballpoint pen. His return did not go down well with Kahwema, who then started assaulting him with switches several times all over the body. Kahwema went on to smash her sons head against the wall, leaving him with serious injuries. The 13-year-old later died from the injuries. Meanwhile, Gabrielle Gede reports that two suspected armed robbers who were nabbed in Marondera after they broke into a Versface Investments directors car which was parked in Mutares city centre and went away with $40 000 cash, have appeared in court. Philip Chirinda (35) and Joseph Ruwona (29) appeared before Mutare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe charged with robbery. Prosecutor Mr Chris Munyuku alleged that on March 21 this year, Versface Investments director Mr Geofrey Ngonyama collected money from his office and drove to his friend, Resistance Mundembes workplace at Big Bite Investments in Mutare. Reports are that Ngonyama and Mundembe exchanged cash while seated in a car. Chirinda and Ruwona then spotted the two while counting the money. Reports are that Ngonyama drove to a carpentry shop where he also collected $5 000 and drove to Old Sasu Hospital. The two suspected robbers are said to have started tracking Ngonyama from the time he left Mundembes workplace. shop. The court heard that Chirinda and Ruwona then broke into Ngonyamas car when he was parked at Old Sasu Hospital after collecting the money from a carpentryshop. They allegedly stole $40 000 and drove away. Ngonyama is said to have been alerted of the robbery by his cars alarm and made a chase. Ngonyama is said to have almost caught up with the two suspects at Christmas Pass after a high-speed chase, but was forced to abandon the pursuit by gunshots fired by the two. It is the States case that Ngonyama went to lodge a complaint at Mutare Central Police who then alarted Rusape and Marondera police. RTHK: Catholic churches in Sri Lanka suspend services All of Sri Lanka's Catholic churches have been ordered to stay closed and suspend services until security improves after deadly Easter bombings that killed nearly 360 people, a senior priest said on Thursday. "On the advice of the security forces we are keeping all churches closed," the priest said. "There will be no public mass said until further notice." Security has already been stepped up at churches across the country, government officials said. Thousands of troops were also deployed overnight to help police search for suspects as the government has acknowledged "major" lapses over its failure to prevent the horrific attacks despite receiving specific intelligence warnings. Police have so far arrested 75 people but tensions remain high with several suspects unaccounted for. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said the army had increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300 overnight, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. Authorities also announced a ban on drone flights and suspended licences issued to commercial operators with immediate effect. The government has been on the defensive over revelations that specific warnings about an attack went ignored. Sri Lanka's police chief warned on April 11 that suicide bombings against "prominent churches" by the local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) were possible, citing information from a foreign intelligence agency. CNN reported that Indian intelligence services had passed on "unusually specific" information in the weeks before the attacks, some of it from an IS suspect in their custody. But that information was not shared with the prime minister or other top ministers, the government has said. Investigators are still piecing information together about the attack and those involved, with Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene revealing on Wednesday that one attacker had studied in Britain and did post-graduate studies in Australia before returning to Sri Lanka. "Most of them are well-educated and come from middle, upper-middle class families, so they are financially quite independent and their families are quite stable financially, that is a worrying factor in this," the minister added. An FBI team is now in Sri Lanka, Wijewardene said, and Britain, Australia and the United Arab Emirates have all offered intelligence help. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. It is Cubas second school dedicated to children with disabilities after the first school opened in Havana, having the enrollment scope of covering five provinces in the eastern region. The first school began operations earlier this year in a series of activities celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Beatriz Johnson, Vice President of the Council of State of Cuba and President of the Provincial Assembly of Peoples Power in Santiago de Cuba, emphasised that the construction of an additional school especially dedicated to children with physical defects was also the lifetime aspiration of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The Vietnam-Cuba friendship school is located in Villa Elvira, an ancient building recognised as a national architectural relic site of Cuba in Santiago city, the capital city of Santiago de Cuba province. So far, 120 students have registered to study at this special school, including 78 full boarders. Like general education, special education for children with disabilities in Cuba is also free of charge, including medical care, specific nutrition and boarding facilities. The school in Santiago builds on the tradition which began in the 1960s that many works in Cuba, including buildings, residential areas, factories, stadiums and schools, have been named after places or celebrities of Vietnam. Even, Vietnams capital city Hanoi is also a popular name among Cuban people born in the 1970s, which is a vivid reflection of the special sentiments between the two nations. President Emmerson Mnangagwa says the visit by Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has accorded the two countries an opportunity to reaffirm fraternal bonds as well as re-ignite the pan African spirit ingrained in the foundation of the both Zimbabwe and Uganda. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 7F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Snow this evening will give way to lingering snow showers late. Low -3F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 80%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected. Japanese actor Ken Watanabe, 59, will star in a Japanese remake of the 1993 movie aThe Fugitive,a playing the part of the doctor wrongly accused of murdering his wife. Warner Bros International Television Production and TV Asahi made the announcement Wednesday. The film is being made to commemorate the 60th anniversary of TV Asahias launch. The film will closely follow the plot of the Hollywood film which starred Harrison Ford as Dr Richard Kimble, who is convicted of killing his wife. He escapes and tries to find the real killer, a man with a prosthetic arm, while being pursued by the authorities. That film was based on the hit 1960s U.S. TV series which ran from 1963 to 1967, and was also popular in Japan. The Japanese version will have the same plot, but will be set just before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Watanabe plays Dr Kazuki Kakurai, an elite surgeon who is arrested and convicted for the murder of his wife. Sentenced to death, he escapes and tries to find the aone-armed mana to prove his innocence. The film will be directed by Seiji Izumi and broadcast in two parts on two consecutive nights. The summit saw the attendance of leaders of the three countries holding the AU chairmanship, namely Rwanda (2018), Egypt (2019) and South Africa (2020), together with Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Moussa Faki Mahamat. In an effort towards the goal of silencing the guns in Africa by 2020, the group of African countries has recently submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council warning about the risk of political and security uncertainties in Libya and Sudan. Without a regional solution offered for these two crises, external interventions could make the situation more chaotic and complicated. The Libyan National Army (LNA), loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, is intensifying its attacks on Tripoli, which is now under the control of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). The conflict in Libya has forced the UN to postpone the conference on forming a roadmap for a general election in the North African country. Fighting has left more than 250 dead and 35,000 people displaced. Meanwhile, the efforts to seek a solution to end the conflict and bring Libyas rival factions to the negotiating table are encountering numerous obstacles, steaming from external interventions. Recently, thousands of GNA supporters demonstrated at the central square in Tripoli to protest Frances support for Haftars military campaign. Protesters called on foreign countries to stop interfering in Libyas internal affairs. However, Frances Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations, affirming its support for the legitimate government and the UNs reconciliation efforts to find a comprehensive political solution for Libya. The two European nations of France, which is said to support General Haftars forces, and Italy, which is said to support the GNA, have pledged coordination to terminate the conflict in Libya. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian admitted that it is difficult to do anything in Libya without a firm agreement between France and Italy. Through the phone, US President Donald Trump also talked with General Haftar on the anti-terrorism efforts, as well as the need to attain peace and stability in Libya. However, countries in the region have affirmed that a political solution must be decided by the Libyan people themselves. Meanwhile, in Sudan, under the pressure of protest waves, the Transitional Military Council (TMC) is contacting all political forces in the country to appoint the prime minister and form a civilian government as soon as possible. Tensions escalated in Sudan after the dialogue between protesters and TMC collapsed. While many countries in the region supported Sudans military forces to temporarily seize power to stabilise the country, Western countries urged a rapid transfer of power to a civilian government. The US Department of State said Sudan is still included on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, emphasising that Washingtons policy with Khartoum will be based on US assessments of field developments and actions of the transitional government. The developments in Libya and Sudan have triggered concerns among regional countries about spillover effects. Recently, Protesters in Mali also pressured Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maigas government to resign. With their important role in the region, countries participating in the summit in Egypt are expected to soon work out ways to stamp out the fire of conflict in Libya and Sudan, to avoid it from spreading widely. However, this promises to be a difficult and challenging task, as the intervention of outsiders into Africas crises is not a new story. The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has warned a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, again... The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has warned a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, against disparaging Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara. AYCF issued the warning while cautioning Tinubu and South-West politicians against taking their Northern counterpart for granted. The group stated this during an emergency meeting in Kaduna Wednesday night, as was contained in a statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima. AYCF explained that the emergency meeting in Kaduna was borne out of the desire to caution self-righteous politicians like Tinubu to end the culture of disparaging respected political leaders from other regions and undue meddlesomeness in the democratic system. It stated that the APC national leader and South-West politician should be grateful for taking all sorts of advantages in the Buhari government, especially juicy appointments for his cronies from the Southwest and skewing the bulk of lucrative Federal Government projects to his Southwest region. The statement reads: Let Chief Bola Tinubu bear in mind that gone are the days when any Southwest politician would take Northerners for granted. It is unacceptable that Tinubu will publicly insult illustrious sons of the North like Senate President and Speaker of the National Assembly because we are proud of both of them. Someone should tell Chief Tinubu that he cannot foist his political calculations on Northerners because 2023 will still be the Norths chance to heal the wounds inflicted on the North by Tinubu and his associates through the back door, using the present administration. We in the North are not boys scout to be pushed around by Tinubu for the sake of a 2023 agenda that is already dead on arrival because power will still remain in the North. This not a hereditary democracy and no one has the power to lord it over anyone. A gateman has rejected a house offer as a parting gift from his boss whom he served for 25 years. He, instead, requested that a borehole... A gateman has rejected a house offer as a parting gift from his boss whom he served for 25 years. He, instead, requested that a borehole be sunk for his community which he said lacked water. Musa Usman, from Giljimmi, a Fulani settlement in Birniwa Local Government Area of Jigawa State, lives with his family in a thatched house. Usman, who had served the Indian national, Mr. V. Verghese, who is also the Managing Director of a pharmaceutical company, Jawa International Limited in Lagos, for 25 years, left the service in order to reunite with his family in the village. When Usman was leaving, Verghese offered to build a house for him to appreciate his diligence while he was his gateman. People in Usmans community were previously trekking a long distance for water. Speaking at the commissioning of the borehole, Verghese said his decision for the parting gift was borne out of a high degree of honesty exhibited by Usman while he was working with him. He said: Musa has served me diligently for 25 years. We would travel to India and leave our house under his care and behold, we would meet everything intact. He is indeed an honest Nigerian. Usman, thanked Verghese for the gesture, saying he had no regret substituting the house offer with community borehole. A Muslim woman has become a viral sensation after she shared photos of herself posing in front of anti-Muslim protesters. Shaymaa Is... A Muslim woman has become a viral sensation after she shared photos of herself posing in front of anti-Muslim protesters. Shaymaa Ismaa'eel, 24, a behavioural therapist for children with autism from the DC area, went to the Islamic Circle of North America convention on Saturday and said the first thing she saw there was a group of men with signs protesting outside. The protesters were bullying Muslims who passed by and told them they would go to hell. The protest was causing a lot of tensions. So, Shaymaa said she decided to combat their hatred with kindness. On day three of the convention, Shaymaa posed in front of the protesters and asked her friend Jamilah to take a photo of her. She was smiling in the photo and threw up a peace sign. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held from April 25 to 27 in Beijing. Azerbaijan is an important cooperative partner of China in the Eurasian region and one of the first countries to respond to and actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi said. China supports the development path chosen by the Azerbaijani people in accordance with their national conditions and the efforts of the Azerbaijani side to develop its economy and improve people's livelihood, he said. China would like to work with Azerbaijan to take the BRI as an opportunity to align the development plans of the two sides, deepen cooperation in infrastructure construction and other areas, expand cultural, educational and local exchanges, and enhance mutual understanding and friendship, he said. Azerbaijan regards China as a firm friend and partner and unreservedly supports China on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns, Aliyev said, adding that Azerbaijan has actively responded to and participated in the BRI since its inception. The country is willing to build an international transport corridor across the Caspian Sea and promote regional connectivity by taking advantage of its unique geographic location, he said. The Azerbaijani side is also willing to join hands with the Chinese side in cracking down on the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, he added. The All Progressives Congress (APC), South East zone, has summoned an emergency meeting to deliberate on the ongoing crisis over sharing ... The All Progressives Congress (APC), South East zone, has summoned an emergency meeting to deliberate on the ongoing crisis over sharing of leadership positions in the incoming 9th National Assembly. The meeting, scheduled to hold in Enugu on Saturday, is at the instance of the National Vice Chairman of APC, South East zone, Emma Eneukwu. According to the invitation for the meeting extended to invitees via text message, it has three items on the agenda. Top on the agenda is the National Assembly leadership. The other two items on the agenda are repositioning APC in the South East after the 2019 general elections and other matters arising. Recall that the national leadership of APC led by its chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, had earlier zoned the two topmost positions in the National Assembly, the Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives, to the North East and South West, respectively. However, the APC national chairman has been accused of orchestrating a 2023 presidential agenda of the National Leader of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, rather than working in national interest. Recently, in an interactive session with journalists in Enugu, Publicity Secretaries of APC in the South East demanded the position of speaker for the zone. Governor Yahaya Bellos hope of securing the ticket of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the November Kogi State gov... Governor Yahaya Bellos hope of securing the ticket of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the November Kogi State governorship election is under threat as a result of criticism by stakeholders that he has performed below average in office. The governor, according to information is set to dump the party for Accord Party due to the uncertainty that beclouds his ambition for second term. It was reliably gathered that Bello, who is presently facing a difficult task to secure the partys governorship ticket, has been petitioned by individuals, groups and even members of his party before the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC, all complaining that his administration has performed poorly. An indication that the governor is on his way out is the removal of APC flags hoisted in the premises of Government House, including the one hoisted at the main entrance gate to Lugard House, the seat of the state government. The Accord Party secretariat has reportedly been renovated by the governor. Although the Accord Party was his alternative party in 2015 when he lost the APC governorship primary to late Prince Abubakar Audu, he was eventually nominated to take the place of Audu in the supplementary election. According to sources, Bello is said to have disclosed to some of his closest allies in his cabinet that some cabal in Aso Rock advised him to move to another party since forces were against him for the ticket. According to him, he has been assured of their support if he contests the governorship election in another party. The sources also disclosed that the governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, a good friend of Bello, also advised him to dump the APC for another party so that he could contest in the November 2 governorship election. It was also gathered that the National Secretariat of the party received over 10 petitions submitted by individuals, various groups and also within the party demanding that Bello should not be given ticket for second term. One of the groups, which made its statement available, a concerned group under the name Kogi Rescue Mission (KRM) is of the opinion that Bellos abysmal style of leadership has further subjected the state to political and economic hemorrhage. The group, which embarked on a peaceful protest led by its President, Hon. Ali Dan, to the National Headquarters of the APC with numerous placards that carried various save our soul (SOS) messages, the group described the Yahaya Bello-led administration as a threat to peoples welfare and the economic prosperity of Kogi State. In their protest letter to the national leadership of the party, the group highlighted various anti-people activities of the state government ranging from suicidal deaths among the state civil servants, whose salaries have not been paid for many months, institutional dearth in the land, misuse of state resources, hunger and perceived molestation of people, who are believed not to be supporters of the present administration in the state. The group said: Salaries of civil servants for November and 60 per cent of December, 2017 are yet to be paid; this is despite receiving N20 billion as bailout funds, over N21 billion from the Paris Club refund and money from the monthly federal allocations as well as the internally generated revenue. As a result of non-payment of salaries, about three civil servants took their own lives because of their inability to meet up with their family needs, while over a hundred have died due to lack of funds to continue medical treatment. Dan Ali who spoke on behalf of the protesters also said: Businesses have folded up, people are leaving for another state to seek refuge and workers have become paupers, feeding from hand to mouth. You will believe me that on no account will the people support and vote for a governor that operates draconian policy of this nature. Ali who decried the dearth of public institutions in the state also told APC national leadership that the state workers have been turned to IDPs without recourse to dignity of labour as enshrined in the Labour Acts. He said: Workers in Kogi State are now living like IDPs; Kogi State has become hunger/poverty capital of the country as nothing seems to be working due to the sorry state of salaries. In Kogi State today, there are no public primary schools for the past two years as they only exist in structures without teachers to teach the pupils due to non-payment of salaries; no primary health centres for the past two years; pensioners have not been paid for the past 12 months; theres no judiciary for the past eight months due to non-payment of their salaries; and no development anywhere in the state. Efforts to get the reaction of Bello were abortive wednesday as calls to the phones of his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Muhammed Onogwu, were not answered. Senior officials of the party at the National Secretariat in Abuja that preferred anonymity, however, said while it was normal for discontent to exist in the polity, it was doubtful if Bello would contemplate jumping ship. What the national leadership is determined to do is to level the playing field for all aspirants to play, one of them said adding, the question of anyone being favoured by Abuja is totally misconceived. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held from April 25 to 27 in Beijing. China is willing to enhance political mutual trust with Mongolia, respect each other's core interests and major concerns and promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level, Li said. He said China would like to align the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Mongolia's Development Road program on the basis of mutual respect, equal cooperation and mutual benefit, speed up the completion of a China-Mongolia free trade agreement and the building of a cross-border economic cooperation zone, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, industry capacity and culture. China will continue to provide convenience for Mongolia in cross-border transportation and port construction, he added. To develop mutually beneficial relations with China is the priority of Mongolia's foreign policy, Battulga said. Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China principle and recognizes that Taiwan and Tibet are inseparable parts of China, he said, adding that the two sides will always respect each other's core interests. Mongolia is willing to strengthen the alignment of the Development Road program with the BRI, expand cooperation in trade, energy and infrastructure, and advance the development of the Mongolia-China-Russia economic corridor, he said. The UN-backed government's forces assemble in southern part of Tripoli, capital of Lybia, to get prepared for the attacks from the eastern-based army, on April 23, 2019. The eastern-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over Tripoli from the UN-backed government. The fighting has so far killed more than 260 people, injured more than 1,200 others, and forced more than 20,000 people to flee their homes, according to the World Health Organization. (Xinhua) TRIPOLI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army on Tuesday announced that it shot down a fighter jet of the UN-backed government, which tried to attack its airbase in southern Libya. "Anti-missiles of Jufra airbase managed to shoot down a fighter jet of the terrorist militias (government forces) trying to strike the base this morning," the army's spokesman Ahmad al-Mismari said in a statement. The fighter jet was with two other planes that fled afterwards, al-Mismari said, adding that search was underway for the downed plane and pilot. The Jufra district, located some 650 km southeast of the capital Tripoli, is controlled by the army. The eastern-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over Tripoli from the government. The fighting so far has killed more than 260 people, injured more than 12,00 others, and forced more than 20,000 people to flee their homes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks at a press conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 23, 2019. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Tuesday that authorities are making progress in identifying the culprits of the series of bombing attacks and evidence had been found on foreign links of the attacks. At a press conference in Temple Trees, Wickremesinghe said that authorities are looking at the claim by Islamic State (IS) that they are responsible for the blasts that killed more than 300 people and injured over 500 others. (Xinhua/Yang Zhou) COLOMBO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Tuesday that authorities are making progress in identifying the culprits of the series of bombing attacks and evidence had been found on foreign links of the attacks. Speaking at a press conference in Temple Trees, Wickremesinghe said that authorities are looking at the claim by Islamic State (IS) that they are responsible for the Sunday bombing blasts that killed more than 300 people and injured over 500 others. "We will be following up on IS claims. We believe there may be links," Wickremesinghe said. The prime minister said the security agencies of the country were monitoring those Sri Lankans who had joined IS and returned home. On an earlier statement that the bombings were an act of retaliation for the attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, last month, the prime minister said the authorities were also investigating and yet to be confirmed. Series of arrests have been made so far following the Sunday blasts, but the prime minister declined to give the exact number, saying that some of the culprits are still on the run. Police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekara said on Tuesday that 40 suspects had been arrested over the attacks while a massive search operation is ongoing to nab more suspects. IS, through its news outlet AMAQ, claimed on Tuesday responsibility for the attacks. BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- China said Wednesday that it wishes the upcoming meeting between Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be successful. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing when asked for comment on contact between the DPRK and Russia. Noting that both the DPRK and Russia are China's friendly neighbors, Geng said China is happy to see that the DPRK and Russia strengthen high-level exchanges and enhance bilateral cooperation. "We believe this will contribute to the further development of DPRK-Russia relations as well as peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region," Geng said. "We wish the meeting between Kim and Putin a success and it will be helpful for the settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue." As close neighbors of the Peninsula and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia have maintained close communication and coordination on the Korean Peninsula issue, he said. Geng said the situation on the Korean Peninsula showed a positive momentum for dialogue and detente, and that China is willing to work with relevant parties including Russia to take phased and synchronized steps with a package plan, continue to push for denuclearization on the peninsula and advancement of political settlement of the Peninsula issue and make positive progress. BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The mainland is firmly opposed to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and military contact in any form between the two sides, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a press conference. "Our stance has been consistent and clear," he said. In response to remarks by the American Institute in Taiwan that the mainland is exerting its influence on Taiwan elections, Ma said the mainland has repeatedly stressed that it never interferes with elections on the island. "The Taiwan issue is China's internal affairs, and it does not allow foreign interference," he said. Ma also said issues across the Taiwan Strait should be settled by compatriots on the two sides. "We hope that all Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots, can follow the general trend of history and take firm hold of the national destiny." (Photo/Xinhua) PARIS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The person in charge of checking the fire alarm did not go to the right place after Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris caught fire on April 15, French news channel BFMTV reported on Wednesday, citing a source close to the investigation. The first alarm was triggered at 6:20 p.m. local time on April 15, the report said. The second alarm sounded 20 minutes later, but it was already too late since the fire has begun to spread. In another development, French weekly Le Canard Enchaine reported that workers renovating Notre-Dame Cathedral had smoked on site. The company in charge of scaffolding admitted to police that some of its staff had breached a smoking ban. But it denied any link with the massive fire which destroyed the cathedral's spire and roof. Paris prosecutors said police conducted an investigation into "involuntary destruction by fire", Criminal motives have been ruled out. Notre-Dame is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture which receives about 12 million visitors every year. Israeli forces are seen after they demolished the residential home of Omar Amin Abu Lila, a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli soldier and a civilian in the West Bank in March, in the village of a-Zawiya, southeast of Qalqilya, April 24, 2019. Bulldozers accompanying by Israeli army troops, Border Police officers, and the Civil Administration personnel carried out the demolition of the apartment, an Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement. (Xinhua/Nidal Eshtayeh) RAMALLAH, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army demolished on Wednesday the house of a Palestinian who was accused of killing two Israelis in the West Bank in March. Palestinian security sources said that the army demolished the house of Omar Abu Laila in the village of Zawiya, west of Salfit, by bombing it from inside. Israel accused Abu Laila of carrying out an operation near a settlement in Salfit on March 16 that killed a soldier and a rabbi. The Israeli army killed Abu Leila in an armed clash after chasing him for three days. The Israeli army has decided to demolish the homes of the Palestinians, whom they accuse of carrying out operations against Israeli targets in the West Bank, which the Palestinians regard as violating international law. On the other hand, 27 Palestinians were wounded in clashes that broke out earlier on Wednesday with the Israeli army in the city of Nablus. According to medical teams of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, seven wounded were shot by rubber bullets, including two head injuries, and they were transferred to the hospital for medical treatment. Around 1,500 settlers entered the Joseph's Tomb earlier in the day with intensive security guard from the Israeli army to perform religious rites, accompanied by Knesset members of the ruling Likud party, according to Palestinian sources. The site of Joseph is a destination for thousands of Israelis where they hold prayers and religious rituals of Judaism at the tomb of the Prophet Joseph, the eleventh son of the Prophet Jacob. In a related context, the Palestinian Prisoners Club reported that the Israeli army arrested six Palestinians during a raid in Tulkarm and Bethlehem in the West Bank. The Israeli army carries out almost daily arrests and raids in the West Bank as part of the hunt for Palestinians it calls "wanted," while Palestinians say it often touches civilians. South Africa: 2019 National Orders reflect SAs silver jubilee Returning home to South Africa seemed like a distant dream when Thandi Lujabe- Rankoe went into exile, spending 33 years of her life fighting for her home countrys liberation. And just when it is was time to come home after South Africas first democratic election, former President Nelson Mandela sent her on a new journey. This time, to spearhead and strengthen South Africas relations with other countries. At the time, I never thought I would be able to come back home when I was in exile. I thought I would die there like others did, but I was lucky I came back home and found my mother still alive. And even after I came back home, I was only home for six months and I was sent out in January 1995 to start a new embassy in Tanzania and I was there for four years, says the 82 year-old Lujabe-Rankoe reflecting on her life and work. Soon after her pioneering work in Tanzania, she was moved to Botswana and later to Mozambique as South Africas High Commissioner. Among her many accomplishments, Lujaba-Rankoe facilitated trade and industry relations at governmental level, as well as facilitating South African businesses operating in Tanzania, Mozambique and Botswana, such as Murray & Roberts, Sasol, and Standard Bank. It is this globe-trotting journey, navigating unchartered waters and forming relations with foreign countries as South Africas diplomat that landed Lujaba-Rankoe the National Order of Luthuli. The Order of Luthuli is awarded to South Africans who have made a meaningful contribution to the struggle for democracy, human rights, nation-building, justice, peace and conflict resolution. It symbolises the vision of the late Chief Albert Luthuli the legendary liberation struggle leader and the first African recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961. Lujabe-Rankoe will receive the order in silver in an investiture ceremony on 25 April 2019 ahead of the Freedom Day celebrations. She is one of the 30 people that will be bestowed with one of the six National Orders. The National Orders are South Africas highest awards presented to individuals, both citizens and foreign nationals, by the President, in recognition of their contribution to the country. Among the 30 recipients is songstress Yvonne Chaka Chaka, veteran journalist Mathata Tsedu and doyen of black business Bongani Donald Mkhwanazi. The other five national orders are the order of Mapungubwe, Baobab, Ikhamanga, Mendi and companions of the OR Tambo. Each order recognises a different contribution to the country. The Order of Mapungubwe is awarded to South African citizens for achievements that have impacted internationally and served the interests of the Republic of South Africa. The Order of the Baobab is awarded to South African citizens for distinguished service in the fields of business, the economy, science, technological innovation and community service. South African citizens who have excelled in the fields of arts, culture, literature, music, journalism and sport are awarded the Order of the Ikhamanga. The Order of the Mendi is awarded to South Africans who have performed an extraordinary act of bravery that placed their lives in great danger, or who lost their own lives in trying to save the life of another person, or by saving property. Foreign nationals and other foreign dignitaries are also honoured through the Order of the Companion of OR Tambo. The award is bestowed for friendship shown to South Africa. It is therefore an order of peace, co-operation and active expression of solidarity and support. Each order is awarded either in Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze. As 2019 marks the 25th investiture ceremony since the introduction of the new orders, Presidency Director-General Cassius Lubisi who is the Chancellor of the National Orders explains that the National Orders are not a new concept. The National Orders, are not new, even the apartheid regime had the orders but they might not have called them that but they did recognise citizens at that time, says Lubisi. When President Mandela assumed office in 1994, he continued with the old orders such as the order of Good Hope. A decision was later taken to transform the national orders from those old orders of apartheid to new orders. This then introduced the new orders that we give now such as the order of Mendi, Ikhamanga, Mapungubuwe, Baobab, Luthuli and the order of the Companions of OR Tambo, says Lubisi. This years investiture ceremony comes as South Africa celebrates 25 years of democracy. The significance this year of course is that a silver jubilee, which is what 25 years is, is a critical milestone for any celebration of periods of time. It is our first such big celebration and the National Orders hope to reflect such strides that we have made. If you look at the types of people that are being honoured, says Lubisi. While the five national orders recognise South African citizens, the Order of Companions of OR Tambo recognises foreign nationals and their contributions. The award pays homage to Oliver Tambo who led the international isolation of South Africa during the liberation struggle. South Africa like other countries is not an island. The importance of people to people relations is what makes the international relations system to tick. During our struggle many of our people left our country and went into exile where they were supported with shelter clothes, food and in some instances with arms. International friends made huge risks so the notion of the OR Tambo arises from that history. Oliver Tambo single handedly led the international isolation of South Africa. He was the prime diplomat, the Republic of South Africa has ever seen, says Lubisi. The Order of Companions of OR Tambo also recognises individuals who champion ideals that South Africa stands for. There will come a time when those of us who were in the struggle will no longer be around and that does not mean the Order of Companions of OR Tambo will cease to exist. It will exist but it will exist to recognise the friends who support South Africa in any manner, says Lubisi. While Lujabe-Rankoe is among the lucky few that will get a chance to smell her flowers while she is still alive, other National Order recipients will receive their award posthumously. Lubisi expressed that the reasoning behind bestowing an award posthumously is based on the premise that ones contribution does not diminish because of death. That recognition should continue to be made by our people, to say we recognise the great efforts to get South Africa where it is, and your generation and offspring should feel proud of the work that you would have done even if you are no longer alive, he says. With the 2019 recipients already chosen, Lubisi highlighted that the awards are bestowed on an annual basis and anyone above the age of 18 can submit their nominations in the next batch in 2020. The Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Bryntirion Estate in Pretoria will host the recipients for the investiture ceremony and celebrations. President Cyril Ramaphosa will preside in his capacity as the grand patron of the National Orders. We expect that most of the awardees will make it except of cause those who are frail and those who are no longer with us. Various people will attend the ceremony over and above the recipients and their relatives. Ministers, Deputy Ministers, some members of the judiciary, some key business people, invitees from the trade union movement, senior officials of government, so we look forward to a great ceremony, says Lubisi. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (Photo/pixabay.com) CHICAGO, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Researchers at the University of Michigan (UM) School of Information studied 200 of the top major online retailers and asked consumers what tools would be helpful to curb impulse buying. According to a study posted on UM's website on Wednesday, the researchers selected sites to study from an industry report of the top internet retailers in the United States by online revenue. Of these 200 retail websites, 192 contained what the researchers call "social influence" features, which recommended products based on what "other people" bought. As for other strategies, 69 percent of the websites used features like limited-time discounts with countdown clocks to increase the buyer's sense of urgency; 67 percent of the websites made the product seem scarce with low stock warnings or "exclusive" product offerings. "One of the challenges consumers face when they go online is that they don't know what is true or not," said co-author Sarita Schoenebeck, associate professor at the UM School of Information. "If a website says there is one room left for the chosen dates or that a pair of shoes is a popular item and 12 other people are looking at it, people have no way of knowing if it is true." In the second part of the study, the researchers surveyed consumers about their impulse-buying behaviors. Researchers recruited online shoppers who frequently made unplanned purchases. The survey asked about items they had purchased impulsively in the past, and about successful and unsuccessful strategies they used to try to resist making impulsive purchases. The researchers found that the most common items people purchased impulsively were clothing, household items, children's items, beauty products, electronics and shoes. Participants suggested a variety of ways to do less impulsive purchasing. They proposed that if shown what the amount they were spending was equivalent to, such as "8 Chipotle burritos" or "3 hours of work," that might help them to curb their impulse buying. Participants also wanted tools that encouraged them to reflect on the items they were purchasing by prompting questions like "Do I really need this?" and "What would I use this for?" The most unpopular approaches, however, suggested that they did not want to be embarrassed, shamed or controlled about their purchasing. Most participants did not want tools that required approval from someone else or that made them post their purchase to social media. The researchers highlighted concerns about website designs that prioritize business goals over the welfare of people. These practices might trick people into doing things that are not in their best interest, a practice known as "dark patterns." The researchers pointed out that interventions to support consumers are hard to do without the cooperation of the retailers, and suggested that greater transparency, ethical practices and even regulation might be needed. 25/04/2019 - Governments need to overhaul their approach to employment and jobs to reduce further social and economic tensions, according to a new report from the OECD. Without rapid action, many people, particularly the low skilled, will be left behind in the fast-changing world of work. The OECD Employment Outlook 2019 is part of the OECDs Future of Work initiative and the I am the Future of Work campaign, which aims to make the future of work better for all, helping to transform learning and social protection systems and reduce inequalities between people and across regions. The OECD Employment Outlook does not envisage a jobless future. But it does foresee major challenges for the future of work, said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria, launching the report in Berlin with Hubertus Heil, Germanys Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. With the right policies, we can manage these challenges. We face significant transformation, but we have the opportunity and the determination to use this moment and build a future of work that benefits everyone. While the OECD area has fully recovered the jobs lost during the crisis and today the employment rate is 2 percentage points higher than before the crisis, the projected slowdown in the global economy casts a shadow over short-term job prospects, and the job market has continued to polarise. To help workers, firms, and countries adapt to the changing world of work, the OECD proposes in this Outlook a Transition Agenda for a Future that Works for All. The employment rate improvement in most OECD countries has been driven by a substantial rise in the share of women in work and older workers staying longer in employment. Moreover, much of the increase in employment reflects the growing number of high-skilled jobs, the share of which has risen by 25% in OECD countries over the past two decades. However, among young people with less than tertiary education in many countries, a rising share are out of work or, if in work, under-employed or low-paid. Men have seen an increase in joblessness and under-employment in some countries, although labour market outcomes for women remain worse on average. The digital transformation, globalisation and demographic changes have already been reshaping the world of work. Looking ahead, 14% of existing jobs could disappear as a result of automation in the next 15-20 years, with another 32% set to change radically. While full-time, permanent employment is likely to still account for many, if not most, jobs in the future, the past few years have seen a further rise in non-standard work in some countries, such as self-employment and temporary contracts. Part-time employment has risen in virtually every OECD country over the past few decades. The share of people who work part-time but would prefer to work full-time has also risen in two thirds of OECD countries for which data are available. The Agenda recommends that countries focus on four key areas: labour protection, social protection, learning and social dialogue. It underlines the importance of ensuring adequate labour law protection for workers, regardless of their employment status. Governments should tackle false self-employment, which employers sometimes use to avoid taxes and regulations, minimise the grey zone between salaried work and self-employment, and extend rights to workers left in that zone. Adapting and extending social protection is essential to ensure better coverage for workers in non-standard forms of employment, according to the report. Non-standard workers are, in some countries, 40-50% less likely to receive any form of income support while out of work than standard employees. Benefit entitlements should be made portable across jobs and targeted social protection measures complemented with more universal and unconditional support. In all OECD countries, training participation is lowest among those who need it most, including the low-skilled, older adults and non-standard workers. A major overhaul of adult learning programmes to increase their coverage and promote quality is needed to harness the benefits of the changing world of work. Measures should include removing time and financial constraints to participation in training, making training rights portable, and providing quality information and counselling. Union membership has steadily declined over the last three decades in OECD countries, falling from 30% in 1985 to 16% in 2016, says the Outlook. This has weakened workers bargaining power and contributed to the decline in the share of national income going to workers. Membership is even lower among non-standard workers, who are 50% less likely than standard workers to be unionised. Access to collective bargaining and social dialogue should be extended beyond standard employment. More information, including the report, infographics and country notes, is available at http://www.oecd.org/employment/outlook/. This report is part of the OECDs Future of Work initiative and the I am the Future of Work campaign, which aims to contribute to a positive future of work transition, helping to transform learning and social protection systems as well as reducing inequalities between people and across regions. See http://futureofwork.oecd.org. For more information, journalists should contact Spencer Wilson in the OECD Media Office (+33 1 4524 8118). Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China has provided a strong guarantee for enhancing China-Europe relations, as it follows the principle of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits, and upholds openness, inclusiveness and transparency. Several European countries including Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Serbia and Switzerland will attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) which will kick off on April 25 in Beijing. The BRF is a leading platform for international cooperation under the BRI framework, which is of considerable significance to China and the world. China and the European Union (EU) are both important forces for safeguarding world peace and stability and advancing human civilization. The past year has seen solid progress in BRI cooperation between China and the EU. The BRI has won positive feedback from the EU, stepping up European efforts to participate in the Chinese initiative. The two sides reached important consensus on enhancing the synergy of the BRI and the initiatives of the EU at the 21st China-EU Summit, held on April 9, to boost connectivity between Asia and Europe. China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road cooperation with Italy, and reached consensus on cooperation under the BRI framework with other European countries including Switzerland. China and the EU have synergized more development strategies. In December 2018, China issued its latest policy paper on the EU, in a bid to promote the development of the China-EU Connectivity Platform, and seek greater synergy between BRI and EU development plans, including the EU Strategy on Connecting Europe and Asia, the Investment Plan for Europe and the Trans-European Transport Networks. Additionally, China-EU cooperation under the BRI framework has yielded practical outcomes. For example, China Railway Express freight trains have made over 10,000 trips. A Chinese enterprises investment in Zelezara Smederevo, Serbias sole steel mill, created 5,000 job opportunities for local people. The BRI has also provided strong support for cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs), which are important partners of the initiative. The 16+1 cooperation mechanism between China and 16 CEECs has also made remarkable achievements. Opposing the global trend of slowed trade growth last year, Chinas trade with CEECs saw a robust increase of more than 20 percent, hitting a record high. China and Serbia have seen remarkable results in cooperation under the BRI framework. Chinas trade with Serbia rose by more than 50 percent in the past six years. The two countries signed a mutual visa exemption agreement in 2017. Last year, over 100,000 Chinese tourists visited Serbia. The value of Chinese infrastructure project contracts in Serbia also exceeded $5 billion. President Xis visit to Europe, his first overseas visit of 2019, further enhanced mutual trust with the EU, boosted China-Europe cooperation, and reflected Chinas emphasis on Europe. The world today is going through significant development, transformation, and change. As major participants and contributors to economic globalization, China and the EU share broad common interests in upholding world peace and stability, promoting global prosperity and sustainable development and advancing human civilization. The two sides are also indispensable partners to the others reform and development. Looking ahead, China and the EU will deepen mutual understanding, enhance mutual trust, identify the direction, principles and specific measures to deepen the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era, and promote the development of China-EU relations. Under the BRI, China and Europe will continue to enjoy sound and steady ties and increasing bilateral practical cooperation, which will bring tangible benefits to the people of both sides. The author is a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of European Studies in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. PARIS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Six out of ten French people were in favor of an end of weekly protests orchestrated by "Yellow Vest" movement which has turned to social rebellion against French President Emmanuel Macron's leadership, a poll released on Wednesday showed. An Elabe online survey found the share of people who consider that the social action should stop rose to 60 percent versus 56 percent of respondents in February. However, 40 percent believed that "Yellow Vest" protesters must continue their demonstrations, down by 3 percentage points, it added. According to the pollster' figures, 50 percent of French say they support or have sympathy for the movement, against 53 percent in previous poll. Those who most back the spontaneous movement are from working and middle classes with 66 percent and 52 percent respectively. Created on social media, "Yellow Vests" movement, referring the high visibility vests drivers keep in their cars, had turned into a bigger uprising denouncing a squeeze on household spending, high living costs caused by Macron's fiscal and economic policy which they say favors the rich. Some of them asked Macron to step down. The head of state had offered a series of concessions that began with a drop of a planned high fuel tax. He also proposed "an economic and social emergency plan" worth 10 billion euros (11.15 billion U.S. dollars) to boost purchasing power. He was due to unveil a new batch of measures on Thursday to respond to the French's complaints. 75 percent of 1,000 interviewed people on April 23-24, thought the national consultations would not fix the political crisis, while 60 percent said that the debate would not allow better citizens' participation in making decisions.(1 euro = 1.115 U.S. dollars) BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank said Wednesday that overseas renminbi (RMB) funds had vigorously supported the Belt and Road development during the past two years. The volume of overseas RMB fund business topped 300 billion yuan (about 45 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of the first quarter, covering industries including transport, power, finance and manufacturing, according to an article published on the website of the People's Bank of China (PBOC). The funds served as a significant financing channel for Belt and Road projects and satisfied the increasing demand for the currency on global capital markets, the article said. The PBOC noted that the Silk Road Fund, founded in December 2014, saw 18 billion yuan of RMB capital contribution. The article also listed several major projects financed by overseas RMB funds. The Silk Road Fund invested in a new energy company of ACWA, an energy giant headquartered in Saudi Arabia. Agricultural Bank of China made loans to a textile industrial park in Tajikistan. The China-Africa Development Fund invested in a copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo that added more than 1,000 local jobs. Overseas renminbi funds have been primarily recognized on global markets and will continue to offer more types of overseas renminbi assets and better financing solutions to the Belt and Road, the article said. (Photo/pixabay.com) BANGKOK, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's cabinet approved in principle on Wednesday an extended waiver of the fee for visa on arrival of foreign tourists to Thailand, according to a summary of cabinet meeting published online. The waiver of the one-time entry fee for visa on arrival which was proposed by the Royal Thai Police, will be extended from May 1 until Oct. 31. Such temporary waiver of the fee for visa on arrival will be extended in accordance with 2019's ministerial regulation for one-time entry of tourists from specified foreign countries. Tourists from 21 countries and regions eligible for visa on arrival are to enjoy the extension of waiver of fee. SHENZHEN, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The city of Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province released a white paper on intellectual property on Wednesday. Domestic patent applications in the city reached 228,608 in 2018, up 29.08 percent year on year, according to the white paper on intellectual property in 2018. A total of 18,081 applications under the patent cooperation treaty (PCT) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), including 5,405 from Chinese technology giant Huawei, were filed in the city last year, accounting for 34.8 percent of the country's total. The city investigated 1,224 intellectual property right (IPR) infringement cases in 2018, including 1,082 closed. "The city will deepen the reform in the field of intellectual property in 2019, with the most stringent protection of intellectual property," said Kuang Bing, head of the city bureau of market supervision and administration. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held from April 25 to 27 in Beijing. The bilateral trade between China and Chile grew last year against the backdrop of a global slowdown, which showed the great potential for cooperation between the two countries, Li said. China and Chile should take joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as an opportunity to align the two countries' development strategies, upgrade the China-Chile Free Trade Zone, and expand cooperation in areas including transportation infrastructure, electricity, agriculture, mining and innovation, he said. China is willing to import more high-quality products from Chile, take full advantage of digital economy platforms such as e-commerce and deepen economic and trade cooperation with other Latin American countries with the help of the China-Chile Free Trade Zone, pushing forward the overall relations and cooperation between China and Latin America, he said. Pinera said the BRI has injected new vitality into the millennia-old Silk Road and Chile is willing to support the joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative. The two sides have completed the upgrading of the bilateral free trade agreement and Chile will take this as an opportunity to promote cooperation in various areas and bring about greater progress in the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, he said. Patron of the arts and music critic Martha Stewart attended the Time 100 Gala last night in New York City and really enjoyed honoree and cover star Taylor Swift's acoustic set. We know, because Martha took to Instagram to share her delight. Two days before her mysterious April 26th announcement, Taylor played a selection spanning her entire catalogue, including, via Variety,"New Year's Day," "Delicate," "Shake It Off" and "Love Story." Everyone took a walk down their a Taylor-Swift-timestamped memory lanes together (where were you when you heard "Love Story" or "Black Space" for the first time?). Martha was there to see it all up close. Extremely up close. So, so, so, so up close. Martha's review of the performance was brief and affecting: "She was eloquent and charming and sang her songs as only she does photos." Her well-meaning zoomed-in iPhone photos of Taylor, however, are a tragic crime of Jim-worthy proportions. Of course, Martha's snaps no different then the terrible photos that you and I take when we have nosebleeds at a show, to prove we were there, and will absolutely never view again. But we aren't all Martha Stewart, are we. Her photo series hits every bucket of photog gaffes: Taylor looks like she's either about to blow the mic, howling in pain, or hiding terrified behind the piano. If her review wasn't so glowing... we'd think this was some serious passive aggression. Perhaps Martha should consider enrolling in Annie Leibovitz' online Masterclass course, to avoid future confusion. Most likely, Taylor's team has already called up Martha and is busy at work having them replaced with some nice Getty images. A shame, it really was a great show. Here's a piece her performance and speech, in which Nora Ephron gets a shout-out. Iran says serious about exchange of prisoners with U.S. 04/25/19 Source: Press TV Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has publicly expressed Tehran's preparedness for a prisoner swap with the US, saying he has been authorized to negotiate the deal with American officials. "I can involve myself on these issues (Iranian and US prisoners) as a foreign minister... when there is a possibility of an exchange... We have a separate judiciary, and the judiciary says that they have committed offenses... I may not agree with that, but that's not my job. My job is to try to arrange for a deal, an exchange; I did it once, we reached an agreement and I put this offer on the table publicly now: exchange them," Zarif said on Wednesday at the Asia Society in New York, calling on Washington to swap all Iranians jailed in the US and on extradition requests from the US, mostly for alleged violations of US export restrictions and sanctions violations, with those imprisoned in Iran. "We believe their charges are phony. The United States believes charges against these people in Iran are phony. Fine, let's not discuss that. Let's have an exchange. I am ready to do it and I have the authority to do it," he noted. Zarif said Iran had proposed a prisoner swap to the Donald Trump administration six months ago but had received no response. In reaction, the US State Department said in a statement that it advocated for a humanitarian resolution to the case of US citizens detained in Iran. However, it urged Iran to immediately release the American prisoners first. "We are aware of Foreign Minister Zarif's recent comments to a NGO in New York regarding wrongfully detained Americans in Iran. We note his reference to a humanitarian resolution of those cases, which we have called for repeatedly," a State Department spokesperson told Al-Monitor in a statement. Iran "can demonstrate its seriousness regarding consular issues, including Iranians who have been indicted or convicted of criminal violations of US sanctions laws, by releasing innocent US persons immediately," the spokesperson added. Later in the day, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi criticized the State Department's "hasty" reaction to FM Zarif's proposal and its call for the "unilateral release" of all US prisoners. "The reaction shows they lack a proper understanding of the concepts of negotiation, agreement, and exchange," the spokesman noted. Mousavi said if there is a will in the US, Zarif's proposal is "clear" and does not require any "interpretation and clarification." Zarif's proposal to exchange prisoners with the United States is serious, but it's nothing new, the Iranian spokesman said. "The Iranian Foreign Ministry, within the framework of its responsibilities, is ready to take action on the exchange of individuals convicted and imprisoned in Iran by the country's Judiciary on specific charges," he said. The Foreign Ministry would do so in exchange for both the release of all Iranians jailed in the United States and the granting of nolle prosequis to all those detained in different countries on baseless charges of violating the US' illegal sanctions or under Washington's pressure, Mousavi added. Iran and the US had earlier exchanged prisoners on January 16, 2016, when the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was officially implemented. "In line with ratifications of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and the Islamic establishment's general expediencies, four Iranian prisoners, who hold dual nationality, have been released within the framework of a prisoner swap," Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said at the time. The four released dual-national prisoners comprised Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian; Saeed Abedini, a Christian pastor; Amir Hekmati, a former US Marine, and another inmate named Nosratollah Khosravi. The United States in return also released seven Iranians held in US prisons. Nader Madanlou, Bahram Mekanik, Khosro Afghahi, Arash Qahreman, Touraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Sabounchi were the seven Iranian nationals who were released. Based on the agreement, the US no longer pursued the extradition of 14 other Iranians, as well. For as long as the medium existed, yellow journalism and propaganda have been peddled to the unsuspecting masses. Unethical journalism is not a new phenomenon. Thankfully, the court of public opinion used to dictate whether or not these publications succeeded and survived; news outlets who crossed the line no matter how powerful eventually met their demise. In the post-truth age we now find ourselves in, some Republican lawmakers are steadily getting better at attacking the press and the First Amendment, often with our blessing if it means getting back at our political rivals. Fake news is an insult frequently flung by Donald Trump at reporters who seek to hold him accountable for what he does and says. To the cult of personality he has fostered, lies have stopped being treated as something inexcusable and have started being viewed as something acceptable, sometimes even necessary. Now emboldened by these attacks, the Republican lawmakers of Georgia have concocted and put forward the Ethics in Journalism Act, a ploy to shield their politicians from criticism from journalists who do research and dare to ask questions. House Bill 734, Congressman Andrew Welchs swan song performed just before he resigned his seat, seeks to create the Journalism Ethics Board to produce canons of ethics and rules and regulations, which includes investigation and possible sanctioning of Georgia journalists. It entitles anyone interviewed by a journalist to any photographs, audio and video acquired by said journalist free of cost within three business days. Should the media outlet fail to produce the requested evidence within the allotted time, they are tagged with a civil penalty of $100 a day. Cleverly, the bill is not framed in partisan language, and presents itself as a measure supporting transparency and an attempt to police bias and corruption. In theory, ethical journalists will not have to worry about getting formal advisory opinions being lodged against them or having their accreditation revoked. It is only the bad, unethical journalists who need to beware. The bills mere existence, of course, implies that the current ethics and rules regarding journalism arent deemed sufficient enough in Welchs opinion. In his defense, he claims the board is in line with the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), which has denounced the bill as a means to intimidate journalists and chill the important work of holding powerful people and organizations accountable for their actions. According to the reporter who broke the story, prior to penning the bill Welch was frustrated about a journalist who asked him critical questions, and asked those who were listening to his rant if journalists had a state board similar to ones for lawyers. Welch later dismissed the assertion as false and silly, but he has yet to clarify what was the true inspiration behind the bill, if it was not being intimidated by a reporters line of questioning. A vigilant press can and frequently has lampooned the preferred narrative of a politician. Worse yet, a scandal can be the Achilles heel to the aspirations of a promising politician. The Republican party is all too aware of this. Unfortunately fact-checking is being appreciated less and less, and it is easier to simply insist that a reporter has a political agenda. Predictably, the Georgia general assembly is exempt from the states own Open Records Act. The politicians who bristle the most at the press are not open to being transparent themselves, and dont believe they need to adhere to the same standards they impose on their constituents. It is a sentiment that harkens back to the days when a monarch thought he was subject to no earthly authority, let alone a bothersome peasant asking questions. Devin Nunes, the U.S. Representative for Californias 22nd congressional district, also believes he should be exempt from criticism and scandal. In his frivolous lawsuit against The Fresno Bee and McClatchy lies this gem: As a citizen of the United States of America and as a United States Congressman sworn to uphold the Constitution and laws of this great country, Nunez has a fundamental, core interest, private right and entitlement to the uninterrupted enjoyment of his reputation, writes Nuness lawyer in his defamation complaint. The Defendants enjoy absolutely no privilege to use the Internet or social media as a weapon to defame. Nunes believes that because he is a member of Congress, he is entitled to enjoy a good reputation. In his infinite wisdom, he is now waging war against the paper that previously endorsed him for daring to report on the things he did. Our elected officials need to be reminded of who they work for. There doesnt need to be an additional board to screen journalists in a thinly-veiled effort to protect the privileged, in any state. Outside of voting, there are fewer ways to hold politicians and governments accountable than by testing to see if they actually know what theyre talking about. If they dont, and they dont believe they should be held to the high standard the office demands, they shouldnt be there. If we vote them in anyway, we reap the consequences. Pet Sematary, the most recent of a string of Stephen King adaptations, stars Jason Clarke, Amy Siemetz, and Jete Laurence as the Creed Family. After moving into a home in rural Maine, Louis and Rachel Creed discover a mysterious burial ground in the woods surrounding their new home. When they discover that their cat has been killed, their neighbor Jud, played by John Lithgow, takes Louis to the burial ground to bring the cat back to life. But the resurrection certainly would come with consequences. Jason Clarke is great as always but the standout was the 11 year old actress Jete Laurence who played the daughter Ellie. When a certain story moment occurs for her character and her performance has to take a complete 180, she was believable and haunting at the same time. Not having seen the previous adaption or read the novel, I had no idea what to expect going into this movie, which certainly helped. The first film is held to a high standard and it seems as though those people werent the biggest fans of this movie, but in my case, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This movie deviates from the cliches of modern day horror, where its all so fast moving and the scares just start immediately. This movie was a slower burn, with more of a character driven build up with plenty of exposition, more so than I was expecting. A big problem with horror movies, aside from The Conjuring movies, is that we little to no character development, but this one spent a decent amount of time getting us attached to the characters. It lead to the first act and part of the second act being a little bit slow, with not much going on, but it was necessary world building that needed to be done in order to fit the direction that the movie wanted to go. Following in a different path from Jordan Peeles Us, the scares in this movie were a different kind. Though the majority of the scares were of the jump variety, there were some chilling moments that left me and other members of the audience audibly feeling unsettled. Where this movie got it right for me was the unsettling nature of scares and the more classic feel versus just jump scares galore. The ending of the movie was certainly surprising but not in a bad way at all. Im gonna score Pet Sematary at 7/10 Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative, in partnership with the African Bicycle Contribution Foundation, has donated their 415th Bamboo Bicycles to Support Ghanas Inclusive Educational Policy and Development Goals. Ghana has made significant strides in its educational reforms and achieved monumental outcomes in enrolment over the past decades. Despite the numeric improvement in the countrys policy goals, access to quality of education continues to be a thorny issue. The problem of educational inequity is particularly acute in the Northern region of Ghana. The inability to access learning centres or schools because transport services are not available, not reliable or too expensive, result in social exclusion which underpins weaker performances among school children in rural communities. In the light of this challenge, the African Bicycle Contribution Foundation, a US-based corporation, through its long-term partnership with Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative has, since 2016, played a key role in filling the void with a commitment to underwrite the free distribution of nearly 3,000 Eco-Ride bamboo bicycles to school children in communities disengaged from mainstream transport networks. This batch of 75 bamboo bicycles went to students and teachers in Karaga Senior High School under the Karaga District. In attendance were several officials from the school, community leaders, and District Assembly who expressed their profound gratitude for the charitable support to bolster education in the local area. The figurehead of GBBI, Bernice Dapaah, speaking about the rationale for the charitable donation noted: We deeply understand and appreciate the impact of distance from school on learning achievement and are committed to reverse the negative trend in the Northern regional schools. Since learning outcomes are related to the number of time students engage in learning tasks, it is imperative to make provisions that reduce the loss of instructional time available to students which is why we donate these assistive bicycles. In addition to creating a bicycle culture in the sub-region, we are set on offering a home-grown solution with made-in-Ghana products that improve the quality of life of our target group. In the long run, we are optimistic about creating more jobs, drive up incomes and promote innovation among the emerging youthful generation. Source: adomnews Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video (Photo/Weibo [email protected]) BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese cultural relics returned from Italy will be on display at the National Museum of China in Beijing from Wednesday. The exhibition, titled "The Journey Back Home" showcases more than 700 pieces of returned Chinese artifacts, including a painted pottery pot from the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C. - 8 A.D.), a colored camel pottery figurine from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and a white-glazed bowl from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). China and Italy exchanged related certificates for returning 796 Chinese cultural relics on March 23. This batch of Chinese artifacts arrived in Beijing on April 10. This was the largest return of lost Chinese cultural relics in nearly 20 years, according to Luo Shugang, China's Minister of Culture and Tourism. The artifacts were found by accident. They were first noticed by a unit of Carabinieri, or the national gendarmerie of Italy, on the local relics auction market in 2007, which was followed by a domestic judicial trial. Most of the artifacts were found to have been unearthed in China and made their way to Italy without legal exit permits. In accordance with relevant international conventions, China requested Italy to return the artifacts. Italy's Milan City Court confirmed the Chinese government's ownership of the cultural artifacts in 2014 and made the final decision to return the 796 artifacts to China in November 2018. (Photo/Weibo [email protected]) According to Lyu Chenglong, an archaeologist with the Palace Museum, the returned cultural relics, some of which date back to the Neolithic Age, provide rich evidence for Chinese ancient history research. "The camel, horse and human pottery figurines from the Tang Dynasty carry important information about cultural exchanges between the East and West in ancient times," he said. The exhibition will be open until June 30. China and Italy began personnel exchanges on archaeology, cultural relics and museums in the 1980s, and have been working on the return of Chinese cultural relics with judicial, diplomatic and other collaboration over the past decade. China has also been pushing forward legislation regarding cultural relic protection and strengthening the crackdown on cultural relics-related law violations for the past decades. More than 5,000 pieces of Chinese cultural relics have been repatriated from countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, as result of efforts made by China such as law enforcement cooperation with other countries, lawsuits and negotiations. Taking the return of these cultural relics as a start point, China and Italy will further improve their negotiations, policy coordination and law enforcement collaboration, and will promote multiple cooperation regarding cultural relic protection, said Guan Qiang, deputy head of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration. Statistics made available to the National Malaria Control Programme by the Ghana Health Service indicate that there has been significant progress made in efforts to control malaria. According to the data, malaria-related deaths of all ages in the country reduced by more than a quarter in 2018 compared to the previous year, 2017. In 2018, 428 malaria deaths were recorded, indicating a 29 per cent reduction in malaria deaths compared to 2017 when 599 deaths were recorded. Progress The Programmes Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, Dr Keziah Malm, made the revelation in her presentation at a media briefing ahead of ceremonies to commemorate Malaria Day which falls on April 25 each year. This years Malaria Day is on the theme: Zero malaria starts with me, and seeks to highlight the need for political commitment and sustained investment in malaria prevention, control and elimination. Presenting a progress report on malaria control in the country, Dr Malm said out of the total number of deaths as a result of malaria that was reported in 2018, there were 251 deaths among children under-five years compared to 327 in 2017. In addition, she said confirmed cases of malaria reported reduced from 593,959 in 2017 to 510,210 in 2018, while the number of malaria admissions marginally increased to 351,163 in 2018 from 344,213 in 2017 representing an increase of two percent. Meanwhile, about 11 million suspected cases of malaria were recorded at various Outpatient Departments (OPD) in 2018 while about 10 million suspected cases of the disease were reported in 2017. She said since the year 2000, the death rate through malaria in the under-five year group had reduced by 93.1 percent with figures dropping from 6,198 cases in the year 2000 to 428 in 2018. To draw the point home vividly, she said, In 2012, we recorded eight people dying from malaria every day while one person died from malaria every day in 2018. Challenges and way forward Dr Malm attributed the strides made to the various control interventions implemented across the country including intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy, indoor residual spraying in selected districts, nationwide distribution of insecticide treated bednets and larviciding on limited scale. Dr Malm touched on the challenges the Malaria Control Programme was facing and mentioned some as the non-adherence to diagnosis protocol, non-compliance to treatment and gaps in funding for control and elimination of malaria. Going forward, Dr Malm said Ghana would be among three countries selected for a pilot programme on malaria vaccine and was envisioned to be a complementary malaria control tool in Ghana. The pilot programme, which is expected to cover a period of three years, would begin next month. She said about 120,000 to 150,000 children would be vaccinated with the MosquirixTM vaccine which acts against Plasmodium falciparum which is reputed globally to be the most deadly malaria parasite and the most prevalent in Africa. More support needed In his remarks, the Director of Public Health Division of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Badu Sarkodie, said malaria continued to be one of the major health problems in the country and many other parts of the world. He said it was for that reason that the World Malaria Day was established to project the efforts, progress and challenges encountered in the implementation of malaria control interventions and to also unify diverse initiatives in the changing global context. Touching on funding for the control of the disease, Dr Sarkodie said sustainable funds were needed by the Malaria Control Programme in the fight against malaria, since donor funding, which largely supported the programme, was dwindling. He urged donor organisations and private institutions to come to the aid of the programme by supporting it. Dr Sarkodie said collective efforts were needed to control malaria and eventually eliminate the disease from the country and called on the media to support the fight through information dissemination. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Childs Rights International, a nongovernmental organization says families of the three Takoradi kidnapped girls are really in a bad condition. Its Executive Director, Bright Appiah and his team who visited the families said psychologically they are down. One mother who is a nurse is really going through a lot when we visited, he said in an interview with Neat FMs morning show Ghana Montie . Between August and December 2018, three kidnapping cases were reported to the police from Kansaworodo, Diabene and West Fijai in Sekondi/Takoradi in the Western Region. The first victim, Priscilla Blessing Bentum, 21, a third-year student of the University of Education, Winneba, was said to have been kidnapped at Kansaworodo on August 17, 2018. The second, Ruth Love Quayson, 18, a senior high school graduate living with her parents at Diabene, was also said to have been kidnapped at the Butumegyabu Junction, popularly known as Bu Junction, on December 4, 2018. The third, Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie, who turned 16 years on March 3, a student of the Sekondi College (SEKCO) who lived with her parents at West Fijai, a suburb of Takoradi, was said to have been kidnapped at a spot near Nkroful Junction in Takoradi on December 21 2018. Police CID boss, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah at a press conference in Accra stated that the three girls are safe and will soon be reunited with their families but nothing has been done. Bright Appiah however urged the families to petition Parliament over the matter. Listen to interview Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The families of the three kidnapped girls in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis in the Western Region have expressed anger about the lack of information from the police concerning the whereabouts of the abducted girls. The families spokesperson, Michael Grant Hayford told NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Montie that they will bus hundreds of concerned Sekondi-Takoradi indigenes to the Criminal Investigation Department [CID] headquarters in Accra on May 2 in demand of the girls. We are coming for the girls from the police CID boss, he told host Kwesi Aboagye. CID Boss, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah had earlier claimed at a press conference that the girls have been found but being kept for reason. Listen to interview Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video LANDS AND Natural Resources Minister, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, has denied that the Government of Ghana decided to discontinue the prosecution of Chinese national, Aisha Huang, who was standing trial for illegal mining, in exchange for the $2 billion Sinohydro cash. While many were expecting Government to jail the Chinese national nicknamed galamsey queen to serve as a deterrent, the state rather decided to deport her. Recently, Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, justified governments decision to discontinue the prosecution of Ms. Huang. According to him, jailing her in Ghana would not have solved the countrys economic problems. In response to a question from a participant at the Ghanaian Governments Town Hall Meeting recently in the US on why the Galamsey queen was deported rather than sent to jail, the Senior Minister had observed that the need to protect Ghanas diplomatic ties with China and the huge investments Chinese companies were making in developing the countrys infrastructure, citing the $2 billion Sinohydro deal contributed to the decision. He had noted emphatically that we have a very good relationship with China. Today, the main company that is helping develop the infrastructure system in Ghana is Sinohydro, it is a Chinese Company. He added that it is the one that is going to help process our bauxite and provide about two billion dollars to usso when there are these kinds of arrangements, there other things behind the scenes. According to him, putting that lady (Aisha Huang) in jail in Ghana is not going to solve your economic problems. It is not going to make you happy or me happy. Thats not important, the most important thing is that she has been deported out of Ghana. His response which appeared to suggest that foreign nationals can commit crimes in Ghana and go free once their nations are investing heavily in the country, angered a lot of Ghanaians, especially coming at a time when Tanzania had jailed a Chinese woman 15 years for illegally trading in ivory. But the Lands Minister updating the nation on Thursday in Accra on the fight against galamsey, says Aisha Huang was not part of the discussion on the Sinohydro deal. He stressed that Aisha Huang was not deported because of the Sinohydro loan. The Minister further denied reports that some officials of the Akufo-Addos administration protected Ms. Huang from being jailed. He said no government official thought of shielding her, no government official pampered her. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghana has the potential of producing one million tonnes of cocoa this year due to the implementation of governments Hi Tech fertilizer programme, which was introduced two years ago. Government introduced the policy to achieve three major targets- protect cocoa seeds from diseases, make cocoa beans heavy and increase cocoa yield in general. Isaac Berchie Opoku, the Commercial Manager, Agricultural Manufacturing Group (AMG), made the announcement when AMG presented 3,000 bags of Cocoa Nti fertilizer to the Asantehene. The AMG has been the largest importer of fertilizer into the country over the 10-year operational period. The company is the major partner of the 2019 Planting for Food and Jobs programme of the government. Mr. Berchie lauded governments efforts in helping to improve the production of cocoa in the country. The presentation to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was geared towards boosting cocoa production in the Ashanti Region. Mr. Berchie said, Cocoa Nti fertilizer has highest nitrogen component so it can improve cocoa production. Ashanti Region is the third highest cocoa producer in Ghana, and we want to support Otumfuo to boost production in the area. The Asante King is marking his 20th milestone on the throne, and we are using this occasion to honour him, he added. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto says the Akufo-Addo led government has improved productivity in the Agric sector, making foreigners move into the country to learn how the government has been able to change things in agriculture within a short time. According him, there is bumper harvest as food crops have become cheap to the point of exporting some food crops to neighbouring countries for foreign exchanges. Speaking to the media at the launch of 2019 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) at the Kempinski Hotel, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said there is no more hunger in Ghana as it used to exist in the olden days. ...not anymore because Akufo-Addo government has eliminated hunger from the country to the extent that we now export food crops to neighbouring countries like Ivory Coast, Togo and Burkina Faso, he asserted. Touching on the relevance of the African Green Revolution Forum which will be hosted in Ghana, the Agric Minister said the forum draws participation from the highest level of governments in Africa and the international community to provide a platform for governments and partners in the development community to formulate agricultural policy tools. He added that the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) provides the platform to mobilize resources for investment in priorities aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Malabo 2014 Commitments. He however was hopeful that the forum will make Ghanas name travel far in terms of the agriculture business, exposing the country for investors to invest in the sector as government alone is incapable of ensuring the growth in the agric business. When investors come to see what we have done in the agriculture sector, they will be encouraged to push the country to produce more crops. This program is about the youth because we want the youth to see how agric business is done with ease as compared to the past, he mentioned. He reiterated that under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, they recognized the critical role of agriculture and therefore proceeded to objectively diagnose the problems of agriculture for appropriate action. He stressed that the introduction of the Planting for Food and Jobs campaign targeted at supporting farmers access improved inputs, extension services, and markets; aiming to improve productivity, incomes and create jobs. He averred that farmers have demonstrated how much they can achieve when given access to right technology, high quality seeds, fertilizers and a market; thus there were significant yield increases for targeted crops after two years of providing input support to farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Muslim woman has become a viral sensation after she shared photos of herself posing in front of anti-Muslim protesters. Shaymaa Ismaa'eel, 24, a behavioural therapist for children with autism from the DC area, went to the Islamic Circle of North America convention on Saturday and said the first thing she saw there was a group of men with signs protesting outside. The protesters were bullying Muslims who passed by and told them they would go to hell. The protest was causing a lot of tensions. So, Shaymaa said she decided to combat their hatred with kindness. On day three of the convention, Shaymaa posed in front of the protesters and asked her friend Jamilah to take a photo of her. She was smiling in the photo and threw up a peace sign. She posted the photo on social media and it quickly went viral with people asking for the photo to be placed in a museum. Speaking to BuzzFeed, Shaymaa said: "I wanted them to see my face and walking by wasnt enough. We were busy Saturday and they had left by the time things at the convention slowed down. "I kept thinking about them during the workshops. 'What if we had a loud speaker so they can hear the beautiful things were learning about our beloved prophet?!' I kept thinking to myself." She said she did some shopping, left the main building, and then saw them again. She said: "My face honestly lit up when I had seen. I yelled to my friend Jamilah, 'There they are! Can you take a picture?' "I walked up as they continued yelling their hateful speech. I asked the police officer if I could stand at the curb in front of the men. The officer said 'no', and in that moment I felt like the biggest rebel. "I smiled so hard in the picture and the man [started] directing his speech toward me. Silly things like 'your face should be covered.'" Despite what happened, Ismaa'eel said she had a great time at the convention. She said: "Overall, this didnt ruin the experience for me in the slightest." Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu has dispelled concerns by a section of the public, especially Muslims, who have spoken against his fellowship with Christians during the Easter Sunday on April 21. In a historic move, the Chief Imam surprised many when he visited the Christ the King Catholic Church in Accra, during church service and stayed throughout the service. Many were those who lauded the gesture and applauded the Chief Imam for promoting inter-faith relations in a country seen as beacon of peace. However, his critics argued that as the head of a religious body with a belief which in part is averse to that of Christendom, it was a no, no for him to have made that move. And the idea that he worshipped with Christians on an occasion Islamic faith does not subscribe to, was the straw that broke the back of the camel. But in an with TV3 on Thursday April 25, in his New Fadama residence in Accra, the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu clarified his action. No, I didnt go there to worship, it was a visit of friendship. Stretching a hand of friendship across the religious divide, and to show in a very radical way, that living at peace with practitioners of other faith is a possibility and this has sent a strong signal to the world, he pointed out through an interpreter Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu. The Chief Imam made reference to Quran Chapter 60 versus 8 and 9, which entreats Muslims to live justly and peacefully with persons of other faith who do not persecute them because of their Islamic belief. He said he was also influenced by other text in the scripture that refers to all mankind as created by God through Adam and Eve into diverse cultures and tribes not to fight but to live in peace. This is the foundation of my relationship with practitioners of other faith. I am encouraged by this text to stretch a hand of fellowshipin the larger interest of society and humanity, Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu emphasised. The National Chief Imam who turned 100 on April 23 has over the years been a symbol of peace and in the words of Ghanas former president, Jerry John Rawlings, You hardly speak but when you speak, it evokes only wisdom. VIDEO- Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Mozambique authorities should urgently investigate and appropriately prosecute alleged sexual exploitation of Cyclone Idai victims by local officials, Human Rights Watch said today. Hunger and destruction caused by the cyclone have left hundreds of thousands of women vulnerable to abuse. Victims, residents, and aid workers told Human Rights Watch that local community leaders, some linked to the ruling Frelimo party, demanded money from people affected by the cyclone in exchange for including their names on the aid distribution list. In some cases, women without money were instead coerced into engaging in sex with local leaders in exchange for a bag of rice. The sexual exploitation of women struggling to feed their families after Cyclone Idai is revolting and cruel and should be stopped immediately, said Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch. The authorities should promptly investigate reports of women being coerced into exchanging sex for food and appropriately punish anyone using their position of power to exploit and abuse women. On March 14, 2019, Tropical Cyclone Idai hit near the coastal city of Beira, bringing heavy rains that left entire villages in Manica, Sofala, and Zambezia provinces submerged as floodwaters rose. Tens of thousands of people were displaced and, according to the United Nations, over 1.85 million people, most of them women and children, are urgently in need of assistance. The UN World Food Programme said it has reached one million people with food assistance, in coordination with the government and the National Institute for Disaster Management, but many others have yet to receive any assistance. The national agency distributes packages of food aid in coordination with local authorities based on a list of beneficiaries compiled by community leaders, including administrators and neighborhood secretaries. A local community leader in the town of Tica, Nhamatanda district, told Human Rights Watch that in some cases, where access by road is impossible, local community leaders are responsible for storing the food and distributing it to families on a weekly basis. She said that, Because the food is not enough for everyone, some local leaders have exploited the situation by charging people to include their names on the distribution lists. One aid worker said that the distribution list often contains only the names of male heads of households, and excludes families headed by women. In some of the villages, women and their children have not seen any food for weeks, she said. They would do anything for food, including sleeping with men in charge of the food distribution. Another aid worker said that her international organization had received reports of sexual abuse of women not only in their villages, but also in camps for internally displaced people. She said they were monitoring the situation and training people to raise awareness among women and to report any cases of sexual exploitation or abuse. Human Rights Watch on April 18 spoke by phone with three women in the town of Mbimbir, Nhamatanda district, where humanitarian aid did not arrive until April 5 because flooding had left the area inaccessible by road. All three said that local officials had coerced them into exchanging sex for food aid. One woman said that for weeks she had been struggling to feed her children on wet corn and fruits they managed to pick up as the ground dried out. She said that when the food distribution started on April 6, a man locally known as a Frelimo secretary who oversaw the distribution list told her that her name was not on the list. He told her to go wait at home, and that he would come later to help her if she helped him too. She said that in the evening, the man brought a bag of rice, a bag of corn flour, and one kilo of beans. When he arrived, he placed the bags on the floor, and started touching his thing [penis] and told me it was now my turn thank him, she said. I told my children to go to my friends house. When they left, I slept with him. Another woman, with four children, said that only her father had his name on the list and the food allocated to him was not enough for their entire household of 17. She spoke to a community leader who offered to help. He said he could help me if I was nice to him, she said. We agreed on a time to meet and do the thing [have sex]. When we finished, he gave me only a kilo of beans. When I complained, he said Tomorrow there will be more. Human Rights Watch on April 22 spoke with two young women from Nhamatanda district who alleged that a local leader from Tica, who had been implicated in similar abuses, coerced them into sex in exchange for adding their names to the distribution list. Both refused to give details, fearing reprisals. One of the women said that a local official had reprimanded them for speaking out on the issue. A community official told Human Rights Watch that the Tica town administrator called in the leader implicated in sexual exploitation for questioning but no disciplinary action was taken against him. Another local leader in Nhamatanda district confirmed that community leaders had met with the man, and that he denied the allegations. The UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement provide that internally displaced people have the right to request and to receive protection and humanitarian assistance from authorities and not be persecuted or punished for making such a request. Those providing assistance need to respect the human rights of internally displaced persons and take appropriate measures in this regard. The Mozambican government should urgently adopt measures to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse of cyclone victims and create an environment in which women can come forward and report abuses, Human Rights Watch said. International partners, particularly the UN, should ensure greater oversight of the conduct of local officials during the distribution of humanitarian aid. The Mozambican authorities have an obligation to ensure that everyone gets the protection they need in this situation, including vulnerable women at risk of sexual exploitation and abuse, Mavhinga said. Emergency aid should be given freely to all people in need, and the government along with aid providers should ensure that aid distribution is never used as an opportunity to commit abuse. Source: hrw.org Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A former associate of deported Chinese illegal miner has opened the lid on galamsey queen who, puffed up by a colluding horde of security officials, unleashed a reign of terror. The eye-opener, Christian Addo Kuffuor told Joy FM Thursday, he witnessed Aisha Huang pull out a gun and without flinching, load bullets into a Ghanaian, killing him instantly over a misunderstanding. It happened in the dead of the night at a mining site. Although Aisha Huang has been deported, her deeds are now being publicly reported after Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, revived interest in the once-highly connected woman said to secure with sex, the collaboration of Ghanaian security officials. Osafo Maafo commented that the unexplained discontinuance of her prosecution and deportation, was informed by Ghanas interest in sealing a business deal with China. The bashing in the media which has followed his comment, has been sustained at least long enough for Christian Addo Kuffour to hear of Aisha Huangs deportation. More than four months since she was flown back via Ethiopian Airlines, the former associate was on the line to reveal his shock at hearing the old news for the first time. When I heard they had remanded Aisha, I was shocked! Who are you to arrest Aisha? How can you dare arrest her, he spoke in Twi, confirming her reported untouchability. Christian recalled striking a working relationship with Aisha Huang through soldiers who asked him to help her illegal work. That was in 2011, he remembered. I have never done galamsey before, he said. Before the governments anti-illegal mining taskforce would storm any site within Aishas ravaged environment, Aisha would get a tip-off from soldiers and police officers, some of them holding no small office. He remembered one time, these collaborating army officers instructed him to mark the junction to Aishas illegal mining site with coloured used tyres. When we see the tyres, we will drive off, he revealed their own GPS to evade security notice. Aisha Huangs business thrived even when government put boots on the ground to stamp out illegal mining. Soldiers would seize mining equipment such as excavators and hand them over to Aisha Huang to use and sometimes sell. The Chinese illegal miners feared and hated Aisha, he revealed the womans appetite for cut-throat competition in a rat-race for Ghanas mineral resources. One time, he recalled, Aisha handed him a pump action gun with eight rounds of ammunition to finish off a Chinese competitor, Son who had taken stock of brand new excavators which Aisha coveted. I was so afraid, he said fully grasp with the possibility that resisting assignment could mean his own murder. Inside the forest, he found Son in a make-shift kitchen at the mining site and disclosed Aishas plan to have him killed. He said, he would fire a warning shot and return to his boss with the excuse that he met only Ghanaian illegal miners but the main target was not around. The excuse appeared to have not without some reluctance, satisfied Aisha and his death squad who agreed to return under the cover of darkness to kill Son. But that episode would mark a turning point among several turning points in Christians relationship with Aisha. The police got wind of the incident and Christian Addo Kufuor was arrested, charged and prosecuted. According to him, he was told to simply plead guilty to every charge in court, an advise from officers he found uncomfortable knowing he was about to be sacrificed after doing the Chinese womans bidding. Christian said he heard the judge hit the gavel of judgment, handing down three-year imprisonment much to his horror at the confirmed destination to jail. He was walked out of court into a vehicle to begin his sentence. The vehicle had Aisha sitting in the front seat and he was driven off straight home. Much to his shock and a testament of her prowess, Aisha had paid her way to avoid jail despite having a prison sentence slapped on him only minutes ago. The former associate said Aisha had a ruthlessness that saw many spend time in jail and police cells at her wish. He was not spared, recalling a time when he incurred the galamsey queens fury after he returned mining equipment seized from some Chinese galamseyers. Aisha had him arrested and at her command, he was severally beaten along with others found guilty of offending the queen. They really beat us up...one man lost two teeth, at the hands of the Buffalo soldiers, he revealed the traumatic experience. But months later, Aisha Huang would go back for his associate and ask for reconciliation. Christian said he also witnessed another Ghanaian entered into a heated disagreement with Aisha over wages. The galamsey queen ordered a policeman to shoot the Ghanaian, an order that saw the man run for his life until shots crippled his escape. Blood oozing, the immobilised man was sent to the hospital with Aisha footing the bills until he recovered. But he has been left maimed, he said. Aisha can kill you easily, he stressed how she maintained a network of informants including army Captains which made chances of Aishas victims escaping unlikely and her arrest a suicidal quest for security officers. But Aisha Huang was arrested after a raid at Bopotenten in the Ashanti region in May 2017, barely four months into the tenure of the Akufo-Addo government. She faced three charges - undertaking small-scale mining operations, providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, all contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act and illegal employment of foreign nationals in breach of the Immigration Act. She stood trial along with four Chinese accomplices: Gao Jin Cheng, 45; Lu Qi Jun 39; Habin Gao 26; and Zang Pan 23. That was not her first arrest, according to veteran journalist, Kweku Baako. Three times, Aisha was arrested and three times she was released because she blackmailed the powers that be into submission with tapes and videos of sexual encounters she commissioned Chinese women to have with the Ghanaian power brokers. She was not fourth time lucky. Source: myjoyonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday met with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held from April 25 to 27 in Beijing. Current global economy still faces many uncertainties, and China's economy operated steadily in general in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, beating market expectations and getting off to a good start, Li said. The IMF's move to raise China's GDP forecast showed its confidence in China's economic growth, said Li, acknowledging the Chinese economy still faces downward pressure. Li said China, the world's largest developing economy, will continue to deepen reform, expand opening-up, streamline administration and delegate powers, and cut taxes and fees on a large scale to stimulate market vitality and ensure the economy operates within an appropriate range. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with the IMF, which will benefit not only the two parties' development, but also the steady growth of the global economy, Li said. Lagarde said China's Q1 economic growth is surprisingly good, adding that the IMF believes that China will achieve greater development as it is committed to reform and opening-up and taking measures to cut taxes and fees, and China's economic growth will further facilitate the development of the global economy. The Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hon. Yaw Buaben Asamoa says the fight against illegal mining (galamsey) is yielding some positive results as the quality and levels of water in some water bodies have improved. According to him, President Nana Akufo-Addo has demonstrated a high level of commitment in fighting the galamsey menace which has caused more harm than good to Ghana. "Even though the Government has not yet eliminated the galamsey menace completely, there has been improvement on the fight against it in the country, stressing that Nana Addo's Government Has fought Galamsey more than any other government" Lawyer Buaben's comment follows a statement by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that President Akufo-Addo has betrayed governments fight against illegal mining after freeing a Chinese kingpin, Aisha Huang. Speaking on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia Programme with host Kwami Nkrumah Tikesie, he stated that it is important to do genuine business but it is equally important to protect our natural resources and that has been the core mandate of President Akufo Addos vision on the fight against galamsey. Our problem has always been with those without permit (Galamsey or illegal mining) and those with permit but do not care about our water bodies even though we cannot stop illegal mining, it is important to manage and monitor their activities and that is the reason why the President has introduced the drone system to monitor their operations", he stated. The government did not only fight against galamsey, but have trained over 3,000 people in mining the right way in Ghana, 4000 youth in oil palm business and about 100 NaBCo recruits in using technology to trace illegal miners. I must say that Nana Addo is not here to collapse small scale mining but rather to help protect our natural resources, he stressed. Lawyer Buaben Asamoah who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Adentan Constituency, also revealed that when it comes to the fight against galamsey, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has no credibility to talk about it as during their tenure in office did nothing to stop the menace. NDC has no credibility to talk about the issue of galamsey in this country because during their time, they did nothing to stopin fact they even need to apologize to the good people of Ghana for allowing illegal miners to destroy our water bodies..." he added. He maintained that the galamsey queen, Aisha Huang was already in the galamsey business throughout NDCs tenure of office until she was deported to her country by the NPP government. This woman did a whole lot of things during their tenure in office but they did nothing to stop her...so why are they pretending? President Akufo Addo has taken this risk which in the long run might affect some of his candidates in most of the galamsey communities in 2020 election and has therefore appealed to Ghanaians to help the President fight against the galamsey menace in the country. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video After giving the National Democratic Congress (NDC) an ultimatum to apologize to him for calling him a social misfit, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has vowed to spill the beans concerning the corrupt practices former President Mahama and his late father were involved in. Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako alleged that the corrupt ways of John Mahama when he was president was as a result of the trait he picked up from his late father who did exactly like his son did when he was given an opportunity to serve in government as the Member of Parliament for West Gonja constituency. I have conducted my own research from the community and spoken to people who knew the late Emmanuel Adama Mahama very well. They all told me that he was worse and did little to help the area as MP. It is their wish that John Mahamas father should have been jailed for taking advantage of the system during Nkrumahs time, Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako said. He continued that Your late father was a Member of Parliament for West Gonja constituency but did nothing to improve their lives. History has it that John Mahama fathers was full of himself and diverted monies meant for development of his area into personal use. Few years down the line, his son became President of Ghana and exceeds the corrupt ways of his father by 1000%. The NPP Chairman popularly known as Chairman Wontumi further alleged that with what I know about Emmanuel Adama Mahama in mind, the corrupt ways of former President Mahama gives credence to the Akan adage that states that the crab can never give birth to a bird. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has inaugurated a total of 11 standing and ad-hoc committees. The inauguration of the various committees namely Constitution and Legal Committee, Vetting Committee, Finance Committee, Elections Committee, Disciplinary Committee, Communications Committee, Organizational Committee, Research Committee, Events Committee, ICT Committee, Welfare and Dispute Resolution Committee, is in accordance with the partys constitution. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the inauguration on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at the NPPs Asylum Down Headquarters in Accra, the National Chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay, explained that the various committees were expected to assist the party to better organize itself not just for elections but to meet the needs and expectations of Ghanaians. According to Chairman Blay, members of the Committees have been assembled to uphold the values of the party as well as advise the NPP, Government, the President and the leadership of the party, to ensure that things were well organized and that the party remained vibrant. Standing Committees are those permanent in the NPPs Constitution and the ad-hoc committees are those the party deems necessary to form for its administration and proper management. He noted that since 1992, the NPP had been considered as one of the best organized political parties on the African continent, saying the Party is very resilient and extremely hardworking. Like the military, he indicated, the NPP has to put on the boots to make sure that things were well organized, saying that the party should be in a position to do work that would satisfy Ghanaians. He urged the Committees to serve the Party and Ghana with a sense of dedication and honesty. According to him, the Party was absolutely confident in the abilities of members of the various committees, saying so we have brought them together to help the party organize itself. Earlier, NPPs General Secretary, John Boadu, challenged the various committees to serve the Partys best interest. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Deputy General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party [NPP], Nana Obiri Boahen says irrespective of his position in the ruling party he has some respect for the opposition National Democratic Congress [NDC]. According to him, he will not hesitate to tell them the bitter truth when the need arises. I respect NDC as a party, I will not insult them, but I dont fear them, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie. Nana Obiri Boahen was discussing NDCs latest Moment of truth press conference to highlight some mischance in President Akufo-Addos fight against illegal mining locally known as Galamsey. He lauded the approach which he indicated will keep the NDC active in opposition but will not win them power in the 2020 election. To him, their 'Moment of Truth' series should rather be rechristened Moment of Lies. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for a renewed commitment to the fight against galamsey. It said the level of commitment of the government to winning the fight against galamsey was low. The NDC, in that regard, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to overhaul the Inter-Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining (IMCIM) and urgently review the approach to the fight against illegal mining. It has also urged the President to show genuine commitment and dedication to the fight against illegal mining. The call by the NDC comes at the heel of comments made by the Senior Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, to the effect that Ghana was benefitting from its relationship with China and for that matter, jailing Aisha Huang, the Chinese lady who was arrested for her involvement in illegal mining, would not help the countrys relationship with China. The Anas video on galamsey Addressing a press conference on Tuesday as part of its Moment of Truth Series, the Communication Officer of the NDC, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, also recounted that recently, ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas released a video documentary entitled galamsey fraud, which exposed various alleged corrupt and underhand dealings by leading officials of the government associated with the galamsey fight. One of such officials, the NDC said, was Mr Charles Bissue, the Secretary to the IMCIM and Presidential Staffer. Mr Bissue was caught on video abusing his office to facilitate illegal mining activities. Another NPP operative caught on video was Mr Andy Owusu, an aide to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, the NDC stressed. Sadly, the NDC said, in spite of the audio-visual evidence, no action had been taken to punish them. For the NDC, this glaring inertia on the part of the government to prosecute the government officials for their crime was not only ample testimony of a lack of commitment to the fight against galamsey but a monumental betrayal of the trust of Ghanaians. Compromise on galamsey fight According to the NDC, apart from those damning revelations, several actors within the government had in one way or another done things that sought to compromise the fight against galamsey. The NDC recalled that sometime in 2018, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, stated publicly that some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) of the government were actively engaged in galamsey and indicated that she was going to publicly disclose their identities and sanction them. However till date, the party said, we still dont know the identities of the said MMDCEs the minister talked about. Again, it said the former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr John-Peter Amewu, also made an observation that members of the Operation Vanguard Team had been compromised by illegal miners, same observations which were later corroborated by the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Daffour. Also, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, the NDC said, not too long ago stated that superior officers in the government were undermining the galamsey fight and were actually aiding the return of illegal miners to plunder the nations forests. All these pieces of evidence pointed to the fact that the fight against illegal mining was headed the wrong direction, the NDC posited. The NDC, therefore, charged the government, as a matter of urgency, to weed out and bring to book all corrupt officials who had compromised the collective fight against Illegal mining. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minority Caucus in Parliament has learnt with shock, certain developments relating to the recent oil discovery in the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Point (DWT/CTP) Block which is set to lead to the loss of a whopping $7.2 billion to the State. On 14th February 2019, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced what it described as the biggest oil find in Africa, of 450550 million barrels with potential reserves of nearly 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent. A find which is estimated to be at least $30 billion at todays crude oil price of $65 per barrel. The Minority Caucus is extremely concerned that the Government of Ghana (GoG), and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation have failed to clarify the ownership of this latest discovery, and appears to be treating it as part of the original Hess discovery. Clarity is crucial in this matter because a new Petroleum Agreement (PA) for any new Exploration leading to a new discovery will give the State much enhanced fiscal terms, including at least a 10% Royalty for GoG, plus a minimum of 15% Carried Interest as stipulated by Law; whereas the existing Hess/Aker Petroleum Agreement gives Ghana 4% in Royalty, and 10% Carried Interest, representing a minimum difference of 11% in oil production and revenue that would have accrued to the State. Background On 8th February 2006, the Republic of Ghana and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) on one hand, and Hess Exploration Ghana Limited (HESS) on the other, entered into a Petroleum Agreement (PA) in respect of the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Point (DWT/CTP) petroleum Block which was subsequently ratified by Parliament that same year, with a shareholding structure of 90% for Hess, and 10% for GNPC. The Exploration period for the DWT/CTP Block was seven (7) years. As such the Exploration License expired on 18th July 2013. During the Exploration period, the Operator (Hess) had acquired over 500 Sq. Km of Seismic data, drilled eight (8) Exploratory Wells and made seven (7) successive discoveries. Following the high Exploration success rate, Hess organized a Data-Room to farm-down on it 90% interest in the Block, thus changing the shareholding structure to Hess 50%, LUKOIL 38%, GNPC 10%, and Fueltrade 2%. In 2018, Aker Energy Ghana Limited (Aker) bought Hess interest in the DWT/CTP Block. And since Aker took over from Hess in 2018, it has successfully appraised the Pecan 4A well which was discovered in 2012 under President Mahama's Government. Matters of Fact It is the understanding of the Minority that the Exploration period in the Petroleum Agreement (PA) granted Hess lapsed in 2013, and as such any discovery found after such an Exploration period, by Law cannot be deemed part of the existing discoveries unless they are of the same geological structure and have dynamic communication with the existing discoveries. As such it is our considered opinion therefore that these latest oil discoveries fall outside the original Hess Petroleum Agreement. In such a circumstance, to cover these new discoveries the Government of Ghana has an obligation under Act 919 to ensure the immediate signing of a new Petroleum Agreement in order to protect and preserve the countrys interest. Conservative estimates shows that Ghana stands to gain a minimum of $9 billion if this new Petroleum Agreement were to be entered. The existing arrangement gives Ghana only $4.2 billion which would be detrimental to the countrys interest, given its precarious financial position and the urgent need for resources to finance developmental agenda. Plan of Development (PoD) Also, the Minority Caucus in Parliament have been reliably informed of serious Technical, Legal, and Commercial issues on the Plan of Development (PoD) submitted by Aker Energy, including but not limited to the following: (a) That Aker Energy plans to deploy new untested but innovative solutions for the production of crude oil from the Pecan Field. These untested technologies come with significant operational risks, and that appropriate measures would be required to mitigate them. (b) That Aker proposes that the implementation of the PoD is made conditional. For example, that the subsequent developments of petroleum resources within the Development and Production Area shall be subject to the same fiscal terms as for the DWT/CTP Pecan field development. (c) That Aker intends to use the Pecan field as the anchor for field development. Which means all additional exploration and development will be done on the back of Pecan, and this will have adverse implications on the Government take from the Pecan discovery. The Minority is studying the concerns raised at GNPC and Petroleum Commission (PC) Boards and will come out with a statement in a couple of days. It is also the understanding of the Minority that the government is entertaining a discussion with Aker Energy on changing the terms of the AGM Petroleums South Deepwater Tano (SDWT) Block which could lead to a reduction of governments equity, royalties, and other taxes. Minoritys Demands Considering the above, the Minority Caucus in Parliament demand that the Ministry of Energy (MoE), as a matter of urgency; - Clarifies the ownership position in relation to these new oil discoveries - Take steps to ensure the drafting and signing of a new Petroleum Agreement as demanded by Act 919 for these new discoveries - Apprise Parliament of the relevant information relating to these discoveries, including but not limited to all the technical, legal, and commercial details Additionally, the Minority demand that the Ministry of Energy confirm if Government of Ghana, directly or indirectly through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, exercised the option to acquire the 10% equity interest that was negotiated and agreed with Hess as one of the conditions for the Lukoil farm-in; and which Parliament approved such spend in GNPCs budget. Lastly, and with regards to the South Deepwater Tano (SDWT) Block; the Minority Caucus demand that the Government of Ghana (GoG) needs to confirm if Aker has approached the GoG to consider reducing governments interest from the current potential 49% that GoG and GNPC/GNPC Explorco holds in the Block. Caution to Government The Minority would want to put to government that the situation of pronouncing a discovery under an existing Petroleum Agreement whose Exploration period has expired violates the terms of the Agreement and the laws of the country. Hence any natural resources discovered or secured under these circumstances have to be forfeited to the State. The Minority puts Nana Akufo-Addos Government on notice that we would resist these attempts by Government to connive with any oil company to deprive the good people of Ghana the benefits of their natural resources, in accordance with the Laws of Ghana. We further put Nana Akuffo Addos government on notice that any shortchanging of Ghanas entitlements will be revisited by all means possible under the laws of Ghana. In conclusion, the Minority Caucus in Parliament expects the Nana Akuffo Addo led government to address all the issues raised to ensure that Ghana is not short changed in its entitlements. SIGNED: Hon. Adam Mutawakilu (MP) Ranking Member for Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Deputy Minister for Information, Pius Enam Hadzide has disclosed that government is investigating what seems to be a scandal involving the Saglemi housing project. He says government will soon launch investigations into the Saglemi housing deal and have officials involved prosecuted. Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, the Deputy Minister was dismayed about the level of corruption that has been perpetuated in the Saglemi housing deal. He says the former government has short changed Ghanaians in this deal and that the NPP government will not watch in despair for the tax payer's money to go waste. "It is rather unfortunate that a housing policy which is supposed to be affordable for everyone to be able to buy has rather become expensive and more so inhabitable because the houses are not even completed," he added. In 2016, former President Mahama commissioned the first phase of the project to complete 1,500 of 5,000 housing units. A percentage of the houses are to be sold at subsidised rates for low-income earners in the country. The project was expected to be a complete city, with industrial and recreational facilities, schools, shopping malls and other social amenities. This was meant to provide a solution to the housing deficit in the country. However, the project is incomplete with the current administration blaming the past administration for various lapses. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Photo shows teacher robot Xiaopang with children. ( Photo: Courtesy of Evolver company) Imagine a robot moving around in a kindergarten, helping the children in a number of ways, including teaching, playing and lulling them to take a nap. Aidi kindergarten in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has employed a 1-meter-tall robot that integrates man-machine communication, motion sensing and image projection to act as a teaching assistant in pre-primary education. The robot, called Xiaopang, was developed by Evolver, a Beijing-based company specialized in smart robots. It is an all-round teaching robot archiving five kinds of curricula including art, emotional quotient (EQ) and scientific experiments, which can help children learn while human teachers supervise the class and interact with every student, according to information provided by Evolver to the Global Times on April 22. It aims to relieve the teacher from the pressure of repetitive teaching preparation work, instead giving human teachers more time to pay attention to every childs mood and health, Ma Yanli, director of the operation center of the company's Xinjiang branch, told the Global Times. Xiaopang is equipped with a projector in its back and a retractable plate in its chest aiming to serve teas and food, and it has two speakers on its tummy. Xiaopang not only acts as a teacher but also is a partner to play with students and provide services to human teachers and students. Kids, good morning! Welcome to Aidi kindergarten Lets spend a happy day together!Xiaopang said as it welcomes students at the kindergarten gate, shows a video provided by Ma. Also, it can play games with children, and play music to coax them to take a break at midday, which makes it popular among children, according to Ma. The project has been welcomed by parents. Children dont make trouble and noise in class any more as Xiaopang attracts their attention and gives good classes in a simple way, an emcee at a parent communication meeting said in another video provided by Ma to the Global Times. Ma said the robot has been tested in Xinjiang for nearly two weeks, and whether they will expand to more kindergartens and private preschool education institutes depends on how the robot performs with regard to safety and teaching efficiency. In recent years, Xinjiang has adopted various artificial intelligence (AI) training programs for children. The Sanlian childrens training center in Urumqi provides a robot building and programming class for children between the ages of 4 and 16, Zhang Jing, the center's director told the Global Times. Gary Hug Farpoint Observatory Kansas, U.S.A. Award: $6,860 Gary Hug reports his 2018 grant enabled him to install a remote control system for the 0.7 meter Tombaugh Reflector at Farpoint Observatory in Kansas, USA. His group, the Northeast Kansas Amateur Astronomer's League (NEKAAL), is working to bring more NEO observers into the fold by training more members to remotely operate the telescope. One of their recent training sessions at a local high school was recently covered by the Topeka Capital-Journal. Julian Oey Blue Mountain Observatory New South Wales, Australia Award: $11,845 Julian purchased a new 0.5-meter telescope to go with an existing mount, camera and facility he had at Blue Mountain Observatory. After some challenges with the new telescope mirror, manufacturer Hubble Optics reports it is almost finished and ready for delivery. In the meantime, Oey made observations that helped confirm two equal-mass binary asteroids: (190166) 2005 UP156 and 2017 YE5. You can read more about Oey's work and the equal-mass binaries in this paper. Michel Ory Morocco Oukaimeden Sky Survey (MOSS) High Atlas Mountains of Morocco Award: $9,999 We featured new Shoemaker winner Ory in two stories last year: the equal-mass binary nature of asteroid 2017 YE5, and a deep-dive on MOSS. Ory purchased and installed a new CCD camera using his grant funds, and like other observers continues to send data to the IAU Minor Planet Center. Ory also pointed us to a new book he published, called Chasseur d'asteroides. Donald Pray Sugarloaf Observatory Massachusetts, U.S.A. Award: $11,000 Pray used his grant to purchase a new mount for a 0.5-meter telescope at Sugarloaf Observatory. As a bonus, he sold the old mount and used the funds to purchase a new CCD camera from OPT. Pray said the company gave him a substantial discount because the camera was related to a Planetary Society grant! With his new equipment, Pray continued his work as a top binary asteroid hunter, contributing data that generated two Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, with more to likely come. South Africa: R7.9bn training programmes to aid in skills development The launch of training programmmes worth R7.9 billion will go a long way to address skills development challenges while also growing the economy, says Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The launch of these projects, through the Labour Activation Programme, will go a long way in addressing unemployment, skills development and stimulating economic growth in our country, said the Minister on Wednesday. The launch of the programmes in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, are a result of partnership agreements entered into by the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Compensation Fund (CF). The agreements entail the training of close to 160 000 learners over the next few years with the aim of creating jobs and entrepreneurs for youth in KwaZulu-Natal and the rest of the country. Dlamini-Zuma, who was accompanied at the launch by Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, appealed to the private sector to partner up with government. We also call on the private sector to partner with the Department of Labour to address the social ills of the country, especially unemployment and job preservation for our youth," said Dlamini-Zuma. Meanwhile, Oliphant said the training will provide learners with critical skills needed in the job market. "The training will equip learners with critical skills that will enable them to compete for jobs in the labour market or venture into their own businesses. Through the Labour Activation Programmes, we have provided funding for learners to be trained in various fields, including piloting, scuba diving and farming," she said. Other learners will be trained to become doctors, psychologists and nurses. Siphesihle Madlose, one of the learners funded by the Department of Labour, as a first year medical student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal relayed his constant worry of whether he would complete his studies. "It was tough on my family and myself not knowing where I would get funding, but after the Department of Labour assisted me, I was and remain extremely grateful. The entire experience has made me want to be a doctor that will serve the community and I hope the department does this for others," said Mdlalose. Hlengiwe Ngcobo, who was funded in the scuba diving project, said she did not even know how to swim before she was recruited. "I had finished my photography diploma and did not have money to do my B-tech Degree. However, after undergoing the scuba diving project, I am now a qualified master diver who can teach others," she said. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a visionary one that aims to promote connectivity and share Chinas development opportunities with countries along the route and even around the whole world. Under the BRI framework, the flower of Thailand-China friendly cooperation will be in full blossom. The BRI, put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, is an important example of innovation in theory of international relations in the 21st century. A number of countries and international organizations have joined or expressed their support for the initiative. The BRI is based on the economic, social and cultural ties between China and other countries through the ancient land and maritime Silk Roads, where they have actively engaged in trade and cultural communication. Rooted in the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, the BRI upholds the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits to promote the common development of all countries in the world. China has made great contributions to advancing the joint construction of the Belt and Road. The country is committed to safeguarding regional peace and stability, and working with various countries to build roads, railways, wharfs, telecommunications infrastructure and industrial parks. By doing so, trade, personnel, technology and other resources of the Belt and Road countries have become intertwined more closely than ever before. As a new platform for global development and cooperation, the BRI not only helps China embrace the world at a faster pace and reshape its opening up, but also enables all participants to board the express train of Chinas development. The Belt and Road cooperation has increased employment opportunities, promoted economic growth in countries along the route, and further consolidated the foundation of economic globalization, which will help countries resolve their disputes and build a future of peace and prosperity. The Belt and Road cooperation is widely recognized and supported by countries in the world as its success is underpinned by full consideration of their needs. For years, China has remained Thailands largest trading partner and third largest source of investment. Under the BRI framework, Thailand has promoted a number of high-level trade and investment projects between the Thai and Chinese governments. Thailand has also launched the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), a vital national strategy that will promote mutual support and investment between the country and China. The two countries inked a memorandum of understanding on jointly advancing the construction of the Belt and Road, reaching consensus on the alignment of the BRI and the EEC. The cooperation between Thailand and China will promote better development in aspects including tourism, education and academic research between the two countries and enhance the traditional friendship between the two peoples. It takes only a few hours to fly from China to Thailand, so both countries enjoy convenient communication, mutual visits and work exchanges. In addition, most Thai citizens are familiar with Chinese culture. Under the BRI framework, the friendly cooperation between China and Thailand will be in full blossom. (Dr. Wanwon Chanoo is Vice President for Student Affairs in Dhurakij Pundit University. The article is compiled by Sun Guangyong, reporter of Peoples Daily based on an interview with Dr. Wanwon Chanoo.) KAMPALA/KIGALI President Yoweri Museveni has made a call to East African countries to merge their Airlines into one regional airline, pledging to push this as a way for to consolidate gains in the community. Mr Museveni was speaking at Entebbe Airport were officially received the new Uganda Airlines Bombardier CRJ900 aircrafts on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. There is no need for unnecessary competition because regional airlines can amalgamate their efforts and have one consolidated regional airline, Mr Museveni said. The arrival of two aircraft marked the official revival of the national airline which was shut down in 2001. Uganda as such becomes the third country in the 5-member community with an official national airline. Kenya currently has the largest running airline in the region, Kenya Airways, the flag carrier airline run by Kenya Airways Ltd. The Nairobi-based company was founded in 1977, after the dissolution of East African Airways. It currently operates a fleet of 40 aircraft, flying to 53 destinations across the world. The more recently launched RwandAir is the flag carrier airline of Rwanda. It operates domestic and international services to 23 destinations in East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, Europe the Middle East and Asia, from its main base at Kigali International Airport in Kigali. It currently operates 12 aircraft. President Museveni is a major proponent of the integration of East Africa. His latest call, however, comes on the backdrop of a major fallout between his government and neighbouring Rwanda who accuse Uganda of a number of things including economic sabotage. The fallout has affected relations between the countries especially economically, with many pundits questioning the survival of the East Africa Community, currently chaired by Rwandas Paul Kagame. President Museveni on Tuesday assured Ugandans that the new Uganda Airline will be a successful undertaking because of the big Ugandan diaspora, the very many Uganda business people that travel and the many tourists coming to visit the country. When you are mingling millet, you must wait for the right temperature of the water to put in the flour. If too early, it will be spoilt and if too late, it will be spoilt. The old Ugandan Airline died and in Africa when you die you are buried. But when old people die, new ones are born; so this is the new baby. I was among the undertakers of the funeral of the old airlines. Here I am among the midwifery delivering the new baby, he said. The 76-seater planes each are slated to commence regional commercial flights in July 2019. The Government of Uganda has committed to procuring 6 Bombardier planes from their Canadian manufacturers and will be receiving two more Bombardiers in July and September this year, while two Airbus planes which will ply international routes are expected early next year. Mr. Museveni noted that the revival of Uganda Airline would reduce the foreign expenditure since Ugandans would now be spending their travel money on their own air carrier. The revival of the national airline is expected to boost competitiveness for Uganda as a tourism destination. The country has lately received international accolades as a leading travel destination. Related Rick Bailey, a retired English professor at Henry Ford College (HFC), recently published a book of creative non-fiction called The Enjoy Agenda: At Home and Abroad (University of Nebraska Press, $19.95). Bailey, of Bloomfield Hills, who taught English and writing at HFC from 1976-2015, has written a total of nine books, seven of which are textbooks, and two of which are creative non-fiction (the first is American English, Italian Chocolate: Small Subjects of Great Importance). The Enjoy Agenda is the second book hes written since retiring. When teaching composition, especially in his online courses, Bailey scripted instructional materials and wrote sample essays for the assignments, illustrating how to make the connections between personal experience and what students were reading at the time, as well as how to do research and integrate that research into their writing. For me, college literacy is using writing to think about your life, reading with understanding, and making connections between your personal knowledge and acquired knowledge, said Bailey. After teaching online for 20 years, I had a large body of work. I shaped many of my sample essays into my first collection of creative non-fiction. He added, Ive spent 20 years writing on a daily basis. Its been an ongoing activity. So I keep writing out of habit and for the pleasure of it. In retirement, Bailey produced a lot of new material for The Enjoy Agenda. Both creative non-fiction books were legacy projects, according to Bailey-something he wanted to leave behind for his two children and two grandchildren. They might wonder, What was he like? What happened in his life? What did he think about? What did he sound like? These books will answer those questions, explained Bailey. I think of my two collections of essays not as the story of my life, but stories from my life. There are stories about me as a kid, a man, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a teacher; about my experiences growing up in the Midwest, about being in a multicultural marriage. (His wife, Tiziana Canducci, a retired automotive designer, is from Italy.) The subjects of Baileys essays found in The Enjoy Agenda vary, ranging from his first gelato experience in Italy, having a toothache in Venice, dealing with jet lag in China, his half-hearted attempts to lower his blood pressure, milk and milk substitutes, and his fathers feet, to the limits of his mastery of the Italian language. The pleasure of writing is it returns you to memory and allows you to revisit things from earlier in your life, he said. Its building something that has some form to it. The act of constructing something and finishing it is pleasurable. Bailey, who has a bachelors degree in English from Eastern Michigan University; a masters degree in English from Duke University; a teaching certificate from the University of Michigan-Dearborn; and a doctorate in English Language and Literature with a focus on teaching writing from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is currently at work on a third collection of essays. Visit Bailey at rick-bailey.com. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Welcome Guest! You Are Here: On April 21, foreign merchants purchase daily hardware products at Yiwu International Expo Center.(Photo from Peoples Daily Online) Foreign businesspeople in Yiwu, East Chinas Zhejiang Province, where Chinas largest international small commodity market is located, are to be appointed as specially invited representatives to a politics conciliation meeting of the city peoples congress. According to a report on April 23 by Yiwu Shangbao, a state-run Chinese newspaper, two foreign businessmen from Turkey and Pakistan, as well as three Chinese citizens, consisting of two Uyghur representatives and an employee of an accounting firm, were appointed by the Yiwu Peoples Congress to participate in an organization called Yizhenghui in Chinese, which means discussions on public affairs and social management. This is the first time that Zhejiang has appointed foreigners to serve in the city-level peoples congress, according to the report. Sajid Iqbal from Pakistan, the president of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce in Yiwu, told the Global Times on April 21 that although he was just appointed three days ago, he has already had many conversations with local officials to help the government and foreigners in Yiwu solve various problems and improve the development of the city in the past 19 years. The peoples congress of the city believes this is why he can play a greater role in the development of the city. Iqbal arrived in Yiwu in 2000. Married to a Chinese woman and fluent in Chinese, his experience in China makes him an old China hand. Yiwus development is closely related to foreign traders, so policymaking on public affairs and social management of the city needs to hear the voices of foreigners who work and live here, Iqbal said. Iqbal said before his appointment, he and his colleagues, who can speak Chinese and other foreign languages, had already become a bridge between foreign businesspeople and Chinese people, as well as officials. For instance, many foreign businesspeople cannot speak English, and very few Chinese officials can speak languages like Urdu, Hindi and Arabic, so we are playing a crucial role to mediate and connect the two sides, he said. In the past 19 years, Iqbal said he and his colleagues have helped the city government to improve and modernize governance and public services in Yiwu. We have solved a lot of problems together with the city government, including visa policies, communication to other countries, education for foreign children in Yiwu, and the food service industry for foreigners. Jiang Mingan, a law professor at Peking University, told the Global Times on April 21 that there is no legal issue with these appointments. According to the law, there is no problem if foreigners in China participate in public affairs through discussions at politics conciliation meetings or hearings held by a city or provincial-level peoples congress. Yiwu is an international trading hub. This is a good way to show Chinas determination to better serve foreign traders and explore innovative policies on opening-up, he said. Investigation into notorious Russian gang case completed RAPSI 10:59 25/04/2019 MOSCOW, April 25 (RAPSI) Investigation into a criminal case against gang members allegedly involved in committing serious and very serious crimes in Russias Komi Republic and Arkhangelsk Region has been completed, the Investigative Committees press service reports. There are 21 defendants in the case including an alleged criminal group leader Yury Pichugin; they are held in detention. According to investigators, three of them have signed plea deals and will be tried separately. Depending on their roles, the defendants are charged with organizing a criminal gang and participating in it, establishing and participation in a militia group, 6 murder counts, kidnapping, illegal trafficking in arms, explosives and bombs, extortion and large-scale fraud. Investigators claim that between 1992 and 1994 Pichugin organized a gang, which included athletes, former law enforcement officers and military servicemen. The crime syndicate was involved in racket, large scale embezzlement, robbery, real estate fraud and other crimes, including management of funds transferred to and from prison inmates. In February 2017, Russias Investigative Committee reported that it managed to disrupt the activity of the organized criminal group operating in the Komi Republic. Parole petition of ex-penitentiary officials accessory to embezzlement to be heard again RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 11:54 25/04/2019 MOSCOW, April 25 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court has overturned a lower courts refusal to release an accomplice of ex-deputy chief of Russias Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) Oleg Korshunov, entrepreneur Marina Dyukova convicted of embezzlement, on parole, the courts press service has told RAPSI. Moscows Lefortovsky District Court has been ordered to consider the matter by differently constituted bench. In late March, the court dismissed a parole petition filed by Dyukova. The woman applied for parole on the grounds of her guilty plea, partial compensation for damage caused and a good conduct certificate from a penal colony administration. Prosecutors and victims objected in court to her release. In December 2018, the Moscow City Court upheld a 2.5-year prison sentence of Dyukova. The Meshchansky District Court of Moscow convicted Dyukova, an accessory of Korshunov to large-scale embezzlement, in November 2018. The case was heard under a special procedure without examination of evidence and witness interrogation because the defendant pleaded guilty and cooperated with the investigators. According to investigation, Dyukova conspired with Korshunov and another FSIN official Svetlana Alekseyeva to steal budget money allocated for centralized purchase of fuel and sugar for penitentiary facilities in 2016. Officials, in turn, promised to sign overpriced contracts with her. Investigators claimed that Alekseyeva included certainly impracticable demands of supplies of more than 7,000 tons of sugar to penitentiary facilities across Russia within 20 days in tender product purchase documentation. Dyukova in turn submitted to the FSIN commercial proposals on sugar delivery at overvalued prices by companies affiliated to her and not engaged in sugar supplies. As a result of an illegal auction, Korshunov acting on behalf of the Federal Penitentiary Service signed a sugar delivery contract with Dyukovas firm at an inflated price. Korshunov paid Dyukova over 399 million rubles ($6 million), 43 million (about $650,000) of which were stolen by the accomplices, the Investigative Committees statement reads. Korshunov is currently a defendant in several other criminal cases including embezzlement, corruption and abuse of office. One more his accomplice, businessman Smbat Arutyunyan has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. Korshunov was appointed to the post of FSIN deputy head in March 2014. He has been bestowed the rank of Full State Counsellor 2nd Class of the Russian Federation. In October 2017, President Vladimir Putin relieved him of the post. Convicted ex-regional governor denied deferral of fine pay-out RIA Novosti, Ruslan Krivobok 12:43 25/04/2019 MOSCOW, April 25 (RAPSI, Kirill Ryabchikov) Moscows Presnensky District Court on Thursday dismissed a motion to postpone a 48-million-ruble fine ($750,000) filed by ex-governor of the Kirov Region Nikita Belykh convicted of corruption, RAPSI reported from the courtroom. According to the convict, he has no way of paying the fine now, but bailiffs have already additionally fined him 3.4 million rubles for the delay in payments. However, bailiffs believe that Belykh fails to pay the fine for some other reason. Currently, Belykh is serving his 8-year prison sentence in the Ryazan Region. In February 2018, the Presnensky District Court of Moscow found Belykh guilty of taking 400,000 euros in bribes. In addition to the prison term, Belykh was fined 48.2 million rubles (about $750,000 at the current exchange rate) and prohibited from holding state and municipal offices for 3 years. The court established that Belykh received the bribe in a Moscow restaurant on June 24, 2016. He was arrested by the police red-handed. In May, the Moscow City Court upheld the prison sentence for Belykh. However, the court allowed him to hold posts in government agencies and municipalities. Businessman convicted of $6 mln VAT refund fraud, acquitted of organizing gang RIA Novosti, Alexander Utkin 18:13 25/04/2019 ST. PETERSBURG, April 25 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov) - CEO of Petropolis company Mark Bronovsky was sentenced to 6 years and 10 months for a 377-million-ruble ($6 million) tax refund fraud but acquitted creating an organized criminal network, the United press service of St. Petersburg courts has told RAPSI. The businessman has been released in a courtroom because of punishment endured. Bronovsky was put in detention in February 2014. In June 2018, he was placed under house arrest. There were 10 other defendants including lawyers and economists. All of them were acquitted of the gang membership. As concerned tax fraud charges, 9 defendants were found guilty, and one of them, lawyer Alexander Shved was acquitted. Investigators claim that between 2006 and 2009 Bronovsky, Shved, then deputy head of St. Petersburg tax service Tatyana Makarova and one more unidentified person organized a criminal enterprise and conspired to commit a 488-million-ruble tax return fraud ($7.5 million). Moreover, they were charged with attempted embezzlement of 377 million rubles. Bronovsky is also a defendant in another 576-million-ruble ($9 million) tax refund fraud case. Russias Government seeks to streamline compensation of attorney fees by convicts RAPSI 13:33 25/04/2019 MOSCOW, April 25 (RAPSI) Russias Government has proposed to amend legislation governing the compensations of procedural expenditures, including those related to court-appointed lawyers, on the part of convicts. The Government is to discuss the draft document and later submit it as a bill to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament. It is envisaged that compensations are to be mandatory paid in criminal cases where courts give non-custodial or suspended sentences, or convicts are released on parole. The amendments to the Russian Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, the document reads, will permit to offset the maximal amount of expenditures the federal budget bears for court-appointed lawyers. The proposed changes will not negatively affect convicts, according to the document, as they cover only the amounts set out by final court judgements and are not to be collected in cases where convicts have been found out to be insolvent so there will be no discrimination of convicts on the ground of their property status. Editor's note: The topic of RUAG vs Prime and Prime vs RUAG has caused quite the media frenzy. There are always two sides to every story, and this one is no different. We spoke in-depth with Jim O'Shaughnessy, a representative of Citizens Ammunition. O'Shaughnessy was very forthcoming with his side of the story, some of which we may publish at a later date. RUAG stood by the release they gave and would not offer additional comment. But in order to be journalists and not further sensationalize things, we're going to provide you with the facts we have, which have been released by the courts and from documents O'Shaughnessy sent us. Be warned, this grown-up stuff needs you to dedicate some time to it it's a long read. With no expectations of fluffing, read on Recently, Prime Ammunition's Founder and CEO Jim O'Shaughnessy released a video about the current litigation that is ongoing between Citizens Ammunition, LLC (Prime), RUAG Ammotec USA, Inc. and RUAG Ammotec AG (RUAG). In addition to the video, Prime has also released the complaint filed by RUAG, along with Prime's Answer and counterclaims. As one would expect when it comes to litigation there are two very different stories being presented. RUAG's Complaint RUAG alleges that in March of 2015, it entered into a two-year contract with Prime, under which RUAG would supply Prime with a variety of calibers of ammunition, including .22LR, 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .223 REM, .308 WIN, .338 Lapua, and 12-gauge. Under the supply agreement, RUAG maintained its ownership interest in all of the product until Prime had sold and paid for it. The agreement stated that after the two years expired, any remaining inventory, along with any additional ammunition ordered, was to be paid for within 30 days. At the two year expiration of the agreement, Prime had not sold all of its inventory. The parties entered into an addendum that extended the deadline to pay until September 30, 2017. The agreement also specified that failure to pay the balance in full would result in Prime no longer having the right to sell, transfer, or dispose of any remaining inventory and that it would have to be returned to RUAG, at RUAG's discretion. RUAG alleges that Prime failed to meet its September 30, 2017 payment deadline and did not issue any payments until after January of 2018. It further alleges that Prime advised them of sales of ammunition from the initial agreement between March and August of 2018. As a result, RUAG issued five invoices amounting to $772,147.27. According to RUAG, on July 15, 2018, Prime sent notice that it could not afford to pay any of the overdue amount. Four days later, on July 19, 2018, RUAG served a Notice of Default on Prime. At the end of July, RUAG followed up with a Notice of Termination of the Supply Agreement and Addendum. As a result, RUAG obtained physical possession of the ammunition. In August of 2018, RUAG accepted a purchase order from Prime for the production of 355,000 rounds of ammunition for a pre-payment of $399,360.00, which was paid by Prime. RUAG claims, as of the filing of the complaint, that Prime owes in excess of $772,147.27. The legal claims include: 1) breach of contract, 2) breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, 3) unjust enrichment and 4) declaratory judgment. When we reached out to RUAG for comment, the company sent back a portion of its official statement: RUAG Ammotec has taken contractually-defined recourse on Citizens Ammunition, LLC. RUAG has been loading the PRIME brand ammunition for several years. Well over a year ago Citizens stopped paying RUAG for the ammunition it sold and has refused to make any additional payments on the debt owed. This has forced RUAG to exercise its contractual rights through litigation and product sales. PRIME Ammunition is delinquent on payments for more than 1.2 million rounds of ammunition sold and received. PRIMEs practice of selling and receiving product but refusing to pay caused RUAG to act to protect its interests. Any statements, claims or representations to the contrary are simply false. The full news release can also be found at: https://www.norma-ammunition.com/us/Media-Center/Downloads/News-Releases/. Prime's Answer Prime's Answer contained a number of responses to the allegations in RUAG's complaint. For those who have never seen an answer to a complaint before, it's a paragraph by paragraph response to the allegations presented in a complaint. Certain jurisdictions require answers to be more specific than others. Generally speaking, allegations are either admitted or denied. Sometimes more specifically or with additional information. You can read the answer in full here. In addition to answering each allegation in the complaint, Prime raised seven affirmative defenses. Those defenses include: 1) the Complaint failed to state a cause of action for which relief could be granted, 2) RUAG lacked standing to bring the action, 3) RUAG was guilty of unclean hands and not entitled to the relief it was seeking, 4) RUAG was not harmed and thus not entitled to the relief it was seeking, 5) RUAG was not justified in withholding delivery of ammunition paid for, 6) RUAG has granted itself a pre-judgment attachment and is not entitled to relief, and 7) RUAG's wrongful, malicious, and fraudulent conduct, does not entitle it to relief. Prime's Counterclaim Along with filing an answer to the complaint, Prime filed a counterclaim against RUAG. Citizens PRIME brand became wildly successful, and Citizens became one of RUAGs top purchasers of OEM ammunition in the United States. Through a combination of product placement, market insight and knowledge and brand marketing, PRIME, within the arena of high precision ammunition, outsold multiple competitors, including RUAGs own high precision ammunition brand, sold under the brand name Norma. The counterclaim stated that the parties entered into a Second Addendum agreement, which was not included as an exhibit, on January 21, 2018. This new agreement allegedly, converted the value of the then existing inventory of ammunition held by Citizens and supplied by RUAG into a performing loan with a term of three (3) years and quarterly interest payments of 2.5% of current inventory Prime also purports that as of November 7, 2018, it had made principal payments of $593,216.46, first quarter interest payments of $15,479.33, and Federal Excise Tax payments of $44,943.14. Prime alleges that at the time of this Second Addendum, RUAG had a new CEO and that RUAG Holding AG, an entity of the Swiss government, wished to avoid the optics of the Swiss government profiting from the sale of ammunition to the United States public, and made it known it was looking to liquidate its civilian ammunition business. Based on this notion, RUAG allegedly refused to honor the Second Addendum and took the position it was relying on the prior agreement. As a result, RUAG took control of Prime's inventory, which denied Prime the ability to fulfill customer orders. Prime claims this created a void in the very successful high precision ammunition market space that it had shaped. In addition to this first step to clear the market space, Prime alleges that RUAG sought to drive a stake through its heart by offering for sale ammunition, but only if it were paid for in advance of manufacturing. This would require Prime to borrow money. Once the money was sent to RUAG, it could then keep the money, not deliver the product, and place Prime in a position where it could not seek more money from third parties. As of the filing of the complaint, Prime has allegedly paid RUAG $608,695.79 under the Second Addendum. Prime's counterclaim has several different legal counts. In relation to the Second Addendum, Prime has filed claims for: 1) breach of contract, 2) detrimental reliance, and 3) breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. For the Initial Agreement, Prime has filed claims for 1) breach of contract, 2) common law fraud, and 3) unjust enrichment. Prime also has filed claims for 1) conversion, 2) misappropriation of trade secrets, 3) tortious interference with prospective business relations, 4) tortious interference with contractual relations, 5) civil conspiracy, 6) bad faith, 7) punitive damages and 8) a claim for breach of contract in relation to a non disclosure agreement. Prime is seeking punitive damages in excess of one million dollars, along with interest, attorney's fees, and costs. The Second Addendum and its Timeline While penning this article, the author mentioned to the editorial staff that the alleged Second Addendum was not included as an exhibit to the counterclaim. The editorial staff reached out to Mr. O'Shaughnessy and obtained a copy. In addition to the alleged executed Second Addendum, Mr. O'Shaughnessy provided numerous emails and documents pertaining to the negotiations of the transaction. The only alterations to these documents as to how they were provided were the removal of comments, title pages which contained conclusory statements and highlights. The addition of redactions to email addresses and phone numbers was done by the author. Any part of an email chain that is missing is in the original. Based on the author's interpretation of the documents provided, it appears that RUAG had never internally approved the Second Addendum and still considered it to be a draft when it was executed and returned to them by Mr. O'Shaughnessy. Of equal importance is the clause found in the original contract which pertains to alterations of the agreement and requires it to be done in a writing signed by both parties. February 2, 2018 Email and Draft Addendum On February 2, 2018, Mr. O'Shaughnessy sent an email to Matthias Vogel (of RUAG) which contained a draft addendum to the March 17, 2015 supply contract. This email was proceeded by several others which included a document recapping a dinner conversation, on which this draft addendum was based. As noted in the counterclaim, Prime believed there to be a handshake deal in place while waiting on the formalization of the agreement (see Counterclaim 7 The Second Addendum, which was first entered into with a handshake between Citizens CEO Jim OShaughnessy and newly appointed RUAG Ammotec AG CEO Christoph Eisenhardt). February 16, 2018 Email and Draft Addendum On February 16, 2018, Mr. Vogel replied to the email and stated please find enclosed my modified draft. It is not finally discussed with legal and finance The email contained a marked up version of the draft addendum sent by Mr. O'Shaughnessy. April 6, 2018 Email In response to an email sent on April 4, 2018, by Mr. O'Shaughnessy in which he stated I feel there are only two major points that need to be addressed and then we can move forward in finishing the addendum, Mr. Vogel responded that I will evaluate your counterproposal over the weekend Alternatively we also can continue like we did in the past until we have fixed the addendum. April 17, 2018 Email and Addendum Based on the email chain, it appears that Mr. Vogel replied to a prior email of Mr. O'Shaughnessy wherein he stated that We are getting closer This email was met with a response by Mr. O'Shaughnessy in which he attached an executed copy of the Second Addendum. April 18, 2018 Email The following day, Mr. Vogel responds stating, Excellent Jim. There will be a final legal and finance check but the general principals should be fixed so far. I will send you the final version for signing as soon as I have it, indicating that the prior version was merely a draft. Based on the email chain available, the author believes this to be consistent with the prior emails, that there was not yet a final version of the Second Addendum. May 15, 2018 Email and Addendum On May 15, 2018, Mr. Vogel sends an email to Mr. O'Shaughnessy containing the final draft of the Second Addendum. The email states [a]ttached you find the legally approved version. The final draft differs greatly than the prior versions. The Fault Lies With No doubt that every legal saga has two different sides. The current battle between Prime and RUAG is no exception. Each complaint paints a wildly different story as to the version of events that led up to RUAG's initial suit. As this lawsuit continues, it's likely more information will come out, which will give a better understanding as to the true events that occurred. About the Author Adam Kraut is a firearms law attorney practicing in southeastern PA and across the country federally. He hosts The Legal Brief, a show dedicated to crushing the various myths and misinformation around various areas of the gun world. He was also the general manager of a gun store in the suburbs of Philadelphia. SINGAPORE, April 24 (Xinhua) -- China's telecom giant Huawei on Wednesday launched its Cloud & AI Innovation Lab in Singapore at the Huawei Cloud Summit 2019, to cultivate local artificial intelligence (AI) talents, bridge Singapore with state-of-art AI technologies globally, and accelerate cloud and AI innovations. According to a press release from Huawei, the missions for the new lab line up well with Singapore's Smart Nation initiatives. Backed by the computing power and a wide range of AI solutions offered by Huawei Cloud, the lab will provide powerful AI services and resources, and its opening will deepen collaboration between Huawei and Singapore's local universities and enterprises in carrying out research. Meanwhile, AI developers and companies in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region will have the opportunity to join in more research projects and innovations on AI training and learning with the lab. (Photo/Xinhua) Deng Tao, president of Huawei Cloud Global Market and vice president of Huawei Cloud Business Unit, said that the business unit attaches great importance to its development in Singapore and the Asia Pacific, and it will provide full-stack intelligent cloud services for governments, universities, enterprises and partners in the region, to join hands with them in innovation, and to help accelerate intelligent transformation of local industries. He said at a press conference on the sideline of the Huawei Cloud Summit 2019 that the open lab mechanism has been shown to be very effective in China and Europe. Besides of the lab, Huawei announced another two key launches at the summit to help build outstanding cloud services for Asia Pacific. They are the Go-China/Go-Global plan, which is designed to help more enterprises develop worldwide services; and their flagship cloud services, including new-generation elastic cloud server, newest object storage service, and new-generation high-performance distributed Taurus database. The telecom company also unveiled its new Huawei Intelligent Computing Business Department alongside its Atlas AI computing platform and FusionServer Pro intelligent servers at the summit, and it announced an intelligent computing talent development plan to support Singapore's Smart Nation initiatives. The Huawei Cloud Summit 2019, from Wednesday to Thursday, is expected to attract over 2,000 customers, partners, industry academics, and developers of Huawei from Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region to gather, share and discuss innovative products and intelligent practices from fields, such as cloud computing, AI, and big data. Share Tweet Pin 54 shares Note all articles are independently researched and written by myself. However, if you buy via one of the links it may be an affiliate and I may earn a small commission. This looks amazing and if you love old school gaming, you will want the Yesterday Vision retro gaming monitor by Love Hulten. To be honest, the design itself sells it to be, regardless of what it does. Love Hulten has created a gaming monitor with the look of a midcentury modern TV. If that doesnt get you excited, I dont know what will. At least, it will if you love retro gaming. You see, this isnt just a pretty face. There is substance to back up the style on offer from the hardwood monitor. But lets start with the design itself, which is handmade in Mahogany, with the unit housing a 19-inch, 4:3 monitor complete with a custom screen configuration that mimics the curvature of an old CRT television. Its the little touches that often make the best designs. But new tech is at the heart of Yesterday Vision. The 12801024 monitor has full-range loudspeakers and features an HDMI connection for modern-era external devices, from modern gaming units to a Blu-ray player, laptops or a Google Chromecast. All wrapped up in a design that has an authentic mahogany volume switch, wood surround and if you size up (you can go up to 55 inches if you want to spend big), a vintage speaker grille and midcentury tapered legs and under-unit storage. If you want to stay old school, the second key selling point is likely to be for you. Inside this unit is a Raspberry Pi computer, which allows classic gaming systems including SNES, NES, Genesis, NeoGeo, MAME, Atari 2600, N64 and PSX to be run via emulation. That should keep any retro gamer happy for weeks, if not months. And when you do get bored, just hook up your Nintendo Switch or PS4 for something more modern. The monitor can connect up to four different controllers via Bluetooth, with a set of two wireless hardwood arcade controllers available to be custom ordered as an add-on if you want them. But before you consider buying the extras or sizing up, you probably want to consider the base price of the standard unit. That is available from Sweden for $2,799 plus postage. Thats around 2,173 at the current exchange rate. Find out more at the Love Hulten website Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. This was the third meeting between the two leaders in less than a year, which Xi said underscored the strategic and high-level relations between China and Kenya. Xi said China appreciates Kenyatta's public refutation of groundless accusations on China-Kenya and China-Africa cooperation on many occasions. China is willing to work with Kenya to maintain the good momentum of cooperation in various areas between the two countries as well as between China and Africa by jointly building the Belt and Road and by implementing the outcomes achieved at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, he said. Efforts will be made to strengthen connectivity of their development strategies, leverage the economic and social benefits of major projects such as railways, and encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Kenya, according to Xi. The two countries will maintain communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, he added. Kenyatta expressed his warm congratulations on the great achievements the People's Republic of China has made since its founding 70 years ago, with over 700 million people lifted out of poverty in particular. The Belt and Road Initiative enables different countries to build closer trade connections and partnerships, earning wide recognition from the international community and driving connectivity and industrialization for African countries, he said. Kenya is willing to deepen cooperation with China on fields such as infrastructure development to promote the initiative further to the central and western African regions, according to Kenyatta. Kenya appreciates China's important role in promoting the regional peace reconstruction in Africa, and hopes to strengthen communication and coordination with China on regional and multilateral affairs, he added. The two presidents witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents after the meeting. Video footage shows army stationing in borders of Yafaa, while securing Dhi Naim district [25/April/2019] SANAA, April 25 (Saba) The military media of army on Tuesday released a video footage showing the heroes of army and popular forces in Dhi Naim district, Bayda province, after securing it totally. The scenes show the army fighters in Yafaa point vowing to continue moving and battling until liberating all the Yemens lands. The scenes show liberated and secured areas and some destroyed fortifications of mercenaries. They show the fighters while thanking God for the great victory. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90sCS2AeZn8 AA Saba Artillery and air forces launch Joint attack on saudi site in Jizan [25/April/2019] JIZAN, April 25 (Saba) The armys drones jointly with artillery units on Thursday launched an attack against a Saudi army's site in Jizan province, a military official said. Bulldozers and military equipment for the enemy were targeted during the attack which was launched in al-Khuri site, the official added. The successfully operation left huge losses in the enemys ranks, he said. During the last four years of the aggressive war by US-saudi coalition against the Yemen, the Air Force of the Army and the Popular forces, carried out more than 1,530 offensive and reconnaissance operations against more than 300 military targets. The mostly important targets of the those Air Force's attacks included Abu Dhabi Airport, Dubai Airport, Aramco Refinery in Riyadh, Abha Airport, Anad military base and the coalition's headquarter in Aden. AA Saba SNc Channels: Search About Salem-News.com Apr-25-2019 15:48 TweetFollow @OregonNews All About CBD? Full Cannabis Legalization Should Be Your Priority Stand up for truth, justice, and equality and advocate for the re-legalization of cannabis. Oregon cannabis in the summer sun. CBD, anyone? Photo: Bonnie King, Salem-News.com (PORTLAND, Ore.) - In this op-ed, Madeline Martinez, chairwoman of the board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Womens Alliance, explains why you must push for full legalization of cannabis if youre all about using CBD. Cannabis has gotten tons of new supporters in recent years, thanks to so many people trying and loving one of its compounds, the non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD). But many of these new supporters, while enthralled with the effects of CBD, have not advocated for a meaningful change in federal policy that recognizes what science has proven about cannabis. _______________________ As a 68-year-old former corrections officer and proud Mexican-First Nation woman, I am all too familiar with how the war on drugs has broken our justice system and how the war on cannabis has specifically been rooted in marginalizing me and people who share my heritage. Racism was the cornerstone of prohibition from the start. In the early days, Americans were familiar with and fond of the hemp plant, but a career law enforcement officers campaign to conflate hemp with marijuana confused people into thinking it was a dangerous drug pushed into white American communities by people of color specifically, Mexicans. After the end of alcohol prohibition in the early 1930s, Harry Anslinger began a national drive to ban cannabis, motivated through hate and racism. Some of his most famous quotes include, Reefer makes darkies think they are as good as white men, and There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others. Using racism as a tool to drive fear of substances, Anslinger pushed for the creation of his own bureau in 1930 to enforce the new prohibition: the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, which eventually merged with another agency to become the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the predecessor to the modern-day Drug Enforcement Administration. Then, in conjunction with newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, he successfully rebranded all cannabis into the Spanish word marihuana, to play off racism against Mexican people. This led to Congress proposing the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which began prohibition on all forms of cannabis. Dr. William Woodard of the American Medical Association (AMA) testified against the Marihuana Tax Act, stating he was dismayed that the public had been misled through the use of the confusing term marijuana and that the AMA considered cannabis to be safe and medically effective for sedative, antispasmodic, and psychological use. Congress passed it anyway. Years after that, the war on drugs had a long and devastating effect on black and Latinx communities. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, nearly 80% of people who are currently in federal prison for drug offenses are black or Latinx, despite the fact that white people use cannabis at the same rate. The federal government is now considering legislation, the SAFE Banking Act and the STATES Act, that would allow banks and individual states to legally take cannabis money while the marijuana plant remains federally illegal. But we cant just legalize what makes a small minority comfortable and wealthy. We have to legalize cannabis in a way that acknowledges the real human collateral the racist lies about cannabis have wrought. We must push for full legalization, because we must push for justice, equality, science, and the benefit of all humans. This is why I have signed as a co-chief petitioner of the Oregon Legalization Justice Act of 2020. The ballot measure would redirect half of the recreational cannabis tax revenues toward subsidizing low-income patients and reinvesting in communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. Patients who use cannabis would no longer be kicked off organ donor transplant lists, and people who are diagnosed with qualifying chronic illnesses could be issued lifetime medical cannabis cards. Cannabis social cafes would be licensed and regulated as well. I also strongly advocate that all Americans contact their legislators and ask them to sponsor and support the Marijuana Justice Act of 2019, the only piece of federal legislation that would decriminalize cannabis, remove it from the Controlled Substances Act, and pave the way for expungement of marijuana convictions and community redevelopment for those of us most marginalized. I urge you, if you love CBD, you must stand up for truth, justice, and equality and advocate for the re-legalization of cannabis. Source: Madeline Martinez, NORML, special to Salem-News.com Previously published: Bustle.com _________________________________________ Prohibition | Marijuana | Marijuana | Oregon | Most Commented on Articles for April 25, 2019 | Articles for April 26, 2019 SNc Channels: Search About Salem-News.com Apr-25-2019 14:20 TweetFollow @OregonNews Oregon Navy Apprentice Highlights the Power of Penpalling Penpal writing boomed in the 1970s, in a world that was disconnected by vast distances. Penpal image: pexels (SALEM, Ore.) - Nobody writes anymore these days is a saying you may hear often, but it seems like the days of pen pal letters are far from over. St. Helens navy apprentice, Elsen White, recently visited his old school to meet students who had been his pen pals during his deployment in Japan. The magic began when St. Helens teacher Jennifer Ranger had a brilliant idea to encourage her sixth grade class, who were learning about Japan, to take pen to paper. She would ask them to write White and ask him questions about what it was like to live and work in this far-off country. Little did the teacher know that White was very much in need of a morale boost - as many soldiers serving their country abroad are. Healing Loneliness White notes that the first pack of handwritten cards arrived during the holiday season - a time when he and other apprentices were beginning to miss home and when morale was particularly low. The cards, he said, gave him a much needed lift and reminded him of exactly why he was in Japan and whom he was fighting for. The school was able to contact with White thanks to his mother, who contact staff and arranged for letters to arrive to her son. White was in Japan for a total of seven months, working in aviation mechanics. Upon his return, he visited the school to thank the children in person. His is just one of many beautiful stories that have arisen from one simple act: writing a letter to a stranger and sending it, opening a door to someone who is a vast and distant mystery. Penpals Open Cultural Doors Penpal writing boomed in the 1970s, in a world that was disconnected by vast distances. It was seen as a way to connect with people in other continents or countries, to exchange information about daily life and culture, and sometimes, even to practice a language. Of course, many pen pals turned into just that - friends - keeping in contact beyond their teen years and coming to play a similar role to family members who just happened to live in another country. Take the story of the 60-year penpal friendship between two 10-year-olds - one in Canada, one in Australia. Dolores and Lyn began writing each other in 1960 because both were Beatles fans. They met in person when Dolores hopped on a plane to Sydney and the first thing both of them said was that it felt that meeting each other in person was just a formality. The letters had allowed them to express and share everything - their hopes and fears, major life events, and the arrival of children and grandchildren. The Sense of Touch For those who love pen pal writing, old style, the feel and smell of stationery in their hands is magical. The Oregon students, mentioned above, took great care to create beautiful cards which, when opened, produced a type of emotion that emails alone could never match. Of course, pen pals dont have to go old school in every sense. As noted by OnlineStamp.net, it is easy to simply print your stamps out, thus making it easy to pop your letters and cards into the nearest postbox instead of queueing up at the post office the way past generations had to. Writing for Stress Relief When White wrote back to the students, he undoubtedly felt an even greater sense of relief than when he received the letters themselves. A 2017 Michigan State University study shows that simply writing about how you feel can help you perform stressful tasks more successfully. The mindful state and focus required my writing enable you to focus on the message you are relaying, thus helping you offload worries and escape from the negative thought patterns that can lead people - especially those in stressful situations such as soldiers in deployment - enter into a state of anxiety and panic. Elsen Whites story is a beautiful reminder that pen and paper still have an important role to play in human communications. The emotion involved in writing and opening a real, physical envelope wields a certain magic and excitement that online communications cannot compete with. Whites experience is also a wake-up call to the importance of connecting with those in need - even if they are miles and miles away. Source: Salem-News.com Special Features Dept. _________________________________________ Communication | Friends | Education | Most Commented on Articles for April 25, 2019 | Articles for April 26, 2019 Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Global (United States, European Union and China) Air Battery Market Research Report 2019-2025 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Global (United States, European Union and China) Air Battery Market. 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Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1792485-global-united-states-european-union-and-china-air-battery-market Global (, European Union and China) Air Battery Market: Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2023 Research study is to define market sizes of various segments & countries in previous years and to forecast the values to the next 5-8 years. The report is designed to comprise each qualitative and quantitative elements of the industry facts including: market share, market size (value and volume 2012-17, and forecast to 2023) with admire to each of the areas and countries concerned inside the examination. Furthermore, the report additionally caters the detailed statistics about the vital elements which includes drivers & restraining factors which will define the future growth of the market. 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Chapter 1, About Executive Summary to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Global (United States, European Union and China) Air Battery market, Applications [Medical Devices, Automotive, Telecom & Others], Market Segment by Regions United States, China, European Union & Rest of World (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia); Chapter 2, objective of the study. Chapter 3, to display Research methodology and techniques. Chapter 4 and 5, to show the Overall Market Analysis, segmentation analysis, characteristics; Chapter 6 and 7, to show the Market size, share and forecast; Five forces analysis (bargaining Power of buyers/suppliers), Threats to new entrants and market condition; Chapter 8 and 9, to show analysis by regional segmentation[United States, China, European Union & Rest of World (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) ], comparison, leading countries and opportunities; Regional Marketing Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis Chapter 10, focus on identifying the key industry influencer's, overview of decision framework accumulated through Industry experts and strategic decision makers; Chapter 11 and 12, Market Trend Analysis, Drivers, Challenges by consumer behaviour, Marketing Channels and demand & supply. Chapter 13 and 14, describe about the vendor landscape (classification and Market Positioning) Chapter 15, deals with Global (United States, European Union and China) Air Battery Market sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia or Oceania [Australia and New Zealand]. About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". Canada is now a promising market for Vietnamese goods as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is expected to open up this market for Vietnamese goods, heard a workshop in Hanoi on April 25. The CPTPP, which took effect in Vietnam on January 14, gathers 11 member states, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam that altogether make up 13.5 percent of global GDP. Ta Hoang Linh, Director of the European-American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), said Canada is one of the CPTPP members that have the highest market-opening commitments. Under this pact, it will cut tariffs on 95 percent of imports down to zero percent, and that covers 78 percent of Vietnams total export revenue to Canada. This market is also one of the three CPTPP members with which Vietnam has not yet signed a bilateral trade agreement. Meanwhile, the two sides export structures do not compete with but are complementary to each other. Therefore, if businesses can grab opportunities, the CPTPP will open the door wide for many processed and manufactured products which are Vietnams advantages like textile-garment, footwear, wood and aquatic products, Linh said. Jared Brading, Counsellor for Development Cooperation at the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam, said the CPTPP implementation will bring about more trade and investment chances, helping to strengthen trade partnership, especially in terms of agricultural and food products. For Canada, this agreement will help reinforce relations with new free trade agreement partners like Vietnam and improve Vietnamese consumers awareness of Canadian goods, he said, noting his hope that Vietnamese goods will increase its presence in his country. Brading added the CPTPP will also facilitate Canadian companies investment in and provision of technical support for Vietnam within the official development assistance framework so as to help local firms, especially those run by women, to benefit from trade liberalisation and the CPTPP. At the workshop, Nguyen Son Tra, an official from the MoITs Multilateral Trade Policy Department, said the enforcement of the CPTPP is considered a driving force for bilateral trade. With the immediate elimination of 95 percent of import tariff lines after the deal took effect, which covers 78 percent of Vietnams exports to this market, Canada generates numerous export chances for Vietnam. She elaborated all of Vietnams aquatic exports to Canada have benefited from a zero-percent tariff since January 14. The North American market has also reduced import tariffs on wooden furniture, tea, pepper and cashew nut to zero percent. It will remove all tariffs on textile-garment imports in the fourth year since the CPTPP came into force. Meanwhile, 78 percent of Vietnams exports of footwear another major foreign currency earner to Canada have also enjoyed a zero-percent tariff immediately after the trade pact took effect. Statistics show that in 2018, Vietnam shipped more than 3.01 billion USD worth of goods to Canada. Bilateral trade reached 379 million USD in January this year, including 317 million USD of Vietnams exports.-VNA New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/24/2019 -- The latest report BCG Vaccine discusses everything a business owner needs to know about the BCG Vaccine market for the forecast period, 2019 to 2026. The document offers an insight into what the target customer's needs and wants. Industry experts have extracted data from various sources on size, share, growth rate, production volume, production capacity, import and export status, distribution channels and more and have analysed it thoroughly. By properly assessing the competitors and their offerings the study aims at empowering business owners to step ahead. Request FREE sample report in PDF format available @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/29426 Major Players in BCG Vaccine market are: - Merck - Sanofi Pasteur - Japan BCG Lab - China National Biotec - Serum Institute of India - Intervax - GSBPL Major Regions that plays a vital role in BCG Vaccine market are: - North America - Europe - China - Japan - Middle East & Africa - India - South America - Others Understanding the market size Researcher's visibility engagement approach when evaluating data such as key driving forces, threats, challenges, opportunities empowers product owners to meet their strategic goals through accelerated returns. The intelligent market survey that blends in both new and old study techniques brings to light more information pertaining to various product types, applications, end-use and important industry definition. The research on the BCG Vaccine market further validates other prime factors including investment feasibility, production capability, product pricing, production volume, demand and supply, import and export status to help business evangelists make the multi-dimensional marketing strategy more robust. Comprehensive data on the current and future business environment is showcased through self-explanatory infographics, charts, and tables and can be integrated with any business presentation. Ask for discount @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/discount-enquiry-form/29426 Market by Type - Immune BCG - Therapy BCG Market by Application - Hospitals - Clinics - Others Knowing the trends influencing the industry performance Stakeholders, marketing executives and business owners planning to refer a market research report can use this study to design their offerings and understand how competitors attract their potential customers and manage their supply and distribution channels. When tracking the trends researchers have made a conscious effort to analyze and interpret the consumer behaviour. Besides, the research helps product owners to understand the changes in culture, target market as well as brands so they can draw the attention of the potential customers more effectively. Our trend analysts look for the crucial connection between consumer trends, behaviour and values, to provide context for the sectors, demographics and global themes that matter to you. Buy Complete Report on BCG Vaccine (customization available) @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/29426 The study objectives of this report are: - To analyze and study the global BCG Vaccine capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2019) and forecast (2019-2026); - Focuses on the key BCG Vaccine manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future. - Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis. - To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region. - To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks. - To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth. - To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. - To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market - To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market - To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. Key elements from table of content: Part 1 Market Overview 1.1 Market Definition 1.2 Market Development 1.3 By Type 1.4 By Application 1.5 By Region Part 2 Global Market Status and Future Forecast 2.1 Global Market by Region 2.2 Global Market by Company 2.3 Global Market by Type 2.4 Global Market by Application 2.5 Global Market by Forecast Continued Browse the report description @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/bcg-vaccine-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- PMR's published report titled 'Biodiesel Market: Global Industry Analysis 20132017 and Forecast 20182026' examines the biodiesel market and offers vital market insights for the next eight years. According to PMR analysis, the global consumption of biodiesel is estimated to be valued at US$ 28.9 Bn by the end of 2018 and is expected to register a 3.1% CAGR over the period, 20182026. This report on the biodiesel market divulges the demand and its break-up on the basis of feedstock and application. A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/27445 Biodiesel Market: Dynamics The demand for biodiesel around the globe has witnessed significant growth in the recent past, owing to the increasing energy needs, rising crude oil prices and growing demand for clean and renewable sources of energy. Along with this, growth of the automotive industry and increasing vehicle parc are the key factors driving the demand for fuel, globally. However, the use of diesel fueled vehicles results in the emission of pollutants, which are hazardous for the environment, ecosystem and humankind. Several countries depend on the import of crude oils to cater to the increasing demand for diesel fuels, owing to which the economic burden has increased. Thus, to evade these issues, biodiesel is a viable alternative for petroleum diesel fuels. Several countries have mandated the blending of biodiesel with conventional fuels, owing to its high compatibility and reduction in pollutant emissions. The abundant availability of feedstock also drives the biodiesel market. OPEC countries are channelizing efforts to maintain growth in crude oil prices through reduction in oil production. Thus, this expected rise in crude oil prices will further propel the demand for Biodiesel. However, fluctuating feedstock prices may hamper the global biodiesel market. Also, in European countries, strong emphasis is laid on biodiesel production from non-edible oils, which is expected to have a significant impact on the demand for vegetable oil feedstock in the coming years. In the biodiesel market, the penetration of the hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) technique has been increasing, which in turn is expected to support the market growth. Biodiesel Market: Segmentation Analysis The vegetable oil segment is estimated to dominate the global biodiesel market on the basis of feedstock during the forecast period. This can mainly be attributed to the abundant availability, low price and wide range of vegetable oil feedstock. Soybean and canola oil are prevalently consumed in biodiesel production. However, in various regions, different types of vegetable oils are preferred and their selection primarily depends upon the availability and price in local/regional market. The vegetable oil segment is expected to grow at a steady CAGR during the forecast period. Moreover, the UCO (Used cooking oils) segment is expected to gain traction and register a significant CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of consumption, biodiesel is estimated to witness high demand from the automobile segment wherein it is blended with conventional diesel fuels. Around the globe, the mandatory blending of biodiesel is the key driving force for market growth. The automobile segment is expected to register 1.3X growth in terms of value over the forecast period. Biodiesel Market: Regional Market Projections On the basis of region, Europe is expected to dominate the global biodiesel market throughout the forecast period. The region's biodiesel market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 1.2% during the forecast period. South Asia & Oceania is projected to register a significantly high CAGR in the global biodiesel market during the forecast period. Europe, coupled with South Asia, is projected to register a substantial growth rate in the global biodiesel market during the forecast period while China is expected to witness healthy growth as compared to the rest of the regions. To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/27445 Global Biodiesel Market: Competitive Landscape Some of the players reported in this study on the global biodiesel market include Royal Dutch Shell plc., Neste Oyj, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Bunge Limited, Louis Dreyfus Company B.V., Wilmar International Limited, Repsol S.A., Total S.A., China Petroleum & Chemical Corp (Sinopec Corporation), Cargill Incorporated, RB Fuels, and Renewable Energy Group, Inc., among others. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Global Cancer Insurance Market Insights by Application, Product Type, Competitive Landscape & Regional Forecast 20 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Global Cancer Insurance Market. Some of the key players profiled in the study are China Life Insurance (China) , PingAn (China) , Aviva (United Kingdom) , Legal & General (United Kingdom) , AXA (France) , Prudential Financial (United States) , Aegon (Netherlands) , Allianz (Germany) , AIG (United States) , UnitedHealthcare (United States) and Zurich insurance (Switzerland) are some of the key players profiled in the study. Additionally, the Players which are also part of the research are MetLife (United States) , Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance (Japan) and Sun Life Financial (Canada) You can get free access to samples from the report here: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1501795-global-cancer-insurance-market-1 Cancer Insurance Market Overview: Market Drivers Health security standards advancement Rising chronic diseases like cancer among population Increasing medical care expenses Market Trend Increasing transparency in terms of insurance Integrating solutions through data analytics and modeling techniques Restraints Undulating economic conditions comparatively less profit margins Opportunities Digitization in accessing policies and Improving disposable income Key Target Audience Health maintenance organization Technology, equipment, and solution providers Private utility players Government and research organizations Distribution consultancies End users ( public and private sectors) Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1501795-global-cancer-insurance-market-1 Cancer Insurance Market: Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2023 Research study is to define market sizes of various segments & countries in previous years and to forecast the values to the next 5-8 years. The report is designed to comprise each qualitative and quantitative elements of the industry facts including: market share, market size (value and volume 2012-17, and forecast to 2023) with admire to each of the areas and countries concerned inside the examination. Furthermore, the report additionally caters the detailed statistics about the vital elements which includes drivers & restraining factors which will define the future growth of the market. Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows: Historical year 2013-2017 Base year 2018 Forecast period** 2018 to 2023 [** unless otherwise stated] Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players. The designated segments and sub-section of the market are explained below: The Study is segmented by following Product Type: Lung Cancer and Liver Cancer Major applications/end-users industry are as follows: Children and Adult Some of the key Manufacturers Involved in the Market are China Life Insurance (China) , PingAn (China) , Aviva (United Kingdom) , Legal & General (United Kingdom) , AXA (France) , Prudential Financial (United States) , Aegon (Netherlands) , Allianz (Germany) , AIG (United States) , UnitedHealthcare (United States) and Zurich insurance (Switzerland) are some of the key players profiled in the study. Additionally, the Players which are also part of the research are MetLife (United States) , Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance (Japan) and Sun Life Financial (Canada) Buy this research report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1501795 For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies. If opting for the Global version of Cancer Insurance Market analysis is provided for major regions as follows: - North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) - South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.) - Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Key Answers Captured in Study are Which geography would have better demand for product/services? What are the strategies adopted by big players in the regional market? Which country would see the steep rise in CAGR & year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth? What is the current & expected market size in next five years? What is the market feasibility for long term investment? What opportunity the country would offer for existing and new players in the Cancer Insurance market? What is risk involved for suppliers in the geography? What factors would drive the demand for the product/service in near future? What is the impact analysis of various factors in the Global Cancer Insurance market growth? What are the recent trends in the regional market and how successful they are? Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1501795-global-cancer-insurance-market-1 There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Cancer Insurance market. Chapter 1, About Executive Summary to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Global Cancer Insurance market, Applications [Children and Adult], Market Segment by Regions North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc; Chapter 2, objective of the study. Chapter 3, to display Research methodology and techniques. Chapter 4 and 5, to show the Overall Market Analysis, segmentation analysis, characteristics; Chapter 6 and 7, to show the Market size, share and forecast; Five forces analysis (bargaining Power of buyers/suppliers), Threats to new entrants and market condition; Chapter 8 and 9, to show analysis by regional segmentation[North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc ], comparison, leading countries and opportunities; Regional Marketing Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis Chapter 10, focus on identifying the key industry influencer's, overview of decision framework accumulated through Industry experts and strategic decision makers; Chapter 11 and 12, Market Trend Analysis, Drivers, Challenges by consumer behaviour, Marketing Channels and demand & supply. Chapter 13 and 14, describe about the vendor landscape (classification and Market Positioning) Chapter 15, deals with Global Cancer Insurance Market sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia or Oceania [Australia and New Zealand]. About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a new report titled, "Cast saw devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026". According to the report, the global cast saw devices market was valued at US$ 150 Mn in 2017. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4% from 2018 to 2026. The report suggests that growing burden of osteoporosis and rise in incidence of non-fatal injuries are anticipated to boost the global cast saw devices market from 2018 to 2026. North America and Europe are expected to dominate the global cast saw devices market in the next few years, owing to new product launches, demand for technologically advanced cast saw devices, and prominent surgery rate in these regions. They also enter into distribution agreements to strengthen their footprint across the globe. Key distributors include Atlas International, a distributor for cast removal device manufacturers, such as Stryker, Oscimed SA, Hebu Medical, and De Soutter Medical, in the U.S. McArthur Medical Sales, Inc. is the sole distributor for BSN Cast Removal product line in Canada. In Asia Pacific, players such as BSN medical (acquired by Essity Aktiebolag) and De Soutter Medical sell their cast removal products either directly or through distributors, or other players. In markets such as India, Australia, and New Zealand, BSN medical sells its products through its own sales force. BSN medical also acts as a distributor for De Soutter cast saws, such as CC4 cast saw. De Soutter Medical sells its products including CC4 and CC5 cast saws in countries such as Australia through distributors such as Smith & Nephew. Oscimed SA sells its products in Japan through its distributor, Muranaka Medical Instruments Ltd. Request a PDF Sample - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=53604 Electric saw without vacuum segment to expand at significant growth rate The report offers detailed segmentation of the global cast saw devices market. Based on saw type, the electric saw without vacuum segment is likely to expand at a significant growth rate during the forecast period. Expansion of the electric saw without vacuum segment can be attributed to the utility as well as cost associated with the device, which is significantly lower, as compared to that of the other saw types. The battery operated saw segment held relatively minor share of the market in 2017. It is anticipated to lose market share by the end of 2026, due to rise in demand for electric saw with vacuum cast saw devices. Fiberglass cast removal segment to expand rapidly In terms of application, the fiberglass cast removal segment is anticipated to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period. This segment is likely to exhibit significant market attractiveness in the near future. Expansion of the fiberglass cast removal segment is attributed to the increasing preference for fiberglass cast over traditional plaster of Paris cast among patients as well as doctors and orthopedic cast technicians. Hospitals segment held lion's share In terms of end-user, the global cast saw devices market has been divided into hospitals, clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers. The hospitals segment held a notable share of the market in 2017, as most trauma cases and those related to fractures are handled by hospitals. Additionally, increasing investments in hospitals across the globe is expected to further boost the segment during the forecast period. Clinics is anticipated to be the second-most lucrative segment and is expected to exhibit a significant attractiveness index during the forecast period. Request Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=53604 Asia Pacific market to be driven by rise of geriatric population in China and India In terms of revenue, North America dominated the global cast saw devices market in 2017. The cast saw devices market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a considerable pace during the forecast period. Major factors attributed to the large demand for cast saw devices in Asia Pacific are high frequency of road accidents and injuries and ever-growing population in South Asia and China. According to the Australian Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, there were an estimated 5.08 deaths per 100,000 due to road accidents in 2015. Japan recorded an increase in number of deaths due to road accidents, around 4,117 deaths in 2015; as reported by the National Police Agency of Japan. BSN medical and Stryker Corporation dominated the market The report also provides profiles of leading players operating in the global cast saw devices market. The cast saw devices market is largely consolidated, with top two players accounting for around 50% market share. Market players such as BSN medical and Stryker Corporation dominate the global cast saw devices market. BSN medical (acquired by Esssity) accounted for a prominent share at of the market, in terms of value and volume, in 2017. The company dominated the market due to its wide product portfolio and extensive presence in diverse geographies. The company sells its products through its own salesforce in major markets and through distributors in select geographies. Stryker Corporation followed BSN medical, in terms of share of the cast saw devices market, in terms of value. Other players such as De Soutter Medical, HEBU Medical, OSCIMED SA, and smaller regional players with presence in select regions accounted for the remaining share (value and volume) of the global cast saw devices market. San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Global Clinical Microbiology Market: Overview The intercontinental clinical microbiology market is envisioned to be pampered by a wide spectrum of opportunities in different applications such as the identification of diseases caused by pathogens with the help of laboratory services. Class A carbapenemase, a group of causative agents of clinical infections, is proliferating rapidly and has augmented the need for determining carbapenemase genes through clinical microbiology. In order to address this need, Cepheid, Inc. introduced Xpert Carba-R, a diagnostic assay, which was sanctioned by the U.S. FDA in 2016. The global clinical microbiology market could be segmented considering disease, application, and product as significant parameters. With the rise in targeted diseases and swelling geriatric population, the disease segment could see a handsome growth. This report on the world clinical microbiology market can be used as a guideline to operate in the industry as a winning player. Vital aspects of the market such as opportunities, restraints, and growth factors are analyzed in a radical manner to help gain a paramount insight into the clinical microbiology industry. Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=1199 Global Clinical Microbiology Market: Trends and Opportunities The world clinical microbiology market could acquire growth at a stallion pace in the wake of the need to keep a tight rein on human errors during the manual processing of samples in research projects. In this regard, the automation of clinical systems could be demanded at a brisk rate. This demand is foretold to also gain increased support from the need to maintain constancy in manual processing. Having pulled in a king's share in the global clinical microbiology market in 2015, reagents are foreseen to earn more revenue while riding on the hike in purchases and aggravating penetration due to the demand from therapeutic and analytic research projects. The towering degree of the prevalence of respiratory maladies in emerging as well as developed nations could intensify the demand in the international clinical microbiology market. This can be attributed to the soaring levels of air pollution because of meteoric industrialization. Global Clinical Microbiology Market: Regional Outlook The North America clinical microbiology market is prognosticated to get help from the existence of leviathan companies and hard and fast regulatory structures. An interesting part of the geographical analysis is the expectation on the part of the Europe market to maintain a close proximity with North America in terms of growth. However, North America secured a stupendous share in the global clinical microbiology market in 2015. The region is anticipated to stimulate high adoption of clinical microbial methodologies with the higher development of healthcare and industrial domains in countries such as the U.S. Request TOC of the Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=1199 Besides China, Japan is expected to promise a faster growth in the Asia Pacific clinical microbiology market on the back of aggressive microbial testing application in a variety of fields. The august technological buildout in Japan cannot be sidelined when considering this market on the basis of demand. A countable number of top companies in the market are looking to relocate their major manufacturing outlets to Asia Pacific. This is due to the quantum leaps in building sophisticated manufacturing infrastructure and large availability of skilled labor at low cost in the region. Global Clinical Microbiology Market: Companies Mentioned As a result of their pacey progress in research and development and introduction of automated laboratory systems, the giant players in the international clinical microbiology market have won the trump card of being the first movers. There are only a few names competing at worldwide level, viz. Bruker Corporation, Danaher Corporation, Cepheid Inc., and bioMerieux S.A. Howbeit, the contest is predicted to be escalated by the entry of new faces in the global market. Of these are Hologic Inc., Becton Dickinson & Company, Alere Inc., and Roche Diagnostics. Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @ https://www.tmrresearch.com/clinical-microbiology-market About TMR Research TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in today's supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients' conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Cotton textile is made from cotton fiber. Cotton is a breathable fabric and is absorbent. Cotton is a labor intensive crop produced commercially across the globe. Majority of produced cotton is utilized by the textile industry to produce cotton fiber. This fiber is used to produce different textile products including terry cloth, denim, cambric, and cotton twill. Cotton textiles are used in a broad range of applications such as handbags, in the construction, and fashion and clothing accessories. Rising income level, growth in raw material production, and automation of the manufacturing industry are the major factors expected to influence the global cotton textile market. Report Analysis@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cotton-textile-market.html Government support for the textile industry in emerging economics is expected to encourage the demand for cotton textiles. Various technological innovations in smart textiles in the manufacturing sector is expected to be a crucial influencing factor promoting the market over the forecast period. Market penetration of synthetic fibers is projected to gradually increase in the coming years due to its high resilience, great elasticity, and low moisture absorbency. This factor is expected to hamper the growth of the cotton textile market during the forecast period. The global cotton textile market can be segmented based on type, application, distribution channel, and geography. Based on type, the cotton textile market is categorized into upland, extra-long staple, tree, and Levant. Upland cotton segment is expected to dominate the global cotton textile market followed by extra-long staple cotton during the forecast period. On the basis of application, the cotton textile market is segmented into household, technical, fashion and clothing, and other. Rising demand for cotton clothes coupled with increase in disposable income makes the fashion and clothing segment dominant in the market. In terms of distribution channel, the cotton textile market is segmented into online and offline. The offline segment is sub segmented into retailers and wholesalers. The online market is expected to dominate during the forecast period as online platforms offer discounts on a wide range of products, and offer a return policy. All these factors are anticipated to make the online distribution segment more attractive during the forecast period. In terms of geography, the global cotton textile market is classified into Asia Pacific (India, China, Japan, and Rest of Asia Pacific), Europe (Germany, France, U.K, and Rest of Europe), North America (U.S, Canada, and Rest of North America), Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa), and South America (Brazil and Rest of South America). The global cotton textile market is dominated by the Asia Pacific region. China holds largest share followed by India. Supportive government policies for the cotton textile industry coupled with high level of consumption are expected to expand market size in these countries. The cotton textile market in North America and Europe are also estimated to show good growth rate during the forecast period. The market in Middle East & Africa is estimated to witness lower growth in the cotton textile industry in the coming years. For More Industry Insight, Download Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=64703 The global cotton textile market is highly fragmented with local, domestic, and global players. High level of apparel consumption and low labor cost are expected to be favorable market drivers for players to build their strategies. Major players active in the global cotton textile market are Shandong Jining Ruyi Woolen Textile Co., Ltd., INVISTA, Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber Company, Asahi Kasei Fibers Corporation and others. The degree of competition between the players in the global cotton textile market is very high. To dominate the market, the players are focused on developing efficient manufacturing processes. This strategy is expected to help them remain competitive during the forecast period. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- The latest report Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives discusses everything a business owner needs to know about the Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives market for the forecast period, 2019 to 2026. The document offers an insight into what the target customer's needs and wants. Industry experts have extracted data from various sources on size, share, growth rate, production volume, production capacity, import and export status, distribution channels and more and have analysed it thoroughly. By properly assessing the competitors and their offerings the study aims at empowering business owners to step ahead. Major Players in Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives market are: - Henkel - Avery Dennison - Dow Chemical - 3M - Avery Dennison - Arkema Group (Bostik SA) - H.B. Fuller - Franklin International - Dyna-tech Adhesives - Drytac - Ashland Request FREE sample report in PDF format available @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/37157 Major Regions that plays a vital role in Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives market are: - North America - Europe - China - Japan - Middle East & Africa - India - South America - Others Understanding the market size Researcher's visibility engagement approach when evaluating data such as key driving forces, threats, challenges, opportunities empowers product owners to meet their strategic goals through accelerated returns. The intelligent market survey that blends in both new and old study techniques brings to light more information pertaining to various product types, applications, end-use and important industry definition. The research on the Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives market further validates other prime factors including investment feasibility, production capability, product pricing, production volume, demand and supply, import and export status to help business evangelists make the multi-dimensional marketing strategy more robust. Comprehensive data on the current and future business environment is showcased through self-explanatory infographics, charts, and tables and can be integrated with any business presentation. Ask for discount @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/discount-enquiry-form/37157 Market by Type - Acrylics - PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate) - EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) Market by Application - Construction - Packaging - Automotive - Medical - Other Knowing the trends influencing the industry performance Stakeholders, marketing executives and business owners planning to refer a market research report can use this study to design their offerings and understand how competitors attract their potential customers and manage their supply and distribution channels. When tracking the trends researchers have made a conscious effort to analyze and interpret the consumer behaviour. Besides, the research helps product owners to understand the changes in culture, target market as well as brands so they can draw the attention of the potential customers more effectively. Our trend analysts look for the crucial connection between consumer trends, behaviour and values, to provide context for the sectors, demographics and global themes that matter to you. Buy Complete Report on Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (customization available) @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/37157 The study objectives of this report are: - To analyze and study the global Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2019) and forecast (2019-2026); - Focuses on the key Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future. - Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis. - To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region. - To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks. - To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth. - To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. - To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market - To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market - To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. Key elements from table of content: 7 Global Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis 7.1 Henkel 7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors 7.1.2 Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Product Category, Application and Specification 7.1.2.1 Product A 7.1.2.2 Product B 7.1.3 Henkel Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2014-2019) 7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview 7.2 Avery Dennison 7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors 7.2.2 Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Product Category, Application and Specification 7.2.2.1 Product A 7.2.2.2 Product B 7.2.3 Avery Dennison Emulsion Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2014-2019) 7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview Continued Browse the report description @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/emulsion-pressure-sensitive-adhesives-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? 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Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- The report "Fiberglass Mold Market by Resin Type (Epoxy, Vinyl Ester, Polyester), End-Use Industry (Wind Energy, Marine, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Transportation, Construction & Infrastructure), and Region - Global Forecast to 2024" The fiberglass mold market is expected to grow from USD 309 million in 2019 to USD 468 million by 2024, at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period. The fiberglass mold market is witnessing a significant growth because of the growing demand from various industries such as marine, automotive & transportation, and wind energy. Fiberglass molds are helpful in providing dimensionally accurate, lightweight, and strong composite materials. Browse 67 market data Tables and 34 Figures spread through 111 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Fiberglass Mold Market - Global Forecast to 2024" Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=178506084 The wind energy end-use industry is estimated to account for the largest share of the fiberglass mold market in 2019. Wind energy is an important end-use industry for a fiberglass mold. Wind blade molds are manufactured with sandwich construction with composite materials. The fiberglass molds are the most widely used molds for manufacturing composites wind blades. Increasing demand for renewable energy sources for generating electricity and falling wind energy costs are expected to increase the installation of wind turbines during the forecast period. The increased demand for wind turbine installation is expected to boost the demand for fiberglass molds for blade manufacturing further. Companies have also realized the immense potential of fiberglass molds that are used in the wind energy industry. For instance, in June 2016, Gurit Holding AG, the largest manufacturer of wind blade fiberglass mold, established a wind blade mold manufacturing facility in Szczecin (Poland). This production plant has helped the organization to cater to growing wind turbine demand in Europe. Epoxy resin-based fiberglass molds are expected to dominate the global fiberglass mold market in 2019. Epoxy resin is widely used for fiberglass molds. The epoxy resin-based fiberglass mold market is estimated to account for a major share, in terms of value and volume, of the overall market in 2019. Epoxy resins are thermoset resins known for their excellent mechanical, electrical, and high heat resistance properties. They have better physical, mechanical, and adhesion properties and low shrinkage compared to other resins. Speak With Our Expert @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=178506084 APAC is expected to be the largest market for fiberglass mold during the forecast period. APAC is the largest fiberglass mold market, in terms of both value and volume. China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia are the fast-growing economies that contribute to the growth of the market in the region. The booming wind energy and automotive & transportation industries are bolstering the market for fiberglass mold in the region. APAC accounted for the largest number of wind energy installations globally in 2018, which has created demand for fiberglass molds in the region. The major players in the fiberglass mold market include Gurit Holding AG (Switzerland), Dencam Composites (Denmark), Norco Composites & GRP (UK), Janicki Industries (US), TPI Composites (US), SCHUTZ GmbH & Co. KGaA (Germany), Indutch Composites Technology (India), Shandong Shaungyi Technology (China), EUROS GmbH (Germany), and Molded Fiber Glass Companies (US). 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, "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. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA : 1-888-600-6441 sales@marketsandmarkets.com Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Global Air and Gas Leak Detectors Market: Segmentation The chapters of segmentation allow the readers to understand the aspects of the market such as its products, available technologies, and applications of the same. These chapters are written in a manner to describe their development over the years and the course they are likely to take in the coming years. The research report also provides insightful information about the emerging trends that are likely to define progress of these segments in the coming years. Request a Sample of this report at: https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1004085/global-air-and-gas-leak-detectors-market Global Air and Gas Leak Detectors Market: Regional Segmentation For a deeper understanding, the research report includes geographical segmentation of the global Air and Gas Leak Detectors market. It provides an evaluation of the volatility of the political scenarios and amends likely to be made to the regulatory structures. This assessment gives an accurate analysis of the regional-wise growth of the global Air and Gas Leak Detectors market. The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt) North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada) South America (Brazil etc.) Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia) Global Air and Gas Leak Detectors Market: Research Methodology The research methodologies used by the analysts play an integral role in the way the publication has been collated. Analysts have used primary and secondary research methodologies to create a comprehensive analysis. For an accurate and precise analysis of the global Air and Gas Leak Detectors market, analysts have bottom-up and top-down approaches. Global Air and Gas Leak Detectors Market: Competitive Rivalry The research report includes an analysis of the competitive landscape present in the global Air and Gas Leak Detectors market. It includes an assessment of the existing and upcoming trends that players can invest in. Furthermore, it also includes an evaluation of the financial outlooks of the players and explains the nature of the competition. Key Players Mentioned in the Global Air and Gas Leak Detectors Market Research Report: Emerson Electric MSA Safety Honeywell Analytics Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions (UK) ... Ask our Expert if You Have a Query at: enquiry@qyresearch.com Strategic Points Covered in TOC: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product scope, market risk, market overview, and market opportunities of the global Air and Gas Leak Detectors market Chapter 2: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the global Air and Gas Leak Detectors market which consists of its revenue, sales, and price of the products Chapter 3: Displaying the competitive nature among key manufacturers, with market share, revenue, and sales Chapter 4: Presenting global Air and Gas Leak Detectors market by regions, market share and with revenue and sales for the projected period Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- According to the new market research report "Healthcare IT Market by Product (EHR, RIS, PACS, VNA, CPOE, HIE, Telehealth, Healthcare Analytics, Population Health Management, Supply Chain Management, CRM, Fraud Management, Claims Management) By End-User (Provider, Payer) - Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets. The demand for healthcare IT solutions and services is driven by government mandates & support for healthcare IT solutions, rising use of big data in healthcare, high returns on investment for healthcare IT solutions, and the need to curtail escalating healthcare costs. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=252 "The healthcare provider solutions segment is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period" The healthcare provider solutions segment is estimated to witness the highest growth in the Healthcare IT Market, by product and services, during the forecast period. Growth in this segment is attributed to the increasing demand for improved patient safety and patient care, stringent regulations regarding healthcare provider solutions, and the need for integrated healthcare systems. Browse in-depth TOC on "Healthcare IT Market" 442 Tables 59 Figures 472 Pages Speak to Our Subject Expert: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=252 "The healthcare payer fraud detection analytics market is estimated to witness high growth from 2019 to 2024" Based on healthcare payers solutions, the market is segmented into claims management, customer relationship management, payer fraud analytics solutions, provider network management, pharmacy audit & analysis, member eligibility management, population health management solutions, and payment management solutions. The fraud analytics solutions is estimated to witness high growth from 2019 to 2024. The growing incidence of healthcare fraud (leading to the increasing healthcare costs and rising insurance premiums) has compelled payers and other stakeholders in the market to increase their focus on adopting data analytics software for faster and efficient fraud detection and prevention. "North America dominated the Healthcare IT Market in 2018" The Healthcare IT Market is broadly segmented into five major regions, namely, North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America accounted for the largest share of the Healthcare IT Market in 2018. The large share of this region can be attributed to the technological competencies of healthcare industry and presence of well-established healthcare IT infrastructure in this regions. Changing regulatory requirements for improving quality of healthcare and increasing patient safety and rising healthcare expenditures are some of the key factors driving the growth of the Healthcare IT Market in North America. Request Research Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=252 Some of the major players operating in this market include Optum (US), Cerner (US), Cognizant (US), Change Healthcare (US), Philips Healthcare (Netherlands), Epic Systems (US), Dell Technologies (US), Allscripts (US), GE Healthcare (US), IBM (US), Athenahealth (US), Oracle Corporation (US), COnduent (US), Infor (US), Tata Consultancy Services (India), Wipro Limited (India), Conifer Health (US), Nuance (US), 3M (US), Inovalon (US), InterSystems (US), Leidos (US), Softheon (US), Omnicell (US), and Ciox Health (US). About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi commemorated the 37th anniversary of the Sinai Liberation Day by laying a wreath at the Memorial of the Unknown Soldier in Nasr City, Cairo on Wednesday. The president also paid his respects at the tomb of late Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat, who led the 1973 October War for the liberation of Sinai from Israeli occupation. President El-Sisi was received at the memorial by Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhy, Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Mohamed Farid and a number of military commanders. El-Sisi later on Wednesday headed to the Chinese capital Beijing at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the 'Belt and Road' summit, which is being attending by a number of heads of state, a statement by Egypt's presidential spokesperson said. On 25 April, Egypt celebrates the completion of the withdrawal of all Israeli military forces from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982, following the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Sinai Liberation Day is an official holiday in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/24/2019 -- This report studies the High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) market, High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum. It is sometimes called "alkathene" or "polythene" when used for pipes. With a high strength-to-density ratio, HDPE is used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes, and plastic lumber. The worldwide market for High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly xx% over the next five years, will reach xx million US$ in 2024, from xx million US$ in 2019, according to recent study. Key players in details: ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, lyondellbasell, Chevron Phillips, Ineos, Formosa Plastics, Westlake, Bayport Polymers (Total) and others. Register for free sample copy of this report here: https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/download-sample/?rid=37036&mode=BRG10 Market Segment by Type: Blow Molding, Injection Molding, Extrusion Molding. Market Segment by Applications: Wire and Cable Insulations, Health Care, Consumer Goods, Municipal, Mining, Others. The United States High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) industry has a high concentration. The major manufacturers are Chevron Phillips, lyondellbasell, Ineos. At present, Chevron Phillips is the leader in United States, holding 25 % market share in 2017. The United States consumption of High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) increases from 7.12 Million K MT in 2013 to 8.02Million MT in 2017, at a CAGR of more than 3.05%. However, HDPE in the U.S. market is over-produced. This phenomenon will be more prominent after 2018. The US has traditionally directed the bulk of its PE exports to Latin America. While US producers are expected to aggressively pursue additional market share in Latin America, exporters will also be directing much of their attention to Asia, particularly China, as Latin American markets are not large enough to absorb the incremental additions in US capacity. High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) market report comprises key factor which can be useful for any new player in the industry. It is possible due to comparative analysis and overview that is provided in the report. By focusing on all the details in the report, it is more than enough for any newcomers entering the industry so that they can get a better knowledge and study the market before making any strategic decision. Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with Sales, Sales, revenue, Market Share (%) and Growth Rate (%) of product in these regions, from 2017 to 2024 (forecast), covering United States, North America (Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa), RoW (Rest of World). To know more about this report: https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/global-high-density-polyethylene-hdpe-market-2019-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2024/?mode=BRG10 There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) market: Chapter 1, to describe High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) Market Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force; Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of High-density Polyethylene (HDPE), with sales, revenue, and price of High-density Polyethylene (HDPE), in 2016 and 2017; Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017; Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) Market, for each region, from 2013 to 2019; Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions; Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2013 to 2019; Chapter 12, High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) Market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2019 to 2024; Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) Market sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source Avail Discount for this report at: https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/ask-for-discount/?rid=37036&mode=BRG10 About Verified Market Reports Verified Market Reports is part of the Verified Market Research which offers premium reports from over hundreds of top publishers worldwide. It has the most widespread collection of market research reports, analysis & forecast data for businesses and governments. We update and improve our repository routinely to deliver instant online access to the world's most comprehensive and current database of expert insights. Contact Us: sales@verifiedmarketreports.com | +1 (704) 266-3234 Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Ice-cream and frozen dessert belongs to frozen food industry. Ice-cream and frozen dessert are primarily consumed after meal or served as a refreshment and can be enjoyed between the meal courses. Ice-cream and frozen dessert are mainly made up of milk and cream, and often combined with fruits, nuts and flavours. Rising consumer disposable income coupled with increasing inclination of people towards sweet dishes is expected drive the growth of Ice-cream and frozen dessert market across the globe. Ice-cream and Frozen Dessert Market Segmentation Ice-cream and frozen dessert market is segmented on the basis of types includes regular Ice-cream and low fat ice-cream. Among both of these segment regular Ice-cream is expected occupy the major contribution on the pie. However low fat ice cream is predicted to account for healthy CAGR in next five to six years. Shifting consumer preferences towards consumption of healthy food is expected to support the demand of low fat Ice-cream in the near future. On the basis of type frozen desserts segmentation includes sherbet, frozen yoghurt, frozen ice, frozen tofu and others. Among all of these segments frozen yoghurt is expected to be the major contributor in terms of revenue followed by sherbet. Introduction of frozen yoghurt in various flavour and in innovative packaging is attracting children a lot which is expected to fuel the growth of frozen yoghurt in the near future. Request Report Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-912 Ice-cream and frozen dessert market is segmented on the basis of end user which includes household and hotel/restaurant/cafe. Among both of these two segments hotel/restaurant/cafe is expected to account for major share in terms of revenue contribution. Rising consumer preferences for outside dining coupled with increasing inclination of teenager towards the consumption of frozen food is expected to support the demand of ice-cream and frozen desserts market during the forecast period. Moreover, household is expected to show a substantial growth in the near future. Increasing availability of ice-cream and frozen dessert in packaged form and in variants for household consumption is expected to support its growth during the forecast period. Geographically, North America is expected to be the major contributor in terms of value followed by Europe. However, these region is predicted to be a mature market and is expected to show a stable growth in the near future. Introduction of new variant in flavours coupled with offering low fat products may fuel the growth of Ice-cream and frozen dessert market in these region. In developing countries of Asia Pacific region, China is expected to dominate the market in terms of Ice-cream and frozen dessert consumption followed by India. Moreover Japan is expected to show a substantial growth during the forecast period. Increasing consumption of flavoured yoghurt especially in countries such as China and Japan is predicted to support the growth of ice-cream and frozen dessert market across Asia Pacific region during forecast period. Ice-cream and Frozen Dessert Market Drivers Rising disposable income coupled with shifting consumer eating habits is expected to drive the demand of Ice-cream and frozen dessert in the near future. Moreover, increasing availability of flavoured yoghurt especially in developing region is predicted to be major factor supporting the growth of Ice-cream and frozen dessert market during the forecast period. Ask The Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/ice-cream-and-frozen-dessert-market#engage_analyst Ice-cream and Frozen Dessert Key Players Some of the major players operating in ice cream and frozen dessert market includes Baskin-Robbins, Nestle SA, Unilever, Danone Groupe SA, Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings Inc., Cielo USA, Kraft Foods Group Inc. among others. Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Isoprene Monomer or 2-methyl-1, 3-butadiene, is a common organic compound with the formula CH2=C(CH3)CH=CH2. In its pure form, it is a colorless volatile liquid. The Isoprene Monomer industry concentration is high; there are no more than 20 manufacturers that take the majority share in the whole industry, and mainly distributed in Europe, US and Japan. In the world wide, giant manufactures mainly distribute in Russia and United States such as Nizhnekamskneftekhim, Sibur, Synthez-Kauchuk and Goodyear Chemical. Most company have one or two plants, usually in domestic area. Also, there are international companies set up factories in other countries too, such as Shell has a plant in United States. Many companies developed their own production line to produce market products such as synthetic rubber, rather than sale Isoprene Monomer to other companies. All manufacturers in the world are committed to the improvement of product. Many companies developed their own technology to produce Isoprene Monomer. Russia companies like Togliattikauchuk applies Dehydrogenation method, due to the low production of natural rubber. C5 fraction extraction method is usually applied by American and Chinese companies, which is also related to the petroleum refinery situation in these areas. For the past 5 years, some Chinese manufacturers have deeply researched about the technology of producing Isoprene Monomer, to meet the increasing demand in rubber industry in domestic area since 2010. The production of Isoprene Monomer is increasing in the past years, while the price of Isoprene Monomer is in fluctuation. The price of Isoprene monomer is forecasted to increase at rate of 1%~3%, due to the increasing of crude oil price and tightening of natural rubber supply in the coming years. As the application of Isoprene Monomer is increasing in both synthetic rubber industry and fine chemical industry, the demand of Isoprene Monomer would increase continuously in the future, and the increase would be more modest. The global Isoprene Monomer market was 2330 million US$ in 2018 and is expected to 3480 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.9% between 2019 and 2025. This report studies the Isoprene Monomer market size (value and volume) by players, regions, product types and end industries, history data 2014-2018 and forecast data 2019-2025; This report also studies the global market competition landscape, market drivers and trends, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. Get PDF Version of this Report at https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1087184/global-isoprene-monomer-market Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Isoprene Monomer 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 Nizhnekamskneftekhim Sibur Synthez-Kauchuk Shell JSR Goodyear Chemical Kuraray ZEON CORPORATION SINOPEC Jinhai Chenguang Zibo Luhua Hongjin New Material Shandong Yuhuang Chemical Kaixin Yikesi Yuangang Petrochemical By the product type, the market is primarily split into Polymerization Grade Chemical Grade By the end users/application, this report covers the following segments IR SIS IIR Benefits of Purchasing QY Research Report Analyst Support: Get you query resolved from our expert analysts before and after purchasing the report Customer's Satisfaction: Our expert team will assist with all your research needs and customize the report Inimitable Expertise: Analysts will provide deep insights about the reports Assured Quality: We focus on the quality and accuracy of the report Get Full Report Now At https://www.qyresearch.com/settlement/pre/befb8c6357d1560c71860949fd6c1abf,0,1,Global%20Isoprene%20Monomer%20Market%20Report,%20History%20and%20Forecast%202014-2025,%20Breakdown%20Data%20by%20Manufacturers,%20Key%20Regions,%20Types%20and%20Application About QYResearch QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in consulting industry. Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- L-cysteine is a proteinogenic amino acid contributing to building protein and includes the element sulphur. It can be synthesised in the human liver and is therefore not an essential amino acid. While L-cysteine hydrochloride is a less popular supplementalform of the amino acid L-cysteine. Currently, there are several companies in the world can produce l-cysteine product, mainly concentrate in China. The main market players are Wacker, Nippon Rika, Ajinomoto, Ningbo Zhenhai Haide Biochem, etc. The production of l-cysteine increased from 12187 Tonnes in 2011 to 14066 Tonnes in 2015, with an average growth rate of 3.72%. Global l-cysteine capacity utilization rate remained at around 83% in 2015. In consumption market, the growth rate of global consumption is smooth relatively with the 3.56% of average growth rate. China and Europe are still the mainly consumption regions due to the advanced production technology and rapid development of economy. L-cysteine product can be classified into two types: L- Cysteine and L-Cysteine Hydrochloride. L-Cysteine Hydrochloride is widely used in food industry, while L- Cysteine mainly used in pharmaceutical industry. Survey results showed that l-cysteine take 32% of the market. Currently, there are two kinds of commonly used production process of l-cysteine. It includes chemical synthesis and biological fermentation. Due to the different process, the major raw materials for l-cysteine are different. On the global market, supply of raw materials is full. Fluctuations in the price of the upstream product will impact on the production cost of l-cysteine industry. We tend to believe this industry is a mature industry, and the consumption increasing degree will show a smooth growth curve. For product prices, the slow downward trend in recent years will maintain in the future as competition intensifies. Besides, prices gap between different brands will go narrowing gradually. Also, there will be fluctuation in gross margin. The global L- Cysteine and Its Hydrochloride market was 570 million US$ in 2018 and is expected to 630 million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 1.2% between 2019 and 2025. This report studies the L- Cysteine and Its Hydrochloride market size (value and volume) by players, regions, product types and end industries, history data 2014-2018 and forecast data 2019-2025; This report also studies the global market competition landscape, market drivers and trends, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. Get PDF Version of this Report at https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1087467/global-l-cysteine-and-its-hydrochloride-market Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of L- Cysteine and Its Hydrochloride 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 Wacker Nippon Rika Ajinomoto Bachem Ningbo Zhenhai Haide Biochem Wuhan Grand Hoyo Wuxi Bikang Donboo Amino Acid Huaheng Biologgical Technology Shine Star (Hubei) Biological Engineering Bafeng Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals Ningbo Haishuo Biotechnology Premium Ingredient Longteng Biotechnology Haitian Amino Acid By the product type, the market is primarily split into L-Cysteine L-Cysteine Hydrochloride By the end users/application, this report covers the following segments Food Pharmaceutical Industry Cosmetics Industry Benefits of Purchasing QY Research Report Analyst Support: Get you query resolved from our expert analysts before and after purchasing the report Customer's Satisfaction: Our expert team will assist with all your research needs and customize the report Inimitable Expertise: Analysts will provide deep insights about the reports Assured Quality: We focus on the quality and accuracy of the report Get Full Report Now At https://www.qyresearch.com/settlement/pre/52cc1ec15842acddd824f7ec876ca653,0,1,Global%20L-%20Cysteine%20and%20Its%20Hydrochloride%20Market%20Report,%20History%20and%20Forecast%202014-2025,%20Breakdown%20Data%20by%20Manufacturers,%20Key%20Regions,%20Types%20and%20Application About QYResearch QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become the brand of quality assurance in consulting industry. Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- According to a recent market report published by Future Market Insights titled, 'Lab Automation Market Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20172027', the global lab automation market is expected to be valued at US$ 1,219.4 Mn in 2017, and is expected to register a CAGR of 9.6% from 2017 to 2027. Lab automation is increasingly being installed by various end users such as pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and diagnostic centers, educational institutions, contract research organizations (CROs), and research institutes. There has been an increase in the usage of lab automation components in hospitals and diagnostic centers, due to an increase in the demand for biochemistry devices. Dynamics of the Global Lab Automation Market Increasing incidences of life threatening diseases and injuries have led to increasing diagnostics procedures, worldwide. It is estimated that, the direct and indirect costs of diagnosis will increase over a period of time. The rising research and development activities in the field of molecular and genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, and immunology have also boosted the demand for accurate and cost saving facilities. To develop cost-effective and cost-efficient medical devices and lab automation services, various governments in developed countries are actively funding R&D activities. For instance, the New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia, has provided a medical devices fund of around US$ 8.0 million in 2017-2018 to help encourage and support investments in the development and commercialization of medical devices, related technologies, and services. Favourable government policies for start-ups enable companies to develop cost-effective healthcare solutions in the lab automation market. Over the last few years, government authorities in Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa are encouraging start-up companies as well as MNCs to boost industrial growth in the healthcare and medical device industries. Major players in the in-vitro diagnostics market can capitalize on the economies of scale to strengthen their position in the market. Request to View Sample of Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-394 For instance, India, a developing country in the Asia Pacific region, has announced new policies for attracting MNCs as well as start-up companies across domains, including medical device manufacturing. According to the policies, start-up companies in India are exempt from tax for the first three years after establishment, and patent protection costs are subsidized. Thus, favourable government policies in developing countries are expected to drive overall the lab automation devices and services market. However, the complex integration of lab tools hinders the demand for lab automation solutions. Lab professionals are focusing on the better utilization of test tools, consolidating various resources and deploying effective lab tools across all platforms. Interconnecting various platforms across the lab is a very critical task, and needs advanced PR-PR open-source high-level robot programming language as a cross-platform laboratory automation system, which may lead to complexity and a variety of test configurations, and restrain the growth of the lab automation market over the forecast period. Global Lab Automation Market: Segmentation & Analysis On the basis of component, the global lab automation market is segmented into devices and software. Further, the devices segment has been segmented into six categories biochemistry devices, molecular devices, hematology devices, immunology devices, microbiology devices, and others. The software segment is bifurcated into two segments scheduling software and momentum integration software. On the basis of application, the lab automation market is segmented into life sciences research & development, drug-discovery, and diagnostics, in terms of revenue share. The life Sciences R&D segment dominated the global lab automation market in 2017, and is expected to do so throughout the forecast period. The diagnostics application segment is anticipated to expand at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. On the basis of end user, the global lab automation market is segmented into pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and diagnostic centers, educational institutions, contract research organizations (CROs), and research institutes. The hospitals and diagnostic centers segment currently accounts for the highest revenue share in the lab automation market, due to the increasing usage of automation devices in hospitals and diagnostic centers in developed countries. This lab automation market report also covers trends that drive each segment, and offers analysis and insights regarding the potential of the lab automation market in regions such as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Middle East & Africa, and Japan. Among these regions, the North American lab automation market is projected to exhibit relatively high growth in the global lab automation market, with a CAGR 10.6% over the forecast period. Revenue from the lab automation market in North America is estimated to account for over 37.1% of the global lab automation market revenue in 2016. Lab automation solution providers can focus on expanding across several countries in North America, such as the U.S. and Canada. Need more information about Report methodology @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-394 Global Lab Automation Market: Key Players Some of the key competitors in the lab automation market are Abbott Laboratories, Agilent Technologies, Perkin Elmer, Inc, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc, Siemens Healthcare, Danaher Corporation, Becton, Dickinson and Company, and Transcriptic, Inc. These key players are constantly focusing on product innovation and geographical expansions to sustain their market presence and increase revenue generation by developing various types of solutions and delivering outstanding offerings to several end users. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/24/2019 -- According to the new market research report "Machine Control System Market by Type (Total Stations, Global Navigation Satellite Systems, Laser Scanners, Sensors), Equipment (Excavators, Loaders, Graders, Dozers, Scrapers, Paving Systems), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Machine Control System market is expected to grow from USD 4.5 billion in 2019 to USD 6.6 billion by 2024-growing at a CAGR of 8.16%. Major factors driving the machine control system market growth are the elimination of the need for bulk earthworks set out and survey pegging using machine control systems and the need for faster work and more efficiency during tighter timelines. However, high initial investment and a dearth of technical expertise are the factors that hinder the market growth. Rising demand for machine-guided technologies in emerging economies in APAC create opportunities for market players, whereas maintaining reliability and accuracy of data offered by machine control systems based on GNNS technology is a major challenge for these market players. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=62579001 In Terms of Equipment Type, Excavators are Expected to Hold Largest Size for Machine Control System Market Excavators are used for several purposes, such as digging, material handling, forestry work, demolition, general grading, mining, and snow removal. The movements of the excavator are accomplished by hydraulic fluids, cylinders, and motors. They are used to dig big chunks of dirt at one go, which speeds up the work and saves valuable time and costs. Nowadays, along with excavators, additional attachments such as grapple and auger are offered in the market; thus, the usage of excavators has widened beyond excavation. These attachments can be attached quickly due to which the utilization of excavators has increased on the field or work site. The market for excavators is largely driven by its benefit of faster, more precise, and more efficient. Gnss-Based Machine Control System Is Expected to Grow at Highest CAGR During Forecast Period A GNSS receiver determines a location using positioning and timing data encoded in signals. GNSS is used in ground mapping, transportation, machine control, precision agriculture, timing, construction, mining, unmanned vehicles, surveying, and defence. GNSS technology is installed in equipment such as bulldozers, excavators, graders, pavers, and other farm machinery to increase productivity and provide situational awareness to field operators. They help increase the efficiency and accuracy of machines; GNSS is used in task management, data management, and theft detection applications. The information obtained by GNSS can be used to position the cutting edge of a blade (on a bulldozer or grader) or a bucket (excavator) and compare the position against a 3D digital design to compute cut and fill amounts. Display systems provide the operator with the visual cut and fill information through a display or light bar; the operator then manually moves the machine's blade or bucket to get accurate positioning of the site. In APAC, China is Largest Contributor for Machine Control System Market in Terms of Market Share China is expected to be the largest contributor of machine control system market in APAC region, during the forecast period. The Chinese government supports the development of infrastructural projects such as East China and the QinghaiTibet railway and the Tibetan Expressway, which is a major factor that propels the growth of the machine control system market. Many foreign excavator manufacturers have entered into the Chinese market via joint venture agreements. Well-known manufacturers such as Caterpillar (US), Terex (US), and Komatsu (Japan) have their presence in the country. China is investing heavily in infrastructure development through its One Belt One Road (OBOR) project, linking China and Europe through Central and Western Asia. This investment in the construction industry would boost the machine control system market growth. Moreover, rapid urbanization in China and development of new cities are the major factors surging the demand for construction equipment, which, in turn, is likely to increase the demand for machine control systems in the next few years. Browse in-depth TOC on "Machine Control System Market" 64 Tables 42 Figures 150 Pages Request Sample pages of the Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=62579001 Topcon (Japan), Trimble (US), Hexagon (Sweden), MOBA Mobile Automation (Germany), Hemisphere GNSS (US) and Eos Positioning Systems (US) are a few major players in the machine control system market. About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Metallic Stearate Market should surpass USD 7 Billion by 2024; according to a new research report. Rising demand from diverse end use industries are anticipated to drive metallic stearate market growth. Zinc, calcium, aluminum, and magnesium are most commonly used stearates. They are of high commercial importance owing to their lubricating, gelling, stabilizing and water repellence properties. They are produced using vegetable oils which is an organic raw material. Metallic stearate market from polymer application is estimated to surpass USD 1.5 billion in 2024 owing to increasing demand from Asia-Pacific region, as it is a hub for polymers & rubbers processing industry. These products are used in fiberglass reinforced polyesters, polyolefin, polystyrene phenolic resins & compounds, and PVC. Growing polymer industry is expected to lead to an increase in metallic stearates demand. Request for a sample copy of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2866 Metallic stearates are derived from industrial grade of stearic acid, and is prepared through two methods, reaction of metal oxides with molten fatty acids and double decomposition method. Volatile raw material prices including vegetable oils and petrochemicals along with rising incidences of toxicity and hazards associated with production might hinder industry growth. Recent development of using bio-based products with increasing focus on R&D concerning product innovation should generate lucrative opportunities for product. Metallic stearate market from cosmetic industry application should surpass USD 1 billion owing to its inherent characteristics of colour stability, binding ability, versatility, and thickening. The hydrophobic nature of the product helps powder form from absorbing water and thus from forming agglomerates. These products are used in lip colors, eyeliners, shampoos, sun protective lotions, ointments. Dosage used are relatively low ranging from 0.05 to 1%. These properties enhance shelf life of products which in turn should boost market growth. Metallic stearate market from rubber industry would have significant gains up to 4.5 % in the projected timeframe. They are utilized as mold release agents, acid scavengers, and lubricants which enhances the surface of rubber product. Dry metallic stearates have usage as release agents for rubber, as they avoid it from sticking to mold which should propel industry size. China zinc stearate market will witness gains at over 7.5% during projected period which can be attributed to extensive regional presence of polymer, paints & coatings and rubber manufacturing companies. Rising per capita income along with government support for bio-based manufacturing should further strengthen regional industry growth. Make an inquiry for buying this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2866 Germany aluminum stearate industry should generate revenues up to USD 65 million by 2024. This growth in can be ascribed to presence of strict ecological protection policies accompanied by growing consumer awareness. Existence of major producers in region and their striding drive for product revolution would strengthen regional industry growth. Global metallic stearate market share is moderately fragmented and highly competitive with key manufacturers including PMC Biogenix, Baerlocher GmbH, Sinwon Chemical, Dover Corporation, Allan and Valtris Chemicals. Companies focus in expanding their marketing network by evolving strategic alliances through mergers & acquisition, partnership and joint ventures. Rising investment in R&D by manufacturers for product innovation also strengthens market penetrability. 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. Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Myocardial infarction, generally called as heart attack is characterized by reduced blood supply to the heart muscles, primarily due to coronary artery disease. According to American Heart Association (AHA), every year around 17.3 Mn people die of heart diseases worldwide, with myocardial infarction being the leading cause of death. In 2012, British Heart Foundation reported 73,680 deaths in United Kingdom due to coronary heart disease. Mortality from acute myocardial infarction can be decreased if patient receives the emergency access to the treatment. The global cardiovascular treatment market generated a revenue of 170 Bn in 2010 and is expected to expand drastically over the forecast period of 2016-2026. Multitude of products available for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction with different indications include Zorprin, Plavix, Angiomax, Diovan, Lovenox, Aggrastat, NitroStat, Benicar and many more. Myocardial Infarction Therapeutics Market: Drivers and Restraints Increasing incidence of coronary artery disease and changes in lifestyle are the major factors expected to drive the growth of global myocardial infarction therapeutics market. Increasing number of smokers, increasing incidence of obesity and blood pressures, lack of exercise can be some other reasons likely to flourish the global myocardial infarction therapeutics market over the forecast period of 2016-2026. WHO findings show that the death rate due to cardiovascular diseases is more in smokers than that in non-smokers. Whereas, saturation in R&D can be the major restraint for the growth of global myocardial infarction therapeutics market. Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1263 Myocardial Infarction Therapeutics Market: Segmentation The global myocardial infarction therapeutics market has been classified on the basis product type, distribution channel and geography. Based on product type, the global myocardial infarction therapeutics market is divided into following: Analgesics Antiplatelet agents Vasodilators Thrombolytics and anti-thrombotic agents Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors ? adrenergic blockers Angiotensin receptor antagonists Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors Based on distribution channel, the global blood canner treatment market is divided into following: Hospitals Hospital Pharmacies Drug Stores Online drug stores Myocardial Infarction Therapeutics Market: Overview Analgesics and antiplatelet agents' segments are foreseen to hold more share in global myocardial infarction therapeutics market as these agents are used for initial treatment of an acute myocardial infarction. Amongst sales channels, hospital pharmacy segment is expected to contribute more into global myocardial infarction therapeutics market. The global myocardial infarction therapeutics market is foreseen to experience the boost in market volume over the forecast period due to the launch of several new products such as Apixaban, Xarelto and introduction of generic drugs after expiration of patents for Crestor and Benicar. Myocardial Infarction Therapeutics Market: Regional Overview Geographically, the global myocardial infarction terapeutic market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America will continue to take leading position in global myocardial infarction therapeutic market owing to expanding aging population and prevalence of co-morbidities. The expiry of blockbuster drugs in European market is likely to deter the segment share in global myocardial infarction therapeutics market. Japan is expected to experience the stagnancy in global myocardial infarction therapeutics market, in part due to saturation in R&D. Request to View TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1263 Myocardial Infarction Therapeutics Market: Key Players Some of the key players in global myocardial infarction therapeutics market are Novartis N.V., Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, AstraZeneca, Apotex Inc., Sandoz, Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc., Mylan N.V., Pfizer Inc. Edison , NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- NEV (New Energy Vehicle) taxi, also known as an electric taxi are the vehicles that are used as taxis, which are either fully or partially powered by electricity. It can provide power from the battery and can also recycle the power from vehicle putting on the brake. Moreover, it is manufactured to meets the idea of new energy vehicles and societal need. Further, Government support in the form of incentives as well as subsidies has been contributory in driving the uptake of NEV taxis. Advance Market Analytics recently introduced NEV Taxi Market study with in-depth overview, describing about the Product / Industry Scope and elaborates market outlook and status to 2024. NEV Taxi Market explores effective study on varied sections of Industry like opportunities, size, growth, technology, demand and trend of high leading players. It also provides market key statistics on the status of manufacturers, a valuable source of guidance, direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Get Free PDF Sample Pages Of NEV Taxi Market Report: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/49211-global-nev-taxi-market Major Key Players in This Report Include, Daimler AG (Germany), AB Volvo (Sweden), Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. (India), Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan), Tesla, Inc. (United States), BYD Auto Co., Ltd (China), Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co Ltd (JAC) (China) and Changan Automobile Co. Ltd (China) The market is fragmented with numerous players. Several Governing bodies in countries have formulated emission regulations and policies in order to curtail the emission level and prompt the shift in preference from existing vehicles to NEVs. Moreover, due to the expansion of the app-based taxi service industry around the world supplemented with the expansion of existing taxi service operators are propelling the growth of the NEV taxi market. Research Analyst at AMA predicts that China Vendors will contribute to the maximum growth of Global NEV Taxi market throughout the predicted period. The market study is being classified by Type (Short Range NEV Taxis and Long Range NEV Taxis), by Application (Company Owned and Individually Owned) and major geographies with country level break-up that includes South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America), Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe), MEA (Middle East, Africa), North America (United States, Canada, Mexico). The research methodology used to estimate and forecast the NEV Taxi Market began with capturing data from the key vendors' revenue and market size of the individual segments through secondary sources, industry associations, and trade journals, such as the World Analytics Association and the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. The bottom-up procedure was employed to arrive at the overall market size of the market from the individual segments. After arriving at the overall market size, the total market was split into several segments and sub segments, which were then verified through primary research by conducting extensive interviews with the key industry personnel, such as Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Vice Presidents (VPs), directors, and executives. The data triangulation and market breakdown procedures were employed to complete the overall market engineering process and arrive at the exact statistics for all the segments and sub segments. For Early Buyers | Get Up to 20% Discount on This Premium Report: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/49211-global-nev-taxi-market Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of NEV Taxi Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the NEV Taxi market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary the basic information of the NEV Taxi Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of the NEV Taxi Chapter 4: Presenting the NEV Taxi 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 NEV Taxi 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, NEV Taxi Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies. Data Sources & Methodology The primary sources involves the industry experts from the NEV Taxi Market including the management organizations, processing organizations, analytics service providers of the industry's value chain. All primary sources were interviewed to gather and authenticate qualitative & quantitative information and determine the future prospects. In the extensive primary research process undertaken for this study, the primary sources Postal Surveys, telephone, Online & Face-to-Face Survey were considered to obtain and verify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this research study. When it comes to secondary sources Company's Annual reports, press Releases, Websites, Investor Presentation, Conference Call transcripts, Webinar, Journals, Regulators, National Customs and Industry Associations were given primary weight-age. For More Information and Customization: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/49211-global-nev-taxi-market Contact Us: Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA 08837 Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218 sales@advancemarketanalytics.com Connect with us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/advance-market-analytics https://www.facebook.com/AMA-Research-Media-LLP-344722399585916 https://twitter.com/amareport Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Oil Field Equipment Market report provides the latest market data along with industry future trends, which keeps tracking of users driving revenue growth rate of oil field equipment market by product (downhole drilling tools, fishing, re-entry, tubular running services, cementing equipment), application (onshore, offshore) market status and outlook of global and major regions, from manufacturers, and end industries. As this report is expected to help key players among the oil field equipment market it includes the five years Industry analysis and the 6 years annual forecast from 2018 to 2024. Some of the prominent participants in the global oil field equipment Market are Eni, FMC Technologies, Aker Solutions, Cameron International, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger Limited, Halliburton, Weatherford International, and National Oilwell Varco Incorporated. For More Details Get FREE Sample Pages of this Research Report@ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/sample-request/1585 Oil Field Equipment Market: Insight An oilfield is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum (crude oil) from below ground. Oilfield equipment including land rigs, offshore rigs, drilling equipment, production equipment, and more in a seamless, worldwide exchange. Oilfield construction depends heavily on oilfield equipment and the construction engineers need to have a complete idea of the equipment they are about to use. Oilfield equipment is often not only large but also in price and repair costs. Oil Field Equipment Market: Drivers and Restrain Technological advancements in oil field equipment for improved recovery and better performance along with high production rate drives the growth of the oil field equipment market. In addition, growth in the oil and gas is anticipated to especially be strong in the developing countries where improving infrastructure will contribute to more drilling activity. Moreover, advancement in drilling techniques is further anticipated to boost the growth of the oil field equipment market. However, some of the oil fields are located far away from the readily available sources of electricity hence before starting to drill there should be enough amount of electricity to power the equipment. This, in turn, is restraining the growth of the oil field equipment market. Furthermore, the prices of crude oil are increasing and the upstream investment is projected to grow significantly and bring several projects online creating several growth opportunities for the key players in the oil field equipment market. Make an Inquiry for Purchasing this Premium Report @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/enquiry/1585 Oil Field Equipment Market: Regional Analysis Among the geographies, North America is the largest oil field equipment market. The growth in the North American region is owing to the high drilling activities to meet the energy demands along with the development of shale gas. Further, as the drilled wells are ready for production, the demand for oilfield equipment is expected to increase. On the other hand, the Mexican government has offered several blocks for exploration in the past few years. China is expected to contribute maximum towards regional industry growth in the future. Other countries including India, Thailand, and Indonesia are also expected to witness high market growth over the forecast period. Report Findings 1. Drivers - Technological Advancements in Oilfield Equipment - Advancement in Drilling Techniques 2. Restraints - Fields Are Located Far Away from the Readily Available Sources of Electricity 3. Opportunities - Increasing Prices of Crude Oil and the Upstream Investment Browse Detailed TOC and Description of this Exclusive Report@ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/energy-mining-infra/global-oil-field-equipment-market Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum at his temporary residence in Beijing, China on Thursday. El-Sisi flew to the Chinese capital for a three-day Belt and Road summit of heads of state on the flagship infrastructure plan which china launched in 2013. The two Arab leaders discussed ways of boosting cooperation between their countries as well as key developments in the region, an Egyptian presidency spokesman said in a statement. During the talks, Al-Maktoum said his country is keen to bolster cooperation with Egypt in order to consolidate peace and stability in the region, the statement quoted him as saying. UAE is one of El-Sisis closest allies in the region. El-sisi is planned to hold a series of bilateral talks with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the summit. Search Keywords: Short link: Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Over the years, preference for valves, particularly automatic functioning valves has been on a rise worldwide. Increasing industrial automation and the need for cutting down the operational cost of manually-operated valves have been triggering the adoption of industrial valves across several industrial verticals. Future Market Insights' recent study on the global industrial valve market projects that by the end of 2017, over 420 Mn pcs. of industrial values will be sold across the globe. Although, the report expects the global industrial valve market to grow at a sluggish place. According to the report, titled "Industrial Valve Market: Global Industry Analysis (20122016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027)," the global market for industrial valves will record global sales of a little over 600 Mn units over the forecast period. The market, which is estimated to reach US$ 59 Bn value by the end of 2017, is poised to showcase a CAGR of 3.7% and bring in US$ 87.6 Bn by 2027-end. In terms of volume, as well, the global industrial valve market is expected to register a 4% CAGR over the forecast period. A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-4162 Global Industrial Valve Market: Key Restraints In North America, new water & wastewater treatment projects are being stalled, which has decline the adoption of industrial valves in this region Listless growth in the US power market has curtailed the need for industrial valves, which play a key role in construction of new power plants Canada's oil rigging activities are facing a decline, which has adversely impacted the sales of industrial valves in this country Declining oil prices, lack of standardisation, and availability of cheaper alternatives, are also common restraints observed in industrial valve markets across several regions. In terms of volume, the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region is expected to exhibit a relatively higher CAGR compared to other regions. The APEJ industrial valve market is expected to exhibit a volume CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period, primarily due to high demand for industrial valves in residential projects. Meanwhile, North America will remain a lucrative market for industrial valves, accounting for more than 30% of global revenues through 2027. Global industrial valve market is also expected to exhibit the highest growth in oil & gas industry. The market value share of industrial valves in oil & gas industry is expected to grow from 32.3% in 2017 to 32.9% in 2027- making it the largest end-user industry in global industrial valves market. In terms of valve function, automatic industrial valves will be in great demand in the global market, and are predicted to bring in revenues worth nearly US$ 30 Bn by 2027-end. With respect to types of valves, gate valve is expected to gain a significant growth in its market value share owing to its demand in wide range of industries. Throughout the forecast period, over 40% of market value will be collectively accounted by global sales of gate valves and globe valves. Request to Browse Report Customization@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-4162 The report also reveals that demand for industrial valves made from stainless steel will gain traction. In 2017 and beyond, over 60% of global industrial valve revenues will be attributed stainless steel and cast steel raw materials. The report further profiles key players in the global industrial valve market which include Flowserve Corporation, Emerson, AVK Holding A/S, KSB Aktiengesellschaft, Zhejiang FuGe Fluid control equipment CO.,LTD., Cameron International Corp., Neway Valve, LESER GmbH & Co. KG Hamburg, CIRCOR International, Inc., KITZ Corporation, ABO valve, Tecofi, Guichon Valves, Robvalve, Polna corp. s.r.o, Gunric Valves (Pty) Ltd, John Mills Valves, Achech Europe, Orion Valves, Exotica Valves. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Global Parks and Recreation Software Market Insights by Application, Product Type, Competitive Landscape & Regional Forecast 2025 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Global Parks and Recreation Software Market. Some of the key players profiled in the study are Daxko (United States) , Corrigo (United States) , MyRec.com (United States) , RecDesk (United States) , EMS Software (United States) , eTrak (United States) , Aluvii (United States) , DASH Platform (United States) , Geographic Technologies Group (United States) and Jarvis (United States). You can get free access to samples from the report here: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1559818-global-parks-and-recreation-software-market-3 Parks and Recreation Software Market Overview: Market Dynamics Market Trend Parks and Recreation Software is playing active role in community health and fitness Market Drivers Increasing demand from the emerging markets Rapid demand for software to plan, manage, and automate event activities throughout of their life cycle Challenges Economic fluctuations in the parks and recreation software Increased deployment costs and requirement of good infrastructure Opportunities The parks and recreation Software offers organisers with maximum control and flexibility Major Market Developments Daxko announced that it acquired Club Automation, a Chicago-based provider of club management software to over 400 facilities. Daxko is already the leading provider of software solutions to the nonprofit and small business segments, serving 10,000 facilities through its Daxko Operations and Zen Planner brands Daxko announced the launch of an integrated facility access solution specifically for member-based health and wellness organizations. To provide the highest quality, most reliable facility access to customers, Daxko has partnered with Brivo, the global leader in cloud-based physical access control and video systems Target Audience Customer self-service software solution vendors , Customer self-service software service providers , CRM software vendors , IT service providers , Consulting service providers , Managed service providers , Companies/organizations/enterprises using customer self-service software solutions and Software developers Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1559818-global-parks-and-recreation-software-market-3 Parks and Recreation Software Market: Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2023 Research study is to define market sizes of various segments & countries in previous years and to forecast the values to the next 5-8 years. The report is designed to comprise each qualitative and quantitative elements of the industry facts including: market share, market size (value and volume 2012-17, and forecast to 2023) with admire to each of the areas and countries concerned inside the examination. Furthermore, the report additionally caters the detailed statistics about the vital elements which includes drivers & restraining factors which will define the future growth of the market. Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows: Historical year 2013-2017 Base year 2018 Forecast period** 2018 to 2023 [** unless otherwise stated] Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players. The designated segments and sub-section of the market are explained below: The Study is segmented by following Product Type: Major applications/end-users industry are as follows: Large Enterprise and SMB Some of the key Manufacturers Involved in the Market are Daxko (United States) , Corrigo (United States) , MyRec.com (United States) , RecDesk (United States) , EMS Software (United States) , eTrak (United States) , Aluvii (United States) , DASH Platform (United States) , Geographic Technologies Group (United States) and Jarvis (United States) Buy this research report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1559818 For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies. If opting for the Global version of Parks and Recreation Software Market analysis is provided for major regions as follows: - North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) - South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.) - Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Key Answers Captured in Study are Which geography would have better demand for product/services? What are the strategies adopted by big players in the regional market? Which country would see the steep rise in CAGR & year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth? What is the current & expected market size in next five years? What is the market feasibility for long term investment? What opportunity the country would offer for existing and new players in the Parks and Recreation Software market? What is risk involved for suppliers in the geography? What factors would drive the demand for the product/service in near future? What is the impact analysis of various factors in the Global Parks and Recreation Software market growth? What are the recent trends in the regional market and how successful they are? Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1559818-global-parks-and-recreation-software-market-3 There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Parks and Recreation Software market. Chapter 1, About Executive Summary to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Global Parks and Recreation Software market, Applications [Large Enterprise and SMB], Market Segment by Regions South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America) , Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) , Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe) , MEA (Middle East, Africa) , North America (United States, Canada, Mexico); Chapter 2, objective of the study. Chapter 3, to display Research methodology and techniques. Chapter 4 and 5, to show the Overall Market Analysis, segmentation analysis, characteristics; Chapter 6 and 7, to show the Market size, share and forecast; Five forces analysis (bargaining Power of buyers/suppliers), Threats to new entrants and market condition; Chapter 8 and 9, to show analysis by regional segmentation[South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America) , Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) , Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe) , MEA (Middle East, Africa) , North America (United States, Canada, Mexico) ], comparison, leading countries and opportunities; Regional Marketing Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis Chapter 10, focus on identifying the key industry influencer's, overview of decision framework accumulated through Industry experts and strategic decision makers; Chapter 11 and 12, Market Trend Analysis, Drivers, Challenges by consumer behaviour, Marketing Channels and demand & supply. Chapter 13 and 14, describe about the vendor landscape (classification and Market Positioning) Chapter 15, deals with Global Parks and Recreation Software Market sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia or Oceania [Australia and New Zealand]. About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- The market intelligence report on the PET Blow Molding Machines market forecasts its growth during the years 2019 to 2026. It examines the market size, share, demand, trends, gross revenue, total earnings and net value after a historical analysis of the data collected from the years 2019 to 2026 while taking 2017 as the base year. The study focuses on the driving factors, restrains and hurdles for the growth of the market. The researcher gives market insights relating to the upcoming areas in the business and the impact of technological innovations on the growth of the market. Request for FREE Sample Copy of PET Blow Molding Machines Market Report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/37080 It sheds light on the major companies that contribute significantly to the global sector. The report studies the presence of these companies in major geographical regions and their individual placement in the worldwide business. It helps in projecting the growth of PET Blow Molding Machines through the years and in predicting its expansion in the forecasted time span. The increase in the demand for the product is boosting the overall production to ensure a smooth functioning demand-supply chain. The research segments the market based on product type, applications and end-use. It profiles the key players of the business and their individual contribution to the global economy. The report focuses on significant investments, business ventures, mergers, acquisitions, collaborations along with the technological developments in the field. It also evaluates the upcoming and niche areas in the business. The researcher aims to offer expert insights related to the industry and the new opportunities available in the market. Scope Of The Report The study aims to provide a forecast of the growth of the PET Blow Molding Machines market by examining the market size, share, demand, trends, and gross revenue of the industry. Further, it provides a competitive analysis and SWOT analysis. The report segments the industry based on product type, application and end-use. It highlights the emerging trends as well as the novel technology that are visible in the market. The research offers a clear look at the trends observed in the market, the contributing factors, major stakeholders, key companies and prime areas that exhibit a potential for growth. In market segmentation by manufacturers, the report covers the following companies- Krones AG, Sidel, SMF Germany, Aoki Technical Laboratory, Inc., ASB International Pvt. Ltd., KHS GmbH, Sipa S.p.A., Bekum America Corporation, Jomar Group, Newamstar Packaging Machinery Co., Ltd., Dongguan Tongsheng Machinery Co., Ltd., Quinko Fujian Machinery Industrial Co., Ltd., Hongkong Tongsheng Group, Zhejiang ZIQIANG Machinery Co., LTD Buy PET Blow Molding Machines Market Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/37080 On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into: - Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) - High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) - Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) - Others 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: - Family - Commercial The report on the PET Blow Molding Machines market employs both primary and secondary research to examine its import and export, demand and supply, consumption power, spending capacity and distribution channel worldwide. The report evaluates the market standing of key manufacturers and sheds light on the strategies they have adopted to stay competitive. The study also applies qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the annual and financial performance of the top vendors and insights from market leaders. Extensive coverage of the recent trends and developments including joint ventures, collaborations, investments, product launches and acquisitions and mergers constitute a substantial part of the research on the PET Blow Molding Machines market for the forecast period from 2019 to 2026. The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What will be the growth rate of the PET Blow Molding Machines market for the forecast period, 2019 to 2026? What will be the market size and the share occupied by the prominent vendors by the estimated period? - What are challenges and threats faced by the prominent vendors operating in the PET Blow Molding Machines market? - Who are the prominent vendors and what has been their business strategy so far to maintain a competitive edge over their competitors? - What are the past, present and emerging trends likely to influence the growth rate of the PET Blow Molding Machines market for the forecast period, 2019 to 2026? - What are the opportunities prominent vendors can bank on to generate more profits during the estimated period? There are 14 chapters to cover the vital aspects of the Global PET Blow Molding Machines Market. The report is distributed over 14 Chapters to display the analysis of the global PET Blow Molding Machines shop market. Chapter 1 covers the PET Blow Molding Machines Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force; Chapter 2 talks about the top manufacturers and analyses their sales, revenue and pricing decisions for the duration 2016 and 2017; Chapter 3 displays the competitive nature of the market by discussing the competition among the top manufacturers. It dissects the market using sales, revenue and market share data for 2016 and 2017; Chapter 4, shows the global market by regions and the proportionate size of each market region based on sales, revenue and market share of PET Blow Molding Machines, for the period 2012- 2017; Continue Read More @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/pet-blow-molding-machines-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web. Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. John Watson Head of Business Development E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com News: https://www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- HTF Market Intelligence released a new research report of 119 pages on title 'Global Pet Drinks Market Insights by Application, Product Type, Competitive Landscape & Regional Forecast 2025 with detailed analysis, forecast and strategies. The study covers key regions that includes United States (California, New York, Virginia, Illinois, New Jersey & Others), United Kingdom (England, Scotland & Others), Germany (Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg & Others), Japan (Tokyo, Hokkaido & Others) & India and important players such as Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, Big Heart Pet Brands, Cargill, Crosswind Industriess, etc. Request a sample report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1549110-global-pet-drinks-market-4 Summary Pet drinks are made by animal and plants which is used for consumption of pet. Pet drinks are available in bottle as well as bags. It is available in various stores such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, pet-specialty stores, vet clinics and others. Growing need of healthy as well as nutritious pet drinks will help to boost global pet drinks market.. The market study is being classified by Type (Bagged and Bottled), by Application (Dog , Cat and Other) and major geographies with country level break-up that includes South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America) , Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) , Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe) , MEA (Middle East, Africa) , North America (United States, Canada, Mexico) . Ainsworth Pet Nutrition (United States) , Big Heart Pet Brands (United States) , Cargill (United States) , Crosswind Industries Inc. (United States) , Evanger's (United States) , Hubbard Feeds (United States) , Life's Abundance (United States) , National Flour Mills (Spain) , Natural Balance Pet Foods (United States) , Rush Direct (United States) and Simmons Pet Food (United States) are some of the key players profiled in the study. Additionally, the Vendors which are also part of the research are Almo Nature (Italy) , Aller Petfood (Denmark) and C.J. Foods (United States). Get Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1549110-global-pet-drinks-market-4 Market Drivers - Growing Need of Healthy As Well As Nutritious Pet Drinks - Increasing Pet Humanization Market Trend - Attraction towards Packaging - Increasing Dependency on Online Retailing Restraints - High Cost of Pet Drinks - Straighten Government Regulations Opportunities Developing Regional Market Market Leaders and their expansionary development strategies On 4th April 2018, The J. M. Smucker Company has acquired Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, LLC (a leading producer, distributor, and marketer of premium pet food and pet snacks, predominately within the United States). The deal was established for 1.7 billion dollar. The pet food industry in North America has been seriously examined by the FDA and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) since the largest pet food recall in 2007, introduced by Menu Foods. This recall highlighted the issue of food safety in gradually globalized food chain, and drove pet food manufacturers and government regulators to improve pet food safety standards and preventive controls. View Detailed Table of Content @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1549110-global-pet-drinks-market-4 Key Target Audience - Pet Drinks Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers - Pet Food Industry - Industry Association - Downstream Vendors - Private Research Institutes - Government Research Institutes - Others Table of Contents 1 Market Overview 1.1 Pet Drinks Introduction 1.2 Market Analysis by Type 1.3 Market Analysis by Applications 1.4 Market Analysis by Regions 2 Manufacturers Profiles 2.1.1 Business Overview 2.1.2 Pet Drinks Type and Applications 2.1.3 Pet Drinks Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017) 3 Global Pet Drinks Market Competition, by Manufacturer 3.1 Global Pet Drinks Sales and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017) 3.2 Global Pet Drinks Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017) 3.3 Global Pet Drinks Price by Manufacturer (2016-2017) 3.4 Market Concentration Rate 3.4.1 Top 3 Pet Drinks Manufacturer Market Share in 2017 3.4.2 Top 5 Pet Drinks Manufacturer Market Share in 2017 3.5 Market Competition Trend ....Continued Buy this report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1549110 Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins consumption is likely to surpass 93.7 thousand tons in 2019, according to Fact.MR's new study. The p olyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins market grew at a 5.3% in 2018, with overall growth driven by, Exponentially rising demand in the automotive industry Major production capacity expansion projects by prominent players Introduction of new grades of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins Indispensable role of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) in multiple demanding applications Engineering thermoplastic polymers have acquired a special position across industries owing to their unique functionalities that accommodate current demand for recyclability and sustainability. Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) fits well in this demand wherein the polymer has replaced metal and other thermosets considerably in multiple applications. Request Sample Report @ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2473 Despite competition from many thermoplastic polyesters and high-performance thermoplastics, the exceptional chemical and heat resistance of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) differentiates the polymer. Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins demand has skyrocketed in past decades, majorly due to buoyancy in the automotive industry post the great recession of 2008. Fact.MR study estimates that the automotive industry registered nearly 49% of the global polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin consumption in 2018. The industry will continue to present significant demand for polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin in the future. In particular, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins will be highly sought-after in electric and hybrid vehicles. For their higher thermal resistance, PPS resins are being incorporated in electric auto parts that run at high temperatures such as lithium-ion batteries, electric motor wires, insulation films and other electric parts. Well aware of the projected demand rise for polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins in the future, prominent manufacturers of PPS resins are actively engaged in expansion of production capacities and introduction of new PPS grade materials. Browse Full Report @ https://www.factmr.com/report/2473/polyphenylene-sulfide-resins-market Industrial Application of PPS Resins to Grow at 6.8% in 2019 Fact.MR shows that consumption of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins in industrial applications is projected to rise rapidly. PPS resins have, to a greater extent, replaced metal alloys, multiple thermoplastics and thermosets in mechanical engineering applications. Introduction of new grades of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins for specific industrial applications is likely to boost the demand for PPS resin in the coming years. The study finds that demand for PPS resins is second largest in the electrical and electronics industry. Owing to their good electrical properties, PPS resins find increasing application in electronic components such as connectors, coils, relay components, sockets of moulded bulbs, switch components, thermostat parts and sensors. Greater China Consumed 40% of the Global Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) Resins in 2018 According to the study, APEJ accounted for nearly 45% of the global polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins in 2018. Major consumption remains consolidated in Greater China which accounted for about 40% of the global PPS resin demand in 2018. China with its largest coal fleet as well as largest number of heavy capacity coal plants present significant demand for PPS filter bags, thereby accounting for a considerable demand for PPS resins. As one of the leading CO2 emitter and coal consumer, China is likely to take efforts in mitigating climate issues in the future, thereby presenting lucrative opportunities for polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins in the future. You can Buy This Report from Here @ https://www.factmr.com/checkout/2473/S Japan, while hosting few of the largest producers of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins, continues to be one of the leading producers globally. The country presents significant consumption as well as exports of PPS resins to global countries. In addition, Japanese manufacturers are actively engaged in regional expansion strategies to establish a strong foothold in potential markets. Fact.MR report tracks the polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins market for the period 2019-2027. According to the report, the polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins market is projected to grow at 6.1% CAGR through 2027. About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us Rohit Bhisey Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Find more popular reports of Chemical & Materials Industry on Fact.MR Research New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/24/2019 -- The study is a professional probe into the revenue generated and capacity estimates for the Security Software market for the forecast period 2019 - 2026 empower the business owners to maintain a competitive edge over their rivals. The research further examines and provides data on the market by type, application and geography interspersed with illustrations and other graphical representations. The market analysis not only determines the attractiveness of the industry but also the evolving challenges and opportunities and their association with the weaknesses and strengths of prominent market leaders. Other factors taken into consideration when studying the industry include profitability, manufacturing capability, distribution channels and industry cost structure and major success factors. Request sample copy of this report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/30910 Leading players of Security Software including: Kaspersky lab, symantec, intel, avast software, microsoft, ibm, emc, check point software technologies, f-secure, cisco systems, mcafee, trendmicro Scope of the Security Software market Based on the Security Software industrial chain, this report mainly elaborate the definition, types, applications and major players of Security Software market in details. Deep analysis about market status (2019-2026), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise products, industry development trends (2019-2026), regional industrial layout characteristics and macroeconomic policies, industrial policy has also be included. From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the Security Software market. Competitive landscape: A new market assessment report on Security Software market brings to light a detailed statistics on the dramatic shift in the competitive landscape and business environment of the Security Software market for the forecast period 2019 - 2026. The comprehensive study offers an overview of the current state of development of the business as well as predicts the course of progress across different regions. A large number of factors including the major driving forces, threats and opportunities are taken into account to present an analytical picture of the industry portrayed in the report. Request sample copy of this report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/30910 Most important types of security software products covered in this report are: - Mobile security software - Consumer security software - Enterprise security software Most widely used downstream fields of security software market covered in this report are: - Banking, financial services and insurance - Retail - Healthcare - Government - Others Market segment by region/country including: - North america (united states, canada and mexico) - Europe (germany, uk, france, italy, russia and spain etc.) - Asia-pacific (china, japan, korea, india, australia and southeast asia etc.) - South america brazil, argentina, colombia and chile etc.) - Middle east & africa (south africa, egypt, nigeria and saudi arabia etc.) Regional analysis: The latest market evaluation report on the Security Software market explores how the Security Software market will continue to expand for the forecast period 2019 - 2026. The study further serves as a unique research for stakeholders, product owners, and field marketing executives looking for actionable data and unique resource on market size, share, and growth. The market intelligence report gives business evangelists an authority to review the major trends, opportunities, and challenges expected to shape the future of the industry during the estimated period. Importantly, the study not only helps spot the major vendors but also their winning strategies. The real-time data accumulated through qualitative and quantitative research technique further help business owners determine where they stand in comparison to their region, country, and product category. In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Security Software are as follows: History year: 2013-2017 Base year: 2017 Estimated year: 2019 Forecast year 2019 to 2026 Buy report@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/30910 The research provides answers to the following key questions: - what will be the size and the growth rate of the Security Software market for the forecast period 2019 - 2026? - what are key drivers believed to shape the future of the market during the estimated period? - what are the prominent industries players dominating the Security Software market during the forecast period? - what are the major trends influencing the development of the industry? - what are the key challenges likely to hinder the progress of the market? - what are major opportunities and threats encountered by the business owners operating in the business vertical? Key elements from toc Chapter 1 Security Software market overview Chapter 2 Security Software market segment analysis by player Chapter 3 Security Software market segment analysis by type Chapter 4 Security Software market segment analysis by application Chapter 5 Security Software market segment analysis by sales channel Chapter 6 Security Software market segment analysis by region Chapter 7 profile of leading Security Software players Chapter 8 upstream and downstream analysis of Security Software Chapter 9 development trend of Security Software (2019-2026) Continue... Get access to full summary of this report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/security-software-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Miami, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- TheVispring Signatory bed is made even better thanks to itscarefully selected materials which include cashmere (the first Vispring luxury bed to feature an entire layer), Shetland Isle wool, and the popular horsehair. Together, these materials make the Signatory a supremely restful mattress. The bed features a dual-layered vanadium wire innerspring support system to provide the utmost body support and comfort. The Signatory features air vents to promote circulation and keep the body cool on warm days. Visit https://www.brickellmattress.com/signatory.html to learn more about the Vispring Signatory mattress. Couples seeking a wonderfully restful bed don't need to look any further than the high-end Vispring Regal Superb. With its reputation for providing a supportive and restful sleep for more than two decades, this is an investment that the body and mind will appreciate for countless years to come. All Vispring mattresses including the Regal Superb are handmade with a custom coil gauge, and the Vispring Regal Superb is the first to incorporate horsetail in its comfort layers. Shetland wool, bonded Platinum Certified British fleece wool, and cotton are among the materials found in the mattress. To learn more about the Vispring Regal Superb, please visit https://www.brickellmattress.com/regal-superb-html.html. About Brickell Mattress Brickell Mattress is devoted to redefining the bed or mattress shopping experience by welcoming clients in a relaxed environment where the focus is ease and assurance. Each specialist has a minimum of five years experience in the industry and is highly trained in providing customers comprehensive information on the science of sleep and mattresses by some of the world's most acclaimed top mattress brands including English luxury bed maker Vispring, Swedish manufacturer Hastens, and Carpe Diem Beds of Sweden. For additional information please call 305-326-4000, check out the website at www.brickellmattress.com or visit Brickell Mattress at 1030 SW 8th Street in the heart of Miami. Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Future Market Insights (FMI) has published a new research report titled "Sulphur Bentonite Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012-2016 and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027." The report states that the global sulphur bentonite market is expected to foresee a lucrative future owing to the rising concerns regarding balanced plant nutrition. A substantial increase in the production of crop and crop yield with the use of sulphur bentonite is anticipated to create traction in the global market in the coming years. According to FMI, the global sulphur bentonite market is expected to witness a CAGR of 5.0% over the course of the forecast period. Sulphur Deficiency in Developing Regions to Boost Demand Growing sulphur deficiency in regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America is driving the demand for sulphur bentonite. Over the recent past, key sulphur consuming countries like China have witnessed relatively slow economic growth. This, coupled with regulations pertaining to the permissible limit of sulphur especially in marine fuel (IMO) among other products is expected to further widen the gap between elemental sulphur production and consumption at a global level. On the Asia Pacific sulphur bentonite market front, a number of researches have verified the advantages of sulphur micronutrients to improve the yield of a number of cereals, crops, pulses, fruits, vegetables, etc. Studies have proved the advantages of sulphur micronutrients to improve the yield of a number of cereals, crops, pulses, fruits, and vegetables. Government subsidies are promoting the use of conventional sulphur based fertilisers such as SSP, Ammonium Phosphate Sulphate (APS), and Ammonium Sulphate (AS). On the other hand, speciality fertilisers such as sulphur bentonite are non-subsidised and are available at premium prices. Moreover, sulphur bentonite is also imported from other countries such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the U.S. Thus, the products are available at a relatively higher price due to import duties and taxes. Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6384 Higher Usage of Sulphur Bentonite Across Different Agricultural Plantations Sulphur bentonite is highly used in harvests such as oilseeds, cereals and crops, fruits and vegetables, and others. Sulphur bentonite is used to increase oil content and to improve yield for major oilseeds including rapeseed, sunflower, groundnut, soybean etc. Sulphur bentonite has also provided excellent results after being used on cereals such as corn, rice, wheat and other crops such as cotton, pulses etc. Among fruits and vegetables, sulphur bentonite is increasingly being used to improve the odour and taste for crops such as onion, ginger, and garlic; and fruits such as citrus fruits, grapes, and oranges The other applications of sulphur bentonite include use in lawns, turf, trees and other recreational activities. Ask Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-the-analyst/rep-gb-6384 Vendors to Explore More Application Areas The need of the hour for the manufacturers of sulphur bentonite is to explore more manufacturing areas and enhance their products to fit these areas. Investment in research and development is the core focus of top market players at present. Some of the companies operating in the market are Tiger-Sul Inc., NEAIS (National Establishment for Agricultural and Industrial Sulphur), H Sulphur Corp., Coromandel International Limited, National Fertilizer Limited, Deepak Fertilizers and Petrochemicals, and Coogee Chemicals Pty Ltd., among others. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Thiosulfate is a tetrahedral molecule found in nature. It is formed by replacing one oxygen in the sulfate ion by sulfur. It is a biochemical process forming an oxyanion of sulfur. Thiosulfate is used in a wide range of applications such as a dechlorinating agent of water, anti-bleaching agent in paper industry, and a fixing agent to dissolve unchanged silver salts from exposed negatives in photography. It is also used for extracting silver from ores in the textile industry, chrome tanning, etc. Read Report Overview @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/thiosulfate-market.html Thiosulfate is helpful for protein synthesis in the human body. It plays a vital role in the biosynthesis of cysteine that locks proteins into their correct three-dimensional shapes. Furthermore, it converts cyanide ions into harmless products. It is widely used as an antidote against cyanide poisoning owing to this property. Thiosulfate compounds such as sodium thiosulfates also have wide applications such as an analytical reagent for iodometric titrations for chlorine, sulfide, and bromine analysis; bleaching agent of paper pulp, straw, ivory and bones; mordant in dyeing and printing textiles; etc. Thiosulfate is formed in hot springs and geysers and is available in small quantities. Usage of thiosulfate as a leaching agent, an alternative method for cyanidation, involves consumption of thiosulfate in large quantities. Availability of thiosulfate in small quantities poses a major hindrance to its usage and gives rise to the need for substitutes. Based on its application in end-use industries, the thiosulfate market can be segmented into agriculture, medical, photography, paper & pulp industry, water treatment, and silver extraction. The thiosulfate market is dominated by the medical industry, followed by the water treatment industry. This trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period on account of increase in demand for water treatment services from countries such as China, India, Indonesia, etc. in the Asia Pacific region. Also, the medical industry is anticipated to grow considerably in Asia Pacific and Latin America in the years to come. Thus, the thiosulfate market is projected to expand significantly during the forecast period. Request to view Sample Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=30203 In terms of geography, the thiosulfate market can be categorized into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is estimated to dominate the thiosulfate market during the forecast period, due to the expansion of end-user industries in the region. Rise in population and awareness of well-being has boosted the demand for water treatment and clean water services in the region in the past few years. Rapid industrialization in countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam has increased water pollution, thereby, giving rise to the demand for water treatment services. These factors are fuelling the growth of water treatment industry in the region. Furthermore, growth in the medical industry is anticipated to drive the thiosulfate industry in the region. Major players in the thiosulfate market include CheMall Corporation, Pan Chem Corporation, Esseco SRL, GFS Chemicals Inc., Galactic SA, Mil-Spec Industries Corp., Allan Chemical Corp., Noah Technologies Corporation, Dastech International Inc., Cell Mark USA LLC, Prochem Inc., Wego Chemicals & Mineral Corp., Calabrian Corporation, Southern Ionics, D.B. Western Inc., Samirian Chemicals Inc., Ampak Chemicals Inc., Skyhawk Chemicals Inc., KRONOX Lab Sciences Pvt. Ltd. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- Global Ride Sharing Market Insights by Application, Product Type, Competitive Landscape & Regional Forecast 2025 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Global Ride Sharing Market. Some of the key players profiled in the study are Uber Technologies Inc. (United States) , ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (OLA) (India) , Lyft (United States) , Grab (Singapore) , Careem (Dubai) , Taxify OU (Estonia) , Gett (Israel) , Beijing Xiaoju Technology Co (China) , BlaBlaCar (France) and Wingz (United States). You can get free access to samples from the report here: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1521710-global-ride-sharing-market-1 Ride Sharing Market Overview: Market Dynamics Market Trend - Attraction towards Autonomous Vehicles - Extension into Bike and Scooter-Sharing - Marketing and Promotional Offers Market Drivers - Adoption of On Demand Transportation Service - Increasing Dependency on Internet and Smart Phone - Up Surging Demand of Share Rides with Other Person - Rising Employment Opportunity Challenges - Strict Government Regulations Opportunities - Ride Sharing Generate Lucrative Opportunities in Rural Areas in Emerging Country - Technological Advancement Major Market Developments On 25th November 2018, Uber, leading on-demand ride-sharing company has launched Uber Care in India, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive platform for thousands of driver partners who choose to drive using the Uber App. This platform offers easy access to term insurance with HDFC life insurance, family health insurance with reliance insurance company. Target Audience Sharing Cars Service Provider , Potential Investors , Transportation Industry , Government Bodies , Government and Private Research Centre and Others Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1521710-global-ride-sharing-market-1 Ride Sharing Market: Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2023 Research study is to define market sizes of various segments & countries in previous years and to forecast the values to the next 5-8 years. The report is designed to comprise each qualitative and quantitative elements of the industry facts including: market share, market size (value and volume 2012-17, and forecast to 2023) with admire to each of the areas and countries concerned inside the examination. Furthermore, the report additionally caters the detailed statistics about the vital elements which includes drivers & restraining factors which will define the future growth of the market. Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows: Historical year 2013-2017 Base year 2018 Forecast period** 2018 to 2023 [** unless otherwise stated] Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players. The designated segments and sub-section of the market are explained below: The Study is segmented by following Product Type: Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) and Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEV) Major applications/end-users industry are as follows: Institutional and Personal Some of the key Manufacturers Involved in the Market are Uber Technologies Inc. (United States) , ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (OLA) (India) , Lyft (United States) , Grab (Singapore) , Careem (Dubai) , Taxify OU (Estonia) , Gett (Israel) , Beijing Xiaoju Technology Co (China) , BlaBlaCar (France) and Wingz (United States) Buy this research report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1521710 For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies. If opting for the Global version of Ride Sharing Market analysis is provided for major regions as follows: - North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) - South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.) - Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Key Answers Captured in Study are Which geography would have better demand for product/services? What are the strategies adopted by big players in the regional market? Which country would see the steep rise in CAGR & year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth? What is the current & expected market size in next five years? What is the market feasibility for long term investment? What opportunity the country would offer for existing and new players in the Ride Sharing market? What is risk involved for suppliers in the geography? What factors would drive the demand for the product/service in near future? What is the impact analysis of various factors in the Global Ride Sharing market growth? What are the recent trends in the regional market and how successful they are? Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1521710-global-ride-sharing-market-1 There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Ride Sharing market. Chapter 1, About Executive Summary to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Global Ride Sharing market, Applications [Institutional and Personal], Market Segment by Regions South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America) , Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific) , Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Spain, Estonia, Rest of Europe) , MEA (Middle East, Africa) , North America (United States, Canada, Mexico); Chapter 2, objective of the study. Chapter 3, to display Research methodology and techniques. Chapter 4 and 5, to show the Overall Market Analysis, segmentation analysis, characteristics; Chapter 6 and 7, to show the Market size, share and forecast; Five forces analysis (bargaining Power of buyers/suppliers), Threats to new entrants and market condition; Chapter 8 and 9, to show analysis by regional segmentation[South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America) , Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific) , Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Spain, Estonia, Rest of Europe) , MEA (Middle East, Africa) , North America (United States, Canada, Mexico) ], comparison, leading countries and opportunities; Regional Marketing Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis Chapter 10, focus on identifying the key industry influencer's, overview of decision framework accumulated through Industry experts and strategic decision makers; Chapter 11 and 12, Market Trend Analysis, Drivers, Challenges by consumer behaviour, Marketing Channels and demand & supply. Chapter 13 and 14, describe about the vendor landscape (classification and Market Positioning) Chapter 15, deals with Global Ride Sharing Market sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia or Oceania [Australia and New Zealand]. About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". Egypt is banning regular syringes and moving exclusively to using self-destruct ones next year, the health ministry has said. Regular syringes can be used more than once, leading to the spread of a number of infectious diseases. But smart or auto-destruct syringes have features that prevent re-use by causing the plunger to break after one use or retracting the needle at the end of the injection so it cannot be used again. The decision by health minister Hala Zayed, planned to come into effect in June 2020, is designed to curb the spread of contagious diseases, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. It is also a bid to maintain the favourable outcomes of Egypts extensive campaign to detect and treat Hepatitis C which aims to eliminate the disease by 2022, it added. The move means Egypt will need an average of 2 billion self-destruct syringes annually and will have to work on its strategic reserves of the item, the ministry said More than two million people were infected with diseases including HIV and hepatitis C in 2010 due to the use of unsafe injection, according to date released by WHO in 2015. Egypts decision comes amid a move by WHO urging countries to transition to the exclusive use of the smart syringes by 2020. Search Keywords: Short link: Two new species of the bird genus Zosterops (white-eyes) have been discovered in the forests of the Wakatobi Archipelago, Sulawesi, Indonesia. White-eyes as a group have spread and speciated more rapidly than any other birds. They are adaptable, feeding on a wide variety of fruits, flowers and insects. These birds are also supreme island colonisers, which is why so many different white-eye species have evolved so rapidly, as different island populations become isolated and split off from their source population. The two new white-eye species named the Wakatobi white-eye and the Wangi-wangi white-eye follow this trend; they are both found on the Wakatobi Islands. The Wakatobi white-eye, also known as Zosterops chloris flavissimus, has been caught up in the species debate for some time, as ideas about how to define a species changed from the early 20th century to the current day. The Wangi-wangi white-eye remained unnoticed until the beginning of the 21st century when a team of researchers from Trinity College Dublin, Halu Oleo University and Operation Wallacea visited the island from which it takes its name. These discoveries are not just of evolutionary interest they will also be of real conservation relevance, said Trinity College Dublins Dr. Darren OConnell. By highlighting the unique species special to the Wakatobi Islands we can help safeguard the remaining habitats on the islands, which are under huge pressure. We ultimately hope to have the islands recognized as an Endemic Bird Area so that they receive more conservation support. The Wakatobi white-eye is found throughout the Wakatobi Islands and split from its mainland relatives in the last 800,000 years. In contrast, the Wangi-wangi white-eye is a much older species found on only one tiny island, with its closest relatives found more than 1,800 miles (3,000 km) away. To find two new species from the same genus of birds in the same island is remarkable, said team leader Professor Nicola Marples, also from Trinity College Dublin. The Wangi-wangi white-eye is a particularly special discovery, as it is found on only one tiny island and its closest relatives live more than 1,800 miles away. Wakatobi and Wangi-wangi white-eyes are described in a paper published this week online in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. _____ Darren P. OConnell et al. A sympatric pair of undescribed white-eye species (Aves: Zosteropidae: Zosterops) with different origins. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, published online April 23, 2019; doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz022 Palestinians have often been accused of rushing to US-prepared negotiating tables that lacked frameworks that respected the established principles of the Palestinian cause and the historic rights of the Palestinian people, such as the right of return for Palestinian refugees and East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state. This time is different. Ramallah is not willing to deal with the plan prepared by US President Donald Trumps senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner and US Mideast Envoy Jason Greenblatt. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made this explicit during his visit to Cairo this week to take part in an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers and to meet President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi. According to sources in Cairo, Abbas is not just acting pre-emptively before the US plan is revealed in detail. He has begun to prepare the steps he will take after he formally declares his rejection of the plan when it is officially proposed two months from now, as Kushner said it would be. In his speech in the emergency Arab ministers meeting, Abbas stressed the need for a safety net as he expects the US to impose sanctions when he rejects the plan. Some US officials have already hinted at this scenario. Major General Mohamed Ibrahim, who was formerly in charge of the Palestinian desk at the Egyptian General Intelligence, believes that it would have been wiser for Abbas to wait until the plan was unveiled as this would enable the formulation of a more comprehensive stance. Ibrahim pointed out that when Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayeh said that the plan would be stillborn, Greenblatt rebuked him for condemning a plan he hadnt seen yet. Greenblatts message was intended to reach others, Ibrahim added. However, Ibrahim also believes that the policies of the current US administration may have pushed Abbas into taking this stance. Referring to Abbas by his nom de guerre, he said, Abu Mazen always used to see the US administration as a full partner. At the time when Ehud Olmert was prime minister, [former US secretary of state] Condoleezza Rice went into considerable detail on the issues of concern. In the Obama era, President Abu Mazen told me that when he met Obama when he was running for president he had felt that he had been speaking with a fellow Palestinian rather than a potential US president. Ibrahim said that presidents Bill Clinton, George H W Bush and George W Bush had shown similar levels of understanding in Madrid, Oslo, Wye River, Camp David II and other such processes. But now, since the outset of the Trump era, Washington has taken the opposite course as could be seen in Kushners and Greenblatts first tours of this region and in the recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. On top of this came Washingtons stance towards UNWRA which gave a negative signal with regard to the question of the refugees. In other words, the US has acted pre-emptively on certain final status issues. In addition, there is its obvious bias in favour of [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu as evidenced in its successive gifts to him and support for him during the elections. According to Ibrahim, recent developments and leaks suggest that a broader Arab rejection of the plan is beginning to coalesce. Jordan has begun to show resistance to the plan. Despite good US-Jordanian relations and Jordans need for the US, Amman fears that reactions to the plan will generate instability in the region. Cairo prefers to wait until the plan is officially announced before declaring its position, but it has reiterated its commitment to the essential principles of the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people. But the Palestinian affairs expert also predicted that an ultra-right wing government will be formed in Israel and that it would probably refuse to make the necessary concessions. Therefore, the rejection will come from the Israeli side and they will be responsible for the plans failure. On the nature of the plan itself, Major General Ibrahim holds that if it is exclusively an economic peace, as some rumours have suggested, it would be unlikely to work. The plan needs to address the political concerns that are central to the Palestinian cause. Sinai is not part of the plan, according to Greenblatt. On 19 April, he tweeted: Hearing reports our plan includes the concept that we will give a portion of Sinai [which is Egypts] to Gaza. False. Please dont believe everything you read. Surprising and sad to see how people who dont know whats in the plan make up and spread fake stories. Said Okasha, director of the Israeli Studies Unit at the Egyptian Centre for Strategic Studies, told Al-Ahram Weekly, Some days ago, Greenblatt began to respond to speculation and rumours. At first, he didnt do that. This means that the plan is complete and waiting for Netanyahu to form his government. Okasha added that he believes that there had been no written plan until recently. There was a concept being formulated and it included Sinai. But in the end, Sinai will not be in the plan, he said. I cant imagine that anyone in Egypt could have approved of such a notion without putting his career at risk and without triggering a wave of instability in Egypt, Okasha said, adding that the US also realises that the military establishment in Egypt would strongly oppose it. Egypts national borders are something sacred in Egypt. Egypt stretches beyond its borders; it does not shrink inside them. Also, consider what Sinai symbolises to the military establishment and to the Egyptian people. Another military expert also believes that Sinai had originally been included in the plan. I think that their concept had initially included the notion of a statelet in Gaza that would be expanded at Egypts expense. However, the US team realised that such a notion would be impossible to achieve and, therefore, dropped it when it was no longer an option. THE PLANS PROSPECTS In an interview with The Atlantic on 19 April, outgoing French ambassador to the US Gerard Araud assessed the prospects of the Kushner plan: [I]t will be a proposal very close to what the Israelis want. Is it doomed to fail? I should say 99 per cent yes, but one per cent, you never forget the one per cent. Trump is uniquely able to push the Israelis, because he is so popular in Israel. According to Araud, Kushner does not know the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict but he is extremely smart and so rational, but also so pro-Israeli. Araud, who admits being close to Kushner, told The Atlantic that the White House strategy rests on three factors, the first being Trumps popularity in Israel. He is more popular than [Benyamin] Netanyahu in Israel, so the Israelis trust him. Thats the first bet, Kushner told me. The second factor is that the Palestinians may consider it is their last chance to get limited sovereignty and the third element is that Kushner is going to pour money on the Palestinians. However, Araud adds, the problem is that the disproportion of power is such between the two sides that the strongest may conclude that they have no interest to make concessions. Will it be an opportunity lost for the Palestinians if they reject the plan or a last chance according to Kushners logic as related by Araud? Sources in Cairo wonder what chance can there be if it is so detached from the basic issues. Sobhi Asila, editor-in-chief of Mukhtarat Israiliya (Israeli Selections), published by Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, told the Weekly that there is not just a Palestinian rejection but a mobilisation of rejection. This is what Abu Mazen was doing at the emergency meeting at the Arab League. This position, in itself, could be a kind of pressure card. An indication of this is that Greenblatt has begun to speak not so much of a deal but of a plan that will be proposed for negotiation. This wasnt the case before. Were therefore moving from generalities and absolutes to the realm of negotiations over a fully-fledged plan with concrete features. Asila agrees with the conjectures that the plan has undergone numerous changes at various stages in its formation, the exclusion of the Sinai option being one of the changes. He also thinks that economic pressures are part of the plan. Washingtons decision to cut funding to UNWRA and the Israeli governments decision to withhold tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority, for example, are intended to compel Palestinians to approve a plan that will pour money on them and finance the reconstruction of Gaza. Okasha believes that the US will use the last chance card as another means to pressure the Palestinians. Trump will say, we made you a proposal and you refused. If hes re-elected, no one in his administration will bring up the subject of negotiations again. Hell shut the doors. It will probably also be hard to ensure that certain issues, such as Israeli settlements, will remain on the negotiating table. In 1978, when Egypt initiated the negotiations, there were about 7,000 settlers. Today, there are more than 700,000. Abu Mazen will be offered part of the West Bank now. Later on, he might not find even that. He might even be surprised by a US recognition of an Israeli annexation should he reject the plan. Will the opportunity be to avert the US threat and its repercussions in the event of a Palestinian rejection? We will see. So, what will be offered to the Palestinians? According to reports from a meeting that Kushner held with 100 diplomats and according to an Arab source who had met Greenblatt and Kushner during their Middle East tour, there definitely is a written plan and it is over 50 pages long and therefore contains a lot to talk about. But despite this, the central idea that needs to be discussed is whether the financial advantages surpass all other aspects from the Palestinian perspective, the Arab source said, adding that Washington is banking on a regional solution and an economic peace. In the opinion of Major General Ibrahim what is on offer for the Palestinians so far is not enough. Trump does not see the PA or Palestinian principles as we do or even from the perspective of previous US administrations. But in the end, the plan cannot be forcibly executed and there will certainly be negotiations. As they say, you can force a war on us, but you cant force a settlement on us. I believe Trump is governed by a businessmans mentality and the group around him complies with him. *A version of this article appears in print in the 25 April, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: It's not the end until it's the end. Search Keywords: Short link: The new world expedition ship is on an 18-day sold-out maiden voyage through the Indonesian Archipelago tracing Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who mapped the coastlines of New Zealand, New Guinea and northern Australia in the 17th century. Darwin awaits arrival As reported previously, there will be a welcome ceremony in Darwin when Coral Adventurer arrives on May 12. That evening she will sail on a 10-night Wildlife and Warriors voyage through West Papua before returning to Darwin where she will operate a Kimberley season from May until October. Guests enjoyed didgeridoo At her christening in Singapore guests enjoyed Australian food and wine and were entertained by indigenous performer David Hudson who played the didgeridoo. They were also taken on a sunset cruise to experience first-hand the new ship, which has an observation lounge located on the bridge and dual Xplorer tenders both trademarks of Coral Expeditions. Bright future It has been a rewarding journey from the initial conception of Coral Adventurer to now seeing her embark on open waters, gm Mark Fifield said. The future of Coral Adventurer is bright with unique itineraries planned to showcase her capabilities for extended expeditions in remote areas. For years, Hurtigruten travelers have contributed to the communities and areas where the company operates. 'We established Hurtigruten Foundation to ensure that our guests of tomorrow can enjoy the same unique experiences as our guests of today,' Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said. 'Working closely with guests, partners and organizations, Hurtigruten believes we can make a difference by minimizing our operational impact and maximizing the positive contribution we make to local communities.' Three focus areas The foundation focuses on three main areas: conserving the worlds polar bear population, the fight against marine and plastic pollution and global and local projects at the over 200 destinations in more than 30 countries Hurtigruten ships visit. Hurtigruten Foundation is funded by direct donations and several on-board initiatives, including auctions, fund-raisers, and the 'Green Stay' program, where a donation is made for every night the passenger asks for the cabin not to be cleaned saving energy, power, detergent and water. Hurtigruten Foundation also spans activities on board and ashore, such as beach clean-ups, citizen science, water sampling, oil spill monitoring and other science-related projects. Projects supported in 2018 included the Norwegian Polar Institute (Troms) for research on the Arctic polar bear population and Polar Permaculture (Svalbard, Norway) to produce farm fresh, nutritious vegetables, microgreens, sprouts and quail eggs for the community with the future aim of producing enough food for the entire town of Longyearbyen and processing all of the communitys organic and biological waste. Foreningen Grnlandske brn (Greenland) helps vulnerable children in Greenland, where one-third of youngsters grow up in families with social issues. Eco Pantao (Pantao, Philippines) aims to help solve the plastic problem plaguing the Philippines and other countries. Challenges of Antarctica involves Swede Greta Jodal and Norwegian Kathrine Kirkevaag's expedition to the South Pole in 2019/20 to raise awareness about the enormous challenges the continent is facing. For Hearts in the Ice (Svalbard), Norwegian Hilde Falun Strm and Canadian Sunniva Sorby are spending nine months in the remote wilderness, collecting scientific material and raising awareness about climate change. Further support went to The Polar Citizen Science Collective (Antarctica), Svalbard turn/Aktiv i friluft (an art project involving children and plastic waste), Disco Arts Festival 2019 (Oqaatsut and Ilulissat, Greenland), The Plastic Crab (Avery, Norway) and rsta Nringskontor (Urke, Norway) to establish a new hiking shelter. Other supported projects include Nordkapp og omegn turlag to maintain a public path at the North Cape to protect the natural environment, South Georgia Heritage Trust to conserve and protect indigenous fauna and flora and Norwegian Rescue Dogs (Svalbard). To apply for grants Twice a year, the Hurtigruten Foundation board issues grants. Applications can be made here. The deadlines to apply are May 1 and Nov. 1. With the new agreements increasing the groups liquidity by $150m, Peninsula said its global liquidity is now over $700m including its Singapore facilities. Peninsula said it has received strong support from its existing European banks including RBS, BNP Paribas, Santander, Societe Generale and HSBC, all of which have recommitted at higher ticket sizes. In addition, Lloyds Bank has joined as a new participant bank to Peninsulas facility, which now totals $350m, an increase of $100m. The bunker supplier said expanded facility would help support the companys growth plans in the expected higher fuel price environment from January 2020 under the IMO sulphur cap regulation. Read more: Peninsula Petroleum to start new bunker operations in Malta We are also pleased to see Lloyds join the European syndicate and UniCredit providing financing solutions for our inventory locations. Peninsulas transition into a global, integrated bunker supplier is more relevant than ever in the context of 2020 and the opportunities it brings for our worldwide platform, said John A. Bassadone, ceo of Peninsula. We look to the future with enhanced optimism and confidence alongside out banking partners, he added. This article is part of State of Health, a series examining health disparities, how they affect Michigan's children and seniors, and the innovative solutions being developed to address them. It is made possible with funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. Countless children want to be a doctor when they grow up. But Micah Foster says that for many children of color, "that belief wanes" by fourth, fifth, or sixth grade. "By the time junior and high school comes they can no longer see themselves in those positions," says Foster, executive director of the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute (GRAAHI). He says that's due to a variety of factors, including socioeconomic factors that make higher education prohibitive, underutilization of afterschool programs, lack of social support, and a fear of not belonging. And in many cases it leads not only to a lack of diversity in the healthcare field, but poorer health outcomes for patients of color. An oft-cited study by the Institute of Medicine notes that patients of color tend to receive lower quality of care than white patients, regardless of their health insurance coverage. Yesenia Murillo, health equity and cultural competency training coordinator for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), says that's often due to caregivers' implicit biases. "We have set certain expectations of fields and individuals who work in certain fields to be impartial or to act in unbiased ways," Murillo says. "But we don't understand sometimes what those things are. We don't understand more profoundly how our brain operates and how it is socially conditioned to have certain categorizations and generalization of group memberships." As a result, several Michigan initiatives are working to increase the diversity of the future healthcare workforce, something Foster describes as necessary to improve the healthcare system for everyone. "There can sometimes be an inaccurate picture that if one boat gets raised the other boats have to get lowered," Foster says. "We are saying that by having a diverse workforce all boats get lifted at the same time." Diversifying the pipeline Foster and his colleagues at GRAAHI are working to achieve healthcare parity for African-Americans through education, advocacy, research, and community work. Foster says there is a lack of knowledge of how to perform in the educational settings required to succeed in healthcare. He says schools usually do well in providing remedial services to students, but such programs are underutilized by students of color. "Creating a social or societal norm that does not put a stigma on utilizing those services is important for first-generation students or those interested in pursuing a healthcare degree," he says. "You are operating outside of your cultural norm." Micah Foster. For the past year, GRAAHI has been involved in a planning grant called "Pathways to Careers in Healthcare," in partnership with numerous Grand Rapids-area schools, higher education institutions, and employers. "We have all sat around the table to discuss the entire pipeline and how do we diversify the pipeline," Foster says. "We need more students entering healthcare programs. We need colleges shuttling those students ... through their healthcare curriculum. And we need employers to hire as those students come out." Foster references a long-term study the University of Southern California conducted on how to diversify faculty on a university campus. He says the most effective and sustainable long-term method found was recruiting recent graduates and alumni to become adjunct professors and then participate in structured mentoring with senior faculty for retention. He says GRAAHI is considering a similar model for the healthcare system. GRAAHI's next step is to design an initiative that will address barriers to increase the number of students of color progressing through healthcare degree programs and ultimately being hired as clinicians in West Michigan. "What we need in the field is a critical mass, an infusion of a large number of students of color on this educational track ultimately getting employed to shift the paradigm," Foster says. Developing future leaders The University of Michigan's (U-M) Future Public Health Leaders Program (FPHLP) is one successful model for nurturing diverse healthcare professionals. It is one of several university programs across the nation funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program. Roughly 40 students participate annually in the 10-week summer program, which is open to undergrads studying in any field anywhere in the U.S. Students of color and economically disadvantaged students are strongly encouraged to apply. Students receive a stipend to cover living costs during the program, and housing and travel costs are also covered. "The CDC is funding us to help increase workforce diversity," says FPHLP program director Dana Thomas. "The belief is, and the research shows, that people of different communities, whether people of color, LGBT, (or) people who are disabled, are likely to go back to their communities and work and advocate." Dana Thomas. Thomas says if the number of underrepresented young people going into public health can be increased intentionally, there can be a greater overall impact in under-resourced communities. "(Public health professionals) are concerned about everyone," says Thomas. "Our approaches are group approaches. So when we talk about equity, which is different than equality, equity is about making sure communities and populations have what they need. It may not be equal because it may not need to be equal. It is meeting people where they are." Thomas says a key part of the program is giving students the opportunity to think and process important topics together. Immigration and deportation were two main topics for FPHLP's 2018 session. Thomas recalls one session led by a Latino faculty member, in which a Latino student started crying. "It overwhelmed her to see someone who she could relate to being in that role," Thomas says. Students become mentors Sade Richardson's experience as a FPHLP student was key to shaping her journey into a healthcare career. Richardson immigrated to America from Trinidad and Tobago. She discovered FPHLP in her search for a low-cost summer internship while attending the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. Richardson says her FPHLP mentors were influential in her life. One of her mentors in the program had dual master's degrees in social work and public health. Richardson received the same dual master's degrees from U-M in April 2018. She completed an internship at YOUR Center in Flint during the program, which greatly impacted her decision to pursue a career in health. At the center, she learned about equity in health and the environment. "The world is a diverse place. America is a melting pot of different cultures, different ethnicities, races, and a whole bunch of other diversity," Richardson says. "It is unfair to have a country that is so diverse and not have that kind of representation in the workforce when you're thinking about how to address issues that affect different populations." Sade Richardson. After graduation, Richardson began working at Altarum, an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit health research and consulting organization which aims to advance health for vulnerable populations. This summer her role with FPHLP will come full circle, as she becomes a mentor for the program herself. "Working in the States gives me the opportunity to make sure we all have equal access to health," says Richardson. "To me (health equity) is a human right. It is not something that should be a privilege. We should all be able to access it if we want it, or even if we don't want it." Afaf Humayun is a reporter, poet, artist, and activist who works to preserve and expand the future of the humanities while staying engaged on issues of inclusion. You can find some of her writings at The Keel Port Huron and The Arab American News. She lives in Ypsilanti. Micah Foster photo courtesy of Micah Foster. All other photos by Doug Coombe The 2019 Michigan Invention Convention is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. Later in May, The Henry Ford will host the National Invention Convention. The events feature the innovations and inventions of students in grades K through 12. Its a contest that not only showcases students problem-solving skills but also their problem-identification skills. Students are allowed to invent whatever they want, devising real-world solutions to problems in their everyday lives. Thats why Howell calls it a-head-and-a-heart event. Howell, Chief Learning Officer and Director of Learning and Engagement at The Henry Ford, is both an engineer, the head, and an educator, the heart. "There are a lot of logical reasons that we do this, but watching the conversations and questions come out of the kids, its a powerful moment," Howell says. This is the second year that the museum will be hosting the events. Its the beginning of what promises to be a long-standing tradition. The Henry Ford is now the official home of the National Invention Convention, an event that will return to the museum, year after year. For a museum with the phrase American Innovation in its title, its a partnership that only makes sense. The next generation of inventors will be showcasing their ideas amidst those of the countrys most storied and celebrated inventors. "Its really exciting that the national competition is going to be here from now and hereon into the future. For The Henry Ford, we can continue to recognize and cultivate those inspirational moments. Henry Ford started this organization as the Edison Institute to inspire learning and hosting this competition is the current manifestation of that. Were carrying the responsibility passed on to us," Howell says. "For Dearborn, one of the centers of innovation in the world, it helps to recognize that this is still true. These stories help us unleash and elevate, and to remind the world that we continue to be that." Nearly 200 students from fourteen schools across Michigan will gather at the statewide competition to showcase their inventions, which can include actual physical prototypes as well as drawings, renderings, and programs. Students will show their design journals and tell their invention stories, from the birth of the idea to its execution. They will have a display board, akin to what can be found at a school's science fair. Students will then give a three-minute product pitch. The competition tests innovation skills but also communication and entrepreneurial skills, too. Winners of each level will then be entered into the national contest, which draws competitors from across the country. "We often underestimate what kids are able to do and these events will blow your mind," Howell says. "Youll be inspired by what inspires them." What inspires students spans all disciplines, she says. The 115 inventions scheduled for the floor of the 2019 Michigan Invention Convention are the result of students daily lives. Theyre not just solving puzzles put in front of them. Theyre finding the puzzles to solve. Just like the people found in the halls of the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. "Problem identification has a very real life and personal connections. We get to see the problems through their eyes, get what matters to them. Theyre passionate because they engaged in it," Howell says. "At The Henry Ford, we recognize the resourcefulness, ingenuity, and innovation of America and Americans. That is our founding principle." Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith. Winners of the 7th annual Macomb Business Awards were announced this week, with the awards celebrating companies that range from innovative manufacturers to senior centers and pickle makers. More than 450 business leaders from across the region attended the annual award ceremony in Sterling Heights yesterday. Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel joined Vicky Rad, director of the Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development, to recognize award winners while Mark Ostach, the events keynote speaker, discussed digital health and well-being. The Model of OneMacomb award this year went to the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Southeast Michigan for its work over the last 25 years caring for low-income, chronically ill seniors. PACE aims to help seniors remain independent and engaged in the community and opened a center in Warren in 2015 when a study showed that Macomb County had a high concentration of seniors who could benefit from its services. This year the group opened a center in Sterling Heights. Rad says PACE make a significant impact in the community. This work is in line with the mission of our OneMacomb initiative and very much deserving of this Macomb Business Award recognition. The Champion of Work and Life Integration award went to Godlan, Inc., a Clinton Township manufacturing services company that has been in operation since 1984. With two locations and more than 60 employees, it implements hundreds of enterprise manufacturing systems and performs countless data conversions while simultaneously committing to quality of life for each of its team members. CARE of Southeastern Michigan took out the Corporate Citizen award for its work in strengthening resiliency in people and their communities through prevention, education, and services that improve quality of life. CARE is a nonprofit organization with a 42-year history of serving the residents of Macomb County. Each year, the organization impacts the lives of 40,000 people in southeast Michigan by providing person-centered care that ensures each individuals unique needs are met and their defined success is achieved. Drake Enterprises was awarded the sought-after Manufacturer of the Year prize, for its work creating machined parts for major OEMs in the heavy truck, agriculture and automotive markets. The company was founded in 1952 by Benny Stemple and today is run by his two grandsons, Nathan and Keith Stemple. The Hidden Gem award this year went to family-owned Great Lakes Pickling Company, while international business L&L Products claimed the award for Trailblazer of Future Talent and Economic Development Partner of the Year went to Macomb Intermediate School District. Read more articles by Kate Roff. Kate Roff is an Kate Roff is an award-winning freelance writer and journalism educator, currently based out of Detroit. She is the managing editor of Metromode and Model D . Contact her at kroff@issuemediagroup.com Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi held talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday in Beijing, where they discussed economic and investment cooperation between the two countries in addition to a number of other issues, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement. El-Sisi arrived on Wednesday in Chinas capital at the invitation of the Chinese president to attend the Belt and Road summit, which is being attending by a number of heads of state. According to the statement, the two leaders discussed ways to support the Belt and Road initiative in the Arab world and Africa, especially during Egypts chairmanship of the African Union in 2019. President El-Sisi stressed the importance of the Belt and Road initiative, especially since it aimed to boost development to realise the aspirations of people around the world to achieve stability and prosperity. This is the sixth visit by El-Sisi to China in five years. El-Sisi also said he looks forward to seeing the Chinese government take more steps to encourage Egyptian non-oil exports to the Chinese market to close the gap in the balance of trade between the two countries. The Chinese president praised the recent achievements made in development and megaprojects in Egypt as well as the countrys economic reforms. President Xi also praised the progress made in achieving security and stability in Egypt, adding that Chinese companies have been encouraged to work in Egypt due to the promising investment opportunities. The talks also involved a number of issues related to Egyptian-Chinese relations in different fields, including economic, commercial, investment and security relations. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of reaching political solutions to the conflicts in the Middle East region. Meanwhile, in an interview with MENA news agency on Thursday, China's ambassador to Cairo Song Aiguo said that Egypt is an important country in the Belt and Road intiative and plays an important role in boosting regional economic cooperation. Search Keywords: Short link: For more than two years, the dog-loving denizens of Milford have been in talks with the Oakland County village to establish a dog park there. Now that work is closer to paying off. The village has partnered with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to help raise funds for the dog park with help from the states Public Spaces Community Places initiative. As part of the placemaking program, a crowdfunding campaign has been launched on the Michigan-based Patronicity platform. Should Milford Dog Park successfully raise $20,000 by May 31, 2019, the MEDC will contribute a $20,000 matching grant. "This project has been a few years in the making--starting with an idea proposed by one of our local residents," says Christian Wuerth, village manager of Milford. "The opportunity to participate in the MEDCs Public Spaces Community Places Program is a huge boost to the project and will help turn this idea into a reality. We are grateful for the support of the MEDC." Money raised through the crowdfunding campaign will be used to build and maintain the Milford Dog Park. Located near the Milford Trail, the dog park will feature a large dog area, a small dog area, dog waste receptacles, and picnic tables and benches. The crowdfunding campaign offers rewards to donors with each varying depending on the size of the donation. A $10 donation earns the donor a Facebook thank you note, while a $1,500 donor will see their name inscribed on a donor recognition plaque on a park bench. "Creating an engaging public amenity that brings the community together is key to great placemaking," says Dan Gilmartin, CEO and executive director of the Michigan Municipal League. "This dog park will enhance the appeal of the Milford area for years to come." Follow the Milford Dog Park crowdfunding campaign online. Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith. This weekend Model D is co-sponsoring an IdeaLab event called ReImagining Equitable Development that will mark the conclusion of our Equitable Development series. It's certain to be a timely gathering, especially with all the dialogue happening around community benefits in Detroit right now. Earlier this month, Henry Ford Health System signed a privately negotiated letter of understanding with the West Grand Boulevard Collaborative laying out a series of community benefits linked to the construction of the new $155 million Brigitte Harrison Cancer Pavilion being built in Detroit near I-94 and the boulevard. The provisions outlined in the document include place-based workforce development, truck routes that follow West Grand Boulevard's 'No Trucks' ban during construction, and mitigations and remedies to deal with negative impacts to people and the environment. Beyond that, Fiat Chrysler's plans to build a new factory on Detroit's west side are also likely fall under the scope of Detroit's community benefits ordinance. It's no secret that new investment has been pouring into the Motor City in recent years. Model D launched our Equitable Development series last year to encourage productive dialogue about this new wave of development and its relationship with local residents and stakeholders. We kicked off the series this past August with an article looking at why equitable development is needed in Detroit and exploring the benefits of engaging with community to ensure that revitalization efforts are worthwhile for residents and other stakeholders. Model D followed that up with stories on topics like how community benefits efforts have been conducted here and in other communities, strategies for improving community engagement, and efforts to establish a more just local development ecosystem. In tandem with these stories, we've also partnered with Doing Development Differently in Metro Detroit to hold a series of panel events exploring issues like developer margins, jobs in Detroit, community land trusts and community control, and gentrification in Detroit. A summary of takeaways from those events can be found here. Our final IdeaLab event in this series, Reimagining Equitable Development, will be taking place Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Marygrove College's Madame Cadillac Hall. Participants can expect an a day of workshops, presentations and interactive activities geared towards teaching effective strategies for negotiating community benefits. The day's keynote speech will be given by John Goldstein, founder of Coalitions, Campaigns and Community Benefits (COCACOM), a national network of 1,000 activists from local community benefit coalitions. John has a lifetime of experience bringing together diverse constituencies in powerful coalitions that enhance the outcomes of development projects. Other featured panelists include: Lauren Hood, founding director, Live6 Alliance; Sheila Cockrel, CEO, Citizen Detroit; Tosha Tabron, SVP, Lending, Invest Detroit; and Byron Osbern, business representative, IBEW Local 58. You can register for the event here. Community organization with 4 or more people who register earn a chance to win a special gift! If you have questions, you can e-mail Chrishelle Griffin at equitable-development@metrodetroitd4.org or contact her over the phone at (313) 986-1726. This article is part of our Equitable Development series, in partnership with Doing Development Differently in Metro Detroit, where we explore issues and stories on growing Detroit in a way that allows people from all races, classes, and abilities to participate and benefit. Read more articles in the series here. Support for this series is provided by the Knight Foundation, Knight Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Photo by Steve Koss. Space has always captured the human imagination, inspired new discoveries, and fueled a desire for exploration. In our modern era, no other space effort has sparked curious minds of all ages like NASAs Apollo program.The Apollo Program landed a dozen astronauts on the Moon, beginning with Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969. The mission achieved an ambitious goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961 after Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space on April 12, 1961. Gagarins space flight put the Soviet Union ahead of the United States in the "space race," heightening the rivalry between the two Cold War nations. In an address to Congress, Kennedy famously said, "We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."Fifty years may seem like a long time ago, and Michigan may seem like a long way from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but the truth is that in 2019 our state is vital to the aerospace industry. A 2018 assessment by Price Waterhouse Coopers revealed that Michigan is ranked among the top 10 states in aerospace manufacturing attractiveness. Michigan received high marks in a number of categories important to aerospace manufacturers including labor, infrastructure, industry, economy, costs and tax policy. According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan is home to more than 600 aerospace-related companies."The category of education is critical not only for companies trying to meet todays demands, but in ensuring tomorrows workforce can help build the next generation of more efficient, sustainable aircraft," the Price Waterhouse Coopers assessment states. "An educated, technology-savvy, and diversified workforce is essential for maintaining US competitiveness in commercial aviation manufacturing."This issue is especially important for Michigan. Across our region, were faced with an anticipated shortage in the future STEM workforce. How can we maintain our reputation as a mecca for aerospace engineering and manufacturing while also preparing todays students for careers in the industry?As NASA and other organizations prepare to celebrate Apollo 11s 50th anniversary, the Michigan Science Center hopes to use this milestone as a catalyst to empower the next generation of astronauts, engineers, programmers, and physicists right here in southeast Michigan. In 2018, more than 40,000 students visited the Michigan Science Center and nearly 40 percent of those students received financial support from the museums Sponsors of Science program for underserved schools. In addition, more than 55,000 students experienced the Michigan Science Center programming in their own classrooms through the Traveling Science program and the new ECHO Distance Learning program. Its a solid start to keeping the STEM spark alive and the work will continue in 2019.After all, a new era in space exploration is just beginning. NASAs Moon to Mars program is perhaps the most famous of these initiatives. This program will return humans to the moon and eventually send them to Mars. NASA also has plans to explore new areas of space, conduct experiments on the International Space Station, build high-tech aircraft, develop cutting-edge technologies and advance earth science. And, there is a place for Michigan companies and workers in each of these efforts.Just as they were in 1969, curious minds today are continuing to explore important questions about our universe. Questions such as how does the universe work? How did we get here? Are we alone? These questions will be answered by the next generation, and it is up to todays educators to prepare them. Lets help them get there as we reflect on the incredible achievements of the past and prepare for the next giant leap.All throughout 2019, the Michigan Science Center will celebrate space with a variety of activities and events including World Space Party on April 12 and an Apollo 11 anniversary event on July 20. Learn more at Mi-Sci.org The article is part of a series, supported by the Michigan Science Center , exploring key regional issues in science over the next five years. Read more articles from this series and others from our collaboration with the Michigan Science Center here Press Release April 25, 2019 Angara renews call for Mandatory Disaster Risk Education in Primary Schools To foster a culture of preparedness among Filipinos, reelectionist Senator Sonny Angara renewed his call to make disaster risk education mandatory in the curriculum of primary schools to improve the young learners' understanding of preparedness and response, as well as hone their readiness in dealing with natural calamities. "Since we live in a country where earthquakes and typhoons are very common, it is imperative that every Filipino is equipped with the basic understanding and knowledge of disaster preparedness and response," Angara said. He added: "We can start by teaching our children how to prepare for and respond to different types of calamities. We have to produce a generation that knows how to deal with threats posed by natural disasters and climate change." Angara's proposal to require disaster awareness and mitigation education in primary schools formed part of Senate Bill 1994 which he filed last year. The bill primarily seeks to create the Department of Disaster Resilience-a single, independent and permanent government agency devoted to disaster management and resilience. The provision on mandatory disaster risk education in SB 1994 expands the present law, Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, which mandates the integration of disaster risk and management education in the curriculum of secondary and tertiary levels of education, including the National Service Training Program or NSTP. The lawmaker from Aurora, who is running under the platform "Alagang Angara," suggested that the lesson plans to be developed should focus on "preparedness skills" children can integrate easily into their lifestyles and share with their families. "The preparedness skills training in the classroom must be designed in such a way that children will develop a sense of responsibility to share with their family members whatever knowledge they acquired about disaster preparedness and response," he pointed out. "This will give our children confidence, a sense of control, and turns them into self-advocates for disaster preparedness," he added. Angara said disaster planning is a must for a disaster-prone country like the Philippines, which sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Tropical Cyclone Belt. Based on the 2016 World Risk Index, the Philippines ranked third in terms of vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change. Every year, the country experiences almost all forms of natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and landslides. Last Monday, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake jolted parts of Luzon, leaving at least 16 people dead and more than a hundred injured, and critical infrastructures damaged. This was followed by another powerful temblor, with a magnitude of 6.5, in the Visayas on Tuesday, and a magnitude 4.7 quake in Mindanao on Wednesday. Following the Luzon earthquake, Angara pushed for the immediate passage of his bill creating the Department of Disaster Resilience that will oversee a comprehensive and coordinated strategy in managing natural disasters, with the main goal of saving lives and minimizing damage to property. He also called on local government units (LGUs) to spend their local disaster funds wisely by prioritizing disaster planning and risk management, saying such move is more proactive and cost-effective in terms of disaster response. To prevent casualties and damages during calamities, Angara said LGUs should implement precautionary measures like strict enforcement of the building code, limiting developments in disaster-prone areas, and identification of relocation and evacuation sites. "These steps should lessen the impact of future disasters. It doesn't prevent earthquakes and extreme weather events, but it makes us more resilient to those impacts," Angara said. Sen. Bam: DA, DTI must look into rise in sugar prices Re-electionist Sen. Bam Aquino asked concerned agencies to stop the blame game and immediately address the rising cost of sugar despite the stable supply in the market and low millgate prices. According to Sen. Bam, the Department of Agriculture (DA) must look into the accusation made by Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) officials that manipulation is behind the increase in sugar prices in the wholesale and retail levels. Also, Sen. Bam said the Department of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) should activate the Price Coordinating Council, which it chairs, to protect consumers from unjust increase in sugar prices. Sen. Bam said the DA and DTI must join forces in looking into alleged price manipulation of traders and retailers despite steady farmgate price from the sugar mills and find ways to stop the increase in prices of sugar, which has an average price of P60 per kilo in the market. "Huwag na tayong magsisihan. Magkaisa sana tayo para maprotektahan ang mga mga kababayan nating kumokonsumo ng asukal," said Sen. Bam "Dapat talagang tingnan ang isyung ito dahil hindi produksiyon ang nakikitang problema kundi may nangyayaring manipulasyon ng ilang tao na nais makinabang mula rito," added Sen. Bam. Earlier, Sen. Bam expressed his opposition to the government's plan to import sugar, saying that unabated importation would lead to the death of the sugar industry. "Nakababahala ang planong ito ng gobyerno na bahain ng merkado ng inangkat na asukal dahil talo ang ating maliliit na magsasaka at kanilang mga pamilya," said Sen. Bam. "Sa walang habas na pag-angkat ng asukal, ninanakawan ng kabuhayan ang mahihirap na pamilyang umaasa sa pagtatanim ng tubo," he added. Instead of allowing the unabated entry of sugar into the market, Sen. Bam said the government should give small farmers the needed resources to improve their livelihood. Press Release April 25, 2019 On red-baiting Makabayan Senate bets Nancy cries foul over published fake news report Re-electionist Senator Nancy Binay denied a news report mentioning her and other senatorial candidates of the MAKABAYAN Coalition of paying millions of pesos to communist groups in exchange for their endorsement. Binay was among the nine politicians --including five senatorial candidates--whom a certain "Ka Nonoy" Alcantara, an alleged former liaison officer of the National Democratic Front and political officer for the Makabayan coalition, claimed were paying up to P20 million each to the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army, the Makabayan coalition, and other "communist terrorist groups." Alcantara's press statement was published in the Manila Standard website on April 17. In a letter to the newspaper's publisher, Rolando Estabillo, and managing editor, Ramonchito Tomeldan, the senator challenged the allegation. "Thus, to set the record straight, please let me be forthright in stating that in no case was I ever asked for any financial consideration in exchange for any support or endorsement. I deny in the strongest terms the allegations made by "Ka Nonoy," Binay said. Alcantara's statements are "absolutely untrue and baseless," Binay also said, and challenged the former to substantiate his claims. She also stressed that the invitation from the Makabayan bloc for her to be part of their endorsed candidates was based on "our common principles and legislative agenda." The lawmaker said there have been too much lies being spread in both mainstream and social media, adding that she found the allegations, which she said were an obvious red scare spin of attempts to discredit Makabayan-endorsed candidates, amusing at first. She had, however, decided to respond to the claims after realizing the danger of allowing lies to go unchallenged. "Allowing falsity to dictate the narrative unchallenged would only contribute to the chaos and hatred that have resulted from the blurring of the line that demarcates truth from falsehood," she said. Press Release April 25, 2019 Legarda Lauds Ombudsman for Relief of Officials over Boracay Neglect, Urges LGUs to Implement Envi Laws Senator Loren Legarda today renewed her call for local government units (LGUs) to implement the country's environmental laws as she commended the Office of the Ombudsman for its dismissal of Malay town Mayor Ceciron Cawaling and Licensing Officer Jen Salsona in relation to the administrative complaint filed against them for negligence in the management of Boracay Island. It would be recalled that Boracay Island underwent a six-month temporary closure in April 2018 because of its degradation. It was reopened in October last year following successful rehabilitation efforts. "I laud the Ombudsman for siding with the people, who are the victims of environmental degradation due to local governments' non-compliance in the country's environmental laws. It is about time we take the environment seriously and LGUs must heed the call to adopt sustainable management of our natural resources," said Legarda, who authored the country's landmark laws on environment, such as the Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) Act. Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committees on Finance and Climate Change and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Environment, said that the main problem in Boracay Island was the weak enforcement of and non-compliance in the country's environmental laws. "The previous problem of Boracay is also the problem of many ecotourism areas and other communities in the country, which is why the government must strictly enforce environmental laws, while residents and business establishments should also comply with our laws," she stressed. She explained that simply following the EWSM Law would make a big difference in addressing solid waste disposal issues. Communities that are faithfully implementing the ESWM have reported up to 80 percent waste diversion rate, which means that instead of being brought to landfills, this much of waste is either recycled or composted. Legarda added that protected areas and critical biodiversity areas, such as forestlands and wetlands, should be protected and respected, not encroached, to ensure ecosystem balance and environmental sustainability. "Boracay's successful rehabilitation is an example of political will, strong leadership, and cooperation among stakeholders. It is still a work in progress and much still has to be done, but it is a good start. We should also strengthen the protection of all other ecotourism areas in our country." "Our government agencies and LGUs must step up in enforcing our laws. With this action of the Ombudsman to dismiss officials for environmental violations, I am confident that more LGUs will be encouraged, if not compelled, to take up their responsibility of implementing all our environmental laws to ensure clean, resilient and sustainable communities," Legarda concluded. South Africa: SA Ministers attend SACU meeting South Africas Trade and Finance Ministers are in Lesotho today to attend the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Council of Ministers meeting. Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, and the Minister of Finance, Mr Tito Mboweni, are in Maseru, Lesotho, where they will attend the SACU Council of Ministers meeting today, 25 April 2019, said the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) on Thursday. Lesotho is the current chair of SACU, and will hold this position for the period 16 July 2018 to 15 July 2019. Todays meeting will deliberate on matters internal to SACU such as the administration of the customs union, negotiations with third countries or regions, including, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area negotiations. The meeting will also discuss the SACU-COMESAEAC Tripartite Free Trade Area negotiations of the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, among others. The Member States of SACU are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. The meeting is preceded by meetings of Senior Officials of Finance and Trade and Industry. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed Egyptian-Chinese relations with chairman of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference Wang Yang in Beijing, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement. During the meeting, the Egyptian president discussed Egypts leading role in supporting peace and security in the Middle East, whether through its war on terrorism or its cooperation with friendly countries, including China. The Egyptian president said that Egypts policies have been built on positive interaction with all the countries of the world based on mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Chairman Yang praised the economic reforms and political stability in Egypt, and said that he considers the Egyptian market a promising one for Chinese investments and companies. He also stressed Chinas keenness to boost strategic cooperation with Egypt. Yang is the chairman of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference and a member of the standing committee of the Central Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China. El-Sisi arrived on Wednesday in Chinas capital at the invitation of the Chinese president to attend the 'Belt and Road' summit, which is being attending by a number of heads of state. This is the sixth visit by President El-Sisi to China in five years. Search Keywords: Short link: International alignments continue to emerge around the question of Tripoli and where support lies: with the recognised government, or the commander of the Libyan National Army While international efforts to avert escalation in the military operation to secure control over Tripoli that Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the Benghazi based commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), launched 20 days ago remain feeble, the forces of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and militias that have rallied to support them have managed repel the offensive, according to reporters from international news agencies on the ground in Libya. Still fearful that the fighting could escalate, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) reiterated that the UN-facilitated political process is the ideal and only way to end Libyan crisis, underlining its determination to hold a comprehensive National Conference. The purpose of the conference, which was supposed to have convened mid-April given appropriate security conditions, is to produce a new political agreement to furnish a consensual framework for a new interim process. GNA head Fayez Al-Sarraj has indicated that he is willing to engage in dialogue and further negotiating rounds, but now insists that any further talks must exclude the eastern-based military commander whom he accuses of undermining peace-making efforts that had been so close to reaching a political solution. On Monday, UNSMIL head Ghassan Salame began a tour of several capitals to advocate for de-escalation in Libya. In Tunis, he met with Foreign Minister Khamis Jhinaoui. In a joint press conference afterwards, Jhinaoui reiterated his appeal to all sides of the conflict in Libya to seal a ceasefire, exert the utmost self-restraint and resume the political process. He noted that he had personally contacted different parties to the conflict, including Haftar, in the framework of Tuniss efforts to promote a ceasefire and spare Libyan blood. Jhinaoui lauded Salames efforts to halt the fighting in Libya and coax the disputants back to dialogue and negotiation. On Tuesday, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi hosted a meeting of the African Unions troika summit and the chairperson of the AUs committee on Libya to discuss the latest developments in Libya and the means to contain the current crisis and revive the political process in Libya and eliminate terrorism. The meeting, in Cairo, was attended by the presidents of Rwanda and South Africa, the two other members of the AU troika, the president of Congo, who chairs the AU committee on Libya and the head of the AU Commission. Meanwhile, in the UN Security Council last week, German and British demands for a resolution calling for a ceasefire and for Haftars forces to withdraw ran up against the opposition of Russia, China and France. The US joined the opposition, albeit rather ambiguously. According to diplomats, Washingtons mission at the UN offered no justification for what appears to be a change in tack on the Libyan question. The following day, 19 April, a White House statement revealed that US President Donald Trump had spoken to Haftar on 15 April in order to discuss ongoing counterterrorism efforts. According to the statement, Trump recognised Field Marshal Haftars significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libyas oil resources, and the two discussed a shared vision for Libyas transition to a stable, democratic political system. The news of Trumps phone call to Haftar stirred considerable speculation, especially given that the call occurred on the second day of Haftars visit to Cairo last week, during which he met with Al-Sisi. The announcement, Friday, came as GNA forces in Tripoli managed to beat back an LNA offensive, leading some observers to interpret the announcement as a form of moral support for the military commander. US media outlets saw another divergence between the Trump White House and government institutions such the Pentagon, the State Department and AFRICOM, which have indicated their concern over Haftars military operation. Among their concerns is that the operation might offer Russia an opening to acquire a foothold in North Africa, posing a threat to southern Europe and jeopardising the security situation that has prevailed in the region since World War II. The standoffs between regional and international stakeholders in Libya have heightened UNSMILs fears that the fight for the capital could spiral into a destructive proxy war with dangerous repercussions throughout the whole of North Africa and the Sahel. GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga lashed out against France for supporting Haftar and severed relations between his ministry and the French Interior Ministry with which it had signed a contract to train personnel to staff Libyan police forces . Paris denies the allegation and maintains that it still recognises the GNA and supports the UN-sponsored Libyan agreement that was signed in Skhirat, Morocco, in December 2015. Al-Sarraj claims that Haftar is receiving material support from foreign governments to wage his offensive against the Libyan capital. In an interview with Bloomberg on 22 April, he said that foreign backers have been arming Haftar since he launched his offensive to take the capital. On the news of Trumps phone call with Haftar and the question of a shift in US policy towards the Tripoli offensive, Al-Sarraj told Bloomberg, we deal with statements from the State Department and direct contacts with the US administration and the message is very clear: they are not pleased with the attack on Tripoli. The urgency of the situation in Libya brought French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian together with Italian counterpart Enzo Moavero Milanes in Rome, 19 April. In a joint press conference after the meeting, Le Drian said: It is not possible to do anything in Libya without solid Franco-Italian agreement and there is no way out of the crisis that isnt political. The crisis in Libya can become very dangerous, so its necessary to stop it. Le Drian explained that Rome and Paris have patched things up after recent tension over several issues, including migrants and the support of some members of the Italian government for the Yellow Vest protest movement in France, Italian news agency ANSA reported. Milanes, for his part, said: Naturally, we talked about the situation in Libya, which is worrying and holds the attention of both our governments. Our position, an absolutely joint one, is that a ceasefire must be achieved as soon as possible. That must be followed by a humanitarian truce and a return to talks. We have solidarity with the Libyan people, who are suffering the effects of the armed clashes. Two days earlier, in her briefing to the parliament 17 April, Italian Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta said that Rome remains strongly committed to taking the necessary measures to reach a diplomatic solution to the Libyan crisis, including support for the security forces of the internationally recognised Libyan government, referring to the GNA headed by Al-Sarraj. Over 250 people have been killed and thousands driven from their homes due to fighting in the vicinity of the Libyan capital, according to the World Health Organisation, which has warned of a humanitarian disaster if the fighting continues. *A version of this article appears in print in the 25 April, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Averting escalation Search Keywords: Short link: The Algerian authorities arrested billionaires close to former president Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika this week and put two former officials on trial The Algerian authorities arrested the countrys richest man Issad Rebrab on Monday, hours after apprehending four business tycoons as part of an anti-corruption drive. Rebrab, 77, was named by the US magazine Forbes as the ninth richest man in Africa with a net worth of $3.38 billion in 2019. His Cevital Group is Algerias largest private conglomerate and has significant stakes in France, making Rebrab one of the countrys most influential figures. On Sunday, four members of the Kouninef family which is close to former Algerian president Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika who resigned earlier this month were also arrested. Former prime minister Ahmed Ouyehia, dismissed from office earlier this year amid massive pro-democracy protests, and current finance minister Mohamed Loukal were also summoned by an Algerian court for questioning over charges related to the abuse of public funds and nepotism, according to state TV. The events come days after army chief of staff and de facto ruler of Algeria Ahmed Gaid Saleh made fiery statements vowing to crackdown on corruption. He also accused former spy chief Mohamed Toufik of plotting to thwart efforts for a peaceful political transition in the country. Salehs speech, delivered during a visit to a military base last Tuesday, only partially addressed the demands of the pro-democracy movement that has been protesting in massive numbers every week since 22 February. Bouteflika, Algerias president for 20 years, was forced to step down on 3 April in response to an ultimatum from Saleh issued in an effort to contain the protests. Salehs roadmap for the transitional period is based on Article 102 of the Constitution which has made speaker of parliaments upper house Abdelkader Bensalah acting president for up to 90 days until presidential elections are held. Bensalah, who earlier supported Bouteflikas now-cancelled bid for a fifth presidential term despite his ailing health, has been a target of the weekly Friday protests. Last week, Tayeb Belaiz, head of the Algerian Constitutional Council and another of the officials named by the protesters, finally resigned. Observers predict that the acting presidents days are numbered. He has remained largely invisible since assuming power in the presidential palace with Salehs photographs and statements continuing to dominate the front pages of the local press. Fewer than two weeks since Bensalah announced that presidential elections would be held on 4 July, a campaign boycotting any polls under his watch has gained so much momentum that Algerias public radio reported on Monday that the elections might be postponed. On Monday, the presidency hosted the first meeting of a national dialogue that was poorly attended and boycotted by main political groups and figures. Bensalah, who had called for the conference, did not show up. Ali Binflis, a former prime minister, described the national dialogue as a waste of time. Bensalahs legitimacy was being questioned by millions of Algerians, he said, adding that the interim presidents absence testified to the lack of seriousness of the event itself. According to the Algerian Defence Ministry, Saleh is expected to visit a military unit in Bleida in the north of Algeria where he is expected to make statements on political developments. Observers say that Rebrabs arrest, meant to deliver a message on Salehs anti-corruption policy, has drawn mixed reactions and might backfire. TSA Algerie, a daily news outlet, questioned the motives behind the incarceration of Algerias wealthiest man, accusing Saleh of settling political scores to the detriment of the economy. Rebrab, though close to Bouteflikas clique, had supported the pro-democracy protests, and TSAs Hassan Haddouche described him as an opponent of Saleh. Hailing from Tizi Ouzou in Algerias Kabylie region, Rebrab had earlier attacked Algerias ruling class in a 2015 interview, saying they were the biggest danger to the country. He had been arrested and imprisoned in opaque conditions independent of the police or the Justice Ministry, Haddouche said. It is very significant that the main political actors of the system in place for more than 20 years have so far been spared, he added. According to Algeria expert Isabelle Werenfels, many Algerians are worried that the aim behind Rebrabs arrest is to create divisions inside the protest movement between Kabyles and Arabs. Cevital Group staff have called for a march in Bejaia, the largest city in the Kabylie region, on Tuesday. We fear they will divide the popular movement, said Mourad Bouzidi, a spokesman for Civitals national workers committee. For the first time in Algerias history, the people have taken to the streets demanding the departure of the regime. Everyone must understand they are sowing discord and we have to defeat them, he said. Hocine Djidel, an Algerian sociologist, said that Rebrabs arrest was politically motivated. This is a manoeuvre to steer the protest movement towards selective instances of corruption, when the people have been demanding the departure of the entire ruling class, including Saleh, he said *A version of this article appears in print in the 25 April, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Scepticism on Algeria arrest campaign Search Keywords: Short link: In degrading Nature humanity harms itself, UN report warns Paris, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 Diplomats and scientists from 130 nations gather in Paris next week to vet and validate the first UN global assessment of the state of Nature in more than a decade, and the news is not good. A quarter of 100,000 species already assessed are on a path to extinction, and the total number facing a forced exit from the world stage is closer to a million, according to an executive summary, obtained by AFP, of a 1,800-page scientific report three years in the making. A score of 10-year targets adopted in 2010 under the UN's biodiversity treaty -- to expand protected areas, slow species and forest loss, and reduce pollution impact -- will almost all fail, the draft Summary for Policy Makers reports. But the focus of the five-day meet is not just pangolins, pandas, polar bears and the multitude of less "charismatic" lifeforms that humanity is eating, crowding or poisoning into oblivion. Rather, the spotlight is on the one species that has so ravaged Earth's natural systems as to imperil its own existence as well. That, of course, would be us: homo sapiens. The accelerating loss of clean air, drinkable water, healthy soil, pollinating insects, protein-rich fish and storm-blocking mangroves -- to name but a few of the dwindling services rendered by Nature -- poses no less of a threat to humanity than climate change, according to the report, set to be unveiled May 6. "Up to now, we have talked about the importance of biodiversity mostly from an environmental perspective," said Robert Watson, chair of the UN-mandated body that compiled the report, told AFP. "Now we are saying that Nature is crucial for food production, for pure water, for medicines and even social cohesion." And to fight climate change, he added. Forests and oceans, for example, soak up half of the planet-warming greenhouse gases we spew into the atmosphere. If they didn't, Earth might already be locked into an unliveable future of runaway global warming. And yet, an area of tropical forest five times the size of England has been destroyed since 2014, mainly to service the growing global demand for beef, biofuels, soy beans and palm oil. It would be like setting fire to a lifeboat while lost at sea in order to cook the fish one just caught. - Hidden impacts - "We need to recognise that climate change and loss of Nature are equally important, not just for the environment, but as development and economic issues as well," Watson said. "The way we produce our food and energy is undermining the regulating services that we get from Nature." Set up in 2012, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) synthesises published science for policymakers in the same way the IPCC does for climate. Both advisory bodies are tied to UN treaties. But the Convention on Biological Diversity has always been a poor stepchild compared to its climate counterpart, and the IPBES -- unlike the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- was added two decades later as an afterthought, making its authority harder to establish. For the public, "biodiversity" remains an abstract concept, and its impacts harder to see: species loss is invisible and remote compared to deadly heatwaves, superstorms and sea-level rise. "There is no question that the climate convention is stronger," Watson said. "But our goal is to make sure that governments and the private sector really start to take biodiversity as seriously as they do climate." - Species disappearing - One major finding of the report to be reviewed next week that might help do that is "an imminent rapid acceleration in the global rate of species extinction." The pace of loss "is already tens to hundreds of times higher than it has been, on average, over the last 10 million years," it notes. "Half-a-million to a million species are projected to be threatened with extinction, many within decades." Experts on biodiversity are also trying to engineer a "Paris moment," something equivalent to the 2015 climate treaty that set a hard target for capping global warming at under two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit). That could come next year in China at the next full meeting of the Convention on Biodiversity, they say. But the plan to save Nature -- and humanity along with it -- must be every bit as "transformative" as the changes proposed to avert a climate-addled future of human misery, said Watson. "The way we produce and use energy, with way we produce and waste food -- all of that has to be looked at," he said. "The global report will make the case that biodiversity is essential to a sustainable world and human well-being." Two children were killed Thursday as fighting resumed between pro-government militias in Yemen's southwestern city of Taez, local officials and medical sources said. The clashes left a number of others wounded including civilians, the sources said. Fighting in the city has pitted militiamen from the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Al-Islah party against fighters with the Salafist movement. Al-Islah says its military wing has launched operations to flush out Salafist fighters accused of killing some of their members. Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday that five people have been killed and 91 others wounded in clashes between the groups since April 19. The city of Taez is under siege by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels but controlled by pro-government forces, who are supported by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people -- most of them civilians -- have been killed and more than 60,000 wounded since the alliance intervened in Yemen in March 2015. Rights group estimate the toll could be much higher. Search Keywords: Short link: Pompeo expects N.Korea diplomacy to be 'bumpy' Washington, April 24 (AFP) Apr 24, 2019 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with North Korea but that he still hoped to reach a potentially landmark denuclearization deal. US President Donald Trump in February cut short a summit in Hanoi with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with Pyongyang later blaming Pompeo for a pushing a hard line and calling for his exclusion from future negotiations. In an interview with CBS News, Pompeo said the Hanoi summit had more "nuance" than publicly reported, with the two sides sharing their positions. "It's going to be bumpy. It's going to be challenging. I hope we get several more chances to have serious conversations about how we move this process forward," Pompeo said. North Korea has demanded an easing of sanctions and Trump has indicated sympathy, saying he is fond of Kim. But Pompeo has insisted on maintaining pressure until a comprehensive deal on ending North Korea's nuclear program. Pompeo said that years of previous diplomatic efforts had made a mistake with North Korea by handing them "a bunch of money in exchange for too little." "We're determined not to make that mistake, and I think the North Koreans now see that pretty clearly," he said. Pompeo, who traveled to Pyongyang four times last year, said he "absolutely" believed that Kim was willing to take a major step to give up his nuclear weapons in return for less isolation. "Only time will tell for sure, but I've seen enough to believe that there is a real opportunity to fundamentally shift the strategic paradigm on the peninsula there." His remarks came as Kim flew to Russia's far east for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, whose country has historically been an ally of North Korea. North Korea's Kim set for first summit with Putin Vladivostok, Russia, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet for their first-ever summit Thursday, with the visitor looking for Moscow's backing in his nuclear stand-off with the United States. The meeting on Russky island near the Pacific port of Vladivostok in Russia will be Kim's first face-to-face talks with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down without a deal on the North's nuclear arsenal in February. Kim will be looking for Putin's support in easing the sanctions imposed on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme -- possibly including continued employment for North Korean guest workers in Russia beyond a December deadline. For its part Moscow is keen to exert influence in another global flashpoint. Kim's armoured train rolled in to Vladivostok's Tsarist-era station on Wednesday, the North Korean leader stepping out onto a red carpet on the platform wearing a long black coat and fedora. In Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the talks broke up in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test. Pompeo said on Wednesday he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with Pyongyang but that he still hoped to reach a potentially landmark denuclearisation deal. The Soviet Union was once Pyongyang's biggest ally, and Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. "I hope this visit will be successful and useful," Kim told Russian television in the border town of Khasan, where women in folk costumes welcomed him with bread and salt in a traditional greeting. "I hope that during the talks... I will be able to have concrete discussions on resolving situations on the Korean Peninsula and on the development of our bilateral relationship." - Island venue - Russian and North Korean flags were flying on lamp posts on Vladivostok's Russky island, where the summit was to take place at a university campus. The talks follow repeated invitations from Putin since Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. The Kremlin has said the focus of the talks will be on finding "a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula" but that no joint statement or signing of agreements was planned. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programme -- launched in 2003 with the participation of North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States -- remained the best option for finding solutions but that other efforts were worth looking at. "There is currently no other effective international mechanism," Peskov told reporters. "On the other hand... all efforts deserve support if they are really pursuing the goal of denuclearisation and resolving the problems of the two Koreas." - Cold War ties - Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung as a leader. The Soviet Union reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. While ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launch of missiles which Pyongyang says are capable of reaching the entire US mainland. North Korea's Kim, Russia's Putin set for first summit Vladivostok, Russia, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un meet in Russia's Far East for their first-ever summit on Thursday, with the North Korean leader looking for support in his nuclear stand-off with the United States. Putin's plane landed in the Pacific coast port of Vladivostok a day after Kim's armoured train pulled in to the city's Tsarist-era station. Russian and North Korean flags were flying from lamp posts on Vladivostok's Russky island, where the summit was to take place on a university campus. The meeting will be Kim's first face-to-face talks with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal in February. Kim will be looking for Russia's support in easing sanctions imposed on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme, while Putin is keen to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint. Arriving in Russia on Wednesday, Kim said he hoped for a "successful and useful" summit. - North Korean labourers - Among the issues likely to be on the table is the fate of some 10,000 North Korean labourers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Labour is one of North Korea's key exports and sources of cash. Pyongyang has reportedly asked Russia to continue to employ its workers after the deadline. Kim, whose government has told the United Nations it is facing food shortfalls this year, will also be keen to see Moscow continue or boost its aid. Russia has provided some $25 million in food aid to North Korea in recent years, according to the Kremlin. One delivery in March saw more than 2,000 tonnes of wheat supplied to the port of Chongjin, news agency TASS reported. For Putin, the summit is a chance to push Russia's agenda of opposing US international influence. In an interview with China's official People's Daily published on Thursday, Putin lashed out at "countries claiming sole global leadership". "They carelessly trample on the norms and principles of international law, resort to blackmail, sanctions and pressure, and try to force their values and dubious ideals on entire countries and populations," said Putin, who is heading to China after the talks for another summit. The Vladivostok meeting follows repeated invitations from Putin since Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. At the meeting with Trump in Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the talks broke up in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test. Pompeo said on Wednesday he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with Pyongyang but that he still hoped to reach a potentially landmark denuclearisation deal. - Soviet-era allies - Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. The Kremlin has said the focus of Thursday's talks will be on finding "a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula" but that no joint statement or signing of agreements was planned. Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung as a leader. The USSR reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. While ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launch of missiles which Pyongyang says are capable of reaching the entire US mainland. Pompeo expects North Korea diplomacy to be 'bumpy' Washington, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with North Korea but that he still hoped to reach a potentially landmark denuclearization deal. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un cut short a summit in February in Hanoi, with Pyongyang later blaming Pompeo for pushing a hard line and calling for his exclusion from future negotiations. In an interview with CBS News, Pompeo said the Hanoi summit had more "nuance" than publicly reported, with the two sides sharing their positions. "It's going to be bumpy. It's going to be challenging. I hope we get several more chances to have serious conversations about how we move this process forward," Pompeo said. North Korea has demanded an easing of sanctions and Trump has indicated sympathy, saying he is fond of Kim. But Pompeo has insisted on maintaining pressure until a comprehensive deal on ending North Korea's nuclear program. Pompeo said that years of previous diplomatic efforts had made a mistake with North Korea by handing them "a bunch of money in exchange for too little." "We're determined not to make that mistake, and I think the North Koreans now see that pretty clearly," he said. Pompeo, who traveled to Pyongyang four times last year, said he "absolutely" believed that Kim was willing to take a major step to give up his nuclear weapons in return for less isolation. "Only time will tell for sure, but I've seen enough to believe that there is a real opportunity to fundamentally shift the strategic paradigm on the peninsula there." His remarks came as Kim headed to Russia's far east for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, whose country has historically been an ally of North Korea. A State Department spokesman, asked about the summit, said the United States and the rest of the international community "are committed to the same goal -- the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea." Kim, Putin vow to seek closer ties at first talks Vladivostok, Russia, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un met face-to-face for the first time on Thursday, vowing to seek closer ties as they look to counter US influence. The summit in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok comes with Kim locked in a nuclear stand-off with Washington and Putin keen to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint. The two leaders shook hands and shared smiles as they met and gave brief statements before heading in for the talks, held at a university campus on the Pacific port city's Russky island. Both said they were looking to strengthen historic ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. Praising the two countries' "long friendship and history", Kim said he hoped to turn the modern relationship with Moscow into a "more stable and sound one". "As the world is focused on the Korean peninsula, I think we will hold a very meaningful dialogue," Kim said. Putin said the visit would give a boost to bilateral ties and help Moscow understand "what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are currently taking place" in the peninsula. Putin also said there was "a lot to do" to develop economic relations between the two countries. The meeting was Kim's first one-on-one talks with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal in February. - North Korean labourers - Among the issues likely to be on the table is the fate of some 10,000 North Korean labourers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Labour is one of North Korea's key exports and sources of cash. Pyongyang has reportedly asked Russia to continue to employ its workers after the deadline. Kim, whose government has told the United Nations it is facing food shortfalls this year, will also be keen to see Moscow continue or boost its aid. Russia has provided some $25 million in food aid to North Korea in recent years, according to the Kremlin. One delivery in March saw more than 2,000 tonnes of wheat supplied to the port of Chongjin, news agency TASS reported. For Putin, the summit is a chance to push Russia's agenda of opposing US international influence. In an interview with China's official People's Daily published on Thursday, Putin lashed out at "countries claiming sole global leadership". "They carelessly trample on the norms and principles of international law, resort to blackmail, sanctions and pressure, and try to force their values and dubious ideals on entire countries and populations," said Putin, who is heading to China after the talks for another summit. The Vladivostok meeting follows repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. At the meeting with Trump in Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the talks broke up in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test. Pompeo said on Wednesday he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with Pyongyang but that he still hoped to reach a potentially landmark denuclearisation deal. - Soviet-era allies - Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim Il Sung as leader. The USSR reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. While ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launch of missiles which Pyongyang says are capable of reaching the entire US mainland. Syria negotiators in Kazakhstan for talks Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 Delegations from Iran, Russia and Turkey were in Kazakhstan's capital Nur-Sultan on Thursday seeking an end to the conflict in Syria while shoring up their interests in any future political settlement. Kazakhstan's foreign ministry confirmed that teams from the three powers as well as negotiators from the Syrian regime and its armed opponents had arrived in the capital Thursday. Talks will take place throughout the day in "two-way and three-way formats" ahead of an expected plenary session on Friday, the ministry said in a statement. United Nations Syria envoy Geir Pedersen would arrive later in the day, the ministry added. The situation on the ground in the northwestern region of Idlib, under the administrative control of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is expected to feature prominently in the talks. Idlib has been protected from a massive regime offensive by a September deal inked by Damascus ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. But regime bombardment has increased since HTS took full control of the region from rival rebels in January. Other items expected to be included in negotiations include prisoner swaps and the distribution of humanitarian aid. Russia, a backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has taken a lead role in diplomatic efforts in Kazakhstan that has largely sidelined UN diplomacy. Tehran, like Moscow, is an ally of Assad's regime, while Ankara has aligned itself with the rebels but has repeatedly threatened to attack Kurdish fighters on the Syrian side of its southern border that it views as "terrorists". A Western diplomat told AFP that Moscow will be aware of perceptions that recent rounds of the so-called "Astana process" have made little progress and may push to speed up the creation of a long-awaited constitutional committee. The capital of Kazakhstan was called Astana until last month, when it was renamed after the country's outgoing president. The committee is of particular interest to the UN which favours a Syrian-led resolution to the conflict but it may be hamstrung from the outset, the diplomat warned. "Even if a Constitutional Committee is created, it will then take a long time to reach a very uncertain result," the diplomat told AFP. Any proposal would therefore be "low risk" for Moscow, whose military intervention in 2015 has helped Damascus assert control over two-thirds of the country's territory. Syria's war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since the conflict began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. N.Korea needs 'security guarantees' in exchange for denuclearisation: Putin Vladivostok, Russia, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that North Korea needs security guarantees and that denuclearisation could only be achieved through international law. North Korea "needs guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty," Putin said after talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "We need to restore the power of international law, to return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world." Putin said he would discuss his talks with Kim with Washington. "There are no secrets here, no conspiracies... Chairman Kim himself asked us to inform the American side of our position," Putin said. He said Russia's interests coincide with those of Washington in that both countries are for "complete denuclearisation". "As far as reducing the threat of nuclear conflicts is concerned, this is certainly a common priority," he said. "I was given the impression that the North Korean leader shares the same point of view. And we need guarantees of security, that's all. We need to think about this all together." Sudan could face a counter coup if military rulers and the opposition do not reach agreement on a transition of power, leading opposition figure Sadiq al-Mahdi said on Thursday. Mahdi said he believed Sudan's military council would hand over power to civilians if the current stalemate were broken. He also said he would consider running for president only in an election, not during the transition period. "I think their intentions are good," he said of the army generals who toppled President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on April 11, three decades after he himself seized power in a coup, and then formed the Transitional Military Council (TMC). "They are not interested in a military government." Mahdi, Sudan's last elected prime minister, was toppled by Bashir in a bloodless coup in 1989. He is Sudan's most prominent politician, and Mahdi's Umma party is engaged in the negotiations with the TMC. Hardliners from Bashir's National Congress Party could stage a coup along with allies in the army if the TMC and the opposition fail to make progress in talks, Mahdi said. Bashir fell after weeks of mass protests and the Sudanese Professionals' Association, the main protest organiser, called for a million-strong march to take place later on Thursday to press for civilian rule. Search Keywords: Short link: China says navy warned off French warship in Taiwan Strait Beijing, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 China said Thursday its navy warned off a French warship that had entered the Taiwan Strait earlier this month and has lodged an official protest over the rare move by a European power. Beijing sees self-governed and democratic Taiwan as its territory awaiting reunification, and the United States has traditionally been the country that defies that territorial claim by sailing through the strait. But now it is France that has angered China. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said the French warship "illegally entered China's territorial waters" on April 7. "The Chinese military sent warships in accordance with the law, in order to identify the French ship, and warn it to sail away," Ren said at a monthly press briefing." "The Chinese side has already made solemn representations to the French side." "The Chinese military is always on high alert and firmly defends the sovereignty and security of the country," he added. Ren did not identify the vessel but a French frigate, the Vendemiaire, had been expected to take part in an international naval parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of China's navy earlier this week. The French ship never showed up, without an explanation from either country. - 'Freedom of navigation' - Paris reaffirmed its commitment to "freedom of navigation under maritime law" following the spat with Beijing. "The (French) national navy crosses the Taiwan Strait about once a year, without any incident nor reaction," an aide to French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said after China confirmed lodging an official protest. US warships periodically conduct "freedom of navigation" exercises in the narrow waterway separating the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, triggering angry responses from Beijing every time. The US diplomatically recognises China over Taiwan but remains the island's chief military ally and arms supplier. In February, a US destroyer and the USNS Cesar Chavez cargo ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait. Such operations by European countries are rare in the Taiwan Strait. But France and Britain have challenged China's claims in the South China Sea, sending ships close to disputed islands on separate operations last year. Britain's finance minister Philip Hammond was taken to task by Vice Premier Hu Chunhua during talks in Beijing on Thursday. "It is regrettable that since August last year the relations between our two countries witnessed some fluctuations because of the South China Sea issue and a series of institutional dialogues and cooperation projects had to pause," Hu told Hammond. Hammond, who is in Beijing for a forum on China's Belt and Road infrastructure project, said: "I very much share your regret that over the last few months there have been some difficulties in advancing the positive course of the relationship that our leaders have set out." But, he added, "of course you understand that the UK takes no position in relation to the issues in the South China Sea". China has not been shy about conducting military exercises in the South China Sea or Taiwan, either. Last month, two People's Liberation Army J-11 fighter jets flew across the traditionally respected maritime line dividing the island from the mainland, drawing condemnation from Taipei. China has significantly stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016. Kim, Putin vow to seek closer ties at first talks Vladivostok, Russia, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin vowed to seek closer ties as they met for the first time on Thursday, in talks aimed at countering US influence. Putin emerged from the meeting in Russia's Vladivostok saying that like Washington, Moscow supports efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he insisted that Pyongyang "needs guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty", and took a veiled swipe at the US for trying to strong-arm North Korea. "We need to... return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Putin said. The summit in the Far Eastern port city came with Kim locked in a nuclear stand-off with the United States and Putin keen to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint. The two leaders greeted each other warmly, shaking hands and sharing smiles, at the start of meetings on an island off Vladivostok that lasted nearly five hours. Putin, known for delaying meetings with international guests, was waiting for Kim when he emerged from his limousine. Both men said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. - Borscht, crab, dumplings - Kim said he hoped to turn the modern relationship with Moscow into a "more stable and sound one" while Putin said the visit would give a boost to diplomatic and economic ties. Putin said he supported Kim's efforts to normalise relations with the United States and hoped to find out "what Russian can do" to help with the issue of denuclearisation. The two later shared a lunch that included borscht, crab salad and venison dumplings, Russian news agency TASS reported. Putin told reporters after Kim departed that he would fill in Washington on the results of the talks. "There are no secrets here, no conspiracies... Chairman Kim himself asked us to inform the American side of our position," said Putin, who was due to fly on to Beijing for another summit. Kim, who arrived a day earlier in his armoured train, was expected to stay in Vladivostok until Friday for cultural events that Russian media have reported will include a ballet and a visit to the city's aquarium. The meeting was Kim's first with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down in February without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal. It followed repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. At the meeting with Trump in Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the talks broke up in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. There were no concrete announcements or agreements, but analysts said Thursday's meeting was valuable to both sides. "For North Korea, it's all about securing another exit. China talks about sanctions relief but it doesn't really put it into action," said Koo Kab-woo, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "For Russia, North Korea is elevating it back to one of the direct parties, on the same footing as China." - North Korean labourers - Among the issues that were likely discussed was the fate of some 10,000 North Korean labourers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Labour is one of North Korea's key exports and sources of cash. Pyongyang has reportedly asked Russia to continue to employ its workers after the deadline. Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim Il Sung as leader. The USSR reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. While ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launch of missiles which Pyongyang says are capable of reaching the entire US mainland. N.Korea's Kim says US acted in 'bad faith' at Hanoi talks: KCNA Seoul, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the United States of acting in "bad faith" during his Hanoi summit with President Donald Trump, and says peace on the peninsula depends on Washington, state media said Friday. Kim made the comments during his first summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Thursday in Vladivostok, the Korean Central News Agency reported, describing their talks as "unreserved and friendly". The comments also came about a week after Pyongyang demanded the removal of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from stalled nuclear talks with Washington, accusing him of derailing the process. The North Korean leader said "the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point", KCNA said. Kim warned that the situation "may return to its original state as the US took an unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks", the agency added. The Kim-Trump summit broke down in late February without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal. At those talks, cash-strapped North Korea demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the two sides disagreed over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. Kim told Putin that the "DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation", KCNA said. The North Korean leader invited Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", the agency said in one of several dispatches about the summit. During his talks with Kim on Thursday, Putin positioned himself as a counterweight to the United States, insisting that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". "We need to... return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Putin said. Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. The pair "were unanimous" that their meeting could help in "strategically controlling the unstable situation of the Korean peninsula in the wake of the second DPRK-US summit talks", it said. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement Sudanese marchers converged from all directions on army headquarters for a "million-strong" demonstration Thursday to turn up the heat on the ruling military council after three of its members resigned following talks on handing over power. The rally comes after Sudan's new military rulers and protest leaders agreed to set up a joint committee, to chart the way forward two weeks after the ouster of veteran president Omar al-Bashir. "We call on our people, who have been demanding a transitional civilian rule, to participate in the million-strong march," said the Alliance for Freedom and Change, the umbrella group leading the protests. "Our sit-in will continue to protect our revolution and to ensure that all our demands are achieved," the alliance said in a statement. Witnesses said marchers were closing in on the main protest site from different directions. They included dozens of judges, dressed in their robes, rallying from the constitutional court, an AFP photographer said. "We are here to give a message that the judiciary should be independent without any political intervention," a judge told journalists. Across the city, demonstrators arrived at the army headquarters from the states of Jazeera, White Nile and also from Bashir's hometown Shendi, increasing the numbers already camped at the site, many of them for the past several weeks. The planned mass march follows a late-night meeting between the military council and leaders of the protest movement's umbrella group. "We have an agreement on most demands presented in the document of the Alliance for Freedom and Change," Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman of the military council, told reporters afterwards. He did not elaborate on the key demand of handing power to a civilian government, but said there "were no big disputes". The Sudanese Professionals Association, which initially spearheaded months of protests against Bashir, described the meeting as a step towards "confidence-building". "Both sides agreed on the importance of joint cooperation to steer the country towards peace and stability," the SPA said Thursday. Writing on Twitter, the association said a "joint committee" was being set up to "discuss outstanding disputes" as part of efforts to reach a "comprehensive agreement". Middle path On Thursday, activist Ahmed Najdi said he was expecting "a joint military-civilian sovereign council, which I think is the middle path and most protesters would agree to that". He said he would participate in the demonstration throughout the night. "More crowds are expected in the evening. We will continue our sit-in through the night, tomorrow and up until we achieve our demands," Najdi told AFP. Wednesday's meeting was followed by the military council announcing three members of the ruling body had stepped down after demands from protesters. They were Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Abdin, Lieutenant General Jalaluddin Al-Sheikh and Lieutenant General Al-Tayieb Babikir. The late-night developments came as Siddiq Farouk, one of the leaders of the protests, said the demonstrators were also preparing for a general strike if the military council refuses to hand power to a civilian administration. The council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since his predecessor quit after barely 24 hours in the post, says it has assumed power for a two-year transitional period. Despite Bashir's fall, demonstrators have kept up their encampment outside the military headquarters to press their demands. 'Revolutionaries' want civil rule Protesters in Khartoum were joined Wednesday by hundreds of demonstrators from the central town of Madani. "Revolutionaries from Madani want civilian rule," they chanted, according to witnesses. The previous day a train laden with demonstrators rolled in from Atbara, where protests began on December 19 against a decision by Bashir's government to triple bread prices. They swiftly turned into nationwide rallies against his rule and that of the military council that took his place. The protesters have found support in Washington, which has backed their call for civilian rule. "We support the legitimate demand of the people of Sudan for a civilian-led government, and we are here to urge and to encourage parties to work together to advance that agenda as soon as possible," State Department official Makila James said Tuesday. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Ukraine's parliament approved a law on Thursday that grants special status to the Ukrainian language and makes it mandatory for public sector workers, despite opposition from the country's large Russian-speaking minority who feel it is discriminatory. The move, which obliges all citizens to know the Ukrainian language and makes it a mandatory requirement for civil servants, soldiers, doctors, and teachers, was championed by outgoing President Petro Poroshenko who needs to sign it into law before it takes effect, something he is expected to do. Language became a much more sensitive issue in Ukraine, where many people speak both Ukrainian and Russian fluently, after Russia annexed Crimea and backed a pro-Russian separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Poroshenko, who is due to step down soon after actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy trounced him at the ballot box on Sunday, put promotion of the Ukrainian language at the heart of his unsuccessful re-election campaign. But Zelenskiy, who himself speaks Russian more frequently than Ukrainian, has said he wants to unite rather than divide the country and has said he has questions about the new law. The new legislation requires TV and film distribution firms to ensure 90 percent of their content is in Ukrainian and for the proportion of Ukrainian-language printed media and books to be at least 50 percent. Computer software must also have a Ukrainian-language interface although the law also allows the use of English or any other official language of the European Union. Lawmakers cheered and rose to a standing ovation after the law was passed and sang the national anthem. Hundreds of people waving Ukrainian flags had gathered outside parliament to support the law. "This is a historic moment, which Ukrainians have been waiting for centuries, because for centuries Ukrainians have tried to achieve the right to their own language," one of the authors of the bill, Mykola Knyazhytsky, said before the vote. The make-up of the parliament has not changed since Zelenskiy's election win and remains dominated by a coalition supportive of Poroshenko. Poroshenko had originally thought the language law would be approved before the election and would help boost his support, particularly in western regions where the Ukrainian language is predominantly used. Its approval is potentially awkward for incoming president Zelenskiy, a comedian with no political experience. Zelenskiy's stance on the new law is unclear. He said during the campaign he'd do everything to protect and develop the Ukrainian language, but also that he had questions about the new legislation. In 2012, clashes between riot police and protesters erupted in Kiev after Ukraine's parliament approved a law that made Russian an official language. Ukraine also has Romanian, Polish and Hungarian minorities that speak these languages. Last year, its relations with neighbouring Hungary soured after parliament passed a law that banned teaching in minority languages beyond primary school level. A survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology showed that the Ukrainian language is used by 32.4 percent of Ukrainian families, while Russian is used by 15.8 percent. About a quarter of Ukrainians use both languages. Search Keywords: Short link: DGAP-Ad-hoc: Fyber N.V. / Key word(s): Bond/Capital Increase Fyber N.V.: Announcement results of EUR 149.9 million exchange offer for EUR 149,900,000 outstanding Senior Unsecured Convertible Bonds due 2020 in lieu of newly to be issued ordinary shares 25-Apr-2019 / 18:37 CET/CEST Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Not for release, publication or distribution in the United States of America, Canada, Japan or Australia Announcement results of EUR 149.9 million exchange offer for EUR 149,900,000 outstanding Senior Unsecured Convertible Bonds due 2020 in lieu of newly to be issued ordinary shares Berlin, 25 April 2019 - Today, Fyber N.V. (''Fyber'' or the ''Offeror'') is announcing the results of the voluntary exchange offer (the ''Offer'') regarding its EUR 149,900,000 outstanding Senior Unsecured Convertible Bonds (ISIN XS1223161651) due 2020 (the ''Bonds'' and holders thereof, the ''Bondholders''). The Offer was made to qualifying Bondholders to tender any or all of such Bonds in exchange for up to 499,666,667 newly to be issued shares in the capital of the Offeror with a nominal value of EUR 0.10 each (the ''Shares''). The Offer period started at 9 a.m. CET on 14 March 2019 and closed at 6 p.m. CEST on 24 April 2019. Results of the Offer During the Offer period 742Bonds were tendered. Bondholders were offered to tender any or all of their Bonds for exchange by the Offeror at an exchange price of EUR 0.30 (the ''Exchange Price'') per Share, resulting in 333,333 Shares per Bond. Therefore, the 742 Bonds which are tendered represent 247,333,086 Shares, which will be newly issued by the Offeror. Following the issuance of the Shares, the share capital of Fyber will consist of 361,866,419 ordinary shares. Number of Bonds validly tendered 742 Number of Shares to be issued 247,333,086 Issued share capital of Fyber immediately following settlement of the Offer 36,186,642 New total number of outstanding ordinary shares immediately following settlement of the Offer 361,866,419 Furthermore Sapinda informed the Company that they do not accept the offer to exchange their EUR 15 million loan facility into new shares under the same exchange conditions. Settlement Application will be made for the Shares to be accepted for delivery through the book-entry facilities of Clearstream Banking AG, Frankfurt. Delivery of the Shares to Bondholders who tendered their Bonds under the Offer will take place through the book-entry facilities of Clearstream Banking S.A. and/or Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V. against the full payment of the Shares in immediately available funds, by means of a setoff against such Bonds being marked down. Fyber expects settlement of the Offer to occur on or about 10 May 2019. Listing of the Shares It is expected that Fyber will apply for listing of the Shares on the regulated market in Frankfurt operated by Deutsche Borse AG within 12 months from issuance and in connection therewith publish a listing prospectus approved by the Dutch financial supervision authority (Autoriteit Financiele Markten). About Fyber Fyber (FSE: FBEN) is a leading advertising technology company. It empowers app developers to generate business-critical revenue streams with targeted advertising, enabling them to optimize the yield they generate from advertising. Fyber's technology infrastructure reaches more than one billion monthly active users, providing an open-access platform for advertisers and publishers with a global reach and a strong focus on video. Notifying person: Yaron Zaltsman, CFO Investor Contact Fyber: Sabrina Kassmannhuber ir@fyber.com +49 30 609 855 555 IMPORTANT NOTICES Bondholders should refer to the Offer Document for the full terms of the Offer. This is a public announcement by Fyber pursuant to Section 17 paragraph 1 of the European Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014). This announcement does not constitute an offer, or any solicitation of any offer, an invitation to submit an offer, to buy or subscribe for any securities. Any offer or invitation to submit an offer will be made only by means of any specific offer document. This announcement is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in or into, directly or indirectly, the United States, Canada or Japan or in any other jurisdiction in which such release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. 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. Donate to Stonekettle Station Like anybody else, I have a mortgage and a kid in college and a powerful need to eat once in a while. As Stonekettle Station has increased in popularity, it takes up more and more of my time to write the content you come here for, and that means I've got less time to do the things that actually pay the bills. I have no desire to move Stonekettle Station behind a paywall, I'll stop writing before I do that, but if you think what I do here is worth a bit of your hard earned money well then I'm not too proud to accept a token of your appreciation. And thank you. Egypt's Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem met with Armenian ambassador to Egypt Karen Levoni Grigorian on 22 April to discuss enhancing intellectual and artistic relations between the two countries. During the meeting, Abdel-Dayem stressed the strong relations between Egypt and Armenia, and highlighted the agreement to organise an Egyptian cultural week in Armenia, which will include many different activities reflecting all creative art forms. The minister also highlighted a protocol of cooperation in the fields of libraries and translation. Ambassador Grigorian praised the crucial role played by Egypt in the enlightenment movement throughout history as one of the oldest civilisations on earth, referring to the role of culture and arts in building bridges of communication among nations . The ambassador also praised the intensive creative activities currently taking place in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: The 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) to be held between 28 June and 6 July in Karlovy Vary, a spa town in the west Bohemia region of the Czech Republic will honor late iconic Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine (1926-2008). The special tribute will include a large retrospective of 11 re-mastered films consisting of lesser-known early works as well as established classics, such as Cairo Station (1958), Saladin (1963), The Return of the Prodigal Son (1976), and Alexandria...Why? (1978), among others. The lesser known films include Daddy Amin (1950), a fantasy comedy; The Devil of the Desert (1954), a sword-and-sandal adventure, and My One and Only Love (1957), one of Egypts most beloved musical comedies. "All the movies in the programme the biggest of its kind to be featured at any international film fest are part of a major Chahine restoration project realised over the past several years by the directors production house, Misr International Films, along with various other institutions such as La Cinematheque francaise and Cineteca di Bologna. Five of the restored films are making their festival premiere at Karlovy Vary IFF this year, and three of them are being shown for the first time with English subtitles," read the KVIFF's official press release. The ambitious programme, curated by an Egyptian film critic Joseph Fahim and one of the Arab delegates of Karlovy Vary Film Festival, aims to provide a comprehensive overview of one of the greatest filmmakers from Africa and the Middle East. The short biography of Chahine posted by the festival's organizers at the website states the following: "Youssef Chahine was the Middle Easts most recognised and most celebrated film director. His pictures were shown at the worlds biggest film festivals, including Cannes, Venice and Berlin. He won the 1979 Silver Bear for Alexandria Why? (1978) at the Berlinale. Five of his films were nominated for Cannes Palme dOr, and in 1997 he was presented with the festivals 50th Anniversary Prize for lifetime achievement. Legendary Egyptian star Omar Sharif got his screen debut in Chahines The Blazing Sun (1954). Following Egypts 1967 military defeat to Israel, Chahine became a staunch critic of the Egyptian government, which resulted in a number of his films being temporarily banned." The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic. Every year, the festival presents some 200 films from around the world, and regularly hosts famous and important filmmakers. The festival was launched in 1946 in Marianske Lazne before moving to Karlovy Vary in 1947 and becoming a competitive festival with the main award being the Crystal Globe. In 1956, the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) officially designated Karlovy Vary a category A 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 Search Keywords: Short link: South Africa: Mop-up operations intensify in Durban Disaster relief efforts continue with mop-up and rescue operations in areas affected by the storms in Durban, that claimed over 50 lives and caused extensive damage. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Zweli Mkhize said disaster teams are now in a race against time to rescue unaccounted for people, with mudslides and sinkholes having swallowed homes. The extent of the damage in certain areas requires the expertise of engineers and others who are qualified to guide the process to repair all that has been damaged and rebuild what is damaged, said Mkhize. Mkhize, who was in a government delegation that accompanied President Cyril Ramaphosa on an assessment of the extent of damage, urged communities to heed the call and tips from the authorities regarding the extreme weather conditions. KwaZulu-Natal emergency services said they are working around the clock to minimise the impact of flooding on communities and provide assistance to those affected. Both Minister Mkhize and the President have thanked the disaster personnel from all across the province for their selfless speedy response in assisting communities, the Cogta Ministry said. Cogta will continue to coordinate all role-players in order to respond rapidly to incidents in KwaZulu-Natal as well as monitor provinces experiencing similar challenges. The Minister started his visit to KZN on Wednesday, where he engaged the provincial leadership, especially the Cogta Department, about the unfolding work on the ground from various spheres, institutions and organisations aimed at assisting families and communities that have been devastated. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The newly restored colossus of King Ramses II at Luxor Temple has been placed in its original location according to the original layout of the Temple American Egyptologist Ray Johnson, a specialist at Luxor Temple who restored the colossus in collaboration with Egyptians counterparts, says that the statue has been placed in its correct location and has the right body pose. With the last colossus of Ramses II restored and erected to rejoin its five counterparts at Luxor Temple, debate on its location and restoration was sparked among Egyptologists. Some opposed the placement of the colossus before the first pylon of the temple. They said the colossus had the Osirian position (crossing the hands on the chest), which contradicts with neighbouring colossi, who have their left legs before the right. The latter, opponents asserted, are the original colossi that stand before the facade of any temple. The colossus of Ramses II is in its original location, as restorers have just restored the colossus and re-erected it in the location where its blocks were found, asserted Ahmed Arabi, director of Luxor Temple. Arabi told Ahram Online that the facade of Luxor Temple had two original architectural designs. The first was drawn during its construction at the beginning of King Ramses IIs reign, and the second was drawn during the end of the monarchy of King Ramses II. The original design, Arabi continues, is drawn behind the eastern pylon on the left entrance and it shows the facade with two seated colossi of the king and two obelisks, which is the characteristic design of all temples of the New Kingdom. The newer design is drawn on the southwestern side of the facade and it shows six colossi and two obelisks. The facade had two colossi originally and then four other statues were added at the end of King Ramses IIs reign to extend the number to six colossi, Arabi pointed out. He asserted that the restored colossus is the one that whose blocks were uncovered by Egyptologist Mohamed Abdel-Qader along with the blocks of other colossi of the Luxor Temples facade between 1958 and 1960. All these statues were destroyed due to a destructive earthquake that had hit the country in antiquity. Abdel-Qader was able to collect all the blocks and pieces of the colossi and put the ones of each colossus on a wooden base in its original location to ensure its protection. In a scientific newsletter, of which Ahram Online obtained a copy, Abdel-Qader wrote that one of the statues he found before the temples facade was in the Osirian position. Arabi suggested that the statue could has been transferred from another place inside the temple, maybe at the end of Ramses IIs reign, to decorate the facade of the temple. He explained that several Osirian statues decorate the facade of ancient Egyptian temples. The western facade of Luxor Temple has two Osirian colossi. In the first court of Karnak Temple there is a gigantic colossus of King Rames II in Osirian form. Johnson shared his opinion on the restored colossus with Ahram Online and said that the reliefs of the Luxor Temple pylon facade at the back of the first court, that depicts the pylons, two obelisks, flagpoles, and statues, were carved before the statues were put in place and reflect the original plan that was never completely carried out. The original plan seems to have been for all the pylon colossal sculptures to be original grey granodiorite statues of Ramses II, striding and seated. But, he continued, for some reason that plan changed, perhaps to meet Ramses II's deadline for completion, and two earlier red granite statues were brought in and inscribed for Ramses II, one for the far east side and one for the far west side. The westernmost colossus, still standing, was originally Amenhotep III, and is also different: it had a white crown, not a double crown, and is also red granite. The easternmost red granite colossus, that was just reassembled with the financial support of Chicago House and the US Embassy, was a late 18th Dynasty colossal statue, possibly of Horemheb (the face is reworked), Johnson said. He continued that the pieces of the statue that survive indicate that it was in the Osirian pose. The base of the statue that was still in situ was too small for a striding statue, which indicates that the statue was standing and not striding. The reconstruction, and original position, are 100 percent correct, Johnson confirmed, adding that sometimes plans change, even in ancient Egypt. Inside the first court, Ramses II's colossal statues, inscribed with the early form of his name (Ra-ms-ss), were placed alongside Amenhotep III's statues (the original Ramses II statues do not have bull tails between their legs, while the original Amenhotep III statues all have bull tails between their legs). When Ramses II erected the statues there, the original names of Amenhotep III were left intact, because Ramses II wanted to be associated with the glorious king who built third of Luxor Temple. Later, Johnson continued, just before Ramses II's first jubilee, he changed his mind and erased Amenhotep III's names and re-inscribed the colossi with his own name, in the later form (Ra-ms-sw), taking over their identity. All of Ramses II's original statues in the first court are inscribed with the early form of Ramses' name, while the original Amenhotep III statues are inscribed with Ramses II's later name. This tells us that he didn't appropriate the Amenhotep III statues until many years after he placed them in the court, Johnson said. Another change of plan. Johnson asserted that the outermost colossal statues in red granite on the far eastern and far western sides of the pylons were both part of a revised plan for the pylon facade, and that the reconstruction is correct. Egyptian restorers have done an extraordinary job, he said, and have brought the Luxor Temple pylon facade back to glorious life. All Egyptian temples of the New Kingdom were decorated in a similar manner, but Luxor Temple is now the only temple in Egypt that has all six of its original colossal sculptures in their original places. Congratulation to the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the Ministry of Antiquities, and to Egypt for this wonderful work," Johnson said. Search Keywords: Short link: In the past few months, and especially with the general elections coming up, the debate has resumed again on 'empty Spain', the depopulation problem that affects rural areas all over the country, and Malaga is no exception. With this in mind, the Diputacion, or provincial government, has designed a mobility plan called Plan Via-able to combat the problem, and it was officially presented this week. The aim is to improve road connections for more than 40 small municipalities in the province; it will be applied to 42 rural roads and will cost just over 50 million euros over ten years. Plan Via-ble was presented by the president of the Diputacion, Francisco Salado, and the head of Public Works and Infrastructure, Francisco Oblare. They described it as the most important action against rural depopulation, and announced that one million euros have been budgeted this year for the plans to be drawn up. Financing The plan will be financed through the remaining funds in the treasury, thanks to the healthy situation of the Diputacion coffers. Good road communications make people who live in inland villages feel less isolated and enable them to travel to health centres, shops or take part in leisure activities more easily. It is a way of improving their quality of life, said Salado. Many of the roads are the responsibility of local town halls, while others are managed by the Junta de Andalucia. The idea is to shorten travel times between villages and from rural areas to the coast. As an example Salado referred to villages in the Serrania de Ronda such as Pujerra, where journey time to the coast has been reduced by half an hour. Another benefit is that the plan will provide alternative routes for villages which at present have only one access road. Canada capital declares flooding state of emergency Ottawa, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 Ottawa's mayor declared a state of emergency in the Canadian capital on Thursday in anticipation of rising flood waters and heavy rains. No homes have been evacuated, but authorities expect waters along the Ottawa River to rise above levels in 2017 that saw the worst floods in Eastern Canada in half a century. Environment Canada issued a special weather statement predicting up to 35 millimeters (1.3 inches) of rain by Saturday morning. Together with the snowmelt that feeds the river, waters are expected to rise up to 11 centimeters (4.3 inches) above peak levels reached in May 2017. In addition to assistance from the province of Ontario with management of the emergency situation, some 400 troops will be deployed on Friday to key areas to help fill sandbags. "We can no longer do it alone," Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told a news conference. "We are now beyond our city's capacity, and that is why we have called in the armed forces." Ottawa suburban neighborhoods most at risk include Cumberland, Britannia and Constance Bay. Meanwhile, northeast of the city a hydroelectric dam on the Rouge River in Quebec province overflowed, prompting the emergency evacuation of some 50 area homes. Due to its risk of breach, an alert was issued for communities downriver. The Rouge feeds into the Ottawa River east of the capital. Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Queen Letizia of Spain reached for a favorite pair of diamond earrings on Tuesday for the awarding of one of the worlds most prestigious literary prizes. Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images King Felipe and Queen Letizia were at the university in Alcala de Henares on Tuesday for the annual presentation of the Miguel de Cervantes Prize, a lifetime achievement award that honors the work of a Spanish-language writer. ANDRES BALLESTEROS/AFP/Getty Images This years recipient of the prize is Ida Vitale, a Uruguayan poet, novelist, essayist, literary critic, and translator. Vitale is the last surviving member of the Generation of 45 movement in her native country. She currently lives and works in Austin, Texas. Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images For the occasion, Letizia reached for one of the sparkliest pairs of earrings in her jewelry box: her modern diamond cluster, ribbon, and drop earrings Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images The earrings have proven to be an important, versatile part of her jewelry collection. She wears them both for important daytime events as well as evening receptions and galas. Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Heres a look at the entire ensemble that Letizia paired with her diamond earrings for the award ceremony. According to Manhattans district attorney, lies by a veteran New York City detective sent at least three innocent people to prison. Two of the cases in question happened on the Lower East Side. On Wednesday, narcotics cop Joseph Franco was charged with 16 counts, including perjury and official misconduct. He claimed to have witnessed drug transactions, but prosecutors say videotapes and other evidence now reveal that Franco fabricated the accounts. In one case, Franco claimed to have witnessed Julio Irizarry selling drugs in the lobby of a building on Delancey Street in February 2017. Security camera video showed that no transaction took place, and also that the police officer stayed outside the building, meaning he could not have observed what was happening in the lobby. In June of 2017, prosecutors say, Franco arrested Tameeka Baker on Madison Street, claiming that she had been dealing drugs inside a building. In this case, as well, security camera video, contradicted the police officers account. When the district attorney uncovered the discrepancies, convictions against Irizarry and Baker were vacated, and they were released from state prison. A third case was also vacated. DA Cy Vance said, This detective lied to judges, prosecutors, and his own colleagues in the NYPD about crimes that never happened, and three New Yorkers wrongfully lost their liberty as a result. My Office will continue to bring the full weight of the law against uniformed officers who lie and undermine the public trust in law enforcement on which we rely to keep New York safe. In an interview with the Daily News, Baker said, The detectives ran down on me and searched everybody and said I know what you did. They kept saying I knew what I did. I was actually being accused of selling crack cocaine. All they found on me was $42 in front of the building. Baker spent 17 months in prison before her release this past November. She has filed a civil lawsuit against Franco. Heres an interesting exhibition for history buffs and Lower East Siders alike: The Lung Block, a New York City Slum and Its Forgotten Italian-American Community, is digging into the parallel stories of a displaced Italian community on The Lower East Side in the 1930s and our present day sagas of gentrification and immigration challenges. The exhibition, co-curated by Kerri Culhane and Stephano Morello, is opening at the Department of Records Building (31 Chambers Street) on Thursday, April 25, at 6pm. They write: In 1933, a lively Italian immigrant enclave on the Lower East Side was wiped from the map. For over three decades, Italian immigrants from northern and southern regions, speaking divers dialects, settled between the Brooklyn & Manhattan bridges, on the block bounded by Cherry, Monroe, Market and Catherine Street. A range of civic, cultural, social, and religious institutions grew up in and around the largely residential block, supporting the daily lives of thousands of families and individuals who called this place home. Though this area was in many ways indistinguishable from the rest of the Lower East Side a bustling, immigrant stronghold characterized by 5- and 6- story brick tenements and the occasional old house since 1899, this particular block existed under the shadow of a sinister narrative: that death was embedded in the very walls of those buildings, and that this Lung Blockthe generic term for a place where tuberculosis proliferatedrepresented a threat not just to the residents, but to the city at large. It is unlikely that the residents of this Italian community knew much about this story, since their plight was only told in the publications of various social charities and philanthropic organizations, or in the newspapers circulating among the anglophone working class. Few would have recognized the blockor their livesfrom the dire descriptions by the white, middle-class social reformers who crafted this narrative, having descended upon the immigrant Lower East Side to save it from itself. The exhibition promises to bring to light historical documents, maps, journals, photographs and other artifacts, supplemented by infographics based on historical statistics that disprove the commonly accepted narrative of the Lung Block as the worst slum in New York. A 3D model of the block illustrates the physical conditions that helped mark this block at the Citys most congested. For decades, young people have explored Europe by rail, bus and boat extensively, shouldering backpacks for month-long adventures or packing a miniature suitcase for a weekend city break. A treasure trove of ancient cities, impressive monuments and idyllic seaside towns, and right on the doorstep of the UK, it seems like the perfect continent for young people to explore on a limited budget. But what happens when Brexit comes into the mix? Britains exit from the European Union will change the way British people travel. While there will be small changes such as no guarantee of free data roaming in European countries post-Brexit, meaning that travellers will have to purchase a pay-as-you-go SIM card to access Google Maps or upload a sunset photo to Instagram, there will also be more significant alterations. Image credit: Evy Jacobs on Unsplash The lower value of the pound, which continues to fluctuate, is likely to make travel in Europe more expensive. The loss of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which allows EU members to receive emergency medical treatment at a reduced cost, will also mean it will be necessary to purchase additional travel insurance. These alterations will impact young people, especially students who rely on a student loan or part-time work to fund their adventures. With so many uncertainties surrounding Brexit and the threat of a no-deal Brexit still remaining, it might be expected that many young people would be reluctant to take off on a European adventure. However, a consumer survey of young travellers conducted by StudentUniverse, the worlds leading student and youth travel booking site, has revealed that 55% of British students and youths have not delayed travel plans due to Brexit uncertainties. Over 60% of respondents said that a no-deal Brexit would not impact their decision to cancel their holiday to the EU. Yet, while the majority remain resilient in the face of uncertainty, 12% of respondents said that a no-deal Brexit would impact their the decision to travel in the EU. 22% of respondents reported they would feel concerned about the loss of the EHIC due to the additional cost of travel insurance and less than 20% of respondents said they would be more reluctant to travel in the EU if roaming charges are re-introduced. More than double of those (45%) said: While it would be a shame to lose the free EHIC, it wouldnt stop me from travelling to Europe. Matilda Martin, a third-year student at the University of York, is concerned that travel in Europe will become less desirable for young people. I think its going to become a lot more expensive. Europe may increase charges for us, and I dont blame them! There are also a lot of European student discounts for museums in Paris, where I was, which could be taken away, she says. Image credit: Venkata Goli on Pexels Eve Willis, who has lived in Spain since September, says that Brexit has not impacted whether she will book a holiday to Europe at this stage, although she regularly monitors the news and Foreign Travel Advice (FCO) pages for updates. The only precaution I take is making sure I have paperwork of my residency in Spain in case the situation changes when I am in Spain, she says. A no-deal Brexit would not make me cancel a trip unless there were very expensive visa costs (costing more than flights) or if it was physically impossible! I imagine it will be like travelling to non-EU countries, she continues. For Eve, the re-introduction of roaming charges will have a big impact on the way she lives in Spain, as will the loss of the EHIC. Losing the EHIC, she says, would make her feel nervous about finding a different insurance scheme to cover her and the costs associated with this. Sam Willan, General Manager at StudentUniverse, says: Regardless of the uncertainties surrounding Brexit (and) the affects it could have on travel to the EU, we do still see a fundamental desire from students and youths to explore the world. The survey findings have made it clear that student and youth travellers alike remain money conscious when it comes to travel. With the low-value of the pound and its impact on the fluctuating exchange rate, over 70% of respondents said they were concerned about the increased cost of spending money when travelling in Europe." StudentUniverse can offer student rates on hotel bookings, flight deals, and they also work with partners to offer adventure tours. Visit their website for more information. By Trend President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Chairman of Huawei's Board of Directors Liang Hua in Beijing. Chairman of Huawei's Board of Directors Liang Hua pointed out the companys successful operation in Azerbaijan for already more than 15 years, and thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the conditions created for them in the country. President Ilham Aliyev praised Huaweis activity in Azerbaijan, describing it as one of the leading global companies in the field of information and communications technologies. The President also noted that he familiarized himself with the activity of Huawei during his state visit to China in 2015. Pointing to great prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Huawei, the head of state hailed the companys traditional participation in Bakutel exhibition. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the reforms carried out in ICT sector in Azerbaijan, describing cooperation with Huawei in this field as promising. The sides exchanged views on potential projects in ICT infrastructure, smart agriculture, smart city and smart home, digital economy, digital education and other areas. By Trend President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Yang in Beijing, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service. Wang Yang noted that the Azerbaijani president`s visit to China contributes to the bilateral relations. Saying that One Belt One Road project is a broad public platform, which includes comprehensive cooperation, Wang Yang underlined that Azerbaijan and China have always supported each other within international organizations. He pointed out that the two countries should further develop cooperation in political, economic, transport, humanitarian and other areas through joint efforts. President Ilham Aliyev praised positive dynamic in the development of cooperation between the two countries in all areas. The president noted that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to One Belt One Road project initiated by the Chinese president, adding that Azerbaijan is one of the first countries to support this initiative. President Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to creating modern transport infrastructure. President Aliyev thanked for inviting him to the second Belt and Road International Forum, and described it as an example of respect for Azerbaijan and friendship. The president pointed out that this visit will give a strong impetus to the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and China. They discussed the development of Azerbaijan-China ties and economic cooperation, the increasing of trade turnover, mutual support in international organizations, investment making and other issues. By Trend Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri. "I was deeply saddened by the news of the death of your father, outstanding statesman, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. On the occasion of this heavy loss, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my deepest condolences to you, your family and the whole people of Luxembourg." Sohar Port and Freezone together with RFX Industrial parks have recently signed a development agreement encompassing 58 hectares within the Sohar Freezone, a media report said. This collaboration will see the development of turnkey, bespoke new built-to-lease logistics and light industrial units for tenants requiring modern accommodation within Sohar Freezone, reported Oman News Agency (ONA). Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of Sohar Port and Freezone, said: With several potential investments in the pipeline, Sohar is committed towards providing tenants with the best high quality services to ensure an unmatched business experience. Our partnership with RFX will see the creation of new and innovative methods to further support existing tenants, as well as encouraging newer ones to set up at the Port and Freezone. The entire development will comprise up to 290,000 sq m of leasable space, which will offer various logistics size formats, including box and flex-log while also providing an easy solution of moving to larger units as tenant businesses expand. Phase One, which is due to commence construction in July 2019, will cover 10,000 sq m of leasable area and be available for occupancy by the end of the year. Mark Wrong, CEO of RFX commented, We are delighted to be selected by Sohar as their development partner to deliver brand new bespoke logistics and light industrial facilities for businesses looking for modern rental accommodation in Sohar Freezone. With our flexible leasehold solutions, tenants at Sohar Freezone will be able to reduce their capital expenditure and benefit from high quality facilities and competitive market rents. The 20 shortlisted projects for the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture were announced today in Kazan at an exhibition on the awards. Among them were the Bahrain's Revitalisation of Muharraq, Oman's Muttrah Fish Market in Muscat and Sharjah's Wasit Wetland Centre. The expo was inaugurated by Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan. The shortlisted projects, which are located in 16 different countries, will compete for $1 million in prize money. President Minnikhanov welcomed the decision of the Awards Steering Committee to host the prestigious prize-giving ceremony in the historic city of Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation, in the autumn of 2019. In January, an independent master jury reviewed hundreds of nominations. The 20 shortlisted projects are now undergoing rigorous investigations by a team of experts who visit and evaluate each project onsite. Their reports are the basis for the Master Jurys selection of the eventual laureates. It should be noted that projects commissioned by the Aga Khan or any of the institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) are ineligible for the Award. To be eligible for consideration in the 2019 Award cycle, projects had to be completed between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2017, and should have been in use for at least one year. The 20 shortlisted projects are: Bahrain Revitalisation of Muharraq, offers testimony on the pearl trade in the Arabian Peninsula over the centuries, especially when Bahrain thrived during the 19th century. Bangladesh Arcadia Education Project, in South Kanarchor, a modular amphibious structure incorporating space for a preschool, a hostel, a nursery and a vocational training centre which is tied down on a riverine site that is often flooded for five months every year. Amber Denim Loom Shed, in Gazipur, a new design that combines traditional Bangladeshi residential architecture and contemporary elements in a large open space that accommodates machines, a buyers lounge, a dining space, a prayer area and washrooms. China Courtyard House Plugin, in Beijing, a prefabricated modular system first developed as a prototype for installation within courtyard houses in the traditionally Muslim district of Dashilar, which is home to communities who do not have the means to renovate. Djibouti Tadjourah SOS Children's Village, a design based on a traditional medina and a layout of narrow streets that maximises shade and ventilation while providing shelter for the most vulnerable in society. Ethiopia Warka Water, a prototype first implemented in Dorza, consists of an elegant triangular frame made out of local bamboo that encloses a thin polyester mesh which captures droplets from high humidity in the air. Iran Enghelab Street Rehabilitation, in Tehran, encompasses both the rehabilitation of the facades of 114 existing buildings and the creation of public cultural space between the national theatre and opera house. Indonesia Taman Bima Microlibrary, in Bandung, aims to help combat Indonesias low literacy rates by adding a microlibrary above a pre-existing stage used for community events. AM Residence, in Jakarta, a design inspired by Indonesian vernacular stilt houses that favour natural ventilation; walls are minimised and windows kept simple for a seamless interior-to-exterior relationship. Lebanon Jarahieh School, in Al-Marj, which provides educational facilities for children from 300 Syrian refugee families, creates a hub for community activities and offers the settlements only secure shelter in the event of snowstorm or earthquake. Oman Muttrah Fish Market, in Muscat, which highlights the regions trade and fishing traditions while also catering to Omans growing tourism industry. Palestine Palestinian Museum, in Birzeit, which crowns a terraced hill overlooking the Mediterranean and is the recipient of the LEED Gold certification because of its sustainable construction. Qatar Msheireb Museums, in Doha, which incorporates four historic courtyard houses dating from the early 20th century that together comprise an element of the cultural development of downtown Doha. Russian Federation Tatarstan Public Spaces Development Programme, a programme that, to date, has improved 328 public spaces all over Tatarstan in areas ranging from major cities to small villages. Senegal Alioune Diop University Lecture Building in Bambey, where a scarcity of resources led to the use of bioclimatic strategies: a large double roof canopy and latticework that avoids direct solar radiation but allows air to flow through it. Turkey Beyazt State Library Renovation, in Istanbul, the renovation of a 19th century library housed within a 16th century building that displays rare manuscripts and architectural heritage. Uganda Ashinaga Uganda Dormitory, in Nansana, a residential school that prepares outstanding students from sub-Saharan Africa for entry into higher education. United Arab Emirates Concrete at Alserkal Avenue, in Dubai, the major element of a former industrial complex that has been transformed into a cultural hub. Al Mureijah Art Spaces, in Sharjah, the renovation of five dilapidated buildings that offered the perfect urban and architectural setting for a contemporary art venue. Wasit Wetland Centre, in Sharjah, a design that transforms a wasteland into a wetland and functions as a catalyst for biodiversity and environmental education. TradeArabia News Service JCDecaux, a leading outdoor advertising company and partner for the French Pavilion, will be working to promote Frances presence at the World Expo, to be held next year, in Dubai, UAE. The Expo will be held from October 20, 2020, to April 10, 2021, on the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, with three sub-themes, mobility, sustainability and opportunity. The partnership kicks off on April 28, with a month-long campaign in Dubai to raise the profile of the French Pavilion, said a statement from the company. Elisabeth Borne, French Minister for Transport, is scheduled to lay the first stone on May 2. The campaign to launch the partnership will feature 36 advertising lampposts (72 x 3 sq m sides) strategically placed along the famous Jumeirah Beach Road, one of the busiest thoroughfares in Dubai attracting a premium target audience, it said. Providing support to France during this event, JCDecaux will ensure a presence in Dubai during the main stages of the French Pavilion between now and the opening of Dubai 2020 World Expo, as well as during key moments for the six months of the Universal Exhibition. Dubai 2020 is the first ever World Expo to be held in the Middle East, where JCDecaux is a leader in outdoor advertising with a presence in five countries the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and in all outdoor advertising sectors, including street furniture, airports and other transport and large-format screens with more than 16,000 advertising sites. Jean-Charles Decaux, chairman of the executive board and co-chief executive officer of the group, said: Were proud to support Frances participation at Dubai 2020 World Expo by making our advertising assets available to promote the French Pavilion in an emirate where our presence dates back to 2008. While Connecting Minds, Creating the Future is perfectly in line with our mission in the more than 80 countries where the group operates and represents France, mobility and sustainability are two of the major themes of our innovation strategy, he said. We embrace and share the human, philosophical, cultural, entrepreneurial and technological values embodied in the French Pavilion. We are honoured to promote this exceptional platform to showcase French excellence, he added. Erik Linquier, commissioner general of the French Pavilion and chairman of the Compagnie francaise des expositions (Cofrex), added: Themed Light, Lights, the French Pavilion will bring our countrys vision to the international arena and will be an exceptional showcase that will increase Frances attractiveness. Were delighted to have JCDecaux on board to maximise visibility for the French Pavilion at Dubai 2020 World Expo. JCDecaux is a French company that shares our goals of welcoming and enhancing the experience of residents and visitors through harmonious integration in their environment, he said. The partnership celebrates France and helps to increase the countrys profile in the region and around the world. Promotion will reflect the experiences created in the French Pavilion, from laying the first stone right through the six months of Dubai 2020 World Expo, he added. TradeArabia News Service Bahrain Polystyrene Factory (BPF), a division of leading industrial group J A Zayani in the kingdom, has launched the latest product in thermal insulation at the ongoing Gulf Construction Expo. The company, which has been manufacturing expanded polystyrene (EPS) since 1998, has recently diversified into production of extruded polystyrene (XPS) to cater to the growing demand for thermal insulation products in Bahrain. Located at the Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP), BPF is a first-of-its-kind plant that produces EPS and XPS using state-of-the-art technology. According to Paul Uruvath, manager BPF, the new thermal insulation product XPS will be one of the finest being manufactured in the GCC with the latest technology delivering a fire-retardant composition for both residential and commercial buildings. Bahrain Polystyrene Factory aims to meet the growing demand for thermal insulation products in Bahrain. Our extruded polystyrene plant looks to support this for thermal insulation of roof and walls to provide savings on energy costs and protect from climate change, he remarked. Insulation of buildings is essential for consumers. Extruded polystyrene for roof and wall insulation is vital when considering higher thermal conductivity, he added. XPS is produced from solid polystyrene crystals. The main utilisation of this product is in waterproofing and thermal insulation. The standard size of the product is 1250 x 600 x 50 mm with density of 32 to 35 kg per cu m. BPFs XPS manufacturing unit has the production capacity to manufacture 450 kg per hour of extruded polystyrene in various thickness ranging from 20 to 100 mm with length of 1000 to 1800 mm and density ranging from 30 to 40 kg per cu m. EPS is produced from solid polystyrene beads, which are moulded as per various specifications to foam insulation boards, blocks or customised shapes for the requirements of building insulations, decorations and packaging industries. - TradeArabia News Service The countries that have seen the greatest growth in flight bookings from travellers in the UAE in the last 12 months are Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, according to an analysis conducted by Travelport, a leading travel commerce platform. From April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, bookings made in the UAE through all global distribution systems (GDS) to Pakistan increased by more than 130,000, up 31 per cent on the previous 12 months. Bookings to second-placed Nepal rose by over 25,000, up 37 per cent. This follows an increase of 15,000 flight bookings to the country the previous year (April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018, vs April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017). Third-placed Bangladesh saw flight bookings increase by just over 18,000, up 7 per cent. Global distribution systems (GDS) are vast hi-tech reservation networks that allow travel agents, travel management companies and large corporations, among others, to search and book airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items. Globally, in 2018, Travelport alone processed 1 trillion transactions through its platform. The company also delivers mobile services and apps to the travel industry, as well as advanced analytics products such as Travelport Business Intelligence. Kathryn Wallington, Travelports country manager for the UAE, said: Increased airline capacity, economic growth, political stability, and rises in demand from leisure travellers are all major drivers of growth in flight bookings. Most of these factors will have had a role to play in each of the rises were looking at here. Wallington continued: Pakistan has seen an uplift in tourism in general in recent years. According to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, tourism in the country increased three-fold from 2013 to 2017. Furthermore, the World Travel and Tourism Councils latest forecast was that the sectors contribution to GDP would rise by nearly 6 per cent in 2018, suggesting it had another strong year. Pakistan has also received more recognition for its tourism offering recently. For example, it was rated as the worlds top travel destination for 2018 by the British Backpacker Society, a story which carried across the globe. Pakistans plans to ease visa restrictions this year should mean the upwards trend in tourist numbers continues in 2019. With the recent expansion of Travelports partnership with Pakistan International Airlines, were delighted to be playing a part in helping the carrier and the country fulfil their international tourism aspirations. The countries in the Middle East and North Africa that experienced the greatest increases in flight bookings from the UAE over the last 12 months were Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco. Saudi Arabia saw an increase of just over 18,000 (up 6 per cent) bookings through all GDS, while Egypt and Morocco both recorded rises of nearly 5,000 (up 3 per cent and up 10 per cent respectively). Wallington concluded: Staying on top of evolving traveller demand is critical in the travel and tourism industry. Even basic analysis can allow travel agents to ensure the packages they offer are in line with the latest demand trends and help airlines ensure they have the right capacity planned for their routes. The analysis that can be done today, however, can, of course, go much deeper and agencies, airlines and others in the industry are becoming increasingly astute at finding the kind of insights that can give them a real competitive advantage. - TradeArabia News Service Oman-based SalamAir has announced plans to launch a new route between Muscat and Kuwait City. The new service, which will commence on June 2, leverages the growth of tourism and business travel between both countries. Kuwait City will become SalamAirs sixth destination in the GCC, after direct flights to Doha, Dubai, and Jeddah, in addition to the recently launched routes to Riyadh and the direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Salalah. Starting in June, SalamAir will fly daily to Kuwait City. Flights will depart from Muscat to Kuwait on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 09:20 and arrive in Kuwait at 10:30. The return flight will depart Kuwait at 11:10, arriving in Muscat at 14:10. As for Mondays, Wednesdays, Friday and Saturday flights, SalamAir will depart Muscat at 16:10 arriving in Kuwait at 17:20 with the return flights departing from Kuwait at 18:00 and arriving in Muscat at 21:00. Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, said: The GCC domestic and regional aviation markets have been undergoing a significant transformation over the last few years with an increasing number of travellers opting for cost-effective travel. This is a change in the dynamic of the travel industry in the region in which we welcome at SalamAir. Starting direct daily flights between Muscat and Kuwait City is in line with our strategy to offer both leisure and business travellers new flight alternatives at record low prices, while ensuring elevated levels of service, convenience and comfort. SalamAir has also opened its first office in Kuwait, and has collaborated with full-service travel management company, Boodai Aviation Group. The new office, located at the Avenues mall, will offer a full range of services including reservations and ticketing, itinerary changes, purchase of value-added options, as well as provide guests with general information and support to better plan their travels. Robert Hayek, group general manager of Boodai Aviation Group, said: We are thrilled to be working with SalamAir to bring what it offers to the travel market in Kuwait. Whether for leisure or business, we will offer our clients more choice, more access and above all a one-on-one interaction to help them experience SalamAir. We are offering them a new option for cost-effective travel built around convenience. Today, the SalamAir network consists of 17 destinations including Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, Dubai, Doha, Jeddah, Karachi, Multan, Sialkot, Shiraz, Kathmandu, Khartoum, Dhaka, Alexandria, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. - TradeArabia News Service Darbhanga, Apr 25 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched a blistering attack on Opposition for its stand that terrorism was not an issue in Lok Sabha election when poor were suffering the most due to it. Addressing an election meeting here, Mr Modi said that now government was forced to deploy police personnel laced with guns and pistols as security guards of leaders and also at bus stands, railway stations, temples, mosques and other public places due to surge in terrorist activities. Had terrorism been not there, the money spent on purchasing guns and pistols could have been used for the purpose of building hospitals and implementing welfare schemes for the poor,PM noted. The situation was different 40 years ago but now government had to spend huge money for preventing terrorist activities, he added. Mr Modi said that children of poor who were appointed in police and armed forces had to perform very hard duty and even they did not find time to sleep. They have to even lose their jobs in some cases when some terrorist act happened, he added. PM said that no leader in the electoral fray could eradicate terrorism as it could be done only by chowikdar (Modi), who needed full support from people in form of votes. MORE UNI DH AND Ukraine carries out firing exercises from Javelin missile system in Donbas - Reports 22 Dec 2021 | 8:11 PM Kiev, Dec 22 (UNI/Sputnik) Ukraine has carried out the first target-shooting exercises from the Javelin missile system in Donbas amid rising tension at the border with Russia, the Ukrainian TV channel Dom reported on Wednesday. see more.. Number of infections with Omicron Coronavirus strain in Japan increases to 153 - Reports 22 Dec 2021 | 8:07 PM Tokyo, Dec 22 (UNI/Sputnik) The number of infections with the Omicron coronavirus strain in Japan has risen to 153 with the first community transmitted cases registered in Osaka Prefecture, Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. see more.. UN chief urges Lebanese leaders to pull country out of political stalemate 22 Dec 2021 | 7:25 PM Moscow, Dec 22 (UNI/Sputnik) UN chief Antonio Guterres urged Lebanons divided government on Wednesday to work together to help the country out of a political and financial crisis as it continues to weigh on the population. see more.. Vietnam reports 16,555 new COVID cases, 1,588,335 in total :Health ministry 22 Dec 2021 | 6:56 PM Hanoi, Dec 22 (UNI/Xinhua) Vietnam recorded 16,555 new confirmed cases of COVID on Wednesday, including 16,522 locally transmitted and 33 imported, according to the Ministry of Health. see more.. Fossil crab reveals a new branch in the tree of life A new fossil from the dinosaur era challenges the understanding of evolution. In a paper published in Science Advances, an international team, including researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, announced their discovery of a new fossil crab species, Callichimaera perplexa in Boyaca, Colombia, and in Wyoming in the United States. "This new discovery is one of the most exciting fossil findings in the tropics in the past decade," said Javier Luque, former predoctoral fellow in staff scientist Carlos Jaramillo's lab at STRI, now NSERC postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Yale University. "We discovered a treasure trove of fossil crabs, dozens of exceptionally preserved specimens with eyes, antennae, muscles and reproductive organs." Sometimes it is difficult to piece together the tree of life that maps the evolution of the animals seen today. Important pieces in the puzzle may be rare or yet to be discovered. According to the authors, this fossil crab's unique body form pushes the textbook definition of what a crab is. It has large, unprotected compound eyes, a small body and mouthparts that look like legs. Its large, oar-like legs are the oldest record of adaptations of crabs for swimming. "This baffling fossil is like the platypus of the crab world," Luque said. "It is the earliest arthropod to evolve swimming oar-like legs since the sea scorpions disappeared more than 250 million years ago, a beautiful and perplexing chimera, as its name indicates." By comparing specimens of the new species with all known crab species, the team discovered several important unique characteristics of this species that sets it apart. The adults have characteristics similar to crab larvae. This would be like an adult human having the disproportionately large eyes of a baby, for example. Because researchers found males and females, they concluded that they were seeing adults, even though they appeared to have many characteristics of an earlier life-stage. The phenomenon of an adult retaining characteristics of a younger form is called pedomorphosis, a way to skip evolutionary steps in order to adapt to a new environment in fewer generations. "This reveals a new branch in the tree of life that has never been seen before," said Jaramillo, project advisor. ### In addition to the authors affiliated with STRI, authors from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Yale University, Kent State University, Universite de Montreal, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, Lynn University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas contributed significantly to this research. Funding for this study was from the STRI short-term fellowship program; the American Museum of Natural History Lerner Gray grant; the Sedimentary Geology, Time, Environment, Paleoclimatology and Energy Student Travel Award Grant; the Fondo Corrigan-ACGGP-ARES, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada Graduate Scholarship; the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship; the Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate Prize; the University of Alberta President's Coctoral Prize of Distinction; the Devendra Jindal Graduate Scholarship; the Kay Ball Memorial Graduate Student Research Travel Award; and an NSERC Discovery Grant. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Website: http://www. stri. si. edu . This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A flotilla including China's aircraft carrier Liaoning (Bottom) embark on a new training mission upon arrival at an unidentified sea area, July 13, 2017. Chinese aircraft carrier formation conducted coordination training on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua Originally designated a training and test ship, China's first aircraft carrier the Liaoning is starting to play a combat role following recent modifications and intensive training exercises, the vessel's executive officer revealed amid the celebrations of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's 70th anniversary. A Wednesday report by China Central Television (CCTV) revealed details on the modifications, which happened during scheduled regular maintenance from August 2018. The aircraft carrier has been equipped with upgraded arresting cables made of new materials. This will provide a larger buffer capacity when aircraft lands and also extends the cables' life, CCTV reported. There is a new arresting net stand, which raises a safety net across the flight deck helping halt a landing aircraft in case of emergency. The superstructure received a boost to its anti-jamming capability, and the flight control tower was enlarged so the crew members have more space and a better view. The propulsion system and power system also had several optimizations and improvements and they are now more stable and efficient, according to the report. Other places, including the flight deck and pipeline system, also saw improvements. Lu Qiangqiang, an executive officer of the Liaoning, told CCTV that the modifications were made thanks to the experiences they had gathered during previous training exercises and trials. "These changes will definitely help us make the best of the ship, improve our training protocols and boost our combat capability even further," Lu said. "The Liaoning is shifting from a training and test ship to a combat ship. I believe this process is going faster and faster, and we will achieve our goal very soon," Lu said. The experiences gained from the Liaoning carrier will also be used on China's new aircraft carriers, an anonymous military expert told the Global Times on Wednesday. China's second aircraft carrier is expected to be commissioned soon, and the expert said that although the new carrier looks similar to the Liaoning, it is likely to have been further modified, making it a stronger warship. "Through the development of the Liaoning carrier, we learned some technical patterns in building large and super-large vessels," CCTV quoted Yin Zhuo, a senior researcher at the PLA Naval Equipment Research Center, as saying. The commissioning of the Liaoning was a comprehensive boost to the development of the PLA Navy, and its benefit will become very clear in a decade or two, Yin said. Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), answers reporters' questions at a regular press conference on Apr. 25, 2019. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Sun Zhiying) (The following English text of the press conference is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.) Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang: Friends from the media, welcome to this months regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). First of all, I have two pieces of information to release. The first one is about China-Russia joint maritime exercise. According to the consensus reached by China and Russia, the two navies will hold a joint military exercise code-named Joint Sea 2019 from April 29 to May 4, 2019, in the sea and airspace near Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. The subject of the exercise is joint maritime defensive operations. The two navies will dispatch 2 submarines, 13 surface vessels, 7 fixed-wing aircrafts, 4 helicopters and 80 marines. The exercise will be conducted in three phases, namely preparation, execution and summary, aiming at enhancing China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, enhancing friendly and practical cooperation between the two militaries, and strengthening the two navies capability to commonly address maritime security threats. The exercise does not target any third party. Under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, China-Russia mil-to-mil relations is running at high level, which enriches the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with new content on security, and contributes positive energy to world peace and regional stability. This year, the two militaries will push forward exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including high-level engagement, combat scenario-based training and international army games. The second piece of information: With the approval by Chinas Central Military Commission (CMC), a Chinese naval fleet comprised of missile destroyer Haikou and missile frigate Huangshan will berth in Hong Kong from April 30 to May 5. During the port call, the fleet will conduct a joint training with the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, and the two naval ships will be open to the public. The port call is a planned operation during the fleets return to its base after attending the maritime parade of the 70th anniversary of the PLA Navy. It will show the Hong Kong compatriots the achievement the PLA Navy has accomplished over the past 70 years, as well as the PLAs determination and capability to safeguard Hong Kongs peace and prosperity. Question: Recently, multinational activities celebrating the PLA Navys 70th anniversary were held in Qingdao, Shandong Province of China. Could you please brief us on these activities? Answer: April 23 marked the 70th anniversary of the PLA Navy. Over the past 70 years, the PLA Navy has developed itself through hardship, fight and innovation, making important contributions to Chinas maritime security and positive efforts to maintain international maritime order. Id like to say congratulations and pay my tribute to my colleagues in the Navy. There are many substantive programs and highlights in the multinational naval activities. President Xi met with heads of naval delegations on April 23. During the meeting, he put forward the important initiative of building a community of a shared maritime future, which enriched the important thought of building a community of a shared future for mankind. It is a China plan to safeguard maritime peace together, build maritime order together and promote maritime prosperity together. It conforms to the trends of times, the interests of all countries and the missions of all navies. The multinational naval activities this year will be undoubtedly recorded in history with the raising of this important initiative. We hope all navies commit to peace and cooperation, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win, accelerate the building of a community of a shared maritime future and make positive contributions to the building of a community of a shared future for mankind. Question: In the naval parade in Qingdao on April 23, we noticed that the indigenous new-type ten-thousand-ton-class destroyer Nanchang was displayed as an active ship of the PLA Navy for the first time. I remember that its hull number 101 was ever used by the destroyer Anshan. Why was the hull number given to the destroyer Nanchang again? Some comments said that the transition of the hull number marked the watershed of the PLA Navy. If the old destroyer Anshan opened an era of the initial version of the Chinese navy, the new destroyer Nanchang represents another era of the 2.0 version of the Chinese navy. Could you please comment on that? Answer: Thank you for your care and attention to the PLA Navy. The two generations of the 101 destroyer are a symbol of the accomplishment achieved by the PLA Navy. On April 23, the multinational naval activity celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Chinese PLA Navy was successfully held. The indigenous destroyer Nanchang with a full-displacement of 10000 tons appeared in the ship review, which drew wide attention from the media and the public. As far as I know, the Nanchang, the first one of the type 055 missile destroyers, has completed most of the sea trials and will be delivered to the PLA Navy soon. Question: Media reports said that, on April 21, the Ministry of National Defense of China held a reception for a 100-member delegation of young officers from the African countries and the African Union visiting China. It is a large event in recent years in China-Africa security cooperation. Please give us more details about that. Answer: China-Africa defense and security cooperation has a long history. President Xi Jinping pointed out at last years Beijing summit of China-Africa Cooperation Forum that the youth is the hope of China-Africa relations. To implement President Xis important initiatives about enhancing the youth exchange between China and African countries, the Chinese Defense Ministry invited the first batch of 100 young officers from Africa to visit China, which was actively echoed by militaries of Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria and other African countries. Now the delegation is visiting China from April 21 to 27. They have visited the August 1 Aviation Demonstration Team of the PLA Air Force, the Special Armed Police Academy. They have been given lectures about the Chinese military, and had candid discussion with the Chinese counterparts. They are also arranged to visit some high-tech enterprises to get a better understanding of the Chinese economy and society. It is a concrete measure to carry on China-Africa traditional friendship and push forward the upgrade of the China-Africa military relationship in the new era, bearing positive significance in building a closer community of a shared future for China and Africa. Question: It is reported by some Vietnamese media that in the video released by the website of the Ministry of National Defense regarding celebrating the 70th anniversary of PLA Navy, there are some contents about the naval battle between China and Vietnam. Could you please verify that and what is your comment? Answer: I need to check what you mentioned, but one thing is for sure that the video reflects the development of the PLA Navy. It does not target any particular country. Currently, China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership maintains a sound and stable momentum. The two militaries maintain sound communication and close engagement. The Vietnamese navy commander along with the fleet attended the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the PLA Navy just a few days ago, which demonstrated both sides positive posture to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation and safeguard the maritime peace and security together. We are ready to join the Vietnamese side to advance the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level based on the 16-character guideline and the spirit of Four Goods. Question: Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said during a press conference on April 23 that he hoped to visit China at the soonest and talk with Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe. It is known that he considered to visit China in early May but gave up due to failed coordination. In the recent 70th anniversary of the founding of China's People's Liberation Army Navy, Japan dispatched destroyer JS Suzutsuki (DD 117) to attend the fleet view for the first time in 7 and a half years. What is your comment? Answer: Defense exchanges and cooperation between China and Japan is an important component of the bilateral ties. Currently China-Japan relations go back to the right track. As you said, the destroyer JS Suzutsuki (DD 117) took part in 70th anniversary of the founding of China's People's Liberation Army Navy, and right now the Japanese young and middle-aged officers delegation is visiting China. The PLA Naval University of Engineering is participating in the 22nd Asia Pacific Naval College Seminar (APNCS). The defense ministries of the two countries held an experts consultation for the hotline of the Maritime and Air Liaison Mechanism. China is willing to work with the Japanese side to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, enhance exchanges and communication between the two defense establishments, properly manage the differences, enhance mutual trust on security, so as to create favorable conditions for the development of the China-Japan relations in the new era, and also to make contributions to regional peace and stability. Question: According to the US media report, the US has refused to dispatch any military vessel to attend the multinational naval activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy on April 23 in Qingdao for worries that China may use the attending of the US to elevate its status internationally. What is your comment? Answer: The theme of the multi-national activities is building a community with a shared maritime future. The activities appeal world navies to safeguard maritime peace, build maritime order and promote maritime prosperity together, showing the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win corporation. The activities were widely echoed and supported by the international community. More than 60 countries sent their naval delegations which covers most naval countries of the five continents. We believed that the activities will further deepen mutual trust and friendship between the Chinese Navy and its counterparts around the world. Question: German media reported that the Medical Service of the Federal Defense Forces of Germany will hold a large-scale joint exercise with its Chinese PLA counterpart for the first time from July 3 to 17 this year. Could you please brief us on that? Answer: In recent years, China-Germany mil-to-mil relations enjoy a sound momentum. Pragmatic cooperation including the joint exercise has made solid progress. Chinese and German militaries will hold the second medical service joint exercise this year. The two sides are in close communication on the joint exercise and we will release new information in due time. Question: Media said that China and ASEAN countries will hold a joint drill recently. Could you please verify that? Answer: According to the consensus reached by China and relevant countries, China-ASEAN Joint Maritime Exercise 2019 are being held from April 24 to 26 in the sea and airspace in and southeast Qingdao, Shandong Province of China. The exercise will be based on the scenario of commonly safeguarding maritime security and the theme is to jointly address the threat from pirates and provide medical aid at sea. There will be 8 subjects, including formation departure, formation communication, formation operation, inspection and arrest, joint rescue, transportation and treatment of the wounded, personnel transfer and separate navigation. The exercise will be divided into two phases. The first phase is from April 24 to 25, which will be conducted offshore. The second phase will be conducted on April 26. The PLA will dispatch 5 surface vessels while the ASEAN countries will dispatch 7. The exercise is conducive to promoting mutual understanding and trust between the participating partiesdeepening maritime defense and security cooperation and contributing energy to regional peace and stability. Question: Media reported that recently several senior officers in the US military criticized China and the PLA. General Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a hearing of the Senate Armed Forces Committee that the input of China and Russia in space is changing the landscape of international security, and that the US must take actions in response. US Chief of Airforce Department Wilson said in a hearing that the US is facing a bigger threat in outer space and it needs to take measures to deter space war that might be waged by China and Russia. Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command Davidson said recently that Chinas militarization in the South China Sea is worrying and it not only impacts economy, but also reflects Chinas intention behind to reshape international order. Davidson also said the military budget for fiscal year 2020 failed to provide instant and necessary resources for the Indo-Pacific and hoped that the Congress could guarantee bigger budget to address China threat. What is your comment Answer: We have noticed the frequent negative comments on China from the US. They are not true and we are firmly opposed to them. China sticks to the path of peaceful development and adheres to a defense policy that is defensive in nature. China always advocates peaceful use of outer space and solving the South China Sea issue through dialogues and consultations. China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor of world development and a protector of international order. We hope that some US officials can see China and the PLA rationally and objectively, focus on the implementation of the consensuses reached between the two heads of state to develop bilateral and mil-to-mil relationship, and on maintaining global and regional peace and stability. This is what a responsible and faithful big country should do. Question: The US Washington Post reported on April 21 that the US Coast Guard Commander Carl Schultz said the United States Coast Guard has reinforced its deployment in the Asia-Pacific and has already participated in guard and patrol in the sea area around China. Some US experts believe that this will help the US to properly address the Chinese maritime militia claiming sovereignty over the South China Sea. If the US dispatches military vessels to confront the Chinese coast guard ships, it would be seen as unfair to the public and might cause escalation of conflicts. Could you please comment? Answer: We are paying close attention to that. Currently, the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea is generally stable. It proves that countris in the region have the will, confidence and capability to handle differences, maintain peace and promote prosperity. Some countries outside the region always think of some new ways to intensify their front-line military presence, pushing regional militarization, which not only harms the interests of the coastal nations, but also undermines regional peace and stability. China is firmly opposed to it. Wed like to tell relevant parties to recognize peace and development as the trend of times, abandon the cold-war mentality, and respect other countries sovereignty and security. The Chinese military will take firm actions to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security, and maintain peace and stability in the region. Question: The Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee (Japan-U.S. 2+2) was convened in Washington, D.C., on April 19. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan attended the meeting. During the meeting, the two sides for the first time confirmed that they will enhance cooperation in the fields of space and cyberspace. And they also confirmed that the Article 5 of the two countries' security treaty applies to the space and cyberspace. Besides, both sides expressed grave concerns over Chinas activities in the East and South China Sea. Could you please comment? Answer: The US-Japan Alliance is the result of the Cold War and bilateral arrangement, which should not be extended beyond the bilateral scope or harm the interests of any third party. We urge the relevant parties to abandon the Cold War mentality, set a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable outlook for security, and do more things conducive to regional peace and stability. We pay close attention to the new moves by the US-Japan Alliance in outer space and cyberspace. China always stands for the peaceful use of outer space, and the building of peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyberspace. China opposes the weaponization of outer space and arms race in outer space, as well as the cyber warfare and cyber arms race. All countries should cooperate to safeguard the outer space and cyberspace security together. Regarding maritime issues, China has always been committed to safeguarding its justified rights and interests and regional peace and stability through lawful, reasonable and friendly measures, as is obvious to the international community. We are firmly opposed to false accusations and slanders against China by relevant parties. Currently, China-Japan relations have come back to the right track, facing important opportunities and being fragile and sensitive at the same time. The two sides should implement the consensus reached by heads of states to enhance the cooperation and exchanges between defense establishments, and to create conditions for the new development of China-Japan relations. We hope that the Japanese side could take this opportunity by exercising caution and showing sincerity. Question: India has sent two warships to attend the multinational naval events. How does Chinese military view that? It is known that Pakistan has sent high level delegation to the events but did not sent naval ships. What is your comment? Answer: The multinational naval events of the 70th anniversary of PLA Navy held by PLAN has been widely echoed and supported by the international community. More than 60 countries sent their naval delegations, covering most countries having navies in the 5 continents. We believe that these events will undoubtedly enhance the mutual trust and friendship between the PLA Navy and its world counterparts. China attaches great importance to China-India military relation and China-Pakistan military relation. China is ready to join India and Pakistan to push forward military relations with continuously enhanced exchanges and cooperation. Question: More than 60 countries naval delegations are attending the multinational navy events. A high-level seminar is held from 24th to 25th. So what are the subjects this seminar focuses on? And what outcomes are expected from the multinational navy events regarding the international military cooperation? Answer: The theme of multinational navy events is building a community with a shared maritime future. The seminar is conducted under this theme, and consists of three sub-topics, which are, Sea and Community with a Shared Future for Mankind: Navys Role and Responsibility Work together to Counter Maritime Threats and Challenges: Navys Practice and Contribution Deliberation, Co-construction and Sharing of Global Maritime Governance: Navys Cooperation and Action. Naval delegations from the countries and military attaches in Beijing take active part in this seminar, in which all parties deliberated plans, raised new ideas and finally reached consensus on the above-mentioned topics. The Chinese military is willing to provide platforms for all cooperative parties to deepen maritime security cooperation and build a community with a shared maritime future. China is also ready to promote maritime peace, seek maritime secutity, prosper sea culture and build maritime order together with world militaries. Question: According to media report, China and Russia recently held a planning conference on Computer-Enabled Anti-Missile exercise. Could you verify that Answer: According to the agreement between China and Russia, the two countries have agreed to conduct the third Computer-Enabled Anti-Missile exercise in Russia this year. The two sides held the first planning conference of the exercise from April 15 to 19 in Beijing, and discussed the time, scheme, joint training and other details. The exercise reflects the high level practical cooperation between the two militaries. It will further strengthen the two countries strategic mutual trust, and protect the two countries security interests and regional strategic balance as well. Question: Since Trump took office, the US has made arms sale to Taiwan multiple times. And it seems to be normalized. What is your comment Answer: We have already stated our position on many occasions on the US arms sale to Taiwan. I want to stress that China is firmly opposed to any countrys arms sale to Taiwan or any official contact or military ties with Taiwan in any form. The US arms sale to Taiwan severely violates the One-China Principle and regulations of the Three Joint Communiques between China and the United States. It is utterly wrong and dangerous. I also want to stress that it is doomed to fail to contain China with Taiwan and there is no way out to rely on other countries. Relevant parties should recognize the main trend today as well as the overall interests of the Chinese nation. The future of Taiwan lies in reunification and welfare of the Taiwan compatriots lie in national rejuvenation. Question: We noticed that the Chinese Defense Minister is attending the Moscow Conference on International Security in Russia. Could you please brief us on that? Answer: From April 24 to 29, at the invitation of Minister of Defense of Russia Gen. Sergey Shoigu, Minister of Defense of Uzbekistan Maj. Gen. Bakhodir Kurbanov and Maj. Gen. Rayimberdi Duishenbiev, chief of general staff of Kyrgyzstan Armed Forces, General Wei Fenghe, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense of China, will attend the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security in Russia, visit Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and attend the SCO member states defense ministers meeting in Bishkek. The purpose of this visit is to follow President Xis important instructions to implement consensus reached between President Xi and heads of Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, to keep China-Russia mil-to-mil relations at high level, to deepen the friendly relations between the Chinese PLA and militaries of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, to enhance the foundation of defense and security cooperation in SCO, and to carry forward the Shanghai Spirit featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, coordination, respecting diversified civilization and seeking common development, so as to contribute positive energy to peace and development in the region. Question: Taiwan Central News Agency reported that PLA military aircraft flew through the Bashi Straits on April 15th to carry out blue water training. Joseph Wu, the head of Taiwan liaison department, said that when Taiwan and the American Association in Taiwan (AIT) celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, the PLA conducted targeted military training. He added, "we will not bow to bullying." May I have any comment on this? Answer: The PLAs training and exercises are aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, maintaining peace and stability across the Straits, and protecting common interests of the compatriots across the straits. The DPP authorities took this opportunity to stir up, raise cross-strait confrontation, and to rely on the US. The attempt will not succeed. If there are no further questions, here concludes todays press conference. Thank you. RAMALLAH, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army demolished on Wednesday the house of a Palestinian who was accused of killing two Israelis in the West Bank in March. Palestinian security sources said that the army demolished the house of Omar Abu Laila in the village of Zawiya, west of Salfit, by bombing it from inside. Israel accused Abu Laila of carrying out an operation near a settlement in Salfit on March 16 that killed a soldier and a rabbi. The Israeli army killed Abu Leila in an armed clash after chasing him for three days. The Israeli army has decided to demolish the homes of the Palestinians, whom they accuse of carrying out operations against Israeli targets in the West Bank, which the Palestinians regard as violating international law. On the other hand, 27 Palestinians were wounded in clashes that broke out earlier on Wednesday with the Israeli army in the city of Nablus. According to medical teams of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, seven wounded were shot by rubber bullets, including two head injuries, and they were transferred to the hospital for medical treatment. Around 1,500 settlers entered the Joseph's Tomb earlier in the day with intensive security guard from the Israeli army to perform religious rites, accompanied by Knesset members of the ruling Likud party, according to Palestinian sources. The site of Joseph is a destination for thousands of Israelis where they hold prayers and religious rituals of Judaism at the tomb of the Prophet Joseph, the eleventh son of the Prophet Jacob. In a related context, the Palestinian Prisoners Club reported that the Israeli army arrested six Palestinians during a raid in Tulkarm and Bethlehem in the West Bank. The Israeli army carries out almost daily arrests and raids in the West Bank as part of the hunt for Palestinians it calls "wanted," while Palestinians say it often touches civilians. Chinas subjugation of the Xinjiang Uyghur Muslim community has to be one of the worst racial, religious persecutions of the decade. What makes it even more unique and horrifying is that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used cutting edge technology to suppress Uyghurs. AI surveillance The most important component of CCPs surveillance over Uyghurs is the Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP). An AI-driven system, IJOP collects data from multiple sources, including the millions of CCTV cameras located throughout Xinjiang, MAC addresses of devices, license and citizen ID numbers from security checkpoints, and so on. In addition, Uyghurs are also forced to download apps into their smartphones and computers that track every action they commit over the Internet. All such data is collected and eventually analyzed by the AI to identify threats to society. Deep-learning systems search in real time through video feeds capturing millions of faces, building an archive which can help identify suspicious behavior in order to predict who will become an unsafe actor. The predictions generated automatically by these computer vision technologies are triggered by dozens of actions, from dressing in an Islamic fashion to failing to attend or fully participate in a nationalistic flag raising ceremonies. All of these systems are brought together in the IJOP, which is constantly learning from the behaviors of the Uyghurs it watches, according to Logic Mag. When IJOP was first set up, the Chinese regime had hired close to 100,000 personnel to carry out a manual assessment of the region. The newly hired officers went to every home in Xinjiang, collecting face signatures of people from different angles and other biometric records. They also classified the 14 million Muslims into three groups based on their risk safe, average, and unsafe. A persons categorization was determined based on factors like whether they prayed many times, had taught their children about Islam, had a relative abroad, and so on. The information collected from such large-scale operations laid the foundation for IJOP. Today, it needs less human-fed data. A few more years from now, IJOP will run largely as an independent entity with little to no human intervention required. In February this year, a Dutch cybersecurity expert, Victor Gevers, discovered unprotected databases on Chinese servers. It revealed the movements of Uyghur citizens over a period of 24 hours. The database contained a massive 6.7 million geographical coordinates, collected from places like Internet cafes, hotels, and mosques, which goes on to show how widespread and deep-rooted surveillance has become in the region. The latest reports suggest that Beijing is not satisfied with implementing the system in Xinjiang alone. The man behind the Xinjiang crackdown is rumored to be laying the groundwork for countrywide technological surveillance. Acting against Uyghur exploitation Uyghur activists in America have asked the government to initiate strict action against China for persecuting the Muslim community in Xinjiang. Several U.S. lawmakers have also expressed their support for the cause. In fact, the U.S. ambassador for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, said that the American government must push aggressively on the topic of Uyghur exploitation. However, several Uyghur activists feel that not much has been done to make the Chinese government accountable for their crimes. I am saddened by the timid response of the world community, world leaders, who should be defenders of the freedom and democracy Where is the outrage against such horrendous, repugnant catastrophe thats happening on our watch? Isnt anyone seeing that Uyghurs are facing cultural and physical genocide today because of their identity and religion? Rushan Abbas, a Uyghur-American activist and founder of Campaign for Uyghurs, said in a statement (CNN). In March, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded that the Chinese government end the practice of mass Uyghur detainment. Almost a million Uyghurs are believed to be brainwashed by the Chinese regime through internment camps, where they are forced to discard their traditional ways and accept the supremacy of Chinese communist ideology. Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our weekly email Last winter Memphis school officials went to great lengths to get the annual tax bill changed from a biannual collection to just one in July. The school board and the city agreed to the change, but a paperwork mistake this year will mean taxes wont be collected until December. Memphis Community Schools Superintendent Brad Gudme said there was a problem related to the summer tax bills, but it was not an attempt to deceive anyone; it was simply a mistake and an oversight by him and the districts business office. After things went smoothly last year, 2019 arrived, and district officials prepared to again collect taxes in July, but soon realized they hadnt adopted a resolution to do so because they thought they only had to adopt it once, rather than annually. This is definitely something we should have caught and we missed it, unfortunately, Gudme said. Its my fault; I take full responsibility for it. At the school boards April 15 meeting, Gudme asked officials to approve a resolution to send a letter to taxpayers explaining the mistake, prompting Treasurer Marty Cook to say he felt the district owes taxpayers more. The letter will state that taxpayers should consult their mortgage holder to understand how the change will affect their escrow accounts. I certainly support the change, but I think because we failed to do this when we should have, I believe we do have a little more responsibility to our taxpayers than, Contact your mortgage company. I think thats the cost of missing this; we owe them some direction or education on this, Cook said. Gudme said he would take direction from board members on how they want to address it and suggested hosting an informational meeting for residents. Trustee Cheryl Florka said she agreed with Cook, adding that it was unfortunate and almost unacceptable that it happened. But she also pointed out that the taxpayers went through a change last year and have already been through it. Cook said if a meeting wont work, then maybe a one-page letter explaining what the change in tax colleting might mean to the average taxpayer would be appropriate. The board agreed to look into the matter and come up with an idea to explain it further. At the end of the meeting, Kelly Francis resigned her position on the school board after serving for six years. Members of the board thanked her for her service. Rhein said they would begin taking applications to fill the seat immediately and would conduct interviews and the appointment at a meeting on April 29. Gudme said the only requirement of a school board candidate is that they live in the Memphis school district and be at least 18 years old. Memphis Community Schools includes students from five municipalities, including Wales, Riley, Columbus and Richmond townships. Barb Pert Templeton is a freelance reporter. She can be contacted at barbperttempleton.reporter@yahoo.com. Govt Publishes Bill to Amend & Clarify Law Relating to Termination of Pregnancy by Registered Medical Practitioners The Government of Gibraltar has today released a statement saying that the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Abortion has now had the opportunity to consider these submissions and has also concluded its consultation process with an important cross-section of the community and with the various groups and associations that wished to make representations in person. Government further commented that on this sensitive and significant issue, it was crucial that they took the time to consult as meaningfully and as widely as possible. "As the community may recall, the process of consultation on abortion was promoted, solely, by the case of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on the legality of the law on abortion in Northern Ireland." the statement continues. "In that case, a majority of the court explained that the current law in Northern Ireland is disproportionate and incompatible with Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights insofar as that law prohibits abortion in cases of (a) fatal foetal abnormality, (b) pregnancy as a result of rape and (c) pregnancy as a result of incest. Article 8 of the European Convention is almost identical to Section 7 of the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006." "The Supreme Court case in respect of the law in Northern Ireland means that Gibraltar must act to ensure the compatibility of Gibraltars laws with the European Convention right of respect for privacy and family life and, more directly, our own Constitution. The Government is advised, therefore, that our current law is no longer compatible with our Constitution and the Government must take urgent legislative action. The Government is mindful of the need, however, to proceed in a respectful manner that fulfils its international legal obligations and that reflects the public interest. As a result, the Government has today published a Bill to amend the Crimes Act 2011. The Command Paper, previously published for consultation, provided, among other things, that the places in which abortions can be carried out are limited to those authorised by the Minister for Health, including places outside Gibraltar. The Command Paper also specified the limited instances in which an abortion would be legal. Firstly, the circumstances in which it was proposed that an abortion should be permitted would be those where the continuation of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, or grave physical or mental injury. Secondly, the Government consulted on whether an abortion should be available where only the health of the foetus suffers from a fatal foetal abnormality, or, if the child were born, it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously disabled." The main changes to the draft Bill, included with the Command Paper, following the consultations conducted by the Inter-Ministerial Committee, are to: leave no doubt that only medical practitioners employed by the GHA can certify that an abortion is legal in the circumstances. Non-GHA medical practitioners can only terminate a pregnancy where it is immediately necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or to prevent grave permanent injury to her physical or mental health; stipulate that the period in which abortions can be carried out is limited to twelve weeks. This was a matter on which Govt specifically sought feedback from the community; and not to permit abortions in Gibraltar in cases where, if the child were born, he or she would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously disabled as, this is not indicated by the Supreme Court Decision in Northern Ireland. Further, although the GHA has funded such terminations for decades under successive administrations, and will continue to do so, such terminations are carried out only outside of Gibraltar. This is because the relevant expertise is not available locally. Such abortions will still not be able to be carried out in Gibraltar, because this is not a specialist skill that will be repatriated. Should this be an expertise that a future Government of Gibraltar considers should be repatriated to Gibraltar, legislative consent will have to be sought from a future Gibraltar Parliament for such abortions to be carried out in Gibraltar. The Chief Minister, the Honourable Fabian Picardo QC MP, said: "The debate on abortion is one that we did not expect to have in this term in office. It must be said, however, that once the UK Supreme Court judgment was reported, our community has engaged in this inescapable debate in a measured and sensitive fashion and in a climate of mutual respect. The groups with whom we met and from whom we have received feedback - both inside and outside of Gibraltar - were in complete agreement as to the importance of the health and social support mechanisms necessary for women with unwanted or unexpected pregnancies. Particular emphasis must also be paid to our education on such matters in schools to ensure we are always up-to-date. I can assure our community that all of these will be in place by the time the Bill is debated in Parliament, and I shall make the relevant announcements in due course. The health, social and educational support we provide will be as important as the changes to the law. I want to thank everyone who contributed to our consultation, and my colleagues in the Inter-Ministerial Committee, for the work they have undertaken with me in the preparation of this legislation. The Minister for Health, Care and Justice, the Hon Neil F. Costa MP, will present the Bill to Parliament, as it requires changes to be made to the Crimes Act as Minister for Justice and also involves his area of ministerial responsibility for Health and Social Care. BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China is conducting a joint naval exercise with Southeast Asian countries from Wednesday to Friday, a spokesperson said at a press conference Thursday. The exercise is taking place in nearby sea areas and airspace of Qingdao, an eastern coastal city, with focus on jointly handling pirate threats and maritime emergency rescues, according to Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense. The exercise will help improve the understanding and trust among the navies, deepen their cooperation on the defense and security on the sea, and contribute to the maintenance of regional peace and stability, he said. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 24, 2019 | 06:28 PM | PADUCAH A new development project could be the first one within the city of Paducah's new Tax Increment Financing District.At Tuesday's meeting, Paducah City Commissioners approved a municipal order for a 12-month development agreement with Weyland Ventures Development. Under this agreement, Weyland will conduct a market analysis, financial analysis, and project design for the development of the city-owned property between Jefferson Street and Broadway and 2nd and North Water Streets. The block of property is currently a parking lot. Depending upon the findings, the development project could include a hotel, open space, and a mixed-use residential building. Weyland has promised they will keep public parking and an open space available for functions. Mayor Brandi Harless and Weyland Ventures have met with various stakeholders in the downtown area over the past few weeks to hear their thoughts and concerns. Harless said, Im really proud that we have found a development partner that listened and will be responsive to the concerns of the community and, I think, will be able to develop something that will have a lot of impact. The citys goals with this project within the TIF District are to continue the revitalization of Paducahs downtown, increase the vibrancy of the area, add public space, improve connectivity, and diversify housing options. The city and Weyland Ventures will work to engage and seek input from stakeholders throughout the process. Based upon the outcomes of these due diligence activities, the next step would be to negotiate a development agreement for a specific project. Mayor Harless said, At the end of this, we will have some proposals put on the table. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese and Russian navies will conduct a joint exercise from April 29 to May 4, a spokesperson said at a press conference Thursday. The exercise will take place in nearby sea areas and airspace of Qingdao, an eastern coastal city, and will focus on joint sea defense, according to Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense. It aims to consolidate and develop the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia, deepen pragmatic naval cooperation, and improve the handling of safety threats at sea, he said. The exercise does not target any third party, Ren said. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 24, 2019 | 07:48 PM | GRAVES COUNTY The suspect fled the area on foot. Graves Sheriffs deputies responded as well as Kentucky State Police. Surveillance footage of the suspect from the store was recovered, as well as additional evidence. The Carlisle County Sheriffs Office and Calloway County Sheriffs Office sent K-9s to the scene. The track yielded additional evidence, including that the suspect most likely had a vehicle parked nearby. On Monday, Graves Sheriffs deputies spoke to residents of Sharon Church Road and Ash Drive, about 15 miles from the robbery. They noticed articles of clothing discarded in the weeds, including a hoodie and bandana. They recognized the clothing from news reports and a photo on the departments Facebook page. Deputies also learned that a man living at a home on nearby Greg Street fit the description, and had been seen pulling into that residence during the time of the robbery. On Tuesday afternoon, deputies went to the home and located a man hiding in a back bedroom. Twenty-six year old Darius Harrison was found to have a quantity of cocaine on his person. An indoor marijuana growing operation and several marijuana plants were found in another bedroom of the home. Harrison is a convicted felon for burglary, drug and other convictions. Two firearms were located at this residence during the investigation. One was a .380 caliber semi automatic pistol that had been reported as stolen from McCracken County in 2017. Additional evidence was also obtained that implicates Harrison in the armed robbery on Sunday evening. A female that was located at this residence was identified as being 26-year-old Colleen Miller. Both were arrested and taken to the Graves County jail. Two small children were found in the home and were placed into the custody of a family member. An arrest has been made in connection with an armed robbery on Easter Sunday in Graves County.The clerk at the Stop and Go Food Mart at KY 131 and Hwy 58 reported that a heavy set black male wearing a distinctive hoodie and bandana partially covering his face entered the store, threatened to shoot the clerk and demanded money. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 24, 2019 | 05:30 PM | HICKMAN According to KYTN, Larry Myatt of Hickman announced his immediate resignation on Monday, after starting the job on April 9th. Myatt was recently re-hired for the position on a 3-1 commission vote, with one abstention. He was first appointed to serve as the city manager in Hickman in 2007, but was terminated in 2012. Former Hickman City Manager James Gray of Union City had previously resigned from the position in January. For the second time this year, the City of Hickman is again without a city manager. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 24, 2019 | 09:01 PM | WINGO A Wingo man was arrested Wednesday on a child abuse charge. According to the Graves County Sheriff's Office, a deputy responded to Wingo Elementary School Wednesday morning after receiving a call that a six-year-old child was being abused at home. The deputy and a case worker from the Cabinet for Families and Children met with the child and determined that a home visit was necessary. The deputy and case worker went to a home on South Saint Paul Street in Wingo and interviewed the child's mother and stepfather about scratches and bruises on the childs body. According to police, the stepfather, Tamese Barr, admitted that he caused the injuries on the child's neck and shoulder area as a form of punishment. Deputies determined that there was enough evidence to arrest Barr on a charge of assault 4th degree, child abuse. Barr was arrested on the same charge in 2017. He was lodged in the Graves County Jail. Some 20 Chinese fashion brands and labels will be assembled to display at the upcoming China Chic Pop-up, which is scheduled to kick off on Friday in a New York City landmark to celebrate China's booming fashion industry. To be held at the 106-year-old Vanderbilt Hall inside the historic Grand Central Terminal, the event will see a 6,000-square-feet (557 sq meters) space transformed into an innovative interactive experience with three themed areas -- Fashionista, Beauty and Lifestyle, and a photo booth with Instagrammable opportunities. Participants include Asia's influential designer Lanyu, jewelry designer Jade Chiu, and award-winning luxury luggage maker TUPLUS. Globally-renowned Chinese-born designer Vivienne Tam will also have an installation featuring three iconic dresses from her archive. The event is organized by Yue-Sai Kan China Beauty Charity Fund (CBCF) as a central part of the fashion icon's mission to increase visibility of Chinese brands in the United States, and title-sponsored by Play Lounge, a leading Chinese fashion destination which carries over 500 designer labels. Fifteen percent of sales from the pop-up will be donated to the CBCF, which was established in 2011 in honor of the Chinese American TV-producer and entrepreneur Yue-Sai Kan by the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation. CBCF is dedicated to the betterment and advancement of women and children through education, health and cultural programs worldwide. The pop-up will open through April 30. (Source: Xinhua) Hundreds of Chinese cultural relics repatriated from Italy finally are made available for public viewing on Wednesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing. [Xinhua] After a long journey home, hundreds of Chinese cultural relics repatriated from Italy finally were made available for public viewing on Wednesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing. The 796 artifacts are believed to have been illegally moved overseas. The exhibition runs through June. "On a flight, it only takes 10 hours to travel from Milan to Beijing," Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang said at the exhibition's opening ceremony. "However, their journey took 12 years." Hundreds of Chinese cultural relics repatriated from Italy finally are made available for public viewing on Wednesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing. [For China Daily/Jiang Dong] The artifacts were found in 2007 at an antique market in Milan by an Italian police squad assigned to fight cultural heritage-related crime, Luo said. Officers suspected the relics were smuggled and confiscated them. The Chinese embassy in Italy was informed of the case in 2008, and China's National Cultural Heritage Administration soon began the process of identifying the artifacts and checking them against export documents. None of the items was approved for export, and most of them showed signs of having been buried and excavated. The Chinese administration filed papers seeking their return and, after a decadelong judicial process, a court in Milan approved their return in November. Hundreds of Chinese cultural relics repatriated from Italy finally are made available for public viewing on Wednesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing. [For China Daily/Jiang Dong] In March, President Xi Jinping and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte oversaw the signing of an intergovernmental agreement in Rome to formally give the green light for repatriation of the artifacts, which arrived in Beijing on April 10. "I'm glad to see this exhibition just before the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing," said Ettore Sequi, Italian ambassador to China. "The new Silk Road of culture is bearing fruit. "Italy and China are the nations with the largest numbers of UNESCO World Heritage sites," he said. "Given that the two countries are important cultural powers, I think this repatriation will set an example for the rest of world." Hundreds of Chinese cultural relics repatriated from Italy finally are made available for public viewing on Wednesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing. [For China Daily/Jiang Dong] The origins of the returned artifacts range from the Majiayao, a Neolithic culture from the third millennium BC in what is now Gansu province, to the early 20th century, according to Xin Lixiang, a veteran archaeologist at the National Museum of China. "We can see many pottery figurines of camel caravans from the Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, two peak times of the ancient Silk Road," Xin said. "They are typical representatives of their times." China has gained the repatriation of many lost cultural relics from overseas in recent years. In February, an agreement was reached with the United States for the return of 361 artifacts. But Guan Qiang, deputy director of the heritage administration, said the process isn't easy. Hundreds of Chinese cultural relics repatriated from Italy finally are made available for public viewing on Wednesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing. [For China Daily/Jiang Dong] While international conventions prohibited the illicit import and export of cultural properties in 1970 and 1995, respectively, Guan said the process is often tricky, especially with artifacts lost before 1970. "This repatriation from Italy offers a crucial reference," he said. "But each case requires a plan tailored to its specific situation." Hundreds of Chinese cultural relics repatriated from Italy finally are made available for public viewing on Wednesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing. [For China Daily/Jiang Dong] China has signed bilateral agreements to fight cross-border crimes involving cultural relics with 21 countries including Italy, and Guan said the agreements complement the international conventions. "Diplomatic channels, judicial procedures and negotiation are needed, depending on the circumstances," he said. Guan said an exhibition featuring some of the choice cultural relics repatriated in recent years will be held in the near future. Russian students learn acupuncture therapy at the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Urumqi. [For China Daily] Every Friday after work, Ayden Yerzhan visits a small clinic near his home where practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine offer a range of treatments, including one of his favorites, a therapeutic massage called tui na. "The weekly tui na rejuvenates me from fatigue. In addition to my Friday visits, I always come to this clinic if I feel unwell, because the acupuncture treatment here relieves pain," said the 27-year-old from Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city. Ayden is able to receive the treatment thanks to the emergence of TCM clinics in Kazakhstan. TCM has an obvious effect on postoperative rehabilitation for some patients, and people in Kazakhstan also use it as a complementary approach to health. Many people in the country are interested in learning about TCM, and one of the best places for them to study is Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which is not only close but has high-quality teaching resources. Minar Nagymetzhan, also from Almaty, is studying TCM at Xinjiang Medical University. The 20-year-old freshman can easily communicate with the locals because she spent two years studying Chinese. "My father owns a clinic, and under his influence, I decided to study medicine after I graduated from high school. In Kazakhstan, a lot of people study Western medicine, so I thought it may not be competitive for me to study that. So from an early stage, I planned to come to China to study TCM," she said. She found it easy to adapt to life in Xinjiang because the food is similar to her native cuisine and there are many Kazakh classmates who can help with her on-campus life. Her only real difficulty is learning ancient Chinese language and culture. "As a TCM student, it is essential to learn ancient Chinese, but the learning process is tough. Sometimes, I have to memorize texts without knowing what they mean," Minar said. "However, this is a process that every TCM student has to go through. As a foreigner, I need to work harder." She has many classes every week, including diagnostics and Chinese pharmacology. She also has to study TCM specialties, such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, and learn the theory and methods involved in these practices. "I am busy but happy, because I can learn a lot about Chinese culture through TCM," Minar said. "I have never been to any Chinese city except Urumqi, so I hope that after I graduate here, I can go to Beijing or Shanghai to continue my study of TCM by pursuing a master's degree." More than 12 non-Chinese students are studying TCM at Xinjiang Medical University. They are mostly drawn to the future of the practice. Minar believes that the TCM she is learning in Xinjiang can be combined with Western medicine to provide better services for the patients at her father's clinic. "Just as a combination of acupuncture and herbs is more effective for patients with serious conditions, a combination of Eastern and Western medicine increases the opportunities for more-comprehensive healthcare. I hope more people in Kazakhstan will experience TCM in the future," she said. (Source: China Daily) Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held from April 25 to 27 in Beijing. Noting the profound "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship between China and Myanmar, Xi said China is willing to carry forward the traditional friendship of the two sides, increase mutually beneficial cooperation and push forward bilateral relations constantly. In light of the celebrations next year that will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Myanmar diplomatic relationship, the two sides should actively conduct interactions at all levels and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and focus their pragmatic cooperation more on areas related to people's livelihood, so as to continuously consolidate public support for bilateral friendship, Xi said. China supports Myanmar in developing its economy and improving people's livelihood, and appreciates the efforts of the Myanmar's government to advance domestic peace and reconciliation, Xi said. China is willing to work with Myanmar to safeguard the security and stability in China-Myanmar border areas and ensure the safety and normal order of border residents, he said. China highly appreciates the establishment of a steering committee by the Myanmar's government for implementation of tasks related to the Belt and Road Initiative, which is chaired by Aung San Suu Kyi, Xi said. China is willing to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with Myanmar under the Belt and Road framework, and accelerate the development of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, so as to bring more concrete benefits to the two peoples, he said. Noting that China is a close and friendly neighbor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi expressed gratitude to China's efforts to support the peace, stability and development of Myanmar. Myanmar has supported the Belt and Road Initiative since the very beginning and has been active in expanding cooperation with China, and it believes joint construction of the initiative will lead to greater well-being in the world and the region, enhance Myanmar-China friendship and cooperation, and bring concrete benefits to the two peoples, she said. Myanmar is willing to work with China to safeguard the security and stability in border areas, she said. Myanmar appreciates China's position in upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on multilateral affairs, she added. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] (Source: Xinhua) On April 24, ISIS claimed responsibility for a series of terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka that killed more than 320 people and injured more than 500. By now, Sri Lanka government or international organizations has yet to confirm the claim except focusing on the investigation of an extremist religious organization called NTJ. Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lankas Defense Minister, said the plotters were reacting to last months terrorist attack on mosques in New Zealand. Experts generally believe that local extremist organizations in Sri Lanka are unable to carry out such large-scale terrorist attacks. They should have links with international terrorist organizations, in a manner of speaking, the attacks they launched were like the usual practices of ISIS and al-Qaeda. As retaliation for the terrorist attacks on Muslims in New Zealand, the purpose of this series of terrorist attacks claimed by ISIS, revealed by the government of Sri Lanka, confirms the previous fears of the public. Sri Lanka and New Zealand are far apart from each other and have no problems left over from history. Recent terrorist attacks made them both the victims of religious fanatic actions. Such an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth attacks have never happened on such a large scale in the past. Countries need to attach great importance to avoid the poisonous impact of this religious trend. Terrorists clearly want to mobilize the masses with terrorist attacks labeled religious retaliation, create further religious divisions, make a great mess of the world, and seek opportunities to expand their influence. In the tide of globalization, the globalization of religious emotion has become one of the more prominent ideological phenomena. As globalization allows daily contact, once religion enters a cycle of conflict in one place and their followers from other places can take part in through public opinion and other ways and means. In addition, a dispute can have many dimensions, but religious factors are often influenced by public opinions, and such tendency has obviously become intensified. We now believe that neither the terrorist attacks in New Zealand nor in Sri Lanka should be labeled simply as religious conflicts. They are terrorist attacks launched by extremists. The reason why the attackers targeted specific religion was that they wanted to incite religious hatred. To prevent the spread of such influence is an urgent response that governments and justice forces around the world should take. However, the United States and other Western countries adopt double standards on fighting terrorism, which resulted in a significant decline in global solidarity against counter-terrorism. It is most unfortunate that there are some different understandings and controversies about counter-terrorism. Anti-terrorism cooperation is important; meanwhile, it is equally important for sovereign states to prevent the infiltration of extremism into their own countries. Extremism will have its own form variation and unique ways due to the individual situation of each country, but the consequences of destroying the legal order and endangering public security are similarly detrimental. We are mostly concerned that it might become easier for extremists to incite religious hatred in the future, and countries, including the western countries, may not be able to curb this trend. Subsequently, new calculated terrorist attacks targeting specific religious groups may become highly probable events in the future. The continued intensification of such attacks may cause peoples serious concern and mislead the public's understanding of the nature of terrorism. Global terrorism has been constantly forming new pattern and new mode of mobilization, which will pose new challenges to human rights and international peace. China is one of the countries capable of keeping international extremism out of the door, and todaythats specially our strength. China advocates the sinicization of various religions, which is also a favorable factor. We must resolutely maintain independence at the spiritual level and prevent external extremism penetrating into China through various channels. No matter what chaotic situations the world is facing, China will make sure to maintain peace and harmony. Disclaimer: The author of this article is with the Global Times. The article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. President Xi Jinping sent a letter to congratulate the inauguration of the Belt and Road Studies Network (BRSN) on Wednesday. Xi said the development of history, prosperity of civilizations, and progress of humanity are closely connected with the guidance of advanced ideas. Noting that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) originates in China, but belongs to the world, Xi said the initiative has become an open and inclusive platform for international cooperation and popular global public goods, thanks to the concerted efforts of all parties. Xi said think tanks are an important force in the joint pursuit of the BRI, adding that exchanges and cooperation among think tanks help deepen mutual trust, build consensus, and advance the joint pursuit of the BRI towards higher levels. Xi stressed that the establishment of the BRSN provides an important platform for think tanks of all countries to enhance exchanges of ideas and offer consulting services to policy-making. Xi expressed the hope for the BRSN to deepen academic exchanges and produce more high-quality research results to contribute to making solid progress in the joint development of the BRI and building a community with a shared future for humanity. (Source: Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera hold talks ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. [Xinhua/Rao Aimin] Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera held talks in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China and Chile should take joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative as a new opportunity to deepen political mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation, and push the China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, Xi said. Xi said the two countries should promote the upgrading of bilateral trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as mining, clean energy, telecommunication, e-commerce, technological innovation and Antarctic science. Efforts should be made to better hold a series of celebrations next year that will mark the 50th anniversary of China-Chile diplomatic relations, and boost people-to-people ties, he said. China supports Chile in hosting the UN climate change summit and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting this year, and will work with Chile to push forward the construction of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and uphold multilateralism as well as the multilateral trading system, said Xi. The nature of cooperation between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries is South-South cooperation, and the two sides should continue to support and help each other, complement each other with respective strengths, pursue win-win cooperation, so as to achieve common development and rejuvenation, and jointly forge a community with a shared future between China and Latin America, he said. Pinera said Chile and China had achieved marked progress in bilateral relationship since the two countries established diplomatic ties. Chile supports joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance connectivity among regions, Pinera said. Chile hopes to learn from China's achievements in innovation-driven development and green development, and expand bilateral cooperation in such areas, he said. Pinera also noted that Chile would enhance coordination and cooperation with China on regional and multilateral affairs, and continue to play an exemplary role in promoting relations between Latin America and China. After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera hold talks ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu] Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (1st R) pose for a group photo with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera (2nd L) and his wife in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. Xi and Pinera held talks in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. [Xinhua/Rao Aimin] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Chilean President Sebastian Pinera before their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. Xi and Pinera held talks in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Chilean President Sebastian Pinera before their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. Xi and Pinera held talks in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. [Xinhua/Rao Aimin] (Source: Xinhua) Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will lead a high-level delegation from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to participate in the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, the government announced on Thursday. "The government attaches great importance to the work of taking forward the Belt and Road Initiative. Hong Kong's participation at the forum will enhance our role and position as the prime platform and a key link for the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as fostering our integration into the overall development of the country," Lam said. The forum, themed "Belt and Road Cooperation, Shaping a Brighter Shared Future", will feature 12 different sub-forums on key topics. These include infrastructure, trade, people-to-people connectivity and economic and trade cooperation. Representatives from over 100 countries, including 40 leaders of foreign governments, are expected to attend the high-level forum, held in Beijing from April 25 to 27. The first forum was held in May 2017. Lam will deliver the opening keynote address at thematic forums on financial connectivity and regional cooperation. The Hong Kong delegation comprises government officials, including the financial secretary, and representatives from various sectors in the city. They will participate at thematic forums and the CEO conference on April 25, and the opening ceremony and a high-level meeting on April 26. A session on regional cooperation, themed "Belt and Road: Hong Kong IN", will be moderated by the Chairman of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Laura Cha Shih May-lung. Six Hong Kong delegates will have in-depth discussions on how Belt and Road-related countries and regions may leverage Hong Kong's professional services and international connections in participating in the initiative and pursuing regional cooperation. Lam said she looks forward to the SAR delegation "having proactive interactive exchanges on Hong Kong's work in the Belt and Road". The Belt and Road Initiative, put forth by President Xi Jinping in 2013, aims at bringing together countries in Asia, Europe and Africa and their adjacent areas to deepen cooperation on all fronts. By the end of March, a total of 124 countries and 29 international organizations have signed Belt and Road Initiative cooperation documents with China. (Source: China Daily) Email Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter According to ATTOM Data Solutions' Q1 2019 U.S. Home Sales Report, U.S. homeowners who sold in the first quarter of 2019 realized an average price gain of $57,500 since purchase, representing an average 31.5 percent return on the purchase price. Meanwhile, the report also shows that homeowners who sold in the first quarter had owned an average of 8.05 years, down slightly from a record-high average homeownership tenure of 8.17 years in Q4 2018 but still up from 7.75 years in Q1 2018. Homeownership tenure averaged 4.21 years nationwide between Q1 2000 and Q3 2007, prior to the Great Recession. "We are starting to see homes sales prices and profit margins softening for the nation, and the average homeownership tenure did see a slight dip from last quarter," said Todd Teta, chief product officer at ATTOM Data Solutions. "However, home prices are still above pre-recession peaks in 59 percent of local markets, and as the buying season starts to kick into gear, the next few months may provide even more answers to the question of whether a lasso is indeed around the market or if the recent trend is a temporary bump in the ride." Average homeownership tenure down in Kansas City, Tucson, Boston and Orlando Counter to the national trend, the average homeownership tenure in Q1 2019 decreased from a year ago in 25 of 108 metro areas analyzed in the report (23 percent), including Kansas City, Tucson, Boston, Orlando, and Oklahoma City. Among major metropolitan areas with a population of at least 1 million, those with the longest average homeownership tenure for home sellers who sold in the first quarter were Hartford, Connecticut (12.52 years); Boston, Massachusetts (12.36 years); Providence, Rhode Island (11.15 years); San Francisco, California (10.40 years); and San Jose, California (10.27 years). Prices in Denver, Austin, Dallas and Nashville 50+ percent above pre-recession peaks Median home prices in 73 of the 123 metro areas analyzed in the report (59 percent) were above pre-recession peaks in the first quarter of 2019, led by Greeley, Colorado (79 percent above); Denver, Colorado (68 percent above); Fort Collins, Colorado (67 percent above); Austin, Texas (62 percent above); and Dallas, Texas (58 percent above). Including Denver, Austin and Dallas, other major metros with at least 1 million people and with Q1 2019 median home prices at least 40 percent above pre-recession peaks were Nashville, Tennessee (55 percent above); San Antonio, Texas (49 percent above); San Jose, California (43 percent above); Houston, Texas (43 percent above); and Kansas City, Missouri (41 percent above). Prices in Hartford, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami and D.C. still below pre-recession peaks Median home prices in 49 of the 123 metro areas analyzed in the report (40 percent) were still below pre-recession peaks in the first quarter of 2019, led by York-Hanover, Pennsylvania (56 percent below); Trenton, New Jersey (35 percent below); Atlantic City, New Jersey (32 percent below); Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut (28 percent below); and New Haven, Connecticut (22 percent below). Those major metros with at least 1 million people and with Q1 2019 median home prices at least 10 percent below pre-recession peaks were Hartford, Connecticut (17 percent below); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (15 percent below); Chicago, Illinois (14 percent below); Baltimore, Maryland (13 percent below); Miami, Florida (12 percent below); Washington, D.C. (10 percent below); and Birmingham, Alabama (10 percent below). Average home seller gains down from previous quarter, up from year ago U.S. homeowners who sold in the first quarter of 2019 realized an average home price gain since purchase of $57,500, down from an average gain of $60,000 in Q4 2018 but up from an average gain of $56,733 in Q1 2018. The average home seller gain of $57,500 in Q1 2019 represented an average 31.5 percent return as a percentage of original purchase price. Among 123 metropolitan statistical areas analyzed in the report, those with the highest average home seller returns in Q1 2019 were San Jose, California (84.1 percent); San Francisco, California (70.9 percent); Seattle, Washington (63.1 percent); Modesto, California (59.7 percent); and Salt Lake City, Utah (56.5 percent). Cash sales share decrease annually All-cash sales represented 28.0 percent of all single family and condo sales in Q1 2019, up from 27.7 percent of all sales in the previous quarter, but down from 28.9 percent of all sales in Q1 2018. Among major metropolitan areas with a population of at least 1 million, those with the highest share of all-cash sales in Q1 2019 were; Miami (44.6 percent); Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida (40.7 percent); Birmingham, Alabama (40.6 percent); Detroit (40.1 percent); and Memphis, Tennessee (38.9 percent). Institutional investor sales share down nationwide, up in 29 percent of local markets The share of U.S. single family home and condo sales sold to institutional investors (entities buying at least 10 properties in a calendar year) was 1.8 percent in the first quarter, down from 3.7 percent in the previous quarter and down from 2.2 percent a year ago. Among 49 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000 and at least 40 institutional investor sales in Q1 2019, those with the highest share of institutional investor sales in the first quarter were; Columbia, South Carolina (7.9 percent); Atlanta, Georgia (7.4 percent); Charlotte, North Carolina (5.6 percent); Memphis, Tennessee (5.1 percent); and Las Vegas, Nevada (5.0 percent). Share of distressed sales continue annual decline Total distressed sales -- bank-owned (REO) sales, third-party foreclosure auction sales, and short sales -- accounted for 14.2 percent of all single family and condo sales in Q1 2019, up from 12.9 percent in the previous quarter but down from 15.2 percent in Q1 2018. Among 135 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000 and at least 100 total distressed sales in Q1 2019, those with the highest share of total distressed sales were Atlantic City, New Jersey (33.1 percent); Trenton, New Jersey (28.0 percent); Rockford, Illinois (27.3 percent); Peoria, Illinois (26.1 percent); and Shreveport, Louisiana (25.9 percent). Counter to the national trend, 33 of the 135 metro areas (24 percent) posted year-over-year increases in share of distressed sales, including San Antonio, Texas (up 22.2 percent); Salt Lake City, Utah (up 20.6 percent); New Orleans, Louisiana (up 11.8 percent); Indianapolis, Indiana (up 10.6 percent); and Raleigh, North Carolina (up 8.9 percent). FHA buyers share drops 7 percent from last year Sales to FHA buyers (typically first-time homebuyers or other buyers with a low down payment) represented 10.9 percent of all U.S. single family and condo sales in Q1 2019, up from 10.8 percent of all sales in the previous quarter but down from 11.8 percent in Q1 2018 to the 8th consecutive quarter with annual decreases. Among metro areas with a population of at least 1 million, those with the highest share of sales to FHA buyers were Indianapolis, Indiana (18.5 percent); Riverside, California (18.0 percent); Houston, Texas (17.3 percent); Providence, Rhode Island (16.2 percent); and Hartford, Connecticut (16.2 percent). Sign Up Free | The WPJ Weekly Newsletter Relevant real estate news. Actionable market intelligence. Right to your inbox every week. Go Thank you for your interest! You will now be receiving our Weekly Real Estate Newsletter. North Wales Police appoints its first female assistant chief constable This article is old - Published: Thursday, Apr 25th, 2019 North Wales Police has appointed its first female assistant chief constable (ACC). Sacha Hatchett, who has 21 years service at North Wales Police, has been Temporary ACC at the Cheshire Constabulary since December 2017, She previously worked as chief superintendent for local policing and had overall responsibility for delivering response policing, neighbourhood policing and investigations. Sacha, a single mum to two primary school aged children, was educated at Sir Richard Gwyn High School, Flint, before studying International Relations and Politics at Staffordshire University and going on to complete a Masters in Evidence Based Police Executive Studies at Cambridge University. I am immensely proud to be the first female chief officer in North Wales, said Sacha. Im looking forward to working with the new chief officer team and to reconnect with partners across the area. North Wales is an outstanding force, made up of excellent people who work together to keep our communities safe and I am really excited to be coming back to take on the opportunities and challenges. Chief Constable Carl Foulkes added: I am delighted to welcome Sacha back to North Wales. Sacha is well known to the force and our partners and will bring the experience, local knowledge and commitment we need as we continue with our drive to make North Wales the safest place in the UK. (Click for large) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 00:38:34|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Guests and speakers attend the first panel discussion at the Financial Sector Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 24, 2019. Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday achieving a budget surplus in the first quarter of this year, which is the first since 2014, Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Tu Yifan) RIYADH, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday achieving a budget surplus in the first quarter of this year, which is the first since 2014, Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. The surplus reached 27.8 billion Saudi riyals (7.4 billion U.S. dollars), Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan said at the Financial Sector Conference in Riyadh. He highlighted that the revenues increased by 48 percent in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same quarter in 2018, while total spending rose by 8 percent for the same period. The minister revealed that the non-oil revenues in the first quarter of 2019 grew at a rate three times higher than they did in 2014, totalling 76.3 billion Saudi riyals (20.3 billion U.S. dollars) compared to 21.9 billion Saudi riyals (5.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2014. "This year's budget clearly attests to the fact that the Kingdom's fiscal policy is progressing towards achieving its Vision 2030-related objectives," the minister said. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon speaks during an interview with Chinese media in Dushanbe on April 13, 2019. DUSHANBE, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a new model of international cooperation. "Tajikistan attaches strategic importance to its cooperation with China. The BRI is a revival of the spirit of the ancient Silk Road," Rahmon said in a recent interview here with Xinhua. He made the remarks on the eve of his trip to Beijing to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) slated for April 25-27. "The BRI implies creating a new model of international cooperation by strengthening the existing mechanisms, as well as seeking and implementing new mechanisms, with the aim of stimulating the economic development of countries involved," said the president. "The initiative in its essence aims to improve globalization. It is a path to free movement of goods, efficient allocation of resources and deeper market integration," he noted. The Tajik president said the BRI projects fit well into his country's sustainable development plans for the period up to 2030 in sectors including energy, transport, agriculture and industry. "By aligning our strategic goals with BRI projects, we continue to actively expand and deepen regional cooperation," he said. In his opinion, the cooperation with China within the BRI framework has already yielded results, but is still far from fully tapping the initiative's full potential. "We need to make more efforts to deepen interactions and increase the number of projects to be implemented," he told Xinhua. The president calls the Belt and Road a multi-faceted "bridge" which can help unlock the transit potential of the landlocked Central Asian country and enable it to access worldwide markets. Tajikistan sees the second BRF as a big event this year, said Rahmon. "We regard the upcoming forum as an important platform for constructive discussion of various aspects of the process of sustainable development," he said. In recent years, the Tajik government has been committed to reforms to improve the business and investment environments. Rahmon noted that Tajikistan has rich human resources, with a young and growing population, great agricultural, mining, tourist, water and hydropower resources, and a convenient geographical location close to major markets in the region. To tap its potential, the country "is ready to actively develop and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with our neighbors, friends and partners, and first of all with China, including within the framework of the BRI," he said. The president said bilateral trade with China still has a lot of growth potential after a 10-percent increase in trade volume last year, and that Tajik businesses are keen to enter the huge Chinese market. "We believe that the implementation of the BRI will contribute to the expansion of bilateral trade and the optimization of its structure that meets the interests of both sides," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 02:24:33|Editor: yan Video Player Close HELSINKI, April 24 (Xinhua) -- A court in Oulu, Finland, has began dealing with the case involving alleged multiple sex crimes that got unprecedented publicity in Finland from late 2018. There were eight suspects in the case. The victim was a girl under the age of 15 who had allegedly been for several months subjected to aggravated rape and aggravated sexual abuse. The alleged crimes had been committed in the apartments of the suspects, the Finnish News Agency STT reported. There will be eight separate trials and verdicts. On Tuesday charges were presented to a 21-year-old man. He has arrived in Finland as an asylum seeker from Afghanistan. His lawyer Jaana Piipari said he denied all the charges. The next suspect will seen in court on Friday. The presiding judge told the court that all documents of the case and the court recordings were to be kept secret until 2079. Media photographers were allowed into the court room for the start. The suspect had his face covered. Prosecutor Pia Maenpaa demanded that the verdict be published when given, only withholding the name of the victim. The court will later decide to what extent the verdict will be published. Maenpaa did not tell the media what her demands were. Under Finnish law, five to ten years of imprisonment can be sentenced on account of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. For aggravated rape the sentence can range between two and five years imprisonment. Maenpaa said all the suspects did not know each other. They had allegedly made contact with the girl on the internet. Maenpaa said the case was a typical case of seeking friends via the internet. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 03:04:58|Editor: ZX Video Player Close Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait Li Minggang is seen in an interview with Xinhua in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on April 24, 2019. The cooperation between China and Kuwait has entered a period of fast development under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait Li Minggang said in an interview with Xinhua. (Xinhua/Nie Yunpeng) KUWAIT CITY, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The cooperation between China and Kuwait has entered a period of fast development under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait Li Minggang said in a recent interview with Xinhua. Kuwait was the first Gulf country to establish diplomatic relations with China and it was also one of the first Arab countries to sign a cooperation agreement with China under the BRI, the ambassador said. The Kuwaiti side has decided to integrate the China-proposed initiative with the "Kuwait 2035," a national development strategy of Kuwait, Li noted, adding that this will put the China-Kuwait cooperation on fast track. The initiative is highly compatible with the "Kuwait 2035," the ambassador stressed. Proposed by China in 2013, the BRI refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa through the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road. In February 2010, with an aim to change the country's traditional oil-reliant economic structure, the Kuwaiti government unveiled "Kuwait 2035," a national development strategy to turn the country into a trade and financial hub. In 2015, the Kuwaiti government announced plans to develop five islands off the eastern coast of the country into free trade zones. "Like Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said, China is a strategic partner of Kuwait's project 'Silk City and Five Islands'," the ambassador added. China is willing to share with Kuwait its experience in construction of industrial park and free trade zone and contribute to the planning, construction and operation of the "Silk City and Five Islands," Li said. "We are ready to use Chinese wisdom to help the Kuwaiti people in pursuit of a better life," he added. As of the strategic partnership between China and Kuwait, Li said that this partnership reflects the great potential and strong will of the two countries to strengthen cooperation. In July last year, China and Kuwait agreed to establish strategic partnership between the two countries to inject new impetus into bilateral ties and open up new prospects in the new era. "The partnership will guide and guarantee further development of bilateral relations at a higher level and promise more achievements in cooperation," Li noted. Currently, the primary goal of Kuwait's national economic development is developing non-oil industries, promoting industrial restructure, and achieving economic diversification. "China has high-quality production capacity and mature technology. It can help Kuwait to accelerate its industrialization process," he said, adding that the two sides could fully complement each other and deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields. "People-to-people exchanges is a key factor to consolidate foundation of relations between the two countries," Li said, adding that "the two governments have been actively engaging in visa issues to facilitate personnel exchanges." "Through these efforts, we hope that our Kuwaiti friends could truly understand China and become witnesses, participants and beneficiaries of China-Kuwait friendly cooperation," Li stressed. "We are prepared to continuously cultivate new growth points for economic and trade cooperation, expand pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries," Li said. "We believe that, in the future, the two countries will make greater progress in pragmatic cooperation under the BRI," he added. Speaking of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Li said that the forum will provide opportunities for more countries to understand the China-proposed initiative. "We hope that more countries will join the construction of the BRI, thus bringing more tangible benefits to countries along the route," Li added. At the Thursday summit, Kim is expected to push Putin for economic aid -- specifically relief from international sanctions that remain in place after nuclear talks with the United States broke down. During an earlier stop in the border city of Khasan, Kim said this "will not be the last" trip to Russia, adding it is the first step toward improved Russia-North Korea relations, according to a readout issued by local Russian authorities. Wearing a black fedora hat and matching dark overcoat, the smiling Kim was greeted by Russian officials and a military band Wednesday in the port city of Vladivostok. The North Korean leader made the short trip to Vladivostok via his signature armored green and yellow train. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in the far eastern region of Russia for his first ever meeting with Vladimir Putin, which Kim says is the initial step toward closer ties with Moscow. Kim No Longer a Pariah? It is the latest high-profile summit for Kim, who until last year hadn't left North Korea since taking power in 2011. Over the past year Kim has met twice with U.S. President Donald Trump, three times with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, four times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and once with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong. "What this has mainly done is give Kim some international credibility. I mean, he was a pariah a year ago. And now he's everybody's prom date, everyone wants to be seen with him on their arm," said Ralph Cossa of the Pacific Forum, a non-profit foreign policy research institute based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Although the meetings have raised Kim's global stature, they have failed to reduce the sanctions pressure hurting his economy. After a February Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi ended in no deal, the United States has insisted it will not relax sanctions until North Korea commits to abolishing its nuclear weapons program. Putin: Not Much of a Help? With Putin's own economy hurting, it isn't clear that North Korea is a priority. And without buy-in from the United States, it is not clear how much he could do anyway. Russia-North Korea trade fell dramatically last year, by more than 56 percent to $34 million, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, who was quoted in Russian state media. "This is primarily due to the fact that Russia is forced to follow international sanctions that were imposed on [North Korea]," said Ushakov. By contrast, North Korea was earning about $100 million a year in hard currency from the Kaesong Industrial complex before it closed, points out Troy Stangarone of the Washington D.C.-based Korea Economic Institute. Kaesong, located just north of the inter-Korean border, used South Korean capital and North Korean labor to produce goods, before being closed after a North Korean nuclear test in 2016. South Korea has expressed an interest in reopening the complex, but appears unable to do so unless the United States relaxes sanctions. Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, signed onto tougher sanctions amid North Koreas nuclear and missile tests in 2016 and 2017. However, Moscow later called for sanctions against Pyongyang to be eased. Putin as Spoiler? Under Putin, Russia has attempted to disrupt U.S. interests around the world, in countries including Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela. During a visit to Seoul Wednesday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons said it would be a "great disappointment for Mr. Putin to again insert himself in a way thats unhelpful." "But it wouldn't be the first time," added Coons, who along with Senator Maggie Hassan met South Korea's defense and foreign ministers. But Putin is not likely to play the role of spoiler in the North Korea-U.S. talks, in part because he doesn't have much leverage over Pyongyang, said Andrei Lankov, a professor at Seoul's Kookmin University. "And in this case, Russias interests are not that different from that of the United States. Both sides want to preserve the status quo and want denuclearization," Lankov said. The Soviet Union was once one of North Korea's main financial backers. But after the Soviet Union broke up, Moscow prioritized relations with the South, before later adopting a policy of "equidistance" between the two Koreas. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 07:47:02|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close A man gives himself an anti-cholera vaccine in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 24, 2019. Yemeni Health Ministry in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF launched a 6-day home-to-home emergency immunization campaign against cholera in three most seriously affected districts in Sanaa with an aim to target all people from age of one year and above except pregnant women. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 08:32:35|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China and Brunei will further promote the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, creating a better future for the two peoples and the development of bilateral relations, Yu Hong, the Chinese ambassador to Brunei, said on Wednesday. During an interview, Yu Hong told Xinhua that Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah will attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) to be held later this week in Beijing, China. As a significant move, China has taken to fully open itself, the BRI follows the sound principle of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits and has become the most welcomed global public goods and the largest platform for international cooperation, Yu Hong told Xinhua. "Brunei is Chinas friendly neighbor across the sea as well as an important link along the ancient Maritime Silk Road," Yu Hong said. According to the ambassador, China-Brunei trade volume increased by 86 percent last year. The growth speed is fastest among China and ASEAN countries. "China and Brunei last November upgraded the bilateral relations to the Strategic Cooperative Partnership and signed a cooperation Memorandum of Understanding for Bilateral Plan on Jointly Promoting Cooperation within BRI Framework, which charts the course for the bilateral cooperation between the two countries," she said. "China and Brunei will work together within the BRI framework, I believe His Majesty the Sultans successful visit to China and attendance of the Forum in China, will further promote the BRI cooperation between our two countries, creating a better future for the two peoples and the development of our bilateral relations," she added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 09:38:06|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close PYONGYANG, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on Wednesday arrived in Vladivostok, a Far Eastern city of Russia, the official media Korean Central News Agency reported on Thursday. The report said a private train with Kim Jong Un on board pulled in at the Vladivostok railway station at 18:00 local time (0800 GMT). According to the report, Kim is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. This will be his first ever summit with Putin since he became top leader of the DPRK in late 2011. The two leaders were supposed to discuss bilateral relations and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kim was greeted at the railway station by Minister of Development of the Far East and Arctic of Russia Alexandr Kozlov, Vice Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, Governor of Maritime Territory Oleg Kozhemyako and Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Alexandr Matsegora. There was a ceremony for welcoming Kim to visit the Russian Federation and Kim reviewed the guard of honor of the three services of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, the report added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 09:43:10|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj denied calling for ceasefire between the government and the east-based army, as both parties continue fighting for control over the capital Tripoli, the government spokesperson said Wednesday. "The Head of the Presidential Council of the Government (Serraj) supervises the fight against Haftar's militias (army). There will be no negotiations or dialogue until ... the aggressors are defeated. The Head of the Council strongly denies requesting or desiring ceasefire," government spokesperson Mohannad Younis said in a press release. "The position of the Council is clear against the aggression -- returning the aggressor forces to where they came from," Younis said. The east-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over western Libya, particularly Tripoli where the UN-backed government is based. The clashes between the two sides so far killed 272 people, injured 1,282 others, and displaced more than 30,000 civilians, according to the World Health Organization. Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 10:03:35|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close YANGON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Three people, including a U.S. national and two locals, have been detained by the Myanmar's authorities for operating marijuana plantation in central Mandalay region, according to the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC). They were arrested by the authorities for growing marijuana in Myotha Industrial Park in Ngunzun township of the region after about 349,300 marijuana plants, 5,200 seedlings, 380 kg of marijuana seeds and 1.804 kg of marijuana oil were found during the authorities' inspection on Monday. According to the authorities, about 8.1 hectares of land were leased from the Mandalay Myotha Industrial Development Public Company by two U.S. nationals for plantation. Another U.S. national is at large, the police said. They are being charged under Myanmar's Anti-Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Law. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 10:08:41|Editor: ZX Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition on calligraphy art of Chinese oracle bones was launched Wednesday evening at the UN headquarters in honor of the 120th anniversary of the discovery of Chinese oracle bones. Held by the Oracle Art Research Center of China's Anyang University, the exhibition gathered some 20 pieces of oracle bone calligraphy created by several artists, and these works reproduced the cultural connotation of the ancient Chinese text. Jiaguwen, or oracle bone inscriptions, is an ancient Chinese language that named for their inscriptions on tortoise shells and animal bones. It is a primitive form of Chinese characters and the oldest fully-developed character in China. Oracle Bone inscription is one of the four ancient characters in the world, and the only text in ancient Chinese characters that has been passed down to the present. In 2017, Chinese oracle bone inscriptions have been listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on its Memory of the World Register. At present, there are more than 4,500 words on about 170,000 oracle bones found in China, among which about 1,500 words have been identified. At the ceremony to launch the exhibition, Zhang Daosen, executive chairman of the Oracle Art Research Center, said that the Chinese character art evolved from oracle bone inscriptions represents a profound Chinese cultural heritage. It is an important source of Chinese people's world outlook and aesthetics. The number of people engaged in oracle bone inscription calligraphy is increasing day by day, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 10:13:44|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close SYDNEY, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Despite security concerns in light of recent international terror attacks, thousands of people have taken to street in Sydney on Thursday, to commemorate ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) Day and honor the nations fallen soldiers. With its origins dating back to World War I and the first landings of troops on the Turkish Peninsula of Gallipoli, the somber holiday is a shared day of remembrance for the people of Australia and New Zealand, to pay homage to those who have served in the military. Beginning with a dawn memorial service, representatives from all areas of Australias military then marched in a parade near the harbor-citys famed Hyde Park. For sailor Lillian Nolan, who serves as an AB Bosun in the Royal Australian Navy, its a proud honor to attend the parade. Today for Australians and New Zealanders is about commemorating and paying respects to our elders that fell for our beautiful country, who sacrificed their lives, our soldiers, sailors and airmen, she told Xinhua. Im here because Im a sailor. Im part of the Royal Australian Navy. So to pay respects is important for myself and my country and Im proud to serve on behalf of all the ones who fell for us. It really makes me a proud sailor to follow in the elders footsteps. While the days proceedings went off without a hitch, there was a heavy police presence across Sydney and the rest of the country today, with authorities down under still on high alert following the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka were over 300 people were killed, and last months mosque massacre in New Zealand that claimed the lives of 50 worshippers. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 10:13:46|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close SEOUL, April 25 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's rival parties saw approval ratings rise this week amid an ongoing quarrel over the revision of election law, a weekly poll showed Thursday. According to the Realmeter survey, support for the ruling Democratic Party gained 0.8 percentage points over the week to 38.6 percent this week. Support score for the main conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party added 0.8 percentage points to 32.1 percent, the highest since the Moon Jae-in administration took office in May 2017. The simultaneous rises came as the rival parties wrangled over whether to amend an election law ahead of general elections in April next year, leading both liberal and conservative voters to unite firmly. The ruling party and three other minor opposition parties were in favor of revising the election law to strengthen the proportional representation system, while the main opposition party went against it. The minor progressive Justice Party gained 7.3 percent of support, while the minor conservative Bareun Future Party and the center-left Party for Democracy and Peace won 4.9 percent and 3.0 percent each in approval rating. The results were based on a poll of 1,508 voters conducted from Monday to Wednesday. It had plus and minus 2.5 percentage points in margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level. Meanwhile, support for President Moon Jae-in fell 0.5 percentage points over the week to 47.7 percent this week. Negative assessment on Moon's management of state affairs climbed 2 percentage points to 48.1 percent. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 10:34:03|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Luis Alberto Moreno, president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), receives an interview with Xinhua at the headquarters of the IDB in Washington D.C., the United States, April 23, 2019. There is "a lot of space for cooperation" with China in the Latin American region under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said Luis Alberto Moreno during the interview. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) by Xiong Maoling and Liu Jie WASHINGTON, April 24 (Xinhua) -- There is "a lot of space for cooperation" with China in the Latin American region under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said Luis Alberto Moreno, president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). "Certainly the more infrastructural projects are out there in Latin America, I think there are more and more possibilities for Chinese companies to participate," Moreno told Xinhua Tuesday in an interview at the headquarters of the IDB, a leading source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). He said Chinese companies are already actively participating in major projects in Latin America such as those in the mass transit system in Bogota, capital of his home country Colombia. "Everywhere in Latin America you find very active presence of Chinese companies around infrastructure." The Belt and Road, referring to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. So far, a total of 126 countries, including developed and developing nations, and 29 international organizations have signed cooperation documents with China on the initiative. Even though Latin America was not the focus of the BRI when it was originally proposed six years ago, there are still a lot of projects that could help countries in the Atlantic, such as Argentina and Brazil, increase connectivity and boost trade through the Pacific, Moreno said. Moreno said it's important for multilateral development banks, including the IDB, to work with China to elevate the quality of the projects to ensure environmental and social safety and debt sustainability. He suggested Chinese companies set high standards in projects, including in project design and project execution, to help lift up the quality of the infrastructure in the region. "I think this is a work in progress," Moreno said, adding that there are still ways for further improvement. The theme of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), scheduled to open Thursday, is "Belt and Road Cooperation, Shaping a Brighter Shared Future." Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the event aims to promote the joint construction of the BRI for high-quality development. Speaking of China-Latin America trade relations, the IDB president said that the Asian country is now the largest trading partner for several countries in the region, including Brazil, Chile and Peru. "There is no question that the appetite for Latin American commodities, especially in the cycle where there were high prices of commodities, helped the development of many Latin American economies in the last decade and a half," Moreno said. The IDB president, however, noted that "the big challenge" for the region is to diversify its exports to China. "Even though I must accept that we as a region are largely commodity producers, but we do many other things," he said. "So we need to find ways for Chinese to drink more coffee, for instance, which would help countries like Brazil, or my home country Colombia or Central American countries," Moreno said. "Equally, some of our services will go a very long way. There are a lot of exchanges taking place around technology, which China has done some very interesting things," he said, adding that he sees numerous possibilities going forward. China joined the IDB as a donor member in 2009, with a contribution of 350 million U.S. dollars, becoming the bank's 48th member country. The primary financial initiative in this partnership is the 2 billion U.S. dollar China Co-Financing Fund for the LAC, created with the People's Bank of China in 2013. According to data from the IDB, by the end of 2018, the Fund had committed approximately 1.42 billion U.S. dollars to finance 56 projects in 18 countries, primarily in areas related to infrastructure, energy and financial institutions. To facilitate trade and investment ties, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the IDB have jointly organized the annual China-LAC Business Summit. This year's summit will be held in Panama in September. The IDB president said the bank and China have worked "very hard" to enrich their relationship during the past decade. "We've signed agreements with a variety of actors in China, including Tsinghua University and the Academy of Social Sciences," he said. "We do things around small businesses. We do meetings with mayors. So we've really enriched our relationship." Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 10:54:24|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close The Thematic Forum on Policy Connectivity of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) is held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Gang) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un fired his erstwhile right-hand man Kim Yong-chol after the collapse of his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February. The National Intelligence Service here on Wednesday told lawmakers that Kim Yong-chol was replaced as head of the United Front Department by Jang Kum-chol, a member of the Asia-Pacific Peace Committee. The department, which used to handle only relations with the South, grew greatly in importance when Kim Yong-chol took charge of diplomacy with the U.S. and arranged two summits with Trump. Kim Yong-chol, a former chief of the Army's General Reconnaissance Bureau, was promoted to head of the spy agency after its former chief Kim Yang-gon died in a mysterious car crash in 2016. He became the regular interlocutor of both U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and NIS chief Suh Hoon. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 11:04:34|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close ISTANBUL, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an inclusive project that promotes regional peace and growth, said a Turkish scholar. The BRI "will furnish the people of all countries along the route with a safer, richer and more peaceful living environment," said Akkan Suver, chairman of Turkey's leading non-governmental organization (NGO) Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation. Suver has been working to promote dialogue in the Eurasian region for quite some time. More than 20 years ago, Suver, then a Turkish journalist, left the newspaper business to join the NGO, as he felt a need to advance regional stability amid a rapidly-changing world. Working in an NGO mainly composed of former government officials, former lawmakers, scholars and entrepreneurs, Suver founded the Eurasian Economic Summit in 1998, an annual international forum dedicated to creating dialogue, resolving regional disputes and promoting peace and development. He said he found a lot in common between the projective of his forum and BRI's concept of peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness. "It (the BRI) connects the easternmost of Asia with the westernmost of Europe, boosts economies along the route, promotes cultural exchanges and integration," Suver said. "The initiative is a project of peace...I truly believe that the Belt and Road project will be the road of stability, trade and interconnectivity," he said. To better understand the BRI, Suver traveled to China over 10 times from 2014 to 2018. Returning home, he started to introduce the initiative to people around the world. "The Belt and Road Initiative brings the world a new mechanism for dialogue," he said. Indeed, on the 22nd Eurasian Economic Summit held in February, over 200 political and business leaders from 42 countries exchanged views on infrastructure, refugee settlement, climate change and other global issues under the Belt and Road theme. "I believe if people in the region cannot understand and talk with each other, there will be no peace," Suver said. Regional stability requires more than just peace in one country. It requires a network of communication and cooperation among countries, he said, adding that the BRI could bring regions and nations together for a common partnership from which all parties are to benefit. The BRI is a future-oriented roadmap that will contribute to the prosperity of our children and grandchildren, Suver said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 11:09:39|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday that one U.S. soldier died in a non-combat related incident in Iraq. The soldier, who was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division, died on Tuesday in a non-combat related incident in Taji, north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, said the U.S. Defense Department in a statement. The soldier was in Iraq supporting Operation Inherent Resolve by the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS), the statement added. The incident is under investigation, said the Pentagon. This incident came right after another similar incident that occurred during the past weekend. A U.S. soldier from 101st Airborne Division died Saturday in the Ninawa province, Iraq from a non-combat related incident. The U.S. administration claimed the "liberation" of all territories controlled by the IS in Syria and Iraq in late March. The IS emerged in Syria following the Syrian crisis in 2011, after it was formed first in Iraq amid the U.S.-led invasion of the country. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 11:14:42|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked federal representatives for the first approval of the social security system reform bill in the House. In a statement broadcasted on Wednesday evening, the Brazilian president thanked representatives' efforts to approve the bill and the commitment of Head of the House Rodrigo Maia. The bill proposed by the Bolsonaro administration managed to pass the first test by the House's Committee on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship by a vote of 48 to 18. The committee agreed that the bill was admissible to be voted by the House. With the approval, the bill will advance to the second phase of the voting, during which a special commission will be formed to analyze the bill's content and elaborate on it. After that, the bill will be submitted to the entire House, which will decide whether to approve it or not. If approved, it will proceed to the Senate. "The government will continue to count on the congressmen's patriotic spirit for the approval of the reform bill in this second phase and, later on, in the House," Bolsonaro said. "Without those changes (in social security system), the government will not be able to invest in the sectors most important to families, such as public healthcare, education and security." Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 11:14:44|Editor: ZX Video Player Close CHONGQING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese archeologists have unearthed a 700-year-old remnant of an iron bomb from a Song Dynasty (960-1279) defense structure in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. They believe it is the earliest remain of a bomb found in China and even in the world. The ruins of the Fanjiayan Song Dynasty government office was listed on China's top 10 archaeological discoveries in 2018. It is located in the ancient Diaoyu City. Diaoyu in English means fishing and was named after the hill on which it was built on. The experts said in the 13th Century, during the war between the Song imperial army and Mongolian troops, Diaoyu City was an important part of the defense system of the present-day Sichuan Province and Chongqing. Yuan Dongshan, deputy director of the Chongqing Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage, said that the iron bomb is one of the most important discoveries at Diaoyu City. "The remnant is the earliest type of bomb found in the history of firearms in China and the world," said Yuan. It was found in a drainage channel of the Fanjiayan ruins, where more than 80 similar iron bombs were also found, but the remnant was the only one that exploded. It is the size of an apple and made of cast iron. Its top is missing because of the explosion. It can be held in one hand but is very heavy. The remains of the bomb measures 11 centimeters in diameter, 9.7 centimeters in height and 0.8 centimeters in thickness of its shell. Yuan said it is detonated by a fuse. "This is the most advanced weapon made with cutting-edge technology of the day," Yuan said. Gunpowder is one of the four great inventions of ancient China, and the greatest scientific and technological achievement of China in the Middle Ages. In the late 10th century, alchemists developed the gunpowder formula in the process of refining alchemy. It was used later by military strategists for firearms in combat, which was the first chemical explosive used by mankind. "The world's earliest iron shell bomb, 'Iron Cannon', was one of the most important inventions in the field of gunpowder and firearms in ancient China. However, there has been no reliable material object to prove its existence for a long time, which makes it impossible for academic circles to do practical research on it," said Zhong Shaoyi, a researcher with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Science. He said the abundant and reliable material objects unearthed in the Fanjiayan ruins not only provide firsthand materials for the study of the history of gunpowder and firearms but also provide new material evidence for in-depth study of war history and military history in the 13th century, which is of great academic significance. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 11:35:03|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Bank of China (BOC), a leading Chinese financial group, has become one of the leading channels in renminbi cross-border circulation, China Daily reported Thursday. Of all the RMB cross-border deals that took place on Chinese mainland, one quarter were settled through BOC, according to the paper. It has also improved its RMB clearing service network around the globe. Its branches in 12 countries and regions have been authorized as RMB clearing banks by the People's Bank of China, the central bank. With China further opening its financial market, the cross-border use of RMB has become more frequent in recent years. A growing number of overseas financial institutions are making their way into the Chinese market and the issuance of "panda bonds" is enjoying popularity, the paper reported. BOC, with increased globalization as its advantage, has helped a number of countries including the Philippines and Hungary issue the panda bonds. At the same time, BOC has worked to create different channels to help a variety of overseas institutes invest in China. With the advantage of being a professional financial institute, BOC has published two indexes -- the Cross-border RMB Index and the Offshore RMB Index -- to help different market players observe the Chinese market, according to the report. It provides industrial players with a window to learn more about the progress in RMB internationalization, the company's executives were quoted as saying. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 11:45:07|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close COLOMBO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Following Sunday's terror attacks in Sri Lanka, the police said 16 more suspects were arrested in special operations conducted in the early hours of Thursday and one of those taken into custody is suspected to be linked to a terrorist group. The police said 76 suspects have been taken into custody so far and several of them have been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department. Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a special statement said that the use of drones and unmanned aircraft within the Sri Lankan airspace had been banned from Thursday until further notice. The CAA said the decision was taken considering the prevailing situation in the country. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's parliament late on Wednesday passed the state of emergency regulations without a vote, which provides further provisions to the armed forces to maintain peace in the country. Security was further beefed up immediately after this, with a larger army force deployed across the island country. So far, 359 people have been killed in Sunday's explosions which ripped across several areas of Sri Lanka while over 500 have been injured. A total of 34 foreigners were among those killed. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 12:00:21|Editor: ZX Video Player Close HOUSTON, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is making positive impacts across the world, Brian Lantz, the senior executive of Schiller Institute, an international political and economic think tank, said Tuesday. Lantz old Xinhua that international cooperation and shared future, the theme of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation slated for April 25-27 in Beijing, seizes the imagination of the people around the world. "A positive impact is the spreading optimism that you find among developing countries ... that their countries can be transformed by linking to the Belt and Road (Initiative)," he said. Moreover, taking Italy as an example, Lantz said the country recognizes that helping Africa develop its economy is the best way to really solve the immigration crisis in Europe. Therefore, it would like to cooperate with China to jointly invest in third countries, in particular African countries. Rejecting claims that the BRI is a debt trap for participating nations, the expert argued that the initiative helps unleash the potential of these countries. "There is no debt trap. China is not engaged in investments with the idea of trapping countries in debt, but actually unleashing the potential of these nations," he said. The BRI, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. The initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 12:05:25|Editor: ZX Video Player Close SHIJIAZHUANG, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Eleven workers were killed and two others were seriously injured after an elevator collapsed at a construction site in north China's Hebei Province Thursday morning, local authorities said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 12:15:30|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Female truck drivers pose for a group photo with staff members in front of a dump truck in Block II of the Thar coalfield within the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan's south Sindh Province April 4, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) by Misbah Saba Malik, Liu Tian ISLAMABAD, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Wearing a scarf and traditional working attire, Nusrat Bai hauled herself into the cab of a 60-ton dump truck three times her height. Now a seasoned driver after one-year training, she found it a cinch to handle such a giant vehicle. At the Thar coalfield in southern Pakistan's arid region, the temperature rose to as high as 44 Celsius. Drenched in sweat, however, the tan-skinned, bright-eyed lady appeared rather energetic. "I can drive it the entire day without getting tired," Nusrat said. "I love this truck now because fortune smiled on me." A mother of one, she used to tailor women's clothes in the remote desert Tharparkar, where female residents are often underprivileged and less educated, earning merely 1,500 to 2,000 Pakistani rupees (about 10 to 14 U.S. dollars) a month. As her husband worked at a confectionary shop, the couple's income never went above 6,000 rupees (42 dollars) a month. The meager family income even made fruits and milk a luxury for their child. However, life today goes another way. Nusrat is on a monthly salary of at least 25,000 rupees (176 dollars), and sometimes it even reaches 30,000 rupees (212 dollars) if there is overtime work. "I am one of the very few lucky people here who can enjoy the luxuries of fruits, milk and good clothes, because I can afford them with my salary," she said. WAY TO INDEPENDENCE Naseer Memon always knows how resilient women from Thar are. "They can be found bringing water from four to five km away on foot in 50-degree Celsius heat, and then doing household chores as well as working in the field," said the general manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC). Naturally, Memon's company, a major stakeholder of the Thar coal mining project, hired 26 women and trained them to handle a dump truck on their own. "They are very tough, so we were very confident that they would not let us down while entrusted with this very challenging job," he said, adding that their motto is to empower women from Thar by making them financially independent. The project provides one-year training for female truck drivers, with a monthly stipend of 16,000 rupees (113 dollars), according to Memon. It could rise to 25,000 rupees (176 dollars) once a trainee is promoted to a skilled driver after passing several tests. "In a poverty-stricken area like Thar, if a woman can earn between 16,000 to 25,000 rupees, it can be life changing," he said. Mohini Bai, a mother of four in a small local village, once drifted through life aimlessly, drowning in poverty. On "bad luck days", her family went to bed hungry. One day she heard of the job advertisement. "I jumped at the opportunity with a dream to feed and educate my kids," she said. "I started working here, and spent the money I earned on my kids." A few months after Mohini received training for the project, neighbors complained to her husband, saying such "independent" jobs for women is not a part of their culture. He should stop her, they said. Her husband accepted the new life with alacrity as he could hardly miss the opportunity to provide a good future for his kids. However, faced with the deep-rooted social norms, he still feared to be considered "immoral" for sending his wife to a workplace on her own. "When my bosses came to know about it, they also hired my husband to support me," said Mohini. "Now both of us are earning good money by working here. Our kids are now studying at a free school built by the project." "I had a small mud house. Now we are building a beautiful brick house. People who used to mislead my husband now encourage women to learn how to drive these trucks." In 2016, local authorities, several Pakistani private companies and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) jointly started the coal mining project in Block II of the Thar coalfield within the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major pilot project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). After three years of laborious digging in the desert, the coal mine project is now under full operational testing. It provides coal for a power station that has started trial operation and comprises two units generating 330 megawatts of electricity each, said Liu Zhiming, general manager of the coal mining project from the CMEC. "The project in the future will change Thar into the country's electricity hub since its coal reserves are huge," Liu told Xinhua. "We believe that Thar will change Pakistan because it will be the first power project supplied by Pakistan's own coal." GAME CHANGER Job opportunities for women will increase tremendously owing to the forthcoming industrial cooperation under the CPEC, said Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari recently. Pakistan's official data show the CPEC has provided over 70,000 direct jobs locally since it was launched in 2013. When first hired, the female truck drivers were just raw talents. Chinese trainers worked tirelessly to pass on the norms and requirements of the joint venture, and the drivers scored a success, said Liu. Three to four thousand people from Tharparkar are employed by the project, according to Memon. "They came from an agri-pastoral society, with no modern technical skills. We provided them with training and we brought our engineering training system here." The Thar region is considered to be one of the most underdeveloped areas in Pakistan and is often hard hit by droughts. Residents there are largely engaged in livestock farming and agriculture. Hopes have been rekindled for women in the district when Chinese companies brought jobs, said Krishna Kumari, a senator from the Thar Desert area. She said locals trained by the CPEC projects could take home a handsome amount of money every month. In many households, women today earn more than men, thus reducing their financial dependence and enabling them to pursue their dreams through hard work. Echoing the senator, Memon said the decent incomes have elevated women's status to a decision maker in their families. "They have decided to send their kids to school, they decided to wear good clothes, and they decided to improve their lifestyle by working hard. If they can manage to do it, then why can't the women from other parts of the country stand up for their rights and write their own destiny," he said. A primary school has been established at the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan where 498 students including 348 girls are provided with quality education to enable them to reap benefits of the CPEC-related projects in the port city. Women's rights activists are hopeful that the CPEC will not only be a game changer for Pakistan's economy, but provide bonanzas for educated women as well as female laborers where they could tap into their talents. "The whole world is looking at the CPEC, and Pakistan calls it a game changer, so it is very important that women, who account for more than half of the country's population but only 22 percent of the work force, should be given an equal opportunity in it," Shaista Bukhari, president of the Women's Rights Association South Punjab, told Xinhua. Memon views the CPEC as a big break for the country's development, as it has brought valuable investment to Pakistan's power-energy industry, which has been suffering from a dire shortage of electricity. "As a whole, the entire economic scenario here is transforming," he said. "You can imagine how the CPEC has changed the lives of these women in this far flung desert of Pakistan. Women, who were utterly dependent on men, are now freely driving heavy dump trucks." (Video reporter: Jiang chao; Video editor: Liu Xiaorui) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 12:25:38|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CANBERRA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Campaigning for Australias general election has paused with leaders of both major political parties joining thousands of Australians to commemorate fallen troops on Anzac Day. Celebrated on April 25 every year, Anzac Day is Australia and New Zealands national day of remembrance for the personnel who served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. Attending a dawn service in the Queensland city of Townsville, Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke about his grandfather, a World War II veteran who never spoke about his war service. Our heroes dont just belong to the past, they live with us today, Morrison said. In Canberra, Australias capital city, 35,000 people attended the national dawn service while those in Melbourne and Sydney drew crowds of more than 20,000. Speaking at the service in Darwin, opposition leader Bill Shorten said that Australias freedom was the lasting legacy of the nations soldiers. The true memorial, the most powerful monument to those who have served and suffered is all around us, he said in the city that was bombed by Japanese military aircraft in 1942. We can live our lives because of Australians who gave theirs and because of those who serve us still. April 25 marks the anniversary of the beginning of the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I. More than 10,000 troops from Australia and New Zealand died during the fight in Turkey. According to The Australian, a man, who was believed to be planning a terror attack, was arrested in the Turkish province of Tekirdag, three hours from the Gallipoli peninsula, ahead of a dawn service there on Thursday. Responding to the arrest, Shorten told reporters that the threat of terrorism cant be allowed to disrupt the Anzac tradition. Just because there are terrorists in the world, we cant let them win by discouraging us from travelling, he said. Anzac Day is a sacred day. We cant afford to let these extremists discourage us." Four North Korean officials have been shot over the collapse of the U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi in February, according to rumors flying around the secretive state. Asia Press on Wednesday reported rumors that a diplomat from the North Korean Embassy in Hanoi and three other Foreign Ministry officials were executed by firing squad in Pyongyang early this month as senior officials from the Workers Party looked on. They were accused of taking bribes to leak confidential information to U.S. officials while negotiating the agenda before the summit. Earlier, the regime reprimanded Kim Hyok-chol, North Korea's top negotiator with the U.S., and Kim Song-hye from the United Front Department, over the failed summit. Kim Hyok-chol was not on the ballot for elections to the rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly last month. But Asia Press said the rumors have not been verified, and it is possible the regime is deliberately spreading misinformation in a bid to divert the blame from Kim Jong-un himself. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 13:30:53|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close COLOMBO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A minor explosion was reported from a garbage dump in Pugoda, in the eastern outskirts of Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Thursday, police said. The explosion occurred at around 9:00 a.m. local time and police have cordoned off the area to conduct investigations. No injuries have been reported yet. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 13:30:55|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday met with Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting that next year will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Myanmar diplomatic relationship, Li said China is willing to strengthen political mutual trust with Myanmar, deepen cooperation across the board, and achieve common development. China is willing to enhance the synergy of development strategies with Myanmar and advance the development of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, Li added. Aung San Suu Kyi expressed gratitude to China's strong support to the economic and social development of Myanmar, and said Myanmar is willing to advance pragmatic bilateral cooperation for mutually beneficial results. After the meeting, they witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 13:56:08|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Microsoft said Wednesday that its revenue hit 30.6 billion U.S. dollars in the third quarter ending on March 31, 2019, up 14 percent from the same period last year. The company generated quarterly net profits of 8.8 billion dollars, an increase of 18 percent year on year, while diluted earnings per share went up 20 percent to reach 1.14 dollars, Microsoft said in its Q3 2019 fiscal year report. The Redmond, Washington-based company attributed the Q3 financial results, which beat Wall Street expectations, to the strong performance of its cloud business Azure. "Demand for our cloud offerings drove commercial cloud revenue to 9.6 billion dollars this quarter, up 41 percent year-over-year," said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said his company is accelerating innovation across the cloud and the edge to help Microsoft customers build the digital capability required for further growth. Microsoft's intelligent-cloud unit recorded the biggest growth of the quarter, up some 22 percent from the same period of 2018. Meanwhile, Microsoft yielded 10.2 billion dollars from Productivity and Business Processes, including its Office 365 commercial suites, up 12 percent over the same period of 2018. Revenue from LinkedIn service rose by 27 percent. Earnings for personal computer business increased by 8 percent to generate 10.7 billion dollars, with Windows OEM revenue contributing 9 percent, said Microsoft. Microsoft shares picked up in after-hours trading Wednesday, briefly pushing the market cap over 1 trillion dollars, making Microsoft the third U.S. high-tech firm to hit that mark, trailing behind Apple and Amazon. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 14:16:16|Editor: ZX Video Player Close by Julius Abraham and Moritz Rommerskirchen BERLIN, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China will not only buy and manufacture cars, but will have a significant impact on the automotive industry in the future, since it is "infinitely open" to technological progress, experts and industry leaders have said. The ongoing 2019 Auto Shanghai, opened to media since April 16 and will lower the curtain Thursday, has attracted over 1,000 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions, which shows the importance that carmakers attached to the Chinese auto market. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, founder and director of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) at the university Duisburg Essen, said China has the best "economies of scale" in the market. The exhibition is widely regarded as the leading trade fair for the entire Asian region, since more than a quarter of all new cars manufactured by carmakers worldwide are bought in China, according to CAR led by Dudenhoeffer. Reflecting the growing importance of the Chinese market, most German automobile manufacturers are offering exclusive products such as long versions of their car models, which are very popular with Chinese buyers. BMW presented the long version of its newest generation of the popular 3-series at this year's 2019 Auto Shanghai, which will be exclusively offered on the Chinese market. With the A35 L, German automaker Daimler has also introduced a new long version of one of its popular models. Prior to the 2019 Auto Shanghai, Volkswagen's CEO Herbert Diess said that "China is increasingly becoming a powerhouse for automotive technology." New technologies, such as electric drives, autonomous driving and the networked vehicle, are all being driven "very strongly" from China, Diess said. By now, Volkswagen has opened four new plants in Chinese city Qingdao, Foshan and Tianjin in 2018 and currently operates a total of 23 production plants in China, according to Volkswagen, the largest German carmaker. In March, Daimler announced that the production of its Smart models will be entirely outsourced to China, where the mini cars are set to be manufactured in cooperation with the Chinese car manufacturer Geely. With electric mobility being one of the largest trends in the automotive sector, China is of extraordinary interest to car manufacturers. According to data by CAR, 1.18 million electric cars were sold in 2018 throughout China, accounting for more than half of such cars sold globally. CAR founder Dudenhoeffer predicted that the sales this year in China would reach 2.2 million. China has the "greatest dynamism" in terms of innovation, and the country is "infinitely open" to technological progress, Dudenhoeffer told Xinhua. "China stands for the major topics of tomorrow's mobility," said Dudenhoeffer, adding that the battery powered car would have its "home" in China. Bosch, a leading automotive supplier, believes the Chinese market would offer "enormous potential" from the medium to long term, said Stefan Hartung, chairman of Bosch's Mobility Solutions division, at the 2019 Auto Shanghai. Continental, another major German automotive supplier, announced at the Shanghai car fair that it is planning to expand its production for electric mobility in China. The automotive supplier is exhibiting drive systems and electronic components for electric mobility at the trade fair and intends to invest "vigorously" in its new production sites in Tianjin and Changzhou, China. In addition to large car manufacturers, many Chinese start-ups have emerged, especially in the field of electrically powered cars, boosting a technology race. Xiaopeng Motors, a Chinese electric mobility start-up, for example, has presented the P7, a four-door limousine with a 47 kWh battery that is set to be able to drive up to 600 km purely electrically. "China is changing from a market that we previously supplied with European technology to more of a market that will also drive the technology," said Bernhard Mattes, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). "We will participate in it and that is why we are expanding our research and development activities here," Mattes added. According to the CAR, 35 percent of the battery cells for electric cars globally will come from Chinese battery giant the CATL and the BYD, a Chinese electric carmaker. That is why "the car of tomorrow" would simply be inconceivable without China, said Dudenhoeffer. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 14:31:24|Editor: ZX Video Player Close FUZHOU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Holding a bunch of bamboo sticks in his hands, Pu Lianggong, 65, dips them into a jar of water, flips and rolls them in a basket of incense powder to coat every piece evenly. He eventually casts them on the floor to dry in the sun. The sticks fan out like a blooming flower. Pu spends most of his life studying and making incense in his old workshop, a one-roof shed with walls of rammed earth in Yongchun county of Quanzhou, a city in eastern China's Fujian Province. Despite the long hours and labor required, the adept craftsman never gets tired of making incense, a handicraft that originated from his Arab ancestors who traded spices along the ancient Marine Silk Road centuries ago. ARAB ORIGIN Producing a faded family tree booklet from an archaic cupboard, the craftsman is proud to trace his lineage back to Pu Shougeng, an Arab trader appointed as a high-ranking official of Quanzhou during the late Song and early Yuan dynasties in the second half of the 13th century. For over three decades, Pu's family controlled the shipping trade of spices, one of the most prevalent products in Quanzhou. From the 11th to the 14th century, the city grew into the largest settlement of Arabs and Persians in the Far East. Some of them took root and never moved, married local Chinese, and became part of the local community. In 1646, Pu Shimao, one of Pu Shougeng's descendants fled to Hankou village in the mountainous county of Yongchun to escape war and turmoil in Quanzhou, bringing with him traditional Arabic incense making skills. His arrival gave birth to the incense industry in the remote village where the family makes and trades incense for a living. The Pu family shared their unique techniques with fellow villagers, opening the history of incense making in Yongchun as the industry flourished and spread throughout the county. The industry reached its heyday in the 1930s when Pu Shuli, Pu Lianggong's grandfather, opened a store by a wharf in a suburb of Yongchun and managed to expand his business to Southeast Asia and Japan through the port of Quanzhou. Pu Shuli also sent his son to Vietnam to set up a branch and purchase local aromatics for the main store, and then sold their products to southeastern Asian countries, Japan, and Europe. Today, there are about 300 incense manufacturers in Yongchun, with more than 30,000 people working in the industry. It is said that one in every three incense sticks sold in Southeast Asia is made in Yongchun. Like their maritime trader forefathers, the Pu family and other villagers endeavor to revive the trade of scent brought by their Arab ancestors. A GENERATIONAL TRADE As a family tradition, Pu Lianggong, at the age of five, started to learn to recognize hundreds of kinds of spices, and was taught the ancient technique of making incense when he was nine. "I had to master all 18 procedures of the ancient craft, which was both boring and arduous," said Pu, who used to practice for an hour every day after school. At the age of 14, he mastered all the skills of incense making, and at 24, he took over the family business. "We need to combine dozens of spices and herbs to make incense for different seasons and purposes," said Pu. "It might take two or three generations to develop a product of classic quality." The family is promoting the incense culture to younger generations. Pu Haixing, son of Pu Lianggong, set up an incense-making course at a vocational school in Quanzhou. "Incense is mainly used for religious occasions now, but only a few people realize that burning incense can help people relax and sleep well," said Pu Haixing. "I hope more people can get to know and appreciate the incense culture." At present, the Pu family and other incense companies are selling hand-made incense to Southeast Asia and Europe online, strengthening business ties with customers from over 10 countries along the Belt and Road. Pu Lianggong is happy to see his 10-year-old granddaughter, Pu Qi'nan, named after a rare type of premium eaglewood as a family tradition, was able to identify 30 types of spices when blindfolded. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 14:41:29|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is set to pay a state visit to China from April 28 to May 2 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. He will attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation here in the Chinese capital prior to the state visit. The following is a profile of Rebelo de Sousa. Rebelo de Sousa was born on Dec. 12, 1948. With a PhD in law, he once worked as a professor at the University of Lisbon. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). In 1975, Rebelo de Sousa was for the first time elected as a member of the Parliament. From 1981 to 1983, he served as the secretary of state for the presidency of the council of ministers, and minister for parliamentary affairs. From 1996 to 1999, he assumed the chair of the PSD. He founded the Expresso and Semanario, two newspapers where he acted as editor in chief. He also worked as a political TV commentator from 2000 to 2015. Rebelo de Sousa took office as president in 2016 for a five years term. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 14:56:36|Editor: ZX Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) Thursday renewed the blue alert for severe convection weather, forecasting thunderstorms, gales and hail in southern part of the country. From Thursday to Friday, heavy rainstorms will sweep parts of Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong provinces as well as Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the NMC said. Some areas will be hit by up to 60 mm of rainfall within 24 hours, according to the NMC. The observatory calls on authorities to prepare for emergencies and cautioned against outdoor activities. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 15:01:42|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. This was the third meeting between the two leaders in less than a year, which Xi said underscored the strategic and high-level relations between China and Kenya. Xi said China appreciates Kenyatta's public refutation of groundless accusations on China-Kenya and China-Africa cooperation on many occasions. China is willing to work with Kenya to maintain the good momentum of cooperation in various areas between the two countries as well as between China and Africa by jointly building the Belt and Road and by implementing the outcomes achieved at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, he said. Efforts will be made to strengthen connectivity of their development strategies, leverage the economic and social benefits of major projects such as railways, and encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Kenya, according to Xi. The two countries will maintain communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, he added. Kenyatta expressed his warm congratulations on the great achievements the People's Republic of China has made since its founding 70 years ago, with over 700 million people lifted out of poverty in particular. The Belt and Road Initiative enables different countries to build closer trade connections and partnerships, earning wide recognition from the international community and driving connectivity and industrialization for African countries, he said. Kenya is willing to deepen cooperation with China on fields such as infrastructure development to promote the initiative further to the central and western African regions, according to Kenyatta. Kenya appreciates China's important role in promoting the regional peace reconstruction in Africa, and hopes to strengthen communication and coordination with China on regional and multilateral affairs, he added. The two presidents witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents after the meeting. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 15:16:54|Editor: Liu Video Player Close GUIYANG, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China's leading liquor maker Kweichow Moutai reported Thursday that its revenue grew 23.9 percent year on year to 21.6 billion yuan (3.2 billion U.S. dollars) in Q1 2019. Net profit of the Guizhou-based company surged to 11.2 billion yuan in Q1, up 31.9 percent compared with the same period last year. Shares of the liquor maker hit a new intraday high of 990 yuan Wednesday, pushing its market capitalization up to more than 1.2 trillion yuan. So far, Moutai's shares have increased by more than 60 percent from 598.98 yuan at the beginning of the year. In 2018, Moutai saw its output reach around 70,200 tonnes, with sales revenues reaching 73.6 billion yuan and net profits 35.2 billion yuan, up 26.49 percent and 30 percent respectively, year on year. The company plans to sell about 31,000 tonnes of product in 2019. As a sorghum-based spirit, the Moutai liquor is considered a luxury item in China. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 15:32:08|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Emergency sirens blared across Mongolia's capital on Thursday morning and thousands of people gathered at over 100 temporary gathering sites to join a major training on disaster preparedness and response based on a scenario in which a powerful earthquake strikes. "The training on disaster preparedness is the biggest such exercise in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator in 29 years," Enkhbat Enerelbuyan, foreign affairs officer of the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told Xinhua. "This training is being organized to improve the preparedness of all public and private entities in Ulan Bator in order to mitigate damages from possible natural disasters and to improve public awareness of disaster preparedness and response," she said. "Around half a million people across Mongolia's capital gathered Thursday at a total of 111 temporary gathering sites and received information how to protect themselves and their family members and how to give first aid care during an earthquake," she noted. In addition, more than 3,000 residents of the city took part in an earthquake evacuation drill, she added. All households in the city have been provided with emergency preparedness handouts, the NEMA said in a statement. The three-day preparedness training starting Wednesday includes emergency evacuation drills, workshops on how to protect oneself and one's family and how to send accurate information to the public during a destructive earthquake. Mongolia has seen a significant increase in earthquakes in recent years, according to the country's government press office. A total of 261 earthquakes were recorded across the country in the first quarter of 2019, an increase of 70 from the same period last year. On November 11, 2015, Nepals Vice-president Nanda Bahadur Pun laid the foundation stone to one of the countrys most ambitious projects. Addressing mediapersons he said that the project will help towards meeting the increasing needs of a growing population in Kathmandu. The Kathmandu View Tower was officially inaugurated. The 29-storey tower (12 of which will be built in the first phase) would be the tallest building in Nepal. On the 29th floor, a view tower would allow locals and tourists to savour the wonderful vista of the city; on the basement, local buses would wait for passengers going around the city. The tower would be the go-place for shopping, cinema and dining. All this would be done within three years, Jaleshwor Swachchhanda Bkoi Builders Pvt Ltd, the company awarded the 7-billion-rupee project under BOOT model. The company would build and operate the building for 30 years, and hand it over the KMC. For such a big project to materialise in the city, the residents would have to make some sacrifices. The bus park (Purano Bus Park) where the tower was to be built had to be relocated. In a congested city like Kathmandu, space is hard to get. So the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Jaleshwor Swachchhanda Bkoi Builders decided to move the bus park to an open space just across the road (Khulla Manch) used for political rallies and meetings. This was a temporary arrangement for six months as the basement would be ready by then, said a KMC official. That was why the construction company was assigned to build temporary toilets and bus stands at Khullamanch. This would be their biggest mistake. Fast forward three years, only less than 1% of the view tower has been completed. Work on the basement parking has not been even started. Jaleshwor Swachchhanda Bkoi is now calling the shots at the Khulla Manch bus park. By mid-April this year, the company built 40 shops inside Khulla Manch by taking Rs 50 million as advance from businessmen eying the prime location. The companys chief Manoj Kumar Bhetwal is learnt to have demanded up to Rs 1.1 million for each shop. Even without the shops, the company is making Rs 1.5 million per month from managing the bus park. It doesnt pay a penny in taxes. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 15:52:27|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close FARAH, Afghanistan, April 25 (Xinhua) -- More than two dozen people including 10 police personnel have been killed as clashes broke out in Afghanistan's western Farah province on Wednesday, Deputy to Provincial Council Shah Mahmoud Naeemi said Thursday. The clashes erupted after the Taliban militants stormed security checkpoints to overrun Anar Dara district and police retaliated triggering heavy fighting and both sides have suffered, the official said. Meanwhile, an official confirmed on condition of anonymity that the Taliban's attempts to overrun Anar Dara district have been foiled and reinforcement has arrived to clear the area of armed insurgents. Taliban militants have not commented on the situation. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 16:07:38|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Xi highlighted mutual trust and fast and unceasing development in China-Uzbekistan relations, saying China sees Uzbekistan as an important strategic partner. China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to achieve common development and prosperity, and commit themselves to peace and stability in Central Asia, he added. Uzbekistan was a key intersection of the ancient Silk Road in history, and now is an important participant of the Belt and Road construction, Xi said. Xi suggested the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the five priorities in Uzbekistan's development, and called for promoting the facilitation of trade, investment and transport, enhancing connectivity, expanding the cooperation in energy and new energy, and deepening people-to-people, subnational and security exchanges. Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan sees China as its true friend, and expressed gratitude to China's valuable support. Uzbekistan fully supports jointly building the Belt and Road, and is willing to promote the synergy between the Central Asia region and the initiative, elevate the level of trade, investment and cross-border transport, and deepen security cooperation, he said. Uzbekistan is firm in supporting the fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism, and is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with China on regional affairs, Mirziyoyev added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 16:33:02|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Hu Tao BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- European aerospace giant Airbus has strengthened ties with China by becoming the first foreign helicopter manufacturer with an assembly line there. "In the coming years, we are looking forward to seeing dozens of H135s flying over Shandong and Qingdao to save lives, assist police, and guide ships," said Dr. Wolfgang Schoder, CEO of Airbus Helicopters Germany. The inauguration of the Airbus Qingdao H135 Final Assembly Line (FAL) in the coastal city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on April 17 opened a new chapter in China-Europe cooperation, said senior Airbus Helicopters officials. CLOSER TO CHINA "The Qingdao project follows intensive and ultimately hard work of Airbus and Chinese partners since 2015," Schoder said that, the first helicopter is expected to roll off the line later this year, and the initial annual capacity is 18 helicopters. It is the first FAL facility of the popular Airbus H135 helicopter outside Europe, and the second Airbus FAL in China after the Airbus Tianjin A320 FAL, which started operating in 2008. To date, about 1,300 twin-engine H135s are already operating around the world. The Qingdao plant follows a cooperation agreement between Airbus Helicopters and China in 2016 for the purchase of 100 H135s. "The new FAL takes us closer to our customers and potential customers in this promising market, to better serve and support them in operations, as well as sensing the market dynamics," said Marie-Agnes Veve, general manager of Airbus Helicopters China. "We've always moved with Chinese partners on new projects to inject impetus into China's aviation industry," Veve said. SAFETY IS KEY The Qingdao plant is an extension of the Airbus production facilities in Germany, where most of the Qingdao line staff received on-the-job training. Forty professionals work on the line, including eight Airbus experts in production support. In March, the Qingdao plant received its production certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency, which ensures helicopters from the line are the same as those from Europe and covers every level of quality and safety, Schoder said. The finished helicopters will undergo strict testing on the ground and in the air before delivery. "All working procedures and standards here in Qingdao strictly follow the Airbus Helicopters way in Europe. Safety and quality is something we will never compromise," said Pierre-Antoine Aubourg, general manager of the Qingdao FAL. "Besides the production sector, we also support our customers and potential customers with better training, as well offer a hand in management and cultivating professional teams," he added. MOST PROMISING MARKET "China is the world's fastest growing helicopter market with an impressive two digits annual increase in recent years," Aubourg said. "China is also the most promising market with great potential." About 300 Airbus helicopters already fly in China, covering almost all Airbus Helicopters products, including light single-engine, light twin-engine, medium-size to medium-heavy models. The Airbus market share in China is around 37 percent. China has positioned general aviation as a strategic emerging industry. By 2020, the general aircraft fleet in China is expected to reach 5,000 with 2 million annual total flight hours. Helicopters play crucial and indispensable roles in areas such as firefighting, law enforcement, emergency medical rescue and urban aerial mobility, and help to drive social development and economic growth. China has been moving forward continuously to improve flight approval procedures and is building more airports for general aircraft use. "With continuous support and contributions from all sides, I believe our cooperation with China will be a great success and helicopters will play an important and inseparable role in China's future development," Schoder said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 16:38:11|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting that China and Vietnam are a community of shared future with strategic significance, Xi called for joint efforts in writing a new chapter in developing the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries. Both sides should leverage the role of the exchange mechanism between the two ruling parties to learn from each other on party discipline and state governance, Xi said, adding that the two sides should also focus on the major task of aligning the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, and advance cooperation in key areas including infrastructure, production capacity and cross-border economic cooperation zones. Xi called for broader people-to-people exchanges to pass on the friendship between the two countries to future generations, as well as actions from both sides to safeguard maritime peace and stability. Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam and China are fraternal neighbors, and share the same Socialist cause and common development goals, adding that the Vietnamese side is ready to build greater synergy between the BRI and Vietnam's development plan. Vietnam is willing to follow the consensus between the two sides, and work with China to properly manage the maritime issues, so as not to affect the overall development of the bilateral ties, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 16:43:15|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BAGHDAD, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of three Iraqi security personnel were killed and four others wounded in two Islamic State (IS) attacks in the Iraqi provinces of Kirkuk and Salahudin, provincial security sources said Thursday. In the central province of Salahudin, IS militants attacked late Wednesday a joint checkpoint of the police and paramilitary tribal fighters in the town of Yathrib, some 70 km north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, Mohammed al-Bazi from the provincial police command told Xinhua. Two policemen and a tribal fighter were killed in the attack which also resulted in the injury of a policeman, al-Bazi said, adding the security forces launched a search operation in the area for the attackers. In a separate incident, three federal policemen, including a colonel, were wounded on Thursday morning in the northern province of Kirkuk when a roadside bomb exploded in al-Rashad area in the southwest of the namesake provincial capital, some 250 km north of Baghdad, Taha Ahmed from the provincial police told Xinhua. The security forces rushed to the scene and launched an investigation into the incident which is believed to be carried out by IS sleeper cells in the area, Ahmed said. The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017. IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 16:43:17|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The China-Japan agreement on mutual Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status will go into effect on June 1 to provide easier customs clearance for exporters, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). Under the agreement, companies that obtain the AEO status in the two countries will enjoy simplified customs procedures, such as reduced examination and prioritized clearance, when they export products to the other country. China and Japan signed the AEO agreement in October last year, said the GAC. The AEO system, initiated by the World Customs Organization, aims at facilitating customs clearance for enterprises through the authentication by customs on enterprises with a high level of law compliance, credit status and safety. China has signed mutual AEO agreements with 36 countries and regions including Singapore, the Republic of Korea, the European Union, Switzerland and New Zealand. As each other's major trading partners, China and Japan have seen stable growth in trade and investment. In the first three months, Japanese investors set up 221 firms in China, up 44.4 percent year on year while its foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland increased by 1.6 percent year on year to 1.09 billion U.S. dollars. China has also made big investments in Japan. By the end of March, China's total direct investment in Japan had amounted to 3.5 billion dollars, covering various industries including manufacturing, financial services and telecommunications, showed data from the Ministry of Commerce. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 16:58:31|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close YANGON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar condemned on Thursday the barbaric acts of terrorism in Sri Lanka, according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry. Myanmar president and the state counselor had sent messages of condolences to the president and the prime minister of Sri Lanka on the tragic loss of hundreds of lives and many injuries caused by the terrorist coordinated bombings in Sri Lanka on Sunday. The ministry reaffirmed Myanmar's commitment to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations. A string of explosions rocked churches and high-end hotels in or around the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo on Easter Sunday, killing 359 people and wounding 500 others. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 16:58:33|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) holds advantages for both the Asian country and its development partners in Latin America, an Argentine youth leader has said. China is "a strategic partner" for the region as a whole, said Pedro Robledo, head of Argentina's National Youth Institute (Injuve). China and Argentina have a number of joint development projects underway as part of the BRI that are helping energize local economies in various provinces, said Robledo, also a member of the center-right Republican Proposal party (PRO). Chinese companies, for example, are helping construct South America's largest solar farm in the northwestern province of Jujuy and wind farms in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Chubut, with an eye to boosting renewable energy and contributing to combating climate change. But there is still much room for cooperation, especially in agriculture, he said. "The food industry is one of the most important sectors to explore, because we have to a great degree what China lacks, and China has to a great degree what we lack. So, in this field there is huge complementarity that needs to be expanded, that needs to be spurred," said Robledo. Robledo, a trained lawyer, will travel to China in July to study at China's Tsinghua University. He hopes "to not just study, but to bring our two countries, China and Argentina, closer together," said Robledo, who is convinced that the success of the BRI lies in greater cultural exchange and understanding. China is a country that always respects culture of other countries, said the youth leader. "I believe China's intentions in our region of Latin America are totally praiseworthy," said Robledo, adding that the relationship can grow a lot more. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 17:03:37|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Inside a remote district in Brunei that is largely uninhabited and covered with virgin forest, the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) is at the final stages of constructing a bridge, which is expected to boost economic development in the area. At the heart of Temburong, Brunei's easternmost district that hosts endemic wildlife and indigenous flora, CSCEC is proceeding with the megaproject while ensuring that minimal damage is done to the natural landscape. Temburong, with an area of 1,306 square km and borders Limbang, Malaysia, forms part of the green lung of the island of Borneo. It is currently accessible from Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan either by an hour-long ferry ride on the Brunei River or by crossing land borders. The bridge, which is set to be the longest in Southeast Asia upon its completion, aims to connect the isolated district with the rest of the country. CSCEC is building 11.8 km of the 30-km viaduct. "We are doing our best not to disturb the natural environment and its inhabitants," CSCEC Environmental Officer Carin Wong Ling said. She said the key is to keep in mind that in implementing the project inside the forest, humans are the ones encroaching on the wildlife, and not the other way around. Wong said trainings and inspections were conducted to ensure that the flora and fauna are not disturbed. Ecofriendly practices are encouraged, she added. "We encourage our people to practise the four Rs, which are to refuse disposable plastic, reduce plastic footprint, reuse plastic containers and bags and recycle," said the environmental studies graduate from the Universiti Brunei Darussalam. "The most important thing for us is the cleanliness of the site. We do our best by training our people to use the facilities provided and telling them not to litter," she said. Wong said the workers have also been instructed to report any sightings of wildlife that they may encounter. "We are not allowed to harm any of the wildlife here as this site is under the Environmental Protection Act," she said. Wong told Xinhua that the most common animals sighted include birds, snakes, crocodiles, monkeys and frogs. Sightings of panthers, though not as common, have also been reported. "So far, only snakes have come into close contact with humans as they sometimes venture into our site and living quarters. When this happens, our staff have been instructed to not touch them and just let them move away on their own. After that they have to report to our environmental team so we can compile and present monthly reports to the Department of Environment, Park and Recreation (JASTRe) and the Forestry Department," she said. In the report, there are also incidence where accidental damage to the environment may have occurred. Wong said that CSCEC has been given a 50-meter boundary where construction work can take place. They have to submit applications or reports if any land clearing activities or accidental damage, usually by means of heavy machinery use, occur outside the boundary. "When it comes to land clearing, we have to engage with the Forestry Department and JASTRe. We propose to them how much we want to clear then they will come and do an inspection to see if it is okay. Then they will charge us unless it is within the 50-meter boundary of the construction site," she said. "We write reports when we accidentally damage something as well but this does not happen frequently," she said, adding that they will also carry out replanting efforts following the completion of the project. Supervisor Md Sabuj Howlader from Bangladesh said the workers have been informed on the importance of keeping Brunei's natural forest intact and clean. He said he and his colleagues have had run-ins with many of the country's wildlife but they know not to agitate or disturb them. "We just leave them alone and they move away on their own," he said. The Temburong Bridge is expected to be completed in November this year. It will connect the districts of Brunei-Muara and Temburong, reducing traveling time between the two districts from two hours to just 30 minutes. Minister of Development Hj Suhaimi said during last month's Legislative Council meeting, all projects that may potentially impact the environment were required to do a compliance or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to ensure that no harm will be done to the country's natural scenery. "Companies involved in projects where the management of the environment is an issue will be monitored from time to time," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 17:08:39|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China's education minister has called for all-out efforts to improve education to support the country's fight against poverty, according to a report on the website of the Ministry of Education. Minister Chen Baosheng made the remarks at a meeting on targeted poverty reduction programs in the education sector, held in Yunnan Province on Monday. Chen called on universities and institutions involved in the programs to focus on major problems, come up with targeted measures and work with a greater sense of responsibility. Measures to ensure access to nine-year compulsory education and control dropout rate in poor areas should be based on full knowledge of the relevant situation and the number and conditions of school-age children in registered poor households, Chen said. He also required to select competent officials and personnel to work for the programs. Moreover, strengthened inspections are needed to make sure the results in the programs are solid and effective. Risk and unnaturalness cannot justify EU's strict policy on GMO The EU's policy on GMO is extremely strict and prevents new GMO crops from being authorized. The policy is based on arguments about the risk and unnaturalness of GMO plants - but these arguments cannot justify the restrictive regulation, three researchers conclude in a new study in the journal Transgenic Research. They also conclude that the use of GMO plants is consistent with the principles of organic farming. The EU's rules on genetically modified organisms (GMO) are so restrictive that it is virtually impossible to get an authorization for cultivating a GMO crop within the EU--which means that only one GMO crop has hitherto been authorized in the EU. And even if a GMO crop is authorized, individual member states may still ban the crop. This is untenable, argue three researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark in a new article in the scientific journal Transgenic Research, because EU regulation may stand in the way of important agricultural innovation that could provide more sustainable and climate-friendly solutions - and because the strict regulation cannot be justified. "If we compare the pre-authorization procedure that GMO products undergo with those for conventionally cultivated crops, it is clear that GMO's are required to meet much stricter demands - with reference to the supposed risks that GMO crops pose. But the fact that a crop has been genetically modified does not in itself pose a risk. If there is risk involved, it is connected to the act of introducing a new variety with unfamiliar traits, which may have adverse effects on the environment or the health of humans and animals," explains postdoc Andreas Christiansen, who has co-authored the article "Are current EU policies on GMO justified?" with Professor Klemens Kappel and Associate Professor Martin Marchman Andersen. He continues: "It is crucial to understand that the introduction of new varieties with compositional differences always poses a risk whether they are genetically modified or not. Our point is that GMO crops should not be treated differently than similar products when the risks they pose to the environment and people are comparable. This is the reason GMO crops have been regulated as other novel varieties in the US for years." When is a plant natural? In a 2010 Eurobarometer survey, 70 per cent of Europeans agreed "that GMO food is fundamentally unnatural". Unnaturalness is a common argument against GMO crops and foods, and it is mentioned specifically in EU legislation. What the researchers are trying to ascertain is whether the kind of "unnaturalness" which GMO's supposedly possess can justify bans and restrictive legislation. "Unnaturalness, firstly, has many different meanings so even though there are cogent arguments that GMO's in some respects are more unnatural than non-GMO's, there are also cogent arguments that many GMO's are just as natural or unnatural as their conventional counterparts," says Andreas Christiansen. "One of the arguments is that the more changes human beings have made to a plant, the more unnatural it is. This makes a GMO more unnatural in the sense that it has been subjected to at least one more change than the conventionally bred plant upon which it is based. The conventionally bred plant, conversely, is much more unnatural than its wild ancestor, and has mutated so many times that it may in some cases be difficult to see any relation between to two. It is, in other words, really difficult to construct a solid argument to the effect that the distinction between natural and unnatural can warrant stricter regulation of GMO's - even if we consider the best philosophical arguments for the value of nature and naturalness" Andreas Christiansen points out. According to the researchers, many novel gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, are much more precise and cause fewer alterations in plants than traditional breeding methods, in which plant seeds e.g. are washed with chemicals in order to provoke mutations. CRISPR/Cas9 is nonetheless also included in the restrictive EU legislation whereas the chemically induced breeding is not. GMO produces higher yields than organic farming Naturalness and organic farming are often thought of as synonymous, and the desire to promote organic farming has been used as an argument for curbing the use of GMO's, which is prohibited in organic farming. But can a wish to promote organic farming justify a ban on GMO's? "Even if we accept that organic farming is superior because it is more sustainable or environmentally friendly, it will be difficult to justify the restrictive policy on GMO, because at least some GMO's are consistent with these aims of organic farming. And what's more, current GMO's are at least as good as conventional farming in terms of sustainability, so it would not make sense to impose stricter regulation on GMO's than conventional farming as far as sustainability goes," Andreas Christiansen explains. "But we must also ask ourselves whether organic farming is always better than the alternatives. In one very important respect, GMO may be superior to organic farming: it can produce higher yields without putting more strain on the environment, which will make it possible to increase food production without increasing the area of land used for farming. This will be extremely important if we are to meet projected future food needs." ### Read the article "Are current EU policies on GMO justified?" in Transgenic Research. Read more about the research project Convergent ethics and the ethics of controversy (CEEC) at the University of Copenhagen (https:/ / mcc. ku. dk/ research/ focus-areas/ ceec/ ), which investigates questions of ethics and regulation of new biotechnologies. Contact Postdoc Andreas Christiansen Department of Media, Cognition and Communication University of Copenhagen Phone: +45 61 69 86 66 Mail: christiansen@hum.ku.dk Professor Klemens Kappel Department of Media, Cognition and Communication University of Copenhagen Phone: + 45 26 19 43 18 Mail: kappenl@hum.ku.dk Associate Professor Martin Marchman Andersen Technical University of Denmark Phone: + 45 20 83 14 75 Mail: mamaa@dtu.dk This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Four years ago when the earth underneath Nepal shook, homes collapsed, livelihoods were lost and dreams shattered. What will happen of the survives? When will they get a roof over their heads? These were some of the questions everyone asked and continues to ask. The answers look hazy: while government figures suggest progress in reconstruction, many are still left without homes. But for those who people still need of a roof, the figures dont matter until their home is rebuilt. However, amid these dark clouds of despair, some rays of hope have emerged, and they too are worth talking about. Here are some of those stories Onlinekhabar reported since the quake in 2015 How the earthquake gave a Nepali village a new life Bishnu Kumari Gurung, 45, along with many others from Rainaskot, Lamjung lost their homes to the 2015 earthquake. With most of the youth already settled in larger cities in the country, the earthquake gave the rest of the villagers a reason to move out. But rather than going away, they decided to stay put. Little did they know that this decision would pay dividends. Rainaskot has turned a page in its history. The people, who struggled to sustain themselves with subsistence agriculture, have a profitable business: homestays next to the Himalayas. The days after the earthquake were tough. The earthquake didnt hurt people physically but we were mentally traumatised. Our houses were badly affected and we were too scared to get in which is why we lived in tents used to cover tomatoes, says Gurung. Read the whole story here. Patlekhet Community Homestay continues to thrive even after devastating earthquake When the likes of Kesav Prasad Badal and Rabindra Neupane proposed the idea of a community homestay to the people of Dandagaun in Patlekhet, Kavre in 2011, many did not take it seriously. Some even laughed at them. But seven years on, the homestay they imagined has not only become reality but also survived many adversities including the 2015 earthquake. It has now become a destination adored by Nepalis and foreign tourists. Read the whole story here. Against stereotypes: Women taking lead in Nepals earthquake recovery Tara Tamang, 24, is a woman mason in Gatlang, a small village in Rasuwa. She is one of the first women in her village to work as a mason. Women in the village would not do construction jobs until a few years back. But, when the massive 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the country on April 25 three years ago, most houses in her village collapsed and there was a dire need of reconstruction. On the other hand, most men in the region have left the place for better opportunities abroad or go to work in Kerung of Tibet, the rebuilding initiative had to be taken by women with the help of various aid organisations. Hence, she took part in a 50-day training course in earthquake resilient construction provided by the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and supported by HELVETAS and UK Aid. Read the story here. On Janmasthami, Patans restored Krishna Mandir welcomes pilgrims again The Patan Krishna Mandir, built in 1637 by Siddhi Narsingh Malla, has a lot of cultural significance. Built-in the Shikhara style and constructed using carved stone, instead of the usual brick and timber, this temple is one of the oldest stone temples in Nepal. While many pagoda style temples were reduced to rubble, in the past, the Krishna Mandir had not been damaged until the quake in 2015. The temple incurred a lot of structural damageespecially the top two floors that housed Shiva and Buddha. It was closed for visitors. Read the story here. Tremors of laughter reverberate in quake-ravaged Nepali village Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 17:18:44|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Sputnik) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un said on Thursday they had substantial talks on bilateral ties and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. "We have just had very substantial tete-a-tete talks. We managed to discuss the history of our interstate relations, their current state and the prospects for the development of bilateral ties," Putin said at the beginning of an expanded bilateral meeting. He added that they also exchanged views on "what should be done so that this situation has good prospects for improvement." Kim said he and Putin had a fruitful discussion on "ways of peaceful settlement" of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, noting that it has become one of the most pressing issues on the international agenda. He expressed hope that their negotiations will continue "in a useful and constructive way." Kim arrived here in his train on Wednesday for his first meeting with Putin. Putin and Kim's meeting came at a time when tensions were growing between the DPRK and the United States. Last week, the DPRK test-fired a new tactical guided weapon and requested Washington to exclude U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from future negotiations. In response, Pompeo swept aside Pyongyang's demand about replacing him by someone "more careful and mature" to deal with the talks. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 17:33:54|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng (L), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Thursday met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China is willing to deepen Belt and Road cooperation with Kenya under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and constantly advance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, Han said. Kenyatta said Kenya is willing to deepen cooperation with China on economy, trade and other areas, and the country hopes to implement the outcomes achieved at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation together with China. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 17:39:00|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Xinhua News Agency President Cai Mingzhao (R) meets with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. Welcoming Lagarde's visit to the Xinhua headquarters, Cai said the media world is undergoing a profound transformation, and Xinhua is committed to providing authentic information globally via various channels, voicing his hope to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the IMF. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Xinhua News Agency President Cai Mingzhao met with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde here on Thursday. Welcoming Lagarde's visit to the Xinhua headquarters, Cai said the media world is undergoing a profound transformation, and Xinhua is committed to providing authentic information globally via various channels, voicing his hope to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the IMF. Cai also briefed Lagarde on the newly-born Belt and Road Studies Network (BRSN), co-initiated by the Xinhua Institute and 15 other think tanks. The BRSN was inaugurated in Beijing on Wednesday. Lagarde, who is in Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, noted the significance of cultural exchanges, including those between think tanks under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. She said globalization is an irresistible trend in which how to safeguard diversity is an important question to answer, and she looks forward to hearing Xinhua's solution in the future. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 18:04:25|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, on Wednesday sent a message of condolences to Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, over the passing away of former Vietnamese President Le Duc Anh. In the message, Xi, on behalf of the CPC and the Chinese government and people, expressed deep condolences over Le Duc Anh's decease and extended sincere sympathies to his family. Comrade Le Duc Anh made great contribution to the cause of national development of Vietnam and made unremitting efforts for the advancement of China-Vietnam relations, Xi said, adding that with his decease, the Vietnamese people have lost an outstanding leader and the Chinese people have lost an old friend. Xi said he believes that under Trong's strong leadership, the CPV and the Vietnamese government and people will turn grief into strength and continue to make new achievements in the cause of socialist construction. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 18:24:56|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 25 (Xinhua) -- There is no alternative to the peaceful solution of nuclear and other issues on the Korean Peninsula, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, following a meeting with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un. Russia, for its part, is ready to continue cooperation to reduce tensions on the peninsula, and to strengthen security in Northeast Asia as a whole, said Putin at a reception in honor of Kim. Putin said he was convinced that with active participation of the international community and all interested states, the goal of ensuring lasting peace, stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula can be achieved. The reception followed a meeting of Russian and DPRK delegations, which was preceded by a one-on-one meeting between Putin and Kim. Kim arrived here in his train on Wednesday for his first meeting with Putin. The meeting came at a time when tensions were growing between the DPRK and the United States. Last week, the DPRK test-fired a new tactical guided weapon and requested Washington to exclude U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from future negotiations. In response, Pompeo swept aside Pyongyang's demand about replacing him by someone "more careful and mature" to deal with the talks. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 18:25:00|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close HARARE, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's Civil Protection Unit (CPU) has warned that Cyclone Kenneth could make a land fall in Zimbabwe Thursday, the second such weather phenomenon to be experienced in the country in just over a month. The cyclone is expected to make its first landfall in Tanzania and then proceed to Mozambique, Malawi and parts of Zimbabwe. "Another Cyclone Kenneth which is projected to hit Mozambique, Malawi and some parts of Zimbabwe has been sighted in the Comoros Island facing this direction. It is projected that the Cyclone will be in the region around 6 p.m. on April 25," the CPU said in a statement Wednesday night. CPU director Nathan Nkomo said people in flood prone areas had been advised to be on high alert. Such areas include those in the northern, eastern, south eastern and central parts of the country. He said the CPU and the Meteorological Services Department will be closely monitoring the situation at an interval of three hours, while various stakeholders had been instructed to ready their teams to respond to the disaster once it strikes. "Drawing lessons from Cyclone Idai, we cannot take chances anymore," Nkomo said. Zimbabwe is still smarting from the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai which hit the country together with Mozambique and Malawi in mid-March. The cyclone killed more than 300 people in Zimbabwe and displaced thousands while hundreds are still missing. The cyclone also caused massive destruction to property, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Reconstruction and relief efforts are still ongoing in Chimanimani and Chipinge, the two districts that were most affected by the cyclone. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 18:35:08|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Atop a remote mountain peak in northernmost Argentina, the largest solar park in South America is taking shape thanks to Chinese financial and technological cooperation. China-supported infrastructure projects in Latin America are a natural extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global development plan to drive world economic growth through stronger trade and connectivity. The scheme's ripple effects not only stand to have a positive impact on pressing global issues, such as climate change and urbanization, but are also having an immediate impact on communities near project sites. "This is the future. We are eliminating a good amount of polluting carbon dioxide by promoting alternative renewable energy sources," said Jorge Delgado, a civil engineer at the Spanish-Argentine company TSI, which is also involved in the solar park project. Meanwhile, local residents are benefiting from the employment opportunities and soon they will also benefit from a stable energy supply, which is expected to reduce local migration to the country's capital Buenos Aires and other major cities. In neighboring Chile, Chinese cooperation has helped modernize the public transit system in the capital Santiago with a fleet of electric buses. "Talking about electric public transit sounded futuristic several years ago. But today, it's a reality that circulates through our streets daily," Chilean Transport and Telecommunications Minister Gloria Hutt said recently. Farther north, in Ecuador, the BRI has offered an opportunity to develop the country's infrastructure and connectivity to enhance its trade, tourism and business ties with the rest of the world. Chinese companies are currently working on projects along the country's northern Pacific coast, an area hard hit by a powerful earthquake on April 16, 2016. China Road and Bridge Corporation-China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation (CRBC-CEIEC) have helped launch large-scale infrastructure projects in the northern provinces of Manabi and Esmeraldas. The projects include the reconstruction of the Eloy Alfaro International Airport in Manta, Manabi's second-largest city, and two bridges in the province. A fourth project centers on the Quininde-Las Golondrinas Highway that connects Esmeraldas with neighboring Imbabura province. "China is a strategic partner, more than that, a great complement for our state," Luis Parrales, the consortium's supervisor overseeing the airport's reconstruction, told Xinhua. The BRI is helping expand Latin America's connectivity with "deep insight," according to Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the Chile-based United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). By promoting the initiative in Latin America, China is showing its willingness to support growth in this region and other areas beyond its own continent, she said. Calling Latin American and Caribbean countries "China's most distant partners," Barcena said China has shown it favors not only improving its connectivity with countries overseas, but also improving the connectivity in other regions and subregions, in a bid to promote global trade and exchanges in other areas. With that in mind, the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which starts Thursday in Beijing, presents a key opportunity to strengthen this effort, she said. ECLAC sees China as a leader in technological development, something the agency considers "very important" for Latin America and a learning opportunity, said Barcena. "This initiative (BRI), which ECLAC has been encouraging, studying and providing technical material for, could be of great help in generating Chinese investment and joint ventures in our region," she said. Today, China-Latin America ties "are deep and extend to culture, sports, education, political parties, tourism, science and technology, and energy, among other areas. This has been the result of decades of building trust and of commitments on both sides," said Argentine economist Gonzalo Tordini. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 18:40:14|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Xi said bilateral relations had achieved positive turnaround, consolidation and elevation over the past three years, and had entered a new stage of development. Facts have proven that maintaining good-neighborliness and friendship between China and the Philippines keeps abreast of the historical trend, conforms with the peoples' expectation, and is the only right option, Xi said. "I would like to stand together with Mr. President, and continue to bring forward the bilateral relations along the right direction from a strategic and long-term perspective," he said. Xi called on the two sides to adhere to the general direction toward good-neighborliness and friendship, create a grand framework of jointly pursuing common development, give play to the profound wisdom of properly handling differences, and grasp the general trend of global development. China is willing to enhance the synergy of development strategies with the Philippines, create highlights of cooperation under the framework of jointly building the Belt and Road, and promote connectivity and development for China and the Philippines as well as for all countries in the region, he said. The two countries should honor their promises, carry forward the spirit of partnership, maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, and strengthen maritime cooperation, Xi said. China will continue to firmly support the just cause of the Philippine people in areas such as anti-narcotics and anti-terrorism, he said. "China is a lasting and reliable friend of the Philippines," Duterte said, adding that the Philippines will stick to an independent foreign policy. Duterte said he will work with President Xi to rise above disturbances and uphold firm conviction to make friendly cooperation prevail in bilateral relations. The Philippines is willing to properly handle the maritime issues in order not to affect the development of bilateral relations, he said. After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 18:40:15|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with his Mongolian counterpart Khaltmaa Battulga, who is here on a state visit to China and to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday held talks with his Mongolian counterpart Khaltmaa Battulga, who is here on a state visit to China and to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China will uphold the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and continue to actively support Mongolia's economic development and improvement of people's livelihood, Xi said. China and Mongolia should head towards the correct political direction, and make comprehensive plans to promote all-round cooperation as strategic partners of mutual respect and trust, cooperative partners of mutual benefit and reciprocity, friendly partners with frequent exchanges, and partners of mutual assistance at the multilateral level, he said. The two sides should strengthen political guidance and strategic communication, maintain exchanges at the high level and in all fields, and respect each other's core interests and major concerns, Xi said. The two sides should actively promote the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Mongolia's Development Road program, achieve more tangible progress in building the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor, strengthen exchanges in border areas and ports, and provide more convenience for trade and people-to-people exchanges, he said. Xi also proposed to organize people-to-people and cultural events to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mongolia this year. It is Mongolia's firm and prior diplomatic policy to develop the long-term, good-neighborly, friendly, mutually-beneficial and cooperative partnership with China, Battulga said. Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China policy, Battulga said, adding that both Taiwan and Tibet are part of China, and the matters involving Taiwan and Tibet are China's internal affairs. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Mongolia is willing to work with China to map out the future direction and objectives of bilateral ties, he said. Mongolia will promote the alignment of its Development Road program and the BRI and jointly advance the development of the Mongolia-China-Russia economic corridor with China, he said. Battulga also noted that Mongolia appreciates China's important role in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and is willing to strengthen coordination with China in regional affairs. After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents including a plan to align the BRI with the Development Road program. Before the talks, Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Battulga. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 18:40:19|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Export-Import Bank of China and Standard Chartered Bank on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The two banks agreed to give full play to their respective advantages and enhance exchange on information communication and knowledge to jointly provide financial support and services for the Belt and Road projects through cooperation in fields including syndicated loans, financial markets and trade finance, according to the MoU. The two sides said that it requires multiple sources of funding and professional collaboration to promote the high-quality development of Belt and Road projects. Supporting the Belt and Road construction is one of the priorities of the Export-Import Bank of China, which has supported more than 1,800 projects in countries participating in BRI with a loan balance amount of more than 1 trillion yuan (about 149.25 billion U.S. dollars), according to its president Zhang Qingsong. In 2018, the Standard Chartered Bank was involved in about 100 BRI projects, with the combined financing of more than 20 billion U.S. dollars. Ms Amelie De Montchalin, the newly appointed French Minister for European Affairs, as well as Ms Sophie Joissains and Mr Jacques Bigot, members of the European Affairs Committee of the French Senate, visited Eurojust, the EU's Judicial Cooperation Unit. Mr Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust, and Mr Frederic Baab, National Member for France at Eurojust and Chairman of the Counter-Terrorism Team, met with the French minister and senators to introduce them to the mandate and work of Eurojust and discuss Eurojust's role in cross-border judicial cooperation and its future relations with the European Public Prosecutor's Office. Mr Hamran elaborated on Eurojust's mission in enhancing transborder cooperation between national judicial authorities and expanded on his vision of creating a safer Europe for all its citizens. Mr Hamran emphasized the need for Eurojust to receive the necessary human and financial resources to continue its successful work in helping investigate serious transnational crime and bring more criminals before justice. Mr Baab presented Eurojust's practical tools for cross-border judicial cooperation, inter alia coordination meetings, coordination centres and joint investigation teams, available to both Member States and third States. He also showcased the positive results of Eurojust's activities over the last five years, with a special focus on the fight against terrorism. Mr Baab made particular mention of the excellent relations between Eurojust and Europol. He also mentioned the setting up of the European judicial counter-terrorism register at Eurojust. Photos Eurojust. Left: Mr Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust and Ms Amelie De Montchalin, French Minister for European Affairs. Right: Mr Hamran; Mr Frederic Baab, Eurojust National Member for France; and Ms Sophie Joissains and Mr Jacques Bigot, members of the European Affairs Committee of the French Senate. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) speaks with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un at Far East Federal University on Russky Island in Vladivostokk, Russia on April 25, 2019. (KREMLIN PHOTO) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un said on Thursday they had substantial talks on bilateral ties and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. "We have just had very substantial tete-a-tete talks. We managed to discuss the history of our interstate relations, their current state and the prospects for the development of bilateral ties," Putin said at the beginning of an expanded bilateral meeting. He added that they also exchanged views on "what should be done so that this situation has good prospects for improvement." Kim said he and Putin had a fruitful discussion on "ways of peaceful settlement" of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, noting that it has become one of the most pressing issues on the international agenda. He expressed hope that their negotiations will continue "in a useful and constructive way." Kim arrived here in his train on Wednesday for his first meeting with Putin. Putin and Kim's meeting came at a time when tensions were growing between the DPRK and the United States. Last week, the DPRK test-fired a new tactical guided weapon and requested Washington to exclude U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from future negotiations. In response, Pompeo swept aside Pyongyang's demand about replacing him by someone "more careful and mature" to deal with the talks. Meanwhile, the U.S. side said it needs to see a real indication from Pyongyang that it has made a strategic decision to give up its nuclear weapons before the next DPRK-U.S. summit. Kim has met U.S. President Donald Trump twice. They ended the latest summit in Vietnam's Hanoi on Feb. 28 without an agreement. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 19:35:54|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China has invited Tanzania to participate as the guest of honor at the First China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo to be held in June in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan province. The invitation was announced on Wednesday night by Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Wang Ke, during a celebration gala of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Tanzania and China held in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. "I am happy to announce that Tanzania will participate as the guest of honor at the First China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo this June," announced Wang at the gala co-organized by Tanzania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania. Wang said that Tanzania was also invited to set up its country pavilion at the 2nd China International Import Expo slated for November this year. "The two major economic and trade events will provide Tanzania with stages to showcase its products and boost our bilateral trade, especially Tanzanian export to China," said the diplomat. In the meantime, Wang said, China will encourage its companies to invest more in Tanzania and support the economic and social development of the east African nation with a population of 55 million people. "We should give more impetus to people-to-people exchanges, encouraging interactions between members of all communities of our two countries," said the ambassador. "We will also give priority to people's well-being, so that people, who give the most support for the cooperation, will benefit the most from it," she said. China has been the largest trading partner of Tanzania for three consecutive years, said Wang, adding that in 2018, the two countries' bilateral trade volume reached 4 billion U.S. dollars. Moreover, she said, China was the largest foreign investor in Tanzania with a total investment of 7 billion dollars and over 700 investment projects which have created about 150,000 direct local jobs. It was on April 26, 1964, the first Union Day of Tanzania, when the People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations with the Untied Republic of Tanzania, which made China among the first group of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Tanzania. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 19:46:03|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close QALAT, Afghanistan, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A Taliban key commander, Mullah Abdul Rahman, was killed as fighting aircraft targeted Taliban hideout in Shahjoy district of Afghanistan's southern Zabul province on Thursday, Gul Islam Sayal, the provincial governor's spokesman said. Acting upon intelligence report, the air raids conducted at 11:00 a.m. local time against Taliban hideout in Shahjoy district's Mastqul area killed Mullah Abdul Rahman on spot, the official said. The official added Rahman was a notorious commander and his physical elimination could be a major setback to the militant group in Zabul and its vicinity. Taliban militants fighting government forces have not commented on the incident. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 19:51:06|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Photo taken on March 27, 2019 shows a tri-colored camel, a glazed pottery from An Pu's tomb of the Tang Dynasty, at Luoyang Museum in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li An) ZHENGZHOU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- As the spring awakens Bukhara, southwestern Uzbekistan, Chinese-made tractors pull harrows over the 2,000-hectare field, ready for the sowing of a new type of mung bean seeds cultivated by Chinese researchers. This is just a corner of the Luoyang-Bukhara agricultural comprehensive demonstration zone with a planned area of 100 square kilometers. The zone is one of the cooperation projects between Bukhara and Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, after China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. The initiative is aimed at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and beyond along the ancient Silk Road trade routes for common development and prosperity. With a history of 2,500 years, Bukhara is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia and a center of trade and culture on the ancient Silk Road, while 3,000-year-old Luoyang is an ancient capital of 13 dynasties. Around 4,000 km apart, these two cities were inextricably linked in the past, and now, their bond is being renewed. DUSTY HISTORY UNVEILED Luoyang Museum houses a Roman gold coin dating back to the 7th century. The irregularly shaped coin has a bust of a bearded crowned man on front and a statue of a winged female figure -- the goddess Victory -- on back. It is the first foreign gold coin unearthed in Luoyang. Every time the coin is on display, it attracts swarms of curious visitors. According to Gao Xisheng, a researcher with the museum, the coin's owner was a foreigner who came to seek a living or success during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The exotic coin was discovered in a well-preserved Tang dynasty tomb in the 1980s. The tomb was found by construction workers when they were building a brewery on a mountain in Luoyang. Based on research on the epitaph and a large number of burial objects, archaeologists said the tomb's owner An Pu came from the state of An in Central Asia, current Bukhara area. In 630 A.D., An followed his father to the Tang Dynasty through the ancient Silk Road. Brave and battlewise, he became a military general in the dynasty. His son also served as a Tang government official. The ancient Silk Road once connected China with the rest of the world and witnessed trade and cultural exchanges that benefited people of different civilizations. "An would never have imagined that after more than 1,000 years, his hometown and resting place would once again hold hands and carry on the legend of the Silk Road," said Wang Xiaye, director of Luoyang's Foreign Affairs Office. BOND RENEWED Before the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in May 2017, Bukhara and Luoyang signed a memorandum of understanding to establish sister-city ties. "Over the past two years, Luoyang and Bukhara have had frequent exchanges in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology, culture, historical site protection, and in particular, agriculture," Wang said, adding that Luoyang-Bukhara agricultural comprehensive demonstration zone is a major achievement. Bukhara has a vast expanse of land and plenty of sunshine that are well suited to agriculture. The project, with a total investment of 500 million U.S. dollars, aims to build a comprehensive agricultural park that integrates agricultural production, cold chain warehousing, food processing, and farming technology training and exchanges. "The Bukhara government has offered us a lot of incentives, such as 15-year tax exemption and a 15-year fixed price of natural gas, electricity and petroleum," said Liu Heng, general manager of Luoyang Wanbang Selected Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd., which implements the project. "We can also benefit locals by introducing improved seeds, advanced technology and job opportunities," Liu said. Since the signing of the contract in May 2018, a 2,000-hectare mung bean planting area and a mung bean sorting and processing factory have been built. With the help of Liu's company, Uzbekistan's mung beans were exported in a special train to China for the first time last year. "Our aspiration is to replicate China's advanced agricultural experience to countries and regions along the Belt and Road, while importing farm produce in short supply domestically, thus achieving win-win cooperation," Liu said. UNCEASING LEGACY The Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is being held in Beijing, and leaders including heads of state and government from 37 countries will attend the forum's roundtable summit. After nearly six years of development, the Belt and Road Initiative has grown from a concept to a key platform for building a community with a shared future for humanity. A total of 126 countries, including developed and developing nations, and 29 international organizations have signed cooperation documents with China on the initiative. With the support of Chinese businesses, industrial parks built in other Belt and Road countries have generated nearly 300,000 local jobs. During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is in Beijing for the B&R forum, said his country fully supports jointly building the Belt and Road, and is willing to promote the synergy between the Central Asia region and the initiative, elevate the level of trade, investment and cross-border transport, and deepen security cooperation. "Luoyang has gained its glory as a prosperous city in different historical periods where merchants and goods gathered. As an open and inclusive city, Luoyang enjoys bright prospects in the construction of the Belt and Road," said Li Ya, Party chief of Luoyang. The city has established economic and trade relations with 62 countries along the Belt and Road, and a total of 174 countries and regions have become its global trading partners. Some 460 kinds of products made in Luoyang have entered the international market. Among them, the "Dongfanghong" tractors made by YTO Group Corporation, a leading agricultural machinery manufacturer headquartered in Luoyang, occupy around 90 percent of the market share in Kyrgyzstan. Cultural exchange is also being boosted. Last year, 1.41 million trips were made by inbound tourists to Luoyang. In September, Luoyang Museum is expected to exhibit cultural relics unearthed from the tomb of An Pu and his wife at his birthplace. "People in Uzbekistan will have a chance to see these historical treasures and know about their owner's story as well as the unceasing legend of the Silk Road," Gao said. (Video reporter: Yuan Yueming; Video editor: Liu Ruoshi) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:01:23|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOGADISHU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces confirmed on Thursday the arrest of a senior al-Shabab fighter during a sting operation carried out in Mogadishu. The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the suspect who is a member of Amniyat, al-Shabab's intelligence wing, was rounded up during the security operation on Wednesday night in Elasha area, west of Mogadishu. "The suspect is being investigated over acts of terrorism," said NISA. The arrest came as both Somalia and African Union Mission in Somali (AMISOM) forces have intensified their onslaught against the extremist group across the Horn of Africa nation. The intensified tactical operations on the frontline have been buoyed by the return to normalcy in some liberated areas, especially in southern Somalia. The allied forces ousted al-Shabab from the capital Mogadishu in August 2011, but the terror group is still in control of certain areas in southern Somalia and capable of conducting attacks. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:11:29|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who arrived in Beijing for the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China-Hungary relations maintain healthy and stable development, Li said, adding that the two countries have achieved fruitful cooperation outcomes in traditional economic sectors, and enjoyed broad prospects for cooperation in new forms of industry and new economy. China is willing to align the Belt and Road Initiative with development strategies of Hungary, follow the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and seek mutual benefits, Li said. He said China would work with Hungary to promote the financing of projects and ensure that the process of construction will comply with international standards as well as the principle of openness and transparency. China stands ready to work with Hungary to enhance relations between China and central and eastern European countries as well as China-EU relations, Li said. Orban said he appreciates the positive role China has played in promoting the modernization of Hungary, and welcomed Chinese businesses to expand investment in Hungary. Hungary will continue to actively participate in the joint building of the Belt and Road, he said. The two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents after the meeting. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:11:31|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TOKYO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn was granted release on bail Thursday by a Tokyo court, after being indicted for a fourth time earlier this week over further allegations he misused cooperate funds. The Tokyo District Court set bail at 500 million yen (4.5 million U.S. dollars), which has already been paid, with the 65-year-old's release from detention for a second time pending the court's decision on an appeal by prosecutors. Ghosn was first released from detention in early March on 1-billion-yen (around 9-million-U.S. dollar) bail under 15 conditions set by the court, including that he remain in Japan, was allowed only restricted access to mobile phones and computers, remained under limited camera surveillance at his residence, and not contact other Nissan executives involved with the case. This time around, the court has stipulated that under his bail terms Ghosn is not to meet his wife Carole, sources said, as she is suspected by prosecutors of having possibly contacted people involved in the case to ensure their stories line up with her husband's. Prosecutors have again expressed their concerns to the court that Ghosn may attempt to tamper with the case, including by trying to conceal evidence. The latest charges facing the ex-auto tycoon are connected to an allegation of aggravated breach of trust, with prosecutors believing that a portion of Nissan funds paid to a distributor in Oman were ostensibly funneled back to Ghosn for personal use. Such use includes the alleged purchase of a 1.6-billion-yen (14.30 -million-U.S. dollar) luxury yacht for use by Ghosn's family and others. The prosecutors believe that in this instance, the misuse of funds cost Nissan around 5 million U.S. dollars in losses. Ghosn was previously released on bail after serving 108 days at a detention facility in Tokyo, but was rearrested on April 4. He was first arrested on Nov. 19 on charges of under-reporting his remuneration for years in Nissan's securities reports presented to Japanese regulators and is also facing a separate charge of aggravated breach of trust, for allegedly transferring private investment losses to Nissan. Ghosn, who holds Brazilian, French and Lebanese citizenship, also had a criminal complaint filed by Nissan, over the most recent allegation of aggravated breach of trust. Ghosn served as Nissan's chief executive officer following the automaker's capital alliance made with Renault and as Nissan president from 2000 and its chief executive officer from 2001 to 2017. Nissan Motor Co. shareholders earlier this month removed Ghosn from its board, severing a near two-decade relationship with the once-feted auto executive who is widely credited for rescuing Nissan from near-bankruptcy in 1999. As well as being ousted as Nissan chairman after his initial arrest, he was also dismissed as chairman of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and replaced as chairman of Renault SA after he tendered his resignation while in detention in Tokyo. Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., who comprise the Ghosn-created alliance with Nissan, have said that Ghosn will step down as a director in June. In a video message released by his lawyers after he was rearrested on April 4, Ghosn maintained his innocence and claimed that he had been the victim of a conspiracy at Nissan involving other executives. Ghosn's case has highlighted Japan's tough judicial system that allows for suspects to be detained for inordinately long periods of time as prosecutors seek to force a confession. His lawyer Junichiro Hironaka has blasted the system as being akin to "hostage justice." Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:31:46|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SEOUL, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev on Thursday paid a courtesy call to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the South Korean presidential Blue House said. A Russian delegation, including Patrushev, visited Moon's office in Seoul to meet the South Korean president for 45 minutes from 5 p.m. Thursday local time (0800 GMT). During the meeting, Moon said the summit between Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Russian President Vladimir Putin will make constructive contributions to the Korean Peninsula's complete denuclearization and the permanent peace settlement. Moon said he hoped that the Kim-Putin summit would serve as the foundation for resuming the DPRK-U.S. summit and facilitating the peninsula's denuclearization process. Kim and Putin held their first summit talks earlier in the day in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok. Moon expressed his hope to meet Putin on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit, scheduled for late June in Osaka, Japan, saying he wished that the Russian president can visit South Korea at an earliest possible date. Patrushev said Russia and South Korea shared a goal of the complete denuclearization of and the peace settlement in the peninsula, vowing to inform the South Korean side through diplomatic channels of the outcome of the DPRK-Russia summit as early as possible, according to the Blue House. Before meeting with Moon, Patrushev held talks with his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong for three and a half hours to discuss issues on the Korean Peninsula, situations in Northeast Asia and bilateral relations. During the meeting with Chung, the Russian security chief said his country completely supported the peace-building of the peninsula, calling for South Korea to play a role in making the DPRK-U.S. negotiations successful in order to achieve the ultimate goal of the peninsula's complete denuclearization. Chung and Patrushev shared the view that it would be significant for countries concerned to cooperate in keeping the current dialogue momentum alive. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a press briefing Wednesday that the meeting between Kim and Putin will contribute to the further development of the DPRK-Russia relations as well as peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:31:48|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Photo taken on April 25, 2019 shows the construction site where the accident occurred in north China's Hebei Province. Eleven workers were killed and two others were seriously injured after an elevator collapsed at a construction site in north China's Hebei Province Thursday morning, local authorities said. An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. (Xinhua/Luo Xuefeng) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A government work team has been sent to investigate an accident at a construction site in north China's Hebei Province that claimed 11 people's lives, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said Thursday. The MEM and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development have sent the joint work team to Hengshui city, where the accident happened, to help with emergency settlement and investigate the cause of accident. Eleven workers were killed and two others were seriously injured after an elevator collapsed at a construction site in Hengshui Thursday. The MEM urged local governments to learn a lesson from the accident and prevent similar cases. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:31:51|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden formally announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential elections in an online video on Thursday morning. "The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America is at stake," Biden said in the video posted on Facebook and Twitter. "That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," he said. In the statement, Biden also slammed the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017 and President Donald Trump's handling of the incident. He said history will look back on Trump's presidency as "an aberrant moment in time." "But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen," he noted. Biden is expected to attend his first high-dollar fundraiser held at the Philadelphia home of Comcast executive David Cohen on Thursday evening, and to show up at a local union hall in Pittsburgh on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:36:57|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China Minmetals Corporation, the country's largest metals and minerals group, said its copper imports from Chile would rise to 900 million U.S. dollars this year. Guo Wenqing, president of China Minmetals Corporation, made the remarks at a meeting of Chinese and Chilean entrepreneurs Thursday. China Minmetals hopes to expand cooperation with Chilean businesses and make more contribution to metal mining, trade, metallurgical engineering and infrastructure in Chile, Guo said. "China Minmetals was one of the earliest participant in China-Chile economic cooperation," Guo said, noting that the company imported China's first shipment of electrolytic copper from Chile and inked a 15-year-long sales deal with a Chilean copper producer. Guo called on Chinese companies to expand win-win cooperation with Chilean partners in more areas. Guo is also the president of the Chinese section of the China-Chile Business Council, founded in 2005, which has played an active role in strengthening links and pushing forward cooperation between businesses on the two sides. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:47:09|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close PARIS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The France-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) said on Thursday that World Expo 2020, to be organized in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, will welcome all the countries of the world, "genuinely reflecting the universal spirit of World Expos." "The BIE is happy to have contributed to achieving this important milestone for World Expos by continuously encouraging inclusivity to ensure that no one is denied the opportunity to contribute to human progress," Vicente G. Loscertales, BIE's secretary general, said in a press release. "World Expos have been the showcase of innovation and inspiration to all humankind. By inviting all countries of the world to take part, including the State of Israel, the organizers of Expo 2020 are genuinely reflecting the universal spirit of World Expos," he said. Under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future," Dubai will host the World Expo between Oct. 20, 2020 and April 10, 2021. The next one will be organized in Japan in 2025, where the host aims at "Designing Future Society for Our Lives." In 2015, the World Expo was held in Milan, Italy. World Expos, known officially as International Registered Exhibitions, are organised every five years and can last up to six months. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:47:11|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Members of the 20th Chinese Medical Team and guests pose for a group photo after an awarding ceremony in Lusaka, Zambia, on April 24, 2019. Zambia has held a ceremony here to give awards to the 20th Chinese Medical Team over its provision of various health services in the southern African nation. The ceremony, attended on Wednesday by Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie and Deputy Mayor of Luoyang city in China's Henan Province He Min, saw each member of the team being given a medal in appreciation of the services rendered during their tour of duty. (Xinhua/Peng Lijun) LUSAKA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Zambia has held a ceremony here to give awards to the 20th Chinese Medical Team over its provision of various health services in the southern African nation. The ceremony, attended on Wednesday by Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie and Deputy Mayor of Luoyang city in China's Henan Province He Min, saw each member of the team being given a medal in appreciation of the services rendered during their tour of duty. The Zambian minister commended the medical team for their exemplary services, adding that the team helped in the country's quest to achieve universal access to health care provision. He said the current medical team has specifically been unique as they not only helped in improving service delivery but also helped in training of local personnel. According to him, the honoring of the medical team reflects the partnership which has existed between Zambia and China in the health sector, adding that China has supported not only the construction of the Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital but also helped in training of local medical practitioners. The medical team, he added, worked well with local personnel in providing health services in the country. On his part, the Chinese ambassador said China has been sending medical teams since 1978, adding that about 546 medical practitioners have been dispatched to Zambia from that time and that Chinese doctors have diagnosed and treated 3 million patients and taken more than 20,000 cases of operations in Zambia. The Chinese envoy further said more than 700 new technologies and health projects have been introduced and implemented in Zambia which have contributed greatly to the promotion of progress in the health sector. "The Chinese doctors' professional skills and medical ethics have gained high respect and appreciation from the government and people of Zambia, and also demonstrated the rapid development of China's medical technology," he said. The doctors, he said, not only helped in improving health care services but also introduced Chinese medical technologies as well as innovation to Zambia. During its tour of duty, the 20th Medical team, which arrived in Zambia in May 2018, treated more than 40,000 patients and conducted over 20 free clinics and visits to local communities, which resulted in the treatment of another 1,500 local people. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 20:47:15|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ROME, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The head of Italy's largest political party said he wants to reintroduce some form of mandatory military service for Italian youths. But some analysts said the armed forces don't need the extra manpower. Before Italy suspended obligatory military service in 2005, every able-bodied Italian boy was required to serve in some branch of the military for at least 12 months. Matteo Salvini -- head of the nationalist and anti-migrant League party and Italy's deputy prime minister and minister of the interior -- wants to revive the program. "Starting in September ... we will have to reintroduce mandatory military service," Salvini said this week at a rally in the northern town of Pinzolo. He said a stronger army "is better for democracy." Supporters of the 46-year-old Milan native, meanwhile, argue the plan would instill discipline and civic pride in a new generation of Italians. Salvini, who performed his compulsory military service in the early 1990s, has mentioned the idea in the past, but this is the first time he spoke about it in specific terms. One poll conducted by the survey company Opinioni showed that around a third of Italians are at least open to the idea. But it has so far earned very limited support among analysts and political leaders. Italian Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta called the idea "well-intentioned but not feasible," and saying Italy "had to look to the future and not the past." Leaders of other political parties used harsher terms, though the opposition center-left Democratic Party said it was open to proposing some kind "European public service" plan for young people in all European Union members. Italy voted to phase out obligatory military service in 2000, and the last call-up service started in 2004. Since then, according to Luca Comellini, general secretary of the military labor union, the idea is too expensive and outdated to have much value. Comellini told Xinhua. "There are not enough military barracks for a large number of new soldiers, not enough equipment for them to use. And a year of service isn't enough time for them to become adept with high-tech systems the military uses." Comellini went on: "The biggest reason, though, is that the military doesn't need tens of thousands of new soldiers," he said. "A modern, professional army is nimble and efficient." According to Claudio Vercelli, a contemporary history researcher at the Gaetano Salvemini institute of historical studies, the costs of such a program would be far higher than whatever benefits it might produce. "Without knowing the exact number of people who would be conscripted or what their role would be, it's impossible to estimate the exact costs, but I think we are talking about something on the order of tens of billions of euros," Vercelli said in an interview. "It's not an amount of money the government should look to spend for a flawed idea." Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:02:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China and Cyprus have set an example of equal treatment and mutually beneficial cooperation between big and small countries in the international community, Xi said. The two sides should continue to support each other's core interests and major concerns and expand areas of bilateral cooperation, Xi said. China is ready to deepen cooperation with Cyprus in port, maritime transportation and infrastructure construction, and discuss exploring third-party cooperation in the Mediterranean region, Xi noted, voicing the hope that the Cypriot side can continue to play an active role in promoting the development of China-Europe relations. Anastasiades said the Cypriot side will adhere to the one-China policy and actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road. He said that Cyprus will continue to be an important partner of China in the European Union, and that he hopes China can support the United Nations peacekeeping force in continuing operations in Cyprus. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:07:25|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting China and Hungary established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2017, Xi said that the bilateral relations have entered a new historical stage. This year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, and China looks forward to working with Hungary to push forward the comprehensive strategic partnership to a new height, Xi said. The two countries should maintain high-level exchanges, enhance mutual respect and trust, step up practical cooperation and broaden people-to-people and cultural exchanges, he noted. Xi called on the two sides to implement cooperation projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), such as the railway line between Hungary and Serbia. He hopes that Hungary will play a greater role in promoting cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). The prime minister said Hungary's future largely depends on its relations with China and the country firmly believes that China will play a more active role in the complicated and ever-changing world. The BRI is not a threat, but an opportunity, said Orban, adding that Hungary firmly supports the initiative and actively participates in Belt and Road construction. Hungary is willing to promote the overall development of Europe-China relations through the China-CEEC cooperation platform, said Orban. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:17:46|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit, also general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday met with Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit, also general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Li said China is willing to work with Laos to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties and the two countries, continue to consolidate the traditional friendship, and strengthen high-level exchanges. China is ready to align the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Lao development strategy and make new progress on major projects such as the China-Laos Economic Corridor and the China-Laos Railway, Li said. Bounnhang said the Lao side attaches importance to and actively participates in the BRI and is pleased to see the steady progress of major projects such as the Laos-China Railway. Bounnhang thanked China for its strong support for Lao economic and social development, noting that the two sides should work together to build a community with a shared future and push relations between the two parties and the two countries to a new level. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:22:50|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- With the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) taking place here, leaders around the globe are speaking highly of the initiative and voicing their expectations for the gathering. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a reference to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was initiated by China in 2013 with the aim of enhancing all-around connectivity through infrastructure construction, exploring new driving forces for world economic growth, and building a new platform for world economic cooperation. The BRI has created a new dimension for the development of the world economy, and its long-term strategic plan is unusual, said President Ueli Maurer of the Swiss Confederation. The Swiss president believed that globalization is the key to successful global development, and to achieve globalization, infrastructure construction at various levels would be indispensable. In this sense, he said, the BRI is a future-oriented project that will contribute to globalization, in which everyone can benefit from improving and upgrading infrastructure. For his part, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he had advocated the revival of the ancient Silk Road for a long time and believed the BRI will boost connectivity between China and Southeast Asia. "In the promotion of relations between countries, the distance as well as the speed of travel is very important. With this scheme, I am quite sure more ships will be passing near Malaysia and Southeast Asian countries and therefore it will increase trade between Southeast Asia and China." The 93-year-old prime minister will be joining other heads of state or government at the forum to discuss cooperation under the BRI, for which he has repeatedly expressed support. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon called the Belt and Road a multi-faceted "bridge" which can help unlock the transit potential of the landlocked Central Asian country and enable it to access worldwide markets. "The BRI implies creating a new model of international cooperation by strengthening the existing mechanisms, as well as seeking and implementing new mechanisms, with the aim of stimulating the economic development of countries involved," Rahmon said. Calling the BRI a "fantastic infrastructure project," Czech President Milos Zeman said, "I encourage Czech companies to participate in the construction of the new Silk Road, especially the railway construction. We have a good tradition in this area." "My intention is to propose the Czech Republic as one of the possible countries for the communication with European countries. And the Czech Republic will not be omitted in the process," Zeman said. Italy has become the first Group of Seven member to join the BRI, said Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Conte said Italy is glad to seize the historic opportunity to join the BRI, adding that he strongly believes that it will help fully explore the potential of Italy-China cooperation. United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who will host a seminar about green growth at the Belt and Road forum, said the BRI is a "very important opportunity" for the world. With such a huge volume of investment for international cooperation brought about by the BRI, it is a "very important opportunity for enhancing the capacity to implement the sustainable development goals and an important opportunity to launch green perspectives in the years to come," Guterres said before leaving for Beijing. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:33:03|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting that China and Belarus are all-weather friends, Xi said the China-Belarus comprehensive strategic partnership, featuring mutual trust and win-win cooperation, has been at a high level in recent years. The two countries have made fruitful achievements in jointly building the Belt and Road, with the China-Belarus industrial park becoming a model project, he said, adding that the bilateral pragmatic cooperation has been elevated to a new level. Xi said the two sides should put more efforts in aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategy of Belarus, jointly promote the industrial park construction, and continuously and pragmatically deepen their cooperation in economy and trade, investment, tourism and education, and at local levels. Lukashenko expressed congratulations on the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, saying that Belarus has deep trust in China and will always be China's most trustworthy friend. Belarus is willing to further strengthen mutual support with China, and the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has become an important platform for like-minded countries to discuss cooperation, he said. Belarus is a staunch supporter and participant of the Belt and Road cooperation, and is willing to maintain the demonstrative effect of the China-Belarus industrial park, so as to promote the jointly building of the Belt and Road in Eurasia, said Lukashenko. The two leaders then witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents, and jointly unveiled the models of China-assisted stadium and natatorium in Belarus. Children holding stacks of bread walk in al-Hol displacement camp in Hasaka governorate, Syria, April 2, 2019. (Xinhua/REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- A senior UN official on Wednesday underscored the humanitarian situation in Syria, saying that currently 12 million people in Syria continue to depend on humanitarian assistance and more than eight in ten people live below the poverty line. Syrians have lived through a "litany of horrors" in eight years of conflict, and Syrians in the northeast and northwest remain in constant fear of yet another humanitarian catastrophe unfolding, said UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller. Speaking at a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, Mueller highlighted Idlib, Al Hol camp and Rukban as three key areas of concern. In northwestern Syria's Idlib, escalation of hostilities since February has reportedly caused civilian death and injury, as well as significant destruction of infrastructure, she said, adding that fighting has made more than 120,000 people flee to areas closer to the Turkish border. According to Mueller, an estimated 2.7 million people remain in need of humanitarian assistance across northwestern Syria, including more than one million children. "Ensuring this sustained humanitarian access is critical," she added. On the situation in Al Hol camp in eastern Syria, Mueller said that it currently hosts more than 73,000 civilians, and most of civilians at the camp - 92 percent of whom are women and children - have been exposed to extreme violence and trauma under ISIL. Mueller stressed that those children suspected of being associated with armed groups or terrorist groups are entitled to special care and protection under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. "They must be treated first and foremost as victims," said Mueller, adding that solutions for foreign nationals need to be urgently found. She called on all member states to take all measures necessary to ensure that their nationals are repatriated for the purposes of prosecution, rehabilitation and/or reintegration, as appropriate, and in line with international law and standards. As for the situation in Rukban, which is near Jordan's northeastern border with Syria, Mueller said that over 7,000 people have left the site in recent weeks, including nearly 2,000 just yesterday. The Rukban camp is home to 50,000 displaced Syrians, who are suffering from the harsh humanitarian situation because of the cold weather and lack of supplies. According to the latest report of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the humanitarian conditions in the makeshift settlement at Rukban remain dire despite the deployment of a joint United Nations-Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoy in February. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:48:19|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TEHRAN, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday warned Saudi Arabia and Bahrain of the consequences of supporting the U.S. decision to end waivers for importers of Iran's oil. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are ignorant of "blind obedience of the U.S. move," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in a statement on Thursday. The United States on Monday ended six months of waivers for Iran's oil buyers and demanded them to stop purchases by May. Mousavi also said that Iran will not allow any country to replace its market share of oil exports and holds the United States, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain accountable for all consequences. "The Iranian government and nation will never forget the enmity from certain countries in such a historic juncture," Mousavi was quoted as saying. On Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf voiced the kingdom's full support for the U.S. decision to halt waivers for the customers of Iranian oil, saying Riyadh will continue efforts "to stabilize the oil market at all times by coordinating with other oil producers in order to ensure that sufficient supplies of oil are available to consumers." Bahrain has also backed the U.S. move. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:48:22|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOSCOW, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) needs security guarantees to denuclearize, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday after meeting with top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. "Denuclearization means to a certain extent the disarmament of the DPRK. Definitely, the DPRK needs guarantees of its security and the preservation of sovereignty," Putin said at a press conference. He said that these guarantees should be based on international law, although it was too early to speak about how substantial these guarantees might be. Primarily, the steps are needed to increase confidence among the parties involved, Putin said. If the parties will keep "making one step forward and two backward," then the desired result will not be reached, he said. But if the parties involved in the solution of the problems of the Korean Peninsula and its denuclearization move step by step, treating each other's interests with respect, it will be possible to reach the goal, Putin said. He said Kim asked him to share the DPRK's position and some questions that Kim has with the leadership of the United States. Kim has met U.S. President Donald Trump twice. They ended their latest summit in Vietnam's Hanoi on Feb. 28 without an agreement. Putin also said that Russia and the United States share some common interests as both countries are interested in total denuclearization and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and lowering the threat of nuclear conflicts is one of their common priorities. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:48:26|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close LUSAKA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Zambia on Thursday refuted misleading reports by some German media over the Asian nation's cooperation with the southern African nation. Deutsche Welle, a German broadcaster, recently published a series of biased reports with pictures and videos on its website, which made groundless accusations against the pragmatic cooperation between China and Zambia. In a statement, the embassy expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the biased reports that deliberately fabricated facts and were full of prejudice against China-Zambia cooperation in various fields. The statement said that the extensive and in-depth pragmatic cooperation between China and Zambia has played an important role in Zambia's socio-economic development and enhancing the welfare of the people of the southern African nation. The outcomes of China-Zambia and China-Africa cooperation are firm and tangible, which can withstand the test of time and any attempts to distort and deny such achievements are doomed to fail, it said. According to the statement, the China-Africa cooperation has always been one of the best examples of South-South cooperation and that China's unchanging and original aspiration has been to help the African continent achieve development and bring benefits to the ordinary people. "Only the governments and people of Zambia and other African countries could have the final judgment over the performance of China-Africa cooperation," it said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:53:30|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden formally announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential elections in an online video on Thursday. "The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America is at stake," Biden said in the video posted on Facebook and Twitter. "That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," he said. In the statement, Biden also slammed the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017 and President Donald Trump's handling of the incident. The rally saw a Nazi sympathizer ram his car into a group of peaceful counter-protesters, killing one and injuring 19 others. Trump said in response then that there were "very fine people on both sides." Biden said, "With those words, the President of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime." He said history will look back on Trump's presidency as "an aberrant moment in time." "But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen," he noted. Biden is expected to attend his first high-dollar fundraiser held at the Philadelphia home of Comcast executive David Cohen on Thursday evening, and to show up at a local union hall in Pittsburgh on Monday. With strong support from older voters and African Americans and thanks to the fact that his name is well-known, Biden currently leads more than a dozen Democratic hopefuls for the party's 2020 presidential nomination, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. The former vice president is supported by 26 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, followed by Senator Bernie Sanders with 15 percent, the poll showed. About 40 percent of African Americans and 32 percent of those aged 55 and older said they support Biden. No other Democratic candidate, including notable names such as Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, as well as former House member Beto O'Rourke and rising star Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend in the state of Indiana, garnered the support of more than 7 percent of the respondents. Biden, born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, became an attorney in 1969 and was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 as the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He served as the U.S. vice president from 2009 to 2017. During his nearly four decades in the Senate, he was a longtime member and former chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. He also served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biden launched a bid for the 1988 Democratic nomination and ran a second time in the 2008 cycle. He reportedly seriously considered another run for the White House in 2016, but announced in October 2015 that he would not launch a campaign following the death of his eldest son Beau. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:58:32|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NAIROBI, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday appealed for concerted efforts to bridge gender gap in order to boost response to climate change globally. Amanda Serumaga, UNDP resident representative to Kenya, said that climate change commitments can be realized faster if the countries fully tap into contribution of the female gender. "The participation of women in all development policies and plans at local, national and global level allows them to contribute to climate resilience," Serumaga said in Nairobi while addressing a forum on mainstreaming gender in national climate actions. She urged delegates from 17 countries who are meeting in Nairobi to share the lessons and experience emerging as they integrate gender into the implementation of climate change programs and initiatives. Serumaga said that UNDP is supporting national partners to adopt practices that include a holistic view of gender. "We have earmarked 3 billion U.S. dollars for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in over 140 countries to transition toward low-emission and climate-resilient sustainable development," said Serumaga. She said multilateral institutions have been responding to climate change in the framework of sustainable development, through a broad range of adaptation and mitigation actions. Serumaga said that investing in women's leadership will enhance their participation in efforts to boost climate resilience among countries. "UNDP is committed to the development of ideas that help to address climate change and gender equality at the national level and through the implementation of NDCs," said Serumaga.. UNDP through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) supported program is currently piloting the integration of gender equality considerations into countries' climate action plans as outlined in the Paris climate deal. "As an on-going process, review of countries' climate action plans provides a valuable entry point for integrating gender equality considerations, through identification of gender data gaps, improvement of coordination mechanisms and development of gender indicators," Serumaga said. The three-day conference is being attended by delegates from countries including Chile, Ghana, and Philippines. Mohamed Elmi, Kenya's chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said that the integration of gender issues in NDCs will ensure gender responsive NDC actions that will lead to the rapid achievement of the long-term development vision. "The over dependence on natural resources has exposed women in developing countries to climate change effects that further exacerbates gender inequalities as they continue to face loss of land, livelihoods and security as climate change impacts increase," said Elmi. The Nairobi forum will provide a platform for delegates to share experiences, lessons learned and way forward on gender-responsive NDC planning and implementation and help influence institutional frameworks and coordination mechanisms, national planning and implementation of climate change policies. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 21:58:34|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and criminal investigators from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Thursday searched the home of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and Baltimore City Hall, FBI spokesman Dave Fitz told local media. Pugh, a Democrat, has been on leave of absence amid a scandal over the lucrative sales of "Healthy Holly" children's books that she authored and self-published. The "court-authorized search warrants" were also executed at the Maryland Center for Adult Training. Pugh previously led the nonprofit training program, according to the Baltimore Sun newspaper, quoting the FBI spokesman. The mayor was a board member of the University of Maryland Medical System, which spent 500,000 U.S. dollars to fund the purchase of some 100,000 books from Pugh's company Healthy Holly LLC, according to local media reports. The Sun reported in March that health care giant Kaiser Permanente also paid about 114,000 dollars for 20,000 copies of Pugh's books between 2015 and 2018. In 2017, Baltimore's spending board, which Pugh sits on, awarded a 48-million-dollar contract to Kaiser to provide health benefits to city employees. The sales earned about 700,000 to 800,000 dollars for her limited liability company, according to local media reports. Pugh became mayor in late 2016. Her office said that she needed time to recover from pneumonia when announcing her leave of absence starting on April 1. Five of her staffers have since joined her on paid leave. "She has been advised by her physicians that she needs to take time to recover and focus on her health. At this time, with the mayor's health deteriorating, she feels as though she is unable to fulfill her obligations," the office said at the time. Lester Davis, a spokesman for acting Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young, said that Young wasn't made aware of the raids in advance. Pugh was already facing a criminal investigation by the state prosecutor's office, which began at the request of Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan, as well as probes by the Baltimore Inspector General, an ethics board at City Hall and a state insurance commission. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:03:40|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BRUSSELS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Shortly before the European Union(EU)-Japan summit, the EU recognized certain financial rules of Japan as equivalent to those of the EU. The European Commission said on Thursday morning that it determined Japanese rules in legal, supervisory and enforcement arrangements for non-centrally cleared over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives transactions to be equivalent to EU rules. In particular, Japan's Financial Services Agency rules on valuation and dispute resolution for OTC derivative contracts not cleared by a central counterparty, and on obligations on the exchange of collateral (margins) between counterparties are deemed equivalent to EU rules. This will alleviate the regulatory burden for EU and Japanese companies, allowing market participants to comply with only one set of rules and to avoid duplicative or conflicting rules. On Thursday afternoon, the 26th summit between the EU and Japan takes place in Brussels, with President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:03:42|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Li said China is willing to strengthen the aligning of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Malaysia's development strategy, and encourage well-established and capable Chinese enterprises to invest in Malaysia. The Chinese market welcomes more quality agricultural products from Malaysia, said Li, adding that China is ready to make continued efforts to deepen regional cooperation with ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, especially in expediting the negotiation on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. Mahathir said Malaysia supports the BRI and welcomes investments from Chinese companies. Malaysia is willing to cooperate with with China in economy, technology, agriculture and other areas, he said. After the meeting, they witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:13:52|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- As the number of countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continues to climb, private firms around the world do not want to miss out on the opportunities. At the ongoing Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), scheduled from Thursday to Saturday in Beijing, global business leaders regard the forum as a golden opportunity to secure new deals or partnerships. Unlike the first BRF two years ago, this year's forum, featuring a CEO conference and a B2B matching session that are designed specifically for the business world, has attracted enterprises from 88 countries and regions. Arancha Gonzalez, executive director of the International Trade Center, described the special session for enterprises a "very welcomed innovation." "Private sector participation, both Chinese and foreign, will be essential to ensure the long-term sustainability, vitality and efficiency of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Gonzalez. More than five years after its launch, cooperation under the BRI has become increasingly pragmatic, with a series of down-to-earth projects initiated by private companies, showing the appeal of the BRI. Le Xuan Nghia, a Vietnamese contractor, came to the forum to sign a deal worth some 1.15 billion yuan (about 170 million U.S. dollars) on three pig breeding projects with the Chinese agricultural conglomerate New Hope Group. "Chinese companies have competitive advantages in terms of financing, technology and infrastructure construction, while Vietnam has a very promising agricultural market," said Nghia, adding that the BRF has given him a global platform to connect with other companies in the industry. The three pig farms are expected to provide Vietnam with nearly 1 million pigs annually, offering a safe food supply to the country while creating jobs for the locals, said Zhang Xiangjun, general manager of the New Hope Binh Phuoc Livestock Company. Zhang Xin, chairman of TBEA, an energy equipment supplier that has a presence in many Belt and Road countries including Tajikistan and Pakistan, said that the BRI has offered a platform for firms of all kinds to learn from others and brainstorm new ideas. "The BRI has encouraged many private companies in China to go onto the world stage," Zhang said. According to data from the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, out of the top 500 private firms in China in 2017, 274 have participated in BRI projects. To ensure long-term sustainability, the BRI should be more inclusive and support B2B exchanges among more small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), said Gonzalez. "The Belt and Road Initiative cannot be only for the 1 percent of big enterprises, but we also must work to make the initiative for the 99 percent of our economies -- the small and medium enterprises that are the backbones of the economies along the Belt and Road," she said. Davide Cucino, chairman of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, said that compared with larger firms, SMEs have fewer instruments to participate in international projects, and that is where government-initiated platforms and events such as the BRF come in to help. "Companies also need to let the government know about their needs. It must be a two-way communication," Cucino said. As the first Group of Seven nation to participate in the BRI, Italy is both giving and receiving opportunities, Cucino said. "Sooner or later all countries will embrace the initiative," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:24:00|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close SHENZHEN, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Customs police have seized more than 2,500 products made from endangered species this year, Shenzhen Customs said Thursday. Shenzhen Customs said they had investigated 32 cases related to endangered species smuggling from this year, seizing items including ivory tusks and products, crocodile leather, sperm whale teeth and parrot eggs. In an operation launched last month, the anti-smuggling bureau of Shenzhen Customs arrested 10 suspects in Shenzhen, Shanghai and east China's Jiangsu Province, and seized over 200 kg of items including two ivory tusks and products, rhino horn products and red coral. China has been intensifying its efforts in wildlife protection over the years. On Dec. 31, 2016, China declared it would enforce a complete stop to its domestic ivory trade within a year. On Dec. 31, 2017, processing or selling ivory and its products was officially banned in China. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:24:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting that China regards the UAE as an important cooperative partner in building the Belt and Road (B&R), Xi said that the two sides should steadily advance pragmatic cooperation centering on energy cooperation, with investment and infrastructure development as the supplement and the high-tech sector as the growth point. The two countries should deepen security cooperation, including combating terrorism and extremists, to jointly safeguard security and stability of the two countries and regions, he said, adding that China supports the UAE in hosting the World Expo next year, the first to be held in the Middle East. The UAE attaches great importance to its relations with China from a strategic perspective, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, also ruler of Dubai. The Belt and Road Initiative will surely achieve great success and help B&R countries realize greater development, he said. The UAE looks forward to deepening its traditional friendship with China, strengthening high-level exchanges and expanding cooperation in a wide range of fields, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:24:05|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition commemorating the 100th birthday of famed Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong opened at the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) Thursday. Jointly organized by NAMOC and Tsinghua University, the exhibition showcases 58 pieces of Wu's work. Wu was a native of Yixing in east China's Jiangsu Province and went to France to study Western painting for three years in 1947. He taught at leading institutions such as the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Tsinghua University. An internationally acclaimed painter, Wu integrated Chinese ink and wash with Western methods. Before he passed away, Wu held four exhibitions at NAMOC, to which he also donated dozens of works. The exhibition lasts until May 5. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:29:08|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close By Ndalimpinga Iita WINDHOEK, April 25 (Xinhua) -- At Cuba zone in Havana informal settlement in the Namibian capital Windhoek, neighbors gathered at Hilma Shino's home, which is made of corrugated iron. Community health volunteers were demonstrating to dwellers how to set-up a tippy-tap there. The facility is made out of thin tree branches, two re-usable plastic bottle with water and soap. And, a foot lever for releasing water is added to it to reduce the chance for bacteria transmission as the dwellers touch only the soap. As Namibia battles with the spread of Hepatitis-E, community health volunteers are educating dwellers in affected areas to eliminate the disease. Community health volunteers distribute information materials, educate dwellers and aid in detecting early symptoms of infection. The Ministry of Health and Social Services in November 2017 declared a Hepatitis-E outbreak, citing its origin from Namibia's capital Windhoek's informal settlements, including Havana and Goreangab. The Namibian government together with development partners introduced a community-led total sanitation campaign to improve sanitation and health care. Rakkel Shikongo, a community health volunteer with the program, said that they educate community members in affected areas about the disease and prevention measures. "Our mission is to demonstrate and prevent infections through education and to exhibit best hygiene practices," she said Thursday. Beating the epidemic, however, is a daunting task, according to Shikongo. A lack of sanitation facilities, and water points that are situated far from residents, pose a challenge in the fight against Hepatitis-E as residents tend to draw away from good hygiene habits, Shikongo added. Meanwhile, the community health workers source plastic containers that they distribute to help dwellers in the Moses Garoeb Constituency set up tippy-taps, to influence social, behavioral change and habits. "The aim is to get sanitation right in the affected areas and promoting community-led total sanitation, mainly given that handwashing is the solution," Shikongo said. Lilian Kahuika, the state epidemiologist in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, said that the involvement of volunteers aims to empower communities affected by the spread of the outbreak and set the path towards community-led total sanitation. The outbreak is reported to have gone beyond what government expected. "When the ministry declared the outbreak in 2017, we had nine confirmed cases," she said, adding currently, there are more than 4900 cases nationwide." She called for robust efforts to educate dwellers. The Windhoek municipality mayor, Muezee Kazapua, said that the provision of water and sanitation facilities remains a priority for the City of Windhoek so as to save lives and institute habitable environment for all. Meanwhile, to complement interventions by the community health volunteers, the government joint with stakeholders also recently partnered with local Namibia Broadcasting Corporation to devise best strategies to disseminate information to the public about hepatitis. "Under our mandate, the broadcaster can play a significant role in informing and help in assisting in spreading the message," said Stanley Similo, Director General of Namibia Broadcasting Corporation. Bernard Haufiku, the health advisor to the presidency, said that about 24 field epidemiologist are also deployed in all affected communities countrywide, following the relaunch of the Hepatitis-E outbreak response campaign in March 2019 in Windhoek. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:29:09|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- When one-and-a-half-year-old Sheila Mirembe developed a mild fever, her mother Pretty Ssentongo did not envisage malaria had attacked her. "When we visited the doctor, he did some check-ups and informed me the baby was suffering from malaria," Ssentongoa, a resident of Mutungo, a suburb in the capital Kampala, told Xinhua in a recent interview. The health worker gave Mirembe an injection and some tablets. Right now the toddler is recovering steadily, although still weak. Ssentongo suspected her daughter got infected during a visit to some relatives' home, where they did not have a mosquito net to sleep under for two days. "I think this when she was bitten by mosquitoes because at home we always sleep in the net, whether night or day," she said. Ssentongo received the net during the government's nationwide distribution of free mosquito nets to all families, especially in rural and slum areas. As the world commemorates World malaria Day on Thursday under the theme: Zero Malaria Starts with Me, mothers like Ssentongo are reminded to always ensure that children sleep under treated mosquito nets or else face the consequences. Malaria is still the leading cause of death in Uganda, accounting for over 27 percent deaths, mostly of pregnant women and children under five years of age, according to ministry of health figures. Ruth Aceng, minister of health, said in a statement issued to commemorate World malaria Day that the government is still on track in efforts to have a malaria-Free Uganda by 2030. Under the National malaria Control Program, the government is operationalizing the Mass Action Against malaria (MAAM), which is a renewed effort towards sustaining the gains achieved in reducing malaria mortality through a comprehensive effort focusing on the individual and households levels, said the minister. "We prioritize the household and the grassroots level as the most appropriate avenue for malaria prevention and control. We hope to reach out to every household with preaching on all malaria household desired behaviors," Aceng said. "It is our belief that malaria is everyone's business requiring mass action at all levels by all stakeholders including households and communities," she added, noting that if all household interventions are put in action, it is possible to achieve a malaria free country by 2030. Through the MAAM strategy, Uganda aims at reaching out to over 40 million people that are at risk of getting malaria. According to the ministry of health, previous efforts to scale down the malaria prevalence have started paying off. Figures from three national malaria Indicator Surveys show there has been a decline in malaria burden to 19 percent in 2014 from 42 percent in 2009. A further downward trend is expected, according to Aceng. Aceng said under the Integrated Vector Management control strategy, the ministry continues to distribute free mosquito nets every three years. The next distribution phase is scheduled for next year. The ministry also continues to conduct Indoor Residue Spraying in selected districts in the northern and eastern parts of the country, according to Aceng. In efforts to further combat the disease, Uganda signed an agreement with Egypt early this year to start a project that will help protect about 15 million Ugandans against the disease. Egypt will establish a local production unit for larvicides that are used to kill the larva stage of mosquitoes that spread malaria. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:29:11|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Six years on, it has been no easy task for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to evolve from a Chinese proposal to a platform that has bonded more than 150 countries and international organizations for common development. Groundless criticism keeps arising. In one of the accusations, the BRI was depicted as a form of "debt trap diplomacy," through which China intended to bend debtor countries to its will by burdening them with huge infrastructure loans. However, no country has claimed being enmeshed by BRI-related financing from China. Nor did any BRI project incur a systemic debt problem in its host country. When it comes to debt sustainability, there are many variables to be scrutinized, not just the public debt-to-GDP ratio, an indicator of overall debt levels. An analysis of one country's debt portfolio can reveal whether there is a single dominant creditor. In addition, the revenue of a debt-financed project reflects the debt servicing capability. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has denounced claims that the BRI is a debt trap in an article published Tuesday on Fortune magazine's website. Statistics revealed by Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez showed that at the end of 2022, the government's debt to China would only be 4.5 percent of its total, less than half of that to Japan, which would account for 9.5 percent of the total. Sri Lanka's ambassador to China also dismissed the so-called debt trap. Tangible benefits have been delivered by the country's cooperation with China under the BRI. In the Colombo Port City, co-developed by the Sri Lankan government and China's CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, more than 4,000 jobs have been created for local residents, benefiting thousands of Sri Lankan families. In the future, the project is expected to attract 13 billion U.S. dollars worth of investments within the city. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. None has a bigger say than those who are involved in BRI cooperation. Naysayers may continue to pick faults with bias, but no development opportunities await. The initiative, raised by China, is multinational in nature. More multilateral financial institutions have been attracted to BRI-related financial integration. China's central bank, for instance, has rolled out joint financing programs with the International Finance Corporation under the World Bank Group, Inter-American Development Bank, African Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. By the end of 2018, these institutions invested in more than 100 programs in over 70 countries and regions. The China-Arab States Bank Consortium and China-Africa Financial Cooperation Consortium were established to boost multilateral financial cooperation. With the launch of the China-EU Joint Investment Fund, the BRI can be better aligned with the Investment Plan for Europe. For years, infrastructure financing has been like a hot potato. Though badly needed and often involving large-scale infrastructure essential for a country's long-term development, such financing tends to have longer loan terms, generate little short-term gains and is thus less welcomed in the financing market. Although global liquidity is generally abundant, there exists a structural imbalance in infrastructure financing, with developing countries facing a huge funding gap. To remedy the situation and effectively channel funds to where they are sorely needed, China launched the Silk Road Fund, which immediately stood out for providing medium- and long-term equity investment to enhance the core capital of large-scale projects. With enhanced credit, these projects have become less vulnerable to risks, and appeal more to lenders and investors. Currently, equity investment takes up more than 70 percent of the financing the Silk Road Fund has promised to provide. The Silk Road Fund also favors public-private partnership in financing cooperation and encouraging private enterprises to collaborate with governments, so as to ease host countries' financing burdens, which might otherwise be too high if depending only on debt financing. Such partnership has proven quite feasible in a hydropower project in Pakistan and a clean coal power plant and solar-thermal power plant in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, according to Silk Road Fund President Wang Yanzhi. When China says it wants to build the world into a community with a shared future, it is not out of geopolitical purpose or ambition to pursue bigger influence as some critics think. It is based on China's development experiences to pursue common prosperity for the people and a genuine aspiration to make the world a better place. In this world full of conflicts and frictions, can this genuine aspiration be well received? We have every reason to be optimistic, as goodwill prevails and great things sell. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:39:23|Editor: yan Video Player Close DUISBURG, Germany, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Germany's logistics hub Duisburg is enjoying more fresh opportunities brought by the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Ralf Meurer, managing director of Agency for Business Promotion Duisburg, said on Thursday in an interview with Xinhua. Duisburg is a western city at the confluence of Germany's Rhine and the Ruhr, and often referred to as world's largest inland port. In recent years, the city has become better connected with China with more frequent freight trains, thus attracting more business, said Meurer. Meurer said the starting point for Duisburg to benefit from the BRI was in 2014, when the Chinese officials paid a visit to Duisburg Intermodal Terminal, promoting the initiative. "Afterwards, more and more Chinese cities, like Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi'an and plus our twin city Wuhan, has started regular cargo trains. This brings train companies, logistics companies, trade companies and many more to here," Mueller said. The number of Chinese companies in Duisburg has increased from around 40 in 2014 to today's more than 120, according to statistics. Meurer noted that the logistics interconnection will contribute to globalized trade, adding that not only Chinese enterprises, but also the enterprises in the countries and the regions along the train routes are utilizing the logistics network. "Many companies are selling their products in Germany and Europe brought by the train, and now some companies are based in Duisburg selling German or Europe products backwards. We have also seen some companies doing E-commerce here," Meurer said. He added that businesses have been booming, as the new foreign companies stimulate the local services branch, like advisory companies concerning taxes, finance, local laws, and creates jobs. Talking about the ongoing Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing from April 25 to 27, Meurer said Duisburg is paying close attention to more cooperation possibilities in the digital area as well as the green solutions. Meurer said the city is trying to transform to a smart city, with "e-governance, smart traffic network, etc", and has already cooperating with the Chinese company Huawei. Meurer said the BRI also promotes the idea of green development, which is much needed in some developing countries. He added that his city has plenty of experience since Duisburg has transformed from a heavy industrious city with "much coal and steel" to a green city. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:54:32|Editor: yan Video Player Close NAIROBI, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 6.3 percent in 2018, compared to a 4.9 percent growth in 2017, a senior government official said on Thursday. Henry Rotich, cabinet secretary in the National Treasury, told journalists in Nairobi that the growth was driven by expansion of the agricultural, manufacturing and services sectors. "In 2018, the agricultural sector excluding the fisheries and forestry subsectors grew by 6.6 percent, up from 1.8 percent the previous year largely to favorable weather conditions," Rotich said during the release of the annual publication Economic Survey 2019 compiled by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). According to the Economic Survey 2019, most of the key agricultural products experienced expanded production including tea, sugar and wheat whose production rose by 12.1 percent, 10.7 percent and 103.8 percent respectively in 2018. According to the study, the manufacturing sector's growth stood at 4.2 percent in 2018 from a rise of 0.5 percent in 2017 on account of increase in production of dairy products, tea, coffee and sugar due to favorable weather conditions. The findings also show that during the period under review, installed electricity generation capacity grew from 2,340 MW in 2017 to 2,711 MW in 2018 due to the injection of wind and solar power plants into the national grid. The review also indicated that titanium ore production went up by 7.1 percent to 597,736 tons in 2018 and while soda ash output hit 339,025 tons in 2018, translating to a 9 percent increase over the previous year. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:54:37|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech giant Baidu Thursday launched a smart mini-program dedicated to promoting Switzerland in its first attempt to brand overseas nations via its popular mobile app. The specific mini-program features general information about and tourism resources of Switzerland as well as related service information such as visa application procedures. More services and functions will be added later, according to a statement from Baidu. The company will also leverage its other platforms such as the Wikipedia-like Baidu Baike to introduce the popular European tourism destination in multimedia forms. Launched last July to promote smart marketing and improve user experience, Baidu's intelligent mini-program had over 150 million monthly active users by the end of last year, offering services to many government agencies and companies. The attempt will improve mutual understanding and interactivity between millions of Chinese users and Switzerland, said Baidu CEO Robin Li, adding that China's artificial intelligence technologies will nurture more innovative applications thanks to the exchanges and cooperation between the East and the West. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:04:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close ARUSHA, Tanzania, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania on Thursday unveiled a plan to increase annual rice production from the current 2.2 million tonnes to 4.5 million tonnes by 2030. Mathew Mtigumwe, Permanent Secretary in Tanzania's Ministry of Agriculture, revealed the plan during the meeting held in the eastern Tanzania's region of Morogoro to prepare the Second National Rice Development Strategy. According to him, the ministry will work collaboratively with stakeholders to make sure that rice production will be increased to 4.5 million tonnes by 2030 from the current 2.2 million tonnes. He said Tanzania is one of the first group countries in the Coalition for African Rice Development and the rice production strategy will be also be realized with support from the coalition. "We benefit by getting funds from World Bank, African Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency to support agriculture development including rice," he said. Mtigumwe noted that rice is one of the most important staple foods in Tanzania. "As the consumption of rice has been increasing rapidly year by year, domestic production fails to keep up with this demand." "As a result, Tanzania is forced to import rice to maintain an adequate supply. Therefore, it can be said that increasing rice production is an important agenda for national food security," the official said. Joseph Lubiloh, Director for Mechanization and Irrigation Development, said that to achieve the plan, the ministry formed a special task force which will be working closely to ensure that the target is reached. He said the strategy will focus on increasing competitiveness and improving the post harvest value chain of small holder rice farmers. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:15:02|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Wang Huning (R), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit, also general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Wang Huning Thursday met with Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit, also general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, said China is willing to work together with Laos to deepen cooperation between the two parties and strengthen communication and mutual learning. Bounnhang said Laos is ready to constantly deepen the Laos-China comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and promote the building of a community with a shared future. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:20:11|Editor: yan Video Player Close NEW DELHI, April 25 (Xinhua) -- India's top court on Thursday constituted a one-man panel of retired Supreme Court judge Justice A K Patnaik to hold an inquiry into the allegations of a larger conspiracy to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. "Retired Supreme Court judge A K Patnaik will probe claims of a larger conspiracy to frame the Chief Justice," top court said. "The court told the lawyer who first spoke about the alleged conspiracy that he cannot withhold any information during this inquiry." The lawyer had alleged there was a conspiracy against the Chief Justice to "force him to resign and to threaten every judge of the Supreme Court". The apex court meanwhile asked the directors of premier investigating agency Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India's internal intelligence agency Intelligence Bureau and the Delhi Police Commissioner to cooperate with Justice Patnaik during the inquiry. "The top court, however, said that the inquiry will not deal with the allegations of sexual harassment against the CJI and the outcome of the inquiry will not affect the in-house committee which is dealing with the complaint against the CJI," an official said. A former employee of India's Supreme Court last week accused the country's chief justice Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment, an accusation that was vehemently denied by the judge. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:20:13|Editor: yan Video Player Close MAPUTO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Mozambican Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho de Rosario on Thursday urged people in the northern region of the country to take precautionary measures, including evacuation, against the looming cyclone Kenneth. "The latest updates indicate that we are already feeling the effects of this cyclone. It has evolved to Category Four, characterized by strong winds and will hit some regions of Cabo Delgado and Nampula," the premier told the opening of a meeting on education in Maputo. Rosario urged local authorities to reinforce safety measures to guarantee the relocation of people from risk-prone areas to avoid human losses and minimize property damage. Meteorology authorities said coastal districts in Cabo Delgado, the northernmost province of Mozambique, are already under the effects of the cyclone. The landfall is expected later on Thursday and the epicenter would be the district of Macomia or Mocimba da Praia in the province. A red alert was activated on Wednesday. The National Institute of Disaster Management said an estimated 700,000 people are at risk. National airline LAM has cancelled flights from Maputo to Pemba, and education authorities have suspended school classes until next Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:20:16|Editor: yan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Israel will participate in the World Expo organized in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in 2020, Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. Dubai will host the international gathering under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future" between Oct. 20, 2020 and April 10, 2021. "I welcome the participation of Israel in the Dubai Expo," Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office. He hailed the step as "another expression of the rising status of Israel in the world and the region." The announcement was the latest sign of the warming ties between Israel and the Gulf states. Israel does not have official ties with most Arab countries in the Middle East, including the UAE. However, last October, Netanyahu traveled to Oman. A few weeks later, Yisrael Katz, Israel's intelligence and transportation minister, participated in an international transportation conference in Oman. Such gatherings are an important part of Netanyahu's foreign policy, based on which Israel can normalize its ties with its Arab neighbors without inking any peace deal with the Palestinians. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:20:17|Editor: yan Video Player Close TAIPEI, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's economy is expected to grow 2.12 percent in 2019, after different sectors showed a divided business outlook for the coming six months, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) said Thursday. The manufacturing and service sectors shared a rosier business outlook for the coming six months, while the construction sector was more cautious, indicated the TIER's latest business outlook survey in March. TIER's latest forecast on Taiwan's GDP in 2019 was unchanged from its previous projection made in January. The manufacturing composite indicator for March 2019 adjusted for seasonal factors on a moving average, moved up 4.7 percentage points to 95.93 points from a revision of 91.23 points in February. The benchmark of 100 points was set in 2006. TIER said 32.8 percent of manufacturers expected better business in the coming six months, down 12.8 percentage points from the previous month, while 15.5 percent saw a worse outlook, up 6.2 percentage points from the previous month. The TIER service sector composite indicator for March adjusted for seasonal factors rose to 96.76 points, up 5.51 percentage points from the previous month. In addition, the TIER construction sector composite indicator for March adjusted for seasonal factors fell by 2.95 percentage points from previous month to reach 91.18 points. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:30:31|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. As Egypt is the rotating chair of the African Union, President Sisi's attendance at the forum not only reflected Egypt's sincere involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but also represented the common wish of African countries for win-win progress and common development, Xi said. Xi called on the two sides to strengthen political mutual trust, and continue to support and coordinate with each other on issues involving respective core interests and major concerns. While highlighting China's willingness to participate in the Suez Canal Corridor development plan, Xi also said that the two sides should deepen anti-terror and security cooperation and continue to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China supports Africa's integration progress, and is willing to work with Egypt to jointly enhance infrastructure construction in Africa, Xi said. Sisi said that Egypt is willing to learn from China's successful experience in development, align the country's development plan with the BRI, and deepen cooperation in a wide range of fields. Egypt appreciates China's efforts in upholding justice in the Middle East issue, and hopes China will continue to play a constructive role, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:30:33|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Chinese youth show their pencil drawings for the families in need ahead of Easter celebration, in Athens, Greece, on April 25, 2019. Dozens of Chinese youth flooded on Thursday the Support Center for Children and Families of Greek NGO "Smile of the Child" in the Athens eastern suburb of Nea Makri to assist Greeks in preparing festive packages for thousands of people who are supported by the charity organization. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) by Maria Spiliopoulou ATHENS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese community in Greece demonstrated once again its solidarity with Greek society, offering a helping hand to Greek families in need ahead of Easter celebration. Dozens of Chinese youth flooded on Thursday the Support Center for Children and Families of Greek NGO "Smile of the Child" in the Athens eastern suburb of Nea Makri to assist Greeks in preparing festive packages for thousands of people who are supported by the charity organization. Greek Orthodox Christians are set to celebrate Easter this Sunday, but after a decade of an acute debt crisis, although the economy is on the mend, many households are still struggling to make ends meet. Under an initiative of the Sino-Hellenic Investors' Confederation, about 50 Chinese children living in Athens helped to fill in baskets with food products, Easter delicacies and toys for kids to be distributed in the area by the "Smile of the Child". "They are offering voluntary work, something which is very important for us. The Smile is depending on its volunteers," Theodora Giatagana, Fundraising Department officer at the NGO, told Xinhua. The "Smile of the Child" depends on solidarity since its establishment over two decades ago. The Nea Makri support center is housed in a store provided by a major super market chain which is among the long list of companies donating products and services. Each day individuals also visit similar centers operating across Greece to make small donations to assist the work done in the NGO's 14 daycare homes and thousands of families. During 2018 the organization supported over 14,350 families nationwide. Beneficiaries receive also medical care and any kind of aid to stand on their feet again and the Chinese community's contribution to these efforts is deeply appreciated, Giatagana explained. "I just met everybody today and I had no idea how wonderful people they all are. I am so happy seeing that they know Greece and they speak our language. It is very significant and very beautiful," Giatagana said. Giving back to the Greek society which has warmly embraced the Chinese is a moral obligation for overseas Chinese living in Greece, Michael Xia, executive president of the Sino-Hellenic Investors' Confederation, told Xinhua. "We want to have the children to better understand the society and better integrate into the society and be more grateful for the society, because they enjoy the living here and they have to return something," Xia said. "That is our Chinese philosophy and that is our value, and we want to help the children to understand in a better way," he added. Several of the children who participated in Thursday's event felt that they did something meaningful for Greek friends in need, in particular in a festive season. "I will help so that they have a good time. I will paint a basket containing many eggs and various things for Easter," Kefan Liu, 12, told Xinhua, in fluent Greek. He arrived in Greece two years ago with his family and feels very close to his Greek friends. "We came here today to help Greeks spend Easter better. We should all be together and we can make it just fine," Zander Liu, 10, Kefan's brother, said. "If we all join forces, we will make it," was the slogan written on the T-shirts the Chinese kids were wearing on Thursday. This was the favorite phrase of Andreas Yannopoulos, who died of a serious health condition in 1995 aged 10, inspiring the establishment of the "Smile of the Child" by his father, Konstantinos Yannopoulos, who is serving as the NGO's president. The Chinese community in Greece has in many cases in recent years of difficulties for Greece showed with actions that they also believe that unity is the way forward. "The local organizations, Chinese associations or federations, they do organize these kind of events to help the local community, whenever is necessary," Xia told Xinhua. Last year, for example, they helped to heal the wounds of the deadliest wildfire in more than a decade in Greece which affected the seaside area near the Support center in Nea Makri. The blaze left behind 100 casualties, dozens of injured and hundreds of homeless. Chinese living in Greece mobilized immediately to donate food, water, clothing, medicines, and blood, proving how strong is Sino-Greek friendship. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:35:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China-Japan defense exchanges and cooperation are important components of bilateral relations, a Ministry of National Defense spokesperson said Thursday. At present, China-Japan relations have come back on track, said ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang, citing examples including the destroyer JS Suzutsuki (DD-117) taking part in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy, as well as an official Japanese military delegation visiting China. China is willing to work with the Japanese side to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, enhance exchanges of the two defense establishments, properly manage and control differences, and enhance mutual trust to create favorable conditions to push forward China-Japan relations in the new era and make contributions to regional pace and development, Ren added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:40:47|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Xi said China and Malaysia should take joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as an opportunity to create a bright future for the China-Malaysia relations. The BRI will push forward China's all-round opening-up, which will bring about bigger opportunities for all countries in the world, especially for the neighboring countries, he said. The two sides should strengthen planning, enlarge the cooperation platform and promote high-quality cooperation, Xi said, adding that the two joint industrial parks in Qinzhou, China and Kuantan, Malaysia should be well built into an important connecting point for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, promoting connectivity and development of the two countries and the region. He said the two sides should strengthen multilateral coordination, and improve and upgrade the China-ASEAN cooperation. China supports Malaysia in hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting next year, and promoting regional economic integration, economic globalization and the building of an open world economy, Xi said. Mahathir said the BRI is a great initiative with huge potential, which will not only help deal with the infrastructure and transport bottlenecks that are impeding the development of different countries, but also address the problem of unbalanced development among countries and promote cultural dialogue and exchanges. The international community should better know and understand the Belt and Road, which will be beneficial to the world, he said. Malaysia supports the BRI and looks forward to accelerating its own development by jointly building the Belt and Road, he said, adding that Malaysia is willing to enhance cooperation in international and regional affairs with China and jointly push forward ASEAN-China relations. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:45:52|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania on Thursday directed authorities in southern regions to suspend air and marine transport in the Indian Ocean as precaution measures against the impending landfall of Cyclone Kenneth. Jenista Mhagama, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labor, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, made the directive in the National Assembly in the capital Dodoma. "Authorities in southern regions of Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma should also suspend fishing activities in the ocean pending weather updates from relevant weather agencies," she told the august House. Mhagama also directed authorities to shift people from coastal areas of the Indian Ocean to avoid catastrophic situations. She said disaster management committees in the three regions should be on alert and advise residents in the areas accordingly. On Thursday, Mtwara region authorities directed that schools and offices remain closed after the country's weather agency reported the landfall Cyclone Kenneth. Gelasius Byakanwa, Mtwara regional commissioner, said the decision was aimed at ensuring the safety of people in the southern region. All schools and offices should remain closed except that hospitals and other centers providing medical services should remain open, added the official. Tanzania's Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA) on Thursday also suspended marine transport activities in the Indian Ocean as Cyclone Kenneth was reported to be approaching coastline. "All marine transport activities to and from the Zanzibar archipelago have been suspended forthwith," said ZMA Deputy Director Ramadhan Hussein. Hussein said in a statement that ZMA was forced to suspend marine travels until further notice to minimize any loss of life and property that might happen. On Wednesday, the Tanzania Meteorological Agency warned of looming floods, mudslides and destruction of property and crops in the southern regions of Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma due to heavy rains expected from the tropical cyclone forecast to hit the areas. Image: Valley County Sherriffs Office A pilot has been rescued after his Piper Cub crashed and lodged in the top of a tree near McCall, Idaho, on Monday night. The pilot, identified as McCall resident John Gregory, 79, was able to contact 911 after the crash. In addition, the Valley County Sherriffs Office was contacted by the International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC) regarding the activation of a SPOT locator beacon and by U.S. Airforce Rescue Command after they detected the activation of an unregistered EPIRB near McCall. The Valley County Sherriffs Office and McCall Fire & EMS made their way to the site via snowmobiles and found the aircraft approximately 60 feet up in the tree. According to McCall Fire & EMS, two helicopters were dispatched to assist with the rescue but were put on standby due to concerns that the rotor wash would dislodge the aircraft from the treetop. After the rescue team assessed the situation, McCall volunteer firefight Randy Acker, who also owns and operates a hazardous tree removal company in the area, climbed up to rescue Gregory. He made his way to the top, limbing the tree as he went up, McCall Fire & EMS said in a statement. Once at the top, he secured the plane with webbing to the tree top and then made contact with the pilot. Acker was able to get a safety harness on the pilot and then the pilot was belayed down the tree to safety. Gregory walked away with no injuries. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined, but it has been reported that the aircraft lost power before the crash. Authorities are asking local residents to stay away from the crash site while they figure out how to get the aircraft down safely. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:51:07|Editor: yan Video Player Close Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Sputnik) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un on Thursday said that they had substantial discussions on bilateral ties and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue during their first-ever meeting. The four-hour talks started with a one-on-one conversation between the two leaders and they were later joined by members of national delegations. The two sides had an in-depth discussion on various topics including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, bilateral relations, the United Nations and relations with the United States. Putin reaffirmed that "there is no alternative to the peaceful solution of nuclear and other issues on the Korean Peninsula," adding that Russia is ready to continue cooperation to reduce tensions on the peninsula, and to strengthen security in Northeast Asia as a whole. "Denuclearization means to a certain extent the disarmament of the DPRK. Definitely, the DPRK needs guarantees of its security and the preservation of sovereignty," Putin said at a press conference after talks with Kim. For his part, Kim said that he and Putin had a fruitful discussion on "ways of peaceful settlement" of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, which has become one of the most pressing issues on the international agenda. "I hope that our negotiations will continue along the same lines in a useful and constructive way," Kim said. On bilateral cooperation, Putin said that they had discussed a number of potential joint projects, such as a railway linking Russia with the Korean Peninsula, a pipeline for transportation of oil and gas, as well as electricity networks. He underlined all of the projects are possible and are "in the interests of South Korea." "In my opinion, if these projects and others like them were implemented, this would create the necessary conditions for increasing the trust necessary to solve the essential problems," Putin said. Kim arrived here on Wednesday for his first meeting with Putin, which came at a time when tensions are growing between the DPRK and the United States. The DPRK top leader has met U.S. President Donald Trump twice. Their second summit ended in Vietnam's Hanoi on Feb. 28 without an agreement. After the failure of the Trump-Kim meeting in Hanoi, "now it is necessary to give the entire settlement process some kind of impulse and push it forward," former Russian Ambassador to South Korea Gleb Ivashentsov said. He said that the Putin-Kim meeting provides such an impetus for the political settlement on the Korean Peninsula issue, noting that Russia is beginning to act as a more active participant in the process. "Pyongyang needs conciliatory gestures," Ivashentsov said. In addition, Ivashentsov noted the importance of Russia-China cooperation on this matter, saying that "perhaps further we will discuss some broader negotiations." Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:56:13|Editor: yan Video Player Close BANGKOK, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's tourism body said on Thursday it had signed a "Trade and Tourism Alliance" memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) to integrate development strategies and marketing promotions while establishing links between trade and tourism. The Tourism Authority of Thailand signed the MoU with six departments under the ministry. The move aims to support and facilitate services on trade and investment information plus activities deemed beneficial for the expansion of international trade as well as tourism promotion and development. Under the MoU, all parties will cooperate on providing support for the health and wellness, and gems and jewelry sectors through various online and offline activities. The dual will also jointly organize marketing activities for agricultural and food products (both community and seasonally-based), Geographical Indication (GI) products and all tourism-relevant products and services through activities including fruit fairs or border trade fairs that are of equal interest to both Thai and foreign visitors. The coordination will include marketing promotion, public relations, data integration and providing knowledge to local entrepreneurs to develop products in line with their own communities and tourism destinations. The partnership is one of the government's ongoing efforts to stimulate domestic consumption and draw more foreign tourists to offset lower export prospects. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:56:14|Editor: yan Video Player Close ARUSHA, Tanzania, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Police chiefs from the east and central African countries are meeting in Tanzania to seek measures of controlling cross-border crimes including human trafficking and cybercrime. Held in the country's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, the meeting involved inspectors of general of police from countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and Mozambique. Simon Sirro, Inspector General of Tanzania Police, said Thursday the meeting creates a platform for them to have common strategies to combat and take serious legal actions against crimes in the region and their respective countries. "We have been working together in various matters related to our work, in this we are striving to ensure we come up with common strategies which will help identify and overcome cross border crime," he said. According to Sirro, the collaboration will help reveal the suspects in their hideouts. Dieudonne Amuli Bahigwa, the IGP for the Democratic Republic of Congo said the central African nation faces challenges by terrorists who have been conducting crimes and hide in neighboring countries. He said therefore that the meeting will go a long way to control such activities and find out all the thugs in their hideouts. Julius Kanmpiu, a representative of the Inspector General of the Kenya police said the recent incident at DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi was a terror incident, stressing there is a need to work together. He said due to the challenge Kenya is determined to work with other countries to ensure this does not happen again. The Inspector General of the Rwandan Police Danny Munyuza said the meeting has come at the right time when cross-border crime is an issue. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:06:28|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Wang Huning (L), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Wang Huning on Thursday met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Wang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, noted the year of 2020 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The two sides should concentrate on the major task of implementing the consensus reached by their top leaders, and bring about more fruitful results in China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperation, Wang said. The Vietnamese side is ready to work with China to advance the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and open up a new vista of bilateral relations, said the Vietnamese prime minister. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:06:30|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Li Zhanshu (R), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, meets with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, on Thursday met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Li said China is willing to work with Malaysia to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and outcomes to be achieved at the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. He asked for enhanced cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, fishery, e-commerce, technological innovation and people-to-people exchanges, as well as parliamentary exchange and mutual learning in state governance, legislation and supervision. Mahathir said Malaysia welcomes the Belt and Road Initiative and is willing to learn from China's development experience and strengthen bilateral cooperation in all areas. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:06:33|Editor: yan Video Player Close CHENGDU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Two drug dealers were sentenced to death on Thursday by a court in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Six others involved in the same case were given life sentences, and the remaining five people were given jail times ranging from two years to 15 years, according to the provincial Higher People's Court. The gang was convicted of purchasing heroin from the border area in southwest Yunnan Province and transporting it back to Sichuan to sell. Altogether 70 packages of heroin weighing more than 23 kg were confiscated by police, the court said. The death sentence will be handed over to the Supreme People's Court for approval. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:11:37|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Xi received a letter from Indonesian President Joko Widodo handed over by Kalla, and asked Kalla to convey his sincere greetings to the Indonesian president. "I proposed the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road during my visit to Indonesia," Xi said, adding that the two countries have made new progress in bilateral relations and achieved remarkable results in cooperation in various fields over the past few years by taking the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity. Aligning the joint building of the Belt and Road and Indonesia's Global Maritime Axis is the overall framework of the bilateral cooperation in the new era, Xi said. Both sides should identify key areas and directions for cooperation as soon as possible, and implement key projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, he said. "I have proposed to build a new model of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, with an aim to give a Chinese solution to the problems in today's world," Xi said. That is in line with the "Ten Principles of Bandung Conference" jointly advocated by China and Indonesia 64 years ago, Xi said. The two sides should communicate and coordinate closely, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and build a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. Kalla said that Indonesia is an important partner in international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in trade, investment, education and other fields. Indonesia is willing to work with China to firmly uphold multilateralism, and jointly promote global and regional peace, stability and prosperity, Kalla said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:11:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close ISTANBUL, April 25 (Xinhua) -- "Stand up for your children!" "Damn the criminal!" the crowd chanted angrily, while a woman lamented "How can we ever let our children play outside? How can we let them go to school?" The sexual assault against a five-year-old girl in Istanbul has triggered anger at rising child abuses across the country and sparked various demonstrations, mostly in the Kanarya neighborhood of the Kucukcekmece district where the girl was assaulted on Monday in broad daylight. According to press reports, a man lured three children playing in front of their houses into a construction area by offering them some money. Two kids managed to run away, while the little girl was later found covered in blood by her family. Thousands of neighborhood residents immediately gathered around the local police station, urging officers to find the perpetrator, as the victim was rushed to hospital for intensive care. Various groups have since been staging rallies, calling for urgent measures to protect children from all kinds of abuses. According to the authorities, the girl is getting better now but deeply traumatized. In a written statement, the governor of Istanbul announced intensive efforts by the police to hunt the perpetrator and bring him to justice. On Thursday, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu announced the detention of the abuser. The Ministry of Family and Social Policy, meanwhile, said that the child and her family were immediately provided with medical and psychosocial support. On Wednesday night, the case became a trending topic on all social media platforms under the hashtag "kids can be silent but you, don't shut up!" Many people stopped using their social media accounts and turned off TV sets for 10 minutes so as to create "a global silence" to draw attention to the tragedy. "Don't teach your kids -- no matter boy or girl -- to keep silent," tweeted Gokce Nur Celebi, while Harun Kocayurt posted "We have to be the voice of a silent child." Not a few are urging the authorities to reinstate the death penalty against anyone found guilty of raping a child. "We urge all authorities to sentence child rapists with the heaviest punishment of all," one tweeted. According to We Will Stop Femicide Platform, a women rights group, the age range of children sexually abused or murdered in Turkey is falling each year. "In 2018, a total of 1,217 cases of child abuse were covered in news bulletins, but we are aware that the actual number is significantly higher," said a report posted on the platform's website. The report noted that children were abused in all areas where they were present, including dormitories, schools and homes, and the abusers were mostly teachers, school staff and close relatives. The platform called for report of every risk factor and every single incident to the directorates of social services "so that an investigation could be launched." The report referred to one case in the western province of Izmir in which a father sexually abused his 15-year-old daughter for several years. Years after, the girl reported her sufferings to the authorities, but the court released her father on pending trial. "There should be no penalty reduction for any types of violence," Melek Onder, a representative from the platform, told Xinhua. "When you free a child abuser, it paves the way for other incidents," Onder stressed, vowing continuous efforts to push for the perpetrators to be punished in accordance with laws and international agreements. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:16:41|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim (R) and visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov (L) attend a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, April 25, 2019. Iraqi Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Iraq and Russia signed a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in various fields. (Xinhua) BAGHDAD, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Iraq and Russia signed a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in various fields. A statement by the ministry said that Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim and visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov, signed the minutes of the joint meeting of the eighth session of the Joint Iraqi-Russian Commission. The two sides "agreed to develop and strengthen the joint cooperation in various productive and service sectors," the statement said. "They also agreed to take all measures to remove obstacles that hamper the trade and investment exchange between the two countries," it added. "The meeting resulted in the signing of a number of agreements and MoUs in various fields, including trade, finance and banking as well as education," the statement said. In February, Maksim Maksimov, Russian ambassador to Baghdad, said that the Russian investments in the Iraqi oil and gas sector have amounted to more than 10 billion U.S. dollars, and the Russian companies intend not to stop at this investment volume. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:16:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A majority of people in the United States, across partisan and ideological divides, now think drug companies should be held responsible for the spreading opioid crisis that kills more than 100 people across the country every day, according to a new poll released on Thursday. Fifty-seven percent of Americans want drug firms to pay to help fight the crisis while about 70 percent said even after companies pay fines and penalties, they should be forced to publicly disclose details of the role they played fueling the epidemic, the NPR/Ipsos poll finds. "It's something, no matter your age, your gender, no matter where you live, your party affiliation, that people believe in large numbers," said Mallory Newall, lead Ipsos researcher on the survey. "One in three have been personally affected in some way, either by knowing someone who has overdosed or by knowing someone with an opioid addiction," said Newall. "We are holding Big Pharma accountable; they should be accountable," President Donald Trump spoke to applause at an addiction conference in Atlanta on Tuesday. Big pharmaceutical firms have already been flooded with more than 1,600 civil lawsuits stemming from the opioid crisis, according to an NPR report. Earlier this week, the Justice Department arrested executives who worked for a major prescription drug distributor called Rochester Drug Cooperative, one of the companies that ship large quantities of opioid from manufacturers to local pharmacies. Jeff Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said it's the first time executives of a pharmaceutical distributor and the distributor itself have been charged with drug trafficking. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that more than 200,000 people in the United States have died from prescription opioid overdoses since the addiction crisis began in the late 1990s, after drug companies began aggressively marketing highly addictive painkillers. . , , , ... Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:16:45|Editor: yan Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) will meet in Johannesburg to discuss peace and security issues, as well as model law on policing in the continent at the beginning of May, said PAP President Roger Nkodo Dang on Thursday. He stated that African parliamentarians will also discuss the report on the statelessness and citizenship in the continent among a range of issues. "Honorable legislators will engage on advancing the agenda of building viable and inclusive democracies in Africa as well as the industrial development on our continent, whose foundation is the Continental Free Trade Area," said Dang. He said African parliamentarians will also discuss the ratification of the Malabo protocol which gives powers to the PAP to operate as a legislative body. The President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina is expected to address the plenary during the opening ceremony. The African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Mahamat is expected to lead a debate about finding durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa. The PAP is one of the organs of the AU. It is intended as a platform for people from all African states to be involved in discussions and decision-making on the problems and challenges facing the continent. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:21:47|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Olatunji Saliu ABUJA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Nigerians embarked on a long walk in the capital Abuja on Thursday to campaign for the elimination of malaria in the country. The long trek, also involving children and senior government officials, was organized by the health ministry and several civil societies as part of activities commemorating the World Malaria Day, which is marked every year on April 25 across the world. The trekkers endured the scorching sun to educate their fellow citizens of the West African country on ways to eliminate the malaria scourge. "Zero Malaria Starts With Me" is the theme for this year's World Malaria Day. Malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted to people through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Once bitten, the infected person starts to show such symptoms as fever and headaches. If left untreated, the disease can result in severe anemia, respiratory distress, multi-organ failure or even cerebral malaria. Malaria is still a public health challenge in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. The country accounts for 25 percent of the global malaria burden, according to the World Malaria Report. "We also account for 19 percent of deaths from malaria," said Isaac Adewole, the minister of health. In a report, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for urgent action to get the global response to malaria back on track, stressing that ownership of the challenge lies in the hands of countries most affected by malaria. Although funding for malaria control has remained relatively stable since 2010, Adewole said, Nigeria needs more money to achieve the target of cutting malaria prevalence and mortality rates to at least 40 percent by 2020. The commemoration of the World Malaria Day, according to the minister, provided the right opportunity for a review of strategies being used and raising the tempo with a view to significantly reducing the burden of malaria in the country. While urging development partners to double efforts at resource mobilization in support of malaria elimination, the official said, there is an urgent need for private-sector operators to also commit more resources to supporting the fight against the disease. "The huge resources required to combat malaria could only come from the government, its partners, and the private sector," he said. Speaking on the efforts of the government toward eliminating the disease in Nigeria, the minister noted a number of innovative programs have been developed to increase access to funds. Among such programs aimed at speeding up the elimination of the disease in the country are the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and the Save One Million Lives project. "We are asking for additional funding support for the malaria program," Adewole said, adding that Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 approved an incentive funding of 18.5 million U.S. dollars for the procurement of Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets (LLIN). In addition, the Nigerian government is in the process of setting up an expert group of malaria researchers to provide guidance on strategies for malaria elimination. A Malaria Program Review effort is also underway in the country, and this comprehensive review would inform changes in strategies and interventions where necessary, according to Adewole. Meanwhile, citizens have more roles to play in kicking out malaria in the country, said local health expert Okechukwu Ossai. Keeping a clean environment is one of the keys to eradicating malaria in Nigeria, Ossai said in a statement made available to Xinhua in Abuja. Water receptacles, including empty containers both around the surroundings and in drainages, should be frequently removed so as not to create breeding sites for mosquitoes, he said. "Stagnant water in drainages allows mosquitoes to breed which increases the risk of malaria in human beings. When waste is properly disposed and drainages are free of waste and without any blockage, malaria and other diseases will be prevented," Ossai said. Insecticide-treated nets are important for both adults and children to prevent malaria, he said. Aderinoye Jaiye, another medical expert, cautioned Nigerians on the use of over-the-counter malaria drugs without proper diagnosis. This has always been the practice by many Nigerian citizens, including educated ones, he said. "Once any symptom is noticed, it is better to proceed to the hospital to run a test to be sure of what is wrong," he said. Poverty and ignorance have been major challenges facing the management of malaria in Nigeria, said Lagos-based doctor Sultan Oluwadamilola Lawal. He said most people do not go to the hospital because they are poor, and some feel it is more expensive to get treatment in hospital than self-medication. "But people need to understand that self-medicating or staying away from the hospitals leads to complications that will cost more than the initial treatment," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:26:55|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Zhao Leji (R), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, meets with Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Zhao Leji Thursday met with Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Zhao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said the bilateral relations have become a model for China's relations with Pacific island countries. China is willing to work together with Papua New Guinea to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with Papua New Guinea's development plans, so as to benefit peoples of the two countries through pragmatic cooperation, said Zhao, who is also secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. O'Neill said Papua New Guinea will learn from China's development experience and the two sides should strengthen cooperation in trade, energy, infrastructure and other fields. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:57:14|Editor: yan Video Player Close HOUSTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A killer was executed Wednesday night, 21 years after an infamous hate crime in east Texas, the United States, local media reported on Thursday. According to a report by the local newspaper Houston Chronicle, John William King, 44, was executed by lethal injection Wednesday night in Huntsville, about 115 km north of downtown Houston. The execution came after the United States Supreme Court turned down King's last petition for a stay. King and two other co-conspirators were convicted two decades ago for killing James Byrd Jr. in an act of unfathomable racist brutality in the small town of Jasper, about 215 km northeast of downtown Houston. Less than a year after the killing, two killers were sentenced to death. The co-conspirator Lawrence Brewer, 44, was executed in 2001, and the third co-conspirator Shawn Berry was sentenced to life in prison. In the early hours of June 7, 1998, King, along with Brewer and Berry, abducted Byrd, 49, while he was walking home in Jasper. Byrd was beaten, urinated on and dragged about 3 km behind a pickup by log chains attached to his ankles. The victim's mangled body was dumped at an African-American cemetery. The murder of James Byrd Jr. led Texas to pass the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act in 2001, strengthening punishments for crimes motivated by bigotry. In 2009, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was passed into federal law, broadening the ability of the federal government to prosecute hate crimes. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 00:57:17|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China and the Philippines are neighbors facing each other across the sea, and their development and stability is closely related, Li said, adding that bilateral relations had achieved positive turnaround and consolidation, and had been progressing on the right track, after the joint efforts of the two sides over the past three years. China is willing to see new achievements in the economic and social development of the Philippines, and align the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the "Build, Build, Build" program of the Philippines, he said. Peace and stability in the South China Sea is in line with the common interests of China, the Philippines and other countries in the region, Li added. China supports the Philippines in fulfilling its responsibilities as the country coordinator for China-ASEAN relations, and expects negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to be completed soon, Li said. Li also expressed confidence that countries around the South China Sea will be able to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region with wisdom, adding that it is necessary to properly manage existing issues through dialogue and consultation, so as to realize common development. Noting the contribution of the BRI to global prosperity and connectivity, Duterte said the Philippines is ready to deepen the cooperation with China under the BRI framework. The Philippines will further improve its business environment, and welcomes more investments from Chinese companies, said the president. Duterte said the Philippines will firmly make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, and is looking forward to working with other parties to conclude the negotiations on the COC as soon as possible. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 01:02:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Recalling his state visit to PNG in November 2018, Xi said the relations between China and PNG is in the best period in history. China highly appreciates PNG for prioritizing relations with China in its diplomacy and giving solid support to China on issues concerning China's core interests, he said. China supports PNG in choosing a development path on its own that is in line with its national conditions, Xi said. China is willing to work with PNG to strengthen coordination and cooperation under the multilateral framework, so as to enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, he said. PNG is in a leading position among the Pacific island countries in jointly building the Belt and Road, Xi said, adding that China and PNG should further expand cooperation and set an example for the island countries in building the Belt and Road. China has no self interest in the Pacific island countries, and does not seek the so-called "sphere of influence," Xi said, adding that China will always be a trustworthy friend and partner to these countries. O'Neill expressed congratulations on the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, and on its achievement in economic development and poverty alleviation, which he said is also a contribution to the world peace and development. O'Neill said President Xi's visit to PNG last year is historic. PNG adheres to the one-China policy, and is willing to enhance cooperation with China under the Belt and Road framework, he added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 01:07:27|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (R) meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Thursday met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Wang said that China is willing to work with Belarus to implement consensus reached by the two heads of states, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, and realize economic complementarity and mutual benefits by jointly building the Belt and Road. Lukashenko said the two countries are sincere and reliable all-weather partners, and Belarus firmly supports and actively participates in the Belt and Road Initiative. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 01:12:31|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (R) meets with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Thursday met with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Wang said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) upholds the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and reflects the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, offering huge opportunities for cooperation between China and Indonesia. Kalla said Indonesia looks forward to learning from China's reform and opening-up experience and deepening cooperation with China under the BRI framework. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 01:12:32|Editor: yan Video Player Close VILNIUS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Several currently existing professions will disappear in the future due to digitalization and the increased role of technologies, said Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment and Social affairs, on Thursday, highlighting the importance of investing in lifelong learning. "We usually graduate from school or university and then we think that we will not have to study again. This is a worrying trend. We need to leave behind this way of thinking as increased digitalization will require new skills," the visiting commissioner was quoted by local media as saying. Thyssen attended a conference on "The Impact of Digitalization on Work", organized by Lithuania's Ministry of Social Security and Labor. The fact that only one out of ten European citizens is involved in lifelong learning is a worrying figure, and the authorities should strive to change this trend, she underlined. Lithuanian Minister of Social Security and Labour Linas Kukuraitis noted that his country is even more vulnerable as some low-skilled jobs can easily be automated. Thyssen also met with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and discussed the "European Semester", which provides a framework for the coordination of economic policies across the European Union, as well as Lithuania's priorities under the multiannual financial framework. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 01:17:36|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese companies are opting to take part in the rebuilding process in Syria because of its proximity and the mixed social fabric with Syria. Lebanese companies have recently been active in taking part in the fairs that are being held in Damascus. Their latest participation is the undergoing Industrial Fair at Damascus' Fairground where the Lebanese companies have an entire pavilion. Roy Balian, sales manager of the Mega Prefab company for pre-made beton, told Xinhua that the Syrian market is promising given the fact that the reconstruction process in the country is around the corner. "Syrian market is big and promising in the future and we are coming from Lebanon so we are very interested in entering this market," Balian said. Balian believes that the Lebanese companies will have the priority in working in Syria, adding that the projects which his company is aiming to make are not yet executed in the country. "Lebanese companies will have the priority particularly in Syrian areas close to northern Lebanon ... so we are giving prices for a number of projects but nothing has been executed on the ground so far," he said. For his part, Hisham Zuraiq, representative of the Constra Cham company, said that his company is aiming to help in the rebuilding process in Syria as the Syrian and Lebanese people are more than neighbors. "We are interested in coming to Syria to take part in rebuilding the country after long years of war and pains in Syria," he said. Zuraiq hoped that the Lebanese people could help their Syrian brothers to rebuild their country. "So we are hopeful that we can help the Syrian people in returning to the country as it used to be. We are one company but many more companies would come and take part in rebuilding Syria," he said. Meanwhile, Marwan Kalssei, head of the Miro Plastic company, said that the Syrian market is a huge one but the development is not fast in terms of the beginning of the process. "I think that the Syrian and Lebanese markets are one and we have a firm belief that the Syrian market will be active again so there are many Lebanese companies desirous for making business in Syria," he said. Kalssei added that "the development is not fast but ... it will become much bigger." The Syrian government has said that friendly countries would have the priority in the rebuilding process in Syria. As for Lebanon, the country's various political currents have been divided in terms of dealing with the Syrian war. Parties like Hezbollah are supporting the government, while others are opposing it. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 01:42:54|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIGA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Latvian lawmakers on Thursday endorsed in principle a proposal to double the number of hours foreign students are allowed to work from 20 to 40 hours per week, a parliamentary spokesperson informed. The draft amendments to the immigration law, which were earlier rejected by the parliament defense, interior and corruption prevention committee, were hotly debated also at Thursday's parliament sitting. Under the draft legislation proposed by a group of MPs of the ruling KPV LV party, foreign nationals who have received residence permits or visas for studies in Latvia would be allowed to work 40 hours a week. The new rules would become effective as of September 1, 2019. The authors of the bill argued that the employment rules for foreign students have to be changed to deal with the situation where many of these students are already working significantly longer than the permitted 20 hours a week but their actual working time is not reported, which allows employers to save on taxes. This situation does not help reduce illegal economic activity and employment in Latvia, supporters of the draft amendments stressed. They also dismissed the opponents' argument that longer working hours would leave a negative impact on the students' academic performance. After more than two hours of debating, the parliament voted to continue work on the draft amendments to the immigration law and government regulations on foreign nationals' employment. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 02:03:08|Editor: yan Video Player Close VALLETTA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Malta approved 660 asylum applications during 2018, double the European Union (EU) average in terms of per million population rate, figures released by Eurostat on Thursday showed. According to Eurostat, the EU approved granted protection to 333,355 asylum seekers in 2018, which represent a portion of 650 per million of population, while Malta's asylum rate works out to 1,385 per million. The number of applications in the EU had decreased by almost 40 percent from 2017. The largest groups of beneficiaries of protection status in the EU during 2018 remained Syrians, followed by Afghans and Iranians. The majority of asylum seekers granted protection in Malta were Syrians too, followed by Libyans and Eritreans. Malta granted 160 people refugee status, and gave 480 people subsidiary protection, while approved 25 people application for humanitarian reasons. Germany granted protection to the highest number of asylum seekers with 139,600, ahead of Italy and France. In addition to these, the EU member states received over 24,800 resettled refugees during 2018, while no refugees were resettled to Malta. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 03:29:09|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The uncertainty surrounding the auto tariffs with which the Trump administration has threatened U.S. trading partners worldwide "may not end soon," a scholar at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) has said. In an article published Wednesday on PIIE website, research fellow Jeremie Cohen-Setton argued that although President Donald Trump is due by May 18 to decide whether to levy the punitive duties on imported vehicles and vehicle parts, judging from several precedents, the president may well postpone his final decision. Directed by Trump, the Department of Commerce launched an investigation last year into whether the auto imports threaten to impair U.S. national security and submitted the report on Feb. 17. Trump has 90 days since then to decide whether to take action. The investigation was based on Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the same domestic law that the Trump administration used to justify import tariffs on steel and aluminum. Before Trump entered the White House, Washington last invoked "national security" for trade protection in 1986, when Ronald Reagan was president. "Although other countries have already brought challenges before the World Trade Organization over the United States' extensive use of the national security exception, the issue will not be settled soon and has generated fears that others will imitate the U.S. example," Cohen-Setton wrote in the article. The expert said the "sanguine belief" that uncertainty is bound to resolve quickly once a Section 232 investigation is initiated "is misguided, as several tricks can extend the process and the associated uncertainty." Trump, Cohen-Setton said, may want to negotiate trade agreements with the major auto exporters. "In that case, the Section 232 statute provides for an additional 180 days, which would push back the decision date to November 14." Citing a similar decision adopted by Reagan in 1988 related to antifriction bearing imports, the scholar said Trump may defer his decision by 110 extra days, just like Reagan did. "The president can also defer his final decision until another agency has completed a review that relates to the state of the auto industry," he added. Another scenario where Trump may delay the implementation of the tariffs is that he could hold consecutive investigations, according to Cohen-Setton. "The Trump administration could terminate the current investigation before making a decision and then open a new Section 232 investigation," he said, offering precedents of both terminating an investigation and starting new ones. Furthermore, the president could also take no action, or impose weaker restrictions than those recommended by the Commerce Department and then open a new Section 232 investigation, Cohen-Setton said. The Section 232 statute, he said, "allows the president to ignore Commerce and choose no action or alternatively more benign or more severe actions than those recommended." The scholar said if Trump, by means of tariff threats, aims to force concessions from U.S. trading partners in ongoing bilateral trade negotiations, "then there is little doubt that the administration will prolong the investigation." "Unfortunately, it has many ways to extend this period of uncertainty," Cohen-Setton said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 03:39:14|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Wang Zichen BRUSSELS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Union and Japan on Thursday reiterated their "joint support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action", commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, despite mounting pressure from the U.S. on the Islamic republic. The 26th Summit between the EU and Japan took place in Brussels on Thursday afternoon, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The EU-Japan Summit Joint Statement affirmed their "commitment to contributing jointly to advancing international peace and stability, based on the rule of law and through intensified consultation and coordination". "We reiterate our joint support for the Iran/Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," the statement said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 03:49:17|Editor: yan Video Player Close SARAJEVO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Residents in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital of Sarajevo were warned over the exceedance of pollutant particles in the air on Thursday. The warning was issued in a joint statement by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Sarajevo's Public Health Institute. The most concentration of floating particles was recorded in the suburb of Ilidza, measuring 184 micrograms per cubic meter, the joint statement said, adding that the prescribed values are 50 micrograms per cubic meter. The cause of high dust concentration is the Sahara wind that brings in dust particles to BiH, it said. Residents of Sarajevo are advised to avoid going outdoors since long-term and peak exposures to pollutants range in severity of impact, and can impair the respiratory system. Recommendations particularly apply to pregnant women, elderly people, pre-school children and chronic patients. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 03:49:18|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A major exhibition dedicated to one of Scotland's most famous engineers and inventors opened Thursday in the city of Stirling. Artefacts linked to James Watt are featured at the Engine Shed venue in the Scottish city where the exhibition is taking place to celebrate the 250th anniversary of his invention of the condenser engine. The free-to-enter exhibition "James Watt: Power to the World" continues until Aug. 23. Visitors will discover the impact Watt's invention had on Britain's industry and engineering, which is still evident today. The event focuses on Watt's improvements to the steam engine and features historic artifacts. He famously improved on the 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1776 which paid a fundamental part in the changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution in both Britain and the rest of the world. Mark Watson, deputy head of Industrial Heritage at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), said: "This exhibition shines a spotlight on Scotland's ground-breaking inventor while looking at the impact of his work from the industrial revolution to climate change." "We hope to showcase James Watt's global significance to a new audience and demonstrate how his work continues to influence the world today, 200 years after his death." The Engine Shed, part of HES collection of galleries and museums, serves as a central hub for building and conservation professionals and the general public. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 03:54:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday mocked former Vice President Joe Biden as "sleepy" while former President Barack Obama highly praised his partner but stopped short of endorsing Biden in 2020 presidential campaign. Biden, 76, officially announced his presidential run in an online video Thursday morning, saying he jumped into the crowded field of the Democratic Party's nomination race because everything that has made America America is "at stake." "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," Biden said in the video, claiming that history will look back on Trump's presidency as "an aberrant moment in time." "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign," Trump tweeted hours after Biden's long-expected announcement, warning Biden the race would be "nasty." "I believe it will be Crazy Bernie Sanders vs. Sleepy Joe Biden as the two finalists to run against maybe the best Economy in the history of our Country (and MANY other great things)! I look forward to facing whoever it may be," Trump wrote in a tweet last week. "President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made," Katie Hill, a spokeswoman for Obama, said in a statement. "He relied on the vice president's knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today," the statement said. However, Biden said he told Obama not to endorse him in the race, though many Democrats saw him as a trustee of Obama's legacy. "I asked President Obama not to endorse," Biden said on Thursday. "Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits." "If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation - who we are - and I cannot stand by and watch that happen," Biden said in his announcement video. While seen by many Republicans as Trump's strongest challenger in a possible general election matchup, the former vice president faces criticism from the left side of his party for his centralist leadership. Following his announcement, Justice Democrats, one of top progressive groups, urged Democrats to choose "new leadership with a bold vision" favored by the party's progressive base, calling Biden a relic of the Democratic Party's "old guard" who failed to stop Trump. "We don't need someone who voted for the Iraq War, for mass incarceration, and for the Bankruptcy Reform Act while voting against gay marriage, reproductive rights, and school desegregation," said the group in a statement, advocating "progressive populist policies like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, free college, rejecting corporate money, and ending mass incarceration and deportation." Biden also faced criticism recently from women who alleged his tendency to touch people made them uncomfortable. In response, he promised to be "more mindful and respectful of people's personal space" but didn't apologize. Biden is expected to attend his first high-dollar fundraiser held at the Philadelphia home of Comcast executive David Cohen on Thursday evening, and to show up at a local union hall in Pittsburgh on Monday. The Biden campaign said he will lay out his "vision for rebuilding America's middle class" at the Pittsburgh event. With strong support from older voters and African Americans and thanks to the fact that his name is well-known, Biden currently leads about 20 Democratic hopefuls for the party's 2020 presidential nomination, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. The former vice president is supported by 26 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, followed by Senator Bernie Sanders with 15 percent, the poll showed. About 40 percent of African Americans and 32 percent of those aged 55 and older said they support Biden. No other Democratic candidate, including notable names such as Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, as well as former House member Beto O'Rourke and rising star Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend in the state of Indiana, garnered the support of more than 7 percent of the respondents. Biden, born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, became an attorney in 1969 and was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 as the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He served as the U.S. vice president from 2009 to 2017. During his nearly four decades in the Senate, he was a longtime member and former chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. He also served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biden launched a bid for the 1988 Democratic nomination and ran a second time in the 2008 cycle. He reportedly seriously considered another run for the White House in 2016, but announced in October 2015 that he would not launch a campaign following the death of his eldest son Beau. If elected, Biden would be the oldest president to enter the White House. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 04:14:34|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker speaks at a press conference during the EU-Japan Summit in Brussels, Belgium, April 25, 2019. The 26th Summit between the EU and Japan took place in Brussels on Thursday afternoon, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) BRUSSELS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and Japan on Thursday reiterated their "joint support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)", commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, despite mounting pressure from the U.S. on the Islamic republic. The 26th Summit between the EU and Japan took place in Brussels on Thursday afternoon, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The EU-Japan Summit Joint Statement affirmed their "commitment to contributing jointly to advancing international peace and stability, based on the rule of law and through intensified consultation and coordination". "We reiterate our joint support for the Iran/Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," the statement said. The JCPOA is an agreement, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, on the Iranian nuclear program reached in 2015 between Iran, China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, and Germany. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, withdrew from the deal and put sanctions on Iran, albeit with waivers for some economies, including Japan. On Monday, the U.S. announced that it decided not to reissue sanctions waivers allowing major importers to continue buying oil from Iran when they expire in early May. The decision, according to the White House, is intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the government its main source of revenue. Visitors are seen at the 5G Arena during the 2019 Hanover Fair in Hanover, Germany, April 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) BRUSSELS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- "We are not rejecting someone because he is coming from faraway, because he is Chinese, the rules have to be respected," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday, when asked on 5G at a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "As far as the 5G is concerned, I can simply say what we already said -- that the European Union and our internal market are open markets and all those respecting our rules governing this internal market are welcome," Juncker said. Juncker was replying to a question from a Japanese reporter, who asked the European and Japanese leaders that "the U.S. is calling on the allies to eliminate telecom equipment of Chinese companies including Huawei, so what did you discuss about that? And on this issue, what do you plan to deal with at G20?" Before Juncker, Abe first gave his answers, saying "We did not talk about specific countries or specific products. Dealing with cyber-security-related risks is extremely important, and we agree that we need to take coordinated actions at G20. "In the past, the importance of ICT, the importance of security countermeasures related to the use of ICT has been recognized, and therefore based on that recognition, we will continue that discussion and we wish to continue to collaborate with the EU," Abe said, referring to information and communications technology (ICT). Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 06:10:32|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close Tomio Okamura, leader of Czech opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), givies a speech during a rally at the Wenceslas Square in Prague, Czech Republic, April 25, 2019. The SPD party on Thursday held a rally to formally launch the EU election campaign at the Wenceslas Square in Prague. The event brought European far-right politicians, hundreds of supporters, as well as opponents. (Xinhua/Dana Kesnerova) PRAGUE, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Czech opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party on Thursday held a rally to formally launch the EU election campaign at the Wenceslas Square in Prague. The event brought European far-right politicians, hundreds of supporters, as well as opponents. Citing migration and Islam major threats to Europe, Tomio Okamura, leader of the SPD, also called on efforts to restrict EU powers and enhance the role of national states. French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen and Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders, also went on stage to show their support to the SPD. Italian Interior Minister and Northern League head Matteo Salvini sent a video message to Prague. Le Pen said the EU is to blame for flooding Europe with migrants who threaten to destroy the European nations. Wilders, meanwhile, called the EU an undemocratic superstate that has been attempting "to erase our nation states." Their speeches were disrupted by protesters. Carrying banners saying "We want to live in the EU, even with you", more than a hundred of opponents gathered in the lower part of the square. With whistles and cymbals, they tried to howl down the SPD demonstration. Heavily-armed policemen tried to separate the opponents from the supporters, and skirmishes were reported. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 06:25:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close RABAT, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan government will raise public servants' monthly wage by 40 to 50 U.S. dollars over three years under an agreement signed Thursday night. The deal was signed by the government with three largest labour unions and the major employers' association. The pay rise will be distributed in phases over 18 months, the first being in May, the second in January 2020, and the third in January 2021. The government will also increase the family allowances by 10 dollars for each of the three first children of the families both in the public and private sectors. The three parties also agreed to raise the minimum wage by 10 percent over two years for workers in private companies in the sectors of agriculture, industry, commerce and service. The signing of this agreement came after years of negotiations and just a few days before the Labour Day on May 1. Cum sa alegi un brad rezistent de Craciun In curand in casele din Romania va straluci, impodobit, simbolul Craciunului, bradul. Pietele s-au umplut de brazi de toate marimile si cumparatorii vin si pleaca toata ziua. Chiar daca poate parea simplu sa alegem un brad, ne putem trezi ca este deja ofilit inainte sa punem cadourile sub el. Putem sa prevenim asta [citeste mai departe] RTHK: UN condemns Saudi mass execution Saudi Arabia faces growing criticism for the mass execution of a group 37 people -most of them from the kingdom's Shia minority, and some of whom the UN said were minors when charged. All the killings were carried out by beheading. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet condemned the executions, saying "it was particularly abhorrent that at least three of those killed were minors at the time of their sentencing". The EU echoed her censure, calling the execution of people charged as minors a "serious violation". Spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said the fact that the majority of those executed were Shia had "the potential to fuel sectarian tensions" in the region. The official Saudi Press Agency reported that they were put to death after being convicted of terrorism. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the convictions were based on unfair mass trials and on confessions allegedly extracted through torture. The Sunni-dominated kingdom's interior ministry said some of those executed were accused of "inciting sectarian strife", a charge often used in Saudi Arabia against Shia activists. HRW's deputy Middle East director Michael Page said: "Saudi authorities will inevitably characterise those executed as terrorists... but the reality is that Saudi courts are largely devoid of any due process, and many of those executed were condemned based solely on confessions they credibly say were coerced. "Executing prisoners en masse shows that the current Saudi leadership has little interest in improving the country's dismal human rights record." Amnesty International said most of those executed were "convicted after sham trials" based on "confessions extracted through torture". The executions were "yet another gruesome indication of how the death penalty is being used as a political tool to crush dissent" from within the Shia minority, it added in a statement. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Six factors may predict invasive breast cancer recurrence after DCIS diagnosis Bottom Line: Six factors were associated with invasive recurrence of breast cancer after a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), according to data from a meta-analysis. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Author: Jelle Wesseling, MD, PhD, professor of breast pathology in the divisions of diagnostic oncology and molecular pathology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and Leiden University Medical Center. Background: Current guidelines recommend surgical excision of DCIS, often followed by radiotherapy and sometimes endocrine therapy, yet most cases will likely not progress or become life-threatening. As a result, many women are overtreated. "There is a large unmet need to distinguish harmless from potentially hazardous DCIS," said senior author of the study Wesseling. "We hope our work will help reduce the burden of intensive treatment that thousands of women with low-risk DCIS undergo annually." How the Study Was Conducted: Wesseling, lead author and PhD student Lindy Visser, and colleagues performed a systematic review of 1,781 studies from the PubMed database from 1970 to June 2018 to assess the risk of ipsilateral (same side) invasive breast cancer recurrence in women primarily diagnosed and treated for DCIS. Forty studies met the eligibility criteria of including at least ten invasive breast cancer events and at least one year of follow-up. Next, the researchers used the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool to assess the studies for risk of bias and identified 17 studies for inclusion in this study. Finally, the researchers performed meta-analyses on all factors associated with the recurrence of invasive breast cancer reported by more than one of these 17 high-quality studies and calculated the average effect size for each factor. The number of patients in the included studies ranged from 52 to 37,692, and mean follow-up time ranged from 3.2 to 15.8 years. Results: Among 26 prognostic factors, Wesseling and colleagues identified six that were associated with a 36 to 84 percent increase in the relative risk of recurrence of invasive disease after DCIS diagnosis: African-American race, premenopausal status, detection by palpation, involved margins, high histological grade, and high p16 protein expression. Wesseling noted that data obtained using histological grade as a factor needs careful interpretation because of potential differences in evaluation between observers. The investigators found that insufficient handling of confounding factors, especially treatment for DCIS, and poorly described study groups were the two most frequently occurring biases identified using QUIPS. Authors' Comments: "We were aware of the high frequency of biases among previous studies. Some biases are inevitable, as it can be difficult to establish fully annotated cohorts, but others are easy to prevent," said co-senior author of the study Marjanka Schmidt, PhD, genetic epidemiologist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. "Our goal was to increase awareness and help the research community avoid these biases in the future. "New studies need to capture information about whether the cancer recurrence was DCIS or a subsequent invasive cancer and whether these are true recurrences or new, primary lesions," Wesseling added. Study Limitations: The main limitation of the study was that it was not possible to assess all prognostic factors since they were not reported uniformly in all studies. As a result, future research may identify more prognostic factors that help guide treatment decisions for women diagnosed with DCIS, Wesseling said. ### Funding & Disclosures: The study was funded by Cancer Research UK and the Dutch Cancer Society. The authors declare no conflict of interest. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. In just a month, regular elections to the European Parliament will be held, the outcome of which might lead to an increase in the role of the Kremlin in Europe, revision of anti-Russian sanctions, and weakening of the pro-Ukrainian lobby In just a month, regular elections to the European Parliament will be held, the outcome of which might lead to an increase in the role of the Kremlin in Europe, revision of anti-Russian sanctions, and weakening of the pro-Ukrainian lobby. Despite all the precautions of the European Union, Moscow will do everything possible to define insiders and outsiders. Russians have numerous motives for this. The report of Mikk Marran, Estonian Director of Foreign Intelligence, says that the Kremlin clearly intends to split the European Parliament, make Europeans doubt the importance of this institution, discredit sanctions as a method of retaliation against Russia. The Russians cannot work out in the open like it was a few years ago, the EU special services warn. They would change tactics and strategy to camouflage their actions. And a number of gaps in European security, to which experts draw attention, will play into their hands. Thus, Estonian politician Tunne Kelam assures that Europe has not realized the reality of the Russian threat. The Kremlin managed to put down the vigilance of the Europeans, constantly changing their tactics. The strength of Russias approach is that it doesnt use the same tools everywhere. Instead, its tools differ depending on the country it is targeting. What the Kremlin does in, say Greece, is different to what it does in Ireland, but all of these activities are still part of the same tool kit, Foxall, from the Henry Jackson Society, said in a commentary for CNBC. Foxall, on the other hand, is convinced that Russian methods remain unchanged. They use point propaganda, as well as theft and leakage of information, carry out large-scale information campaigns in the media, spread fakes and compromising information in social networks, organize international events abroad; they bribe officials, politicians and experts, spy and commit cyber attacks. To clarify, for large-scale information campaigns abroad, Russians have built up a whole system of international broadcasters for years. The RTR-Planeta, Russia 24, RT focused on Russian foreign countries were created. And with the beginning of the active phase of the hybrid war against Ukraine, the Kremlin reformed TASS and RIA Novosti, established the Federal State Unitary Enterprise International Information Agency "Russia Today" and the international news agency and radio with multimedia information hubs Sputnik. In order to form an "objective image of Russia abroad," a Fund for Cooperation with the Russian-language foreign press has been created. It is known that the volume of government subsidies for the period from 2018 to 2020 for the companies-owners of these international broadcasters - VGTRK, Russia Today and TV-Novosti ANO is about $ 1.7 billion. To understand the volumes of the audience covered by Russians abroad, take a look, for example, at the monthly statistics of the Sputnik online publication. Thus, Sputnik Germany covers an average of 2.3 million users per month, Sputnik Italia - 700 thousand, Sputnik Poland 600,000, Sputnik USA 2 million, Sputnik France 6 million, Sputnik Czech Republic 350,000. As for social networks, the Kremlin uses them through the so-called Internet Research Agency. According to data from Google, Facebook, and Twitter, published in October 2017, it was the Agency that actively participated in the Russian interference activities in the 2016 US presidential election. According to the Estonian intelligence report, for conducting cyber attacks, using simple online tools and tactics, Moscow, as a rule, attracts hacker groups APT28 and Sandworm. And a group of hackers SNAKE APT connected with the FSB for more covert work. But not all of the above-mentioned intervention methods are as effective as before, since in 2017, NATO and 10 EU members, including France and Germany, created a counter-propaganda center in Finland to counter the hybrid threat, and similar NATO units operate in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. In addition, the European Commission is working with information technology companies, seeking to mobilize capacity that could help in finding sources of misinformation, and hires special persons to verify the authenticity of the information. Also, there are a lot of public structures in Europe, are engaged in identifying and countering Russian propaganda. In addition, Facebook and Twitter have introduced appropriate restrictions to struggle with fakes. It is also important that since 2014, the US and the EU began to approach the activities of the state-owned media of Russia abroad more closely. Since 2015, their activities have been accompanied by arrests of journalists, refusals of accreditation, restrictions on advertising in social media, or even a total ban. For four years, Russian broadcasters have been suffering the greatest losses (primarily RT and Russia 24. The Sputnik agency suffered the least restrictions, in 2016; it was blocked in Latvia and Turkey. But in the same year, it resumed its work in Turkey), in particular, they suffered on the media markets of the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, France, Poland, and Moldova. With the Kremlins legal espionage is under a question too due to the retaliatory measures of the West. In particular, after Skripals poisoning, more than 150 employees of the Russian embassies, the vast majority of whom were engaged in espionage under the cover of diplomatic status, were expulsed from the United States and European countries. Based on these circumstances, there is no doubt that Moscow will change tactics before the elections to the European Parliament and will use alternative methods of intervention. For example, the peculiarity of the work of Russians in social media might be that network provocateurs try to undermine elections, cultivating messages splitting the society through fake accounts, instead of creating propaganda on their own. Bloomberg reports about the possibility of such changes, referring to experts on cybersecurity. So the Kremlin-linked Internet research agency might be involved in circumventing the restrictions imposed by Facebook and Twitter. Instead of creating content themselves, we see them amplifying content, said John Hultquist, the director of intelligence analysis at FireEye Inc. Then its not necessarily inauthentic, and that creates an opportunity for them to hide behind somebody else. Moscow might rely on the methods of the so-called public diplomacy, which implies intensive work with the Russian diaspora, socio-political and research centers. Kremlin began to pay particular attention to the Russian diaspora only at the end of 2015. Then Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at the V Congress of Foreign Compatriots in Moscow. His 20-minute speech did not contain sensations, but the very fact of participation in this event said a lot. The experts then noted that the Kremlin is not interested in repatriating Russians and Russian speakers, but in acquiring an instrument of external influence. In this sense, under Putin, a huge number of organizations and foundations appeared that should be responsible for working with the diaspora and form a positive image of Russia abroad. They are akin to American organizations that first destroyed the Soviet Union, and then rebuilt the post-Soviet space in their own image and likeness. With the only difference that Washington has always promoted democracy, and Moscow the Russian language and culture. Not only state officials stand behind the American projects, but also party elites of Democrats and Republicans. The ideology of Russia is formed exclusively by the president and his staff. The U.S. relies on civil society, and the Kremlin relies on the Russian-speaking population. The target audience of Americans is about 1 billion people on the planet, and the Russian diaspora is only 30 million. However, to work with this small audience, the Federal Agency for CIS Affairs, compatriots living abroad and international humanitarian cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), the International Council of Russian Compatriots (MSRC), the Russkiy Mir Foundation, Foundation to support public diplomacy them. A.M. Gorchakova, Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad were created. But the topic of external campaign financing might be especially sensitive for Europe in these elections. After all, there is no all-European law regulating this industry: political parties are obliged to follow the rules of their states. And according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 4 out of 28 EU countries have no restrictions on funding political parties from abroad: Belgium, Denmark, Italy, and the Netherlands. Another 11 countries have a partial ban on foreign funding, and only 13 prohibit it completely. The topic of Moscows influence on the European parties was quite fully described by Anton Shekhovtsov, Ph.D. in Political Sciences, a research fellow at the Institute of Humanities (Vienna) in his book Russia and the Western Far Right. The book is the first detailed study of a critically important trend that has been neglected: the growing connection between Russian and Western far-right activists, publicists, ideologues, and politicians. As an example, the far-right radicals of the National Front and most of the Alternative for Germany should be cited. Brussels also suspects the Austrian Freedom Party in getting money from Russia. In December 2016, this political force signed five-year cooperation and cooperation agreement with the United Russia party. There is a Russian trace in the activities of the Hungarian party Fidesz and its leader Viktor Orban through the joint building of the fifth and sixth units of Paks Nuclear Power Plant with reactors using Russian technology. There are several other cases that demonstrate the obvious connection of European far-right parties with Russia: leader of the Greek far-right Panos Kammenos often takes photos with Russian politicians in Moscow. And according to CNBC, led by Matteo Salvini, the Italian League tried to get Russian funding through a gas supply deal. EFIS analysts fear that the Kremlin views elections (to the European Parliament - ed.) as a chance to sow political division throughout the continent before a possible invasion of Belarus or the Baltic states... The notorious report of the Estonians reads that seven new regiments appeared on the western border of the Russian Federation. The majority is on the border with Ukraine and Belarus, but one is on the border with Estonia, NATO member country. Estonias foreign intelligence assures that the build-up of forces and the recent drills of Russia suggest that Moscow is preparing for a military conflict with NATO. And not only the Baltics but also Western Europe is at the gunpoint. However, the Estonian intelligence service considers unlikely such a scenario. Perhaps this is done only in order to keep Europe in good shape and distract on an unusable object. In the same context, it is worth mentioning the recent aggravation of the situation in Libya, provoked by Moscow, which surprisingly coincided with the election campaign in the European Parliament. After all, against the background of the new Libyan crisis, Italian politicians unexpectedly opened up the seemingly closed question about the admission of illegal migrants. The Czech iHNed outlet advises Europe to be on their guard. With the help of Khalifa Haftar, Russia can take control of Libya and use the flow of migrants as a hybrid weapon against Western democracies. In order to somehow resist the obvious Russian interference in the European elections, it is necessary to ensure the exchange of information between EU countries on the fake news, to publicize all attempts of the external influence, not to use stolen data during the election campaign campaigns and increase voter turnout. European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova also proposes to intensify activities to ensure the independence of the voters, to protect personal data so that they are not used for political campaigns, to ensure the use of identical standards of campaigning, both in traditional media and on the Internet. The EU is already implementing some of these recommendations. For example, on April 16, in Germany, far-right populists from the AfD were fined for illegal funding. And to increase turnout, the European Parliament has conducted thistimeimvoting communication campaign called, which calls for democratic participation in elections. There are such words in the appeal to citizens: As Europeans we face many challenges, from migration to climate change, from youth unemployment to data privacy. We live in an ever more globalised, competitive world. At the same time, the Brexit referendum has demonstrated that the EU is not an irrevocable project. And while most of us take democracy for granted, it also seems under increasing threat, both in principle and practice, read the message. You have to admit, that this is not enough. Read the original text at 112.ua. The official start of the presidential election campaign was given on the last day of 2018. Now it is already finished, we know the results of the voting, as counted by the CEC. So, for what, in fact, the candidates fought and what rights will the winner get? Brief theory The issue of presidential duties is extremely important because the electorate often confuses who does what and who is responsible for what in the country. - At the moment in Ukraine we have mixed, a parliamentary-presidential form of government. - Over the years of independence, the form of government has changed several times. - The Constitution, as amended by President Kuchma, provided for a presidential-parliamentary form of government. - In 2004, a constitutional reform was carried out, providing for a transition to a parliamentary-presidential form of government. Thus, the powers of the president were significantly limited. - In 2010, the Constitutional Court reinstated the "presidential-parliamentary" Constitution. - In February 2014, after the Revolution of Dignity, the Verkhovna Rada renewed the Constitution in the 2004 edition (with the parliamentary-presidential form of government). What the President of Ukraine can and cant do He can - Submit two candidates from the Cabinet: the Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs for approval of the Verkhovna Rada. He cant Independently appoint or at least submit for the Verkhovna Rada approval all the others, and first of all the Prime Minister. According to the Constitution A coalition is being created in the parliament. It proposes the candidature of the prime minister to the president. The president is obliged to return it to parliament for approval within 15 days. He cannot change the candidacy. By the way, the president cannot dismiss any of the ministers either. This is the prerogative of the Verkhovna Rada. He can As Supreme Commander, he can appoint the command of the army and secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. He cant President cant appoint personnel of the Internal Troops and the National Guard. This is the prerogative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He can Form the leadership of regional and district state administrations. He cant Do it himself. For this, he needs a representation of the Prime Minister. He can With the consent of the Rada, he can appoint and dismiss heads of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General Office; on the proposal of the Prime Minister he can appoint the head of the State Border Service. He also can: - appoint and dismiss from the posts half of the composition of the National Bank Council; - appoint and dismiss from the posts half of the National TV and Radio Company; - appoint a third of the Constitutional Court composition; - send proposition of appointing members of the CEC to the Parliament. He cant Form the leadership of the State Property Fund and the Anti-Monopoly Committee. This is the competence of the government and parliament. Summary: The majority of personnel decisions the president of Ukraine is obliged to coordinate with the Verkhovna Rada. Foreign policy The President leads the foreign policy of the country. That is, he could decide not everything, but most of it. Among other things, he can: negotiate and conclude treaties, make decisions on the recognition of foreign states, appoint and dismiss ambassadors in other states and international organizations, receive letters of credence and revocable diplomas of other countries. He also can Veto laws. Prematurely terminate the powers of the Verkhovna Rada. Initiate a declaration of a state of emergency in the country, present state awards, the highest military ranks, and assign diplomatic ratings. Make a pardon. Decide on the adoption of citizenship of Ukraine and the termination of citizenship of Ukraine, as well as the granting of asylum. But Rada can overcome the veto (this requires 300 votes). The president can terminate the powers of parliament only in three cases: if deputies cannot form a coalition within 30 days, if they cannot open a meeting of a regular session within 30 days and if they cannot form a Cabinet of Ministers in parliament for two months. Well, the declaration of a state of emergency (as well as of martial law) must be also supported by parliament. No casualties have been spotted on April 24 Open source Russia-backed militants violated the ceasefire regime 10 times using the Minsk-banned weaponry in the Donbas combat zone on April 24. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports this. According to the report, the enemy fired the Ukrainian positions with grenade launchers of the various systems, heavy machine guns, and small arms. In the Donetsk region, the pro-Kremlin militants fired the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Mykolaivka, Novohnativka and Vodiane settlements. In the Luhansk region, the occupant opened fire six times near Troitske, Novozvanivka, Popasna, Shymy, and Luhanske villages. No casualties have been spotted among the Joint Forces operation soldiers. As we reported, Ukrainian soldier Yuriy Konovod died in Donbas combat zone. The tragedy happened on April 23 at around 12:45 pm. The man came under the enemys fire, occupants bullet killed him. According to Zmist news agency, the died soldier was a volunteer. Before joining the ranks of the Armed Forces he was a history teacher. Konovod fought in Afghanistan and then he told his students that he would go protect Ukraine to the front. Militants detained in Donbas on April 25, 2019 Joint Forces Operation Facebook Ukrainian servicemen detained a militant in Donbas who tried to create diversion, as the Joint Forces Operation HQ reported. Ukrainian soldiers detained the occupant of the 100th motorized infantry brigade of Russias armed formation. The militant was born in Donetsk in 1977, his name is Sergiy. It is also known that he tried to infiltrate Ukraines troops near Novomykhaylivka. He was supposed to create diversion there. The occupant was gathering information of the intelligence men about the location of the ammo warehouses, their security. The man was detained, he gives testimony. It is also reported that the militants was serving in the ranks of the first army corps of Russian occupational troops since 2016. Canada reaffirmed its support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russian and Ukrainian passports Unian Canadas MFA informed that Kremlins decision to facilitate the process of issuance of the Russian passports for the resident of the occupied territories of Donbas undermines the situation in the region. Canada condemns Russia-supported violence in the east of Ukraine and destabilizing offer to give Russian citizenship to the residents of Donbas, Canadas MFA reported on Twitter. The diplomatic establishment reaffirmed Canadas support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. As it was reproted, Ukraines statement to the UN Security Council concerning the facilitated procedure of issuance of the Russian passports to the residents of ORDLO (the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics, - ed.) will be spread as an official document. Earlier, Russias President Vladimir Putin signed a decree which facilitates the procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship for the residents of the occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk (ORDLO). As it was reported, Russia wanted to facilitate the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for the residents of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics after presidential elections in Ukraine. Putins decree was required for that. Ukraines Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs reported that people who get Russian passports will lose their Ukrainian citizenship. The law foresees total and forced 'Ukrainization'; it stipulates significant limitations and sometimes even direct ban of the use of languages of the national minorities in various areas of social life, - spokeswoman Mariya Zakharova Maria Zakharova Open source Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation evaluated the newly-passed law on the Ukrainian language. Mariya Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the Ministry claimed that the law foresees 'total Ukrainization' and contradicts the basic law of Ukraine, the country's constitution. TASS news agency quoted the official on April 25. 'It is basically the law on forced Ukrainization, in fact, a total Ukrainization. Its provisions foresee considerable limitations, and in some cases, even a direct ban of the use of the Russian language and those of national minorities in various areas of social life', reads the message. Kyiv offers occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to return to Ukraine, where there's no place for the Russian language, schools and kindergartens, Konstantin Kosachev says The language law approved by Ukraine's Parliament on April 25 might lead to Donbas seceding from Ukraine's composition. Konstantin Kosachev, the senator at the Federation Council (Russian parliament's upper house) and chairs its Foreign Affairs Committee said this. TASS news agency quoted him as saying. The diplomat said that the document might divide the country and put Donbas further away from Ukraine. He added it will be the exclusive fault of the Ukrainian government. 'Currently, Kyiv offers occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to return to Ukraine, where there's no place for the Russian language, schools and kindergartens, normal relations with Russia, the memory about the Great Patriotic War and its heroes. A phenomenal stupidity, which may sooner or later result in Ukraine losing southeastern regions, and it's not about some fancy Russia's interference', Kosachev stated. The Ukrainian Parliament supported the law on the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language. 278 MPs voted for the bill, which has been discussed and amended during the last two months. The document includes 2,500 amendments. It foresees that the President, Parliamentary Speaker, ministers, officials of all levels, teachers, judges, and doctors are obliged to know Ukrainian perfectly well. The law enforcement agencies and courts are bound to use Ukrainian, too. The document also concerns law enforcement agencies. On the other hand, it does not affect the language of private conversations and the language of religious services. The representatives of the establishment stressed that "Putins decision creates a serious obstacle to the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the reintegration of the Donbas region" Russian and Ukrainian passports Unian The U.S. condemns the decision of Russias President Vladimir Putin to facilitate the process of issuance of Russian passports to the residents of Russia-controlled territory of Ukraine, as the U.S. State Department statement reads. Russia, through this highly provocative action, is intensifying its assault on Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. President Putins decision creates a serious obstacle to the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the reintegration of the Donbas region. The Minsk agreements, signed by Russia, call for the full restoration of Ukrainian government control over eastern Ukraine, it says. It was noted that this happened three days after the Ukrainian nation elected Zelensky on the presidential elections. President-elect Zelenskyy has repeatedly expressed his readiness to engage seriously with Russia to implement the Minsk agreements, and to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has claimed some 13,000 lives. It is now up to Russia to decide whether it wants to continue to escalate tensions or meet its Minsk commitments, the statement reads. Earlier, Russias President Vladimir Putin signed a decree which facilitates the procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship for the residents of the occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk (ORDLO). As it was reported, Russia wanted to facilitate the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for the residents of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics after presidential elections in Ukraine. Putins decree was required for that. Ukraines Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs reported that people who get Russian passports will lose their Ukrainian citizenship. Yevhen Yenin said that he made a decision in favor of his principles Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin Liga.net Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin confirmed that he wrote a resignation letter, as he reported on Facebook. I invite all the journalists to the entrance of Prosecutor General Office at 2 pm for explaining my decision to resign, he wrote. In his comment for Interfax-Ukraine Yenin said that he made a decision in favor of his principles and stressed he was not going to enter politics after leaving his post. In late March, Yenin canceled suspicion for the politicians involved in the criminal case on Sergiy Kurchenko. Prosecutor Kulyk said that cancellation of suspicion for Borys Lozhkin, Olexiy Filatov, Valeriya Hontareva and others was illegal. As it was reported, prosecutor Kulyk urged Lutsenko to open a probe against Yenin. According to Kulyk, these actions let the involvants of the case, including Filatov, to leave Ukraine and influence the witnesses. Therefore, Yenin helps Kurchenko. It should be noted that Filatov did not leave the country except for one working trip to Brussels. The accident happened at SkhidKarbon coal mini-mine at Yuriivka village Massive explosion in mine, Yurivka village, Luhanks region, occupied territories of Eastern Ukraine Mykhailo Volynets Massive explosion in a coal mine near Luhansk on the occupied territory of Luhansk region, Eastern Ukraine. TASS reported citing Emergency Ministry of the Russian Federation. Officers of Russias Emergency Ministry including the mine-rescuer squad are heading to the accident scene on request of the so-called Luhansk Peoples Republic. The facts and circumstances to be announced further. According to the resources under the control of the occupants, allegedly 19 people died. SkhidKarbon is the only mini-mine on the territory of Lutuhyne Raion in Luhansk region. Due to hostilities, the mine wasnt operating since 2014, however, production operations were resumed in January 2018. According to Mykhailo Volynets, the Chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine, the accident occurred at about 11:00 a.m. on April, 25, Hromadske reports. According to preliminary information, 4 bodies were dragged out of the debris. At that the blasts continue exploding as of 11 p.m. methane gas is being effervesced at the indentation site. Ukraines Parliament decided to hold spring session of NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ukraine in 2020 by a regulation No.10091. The Parliament agreed to hold the session NATO Parliamentary Assembly on May 22 25 in Kyiv. Therefore, it was decided to create an organizing committee to prepare and conduct the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The Spokesperson of Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy was appointed the Chairman of the committee. According to the regulation, the committee has to approve an action plan for the spring session of NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ukraine. Earlier Russian President Putting signed the order, which simplifies issues of the Russian passports to Donbas people UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented on the decision of the Russian authorities to issue the passport of the Russian Federation to the citizens of Ukraine in occupied territories of Donbas as Ukrinform reported. We expect that all responsible persons will act in accordance with letter and spirit of the Minsk Agreements approved by the Security Council and all issues will be solved using the constructive dialogue in the present formats, the Secretary-General added. He added that the UN underlines its commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. On April 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree which facilitates the procedure of obtaining the Russian citizenship for the residents of the occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk (ORDLO). According to the document, the application for Russias citizenship, which ORDLO residents file should be considered within three months. Ukraine appealed to the UN Security Council after this decision and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko called it to be the daring step, which contradicts the Minsk Agreements. As it was reported, Russia wanted to facilitate the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for the residents of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics after presidential elections in Ukraine. Putins decree was required for that. Ukraines Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs reported that people who get Russian passports will lose their Ukrainian citizenship. Volodymyr Zelensky stated about the necessity to initiate and adopt law and decisions, which will unite the society Candidate for the presidential post Volodymyr Zelensky, who gained the majority of the votes at the second tour, promises to analyze the law on the state language approved the Verkhovna Rada as his press service reported. It is noted that the mentioned document was considered during the election campaign and it became the prisoner of the political rhetoric. Moreover, the law was adopted without public discussion, according to Zelensky. 2,000 amendments were made to the draft law and it witnesses the absence of the agreement on some of its points even at the Verkhovna Rada. Today, it is very difficult to predict the consequences of the adoption of this law; its final text, considering all amendments, is unavailable. After I become the president, the careful analysis of this law will take place to make sure that all constitutional rights and interests of all citizen of Ukraine are observed in it. On the results of the analysis, I will respond, according to the constitutional authorities of the president of Ukraine and in the interests of the citizens, Zelensky said. He also emphasized that it is necessary to initiate and adopt laws and decisions, which are going to unite the society due to the number of challenges faced by Ukraine. The Ukrainian language is the only one state language in Ukraine. It was so, it is so and it will remain so. Concerning this issue, no compromise is possible. The state should take care of the development of the Ukrainian language, extension of the sphere of its use. It is also out of the question and the whole society agrees on it, the message said. My principal position is that the state should provide the development of the Ukrainian language by the creation of the incentives and positive examples instead of bans and punishments, increasing the complexity of the bureaucracy, increasing the number of the posts for the officials instead of their cutting, the message noted. On April 25, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted the draft law #5670-d on the provision of the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state one on the second reading and in general. Earlier we reported that the status of Ukraine's state language will be endorsed over the course of the next ten years when the government implements the respective program. On February 28, 2018, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine produced a ruling in regards to the law On the principles of the state language policy #5029-VI (the so-called Kolesnychenko-Kivalov law). As we reported, the Central Election Commission processed 100% of the protocols at abroad election district: Petro Poroshenko gained 54,74% of the votes, while Zelensky got 43,78%. Zelenskys Advisor, former Finance Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Danylyuk reminded that Yuriy Lutsenko is a "person of the past" Oleksandr Danylyuk, Zelenskys Advisor, former Finance Minister of Ukraine Dzerkalo Tyzhnia The team of Volodymyr Zelensky, the new elected President of Ukraine, informed that the current Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has to resign. Zelenskys Advisor, former Finance Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Danylyuk said it at New 5 year challenge: Expectations. Hopes. Concerns in Kyiv, as Interfax-Ukraine reported. Separate position concerning Yuriy Lutsenko. I understand that there is a monumental desire of the establishment to preserve the status quo. But during the announcement of the results of the elections Volodymyr made an important statement: he thinks that Lutsenko is a person of the past. And if he wants he can come back in politics, but he has to leave the post of the Prosecutor General. People who will implement a real reform has to come here, he said. Someone among the activists who emerged recently has to hold this post, as ZeTeam thinks. We have enough people who can prove themselves on this position and have a good reputation and support of the community. We have a lot of anti-corruption activists. I would recommend someone among these activists to hold this post, Danylyuk said. After the second round of the presidential elections, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has to be replaced with a new person. Within first 100 days of Zelenskys presidency, ZeTeam intends to come up with the work of the chairmen of NABU, SAP, State Bureau of Investigation and Prosecutor General Office. It may seem like a few food tech companies get all the mediaand investorlove. (Were looking at you Beyond Meat and your IPO headlines this week!) But startups are building and championing new technologies across the entire food value chain, delivering innovations that promise transparency, efficiency, and sustainability beyond headline-grabbing themes like vegan meat and robotics. Ten years ago, the space was pretty boring, Maarten Goossens, founder of food and agriculture-focused venture capital firm Anterra Capital tells AFN. Now, there is much more to get excited about in the space. Goossens says, alternative proteins are definitely an area where change is happening but adds that there are now plenty of opportunities besides. One of the most intriguing areas is logistics technology, he explains. Amazon has set the precedent with same day delivery for any type of consumer good. That same expectation is now trickling through to the business-to-business world across pretty much every other domain. For the F&A Next conference at Wageningen University next month, Anterra has selected seven food tech companies to pitch their novel technologies including logistics, as well as gut microbiome testing, flavor analysis, novel milk proteins, and plant-based health products. Heres a peek at the seven startups defining the future of food tech in Europe and beyond. Atlas Biomed Atlas Biomed in London, UK makes home DNA and gut microbiome testing kits with the aim of helping people understand and manage health issues and make informed lifestyle choices. The big challenge is the many potential health threats that can exist concurrently, Olga Orelchikova from Atlas marketing group told AgFunderNews. Chronic disorders accumulate with age. As a result, it is vital that prevention measures are introduced as early as possible. She added that helping individuals better manage their health can save on long-term healthcare costs and inform preventative options offered by healthcare providers. Atlas differentiates itself from other home DNA and microbiome testing providers like 23andme and uBiome with a digital health app that offers recommendations to users. B2B Food Group B2B Food Group in Germany is known for its online catering service, called Caterwings. Caterwings partners with caterers and restaurants in its service cities like Berlin and Hamburg. Customers then use its online platform to order with those companies. The company has made it our mission to digitize the catering market, making it as easy as possible to select, order and pay for catering online to our customers, its website states. Caterwings service allows customers to place orders for one-off orders or to sign up for repeat services. FlavorWiki Switzerland-based FlavorWiki is working to understand flavor by crowdsourcing consumer input. Daniel Protz, who started the company, said that not much is understood about the way people experience flavor and what resonates with them. How do I know that the reason someone is buying a particular chocolate bar is that they like bitter orange combined with sweet nuts? FlavorWiki has developed software that surveys consumers and analyze feedback on the foods they eat then generates a flavor profile for that food. Protz told AgFunderNews that FlavorWikis analytics are more accurate than sensory science specialistslab-based flavor testersbecause it sources input in volume. FlavorWikis initial interest was helping consumer goods companies deliver customized recommendations to customers. But Protz said that the biggest demand for their software so far has been among food companies who otherwise rely on a small number of human specialists to develop and inform their flavor profiles. That type of sensory science is very unscalable, Protz said. [With FlavorWiki], food companies can aggregate information, run statistical models and get market mapping output much faster and less expensively. HigherSteaks UK-based cellular meat company HigherSteaks is among a growing number of startups trying to produce meat products in a lab. Lab-grown meat is still in the early days of development and is currently a costly endeavor. But HigherSteaks, like others in its field, believes that its products will ultimately be more environmentally friendly, humane and healthier than farm-reared meats. A single blood sample could allow indefinite production of many meat products, its website states. HigherSteaks launched in 2017 and was selected this year for the Pearse Lyons Accelerator for agtech startups. Lactips French startup Lactips is making water soluble and biodegradable materials out of milk protein for industrial and agricultural use. The company works in partnership with the dairy industry to source milk that is unfit for human consumption, in order to use it for our non-edible applications, Lactips website states. It then creates thermoplastic pellets that can be used in everything from dissolvable laundry detergent packaging, bio-agricultural treatments for crops, and green (and even edible) food packaging. The startup markets itself as a green company on a mission to reduce plastic use, food waste and reduce environmentally-harmful chemicals. It raised a 3.7 million funding round last year, with participation from BASF Venture Capital, Credit Agricole Loire Haute-Loire, BNP Paribas Developpement, and venture capital firm Demeter, which focuses on green investments. Locus Locus, based in Bangalore, India, is a logistics automation platform for food and consumer goods companies. The team has developed an app that optimizes delivery routes, tracks deliveries and helps delivery fleets manage vehicle utilization. The basis for Locus software was a safety app founder Nishith Rastogi had developed to monitor whether drivers from services like Uber deviated from passengers routes. Rastogi discovered that that app, called Ride Safe, was being adopted by food companies also concerned about timely delivery and route deviation. Locus is meant for consumer goods, home services, an e-commerce companies, Its client roster includes Unilever, Bluedart, TATA Group, Myntra and Lenskart. The company raised a $4 million funding round last year and has launched in 75 cities. Phynova UK-based life sciences company Phynova makes plant-derived health products to address a range of issues from skincare to joint health to diabetes management. Its Reducose product, for example, is a food additive derived from mulberry leaves that helps the body better process high-sugar foods. The team began working on the product 10 years ago from its lab in China, Phynovas CEO Robert Miller told AgFunderNews. We could clearly see that diabetes was already a health crisis developing in China and the rest of the world. Reducose targets food and beverage companies that want to market products as lower on the glycaemic index without using alternative sweeteners. It has achieved regulatory clearance in China, the US, Europe and India where some of its products can already be found. Phynova is now focusing on further commercialization. Purchase your tickets for F&A Next at Wageningen University in the Netherlands on May 15 and 16, 2019, here. Find out more about F&A Next here. *This post was sponsored by F&A Next, an AgFunder Network Partner. Find out more here.* PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Found Objects State of the Art It is very meta to write about a public discussion of the role that writing about art has had on the development of art, but here we are with Contemporary Art Journalism Then & Now on Thursday, April 25 at 7pm at 516 ARTS (516 Central SW). As part of the exhibit In Our Own Backyard, 516 ARTS continues to reflect on the evolution and dissemination of contemporary art in Albuquerque from the 1980s to the present. Lauren Tresp, publisher of The Magazine Santa Fe, and Bill Peterson, former publisher of Artspace Magazine, will join moderator Jordan Eddy, director of Santa Fes Form & Concept in an examination of where art journalism was, and where it is going. This all-ages event is free and open to the public. For more information see 516arts.org. View in Alibi calendar Poetry that Doesnt Stink Cuts are being made at the Burque Revolt Poetry Slam Battle this Friday, April 26 from 7pm to 9pm at the South Broadway Cultural Center (1025 Broadway Blvd SE). Hosted by former Albuquerque Poet Laureate Jessica Helen Lopez, five poets will emerge out of a pack of twelve to constitute the Burque Revolt Slam Team by evenings end. While this event is for all-ages and open to the public, it is not open to rhetoric that is homophobic, racist, classist or sexist. People who smell strongly of perfumes, essential oils, scented detergents or body products are also discouraged from attending so that people with chemical sensitivities can have things a little easier. Clean up your mind, clean up your body, then get on down to the Burque Revolt Poetry Slam Battle. Tickets are $10 (kids 12 and under are free). For more information see cabq.gov. View in Alibi calendar Open Space Opening photo by Henry Hammel Teenage photographer Henry Hammel presents his photography of Albuquerques Open Space lands in a new show titled Hiding in the Open this Saturday, April 27 from 2pm to 4pm at the City of Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center (6500 Coors Blvd NW). And straight out of Bulldog City, Hammel will be joined by the Albuquerque High School Jazz Combo playing on the back patio. For more information on this free, all-ages event, see cabq.gov. View in Alibi calendar Rob M. As we make the increasingly inevitable slide toward legalization, more nitty gritty (and sobering) details about marijuana policy are being raised. We're seeing more eye-level and frank discussions about subjects like banking for cannabis companies and pre-employment drug testing policy reform. Conversations about the role cannabis might play in the development of psychoses and its negative effects on drivers are only beginning to enter the head space of proponents. I don't usually cover crime cases in this space, but a recent New Mexico court ruling highlighted some prevalent issues surrounding drugged driving. Last week a Rio Arriba County jury acquitted a Hernandez man of vehicular homicide. Jeffery Atencio was accused of driving under the influence of marijuana in 2012, resulting in the death of an Edgewood woman. Vehicular homicide DWI reportedly carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. This case was especially interesting because it might be the first DWI in New Mexico's history in which the only impairing substance involved was cannabis. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Chief Public Defender Ben Baur said cases where marijuana is cited as a contributing factor to impairment are frequent, but he couldn't remember any where it was the only factor. According to officers on the scene of the accident, Atencios words were slurred and his mouth was white around the lips. Authorities said he was unsteady and performed poorly on a field sobriety test. Officers found a used pipe in Atencios pocket when they arrested him, and he admitted that he had smoked marijuana hours earlier in the day. Atencios defenders argued that there wasn't enough evidence of impairment and that their client hadn't shown any signs of erratic driving before the accident occurred. In this case, my client basically didnt check his mirror a second time, public defender Sydney West told reporters. The state did not have an expert and did not have evidence to prove the impairment. The problem is that proving that someone was impaired by marijuana use isn't as easy as it is with alcohol. Currently, no test exists that can reliably prove if someone is under the influence or not. The presence of THC can be detected in the body for weeks or even months after the effects have gone away. There's also a serious lack of understanding when it comes to tolerance differences between non-regular and regular users. Apparently, this is becoming more commonly known, since the jury decided to go with the lesser crime of careless driving, a petty misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail. While New Mexico has yet to set a legal limit of impairment on THC consumption, Colorado law specifies that drivers with five nanograms of active THC in their whole blood can be prosecuted for DUI. Opponents of the law argue that there is no scientific basis for the limit and have been trying to develop more stringent alternatives. Regular Canna Users and Sedation A small study conducted by researchers at Community Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo., was released last week that found that regular cannabis users can require up to twice the the normal level of sedation as non-users during surgical procedures. The paper, published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, analyzed data from the medical records of 250 people who underwent endoscopic procedures after 2012 (the year Colorado legalized recreational marijuana). According to the study, patients who smoked or ate cannabis on a daily or weekly basis required more medication to achieve optimum sedation. This finding highlights why it's so important to be honest with you physician about your cannabis use. In this day and age, a doctor giving you the stink eye over smoking marijuana should be forced to eat their license. If you find you have issues when you bring it up, then it's probably time to find another doctor. Strain Corner Last week I stuck my head in at Minerva Canna (7103 Fourth Street NW Bldg. M) and found the place was eerily quieta situation I've never encountered there before. Seems everyone was saving up for the big 420 sale and I was the only sucker still making the rounds the day before. I luxuriated in all the space and took my time choosing flower. I landed on Kosher Tangie (THC: 18.7%$10/gram) which smelled strongly of its parent strain Tangie. Most Tangie derivatives I've come into contact with were sativa-dominant hybrids, but this one was surprisingly indica-dominant according to the listing. I was very curious. The taste was also more reminiscent of Tangie than its other parent, Kosher Kushsour and citrusy with a skunky bite. I immediately noticed the indica effects of this strain (maybe because I was looking for them). My body relaxed quickly and I experienced a pleasant buzzing sensation accompanied by a noticeable release of pressure around my sinuses that I hadn't even been aware of. Even with the pleasant body highs I was experiencing, though, I still didn't feel the couch lock or heady sleepiness I generally associate with indicas. In fact, a noted improvement in my mood was probably the most long-lasting and impressive effect. It seemed like a pretty well-rounded hybrid in my experience. I'd imagine it's particularly useful for those suffering from pain, and especially from depression resulting from chronic pain. Thursday 25 Gotham (KRQE-DT2 7pm) FOXs pre-Batman series closes out after five seasons by finally letting Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) put on a costume and fight arch enemies The Joker (Cameron Monaghan) and Bane (Shane West). Friday 26 Chambers (Netflix streaming anytime) Netflix unveils its shot-in-Albuquerque horror series about a young heart transplant patient (Sivan Alyra Rose) compelled to investigate the mystery surrounding the donor heart that saved her life after she starts to take on certain, shall we say, sinister characteristics of the deceased. Uma Thurman and Tony Goldwyn are also in the cast. Yankee (Netflix streaming anytime) Filmed in Mexico, this drug lord drama finds an Arizona man on the run from police, crossing the border and getting deeply involved in high-tech drug trafficking. My Mothers Killer Boyfriend (LMN 6pm) Its Lifetime Movie Network, honey. The killer part is understood. Portals to Hell (Travel 8pm) Ozzy offspring Jack Osbourne hosts his own ghost hunting reality show. Seems pretty inevitable, really. Saturday 27 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (HBO 6pm) The Cure, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, Roxy Music and The Zombies make the cut this year. Sunday 28 Aerial Britain (Smithsonian 6pm) Mythical heroes, proud cultures and thousands of years of rich history are seen from above in Smithsonian Channels new high-flying series. The Red Line (KRQE-13 7pm) This ensemble-cast drama series follows the impact on three different families after a white cop in Chicago mistakenly shoots and kills a black doctor. Noah Wyle (ER), Noel Fisher (Shameless) and Michael Patrick Thornton ( Private Practice) headline the cast. Monday 29 The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story (KOAT-7 7pm) ABC airs this rock doc about American Idol star Adam Lambert taking over vocal duties from Freddie Mercury in Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek, American Idol judge Simon Cowell and Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters are among those interviewed. Tuesday 30 Ingress: The Animation (Netflix streaming anytime) This new anime series is based on Niantics augmented reality mobile game of the same name (hence The Animation clarification). Its about a police detective investigating a mysterious laboratory explosion who suddenly finds himself imbued with the power of psychometrythat is to say, the ability to read the memories of objects he touches. Wednesday 1 Liberation Heroes: The Last Eyewitnesses (Discovery 5pm) This cautionary documentary was compiled as part of the USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archives 25th anniversary. It draws on a collection of 55,000 testimonies of survivors and witnesses to the Holocaust and other genocidal events recorded since 1994, when Steven Spielberg established the organization after filming Schindlers List. The 2019 Billboard Music Awards (KOB-4 7pm) Kelly Clarkson hosts, introducing such popular musical acts as The Jonas Brothers, Halsey, Lauren Daigle, Khalid and Panic! at the Disco. Mariah Carey gets the ICON Award. PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Reel World Jazz Toon The South Broadway Library (located inside the South Broadway Cultural Center at 1025 Broadway SE) presents a free family film screening on Saturday, April 27. Starting at 1pm, Disneys 2009 fable The Princess and the Frog screens in the librarys youth section. The animated musical tells the story of a poor waitress (voiced by Anika Noni Rose) in 1920s New Orleans who tries to help a prince who has been turned into a frog by an evil voodoo witch doctor. This screening is free and open to the public. View in Alibi calendar Carrey On The New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation and the Albuquerque Film & Music Experience join forces for another feature film screening on the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Sciences DynaTheater screen. This Saturday, April 27, starting at 3pm, the DynaTheater brings the lights down on director Michel Gondry and writer Charlie Kaufmans mind-bending 2004 sci-fi-tinged romance Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film follows a shy man named Joel (Jim Carrey) and a free-spirited woman named Clementine (Kate Winslet) who suffer a terrible breakup and undergo a cutting-edge medical procedure to have their memories erased. But as Joels past starts to crumble away, he finds himself trapped in his own mind, unwilling to let go of memories both beautiful and painful. Tickets for this event are $10 for general admission or $7.50 for Museum Foundation members and AFME sponsors. For more info, or to order tickets in advance, go to naturalhistoryfoundation. org/ afmx- movie- series View in Alibi calendar Family Film The 2018 comedy Instant Family, starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne, is scheduled to show at the Central & Unser Library Childrens Activity Room (8081 Central Ave. NW) from 1:30 to 3:30pm on Sunday, April 28. The PG-13 feature centers on a couple who find themselves in over their heads when they foster three children. The family comedy is loosely based on the real-life experiences of director and co-writer Sean Anders. Admission is free and open to the public. View in Alibi calendar The word family means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For most it revolves around those biological relatives closest to you. But thats not the case for everyone. For that curious section of musical fandom known as Juggalos, for example, the word has particular resonance. There, it refers to a kinship among people who share a cultlike devotion to makeup-wearing rap band Insane Clown Posse, a love for Faygo soda and a general distaste for personal hygiene. Family, an indie comedy from first-time writer-director Laura Steinel, cheekily (or so it hopes) co-opts both versions of the word, making for a fitfully amusing, mildly rude sitcom topped off with cameos by Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Steinel (a former staff writer on the Amazon web series Red Oaks) clearly watched the 2011 documentary American Juggalo, came up with the premise for Family in all of 60 seconds and thought to herself, This thing writes itself! She starts by conceiving of her main character, Kate. Kate (Taylor Schilling from Orange Is the New Black) is one of those cinematic corporate executives. You know the type: Uptight, money-obsessed and unloved by their overworked employees and overlooked families. When we first meet Kate, shes incongruously running though the Gathering of the Juggalos, covered in clown makeup and absorbing the jeers of countless drunken ICP fans. Goodness gracious! What could have led this woman who loves Beyonce and a frisky pinot noir to such a wacky situation? Seems that Kate, being such a self-centered corporate go-getter, hates kids (and pregnant women and parents and breeding in general). This is driven home amply in the films opening moments when she crashes an office baby shower just to inform the mother-to-be that shes being cut out of a big account. Like some Twilight Zone universe, Family immediately dispenses its main character some heavy-handed karma. Seems that Kates brother and sister-in-law (Eric Edelstein and Allison Tolman) have a family emergency and must leave town immediately. Theyre going to need Kate to look after her 11-year-old niece, Maddie, for a night. Reluctantly (to say the least) Kate drives from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs (yuck!) to spend the night with Maddie (boring!). Turns out that Maddie (Bryn Vale) is a large, awkward, mostly depressed young gal whos more than happy to be free of her parents meddling for a night. Mom wants her to be a pretty little ballerina, but Maddie sneaks off to the nearby Taekwondo studio to take martial arts lessons instead. Maddie doesnt want to wear dresses like other girls. She prefers capes. She doesnt like cheerleading. She likes playing with swords. And magic. Clearly, shes not living up to her parents middle-class expectations. Kate, having little practice dealing with children, bluntly advises her niece to, have some dignity. Take control of your life! Naturally, Maddies mom and dad get stuck out of town, and Kate is prevailed upon to look after the kid for a whole entire week. Cue the string of comic bits involving poor nutrition, catastrophic advice, wacky work situations and drunken parent-teacher conferences. At some point poor, friendless Maddie crosses paths with an enthusiastic Insane Clown Posse fan named Baby Joker (Fabrizio Zacharee Guido). B.J. talks to Maddie about his love for ICP. And because he treats her like a normal human, she takes a shine to him. Kates a lax substitute parent to say the leastbut even she draws the line at her 11-year-old niece hanging out with a clown-faced hoodlum. Family milks a few decent punchlines out of its juxtaposition of Kates selfishness and Maddies desperate need for a sympathetic parent figure. SNL star Kate McKinnon scores a handful of laughs as an uptight suburban neighbor. And anyone whos seen Orange Is the New Black knows Schilling can milk the privileged white bitch character. Matt Walsh (Veep) breezes through as one of Kates coworkers but doesnt get a lot to do. If youre OK with sentimental storytelling and cliche characters, Family works just fine. You know those movies in whichover the course of an hour and a halfhorrible characters transform into kindly, lovable people? This is one of those movies. Kate even finds time for a scene in which she reconciles with her estranged father. Talk about your busy weeks! In the end Family is an odd beast. Its a good-natured, doggedly familiar indie comedy/drama with the now-standard plea for respecting the weirdness of oddballs and outsiders while denouncing pretty cheerleaders (who are all mean girls) and people with good-paying (hence, soul-crushing) jobs. And it all ends with an extended punchline involving a trip to the Gathering of the Juggalos and a cameo by IPC. Though it ultimately and heartwarmingly celebrates the tender kinship of Juggalos (while ignoring the drunken, criminal, overall scrubby side of that subculture), its sentimental tidiness is hardly edgy enough for any actual Juggalos in the audience. (Who in their right mind brings a couple of hip-hop clowns rapping about mass murder into the mix if theyre just going to smile and offer a pat moral about loving your family?) Arriving at its promised but considerably less- crazy- than- advertised ending, Family is just a mild cultural curiosity for parents, who will no doubt pepper their kids with questions afterward. Good luck with that. Woot, woot. Kittie Blackwell Lets face it: no one enjoys office coffee. Its the darkest of sludge and dredge that we shuffle our way to every morning in order to keep our poor souls motivated in our slog to 5pm. Of course you could buy your own, but knowing budgets, its just not a reality. One single cup for a whole day at over $4? Im a millennial, and I can tell you that just isnt gonna fly. Fret not, a solution is here, with the help of local coffee professional Amanda Turpin, whom you can find headquartered at Spur Line Supply Companys new espresso bar (soon to be announced officially) and daylighting at Rust Is Gold Coffee. Through her extensive knowledge of the brewing process, weve found a way to turn your office cup of coffee into something worth drinking. I love the phrase A good measure of intelligence is your capacity to change, Turpin tells me. This of course is in reference to people who have been brewing the same coffee the same way for years but complain about the quality. By the end of this article, we aim to give you the capacity to change your bad habits and brew magic. Change Your Water Turpins first piece of advice is changing the water. While (usually) good for drinking, city water is full of all sorts of things that just dont work well with the brewing process. Most baristas tend to use filtered water, avoiding distilled or reverse osmosis water. When it comes to distilled or reverse osmosis, so many vital things have been removed from the water, the coffee will taste flat, and itll have the wind taken out of its sails. Those coffee molecules need something to latch onto! Any normal filtration system should be a significant upgrade. Cleanliness When was the last you cleaned your coffee maker? Not just a wipe down, but a real deep interior cleaning? We wash our pots and cookware after every use, but we leave our coffee makers to the dogs when it comes to proper upkeep. Turpin says, If it's a communal office coffee brewer, chances are that poor little device needs some TLC! Deep clean the pot itself, but also think of the things that don't normally get attention. Brew a few rounds of diluted vinegar water through the machine to break up any deposits. Wash the brew basket. Speak words of kindness to it. Grinding Okay, get your mind out of the gutter. While convenient, pre-ground coffee doesnt fit the mold for quality. Air is the enemy of coffee. When its pre-ground, theres more exposure to air, and pushes it to tasting stale and drying out. Dont put it in the freezer but, if youre looking to save some for later, sealing it will keep it fresher, remarks Turpin. Not to mention that pre-ground is a one-size-fits-all method, whereas each brewer has different needs. Even the filter will work for or against you, with a cone-shaped filter letting gravity do the work for you. As for cleaning your grinder, Turpin recommends plain rice, as its nontoxic and will remove any oily buildup. Turpin also recommends the free app Single Origin, which is a nifty guide tool for all coffee brewing needs. Extraction The big daddy of brewing, extraction, might be one of the most quintessential pieces. Turpin quips about extraction, mentioning, I use the example of getting to know someone. If something is under-extracted, maybe you made somewhat meaningful contact, but you dont know their name. If coarse, water passed through too quickly, but we didnt get the chance to pull the important bits out. A well extracted coffee is like a deep understanding of a person, the grind size is perfect for the brew method and youre getting a really good understanding of what this coffee is about. With over-extraction, the water stayed with the coffee too long, maybe the grind was too fine, and youre getting all the worst parts of the coffee. The most interesting part is brewing temperatures. At 145 degrees, the organic acids dissolve, while at 175, you start to dissolve the organic salts. The magic number is 195, which is where the sugars dissolve and you get those delicious and rich coffee flavors coming through. But beware, once you hit 200 to 205 degrees, the cellulose walls and tannins start breaking down, making it bitter. Most home coffee makers, especially Keurig machines, cant hit 195, so if possible, adjust the machines temperature through settings to make a large difference in quality. And there you go! With a little bit of effort, you can make your office coffee extravagant and wonderful and be declared the hero of the workplace. Worst case scenario, you can always visit Amanda or your favorite local shop, and let the experts take care of you. Dont worry, we wont judge. Courtesy NM Political Report La politica is so much more exciting when theres an election coming to bear upon the citizenry. Eyes brighten, engagement increases and, generally speaking, expectations are focused on the future, a part of the election cycle that allows other issues to momentarily fade into the background. But even when there isnt something like an election cooking on the political oven, a host of fire-tenders and consummate chefs keep the irons hot; intra-party politics become more visible in the absence of actual elections being held. Though such internal machinations may seem oblique or even obscure to your typical New Mexican voter, you can be sure that they will shape the strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom and charisma of the battle donkeys being sent to straighten things out with Trump and company come 2020. As it happens, the state of New Mexico will play a big role in determining what form the juggernaut takes. Will centrists guide us through the fire or will the Bernie/Ocasio-Cortez wing come alive and bring real progressive planks to the Democratic platform? The process of figuring that all out and presenting it to voters started last week with an announcement by longtime US Senator Tom Udall that he will not seek reelection in 2020. The Balderas Factor Udalls retirement news was followed by a lot of rumbling in the Democratic party as ambitions and alliances came to the surface. Democratic Attorney General Hector Balderas, fiercely independent and politically shrewd after surviving as one of the lone donkeys in the Martinez administration, was initially considered a frontrunner for the Senate seat. Balderas has built a reputation as a firm and engaged leader, using his position as the states top law enforcement officer to advocate for many planks on the progressive platform. Though hes notable as a loyal lieutenant in the state party, hes never been closely affiliated with the new governors vast entourage and camp followers. Soon after Udall made his plans clear, however, Balderas told the press he wasnt interested in serving as a Senator, pointing to family duties as a deciding factor. His graceful and humble attention in the matter could be seen as an episode of a Democratic loyalist falling on his sword to allow other options to prevail inasmuch as he probably knew that the party was hoping to swing to the center with another, more favored choice. Ben Ray Lujan Primary elections are all about securing funding for the long road ahead. Balderas, we assume, knew his fundraising power, awesome as it is, would have to go against another democrat whose favorability within the Lujan Grisham administrationand among power-players in Washington hoping not to be washed away by the populist leftism of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and/or Bernie Sandersremains indisputable. Certainly Lujan has done an admirable job as a US Representative; hes also the cousin of our current Governor. His father was a major player in New Mexico politics too; Ben Lujan was the speaker of the NM House of Representatives for about 37 years. This week, Congressman Lujan received the endorsement of party super-heavyweight Nancy Pelosi, a centrist committed to keeping practical ideas alive even under pressure from a growing and very vocal left wing of the party. And not only that, but recent Washington resident and Representative Deb Haaland jumped on the bandwagon proclaiming, New Mexicans deserve a public servant who can fill the shoes of Senator Tom Udall and continue the legacy of Dennis Chavez by fighting for New Mexicans ... I believe that person is Ben Ray Lujan. Its almost as if Ben Ray Lujan is the hand-chosen successor of the Democratic political machine that is quite okay with dynastic overtones. We both know Lujans a great guy with heaps of potential, but the too-early endorsements come off like that peculiar ritual of old Mexican party politics whereby a sitting official would publicly point to his successor, who would then handily win the upcoming election. Though were sure theres no el dedazo involved in the current practices of the Democratic party, were still discouraged by the appearance of such, especially at at time when progressive and leftist factions within the party are vying for national attention as a number of other Donkeys begin to crowd the center, ahead of 2020. Maggie Toulouse Oliver On Friday, the spokesperson for the current Bernalillo County Clerk confirmed that paperwork had been filed to launch Toulouse Olivers campaign for the Democratic nomination for US Senate. She hasnt gotten to the point where she must elucidate the difference between her campaign and that of the solidly backed favorite sonwhose longtime political aspirations are riding on his proposed ascent to the Senate. But its reasonable to note that some political observers have reported that, in order to be viable financially, Ms. Toulouse Oliver will have to embrace the ideals and hence the funding that comes from left-end grassroots organizations. In any case, her announcement of intent is a ray of sunshine in a state that has long been dominated by Democratic party power interests that settle for the center. Yes, again were aware theyre decent leaders and provide a substantive contrast to the empty-headed Trumpsters. But in order to gain traction with voters in 2020, party leaders should provide voters with candidates who do not represent more of the same, whether center or right. Other Options Speaking of the right, only two Republicans have interest in Udalls seat. Thats a US Senate assignment previously held by superstar centrist Republican Pete Domenici and before that conservative Democrat Clinton AndersonMick Rich, a local businessman (of course, elephants, of course!) who was thoroughly thrashed in last years Senate contest featuring our own Athenian Burqueno, Martin Heinrich is choice one. The other is Gavin Clarkson, a former Trump operative who feels just like his boss about the border and is a lot like the chief elephant in other ways too, except with bolo tie, homies. Other than that, we wonder if anyones asked maverick visionary Jeff Apodaca if hes interested. Dude does know what hes talking about. Although not part of the progressive programming of the Democratic Party, his independence and his gravitas might make for good senatorial qualities. Dateline: Michigan A man is suing his parents for destroying his collection of pornography. The Washington Examiner reports that a man identified only as Charlie has filed a lawsuit accusing his parents of destroying a collection of pornography that included vintage, out-of-print films that he valued at $30,000. Charlie unsuccessfully attempted to press charges against his parents twice before filing the suit. According to the complaint, Charlie moved in with his parents in Michigan following a divorce in 2016. He lived with the couple for 10 months before moved to Indiana. According to the complaint, when his parents delivered his things in 2017, he noticed his pornography collection was missing. He asked about the missing property and was allegedly told that it had been destroyed. Included in the lawsuit was an email written by Charlie's father which seemed to be an admission of guilt. I do not possess your pornography. It is gone, the email said. It has been either destroyed or disposed of. I may well have missed a few items that are now in your possession but, at this point, if you don't have it, it is gone. Ditto for your sex toys and smutty magazines. The email said 12 boxes of pornography and two boxes of sex toys had been destroyed. When Charlie filed a police report against his parents, he claimed the collection was worth between $10,000 and $30,000, factoring emotional attachment into the sum. Charlie is now reportedly suing his parents for $86,822 in damages. His parents have said that they had asked him not to bring the collection into their home before he had taken up residence there. Dateline: Switzerland Swiss scientists have accidentally discovered that men's beards are dirtier than dogs' coats. According to BBC Newsround, researchers at the Hirslanden Clinic in Switzerland were trying to find out if men could pick up dog diseases via their facial hair to determine if it would be safe for dogs and humans to use the same MRI scanners. What they weren't planning on finding was that the men carried significantly more germs and bacteria in their beards than the average dog did in its fur. The scientists swabbed the facial hair below the mouths of 18 men and from the necks of 30 dogs. According to the study, every beard involved tested high in bacteria counts. Seven of the men had so much bacteria that researchers were concerned they could become sick. The beards of men harbor significantly more microbes than the neck fur of dogs and these microbes were significantly more pathogenic to humans, they wrote. The authors of the study noted that it was limited in scope and suggested further studies be done with larger group sample sizes. They also suggested testing hair samples from women's heads. It was determined that there was no risk in allowing dogs and humans to use the same MRI scanners. Dateline: Japan A science teacher allegedly taught his students how to make ecstasy tablets. Japanese newspapers are comparing Tatsunori Iwamura, a pharmacology professor at Matsuyama University in Ehime Prefecture, to Breaking Bad character Walter White. Japan Today reports that Iwamura was referred to prosecutors last week after it was alleged that he taught students in his university class to produce the synthetic drugs MDMA and 5F-QUPIC last year. The professor reportedly admitted to authorities that he'd trained students to make the illegal drugs for the purpose of furthering their education. Researchers in Japan are allowed to manufacture these sorts of drugs for study so long as they obtain a license from regional authorities. Iwamura reportedly had a license in the past, but it expired and was never renewed. He is now facing up to 10 years in prison. Authorities searched the professor's home and his office at the university's college of pharmaceutical sciences, but were unable to find any MDMA in his possession. They allegedly did find traces of 5F-QUPIC, a drug that has effects similar to those of marijuana which has been banned in Japan. Matsuyama University officials said they plan to discipline Iwamura and his assistant professor once the police have concluded their investigation. We sincerely apologise for causing serious concern to students and their parents, university president Tatsuya Mizogami told reporters. Dateline: China Health-conscious Chinese internet users have found a new way to enjoy unhealthy foods: letting others eat them for you. According to South China Morning Post, internet entrepreneurs are offering to eat and drink on their clients' behalf for a fee. Sellers are allegedly filming themselves eating and drinking unhealthy foods and drinks and then charging buyers the price of the meal plus a small service feereportedly less than $1.50. In the videos, the sellers describe the taste, texture and experience of a meal while they eat. Close-up angles of the food and drinks are featured. The fad gained attention earlier this month after Chinese media noted large numbers of listings for the service popping up on various e-commerce sites, but its popularity is already waning, according to reports. However it seems to have inspired similar entrepreneurial ventures such as people petting animals or watching television series on behalf of others. It is believed that many of these offers aren't meant to be taken seriously. Hello, I am a fraudster and for 0.2 yuan you can be duped! reportedly read a recent listing. A Namibian mother brought her apprehensive child for malaria testing at a mobile clinic along the border with Angola - part of Namibia's campaign to reach zero malaria by 2020. He tested negative. Katwitwi, Namibia Namibia was not on the list of six African countries identified by the World Health Organization as having the potential to become malaria-free within the next two years. Algeria, Botswana, Cape Verde, Comoros, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and South Africa were named among 21 'eliminating' countries globally. Of those, only Algeria is judged "on track" to meet the elimination goal, according to the most recent report of E-2020, which follows the progress of the 21 countries "on an ambitious but technically feasible time frame to eliminate malaria by 2020". Undaunted, the Namibian government - which aims to wipe out poverty as well as malaria - intensified its efforts. Of its total population, some 72 per cent live in areas of active malaria transmission. Nevertheless, since 2001, Namibia achieved more than a 97 per cent per cent decline in cases. It's that last two or three per cent that can be most difficult to eliminate, especially for countries like Namibia, which shares a border with Angola, where malaria rates remain high. So Namibia and its external partners, such as DAPP Namibia and the JC Flowers Foundation, and local partners such as the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, have joined seven other countries to intensify efforts along border areas between low and high-transmission countries. The effort, named Elimination 8, unites eight countries of the 16-member Southern African Development Community - in a coordinated regional campaign. The eight are Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Between now and the next World Malaria Day, AllAfrica will follow Namibia's initiatives, and those of its neighbors, as they cooperate to wipe out a pest that needs no visas to do its harm. In Timanguene, Mozambique, workers with a non-profit health research centre go door to door carrying out activities to prevent malaria and reduce transmission of this mosquito-borne disease. (file photo). guest column As a doctor, I have seen the devastating toll of malaria firsthand. Working as a physician in my home country of Cameroon, Ive been shocked watching once-healthy patients arrive at the hospital feverish and shaking, sometimes going on to experience kidney failure, seizures and altered state of consciousness. Some of these patients dont survive even though malaria is preventable and treatable. I cant think of a person I know who has not been touched by malaria in my country. While the world has made significant progress against the disease in the past two decades, in recent years that progress has stalled or even reversed in some countries, including Cameroon. Malaria remains a serious threatespecially for vulnerable populations like women and children. What frustrates me the most is that we have effective tools to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria. But these tools are not reaching everyone, especially our most vulnerable. To reverse this trend, we need to ensure that lifesaving tools are getting into the hands of people who need them most. Lack of access to prevention and treatment My personal experience has shown me that preventative tools like insecticide-treated bed nets are still not reaching every person in a given community. In 2017, only half of all people at risk of malaria in Africa were sleeping under a bed net. Although this is an increase from around 30 percent in 2010, it is not nearly enough. As a medical doctor, I understand acutely the dangers of sleeping without a bed net. I remind my patients, friends and family regularly to protect themselves with one. However, in Cameroon bed nets are distributed during the day, when many people, including myself, are at work. This means that even as a doctor, I am at times unable to secure a bed net for myself. I find that on average, I suffer from malaria once every year. My story demonstrates the importance of making sure that all members of a community have equal access to preventative tools. When people cant access lifesaving tools like bed nets and treatment, under-served populations are the most affected. Children are particularly vulnerable, as they are the most likely to experience severe malaria. Yet between 2015 and 2017, only 29% of children who had malaria-like symptoms received any antimalarial drug, due in part to poor access to health care providers. One part of the problem is that parents often dont take their children to the hospital or clinic at the first sign of illness, relying on the counsel of pharmacies instead. This is often because hospital care is more expensive than visiting a pharmacy. But without proper testing, malaria symptoms can often be confused with other illnesses, like typhoid fever, which are treated with different medicines. When pharmacists prescribe these other medicines, patients get sicker and the risk of drug resistance increases. This is why many children do not arrive at a hospital until their condition is quite serious, which contributes to the high malaria mortality rate in Cameroonabout 29 per 100,000 people in 2017. Too often I have been forced to break the news to parents who have waited to bring their children to the hospital that nothing more can be done to save their child. Hope for a malaria-free future Despite these challenges, I remain optimistic about a future free from the burden of malaria. There have been several areas where Ive seen real progress in Cameroon. An important change implemented in the past few years is the provision of free testing and treatment for children under five and expectant mothers. This is a critical step to making sure the most vulnerable among us have access to the tools they need to stay healthy. In addition, widespread education efforts have helped more people understand the risks associated with malaria and how best to protect themselves. Creative approaches featuring pop stars and athletes visiting health care facilities and sharing bed nets help raise awareness about malaria and ensure people have the information they need to make smart decisions about their health. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Malaria Africa Cameroon By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Cameroon is also working towards adopting a Universal Health Coverage (UHC) strategy in collaboration with the World Health Organization. The adoption of such a policy would represent a commitment to expanding access to the type of care that could ultimately help eliminate malaria. No one should die from malaria. In order to sustain momentum toward the goal of eliminating malaria in Cameroon and around the world, we must ensure that lifesaving tools to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria reach everyone in need. If we can accomplish that, we can make the dream of a malaria-free world a reality. Dr. Roland Ngu is a consultant at the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health at the University of Oxford and an ExxonMobil Global Health Scholar. Studying cell lineage in tumors reveals targetable vulnerabilities APRIL 24, 2019, NEW YORK - To explain a person's actions in the present, it sometimes helps to understand their past, including where they come from and how they were raised. This is also true of tumors. Delving into a tumor's cellular lineage, a Ludwig Cancer Research study shows, can reveal weaknesses to target for customized therapies. The findings, detailed in the April 24 issue of the journal Nature, also illustrate how knowledge of the biochemistry and microenvironment of the tissue from which a tumor arises can help predict the genetic alterations its cancer cells are likely to undergo. "We're trying to understand what might make a cancer vulnerable to precision oncology," said Paul Mischel, a member at the San Diego Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, who led the study. "These findings suggest that understanding the interactions between genes and environments can lead to potentially more effective, selective and specific ways to treat cancer." In their study, Mischel and his colleagues, including Ludwig San Diego's Bing Ren, postdoctoral fellow Sudhir Chowdhry and Vineet Bafna, computer science professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), analyzed more than 7,000 tumors from 200 cancer studies and 2,600 normal samples of 19 different tissue types. They identified two simple patterns, or "rules," that had to do with the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a biomolecule essential to metabolism and a broad range of other vital cellular processes. First, tumors arising in tissues whose cells normally express high levels of an enzyme known as NAPRT become dependent on one of three available pathways to generate NAD. Secondly, cancers of tissues where NAPRT expression is not normally elevated end up relying on a different pathway to make the crucial biomolecule. "NAD is a critical ingredient of cells," said Mischel, who is also a professor of pathology at UCSD. "It's vital to the DNA damage response and is also involved in epigenetic regulation," the chemical tagging of the genome that regulates gene expression. NAD is so important that healthy cells have three different ways of generating it, so that if one method fails, a backup is always available. "Using genetic approaches, we showed in a very rigorous way that healthy cells really do have the capacity to use any of those pathways," said Mischel. "Cancer cells are different." Mischel and his colleagues noticed that cancer cells arising from tissues where NAPRT levels are high to begin with tend to have multiple copies of the NAPRT gene (and/or one other critical gene in the PH pathway called NADSYN1) and so produce even more NAPRT. These cancer cells rely exclusively on the so-called Preiss-Handler (PH) pathway to produce NAD. Inhibiting or depleting NAPRT in these cells leads to tumor death. "It appears that the type of tissue from which tumors arise may be quite important for determining which NAD biosynthesis pathway is chosen," Mischel said. In contrast, cancer cells arising from tissues where NAPRT levels are not normally elevated produce NAD using another method called the salvage pathway, and they do this by remodeling their epigenome. Most important: In both cases, the cancer cells lose the ability to use other means of producing NAD. "They have to make a pathway choice, and they can't switch," Mischel said. "They effectively become addicted to either the PH or the salvage pathway." To demonstrate how these tumor addictions might be exploited, the researchers implanted engineered human ovarian cancer cells addicted to the PH pathway into the left side of mice and human lung cancer cells hooked on the salvage pathway into their right sides. The ovarian tumors shrank when genes important for the PH pathway were silenced using genetic engineering approaches, but not when key proteins in the salvage pathway were depleted. The lung tumors showed the opposite effect: they shrank only when salvage pathway proteins were depleted. The team also demonstrated how the same effect could be achieved with drugs. Currently, there are no drug inhibitors for the PH pathway in mammalian cells, but the scientists found that a compound known to block NADSYN in bacteria was also effective against the human tumors. Mischel and Ren's groups, and their colleagues, will continue to work together to better understand the processes and specific molecular events that drive the cancer cell's addiction to a particular NAD biosynthesis pathway. ### This research was supported by the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Defeat GBM program of the National Brain Tumor Society, NVIDIA Foundation, Ben and Catherine Ivy foundation, Ziering Family Foundation in memory of Sigi Ziering, National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. About Ludwig Cancer Research Ludwig Cancer Research is an international collaborative network of acclaimed scientists that has pioneered cancer research and landmark discovery for more than 40 years. Ludwig combines basic science with the ability to translate its discoveries and conduct clinical trials to accelerate the development of new cancer diagnostics and therapies. Since 1971, Ludwig has invested $2.7 billion in life-changing science through the not-for-profit Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and the six U.S.-based Ludwig Centers. To learn more, visit http://www. ludwigcancerresearch. org . For further information please contact Rachel Reinhardt, rreinhardt@lcr.org or +1-212-450-1582. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Antarctica: the final frontier for marine biological invasions? A new study looking at the implications of increased shipping activity and the impact on Antarctic marine biodiversity is published this week in the journal Global Change Biology. The research is an important step in the quest to understand whether invasive species, introduced by shipping, will find the Antarctic marine environment more hospitable as Antarctica's climate changes. Analysis of ship location records, scientific databases and reports by researchers from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the University of Cambridge reveal that ship traffic in Antarctic waters has increased up to 10-fold since 1960s. This could mean that there is a greater risk that animals and plants, such as mussels and seaweed, could be transported to Antarctica. The marine ecosystem in the Southern Ocean became largely isolated when the circumpolar current formed 15-30 million years ago. The region is considered to be biologically unique and conservation of Antarctic ecosystems is a global priority. Invasive species have the potential to alter the balance between species. In other parts of the world this has led to the collapse of fisheries and diminished ecosystem services. This work provides the first holistic view of the risk of non-native species to the Antarctic marine environment. It informs future conservation management and policy. Arlie McCarthy, lead author and marine ecologist at British Antarctic Survey and the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, says: "We know that at present physical barriers, such as sea ice cover, ocean currents and water temperature, prevent non-native species establishing themselves in marine ecosystems around Antarctica. However, we need to understand the wider implications of changing environmental conditions and increased ship activity. Our study will help us determine the scale of the risk. We know that some invasive species such as mussels, tunicates, bryozoans, and crabs that live on ship hulls have been observed in the Southern Ocean. There is no confirmed record of these becoming established as a population as yet but this is a threat for the future." Very few studies of 'hull fouling' on Antarctic-going vessels have been carried out. Professor Lloyd Peck of British Antarctic Survey says: "This work is an important early step towards protecting the unique biodiversity living on the seabed around Antarctica from human-introduced non-native species. Before effective measures can be taken, the risk must be quantified. We need much more understanding of these issues and more effort to gauge the risks and develop the best conservation measures we can to at least try and minimise any future biodiversity losses in the Antarctic marine environment." Dr David Aldridge, the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge says: "Invasive species are recognised as one of the biggest drivers of global biodiversity loss. While life in Antarctica may have once been relatively protected from the invasion of non-native marine species, our study reveals that human-mediated global change is increasing the likelihood of exposing life in the Southern Ocean to new and unprecedented challenges". ### Antarctica: the final frontier for marine biological invasions by Arlie H. McCarthy, Lloyd S Peck, Kevin A Hughes, David C Aldridge is published in Global Change Biology doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14600 Issued by the British Antarctic Survey Press Office: Athena Dinar, British Antarctic Survey, tel: +44 (0) 223 221441; email: amdi@bas.ac.uk Photo and video images are available on request from the Press Office. Notes to editors Over 180 ships visited Antarctica on over 500 voyages in the 2017/18 season, representing a 5- to 10-fold increase since the 1960s Many factors will influence whether or not non-native species become established in the Southern Ocean. The most significant factors, based on this assessment, are climate change and increased human activity. Current legislation to minimise the transport of non-native marine species around the world focuses on ballast water and special regulations exist for Antarctica. Biofouling on ships' hulls is an emerging a target for legislation both for Antarctica and worldwide. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions. Its skilled science and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic, work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through its extensive logistic capability and know how BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure help sustain a world leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs. British Antarctic Survey is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC is part of UK Research and Innovation http://www. ukri. org For more information visit http://www. bas. ac. uk About the University of Cambridge The mission of the University of Cambridge is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. To date, 107 affiliates of the University have won the Nobel Prize. Founded in 1209, the University comprises 31 autonomous Colleges, which admit undergraduates and provide small-group tuition, and 150 departments, faculties and institutions. Cambridge is a global university. Its 19,000 student body includes 3,700 international students from 120 countries. Cambridge researchers collaborate with colleagues worldwide, and the University has established larger-scale partnerships in Asia, Africa and America. The University sits at the heart of the 'Cambridge cluster', which employs 60,000 people and has in excess of 12 billion in turnover generated annually by the 4,700 knowledge-intensive firms in and around the city. The city publishes 341 patents per 100,000 residents. For more info visit http://www. cam. ac. uk This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 12:40 | Curitiba (Brazil), Apr. 25. Following an interrogation at the Brazilian Public Ministry in Curitiba, the Prosecutor indicated the subjects, who have more detailed information about this event, are former Odebrecht officers Renato Ribeiro Bortoletti and Ricardo Boleira. "He (Jorge Barata) has confirmed the bribe request (made by Acurio) of 3% of Cusco's Evitamiento Road's reference value," he expressed. According to the investigations, Acurio allegedly received US$3 million from Odebrecht, while he served as Cusco Region Governor to favor the company in the road bidding process. Concerning this specific case, the former official is the only suspect in jail, since businessman Gustavo Salazar is in the United States and lawyer Jose Zaragoza has been imposed appearance with restrictions. 11:52 | Curitiba (Brazil), Apr. 25. According to Peruvian Prosecutor German Juarez, today's interrogation was shorter than the previous ones, as it addressed specific questions aimed at corroborating the information provided by other Odebrecht officers. "In general, he has mentioned some of the companies that belonged to the Construction Club, he even indicated that Odebrecht had been part of this group, too," the magistrate expressed. Earlier, IDL-Reporteros informed Barata said during the interrogation that the "Construction Club had always existed." Juarez went on to add the former officer only stated what he knew for sure about this club, since he had not been the Odebrecht superintendent in Peru the whole time. "The ones, who have seen this matter closer, were officers Renato Ribeiro Bortoletti and Ricardo Boleiro. On this occasion, Barata merely talked about the period of time in which he had been in charge (of the branch based in Peru)," the Prosecutor said. YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenian defense minister Davit Tonoyan on April 24 met with defense minister of Belarus, Lieutenant General Andrei Ravkov in Moscow, the Armenian defense ministry told Armenpress. During the meeting the two ministers approved the 2019 bilateral military cooperation plan. It includes nearly two dozen actions in the fields of combat readiness, operative planning, communication, capital construction, defense cooperation and etc. The officials also agreed to organize high-level mutual visits. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. For the first time ever, a living donor liver transplantation has been carried out in Armenia, Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan said at the Cabinet meeting today. He said the transplantation was made at the Astghik Medical Center in Yerevan with assistance of Russian medics. The donor and patients were a daughter and mother. I wanna say that we will develop this direction. We have many patients in need of kidney and liver transplants, he said, adding that next years budget will have spending increase to support the patients. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. April 25 has been declared as a World Malaria Day by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2007, the healthcare ministry of Armenia told Armenpress. Zero malaria starts with me this is this years slogan of the Day. After more than a decade of steady advances in fighting malaria, progress has levelled off. According to WHOs latest World malaria report, no significant gains were made in reducing malaria cases in the period 2015 to 2017. The estimated number of malaria deaths in 2017, at 435 000, remained virtually unchanged over the previous year. Urgent action is needed to get the global response to malaria back on track and ownership of the challenge lies in the hands of countries most affected by malaria. On World Malaria Day 2019, WHO joins the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the African Union Commission and other partner organizations in promoting Zero malaria starts with me, a grassroots campaign that aims to keep malaria high on the political agenda, mobilize additional resources, and empower communities to take ownership of malaria prevention and care. No cases of malaria have been recorded in Armenia since 2006, and in 2011 the WHO named Armenia as a malaria-free country. Today, on the occasion of the World Malaria Day, we express our solidarity to all forces fighting against malaria in the world and express hope to ensure the prevention of malaria rebirth in Armenia through joint efforts, the healthcare ministry said in a statement. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Bloomberg has published an article about Armenia introducing the countrys attractiveness. The article, entitled Why You Should Go to Armenia Now, in 15 Inspiring Photos, states that its time to reconsider the imaginations on Armenia. Armenia, a landlocked country of about 3 million people in the Caucasus Mountains, has a few claims to fame: gold medal chess players, fraught geopolitics, Churchills favorite brandy, andOK, finethe Kardashians, who are proud Armenian Americans. But tourism? Most U.S. travelers couldnt spot Armenia on a map, let alone fathom a trip there. Its time to reconsider, if youve considered it at all, the article says. The author of the article notes that beyond Armenias popular tourist attractions, it has some of the worlds oldest churches, introducing Etchmiadzin, Gehard and Tatev monasteries. Presenting the beautiful sites of the capital city of Yerevan, the author says new hotels are sprouting up in the city, where the restaurant scene is shedding its meat-and-potatoes standards in favor of bolder, spicier flavors. The article also touched upon the Armenian cuisine, especially the barbeque, as well as the drinks, in particular brandy, which has been adored by Winston Churchill. There is also a reference to the Armenian dance in the article. Touching upon the recent Velvet Revolution and subsequent parliamentary elections, the author of the article says the new administration, headed by journalist-turned-politician Nikol Pashinyan, has a tough road ahead. An Unforgettable Memorial, a subtitle chosen by the author of the article while describing the Tsisternakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial. The Armenian Genocide of 1915 killed at least 1 million Armenians and forced millions more to flee their ancestral home of eastern Turkey, the author wrote. YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his spouse Anna Hakobyan had special guests at their home in Yerevan in the evening of April 24. The Pashinyans were hosting students of the Shamelian Armenian National College of Los Angeles, USA. Pashinyans daughters, Shushan and Arpi, were also at the gathering. During Hakobyans trip to the US in early April a group of teachers and parents had told the PMs wife that the students will visit Armenia at the end of the month and they are very eager to meet the Armenian leader in person. The PM was pleased to arrange a meeting. A conversation at a tea table covered diverse subjects: Armenian-Chinese relations, foreign and domestic challenges, the Diasporas role, preservation of Western-Armenian dialect, tourism development and animal protection in Armenia. But the students were predominantly interested in the 2018 Armenian Velvet Revolution and subsequent developments in the country. The Prime Minister emphasized that the greatest value of the revolution was that not a single person got hurt and the developments unfolded peacefully. Our principle was that the revolution shouldve happened peacefully. Human life is very important for us and we couldnt have sacrificed life for any goal, he said. Pashinyan said changes happen on a daily basis in Armenia after the revolution. Changes are continuous. One year ago there was no democracy in Armenia, today there is, one year ago there was no free press in Armenia, today there is. In the past elections were being rigged, today not. Today, a year after the revolution, we must carry out an economic revolution. One year ago people carried out the revolution, by going out to the streets and fighting injustice, and it is the people who should carry out the economic revolution also. The Government must encourage and create opportunities for people to be able to work and create results. Our next step must be economic development and overcoming poverty. We can overcome poverty only through work and education. Our objective is to encourage people to work, so they believe in their own strengths. Me and Anna come from an ordinary family, and most importantly we have always believed in our strengths, we always fought. The Government is a partner that should create the opportunity for people to believe in their powers. The Government must create opportunities for education, rule of law, equality and justice, for people to get educated, do what they love and develop the country, Pashinyan said. Asked at what age he started wanting to become Prime Minister, Pashinyan said he never had any such desire and never aspired for any status. Pashinyan said he during his entire life he has always fought for the values and principles that he believes in. These values are democracy, justice and the rule of law. I believe in these values and basically I knew that this struggle would lead me towards obstacles. I always knew that if I were to deal with politics there would be deprivations and persecutions. At the same time, I will in no case step back from my principles. Those who will try to ignore these principles are the ones who will step back, Pashinyan said, telling his life experience on how he was persecuted and arrested during the years of being a journalist and then a lawmaker. He jokingly said that since being elected Prime Minister he feels jailed because he walks around accompanied by armed men and his office and residence are guarded by multiple people. Asked whether or not the job is tiresome, the PM said serving the people is a pleasure for him and he has never felt the heaviness of the work. Asked about his vision for the solution of the NK conflict, Pashinyan stressed that the resolution should be exclusively through a peaceful way and first of all dialogue between the peoples should begin. We are now in negotiations with the President of Azerbaijan and we must do everything in order to maintain long-lasting peace in our region, the Armenian PM said. On how he sees Armenias future, Pashinyan stressed that he sees a free and strong country. I see a country where 6-7 million people live, I see a country where people are highly qualified experts and are receiving high wages. I see Armenia as a powerful nation that is ready to defend itself. I see a country that must become the best place to live for all Armenians of the Diaspora, Nikol Pashinyan said. One of the students asked Anna Hakobyan on her feelings during the days of the Armenian Revolution, and whether or not she was afraid. Hakobyan replied by saying that by marrying Nikol Pashinyan she knew that her husband is a rebel and will always fight against injustice. She said she always knew that there would be difficulties and problems. During our marriage there were persecutions, many challenges, especially when my husband was arrested or in hiding, Hakobyan said. During the meeting PM Pashinyan also began asking questions to the children. Asked what they liked most here, the students said Armenia is far better, beautiful and more developed than they imagined. 13-year-old Geghon Gasparyan said he is very impressed with the TUMO Center, another student, Shant Kudnoyan said he was in Armenia four years earlier too, but now he sees many changes. Unlike the US, people here are kind, smiling and are ready to help, he said. Asked by the Armenian PM on their future plans, the kids said after graduating school they plan to go to college, then university, study well and always keep in touch with their homeland. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. During todays Cabinet meeting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan urged to create such conditions so that people, living, working and studying in Armenia, will have a chance to become renowned musicians. Our entire policy in the culture sector must change, and we should put it on another logic. For instance, today we have young artists such as Sergey Khachatryan, Narek Hakhnazaryan and others, and we need to answer to a very simple question: why these people needed to leave Armenia in order to become renowned musicians? This is a very simple, practical issue which we must solve. We must create conditions for the people living, working and studying in Armenia to have a chance to become famous musicians, the PM said. He stated that maybe the problem comes from music schools and the operation system of these schools. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has delivered today the judgment in the case of Ter-Petrosyan v. Armenia, the ECHR reported on its official website. Former President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan (in office 1991-1998) had filed the complaint to the ECHR concerning the 2008-post election unrest in Yerevan, when he was a presidential candidate and staged protests after official poll results showed Serzh Sargsyan to be the winner, something he and his supporters disagreed with. Robert Kocharyan was the outgoing president at the time. The ECHR unanimously held that there had been: a violation of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights, a violation of Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) in conjunction with Article 11. Complaints under Article 5 1 (right to liberty and security) and Article 2 of Protocol No. 4 (freedom of movement) were rejected as manifestly ill-founded. The case concerned the applicants complaint about the dispersal of a protest rally on 1 March 2008, the lack of an effective remedy and his alleged placement under house arrest. The Court found in particular that the Government, claiming non-exhaustion of domestic remedies, had failed to satisfy it that there had been an effective remedy in the domestic legal system. It further held that the dispersal of the assembly had not been justified. Although reports had suggested Mr Ter-Petrosyan had been under house arrest, there was still a dispute about that incident which was primarily one of fact. The Court found that it was not in a position to conclude he had been deprived of his liberty or had had his freedom of movement restricted. The applicant alleged that on 1 March 2008 the police had arrived at Freedom Square, encircled the demonstrators and, without warning, had begun to attack them and beat them. The protesters had been quickly pushed out of the square and Mr Ter-Petrosyan had also been ordered to leave but had refused. He was then forced into a car and taken to his house, which he had not been allowed to leave. The roads to his house were blocked by the police and all vehicles were checked. No one could go in or out of his dwelling without the permission of the Special Forces. The rallies continued throughout the city until late at night, involving clashes between protesters and law-enforcement officers and resulting in 10 deaths, many injured and a state of emergency being declared by the President of Armenia. The ECHR noted that the then-Government contested these allegations. Relying on Article 5 1 (right to liberty and security), Article 2 of Protocol No. 4 (freedom of movement), Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association), Article 13 (right to an effective remedy), Mr Ter-Petrosyan complained that he had been removed forcibly from Freedom Square, while peacefully assembling, and then placed under house arrest on 1 March 2008 and that he did not have at his disposal an effective remedy in respect of the interference with his freedom of assembly. Relying on Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination), he complained that he had been discriminated against on the grounds of his political opinion. Decision of the Court Article 5 1 and Article 2 of Protocol No. 4 The Court noted that the parties disagreed on whether Mr Ter-Petrosyan had been deprived of his liberty or had faced a restriction on his liberty of movement following the events of 1 March 2008. The Court took into account several reports suggesting that he had been placed under house arrest as a result of his political activity, including a press release by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch. At the same time, the Court did not have strong and unequivocal evidence to corroborate those allegations or which had shown beyond reasonable doubt that that the security police had acted in bad faith and had abused its authority by restricting his liberty or freedom of movement. This issue had never been examined by any domestic authority, while the above-mentioned reports, while undoubtedly worrying, were not sufficient fully to accept Mr Ter-Petrosyans version of events. The Court found that there was insufficient substantiation for these complaints and that this part of the application had to be rejected as manifestly ill-founded. Articles 11 and 13 Firstly, the Court rejected the then-Governments objection that Article 11 was inapplicable: it had already found that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the organisers and participants of the assembly at Freedom Square had had violent intentions and that the rally had not been peaceful(Mushegh Saghatelyan v. Armenia). Secondly, the Court examined the Governments argument that Mr Ter-Petrosyan had not exhausted domestic remedies, particularly by initiating proceedings under Article 68 of the Code of Administrative Procedure (CAP). The Court noted, that, while the Government had produced copies of three judgments in support of their argument, nothing had suggested that those judgments had been rendered by the Administrative Court under the procedure prescribed by Article 68 of the CAP. One of the judgments had clearly stated that the claim had been lodged under Article 65, while the other two had been silent on that point. More importantly, all three had concerned challenges to administrative acts, such as decisions by the Mayors Office prohibiting the holding of a rally, as opposed to any interfering actions taken by law-enforcement authorities during a demonstration. The Government had therefore failed to produce any examples of Article 68 being applied in a situation similar to the present case. The applicability of that Article to these types of situations had not been obvious from its wording either. In particular, it applied only to an administrative action which no longer has legal force and which an applicant had a legitimate interest in having acknowledged as unlawful depending on certain conditions, none of which had appeared to exist in the present case. It was therefore not clear whether Article 68 could apply to police actions such as the dispersal of an assembly. In view of that lack of clarity and the absence of any examples of domestic practice, the Court considered that the Government had failed to demonstrate the existence of an effective remedy for the interference with Mr Ter-Petrosyans right to freedom of assembly. Accordingly, the Court found that the applicant had not had an effective domestic remedy for his grievances under Article 11, in breach of Article 13. Furthermore, the Court had examined the necessity of the interference with the assembly at Freedom Square in Mushegh Saghatelyan v Armenia. It had concluded that its dispersal had not had sufficient justification and had taken place in dubious circumstances, apparently without warnings to disperse and with unjustified and excessive use of force. It had been disproportionate and had gone beyond what was reasonable to expect from the authorities when curtailing freedom of assembly. There had thus been a violation of Article 11 in Mr Ter-Petrosyans case. Article 14 The Court rejected his complaint of discrimination over his house arrest as manifestly ill-founded and thus inadmissible. It also found that it did not need to examine his allegation of discrimination linked to his right to freedom of assembly, having regard to its findings under Article 11. Just satisfaction (Article 41) The Court observed that the applicant had failed to duly submit a claim for just satisfaction. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Ethnic Armenian lawmaker of the Turkish parliament Garo Paylan has called on the parliament of Turkey to hold a parliamentary discussion on the Armenian Genocide. Garo Paylan issued a respective statement which says: On April 24, 1915, political scientists, writers, poets, journalists, teachers, scientists and many other Armenian intellectuals have been arrested in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. They have also been deported to Ayash and Changhir, but later most of them have been killed. Although the losses of 1915 cannot be returned, but from the view of living together, accepting the pains created inside the memory of the society and working on improving one another are valuable. The Parliament should restore the rights and keep the memory of those intellectuals who were working for the lighting of the Ottoman and Armenian peoples, were developing the educational institutions, were writing, producing, thinking, who, however, have been killed on this land. April 24, 1915 is accepted by the whole world as a day of launch of the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian Genocide has been a subject of discussion in numerous parliaments of the world, but has never been discussed in the Turkish parliament. Meanwhile, the parliament, where this great disaster must be discussed, is that of the country where the disaster has taken place. In other words, that is the parliament of Turkey. For already 104 years Armenians worldwide are demanding a restoration of justice. Justice can be restored only within the conscience of the Turkish people and inside the Turkish parliament. The parliament, that should discuss the disaster that happened to the Armenian people, first of all must be the parliament of Turkey. And we urge to hold a parliamentary discussion on this matter. In 1915, the crime perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians was the first genocide of 20th century. The Armenians worldwide commemorate 104th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during the World War I is called the Armenian Genocide. Those massacres were perpetrated by the government of Young Turks in various regions of the Ottoman Empire. The Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman government has been documented, recognized and acknowledged by eyewitness reports, laws, resolutions and the decisions of numerous states and international organizations. There are numerous documents considering the massacres of the Armenian people as a pre-planned and thoroughly implemented act of genocide. Organizations like the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, a number of UN Committees, the World Council of Churches, MERCOSUR parliament and others acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. Many countries have recognized the Armenian Genocide: Uruguay is the first country that acknowledged the Genocide in 1965. The following countries have condemned and recognized the massacre of Armenians as a genocide based on international law: France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Uruguay, Argentina (2 laws, 5 resolutions), Venezuela, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Canada, Vatican, Austria, Luxembourg, Germany, Czech Republic, Denmark, Brazil, Australias state of New South Wales, 49 US states. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received philanthropists George and Caroline Najarian on April 25, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The opportunities to implement various programs in Armenia were discussed during the meeting. President Sarkissian talked about the restoration programs of Gyumris historic center, stating that he constantly raises this issue during his official visits and considers options also for attracting foreign specialists in these programs. The philanthropists, who for many years have carried out different projects in Gyumri, stated that they will consider having their own contribution to the restoration of the city. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian on April 25 received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands to Armenia Johannes Douma (residence in Tbilisi, Georgia), the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The President said Armenia attaches great importance to the intensification of political dialogue with the Netherlands which can contribute to organizing high-level mutual visits. President Sarkissian also congratulated the Ambassador on the upcoming holiday the National Day of the Netherlands. The sides discussed the issue of deepening the bilateral economic cooperation, in particular in the fields of science, education, culture and IT. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. On April 24, Ambassador of Armenia to Austria Armen Papikyan visited the Federal Parliament of Austria where he had meetings with the 3rd President of the National Council Anneliese Kitzmuller and the head of the Armenia-Austria Parliamentary friendship group Gudrun Kugler. Members of the group also attended the meeting, the Armenian foreign ministry told Armenpress. Ambassador Papikyan noted the symbolism and importance of the meeting in the Austrian Parliament on the day of 104th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and expressed gratitude for the decision adopted in 2015 by the Parliament of Austria on this issue. Ambassador also highlighted the importance of further enhancing the inter-parliamentary cooperation between Armenia and Austria, including through active contacts between the friendship groups that operate in both parliaments. Armen Papikyan underscored the importance of exchange of best practices between the parliaments of both countries, taking into account the vast experience of Austria in the field of parliamentary system of governance. Gudrun Kugler in her turn noted that in Austrian Parliament they attach great importance to developing relations with Armenia and the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, which is due to high level of interactions between Armenia and Austria. Both sides highlighted the importance of high level parliamentary contacts, expressing conviction that they would give new impetus to cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting the sides exchanged views over a number of other issues of mutual interest. YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan convened a working consultation devoted to the process of implementation and results of the Artsakh Republic Presidents program of 2018 and programs for 2019 in Askeran town, the Artsakh Presidential Office told Armenpress. Members of the Cabinet, responsible officials of the regional administration delivered corresponding reports. President Sahakyan gave concrete instructions to the heads of the concerned bodies for proper solution of the discussed issues. Speaker of Parliament Ashot Ghulyan, minister of state Grigory Martirosyan and other officials were present at the consultation. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Cyprus supports the efforts of Armenia for the international recognition of Genocide, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said in a statement made on the 104th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, reports Financial Mirror. In the statement the Cypriot President and government condemn this appalling crime against the Armenian people, describing it as a stain in the history of mankind. Nicos Anastasiades stated that Cyprus supports the efforts of Armenia for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, adding that Cyprus is the first in Europe and the second in the world that recognized this terrible crime and asks for the establishment of historical truth. Addressing the Armenians of Cyprus, President Anastasiades states that they had a great contribution to the progress they have achieved together in the common homeland. Our co-existence is an example for the whole world, the statement said. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Following a recent search operation by the National Security Service at a prison, Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan has ordered an internal investigation at the Armavir Correctional Facility after agents discovered violations. I have ordered an internal investigation to reveal comprehensive and objective information and inform the public, Zeynalyan told reporters today. On April 23, the National Security Service said it has revealed that an inmate at a prison ran a gang from his jail cell. Agents discovered contraband at the jail, and even discovered major security violations. Particularly, an inmate was freely standing outside his prison cell when agents arrived. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. After scandalous discoveries at the Armavir Correctional Facility, the penitentiarys warden Colonel Khachik Harutyunyan has resigned, Justice Minister Artak Zeynalyan told reporters. Weve had discussions, consultations about the incident, and the prison warden tendered his resignation, Zeynalyan said, adding that he will approve the motion. As reported earlier, an internal investigation is underway at the correctional facility. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, 25 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 25 April, USD exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 481.57 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 5.77 drams to 536.23 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.14 drams to 7.42 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 6.54 drams to 620.02 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 62.29 drams to 19688.75 drams. Silver price down by 2.32 drams to 229.22 drams. Platinum price down by 77.13 drams to 13702.31 drams. YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Tens of thousands of Armenian-Americans were gathered in front of the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles and later in Hollywood on April 24 to protest and to demand justice for the victims of the Armenian Genocide. A large number of young people, students, religious and party representatives, as well as local politicians were present at the event organized by the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee, Massis Post reported. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was in attendance, who during remarks took out the Armenian tricolor from his pocket and put it around his neck. Other keynote speakers were Los Angeles area representatives in the US Congress Brad Sherman and Adam Schiff. Both congressmen spoke about the importance of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the US Congress and the president. 104 years later, it is regrettable that our country still hasnt officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. I will continue my struggle in Congress to achieve the adoption of the Armenian Genocide recognition Resolution, Schiff told Voice of America in Hollywood. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian together with spouse Nouneh Sarkissian on April 25 visited the Ara Sargsyan and Hakob Kojoyan House Museum. Accompanied by Director of the Museum Anna Sargsyan, the President and his wife toured the exhibition halls and got acquainted with the works. The House Museum is the branch of the National Gallery of Armenia. The two great masters of the Armenian fine arts sculptor Ara Sargsyan and painter Hakob Kojoyan, have lived in this house for years which is located in the center of Yerevan. The Museums section devoted to Ara Sargsyan presents works, collections from the Gallery and the family of the famous sculptor and etc. Hakob Kojoyans works are displayed in the second floor of the House. Some of the works are from the funds of the Gallery and some are the donations of the artist's descendants. The reporters asked the President why he has chosen this Museum. Question can be formulated differently. Why we do not visit these museums? We have great artists, two of them are presented in one house. Ara Sargsyan was a legendary artist, the founder-rector of our State Academy of Fine Arts, has been a member of the Academy of Art of the Soviet Union and a great teacher. Unfortunately, I see that this Museum isnt in so good condition. I think we need to be more careful and present our great artists, President Armen Sarkissian said. He told reporters that he wants to organize an exhibition at the Presidential Palace within the frames of which 4 artists will be presented, such as Ara Sargsyan, Hakob Kojoyan, architect Rafayel Israyelyan and sculptor Ara Harutyunyan. The Museum opened in 1973. Nearly 500 exhibits are displayed in the Museum. I would like to talk about the problems. As you see, the area is in poor condition, needs renovation. The conditions hinder to properly preserve the exhibits. There are not so many visitors. We host 2000 visitors annually, which is quite low, Director of the Museum said. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan on April 25 held a meeting with young actors of the Stepanakert State Dramatic Theater named after Vahram Papazyan, the Presidents Office told Armenpress. Issues related to the theater and republic's theatrical life were on the discussion agenda. The President noted with satisfaction that a group of talented young actors has already been formed in Artsakh, considering it among the important foundations of the theater's future. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan Policies valuing cultural diversity improve minority students' sense of belonging Leuven, Belgium - Societies and schools are facing new, culturally diverse populations and how they respond to these changes can have lasting impacts for everyone involved. Examining middle school diversity policies, a team of researchers from the University of Leuven, Belgium and the Queen's University Belfast, UK, found that in schools with multicultural-based policies, ethnic minority students achieved just as well and felt that they belonged just as much as their majority peers. They also found that in schools that ignore or reject diversity, ethnic minority students had worse grades and felt that they belonged less in the school than their majority peers. "Approaches that ignore diversity, with rhetoric like 'I don't see color', or those that reject diversity, such as banning headscarves, may intend to minimize discrimination, but in reality these approaches can be harmful for marginalized groups," says Dr. Laura Celeste a social and cultural psychology researcher and lead author of the study. The research appears in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, a publication of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Much of the prior work on assimilation, diversity, and immigration, comes from a North American perspective, according to Celeste and colleagues. They wanted to understand the European experience, which has its own cultural identities, histories, and experiences. The psychologists assessed policies at over 60 Belgian middle schools, as well as a total of 1,747 minority and 1,384 majority students' school belonging and achievement (self-reported grades) 1 year later. They found in their initial assessments that minority students reported significantly less belonging (M = 3.52) and lower grades (M = 59.28) than majority peers (M = 3.70 and M = 63.14), respectively. In schools with "multiculturalism" polices, minority students reported higher class grades by the end of the year and those with "colorblindness" polices actually saw grades go down among minority students. Celeste and colleagues note that other research tracking middle through high school students shows that those who feel less belonging in school are "at risk of disengagement, underachievement, and early school leaving, with lasting consequences for their future life chances in our post-industrial economies." "These results are also in line with previous research that shows, for instance, how workplace diversity policies can affect relational and performance-related outcomes in organizations," says Celeste. ### This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of the working visit to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the delegation headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh Masis Mayilian participated in a range of events dedicated to the 104th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In particular, on April 23, the delegation participated in the commemoration march in Montevideo, followed by a rally. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh, the Foreign Minister delivered a speech at the rally. Addressing the rally participants, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh stressed that the international recognition of Artsakh is of existential significance. Masis Mayilian noted that the Armenian Diaspora organizations, along with the issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide, should equally consider the issue of international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh as one of the priority directions of their activities. On April 24, the delegation participated in the rallies organized in the Liberty and Armenia Squares in Montevideo. Minister Mayilian delivered a speech at the event held in the Armenia Square, which was attended by representatives of the executive and legislative authorities of Uruguay, diplomats accredited in the country, members of Armenian organizations and representatives of the clergy. In his speech, the Foreign Minister of Artsakh stressed the importance of the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide in terms of preventing new Genocides, as well as expressed his gratitude to the people and authorities of Uruguay for providing refuge to the Genocide survivors and being the first to recognize the fact of the Armenian Genocide. The Minister highly appreciated the unprecedented move by the then authorities of Uruguay, which shows the primary importance of human rights and justice for the people of Uruguay. On the same day, the delegation of Artsakh participated in the event dedicated to the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, held in the Uruguayan Parliament. It was organized jointly by Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament Cecilia Bottino and the Hay Dat Committee. YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Armenia intends to continue to make its feasible contribution to the UN-sanctioned peacekeeping undertakings of various formats, carried out in various geographic, climatic, ethnic and confessional operational environments. To this end, we are ready to use all the potential that we have, and above all, the field hospital and specialists in the fight against improvised explosive devices, as ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, Minister Davit Tonoyan said on April 25, giving speech at the 8th Moscow International Security Conference. His speech was headlined International peacekeeping: new approaches and military cooperation. Tonoyans speech runs as follows Dear colleagues, friends, ladies and gentlemen, First of all, I would like to thank the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and personally the minister of defence, Army General Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, for the invitation to take part in the work of this traditional Moscow Conference on International Security. The discussion of the most pressing global and regional problems and issues, exchange of views on the formation of international security is extremely important in the context of increasing the level of predictability in international relations. The topic of today's plenary session is a logical continuation and further development of the last years discussion of approaches to solving global and regional problems, as well as the initiative of the UN Secretary General to increase participation in UN peacekeeping operations, the so-called A4P. We all note with great concern the growing escalation of tension in international relations, the degradation of security mechanisms, the noticeable expansion of conflict zones as a result of aggravating intra-state crises, primarily on ethnic and religious grounds. At the same time, our world has become more interconnected: any instability in a particular region may trigger negative consequences throughout the world. In such a situation, the division of threats to peace and stability into regions is very conditional. The above circumstances prompt the entire international community to set tasks of dynamic development and create prerequisites for revising the approaches and criteria for peacekeeping activities, which in their current form, as was presented in the Declaration on Joint Commitments to UN Peacekeeping Operations, in view of the radical changes that have occurred the field of crisis management is noticeably outdated. The foregoing assumes the resumption of discourse on the legitimacy of the mission, interaction with partners in the mission, as well as the composition of international forces and the rules of their involvement or reconciliation. Legitimacy is a condition based on the perception of legality, morality or correctness of a number of actions by specific audiences, and is central to the tasks of peacemaking, having two key aspects: the legitimacy of the host government and the legitimacy of the international mission. In particular, when participating in international peacekeeping missions, the international community should strictly adhere to two fundamental UN principles: An international mission should be conducted at least with the consent of the legal authorities of the host country. Peacekeeping forces perform tasks for their intended purpose without prejudice and are completely impartial. The task of interaction between various partners or, at least, the interested parties on the mission is equally important. In this context, particular importance is attached to the factor of establishing cooperation or coordination between various actors, which is one of the key conditions for the successful implementation and completion of any peacekeeping activities. Finally, the peacekeeping forces should have a rationalized mandate and composition and be prepared for any development of events, acting solely within the international humanitarian law and the tasks and obligations assigned to them. Moreover, today, traditional peacemaking more and more corresponds to multidimensional, when instead of purely military tasks, diverse tasks are put in the center, the military contingent gives way to mixed military-police-civilian personnel, and the indirect role of peacekeeping forces in political processes is replaced by the most direct involvement. In view of the above, I believe that the main trends in the development of international peacekeeping forces should be: clarification of the legal status of peacekeepers for each individual mission; creation of coordination mechanisms, that is, synchronization or, at least, the so-called de-conflict of the actions of all the parties involved; formation, training, equipping and operational coordination of integrated military-police-civilian teams; continuous improvement of professionalism and ethno-cultural-religious awareness of peacekeepers; creating flexibility for rules for engaging peacekeeping forces; transparency and continuous monitoring of their activities; coordination of logistics for national contingents or groups with the greatest application of the principle of assigning secondary roles and using the services of local contractors; increasing the transparency of the functional and cost indicators of the financial costs of peacekeeping missions; use of advanced technology. The concurrence of interests and goals in ensuring international security dictates the continuous development of their individual and collective potentials to maintain peace and stability, both by world and regional powers, and by countries with limited military capabilities. Armenia also adheres to this approach. For more than two decades, being in an unstable and unpredictable security situation, when the concepts of war and peace are very shaky, Armenia, moving forward with the consistent development of defense capabilities, has been developing national capabilities for maintaining peace and international security. Armenia, as a country that has felt the price of international security and stability in practice, has accumulated considerable experience in the field of peacekeeping over the past 15 years, the acquisition of which began in Kosovo and Iraq. Currently, Armenian peacekeeping forces are represented in four international missions. We also demonstrated a consistent commitment to helping to ensure positive changes in the regions affected by the full-blown crisis, which was reflected in our recently launched National Humanitarian Mission in Syria, the decision on which was taken in accordance with the official request of the host country - the Syrian government, and the request by the Armenian community of Aleppo and their religious leaders, with the assistance of the Russian Ministry of Defence, for which we are very grateful to the Russian Government. In particular, the deployment of the Armenian humanitarian contingent in this region is justified by the historical factor of the Armenian presence in the Middle East from time immemorial and the desire to preserve our roots in the Middle East, taking into account the bitter experience of the past ten years of instability, resulting in a massive exodus of Armenians from Iraq. The humanitarian mission comprises medical personnel and demining specialists who, in cooperation with their Russian colleagues, provide assistance to the population of the Syrian Arab Republic affected by a long-lasting war. The Republic of Armenia intends to continue to make its feasible contribution to the UN-sanctioned peacekeeping undertakings of various formats, carried out in various geographic, climatic, ethnic and confessional operational environments. To this end, we are ready to use all the potential that we have, and above all, the field hospital and specialists in the fight against improvised explosive devices. In conclusion, I would like to assure that Armenia is a champion of the equivalent application of the norms of international law and the right to free choice, reasonable globalization and international security architecture based on abstaining from the policy of force and maximalist approaches, hate speech and belligerent statements. As one of the leading experts on international relations said, Trying to implement their idealistic and realistic goals in foreign policy, states should combine their power with moral principles, and temper their belief in their rightness. Thank you for your attention. As PNGDF commander, the then Brigadier-General Singirok defied the government which, following the retreat of regular forces from Bougainville, was seeking to bring in mercenary soldiers organised by a company called Sandline. Mr Lokonai also thanked Mr Singirok for the courageous stand he took against a decision of the then PNG government to engage mercenaries to fight against the Bougainville people in the civil war that raged for 10 years from 1989. BUKA Health minister and member for Bolave in the Autonomous Bougainville Government, Dennis Lokonai, has praised former Papua New Guinea Defence Force commander Jerry Singirok for reconciling with the Bougainville people. Mr Lokonai said in doing this, the commander lost his job and all the benefits and privileges that went with the position. He said the people of Bougainville are still trying to heal the pains of the Bougainville conflict in which the PNGDF was heavily involved. He said Bougainvilleans are peace-loving and will continue to forgive those who killed and fought against the people of Bougainville. Mr Lokonai said the Bougainville people forgave Mr Singirok for his part in the Bougainville crisis, in which up to 20,000 are estimated to have died. He also thanked leaders of the Seventh Day Adventist church for organising the reconciliation ceremony with Mr Singirok at Bana High School in south Bougainville. The reconciliation was also attended by the former Bougainville Revolutionary Army commander, Ishmael Toroama, whose irregular soldiers fought against PNGDF troops. The hope is that companies working in PNGs extractive industries will build upon this example and continue to undertake impact assessments to help reduce human rights impacts, he said. There is currently no legislative requirement for a company to produce a human rights impact assessment in PNG and, if they decide to, they are generally kept confidential once completed. Dr Bainton from the universitys sustainable minerals institute said the reports publication demonstrates the slow evolution of the international communitys expectations of extractive industries. BRISBANE - University of Queensland researcher Associate Professor Nick Bainton has co-written the first publicly available human rights impact assessment for a proposed gas project in Papua New Guinea. Dr Bainton and Nora Gotzmann from the Danish Institute for Human Rights were commissioned by Total Exploration and Production PNG to identify potential impacts on gender, security and conflict for the joint venture Papua liquefied natural gas project. In this case Total Explorations internal standards required an assessment to be undertaken and part of our agreement with them stipulated that a version of the report was to be made publicly available. The assessment involved extensive desktop research, and interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders in Port Moresby and local communities in the projects area of influence in PNGs remote Gulf Province. We met with 10 communities in the Purari River delta and coastal region, travelling between each of them by river and helicopter due to the provinces absence of roads. We engaged with male and female focus groups at each of the communities; first introducing them to the impact assessment and key concepts and then discussing various topics. The researchers met with some 400 Gulf Province community members over the course of their study, including about 160 women. Looking at the projects gender outcomes was important as extractive operations often amplify existing inequalities and social divisions, largely to the detriment of women. To ensure the project does not exacerbate existing issues in that area, we dedicated a significant portion of the report to identifying and addressing gender-based inequalities, Dr Bainton said. We made numerous recommendations relating to gender, ranging from launching proven community programs to minimise gender-based violence to suggesting Total improve the female labour market presence by using progressive targets in their contracts. It is expected that negotiations between the projects joint venture partners and the PNG government will be finalised in 2019 with operations to be launched in 2024. Invitation: Readers with expertise in this subject are invited to submit a critique of the report here or to respond using the Comment link below FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Persian Gulf, Iran, July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it has formally complained to the United States over its decision to end waivers on sanctions on Iranian oil imports, adding another fault line to already complicated Beijing-Washington ties. China is Iran's largest crude oil customer, with total imports last year of 29.27 million tonnes, or about 585,400 barrels a day, roughly 6 percent of China's total oil imports, according to customs data. Washington has announced that all Iran sanction waivers will end by May, causing crude oil prices to rise and pressuring importers to cut their Iranian imports to zero. China was one of eight global buyers that won exemptions to import crude oil last November. China is resolutely opposed to the United States enforcing unilateral sanctions or "long armed jurisdiction", Geng Shuang, a ministry spokesman, told a daily news briefing. "The decision from the U.S. will contribute to volatility in the Middle East and in the international energy market. We urge the United States to take a responsible attitude and play a constructive role, not the opposite," Geng said. "China has already lodged representations with the U.S. side about this." The "normal" energy cooperation China and other countries have with Iran within the framework of international law is lawful and reasonable, and should be respected, he added. "China urges the U.S. side to earnestly respect China's interests and concerns and not take any wrong actions that harm China's interests." China will continue to work to protect the legitimate rights of Chinese firms, Geng said. Beijing and Tehran have long had close relations, especially in the energy sector. Some of China's refineries are configured to process the Iranian crude and refinery officials say Iranian oil typically yields better margins compared similar grades from rival suppliers such as Saudi Arabia. State-owned Sinopec Group and China National Petroleum Corp both produce oil in Iran, having spent billions of dollars on oil fields such as Yadavaran and North Azadegan. They have been sending the oil from the fields to China. China and the United States are currently working to end a bitter trade war, but have numerous other areas of disagreement, including the South China Sea and U.S. support for self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a wayward province. (Reporting by Martin Pollard and Beijing Monitoring Desk; additional reporting by Chen Aizhu in SINGAPORE; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Christian Schmollinger) On Thursday, the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out alongside brother-in-law Prince Harry for an Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey. Photo: Getty Images The royal family gossip mill is working overtime as reports continue to surface of a rift brewing between Princes William and Prince Harry. On Thursday, the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out alongside brother-in-law Prince Harry for an Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey . Both Duchess Meghan and Prince William were absent from the service, but with good reason the Duchess is reportedly at home resting, while the Duke of Cambridge is currently in New Zealand to mark Anzac Day as well as honour victims of Marchs terrorist attack in Christchurch. Kate and Harry put on a united front, and were all smiles at the service. That added fuel to speculation that theres no rift between Kate and Harry, but its a different story for brother Will. The Anzac Day service came just days after the brothers furthered feud rumours by seemingly keeping their distance at an Easter Sunday church service. While Prince William arrived at St. Georges Chapel on April 21 with a smiling Kate Middleton, Prince Harry arrived solo, choosing to enter with his cousin, Peter Phillips. The royal duo proved theres no rift between them. Photo: Getty Images They were all smiles arriving at Westminster Abbey. Photo: Getty Images Despite reports that Harry exchanged a few words with his sister-in-law, the normally chummy brothers were separated by Zara Tindall and her husband Mike while greeting their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Although the icy Easter Sunday appearance could be nothing, many insiders speculate that the brothers missed a prime opportunity to squash feud rumours once and for all and perhaps on purpose. A source revealed to ET that William and Harry are simply at different stages in their life, however many believe the pairs fallout to be much more complicated. Rumours of tension growing between William and Harry first emerged when the Duke of Sussexs relationship with his now-wife, Meghan Markle became very serious, very quickly. According to insiders, Prince William cautioned his younger brother that things were moving too quickly, leaving Harry angry and hurt. Kate looked stunning in a Catherine Walker coatdress and a matching hat. Photo: Getty Images Meanwhile, Prince William attended an Anzac Day service in Auckland with Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Photo: Getty Images In 2018, royal biographer Robert Jobson revealed that the attention surrounding Harry and Meghan upset William, who is extremely competitive when it comes to media coverage and is known for being a little grand. Story continues The popularity of the Sussexs royal tours abroad, combined with their formal separation of households and record-breaking Instagram following is an unprecedented amount of attention for a royal couple sixth in line for the throne. The latest developments in the William and Harry rift are reports that the royal family is moving Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex and their growing family to Africa. The Sunday Times broke the news of the move abroad, with sources citing the real reason as an attempt by the Cambridge team to squash the growing popularity of the Sussexes. The move to Africa is not only top choice to keep in line with the Sussexes Commonwealth endeavours, but is far from American and Australian news outlets. A source has been quoted as saying, People are telling William, Dont worry. Your influence will grow and Harrys will fade this is peak Harry. A spokesperson for the royal family didnt deny the reports, but released a statement noting, Any future plans for The Duke and Duchess are speculative at this stage. No decisions have been taken about future roles. The Duke will continue to fulfill his role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or sign up to our daily newsletter here. A suspected Islamic State member believed to have been planning an attack on an Anzac service in Gallipoli has been arrested in Turkey. The Syrian man was detained in Tekirdag, a northwest province close to the Gallipoli peninsula, a Tekirdag police spokesman said on Wednesday. Turkeys Demiroren news agency said the planned attack on commemorations was in retaliation for the Christchurch shootings, according to Reuters. Australian and New Zealanders attend the ANZAC Dawn service at Anzac Cove on April 25, 2018. Source: Getty Images Turkish nationals were banned from attending the dawn service, which Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell is due to be at, amid heightened security fears. The Department of Veterans' Affairs said the dawn service would go ahead. "The Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs and the New Zealand Defence Force (joint lead agencies) are aware of Turkish media reports that the Turkish National Police has arrested an individual who is alleged to be involved in activities designed to disrupt Anzac services at Gallipoli," the department told News Corp. Turkish media (Aydnlk) say person in custody over alleged plan to attack Anzac service in Gallipoli was caught after some lS members were caught in Osmaniye city - his phone number was found on their phones and he was tracked @1NewsNZ - they say this is his photo pic.twitter.com/Jgrm3Fq1jd Joy Reid (@JoyReidTVNZ) April 24, 2019 "This is a matter for the Turkish Authorities. "Australian and New Zealand agencies are liaising with the responsible Turkish authorities in relation to this media reporting." Turkey has said Islamic State was responsible for several bombings that took place in the country in 2015 and 2016, which killed some 200 people in total. A soldier salutes to people who wrap themselves with sleeping bag and thermal blankets during the ANZAC Dawn service in Canakkale, Turkey on April 25, 2017. Source: Getty Images, file Although the militant group has not been active in Turkey of late, authorities still carry out routine operations against suspected Islamic State members. Story continues This year's Anzac service comes a month after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan faced criticism in Australia and New Zealand for comments he made after a lone gunman killed 50 people in two mosques in Christchurch on March 15. Mr Erdogan played a video from the shootings at local election rallies and said the gunman had targeted Turkey by saying in a manifesto posted online that Turks should be removed from the European half of Istanbul. He also threatened to send back in coffins anyone who tried to take the battle to Istanbul. A 28-year-old Australian, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder for New Zealand's worst peacetime mass shooting. Fifty other people were injured in the attacks, which occurred during Friday prayers. Environmentalists glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange entrance and staged impromptu concerts in the middle of traffic on the final day of a campaign that brought parts of the UK capital to a halt. Activists from Extinction Rebellion -- a fast-growing movement founded last year by British academics -- have used 11 days of festive but highly disruptive rallies to focus global attention on climate change. Their ultimate goal is to slash greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025 and to end biodiversity loss. But their immediate aim was to get UK politicians to look past hot-button issues such as Brexit and come up with ways to save the planet from damage that younger generations think will hurt them most. Extinction Rebellion members said their campaign drew plenty of public attention but failed to get the government to budge. "The traffic disruptions have really, really brought the whole climate and environment out from being a niche issue," guitarist Nick Onley said while leading a group of 20 through a Beatles song performance in the middle of a busy street. "But it hasn't been a complete success. We haven't got to that point where the government says 'yes, please talk to us'," Onley said as drivers stuck in the heart of London's bustling financial district furiously honked their horns. An aide to UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove said no meeting had been scheduled with campaigners but that one might possibly happen next week. The protest outside the London Stock Exchange building that stands in the shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral saw several glue themselves to the pavement in front of one of the glass entrance turnstiles. One person wearing a gas mask also chained himself to one of the sleek building's stone columns. "This institution literally trades in the devastation of our planet," the group said in a statement. Extinction Rebellion estimated that top banks have poured $1.9 trillion (1.7 billion euros) into "fossil fuel financing" since the Paris Agreement on dealing with greenhouse gases was signed in 2016. The group staged similar protests outside the entrances of the Bank of England and the UK Treasury. - 'Not here to be liked' - Activists had earlier targeted high-profile -- and tourist-heavy -- locations such as the Oxford and Piccadilly Circus junctions. They also camped out on a statue-filled square facing the parliament building and potted plants and flowers on a central bridge. Their tactics of sitting down in the middle of busy roads and refusing -- peacefully -- to move have generated media headlines. But some activists admitted many Londoners were mystified as to why the group thinks such tactics will help stop climate change. "Some people don't like our methods but do like our message," retiree Trudy Warner said. "What we say is: We're not here to be liked. We're here to get attention." The entire campaign saw police make 1,130 arrests and press charges against 69 people. Retired engineer Godfrey Whitehouse said he spent three nights in a police station holding cell. "I am just an ordinary member of the public who is absolutely terrified of the climate," Whitehouse said. "And we would like to apologise to the public for the disruptions," he added. The London campaign's closing act saw activists wash protest signs off the pavement and pack up the trash outside the Marble Arch monument where they had spent days camping out on the edge of Hyde Park. Banner-wielding climate change activists have repeatedly sought to make politicians prioritise tackling environmental change to save the planet from irreparable damage The activists, who want to halt diversity loss, once again caused substantial disruption as they blocked traffic, as here in the City financial hub "People don't like our methods but do like our message," insisted one activist even if residents found their daily activities disrupted with traffic blocked on several of the capital's thoroughfares such as Threadneedle Street Some activists glued themselves to the pavement to block the entrance to the London Stock Exchange -- an institution they derided as one which "literally trades in the devastation of our planet" Some activists locked their hands together as police tried to move them on while drivers frustrated at the disruption furiously honked their horns Police had to remove one elderly climate change activist from the roof of a train at Canary Wharf station during the protest by the Extinction Rebellion group Marine Le Pen, head of France's National Rally party, on Thursday said Europe's populist far-right parties are offering a "new European harmony" to voters in European parliament elections next month. Le Pen appeared alongside Dutch populist Geert Wilders in Prague to back local far-right lawmaker Tomio Okamura in his bid to hand the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party its first-ever seat in Strasbourg. An alliance of populist parties including Italy's League and Austria's Freedom Party is expected to score in the vote but experts have cast doubt on its ability to cooperate in an environment where national interests come first. "What we see here is the birth of a new European harmony with European national parties joining forces to offer 500 million Europeans a new framework for cooperation, a new project and a new potential for the future," Le Pen told reporters. At a rally in central Prague later on, she said that for the first time in these elections "the democratic movement of patriots in all countries allows a reform of the European framework." Her words echoed those of Italian League party leader Matteo Salvini, who visited Okamura in Prague earlier this month. Salvini has recently called on nationalist parties scattered across the European Parliament to join forces and form a new alliance, which Le Pen called the European Alliance of Nations. He expects the new bloc to be the largest in the 751-member parliament after the May 23-26 vote. Parties like League, Alternative for Germany (AfD) or Denmark's People's Party foresee unprecedented gains in the vote as they campaign on anti-migrant, anti-Islam policies and promote national sovereignty. The SPD favours a "Czexit" from the EU, just as Wilders's PVV promotes a "Nexit". "If the EU cannot be reformed into a democratic bloc, we have to leave it," Ivan David, a psychiatrist and the SPD's top candidate in the EU vote, said at the rally. Several anti-system parties have marked gains in recent national elections, including the Finns Party's narrow second in a general election earlier this month. - 'Not alone' - But their ability to work together has been an issue. "The problem with all these groups is that they cannot really cooperate, they are too focussed on their national interests," independent Prague-based political analyst Jan Kubacek told AFP. But Okamura insisted cooperation was already visible within the emerging alliance. "We have the backing of Matteo Salvini, (and) of Austria's Freedom Party, we cooperate even without Brussels' dictat," he said. "We are able to make deals as national states," added the Tokyo-born former entrepreneur who posed with Le Pen and Salvini on election posters to show that his party was "not alone in Europe". If an alliance emerges after the vote, it will have to pick a leader, with Le Pen and Salvini looking set to battle it out for the post. "Salvini will have the upper hand in policymaking, the more so that he will most probably become prime minister," said Kubacek. "Le Pen will be very active in the European Parliament -- she can't really show her best in French politics so she uses the parliament as her second platform." Le Pen, Wilders and Okamura already met in Prague in December 2017 to hail the SPD's gain of 22 seats in the 200-member Czech parliament in general elections. It impressed voters with an anti-migrant campaign, even though migrants have largely snubbed the Czech Republic for wealthier countries such as Germany. "No to Islam" is the Czech party's headline slogan for the EU vote too. At the rally in Prague's central Wenceslas Square, around a thousand SPD fans sported banners saying "People like Geert Wilders can save Europe" and "Migrants are not welcome". "Marine, je t'aime!" cried a middle-aged woman when Le Pen took the floor. Several politicians talked to the sound of the "noise Olympics", an event called to disrupt the far-right meet with drums and sirens and dispersed by riot police. Meanwhile, Salvini has convened a big Milan meeting of anti-EU parties for May 18, with Le Pen and Okamura expected to attend. Italian Interior Minister and deputy PM Matteo Salvini is well placed to lead a far-right front in the EU parliament The Falungong triggered a relentless Chinese government crackdown against the movement when thousands of its members protested around Communist Party headquarters in Beijing 20 years ago. The government outlawed the group following the April 25, 1999 demonstration. Now deemed an evil cult by Chinese authorities, the group has gone underground in China while its followers abroad can be seen in public parks doing slow meditative exercises and espousing the values of "truthfulness, compassion and forbearance". On the 20th anniversary of the protest, here are four key questions about Falungong and how it became one of the Chinese government's biggest taboos: - What is Falungong? The spiritual movement was founded in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, a former employee of a state-owned grain company from northeast China. Within years he had amassed tens of millions of followers. Falungong espouses a set of exercises based on Qigong, an ancient system of exercises involving controlled breathing that practitioners believe enhances overall health by promoting the circulation of vital energy within the human body. Though it insists is is not a religion, Falungong also emphasises moral teachings mixing Buddhist and Taoist philosophies. The Chinese government once supported the movement and encouraged the practice to ease the burden on a creaky health system. - What happened 20 years ago? A major turning point came on April 25, 1999, when over 10,000 Falungong followers encircled Zhongnanhai, the Communist Party?s headquarters in Beijing -- the largest demonstration in Beijing since the Chinese army crushed the Tiananmen Square student protests a decade earlier. Participants in the silent rally protested against official harassment and demanded freedom to study the teachings of its leader and follow its beliefs. They peacefully dispersed later that day after government leaders agreed to hold talks with the group. However, Falungong's ability to mobilise large numbers of followers caught the government off guard and alarmed leaders. - What was China's response? Several months later, China banned Falungong, declaring it an illegal organisation and accusing it of "spreading fallacies, hoodwinking people, inciting and creating disturbances and jeopardising social stability." It rounded up leaders and launched a major propaganda campaign painting the group as a cult that cheats its followers. State media called Li a fake, blaming him for causing the deaths of adherents by teaching followers to refuse medical treatment and leading them to commit suicide. Li -- who had already emigrated to the US -- denied all the charges from Beijing. Tens of thousands of followers were detained in the months following the ban, according to official figures. Falungong accuses China of torturing adherents and holding many in prison and labour camps, as well as harvesting the organs of detained followers, which Beijing denies. It estimates that over 4,000 practitioners have died as a result of torture in custody and other forms of persecution in the two decades that followed. - Where is Falungong now? Though the government's campaign against the group continues, NGO Freedom House estimated in a 2017 report that millions in China continue to practice Falungong, including many who took it up after the government ban. Though actual membership numbers are unknown, Falungong has continued to get its message out through its practitioners abroad. From Washington to Hong Kong, followers gather under banners opposing the Communist government and hand out flyers to passersby. Falungong practitioners also founded the television network New Tang Dynasty, which broadcasts around the clock and has reporters stationed across the globe, as well as a newspaper, The Epoch Times, which is printed in eight languages and publishes in 21 languages online. Members of the Falungong gather at a park in Beijing for a morning workout in 1999 Protesters from the banned Falungong group being detained in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in November 1999 as they raised a banner appealing for help from visiting UN chief Kofi Annan A group of more than 10,000 protesters march in support of the Falungong spiritual movement in Beijing in April 1999 A Chilean national is to be tried in France for the suspected murder of his Japanese ex-girlfriend, with Paris to request his extradition later this year, a prosecutor said Thursday. Narumi Kurosaki, 21, went missing in December 2016 from her university residence in Besancon, a town near the Alps in eastern France, after having dinner with her Chilean ex, Nicolas Zepeda. Investigators are convinced she was killed by Zepeda in a jealous rage, but despite extensive searches, her body was never found. Zepeda, who is the sole suspect, returned to Chile shortly after she went missing, before investigators could issue an arrest warrant. He denies any involvement in her disappearance. Earlier this month, the Besancon prosecutor Etienne Manteaux travelled to Chile with a judge and two police investigators to interview Zepeda, with the announcement made on their return. "French judicial authorities will formalise an extradition request this autumn which will be presented to their Chilean counterparts," Manteaux told reporters in Besancon. "Whether he is extradited or not... it is certain there will be a trial at Besancon," he pledged. So far, Zepeda has not been arrested or charged by the Chilean authorities, with a Chilean judge previously denying a French request to detain and extradite him, citing insufficient evidence. But Manteaux said the investigators had presented all the relevant evidence during their visit. "The prosecution believes there are now enough incriminating facts to bringing Nicolas Zepeda to court for the murder of Narumi Kurosaki," he said. - Loud cries - Kurosaki, described as a smiley, gentle individual by friends, started a relationship with Zepeda after they met in Japan but the couple later split. She moved to Besancon in September of that year to study French. Investigators said Zepeda, who was working as a teaching assistant, had reacted badly to news that she had started a new relationship, posting videos online threatening her. He had also bought five litres of flammable liquid and matches at a supermarket days before Kurosaki disappeared, and when he returned his hire car, it was covered in mud. On the night of December 4, Kurosaki was last seen dining with Zepeda at a restaurant a short drive from Besancon, which is in the foothills of the Alps. He admitted going to her room afterwards for what he said was consensual sex. Later that night, fellow students reported hearing sounds of a struggle and very loud cries at around 3:30 am. But no blood was found inside her room at the university, with Manteaux saying late last year that investigators believed she may have been strangled. - 'Visibly shaken' - Ahead of the visit, Manteaux said 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. Until now, France has not sent a formal extradition request, with most countries reluctant to extradite their own nationals for trials overseas. During Zepeda's questioning on April 18, which was carried out by a Chilean magistrate in the presence of the French team, the suspect remained silent but was "visibly shaken by the 95 questions" that were put to him, Manteaux said. "It is the family's wish, in the first instance, to obtain an extradition that will ultimately see Nicolas Zepeda brought to trial here in Besancon," the family's lawyer Sylvie Galley told reporters. Manteaux has previously said that either Zepeda would be tried in Chile based on evidence handed over by the French authorities, or that the case would be prosecuted in France with the suspect tried in absentia. Earlier this month, French prosecutors went to Chile to question Nicolas Zepeda, seen here leaving a Santiago court on April 17 On the night Narumi Kurosaki disappeared from her university residence in Besancon, fellow students reported hearing the sounds of a struggle and terrified cries Eight international NGOs including Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders demanded Thursday that France suspend the delivery of boats to Libya's coastguard on concerns they would be used to intercept migrants. French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly had in February agreed to donate six boats to the Libyan navy, under which the coastguard operates, in a move she said was aimed at helping them "in the fight against illegal immigration". But the offer angered rights groups who said they would be used to block migrant boats seeking to reach Europe, forcing those on board to return to war-torn Libya. The demand was laid out in a legal challenge that was filed at the administrative court in Paris on Thursday morning. In it, the groups demand "the suspension of the decision" until the court decides whether or not the donation is legal. The court has 48 hours to make a decision. The NGOs believe forcing people to return to Libya would expose them to "serious human rights violations". - 'Callous and irresponsible' - Massimo Moratti, regional director for research at Amnesty International, said the pledge to deliver boats to the Libyan coastguard was "an unlawful and reckless decision". He said it was all the more dangerous at a time when fighting has intensified after military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive on the capital Tripoli earlier this month. "Doing it now, as the armed conflict in Libya escalates, is even more callous and irresponsible," Moratti said in a statement, warning the donation would make France "complicit" in trapping people inside the country. The NGOs accused the coastguard of having a bad track record in respecting those in distress at sea, saying it should not be given the logistical means to step up such abuses. The statement accused the coastguard of abuses including pushing those in distress back into the water, threatening them with weapons and firing towards them. The six vessels, which are to be delivered in the coming weeks, are 12-metre, semi-rigid boats made by French specialist Sillinger. As well as Amnesty and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the legal petition was joined by France's Human Rights League, immigrant support group GISTI, Lawyers Without Borders, migrant aid groups La Cimade and Migreurop and Italian research and aid group ASGI. France's defence minister said the donation of six boats was to help the Libyan coastguard "in the fight against illegal immigration" A large, flightless bird that fatally attacked a Florida man is among about 100 exotic animals from his estate now up for auction. The Gainesville Sun reports the Gulf Coast Livestock Auction will auction the cassowary that killed 75-year-old Marvin Hajos in accordance with his last wishes. Alachua County Sheriff's officials say Mr Hajos had apparently fallen down on April 12 and the bird attacked him. First responders rushed him to hospital but he died from his injuries. Cassowaries are similar to emus and stand up to 1.8 metres tall and weigh up to 60 kilograms. The animals being auctioned from the estate include two double-wattled cassowaries and five ring-tailed and ruffled lemurs. Fish and Wildlife spokesman Robert Klepper said buyers must be licensed to legally possess the animals. Authorities believed the bird used its long claws to attack the man, who had been breeding the birds, according to state wildlife officials. The large, flightless bird native to Australia and New Guinea attacked and killed its owner when he fell over. The cassowary pictured is a file photo of the breed. Source: AP My understanding is that the gentleman was in the vicinity of the bird and at some point fell. When he fell, he was attacked, Deputy Chief Jeff Taylor told Gainesville Sun. He said first responders got a call at 10am on April 12 and rushed the man to a hospital for trauma care but he died. The county sheriffs office identified the victim and said a death investigation had been opened. Initial information indicates that this was a tragic accident for Mr Hajos, sheriffs office spokesman Lieutenant Brett Rhodenizer said. The cassowary involved remains secured on private property at this time. The cassowary killed the man on April 12 on his farm near Gainesville, Florida. The cassowary pictured is a file photo. Source: Getty Images The San Diego Zoos website described the cassowary as the worlds most dangerous bird with a 10cm, dagger-like claw on each foot. The cassowary can slice open any predator or potential threat with a single swift kick. Powerful legs help the cassowary run up to 50km/h through the dense forest underbrush, the website says. Cassowaries are eaten in parts of New Guinea. The birds are not raised for food in the US, but are sought after by collectors of exotic birds, according to authorities. Story continues To obtain a mandatory permit, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission requires cassowary owners to have substantial experience and meet specific cage requirements, spokeswoman Karen Parker said. She said the commission lists the cassowary as a type of wildlife that can pose a danger to people. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. A shopping mall in the province of Laguna yesterday defended its decision to screen Avengers: Endgame in its cinemas with Chinese subtitles. This came after some Filipino moviegoers who bought their cinema tickets flat out refused to watch the movie and demanded refunds. In a statement posted yesterday on their Facebook account, Southwoods Mall, a mall located in Binan City, said that they made the decision to use the subtitles because there was a strong demand from Chinese moviegoers. The statement went: In recent years, we have noticed a strong demand from moviegoers coming from other countries, particularly those from China. As such, we have decided to make our cinemas accessible to foreign-speaking moviegoers by including subtitles in select screenings of the biggest movie of the year. Southwoods defended its decision further by saying that some Filipino movies have been screened in their cinemas with English subtitles. However, the mall gave in to customers who were demanding refunds. To our valued moviegoers who have already booked their tickets but prefer watching the film without subtitles, you may refund your tickets at the ticketing booths where the booking or purchase was made starting today, it said. The controversy involving Southwoods started when they posted on Facebook on April 17 a list of screenings where Avengers: Endgame will be shown with Chinese subtitles. Majority of the reactions were angry, and one netizen even called for a boycott of the mall. But yesterdays statement didnt seem to placate angry netizens. One netizen said that the constitution of the Philippines recognizes only two languages, Filipino and English. He said that Southwoods should put Filipino subtitles in the movie instead. Photo: Southwoods Mall FB page Meanwhile, Diane Rodriguez wrote that when these Chinese nationals decided to live in the Philippines, they should have made the decision to learn the local languages and adapt to the way of life. Story continues Watching movies with Chinese subtitles make people feel like theyre watching bootlegged movies! she added. Photo: Southwoods Mall FB page Kaji Mark Joven said that having English subtitles would help deaf moviegoers understand a film better. Why prioritize Chinese subs and Chinese moviegoers over our own? he asked. Photo: Southwoods Mall FB page Then why dont you have screenings with Tagalog sub[s]? Not all Avengers fans are fluent in English, wrote Jen Alvarez. All you think about is money, #Megaworld. Southwoods is owned by real estate company Megaworld Corporation. Photo: Southwoods Mall FB page Some Filipinos have grown increasingly worried and hostile after news has spread that too many Chinese nationals have been moving to the Philippines to work, even in blue-collar occupations that are normally reserved for Pinoys. Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in February that about half of the more than 169,000 Alien Employment Permits issued by their department from 2015 2018 were given to Chinese nationals. However, there are reports that some of these Chinese nationals are working in the country illegally. Despite this, President Rodrigo Duterte has refused to kick out illegal Chinese workers because he believes that China might retaliate and do the same to Filipino workers living there. The same opinion was echoed by his spokesperson Salvador Panelo, but Panelos claim was later rejected by the Chinese embassy in Manila. Yet Panelo and Duterte are not the only government officials taking the side of Chinese workers. The countrys special envoy to China, broadcaster Ramon Tulfo, said in March that Chinese workers are preferred here because they are more hardworking than Filipinos. Tulfo was widely slammed for his comments but he refused to apologize. This article, Mall defends decision to screen Avengers: Endgame with Chinese subtitles, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! A man allegedly carrying an axe and a knife has been nabbed by police at an Anzac Day dawn service in South Australia. Officers spotted the Kilkenny man carrying a bag with a wooden handle sticking out of it as he walked along Seaview Road at the Henley Beach service on Thursday about 7am. Police stated at no time did the man produce the weapons from the bag or make any threats. Spectators show their support during the Anzac Day march in Adelaide. Source: AAP There was a strong police presence at all dawn services around the state, an SA Police spokesman told Yahoo News Australia. He said no one was at risk during the incident and it was not terrorism related. The 41-year-old was arrested and was charged with two counts of carrying an offensive weapon. The spokesman said the man may have minor mental health issues. He was granted bail to appear in Port Adelaide Magistrates Court in June. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. Thousands of indigenous languages have disappeared in Brazil since it was colonized by Portugal in the 16th century. But more than 200 still survive in Latin America's biggest country, including one that was "resuscitated" -- with the help of its last remaining speaker -- by experts at the Federal University of Para in northern Brazil. Nelivaldo Cardoso Santana, a linguistics professor, tells AFP how he and his team were able to help 80 Xipaya indigenous people from the Xingu region learn to speak their ancestral language. - Linguistic traces - "People have long thought that only Tupi and Guarani, the two best known indigenous languages, were spoken. But there are many more, with many dialects," explains Santana. "It is estimated that there were more than 3,000 of them before the colonizers arrived," he said. "Contact with Europeans unleashed the slow death of indigenous languages. But curiously, even some of the languages that have disappeared have ended up leaving traces in Portuguese as it is spoken in Brazil, such as abacaxi for pineapple, for example." - Resuscitation - In the case of Xipaya, the university's work at resurrecting Xipaya was no small task. The indigenous group had "scattered -- most of them were working as farm laborers for large landowners," Santana explained. "They gradually got together in the 1990s and obtained land where they could settle, but they no longer spoke their language," he said. The last known speaker was an elderly woman. "We recorded her talking and singing, and we developed a basic grammar," the professor said. "Then the Indians organized cooking or craft workshops with her, giving the food or plant names in the ancestral language," he added. "Today about 80 of the Xipaya sing in this language during their festivals, formulating new sentences, and even using it to choose the names of their children." - Best teaching methods - The next step? While training people to teach the language to new students is an option, Santana says a better plan is to focus on "adult workshops, so that they can talk to their children." "For children to really express themselves in their indigenous language, they need to start speaking it at home from an early age with their parents," he said. But he noted: "As a general rule, it is important for teachers to be indigenous and to be trained in bilingual teaching methods with appropriate textbooks. "For that to happen, it would need real political will, which is lacking here in Para, where the authorities favor teaching Portuguese to the detriment of the indigenous languages." Xipaya indigenous chief Leo Xipaya walks as he waits before a meeting of tribal leaders from the Xingu area with Brazilian officials -- professor Nelivaldo Cardoso Santana is working with the Xipaya to help preserve their ancestral language Griffon vulture Nelson crossed into war-torn Yemen in search of food but ended up in the hands of Yemeni fighters -- and temporarily in jail for suspected espionage. The sand-coloured bird came down in the country's third city of Taez, an unusual move for a young vulture that can soar for long distances across continents in search of food and moderate weather. Nelson, approximately two years old, embarked on his journey in September 2018 from Bulgaria, where his wing was tagged and equipped with a satellite transmitter by the Fund for Wild Fauna and Flora (FWFF). But he seems to have lost his way, eventually coming down into Taez -- under siege by Huthi rebels but controlled by pro-government forces, who mistook Nelson's satellite transmitter for an espionage device and detained the bird. - Spy device - Forces loyal to the government believed that the GPS tracker attached to the bird may have been a spy device for the rebels. Hisham al-Hoot, who represents the FWFF in Yemen, travelled from the rebel-held capital Sanaa to Taez to plead with local officials to release the helpless animal. "It took about 12 days to get the bird," he told AFP. "The Bulgarian foreign ministry reached out to the Yemeni ambassador, who in turn contacted local officials (in Taez) and told them to immediately give the organisation the vulture." Hoot said that the bird migrated from Bulgaria, to Turkey, to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and then Yemen -- where the FWFF lost track of the bird. Nelson was MIA until April 5, when the conservation group received hundreds of messages from Yemenis concerned about the creatures' welfare. Today, the locally-famous vulture is being properly fed and getting stronger every day. "When we first took him, he was in very bad condition," said Hoot, adding that the bird was underweight. Smiling, he puts on gloves and carefully handles the majestic creature -- blowing it a kiss. - Broken wings - Hoot said the bird will be released in two months when he believed Nelson will have regained his full strength and his wing -- broken somewhere during his journey -- will have healed. "We thought at first it would take six months for him to heal, but now we don't think it will be more than two months," he said. Hoot said that Nelson was not able to find any source of sustenance in Yemen. "They can eat carcasses of dead animals, but now there is no more with the current situation of war. "This is what forced him to come down and stopped him from completing his journey." The four-year conflict in Yemen has unleashed the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations, with millions facing famine. The war escalated in March 2015 when a coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, intervened to bolster the efforts of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Since then, at least 10,000 people -- most of them civilians -- have been killed and more than 60,000 wounded, according to the World Health Organization. Other rights groups estimate the toll could be much higher. Griffon vulture Nelson was briefly detained by Yemeni fighters suspicious of the satellite transmitter tagged to his wing after he came down in the war-torn country The two-year-old bird embarked on his journey in September 2018 from Bulgaria where he was tagged by a wildlife fund Wildlife experts said the vulture struggled to find food in conflict-wracked Yemen Tens of thousands of protesters converged from all directions on Sudan's army headquarters Thursday after calls for a "million-strong" demonstration to demand the ruling military council cede power. The day after three council members resigned following talks with protest organisers, demonstrators flocked towards the central Khartoum site Thursday evening, beating drums and singing revolutionary songs, said an AFP journalist at the scene. "We want the military council out. We want a civilian government," said protester Adam Ahmed, a medical student. The rally came after Sudan's new military rulers and protest leaders agreed to set up a joint committee, to chart the way forward two weeks after the ouster of veteran president Omar al-Bashir. The Alliance for Freedom and Change, an umbrella group leading the protests, had called for a million-strong march to "continue to protect our revolution and to ensure that all our demands are achieved". Many of those rallying chanted "Blood for blood! We will not accept compensation!", demanding punishment for officials responsible for killings during Bashir's iron-fisted, three-decade rule. "All those responsible for the conflicts in Sudan should be tried and brought to justice," said protester Ismail Jadallah. Also at the protest were dozens of judges, dressed in their robes, who had marched from the constitutional court, an AFP photographer said. "We are here to give a message that the judiciary should be independent without any political intervention," a judge told journalists. But protesters expressed anger at the judges when they arrived at the demonstration, an AFP photographer said. "Leave, Leave!" protesters shouted, blaming the judges for pro-regime verdicts during Bashir's rule. An AFP photographer in downtown Khartoum said crowds of protesters had gathered earlier outside Egypt's embassy and consulate, which were surrounded by riot police. Several people held banners calling on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi not to "interfere in our affairs", after Cairo hosted a summit of African leaders who said more time was needed for a transition to civilian rule in Sudan. Across the city, demonstrators arrived at the army headquarters from the states of Jazeera, White Nile and also from Bashir's hometown Shendi, boosting the ranks of those already camped at the site, many of them for the past several weeks. The giant rally followed a late-night meeting between the military council and leaders of the protest movement's umbrella group. "We have an agreement on most demands presented in the document of the Alliance for Freedom and Change," Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman of the military council, told reporters afterwards. He did not elaborate on the key demand of handing power to a civilian government, but said there "were no big disputes". The Sudanese Professionals Association, which initially spearheaded months of protests against Bashir, described the meeting as a step towards "confidence-building". "Both sides agreed on the importance of joint cooperation to steer the country towards peace and stability," the SPA said Thursday. Writing on Twitter, the association said a "joint committee" was being set up to "discuss outstanding disputes" as part of efforts to reach a "comprehensive agreement". - 'Middle path' - On Thursday, activist Ahmed Najdi said he was expecting "a joint military-civilian sovereign council, which I think is the middle path and most protesters would agree to that". He said he would participate in the demonstration throughout the night. "More crowds are expected in the evening. We will continue our sit-in through the night, tomorrow and up until we achieve our demands," Najdi told AFP. Wednesday's meeting was followed by the military council announcing three members of the ruling body had stepped down after demands from protesters. The United States has backed protesters' demands. State Department official Makila James said Tuesday that Washington supports "the legitimate demand of the people of Sudan for a civilian-led government" and urged all parties to work together to that end. Siddiq Farouk, a protest leader, said demonstrators were preparing for a general strike if the military council continues to refuse to hand over power. The council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since his predecessor quit after barely 24 hours in the post, says it has assumed power for a two-year transitional period. Protestors have flocked to Khartoum from across the country, including on a packed train Tuesday which rolled in from Atbara, where protests began on December 19 against a decision by Bashir's government to triple bread prices. They swiftly turned into nationwide rallies against his rule and that of the military council that took his place. Protester Hayam Kamal said she had returned from the Gulf to take part in the protest. "I have been living in Saudi Arabia all my life," she told AFP. "I returned to call for our freedom and better living conditions so that I can come back and live here." The rally outside Khartoum's army headquarters has continued for over two weeks despite the fall of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir Sudanese protestors have demanded the ruling military council make way for civilian rule Protesters have kept up their sit-in outside army headquarters in the capital Khartoum Protest leaders have threatened a general strike unless their demands are met A 13-year-old girl has been found after being missing for a week. The teens mother had made a public plea for help in the search for her daughter. Queensland Police said on Friday morning the girl was found safe and well. She left an address on the Sunshine Coast on April 18 about midday, saying she was heading to an inner Brisbane suburb of Bowen Hills. A 13-year-old girl has been found after being missing for a week. Source: AAP, file Later that evening she was seen fighting with another teen girl in the Woodridge area, then getting into a car with an unknown person, Child Protection and Investigation Unit detectives said. Her mother was sent a video of the scuffle and has since been terrified of what kind of trouble her daughter could be in, 9News reported. "To see it happen at the hands of someone she called her friends made me quite sick. I pretty much collapsed, she said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. Facing criticism that it is too close to Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration has invited global regulators to a meeting on the Boeing 737 MAX next month as it works to restore confidence following two deadly crashes. The forum, scheduled for May 23 in Washington, aims to outline for civilian aviation regulators the US agency's process for returning the 737 MAX to service, an FAA spokesman said Thursday. The aircraft was grounded worldwide in mid-March following crashes by Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air that together claimed 346 lives. Those invited include the heads of aviation authorities in China, Canada, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia and European countries. The gathering comes as the FAA faces scrutiny of its oversight and questions about international civil aviation authorities' customary deference to manufacturers' domestic regulators -- in this case the FAA. "It's unusual for the FAA, or any major agency, to need to work hard to get other international regulatory agencies to go along with their decisions," said Richard Aboulafia, a vice president at Teal Group, a consultancy. "This reflects the FAA's currently diminished authority, which, hopefully, will recover with time." Scott Hamilton of the consultancy Leeham Company said American officials were working to demonstrate the credibility of their oversight of Boeing as the company works on fixes to the 737 MAX. "The FAA is going to tell international regulators what it has done to review and validate the upgrades and try and convince them what the FAA did this time is bullet-proof," he said. - No industry participation - The session, which will not have any industry participation, will "discuss the agency's activities toward ensuring the safe return of Boeing 737 MAX to service," an FAA spokesman said in an email to AFP. The agency will provide participants with the "safety analysis that will inform its decision to return the 737 MAX fleet to service in the US when it is made," the spokesman said. "Also, the FAA will provide safety experts to answer any questions participants have related to their respective decisions to return the fleet to service." FAA acting chief Daniel Elwell was grilled last month by a US Senate panel over the agency's relationship with Boeing, whether it was rigorous enough in approving new features of the 737 MAX, and quick enough to respond to the accidents. The regulator, which has historically enjoyed a strong reputation among international aviation bodies, was criticized for not immediately grounding the 737 MAX following the second fatal crash in March, a delay that raised suspicions of a too-cozy relationship between inspectors and the American aircraft manufacturer. In the end, the FAA grounded the jets only after other major regulators took the step, including those from China and Europe. The agency has also come under scrutiny for effectively outsourcing elements of its certification process to Boeing. "This is a much needed effort by the FAA to regain the confidence of the international aviation community in the certification process of the FAA," Jim Hall, the former head of the National Transportation Safety Board, told AFP. "I don't think that the FAA can regain the confidence it lost with the 737 Max failures and omissions in one meeting but it certainly is a step in the right direction." - Need for coordination - Boeing executives said Wednesday they are working closely with the FAA and other regulators to return the 737 MAX to service, but gave no timetable. The company is working on a software fix for an anti-stall system implicated in the crisis. After submitting a request for formal certification, Boeing expects to conduct a certification flight with the FAA and then to seek approval from international regulators. Analysts have predicted the planes could resume service in late summer or fall. They have also raised the possibility that the 737 MAX could make a staggered return to service if the FAA moves more quickly than other bodies to clear it for service. But Michel Merluzeau of Air Insight Research said the FAA would strongly prefer that its approval of the 737 MAX to fly again be swiftly followed by official okays from other bodies. This would help preserve the tradition of reciprocity among regulators in the certifications of new technologies to meet rising global flying demand, he said. "They want the 737 MAX to return in a synchronized manner," Merluzeau told AFP in an interview. "Otherwise, you could have the bodies operating in silos and that would slow down innovation." Acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Daniel Elwell faced tough questioning last month at a Senate hearing on the Boeing 737 MAX Workers in Renton, Washington with a A Boeing 737 MAX, the plane has been grounded globally following two deadly crashes The US recorded 695 cases of measles in 2019, the most of any year since the disease was declared eliminated at the turn of the century, officials said Wednesday, ahead of a campaign to reinforce the message that vaccines are safe. The surge comes amid a growing global movement against inoculation, with an estimated 169 million children missing out on the vital first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017, according to a UNICEF report. The UN Children's Fund found the United States topping the list of high-income countries where children had not received their first round of immunization, at over 2.5 million. It was followed by France and Britain, with over 600,000 and 500,000 unvaccinated infants respectively over the same period. The new tally of American cases confirmed by US authorities surpassed the previous high of 667 reached in 2014. - Anti-vaxxers - Resurgence of the once-eradicated, highly-contagious disease is linked to the growing anti-vaccine movement in richer nations, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as a major global health threat. The anti-vax phenomenon has adherents across Western countries but is particularly high profile in the US, where it has been fueled by medically baseless claims spread on social media. "The high number of cases in 2019 is primarily the result of a few large outbreaks -- one in Washington State and two large outbreaks in New York that started in late 2018," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. People infected with the virus brought it to the United States from Israel and Ukraine and passed it on to members of their communities, many of whom had not been vaccinated. Although New York and Washington State have been the main areas affected cases have been found in 22 states. "A significant factor contributing to the outbreaks in New York is misinformation in the communities about the safety of the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine," CDC said. In a separate statement confirming the new record, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said "measles vaccines are among the most extensively studied medical products we have, and their safety has been firmly established over many years." He added that next week, during National Infant Immunization Week, his department will carry out "a comprehensive campaign to reinforce the message that vaccines are safe and effective." In New York, an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn has been hardest hit. They were infected by visitors from Israel, where an outbreak of began a year ago. Earlier this month New York's mayor declared a public health emergency in parts of Brooklyn, ordering all residents to be vaccinated to fight measles. The New York county of Rockland declared a similar emergency in March. Washington state's Clark County has seen the outbreak concentrated among a Russian-speaking community. After a child brought the virus back from Ukraine in December it spread to 74 other people, mostly children, through schools, supermarkets and a bowling alley. Washington, in the country's northwest, declared in January a state of emergency over its outbreak of the airborne infection that causes fever, coughing and rashes that can be deadly in rare cases. - Global surge - Worldwide, measles cases rose 300 percent through the first three months of 2019 compared with the same period last year, according to the United Nations. Two does are required to protect children from the disease. But global rates of first dose were reported at 85 percent in 2017, falling to 67 percent for the second dose. The WHO recommends 95 percent for so-called "herd immunity." Tens of thousands of cases have been reported in Africa and Europe. Ukraine alone has had more than 30,000 cases and 11 deaths since January. An estimated 110,000 people, most of them children, died from measles in 2017, a 22 per cent increase from the year before, the UN children's agency UNICEF said. Among low and middle-income countries, UNICEF put declining coverage down to lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or skepticism over immunization. In this bracket, Nigeria had the highest number of unvaccinated children younger than one year, with nearly 4 million, followed by India (2.9 million), Pakistan and Indonesia (1.2 million each), and Ethiopia (1.1 million). "If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike," UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said in a statement. US health authorities say a significant factor contributing to measles outbreaks in New York is misinformation in communities about the safety of the vaccine Factfile on measles. In New York, an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn has been hardest hit by the measles outbreak Just kilometres from one of Spain's prettiest towns, Albarracin, where distinctive pink-hued medieval houses act as a tourist magnet, other villages are dead. Ahead of an election on Sunday that is tipped to be a tight race in which every seat will count, this depopulation of the Spanish interior and the problems it causes for rural voters has become a focus of attention. Two grassroots organisations in two provinces most hit by urban drift -- Teruel in the east where Albarracin is located and Soria, north of Madrid -- launched a "revolt of empty Spain" ahead of the snap polls. About 50,000 people took to the streets of Madrid in late March to draw candidates' attention to a soaring exodus from the countryside that has left parts of Spain with a population density comparable to that of northern Finland and Sweden. After a three-hour drive from Madrid, Albarracin emerges with well-preserved, picturesque fortifications, churches and houses set on a high rocky promontory. The village draws visitors from around the world, helping it to maintain about 1,000 residents. But you can drive for half an hour outside the village without seeing anyone. "The population density can drop to less than two residents per square kilometre," said Manuel Gimeno, the spokesman for grassroots group "Teruel exists". Driving through a vast area of juniper and pine trees, the 67-year-old former doctor points out several villages that are either uninhabited or "at risk of extinction". - Lack of children - As you near Calomarde, one of many villages without any children in Teruel, mobile phone coverage falls off. The village officially has 74 residents but most do not live there year-round. Last year only 24 people spent the winter in Calomarde, this year just 12, said Paqui Bauza, manager of a restaurant housed in a former school that has been closed for decades, as she served soup to a few Belgian tourists. "Politicians live in cities and from their offices they design a future for villages with measures that are about as useful as pushing water uphill," the energetic 60-year-old added. The term "empty Spain" was coined by writer and journalist Sergio del Molino in a 2016 essay by the same name about the country's depopulated interior. It applies to five regions -- Aragon, Castile and Leon, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and La Rioja -- which comprise 53 percent of Spain's territory but are home to just 15 percent of its population, according to Del Molino. Largely ignored by development plans drawn up during the 1939-75 dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, these regions saw a strong migration to cities between the 1950s and 1970s. "Spanish farmers never had the political capacity to influence institutions," said Del Molino. - 'It's over' - But with opinion polls suggesting no party will secure a majority in parliament, candidates are paying more attention to rural areas that elect about 100 of the 350 lawmakers in Spain's lower house. Under Spain's electoral system, fewer votes are needed in these rural districts to win a seat than is the case in urban areas, making them attractive battlegrounds. Spain's two main parties -- the conservative Popular Party (PP) and the Socialists -- have traditionally shared these seats but the rise of new parties has deepened competition for the votes from "empty Spain". PP leader Pablo Casado was recently seen petting a calf while the leader of centre-right party Ciudadanos was photographed sitting on a tractor. Worried that it could lose votes to upstart far-right party Vox, the PP has portrayed itself as "the party of the countryside and villages". Meanwhile Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has presented a "national strategy to fight depopulation" that includes better internet connectivity and job training in rural areas. While welcoming attention to their problems, many rural residents say politicians' promises will soon fade away. "No one will remember depopulation after the elections," said Jose Alberto Ramos, a 67-year-old former hot-air balloon pilot who lives in Calomarde. Teruel has lost nearly half of its population in the past century and the planned closure of a thermal power plant which generates 4,000 jobs could pull the plug on more villages. In Terriente, the bells of the church still chime each quarter hour. There is a bakery, a cafe and even three newborns although the local school is closed. But "when the farmers who are left die, it's over," predicted Teresa Domingo, 64, as she watched over her sheep. Terriente in the Spanish province of Teruel illustrates sparsely populated areas in the Spanish interior The depopulation of the Spanish interior has become a focus of attention ahead of the weekend election Paqui Bauza owns the only bar in Calomarde, where only 12 people now live year round Albarracin, in eastern-central Spain, is able to draws tourists but towns nearby are fading away Terriente, in the Spanish province of Teruel, still has a bakery and a cafe, along with three newborn babies Teresa Domingo warns that when the last Spanish farmers in Terriente die, the village will be gone From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Cayuga Community College AUBURN Members of Auburn Community Hospital's union for service, maintenance and technical employees gathered outside the hospital Wednesday in a picket rally where they called for a fair contract. Employees covered by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3124 union which includes certified nurses' assistants, food care workers, mechanics, radiology, medical records, and more raised signs and chants calling for fair wages, benefits and more staffing. "The bottom line is: we're not looking for millions of dollars, we're just looking for a fair contract," Becky Harris, an OB Scrub Tech, said. Negotiations on a contract began in late October last year, but did not bear fruit before the contract expired in January, and employees have been working without a contract since then. Maureen Coleman, AFSCME Local 3124 president and a respiratory therapist at the hospital, said employees both at the hospital and at the Finger Lakes Center for Living nursing home are overworked and underpaid, even before considering what she described as a chronic staffing shortage. Personal care assistants, who care for disabled and critically ill patients, for example, start with wages of $12.42 an hour, Coleman said, contrasting that difficult work with higher pay at places like McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts. In addition to low pay, several members at the rally listed high health insurance deductibles, a lack of raises for longtime employees, and being required to work 16-hour shifts in some instances due to short-staffing. Coleman, who has been on the negotiating team for five contracts, said the current process was the most difficult she's been a part of. Hospital spokesperson Matthew Chadderdon declined to discuss specifics of negotiations, but said the hospital has been consistent in negotiations over the years and said the union members were a respected part of "what makes the hospital tick." "We are bargaining in good faith and we hope that we can reach an agreement soon," Chadderdon said. Regarding staffing, Coleman said her own department has been down 1.6 full-time-equivalents for some time. Coleman also again used PCAs as an example, saying that more requirements of care fall on PCAs without the staff to accommodate it. "I truly believe the staff tries their hardest, but it's not enough. We need more soldiers on the floor," Coleman said. Chadderdon disputed that characterization, saying that staffing levels at both the hospital and living center were consistent and appropriate. According to Chadderdon, the negotiating teams are currently in a mediation process, having already met once, and were planning to meet with a mediator again on Thursday. "We look forward to meeting with the mediator and resolving this contract and continuing to take care of this community and the patients that come here every day." Numerous other local and regional unions, including members from 1199 SEIU, which represents nurses at the hospital, also attended the picket rally in a show of solidarity. Staffing levels were one of the chief concerns nurses had when negotiating their contract in 2017. Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin Love 9 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 5 Angry 5 Theresa Mendez will earn a master's degree in English at the end of this semester. But on her way to that degree, she became a master of something else something French. Through the business she started last spring, Moonflower Macarons, Mendez bakes and sells the colorful treat at area markets and by commission. She'll next be at the monthly Makers Mart Saturday at the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center, and she'll return there for the weekly Taste NY Auburn Regional Market Saturdays this summer. She'll also be at the Seneca Farmers Market Tuesdays. Mendez, 37, said she started making the meringue-based confection, which looks like a small sandwich cookie and comes in multiple flavors and colors, while managing The Corner in Skaneateles. After the pastry chef at the now-closed cafe gave notice, Mendez said, she asked to become their macaron apprentice so that she could make them while searching for a new pastry chef. If you go WHAT: Moonflower Macarons at Makers Mart WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27 WHERE: NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center, 25 South St., Auburn INFO: For more information about Moonflower Macarons, find the business on Facebook. Having grown up in Skaneateles and worked her first jobs at restaurants there, Mendez was used to learning new food skills. Managers have to know how to do everything, she said. But soon, macarons became more than work to her. She started practicing them at home, from piping and mixing them by hand to monitoring the humidity of her kitchen. "Macarons are notoriously difficult," she said. "You have to look and feel how the ingredients are coming together to know whether you've done it right." Humidity determines how long macarons should sit before going in the oven, Mendez said: the dryer, the shorter. That part of the process makes them unlike cookies. So does piping them, which is done using a pastry tube. Were macarons scooped the way cookies are, they wouldn't take their smooth, circular form. And though coloring the confections is "one of the more fun parts," Mendez said, adding the gel-based kosher dyes at the wrong time, or in too great an amount, can compromise the already finicky batter. It's a time-consuming, labor-intensive process, she said. It's also a process prone to mistakes, which can easily be eaten, Mendez said. And by last spring, she had reached the point where mistakes didn't happen too often. So, with friends and family regularly asking her to bake for events, Mendez bought a pastry case and started Moonflower Macarons. That summer, she brought her confections to the Aurora and Seneca Falls farmers markets. Making batches for markets is tricky, Mendez said. She can typically make two dozen at a time. And she wants to have enough to sell to everyone who wants them but not a single macaron more. "The point of a pastry, at the end of the day, is to run out," she said. "No one wants the last old cookie that's been sitting there all day." Filling orders is less guesswork, Mendez said. Instead, she asks customers to tell her what they'd like. A recent order for a baby shower consisted of blue and pink macarons filled with flavors not often associated with those colors, Mendez said. She can also decorate the confections with lettering, like anniversary dates, or images, like carrots for Easter or Grinch faces for Christmas. Mendez believes the visual possibilities of macarons are partly behind their rising popularity: Customers commonly share photos of her creations on Instagram, she said. But she also believes the French confection is catching on because they're bite-sized, gluten-free and because of how difficult it is to make them scarce in central New York. She'd make more if she wasn't a full-time student this spring at SUNY Cortland and this fall at the University of Buffalo, where she'll earn her Ph.D. in hopes of teaching and writing. Still, Mendez has a feeling she'll never give up macarons. "I think I have it mastered," she said. Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MELBOURNE, Australia Brian M. Race, 32, of Melbourne, Australia, passed away on April 5, 2019. Brian was born in Auburn, N.Y. and attended Weedsport Jr. Sr. High School. Brian is the son of Francine Race (Smelski) and was predeceased by his father, Mark Race. He is survived by his fiancee, Meg Gallagher, of Melbourne, Australia; sister, Rebecca Hamilton (husband) James Hamilton; nephews, Mark and Austin Hamilton; in-laws and several aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends from around the world he considered to be family. After high school he was a volunteer fireman and EMT for Sennett Volunteer Fire Department. Brian then began working for marine conservation group Sea Shepherd Global as a volunteer in 2009 on their Antarctic Anti-Whaling Campaign. After several more campaigns as chief engineer he became the organizations technical superintendent, managing the organizations world-wide fleet of ships. While he was a gifted engineer his true loves lie on land, Brian and Meg belonged to multiple bands in Australia where Brian played the drums; they loved creating music and going to shows. While Brian and Meg did not have children, they loved devoting themselves to their family of rescued fur children, Mahoney, Rogue and Bean. Brian loved figuring out how things worked; he had a talent for taking just about anything that was broken and fixing it; he also loved grilling, and got great pleasure from helping others, whether humans or animals. A remembrance memorial for Brian will be from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11, 2019, at Green Lakes State Park, 7900 Green Lakes Road, Fayetteville, NY 13066, in the old administration building. This will be a celebration in true Brian fashion with fabulous catered vegan delicacies, delectable non-alcoholic libations, and all are invited to don their finest flannel. We ask that everyone respect the vegan and non-alcoholic wishes as these values were of particular importance in his life. Brian was an avid animal rights activist and environmentalist, keeping that in mind we ask in lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Brian may be made to the following organizations: Wildlife Defense League - www.wildlifedefenceleague.org Woodstock Farm Sanctuary - http://woodstocksanctuary.org To send condolences to Brians family, go to whitechapelfh.com. We live in a world where tectonic political changes for the worse are happening in major countries of the world, including our own. It seems we are seeing in decades the reversing of the several centuries-long transition from despotism to democracy. " " The Ford Robutt can sit and rise from the car's seat 25,000 times, simulating 10 years of use in just three weeks. The white torso is the Robutt, which you can see more of in the linked video below. Ford As much as humankind collectively frets about robots taking our jobs, it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to swap places with Ford's Robutt. The Robutt (nicknamed by Ford engineers) is hardly a new concept; robotic butts are innovative ways for testing chairs and car seats, and they save human beings a lot of time and a lot of sitting. If you've ever been to an Ikea, you've probably seen their version of a chair testing machine. Of course, the Ford Robutt version is quite different from Ikea's, and the duties the Robutt performs at the carmaker's European headquarters in Germany are specific to the Ford Fiesta, and based on the dimensions of "an average large man." But it's able to enter and exit the car just like a person would, and sit and rise from the car's seat 25,000 times, simulating a decade of use in just three weeks. Advertisement According to Sam Schembari, a spokesperson for Ford, the company is well-acquainted with the Robutt, even though it arrived in Europe only recently. "Ford already uses the 'Robutt' in America," Schembari says via email. "It is used to test seats in all of our vehicles. We have been using them in the U.S. since roughly 2006." This type of robotic product testing is known as "bench testing," and it is a common stage in the development process for all kinds of consumer products. Robots are useful because they can be programmed to exact specifications, they can collect data, and they can precisely repeat the same motions, which is necessary to ensure that the products being tested are held to high standards. Then, when testing is complete, the robot can be reprogrammed to start on the next product, instead of developing a new test process from scratch for each new product. That saves companies time and money. Ford's Robutt, for instance, was designed by durability engineers at Ford headquarters, and consists of a stuffed torso (sort of like a crash test dummy) that moves on a mechanical arm. Before the Robutt, Ford used pneumatic cylinders for testing. The cylinders moved up and down for a certain period of time testing the durability of the seats' fabric and interior. However, pneumatic cylinders can't accurately replicate the way a person moves in a car seat, like the way they slide into the seat or put pressure on the side bolsters while they drive. Ford engineers call this a "perch pattern." They determined perch patterns from pressure-sensitive seat covers that illustrated how much weight drivers applied to different parts of the seat. Then the Robutt could be programmed to "behave" the way most drivers do. Ford estimates that, over the course of owning a vehicle for 10 years, drivers sit behind the wheel about 25,000 times, which is how the Robutt's test cycle was decided. The results help engineers decide where and how to make changes to the seat's design. Automakers aren't the only companies to use robotic testing to mimic human butts, either. In 2014, The Verge reported that Samsung and Apple used robots to simulate humans sitting on their smartphones. And as we've already mentioned, Swedish furniture retailer Ikea uses robots to test its chair designs. The huge retailer even installed the robots in its stores to demonstrate how they work, which is by applying pressure to the seat to test for durability over time, though Lars Almblad, test laboratory manager at Ikea of Sweden, tells us via email that the stores will be removing them next year because they're outdated. "The robots on display were initially the same as what was used in test environment," Almblad says. "However, today they don't have all the features that the 'real' test machines have. What is good to know is that what you see in display is just one test of many performed on a chair during the product development." As for the Robutt, it has accomplished its goals with the European Ford Fiesta and is now being tasked with testing Ford's entire European lineup, in addition to its ongoing duties in the United States. Now That's Creepy The testing stage of car seat development has taken some interesting forms over the years. According to Popular Mechanics, automakers have been testing vehicles with "human equivalents" since the 1930s, when they used human cadavers. In the 1940s, crash test dummies took the place of cadavers. The field has come a long way since then; a well-designed robot combined with pressure maps can provide much more information than a dead body. SEATTLEPassionate Playground LLC, makers of the patented storage system Joyboxx + Playtray, announced its products are featured in the first episode of Sex Probz, a groundbreaking online series produced by New York Magazine's standalone website The Cut. The show follows sex educators Francisco Ramirez and Lola as they solve a range of diverse problems New Yorkers face in the bedroom, including sex toys and interior decorating tips to create a more joyous sex life. In the first episode, "I'm Disabled. How Can I Improve My Sex Life? Francisco and Lola visit Mira Mariah in Brooklyn. Mira is a tattoo artist (who has inked Ariana Grande), a mom to a 4-year-old and a below-knee amputee who is on a mission to enhance her sex life as she navigates a small living space, her disability and chronic pain. The hosts video chat with Disability and Sexuality Educator Robin Wilson-Beattie, who says, The thing about chronic pain, is you have to acknowledge you may not be able to be as spontaneous as you would like to be about sexuality. Francisco and Robin give Mira premium adult products to help her with spontaneity including; a Liberator Throw, Joyboxx + Playtray antimicrobial locking storage system, Dam Pillo and Unbound wearable handcuffs and massage ring. This is a peak moment for Joyboxx to reach thousands of people in such a prestigious media outlet, Semer said. Now everyone can really spark the joy inside! I spent five years helping the amputee ward at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where I met my future investor, Jillian Murphy. So helping people with mobility challenges protect their passion is a topic very close to our hearts! The timing has been wild. We almost sold out of Joyboxx globally during a factory change when Sex Probz producer, Samantha Lee contacted us because she couldn't find a Joyboxx in New York, Semer continued. I was standing in the new factory making them, so shipped one to her, literally hot off the press! The video series first six episodes will be released each Tuesday and hopes to be picked up by a streaming service. We felt that the media landscape lacked content that covered sexual pleasure and sexual health in a smart, funny, compelling and educational way, said show producer Lee. Sex Probz, hopefully, fills that gap and paves the path for more honest, helpful videos in this sphere. See the entire episode here. During the citys first budget retreat in January, the city manager suggested Flagstaff City Council might want to look at increasing funding internally, addressing issues of staff turnover and the citys unfunded pension liability. After the April budget retreat, it appears that Council will be providing additional funds to both issues, in varying levels. The council indicated approval of a set of pay raises, suggested by the city manager, for city staff. City staff have not seen any substantial pay increases since the financial crisis a decade ago. The amount an employee receives would be dependent on how long the employee has been with the city. Depending on whether a staff member has been with the city for a year to more than five years, they will be eligible for a 1% to 3% raise. Staff turnover has been an issue for departments across the city, as Council was told by multiple division heads during the January budget retreat. In 2018, the city saw 105 staff members leave for other jobs or to retire, a 17% increase from 2017. To better combat turnover, the city conducted a survey of those who have left employment for other jobs, asking them what their reasons for leaving were. That survey showed the top three reasons city employees left were to get a better job at 91%, inadequate pay at 24% and because they were moving at 15%. Based on that information, some councilmembers wondered if pay was not the only issue leading to staff turnover. Tamara Lawless, water conservation manager and co-chair of the Employee Advisory Committee, said while there are certainly other aspects leading people to leave, the employee committee saw the lack of any raises as the top reason causing turnover. The committee, made up of 17 employees, advocates to the council and city leadership representing staff. Lawless added that what former employees meant when they cited finding a better job as the reason to leave is up for debate and could include higher pay. These pay increases will mean just over a million dollars extra going toward staff annually. The city council also indicated they would like increase the amount of money the city is paying into the retirement plan for public safety personnel. The city owes more than $100 million to the public safety pension fund, which firefighters and police officers receive upon retirement. Previous iterations of the council have made plans to slowly pay off what the city owes the fund, but it will take some time -- currently, the city is on track to complete payments in about 19 years. But a number of councilmembers said they dont want it to take that long. Councilmember Charlie Odegaard said finding ways to pay that off sooner was one of his top priorities. Vice-mayor Adam Shimoni and Councilmember Austin Aslan agreed and pointed out that once the city no longer has to pay so much into the pension fund, the council will have more money to work with on other issues. At the moment, the city is paying about $8 million annually to reduce the money owed into the pension fund. That $8 million is coming out of the general fund, which Council could instead use to further other goals. Other cities in Arizona that are facing similar issues have used voter-approved sales taxes to quickly pay down the fund, but Council agreed that was not something they were interested in pursuing at this point. However, Odegaard did suggest the city could raise the use tax in order to pay more into the fund. The use tax is applied to products purchased by residents from out-of-state vendors and most clearly affects purchases like cars. That could prove to be a benefit to local automobile dealers, but Joe Galli, spokesperson for the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, also raised concerns about how it might impact some businesses. He said some large technology-based businesses such as W.L. Gore, which often has to buy products that cant be sourced locally, may be hurt if the council goes down that path. At the moment, the city collects a 1% use tax, but that could be raised to 2.281% to match the city sales tax. Mayor Coral Evans said she wasnt interested in raising the cost of living in Flagstaff in any way -- and that included the use tax. Evans added that even if it is taking some time, the city does have a plan to pay down what is owed to the pension fund. Councilmember Jamie Whelan agreed with the mayors assessment, but in the end, Council directed staff to look at raising the use tax for that purpose. Going down that path would reduce the time it will take the city to pay what is owed to about 17 years. Updated for correction at 10:21 a.m. on April 25. Adrian Skabelund can be reached at the office at askabelund@azdailysun.com, by phone at (928) 556-2261 or on Twitter @AdrianSkabelund. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Many progressives are cheering Senator Elizabeth Warrens new proposal that promises to eliminate all student loan debt for three quarters of the 45 million Americans who owe college loans. They are also applauding the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates call for college to be universal, with free tuition at every public two- and four-year college. And she proposes a huge expansion of federal grants to make non-tuition expenses more affordable, allowing students to graduate debt free. The cost? $1.25 trillion over 10 years. This proposal is ridiculous. It is ridiculous in a way that should be salient to progressives: People who go to college typically earn higher incomes than those who dont. So debt forgiveness takes tax revenue which comes from taxpayers, not from the money tree and redistributes it to those who are relatively well-off. The U.S. government would forgive up to $50,000 in student loan debt for people in households earning less than $100,000 per year, with smaller debt forgiveness for annual incomes up to $250,000. A household with $160,000 of income gets $30,000 of debt forgiven, for example. Aside from all the ways such a plan would provide incentives to enterprising people to game the system and to colleges to inflate costs even more than they already do, theres a larger principle here: The U.S. needs to spend less public money on households earning comfortable incomes, not more. Warren estimates that debt forgiveness would cost $640 billion. To put that in perspective, it would cost about $6 billion per year to double the earned-income tax credit a federal program that subsidizes wages for low-income households for childless workers. Id rather spend the marginal taxpayer dollar expanding economic opportunity for the working poor than giving a subsidy to relatively well-off households. Moreover, what matters here is lifetime income. A household with, say, two 27-year-old college graduates earning $85,000 today should expect to earn considerably more over the next four decades. Their salaries will grow as they gain experience in the labor market. Forgiving their loans today, then, shouldnt be thought of as a transfer to a couple with a five-figure income. Instead, it is a transfer to a couple who will earn several million dollars over their working lives. Those with student debt borrowed money from the taxpayer to finance college. This is typically a great deal for those who graduate from college. Both graduates and dropouts presumably understood the deal at the outset. But particularly for those who graduated, it is unfair to the taxpayer in this case, the lender to forgive the debt. Those who drop out with significant debt do not enjoy the earnings premium that comes with a diploma. Indeed, there are many Americans though far fewer than Warren implies who are truly struggling under the weight of their federal student loans. Yet the U.S. already has a safety net in place to deal with those loan situations. For example, income-based repayment plans adjust monthly student loan payments based on income and family size, and any outstanding balance is forgiven after two decades of payments have been made. Warren should explain why these programs are inadequate. Debt forgiveness on the scale she proposes presumes a student debt crisis where one does not exist. A 2014 Brookings Institution paper by higher-education experts Beth Akers and Matthew M. Chingos finds that the monthly payment burden of borrowers has not increased over the past two decades, with the median borrower spending around 4 percent of monthly income on student loan payments. Akers and Chingos conclude: Americans who borrowed to finance their educations are no worse off today than they were a generation ago. In addition to forgiving debt from student loans, Warren would make public college free of charge to students, and would push for everyone to go to college. This is a step in the wrong direction. We need to stop sending the signal to our youth that a four-year college is best for everyone. To be fair, in focusing on two-year colleges in addition to traditional four-year degrees, Warrens plan sends a more productive message to high schoolers than does our college-or-bust culture. But two-year community colleges are already very affordable. Instead of pouring resources into traditional four-year colleges, public policy should be focused on new education models to make sure workers have the skills they need to increase their wages in the 21st century economy. The senators plan would invest resources in attempting to make higher education universal, yet in practice children raised in higher-income households will continue to be much more likely to attend college. So the free tuition component of Warrens proposal suffers from the same problem as her debt forgiveness component: It is a giveaway to relatively higher-income people a giveaway they dont need, as the labor markets rewards for a four-year diploma are much more significant than the debt students incur to earn one. Ive been pretty negative, so Ill conclude by praising the senator for wanting to pay for her proposal, rather than, say, leaning on modern monetary theory (i.e., the money tree) as rhetorical support that financing it isnt needed. She claims that the full cost of debt cancellation and universal free college would be financed by her proposed Ultra-Millionaire Tax a 2 percent annual wealth tax on the 75,000 families with more than $50 million in net worth in a nation of 128 million households. Unfortunately, her punish-the-rich tax proposal befitting its Dr. Evil-esque name will also serve to reduce savings and investment, and therefore productivity and wages. It is as misguided as debt forgiveness and free tuition. (Thats another column.) Warren is one of many Democrats who want to take the price of college to zero. And she is likely correct in her political judgment that millennial voters in her partys 2020 presidential primaries who find their student loans irritating will be attracted to her proposal to forgive their debt and create a new entitlement for their benefit. But its deeply misguided policy. And it doesnt take a college degree in public policy to see that. Michael R. Strain is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is director of economic policy studies and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the editor of The U.S. Labor Market: Questions and Challenges for Public Policy. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 From the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board: There are Americans cashing their first Social Security checks this year who had better make backup plans. By the time they hit their early 80s, the U.S. government might cut their retirement pay by 25 percent. As for Medicare, get ready to pay a larger share of the bills, retirees, because that crisis is coming on too, and soon unless the country wakes up to this financial calamity hiding in plain sight. Its amazing what happens to runaway government spending programs that are too popular to change. They become unaffordable and ultimately unsustainable. Thats the situation for Social Security and Medicare, which are on paths to insolvency. Next year, Social Security will need to start dipping into its $3 trillion reserve fund to continue making full payments to retirees, according to an annual government report released Monday. That fund would be depleted in 2035, at which time by the current trajectory retirees will get about three-quarters of their benefits. Medicares also in trouble. Its big hospital insurance fund is expected to run out by 2026. If that happens, hospitals and nursing homes wouldnt get their full compensation. Again, if Congress doesnt reform the entitlement programs in some way patients might have to pay out of pocket or see cuts in services. Again, unless the country takes action. There arent any surprises in these premonitions. Social Security and Medicare have been in shaky condition for years, but fixing them will require that members of Congress take up the politically unpopular subject of changing and reducing benefits, or substantially increasing payroll taxes. Recent presidents, including Donald Trump, havent led the charge either. Its much easier for politicians to declare entitlement programs to be too important to touch. The opposite is true, of course: Social Security and Medicare are too important to be left as they are shuffling toward insolvency. Some positive news under the Trump administration is that the economy continues to grow, with unemployment low and wages rising. Because more people now are working and collecting bigger paychecks tax revenue is rising. That puts more money in the entitlement funds. Generally speaking, Americans are feeling better about their financial prospects for retirement, according to a new poll by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Faster GDP growth alone cant preserve the solvency of these programs, however. Admitting more immigrants, which would expand the number of people making payroll tax contributions, might help. But there is no way to square the circle without curtailing the growth of benefits. There are ways to do so without hurting vulnerable people. One possibility is to curb the growth of benefits to wealthy Americans. Another is to collect more payroll tax from high earners. There are other ideas. They need to be part of the discussion as the 2020 election ramps up. Candidates may prefer to change the subject. Voters, dont let them. This is your future on the line, and your childrens future. Social Security and Medicare are basic protections for millions of Americans. All of us should support gutsy politicians wholl deliver reforms that would keep the programs solvent. The sooner that happens, the less draconian those reforms will be. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 A man accused of killing two people in Douglas last month appeared in Nebraska court Thursday afternoon for the first time since his arrest. Brindar Jangir, 36, allegedly shot and killed Annette and Randal Grimes in Douglas on March 23 after stealing a shotgun and a sword from a friend's home in Lincoln while his friend slept. Randal Grimes, 56, and Annette Grimes, 51, were the parents of a woman Jangir was living with in Sioux City, Iowa, until she moved out March 12, according to court documents. Court records also indicate that Jangir lived in Lincoln for several years before moving to Sioux City in 2017. He was extradited back to Nebraska on Wednesday from the San Diego County Jail, where he had been held since being arrested March 30 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Otay Sentri border crossing about 40 miles southeast of San Diego. Jangir was in Mexico and attempting to regain entry into the United States on foot. On Thursday, Jangir appeared in court via video monitor in Lancaster County, where he has been charged with felony possession of a stolen firearm. On Monday, Jangir will appear in court in Otoe County, where hes charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony. Jangir's ex-girlfriend, the Grimes' daughter, had taken out a protection order against him March 19, barring him from the Sioux City residence where they had been living. Investigators believe Jangir arrived unannounced at a friend's house near 70th and Adams streets in Lincoln at about 11 p.m. on March 22. Jangir had called his friend earlier, telling him about the protection order and that he needed help moving from Sioux City the next day, the affidavit said. At the house, they were in a room where a Stevens 320 shotgun sat propped against the wall, and Jangir pressed his friend about buying the gun, police said. Jangir "indicated he wanted it for protection," but the friend declined to sell it to him, police said. The friend fell asleep at about 3 a.m. and awoke about five hours later to discover Jangir had left and the unsecured shotgun was missing, the affidavit said. The shootings in Douglas, 30 miles southeast of Lincoln, were reported later that morning. Jangir was short with his answers to Lancaster County Court Judge Joseph E. Dalton's questions Thursday and said he understood the charges against him. Dalton set his bond at $250,000. Jangir will be assigned a Lancaster County public defender, and his next court appearance in the stolen firearm case is scheduled on May 23. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Tri County senior Savannah Gerlach was recently named the 2019-2020 Nebraska State FFA Secretary. Gerlach who is the Tri County FFA president said she started interviews for the position in February. We had two days of interviews in front of the nomination committee in Kearney, Gerlach said. They had half of us move forward. After that we had final interviews. We had lots of different rounds, and they got to know us more, got to know how we led, what our strengths and weaknesses were, and from there they picked seven to be the state officers. The officers were announced on April 5 during a ceremony at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Gerlach explained what some of her roles would be as secretary. The first responsibility we have is to facilitate the chapter officer leadership training in Aurora, which is the second or third week in May, Gerlach said. Throughout the summer we have other conferences and business tours, lots of different facilitations that we do. Gerlach will be attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the fall, where she will major in agriculture. Gerlach said during her second semester of college, she will be attending chapter events throughout the state. So Ill be traveling all that semester, traveling chapter to chapter talking to FFA, and also doing leadership conferences throughout the year, Gerlach said. Gerlach said she has been an FFA member throughout high school, and has a supervised agricultural experience through the swine production at her familys farm. My family raises show pigs just a couple miles out of Dewitt, Gerlach said. From the time I was little, I grew up helping with chores. Im basically my dads hired hand. I get to enter all of the things that I do with my dad into my records for my SAE. She explained that show pigs are used for livestock showing at county fairs. People can use them for slaughter and meat and everything, or they can show them all around the state of Nebraska or the country, depending on how far they want to take it, Gerlach said. Gerlach said she is grateful to the community for supporting her FFA work. Im really lucky to have my advisor through FFA that has been so supportive of me, Gerlach said. My whole school has been really supportive, too. Im rally thankful and blessed to have the community around me that I do. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. If you want to anger almost any American farmer, write something less than flattering about the declining use of biofuelsespecially ethanolin the U.S. today. If you want to really anger almost any American farmer, write something unflattering about biofuelsespecially ethanolthat includes the sentence, U.S. farmers, particularly cornbelt farmers, have gotten a really bad deal from the Trump Administration on the biofuels front. Both statements are true, according to Scott Irwin, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois who, word-for-word, offered the latter one. On April 12, Irwin, who specializes in evaluating the economic factors that affect corn and soybean prices, published an analysis of todays ethanol market on the universitys farmdocDAILY website under the workmanlike title of Implications of Recent Trends in U.S. Gasoline Consumption for Ethanol. The seven-page report, however, was anything but workmanlike. For example, in it Irwin calculated that a forecasted 26.1-billion-gallon decline in yearly U.S. gasoline usage by 2030 will drain 2.6 billion gallons of U.S. ethanol use from this years estimated 14.3 billion gallons over the next decade. That means the projected decline in the E10 blend wall represents approximately 930 million bushels of lost corn demand, not considering the offset of lost DDGS [Distillers Dried Grain and Solubles, a co-product of ethanol] production on feed demand. When DDGS are figured in, Irwin estimated the total loss of yearly corn demand would be closer to 650 million bu., not a billion bushel punch in the face but still a hard smack. But thats only if the U.S. gasoline market doesnt slide further south than the already dismal forecast predicts. The best case scenario for future American gasoline use, Irwin noted in an April 23 telephone interview, is flat-line use; neither up nor down from today. Moreover, he added, I feel pretty confident in saying weve reached peak gas usage (in the U.S.) because this projection from EIA [the U.S. Energy Information Administration] doesnt even have electric cars coming on strong before 2030. If one of the nations foremost ethanol market analysts is pretty confident that the U.S. has reached peak gasoline consumptiona decade before electric cars even become a market factorthen farmers should be equally aware that peak ethanol consumption has likely occurred, also. Which is why, Irwin noted in his April 12 analysis that It is surely no surprise why the U.S. ethanol industry is pushing so hard for expansion in the use of E15raising the ethanol-gasoline blend from 10 percent to 15 percentwhich may be required for the industry to just stay even in total domestic consumption of ethanol. The push, however, is being met head-on by Big Oil. First, gasoline retailers are not going to hand over another five percent of their now-eroding market without a very tough fight. Also, It will cost billions for 150,000 gas stations in the U.S. to add E15 pumps, Irwin estimates. No one, not industry, government or agriculture, is stepping up to pay even a part of that tall tab to make E-15 readily available if and when it receives government go-ahead. An even tougher task for farmers, though, might be addressing what the White House is doingand, in some cases, not doingsays Irwin. Despite the Trump Administrations often-expressed support of biofuels, farmers have complained bitterly that the White Houses retroactive ethanol blending exemptions for nearly 50 refiners in 2016 and 2017 cost ethanol makers 2.25 billion gallons in sales in 2018. Irwin is more blunt on the exemption issue: What Trump is doing is illegal. That isnt a political statement; that is a statement of fact. Illegal though it may be, ethanol still faces a shrinking gasoline market, a hard fight just to keep its exemption-threatened share of that shrinking market, an even harder fight to get E15 into general use, and a White House whose behind-the-scenes actions belie its public words. Little wonder, then, why market analysts worry about the future of biofuels; theres dwindling sunshine wherever they look. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Outgoing UNC System President Margaret Spellings and UNC Board Chairman Harry Smith at a Jan. 15 emergency meeting of the Board of Governors. (CJ photo by Don Carrington) UNC System organization chart (for a larger image click HERE) The University of North Carolina System is governed by confusion, and the problem is as much systemic as it is situational.Personal relationships and organizational uncertainty make it tough for UNC to function without conflict - and to manage its public image, says Andy Taylor, professor of political science at N. C. State University.Former UNC System President Margaret Spellings summed up the situation during a press meet-and-greet in November, just weeks before leaving her job Jan 15. A veteran of politics and a former U.S. Secretary of Education, Spellings faced myriad crises during her short stint at UNC.House Bill 2. Confederate statue Silent Sam. Board politics and leadership.For Spellings, the many narratives could be traced to a core conflict.she told reporters in November during a final press gathering.After months of growing tensions at UNC-Chapel Hill over the fate of its felled Confederate statue, a board-led rejection of Spellings' candidate for the open chancellorship at Western Carolina University, and visible strain between Spellings and UNC Board of Governors Chairman Harry Smith, the outgoing president avoided questions about how much UNC's governance factored into her decision to leave.She did, however, give her personal assessment of the larger situation.Spellings entered the North Carolina scene as legal battles were the norm - the governor, the superintendent of Education, the State Board of Elections, General Assembly.And the UNC System.That amount of dysfunction should summon questions, she said.The question lingers, even three months after her departure.The UNC System is a wide-reaching umbrella with power that ultimately belongs to members of the North Carolina General Assembly. The legislature appoints members of the BOG. The BOG hires or fires the president. The president presides over the chancellors of UNC's 17 campuses, the system office, and UNC Health Care.But the system's leadership flow-chart fails to detail the BOG's relationship with campus boards of trustees, or even illustrate the amount of interaction the governing body should have with the schools and chancellors.It's a tangle of undefined roles, as demonstrated by recent events.UNC's politically experienced interim president, Dr. Bill Roper, and powerful chairman, Smith, have publicly touted the success of all 17 UNC schools. They've also called for more transparency and accountability across the system. But while some successes are prominent, the optics don't always line up.While Roper transitioned from the top spot at UNC Health Care into his new role at the system office, Carol Folt resigned as chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill, giving the remnants of Silent Sam the boot on her way out.When it came to dealing with Silent Sam, Folt's hands were tied by a law prohibiting the removal of historic monuments without express permission from the N.C. Historical Commission. After protesters toppled the Confederate monument, Folt was tasked with finding a home for Silent Sam that both complied with the law and satisfied the UNC-Chapel Hill community.The historical commission punted on the decision, and the Board of Governors assigned Folt and the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees to come up with a solution. The campus recommended the statue be housed on campus in a history center that would cost $5.3 million to build.The BOG rejected that suggestion. Instead, a special committee of board members will decide the statue's fate. That conversation is ongoing. The timetable for resolution keeps being pushed back.Barely two months after Folt threw in the towel at Chapel Hill, East Carolina University Chancellor Cecil Staton announced his departure and said conversations about his egress had been ongoing forTrusted sources toldin November that Staton had plans to step down by Jan. 1, and that discussions of a large severance package were in process. At the time, Staton flatly denied the reports.On March 18, Staton announced his resignation, saying he signed a non-disparagement agreement and that conversations about his resignation had been taking place forHe received an almost $600,000 severance package.The exits of Spellings, Folt, and Staton signal issues within the system, even if those difficulties are simply a public relations mess, Taylor said.In the case of Folt, the chancellor appeared to be mostly respected on campus, Taylor said. Folt was challenged in handling a convoluted political process to decide the fate of Silent Sam, ultimately facing opposition from many fronts, including the BOG.In the case of Staton, ECU's chancellor ran afoul of powerful players such as Smith, and, in Staton's words,his own resignation.asked during a March news conference who instigated Staton's departure. Roper, who during the same conference touted his belief in transparency, refused to respond:Exemptions from public records laws, such as the personnel clause claimed by Roper, allow board members to conduct much of their business in the dark. That lack of transparency does nothing to clear public doubt about the role of the board - and about how it functions in relation to the UNC System, Taylor said.When combined with strong personalities and political relationships, that dim light on board proceedings becomes a hazard, Taylor said.Taylor said.Some board relationships reached a boiling point in mid-March, when BOG member Steve Long released a public letter criticizing Smith after Staton announced his resignation.Long, who served as the board's liaison to ECU, was an outspoken supporter of Staton's, and he alleged Smith had aagainst the chancellor. Smith consistently tried to undermine the chancellor's leadership after Staton refused to back a student housing deal the chairman wanted to make with ECU, Long wrote.Long wrote.Only a few days later, and after reports that he would be publicly censured for the letter, Long apologized to Smith and other board members for his handling of the situation during the board's March 22 meeting. Long never apologized for what he said, but the matter was over as quickly as it began.Smith toldLong came to him March 20, and the two governors had a conversation. Long's public apology followed.Long declined to comment for this story.Ultimately, the UNC Board of Governors reflects the will and power of the General Assembly.According to state law, members of the board are appointed by the House and Senate. In 1971, the legislature orchestrated the current board structure, turning it from a board of trustees into a governing body.The board was once composed of 32 members. In 2017, the legislature voted to cut eight seats from the table over time, reducing the BOG to 24 governors as some members' terms end.The current board is composed of 28 members. That will drop to 26 in July.The body is full of differing opinions, but not necessarily of the partisan variety, said Senate Leader Phil Berger March 21.Berger said.Berger, who holds tremendous sway over appointments to the board, pointed to successes of the body, particularly the turnaround- financial and otherwise - of Elizabeth City State University.Berger said.he said.Some other specific examples of successes under the Board of Governors include implementation of the state's NC Promise plan, a $500 tuition in-state tuition program at three campuses, including ECSU. The board also has improved relationships with the N.C. Community College System. Under the BOG's leadership, and the direction of the General Assembly, the UNC System opened teaching programs at five underperforming public schools across the state.Additionally, the board, under the leadership of former president Spellings, put in place a strategic plan to set system wide goals for access, affordability, efficiency, student success, economic impact, and community engagement.While those accomplishments are notable, poor optics and transparency cloud the picture, Taylor said.Members of the general public, as well as UNC faculty, staff, and students, perceive the board as overreaching and problematic.In January, a group of 200 ECU alumni, donors, and community leaders - including Greenville's mayor - sent a letter to the BOG asking them to keep Staton on board.In February, a group of former BOG members, big-name supporters, and campus faculty and alumni now exceeding 1,600 signed onto an effort called Reform UNC System Governance. The band, which included former BOG member and well-known Wilmington businessman Fred Eshelman, called out the body forIt also called for a balanced and independent board.the group's website states reached out to Eshelman, but a representative said he wouldn't comment.In March, former UNC President Erskine Bowles, a Democrat, and former Charlotte mayor and gubernatorial nominee Richard Vinroot, a Republican, penned an op-ed in thecalling for more balance and less partisanship on the board.While trimming the number of board members is a start toward more manageable, efficient government, it doesn't clear much of the fog that hangs over the situation, Taylor said.he said. Allowing competition and removing government obstacles Allowing tax increases, removing safeguards against government intervention In 2011, a then-new Republican majority in the N.C. General Assembly was alarmed at an expensive new trend in local government. Residents in Wilson, Salisbury, Mooresville, Davidson, and Morganton were being hit with higher taxes and even electricity and water rates as their cities were bleeding money. Why?To pay for their cities' decision to enter into a private market service, namely to offer broadband services. In 2009-10, the John Locke Foundation cautioned Salisbury and Wilson against the boondoggles, and subsequent events proved us right.By 2011, Wilson was borrowing from its municipal electric and gas funds to make up for an over $11 million shortfall in its Greenlight network. Mooresville and Davidson's MI-Connection had posted consecutive losses of $5.6 million, $6.8 million, and $6.4 million. Salisbury was borrowing millions of dollars from its water and sewer fund to support its Fibrant network, saw its bond rating downgraded, and last year easily passed a voter resolution to lease the network.In response, the new Republican majority passed the Level Playing Field Law in 2011. Among other things, it stops (some) unfair competition, requiring new local government broadband systems to comply with the same federal, state, and local laws binding their private competitors. It prevents required subscribership from individuals or developments and ends the use of cross-subsidization to cover losses and price services below cost. It also forbids local governments from using bonds not approved by voters to fund the services.The Level Playing Field Law passed with the understanding that the private sector, featuring competing enterprisers seeking new opportunities and innovations, is best suited to solve difficult market problems. One such problem is how to connect relatively sparse rural populations to high-speed broadband.For example, WUNC reported on April 3 about how smaller companies were sprouting up across North Carolina to bring rural broadband services. These enterprises are using their own resourcefulness to get around the infrastructure problem, such as posting transmission equipment on grain elevators, water towers, even sweetgum trees In 2017, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University offered three recommendations to North Carolina policymakers seeking greater broadband access in underserved areas of the state:First, rely on the private sector. Public networks are inherently risky, pricy, and likely to take users away from and depress development of private networks. Second, lessen state and local regulatory obstacles to building wireless infrastructure on public property and public rights-of-way. Finally, consider direct vouchers to underserved residents to buy their own broadband and services at a discount, since vouchers would induce private investment more effectively without saddling locals with redundant public networks many won't use.But has the current General Assembly forgotten about its concern back then? House Bill 431 , which has several dozen co-sponsors, would allow a local government to build broadband infrastructure and service to lease to a private company. It would expressly allow the local government to use property taxes, revenue bonds, and other unrestricted funds to fund it. It would create an exemption in current law so that the lease could extend up to 25 years, and it would even exempt the system from the Level Playing Field Law.Are legislators less worried than they used to be about governments getting intertwined in private markets and raising taxes and costs on their own citizens? That would be a shame if so. Especially if the real costs of the service were hidden in property tax hikes instead of direct service costs. This sleight-of-tax is exactly the sort of cross-subsidization problem the General Assembly of 2011 sought to prevent.Who would compete against a company awarded such a lease? The local government would build the company's infrastructure, charge the locals for it in their involuntary role as taxpayers (not as voluntary consumers), and lease it to a chosen "winner" company.It's unlikely a small innovator would take on a propped-up competitor. But maybe a new entrant with a next-generation idea could. Either way, local taxpayers would still be paying for the infrastructure on lease, obsoleted or not.Another bill, House Bill 398 , would appropriate $15 million from the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund to the "Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology" Fund the General Assembly created last year. The fund received $10 million last year, but broadband advocates complained the fund was too small, focused only on rural poor, and could fund broadband speeds starting at 10 megabits per second, considered too slow to support more than one connection in a house.Finally, House Bill 387 would address the issue more along the lines of Mercatus' second recommendation. It would allow electric membership corporations to apply for federal grant funding to install broadband infrastructure along their easements and rights-of-way.In December 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $600 million grant program to be used byHB 387 would remove state impediments to electric membership corporations from being able to participate in this program.Streamlining permitting and removing regulatory roadblocks to building wireless infrastructure is a more straightforward way of connecting rural customers to high-speed internet service. Going back to the well of having local governments tax their citizens to build it themselves, even to lease it to a handpicked "winner" company, is a known budget-buster.That's true even if the legislature decides to build budget-busting into the bill. If it was a problem in 2011, why isn't it now? This General Assembly should remember its history of fiscal and regulatory responsibility. Encouraging competition, removing obstacles to enterprise, and smoothing the path are better ways to see a market need being met without tax increases. Have Sheriff Offices in North Carolina, possibly even Beaufort County's Sheriff Office, become too political in the discharging of their sworn constitutional duties? No, the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Yes, the Sheriff Office, on strong occasion, often reverts back to political patronage in the dispensation of their sworn constitutional duties. Advocates at a human trafficking awareness event Thursday said understanding of the problem is growing in Billings. For example, at a family violence conference in 2015, trafficking survivor Savannah Sanders asked attendees where they'd refer a 13-year-old trafficking victim for services and overnight shelter. "No one in the room had an answer," said City Councilwoman Penny Ronning. The moment helped spur Ronning and co-founder Stephanie Baucus to organize the Yellowstone County Area Human Trafficking Task Force, which hosted the Red Sand Project event Thursday at Montana State University Billings. Zonta Club of Billings also helped put on the event. Since the 2015 conference, awareness has spread about the problem and about local resources, such as Tumbleweed, a homeless and runaway youth services organization, Ronning said. Speakers at the event included Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.; FBI Special Agent Brandon Walter; Sanders, the trafficking survivor; and Reno Charette, director at the MSUB Native American Achievement Center. Attendees then spread red sand along sidewalk cracks in honor of trafficking victims. Montana State University Billings will host a human trafficking awareness event Thursday. The Red Sand Project event is one of many held around the world to visually represent victims of trafficking by pouring red sand into sidewalk cracks. "We cant merely walk over the most marginalized people in our communities those who fall through the metaphoric cracks," the Red Sand Project website reads. The project was created by Molly Gochman, a New York City artist and activist. It's been replicated in all 50 states and in 70 countries. The event in Billings will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday at MSUB's Peak to Plains Park. Speakers include Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.; FBI Special Agent Brandon Walter; FBI Victim Advocate Michelle Stewart; and trafficking survivor Savannah Sanders. Representatives from Tumbleweed, a youth crisis organization, will speak about their work and the scope of the problem locally. First United Methodist Church at 2800 Fourth Ave. N., recently hosted its annual Diaper Drive to help the Family Promise of Yellowstone Valleys Community Diaper Bank. This year, the congregation also invited all the other Methodist congregations in Billings to join, which resulted in the gathering of more than 15,000 diapers. According to Family Promise, the diapers will be distributed at the Family Promise Day Center, through the Community Diaper Bank, the only National Diaper Bank in Montana. To donate diapers, drop off donations at the Family Promise Day Center at 10 S. 26th St. For more information, including other donation and volunteer opportunities, go to familypromiseyv.org, or call Felicia Burg at 294-7432. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A man who assaulted two tourists inside a Yellowstone National Park bathroom last year should serve more than seven years in prison, a judge ruled Wednesday. Jackson Burley Coombs, 30, received the sentence as part of a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and simple assault. Park rangers arrested Coombs on July 18 at the Xanterra Cabin Community bathrooms after he attacked a woman and her traveling companion, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Coombs wrapped his face in toilet paper and hid inside a stall in the womens bathroom prior to the attack, authorities say. He attacked the woman after she entered a stall, punching her in the face and at one point grabbing her by the jaw. The womans cries for help attracted her traveling companion, who went to help her, according to the Justice Department. Coombs then assaulted him, before using bear spray on both of the victims. A passerby helped subdue Coombs until rangers arrived. BISMARCK, N.D. Before a suspect entered a Bismarck bank on Wednesday and attempted to rob it, he had escaped from federal custody. Rondal Heitsch, 54, entered Starion Bank Wednesday morning, demanded money and stated he had a bomb in his backpack, according to Bismarck police. He was arrested shortly after. He is currently in custody in the Burleigh-Morton Detention Center. Before his arrest on Wednesday, Heitsch already had a conviction for bank robbery. Federal Bureau of Prisons records indicate he absconded Wednesday. Federal authorities said Heitsch had been placed at Centre Inc., a residential re-entry program in Mandan. Heitsch pleaded guilty to a federal bank robbery charge in 2017. According to court records, on Sept. 21, 2016, Heitsch went into Bremer Bank in Bismarck and handed a note to a bank staffer, who passed him $6,045 cash. Bismarck police officers found him later that day near the Missouri River by the Expressway Bridge with $6,044 on him. Heitsch was sentenced in April 2017 to about five years in federal custody. An earlier version of this story online caused confusion. The bank locked down today while verifying the suspect was still in custody. (Reach Blair Emerson at 701-250-8251 or Blair.Emerson@bismarcktribune.com) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 A man is in custody after walking into a Bismarck bank Wednesday demanding money from an employee and stating he had an explosive device. Bismarck police got a call at about 9:30 a.m. about a bomb threat at Starion Bank, which is located at 333 N. Fourth St. Bismarck police Lt. Luke Gardiner said Rondal Heitsch, 54, entered the bank, told an employee he wanted money and said he had a bomb in his backpack. Police did not say how much money was requested. The Tribune does not typically identify suspects until they are charged, however Heitsch pleaded guilty to a federal bank robbery charge in 2017. On Sept. 21, 2016, Heitsch entered Bremer Bank in Bismarck and handed a note to a bank staffer, who passed him $6,045 cash. Bismarck police officers found him later that day near the Missouri River by the Expressway Bridge with $6,044 on him. Heitsch was arrested Wednesday about 45 minutes after police were called. The Bismarck Police Department's Bomb Squad and West Dakota SWAT team cleared the building, which took about 30 minutes, according to Gardiner. The program would create a new state department of early childhood to oversee private preschools and Head Start programs, funded with $3 million in 2020. Public school-based preschools would be supervised by the Office of Public Instruction and regulated by existing rules from the Board of Public Education, with $8 million in funding set aside for 2020. In the intervening year, $2 million would help keep the STARS program a pilot program for public preschool passed in 2017 afloat, and $3 million would aid programs currently in their final year of funding from a federal grant. The two programs are credited with adding more than 1,000 high-quality preschool slots. Several STARS programs said their classrooms would fold without new funding. Some programs aided by the federal grant said they planned for expiring funding and won't need deep cuts, while others are less certain. Gov. Steve Bullock supported Moore's bill, as did Rep. Casey Schreiner, a Great Falls Democrat who carried an earlier Bullock-backed public preschool proposal that failed. But several school advocacy groups opposed the bill because of its inclusion of public money for private programs and concerns about the creation of a new state agency. JACKSON, Wyo. Grand Targhee Resort in northwest Wyoming is proposing an expansion that would increase its skiable acreage by 50% but retain its low-key atmosphere. Owner and General Manager Geordie Gillett told the Jackson Hole News & Guide that the U.S. Forest Service recently received the resort's 147-page master plan for consideration. The plan proposes new chairlifts, new restaurants, more snowmaking, a zip line, an aerial adventure course and more. Gillett says he's aware the expansion plans raise concerns but he says the resort has no intention of ruining the low-key experience it provides customers. The proposal has to be accepted under the National Environmental Protection Act and pass an environmental assessment. Gillett says the summer of 2021 is a realistic goal of when expansion work could begin. +11 Wyoming's Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole Mountain ski areas a study in contrasts ALTA, Wyo. Although separated by about 14 miles of serrated Teton Mountain peaks, Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole Mountain resorts seem a wor Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CASPER, Wyo. The wife of a Casper doctor accused of conducting a drug conspiracy that resulted in the overdose death of an Arizona woman pleaded guilty to a single criminal count Wednesday, the eve of her husband's trial. Lyn M. Kahn, 47, entered her plea to the federal drug distribution conspiracy charge as part of an agreement with prosecutors that caps her potential prison time at two years. Her attorney will be able to argue at her July sentencing hearing that she serve only probation for the conviction. When she entered the plea in an upstairs courtroom of Casper's federal courthouse, Kahn said her husband, Dr. Shakeel Kahn, had written painkiller prescriptions for her daughter in late 2015 or early 2016. She filled the prescriptions, she told a judge, and gave the pills to her husband who later delivered them to his brother. Lyn Kahn also said during the hour-long proceeding that she mailed painkillers to a Massachusetts man on the instruction of her husband. The Massachusetts man, Paul Beland, pleaded guilty to three felonies last year and prosecutors have indicated they will call him to testify at the doctor's trial. Attorneys are set to begin selecting a jury on Thursday for the trial of the doctor and his brother, Nabeel Kahn. CHEYENNE, Wyo. A Wyoming county plans to submit an application to state officials for $6 million for the construction of a manufacturing facility that officials say could bring more than 80 new jobs to the area. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports Laramie County commissioners on Tuesday approved resolutions authorizing submission of an application for a $3 million grant and $3 million loan to the Wyoming Business Council. If awarded, the money would fund construction of a 57,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse facility that would be leased by Innovive, which manufactures plastic disposable caging products for laboratory rodents used in biomedical research. The Wyoming Business Council is expected to consider the funding application May 16. If approved, the application would then move to the State Loan and Investment Board for consideration June 20. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 JACKSON, Wyo. High housing costs in Jackson have the commission that oversees the Wyoming Game and Fish Department considering moving its workforce out of the region. The Jackson Hole News and Guide reports Commissioner Patrick Crank told his colleagues on Wednesday that the agency can no longer afford to live in the "land of the billionaires." Wyoming's Economic Analysis Division reported five years ago that Teton County housing cost 157 percent of the state average. The expense of rent and mortgages today has jumped to 213 percent of the Equality State's mean, more than double the average. Game and Fish Deputy Director of Internal Operations John Kennedy closed the discussion committing to starting soon on exit proposals. Regional supervisor Brad Hovinga was given no specific deadline for generating a proposal. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 3 We are extremely grateful that Montana Senate members listened to the voices of supporters, advocates and the terminally ill from across the state to defeat House Bill 284, a bill that would have taken away a terminally ill patients ability to obtain a prescription for medical aid in dying, a personal freedom that the citizens of Montana deserve. We are a group of physicians who were. once again, targeted this legislative session by another zealous attempt by a small group of lawmakers to overturn the 2009 Montana Supreme Court decision. In a suit filed on behalf of a terminally ill truck driver from Billings, Bob Baxter (Baxter v. Montana), the court ruled that medical aid in dying specifically deferred to a patients own decisions and affords dying Montanans the autonomy to decide how they live out their final days. Collectively, we have practiced medicine in Montana for hundreds of years and have cared for hundreds of thousands of patients, some of them terminally ill. We are physicians that HB284 would have sent to prison. Some among us have written prescriptions for our terminally ill patients who were suffering and others among us may be in the position to do so some day. And although some of us may be retired, we are fully supportive of patient-directed end-of-life care for the terminally ill. Legislators should not deny terminally ill Montana citizens the freedom to live out their final days and weeks as they see fit. It is fitting that HB284 is dead. I am writing in support of Senate Bill 239, legislation that will spur critical investment in broadband across Montana. I currently live about 15 miles outside of Helena and find myself with no options for wire line broadband services. The wire line speeds simply arent fast enough to be called broadband and they certainly are not fast enough to allow me to stream videos and more importantly connect into my companys network and work from home. Many of the reasons we love living in Montana, including our wide-open spaces, our mountains, or our rural way of life also create tremendous challenges when it comes to ensuring that we have the broadband infrastructure we need to ensure we arent left out of the new digital economy. The Montana legislature has passed bipartisan legislation to address one of those challenges, the extremely high cost of installing broadband in Montana. At a cost of $30,000/mile and $10,000 per rural Montana customer, the investment to build more broadband just doesnt pencil out for many companies. Senate Bill 239 addresses those costs by providing a temporary property tax moratorium on new fiber broadband investment. This public-private partnership will reduce the cost of new broadband investment 3% to 6%, helping providers make the broadband investment pencil out. I urge Gov. Bullock to sign SB239 and help us invest in broadband infrastructure. Kelly Rio Great Falls Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This year 11 lions were harvested in the two hunting districts, one over the quota. Taylor said FWP would rather have lion hunters remove the animals from the district than the agency having to do it because of a conflict with a landowner. FWP will even provide contact info to landowners who dont know any lion hunters, Taylor said, although thats not common. Most of the time landowners know somebody, she said. FWP is also proposing a much smaller lion quota increase in HD 560, which extends south from Big Timber along the Boulder River. Lion incursions into the community have increased, prompting local FWP biologist Justin Paugh to recommend a loosening in the quota from seven lions with a subquota of three females to eight lions with a subquota of four females. Weve gotten in the last three years or so more lions in town, mostly in the winter, following deer into town, Paugh said. Were trying to address that to some degree. On Saturday, the University of Mary will graduate its first student in its engineering program. The program, which began enrolling students in 2016, was created in response to a soaring demand for engineers in the western North Dakota oil patch, as well as interest from students. In addition to graduating the first student in the program, U-Mary will also break ground Monday on a new multimillion-dollar School of Engineering. The school will be located at the old university dining hall, which was replaced by the Lumen Vitae University Center. The dining hall is part of the original campus, built when the university was called Mary College. "Generations of University of Mary students, graduates and alumni have enjoyed this space, and now it will be thoughtfully repurposed into a world class center for the preparation of engineers," Monsignor James Shea, president of the university, said at a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday. The engineering program currently has about 90 students, and, in the fall, hopes to enroll about 120 students. "The demand for engineers, not just here in our region, but from all over the country has been magnificent," Shea said. Michael Gorder, a senior, started in the engineering program three years ago when there was only one engineering professor now there are 10 teaching faculty members. "Even though the process wasn't easy, I really enjoyed the challenge of being the first engineering graduate to go through the program," Gorder said Thursday. As a student, Gorder interned with the city of Mandan, as well as with Moore Engineering in Bismarck, which is where he got a job at after graduation. University officials plan to have the construction completed on the School of Engineering by fall of 2020. So far, they've raised $10 million for the school, and need another $2 million to complete the construction. A total of $15 million is the final goal for the project. Among those who donated to the School of Engineering is the Dakota Access Pipeline developer, Energy Transfer Partners, which donated $3 million toward construction, as well as another $2 million to go toward a U-Mary workforce development initiative. Chris Curia, executive vice president of human resources for Energy Transfer Partners, said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the company donated to the university due to the need for more qualified engineers in the oil and gas industry. "Why do we support this program? There's a tremendous need for engineers all across the country, not just our industry," Curia said. University officials also released the results of their workforce study, which will be used to determine workforce development needs and create new education and training programs. Brian Opp, a workforce development strategist for U-Mary, said they learned more has to be done to retain workers in North Dakota, as well as existence of a "skills gap" in regards to "soft skills," such as communication and writing, and "professional skills," including project management. "We were able to dig deeper and gain a deeper understanding of those challenges and how they may apply to education, or, in other words, what can we do about it as higher education," Opp said Thursday. The report aims to identify potential education and training programs the university could develop. (Reach Blair Emerson at 701-250-8251 or Blair.Emerson@bismarcktribune.com) Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A backer of marijuana decriminalization efforts in the North Dakota Legislature said she was disappointed by an amended bill that advanced Wednesday. A House-Senate conference committee agreed to reduce penalties for possessing less than a half-ounce of marijuana from a Class B misdemeanor to an infraction, which carries a maximum fine of $1,000. As approved by the Senate earlier this month, the bill would have imposed a noncriminal fine of $250 for that amount of the drug. But the new bill also bumps up penalties for possessing between an ounce and a half-pound of marijuana to a Class A misdemeanor, and having more than a half-pound would be a Class C felony. The latter offense carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Currently, state law imposes Class B misdemeanor penalties for possessing any amount of marijuana, though Rep. Shannon Roers Jones, R-Fargo, said people carrying larger quantities can face charges for "intent to deliver." Roers Jones, who sponsored a previous decriminalization bill that failed in the House, said she was disappointed by the committee's actions. She noted that an infraction still creates a criminal record. "It is absolutely not decriminalization," Roers Jones said of the updated bill. Voters rejected a marijuana legalization ballot measure last year, but supporters are preparing for another run in 2020. Decriminalization backers have argued it could help alleviate criminal justice concerns stemming from such a push. Rep. Kim Koppelman, R-West Fargo, called the amended bill a "happy medium because the Legislature clearly is addressing the issue." The full House and Senate still have to approve the bill before it can go to the governor's desk. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 A bill that would create an aquatic nuisance species fund has passed both houses of the North Dakota Legislature and will be forwarded to the desk of Gov. Doug Burgum for final approval. Senate Bill 2293 authorizes $1.5 million for an ANS program to be administered by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. ANS includes a variety of plant and animal species, such as Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussels. There are many ways ANS can be spread. One way is by attaching to watercraft and being transported from one body of water to another. An example is the zebra mussel, which arrived in the Great Lakes in 1988 in ballast water of a cargo ship. Zebra mussels are native to Eastern Europe and western Russia. They have been identified in numerous lakes in neighboring Minnesota and in the Red River that forms North Dakota's eastern border. Zebra mussels attach to virtually anything in the water, sometimes in such numbers that they choke off water intakes. "We view passage of the bill as a positive thing," said Scott Peterson, NDG&F deputy director. "Both for monitoring and an enforcement program. It's not necessarily a magic wand but we feel it is a step in the right direction." Minnesota has battled ANS for several years, spending millions of dollars in doing so, yet the number of lakes infested with ANS in that state continues to increase. "They spend way more money than we do and yet they find ANS in more lakes every year," said Peterson. "For us it's more of managing the risk than anything else." Boat wash stations are positioned at various lakes in Minnesota each year. All watercraft entering or leaving those lakes are required to be rinsed with water hot enough to kill young zebra mussels. Trailers and other equipment are checked for unwanted vegetation that could be transported from one body of water to another. According to NDG&F, the department plans on purchasing two mobile hot water washing stations and place them at selected locations throughout the boating season. The bill provides salary for additional employees. In addition, Game and Fish is directed to use the funding for "ANS education, inspection and monitoring programs." To help pay for the cost of the ANS program legislators increased several license fees. Every motorboat licensed in the state will see an increased fee of $15. In North Dakota watercraft are licensed for three-year periods. The fees increase goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020. Boats licensed in states other than North Dakota will be assessed $15 annually and be required to display an ANS sticker issued by Game and Fish. In addition to increased fees for watercraft licenses, $2 will be added to the cost of resident fishing and combination licenses effective April 1, 2020. There will also be an additional $3 fee for each non-resident fishing and waterfowl license. Residents age 65 or older, permanently or totally disabled and disabled veterans would be exempt from the additional fees. All indications are the that governor will sign the bill into law. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 North Dakota voters may see two competing measures in 2020 involving their ability to amend the state Constitution. Dustin Gawrylow, of Bismarck, leads the sponsoring committee behind a proposed constitutional measure "to supersede legislative ability to propose amendments" to Article III of the North Dakota Constitution, or "powers reserved to the people," which lays out the initiated measure process. Only citizens' petitions would be able to change Article III. Gawrylow said the proposed initiative is in response to North Dakota lawmakers proposing resolutions "that would restrict the process." "It's our feeling that Article III, the title is 'powers reserved to the people,' and the Legislature is not respecting that," Gawrylow said. Lawmakers this session have referred one measure to voters for 2020 that would require legislative approval after voters pass an initiated constitutional measure. If lawmakers reject the measure, it would go to voters again, then effective if passed. But several other proposals have been considered, too, such as raising thresholds on petition signatures, moving up their timeline and raising the percentage of votes for passage. Sen. David Hogue, R-Minot, who brought the resolution for the referred measure, pointed to out-of-state contributions as the main funding sources for Marsy's Law in 2016 and Measure 1 for state government ethics in 2018, two constitutional initiatives also criticized as vague and without a process for public input. "My contention will always be that how can you say it's the people when the people aren't putting up their resources to get these measures on the ballot?" Hogue said. "How can you say it's the people of North Dakota? It's a raw fact that I'm not going to let people ignore." Gawrylow's group comprises 39 people, including former sponsors of previous initiated measures, such as Dina Butcher and Ellen Chaffee, co-chairwomen of the group that brought Measure 1 in 2018. Gary Emineth, Measure 2's chief backer in 2018, is another committee member. "These are people who have been involved in the initiated measure process and understand how it works, understand that it is an important check and balance on the Legislature," said Gawrylow, describing the committee as "diverse." The committee's proposed petition reached North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger on Wednesday. He may approve the petition title as early as May 1. Once approved, supporters have a year to gather signatures to put the measure to voters. It would need about 27,000 signatures of North Dakota residents. "We're just getting started now and we want to be able to have this completed by the beginning of next summer so that the public has ample time to understand this issue as well as the measure that the Legislature has put on the ballot," Gawrylow said. Sen. Erin Oban, D-Bismarck, who sat on the Senate Ethics Committee created to implement ethics mandates of Measure 1, said she has sensed "this general mistrust of voters" during the process: "And I just don't agree with it." Oban called Hogue's referred measure and Gawrylow's proposed measure, if on the 2020 ballot together, "an interesting combination of very differing theories and attitudes about the balance of power." "And I believe when there becomes imbalance, it creates conflict and that's what we're seeing," Oban said. Reach Jack Dura at 701-223-8482 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Bismarck School District did the right thing this school year when it added two cultural responsive coordinators. The coordinators, Donovan Lambert and Sashay Schettler, work one-on-one with Native American students and their families to help them get used to the school system. There can be difficulties when they move from a reservation to a more urban setting. There also can be cultural issues for Native students who have been lifelong Bismarck residents. As reporter Blair Emerson noted in a Monday story, Native Americans make up about 9% of the student population in Bismarck. Native students are disciplined in school at a far higher rate than white students, according to federal data. In 2015, about 33% of Bismarck students who received out-of-school suspensions were Native, and about 67% of Bismarck students expelled were Native, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection. Nine percent is a good share of the student population so it makes sense to hire the coordinators. The Tribune Editorial Board believes the number of students expelled is too high. The coordinators dont just work with Native students. They help teachers develop relationships with students, raise awareness about the Native American population in the state and work with the overall student population. Schettler grew up in Bismarck and knows from personal experience the challenges of being a Native American student. "For me, personally, I felt that in a lot of instances that they (teachers) didn't care about where I came from and additional cultural information, which resulted in a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunication," she told Emerson. As a result, Schettler supports more culturally responsive training for teachers. Bismarck Superintendent Jason Hornbacher said the coordinators are one way to address the issues facing students and teachers. Schools must deal with a variety of societal problems that dont end at the classroom door. If we want to provide a quality education for all our students we cant ignore issues that threaten their ability to learn. Schools are seeking ways to help kids who are coming to school hungry, who are using drugs or have parents fighting addiction, who are victims of bullying or racism. Its not necessarily what educators had in mind when they chose a career. However, unless we deal with these issues our schools will fall into decay. To the credit of schools across the state action is being taken. Schools in Bismarck offer various mental health supports for students, starting in the elementary schools. This school year the Bismarck district launched a pilot study using Megan Kraft, a clinical counselor with The Village Family Service Center, who has an office in Bismarck High School. Kraft was hired to provide students with access to therapy. Ryan Johnson, assistant principal at BHS, hopes they can make the program a fixture at the school. The school district also hopes to expand the program to the two other high schools in the district. Last year the Bismarck School Board approved $1.4 million to hire more staff, including 31 aides, a part-time social worker, two school psychologists, and fund other mental health services. Across the state schools are using federal dollars to improve school safety and to address behavioral health issues. North Dakota school districts received $3.7 million in federal funds for security measures and for behavioral and mental health services this school year. State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler also has put a focus on mental health and safety issues. These issues will require a long-term effort by local and state officials. The problems cant be ignored and these are important first steps. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 During primary elections in the United States, its hardly unusual for those seeking their partys nomination to make outlandish promises that arent likely to be kept. Thus we saw Senator Elizabeth Warren recently outlined her plan to abolish student debt, and pay for it by levying a tax on the super-rich (however that is defined). The cost of all this? Senator Warren says about 1.25 trillion (US). She also wants to make tuition-free at public colleges and universities. All this comes amidst predictions that as many as half of colleges in America face closure in the next 15 years because of 1) a declining market and 2) the fact that young people and their parents are working out that a college education isnt the payoff that it used to be, either financially or in terms of actually receiving an education as opposed to four years of tedious ideological indoctrination. Beyond, however, all the specifics of Warrens proposal, I am more concerned about the message that it sends to Americans about the nature of debt and the promises freely made and the obligations freely assumed whenever anyone takes out a loan, whether for education, starting a business, or buying a house. There is an economic and moral dimension to this, much of which is captured in the idea of moral hazard. I discuss this in my 2016 book, For God and Profit: How Banking and Finance Can Serve the Common Good. Heres a relevant extract which might be helpful for those looking to understand how the workings of moral hazard should help us think through issues of debt-forgiveness. The origins of the term moral hazard lie in neither economics nor theology. They have been traced back to the seventeenth century and the development of the insurance industry. Today it describes a phenomenon summarized by the economist Paul Krugman as any situation in which one person makes the decision about how much risk to take, while someone else bears the cost of things go badly. When economists use the term, they dont typically mean immoral or fraudulent behavior. Rather it is about circumstances, policies and institutions that encourage individuals and businesses to take on excessive risk, most notably with assets and capital entrusted to them by others, because they safely assume they will not pick up the bill for any failure. Hence, while profits remain private, losses are socialized. Heads, I win. Tails, taxpayers lose. The higher the extent of the guarantee, the greater is the risk of moral hazard. A good example of how this occurs through government institutions may be seen in central banks. They assume the role of providing liquidityeither directly and/or through organizing private banks, or open-market operationswhen a banking system has apparently run out of liquidity. A defining characteristic of a central bank is that lenders of last resort cannot go bankrupt. The difficulty is that the very existence of a lender of last resort can encourage private financial actors to imagine that they are too big to fail. Indeed, if they possess enough systematic presence in a given financial system, they have reason to assume they will be provided with liquidity by a central bank if a failed endeavor threatens their solvency, no matter how foolish or irresponsible their behavior. As a result, such financial actors will become complacent and take risks which become increasingly irresponsible over time. Economists and others have long debated the overall significance of moral hazard, the extent to which it is a real problem, and the ways it might be minimized. In a 2007 Financial Times column, for instance, a prominent member of the Clinton and Obama Administrations economic teams, Larry Summers, argued that we should beware of what he called moral hazard fundamentalism. This was, he said, as dangerous as moral hazard itself. By this, Summers meant that ruling out significant government economic intervention on the grounds that it might encourage moral hazard would itself be irresponsible. That same year, however, another Nobel economist, Vernon Smith, warned that the activities of the mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were underpinned by the assumption that, as government-sponsored enterprises with lower capital requirements than private institutions, they could always look to the Federal government for assistance if an unusually high number of their clients defaulted. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Smith noted, were always understood as implicitly taxpayer-backed agencies. And so it was that they continued what are now recognized as their politically driven and fiscally irresponsible lending policies until both suffered the ignominy of being placed in Federal conservatorship in September 2008. It is curious, however, that despite the word moral being part of the description, Christian reflection on finance has said very little about moral hazard. A 1994 analysis of the financial sectors effects upon the rest of the economy commissioned by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, for instance, did not discuss moral hazard and how it can incentivize financial institutions to behave irresponsibly. Nor, on the other hand, does the economics literature on moral hazard contain much reflection on why the adjective moral is attached to the word hazard. If there is no moral dimension, why are these situations not simply described as instances of risk hazard? It may be that the word moral reflects some innate, albeit largely unexpressed, awareness that there is something ethically questionable about creating situations in which people are severely tempted to make imprudent choices. To employ an analogy from Christian moral theology, the one who creates what is called an occasion of sin bears some indirect responsibility for the choices of the person tempted by this situation to do something imprudent or just plain wrong. Given the truth of human fallibility, almost everyone will take excessive risks at different points in their lives. For some people, it will be with their business. Others will behave in an excessively risky manner with their own and others financial resources. As a consequence, some people will suffer losses. In such circumstances, individual Christians and communities should be ready to help those in genuine need. Thats a requirement of mercy and justice. Yet Christians also can and should ask questions concerning the extent to which people have been encouraged to engage in irresponsible behavior by particular policies. At the same time, the phenomenon of moral hazard doesnt excuse individual and institutional financial actors from their irresponsible actions. Certainly one can be incentivized to act in a particular way, and one of the key insights of economics is that incentives matter. Christians, however, dont believe that humans are automatons that simply react to stimuli. That means people can choose to do take reasonable rather than imprudent risks. Hence they are accountable for their actions. To deny accountability or to dismiss it in the name of people being subject to wider forces outside their control would not do justice to the Christian belief that humans are free and therefore accountable for their choices. Image source: Pixabay Student debt in the United States is currently over $1.5 trillion. Samuel Gregg has recently criticized Sen. Elizabeth Warrens (D-MA) plan for student debt forgiveness as an answer to this crisis for ignoring the dangers of moral hazard. This post is a follow-up on that one. In short, as Gregg notes, quoting his book For God and Profit, moral hazard is defined by circumstances, policies and institutions that encourage individuals and businesses to take on excessive risk, most notably with assets and capital entrusted to them by others, because they safely assume they will not pick up the bill for any failure. I agree that Warrens proposal would introduce moral hazard, and Im especially skeptical of her proposed means to finance it: her ultramillionaire tax. Many other nations have tried and since abandoned such taxes because in reality they do not raise the revenue their proponents expect. That said, I want to point out here that the student debt crisis itself is the product of moral hazard, much in the same way, as Gregg noted, the housing crisis of 2007-2008 was intensified due to government-backed loans, which inflated housing prices and encouraged banks to grant loans to persons who otherwise would not have qualified. Since the 1980s, student aid in the United States largely shifted from need-based grants to government-backed loans for nearly anyone who wants one. This has inflated prices more than 250% since that time, as colleges and universities have been guaranteed tuition at any price through loans issued without regard to risk. To make matters worse, unlike mortgages, student loan debt is extremely difficult to discharge in bankruptcy, meaning that when other debt would be renegotiated when the debtor is unable to pay, student debt continues to crush those who cant bear its burden, indifferent to their economic struggles. Now, the good news is that our alarming amount of student debt has not yet led to a crisis across our economy, as did the housing crisis. But as Gregg notes, young people and their parents are working out that a college education isnt the payoff that it used to be. If we reach a breaking point of such young people and their parents, the bottom may fall out as suddenly as it did in 2007. So my question is, what alternative is there? Personally, Im not optimistic, but reforming the problem with bankruptcy and starting to gradually reduce the amount and raise the standard of government-backed loans could be a start. A start I should say mostly for those who have not yet incurred any debt. The majority of those who bear it today and especially those who have defaulted have already graduated or dropped out. Of course, students and their parents were not passively inflicted with this debt I would not deny their moral agency. But any solution to the moral problem at its heart must see that they are not the only ones who should bear responsibility. The federal government, banks, and institutions of higher education all contributed to the state we find ourselves today, and the crisis would be much smaller perhaps not even a crisis at all if they hadnt. Image credit: College admissions consultant at workshop for high school juniors by Tom W. Sulcer Globalization is routinely decried for its disruptive effects, particularly as it relates to local culture and community enterprises and institutions. Even as its proven to drive significant economic growth, questions remain about its steamrolling influence on the culture. Even if we grant that global competitive markets create prosperity, is it worth the fast food chains and the big box chains we see everywhere we go? asks Michael Miller in an excerpt from PovertyCure. What about a sense of vulgarity and bringing things to the lowest common denominator? And perhaps most important, does globalization destroy local culture? The threats to culture are real and pronounced. It is undeniable that globalization can and has and will diminish or destroy certain cultures, traditions, and enterprises. Yet as Miller and others remind us in, we are not powerless in our response, whether as creators or consumers. Indeed, globalization also presents a tremendous opportunity for cultural diversity. In Ireland, for example, increased participation in global trade not only boosted and diversified the Irish economy; it also allowed the Irish to spread their culture around the world, whether through beer or film or music and dance. Simultaneously, the influx of competing cultural influences has increased awareness of their cultural identity, spurring citizens to defend, preserve, and restore the cultural features they care about the most (e.g. the recent renaissance of the Irish language). As Irish economist Marc Coleman explains, even though the predominant push of globalization represents a secularized, individualized view of the world, that message is an opportunity for more traditional or family-oriented cultures to harness those same channels for their voice and cultural perspective. Instead of complaining, he says, lets actually use globalization to fight back and push our view of the world. Its a reorientation that we would all do well to heed, and it doesnt just apply to more tangible cultural artifacts. For Christians, as with any other proponent of any other belief system, the avenues for application should be obvious. Whether were trying to spread a particular message through more direct communications or cultivating culture and serving our neighbors in the day-to-day economic order, the channels are already there, and theyre only continuing to expand. Man cannot live by bread alone, concludes Coleman. Its very important that developing countries do not see the global market and the opportunities of a global market as a substitute for their native culture and values. Its extremely important to know who you are and what your culture is. This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. It is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way. $5 billion is about one month's revenue for Facebook. In a statement accompanying its First Quarter 2019 financial results, Facebook revealed it expects to be fined $3 to $5 billion by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations. Here's the company statement [investor.fb.com]. Stock's up anyway. $5 billion is a drop in their ginormous bucket of money and eyeballs. Facebook reported $56 billion in annual revenue last year. "We had a good quarter and our business and community continue to grow," quoth Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. "We are focused on building out our privacy-focused vision for the future of social networking, and working collaboratively to address important issues around the internet." Oh. Now we care about privacy, huh. From the Q1 Facebook report: In the first quarter of 2019, we reasonably estimated a probable loss and recorded an accrual of $3.0 billion in connection with the inquiry of the FTC into our platform and user data practices, which accrual is included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities on our condensed consolidated balance sheet. We estimate that the range of loss in this matter is $3.0 billion to $5.0 billion. The matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final outcome. From Cecilia Kang and Mike Isaac at the New York Times: The Silicon Valley company and the F.T.C. have been in negotiations for months over a financial penalty for claims that Facebook violated a 2011 privacy consent decree. In 2011, the company promised a series of measures to protect its users' privacy after an investigation found that its handling of data had harmed consumers. The F.T.C. opened a new investigation last year after Facebook came under fire again for the improper handling of people's data involving Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, as well as a major data breach. Global regulators, privacy advocates and the technology industry have watched the investigation as a referendum on the ability of the United States to rein in the power of tech behemoths. A fine of $3 billion to $5 billion would be a milestone for the F.T.C., which is regarded as having allowed the tech industry to grow unfettered. The F.T.C.'s biggest fine for a tech company was $22 million against Google, in 2012, for misrepresenting how it used some online tracking tools. If the commission does levy a $5 billion penalty, it would bring the United States closer to the actions of regulators in Europe. Last year, regulators there fined Google a record $5.1 billion for abusing its power in the mobile phone market and ordered the company to alter its practices. The F.T.C. declined to comment. The agency has not reached a final decision, said two people familiar with the situation, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The prevailing wisdom: A one-time fine of this size won't be meaningful to Facebook. What will? The likely coming FTC mandates to limit the company's ability to share user data with business partners, or requirements that Facebook tell you when and how it gathers your data. From Twitter: Facebook's earnings calls have gotten a lot more interesting over the past six months basically a data dump from mark's brain on what he's thinking about rat king (@MikeIsaac) April 24, 2019 the numbers looked messed up about half of what investors expected b/c of the financial penalty preparation set aside and it's in GAAP. otherwise would have been a big beat. rat king (@MikeIsaac) April 24, 2019 Hats off to @harryfoxdavies the journalist who first set Cambridge Analytica hare running in Dec 15. Cover-up after cover-up followed. But today Facebook finally faces music: $5 billion fine from FTC investigation triggered by our story last year ???https://t.co/VghkiUSgaF Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) April 24, 2019 Sounds like Zuckerberg wants to make WeChat. Steve Kovach (@stevekovach) April 24, 2019 2/ Facebook Zuck: "I don't think ppl want companies making rules w/out more democratic process. There should be public process for determining what's allowed through gov or industry. Having common standards around content moderation is critical since people use so many services" Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) April 24, 2019 1/ Facebook earnings Zuck: "There's a bigger opportunity with the digital living room to build a privacy-focused platform The plan is to build this the way we've developed Whatsapp." (Focus on messaging, encryption, building products on top of that.) Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) April 24, 2019 Despite continued Facebook usage fears, $FB just reported 39 million "more" Daily Active Users globally in Q1 '19 vs. Q4 '18 up 7.8% year-over-year pic.twitter.com/G030G28x0m Rich Greenfield (@RichBTIG) April 24, 2019 1) the settlement will likely include *all* past consent-decree violations 2) its unlikely FTC will re-open an investigation if they're in the middle of negotiations $3-5B will be a win for FB as it'll clear them from the more recent violations too (unencrypted passwd etc) ashkan soltani (@ashk4n) April 24, 2019 $5 billion is about one month's revenue for Facebook. https://t.co/7Pv1oOTpjM Siva Vaidhyanathan??? (@sivavaid) April 24, 2019 The apparent leader of a gang of white supremacists who terrorized immigrants along the US-Mexico border, holding hundreds of them at gunpoint, has been attacked in jail and reportedly received non-life-threatening injuries, say authorities. We previously reported about the self-described "Confederate militia" group, and shared their brag videos about the mass abuses they committed with the apparent benign support of Border Patrol agents in the area, who are seen rounding up the humans after the militia gathered them while displaying lethal force. Larry Mitchell Hopkins is 69, and also goes by the name Johnny Horton Junior. He leads the United Constitutional Patriots from his home in a trailer park in northern New Mexico. The El Paso Times reports Hopkins "was attacked in the Dona Ana County Detention Center, county officials said Wednesday." Attentive reader will note that rogue archivist Carl Malamud (previously) published the laws of Georgia including the paywalled annotations to the state laws in 2015, prompting the state to sue him and literally call him a terrorist; Malamud countersued in 2015 and won a huge victory in 2018, when the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that the law could not be copyrighted. Now, the State of Georgia wants to go to the Supreme Court to argue for its right to charge the people of Georgia to know which laws they are supposed to be following. There's a lot at stake: Malamud has been threatened by Idaho, Oregon, Mississippi, and the District of Columbia for posting state laws and is being sued by six plaintiffs in DC for posting public safety laws, and has received a dozen more takedowns from Standards Development Organizations whose standards have been incorporated into state law. Malamud and his counsel (Elizabeth Rader and Tom Goldstein and Eric Citron of Goldstein & Russell),are responding to Georgia's petition and they are seeking amici: if you are a law student or practicioner they would like you to sign onto this amicus brief prepared by Jeff Pearlman by filling in this form. They're closing the brief to new signatories on May 2, and you might consider signing this on May 1, which is "Law Day" (Eisenhower declared this in 1958, as a way of rebranding the Communist May Day; the bar celebrates Law Day every year on May 1). A. Law Students Must Have Full Access to the Law. Whether a law student intends to practice law, teach it, or do something else entirely, a core purpose of law school is to give students the tools they need to read, analyze, and understand the law. But their learning can be only be as complete as their access to the law is. When copyright law hamstrings that access, it also hobbles legal education. Part of a legal education is studying the differences between the laws of multiple jurisdictions. When the law is balkanized, with each jurisdiction is only available through some favored private entities, this task is made more difficult. When the only freely available versions of the law omit critical information like the OCGA's annotations, it becomes even harder. And when copyright restrictions mean the law of some jurisdictions is not available for free at all, this simply cannot be accomplished. Relying on schools to provide full access is also no solution because the law is then available only to those whose schools can afford particular, expensive databases. Basic fairness demands that government not favor well-resourced schools and their students over others. Even if, in some instances, these databases are offered to law schools for free, it is not enoughtheir access to the law must not be conditioned on the good graces of private entities governed, ultimately, by a profit motive. The Court should grant certiorari to ensure that ability to effectively study the law that governs us all is uniformly available and is not determined by the preferences individual private entities. Amicus Brief in the Georgia Code Case for Law Students and Practioners in Solo Practice or Small Law Firms [Jeff Pearlman/Archive.org] Sign the brief [Google Forms] A 58 year old woman who worked as a sex worker and has been identified as someone who performed services for Robert Kraft has been arrested, and is currently in jail. She is charged with performing an illegal sex act on New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft at a Jupiter, Florida day spa that has been the subject of ongoing criminal investigations. "Police found $43,000 in her safe deposit box, which they'll no doubt confiscate," writes Molly Crabapple. "If she posts bond her passport will be confiscated." 58-year-old Shen Mingbi was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Monday. According to the Jupiter Police Department, a hidden surveillance camera recorded Mingbi performing a sex act on Kraft at Orchids of Asia Day spa on Jan. 19. Afterward, he paid her and another spa worker, 39-year-old Lei Wang, in cash, police said. Police said that hidden camera was installed two days prior, on Jan. 17, as part of a 'sneak-and-peek' search warrant. According to her arrest report, Mingbi was captured on video performing illegal sex acts on at least six other men. Police said Mingbi's safety deposit box at Bank of America contained approximately $43,800 in U.S. currency. Mingbi is facing several charges including offering to commit prostitution and deriving support from prostitution. In court Tuesday morning, Mingbi was visibly emotional as a judge set her bond at $5,000. If she posts bond, she can't have contact with anyone arrested in the case, and can't work in the spa or massage industry, and also must surrender her passport and any travel documents. Woman accused of performing sex act on Robert Kraft at Jupiter day spa arrested [wptv.com] Amazon has been plagued by counterfeiters, fraudsters and crooks who use tactics like fake reviews to goose sales of their products; the company keeps cracking down on these activities, but despite using measures so broad that they destroy the livelihoods of legitimate sellers, Amazon is losing the war on crooked sellers. Indeed, Amazon's aggressive zero-tolerance policies have created a thriving market in specialized "black hat" Amazon consultants who use a combination of bribes to Amazon employees and exploits against vulnerabilities in Amazon's ranking and security services to help sellers get their products re-listed, upranked and featured. Some sellers are reportedly paying $10,000/month to maintain their dominance. Buzzfeed's in-depth investigation found several of these black hat "consultants" and exposed their tactics, from creating "brushed accounts" that have product-free pages but high customer satisfaction ratings (based on previous items sold by these dummy accounts, possibly to confederates) that new sellers can put their products on; to paying bribes to Amazon employees to pierce the company's notorious bureaucratic secrecy after products or accounts are delisted. Other services include removing bad reviews, placing bad reviews on competitors' products, getting good reviews, dominating search terms, etc. Most of these black hats appear to be based in China. For their part, sellers say that they have to cheat, or they lose ground to other cheaters. Some sellers who employ black hat tactics say they're reluctant to do so, but don't know how else to keep up with their competitors. A seller who uses Howard Thai's suite of services on SellerMafia.com and asked to remain anonymous told BuzzFeed News that he's been using different versions of black hat techniques since 2014, when Amazon's marketplace became inundated with dirty selling tactics. That's around when he said he noticed people using Amazon's messaging system to send emails to shoppers offering free products in exchange for reviews and learned about offices full of people in Bangladesh paid to write fake reviews. "Everybody is doing it," he said. "People have to survive, so of course they're going to do it. They're like, 'Why the hell am I spending money on ads and I'm not on page one?'" The seller said that without Seller Mafia he would barely break even on sales because the cost of advertising on Amazon is so high. He said he spends about 30% of sales on advertising. He currently makes about $3 million a year in net profits, but before he used Thai's services he was making $73,000 a year. "They're upsetting me," he said about sellers who depend on black hat tactics on Amazon. "You always want to do things the right way." Some Amazon Sellers Are Paying $10,000 A Month To Trick Their Way To The Top [Leticia Miranda/Buzzfeed] (via /.) Mercedes has asked a court to verify that a commercial photo of one of its cars driving down a street in Detroit does not violate the copyright of the artists who painted a public mural visible in the background. The case comes after the mural artists Daniel Bombardier, James "Dabls" Lewis, Jeff Soto, and Maxx Gramajo made public statements accusing Mercedes of violating their copyrights a year after the photo's initial publication. Mercedes is seeking to affirm that photos that capture incidental images of public artworks are fair use (but Mercedes is not asking the court to rule on more traditional copyright infringement theories, such as whether commercial reproductions of a public artwork that feature the artwork are fair use). They say "hard cases make bad laws" and this is one of those cases. My natural inclination is to side with the Davids (the mural artists), not the Goliath (Mercedes), but if Mercedes is found to be infringing, that sets a precedent that can be wielded against everyone, not just giant corporations (who will always be able to afford lawyers to argue their case). I used to live on a street that backed onto a graffiti alley in San Francisco: should I be allowed to create an author photo of me standing on my fire-escape with the murals in the background without tracking down the street artists who made them? How about a news photographer who captures an image of a cop beating up a protester in a park that features a copyrighted sculpture? It was only a year after the photos were published that the artists began accusing Mercedes of copyright infringement. All that harm must have really been delayed, I suppose. As a symbol of their artistic dedication, even after Mercedes took the photos down from Instagram due to the complaints, those same artists continued to demand Mercedes pay them for the images. In its suit, the car company is arguing both that its use was fair use and that the murals are exempt from copyright as a matter of law. Mercedes argues that its inclusion of the murals was fair use and that the murals are exempt from copyright protection under the Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act since they're permanent parts of the architecture. Which seems like a bit of a stretch. Permanent is not the word I would use for graffiti, having seen it, you know, removed before. The fair use argument is much stronger, given the limited nature of the use, the fact that it wasn't the subject of the larger use, and the damned fact that all of this is in full view of the public. Mercedes was using Detroit to sell its cars, not these murals. Calling this copyright infringement would make no more sense than a restaurant across the street from the murals being accused of replicating a public performance by putting in patio seating in full view of the mural. Mercedes Goes To Court To Get Background Use Of Public Murals In Promotional Pics Deemed Fair Use [Timothy Geigner/Techdirt] The US Navy is developing a new formal process for its personnel to report "unexplained aerial phenomena" (UAPs) as they are called in the US military. According to former Pentagon intelligence official Chris Mellon quoted in Politico, "Right now, we have situation in which UFOs and UAPs are treated as anomalies to be ignored rather than anomalies to be explored," he said. "We have systems that exclude that information and dump it." From Politico: "There have been a number of reports of unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering various military-controlled ranges and designated air space in recent years," the Navy said in a statement in response to questions from POLITICO. "For safety and security concerns, the Navy and the [U.S. Air Force] takes these reports very seriously and investigates each and every report. "As part of this effort," it added, "the Navy is updating and formalizing the process by which reports of any such suspected incursions can be made to the cognizant authorities. A new message to the fleet that will detail the steps for reporting is in draft" The development comes amid growing interest from members of Congress following revelations by Politico and the New York Times in late 2017 that the Pentagon established a dedicated office inside the Defense Intelligence Agency to study UAPs at the urging of several senators who secretly set aside appropriations for the effort. "U.S. Navy drafting new guidelines for reporting UFOs" (Politico via The Anomalist) Why haven't Jack Dorsey and other executives running Twitter figured out how to "ban the Nazis"? They'd have to ban Donald Trump. Because if they regard white supremacist terrorists the way they regard users who claim to represent ISIS or al Qaeda, that "would mean autobanning some Republican politicians" like Donald Trump, with whom Dorsey met earlier this week, closed door, surprise!, didn't tell anyone about it in advance. From Jason Koebler at Motherboard today: At a Twitter all-hands meeting on March 22, an employee asked a blunt question: Twitter has largely eradicated Islamic State propaganda off its platform. Why can't it do the same for white supremacist content? An executive responded by explaining that Twitter follows the law, and a technical employee who works on machine learning and artificial intelligence issues went up to the mic to add some context. (As Motherboard has previously reported, algorithms are the next great hope for platforms trying to moderate the posts of their hundreds of millions, or billions, of users.) With every sort of content filter, there is a tradeoff, he explained. When a platform aggressively enforces against ISIS content, for instance, it can also flag innocent accounts as well, such as Arabic language broadcasters. Society, in general, accepts the benefit of banning ISIS for inconveniencing some others, he said. In separate discussions verified by Motherboard, that employee said Twitter hasn't taken the same aggressive approach to white supremacist content because the collateral accounts that are impacted can, in some instances, be Republican politicians. The employee argued that, on a technical level, content from Republican politicians could get swept up by algorithms aggressively removing white supremacist material. Banning politicians wouldn't be accepted by society as a trade-off for flagging all of the white supremacist propaganda, he argued. Read the whole piece: Why Won't Twitter Treat White Supremacy Like ISIS? Because It Would Mean Banning Some Republican Politicians Too. We can frame this the opposite way, too: Filters designed to target ISIS overban, but mostly affect people without the political leverage to make this awkward for the company. https://t.co/nOdkcgaBEu Julian Sanchez (@normative) April 25, 2019 NEW: We have reporting inside Twitter that explains why Jack hasn't "banned the Nazis:" Treating white supremacy like ISIS would mean autobanning some Republican politicians https://t.co/2VmUpqzM7p Jason Koebler (@jason_koebler) April 25, 2019 as always if you work at Twitter here is my Signal: 347-513-3688. and here is our secure drop. Don't DM. https://t.co/u3omi0l5uK Jason Koebler (@jason_koebler) April 25, 2019 News / National by Staff reporter Police Staff College principal, Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday said the college had been granted authority to offer Bachelor in Adult Education honours degree in police studies by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE).Speaking during the official opening of the college's 2019 academic year at Morris Depot in Harare, Charamba said the new degree programme would be run in partnership with the University of Zimbabwe (UZ)."May I take this opportunity to bring to your attention that the college has scored a first by being granted the authority to offer the Bachelor in Adult Education honours degree in police studies by ZIMCHE. This programme will be run under the affiliate of UZ," she said.She said the introduction of the programme had furthered the development of the college with the inclusion of the installation of interactive boards and enhanced access speed WiFi network for research."The college has made great strides in developing itself for this great feat. These developments include the installation of interactive boards to facilitate learning, dedicated WiFi network with enhanced access speed for research, refurbished hostels for improved students accommodation as well as sinking of boreholes and fitting of water tanks to ease off water challenges at the college," she said.Charamba also stated that the college had witnessed an increase in female enrolment from 25% to 32% due to rigorous selection that ensured gender representation.Speaking at the same event, police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga urged the college to collaborate with already-established universities."Let me take this opportunity to implore you as the organisation's pinnacle of capacity development to continue engaging and collaborating with established universities locally and abroad," Matanga said. News / National by Staff reporter Former President Robert Mugabe yesterday failed to turn up in court in Chinhoyi, where he was expected to testify against four of his workers who allegedly stole close to a million dollars from his rural Zvimba home.The workers, Constancia Mugabe (50), Johanne Mapurisa (50), Saymore Nhetekwa (47) and Andrew Muhumbe (37) are accused of stealing US$922 000 from a briefcase at Mugabe's rural home.Prosecutor Herald Matura said Mugabe was out of the country, seeking medical treatment. Chinhoyi magistrate Amos Mubobo postponed the case to June 10, 2019.But defence lawyer, Tapiwa Muchineripi was not amused and requested the court to relax bail conditions for his clients. Mubobo granted the request and ruled that the accused will no longer report to the police every Friday.It is the State case that sometime in 2016, Mugabe gave four briefcases and some books to his workers to keep in his library. At an unknown date, the workers connived and opened one of the briefcases that had US$922 000 which they shared and bought assets that include vehicles and residential stands. (Bloomberg) -- SK Hynix Inc., a supplier to Apple Inc., posted a steep decline in operating profit but forecast a recovery in demand this quarter for memory chips used in smartphones and data centers. Operating income in the first quarter fell 69 percent to 1.37 trillion won ($1.2 billion), compared with the 1.5 trillion won expected by analysts. Still, the Icheon, South Korea-based company said DRAM demand is rebounding in the current quarter and the improvements should continue in the second half of the year. Shares rose as much as 3.8 percent. Hynixs forecast is a sign that data-centers customers are working through high inventories of memory chips, while lower prices have sparked demand from smartphone makers and other customers. The company said investments in servers should recover later this year. Server demand growth will increase significantly in the third quarter after rising slightly in the second quarter, Sean Kim, vice president and head of DRAM marketing, said in a conference call. Were seeing clear signs. Hynixs comments add evidence that the memory industry has reached a low point and that prices are likely to improve in the second half of 2019. Apple cut its sales forecast earlier this year and Texas Instruments Inc. cautioned this week that a rebound in customer demand for its chips may take time to materialize. In early April, Samsung Electronics Co. reported preliminary earnings that dropped the most in more than four years. Contract prices for 32-gigabyte DRAM server modules fell 38 percent in the March quarter, according to InSpectrum Tech Inc, while prices for 128 gigabit MLC NAND flash memory chips dropped 23 percent. The slowdown in the expansion of data centers is temporary. Eo Kyu-jin, an analyst at Ebest Investment and Securities Co., said in an April 15 report. The decline in memory prices will propel growth in demand. Apple is Hynixs largest customer, providing about 13 percent of its sales, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Intel Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. also receive supplies from Hynix. Story continues Together with Samsung and Micron Technology Inc., Hynix controls the bulk of the market for DRAM chips, used to store data on personal computers and servers. Any cuts to chipmakers capital expenditures could boost falling memory prices. Samsung said in January it was reducing spending this year to focus on the profitability of its memory operations, and Micron said last month it was curtailing output. To contact the reporter on this story: Sam Kim in Seoul at skim609@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, Jeff Muskus, Peter Elstrom For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. By Carolina Mandl SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Cielo SA Chief Executive Paulo Caffarelli said on Wednesday it was too early to determine if the Brazilian card processor would meet its annual profit target in 2019, as competition is still fierce, though he maintained that guidance. Caffarelli, speaking in a press conference a day after the release of the company's quarterly earnings, said prices charged are still likely to go down in the card processing industry, as card processors are fighting for merchants. Cielo reported on Tuesday net income of 549 million reais ($140 million) for the first quarter, down sharply from the same period a year earlier and below a Refinitiv consensus of 571 million reais. Caffarelli had previously said Cielo was aiming for an annual profit between 2.3 billion reais and 2.6 billion reais in 2019. In a note to clients, BTG Pactual analysts said Cielo's "2019 guidance is likely to be cut." Shares in Cielo were up some 4 percent in early trading on Wednesday, boosted by an 8 percent increase in the company's number of card reader machines from the previous quarter as it added new micro entrepreneurs like street vendors as clients. In a reaction to competitors' recent announcements, Cielo said it will offer instant payments to merchants, compared to the usual 30-day period. But it will charge clients for this service, unlike Itau Unibanco Holding SA's card processing unit Rede. "We are most concerned about the recent competitive developments of incumbents and new entrants aggressively cutting fees," analysts at Brasil Plural said in a note to clients. Caffarelli said Cielo had increased its salesforce from 700 to 2,200 people. He added that the company is seeking to maintain its leadership position in the card processing sector. (Reporting by Carolina Mandl; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Paul Simao) The man who was struck and killed Monday in what police think was a road-racing related hit and run was crossing the street on his way to work a night shift at a Husky gas station, a member of his expat community says. Chandhan Rai Keedhoo was crossing 32nd Avenue at 26th Street N.E. when two eastbound vehicles sped through the intersection at about twice the posted limit of 50 km/h, police say. Keedhoo, 38, was hit by an Acura TL as it ran the red light. He was taken to hospital but died of his injuries. Both the driver of the Acura and the driver of the other vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, failed to stay at the scene. Both drivers later turned themselves in to police. gofundme.com Keedhoo came to Canada four years ago from Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, and was helping to support his parents and siblings back home, said Avi Quedou, liaison officer with the Calgary Mauritian Community Association. Keedhoo was on his way to work at the Husky station on 32nd Avenue when he was killed, Quedou said. Quedou, whose group became involved when it was learned the victim was from Mauritius, said the association has been in touch with Keedhoo's family and has set up a GoFundMe page to help them pay for the cremation rituals. "It's actually going well, I think we are close to $6,000, so that's pretty good," he said. A spokesperson for Husky Energy said the company has offered to ensure Keedhoo's body is returned to Mauritius. "We are providing support to his family and co-workers in whatever way they may need," Kim Guttormson said in an email to CBC News. Police say charges against the two drivers, both adult males, are still pending as the investigation continues. Charges facing the 19-year-old Acura driver could include hit and run causing death and dangerous driving causing death. Charges of racing causing death could also be laid if police determine the vehicles were racing, said Sgt. Colin Foster, who is in charge of the collision reconstruction unit. Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact the Calgary police traffic section at 403-567-4000 or Crime Stoppers. Former hostage Joshua Boyle's trial could be on hiatus for months while the lawyer representing his estranged wife appeals a provincial court's decision to allow evidence about the couple's sexual history. Today, Justice Peter Doody reconvenes the high-profile trial that has exposed details the couple's years of captivity in Afghanistan after being taken hostage by Taliban-linked terrorists in 2012, and Caitlan Coleman's allegations of physical and sexual assault by her husband. Boyle is being tried on 19 charges including two counts of sexual assault with a weapon, three counts of unlawful confinement and one count each of administering a noxious substance, assault with a weapon and public mischief. The offences are alleged to have occurred between October and December 2017, when Boyle and Coleman returned after five years as prisoners in Afghanistan with their three children, all born in captivity. Boyle, 35, has pleaded not guilty. Before today's court hearing, the trial judge ruled the defence could question Coleman about her mental health medical records and the couple's previous sexual history. That ruling came after two weeks of lengthy legal arguments that were closed to the public. Ian Carter, Coleman's lawyer, said he'll challenge the court's ruling and will file an appeal in Ontario's Superior Court. Carter told CBC News Tuesday this will delay the trial because the court will not be able to hear further evidence including evidence from Coleman, who is still under cross-examination. Canada's Criminal Code contains several 'rape shield' laws that prevent the defence from using emails, medical records or an alleged victim's past sexual history to prove a pattern of sexual behaviour. The court can make an exception if the accused or his lawyers demonstrate that including those details is of value. Justice Doody ruled, in a written decision on a section 278.9 application, that the defence can introduce evidence that was in the possession of the accused a medical record from a January 2018 session Coleman had with a psychologist. Story continues Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press The psychologist's notes indicate Coleman said her husband began assaulting her in December, 2017. Coleman told police and the court that the physical and sexual assault began in October, 2017. The judge also will allow evidence about Coleman's sexual history after a section 276.2 application. According to the judge's written decision, the defence can ask Coleman about the couple's prior sexual activity, including consensual anal and vaginal intercourse, sexual acts involving ropes and consensual biting acts. Coleman previously testified that Boyle forced her to perform these acts against her will. The CBC's David Thurton can be reached on Facebook, Twitter or at david.thurton@cbc.ca USF receives new NIH grant to help eliminate malaria in Southeast Asia Tampa, FL (April 24, 2019) - The University of South Florida has been awarded approximately $700,000 in initial funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, to study the effects of malaria treatments and mosquito control measures on health outcomes in Southeast Asia. USF may receive up to approximately $4.56 million over five years for the project if milestones are met. The new grant (3U19AI089672-11S1) helps supplement ambitious efforts by researchers and public health officials working toward eliminating all malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) by 2030. In particular, USF researchers will work with collaborators in Thailand and Myanmar to evaluate whether mass treatment with the drug primaquine can prevent relapses of resilient Plasmodium vivax malaria in infection hotspots along the borders of those two GMS countries. "This latest award builds upon existing scientific advances of the Southeast Asia International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) that focus on various aspects of malaria, including malaria parasite biology, epidemiology, vector control, mosquito insecticide resistance, drug resistance and antimalarial drug quality," said principal investigator Liwang Cui, PhD, the Cohen Professor of Malaria Research at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "Most of our malaria research currently targets Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but to achieve the goal of elimination worldwide we must successfully attack Plasmodium vivax malaria as well." When Dr. Cui was recruited to USF last fall from Pennsylvania State University, the Southeast Asia Malaria Research Center he co-leads was transferred to USF. A network of institutions from the U.S and three GMS countries (China, Myanmar and Thailand), the Center is one of 11 ICEMRs funded by the NIAID. While seldom as deadly as P. falciparum -- the most lethal species of malaria -- P. vivax is the major cause of malaria outside Africa. Vivax malaria is also able to cause significant morbidity due to recurring bouts of severe, incapacitating illness. P. vivax poses a significant challenge to global initiatives to control and eradicate malaria since the parasite can lay dormant in a person's liver for months or years before emerging to cause full-blown malaria. Primaquine treatment has proven to be highly effective in eliminating the liver stages of P. vivax. However, the drug requires screening to avoid the potentially life-threatening side effect of hemolytic anemia in genetically predisposed patients and rigorous monitoring to ensure treatment regimen compliance. The mass primaquine prevention treatment (MPPT) project to be pursued with the new funding will include two stages, Cui said. Initially, researchers will evaluate the target population's willingness to accept and readiness for large-scale drug administration in P. vivax predominant regions of Thailand and Myanmar. They will also test the safety and effectiveness of MPPT in a limited number of small villages where the drug is provided through a Ministry of Health-led program. If successful at this stage, the implementation study will subsequently be expanded to a larger number of villages covered under the Ministry of Health-led program. "If we can provide primaquine coverage for 80 percent of the population, the benefits of this preventive malaria treatment may actually extend to the entire population through indirect effects," Cui said. In 2017, about 435,000 people died from malaria worldwide and 219 million contracted the disease, according to the latest data available from the World Health Organization. Southeast Asia accounts for 5 percent of global malaria cases. ### Other researchers working on the grant include Drs. Jetsumon Sattabongkot and Jaranit Kaewkungwal of Mahidol University, Thailand, and Drs. Myat Phone Kyaw and Than Naing Soe of the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports. USF Health is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and the physicians of USF Health, the largest multispecialty group practice on Florida's west coast. The University of South Florida, established in 1956 and located in Tampa, is a high-impact, global research university dedicated to student success. USF ranks in the top 25 nationally for research expenditures among public universities, according to the National Science Foundation. In 2018, the Florida Board of Governors designated USF as a Preeminent State Research University, placing USF in the most elite category among the state's 12 public universities. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Halton Regional Police may have a neighbour with a keen eye to thank for aiding in an break-and-enter investigation that has led to the arrests of two men and a woman, and the recovery of $100,000 in stolen property. Police say the first incident took place on March 26 at a home on Bayshire Drive in Oakville, and according to a news release, a 'vigilant neighbour' took action. "The first tip was a neighbour who actually saw an individual leaving a home with a number of bags and contacted police," said Det. Sgt. Paul Foley. He said the information the witness provided and video surveillance footage was crucial in the investigation that resulted in the arrests of three suspects in connection with break and enters in Oakville, Richmond Hill and Markham. Foley said police believe the accused carried out the alleged crimes by ringing the doorbell at a home and "if it appeared that no one was home then they were entering the home through a rear entry," he said. On April 17, police arrested two men, one 28 and the other 47, in Toronto. Both are from Colombia. They face several charges, including break and enter and possession of stolen property. Police say they carried out a search warrant at a Toronto residence, where one of the accused was staying temporarily and recovered $100,000 in stolen property. Halton Regional Police "We found high-end jewelry, watches, designer bags our investigators are currently cataloguing all the recovered property." he said. Then on April 20, police arrested a 47-year-old woman, also from Colombia, and charged her with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. Jumping from one jurisdiction to another The Halton police investigation includes the break and enters in Richmond Hill on April 4 and Markham on April 15, which are in York Region. "These groups that are committing break and enters are often quite transient in nature and moving from jurisdiction to jurisdiction," said Const.Andy Pattenden with York Regional Police. Story continues In a separate incident earlier this month, York Regional Police laid more than 150 charges and arrested eight people in connection with several break and enters. "I can tell you that with more and more people getting residential home security systems that have video, it is making our jobs a little bit easier trying to track down who these individuals are," Pattenden said. Halton police have already called the video evidence in their case exceptional. Foley said Halton officers are working with the Canada Border Services Agency to learn more about the status of the three accused. "I can tell you immigration warrants have been put out for these three individuals, so once this matter has been concluded in court, they will be extradited out of the country." After the massive fire that roared through Pariss Notre-Dame cathedral, the world has responded with messages of support and personal memories of the 856-year-old architectural and historical icon. And while theyre usually the picture of stoicism, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles both offered particularly emotional condolences. An official announcement came from the Queens office, addressed to the president of France, Emmanuel Macron. It read: Prince Philip and I have been deeply saddened to see the images of the fire which has engulfed Notre-Dame Cathedral. I extend my sincere admiration to the emergency services who have risked their lives to try to save this important national monument. My thoughts and prayers are with those who worship at the Cathedral and all of France at this difficult time. Elizabeth R. (The R stands for regina, which means queen.) Prince Charles offered a separate heartfelt sentiment, saying, My wife and I were utterly heartbroken to learn of the terrible fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral this evening and wanted to let you know immediately how much we are thinking of yourself and the French people at this most agonizing of times, and of the emergency services who are so bravely tackling the blaze. The note continues, I realize only too well what a truly special significance the Cathedral holds at the heart of your nation; but also for us all outside France it represents one of the greatest architectural achievements of Western Civilization. It is a treasure for all mankind and, as such, to witness its destruction in this most dreadful conflagration is a shattering tragedy, the unbearable pain of which we all share. Charles ended with a reference to the 1992 fire that damaged Windsor Castle: Cher Monsieur le President, our hearts go out to you and the people of France more than you can ever know, especially in view of our experience with the devastating fire at Windsor Castle twenty-seven years ago. We send you our most profound sympathy, however inadequate that may be. He signed off in French with tres cordialement a vous (very sincerely yours). Prince Charless response, in particular, was surprisingly personal and emotionalnot something we usually see from the royal family as a whole. And according to The New York Times, the architects who restored Windsor Castle after its fire have hope, saying that we shall see Notre-Dame magnificent again. RELATED: Prince Harry & Oprah Are Teaming Up to Create a New Docuseries About Mental Health Photo credit: ALEXEI HAY From Town & Country When this past Sunday, April 21, the Sunday Times of London reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were considering a move to a yet-to-be-determined country in Africa for a period of time in the near future, I thought, "Well of course." Asked for comment, Buckingham Palace neither affirmed nor denied the story: Any future plans for the Duke and Duchess are speculative at this stage. No decisions have been taken about future roles. But it made total sense to me-based solely on some things Prince Harry told me a few years ago. Photo credit: Alexei Hay In late July and early August of 2016, I spent a week in the small African nation of Malawi with Prince Harry. To clarify: We were in a little safari lodge called Mvuu (hippo in the local Chichewa language) in Malawis Liwonde National Park but I wasnt safari. Together with photographer Alexei Hay, I was reporting on a massive, in many ways unprecedented conservation operation being conducted by the NGO African Parks-the translocation, for their safety, of 500 elephants from Liwonde, which African Parks manages, to Nkhotakhota, another wilderness area in Malawi under their management. (I wrote about it and African Parks groundbreaking approach to conservation for T&Cs February 2017 cover story.) Prince Harry was in Malawi for longer-three weeks to my one. (And he would be back for approximately another month the following summer, 2017, for phase two of the operation.) And although I was nominally participating-invited on occasion to ride in the helicopter from which the elephants were darted with sedatives, riding daily in the so-called chase vehicle in which the ground crew rushed through the bush to the sedated elephants (and which, by the way, spoiled me for run-of-the-mill safari game drives forever)-Harry was actually working. Photo credit: Klara Glowczewska Although in his other life he was fifth in line to the British throne (Prince Louis had not yet been born), in Malawi that summer Harry was simply one member of a crew of 10 wildlife translocation specialists (from a company called Conservation Solutions). To situate this experience in the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs timeline, it was right after Harry and Meghans first two dates and right before their mid-August sojourn together in Botswana (which he referred to during their November 2017 engagement announcement). Story continues I watched Prince Harry daily, as I did the other members of the crew, whose coordination and often wordless in-syncness was riveting to observe-how he and the others ran toward the still-standing darted giants (they sometimes needed a push to keel over, and it could take several men to accomplish this); how they inspected their postures on the ground (resting on their chest is bad, on their sides is good), how they monitored the animals breathing and oxygen levels once they were down; how, once the process of loading the elephants onto the transport trucks began, Harry would on occasion go into the so-called wake-up box (a large steel container on rubber wheels) to administer the reversal drug. Harry, wake them up, the order would be issued. I asked him one day if he wasnt afraid. Ive done this a few times before, Harry replied. Also, Im fatalistic. If something is going to happen to you, it will happen. And I have such a respect for wild animals that its a privilege to be around them. Plus, the army taught me teamwork. (His cred was confirmed to me by the co-founder of Conservation Solutions, Kester Vickery, who was in effect Harrys boss during the elephant translocation: Harry is a quick-thinking individual. Which in a crisis situation makes all the difference.) Photo credit: Klara Glowczewska I spoke with Harry casually during the action when circumstances permitted-the urgent and wholly absorbing task at hand always, needless to say, came first. And halfway through my week in Liwonde we sat down one evening over beers and talked alone for an hour. About conservation, about Africa, and about his feelings for that continent. He was immensely knowledgeable about matters of conservation. As African Parks Zimbabwean-born founder and CEO Peter Fernhead would confirm, Harry is extremely informed on many of the key issues. He has truly invested himself. He can speak with authority. And thats very important. That trip was Harrys first with African Parks, and he has since become the NGOs president. I completely fell in love with African Parks, he told me, because they get things done. They make tough decisions and they stick to principles. Harry was emotional, in the best possible way, about his personal relationship to the continent. He told me about his first trip to Africa: I first came in 1997, straight after my mum died. My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags-we were going to Africa to get away from it all. My brother and I were brought up outdoors-we appreciate the countryside, we appreciate nature and everything about it. But it became more." This, he continued, is where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world. I wish that I could spend more time in Africa. Being there, he said, was like being plugged into the earth. You leave this place with a real appreciation of what it means to be alive. Photo credit: Mark Cuthbert - Getty Images He is often, he told me, in Africa planning mode-when, between his many official duties, he can fit in a few weeks, or a month, or six weeks, in Africa. As the African night, resonant with the grunts of hippos emerging from the Shire River for their nighttime grazing, deepened around us, he elaborated on his feelings for the continent. I have this intense sense of complete relaxation and normality here. To not get recognized. There were in fact a few people sitting at a small table a few down from ours in the lodges open-air restaurant, and no one was paying us any attention. To lose myself in the bush with what I call the most down-to-earth people on the planet, people [dedicated to conservation] with no ulterior motives, no agendas, who would sacrifice everything for the betterment of nature. I dont go on safari, I go to support them. I talk to them about their jobs, about what they do. And I learn so much. And then I go home and bang the drum. So that we can all try to make a difference. Photo credit: Alexi Hey It seemed to me, from what he said, that he very much envisioned for himself a long-lasting commitment to the conservation cause. Everyone has a different opinion; every country has a different way of doing things, he told me. But I do believe that we need a regulatory body so that everyone who owns or manages wildlife is subject to inspection and rated on how well they look after the animals and how the communities benefit. I know Im going to get criticized for this, but we have to come together. Prince Harry has other interests in Africa besides conservation, of course; 19 African states are members of the British Commonwealth. And among other philanthropic initiatives, Harry co-founded (with Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso) the Sentebale charity, which provides support to children living with HIV in Lesotho, Malawi, and Botswana. Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images And any day now Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have their own new reason to think about the earth and our place in it and to try and safeguard it for the future-their childs and everyone elses. ('You Might Also Like',) Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Abu Yehuda..25 April '19..Its become a truism that the hatred and harassment of individual Jews and Jewish communities that once was prevalent in the lands of the diaspora before the rebirth of a Jewish state has since morphed into loathing and persecution of that state.There are other parallels. Jewish communities in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East had a precarious existence, depending on the good will of the local prince or emir. If the ruler liked the Jews or, probably more correctly found them more useful than despicable, they could live their lives relatively undisturbed. If, on the other hand well, you know the story.Today the position of the Jewish state is also dependent on powerful people and entities far beyond Israels control. In particular, the State of Israel is strongly affected by the policies and actions of the US. In America, foreign policy, and especially practical actions and reactions to events in the international arena, are primarily in the hands of the president and his appointees. These days, the President of the United States is the prince whose attitude most affects whether Israel thrives or withers.Israel could have tried harder to reduce her dependence on the US and her susceptibility to pressure from the American government. She should have . I would like to believe that the desirability of this is becoming evident to Israeli officials, but the pull of free military hardware is hard to ignore. And there is some truth in the idea that Israelis simply admire the US and value a close relationship with her.In recent times, Khamenei has been playing Haman to the American presidents Ahasuerus. The Iranian playbook calls for Israel to be battered by simultaneous attacks from Hezbollahs and Hamas rocket forces, and invaded by proxies from both the North and South. The regime is working on increasing the number, payloads, defensibility, and accuracy of the rockets in the hands of her proxies as well as in Iran herself. At the same time she is developing new proxies by establishing Iraqi Shiite militias in Syria, modeled on the Lebanese Hezbollah. All this is intended to be shielded under a nuclear umbrella, whose development is proceeding.Taken by itself, it seems that war between Israel and Iran is guaranteed. But there is one other possibility the only alternative that I can imagine, given the objectives of the Iranian regime. And that is that the regime can be toppled by internal opposition encouraged by economic pressure from the US.Its a longshot, because a regime that is demonstrably willing to shoot down anti-government protesters in the street, that is buttressed by paramilitary militias, and that terrorizes and murders opposition figures, is hard to overthrow. The regime is quite prepared to control the allocation of resources in such a way that the general population suffers bitterly as long it remains in power, so economic pressure needs to be tough and protracted.The alternative is a very destructive war for both Israel and Iran. If it comes to this, then I would hope that Israel will strike preemptively and hard. But thats another discussion.So now we can see the immediate effect of the attitude by the American president, the good or bad prince that holds the destiny of the Jewish community in this case the State of Israel in his hands. Barack Obama, following a nakedly anti-Israel script originally laid down in the 2006 Iraq Study Report (written in part by his close advisor Ben Rhodes), facilitated the Iranian plan. His administration negotiated a deal with the Iranians that removed economic sanctions, shielded the Iranian nuclear project, and even provided pallets of cash which went to support Iranian terrorist initiatives in Lebanon and Syria. At the same time, he punished Israeli PM Netanyahu whenever possible, kept up the pressure on Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians that would weaken Israels ability to defend herself, and along with officials like Secretary of State Kerry directly contributed to the public demonization of the Jewish state.President Trump, on the other hand, has been the Good Prince. He recognized Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem, reduced subsidies to the Palestinians, and it seems will not try to force the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state as a dagger next to Israels heart. Most important, he has taken the US out of the Iran deal and re-imposed sanctions the only possible road to a peaceful end to Iranian aggression.I know I am not exaggerating when I say that President Trump is a controversial figure in the US. But he is not controversial in Israel, where almost everyone agrees that he has been the most pro-Israel president in terms of actual actions, not just words since Truman. And most Israelis would be happy to see him re-elected in 2020.But thats up to American voters to decide. And unfortunately, perhaps in part because Trump has been so pro-Israel, many of his opponents have moved in the opposite direction. Six of the most likely candidates to oppose Trump have said that if elected they would restore US participation in the nuclear deal that is, they would remove the sanctions re-imposed by President Trump. The Democratic National Committee also passed a resolution calling for the US to return to the deal. The phony pro-Israel organization J Street has been lobbying candidates to speak out in favor of the deal and even more ominously, Obamas shadowy National Security Action group , co-chaired by the ever-present Ben Rhodes, is pushing to restore the Obama Administrations dangerous Iran policy.This may be effective as anti-Trump or anti-Israel policy, but it is not in the American interest. The Iranian regime has threatened over and over to attack American assets or even to conduct terrorist attacks in the US herself . Death to America is not just a slogan, and the US is not referred to as The Great Satan out of desire for friendship. The policy ofpursued by the Obama Administration was pocketed and exploited by the regime, which did not waver from its objectives of total control of the Middle East and its resources, the establishment of a Shiite caliphate, and its ultimate goal replacing the US as the dominant world superpower.If the Iran deal becomes an issue in the 2020 election, it will be bad for Israel, which does not want to be seen as taking sides in an American election. But Trump will likely cite Israels security as part of his reason for re-imposing sanctions, while his opponents will accuse the Israel lobby of undue influence on US policy. Anything that Israel does or says relating to Iran will be interpreted as improper intervention in the election.And just like the unfortunate Jews in the Pale of Settlement and the Jewish neighborhoods of Alexandria or Baghdad, the Jewish state will find herself yet again unwillingly involved in and battered by the conflicts of princes. CHIPPEWA FALLS A Bloomer woman who was involved in a multi-state marijuana distribution ring has been charged in Chippewa County Court. Erin E. Taylor, 31, 813 Ivy St., was charged Tuesday with maintaining a drug trafficking place, and possession of marijuana and amphetamines with the intent to deliver. She appeared in court Tuesday, where she waived time limits on her preliminary hearing. She will return to court May 29. According to the criminal complaint, the West Central Drug Task Force, the Bloomer Police Department, and the Barron County Sheriffs Department executed a search warrant on Taylors home on Jan. 24. They seized 195 grams of marijuana, along with drug paraphernalia, vacuum sealed bags, $10,660 in cash and 12 grams of psilocin mushrooms. Law enforcement learned of Taylor after arresting Kiel H. Slayton, 36, of Chetek, on Jan. 23. Slayton named Taylor as one of the people he worked with in a multi-state marijuana distribution network. Slayton will return to Barron County Court on Monday for his preliminary hearing. Slayton was arrested after a raid of his residence at 1045 22nd St. Lot #50, where officers located more than 1,900 grams of Oregon-imported marijuana and $5,974 in cash. The drugs at his residence were all vacuum sealed, bagged and labeled, with several different strains of marijuana. Investigators learned from informants that Slayton was involved in distributing marijuana for several years, the criminal complaint states. According to an informant, Slayton had a marijuana supplier in Oregon who would ship the drugs to a man in Eau Claire, who would in turn transport the supply to a residence in Dallas, in Barron County. Slayton would then divide up the supply at the Dallas residence. A Minnesota State Trooper arrested a woman in December 2018 after conducting a traffic stop near Sauk Center, Minn. A suitcase with 20 pounds of marijuana was found. When she was interviewed, the woman said she was originally from Oregon and was going to meet someone in Wisconsin. She was instructed to call the contact for the exchange, who turned out to be Slayton. Slayton is charged with marijuana possession with intent to deliver greater than 1,000-2,500 grams and felony bail jumping. He was convicted in 2014 of felony-level possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver. Chippewa County Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk praised the law enforcement agencies for working together on making the arrests. Thats why we have a multi-jurisdiction drug task force, because drug distribution has no boundaries, Kowalczyk said. A lot of marijuana in Wisconsin is not from Wisconsin; it is coming in with the (interstate) 94 corridor. The Rice Lake Chronotype contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Bishop Donald Hying has been named by Pope Francis to lead the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison, succeeding the late Bishop Robert Morlino. Hying, 55, comes from the Catholic Diocese of Gary, Indiana, where he has served as bishop since January 2015, but he has deep Wisconsin roots. A West Allis native and graduate of Marquette University, Hying was ordained a priest in Milwaukee in 1989 and served as a priest in Menomonee Falls and Milwaukee before he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Milwaukee Archdiocese in 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI. At a news conference Thursday at the diocesan headquarters, Hying recalled visiting his grandparents farm in Iowa County and said half my family lives in the Madison diocese. Im very much at home here, he said. Hying, the fifth bishop to lead the Madison diocese and its 182,000 members, said he wants to build on the great foundation of Bishop Morlino, who died Nov. 24 at age 71. Morlino presided over the diocese for 15 years, and his conservative theology was often at odds with the liberal views of many church members. Hying declined to say if he considers himself a traditionalist or progressive. Im just Catholic, he said. When were centered in Jesus, ultimately thats not political. Although the gospel has political implications, the gospel itself is not inherently political. Id say Im Catholic in the fullness of what that means. Hying said the church must never surrender its distinct values, but that he is willing to sit down and talk with those who may have other views on issues such as abortion. Truth without love becomes harsh, rigid, judgmental. Love without truth becomes sentimental and kind of devoid of content, he said. When you fuse love and truth together, you have the firepower of the Gospel. With his low-key approach, Hying is a skilled listener who excels at bringing people together, said Michael Heinlein, a friend and editor of the website simplycatholic.com, for which Hying has written. Hes always after the truth, Heinlein said. Anyone who takes the faith seriously is going to find him as a good bishop. Hying has a reputation as a hands-on pastor. This is a guy who will be out among his flock, said Matt Korger, a blogger for The Badger Catholic. Heinlein said Hying was constantly traveling in his last post and that priests would often be surprised to find out the bishop was having dinner with their parishioners. He was so approachable, Heinlein said. I dont think he ever turned down an invitation. The Rev. Jeff Burton of St. Paul Church in Valparaiso, Indiana, said Hying will be remembered fondly in his former diocese. He was a great fit, he said. He came from a blue-collar background. Burton said Hying personally tended to the parishioners and worked with priests to deal with the closing of less well-attended parish churches in the Gary Diocese. Hying, whose father grew up on a farm and worked in a factory, said places like Gary, which face economic and racial disparities, are where the church is most needed. The Church needs to be everywhere, he said. But especially places where people need to hear the good news. During his first year in Madison, Hying said he hopes to visit each of the 102 parishes and 46 schools in the diocese, which encompasses parts of 11 counties from Jefferson County to the Mississippi River. I expect to put a lot of miles on my car, he said. Hying said he doesnt yet know enough to have an opinion on whether to rebuild St. Raphael Cathedral, destroyed by fire in 2005, though he is open to suggestions and direction. Reconstruction plans have been on hold for more than a decade, and in 2012 the church turned the Downtown site into a park. Monsignor James Bartylla, who has served as diocesan administrator since Morlinos death, thanked Pope Francis, the people of the Gary diocese, and Hying for the quiet sacrifices involved in changing posts. Paul Mullaney, president of the Bishop Noll Institute, said Hying immersed himself as a shepherd of the faithful immediately upon arrival in Gary. He has worked humbly and tirelessly, in a very pastoral way, to share with as many people as he could reach the good news of Gods unconditional love for all of us and the promise of salvation that gives us great hope, Mullaney said. I know he will bring the same excitement and messaging to the faithful of Madison, and we are grateful to him for having brought it to us in Northwest Indiana. The Times of Northwest Indiana contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Christopher Whiteside MBE is Conservative County Councillor for the Egremont North and St Bees Division of Cumbria County Council. The division includes St Bees, Bigrigg, Wood End, Moor Row, part of the Mirehouse area of Whitehaven, and surrounding countryside. He is also Chairman of the North-West region of the voluntary wing of the Conservative party. Chris lives and works in Copeland with his wife and family. I was born and raised in Mozambique and moved to Zimbabwe and I recall home in Zimbabwe eighteen years ago dreaming about going to university in Australia. I remember thinking at the time that Australia was somewhere different. Most people I knew wanted to attend school in the USA, Canada or Britain. But I wanted to go somewhere unusual and Australia was not the norm at that time. I wanted to experience what it would be like to live in country quite different to my own. It was a lot easier to qualify into a university overseas because at home, there was so much competition and you had to have real good grades to have the best chance. So when my mother travelled to Adelaide on a work trip, I couldn't help but get excited that she would be going to the country I wanted to study in. She brought back some university brochures and plenty of fond memories of Australia. She had thoroughly enjoyed her trip to Adelaide. So the travel preparation began. I secured a place at a university on the Gold Coast and the visa application came through. It was such an exciting time. Finally the day came to pack my bags and say goodbye to my dear family and friends. I was really going to Australia. I felt happy but at the same time sad to leave my family. I had never been so far away from them in my life. The flight to Australia felt like it would never end. There was a stop in Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Cairns, Brisbane and finally a road trip to the Gold Coast. Culture shock I had a bit of a culture shock when I first arrived. The food was different. Even the language was a little different. I heard words like "Aussie", "Snags", and "Woop Woop". A friend of mine was told a shopping centre was "just around the corner", and later realised after he had already started walking that the centre was in actual fact 5km away! (I'm glad I never fell for that one). I found it quite strange that everyone (regardless of age difference) would go by their first name since I had grown up in a place where we never addressed our elders or professors by their first name. I didn't quite know what to expect in Australia. One of my greatest fears of studying overseas was a fear of racial discrimination. Was I going to be accepted just the way I was or was I going to be ill-treated? Although I hoped for the best, I still prepared myself for the worst. But contrary to my fear, everywhere I went I was greeted with a smile. Everyone was so helpful and friendly. I got to meet people from so many different parts of the world, and was exposed to so many different cultures. I remember praying that I would find a home church, and on my very first day of class, I met a friendly couple that introduced me to a church I still attend today. Focus Before I left, I was told to remember that one of the main reasons why I was going to Australia was to get a good education and complete my chosen degree. So many people had travelled overseas to study and had returned without completing their degrees. They got so caught up with the fun that they lost their focus. University life was quite the experience. I had good times but I also had many trying times. I knew all the hard work had payed off when I completed my Bachelor in Information Technology. I will always be grateful for the many sacrifices my mother and family had to make which enabled me to study here. I cherish the love and care they showed. I thank God for making that dream a reality and for giving me the great privilege to study and now live in Australia. I have been truly blessed. Kandima Awendila was born in Mozambique and lives and works as an IT Service Desk Engineer on the Gold Coast. Kandi Awendila's archive of articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/kandima-awendila.html In just a short time Australians will head to the polls to elect the 46th Parliament of Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be looking to lead the Coalition to a third term in office while Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will be seeking to lead the Labor Party back into power. How should Christians be voting this election? Spoiler alert: Its complicated! No Christian way to vote Despite what people tell you, there is no Christian way to vote. Jesus isnt on the ballot; we will have to choose from a list of flawed candidates. Conservative parties often claim to best represent Christian views with policies designed to protect religious freedoms and the family. Progressive parties also claim to represent Christian views with compassionate policies for the least of these. No party is perfectly just Conservative politicians tend to fight strongly against abortion. They fight for the rights of the unborn because they rightly believe it is a matter of justice. Why though do conservative politicians fight for rights of the unborn but not also fight just as hard for the rights of children in immigration detention? If youre going to fight for the rights of children surely you should fight for all children in all locations. Progressive politicians tend to fight for the rights of innocent children who are in immigration detention and that is good. I wonder however why progressive politicians dont also fight just as hard for innocent children in the womb? Surely all children deservecompassion. Both major parties if elected will do some public good but neither party if elected will promote perfect integrity, truthfulness or usher in complete justice in our society. They cant. All politicians are flawed because all of humanity is flawed. Thats why our world needs Jesus. Stop waiting for governments to usher in Gods kingdom For this reason the followers of Jesus wanting to see Gods will being done on earth as it is in heaven should stop waiting for a flawed government to enact it. Its bizarre how often Christians put their hopes in a secular government to implement Christs agendaon their behalf. Its the followers of Jesus who are the citizens of heaven and Gods ambassadors on this planet. Its Christians who should lead the way by being beacons of Gods love and justice wherever they are. A better way Christians who are moved by the injustice of the mistreatment of refugees should do something to serve refugees and new migrants that live in their communities.Christians who see the injustice in the abortion of the unborn should do something to help single mothers and pregnant teenagers. Christians can adopt and foster unwanted children; thats a more powerful statement than signing any petition. Theres a better way to achieve justice than to make placards, sign petitions, lobby the government and writing angry Facebook posts. The best way for Christians to promote justice is to love, to serve, to pray, to care, to take real action and be the hands and feet of Jesus in a lost and hurting world. Governments of all persuasions have at times turned a blind eye to all kinds of injustice, but the followers of Jesus can be different. We dont need an election to feed the hungry, cloth the destitute, care for the homeless and to visit those in prison. How then should we vote? There are three ways Christians can be encouraged to vote this election. 1. Vote prayerfully. We should pray for our elected leaders whether we voted for them or not. The reason is simple if things go well for Australiathings go well for us as Australians. The Bible encourages us to pray for our leaders so that we may live peacefully (See 1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 2). 2. Vote thoughtfully. While no party will usher in complete justice to our nation. It still makes a difference how you vote. Governments do make a difference to our society. We should vote thoughtfully as to which politicians, political parties and policies will be good for Australia. We should not just think about whats best for ourselves as individuals but rather what will be best for the wellbeing of our society. To the best of our ability we should endeavour to understand the policies the parties are putting forward. 3. Vote with a kingdom perspective. Perhaps the party you vote for will lose the election. That will be disappointing, but it shouldnt be crushing because God will still be on the throne. Perhaps the party you vote for wins; that might be pleasing but recognise your party wont be perfectly truthful or just. Dont put all your hope for a better world in the hands of politicians who are as failed and flawed as the rest of us. Pray for your leaders, think about the policies they put forward and vote with a kingdom perspective recognising that whatever the outcome Jesus will still be king. Travis Barnes lives in central Victoria with his wife and two daughters. He is an associate minister with the Churches of Christ denomination. You can find more of Travis articles at: https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/travis-barnes.html Pixabay The new report analyzing religious membership of Americans have found that an average of 50 percent of Americans in 2018 said they belong or are members of a church or other religious institution. This represents a 20-percentage-point decline in church membership over the past 20 years, and the lowest it has been since Gallup began polling the question in 1937. Previously church membership reported being at least 70 percent or more from the years 1937 through 1976. For Democrats, independents, Hispanics and men, fewer than half report being members of a church or other religious institution, according to the data. The new Gallup report published this week analyzes the organization's data from 2016 to 2018 based on telephone interviews with a random sample of over 7,688 adults from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The sample has a margin of error of 1 percentage point. Gallup's report compares the data from 2016 through 2018 to Gallup polling results from 1998 through 2000. As previous polling has shown, the decline in church membership coincides with an increase in Americans who claim they don't have any religious affiliation. The data also shows that Americans with a religious affiliation has dropped to 77 percent, down from 90 percent in 1998 through 2000. Those reporting no religious affiliation has doubled from 9 percent to 19 percent in 2016 through 2018. Among those who claim no religious affiliation, 7 percent report belonging to a church. As Gallup notes, the trend also coincides with a decline in church membership among people who do have religious preferences. Gallup's reporting from 1998 through 2000 showed that 73 percent of adults with a religious preference belonged to a church. But the recent polling shows that only 64 percent of adults with a religious preference report belonging to a church. The Gallup report adds that low level of church membership among millennials (42 percent) is also contributing to such an accelerating trend because millennials were too young to be polled as adults in 1998 through 2000. Additionally, 29 percent of millennials report having no religious preference, compared to the 14 percent of the baby boomer generation and 18 percent of Generation X. "The percentage of millennials with no religion may be continuing to grow, as an average of 33 percent in Gallup surveys conducted in 2019 to date say they have no religious affiliation," Gallup Senior Editor Jeffery M. Jones wrote in a report. The number of Catholics who belong to a church has dropped 13 percentage points (to 63 percent) since 1998 through 2000, the data indicate. By comparison, the number of Protestants who belong to a church has dropped by only 6 percentage points (to 67 percent) over that time. "I want to acknowledge this real decline in church membership, but also note that, according to Gallup, Protestant church attendance is virtually unchanged over the same time period," Jeff Walton, Anglican Program Director for the Washington-based think tank Institute on Religion & Democracy, wrote on Twitter. Walton posted an earlier Gallup polling chart that showed that weekly church attendance among Protestants has remained steady at around 45 to 46 percent in polling data compiled between 1983 and 2017. "Note that Protestant church attendance is remarkably stable," he explained. "Nominal Christians are ceasing to maintain denominational connections, but those who actually went to church are, for the most part, still going to church." The data also indicates that the decline in church membership has been greater among Democrats and independents. In the data from 1998 through 2000, 71 percent of Democrats reported belonging to a church. But in the latest reporting period, only 48 percent of Democrats said the same. About 20 years ago, 59 percent of independents reported being church members. But in 2016 through 2018, only 45 percent said the same. Church membership among Republicans, meanwhile, dropped from 77 percent in 1998 through 2000 to 69 percent in 2016 through 2018. "Increasingly, Americans associate religion with the Republican Party and if they are not Republicans themselves, they turn away from religion," David Campbell, a University of Notre Dame political science professor, told the Associated Press. Forty-seven percent of men surveyed say that they belonged to a church in 2016 through 2018. By comparison, Gallup's data from 1998 through 2000 showed that 64 percent of male respondents at that time reported belonging to a church. Today, only 58 percent of women report belonging to a church, compared to 73 percent in 1998 through 2000. Among the three biggest ethnicities in the United States, Hispanics reported the greatest drop in church membership at 23 percentage points, down to 45 percent. Non-Hispanic blacks continue to be the most likely to report being a member of a church at 65 percent (a 13-percentage-point drop since 1998-1999). The 53 percent of non-Hispanic whites that report being church members represent a 15-percentage-point drop since 1998-2000. The decline in church membership is most greatly experienced in the eastern part of the country. The poll shows that there was a 19 percentage-point drop in church membership in the East, and a 16-percentage-point decline in the Midwest and the South. In the West, only 43 percent of respondents reported being members of a church, a 14-percentage-point drop since 1998 through 2000. "The challenge is clear for churches, which depend on loyal and active members to keep them open and thriving," Jones wrote. "How do they find ways to convince some of the unaffiliated religious adults in society to make a commitment to a particular house of worship of their chosen faith? Roughly one in four U.S. adults are religious but not members of a church, synagogue or mosque." Although millennials are playing a key role in the decline of church membership, Jones explained that roughly two-thirds of millennials who express religious preferences may one day be convinced to join a church as they "get more established in their lives." He suggested that having families can be an "impetus to becoming a part of a faith community." Courtesy of The Christian Post This summer, Aganorsa Leaf will debut a maduro offering under its Aganorsa Leaf Signature line. While Aganorsa Leaf has done madras before, this will mark the first time it is using one one of its Agrnorsa farm corojo leaves as a maduro wrapper for one of its releases. The Aganorsa Leaf Signature incorporates tobaccos found in the original Aganorsa Leaf Signature covered by a proprietary Shade Grown Corojo Maduro Leaf. The wrapper was selected from higher primings of Corojo 99 Cuban seed grown on the Aganorsa Leaf farms in Jalapa, Nicaragua under shade. The leaf was then naturally cured for a long period of time to produce a maduro wrapper. The cigar will come in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 x 52), Corona Gorda (6 x 44), and a Belicoso/109 Head (6 1/4 x 52) each presented in 20 count boxes. Pricing ranges from $9.99 to $10.99. The Aganorsa Leaf Signature Maduro will be released in allotments with a 250 box allotment scheduled to ship this summer. In a press release announcing the Aganorsa Leaf Signature Maduro, Eduardo Fernandez commented, This has been a long dream of Aganorsa going back 20 years to grow and naturally ferment a maduro cover leaf from our best fields in Nicaragua. It is in honor of Arsenio Ramos and a testament to his guidance and knowledge that we are finally able to introduce a Cuban seed Corojo Maduro leaf under shade in Jalapa for the cigar lovers of Nicaraguan leaf. Max Fernandez added, You will not find a Nicaraguan Puro Maduro that tastes like this one. We take pride in curing our Aganorsa Leaf grown on our best farms to use in cigars layered in balanced flavor and complexity. We chose this Shade Grown Corojo Maduro for our Signature brand because it is a rare leaf that matches the pleasant sweetness of our filler tobaccos. This wrapper is a game changer for us and will grow our already stellar reputation for creating incredible cigars that possess a signature flavor and aroma impossible to duplicate, commented Terence Reilly, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Photo Credits: Aganorsa Leaf Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina met with leaders of the premium cigar industry in his country. The agenda of the meeting was to make him aware of the concerns and challenges resulting from regulations being implemented in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The meeting was held in the Private Room of the National Palace and included: Carlito Fuente and Ciro Cascella, from the Fuente Tabacalera; Litto Gomez, from La Flor Dominicana; Jochy Blanco, from La Tabacalera La Palma; and Alfredo Gomez, from Tabacos de Villa Gonzalez. In the meeting, the cigar leaders recommended to Medina that a request to establish an exception for premium hand-made cigars be made to the United States. The leaders cited the importance of the premium cigar industry to the Dominican economy. In the meeting, it was noted that the reason why premium cigars had been subject to regulation was because of use by young people and the impact on public health. However, it was pointed out there have been multiple studies including the National Tobacco Survey for Adults 2013 and the National Longitudinal Mortality Study of 1973-2011 showing that the levels of use of premium cigars by young people and of health risks are statistically insignificant, compared to other tobacco products. These findings had also been confirmed in articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. A press release from the Presidents office stated, The government of the Dominican Republic encourages the FDA to take these studies into account, as they demonstrate the need for a new regulatory approach for premium cigars made by hand. He (Medina) is also concerned about the economic impact that FDA regulations would have on employment and manufacturing in our country. The Dominican government also said implementation of these regulations would represent a threat to an industry that is a key to the Dominican economy, with more than 300,000 families benefiting directly. The Dominican Republic exports 90 percent of the tobacco it produces in both raw and manufactured cigars with the cigars being most popular in the United States. Photo Credit: Photo supplied by Cigar Rights of America Late in 2018, Crowned Heads Cigars announced an exclusive offering to Thompson Cigar known as Juarez. It is the latest Crowned Heads line to be inspired by the song Cocaine Blues. In particular the reference to Juarez comes in that songs lyrics (Made a good run but I run too slow they overtook me down in Juarez Mexico). Also inspired by Cocaine Blues include the Jericho Hill line (which not only is referenced from the song, but also has two vitola names Willy Lee and Jack Brown referenced as well). When it came to Juarez, Thompson Cigar asked Crowned Heads to consider a value-priced alternative to Jericho Hill. At the time, Crowned Heads had been experimenting with blends coming out of a small factory in Esteli called Tabacalera Pichardo. After being impressed with the quality of some of these blends, Crowned Heads made a decision to use one of them to be the exclusive offering to Thompson. Today we take a closer look at the Juarez offering in the 4 3/4 x 52 (Robusto) size. 2018 was a pivotal year in the history of Crowned Heads. Prior to that year, Crowned Heads had exclusively worked with Tabacalera La Alianza (owned by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo in the Dominican Republic) and the My Father Cigars factory (owned by the Garcia family in Esteli, Nicaragua). 2018 saw Crowned Heads start to produce some smaller batch releases out of other factories. This was seen with the Buckeye Land (an exclusive for Ohio) coming out of La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate and now Juarez coming out of Tabacalera Pichardo. According to Crowned Heads, Tabacalera Pichardo was established in 2005 (then known as Dhatuey Tobaccos). It was founded by Don Eradio Pichardo. Originally from Cuba, Pichardo is a third-generation agriculturist who worked under the late Arsenio Ramos. In 2014 Pichardo teamed up with entrepreneur and sommelier Luciano Meirelles, who helped expand the operation. Today Tabacalera Pichardo is producing cigars for 16 brands and 12 different countries. Without further ado, lets break down the Juarez 4 3/4 x 52 offering and see what this cigar brings to the table. SPECIFICATIONS Blend and Origin Juarez is a four-country multi-national blend. Like Jericho Hill, it features a San Andres Mexican wrapper, but the rest of the blend is different, incorporating tobaccos from Ecuador, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Wrapper: San Andres Mexican Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: Tabacalera Pichardo Vitolas Offered Juarez is offered in three sizes. The 4 3/4 x 52 and 5 x 56 sizes come in 20-count boxes while the 6 x 54 offering comes in a 12-count box. 4 3/4 x 52 6 x 54 5 x 56 Appearance The Mexican San Andres wrapper of the Juarez 4 3/4 x 52 was a shade or two lighter than the average San Andres maduro wrapper. It had more of a dark wood color to it. There was a light coating of oil on the surface. The surface was slightly bumpy with some thin visible veins. At the same time, the wrapper was still dark enough to make the wrapper seams not very noticeable. The band of the Juarez has a pale yellow background with black font. Its certainly a simpler band design compared to many of the other Crowned Heads release. The band is highlighted by an image of a bull (with a crown hovering over it). Just below that image is the text JUAREZ. The sides of the bands have images of mountains. The top and bottom of the band has black trim with a pale yellow-dotted pattern to it. PERFORMANCE Pre-Light Draw A straight cut was used to commence the cigar experience of the Juarez 4 3/4 x 52. Once the cap was removed, it was on to the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of creamy chocolate, a slight dark fruit note, and subtle hints of floral. I considered this to be an excellent pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to light up the Juarez 4 3/4 x 52 and see what the smoking experience would have in store. Tasting Notes The start of the Juarez 4 3/4 x 52 began with notes of creamy chocolate, fruit, floral, and black pepper notes. It didnt take long for the creamy chocolate notes to move into the forefront. The fruit, floral, and black pepper notes settled into the background. Concurrently, there was an additional layer of black pepper on the retro-hale. Later in the first third, some oak notes emerged in the forefront and fused nicely with the creamy texture present in the forefront. The chocolate notes settled in the background with the pepper, fruit, and floral notes. As the Juarez moved through the second third, the creaminess began to subside while the pepper notes increased. The last third of the Juarez saw some earthy notes surface with the oak in the forefront. The pepper notes were a close secondary note. At the same time, there was a reduction in overall sweetness as the chocolate and fruit sweetness was greatly diminished. Finally, there were still floral touches present. This is the way the Juarez 4 3/4 x 52 came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature. Burn The burn of the Crowned Heads Juarez 4 3/4 x 52 had a slight curvature to it, but this was a cigar that didnt require a significant amount of touch-ups, nor was in danger of meandering. The resulting ash was silvery-gray with some darker spots mixed in. This wasnt an overly firm burn, but it wasnt a loose nor flaky burn either. The burn temperature remained ideal. This was a slightly slow-burning cigar (about 77 minutes average smoke time). Unless you consider the slower burn a negative, the slow burn rate didnt have an adverse effect on the smoking experience. Draw The draw to the Crowned Heads Juarez 4 3/4 x 52 was ideal. It had a nice balance between resistance and openness. At the same time, this was a cigar that produced a nice volume of smoke. It was also a cigar that was low maintenance to derive flavor from. Strength and Body When it comes to both strength and body, the Crowned Heads Juarez 4 3/4 x 52 started out in the medium range of the spectrum. Toward the end of the second third, there was a slight uptick in the intensity levels of both attributes pushing the Juarez close to medium to full territory. Throughout the smoking, the strength and body balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other. OVERALL ASSESSMENT Final Thoughts Over the years, Thompson Cigar has had many premium exclusive releases by leading manufacturers and brands. In most of these cases, both Thompson Cigar and the associated companies who have produced these offerings have done little to promote them. The lack of promotion of many of these releases is quite perplexing to someone like me in the media, because many of these have been excellent cigars and have had nice value. The Crowned Heads Juarez certainly belongs in the category of these excellent offering, and by a landslide, Crowned Heads has done the best job at promoting a Thompson release that Ive seen in recent years. Its an important point because the Juarez certainly deserves its place in the spotlight. Flavor-wise, Crowned Heads Juarez is not your cookie-cutter Mexican San Andres offering. Its quite different than many of the ones Ive smoked, and thats a positive. It definitely provided a smoother smoke than your typical San Andres offering, and brought a nice balance of sweetness and spice to the forefront. This was also the first cigar Ive had from Tabacalera Pichardo, and it did impress me. Add a price point for the 4 3/4 x 52 that is under $6.00 (with a Thompson Cigar discount), and thats a bigger bonus. This is a cigar I could recommend to the novice or seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar Id smoke again and its worthy of having multiples in the humidor. Summary Key Flavors: Oak, Cream, Chocolate, Fruit, Black Pepper, Floral Burn: Very Good Draw: Excellent Complexity: Medium Plus Strength: Medium Body: Medium Finish: Good Rating Value: Buy Multiples Score: 90 References News: Crowned Heads to Release Juarez for Thompson Cigar Price: $5.95 (with Thompson discount) Source: Crowned Heads Brand Reference: Crowned Heads Photo Credit: Cigar Coop Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. 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The tax reform package constructed by the Legislature's Revenue Committee over the last two months ran into a storm of opposition Wednesday and emerged from its public hearing wounded. It was the wide spectrum of opposition -- from cities, urban schools, chambers of commerce, the Nebraska State Education Association, policy think tanks, retailers, real estate agents and contractors -- that may have done the most damage. Even the Nebraska Farm Bureau and allied ag organizations found fault, approving of the proposal to increase the state sales tax rate and broaden the sales tax base as a means of reducing local property taxes that are particularly burdening Nebraska agriculture, but arguing for maintenance of the state's current property tax credit fund. Revenue Committee Chairwoman Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn said the revised proposal (LB289) would assure meaningful property tax relief by funding a significant increase in state aid to schools. In the process, she said, Nebraska would rise from 47th to 20th among states in terms of state funding support for schools. But representatives of Nebraska's largest and growing urban school districts said they would be adversely impacted by the change. Lincoln Public Schools would lose $2.3 million in support if it levies at a maximum allowable property tax rate, Associate Superintendent Liz Standish told members of the Revenue, Education and Retirement committees at a rare joint hearing. "It is very likely revenue per student would be shrinking while the city is growing," Standish said. Growing cities with schools that contain "a majority of the most vulnerable children" in the state would lose vital school funding support, the committee was told by other school representatives. The torrent of opposition became apparent hours before the committee launched its lengthy hearing when 38 people, most of whom spoke for organizations impacted by the proposal, already had signed up to provide opposition testimony. Only four proponents testified in support of the bill, including a representative of the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association. A representative of the Tax Foundation, headquartered in Washington, took no position on the bill, but told the committee that Nebraska has high income and business taxes now and would also have high sales taxes if the proposal is approved. The bill would raise the state sales tax rate from 5.5% to 6.25% while also eliminating a number of sales tax exemptions on products like candy, pop and bottled water and hiking the state cigarette tax from 64 cents to $1 a pack. Linehan said any new revenue raised by those provisions would go to property tax relief. The average taxpayer would experience a 20% reduction in property taxes paid to public schools, she said. Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln said she is concerned about the regressive nature of the sales tax as the source for funding. The revenue stream should include some income tax revenue "to avoid being so regressive," Renee Fry, executive director of Open Sky Policy Institute, told the committee members. Fry also suggested that the proposed three-fourths cent increase in the state sales tax rate is too high. The funding source for increased school aid should be elimination of sales tax exemptions, not any increase in tax rates, the Platte Institute told the committee. Wednesday's hearing overflowed the assigned hearing room and ran into the night. The bill moves on now to an uncertain fate within a divided Revenue Committee that has not yet taken a single vote on the proposal. A number of committee members have privately stated that they cannot support the measure in its current form. Rallying opposition to the tax reform plan prior to the hearing, Gov. Pete Ricketts suggested that "there's still time to come up with a plan to make progress on property tax relief" without increasing other taxes. Ricketts spoke at a news conference surrounded by representatives of businesses and industries that would be impacted by proposed increases in state sales taxes. "We want to encourage the Legislature to stop the path they're headed down," the governor said. The current proposal mirrors previous efforts to secure property tax relief that have failed, Ricketts said. "This will not work," he declared. "We need to focus on budget control. "Property taxes may go down for a couple of years, maybe three," he said, "then go right up," leaving taxpayers with an accompanying increase in state sales taxes. Ricketts was joined at the Capitol by spokespersons for real estate agents, grocers, homebuilders, ranchers and people engaged in pet care. "Action should not be confused with progress," rancher Trent Loos of Litchfield said. "We spend too much," he declared, and the losers if the proposed legislation is approved would be "anybody who calls Nebraska home." Ricketts has proposed a $51 million increase in the state's property tax credit fund during each year of the upcoming fiscal biennium, along with a constitutional amendment that would limit property tax increases to 3% a year. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSDon. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Bill Luckey didnt expect to have boots on the ground in the African country of Tanzania for 11 days this April, but an unlikely set of circumstances landed him there planting hybrid seed corn for a Christian Ministry working to fulfill the needs of thousands of children and teens. Luckey, who farms land about 3 miles north of Behlen Mfg. Co, was contacted by his nephew one Sunday in early April inquiring as to whether he would have any interest in volunteering his time and services traveling on his own dime in Tanzania. He was asked to aid the Siouxland Tanzania Educational Medical Ministries (STEMM) become more financially sustainable by helping them plant seed corn that they could turn around and sell for a profit. Jeff Krohn, Luckeys nephew, goes way back with the founder of STEMM, Sioux City-based orthopedic surgeon Steve Meyer. The latter established the nonprofit organization with his wife, Dana, in 1996 after taking a mission trip to Tanzania. The experience left him with a calling to serve the people living in the area. Since its inception, Meyer said the organization has sent 10,000 children through primary and secondary school, serves 5,000 hot meals daily, provides medical care, teacher housing, a birthing center and an orphanage that houses a few dozen children. Sitting on about 100 acres, one of the main goals has been to transform a portion of a plot into a sustainable nest-egg. We have an annual budget of about $500,000, and one of the big challenges is having 100 acres, with the goal of having enough farmland to economically sustain the orphanage, Meyer said. Speaking with different agronomy experts, it was determined that growing crops should provide STEMM about $20,000 per month, but for some time there has been a net loss of around $5,000 monthly because of the difficulty with producing good yields. Meyer, fed up with the planting woes, traveled to Tanzania a little less than a month ago and started brainstorming solutions. He was able to land a production contract with the agrochemical company Monsanto to receive hybrid seed corn at $14 per bushel. It was potentially a really lucrative opportunity and a way to make us some serious money with a reputable company growing seed corn, Meyer said. And we still needed to meet with agronomists and other experts, but our most urgent need was getting a farmer to plant the corn because the people of Tanzania just dont have the expertise to get this off the ground. Finding that right farmer, though, proved to be extremely burdensome. Meyer said he called every farming connection he knew, and the right fit wasnt found. They didnt have a passport, or they didnt have the finances to swing the trip themselves or there was a work conflict of their own. But a surprise encounter with Khron built the bridge leading to Luckey. I ran into Jeff on a Sunday after church at Target, and I hadnt seen him in something like five years, Meyer said. Hes a family practice doctor and used to work in a rural community, so I asked him if he knew any farmer who would be willing to go to Tanzania on their own dime. Finding the right farmer To Meyers surprise, Krohn said that his uncle may have an interest. The call was made, and less than three days later, Luckey was seated on a plane preparing for the day-long flight to Africa. I really didnt even get to do too much research on the country, he said of Tanzania, which is home to about 58 million people. The turnaround was so quick and I had to get my stuff lined up at home, so I was working frantically on Monday and Tuesday morning to get my work done so that I could be gone for 10-12 days." In his absence, his wife and three boys manned his corn, soybean and hog operation. The idea of the trip to Tanzania was appealing to him because he said he enjoys traveling and also being in the field. The adventure allowed him to do both. Prior to heading to Africa, Luckey had been to China, Southeast Asia, South America and parts of Europe. While in Tanzania, Luckey did have the opportunity to do a bit of sightseeing. He went on a safari and also had astonishing views of two world-renowned mountains. Mt. Kilimanjaro was off to my right and Meru Peak was straight ahead of me. I could see both mountains right from where I stayed, he said. The scenery was pretty nice. Although the view was nice, getting rolling with planting was another story. The seed from Monsanto didnt arrive on time, a normally wet time of year better for planting was extremely arid and the John Deere Planter provided to him wasnt working properly. Eventually, the seed did arrive, and the planter which had never been used by the Tanzanians who were helping him came together by crafting some parts at a local shop. This was the first time they had ever used a planter on this land, otherwise it was always hand-planted, Luckey said. Everything is done by hand in this operation, thats just the way it was done. The goal was for Luckey and his team to plant 40 acres of corn, but only 12 ended up being completed. Since February, Luckey said the area he was in only received 2 inches of rain and the days were frequently above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The soil conditions in some places made planting a virtual impossibility. One field I found where the dust was 10 inches deep, he said. It was like flour, you would just be standing there with the dust halfway up your shin. The water situation was another main factor that the planting quantity was forced to diminish. The wells used for irrigation where Luckey planted could generate about 80 gallons of water a minute, in contrast to about 800 gallons a minute in irrigated areas in the U.S. But by brainstorming and coming up with some creative solutions, 12 acres of land now have a real shot at benefiting the entire STEMM operation. It wasnt a relaxing trip for Luckey whatsoever, but surprisingly enough, thats really the kind of vacation he prefers. Sometimes Im not the greatest tourist, Id rather normally go over there and just be doing something, he said of traveling. Most of my trips overseas involve meetings for the pork industry, so I am used to working instead of site seeing. I worked eight days in a row over there, including Sundays, getting this field planted. His crew, generally, worked from 8 a.m. 5 p.m. I go after 5, he said, with a smile. Back home Now back in Nebraska, Luckey has learned that the crops are taking root and that corn sprouts are starting to pop their heads through the formidable soil. A few days ago, Luckey received a call at midnight Nebraska time from a Tanzanian field worker wondering if they needed to keep irrigating wetter weather is anticipated on the horizon. He assured them that they did, in fact, need to keep water on the valuable crops. Meyer said that finding Luckey to assist with the planting was, well, lucky. And perhaps more of a Godsend than anything else. It was honestly beyond a miracle, Meyer said of Luckey being able to make the trip. I couldnt believe it at the time, and I really still cant believe it. In no uncertain terms, Ive told him that I feel like hes an angel of mercy. Luckey said he just feels fortunate that he was able to benefit a great organization that helps a lot of people. Whether the crop turns out strong or weak this year, at the very least the people who will be working these fields for years to come took away some valuable crop lessons. You know, for them, brand new technology is using a planter that we (Americans) used 40 years ago, Luckey said. So, they are really impressed when I tell them about how we farm over here in the United States. And they would like to be able to use some of that technology someday, but you just have to sort of take it in baby steps. Just one step at a time. You cant jump right to the products that we use. They are going to have to do this over a period of time. And they are going to have their challenges, but there are ways to get around them. And anytime you have major challenges you have people thinking of ways to get around them. Sam Pimper is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at sam.pimper@lee.net. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A local financial adviser is donating money to St. Bonaventure School after winning an award from the Catholic Order of Foresters. Tyson Owens of Columbus received a Richard Tobin Benevolence Award from the fraternal life insurance company after being one of their top 20 agents in 2018. The award allocates $500 to the recipient, who in turn donates the money to a local group or organization. Catholic education is a worthy cause to donate to, Owens said. Students learn very early on that Christ is present and active in their lives, Owens said. You go there, and theyre praying before meals and praying in the morning. That means something to me (and) I just want to support that whole mission. This wasn't the first time that Owens received this high honor. He has earned the award in each of the previous two years, and his brother, Anthony, has also received the award. That particular money was given to the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing in Norfolk. The money does not have to be given to a Catholic organization, and Owens has, in the past, given the money to a wide variety of organizations. Last year, Owens gave the money to a fundraiser called Night Out for Nora, which was raising money for a 5-year-old fighting cystic fibrosis. There is a group of Catholic Foresters agents in Kentucky, and the daughter of one of the agents had CF (cystic fibrosis), Owens said. Every year, they do this fundraiser for the CF Foundation called the Night Out for Nora. Because all those agents, those great men and women in Kentucky, are part of that, I donated the money to them. St. Bonaventure officials are still deciding what to do with the new funding, however, the school is leaning toward upgrading its aging technology, some of which dates back to the early 2000s. By continuing to update our equipment and by providing online resources for our students, they are able to learn at their own pace, said Cheryl Zoucha, principal of St. Bonaventure School. When students are able to do that, theyre able to have a more successful academic program." Zoucha said she is grateful that Owens is putting money into the school to help bring it forward into the future. Were grateful to the Catholic Order of Foresters and Tyson Owens for providing this for our school, Zoucha said. We can only exist because of the goodness and generosity of others. Were very appreciative of this donation. Zach Roth is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at zach.roth@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Timothy Tim E. Jacobsen November 9, 1950-November 18, 2018 Timothy Tim E. Jacobsen, of Britton, South Dakota, formerly of St. Edward, passed away Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, at West Marion Community Hospital in Ocala, Florida, following an automobile accident. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, at the United Methodist Church in St. Edward, with the Rev. Vern Olson officiating. Masonic services will be conducted. The burial of his ashes will follow at the Evergreen Cemetery in St. Edward. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, April 25, 2019 Saudi authorities should immediately release Jordanian journalist Abdulrahman Farhana as well as the other journalists swept up in their campaign against dissent, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Saudi authorities detained Farhana, a Saudi-based columnist for Jordanian daily al-Sabeel and contributor to the Qatari network Al-Jazeera, on February 20 and have held him since in an unknown location without any charges made public, according to al-Sabeel, Jordanian journalist Hilmi Asmar, who spoke with CPJ, and Farhanas family, who announced the arrest in a statement issued by the Jordanian Press Syndicate and published in the Jordanian newspaper al-Rai on April 23. Farhanas family members told Asmar that they have not been able to contact Farhana since his arrest, Asmar told CPJ. The journalists detention comes amid a crackdown in the country that has seen at least eight journalists detained since the beginning of 2019, according to CPJ reporting. A country that behaves like Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, throwing journalists in prison without charges or communication, is not worthy of international regard or partnership, CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C. Saudi authorities must free Abdulrahman Farhana immediately. Authorities intercepted Farhana as he was driving from his home in Dammam, the capital of Saudi Arabias Eastern Province, to Jeddah and made him return to Dammam, where they searched his house and detained him, Asmar said. Farhana has lived in Saudi Arabia for 42 years and also maintains a home in Amman, Jordan, Asmar told CPJ. Al-Sabeel lists Farhana as a writer for the newspaper from outside Jordan on its website but CPJ could not locate examples of his articles. Farhana writes about intra-Palestinian politics, regional geopolitics, and Islamist political movements for Al-Jazeera, according to his author page on the networks website. Al-Sabeel and Al-Jazeera did not immediately respond to emails from CPJ seeking comment. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told the Jordanian Press Syndicate that the Jordanian Embassy in Riyadh was following the matter, according to the syndicates statement. The Saudi Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Jordanian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to CPJs emails requesting comment. In 2017, amid a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies, Saudi authorities revoked Al-Jazeeras broadcast license and forced the network to close its Saudi office, as CPJ reported at the time. CPJs annual prison census found that at least 16 journalists were behind bars in Saudi Arabia as of December 1, 2018. Saudi authorities often detain journalists in unknown locations without charges and deny families the opportunity to contact detainees, and journalists are often detained for months before their cases become public, according to CPJ research. EDITORS NOTE: The text has been modified throughout to correct the spelling of Abdulrahman Farhanas name. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Washington, D.C., April 24, 2019 The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over Philippines President Roderigo Duterte providing information to The Manila Times, a local daily, alleging that media and legal groups orchestrated a plot to discredit and oust him. Unsubstantiated allegations of a plot against Philippines President Roderigo Duterte relayed by the president himself create an immediate danger for critical journalists, said Steven Butler, CPJs Asia program coordinator. The Duterte government needs to recognize that critical journalism is a key component of a healthy democracy, not evidence of a subversive plot. On April 22, The Manila Times published an article alleging a conspiracy to oust the president by news website Rappler, independent fact-checking organization Verafiles, investigative reporting outlet the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and human rights organization the Philippines National Union of Peoples Lawyers. The article specifically mentioned Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, winner of CPJs 2018 Gwen Ifill award, and Sheila Coronel, a board member of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism who is also a senior adviser and former board member of CPJ. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo confirmed that Duterte was the newspapers source, according to the transcript of an April 22 press briefing seen by CPJ. The author of the Manila Times article is the chairman emeritus of that paper and Dutertes special envoy for international public relations. The article alleged that the organizations playbook involved publishing fake news, arousing public anger, manipulating public opinion, working with leftist organizations, and ultimately staging a coup against the president. Each of the organizations issued statements or published articles denying the allegations. In Manila this week, several journalists told CPJ they were concerned that these accusations could lead to charges against the organizations on national security grounds, potentially resulting in arrests or jail time without the possibility of bail for journalists and activists. According to the press briefing transcript, the presidents spokesperson said there are no plans for legal action against those named by The Manila Times. We just want them to know that we know; and we want the people to know that they are on this, Panelo said, according to the transcript. Rappler and its executives have faced a myriad of libel, tax, and regulatory lawsuits, and has paid an estimated 2 million pesos ($38,260) in bail and bonds as of March 29, 2019, according to the news website. Ressa has been arrested twice this year, CPJ has documented, although she has been released on bail and has been able to travel internationally after posting bond. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Istanbul, April 22, 2019The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Turkish authorities to not take eight former employees from the daily Cumhuriyet into custody until the Supreme Court has heard their colleagues appeal. At a press conference in Istanbul today, lawyers representing the employees said they would ask authorities to delay acting on a local appeals court ruling from February. A court convicted 14 Cumhuriyet staff of terrorism-related charges in 2018. On April 19, authorities entered the local appeals court ruling that upheld the verdict for eight of those defendants into the National Judiciary Informatics System, an intranet database for the Justice Ministry, courts, and police, according to reports. Now that the ruling is in the system, the defendants who were sentenced to less than five years in prison could be taken into custody at any minute the lawyers said at the press conference. Under Turkish law, the eight staff have exhausted their ability to appeal. Their colleagues, who were sentenced to more than five years in prison in April 2018, are waiting for the Supreme Court to hear their appeal, according to reports. That ruling could overturn the original conviction, Mustafa Kemal Gungor, a lawyer who is among the defendants, told CPJ. Lawyers and former employees of the Turkish daily, Cumhuriyet, pictured at a press conference in Istanbul on April 22. The lawyers discussed the legal action taken against the papers staff. (CPJ/Ozgur Ogret) Tora Pekin, one of the lawyers representing the staff, said at the press conference that the legal team was also waiting for the Constitutional Court of Turkey and the European Court of Human Rights to hear appeals in the case filed more than two years ago. Turkish authorities should delay acting on the convictions of Cumhuriyet staff until the courts have ruled on all 14 defendants and their avenues of appeal have been exhausted, said CPJ Europe and Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza Said in Belgrade, Serbia. The prosecution of the Cumhuriyet journalists and staff is a blot on Turkeys record and one of the most visible signs of the governments intolerance for a free press. The Cumhuriyet staff whose appeals were heard by the local court are former cartoonist Musa Kart, former columnist and publishing consultant Kadri Gursel, who is also an executive board member of the International Press Institute, former columnists Guray Oz and Hakan Kara, former board members Onder Celik and Bulent Utku, former accountant Emre Iper, and the lawyer, Gungor. None of the defendants are currently affiliated with the newspaper. Gungor told CPJ on April 20 that if the Supreme Court overturned the original conviction, it would invalidate the prison terms for those already ordered to serve their prison sentences, including Gungor. The columnist Gursel told CPJ that he thinks that the timing of their case was political because sending the defendants to prison before local elections on March 31 would have been against the interests of the [ruling] party. Gursel said that the appeals verdict was entered the day after Istanbuls new mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, received his certificate of election that validates his win. This trial has nothing to do with the law. All of the stages, from us being taken into custody by a [police] operation to the verdict being uploaded to the [system] is not lawful but political. Uploading the verdict approved in February to the system two months later is an evidence of the whole process being political, Gursel said. Shippensburg University has created, if only by accident, quite an alumni network in the craft brew industry. Its a byproduct of the reality that the brewing community is small. There are about 350 active breweries in Pennsylvania, said Alison Feeney, Shippensburg professor and author of the book For the Love of Beer: Pennsylvanias Breweries. If each of them has two brewers and a couple of other workers, there are only about 1,000 people involved. Chances are they all know each other. They have often learned from each other, collaborate with each other. They are the most collaborative, supportive group, she said. Someday, if things keep going the way they have been, that alumni network may become more than coincidental. Something's Brewing: Brewers turn a hobby into a business If theres a stereotypical craft brewery owner, it just might be Dave Hamilton of Burds Nest Brewing who started dabbling in brewing his own Shippensburg University was recently awarded a $71,701 grant from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to create courses and programs to support the craft brewing industry with a multidisciplinary focus on science, technology, engineering, fermentation and management skills. The grant funding wont be available until July, so Feeney said the program is in the planning phase. They have hosted a forum every six months with brewers from around the state to assess their needs. So far, she believes courses will fall under topics of quality control, sensory testing and chemical biology. Shes also discovered a need for accounting and marketing classes. Feeney hopes to offer one or two courses in the summer. Although a group at Shippensburg has started looking at developing an undergraduate program to fill the need in the brewing industry, the school is moving ahead with a program of short courses focusing more on workforce development training than on a traditional degree. These people dont really need degrees. They dont even need credits most of the time. They need skill sets, Feeney said. Feeneys connection to the classes comes through her work teaching geography and earth sciences. Usually, she teaches a geographic information systems course, cartography, regional geography and geography of the United States and Canada. The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation asked her to map the states breweries. Though it may be, as Feeney said, one of our most broken laws in Pennsylvania, drinking is illegal in state parks, and the foundation wanted to come up with a way to coordinate events with nearby breweries. At that point, there were 159 breweries in the state. Now, according to the 2018 statistics from the Brewers Association, 354 craft breweries produced 3,719,475 barrels of beer to make Pennsylvania the number one producer of craft beer in the nation. Feeney expected Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to be home to most breweries, but ones in locations like Berwick and Carbondale got her attention so she set out to visit them. During the visits, Feeny would ask plenty of questions about the reuse of buildings that is so common to the brewpub scene, but the conversation would always turn to how the brewer got into the business. More often than not it all started as a hobby. They will admit theres a lot of trial and error in that, especially when you go from a small system up to a big commercial system. Its just a huge learning curve, Feeney said. Thats when the idea of continuing education classes started to germinate. There are few places for brewers to go to learn their craft. Internships are one avenue, but those often start with tasks like mopping floors or washing kegs so it takes some time to work through the system, Feeney said. People who work but are thinking about brewing as a career change cant take the time for internships or travel to study. Feeney has also found that some of the brewers know beer, but they dont know the business side of things such as marketing. Theres all levels of learning there, she said. You cant just learn it from one aspect. The fact that we have faculty on campus from history, sustainability, chemistry, biochemistry, engineering, we have all those sorts of facets. Email Tammie at tgitt@cumberlink.com. Follow her on Twitter @TammieGitt. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Gas industry representatives, along with Congressman Scott Perry, railed against Pennsylvanias possible nuclear power bailout as a market distortion during a talk about the states natural gas energy economy with the Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. Perry and the presenters argued that the state and the federal government erred in placing any portfolio requirements on power companies, including carve-outs for wind and solar, the same carve-out that nuclear power companies seek in Pennsylvania. We just continue to invest, and if you say anything against wind and solar, youre against the environment, Perry said. Im not against the environment, but I dont understand why I have to keep paying and paying. The root of the issue is legislation being discussed in Harrisburg to add nuclear power generators to the states Alternative Energy Standards Portfolio Act, which was created in 2004. The law requires that electricity distributors source their wattage from a certain mix of sources currently, for instance, at least a half-percent of distribution must be from solar suppliers by 2021. Uncertainty shadows Pennsylvania's debate over nuclear power HARRISBURG Four decades after Three Mile Island became shorthand for Americas worst commercial nuclear power accident, financial rescues of Proposed legislation would modify this so that nuclear power is included, requiring 50 percent of power portfolios to be sourced from Tier III renewable energy, of which 77 to 83 percent would be designated for nuclear power, and the remainder for sources such as solar, low-impact hydroelectric, geothermal, and others. Cost But while nuclear power may be infinitely renewable with no carbon emissions, it still isnt cheap enough to compete with natural gas, a source of power that has boomed in Pennsylvania since drilling and hydrofracking began in the Marcellus Shale formation a little over a decade ago. Some of you may be aware theres a battle going on in Harrisburg right now about nuclear bailouts, said George Stark, director of external affairs for Cabot Oil & Gas. Im your culprit, Ive lowered your energy bills because we have such an abundant amount of energy that your bills are less. The nuclears dont like that, theyd like the bills to be held in check. Stark highlighted Cabots success in natural gas production in Pennsylvania. Cabot operates oil wells in Texas, but started a natural gas arm in Susquehanna County 10 years ago, which has since made Cabot the fifth-largest natural gas producer in the nation. At the same time, its brought the once-impoverished Susquehanna County to full employment at much higher wages than before, Stark said. Prior to the natural gas boom, and prior to Pennsylvanias introduction of a competitive market model for ratepayers, energy prices in the state were 10 to 15 percent higher than the national average, according to David Taylor of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers association. Now, Taylor said, theyre 5 to 8 percent lower. Wolf seeks $4.5B capital program paid by Marcellus Shale tax HARRISBURG Gov. Tom Wolf said Thursday that he will ask Pennsylvania lawmakers to approve a severance tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas pro This has been a huge driver for manufacturing, Taylor said, given that energy is often a factorys largest cost input. He framed a potential nuclear carve-out as a deathblow to Pennsylvanias gas-driven low energy costs. If we lose out on the benefit of what Pennsylvanias natural gas revolution makes possible ... were going to lose out on the best shot that we have to give people an actual business reason to locate and invest and hire here in Pennsylvania rather than someplace else, Taylor said. Conversion Perry also said conversion of electricity production to natural gas is the major factor in the United States roughly 1-percent-per-year reduction in carbon-based greenhouse gas emissions since the mid-2000s. The Green New Deal of the last 10 to 15 years has been natural gas, Perry said. Natural gas emits about 43 percent less carbon per thermal unit than coal, and about 27 percent less than oil, according to federal numbers. But it still isnt greenhouse gas-free, something that will likely make the argument more difficult for skeptics of renewable energy bailouts. While he hasnt publicly taken a position on the nuclear bill, Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order this year to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania 26 percent by 2025, and 50 percent by 2050. The state Department of Environmental Protections draft plan on how to do this includes further requirements for renewable energy in electricity portfolios, including nuclear. Environmentalists question Pennsylvania's new methane rule The administration of Gov. Tom Wolf is pushing a regulation to control methane emissions from existing natural gas facilities that doesn't dir Perry, who has been reluctant in the past to characterize climate change as man-made, said on Wednesday that climate change is an incredibly important topic. The boom But he also blamed renewable energy providers for not seizing on the hydrofracking boom. We know that theyre important and we want a breadth in our portfolio. But your failure in a free market to invest wisely and to see what was coming when it was coming is your fault, Perry said. However, oil and gas companies by their own admission face the same problem when it comes to climate change. Cabots 2018 financial summary filing says the company is exposed to investment risk because its portfolio does not address climate impacts. To the extent financial markets view climate change and GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions as a financial risk, this could negatively impact our cost of and access to capital, Cabot wrote. In addition, warmer winters as a result of global warming could also decrease demand for natural gas. We just continue to invest, and if you say anything against wind and solar, youre against the environment. Im not against the environment, but I dont understand why I have to keep paying and paying. <&textAlign: right> Congressman Scott Perry Email Zack at zhoopes@cumberlink.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Firefighters rescued a man from a stormwater sewer after construction workers heard him calling for help from underground. Emergency workers responded Tuesday morning to a street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where they determined where the trapped man was based on his yells. Workers opened a nearby manhole cover, directed him where to go and used a ladder to get him out. It's unclear how the man got into the sewer and for how long he'd be down there. He told firefighters he woke up down there and thought maybe he had been down there for days. "He was either very reluctant or unable to tell us more," Allentown Fire Capt. John Christopher said. "We weren't getting a lot of information. But he had been down there for quite some time." Video taken by onlookers shows the disheveled man, who appears to be barefoot, stumbling and being held up by emergency officials. He's then put onto a gurney. Officials have not released his name. Christopher said through that part of the sewer, "you're pretty much belly-crawling. It's not even a crouch." The man was hypothermic and dehydrated, Christopher said. He was taken to a hospital where his condition is unknown. Construction workers heard cries of help early Tuesday morning while working at a new residential building but couldn't determine from where exactly it was coming. They called 911 shortly before 8 a.m. By shouting down sewer grates in the area, firefighters were able to determine where the man was located. They opened a few manhole covers to find the one he was closest to. "We popped down and could see him in the pipe," Christopher said. A firefighter assisted him up the ladder and to the street. Christopher said it hasn't been determined how and where the man entered the sewer system but said it could have been at Jordan Creek, which runs through Allentown before flowing into the Lehigh River. "He would have had to enter it from somewhere," Christopher said. "It wouldn't be an easy process. You'd have to willingly do that." Police have not charged the rescued man and it's unknown if the city will conduct an investigation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The percentage of U.S. adults who belong to a church or other religious institution has plunged by 20 percentage points over the past two decades, hitting a low of 50% last year, according to a new Gallup poll. Among major demographic groups, the biggest drops were recorded among Democrats and Hispanics. Gallup said church membership was 70% in 1999 and close to or higher than that figure for most of the 20th century. Since 1999, the figure has fallen steadily, while the percentage of U.S. adults with no religious affiliation has jumped from 8% to 19%. Among Americans identifying with a particular religion, there was a sharp drop in church membership among Catholics dropping from 76% to 63% over the past two decades as the church was buffeted by clergy sex-abuse scandals. Membership among Protestants dropped from 73% to 67% percent over the same period. Among Hispanic Americans, church membership dropped from 68% to 45% since 2000, a much bigger decline than for non-Hispanic white and black Americans. There was a big discrepancy over that 20-year period in regard to political affiliation: Church membership among Democrats fell from 71% to 48%, compared to a more modest drop from 77% to 69% among Republicans. David Campbell, a University of Notre Dame political science professor who studies religions role in U.S. civic life, attributed the partisan divide to the allergic reaction many Americans have to the mixture of religion and conservative politics. Increasingly, Americans associate religion with the Republican Party and if they are not Republicans themselves, they turn away from religion, he said. Mark Chaves, a professor of sociology, religion and divinity at Duke University, said that as recently as the 1970s, it was difficult to predict someones political party by the regularity with which they went to church. Now its one of the best predictors, he said. The correlation between religiosity and being Republican has increased over the years. The overall decline in church membership is driven by cultural and generational factors, said Nancy Ammerman, a professor of the sociology of religion at Boston University. Culturally, we are seeing significant erosion in the trust people have for institutions in general and churches in particular, she said. We are also seeing a generational shift as the joiner older generation dies off and a generation of non-joiners comes on the scene. The new Gallup findings underscore that generational dynamic. Among Americans 65 and older, church membership in 2016-2018 averaged 64% percent, compared to 41% among those aged 18-29. The challenge is clear for churches, which depend on loyal and active members to keep them open and thriving, wrote Gallup poll analyst Jeffrey Jones. How do they find ways to convince some of the unaffiliated religious adults in society to make a commitment to a particular house of worship of their chosen faith? These trends are not just numbers, but play out in the reality that thousands of U.S. churches are closing each year, Jones added. Religious Americans in the future will likely be faced with fewer options for places of worship, and likely less convenient ones, which could accelerate the decline in membership even more. Professor Scott Thumma, who teaches sociology of religion at Hartford Seminary, suggested several likely factors behind the decline. Among them, he said religious young adults are delaying marriage, postponing having children, and, when they do, having fewer children. He also suggested there was diminished social pressure to formally join organizations. Ive encountered many persons in churches that have attended for several years but did not officially join or become a member, he said by email. This is also evident in persons switching from one congregation to another without joining any. The findings are based on Gallup surveys conducted over the last 20 years, with most surveys including at least 2,000 U.S. adults and having a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Some findings are based on aggregated interviews from 1998-2000 and 2016-2018, with each period including interviews with more than 7,000 adults. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, Pa. Police say two men and a woman broke into a Philadelphia-area hospital and stole nearly a half-million dollars' worth of colonoscopy instruments. Authorities say the trio had access to a secured area of Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood. The people walked out of the hospital with several colonoscopes with a value of $450,000. Police told TV station WCAU the colonoscopes may be sold on the black market. Lower Merion Police are still searching for the culprits in Saturday morning's theft. Surveillance video shows the three driving up in a Jeep Wrangler and one man and one woman exit the vehicle. At some point, the third person joins them. Video also shows all three of them leaving with full backpacks. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Theres at least one area of agreement among conservative, centrist and liberal leaders in the United Methodist Church: Americas largest mainline Protestant denomination is on a path toward likely breakup over differences on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT pastors. The differences have simmered for years, and came to a head in February at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 for a proposal called the Traditional Plan, which strengthens bans on LGBT-inclusive practices. A majority of U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBT-friendly options, but they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines. Many believe the vote will prompt an exodus from the church by liberal congregations that are already expressing their dissatisfaction over the move. Some churches have raised rainbow flags in a show of LGBT solidarity. Some pastors have vowed to defy the strict rules and continue to allow gay weddings in Methodist churches. Churches are withholding dues payments to the main office in protest, and the UMCs receipts were down 20 percent in March, according to financial reports posted online. Its time for some kind of separation, some kind of amicable divorce, said James Howell, pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, who posted a video assailing the proposal for its real meanness. The UMCs nine-member Judicial Council convenes a four-day meeting in Evanston, Illinois, on Tuesday to consider legal challenges to the Traditional Plan. If the plan is upheld, it would take effect for U.S. churches on Jan. 1. If parts of it are struck down, that would likely trigger new debate at the UMCs next general conference in May 2020. The UMCs largest church the 22,000-member Church of the Resurrection with four locations in the Kansas City area is among those applying financial pressure. Its lead pastor, Adam Hamilton, says his church is temporarily withholding half of the $2.5 million that it normally would have paid to the UMCs head office at this stage of the year. Well ultimately pay it, Hamilton said. But we want to show that this is the impact if our churches leave. Hamilton is among the opponents of the Traditional Plan leading an initiative dubbed UMC-Next that seeks the best path forward for those who share their views. Clergy and activists in the alliance have met in Texas and Georgia, and a bigger meeting is planned for May 20-22 at Hamiltons megachurch. Hamilton, in a telephone interview, said two main options are under consideration. Under one scenario, many centrists and liberals would leave en masse to form a new denomination a potentially complex endeavor given likely disputes over the dissolution process. Under the other option, opponents of the Traditional Plan would stay in the UMC and resist from within, insisting on LGBT-inclusive policies and eventually convincing the conservatives that they should be the faction that leaves under whats envisioned as a financially smooth gracious exit. Theres a sense that some conservatives have been wanting to leave for a long time, Hamilton said. Theyre tired of fighting about it. Formed in a merger in 1968, the United Methodist Church claims about 12.6 million members worldwide, including nearly 7 million in the United States. While other mainline Protestant denominations have embraced gay-friendly practices, the UMC still bans them, though acts of defiance by pro-LGBT clergy have multiplied. Many have performed same-sex weddings; others have come out as gay or lesbian from the pulpit. Enforcement of the bans has been inconsistent; the Traditional Plan aspires to beef up discipline against those engaged in defiance. Traditional Plan supporter Mark Tooley, who heads a conservative Christian think tank, predicts that the UMC will split into three denominations one for centrists, another oriented toward liberal activists and a third representing the global alliance of U.S. conservatives and their allies overseas. Its a question of how long it takes for that to unfold and of who and how many go into each denomination, Tooley said. A lot of churches will be irreparably harmed as they divide. Scott Jones, bishop of the UMCs Houston-based Texas conference, says churchgoers in his region are divided in their views, but a majority supports the Traditional Plans concepts. I have urged all of us to love each other, listen to each other and respect each other, even if we disagree, said Jones, who holds out hope that the UMCs disparate factions can preserve some form of unity. Ann Craig of Newburgh, New York a lesbian activist who has advocated for greater LGBT inclusion in the UMC thinks a breakup can be avoided, though shes unsure what lies ahead. We expect something new to happen, but what that change should be or will be has not jelled yet, she said. I dont think were going to break up its so cumbersome to figure out a way to divorce. The crisis is being followed closely at Methodist-affiliated theology schools based at universities with LGBT-inclusive policies. There are 13 UMC-connected theology schools around the country. Theres a lot of turmoil and distress, said Mary Elizabeth Moore, dean of Boston University School of Theology. Were trying to find a future that will be less destructive than where we are now. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Dear Editor: The recent assassination of Christians and travelers in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, and the biased reporting by the biased liberal media, shows the usual double standards at work. I am so upset and appalled the news medias biased reporting of this mass murder of Christians not Easter worshipers and tourists, by extremists Muslims. Whenever there is an attack on a Muslim organization, person, or group, the biased media often proclaims their victims of prejudice and such. Yet, when Christians are attacked and persecuted anywhere in the world today, how biased the media is toward Christians or they disrespect them like their second class citizens. No surprise as they and the last weak President (Obama) claimed that the Fort Hood massacre was an incidence of workplace violence, not what it really was, a massacre committed by a Muslim extremist. No wonder the news media is on its way out, as they are not believable in their biased double standards-favoring the liberal ideas and persons and minority religions in a favorable light and not tell the truth on reality, while cast those that speak truth to power and reality-like conservatives and Bible-believers, and anyone that holds views of freedom, free market ideas, and patriotic wisdom, are often misquoted and persecuted. The double standards need to stop, and many people like me have known this all along. I did not just discover this like some silly internet troll accused and insulted me on the former comments on Cumberlink did a few years ago. I rest my honest and realistic case. T.J. Murray Mechanicsburg Love 9 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 This week is National Volunteer Week and I would like to send out a sincere thank you to all the volunteers who devote their time and energy to those organizations that benefit from their commitments. This legislative session will end in a few weeks. I will be sending out an end of session report that will list all bills that were passed. I also have on my House website an online survey for you to participate in. Knowing your opinions on certain topics helps me when bills come up for debate on the House Floor. When Session ends on May 17th, I will be back home in the district and look forward to attending meetings, social events and I am available to meet with anyone as concerns arise. These last few weekends in the district I had the opportunity to tour and meet with a special group of young adults at the Friends in Action Clubhouse in Farmington. What a pleasure meeting and interacting with them! I also had the chance to visit with teachers and students at the Ste. Genevieve Middle School. Ste. Genevieve offers their students some leading edge programs going on there. The students are fortunate to be attending such an excellent school system. While at Ste. Genevieve I got to try my hand at Virtual Heart Surgery with the help of Librarian Coordinator Carrie Staffen. Workforce Development On Friday, representatives from schools around southeast Missouri, local businesses, members of various Chambers of Commerce, city governments and Representative Henderson and I had the chance to attend a meeting hosted by US Tool Group to discuss our future workforce. Governor Parson has made Work Force Development a priority for our state. This is a win win for our area and state. Employers need skilled workers and students who do not want to attend college can benefit from on the job training or pursuing a degree from a technical trade school. Today, we received great news from the Governor. Missouris economy is growing at an amazing pace! We have more jobs, higher wages, and lower taxes than ever before. These are all ingredients for a very strong economy. If all that wasnt good enough In March Missouri employers generated 4,700 new jobs. Currently, Missouris unemployment rate is at an extremely low 3.3 percent, and for the 32nd time our unemployment rate is lower than the national unemployment rate! House Approves Legislation to Protect Land Owners from Eminent Domain Abuse (HB 1062) The bill comes in response to the proposed Grain Belt Express transmission line that would carry power generated by wind turbines in Kansas across Missouri to other states in the Midwest and neighboring states. The 750-mile line would run across eight northern Missouri counties Buchanan, Clinton, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Randolph, Monroe and Ralls and would deliver a portion of the power it transmits to utilities and customers in Missouri. In March the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a request made by Grain Belt Express to construct the high-voltage transmission line. As a result of the decision made by the PSC, developers would have the authority to utilize the power of eminent domain to obtain easement rights from landowners who are unwilling to sell. The legislation approved by the House would prevent the use of eminent domain for the purpose of constructing the Grain Belt Express transmission line. Supporters of the bill said it is important to prohibit private companies from using eminent domain to maximize their profits for a project that will provide little benefit for Missouri consumers. They say less than 12 percent of the electricity carried by the transmission line would be sold to Missouri consumers. I am proud to defend the property rights of Missourians. Telling one private owner to share their land and follow unreasonable regulations for another private company is a violation of the core beliefs this country was founded on. Today the Missouri House led the fight to protect Missouris agriculture land and sent a clear message that we will protect all Missourians private property rights. Abuse of eminent domain for a private company to pad its bottom line is unacceptable and today the Missouri House made it unlawful. The property you possess is your tangible piece of the American Dream and today the House sent HB1062 on to the Senate to protect Missourians property rights. I care deeply about the rights of landowners and today supported HB 1062 to protect your private property from the abuse of eminent domain. House Approves Bill to Improve License Renewal Process (HB 679) Members of the Missouri House have approved legislation that would make it easier for residents to renew a drivers license or a motor vehicle license. The legislation also would allow drivers to obtain a secure digital drivers license in addition to the physical card-based license. The bill would authorize the Missouri Department of Revenue to design and implement a remote driver's license renewal system that would be accessed through the department's Internet website, or through self-service kiosks that would be available at one or more locations within the state. Missourians would also be able to use the kiosks to renew their motor vehicle license just as they currently can through the departments website. This option would be available to residents who live in a county where property tax records are kept online. The plan would be to roll out a handful of kiosks in select locations initially as a pilot project. If the kiosks prove successful and cost efficient, they would then be made available in more fee offices throughout the state. The expansion of the self-service kiosks would be subject to appropriation. The change should help streamline services offered by the department and allow consumers to use the kiosks so they can get renewals completed faster. Under the bill, a Missourian who opts to renew a drivers license remotely would be exempted from vision and road sign tests. Applicants who have applied in-person and received a drivers license would be able to remotely apply for one three-year or one six-year renewal. The bill would require the department to have a remote renewal system in place by Jan. 1, 2021. The bill also authorizes the department to design a secure digital driver's license program that allows applicants to obtain a digital version of their license in addition to the physical card-based driver's license. The bills sponsor said the bill will give Missourians the option to have an electronic license on their phone or mobile device that works in the same way as their current license for all applications. He noted that users would pay an additional fee to obtain the electronic version. The bill is now under consideration by the Senate. Perryville City Administrator Brent Buerck at Capitol to testify on HB 823 for Representative Rick Francis in committee. Lawmakers Approve Bill to Crack Down on Carjackers (HB 966) Members of the Missouri House gave approval this week to legislation that would create and define the crime of carjacking. The bill would give consistency and clarity to Missouri law. Missouri does not currently have a law for prosecutors to charge vehicle hijacking under. Instead, prosecutors have to charge under a similar offense, such as robbery or theft. Supporters say carjacking has become an epidemic that needs to be addressed. They note that St. Louis had 350 carjackings in 2018. The bill creates the offense of vehicle hijacking. It would be considered a dangerous felony, and would carry a penalty between 5 and 15 years. If the crime is committed with the use of a weapon, if a victim is seriously injured, or if one of the victims is a child or special victim, the crime would be a class A felony with a penalty of 10 to 30 years, or life. The bill would make the penalty for an armed carjacking very similar to that for first-degree robbery, which is comparable to the charges faced by people who commit carjackings now. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. Signed by the Governor HB 77 fixes a problem with the school retirement system that was created by language that was passed last session. The bill adds a provision that exempts anyone that retired as a teacher under the public school retirement system who is now employed by a public community college. Other Bills Sent to the Senate HB 1094 prevents penalties for delayed payments on outstanding income tax liabilities for the 2018 tax year, as long as a taxpayer timely files their return. There may be interest assessed on outstanding income tax liabilities, provided that no interest will be assessed before May 15, 2019 and any interest already paid will be refunded. Supporters say that with the new federal tax laws and Missouri withholding issues, taxpayers' Missouri withholding may have been reduced causing unexpected tax liability due when they file their tax returns. This bill gives a taxpayer more time to pay his or her tax bill, without hurting the fiscal year for the state. HB 301 requires certified nursing assistant training programs to be offered at skilled nursing or intermediate care facility units in Missouri veterans homes and hospitals. It also requires advanced practice nurses (APRNs) to be licensed by the Missouri Board of Nursing and sets out the requirements for that licensure. Supporters say the bill will allow the Board of Nursing to give APRNs a separate licensure, instead of just a document of recognition, which will allow the board to have better oversight and discipline for APRNs. They say the bill will streamline and simplify APRN licensure. HB 932 allows prosecuting attorneys to develop multidisciplinary adult protection teams that protect elderly and other dependent persons from abuse. Supporters say that most of the things discussed in this bill are being done which is why the fiscal note indicates no cost. However, this bill addresses the practices, procedures and coordination of the activities for these teams and all the people and agencies involved. This legislation was modeled on best practices from other states and what we know works well in Missouri and the sponsor is bringing this bill forward to protect our most vulnerable elderly population. HB 186 provides that a person who is injured by a product has 15 years after the sale or lease of the product to bring a suit for damages. Supporters say there needs to be certainty for manufacturers and distributors. They note that the United States Supreme Court has held that statutes of repose are legitimate limitations on bringing claims. They say Missouri defendants should be free from worry about liability after a certain amount of time has passed. HBs 281 & 570 allows school districts to implement alternative methods of instruction to avoid make-up days. Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, the bill allows a district to use an alternative instruction plan approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for up to 36 hours due to inclement weather. HB 749 creates the "Towing Task Force" to make recommendations on overcharges, customer complaints, and the process for nonconsensual towing used by law enforcement. The bill will help regulate overcharging in the towing industry. The task force outlined in the bill will give recommendations and a framework to help eliminate price gouging. HB 756 requires health care professionals to utilize the process outlined in statute for claims for charges for unanticipated out-of-network care. The bill is necessary for transparency purposes. If you go to a hospital that is in your health care plan then everything should be treated like in-network for your health insurance coverage. People often get bills for out of network from physicians that work in the hospital and this is a lot more expensive. If you have any questions regarding any state matters or legislation, please dont hesitate to contact email me at dale.wright@house.mo.gov or call 573-751-3455. It is an honor to serve as your state representative. Dale Wright, a Republican, is the state representative for the 116th District. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A new study has found that Missouri is the No. 37 state in danger of having a doctor shortage in the years to come. As politicians argue over healthcare policy in Washington, an even bigger problem may be on the horizon. America is projected to have a doctor shortage of 120,000 by 2030. While this is a huge national problem, some states have it much worse than others. TheSeniorList.com has released a study on Expected Doctor Shortages by State using the latest data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Association of American Medical Colleges. The rankings were based on three factors with higher rankings equating to increased risk of a doctor shortage in the near future: Number of doctors in each state: Missouri has 267 doctors per 100,000 people ranking 22nd Percentage of doctors nearing the age of retirement: In Missouri, 29.4% of doctors are nearing retirement ranking 21st Medical residents nearing the end of their education: In Missouri, 47.2 residents per 100,000 people are about to enter the workforce as doctors ranking 11th Factoring in the rankings in all three categories, Missouri is the No. 37 state expected to have a doctor shortage in the years to come. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This week was certainly busy in the Missouri Senate. Discussion and debate on Senate Concurrent Resolution 14 came to a close, and it was voted out of the Senate and sent to the Missouri House of Representatives for their consideration. This proposed legislation allows the state to use bonds to pay for the repair or replacement of 215 bridges throughout the state. While this bonding proposal will allow needed work to begin on several of our states crumbling bridges, the resolution requires general revenue instead of fuel tax revenue to be used to pay off the bonds over a seven year period. I had some apprehension in supporting this measure when I first heard it because using general revenue always interjects a political element into the discussion. However, our states infrastructure system is in a state of crisis. I am pleased that the bridges will be repaired, but I would like to see our infrastructure issues addressed through revenue generated by the fuel tax, not general revenue. Additionally, Senate Bill 259, which I am sponsoring, was discussed on the Senate floor this week. This legislation would provide due process rights to students in Title IX proceedings at our public and private institutions of higher education. This act would give any individual the right to defend themselves at a due process hearing and request an appeal hearing if necessary during a Title IX complaint. This legislation does not favor the claimant or respondent, but rather provides a fair, equitable process to investigate Title IX complaints. There were a few amendments drafted and proposed, and overall there was a good conversation surrounding the legislation. As always, I try to balance the interests of all involved parties and compromise where I feel there are legitimate concerns. I am always willing to speak with my fellow senators to understand their concerns and to determine if we can reach a compromise. Senate Bill 259 has been set aside for now, but I am hopeful that this important piece of legislation will again be discussed on the Senate floor, passed and sent to the House for their consideration. This week I was honored to be present when Governor Parson signed House Bill 77, which I handled in the Senate. This would allow individuals receiving retirement funds from the Missouri Public School Retirement System (PSRS) to still be employed by a public community college and still receive their retirement funds. This piece of legislation is incredibly important because many retired teachers fill the role of adjunct professors at community colleges, but they were unable to fill these positions without retired teachers losing their retirement income. With this legislation, they can be employed at a public community college and still receive their retirement benefits. I am pleased that this important piece of legislation was signed by the governor. I also had the pleasure of hosting a lunch for the representatives whose districts overlap with the 3rd Senatorial District: Rep. Mike McGirl, Rep. Elaine Gannon, Rep. Mike Henderson, Rep. Dale Wright, Rep. Shane Roden, Rep. Becky Ruth, Rep. Jeff Pogue, Rep. Nathan Tate, Rep. Chris Dinkins and Rep. Rick Francis. Meeting with the representatives in my district is one of my priorities because it gives us the opportunity to discuss the issues facing our districts and our constituents concerns. It is important for me to build relationships with these legislators to accomplish our goals, in both chambers of the Legislature. It was a pleasure to meet with all of them, and I look forward to the next time all of us can gather together. I always appreciate hearing your opinions and concerns regarding your state government. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at 573-751-4008. You may write me at Gary Romine, Missouri Senate, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101; or email me at gary.romine@senate.mo.gov. For more information, please visit my official Senate webpage at www.senate.mo.gov/romine. Sen. Gary Romine, a Republican from Farmington, represents the 3rd District in the Missouri Senate. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Two Farmington men were arrested after leading police on a pursuit from Farmington to Jefferson County early Wednesday morning. Farmington Police Chief Rick Baker said at approximately 2 a.m. a Farmington officer observed a silver Nissan on Maple Valley Drive that he recognized from a recent incident involving narcotics distribution. He said the officer followed the vehicle and observed several signs that the driver was impaired. The vehicle continued onto the northbound ramp toward U.S. 67 at which time the officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver continued onto northbound U.S. 67, failing to yield to the officer and leading him on a pursuit in excess of 100 mph. Baker said a St. Francois County deputy assisted with the pursuit. When the vehicle reached the intersection of U.S. 67 and Highway 110, a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol deployed spike strips which managed to disable the vehicle. The vehicle came to a stop in the area of U.S. 67 and Victoria Road in Jefferson County. He said both occupants of the vehicle, a 45-year-old male driver of Farmington and 42-year-old male passenger of Farmington, exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended. A search of the vehicle yielded a bag of green leafy substance consistent with marijuana and a bag of white crystal substance believed to be meth, as well as other drug paraphernalia. He said a .380 caliber hand gun was found on the passenger, who was determined to be a convicted felon. A check on the driver revealed that he was driving while revoked and had two active warrants out of Franklin County. Baker said the driver was physically impaired to the point he was transported to Parkland Health Center and later released. Both suspects are currently being held in the St. Francois County Jail pending the filing of formal charges. Matt McFarland is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3616, or at mmcfarland@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 4 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A new and different type of business opened its doors in Farmington on April 1 and held its grand opening on April 20. C.B.s Dispensary has been experiencing a high sales volume of Hemp Cannabidiol (CBD) products from a building located on the corner of Washington and Harrison streets. Business partners Chad Brown and Dennis Keesee have been busy selling the newly legalized products. Brown explained the benefits claimed by the products. Basically everything we have is CBD products, which is a product of the hemp plant, he said. Its been shown to be beneficial to the human body for many different things. People are getting a lot of this for anti-inflammation, anti-nausea, different things. Also, people suffering from PTSD. A lot of people with multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia are getting a lot of relief and getting off of the opioids and pain medication." According to Brown, misconceptions held by the community and city leaders about cannabidiol products has been an obstacle to overcome. In the beginning people were a little concerned that it was going to be a hippie head shop,' that were selling marijuana, it was a place for people to hang out and get high, he said. Were kind of the exact opposite of that. Were targeting more the medical side, so we dont have people trying to get high. Most of our customers are over 65 with some medical problems, trying to get some pain relief and be able to sleep." Some of products that Brown carries have a leaf symbol on them that can lead customers to think that they are marijuana products, however the leaf from a marijuana plant and a hemp plant are identical, leading to some of the confusion surrounding the new products. I think its just a stigmatization thats built up over the years, he said. You have to understand, all the way up to last year, it was a Schedule I controlled substance. There were no medical uses, there was nothing approved for it. And now, things are finally being researched and changed. "People associate it with pot or weed plant. Its just going to take time for people to get used to it and education is the key thing to knowing the difference between the two. Im not too worried about it, we dont try to push that, like on our signs or anything like that. Brown explained that his clientele is made up of a cross section of society that are all seeking his products for their analgesic properties. Weve had a vast array of clients, he said. Weve got a lot of local teachers, nurses and emergency services personnel. A lot of military members are coming in having a lot of problems with stuff they get from the VA. Even today, there were several police officers from different jurisdictions that come in and bought stuff, and just checked it out. "Weve had a lot of counselors. A lot of the local doctors are sending people over to us. Now that they are finding out that we are open, they are sending children over with their parents to try to get them on some stuff for ADHD meds. Through the FDA we cant actually say that it will cure or can cure anything with our product, but I can say what people say they are using it for and getting relief out of it. The reason this and other dispensaries in the area have opened recently is due to changes in laws, state and federal, that allow the cannabidiol oils to be used legally. Brown explained that the THC level in hemp is much lower than in marijuana, but it is still there and can potentially create legal difficulties. Last year the laws changed both state of Missouri and federal with the farm bill President Trump signed and then Governor Greitens signed which changed the legal definition of marijuana and hemp, he said. What we have is hemp products, which is a cannabis strand, which is the same as marijuana except the THC level is below .03 percent. "Thats the difference now between marijuana and hemp. Anything above that is considered marijuana, so we have low THC, high CBD. So, youre going to get the anti-inflammation, the other principles of the product, but youre not going to get high. You can take everything that we have, and youre not going to get high." As a former police officer, Brown understands the dilemma of law enforcement if they have legal interaction with someone in possession of his hemp products. It actually looks, smells, everything is exactly the same, he said. As for me, as a police officer, if I was working the street and found it, I would think 100 percent it would be marijuana." There is a trace amount of THC in the full spectrum product, so like the hemp flower, it does have a trace amount of THC. Right now, the field test kits that law enforcement uses picks up trace amounts of THC, so it tests positive, and then thats what they determine is marijuana. Brown explained that the CBD industry is trying to help consumers with legal issues by providing detailed information on the package to help the end user and law enforcement navigate through the current thorny legal issues. Everything we have is packaged with the laws on it and whats in the package, he said. We also provide sheets with the lab results from two different laboratories to show what the results are. I am advising people, just as they would take everything else, dont operate a car, dont be silly, smoking it is going to smell like marijuana, youre going to get searched, youre going to have to deal with that. So, its more or less using your head with these things. Assisting local law enforcement and municipalities with these issues is a priority for Brown, and he is looking at creating local informational classes explaining the differences between the legal and illegal product. We had the guys from the Mineral Area College Police Academy come in last week, he said. We sat down with them and worked on getting a class together for the officers to update them and let them know about how the laws have changed and what CBD is versus cannabis and marijuana. Theres just a lot of lack of education. Initially dealing with Farmington, the information they sent us when we were looking at opening this business was information that they got from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Drug Task Force, but the laws they were using were two years old and it wasnt the new updated stuff. Two years ago CBD products actually werent legal. In dealing with this evolving issue, Brown explained that most crime labs are not accepting misdemeanor marijuana cases anymore. Because of this, law enforcement is finding it difficult to know what to do. Officers dont know if it is or isnt legal and they have a hard time proving if it is or isnt. They then risk arresting somebody for what is legal to have. The field test companies that make the kits for law enforcement are going to have to figure out how to set the limit above the legal limit, he said. So that if its below the legal limit, its not going to test positive. If its above the legal limit, its going to test positive and be an illegal marijuana. The narcotics detection dogs, are trained for the THC in the marijuana, so they would be able to pick it up. Even on any hemp products, its going to have a trace amount of THC in it, and thats what theyre going to be looking at. Theres going to be a lot of interesting case law and court date updates and training updates. Far from being settled, Brown noted that the laws and legal challenges will be ongoing for some time. The big thing is just the confusion," he said. "The law is so new, people arent used to it. Things are changing so fast. I got emails a couple days ago where some House bills were proposed. [Legislators are] looking at changing the existing laws and they're looking at defining hemp producers and growers a little better because its kind of cloudy in the law right now. Brown wants to make it clear to the community that he and his business have nothing to hide. We are very open with everything, he said. People can come in and out. The windows are open. Ive invited all the local law enforcement to stop by. We can show them what we have. Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com. Love 26 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 10 Members of the Parkside Math Team were recently recognized in front of the North County School board for accomplishments in the Elementary Math Competition. Parkside Elementary Principal Brandon Gregory recognized the Parkside Math Team and sponsors, Donna Horn and Shannon Carr. Not all the of the math team was in attendance at the meeting but the entire fourth-grade math team participated in the Elementary Math Competition. The Elementary Math competition is for fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students. The qualifying round was held at Mineral Area College on Jan. 26. The students on the team were Adrean Aubuchon, Isabella Bolte, Jaxson Burke, Matthew Haywood, Logan Luttig, Mason Schrum, Kylee Skaggs, and Cole Swiney. All eight fourth-grade team members attended the Qualifying Round at MAC and three advanced to the regional round. The regional round was held at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau on March 30. The students who advanced to the regional rounds were Jaxson Burke, Matthew Haywood, and Cole Swiney. All competitors, regardless of grade level, take the same test at regionals. However, fourth graders are only scored against other fourth graders. At the regional competition, the team's math skills are put to the test in several ways including various mental and computational problem-solving spread throughout four rounds. Number Sense: This 10-minute test consists of 80 problems that are designed to be solved mentally. Sprint Round: This is a 40-minute multiple choice test consisting of thirty questions. Students may not use calculators on this test. Target Round: Four pairs of problems are administered, and students have six minutes to complete each pair. Students may use any calculator allowed for use on the SAT. Team Round: One to four team members work together for 20 minutes to answer 10 questions. Students may use any calculator allowed for use on the SAT for this round as well. In this competition, Number Sense is the only round that is a straight computation round. All of the other rounds have questions that are embedded in word problems. Burke placed fourth in both the Sprint and the Target rounds. He was ninth overall out of the fourth graders who competed in the regional rounds. Burke will advance to the State Competition on May 4 at Columbia College. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3628, or at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sri Lanka: Conserving wetlands in Sri Lanka April 25,2019 | Source: Daily News In the past, wetlands were considered wastelands that could be reclaimed or changed for use by mankind. Development initiatives have regarded these areas suited only for such purposes and as a consequence, many wetlands have been drained or used as dump sites for refuse and urban waste. With increasing knowledge, however, we have understood that wetlands are amongst the worlds most valuable and vulnerable environments on which a variety of plants, animals and human communities depend. Initially, interest in wetlands centred on naturalists and waterfowl hunters, but today, a growing section of society has become aware of the benefits to be accrued from both marine and freshwater wetlands. Gradually, it is being recognised that by using and maintaining wetlands in a sensible way, other sectors such as agriculture, flood control, water purification, fisheries and recreation could be significantly improved. In Sri Lanka, the conservation of wetlands has been vested mostly with the wildlife sector as reflected by the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance of 1938 and its amendments. However, for a number of reasons, due recognition for the importance of conserving wetlands in the country has not effectively come off the ground until recently. Wetlands Wetlands are simply habitats with a permanent or temporary accumulation of water with associated floral and faunal communities. Interest in wetlands initially revolved around the exploitation of the associated natural resources, mainly through waterfowl hunting. These interests resulted in the Convention on Wetlands, referred to as the Ramsar Convention an intergovernmental framework for wetland conservation adopted in 1971. At this historic meeting held in Ramsar, Iran, a consensus evolved on a broad definition for wetlands. Designed to provide international protection to the widest possible group of wetland ecosystems, the Ramsar Convention has defined wetlands as follows. Areas of marshes, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. The wetlands of Sri Lanka, which fit into the Ramsar definition, can be divided into three broad categories: Inland natural freshwater wetlands (e.g., rivers, streams, marshes, swamps,forests and shallow lakes) Marine and saltwater wetlands (e.g., lagoons, estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs) Man-made wetlands (e.g., tanks, reservoirs, rice fields and salterns) A majority of the wetlands in Sri Lanka are facing various threats that are posed by harmful human activities. An analysis of the identified threats pertaining to the wetlands listed for Sri Lanka in the Directory of Asian Wetlands (Scott, 1989) brings out some interesting information. The most frequently reported threat appears to be siltation. It should be realised that this is usually not caused by factors in the wetland itself, but by actions on lands adjacent or away from the wetland. The development of aquaculture poses serious threats to wetlands. Since the white spot attack, the rate of conversion has changed to a situation where most of the ponds have been abandoned, thus leaving many desolate areas. The future threat of conversion still looms due to the high price of shrimp. The present broad threats can be summarised under four major categories: habitat deterioration or degradation, direct loss or exploitation of species, spread of invasive alien species (IAS), and natural phenomena. Direct loss or exploitation of species Overexploitation of wetland plants and animals has resulted in several species facing the risk of extinction. Factors that contribute to direct loss or exploitation of species are highlighted in the table. Spread of invasive alien species Introduction of several exotic aquatic animal and plant species that have eventually escaped into wild habitats are posing a serious threat to native aquatic biodiversity. Observations made during the past five years have enabled documentation of 10 species of invasive alien fauna (eight species of fish, one turtle and one aquatic mollusc) and 12 species of invasive alien flora spreading in different wetland ecosystems across Sri Lanka (Bambaradeniya, 2002). Among them, four species of fauna (Tilapia - Oreochromis mossambicus, Walking catfish - Clarias batrachus, Rainbow trout - Oncorhynchus mykiss and Mosquito fish - Gambusia affinis) and two species of flora (Water Hyacinth - Eichhornia crassipes and Giant Mimosa - Mimosa pigra) are included in the list of the worlds 100 worst invasive alien species. The ornamental fish trade has been the sole contributory factor to the introduction of invasive alien aquatic species into Sri Lanka. Natural phenomena Wetlands are threatened by natural phenomena as well. For instance, the recent prolonged drought in the Hambantota area resulted in drying off of several tanks, streams, salt marshes and lagoons, causing death to several wetland animal species. The rise of seawater temperature (due to climate change) resulted in the bleaching of coral reefs, especially in the southwestern part of Sri Lanka. For example, the Hikkaduwa Coral Reef, which was once a rich habitat, is now virtually a dead reef (Rajasuriya et al., 2000). The December 2004 tsunami also resulted in the degradation of coastal wetlands such as mangroves, lagoons and estuaries. Interest in the conservation of wetlands can be traced back in recent history to the late nineteenth century. Around 1897, enactments to protect the coastal belt systems were promulgated. The Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance of 1937 can be considered a major step in wetland conservation. Using this legislation, the wetlands of importance to birds have been declared by the Wildlife Conservation Department as sanctuaries and other protected areas. The Ordinance has also provided protection to fauna in the immediate limits of any water body. Sri Lanka signed the Ramsar Convention in 1971, but ratified it only in 1990. But interest in wetlands had remained high in the countries conservation agenda, as preliminary inventories of wetlands were produced in 1982 (Hoffmann 1982). In 1984, Sri Lanka hosted the regional meeting of the International Council of Bird Protection- Asian Continental Section. The main theme of the meeting was wetland conservation. As a gesture, the government committed to ratify the Ramsar Convention, but the action was initiated in this regard only in 1990. The discussion laid the foundation for the preparation of the Asian Wetland Directory, which was published in 1989. By 1986, the interests in wetlands picked up with four workshops held by the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA), Natural Resources, Energy and Science Authority (NARESA) and the Coast Conservation Department (CCD). Interest in the development of the Muthurajawela Marsh was a major activity which led to a comprehensive study of the marsh and the preparation of an ecological profile and a management plan. This was the first-ever attempt to develop any wetland on the basis of wise use criteria. The report was published in 1992. Since 1987, it was recognised that wetlands were falling under the responsibility of numerous agencies and as such, the need to introduce coordination was recognised. Accordingly, by 1989, an interim Wetland Steering Committee was established by the Central Environmental Authority. This action received Cabinet approval in 1990. Efforts to prepare a wetland commission, legislation and policy were mooted through this Steering Committee. The Wetland Conservation Project of the Central Environmental Authority resulted in the preparation of numerous wetland site reports, management plans, guiding texts and the consolidation of the wetland division of the CEA. Concurrent strengthening of implementation agencies however did not go in parallel and thus there is a gap between planning and implementation of conservation actions. Since the ratification of the Ramsar Convention in 1990 with the entry of Bundala (presently National Park), Sri Lanka has included and declared five other Ramsar wetland sites; the Anawilundawa ancient cascading tank system, the Maduganga estuary and mangrove ecosystem, Venkali Santuary, Kumana Wetland Cluster and Wilpattu Wetland Cluster. Conservation biologists and environmentalists will have to work in close collaboration with development planners and policymakers to find viable solutions to the above challenges that would play a decisive role in the future conservation of inland freshwater wetlands in Sri Lanka. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., 19952019. In 2011, when he was a teenager, Mujtaba al-Sweikat attended a handful of pro-democracy rallies in Saudi Arabia. This week, after imprisoning him for seven years, the Saudi government beheaded him. Prior to his arrest, al-Sweikat was set to attend Western Michigan University, and in 2017 his case made national news after faculty at the university pleaded for his release. Al-Sweikat was arrested in 2012 after attending several pro-democracy protests, according to the Detroit Free Press . He was accused of armed disobedience, injuring security forces, destroying public property, causing chaos and disrupting the peace. Authorities described his charges as terrorism-related, according to the Detroit News. press release from the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday stated that al-Sweikat was executed alongside 36 other people , some of whom were charged with setting off explosives that allegedly killed security officers. But Amnesty International dismissed the legitimacy of their convictions, saying they relied on confessions extracted through torture. Another person listed on the Saudi Press Agency announcement, Abdulkareem al-Hawaj, was convicted on charges relating to pro-democracy protests. He was 16 when he was arrested. Western Michigan University told the Detroit Free Press in 2017 that al-Sweikat was planning to study English and pre-finance, and was arrested at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, on his way to visit the campus. The international human rights group Reprieve has accused the government of forcing him into a confession and denying him access to a lawyer before his execution. "This is another egregious display of brutality by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman," Reprieve Director Maya Foa said in a statement to the Free Press. "At least three of the people executed today were arrested as teenagers and tortured into false confessions. Many were convicted of non-lethal crimes, such as attending protests. The mass execution was Saudi Arabias largest since January 2016, when it killed 47 people, according to the Detroit News. According to Reprieve, Saudi Arabia has one of the highest death penalty rates in the world: The kingdom has executed at least 104 people this year, primarily by beheading. Last year, Saudi Arabia also made headlines for crucifying a man accused of attempted rape, theft and murder. The kingdom has recently come under intense scrutiny for its treatment of dissidents. Most notably, the government assassinated and dismembered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Under Mohammed bin Salman, who became Crown Prince in 2017 and is believed to have ordered Khashoggis assassination, executions have at least doubled | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA Kim Lyddane has accepted a conditional offer to replace outgoing Albany Parks & Recreation Director Ed Hodney, City Manager Peter Troeddson announced Wednesday. Hodney, who has held the position for 16 years, is set to retire June 30. Lyddane currently serves as a program manager for special events and outdoor recreation for the Willamalane Park and Recreation District in Lane County. Shes held the position for eight years. She was one of 44 applicants for the position, went through a long and careful recruitment and interview process, became one of four finalists, and has emerged as our top candidate, Troeddsson said. Shes excited to join the Albany team. The 44 applicants were reduced to 17 for video interviews and then to four before Lyddane and Bedford, Indiana, Parks and Recreation Director Barry Jeskewich were named the top two finalists. The city is aiming for a mid-June start for Lyddane. During a meet-and-greet held on April 15 for the two finalists, Lyddane cited her experience as previous intern for the Albany Parks & Recreation Department and what drew her to the area again. It feels like a good place to stretch my legs and do meaningful work, she said. I just know what a gem of a community this is. Lyddane has a bachelor of science in marketing communications and a minor in music appreciation from Emerson College in Boston and a master of arts in management with a concentration in event management from the University of Oregon as well as a certificate in festival and event management from UO. The city will celebrate Hodneys retirement and honor his service during the June 26 City Council meeting. Hodney said he would continue to work with the department on an as-needed basis. Im a photographer, so I hope to get back into that, he said. And I have plenty of projects around the house. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 It wasn't that long ago January 2013, in fact, as Paul Dwyer recalls when the members of the Diderot String Quartet would gather at an apartment to eat waffles and play for fun. It's still fun to play together. But these days, the members of this quartet, which specializes in performing on period instruments, is playing venues somewhat larger than a New York City apartment. On Friday night, the quartet performs in Corvallis as part of this season's Chamber Music Corvallis series. (See the related story for details about the performance.) In a recent interview from his Brooklyn residence, cellist Dwyer noted that he and two other members of the quartet (violinists Johanna Novom and Adriane Post) played together in a quartet as students at Oberlin College. They went their separate ways, but eventually found themselves in New York, where they connected with violist Kyle Miller. The pieces fit together, Dwyer said: "It did seem like we were on the same wavelength." The quartet moved ahead, self-presenting shows at a church in Manhattan and eventually, in a big step forward, hiring a manager. "Things picked up from there," Dwyer said. But still, it's not as the Diderot Quartet is a full-time gig for any of its members. Dwyer and his colleagues in the ensemble make ends meet by tackling a variety of other jobs as well; Dryer, for example, also serves as the assistant principal cello for Lyric Opera in Chicago. He estimated that the Diderot Quartet (named after the 18th century French philosopher Denis Diderot) performs 20 to 30 dates each year. Juggling the schedules of the individual players "is actually quite complicated," Dwyer said. "We never intended to be a full-time quartet." In Corvallis, the ensemble likely will perform what Dwyer jokingly called a "Beethoven sandwich" Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 18 No. 1, a relatively early quartet, and Opus 59 No. 1, which shows the master at the height of his powers. In between, the quartet will sandwich Haydn's Opus 20 No. 2. "Haydn to us is just the bread and butter" of the string quartet repertoire, Dwyer said. As for the Beethoven pieces, with the composer's 250th birthday coming up in 2020, "we really wanted to explore more of his quartets," Dwyer said. And programming the two quartets gives audiences a chance to appreciate how the composer's genius grew over the years. Performing the pieces on period instruments opens another door into these works, Dwyer said: Although these quartets may be familiar to classical audiences today, they were revolutionary at the time. "For listeners and musicians at the time," he said, "a lot of these works were just outrageous." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Linn County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved funding for another summer of the Linn County Small Business First-Time Employment Youth Wage Grant Program. The program will reimburse employers with fewer than 35 employees $2 per hour for first-time employees who work from May 1 through Sept. 27. The commissioners dedicate economic development funds toward the program. Weve had a lot of success with this program, board chair Roger Nyquist said after the meeting. We think it is worthwhile from a small business perspective. Smaller employers need incentive to hire high school students and young people certainly benefit from having those initial work experiences. In 2018, 20 employers hired 44 participating young people who worked 14,409 hours. The county reimbursed employers $28,000 and seven of those hires have retained their jobs. In 2017, some 18 employers hired 40 young people who worked 11,803 hours. The county reimbursement was $23,337. Employers can hire up to three young people at any given time. Maximum total reimbursement is $3,000, with a maximum of $1,000 per newly hired youth. Youth must be legal residents, between the ages of 14 and 19 years of age. Participants ages 14 to 17 must have a Bureau of Labor & Industries permit. Applications may be obtained at and returned to the Linn County Board of Commissioners, 300 Fourth Ave. SW, Box 100, Albany, OR 97321. Information will include name of youth being hired, age, home address, phone number, and an Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 for each youth. Participating employers will have until Nov. 8, 2019, to submit a request for reimbursement of payroll costs. Documentation may include payroll stubs. Youths must have worked for at least 30 days. Reimbursement will be made within 30 days of receipt of request. Further information may be obtained at the commissioners office on the second floor of the Linn County Courthouse, or by calling 541-967-3825. Contact Linn County reporter Alex Paul at 541-812-6114. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Sweet Home kidnapping suspect reportedly attacked a woman last week because he believed she had stolen heroin and cash from him, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case. Jacob Reginald Bliss, 44, was charged in Linn County Circuit Court on Friday with first-degree kidnapping, strangulation, interference with making a report, unauthorized use of a vehicle and coercion. The accuser told a detective with the Sweet Home Police Department that she went to a house in the 1100 block of 27th Avenue, where Bliss lives, to visit a friend on April 16. While there, she saw Bliss smoking methamphetamine, she told authorities. On April 17, she received a phone call from a friend who said that Bliss was looking for her because he thought she had stolen money and heroin, the affidavit states. The woman drove to talk to Bliss with hopes of clearing her name. Upon her arrival, she saw another male smoking methamphetamine, who told her, You better run. She was about to leave when Bliss charged her, put both hands around her neck and slammed her against a wall. She tried to scream but couldnt make a sound, according to the affidavit. She said she was crying and telling him she did not steal anything from him but that he became angrier and squeezed her throat so tight she could not breath, the detective wrote. The next thing she remembered was waking up on the floor with Bliss pulling her up by her right arm and telling her to stop being dramatic, the accuser told the detective. Bliss yelled at her saying things like, I will put a bullet between your eyes, you dont have any clue who I am, the woman told authorities. The affidavit states that Bliss allegedly grabbed her phone and purse, and demanded that she search his bedroom to find the missing drugs and money. The accuser told police that Bliss prevented her from leaving the house when she begged to go. Witnesses interviewed by police said that they heard screaming, that the woman tried to jump a fence to get away, and that Bliss had her car keys, drove her car onto the property and searched the vehicle. Bliss was arrested by authorities on the afternoon of April 18, after police running surveillance on the 27th Avenue house saw a male and female enter a vehicle in front of the residence and leave, according to a Sweet Home Police Department news release. The male got into the back seat of the vehicle and lay down in an attempt to not be seen. A Sweet Home patrol unit followed the vehicle as it turned and parked on the 800 block of 22nd Avenue. As officers contacted the female driver, Bliss fled west on foot. Officers and detectives chased him to 18th Avenue where officers used a stun gun and took him into custody, the news release states. When interviewed by officers, Bliss denied knowing the accuser and having an argument with her. He ultimately said that she had stolen $600 from his wallet when he had fallen asleep, but that he did not assault her. When confronted with witness statements, Bliss said he has a poor memory, suffers from ADHD and is a drug addict, according to the affidavit. Bliss is being held on $100,000 security at the Linn County Jail. The next hearing in his case is scheduled for May 6. The Sweet Home Police Department and the Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team had already been investigating Bliss residence for narcotics activity, according to the Police Department news release. On the night of April 18, a search warrant was executed at the house. Eric Wayne McKnight, 49, was arrested on an outstanding Oregon State Parole Board warrant for absconding. Tate Edward Madson, 23, was arrested on a Mendocino, California warrant for failure to appear in a felony assault case. Brittny Ann Mahlee Gibson, 30, was arrested on an Albany Municipal Court warrant for failure to comply in a second-degree theft case. Detectives located drug paraphernalia, scales, packaging material, a surveillance system and other evidence of items consistent with the delivery of controlled substances during a search of the residence. Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net, 541-812-6077 or via Twitter @KyleOdegard. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Linn County Sheriffs Office deputies seized 34 horses from a property on Berlin Road outside of Lebanon on Wednesday morning, according to a press release from Linn County Sheriff Jim Yon. Owners Edward Davidson, 66, and Carol Davidson, 69, are being charged with second-degree animal neglect. They had been receiving help from the sheriffs office since December 2018 after authorities received several complaints about horses standing in what was described as muddy conditions. The couple was charged in January with placing an offensive substance near a waterway, highway or property and a failure to license dogs. According to the LCSO statement, Deputy Corey Putney noticed the health of the horses deteriorating in January, including showing signs of unhealthy weight loss. In April, Putney responded to the property after a report of horse carcasses and found the remaining horses health had declined. Action was taken to seize them. Deputies executing the search warrant found some of the horses standing in septic mud and water full of urine and feces, the sheriffs office statement read. The horses were skinny and their ribs and hip bones were showing. They did not have access to clean drinking water and there were no signs of an adequate food source. Sheep and dogs on the property were not seized. During the execution of the warrant, Edward Davidson experienced a medical issue, according to the sheriffs office, and was transported to the hospital. His condition was not known as of press time. The seized horses were transported to Sound Equine Options, a certified rescue facility in Gresham, and will be evaluated before being fostered to other locations. According to the Linn County Sheriffs Office, Sound Equine Options received a grant from the Animal Legal Defense Fund to fund the initial cost of the rescue and immediate care, but further veterinary costs are not covered. Donations can be made at soundequineoptions.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3 A La Pine man was sentenced to nearly four years in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections after being convicted of two sex crimes last week in Linn County Circuit Court. Clayton Lawrence Null, 20, pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree sex abuse on April 19. Null was initially charged with two counts of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sodomy. The crimes allegedly happened in August, and the victim was a girl under the age of 16 who knew Null. Null must register as a sex offender. Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net, 541-812-6077 or via Twitter @KyleOdegard. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CORVALLIS POLICE Trespassing 7:40 a.m., Tuesday, 934 NW Kings Blvd. An officer responded to a report of a seemingly intoxicated man jumping in front of vehicles in the roadway. The officer recognized the description of the man as matching Steen Alvin Skinner, whose probation officer wanted him detained if he came into contact with the police. The officer reportedly knew Skinner had been previously trespassed from the roof of the Corvallis Outlet Store and found him there and arrested him on a charge of second-degree criminal trespassing. It was the third time in a week that Skinner was arrested for trespassing there. But I dont want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you cant help that," said the Cat: "were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad." "How do you know Im mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldnt have come here. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland With freedom comes responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt I am a retired newspaperman. I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 44 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather. Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com Vietnams leading auto firm Truong Hai Auto Corporation (Thaco) has inked a deal to buy land from rubber and fruit producer Agrico. Tran Ba Duong, chairman of Thaco, said Wednesday that his company will buy 2,000 hectares of land from Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) Agrico worth VND6.2 trillion ($265.9 million). Thaco has put down a 30 percent deposit. He said that Thaco, a manufacturer of cars and trucks, has established a subsidiary with a charter capital of VND2.1 trillion ($90 million) to invest in agriculture and animal husbandry after signing a memorandum of partnership with HAGL Agrico last August. HAGL Agrico is a subsidiary of the HAGL Group. Thacos subsidiary and Agrico will grow fruits in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and export to other countries. This year, the subsidiary plans to export 15,000 containers, or 300,000 tons, of fresh fruits and fruit products. It also plans to grow fruit on another 11,500 hectares. Thaco last week registered with the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) to buy a 7.86 percent stake in Agrico for VND1.05 trillion ($43.4 million). Last August, Thaco paid VND3.8 trillion ($168.8 million) to buy one-year convertible bonds issued by Agrico, equivalent to over 221 million shares when converted, which will give the carmaker a 35 percent stake. Thaco chairman Duong also said Wednesday that his company has acquired a 65 percent stake in HAGL Land, another subsidiary of HAGL Group. HAGL Land is the investor of a mall, office and hotel complex in Myanmar. Thaco plans to increase its ownership even more in the company to make the complex a "trademark of Vietnam investment in Myanmar," he said. HAGL Group, formerly a leading property developer in the country, had said recently that it plans to divest from its project in Myanmar. The company has in recent years shifted its focus to agriculture. Last year, HAGL Group's revenues from real estate accounted for just 1.1 percent at VND58 billion ($2.5 million). Work on Hanoi second metros four underground stations set to begin Hanoi's second metro line is set to operate in 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh The construction of underground stations for Hanois second metro route will start in June and finish by the end of next year. The Vietnamese contractor FECON said since there is not much land available the four stations would be built using the newest high-pressure jet grouting technology from Japan. Tunnel boring machines used for Ho Chi Minh Citys first metro line will be brought in at the end of this year. In the last few months the contractor has been putting up fences for two stations on Kim Ma Street and Cat Linh Street to carry out geological surveys. The third will be built near the Temple of Literature and the fourth near Hanoi Railway Station. Earlier this month the South Korean-Italian contractor Hyundai-Ghella demanded $81 million in compensation for delays in handing over the land for the stations. It also pleaded financial difficulties since it has not been paid for completed works. The Nhon-Hanoi route will run 12.5 kilometers from the western district of Nam Tu Liem to the Hanoi Railway Station in the downtown area. It will run 8.5 kilometers on elevated tracks through eight stations and four kilometers underground through four others. Work on the line began in 2010, with the cost estimated at $1.2 billion and operations scheduled to start in 2017, but delays have since pushed the cost up to $1.55 billion. Around half the line was completed by March. Authorities plan to operate the elevated section next year and the underground section in 2022. The citys first metro route, from Cat Linh to Ha Dong, is scheduled to begin operations this month. The 13-kilometer route runs from downtown to Yen Nghia Station in the southwestern Ha Dong District. A Vietnamese man sorts through used plastic bottles at a junkyard in Hanoi on June 4, 2018. Photo by AFP/Nhac Nguyen The biggest exporters of plastic recyclable waste to Vietnam are Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand, according to environmental organization Greenpeace. In its latest report it said Vietnams waste imports spiked to 100,000 tons per month in mid-2017 before dropping to 7,500 tons in mid-2018, with the main exporters being the U.S., Japan, Germany, and the U.K. Vietnams plastic waste imports by origin. Source: Greenpeace A report by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and Greenpeace East Asia said plastic waste imports into Vietnam kept rising until early 2018 as China banned their imports in January 2018. However, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered a halt last July, saying Vietnam must not become a dumping ground for other countries scrap, leaving thousands of containers stuck at ports for months. After September imports edged up to 16,000 tons a month. Similar patterns were also seen in Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan, with imports peaking in early 2018 before governments slapped bans and revoked permits to bring their levels down. Only Indonesia and South Korea did not impose or had unclear waste import restrictions, according to the Greenpeace report, and so were still increasingly buying plastic wastes at the end of 2018. In March the Vietnamese government announced that all imports of plastic scrap for use as feedstock would cease on December 31, 2024. Vietnam imported 9.2 million tons of plastic scrap in 2018, up 14 percent from 2017, according to the Vietnam Customs. The Hue Traditional Craft Festival, which opens Friday, will see the participation of 17 international groups from countries across the world. The 17 international groups and representatives of organizations include those from Japan, South Korea, China, Brazil and Turkey, organizers said in a press release on Tuesday. The Korean Traditional Craft Association and Cheongju Craft Exhibition Association from South Korea are among the international participants. The 8th Hue Traditional Craft Festival, themed "The Quintessence of Vietnamese Crafts" will run from April 26 to May 2. It will feature 16 groups of craftmanship and introduce products from 62 craft villages across the country, including embroidery, jewelry, woodwork, copper craft, pottery, conical hats, bamboo and rattan products. As many as 350 oustanding craftsmen from famous craft villages will also participate in the festival. The festival will feature several events including one that is focused on the ao dai, Vietnams traditional dress, another to honor ancestors and founders of several craft, a cuisine celebration, air balloons, flower shows and a concert by South Korean artists. It will also showcase traditional products like lotus and brocade products, silk and traditional medicine. Party leader and President Nguyen Phu Trong will return to work soon after some health issues, says Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman. Heavy workload and weather conditions had affected Trongs health, the spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang told the press on Thursday. "The President, (Party) General Secretary will come back to work soon," Hang said in response to questions from foreign reporters, including those with the AFP news agency, about some sources saying Trong had suffered a stroke during a working visit to Kien Giang Province earlier this month. The reporters enquired about Trong's current health status and where he was being treated. Trong and his entourage paid a visit to the southern Kien Giang Province on April 13-14, when they discussed with local authorities the implementation of socio-economic, security and national defense tasks. Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong (3rd, L) and his entourage during their visit to Kien Giang Province on April 14, 2019. Photo by Vietnam News Agency On April 18, he sent a congratulatory message to new leaders of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, who were elected at the first session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly. On April 21, he sent a message of condolence to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena over the bomb blasts last Sunday that killed more than 300 people and wounded nearly 500. In October last year, Trong, 75, became the first person after Ho Chi Minh to simultaneously head the party and executive branches of governance in Vietnam. Over the past three years, a sweeping corruption crackdown spearheaded by Trong has ensnared scores of high-profile officials, especially in the energy and banking sectors. Last year, a large number of officials, including military officers, and businesspeople faced criminal charges for mismanagement of military land. A man is covered up as he drives on a street in Ho Chi Minh City in March 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen With the mercury soaring to record highs, Vietnam is bracing for a summer season that could be the hottest in history. Last Saturday, Vietnams experienced its hottest temperature ever in Huong Khe District, Ha Tinh Province. A recording of 43.4 degree Celsius, or 110 degrees Fahrenheit, was the highest temperature ever recorded in the country, the Washington Post reported. Normally, at this time of the year, temperatures in the area ranged from 27 to 32 degree Celsius. On Tuesday, the northwest region, southern and central provinces suffered the sweltering heat of 34-37 degree Celsius temperatures, according to the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center. In some parts of northern mountainous provinces, temperatures soared to 38 degrees Celsius. In the capital city, Hanoians have also been struggling with temperatures of 35 to 37 degrees Celsius. The ongoing heat wave is likely to sweep across the country until this Saturday, said Nguyen Van Huong, a senior meteorologist. Local residents have been warned to be careful about explosions and fires. The central and northwest regions face higher risks of forest fires, experts have said. A weak return of El Nino, which features a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific that typically occurs every few years, is expected again this summer. However, the phenomenon is unlikely to have a major impact on the weather in Vietnam, experts said. The average temperature of summer months this year has tended to be 0.5-1 degrees higher than that of previous years, so the heat wave could push the mercury to 39-42 degrees. Heat waves are likely to hit the northwest region in April-May, the northeastern region from May to June and the north and central regions from April to August. The southern provinces are expected to feel the heat of 35 to 38 degrees Celsius. In HCMC, the RealFeel temperature could reach nearly 40C during summer, posing health risks. Data from Weather Online, a U.K.-based meteorological services firm, shows the ultraviolet index in HCMC remained at the extremely dangerous level of 12 from last Monday to Thursday, posing risks of eye damage, overheating and dehydration, especially for children and babies. A UV Index of between 0 and 3 is considered low, and above 11 is deemed extreme, with radiation that could burn skin and damage eyes within 30 minutes. Such high UV levels were also reported in Saigon in mid-February and late March. For comparison, the level never exceeds 8 in the U.K. In fact it only rises to 7 in the two weeks around the summer solstice. A study published in the journal Climatic Change last September said Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam would be most affected by heat-related mortality along with countries in Southern Europe and South America. This is how the Saigonese have been coping with summer heat in recent years: Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un shake hands during their talks in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. Photo by Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool via Reuters Vietnam supports the progress of peace and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Thursday. Le Thi Thu Hang was responding queries about the ongoing visit of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Russia. "Vietnam supports efforts to hold dialogues between multiple parties for the good of the people, peace, security, stability, cooperation and development on the Korean Peninsula, the region and the world," she said. Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday received Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok City. Putin said he hoped both countries would figure out ways to resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula, as also what Russia can do to support the ongoing, positive progress made. The Russian President also commended Kims efforts to normalize the relationship between North Korea and the United States. Kim said that his summit with Putin, the first face-to-face meeting between the two, would help both countries evaluate issues on the Korean Peninsula and coordinate their stances. Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim Il Sung as leader. Russia has provided some $25 million in food aid to North Korea in recent years, according to the Kremlin. Thursdays meeting was the first between two leaders from the countries since 2011. It came two months after the second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump, hosted by Hanoi, ended without a deal due to disagreements on the lifting of sanctions over North Korea and its process of denuclearization. Fishermen hop on coracles to head for their fishing vessels off the south central coast in Vietnam in June 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Le Dang The fisheries sector is bearing the brunt of the EU yellow card, but desperate Vietnamese fishermen keep trespassing into foreign waters. They risk jail terms, stiff fines and destruction of their boats, but stories of Vietnamese fishing vessels operating in neighboring waters are still coming up frequently, officials said at a meeting in Hanoi Tuesday. In all of 2018 and to date this year, authorities have dealt with 101 cases of Vietnamese intruding into waters of other countries in the region. A total of 163 ships/boats and 1,258 fishermen were detained. In some cases, Vietnamese fishers had violated the rules more than once, Nguyen Quang Hung, deputy head of the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said at the meeting. The situation is now most alarming in the waters off Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia, Tuoi Tre quoted Bui Trung Dung, Deputy Commander of Vietnam Coast Guard, as saying. In Malaysia, Vietnamese fishermen have even made counterfeit plate numbers for their vessels and been exposed by Malaysian authorities, he said. "In 2017, Indonesia released two groups of Vietnamese fishermen in two different cases of illegal trawling, and it turned out that many of fishermen were violators in both cases," Dung said. In October 2017, the European Commission (EC) applied a "yellow card" warning on seafood from Vietnam after a number of Vietnamese fishing vessels were caught trespassing into other countries waters. The commission informed member countries about Vietnams failure to meet requirements on prevention of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Vietnams fisheries exports have since been subject to intense scrutiny, with all seafood containers being inspected in a process that could take three to four weeks and cost 500 euros ($633) per container. A rejected container can cost an exporter nearly $12,000, and the risk of rejection is high. The EC had initially said it would remove the yellow card last June, and later said it would consider doing so in January this year. To date, this has not happened. Even with a long 3,260 km (2,025 miles) coastline, Vietnam has been running out of near-shore seafood sources and is considering fishing bans in certain places at certain times. Authorities had said earlier this year that the fishing ban was needed to cope with a decline in fisheries caused by overexploitation. The countrys seafood resource is in decline, Nguyen Viet Nghia, deputy head of the Research Institute for Maritime Fisheries under the agriculture ministry, had told local media back then. But some fishermen who have sailed to other countries have said that apart from the decline in the resource, they also face threats from Chinese vessels that are illegally anchored in Vietnams waters for trawling. Worse, the Chinese vessels chase the Vietnamese boats away, cutting off an important seafood source. Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-un met face-to-face for the first time on Thursday, vowing to seek closer ties as they look to counter U.S. influence. The summit in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok comes with Kim locked in a nuclear stand-off with Washington and Putin keen to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint. The two leaders shook hands and shared smiles as they met and gave brief statements before heading in for the talks, held at a university campus on the Pacific port city's Russky island. Both said they were looking to strengthen historic ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. Praising the two countries' "long friendship and history," Kim said he hoped to turn the modern relationship with Moscow into a "more stable and sound one." "As the world is focused on the Korean peninsula, I think we will hold a very meaningful dialogue," Kim said. Putin said the visit would give a boost to bilateral ties and help Moscow understand "what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are currently taking place" in the peninsula. Putin also said there was "a lot to do" to develop economic relations between the two countries. The meeting was Kim's first one-on-one talks with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal in February. North Korean laborers Among the issues likely to be on the table is the fate of some 10,000 North Korean labourers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Labour is one of North Korea's key exports and sources of cash. Pyongyang has reportedly asked Russia to continue to employ its workers after the deadline. Kim, whose government has told the United Nations it is facing food shortfalls this year, will also be keen to see Moscow continue or boost its aid. Russia has provided some $25 million in food aid to North Korea in recent years, according to the Kremlin. One delivery in March saw more than 2,000 tonnes of wheat supplied to the port of Chongjin, news agency TASS reported. For Putin, the summit is a chance to push Russia's agenda of opposing U.S. international influence. In an interview with China's official People's Daily published on Thursday, Putin lashed out at "countries claiming sole global leadership." "They carelessly trample on the norms and principles of international law, resort to blackmail, sanctions and pressure, and try to force their values and dubious ideals on entire countries and populations," said Putin, who is heading to China after the talks for another summit. The Vladivostok meeting follows repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. At the meeting with Trump in Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the talks broke up in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test. Pompeo said on Wednesday he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with Pyongyang but that he still hoped to reach a potentially landmark denuclearisation deal. Soviet-era allies Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the U.S. has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim Il Sung as leader. The USSR reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. While ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launch of missiles which Pyongyang says are capable of reaching the entire US mainland. Britain's anti-slavery helpline recorded a surge in calls, cases and suspected victims last year. But few referrals to the anti-slavery agency triggered investigations into labour abuse at sites such as car washes and farms, officials said on Wednesday. The hotline identified more than 7,100 potential victims and about 1,850 modern slavery cases last year - both up by almost half on 2017 - said Unseen, the charity that runs the service. Labour abuse was the main form of exploitation, accounting for 54 percent of cases and three-quarters of victims recorded by the hotline, which receives calls from the public, police, activists, healthcare professionals and modern slaves directly. Car washes, beauty and spa facilities, construction sites, hospitality and agriculture were the main hives of suspected modern slavery for callers to the helpline, according to Unseen. Yet only about 10 of 320 possible labour abuse cases across these five sectors referred by Unseen to Britain's anti-slavery agency led to investigations - with one resulting in arrest - found data given exclusively to the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Even if we don't end up making arrests based on the referrals, the information is invaluable in helping us build up our intelligence picture," said Ian Waterfield, director of operations at the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA). "The modern slavery helpline is a valuable tool in the fight against all forms of labour exploitation as it allows the public to report their concerns in a simple and timely way," he added. The GLAA - which provided the data to the Thomson Reuters Foundation - received the biggest total number of slavery case referrals from Unseen last year - 468 - followed by the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Agency (NCA). The extent to which referrals by Unseen have prompted action across British law enforcement bodies is unclear, but the Metropolitan Police and NCA were not available to provide data on how many hotline tipoffs led to probes by their agencies. As the number of slaves recorded by the government rises and convictions rates stall, activists and academics have questioned Britain's claim to be a world leader in the anti-slavery drive. Britain is home to at least 136,000 modern slaves, according to the Global Slavery Index by rights group Walk Free Foundation - a figure 10 times higher than a government estimate from 2013. Demand for data Romania was by far the biggest source country, accounting for about a sixth for possible victims, followed by Vietnam, England, Poland and Bulgaria, said Unseen, which set up the hotline in 2016 backed by 1 million pounds in funding by Google. The helpline for the first time last year also gathered data on exploiters - identifying more than 2,000 possible abusers from employers and recruiters to family members and partners. "Focusing on exploiters will make a difference by feeding into law enforcement and prevention efforts ... and giving a better understanding of their methods and relationships with victims," said Justine Currell, executive director of Unseen. Currell said the charity was slowly "getting better traction" with law enforcement referrals and resulting action. The head of Unseen, Andrew Wallis, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation this month that efforts to boost data sharing and analysis between actors in Britain were "in their infancy." With at least 7,000 suspected slavery victims uncovered in Britain last year - up a third on 2017 - according to data published last month, activists have raised concerns about the government's ability to support a growing number of survivors. Britain is currently undergoing a review of its landmark 2015 law amid criticism that it is not being used fully to jail traffickers, drive firms to stop forced labour or help victims. Nearly three hundred people were killed and some 500 injured as bombs ripped through churches and hotels on Easter Sunday primarily in and around Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. It was the deadliest violence the country has suffered since its bloody civil war ended ten years ago. Three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo's Kochchikade district were targeted by suicide bombers during Easter services. Explosions also rocked the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the capital. Two more explosions were reported later in the day at separate locations near Colombo. The Sri Lankan government said the attacks were likely perpetrated by local militant group National Thowfeek Jaamath, a little-known radical Islamist organization. More than 20 members have been arrested by authorities. In addition to Sri Lankans at least 39 foreigners were among the dead, including several Americans. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned in the strongest terms the terror attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter morning. He said, Attacks on innocent people gathering in a place of worship or enjoying a holiday meal are affronts to the universal values and freedoms that we hold dear and demonstrate yet again the brutal nature of radical terrorists whose sole aim is to threaten peace and security. In a written statement, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders extended Americas heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed and wounded. She added, We stand with the Sri Lankan government and people as they bring to justice the perpetrators of these despicable and senseless acts. These vile attacks, said Secretary Pompeo, are a stark reminder of why the United States remains resolved in our fight to defeat terrorism. We stand with the Sri Lankan government and people as they confront violent extremism and have offered our assistance as they work to bring the perpetrators to justice. 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. Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, today (4/24) announced their successful project with the University of Minnesota for solar installations throughout the Twin Cities campus. The project will result in the equivalent of 1,705 metric tons of CO2 saved per year and demonstrates the importance of sustainability leadership by the University throughout the higher education community. "The University has a carbon footprint reduction goal of eliminating our net carbon emissions by 2050, and we are able to take a significant step in achieving that goal with this project." said Shane Stennes, Sustainability Director for the University. Ameresco was selected through a competitive Request for Proposal process and awarded the solar contract by the University of Minnesota in 2017. The project allows Ameresco to engineer, procure, construct, operate, and maintain the comprehensive solar solution. The first phase of this project includes nine sites on the Twin Cities campus. A potential second phase may result in expanding with similar solar installations on the satellite campuses in Duluth, Morris, and Crookston. The solar installations include ground mounted systems, ballasted rooftop systems, and parking lot carports. "The University of Minnesota has demonstrated stewardship within the higher educational community by embarking on this project across many campuses throughout the state," said Lou Maltezos, Executive Vice President of Ameresco. "Leadership in sustainability is important for higher educational institutions across the country and the University of Minnesota has taken the steps to reduce risk and improve their energy portfolio." The University has benefited from the opportunity for student involvement in sustainability efforts, along with the annual electric output of over 2.4 million kWh to hedge their electricity financial portfolio and limit overall institutional risk. About University of Minnesota The flagship University of Minnesota Twin Cities is the state's land-grant university and one of the most prestigious public research universities in the nation. The University of Minnesota has five locations: Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul); Duluth; Crookston; Morris; and Rochester. The University of Minnesota is a vital part of Minnesota's economy. It ranks fifth among the largest employers in Minnesota. It ranks eighth among U.S. public universities in research spending and generates an estimated $8.6 billion annual economic impact for the state of Minnesota. The University's Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships serve Greater Minnesota with 145 active sustainable development projects across the state. For more information, visit https://twin-cities.umn.edu/. 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 customer's entry into, or completion of, a project contract is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such contract, of the company's overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in the company's overall total construction backlog. This project was included in our reported contracted backlog as of December 31, 2018. ELKO Last autumn Art Spot Reno came to town and created a memorable mural on the side of Ogi Deli. Now, thanks to a $10,000 pledge from Elko City Council and upwards of $72,000 in other donations, 26 new murals will be completed in September during the Elko Mural Expo. I think the entire community needs to thank Eric and Geralda, said City of Elko Arts and Culture Advisory Board chair Catherine Wines. I feel like I need to pinch myself. They just sent an email and said, Can we do this in your town? That email is what brought about the trial mural at Ogi Deli. Eric Brooks and Geralda Miller are the creative forces behind Art Spot Reno, a nonprofit organization. Their mission involves bettering their own community through the arts. They held the Reno Mural Expo in 2017 and brought in artists to transform 31 vacant walls and alleyways into an outdoor urban gallery accessible to all. That event was so successful they decided to break into rural Nevada with the idea and chose Elko as their first non-urban canvas. Miller and Brooks presented a video to city council on April 23 highlighting their first mural event in Reno. We are excited to have been working with the Elko City Arts and Culture Advisory Board for a year and three weeks now to get things all together, said Brooks. We have spent an amazing two days meeting community members, sponsors, possible sponsors and building owners. The outdoor, walkable gallery will start at the Thunderbird Motel and wind its way through downtown, eventually ending at Ruby Mountain Pawn. We want to strengthen downtown and help create civic pride, Brooks said. According to Brooks, the impact of the event will last much longer than the four-day expo. Its a magnet once these murals start up, Brooks said. The entire council approved the financial request of $10,000 from Art Spot Reno except for Bill Hance. Hance recused himself because he owns a business that is sponsoring one of the murals. I think this amount they are asking for from us seems like an appropriate amount, said Councilwoman Mandy Simons. I think this is great and exciting and I appreciate all of the work you guys have done, said Councilman Robert Schmidtlein. Being here today and yesterday I know I am more excited because of the reception we have received, including the mayor, said Miller. They realize how this can contribute to the revitalization of downtown, hugely. Our budget is a little over $80,000. We are bringing in a Basque artist from Bilbao, Spain, Sebastian Velasco. This is huge. The expo will take place Sept. 26-29. We have quite a few of the businesses confirmed, Miller said. Stockmens is going to be a large one. Living Stones Church is very excited. Roys Grocery is also excited and confirmed. Businesses will be paired up with an artist and the two can come up with a theme for the mural. Brooks was a little unsure about how the idea of a mural festival would be interpreted by Elkoans. He thought it might take a couple of meetings to hammer out the details and sell the whole idea. We thought that explaining the bigger picture might be difficult, he said. Overwhelmingly, everyone we talked to understood it right away. Right off the bat people are seeing how a mural like the one on Ogi Deli can change the look of downtown and improve the economy. I think that many of the businesses here are ready and eager for revitalization, Miller said. Because they want that so badly here they are open to the two of us who want to bring some beauty to the downtown area. Miller said they had heard about the struggles with Elkos downtown and the desire to bring more life and revenue to the area. This is the perfect timing for this, Brooks said. Miller talked about how the mural project in Reno has evolved into an art destination of its own. She and others lead docent tours that have become quite popular. While the murals and the artists painting them will be the main focus of the event, other activities will take place, including an artist welcome party, a musical presentation by Spike McQuire, a film screening and a final party. A digital mapping display will be going on at night during the event. A number of professional muralists are coming to complete the works. However, Brooks and Miller have reached out to Owyhee students who will be painting indigenous words and sayings. Diversity is a big part of Art Spot Renos mission. They would also like to see other cultures and artists in the community getting involved. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Bay Ridge Model Railroad Club has been saved from near-death by a miniature-locomotive enthusiast, who has kindly laid the necessary track to move the tiny trains from its current home in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, to the Trolley Museum in Kingston, New York. Since 1949, three years after two local clubs merged to make the Bay Ridge Model Railroad Club, the cars have lived at 28 Marine Avenue. On February 15th, however, club members received a letter from their landlords saying they needed to "access tenants space to make certain repairs to the heat system for the property," and the club would need to vacate in order to clear a path for pipe work. "It's been around over 70 years and just because it's not in a museum in Manhattan somewhere doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve the same fate," Mark Wolodarsky, a former club member who currently sits on the Trolley Museum's board, and who architected the trains' move to Kingston, told the Brooklyn Reporter. It's a rare set-up, he explained, noting that the systemwhich fills a 30-by-60-foot roomruns on a subway-like third rail, the last known system in the U.S. that operates this way. Because of the model's hulking scale, transporting it roughly 118 miles presents logistical hurdles: The need to dismantle 100,000 miles of wiring that underpin the model and make it run; the need to chop it into pieces and move it out the door, something its makers never intended. "It's a very slow process because it was never meant to be taken apart," Wolodarsky told the Brooklyn Reporter. A GoFundMe page he launched in March has raised over $4,000 toward the effort (almost half of its $10,000 goal), on top of a $5,000 donation from the National Train Collector's Association. Gothamist co-founder Jake Dobkin visited the club in late March, and called the space "amazing, in a Being John Malkovich kind of way." It's currently housed in an unassuming residential building, he said; to reach it, you go down a back alley and a garbage ramp, traverse a trash area, pass through some unmarked basement doors, and: Finally, you're in this enormous room with an 8' ceiling, just absolutely packed to the gills with tracks. Everything was clearly assembled with loving care by generations of model train fanatics, but had sort of fallen into dust and ruin. I crawled around under the tracks, and there were miles of wires, dozens of these decades-old control stations, and about two inches of dust and grimepeople were staring at me when I got back on the train, because I was absolutely covered in it. Anyway, it was a great set in a really strange place and I'm glad they found a new home for it! You can eventually visit this shrunken train universe at its new home upstate, but in the meantime, watch them locomote below: In the spring of 2016, Wall Street Journal reporters went hunting for the heart of Make America Great Again territory and ended up in Buchanan County, Virginia, near the borders of Kentucky and West Virginia. Based on a variety of political and economic factors, the Journal called this corner of coal country the Place That Wants Donald Trump Most. But there was a crucial fact about this Appalachian county that didnt fit into this political parable, noted Timothy P. Carney of The Washington Examiner, in his book Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse. Out of 3,143 counties in America, Buchanan County ranks 3,028th in religious adherence, he wrote. Economic woe, social dysfunction, family collapse and community erosion all characterized the places where Trump was strongest. ... So did empty pews. But what about the statistic that became a mantra for journalists explaining the New York billionaires rise that 81 percent of white evangelicals voted for Trump? There has been a strong drive in the mainstream press to establish that white evangelicals dont actually have any greatly held morality, noted Carney in a recent telephone interview. The idea is that these evangelicals use religion as a cudgel to beat on other people. Their support for Trump is supposed to show that their beliefs are political not religious. The most revealing faith-based numbers in this White House race came during the primaries, not in the general election (when religious voters had only two choices, and the specter of Hillary Clinton hung over their heads), wrote Carney. The question reporters need to keep asking is this: Who gravitated immediately to Trump, and who turned to him only when the alternative was Hillary? Research into primary voting, he noted, revealed that the more frequently a Republican reported going to church, the less likely he was to vote for Trump. In fact, Trump was weakest among believers who went to church the most and did twice as well among those who never went to church. Each step DOWN in church attendance brought a step UP in Trump support, noted Carney. Reporters could have seen this principle at work early on in Sioux County, Iowa, where half of the citizens claim Dutch ancestry. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, Sioux County has the highest percentage of evangelicals in Iowa. Dordt College, affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church, is located in Sioux Center. Trump didnt win a single Sioux County precinct in the Iowa caucuses. The Dutch Calvinists didnt like Trump at all, said Carney. They considered him proud and boastful, and they thought he showed a lack of compassion to immigrants and the poor. ... These people are very conservative Republicans. They saw a connection between caring for refugees and caring for the unborn. They could tell that Trump didnt see that. Journalists didnt see those connections, either, explained Carney during a recent CNN Reliable Sources podcast with Brian Stelter. Religious convictions among voters in some communities across America in Iowa, in Utah and elsewhere clearly had something to do with their rejection of Trump and support for other GOP candidates. These fault lines have not disappeared. Thats not something the national media know about, said Carney. Most of the national media dont know that theres a difference between the Reformed Church of America and the Christian Reformed Church and that theres a difference between types of evangelicals and this was a central story to what happened in 2016. Stelter said the problem is that religion is like climate change. This topic affects life nationwide, but its hard for journalists to see since theres not a bill being introduced in Congress or theres not a press conference happening in New York. This media-elite blindness skews political coverage, said Carney, but it affects other stories, as well especially in thriving communities in flyover country between the East and West Coasts. Far too many journalists know little or nothing about the subjects and issues that matter the most to religious believers in America, he said. Its not just that they make egregious errors about religion. Its that they dont understand that there are religious angles to almost every big story and that, for millions of Americans, religion is at the heart of those stories. Terry Mattingly is the editor of GetReligion.org and Senior Fellow for Media and Religion at The Kings College in New York City. He lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As Americans, we believe in justice for all. Yet we fail to live up to this promise when we allow older members of our society to be abused or neglected. Older people are vital, contributing members of American society and their maltreatment diminishes all of us. Just as we have confronted and addressed the social issues of child abuse and domestic violence, so too can we find solutions to address issues like elder abuse, which also threatens the well-being of our community. Friday, June 15, 2018 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. On that day, communities in the USA and all over the world will sponsor events to highlight solutions to this systemic social challenge. Our policies and practices make it hard for older people to stay involved with and connected to our communities as they age. As a result, older people are more likely to experience social isolation, which increases the likelihood of abuse and neglect. We can design stronger societal supports to keep our older people connected and protect them from abuse, whether financial, emotional, physical or sexual. When we address a root cause, like social isolation, we also make it less likely that people will neglect themselves (self-neglect). Older adults who are socially connected and protected from harm are less likely to be hospitalized, less likely to go into nursing homes and less likely to die. We can and must create healthier and safer living environments for older adults, including their homes, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. There are many ways to get involved in strengthening our communities and preventing elder abuse: It is up to everyone to prevent and address elder abuse. Talk about it to your leaders, and to your neighbors. - Advocate for elder abuse prevention and intervention programs. - Raise public awareness by conducting presentations and distributing materials about elder abuse at senior centers, places of worship, physician offices, etc. - Educate yourself and enable others to better recognize the warning signs Lend strength to existing social support structures - Be a friendly visitor to an older person living in the community - Provide support for someone who is a caregiver - Dont tolerate ageism this begins with not making fun of older adults Contribute to building new social support structures: - Report concerns to your local Adult Protective Services program or law enforcement - Get involved with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program in your state, working to resolve problems related to the health, safety, welfare and rights of persons who live in long-term care facilities (e.g., nursing homes, assisted living). Get more information about how to make a difference by visiting the National Center on Elder Abuse https://ncea.acl.gov or by calling the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. Thank you! Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Editor: Mike Laughlin, while I agree with you wholeheartedly I must disagree with how you perceive the Republican voter in all this. For years we were plagued by a Democratic president that shut down national parks, placed environmental regulations on grazing, mining and anything to do with growth. We also had Harry Reid who never went to northern Nevada unless it was a campaign stop. The Nevada Republican voters responded in 2016, unfortunately our vote does not really count up here. We have one electoral college in Nevada and that's Las Vegas. Hillary won that part of Nevada, Trump won the rest but unfortunately the population of Las Vegas is more that the rest of the towns combined in Nevada. Tony Hughes Elko Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The devastating fire that ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris has set off alarms across Europe. Countries with ancient heritage sites of their own now wonder if existing contingency plans would be enough to protect them in the event of a similar situation. Jose Maria Perez, an architect and EL PAIS cartoonist who works under the nom de plume Peridis, has spent several decades preserving and restoring Spains Romanesque and Gothic architecture. These are structures that hold up. Beyond the damage, Notre-Dame is still standing Peridis, architect and cartoonist The main thing is what experts call preventive conservation, he says. A cathedral, and any other temple, must be constantly subjected to maintenance work and diagnosis. Spain has made significant efforts in the last three decades to keep its 95 cathedrals in good condition, according to the Catholic Church, which owns them. But these buildings are very expensive to maintain, and a chronically small budget made even smaller by the economic crisis has been compounded by coordination problems. The Culture Ministry has called a meeting of the Historical Heritage Council to support specific, up-to-date plans in all of Spains regions. An accident like the one at Notre-Dame underscores the need to rethink and review the situation even in cathedrals with existing plans, said Daniel Lorenzo, director of the Santiago Cathedral Foundation. The cathedral-mosque of Cordoba. Paco Puentes This newspaper has analyzed 13 of the most relevant cathedrals in Spain: Burgos, Santiago, Salamanca, Segovia, Oviedo, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, Sevilla and Leon. In Valencia it is impossible to have a fire like Notre-Dame, because there is no wooden ceiling and over the vaults you have the terrace, just like in Seville and other Spanish cathedrals, asserts Jaime Sancho, curator of the temples artistic heritage. Many Spanish cathedrals have been changing those wooden beams for metal or concrete ones, add the heads of the cathedrals in Burgos and Santiago. A fire like Paris would be unthinkable here in Toledo. Our vaults and roofings barely have any wood or other flammable elements, says cathedral dean Juan Miguel Ferrer Grenesche. Loss of conservation specialists Peio H. Riano Ten years ago, Spain was earmarking 18.3 million for cathedral conservation. Today, that amount has dropped to 1.6 million. "We cannot bear a 91% decrease in the conservation of cathedrals. The decline in investment for conservation is terrible." These are the words of Antonio Coronel, the president of the Spanish Association of Historical Heritage Restoration Companies (Arespa). Earlier this week, Coronel and a dozen other specialists and politicians gathered in Madrid to discuss the need to preserve Spanish heritage. At the debate, entitled Heritage and Politics, Coronel underscored the consequences of the 2017 reform of the contracting law, which prioritized the more favorable economic bids for the restoration of historic monuments. "Who has benefited from the lack of specialization in contracts under 500,000 when we all know that the majority of restoration works cost less than that? I don't know, but the victims are the monuments, because we are seeing bad practices in restoration work, and irreparable damage is being done," says Colonel. This law is suffocating us. In any other country they are paying 20 times more for our work...We are going extinct because we do not have access to these contracts...The crafts are being lost, [our] heritage is in danger, says Macarena Sanza Lucas, a restorer. English version by Asia London Palomba. But there is a risk at the cathedral-mosque of Cordoba, with a surface area of 20,000 square meters and a ceiling made almost entirely of wood save for the Renaissance-era transept in the center. The most important thing for us is daily maintenance, something that is possible thanks to a team of nearly 100 people, explains Gabriel Rebollo, one of the architects in charge of its conservation. There is a fire detection system with sensors scattered everywhere and connected to a central control room that is manned 24/7. At Santiago cathedral, which is undergoing a colossal restoration, new smoke detectors are going to be installed that will have to be compatible with the giant botafumeiro, an enormous incense-burner that is swung at great speed during Mass in a time-honored ceremony that has been witnessed by untold numbers of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Burgos cathedral has an Intergen gas system that goes off when it detects smoke or fire and absorbs the oxygen to stop the fire in its tracks, says Juan Alvarez Quevedo, vice-president of the cathedral chapter. And in the wake of the Notre-Dame calamity, a team of firefighters is going to help draw up a kind of evacuation protocol for its artworks. In general terms, Spanish cathedrals have safety protocols, even during restoration work. But weak points remain: there are many flammable elements, mostly made of wood, inside the temples. One of the main concerns is the possibility of a short-circuit and the risks posed by electrical wiring. And then there are case-specific concerns: in Oviedo, the cathedral is built on rock, and in many places the connection to ground is not as deep as it should, notes Dean Benito Gallego, who is working on improving the lightning protection system. And in Leon, the weather seems to be the greatest enemy, judging by the last two incidents, which both took place in the winter: in 2007 two gargoyles fell off the building, and in 2015 a section of rain gutter broke off. But as Peridis notes, these are structures that hold up. Beyond the damage, Notre-Dame is still standing. English version by Susana Urra. Image taken by the Civil Guard of officers searching for the missing woman and her son in Adeje. A 43-year-old German national is in police custody for allegedly murdering his former partner and 10-year-old son inside a cave in Tenerife, in Spains Canary Islands. A second child, a seven-year-old boy named Jonas, managed to escape the cave where his father Thomas Handrick had trapped him, his mother Shylvia and his brother, according to judicial sources. Early investigations suggest that the mother and eldest son were beaten to death. A group of hikers found the young child covered in dirt and crying on a path near Taucho, a mountain south of the island. It is believed he had spent five hours wandering the mountains alone and in shock. The mother and children had traveled from Germany to Tenerife on Monday to visit the father As he did not speak Spanish, the hikers brought him to a Civil Guard station where a local resident helped to translate. At the station, Jonas explained that his father had led them into a cave and attacked them. He said he saw a lot of blood and ran away. Civil Guard officers arrested Thomas Handrick,43, a native of Traunstein in Germanys Upper Bavaria district, as he slept inside his apartment in Adeje, a town of 43,000 residents in southwestern Tenerife. The suspect responded violently to the arrest and refused to reveal where the rest of his family members were, said sources close to the investigation. His face was scratched, suggesting that his victims had tried to defend themselves. Civil Guard officers on the road near the cave where the bodies were found. Andres Gutierrez (AP) These sources said that one of the theories is that Handrick first attacked Shylvia and beat her to death while the eldest son huddled in a corner of the cave, paralyzed by fear. He was the second victim. The police are still awaiting forensic reports, but suspect that Handrick had a premeditated plan to murder his family. Following Jonas directions, a search party of 100 people went out on Wednesday to find the missing mother and son. Two helicopters joined the search, which was made difficult by the thick fog. The bodies of Shylvia, 39, and her son were located inside a cave in a sparsely populated area between the Infierno and Burro ravines, some 20 kilometers from Adeje. The suspect responded violently to his arrest and refused to reveal where the rest of his family members were Sources familiar with the investigation said the mother and children had traveled from Germany to Tenerife on Monday to visit the father, who was living on the island and working there as a cook. The parents were separated, and Shylvia and the kids traveled to Tenerife routinely so the children could spend time with him. There are no records of complaints filed against Handrick in Spain. The German consulate in the Canary Islands has yet to comment on the situation. The inquiry remains under seal and is being handled by a court specializing in crimes against women in Arona, according to judicial sources. Handrick is scheduled to appear in court on Friday morning. Jonas maternal grandparents are flying to Tenerife to take the seven-year-old into their care. Adeje authorities have declared three days of mourning and maintained one minute of silence at noon on Thursday in tribute to the victims. English version by Melissa Kitson. With little more than 72 hours to go before Spain holds a snap general election, the EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Pierre Moscovici, gave an interview in which he piled praise on the Spanish economy and played down the the signs of instability and political fragmentation, with one exception: the emergence of a far-right force, Vox. That paves the way for dangerous alliances, laments the socialist politician, who has been on the frontline of European politics for a quarter of a century. Far-right parties are a danger to European democracy. Still, Moscovici feels that Spain has a large enough central bloc to prevent an Italian-style drift towards populist politics. Question. Spain is still without a budget. Are you worried about that? Answer. This is not the first time that a parliament has failed to vote a budget through. Now comes the good news. Confirmation that Spain reduced its deficit to 2.5% of GDP in 2018 opens the way to take it out of the Excessive Deficit Procedure [EU action that could culminate in sanctions] that it entered 10 years ago. The robust growth in Spain has been a decisive factor in this reduction. If the forecast that I will present in May suggests a deficit of under 3% in 2019 and 2020, we will propose ending the procedure. And of course we hope that after the election, there will finally be stability with a sufficient majority to get the budget passed. Q. Are you concerned about the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Podemos pledges to increase social spending? A. We dont comment on campaign promises. Up until now we have seen credible fiscal policies from both the Popular Party (PP) and the PSOE, which have taken Spain towards the end of the deficit procedure. This began with the previous administration of Mariano Rajoy and it continues to be so with Pedro Sanchez. When I look at Mediterranean countries I see that Portugal and Greece, with leftist governments, sometimes even with far-left allies, have not performed worse fiscally than others. We hope that after the election, there will finally be stability with a sufficient majority to get the budget passed Q. There is a fourth country in the south: Italy. Spain has held three elections in four years. Do you fear an italianization of Spanish politics? A. Not at all. These days, Italy is headed by two populist parties that created a situation that was initially dangerous for the balance of its own finances. This was corrected after tough negotiations with the European Commission. Spains case is very different. It is true that a far-right party has emerged, and that is a cause for concern. And Spain has been hit by the kind of fragmentation that characterizes the entire European political spectrum. This opens the door to unconventional alliances that can occasionally be dangerous. A far-right party is dangerous for European democracy, especially because it attacks the European project. But there are safeguards in Spain, with parties like the PSOE, PP or Ciudadanos (Citizens), which have different but credible programs. It is up to citizens to decide which one is better for Spains credibility, democracy, progress and social justice. Q. Are you concerned that some reforms could be rolled back, such as the pension reform? A. I will comment on the policies carried out by any government that emerges from the ballot boxes, whether on one side of the political spectrum or the other, but I will not comment on campaign platforms. Q. The opposition has criticized the Sanchez administration for raising the minimum wage. Has this measure hurt the labor market? A. The Spanish economy is performing well. The scars of the crisis are still there in the form of high unemployment. But the recovery has been among the most consistent in the euro zone and joblessness has dropped under 14%, a 12-point reduction, even though it is still above the European average and unacceptably high. One of the challenges is to create stable, quality, long-term jobs because many young people are trapped in temporary contracts. When a country has made great sacrifices, there comes a time when people demand a reward. The time comes to raise wages. It is not illegitimate to raise the minimum wage if it is done in such a way that it does not harm the economy. I have spent much of my life defending this model, and I will spend the rest of my life defending it Q. Is increased inequality, caused by the austerity measures, the price to pay to exit the Excessive Deficit Procedure? A. We all made mistakes as we battled the crisis. And we are paying socially through greater inequality, and politically through the rise of nationalist and populist parties. I hope that the new government will understand that one of its priorities must be to deal with inequality. The economic crisis has ended, but the social and political crises are still there, not just in Spain but all over Europe. Q. What do you propose? A. A euro zone budget for convergence with a stabilizing function. That is why we need a pro-European, proactive government in Spain. And thats why I welcome the fact that Pedro Sanchez and his executive have backed the most ambitious proposals in the design of this euro zone budget. And to be frank, I have to say that I had a good relationship with the previous administration as well. Q. You have linked the rise of populism with the euro crisis, but some people feel it has nothing to do with it, because populism has also emerged in the US, Brazil and the Philippines. A. The crisis was global, but it was deeper in Europe because our economy suffered more, and we required more reforms to be competitive. At the same time, we had to keep our public finances and debt levels in check. Individuals can feel attached to their country, but Europe must remain united with a common goal that is now under threat and must be defended. Europe is not just Brussels or the Eurogroup, it is what we build together. And the greatest responsibility for this still lies with the member states, lets not forget it. Q. The economy continues to slow down. Do you fear a recession? A. We dont fear a recession, but we are following the evolution of the economy, which is growing at a slower pace than in the last year. There is some uncertainty over trade policies and a weaker foreign sector, but there are also internal challenges such as Brexit or the Italian situation. We still have some bright spots: we are creating more jobs with less growth. We are expecting a recovery in the second half of 2019 and 2020, though not to the levels of 2017 and 2018. Q. At the end of the last Eurogroup meeting, you said that we had to be mentally prepared for any type of response that might be necessary. What were you alluding to? A. We have to be aware of the danger of a steeper downturn. We will need a more ambitious Europe and a coordinated approach. There are some highly indebted countries that must continue making efforts to reduce their debt. But others, like Germany or the Netherlands, have large surpluses that they must use to invest more in their citizens and for the benefit of the entire euro zone. We cannot be certain that the EU will survive the 21st century I am a father at an age when most men are grandfathers, and I want my son, who is 10 months old, to grow up in a Europe like todays: a continent with a very specific political, social, cultural and environmental model, says Moscovici, who is 61. Polls are predicting a sharp rise of anti-European parties at the EU elections of May 26. The elections will be a warning, but not a defeat for Europhiles, says the commissioner, who previously served as French economy minister and member of the European Parliament. As he looks back on a long political career and considers writing his memoirs, Moscovici admits he is concerned about the future of the European Union. We cannot be certain that the EU will survive the 21st century. We have to fight for it, it is not a given, he warns, noting that the G-20 meetings, which he attends as a EU commissioner, have changed completely, and now feature political leaders like Trump, Putin, Erdogan, Modi and Bolsonaro. In this global scenario, Europe is an absolute necessity, for Europeans and for the entire planet. It is one of the few places on earth with no death penalty, that fights climate change, that rejects discrimination based on gender, race or sexual orientation, with an important social welfare network, where education is a priority, and where democracy and the rule of law are essential...There are not many more places like that, perhaps Canada, Australia... I have spent much of my life defending this model, and I will spend the rest of my life defending it. English version by Susana Urra. A waitress at a bar in Valencia. MONICA TORRES The Spanish labor market is proving to be more resilient than most people expected at a time of internal and external uncertainty. While unemployment grew in the first quarter of 2019, the Spanish economy has created 596,900 jobs over the past 12 months, representing a 3.14% increase, according to data released on Thursday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). This is the highest figure for a one-year period since the summer of 2007, before the start of the economic crisis. Nearly 26% of Spains workers are on temporary contracts In the first three months of the year, there were 19.5 million people in employment and 3.35 million out of a job, putting the jobless rate at 14.7%. There were an additional 49,900 people filing for unemployment benefits between January and March, the biggest quarterly increase since 2013. The quarterly figures are influenced by the fact that the Easter holiday which represents a peak in seasonal hiring came late this year. Last year, Easter was observed in March. The INE also offers seasonally adjusted figures, which show that unemployment fell by 2.92% during the three-month period. No signs of a slowdown Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said the new figures confirm the positive evolution of the Spanish labor market in the last few quarters. Calvino played down the fact that the unemployment rate has inched up from 14.45% in the last quarter of 2018 to 14.7% in the first three months of 2019. The minister said that first-quarter results are typically worse because of seasonal factors. The quarterly figures are influenced by the fact that the Easter holiday came late this year Calvino said the first-quarter figures should be compared with the same period last year, and noted that job creation is doing well. She said there are no signs of a slowdown in the labor market and that she hopes to end this year with an unemployment rate of 14% or less. Six years ago, this figure reached a historic high of 26.9%. Nearly 26% of Spains workers are on temporary contracts, while 12,124,000 people had open-ended contracts in the first quarter. The services sector continued to drive job creation with 429,400 new positions in the last 12 months. Construction added 129,500 workers and industry made 32,100 new hirings. Public employment grew by 107,900 employees. English version by Susana Urra. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) on the preparation and submission to the Parliament of a bill amending the Law on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2019 to increase the amount of cash support for the State Border Service, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Administration of State Guard of Ukraine. The relevant decree "On the decision of the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine of April 25, 2019 "On the proposals to the Budget Declaration for 2020-2022 on articles related to ensuring national security and defense of Ukraine" was published on the website of the head of state on Thursday. The decision of the National Security Council indicated that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine was charged with preparing and submitting to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law on amending the Law on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2019, aimed at fully implementing Subparagraph 1 of Paragraph 1 of the NSDC decision of September 6, 2018 "On Proposals to the Draft Law of Ukraine "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2019," enacted by the decree of the President of Ukraine of September 14, 2018, on increasing the amount of cash security for servicemen of the State Border Service of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Administration of State Guard of Ukraine. Two thirds of foreign investors prefer to wait until after parliamentary elections to decide on investment survey Only each fifth foreign investor is interested in investing in Ukraine after the presidential election run-off, while two thirds peter to wait until after the parliamentary elections and formation of a new government for investing in the country, according to a survey of strategic and portfolio investors which was jointly conducted by the European Business Association (EBA), Dragon Capital, and Center for Economic Strategy (CES) in April 2019. Tomas Fiala, CEO of Dragon Capital and President of the European Business Association, said that 12% of respondents do not see attractive opportunities for investing in Ukraine in the near future. He said that the survey was conducted between April 15-19, 2019. A total of 75 respondents, including 63% strategic investors and 76% have invested in Ukraine, participated in the online survey. The respondents said that the primary steps of president-elect Volodymyr Zelensky should be demonstration of effective anti-corruption efforts, appointment of credible reformers to key positions, and reduction of influence of oligarchs. "Results of the survey show that investors demands and requests remain just the same - establishment of the rule of law, fight against corruption, honest and equal "game rules" we see certain changes, but we need to reload the system," EBA Executive Director Anna Derevyanko said. According to the survey, the following steps of the new president could negatively influence investors: shift in Ukraine's geopolitical direction away from the West, steps to undermine anti-corruption framework and independence of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). The EBA said that widespread corruption and low trust in judiciary remained the biggest obstacles to investment in Ukrainian assets for the fourth consecutive year. Market monopolies and state capture by oligarchs add to the negative perception of Ukraines investment attractiveness. According to the survey, unstable financial system and currency, previously among the top-3 hurdles, sank to sixth place. The military conflict with Russia remains a significant obstacle, as well as oppressive law enforcement agencies. "Both external and domestic investments in Ukraine are very low, totaling 1.2% and 17% of GDP, respectively, which puts the brakes on economic growth and keeps Ukraine lagging behind its western neighbors. We hope that the new President and Verkhovna Rada will direct their energies, first of all, towards establishing the rule of law, fighting corruption, and reducing the influence of oligarchs," Fiala said. The Florida man who mailed pipe bombs to prominent Democrats in October pointed to drug abuse in explaining the motivation behind his attempt at domestic terrorism. His drugs of choice: Steroids and Trump rallies, according to letters he wrote federal judges. In March, 57-year-old Cesar Sayoc pleaded guilty on 65 felony counts related to the defunct explosive devices he mailed Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, actor Robert De Niro, George Soros, Senator Kamala Harris, and various other known opponents of the president. None of the pipe bombs detonated, and no one was hurt. Sayoc said he never meant them to explode, although he admitted he knew that was a risk with gunpowder; still, he only wanted to "threaten or intimidate" recipients, he told U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff during his plea hearing. He faces between 10 years and life in prison, and should be sentenced in September. In his letters, Sayoc reportedly explained that he was "using heavy amounts of steroids, 274 different supplement and vitamins" at the time of the attack, a cocktail that wreaked havoc on his mental state. "I lost my head, steroids altered my growing anger. I made a bad choice taking them to help," he wrote, according to CNN. "I lost control of myself." Part of that anger, Sayoc explained, stemmed from the alleged abuse he faced for his support of Donald Trump: People vandalized his vanwhich he'd plastered with far-right decals and stickers that seemed to advocate for the shooting of people who disagreed with the presidentand attacked him after Trump's inauguration, he wrote. Meanwhile, attending Trump rallies gave him a sense of belonging: "The first thing you here [sic] entering Trump rally is we are not going to take it anymore, the forgotten ones," he reportedly wrote. "You met people from all walks life .... It was fun, it became like a new found drug." Plus, he was spending a lot of time with Trump's "self-help CDs," CNN reported, which he believes contributed to the purported brainwashing. In any case, according to NBC New York, all he wanted to do with the pipe bombs was "tone down the liberal left violence platform" through the use of...violence, or at the very least, the threat of violence. Sayoc has been held without bail since his arrest. He has reportedly undergone multiple psychiatric evaluations, reports on which his attorneys plan to present at sentencing. One, according to CNN, details the steroids' potential effect on Sayoc's mental health. We shall see whether or not the judge buys any of this, but I'm sure you'll be pleased to learn that he's given up all the drugs: "Politics is dirty, ruthless, deadly," he wrote. "It is a poison. It will drive you crazy like it or not." Head of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service Petro Tsyhykal has accused Russia of hampering the passage of ships visiting Ukrainian ports in the Kerch Strait. "There is constant inspection of vessels in the Kerch Strait which visit Ukrainian ports for economic purposes... There are virtually no such vessels which don't get inspected, especially those bound for Ukraine. An artificial queue is being created, and our vessels take much longer to inspect and are the last to be let go," Tsyhykal was quoted by his agency as saying on Wednesday. He also asserted that Russia's coastal guard comes too close to the Ukrainian shores of the Sea of Azov. "The situation is being aggravated by the sea being considered an inside one between two countries. So it is difficult to determine clear boundaries of territorial waters," Tsyhykal said. The team of Volodymyr Zelensky, who won the presidential election in Ukraine, counts on a successful review of the Stand-By Arrangement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in May 2019, adviser to Zelensky and former Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk has stated. "As for the IMF: naturally, the position is to continue cooperation. We look forward to a successful review in May," he said during a meeting with the member companies of the European Business Association (EBA). As reported, with reference to Finance Minister Oksana Markarova, the IMF mission on the stand-by program is expected in May-June of the current year. Danyliuk again says he is not interested in foreign minister's post Member of Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky's team and former Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk says he does not see himself as head of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "I am aware that for Volodymyr Borysovych [Groysman, the incumbent Prime Minister of Ukraine] this is probably not the most comfortable way to work ... I don't see this position for myself for another reason," he said at an event of the European Business Association "New 5Year Challenge: Expectations. Hopes. Concerns" held in Kyiv on Thursday, when answering a question whether he is ready to head the Foreign Ministry in Groysman's government. Changes in domestic policy will also affect foreign policy, Danyliuk said. "Everything that we've discussed today concerns domestic policy. Now all expectations are connected with the fact that the country should change. There will be the reshuffling, the key decisions on anti-corruption, law-enforcement reforms within the president's authority should take place ... This is my area of expertise," he said. Earlier, Danyliuk said that he was not interested in the foreign minister's position, noting that he specializes in domestic reforms. The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) expects that the mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would arrive in the middle of May, as it was scheduled in the Stand By Arrangement (SBA), NBU Governor Yakiv Smolii has said. "Regarding the IMF mission, we look forward to its arrival in the middle of May, as outlined in the Stand By Agreement signed last December. The mission will conduct a review of the SBA and decide on the next tranche, which we should receive this year, based on the results of the review," Smolii said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Thursday. He also said that the NBU fulfilled its part of the requirements that were laid down in the arrangement. Earlier it was reported with reference to Finance Minister Oksana Markarova that the IMF mission is expected in May or June of the current year. As reported, the IMF Executive Board, following a meeting on December 19, 2018, approved a new program of cooperation with Ukraine under the Stand-By Arrangement. The amount of the 14-month program is equivalent to SDR 2.8 billion, or about $3.9 billion. Some SDR 1 billion (about $1.4 billion) was provided immediately, while the remaining funds will be provided based on the results of the program reviews in May and September 2019. The European Union says that the granting of Russian citizenship to residents of the occupied areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions is another encroachment on the sovereignty of Ukraine from Russia. The corresponding statement was made by the official representative of the EU in Brussels on Thursday. "The signature by President Putin of a decree entitling, inter alia, people who permanently reside in certain areas of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions to apply for Russian citizenship in a simplified manner, is another attack on Ukraine's sovereignty by Russia," he said. The EU believes that the timing for such a decision by the Russian side - immediately after the presidential elections in Ukraine, which "demonstrated Ukraine's strong attachment to democracy and the rule of law, shows Russias intention to further destabilize Ukraine and to exacerbate the conflict." "We expect Russia to refrain from actions that are against the Minsk agreements and impede the full reintegration of the non-Government controlled areas into Ukraine. All parties must fully implement their commitments under the Minsk agreements," the EU representative said. He also assured that the EU "remains steadfast in its support to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity." As reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 24 signed a decree simplifying the procedure for residents of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk to receive Russian citizenship. The Verkhovna Rada has appealed to a number of international organizations, countries of the European Union, the U.S., Canada, diplomatic missions of foreign states in Ukraine with a call to strengthen sanctions against Russia because of the decision of the Russian leadership to naturalize citizens of the ORDLO under a simplified procedure. Some 230 deputies voted for the appeal (draft resolution No. 10259) at a plenary session of parliament on Thursday, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported. The Verkhovna Rada urges to condemn "destructive actions of the Russian Federation that grossly violate the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, human and citizen rights in Ukraine, to consolidate with Ukraine the efforts to counter Russia's aggressive actions and take measures to strengthen international sanctions against the Russian Federation. Poroshenko calls on EU to tighten sanctions against Russia during revision of this issue in June KYIV. April 25 (Interfax-Ukraine) President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko during a meeting with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius expressed conviction that the international community should respond strongly to Russia's decision to simplify the rules for issuing Russian passports to residents of certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and called on the European Union to strengthen sanctions against Russia in June. "The two condemned the latest decision of the president of the Russian Federation on the simplified procedure for issuing Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens living in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions temporarily occupied by Russia. It was noted that this is a conscious and illegitimate step of the Kremlin that directly contradicts the Minsk agreements and undermines the peace process in Donbas ... The president of Ukraine called on the EU to tighten sanctions against Russia during the next revision of the relevant sanctions regime in June," the presidential website said on Thursday evening. Russia's decision to facilitate the issuance of Russian passports to residents of Donetsk and Luhansk goes against the Minsk Agreements, the German Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. "Russia's announcement contravenes the spirit and aims of the Minsk agreements. That is the opposite of the urgently needed de-escalation," the ministry said on Twitter. It said France also denounced this decision. "Germany and France condemn the Russian decree that minimizes the requirements for people in eastern #Ukraine to become Russian citizens. These regions are part of Ukraine's national territory," it said. It was reported earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin had signed the decree 'On determining categories of individuals entitled to apply for Russian citizenship in line with a simplified procedure for humanitarian purposes,' which grants this right to those permanently residing in certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Embassies of U.S., UK welcome Rada's improvement of mechanism of donor assistance in mine action The embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom welcome the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of a law that will improve the mechanisms for attracting funding for mine action activities. "Congratulations to Ukrainian Parliament for passing the mine action amendment to allow continued direct donor assistance to save Ukrainian lives! Mines remain the number one threat to civilians and the military in eastern Ukraine," the U.S Embassy to Ukraine said on Twitter on Thursday. In turn, British Ambassador to Ukraine Judith Gough reported on her Twitter that London would continue supporting humanitarian demining in Ukraine, because this is the work that saves lives of Ukrainians. "Thank you & congratulations to Ukrainian Parliament for passing the mine action amendment, which should allow continued direct donor assistance to Ukraine. UK will continue to support humanitarian demining in Ukraine - work which is saving Ukrainian lives," the diplomat wrote. Earlier on this day, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law that should improve mechanisms for attracting funds for mine action. According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, 234 people's deputies supported as a basis and generally corresponding bill No. 10180 on amendments to the law on mine action in Ukraine at a plenary session on April 25. The adopted law will allow not to transfer to the national budget the money provided by donors, as it is provided for now. As reported, on December 6, 2018, the Verkhovna Rada at second reading and in general adopted bill No. 9080-1 on mine action in Ukraine. The Secretary-General of the influential Expediency Discernment Council (EDC) in Iran says the designation of Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist group by Washington has a significant impact on the fate of financial reform bills demanded by the West. The Paris based international watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has demanded that Iran should adopt anti-corruption, anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing legal safeguards. After almost two years of delays, Iran still has not approved two bills that it claims should satisfy FTAFs demands. The fate of these bills is currently in the hands of the EDC, an arbitration body between Majles (Iranian parliament) and the powerful Council of Guardians. In February FATF extended for the fourth time the suspension of countermeasures against Iran for another four months, until June, recognizing the country's efforts in trying to enact legislation needed for safeguards. President Hassan Rouhani presented the proposal to meet FATF demands to parliament in November 2017. Supporters of the legislation, known collectively as the Palermo Bills in Iran, say joining the FATF and other international agreements on financial transparency, money laundering, and combatting international terrorism would reduce international pressure on Irans already deteriorating economy. The bills would also pave the way for Iran to join the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes. Iran and North Korea are the only countries in the world that have refused to join FATF, so far. The government official news agency (IRNA) cited the Secretary-General of the EDC, former Chief-Commander of the IRGC, Major General Mohsen Rezaei as saying on Wednesday, April 24, that designating the IRGC as a foreign terrorist group by Washington has been a "well calculated and premeditated" American plan. "The U.S., Israel and some other countries wanted us to ratify FATF, and then designate the IRGC as a terrorist group, placing Iran at the point of no return." However, Rezaei claimed, "We were already informed about the cooked-up design, and that is why the procedure of weighing FATF has been so slow." Rezaei stopped short of explaining why Washington decided to designate the IRGC as a foreign terrorist group, while Tehran has not yet joined FATF. Opponents of the bills, mainly Friday prayer leaders, top commanders of the Guards, and other conservative allies of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly argued that passing the bills will threaten Irans security. However, analysts say the real fear in circles loyal to Khamenei is that adhering to the rules for financial transparency would prevent Tehran from funding the Lebanese Hezbollah, Yemeni Houthis, and Palestinian Hamas militant groups. Khamenei has also said the international conventions were cooked up by foreign enemies. In the case of U.S. sanctions, Europe, China and Russia are apparently resisting Washingtons pressure, but, should Iran refuse to join FATF, they would be left with no option other than stopping all banking ties with Iran. EDC has promised to issue its final verdict on the fate of FATF in its next session sometime in May. Researchers observe slowest atom decay ever measured Around 1500 meters deep in the Italian Gran Sasso mountains is the underground laboratory LNGS (Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso), in which scientists search for dark matter particles in a lab sealed off from any radioactivity interference. Their tool is the XENON1T detector, the central part of which consists of a cylindrical tank of about one meter in length filled with 3200 kilograms of liquid xenon at a temperature of -95 degrees Celsius. The rarest decay process ever measured Until now, researchers using this detector have not yet observed any dark matter particles, but they have now managed to observe the decay of the Xenon-124 atom for the first time. The half-life time measured - i.e. the time span after which half of the radioactive atoms originally present in a sample have decayed away - is over a trillion times longer than the age of the universe, which is almost 14 billion years old. The observed process is therefore the rarest process in the universe ever to be directly seen happening in a detector. "The fact that we managed to directly observe this process demonstrates how powerful our detection method actually is - also for rare physical phenomena which are not from dark matter," says Professor Laura Baudis, astroparticle physicist at the University of Zurich, who is one of the leading scientists on the XENON1T experiment. The study was led by the research group led researchers at the University of Munster (Germany) headed by Prof. Christian Weinheimer. XENON1T is a joint experimental project of about 160 scientists from Europe, the US and the Middle East. From Germany, the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg and the Universities of Munster, Freiburg and Mainz make key contributions. A phenomenon that is hard to demonstrate The observed process is called a double electron capture: The atomic nucleus of Xenon-124 consists of 54 positively charged protons and 70 neutral neutrons, which are surrounded by several atomic shells occupied by negatively charged electrons. In double electron capture, two protons in the nucleus simultaneously "catch" two electrons from the innermost atomic shell, transform into two neutrons, and emit two neutrinos. As two electrons are then missing in the atomic shell, the other electrons reorganize themselves, with the energy released being carried away by X-rays. However, this is a very rare process which is usually hidden by signals from the omnipresent "normal" radioactivity - in the sealed-off environment of the underground laboratory, however, it has now been possible to observe the process. Calculating half-life time from light signals The X-rays from the double electron capture produced an initial light signal as well as free electrons in the liquid xenon of the XENON1T detector. The electrons were moved toward the upper part of the detector where they generated a second light signal. From the direction and the time difference between the two signals, the researchers could determine the exact position of the double electron capture and the energy released during the decay. From the 126 processes observed in total over the last two years, the physicists calculated the enormously long half-life of 1.8 x 10 high 22 years for the atom Xenon-124. That is the slowest process ever measured directly. "The new results show how well the XENON1T detector can detect very rare processes and reject background signals," says Laura Baudis. While two neutrinos are emitted in the double electron capture process, scientists can now also search for the so-called neutrino-less double electron capture which could shed light on important questions regarding the nature of neutrinos. ### Literature: E. Aprile et al. First observation of two-neutrino double electron capture in 124Xe with XENON1T. Nature. 24 April 2019. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1124-4 The XENON1T experiment With the XENON1T detector, physicists originally wanted to detect dark matter particles. Theoretical considerations predict that dark matter should very rarely "collide" with a xenon atom in the tank of the detector which is filled with liquid xenon. It thereby transfers energy to the atomic nucleus which subsequently excites other xenon atoms and causes them to emit light. These very faint signals of ultraviolet light and the minute amount of electrical charge which is released by the collision process are detected by means of sensitive light sensors. The detector was switched off for upgrading in 2018: The three times larger active detector mass along with further modifications will boost the new XENONnT detector's sensitivity considerably. The XENON1T detector is an international project involving around 160 researchers. In Switzerland the experiment receives funding from the SNSF and the University of Zurich. International support comes from Germany, the USA, Italy, Israel, Portugal, France, Sweden, the Netherlands and from the European Union. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. In 2015, the HBO mini-series The Jinx put Manhattan real estate tycoon Robert Durst, and his multiple criminal allegations, under the microscope. But the way the engrossing series ended left even the most skeptical viewers slack-jawed. After a tense interview with filmmakers, Durst excused himself and heads to the bathroom. Through a hot mic that he didn't know was on, he's heard saying: What the hell did I do...killed them all, of course. Durst's off-camera remarks came off like an admission of guilt, and further incriminated him of what people had long suspected: That he committed several murders, including his former wife, Kathie Durst, and his dear friend Susan Berman. Following the bombshell ending, a judge called it a "succinct confession," and ordered Durst stand trial for Berman's murder. The show went on to sweep awards, and helped usher in a true crime boom that's since been inescapable from the tube and podcasts alike. But as The NY Times reports, it seems that Durst's damning final words were presented out of order by the filmmakers behind the The Jinx (Andrew Jarecki, Zac Stuart-Pontier, and Marc Smerling). And while editing is crucial to shaping any narrative in film, in documentaries and features alike, the recent reveal raises questions about when a riveting soundbite bleeds into something possibly misleading. Wow the batshit "confession" Robert Durst appears to make at the end of The Jinx was significantly edited. In the documentary, Durst says What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course. Here's the actual quote: https://t.co/XY4EmMRF5v pic.twitter.com/sU4nKPr661 Max Tani (@maxwelltani) April 24, 2019 Durst's legal team is currently planning to use the edits in his forthcoming murder trial in Los Angeles, in September. There, he'll stand trial for Berman's 2000 shooting death. The L.A. District Attorney's office will also be able to present further evidence related to another case, the 2001 death of Durst's neighbor in Galveston, Texas, for which he was acquitted. Speaking to the Times, the documentarians doubled down on their decision, stating that the way they edited Durst's words in the film did not change the meaning of what he said. Last month, Durst was slapped with a lawsuit filed in Manhattan alleging that he murdered Kathie Durst and his family helped cover it up, because she had information about illegal business practices that could undo them. He's pleaded not guilty to the murder accusations. Durst's legal team, as well as The Jinx filmmakers, did not immediately reply to Gothamist's request for comment. Director-General of Intelligence Ministrys Office in East Azarbaijan province, northwest Iran, says sixty individuals, who had contacts with the dissident group Mojahedin Khalq Organizations (MKO), have been arrested in the past year. The intelligence official introduced as Qodtrat Diyalameh said on Wednesday, April 24, that the MKO members taking advantage of the recent economic and social problems in the country, expanded their activities during last Iranian year (March 21, 2017-March 20, 2018). "MKO members were looking for weapons and ammunition to disturb the security in the province, before being captured," Diyalameh maintained. He also said another fifty members of the MKO were also identified and "restrained." Fars news (FNA), affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), reported on Wednesday, "Diyalameh accused foreign intelligence services of employing the capacity of the exiled Iranian dissident groups, including royalists, leftists (communists), separatists, and MKO, to interfere in Iranaffairs." Avoiding any elaboration on the manner of cooperation between the dissidents and foreign intelligence services, Diyalameh claimed, "The ominous triangle of the U.S., West, and Israel, financially supported by Saudi Arabia, is responsible for holding gatherings, coordination, and training of these hostile groups." Without presenting any evidence, Diyalameh went further by maintaining that the "principal task of the dissidents" is "creating division between the camps that dominate the Islamic Republic's governing system," depicting the regime as inefficient, as well as promoting non-Islamic culture and anti-religion movements. However, he stopped short of saying how the "exiled dissident groups" could create division or trigger disputes among the Islamic Republic's ruling class. The anonymous intelligence officials claims went beyond Iranian opposition groups as he was quoted saying that Takfiri (the term used by the Islamic Republic for ultraconservative Sunni militant groups) terrorists who were being moved by human traffickers in East Azerbaijan were also arrested. Earlier on April 17, Diyalameh's counterpart in the province of Kurdistan, western Iran, had also reported that twenty teams affiliated with "Takfiri" groups had been identified and arrested across the region. Furthermore, on April 19, Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi had also announced that Iran discovered the identity of 290 CIA agents both in Iran and in other countries and dismantled dozens of terror cells. Mahmoud Alavi also claimed that Iranian intelligence agents have identified and arrested "tens of spies" serving at "sensitive centers" of the country, over the last Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2018 March 20, 2019). Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic officials in charge of intelligence affairs have always refused to go into the details of what they describe as their "impressive achievements." Recent floods in Iran have killed dozens and displaced possibly millions of Iranians. Instead of helping them, most of the Islamic Republics time and energy has gone into sending foreign Hashd al Shaabi and Hezbollah fighters into Khuzestan. These forces have engaged in light flood repair for show, but in reality they lack the equipment or skills to do any serious flood relief. Instead, theyre in southwestern Iran because Ayatollah Khamenei fears a revolt. The Hashd and Hezbollah do what they do best: intimidate, harass, and if need be, torture and kill. But their presence in Iran shows a critical weakness for Khamenei as well. And it may prove one of the bigger mistakes he has made. The floods and the regimes unwillingness and incompetence have led to widespread anger against the regime in Khuzestan and Lorestan provinces. Many of the Iranians affected are ethnic minorities such as Arabs, Lors, Bakhtiaris, and many others. The Arabs have in particular been a subject of the harshest of discriminations. Although Khuzestan houses Irans oil wealth, Arab Iranians have received very little of it. They are poor and neglected, but still fierce and resilient. Like millions of other Iranians, they have taken to the streets for the past sixteen months in protest against a corrupt and mafia like regime. No wonder the Islamic Republic establishment is afraid. Not only Arab Iranians, but the Lors, are some of the fiercest and most independent peoples that make up the Iranian nation. Thousands of foreign forces appear to have been allowed into Iran by Khamenei. Many come from some of the most violent regional armed conflicts; both Hezbollah and the Hashd are used by Khamenei to control Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Iraq. Hezbollah has been the vanguard of the Assad regimes genocidal quest to suppress Syrias opposition; the Hashd have been responsible for religious cleansing and systematic executions throughout Iraq. But their presence on Iranian soil shows that Khamenei may not fully trust his own security forces, including the Basij and the Revolutionary Guards. Iranians are less likely to kill their own brothers and sisters while mercenaries like Hezbollah and the Hashd are less caring of Iranians. The regime has faced the floods at the worst time possible. It is under severe economic pressure and could soon see a near total economic blockade through sanctions. The regime can hardly afford the estimated nearly ten billion dollars in flood damages. And the vast majority of Iranians want Khamenei and his regime gone forever. But they fear an uncertain future if the regime falls. America should put as much as sanctions pressure on Hezbollah and the Hashd as possible. Theyre the enemies and occupiers of the Iranian people. The Hahshd in particular should come under greater sanctions as the U.S. pressures Baghdad to reign in pro-Khamenei groups. Iran may be strong in Iraq, but its influence has weakened in the face of popular Iraqi riots against Khameneis regime. The U.S. should also launch an information operation campaign both against Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Hashd in Iraq. Many Lebanese and Iraqis share Iranians hatred of Khamenei and his mercenary armies. As the U.S. puts pressure on the regimes external mercenaries, a closer look at the regimes lobbies and influence networks in America, Canada, and Europe are urgently warranted. For too long, many of these groups have engaged in shady activities trying to sway public opinion and manipulate politicians. The future presence of Khameneis mercenaries wouldnt be a surprise in bigger cities such as Shiraz, Kermanshah, Esfahan, or even in Tehran for that matter. But if there is one thing that angers Iranians, it is the presence of foreign occupiers on their soil. Iran has conquered and been conquered in the last three thousand years, but it has always remained Iranian. Washington is wise to mimic the cries of Iranians striving to free their nation of forty years of tyranny. An emphasis on Americas opposition to the foreign occupation of Iran would reassure Iranians struggling for a future free of tyranny and abyssal darkness. More persistent, robust and revealing journalism from foreign based Farsi media including US international broadcasters, regular outreach to the Iranian democratic opposition, and targeting of regime lobbies and former officials in the West are likely to be steps welcomed by Iranians seeking freedom. The message: Iran may be occupied now, but it wont be occupied forever. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Radio Farda Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 Trend: BP and its co-venturers in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Shah Deniz, and South Caucasus Pipeline projects SOCAR, TPAO, PETRONAS, Chevron, LUKOIL, NICO, Equinor, INPEX, ExxonMobil, SGC, ITOCHU, ONGC, TOTAL, Eni today announced their new social investment initiative in support of transfer of international business education expertise to Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing BP. The project is designed to help meet the current market demand in executive education and challenges faced by local organizations in this area. The project will bring the internationally-recognised Adaptive Strategic Execution Programme to Azerbaijan, basing it at Bakus ADA University. The training programme of the project is certified by the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University (USA). It will be based on a world-class business education curriculum developed by Duke Corporate Education (Duke CE), a leader in providing executive education globally, in partnership with TwentyEighty Strategy Execution. The new Adaptive Strategic Execution Programme will be the first in the country to help organizations ensure that they have the capacity to adapt quickly in times of uncertainty and change in order to continue to focus on their vision and strategic goals, to remain competitive and successful. The project will be implemented by TwentyEighty Strategy Execution an international education provider based in the US, in partnership with ADA University. It is intended that the project will continue BP and co-venturers international educational expertise transfer model. This includes an initial partnership with an international implementing partner with the aim to create a fully localized programme in the long term. One of the goals set for the project is to train local instructors to deliver the programme under a sustainable model and to ensure its continued success after the initial period of funding from BP and co-venturers. Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, BPs vice president, communications, external affairs, strategy and region, said: Our experience shows that the business world continuously changes and theres always a need for organisations to respond to external changes quickly. A major part of this is the ability of business executives to constantly assess the context in which they operate and respond with agility and flexibility. In this way they can maintain their competitive advantage and ensure successful outcomes of their plans and strategies. We expect this new business executive education programme to provide the transformational behaviours, the skillsets and mind-sets required to be successful in the changing business environment. This is what the programme will help build in the country and we are pleased to bring two leading universities ADA University and Duke University, together to create this capacity locally. Fariz Ismailzade, executive vice rector of ADA University, said: We, at ADA University, are very excited about this partnership with BP and its co-venturers and believe that it will provide new tools for our Executive Education programme to engage corporate leaders, teach them new skills, essential in the market and will further cement the leading role of our university in capacity building programmes in Azerbaijan. The value of the project is more than $882,000 with the duration of two years. The scope of work includes the delivery of a six-month training programme in six modules to a group of up to 18 participants. Overall six streams are planned within the duration of the project covering a total of up to 108 students. Successful participants will receive a certificate from Duke Universitys Fuqua School of Business. The project also includes BP and co-venturers support for participants tuition fee payment. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 30 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said April 25, 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, April 25 Trend: Chairman of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping pointed to the successful implementation of domestic and foreign policies in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. He was speaking at the meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Beijing. Mr. President Aliyev, let me once again welcome you to Beijing and to the upcoming second One Belt, One Road International Cooperation Forum, Xi Jinping said. The Azerbaijani side and you personally have been paying great attention to the development of Chinese-Azerbaijani relations and the joint implementation of the One Belt, One Road initiative, and we appreciate that. Azerbaijan is one of Chinas main partners in the Eurasian space, he noted. You are also among the first who responded and actively participated in the implementation of the One Belt, One Road project. Azerbaijan is also located on the Great Silk Road and is a natural partner in restoring this path. We already have a whole number of cooperation results, which brings tangible benefits to our peoples. Together with you, I am ready to continue the implementation of the One Belt, One Road project, to constantly deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas in the interests of joint development and prosperity. Mr. President, you are a longtime friend of the Chinese people, constantly make personal effort to develop Chinese-Azerbaijani relations and cooperation in all areas, Xi Jinping added. I appreciate that and am ready to maintain close contacts with you and bilateral relations together in the interests of sound development. The Chinese Communist Party is also ready to step up contacts with the New Azerbaijan Party, exchange experience in public administration and strengthen mutual trust between our two countries. Xi Jinping pointed to the successful implementation of domestic and foreign policies in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the countrys growing authority in the international arena, stability in Azerbaijan, improving well-being of the people, and development in the economic sphere. He emphasized that China supported the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Azerbaijan. Xi Jinping stated the importance of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor within the framework of the One Belt, One Road project. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 Trend: Upon the instructions of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, the activity in the field of increasing the level of combat readiness and improving the social conditions of the military personnel of the Air Force is being continued, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. On April 24, 2019, the Minister of Defense Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the Ministry took part in the opening of the new joint command post of the Air Force Base and got acquainted with the conditions created at the post. The leadership of the Ministry of Defense paid tribute and laid flowers to the bust of national leader Heydar Aliyev at the territory of the military unit. Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the Ministry reviewed the new navigation system, designed to monitor and control flights, the training premises of the Air Force training ground and other service and administrative facilities. The minister watched the training sessions of combat crews of anti-aircraft missile systems, technical staff of the Air Defense units and Radio-technical units of the Land Forces. He also visited the control post of S-125 anti-aircraft missile systems. The Defense Minister was informed that the main purpose of the joint command post, which is equipped with modern equipment produced by companies of Turkey, Israel, USA, France, Great Britain, Norway and other countries, is to control the flights of various types of military aviation, as well as to continuously ensure accurate and effective fulfillment of combat missions. Then a detailed briefing on the activities of the joint command post was presented to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense. Having inspected the "Super Mushshak" aircraft and the training rooms, the Minister of Defense brought the servicemen's attention to the tasks on development of military capability assigned by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and gave relevant instructions to the command staff regarding the increasing the combat readiness of military personnel and professionalism of military pilots. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: Azerbaijani-Chinese relations are built on a solid basis, and this cooperation can be characterized as friendship and partnership, said Ali Ahmadov, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister and Executive Secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, Trend reports. The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that the President of Azerbaijan made two official visits to China: "Many important documents were signed to strengthen cooperation between Azerbaijan and China. I believe that the relations of a political nature are quite reliable and reflected on a high level. The Chinese side has repeatedly expressed support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. It is natural that Azerbaijan also expressed support for the idea of a united China. Economic cooperation with China is enhancing and various Chinese companies are operating in Azerbaijan. I think that efforts in this direction will be expanded in the future." According to the Deputy Prime Minister, today the Azerbaijani-Chinese cooperation is carried out in concrete ways, particularly through the implementation of projects for the revival of the Great Silk Road. Ali Akhmedov stressed that the current visit of President Ilham Aliyev to China is connected with the participation in the large international conference on the One Belt, One Road project implemented by this country. "Countries, which are involved in the implementation of this project in one form or another, participate in this conference. Azerbaijan is actively involved in the implementation of this project and, thus, the country is represented at the forum by President Ilham Aliyev. Therefore, I believe that partnership between Azerbaijan and China, one of the strongest economies in the world, fully corresponds to the interests of our peoples, and there are sufficiently solid grounds for the expansion and development of this cooperation," he said. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev went to China on April 24 at the invitation of the Chairman of the Peoples Republic of China to participate in the second One Belt, One Road international forum. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 Trend: The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has commented on the information about the resolution of the Senate of the US state of Colorado in connection with the so-called "Armenian genocide" and the "recognition" of the illegal structure created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories in the resolution. The Colorado Senate, consisting of 35 people, adopted a resolution on April 24 in connection with the so-called Armenian genocide, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told Trend on April 25. This resolution refers to the blockade of Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan and fictional Artsakh, she said. According to the resolution, cultural genocide of Armenian Christian heritage is allegedly committed in Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. "I would like to stress that some media representatives tried to present a link about the illegal structure created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories in the resolution as the alleged recognition of this structure, she said. We emphasize that the text of this resolution does not reflect this, while the legislative body of the state is not responsible for the recognition of any structure as the "state"." Abdullayeva added that such symbolic resolutions that are not of practical and legal significance may be adopted through a short procedure as they do not create any consequences for the state. The Azerbaijani embassy in the US sent letters to the leadership and each member of the Colorado Senate, calling for correcting the major distortions and mistakes made regarding Azerbaijan and holding the corresponding meetings, she said. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Details added (first version posted on April 24 at 18:44) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 24 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping in Beijing. Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping welcomed President Ilham Aliyev. The presidents posed for official photos. "Mr. President Aliyev, let me once again welcome you to Beijing and to the upcoming second One Belt, One Road International Cooperation Forum. The Azerbaijani side and you personally have been paying great attention to the development of Chinese-Azerbaijani relations and the joint implementation of the One Belt, One Road initiative, and we appreciate that," said Xi Jinping. "Azerbaijan is one of Chinas main partners in the Eurasian space. You are also among the first who responded and actively participated in the implementation of the One Belt, One Road project. Azerbaijan is also located on the Great Silk Road and is a natural partner in restoring this path. We already have a whole number of cooperation results, which brings tangible benefits to our peoples. Together with you, I am ready to continue the implementation of the One Belt, One Road project, to constantly deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas in the interests of joint development and prosperity," he said. "Mr. President, you are a longtime friend of the Chinese people, constantly make personal effort to develop Chinese-Azerbaijani relations and cooperation in all areas. I appreciate that and am ready to maintain close contacts with you and bilateral relations together in the interests of sound development. The Chinese Communist Party is also ready to step up contacts with the New Azerbaijan Party, exchange experience in public administration and strengthen mutual trust between our two countries," said Chairman of the People's Republic of China. President Ilham Aliyev in turn thanked Xi Jinping for the kind words. "First of all, I would like to thank you for the invitation. We consider the invitation to take part in the One Belt, One Road forum as a sign of special respect for our country, as a sign of friendship towards me. You mentioned that I am a friend of your country, and you are also known in Azerbaijan as a good friend of our country. And we jointly promote our cooperation and determine ways of further interaction," Ilham Aliyev said. Azerbaijani president went on to add that the forum is of great importance. "As you noted, Azerbaijan has supported your initiative from the very beginning and actively promoted this project within the framework of the initiatives we have put forward. I would like to remind about my state visit to your country and the hospitality extended to me in 2015. Then we signed a memorandum of understanding Economic Belt of the Silk Road. Our political relations are at a high level today. We actively interact in international organizations," he said. Chairman of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping pointed to the successful implementation of domestic and foreign policies in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the countrys growing authority in the international arena, stability in Azerbaijan, improving well-being of the people, and development in the economic sphere. He emphasized that China supported the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Azerbaijan. Xi Jinping stated the importance of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor within the framework of the One Belt, One Road project. President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan, in turn, consistently supported the "United China" policy. The head of state also congratulated his counterpart on the great success China has achieved in all areas. During the conversation, the sides also discussed issues of cooperation in infrastructure, logistics, energy, tourism, agriculture, investment, information and communication technologies, education and the humanitarian sphere, the ties between law enforcement agencies, and prospects for cooperation in the fight against international terrorism. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev invited Chairman of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping to visit Azerbaijan. Xi Jinping accepted the invitation with pleasure. Details added (first version posted on 09:03) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 Trend: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Chairman of Huawei's Board of Directors Liang Hua in Beijing. Chairman of Huawei's Board of Directors Liang Hua pointed out the companys successful operation in Azerbaijan for already more than 15 years, and thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the conditions created for them in the country. President Ilham Aliyev praised Huaweis activity in Azerbaijan, describing it as one of the leading global companies in the field of information and communications technologies. The President also noted that he familiarized himself with the activity of Huawei during his state visit to China in 2015. Pointing to great prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Huawei, the head of state hailed the companys traditional participation in Bakutel exhibition. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the reforms carried out in ICT sector in Azerbaijan, describing cooperation with Huawei in this field as promising. The sides exchanged views on potential projects in ICT infrastructure, smart agriculture, smart city and smart home, digital economy, digital education and other areas. On Tuesday, Planned Parenthood of New Yorkpartnered with the Keith Haring Foundationunveiled a new vehicle for their Project Street Beat Mobile Health Center project, which is a traveling health clinic designed to provide access to New Yorkers struggling with homelessness and other health and safety concerns. We know many New Yorkers, especially LGBTQ communities, communities of color, and marginalized New Yorkers such as those experiencing homelessness, lack access. This brings care to New Yorkers, to meet them where they are, said Laura McQuade, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood of New York City. For the past 30 years, Project Street Beat has traveled around central Brooklyn, Upper Manhattan, and the South Bronx to bring necessary (and confidential) health care services to people who might not otherwise be inclined to visit a clinic on their own. The program also recently expanded its traveling radius to Jackson Heights, Queens and the St. George area of Staten Island. For the past 30 years weve built a real presence in communities in the South Bronx and upper Manhattan through strategic partnerships, [and] weve expanded that into Queens and Staten Island, Marcella Tillett, Vice President at Project Street Beat, told Gothamist. The traveling clinic is outfitted with two soundproof counseling rooms and a large exam room, a wheelchair lift, and six Planned Parenthood staff members. We typically have two people stationed outside the vehicle engaging with community members, Tillett told us, adding that they give out information and practical things like deodorant and condoms. We want them to know that were here for you, we see you. They may not engage with us today... but we just want to start to build that rapport. Beyond these staff members, there are also three nurse practitioners providing assistance in the clinic. While Project Street Beat was created to offer HIV prevention and drug overdose risk reduction to at-risk teenagers and adults, this new mobile medical unit offers a wide variety of care, from STI testing, to mental health counseling, to health insurance enrollment, and general gynecological assistance like birth control insertion. Also, every Planned Parenthood staff member working in the clinic is trained to administer Narcan and assist with trauma surrounding domestic violence. When New Yorkers visit the walk-in clinic, they first meet with an enrollment specialist to discuss their medical background and health insurance. If a patient cannot afford insurance or legally cannot apply, the clinic provides their services at no cost, thanks to public and private grant support. That is very atypical, that kind of personal touch, notes Tillett. The large bus is decorated in a mural of blue and pink characters, done in Harings quintessential, boldly-outlined style. In 1990, Haring died of complications from AIDS, so the Keith Haring Foundations partnership with Project Street Beat and Planned Parenthood is fitting. By placing Harings ebullient imagery on Project Street Beats mobile health center[we have created] a safe and inviting space to all who seek support for sexual health, care, and guidance, said Julia Gruen, Executive Director, Keith Haring Foundation. In 2016, Planned Parenthood received a $1,160,000 grant from the Foundation for this collaborative healthcare effort. Additionally, Project Street Beat got funding from New York City Council to update the organizations old mobile center with this newly-unveiled one. Plans are underway to get two more mobile clinics out in the streets later on this year. Weve ordered two additional mobile health centers and we are going to be working on getting those built[were able to] design them ourselves, says Tillett. We definitely see the need and we also see the community response to this model of service delivery. The traveling wellness truck operates on a flexible schedule of eight shifts a week, and between one or two locations a day. In the spring, summer, and fall, when more people are outside, they work over the weekend more frequently. You can find out more about the program and where vehicles are located here. Details added (first version posted on 12:25) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Chairman of the China Poly Group Corporation Xu Niansha in Beijing. Chairman of the China Poly Group Corporation Xu Niansha recalled his meeting with President Aliyev on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, saying he was deeply impressed by the meeting. He pointed to the China Poly Groups cooperation with Azerbaijan in a number of areas, and expressed the companys keenness to expand its activity in the country. President Aliyev underlined good opportunities for creating industrial enterprises, and for cooperation in agricultural, ICT, tourism, and other fields in Azerbaijan. Praising great development and growth in Azerbaijan's tourism sector in recent years, the president pointed to an increase in the Chinese tourist flow to the country thanks to visa facilitation and electronic visa application. The sides also exchanged views on cooperation in various areas. Details added (first version posted on 12:26) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of China National Electric Engineering Zhao Hui. Executive Vice-President of China National Electric Engineering Zhao Hui pointed out that a protocol of intention on the construction of a tire plant in Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park was signed in Beijing on April 24. Saying that the company has implemented a number of projects in a variety of areas in the country, Zhao Hui hailed the investment environment and the conditions created for foreign investors in Azerbaijan, and thanked the president for this. President Aliyev noted that the development of the non-oil sector is a priority area in Azerbaijan. President Aliyev said that yesterday Azerbaijan and China signed 10 documents on cooperation in various areas, adding that a large amount of investment will be made in Azerbaijan`s industrial sector. Saying that special tax regimes were applied in Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park, the president underlined that this is more attractive for foreign investors. President Aliyev praised the fact that China National Electric Engineering created its own enterprise in the Chemical Industrial Park as another resident, adding that this enterprise will increase Azerbaijan`s export opportunities. The president stressed that there are good investment opportunities in Azerbaijan and that according to the World Banks Doing Business report, the country climbed 32 spots to rank among the world`s top 10 reformers. Noting that Azerbaijan has made great strides, President Aliyev emphasized the high-level protection of foreign investments in Azerbaijan and added that this has increased the country`s attractiveness for foreign investors. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Azad Hasanli - Trend: The World Bank (WB) positively assesses the progress of implementing the Agricultural Competitiveness Improvement Project (ACIP) in Azerbaijan, Trend reports with the reference to the banks report. "Good progress continues to be made with implementation of the animal disease control program and upgrading the veterinary education," reads the report. "The project is initiating establishment of the Animal Identification and Registration System. Twelve value chain sub-projects approved and eight are under implementation. Project investments in research and variety development program, and seed production and processing have already resulted in improving the quality of seeds and overall seed production capacity. Some 50 investment sub-loans in a wide range of agribusiness activities have been issued. Beneficiary agribusinesses report sizeable growth in outputs and the project objective remains achievable." The bank has so far allocated $19.54 million (57 percent from the WB in financing the project) to Azerbaijan for the project. The total cost of the project is $53.25 million, and the WB share is $34.5 million. The project for strengthening agricultural competitiveness aims to facilitate market access for agricultural producers by improving the quality of sanitary and phytosanitary services, providing financial services to agriculture enterprises, and so on. The project contributes to further development of agribusiness and food industry through the provision of loans to improve technology, increase production, and modernize phytosanitary and veterinary services. The project also contributes to improving the regulatory and institutional framework in the field of food safety and quality. The ACIP was approved on Sept. 30, 2013 The project is expected to end on June 30, 2020. Azerbaijan has been a WB member since 1992. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @AzadHasanli Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr .25 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: The construction of a dairy plant with the participation of investors from Hungary will begin in Kazakhstan, Trend reports via Kazakh media. The President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, called on the Hungarian business community to increase its activities in the country. "We are interested in increasing the number of investment projects that contribute to the economic development of our countries. Therefore, I urge the Hungarian business community to increase its activity in Kazakhstan. There are all necessary conditions for this in our country. We have created a favorable investment business climate, successfully functioning the Astana International Financial Center, which provides world-class services, has access to the single market of the Eurasian Economic Union and direct access to the huge Chinese market, " the president said at a press conference following the talks with the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban. Tokayev said that the parties have reached serious agreements on further work. He noted that today's talks are devoted to the fifth anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries. "Today, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, and I have identified priority areas in the development of political, trade, economic and cultural relations between our countries," the head of state stressed. In turn, Viktor Orban stressed that the countries had worked a lot in recent years to create joint Kazakh-Hungarian enterprises. "We have created a Kazakh-Hungarian investment fund, and it has already been fruitful, because we were able to open our first major investment in the field of agriculture. The second project also began, it is only about implementation. We will build a dairy plant in Kazakhstan," Viktor Orban said at a press conference. On Wednesday, Prime Minister of Hungary arrived to Nur-Sultan (former Astana) Kazakhstan on an official visit. On Monday, April 29, a meeting of the Kazakh-Hungarian strategic council with the participation of 100 Hungarian businessmen will be held in Nur-Sultan. Kazakhstan expects the event to identify new tools to further increase the volume and expand the structure of trade. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 25 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met with Ambassador of Japan to Turkmenistan Takahiko Katsumata in the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry. The sides noted positive dynamics in the development of bilateral relations, in particular in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, the report said. A detailed discussion of the agenda of the Turkmen-Japanese Committee for Economic Cooperation also took place, and its next meeting is scheduled to be held in late May. The delegation of Turkmenistan recently held talks in Tokyo with representatives of Japanese companies specializing in the oil and gas sector. In particular, issues of preparation for the operation of a plant for the production of synthetic gasoline from natural gas in Ovadandepe village in the Ahal region of Turkmenistan and proposals for the construction of the second phase of this plant were discussed with the leadership of Kawasaki. Negotiations with Sojitz concerned the project of a workshop for the production of phosphate fertilizers at the Turkmenabat chemical plant. This is while proposals for developing a project for the construction of another ammonia and urea production plant in Turkmenistan were discussed with the representatives of Mitsubishi. Meetings were also held with representatives of Itochu, Highchem, Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, Sojitz on the sale and export of oil, gas and chemical products. A number of major infrastructure projects have already been implemented with the participation of Japanese companies. They include a complex of ammonia and urea production plants in Mary province, the Garabogazkarbamid plant and a polymer complex in the Balkan province. Turkmenistan, holding one of the key positions in the region in terms of supply of natural gas, in recent years has started to actively diversify economy. In particular, the construction of innovative gas processing complexes is planned. The impulse to business partnership was given by the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Turkmenistan in October 2015, during which memoranda were signed in the areas of development of natural resources and the transport infrastructure of Turkmenistan. Agreements on a number of projects worth $18 billion were also concluded. Japan then expressed its desire to participate in projects to develop the industrial infrastructure of Turkmenistans biggest gas field Galkynysh. Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 25 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: A ceremony for launching a new project aimed at solving major problems in the livestock sector of Uzbekistan was held on April 23 in Central Asian country, Trend reports with the reference to the press service of Ministry of Agriculture. The European Union (15 million euros) and the World Bank ($150 million) jointly financed the project. The project addresses key issues in the livestock sector, such as low productivity, insufficient value added, limited access to finance and the market for small farmers, poor coordination between different stakeholders, inefficient management of the value chain, lack of quality of animal health services and insufficient resources for research institutions. It was noted that 90 percent of livestock production in Uzbekistan depends on small-scale farming: the majority of small-scale farmers remains in natural farming characterized by low productivity, limited marketable surpluses and weak linkages with markets and integration into higher value chains. Although farmers own less than 15 percent of arable land, their share in livestock production has increased to 90 percent of production. Considering that the majority of small farmers almost do not produce marketable surplus in excess of the needs of households, productivity remains low. However, 4.7 million small farmers rely on livestock to improve their livelihoods. "This project aims to increase the efficiency of the livestock sector by increasing the number of small farmers participating in commercial value chains, increasing productivity and manufacture, as well as ensuring sustainable incomes. I would also like to thank the Delegation of the European Union and the World Bank for their efforts to develop the sector, the continued support that is being provided to the agricultural sector of Uzbekistan, which is highly appreciated by the Ministry and the Government of Uzbekistan," the Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, Jamshid Khojayev said. In addition, the project will disseminate global best practices, which will be supported by credit lines for farmers and economic operators of the value chain, available through commercial banks on preferential credit terms. Moreover, the project will facilitate the establishment of productive partnerships between participants in the supply chain (producers, buyers, service providers through technical assistance grants, expansion services and additional investments). The head of the delegation of the European Union in Uzbekistan, Eduards Stiprays stated that this project will be aimed at increasing the capacity of state economic agencies, supporting reforms of public services, research, knowledge dissemination, veterinary services, and the development of the value chain. In particular, the EU grant will help ensure access to finance for small producers, increase the productivity of small farmers and involve them in broader market participation. World Bank loans will be used to support Veterinary Services and to finance working capital and investment in the livestock sector throughout the country. The opening ceremony was attended by Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khojaev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Veterinary and Livestock Development Shukhrat Jabbarov, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan Ambassador Eduards Stiprays, Senior Economist in Agriculture of the World Bank Office Sergiy Zorya. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Matanat Nasibova Trend: The Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan intends to open a center for processing livestock products in another Azerbaijani district, Sakina Babayeva, the head of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan, told Trend. "A similar center for washing and cleaning of sheep wool and hides is expected to open in Azerbaijani Tovuz district," Babayeva added. "Earlier, similar centers were planned to open in Imishli and Bilasuvar districts," she said. "The work in this direction has already begun. The residents of the districts will be provided with jobs and an opportunity will be created to export the processed animal products. We intend to open such centers in 10 more Azerbaijani districts." "These products are planned to be exported to Turkey and South Korea," she said. The Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan was created with the support of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan and was established in October 2017. Over 143,000 women are engaged in business in Azerbaijan, according to the statistics. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibova Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 25 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The Turkmen enterprise Maks Food Technology (MFT) exported several tens of tons of natural juices and nectars to Russia in late 2018, with the volume of exports set to be increased this year, Trend reports referring to the Neytralni Turkmenistan newspaper. Entrepreneurs from Turkmenistans Dashoguz Region have been so far the only national producers of juices and nectars from natural raw materials without the use of preservatives, coloring agents, flavors and thickeners. MFT products are certified by the customs union, meet the TR TS 021/2011 requirements of the technical regulations of the customs union and have EAC certificates. The company mini-plant is equipped with Dutch equipment for cleaning and washing vegetables and fruits, Austrian equipment for the production of direct-pressed juice, and Ukrainian equipment for the production of ketchup and mayonnaise. "The quality of the raw product used to prepare juices of direct extraction is strictly controlled. Ripe fruits and vegetables are carefully selected, washed, crushed and pressed. Juices are filtered, bottled in sterile glass containers and then pasteurized in a way ensuring microbiological safety and the maximum preservation of nutrients," the article reads. It is planned to expand the range of products this year. The company will produce apple, carrot, apple-carrot, pumpkin, pomegranate, and beetroot natural juices and nectars, as well as lecso, assorted eggplants and bell peppers, three types of tomato sauce and several types of vegetable caviar. Details added (first version posted on 11:02) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Kheyraddin Nasirzade Trend: As of today, entrepreneurs in Baku and surrounding villages received preferential loans in the amount of 600 million manats through the Entrepreneurship Development Fund of Azerbaijan (ANFES), Deputy Economy Minister of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov said at a business forum in the village of Mardakan in Bakus Khazar District, Trend reports. As Mammadov noted, entrepreneurs in Baku and surrounding villages have received preferential loans in the amount of 33.7 million manats since early 2019. These funds were provided for the implementation of 215 investment projects worth 145.7 million manats. Within the business forum, entrepreneurs received concessional loans worth 10.7 million manats on April 25, 2019. These funds will be used to finance various projects including, among others, the field livestock and poultry, and establishment of modern greenhouse complexes. It is envisaged that about 300 new workplaces will be opened through these projects. The forum delegates visited a modern greenhouse complex in the village of Zira in Khazar District, which was built with the concessional loans allocated by the Fund. ANFES was established under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan in 1992. ($1=1.7 AZN on April 25) Follow the author on Twitter: @1nasirzade Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 25 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: Export of Russian agricultural equipment to Uzbekistan increased 7.5 times compared to 2017, to $20,817 million, Trend reports the press service of Russia's Rosspetsmash association. Russian plants export a wide range of agricultural machinery to Uzbekistan: grain and forage harvesters, energy-efficient tractors, harrows, seeders, balers and other equipment. Russia also supplies Russian road construction equipment, such as truck cranes, excavators, bulldozers, and smelters. Meanwhile, industrial exhibition "Expo-Russia Uzbekistan 2019" opened in Tashkent on Apr. 24. Russian specialized machinery has been represented by Rostselmash, Petersburg Tractor Plant and Pegas-Agro. The director of Rosspetsmash Alla Elizarova took part in the events of the business program - she became the moderator of the round table on the theme "Strengthening cooperation in the field of the agro-industrial complex". She noted that a promising area of cooperation between the two countries is the supply of modern Russian agricultural machinery and equipment to Uzbekistan for the production of high-quality agricultural products, which can be sold not only in the domestic market, but also exported to Russia. In addition, Russian enterprises can provide consumers from Uzbekistan with road building and food equipment, she said. Two years ago, Rostselmash launched the production of tractors and combines on the basis of the Chirchik agricultural machinery plant. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously noted this production as one of the successful cooperation projects of the two countries. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Martin Scorsese and Netflix are shaping up to have a very big year together: next winter, Scorsese will release his star-studded (De Niro! Pacino! Pesci! Keitel!) mob movie The Irishman on Netflix (and in theaters, don't worry cinephiles). But before that, his long-awaited mid-70s Bob Dylan documentary will hit the streaming platform (and a few cinemas around the country) this summer. Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese has been in the works for over a decade; it is the follow-up to Scorsese's previous Dylan doc, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, which covered Dylan's rise in the '60s. The new doc will focus on Dylan's legendary 1975 tour, which was a rolling caravan of musicians and writers (including Joan Baez, Allen Ginsberg and Sam Shepard, T-Bone Burnett, Mick Ronson and more). Netflix said in a release that the film "captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year" and describes it as "part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream." The doc will be released on Netflix on June 12th; there will be a concurrent theatrical release in NYC and Los Angeles. Plus, the night before the official release, Netflix will have one-time "road show" theatrical showings set for 20 cities: London, Paris, Washington, D.C., Nashville, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Portland, Tulsa, Tempe, Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Bologna, Sydney, L.A. and NYC. Also, Dylan will release a CD box set of material from the 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour and rehearsals, with a 14-disc, 148-track collection coming on June 7th. All of this means that there are still two vital pieces of the Rolling Thunder Revue story that won't necessarily be a part of it: the 1976 leg of the tour (which Variety posits could deserve its own box set eventually), and Renaldo and Clara, the never-officially-released four-hour long movie Dylan made during the tour. Or perhaps Scorsese did incorporate some of that footage into his doc, and just wants to keep it a surprise for fans. In the meantime, check out the official poster below. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Kheyraddin Nasirzade - Trend: On April 25, a test launch of a plant for the production of polyethylene coatings will take place in the Mahammadi settlement near Baku, Bakhtiyar Naghiyev, director of the plant, told Trend. The director noted that the first products of the plant will be delivered to markets within ten days. It is planned to produce 7,000 tons of products annually, of which 3,500 tons will be sold on the local market, Naghiyev said. The remaining part is planned to be exported to foreign markets, particularly to Russia and Central Asia, he added. Naghiyev noted that the plant was built at the expense of soft loans totaling 3.5 million manats, issued by the Entrepreneurship Development Fund of Azerbaijan. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @1nasirzade Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 25 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting today on Apr. 25 in Beijing, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. The leaders discussed the diversification and increase in commodity turnover between the two countries up to $10 billion, the prospects for strengthening cooperation in attracting investment, innovation and technology to the economy of Uzbekistan and developing new joint cooperation projects in various fields. Moreover, special attention was paid to the development of the transit and transport and communication potential of the region. Mirziyoyev stated that Uzbekistan fully supports the Belt and Road initiative, and therefore is ready to make a practical contribution to the implementation of it. "Dear President, I am pleased to recall your participation in the first forum. In this regard, we see in you one of the founders of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The attention paid in Uzbekistan to participation in the forum indicates a high level of relations between our countries. Many agreements are reached and consistently implemented. I am sure that Uzbekistan China cooperation has a bright future. The participation and initiatives of Tashkent will contribute to the comprehensive deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Uzbekistan and Central Asia," Xi Jinping said. In response, Mirziyoyev invited Xi Jinping to visit Uzbekistan and congratulated the Chairman of China and all Chinese people on the upcoming significant date - the 70th anniversary of the founding of China. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will be in China from April 24-27 on a working visit at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The Uzbek leader will take part in the events of the II International Forum "One Belt - One Way". More than 40 heads of state and government, heads of international and regional organizations will attend the forum. The parties will discuss issues of economic cooperation, the promotion of a "green" economy and innovations and the implementation of priority infrastructure projects in the region. It is planned to discuss further strengthening of the Uzbek-Chinese comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as a regional and international agenda. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 2 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: The construction of the International Trade and Economic Center (ITEC) on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will allow modernizing the infrastructure of international trade, production and logistics in the border areas of the two countries, a representative of Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan told Trend in an interview. The representative said that the Center would enable business circles of the two countries to quickly and conveniently carry out trade operations, create joint ventures and carry out profitable and safe transport and logistics operations. Secondly, it is planned to create more than 10,000 jobs during the operational period of the project, i.e. during the construction of the ITEC facilities and after their commissioning. Thirdly, this will allow taking border and transit trade to the next level and increase tax collection to the local and republican budgets of both countries. Spontaneous markets, which are currently working at the checkpoint "Zhibek Zholy", do not allow to fully ensuring order and security, the representative said. Fourthly, the Ministry of National Economy explains, such a trade format will stimulate and strengthen interregional business cooperation through the creation of joint ventures, attracting mutual investments, holding exhibitions, fairs, business forums and other events. Moreover, the creation of such a Center will allow two states to further develop international tourism in the cities of Central Asia along the Silk Road. On April 15, 2019, during the visit of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev to Uzbekistan, a Memorandum was signed in Tashkent between the authorized agencies on the establishment of the International Trade and Economic Center (ITE). The priorities of ITE are to create a new modern checkpoint, build wholesale and retail trade facilities and adjacent infrastructure and create a transport and logistics center. According to the Ministry, there are a number of reasons for establishing the Center. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the largest markets in Central Asia with total population reaching more than 50 million people and the recognized leaders in trade in the region. There are two largest agglomerations namely Shymkent and Tashkent located close to the border, whereas the railway station Saryagash, the international checkpoint "Zhibek Zholy" and the highway "Western Europe - Western China" in close proximity can become part of the Centers infrastructure. The existing significant potential for the development of tourism, transport and telecommunications services is another driving force behind the project. Finally, there is a huge potential for increasing international trade through the Center, as both countries are the main participants in the emerging "North-South" transport and transit corridor, which connects the largest markets of Central and South Asia with the richest regions of Europe, Ural, Siberia and the Far East. Alongside the modernized Konysbayev - Yallama checkpoint, ITE will be one of the key elements of this corridor. While answering Trends question about the Center's contribution to the development of the regions of the two countries located at the border, the Ministry representative replied that good-neighborly relations developed between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan provide a solid foundation for the development of cross-border cooperation in the new format. According to the information provided, 1st Forum of Interregional Cooperation held In November last year demonstrated great business interest from the regions of the two countries. The emphasis in the economic cooperation shall be put on enhancing industrial cooperation and implementation of joint investment projects. It was noted that the last two years became a breakthrough for strengthening trade and economic relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The key role in achievement was played by the leaders of the two countries. The political dynamics of last years bilateral contacts opened a fundamentally new page in the joint history of cooperation. Fruitful contacts at the highest level gave a powerful impetus to all the vectors of mutual relations "The decision of Uzbekistan to reduce excise taxes on various imported goods was a positive step towards intensifying trade cooperation. Based on the existing positive experience, we will continue to make efforts in this direction," said the Ministry spokesperson. There are more than 420 joint ventures and more than 1,000 companies with Uzbek capital in Kazakhstan. "We are convinced that our friendship supported by joint efforts to uncover the inexhaustible potential of bilateral cooperation, will be the key to fruitful Kazakh-Uzbek partnership in a wide range of areas and the cornerstone for strengthening stability and cooperation in the region," the representative of the Ministry emphasized. During the visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan on March 22-23, 2017, an agreement was reached on increasing trade turnover to $ 5 billion by 2020. In the meantime, meetings of ad hoc working group and regular expert consultations on mutual increase in commodity turnover between the two countries are regularly held. The intensification of bilateral trade and economic cooperation is confirmed by indicators of foreign trade. At the end of 2018, bilateral trade amounted to $ 2.5 billion, an increase of more than 25 percent over last year. In the first two months of 2019, the volume of mutual trade amounted to $ 433.5 million, with an increase of 16.5 percent. Uzbekistan remains the largest trading partner of Kazakhstan in the Central Asian region, as its share comprises more than 50 percent of the total volume of the Kazakhstans trade with the countries of Central Asia. Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: All oil refineries in the world need Iran's sour crude oil, Mohammad Ali Khatibi, former representative of Iran in OPEC said. The sanctions imposed on Iranian oil can create additional expenses for some customers buying it, Khatibi added, Trend reports referring to Young Journalists Club (YJC). Khatibi added that Asian customers prefer to buy Iranian oil. If Iranian oil is not supplied to the world markets, the low-quality oil and shortage of oil will be observed there, he said. Khatibi added that some countries think that if Iranian oil is not supplied to the world markets, there will be no problem because an alternative to the Iranian oil will be found. For this purpose, these countries offer that the US should increase shale oil production, he said. He added that in reality, shale oil must be mixed with sour crude oil for using in all oil refineries and at the US oil refineries as well. According to the US governments decision, the market needs Iran's crude oil, he said. Therefore, if the Iranian and Venezuelan oil is not supplied to the world markets, this will result in an increase in the volume of low quality oil in those markets and the oil market will face big problems in this regard, he said. He said that the non-prolongation of the exempt period to eight countries will lead to an increase in expenses for oil importers and consumers, primarily for the US, Asian and European importers. Khatibi said that European companies do not want an increase in expenditure. As the purchase of oil that is subject to the sanctions entails expenses, European companies will be looking for the oil that is not subject to the sanctions. He said that Iran's main partners, including Japan, South Korea, India and Turkey, have broad trade relations with Iran. If these countries do not buy oil from Iran, Iran will not buy their products either, he added. Khatibi said that Iran has always exported oil during the period of sanctions. He added that there are a variety of ways to avoid sanctions and its details must not be disclosed to the media outlets. The US imposed sanctions on Iran in November 2018. The US exempted eight countries for six months from oil sanctions imposed on Iran. These countries continue to buy oil from Iran. This exempt period will end on May 2. The US announced that it will not extend the exempt period. Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 25 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: The Power Uzbekistan forum will allow Uzbekistan to discuss a number of areas of cooperation with partner countries in the field of the fuel and energy complex, among which Azerbaijan occupies a worthy place, a spokesperson of Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan told Trend in an interview. It was said that the meetings and negotiations will help identify ways of bringing positions closer together on a number of issues and determine prospects for further building up joint plans and projects of the two countries. On May 15-17, 2019, Uzbekistan will host the largest International Exhibitions of the energy and oil and gas sectors: Power Uzbekistan and Uzbekistan International Oil & Gas (OGU) Exhibition & Conference. For the first time, Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan and the Agency Uzatom will provide support to both events. Also for the first time, nuclear power engineering, which is a new direction for Uzbekistan, will be included in the sections of the International Exhibition Power Uzbekistan 2019 - Energy, energy saving, nuclear energy, alternative energy sources. The Power Uzbekistan 2019 will bring together leading companies representing a wide range of areas of the energy complex including energy, nuclear energy, energy saving, electrical equipment, alternative energy, power electronics and heat and power equipment. About 50 companies from 11 countries including the USA, Korea, European states, China, Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Italy, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, have already been announced on Power Uzbekistan. As the Ministry's spokesperson noted, the high interest of international participants in the exhibition is primarily caused by the positive changes that are taking place in the energy sector of Uzbekistan. Measures are being taken to progressively modernize and retool the electricity and gas supply system, to improve the fundamentals of energy saving and the mechanisms of mutual settlements for the supplied electrical energy and natural gas. It was emphasized that comprehensive development of the energy sector in Uzbekistan is of paramount importance for sustainable socio-economic growth of the country, as it increases business activity and improves investment climate, living standards and well-being of the population. Speaking about the International OGU Exhibition and Conference OGU, which traditionally raises high interest of the players in the global oil and gas market, the Ministry representative said that this year event would be held for the 23rd time. It will bring together over 100 companies from 20 countries, including Austria, Azerbaijan, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Canada, China, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Korea, Monaco, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, Ukraine , Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Poland, USA, France, and Switzerland. Representatives of OPEC, BP, CNPC, InternationalGasUnion (IGU) ExxonMobil, Air Products, Honeywell UOP, HIS Markit, Nexant, GECF, Kazenergy, Indorama Corporation, ITPS, DOW Europe GmbH, Haldor Topsoe, Linde Group, Siemens Oil & Gas, EBRD, Turboden, GEGas Power, Sedmax, White & Case, Deloitte, Platts, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Financial Times Group publication are invited to participate in the forum. Within the framework of the OGU 2019 forum, technical sessions are also scheduled. The participants of the biggest session entitled Petrochemistry and gas chemistry in Uzbekistan: large-scale modernization and new challenges will discuss the development of the global olefin market and modern technologies with the purpose of obtaining high-quality fuels, oils and raw materials for petrochemical processes. The conference will also focus on the use of renewable energy sources and the investment attractiveness of Uzbekistan exemplified by a number of joint projects. This topic will be discussed at the special session of the OGU 2019 conference under the title: Energy of the Future. A look at the progress in energy saving: renewable energy," the spokesperson said. It is planned that the Director for Energy and Natural Resources for Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia, EBRD Aida Sitdikova, Director of the Board of TurbodenRus and Sales Manager of Turboden Nikola Rossetti, and others will speak on the issue of using clean energy sources. As expected, the discussions will reveal current trends in the use of renewable energy and identify global trends in this direction, allowing Uzbekistan to identify ways to further develop cooperation in the field of renewable energy with global market players and various countries of the world. Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 Trend: Dedicated to the 96th anniversary of the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and organised with support from SOCAR by Baku Higher Oil School, in partnership with the Confidence Capital Ltd., a British company, the 4th SOCAR International Caspian and Central Asia Downstream Forum: Trading, Logistics, Refining, Petrochemicals concluded in Baku. The Forum brought together nearly 300 specialists from over 20 countries representing a wide range of companies and offered participants an extensive opportunity to exchange information about the pivotal development prospects of the oil and gas industry in the Caspian region and Central Asia and the largest international projects carried out in trading, logistics, refining and petrochemicals as well as to strengthen the existing cooperation with partners from the region and forge new business networking. Nearly 40 presentations and statements were delivered at the Forum and within a conference entitled Refining and Petrochemical Industry of the Caspian region and Central Asia: Projects and Technical Solutions. Forum participants visited SOCAR Carbomide, SOCAR Methanol, SOCAR Polymer, and Sangachal Oil Terminal. Commemorating the anniversary of Heydar Aliyev and convened annually since 2016, the Forum serves as a unique platform for promoting the oil strategy which was instituted by the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and is successfully advanced under the guidance of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. It is is attended by top managers from the fuel-energy, petrochemical and logistics facilities as well as leading national and overseas companies in the Caspian region and Central Asia, forefront experts, analysts, representatives from the diplomatic corps, and a wide spectrum of other specialists. Forum participants gain the opportunity to get the insights into the prospects of oil & gas industry development in Azerbaijan, oil & gas markets in the Caspian region and Central Asia, hydrocarbon logistics and transit potential, major export routes, crude and products trade flows, modernization of the refineries and petrochemical plants, innovative technologies in the oil & gas industry as well as explore various other observations and expert opinion. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Azad Hasanli Trend: Within tree days, the Azerbaijani postal operator Azerpost has paid compensations on individuals problem loans worth 8.44 million manats, Trend reports referring to Azerpost on April 25. The funds have been paid to those 31,336 clients of non-bank credit organizations and the banks in the process of liquidation, who are entitled to the compensations in the amount of than 500 manats. The compensations are being paid at 1,497 post offices throughout the country. The individuals who are entitled to the compensations worth more than 500 manats will be able to receive them starting from May 1, 2019. These funds will be provided via plastic cards, which can be obtained at 77 post offices in Baku and the countrys districts. Azerpost draws attention to the fact that compensations in the post offices are paid only to the clients of non-bank credit organizations and the banks which are being liquidated. In total, Azerpost intends to pay compensations to about 121,000 individuals, and almost 45,000 people of them will receive compensations in the amount of more than 500 manats each. The compensation payment of problem loans to individuals started in Azerbaijan on April 22, 2019. As expected, 602,347 people will receive compensation. Earlier, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures in connection with solving the issue of the individuals problem loans. The decree envisages the payment of compensation to citizens whose loan burden increased as a result of the devaluation of the manat in February and December 2015. According to the decree, opportunities are created for restructuring both US dollar loans and manat loans with a delay of more than 360 days on concessional terms. If the amount of compensation exceeds 500 manats, these funds will be transferred to the account of the individual; otherwise, the payment will be made via money transfer. The corresponding plastic cards to be received by individuals are issued free of charge for a period of one year. Banks and postal operator are not entitled to charge fees for issuing or conducting operations with these cards or for making money transfers. Follow the author on Twitter: @AzadHasanli Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 Trend: To enhance mutual tourist traffic, Azerbaijan and Russias Sverdlovsk Region plan to increase the number of direct flights on Yekaterinburg-Baku route, explore the possibility of forming package tours to reduce the cost of travel, organize a permanent exchange of industry information, and open a representative office of the tourist bureau of Azerbaijan in the Urals, Trend reports referring to the website of the regional government of the Sverdlovsk Region. These steps aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation in tourism were discussed at a meeting of Vice Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region Alexei Orlov with Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Tourism Agency Fuad Naghiyev held within the VII International Tourism Forum "The Big Urals-2019". Fuad Naghiyev highly praised the potential of the city of Yekaterinburg and the Sverdlovsk Region in tourism industry. "Your region has the enormous potential in the sphere of tourism. We came to find mechanisms for increasing mutual tourist traffic. We are ready to position the Urals in our country as an interesting route to visit and consider the possibility of opening a representative office here. Azerbaijan is looking forward to the arrival of Russian tourists. There is necessary infrastructure and no language barrier for them in our country," Naghiyev said adding that not a single Russian-language school was shut down in Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Alexey Orlov thanked the guests for initiating the open partnership dialogue. Having emphasized close business and friendly relations established between the Sverdlovsk Region and Azerbaijan, he spoke about the plans to develop partnership contacts with Azerbaijan. "At present, a draft agreement on cooperation between the Sverdlovsk Region and the Azerbaijani government for the next 10 years has been jointly developed. It opens the door to many initiatives including conducting joint events and developing tourism. We believe that this industry will continue to grow and become a full-fledged sector of the economy," said Alexei Orlov. According to the Azerbaijani side, starting from July, Irkutsk Airlines airline company begins to make regular flights from Yekaterinburg to Baku twice a week, which will increase the total number of the flights to three times in a week. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 25 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: A meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan with Baroness Emma Nicholson, representative of the House of Lords of the UK Parliament, Trend reports referring to Turkmen Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, it was proposed to hold an investment forum of Turkmenistan in the UK. Cooperation in the field of environmental protection was also discussed. A representative delegation from the UK arrived in Ashgabat to attend the 7th meeting of the Turkmenistan-UK Trade & Industry Council (TUKTIC). While discussing the upcoming seventh meeting of TUKTIC, during which it is planned to consider issues to increase trade, the parties separately noted the high level of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Kingdom in trade and economic sphere. The parties also agreed to hold next political consultations in Ashgabat in the second half of 2019 or in 2020. British companies hold a prominent position in the Turkmen market. Dragon Oil, one of the largest investors in the country, has been operating in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea since 1999. Another company, Petrofac, carried out a service project for developing the Galkynysh gas field, the second largest gas field in the world located in the Mary Region, in September 2013. Gaffney, Cline & Associates is actively involved in conducting an independent audit of Turkmenistans gas fields, with Turkmen gas reserves ranking fourth in the world. De La Rue company is connected with history of the Turkmen manat, the national currency of Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan and the UK signed an intergovernmental convention on the elimination of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital appreciation. During bilateral business negotiations, it has been noted that the parties share common interests in the key areas of cooperation including investments, energy and transport. Joint business forums are attended by representatives of the UK companies such as British Expertise International, Aggreko, Arempa International Ltd (FZE), Buried Hill, De La Rue, Global ATS Ltd, Industrial Power Group, JTA, Rapiscan Systems Ltd, Tensar and TheCityUK. A controversial gala honoring Brazil's far-right president Jair Bolsonaro will come to Times Square next month, after the event's organizers were rebuffed by the American Museum of Natural History and at least one other venue. A rep for the Marriott Marquis confirmed to Gothamist that the annual fundraiser, hosted by the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, will take place inside the hotel's 45th Street ballroom on May 14th. The business group intends to recognize Bolsonaro with the Brazilian "Man of the Year" award, and to give the American designation to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Last week, the American Museum of Natural Historywhich has hosted the dinner for yearsbacked out of the event following threats of protests and boycotts from museum staff and the public. Several AMNH employee argued that the museum should not be profiting from a celebration of the newly-elected Brazilian leader, whose time in office has been marked an assault on Amazon rainforest protections and dehumanization of marginalized communities. Just this week, thousands of indigenous people from across Brazil gathered to protest Bolsonaro's "anti-indigenous" policies, and to call attention to the skyrocketing deforestation rate since he took office. On a recent White House visit, Bolsonarowho has repeatedly referred to indigenous people as zoo animals and chicken poxsays he spoke with President Donald Trump about a plan to jointly develop parts of the Amazon. This guys a very dangerous human being," Mayor Bill de Blasio told WNYC's Brian Lehrer earlier this month. "Hes dangerous not just because of his overt racism and homophobia, but because he is unfortunately the person with the most ability to be able to impact what happens in the Amazon going forward." Following the museum's cancellation, the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce was also rebuffed by Ciprani Hall on Wall Street, the Rio Times reports. Presently, the business group's website does not mention a location for the event, but promises it will take place at an "upscale venue to be announced soon." Listed sponsors include Bain & Company, J.P. Morgan., and Forbes. A spokesperson for the Marriott declined to answers questions about whether the hotel had misgivings about hosting the gala, and directed our questions to the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce. The group has not responded to multiple inquiries. Priscila Neri, a Brazilian activist with the NYC-based human rights organization WITNESS, told Gothamist that the chamber's decision to honor Bolsonaro was "embarrassing and appalling," though not surprising. "That group exists to advance the economic interest of a tiny minority of rich people in Brazil and the United States," she said. "So, no, they don't care how his policies impact anyone else." Indeed, the organization's president and board chairman, Alexander Bettamio, was one of Bolsonaro's choices to run Brazil's state-run bank, and currently serves as the head of the Latin American division of Bank of America. The chamber's executive director, Ted Helms, is a former investment manager at the Brazilian oil company Petrobras, which struck a $9 billion deal with Bolsonaro's government earlier this month. The $30,000 tickets for the event have sold out, and roughly 1,000 guests are expected to attend. It's unclear whether Bolsonaro or Pompeo will be among them. Additional reporting by Paula Moura. Royal Bank of Scotland plc is searching for a new chief executive after Ross McEwan resigned, signaling a fresh start as it heads for full private ownership after a state bailout, reports Trend with reference to Reuters New Zealand-born McEwan, who has led RBS since October 2013, has a 12-month notice period and will remain in his position until a successor has been appointed and an orderly handover has taken place, the bank said on Thursday. It is the second change in RBSs senior executive team in fewer than six months following the appointment of Katie Murray as the banks chief financial officer in December last year. The date of McEwans departure will be confirmed in due course and Alison Rose, the banks CEO of Commercial & Private Banking, is seen as one of the favorites to succeed him. Roses accession would make RBS the first bank in Britain to have two women in its most senior positions at the same time. After over five and a half very rewarding years, and with the bank in a much stronger financial position it is time for me to step down as CEO, McEwan said in a statement. Some analysts suggested his departure was well timed, just months before Brexit and with dark clouds looming over the UK housing market. While broadly liked and respected among RBSs institutional investors, McEwans tenure has not been without drama. Despite being one of the lowest in Britains banking sector, salary and bonus payments earned by the 61-year old have attracted considerable scrutiny, particularly in the years before RBS returned to profit. Under his watch, the bank also shelled out $4.9 billion to settle its largest-ever regulatory penalty for misselling of high-risk mortgage backed securities between 2005 and 2008, when it was one of the worlds biggest banks by assets. But a tight rein on costs has seen the lender swing back to the black and restore dividends to investors. RBS has also managed to amass hundreds of millions of pounds in excess capital it hopes to deploy in buying back shares from the UK government this year. RBS, currently more than 62 percent owned by the UK taxpayer, is hosting its annual meeting on Thursday, where it is expected to field fresh questions over its controversial Global Restructuring Group, which ensnared hundreds of troubled borrowers in the financial crisis. RBS itself was bailed out by the UK government to the tune of 45 billion pounds ($58 billion) in 2008 and has spent the last decade cutting costs, restructuring its balance sheet, and refocusing on core domestic UK business and consumer lending. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said his country is prepared to demarcate its maritime border with Israel through the same mechanism used to draw the Blue Line under the supervision of the United Nations, reports Trend citing to Middleeastmonitor.com We are ready to draw Lebanons maritime borders and those of the Exclusive Economic Zone using the same procedure that was used to draw the Blue Line under the supervision of the United Nations, Berri said during a meeting with Major General, Stefano Del Col, head of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). General Del Col said the UN could use the same mechanism to demarcate the maritime border. The Blue Line refers to the land border between Lebanon and Israel which was drawn under the UN supervision to facilitate Israels withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. Lebanon and Israel have an unresolved dispute over the ownership of a nearly 860 square kilometre zone which extends along the edge of three of Lebanons energy blocks in the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel and Syria sit on the Levant Basin in the eastern Mediterranean where a number of big gas fields have been discovered since 2009. The Russian Centre for Reconciliation in Syria said that over the past 24 hours, it registered ceasefire breaches in four provinces within Syrias Idlib de-escalation zone, Trend reported citing Sputnik. "Over the past 24 hours, militants have attacked the city of Aleppo (two times), Sabiqiya in Aleppo province, Saraf, Salma and Jubb al-Mghara in Latakia province, Maan in Hama province, Abu-Dali in Idlib province," the bulletin reads. In addition, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's Centre for Syrian Reconciliation, Maj. Gen. Viktor Kupchishin, said that nearly 2,000 refugees left the Rukban camp on Tuesday. "On April 23, 1,983 refugees managed to leave the Rukban camp through the humanitarian corridor via the Jleb checkpoint," he said. Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting against numerous opposition groups and militant and terrorist organizations. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria. Moscow has also been providing humanitarian aid to residents of the crisis-torn country. Facebook's costs jumped by $3 billion in the first three months of the year as the company deals with an ongoing Federal Trade Commission investigation into the social network's privacy practices, Trend reported citing CBS. Facebook said on Wednesday that its operating costs rose to $11.7 billion in the three months ending March 31, up 80 percent from the year-earlier period. The company set aside $3 billion to deal with the issue, it said in its quarterly earnings release, noting that the final loss from any government fines could be as much as $5 billion. The company made a profit of $22 billion last year on $56 billion in total revenue, or a profit margin of 45%. Still, the potential cost of an FTC penalty grabbed the attention of Facebook analysts. "This is a significant development, and any settlement with the FTC may impact the ways advertisers can use the platform in the future," eMarketer Principal Analyst Debra Aho Williamson said in a note. The FTC started looking into Facebook last March, shortly after news reports that the social network allowed Cambridge Analytica to collect data from millions of users without their knowledge. Seven years prior, Facebook reached a settlement with the agency after it was accused of making data public that it had promised would be private. As part of that settlement, Facebook agreed to ask for users' permission before sharing their data more broadly than their privacy settings specified. Facebook's monthly user base grew 8 percent, to 2.3 billion, from the year before, the company reported Wednesday. But its North America users stayed nearly flat, at 243 million. Despite the signs of slowing audience growth and the long-term specter of more government regulations eating into Facebook's profits, Wall Street remains bullish on its growth prospects: Facebook shares have risen 39 percent since the beginning of the year, more than double the increase of the Standard & Poor's 500 index. The company plans to extend its dominance in the digital space with a new private messaging system, where communication would be encrypted and temporary, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors on a conference call following the release of the latest quarter's results. "This is going to be a central focus for the company for the next five years or longer," he said. Along with this shift, the company plans to build out the ability of businesses to sell directly to users on the platform. "In terms of advertising and commerce, it's a spectrum," Zuckerberg said, citing the popularity of ads on Facebook's Instagram. "The private network will lend itself to transactions." Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) said three members of the council's political committee have turned in their resignations, Trend reported citing Xinhua. "Lt. Gen. Omer Zainal-Abdin, Lt. Gen. Jalal al-Deen Al-Sheikh and Lt. Gen. (police) Al-Tayeb Babikir Ali have turned in their resignations from the membership of the TMC," said a statement by the council, noting that the resignations are still under consideration. The TMC is tasked with running the country's affairs following the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir. Following Sunday's terror attacks in Sri Lanka, the police said 16 more suspects were arrested in special operations conducted in the early hours of Thursday and one of those taken into custody is suspected to be linked to a terrorist group, Trend reported citing Sputnik. The police said 76 suspects have been taken into custody so far and several of them have been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department. Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a special statement said that the use of drones and unmanned aircraft within the Sri Lankan airspace had been banned from Thursday until further notice. The CAA said the decision was taken considering the prevailing situation in the country. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's parliament late on Wednesday passed the state of emergency regulations without a vote, which provides further provisions to the armed forces to maintain peace in the country. Security was further beefed up immediately after this, with a larger army force deployed across the island country. So far, 359 people have been killed in Sunday's explosions which ripped across several areas of Sri Lanka while over 500 have been injured. A total of 34 foreigners were among those killed. The death toll in Sri Lankas Easter Day attack is around 100 fewer than the 359 originally thought, a two top government officials told Reuters on Thursday, Trend reports citing Reuters. It could be 250 or 260. I cant exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure, Anil Jasinghe, the director general of Sri Lankas health services told Reuters in a phone interview. Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lankas deputy defense minister whose ministry is responsible for the islands police force, said the death toll had been revised down to 253 due to inaccurate figures provided by the countrys morgues. Unfortunately the health ministry provided the earlier number to us, he said. Cyclone Kenneth battered northern Mozambique on Thursday with sustained winds of up to 220 km per hour (137 miles per hour) after killing three people on the island nation of Comoros overnight, Trend reports referring to Reuters. Impoverished Mozambique is still recovering from another powerful tropical cyclone which made landfall further south last month, flattening the port city of Beira and killing more than 1,000 people across a vast swathe of southeastern Africa. A spokesman for Mozambiques National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) said although Kenneth had not yet made landfall it was nearing Cabo Delgado province, where it was raining heavily. Weve already evacuated 30,000 people from the areas likely to be hit by the cyclone. The compulsory evacuation process will continue until we have all people in secure ground, INGC spokesman Paulo Tomas said. The INGC said it had supplies ready to assist 140,000 people for 15 days. Mozambican officials said on Wednesday more than 680,000 people were at risk from the latest storm. There were concerns that five rivers and coastal waterways could burst their banks, leading to severe flooding. Government and humanitarian officials did not anticipate the extent of the flooding in the wake of Cyclone Idai last month, and an early warning system implemented did not reach everyone. Antonie Beleza, deputy national director of Mozambiques Centre for Emergency Operations, told Reuters that this time around the center had been telling people for days to move out of 17 at-risk districts. Saviano Abreu of the United Nations humanitarian arm OCHA said the UN and non-governmental organizations were assisting the government with a Cyclone Kenneth is expected to linger over Mozambique, dumping rain until late Monday evening and bringing the risk of more intense flooding, said Dipuo Tawana, forecaster at the South African Weather Service. In neighboring Zimbabwe, where hundreds died in heavy rains following Cyclone Idai, the civil protection department sent out a warning that some areas near the eastern border with Mozambique could be affected by the cyclone. It said people living in low-lying areas including in Masvingo province, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Mutoko, Mudzi and Gokwe North should be on high alert. U.S. energy firm Anadarko, which is developing large natural gas fields off Mozambique, said it had suspended air transportation in and out of its site as a precaution. Exxon Mobil, also involved in gas fields offshore Mozambique, said it was monitoring the situation. In Comoros early on Thursday, fallen trees and debris from homes were scattered over streets, and houses had their roofs torn off. The winds caused widespread power outages in the northern part of the main island, Grande Comore, and the capital Moroni as well as on the island of Anjouan, residents said. Government offices and schools were closed. Iraqi security forces on Thursday killed six Islamic State (IS) militants in an operation at a rugged area in the northern province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said, Trend reports citing Xinhua. A joint force from the Iraqi army and Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), backed by Iraqi and international aircraft carried out an operation to hunt down the extremist IS militants in al-Shai Valley in south of the city of Kirkuk, some 250 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement. "The operation resulted in the killing of six IS militants and the destruction of a warehouse and eight of IS hideouts, in addition to destroying a tunnel used by the extremist militants at a village in the area," the statement quoted Saad Harbiya, a JOC commander, as saying. The troops also found some caves used by IS militants, while conducting an airdrop on an IS hideout in the area and destroyed it, Harbiya added. The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017. IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday arrived to the Far Eastern Russian city of Vladivostok for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Trend reported citing TASS. The Russian president travelled to Vladivostok from Chita, where he attended a meeting on tackling wildfires in the region. After the talks with Kim, Putin will travel to Beijing to take part in the One Belt One Road international forum. Kim arrived to Vladivostok by train on Wednesday on an invitation from the Russian leader. The summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un will be their first meeting in person. The previous Russian-North Korean summit was held on August 24, between then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Kim Jong-uns father, Kim Jong-il. Moreover, Russia is the first foreign country that the North Korean leader has visited after the national Supreme People's Assembly re-elected Kim Jong-un as the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission in early April. According to earlier reports, the talks will begin after 13:00 local time. After the official ceremony, the leaders will have a one-on-one meeting, followed by talks in an expanded format. The main topics on the agenda are the peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and ensuring security in Northeast Asia as a whole. The leaders are also going to discuss the state of the bilateral relations, including political, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties. No documents or joint statements are planned for signing. A Queens woman allegedly tossed a dog into a trash compactorwhich she apparently mistook for an incineratorbecause, to quote, she "didn't like him." The Queens District Attorney's office has charged 29-year-old Dominiqua Parrish with attempted aggravated cruelty to animals, second-degree criminal mischief, and overdriving, torturing or injuring an animal for her conduct on January 29th, whenaccording to prosecutorsshe can be seen on security camera footage abusing "a small golden-haired dog." Parrish, who lives in Far Rockaway, allegedly threw the unfortunate pup out of her apartment door and into her building's hallway around 2:50 a.m. She then grabbed it by its neck, prosecutors say, and hauled it down to the garbage room on the seventh floor. She can reportedly be seen entering the trash area with the dog, then leaving empty-handed. Meanwhile, another video camera in the basement captured a building worker and a "Good Samaritan" rescuing the golden boy from the trash compactor, suggesting Parrish pitched it down the garbage chute. Suggesting actually feels like an over-generous term here: According to the D.A.'s office, she told police: "I threw the dog down the incinerator because I don't like him." The dog reportedly fractured a rib and accrued various cuts and bruises during the fall, and was taken to the ASPCA for treatment. The indictment does not say whether or not the dog belonged to Parrish, but according Chief Assistant District Attorney John M. Ryan: "The defendant is accused of one of the most unthinkable actstossing an animal into a garbage disposal chute. It is hard to imagine that someone would do something so cruel." And indeed, hers is some Jack-Nicholson-in-As-Good-As-It-Gets-level aggression, although people do try to dispose of their pets this way from time to time. In March, for example, a San Francisco man was charged with felonious animal cruelty after chucking his four-month-old Chihuahua puppy down a garbage chute. Parrish will next appear in court on June 26th, and in the interim, has been released without posting bail. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The US Presidents statement on the events of 1915 is one-sided, and it does not take into account the pain and grief of the Turkic and other Muslim peoples, said Turkish Ambassador to the US Serdar Kilic, Trend reports referring to Turkish media. According to Kilic, there are many facts proving that Armenian gangs killed the peaceful Muslim population of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. He noted that, despite Ankara calling on Yerevan to create a joint committee for investigating the events of 1915, the Armenian authorities have so far not responded to this appeal. Citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan living in Washington recently held a protest in connection with the events of 1915. Recently, US President Donald Trump avoided using the word "genocide" in his statement regarding the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire. Trump was again limited to using term "Mets Yeghern" ("The Great Crime") in the traditional White House appeal. Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: The Turkish police conducted an operation against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the country's Diyarbakir province, Trend reports via Turkish media. Three terrorists were eliminated during the operation. Operations against the PKK are continuing. Earlier, militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group attacked a military unit in Turkeys Hakkari province on the border with Iraq. On March 27, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization and the country's Air Force conducted an operation to eliminate Riza Altun, the closest ally of Cemil Bayik and the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group. After Altuns location was revealed, the Turkish Air Force delivered a precision strike on a house where the terrorist was staying. 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. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the EU. Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, April 25 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Ankaras buying Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems will be the main topic of negotiations between the presidents of Turkey and the US - Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump, Trend reports April 25 with reference to the Turkish media. The issue of US supporting the PYD/YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group, may also be put on the agenda of the talks of the presidents of the two countries. Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that despite that the US promised it would not support PYD/YPG, Washington did not keep its word. This is while Ibrahim Kalin, press secretary of the Turkish President, said that Ankara hopes that US President Donald Trump will visit Turkey. He said that Ankara repeatedly stated its readiness to receive Trump and that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself invited the US President to visit the country. In his words, the administration of the US President also does not exclude Trumps visit to Ankara in 2019. Touching upon the issue of the procurement of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, Kalin said that the relevant decision by Ankara was made on the basis of national interests. Russian S-400s do not pose a threat to NATO, and the US knows it very well, he added. On April 11, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that specialists from the US and NATO could come to Turkey to make sure that the Russian S-400 air defense systems do not pose a threat to NATO. "Although the US urges Turkey to abandon the purchase of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems, it does not guarantee that it will sell us Patriot air defense systems," he said. Initial reports of negotiations between Russia and Turkey on the supply of S-400 surfaced in November 2016. The signing of a contract was confirmed by the Russian side on September 12, 2017. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The US and China have been entangled in a trade dispute since last year, exchanging rounds of tariffs and economic threats. The coming meeting between US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping is expected to seal the deal between the two countries, Trend reports with reference to Sputnik. Trump said on Thursday he will soon host Chinese Xi at the White House, setting the stage for a possible agreement on trade between the US and China, Reuters reports. Earlier in the week it was reported that US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would travel to Beijing for trade talks beginning on 30 April. Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that trade negotiators from the United States and China had set up a draft schedule of meetings that they hoped would conclude with a formal signing ceremony as early as 27 May, or the Memorial Day holiday in the United States. The bilateral talks, according to reports, are aimed at ironing out the wording of a final trade agreement that would be signed by Trump and Xi. In early April, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that the two countries have already discussed intellectual property, forced technology transfers, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases and enforcement, noting at the same time that "significant work" is still required. Beijing and Washington have been embroiled in a trade dispute since June, when Trump announced the United States would impose 25 percent tariffs on Chinese goods worth of $50 billion in a bid to fix the US-Chinese trade deficit. Since then, the two countries have exchanged several rounds of trade tariffs. KYODO NEWS - Apr 25, 2019 - 17:38 | Feature, All, Japan Japan's Emperor Akihito will become on Tuesday the country's first monarch in more than 200 years to relinquish the throne, but around the world such abdications are not uncommon. Including Commonwealth nations, the world has over 40 countries with some form of monarchy, the structure of which varies widely. Unlike Japan, which only allows male imperial family members to ascend the throne, many recognize female succession and a number of monarchs have stepped down recently due mainly to old age. In the Vatican City State, which is governed as an absolute monarchy, Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world when he announced his resignation in February 2013 at the age of 85 after nearly eight years in office. Pontiffs are normally expected to serve until death, but Pope Benedict, citing a lack of strength due to his advancing age, became the first pontiff to voluntarily step down in about 600 years. In the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix announced her abdication in January 2013 at the age of 74 following a reign of 33 years, saying she is convinced that the "responsibilities of our country should be passed on to a new generation." (Emperor Akihito visits the tomb of the late Emperor Showa at Musashino Imperial Mausoleum) Her son Prince Willem-Alexander succeeded the throne later that year. She was the third successive Dutch monarch to abdicate. In Belgium, King Albert II abdicated in July 2013 at the age of 79, after reigning for some 20 years with his son Prince Philippe, 59, succeeding the throne. Unlike the Dutch Constitution, which includes a clause for ascension after a monarch's abdication, the Belgian Constitution only stipulates regents. Therefore, Belgium finalized proceedings for the royal succession by having a justice minister recite a deed. Although the Belgian king cited his old age, many believe allegations of an illegitimate child -- and the development of a court case over the matter -- compelled him to step down. Related coverage: Security to be tightened in central Tokyo in preparation for new era British scientists send warm wishes to emperor ahead of abdication Emperor visits Ise shrine to report his April 30 abdication Sculptor Delphine Boel, 51, claims she is an extramarital daughter of the king and has filed a lawsuit to determine her paternity. Her mother has admitted to having an affair with him, but the king has refused a court order to submit DNA samples. The royal family acts as the glue which ties together the northern Dutch-speaking and the southern French-speaking regions. Therefore, many have expressed disappointment at the scandal involving the former monarch. In Bhutan, a Himalayan country sandwiched between China and India, the sudden announcement in 2005 by King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, 63, that he was abdicating in favor of his son King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 39, shocked the kingdom. The former king ascended the throne in 1972 when he was 16 following the death of his father. In a country with a population of about 800,000, the former king pursued gross national happiness over economic gains, but nevertheless managed to achieve steady economic growth for the landlocked country. Although many cried over the king's relinquishment of the throne, Kinley Dorji, 61, a former secretary of the Bhutanese information and communication ministry, said, "The king's abdication is like a very big Buddhist teaching." (Kinley Dorji) According to him, the former king's sudden abdication exemplified the Buddhist teaching of impermanence, that death will eventually come to us all. Bhutan is a predominantly Buddhist country. "Don't wait for a problem, don't wait for tragedy...right now, we are all very happy (so we should) make the change now," he quoted the former king as saying. "If you wait for a problem, the change may not work." In 2008, a new Constitution of Bhutan under King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck transitioned the country from an absolute monarchy into democracy with a constitutional monarchy. The supreme law makes it compulsory for kings to retire at the age of 65. "If you are really old and sick, you can't take responsibility. When you're older, maybe you deserve to retire peacefully," he said. "I think people should respect that." In contrast to some monarchs who voluntarily step down, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, 93, currently the world's longest reigning monarch at 67 years, is believed to have no intention to abdicate. In a speech she made on her 21st birthday in 1947, the future queen vowed to dedicate her life to the Commonwealth, a declaration she made before ascending to the throne in 1952. Although the queen continues to carry out official engagements, their number has been reduced as she ages, while her son Prince Charles, 70, and other members of the royal family conduct official duties in her stead. In 1936, Elizabeth's uncle, King Edward VIII relinquished the throne less than a year after enthronement. The future queen is believed to have been shocked by his abdication, prompted by his desire to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite with a history of divorces. Some see the chaos caused by the sudden abdication of her uncle as a potential reason behind the queen's negative attitude toward the abdication. To this day, Queen Elizabeth enjoys strong public support, with many wishing her not to step down. A royal-family watcher said Prince Charles may act as regent when his mother turns 95. 4 Days after the series blast in Sri Lanka, in which more than 359 peoples died and at least 500 peoples injured, another blast was heard on Thursday from vacant land behind the magistrates court in the town of Pugoda, 40 km (25 miles) east of the capital Colombo, police and local residents said. According to the police, they were investigating the explosion, which came at a time of high tension in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday suicide bomber attacks on the island state that killed 359 people and wounded about 500. also read: 3 Buddhist arrested for sexually assaulting a minor girl A new bomb was found in the downtown area of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on Wednesday. A device was detonated yesterday near the Savoy cinema. Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene confirmed the explosion outside the cinema was a controlled one. He said: "It is not a blast. A special taskforce group detected a bomb on the suspicious motorbike. "They tried to open the seat but because it had been stuck they decided to carry out a controlled blast." The eight suicide bombing attacks in Sri Lanka on Sunday have killed at least 359 people and injured over 500. The Sri Lankan police have taken 58 suspects in custody. Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the terrorist blasts in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan government on Wednesday admitted that 'major' intelligence lapses led to the horrific Easter Sunday blasts. More details are awaited. also read: First Time in History, Indian Army invited application from Women for the jobs in Military MUMBAI: On Wednesday, Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath accused the Congress of politicizing the anti-terror operation by the Indian Air Force. He hit out at Rahul Gandhi for using "foul language" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Claiming the BJP would get a clear mandate in the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Singh said he has no doubt in his mind that the NDA allies will retain power with a three-fourths majority. Rajnath Singh said the Congress is politicizing the Balakot air strikes and dismissed its demand of proof of casualties in the operation as "uncalled for". On 26 February, the IAF had struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror training camp in Pakistan in response to the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. also read: CM Yogi Adityanath, Arvind Kejriwal and Mohan Bhagwat on the target of Jaish "Should our forces have stopped there to count the dead bodies? Brave jawans do not count the dead bodies, they keep marching ahead... eagles count bodies," he said. "Had there been 1, 2, 3 or 4 casualties, then we could have given a figure, but how can we tell (the exact casualties) when this figure was so high?" he alleged. "I head the intelligence agencies. I would like to say we carried out the air strikes on the basis of credible and actionable inputs, and without violating Pakistan's sovereignty," he further said. He addressed two election rallies in neighboring Palghar district in support of Shiv Sena candidates from Thane and Palghar Lok Sabha constituencies. Slamming the opposition for pointing fingers at electronic voting machines, he said, "The (voting) trend in the first phase of elections suggested the NDA would get a two-thirds majority. Soon the opposition launched an attack on EMVs. also read: Nitish Kumars strange appeal to Bihars women during an election campaign Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in Asia led by India and China and has dramatically increased the risk of premature death especially among women and middle-aged people, a significant study has found. India and China today have the highest diabetes burdens in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India has close to 62 million people living with the diseases and is projected to have close to 70 million diabetics by 2025. Throughout Asia, more than 230 million people are living with diabetes. also read World Malaria Day 2019: types and homemade treatment The researchers found that patients with diabetes are at a substantially elevated risk of premature death.The risk associated with diabetes is much higher than that reported by most previous studies conducted in the US and Europe, said the studys corresponding author Wei Zheng in a paper reported in the journal JAMA Network Open. The Vanderbilt-led research team pooled 22 prospective cohort studies in multiple countries from mainland China to Bangladesh. More than one million individuals were followed for an average of 12.6 years.Diabetes was associated with a nearly two-fold increase in the risk of death from all causes. The diabetes-related risk of death from all causes was particularly high for women and patients who were diagnosed with diabetes when they were middle-aged adults, the findings showed. Whether this may increase their risk of premature death once they develop diabetes has not yet been determined, said Zheng. also read Here Secrets behind to Weight Loss Mantra for overall well being and healthiness This result is particularly relevant for certain racial and ethnic groups in the US, including Asian Americans, who are more susceptible to insulin resistance and are at higher risk of developing diabetes at a relatively lower obesity level than are people of European ancestry. Lack of access to diabetes care in Asia may contribute to the unusually higher risk of premature death among diabetes patients in the study, the researchers noted. A new fossil from the dinosaur era challenges the understanding of evolution. In a paper published in Science Advances, an international team, including researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, announced their discovery of a new fossil crab species, Callichimaera perplexa in Boyaca, Colombia, and in Wyoming in the United States. "This new discovery is one of the most exciting fossil findings in the tropics in the past decade," said Javier Luque, former predoctoral fellow in staff scientist Carlos Jaramillo's lab at STRI, now NSERC postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Yale University. "We discovered a treasure trove of fossil crabs, dozens of exceptionally preserved specimens with eyes, antennae, muscles and reproductive organs." Sometimes it is difficult to piece together the tree of life that maps the evolution of the animals seen today. Important pieces in the puzzle may be rare or yet to be discovered. According to the authors, this fossil crab's unique body form pushes the textbook definition of what a crab is. It has large, unprotected compound eyes, a small body and mouthparts that look like legs. Its large, oar-like legs are the oldest record of adaptations of crabs for swimming. "This baffling fossil is like the platypus of the crab world," Luque said. "It is the earliest arthropod to evolve swimming oar-like legs since the sea scorpions disappeared more than 250 million years ago, a beautiful and perplexing chimera, as its name indicates." By comparing specimens of the new species with all known crab species, the team discovered several important unique characteristics of this species that sets it apart. The adults have characteristics similar to crab larvae. This would be like an adult human having the disproportionately large eyes of a baby, for example. Because researchers found males and females, they concluded that they were seeing adults, even though they appeared to have many characteristics of an earlier life-stage. The phenomenon of an adult retaining characteristics of a younger form is called pedomorphosis, a way to skip evolutionary steps in order to adapt to a new environment in fewer generations. "This reveals a new branch in the tree of life that has never been seen before," said Jaramillo, project advisor. ### In addition to the authors affiliated with STRI, authors from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Yale University, Kent State University, Universite de Montreal, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, Lynn University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas contributed significantly to this research. Funding for this study was from the STRI short-term fellowship program; the American Museum of Natural History Lerner Gray grant; the Sedimentary Geology, Time, Environment, Paleoclimatology and Energy Student Travel Award Grant; the Fondo Corrigan-ACGGP-ARES, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada Graduate Scholarship; the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship; the Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate Prize; the University of Alberta President's Coctoral Prize of Distinction; the Devendra Jindal Graduate Scholarship; the Kay Ball Memorial Graduate Student Research Travel Award; and an NSERC Discovery Grant. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Website: http://www.stri.si.edu. AMHERST, Mass. - Many researchers and amateur naturalists keep track of dates for the first robin of spring, the first peepers or ice-out on ponds, and such records can offer decades of data on the timing of plant and animal life cycle events known as phenology. While such observations are common in terrestrial systems, a new report by first author Michelle Staudinger and others at the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows there is limited understanding of similar events in the oceans. They urge more researchers to increase observations and use more phenological datasets to understand how marine species are responding to climate change through phenological shifts in the Gulf of Maine and other coastal regions. Staudinger says, "We only found 20 studies documenting shifts in phenology in the Gulf of Maine. This topic appears to have received less attention in the region compared to other responses to climate change. We provide a summary of the existing evidence, and offer examples of the implications, remaining research questions and available long-term datasets appropriate for assessing shifts in the region. These data come from a range of federal, state, academic and citizen science monitoring programs." The report, by Staudinger, her colleague Adrian Jordaan, graduate student Keenan Yakola, and 23 other co-authors from 17 organizations, appears in the journal Fisheries Oceanography. It synthesizes presentations from the 2015 annual meeting of the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine plus expert input from a 2016 workshop at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and a includes a comprehensive literature review. Staudinger is science coordinator at the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NE CASC) at UMass Amherst and an ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. Jordaan is an associate professor of fish population ecology and conservation at UMass Amherst and director of the campus's Gloucester Marine Station at Hodgkins Cove. Yakola is a graduate student in environmental conservation and a fellow at NE CASC. Staudinger says, "We're trying to increase awareness of the importance of understanding phenological shifts, the usefulness of existing data, and the possibility of applying them to marine ecosystems. There are a lot of really great resources out there. They may not have been collected with phenology in mind, and may need to be reworked to achieve desired goals, but it's doable. We also need to continue to invest, and in some cases, expand regional monitoring programs to better capture shifts in phenology and other responses to climate change in the Gulf of Maine." Yakola points out, "The Gulf of Maine is a hotspot of warming. Warming is occurring in all seasons but is fastest in the summer when many fish and animals use it as a seasonal destination for critical life events. Seabirds, for example, are believed to be at high risk for mismatches with their prey during the nesting season when they must hunt in waters close to the islands where they raise their young. However, we only found one example of an actual documented shift in seabird phenology in Atlantic puffins, and it was restricted to a single colony out of many potential locations in the Gulf of Maine." Jordaan adds, "There are many concerns and anecdotes on how marine fish and animal species are shifting their timing, but we aren't seeing overwhelming evidence. We believe this is due to the difficulty in observing fish and animals in the marine environment - it's easy to say something was here, but much harder to say when it arrived or left the area when these events happen under water." He also points out that observing and understanding phenology is much easier in terrestrial environments. "You can look out your window right now and see migratory songbirds like phoebes arriving and building their nests, and spring daffodils popping up from the ground and flowering." New England already has an exceptional heritage and network of "river herring wardens" and other groups who have counted these and other fishes that spend parts of their life cycle in both salt and fresh water. Staudinger and colleagues hope such data will be incorporated into climate studies, and that similar efforts are launched for other marine life from puffins to whales, lobsters and coastal fishes from Newfoundland to Cape Cod. The report outlines research priorities and opportunities. "We can build off of what we already know and address what we don't know to increase the evidence base," Staudinger says. It discusses potential implications of phenological changes for human activities such as commercial fisheries and recreational pursuits such as ice fishing. It was funded by a variety of institutions including the NE CASC, NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine. ### In addition to UMass Amherst, the NE CASC and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, others in the working group represent the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Maine; the Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown; the University of New Brunswick; NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center; the University of Maine; Stony Brook University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Mass.; USGS New England Water Science Center; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; the University of South Florida; the U.S. EPA New England; the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, Boston, and the Connecticut Ornithological Association. Mary Ann Siwek has been coming to the Lower East Sides Essex Street Market for 30 years. Its cheap and the vendors are very friendly, she explained recently in front of her favorite fishmonger. Plus, the 68-year-old cracked, Its not inundated by young people. But soon neither the young nor old will pass through the doors of the roughly 80-year-old building. On May 5th, Essex Street Market will close at its current location on the corner of Essex and Delancey Street. As part of a long-planned move, the city will relocate the markets current 21 vendors across the street to a glassy, newly built ground floor space at Essex Crossing, the 1.65 million-square-foot megaproject built by a consortium of developers known as Delancey Street Associates. Essex Crossing calls for more than 1,000 apartments (roughly half of which will be below market rate), office, retail and community uses. In that respect, Essex Street Market is a piece of a much larger puzzle and experiment: the integration of an authentic affordable Lower East Side experience with an expensively curated one. The new building will house not only Essex Street Market, but also a developer-run market called Market Line and, in the future, a food hall. On the opposite corner, there is a 14-screen Regal Cinemas, which opened earlier this month, with promises of a soon-to-be-added restaurant. Above are rental apartments, some of which have been projected to achieve the highest rents in the neighborhood. Office space will follow. It makes sense that Essex Crossing, like Hudson Yards, has touted itself as a city within a city. The old Essex Street Marketwhose 15,000-square-foot plain brick building was constructed under Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1940 as one of four markets to house Lower East Side pushcart peddlersseems to lie squarely outside that city. The graffiti-lined block contains a pizzeria, a smoke store, and a cellular provider, a familiar retail trifecta in New York City. All will eventually be razed by Essex Crossing developers for high-rise housing. Essex Street Market is the city's oldest public market, and city officials have hailed the relocation as a new era in its storied history. Its new home will be generously outfitted with 39 stalls and two restaurants, according to Megha Chopra, an assistant vice president of public markets who works at the citys Department of Economic Development Corporation. A peek into the building showed gleaming marble countertops and wrought-iron finishings. A 40-foot-tall glass exterior will open the stall owners to the light for the first time and make them visible from the street. Essex Crossing's developers have agreed to cover the cost of the move. The city will own and manage the new location, where the vendors will pay the same rate per square foot. Unlike their private counterparts like Chelsea Market and food halls, public markets are mission-driven enterprises that cater to mom and pop businesses, many of them immigrant-run, Chopra said, by offering affordable rents and startup-friendly one-year leases. They are also a dying breed, she added, given the way most people shop these days. New York City has a total of six public markets, including La Marqueta in East Harlem, and Moore Street in East Williamsburg. Pike Place Market in Seattle is probably the oldest and most famous public market in the country, but it too has had to weather economic declines and the threat of redevelopment. Eric Suh runs New Star Fish Market. (Elizabeth Kim/Gothamist) Essex Street Market is a brimming blend of the idiosyncratic and incongruous. New York Times columnist Ginia Bellafante once described it as "making available both the world of the bodega and the universe of the gourmand." The maze of stalls transitions from a fruit and vegetable stand to a rack of dried dark red peppers to a shelf of haphazardly displayed condiments to a tiny nook specializing in Japanese vegetarian dishes. To that mix, add two fish markets, a butcher shop, a bakery, and a coffee bean seller. Shopsin's, the restaurant known for its late foul-mouthed owner Kenny Shopsin and his unusually long and disorienting menu, relocated here in 2007. Many of the vendors at Essex Street Market have expressed excitement about the move, which to some has been too prolonged and confusing for customers. But the approaching deadline has evoked nostalgia and sadness as well. On a recent Wednesday afternoon, the market was beginning to hum with the after-work crowd. There was a steady drip of Hispanic and Asian shoppers, old men standing around nursing cups of coffee, and the occasional tourist. At one point, a crew of FDNY firefighters, dressed in full gear, trudged in and began looking over the fish selection. Its definitely bittersweet, said Eric Suh, whose family runs New Star Fish Market. I grew up in the market. Theres a big sense of community. You get that vibe where everyone knows each other. The 30-year-old, who graduated from culinary school in 2011, said he was looking to expand the business slightly. The new space will include a kitchen that will allow him to experiment with some pre-made food options like fish and chips and crab cakes. Saad Bourkadi, who runs Essex Olive & Spice House and has been a vendor at Essex Market for two years, had similar feelings. Put it this way, its a mixed feeling," he said. "We are attached to this building. Its been here for such a long time, 80 years old. At the same time, we are looking forward to the new place which is much more open, has much more light and is a much more attractive place." Christine Juritsch, the owner of Peasant Stock, which specializes in soups, said she was looking forward to having "more storage, more elbow room. One shopper, who only gave her name as Zaida, said that the market's "rustic" quality will "be lost because of the shiny new lights." However, she said she believed "the soul of the place will be the same. Back at the fish counter, Siwek was skeptical, even after she was assured that all the vendors would simply be moving across the street. "This works. Why would you like to change it?" she said plaintively. "Nobody likes change," she added. The new Essex Street Market will open on May 13th. Additional reporting provided by Brahmjot Kaur. Researchers plan to develop new sleep disorder treatments based on new 3D models of two melatonin cell receptors created by an international team; the studies were published in Nature this week A third of all Americans have difficulty with sleeping, and many of them turn to melatonin supplements to catch some Zs. However, scientists don't fully understand melatonin's role in the biological clock, which has made it difficult to develop drugs for sleep disorders without several side effects. Now, an international team of scientists has shed much-needed light on melatonin's effects, opening the door to the development of new drugs for sleep disorders -- and other health issues affected by melatonin. They developed 3D models of the tiny antennae -- called receptors -- on the surface of cells that synchronize the body's internal clock with the day and night cycle. "Our goal is to provide the structural information to other researchers who can use it for designing new drug compounds or to study mutations of these receptors in patients," said corresponding author Vadim Cherezov, a scientist at the Bridge Institute at USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. Creating the 3D maps of the two melatonin receptors, MT1 and MT2, is critical for understanding how the biological clock works. The scientists can use this information to design drug molecules that bind to the melatonin receptors and monitor the potential effects. The benefits could go beyond improving sleep. "This data will help us design drugs that interact only with these receptors, with the hope we can treat a variety of conditions including diabetes, cancers, and sleep disorders, in a more targeted way," said Dr. Bryan L. Roth, pharmacology professor at the UNC School of Medicine. The findings on the melatonin receptors were published in two letters on Wednesday, April 24, in the journal Nature. Melatonin comes from the 'soul' Melatonin is generated in the center of the brain by the pineal gland, once described by the philosopher Descartes as the "soul" of the brain and body. Humans respond naturally to daylight changes through the pineal gland, near the hypothalamus. As night falls, the gland produces more melatonin, which then binds to the MT1 and MT2 receptors of the cells. Before dawn, the gland decreases melatonin levels, signaling that it's time to wake. Two of hundreds MT1 and MT2 are among an estimated 800 receptors in the human body. These receptors, known as "G protein-coupled receptors," (GPCRs) appear on the surface of a cell. The receptors act as a sort of email inbox, relaying information into the cell to set off a cascade of activity. About a third of all drugs on the market are designed to bind with GPCRs. Each receptor has a different role in regulating functions in the body, many of which are critical for basic survival, such as hunger and reproductivity. The bulk of these receptors also have some role in the human olfactory system -- taste and smell. Scientists around the world have obtained structures of less than one-tenth of these receptors so far. MT1 and MT2 are among the latest. The MT1 and MT2 receptors are important for multiple processes, including reproduction and even some cancers. "By comparing the 3D structures of the MT1 and MT2 receptors, we can better discern the unique, structural differences that distinguish the two receptors from each other -- and their roles in the biological clock," said Wei Liu of Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute. "Armed with this knowledge, it becomes easier to design drug-like molecules that will bind to only one receptor or the other, but not both. This selective binding is important as it will minimize unwanted side-effects." The structures of both receptors were obtained using a laser, called the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, which uses X-rays to take stop-action pictures of the receptor atoms and molecules in motion. "Due to the tiny size of the crystals, it wouldn't have been possible to make these measurements anywhere other than LCLS," says co-author Alex Batyuk, a scientist at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. "Because of the extreme brightness and short pulse duration of LCLS, we were able to collect hundreds of thousands of images of the crystals to figure out the three-dimensional structure of these receptors." ### About the study The research is the result of a collaboration among scientists at USC, Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute and Department of Physics, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, University of Buffalo, University of North Carolina, and the Universite de Lille in France. The work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants (R35 GM127086, R21 DA042298, R01 GM124152, and U24DK116195), the NIMH Psychoactive Drug Screening Program (contract F31-NS093917), the National Science Foundation BioXFEL Science and Technology Center 1231306, EMBO ALTF 677-2014, HFSP long-term fellowship LT000046/2014-L, and a postdoctoral fellowship from the Swedish Research Council, SLAC, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science via contract DE-AC02-76SF00515. The studies are available online at Nature: https://doi.org/10/1038/s41586-019-1144-0 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1141-3 Around 1500 meters deep in the Italian Gran Sasso mountains is the underground laboratory LNGS (Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso), in which scientists search for dark matter particles in a lab sealed off from any radioactivity interference. Their tool is the XENON1T detector, the central part of which consists of a cylindrical tank of about one meter in length filled with 3200 kilograms of liquid xenon at a temperature of -95 degrees Celsius. The rarest decay process ever measured Until now, researchers using this detector have not yet observed any dark matter particles, but they have now managed to observe the decay of the Xenon-124 atom for the first time. The half-life time measured - i.e. the time span after which half of the radioactive atoms originally present in a sample have decayed away - is over a trillion times longer than the age of the universe, which is almost 14 billion years old. The observed process is therefore the rarest process in the universe ever to be directly seen happening in a detector. "The fact that we managed to directly observe this process demonstrates how powerful our detection method actually is - also for rare physical phenomena which are not from dark matter," says Professor Laura Baudis, astroparticle physicist at the University of Zurich, who is one of the leading scientists on the XENON1T experiment. The study was led by the research group led researchers at the University of Munster (Germany) headed by Prof. Christian Weinheimer. XENON1T is a joint experimental project of about 160 scientists from Europe, the US and the Middle East. From Germany, the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg and the Universities of Munster, Freiburg and Mainz make key contributions. A phenomenon that is hard to demonstrate The observed process is called a double electron capture: The atomic nucleus of Xenon-124 consists of 54 positively charged protons and 70 neutral neutrons, which are surrounded by several atomic shells occupied by negatively charged electrons. In double electron capture, two protons in the nucleus simultaneously "catch" two electrons from the innermost atomic shell, transform into two neutrons, and emit two neutrinos. As two electrons are then missing in the atomic shell, the other electrons reorganize themselves, with the energy released being carried away by X-rays. However, this is a very rare process which is usually hidden by signals from the omnipresent "normal" radioactivity - in the sealed-off environment of the underground laboratory, however, it has now been possible to observe the process. Calculating half-life time from light signals The X-rays from the double electron capture produced an initial light signal as well as free electrons in the liquid xenon of the XENON1T detector. The electrons were moved toward the upper part of the detector where they generated a second light signal. From the direction and the time difference between the two signals, the researchers could determine the exact position of the double electron capture and the energy released during the decay. From the 126 processes observed in total over the last two years, the physicists calculated the enormously long half-life of 1.8 x 10 high 22 years for the atom Xenon-124. That is the slowest process ever measured directly. "The new results show how well the XENON1T detector can detect very rare processes and reject background signals," says Laura Baudis. While two neutrinos are emitted in the double electron capture process, scientists can now also search for the so-called neutrino-less double electron capture which could shed light on important questions regarding the nature of neutrinos. ### Literature: E. Aprile et al. First observation of two-neutrino double electron capture in 124Xe with XENON1T. Nature. 24 April 2019. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1124-4 The XENON1T experiment With the XENON1T detector, physicists originally wanted to detect dark matter particles. Theoretical considerations predict that dark matter should very rarely "collide" with a xenon atom in the tank of the detector which is filled with liquid xenon. It thereby transfers energy to the atomic nucleus which subsequently excites other xenon atoms and causes them to emit light. These very faint signals of ultraviolet light and the minute amount of electrical charge which is released by the collision process are detected by means of sensitive light sensors. The detector was switched off for upgrading in 2018: The three times larger active detector mass along with further modifications will boost the new XENONnT detector's sensitivity considerably. The XENON1T detector is an international project involving around 160 researchers. In Switzerland the experiment receives funding from the SNSF and the University of Zurich. International support comes from Germany, the USA, Italy, Israel, Portugal, France, Sweden, the Netherlands and from the European Union. NEW ALBANY, Ohio, April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abercrombie & Fitch, a division of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF), is excited to announce the details of its 2019 year-long partnership with The Trevor Project, the worlds largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. A&F has supported The Trevor Project since 2010 and is proud to expand its partnership in 2019 which also marks the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, an event that spurred the modern-day fight for LGBTQ rights in the U.S. This partnership strives to bring further awareness and funding to The Trevor Projects critical, life-saving work. With a 126-year heritage of outfitting customers in their pursuit of life and adventure, A&F aims to inspire and encourage its customers to be themselves, to live life freely, to belong, and to reach for their dreams. The Trevor Project shares in A&Fs passion to encourage safe, confident self-expression for individuals of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The expanded partnership will include participation at events such as the Pride Parade in NYC, proceeds* of sales from select A&F collections, and a customer round-up campaign in all U.S. stores and online. Since 2010, A&F and its customers have raised and donated more than $600,000 for the organization. In 2018, donations specifically funded the training of digital crisis counselors, allowing the organization to reach even more of the 1.5 million LGBTQ youth estimated to be in crisis each year. Designated by the Human Rights Campaign as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality every year for the past 13 years, A&F Co. is committed to equality and is focused on making a positive impact on its associates, customers and partners lives. Through this partnership, The Trevor Project will closely collaborate with A&F Co.s corporate teams on diversity and inclusion initiatives, including LGBTQ-competent associate training, ensuring its LGBTQ customers know they are loved, valued, and never alone. Story continues We are grateful for Abercrombie & Fitch's dedication to The Trevor Projects mission to end suicide among LGBTQ youth, said Amit Paley, CEO & Executive Director of The Trevor Project. Abercrombie & Fitch understands the need to help LGBTQ youth in crisis is year-round. We look forward to working together to engage the brand and its loyal customers in support of our life-saving mission. Abercrombie & Fitch is honored to grow our partnership with The Trevor Project, as it works to meet the needs of LGBTQ youth with its vital crisis intervention and suicide prevention services, said Kristin Scott, President, Global Brands at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Trevors work touches many of our customers lives daily, and we are optimistic that by expanding our partnership, we can help increase the reach and impact of Trevors important work. To learn more about The Trevor Project or to get help, visit www.TheTrevorProject.org . *Up to $100,000 from the Pride Collection and Fierce will be donated to the Trevor Project. SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 A&F cautions that any forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) contained herein or made by management or spokespeople of A&F involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various important factors, many of which may be beyond the Companys control. Words such as estimate, project, plan, believe, expect, anticipate, intend, and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by applicable law, we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise our forward-looking statements. The factors disclosed in ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS of A&Fs Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019, in some cases have affected, and in the future could affect, the companys financial performance and could cause actual results for Fiscal 2019 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any of the forward-looking statements included in this press release or otherwise made by management. ABOUT THE TREVOR PROJECT: The Trevor Project is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project offers a suite of 24/7/365 crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as the worlds largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, TrevorSpace. Trevor also offers an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, a legislative advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and conducts research to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7/365 at 1-866-488-7386 and TheTrevorProject.org/Help . ABOUT ABERCROMBIE & FITCH: Abercrombie & Fitch is a specialty retailer of high quality apparel and accessories for men and women. For more than 125 years, the iconic brand has outfitted innovators, explorers and entrepreneurs. Today, it reflects the updated attitude of the modern consumer, while remaining true to its heritage of creating expertly crafted products with an effortless, American style. Abercrombie & Fitch operates approximately 320 locations (includes abercrombie kids) worldwide as of the end of Q4 2018. It is the namesake brand of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF). The Companys other brands include abercrombie kids and Hollister Co. To learn more about Abercrombie & Fitch Co.s charitable work, visit http://corporate.abercrombie.com/af-cares/af-gives-back/our-mission . Media Contact: Clare Drummond Abercrombie & Fitch (614) 283-6300 Public_Relations@anfcorp.com Investor Contact: Pam Quintiliano Abercrombie & Fitch (614) 283-6877 Investor_Relations@anfcorp.com A video accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/01926047-6f4f-4c04-bde7-bbdbde08d08c (Bloomberg) -- An Amazon.com Inc. team auditing Alexa users commands has access to location data and can, in some cases, easily find a customers home address, according to five employees familiar with the program. The team, spread across three continents, transcribes, annotates and analyzes a portion of the voice recordings picked up by Alexa. The program, whose existence Bloomberg revealed earlier this month, was set up to help Amazons digital voice assistant get better at understanding and responding to commands. Team members with access to Alexa users geographic coordinates can easily type them into third-party mapping software and find home residences, according to the employees, who signed nondisclosure agreements barring them from speaking publicly about the program. While theres no indication Amazon employees with access to the data have attempted to track down individual users, two members of the Alexa team expressed concern to Bloomberg that Amazon was granting unnecessarily broad access to customer data that would make it easy to identify a devices owner. Location data is more sensitive than many other categories of user information, said Lindsey Barrett, a staff attorney and teaching fellow at Georgetown Laws Communications and Technology Clinic. Anytime someone is collecting where you are, that means it could go to someone else who could find you when you dont want to be found, she said. Widespread access to location data associated with Alexa user recordings would set up a big red flag for me. In an April 10 statement acknowledging the Alexa auditing program, Amazon said employees do not have direct access to information that can identify the person or account as part of this workflow. In a new statement responding to this story, Amazon said access to internal tools is highly controlled, and is only granted to a limited number of employees who require these tools to train and improve the service by processing an extremely small sample of interactions. Our policies strictly prohibit employee access to or use of customer data for any other reason, and we have a zero tolerance policy for abuse of our systems. We regularly audit employee access to internal tools and limit access whenever and wherever possible. Story continues Amazons Alexa Data Services team, which manages the scads of recordings of human speech and other data that helps train the voice software, numbers in the thousands of employees and contractors, spread across work sites from Boston to Romania and India. Some of the workers charged with analyzing recordings of Alexa customers use an Amazon tool that displays audio clips alongside data about the device that captured the recording. Much of the information stored by the software, including a device ID and customer identification number, cant be easily linked back to a user. However, Amazon also collects location data so Alexa can more accurately answer requests, for example suggesting a local restaurant or giving the weather in nearby Ashland, Oregon, instead of distant Ashland, Michigan. In a demonstration seen by Bloomberg, an Amazon team member pasted a users coordinates, stored in the system as latitude and longitude, into Google Maps. In less than a minute, the employee had jumped from a recording of a persons Alexa command to what appeared to be an image of their house and corresponding address. Its unclear how many people have access to that system. Two Amazon employees said they believed the vast majority of workers in the Alexa Data Services group were, until recently, able to use the software. Sometimes Amazon scoops up data by default. As recently as last year, the first time a customer asked an Echo smart speaker a question related to location, the company often used the devices internet connection to get its approximate location. More recently, the company has started using the shipping address associated with a customers account as the Echos default location. Amazons location data is not always precise, and it doesnt always refer to the location of an Echo. The Alexa smartphone app prompts users to enter a home address when they set up a smart speaker and also asks for permission to use smartphone location data. In a list of frequently asked questions about Alexa, Amazon says it uses mobile device location to provide more relevant answers and recommendations, and to enable features like reminders designed to trigger when a user reaches a certain place. A second internal Amazon software tool, available to a smaller pool of workers who tag transcripts of voice recordings to help Alexa categorize requests, stores more personal data, according to one of the employees. After punching in a customer ID number, those workers, called annotators and verifiers, can see the home and work addresses and phone numbers customers entered into the Alexa app when they set up the device, the employee said. If a user has chosen to share their contacts with Alexa, their names, numbers and email addresses also appear in the dashboard. That data is in the system so that if a customer says Send a message to Laura, human reviewers can make sure transcribers wrote the name correctly so that the software learns to pair that request with the Laura in the contact list. Amazon appears to have been restricting the level of access employees have to the system. One employee said that, as recently as a year ago, an Amazon dashboard detailing a users contacts displayed full phone numbers. Now, in that same panel, some digits are obscured. Amazon further limited access to data after Bloombergs April 10 report, two of the employees said. Some data associates, who transcribe, annotate and verify audio recordings, arrived for work to find that they no longer had access to software tools they had previously used in their jobs, these people said. As of press time, their access had not been restored. To contact the reporters on this story: Matt Day in Seattle at mday63@bloomberg.net;Giles Turner in London at gturner35@bloomberg.net;Natalia Drozdiak in Brussels at ndrozdiak1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Robin Ajello at rajello@bloomberg.net, Molly Schuetz For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Even though New York City won't be implementing congestion pricing until 2021, everyone and their mother are hoping for some kind of exemption from paying the fee that will help create billions in revenue for the MTA, significantly decrease traffic in Manhattan, and encourage people to take mass transit. One of the noisiest parties complaining about congestion pricing is the State of New Jersey, where House members have been trying to rally support for an "Anti-Congestion Tax Act," or as I also like to call it the "Manhattan Moocher Act." On Wednesday afternoon, NJ Governor Phil Murphy told reporters, "Gov. Cuomo and I came to a conceptual understanding should congestion pricing move forward it would do so in a way that is fair to New Jersey... This understanding means that New Jersey commuters would be treated equally at all Hudson River crossings the Lincoln and Holland tunnels and the George Washington Bridge." Murphy added that "NJ will also have a seat at the table as the plan moves forward." Murphy and Governor Andrew Cuomo did have a meeting, but, by Wednesday evening, MTA Chairman & CEO Patrick Foye issued a sharp statement: "With all due respect to Governor Murphy, we have no idea what he is talking about. No agreement has been reached with New Jersey or anyone else on credits, exemptions or carveouts because the MTA will determine the Central Business District tolls and other terms once the Traffic Mobility Review Board has made its recommendations and traffic and congestion analyses are completed." Congestion pricing would affect drivers in Manhattan below 60th Street; the George Washington Bridge is five miles above the zone. Currently, EZ-Pass holders pay $10.50 off-peak or $12.50 peak to cross the bridge, while drivers paying cash fork over $15. Former Chief Engineer of NYC's Department of Transportation, Sam Schwartz, told the Daily News that "providing credits to drivers crossing the Lincoln and Holland tunnels made sense, but said he was worried about doing the same for the George Washington Bridge." "This is a waterbed. You press down on one end and it squirts out the other. We cant keep going on giving out exemptions," Schwartz said, suggesting that non-NJ drivers might foot the fee for a higher GW Bridge toll if NJ drivers get a credit. Murphy's office issued a statement after Foye's fusillade: "With all due respect to Mr. Foye, Governor Murphy has had positive discussions with Governor Cuomo on congestion pricing and Governor Murphy's remarks from earlier today reflect those conversations." Owens-Illinois (OI) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2019. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price. The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on May 1. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise. Zacks Consensus Estimate This glass container manufacturer is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.53 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -10.2%. Revenues are expected to be $1.64 billion, down 5.7% from the year-ago quarter. Estimate Revisions Trend The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Earnings Whisper Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Story continues Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Owens-Illinois? For Owens-Illinois, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -1.58%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #4. So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Owens-Illinois will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue? While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Owens-Illinois would post earnings of $0.63 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.61, delivering a surprise of -3.17%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times. Bottom Line An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Owens-Illinois doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Owens-Illinois, Inc. (OI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Image: Facebook/ArcBest Image: Facebook/ArcBest Women In Trucking Association (WIT) named Judy R. McReynolds, chairman, president and chief executive officer of ArcBest, the winner of the fifth annual Women In Trucking Association's Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award (DWLA). The announcement was made during the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) 2019 "Capital Ideas" Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, earlier in April. McReynolds was chosen among five finalists for the award. Finalists included: Lindsey Graves, chief operating officer at Sunset Transportation; Michelle Halkerston, president, CEO and owner of Hassett Express; Sarah Ruffcorn, chief operations officer at Trinity Logistics; and Erin Van Zeeland, group senior vice president and general manager of Logistics Services at Schneider. McReynolds has been in the logistics and transportation industry for 28 years, including 21 at ArcBest. In 2010, she was named to the position of president and CEO. This was during a time when the industry and economy were recovering from the Great Recession. She took the company from a net loss of $127.5 million in 2009 to reporting an adjusted net income of $103 million as of year-end 2018. During her tenure, ArcBest revenue has increased more than 110 percent and employment has increased by 26 percent. In 2016, McReynolds was elected to the position of Chairman of the Board of ArcBest Corporation. "Early on in my career, I decided I wasn't going to make gender an issue or allow other people to do so. When I was named president and CEO in 2010, I was one of very few women in that role in the logistics industry. Our industry traditionally has a lot of male representation, although there is clearly a recent trend toward more female representation," McReynolds said in a release. "At ArcBest, we believe in promoting the best person for every role. As long as companies are focused on putting the best people in leadership, more of our industry's leaders will be women." Story continues McReynolds serves on numerous outside boards, including OGE Energy Corp., First Bank Corp., First National Bank of Fort Smith, and the Transportation Industry Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. She also serves on the Dean's Executive Advisory Board of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation Board, as well as the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Foundation Board, of which she is the former chair. She is the current chair of the American Transportation Research Institute board, and a member of the American Trucking Associations' Board of Directors and Executive Committee. "Judy McReynolds has been a visible advocate for women in the trucking industry and we are so proud to honor her with this year's Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award.' She has embraced diversity and her company's performance is evidence of the results," Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT, said. "We've been tracking ArcBest's success through our annual WIT Index of publicly traded companies and Judy and her team have been the leader in promoting women in both leadership roles and board seats and we applaud her accomplishments." The DWLA was established to promote the achievements of women employed in the North American transportation industry. It highlights the vital roles of women in the dynamic and influential field of commercial transportation and logistics. The award is sponsored by Truckstop.com and TIA. "Truckstop.com is honored to partner with Women In Trucking to recognize the tireless commitment of all the women who keep our industry moving," said Brent Hutto, Chief Relationship Officer at Truckstop.com. "We congratulate Judy and each of the finalists for the Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award for their examples of excellence, leadership and service within our industry." Members of the judging panel were: Dr. Stephanie S. Ivey, director of intermodal Freight Transportation Institute at the Southeast Transportation Workforce Center and associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Memphis; Nancy O'Liddy, chief of staff at TIA; Brent Hutto, chief relationship officer at Truckstop.com; and Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT. Image sourced from Pixabay Want more content like this? Click here to Subscribe Permalink See more from Benzinga 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge speaks at a news conference in Little Rock, Arkansas Thursday, April 25, 2019, about a lawsuit she filed in state court against three opioid distributors. Arkansas is suing three drug distributors, Cardinal Health, McKesson Corporation and AmerisourceBergen, for their alleged role in the opioid crisis, claiming the companies failed to monitor and report suspicious shipments of opioids into the state. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Arkansas' attorney general on Thursday sued three drug distributors for their alleged role in the opioid crisis, claiming the companies failed to monitor and report suspicious shipments of opioids into the state. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed the lawsuit in Pulaski County Circuit Court against Cardinal Health, McKesson Corporation and AmerisourceBergen. The lawsuit claims the companies' conduct has cost consumers and the state millions of dollars in payments for opioid orders that were illegal, misrepresented, unfair or harmful to consumers. Arkansas had the second-highest opioid prescribing rate in the country in 2016, with enough delivered to supply every person in the state with 78 doses each, according to the lawsuit. "Distributors fueled the explosion of opioids in Arkansas and enabled illegitimate avenues to flourish," Rutledge said at a news conference announcing the lawsuit. "Many of these companies have profited substantially from the sale and distribution of opioids within Arkansas, and they should be held accountable." The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and restitution, but does not specify how much. It also asks the court to enjoin the companies from directly or indirectly failing to comply with state and federal law requiring monitoring and reporting of suspicious opioid distributions to the state. Representatives of AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health did not immediately respond to requests for comment. McKesson did not comment directly on the lawsuit but said it maintains and continually enhances "strong programs designed to detect and prevent opioid diversion within the pharmaceutical supply chain." The suit is the second Rutledge, a Republican, has filed against companies over opioid abuse. Last year she sued three opioid manufacturers on behalf of the state. At least 40 states have sued drug companies over the toll of the opioid crisis in the highest profile suits out of some 2,000 filed by government entities. Most of the states' suits have focused on manufacturers and many of them only Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. But increasingly the states are doing what local governments are in their most of their opioid suits: going after distributors, too. With the filing in Arkansas, at least 15 states now have suits pending against one or more distributors. Most of those states have sued the same three distributors Arkansas targeted in its suit Thursday. Story continues The lawsuits argue that the companies which are massive even if they're not household names shipped orders that they saw as suspicious, helping inundate some communities with powerful painkillers that were diverted to the black market. "Without defendants' actions, opioid use would not have become so widespread, and the enormous public health hazard of opioid overuse, abuse and addiction that now exists would have been averted," Arkansas' latest lawsuit said. The national trade group representing distributors, including those targeted by Arkansas' suit, said the idea that distribution companies 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." "Those bringing lawsuits would be better served addressing the root causes, rather than trying to redirect blame through litigation," John Parker, senior vice president of communications at the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, said in a statement. Four states Delaware, Florida, Kentucky and New Mexico have also sued pharmacies. Rutledge on Thursday didn't rule out additional actions, including against pharmacies, in what she called a "multifaceted" approach. Rutledge said there haven't been any settlement discussions with the manufacturers the state sued last year. ___ Associated Press Writer Geoff Mulvihill in New Jersey contributed to this report ___ Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo Prince William will arrive in New Zealand on Thursday and is likely to make an appearance at an Anzac service in Auckland, according to local media (AFP Photo/Niklas HALLE'N) Armed police will patrol Anzac Day services across New Zealand Thursday in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks, as thousands honour the country's war dead and Britain's Prince William arrives on a visit. Frontline officers have historically been unarmed in New Zealand, although this policy was changed following last month's shootings that left 50 worshippers dead until the terrorism threat level was lowered last week. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there are no specific security threats for Thursday's memorial services. Still, the number of Anzac services in Auckland has been reduced to avoid overstretching security forces. Britain's Prince William will arrive in New Zealand on Thursday, when local media say he is likely to make an appearance at an Anzac service in Auckland, which is expected to draw a crowd of around 20,000. He will also pay his respects to those affected by the mosque attacks during the visit. Anzac Day marks the April 25, 1915 landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli on the Turkish peninsula in an ill-fated WWI campaign against the German-backed Ottoman forces. It left more than 10,000 Australian and New Zealand servicemen dead and failed in its military objectives, but gave rise to commemorations of the courage and close friendship that bind the two countries. Graham Gibson, president of veterans group the Auckland Returned Services Association said it was a shame some services had been cancelled. "Maybe things next year will get back to normal but it doesn't hurt to take certain precautions and we are all geared up for it and it is going to be a great day," he said. Tensions were raised on Tuesday when a Sri Lankan minister said preliminary investigations had found that the Easter Sunday bombings, which left more than 300 dead, were "in retaliation for the attack against Muslims in Christchurch." However, Ardern said she had no intelligence reports to back that claim and argued her country is not a haven for terrorism. Story continues "New Zealand's position remains utterly consistent. We stand opposed to all forms of extreme violence, all forms of terrorism and we've made that very clear." Her government also received assurances from Turkish authorities that New Zealanders and Australians attending Anzac commemorations at Gallipoli would not be in danger, following hot-tempered remarks from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Out campaigning last month, the Turkish leader said Australians and New Zealanders who threaten Turkey would be "sent back in coffins" like their grandfathers. VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria will reduce its debt to below 60 percent of its economic output and maintain an annual budget surplus until 2023, thus by then reaching all Maastricht criteria for the first time since it joined the European Union in 1995, its finance ministry said. Under the Maastricht criteria, the EU's fiscal rules, the annual budget deficit must not exceed 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and the total national debt must not exceed 60 percent. "This is clearly a turning point," said conservative Finance Minister Hartwig Loeger at a news conference on Wednesday. Austria "is finally turning its back on the debt policy of previous years" and is "on a sustainable path to consolidating its public finance," he said. Austria's right-wing coalition government, in office since December 2017, has made fiscal discipline one of its priorities. The country posted its first budget surplus in more than four decades last year, helped by solid economic growth and a sharp increase in tax revenues. It has stayed within the European Union's budget deficit limit since 2011. Austria's debt is budgeted to shrink to 69.6 percent of GDP this year and to 59.8 percent in 2023 from 73.8 percent last year, the finance ministry said. Despite its ambitious targets, the government plans tax cuts for low-income earners, in part funded by lower public spending. The ratio of general government expenditure is budgeted to fall to 46.4 percent by 2023 from 48.5 percent last year, helped by structural reforms and savings in administration, the finance ministry said. It hopes to generate more than 200 million euros (173 million) annually with a tax on advertising revenue of tech companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook. The government also decided several months ago to reduce benefit payments for some children living abroad, although that could trigger legal action from Brussels. Think tank Wifo forecasts the small, trade-dependent country's GDP to grow 1.7 percent this year and 1.8 percent next year, rates at which it would still outpace Germany. (Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich and Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Toby Chopra) A federal appeals court has found Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may have violated immigrant activist Ravi Ragbir's First Amendment rights when it tried to deport him last year. In its ruling, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan said Ragbir's advocacy on immigration reform is "core political speech," and that it's plausible ICE tried to deport him in retaliation for organizing protests against the agency. The court ruled that District Court Judge Kevin Castel made a mistake last year when he found he didnt have jurisdiction to intervene. It ordered him to determine whether Ragbirs First Amendment rights were, in fact, violated. The lower court also has to issue a temporary injunction barring the government from removing Ragbir in the meantime. Writing for the majority, Circuit Judge Christopher Droney noted that Ragbir presented no national security threats. He also said theres an exception for courts to intervene when an immigrant faces deportation if theres a claim of outrageous conduct by the government. First Amendment speech is preeminent among the liberties that the Constitution protects, Droney wrote. He said Ragbirs plausible allegations and evidence that the government detained him last year in retaliation for his advocacy met the definition of outrageous conduct described by a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a case brought by Arab Americans who claimed they were unfairly targeted for deportation. Rabirs attorneys and fellow advocates claimed the director of ICEs New York City field office, Scott Mechkowski, complained about how Ragbirs protests in 2017 were leading to negative press about ICE. They said these complaints were made just days before Ragbirs arrest by ICE in January, 2018, at what was supposed to be a routine check-in. They claimed Mechkowski also warned Ragbirs colleague at the New Sanctuary Coalition, Jean Montrevil, not to make matters worse by saying things. Montrevil was subsequently detained and deported back to Haiti. So far theres been no response from the government on the ruling. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to all those who have stood with us in this struggle. It humbles me to know that not only will my voice be protected, but that together we can protect the voices of so many people who are living in this country under the threat of deportation, Ragbir said in a statement. It was all of our voices together that made this decision possible and we have to continue to speak out against the travesty of our deportation system. Ragbirs attorney, Alina Das, co-director of NYUs Immigrant Rights Clinic, called the decision a win for immigrants facing deportation because it found they do, in fact, have First Amendment rights. Previously we were living in this world where ICE was able to simply say it doesnt even matter, no court gets the power to look at what were doing, she explained. And this court is saying no, thats not true. So its opening the door for people who have been targeted to present their evidence. And if their evidence is similarly plausible and credible, that they can then proceed to challenge ICEs actions and hold them accountable. Ragbir, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, was a green card holder until he was convicted in 2001 for wire fraud in New Jersey, and served 30 months in prison. Afterwards, the government granted him four different stays of removal, with supervisory check-ins, because he was not considered a high priority for deportation. Ragbirs detention in January of 2018 led to a large protest in Lower Manhattan and multiple arrests. Two weeks later, Ragbir persuaded a federal judge to release him, and there have been numerous court hearings since then. In its ruling, the appellate court noted that absent the governments alleged retaliation in 2018, Ragbir probably wouldnt be deported until at least 2020. The ruling by the three-judge panel was not unanimous. In his dissent, Judge John M. Walker, Jr. wrote that any government retaliation against Ragbir had already ended. He said he was also concerned about creating a test for outrageous conduct by the government, which could then become the standard for any future claims by immigrants facing deportation. Beth Fertig is a senior reporter covering courts and legal affairs at WNYC. You can follow her on Twitter at @bethfertig. A woman from Boulder, Colo., was inspired to purchase billboard advertising in Weld County earlier this month in a bid to raise awareness of gun reform. Lindasue Smollen believes that more has to be done to end gun violence and that elected officials have failed their constituents. Columbine happened 20 years ago and nothing has changed, Smollen told FOX31. The six billboards scattered along Highway 34 in Greeley make more than 200,000 weekly impressions, according to Lamar, which is the company that owns the billboards. The signs read: More Americans have died of gun violence since 1970, including murders, suicides and accidents (1.4 million) than in all the wars in American history (1.3 million). Thoughts and prayers are not enough. The claim was verified by PunditFact. Smollen specifically chose to rent the billboards in Weld County as the county commission unanimously voted to declare it to be a so-called "Second Amendment sanctuary county." The declaration followed Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signing the "red flag" bill, which would allow family and household members or law enforcement to petition a judge to remove firearms from a person who is deemed a significant risk to themselves or others. It goes into effect in 2020, according to FOX31. "Today we might be saving the life of your nephew, niece or grandchild," Polis said during the signing of the bill. "I struggle with the price that we paid to get where we are today," Rep. Tom Sullivan, a sponsor of the bill, said. Sullivan's son was killed in the Aurora theatre shooting. The billboards, however, have not changed the stance of Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams. When I started speaking out against the bill, it was in hopes that we could modify the bill or change the bill, Reams said. I would rather risk the punishment of violating a court order that comes out of this 'red flag' law and potentially end up in my own jail before I would want to go down the path of violating someones constitutional rights." Story continues Reams shared on Facebook: I've been asked about these signs that went up in Weld County. My opinion; I'm glad the person who spent the money on these has the protection of the 1st Amendment to do so. I'll keep her in my thoughts and prayers as I continue to stand for our Constitution and the 2nd Amendment as well as the 4th, 5th and 14th that are being attacked through the Red Flag Law. He continued: One additional point, if this person were truly concerned about public safety they would understand that about 1.3 million people (world wide) are killed in motor vehicle accidents every year yet the signs were posted along a busy highway... . However, according to a recent study, billboards may actually make people safer drivers. The billboards are paid to stay up until at least early May. Smollen has set up a GoFundMe page in hopes that others will donate to ensure the billboards stay up longer. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. (Bloomberg) -- In the seven years since the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, his 55-year-old widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, has become one of the most high-profile philanthropists in the world. Shes donated tens of millions to innovative K-12 schools, stepped up her role in her longstanding charity helping underprivileged kids go to college and given multiple grants to investigative journalism outlets, in addition to acquiring a majority stake in the Atlantic magazine. But Powell Jobss main organization, the Emerson Collective, has also become a quiet force in Silicon Valley for its less obviously altruistic investments. Since 2014, Emerson has backed more than 30 startups, according to research firm PitchBook, investing in a range of novel companies making everything from floating data centers to supersonic aircraft. Its portfolio even includes digital bulletin board site Pinterest Inc. Started more than a decade ago, Emerson Collective may be the strangest entity in Silicon Valley: part charitable foundation, part venture capital firm, operating in near-total secrecy, despite being run by one of the most famous women in business. Like the philanthropic arm of Mark Zuckerberg, Emerson is a limited liability company. LLCs arent subject to the same reporting rules as nonprofits and can more easily invest in for-profit companies. Emerson does thatputting money into companies that it says fit within the parameters of its philanthropic missionwith some success. The early investment in Pinterest paid off with last weeks initial public offering, which valued the company at about $12.8 billion. Earlier this year, two other investments, podcaster Gimlet Media and phone repair company iCracked, sold to larger companies for undisclosed prices. Powell Jobs, a former bond trading strategist at Goldman Sachs, assiduously avoids the spotlight. When she gives interviews (which is rare) she espouses the benefits of higher education and journalism, as well as entrepreneurship. Thanks to her penchant for anonymous giving, its difficult to get a full view of her donations, but when she does so publicly, she frequently gives to schools and news organizations. Shes also one of the wealthiest women in the world, with a net worth today estimated at about $22 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Story continues Besides allowing Emerson to act as a quasi-venture capital firm, Emersons limited liability setup suits Powell Jobss tendency to fly under the radar. But the model has drawn some criticism, for both its lack of transparency as well as the introduction of a profit motive to philanthropy. What is disturbing is there isnt any collective societal check and balance, said Marty Levine, a principal at Levine Partners LLP who consults with nonprofits, and who has also critiqued Zuckerberg for using an LLC. There is an egocentric sense that, We are more capable than most people. Where Levine sees secrecy, Powell Jobs and her team see flexibility. Our investments are one of many tools we use to advance Emerson Collectives broader mission, managing director Steve McDermid, a former corporate development partner at venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, wrote in an email. We evaluate opportunities based on the potential to advance solutions to some of the most pressing issuesincluding helping students thrive, advancing breakthrough cancer treatments, protecting the planet and investing in a strong and independent media. Emerson also hasnt eschewed the charity model completely. Several organizations affiliated with Emerson, including secondary-education adviser XQ Institute and violence-prevention project CRED, operate as nonprofits. As for its for-profit activities, Emerson has invested in more than 20 companies in since the beginning of 2017, according to PitchBook. Its not uncommon for the philanthropic firm to join respected VCs such as Sequoia Capital as co-investors. And over the last few years, the pace of investment, as well as the size of deals Emerson is involved in, has grown substantially. The idea behind those investments isnt to reap a huge return, Powell Jobs has said. She declined interview requests for this article. Insteadas may be fitting for a member of the Jobs familythe goal is to help push along companies that have the potential to transform industries, or the world. Powell Jobs founded Emerson Collective in 2004, naming it after transcendentalist writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. For its first decade it made few investments. Gradually it began staffing up. Her team now includes her brother, Brad Powell, as the managing director of investments, as well as her son, Reed Jobs, who oversees Emersons health portfolio. In 2016, Emerson brought on Peter Lattman, former media editor and deputy business editor at the New York Times, as managing director of media. Another key hire that year was Andy Karsner, former assistant secretary of energy under President George W. Bush, as managing partner. The following year, Emerson stepped up its startup investing, backing more than 10 different companies, according to PitchBook. One of those was Neighborly, run by founder Jase Wilson. When Wilson learned he would be meeting with potential investors at Emerson Collective, he almost panicked. Never mind that he already had a list of backers that included A-list actor Ashton Kutcherit was Powell Jobs that made him sweat. Wilson, who comes from a small town in Missouri, waxes poetic about Powell Jobss goals of helping lift people from hardship and disenfranchisement, which mesh with his own. The meeting, he says, was a dream come true. At his pitch, Wilson said Powell Jobs asked pointed questions about his business, which helps individual investors buy bonds to fund infrastructure projects like fiber broadband. She also suggested that his data team include long-term weather predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when evaluating future projects. Shes insanely, insanely bright, Wilson said. Though Emerson has a large and well-credentialed staff, entrepreneurs who have pitched the group say Powell Jobs remains deeply involved in the process, and shows keen interest in the details. Philip DeSimone, co-founder of 3D printing startup Carbon Inc., which Emerson backed in 2017, recalls Powell Jobs examining pieces of a chess set that Carbon printed out, figure by figure, during their second meeting. She also showed up at an event wearing a pair of sneakers the company had printed just for her. Many entrepreneurs, though, were hesitant to speak openly about their famously private patron. They havent given me permission to talk about our relationship, said Ryan Chin, chief executive officer of Optimus Ride Inc., a self-driving car company backed by Emerson. A representative from Emerson later clarified that he didnt need permission, and Chin followed up to say Optimus appreciated Emersons broad view. Responding to questions about Powell Jobs, Emerson and its investment philosophy, Jim Connaughton, CEO of floating-data center startup Nautilus Data Technologies Inc., said, You should get those details from them. Like much of the venture industry last year, Emerson Collective had at least a peripheral brush with scandal. After the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi Arabian consulate, NBCs Dylan Byers noted in the wake of Khashoggis death that former Citigroup Inc. executive and top Powell Jobs adviser Michael Klein, who has known Powell Jobs since their days as classmates at the University of Pennsylvania, also served as an adviser to Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, chairman of the fund, has denied any sanctioned governmental involvement in the murder. In other ways, Emerson is still very much unlike a typical venture firm. For one, it has rushed headlong into the old-world media industry, including Hollywood. Emerson invested in Anonymous Content, the production and talent-management company behind the Oscar-winning movie "Spotlight." It also backed Macro, which makes movies with filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, and Reese Witherspoons Hello Sunshine, which focuses on female storytellers. On the news side, Emerson has become something of a white knight for the struggling journalism industry. Beyond its stake in the Atlantic, it backed other outlets such as Axios and Ozy Media. In November, it acquired the publisher of Pop-Up Magazine, known for its live touring show, and California Sunday Magazine, known for feature stories and photography. (Bloomberg Beta, the venture capital arm of Bloomberg LP, was also an investor in the group.) Powell Jobs has said she finds the demise of local news particularly troubling. That concern prompted Emerson to not just take stakes in media organizations but to donate to nonprofits like the Marshall Project, Mother Jones, the Texas Observer, ProPublica and the American Journalism Project, which is creating a fund to rebuild local coverage. At a recent Recode conference, she said that local news was "under attack" and "we should think about it as a civic good, a public good, that should be supported by public and private entities." As a media steward, Powell Jobs is said to have a light touch. "She is totally hands-off, Jim VandeHei, Axios co-founder and CEO, wrote in an email. She listens really intently and asks great questions, said Doug McGray, the co-founder and editor in chief of Pop-Up Magazine and the California Sunday Magazine. But she also thinks strategically about the industry. A colleague presented an arrestingly ambitious objective for the Atlantic ten years out, David Bradley, chairman of Atlantic Media, wrote in an email. Then, Laurene asked: Why not five years? Ten years is too long; the world changes too much. Can we try it in five?" Bradley said she also helped him along in his cultural education when she took some Atlantic staffers to see rock star Bruce Springsteens Broadway show. During the performance Bradley whispered to Powell Jobs, a New Jersey native like Springsteen, that he was put off by the audiences shouts of boo, boo. She corrected me, he recalled. The audience was yelling Bruuuce, she told him. It only sounded like booing to the untrained ear. Later that night, according to a profile of Powell Jobs last year in the Washington Post, she took the staffers backstage to chat with the Boss himself. The pair seemed to know each other, which is hardly a surprise. Powell Jobs is often spotted with high-profile figures, including Michelle Obama during the 2012 State of the Union address. Yet, true to form, there is scant public record of her friendship with Springsteendespite his status as one of the most famous people in the world. Though Powell Jobss philanthropic profile is rising, in some ways Emerson Collective remains a family affair. I think the fact that they have a Steve Jobs association through Laurene, and her reputation as focused on positively changing the world, is helping Emerson get into deals, says George Zachary, a partner at Charles River Ventures, which is a co-investor with Emerson on Color Genomics, a health and genetic-data business. So both of those factors help them. Plus, they don't try to push others out of deals. They try to fit into deals. Today, Powell Jobss son Reed Jobs is working on accelerating cancer research, an interest that stems from his fathers illness when he was a teen. Emerson is different, Reed Jobs says. "While most other players in this space focus on philanthropy or investment, he said in an interview posted to Emersons website, we are able to do both. --With assistance from Lucas Shaw. To contact the authors of this story: Sarah McBride in San Francisco at smcbride24@bloomberg.netGerry Smith in New York at gsmith233@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anne VanderMey at avandermey@bloomberg.net, Mark Milian For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. TORONTO, April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (BlackRock Canada), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (BLK), today announced the final April 2019 cash distributions for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF. Unitholders of record on April 25, 2019 will receive cash distributions payable on April 30, 2019. Details regarding the final per unit distribution amounts are as follows: Fund Name Fund Ticker Cash Distribution Per Unit ($) iShares Premium Money Market ETF CMR 0.067 Further information on the iShares ETFs can be found at http://www.blackrock.com/ca . About BlackRock BlackRock helps investors build better financial futures. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, our clients turn to us for the solutions they need when planning for their most important goals. As of March 31, 2019, the firm managed approximately US$6.52 trillion in assets on behalf of investors worldwide. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/ca | Twitter: @BlackRockCA | Blog: www.blackrockblog.com/can | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock. About iShares iShares unlocks opportunity across markets to meet the evolving needs of investors. With more than twenty years of experience, a global line-up of 800+ exchange traded funds (ETFs) and US$1.9 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2019, iShares continues to drive progress for the financial industry. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock, trusted to manage more money than any other investment firm1. 1 Based on US$6.52 trillion in AUM as of 3/31/19 iShares ETFs are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in iShares ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. The funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. Contact for Media: Maeve Hannigan T 416-643-4058 Email: Maeve.Hannigan@blackrock.com RIO DE JANEIRO, April 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian miner Vale SA has filed a lawsuit in the United States against BSG Resources Ltd to force the firm to pay Vale $1.2 billion, as mandated by an arbitrator, the company said on Wednesday. Earlier in April, Vale said a London arbitration court had ordered BSG to pay $1.246 billion related to a dispute between the companies over a joint venture in Guinea. (Reporting by Gram Slattery) (Adds comparison to competitor Carrefour, context and details) By Gabriela Mello SAO PAULO, April 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian supermarket chain Grupo Pao de Acucar SA on Wednesday posted first-quarter sales up 12 percent from a year ago, closing the gap on Carrefour Brasil, the market leader in Latin America's largest economy. GPA, which is owned by France's Casino Guichard Perrachon SA , reported gross revenues of 13.8 billion reais ($3.46 billion), driven by gains in its wholesale division, Assai. On Tuesday, Carrefour Brasil posted a 10 percent increase in gross sales to 14.2 billion reais, as growth in its wholesale unit Atacadao more than compensated for a flat performance in the retail division. In recent quarters, the wholesale format - where consumers can buy discounted goods directly in a warehouse setting - has gained popularity amid the slow recovery of the Brazilian economy from the worst recession in decades. Atacadao leads the segment in sales but faces increasing competition from new players, as well as Assai. Assai total sales grew by 26 percent in the first three months of 2019, as a result of an expansion plan to open 20 new stores per year. On a like-for-like basis, GPA's gross revenue rose 7.5 percent year-on-year, excluding calendar factors. Its Assai division recorded a 10.7 percent rise in same-store sales, while the retail division which includes the Extra and Pao de Acucar brands posted 4.8 percent growth. GPA shares traded on the Brazilian stock market ended 0.3 percent down on Wednesday, while Carrefour Brasil lost 1.8 percent. ($1 = 3.9911 reais) (Reporting by Gabriela Mello; Editing by Richard Chang and Rosalba O'Brien) * Poland, Germany, Czech Republic halt Russian pipeline imports * Saudis, allies can compensate for Iran supply loss - Rystad * Iraq says it has enough oil capacity to meet customer needs * U.S. crude stocks at Oct 2017 high of 460.63 mln barrels - EIA * U.S. oil output, inventory, drilling: https://tmsnrt.rs/2DwTUBQ (New throughout, updates prices, comments; changes byline, dateline, previous LONDON) By Laila Kearney NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - Brent crude touched $75 per barrel on Thursday for the first time in nearly six months as quality concerns halted some Russian crude exports to Europe while the United States prepared to tighten sanctions on Iran. Brent crude futures climbed 28 cents to $74.85 a barrel by 12:10 p.m. EDT (1610 GMT) after hitting a high of $75.60 earlier in the session, the highest since Oct. 31. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 15 cents to $65.74 a barrel, after hitting a session high of $66.28. Wednesday's report of a bigger-than-expected build in U.S. crude inventories (C-STK-T-EIA) last week to their highest since October 2017 was weighing on the U.S. benchmark, analysts said. Poland and Germany suspended imports of Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline due to contamination. The pipeline can ship up to 1 million barrels per day, or 1 percent of global crude demand. About 700,000 bpd of flow was suspended, according to trading sources and Reuters calculations. "We consider the quality issues with Russian crude oil as a supply disruption that is happening at the same time sanctions on Iran and Venezuela are impacting supply," said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston. The United States this week said it would end all exemptions for buyers of Iranian oil. OPEC's third-largest producer has been under U.S. sanctions for more than six months, but several major buyers, including China and India, were given temporary exemptions until this week. Beginning in May, those countries have to halt oil imports from Tehran or face sanctions. The decision follows supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-member producers, including Russia, since the start of the year aimed at propping up oil prices. Story continues Still, Brian Hook, U.S. special representative for Iran and senior policy adviser to the secretary of state, said on Thursday "there is plenty of supply in the market to ease that transition and maintain stable prices". Consultancy Rystad Energy said Saudi Arabia and its main allies could replace lost Iranian oil. "Saudi Arabia and several of its allies have more replacement barrels than what would be lost from Iranian exports," said Rystad's head of oil research, Bjoernar Tonhaugen. The cuts led by OPEC are in part a response to ballooning U.S. crude production (C-OUT-T-EIA), currently at a record 12.2 million bpd, making the United States the world's biggest producer. (Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar in London, Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Dale Hudson and Marguerita Choy) KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Reuters) - China will buy an additional 1.9 million tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia over the next five years, Malaysia's state news agency Bernama said on Thursday, citing the minister of primary industries. China is Malaysia's third largest palm oil buyer, and imported 1.9 million tonnes from the Southeast Asian country last year. Malaysia has been trying to reduce its palm oil stockpiles, which hit the highest in at least 19 years last December, in a bid to shore up prices. (Reporting by Emily Chow; editing by Darren Schuettler) Shares of Chipotle dropped 6% after the company disclosed a new subpoena related to a 2018 foodborne illness outbreak. In August, Chipotle confirmed that bacteria caused an outbreak of illness at the Powell, Ohio store, sickening hundreds of customers. The company said in an SEC filing that it intends to cooperate fully with the investigation. Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG dropped more than 6% Thursday after the company disclosed a new subpoena related to a 2018 foodborne illness outbreak at one of its stores. The Mexican food chain said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it received a subpoena on April 18 for information related to foodborne illness incidents from 2017 and 2018 at restaurants in California, Massachusetts, Virginia and California locations that were covered by previous subpoenas and a location in Ohio. In August, Chipotle confirmed that bacteria caused an outbreak of illness at a Powell, Ohio store , sickening hundreds of customers. The subpoena is from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in connection with a criminal investigation conducted by the U.S. attorney's office in conjunction with the FDA. The company said in the filing that it intends to cooperate fully with the investigation. Since CEO Brian Niccol joined the company last February, the company has been trying to convince customers and investors that its food is safe to eat after an E. coli outbreak in 2015 led both sales and its stock price to plunge. "I think we are a leader in these spaces around food safety and as a result, I think our restaurants are better than ever," Niccol said on CNBC's " Squawk on the Street ," adding that there is always room for improvement. Before the markets opened Thursday, Chipotle's stock was flat, despite reporting earnings Wednesday that topped estimates and boosting its same-store sales outlook for 2019. Under Niccol, the company has focused on bringing back customers by convincing them to order their burrito bowls digitally. Story continues At the end of March, the company's stock price hit $700 per share for the first time since 2015. Prior to Thursday's drop, the stock had gained more than 64% so far in 2019. More From CNBC Peter King. Photo: Michael Vadon/CC Civil rights attorneys are threatening to sue U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-New York, who represents parts of Long Island, over his decision to block users from interacting with his political Facebook page, calling it an affront to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The New York Civil Liberties Union said in a letter to King this week that if he didnt return access to the Facebook page for those users, they would file a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of a handful of those individuals. Silencing constituents for criticizing you is, to borrow language from the U.S. Supreme Court, censorship in its purest form that threatens the continued vitality of free speech, the letter said. In light of this, it is essential that you promptly unban all those whom you have banned for their critical comments. King, meanwhile, argued in a response to the letter to Newsday that he was well within his legal rights to ban users from interacting with the Facebook page. He said the account was paid for and operated solely by his campaign, rather that government staff, and could therefore block users from posting negative comments. Im on 100 percent solid legal ground. That Facebook account is political. It is paid for by my campaign committee. Its the same as having people write negative comments on a campaign brochure and sending that out," King told Newsday. They can get their own Facebook account and attack me, rather than me paying for it. King's press office did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment Thursday. But Christopher Dunn, legal director at NYCLU, said in an interview with the New York Law Journal that the Facebook page has been used for more than just campaign activities. In fact, Dunn said, King doesnt operate any other pages on Facebook related to his activities as a congressman. That means users who search for him on the social media platform will only find the one account, which does not immediately distinguish itself as a campaign page. Theres posts after posts about him talking about his actions as the congressional representative, starting with that the page is labeled Congressman Peter King, Dunn said. I dont think anyone looking at this would see anything other than content about Peter Kings actions as a congressman. A handful of Facebook users who were blocked by the page initially approached the NYCLU about the issue, Dunn said. Thats how they came to find out about it, but they more recently decided to take legal action in the event that King does not restore access for the banned users. The litigation would be brought solely under the First Amendment, Dunn said. If he had a truly private page, whether its a personal page or campaign page, the rules are different, Dunn said. Weve looked at this page extensively and, by all appearances, this is an official congressional page. As long as he continues to maintain it this way, he has to comply with the First Amendment. At least 70 individuals have been blocked from viewing or interacting with the page, according to NYCLU. The lawsuit would be brought on behalf of a handful of those individuals, who said they were banned from the page after posting critical comments of King and his political views. One user, a resident of Suffolk County, was blocked after commenting on a post in which King congratulated former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson on his confirmation as secretary of state. The user posted a link showing the amount of campaign contributions the company had made to certain federal candidates, including King, and alleged a connection. Money talks, anyone wondering why the Congressman is not expressing any concern or doubt need look no further, the user wrote before they were blocked, according to NYCLU. Another Suffolk County resident was blocked after criticizing King for deleting certain comments on the page, a practice that King defended in previous election cycles. The user alleged that King deleted comments that were critical of his upcoming votes, while keeping those that praised his actions in Congress. It is either that you dont want to explain it to non-press members or you want all the comments on your post to appear positive, the user wrote, according to NYCLU. Im not sure what is worse, but it is incredibly disappointing you wont engage with anyone unless theyre complimenting you. The potential litigation has echoes of a lawsuit brought last year against President Donald Trump over his practice of blocking users from interacting with his public Twitter profile. Trump, a frequent user of the social media platform, had previously banned a number of users who were critical toward him on Twitter. That changed last year when U.S. District Senior Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of the Southern District of New York wrote in a decision that Trumps Twitter feed was considered a public forum, and therefore should be accessible to those individuals. Buchwald wrote that their interactions with the account were protected by the First Amendment. That interactive space is susceptible to analysis under the Supreme Court's forum doctrines, and is properly characterized as a designated public forum, Buchwald wrote. The viewpoint-based exclusion of the individual plaintiffs from that designated public forum is proscribed by the First Amendment and cannot be justified by the president's personal First Amendment interests. The White House decided to unblock those users from Trumps Twitter profile after the decision, though theyve appealed it to the Second Circuit. A panel of judges on the appellate court heard arguments in the case in March, but a decision has yet to be handed down. If you want to know who really controls Warehouses Estates Belgium SCA (EBR:WEB), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. We also tend to see lower insider ownership in companies that were previously publicly owned. Warehouses Estates Belgium is a smaller company with a market capitalization of 171m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it's seems 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 WEB. View our latest analysis for Warehouses Estates Belgium ENXTBR:WEB Ownership Summary, April 25th 2019 What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Warehouses Estates Belgium? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. We can see that Warehouses Estates Belgium does have institutional investors; and they hold 5.3% of the stock. 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. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Warehouses Estates Belgium, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. ENXTBR:WEB Income Statement, April 25th 2019 Warehouses Estates Belgium is not owned by hedge funds. As far I can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar. Story continues Insider Ownership Of Warehouses Estates Belgium 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. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. 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. I can report that insiders do own shares in Warehouses Estates Belgium SCA. It has a market capitalization of just 171m, and insiders have 4.3m worth of shares, in their own names. This shows at least some alignment, but I usually like to see larger insider holdings. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public holds a 49% stake in WEB. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Private Company Ownership We can see that Private Companies own 43%, 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: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can access this interactive graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow for free . Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. 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. Investing.com - Major cryptocurrencies traded in the red on Thursday morning in Asia, with Bitcoin losing steam after hitting a one-month high the day before. Bitcoin dropped 2.25% to $5,409.4 by 12:46 PM ET (04:46 GMT), after rising to a one-month high at $5,586.3 in the mid-week. Other coins also went downward. Ethereum shed 3.38% to $163.4, XRP lost 6.88% to $0.29792 and Litecoin slid 0.60% to $72.451. The drop in crypto prices pushed the market cap down to $176.7 billion. The sudden on-site inspections at the crypto exchanges in Japan two days ago shocked the crypto community. Japans Financial Services Agency reportedly inspected crypto exchange Huobi Japan and Fisco Digital Asset Group without notice. Reuters reported that the regulators aimed to find out if the crypto exchanges have been doing enough to protect their customers and check for legal compliance. Reuters also said that the regulators believe that Huobi and Fisco have failed to protect their customers adequately and comply with the anti-money laundering requirements. This could lead to a suspension of their operating licenses. The FSA conducted detailed checks with a view to administrative setup, considering that there are insufficient points in the management systems of the two companies and their efforts to protect customers, Reuters reported. Both Huobi and Fisco have not made a statement regarding the reported event. In other news, South Korean tech giant Samsung (KS:005930) has invested $2.9 million into crypto hardware startup Ledger. Ledger manufactures hardware cryptocurrency wallets. Samsung is reportedly tapping into the crypto and blockchain space. Earlier this year, it unveiled that its upcoming smartphone the Galaxy S10 series will support cryptocurrencies with crypto wallet functionality. It is also said to be developing its own private Ethereum-based blockchain. Related Articles BTC/USD Price Prediction: Bitcoin has clear path for rapid growth as hash-rate reaches 4-month high - Confluence Detector Binance Singapore Launches But Offers Just One Trading Pair, Report Samsung Invests $2.9 Million Into Crypto Wallet Startup Ledger The cryptocurrency market turned red on Thursday evening as word spread that NY Attorney General Letitia James had filed suit against one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Bitfinex, and its affiliated entity, the stablecoin Tether. Source: CoinMarketCap According to the lawsuit, Bitfinex co-mingled client funds with its own while also using up to $700 million in Tether reserves to cover losses related to its relationship with payment processing firm Crypto Capital. Rumors about a merger had been rife for months, heightening under the tenure of German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who has spoken out in favor of strong banks for the European nation. But there's been criticism too since it may lead to job losses. Merger talks between Germany's top two lenders, Deutsche Bank DBK-DE and Commerzbank CBK-DE , have ended in failure. The banks cited the need for extra capital, restructuring costs and execution risks as the reasons why the merger would not be in their best interests. "It made sense to evaluate this option for domestic consolidation in Germany. However, we were always clear: We needed to be convinced that any potential combination would generate higher and more sustainable returns," Christian Sewing, chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank, said in a statement Thursday morning. Deutsche Bank DBK-DE shares rose more than 2% on the news, while Commerzbank CBK-DE 's stock fell by nearly 3%. Reports and speculation regarding a merger had been rife for months, heightening under the tenure of German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who has spoken out in favor of strong banks for the European nation. But there's been criticism too since it may lead to job losses. An industry source with knowledge of the matter, who preferred to remain anonymous, told CNBC last month that there was not widespread support for the merger within Deutsche Bank. "The general feeling is that the merger is not a great idea since Commerzbank doesn't have the same amount of credibility on the street as Deutsche Bank when it comes to clients and this can impact future trades," the source said. Both banks have struggled to return to profit since the global financial crisis of 2008, and the subsequent euro zone sovereign debt crisis of 2011. In the past few years, Deutsche Bank in particular has made headlines for all the wrong reasons from settlements with the U.S. Department of Justice, to management reshuffles, weak earnings, constant restructuring and steep stock price falls. Story continues More recently, there's been reports of the Federal Reserve investigating its role in a money-laundering scandal at Danske Bank and an inquiry from two U.S. House of Representatives committees on the lender's ties to President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, a report in U.K. newspaper The Guardian said the German bank could face legal action over a $20 billion Russian money-laundering scheme. 'Continue to review all alternatives' Deutsche Bank's management said Thursday that it "will continue to review all alternatives to improve long-term profitability and shareholder returns." Stefan Mueller, chief executive officer of financial firm DGWA, told CNBC: "I think it is good for Commerzbank, it's bad for Deutsche Bank." "Commerzbank has shown in the last weeks, since it was everywhere in public, that it was a well-restructured bank and better than just a junior partner for Deutsche Bank," he added. Shares of Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank are both down more than 35% over a 12-month period and more than 80% over a 10-year period. Sewing, who took the helm in April 2018, has been making efforts to turn around the bank's ailing strategy. Various sources have told CNBC that competition from other players in the market is what pushed Sewing to fast-track the merger talks with its domestic rival. Thursday's announcement also comes after media reports had suggested that ING INGA-NL and UniCredit UCG-IT would be interested in acquiring Commerzbank. And that the Swiss bank UBS UBSG-CH is looking at the asset management arm of Deutsche Bank, called DWS. "DWS and asset management is a core part of Deutsche Bank's strategy ... we would expect it would be unchanged," James von Moltke, the chief financial officer of Deutsche Bank, told CNBC's Annette Weisbach Thursday. Von Moltke also denied reports that in the proposed deal with Commerzbank it would have needed to raise as much as 10 billion euros. "(That) speculation is way out of line," he said. Early earnings announcement Deutsche Bank also gave some guidance to investors about its latest quarterly numbers Thursday a day ahead of its official earnings release. It said that net income is expected to hit about 200 million euros ($ 222.92 million) for its first quarter. This after reporting a loss of 409 million euros in the final quarter of 2018. "Our preliminary results demonstrate the strength of our franchise and our continued progress in executing our plans in a very challenging market environment," Sewing said in a statement. "We have made progress on key business drivers: growth in loans and deposits, a recovery in assets under management and market share improvements in corporate finance. Our continued cost discipline helped us to offset lower revenues, and we are well on track to meet our 2019 cost target of 21.8 billion euros," he added. More From CNBC * Conditions grim in formerly rebel-held east Aleppo * No significant reconstruction under way * Fuel shortages add to problems By Angus McDowall ALEPPO, Syria, April 25 (Reuters) - The bodies of three-year-old Malak Kasas and two neighbours still lie under a pile of rubble in Aleppo's Kalasa district more than two years after the Syrian government recaptured the area. Malak's grandfather, Omar, and uncle, Mahmoud, live in the building opposite. When they stand on the balcony, they see the collapsed building that is her tomb. Whenever Omar says her name he bursts into silent, convulsive, sobs. The state's failure to pull bodies from the rubble of east Aleppo points to the grim prospects for an area that, like many others in Syria, was held by rebel forces for much of the country's eight-year-old conflict. The western part of the city has remained in government hands throughout the fighting. The opposition has accused President Bashar al-Assad of withholding services from districts where the rebellion against him flared to punish residents, and in Kalasa there was little evidence of a big government effort to improve conditions. The government blames the slow recovery, shortages and hardship on the war and Western sanctions. It has denied treating recaptured areas differently to ones that remained under its control throughout the war and has said it is working to restore normal services to all areas. The conflict that has killed half a million people and displaced half of Syria's pre-war population of 22 million continues, and Reuters could hear bombardments over several nights in Aleppo from a nearby frontline during a recent visit. In Kalasa, recaptured in late 2016, there is no systematic reconstruction of residential areas. State services are minimal. Work to renovate war-damaged buildings is almost entirely done and paid for by local people, residents say. Kalasa has no state electricity supply, charities dole out boxes of food aid to crowds waiting behind chains. As elsewhere in Syria, fuel shortages cause long lines at petrol stations and people rely on firewood for heat. Story continues Some damaged buildings in Kalasa have recently collapsed, falling debris killed a man last year and the many large heaps of rubble in areas where children play in the street are covered in stinking rubbish, dead rats and swarming flies. Kalasa's situation is not unusual for east Aleppo - other districts toured by Reuters showed equally bad or worse conditions. The western part of the city has suffered less damage because the rebels had no air power. In other cities, there also are no reports of widespread rebuilding or data to suggest it has started. Ayad Batash, 35, a former soldier and builder who was optimistic about life in Kalasa when Reuters met him two years ago, said things had become much worse for his family with a fuel shortage and a lack of work. "This year's not like before. This year is worse. The economic situation is worse than before," he said. Two years ago, he had regular work and thought the electricity supply would soon resume. He expected to move back into his own apartment and thought his neighbours would return from life as refugees. "If the situation continues like this, people won't come back," he said. RUBBLE Reuters journalists spent several days reporting in a small neighbourhood of Kalasa that they also visited in 2017 after the government retook the area, interviewing dozens of residents including several they had met previously. A government official accompanied Reuters at all times in Kalasa. Local people criticised the rebels that held the area from 2012 until 2016 but not Assad or his government. The recapture of Aleppo, Syria's second city, was a turning point in the war. In just one city centre square, Reuters counted 18 posters of Assad. Some things have improved since Reuters last visited this district two years ago. There is now piped water and some rubble, and debris blocking streets and alleys has been cleared. More schools have opened, though they are crowded, and more government-subsidised bakeries operate in the area, though queues for bread are long. Those considerations are scant comfort to the people of Kalasa. Omar Kasas no longer leaves his flat. He remembers the bombardment in September 2016 that killed his daughter Iman and her daughters Ayah, Mayas and Malak in the building opposite. People dug out the bodies of Iman, Ayah and Mayas, and nine dead neighbours, but could not reach Malak or two other women. Since the government took the area, there has been no effort to shift the rubble or find the bodies, residents said. FUEL SHORTAGES For Ayad Batash, a government supporter with two brothers in the army, the fuel shortages have aggravated other problems. During a cold winter, his four children, aged between two and 10, had no way to keep warm but with blankets. A neighbour, retired school worker Ahmad Zarka, 73, kept a stove going to keep warm. The black smoke that pours out of it has turned his white songbirds in a cage on the wall a sooty grey. Rationed gas supplies were not adequate, he said. The Western districts of Aleppo receive state power supplies for several hours a day. In Kalasa the only source of power is private generators that run on rationed diesel fuel. Snack bar owner Rabiah al-Najar said the cost of electricity for selling sandwich wraps ate up nearly half his weekly profits. Batash blames the lack of electricity for the lack of work. Using diesel-powered generators during a fuel shortage can double the cost of a job renovating a damaged apartment, he said. "So the customer just delays the work," he said. Opposite a petrol station near Kalaseh, where 80 cars were lined two-deep along the road waiting for rationed fuel, men sat on the curb, their tools lying on upturned concrete blocks to advertise their services as labourers. "We wait from 7.30 a.m. until about 1 p.m. Then we go home and there's nothing to do until the next day," said Mohammed Ahmedi, 53, one of three sitting together, smoking as they waited for a job. They had not worked in 10 days, he said. FOOD QUEUES Batash has also had little work over the winter, he said. He considered moving but believes things are little better elsewhere. Every few weeks his family joins the crowd waiting behind a chain strung across a nearby alleyway to receive food aid from the World Food Programme and a local charity. Men and women queue separately, each clutching their green ration card, waiting for their number to be called to collect a cardboard box with salt, chickpeas, lentils, bulgur wheat, sugar, rice and cooking oil. There are queues even for bread. At a Kalasa bakery, people had to wait more than half an hour to receive their flat loaves. There is no official rationing for bread but the baker, Hamid Atiq, said he limited what he sold each person because he did not have enough flour or fuel to power his oven long enough to supply all that the neighbourhood wanted. His bakery is wedged between the rubble of several bomb sites, and a dead rat lay on the ground nearby as a crowd gathered round the service window jostling to be served. On the other side of the main road is an area of ramshackle older houses of two or three storeys. Mohammed Ramadan Daha, 61, is frightened to sleep in his house there. The house behind his collapsed recently. The one next door has a large crack running up the side. He fears his will collapse too. "It's terrifying," Daha said. (Editing by Timothy Heritage) Dark matter detector observes rarest event ever recorded TROY, N.Y. -- How do you observe a process that takes more than one trillion times longer than the age of the universe? The XENON Collaboration research team did it with an instrument built to find the most elusive particle in the universe - dark matter. In a paper to be published tomorrow in the journal Nature, researchers announce that they have observed the radioactive decay of xenon-124, which has a half-life of 1.8 X 1022 years. "We actually saw this decay happen. It's the longest, slowest process that has ever been directly observed, and our dark matter detector was sensitive enough to measure it," said Ethan Brown, an assistant professor of physics at Rensselaer, and co-author of the study. "It's an amazing to have witnessed this process, and it says that our detector can measure the rarest thing ever recorded." The XENON Collaboration runs XENON1T, a 1,300-kilogram vat of super-pure liquid xenon shielded from cosmic rays in a cryostat submerged in water deep 1,500 meters beneath the Gran Sasso mountains of Italy. The researchers search for dark matter (which is five times more abundant than ordinary matter, but seldom interacts with ordinary matter) by recording tiny flashes of light created when particles interact with xenon inside the detector. And while XENON1T was built to capture the interaction between a dark matter particle and the nucleus of a xenon atom, the detector actually picks up signals from any interactions with the xenon. The evidence for xenon decay was produced as a proton inside the nucleus of a xenon atom converted into a neutron. In most elements subject to decay, that happens when one electron is pulled into the nucleus. But a proton in a xenon atom must absorb two electrons to convert into a neutron, an event called "double-electron capture." Double-electron capture only happens when two of the electrons are right next to the nucleus at just the right time, Brown said, which is "a rare thing multiplied by another rare thing, making it ultra-rare." When the ultra-rare happened, and a double-electron capture occurred inside the detector, instruments picked up the signal of electrons in the atom re-arranging to fill in for the two that were absorbed into the nucleus. "Electrons in double-capture are removed from the innermost shell around the nucleus, and that creates room in that shell," said Brown. "The remaining electrons collapse to the ground state, and we saw this collapse process in our detector." The achievement is the first time scientists have measured the half-life of this xenon isotope based on a direct observation of its radioactive decay. "This is a fascinating finding that advances the frontiers of knowledge about the most fundamental characteristics of matter," said Curt Breneman, dean of the School of Science. "Dr. Brown's work in calibrating the detector and ensuring that the xenon is scrubbed to the highest possible standard of purity was critical to making this important observation." The XENON Collaboration includes more than 160 scientists from Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, and, since 2002, has operated three successively more sensitive liquid xenon detectors in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. XENON1T, the largest detector of its type ever built, acquired data from 2016 until December 2018, when it was switched off. Scientists are currently upgrading the experiment for the new XENONnT phase, which will feature an active detector mass three times larger than XENON1T. Together with a reduced background level, this will boost the detector's sensitivity by an order of magnitude. ### Brown's participation on the project is funded with a grant from National Science Foundation. About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is America's first technological research university. Rensselaer encompasses five schools, 32 research centers, more than 145 academic programs, and a dynamic community made up of more than 7,900 students and over 100,000 living alumni. Rensselaer faculty and alumni include more than 145 National Academy members, six members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, six National Medal of Technology winners, five National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With nearly 200 years of experience advancing scientific and technological knowledge, Rensselaer remains focused on addressing global challenges with a spirit of ingenuity and collaboration. To learn more, please visit http://www. rpi. edu . This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A worker adjusts European Union and U.S. flags at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels November 11, 2013. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/Files BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union on Wednesday reiterated its opposition to European firms and citizens being caught out by U.S. sanctions on Cuba, calling on Washington to adhere to a 1998 agreement to grant a consistent waiver for EU companies and citizens. "The EU reiterates a strong opposition to the extraterritorial application of unilateral restrictive measures which is considers contrary to international law," a spokesman for the EU executive told a briefing in Brussels. The EU has serious concerns over the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the practice of suspending on a rotating six-month basis a section of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act that would allow such suits, principally from Cuban-Americans. (Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel and Clare Roth; Editing by) The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down around 0.15% during early afternoon deals, with most sectors and major bourses in negative territory. Nokia reported a surprise quarterly loss on Thursday, citing tough competition in its core networks business. Shares of the Finnish telecom network equipment maker tumbled more than 8% on the news. Merger talks between Germany's top two lenders, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, ended in failure on Thursday. European stocks were slightly lower Thursday afternoon, as market participants monitored another deluge of corporate earnings. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down around 0.15% during early afternoon deals, with most sectors and major bourses in negative territory. Market focus is largely attuned to corporate results, as investors reacted to another flurry of reports. Europe's banking index led the losses shortly after midday, down around 0.8% amid earnings news. Barclays BARC-GB was the worst performer, with shares down 3% after first-quarter profit fell 10% compared to a year ago. Swedbank SWED.A-SE was also trading lower, with shares down nearly 3% after it admitted to previous shortcomings in tackling money laundering. UBS UBSG-CH reported a $1.14 billion net profit for the first three months of the year as improving market conditions at the end of the quarter helped to soften a hit to trading revenues and client activity. The 27% drop in earnings for Switzerland's largest bank still beat analysts' expectations . Shares were trading slightly higher at around 1:00 p.m. London time. Merger talks between Germany's top two lenders, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank CBK-DE , ended in failure on Thursday. The banks cited the need for extra capital, restructuring costs and execution risks as the reasons why the merger would not be in their best interests . Both lenders were trading over 1% lower on the news. Meanwhile, Nokia NOKIA-FI reported a surprise quarterly loss on Thursday, citing tough competition in its core networks business. Shares of the Finnish telecom network equipment maker tumbled more than 8%. Story continues Away from corporate results, the proposed merger between Sainsbury SBRY-GB and Asda was blocked by the U.K.'s competition watchdog on Thursday. The Competition and Markets Authority said the merger would raise prices for consumers and lead to longer checkout queues. Shares of Sainsbury were down almost 5%. On the data front, Spain's unemployment rate edged closer to 15% over the first three months of 2019. The official figures continue to underline a weak link in the economy days before a hotly contested election . The rate rose to 14.7% in the three-month period to March, up from 14.45% in the final three months of 2018. More From CNBC (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc.s shares surged after the largest social-media company posted robust quarterly sales growth and signaled it may be close to resolving a U.S. privacy investigation, easing investor concerns about the impact of regulatory threats. First-quarter sales jumped 26 percent and monthly visitors at Facebooks main site topped projections. The company also said Wednesday it set aside $3 billion in the quarter related to an inquiry by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The FTC has been in discussions with Facebook over potential violations related to a 2011 consent decree in the wake of privacy missteps. Facebook estimated the loss related to any settlement could be as high as $5 billion. Shares jumped as much as 8.7 percent, the most since January, to $198.48 Thursday morning in New York. They have gained 49 percent this year. More than ten firms raised their price targets on the stock, while UBS upgraded its view, reinforcing the dominance of Facebook bulls on Wall Street, where roughly 80 percent of the analyst ratings are buy-equivalents. The better-than-expected revenue indicates that users and advertisers havent been turned off by a series of privacy breaches, scandals and questions about the companys influence on political discourse. Facebooks business has remained resilient mostly on the strength of its sprawling network of 2.7 billion average monthly users and its ability to let marketers precisely target them with ads. "Advertisers continue to be stuck on Facebook, despite its many challenges," EMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson wrote in a note following the report. "What they care most about is its vast user base and its targeting capabilities." Quarterly sales rose to $15.1 billion, the Menlo Park, California-based company said Wednesday in a statement. That topped the $14.97 billion average prediction of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Facebooks namesake social network now reaches 1.56 billion users every day, matching Wall Street estimates, and 2.38 billion a month on average, slightly better than expectations. Story continues The companys sales gains are increasingly being driven by photo-sharing app Instagram and advertising in its Stories feature, a Snapchat copycat. Facebook also recently started testing an e-commerce product called Checkout, allowing people to buy products within Instagram, another potential source of revenue via the fast-growing app. On a conference call Wednesday following the report, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said more than half a billion people use each of the three Stories products daily and 3 million advertisers utilize the feature across the network, adding that "were definitely seeing a lot of value for businesses on Instagram, and we believe the same on Facebook." In the first quarter, the average price for ads declined, partly because more ads were being served for features like Stories, which have lower prices than conventional Facebook and Instagram feed ads, according to Chief Financial Officer David Wehner. Excluding the legal costs set aside for the investigation, profit was $1.89 a share, topping the average analyst estimate of $1.62. Shares surged as much as 11 percent in extended trading. Net income, including the legal costs related to the FTC inquiry, fell to $2.43 billion, or 85 cents a share, Facebook said. In last years first quarter, the company posted earnings of $4.99 billion, or $1.69 a share, on $11.97 billion in sales. Facebook noted that "there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final outcome" in regards to the FTC investigation. But even a fine of $5 billion would likely be manageable for Facebook, which had $45.2 billion in cash and equivalents at the end of the recent quarter. Still, Aho Williamson said advertisers should pay attention to further developments in the companys talks with the FTC, especially the potential for any agreement to include changes to the way the company does business. "This is a significant development, and any settlement with the FTC may impact the ways advertisers can use the platform in the future," she wrote. The company has come under intense scrutiny over the past several years for the amount of personal information it collects from users, as well as how it safeguards and shares that data. Since reports in March 2018 that it allowed the personal details of tens of millions of users to be shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, Facebook has been the subject of probes by governments around the world. Earlier this month, the company faced fresh criticism for taking too long to remove a live video of a mass shooting in New Zealand. The social network also recently disclosed that millions of Facebook and Instagram passwords had been stored unencrypted -- in plain text -- and visible to employees, though the company said the information wasnt used improperly. Researchers also found troves of Facebook user information inadvertently posted publicly on Amazon.com Inc.s cloud servers. Seeking to stem the tide of criticism, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg recently called for new global regulations governing the internet, recommending governments come up with rules on hateful and violent content, election integrity, privacy and data portability. His statements came after Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts senator, urged the breakup of Facebook and other internet companies. She said the businesses have amassed too much power and are damaging the economy and American democracy. In March, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook is undertaking a massive overhaul to focus on private, ephemeral and encrypted communication, saying that more people want to interact privately or in more intimate groups -- rather than the open-sharing model he built the company around. Its not yet clear what the impact will be on advertisers. The company also aims to integrate Facebooks different online properties, allowing users to send messages between WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger. Critics argue that this move would make it harder for regulators to split up the company. On the call Wednesday, Zuckerberg reiterated that Facebook is focused on building a platform centered around privacy, which he said would alleviate users fears around privacy or their posts coming back to hurt them later. He added that Facebook doesnt know exactly how this shift will affect the business, but hes confident encryption wont have a big impact. "There needs to continue to be both the digital town square and and the digital living room, Zuckerberg said. "We understand regulation may hurt our business but we think its right." (Updates with shares in 3rd paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Selina Wang in San Francisco at swang533@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Alistair Barr For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Apple AAPL is set to report second-quarter fiscal 2019 earnings on Apr 30. Notably, the company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average positive surprise being 3.5%. Apples fortunes are tied to iPhone, which is by far its biggest revenue contributor. The device accounted for 61.7% of net sales in the last reported quarter, wherein sales declined 15% from the year-ago quarter to $51.98 billion. For second-quarter fiscal 2019, revenues are projected between $55 billion and $59 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $57.54 billion, indicating almost 6% decline from the year-ago quarters reported figure. Moreover, the consensus mark for earnings is currently pegged at $2.37 per share, unchanged over the past 30 days. The figure indicates a 13.2% decline . Apple Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Apple Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Apple Inc. Quote iPhone Sales Estimated to Decline in Q2 Apples iPhone sales are expected to remain subdued owing to lower demand in Greater China. Notably, a slowing economy and excessive inventory with retailers hurt smartphone sales in February 2019, according to data provided by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), quoted by CNBC. Smartphone shipments fell 20% year over year to 14.51 million in China. According to CAICT, this marked the steepest decline in the month of February since 2013. Notably, in January, smartphone shipment in China declined 11.4% year over year to 32.15 million. The consecutive quarterly decline doesnt bode well for Apple. Although Apple and its retailers have lowered iPhone prices in China, we dont expect the move to positively impact sales due to stiff competition from the likes of Vivo, OPPO and Huawei. These companies are offering top-quality hardware and innovative features in their devices in the premium smartphone market ($500-$800 price range). The significant price-gap between these devices and iPhone has negatively impacted Apples market share. Per TheStreet, to drive sales in China, Apple entered partnerships with local banks as well as Alibabas BABA division, Ant Financial, to offer interest-free financing for iPhone. This along with several discount offerings might have a positive impact on Apples iPhone user base in the to-be-reported quarter. Moreover, Apple is suffering from its failure to penetrate the rapidly growing but price sensitive markets of Asia, particularly India. The steep pricing of new iPhones made it difficult for Apple to gain market share in India, where Chinese smartphone makers like Xiaomi dominate. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for iPhone sales stands at $31.22 billion, indicating almost 18% decline from the year-ago quarters reported figure. Services Segment a Key Catalyst The Services segment has become the new cash cow for Apple. The company is expected to grow on increasing popularity of App-Store, Apple Music and Apple Pay. App Stores growth can be attributed to a strong developer base and the richness of apps. Apple is encouraging developers to use AI and machine learning in their apps. We believe that growing numbers of AI-infused apps will attract more subscribers on App Store. Moreover, Apples endeavor to open up its ecosystem through partnerships with the likes of Samsung (for iTunes) and Amazon AMZN is a positive for the Services segment. Further, higher consumer spending on streamed music, evident from an increasing number of paid subscribers, bodes well for Apple. Apple Musics availability on Amazon Echo devices and Fire TV is helping it expand footprint and compete better with Spotify SPOT. The partnership with Verizon VZ is also noteworthy in this regard. Further, Apple Pays expanding international footprint is significant The consensus mark for Services revenues stands at $11.16 billion, indicating more than 21% growth from the year-ago quarters reported figure. Zacks Rank Currently, Apple has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Story continues Radical New Technology Creates $12.3 Trillion Opportunity Imagine buying Microsoft stock in the early days of personal computers or Motorola after it released the worlds first cell phone. These technologies changed our lives and created massive profits for investors. Today, were on the brink of the next quantum leap in technology. 7 innovative companies are leading this 4th Industrial Revolution - and early investors stand to earn the biggest profits. See the 7 breakthrough stocks now>> 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 Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Spotify Technology SA (SPOT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research First Mid-Illinois Bancshares (FMBH) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.80 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.71 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.66 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 12.68%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bank holding company would post earnings of $0.73 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.62, delivering a surprise of -15.07%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. First Mid-Illinois, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $46.89 million for the quarter ended March 2019, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.01%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $30.68 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. First Mid-Illinois shares have added about 4.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 17%. What's Next for First Mid-Illinois? While First Mid-Illinois has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for First Mid-Illinois was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.70 on $45.33 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.97 on $183.40 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the bottom 23% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. 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 First Mid-Illinois Bancshares, Inc. (FMBH) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Joe Biden, who served eight years as Barack Obama's vice president after more than three decades in the U.S. Senate, launches his third campaign for the presidency. The 76-year-old Biden joins a large and diverse field of some 20 Democrats who have either signaled their intentions to run for president or have launched their campaigns. Despite entering the race later than most of the field, Biden has consistently led polls of Democratic primary voters ahead of Sens. Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Former Vice President Joe Biden formally joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday, betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obama's presidency will help him overcome questions about his place in today's increasingly liberal Democratic Party. He made his announcement in a video posted on Twitter. "Everything that has made America America is at stake. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," the 76-year-old Biden said in the 3-minute video. Joe Biden tweet Biden's first major campaign event is set for Monday in Pittsburgh, where he is expected to speak about rebuilding an inclusive middle class, according to NBC News. Biden will then launch a multistate campaign tour with a focus on states with early voting, where he will hash out his vision for closing the divides that are driving Americans apart, NBC reported. Thursday's announcement marks the unofficial end of the chaotic early phase of the 2020 presidential season. The field now features at least 20 Democrats jockeying for the chance to take on President Donald Trump next year. Several lesser-known candidates may still join the race. Despite being widely viewed as an instant frontrunner in the race, Biden faces tough questions about whether his candidacy will be viable amid the crowded and diverse field of candidates. It's yet unclear if Biden will even receive an explicit endorsement from his political partner of nearly a decade President Barack Obama. Story continues A statement Monday morning praising Biden was sent by an Obama spokesperson: "President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made. He relied on the Vice President's knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today." Biden's decision to run came despite accusations in March and April by several women that he touched them in ways that made them feel uncomfortable. In early April, Biden promised in a two-minute video to be "more mindful and respectful of people's personal space." Despite entering the race later than most of the field, Biden has consistently led polls of Democratic primary voters ahead of Sens. Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. This is Biden's third run for the White House. Biden's announcement ends more than two years of speculation about whether he would launch a White House bid for the 2020 election, dating to President Donald Trump 's victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in November 2016. Biden's decision not to run for president in the 2016 contest helped clear the way for Clinton to become the Democratic nominee. Trump did not immediately respond to the announcement video, in which Biden attacked the president for his remark that there were "very fine people on both sides" of a white nationalist rally and counterprotest in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. But the Republican National Committee had choice words for Biden in a statement to CNBC. "Joe Biden has been running for president and losing since the '80s. 2020 won't be any different. Biden's fingerprints are all over foreign policy blunders and the weakest economic recovery since World War II," said RNC Communications Director Michael Ahrens. "We don't need eight more years of Biden. Just ask President Obama, who isn't even endorsing his right-hand man." Some have speculated that that decision, which Biden said was based in part on his enduring grief following the death of his 46-year-old son, Beau, to brain cancer in March 2015, might have cost him his best shot at the presidency . In fact, if he had entered the 2016 fray, Biden would have started off as the most popular candidate, according to a September 2015 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll . With a resume boasting 36 years in the Senate representing Delaware and eight more in Obama's White House, Biden's status as an experienced Washington insider serves as just one of many contrasts with Trump. Even before Biden announced his 2020 run, he led early polls of Democratic presidential candidates. His national name recognition and association with Obama, who enjoys high popularity as a White House alumnus, made him a top contender from the earliest stages of the campaign. The Associated Press contributed to this report. More From CNBC Net income for the first quarter 2019 was $41.5 million or $1.12 per diluted share Company reiterates 2019 full-year earnings guidance Rail North America fleet utilization remains at 99.4% CHICAGO, April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GATX Corporation (GATX) today reported 2019 first quarter net income of $41.5 million or $1.12 per diluted share, compared to net income of $76.3 million or $1.98 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2018. Brian A. Kenney, president and chief executive officer of GATX, stated, Conditions in the North American railcar leasing market are consistent with our expectations coming into the year. GATXs fleet utilization remains extremely high at 99.4% and our renewal success rate in the quarter was 83.6%. The renewal lease rate change of GATXs Lease Price Index (LPI) was positive 5.2%, with an average renewal term of 39 months. Rail International produced strong operating results, with GATX Rail Europes fleet utilization increasing to 98.9% at the end of the quarter. The lease rate environment in Europe is improving and demand for new cars is steady. The Rolls-Royce and Partners Finance affiliates continue to perform well due to robust demand for aircraft spare engines. American Steamship Companys sailing season began at the end of March, and eleven vessels are currently scheduled to operate in 2019. Mr. Kenney concluded, The current business environment and our financial performance thus far in 2019 is consistent with our original expectations. Therefore, our 2019 full-year earnings estimate is unchanged at $4.85 - $5.15 per diluted share, excluding the impact of Tax Benefits and Other Items. RAIL NORTH AMERICA Rail North America reported segment profit of $68.4 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared to $108.9 million in the first quarter of 2018. The decline in segment profit is mainly attributable to lower remarketing income recognized in the current quarter. Remarketing income was $9.8 million in the first quarter of 2019 compared to $50.0 million in the first quarter of 2018. The 2019 full year remarketing expectations remain unchanged from prior guidance. Story continues At March 31, 2019, Rail North Americas wholly owned fleet was comprised of approximately 121,000 railcars, including approximately 16,000 boxcars. The following fleet statistics and performance discussion exclude the boxcar fleet. Fleet utilization was 99.4% at the end of the first quarter, compared to 99.4% at the end of the prior quarter and 98.2% at the end of the first quarter of 2018. During the first quarter of 2019, the renewal lease rate change of the GATX Lease Price Index (LPI) was positive 5.2%. This compares to negative 0.9% in the prior quarter and negative 11.6% in the first quarter of 2018. The average lease renewal term for cars included in the LPI during the first quarter was 39 months, compared to 43 months in the prior quarter and 34 months in the first quarter of 2018. The first quarter renewal success rate was 83.6%. Rail North Americas investment volume during the first quarter was $99.0 million. Additional fleet statistics, including information about the boxcar fleet, and macroeconomic data related to Rail North Americas business are provided on the last page of this press release. RAIL INTERNATIONAL Rail Internationals segment profit was $14.8 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared to $19.0 million in the first quarter of 2018. The decline in segment profit was primarily driven by foreign exchange variance. At March 31, 2019, GATX Rail Europes (GRE) fleet consisted of approximately 23,500 cars and utilization was 98.9%, compared to 98.8% at the end of the prior quarter and 96.7% at the end of the first quarter of 2018. Additional fleet statistics for GRE are provided on the last page of this press release. PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT Portfolio Management reported segment profit of $12.3 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared to $13.9 million in the first quarter of 2018. The decline in segment profit is primarily driven by lower marine operating results partially offset by higher affiliate income at the Rolls-Royce and Partners Finance affiliates (RRPF). AMERICAN STEAMSHIP COMPANY American Steamship Company (ASC) reported a segment profit of $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared to $0.8 million in the first quarter of 2018. ASCs operations are limited during the first quarter as the vessels are in winter lay-up from mid-January through late-March. COMPANY DESCRIPTION GATX Corporation (GATX) strives to be recognized as the finest railcar leasing company in the world by our customers, our shareholders, our employees and the communities where we operate. As the leading global railcar lessor, GATX has been providing quality railcars and services to its customers for more than 120 years. GATX has been headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, since its founding in 1898. For more information, please visit the Companys website at www.gatx.com. TELECONFERENCE INFORMATION GATX Corporation will host a teleconference to discuss 2019 first-quarter results. Call details are as follows: Wednesday, April 24th 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time Domestic Dial-In: 1-800-667-5617 International Dial-In: 1-334-323-0509 Replay: 1-888-203-1112 or 1-719-457-0820 /Access Code: 3700627 Call-in details, a copy of this press release and real-time audio access are available at www.gatx.com. Please access the call 15 minutes prior to the start time. Following the call, a replay will be available on the same site. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements in this Earnings Release not based on historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, accordingly, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those discussed. These include statements as to our future expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, objectives, events, conditions, financial performance, prospects, or future events. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as may, could, expect, intend, plan, seek, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, potential, outlook, continue, likely, will, would, and similar words and phrases. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made, and are not guarantees of future performance. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in our other filings with the SEC, including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, could cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations expressed in forward-looking statements: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: GATX Corporation Jennifer McManus Senior Director, Investor Relations GATX Corporation 312-621-6409 jennifer.mcmanus@gatx.com Investor, corporate, financial, historical financial, and news release information may be found at www.gatx.com. (4/24/2019) GATX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED) (In millions, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31 2019 2018 Revenues Lease revenue $ 274.4 $ 273.2 Marine operating revenue 13.1 14.2 Other revenue 29.5 17.9 Total Revenues 317.0 305.3 Expenses Maintenance expense 81.2 81.2 Marine operating expense 12.1 12.5 Depreciation expense 79.9 77.4 Operating lease expense 13.7 13.0 Other operating expense 8.0 8.6 Selling, general and administrative expense 46.1 44.9 Total Expenses 241.0 237.6 Other Income (Expense) Net gain on asset dispositions 8.9 56.1 Interest expense, net (46.5 ) (39.9 ) Other expense (3.2 ) (1.3 ) Income before Income Taxes and Share of Affiliates Earnings 35.2 82.6 Income taxes (8.4 ) (20.6 ) Share of affiliates earnings, net of taxes 14.7 14.3 Net Income $ 41.5 $ 76.3 Share Data Basic earnings per share $ 1.14 $ 2.02 Average number of common shares 36.5 37.9 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.12 $ 1.98 Average number of common shares and common share equivalents 37.1 38.5 Dividends declared per common share $ 0.46 $ 0.44 GATX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) (In millions) March 31 December 31 2019 2018 Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 248.4 $ 100.2 Restricted Cash 6.2 6.5 Receivables Rent and other receivables 79.9 87.0 Finance leases (as lessor) 118.9 126.4 Less: allowance for losses (6.1 ) (6.4 ) 192.7 207.0 Operating Assets and Facilities 9,587.9 9,545.9 Less: allowance for depreciation (3,062.0 ) (3,013.2 ) 6,525.9 6,532.7 Lease Assets (as lessee) Right of use assets, net of accumulated depreciation 449.5 Finance leases, net of accumulated depreciation 16.7 16.8 466.2 16.8 Investments in Affiliated Companies 480.0 464.5 Goodwill 81.6 82.9 Other Assets 239.2 206.1 Total Assets $ 8,240.2 $ 7,616.7 Liabilities and Shareholders Equity Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses $ 155.8 $ 177.5 Debt Commercial paper and borrowings under bank credit facilities 15.9 110.8 Recourse 4,768.1 4,429.7 4,784.0 4,540.5 Lease Obligations (as lessee) Operating leases 456.3 Finance leases 11.0 11.3 467.3 11.3 Deferred Income Taxes 891.7 877.8 Other Liabilities 132.2 221.5 Total Liabilities 6,431.0 5,828.6 Total Shareholders Equity 1,809.2 1,788.1 Total Liabilities and Shareholders Equity $ 8,240.2 $ 7,616.7 GATX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES SEGMENT DATA (UNAUDITED) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 (In millions) Rail N.A. Rail Intl Portfolio Management ASC Other GATX Consolidated Revenues Lease revenue $ 220.9 $ 52.2 $ 0.3 $ 1.0 $ $ 274.4 Marine operating revenue 2.4 10.7 13.1 Other revenue 27.4 2.0 0.1 29.5 Total Revenues 248.3 54.2 2.8 11.7 317.0 Expenses Maintenance expense 68.8 12.1 0.3 81.2 Marine operating expense 4.6 7.5 12.1 Depreciation expense 64.3 14.0 1.6 79.9 Operating lease expense 13.7 13.7 Other operating expense 6.4 1.5 0.1 8.0 Total Expenses 153.2 27.6 6.3 7.8 194.9 Other Income (Expense) Net gain on asset dispositions 8.2 0.4 0.3 8.9 Interest (expense) income, net (34.2 ) (9.9 ) (2.7 ) (1.4 ) 1.7 (46.5 ) Other expense (0.7 ) (2.3 ) (0.2 ) (3.2 ) Share of affiliates pre-tax income 18.2 18.2 Segment profit $ 68.4 $ 14.8 $ 12.3 $ 2.5 $ 1.5 $ 99.5 Less: Selling, general and administrative expense 46.1 Income taxes (includes $3.5 related to affiliates earnings) 11.9 Net income $ 41.5 Selected Data: Investment volume $ 99.0 $ 33.1 $ $ 14.5 $ 0.7 $ 147.3 Net Gain on Asset Dispositions Asset Remarketing Income: Net gains on disposition of owned assets $ 9.7 $ $ $ $ 9.7 Residual sharing income 0.1 0.3 0.4 Non-remarketing net (loss) gains (1) (1.6 ) 0.4 (1.2 ) $ 8.2 $ 0.4 0.3 $ $ $ 8.9 (1) Includes net gains (losses) from scrapping of railcars. GATX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES SEGMENT DATA (UNAUDITED) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 (In millions) Rail N.A. Rail Intl Portfolio Management ASC Other GATX Consolidated Revenues Lease revenue $ 219.5 $ 52.4 $ 0.3 $ 1.0 $ $ 273.2 Marine operating revenue 4.4 9.8 14.2 Other revenue 15.8 2.0 0.1 17.9 Total Revenues 235.3 54.4 4.8 10.8 305.3 Expenses Maintenance expense 68.1 12.5 0.6 81.2 Marine operating expense 4.3 8.2 12.5 Depreciation expense 61.5 14.1 1.8 77.4 Operating lease expense 13.0 13.0 Other operating expense 6.9 1.5 0.2 8.6 Total Expenses 149.5 28.1 6.3 8.8 192.7 Other Income (Expense) Net gain on asset dispositions 54.1 1.6 0.3 0.1 56.1 Interest (expense) income, net (30.2 ) (8.7 ) (2.3 ) (1.3 ) 2.6 (39.9 ) Other expense (0.9 ) (0.2 ) (0.2 ) (1.3 ) Share of affiliates pre-tax income 0.1 17.4 17.5 Segment profit $ 108.9 $ 19.0 $ 13.9 $ 0.8 $ 2.4 $ 145.0 Less: Selling, general and administrative expense 44.9 Income taxes (includes $3.2 related to affiliates earnings) 23.8 Net income $ 76.3 Selected Data: Investment volume $ 136.5 $ 29.5 $ $ 11.7 $ 0.7 $ 178.4 Net Gain on Asset Dispositions Asset Remarketing Income: Net gains on disposition of owned assets $ 49.9 $ $ $ 0.1 $ $ 50.0 Residual sharing income 0.1 0.3 0.4 Non-remarketing net gains (1) 4.1 1.6 5.7 $ 54.1 $ 1.6 $ 0.3 $ 0.1 $ $ 56.1 (1) Includes net gains from scrapping of railcars. GATX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) (In millions, except leverage) 3/31/2019 12/31/2018 9/30/2018 6/30/2018 3/31/2018 Assets by Segment, as adjusted (non-GAAP)* Rail North America $ 5,646.7 $ 5,651.0 $ 5,418.2 $ 5,409.0 $ 5,362.2 Rail International 1,315.6 1,309.7 1,294.5 1,266.6 1,329.0 Portfolio Management 612.8 601.2 614.6 605.8 593.1 ASC 311.1 297.7 303.4 313.6 298.2 Other 99.4 80.6 60.7 61.1 59.8 Total Assets, excluding cash, as adjusted (non-GAAP) $ 7,985.6 $ 7,940.2 $ 7,691.4 $ 7,656.1 $ 7,642.3 Debt and Lease Obligations, Net of Unrestricted Cash* Unrestricted cash $ (248.4 ) $ (100.2 ) $ (254.5 ) $ (237.4 ) $ (233.1 ) Commercial paper and bank credit facilities 15.9 110.8 4.3 4.4 Recourse debt 4,768.1 4,429.7 4,397.3 4,397.9 4,359.5 Operating lease obligations 456.3 Finance lease obligations 11.0 11.3 11.6 11.9 12.2 Total debt and lease obligations, net of unrestricted cash (GAAP) 5,002.9 4,451.6 4,154.4 4,176.7 4,143.0 Off-balance sheet recourse debt (1) 430.2 432.6 401.7 411.7 Total debt and lease obligations, net of unrestricted cash, as adjusted (non-GAAP) (2) $ 5,002.9 $ 4,881.8 $ 4,587.0 $ 4,578.4 $ 4,554.7 Shareholders Equity $ 1,809.2 $ 1,788.1 $ 1,838.0 $ 1,817.6 $ 1,839.7 Recourse Leverage (3) 2.8 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.5 _________ (1) Under the new lease accounting standard, off-balance sheet recourse debt is no longer applicable beginning in 2019. (2) Includes on- and off-balance sheet debt, commercial paper and bank credit facilities, and operating and finance lease obligations, net of unrestricted cash. (3) Calculated as total recourse debt / shareholders equity. Reconciliation of Total Assets, excluding cash (GAAP) to Total Assets, excluding cash, as adjusted (non-GAAP)* Total Assets $ 8,240.2 $ 7,616.7 $ 7,517.4 $ 7,495.5 $ 7,468.0 Less: cash (254.6 ) (106.7 ) (258.6 ) (241.1 ) (237.4 ) Total Assets, excluding cash (GAAP) 7,985.6 7,510.0 7,258.8 7,254.4 7,230.6 Add off-balance sheet assets: Rail North America 430.2 432.6 401.7 411.7 Total Assets, excluding cash, as adjusted (non-GAAP) $ 7,985.6 $ 7,940.2 $ 7,691.4 $ 7,656.1 $ 7,642.3 (*) A portion of our North American railcar fleet is financed through sale-leasebacks that are accounted for as operating leases. Prior to 2019, these railcar assets were not recorded on the balance sheet. Under the new lease accounting standard adopted on January 1, 2019, GATX records these railcar operating leases on the balance sheet as right-of-use assets with corresponding amounts for operating lease liabilities. Prior to 2019, we reported total on- and off-balance sheet assets and included these leased-in assets in our calculation of total assets (as adjusted) because we believed it provided investors a more comprehensive representation of the magnitude of the assets we operated and that drove our financial performance. In addition, this calculation of total assets (as adjusted) provided consistency with other non-financial information we disclosed about our fleet, including the number of railcars in the fleet, average number of cars on lease, and utilization. We also provide information regarding our leverage ratios, which are expressed as a ratio of debt (including off-balance sheet debt) to equity. The off-balance sheet debt amount in this calculation was the equivalent of the off-balance sheet asset amount. We believe reporting this corresponding off-balance sheet debt amount provided investors and other users of our financial statements with a more comprehensive representation of our debt obligations, leverage, and capital structure. GATX CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) (Continued) 3/31/2019 12/31/2018 9/30/2018 6/30/2018 3/31/2018 Rail North America Statistics Lease Price Index (LPI) (1) Average renewal lease rate change 5.2 % (0.9 )% (11.5 )% (16.1 )% (11.6 )% Average renewal term (months) 39 43 33 41 34 Fleet Rollforward (2) Beginning balance 105,472 103,420 102,890 102,597 103,730 Cars added 617 3,120 1,381 1,231 1,226 Cars scrapped (662 ) (387 ) (431 ) (720 ) (673 ) Cars sold (597 ) (681 ) (420 ) (218 ) (1,686 ) Ending balance 104,830 105,472 103,420 102,890 102,597 Utilization 99.4 % 99.4 % 99.2 % 98.9 % 98.2 % Average active railcars 104,613 103,387 102,056 101,330 101,208 Boxcar Fleet Ending balance 16,006 16,220 15,859 16,007 16,227 Utilization 95.2 % 94.2 % 94.7 % 92.8 % 93.5 % Rail Europe Statistics Fleet Rollforward Beginning balance 23,412 23,234 23,124 23,004 23,166 Cars added 185 281 258 245 63 Cars scrapped/sold (66 ) (103 ) (148 ) (125 ) (225 ) Ending balance 23,531 23,412 23,234 23,124 23,004 Utilization 98.9 % 98.8 % 98.4 % 97.8 % 96.7 % Average active railcars 23,105 22,949 22,759 22,407 22,327 Rail North America Industry Statistics Manufacturing Capacity Utilization Index (3) 78.8 % 79.5 % 78.4 % 77.8 % 77.5 % Year-over-year Change in U.S. Carloadings (excl. intermodal) (4) (3.1 )% 1.8 % 2.0 % 1.3 % (0.3 )% Year-over-year Change in U.S. Carloadings (chemical) (4) (1.0 )% 3.8 % 4.5 % 3.8 % 3.1 % Year-over-year Change in U.S. Carloadings (petroleum) (4) 22.0 % 18.2 % 14.7 % 6.8 % 3.3 % Production Backlog at Railcar Manufacturers (5) n/a (6) 80,223 73,812 65,161 55,216 American Steamship Company Statistics Total Net Tons Carried (millions) 1.2 8.5 8.7 8.1 0.9 _________ (1) GATXs Lease Price Index (LPI) is an internally-generated business indicator that measures lease rate pricing on renewals for our North American railcar fleet, excluding boxcars. The index is calculated using the weighted average lease rate for a group of railcar types that GATX believes best represents its overall North American fleet, excluding boxcars. The average renewal lease rate change is reported as the percentage change between the average renewal lease rate and the average expiring lease rate, weighted by fleet composition. The average renewal lease term is reported in months and reflects the average renewal lease term of railcar types in the LPI, weighted by fleet composition. (2) Excludes boxcar fleet. (3) As reported and revised by the Federal Reserve. (4) As reported by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). (5) As reported by the Railway Supply Institute (RSI). (6) Not available, not published as of the date of this release. By Brijesh Patel (Reuters) - Gold rose to its highest in more than a week on Thursday, supported by a slight retreat in the dollar and a pullback in global equities as demand for riskier assets cooled. Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,277.87 per ounce as of 12:22 p.m. EDT (1622 GMT). Prices hit their highest since April 16 at $1,282.38 during the session U.S. gold futures rose 0.1 percent to $1,279.90 an ounce. "Equity markets are coming off a bit, which should start getting volatility a little higher and the risk (element), elevated," said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategies at TD Securities in Toronto, adding the move down in the U.S. dollar was also helping gold prices. The dollar index eased after advancing to a near 2 year high earlier in the session. A slide in Wall Street equities added to losses in global stock markets, which have been weighed by a surprise deterioration in German and South Korean economic data that brought back to the fore concerns of a global downturn. "Gold prices are expected to remain stagnant around these levels, any economic weakness will likely move it to around $1,288, but its well supported around $1,270-$1,272; gold needs some kind of catalysts to move in either direction," Melek said. Bullion fell below the psychologically significant $1,300-per-ounce mark and other key support levels, including the 100-day and 50-day moving averages, mostly due to dollar strength and better-than-expected economic readings recently from both the United States and China. Meanwhile, holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, dipped 0.2 percent to its lowest since Oct. 19, at 747.87 tonnes on Wednesday. Investors now await U.S. gross domestic product data due on Friday, with the economy forecast to have grown by 2.1 percent in the first quarter. "Gold is awaiting bigger developments. We've got U.S. GDP and that's expected to have a significant impact on the dollar," Capital Economics analyst Ross Strachan said. Story continues Spot gold may bounce towards resistance at $1,284, as it has found support at $1,264, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said. Among other metals, silver was nearly unchanged at $14.92 per ounce, while platinum gained 0.9 percent to $886. Palladium fell 0.4 percent to $1,411.21 per ounce. (Reporting by Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Chris Reese) ATLANTA, April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HD Supply, Inc. (HDS) proudly announces that two of its female leaders are recipients of prestigious awards in their industries. Quiana Pinckney, Director of Strategic Communications, Public Relations and Investor Relations, was named to the Georgia chapter of the Public Relations Society of Americas (PRSA) inaugural Forty Under 40 list, honoring the states best and brightest young communications professionals. Rachel Rogers, Director of Information Technology for Sales, Customer Care and Marketing, was awarded Salesforce MVP Lifetime Status, which serves to recognize highly-knowledgeable Salesforce users who actively and consistently share their expertise with other customers on the Salesforce User Community platform. I am incredibly honored and privileged to work with these inspirational leaders as the best-of-the-best in their respective fields, said Joe DeAngelo, Chairman and CEO. These two leaders live continuous learning and development, and I, along with HD Supply, am proud to see their hard work, results and drive recognized and rewarded. Open to both PRSA Georgia members and non-members across the state, the Forty Under 40 program honors rising stars who excel in professional PR, marketing, advertising and/or social media roles, while also giving back to their industry and community. The honorees and program category winners were nominated by their peers and selected by a committee of former PRSA Georgia Chapter presidents. Meanwhile, Salesforce MVP Lifetime Status requires a minimum of five years serving as a Salesforce MVP, and there is a special nomination process to be considered. Those who are awarded this honor must have demonstrated exceptional contributions and a continuous commitment to helping others succeed via the Salesforce User Community platform. Rogers, who has been recognized as a Salesforce MVP for six years running, is now one of approximately 50 individuals worldwide who has been awarded the honor of Lifetime Status, and she will soon be inducted into the Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame. Story continues HD Supply prides itself on the belief that one of its greatest assets and differentiators is its people. As a company, it believes in hiring those who will go above and beyond to solve its customers toughest problems efficiently and effectively, and is proud to acknowledge the industry accomplishments of Pinckney and Rogers for this reason. About PRSA Georgia PRSA Georgia , the second-largest local chapter in the national society, consists of nearly 900 professionals throughout Georgia. Its mission is to enhance the profession, provide continuing education and offer networking opportunities for its members. The Chapter hosts regular monthly meetings and seminars, and an Annual Conference for professionals and college students. PRSA Georgia additionally honors its members for their outstanding achievements and contributions and leads an annual awards program that recognizes the top projects and campaigns from organizations across the state. About Salesforce Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information about Salesforce, visit: www.salesforce.com . About HD Supply HD Supply ( www.hdsupply.com ) is one of the largest industrial distributors in North America. The company provides a broad range of products and value-add services to approximately 500,000 customers with leadership positions in the maintenance, repair and operations, and specialty construction sectors. Through approximately 270 branches and 44 distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada, the company's approximately 11,500 associates provide localized, customer-tailored products, services and expertise. Media Contact: Reputable billionaire investors such as Jim Simons, Cliff Asness and David Tepper generate exorbitant profits for their wealthy accredited investors (a minimum of $1 million in investable assets would be required to invest in a hedge fund and most successful hedge funds won't accept your savings unless you commit at least $5 million) by pinpointing winning small-cap stocks. There is little or no publicly-available information at all on some of these small companies, which makes it hard for an individual investor to pin down a winner within the small-cap space. However, hedge funds and other big asset managers can do the due diligence and analysis for you instead, thanks to their highly-skilled research teams and vast resources to conduct an appropriate evaluation process. Looking for potential winners within the small-cap galaxy of stocks? We believe following the smart money is a good starting point. Empire State Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:ESRT) shares haven't seen a lot of action during the third quarter. Overall, hedge fund sentiment was unchanged. The stock was in 13 hedge funds' portfolios at the end of December. The level and the change in hedge fund popularity aren't the only variables you need to analyze to decipher hedge funds' perspectives. A stock may witness a boost in popularity but it may still be less popular than similarly priced stocks. That's why at the end of this article we will examine companies such as Knight Transportation Inc. (NYSE:KNX), Genesee & Wyoming Inc (NYSE:GWR), and AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO) to gather more data points. Hedge funds' reputation as shrewd investors has been tarnished in the last decade as their hedged returns couldn't keep up with the unhedged returns of the market indices. Our research has shown that hedge funds' small-cap stock picks managed to beat the market by double digits annually between 1999 and 2016, but the margin of outperformance has been declining in recent years. Nevertheless, we were still able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the market by 32 percentage points since May 2014 through March 12, 2019 (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that underperformed the market by 10 percentage points annually between 2006 and 2017. Interestingly the margin of underperformance of these stocks has been increasing in recent years. Investors who are long the market and short these stocks would have returned more than 27% annually between 2015 and 2017. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 in our quarterly newsletter. Story continues John Overdeck of Two Sigma We're going to check out the new hedge fund action regarding Empire State Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:ESRT). How have hedgies been trading Empire State Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:ESRT)? Heading into the first quarter of 2019, a total of 13 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were long this stock, a change of 0% from the previous quarter. The graph below displays the number of hedge funds with bullish position in ESRT over the last 14 quarters. So, let's review which hedge funds were among the top holders of the stock and which hedge funds were making big moves. ESRT_apr2019 More specifically, Renaissance Technologies was the largest shareholder of Empire State Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:ESRT), with a stake worth $54.9 million reported as of the end of September. Trailing Renaissance Technologies was Citadel Investment Group, which amassed a stake valued at $47.5 million. Two Sigma Advisors, Balyasny Asset Management, and Millennium Management were also very fond of the stock, giving the stock large weights in their portfolios. Due to the fact that Empire State Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:ESRT) has experienced declining sentiment from the smart money, it's easy to see that there lies a certain "tier" of fund managers that slashed their full holdings in the third quarter. Interestingly, John Khoury's Long Pond Capital sold off the biggest position of the "upper crust" of funds watched by Insider Monkey, valued at close to $39.8 million in stock. Gavin Saitowitz and Cisco J. del Valle's fund, Springbok Capital, also sold off its stock, about $0.5 million worth. These moves are interesting, as total hedge fund interest stayed the same (this is a bearish signal in our experience). Let's check out hedge fund activity in other stocks - not necessarily in the same industry as Empire State Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:ESRT) but similarly valued. These stocks are Knight Transportation Inc. (NYSE:KNX), Genesee & Wyoming Inc (NYSE:GWR), AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO), and Lazard Ltd (NYSE:LAZ). This group of stocks' market values match ESRT's market value. [table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position KNX,26,299335,-5 GWR,18,322177,7 AGCO,32,238888,11 LAZ,16,481052,-1 Average,23,335363,3 [/table] View table here if you experience formatting issues. As you can see these stocks had an average of 23 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $335 million. That figure was $160 million in ESRT's case. AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Lazard Ltd (NYSE:LAZ) is the least popular one with only 16 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks Empire State Realty Trust Inc (NYSE:ESRT) is even less popular than LAZ. Hedge funds dodged a bullet by taking a bearish stance towards ESRT. Our calculations showed that the top 15 most popular hedge fund stocks returned 24.2% through April 22nd and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by more than 7 percentage points. Unfortunately ESRT wasn't nearly as popular as these 15 stock (hedge fund sentiment was very bearish); ESRT investors were disappointed as the stock returned 6.3% and underperformed the market. If you are interested in investing in large cap stocks with huge upside potential, you should check out the top 15 most popular stocks) among hedge funds as 13 of these stocks already outperformed the market this year. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Related Content (Bloomberg) -- Join us on WhatsApp for special coverage of Indias election. Sign up here. Bytedance Ltd., the worlds most valuable startup, has been allowed by a court in India to restore access of its popular TikTok video-sharing app to users in one of the Chinese companys most promising markets. The Madras High Court in its interim order on Wednesday lifted the ban on the app, which had been blocked by Google and Apple Inc. TikTok was banned on concerns the app was exposing children to pornography and other disturbing content. The court will come up with a final order after hearing all the parties. TikTok will update their privacy protection norms according to the courts order and will address any complaint over content in three to 36 hours, said K. Neelamegam, a lawyer representing the petitioner. If TikTok does not meet the conditions set by the court, contempt of court proceedings can be initiated against them. The victory for Chinas Bytedance, which was valued at $75 billion last year, also comes as a relief for other start ups hoping to cash in on the worlds fastest-growing smartphone market. It also dispels perception that India was adopting a draconian oversight on such companies, somewhat similar to what firms face in China. "The court has taken the right perspective," said Faisal Kawoosa, founder and chief analyst at Gurugram-based researcher techARC. "Any other decision would have had an adverse impact on several other tech platforms." Bytedance told the court the ban denied the right to free speech for millions of app users in India and also caused a loss of about $600,000 in daily revenue for the company. Apple and Google had banned new downloads of the app to comply with the earlier court decision. Beijing-based Bytedance, founded by Zhang Yiming, company has hired many of the Chinas brightest artificial intelligence experts to develop addictive apps for everything from jokes and news to music videos. Story continues While were pleased that our efforts to fight against misuse of the platform has been recognized, the work is never done on our end, a spokesman for TikTok said in a statement in response to the judgment. We are committed to continuously enhancing our safety features as a testament to our ongoing commitment to our users in India. The company has had more success outside of China than any previous Chinese Internet company -- and growth in overseas markets will help the company live up to high expectations when it decides to go public. In India, TikTok has attracted more than 120 million users thanks to a steady stream of videos with dance moves set to Bollywood music, slapstick humor and jokes in local languages. After starting Bytedance in 2012, Zhangs first big hit was the news app Jinri Toutiao, or Todays Headlines, which became Chinas largest news site with more than 700 million users. He launched the short-video app Douyin in China in 2016 and created the international version, TikTok, the next year. Together, the apps have been installed more than a billion times. --With assistance from Shelly Banjo. To contact the reporters on this story: Upmanyu Trivedi in New Delhi at utrivedi2@bloomberg.net;Saritha Rai in Bangalore at srai33@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Arijit Ghosh at aghosh@bloomberg.net, Unni Krishnan For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's parliament passed a bill on Tuesday requiring the government take firm steps to respond to "terrorist actions" by U.S. forces, state TV reported, retaliating against Washington's blacklisting of the country's elite Revolutionary Guards. President Donald Trump on April 8 designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) a foreign terrorist group, in an unprecedented step that drew Iranian condemnation and raised concerns about retaliatory attacks on U.S. forces. Tehran reacted to the designation, which took effect on April 15, by naming the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) a terrorist organization and the U.S. government a sponsor of terrorism. "The bill authorises the government to take firm and retaliatory measures against terrorist activities of American forces that endangers Iran's interests," TV reported. "The government should use legal, political and diplomatic measures in response to the American actions." Highly loyal to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the IRGC is a powerful force which controls much of the Iranian economy and wields political influence in the country's faction-ridden clerical establishment. The semi-official Tasnim news agency said some 168 lawmakers out of 210 present at the parliament voted for the bill. Tensions have been on the rise between Tehran and Washington since last year, when Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers and reimposed sanctions on the country. In recent years, there have been periodic confrontations between the IRGC and U.S. military in the Gulf. The new chief commander of the IRGC Hossein Salami, appointed after the U.S. blacklisting, has warned in the past that Iran could use its cruise and ballistic missiles and drones, mines, speedboats, and missile launchers in the Gulf area to confront the United States. The Trump administration, which has taken a hard line on Iran, said in a statement on Monday that the president has decided not to reissue waivers in May allowing importers to buy Iranian oil without facing U.S. sanctions. Story continues Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the heightening economic pressure on Iran showed that Washington was in panic. "Escalating #EconomicTERRORISM against Iranians exposes panic & desperation of US regime and chronic failures of its client co-conspirators," Zarif Tweeted on Tuesday. A commander of Iran's IRGC said on Monday that Tehran would block all exports through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if Tehran is barred from using the waterway, where a fifth of global oil consumption passes on its way from Middle East producers to major markets. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by William Maclean) DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish pharmaceuticals group Uniphar has hired stockbroker Davy and RBC Capital Markets to sound out investors for a possible initial public offering (IPO) in 2019, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The company could raise up to 150 million euros ($167 million) from the issue of new shares if market conditions allow, the source said. The listing would be a welcome boost for Euronext Dublin, formerly known as the Irish Stock Exchange, which is yet to host an IPO in 2019 after a number of companies postponed floatations when markets faltered towards the end of 2018. Uniphar has an annual turnover of around 1.3 billion euros and could use the fresh capital for acquisitions as it seeks to expand. The source said comparable listed peers include Britain's Clinigen and Ireland's UGD Healthcare, both of which are listed in London. "It is a stated objective of Uniphar plc to seek a potential IPO listing on the Dublin and London markets subject to favourable market conditions," a spokesman for the company said. "The company is continuing to monitor the markets with this objective in mind." Founded in 1967, Uniphar is the current leader in the Irish pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution market, having built on a number two position achieved by acquiring Cahill May Roberts in 2013 for 50 million euros. In 2018, Uniphar acquired 15 pharmacies trading under the Allcare brand, and the healthcare distribution business SISK Group. (Reporting by Graham Fahy; Editing by Rachel Armstrong and Mark Potter) Wirecard, which specialises in payment processing, announced the signing of a strategic partnership with Japan's Softbank to accelerate its development in Japan and South Korea (AFP Photo/Behrouz MEHRI) Japan's Softbank is to invest 900 million euros ($1 billion) in beleaguered German financial technology firm Wirecard, or a stake of about 5.6 percent, Wirecard announced Wednesday. Wirecard, which specialises in payment processing, also announced the signing of a strategic partnership with Softbank, a technology and investment giant, to accelerate its development in Japan and South Korea. Wirecard, the rising star of Germany's finance sector, was shaken by a series of Financial Times articles earlier this year accusing the Bavarian company of making false accounting entries in the Asian region. As a result, nine billion euros was wiped off the company's value on the stock market, prompting BaFin, which supervises Germany's financial markets, to issue a temporary ban on negative speculation on Wirecard. An investigation conducted at the request of Wirecard by Singaporean law firm Rajah & Tann into charges of fraud in the fintech's Asian subsidiary that was published last month did not find any "inaccuracies with material impact on the financial reports". The Rajah & Tann report released by Wirecard found no "criminal liability" in the firm's head office but said "some local employees" could be held criminally responsible under Singapore law. A local police investigation is ongoing in the city-state. The firm was hailed as an early success story on the fintech scene when it started in 1999, providing electronic payment services, a niche then ignored by major German banks. The company expanded with the boom of online commerce, ensuring the settlement of transactions to help professional customers such as airlines and online pharmacies. WAYNE, Pa., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Judge Group, a leading global professional services firm, has been awarded a 2019 Top Workplaces honor by Philadelphia Media Network. The award is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by research partner Energage , LLC (formerly WorkplaceDynamics), a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few. The Judge Group utilizes a network of over 35 officesseveral located in the Delaware Valley throughout the United States, Canada, and India to provide technology, talent, and learning solutions to clients across a wide range of industries. The company was founded in Philadelphia in 1970 and continues to be headquartered in the Greater Philadelphia Area. As such, The Judge Group is proud to be entering its 50th year of service to clients and job seekers in the Delaware Valley and across the globe. Top Workplaces is more than just recognition, said Doug Claffey , CEO of Energage. Our research shows organizations that earn the award attract better talent, experience lower turnover, and are better equipped to deliver bottom-line results. Their leaders prioritize and carefully craft a healthy workplace culture that supports employee engagement. We are excited to once again be named as a Top Workplace by the Philadelphia Media Network, said Brian Anderson, President of The Judge Group. To have received this distinction for the past ten years is an honor. We strive to create a company culture rooted in our core values and to receive this recognition based on the direct feedback of our employees is a testament to those efforts. As we enter our 50th year of service, it continues to be the hard work and dedication of our employees that helps separate Judge from our competitors. Becoming a Top Workplace isnt something organizations can buy, Claffey said. Its an achievement organizations have worked for and a distinction that gives them a competitive advantage. Its a big deal. The Judge Group, headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, is located at 151 South Warner Road, Wayne, PA 19087. The office can be reached at 1-800-650-0035 and for more information about The Judge Group visit https://www.judge.com . Story continues About The Judge Group The Judge Group is a leading professional services firm specializing in talent, technology, and learning solutions. Our services are successfully delivered through a network of more than 35 offices in the United States, Canada, and India. The Judge Group serves more than 47 of the Fortune 100 and is responsible for over 7,000 professionals on assignment annually across a wide range of industries. Working at the crossroads of people and transformative technologies, The Judge Group delivers innovative business solutions powered by top talent to help organizations reach their strategic goals and realize opportunities now and in the future. About Energage, LLC Headquartered in Exton, PA, Energage (formerly known as WorkplaceDynamics) is a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools that help leaders to unlock potential, inspire performance, and achieve amazing results within their organizations. The research partner behind the Top Workplaces program, Energage has surveyed more than 47,000 organizations representing well over 16 million employees in the United States. Kim Jong Un sought Vladimir Putins help in resolving a nuclear stalemate with the U.S., asking the Russian leader at their first summit to convey his views to Donald Trump. Chairman Kim Jong Un himself asked us to inform the American side about his position, Putin told reporters after more than three hours of talks on a university campus in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok. There are no secrets here. We will discuss this with the Americans and our Chinese partners, said Putin, who is heading to Beijing later Thursday. While Russia extended the invitation to Kim almost a year ago, the North Korean leader only accepted after his second summit with Trump broke down in February without agreements on relief from United Nations sanctions that are choking his economy or steps toward Kims disarmament. Since then, North Korea has complained that intermediaries to Trump ranging from U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to the South Korean government arent getting his message across. I had candid and meaningful talks with Putin on developing friendly relations between North Korea and Russia, Kim said at a reception with his Russian counterpart after the meetings. For Putin, hosting Kim gives him a chance to remain a player in a security dispute shaped mainly by the U.S. and China. The Russian trip advances Kims efforts to break his countrys isolation. After ruling for six years without leaving home, hes visited five nations since his rapprochement with Trump, including China, Russia, Singapore, Vietnam and a short hop over the South Korean border. Kim, who kept Putin waiting almost a year for the summit, was also more than 30 minutes behind the Russian presidents arrival at the venue. That was an unusual turnabout for Putin, whos notorious for keeping world leaders waiting for meetings. We welcome your efforts to develop inter-Korean dialogue and to normalize North Korean and American relations, Putin told Kim. Story continues Neither side released details of what was discussed at the meetings, which appeared cordial. Putin said he shares the U.S. desire to see full denuclearization, but added that North Korea would need security guarantees, most likely international, to protect its sovereignty. He said a return to six-party talks, an arrangement that included Russia and Japan, as well as China, the U.S. and the two Koreas, could be useful for that. Kim, who arrived aboard an armored train Wednesday, hasnt met with the Russian leader since coming to power in 2011. But ties between Moscow and Pyongyang run deep with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin helping Kims grandfather, Kim Il Sung, set up the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea in the aftermath of World War II. If the Hanoi summit had gone well, North Korea would not have needed to visit Russia, said Kim Sung-han, dean of Korea Universitys Graduate School of International Studies in Seoul and a former vice minister at the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referring to Kims failed meeting with Trump in February. The Russia trip comes after Kim gave a speech at the countrys rubber-stamp parliament this month where he said he is willing to meet Trump again as long as the U.S. offers acceptable terms for a deal by year end. For North Korea, Russia doesnt have the capacity to replace China, said Kim, the former vice foreign minister. Internally, it will help Kim show off his leadership to domestic elites but unless the trip generates tangible and physical support, it is just abstract. Putin suggested a compromise could be possible on North Korean migrant workers in Russia, an important source of income for the Pyongyang government thats due to be cut off at the end of this year under UN sanctions. He didnt elaborate, however. This is essentially a side-show in the continuing saga between Pyongyang and Washington, Dmitri Trenin, head of the Moscow Carnegie Center, wrote on Twitter. Russia will seek to score diplomatic points by demonstrating its relevance; North Korea, by showing it has options. By Andrew Hay TAOS, N.M., April 25 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc on Thursday barred a New Mexico-based paramilitary group that has stopped undocumented migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border from using its fundraising tools and said it would remove any of its posts that violated company policies. Facebook made the statement after a civil rights organization asked it to block videos posted by the United Constitutional Patriots (UCP), saying the clips violated its standards, which prohibit images showing criminal acts. "People cannot use our fundraising tools for activities involving weapons," said a Facebook spokesperson in a statement. "We will remove fundraisers this group may try to start on our service and any content that violates our Community Standards." Since February, the UCP have posted a string of videos showing members armed with semi-automatic rifles halting migrants in New Mexico and telling them to sit and wait for U.S. Border Patrol to arrest them. The UCP says the videos demonstrate its work helping Border Patrol detain some 5,600 migrants in just 60 days during a surge in illegal crossings. Civil rights groups accuse the group of illegally detaining asylum seekers. "These videos include content showing possible assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment," the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said in a statement on Thursday asking Facebook to remove them. UCP spokesman Jim Benvie did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a Facebook Live post on Tuesday he described the group's videos as "citizen journalism" showing reality on the border. "There is a crisis at the border, we are being invaded," Benvie said. Facebook's Community Standards bar users from publicizing crime, using hate speech or presenting arguments for restricting immigration policy, among other things, the spokesperson said. PayPal and GoFundMe on Friday barred the UCP, citing policies that prohibit the promotion of hate or violence. Story continues New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham last week called for an investigation of the group. The FBI arrested the UCP's commander, Larry Hopkins, on Saturday on federal weapons charges dating back to 2017. Hopkins was assaulted in a New Mexico jail on Monday and hospitalized with broken ribs. The UCP left its campsite on Tuesday after Union Pacific Railroad accused it of trespassing, but Benvie said it would soon relocate to a nearby spot along the border. "Were not going to quit fighting, were not going to quit reporting," he said. (Reporting By Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Editing by Frank McGurty and Susan Thomas) (Adds performance details) MEXICO CITY, April 25 (Reuters) - Mexico's largest retailer Walmart de Mexico reported on Thursday that first-quarter net profit rose 3.8 percent in a "challenging" start to the year, falling below market expectations. Analysts had expected net profit to rise 6.4 percent, according to a Reuters poll. The company attributed its weaker-than-expected performance to a gasoline shortage in Mexico that slowed shopper traffic, as well as a calendar shift to celebrate the Easter holiday in April rather than March. Walmart de Mexico's said its gross margin, a measure of profitability and efficiency, fell in Mexico by 20 basis points to 22.5 percent of profit as a percentage of sales, as its stores offered discounts to turn over inventory and absorbed costs from delays in clothing imports. The retailer's net profit was 8.66 billion pesos ($446 million), up from 8.35 billion pesos a year earlier. The quarter generated 151.73 billion pesos in revenue for the company. Walmart de Mexico opened 12 new stores from January to March, bringing its total to 3,259 locations, mostly in Mexico, which is parent company Walmart Inc.'s largest overseas market by number of stores. Online shopping grew 49 percent in the quarter, representing 1.1 percent of sales in Mexico. In Central America, sales fell more than 1 percent and Chief Executive Guilherme Loureiro said in a webcast that growth would resume at a slow pace. Honduras posted revenue growth while sales fell in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador. ($1 = 19.4120 pesos at end-March) (Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; editing by Jonathan Oatis and James Dalgleish) The Middle East must avoid making the same investing mistakes as Europe, BlackRock's Larry Fink says His comments come at a time when some of the world's leading financiers are returning to Saudi Arabia after the oil-rich kingdom held some of the year's largest merger and bond deals. Nonetheless, BlackRock's Fink said it would be "essential" for Middle East governments to drum up support from domestic investors too. The Middle East must tread carefully to ensure it does not make the same investment mistakes as Europe , according to the CEO of the world's largest asset manager. "The only way to get more financial inclusion in this region and every region is to have greater participation in the capital market through equities in their retirement plans," BlackRock BLK Chief Executive Larry Fink told CNBC's Hadley Gamble during a panel session in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. "The region should not make the mistakes that so many other regions (have made), like in Europe, where there is such shallow participation by locals in investing in their own capital markets," he added. His comments come at a time when some of the world's leading financiers are returning to Saudi Arabia after the oil-rich kingdom held some of the year's largest merger and bond deals. International investors flocked to lend money to Saudi Arabia's hugely profitable state-owned oil company earlier this month. Demand for Saudi Aramco's bonds surged above $100 billion, according to a source familiar with the situation, more than 10 times the $10 billion that had been expected. Nonetheless, BlackRock's Fink said it would be "essential" for Middle East governments to drum up support from domestic investors too. "I think that's going to be one of the critical characteristics to build and BlackRock will play a big role in both working with the domestic savers and building their retirement, plus bringing in international investing to invest side by side," Fink said. Significant reform Story continues Aramco's bond issue comes around six months after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate of Istanbul. Intelligence agencies in the U.S. have since concluded the Saudi crown prince ordered the killing of Khashoggi. Riyadh denies that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved in the murder. Khashoggi's killing sparked concerns that international investors would shun the kingdom, but bond buyers do not appear ready to overlook an investment opportunity in Saudi Arabia the world's largest oil exporter. "It is not only Saudi Arabia, the whole region is going through significant reform," Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said during the same panel session at The Financial Sector Conference on Wednesday. "We have governments who are very determined to reform and to put their money where their mouth is and invest significantly in infrastructure services and technology for the years to come and that provides significant opportunities for the private sector," he added. More From CNBC (Bloomberg) -- Elon Musks declarations that Tesla Inc. was done losing money and needing to raise more cash turned out to be premature. The chief executive officer is reopening the door to seeking capital for the maker of the electric Model 3 sedan after posting a bigger-than-expected loss for the first quarter. A record drop in deliveries, combined with the companys largest-ever debt payment, depleted cash to the lowest level in three years. Tesla fell as much as 3.2 percent shortly after the open of regular trading to $250.50, the lowest intraday since Oct. 11. The shares pared their decline to 0.6 percent as of 9:45 a.m. Thursday in New York. Musk, 47, assured investors that higher deliveries and cost cuts will help Tesla post a narrower loss in the second quarter and return to profitability the following three months. But he also went a step further than his hint earlier this week that Tesla may seek more funds as he embarks on a hugely ambitious pursuit to unleash fully autonomous robotaxis in a shared service next year. There is merit to the idea of raising capital at this point, Musk said on an earnings call Wednesday. It is very important as the company scales to make sure we are on a solid foundation and that we have the appropriate financial discipline across the company and that we are spending money very efficiently. At this point, I think we are doing that. Tesla reported an adjusted loss of $494 million, or $2.90 a share, for the first quarter, missing analysts average estimate for a $1.30 deficit. The company is planning as much as $2.5 billion in capital expenditures this year as it develops new vehicles including the Model Y crossover and Semi truck. Thats more than the $2.2 billion in cash and equivalents that were on the balance sheet at the end of March. $2.2 billion in cash is a lot of money, but not when youre making the kinds of investments Tesla is making, Rebecca Lindland, a longtime auto-industry analyst and founder of the car-review website RebeccaDrives.com, said on Bloomberg Television. Im definitely concerned about some of their projections. Story continues In addition to operating cash flow worsening relative to the previous quarter, a February debt payment -- the companys largest ever -- drained $920 million from its coffers. The company has another $566 million of convertible bonds coming due in November. The halving of a federal tax incentive for Tesla purchases starting in January dragged on U.S. demand in the quarter, and Tesla struggled to offset that drop by starting deliveries of the Model 3 in Europe and China. Also putting a damper on results were were frequent price changes and a botched retail strategy shift that stoked confusion among employees and customers. Musk announced Feb. 28 that in order to offer a long-promised $35,000 version of the Model 3, Tesla was shifting all ordering online and closing down most of its stores. The company backtracked just 10 days later, saying it would only shut roughly half as many locations as planned. We will certainly continue to have stores and we will continue to add stores, provided they are in locations where there is high foot traffic, Musk said Wednesday. But we will close stores in locations where theyre incredibly hard to find where foot traffic of potential buyers is very low. Tesla finished the quarter with $768 million in customer deposits, a dip from $793 million at the end of last year, despite the unveiling of the Model Y in March. When asked about the state of orders for the vehicle the company expects to produce next year, Musk declined to comment on the granularity of deposits. During Musks deep dive on Monday into the technology behind Teslas Autopilot system and its plans for a fully autonomous robotaxi, the CEO reset expectations for future cash flow. Whereas the company had said in the past that it expected to be positive in every quarter beyond the first three months of this year, Musk said the goal is now to be neutral while Tesla is building up a fleet of self-driving vehicles. When asked by an analyst Monday how much the autonomous endeavor is costing Tesla, Musk replied: Its basically our entire expense structure. On Wednesday, Tesla re-affirmed a forecast that it will deliver 360,000 to 400,000 cars in 2019. The company delivered about 63,000 vehicles in the first quarter, so itll need to average handing over roughly 100,000 cars to customers in each of the next three quarters to reach the low end of its guidance. Musks comments on Teslas cash position were a far cry from a year ago, when he interrupted an analyst who told him many investors were in favor of the company raising capital when it didnt need to. I disagree, Musk said in May 2018. When asked whether he might want to raise cash, he replied: No. I specifically dont want to. (Updates share trading in third paragraph.) --With assistance from Nancy Moran, Chester Dawson, Esha Dey and Julie Verhage. To contact the reporters on this story: Dana Hull in San Francisco at dhull12@bloomberg.net;David Welch in Southfield at dwelch12@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, Chester Dawson For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MYR Group Inc. (MYR Group) (MYRG), a holding company of leading specialty contractors serving the electric utility infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction markets in the United States and western Canada, today announced it will release first-quarter 2019 results on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, after the market closes. In conjunction with the release, MYR Group has scheduled a conference call and simultaneous webcast to discuss results on Thursday, May 2, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. Central time. To participate in the conference call via telephone, please dial (877) 561-2750 (domestic) or (763) 416-8565 (international) at least five minutes prior to the start of the event. A replay of the conference call will be available through Thursday, May 9, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time, by dialing (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406, and entering conference ID 5690388. MYR Group will also broadcast the conference call live via the internet. Interested parties may access the webcast through the Investor Relations section of MYR Groups website at myrgroup.com. Please access the website at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to register and download and install any necessary audio software. The webcast will be archived for 7 days. About MYR Group Inc. MYR Group is a holding company of leading specialty contractors serving the electric utility infrastructure, commercial and industrial construction markets throughout the United States and western Canada who have the experience and expertise to complete electrical installations of any type and size. Their comprehensive services on electric transmission and distribution networks and substation facilities include design, engineering, procurement, construction, upgrade, maintenance and repair services. Transmission and distribution customers include investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, private developers, government-funded utilities, independent power producers, independent transmission companies, industrial facility owners and other contractors. Commercial and industrial electrical contracting services are provided to general contractors, commercial and industrial facility owners, local governments and developers. For more information, visit myrgroup.com. Story continues Contact Betty R. Johnson, Chief Financial Officer, MYR Group Inc., 847-290-1891, investorinfo@myrgroup.com North Korea wants to denuclearize but needs security guarantees, Putin says after Kim talks Kim met Putin on an island off the Pacific port city of Vladivostok on Thursday. It is the first time the leaders have met face to face. The meeting comes two months after denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang collapsed in Hanoi. For Russia, the meeting was seen as a way to show the world that Russia can be a global power broker. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants to denuclearize but needs "security guarantees" to do so. Speaking after a high-profile summit with Kim, Putin said Russia favored denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and Kim agreed, but said bilateral security guarantees were not enough. Putin said he didn't know if it was time to resume six-way talks with North Korea to end a standoff over its nuclear weapons program. The "six-party talks" had taken place between North and South Korea, the U.S., Japan, Russia and China in the early 2000s, but collapsed in 2009 when North Korea pulled out, saying it would resume its nuclear enrichment program in order to boost its nuclear deterrent. Putin said Thursday that a resumption of such talks "will help provide international security guarantees," Reuters reported. Earlier Thursday, Putin had said he had a "substantial discussion" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un about the Korean Peninsula Thursday, but gave little detail. He said he and Kim exchanged views on how to improve the situation in the region, Reuters reported. Kim, meanwhile, reportedly said both leaders discussed how to "strategically improve regional stability." "We just had a thorough face-to-face conversation," Putin said, according to Russian news agency Tass. "We talked about the history of our insterstate relations, the current situation and the prospects for the development of our bilateral ties," he noted. "We discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and shared our positions on the measures to be taken for the situation to have good prospects for improvement." Story continues Kim met Putin on an island off the Pacific port city of Vladivostok on Thursday. It is the first time the leaders have met face to face. The meeting comes two months after denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang collapsed in Hanoi. For Russia, the meeting was seen as a way to show the world that Russia can be a global power broker. For North Korea, the meeting has helped to show the U.S. that it has "options." In a sign that direct communication with the U.S. could be strained, Putin said Kim had asked Russia to inform the U.S. of its position. More From CNBC Logo of jester cap with thought bubble. Image source: The Motley Fool. NorthWestern Corp (NYSE: NWE) Q1 2019 Earnings Call April 24, 2019, 3:00 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good day and welcome to the NorthWestern Corporation's First Quarter 2019 Financial Results Conference Call and Webcast. Today's event is being recorded. At this time, I would like to turn the conference over to NorthWestern's Investor Relations officer, Travis Meyer. Please go ahead, sir. Travis Meyer -- Investor Relations Thank you, Chantelle. Good afternoon and thank you for joining NorthWestern Corporation's financial results conference call and webcast for the quarter ending March 31, 2019. NorthWestern's results have been released, and the release is available on our website at northwesternenergy.com. We also released our 10-Q premarket this morning. On the call with us today are Bob Rowe, President and Chief Executive Officer; Brian Bird, Chief Financial Officer and other members of the management team in the room with us today. Before I turn the call over for us to begin, please note that the Company's press release, this presentation, comments by presenters and responses to your questions may contain forward-looking statements. As such, I'll remind you of our safe harbor language. During the course of this presentation, there will be forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance and will contain the words such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, seeks or will. The information in this presentation is based upon our current expectations. Our actual future business and financial performance may differ materially and adversely from our expectations expressed in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly update our forward-looking statements or this presentation for any reason. Although our expectations and beliefs are based upon reasonable assumptions, actual results may differ materially. The factors that may affect our results are listed in certain of our press releases and disclosed in the Company's Form 10K and 10Q along with other public filings with the SEC. Story continues Following our presentations, we will open the phone lines to allow those who are dialed into the teleconference to ask questions. The archived replay of today's webcast will be available for one year beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Time and can be found on our website, again northwesternenergy.com under the Our Company Investor Relations Presentations and Webcast link. I'll now hand the presentation over to our CEO, Bob Rowe. Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Good afternoon and thank you all for joining us. As you know, we just finished our quarterly Board meeting and annual shareholders meeting within our operations center in Huron this week. Had a great community event, good breakfast and discussion with our Huron-based employees this morning. A neat thing about Huron, it has, you may have seen this in the papers last week. It has a higher percentage of immigrants than any city in the United States. And over the last few years, the community has really embraced primarily ethnic and religious refugees from Burma and they've just added a lot to the community. We were joined by this year's leadership, NorthWestern class and these are folks from all over the country, all over the Company. Some with decades of experience, some with only a year or so of experience and they've been traveling around visiting our South Dakota locations this week and tomorrow night, if you happen to be in the Sioux Falls area, you're welcome to join us all for dinner and meet the class, Brian and Janet Burtoft (ph), and that's going to be a lot of fun as well. Turning to highlights. Net income for the first quarter increased by $14.3 million, 24.4% as compared to the same period last year. This was primarily due to higher gross margin which was the result of colder weather and customer growth and then also a reduction in revenue in 2018 due to impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. And this was all partially offset by higher operating expenses. Diluted EPS increased $0.26 or 22% as compared to the same period last year. And then after adjusting for favorable weather in both periods, non-GAAP adjusted EPS increased by $0.12 or 10.8% as compared to the same period in '18. On April 15, we issued a request for proposals for 60 megawatts of flexible capacity resources to begin serving South Dakota customers by the end of 2021, responses are due in July 2019 with the evaluation of the proposals in the second half of 2019. We'll come back and talk a bit more about that and other supply matters. And then the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of 0.575 per share payable June 28 to shareholders of record as of June 14. And with that, off to Brian Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Bob. The summary financial results for the first quarter, we had a very good first quarter of 2019, gross margin was up 9.4%, operating income up nearly 15% and as Bob pointed out, net income and diluted earnings per share were both up over 20%. So very, very good start to the year. Moving right to gross margin. For the first quarter, gross margin was $268.5 million or an increase of $23.1 million again 9.4% increase of and by the way that increase was both across the electric and gas business. The gas business impacted a bit more by weather than the electric business. The three biggest drivers that impacted the change in gross margin that actually impacts net income was obviously an increase in natural direct gas retail volumes and an increase in electric retail volumes, a total of $13.4 million between those two and that was primarily driven by colder weather but we did see increase in customers as well during the quarter. The last item of significance during the quarter was in 2018, you may recall because as a result of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we did have some margin revenue reserved associated with a give back to customers that we did in fact provide at the end of the year. The -- we did not have any of those deferrals in 2019, thus the benefit in '19 versus '18 that was of $7.3 million. The total of those three items themselves add up to approximately $20.2 million below change in gross margin offset elsewhere within the P&L, we did have $2.9 million. And we had a total increase of $23.1 million increase in gross margin for the quarter. Moving on to weather. We were colder in all jurisdictions both versus the prior year and versus our historic averages. As you could see in the map at the bottom of the page both February and March much colder than they had been versus normal. And as a result, (inaudible) we had a $14 million improvement in pre-tax gross margin as result of weather and $9.2 million better than the first quarter of 2018. Moving on to operating expenses. Operating expenses were $171.5 million or $10.6 million, 6.6% better than the prior year period. Operating general administrative expenses about 9.2% increase and property taxes and depreciation up just under 5%. Back to the OG&A at the top of the page, if you backed out those items that were offset elsewhere within the P&L, the increase is approximately just under 5% for that item. And matter of fact the $3.7 million change in OG&A that actually impacts net income. The first two are the primary importance to talk about here. Hazard trees, we are more focused on spending on trees outside of our right-of-way in 2019 and decided to allocate more dollars toward that during the year, it was $0.9 million in the first quarter. We've also increased our cash funding approximately $4 million in 2019 primarily due to asset returns that we've experienced, the impact in the first quarter of that was $0.9 million as well. So those are the two biggest drivers in the operating expense items that impact net income. We did have $3.1 million of items that are offset elsewhere in P&L for a total of $6.8 million increase in OG&A. I did mention the increases in property taxes and depreciation of $2 million and $1.8 million respectively. Both of those increases are primarily due to plant additions. Operating income, top (ph), Page 8, $97 million, $12.5 million or 14.8% better than the prior year. Below that interest expense is up slightly due to higher borrowings, other income has improved $2.2 million on a year-over-year basis primarily driven by those items I mentioned else -- earlier that are offset elsewhere in the P&L, but also due to higher capitalization of AFUDC in the quarter. That provided for an income before taxes of $74.4 million or $14 million improvement an increase of 23.2% and then below that is income taxes are actually down slightly. And I'll speak more to that on the next page. The income tax reconciliation even though we did have an increase in the pre-tax income that actually increased our tax associated with the federal statutory rate. We did have a higher level of flow through adjustments on a year-over-year basis which ultimately netted $0.3 million decrease in income tax expense. Moving to the balance sheet, not much to report there, very little change since year end 2018, but you can see, we continue to trend closer to the bottom end of our 50% to 55% targeted range on debt to cap. We're now at 50.8% at the end of the first quarter. Moving on to cash flow. We did have an impact on cash flow for the first three months of '19 versus '18. Cash from operating activities decreased by $61.6 million primarily due to an increase in market purchases of supply resulting in under collection of supply costs from customers. We also provided for TCJA those credits even though the book expense or the -- I shouldn't say book expense, the hit from an income perspective hit in 2018, we really didn't feel the impact of those from a cash perspective until the first quarter of 2019. And also we had receipt of insurance proceeds during the first quarter of 2018. Those are the biggest impact on the cash flow statement. Moving forward to adjusted non-GAAP earnings, the bottom of that page, you can see the far left from a GAAP perspective $1.44 for the quarter when you back out $0.21 of favorable weather, we get to $1.23. That's compared to on a prior year basis $1.11 which was adjusted by $0.07 of favorable weather. That $1.23 is $0.12 higher than the prior year period on a -- an adjusted non-GAAP basis or a 10.8% increase. When you do that throughout the P&L, you can still see a nice improvement in gross margin even after adjusted for weather approximately a 6% improvement there, that was higher, that percentage increase was higher than increase in operating expenses on an adjusted basis resulting in a 7.1% increase in operating income an 8.6% improvement in pre-tax income. And lastly, $7.4 million or 13.5% improvement in net income. We were slightly lower on a diluted EPS percentage increase because we did have share dilution on a year-over-year basis. With that, I'll hand it back over to Bob. Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Great. Thank you, Brian. A summary of upcoming (ph) events appears on Page 13. As you know, we filed a Montana general electric rate review in September that will be go into hearing next month. We expect to file a parallel FERC rate case for Montana transmission assets in the coming days as well, continue to focus on our transmission and distribution infrastructure with our comprehensive capital program addressing safety, capacity and reliability, obviously we're well under way with that and on the natural gas side specifically, significant investment driven by safety compliance activities. And then grid modernization including the advanced distribution management system. We're deploying currently and the AMI system that we're under way deploying starting in South Dakota moving both gas and electric, moving South through South Dakota into Nebraska and then taking a look at Montana. We continue to make progress preparing to enter the Western Energy Imbalance Market and of course we're ever vigilant concerning control in all costs and well under way with planning and implementation particularly at the South Dakota Resource Plan. We'll talk a bit more about that. Turning to the Montana electric rate review. This is our first general Montana electric case since 2009 and that's a reflection of our ability to provide really pretty extraordinary price stability to our customers over that period and while we've done a good job I think managing our costs, increased property taxes along with significant investment in the T&D system really did compel us to finally come back in. And obviously, it's a great thing for our customers that we were able to stay out for as long as we were while continuing to invest and maintain very high levels of service. So in September of '18, we filed based on our 2017 test year and $2.34 million (ph) of rate base. At the time, we requested $34.9 million annual increase in rates for a residential customer that would be about a 7.4% increase. Then on April 5th, this year, we filed a rebuttal testimony updating and lowering our requests to $30.7 million and this responded to intervenor testimony but also included various known and measurable adjustments. We requested a 10.65% ROE, 4.26% cost of debt and a capital structure with 49.4% equity and therefore 7.42% return on rate base. In March, the Commission issued an order, an interim order approving approximately $10.5 million on an interim and refundable basis that was effective on April 1st. February 12th, intervenor testimony came in and the Montana Consumer Counsel took an opening position recommending a $7.3 million rate decrease and on February 28, the Commission voted to request additional testimony on five issues and those are spelled out in the deck. That did include probably most notably more discussion of hazard tree and wild fire liability mitigation. That's an issue, we're obviously focused on and have been focused on for quite some time. May 3rd, is the final day for both NorthWestern and intervenors to respond to discovery. May 13th, the hearing starts, in addition to the standard rate review issues, we viewed little (ph) proposal to capitalize DSM costs, establish a new baseline for the electric supply tracker, the PCCAM include the Two Dot wind project in rate base and then approve a new class for our -- for future net metering customers while current net metering customers would be grandfathered. Lots of interest in the Montana legislature specifically sessions were wrapped up in South Dakota and Nebraska and were quiet and constructive. In Montana, the last legislative day on a 90 day calendar is Monday the 29. There's expectation they will adjourn sine die before then. We were up following quite a number of bills and we're successful in supporting the defeat of bills that we think would have been quite harmful to our customers and to us and also had some success on a couple of issues that were important to us. In summary, there was as you know legislation that would have allowed us to acquire up 250 megawatts of generation from Colstrip -- Colstrip Unit 4 for $1 and would have also facilitated acquisition of a greater share of the Colstrip transmission system that we operate and the primary vehicle there was Senate Bill 331 that is now listed as probably dead. Also we were interested in legislation that would remove the so-called deadband plus or minus $4.1 million deadband sharing provision from the Commissions' electric supply tracker order and that is Senate Bill 244 that has been enrolled and then will be submitted to the Governor. There was also legislation that would -- several (ph) pieces originally that would have prohibited the Commission from applying a maximum contract length of 15 years to future owned or contracted supply resources as had been required in the Commission's November 2017 Qualifying Facilities order. This was the so-called symmetry rule and one of those pieces of legislation HB22 may be moving into or is moving into conference. We don't know the final outcome even on the legislative side for the next couple of days although things are very clearly wrapping up. So it's premature to say the ultimate end of all of this. But again the -- on many subjects, we consider the Montana session to have been a success. Certainly, it is -- very disappointing for our customers in terms of where the bill would have addressed providing the Colstrip benefit appears to be ending up. Turning to our supply plans. The South Dakota plan is moving ahead in really great fashion. It's published in the fall of '18, focuses on modernizing our fleet, improving reliability and flexibility, maintaining compliance in the Southwest Power Pool and lower operating costs. We've identified about 90 megawatts of existing generation that really needs to be retired or replaced over about 10 years. And on April 15th, just a few days ago, we issued an RFP for 60 megawatts of flexible capacity resources to begin serving our South Dakota customers by the end of 2021. Responses are due in July then we'll evaluate proposals over the second half of the year. So there is an awful lot of interest in that process to-date and we're very pleased with that. Concerning the Montana plant, a draft plan was completed in March. It's expected to be finalized by the end of June and we're sponsoring a 60 day online comment period. You can go to our web page, look at the plan and track comments. And the deadline for filing public comments is May 5th. And the plan focuses on the goal of developing resources that will address our fairly dramatically changing energy landscape and meeting our customers' needs in a reliable and affordable manner. And right now, we're about 630 megawatt short of our current peak needs. And that means that as was the case in February-March of this year and for that better August, we were in the market at the absolute worst possible time and with coal retirements and increases in intermittent resources in the region that market is changing really quite dramatically. And as a result, we forecast that our portfolio is going to be about 725 megawatt short by 2025. And that's even assuming contributions from energy efficiency and distributed generation and a relatively modest increase in customer demand. Planned regional retirements of coal plants as I mentioned earlier, 3500 megawatts and the loss of load probability becomes significant according to the council by -- the regional power planning council by 2021. We -- our draft plan contemplates soliciting all source proposal, supply side, demand side of all flavors later this year for peaking capacity available by 2022 and then we would essentially wash, rinse and repeat several times and the reason for the multiple rounds is to feather in resources, take advantage of technology developments, changing cost structures. Because that occurs. But the need is significant. Very important to note that the plan would be to use competitive solicitations administered by independent evaluators and therefore, we have not included capital associated with the identified needs in our forecasts and these needs could affect our capital spending potentially in excess of $200 million over the next five years. And then with that turning to the capital forecast. We're still anticipating $1.6 billion of total capital over the next five years. The increased investment that you see in the first three years is associated primarily with the important and immediate focus on AMI. Initially as I mentioned in South Dakota. And we continue to anticipate funding this level of investment with cash flows aided by NOLs and then long term debt issuances, but investments that are not in the above projections or on the other hand, further negative regulatory actions could require additional funding. And then as we highlight every quarter, this capital forecast does not include investments associated with identifying needs under either the South Dakota or the Montana supply plans. And with that, I believe we can open it up for any questions. Questions and Answers: Operator Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we would like to open the floor for questions. (Operator Instructions) Our first question will come from Julien Smith, Bank of America. Nick Campanella -- Bank of America -- Analyst Hey it's Nick Campanella on for Julian, today. How are you? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Good afternoon, Nick. Nick Campanella -- Bank of America -- Analyst Hey, I just wanted to be clear on Colstrip just given the legislation died. Are there other path forward that you see in which you could still acquire capacity or transmission there to perhaps fill your longer term resource needs or otherwise ? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer I think we're going to have to put down the pens and focus on the rate review for the coming months and just assess the situation. This was an extraordinary missed opportunity and I think a real shame for Montana to acquire a resource with great immediate and long term value for our customers, a great bridge resource. And to clarify ownership of that and future directions for the transmission system that's just as critical infrastructure to serve our customers. The problem is that the risk and reward were incredibly misaligned. We were eager to pursue the benefit, the reward on behalf of our customers provided we could address the risk and that was really a pretty modest goal in the legislation but sadly, we just couldn't get there. So the answer is the value is still there, it's a real shame for the state of Montana that we couldn't capture that value, preserve it for our customers. We're going to be focused on the rate case, finishing up the supply plan and see what happens from there. Nick Campanella -- Bank of America -- Analyst Got it. And then I guess just regarding the rate case, I know that you mentioned there was additional testimony required on five issues. And you mentioned the disposition of excess ADIT. Is that the same as the repairs tax issue in the rate case. And then can you just kind of talk about what that is and your ability to address it in this rate case? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yes, Brian. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Yeah I think the issue there is the amortization associated with excess deferred taxes and how that's going to be treated on a going forward basis and even for the period up on to the time on going forward basis and how that would be captured. There's quite a few questions about pension included in -- in ADIT and other things that are part of the rate case, it's pretty complicated stuff. Nick, we'd like to think that we can focus on what the major issues are in the rate case and spend less time talking about taxes to be quite honest. Nick Campanella -- Bank of America -- Analyst You don't see this inhibiting your ability to potentially work toward a settlement or anything? Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer I think, we'll continue to try efforts there. I can't tell you that anything could come in the way of settlement or not. That's very early. We just got past the Board meeting. There's not a lot of discussions going on settlement at this point in time. Nick Campanella -- Bank of America -- Analyst Got it. And then just my last question. I think, you had some pretty successful legislation on the AMI side in Montana and I just was just wondering, could you talk about what's reflected in your current CapEx plan? Does the timing shifts there and when would you potentially try to bring that forward to the PSC? Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer We are continuing to evaluate the timing of the AMI program, we do have it laid out here. We have to complete our South Dakota and Nebraska program that certainly rolls into 2020. We will lay out our Montana plan and before we do, we will certainly sit down with the Montana Commission. Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer The big activity on the distribution operations side actually across the Company is deploying ADMS this year and then in Montana specifically at enormous conversion to LED street lights. That's for our Montana ops folks are really focused right now. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer And to be clear, Nick, on that, we do have dollars in our capital plan associated with Montana AMI. The issue there is that we'd be able to capture during this full -- five year period or could that be spread out a bit more. But we're not the start of the program certainly not being impacted at all. Nick Campanella -- Bank of America -- Analyst Got it. Thanks again, guys. Operator Thank you very much. Our next question will come from Michael Weinstein at Credit Suisse. Michael Weinstein -- Credit Suisse AG -- Analyst Hi guys. How are you doing? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Hey Michael. Michael Weinstein -- Credit Suisse AG -- Analyst So currently there if the deadband, as you go into the rate case, the deadband is still in place right for the PCCAM? Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Absolutely. It's in place and our hope is legislation ultimately gets signed by the Governor that would remove it before it would come in effect again on July 1 of 2019. But we've already blown through the deadband, the tracker year starting July 1 of 2018. So the impact in the first quarter associated with the PCCAM was just the 90-10 sharing that occurred and so we took the 10% hit of that amount over our base period if you will for the first quarter that was approximately $1.6 million. Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer And the bill is effective upon signature. So we certainly are hopeful there. Michael Weinstein -- Credit Suisse AG -- Analyst Got you. And I think Nick already asked this question but, yeah I was just wondering about the -- I guess in the rate case. If you guys are -- there certain issues that would be easier to settle than others as you maybe contemplate settlement discussions as you get closer to the hearing dates? Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer I do think, I would just say this, Michael. I think back to the tax question, is a very complicated items and I think, we feel very good about our position on lot of those items and so I don't think we'll head down the path on those items much. Obviously things like ROE and others are easier to talk about than some of these sophisticated matters but it's early and not a lot of discussion going on at this point in time, so it's too early to tell. Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer You've got to some extent overlapping and to some extent different parties interested in different issues but obviously, the core we're focused by consumer counsel, large customer group is going to be cost of capital, capital structure, revenue requirements and then cost allocation. Michael Weinstein -- Credit Suisse AG -- Analyst Right. And also Bob, you said that, you think that basically it's Montana's missed opportunity on SB 331. I was reading though that there might be some other energy legislation that might pick up the ball? I mean, is it really a dead issue? Or is there no chance at all in this legislative session? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer We're down to the final hours of the session. I suppose theoretically, it's not over until sine die, but there are no more than at most a couple of days if that. Michael Weinstein -- Credit Suisse AG -- Analyst Got you. Okay, thank you very much. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Michael. Operator Thank you. Our next question will come from Jonathan Reeder, Wells Fargo. Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst Hey. Good afternoon, Rob and Brian. How're you all? Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Good, Jonathan, thank you. Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst Hey, so is there any reason the Governor wouldn't sign SB 244? Are you feel good about that? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer We think it's pretty straightforward, logical and fair legislation, got good bipartisan support. So we're certainly hopeful. Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst Okay. And then what are the differences, Bob, between the Senate and House versions of HB 22 that need to get ironed out and in conference? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer I'm sorry. I couldn't quite hear that. Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst What are the differences between the Senate and House versions of HB 22 that need to get ironed out in the conference committee? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer It -- primarily it has to do with some of the QF language, and again, I apologize, I can't tell you the status of that as of this afternoon. It's lot harder. I'm not on the ground there obviously and so lot harder to follow things once they get into conference. So we hope, we'll have some visibility pretty quickly on that. Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst Right. Do you think there's like a big bridge to gap or it's just kind of some semantics and it'll get figured out? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer From where we sit, it doesn't seem like as big a gap. Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst Okay, got you. And then Brian on the rate case, can you remind us how the authorized equity ratios are typically determined in Montana? Is the formulaic based on actual structure as of a given date or does the MPSC have discretion or latitude to set what they believe is appropriate? Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer I'll answer your first question, first, they have discretion, but what has been standard and has been followed for many rate cases now is the fact that we use kind of a rate base, subtract, allocated debt to that jurisdiction to calculate equity and then ultimately doing the capital structure, since we do not have the whole co structure and we're dealing with long term debt only in that jurisdiction that's how we ultimately calculate the capital structuring, it's been consistently used for I think about 10 years now. Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst Okay and that's what your filing is based on? Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer That's correct. Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst Okay. And then I guess in terms of like a potential settlement, at this point, I think you said that discussions haven't yet really begun. So remind us on the timing, it's typically post hearings, I guess. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer No, I think, what typically happens is shortly after rebuttal is filed and that there's usually a discussion shortly after that. I think, should -- people should keep in mind, I think MDU's hearing is before ours. So I don't know what's going on there. They may be spending time with MDU at this point in time. They have a -- a bit of work to do with -- hearing very shortly for MDUs and ours starting on May 13th. So and we've been tied up with Board meetings, so there has been a lot of discussion about settlement at this point in time. Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst Okay. Well good luck on the upcoming hearings and settlement discussions, looking forward to an update. Thanks. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Jonathan. Operator Thank you.(Operator Instructions) Our next question will come from Vedula Murti, Avon Capital. Vedula Murti -- Avon Capital -- Analyst Good afternoon. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Hi Vedula. Vedula Murti -- Avon Capital -- Analyst I look to couple of things. One, I guess in terms of the resource plan and the opportunity for your own capital expenditures to start filling in the deficit. Can you remind me again exactly when you would be able to know the outcome of that and be able to present the Commission the -- what the outcome was that you'd like to pursue? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer On the South Dakota side that's in progress. The RFP is out, we'll be evaluating that in the second half of the year. And again, we have to demonstrate that our proposals are the best but that's being addressed really pretty efficiently. On the Montana side, we will conclude the comment period, file the plan with the Commission shortly after that get input from the Commission and then presumably at that point, move out with a third party administered RFP. My sincere concern is that, we're in a very very big hole in Montana. The region is moving in to a hole and Montana's hole is that much deeper still with the legacy of supply deregulation and divestiture in 1997. So I'm hopeful that we and the Commission can move this forward pretty quickly. Vedula Murti -- Avon Capital -- Analyst So when you have your plan and split to Commission, it's possible then that the plan that then is put out for ultimate proposal for third parties and for yourself could be -- to be significantly different than what you propose? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer It should not be, no. The typical process involves taking public comment. Probably doing a technical workshop. The Commission then issuing comments as well. The Commission has retained a consultant to help look at the plan. My understanding is that the consultant is focusing primarily on the degree to which the plan was responsive to various questions and issues raised under the 2015 plan and we obviously believe that we've done a very good job responding to that. The -- I think that Commission understands the urgency. Just a couple of weeks ago and I would actually encourage you to go take a look at this. They received a presentation from E3 Consulting and E3 had been retained to look at the regional peaking concern and I mentioned increased loss of load probability regionally by 2022. It's a serious situation and much more so for NorthWestern's Montana customers than for anyone else. So I'm hopeful that thoughtful people have spent some time with that subject and understand how serious it is. Vedula Murti -- Avon Capital -- Analyst So when would you feel like they'll be able to announce how much capacity actually will or capital will be awarded as part of this RFP? And what -- and the allocation between yourselves and potential third parties ? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Way too early to speak to that. We really do have to get the plan filed and get some -- some input from the Commission before we can go to that. Vedula Murti -- Avon Capital -- Analyst Now thinking more simply about timing, when you would be able to communicate how -- what actually end up being approved after the -- after it's been submitted to various third parties and yourself. Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Well we hope to be able to solicit proposals later this year. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Vedula, with that, I would say, I think the earliest would be late 2019, we'd have a response to that more likely early 2020. Vedula Murti -- Avon Capital -- Analyst Okay. That was -- I appreciate that. Thank you. You have -- you probably doing a very nice job here for quite a while in terms of being able to manage staying out of the regulatory arena. Given that it's a 2017 historical test year already even with the -- when you solve this case in May or June or whenever, you're already going to be behind in terms of simply rate base and everything like that. So I don't know if you can kind of speak to it because it appears to me just mathematically that based on your capital expenditures less DD&A and everything like that. Every year that you're not updating things here. Your rate base is growing by about $120 million or something like that a year give or take. That needs to be offset either through customer growth or cost adjustments and everything like that if it's not being necessarily trued up in regulatory filings. Can you just kind of speak to from a planning purpose given the historical lags? What type of regulatory lag you tend to place in your forecasts relative to the authorized? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Brian is waving his hands, saying give me the ball, give me the ball. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer I think we've tried to operate by jurisdiction within 50 basis points of our authorized. And once we get outside of that, it's time to take a look at rate cases. I think if you look at our 2018 Montana annual report now from an electric standpoint, I think that -- that will be coming out here shortly, you will see that we would be under earning pretty significantly in Montana thus it was important to come in for a rate case. I think to answer your question specifically, we really have to see how we do in this particular upcoming rate case. Obviously, if we get a good outcome that provides us some cushion to continue to operate without coming in quicker, if we do not. Unfortunately, we'd have to be a bit more frequent rate filer and so, I think that's something that we had to take consideration. So that's a very good outcome, is important to all parties. We will continue to manage our business to try to minimize the impact on customers' bills regardless of the timing of when we come in for rate case and I guess, I'll leave it at that. Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer All I would add is obviously we look every year whether we need to go in. We work to avoid rate cases because we like to provide our customers stable rates. We've been successful in doing that. At the same time that we've maintained good levels of investment and high levels of service. So from a regulator's perspective, I think most regulators would say, that's a win. When we have to file, it's time consuming and truly does draw attention and key resources away from doing the work we all want to do to serve our customers, so we don't file lightly by any means. The other thing and it's true in many rate reviews but certainly in this one is you've got a series of pretty significant policy issues embedded primarily in rate design and those have to be addressed to hopefully at least take steps to better position us to serve our customers the way they want to be served in the future. Vedula Murti -- Avon Capital -- Analyst Okay. And I have one last thing. Maybe a little nit picky on the -- one on the 1Q '19 gross margin charts, you mentioned the benefit of $7.3 million associated with the Tax Reform Act. Now when we go forward, say 1Q 2020, obviously that will not be there but there will be some revenue increase associated with this rate case and basically any other operating pluses and minuses and sales and things of that nature. Is that the right way to think about it? Just when we're just kind of thinking about basically comparisons going forward that the outcome of this rate case and the gives and takes and whatever will be the items that will help offset that one item that clearly will not be there next year? Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer I think you caption that appropriately. You have to consider once a rate case is finalized, you have a new revenue requirement and you're moving forward the goods and the bad associated with the moving parts in that particular rate case. Vedula Murti -- Avon Capital -- Analyst Thank you very much. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Thank you. Operator Thank you. Our next question will come from Paul Patterson, Glenrock Associates. Paul Patterson -- Glenrock Associates -- Analyst Hey good afternoon. Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Hey Paul. Paul Patterson -- Glenrock Associates -- Analyst So Vedula, he actually covered all my questions but one final sort of thought I was thinking about here was and maybe I mis-recollected it. But I thought that the Montana commissioners were generally in favor of the Colstrip legislation and if they were, is there any regulatory approach that could be used to address the Colstrip, the 331 bill. Do you follow what I'm saying, or the absence of the 331 bill? Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yes. And in -- sometimes in some places, I think the answer to that is yes. The Commission was divided and they were divided for legitimate reasons. I think that strong majorities saw real benefit in being able to acquire that asset for our customers. Their concern appear to be focused on language addressing the Commission's role. We have -- and we talked about the fact that the -- there are great benefits to our customers and great benefits to the system from doing this, but risks associated with going out to pursue that benefits and our view is that the risks really fell on shareholders and unfortunately, we have experience of the Commission -- I'm not arguing with specific decisions, but the Commission pretty abruptly changing its policy late in the course of contested cases, eliminating the lost revenue, adjustment mechanism that had been a cornerstone of policy for quite some time. Changing its approach to cost recovery in the supply tracker, taking a different course in the -- even in the most recent iteration of the tracker pursuant to statute has been -- what had been represented that it was going to do and to some extent that's a function of who happens to sit in those chairs. So that changes over time as well. We've also though seen parties come in front of the Commission `really trying to reargue -- reopen subjects that had been we thought pretty definitively settled in previous Commission orders. Some of those examples are big. Some of those are smaller. So all of that comes together to create some pretty significant risk associated basically with this trying to do something good for customers. So that's the kind of risk you -- we just have to figure out one way or the other how to address and we're sure open to suggestions on that. But in Montana, unfortunately those are real risks. Paul Patterson -- Glenrock Associates -- Analyst Thanks so much. Have a great one. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Paul. Operator Thank you very much. (Operator Instruction) Speakers at this time, we have no further questions in the queue. Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Well thank you all very much for joining us and for your interest over the quarter. It is finally springtime in the Rockies and on the Great Plains. So we're looking forward to enjoying that over the weekend. Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Take care. Operator Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, this now concludes today's conference. You may disconnect your phone lines and have a great rest of the week. Thank you. Duration: 55 minutes Call participants: Travis Meyer -- Investor Relations Robert C. Rowe -- President and Chief Executive Officer Brian B. Bird -- Chief Financial Officer Nick Campanella -- Bank of America -- Analyst Michael Weinstein -- Credit Suisse AG -- Analyst Jonathan Garrett Reeder -- Wells Fargo Securities -- Analyst Vedula Murti -- Avon Capital -- Analyst Paul Patterson -- Glenrock Associates -- Analyst More NWE analysis Transcript powered by AlphaStreet This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. More From The Motley Fool Motley Fool Transcribers 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. (Adds Grupo Mexico, background) OSLO, April 24 (Reuters) - Norway's $1.1 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest, will support a shareholder proposal calling for annual elections of board members at food maker Kellogg Company, the fund said in a statement on Wednesday. Norges Bank Investment Management, which runs the fund, only rarely discloses voting intentions in advance of shareholder meetings, but may do so when it considers a topic to be of particular importance to investors. Holding stakes in more than 9,100 companies, the fund owns 1.4 percent of the world's listed equities. Its stake in Kellogg stood at 0.64 percent at the end of 2018 with a market value of $126.8 million. Kellogg, a maker of cereals, snacks and other food, will hold its annual meeting of shareholders on April 26. "For board accountability to be effective, shareholders must be able to participate in frequent election of all members of the board, with our preference being annual elections," Chief Corporate Governance Officer Carine Smith Ihenacho said. "Clear positions on good governance ensure predictability and consistency in our voting. As an owner we can influence companies by deciding who sits on the board," said Ihenacho Smith. Separately, NBIM also said it would vote against the proposed election and ratification of directors at mining company Grupo Mexico, calling instead for more transparency. "We will vote against the resolution to elect directors since the company has not disclosed the names of the director nominees and bundled the election of its directors into a single voting item," NBIM said. "To ensure board accountability, we need to know who the nominees are, evaluate them and vote on each individually," it added. NBIM held a 0.61 percent stake in Grupo Mexico at the end of 2018, with a market value of $97 million. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Catherine Evans and Alexandra Hudson) Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee told FOX Business that Russian meddling is more complicated than just what occurred during the 2016 campaign with the crux of the issue having to do with how the Obama administration failed to prevent it from happening. [Obama] should have known and he did know, he said on Kennedy Tuesday. Why didnt they stop it? I dont know. We were being warned as early as 2012 by Mitt Romney, then running against Obama, that the Russians did not mean us well, and we know that President Obama knew that some of this was going on. Why didnt he stop it? He needs to tell us the answer to that question. U.S. Intelligence agencies have come under scrutiny surrounding the Mueller report and subsequent investigations. President Trump has criticized the FBI and the Department of Justice, vowing to release the FISA warrants used during the Russia probe. Lee said he would love to see the government do away with the FISA system at some point in the future. When you can sweep up the so-called incidental collection of communications involving U.S. citizens and then just claim oops, well we got it in connection to something else, and then you can search that database, thats a problem. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP When pressed by Napolitano whether members of Congress knew that they themselves may be surveilled by the intelligence community, Lee said, I would find it difficult to believe that it was not happening. And I think many members of congress are beginning to suspect that it is true. Related Articles Investing.com - Oil prices were mixed on Thursday in Asia after a surprisingly big jump in American crude inventories. U.S. Crude Oil WTI Futures traded 0.1% lower to $65.81 by 1:01 AM ET (05: 01 GMT). International Brent Oil Futures rose 0.1% to $74.61. Crude stockpiles in the country rose about five times more than expected last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported. Inventories rose by 5.48 million barrels in the week ended April 19, compared with forecasts for a build of 1.26 million barrels. In the previous week to April 12, crude stockpiles fell by 1.4 million barrels. Meanwhile, imports grew the most since mid-March amid new momentum in the market's four-month long rally. Oil prices are on track of a possible gains of 3% this week, boosted by reports that the U.S. would scrap all sanction waivers for importers of Iranian oil after May 2, heightening concerns about supply in the market. On Wednesday, Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, said the sanctions have slashed Irans government more than $10 billion in oil revenue. "Before sanctions...Iran generated as much as $50 billion annually in oil revenue. We estimate that our sanctions have already denied the regime more than $10 billion since May (2018)," Hook said. Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said there is no need for immediate action, while the International Energy Agency said comfortable levels of spare capacity remain. Related Articles Oil market torn between loss of Iran waivers, surging U.S. supply U.S. sanctions slashed more than $10 billion from Iran's oil revenue: U.S. official Venezuela's PDVSA says oilfield power generator activated after blackouts Program on Track for MAA and BLA Regulatory Submissions in 2021 Recent Lancet Hematology Publication Describes Encouraging Safety and Efficacy Data from Interim Analysis of OTL-103 Fresh Formulation Registrational Trial BOSTON and LONDON, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orchard Therapeutics (ORTX), a leading commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with serious and life-threatening rare diseases through innovative gene therapies, today announced that the first patient with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) has been dosed in a open label study designed to evaluate engraftment of the cryopreserved formulation of OTL-103, its ex vivo autologous hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy. We are excited to have reached this milestone with the infusion of cryopreserved gene-modified stem cells in a patient with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, a life-threatening immune disorder for which there is no available therapy outside of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, which carries a significant risk of morbidity and mortality, said Mark Rothera, president and chief executive officer of Orchard. We believe transitioning this program to a cryopreserved formulation is an essential step for the eventual commercialization of OTL-103, enabling patients to access treatment, if approved, on a global scale. As one of our lead programs, we are focused on advancing OTL-103 to regulatory filings in the U.S. and Europe in 2021. While the registrational trial for OTL-103 for WAS used a fresh cell formulation, Orchard plans to commercialize this and other HSC gene therapies, if approved, using a cryopreserved formulation. In total, nearly 40 patients have been treated with a cryopreserved product across the companys portfolio. The WAS cryopreserved formulation trial will enroll up to six patients, with the number of patients with successful engraftment measured at six months as the primary endpoint. This patient data will be used to supplement the companys in vitro CMC comparability work between the fresh and cryopreserved formulation. Please refer to www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03837483) for additional clinical trial information. Story continues Fresh Formulation Interim Results Recently Published in Lancet Hematology An interim analysis (data cutoff April 2016) of the ongoing fresh formulation registrational trial of OTL-103 published this month in Lancet Hematology shows that gene therapy is an effective and safe treatment option for patients with severe WAS. The publication describes a significant reduction in the frequency of severe infections in patients treated with OTL-103 with follow-up ranging from 0.5 5.6 years. Moderate and severe bleeding episodes were also greatly reduced, with patients experiencing no severe bleeding events following gene therapy. The company intends to release the full registration trial data set, including the primary endpoint data with all patients at three years post-treatment with gene therapy later this year. Patients with WAS suffer from severe bleeding episodes, such as intracranial bleeds or severe gut bleeds, which can be fatal. Without treatment, the median survival for WAS patients is 14 years of age, said Alessandro Aiuti, professor of Pediatrics at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, and vice director of the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) at Milan's San Raffaele Hospital. To date, the only treatment available has been a bone marrow transplantation, which is not an option for everyone and carries its own risks. The interim results of the clinical study suggest that gene therapy may be an alternative. We are encouraged by recently published data demonstrating that the fresh formulation of OTL-103 can reduce the frequency and severity of both infections and severe bleeding episodes in WAS patients, said Andrea Spezzi, MBBS, FFPM, chief medical officer at Orchard. The initiation of the cryo study is an important step to ensuring patients around the world with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome can have access to this potential treatment as soon as possible. About WAS and OTL-103 WAS is a life-threatening inherited immune disorder characterized by autoimmunity and abnormal platelet function and manifests with recurrent, severe infections and severe bleeding episodes, which are the leading causes of death in this disease. Without treatment, the median survival for WAS patients is 14 years of age and treatment with stem cell transplant carries significant risk of mortality and morbidities. OTL-103 is an ex vivo, autologous, hematopoietic stem cell-based gene therapy developed for the treatment of WAS that Orchard acquired from GSK in April 2018. The global incidence of WAS is estimated to be about 100-260 births per year, with a global prevalence of 2,900-4,700 patients. About Orchard Orchard Therapeutics is a fully integrated commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with serious and life-threatening rare diseases through innovative gene therapies. Orchards portfolio of autologous, ex vivo, hematopoietic stem cell gene therapies includes Strimvelis, a gammaretroviral vector based gene therapy and the first such treatment approved by the European Medicines Agency for severe combined immune deficiency due to adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA-SCID). Additional programs for neurometabolic disorders, primary immune deficiencies and hemoglobinopathies are all based on lentiviral vector based gene modification of autologous HSCs and include three advanced registrational studies for metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), ADA-SCID and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS), clinical programs for X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (X-CGD) and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia (TDT), as well as an extensive preclinical pipeline. Strimvelis, as well as the programs in MLD, WAS and TDT were acquired by Orchard from GSK in April 2018 and originated from a pioneering collaboration between GSK and the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (Milan, Italy) initiated in 2010. Orchard currently has offices in the U.K. and the U.S., including London, San Francisco and Boston. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as anticipates, believes, expects, intends, projects, anticipates, and future or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include express or implied statements relating to, among other things, planned marketing and licensing application submissions and next steps for Orchards programs, including the therapeutic potential of its product candidates, including OTL-103. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Orchards control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, the risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the risk that any one or more of Orchards product candidates, including OTL-103, will not be successfully developed or commercialized, the risk of cessation or delay of any of Orchards ongoing or planned clinical trials, the risk that prior results, such as signals of safety, activity or durability of effect, observed from preclinical studies or clinical trials will not be replicated or will not continue in ongoing or future studies or trials involving Orchards product candidates, and the risk of delays in Orchards ability to commercialize its product candidates, if approved. Orchard undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by Orchard, see the disclosure contained in Orchards public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Renee Leck Orchard Therapeutics +1 862-242-0764 Renee.Leck@orchard-tx.com RUSTON, La., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Origin Bancorp, Inc. (OBNK) (Origin or the Company) stockholders have elected Richard Gallot, Jr. as a director at the Companys annual meeting of stockholders on April 24, 2019. Mr. Gallot has served as President of Grambling State University since 2016 where he has led the University in its initiative to increase enrollment and alumni engagement. A practicing attorney since 1990, Mr. Gallot also served a term as a member of the Louisiana State Senate between 2012 and 2016 and served three terms in the Louisiana House of Representatives between 2000 and 2012. We are very pleased to have Rick Gallot join our board of directors, said Drake Mills, Chairman, President and CEO of Origin. Origin will greatly benefit from his experience in government and business. Ricks perspective and leadership will be a significant asset to our company as we continue to strive to make a positive impact on our employees, customers, communities and stockholders. Since 2016, Mr. Gallot has served on the board of directors of Cleco Corporation, an electric utility company headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Grambling State University and a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center. It is an honor to have the opportunity to be involved with a dynamic and growing company with a proud history of dedicated service, said Mr. Gallot. I have seen firsthand the way Origin values its customers and communities and I look forward to contributing to what this organization will continue to accomplish. About Origin Bancorp, Inc. Origin is a financial holding company for Origin Bank, headquartered in Ruston, Louisiana, which provides a broad range of financial services to small and medium-sized businesses, municipalities, high net-worth individuals and retail clients from 42 banking centers located from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas across North Louisiana to Central Mississippi, as well as in Houston, Texas. Member FDIC. To learn more, visit www.origin.bank. Parkland school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruzs public defenders asked to withdraw from his case on Wednesday because the defendant stands to inherit more than $432,000 through an insurance policy. Cruz will inherit money from an insurance policy for his late mother, Lynda Cruz, who died of pneumonia in November 2017. The public defenders argued that state law bars them from representing a defendant who can afford private attorneys. "It has come to the attention of undersigned counsel that Nikolas Cruz is a beneficiary in a MetLife life insurance policy and is entitled to half of a death benefit valued at $864,929.17 as of April 23, 2019," the Broward County Public Defender's Office said in court filing. Cruz faces 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder after he carried out a deadly school shooting in at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in Feb. 2018, within months of his mothers death. Cruz confessed to the shooting and faces a possible death sentence, though a trial date has not been set. The public defenders disclosed the possibility that Cruz would receive an insurance payout last year, but said at the time that it would likely amount to about $30,000. In the new filing, the defendants said neither they nor Cruz were aware the actual amount would be higher. Its unclear if Cruz would actually inherit the insurance policy. A judge could award the money to families of the shooting victims, some of whom have sued Cruz in civil court. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer has yet to set a hearing on the public defenders motion to withdraw from the case. The filing could delay Cruzs case of proceeding to trial. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Related Articles South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, an up-and-coming 2020 Democratic candidate, said Monday that the United States is at a moment between eras in American history. Our economic and political system has been letting people down I would say for my entire lifetime, said Buttigieg, 37, at CNNs town hall in Manchester, N.H., Monday night. Were at the dawn of something new, he continued. As much as I care about replacing this president and winning this election, I think whats at stake right now is how to win not just an election, but an era. Throughout the town hall, Buttigieg addressed issues such as immigration, the economy, and the possibility of President Donald Trumps impeachment. I think hes made it pretty clear that he deserves impeachment, Buttigieg said of Trump. Im also going to leave it to the House and Senate to figure that out because my role in the process is trying to relegate Trumpism to the dustpan of history and I think theres no more decisive way to do thatespecially to get Republicans to abandon this kind of deal with the devil they madethan to have an absolute thumping at the ballot box. In terms of immigration policy, Buttigieg expressed frustration that while lawmakers know what needs to be done, no action has been taken. He said theres an American consensus that the country needs a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, protection for Dreamers, reforms to clear up the bureaucracy and the backlogs in the lawful immigration system, and reasonable border security. We know what to do. Its just that we dont have the leadership in Washington to do it, said Buttigieg. And Im afraid one of the reasons is weve got a White House that has actually computed that it is better off politically if this problem goes unsolved, so that Americans can continue to be divided around it for short term political gain. And that has got to end with the new president. Story continues As mayor of an Indiana town with a history of auto making, Buttigieg spoke personally of how the loss of manufacturing jobs can affect a community. He said the U.S. should send our products, not our jobs, overseas, but acknowledged that manufacturing is going to continue to become less labor intensive as technology develops. Weve got to be honest about the fact that for every job in manufacturing that has been lost as a consequence of trade, theres several more that have been lost as a result of technology and automation, said Buttigieg. Thats why we need policies that can get ahead of the economic shifts to come and recognize that our generation is not going to be able to count, as our parents generation often did, on the idea of a single relationship with a single employer, or a couple employers, across the course of your entire career. During a earlier portion of CNNs five-hour town hall, which featured several 2020 Democratic candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders argued that even convicted criminals in prison should be permitted to vote. Sen. Kamala Harris later said its an issue worth talking about, but Buttigieg was adamantly on the opposition side. Re-enfranchisement upon release is important, said Buttigieg, but part of the punishment when you are convicted of a crime and you are incarcerated is you lose certain rights. You lose your freedom. And I think during that period it does not make sense to have an exception for the right to vote. With his expected announcement Thursday that he is running for president in 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden is likely to instantly became the front-runner in a crowded primary field. For weeks, polls have shown the 76-year-old Democrat holding steady as the 2020 favorite of more than a quarter of his party's voters. Biden "starts off with a fairly stable amount of good will from Democrats," says Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. "We might even expect to see a small bump after his announcement." With a long-awaited announcement Thursday morning that he is running for president, former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to instantly became the front-runner in a crowded primary field. For weeks, polls have shown the 76-year-old Democrat holding steady as the 2020 favorite of more than a quarter of his party's voters. According to a Monmouth University poll of Democrats nationwide, released Tuesday, Biden leads the rest of the party's field, with 27% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters saying they would support him for the Democratic nomination. In the same poll a month ago, Biden had support from 28% of respondents, and in January from 29%. As Biden enters the race, "he starts off with a fairly stable amount of good will from Democrats," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. "We might even expect to see a small bump after his announcement." "But the bigger question will be what happens when those voters start taking a closer look at him on the campaign trail. It's a long way to Iowa and a lot can happen," Murray said Tuesday in a statement announcing the poll results. A large Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday had similarly good news for Biden, with 24% of self-identified Democrats and independents saying they would back the former vice president over the other 19 declared and potential candidates Reuters included on the list. Story continues Trailing immediately behind Biden in both the Monmouth and Reuters polls was Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the candidate who likely has the most to lose from Biden's entry into the race. The Monmouth poll found support for Sanders at 20%. In the Reuters survey, Sanders' support fell to just 15%, nearly 10 points below Biden. Moreover, if Biden had chosen not to run, the percentage of Democrats who told Monmouth they would back Sanders as their preferred nominee would have shot up to 27%. That would have put Sanders 16 points ahead of his nearest rival, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, whose unexpected surge in the polls has caught the national Democratic establishment by surprise. One place where Biden's support appears to weaken slightly is in the key Democratic early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. According to Real Clear Politics, which averages polling results, Biden leads Sanders in Iowa by an average of four points , a notably smaller gap than the seven and nine points by which Biden led Sanders in the two bigger national polls released this week. In New Hampshire, next door to Sanders' home state of Vermont, Sanders has a slight advantage over Biden of 2.5 points, according to RCP's average of recent polls. Biden is expected to release a video Thursday morning announcing his official entry into the race. He is also expected to stake out positions that are more centrist than those of his Democratic primary rivals. A big part of Biden's pitch to Democratic primary voters is likely to be that he is uniquely positioned to win back large swaths of moderate Democrats who broke for Donald Trump in 2016. These voters helped the president to capture traditionally Democratic-leaning swing states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan. So far, the few national polls that have pitted Biden directly against Trump appear to support the theory that Biden presents a very serious challenge to the president's reelection. A Politico/Morning Consult poll released Monday showed Biden leading Trump by eight points in a hypothetical 2020 general election matchup. This comports with the way many of Biden's longtime supporters view the 2020 presidential race. "If we're going to be pragmatic about this as a party, there's only one person who can beat Donald Trump," Democratic South Carolina state Sen. Dick Harpootlian recently told The Washington Post. Biden, he said, "can go toe-to-toe with [Trump] in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin and take it to him on his own terms." More From CNBC Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - Owl Capital Corp. (TSXV: OCC.P) ("Owl") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a term sheet dated April 10, 2019 (the "Agreement") with Eros Resources Corp. (TSXV: ERC) ("Eros") and Demerara Gold Corp. ("Demerara"), a private corporation, whereby Owl will acquire all of their rights, titles and interests in the Oro Cruz Property, located in Imperial County, California and the Eastgate Property, located in Churchill County, Nevada from Eros and Demerara, respectively, as well as a 5.58% undiluted equity interest in Bullfrog Gold Corp., an exploration stage company ("Bullfrog"), from Eros (the "Transaction"). Owl is a capital pool company ("CPC") and intends the Transaction to constitute a Qualifying Transaction pursuant to the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies. Upon successful completion of the Transaction, Owl will change its name to Southern Empire Resources Corp. and be a Tier 2 mining issuer. About the Oro Cruz Gold Project The Oro Cruz Property is located in Imperial County, southeast California, roughly 28 kilometres (18 miles) northwest of Yuma, Arizona. The Oro Cruz mine, situated on the property, is a historical gold producer within the Tumco mining district in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains, approximately 14 miles southeast of the operating Mesquite gold mine of Equinox Gold Corp. Adjacent to the Oro Cruz property are the past producing American Girl and Padre-Madre gold mines (see Figure 1). Gold mining at Oro Cruz (also known as Golden Cross) occurred during 1890-1916 and 1932-1941, producing greater than 150,000 ounces ("oz") gold ("Au"). Between 1995-1996, the Oro Cruz Property was mined for one year by MK Gold Company and produced approximately 61,000 oz gold from oxide ore extracted by both open-pit and underground mining operations before closing due to low gold prices. The property is currently comprised of a total of 250 Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") unpatented lode mining claims totaling roughly 2,018 hectares ("ha"; 4,990 acres) and 13 BLM unpatented placer mining claims totaling roughly 105 ha (260 acres). The original 20 lode claims are held under lease from a third party. Story continues The Oro Cruz Property has a historical inferred resource estimate totaling 341,800 ounces gold based on 4,386,000 tonnes averaging 2.20 grams gold per tonne ("g Au/t") at a cutoff grade of 0.68 g Au/t (4,835,000 tons at 0.07 ounces gold per ton; "oz Au/ton"). This historical inferred resource estimate is disclosed in a technical report dated April 29, 2011 prepared for Lincoln Mining Corporation by Tetra Tech Inc. and is available on SEDAR. The historical mineral resource estimate, termed "inferred mineral resource", which is a category set out in NI 43-101, was based on previous drill hole, underground channel samples and blasthole assays, and calculated using ordinary kriging to estimate gold grades in 10 x 10 x 5 foot blocks. Accordingly, Owl considers this historical estimate reliable as well as relevant as it represents key targets for exploration work by Owl. The Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and Owl is not treating this historical estimate as current mineral resources. Gold mineralization remains exposed in the open-pit and in underground workings; it is hosted within a brown, iron oxidized (magnetite, hematite, limonite, goethite) and partially silica/ carbonate replacement band that is roughly concordant within gneiss and schist of the host Jurassic(?) Tumco Formation. Moderate, roughly concordant southeast dipping structures are also present. Sulphide minerals are largely absent with only trace pyrite and chalcopyrite (plus malachite-azurite) present. The mineralized zone is well-oxidized to beyond depths observed in the mine workings or reported in drill holes. Based on mining completed in the 1990's, the gold at Oro Cruz has been proven amenable to conventional heap leach recovery methods. Column cyanide leach metallurgical tests completed in 1990-91 for MK Gold on a 25.9 m (85 ft) core interval grading 1.39 g Au/t (0.039 oz Au/ton) taken from the west portion of the Oro Cruz deposit produced 75.0% gold recovery from minus 9 millimetre (3/4 inch) fine crush material. There are multiple exploration targets on the Oro Cruz Property, notably to the southeast along the down dip extension of the known inferred resource where grades and thickness improve based on results from surface reverse circulation ("RC") drilling. The RC drill hole intercepts provided in Table 1 extend roughly 200 metres southeast of the base of the underground workings, with hole OC-428 being one of the furthest southeast (see Figure 2). Drilling past hole OC-428 to the southeast is relatively restricted due to rugged and rising surface topography. See accompanying notes under Data Verification & Quality Assurance / Quality Control. Grab samples collected at elevation 147 metres (485 feet) underground by Eros personnel in 2019 returned values of 1.385 g Au/t (0.040 oz Au/ton), 0.524 g Au/t (0.015 oz Au/ton) and 9.15 g Au/t (0.267 oz Au/ton). Grab samples are select rock samples that are not to be considered representative of the entire host geological unit. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/9e918f6fcec54286e5d3ebdce5ee4135 To view an enhanced version of Table 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6347/44298_table1.jpg About the Eastgate Gold Project The Eastgate Gold Project is located approximately 90 kilometres (55 miles) east of Fallon in Churchill County, Nevada. The property is comprised of 101 unpatented BLM lode mining claims covering roughly 817 ha (2,020 acres). Eastgate features a well-developed hydrothermal gold-silver quartz vein system, and Owl's goal is to define a high-grade, low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver deposit. Multiple, steeply east dipping, north striking, sub-parallel quartz-adularia veins occur throughout the property. Between 1908-20 and 1935-57, a number of small-scale narrow vein, gold and silver producers operated on the property. These included the Double Eagle and Gold Ledge mines which reported production from 1935-57 of 3,247 oz gold and 38,152 oz silver. The Eastgate Main vein has been traced for over 600 metres (2,000 feet). The area of the historical Double Eagle and Gold Ledge mines along the southern 335 metres (1,100 feet) is highlighted by numerous historical select surface grab samples, nineteen of which assayed above 8.0 g Au/t (0.233 oz Au/ton) to a high of 109.37 g Au/t (3.19 oz Au/ton). Grab samples are select rock samples and cannot be considered representative of the host geological unit. Beginning in the late 1980's, a total of 4,397 metres (14,425 feet) of RC drilling in 21 holes were completed between 1987 and 1999 (see Figure 3). After Freeport-McMoRan Corp. (1987; 7 holes) and US Borax & Chemical Company (1988, 10 holes) unsuccessfully tested the property for bulk tonnage gold potential, the focus returned to testing for a high-grade, vein hosted deposit. Hole EG88-04, drilled by US Borax mid-way along strike of the Eastgate Main vein at roughly 150 metres beneath Golden Ledge mine site produced the best drill intercept to date on the property. This was followed up in 1989 by Cabot Resources that drilled a fence of 5 RC holes on the same section as EG88-04. In 1999, Echo Bay Mines Inc. drilled a fan of four holes beneath all previous intercepts along the Eastgate Main vein in an unsuccessful attempted to extend the mineralization to depth. Select holes from the historic drilling is provided in Table 2, below. See accompanying notes under Data Verification & Quality Assurance / Quality Control. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/a1ac85df8325505cc046de0e06d0afca To view an enhanced version of Table 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6347/44298_table2.jpg Data Verification and Quality Assurance / Quality Control RC drill hole data from the Oro Cruz Gold Project provided herein (Table 1) is considered legacy data developed by previous operators of the Oro Cruz Property prior to the introduction of NI 43-101; the application of Quality Assurance / Quality Control ("QA/QC") measures during collection of the historical data is unknown. Also, significant amount of the original data, including original RC drill hole chip tray samples and complete sets of drill logs, analytical certificates and other operational data were not retained by a previous operator of the site and are now considered lost. The Oro Cruz deposit has an overall planar shape that dips relatively uniformly at -25o to azimuth 120o Tetra Tech 2011). In general, true widths of the mineralization can vary between 40% and 100% of the reported intercepts due to varying drill hole orientations and localized irregularities in the geometry of the mineralization. As most holes drilled at Oro Cruz were vertical holes (-90o), true thickness is typically in the range of 80% to 90% of the reported drill intercept thickness. The values provided as "true thickness' of the mineralized intervals in Table 1 are estimates only, trigonometrically calculated from each individual reported drill intercept. Compilation and confirmation by the Qualified Person of the historical Oro Cruz reverse circulation drill hole data provided above was limited to an examination of the complete digital mine site sample database and review of select original drill hole lithological logs annotated with analytical results (holes OC-419, 428). Although original data is limited, the data available is corroborated with the database. Drill logs indicated samples were analyzed by fire assay reporting gold and silver, and check repeat analyses were completed within higher grade sections at a ratio of roughly 1 in 10. Sampling of the RC holes was done at 0.76 metre intervals within zones of mineralization, and 1.52 metres in country rock. The analytical lab is not known. Tetra Tech Inc, authors of the 2011 43-101 Oro Cruz Technical Report, also faced with incomplete original records, reportedly scrutinized the complete database for internal consistency and found it to be good quality and consistent with the standards of the 1990's when the data was collected. The historical mine grid was based on imperial California State Plane 6 coordinate system and was subsequently calculated to metric UTM coordinate values by Tetra Tech. Although Oro Cruz legacy data is incomplete, it is considered reliable for exploration purposes by Owl. The data available from Eastgate is historical and exists in varying levels of detail. The most complete records are from the recent work by Eros/Demerara in 2012/13 and is high quality and well preserved, although final compilation is lacking. Echo Bay's work in 1999 is in generally good order, reasonably complete and provides good summaries of the state of the data collected by previous operators. The body of data available overall, although not complete in any category, is comprised of drill logs, assay laboratory reports, surface soil and rock sampling records, geological mapping, location survey data and geological work reports and is considered more than adequate as a guide for exploration by Owl. The data for select Eastgate drill holes presented in Table 2 is based on a 2000 Exploration Progress Report compiled by Echo Bay that includes logs and assay certificates for the 1999 Echo Bay holes and a printed database tabulating sample intervals and results for all prior drilling, all of which is considered reliable for the purposes of exploration planning by Owl. Detailed laboratories and QA/QC methods (generally limited to repeats) used by all prior operators are also reported in the 2000 Echo Bay Exploration Progress Report. RC rock chip sample trays are not available from any of the historical drilling. RC drill samples were collected at 1.52 metre and 3.04 metre intervals. Imperial measurement conversions to metric throughout this news release include: grams per tonne ("g/t") are calculated by multiplying ounces per ton ("OPT") gold values by factor of 34.28; and metres are calculated by dividing interval in feet by factor of 3.2808. Terms of the Transaction Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Owl will acquire: From Demerara, Demerara's entire right, title and interest, being an undivided 40% interest, in the Eastgate Property, Churchill County, Nevada; From Eros, Eros' entire right, title and interest, being an undivided 45% interest, in the Eastgate Property; From each of Demerara and Bell Mountain Exploration Corp. ("Bell", a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eros), the assignment of a Letter Agreement dated February 28, 2019 with Lincoln Mining Corp. and Lincoln Gold US Corp. pursuant to which each of Demerara and Bell may acquire a 37.5% interest (aggregate 75% interest) in the Oro Cruz Property, Imperial County, California; and From Eros, 8,750,000 shares and 7,750,000 share purchase warrants in the capital of Bullfrog, which is incorporated in the state of Delaware with its shares quoted on the OTCQB board of the OTC Market Platform. Bullfrog owns, leases and options various unpatented and patented claims that comprise of the gold focused Bullfrog Project near Beatty in Nye County, Nevada. (the "Significant Assets") In consideration of the Significant Assets, Owl will issue a total of 25,426,940 common shares as follows: 2,579,000 shares to Demerara with respect to the acquisition of a 40% interest in the Eastgate Property; 2,901,275 shares to Eros with respect to the acquisition of a 45% interest in the Eastgate Property; 8,545,000 shares to Demerara and 8,545,000 shares to be issued to Eros with respect to the acquisition of an exclusive option to acquire an aggregate 75% interest in the Oro Cruz Property; 2,856,665 shares to Eros with respect to the acquisition of 8,750,000 shares and 7,750,000 share purchase warrants in the capital of Bullfrog. Upon closing of the Transaction and the Financing (as described below), the total issued and outstanding shares of Owl will be approximately 39,800,000, of which Demerara will own 11,124,000 common shares, being 27.9%, and Eros will own 14,302,940 shares, being 35.9%. Demerara is controlled by Dale Wallster. Demerara has the right to distribute to its shareholders all the shares received from Owl. None of the Non-Arms Length Parties to Owl has any direct or indirect interest in the Significant Assets nor are they insiders of the Demerara or Eros. The Transaction does not constitute a "Non-Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction" as defined in Exchange Policy 2.4 and consequently Owl is not required to obtain shareholder approval for the transaction. The Transaction is subject to the entry into a Definitive Agreement, customary closing conditions and acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. Non-Brokered Private Placement Financing In conjunction with closing the transaction, Owl expects to complete a proposed non-brokered private placement financing of up to 8,153,059 common shares (each a "Share") at a price of $0.30 per Share for gross proceeds of up to $2,500,000 (the "Offering"). Subject to Exchange approval, Owl may pay finders in cash and/or share purchase warrants under the Offering. The proceeds of the Offering will be used for exploration work on the Oro Cruz Property, Eastgate Property and general working capital purposes. Directors, Officers and Insiders of Resulting Issuer Upon completion of the transaction, it is anticipated that the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will comprise of a minimum of three individuals. As of the date of this news release, the following persons are anticipated to be the directors, officers and insiders of the Resulting Issuer following completion of the transaction: Ronald Netolitzky, Chairman and Director Ron Netolitzky holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta and a M.Sc. degree from the University of Calgary, both in geological sciences. Ron has been very successful in mining exploration with over 50 years of experience and was directly associated with three major gold discoveries in Canada that became producing mines: Eskay Creek, Snip and Brewery Creek. He was previously Chairman and President of Viceroy Exploration Ltd., which achieved exploration success with its Gualcaymayo gold project in Argentina resulting in the sale of the company in 2006 to Yamana Gold Inc. Mr. Netolitzky was also Chairman of Brett Resources Inc., which was acquired by Osisko Mining Corp. in 2010 and currently is a director of several publicly-traded exploration companies. Mr. Netolitzky has been honoured with the Prospector of the Year award from the PDAC Developer of the Year award from the BC & Yukon Chamber of Mines and in 2015 he was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. Dale Wallster, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director Dale Wallster is a geologist and prospector with 40 years' experience in mineral deposit exploration. He was president and founder of Roughrider Uranium Corp., a company acquired by Hathor Exploration Limited in 2006 for its strategically located uranium properties in the Athabasca Basin. Dale and his team are widely credited in the mineral exploration sector for the discovery of the Hathor's Roughrider deposit. In January 2012, Hathor became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc as part of a CAD$650 million acquisition. James Hutton, Director James Hutton has over 37 years of resource company and capital markets experience and is the President and CEO of privately-owned Hutton Capital Corp. He was the President & CEO of Canada Dominion Resources Group and President & COO of CMP Resources Group that jointly completed in excess of $1.4 Billion in flow through share transactions for the Canadian resource industry. He has served on multiple public boards and held several C-level executive positions. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from City University. Owl is currently evaluating suitable candidates for the position of Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of the Resulting Issuer following closing of the Transaction. Sponsorship Owl will seek a waiver of the requirement to engage a sponsor pursuant to the Exchange Policy 2.2 - Sponsorship and Sponsorship Requirements. Qualified Person David Tupper, PGeo, is a qualified person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has prepared, read and approved the technical aspects of this news release. About Owl Capital Corp. Owl is a Capital Pool Company within the meaning of the policies of the Exchange, has not commenced operations and has no assets other than cash. For further information please contact: Owl Capital Corp. Suite 880 - 580 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 4B6 James Hutton, CEO (604) 328-7515 jhutton@telus.net 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. Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. Owl cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Owl's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Owl's ability to complete the proposed Qualifying Transaction; and other risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Owl undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. Completion of the transaction is subject to conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange Requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. A halt in trading shall remain in place until after the Qualifying Transaction is completed or such time that acceptable documentation is filed with the TSX Venture Exchange. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/d9a5f12c28dc5dcc01c78f24b00268ba Figure 1: Oro Cruz Gold Project location map; Mojave-Sonora mineral trend. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6347/44298_834b785f94b6dab8_003full.jpg Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/404bcb5ce2563d179679ad40a6bd37e7 Figure 2: Oro Cruz open pit with underground mine workings projected to surface and select RC drill holes shown (see Table 1). Locations approximate. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6347/44298_834b785f94b6dab8_004full.jpg Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/6305e15d88f40f80ab8771ca41b232d9 Figure 3: Approximate RC drill locations (see Table 2) and geology of the Eastgate Gold Project, Churchill County, Nevada To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6347/44298_834b785f94b6dab8_005full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44319 By Joey Roulette ORLANDO, Fla., April 25 (Reuters) - A NASA safety panel said on Thursday that Saturday's accident on a SpaceX astronaut capsule happened after eight engines were test fired, but offered scant details on what caused the mishap or the extent of the damage. NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel told reporters Elon Musk's rocket company continues to investigate the cause of the 'anomaly' during a test of engines designed to propel the crew to safety at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX is aiming to launch its capsule with humans in July for a test flight under NASA's multibillion-dollar Commercial Crew Program, though the accident could delay that. Orange smoke was seen rising above SpaceX's facilities by a photographer working for local newspaper Florida Today. No injuries were reported. NASA has awarded SpaceX and Boeing Co $6.8 billion to build competing rocket and capsule systems to launch astronauts into orbit from American soil. (Reporting by Joey Roulette in Orlando, Florida Writing by Eric M. Johnson Editing by James Dalgleish) MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's unemployment rate edged closer to 15 percent in the first quarter as its services sector shrank, highlighting a persistent weak link in the economy days before a hotly contested national election. The rate rose to 14.7 percent from 14.45 percent in the last three months of 2018, data showed on Thursday. With Spain's recovery from recession entering its sixth year, economic issues have largely taken a back seat in campaigning for Sunday's election. But its unemployment rate, which tends to rise at the beginning of the year as the festive holiday and shopping seasons wind down, remains the second highest in the European Union - and that unwelcome distinction resurfaced in a televised debate between party leaders on Tuesday. Some 110,000 people were laid off in the first quarter in the service sector, which accounts for around half of economic output, the data from statistics agency INE showed. Its headline figure, forecast to fall to 14.38 percent in a Reuters poll, marked the first quarter-on-quarter rise since the beginning of last year. The total number of people out of work rose by 49,900 to 3.35 million, the largest quarterly increase in six years. Spain's jobs market is highly reliant on seasonal factors such as tourism, worth around 12 percent of gross domestic product, and agriculture, and many temporary jobs in those sectors are cash-in-hand. Employment increased in agriculture in the first quarter and remained largely unchanged in industry and construction, INE said. STAYING ALERT In a calculated attack during Tuesday's debate aimed at Socialist Pedro Sanchez, the outgoing Prime Minister and election frontrunner, Albert Rivera of centre-right Ciudadanos dubbed Spain "the European joblessness champion". Conservative PP leader Pablo Casado, meanwhile, made an unflattering comparison with thrice bailed-out Greece, the only EU country with a higher unemployment rate. Sanchez, who became prime minister in June, said on Thursday that the economy was relatively strong and that, while the jobless rate had risen in the last quarter, employment was up over the past year. Story continues "You have to be alert, but ...the fundamentals of our economy are solid. Over the last year, we've created almost 600,000 jobs ... the rate remains high but less than a year ago," he said a television interview. Spain's jobless rate has nearly halved from its 2013 peak and, while the bulk of the recovery took place under Sanchez's PP predecessor Mariano Rajoy, unemployment continued on a downward trajectory during the Socialists' first half year in office. Employment has not increased in the first quarter since 2007 and the unemployment rate in the first quarter of last year was 16.74 percent. (Reporting by Paul Day and Joao Manuel Mauricio; Editing by John Stonestreet) TOTAL S.A. TOT is expected to report first-quarter 2019 results on Apr 26, before the opening bell. This integrated international oil & gas company missed earnings estimates in the last reported quarter by 4.10%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors to Consider TOTALs Egina field start-ups production will boost output in the first quarter. The company started production from the Egina field in Nigeria on Dec 29, 2018. This project has a capacity to produce 200,000 barrels of oil per day. The company is the operator of the project with a 24% interest. TOTAL continues to benefit from its share buyback policy, cost-saving initiatives, accretive acquisitions and joint ventures. These factors are anticipated to benefit the companys earnings in the to-be-reported quarter as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter earnings is $1.09 per share, which is in line with the year-ago reported figure. TOTAL S.A. Price and EPS Surprise TOTAL S.A. Price and EPS Surprise | TOTAL S.A. Quote What the Zacks Model Unveils Our proven model indicates that TOTAL is unlikely to beat estimates this earnings season. This is because it currently does not have the right combination of two key ingredients. A stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Earnings ESP: The company has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% as the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at $1.09 per share. Zacks Rank: NextEra Energy currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. The combination of NextEra Energys Zacks Rank #3 and 0.00% ESP makes earnings surprise unlikely this season. We caution against Sell-rated stocks (#4 or 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is witnessing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider Investors can consider the following players from the same sector that have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the to-be-reported quarter. EOG Resources, Inc. EOG is expected to release first-quarter 2019 numbers on May 3. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.58% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. Suncor Energy SU is anticipated to release first-quarter 2019 results on May 1. It has an Earnings ESP of +9.71% and a Zacks Rank #3. YPF Sociedad Anonima YPF is anticipated to release first-quarter 2019 results on May 15. It has an Earnings ESP of +29.00% and a Zacks Rank #2. Will you retire a millionaire? One out of every six people retires a multimillionaire. Get smart tips you can do today to become one of them in a new Special Report, 7 Things You Can Do Now to Retire a Multimillionaire. Click to get it free >> 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 Suncor Energy Inc. (SU) : Free Stock Analysis Report TOTAL S.A. (TOT) : Free Stock Analysis Report YPF Sociedad Anonima (YPF) : Free Stock Analysis Report EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research DALLAS (AP) _ Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN) on Tuesday reported first-quarter net income of $1.22 billion. On a per-share basis, the Dallas-based company said it had profit of $1.26. Earnings, adjusted for pretax gains, came to $1.22 per share. The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 10 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.13 per share. The chipmaker posted revenue of $3.59 billion in the period, also surpassing Street forecasts. Eight analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $3.48 billion. For the current quarter ending in July, Texas Instruments said it expects revenue in the range of $3.46 billion to $3.74 billion. Analysts surveyed by Zacks had expected revenue of $3.69 billion. Texas Instruments shares have risen 23 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has increased 17 percent. In the final minutes of trading on Tuesday, shares hit $116.26, an increase of 19 percent in the last 12 months. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on TXN at https://www.zacks.com/ap/TXN FILE PHOTO: The Twitter logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter was ablaze on Wednesday with humorous commentary and speculation over why Tesla Inc's first-quarter earnings release was so late. As of 5:05 p.m. ET (2105 GMT), one hour after the market close, the results still had not been released. Here is a sampling of comments on Twitter: "Tesla forgot to get Deepak's password when he left and now they can't release the earnings. 40 minute late and counting..." - @FredericLambert, referring to former Chief Financial Officer Deepak Ahuja "TSLA has sent one of the new flawless robotaxis to deliver the earnings report, apparently." - @NickGiva "Maybe Tesla switched to full self accounting and it works as well as their full self driving." - @bgrahamdisciple "TSLA forgot to pay their WebEx Conference call bill." - @mackandcompany "Im imagining Elon in a huge fight with the board right now whos trying to convince him that he has to release the #s." - "@EternityStake (Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) FILE PHOTO: Colin Huang, founder and CEO of the online group discounter Pinduoduo, speaks during the company's stock trading debut at the Nasdaq Stock Market in New York, during an event in Shanghai, China July 26, 2018. Yin Liqin/CNS via REUTERS (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday added China's third-largest e-commerce platform to its list of "notorious markets" for violations of intellectual property rights and kept China on its priority watch list for piracy and counterfeiting concerns. The U.S. Trade Representative's Office placed Pinduoduo.com, which USTR described as third largest by number of users, on its blacklist of commercial marketplaces that fail to curb the sale of counterfeit products. It also kept Alibaba Group's taobao.com, China's largest e-commerce platform, on the list. USTR's annual review of trading partners' protection of intellectual properties rights and so-called "notorious markets" comes as the United States and China are embroiled in negotiations to end a tit-for-tat tariff battle that has roiled supply chains and cost both countries billions of dollars. The two countries are due to resume talks in Beijing next week. China's inclusion on the list "reflects the urgent need to remediate a range of intellectual property-related concerns," a USTR official told reporters on a call to discuss the report. He noted longstanding concerns that have been voiced by the Trump administration in the trade talks, including "coercive" technology transfer requirements, widespread copyright infringement and "rampant" piracy and counterfeiting. The official declined to discuss how the talks with China were going, but said that additional actions using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 were possible. The United States has levied tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods under the act. Of Pinduoduo.com, USTR said in the report: "Many of (the site's) price-conscious shoppers are reportedly aware of the proliferation of counterfeit products on pinduoduo.com but are nevertheless attracted to the low-priced goods on the platform." While Alibaba has taken steps to address counterfeit products offered and sold on the Taobao marketplace, companies continue to see widespread infringement, USTR said. Story continues A spokesperson for Alibaba said the company disagreed with USTR's decision to keep it on the list, adding the company's practices are considered "best-in-class" by industry members. "In fact, zero industry associations called for our inclusion in the report this year. We will continue to wage this fight against counterfeiters," Brion Tingler, head of external affairs, said in an emailed statement. ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT A total of 36 countries were on this year's overall watch list of trade partners warranting additional bilateral engagement over these issues, including Russia and India. In addition, USTR raised Saudi Arabia to include it among 11 countries on the priority list. The bump-up in Saudi Arabia's status as a concern was in part due to an illicit service for pirated content called BeoutQ, the report said. Despite "extensive engagement" in Saudi Arabia by both U.S. government and private stakeholders, treatment of intellectual property rights "continued to deteriorate," USTR said. Canada was removed as a priority because of commitments made in the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade pact agreed in 2018. It remained on the overall watch list, however. Tajikistan was removed from the list due to "concrete steps" to improve its intellectual property regime, the agency said. USTR also called out free trade zones as places where counterfeiting can be rampant. In thousands of such zones across 130 economies, including in Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore, manufacturers and logistics companies are subject to different customs regulations and duties than they are elsewhere, it said. The more "barrier-free" environment can draw illegal activity like the trade and manufacture of counterfeit and pirated goods without proper oversight, USTR said. (Reporting by Chris Prentice in New York and David Lawder in Washington; editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Sonya Hepinstall) (Bloomberg) -- The U.K.s cybersecurity agency said it wont automatically share information about data breaches with the countrys data privacy regulator. The decision, which the National Cyber Security Centre and the Information Commissioners Office jointly announced Thursday, is designed to prevent new data privacy laws from having a chilling effect on businesses willingness to share information about cyber attacks with the government. The European Unions General Data Protection Regulation, which took effect in May 2018, allows national regulators such as the U.K.s ICO to impose fines up to 4 percent of global revenue for data breaches. The NCSC, which works with British industry to strengthen the defenses of the U.K.s critical national infrastructure against cyberattacks, worried these large fines would deter companies from reporting hacks for fear the agency would inform the ICO. "While its right that we work closely together, the NCSC will never pass specific information to a regulator without first seeking the consent of the victim," Ciaran Martin, chief executive officer of NCSC, said in the statement. The NCSC said it would continue to help victims of cyberattacks and provide free, confidential advice on how to mitigate breaches. James Dipple-Johnstone, deputy commissioner of the ICO, said in a statement that while the regulator had agreed to this "clarification of roles" with NCSC, companies and organizations still had a legal obligation to tell the regulator about data breaches or risk substantial penalties. The new policy puts the NCSC in the potentially awkward position of knowing about violations of data privacy laws and withholding that information from other parts of government. The NCSC said that while it would not notify the ICO of breaches without permission, it would encourage organizations coming to the agency to comply with the law. Since GDPR has been implemented, the NCSC has not seen any change in the number or size of breaches being reported to it, Paul Chichester, the agencys director of operations, said at a cybersecurity conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday. Story continues Dipple-Johnstone said that while NCSCs primary focus was on helping organizations be resilient to cyberattacks, the ICO was more focused on protecting individuals data. In a talk at the Cyber UK conference in Glasgow, Dipple-Johnstone said he also wanted to assure businesses that they could often inform the ICO of potential breaches without fear any commercially-sensitive information would be publicized. The NCSC said it would seek to establish a similar arrangement about roles with U.K. law enforcement agencies that investigate cyberattacks. Peter Goodman, head of the Derbyshire Constabulary, the local police for that English county, and the cybercrime lead for the U.K.s National Police Chiefs Council, said at the Glasgow event that companies reporting cyberattacks to the police also need to not fear the police would automatically inform the data privacy regulator. Goodman also said that the police would never inform the ICO without permission. (Updates with Dipple-Johnstone, Goodman from 11th paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Jeremy Kahn in London at jkahn21@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Molly Schuetz, Andrew Pollack For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. UK Binary Code Even when an employee acts on their own to breach the company's data, the company could still be held liable, according to U.K. courts involved in the country's first data breach class action lawsuit. In Various Claimants v. Wm Morrisons Supermarket, a U.K. supermarket chain was able to escape primary liability claims brought by 5,000-plus employees whose data was exposed. However, Morrisons hasn't been able to dissuade U.K. courts to drop the vicarious liability charge. On April 15, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom decided to hear the appeal. Lawyers say they are watching the case closely, because of the implications of the court finding a company vicariously liable even when it has cybersecurity controls in place and the breach is caused by an employee acting inappropriately on his or her own accord. Vicarious liability in U.K. employment law refers to an employer's liability for its employee's actions. The case stems from a 2014 incident where a Morrisons senior internal auditor uploaded a file containing nearly 100,000 Morrisons employees personal data, including their names, addresses, birth dates, phone numbers and bank account numbers, as well as their salaries at Morrisons. The employee was found guilty of committing the data breach and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Later, 5,000 Morrisons employees whose data was exposed filed a class action suit against the company, claiming the supermarket chain had primary liability under the country's Data Protection Act and had vicarious liability. The High Court dismissed the primary liability claims but found Morrisons can be held vicariously liable under English common law for the data breach caused by the action of its then-employee. Morrisons disagreed and took the case to the U.K. Court of Appeal, arguing that the Data Protection Act excluded vicarious liability and that the employees actions didnt occur during the course of employment". The headline point is the company could be liable for the actions of their employees even when the employee is doing something they arent authorised to do, said Steven Hadwin, Norton Rose Fulbrights risk advisory and cybersecurity head of operations. While the courts in the Morrisons case have recommended companies use insurance policies to cover vicarious liability, DLA Piper partner and U.K. data protection co-chairman Andrew Dyson suggested companies also implement data loss prevention tools, track what employees are doing with company data and screen a job applicants prior history to spot any possible issues. "The ultimate risk with this approach to vicarious liability is that a company finds itself responsible for data loss caused by a rogue employee," Dyson said. "Loss that can be very hard, if not impossible, to control. Risk and compliance teams should reflect on this exposure when looking at the adequacy of controls that are in place." If the U.K.'s Supreme Court doesnt reverse the lower courts, the decision could also signal to claimants they have another path to gain compensation after a data breach. In theory if you want to bring a consumer claim you have another avenue available to you, Hadwin said. He added that there is an incentive in aiming a suit at a successful company rather than a single individual. You instead bring a claim against a company and the company has deeper pockets then the individual, he said. Indeed, while lawyers said damages for data breaches in the United Kingdom are usually low and hover around $1,300 per claim, a large class action such as the 5,000 people suing Morrisons could cost the organisation $6.5 million before legal fees. However, the floodgates haven't necessarily opened for data breach class actions in the United Kingdom. Hadwin noted: The courts are interpreting the rights that people have under the General Data Protection Regulation and compensation restrictively and not overly broad. While the Morrisons case has caught lawyers attention for its legal precedent, the GDPR and constant news of massive data breaches have made consumers more aware of their data rights too. More class actions in this area are inevitable just because we have this greater consumer awareness, I suppose, of data protection rights and greater transparency rights, said Bryony Hurst, a London-based dispute resolution group partner at Bird & Bird. TipRanks When stocks fall in price, its frequently a signal for renewed investor interest. After all, low share prices offer a chance to live up to the old market advice, buy low and sell high. What investors need is some way to tell the underlying reasons for a drop in share price, whether it bodes well or ill for the stock. One of the best stock signals comes from corporate insiders, the company officers who hold positions of high responsibility to their Boards, and to their peers, and to their sh The headquarters of Wirecard AG, an independent provider of outsourcing and white label solutions for electronic payment transactions is seen in Aschheim near Munich, Germany April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Michael Dalder By Douglas Busvine MUNICH (Reuters) - German payments company Wirecard sought on Thursday to refocus on growth after securing audit approval of annual results which had been delayed by allegations of fraud and false accounting at its Singapore office. Germany's leading fintech company has been shaken by a string of reports in the Financial Times, which it has denied, citing a whistleblower's allegations that local staff padded revenues through sham transactions. Wirecard said auditor EY had found "no objections against the accounting treatment of the facts that were the subject of various allegation made by a purported whistleblower in Singapore". Wirecard won the backing of a heavyweight investor on Wednesday when it announced a partnership with Japan's Softbank that included the sale of a 900 million euro five-year bond convertible into a 5.6 percent stake in the company. Its annual results were delayed by an investigation by Wirecard's outside law firm Rajah & Tann, which exonerated head office but did find that local staff in Singapore may have committed crimes that were not material to the company's finances. CEO Markus Braun, who remains the company's largest shareholder with a 7 percent stake, said that management recognized weaknesses in the handling of software licenses used by its partners and would tighten up compliance in this area. "We are a growth company," Braun told a news conference in Munich. "This is all about innovation and expansion, but of course we must catch up when it comes to compliance, audit and controlling." SOFTBANK ALLIANCE Management confirmed guidance that earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) would rise to between 740 and 800 million euros ($825-$892 million) this year. Wirecard, which recently displaced Commerzbank from Germany's DAX blue-chip index, reported a 36.6 percent gain in EBITDA to 560.5 million euros in 2018, while EBITDA margin widened by 0.2 percentage points to 27.8 percent. Story continues Management proposed a dividend of 20 euro cents. Braun said the Softbank deal offered the chance to work with companies backed by a group which runs the world's largest venture fund and counts ride hailing firms Uber, Grab and Didi in its portfolio. Digital payments scenarios that the alliance could work on included connected vehicles or food delivery, said Braun, who will seek shareholder approval for the arrangement. Wirecard, founded in 1999, has profited from a boom in online payments by acting both as an acquirer, handling payments to merchants, and as an issuer of real and 'virtual' payment cards to consumers. It handled a total of 125 billion euros in transactions for 280,000 merchants last year, generating revenues of 2 billion euros. It expects revenues to grow to 3 billion euros in 2020 and 10 billion in 2025 as digital payments become increasingly pervasive. ANOTHER FT DENIAL Even as Wirecard has grown apace, it has remained a favorite target of 'short' sellers seizing on negative reports to try to profit from declines in its share price. This has sparked investigations into suspected market manipulation by German prosecutors and the market regulator. Wirecard, which has already sued the FT, denied another report in the newspaper on Wednesday that alleged the accounts of a Dubai-based unit were not audited in 2016 and 2017. It said all its subsidiaries were audited regularly. The FT's reporting, starting Jan. 30, triggered a 50-percent slide in Wirecard's share price, while Singapore police have opened an investigation and raided Wirecard's office there. Braun said he retained his appetite for running a listed company. "I enjoy being on the stock market," the Austrian said, "and I haven't lost my passion for the job in the last two months." (Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Additional reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Paul Carrel/Keith Weir) FILE PHOTO: The logo of Dow Jones Industrial Average stock market index listed company Goldman Sachs (GS) is seen on the clothing of a trader working at the Goldman Sachs stall on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, United States April 16, 2012. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid By Elizabeth Dilts NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc is expanding a financial advisory service for top executives to target millions of other affluent employees at some of the biggest U.S. companies, as it seeks to build its retail and wealth management businesses. Goldman's Ayco unit provides high-end tax and wealth advice to top executives at some 400 companies, including 60 Fortune 100 companies. According to the bank's estimates these firms employ at least 8 million people and Goldman now wants them as clients, too. Goldman began rolling out a new Ayco personal finance website for rank-and-file workers in October and has so far signed up 70 companies. By the end of 2019, the bank hopes to have signed up around 100 companies, which employ 2 million employees, Larry Restieri, the unit's chief executive, said in an interview this month. In recent weeks, it has also started pitching high-yield savings accounts and personal loans from its online bank Marcus through the Ayco website, Restieri added. The rollout is the latest effort of the Wall Street trading and advisory firm to reposition itself as a traditional bank. Goldman seeks to reach a wider customer base. Its trading business has been shrinking. In the first quarter, the bank's corporate clients helped it grow mergers and acquisitions revenue but overall revenue slumped. Chief Executive David Solomon must deliver on a target of $5 billion in new annual revenue by 2020 or risk getting squeezed by rival behemoths like JPMorgan Chase & Co and Bank of America Corp . [https://tmsnrt.rs/2H81K9a] The bank took its first step toward that goal with the creation of Marcus in 2016. In March, Goldman announced a co-branded credit card with Apple Inc, which will connect it to hundreds of millions of iPhone users. Expanding Ayco is the next step into the $9 trillion U.S. mass affluent customer market and offers the bank an opportunity to gain new clients cheaply. The primary cost to the bank - developing the online platform - will be offset by fees companies will pay to offer the service to their workers, Goldman executives said. Story continues Some investors fret Goldman is expanding into an area where it has little experience. They worry the bank is making $40,000 personal loans and extending credit card debt to iPhone users when the economy is showing signs of slowing. Goldman thinks otherwise. Executives there say the Ayco expansion is part of a bigger plan, culminating with the launch of a retail wealth management offering later this year. Restieri said it is too early to put numbers on the contribution the expanded Ayco could make toward Goldman's $5 billion goal. In November, the bank said that it was halfway toward meeting that target and that Ayco, along with private wealth management and asset management, had so far contributed $400 million. ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE Ayco's website, called Financial Wellness, starts with an online questionnaire. Employees of corporate clients such as Google's parent Alphabet Inc answer questions like, "Do you generally live within your means?" and "Do you have an emergency fund?" After workers answer questions about their savings, credit card debt, student loans and other finances, Ayco offers what it calls solutions such as Marcus savings accounts, personal loans or products from other financial institutions. Adoption rates are a question. One company that offered a financial incentive got as much as 60 percent of its employees to use Financial Wellness. Others have seen lower pick-up rates. But as Ayco rolls out its mass-market offering, Restieri thinks it will benefit from brand cachet of having already served the bosses. "When this offering is presented to employees, the top C-suite of those companies would have already been using us for 10-15 years," Restieri said. (Reporting By Elizabeth Dilts; editing by Neal Templin and Paritosh Bansal) President Donald Trump at an event covered by the media. A blast email from NYLJ seems to stretch for an anti-Trump angle: "Man accused of pretending to be a lawyer turns out to be a founder of a pro-Trump campus group." There is no connection between this individual, or conduct hes accused of and Donald Trump, except apparently at one point (in college) he was pro-Trump in his politics. By contrast, a recent NYLJ article about Greg Craig buries the lede. Former Obama Counsel Mr. Craig was charged with being an undisclosed agent for Ukraine. That is, Mr. Craig was charged with what essentially led the media to characterize Paul Manafort as a "Russian agent." The NYLJ headline described him (only) as Former Skadden Partneras though that were the newsworthy association. If Mr. Craig were counsel to Donald Trump, is there any doubt the NYLJ would have led with "Trump Counsel Charged With Lying About Ukraine? These are only two examples of a bias that I think takes the politics and sensibilities of too many NY lawyers for granted. But more dangerously, this type of political blind spot can lead to publications such as NYLJ to fail to report (or take on in editorials) what should be discussed. Our New York Attorney General Letitia James was quoted shortly before taking office We will use every area of the law to investigate President Trump and his business transactions and that of his family as well." If you hate Trump this may make you smile for a moment. But as lawyers are we okay with our chief law enforcement officer threatening to use state prosecution to selectively investigate her political enemies? Our colleagues in white-collar criminal defense could attest that the process is punishment in wide-ranging investigations. That is, not only the guilty should have something to fear if called out for selective, or excessive investigation by the chief law enforcement authority of the state. The silence of the NYLJ on that pronouncement was deafening. In my opinion it deserved a full-throated condemnation by the NYLJ editorial board, and by any publication purporting to be serious about the law and equal application of the law. I find it ironic that while were increasingly made aware of the dangers of implicit bias in matters of sex and race, the NYLJ and too many of our colleagues seem to embrace a type of bash Trump bias in almost everything they do. I think the NYLJ can do better than this. Laurence Deutsch is a name partner at North & Deutsch. The views expressed in this letter are personal and do not represent the firm. A new exhibition is about to make its debut in Lincoln. The NASA exhibition, Sun, Earth, Universe, will be on display Sunday through June 2020 at the University of Nebraska State Museum at Morrill Hall, 645 N. 14th St., in Lincoln. The museum is hosting the exhibition in partnership with the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience. Sun, Earth, Universe exhibitions are developed and distributed nationwide by the National Informal STEM Education Network, in collaboration with NASA. The exhibition, for visitors of all ages, is designed to engage audiences in the awe-inspiring fields of Earth and space sciences. Filled with interactive exhibits and dazzling imagery, the exhibition will connect visitors with current NASA research and launch them on a journey to explore the universe. Visitors can: Follow the design-build-test cycle of engineering and build a model spacecraft. Spin a tumbler of 10,000 beads, representing all of the stars visible from Earth, to search for the unique one that represents our sun. Reveal hidden images using the same tools NASA scientists employ to explore the otherwise invisible forces and energy of the universe. Take a break in the seating area and play the Your Mission to Space board game. Help younger visitors pilot rovers across the Mars landscape play table. These experiences introduce visitors to research in materials science, heliophysics, Earth science, planetary science and astrophysics, encouraging them to imagine what the future of Earth and space science might hold. The University of Nebraska State Museum will host public programs that highlight the exhibition and space content: Sunday with a Scientist, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., July 21 Investigate: Second Saturday Science Lab, 10 a.m. to noon, Nov. 9 Pop-In Storytime with Lincoln City Libraries, 4 to 4:30 p.m., Dec. 5 Regular museum admission will be charged for all three events. Admission is $8 for adults (ages 19 and over); $7 for seniors (65 and over), veterans and active military (with card); $4 for children (ages 5-18); and free for children 4 and under. In addition, the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, Nebraska Nanoscale Facility and University of Nebraska State Museum will support the exhibitions travel to six other Nebraska museums: Childrens Museum of Central Nebraska, Hastings; Edgerton Explorit Center, Aurora; Kearney Area Childrens Museum, Kearney; Eleanor Barbour Cook Museum, Chadron State College, Chadron; A. Jewell Schock Museum of Natural History and the Fred G. Dale Planetarium, Wayne State College, Wayne; and Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. An O'Neill man has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for his involvement in a cockfighting venture, discovered last August through wiretaps in an investigation into immigration crimes. Fabian Castro pleaded guilty to participating in an animal fighting venture. In the written plea agreement, prosecutors say Castro had worked with Juan Pablo Sanchez-Delgado from May to August buying roosters through the mail for illegal gambling on cockfighting. Sanchez-Delgado is set for sentencing for conspiring with corporate supervisors at several medium- to large-sized ag corporations to supply them with a cheap, illegal labor force. In phone calls, Castro discussed taking care of the roosters, selling 20 and buying one of Sanchez-Delgado's for $300. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods said on Aug. 8, an agent with the U.S. Department of Agriculture found 31 gamecocks, including two with bloody wounds from a recent fight, in cages during a search at a ranch near O'Neill. She said about half of the birds had their combs or wattles cut off and their spurs had been cut off or trimmed down, common practices in cockfighting ventures. Woods said the agent also found syringes, needles and supplements made in Mexico used to stimulate growth, minimize fatigue, combat pain and aid in beak development in gamecocks, as well as poultry leashes or tethers used to secure them. At a hearing Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Lincoln, Chief Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Castro to the prison time, plus two years of supervised release. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Dodge County will officially raise the hourly fee for court-appointed attorneys, effective July 1, according to a letter submitted to the Dodge County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday. Under the change, private attorneys who the county appoints to represent defendants who are unable to afford their own representation will earn $95 per hour in both felony and misdemeanor cases. Thats up from current rates of $70 per hour in felony cases and around $55 per hour for misdemeanor cases. The fee for Juvenile Court attorneys will be $75 per hour. In a letter to the board, District Court Judge Geoffrey Hall and County Judge Kenneth Vampola cite the rising court-appointed attorney fees in other counties across the Sixth Judicial District, and an effort to keep court-appointed attorney fees at a uniform level across the district. We realize this is a significant increase in the current hourly rate, but we feel it is prudent to pay defense counsel an hourly rate that is consistent with other counties in northeast Nebraska, the letter reads. Further, the rising overhead costs of defense counsel also compels this decision. The Tribune first reported the potential for the change back in March, noting that nearly a dozen northeast Nebraska counties had made the same fee increase: Thurston, Dakota, Cedar, Wayne, Madison, Stanton, Cuming, Platte, Colfax, Butler and Saunders. District Court Judge John Samson has also announced the change for Washington and Burt counties. The cost increase could be significant, Board Chairman Bob Missel told the Tribune in March. Last fiscal year, the county spent $536,939.09 on court-appointed attorney fees, up from the prior year but not as high as a 2014 peak of nearly $700,000. Court-appointed attorney fees in district court alone, excluding juvenile and criminal county, hit a 30-year high last year. The increase has renewed discussion by the county about the possibility of adopting a public defenders office. A public defender would be a salaried government official who provides counsel. That system could function as an elected official similar to the county attorney or by establishing a contract with a private attorney. On April 10, the board announced it was establishing a committee to explore the possibility of establishing a public defenders office. This is a conversation that weve had in the past, Missel said at the last board meeting. The board years ago actually moved toward doing it and then decided not to after some debate. In other news from Wednesdays Board of Supervisors meeting: Dodge County Sheriff Steve Hespen received approval to purchase four new vehicles for the sheriffs office, including three new patrol vehicles and one unmarked vehicle. Two of those vehicles will be a 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV 4WD, priced at $36,450 each. One patrol vehicle would be a 2019 Ford F150 PPV 4WD priced at $36,744. And the unmarked vehicle will be a 2019 Chevrolet Impala priced at $20,678. The cars will be replacing a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe, a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado, a 2011 Chevrolet Caprice and a 2012 Chevrolet Impala, each carrying at least 135,000 miles. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. President Donald Trump will deliver the Air Force Academys graduation speech on May 30, the White House confirmed Thursday. Trump bumped expected speaker Vice President Mike Pence from the podium for the ceremony in Falcon Stadium, where about 1,000 seniors will pin on the rank of 2nd lieutenant. It will be Trumps first stop in Colorado Springs since his visit during the 2016 presidential campaign. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the trip Thursday, to a group of children gathered there for take your child to work day. The president loves our military, she said. The academy graduation, which draws as many as 30,000 spectators when the president is the speaker, will include an air show by the Air Force Thunderbirds and feature a galaxy of generals. The academy is expected to announce how tickets can be obtained in the days before the ceremony. Typically, the president addresses graduating classes at military academies every four years in a rotation that includes the vice president, secretary of defense and secretary of each service. Then Defense Secretary Jim Mattis addressed the academys Class of 2018. Presidential speeches at the academy have tied up traffic along Interstate 25 amid tight security in the past. Those attending the graduation can expect airport-like screening entering the stadium. Known for his flamboyance and off-the-cuff remarks, Trump has shown he sticks to the script in remarks at service academies. In commencement remarks to graduates of the Naval Academy in Maryland last year, Trump reminded the midshipmen that Americas military power makes the nation a global force for good. We know the truth, will speak the truth, and defend that truth, Trump said in that May 25 speech. America is the greatest fighting force for peace, justice, and freedom in the history of the world. The Air Force Academy has played host to every president since John F. Kennedy. Barack Obama addressed the cadets twice during his two terms as president. So did George W. Bush, who started a tradition of shaking every cadets hand during the rites. Bush also was known for giving hugs, high-fives and even chest bumps to cadets during his graduation appearances. Some presidents have used the academys podium to announce new plans or programs. Kennedy announced Americas pursuit of a supersonic jetliner during an academy speech. Ronald Reagan pushed his proposed Star Wars missile defense program during an academy speech in 1984. Richard Nixon used his 1969 speech to call out critics of the Vietnam War. It is open season on the armed forces, Nixon said. Military programs are ridiculed as needless if not deliberate waste. The military profession is derided in some of the so-called best circles of America. Trumps remarks havent been written, but addressing his push for a separate Space Force is a safe bet. Colorado Springs is home to the bulk of the militarys space troops and is in the running to house the new U.S. Space Command, which would oversee all military efforts in space. Trumps enthusiasm for space is something the White House hasnt seen since Reagan. Military leaders have praised his boosted space budgets, but lawmakers have yet to sign off on making space a separate military service, with some leading Democrats voicing opposition. A 32-year-old man who broke into a downtown Colorado Springs apartment Thursday night was captured by a police dog, police said. Justin Wederquist was found by officers just before 7 p.m. barricaded in an apartment unit in the 400 block of Cascade Avenue. Police rammed down the door and let the dog loose to take down Wederquist. No one was injured. Wederquist is being held at the jail on a $25,000 bail. He was on probation for a Schedule 1 drug possession charge from late November. Yes, I found a better job Yes, but I'm still looking for a new job Yes, I retired Yes, I started my own business No, I like my current job No, but I'm currently looking for a new job Vote View Results Hong Kong: Gov't, medical groups meet The meeting with representatives of medical groups tonight to discuss public healthcare manpower issues is constructive and very harmonious, Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan said. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Prof Chan said it was first held in March to discuss and resolve the problem of manpower shortage. At today's meeting, participants considered the Medical Council's proposals on how to relax the assessment period for overseas doctors who return to Hong Kong to work under limited registration. She said: Our principle is to give an equal treatment, that is not a discriminatory treatment, to all doctors working at different parties, namely Hospital Authority, the Department of Health and the two universities. The second principle is to provide incentives to attract people to come back. The more relaxed the proposal, the better it is. Apart from issues relating to specialists, today's meeting also explored ways to attract intermediate-level doctors and fresh graduates to work in Hong Hong, as well as ways to streamline the existing limited registration system application procedures, she added. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Teri Whyatt is still learning what her uncle, Bill Mann, was like before he died on Dec. 7, 1941. The 1.7 million people who travel through the Colorado Springs Airport each year can now get to know Mann and other sailors who were aboard the USS Arizona, including the 1,177 who perished, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and propelled the United States into World War II. An exhibit unveiled at the airport on Wednesday features a touchscreen kiosk with biographies of those men and a 150-pound piece of steel that was once part of the ships superstructure. The display also honors 96-year-old Colorado Springs resident Don Stratton, one of only five living survivors who were on the ship. My entire family is just so honored that these gentlemen are getting recognition, said Whyatt, a Seattle-area resident who traveled to Colorado Springs for the exhibits commissioning ceremony. Her uncle, an Elma, Wash.-native, often sang and played guitar while babysitting his 12 younger siblings, his biography states. A gunners mate, he had just gone below to get dressed to go to church service when the attack began, according to the short profile. The exhibit, on the second floor of the main terminal, will remain at the airport for two years before its moved to another location that hasnt been determined. Seeing something in public like this is huge, said Don Strattons granddaughter, Nikki Stratton. It gives people renewed interest in World War II, and Pearl Harbor especially. The rust-covered fragment of the legendary ship, donated by the Navy, once helped support Don Strattons battle station, where he fired at Japanese bombers during the attack, said El Paso County Commissioner Stan VanderWerf. When a bomb hit, Strattons station burst into flames, leaving him with burns covering more than half of his body and killing the vast majority of his fellow crew members. He was saved by a sailor who threw a weighted line to the Arizona from a neighboring ship. Although his hands were burned virtually to the bone, he swung hand-over-hand to the other vessel, according to a newspaper article thats part of the exhibit. Stratton re-enlisted after he recovered and participated in three more campaigns in the Pacific, including the Okinawa invasion. On Tuesday, he sat beside Velma, his wife of 69 years, wearing a pink lea as VanderWerf, Mayor John Suthers and other speakers thanked him for his service. We are lucky that Don Stratton survived the attack at Pearl Harbor on the USS Arizona so that all of us today can meet a man, stare him in the eye, marvel at his service, and thank him for his sacrifice, VanderWerf said. EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been revised to correctly state the number of years that Don and Velma Stratton have been married. A Colorado Springs police dog helped in the arrest of a suspect late Sunday, police said. Ozzie caught the suspect when he tried to run. Jaime Leonardo Cardona, 26, was wanted on escape and other felony warrants. Police received a call that a wanted felon was in an apartment unit in the 800 block of Tenderfoot Hills Drive, south of Lake Avenue, at about 11 p.m. An occupant who spoke with officers, 43-year-old Elizabeth Hopkins, was uncooperative, police said. While speaking with Hopkins, officers recognized Cardona in the living room. Cardona ran to the second-floor balcony of the apartment and jumped, then attempted to run away before Ozzie took action. Police said Ozzie was hit by Cardona but was uninjured, Gazette news partner, KKTV, reported. Cardona now faces charges of animal abuse, obstructing an officer and resisting arrest in addition to previous warrants. Hopkins was arrested for obstructing an officer for interfering with the arrest of Cardona, police said. DENVER The University of Colorado named Mark Kennedy as its next president Thursday amid protests that the former Republican U.S. representa La-Z-Boy of Colorado Springs named one of the top-10 locations in North America DES MOINES Despite heavy opposition from municipal governments, the Iowa Legislature debated through the night before approving a proposal to require local governments to take extra steps before they increase property tax revenues --- whether because of higher tax rate or rising property values. Under the proposal passed Wednesday by the Senate and then at 2:52 a.m. Thursday by the House: City councils and county boards would be required to document and hold a public hearing for residents when they plan to increase property tax revenues through higher tax rates or reevaluated property value assessments. If a citys or countys tax revenues will be increased more than 2 percent, the vote would require two-thirds of the board's members instead of a simple majority. A measure that would put a 3 percent hard cap on increases, and allow for a voter referendum to reverse the increase was removed from the bill. Supporters say the proposal is needed to require transparency in local property taxes, so taxpayers can understand why their bill is increasing. They say it would force municipalities to show when property tax revenues are increasing and why. This is an opportunity for the taxpayers of Iowa to have some ability, some way they can reach out and have some say in what their property taxes should or should not be, said Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, who managed the proposal in the Iowa Senate. However, opponents said it does nothing to lower property taxes or increase transparency. It will, they warned, damage IPERS, the states public employee retirement system, and the police and fire retirement program. Nothing could be farther from the truth, said Hite, who was the mayor of his 1,300-person hometown of New Sharon for seven years. This bill is not about IPERS. Its a property tax bill. Now, the trust and agency levy that covers local governments mandatory contribution to the retirement program can be raised as necessary to cover the employers share. Under the bill, House Democrats argued, any increase in that levy will count toward triggering the requirement for super-majority approval of revenue hikes higher than 2 percent. That would put the employers share of retirement program funding in competition with other local government expenses, they said, and government officials may choose to lay off staff members to free up money to make IPERS and police and fire retirement costs. Supporters of the proposal said some local governments have enjoyed property tax revenue boosts because of higher property values while passing the blame for increases to property owners tax bills. They believe it will make local governments think twice about collecting more property tax revenue. Ive had numerous constituents concerned with (property) valuations going through the roof, said Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel. For far too long local officials have been able to get by saying, We didnt raise your taxes. Opponents of the proposal said it would place an undue burden on and infringe upon the authority of local governments. This is a red tape machine for city clerks and county supervisors to do their jobs that they were elected to do, said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City. The Senate approved Senate File 634 https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=88&ba=sf634 passed the Iowa Senate 33-17 with Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, joining Republicans in support. In the House, SF 634 was approved after more than four hours of debate 53-46. It now goes to the governor. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 7 A wrongful death suit against One Vision involving a 22-year-old man who died from a head injury in 2016 has been dropped. Justin Huckins, who lived at One Vision in Clear Lake, died from a brain injury on May 19, 2016. He graduated from Mason City High School in 2013 and moved to One Vision in February 2016, according to his obituary. His parents, Melanie Huckins and William Huckins, both of Mason City, filed the lawsuit in Cerro Gordo County District Court in April 2018. According to a dismissal filed Tuesday by attorney Jeffrey Tronvold of Eells & Tronvold Law Offices in Cedar Rapids, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice by the parents. Dismissal with prejudice means the suit cannot be brought forth again. It is unclear if there was a settlement. Tronvold did not respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon. A nearly identical wrongful death suit filed by the Huckinses against One Vision was initiated in September 2016 and dismissed without prejudice in November 2017. Another suit could be filed based on the same grounds. The suit argued Huckins received delayed treatment from One Vision staff after falling and hitting his head in his room on April 13, 2016. After the fall, court documents say Huckins complained of a headache and stomachache before throwing up and having a seizure. His father arrived at One Vision about two hours after the incident and insisted an ambulance be called, according to the lawsuit. Doctors confirmed Huckins sustained a significant brain injury and that his brain had been bleeding for about three hours, court documents said. He died about a month later from complications after multiple surgeries and a lengthy hospital stay. Huckins' parents alleged staff had been inadequately trained regarding their sons individual support plan and the nature of his seizures. Huckins had epilepsy and autism. One Vision filed an answer to the civil lawsuit on May 21. The organization admitted noise was heard from Huckins' room, but said the door could not be opened to check on him. One Vision denied the majority of the statements in the suit, many of which involved medical care staff gave to Huckins. One Vision repeated the answer that the notes speak for themselves for administering medicine and some of Huckins' symptoms while denying other allegations. Contact Courtney at 641-421-0534 or on Twitter @CourtneyFiorini. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 6 Angry 2 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MASON CITY Money and child care. Those are the primary barriers to postsecondary education for North Iowans, according to an online survey conducted by Mason City College Access Network, or Mason City-CAN, in February. Thats pretty much what we thought was going on, but we didnt have the data, said Jeanette Cink, Mason City-CAN project coordinator. Now we found out what it is and we can use it to help people further their education. The survey is part of a broader push in the state by Future Ready Iowa to ensure that 70 percent of Iowans in the workforce have education or training beyond high school by 2025. And that doesnt necessarily mean two- or four-year colleges. Trade schools, apprenticeships and on-the-job training also fill that educational gap. Mason City-CAN, a collaboration of area education, business and government leaders dedicated to creating opportunities for North Iowans to continue learning, was established in 2014. It has primarily focused on educating and connecting high school students with postsecondary options through mock interviews and career days. But Cink said the survey was Mason City-CANs effort to determine what keeps adult learners, especially between 18 and 50 years old, from pursuing postsecondary options. Nearly 540 individuals, including 368 from Mason City, responded to the survey in February. Of those, 76 percent said pursuing postsecondary education after high school is important. About 56 percent said they stopped or never started postsecondary for financial reasons, while smaller percentages said it was because of work or loss of interest. More than 70 percent of respondents said child care was the biggest barrier for them, including cost and availability. Cink said Mason City-CAN and its partners will use the surveys data to determine new and existing programs and resources available to alleviate the barriers to post-secondary education, so everyone has the opportunity to invest in themselves and their future. She said the group is working with the Future Ready Iowa program to find out what grants and scholarships are available to address the financial barrier, and its looking to other organizations to help it address the child care issue. Mason City-CAN is also working to offer a resource page on its website that connects Mason City residents with information and contacts to further their education at any level. North Iowa Area Community College President Steven Schulz, NIACC Director of Admissions Rachel McGuire, NIACC Vice President of Student Development and Services Terri Ewers, United Way of North Central Iowa CEO Jen Arends, Rep. Sharon Steckman (D-Mason City) and Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley were project partners for the survey, which was posted on the Mason City-CAN website. They'd been working on it since September 2018. Mason City-CAN awarded four $100 gift cards to individuals who completed the survey. Those drawn were Amber Olsen, Dan Rickard, Rachel Sprecker and Stephani Tobin. For more information about Mason City College Access Network, visit www.masoncitycan.com. Reach Reporter Ashley Stewart at 641-421-0533. Follow her on Twitter at GGastewart. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. pawanCEO wrote: Which of the following is an assumption that the argument requires? (A) The frame was made from wood local to the region where the picture was painted. (B) Drechen is unlikely to have ever visited the home region of Birelle in France. (C) Sometimes a painting so resembles others of its era that no expert is able to confidently decide who painted it. (D) The painter of the picture chose the frame for the picture. (E) The carving style of the picture frame is not typical of any specific region of Europe. Show Spoiler Seventeenth-Century Painting Incorrectly states OA as "B" in the Answer Key. The explanation states that "A" is correct, however Step 1: Identify the Question The word assumption in the question stem shows that this is a Find the Assumption question. Step 2: Deconstruct the Argument Painting might be by D or B (B sometimes painted like D) D = Germany, B = France Picture frame is wood from Germany D is the artist There are two possible candidates for the creator of a particular painting. Based on where the pictures frame likely came from, the author concludes that the artist came from the same location. Must it be the case that the artist and the picture frame came from the same location ? Step 3: Pause and State the Goal On Assumption questions, the goal is to find an unstated fact that would have to be true in order for the logic of the argument to be reasonable. If this statement were false, the argument wouldnt make logical sense. Step 4: Work from Wrong to Right (A) CORRECT . This must be true in order for the authors reasoning to be sound. If the frame had instead been made from wood that originated elsewhere, the author couldnt draw any connection between the frames origin and the paintings origin . (B) Since the painting was framed with German wood, not French, whether Drechen visited France is irrelevant. The argument already makes it clear that the painting was not framed with wood from France, regardless of who visited the area and who created the painting. (C) This doesnt have to be true in order for the logic of the argument to be reasonable. In fact, in order to accept the argument, its necessary to assume that it is possible to determine who created this particular painting with some degree of certainty. (D) The artist didnt necessarily have to choose the frame himself. Somebody else in the same geographic area, such as a local buyer, might have chosen the frame. (E) Its necessary to assume that the carving style wasnt especially typical of France, or the arguments reasoning would be damaged, since it would then be more likely that the frame was created in France. However, the author didnt assume that the carving style wasnt typical of any European region. It could have been typical of Germany, or of some other region in Europe outside of both artists areas, and the conclusion would still have been reasonable. for GMAT Review, 2015 Practice Question Question No.: CR 8 CR10671 ID: CR10731 Page: 504 A newly discovered painting seems to be the work of one of two seventeenth-century artists, either the northern German Johannes Drechen or the Frenchman Louis Birelle, who sometimes painted in the same style as Drechen. Analysis of the carved picture frame, which has been identified as the paintings original seventeenth-century frame, showed that it is made of wood found widely in northern Germany at the time, but rare in the part of France where Birelle lived. This shows that the painting is most likely the work of Drechen.Which of the following is an assumption that the argument requires?(A) The frame was made from wood local to the region where the picture was painted.(B) Drechen is unlikely to have ever visited the home region of Birelle in France.(C) Sometimes a painting so resembles others of its era that no expert is able to confidently decide who painted it.(D) The painter of the picture chose the frame for the picture.(E) The carving style of the picture frame is not typical of any specific region of Europe. Solution Passage Analysis A newly discovered painting seems to be the work of one of two seventeenth-century artists, A painting has been recently discovered. The author tells us that the work could be (not sure) of any one of two 17th century artists. either the northern German Johannes Drechen The painting could be the work of a German artist, Johannes Drechen Or the Frenchman Louis Birelle, who sometimes painted in the same style as Drechen. Or it could be the work of a Frenchman, Louis Birelle. The author gives us a fact: Birelle sometimes (note: not always) painted in the same style as Drechen. We are given to understand that the confusion regarding who the artist of the painting is, could be due to this occasional commonality in style. Analysis of the carved picture frame, which has been identified as the paintings original seventeenth-century frame, The carved picture frame was analyzed. Fact: This picture frame is established to be the same 17th century frame in which the painting was originally framed. showed that it is made of wood found widely in northern Germany at the time, Fact: The frame is made of a type of wood that was abundant in Northern Germany in the 17th century. but rare in the part of France where Birelle lived. Fact: However, this particular type of wood was rarely found in the part of France where Birelle lived. This shows that the painting is most likely the work of Drechen. Conclusion: The author makes a conclusion here. Because the original frame of the painting was made of wood found abundantly in Northern German, but rarely found in Birelles part of France, the painting is believed most likely to be the work of Drechen since he was German. Pre-thinking Falsification Question Birelle sometimes (note: not always) painted in the same style as Drechen This paintings picture frame is established to be the same 17th century frame in which the painting was originally framed The frame is made of a type of wood that was abundant in Northern Germany in the 17th century This particular type of wood was rarely found in Birelles part of France Thought Process Falsification condition#1 Assumption#1 Falsification condition#2 Assumption#2 A B C D E In what scenario Is it possible that the 17th century painting could be the work of Birelle and not Drechen?Given thatLet us look at the authors reasoning. He is unsure of who out of Birelle and Drechen is the artist of the painting. It is difficult to decide the workmanship. And the confusion is because Birelle sometimes painted in Drechens style. So now the author tries to ascertain the workmanship based on the material of the frame. It is the same frame in which the picture was originally framed. The author concludes that Drechen must have painted the piece because the wood of the frame was found abundantly in N. Germany and Drechen was also a German. Birelle was not the artist because that wood was a rarity in his part of France.What if the painting was made in a region but not framed in the same region?In that case, the painting could have been framed elsewhere and the wood of the frame could have come from that region.The painting was framed in same the region to which the artist belonged and where he painted the particular piece.What if the wood (that was not found in France) for the picture frame was imported from some other place (it was found widely in N. Germany)?In that case, the painting could have been painted by Birelle and framed in France using the wood imported from N. Germany.The wood from which the picture frame was made, had not been imported from outside the region where the picture was painted and framed.Observe our pre-thinking assumption#2. It says, The wood from which the picture-frame was made, had not been imported from outside the region where the picture was painted and framed.Or in other words, the wood from which the picture-frame was made was wood that was locally sourced from the region where the picture was painted.This is in-line with our pre-thinking and is the correct answer.Does this option need to be definitely true for our conclusion to hold true? No. Drechen might have very well visited Birelles home region but what does that prove or disprove? We just know the date of the painting not its location, and therefore this option is irrelevant to our consideration.Hence, this is not the answer.This option is anyways out of the way as it is not the basis on which the author draws the conclusion. It is more of a circular argument as the passage already says that the painting could be the work of any one of two artists where one often painted in the others style.Hence, it is not the correct choice.Once again, would my conclusion break down if this option were not true? What if someone close to the painter chose the frame for him? Does that prove who the painter was or was not? Maybe Drechens friend chose the frame for the painting. But we dont know in the first place whether Drechen painted it or not. Maybe Birelles wife chose the frame. But de we know whether Birelle painted it in the first place?Hence, this is not the correct answer.It is the material of the picture-frame that is being analyzed in order to ascertain the artist behind the painting. The carving style of the picture-frame is not the basis for the conclusion and therefore cannot be used to disprove or prove it.Hence, this is not the correct choice._________________ FRIDAY ENTRIES (PDF) | SATURDAY ENTRIES (PDF) | SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (PDF) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. The outdoor season continues for The University of New Mexico track and field teams as the Lobos travel to Berkeley, Calif. for the Brutus Hamilton Invite this Friday and Saturday on the campus of Cal Berkeley and Edwards Stadium. Joining the Lobos at the meet will be host Cal, UC Davis, Sacramento State, Nevada, San Francisco, San Jose State, St. Marys and Santa Clara among others. UNM will have 10 entries on Friday in six events and 46 competitors and two relay teams in 22 events on Saturday. Several Lobos will be entered in more than one event, with Camillo Dunninger competing in a team-high four events. Dunninger will be competing in multiple field events in the two-day meet, starting with discus on Friday at 3:30 p.m. MT and the javelin at noon MT, the high jump (1:45 p.m. MT) and the shot put (2:30 p.m. MT) on Saturday. MacKenzie Everett will run in two events on the first day of the meet, in the 1500-meter at 2:20 p.m. MT and the 800-meter at 3:25 p.m. MT Tanner Battikha (triple jump, long jump), Shannon Fritz (pole vault, high jump), Diamond Black (triple jump, long jump) and Alvin McCray (triple jump, long jump) are all entered in multiple field events on Saturday, while Cathilee Mullings is scheduled to compete in the long jump on Saturday after running the 100-meter dash on Friday. Black will also run in the 100-meter dash in addition to her two field events and Alejandro Goldston will run the 100-meter dash and compete in the long jump. On the track, Abbi Rael, Isaac Cole and Bryan Cutler will all run the 400-meter and the 200-meter and Iolo Hughes is set to run the mile as well as the 800-meter, with one event on each day. UNM returns to California coming off of a strong showing at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa in which the Lobos earned three event wins. One of those was Adaora Chigbo in the high jump, who will compete in the high jump on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. MT. Ryan Chase finished third in the long jump to lead the Lobos with Battikha tied for fourth in the event and Aidan Quinn was second in his flight and posted the fourth-best mark overall among all competitors in the four flights in the triple jump. Quinn and Chase will be competing in the same events this weekend. This week, the women were ranked ninth in the USTFCCCA outdoor team rankings, signifying the highest ranking in program history. The Lobos moved up three spots from the week prior to break into the top 10 for the first time. Rio de Janeiros militias: a parallel power in Bolsonaros Brazil Death of leftwing politician Marielle Franco focused attention on the growth of militias to the presidents discomfort Jonathan Wheatley in Rio de Janeiro AFP She was the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of Brazilian politics. An articulate and charismatic public speaker, Marielle Franco was a city councillor from the leftwing PSOL party whose campaigning against corruption and police violence had made her a rising star of Rio de Janeiro politics an unlikely achievement for a black, gay woman from one of the citys sprawling favelas. On the evening of March 14 last year, Franco who was known universally as Marielle was shot in her car in the centre of Rio, along with her driver Anderson Gomes. Almost a year later, investigators finally arrested two men suspected of her murder both of whom were themselves former police officers. Hours later, as police were searching an apartment in a northern suburb of Rio owned by an associate of one of the suspects, they made a surprising discovery. In a storeroom, in sealed boxes apparently straight from the factory, were the unassembled parts of 117 M16 automatic rifles. It was the biggest haul of illicit weapons ever seized in Brazil. Rio has long been famous for the drug gangs who have made parts of the city no-go areas for outsiders including the police. Francos killing has focused attention on a different and parallel menace Rios milicias, the murderous paramilitary gangs led by serving and former police officers that have emerged over the past two decades as a threat to public security and to the integrity of the state. Investigators believe the two men arrested and who have not been charged were members of the Escritorio do Crime the Office of Crime a militia gang of contract killers. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro believes the police should be given more freedom to shoot back against suspected criminals AFP Although the detective leading her murder investigation suggested the alleged killers may have acted out of personal hatred for leftwing politicians, many others disagree and believe Franco was murdered because she had challenged some of the business interests of Rios militias. Marielles murder was a political contract killing, a sophisticated crime ordered by powerful people, says Marcelo Freixo, a PSOL federal congressman from Rio who led a team of activists of which Franco was part. We dont want some nobody to be given the blame. We want to know who ordered it and why. The murder of Franco is also raising uncomfortable questions for Jair Bolsonaro, Brazils new far-right president. Longstanding figures in Rio politics, Mr Bolsonaro and his sons have a history of associating with people close to known and suspected militia members. Flavio Bolsonaro, left, with his brother Carlos AFP Moreover, the spotlight on the militias clashes with the security plan that Mr Bolsonaro is proposing and the philosophy that helped him get elected. The president believes the police should be given more freedom to shoot back against suspected criminals. We need to urgently get rid of the ideology that defends criminals and criminalises the police, he said at his January inauguration. However, the death of Franco suggests that the root of at least some of the violence that scars so many Brazilian cities is the blind eye that the authorities cast over militias that act as an almost parallel state. The militias operate in places with a vacuum of power, an omission of the state, says Simone Sibilio, head of a unit in the Rio state public prosecutors office investigating the militias and their involvement in Francos murder. She likens their activities to those of the Italian mafia, particularly in the way they substitute and co-opt elements of the state. They have public agents and politicians [working on their behalf], Ms Sibilio says. So far, we have arrested the coalface workers, she adds. We need to arrest the leaders. Eduardo Bolsonaro arrives for the showing of a documentary on his father's government in Washington on March 16 Reuters Firepower, murder, organised crime and politics: the characteristics that define the militias have become more destabilising since they first emerged towards the end of the last century. Their origins help explain how rampant lawlessness can flourish in the surroundings of a sophisticated, modern city that only three years ago hosted the Olympics. Rios first militia can be traced to groups of migrant construction workers who settled with their families on no mans land to the west of the city while they were building the apartment blocks and luxury condominiums that formed the upmarket seafront neighbourhood of Barra da Tijuca. As their community grew, the favela of Rio das Pedras took shape with little intervention or interest from the state. With no formal police presence, security was provided by justiceiros, or vigilante gunmen. The favela expanded in the 1980s and 1990s and, as parts of it acquired the look of a regular city neighbourhood, police officers living there banded together to take over from the vigilantes, expelling, beating and killing drug dealers and other people they considered undesirables. They presented themselves to the local population as a peaceful alternative to the drug gangs. Thats where the behaviour of the militiamen began, behind Tijuca in Rio das Pedras, says Ubiratan Angelo, a former Rio state chief of police. They used to say, no criminals live here where the police live theres no place for bandits. Then they began to dominate local businesses, the market for alternative transport and all the rest. Weapons, equipment and money found at the home of an associate of former policeman Ronnie Lessa on March 12 AFP At first, militias offered protection to local businesses at a modest price many were willing to pay. From there to extortion was a short step, and soon militias were selling protection against themselves. They expanded into other services: informal public transport, distribution of cooking gas, pirate cable TV, the sale and rental of commercial and residential property, and more. The most lucrative line of business for the militias has been real estate. Investigators recently found documents at the residents association in Rio das Pedras showing that between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of the value of every property deal goes to the local militia. They were also involved in the hugely profitable business of land expropriation or grilagem the fraudulent assignment of property and land deeds. This was the issue that Franco had been highlighting at the time of her death. Her work to support local residents and their rights to land and property made her a threat to this type of real estate scam. Almost from the outset, militias dominated local politics in the areas they controlled. If you have the power, you can tell people, Look, its best that you vote for my candidate, says Mr Angelo. Thats how these guys got big. In the city council, in the state legislature, they pass laws that interfere with the public machinery to benefit their activities. During the past 20 years, many new militias have been formed beyond Rio das Pedras. A study last year found they were present in 165 favelas and in 37 other city neighbourhoods in greater Rio, areas of the city that are home to a combined population of more than 2m people. They hand out often gruesome and lethal justice designed to set an example, sometimes for criminal behaviour, sometimes for acts of disobedience such as buying cooking gas from the wrong distributor. Their presence haunts the city: an opinion poll last month found that Rios residents were more afraid of the militias than of the citys often brutally violent drugs gangs. Fear of rising urban violence was one of the main issues that allowed Mr Bolsonaro to sweep to power from near-obscurity last year. While Brazilians hoped to turn their back on the leftwing Workers party (PT), which had overseen a crushing recession in 2015-16 and was involved in a multi-billion-dollar corruption scheme, he also campaigned strongly on a promise to tackle violent crime. One indication of the failings of security policy in Brazil is the almost complete lack of official crime data. According to the Brazilian Forum for Public Security, Brazil had 63,895 homicides in 2017, by far the biggest national total in the world, and an increase of about 50 per cent in two decades. The homicide rate, at 30.8 per 100,000 people, is five times the global average and 14th worldwide, second only to South Africa among large nations. In two of Brazils states it is more than 60, higher than in El Salvador, the worlds most murderous country. Rios militias are far from the only challenge. Rio is also home to the Comando Vermelho (Red Command), a brutally violent gang born in the states inhumane prisons whose members run much of the citys drugs trade. Other prison factions compete for power in Brazils 27 states. Most prominent nationwide is the PCC of Sao Paulo, which has evolved into a sophisticated organisation running guns and drugs across Latin America and to Africa, Europe and the US. Battles between the prison gangs horrified the country two years ago, when warring factions displayed severed heads and buckets full of their opponents hearts on social media. Mr Bolsonaro has vowed to tackle such violence head-on. His campaign promises included arming the population and giving police greater licence to shoot to kill something they already do with impunity at an estimated rate of 5,000 a year. In office, he has called on Sergio Moro, the prosecuting judge who led an investigation into corruption under the PT that has put dozens of business people and politicians in jail including former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. As justice minister, Mr Moro presented a package of anti-crime bills to Congress last month, including a measure that would allow judges to dismiss prosecutions for use of excessive force if it results from excusable fear, surprise or violent emotion. Since Mr Bolsonaro took office in January, police violence has increased. In one operation against warring drug dealers in a Rio favela last month, they killed at least 13 people, at least nine of whom residents claim were executed while trying to surrender. Rodrigo Amorim is a Rio state deputy for the PSL, Mr Bolsonaros party, and a political ally of Flavio Bolsonaro, his eldest son. He praises the police action. In my view, it was an extremely successful operation, he says. Necessarily, you need confrontation. Of course, in confrontation some innocents are killed, but we need to give the state back the territory controlled by the factions. Mr Amorim gained national fame during the election campaign when he broke in two a fake street sign bearing Francos name that had been put up by her supporters in the centre of Rio. He takes issue with the suggestion that Franco, who campaigned for the rights of Rios poor, was also campaigning for the rights of its police officers, 70 of whom were killed last year. This human rights crew, they have started to see the bandit, the criminal, as a subject with rights, as some kind of poor creature marginalised by society, he says. Daniel Cerqueira, an economist and author of a study of the causes and consequences of crime in Brazil, says the Bolsonaro-Moro plan runs contrary to policies that appear to have worked in parts of the country. He points to dramatic success in fighting crime in some Brazilian states this century, under programmes based on seven common elements: dedicated leadership, co-ordinated action, investigation, disarmament, conflict resolution, targeting crime bosses rather than arresting petty criminals, and funding youth services in favelas and other deprived areas. These experiences shine a light and offer some hope that things can get better, without turning to the barbarity thats going on today, he says. That barbarity, says Mr Cerqueira, includes a policy of repression and neglect, in which poor areas become lawless territories where the police enter only in violent raids, so that the communities hate the police and the police hate the communities. He says these problems will only be exacerbated by the new governments policies. Former police officers Ronnie Lessa and Elcio Vieira de Queiroz were arrested for the murder of Marielle Franco This months arrests brought Francos murder one step nearer to closure a year after her death. But there are fears that the investigation into her murder may itself have been corrupted by the militias reach into the Rio state police. Last November, after months of resistance from Rios authorities, Raul Jungmann, then minister of public security, installed a federal police investigation into the local murder investigation in Rio. It is expected to report next month. It is the only chance to find out who ordered her killing, he says. We need to pull the thread of this satanic alliance between crime and political corruption that has been shielded up to now. Connections of Bolsonaro clan invite scrutiny Jair Bolsonaro has in the past suggested Rios militias be legalised. Last year he told a radio interviewer, Look, there are people who support the militias . . . In places where the militias are paid, theres no violence. There is no suggestion that Mr Bolsonaro or his sons had any involvement in Marielle Francos shooting. But one reason her murder has created problems for the president is the web of connections between the Bolsonaro clan and people involved in or close to the militias. In 2011 Patricia Acioli, a judge who fought the militias and put several members in jail, was murdered. Flavio Bolsonaro, the presidents eldest son, tweeted that the absurd and gratuitous way she humiliated police officers had made her many enemies. Until November, Flavio then a deputy in the Rio state assembly employed in his office the wife and mother of Adriano Magalhaes da Nobrega, a fugitive from justice accused of leading the Escritorio do Crime, the militia hit squad believed to have been involved in the murder of Franco. He dismissed the pair when their employment became public. Is a criminals mother a criminal? Of course not, says Marcelo Freixo, a federal deputy and campaigner against the militias. But it has to be explained. Everything suggests they were there as a favour to the criminal. He says the two women had no clear function in Flavios office. Flavio has described local media suggestions that he employed the two as a favour to Mr Nobrega as defamatory and said the pair had been nominated for their jobs by Fabricio Queiroz, an adviser, former policeman and longtime family friend. Mr Queiroz is under investigation for involvement in a scheme allegedly skimming publicly-funded salaries from phantom employees in the state assembly, which he denies. When the allegations were made public, he went into temporary hiding in Rio das Pedras, home of Rios first militia. Grand Old Partisan salutes Martin Welker, born in Ohio this day of 1819. He studied law while working at a store. Five years he was a county court clerk. In 1848, this Whig attorney ran for Congress. Five years he served on the state bench. In 1857, Republican voters elected him Lieutenant Governor. Outbreak of civil war, the Republican Governor appointed him his military aide. Colonel Welker next was Judge Advocate General and then oversaw conscription within the state. After losing by thirty-six votes the previous election, in 1864 he won the first of three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before taking office, he enlisted as a private in the 188th Ohio Infantry, deployed to Tennessee. Known to be in the GOP's Radical wing, he voted for the 1866 Civil Rights Act as well as the 14th and 15th Amendments. President Ulysses Grant named him a federal judge. Retiring after sixteen years, he was president of a local bank. Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/p88g255k_8A 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" 1. Fill in your name or an alias. Do not leave blank or use the name 'guest' or 'anonymous'. 2. No Nivul Peh. Profanity will be deleted. " " Is a better decision made by the crowd or a few experts, like the people on the U.S. Supreme Court? Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images More than a century ago, English polymath Sir Francis Galton set out to demonstrate the ignorance of the masses and accidently proved the wisdom of crowds. As writer James Surowiecki recounted in his 2005 book, appropriately titled "The Wisdom of Crowds," Galton attended a livestock fair where locals were asked to guess the weight of an ox. Galton collected their guesses intending to show that not one of the 800 submissions was correct, which was true. But when Galton graphed the distribution of the wrong answers, he made an unsettling discovery the mean (or average) of the 800 answers was exactly right: 1,197 pounds (543 kilograms). According to the "wisdom of crowds" theory, the more individual data points you collect, the more accurate your final answer. So if two heads are better than one, then 3 or 4 or 2,451,897 are much, much better. By that logic, we should scrap the Supreme Court and the Federal Reserve and submit every important decision to a mass email survey. Then again, maybe there's a limit to our collective wisdom. Mirta Galesic is a professor of human social dynamics at the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico, where she studies how people make decisions, particularly within groups and social networks. In a fascinating 2016 paper published in the journal Decision, Galesic not only proves large crowds can often get it wrong, but that sometimes one randomly selected head is better than a hundred. Advertisement Why Bigger Isn't Always Better Galesic and her colleagues at Berlin's Max Planck Institute for Human Development first questioned the "wisdom of the crowd" theory when they noticed that many of the world's most important decisions are made by moderately sized groups. "A jury in most countries is six to 15 people and central bank boards are five to 12 people," Galesic says. "If the wisdom of crowds is so important, why don't we make these groups much larger? Why don't we use the internet and online teleconferencing to have juries with 150 people?" Because, as Galesic discovered through her research, not all questions are equal. First, the wisdom of crowds can only be tested using quantitative questions with a single right answer how many gumballs are in the jar? Or which of these two candidates will win the election? It doesn't work, for example, with juries, because you can never be sure if a verdict of innocent or guilty was ultimately right or wrong. Some guilty people really do get away with murder. The wisdom of crowds also doesn't apply to popular referenda like the "Brexit" vote or state polls to legalize gay marriage, Galesic explains. "Those kinds of questions are a matter of personal preference. There are people who, even after the fact, will never agree that a popular-vote decision was wrong or right." Second, the wisdom of crowds falls short when the question is really, really hard. One of the most surprising conclusions of Galesic's paper is that for certain highly difficult decisions, you'd be better off asking one or two random experts than polling a hundred of them. But why? Galesic used statistical modeling and computer simulations to analyze the results of experiments where groups of experts weighed in on quantitative questions. A panel of physicians, for example, was asked to diagnose a hypothetical patient exhibiting a set of symptoms. Economists were asked to forecast the unemployment rate for the next year. And political scientists were asked to predict the outcome of an election. When the task was easy a common ailment for the doctors, or a landslide election for the political scientists a larger sample set resulted in more accurate predictions, so the "wisdom of crowds" theory held true. But when the task proved difficult as in the 2000 U.S. presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore the opposite effect took hold. "In the 2000 election, most of the experts got it wrong," says Galesic. "If you take the majority of a group that's mostly wrong, you have a 100 percent chance of getting the wrong answer. In that case, you'd be better off choosing one expert randomly out of a hundred and maybe, by chance, you'd pick one who got it right." Advertisement The Right Number of Experts Of course, in real life it's impossible to know if the next task is going to be easy or hard. And the Fed can't reasonably add 1,000 board members when the economy is running strong and cut back to two or three when we're in a recession. That's why Galesic's computer models spit out on a solution that would make the Three Bears proud. How big should most committees be to accurately handle a variety of easy and hard tasks? Not too big and not too small just right. For example, how many political scientists should you consult for the most accurate election predictions in any contest? Five. How many doctors do you need to get the most accurate diagnosis? Eleven. And how many economists do you need to most accurately predict macroeconomic shifts? Seven, which is precisely the number of seats on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors. "Maybe that reflects some intuition about the optimum number of people in such committees," says Galesic. So, maybe the crowd isn't so dumb after all. Now That's Interesting Sir Francis Galton's fame and influence extend far beyond the ox experiment. In his meteorological studies, he created the first weather map. During his research into human intelligence and twins, he coined the term "nature and nurture." He also established the first fingerprint classification system. Sadly, Galton's greatest passion was eugenics, and he worked tirelessly to prove a connection between race and moral character. " " Edible cannabis products displayed at the Essence Vegas Cannabis Dispensary before the start of recreational marijuana sales on June 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images Edibles have long been the health conscious cannabis fan's delivery method of choice. But it turns out that ingesting marijuana comes with its own set of risks, at least according to a new study published April 16, 2019 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Visits to emergency rooms attributable to inhaled cannabis are more frequent than those attributable to edible cannabis, although the latter is associated with more acute psychiatric visits and more ER visits than expected. People who get high through inhalation are more likely to seek emergency room medical treatment for related health concerns, the research team found. But those who come looking for medical help after ingesting their weed complain of more severe problems like psychosis and cardiovascular issues. Mitch Earleywine, a psychology professor at the University at Albany, says it likely has something to do with the way that marijuana moves through the body when ingested. It can take hours for the stomach to pass Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical that gives weed its psychoactive properties, through the liver. The body also converts THC to 11-hydroxy-THC during that time, giving it a stronger impact. "The process literally takes hours longer than the smoking approach, but the impact is invariably more dramatic and enduring," Earleywine, who focuses on addiction and marijuana policy, says. "11-hydroxy-THC crosses the blood brain barrier more readily than THC, leading to subjective effects that dwarf the impact created by smoking the same amount of THC." The Colorado study comes as cities and states around the country are moving to relax restrictions on marijuana use. Colorado is among 10 states that has put a legal stamp of approval on the recreational use of cannabis, treating it much like alcohol. Another 23 states have legalized pot for certain medical purposes. Advertisement Studying ER Visits The Colorado researchers found a mixed bag when they looked into emergency room records for marijuana users. Andrew Monte, a doctor at the University of Colorado Medical School, and his team reviewed the medical charts for people who visited a large emergency room in Colorado over a four-year period ending in 2016. Nearly 10,000 marijuana users came to the ER complaining of issues during that time, and more than a quarter were deemed to be experiencing issues at least partially related to cannabis. Less than 10 percent of that group or about 240 people had ingested marijuana in an edible form. Inhalers most commonly sought treatment for cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a rare condition that usually effects people who use marijuana heavily and on a daily basis. Doctors still aren't entirely sure how substance abuse causes CHS, which leads to severe cases of nausea and vomiting. Marijuana eaters were most likely to complain of acute psychiatric symptoms, intoxication and cardiovascular issues, the researchers found. Advertisement Don't Smoke 'Em if You Have 'Em Anyone who's ever tried baking a plate of pot brownies in their kitchen knows it can be tough to predict just how much THC made it into each individual portion. If it takes a while to feel the effects, some users may overdose by jumping the gun and going back for more. "As many headlines emphasize, inexperienced users occasionally misjudge the dosage or fail to wait an appropriate amount of time for effects to begin, leading them to re-dose at ill-advised levels," Earleywine says. "First-timers should find a labeled product, ingest a mere 5 milligrams worth, wait at least 150 minutes (two-and-a-half hours), relish the experience, and consider taking more next time." Smoking, of course, brings its own separate set of possible long term health issues that can come with filling your lungs with burned air. Canada's Center for Addiction and Mental Health in 2014 tried to navigate the various health concerns for each method of marijuana enjoyment by rolling out a set of guidelines for "lower-risk cannabis use." "Smoking cannabis (for example, smoking a joint) is the most harmful way of using cannabis because it directly affects your lungs," the CAMH says in the guidelines. "There are safer, non-smoking options like vaping or taking edibles that are better for your lungs." The method of delivery isn't the only factor when it comes to the possible health impact of enjoying marijuana. The Canadian experts also urged users to opt for "low potency" pot. Now That's Interesting California in 1996 became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Colorado and Washington were the first to make the recreational use cannabis legal 16 years later. On April 20, a Helena Police officer was called to a report of shoplifting. Correa, the alleged shoplifter, had been detained by store employees. She admitted to not paying for items that she had attempted to walk out of the store with, according to court documents. Movie title Myrna Loy (R) Grade: B+ Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori method of education, believed in the transformative power of working outdoors, working on the land and working with animals. In her writings, she even advocated that adolescence should be a time when education moves outdoors, with students, in essence, becoming part of a farm family learning the dignity of work as they battle hormones. Inspired by Maria, when my daughter Kat entered those middle years, I consciously looked for opportunities for her to enjoy more of Montanas rural life. I worked with Anne, a friend who lived outside of town with beloved horses roaming her land. One of them, Sage, was a 25-year-old Mustang from the Idaho plains. Anne struck a deal with Kat: Take care of Sage, feed him, ride him and clean up after him and hes yours. Kat also sometimes took care of Annes animals when she traveled. Kat loved the ranch life. Kat had met Sage when she was 3, and sat on Sage at a birthday party. So, meeting Sage again was a reunion. Sage and Kat became best friends. Hed tease her by walking just out of her reach when she went out to his field to round him up. Hed look back at her, seeming to smile and then, in good time, hed come to her. Sage was my saving grace in high school, recalls Kat. He was the patient but silly, steady presence that I needed back then to cope with the difficult teenage years. Kat confessed she enjoyed cleaning the stable and even shoveling the stuff. Working on the ranch with him gave me an appreciation of hard work, and responsibility every teen needs. Those years when Kat would saddle up Sage and ride him culminating in riding him in the Helena Vigilante Parade were transformative. Thanks for joining me on this long wandering ride, but were getting closer to the stable. Promise. The Mustang brought all those memories back to me. This is a horse movie, but not Black Beauty or National Velvet. The Mustang is the story of prisoner, doing hard time for bad stuff, who begins to soften after he begins training a mustang as part of a prison program. And, of course, he finds Jesus, gets paroled and now runs a ranch helping young kids. Nope. Mustang is not that movie. No total redemption here. No parole. No black and white only shades of gray. But the person inside is changing, even though hes not going outside ever again. And his mustang is the reason. The film begins with a long leisurely view of wild mustangs being rounded up by cowboys and helicopters and led to a corral. Some of them will head for the prison program, run by a curmudgeon with a big heart, played by Bruce Dern. These mustangs are imprisoned, just like their trainers. They once roamed free, but now they are penned and being chased and trained by men with poles. These lifers can relate to these mustangs and these horses can empathize with these men. When a violent prisoner tames a wild mustang, hes taming himself. When a mustang kicks a prisoner to the ground hes asserting a fierce independence the prisoner can respect. The prisoner might be tempted to kick a guard or knock down a fence, if it didnt cost him 10 more years. But some do it anyway. Wild mustangs, penned in. Wild men, penned in. No wonder they become close. Mustang stars Belgian actor Matthias Scoenaerts, who has evolved from playing the handsome hunk, to this internal role in which hes not at all attractive. Until his horse nuzzles him and he pets his snout. Then we love him as does his mustang. There are a couple of stray subplots that are underdeveloped, including his relationship to his daughter who visits her dad in prison. Their relationship is complex at times cold, at times tender. When dad tells his daughter he loves her, she rejects his plea for forgiveness. She remembers the dad who did regrettable things. Shes working on forgiveness, but shes got a ways to go. But she keeps coming back. Hes dad. Shes daughter. Blood is thicker than convictions. We want that relationship to evolve parallel to the mustang/convict bond. But this one will take longer. The ending is sad, sweet and surprising. See it to find out. Suffice it to say that our prisoners soul is finding compassion, and his heart is capable of love. Now if he could just stop beating up fellow prisoners, he might earn his freedom. But we end up deciding maybe he doesnt want out. He doesnt trust himself outside. But hes changing, and his mustang is the reason. Daughter Kat grew up with her mustang as a good friend. Sage loved Kat. Kat loved Sage. She was there when he was put to sleep. She had to be. Hes was there when she awakened. Thats how it works. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Helena College has narrowed its search for a new dean down to four very different candidates, according to Brock Tessman, commissioner of the search committee. Finalists Mark A. Smith, Anneliese A. Ripley, Laura J. Vosejpka and Angela McLean will each spend a day at the college starting next week. They will meet and spend time with Tessman, interim Dean Kirk Lacy, students, general faculty, the search advisory committee, faculty leadership, staff and local leaders. The candidates will individually meet with the public at 5:30 p.m. at Helena College's airport campus each day between April 29 and May 2. "I think that the pool of finalists as a whole is very diverse and we are happy about that," Tessman said. "We are excited about the potential for very different visits next week." Tessman said Helena College received 46 applications for the position. That pool was narrowed down to seven semifinalists and now the four finalists. McLean is the current director of American Indian and Minority Achievement and K-12 partnerships for the Montana University System. She has also served as lieutenant governor to Gov. Steve Bullock. She holds a master's degree from the University of Montana and has previously worked as a K-12 teacher. McLean's day at Helena College is Thursday, May 2. Ripley would bring 33 years of program management and administrative experience to the position. She is the current dean of the school of outreach and director of research and grants at the University of Montana-Western. She holds a doctoral degree in education from the University of Montana. Ripley's day at Helena College is Tuesday, April 30. Smith is the current vice president for educational services at Temple College in Temple, Texas. He has held this position since 2006. He was also selected as the president of Cloud County Community College. He has worked at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He holds a doctoral degree from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Smith's day at Helena College is Monday, April 29. Vosejpka is the founding dean of the college of science and liberal arts for Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. She has worked in both the classroom and administration at Mid Michigan Community College, Northwood University and Alma College. She holds a doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Vosejpka's day at Helena College is Wednesday, May 1. "Every one of these finalists could be a great dean at Helena College," Tessman said. "We expect the next dean to be skilled on campus, in the community and across the state. The one common denominator is that they all have to care about student success." Tessman said the committee hopes the next dean will continue the work of interim Dean Lacy by expanding the college's relationships with the local community and higher education facilities across Montana. To find out more about each individual candidate, visit helenacollege.edu and click on the "Dean Search" tab. Love 11 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A federal appeals court has ruled that marking tires to enforce parking rules is a violation of the Fourth Amendment, but the city of Helena has been planning to discontinue the practice anyway. Dave Hewitt, parking director for the city of Helena's Parking Commission, said the city will switch to a more technologically advanced parking enforcement program in the coming months that will negate the need to mark tires with chalk to see if they have moved. "The only time we chalked was when we had an area of limited-time parking," Hewitt said. "Instead of using chalk, we will use a program on our handhelds that will take a picture of the tire." On Monday, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared marking tires unconstitutional in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. The plaintiff in the federal case, a Michigan woman named Alison Taylor, had received more than a dozen $15 tickets for exceeding the two-hour parking limit in Saginaw. The city marks tires with chalk to keep track of how long a vehicle is parked. Her lawyer argued that a parking patrol officer violated the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches. A three-judge panel of the appeals court agreed. The purpose of marking tires was to "raise revenue," not to protect the public against a safety risk, the court said. "The city does not demonstrate, in law or logic, that the need to deter drivers from exceeding the time permitted for parking before they have even done so is sufficient to justify a warrantless search under the community caretaker rationale," the court said. The court overturned an opinion by U.S. District Judge Thomas Ludington, who had called the legal theory "unorthodox" and dismissed the case in favor of Saginaw. Taylor's attorney, Philip Ellison, began researching the issue when another lawyer complained that his tire was marked while he sat in his car. It's apparently a common practice in downtown Saginaw, where there are no meters to enforce time limits. He argued that marking tires was similar to police secretly putting a GPS device on a vehicle without a proper warrant, which was the subject of a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. "We don't think everyone deserves free parking," Ellison told The Associated Press. "But the process Saginaw selected is unconstitutional. ... I'm very glad the three judges who got this case took it seriously. It affects so many people." Love 9 Funny 13 Wow 2 Sad 3 Angry 4 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Three hemp bills introduced by Sen. Tom Jacobson, D-Great Falls, are headed to the desk of Gov. Steve Bullock after passing both the Senate and House. Senate Bills 176, 177 and 178 saw no changes throughout the legislative process, according to Jacobson. He said that SB 178, a bill to exempt hemp processing equipment from property taxation, was initially amended to only apply to facilities that employ a minimum of 15 full-time employees. According to Jacobson, this was later removed because it favored big business. "I feel with the deregulation of hemp at the federal level, Montana is in a prime position to take advantage," Jacobson said. "We were the No. 1 producer of hemp last year. These bills give Montana the advantage to continue the trend." SB 177 is set to revise Montana's hemp laws to make it easier on the Montana Department of Agriculture's regulation of the crop. This bill changes mentions of "industrialized hemp" to simply "hemp." Additionally, the bill removes the need for fingerprints and nationwide criminal background checks on individuals applying for a license. The final bill, SB 176, gives authority to create a state hemp certification program plan. This would allow Montana growers and manufacturers to receive a "Montana grown hemp" or similar label on their products. This is similar to "certified organic" certification. Andy Fjeseth, communications officer for the Montana Department of Agriculture, said the Montana hemp program will be less strict than "certified organic." Their program will focus on ensuring that the hemp is grown in the state and that products are truly derived from hemp. This allows growers and manufacturers to leverage Montana's distinct identity on the open market for hemp products. These bills are poised for Montana hemp growers to take advantage of this new agricultural commodity. Jacobson said hemp not only is an important crop for the state agriculturally, but is especially so for Montana's rural communities. Jacobson believes these bills will help farmers in Montana not only grow their hemp, but keep a competitive edge in the marketplace. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In Our Care FRIDAY SPILKER, William Bill, age 82, of Helena, passed away on Saturday, April 20, 2019. A memorial service will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 26, at St. Peters Episcopal Cathedral, 511 N. Park Ave. in Helena. A reception will follow in the lower level of the church. The family requests donations in Bills name be made to St. Peters Health Foundation, 2475 E. Broadway, Helena, MT 59601, St. Peters Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, PO Box 819, Helena, MT 59624, or the Lewis and Clark Humane Society, PO Box 4455, Helena, MT 59604. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or share a memory of Bill. HELLER, Lawrence Larry, age 77, of Helena, passed away on Sunday, April 21, 2019. A graveside service will be held 2 p.m. on Friday, April 26, at Resurrection Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St Peters Hospice, or the organization of your choice. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Larry. KEELER, Kelly, age 55, of Helena, passed away on Wednesday, April 3, 2019. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 26, at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Ave. A reception will follow the service in the social hall of the funeral home. The family asks, in lieu flowers, donations may be sent to the Grandstreet Theatre School, 325 Park Ave., Helena, MT. 59601, or The Angel Fund, P.O. Box 7463, Helena MT. 59604. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or share a memory of Kelly. When Senate Bill 331 passed second reading 2 to 1, headlines said it was because SB 331 allowed NorthWestern Energy to buy a larger share of Colstrip Unit 4 and more transmission. The next day SB 331 failed 2 to 1, and the same headline writers said it was because Medicaid expansion had passed the Senate. The real reason is that SB 331 is the stuff political nightmares are made of. Originally dubbed SB 278, the concept was tabled by its own sponsor, Sen. Tom Richmond, R-Laurel-Huntley, as understanding grew. Renamed SB 331, the path forward was difficult. Within minutes it died on third reading 20-29, was resurrected 30-19 and passed 27-22 with deserting Republican senators replaced by Butte Democrats. Those reasoning beyond the nickname of Save Colstrip realized SB 331 saved zero jobs and nothing in the bill allowed NWE to do anything they could not do with or without PSC approval. Rather, SB 331 mandated a $200 million rate increase without any investigation. The bait was buying 150 MW of energy for $1. The trap was inheriting $200 million in liability even if the $1 was never spent. Basically, SB 331 is the legislative version of ask and ye shall receive. The House Energy Committee cleaned up SB 331, reducing the mandated blunt-force trauma to ratepayers to pay for environmental remediation at the Colstrip ash ponds, tearing down the complex, and purchasing unneeded transmission lines to only a $100 million blunt-force trauma. The Public Service Commission was put back in charge of investigating most rate increases not much comfort since three of the five commissioners have publicly said they were in favor of the $200 million in rate increases without any evidence. If they will be able to sit on these cases, since they ruled before the cases were filed, is an unanswered question. In the final version, decommissioning the Colstrip complex would happen without PSC approval. That means ratepayer risk without determining if Colstrip Unit 4 should indeed be decommissioned; all in the name of saving Colstrip. NWE shareholders would be informed but the ratepayers who paid for CU4 would be kept in the dark (pun intended). The Montana Constitution (Article Xlll Section 2) mandates the Montana Consumer Council must represent ratepayers at any hearing of the Montana Public Service Commission. Legislating that the hearing may not take place eliminates that constitutional protection. Why? Constitutional protections are supposed to be enforced except during times of martial law. Did NWE declare martial law? Senate Bill 331 is a guillotine and political heads will roll. PSC Chairman Brad Johnson is rumored planning, and Sen. Al Olszewski and Senate President Scott Sales have announced, statewide campaign(s). PSC Commissioner Randy Pinocci and House Energy Chair Rep. Daniel Zolnikov, assumed to be planning a (re)run for the PSC, are wounded. Yes, votes giving $100 million to $200 million of ratepayer money to NWE just because they asked for it, is a bad campaign plan. Any House or Senate Republicans (Butte Democrats serve forever) in the NWE service area who voted for SB 331 have unexplainable votes to explain. The real winners are Republican leadership, who tried to make a deal in which Democrats would get 100,000 constituents through Medicaid expansion if Republicans could, pretty please, pass a $200 million rate increase. Turns out Democrats got the 100,000 constituents and will campaign on defeating a Republican $200 million rate increase. Par for the course. Brad Molnar served in the Montana House and on the Montana Public Service Commission for eight years. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The recent announcement by Greg Gianforte that he is seriously considering another run for governor is problematic. He barely won against a gun grabbing liberal entirely out of touch with Montana values. Now Greg wants to run for governor? Tim Fox is an excellent candidate for governor, and Rep. Gianforte should be thinking about maintaining his seat in the House of Representatives. Gianforte should stay in the House of Representatives instead of crowding the Republican field of candidates and detracting from candidates with an actual shot at winning the general election for governor. Rumor is, Matt Rosendale is already committed to running for an open congressional seat if Greg Gianforte makes another bid for governor. That is a mistake! Republicans cant afford to recycle losers. We need electable candidates. Rosendale had all the help in the world against a flawed candidate, but couldnt get it done. Despite President Trump and VP Pence visiting the state several times, Rosendale couldnt overcome the Maryland Matt moniker. In 2020, Senator Daines also faces tough re-election prospects. Having Tim Fox as the Gubernatorial candidate, Daines for Senate, and Gianforte for the House makes the strongest ticket and gives Republicans the best chance of winning. Daniel Wood Helena Love 7 Funny 9 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3 PEORIA A federal judge on Wednesday imposed legal sanctions on Decatur Memorial Hospital for taking more than a year to hand over crucial information in a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit involving a Decatur man who died in the Macon County Jail. Chicago-based attorney Rahsaan A. Gordon, who represents the estate of Michael A. Carter, said DMH did not provide the personnel file of licensed practical nurse Jo Bates during evidence-gathering portions of the case. Carter died on July 18, 2015, just days after he was booked into the jail while he awaited federal court proceedings on drug and weapons charges. The lawsuit contends that Carter died because medical staff working at the jail refused to give him his prescription medicine for his diabetes. The file, released by DMH last month after a string of legal requests that Gordon said started in January 2018, revealed that Bates was fired for unsatisfactory performance. It also said jail staff were upset by derogatory comments made by Bates after Carter's death and didnt want her to return to the jail. Bates later denied making the statements when told about them by the hospital's human resources department, according to the personnel file. She did not appear at the hearing Wednesday, but her Peoria attorney, Peter Jennetten, declined to comment. The personnel document said unnamed Macon County correctional officers claimed Bates made several inappropriate comments in front of other staffers, such as If you need anything, Im going to the boat and will be drinking and This was Gods way of natural selection, weeding out the rif-raf after Carter died. Bates was also criticized in the document by corrections officers who said that she told them Carter was faking his illness and was being uncooperative. The document said that officers claimed they approached the inmate as being combative and used additional force in dealing with him based on what Bates had told them. Michael J. Kehart, lead attorney for DMH, told the judge that he had handed over the file information as soon as it was made known to him. But he also said he did not believe the information had to be turned over because it did not directly relate to the prisoners death. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley disagreed with Kehart, and said that his argument verged on the frivolous. As a result, he said he was taking the rare step of imposing sanctions on DMH for their failure to provide the personnel file when asked for documents in reference to the case. Gordon argued during Wednesdays hearing that DMH should be punished for withholding the information in Bates personnel file. The only reason they would have for not turning it over is that they knew the information it contained was inflammatory and damaging to their case, he said. Gordon also said that he has obtained surveillance video of Macon County correctional officers manhandling Carter, picking him up by his neck and placing him in a wheelchair. William Kurnik, a Rosemont attorney representing the sheriffs office and its personnel listed as defendants in the case, declined to comment after the hearing. Hawley ordered several key individuals to be deposed for a second time regarding the information contained in the personnel file, including Bates alleged statements and her eventual firing. They include Bates; Debbie Acciavatti, former director of DMHs corporate health services; former Macon County Sheriff Thomas Schneider and former jail superintendent Lt. Bill Hotwick; John Ridley, DMHs former executive vice president and chief operating officer; and Jennifer Allen of DMHs human resources department, who wrote the narrative in Bates personnel file. The hospital was also ordered to pay all attorneys fees, travel costs and other expenses in relation to the new depositions. In a separate ruling, Hawley overruled objections from DMHs legal team and ordered that CEO Tim Stone be deposed by Gordon. DMH argued that Stone shouldnt testify because he didnt have knowledge of day-to-day operations of the jail and its medical team, but Gordon said Stone had been involved in DMH bidding for the medical contract with the jail and was also involved in corporate discussions after Carters death. Kehart declined to comment on the judges rulings Wednesday, saying DMH does not comment on pending litigation. Schneider, who retired in 2017, also declined to comment Wednesday morning due to pending litigation. Carter, 35, was booked into the jail July 13 and Gordons lawsuit said his prescription diabetes medication had been confiscated by jailers. The lawsuit alleges medical staff at the jail, nurse Bates and DMH physician Dr. Robert Braco, refused to give Carter access to his medicine as his condition worsened and he was doubled over in pain. Evidence from jail records compiled by Gordon show that Carter called his fiancee on the phone to complain of extreme abdominal pain, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, shortage of breath as his untreated diabetes worsened. She knew he was in serious medical danger based on his obvious difficulty breathing and disorientation, Gordon wrote in the lawsuit. On July 17 Carters mother, Sheila McGee, a nurse, called the jail and spoke to Bates, explaining her son was diabetic and must have his medicine. Mr. Carters mother warned defendant Bates that his symptoms sounded like diabetes ketoacidosis, an emergency life-threatening situation, Gordon said in the lawsuit. She asked the defendant Bates to immediately transfer him to a nearby hospital so he could receive adequate medical attention and an IV insulin drip. Defendant Bates refused, telling Mr. Carters mother that defendant Dr. Braco would check on him the following day. Defendant Bates further told Mr. Carters mother that he was simply having anxiety about being incarcerated. Gordon said Braco kept refusing to supply Carter with his medication or give him an insulin shot and, by July 18, the inmate was unable to stand on his own, not eating and disorientated. Later in the day jail officers, alarmed at Carters condition, demanded Bates summon an ambulance, which Gordon said she refused to do. She eventually called Braco and told him Carter was in medical distress, but Braco refused his transfer to hospital. Only after pressure from the jail did defendants Dr. Braco and Bates finally relent and authorize Mr. Carters transfer to a hospital, but only by patrol car, said Gordon, writing in the lawsuit. ... Although it was common knowledge that failure to treat diabetes could result in diabetic ketoacidosis and death, defendant Dr. Braco ordered that Mr. Carter could only be transferred to hospital using a regular patrol car, because he didnt want to incur the $1,000 bill for an ambulance. Defendant Bates agreed. An ambulance did eventually rush Carter to Decatur Memorial Hospital but it was too late: Carter was pronounced dead at 12:35 p.m. READ THE DOCUMENTS Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Contact Jaylyn Cook at (217) 421-7980. Follow him on Twitter: @jaylyn_HR Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 8 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Tony Reid Macon County Courts Reporter Macon County courts reporter for the Herald & Review. Follow Tony Reid Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. (AP) Authorities on Wednesday dug up the body of a 5-year-old Illinois boy who was reported missing last week and charged his parents with murder and other counts. The body, believed to be that of Andrew "AJ" Freund, was wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave in a rural area of Woodstock, Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference. Woodstock is about 50 miles northwest of Chicago and a few miles from the family's home in Crystal Lake. Black said investigators were led to the body after they interviewed the boy's parents overnight and presented them with cellphone evidence. The parents, Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham, each face five counts of first-degree murder and other charges, including aggravated battery. In a message intended for the slain boy, the chief said, "We know you are at peace playing in heaven's playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer." Black said his efforts are underway to confirm that the body is AJ's and that his department won't be releasing further details in an effort to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Officers removed several items from the family home on Wednesday, including a shovel, mattress, paper bags and a plastic storage tub. Authorities said the couple reported AJ missing on Thursday and told officers they had last seen him at bedtime the previous night. Early on in their investigation, though, police said they didn't believe the boy was abducted or that he had left the home on foot. They also said they were "focusing on the residence and the individuals that may have seen or had contact with AJ last," and that Cunningham wasn't cooperating with detectives. On Tuesday, the department released more than 60 pages of police reports written by officers who responded to various calls about the house, which is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of Chicago. One report described seeing the home littered with dog feces and urine, and a children's bedroom where "the smell of feces was overwhelming." Another report said the officer found the house to be "cluttered, dirty and in disrepair," and without electrical power. The heavily-redacted reports also indicate state child welfare workers were called after officers spotted a large bruise on one of the young boys living there, but that the children appeared to be "healthy and happy" and were not removed from the house. Cunningham and Freund were in court Tuesday seeking custody of their 4-year-old son, Parker. Parker was taken into custody by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Thursday after Andrew was reported missing by his parents. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 4 Angry 0 ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) A suburban Chicago police officer who shot to death a knife-wielding woman last year told investigators deadly force was his only option. Elgin police Lt. Chris Jensen told the Illinois State Police's public integrity task force he and other officers were so close to Decynthia Clements "he could not wait to determine if the Taser would be effective." Jensen's comments are part of a 300-page investigative report done by state police and obtained Tuesday by the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights from the Cook County state's attorney's office Clements was shot March 12, 2018, after a standoff on Interstate 90 during which she set her vehicle on fire. Although officers were prepared with stun guns and rubber bullets, Jensen fired his gun. Clements' father, Charles Clements, is questioning why police couldn't rely on Tasers. He noted his daughter was weighed 90 pounds, yet was shot three times. Jensen wasn't charged in connection with the shooting. ___ Information from: Daily Herald, http://www.dailyherald.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Tulip growers in the Netherlands are pleading with millennials to stop taking selfies among the flowers after tourists caused thousands of euros' worth of damage by trampling over the plants in search of the perfect picture. Colorful tulip fields throughout the Netherlands are popular destinations for visitors, but the rise of the selfie in recent years has resulted in damage as people enter and walk across the fields. Now the Dutch tourist board and local growers are fighting back, launching a social media campaign and employing a team of "ambassadors" to tell selfie-takers not to step on the bulbs during their travels. "They cross all over the fields and they damage the (tulips)," grower Simon Pennings, who owns more than 40 fields to the west of Amsterdam, told CNN. He said the problem has emerged "in the last couple of years" and is driven by younger selfie-takers. "Last year I had one field and there were 200 people in the field," he added. "We have to keep them clear ... we have fields nearby the road and all the time, from 10 o'clock in the morning to nine in the evening, they take pictures." "When the tulips are damaged the bulb won't grow," he explained, noting that the selfie-takers ignore some fields in favor of those with pink hues or several different colors. Pennings estimates that thousands of people walk into his fields to take pictures on a daily basis and said they once caused 10,000 euros' worth of damage to his plants. "For me, that was the point where I said, 'this has to be changed.'" The Dutch tourist board also blames Instagram for fueling the trespassing problem. "It is incredibly tempting, of course, to walk into a tulip field and shoot a picture in the sea of wonderful flowers," an online guide from the board reads, adding: "(but) surely you would not like people to walk into your back yard without asking every day." "Ten years ago there were lots of people 50 and older," Dutch tourist board spokeswoman Elsje van Vuuren told CNN. "In the last two years since, Instagram is up and coming, there are lots of millennials visiting," she said. "You are very welcome, please come and visit the flower fields, but please be aware that you're not allowed to visit the fields inside," she added, noting that the problem is not confined to the fields. "We see it in tulip fields and also in museums," she said, adding that some museums in the Netherlands are creating "selfie spots" where people can take pictures. The tourist group's video says tulips are "nourished with love and cherished by caring Dutch farmers." "But a predator lures from above, careless and unknowingly destructive," the video adds, showing a woman stepping on a flower to take a selfie. "Enjoy our flower fields but make sure it is tulip-friendly," the video says. The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 At any other time in modern history, investigative findings that a foreign power had meddled in our elections and helped elect our president would alarm the nation. And evidence that the president had tried to undermine that investigation would be shocking. But were not living in normal times. Donald Trump has lowered the bar for acceptable presidential behavior to an unprecedented level. And the nations electorate has splintered badly with the two parties talking past each other, often forgetting the political middle that will determine whether Trump hangs on for another four-year term. Any hope of returning to normalcy requires that members of Congress, especially House Democrats, stay focused on the end game: Restoring dignity to the presidency, regaining the countrys standing as a respected world leader and honoring our history as a diverse nation of immigrants that look out for those less fortunate among us. Theres one and only one way to do that: Elect a president in 2020 who can lead the nation back onto the moral path from which we strayed 2 1/2 years ago. That wont happen if Democrats simply try to run against Trump if they fail to offer a vision of their own or to recognize that the presidential election will be won in swing states far from California. If Democrats spend the next 16 months obsessed with impeaching the president, they will lose again. Thats not to dismiss the outrageous findings of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation: Russia meddled in, and tried to subvert, our elections. Individuals associated with the Trump campaign had repeated contacts with people tied to the Russian government. Trump tried to cover-up the purpose of a meeting between one of his sons and a Russian lawyer, and likely fired James Comey because the FBI director refused to publicly state that the president was not under investigation. Trump called White House counsel Donald McGahn and directed him to have the acting attorney general remove Mueller. McGahn did not carry out the direction, fearful that it would turn into a replay of Richard Nixons 1973 Saturday Night Massacre, when that president ordered his attorney general and deputy attorney general to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Both resigned, leaving the solicitor general to carry out Nixons directive. The country was rightly outraged. Muellers findings about Trumps conduct should similarly roil our nation to the core. But Americans have grown numb to the presidents continuing misbehavior. Its hard to imagine what new evidence could be uncovered that would change the current political calculus. Nevertheless, the House of Representatives has a duty to investigate a duty reinforced by the Mueller report. Mueller refused to answer the question of whether Trump obstructed justice; but he noted that Congress has the power to apply obstruction laws to a presidents corrupt exercise of powers of the office. Yet, absent shocking new details, House Democrats should abandon the idea of impeachment. Even if there were the votes to proceed to trial, the chances of conviction in the Republican-controlled Senate would be nil. Meanwhile, Democrats would have lost the opportunity to show the nation its alternative vision for affordable health care, protecting the environment, fixing our broken immigration system, providing jobs with livable wages, implementing true tax reform, offering a coherent foreign policy and addressing climate change. Thats what will help the partys nominee win swing states. As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi keeps trying to remind her caucus, the party, and its presidential candidate, whoever that might be, must not make Trump and certainly not a Trump impeachment their primary focus. Being just the anti-Trump will not suffice. Hillary Clintons failed campaign demonstrated that. If the Mueller probe taught Democrats anything, it should be that putting their political eggs in one basket is a risky strategy doomed for failure. Its a risk the party, and the nation, cannot afford to take. The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I am person who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically gay. Deal with it. I am person who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically gay. Deal with it. Alvin McEwen [image: rebecca juro]Juros career as a Trans advocate and LGBTQ+ writer/journalist spanned several publications over the past fifteen plus years. PHILADEL... Katherine Huggins @ Mediaite: Marjorie Taylor Greene Boasts of Yellow People and Other Minorities at Turning Point Rally: The Left Calls This a White ... [image: Sonya Deville] Sonya Deville | WWE Sonya Deville keeps the conversation around authentic LGBTQ storytelling in WWE going: Its just a part of li... The malignant narcissist of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump, has announced that he will be holding a news conference on January 6th, the anniversary of his insu... The Data Center reports: Amazon Web Services is down again, in its third outage this month. There is a problem with AWS at its US-East-1 (Virginia) cloud... Q&A: Future pandemics are inevitable, but we can reduce the risk Professor Maire Connolly says the most likely scenario for the next pandemic is a new strain of influenza. Photo by Lee Milner Brendan Kelly, acting director for the Illinois State Police, said the department is taking new initiatives in an effort to promote transparency, efficiency and to address the DNA backlog. The Illinois State Police implemented new initiatives last month to handle the states DNA backlog. But even with new standards in place, officials say it could take up to two years to make a sizeable dent in all of the cases awaiting DNA testing. While victims want justice as quickly as possible, the ISP says its not simply a matter of hiring more staff. There have been millions and millions of dollars thrown at the DNA backlog across this whole country, said Brendan Kelly, Illinois State Police acting director, during a March 26 press conference. Money helps, resources help, manpower helps, too. But there are other problems to how evidence is used and collected in some circumstances where DNA isnt even relevant at all to the case.In a joint statement, Kelly and Gov. J.B. Pritzker laid out the steps the Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services, the agency tasked with processing DNA kits, has taken to address the backlog.ISP officials have sought new technology to speed up the testing process, including one machine that is capable of testing up to 80 samples at once. Kelly also said he has given his approval for ISP to purchase a device to perform Rapid DNA analysis, which could reduce the time needed to analyze a one-source DNA sample to two hours. Another benefit is machines that process Rapid DNA do not require a lab technician analysis; the results are computer-generated. However, the use of Rapid DNA testing still has limitations.Its not technology that can be used to test DNA from a crime scene, Kelly said. Theres a great deal of confusion about this.He explained that due to the numerous DNA samples that could be present at a crime scene and the technical analysis needed to identify more than one sample, the FBI has placed restrictions on when Rapid DNA testing may be used.In 2011, Illinois passed a law to allow police to collect DNA samples from people who have been arrested for violent offenses such as homicide, home invasion and sexual assault. However, before the sample can be tested, a judge must first find that there is reason to believe the suspect was involved.Were kind of at the point where we need a statutory change to introduce Rapid DNA, said Lt. Joseph Hutchins, a spokesperson for ISP.Another factor that is out of ISPs control, according to Kelly, is the need for a judges permission to test consumption DNA, a small sample that would essentially be eliminated if tested. Two bills that have been drafted this legislative session would do away with needing a court order to test smaller samples, which Kelly supports.Currently, there are 518 pending requests to test consumable DNA, and 354 of those cases have been waiting for a response for more than three months, according to an ISP spokesperson. Kelly said that the majority of cases dealing with smaller samples are usually granted and that the current law is a bit of an artificial delay.Another point Kelly and Robin Woolery, Illinois State Police assistant deputy director of the Division of Forensic Services, say theyre attempting to address is a lack of staff in the forensic labs. Kelly and Pritzker said six forensic scientists have been hired to work specifically on biology and DNA-related submissions. The department also intends to hire an additional 10 people, although the training process takes 24 months.Initiatives to allow for more transparency are also underway, including the creation of a database for tracking sexual assault testing kits so victims can follow the progress. However, this will not influence the speed of DNA kit testing, though Kelly acknowledged it would certainly allow officials to better identify where in the testing process most cases get held up.Everybody thats involved in the process cares about what the victims are going through, Kelly said. Thats the biggest frustration when people see the forensic backlog. It gives them the feeling that this is a system thats cold and indifferent to what it is theyre going through. Illustrations by Jonah Harjer Images of Bishop Thomas John Paprocki for this article are by Jonah Harjer, a Springfield artist who was born in Chicago and grew up in the 1980s in Miami, where he was influenced by the local skate and street culture. He was drawn to painting graffiti, A quarter-century ago, the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago was in crisis. A priest had been indicted for sexually abusing a child. Lawsuits were pending. Priests were removed from parishes after the church appointed a commission two laypeople, plus the auxiliary bishop to investigate sexual misconduct cases and recommend improvements. After the commission issued its report, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in 1992 turned to Thomas John Paprocki, then chancellor for the Chicago archdiocese and, since 2010, bishop for the Diocese of Springfield. For a decade, Paprocki was an insider in Chicago as the archdiocese first won praise for policies and practices that ultimately were discredited. Pedophile priests remained in parishes, despite promises, and zero tolerance was adopted only after outside pressure from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Last year, the Catholic church in Springfield and elsewhere fell under scrutiny from the Illinois attorney generals office, which accused the church of hiding sexual abuse cases. Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who took office in January, has promised to continue his predecessors investigation into whether the church has properly handled cases involving sexual abuse of kids by priests. Meanwhile, Paprocki complains about the Vatican. Last summer, the bishop criticized Pope Francis for botching the case of Theodore McCarrick, a former cardinal defrocked in February for sexual misconduct involving minors and adults that had been reported years earlier. Paprocki says Rome still hasnt been transparent, although the pope in October ordered an investigation to determine how McCarrick had risen to power despite evidence of sexual misconduct. Here we are in April, Paprocki says. (W)ere still waiting for that release of information from the review of documents that the pope ordered in October. Last fall, Paprocki was strident when the pope ordered American bishops to not enact reforms aimed at finding and punishing sexual misconduct between priests and kids. We are not branch managers of the Vatican, Paprocki told the press. Our people are crying out for some action. Churchgoers in Chicago also cried for action years ago while Paprocki shepherded sexual misconduct cases. If this man has value to the archdiocese, then he should be placed in a situation where he can push papers, wrote a parishioner in a 2002 letter to her priest after discovering an associate pastor had been sent to her parish despite groping a preteen girl. We always considered ourselves fortunate to be part of a parish that cared so much about its members. I guess I loved the cocoon in which we obviously lived, and I guess thats why I feel so deeply betrayed. The Chicago way With Paprocki in the inner circle, the Chicago archdiocese initially won accolades for its handling of sexual misconduct cases involving priests and kids, particularly by establishing a review board consisting mostly of laypeople that considered allegations, determined credibility and recommended what should be done. Paprocki was the cardinals delegate to the board as well as a member of a second committee tasked with deciding where child molesters should work. As chancellor, he kept the churchs records. As a lawyer, he was trained in both canon and civil law. The archdiocese, with Paprocki on the job, promised that no priests credibly abused of sexual misconduct involving minors would be allowed parish ministries. But exceptions were made, sometimes quietly, sometimes in media glare. The commission that had spearheaded reform three years earlier, leading to the creation of the review board, warned in 1996 that credibly accused priests shouldnt be assigned to parishes but at least three such priests were in parishes. The commission also found that the review board monitored by Paprocki wasnt reading full reports on accused priests or interviewing either accusers or the accused. Paprocki was present and took notes when commissioners met with the cardinal. But pedophiles continued in parish ministry, according to church files. And they otherwise remained welcome in the church. In 2001, Ralph Strand, a priest whod served nearly two years in prison for abusing a 15-year-old altar boy, accompanied Cardinal Francis George on a pilgrimage to Mexico, according to church files revealing concerns that the priest had been overly friendly with an underage seminarian during the trip and that reporters might notice that a proven pedophile, required to register as a sex offender, was on the trip. Two years earlier, the archdiocese, in a document signed by Paprocki, had granted Strand, since he had completed parole, the right to wear a collar in public, after receiving approval from the review board the future bishop served on as the cardinals nonvoting delegate. Some cases stretched out years as the board visited and revisited allegations, sometimes dismissing accusations only to determine later that cases were credible. In a 2002 New York Times story, critics complained that the Chicago archdiocese acted only when left no choice. The archbishop of Minneapolis, who then chaired a committee on sexual misconduct set up by the U.S. Conference of Bishops, told the paper that bona fide outsiders, not boards established by churches, should be handling accusations. One month later, U.S. bishops, reeling from scandals, decreed a zero-tolerance policy: Any credibly accused priest should be removed from ministry. After the 2002 decree, the Chicago archdiocese removed at least a half-dozen priests from ministry. Previously, the archdiocese had sometimes struggled with work assignments outside parishes. Strand, after his release from prison, worked two days a week in the vicar of priests office. Other options included hospitals and jails. Priests deemed credibly accused were assigned monitors, told to stay away from children, to ask permission before traveling and to submit logs showing whereabouts during waking hours. They also were supposed to report what websites theyd visited. However, a church-hired consultant concluded in 2006 that it amounted to an honor system. Monitors, typically other priests, had no training in supervising sex offenders and were given few if any details on what a priest had done, the consultant found. Why was he allowed to darken our path? The Chicago archdiocese, with Paprocki playing key roles, took extraordinary steps to keep some pedophiles in parishes. Consider the case of Rev. Thomas Swade, who was pulled from public ministry after allegations made in 1992. Accusers told the archdiocese that Swade had grabbed genitals during swimming lessons. A mother reported the priest surprising her college-age daughter by walking out of a bathroom while nude. A boy said that he and the priest had showered together and rubbed lotion on each others bodies, including on genitals. Swade denied most of the allegations, according to church files, but admitted the part about lotion was true. The states attorneys office told the archdiocese that accusers were credible, but the statute of limitations prevented prosecution. Knowing all of this, Paprocki in 1997 tried selling Swade to a Winnetka parish after seven other parishes declined to take him, and after the reform commission in 1996 warned against allowing credibly accused priests back into parish ministry. Father Swade admitted some inappropriate contact, but indicated that there was no sexual intent on his part, Paprocki told the Winnetka parish leaders. Extensive psychological testing and therapy indicate that Father Swade is not a pedophile. After a reported 200 people attended a parish school board meeting in Winnetka, Swades planned return to parish ministry didnt happen, but the archdiocese didnt give up. In 1999, the archdiocese set up a focus group in which 15 churchgoers were presented the facts of Swades case, but not his name: Should a groper be a parish priest? I was surprised by the intensity of the feelings in view of the fact that it was made clear to the participants that Tom had never engaged in any kind of overtly sexual act, the Rev. Larry McBrady, then vicar for priests, wrote in a letter to Swades file. These findings are consistent with what I have learned at the last two summer gatherings of vicars for priests from around the country. There is just no indication that people want these priests in any situation where young people are present. Today, Paprocki says that moves to put Swade in parish ministry were exceptions to the policy that barred abusers from being priests in parishes where theyd have access to kids. The exceptions were made, the bishop says, because parishioners wanted Swade back, despite the focus groups reaction and files that show seven parishes had rejected him. Church files show that Swade never became a priest in Winnetka. After the attempt failed, the archdiocese made plans to use him on weekends at Immaculate Conception parish in North Park. The church area (including the sacristy) is quite public and Tom would always be in a situation where adults were present, McBrady wrote in a notation made in Swades file one year before the focus group convened. The Cardinal was totally supportive of the way we propose handling this and said he felt it was just for Tom to be permitted to celebrate Mass publicly. In a follow-up email following an interview, Paprocki said that he had spoken without benefit of reviewing Swade's file and had been thinking of a different case when he stated parishioners had welcomed the disgraced priest. He said he didn't recall details of attempts to return Swade to parish ministry. Responses to sexual misconduct by priests arent always predictable, Paprocki says. I had some classmates, in fact, that were sexually abused by a priest in our high school, the bishop says. To this day, it just baffles me, because one of them who says he was sexually abused by this priest had the priest do his wedding. That shows how complicated this is. Even though my classmate obviously felt abused, theres another side of him that apparently still thought highly of this priestand he was willing to forgive. You cant even fathom that, but Ive seen that happen. In at least one case, Paprocki is right. When the Chicago archdiocese removed Rev. John Calicott from Holy Angels parish in 1994, after he was credibly accused of having oral sex with a 12-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy in 1975, parishioners protested, writing scores of letters to the archdiocese, defending their pastor and demanding his return. Paprocki was one of the first to be notified of allegations and was told they were credible. After Calicott was removed, Paprocki was picked to explain things to parish leaders and parishioners who wanted their pastor back. It was a very difficult meeting, wrote Rev. Patrick OMalley, then vicar for priests, in a 1994 memo in Calicotts file. The people were very angry, sad, hurt. Overall, the people felt he should not have been removed from the parish beforehand. Some said it was just another indication of the white church trying to get the black church. Parishioners who backed Calicott got their wish. Shortly after Calicott was returned to the parish in 1995, the archdiocese received a complaint that he had locked himself in a room with a child, even though he wasnt supposed to be alone with kids. By 2004, he was teaching sex education in a parish school. He was removed from the priesthood in 2009, 15 years after the archdiocese determined that hed been credibly accused. Paprocki today notes that parishioners, including one of the priests victims, wanted Calicott back. In a sense, the whole parish would be Calicotts monitor, the bishop says today. Everyone knew about the allegation, everyone knew about the finding of the review board and the young man, I think, was pretty public about this: We understand what happened, but we still want him back as our pastor. Which, I think, actually kind of baffled some of us in the administration: You know what hes been accused of and what the review board said and you want him back? But in some cases, parishioners werent told about pasts. In 1995, a backstage firestorm erupted when Rev. Daniel Buck prepared to move to a parish where relatives of a girl with whom hed had a tawdry relationship attended church. The relatives objected. In a memo to file, Rev. Patrick OMalley, then vicar for priests, wrote that if Buck agreed to drop the pending reassignment, then we can move on rather quietly. The archdiocese had proof of Bucks misdeeds. In 1984, hed written a letter to a 15-year-old girl that was found by the girls mother. I loved your outfit, the way it covered (and uncovered) various delightful parts of you, Buck wrote. I tried to be careful, but I couldnt resist touching your legs and your neck, and I loved holding you close on the subway. Your cute little belly button was like a magnet to me. I hope you didnt mind me taking a peek every chance I got, and searching for it with my naughty fingers in the subway. Finally, I promise that I will resist the urge to rip off your clotheswhen other people are around, that is. I hope youll be careful with your hands, too. Perhaps prayer will help you overcome your overwhelming biological urges. But dont pray too much! Church officials determined that Buck had been groping the girl since she was 10 or 11 years old. In a 1995 letter to the review board that included Paprocki as the archbishops nonvoting delegate, Buck acknowledged that the girl had been vulnerable and that his relationship with her had been professionally inappropriate, emotionally intense and psychologically dangerous. He also complained that the matter had been handled years earlier, so it wasnt fair that the review board was reexamining the case. The archdiocese assigned Buck to a parish as an associate pastor on the condition that he be monitored by a head pastor, a longtime friend, and that he not be alone with kids. Restrictions were eased after one year. Touching breasts and genital area over clothing, reads an entry in Bucks misconduct file. Isolated incident. No risk to minors. But the archdiocese removed Buck and seven other priests from ministry in 2002, after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a resolution calling for zero tolerance: Any priest credibly accused of sexual misconduct involving kids shouldnt be a priest. Buck was one of four parish priests removed from ministry after bishops approved the no-tolerance resolution. Some parishioners were angry that the archdiocese hadnt told them sooner about priests pasts. Why was he allowed to darken our path? a parishioner asked in a letter to the head pastor at St. Marys parish, where Buck had worked as an associate pastor despite his past. Is the lesson to be forgiveness? If so, there was an important line omitted. To forgive, one must know what has to be forgiven. And NO ONE told us there was something to forgive. Marge Raupp, another parishioner, told the Chicago Tribune that churchgoers were numb when they discovered Buck had a history. Its still hard to believe, she told the newspaper in 2002. Paprocki, as the archbishops delegate, had been present six years earlier when the review board voted to relax monitoring requirements imposed a year earlier, when the archdiocese was informed that Buck had groped a girl. After Bucks name hit the papers in 2002, other girls or their mothers came forward, saying that they, too, had been groped years earlier. In one case, a mother reported that Buck had given her daughter, then 12 or 13 years old, an under-the-blouse back rub in view of parents. In 2005, three years after removing Buck from parish duty, the archdiocese issued an edict formally barring him from public ministry on the grounds that hed abused three children and engaged in grooming behavior. Buck remained on the payroll, however, and subject to monitoring, which he resented, according to church files. Daniel Buck remains hostile and resentful toward the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Catholic church, an archdiocesan official wrote in a 2013 review of the case. It is unclear why he maintains his commitment to a church he describes as evil. Paprocki says that he doesn't recall specifics of Buck's case. Not all offenses are the same In Bucks case and others, the archdiocese acted quietly, moving priests and not making accusations public. In the case of Rev. Richard Doc Bartz, who was credibly accused of sexual misconduct involving a high school student, the archdiocese celebrated when the state Department of Children and Family Services said no formal report was required. He said it was nice to get good news for a change, the vicar of priests wrote in a 1987 memo memorializing a conversation with the church official whod called the state. They did take the information down, just so that there was a record of the report made, but that should be the end of it. Six years later, Paprocki signed an order barring Bartz from being alone with kids and requiring that he be monitored, and the accused priest was allowed to work as a hospital chaplain and rector of the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini in Chicagos Lincoln Park neighborhood. As with other credibly accused priests, the 1993 order placing restrictions on Bartz but allowing him to remain a priest began with the words in order to preclude scandal from arising from allegations of sexual misconduct with minors. Today, Paprocki says the word scandal was used in a way that differs from ordinary nomenclature. In the technical, theological sense, scandal is an action that would, perhaps I want to make sure I get this right it would perhaps induce someone to do the same thing, the bishop explains. Scandalous is that, someone did something wrong and didnt get punished for it. And somebody else looks at it and says Well, they did that and they didnt get punished, I can do it, too, and not get punished. He also acknowledges the ordinary meaning. I think (in) the church, sometimes, its used in both senses, maybe a little bit ambiguously, Paprocki allows. There is that concern about not wanting to shock people, because I think that is kind of a natural human reaction, to say, Ive got some shocking news here that maybe people arent ready to hear. In 2003, Paprocki was appointed auxiliary bishop and so was replaced as the archbishops delegate to the review board. Two years later, the archdiocese was hit by more scandal when Rev. Daniel McCormack, who now resides in the states sex offender treatment center, was arrested. Hed been molesting boys for years, and complaints within the church were made as early as 1999. Two audits subsequently commissioned by the archdiocese found myriad problems with how the archdiocese had handled sexual misconduct cases the audits were triggered by the McCormack case, which broke two years after Paprocki left his role as the archbishops delegate to the sexual misconduct review board. Monitoring didnt work, auditors found, and policies and procedures aimed at protecting kids and holding priests accountable werent always followed. A monitor for one priest who had never visited the priests home told an auditor he thought allegations of sexual misconduct were baloney. An auditor found that an administrator tasked with overseeing pedophile priests sent to a retreat facility didnt verify logs required to record whereabouts: She assumes what the accused priest abusers report is true, wrote an auditor. Its not clear from audit reports when deficiencies began. Paprocki, whod moved on to other duties when the audits were prepared and released, said that he hasnt read them and doesnt recall being interviewed by auditors. In hindsight, he acknowledges the Chicago archdiocese during the 1990s wasnt perfect. But any errors, he says, were made in good faith as church officials subscribed to a theory that held pedophiles are akin to alcoholics: The disease doesnt go away, but, the afflicted can learn never to drink. He stops short of saying the Chicago approach was a mistake. I dont know if Id go so far as to say it was a mistake, the bishop says. Looking back from our perspective today, wed say thats not the way we should do it. It would have been a mistake for us to do something we knew was wrong. We didnt know at the time what we were doing was wrong. With the psychology available to us at the time, what the mental health experts were telling us, I think we believed we were doing the right thing. Paprocki warns against zero tolerance for abusive priests. Not all offenses are the same, the bishop says. What the practice is, if you have any kind of misconduct and misconduct is a broad term, misconduct with a minor you are out of ministry. But the reality is, youve probably seen this as you read through some of those cases, they vary in their severity. I believe theres one case that we dealt with where it was a priest who inappropriately touched a young person on the thigh. I would say that is not as extreme as actually having sexual contact with a person. Yet, if the review board (today) says that touching on the thigh was inappropriate misconduct with a minor, that priest is going to be out of ministry. I think its a valid question to ask: Is that a proportional penalty, should a priest who does that be told, Youre forever out of ministry? That was a boundary violation in a sense, but is that as serious as more egregious kinds of sexual contact? I think thats a question that has to be asked. Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com. David Amerson contributed research for this story. A celebration of life happens on Saturday night at the Curve Inn for Showtime Shane Shomidie as hosted by his dad, Micky, and others. Come along for serious fun and good works as we hang out for the last weekend of April. Amidst the regular happenings of frivolity and frolic are some serious issues that folks in the music world are doing to help out those in need using the curative powers of making music together. In the early evening on Thursday, downtown comes alive with several cool goings-on going on within a few blocks of each other. Over at Craft Beer Bar, Julie Jules & Co., a jazz/bossa nova trio of Julie Hulvey, Ben Taylor and Frank Parker does their thing, while Crimes Against the Moonlight, featuring Ted Keylon, Frank Trompeter and Mariana Elise are playing all Leonard Cohen all the time at Buzz Bomb. A few blocks away at Dumb Records (and Breadstretchers), Marbin, a popular, progressive jazz-rock fusion band from Chicago with a national and international following, plays the place as Ben Delaurentis opens the show, while down the street at Vele, Myers-Brant-Paoni serve up acoustic favorites with a twist. Friday night our outdoor, but still kind-of indoors, venues are kicking in with Captain Geech sailing into Long Bridge, The Shenanigans cutting it up at Blue Grouch, Sushi Roll hamming it out at Weebles, Staggard taking it to the country at Danenbergers and Groove Daddies grooving everything in sight at the Curve. Plenty of solo and duo acoustic acts make the rounds around town as well, all listed in the Live Music listings in your Illinois Times. Saturday we get to the heartbreak and helping part of the week with a tribute and fundraisers dominating the big night. Out at the Curve, join The Rick Mari Band, a House of Nasty reunion and Rockhouse in celebrating the life and times of Shane Shomidie, son of rocker man Micky Shomidie. No one is sure what happened to Shane while kayaking on the Sangamon River last spring, but his body was found on May 1, 2018. His 31st birthday would have been on April 25, 2019 and his celebration of life is this Saturday, April 27. Micky says, As a dad, I believe I speak for Shanes siblings in that while we do not and will not ever have closure because we still dont know exactly what happened, we all have accepted it, but still cant believe it. Heres to Showtime Shane Shomidie and all the good he did while here and to his memory in keeping the good going as hes moved on. Please join in for TommyAid at the Capital City Bar & Grill on Saturday to return the support to Tom Hart, known as one of Springfields greatest live music supporters, with an all- day fundraiser starting at 2 p.m. Tom fought off cancer and at last report is cancer-free, but he can use a hand in paying medical bills and traveling down the road of recovery. Bands include Chris Camp and his Blues Ambassadors, MojoCats and Mary Jo Curry & Friends, plus there is a GoFundMe page set up for Tom if youre unable to attend, but still want to help. Down in Divernon at Maddys Tavern, folks are getting together at a benefit for the family of Brian Brummett, a father and husband who recently passed away from heart failure. There will be food, music, a silent auction and all kinds of ways to show your support when you show up to aid this family in paying medical bills and funeral costs, all while dealing with the loss of a loved one who helped provide. Coming soon to a world near you is the merry month of May-be. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ This Kat summarizes in the second part of the report on the second batch of amendments to the Mexican IP Law, the highlights of the provisions thoroughly modified in relation to trademarks and administrative procedures. Read the first part here . Trademarks Lets dive into the amendments to Mexican IP Law! Specific products and services. According to article 113 section IV, the specific products or services to be covered by the mark must be indicated in the application form. Co-existence agreements and letter of consent. The grounds of refusal of a trademark registration established in sections XVIII, XIX and XX of article 90, which mainly refer to signs confusingly similar to another in respect of which a pending application has been filed or a trademark registration in force, are not applicable when the consent is expressed, in writing, in accordance with the regulations of [the] Law. Collective marks. According to article 96, this type of mark can be registered by legally incorporated associations or groups of producers, manufacturers or traders of products, or services providers, in order to distinguish the products or services or their members on the market, as long as they possess common quality or characteristics and differ from the products or services of third parties. The application for protecting collective marks must be filed along with the regulations governing their use, which inter alia, must comprise the manufacturing, production or packaging procedures, the penalties for breaching the regulations, and the power to exercise the legal actions of protection of the rights of the marks, in accordance with article 97 BIS (formerly 97). Once the collective mark has been registered, the members of the association or groups that are the trademark owners may use it along with the term Marca Colectiva Registrada [Registered Collective Mark]. Moreover, a collective mark cannot be licensed (articles 97 and 97 BIS, respectively). Certification marks. Any sign that distinguishes products and services whose quality or characteristics have been certified by their owner, such as [t]he components of the products; [t]he conditions under which the products have been manufactured or the services provided; [t]he quality, processes or other characteristics of the products or services, and [t]he geographical origin of the products, as well as GIs, are eligible for protection as certification marks in accordance with articles 98 and 98 BIS. Legal persons are entitled to register certification marks, as long as they do not do business that implies the supply of products or the provision of services of the same nature or type of those they certify. However, if the certification mark is a Mexican GI, it can be filed only by legal entities directly involved in the extraction, production or manufacture of the product to be protected; [t]he chambers or associations of manufacturers or producers linked to the product to be protected; federal government agencies or entities, and [t]he governments of the federal entities in whose territory or geographical zone the extraction, production or manufacture of the product to be protected takes place. Certification mark application number 2089308, filed by Tequila Regulatory Council. The application for protecting certification marks must be filed along with the regulations governing their use in accordance with the minimum requirements established in article 98 BIS-2, which inter alia comprise the technical specifications of the characteristics of the product or service to be protected, the verification procedure of such characteristics, the time frame in which the quality control on the production of the product to be protected would be carried out, and compliance with the regulations governing their use in accordance with the applicable Official Mexican Standards [NOMs] or other international regulation. Moreover, article 98-4 establishes that owners will authorize the use of a certification mark to any person whose product or service complies with the requirements established in the regulations governing its use. If so, the certifications marks may be used along with the term Marca de Certificacion Registrada [Registered Certification Mark] and cannot be licensed (article 98 BIS-3). Declaration of notoriety or fame. The third paragraph of former article 98 BIS-1 (now article 98 TER-1) and section II of former 98 BIS-4 (now article 98 TER-4) have been repealed. Thus, registration is no longer a prerequisite for asserting that a mark has notoriety or fame in Mexico. Opposition Proceedings. Articles 120 (formerly repealed) to 120 BIS-3 regulate opposition proceedings in relation to trademark registrations (which is also applicable to the registration of slogans and publication of trade names). Once the formal examination of the application has been carried out, any person with a legal interest may file a notice of opposition within a month following of its publication in the Official Gazette. The notice of opposition must be filed along with evidence demonstrating that the application falls under any of the grounds for refusal established in articles 4 and/or 90, as well proof of payment of fees (around 174 per application opposed). If the notice of opposition meets the formal requirements, it is published in the Official Gazette, after which the applicant has one month for replying to the arguments and evidence submitted by the opponent. Once such period has elapsed, the parties have two days for submitting pleadings, after which IMPI will proceed to the substantive examination of the application. It should be noted that opposition proceedings shall not suspend the application procedures nor prejudge the outcome of the substantive examination carried out by [IMPI with respect to] the application. Thus, after the substantive examination of the application is concluded, IMPI will issue the decision regarding the opposition proceedings filed. Declaration of use of registered trademarks. According to article 128, the owner must file a declaration of real and effective use of the trademark within the three months following the third anniversary from grant, along with the proof of payment of fees (around 46). If the owner fails to declare use, the registration will lapse (article 152 section II). Invalidity of trademark registrations. New grounds for the invalidity of trademark registrations are established in article 151, namely if the registration was obtained in bad faith (new section VI) and in the event that any other person who has had a relationship with the owner, directly or indirectly, of a trademark registered abroad, file[s] and obtain[s] the registration, of the said mark or of a confusingly similar mark in his own name without the express consent of the owner of the foreign mark. In both cases, there is no deadline for starting invalidity proceedings when such grounds are claimed. Moreover, the term for starting invalidity proceedings based on previous use of a mark in Mexico or abroad has been extended from 3 years to 5 years. Administrative procedures Title VI, chapter I, was modified in relation to article 183 which now establishes that IMPI will notify through the Official Gazette all the resolutions, requirements and other office actions issued in relation to procedures of patents, registrations, and national publications, as well as those related to the maintenance of rights, except for the files provided in article 186 of [the] Law, which refer to pending patents, utility models and industrial designs. Administrative infringements Article 213 section VII of Title VII, chapter II, provides as new administrative infringements, the use as marks of names, signs, symbols, abbreviations or emblems referred to in sections XIII, XIV, XVII and XX of article 90 of the Law. Thus, the use of identical or confusingly similar signs to a mark declared famous by IMPI now amounts to infringement. Comments The second batch of amendments significantly modified Mexican IP Law, particularly regarding trademark provisions It seems fair to say that the long-expected regulation of non-traditional trademarks, distinctiveness acquired by secondary meaning, certification marks, opposition proceedings, as well as co-existence agreements and letter of consents, have all been well received. It will be particularly interesting to see how IMPI implements the requirements of a clear and precise representation of a sign entitled to registration in relation to scents and flavors, as well as the criteria for proving secondary meaning. It was a common practice to submit co-existence agreements and letter of consents when replying an office action, with the aim of overcoming the grounds of refusal contained in article 90 section XVI (now section XVIII), namely the similarity between the signs. However, such submissions were not successful in all cases, so certainly it is significant that this ground for refusal shall not be applicable when the consent is expressed in writing in accordance with the regulations of the Mexican IP Law. It is noted that the amendments to the regulations of the Law in this regard have not been issued. Another common practice, namely, the use of the class headings, or very broad description of products and/or services, will not be possible anymore, due to the amendment to article 113 section IV, which requires that the specific products or services to be covered by the mark in the application form be indicated. It is expected that the new grounds for refusal of a registration, such as signs filed in bad faith (e.g. filed in a way that is contrary to best practices in commerce or in which an unfair advantage is sought in prejudice of the legitimate owner) and those related to literary or artistic works (e.g. reproduction or imitation of the elements of literary or artistic works), will strengthen the Mexican IP system. Since the entering into force of the second batch of amendments to the Mexican IP Law, 501 trademark applications have been filed in connection with trade dress, scents, sounds, holograms, other non-traditional marks, and certification marks between August and December 2018, according to the List of Applications for Registration of Certification Mark, Holographic, Sound, Olfactory, Trade Dress or the Combination thereof published on IMPIs MARCANET database, reviewed by this Kat on 24 April 2019. Note that the first non-traditional trademark registrations have been already granted by IMPI in a public ceremony which took place on 7 February 2019 . So, stay tuned for this Kats report regarding the granting of the first non-traditional trademark registrations in Mexico! First picture is courtesy of Arheely Garza. Second picture is from IMPIs website regarding the certification mark application number 2089308, filed by Tequila Regulatory Council. *Stats and the bar chart are provided based on the numbers published in the List of Applications for Registration of Certification Mark, Holographic, Sound, Olfactory, Trade Dress or the Combination thereof available on IMPIs MARCANET database, last review on 24 April 2019. Ebrahim Raisi, who was a key member of the Tehran Death Committee in 1988 and personally sent thousands to their deaths, is now in charge of Iranian jails and the UK-based International Observatory of Human Rights says that this puts thousands of prisoners in mortal danger, including British aid worker Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe who is held in Iran on bogus charges. This appointment has drawn criticism from many human rights activists, who believe: It is not good news and we know the human rights situation is not going to get better in Iran actually its getting worse. If you see the sentences and the verdicts and trials you will see he is worse than the last one. Having Raisi as the chief of justice for Iranian people is like what happened? He is one of the architects of human rights violations in Iran and it is people like him who should face trial, not the human rights defenders. Human Rights activist Hamid Bahrami has explained the treatment that he suffered in prison to give the world a glimpse into the horrors taking place before Raisi, 58, was appointed, which he fears may get even worse. Bahrami, who was placed in Isfahans Dastgerd Prison in 2014 after he was caught filming a protest, says he was locked up like a dog for weeks on end in the dungeon of a prison, kept in solitary confinement and deprived of food, sleep, and light. Bahrami said: I was scared when I was told I was going to prison, they repeatedly threatened to lash me and beat me. The place was so small, two meters by two meters. I didnt know if it was day or night, dark and dirty but when birds started to sing I thought it was morning. They even didnt let me sleep. Every morning I heard that some people were lashed and screaming from another part of the prison. The lashing had continued until noon. Iranian communities rallied outside the Iranian Embassy in London earlier this week to protest the Regimes imprisonment of women who break hijab laws and the sentencing of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh for defending the women. Sotoudeh was sentenced to 38 years in jail and 148 lashes on March 11, despite having no trial. Just a day later, Iran was granted a seat on the UN womens rights committee. IOHR Director Valerie Peay said: We are at an ultimate tipping point for human rights in Iran. The utter disregard of womens rights is appalling; more than 112 women have been jailed in 2018 for merely practising their civil liberties and objecting to forced hijab laws. She continued: The renewed US imposed sanctions and the designation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard responsible for many of those arbitrary arrests and violations comes after Iran has ignored the concerns of the international community to respect due process and the Universal Human Right Declarations. In our open letter also handed to the embassy during the protest addressed to Ebrahim Raisi, the new head of the Judiciary who is accused of gross human rights violations, IOHR highlighted the severity of [Sotoudehs sentence]. There are lives at stake and Mr Raisi can make a positive change by pardoning Soutodeh and all those unjustly jailedthat is why we are protestingcalling for justice. The thing is that the Regime has a viable alternative in the form of the oldest, largest, and most popular resistance organization in Iran, which has fought two separate regimes since it was founded in 1965. That is the Peoples Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK). In order to help you earn more about the MEK, we have created an in-depth series. In this part, we will learn about how the Regime tries to stop people from viewing MEK TV. Banning satellite dishes Satellite dishes have been banned in Iran since 1994 because they allow the Iranian people to access news from around the world, including the MEK channel in London, and learn the truth about the Regime. Anyone caught using a dish can be fined up to 3 million Iranian rials (about $105). Despite the ban, it is estimated that between 50% and 70% of the population watches satellite television broadcasts, including MEK TV, with sociology professor Fardin Ali-Khah noting that the dishes can be seen everywhere. Meanwhile, the Iranian Parliaments research centre reports that a large number of Iranians use the dishes to gain access to news and analysis and that the ban has only increased the craving for satellite use in most and the poorest villages and city suburbs. Basij commander Abdul Reza Dashi said: [The] battle against satellite TV and social networks on the Internet is more important than the effort of achieving chemical and atomic weapons. The Iranian authorities conduct regular raids to confiscate satellite equipment. (On one day in 2013, they arrested 107 people, shut down a satellite manufacturer, and confiscated 16,000 satellite dishes across 19 cities.) They also try to bribe Iranians into giving up their dishes. Still, it seems like the number of Iranians trying to view MEK TV and other satellite channels, in response to the Regimes censorship of the Internet and crack down on online activists. Jamming satellite signals In order to stop Iranians viewing MEK TV, the Iranian Regime periodically jammed satellite signals, which means that MEK TV constantly has to move its signal to other satellites PanAmSat, AsiaSat, ArabSat, Eutelsat, and Hotbird to still air in Iran. While jamming has decreased in recent years, its still a regular occurrence. The Regime also blocks BBC Persian Television, Voice of America PNN, Rangarang, and Radio Zamaneh. Execution In 2014, Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani, 51, was hanged to death by the Regime for sending information and donating to MEK TV Savadjani was arrested in 2007 for sending MEK TV information about the Regime and making a financial contribution. He was initially sentenced to six years of hard labour, with three years suspended, but the Ministry of Intelligence and Security appealed the sentence. He was then resentenced to six years in prison. However, in 2011, he was transferred to a Tehran court and convicted of waging war on God. Savadjani said: The basis for my death sentence is that I have exposed the brutality of the Ministry of Intelligence and refused to provide information and doing TV interviews, renouncing the MEK. In our next piece, we will learn how the Regime airs propaganda against the MEK on their state-run TV channels. Many years ago, Maryam Rajavi and the Iranian Resistance called for the abolition of the death penalty, the end of torture, and the halting of all human rights abuses in Iran. The mullahs have never agreed and their abuses have only grown over the years. Maryam Rajavi said: Our plan is to revive friendship, conciliation and tolerance. Our plan for the future is to put an end to the mullahs religious decrees. We reject the inhuman penal code and other abusive laws of this regime. We believe Retribution is an inhuman law. Maryam Rajavi and the Iranian Resistance believe that all laws should be based on forgiveness, compassion and humanity. In a speech, Maryam Rajavi cited the case of her husband and Iranian Resistance Leader Massoud Rajavi, who ordered that thousands of former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeinis agents arrested in the battles of the National Liberation Army of Iran in the 1980s be released. Many of the agents had murdered members of the Resistance, but they were held without being tortured and without their human rights being violated. That is how the Iranian peoples resistance operates, with respect to human rights. Maryam Rajavi and the Iranian Resistance would also seek to put in place an independent, dynamic, and free judiciary. She wants to end arbitrary arrests, ban torture, protect the defendants right to a defence and a lawyer, ensure that the justice system is built on the presumption of innocence, and ensure that women have access to justice when subjected to violence, aggression and abuse of their freedoms. Maryam Rajavi said: Our plan is to defend democratic values, freedom, equality and sanctity of every citizens private life. Our plan for Irans future is that no one should be denied his/her freedoms, rights or life because of having or not having faith in a particular religion or for abandoning it. Our plan is for all citizens to enjoy genuine security and equal rights before the law. She explained that the Iranian Resistance would build an Iran based on freedom, democracy and equality, where no one can be sentenced to death, let alone someone under the age of 18. Maryam Rajavi said: We have chosen to persevere and fight on to let our people enjoy a life in freedom and prosperity Our motivation for resistance till victory is not spite and revenge but our love for freedom and human rights. This is the fuel of our steadfastness. And the secret to this endurance is nothing but being prepared to sacrifice and pay the price. Maryam Rajavi is prepared to fight the good fight until Iran is free. Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz is a vital shipping route for oil producers in the Middle East and links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Some 20% of the worlds total oil supply passes through the tiny waterway the equivalent of 18.5 million barrels of oil per day from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq to markets in Asia, Europe, and beyond. It is just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane being just two miles wide, so its physically possible for Iran to shut the waterway. However, Iran has made these threats many times in the past but has not followed through, which is likely the result of not wanting to come under fire from the much stronger American Navy or from US allies who rely on the Strait and already have disputes with Iran, i.e. Saudi Arabia and Israel. Closing the Strait also risks angering Iranian allies, like China and Iraq, who either depend on oil from the Middle East or need to sell their oil abroad. Since 2008, Iran has threatened to close the Strait at least three times and attacked shipping vessels there on multiple occasions. Analysts at Eurasia Group said: Irans threat to close the Strait of Hormuz was a reflexive response that we do not take at face value. But we have long warned about the Iranian cyber threat, especially the prospect that Tehran could take down Saudi oil infrastructure. Sanctions Waivers The US decision to remove sanctions waivers is part of a plan to exert maximum pressure on Iran, since withdrawing from their nuclear deal last May and reimposing all nuclear-related sanctions by November. Because of the current battle, oil prices have risen to their highest since before sanctions were introduced. However, Trump says that any shortfall could be made up by other oil-producing countries. This news came shortly after the US labelled the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organisation on April 15 and Iran retaliated by label all of the US military as a terrorist group. Last year, the U.S. State Department announced that it would be expecting all countries to stop importing Iranian oil. Despite initial hesitancy, it issued a number of waivers to the countries that imported significant amounts. The waivers were granted towards the end of last year and had strict restrictions attached to them, but the announcement at the beginning of the week signals that no more waivers will be granted. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that it has been 12 months since President Trump announced that the United States would no longer be party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or 2015 Iran nuclear deal as it is known, and pointed out that the administration is in the midst of the strongest pressure campaign in history against the Islamic Republic of Iran. He emphasised that the aim of the pressure campaign is to cut the regime off from the revenue that it uses to spread chaos across the region. The pressure should incentivize Iran to behave like a normal country, he said. Around 40 per cent of Irans income is from the sale of oil. The current waivers that were put in place to give countries a chance to gradually decrease their oil purchases from Iran are due to expire on 2nd May. The waivers were also granted to ensure that the oil market was not majorly impacted. The Secretary of State emphasised in his speech that this means no countries will have a waiver in place after 2nd May and that the United States expects all countries to completely stop importing Iranian oil. He advised that the U.S. would be carefully monitoring compliance and will be enforcing sanctions. Pompeo also warned that ignoring the U.S. on this issue will open countries up to risks that are not going to be worth the benefits. This means that China, South Korea, Turkey, India and Japan would be sanctioned if they continue to import Iranian oil after the waivers expire. The other waiver holders Taiwan, Italy and Greece have already reduced their imports of Iranian oil to zero. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have agreed to compensate for the drop in order to prevent serious economic disruption. The Trump administration is keeping to its word regarding the maximum pressure campaign. It was announced earlier this month that the Iranian regimes notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is being designated as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO). This is the first time a government of the United States has designated another countrys military as an FTO, but it is a move that is long overdue. The IRGC controls a large part of the Iranian economy and the Trump administration is trying to change this by preventing businesses around the world from making it richer. Although such designation had been variously contemplated by earlier administrations, critics were quick to suggest that the associated sanctions and travel bans could make it difficult for American diplomats to negotiate or otherwise interact with foreign entities that have previously come under the influence of the IRGC. The announcement of waivers was presumably a means of addressing these criticisms. As reported by the Associated Press, travel bans will not apply to officials of foreign governments or businesses that have dealings with the elite military unit or its subsidiaries. Still, the White House appears committed to its broader effort to break the IRGCs hold on various aspects of Irans society and economics. According to intelligence gathered by the leading Iranian opposition group, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran, the Revolutionary Guards presently control well over half of the nations gross domestic product, with severely adverse effects on the distribution of resources in the Islamic Republic. To whatever extent the newly announced sanctions impact this situation, it can be expected to interrupt the flow of Iranian capital into regional conflict zones and Shiite militant proxies. This in turn represents one aspect of what the Trump administration has described as a campaign of maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. But as the AP report notes, some Iran hawks in the US Congress have expressed frustration with the slow progress toward truly maximum pressure. These critics are likely to balk at the notion of allowing any exemptions to the IRGC blacklist. On the other hand, some such critics may recognize the exemptions as having been counterbalanced ahead of time by the announcement that the US would no longer be granting waivers to purchasers of Iranian oil. When secondary sanctions on Irans oil exports came back into effect last November, eight nations that have traditionally relied on the resource were permitted to continue importing it without penalty, albeit at reduced levels. Those waivers are scheduled to expire at the beginning of May, and it was widely anticipated that at least some of them would be extended for a further six months. However, the White House abruptly declared otherwise this week, prompting an increase in global oil prices but providing some relief to those Iran hawks who are eager to see as sharp a downturn as possible in the Iranian economy. The exemptions to the IRGC sanctions arguably follow the same pattern as the earlier sanctions on oil exports. After withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Trump expressed no interest in granting waivers but promoted the maximum pressure strategy repeatedly during two back-to-back 90 day waiting periods. The waivers were not announced until very shortly before the secondary sanctions came back into force, at which point the administration apparently succumbed to political concerns regarding oil prices and the US governments relationships with European partners who remain loyal to the nuclear deal. But these concerns were not sufficient to compel the extension of the initial round of waivers. If this pattern holds in the wake of the IRGC sanctions, the latest waivers may also prove to be short-lived. As the AP noted, the Iranian regimes greatest critics are already pushing for that outcome. And their argument for the speedy adoption of maximum pressure may be strengthened by the regime itself, insofar as it has responded to each round of pressure with renewed belligerence. While the White House is confident in its ability to stop Iran from exporting to US partners, thereby bringing the countrys oil exports as close to zero as possible, leading Iranian officials have continued to insist upon their own imperviousness. This remained evident on Wednesday when Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei insisted, We can export as much of our oil as we need and want. This defiance was echoed by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, whose remarks were accompanied by vague military threats against the US and any other foreign government that tries to impede Irans seaborne exports. Despite his reputation as a comparatively moderate figure in the Iranian regime, Zarifs remarks to a United Nations session at the Asian Society in New York included the repetition of familiar threats to close off the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation against any efforts to control what passes through the globally important waterway. We will continue to use the Strait of Hormuz as a safe transit passage for the sale of our oil. But if the United States takes the crazy measure of trying to prevent us from doing that, then it should be prepared for consequences, Zarif said. While those remarks were ostensibly focused on the American decision to withhold oil sanction waivers, they also drew clear connections between this issue and the issue of the IRGC blacklist. The foreign minister took time to praise the hardline paramilitary, which has traditionally had an adversarial relationship with the pragmatist administration of President Hassan Rouhani. These tensions seemed to be largely reconciled last month after Zarif was excluded from a meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, where Khamenei was present alongside IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani. Amidst the political fallout from that incident, statements from both factions expressed joint commitment to action on the front lines of conflict with the West. That general amity was upheld during Zarifs visit to the UN, as his remarks referenced the IRGC to justify his threat of consequences for the US. The United States should know when they enter the Strait of Hormuz, they have to talk to those who are protecting the Strait of Hormuz, and that is Iranian Revolutionary Guards, he said. For his part, President Rouhani personally contributed to Irans defiant rhetoric by reiterating and expanding upon a principle that has long been promoted by the Supreme Leader. According to Reuters and Rouhanis official website, he declared that the Islamic Republic would not negotiate with the US in any way, over any topic, unless Washington first removes all sanctions and issues an apology. Previously, Rouhani was instrumental in securing the 2015 nuclear agreement, although Khamenei explicitly barred his subordinates from engaging in talks with the West over any other matter. But since then, the positions of the hardline and moderate factions have drifted closer together with regard to Irans relationship with the US and its allies. Meanwhile, the escalating tensions between Iran and the US have been reflected in Irans relationship with its regional adversaries, particularly Saudi Arabia. Rouhani also took aim at the Gulf Arab states in his latest remarks, condemning them for their willingness to work with the US to make up for the world markets loss of Iranian oil and declaring that this makes them a definite enemy of the Iranian people. But in Washington, Secretary Pompeo also made reference to the Iranian people, highlighting the domestic unrest inside Iranian society and suggesting that the newly imposed sanctions would be welcomed as a sign of solidarity in the fight against the repressive theocratic system. These demands are not just coming from the United States government and many of our allies and partners, Pompeo said, no doubt referring in part to regional powers that have grown anxious about Irans imperialist influence. He continued: They are similar to what we hear from the Iranian people themselves. I want the Iranian people to know we are listening to them and stand with them. In covering Pompeos announcement of the end of all oil import waivers, the National Review indicated that both he and Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin have effectively mirrored Rouhanis insistence upon an apology and the removal of all pressure. Their past remarks laid out the Trump administrations terms for lifting sanctions, namely that Iran completely ends its nuclear activity and its support of terrorism, and that it pulls out of Syria entirely. Pompeo has also identified these conditions as part of the vision for Iran beginning to behave like a normal country. But if Irans behavior has recently changed in any way, it has only moved in the direction of greater extremism. Supreme Leader Khamenei responded to the IRGC blacklist by installing what appears to be an even more hardline figure as the head of the organization. On Tuesday, IranWire published an analysis of what the paramilitarys new approach would likely be under the leadership of Hossein Salami, whom it described as gloomy, bad-tempered, talkative and a braggart. Meanwhile, Al Monitor pointed to various former statements of Salamis that underscore this description. No decision in the region can be implemented without Iran, Salami said at one point. On other occasions he declared that the end of negotiations and compromise with America is war and that well answer inspections of military sites with hot lead. These and other statements were highlighted by hardline Iranian media following Salamis appointment to lead the IRGC through what Khamenei calls the second phase of the Islamic revolution. According to IranWire, that phase could be defined by more missiles and a more hawkish approach. And as a re-posted analysis in the National Interest pointed out, the ongoing development of Iranian missiles could actually pose a risk to American naval forces in the event that Tehran ever decides to follow through on its threats to close the Strait of Hormuz. Such follow through may be marginally more likely in the wake of the ongoing hardline shift among Iranian leaders and institutions. But at the same time, the Trump administration no doubt hopes that by cutting off Irans oil exports and severely constraining the IRGC, the regimes actual ability to pursue belligerent foreign policy will diminish, especially as it continues to face threats from a restive population at home. This campaign is designed to stop Iran accessing the money that it would spend on domestic crackdowns, ballistic and nuclear missiles, intervention in foreign wars, and support for terrorist groups. US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook has now given all countries a warning that they must refrain from violating US sanctions or face punishments for dealing with a terrorist group. Its a simple choice between accessing the US economy and purchasing oil from terrorists. The last round of sanctions, which ended with the signing of the nuclear deal in 2015, were nothing like those seen today. Back then, it took a year for the Iranian economy to be suffocated, according to the state-run media, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was forced to negotiate from a position of weakness. Now, the sanctions are tougher and even if Khamenei wants to negotiate, he will have to agree to (and meet) Secretary of State Mike Pompeos 12 conditions for a new deal with Iran. The truth is that Khamenei wont accept any of these conditions. He cant. It would be the end of his Regime. Iran is now buried under sanctions and more crises will emerge as a result. The Regime will only get weaker over the course of the year and the Resistance, which represents the will of the Iranian people, will only get stronger. Maryam Rajavi, head of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, applauded the US decision, noting that the Resistance has long asked for tough measures on the Iranian Regime. She said: The Iranian people and Resistance have been demanding the imposition of an oil and arms embargo on the mullahs anti-human, anti-Iranian regime since 4 decades ago. Oil is a national treasure and must be put in the service of the Iranian peoples welfare and advancement. But the mullahs either plunder it or spend it on suppression and exporting terrorism and war. She then urged the US to get tougher on Iran. She said that the US should designate Irans Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and refer Irans human rights violations dossier to the United Nations Security Council. WOODSTOCK Bail was set at $5 million Thursday morning for each of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund's parents, who were charged with murder hours after authorities found what they believe is the body of the Crystal Lake, Ill., boy in a shallow grave near Woodstock. The official complaint filed against JoAnn Cunningham and Andrew Freund alleges that they forced AJ "to remain in a cold shower for an extended period of time and/or struck him on or about his body," causing his death. They both face multiple charges in the death of the boy, who was reported missing by his father a week ago. The two had bond hearings Thursday morning at the McHenry County jail, with Cunningham appearing first, and were ordered held in lieu of $5 million bail, for which they each would have to post a 10 percent bond. Each defendant was brought in separately for a hearing. They both wore orange pants, shirt and shoes issued by the jail. Cunningham was visibly pregnant at seven months. She shook her head from side to side and appeared to be holding back tears as the charges were read, then wiped her eyes. Freund gripped the podium and then stood with his hands clasped behind or in front of him during the hearing but showed no emotion. Freund and Cunningham were charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, and failure to report a missing child or child death. Freund was also charged with concealment of a homicidal death. In court, Judge Mark Gerhardt told both parents: "These are serious allegations." Spectators could not hear much of what the attorney said because of faulty microphones in the tiny court, where the gallery is separated from the court by windows. The murder charge is punishable by 20 to 60 years in prison, which may be extended to life in prison under certain circumstances, the judge said. The next court date for the defendants was set for Monday. "To see what kind of people would do something like this to children. It's just horrible," said Patti Kokonas, a Crystal Lake resident who attended the hearing. "I don't know what people are thinking. ... I don't feel sorry for them at all," Kokonas added. She criticized the role of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, which initially took custody of AJ after he was born with opiates in his system but then returned the boy to his mother. The agency subsequently investigated two allegations of neglect by the parents. Despite police reporting deplorable living conditions in the house, including dog feces and urine throughout, broken windows and floors and an extended power outage, and a bruise on AJ that was blamed on the family dog, the agency officials concluded the allegations were unsubstantiated and allowed the parents to keep AJ. Freund and Cunningham reported AJ missing April 18. They told police that AJ was last seen at bedtime _ about 9 p.m. _ April 17. When they woke up April 18, they said, they could not find him and reported it. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Kawasaki will not shutter its rail car unit, but it will change the way it does business. Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the Japan-based parent company of Kawasaki Rail Car Inc., released its rail car restructuring plans along with its financial results late Wednesday night. The company did not provide any comment on its plans, but a management overview report included with its financial results said it will emphasize "quality over quantity" in its rail car operations. In the U.S., that is likely to mean focusing on producing rail cars for New York-area transportation agencies. Kawasaki has a rail car plant in Lincoln where it builds cars for U.S. projects. The plant employs around 600 people out of a total Kawasaki workforce in the city of about 2,000. It also has a facility in Yonkers, New York, that does some assembly and testing of cars. Most of the work Kawasaki has done in the U.S. has been for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. A Minnesota-based manufacturer with locations in both Auburn and Falls City has told employees to expect layoffs next week. Fast Global Solutions, a company that makes products ranging from airline ground support equipment to agricultural sprayers, confirmed that it plans to cut 10-15% of its workforce across all of its locations. The company did not give a reason for the job cuts or provide any other details. Fast Global Solutions has had a plant in Falls City since 1989. It opened the Auburn location last year, setting up shop in the former Ariens Company manufacturing plant. According to the Falls City Economic Development and Growth Enterprise, the company employs 85 people there, making it one of the city's largest employers. The plant in Auburn employs 143 people, according to the Auburn Economic Development Council, which makes it the town's largest for-profit employer. Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 3 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Among those writers was Rachel Auerbach (writing voiced by Joan Allen), who worked in one of the soup kitchens that struggled to feed the teeming masses of refugees forced into the ghetto and one of just three of the Oyneg Shabes members to survive. Her writings and story frame the picture from its opening scenes of her return to Warsaw to the unearthing of the archives. Only three people, the man who buried the tin boxes containing the writings, drawings and photographs, Ringlebaum and Hirsh Wasser, knew where the archive was buried. Wasser and his wife, Bluma, were the only other Oyneg Shabes survivors besides Auerbach. Who Will Write Our History can be a tough watch at times, both via the haunting Nazi video, shot to further humiliate the Jews, the re-enactments, which, to choose one example, show a hungry man wandering the streets waiting to get his daily bowl of soup tripping over a body, dead on the sidewalk, and via the testimony from the archives and the historians. Together, they document horrors that must never be forgotten -- that 3 million Polish Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, of the starvation and disease in the ghetto, of the anguish of people being rounded up for shipment to their death. But it just sort of happened organically. Red Fisher was a lot like Bob Ross, Smith said. He wasnt even mildly making an effort to entertain you. It was his job to fill a half-hour. It was your job to be entertained. I did the hard part. I made him entertaining. (Fisher) owes me a ton." Smith laughs as he says that. He knows theres no logical way to explain the success of Red Green. Some would call him corny. In todays in-your-face comedy industry, Red Green is about as cutting-edge as a butter knife. But his messages are family-appropriate and won't offend many. He wont tell his views on politics a popular comedy vehicle, particularly in late-night television but he will tell you those things about which he knows. I talk about marriage or a left-hand-thread wheel lug, said Smith, who these days splits his time off the road between Tennessee and Florida. I know what I am talking about in those things. I have some credibility in those areas. Thats what I have to stick with. State senators from rural and urban areas found a compromise for broadening legal protections for farm and livestock producers from nuisance lawsuits while still preserving neighbors' rights to file claims. The proposed expansion to Nebraska's Right to Farm Act from Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango grants farmers legal protections to change the size of their operation or adopt new technology, as long as they take reasonable steps to mitigate potential nuisances like odor and dust. The bill (LB227) overcame a first-round filibuster led by Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop, who said it effectively closed the door to neighbors who had a legitimate nuisance complaint by offering immunity to farm and ranch operations. Before the bill returned for the second round of consideration on Thursday, Hughes and Lathrop worked on an amendment that provides neighbors a "statute of limitations" to file a claim if a nuisance situation arises. "When it gets to that point, it starts a two-year clock and you, the aggrieved party, have two years to bring that lawsuit," Lathrop explained. "If you don't bring that lawsuit, the door is closed to you." In 2016, 92 of 93 counties said no to repeal via Referendum 426. The arguments for and against Chambers' bill Thursday boiled down to these: * That it was inappropriate for the Legislature to be discussing a repeal of the death penalty after a majority of Nebraskans voted to keep the ultimate punishment. Repeal would be an override of the voice of the people, opponents of the bill said. "Even if you are fundamentally against the death penalty, or have voted in favor of repeal in the past," said Sen. Julie Slama of Peru, "I implore you to consider that the second house has spoken on this issue. Voting in favor of this bill sets a precedent of flagrant disregard for the voice of the people." * That the death penalty in Nebraska is not carried out fairly and with full information provided to the people of Nebraska, supporters said. "If we are going to have a death penalty," said Lincoln Sen. Matt Hansen, "that does not eliminate our obligation as a separate branch of government to make sure the death penalty is implemented fairly, accurately and transparently. And I think that is something that we have really struggled with as a state." Sociologists typically study prisons, asylums and other physical spaces as examples. But I believe pet-keeping constitutes a sort of dispersed total institution. This is because nonhuman animals are unnaturally forced under human authority, restrained, and re-socialised. True consent is not possible under such conditions. Animals are groomed to participate and those who are unable to follow the rules of human social life are likely to be punished sometimes fatally. This is not in any way to suggest that dogs, cats and other species cannot express love and happiness as pets. But it is important to recognise that their complacency within the institution of pet-keeping is entirely manufactured (sometimes quite cruelly) by humans through behaviour corrections and the manipulative process of domestication itself. A world without pets? A man accused of killing two people in Douglas last month appeared in Nebraska court Thursday afternoon for the first time since his arrest. Brindar Jangir, 36, allegedly shot and killed Annette and Randal Grimes in Douglas on March 23 after stealing a shotgun and a sword from a friend's home in Lincoln while his friend slept. Randal Grimes, 56, and Annette Grimes, 51, were the parents of a woman Jangir was living with in Sioux City, Iowa, until she moved out March 12, according to court documents. Court records also indicate that Jangir lived in Lincoln for several years before moving to Sioux City in 2017. He was extradited back to Nebraska on Wednesday from the San Diego County Jail, where he had been held since being arrested March 30 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Otay Sentri border crossing about 40 miles southeast of San Diego. Jangir was in Mexico and attempting to regain entry into the United States on foot. On Thursday, Jangir appeared in court via video monitor in Lancaster County, where he has been charged with felony possession of a stolen firearm. Lincoln City Council candidate Tammy Ward vowed Wednesday to convene a summit of public- and private-sector officials to find ways to address the city's workforce development and retention crisis, she said. Ward, who has a consulting business, is running for the northwest Lincoln District 4 seat and will face James Herrold in the May 7 general election. "While Lincolns dynamic economic growth and low unemployment is envied across the nation, we are now facing a shortage of skilled workers," Ward said in a news release. "Workforce development and retention attracting and keeping young professionals and other workers must be addressed." The city's unemployment rate in March was 2.9%, which was under the national rate of 3.8%. A 2018 report from a University of Nebraska-Lincoln researcher noted that 70% of employers in the Lincoln metro struggled to hire workers, an increase from three years ago. Businesses reported fierce competition for employees, while about two of every four employers said workers lacked the necessary skills for the job, the researcher found. Left to right: John Ogier, Chris Skidmore MP, Hayleigh Bosher (this Kat!) Image: Fiona Hanson I am confident in our IP future and the support we are giving to the UK's creators, but its with your help above all... I am keen to ensure that IP doesn't be seen as a Cinderella subject within government, it is absolutely crucial going forward, when we look at new technologies and new necessary regulations that we need to put forward into order to protect intellectual property of these innovations, that we work together as one single IP community and as a result I am confident that we will have one of the worlds best IP regimes for years to come. Stephen Lambert delivering his talk Image: Fiona Hanson Ready for your cat car to drive you to work? Image: Gianna Elena View from the HoC Terrace World IP Day takes place on Friday 26th April 2019. Yesterday, The Intellectual Property Awareness Network (IPAN) kicked off the celebrations with their annual flagship event on the House of Commons Terrace [As IP Minster Chris Skidmore noted at the event, if Downing Street can move St Georges day then we can celebrate World IP Day a few days early whilst parliament is sitting!]. The theme of the event was the future of new technology in the automotive industry. Here's what happened: John Ogier , Chair of IPAN, opened the event, followed by a welcome fromthe parliamentary host and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for IP. The focus was on the UK motor industry and motor racing technologies in both autonomous and electric vehicles that could provide cleaner and more efficient transport to lower carbon emissions and reduce pollution. [It was somewhat applicable then to be clambering our way through the protesters to get into Parliament!] John said.The first speaker Chris Skidmore was appointed as Minister for IP in December, and is also minister for education. He described the challenges of working across two departments with a broad portfolio from technologies, universities, industrial strategy and space exploration. However, he described intellectual property as the golden thread that runs through all his work in government, the nerve centre of his role since IP links research, economic growth, the arts, sciences and underpins our economy as a whole. He did mention the B word, noting that the withdrawal from the EU has created a period of uncertainty but recognised the priority for the government to ensure a smooth and effective IP system regardless of the outcome of the negotiations, preparing for all eventualities, taking forward 5 statutory instruments to the commons specifically related to IP. He ended with this comment: Dr Manjari Chandran-Ramesh , from IP Group who is the largest investor in the Oxford University spin-out company Oxbotica - develops software that brings autonomy to any vehicle. She said that autonomous vehicles are already being tested on UK roads and that she believes that we will see autonomous vehicles operating in very specific areas at first and expanding to longer journeys, regulation permitting.Next, Stephen Lambert, talked about his experience of IP as Head of Automotive Electrification at McLaren Applied Technologies . He recognised the importance of protecting IP for key innovations, citing the carbon fibre chassis technology that is now widely used in formula 1. He gave examples of inventions that were developed in motor-sport and have been commercialised to benefit the public as a whole such as disc brakes. He discussed the move towards autonomous vehicles and electronic batteries, mentioning that since McLaren provide the powertrain for all 40 Formula E cars in motor racings inaugural season, winning every race! [They developed a battery that enables the Gen2 Formula E car to complete a full race distance on a single charge, by almost doubling the amount of usable energy to 54 Kw/h. If you want to nerd out on race car tech there's more here ].The concluding speaker was David Wong, Technology and Innovation Manager at Motor Manufacturers and Traders SMMT . He focused on Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV ), saying that two thirds of new cars sold in the UK today have some form of connectivity and predicting that by 2026, all new cars sold here will be connected. He recognised the growing importance of IP in light of the rise of digital connectivity and services such as automated driving software, fuel cell tech, and battery management systems, but argued that IP needs to be supported by an excellent business model in order to be of utility.The title of the event was "is innovation in the UK motor industry heading for the exit?" Well, the take home message from the event was extremely optimistic. It seems the motor industry is developing at an exciting pace, and whilst we might not yet be able to take a back seat whilst our cars drive us safely to work, it may not be too far in the future!Obviously, regulation would need to allow for autonomous vehicles, but its also a question of public trust in the technology. Manjari pointed out an important factor - that as people, we are much more forgiving of human error than of technological mistake. The irony being that many road accidents are caused by driver distraction . And, there are so many questions to be addressed, such as who is liable if their is an accident between two autonomous vehicles? Or between a human driver and an autonomous vehicle?This is an annual event organised by IPAN which is an independent not for profit, inclusive, membership organisation that brings together organisations and individuals from all areas of IP to champion the importance and understanding of IP through events, publications, research projects. [This Kat is on the board of Directors of IPAN]. RACINE Durham School Services, Racine Unified School Districts lame-duck transportation company, has informed the state of the future layoff of 211 employees, starting July 31. On April 1, the Racine Unified School Board voted 8-0 to drop Durham, which has been the districts busing provider for more than 20 years, and instead hire First Student of Cincinnati. In accordance with state law, Durham, 1608 Oakes Road, filed a Wisconsin Business Closing and Mass Layoff notice of the future layoffs. The positions affected are 211 driver/monitors, 10 shop personnel and 10 office/administrative staff. However, Mark Duff, Unifieds chief financial officer, has said First Student intends to hire as many of the Durham employees who currently drive for the district as possible. First Student did not respond to a Journal Times request for information about the hiring process on Wednesday. As of early April, RUSD was in contract negotiations with First Student to begin providing transportation services for its pupils starting in August. Unified has contracted with Durham since 1998. Its current five-year contract with the district will end July 31. The contract with First Student is set to run from Aug. 1 through July 31, 2024. The district put out a request for proposals for student transportation in January, and received responses from four companies including Durham and First Student. First Student had the highest score on the districts rating system, while Durham had the lowest. Durham is a subsidiary of National Express LLC, which in turn is the North American subsidiary of National Express Group, PLC, one of the largest transportation firms in the United Kingdom. Unifieds estimated cost of pupil transportation exceeds $8.1 million annually. Starting in 2019-20, the cost from First Student is estimated to exceed $9.2 million. Duff told the board on April 1 that Unified needed to get the contract finalized so that First Student, which has a bus depot in Kenosha, could begin ordering buses and hiring drivers ahead of the 2019-20 school year. The district leases the property, south of Case High School, where the buses are kept, and the lease would need to be renegotiated as well, Duff said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. RACINE The Downtown Corp.s annual German Fest will be held from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Harbor Lite Yacht Club, 559 State St. Admission is $5. Live polka music will be performed by Alpine Blast from 3 to 6 p.m., followed by four-time Wisconsin Area Music Industry award-winning Polka Artist of the Year, The Squeezettes, from 6:30 to 9:45 p.m. MOUNT PLEASANT Cornerstone Pavers, LLC is one step closer to locating its temporary concrete batch plant in Mount Pleasant on East Frontage Road, just south of Highway 11. After clearing the hurdle of a public hearing hurdle on Tuesday, the village Plan Commission on Wednesday recommended that the Village Board give approval for a conditional-use permit for the plant. The Village Board will meet in May to make the final vote on the proposal. Cornerstone construction manager Chris Cape on Wednesday did not want to comment on the development. Cornerstone is a subcontractor with James Peterson and Sons Construction, which is working on Braun Road and Wisconn Valley Way in the Foxconn development area. If granted approval, Caledonia-based Cornerstone would have to meet several conditions, including no additional use of the site outside of what is specified in the application and reseeding the land after use. Village staff recommended after the lease is over or the contract expires, that the village should return the zoning for the site to business park. At the public hearing on Tuesday, attorney Jeff Leavell, who represents Cornerstone, said there will not by any trucks from the operation going north of Highway 11. Cornerstone is committed to working with Wisconsin (Department of Transportation) and the Village of Mount Pleasant to comply with all rules along with any other government agencies that have some overlapping jurisdiction, Leavell said. It wants to do this right and is committed to work with you to do that. Leavell said representatives from Cornerstone have spoken to the neighbors and people who live on the north side of Highway 11 with mostly positive responses. At the public hearing no one spoke in favor of the proposal but two people did speak against the project. One of them was Floyd Leonard, who said he lives near the project but has not talked to anyone associated with Cornerstone. I want the town to grow but I dont want it to grow on the negative side, I want it to be on the positive side with a good contractor with a good reputation that works well with everyone, Leonard said. Leonard, who is on the Plan Commission, recused himself from the vote on Cornerstone at the Plan Commission meeting on Wednesday. Past issues Cornerstone has had some issues with this particular concrete batch plant. It was originally located on Highway K in Raymond, just west of Interstate 94, where the A&W Restaurant used to be located before it moved to a new location on the east side of the Interstate. According to Cape, Cornerstone had an agreement with Dodge County-based Michels Corp. to keep its equipment on the parcel of land throughout the I-94 project and he alleges Michels broke the contract. Cornerstone is now pursuing legal action against Michels Corp. in Milwaukee County Circuit Court for lost damages. But there have been other issue regarding Cornerstone in recent months. On April 15, the Racine County Land Use and Planning Committee voted to initiate revocation proceedings for Cornerstones permit for a gravel mining operation in the Town of Waterford and directed the county corporation counsel to place a cease-and-desist order on the property as soon as possible. The county believes Cornerstone was mining beyond an agreed upon perimeter and then filled in the area after receiving an order to stop working. Cornerstone officials refute those claims, saying they mined within the boundary and did stop working after receiving an order from the county. The county has had issues with Cornerstone in the past, especially regarding construction on Highway MM, which has been plagued with delays. The company blames the delays on AT&T infrastructure work, but county officials mostly point the finger at Cornerstone for being responsible for the delays. Cornerstone was also recently rejected by the City of Racine to be prequalified to be a contractor on city projects. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. chaired by Hugh Hansen, but the AmeriKat focuses on the presentations given by the main speakers below.trotted through the history of copyright from the US Constitution (where the Framers wanted to emphasize the public good being the objective of copyright, not the welfare of authors; James Madison said those two concepts were not at war with each other) to today. He noted that copyright protection was initially limited, but then the protected works expanded to align more with the works protected in European countries. He set out the legislative measures which Congress adopted to provide benefits for business, i.e. safe harbors, compulsory licences (albeit the companies that initially benefited, are now mature so its harder to justify the licences) and term extensions. He said that Google really has a chance to shape the contours of copyright in the years ahead, not just in the US but across the world. Hugh considered that the Framers were only interested in two substantive issues - bankruptcy and copyright and patents (it says "secure", not "create", so they recognized the existence of IP already). He said that the first statute actually contracted the public domain which indicated that the original legislative view was actually "pro-copyright". What changed was the digital revolution, where people want access for nothing (and quickly).outlined the trends in trade mark. He said that IP is in good shape. The demand for IP is rising on the basis on the applications made for trade marks, designs and patents (data from the WTO). The filings come mainly from Asia (65%) and the majority from the major offices - EPO, US and Japan. The value of a business is its IP - 87% of the value is in IP. By 2030, 30% of the global workforce will be on temporary contracts or on projects - so that know-how will be moving from one company to another. That will have an impact on IP. Consumer behavior is also changing - with most shopping now conducted online. Etienne queried whether the rise in IP rights is actually a good thing. Do more patents really reflect innovation and do they actually provide aggregate value to society? Etienne said that the first challenge to face for brand owners is the enforcement of trade marks, particularly with counterfeiting online (citing this week's story about the counterfeits advertising on Instagram). He also said that we have moved from plain packaging to something scarier - brand restriction. We started with tobacco on plain packaging and are now moving to sugary drinks and snacks. You now cannot use Tony the Tiger on Kellogs cereal in Chile . Heineken's reds stars are not on the packaging in Hungary because it reminds people of communism. Etienne said that there was also a risk of depletion of the registry, as a result of too many trade marks in the registries, as well as congestion.spoke on "Patent Eligibility: Coping with, et al." - i.e. the Section 101 debate. For years and years, the Supreme Court paid no attention to the Federal Circuit and then in 2001, the Supreme Court became really interested in the Federal Circuit and more recently on Section 101. The Supreme Court imposed a special test on eligibility - if the patent claims involved a law of nature, natural phenomena or abstract idea - you need a special test to distinguish those ineligible inventions from patent eligible inventions. Was the claim directed to a patent eligible concept? If not, did the claim call for something more than that concept, namely did it have an inventive concept added on it? The Federal Circuit really did not know how to apply that test. What is an abstract idea and when do you have a law of nature involved (since almost every invention has some law of nature)?! The Federal Circuit admitted that it didn't understand this test and publicly bemoaned the fact that they had to find pioneering patents ineligible (e.g. in Ariosa). So the Federal Circuit, Don explained, have been looking for ways to weave around the Supreme Court in several cases. The USPTO has set forth Guidelines for examiners to apply rules stemming from the Supreme Court's decisions - which are difficult to apply - and there is current bipartisan activity in Congress to come up with a legislative fix. They are still working on the legislative fix. Don reported that the current thinking is that the Supreme Court's aggregation of patent eligibility and patentability will basically be overruled. Don said he is optimistic that something could happen this year.then turned to "The Interaction Between Competition Law and Standardization". Sometimes, Nicholas commented, it is said that there is a conflict between IP and competition law. But that is a misconception; we have the same goals. The goal is to increase competition and thus, innovation, for the benefit of consumers. Nicholas emphasized that DG Comps' interventions in the IP sphere are rare - 2 or 3 cases in their 60 year history, particularly because we have a high exceptional circumstances test. Standardization facilitates innovation. Nicholas declared that his core point was that in the SEP and standards context, there is an inherent competition angle. But why is that? He explained that it was because in a standard setting context, a technical body consisting of primarily competitors have to agree on technical norms. They choose to include one technological solution in the standard over another and, in his words "exclude other technology". He said that, as competition lawyers, we normally frown on the exclusion, but we recognize the benefit of standards. With this competition context, there is risk of a dominant position. Thus, we have conditions to encourage transparency. If you have a patent that protects the technology that is adopted in the standard, then, as a quid pro quo, you commit to licence it on RAND terms. This operates to constrain the ex post exercise of extracting higher licensing rates after adoption in the standard, than the patent owner would have been able to do before the the adoption in the standard. That commitment to licence on RAND is very central to competition framework. It allows for fair remuneration. Nicholas also set out the position in respect of injunctive relief following theframework. Where an injunction is brought by an SEP owner who is in a dominant position (to be proved on the facts) where they have given a commitment to licence on RAND and where there is a willing licensee, then an injunction based on an SEP is an abuse of a dominant position. That is common sense, Nicholas said, as its a corollary of a commitment. He reiterated from DG Comp's perspective, it is not just a contract law issue but a competition law issue given the context standardization creates. He also stated that he considered theframework to be a balanced approach and is effectively being applied in national courts.considered that SEP debate is really drawn towards the what it means to have an IP right. He said that with a global business, where you have one Court deciding FRAND (what is FRAND), you run into issues of comity. These are questions that are global in nature and there needs to be a cross-industry, international dialogue. Daryl also emphasized the importance of China in being involved in the dialogue. KENOSHA David Straz, former president of Kenosha National Bank, lost his bid Tuesday to become the mayor of Tampa, Fla. According to media reports, Straz, 76, was soundly defeated by former Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor, 59. Castor captured some 70 percent of the vote Tuesday to become the first acknowledged lesbian mayor of a major city in the state. Straz, best known for his philanthropy and the performing arts center that bears his name in Tampa, also has a building bearing his name at Carthage College. Racine County nonprofits participate in #GivingTuesday movement RACINE An international social media movement aimed at encouraging philanthropy and generosity in communities is gaining traction with sever According to NBC News, Castor said her win sends a resounding message to our community no, it sends a resounding message to the nation, that Tampa celebrates its diversity and lifts everyone up in a positive way. Castor told supporters during her acceptance speech Tuesday night that as mayor, she would focus on strengthening our neighborhoods and promised to build a city that residents would be proud to pass off to the next generation, with a focus on affordable housing and a living wage. Castor replaces Bob Buckhorn, who is stepping down after eight years as mayor of Tampa due to term limits. A general election featuring seven candidates in March saw Castor with 49 percent of the vote to second-place Strazs 15.5 percent. However, because Castor did not win a majority of the vote, a runoff election was required on Tuesday. She was widely expected to win; the Tampa Bay Times called the election for Castor just 15 minutes after the polls closed Tuesday night. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 - Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte said that he would not be spending to reconstruct buildings in Marawi City - Samira Gutoc said that President Duterte dishonored Marawi with this statement - She added that what the President would be spending is the taxpayers money PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed! Otso Diretso candidate and Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc has taken her thoughts to social media to slam President Rodrigo Duterte over his remarks regarding the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi. KAMI learned that for Gutoc, the President dishonored Marawi and those who sacrificed their lives during the siege that happened in 2017. Gutoc added that she was hoping for Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo to clarify the statement of President Duterte. She also mentioned that the money being used to rehabilitate Marawi was not his money, but the taxpayers money. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! The Marawi civic leader insisted that it is the Presidents responsibility to restore the establishments in the damaged city. As reported by the CNN Philippines, President Duterte said during a situation briefing that he would be leaving the reconstruction of buildings in Marawi to the businessmen there. "Hindi ako maggagasta ng ano. Maraming pera ang mga tao diyan. Every Maranao there is a businessman. Kasali na 'yung shabu, may pera sila," he said. During the 2017 siege, at least 900 terrorists, 47 civilians, and 165 government troops were killed. The government allotted P67.99 billion for rehabilitation. POPULAR: Read more news about President Rodrigo Duterte! Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Marissa Tanael, the incredibly strong woman, who found out she has cancer while working in Saudi Arabia, tells her story: how she learned about the disease and how she received help from her employer. If you want to support Marissa and her family in their tough struggle, you can do it by contacting Marissa: the phone number is given in the end of the video. on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - Tali Sotto's mother, Pauline Luna shared some photos of her, taken during her first day in baby school - The celebrity baby was seen enjoying with her schoolmates - Some netizens commented on her charming photos PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed! Tali Sotto's photos taken from her first day of baby school have delighted some netizens. The said photos were posted by Pauline Luna on her Instagram account. "Talis 1st day of baby school," she wrote. Baby Tali's was seen playing and mingling with her schoolmates. Her photos elicited positive reactions from netizens and appreciated her cuteness. "Cutieee!!!! Marunong ng mamalantsa." "Shes enjoying her first day of school! Miss you Tali" "ahha ang cute nyo.lalong tatalino si baby Tali.." "Waaaaaahhh nagschool ka na Bachuchi" "Yey, go to school na talimi good girl, pretty aman ng batang yan, kagigil" "Weeee! Enjoy school little girl. Bawal ang Kurot kamo." PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! In a previous report by KAMI, Baby Tali shared sweet moments with her father Vic Sotto. Vic Sotto and Pauleen Luna are both hosts of Eat Bulaga, the longest noontime variety program in the Philippines. Their daughter Tali Sotto is now one of the most popular celebrity babies in the country today, thanks to her viral social media photos and videos. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In this video, we ask fellow Filipinos what 'Easter Sunday' is in Tagalog. Check out more of our videos - on KAMI HumanMeter Youtube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - President Rodrigo Duterte has arrived in China for a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping - During the opening remarks, Pres. Xi called Pres. Duterte as his genuine friend - Pres. Duterte also raised the concerns over the West Philippine Sea PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed! President Rodrigo Duterte made his fourth visit to China and had a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping. KAMI learned that the President raised the concern of the Filipinos over the West Philippine Sea. In a report by the ABS-CBN News (author Arianne Merez), Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the President discussed the issue about the Pag-asa Island. Both agree that the situation can be managed by the mechanism of bilateral negotiations but it should not affect the cooperation being undertaken by both the Philippines and China and they look forward to a productive discussion on matters of mutual concern and interests, Panelo said. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! As reported by the GMA News (author Virgil Lopez), President Xi referred to President Duterte as his genuine friend and trusted partner during his opening remarks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Chinese President also offered his condolences to the Philippines after the several earthquakes that had happened in the country the past few days. As previously reported by KAMI, President Xi visited the Philippines last November 20, 2018. He signed deals and agreements to strengthen the ties between China and the Philippines. POPULAR: Read more news about President Duterte! Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Marissa Tanael, the incredibly strong woman, who found out she has cancer while working in Saudi Arabia, tells her story: how she learned about the disease and how she received help from her employer. If you want to support Marissa and her family in their tough struggle, you can do it by contacting Marissa: the phone number is given in the end of the video. on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph DO YOU WANT TO QUIT SMOKING On a request by some of my friends, I am re-posting this memoir which so many smokers found useful. It may be... No secret deal with ex-king: Nepal CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has said that no secret agreement was forged with the then King Gyanendra Shah during the Peoples Movement-II of 2006. MADISON When Gov. Tony Evers said recently it is difficult for me to imagine 13,000 people working for the Foxconn Technology Group in Wisconsin, he was almost certainly correct. Its also hard to imagine Foxconn wont elevate the Wisconsin economy in many other ways in the coming years. Somewhere between the 13,000 upper-end jobs estimate offered during the states courtship of the worlds largest electronics manufacturer and predictions that Foxconn would quickly cut-and-run with taxpayer dollars is a much more likely scenario. It is a storyline that involves Foxconn building a smaller Racine County plant for manufacture of liquid-crystal display panels and reaching across Wisconsin with innovation centers that are more in line with how the company views the future of technology and manufacturing in the United States. Instead of the Gen 10.5 plant envisioned when Foxconn landed in Wisconsin, the company has said in recent months it will construct a Gen 6 LCD facility in the town of Mount Pleasant, where construction is underway. Such a plant will not come close to the size of a Gen 10.5 plant because the screens produced will be much smaller, a concession to changing market conditions. The problem with the smaller plant scenario is not a danger the state will pay tax credits for jobs not created and capital not invested. Foxconns contract with the state has always set tiered goals in both categories. It is a pay-as-you-grow contract with the distinct possibility of years in which no state tax credits are offered at all. The difficulty lies much more with local government investment and expectations, which were tied to visions of a larger plant as were Racine County land acquisitions. Protecting local interests may be the core reason why Evers suggested downsizing the states contract with Foxconn, not because he was afraid the state would be on the hook for tax credits that were always based on performance and specified in year-by-year metrics. There are risks to re-opening the contract, however, not the least of which is that Foxconn may want to renegotiate provisions the company never liked but accepted. There is also a perception factor. If corporations around the world suspect Wisconsin is simply angling to back out of the deal, it could be a decade before another big company came knocking at the border door. Given that Evers and his team have been meeting routinely with Foxconn, the latter risk is small. Plus, the company shows few signs of wanting to back out of its overall presence. Some examples: Foxconn has invested about $200 million in Wisconsin so far, acquired several thousand acres of land. Can that land be sold? Sure, but at a major loss. It has forged relationships with many, if not most, academic institutions in the state. That includes a $100-million grant to UW-Madison, training programs and a $1-million Smart Cities, Smart Future contest aimed at college faculty, staff and students. Work scheduled during the next 18 months in Racine County may include the liquid crystal module packaging plant; a high-precision molding factory; a system integration assembly facility; a rapid prototyping center; a research-and-development center; a high-performance data center; and a town center to support employees in Mount Pleasant. Innovation centers have been announced in Milwaukee, Eau Claire, Green Bay and Madison, even if details have been slow coming. Foxconns footprint in Wisconsin may eventually be that of a diversified company with interests in research and development, engineering, advanced screens for industries such as aviation and autonomous vehicles, medical imaging, high-throughput computing, robotics, sustainable systems and other technologies consistent with what Wisconsin does well. In an economy where everyone who can work already has a job, the real potential of Foxconn in Wisconsin is not another 13,000 jobs. Its the chance to stand out as a state where innovation, manufacturing and tech collide on a global stage. Tom Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He can be reached at tstill@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com. Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 A 25-year-old Sparta man was referred to the Monroe County District Attorney for fleeing an officer after a high-speed chase March 19. A vehicle driven by Austin Paul Sawvell was traveling north on Hwy. 27 in the town of Little Falls, when police attempted to make a traffic stop for expired registration. The report says Sawvell recognized the police car before it activated its emergency lights and pulled onto Bayport Avenue, where he accelerated to 100 mph. During the pursuit, Sawvell reportedly drifted into the left lane and caused another vehicle to pull to the shoulder to avoid being struck. Sawvell allegedly ran a stop sign and attempted to drive through a large pool of standing water, where the vehicle became disabled. Multiple attempts by Sawvell to restart the vehicle were unsuccessful. He was ordered from the vehicle and handcuffed without incident. There were numerous open containers of alcohol in the vehicle, and a preliminary breath test of Sawvell recorded a blood-alcohol count of .071. Sawvell was also issued citations for expired registration, unreasonable speed, reckless driving/endangering safety, driving left of center, failure to stop at a stop sign and open intoxicants in a vehicle. In other Monroe County Sheriffs Office news: Kenya K. Thomas, 19, Sparta, was referred to the district attorney for theft. She is accused of failing to return a laptop computer that was loaned to her. Aaron M. Gittens, 36, La Crosse, was referred to the district attorney for fourth-offense drunk driving after he was pulled over for speeding March 25 in the town of Tomah. The report says Gittens appeared nervous during the stop and admitted he didnt have insurance on the vehicle. Police detected a faint odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, which he said was from a long time ago. He later estimated the time frame as one week. After being told the vehicle was going to be searched, Gittens said there was a one-hitter in the center console. During the search, police allegedly found two smoking devices and a cigarette box containing two plastic straws. As an officer placed one of the straws on the drivers seat, a crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine rolled out. Gittens told police he had smoked methamphetamine earlier in the day, which triggered the drunk driving referral. Paetra Ann Grandsberry, 31, St. Paul, Minnesota, was referred to the district attorney for second-offense drunk and obstructing an officer after a March 23 traffic stop in the town of Little Falls. According to the report, police observed a vehicle on Hwy. 27 with a defective registration lamp. Prior to the stop, the vehicle drifted over the centerline. After police approached the vehicle, Grandsberry allegedly gave police a false name and date of birth. Police detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. Grandsberry reportedly failed a field sobriety test, and a preliminary breath test recorded a blood-alcohol level of .138. Brian C. Day, 25, Wilton, was referred to the district attorney for multiple charges after allegedly trying to run a vehicle off the road March 23 in the town of Wilton. According to the report, a woman told police she was hiding from Day inside a Wilton laundromat before attempting to cross the street. A witness said Day approached her aggressively in his vehicle, causing the woman to run and hide behind a snowbank. The woman got a ride with a friend but encountered Day, who allegedly made several aggressive moves to bring the friends vehicle to a stop. When Day passed the vehicle, the driver turned around and lost him. Police interviewed the woman, who said Day was acting erratically and had earlier thrown a shot glass that struck her in the head. At that point, the woman fled to the laundromat. Day was referred for disorderly conduct, recklessly endangering safety and bail jumping. Dakota Joseph Stewart, 24, Cashton, was referred to the district attorney for bail jumping. He is accused of violating bond conditions that prohibits contact with anyone under the age of 18 and accessing the internet. Jacob T. Reimer, 20, Sparta, was referred to the district attorney for assaulting an officer after police responded to a March 24 disturbance in the town of Sparta. Police were advised that Reimer was freaking out at a Fedora Road residence. When police arrived, the report says Reimer was loud and angry. A witness said Reimer was irritated by the behavior of other residents in the house and yelled and threw another residents medications down the steps. Reimer allegedly resisted attempts by police to arrest him for disorderly conduct. He reportedly tried to punch an officer and spit on an officer. He was referred for disorderly conduct, resisting an officer and discharging bodily fluids on an officer. Tyler M. Lindner, 23, Sparta, was referred to the district attorney for second-offense drunk driving after police responded to a disabled vehicle March 16 in the town of Wells. Police detected a moderate odor of alcohol coming from Lindners breath, and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. He told police he had consumed three 12-ounce cans of beer. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test, and a preliminary breath test recorded a blood-alcohol level of .143. Quintin Anthony Stello, 28, Sparta, was referred to the district attorney for bail jumping. He was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over March 16 in the town of Little Falls. The report says he has a bond condition that prohibits from having contact with one of the passengers. Rachel Ann White, 21, La Crosse, was referred to the district attorney for second-offense drunk driving after police responded to a March 16 rollover crash in the town of Sparta. Police and a passer-by were able to pry the drivers side door open so that White and a passenger could exit the vehicle. White said there was glass in her eyes, and she and a passenger were transferred to Sparta Mayo hospital. The report says White had a strong odor of alcohol coming from her breath. She was unable to perform a field sobriety test, and preliminary breath test recorded a blood-alcohol level of .15. Sammi L. Frost, 53, Wyeville, was referred to the district attorney for third-offense drunk driving after being pulled over for speeding March 8. Frost was clocked traveling 51 mph through a 40 mph zone in the village of Wyeville. During the traffic stop, police noticed an open intoxicant in the vehicle. The report says Frost told police she consumed a little bit of alcohol but was overheard telling someone during a phone conversation, Im going to jail, and Im busted. She later admitted to police she shouldnt have been driving. Frost refused to perform a field sobriety test, and a preliminary breath test recorded a blood-alcohol level of .226. Kevin Lamonte Jones, 43, and Renae A. Hoekman, 34, both of Beloit, were referred to the district attorney for marijuana possession after police responded to disabled vehicle March 14 on Interstate 90. Jones told police he had recently purchased the vehicle, which police doubted due to the large number of miscellaneous items inside. Police summoned a K9 to search the vehicle, and police allegedly found a green leafy substance in a cup holder and a scale with marijuana residue. The marijuana reportedly weighed 1.2 grams. Hoekman had a Walworth County bond condition prohibiting her from possessing drugs or drug paraphernalia, which triggered a bail jumping referral. Tomah Journal editor Steve Rundio can be reached at steve.rundio@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Vernon County Censor April 23, 1919 100 years ago Trout fishing opens May first. Now drag and bunt the roads. Beautiful weather after a fortnight of rain, slush, and the worst roads we have experienced for many months. Ole Rud has purchased the Viroqua bakery and restaurant from W.H. Ledman. He serves coffee and lunches all day and invites your patronage. He also wants a girl to work in the restaurant. Parcels may now be sent to soldiers and civilians in the expeditionary forces without a request from person, approved by a regimental officer. The prohibition has been cancelled. W.S. Coffland, Postmaster. It seems as though you must build if you want to live in Viroqua. L.L. Baptie has arrived at that conclusion, having purchased from Mrs. Edith Lindermann a lot adjoining her former home, on which he expects to erect a modern house, and move his family from Westby when it is completed. Ladies, silk hose No. 53-0, fashion back, seamless foot, snug fitting; will out wear hose of equal quality weight and texture. Colors African brown, field mouse, Navy, black, and white, and only $1.25 per pair at Rogers store. There is apparently no hope of cheaper meat, and stock raisers may expand to the limit without danger of a slump in the market.the meat animals of Europe are down to one-half what they were before the war, while 200,000,000 mouths were added to Americas quota to feed by the signing of the armistice. A drought in Australia has paralyzed the meat output from that continent. If you have any potatoes for sale write or phone Romans Grocery when to deliver them. The Vernon County Censor April 27, 1944 75 years ago The organizers of the new community hospital project sponsored a public meeting in the Vernon Theatre on the evening of April 12. Mr. Joseph G. Norby, manager of the Columbia hospital in Milwaukee, was the guest speaker. A representative group of public spirited citizens were present at the meeting. It was brought out in this meeting that one in every ten in our population is hospitalized during the year. Since the trade territory of this community contains over 20,000 population, there would be hospitalized 2,000 patients a year. According to statistics the average stay of a patient at a hospital is ten days. Accordingly, a 50-bed hospital would be required to take care of the normal needs of this community. A state charter has been procured for operating a non-profit hospital. A nominating committee was elected to nominate members for the board of directors. This committee consists of Atty. Martin Gulbrandsen, Paul Dahl, Rev. O.J. Nesheim, Rev. J. O. Holum and Henry Nerison. Viroqua was thronged Monday morning with friends and relatives of the many selectees going to Milwaukee that morning for examination for military service. The largest contingent of Vernon men to go in many months was taken to Milwaukee in four huge Greyhound busses, returning Tuesday evening. More than 150 men comprised this contingent. I, like all service men, live for my mail, said Vincent W. Glenn in writing to his aunt, Miss Clara Glen, from Kingman Army Air Field, Kingman Arizona. I keep up a rigid pace in the army and have little time to myself. My brothers and myself surely appreciate your thoughtfulness in writing. I have been in the army since September, three months of that near Denver. At present I am out on the desert and will be here another month. One of our boys went to the hospital with scarlet fever so we are all now quarantined and restricted to our barracks. I drop back a week in my schooling, so I wont see the folks as soon as I expected. My training is extensive and all of us here now plan to go overseas to put the finishing touches on the war. There are many boys I have known that have already lost their lives in action. It surly makes a fellow think. The Vernon County Broadcaster-Censor April 24, 1969 50 years ago The Mississippi River crested lower than first estimated in Vernon lands but high winds caused the lake conditions to lap at homes and shorelines already prepared just for high waters. The Genoa Fish Hatchery was able to save 900 adult largemouth brood bass. Some four to five million walleye and northern eggs were transferred to the hatchery and thus saved. Judge Lincoln Neprud opened his last term of Circuit Court in Vernon County Monday. A jury trial began Tuesday after jury selection in the case involving a boat explosion money demand by Jerry Chandler against Grayce Roellig and Buds Marina. No decision was reached before the news deadline. Deaths: George Langhus, 64; Hilda (Aarness) Hanson, 82; Hjalmer Haakenson, 81; Amanda (Orethun) 73; Jane (Simpson) Burke, 42; Florence (Cole) Schlottman, 86; Mabel Edna (Bender) Joseph, 78; William Henry Stellner, 75; Alfred H. Dregne, 57. Viroqua teachers late Wednesday were to decide on the arbitrated salary schedule for next year. Thursday night the Board of Education was to decide on the settlement figures that were not disclosed on time to be included in this news edition. The two sides went to voluntary arbitration Monday night as mediators went back and forth to their respective groups. Thus, Mediators became arbitrators and produced a settlement figure and schedule for the two sides to vote upon. The homestead elm of George and Mary Turner had to come down Friday last week. It had reached full growth and leaned toward the cabin now part of the residence of the Jim Sisbachs on State 82 just north of the 56 intersection. There is a plaque at the site marking the occasion on March 16, 1946 when the Turners celebrated their diamond anniversary at the homestead. The Vernon County Broadcaster April 28, 1994 25 years ago Voters in Viroqua have been asking many questions about the school building referendum next month. Key questions included whether it would be less costly to remodel the existing 1925 building, why the fifth grade was not included in the proposed building plan and the impact of the new tax on property owners. The title to the Temple Theatre was finalized and was now in the hands of the Vernon County Historical Society. After the original deal was made, some of the people responsible for the original sale purchased part of the total property for businesses. Barry Paul purchased the north side of the first story which he planned to remodel for use as a cafe. The south side of the first story was purchased by Pam and Steve Skrede who were the owners of Country Gentleman. The second floor of the building was stilled owned by the LaBelle Lodge of the Masons. The Association to Restore the Temple Theatre (ARTT) had already found some money to be gin restoration. After a preliminary hearing, the suspended Readstown police chief, Kenneth Goodwin, was held over for trial on four counts of sexual assault of a child. The trial will be held in two and a half months. The Monroe County Circuit Judge James Rice said at the preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence against Goodwin for him to stand trial. Fritz Engh was named as the new president of the Westby School Board. In addition, new board members were sworn in and several local business issues were settled. The start date for the Westby water project was pushed back 45 days so an environmental assessment study could be done. The assessment was required by the terms of the grant that Westby received from the state Department of Development. The sixth annual rummage sale was held over the weekend in Viroqua. All parties called the event a success. The Vernon County Broadcaster April 30, 2009 10 years ago Trevor Keenan was crowned king and Cosette Henden queen of the Viroqua High School Junior Prom, Saturday night. The theme was A Night in Central Park. A rural Gays Mills man, Michael McCormick, suffered serious burns when trying to battle a fire in the laundry room of his home late last Thursday night. The De Soto High School State Forensics team performed at the Wisconsin High School Forensics Association State Festival held on the UW-Madison campus on Friday, April 17. Senior Janice Rasmussen earned a perfect score and a Gold Critics Choice medal for her four minute speech on what students can do to succeed and help out during tough economic times. Junior Taylor Boardman and Zachary Ames earned silver medals; Cassondra Roach and Nate Gilman earned bronze medals. All of the ash trees in Victory are dead or have just one year until they are dead. The emerald ash borer infestation in this little Vernon County burg is no small matter. Ash trees make up about 7 percent of the states trees. The Vernon County Junior Holstein Association recently elected a new slate of officers for the 2009 year. Elected were Hope Petersheim, historian; Trent Erickson, vice president; Kaleb Storm, treasurer; Thomas Larson, Holsti-Bucks; Katherine Larson, co-reporter; Kathryn Swenson, co-reporter and Katie Wendorf, president. Vernon County Historical Society by Bonnie Sterling, Donna Halverson, Peg ORourke, Irving Leif and Carol Krogan Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A project to collect hundreds of stories from those who experienced last years flooding is underway in Vernon and Crawford counties. Stories from the Flood, organized by the Driftless Writing Center, invites residents to share their experiences in written, audio, or video form. During a recent story workshop, Judy Mixter and her granddaughter, Jennifer Guinn, of Coon Valley described how Coon Creek rose in the night and rushed around Mixters house. After floodwaters caused one of their basement walls to collapse, she and her husband called for help. A city tractor with a loader came to rescue them. Later, she said, numerous individuals and organizations helped them with food, cleanup, and replacing necessities such as their furnace. Mixter felt overwhelmed and humbled by everyones generosity. DWC board member Tamara Dean says, Weve heard from people who lost everything, from EMS personnel who spent the night evacuating a village, and from neighbors who donated their time and resources after the water went down. Together, these stories show how strong our communities are. With the storytellers consent, DWC will transcribe and digitize the stories. The stories will become part of an archive housed at the Vernon County Historical Society and area libraries. They will also contribute to a findings report that DWC will distribute to local, state, and national policymakers and media. Dean added, Weve also heard from people who are frustrated about some of the bureaucracy thats followed the recovery efforts. We hope the information we gather can help inform elected officials at all levels about ways to improve flood responses. To cap off the project, DWC will publish a book of photos and narratives about the flood and its effects. Books will be available at libraries and historical societies. In addition, public presentations will bring these stories to the wider community. DWC has already hosted some story workshops at public libraries in Coon Valley, La Farge, and Viroqua and will hold at least two in each flood-affected village in the Kickapoo River and Coon Creek watersheds. Anyone with a story to tell about the 2018 flooding is welcome to attend. Upcoming workshops will take place at: Westbys Bekkum Library on Wednesday, May 1, 5-7 p.m. and on Friday, May 3, 2-4 p.m. Wilton Public Library on Monday, May 6, 2-4 p.m. and Wednesday, May 8, 2-4 p.m. Soldiers Grove Public Library on Tuesday, May 7, 5-7 p.m. and Thursday, May 9, 5-7 p.m. Coon Valleys Knutson Library on Tuesday, May 14, 6-8 p.m. Ontario Public Library on Wednesday, May 15, 2-4 p.m. and Tuesday, May 21, 6-8 p.m. Viola Public Library on Wednesday, May 22, 5-7 p.m. and on Thursday, May 23, 10 a.m. - noon. More workshops are being added. Dates, times, and locations for storytelling opportunities are posted online at www.wisconsinfloodstories.org and on DWCs Facebook page. Those interested in sharing their stories can also submit a story online at www.wisconsinfloodstories.org or schedule a one-on-one interview by contacting DWC by phone at 608-492-1669 or by email at driftlesswritingcenter@gmail.com. Stories from the Flood is funded in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Wisconsin. This grant will help with story collection, transcription, digitizing, and archiving. DWC is seeking additional support from individuals and businesses to complete the project. The Driftless Writing Center is a nonprofit organization that connects writers, readers, and audiences through workshops, discussions, and public performances. It celebrates the unique culture of the Driftless region and seeks to enhance the creative expression of the people who live here. The Wisconsin Humanities Council supports and creates programs that use history, culture, and discussion to strengthen community life for everyone in Wisconsin. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Viroqua Chamber Main Street is offering classes in marketing, grant writing, social media, website design and online fundraising. For more information about the classes and to register, please visit our Facebook page or call us at the office 608-637-2575. Its not too late to sponsor a flower basket on Main Street this season! Please be in touch with our office for a form and sponsor a basket in honor or in memory of a loved one, or just because. Basket sponsorships start at $60 per basket. For a sponsorship form, contact Caleb Walters at cwalters@ First Thursday, May 2 As the tour headquarters for the fourth annual Winding Roads Art Tour, VIVA Gallery will display a piece of art from each of the tours 42 participating artists. The works will be unveiled at the Gallerys First Thursday opening on May 2. The Winding Roads Art Tour will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The self-guided tour encompasses 22 studios in and around the city of Viroqua. Information on artists and a map of the tour can be found at www.windingroadsart.com and you are invited to follow the Winding Roads Art Tour on Facebook and Instagram. The works of the Winding Roads artists and the work of VIVAs member artists will be featured at VIVAs First Thursday reception on May 2 from 5-7 p.m. and will be on display throughout the month. The gallery is located at 217 S. Main St. in Viroqua. For more information about this and future First Thursday events, contact the gallery at 608-637-6918 or info@vivagallery.net. The gallerys First Thursday reception will be followed by a 7 p.m. dinner next door at Rooted Spoon Kitchen Table. Email rootedspoon@gmail.com or call 608-632-2120 to make reservations. The Rooted Spoon cash bar will be open during the reception. Farmers Market, May 4 The Viroqua Chamber Main Street is thrilled to present our 26th annual Farmers Market! The market opens in the Western Technical College parking lot May 4, and runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The market is a producer market that highlights the best produce, meat, cheese, artisan wares, plants and Amish goods from Vernon County. We are still accepting vendor applications, please be in touch with our office if you are interested in being a vendor this season. Call 608-637-2575 Tasting dinner, May 4 Join the Tap House 138 for a tasting dinner May 4 from 6-9 p.m., featuring Toppling Goliath Brewery, Eagle Rare Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, E. H. Taylor Whiskeys and Wheatly Vodka. Fish tacos prepared by local chef Jason Trahan and music from 2for the Road. Register in advance or check out their Faebook page for more details. Cinco de Mayo dinner, May 5 Join Luke Zahm and the Driftless Cafe May 5 at 5:15 p.m. for a Cinco de Mayo party with special guest chef Dan Fox. They will be serving up this dinner in the alley outside the cafe, weather permitting. The cafe is extremely excited to end its collaboration series with Dan from Heritage Tavern. This will be a five-plus course dinner paired with some specialty drinks that wont disappoint. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased by calling the cafe at 608-637-7778. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The following accidents were reported by the Vernon County Sheriffs Department for the week ending April 22. 4/22 There were three reportable car/deer crashes: Riley Cade, Viroqua, on U.S. Hwy. 14, town of Coon; David Sarnowski, La Farge, on County Road D, town of Stark; Holly Starr, Viroqua, Asbury Road, town of Viroqua. With the spring bloom, mushroom and asparagus hunting, turkey hunting, and fishing will be underway, Sheriff John Spears urges those participating to be aware of trespassing laws and respect private property boundaries. The nicer weather is also bringing more motorcycles, bicyclists, pedestrians and road construction. Sheriff Spears reminds everyone to be more alert and mindful. If youre planning a road trip, check out 511 Wisconsin (511wi.gov) for updates on road conditions and traffic flow. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 That men and women are treated differently is undeniable. The extent of the disparity, however, could be stunning even to feminists. Some of the facts are well known: women are paid less than their male counterparts. Less widespread is just how big the discrepancy is up to 43% less, depending on race and the knowledge that for every child a woman has, her salary decreases 4%. Consequently, 11% of the adult female population lives in poverty, versus 8% for men, with as many as one in four homeless women having suffered from violence. These are among the disturbing revelations in the 90-minute documentary, Equal Means Equal, directed by political activist and actress Kamala Lopez and touching on topics including healthcare and reproductive rights, domestic violence, rates of female incarceration and pregnancy discrimination. More than 100 people, from the famous to the anonymous, were interviewed for the eye-opening feature, which will be screened at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the La Crosse Public Library, followed by a question-and-answer session with Janette Dean, an environmental policy and human rights advocate from Caledonia who led a grassroots effort for Nevada to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in 2017. The screening is being hosted by the American Association of University Women La Crosse Chapter, an organization that strives to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. The organization acquired a $300 grant from the Womens Fund of Greater La Crosse to conduct one public viewing and obtain the DVD for lending purposes. I read about the movie and I wanted to bring that conversation to the community, said Erica Koonmen, chair of the AAUW in Action committee. Honestly, anyone in the community could benefit from (watching it). Its a very honest and kind of stark movie about the treatment of women. ... Technically and legally, women do not have equal rights. Since 2016, when the film came out, its been building greater momentum and awareness of how important it is to continue the fight for the U.S. Equal Rights Amendment not only among women but also all the men who have seen it, Dean said. The inequality that American women experience not only affects them, of course, but also their spouses and children in terms of womens' own safety, self-actualization, wages, promotions, family life and resources, and more. ... Even though some people may tend to think that they have more or fewer rights depending on their life circumstances and their own financial security to live and work in safe environments, for example, or to fight harder for their rights, the less-known reality is that sex discrimination harms people across ethnicities and socioeconomic classes and, of course, in attitudes and behaviors at the cultural level. According to the film, 96 percent of Americans believe men and women should have equal rights under the constitution, and 72 percent assume they do. There are laws in place, among them the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act, and the Constitution contains the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. However, the film explains, loopholes, differing interpretations and paltry penalties can interfere with enforcement. Dean references a quote from the late justice Antonin Scalia, published in a 2010 interview with California Lawyer Magazine: Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it. It doesnt. Its hard to believe a Supreme Court member would actually say this, Dean marveled. There are 15 states whose legislatures did not ratify the Equal Rights Amendment by the 1982 deadline, with Illinois and Nevada having done so since. For something so important, Dean says, there shouldnt be a deadline. I am so proud that both Wisconsin and Minnesota quickly and wisely ratified equal rights at the federal level the very first year after it passed Congress, Dean said. No matter what ones feelings are on any particular issue, the position of women as second-class citizens without equal rights in our Constitution is unacceptable to any generation. The ERA would finally fix that. The film touches on legal cases addressing blatant or potential infringement of rights, including a lawsuit filed by employee Peggy Young against UPS for violating the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which she won, and a 2015 decision by Hobby Lobby to deny insurance coverage of birth control. Despite the fact that the companys policy covers Viagra and vasectomies, the film notes, the Supreme Court ruled in Hobby Lobbys favor. Ongoing epidemics, from domestic and sexual violence to child sex trafficking, are discussed with experts in the documentary, and many of the statistics are startling: Every 24 hours, three women die at the hands of a current or former partner, and every nine seconds a woman is assaulted or beaten. Up to 80% of women convicted of homicide were acting in self-defense, and 92 percent of incarcerated juvenile females have been exposed to physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Those enslaved in sex trafficking may end up in jail for prostitution, and remain there simply because there is no other place to house them. We work with law enforcement, who frequently say they are locking up these girls, even as they identify them as victims, because they have nowhere else to put them, Stephanie Richards of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking says in the film. Ive never heard that about any other victim population. Worldwide statistics are also shared in the film, among the most jarring that 600 million women live in a nation where domestic violence is not considered a crime, 130 million females are victims of genital mutilation and 64 million females are child brides. Equal rights advocates are working to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, referred to as the International Womens Bill of Rights, to establish equality in education, employment, marriage and political representation. The U.S. is one of only seven countries, including Iran and Somalia, that have yet to ratify the treaty. Doing so would require two-thirds of the Senate to vote in favor, and the bill has yet to make it to the floor. On a national level, Dean stresses that the ERA would benefit men as well, citing custody cases, where the female is often favored as the primary parent, as an example, as well as leveling the hiring field for occupations generally associated with females. I hope by seeing this film, women and men will be inspired to fight for equal rights so all citizens of the U.S. are fairly protected, Dean said. We are nearly at the finish line of achieving equal rights for both men and women in the Constitution, and it would be a great moment of pride in our country when it finally (happens). After the film screening, Dean will take questions and discuss ongoing efforts to complete ratification of the ERA in the remaining 13 states 38 states total are required as well as Congress continued efforts to have it added to the Constitution. We currently have 27 amendments in the Constitution, Dean said. And there is plenty of room to add one more, especially for something that would liberate and better protect over half the U.S. population. IF YOU GO WHAT: Screening of "Equal Means Equal," hosted by the AAUW, followed by Q&A with environmental policy and human rights advocate Janette Dean WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday WHERE: La Crosse Public Library Emily Pyrek can be reached at emily.pyrek@lee.net. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Dr. Stephen Hargarten told a La Crosse audience of about 100 people Wednesday that gun violence should be treated as an illness. The bullet is the agent of disease. Its not the gun, said Hargarten, a physician, injury-control researcher and professor at Medical College of Wisconsin with about 40 years of medical experience. He was the keynote speaker at English Lutheran Churchs Community Conversation sponsored by the La Crosse Interfaith Leaders Coalition. Hargarten challenged conventional ideas and aimed to dispel myths that are scientifically misleading, such as, Guns dont kill people. People kill people, he said. In 2018, 38,000 deaths were because of firearm-related injuries, about 78,000 people suffered from non-fatal gun injuries and the major cause of spinal cord injuries is because of guns, Hargarten said during his presentation. Gun violence is a public health issue and the energy released reverberates, Hargarten said. The energy released by the bullet penetrating the body causes immediate tissue damage, causing organs to bleed, Hargarten said. Pastor Mark Solyst of English Lutheran Church said the energy affects not just the victim but society: My best friends brother was killed in an accident with a bullet. Its devastating to people. Its devastating to families. It is a public-health issue. This shouldnt be a battle to uphold a citizens Second Amendment right: Youre either for guns or against guns, said Hargarten, who owns a gun. People need to see the issue differently, Hargarten said, and compared gun violence to HIV: People recognize that weve attacked diseases in the past. Think about HIV early 80s. There were religious groups blaming gays for their behaviors (saying) it was Gods work. No, it was a virus. Its a disease, Hargarten said, and in the case of gun violence, bullets are the virus. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 4 As other states per-student spending on higher education started to partially recover from cuts made during the Great Recession, Wisconsin experienced among the countrys largest declines between 2013 and 2018, according to a recent report. The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association reported earlier this month that just three states Oklahoma, West Virginia and Mississippi saw a larger drop over that time. The report comes at a time of guarded optimism for the University of Wisconsin System and its campuses. The election of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is seen by higher education advocates as a way to offset some of the cuts imposed by his predecessor, Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Evers proposed about $150 million more for UW campuses in his 2019-21 budget proposal, about $43 million more than the UW System requested last August. Wisconsins per-student spending fell from $7,002 to $6,435 in the five-year period. The national average in 2018 was about $7,800 per student. Put another way, the average student studying in Wisconsin got about $1,400 less than other students, according to Sophia Laderman, lead author of the report. This is definitely a near-historic low, Laderman said of Wisconsins spending level. Wisconsin has generally been similar to the U.S. in the long term, but its split off in the last few years. As the U.S. recovered in state funding, Wisconsin did not. UW campuses felt the brunt of the cuts during the 2015-17 budget biennium when they absorbed a $250 million loss in state money. At UW-Madison, a $59 million cut led to reduced student employment, halted expansion of student advisers and prevented the expansion of high-demand programs, such as engineering and nursing. Chancellor (Rebecca) Blank has been vocal about the need to reinvest in higher education to ensure UWMadison can continue to attract and retain top students, faculty and staff, UW-Madison spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said. The return on investment for Wisconsin taxpayers when funding our University is 23 to 1, UW System spokesman Mark Pitsch said. Our budget request is targeted to help grow Wisconsins talent pipeline, improve lives and communities, and lead to higher wages for graduates. Its a critical investment Wisconsin needs to build a prosperous future. The report also names Wisconsin as one of just six states in which total revenues meaning state money and tuition dollars had returned to pre-recession 2008 levels. However, that particular analysis didnt include local money, such as property taxes. The Wisconsin Technical College System in 2015 lost $406 million in property tax money, but gained the same amount in state tax money. Because of the switch in the funding source, the offset is not apparent in the analysis. The bottom line is we have not recovered yet, which goes to what we felt intuitively, especially with the tuition freeze and the cuts, said Noel Radomski, executive director of the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education. It becomes a question of does the state want to return funding to where we were prior to the recession? Future funding UW System officials asked in August for $107 million more in the 2019-21 budget, three-quarters of which would be awarded to campuses based on performance metrics. Republicans traditionally support such a funding model to increase accountability to campuses on measures such as undergraduate enrollment, number of degrees awarded and number of students studying in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Evers proposed about $150 million more to the UW System, none of which would be based on performance measures. His budget proposal says the funding model often fails to achieve intended results and limits flexibility to respond to changing needs. But Republicans who control the Legislature are writing their own budget instead of using Evers proposal as a template. Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville, chairman of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee, said in an interview that he expected to see some form of funding increase for the UW System in the next budget, but not more than what the system requested. He also said it was too soon to abandon the performance-based funding model because it hasnt been in place long enough to judge its effectiveness. Sen. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, chairman of the Senate Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families, declined an interview request last week and on Monday. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 A spokeperson for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says he doesnt plan to meet with Republican President Donald Trump during the presidents visit to Green Bay Saturday. For Evers, thats a shift from his predecessor, former Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Walker met with Democratic President Barack Obama at least three times when Obama visited Wisconsin. Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff said in a statement that the White House did not invite the governor to meet the president during his visit. Trump will be at the Resch Center in Green Bay Saturday evening for a Make America Great Again rally. A release announcing the event said Trump looks forward to sharing the successes of his administration with the great people of Wisconsin. Love 10 Funny 6 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 RTHK: North Korea sends US Warmbier medical bill North Korea demanded that the United States pay a US$2 million medical bill for US student Otto Warmbier, who went into a coma after being tortured in the totalitarian country, a report said on Thursday. The Washington Post quoted unidentified sources as saying that a US official was made to sign a pledge to pay an invoice for the medical costs before being allowed to fly Warmbier back home from Pyongyang in 2017. The envoy signed the pledge on instructions from President Donald Trump, according to the Post report. It was unclear whether the bill was ever paid, the report said. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was imprisoned after being accused of taking down a propaganda poster in his hotel during a tour trip to North Korea. He fell into a coma after apparently being tortured behind bars and died days after arriving back in the United States. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders' only reaction to the report was: "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration." Trump has made rapprochement with North Korea one of his signature policies and he has held two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. At their last meeting in Hanoi in February, Trump said he accepted Kim's claim not to have known what had happened to Warmbier in prison, despite the case being extraordinarily sensitive. "I will take him at his word," Trump said. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Wisconsin National Guard will be under federal review for its handling of sexual assault and harassment, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin announced Wednesday. The development comes after National Guard service members came forward with allegations of sexual assault and harassment, and said they witnessed retaliation and a lack of accountability for the alleged perpetrators of sexual assault within the ranks. The National Guard Bureaus Office of Complex Investigations (OCI) is set to conduct an assessment into the Wisconsin National Guards handling of such complaints, said Evers and Baldwin, D-Madison. Their announcement comes after the two in March requested the office conduct an independent review of the Wisconsin National Guards sexual assault and reporting procedures, investigation protocols and accountability measures. The bottom line is that our service members deserve to work in an environment thats free of sexual assault and harassment and the fear they might face retaliation for reporting sexual assault or harassment when it happens, Evers said in a statement. I am hopeful that OCIs thorough, impartial review will help us to ensure the safety of our folks in uniform. The review by the OCI comes as the U.S. Air Force investigates allegations of sexual assault and harassment in the Wisconsin Air National Guard, which came at Baldwins request after Jay Ellis, a master sergeant and member of the 115th Fighter Wing at Madisons Truax Field, raised very serious allegations dating back decades. Jacqueline Albright, inspector general for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, told Baldwin in a December letter her office had conducted a review of the information Ellis provided and was taking additional investigative steps. The Associated Press first reported on the allegations and Baldwins request for an investigation. The AP reported the Wisconsin National Guard received 52 reports of sexual assault between 2013 and 2017. State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, requested Maj. Gen. Donald Dunbar, the Wisconsin National Guards top official, review the organizations sexual harassment and sexual assault policies and procedures. Dunbar in a March 7 letter wrote that the Wisconsin National Guard has a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment, and that the issue is one of the organizations top priorities. Fitzgerald said he still had concerns about the organizations standard operating procedures. National Guard members who want to share concerns or complaints regarding sexual harassment or assault can send an email to NationalGuardAssessment@wisconsin.gov. Wisconsin National Guard spokesman Joe Trovato said in an email that the organization welcomes a thorough and independent review of our sexual assault and harassment program. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe The next time you get on an elevator, look for a certificate posted on one of the walls. This piece of paper indicates that the metal box you're riding in has passed its annual safety inspection and is fit to lift you hundreds of feet above the ground. Well, that's what it should show you. But as LAist reader and Studio City resident Ed told us via email, a lot of these safety permits seem to be expired in the city of Los Angeles. "I've made a habit of looking at the elevator inspection certificates while I'm riding in elevators in LA. They're almost ALWAYS out of date," Ed wrote. "This isn't hyperbole, they are. It really doesn't matter where either, apartment buildings, corporate buildings, malls, etc." Turns out Ed wasn't too far off. As LAist has learned, nearly half of the elevators in L.A. have gone more than a year without being inspected. And many others that might have been checked are still displaying expired permits, because property owners aren't posting -- or paying for -- new ones. There are approximately 20,974 elevators within the city of Los Angeles, Kim Arther, the chief inspector at the L.A. Department of Building and Safety's elevator division, told LAist. According to LADBS' most recent count, 9,486 -- roughly 45% -- are past due for their annual inspections. So, why the backlog? How often are people getting hurt or killed? And what happens during an elevator inspection anyway? We went down a deep, convoluted rabbit hole (feels more like an elevator shaft) to find out. We discovered an understaffed inspection department that has racked up millions in overtime, using an antiquated system that's a patchwork of electronic filing and paper forms -- some of which city officials say "do not provide enough assurance that (elevator) inspections were thorough." Why Is There Such A Backlog? The temporary safety permit in this elevator is expired and warns that the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety now has cause to seal off the elevator until a permanent permit is paid for and posted by the property owner. A recent city audit found that LADBS does not enforce that rule and has failed to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in fee payments. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) In order to be up to code, each of the 20,974 elevators in the city of Los Angeles needs to be checked once a year. But there are only 15 inspectors to do it. That works out to nearly 1,400 elevators per city worker. Each inspector would have to complete roughly four inspections per day, every single day, for every elevator in the city to be checked within a year. And that's not even counting the 1,290 escalators in the city, which the same 15 inspectors are also tasked with checking annually (a third of those are past due for inspection, Arther said). Simply put, L.A. just doesn't have enough inspectors. Arther told LAist a notable share of his staff has retired or left the department for other jobs in recent years. At the same time, Los Angeles is in the midst of a development boom -- and more buildings means more elevators. According to Arther, "(In) the last five years, over 2,500 new conveyances have been added to the number of elevators inspected annually." And initial inspections for newly installed elevators take longer than the yearly check-ups -- sometimes up to three days. LADBS says it's trying to bolster its inspection team. The department recently hired five new elevator inspectors who are currently training to take their state certification exams, Arther said, and two additional positions have been allocated in the department's budget for the next fiscal year. L.A. is the only city in California with its own elevator inspection department. That's because the city started inspecting them in 1898 -- nearly 20 years before California founded a statewide department to do so, according to Arther. Elevators in Los Angeles County that aren't within L.A. city limits -- as well as elevators throughout the rest of the state -- are inspected by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal/OSHA. State inspectors are responsible for inspecting the remaining 19,141 elevators in L.A. County -- and they have more than double the number of inspectors to do it. About 28% of those elevators are past due for their annual inspection, according to data provided by Frank Polizzi, spokesman for the California Department of Industrial Relations, the agency that oversees Cal/OSHA and its elevator unit. The agency provided numbers showing permit expiration rates are as high as 63% in neighboring SoCal counties. (Dana Amihere/LAist) So Should I Be Worried About Riding Elevators? Statistically speaking, no, they're exceptionally safe. In fact, the majority of accidents and injuries reported to the city of L.A. in recent years involved escalators. It's not uncommon to get stuck in an elevator in the city, though. Last year, the L.A. Fire Department responded to more than 3,930 calls for elevator-related incidents, "typically an immobile elevator car entrapping occupants," according to department spokesman Brian Humphrey. That averages out to nearly 11 incidents each day of 2018. But just because an elevator stalls doesn't mean you're in imminent danger. It's likely the conveyance has been locked as a safety precaution, meaning the features designed to keep you safe are working. As Polizzi explained, elevators are designed to "shut down a conveyance before it will operate in an unsafe manner." This elevator in a Koreatown office building does not have an inspection certificate on display. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Citing LADBS records, a recent audit of the city's elevator inspection unit noted that in the 10-year period from 2007 to 2016, "an average of 144 accidents with injuries were reported annually, from a low of 112 in 2008 to a high of 189 in 2014." Those figures include escalator-related incidents. In the two-year period from 2015 through 2016, 311 accidents were recorded by the department. Approximately 71% were escalator accidents and "the largest portion of accidents and injuries [in that period] involved escalator passengers losing their balance and/or falling," auditors said. The vast majority of accidents in those two years were the result of passenger error, according to investigators. But 16 of the 311 reported accidents -- about 5% -- were found to be caused by equipment or code violations. Arther told LAist there were no deaths in that two-year period, adding that any fatalities are investigated by LADBS along with Cal/OSHA. But according to that same city audit, released last January, one person did die in that time -- an elevator mechanic who was electrocuted. Because the death was classified as work-related, it was investigated by Cal/OSHA, not the city. In a letter introducing the audit, City Controller Ron Galperin characterized elevator accidents in L.A. as "modest in number given the number of conveyances upon which people ride daily." "Notwithstanding," he said, "progress can be made to improve the City's inspection program and to, hopefully, reduce injuries." Inspecting The Inspectors The massive backlog at LADBS is a big challenge, but it's not the only one the agency faces, as the recent city audit explains in detail. You can explore the full report here, but here are a few findings that stand out: Asked for comment regarding the findings, Arther said LADBS "has implemented several items noted in the audit, including adding logs for complaints and accidents within a common drive, hiring (five) new inspectors, adding two additional inspector positions for the coming fiscal year, expanded the Elevator Division to 16 districts, re-located inspectors as needed for the Elevator Division, and working with Department on developing a new [digital] system." The department has also drafted an ordinance to enforce stricter consequences for past-due inspection fees and is working to update their complaint system so those who file can check the status of their report, he added. What Is Involved In An Elevator Inspection? All elevators in California have to comply with the state's elevator safety codes and an inspection is typically a one-person job, as both Polizzi and Arther explained. "During initial and renewal yearly permit inspections, Cal/OSHA's investigators look inside, under and on top of all conveyances," Polizzi said. "They check the machine room, elevator locks, panels and ride the elevator to check its operation on each floor." Inspectors even ride on top of the elevator cabin as they take it from floor to floor, checking for things like proper door locks, fire hazards and storage issues. Annual re-inspections can take anywhere from one to four hours, Arther said. Inspectors will also request and review maintenance and safety records kept by the building's owner. Some elevator functions, like earthquake or fire safety measures, might be checked separately, according to Polizzi. If code violations are found, "the inspector will issue an order to comply," Arther said. And if the elevator is found to be in an unsafe condition, its red-tagged and removed from service until the responsible party (typically the building owner, but sometimes the elevator company) makes the proper fixes. OK, But What Happens When Things Go Wrong? Visitors to the Broad Museum take an elevator. (Courtesy Ron Gilbert via Flickr) Elevator accidents might bring to mind the cliche of a cable snapping, sending people plummeting down a shaft, but based on the available data, serious accidents involving elevators are rare. And those rare accidents where an everyday passenger is killed typically make the news, but, after weeks of research, all we can safely say is that the most documentation of fatalities is of those working on or near an elevator. Elevators are considered so reliable ("one of the safest forms of transportation," as Arther assured) because of the fail-safes in place. Electromagnetic brakes keep the elevator locked when it's not moving. And if the car starts moving too fast, the brakes engage, locking the elevator. And it's important to note that the "elevator-related deaths" being tracked include far more than that extremely rare plummeting scenario. The more common deaths include -- trigger warning, folks -- falling down elevator shafts, being struck by an elevator, being struck by something in a shaft, body parts getting caught between moving parts, and electrocution. The federal OSHA keeps a searchable database of all serious injuries (basically anything that leads to hospitalization) and fatalities reported by employers. It showed 9 deaths in the Southern California area over a 10-year period (2009-2018). The majority involved construction, maintenance or elevator installation/repair workers. In California, employers are required by law to report workplace accidents, including any involving elevators, to Cal/OSHA. But the agency is not made aware of every elevator-related accident or malfunction in the state, according to Polizzi. "If Cal/OSHA's elevator unit is notified of an incident, they would look into it," Polizzi told LAist. "But owners and service companies are not required to notify Cal/OSHA of any malfunction or incident." The city of L.A. also tracks accidents, as property owners are required by city code to report them. But accidents and malfunctions are not the same -- and Arther said LADBS doesn't have data on faulty elevators. Safety Is On The Property Owner We're about to shatter your universe: an inspection certificate -- up-to-date or not -- is not a guarantee of absolute safety. Officials from both the city and state reiterated that the day-to-day safety of an elevator is the responsibility of the building or elevator owner. That means having an elevator mechanic or engineer check the conveyance and fix any issues between those annual (or not) visits from a city or state inspector. "An expired permit does not necessarily mean that the owner is not taking steps to keep the elevator safe and maintain it properly," Polizzi said. So, what can you do if you notice an expired permit or have safety concerns about an elevator you ride in? First contact the building manager or owner to ask them to post the current operating permit, or to report any issues with the elevator to the proper inspection agency. If that fails, Arther suggested calling the LADBS Elevator Code and Information Desk at 213-202-9844 for elevators within the city to make a safety complaint (you'll have to leave your phone number and specifically request a call back if you want the chance that someone from LADBS will get back to you with an update). An LADBS official told us "there is not a form or complaint site for elevators" through city services. For anywhere else in Southern California, contact information for Cal/OSHA's regional elevator inspection offices can be found here. 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(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 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (2) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (2) Apr 14 (4) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (5) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (4) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (2) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 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While Bhaktapur has stayed strictly local, Kathmandu and Patan have welcomed foreign funds and expertise, irking activists. City of LA Passes Historical Civil Rights Ordinance The #LocalEnforcementNow movement organized by the Los Angeles Black Worker Center (LABWC) celebrated a victory in their push to pass a historic civil and human rights ordinance. This new ordinance enables the City of Los Angeles to oversee claims of employment discrimination that occurred within the citys boundaries, thus enabling Black workers and other workers in the city to pursue justice. Last Wednesday, L.A.City Council President Herb Wesson, who co-authored the ordinance, addressed LABWC members at City Hall immediately following the vote. Todays vote brings us one step closer to making sure our citys rich diversity is represented in the workplace. With this vote, we are prioritizing vital protections for L.A.s Black and Brown workers, including women, immigrants, those who identify as LGBTQ, and Muslims. Employment should be based on a persons merit, experience, and character, not the color of their skin, where theyre from, or who they love. A big thank you to the Los Angeles Black Worker Center for their work in getting us to this point. ADVERTISEMENT According to LABWC, the unemployment rate for Black workers in Los Angeles is 16 percent three times the national average. In California, African Americans comprise only six percent of the population, yet nearly 70 percent of the states workforce discrimination claims are based on race and disability. This disparity and disproportionate unemployment is what triggered the #LocalEnforcementNow movement to begin. In press release prior to the passing of the ordinance, LABWC said: This is the second time in L.A.s history that a civil rights ordinance was up for vote by the City Council. The citys first civil rights ordinance was originally presented in 1955, but was voted down due in part to the conservative climate of that era. In the coming weeks, the Los Angeles City Council is poised to strengthen civil rights protections of all its workers by approving this unprecedented ordinance. If approved, the City of Los Angeles will join the ranks of other major U.S. cities that enforce discrimination protections at the city and county level. Community Lenten Caravan Ends with Donations to Worthy Causes The Community Lenten Caravan (CLC), a series of services hosted by eight AME churches, concluded the April 17 worship at Bethel AME-L.A. by assisting others. Continuing their long tradition, the pastors of the sponsoring churches presented financial donations to the Long Beach/Lakewood Department of Children and Family Services and the Rev. Dr. Francine Brookins, pastor of Bethel AME in Fontana and a candidate for bishop in the AME Church. Bishop Clement W. Fugh, presiding prelate of the AME Church Fifth Episcopal District, was also on hand to congratulate the recipients and lend support to Brookins candidacy. ADVERTISEMENT Francine has a tremendous opportunity to be elected bishop. She has traversed the U.S., spent time in Africa teaching and tonight Im happy to know that you are helping her, said Fugh. Sharing similar comments, the Rev. Dr. Kelvin T. Calloway, Sr., pastor of Bethel AME L.A. and CLC coordinator, said, We are please to support two worthy causes and we also believe that the Rev. Brookins will make a difference on the bench of bishops and the first lawyer ever elected. Her legal background coupled with her ministerial and pastoral training should prove to be a tremendous asset to the church. The Rev. Darryl E. Walker, pastor of New Philadelphia AME, nominated the Long Beach/Lakewood agency to receive a contribution due to their work aiding children and families. They are one of many agencies that has never be funded adequately. They often find themselves serving our children and families in poor environments and families in conditions that most of Americans would call deplorable, said Walker. Our church had already adopted this agency and we are pleased that CLC directed a portion of its funds this year to the Long Beach area. The CLC also compiled and distributed a directory of businesses and services owned by members of the sponsoring churches. The listing includes youth centers, charter schools, doctors, estate planners, realtors, lawyers, notaries, gift shops, plumbers and entertainers. In addition to the churches of Calloway and Walker, the CLC consists of Brookins-Kirkland Community AME, Pastor Mary Minor; Bryant Temple AME, Pastor Dwaine Jackson; First AME Pasadena, Pastor Larry Campbell; Price Chapel AME, Pastor Benjamin Hollins; Second AME, Pastor Carolyn Baskin-Bell; and Ward AME, Pastor John E. Cager III. Cash-strapped Nepal Airlines struggles to stay afloatand it is going deeper into debt The cash flow problem in the state-owned airlines, however, started nine months ago when it inducted two brand new Airbus A330 jets into its fleet last year, as they largely remained under-utilised for months after failing to get enough routes to fly. Follow up to FBI Aims to Build Relationship with Los Angeles Black Community A few nights ago, I had a terrible nightmare. In my dream, a casual conversation with a law enforcement agent resulted in my employment as an informant. In desperation, I screamed, Oh no, what have I done? Will I have to kill and sabotage my people now? Black Lives Matter help me! Please get me out of this mess. The terror was enough to awaken me from the nightmare. I couldnt have been more relieved, and I resolved to never eat ice cream at twelve oclock in the morning again. While my nightmare is funny now, the meeting between Black clergy, activists and community leaders hosted at Holman United Methodist Church on March 26th, just five days before the murder of Nipsey Hussle, is not a laughing matter. In my Racial Inequality, Constitution and Government class, California State University of Los Angeles students, Gisselle Leyva referred to it as public infiltration, and Heaven Hemphill said, its not about unification. Evelin Salas said she felt betrayed. Jasmine Brown, a native of Compton and a first-year student at Cal State LA said, they dont care about our problems. The consensus of the class was that meeting or partnering with the FBI was not a good idea and that it eroded any trust they had for older community leaders and Black clergy. I too, found the meeting to be problematic because five days later these leaders would give commentaries on the communitys approach to processing the tragic murder of the most iconic urban leader in recent history. A few years ago, at the same church, the media reported that Black Lives Matter activists disrupted the Mayor Eric Garcetti at a community meeting. Rev. James Lawson, Pastor Emeritus at Holman United Methodist Church, also called, the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence, by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is not pictured along with several other high-profile clergymen. What should we conclude? In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) created the phrase Black Identity Extremists, which is equivalent to calling folks like me, who support Black Lives Matter, terrorists. ADVERTISEMENT As Black clergy, we should be celebrating the call for peace between the Bloods and the Crips and helping millennials understand the relevancy of Faith in the twenty-first century. Instead, wed rather risk alienating them altogether by partnering with the FBI as if doing so makes our community safer, builds power or encourages hope. My hope and trust are in Christ and in His ability to protect us against renegade law enforcement. We will not feel safe unless we work together and stop relying on the ingenuity of others. Nipsey is a testimony of what we can achieve together. Our plan as a community should be to finish what Nipsey Hussle started by becoming business owners and supporting each other and never should it include a partnership with the FBI even if that partnership arrives under the wool of a Faith Based Initiative. Happy Birthday Juanita Stephens Scott is celebrating her 100th birthday on April 27, 2019. Juanita Stephens Scott is celebrating her 100th birthday on April 27, 2019. She was born April 27, 1919, in Natura, Oklahoma, near Okmulgee. She became a Rosie the Riveter when she joined the workforce at Douglas Aircraft in Tulsa, OK. In September 1943, Juanita transferred to the plant in Long Beach CA. Her name is among those honored on the Wall at the Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Park and Interpretive Center. Ms. Scott, like many African Americans, found that employment was a bit more difficult after the war. She worked at Lerner Shops, a womens clothing store as a window and mannequin stylist, and Southern Pacific Railroad. She worked as a domestic with a variety of clients, including a major movie star; Mrs. Manuel Scott and a cousin, Mrs. Helen Wright. She obtained her Cosmetology License and served as the neighborhood hairdresser. ADVERTISEMENT Juanita, who was inspired by Marcus Garvey (having marched in his parades), found an opportunity to help her by working with the Neighborhood Adult Participation Project (NAPP) with Mrs. Opal C. Jones. Through NAPPs Operation Mainstream she went back to school and through job opportunities became a Licensed Vocational Nurse. She is the mother of Clifford McClain, Jessye Scott-Stafford, Iranita Scott-Lewis, Mikeal Scott-Milton, Barbara Scott, and Merri Scott. She worked two jobs to give her children the best education and by her own example taught them the importance of family, education, and community service. She initiated the Stephens Family Reunion over sixty-one years ago and continues to stress to her children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren that family and education are the keys to prosperity and self-actualization. Ms. Scott worked as a Teachers Aide in the Head Start program and for the Los Angeles Unified School District. She also found time to help with the early childhood development of her many grandchildren. To further assist her community, Ms. Scott worked on Voter Registration campaigns throughout the years. She was very active in the Library Adult Reading Program (LARP). As a member of Ascension Catholic Church, she has been very active in the Ascension and Saint Francis Cabrini parishes. She taught Catechism for years and served communion to the sick and shut-ins. She is also a member of the Altar and Rosary Society and the African American Evangelization Center. Ms. Juanita Stephens Scott is hereby highly commended for her dedicated service to family and community, and best wishes are extended for a happy 100th birthday and celebration of life. Health Officials Offering Free Vaccinations to Contain Spread of Measles Los Angeles County health officials are working to reach out to more than 1,500 people who may have been exposed to measles by five people with confirmed cases of the highly contagious infection, focusing on airport workers and students at Cal State Los Angeles and UCLA. Were very worried about measles, Department of Public Health director, Barbara Ferrer told the board of supervisors. ADVERTISEMENT She said the county is taking a three-pronged approach to dealing with the infection in the face of outbreaks in New York, Northern California and around the world, which includes efforts to reach out to everyone exposed and, if they are not vaccinated against measles, asking them to stay home for 21 days to avoid spreading the infection. Ninety percent of people who are not immunized will come down with the measles if they come into contact with an infected individual, Ferrer said. But the double-dose vaccine is highly effective and lasts a lifetime for those who have been immunized. Anyone who develops measles symptoms should contact their doctor by phone before visiting their doctors office. Infected people can infect those around them before they have symptoms and know they are infected, and the measles virus can be transmitted from one person to another up to four days before the onset of a rash, health officials said. Common symptoms associated with measles include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash which usually appears 10 to 21 days after exposure. ADVERTISEMENT Even doctors arent particularly familiar with the symptoms because the infection has not been widespread for many years. Reaching out to health care providers and residents countywide are the other two parts of the countys approach to prevent further spread of measles. Free vaccines for uninsured and under-insured individuals are on offer at the countys 14 public health clinics. Ferrer said her department was coordinating with LAX officials to make sure that the word about free vaccines got out to 7,000 workers at Los Angeles International Airport, identified as a point of potential exposure on April 1. Health officials are also reaching out to UCLA and Cal State Los Angeles two other points of possible exposure to offer free vaccines to students without means. Four of the five confirmed cases the first in 2019 are linked to one another through international travel and an additional single case is also associated with international travel. The majority of the victims were unvaccinated. We will likely see additional measles cases in Los Angeles County, so it is important if you or someone you know has the symptoms of measles or has been exposed to measles to contact your health-care provider by phone right away before seeking treatment, Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis said. The best way to protect yourself and to prevent the spread of measles is to get the measles immunization, with two doses of measles immunization being about 97-percent effective at preventing measles. The following locations have been identified as points of potential measles exposure: LAX, Tom Bradley International Terminal, Gate 218 on April 1 from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. UCLAs Franz Hall on April 2, 4,and 9 and Boelter Hall on April 2 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m; Cal State Los Angeles main library, on April 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; El Pollo Loco restaurant, 1939 Verdugo Blvd., La Canada Flintridge, on April 11 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and El Sauz Tacos, 4432 San Fernando Road, Glendale, on April 13 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Supervisor Hilda Solis previewed a motion recommended support for state legislation to boost school immunization requirements by standardizing exemptions statewide. In 2000, measles was declared eliminated in North America. Since January 2019, however, there have been over 600 reported cases in the United States, she said. Unvaccinated people, especially children and pregnant women, are at the highest risk for measles and complications from measles. She plans to formally submit the motion next week. Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang Campaign Message Free Money, Jobs and Technology The Democratic Party is crowded with candidates who aspire to become the next president of the United States. There are currently 20 democratics running and Andrew Yang is one of them. He filed to run for the office on November 6, 2017. The cornerstone of Yangs platform is the universal basic income (UBI). Yang describes the UBI as a form of social security that guarantees a certain amount of money to every citizen within a given governed population, without having to pass a test or fulfill a work requirement. Yangs UBI proposal is a payment of $1,000 per month for every adult American citizen. Yang was recently in Los Angeles and met with the Black press and a group of African American leaders to discuss his desire to be president. The event was organized by Baptist Ministers Alliance president pastor K.W. Tullous, and held at Harold and Belles with an attendance of about 40 prominent community leaders. Yangs conversation focused heavily on his UBI proposal and the doom African Americans will face within the next 40 years due to technology. He says hes running for president in response to Trump and his desire to create jobs. ADVERTISEMENT He stated, I am the candidate to beat Donald Trump. I am pulling support from the entire political spectrum because I am laser focused on the problems that got him elected and proposing real solutions that would improve peoples lives. Yang has built enough momentum to qualify for the DNC debates and is seeing thousands at many of his rallies. At least 2,000 attended his rally following the Black leaders meeting here in Los Angeles. Prior to running for office, Yang founded Venture for America, a nonprofit organization that trains recent graduates and young professionals to work for startup companies in cities across the country, including Baltimore, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. He also worked for a healthcare startup, founded a national education company, and practiced law as a corporate attorney. To learn more about this candidate visit https://www.yang2020.com The 1963 Birmingham Childrens Crusade, A Turning Point for the Civil Rights Movement In April 1963, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, and James Bevel of Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) along with other members of the SCLC set out to desegregate Birmingham through the use of non-violent acts like protests, marches, and boycotts. However, their plan backfired resulting in a mass arrest for all the demonstrators who were involved, including Dr. King. One month later, Rev. Bevel decided to include children in the protest. The plan often referred to as the Childrens Crusade or Childrens March, allowed students to walk out of school and participate in an organized protest. ADVERTISEMENT With the 56thyear anniversary of the Childrens Crusade quickly approaching, the Los Angeles Sentinel spoke with local Civil Rights Legend Mattie Howard Harris to discuss the significant day that changed the Civil Rights Movement. In May 1963, Parker High School student Harris and other youth began picketing in Birmingham, Alabama in support of desegregation. During the sixth day of the protest, police officers and firemen headed to the Carver Theatre and began taking away picket signs from students and spraying them with water from the fire hoses. The pressure from the water so powerful that it knocked the students down to the concrete. Amid the chaos, Harris noticed something that shook her to the core. The police officers were sicking the dogs on Jessie and I didnt like it because they kept on going and the kid was down, said Harris. Instead of watching the incident, Harris decided to step in and help the young boy. I tried to pull him away from the dogs and the police started spraying me with a lot of water. So I grabbed Jessie and I started pulling him back, she said. ADVERTISEMENT One police officer then began to spray Harris with the fire hose which resulted in a tussle between the teenager and one of the officers. One police officer, he wasnt so nice, so I knocked him down with my fist. Another police officer came over to help him and they both grabbed me and we had a tussle. I went from non-violent to violent, she said. One of the older men who was with the lawyers and marchers with Dr. King came to see what was going on and the police officers began to curse at him which made me angry, because he hadnt done anything but ask a question and that made me more angry. According to Harris one of the officers began looking at his billy club (baton) to which she replied, I dare you, hit me with it, hit me with it if you dare. The officers then began to handcuff Harris and other students who were protesting and put them in the back of police cars. They put so many of us in jail, some of us were in general population, a lot of people were scared. We stayed there for two nights. Then they moved us to different cells, she said. Harris and other protesters who were involved in the Childrens Crusade spent eight days in jail with little to no food. Many slept on iron beds with no mattresses and some even slept on the floor. The attention of the Childrens Crusade began to receive media attention and soon garnered the interest of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy so much so that he went down to the jail to see firsthand the living conditions of the brave students who were behind bars. That day the [officers] put a lot of mattresses in our cells and told us to put them on our beds. I stood on one of the iron beds and said, you better not, dont you see whats happening? If you touch those mattress it will just be a shame and you marched for nothing, said Harris. In mid-May 1963, Harris and other protesters who participated in the Childrens Crusade were released from jail on Mothers Day. The only thing that got me through that time were my children. I missed my children, she said. Prior to the Childrens Crusade, Harris had always been a young activist advocating for equal rights for African Americans. Because of her bravery and the bravery of other students, the Childrens Crusade led to the creation of civil rights legislation. Today, African American youth across the U.S. are still speaking up against injustices through protests like March for Our Lives and the UTLA teacher strike that took place in earlier this year. The Homeless Are Dying In Record Numbers On The Streets Of L.A. A record number of homeless people 918 last year alone are dying across Los Angeles County, on bus benches, hillsides, railroad tracks and sidewalks. Deaths have jumped 76 percent in the past five years, outpacing the growth of the homeless population, according to a KHN analysis of the coroners data. Health officials and experts have not pinpointed a single cause for the sharp increase in deaths, but they say rising substance abuse may be a major reason. The surge also reflects growth in the number of people who are chronically homeless and those who dont typically use shelters, which means more people are living longer on the streets with serious physical and behavioral health issues, they say. ADVERTISEMENT It is a combination of people who are living for a long time in unhealthy situations and who have multiple health problems, said Michael Cousineau, a professor at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. There are more complications, and one of those complications is a high mortality rate. Its just a tragedy. Nearly 53,000 people were homeless in L.A. County last year, according to a point-in-time count of homeless residents, an increase of about 39 percent since 2014. The majority were not living in shelters. The homeless population has also grown nationwide, but there is no national count of homeless deaths. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner considers someone homeless if that person doesnt have an established residence, or if the body was found in an encampment, shelter or other location that suggests homelessness. ADVERTISEMENT Based on that criteria, the coroner reported 3,612 deaths of homeless people in L.A. County from 2014 to 2018. A detailed look at the numbers reveals a complex picture of where and how homeless people are dying. One-third died in hospitals and even more died outside, in places such as sidewalks, alleyways, parking lots, riverbeds and on freeway on-ramps. Male deaths outnumbered female deaths, but the percentage of homeless women who died increased faster than that of men. And although Black people make up fewer than one-tenth of the countys population, they accounted for nearly a quarter of the homeless deaths. We need to take action now, said Rev. Andy Bales, CEO of the Union Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter on L.A.s skid row. Otherwise next year its going to be more than 1,000. Substance Abuse Drugs and alcohol played a direct role in at least a quarter of the deaths of homeless people over the past five years, according to the analysis of the coroners data. It likely contributed to many more, including some whose deaths were related to liver and heart problems. The coroners cause of death determination doesnt necessarily tell the whole story, said Brian Elias, the countys chief of coroner investigations, who called the increase alarming. A person who is homeless may get an infection on top of a chronic disease on top of a substance abuse disorder and all of those together lead to bad outcomes. Its a house of cards, said Dr. Coley King, a physician at the Venice Family Clinic. Raymond Thill was just 46 when he died last year of what his wife, Sherry Thill, called complications related to alcoholism. The couple had been homeless for many years before moving into a small apartment in South Los Angeles shortly before his death. Thill said her husband often drank vodka throughout the day and had been in and out of the hospital because of liver and other health problems. He tried rehab and she tried taking the alcohol away. Nothing worked, she said. His mind was set, she said. So I took care of him. In the end, Thill said, cirrhosis left her husband jaundiced, swollen and unable to keep food down. King treated Raymond Thill and said he is convinced that Thill would have lived longer if hed been off the streets earlier. This shouldnt be happening, especially when many deaths could have been prevented with better access to health care and housing, said David Snow, a sociology professor at the University of California-Irvine. If you are on the streets, you are not getting the attention you need. Ready For Bad Luck To Happen Homeless residents in Los Angeles also died from the same ailments as the general population heart disease, cancer, lung disease, diabetes and infections. But they did so at a much younger age, said Dr. Paul Gregerson, who treats homeless residents as chief medical officer for JWCH Institute clinics in the Los Angeles area. A stressful lifestyle, lack of healthy food and exposure to the weather contribute to an early death, he said. If you are homeless, your body ages faster from living outside, Gregerson said. In Los Angeles County, the average age of death for homeless people was 48 for women and 51 for men. The life expectancy for women in California in 2016 was 83 and 79 for men among the best longevity statistics in the nation. Over the five-year period in L.A. County, there also was a sharp increase in deaths of younger adults who were homeless. For instance, the deaths of adults under 45 more than doubled. The data does not include information about mental illnesses, which Elias of the coroners office said could be a contributing factor in some of the deaths. Stephen Rosenstein, 59, was walking across the street in Panorama City, an L.A. neighborhood, when a car struck and killed him one night early last year, said his sister, Cindy Garcia. He had spent years bouncing from the streets to shelters to board-and-care homes, she said. Rosenstein had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and manic depression, Garcia said, and often resisted help behavior she attributed to his mental illness. Most people would want to have a roof over your head, she said. He just fought it all the way. Rosensteins cause of death was listed as traumatic injuries. Deaths by trauma or violence were common among the homeless in the period analyzed: At least 800 people died from trauma, and of those, about 200 were shot or stabbed. They are ready for bad luck to happen, King said. This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. The Niceties Makes Its West Coast Debut The Niceties is the latest play at the Geffen Playhouse to tackle race and society. If there was ever a piece of theatre that depicts racial divide, the inability to deal with history, and the refusal of people to cut through their own perception, it is The Niceties. Running at the Geffen Playhouse until May 12, the play follows an ongoing debate between a young, Black college student and her older, White professor. Zoe is a bright student at an elite, Ivy League university. Her professor, Janine Bosko, is a womans rights activist who was one of the first women students to attend that same university. They have a mutual respect for each others intelligence, that is until Zoe takes Janines course on historic revolutions. Throughout the play, the two characters clash on issues of race, age, and their ideas on what is appropriate in academia. In the beginning Zoe really admires Janine. She is this great professor, and everyone really wants to take her class. Weve all been in that place where youre stuck between having an argument with someone you admire, not wanting to step on their toes but wanting to defend what you believe in said Jordan Boatman, who plays Zoe in The Niceties. The play is beautifully written and timely. We are talking about things that are going on today. The characters have a conversation that we should all be having that opens the door. ADVERTISEMENT As a proud, Black woman and activist for the Black community, Zoe takes a stand when writing her paper on the American Revolution. Janine has a great deal of respect for the founding fathers and credits them for having one of the greatest revolutions where the country was able to sustain and rise. To Janines dismay, Zoe focusses her essay on slaverys impact on the rise of the United States and how Black people felt during the American Revolution. As the two have had great discourse before, Zoe goes to Janines office hours to get advice on her paper. Janine, however, does not respect Zoes research or sources. Along with racial differences, there is an age difference. When it comes to credible sources, Janine doesnt value information from the internet. She believes that all information used in a paper should be from a book or recording. The two also have disagreements on the proper way to incite change. Janine has a calculated approach of working within the system while Zoe has a more millennial approach of putting the system on blast through social media and public demonstrations. It tells a lot about the reality that a lot of Black students face in college. The professor is sometimes naive and thats based on their conditioning and how they grew up. They want to help, but dont use the right tools to help, said Prince Gumbi, a Pan African Studies student at California State University Los Angeles. In the beginning, I was thinking, Why is this show not taking a stand? Now I realize that that was not the point. The Niceties takes place in Janines office the entire time with the two characters going back and forth, neither one budging. There were mixed reviews that were racially divided from audience members on that aspect during opening night. While many White audience members said that it was insightful hearing both characters points of view, Black audience members were upset that the professor would not budge. The one thing that audience members could agree on, however, was the power of the play. Both actors showed passion and depicted emotions that were telling and true to life. The playwright, Eleanor Burgess, was inspired to write The Niceties after her experiences of racial tensions at Yale University in 2015, when students of color wanted the university to put a ban on blackface and culturally offensive Halloween costumes. This play is not a racial fairy tale, but more of a raw image of the struggle between people of color and institutions. The Niceties will run at the Geffen Playhouse until May 12. For information on tickets, visit www.geffenplayhouse.org. Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Guest blogger: Diana Mariscal, law student, University of San Francisco Since taking office, Donald Trump has on multiple occasions made headlines for the militarization of the border. We have seen increased presence justified by the federal government on the increase of flow of migrants epitomized by the Central American caravans in the last year. Through Twitter, the president has threatened to close the southern border at various timesrecently because of confrontation with Mexican soldiers at the border. Whether it be news on his promised border wall/fence/barrier or the increasing presence of troops in the area, he continues to portray the southern border as a dangerous place that needs protection to prevent more significant danger to the whole nation. Concurrent with the increase of patrolling of the border, there has also been an increase display of private citizens against immigration. This is not a new phenomenon; in fact, Trump and other anti-immigrant groups expect and rely on this effect. Since the 1970s, the media drew attention to immigration, with the language of an immigration threat. The way that migration was described then ignored the previous immigration pattern where undocumented immigrants were less likely to stay in the United States, and the flow of entries and departures was consistent. These descriptions of the immigration situation in the United States, focused almost exclusively on the Southwestern border and the immigrants that posed a threat were pictured and alluded to were of Mexican or Latino descent. Given the media portrayal, the rise of vigilante groups is again almost expected by those pushing these narratives. Immigrants are portrayed as here to steal jobs from Americans and bringing a violent and lawless culture, and threatening the American economy, safety, and to no small extent American identity. These narratives of immigrants as the enemy led militias and surveillance groups to gain popularity and draw media attention. In the early 2000s, the Minuteman Project gained national recognition. The group was a militia formed by veterans who had military training and access to weapons that had the stated purpose of protecting the southern border of the country. They felt that the government at the time was not enforcing immigration laws or safeguarding the border. Under the guise of patriotism and civic duty, they claimed to be enforcing immigration law by their presence at the border. In reality, they were engaged in publicity stunts, and their presence did not show any significant effect. Increased focus on the southern border has exposed continued civilian militia presence. Recently, new groups seemed to pick up where the Minuteman project left off. The United Constitutional Patriots group operating in New Mexico claims to provide a civic service by assisting immigration enforcement to deal with the influx of entries into the United States. In this group we again see taints of military elements: members are dressed in military clothing and carry handguns. This group recently made the news for detaining nearly 300 migrants as they crossed the border. They have essentially kidnapped migrants and held them hostage and posted videos of this online. Unfortunately, there seems to be desensitization to how migrants are treated. We can distinguish the recent group from the Minutemen because, in the earlier period, the group claimed to be protecting the border because the federal government was not doing its part. Now, this group seems to feel empowered by the presidents anti-immigrant rhetoric. They claim that they are protecting the border until Trumps wall is in place. They have taken unacceptable steps and dont have to follow any of the protocols in place because they are not part of the government. They are making their own rules on how to deal with the issue of immigrants without considering peoples human rights and the right to seek asylum. While there was temporary outrage over the governments treatment and even caging of detained children, there are still a lot of inhumane situations faced by migrants, and the news media merely has moved to the next headlines. Officially, Customs and Border Protection has said they do not endorse or condone these groups taking matters into their own hands and have even filed charges against one of its leaders. However, the charges filed were for illegal weapon and ammunition possession; not related to the kidnapping of migrants. Racial profiling among immigrants is also on the rise because of the anti-immigrant sentiment. The Canadian border is often disregarded in the discourse of public safety and threats of immigration. Increased immigration enforcement and increased civilian patrolling of the southern border harms immigrants, but does not alter or deter the migrants. The efforts do, however, make it riskier and force migrants to face even more inhumane conditions as they cross the border. In reality, people who have no other option but to attempt to come to the United States, face more significant dangers, when and if they are successful in entering the United States, they are more likely to stay in the United States longer or not return to their native countries at all because they cannot afford the physical and economic costs of trying to enter once more. Its important to remember that most members of the caravans and recent migrants are coming to the United States to seek asylum. Throughout our countrys history, we have seen that the immigration situation cannot be changed by solely trying to control the border or building a wall. It is a complicated situation that requires attention to both domestic and foreign matters as well as policies that address the real conditions people face in their home countries. bh https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2019/04/civilian-policing-of-the-southern-border.html Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Thursday in their first-ever face-to-face meeting. The two men met for nearly two hours on an island off the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. After the talks, Putin described Kim as quite open and thoughtful. The Russian leader said his country, just like the United States, supports the goal of removing nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula. Putin said Kim confirmed his willingness to give up North Koreas nuclear arms, but only if he first receives strong security guarantees. He added that such guarantees would require the agreement and support of other countries. Such an effort would likely involve the six nations that took part in international talks on the denuclearization issue over the years. The six are North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States. Kim has held two face-to-face meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump. But the last Trump-Kim meeting ended with no agreements announced. North Korea has sought immediate U.S. easing of economic restrictions on the country. Trump has said he is seeking a big deal in which North Korea would give up all its nuclear activities in exchange for normalized relations with the U.S. Putin told reporters after the meeting Thursday that North Korea is seeking to receive international guarantees of its security and sovereignty. Thats it. All of us together need to think about this, the Russian leader said. He added: Its unlikely that any agreements between two countries will be enough. The North Korean leader did not speak to reporters after the meeting. Earlier, Kim said he planned to share his ideas on the current political situation on the Korean Peninsula. He said the situation had garnered the urgent attention of the world. Kim told Russian state television he hoped his visit would be successful and useful to help strengthen ties. He also spoke about his fathers great love for Russia. During his rule, Kim Jong Il made three trips to Russia, the last one in 2011. In addition to his meetings with Trump and Putin, Kim has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping four times. He also held three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Putins meeting with Kim came a day before he goes to Beijing for a two-day visit. I will talk about it tomorrow (on Friday) with the leadership of China, the Russian leader said. Putin added: And we will just as openly discuss this issue with the U.S. leadership. There are no secrets. Russias position always has been transparent. There are no plots of any kind. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse and VOA News. George Grow 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 sovereignty n. a country's independent power and the right to govern itself garner v. to get or earn something valuable or respected transparent adj. in the open, not hidden Looking back to look forward In democratic societies, citizens have two things at their disposalthe ballot box and the soapbox. While the ballot box allows citizens to choose their representatives, the soapbox allows them to engage in collective deliberation to the extent that they succeed at ousting those representatives who end up showing disregard for democratic values. The World Health Organization announced this week that Malawi has become the first country to begin immunizing children against malaria. WHO officials say the country is using the only approved vaccine to protect against the mosquito-spread disease. The Associated Press says the vaccine protects about one-third of children who receive it. But those who get the shots are likely to have a less severe case of malaria. The disease kills about 435,000 people every year. In Africa, most of the victims are children under the age of 5. Its an imperfect vaccine but it still has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives, notes Alister Craig. He is with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in Britain. He added that immunizing the most at-risk children during peak malaria seasons could prevent thousands from getting sick or even dying. Craig is not linked to the malaria vaccine or the WHO. The vaccine, known as Mosquirix, is a product of the British drug company GlaxoSmithKline. It was approved by the European Medicines Agency in 2015. An earlier test showed the vaccine was about 30 percent effective in children who got four shots, but that protection weakened over time. Reported side effects include pain, high body temperatures and severe shaking. Pedro Alonso is head of the WHOs malaria program. He says similar vaccination programs would begin in the coming weeks in Kenya and Ghana. The aim is to vaccinate about 360,000 children each year across the three countries. Alonso called the vaccination campaign a historical moment. He noted that it is much more difficult to design a vaccine against a parasite an organism living in or on another organism as opposed to a bacterium or virus. Alonso admitted the malaria vaccine does have problems. But he said the world could not wait any longer for a better version. We dont know how long it will take to develop the next-generation vaccine, he said. It may be many, many years away. He said the slowed progress against malaria demands new tools now. Resistance is growing to medicines that treat the disease. And mosquitoes are becoming more resistant to insecticides. In addition, money used for fighting malaria has not been increasing in recent years. It took GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and partners more than 30 years to develop the vaccine, at a cost of around $1 billion. A company spokesperson said GSK is working with partners to raise money for even larger vaccination programs. Some experts say the vaccine should not take away from other efforts that offer non-costly, proven ways to reduce malaria. They note examples such as the use of bed nets around sleeping areas and insecticide products. This is a bold thing to do, but it is not a silver bullet, said Thomas Churcher, a malaria expert at Imperial College London. A silver bullet is an overly simple and immediate answer to a complex problem. Churcher added, As long as using the vaccine doesnt interfere with other efforts, like the urgent need for new insecticides, it is a good thing to do. Alister Craig noted that one difficulty could be persuading parents to bring their children for repeated doses of a vaccine that only protects about a third of children -- for a limited amount of time. More commonly used vaccines, like those for polio and measles, work more than 90 percent of the time. This malaria vaccine is going to save many lives, even if it is not as good as we would like, Craig said. But I hope this will kick-start other research efforts so that the story doesnt end here. Im Anna Matteo. The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story immunize - v. to give (someone) a vaccine to prevent infection by a disease mosquito - n. a small flying insect that bites the skin of people and animals and sucks their blood moment - n. a very short period of time dose - n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time Barpak then and now When the 2015 earthquakes hit the village of Barpak, Aash Kumari Ghale was working in the fields with her son and daughter. She rushed home to find it in ruins, but ultimately, she was relieved she didnt lose any family members, unlike thousands of other families. Commission paid to gas bottlers hiked to Rs 259.88 per cylinder Bowing to a long-standing demand from gas bottlers, Nepal Oil Corporation has raised their commission by Rs27.88 per cylinder. According to corporation officials, gas bottlers will receive a commission of Rs259.88 per cylinder from Thursday. I once more knew what it means to miss New Orleans when I read Jay Pareles' New York Times article Thursday about the 50th Jazz and Heritage Festival, which begins this weekend in the Crescent City. While New Orleans is known for its dysfunctional local government, high murder rate and economic distress, the Jazz and Heritage Festival is an overwhelming success. As Pareles reports, the festival each year raises $3 million for the nonprofit foundation that puts on the event, which covers two weekends. The foundation uses the money for a range of educational programs and support for local musicians. Perhaps the Jazzfest owes its popularity to being a daytime event. Going against New Orleans' reputation as a city that never sleeps, the Jazzfest closes each day at 7 p.m., as Pareles reported. That puts the focus on the music, rather than high-tech light shows and such. Purists have criticized the festival for booking big names like this year's Katy Perry, but out of 688 performers, 600 are New Orleans and south Louisiana acts with mainly local followings, according to Pareles. This year, a heralded appearance by the Rolling Stones stirred excitement, but the venerable group had to drop out because of Mick Jagger's heart surgery. Then replacement Fleetwood Mac canceled because of some mysterious illness suffered by Stevie Nicks. Now, Widespread Panic will perform. The event began in 1970 at Beauregard Square, later known as Congo Square, a slave market where jazz originated with the slaves' chanting and dances. Growing success after a few struggling years led to the event moving to the New Orleans Fairgrounds. Jesus, I also remember betting on horse races there as a young man. I attended several of the early festivals at the fairgrounds, but didn't go to another until years later, when the event resumed after Hurricane Katrina. Along with the music, the festival offers a great selection of Cajun, Creole and other varieties of New Orleans food. Sometimes I think of going just to get another helping of jambalaya. You can have the Stones, Fleetwood Mac and Widespread Panic. I'm homesick to see New Orleans performers Irma Thomas, the Meters, the Neville Brothers and so on. I'd especially love to see master pianist Ellis Marsalis perform April 28 with his sons Wynnton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason. Now in his 80s, Ellis played a big part in the festival's early success. Every year when the Jazzfest rolls around, I think of my late friend Loftin, who had a complete collection of Jazz Festival posters. Hard to imagine that this will be the fifth Jazzfest he'll miss. This year's poster shows the family of performers who have appeared at Jazz Fest, including those no longer with us like Professor Longhair and Fats Domino. Many believe New Orleans won't survive. Old and new generations of Jazzfest musicians say otherwise. Ronald Reagan The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive. Albert Einstein If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack. Winston Churchill It isnt so much that liberals are ignorant. Its just that they know so many things that arent so. With integrity nothing else counts; Without integrity nothing else counts. Winston Churchill Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself. Harvey S. Firestone It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. H. L. Menken Referenda insure all have a voice in land use decisions. U.S. Supreme Court Listen carefully to first criticism of your work. Note just what it is about your work the critics don't like - then cultivate it. That's the only part of your work that's individual and worth keeping. Jean Cocteau After years of investigating, 500 witnesses interviewed and a metric ton of ink spilled, Congress and the public is set to get its first real look at special counsel Robert Mueller's report Thursday morning. The report is said to be nearly 400 pages and cover subjects ranging from questions about Russian interference in the 2016 election to whether President Donald Trump committed potentially impeachable offenses. With the massive scope of the report leaving a lot yet to be learned, here's a guide to the basics of the Mueller report from what it is, what to expect and when to expect it: 1. What is the Mueller report? The report is a summation of the findings from the special counsel investigation. It is expected to contain the details of the investigation, from its interviews with key witnesses and other evidence amassed throughout the process and the Mueller team's conclusions or lack thereof. In a letter to lawmakers, Attorney General William Barr said the report "sets forth the Special Counsel's findings, analysis and the reasons for his conclusions." 2. Who is Mueller? Mueller is a Vietnam veteran who went on to have a lengthy legal career and rose through the ranks of the Justice Department before becoming FBI director under President George W. Bush days before the attacks of September 11, 2001. When his 10-year term came to an end, then-President Barack Obama asked Congress to allow him to keep Mueller on, and Congress obliged unanimously. He stepped down from the FBI in 2013, and was succeeded by James Comey. Mueller's selection as special counsel was met at first with bipartisan praise, although as the investigation wore on, he became a regular target of Trump and his allies. 3. What was he investigating? Mueller was appointed in May 2017 shortly after Trump fired Comey. Mueller was authorized to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election, whether any Trump associates coordinated or colluded with the Russians, whether Trump obstructed the investigation and any other crimes that were uncovered during the investigation. 4. How did the investigation start? The FBI under Comey opened the counterintelligence investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion in July 2016, way before Mueller came onboard. The probe was started after the FBI received information from a foreign diplomat that a Trump campaign aide knew about Russian hacks against Democrats months before the stolen emails showed up on WikiLeaks' website. When he was appointed, Mueller took on the question of Russian interference, along with his other mandates mentioned above. 5. Who was charged? Mueller brought criminal charges against six Trump associates, 25 Russians who interfered in the election, three Russian companies and three others. The Trump associates were: senior campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, national security adviser Michael Flynn, former fixer Michael Cohen, longtime ally Roger Stone and campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. Some of these defendants are already in prison, other cases are still ongoing. 6. What does Trump have to say about all this? Trump consistently denied that he or anyone on his team colluded with Russia to interfere in the election, and he has rejected further the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia attempted to interfere in the election at all, including while standing next to Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly after Mueller's appointment. He likewise denied the possibility he had obstructed justice. Throughout the process, Trump railed against Mueller and Mueller's team, accusing them of political bias and maligning both the intelligence community and Justice Department more broadly. 7. Wasn't this released already? No, the report has never before been made public. All the public has to go on is a four-page summary of the report from Barr and some media reports about what might be in it. 8. Who's releasing the report? Mueller worked under the supervision of the Department of Justice, and he submitted his report to Barr, the head of that department. Barr, confirmed as attorney general in February, is handling the public release of the report. 9. When is it coming out? Thursday, during the lengthy congressional recess around the spring holidays of Passover and Easter. 10. Where can I see the report? A link to the report will post here as soon as it's available, with full comprehensive coverage. 11. What will the report show? Not that many people have seen it or are expected to see it prior to its release, so the answer to this question is one of many largely up in the air. According to Barr, however, a few main points should be clear in the report. One, the Mueller investigation did not establish that there was a criminal conspiracy between any Trump campaign associates and Russian officials to interfere in the 2016 election, Barr said. He also said Mueller's report goes through in detail about whether or not Trump obstructed justice, but the report does not make a final conclusion on the matter either way. Barr said he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein determined the evidence was "not sufficient" to support obstruction. 12. Will we see the whole thing? No. Barr will redact, or black-out, some portions of the report in order to comply with a handful of federal laws and internal Justice Department guidelines. Barr laid out four categories of redactions: Grand jury material, classified information, details about ongoing investigations, and information that harms the "privacy and reputational interests of peripheral third parties." They will be color-coded as well. 13. Will it lead to impeachment? Probably not, but it's impossible to tell before we see the report. That decision largely rests on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as any impeachment proceedings would start in the House of Representatives. Pelosi said last month that she's against it, "unless there's something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan." 14. What happens next? For Mueller, he can finally pack up shop and return to the private sector if he wants, though he might be asked to testify on Capitol Hill. For Barr, he'll likely be facing subpoenas and lawsuits from House Democrats who want to pry loose the unredacted report. For Trump, he can move on from Mueller, but his world is still under scrutiny by federal prosecutors in New York, who are looking at his business empire and his inauguration fund. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A couple from Hong Kong was arrested for drug trafficking. They had sold cocaine in Macau for the period of about two weeks for MOP80,000, the Judiciary Police (PJ) said yesterday. According to the PJ, police arrested two men in front of a hotel located in NAPE when they were trading drugs from a car earlier this week. One of the suspects is from Hong Kong and is a drug trafficker, while the other man in the car is a buyer and a Macau resident. Police also caught the traffickers wife in their hotel room and found a total of 14.9 grams of cocaine and 1.9 grams of heroin, worth about MOP50,000. The couple confessed to the police that they were hired by drug dealers to sell cocaine in Macau. SK Mak asks questions about Coloane stray dogs Lawmaker Mak Soi Kun has urged the local government to take care of stray dogs in Coloane. In his written inquiry to the government, Mak wrote, once again, that, according to some residents living in Coloane, a large number of street dogs appeared in the region. The dogs are said to have had a negative impact on the communitys hygiene and environment, with residents worrying about rabies. Mak remarked that the local animal protection law has clearly established penalties for the abandonment of animals. Mak wants the government to explain why there are more street dogs. Restaurant, retail business weakens in February The business performance of restaurants and retail in Macau weakened in February due to the buoyant sales in January prior to the Chinese New Year in early February, the statistics bureau said yesterday. The latest business climate survey report from the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) indicated that 33% of the interviewed restaurants were reporting a year-on-year decline in revenue in February, up by 12% from January. For retail trade, the proportion of interviewed retailers recording a year-on-year sales decrease in February surged by 32% from January to 69%, due to the buoyant sales in January before the CNY, and a higher base of comparison resulting from the festivities that fell in mid-February last year. Chief Executive Chui Sai On and Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong, are attending the second International Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing from today to Saturday, a government official said. This years Forum is based on the theme Belt and Road Cooperation: Shaping the Brighter Shared Future, with the main focus of boosting qualitative development to achieve that Chinese initiative. The Forum will include 12 themed debates to promote pragmatic cooperation, with President Xi Jinping addressing the opening ceremony. For the first time, the Forum includes a session for entrepreneurs, creating a platform for cooperation in the business sector. At the invitation of the organization, the Macau government will lead a delegation with representatives from the business and industrial sectors, who will take part in various debates. Chui and Leong will speak at some events. MDT/Macauhub Chia Ek Chor fled his typhoon-ravaged village in southern China and started a new life in Thailand selling vegetable seeds with his brother in 1921. Almost a century later, with the largest family fortune in the country, his descendants are becoming Chinese President Xi Jinpings key economic allies. Chias son Dhanin Chearavanont is senior chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group Co., a vast conglomerate that is the worlds biggest producer of animal feed, shrimp as well as a top telecom firm in Thailand. It is at the center of an ambitious plan to turn Thailands eastern seaboard into a tech hub with bullet trains, 5G networks and smart car factories. The so-called Eastern Economic Corridor is the flagship program of Thailands military regime, a bid to leverage Japanese investment and Chinese tech giants like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Huawei Technologies Co. to revive an economy that grew 4.1 percent last year, the slowest rate in emerging Southeast Asia. But a messy March 24 general election means that projects could come under greater scrutiny as critics accuse authorities of dispossessing local farmers to make way for Chinese investors. Locals would be downgraded to second-class citizens, said Somnuck Jongmeewasin, a lecturer at Silpakorn Universitys International College, who studies the EEC. A colonial era is emerging in the EEC area through Thai-Chinese investment policies. Xis signature Belt and Road Initiative has come under fire in countries including Sri Lanka and Malaysia for infrastructure projects that were seen as providing little benefit for the host nations, while saddling them with heavy debts. But the military junta that seized power in Thailand in a 2014 coup has embraced the alliance, promising a 1.7 trillion-baht (USD53 billion) investment to develop three coastal provinces close to the capital Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong. They are now among the fastest growing regions in the country, with manufacturing eclipsing tourism from resort towns like Pattaya, famous for its sun- and sleaze-seeking crowds. Roads that ran through fields of rice, coconuts and mangoes are packed with cargo trucks and farms are giving way to industry chemical plants, a Toyota factory. Oil rigs sit offshore Thailands biggest port Laem Chabang. Makeshift stands beneath roadside trees sell palm sugar, sticky coconut rice and sometimes skewers of roasted field mice to the growing numbers of inhabitants. CP Group is a main conduit for the Chinese investment in the region. A CP-led consortium including China Railway Construction Corp. was the lowest bidder for a 225 billion-baht contract to build a 200-kilometer rail network linking Bangkoks two international airports and another near Pattaya with an industrial zone on the eastern coast. The group is also bidding on an airport zone. But a change of government could lead to greater scrutiny of EEC deals. With no outright majority in the March election, seven parties opposed to the military are trying to form a coalition government. Meanwhile Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ochas military backed party has explored a coalition with the Democrats, which was headed by royalist former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva until he stepped down last month after poor electoral showing. His father was a CP Foods director for more than 15 years. With no clear majority, it could be weeks or months before a new government is formed. The military government will continue to exercise full governmental powers, said Harrison Cheng, an analyst for Control Risks. The picture gets a lot more complicated once a new government is in power, regardless of which coalition takes power. The opposition has vowed to put up a fight, tired of policies that promote monopolies in the USD455 billion economy, said Bhokin Bhalakula, a former adviser to Yingluck Shinawatra, who was ousted as prime minister about five years ago. Bhokin favors digging a canal across Thailands narrow isthmus in the south as an alternative growth model to the EEC. The EEC is linked to the military governments 20-year national strategy, which is supposed to be binding on future administrations, potentially setting up flash-points with elected politicians that wish to adopt different priorities. They think that bringing giants in will make the economy better, but the little guys at the grassroots arent benefiting, said Bhokin. Its just the wealthy who are benefiting. While Japanese investors such as Hitachi Ltd. led early bets on the EEC, CPs Chinese connections are helping draw technology investment, said Kanit Sangsubhan, secretary-general of the EEC Office. Chinas investment in Thailand has surged to become the third biggest in approved foreign investment in 2018 after Japan and Singapore. The next wave will be focused on high technology, which China is strong in, Kanit said. He said environmental assessments on land use and a tourism plan aim to minimize the impact on local farmers. CPs ties to the EEC range from automotive it announced a new car plant in 2017 with Chinas SAIC Motor Corp. to real estate, where it teamed up with Guangxi Construction Engineering Group to develop a 3,068-rai (1,212-acre) industrial estate that targets Chinese investors. Huawei is investing in Thailands first 5G test bed, even as the U.S. urges allies to ban the company from constructing next-generation mobile networks. CP-backed True Corp. is creating an Internet-of-Things lab with Huawei and used Huawei equipment to become Thailands first 4G provider. A Huawei spokesman said the company was invited to participate in the 5G test bed by the EEC Office. In a display of how Thailands EEC is geared toward drawing Chinas new tech giants, Alibaba billionaire Jack Ma met with Prayuth last year and signed a deal for a smart digital hub as part of the EEC. Alibaba signed more EEC deals this month, including an expansion of Thai rice and durian exports through Alibabas digital platform. Separately, CP has a partnership with Mas Ant Financial, which has a 20 percent share in the Thai groups Ascend Corp., an e-wallet and microloan service. The deal, not part of the EEC, uses CPs network of 7-Eleven shops. CP said in a statement that the EEC project will serve to transform the Thai economy and sustain decades of development and growth. It said CPs bid for the high-speed rail contract is part of a global consortium that includes Thai, European, Chinese and Japanese partners. Dhanin turned down an interview request for this story. At an event in March, CP Chief Executive Officer Suphachai Chearavanont said, Thailand will become a hub and have connectivity with the whole region, all the way up to China, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia. Supachai became CEO in 2017 at the same time as his brother Soopakij became chairman, marking the handing over of the family group to the third generation. The Chearavanont family fortune is Thailands biggest at $20.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, bolstered by CPs stake in Chinese insurer Ping An Insurance Group, which has tripled in value since the company acquired the shares in 2012. The Thai clan is one of many with Chinese ethnic backgrounds in Southeast Asia, including the Sys in the Philippines and Robert Kuok in Malaysia, who are leveraging generations-old links with China. Chearavanonts rise hasnt come without controversy. The group in recent years faced allegations along with other companies that its prawn business used a supply chain that relied on slave labor. In 2017, a U.S. court dismissed an injunction to stop CP and others selling prawns unless they were labelled as products of slavery. CP has said it condemns all forms of slavery. In January this year, Thailand ratified the International Labour Organizations convention for the fishing industry. Technology is also being shared. The venture with Guangxi, called CG Corp., inked a series of agreements including for tech transfer with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. CP Group Vice Chairman Tse Ping, a billionaire nephew of Dhanins, signed deals in January with the Chinese academy to build green smart manufacturing platforms in Beijing and Macau. The groups reach shows how far it has come since founder Chia began importing seeds for Thai farmers. In 1946, he and his brother adopted the Thai family name Chearavanont and named the company Charoen Pokphand, meaning prosperity to consumers in Thai. They built the business by literally moving up the food chain growing crops for feed, processing packaged foods and owning supermarkets, according William Kirby, a Harvard Business School professor who has studied the company. It was among the first Thai investors in Shenzhen in the economic opening under Deng Xiaopeng, and has continued to spread its business interests. This is now a widely diversified group, said Kirby. In Thailand first, with stakes in agriculture, telecom, 7-Elevens and many other things. Then in China. Blake Schmidt & Natnicha Chuwiruch, Bloomberg A court in Hong Kong handed down prison sentences of up to 16 months yesterday to eight leaders of massive 2014 pro-democracy protests on public nuisance offenses. The sentences are seen as an effort by the government of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory to draw a line under the protests amid pressure from Beijing. Ranging in age from their 30s to 70s, the nine defendants span generations of Hong Kong citizens who have been agitating for full democracy. The defendants had all pleaded not guilty, calling the prosecutions politically motivated. Three protest leaders were given 16 months, one of them suspended for two years, two received eight months in prison and two were given suspended eight-month sentences. Another was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. One other defendant, Tanya Chan, had her sentencing postponed because of the need to undergo surgery. It was not immediately clear if they planned to appeal. Thank you for the sentencing, Raphael Wong, given eight months, told Judge Johnny Chan. Our determination on fighting for genuine universal suffrage will not change. While the charges carried potential sentences of up to seven years, they were still seen as unusually harsh by activists in what they called an attempt to intimidate them into silence. The long sentences send a chilling warning to all that there will be serious consequences for advocating for democracy, said Maya Wang, Hong Kong-based chief researcher for China at Human Rights Watch. The Beijing and Hong Kong authorities appear intent on eliminating the only pocket of freedoms on Chinese soil, Wang said. She cited a law against booing the Chinese national anthem and moves to amend the extradition law that could see suspects sent to China, where theyd be unlikely to receive a fair trial. Supporters and family members applauded the defendants as they entered the courtroom, then stood outside sobbing after the hearing before breaking into chants. Those convicted included law professor Benny Tai, retired sociology professor Chan Kin-man and pastor Chu Yiu-ming, who all received 16 months though Chus was suspended for two years. The others include two current and one former lawmaker, two student leaders and a political activist. Chan, who will be sentenced June 10, said prior to the hearing that she hadnt lost faith in what the movement stood for. Although its an uphill battle, its not easy, its time for us to make sure that we are strong enough to face different kind of challenges, Chan said. The nine were leaders of the Occupy Central campaign, which was organized as a nonviolent sit-in that became known as the Umbrella Movement after a symbol of defiance against police adopted by the street protests. Protesters demanded the right to freely nominate candidates for Hong Kongs leader, who would then be elected by all of the territorys roughly 5 million voters. However, they failed to win any concessions from the government, and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam was chosen in 2017 from among a slate of candidates approved by Beijing and elected by a 1,200-member pro-China electoral body. Hong Kong, a former British colony, was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997 under an agreement in which China promised the city could retain its own laws, economic system and civil rights for 50 years. However, Chinese President and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has been seen as extending his crackdown on civil liberties to Hong Kong, drawing criticism from commercial and legal associations as well as political, human rights and media groups. In the verdict, the judge commented we are naive, believing that by having a occupy movement we can attain democracy. But what is more naive than believing in one country two systems? Chan Kin-man said before the sentences were issued. In Taiwans capital, Taipei, youthful supporters rallied to denounce the convictions and growing pressure from Beijing on both their self-ruled island and Hong Kong. China has demanded Taiwan agree to its claim to the island as Chinese territory, to be annexed by force if necessary, and accept a one country, two systems, framework for governing along the lines of that in place in Hong Kong. The Taiwan supporters chanted Occupy Central is not a crime and The Hong Kong government is unjustified. The fact that you care about Hong Kong means you care about your own fate. I think this is very important, Tien-chi Martin-Liao, a member of the Independent Chinese PEN Center, said in an address following the sentencing hearing. Your support will be felt in the hearts of those persecuted in Hong Kong, and those who live there, he said. Katie Tam & Veta Chan, Hong Kong, AP Five people dead, 34 injured in Dadeldhura bus accident An overloaded bus plunged some 200 metres off the road at Sahukharka along the Bhimdutta Highway in Dadeldhura district on Wednesday, killing five persons and injuring 34 others. North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns most trusted policy adviser apparently has been removed from one of his posts, a South Korean lawmaker said yesterday, a possible personnel reshuffle in the wake of the breakdown of the North Korea-U.S. summit in February. The head of the South Korean parliaments intelligence committee, Lee Hye-hoon, cited South Koreas main spy agency as saying that Kim Yong Chol lost his Workers Party post in charge of relations with South Korea earlier this month. He was replaced by the little-known Jang Kum Chol as the director of the partys United Front Department, Lee said. Lee said she obtained the information at a private briefing from the National Intelligence Service. Kim Yong Chol has been North Koreas top nuclear negotiator and counterpart of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo since Kim Jong Un entered nuclear talks with the U.S. early last year. He traveled to Washington and met President Donald Trump twice before Kims two summits with Trump. His rise had baffled many North Korea watchers because he handled South Korea ties, not international or U.S. relations. Previously, he was a military intelligence chief believed to be behind a slew of provocations, including two deadly attacks in 2010 that killed 50 South Koreans and an alleged 2014 cyberattack on Sony Pictures. Both Seoul and Washington imposed sanctions on him in recent years. The NIS and the Unification Ministry, a Seoul agency responsible for North Korea ties, said they could not immediately confirm the information on Kim Yong Chol. The NIS has a spotty record in confirming developments in North Korea. But if confirmed, Kim Yong Chols replacement would add to speculation that he is being sidelined from nuclear diplomacy to take the responsibility for the failure of the February summit in Hanoi. Kim Jong Un, who is desperate to revive his countrys moribund economy, returned home empty-handed from Hanoi after Trump rejected his calls for easing U.S.-led sanctions in return for dismantling a key nuclear complex, a limited denuclearization step. Kim Yong Chol wasnt among a list of officials accompanying Kim Jong Un on his current visit to Russia (see p14). Many experts in South Korea said North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui would take the lead in the nuclear diplomacy. (Pyongyangs) significantly diminished reliance on Kim Yong Chol is a very positive sign for the denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the United States, said Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at South Koreas Sejong Institute. He called Kim Yong Chol most responsible for the second summits failure due to his hard-line stance. AP The local Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) and the Science and Technology Development Fund have invited approximately 400 middle school students to participate in the celebration of the China Space Day (April 24), which took place yesterday at the Macao Science Center. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam was at the ceremony, where he encouraged the local youth to learn more about Chinas space development and explore their interests in science. As usual, the Secretary expressed his hope that Macaus teachers and students would embrace the opportunities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to contribute to the countrys development and global improvement in scientific fields. China Space Day was celebrated for the first time in Macau in 2017, with the target audience being local youngsters. When talking about Macau students achievements in science, a local middle school teacher, surnamed Chao, said that local students have sufficient knowledge in science, although Macau is not providing the equivalent number of science facilities and events to students. Chao hopes that more scientists can be invited to Macau to give talks to students. A local student in his last year of high school, surnamed Teng, complimented the event by saying it helped him learn about the endurance developed and difficulties faced by scientists during the research process. We cannot see those things on the internet. With this event, I heard lots of useful information, said Teng. China Space Day is aimed at inspiring the whole nation of China, especially youngsters, to admire science and being enthusiastic towards creativity. China announced yesterday that it has formally arrested former Interpol President Meng Hongwei on suspicion of accepting bribes. The indictment from the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate comes after Meng was expelled last month from public office and the ruling Communist Party. Meng was elected president of the international police organization in 2016, but his four-year term was cut short when he was detained by Chinese authorities during a visit to China last October. At the time, he was also one of Chinas vice ministers of public security. The partys disciplinary committee said an investigation found that Meng was guilty of serious legal violations. It said in a statement that he abused his power in order to satisfy his familys extravagant lifestyle. Meng is among a slew of high-ranking officials who have been ensnared by President Xi Jinpings sweeping crackdown on graft and perceived disloyalty. Corruption charges usually result in convictions and lengthy sentences, including life in prison. AP New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday that she and French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting in Paris next month seeking to eliminate acts of violent extremism and terrorism from being shown online. Ardern said she and Macron will ask world leaders and chief executives of technology companies to agree to a pledge called the Christchurch Call, named after the New Zealand city where an attack took place last month. Ardern didnt release any details of the pledge, saying they were still being developed. She said shed been talking with representatives from companies including Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and Google along with world leaders and felt they could reach consensus by keeping the pledge tightly focused. This isnt about freedom of speech, Ardern said. Its specifically focused on eradicating those extreme acts of terrorism online. The man accused of murdering 50 people in two Christchurch mosques on March 15 livestreamed the attack on Facebook after mounting a camera on his helmet. The chilling 17-minute video was copied and viewed widely on the internet even as tech companies scrambled to remove it. Ardern said the shooter had used social media in an unprecedented way to promote an act of terrorism and hate. She said nobody would argue that a terrorist had the right to livestream the murder of 50 people. No tech company, just like no government, wishes to see violent extremism and terrorism online, Ardern said. And so we have a starting point that is one of unity. In an opinion piece in the Washington Post last month, Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg called for governments and regulators to play a more active role from in policing the internet. As part of this, we have a responsibility to keep people safe on our services, Zuckerberg wrote. That means deciding what counts as terrorist propaganda, hate speech and more. We continually review our policies with experts, but at our scale well always make mistakes and decisions that people disagree with. In his op-ed, Zuckerberg didnt directly address problems with livestreaming, although he did say it was impossible to remove all harmful content from the internet. Ardern said Macron had played a leadership role among the Group of Seven major economies in trying to eliminate online terrorism, and his role would complement her experience from the recent Christchurch attacks when they co-chair the May 15 meeting.Nick Perry, Wellington, AP Pennsylvanias new official amphibian is a slimy, 2-foot-long (0.6-meter) salamander that needs clean streams to thrive. Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation this week granting the honor to the Eastern hellbender, a nocturnal animal whose colorful nicknames include snot otter, lasagna lizard and mud devil. Members of the Chesapeake Bay Foundations student leadership council have spent three years campaigning to get it designated as the states official amphibian, helped by Lycoming Colleges Clean Water Institute. Its the largest salamander in North America. Wolf says the most recent official designation of that type in the state occurred in 1974, when the firefly was named Pennsylvanias official insect. Equatorial Guinea may soon apply to join Forum Macau, said President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in an interview with the Africa Monitor newsletter in Malabo. Obiang acknowledged China was the positive exception to support his country, as we are facing many difficulties in attracting investment and financing to diversify the economy. The President of Equatorial Guinea noted that conferences to attract foreign companies to invest in the country have had little success, as had contacts with foreign governments to secure aid. The exception is the government of China, which has granted us a very large loan of USD2 billion, he said. This loan does not generate debt for the state, Obiang said, because it is in a parallel account with a Chinese bank that we are [honoring] to the best of our ability, he said. In the interview, the President of Equatorial Guinea, who has been in power for 40 years (making him the longest standing head of state in Africa) said that his government is a good payer and has no debts to foreign companies. His government, he said, is negotiating a technical advisory with the International Monetary Fund to try to avoid the possible devaluation of the national currency and to balance the State Budget. In 2015, the Times, citing diplomatic sources, said Equatorial Guinea wanted to join Forum Macau and apparently it has Chinas blessing. At the time, Equatorial Guinea was about to celebrate its first anniversary as a member of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) in July. The west central African country, with a population of 1.6 million, is becoming a magnet for Chinese investment in Africa. According to our sources, other countries in Africa are willing to join Forum Macau, even though they are not part of the CPLP. We are talking about countries that claim to have Portuguese influence in the past, the diplomat said to MDT back then, and that the language issue was no barrier. The Equatorial Guineas membership has added nearly $20 billion to the combined GDP of the CPLP bloc, which currently represents close to 4 percent of the world total, and is expected to continue growing. PC/Macauhub The New Macau Association (ANM) is making proposals to the government regarding the social housing act and economic housing act bill. Yesterday, members of ANM reported details about their proposals to the media. The four proposals are: to keep the age limit for both social and economic housing at 18 years old; to lift the prohibition of single people applying for social housing; at least half of any family group applying for economic housing must be permanent residents of the SAR; affordable house eligibility should be point-based, meaning that applicants should be ranked based on their evaluation points; and to recover the waiting list mechanism. As Rocky Chan, member of ANM, explained, the age limit is discriminatory towards youth below 25 years old. If the government exclude adults aged below 25 years old from applying to affordable houses, it practices an absolutely differential treatment and discrimination, as it triggers an unnecessary opposition between the government and the youngsters, Chan said. It is the governments responsibility to provide enough public houses. Through public consultation, the government learnt that the majority of the public supports recovering the waiting list. However, the government is not accepting the publics opinion. Obviously, the government is not taking the responsibility, said Chan. Previously, in January, lawmaker Sulu Sou, who is also a member of ANM, called on Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On to allow the Legislative Assembly (AL) to debate the housing bill amendments. More than three months have gone by since then and the CE has not yet given Sou a reply. The bill involves governmental policies; therefore, lawmakers proposals must be first be approved by the CE, said Sou. Theoretically, the CE does not need such a long time to consider; he could have replied already. However, as of this moment, we have not received any news. According to our understanding, the major responsible person for the bill, including the Secretary, has not received any news. We will continue following up the CEs office, said Sou. Previously, the First Standing Committee of AL held four meetings with government representatives concerning the bill. These questions were all voiced. Regarding my proposal, the one about half of the applicants having to be permanent Macau residents, it was completely supported by government representatives during the meeting, said Sou. Currently, the AL is waiting for the government to deliver statistics concerning the residency of affordable house and public house applicants. Regarding the age limit, Sou indicated that the majority of the lawmakers and local groups agree to maintain it at 18. We hope that people aged between 18 and 24 may also have the right to apply to affordable houses, similar to people older than 25 years old, said Sou, who remarked that the affordable houses application process is long, and that it is difficult for people aged below 25 to be approved for affordable houses even if they are eligible to apply. Since its opening, the Macau Federation of Trade Unions office in Guangdong province has received more than 100 complaints from Macau residents. The Guangdong office, which has been open in the Xiangzhou district in Zhuhai for approximately half a year, has received and served more than 300 people. The majority of the Macau residents complaints were related to investment failures in mainland Chinas real estate market, along with complaints concerning property management and illegal guesthouses. According to the associations chief representative, Lee Chong Cheng, who is also a lawmaker at the Legislative Assembly of Macau, most of the complaints were processed by the union. This week, the federation signed a cooperation agreement with its Zhuhai counterpart, which proposes to form a lawyers consultation group from both sides in order to coordinate the legal matters of residents from both sides. The agreement will also result in enhanced communication between, and training for, leaders. The Macau Federation of Trade Unions established its Guangdong branch in September of 2018. It seeks to provide help to Macau residents who encounter problems in mainland China with respect to work, investments, business, and education. JZ Smiling and upbeat, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un yesterday stepped off his khaki-green armored train in far-eastern Russia for a much-anticipated summit with President Vladimir Putin that comes amid deadlocked diplomacy on his nuclear program. Kim, dressed in a black coat and a fedora, first met with Russian officials at Russias Khasan train station near its border with the North, before traveling on to the Pacific port city of Vladivostok for a summit with Putin today. Speaking to Russias state-owned Rossiya-24, Kim said that he is hoping for a successful and useful visit and would like to discuss with Putin the settlement of the situation in the Korean Peninsula as well as bilateral ties with Russia. Kim sat down with local officials as well as a Russian deputy foreign minister in Khasan before traveling on. It was his first visit to Russia as North Korean leader; his late father, Kim Jong Il, visited in 2011. I have heard a lot about your country and have long dreamt of visiting it, Kim was quoted as saying. Its been seven years since I took the helm, and Ive only just managed to visit. Kim evoked his fathers great love for Russia and said that he intends to strengthen the ties between the two countries. Kim arrived in Vladivostok aboard his armored train early evening yesterday. He was greeted by a military orchestra before he got into his personal limousine that traveled with him, and drove away. He is expected to attend a dinner reception hosted by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev, according to South Korean media. After his summit with Putin, Kim may tour neighboring facilities or landmarks before departing for home tomorrow. Primorye governor Oleg Kozhemyka told Rossiya-24 that Kim would be meeting ordinary people who all favor closer ties with the North. Kim would also be offered traditional Russian dishes as borscht, pelmeni, or meat dumplings and caviar though he brought his own cooks with him, Kozhemyaka added. Separately in Moscow, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu hosted his North Korean counterpart to discuss international security, the Russian military said. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian media the summit will focus on North Koreas nuclear program, noting that Russia will seek to consolidate the positive trends stemming from President Donald Trumps meetings with Kim. In February, Kims second summit with Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the U.S. and North Korea, though both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Kim wants the U.S. to ease the sanctions to reciprocate some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the U.S. maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea takes more significant denuclearization steps. Some experts say Kim could try to bolster his countrys ties with Russia and China. Others say its not clear how big of a role Russia can play in efforts to restart the nuclear negotiations. The summit could allow Putin to try to increase his influence in regional politics and the standoff over North Koreas nuclear program. Kim wants to show that hes cooperating with Russia too, rather than looking to only the U.S. and China. But I think its not easy for Russia and China to provide North Korea with practical assistance that leads to the inflow of dollars, said Chon Hyun-joon, a former senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. North Korea has increasingly expressed frustration at the deadlocked negotiations. Last week, North Korea tested a new weapon and demanded U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to be removed from nuclear talks. Putins adviser added that the Kremlin would try to help create preconditions and a favorable atmosphere for reaching solid agreements on the problem of the Korean Peninsula. Ushakov pointed at a Russia-China roadmap that offered a step-by-step approach to solving the nuclear standoff and called for sanctions relief and security guarantees to Pyongyang. He noted that the Norths moratorium on nuclear tests and scaling down of U.S.-South Korean military drills helped reduce tensions and created conditions for further progress. Ushakov said that Putin-Kim summits agenda will also include bilateral cooperation. Russias trade with North Korea is minuscule at just $34 million last year, mostly because of the international sanctions against Pyongyang. Russia would like to gain broader access to North Koreas mineral resources, including rare metals. Pyongyang, for its part, covets Russias electricity supplies and investment to modernize its dilapidated Soviet-built industrial plants, railways and other infrastructure. A city of more than half a million, Vladivostok was in gridlock as traffic was blocked in the city center because of Kims visit.Iuliia Subbotovska, Hyung-Jin Kim & Kim Tong-Hyung, Vladivostok, AP Key moments in Kim Jong Uns diplomatic charm offensive February 2018: North Korea sends hundreds of people to Pyeongchang Games in South Korea, including Kims sister, who conveys her brothers desire for a summit with President Moon Jae-in. March 7, 2018: After visiting Kim in Pyongyang, South Korean presidential envoy Chung Eui-yong says Kim is willing to discuss the fate of his nuclear arsenal with the United States. Days later, President Donald Trump accepts Kims invitation to meet following a conversation with Moons envoys. March 27, 2018: Kim makes a surprise visit to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in an apparent move to strengthen his leverage ahead of his negotiations with Trump. April 21, 2018: North Korea says it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and announces plans to close its nuclear test site as part of a move to shift its national focus and improve its economy. Trump tweets: This is very good news for North Korea and the World and big progress! April 27, 2018: Kim holds a summit with Moon. The leaders announce vague aspirational goals of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and permanent peace. May 7, 2018: Kim meets Xi again in China and calls for stronger strategic cooperation between the traditional allies. May 9, 2018: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits Pyongyang to prepare for the planned Trump-Kim summit. North Korea releases three Americans who had been imprisoned, and they return with Pompeo to the United States. May 24, 2018: North Korean diplomat Choe Son Hui releases a statement referring to Vice President Mike Pence as a political dummy for his critical comments on the North and saying it was up to the Americans whether they would meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown. Trump announces hes pulling out of his summit with Kim, citing the Norths tremendous anger and open hostility. May 26, 2018: Kim and Moon meet at a border village in an effort to revive the summit with Trump. June 1, 2018: After meeting North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol at the White House, Trump says his meeting with Kim Jong Un is back on for June 12. June 12, 2018: Trump and Kim meet in Singapore, where they repeat the first inter-Korean summits vague statement on the peninsulas denuclearization without describing when and how it will occur. June 19, 2018: Kim visits Beijing for his third meeting with Xi, who praises the positive outcome of the Trump-Kim meeting. Aug. 24, 2018: Trump cancels a scheduled trip to North Korea by Pompeo citing lack of sufficient progress on denuclearization. Sept. 19, 2018: Kim and Moon hold their third summit in Pyongyang and the North says its willing to permanently dismantle its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon if the United States takes unspecified corresponding measures. Jan. 1, 2019: Kim in his New Years speech says he hopes to continue his nuclear summitry with Trump, but also that he would seek a new way if the United States persists with sanctions and pressure against the North. Jan. 8, 2019: Kim visits Beijing for his fourth summit with Xi, vows to achieve results on the nuclear standoff in his next summit with Trump. Feb. 8, 2019: Trump announces the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, as the venue of his second summit with Kim. Feb. 27-28, 2019: Trump and Kims second summit breaks down over what the Americans describe as excessive North Korean demands for sanctions relief in exchange for partial disarmament steps limited to the Yongbyon complex. April 13, 2019: Kim says he is open to a third summit with Trump, but sets the years end as a deadline for Washington to offer mutually acceptable terms for an agreement. April 23, 2019: North Korea says Kim will soon visit Russia to meet with Putin. The death toll from the Easter suicide bombings in Sri Lanka rose to 359, police said yesterday, as the countrys leaders vowed to overhaul the security apparatus amid a series of intelligence lapses before the attacks. U.S. Ambassador Alaina Teplitz, meanwhile, told reporters that clearly there was some failure in the system. Sri Lankas leaders have said some of the countrys security units were aware before Easter of possible attacks, but did not share those warnings widely. Teplitz said the U.S. had no prior knowledge of a threat before the bombings. She said a team of FBI agents and U.S. military officials were helping in the investigation. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility and released images that purported to show the seven bombers who blew themselves up at three churches and three hotels Sunday in the worst violence this South Asian island nation has seen since its civil war ended a decade ago. The government has said the attacks were carried out by Islamic fundamentalists in apparent retaliation for last months New Zealand mosque massacre but has said the seven bombers were all Sri Lankan. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said investigators were still working to determine the extent of the bombers foreign links. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said yesterday morning that 18 additional suspects were arrested overnight, raising the total detained to 58. The Islamic State group has lost all the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria and has made a series of unsupported claims of responsibility around the world. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local extremist group, National Towheed Jamaar, whose leader, alternately known as Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi, became known to Muslim leaders three years ago for his incendiary speeches online. Teplitz declined to discuss whether the embassy or U.S. officials had heard of National Towheed Jamaar or its leader prior to the attack. If we had heard something, we would have tried to do something about this, Teplitz said. The Islamic State groups Aamaq news agency released an image purported to show the leader of the attackers, standing amid seven others whose faces are covered. The group did not provide any other evidence for its claim, and the identities of those depicted in the image were not independently verified. Meanwhile, in an address to Parliament, Ruwan Wijewardene, the state minister of defense, said weakness within Sri Lankas security apparatus led to the failure to prevent the nine bombings. By now it has been established that the intelligence units were aware of this attack and a group of responsible people were informed about the impending attack, Wijewardene said. However, this information has been circulated among only a few officials. In a live address to the nation late Tuesday, Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said he also was kept in the dark on the intelligence about the planned attacks and vowed to take stern action against the officials who failed to share the information. He also pledged a complete restructuring of the security forces. Wijewardene said the government had evidence that the bombings were carried out by an Islamic fundamentalist group in retaliation for the March 15 mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed 50 people, although he did not disclose the evidence. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters in Auckland yesterday that shed had no official word from Sri Lanka, or seen any intelligence reports, to back that up. However, she added that Sri Lanka was in the early stages of its investigation. An Australian white supremacist was arrested in the Christchurch shootings. The history of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka, a country of 21 million including large Hindu, Muslim and Christian minorities, is rife with ethnic and sectarian conflict. In the 26-year civil war, the Tamil Tigers rebel army had little history of targeting Christians and was crushed by the government in 2009. Anti-Muslim bigotry fed by Buddhist nationalists has swept the country recently but Sri Lanka has no history of Islamic militancy. Its small Christian community has seen only scattered incidents of harassment. Krishan Francis, Colombo, AP Middle Bhotekoshi says it may cancel contract with Guangxi The Middle Bhotekoshi Hydroelectric Project said it might end the contract with the Chinese contractor for the civil and hydro-mechanical works for its failure to follow instructions and resume work. Mack's Mets Blogspot - Mets News and Links, #Mets Twitter Feed, Mets Minor Leagues, and comments. Mobile Uses click down arrows for more pages In a Right Wisconsin posting, Republican state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo insists that the road to a sustainable state Department of Transportation doesn't require a tax increase. He claims that a conservative approach can find savings and other sources of revenue to fund roads and highways instead of bowing to "tax and spend" politicians. Political Environment blogger James Rowen says he's going to add the latest news about Wisconsin dairy farms to his Scott Walker legacy coverage. He says another example of Walker's failures is the news that Wisconsin, home to the most dairy farms in the nation, was also the leader in farms going out of business last year. Lets go further. Under this model, businesses are expected to generate a stream of revenues that support local governments and schools over their entire lives. This arrangement takes effect in the first year and remains in place until the businesses close their doors. This model would also preserve existing community assets as well as the underlying land. For example, businesses operating under this model must repair any damage to the local roads caused by their construction. Moreover, they are obligated to restore the land to its previous condition once they have ceased operating. Is such an approach to economic development possible? Not only is it possible, there are several working examples of it here in Wisconsin. The driver that makes this arrangement a reality is utility-scale solar wind and solar power. One such example is the 49-turbine Quilt Block wind farm in southwest Wisconsin. The developer, EDP Renewables, was drawn to that location for its accommodating topography, proximity to existing transmission lines and agricultural orientation. Neither Lafayette County nor the Town of Seymour had to extend subsidies or other forms of preferential treatment to steer the project inside their jurisdictions. RACINE A Mount Pleasant man is facing a felony charge and the possibility of more than 12 years in prison after he allegedly stole upwards of $100,000 from an elderly widow, who lives in Milwaukee County. Philip E. Fraley, 50, of the 6500 block of Anforest Lane, made an initial appearance in court Wednesday, according to online records, and signed a $10,000 signature bond. He faces one count of felony theft in a business setting, which carries a maximum punishment of a $25,000 fine and 12 years of incarceration. According to the criminal complaint: In March 2016, Fraley was appointed to help take care of the womans finances after the death of her husband, although he no longer holds that role. The woman is at least 85 years old, according to the complaint, and unable to take care of her own finances. Between May 2016 and August 2016, the womans accounts shrank from containing more than $110,000 down to less than $15,000, which police said was Fraleys doing. Remember 15%. That's the share of votes a candidate has to get to win delegates in primary elections. With five Democrats left in the race, there's a real threat that only one or two will actually grab delegates, with the rest splitting the remaining vote in the low teens. Nepals pseudo-federalism Leaders and bureaucrats do not want to give up the power they have been holding. Taste of Sichuan, which opened in February in the same mid-State Street spot as Soga Shabu Shabu, has picked up where the former Chinese restaurant left off. It has a similarly expansive menu, shabu shabu (hot pot, cook-your-own) choices, free dessert bar, and Sogas comfortable, vibrant atmosphere. Like its predecessor, it also offers a great lunch deal. The restaurant was doing a strong noontime business on my two recent visits, drawing in largely Chinese students and a handful of others for its $9.95 bento box lunch specials. The 22 choices offer lots of variety, everything from pan-fried pork intestine to General Tsos chicken. There are also seafood, beef and vegetarian items. The meals come with soup, rice, and a choice between ox tongue and tripe with chili sauce and steamed chicken with chili oil sauce. The chicken had an off-putting taste and smell, and the fat and skin wasnt cut off. The menu calls it white meat, but it was dark. Of the four soups, Ive tried the wonton and egg drop. Both broths were thin on flavor, and with the egg drop soup you could practically taste the cornstarch. The wonton soups dumplings redeemed it, but next time Ill go for the spicy and sour soup or the seafood soup. Marbra and Minette both testified during Thompsons trial, and in court Wednesday Conley said he had heard a jail recording of Thompson ordering others to post threats against the two on social media. Thompson said he didnt mean any harm, just that he was upset over things that were being said in jail. Conley said it was hard for him to accept that because in the recording he heard Thompson saying he was going to stick it to them. Thompson said he accepts responsibility for his role in the robberies and said he was in a bad state of mind when he committed them. In a letter he wrote to Conley, Thompson said he felt sorry for himself after a difficult life and a series of tragedies that occurred in his family. I felt sorry for myself and I blamed others for my problems, he wrote. I was mentally abusive to my loved ones. I regularly abused drugs and alcohol. And, I started to steal. Thompson wrote that he adopted a by any means necessary attitude to support his drug habit and lifestyle, and even after he was arrested he refused to accept responsibility for the robberies. Statewide, the project reported that testing was finished on 93% of 4,471 kits designated for testing, with 39% identifying foreign DNA. According to the warrant, the woman in the Fitchburg incident on Oct. 15, 2010 two weeks before the town of Madison incident told police she was at a PDQ convenience store on Fish Hatchery Road and asked a man in the store for directions to a Walmart store. She started to walk to the Walmart on Watts Road, about six miles away, when the man she had spoken to at PDQ pulled up in a car and asked her if she wanted a ride. The man instead took her south on Seminole Highway and then onto a gravel road, then stopped and told her, Were going to do something about the ride. The woman tried to walk away, the warrant states, but the man grabbed her. When the woman pleaded with him not to hurt her, he told her, I have killed people for less. After the man raped her, the woman told police, he got into his car and drove away, and she walked to Seminole Highway and called 911. This was a despicable, inexcusable act of violence that targeted innocent people. Terrorist bombings struck Colombo and elsewhere in Sri Lanka almost simultaneously, killing and injuring hundreds of people, including Japanese nationals. The blasts targeted churches where many Christians had gathered for Easter events, and luxury hotels that have many foreign guests. Explosions were at eight venues, including suicide attacks. Sri Lankan authorities have detained members of a domestic Islamic extremist group that allegedly conducted the attacks. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government believes there may be links between this group and the Islamic State extremist group. IS has claimed responsibility for the bombings and released footage that purported to show the men who committed the attacks. The authenticity of these claims is unclear, but based on the targets chosen and the elaborate methods used, it seems IS provided some kind of support to the group that carried out the bombings. TWIN FALLS A jury trial began Wednesday for a former day care owner who said she doesnt know why a toddler was found sleeping in her driveway late at night. Brandi Olsen, 28, faces one count of felony injury to a child. She took the stand on Wednesday to describe the daily routine of her Kimberly day care operation and to explain the condition that police found her home in on the night of Aug. 2, 2018. Sunset Child Cares license was revoked in August by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare after police found a 2-year-old sleeping alone outside on Sunset Lane and eight children left unsupervised in a house filled with trash and safety hazards. Five of those children, including the toddler found outside, were day care clients. The child was first discovered by neighbors at about 10:45 p.m., according to court documents. The neighbors called the police after they knocked on the door and there was no answer. Kimberly police who responded to the scene described finding a messy home full of clutter and marked by a stench from overflowing garbage and mold-filled fish tanks. When police arrived at the house, officers said, they called out loudly several times before walking through the house. It wasnt until they had searched every other room that Olsen emerged from her locked bedroom. She said she had put the toddler in a playpen before going to her room and didnt realize he had gotten out of the house. During a direct examination on Wednesday, Olsen walked the jury through a typical day at her day care, including meals, snacks and outdoor excursions for the children. With the exception of one of her own children, who was 7 at the time of the incident, and one 18-month baby, most of the children in her care were between three and five years old, Olsen said. I loved him to death, she said of the boy who was found outside. He was just a part of the family. Olsen said she typically checked on the children every half hour once they had gone to bed, with the last bedroom check usually occurring around 11:30 p.m. The toddler went to sleep at 7 that night, Olsen said. At the time the boy was discovered, Olsen suggested that he might have sleepwalked outside, an explanation the mother of the boy disputed. But in her testimony Wednesday, Olsen said the boy did not have a history of sleepwalking or trying to get out of the house, and that she had made the suggestion because she was confused and thinking of her own daughters sleepwalking tendencies. She did not know why he might have gone outside, she said. At the time I was scared and confused and trying to figure out the situation, and things were going through my head, Olsen said. Everything was all jumbled up and it came out as that. Nothing else made sense, she added. The trial included some photos of Olsens home, the condition of which was touched on in the direct examination. The majority of the parents of her day care clients regularly came inside to pick up their children, some earlier that day, she said. An affidavit from the incident described Olsen as unemotional when her clients children and her own children were taken from the home. In the direct examination, Olsen was asked about her calm demeanor on the stand. If youre upset and especially scared, [kids] are going to be as well, Olsen responded. You want to keep things as calm and normal as you can, even in the worst situations. The trial will continue on Thursday with a cross examination of Olsen by the prosecutor. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 3 TWIN FALLS A former day care owner from Kimberly was found guilty of misdemeanor injury to a child by a jury Thursday. Brandi Olsen, 28, was charged with one count of felony injury to a child after neighbors found a toddler sleeping in her driveway on the night of Aug. 2. A two-day trial for Olsen ended in the jury finding her not guilty of the felony charge, but guilty of a misdemeanor. It was definitely tough, jury foreman Andrea Tapia told the Times-News after the verdict. But what we all agreed upon was fair and reflects the kind of standard we want for our community in child care and day care. Sunset Child Cares license was revoked in August by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare after police found a 2-year-old sleeping alone outside on Sunset Lane at about 10:45 p.m and children a mix of child care clients and Olsens own children who appeared to be unsupervised inside the house. Olsen did not answer the door initially, police said, and didnt come out of her locked bedroom until officers had searched every other room in the house. Olsen told police she had put the toddler in a playpen before going to her room and didnt realize he had gotten out of the house. Police said at the time that the house was filled with trash and several potential safety hazards. In her testimony Wednesday, Olsen said she did not know why the child ended up outside. She said he did not have a history of trying to escape and noted that she had previously refused to take on other children with a history of escaping as overnight clients. Olsen said she typically checked on the sleeping children every half hour until about 11:30 p.m. She also offered explanations for some of the things in the home police said they had concerns about, such as a locking mechanism on Olsens door. Police said such a lock would keep the children from being able to reach Olsen in an emergency, while Olsen said it was intended to keep her room private from child care clients. Tapia said the jury was initially divided on whether Olsen should be found guilty or not guilty of the charge against her. The jury deliberated for more than two hours before reaching a unanimous verdict. There was definitely a good dialogue between all of us, Tapia said. We all took the time to take into consideration what we felt was relevant to the situation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 5 An Idaho man accused in the September killing of a man has been charged with the additional crime of cannibalism and authorities in court documents said the suspect believed he could "cure his brain" by eating some of the victim. SHOSHONE A question and answer session with Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin on Wednesday night was abruptly and heatedly derailed by citizens unhappy with the local Republican partys choice of nominees to fill the vacant Lincoln County Sheriff position. The Lincoln County Republican Central Committee last week selected Verlon Southwick, Scott Denning and Rene King from an eight-person applicant pool as the top candidates to replace former sheriff Rene Rodriguez, who resigned earlier this month after he was arrested and charged with seven felonies, including rape and sexual abuse of a child. The three finalists will be interviewed on Monday by Lincoln County Commissioners, who must decide by May 3 who the next sheriff will be. But Commission Chairwoman Rebecca Wood and other community members said at the GOP-hosted event Wednesday that they dont believe any of the three candidates are fit to be sheriff and want the committee to rethink their nominations. While we appreciate the work the committee has done on this process, they got it critically wrong, Wood told the room. This is a horrible situation for Lincoln County, possibly life-threatening. This is a dilemma. At least one of the candidates, Wood said, is currently under investigation by Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training and is at risk of decertification. One is under investigation for possibly using excessive force, she said. Wood told the Times-News she could not provide any more details or comment on which candidates are under investigation. One of the three candidates, Denning, is a former sergeant with the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office who has an open lawsuit against the sheriffs office claiming that he was wrongfully terminated from his position. Denning was hired by the sheriffs office in January 2015 and was discharged in December 2017, according to court documents from the lawsuit. Southwick, a former Lincoln County deputy and the son of former Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Southwick, ran a write-in campaign for sheriff in 2016 but was defeated by Rodriguez. Wood said she is opposed to hiring any of the three finalists. Each candidate comes with his own issues, Wood told the Times-News, though she refused to elaborate on what those specific issues were. There are no qualified candidates in the finalist pool, Wood said. Were between a rock and a hard place. Discussion at Wednesday nights meeting quickly became heated, as members of the crowd expressed anger over the candidate choices. Im embarrassed, one woman called out. Disgusted, someone else added. Our sheriff should be someone we look up to, not someone we have to look out for, another attendee shouted from the back. Lincoln County Republican Central Committee Chair Joann Rutler defended the committees selection, saying the committee did do our due diligence in investigating and choosing the final candidates a statement that drew boos from some members of the crowd. She then adjourned the meeting, saying the purpose of the event was to talk to the lieutenant governor about the legislative session. She invited people to give input on the sheriff selection process at the next committee meeting on May 16. A handout available at Wednesday nights event outlined the Central Committee process for narrowing down the candidates, stating that misinformation has circulated regarding the work of the LCRCC in the selection process. The process included a background check, according to the handout, as well as an interview in which candidates were asked to address challenging aspects of their history ... in an attempt to sort rumor from fact. When asked by the Times-News after the event whether the committee was aware of any POST investigations when it made its selections, Rutler said she could not comment on what the committee learned about the candidates from their background checks. She again defended the committees selection process. I understand people are frustrated, Rutler said. But we did our job, and we did it well. Lets just say there are a lot of rumors, Rutler added. We pushed past the rumors and got to the truth. The next Lincoln County Republican Central Committee meeting is scheduled for May 16 nearly two weeks after the commissioners deadline for choosing a new sheriff. Several meeting attendees called for the committee to schedule another meeting before the May 3 deadline to potentially rethink their selections. Asked by the Times-News after the event, Rutler said she didnt know whether she would consider calling a special meeting to discuss the matter before May 3, adding that she wasnt sure whether the committee would legally be able to do so. Love 0 Funny 11 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 4 Nayak Paudel is a crime reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2018, he has also written on health issues. RUPERT Forty-five years after Jose Medina, of Rupert, came to the U.S. hoping for advancement opportunities, he enrolled in the College of Southern Idahos first citizenship class. The class runs from February to May, and is also available in Gooding and Jerome, said Jennifer Hall, director of CSIs College and Career readiness program. The program encompasses classes that teach basic skills in reading, writing and the English language for non-native speakers. It also offers GED classes and testing. But attrition is a continued hurdle. In the beginning, we see people enthusiastically coming in, Hall said about the citizenship class. But often as they attend class, families and jobs become obstacles. The dropout rate for the program for all classes runs up to 25%. Its hard, Hall said. We do lose them. This year, the Burley class has five students enrolled for the spring session. Across the four campuses, three dozen students enrolled this year. But the class is just one of many steps in the process, Hall said. After the course is over, its up to the student to begin the naturalization process to become a citizen. The college does not have a method to track how many people eventually become citizens currently. But once in a while, a student reaches out to them to let them know they have completed the process. The road to citizenship Ron James, who has taught the Twin Falls citizenship class for two years, said a person seeking citizenship has to make an appointment with U.S. Immigration Services for fingerprints first, then a subsequent appointment to take multiple tests that cover government, the U.S. Constitution, history and famous American people. One hundred possible questions form the citizenship exam, but the actual test includes 10. In order to pass, six questions must be answered correctly. The tests also include short reading and writing tests, which applicants must complete with minimal mistakes. After all this, applicants still have to take the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America. Tests and oaths are all held outside the Magic Valley. For most people, that means a trip to Boise. Yet another qualification to become a citizen includes living in the country for a minimum of five years. This is often the least of the barriers. Many of them have been here much, much longer than that, James said. They want to become citizens because they appreciate the freedom and safety we have here, the schools and the honesty of the police. Corruption is a huge problem in many countries. They genuinely appreciate what this country offers and they are excited to be citizens, with all the rights and responsibilities that go along with it. Aiming high CSIs citizenship class is geared toward helping people prepare for the tests, rather than for a grade or college credit, James said. Class meets for a couple of hours on two weekdays for 12 weeks. In Burley, the student population tends to be mainly Hispanic, but in Twin Falls there is a more diverse mix of people from other countries due to the CSI Refugee Center. I have one student who is a refugee from Sudan, who comes to the 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. classes. Often he is at class before I am, and then he works at a dairy for a graveyard shift, James said. Hes very determined and affable, and hes never moaning and groaning about everything he has to do. Hes working on his dream. A nation of immigrants Back in the 1980s, James started working with students at the refugee center. He has also taught anthropology at the college. Since his early days, he has forged a personal connection with his students. There were a lot of Laotian and Vietnamese people at the time, and I just fell in love with those students, James said. In James eyes, immigrants are assets to the national fabric of our country. And immigration, he said, plays a large role in keeping the U.S. competitive. I enjoy cultural diversity and variety; its inspiring to work with them. It restores my faith and hope in the community. As birth rates around the world in developed countries continue to decline, immigration remains one of the countrys most important assets, he said. We dont want to be like China with a declining birth rate, he said. Immigration gives us that competitive, strategic advantage. James is vocal about the benefits of immigrants on the economy and culture. People have to look at the global aspect of the issue to really understand the importance of immigration, he said. In todays society, there are fewer young people, and immigration helps the country stay ahead of the baby bust, which is when birth rates are in decline. Immigration has always given the U.S. and Canada a big global advantage, according to James. The U.S. is not full; we need immigrants, he said. (If) you want to see meat and dairy prices go up, wait until there are no immigrants coming to work here. When workers diminish, the effects are harsh, James said. If immigration is shut off, think of how the dairy owners in the Magic Valley will be impacted. But the economy isnt the only realm where the benefits of immigration are apparent. Having a constant influx of other cultures has also improved the quality of life for citizens during the past 30 to 40 years, by providing people with a variety of ethnic foods to choose from during a night out, James said. We are a nation of immigrants and we should not forget it, James said. If we stop allowing immigration, the American dream is over. This will become a xenophobic country and it will no longer be exceptional. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on April 24. HAILEY Paintings at Wood River High School including several that are critical of President Trump have started a political backlash on social media. Even House Education Committee Chairman Lance Clow got in on the debate, emailing Blaine County School District Superintendent GwenCarol Holmes for an explanation. In her response, forwarded to Idaho Education News Clark Corbin, Holmes said students have been painting ceiling tiles at the high school since 2011-12, and their artwork reflects a variety of political viewpoints. The anti-Trump ceiling tiles including a variation on the poster from President Obamas 2008 campaign have drawn the most scrutiny. If this isnt evidence that there is more indoctrination than education going on, said Glenneda Russell Zuiderfeld of Jerome, in an April 12 Facebook post. Zuiderfeld, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for an Idaho House seat in 2018, urged her followers to contact state superintendent Sherri Ybarra about the paintings. More than 600 people have shared Zuiderfelds post, contacting the district, Ybarra and other elected officials, the Idaho Mountain Express reported Wednesday. Clow, R-Twin Falls, contacted Holmes on April 13. Can you give me a call to visit about what has become a hot issue on public school political displays? he wrote in an email. In an April 15 email response, Holmes said the student artwork is an extra credit project. Students are asked to paint about a topic from the past year that really resonated with them, and justify their choices. Those choices fall across the political spectrum, Holmes wrote. Not only is there the NOPE tile noted in the link you sent, but there is also a tile that positively promotes President Trumps cutting of regulations, she said. In her email to Clow, Holmes attached what she called her favorite tile: one depicting President Lincoln. Love 13 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 3 Angry 7 Longtime Heyburn resident J.A. Handy described in 1959 the area before the Minidoka Project. The first time I saw the spot where Heyburn now stands, was in 1901, I was employed by a sheep company, and was looking for a good range for the sheep, and wasnt looking for a home, or a place to make one, Handy wrote. If I had I sure would have passed up the place where Heyburn now stands. But in June 1902, the federal government passed the Reclamation Act, created the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and eventually brought irrigation water to 17 states in the West, including Idaho. The Bureau began the Minidoka Project at Lake Walcott in 1904 to divert water from the Snake River, creating farms and new towns on both sides of the river. By 1919, the fertile Mini-Cassia soil supported 2,208 farms and a population of 17,000, according to the Bureaus website. The first town on the irrigation project was called Riverton. It was later renamed Heyburn for U.S. Sen. Weldon Brinton Heyburn, who died in 1912 just months after collapsing on the floor of the Senate while delivering a speech. The first activity around Heyburn was when O.S.L. (Oregon Short Line) Railroad Co., started hauling material from Minidoka (train station) to the river to build the railroad bridge across Snake River at Heyburn in the fall of 1904, Handy wrote when asked to tell what he remembered about the areas history. The town started as a town of 19 tents, home to the bridge workers, he said. Before the railroad bridge was completed, two men by the names of Smith and Hollen put a ferry across the Snake River to transport building materials to the new town of Burley. The O.S.L. Railroad was finished from the Minidoka train station to Heyburn and the first engine crossed the Heyburn Bridge on June 10, 1905. Mychel Matthews reports on rural issues and agriculture for the Times-News. The Hidden History feature runs every Thursday in the Times-News and on Magicvalley.com. If you have a question about something that may have historical significance, email Matthews at mmatthews@magicvalley.com. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 March 19, 1958 April 9, 2019 Kenneth Ray Miller, of Jerome, crossed over from this world to join other loved ones on the other side, April 9, 2019. He was born in March of 1958 in Winnemucca, NV to Clarence and Doris Miller. They moved from Jungo, NV back to Jerome where he attended school until graduating from Jerome High School. He worked at Kelwood Co. while attending CSI obtaining his diesel mechanic degree. He went to work for Jerome Implement and received training, specializing in John Deere repair. He also worked for Larry Blamires and Tri County Tractor before starting his own business, Kens Repair. He enjoyed trapshooting with his brothers. They competed together in turkey shoots, and the spring and fall team shoots. He square-danced with the Buttons-and-Bows group, and loved playing his guitars and sharing his knowledge with family. He played with several bands, including the Butcher Shop Jam, High Noon, and Fiddlers Inc. where he met numerous friends. Next to working on the valleys farm equipment, he loved having a fishing pole in his hands and could easily out fish any of us. He was preceded in death by his parents; and the love of his life, Rhonda Bright. He is survived by his brothers, Pete, Larry, Bob, and Vern and their families; and Rhondas girls, Trisa Chapman and Lisa Hulme (whom he helped raise) and their families. In Trisas words: He was a wise, patient man who knew all the great fishing holes, and caught a big brown in all of them. A man of few words but knew exactly what to say when you needed him too. He could fix anything that had four wheelsand you could bet money on that! An honest man who everyone knew they could shake his hand and knew his word was good. He was the father I never had and was there for me always. He was the kind of person who would send me a recording of him playing his guitar and singing me happy birthday. He is now with the love of his life, Rhonda Bright, and will be missed tremendously! A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, April 29, at Jerome Cemetery. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on Kens memorial webpage at www.farnsworthmortuary.com. BURLEY Sixty-two-year-old Jose Medina has lived, worked and paid taxes for more than four decades in the United States after leaving a poverty-stricken village in the Mexican state of Michoacan south of Aguililla, where he grew up working from dawn to dusk on his familys small farm and attending school in equal measure. Rupert has been Medinas home since 2010. When he was 17, relatives living in Los Angeles, Calif. told him to come to the U.S. because there were more employment opportunities here. A hard worker by nature, the prospect appealed to him and he embarked on a harrowing journey across the border. He eventually became a permanent resident and pursued a succession of careers as a machinist, photographer, real estate agent, insurance salesman and property investor. Today, he owns a Burley mobile home park, rental property and a family farm. This spring, Medina enrolled in the College of Southern Idahos first Mini-Cassia citizenship class designed for immigrants with permanent residency embarking on the U.S. naturalization process. After 45 whirlwind years of building a new life in the U.S., Medina finally feels like he has the time to pursue his goal, and hes ready for all the rights and responsibilities that come with it. Medina is one of nearly 1 million people in the U.S. who file citizenship petitions annually. And he has made his life here legally. In 1986, he was one of 2.7 million illegal immigrants granted immigration amnesty and permanent residency status by former President Ronald Reagan, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Now he wants to seal his identification as an American. Seeking citizenship Immigration policy remains under hot debate by U.S. politicians charged with controlling the size and composition of the immigrant population. Others are concerned about balancing the economic, humanitarian and ethical issues surrounding potential policy changes. People pursue U.S. citizenship for a variety of reasons, such as access to better jobs and education, to avoid prejudice and persecution, or to escape war and civil unrest in their home nations. Some seek asylum and others are immigrants. Although the number of naturalization petitions filed in the U.S. went up from 783,062 in 2015 to 986,851 in 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the number of persons naturalized dropped. In 2015, 730,259 people were naturalized. Just two years later, that number plummeted to 707,265. The naturalization process is conducted through the U.S. Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services. It includes an application, fingerprinting, taking tests and an oath. The tests include demonstrating competency in reading, writing and speaking English, along with a written test, that covers U.S. history and government topics. For this reason, Medina also signed up for an English as a Second Language class at the college, even though he already fluently speaks, reads and writes in English. Escaping a hardscrabble life Medina, his parents and nine siblings hail from Michoacan. The nearest village was an hour-and-a-half drive away from their home. Its population was 500 people at the time they resided nearby. Medinas family was devoutly Catholic, and inside the local church walls, Medinas love for God and the desire to help his fellow man took deep root in his life. He grew up learning to serve and be kind to others. Although the familys faith sustained them, their resources were meager. Living on little sparked a fire in Medina. As he matured, his desire to carve out a better life engendered a strong work ethic. In order to put food on the family table, Medina and his siblings had to work on the farm planting seeds in the spring and tending crops through the heat of summer. Medinas mother battled his father to keep the children in school at least part-time. She wanted her children to get an education, but Medinas father needed their help on the farm. His parents compromise meant Medina attended school one week and worked in the fields the next. While the concession helped provide for the family, it didnt put Medina on equal footing with his peers academically, and he struggled to keep up in school. One of his earliest memories is walking behind his dad at six years old, throwing grain kernels on the ground to start the years crop. Medina was obedient. He understood his fathers needs and didnt complain. I remember working in the hills pruning the trees during the winters and getting the land ready to plant, he said. We didnt have any irrigation. We just relied on the rain. The family also didnt have a dairy herd to depend on. We had one or two cows to milk in order to survive, and we raised a couple of goats for meat, Medina said. We were always hunting for meat, but we werent too worried about clothing. Medinas mother sewed their simple clothing by hand, and the family had little reason for fancier clothes. Instead of protective shoes, lightweight, traditional huarache sandals covered their feet. A boy becomes a man At the age of 14, Medinas vision for a better life materialized in his entrepreneurialism. He decided to buy a bicycle for transportation in order to earn money. Medina had been stashing away the money his father gave his children on Sundays, and when he had enough, he bought his coveted transport, which he decorated with different colored masking tape and decorations. It was the best bike in town, he said, still proud of his clever design. The colorful bike caught a distant cousins eye, who was quick to ask Medina if he would trade the bicycle for a horse, which Medina agreed to do. At an early age, his business acumen was evident. Afterward, Medina briefly wondered what he had done, but he soon came up with a plan to buy a pull cart and use the horse to transport brick from a local company to job sites for pay. Medina soon discovered that he could transport 100 bricks for five pesos, and he was able to complete three trips each evening. He was doubly motivated by the delectable enchiladas and baked potatoes served with sweet milk prepared and sold by village women at sidewalk stands. I wanted some of it and I didnt have any money, Medina said. So he began plotting how he could earn money to buy the traditional fare. At home, the familys meals consisted of hunted game, along with beans, potatoes, corn and fruit they grew on their farm. He didnt know that the business lessons he was learning at such a young age would become a hallmark of his life. Or that the scanty resources available to him in Mexico would continually fuel his desire to find ways to improve himself in order to achieve his goals for his future family. Hard knocks How to make money wasnt the only lesson Medina absorbed in his early years; he also learned that earning money was a tool to help others. When his sister was sexually abused and had a child out of wedlock, the village shunned her and she left Mexico to live in the U.S. Her child, Medinas nephew, was left with his parents. When Francisco Medina was 3 years old, he developed a large belly and skinny legs, and he became very sick from a stomach ailment. Medinas mother knew Francisco needed to see a doctor to save his life but the family had no money. She asked Medina to use the money hed saved from his business to help his young nephew. Even today it makes me cry to remember it, Medina said, wiping an escaped tear from the side of his face. At just 14, Medina paid his nephews doctor bills with his hard-earned pesos and never flinched. The principles my parents taught me growing up were to always do the best you can for others, he said. Those early values continue to be foundational aspects of Medinas character. His strong ethics often manifest in his willingness to give to others, Paul Henscheid, Medinas deacon mentor at Saint Nicholas Catholic Church in Rupert, said this spring. Arriving a crossroads At age 17, some of Medinas relatives were working in the fields in the U.S. and sending money home, which convinced Medina that he should do the same. Medina knew he could earn more money in the U.S., perhaps even build a business or have a little farm. It would also allow him to send money to his cash-strapped parents, who still had teenagers at home back in Mexico. U.S Immigration Statistics, by the numbers U.S. Immigration applicants in 2017: 1,127,167 Persons obtaining lawful permanent U.S. residency 986,851 Petitions filed for naturalization 707,265 Persons naturalized 83,176 Petitions denied Persons naturalized by region of birth 2017: Total: 707,265 Africa: 61,851 Asia: 255,306 Europe: 65,141 North America: 258,371 Oceania: 3,327 South America: 63,063 Unknown: 206 Persons naturalized from Mexico: 118,559 Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security By his admission, he was a naive young man when he embarked on a three-day bus ride to Tijuana, where he planned to cross the U.S. border and go to work in the fields. I was still a boy, he said. In my small world, I was thinking about how to be better all the time. He had no idea of the danger that lay ahead or of the life he would eventually build. He was simply driven by the desire to help himself and his family rise out of poverty. A perilous crossing A neighbors daughter, who had a romantic interest in Medina, helped formulate a plan for him to cross the border. Someone would meet him in Tijuana at a designated place and escort him across the country line. When the time arrived, Medina was prompt and eager, but no one showed up, he said. I was in a town where I didnt know anybody, Medina said. The maid for his rented room told him to leave or pay for another day. Medina had no money left in his pockets. During the perilous journey, he hadnt eaten for several days, and now he didnt have a place to sleep. He had hit bottom, and his only option now was to walk, so he did. After several hours, hunger still gnawing at his belly, he saw a man underneath a bridge cooking dinner. Medina approached him to ask for food, but the man angrily sent him away. He continued to walk through the night, his rumbling belly a constant companion. I was desperate. I didnt know what to do, he said. I was confused and lost. The next day he continued to walk. As dusk fell, he felt someone pat him on the back. When he turned, a stranger asked him what he was doing, and Medina explained his situation. The man told Medina he knew someone who could help him. The following night, he was escorted with a group of men across the border. But just a mile inside the U.S., someone started yelling Go back! People began running past him toward Tijuana so he followed. I was even more scared then, he said. The next night, the group tried again. They made it deep into the desert headed toward San Diego when helicopters appeared overhead. Spotlights ignited terror in the tiny band of travelers. We got under little bushes and people were running in every direction, he said. When the ruckus settled and stillness set in Medina realized that he was alone in the desert without food or water. I felt like I would die, he said. I felt lonely. He remembered his mother telling him that the Virgin Mary would always be with him and that he could ask her for help. Thats what I did, he said. His prayers were answered when a car appeared. The men inside the car told him he could ride in the trunk with five other immigrant men to Los Angeles. He was the smallest of the group and they told him to get in the trunk, where he huddled at the bottom of the human pile for the five-hour ride. I remember how the heat from the muffler burned my ribs and how much it hurt, he said. When the trunk lid finally opened, the passengers were in an empty garage. I was scared, he said. A man holding a machete told everyone that if they tried to escape, he would cut their throats. The men wanted to be paid for transporting them across the border. Medina had tucked his brother-in-laws phone number in his belt, which he shakily gave to them. The men called his brother-in-law, who told them to bring Medina to his apartment and he would pay them. Medina was terrified; all he had ever known was the peace of open fields on his familys farm and the tiny village near his home. Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God." I never had any issues in Mexico. Id never been threatened, and had not ever really been stressed, Medina said. I was very scared. The men took Medina to the apartment and knocked on the door. When his brother-in-law and sister answered and denied knowing Medina, he was beside himself. Completely alone and betrayed in a foreign land, Medina had no idea what would come next. Terror settled in the pit of his stomach as Medina and the men left the apartment. They called him a liar. Medina was unaware that his familys plan was to follow them when they left and grab Medina, without paying for the transportation. As they drove away, another vehicle rammed into the back of the car and the men told Medina the police would be coming, so he should run up a nearby hill and hide, which he did. A few minutes later, Medinas sister found him and told him to follow her. Feeling confused and betrayed, Medina told his sister that although the transporters wanted to be paid, they had been kind to him. They had fed him and helped him cross the border, and he thought she should compensate them. Even now, he remembers how unsettling it felt to know the risks they had taken on his behalf had not been rewarded. It was very upsetting to me and I still feel sorry about it, he said. They saved my life. A life unfolding Medinas sister allowed him to live with her, and Medina began working right away for asparagus and celery farmers. When apples were in season, he worked in the orchards. Jobs were plentiful, as long as a person had a robust back and could tolerate stooping over from sunup to sundown. I would work any job there was, he said. For 12 hours a day, he stooped in the fields, earning $2.25 an hour. Medina was pleased with his pay, which was relatively high compared to what he could make in Mexico. During his first years in the U.S., Medina knew little about living in a foreign country and he spoke no English. When the immigration enforcement officers came to the fields on random occasions, he would stand his ground and not run like the other Mexican nationals. Since he didnt flee, the officers assumed he was a permanent resident. They left me alone, he said. They chased the ones who ran away. Medina continued to live with his sister and brother-in-law for four years until his employer offered a group of workers lodging in a little field house. On Sundays, his boss would drive them to the grocery store to buy the weeks groceries and sundries, but there was time for little else. One winter day as he toiled in the field, some ladies arrived, distributing fliers for a new program called the Center for Employment Training (CET). The nonprofit is a community-based skills training center in San Jose and other locations still in operation today. The women promised the farm workers that the program would get them out of the fields. It was a moment of relief and an answer to Medinas many prayers. I was working with my brother, and when they said that, we looked at each other. We took the big knives we used to cut celery out of the ground and threw them down. There would be no more working in the fields for us, he said. We were going to school. A skilled trade Medina enrolled in the 18-month program, which taught him how to be a machinist. He used a lathe to hold pieces of metal while they were precisely crafted by sharp tools into airplane and missile parts. Later, the program helped place him in a job working for a company that made floppy discs. He also started taking English learner classes. Soon after, he went to the post office and applied for a social security card, which was issued to him with no questions asked. It came in the mail a few weeks later. Not long after he received his card, the government began requiring that applicants provide a birth certificate or permanent resident card in order to qualify for social security identification. But Medina finally had the ticket he needed. It meant access to the life he dreamed of. Having that card really started opening doors for me, he said. Social security identification also meant that during the decades that he lived and worked in the U.S., he also paid taxes. Not afraid of hard work and always yearning for more, Medina soon took on a second evening machinist job. Soon, his employer gave him the opportunity to attend managerial school part-time while he worked half days, and he was promoted to shift supervisor, overseeing 50 people. Forging a future While still in school, Medina met his wife Josefina, a Mexican national working as a berry picker in the fields. He thought she was beautiful, and they were soon married. Medina had two children prior to his marriage, and he and Josefina have three children two girls and a boy. In 1983, Josefina found a little house for sale and asked her husband if they could look at it. I had no money saved and didnt know how we could buy a house, but she was really excited, so I said yes, Medina said. Serendipitously, the homeowner liked the couple and told the realtor to make a deal with them so they could purchase the home. Medina continued to find other ways to quench his constant thirst for knowledge and satisfy his eagerness to try new things. He started a photography business specializing in portraits, and he took classes to learn how to develop film and prints. Later, the couple converted their bathroom into a darkroom. In the beginning, Medina attended quinceaneras and wedding ceremonies, where he took photos for free to build his business. It wasnt long before the couple was able to buy a small photo studio and one-hour processing equipment. Josefina began sewing beautiful wedding, quinceanera and bridesmaid dresses, which she sold out of their little studios shop. Meanwhile, Medina continued to expand his knowledge and skill set. He learned to sell insurance and was named rookie of the year for the South Ray Mortgage Company. He also received his real estate license and became licensed in tax preparation. In 1996, a Washington Post reporter tracked Medina down to write an article on the CET program, which attributed his accomplishments to the successful training it offered. Medina keeps a faded copy of the article mounted on cardboard as a silent testimony to how far hes come. While life has never been easy, Medina has remained positive and focused. He is proud of his accomplishments, born of hard work and persistence. Settling in the Gem State As a real estate agent in California, Medina helped a client find a business location in Minidoka County. When he first laid eyes on Idaho, he was astonished by its beauty. He knew he wanted to bring his family to to the Gem State. When I came to Idaho, and saw all the land and water, I knew I would not miss Mexico anymore. Medina said. I saw the beauty in Idaho. After a few years, Medinas businesses had done well enough that he bought his 140-acre dream farm and he moved his family north of Rupert. Careful investment of his hard-earned wages allowed him to buy properties, including the 51-space Bel Aire Mobile Home Park in north Burley, where he provides housing for a total of 65 tenants at various rental properties. A happy ending This spring, the couples farm bustled with life as baby lambs and goats were born daily, adding to Medinas livestock numbers. For a half-dozen years, Medina grew crops of barley, but as his whirlwind pace slows slightly, now he leases out the ground surrounding his home. Medina packed lifetimes into the 45 years hes spent in the U.S. Now, he finally has time to focus on other efforts. But his drive to better himself is still at the core of his being. Now he attends citizenship classes twice a week, along with English learner classes at CSI and studies each day at home. I just always felt like I was too busy, Medina said, about waiting so long to become a citizen. He is also simultaneously taking online courses to become a church deacon. Josefina is always at his side, Medina said. As his right hand, she has taken over running the family business while he studies. As he forges ahead with this new goal, he never forgets to lend a helping hand to others, Paul Henscheid, Medinas deacon mentor, said. Medinas generous nature is evident to many who surround him. Jose is a very good man, he is devout, very giving and loving and an all-around good guy, Henscheid said. He is always doing things for others and helping people find housing for rent at a low price. He will often make concessions to help them afford it. Medina understands hardship, and it translates to his efforts to help others, he said. Henscheids wife, Deborah, became acquainted with Medinas family through their daughter, now 33, when she taught special education. I know him as a special friend, Paul Henscheid said. We pray together, and when I see him, I always get a big hug from him. Medina deserves to be a citizen, Henscheid said. He loves the U.S. and has dedicated himself to mastering the English language and integrating into American culture. An example for others Medinas path has not been a straight one. There have been many trials and he is aware of stigma that surrounds the immigration debate. People need to look into their hearts regarding the issue of immigration, Medina said, and not judge people so harshly. Immigration, he said, is deeply embedded in American culture. We need to support immigrants. From what Ive learned in citizenship class, the U.S. is composed of immigrants, Medina said. Its part of our heritage. We need to help them have a good life. They need to pay their share of taxes and be good citizens, and we need to teach them how live in the country. We need to be better humans in how we treat people. You dont know what theyve been through. No going back Medina has visited Mexico twice since he left at age 17, and both times he had adverse experiences. Living conditions in his homeland have worsened while he has been away for nearly a half-century, and he considers Idaho his home. I wont go back again, he said, after he saw gangs in the streets stealing and killing people. At the place where I used to live, I saw kids with AR-15 rifles. It was terrifying. After Medina completes the citizenship process which he hopes to do by the beginning of 2020 Josefina plans to follow suit. But the issue of renouncing alliance to her country tugs at Josefinas heart more deeply. My grandfather asked me not to change my nationality, she said. Josefinas grandfather fought in the Mexican Revolution and he felt strongly about Josefina retaining her Mexican citizenship, she said. Since he has passed away, Josefina will likely follow Medinas lead and become a citizen also. Medina is already tutoring her as he completes his courses. He wants to share his nationality with his wife on the soil where they have built their life together. A community of future citizens Like Medina, Maria Ortiz, 37, of Twin Falls has lived in the U.S. for many years. Three years ago, she decided that she wanted to become a citizen. Ortiz, also a Mexican national, came to the country in 2000. She took citizenship classes a couple of years ago and studied at home with the help of her husband and children, ages 15 and 16, until she felt ready for the tests. For Ortiz, learning English was difficult and she felt scared when she couldnt pronounce or spell words correctly in class. This spring, she passed her naturalization tests and she will take her oath during a May 9 ceremony in Boise. My kids were jumping up and down when I got the letter saying that I will become a citizen, Ortiz said. They knew I was trying really hard. I never thought I would be here. Becoming a citizen has changed her life, Ortiz said, and she hopes she can eventually find a better paying job. She currently works in fast food. It changes everything, she said. I have a different life now than I had in Mexico. Everything is better. But the road has been long for both Ortiz and Medina. People seeking to become citizens often endure many hardships living in a foreign land. But for many still seeking the American dream, the opportunity is priceless. I want to feel proud of being a naturalized citizen, Medina said. He hopes to participate more fully in the country by using his rights as a citizen. Maybe I can be an example for others, help them be happy and teach them how to share with those around them. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BOISE An Idaho man serving in the Army in Iraq died Tuesday in a noncombat-related incident, the United States Department of Defense said in a press release Wednesday. Spc. Michael T. Osorio, 20, of Horseshoe Bend served as an intelligence analyst and was part of an armored combat team stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., according to the release. The incident in which he died is under investigation, but the Army did not provide any more information Wednesday. Osorio was a part of Operation Inherent Resolve. The 3rd Armored Brigade would like to extend its deepest condolences to the friends, family, and fellow soldiers of Spc. Michael Osorio, Col. Michael J. Simmering, commander, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, said in a statement. Spc. Osorios dedication to the mission and his unit made him a valued member of the Iron Brigade. His loss will be felt throughout our formations. We ask that everyone keep the Osorio family in their hearts and prayers as they deal with the tragic loss of their soldier. Osorio joined the Army on July 17, 2017, and began serving in Iraq on Feb. 23. He earned an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and an Army Service Ribbon. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 7 Angry 0 Its time for the U.S. government to crack down on American illegals. Not the undocumented migrants crossing the southern U.S. border but rather the American citizens who are taking up arms, forming militia patrols and holding migrants at gunpoint as self-appointed vigilante enforcers. They are taking the law into their own hands and unlawfully using their weapons to terrorize others. By their own terminology, their actions make them no more law-abiding than the illegals they claim to be pursuing. The U.S. Border Patrol must state in the most emphatic terms that these vigilante groups need to disband and stand down. The FBI arrested the leader of one militia, the United Constitutional Patriots, on Saturday after the group rounded up about 200 immigrants who had crossed into New Mexico near the border city of El Paso, Tex. The leader, Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 69, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. His criminal record dates back to 1986. In 2006, he was arrested in Oregon on charges of impersonating a police officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hopkins personifies the macho, wannabe-soldier and pretend-cop mentality that pervades these groups. Those who arent felons wrap themselves in the Second Amendment, believing the right to bear arms is the only authorization they require to roam the countryside in hot pursuit of their perceived adversaries. Hopkins self-styled militia is one of several purporting to patrol the border in an unrequested role as backup to authorized government border enforcers. The danger is that they have no legal authority or training. The chances of something going wrong, such as misfiring a weapon and killing a migrant, a Border Patrol official or even another militia member are high. In a video of the April 16 incident in which Hopkins militia members captured the migrants, one of his colleagues can be heard admonishing Hopkins: Dont aim the gun at the migrants. A spotlight shines on the migrants as they huddle, clearly frightened. One of the members can be heard identifying the militia as the border patrol. The video has prompted an array of protests from politicians, law enforcers and human rights groups. It should go without saying that regular citizens have no authority to arrest or detain anyone, said New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. But one authority has been surprisingly quiet the real Border Patrol. Border Patrol has never asked us to stand down, said Jim Benvie, speaking for United Constitutional Patriots. Thats troubling. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman offered a vague statement saying the Border Patrol does not endorse private groups or organizations taking enforcement matters into their own hands. An unequivocal cease-and-desist order is urgently needed before these toy soldiers provoke real tragedy. Love 1 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 With 40 percent of Idaho covered in trees, the management of our forests affects us all. All Idahoans benefit from the clean water, abundant wildlife habitat, recreation, and wood and paper products that healthy forests provide, along with many positive economic impacts. Arbor Day is April 26, a time to celebrate the benefits forests provide us, but also a time to reflect on how forests depend on humans for their continued health through active forest management the sustainable cycle of harvesting followed by replanting of trees and using fire as a management tool to reduce overgrown vegetation. There are 21.4 million acres of forests in Idaho. About 10 million acres of federal forests in Idaho are overgrown, unhealthy, and prone to devastating fires. Impaired forest health conditions and wildfire know no boundaries. As Land Board members, we oversee the management of one million acres of forested state endowment lands. The lands are a gift to Idaho in all they offer. Timber sales on endowment lands generate millions of dollars in revenue for Idahos public schools annually. Sustainable forest management practices ensure these lands will continue to benefit public schools and Idaho citizens for years to come. However, 94 percent of forested state endowment lands border federal national forests in Idaho. Wildfire, insects, and disease move freely between federal, state, and private lands. To address the forest health crisis in Idaho and maintain healthy state endowment forests for public schools, we directed the Idaho Department of Lands to work with the U.S. Forest Service, forest industry, conservation groups, and others to help improve forest conditions on a scale that matters. The recently inked Shared Stewardship agreement recognizes that different land owners federal, state, and private need to work together to reduce the risk of fire and infestations of insects and disease in our forests. The state and federal government are using spatial planning tools to identify, coordinate, and treat priority landscapes across ownerships. The result will be reduced fuels to protect Idaho communities from wildfire, improved forest health, and job creation in the private sector. We are just getting going with Shared Stewardship in Idaho, but we are anchoring to our success with the Good Neighbor Authority, a related program that encourages collaboration, resource sharing, and a get it done approach to land management. We all love forests. But most of Idahos forests need to be conserved, not preserved. Active, sustainable forest management is part of conservation. The steps we are taking with your support will ensure our forests are healthy for future generations. The State Board of Land Commissioners (Land Board) is comprised of Governor Brad Little, Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, State Controller Brandon Woolf, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Mormon Reservoir near Fairfield recently returned as a destination fishery that produces big trout and lots of them. While older anglers might remember (with a tinge of nostalgia) a time when this was the norm, it hasnt been the case until a few years back when a series of events helped revive Mormons trout fishing. So what changed at Mormon Reservoir that allowed it to once again produce 20-inch trout, and lots of them? There were several factors that contributed to its resurgence. First, management efforts have been made to reduce the aquatic vegetation that has caused annual winterkills, said Doug Megargle, Magic Valley Regions fisheries manager. Second, planned and opportunistic trout stocking over the past four years have resulted in major increases in trout densities in the reservoir. Anglers had a particularly impressive year fishing Mormon Reservoir in 2018. Megargle said some anglers reported 60 to 80 fish days, with a good chunk of those measuring over 20 inches. Big fish stocking boost a boon for anglers Megargle explained that whats most responsible for last years outstanding fishing was a massive stocking of 35,000 catchable-sized trout in the reservoir in the fall of 2015. For perspective, consider that we stocked 38,000 combined from 2007 through 2012 at Mormon Reservoir, compared to the 35,000 stocked in one year, Megargle said. That unusually high number was the result of fish being diverted from drought-impacted reservoirs without sufficient water, combined with the planned stocking at Mormon. Recovering from events that lead to a decline in fishing Until recently, Mormon Reservoir had not been ideal trout habitat for a decade or more. The fishery was decimated by multiple drought years that resulted in low water levels. The greatest challenges at Mormon Reservoir have been low water storage and lethal biological oxygen demand that prevented fish from surviving over winter, which is what produces those 20-inch trout, Megargle said. Thanks to a large number of irrigation reservoirs in the Magic Valley, Idaho Fish and Game has the privilege of developing and managing fisheries in waters that would otherwise not have any, but some factors that contribute to good fishing are beyond the agencys control. The challenge for fishery management is working with the sizeable annual fluctuations in reservoir water storage related to seasonal precipitation and irrigation demand, Megargle said. Fish habitat quality and quantity are often directly related to water storage levels that change on a year-to-year basis, making it difficult to provide a stable fishery. The low water levels during drought years at Mormon Reservoir also caused an outbreak of smartweed, which made fishing difficult for anglers, and also contributed to trout winterkill after the smartweed died in the fall. Winterkill occurs when sunlight is blocked for extended periods, such as when a reservoir is covered by ice and snow. Low sunlight limits photosynthesis that produces oxygen, and low oxygen levels are exacerbated by bacteria that uses remaining oxygen to decompose dead vegetation, creating conditions that can be lethal for trout. More smartweed meant more dead plants for bacteria to break down and less oxygen available for trout, which in some years caused almost complete fish die off in the reservoir. On top of all that, years ago, the bridges to Mormon Reservoir were deemed unsafe, which hampered angler access. Fortunes have improved for anglers and the reservoir In 2015, good survival rates in Fish and Games hatcheries resulted in extra trout available for stocking, and most were directed either to Mormon Reservoir or Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir. Trout originally destined for drought-stricken Little Camas Reservoir and Thorn Creek Reservoir were also redirected to Mormon. In anticipation of public access being restored by the construction of two new bridges in 2016, more stocking also was done in Mormon that year. After a winterkill scare in the winter of 2016-17 when Fish and Game received reports of dead trout at the boat ramp, biologists feared their efforts had been negated, but they received a pleasant surprise when anglers reported fantastic trout fishing the following spring, and better fishing continued in 2018. That was an amazing year for trout fishing at Mormon Reservoir, Megargle said. To address smartweed, Fish and Game helped support Camas Countys efforts to use herbicide to control the outrbreak in the reservoir. An airplane treated about 750 acres in 2017, and around 500 acres in 2018. Anglers noticed an immediate improvement in boating and fishing access, and winter trout survival also improved. Water levels in the Magic Valley Regions reservoirs have also recently improved with ample winter snow and spring rain, which allows fisheries managers to resume stocking formerly drought-stricken lakes, reservoirs and ponds. While beneficial for Mormon Reservoir, the huge 2015 stocking of catchable-sized trout was potentially a one-year deal. The chances of repeating 35,000 catchable trout available in a single year are slim because theres a limited number of hatchery trout that must be shared among many lakes, reservoirs, ponds and streams in the region. The future is uncertain Many anglers are probably wondering if Mormon Reservoir will produce the same amount of gigantic trout in 2019 as it did in 2017 and 2018. Probably not given that the huge numbers of catchable-sized trout stocked in 2015 havent been repeated, and thats what drove the eye-popping catch rates last year. Will stocked trout continue to successfully over-winter in Mormon Reservoir, allowing them to grow to the large sizes it was once famous for, albeit with fewer fish than in 2017 and 2018? That remains to be seen even for this year. The winter snowpack was well above average, which should keep water levels higher for longer periods and prevent another smartweed explosion. But that same snowpack may have resulted in low oxygen conditions under the ice, so some winterkill is still a possibility. More will be known when all the ice thaws, which typically occurs in late April or early May, and anglers get out on the reservoir. Mormon isnt out of the woods yet, Megargle said. Trout survival through winter months isnt a given, but they have a much better chance thanks to county and state collaboration in vegetation control. Many things have changed at Mormon due to efforts by Fish and Game staff and other agencies to improve fishing, water quality and access. Anglers should enjoy the good fishing and the opportunity to catch trophy-sized trout, but realize its unlikely to last indefinitely. Were in a way better place than we were 10 years ago, but there are still many challenges to providing a consistent fishery, Megargle said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Introducing The Main Index There are now over 43,000 individual posts here on A Light In The Darkness. They have all been individually added into Main Index categories. To get the full experience out of A Light In The Darkness and its very extensive library of items, covering virtually all things paranormal, supernatural etc ... we recommend that you flick down the Main Index, which runs down the right hand side of the blog page ... to find the indexed category in which the subject matter you seek is located. Alternatively, why not use long search bar you will find towards the top of the blog page ... ENJOY NIH awards University of Delaware's Lachke $1.7 million grant Months before you were born, your genetic machinery was hard at work, producing the tools you would need to live and move and think and pursue that thing you were meant to do. Your eyes, for example, were produced in an intricate series of genetic interactions meant to ensure the formation of an eye, produce the wiring it needs to communicate with your brain and clarify the lens to ensure proper vision. University of Delaware biologist Salil Lachke has a growing portfolio of research focused on eye development and the genetic disorders that obstruct healthy eye development. His cataract studies have advanced efforts to address the molecular and pathological basis of the world's leading cause of blindness. Now the National Institutes of Health has announced $1.7 million in support for his work to understand the developmental disorders that cause anophthalmia (no eye) and microphthalmia (small eye) at birth. The new grant provides five years of support. Compared to cataract disease, these are rare disorders. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says about 780 babies (1 in every 5,300) are born with one of these disorders each year in the United States. But the problems in the genetic circuitry that cause these disorders are not well understood. Lachke has hypotheses about the genetic mechanics of eye development that may shed light on other problems as well. Already, Lachke and his team have identified a key suspect -- the gene called Rbm24, an RNA-binding, protein-coding gene that plays an important role in controlling gene expression and the development of various cells and how they are differentiated. They came upon this suspect by using the bioinformatics approach developed by Lachke known as iSyTE (integrated Systems Tool for Eye gene discovery), which predicts the genes associated with eye development. The interactive tool is available to all clinicians, scientists and anyone who is interested in studying eye development. Lachke's team found that when Rbm24 is deficient or absent, eye defects occur. They also found that Rbm24 has direct control of a gene called SOX2, which alone is implicated in 20 percent of these developmental eye disorders and is critical to development of other tissues and organs. The role of SOX2 in cell development was part of the 2012 Nobel Prize won by Japan's Shinya Yamanaka, who showed that SOX2 and three other factors could reprogram mature cells into pluripotent stem cells, a sort of reverse engineering that allows these cells to develop into any other type of cell. Now, the question is how this process works and what other things Rbm24 controls. How does it figure in early eye development processes, including the development of the retina and the lens? What happens at different stages of development, in specific tissues, even in specific cells? "What we'd like to do -- and have the capacity to do at UD -- is to get rid of Rbm24 in early, mid- and late stages of eye development," Lachke said. "Then we can tease out what it is doing at different times." That knowledge will point the way to understanding other processes and disorders that Rbm24 and SOX2 are implicated in, including the potential of cellular reprogramming. Specifically, Lachke will look at Rbm24's critical role in early development of eye structures known as the "optic vesicle" and the "lens ectoderm," which are important to creation of the retina and the lens. He will test the hypothesis that Rbm24 governs expression of genes such as SOX2 in the post-transcriptional stage -- that is, after their genetic data has been transcribed from DNA to RNA and before the data is translated into protein production. He will also show how that process works on the molecular level. "This study will lead to uncovering the mechanism of how one of the most important DNA-binding proteins encoded by the human genome, SOX2, is controlled by the actions of a conserved RNA-binding protein, Rbm24, in our cells," Lachke said. "Defining the basic molecular and cellular processes of eye development will lead to greater understanding of the pathology of human development defects that result in small eye or the complete absence of the eye at birth." ### About the researcher Salil Lachke is an associate professor and associate chair of biological sciences at the University of Delaware, focusing on genetic research related to organ development and disease, especially in the eye. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Pune, India, his doctorate at the University of Iowa and did postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School, where he also served as an instructor. He joined the UD faculty in 2011. His innovative research has won many awards and he is a Gerard J. Mangone Scholar and a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 1. Yes. If a department head is doing a bad job and the city manager wont act, its needed. 2. Yes. Its a crucial safeguard against poor hiring decisions and conflicts of interest. 3. No. It would only muddle the leadership structure and damage employee morale. 4. No. It would make it harder to recruit and retain qualified city leaders at all levels. 5. Unsure. Council oversight may be good, but perhaps not to such a significant extent. Vote View Results Sometimes, a few sentences tell you more about a personand, more importantly, an ideologythan a learned thesis. That is the case with tweets from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in response to the mass murder of more than 300 Christians and others in Sri Lanka. Their tweets are worth serious analysis because they reveal a great deal about the Left. Of course, they reveal a great deal about Clinton and Obama, too, but that doesnt interest me. And that, too, is important. Many Americansespecially conservatives and independentsare more interested in individual politicians than in political ideologies. Many conservatives have long been fixated on Clintonso much so that probably any other Democrat would have defeated Donald Trump, as conservative anger specifically toward her propelled many people to the polls. Similarly, Republican NeverTrumpers are fixated on Trump rather than policy. They care more about Trumps personal flaws than about the mortal dangers the Left poses to America and the West or about the uniquely successful conservative policies Trump promulgates. BV Comments: This is an extremely important point, one I have been making for years. It is profoundly STUPID and demonstrative of a failure to grasp the nature of practical politics for a never-trumping conservative to fixate upon, and stumble over, the barnacles and carbuncles of Trump's character while ignoring the roughly equal characterological flaws of leftists such as Hillary Clinton. It is the ideas, the principles, the values, the programs, policies, and presuppositions that matter. Would that the pearl-clutchers could see this. And independents all claim to vote for the person, not the party. BV: Well, I am registered Independent, but I don't make this stupid claim. Only leftists understand that one must vote left no matter who the Democrat is, no matter who the Republican opponent is. Leftists are completely interchangeable: There is no ideological difference among the 20 or so Democrats running for president. Mayor Pete Buttigieg is not one degree to the right of Kamala Harris or Elizabeth Warren. BV: That's right. They say the same things using almost identical formulations. That is why it is important to understand Clinton and Obamas tweets: to understand the left, not to understand her or him. Here are the tweets: Obama: The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka. Three hours later, Clinton tweeted: On this holy weekend for many faiths, we must stand united against hatred and violence. Im praying for everyone affected by todays horrific attacks on Easter worshippers and travelers in Sri Lanka. As they both spelled worshipers the same idiosyncratic way and used the term Easter worshippers, it is likely they either had the same writers or Clinton copied Obama. Heres whats critical: Neither used the word Christians. And in order to avoid doing so, they went so far as to make up a new termEaster worshippersheretofore unknown to any Christian. BV: Christians don't worship Easter; they worship the risen Christ. When Jews were murdered at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Clinton mentioned the synagogue in a tweet. But in her post-Sri Lanka tweet, despite the bombing of three churches filled with Christians, Clinton made no mention of church or churches. In a tweet after the massacre of Muslims in New Zealand, she wrote that her heart broke for the global Muslim community. But in her latest tweet, not a word about Christians or the global Christian community. Obama similarly wrote in his tweet about New Zealand that he was grieving with the Muslim community over the horrible massacre in the Mosques. But in his tweet about Sri Lanka, there is no mention of Christians or churches. The reason neither of them mentioned Christians or churches is that the left has essentially forbidden mention of all the anti-Christian murders perpetrated by Muslims in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and of all the Muslim desecration of churches in Europe, Africa and anywhere else. This is part of the same phenomenonthat I and others have documentedof British police and politicians covering up six years of rape of 1,400 of English girls by Muslim grooming gangs in Rotherham and elsewhere in England. (emphasis added by BV) Essentially, the lefts rule is that nothing badno matter how truemay be said about Muslims or Islam and nothing goodno matter how truemay be said of Christians or Christianity. BV: It certainly seems that way, doesn't it? Clintons post-New Zealand tweet also included these words: We must continue to fight the perpetuation and normalization of Islamophobia and racism in all its forms. White supremacist terrorists must be condemned by leaders everywhere. Their murderous hatred must be stopped. She made sure to condemn Islamophobia, but she wrote not a word about the far more destructive and widespread hatred of Christians in the Muslim world, seen in Muslims virtual elimination of the Christian communities in the Middle East, the regular murder and kidnappings of Coptic Christians in Egypt and the murder of Christians in Nigeria. She calls on leaders everywhere to condemn white supremacist terrorists, one of the smallest hate groups on Earth, but never calls on leaders everywhere to condemn Islamist terrorists, the largest hate group on Earth. These two tweets tell you a lot about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But far more importantly, they tell you a lot about the Left. BV: Prager should have pointed out that there is no such thing as 'Islamophobia.' The term was invented by the Left to prevent rational discourse. Fear of Islamic terrorism is entirely rational, and therefore not a phobia. It is the foolish conservative who uses the made-up word as if it is a legitimate term. Prager should also have proffered an explanation of why the Left is in cahoots with radical Islam. I address the question here. COPYRIGHT 2019 CREATORS.COM Photo credit: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images Credit: CC0 Public Domain New research has, for the first time, provided guidance on the amount of antibiotics that can safely be prescribed without generating resistant superbugs. The study, led by NHS Grampian in collaboration with Professor Ian Gould, Honorary Professor at the University of Aberdeen uses data modelling to calculate the risk/benefit ratio for several different types of antibiotics. Antibiotics play a crucial role in healthcare but overuse can cause bacteria to become resistant to them which can lead to the rise of superbugs such as MRSA. Until now there has been no clear guidance as to the maximum level of antibiotics that individuals can tolerate without bugs developing this resistance. Published in Nature Microbiology, this study has developed a way to determine this threshold for several different types of antibiotic. Controlling prescribing can ensure antibiotics remain effective for those who need them most. However, until now, there have been no clear guidelines on the maximum number of antibiotics that can be used in a hospital population or community, before resistance starts to increase. Professor Ian Gould explained: "In simple terms, it is commonly thought 'the less antibiotics the better' but this is not the correct approach as most of the restricted antibiotics are safe, effective and life-saving. "It is important to understand how much of the life-saving antibiotics are actually associated with resistance itself. So rather than restricting use of life-saving antibiotics as much as possible, on an arbitrary basis as it is done currently, this work identifies safe thresholds at which the antibiotics should be used without fuelling resistance." The study involved research teams from across Europe, using data gathered from five major hospitals which demonstrated that their method could be applied to a variety of different clinical populations. Dr. Timothy Lawes, Welcome Fellow and ST5/senior registrar in Paediatrics in NHS Grampian clarified: "Normally, we think about the risk of antibiotic resistance in a linear way- so that more antibiotics equals more resistance but our research took a different approach. "Borrowing techniques from economics, our research had found a way to find these thresholds using simple data. It is hoped that our work could offer a way to balance the need to use antibiotics with the need to stop resistance in Scotland, and around the world." Explore further Are you overdoing antibiotics? More information: undefined undefined et al. A nonlinear time-series analysis approach to identify thresholds in associations between population antibiotic use and rates of resistance, Nature Microbiology (2019). Journal information: Nature Microbiology undefined undefined et al. A nonlinear time-series analysis approach to identify thresholds in associations between population antibiotic use and rates of resistance,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0410-0 In this Jan. 30, 2019 file photo, employees prune marijuana plants at a Fotmer SA, greenhouse in Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay. On April 24, 2019, Fotmer in Uruguay and another company in Colombia announced they will become the first to export legal medical marijuana products from Latin America to Europe, part of what the firms hope will become a growing trade. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico, File) Two companies from Uruguay and Colombia will become the first in Latin America to export medical marijuana products to Europe under deals announced Wednesday. Fotmer Life Sciences of Uruguay and Clever Leaves of Colombia will export cannabis extract and dried marijuana flowers to Germany, which they called the largest market in Europe, with an estimated 700,000 people using medicinal products derived from marijuana. Uruguay in December 2013 became the first country in the world to legalize a national cannabis market from growing to purchase for personal use, and the government later legalized the export of medical marijuana products to countries where it is legal, a move that has brought a wave of investment. Colombia, which has decriminalized pot use, legalized medical marijuana products. The announcements of the deals did not provide a dollar figure or start date. "This puts Uruguay on the world map" of pharmaceutical cannabis, said Fotmer CEO Jordan Lewis, an American who moved to Uruguay to participate in the cannabis industry after its legalization. In a press statement from Germany, Clever Leaves CEO Andres Fajardo said the export deal shows "that the Colombian market can reach international standards and produce high quality medicinal cannabis." The German company that will import the products, Cansativa GmbH, said it is the first time a European company is buying medicinal cannabis from Latin America. Benedikt Sons, co-founder and director of Cansativa, said in a statement the trade with Latin America will ensure better prices in Germany by expanding sources of supply beyond the Netherlands and Canada. Fotmer, based in the small town of Nueva Helvecia, employs 80 people and is investing $7 million in laboratories and 10 tons of marijuana crops for the export market. It sells dried cannabis flowers. Clever Leaves produces extracts oil from marijuana flowers that is used in pills, creams, ointments, patches and other products for the treatment of epilepsy and chronic pain, among other uses. It plans to produce 32 tons of dried marijuana flowers this year and increase that to 85 tons by 2020. Explore further A look at where companies stand on marijuana business 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Distressing emotional experiences activate limbic brain circuits and the autonomic nervous system. Fortunately, the activation disappears over time. People literally settle the experiences in their head as neutralized memories. Wassing et al. now reveal that people with restless sleep due to chronic insomnia cannot complete the overnight alchemy required to neutralize emotional experiences. Credit: Rick Wassing Cringe-worthy mistakes and embarrassing blunders made today won't seem so bad tomorrow. That is, unless you're an insomniac, research at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience shows. The scientists asked participants to relive their most shameful experiences of decades ago while making MRI scans of their brain activity. While good sleepers literally settled those experiences in their head as neutralized memories, people with insomnia were not able to do so. This breakthrough finding suggests that insomnia could primarily be caused by a failing neutralization of emotional distress. Which makes it understandable that insomnia is the primary risk factor for the development of disorders of mood, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. The findings will be published on 25 April in the leading scientific journal Brain. Maladaptive sleep It is a well-known fact that sleep helps us to remember important experiences. But sleep is also essential for getting rid of the emotional distress that may have occurred during those experiences. Both these overnight processes involve changes in the connections between brain cells: some become stronger and consolidate memories, whereas others are weakened and get rid of unwanted associations. "Sayings like 'sleeping on it' to 'get things off your mind' reflect our nocturnal digestion of daytime experiences. Brain research now shows that only good sleepers profit from sleep when it comes to shedding emotional tension. The process does not work well in people with insomnia. In fact, their restless nights can even make them feel worse," says first author Rick Wassing. Karaoke The new brain imaging findings explain a recent finding that the same research group has just published in the scientific journal Sleep. In this study, they asked participants to sing along karaoke-style. Headphones prevented them from hearing their own voice and finding the correct pitch. Their singing was recorded and played back later. Participants felt intense shame when listening to their own out-of-tune solo singing. But if they listened once more after a good night's sleep, they didn't feel that distressed about it anymore. They had literally gotten the distress off their minds. At least, good sleepers did. After a restless night, people with insomnia were in fact even more upset about it. Emotion Scientists have been searching for causes of insomnia in brain areas that regulate sleep. The new findings show that causes of insomnia are probably found in brain circuits that regulate emotions. These circuits contain risk genes for insomnia and may not activate properly, as they normally do, during rapid eye movement sleep. Without the benefits of sound sleep, distressing events of decades ago continue to activate the emotional circuits of the brain as if they are happening right now. Scientists Rick Wassing, Frans Schalkwijk and Eus van Someren thus show that people with insomnia are haunted by memories of past distress. Explore further Brain cells involved in insomnia identified Provided by Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (HealthDay)Measles cases in the United States have now reached 695the highest since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced late Wednesday. Outbreaks are occurring across the country, often linked to the "anti-vaccination" movement. One of the largest outbreaks is in New York City, where 61 new cases were reported this week. As new case numbers surge, experts are reminding Americans that measles is highly contagious and not always a transient illnessit can have serious complications and even prove fatal. Measles was thought to have been a relic of the past, so most young parents haven't witnessed the disease. But it definitely isn't benign, one expert said. "People don't remember how sick it can make you, and people don't remember that it can kill you," said Dr. Paul Offit, chair of vaccinology at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine. "That's what we're up against." It's not that measles has been eliminated in the United States, it's that the memory of measles has been eliminated, he explained. When you get the measles, you can have a high fever, cough, runny nose, rash, and spots on your face that can spread to the rest of your body. And common, but much more serious, complications can occur. These include pneumonia as well as encephalitis, which causes the brain to swell. Measles put her in a coma A case in point is the 43-year-old Israeli flight attendant for El Al who remains in a coma after catching the measles and developing encephalitis, Offit said. "She's been in a deep coma for 10 days, and we're now just hoping for the best," Dr. Itamar Grotto, associate director general of Israel's Ministry of Health, told CNN. She first developed a fever on March 31 and was admitted to the hospital that day. Grotto said she might have contracted measles in New York, in Israel or on a flight between the two. She is not believed to have spread the virus to anyone on the flights, CNN reported. Like many in her generation, she received only one dose of the measles vaccine as a child; two are now recommended. Despite the severity of her case, the youngest patients are typically the most vulnerable. When children under age 2 get the measles, an inflammation of the brain called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) can develop five to 10 years later, said Dr. Manisha Patel, a medical officer in CDC's Division of Viral Diseases. SSPE can cause seizures, blindness, paralysis and eventually, a persistent vegetative state and death. Even the typical symptoms of measles can be excruciating for the parents of young children. Just ask Fainy Sukenik, who lives in Israel. Her 8-month-old daughter, Shira, was too young to be vaccinated and got sick in December with a runny nose and a 104-degree fever, CNN reported. When red spots appeared a few days later, her parents knew it was measles. "It wasn't just dots on one part of her body. They were everywhere: inside her mouth, between her fingers, in between her toes," her mother told CNN. "I'm an experienced mother, and never ever have I seen something like this. I was really scared." By this time, Shira couldn't eat and could barely drink, her breathing was shallow, and she was so weak she couldn't even hold her head up. Sukenik and her husband took the baby to the hospital, where she was put in isolation and received intravenous fluids, according to CNN. Without vaccination, it can spread quickly The outbreaks in 2019 are troubling. But before the advent of the measles vaccine, the situation was far, far worse. Offit said that in those years, 3 to 4 million American kids got measles each year, about 48,000 were hospitalized, and about 500 died. Measles kills about 1 in 1,000 who get it, he said. In places in the world where measles is still endemic, it kills more than 100,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization. To compound matters, measles spreads easily and rapidly. It's highly contagious, said Patelso much so that if one person in a room of 100 unvaccinated people has the measles, 90 others will get it. The best protection against measles is the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. But "vaccines are victims of their own success," Offit said, because now "people don't fear these diseases." "We're very lucky in the United States to have high vaccine coverage," Patel said. That's why Americans aren't seeing widespread cases of measles. But when measles lands in a community where rates of vaccination are low, that's when it takes off, she added. "The measles vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines we have," Patel said. "With one dose, it's 93% effective; with two doses, it's 97% effective." The vaccine is also one of the safest ones, she said. It's been around since the 1960s. If parents have concerns about the vaccine, they should talk with their pediatrician, Patel said. Misinformation leaves children at risk Still, some people won't vaccinate their children because they erroneously believe the vaccine isn't safe and may cause autism. In 2015, TV personality Jenny McCarthy, who has a child with autism, told the NPR program "Frontline," "If you ask 99.9% of parents who have children with autism if we'd rather have the measles versus autism, we'd sign up for the measles." But research has long proven McCarthy and other "anti-vaxxers" wrong. Study after rigorous study has shown no connection between MMR vaccination and later onset of autism. And given how serious the consequences of measles can be, the decision not to vaccinate a child is never wise, Offit said. "When enough people make a choice not to vaccinate their children, measles comes back, and that's what we're seeing," he said. So far this year, cases of measles have been reported from 22 states, and the CDC expects that number to grow. Most of those cases were caused by unvaccinated people bringing the disease back from abroad into an unvaccinated group, Patel said. The CDC recommends all children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at ages 12 through 15 months and the second dose at ages 4 through 6. There are just no good reasons not to get vaccinated, Offit said. "Your job as a parent is to put your child in the safest position possible," Offit said. "Vaccines provide that safety." More information: Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on the Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on the measles Copyright 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Credit: CC0 Public Domain A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by "la Caixa," has estimated the disease burden for various environmental exposure factors among the child population of Europe, and once again highlights the risk posed by air pollution. The study calculates that every year exposure to particulate matter of less than 10 micrograms (PM10) in diameter and less than 2.5 micrograms (PM2.5) takes away 125,000 years of healthy life from children in Europe. This analysis, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, assessed the burden of disease for the child population of the 28 countries in the European Union for seven environmental risk factors: air pollutionPM10, PM2.5 and ozonepassive tobacco smoke, humidity, lead and formaldehyde. Population and health data were compiled from several European databases and the analysis of the environmental burden of disease was conducted in line with the comparative risk assessment approach proposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project. The researchers calculated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), a measure of overall burden of disease expressed as the number of years of healthy life lost to illness, disability or premature death. The conclusions show that the environmental exposure factors included in this study take away 211,000 years of healthy life from the European population under 18 years old, accounting for 2.6% of the total. Air pollution (PM10, PM2.5 and ozone) was the most harmful exposure, causing up to 70% of the years of healthy life lost, followed by passive tobacco smoking at 20%. "The environmental factors included in the study were chosen according to various criteria: they are the exposures for which the most data exist at national level and also those for which there is evidence of a causal relationship with effects on health, among others," states David Rojas, the lead author of the study. The researcher emphasises that "out of all the risks studied, particulate matter are those that cause the greatest burden of disease, as they are associated with respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological illnesses, among others, as well as with higher infant mortality." "In fact, their real impact may be higher than that indicated by our estimates, as we have only taken into account their effects on infant mortality and asthma in the case of PM10, and lower respiratory tract infections in the case of PM2.5." Out of the 28 countries included in the study, 22the exceptions were Luxembourg, Ireland, Sweden, Estonia, Finland and Denmarkreported PM10 levels above those recommended by the WHO (annual average below 20 g/m3) and all of them showed ozone levels above those considered safe (an average of 100 g/m3 over eight hours). Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, coordinator of the study and of the Urban Planning, Environment and Health Initiative at ISGlobal, points out that "this study shows the pressing need to implement effective policies to reduce children's exposure to environmental risk factors throughout Europe, paying special attention to air pollution and passive smoking." The researcher also points out that "Common European databases need to be created to compile and harmonise exposure data for environmental risk factors, especially in childhood, as well as conducting epidemiological studies of multiple environmental risk factors." Explore further Children exposed to air pollution at school may be at greater risk of overweight and obesity More information: David Rojas-Rueda et al, Environmental Burden of Childhood Disease in Europe, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2019). David Rojas-Rueda et al, Environmental Burden of Childhood Disease in Europe,(2019). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16061084 Credit: CC0 Public Domain About two-thirds of Americans believe drug companies are to blame for the opioid crisis, although nearly as many hold drug users themselves responsible, a new poll finds. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed many people also fault doctors who prescribed opioid pain pills and government officials who haven't done enough to expand addiction treatment and arrest drug dealers. "All of the above," said Anna Marie Davis, a casino security supervisor from Norwood, Pennsylvania. She said she has had to deal with overdoses at work and that her 27-year-old nephew, who used heroin and fentanyl, died of a drug overdose last year. "It's pretty bad," she said of the drug overdose problem. "I honestly don't think they're doing enough" to stop it, she added. The United States is in the midst of the deadliest drug overdose crisis in the nation's history. More than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2017. Nearly 48,000 involved some type of opioid, a category that includes heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid painkillers. Experts say the overdose epidemic is rooted in a boom in opioid painkiller prescriptions that began more than 20 years ago, which they say fostered addictions that later shifted into use of heroin and other drugs. The AP-NORC poll was conducted this month amid a legal storm: About 2,000 lawsuits have been filed in the past few years seeking to hold the drug industry responsible for the nation's drug overdose crisis. Some of the people participating in the poll said they were following the news and felt manufacturers should be held accountable. But many also expressed strong feelings that people taking drugs are to blame. Among them was Pamela Williams of New York City, who said she was addicted to cocaine and other drugs until she stopped about 25 years ago. "Nobody's forcing them to take drugs. Nobody puts it in their hand and puts a gun to the head and says; 'Here, take this," said Williams, who lives in the Bronx. Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a drug policy expert at the University of California at San Francisco, noted that the survey doesn't explain why people are turning to drugs and alcohol. He said people seem to be "self-medicating" as they struggle with depression, lack of money or other issues. Carmen Amato, a 52-year-old retired teacher from Frankfort, Kentucky, echoed that. "People can't make a living in some parts of our state and don't seem to have any other prospects besides use drugs," Amato said. "It's terrible." According to the poll, 63% of Americans think pharmaceutical companies are quite a bit or a great deal to blame for the problem of opioid addiction, while 58% say the same about people abusing opioids. Slightly less than half46%think doctors and dentists are significantly to blame, and about a third34%say that about the government. The poll shows 35% say they or someone close to them has been addicted to prescription painkillers or heroin. White Americans were more likely than black Americans to say they've known someone who was addicted, 39% to 20%. Americans under 30 were more likely than older people to say they've known someone who was addicted, 44% to 32%. People who have personally been close to someone addicted to opioids were more likely than others to blame pharmaceutical companies, 70% to 59%. They were also somewhat more likely to blame doctors and dentists (52% to 43 and the government (41% to 31%), but not significantly more or less likely to blame opioid users themselves. The poll also detected a partisan divide. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to blame pharmaceutical companies (72% to 53 and the government (42% to 26%). Republicans were more likely than Democrats to blame users (69% to 51%). Explore further FDA approves 1st generic nasal spray against opioid overdose 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. With little discussion and rousing support, the Florida Senate unanimously approved a bill to create a state hemp program Thursday. "This may be one of the most significant things we do this session," said bill sponsor Sen. Rob Bradley during the afternoon's floor session. The Fleming Island Republicans SB 1020 authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to administer a state hemp program and sets up rulemaking and a board of experts to develop the system. Hemp, a form of the cannabis plant, contains only trace amounts of THC the naturally occurring component in marijuana that produces a high and uses less water and fertilizer to grow. Hemp has been cultivated for approximately 10,000 years, according to the University of Floridas Industrial Hemp Pilot Project, and can be used for fiber, building materials, animal feed and pain relief. The 2018 Farm Bill allows a state department of agriculture to submit a plan to the United States Secretary of Agriculture and apply for primary regulatory authority over the production of hemp in their state. The plan, which is required under Bradleys bill, must include a procedure for tracking land upon which hemp will be produced as well as testing, disposal, enforcement, inspection and certification procedures. The bill doesnt allow for Floridians to grow hemp for individual use, which is also not allowed under the federal farm bill. Bradleys bill also authorizes the department to oversee the development of pilot projects for the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at UF, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and any university in the state that has an agriculture program. "This could be and will be game-changing for the agriculture community," he said. The House version of the bill was read on the floor Tuesday, but has not yet been voted on. Florida House Democrats have chosen their leaders for the next two election cycles through 2024, settling the chain of succession for much of the foreseeable future as party members acknowledge they must win more seats to hold meaningful power in the Republican-controlled chamber. Caucus members elevated Reps. Bobby DuBose, D-Fort Lauderdale and Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach to lead them starting in 2020, after they pitched an unusual agreement to split policy and campaign responsibilities among the two lawmakers after Leader Kionne McGhees term ends in a year and a half. The caucus also voted for Rep. Ben Diamond, D-St. Petersburg, to take over the leadership in 2022. Image: Reps. Bobby DuBose and Evan Jenne, via Florida House After funding for a permanent memorial in honor of the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando came out to $0 on the budget proposals Wednesday morning, the House and Senate changed course. The Senate put forth a proposed $500,000 for the memorial, and late Wednesday night House Speaker Jose Oliva said he's willing to make the effort as well. "We are open [to funding the Pulse memorial]," the Miami Lakes Republican said. "We expect that there will be funding. The House matched the Senate's $500,000 in their proposal Thursday afternoon. There is currently an interim memorial at the nightclub, with an offering wall, ribbon wall of photographs, a modest green space and a place on the original sign for the Pulse nightclub for visitors to write a message. The onePULSE Foundation, a non-profit started by Pulse Nightclub owner Barbara Poma, has hosted an international design competition for the permanent memorial and museum. According to the group's website, a winner will be picked this summer. Three years later, the project has yet to receive state funding. Sen. Linda Stewart, who sponsored the request for Pulse funding on the Senate side, said she'll remain "steadfast" in bringing the memorial to her community. "I have been diligently working to secure funding for a permanent memorial to the victims and families of this community," the Orlando Democrat said. "As long as I am the Senator of this district, I will continue to fight for the reverence of those affected by the horrific tragedy that occurred on June 12, 2016, at the Pulse Nightclub." Last year when the Legislature passed a package to address school safety in wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the package included $1 million for a permanent memorial to the 17 victims at the high school in northwestern Broward County. Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, proposed an amendment then that would include $1 million for a Pulse memorial, which did not pass. He said Thursday that the investment is a "tremendous step" toward fully funding the project to be on par with Parkland's memorial Our budget chairs have listened to us in our sincere and authentic attempt to secure funding for the Pulse Memorial and should be applauded," he said. " Rep. Anna Eskamani, who serves on the conference committee that takes up arts funding, said she was troubled by the disparity in funding between Parkland and Pulse. On Thursday, she said she was pleased with the quick response. "I am thrilled to see our Speaker of the House alongside both budget chairs see the value and importance of supporting the creation of a permanent Pulse memorial in Orlando," Eskamani, D-Orlando, said. "We will continue to watch the budget proposal closely to ensure that we make it to the finish line." The Florida House advanced its first counteroffer on how to reimburse hospitals for Medicaid cases late Wednesday night, suggesting that it and the state Senate were moving toward a potential compromise on one of the thorniest disputes between the chambers sooner than expected. During a joint conference of some of the Legislatures lawmakers on the states health care budget, leaders announced that the House, which had advanced a plan to trim inpatient and outpatient payments to hospitals for Medicaid cases, was offering to roll back the proposed 3 percent cut to the states overall hospital Medicaid funding. The offer would also funnel about $24.7 million of the $318 million currently earmarked for hospitals with the highest Medicaid caseloads into base rates for all of the states hospitals instead. "We're trying to get together and unite to make sure to spread [expenses] around the right way, said Rep. MaryLynn Magar, R-Tequesta, who is leading the health care budget conference committee with Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach. We understand everything is a negotiation and eventually we'll get in the right place." The state currently compensates all hospitals for Medicaid care at a certain base rate, which is outpaced by the Medicare rate or that of most private payers. But hospitals with the highest percentages of patients on Medicaid can unlock part of the additional $318 million in "automatic rate enhancements, which are added on to the general funding they and other hospitals already receive. Those two dozen or so hospitals include some of the state's largest safety-net hospitals, including Jackson Health in Miami-Dade, which is the state's biggest individual Medicaid provider. The House had initially proposed trimming hospital Medicaid reimbursement spending by 3 percent in both inpatient and outpatient care, or about $110 million. The Senate, however, had proposed reshuffling the additional Medicaid enhancement payments into the base rates paid to all hospitals, with the overall amount of money the state would pay for Medicaid reimbursements would remain the same. Proponents of the Senate plan have said bolstering the base rate funding would mean money more fairly follows the patient but safety-net hospitals, which have labeled the enhancements a critical care fund say the tiered structure is needed because those hospitals with high Medicaid caseloads disproportionately handle more complex, critical cases. The issue is far from resolved. A host of other changes outlined in language attached to the budget have yet to be formally negotiated on, and some of that wording includes specifics on how the base rate funding for hospitals would be weighted to reimburse more complicated, complex medical cases. Magar said both she and Bean hoped to discuss offers on that language Thursday. But the two leaders did also move closer on how to fund gaps at the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, which has struggled with deficits in the last few years. Both chambers also made progress on determining how much to appropriate to scores of local projects that are funded by the six agencies that fall under their purview: the state Agency for Health Care Administration, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Department of Children and Families, Department of Health, Department of Elder Affairs and Veterans Affairs. For session to end on time next week, lawmakers must reach agreement on all issues by April 30, so the budget can sit for a required 72 hours before the full chambers vote on the package by May 3. Image: Rep. MaryLynn Magar, via Florida House Its April and the smell of books is in the air. A musty, dusty smell, Nancy Zadra ventured Wednesday. Its the smell that as a kid you really appreciated if you loved to read. But the smelliest books we actually dont take, assured Ann Sharkey, who co-chairs the annual AAUW/PDK book sale with Zadra. Its one of the sensory wonders of a large-scale used book sale such as the one the two organizations are putting on the next four days at the Orchard Homes Country Life Club on Third Street West. AAUW stands for American Association of University Women, a service organization dedicated to changing the climate for girls and women and a thing in Missoula since 1909. PDK is for the Phi Delta Kappa Society, a professional education association that uses proceeds from the book sale to fund scholarships for women in the University of Montana's College of Education. There were a dozen volunteers helping Zadra and Sharkey stack books Wednesday morning, the third day of preparation for an event that turns 60 this year. The first AAUW book sale was in October 1959 in the Sears, Roebuck Store on Higgins Avenue. Mrs. Homer Hartman was general chairman, and she put out word a month earlier that donations of books, of any size or type, including paperbacks, and of sheet music and records, are requested. Donors could drop them off at Hartmans home, 2200 Ronald Ave. Theres no record of the second-hand books and records that were on hand, though its a decent bet they included bestsellers from previous years such as Kay Thompsons Eloise books and Boris Pasternaks "Doctor Zhivago," along perhaps with some Pat Boone and Connie Francis LP (long play) records. The 2019 selection includes former bestsellers as well, and book club favorites such as Michelle Obamas "Becoming." Sharkey grabbed a copy of "Becoming" and as she opened it a flurry of airline boarding passes fluttered out. Oh. Those might be mine, Zadra said. Some of the passes were for Delta, some for United. It was a complicated trip, she shrugged. Sharkey said one year while sorting books she unzipped a small Bible. Somebody had done some genealogical research and all their notes were in there, and some photographs of gravestones, she remembered. The guy was just leaving the parking lot, so I ran out there and caught him and said, Do you want these? He said, Oh, yeah. Theyre all about grandma and grandpa. This years prizes include perhaps twice the number of Montana and the West books. Two teeming tables of Doigs, Welches and the like are on sale for the regular price of $1.50 per inch, as measured by the thickness of their spines. Across the back room are tables of Priced Separately treasures, an English-to-Salish Dictionary by Tachini Pete; two volumes of Journey to the Land of Gold: Emigrant Diaries from the Bozeman Trail, 1863-1866; Clem Works Darkest Before the Dawn; a couple of signed editions of Stephen Ambroses Undaunted Courage, and lots of other Lewis and Clark and Battle of the Little Bighorn offerings. Theres also an inordinate number of foreign language books. Local romantic suspense author Kat Martins In Your Dreams is translated into French. So too is French for Cats: All the French Your Cat Will Ever Need. For instance, if said feline needs to assert that, The cat toys are boring, he or she would say Les jouets de chats sont ennuyeux. Volunteers over the past three days have unpacked and sorted more than 15,000 books and magazines to sell. A sign on the door Wednesday pleaded for no more donations, but it didnt deter a steady stream of would-be book unloaders. The AAUW sale moved frequently in its early years, from the Sears store on Higgins, to the J.C. Penney annex on West Main to the gift department at the Missoula Mercantile, to the lobbies of the Florence Hotel and the First National Bank by the mid-1970s. In 1977 it began a 30-year residency at the Missoula County Fairgrounds before finding its current home in Orchard Homes in 2007. The work crew feels at home. Sometimes when they arrive on Monday theyre faced with setting up the heavy tables themselves. This time, Sharkey said, the custodial staff had already put them in place. And they left flowers for us, she said. They left them back in the kitchen for us with a little welcome sign. Zadra has again set up a PDK display on the stage that depicts a benefit of the book sale. Pictured are four UM students who received scholarships for the current academic year from Phi Delta Kappa graduate student Mariah Purcell and undergrads Sydney Allen, Mariah Harvey and Cierra Reynolds. Next years recipients are just being notified, Zadra said. For its part, AAUW supports the likes of Girl Scout Lego and robotics teams and salary negotiation workshops for women on the UM campus. Even more than the books, its the philanthropic notion that Zadra most embraces. This is my personal passion, she said. As for the smell of books, Betty Wing had to think for a minute. The former deputy county attorney has been working the AAUW sales for 40 years. "I'm not sure you're asking the right person because I'm getting so old I can't smell like I used to," Wing said. "I think it relates to people who still love to hold a book instead of a machine. The smell of a book might bring something to their minds." The sale starts at 10 a.m. each day through Sunday. Doors close at 7 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, which is Bag Day. A grocery bag full of books goes for $10 on the last day. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sen. Steve Daines on Wednesday urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to gather specific information on drug seizures at the southern border, and on what law enforcement there is doing to stem its rush into the U.S. In a letter to Acting Commissioner John Sanders, Daines wants to know the specifics of every seizure between Jan. 1, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2018, including the amount seized, method of transport, location of seizure and the source of its production. A a roundtable discussion in Missoula last week, Daines heard from local and state law enforcement about the limited resources available to push back against the strengthening drug trade in Montana. "While Congress and most of the United States has been focused on the opioid crisis that is devastating American families it is important that we do not turn a blind-eye to the effects of rising methamphetamine use," Daines wrote in the letter, which was provided to the Missoulian on Wednesday. "Congress recently took much-needed action on the opioid crisis and I hope we can do the same with the meth epidemic." The time frame of Daines' requested information is a near parallel to meth seizure statistics from the Montana Department of Justice, which reports meth-related criminal cases leaped 475% from 2011 and 2017. Meth seizures at the border have risen from 3,930 pounds in 2014 to 11,314 pounds, Daines letter states, and CPB Office of Field Operations drug seizures have climbed from 19,613 pounds in 2014 to 56,362 pounds in 2018. At the roundtable event, the question of proving the source was posed to Daines by Montana Public Radio. Law enforcement from Montana and the southern U.S. border, Daines responded, have traced the drugs from Montana backward to Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California and then back to the Mexican border. In his letter, Daines also asks for: "If the origin of production is known, detail the efforts of CBP, in collaboration with other U.S. agencies, to work with foreign government authorities to locate and stop production at the source. "If known, the amount of methamphetamine seized that was intended for Montana. "The amount and percentage of officers dedicated to methamphetamine interdiction. "A description of any trends that CBP has identified that are affecting CBP's ability to detect illicit methamphetamine shipments and how CBP adapts to meet these emerging threats. "Recommendations for how Congress can help ensure that CBP has the resources necessary to stop these dangerous substances from entering our country." Daines letter asks Sands to return the information by May 17. "It's overwhelming our communities," he told reporters last week after Missoula's roundtable event. "Law enforcement does not have enough resources to deal with this crisis in Montana." You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Missoula City-County Health Department is investigating a pertussis outbreak in the area. In a news release Wednesday, the Health Department said it is investigating six cases of whooping cough and has identified 300 "close contacts" who may be exposed to the disease. Director Ellen Leahy said the Health Department has been working closely with the schools but wanted to get information out to the wider community. "Weve gone years without a pertussis outbreak and would like to do that again," Leahy said. She directed people with questions about pertussis to call 258-INFO and follow an automated system that will triage phone calls and allow infectious disease nurses to prioritize known cases and contacts. Ages of confirmed cases range from preschool through teenager, and one patient went to the hospital, according to the Health Department. An outbreak means health officials may not know about additional active cases. "Additional suspected cases are pending laboratory results," the news release said. "There is a mix of unvaccinated and vaccinated children among the cases." Leahy said the most recent outbreaks in Missoula took place in 2012 and 2014, and recurrences have taken place across the country in the last decade. Several factors have contributed to the recent cases. For one, more people are not vaccinating against it, Leahy said. At the same time, research showed a booster was needed for the vaccine to be effective, but there wasn't a booster that could be given to children over the age of 7 until about 12 years ago. "Older folks haven't necessarily had that booster," Leahy said. Additionally, the vaccine is not as highly effective as some others, she said. So although it has brought down the number of overall cases, some people who have the vaccine still get sick. Leahy said she wants to stress that the Health Department is contacting parents of children who have been in close contact with an infected person, in layman's terms, within "spitting distance." Pertussis spreads through "respiratory droplets." (The news release asked parents to refrain from calling the Health Department or their child's school to ask if their child has been exposed.) The Health Department is advising people who have been in close contact with a sick person to see their physician for an antibiotic, which may reduce symptoms. The Department also advises them to be on the watch for early symptoms, such as a runny nose, cough, sneezing and fever, especially if they don't get an antibiotic. "This is a time to truly check your vaccination status," Leahy said. "Do they have the booster? Are their shots on time?" People can check their vaccination status by calling their doctor or the Health Department's Immunization Clinic at 258-3363. The Health Department noted symptoms can be more severe in unvaccinated people, babies younger than 1 year old, and people with compromised immune systems. Later symptoms include severe coughing, vomiting, or "a whooping sound as the patient tries to catch their breath." Please sign up on Missoulian.com to subscribe to Under the M, the weekly email about the University of Montana and higher education news in Montana. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Emergency amendments to Missoulas zoning ordinances, which will require additional review and approval requirements on certain types of large townhome projects in Missoula, took a step forward Wednesday. The 8-0 vote by the citys Land Use and Planning Committee came after a handful of proposals including Hillview Crossing prompted confusion over what the city can and cannot require when reviewing Townhome Exemption Developments (TED). The amendments will be in place for six months if the move receives final approval by the City Council at its May 6 meeting. My hope is we can do our best to implement some interim regulations in a way that will provide a more orderly review of these kinds of projects to address what we are required to address through zoning, which is public health, safety and welfare, said John DiBari, the committees chair. While Hillview Crossing wont fall under the emergency zoning amendments, Attorney Alan McCormick said it essentially will place a moratorium on at least one other potential TED project hes representing and has discussed with city staff and Mayor John Engen. He accused them of duplicity in not mentioning the proposed emergency amendments when those discussions took place last week. McCormick also called the amendment that would prohibit the phasing of TED projects illegal, based on state law, as well as a provision that says the land included in TED ownership units cant be considered as individual lots. He argued that TED projects are subdivisions that are exempt for review, and by definition, subdivisions include lots. We cannot now file an application for a TED, one we have been dealing with for the last nine months because it kills our phasing for that, McCormick said. Thats a little troublesome because the mayor convened a meeting with our client and Development Services, to try to get us to all hold hands and sing kumbaya and figure out a way to move this forward. We were not told at that meeting that the interim ordinance this was just last Thursday being proposed today would kill our ability to do the phasing that we described in that meeting, and we are a little concerned about the process and the transparency of that and how this will affect projects that we have been working on for months. DiBari responded that interpretations of the law can differ, and theyre only trying to make the citys rules consistent. He added that the emergency zoning amendments were explicitly designed to not implement a moratorium on TED projects, and developers always have the opportunity to submit projects under the regular subdivision review process. During a presentation to the committee, Laval Means with the Development Services planning section, said unlike other cities, Missoula has been encouraging TED projects, which typically have been small, infill projects with only a handful of units. But during the past few months, large TED projects are being proposed on greenfield sites, which are large swaths of currently undeveloped property that arent part of an existing street and other infrastructure networks. Development Services Director Mike Haynes told the Missoulian they don't have any formal proposals yet, but the possible developments generally are on property west of Reserve Street and north of Mullan Road. Means said some projects dont establish public connectivity; theyre unable to provide off-site improvements; they present challenges with timing, sequencing and submittal requirements; and provide difficulties in coordination with other regulatory agencies. The size, complexity, and location of these larger projects, combined with some developers legal opinions as to what the city can and cannot require of TED projects, prompted staff to ask for time to research and propose a balanced package of code amendments, Means added. TED projects are part of a 2011 legislative initiative intended to make clustered housing more affordable, in part by not requiring the normal subdivision review process. Initially, they were small projects that took advantage of existing road networks, water and sewer. Recently, larger TED projects were approved that were deemed to fit into the existing urban fabric. But for the past five months, city staff and council members have struggled with the Hillview Crossing TED, which is undergoing a conditional use review. Land Use and Planning Committee members, who all are part of the Missoula City Council, have voiced concerns that Hillview Crossing's 68 units are being proposed on slopes so steep that the streets wouldnt be in compliance with city standards, and have questioned the soils stability and stormwater runoff plans. Residents in the area where Hillview Crossing would be located applauded Wednesdays vote, even if the emergency amendments wont affect that project. Its proposed for the mountainside between Hillview Way and Seranac Street, north of the Moose Can Gully neighborhood and south of South 39th Street, generally above the Wapikiya Park. Every fifth-grader playing a game of foursquare would protest if a group of people came in and said theyre going to propose new rules, said Teresa Jacobs who likes in the Wapikiya neighborhood, adding as a caveat that its the citys decision for this not to be retroactive, and theyd better hope that doesnt turn around and bite you. The City Council will take public comments and is expected to make a decision on the emergency amendments at its May 6 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in the city chambers at 140 W. Pine St. The proposed emergency amendments to the zoning ordinance wouldnt affect small proposed TEDs of five to nine units, or larger TED projects proposed on lots without landscape or natural resource constraints that are close to existing roads, water and sewer, and that are intended to be developed in a short time frame. They allow the city to require evidence, included a complete geotechnical report, that the land isnt subject to hazards like flooding, landslides, improper drainage and high ground water. They also allow the city to deny any conditional use TED application is it has an adverse impact on the citys ability to accommodate orderly and beneficial development. Haynes said the amendments basically are clarifications of the way the city already manages TED projects, but the additional language will help them be proactive to benefit both the development community and city residents. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 It's now illegal for staff and therapists at private residential treatment programs for troubled teens to have sexual relationships with the teens they treat even if those clients are 16, the age of consent in Montana. On Thursday, Lance Jasper and Rob Bell, two Missoula attorneys who helped draft the bill, attended a ceremonial signing at the Capitol of the bill outlawing such conduct. "This protects them from sexual abuse when they're in a vulnerable position," said Rep. Denley Loge, R-St. Regis, who carried the bill. House Bill 282 seeks to address an imbalance of power between the parties, which may be especially prevalent in situations where teens are sent to programs for sexual trauma or promiscuity. The new law wont retroactively apply to cases like the one against Reflections Academy in Thompson Falls, where former supervisor Chaffin Pullan is being sued, accused of "grooming" girls at the program and sexually abusing at least one. Bob Zimmerman, a county attorney in Sanders County at the time the allegations emerged, previously told the Missoulian that his office couldnt pursue prosecution against Chaffin because the accuser was over the age of consent. If HB 282 had already been law, Pullan would have been subject to criminal prosecution. Jasper and Bell helped draft the bill, and represent one of the girls who allege misconduct by Chaffin. The attorneys said they believe sexual predators seek out work at these programs, where they hold positions of power over teens who have limited or no communication and are housed in programs in remote locations in northwest Montana. Jasper and Bell have litigated such a program before Monarch, near Heron where parents of students alleged the program owners, who charged more than $30,000 a semester, were using the school as their personal piggy bank. Former students there previously told the Missoulian their treatment was sometimes counterproductive. This past September, the school agreed to to pay nearly $1 million to families of the clients it shut out of the school with just two days' notice a year earlier. The conceptual nature of these schools is, if ran right and done in a manner following therapeutic standards, could be really beneficial to some of these kids, and thats what you want to see, Jasper said. Why not have them in Montana? The good ones will continue to do well and the ones that are not doing it are going to be out of business. The new law applies to any employee, contractor, or volunteer associated with a program, regardless of whether or not they are a paid employee. It also applies to any individual providing psychotherapy services, regardless of whether the individual providing such services is licensed or unlicensed. Loge noted the bipartisan effort that went into getting the bill approved after Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, carried the bill through the Senate floor. It was the right thing, Loge said. It didnt need to be partisan. Loge also noted one amendment to the bill that termed a partner surrogate, not otherwise defined in state law, could work with a client to provide sex therapy as long as they worked in conjunction with a social worker, professional counselor or licensed clinical professional counselor. Although Loge did not support the amendment, Jasper and Bell noted that it was unlikely that someone would cite that portion of the law as a viable reason for having sexual relations with a program participant. Another bill to shift oversight of private alternative residential programs for youth in Montana awaits Gov. Steve Bullocks signature. Like Loge's bill, that measure sponsored by Sands aims to bolster protections for youth in such programs. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Cameron Evans Education Reporter Follow Cameron Evans Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The University of Montana announced this week it is launching an effort to support women called the S.E.A. Change Initiative, meant to foster an environment that is "safe," "empowers" women, and "accelerates" them "into careers of impact." The initiative is linked to the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which provides that the right to vote "shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." "While we acknowledge and celebrate the great gains of the past century since the 19th Amendment became law, we also recognize that much work remains," said UM President Seth Bodnar in the announcement to the campus community. As examples of work to be done, Bodnar noted Congress is still just one-quarter female, fewer than 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and "we have a persistent wage gap between men and women across fields." The announcement does not cite concrete goals, but it does note the role UM intends to play. For example, the flagship will "declare UM's commitment to powering a societal sea change toward equity for all," and "elevate the good work around gender equity already driven by our faculty, staff and students." In an email, chief of staff Kelly Webster said the campus community will help UM identify specific targets as part of the process. But she said the first step is to "declare, unequivocally, that gender equity is something we value." "We fully recognize that working toward equity for all means persistent effort, and we recognize that there is a lot more work to do," Webster said. "We are not afraid of that work and want to use this effort as a chance to understand what that work looks like and what we need to do to get it done." Pay gaps Advancing gender equity at UM would mean closing a couple of pay gaps albeit one that is small compared to the overall gap in Montana and addressing the lack of women holding permanent academic dean positions. Most recent data from the Chronicle of Higher Education show the gender pay gap for full professors at UM is much more narrow than the gender pay gap in Montana. Overall in the Treasure State, women earn 78% of the compensation men earn, according to recent data from the Women's Foundation of Montana. By comparison, a woman who is a full professor at UM earned $79,275, and a man at the same rank earned $83,146 in 2017 on average, according to the most recent data from the Chronicle of Higher Education. In other words, a top professor who is a woman earned 95.3% of the salary of her male counterpart. Although the gender pay gap for professors is much smaller than one for the state overall, it was more narrow a decade ago, according to data from the Chronicle. In 2007, men earned $2,492 more on average, and in 2017, they earned $3,871 more. Women also account for a smaller portion of academic jobs at the higher end of the wage scale, such as full professors. And they make up a larger portion of lower paid staff positions, where the hourly pay was set at a minimum $10.70 in the 2017 staff compensation guideline. Roughly 34 percent of full professors were women in 2017, according to data from the Chronicle. But some 71 percent of staff members were women at UM, according to a Staff Senate survey from the 2015 and 2016 school year, the most recent one posted; it included women, men, other, and employees who chose not to identify. Staff working in office support at UM earned $24,242 on average, and those working in business and finance earned $37,482 on average, according to data from the Chronicle. The Chronicle notes it pulls data from the U.S. Department of Education. UM counted 92 women out of 260 professors in spring 2019, or 35%, although additional details were not immediately available. Pay audits helpful Jen Euell, program director for the Women's Foundation of Montana, said pay audits are helpful in identifying gaps at organizations. She said the analyses compare not only salaries of people in the same type of job, but they compare the numbers of men and women at different levels of pay. "Not only are women paid less, usually, for the same job but women are way more likely to be in lower-paid jobs than men," Euell said. "And that becomes the issue." She pointed to the most recent pay audit of state government conducted by the governor's office for examples (that 2014 audit did not include the Montana University System). Results showed women earned 98% of the salary men earned in the same job when both genders were represented; overall, women earned 86% of the salary men earned. "However, representation of women in executive level jobs continues to be disproportionately less than in lower level occupations," the report said. Additionally, "the types of occupations with no female representation tend to be higher-paid occupations than those with no male representation." Euell said remedies exist, and they require strategies for long-term cultural change. For example, organizations must ensure women are included in hiring pools even for the highest-paid jobs, and determine ways to create clear "ladders," or opportunities for advancement. She also said follow-up audits demonstrate whether an institution is making progress to close gaps. "There are ways in which you correct for it, but it would require analysis and some work to create strategies," Euell said. Women in leadership UM spokeswoman Paula Short said the flagship has recently hired and promoted women into leadership positions, including Cathy Cole, vice president for enrollment management and strategic communications; Webster, chief of staff; Sara Swager, vice provost for student success, and Maricel Lawrence, executive director for UM Online. The flagship has experienced leadership churn in recent years, and the most recent replacements of the top two posts saw men in the president and provost jobs in place of interim women executives. Currently, no women hold permanent dean positions at UM; three women hold interim dean posts. Short said recruitment is underway for two of those positions. "The women filling those roles in the interim are highly qualified leaders, and UM is fortunate to be able to call upon them to provide continuity and expertise to these positions," Short said in an email. "In recruiting for the permanent positions, UM will continue to seek talented and diverse applicants both from within the organization and outside leading to a hiring decision." UM does not appear to have conducted a recent pay equity audit, but collecting data is part of the S.E.A. Change Initiative. In his announcement, Bodnar noted that addressing wage gaps helps not only women "but all of us." "We know that including women from diverse backgrounds at all levels in our organizations leads to better outcomes and problem solving," he wrote. "In short, it makes our entire society better." The S.E.A. Change Initiative also means UM will "implement new programming" and raise funds for "enhanced and new programming." "We are far from finished with the work that began over a century ago when courageous women fought for suffrage," Bodnar wrote. "This work starts at home with our own students and employees." Please sign up on Missoulian.com to subscribe to Under the M, the weekly email about the University of Montana and higher education news in Montana. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A federal appeals court ruled environmental groups can fight for a more thorough analysis of wolf-killing programs in Idaho backcountry, although the decision may not affect government plans to lower wolf populations there. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that five environmental groups did have standing to sue the U.S. Wildlife Services agency, even though a win might not save any wolves. Federal government attorneys argued the groups had no standing to bring a case, because Idaho Department of Fish and Game managers could replace federal hunters and make the decision moot. The appeals court judges said there was no guarantee Idaho would take that action, and ordered a federal district court to hear the whole case. With the new decision, we can return to the heart of the matter: whether or not Wildlife Services adequately reviewed the ecological consequences of killing scores of wolves each year in Idaho, Western Watersheds Project attorney Talasi Brooks wrote in an email. This lawsuit is all about dispelling the myths and propaganda about the big, bad wolf and getting federal agencies to acknowledge the overwhelming scientific evidence that killing wolves to reduce livestock losses or increase populations of hunted wildlife is cruel, pointless, and doesnt work. Western Watersheds was joined by the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Clearwater, WildEarth Guardians and Predator Defense in challenging Wildlife Services. They argued the federal agency hadnt done enough research to justify assisting the Idaho Department of Fish and Games policy of reducing wolf populations to benefit elk herds in the Lolo zone along the Idaho-Montana border. Gray wolves made the Endangered Species Act in 1974 after being nearly extirpated from the Lower 48 states by farmers, ranchers and trappers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced wolves to remote parts of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana in 1994. That population reached the minimum goal of 30 breeding pairs in 2000, starting a series of failed attempts to remove the wolves from Endangered Species Act protection. After several court rejections, Congress passed a law in 2011 delisting Montana and Idaho wolves and blocking further court review. Sport hunters in Idaho have killed between 200 and 356 wolves a year since 2011. Wildlife Services hunters have killed between 42 and 80 wolves suspected of attacking livestock each year in the same period. The federal hunters have taken up to 23 more wolves a year to protect deer and elk populations in Idahos Lolo zone. Over the past winter, the agency killed 73 wolves suspected of livestock attacks, and 10 to boost elk numbers. In 2011, Wildlife Services developed an environmental assessment of its efforts helping limit the wolf kills of livestock and wildlife. The agency concluded its work with Idaho Department of Fish and Game would not have a significant environmental impact, and it declined to do a more comprehensive environmental impact analysis. The five environmental groups sued Wildlife Services in 2016, arguing it should have done an environmental impact statement to take a harder look at how its wolf-killing would affect the overall population. A federal district court threw out the lawsuit, saying that even if Wildlife Services stopped killing wolves, the Idaho authorities could step in and kill the same number. The Appeals Court judges called that a mistake, because Idaho officials hadnt shown they were able to replace the federal hunters. Indeed, the fact that Wildlife Services has carried out nearly all lethal wolf management in Idaho since 2011, particularly through highly technical operations such as aerial hunting, suggests that IDFG may lack the expertise and resources to carry out those operations itself, the judges wrote. Idaho Department of Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips said that the state had capacity to continue wolf control policies on its own. We do that the expertise and can use our agency employees or other qualified contractors, Phillips said on Wednesday. We did it again this year. We hired a contractor in March and had seven wolves killed in aerial hunts. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. An all-day field trip to Browns Lake to look for waterfowl, raptors and early migrants will take place Saturday, April 27. Meet in the northwest corner of the University of Montana Adams Center parking lot (Parking Lot P) at 7:50 a.m. On last years April field trip to Browns Lake, participants saw all six species of Grebes found in Montana. There is no charge. For more information, contact Larry Weeks at 406-549-5632 or bwsgenea@gmail.com. Visit Five Valleys Audubon website at fvaudubon.org. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BEATTIE GULCH The scavenger-cleaned bison carcass scattered across the grassland provided the perfect punctuation point for Nathan Varley. Varley was lobbying a group of officials Wednesday to modify how the winter bison hunt is conducted in the Gardiner Basin, just north of Yellowstone National Park. The hunter-killed bison bones, fur and offal emphasized his argument: hunts are being conducted close to nearby residences. Our contention is that some of the hunting that does take place hasnt been safe, he said. Residents variously referred to the area as the killing field or the kill zone," noting that as soon as bison cross the park boundary they are fair game for hunters. The issue isn't new, as hunts have been conducted in the area since 2005. Seeking help Varley is a member of the Bear Creek Council, a conservation group based in Gardiner at the North Entrance to Yellowstone. He also grew up in Gardiner, the son of the parks one-time chief scientist. After leaving and then returning to the region, Varley now runs a wildlife tourism business. Hes concerned not only about wildlife, but how the public perceives the state of Montanas treatment of animals like bison. We are hyper-vigilant of things that may influence tourism, he said. Some (tourists) are appalled and dismayed by what they see. Once bison leave the park in the Gardiner Basin they can be legally killed during two winter seasons by state hunters, as well as by tribal hunters with treaty rights. Some tribal hunts extend into April. The problem has been that the areas where hunters have the easiest access to bison is relatively small and not far from residences. Three-hundred and fifty eight gut piles in one winter. Picture it, said Bonnie Lynn, who lives across from Beattie Gulch, one of two prime bison hunting areas north of Gardiner. The gut piles attract scavengers, everything from eagles and ravens to bobcats, coyotes, wolves and bears. Together they can pick clean the backbones, rib cages and gut piles in a matter of days. Some of the scavengers are killed by predator hunters, others have died from lead poisoning caused by consuming bullets. We are concerned about collateral damage, Varley said. Lobbying Varley, other residents and partners of the Bear Creek Council were lobbying members of the Inter-Agency Bison Management Program, which includes state, federal and tribal officials. About 60 people toured the two hunting areas as residents spoke. The requests were varied: Could the Forest Service land near the old Yellowstone Trail Road that leads to Beattie Gulch be closed to push the bison hunt farther away from residences? Could all bison carcasses be removed from the fields? Last winter one resident estimated that out of the 300 animals killed more than 8,000 pounds of gut piles were left on the landscape. The Bear Creek Council is not against hunting, Varley said, a message all of the other residents echoed. But we are here to say the way hunting currently is conducted is not safe. Dan Stahler, who owns a home just off Eagle Creek Road, has lived close to the other main bison hunting area for five years. A hunter himself, Stahler said he has turned in many violators hes seen trespassing, shooting from roads and hazing bison. Ive been a witness to a lot of the negative activities, he said. He suggested the hunting area at Eagle Creek be pushed farther east, away from the houses, to increase safety for residents. Ilona Popper, who lives farther up the road near the small community of Jardine, said during hunting season the icy road she commutes on becomes dangerous as hunters park in one lane of traffic to load or butcher their kill. Its not being conducted as a safe hunt, she said. Something has to change. Considering Officials from the IBMP were willing to listen to the many tales of residents, but didnt want to offer hope for changes before consulting with the rest of the group. No one partner wants to take on any of the issues individually, always seeking a consensus as well as a cost-share for any expense incurred. Im glad to see people talking about it and what the residents deal with, said Mike Volesky, chief of operations for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. But theres not an easy solution or we would have done it already. Last year FWP proposed closing Beattie Gulch to state hunters, a suggestion that never made it past muster because it wouldnt affect tribal hunters, who are more numerous. Maybe by getting people together and hearing other peoples concerns, we could reconsider some things, Volesky said. But its tough when you have a number of tribes, a number of sovereigns who see things differently. Tribes with treaty rights to hunt in Montana are not governed by state game laws, although they often work in concert with FWP. Carl Scheeler, wildlife program manager for the Umatilla Tribe, agreed that the tour provided a great opportunity for the IBMP to hear the concerns of the local community. He suggested a bounty paid for carcasses could monetize what is now considered waste, encouraging some locals or hunters to pick up the dead bison parts now left lying in the field. The question then arises: where would the carcass parts be taken, and what would be done with them? They could be incinerated or maybe turned into compost, all issues that would have to be worked out between the IBMP partners. We need to keep all options open right now, he said. We clearly care about it. Bison matters Yellowstone National Park's bison are hunted only once they leave the sanctuary, but they are also removed inside the park by officials. Under an agreement with the members of the Inter-Agency Bison Management Program and the state of Montana, Yellowstone captures and ships to slaughter bison each winter to reduce the population, the idea being that once the herd is smaller maybe fewer will migrate out of the park and be killed. The animals shipped to slaughter are butchered with the meat going to participating tribes. Yellowstone is also working with the Fort Peck Tribes to increase the number of live bison removed from the park. The problem is the bison can't be moved until they are certified free of the disease brucellosis. That doesn't occur until the animals pass a lengthy quarantine period. The tribes have built their own quarantine facility in hopes of speeding up the transfer, but the state of Montana has refused to allow them to be moved out of fear of spreading brucellosis to another region of the state. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 " " The IRS has a number of convenient deductions that may help you at tax time. iStockphoto/ThinkStock Ah, the allure of the deduction. Come tax time, it's so appealing to dream about all the different ways you could have the government foot the bill. Isn't there some way you can claim your cable bill? What about all the work clothes you had to buy when the office banned jeans? And didn't your sister-in-law's aunt tell you once that she wrote off the entire cost of a new car? Advertisement If it all sounds too good to be true -- say it with me now -- it probably is. Sure, there are a lot of deductions out there, but there's one big caveat: If you're itemizing your deductions -- and that means you're not just taking the standard deduction the government gives you -- you can only claim whatever deductions are over 2 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI). So say your AGI is $40,000. Two percent of your income is $800. So, you have to find a way to get your deductions over $800 before you begin writing them off. Of course, many of us aren't going to be able to write off more than the standard deduction, particularly if we don't have big-ticket deductions like mortgage interest to factor in. That's set at $6,300 if you're single, $12,600 for married couples and $9,250 for heads of household in tax year 2015 [source: IRS]. But we aren't here to discourage. Let's begin finding some common miscellaneous expenses you can shove at Uncle Sam. "Butte, Montana, is a special city in that it was built by immigrant labor." So said Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, a federal magistrate based in the Missoula Division of the District of Montana, to a group of 25 people about to be naturalized as United States citizens on Wednesday morning in the opulent chambers of the Mike Mansfield Federal Courthouse in Butte. And Lynch knows firsthand the importance of the Mining City's rich immigrant past. A Butte native born to Irish immigrants, he spoke eloquently and forcefully of the vital role newcomers play in renewing America's commitment to its founding ideals. And he said Wednesday's ceremony was a chance for even natural-born Americans to think about what belonging to our nation means. "It gives us the opportunity to contemplate whether we are fulfilling our obligations to be citizens of the United States," Lynch said. And Wednesday's naturalization ceremony held another significance: it was the last Lynch will preside over before he retires on Aug. 2. To mark the occasion, many members of his family gathered in the courtroom for what Lynch called "the most joyous occasion that we have as a federal judge in a federal court." Three of his grandchildren led the packed courtroom in the Pledge of Allegiance. Among those reciting the pledge, renouncing their fidelity to their home countries and taking an oath of allegiance to the United States were those 25 brand-new citizens whose origins could be traced to Nepal, Russia, Iran, Vietnam, Romania, the Czech Republic and 13 other nations. As they officially joined the citizenry of the United States, Lynch urged them to contemplate the implications of a phrase familiar to all Americans: "liberty and justice for all." And he asked them to consider how they could participate in making that ideal a reality. "America is essentially a dream a dream yet unfulfilled," Lynch said, quoting Martin Luther King Jr., and he asked the new Americans in his audience to find ways to fulfill it. Saying that the "beacon of America is burning dimly," Lynch added, "We need love, wisdom and compassion, in my view, more than ever." But his message wasn't only for those being naturalized. Lynch spoke directly to representatives of Montana's congressional delegation who were assembled in the courtroom, urging them to "send a message" to Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte "not to stand for anything that suppresses the vote of anyone in this country." Preserving that right, Lynch argued, is the most significant contemporary civil rights issue. Though he ranged across various issues and ideas, Lynch ended his remarks with a simple message: "Hold your liberties precious." When the ceremony was over, America's newest citizens seemed eager to do just that. Loredana Christensen, a native of Romania now living in Bozeman, said, "It feels amazing and a relief and I'm very proud." Ngan Thi Kim Nguyen, a native of Vietnam, said simply, "I feel good and happy." Everett Barham, a native of Jamaica now living in Missoula, said, "It feels awesome." For Barham, the ceremony was a long time coming. He first moved to the United States 36 years ago. That was when he chose a track scholarship in Missoula over one in Texas based on nothing less than his love of Louis L'Amour novels largely set in Montana, in the nation that is now officially his own. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Montana Supreme Court has upheld the convictions of a Texas man found guilty of fatally shooting a Whitehall man and wounding two others on a remote road southeast of Butte in 2015. But even though the states high court upheld the convictions of Tony Dwade Sawyer, 51, on direct appeal, it said in a 5-0 ruling dated Tuesday that he could pursue his claims of having ineffective defense counsel through separate post-conviction relief proceedings. In his direct appeal, Sawyer said his defense counsel had no plausible justification for not objecting to admission of video interviews with Sawyer during trial. But the states justices said trial records dont demonstrate reasons for that, and it could have been a coherent trial strategy. Answers to these questions would require speculation on our part, they said in Tuesdays ruling. A jury in District Court in Butte found Sawyer guilty of deliberate homicide and two counts of attempted deliberate homicide in connection with a shooting that killed 37-year-old Joe Powers of Whitehall on Nov. 3, 2015. Steve Drury and Hunter Smith also were shot but survived. Sawyer, Powers, Drury and Smith had smoked meth and gone into the hills south of Butte to shoot skeet, according to trial testimony. The night ended with Sawyer fatally shooting Powers in the back with a 9mm pistol, and wounding Smith in the face and Drury in the shoulder. Smith called 911 and police arrested Sawyer in Idaho Falls the next day after he packed a getaway vehicle and fled. In November 2016, then-District Judge Brad Newman sentenced Sawyer to three 100-year prison terms to run concurrently. Sawyer, who was from Lubbock, Texas, met Drury in 2014 when they were serving time together in prison. Drury eventually got out, came to Montana and hooked up with Drury the day before the shooting. The next night, all four decided to drive to a remote area near Fish Creek to shoot clay pigeons. They got stuck in the snow and as the others worked to free the vehicle, Sawyer disappeared into the woods. He shot the men shortly after that, according to testimony. If Sawyer pursues post-conviction relief, it would start at the District Court level. For example, he could attempt to seek hearings and create a record of why his attorneys acted as they did during the trial. Post-conviction relief proceedings themselves can end up before the Montana Supreme Court. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 4 Sad 6 Angry 12 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Prosecutors said Dane Anthony Gibson, 52, was to be transported to the Montana State Hospital immediately after a Thursday court hearing, and District Judge Kurt Krueger said he would wait for results of a mental health evaluation before deciding anything further. But Gibson, holding papers in front of his face apparently to hide it from television cameras, told Krueger again that he wanted to drop public defender Ed Sheehy as Sheehy stood by his side. Im not happy with my attorney at all, he said. He said he had requested law books from jailers but had only gotten two and they were outdated. One was from 2013, he said. Obviously a lot of things have changed between now and then with legislation, Gibson said. But after a few more statements, Krueger interrupted and said he could raise any issues during his mental health evaluation, including any concerns about his physical health, and that nothing further would be considered in court until it was completed. Gibson faces felony charges of aggravated kidnapping and assault with a weapon stemming from the Jan. 30 incident. The kidnapping charge carries a minimum two-year prison term and up to life in prison, while the maximum sentence for assault with a weapon is 20 years and a fine of up to $50,000. According to police and prosecutors, Gibson and Dameane Baumgartner were the only two passengers on a Jefferson Lines bus going from Missoula to Billings when it pulled into Butte for a stop. The driver heard Gibson say he had a gun and a bomb he had assembled during the trip. Gibson said he wanted to go to the courthouse and knew who he wanted to speak to but never told him who that was, prosecutors said in a charging affidavit. The driver went to the Civic Center on Harrison Avenue instead, pulled in around 12:35 p.m., and when Gibson was distracted, hopped off and disabled the bus and front passenger door so it couldnt be closed. After about two hours, when police left food and a cell phone at the bus door, Baumgartner shoved Gibson and got off the bus. At 9:25 p.m., police deployed an explosive breaching device, pepper spray and tear gas, and Gibson left the bus with his gun still on board. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The 19-year-old man who pleaded guilty in Powell County District Court last week for having a shank and jabbing it at two Montana State Prison corrections officers was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison with 10 years deferred. Baby Devine Wilkins appeared April 16 before Judge Ray J. Dayton to change his plea from not guilty to guilty of possession of a deadly weapon by a prisoner and two counts of assault on a peace officer or judicial officer. On Tuesday, Wilkins appeared again in Powell County District Court for his sentencing hearing related to these three felony charges. Last spring, Wilkins was a prisoner in the Montana State Prison serving time for crimes he committed in 2016, including robberies in Missoula and Idaho, and an assault on a Missoula County detention officer. The new charges against him stemmed from an incident in May 2018, where he brandished a manufactured weapon out of sharpened metal and lunged it at corrections officers through the bars of an enclosed showering area. The corrections officers were not injured, but the three felony charges were filed against him. During Tuesday's sentencing hearing, the court heard about other infractions involving Wilkins while at the Montana State Prison. Deputy Powell County Attorney Patrick Moody called to the stand James Jess, an probation and parole officer at the Montana State Prison, who testified that over Wilkins roughly 14 month stay at the prison, he was found guilty through internal hearing processes of 32 different violations, ranging from refusing to follow direct orders and covering his cell window, to being caught with detailed instructions on how to make a pipe bomb and having a note suggesting that prison inmates should start a riot. Ive been doing this a lot of years and over 30 major infractions is pretty tough, Jess said to the court. He also noted it's an average of more than two every month Wilkins was at MSP. Moody also called to the stand Jeffery Crowe, a lead DOC investigator, to talk about the shank Wilkins jabbed at officers last May. Its one of the better shanks Ive seen, Crowe testified. A lot of times you see smaller shanks made out of disposable razors. This was a piece of metal made into the shape of a long knife. The metal shank was presented to the court in a clear, test tube-like container. After Crowe and Jess testified, Moody and Wilkins public defender, Sean Peterson, gave their sentencing recommendations before Judge Dayton made his final decision. This is one of the deepest, darkest paths Ive seen in awhile we have to acknowledge the severity of his crimes but also the potential for the human he can possibly be, Moody said. Moody said he felt the sentence that would both acknowledge his past actions and potential future was 25 years in prison, with 10 of those years suspended. He explained with this sentence, Wilkins could be eligible for release on parole after serving about three years in custody, but if he continues on an assaultive path, he could serve the full prison sentence. Petersons sentencing recommendation was similar to Moodys. He suggested Wilkins serve 15 years in prison with 5 years suspended, meaning he could be eligible for parole after serving about 2 years in custody. But before he presented this recommendation, Peterson told the court about Wilkins background of being in and out of youth facilities since he was 13-years-old. At 5-years-old, he was diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy, and ADHD. At 13, he inflicted harm on himself, and two years later was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Peterson said. Mr. Wilkins has seemed to have had his mental health problems addressed haphazardly, Peterson said. Hes had no specific diagnosis, theres a new one every time he goes. Peterson said he felt his sentencing recommendation was an appropriate measure of punishment and could also help Wilkins turn some of his problems around. After a few minutes of silence, Dayton talked through his thought process. Wilkins is definitely a danger to the community at large. For as long as hes been able to project himself toward others, hes been violent toward others, Dayton said. Not to say Mr. Wilkins could not change. Dayton said he believes Wilkins can make decisions for himself, and that so far in his life hes decided to commit crime. But the only evidence Dayton said he saw for Wilkins to live a more normal life was the fact that hes been a model citizen at the Powell County jail recently. I guess hes demonstrated he can go a couple of months in custody and not commit a crime, but thats as close to a shred of hope that I see, Dayton said. No one asked to max this guy out, and I dont want that either. Dayton took Moodys advice and sentenced Wilkins to 25 years in a prison to be determined by the Department of Corrections, with 10 years suspended. Mr. Wilkins, I hope some day the light will go on for you so you can be a normal and free guy, but as long you continue to act the way you have, youre never going to get out. Youre going to live rest of your life in prison, Dayton said before Wilkins was escorted out of the courtroom. I do wish you good luck. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By Moses Kyeyune. Lawmakers on Parliaments Committee of Finance, Planning and Economic development have once again watered down, a move by the government to write off tax arrears worth Shs 462 billion. The figure includes unpaid taxes arising out of government commitments to large scale investors while the rest is uncollected tax from contractors on government projects. The request presented by the minister of State for Planning David Bahati is veiled in the Tax Procedures Code (amendment) Bill 2019 as one of the measures to reduce the governments tax burden and unpaid arrears. The first attempt to write off the arrears was in 2017 but was rejected by Parliament. The bill also intends to [allow the minister, write off all unpaid taxes by Government as at June 30, 2019. Mr. Bahati explained that the arrears arose out of governments commitments to pay taxes including customs duties and domestic taxes on behalf of entities deemed to be of strategic importance to the country and on behalf of NGO which had contractual obligations with the government. Some of the beneficiaries include Southern Range Nyanza (Shs 86b)Arab Contractors (shs 28.4b), Roko Construction (Shs 10.8b) CIPLA Quality Chemicals (Shs 57.5b) and Oil Palm Uganda Ltd (shs 175b) among others, However, MPs including Kabula Countys James Kakooza (NRM), Nathan Nandala Mafabi (FDC, Budadiri West) and the committee chairperson Mr Henry Musasizi (NRM, Rubanda East) questioned the government motive. The lawmakers contend that the government, as the biggest consumer of public revenue, must lead by example in meeting tax obligations. A judge gave a man accused in a Butte carjacking a deferred sentence Thursday, meaning he can have his record expunged if he abides by all probation conditions. Prosecutors initially charged him with robbery, felony theft and criminal endangerment, but they reduced the charges in a plea agreement in part because of Buhls mental health issues and because of his mental state at the time of the crime. District Judge Kurt Krueger gave Buhl a four-year deferred sentence on the felony conviction and a six-month deferred sentence on the misdemeanor. A prosecutor with the Montana Attorney Generals Office wanted a 10-year suspended sentence. Jill Gannon-Nagle, Buhls public defender, said Thursday that a deferred sentence was justified because he was addressing his mental health issues, had no prior criminal history and was doing very well in the community. According to prosecutors, Buhl flagged down a teenage driver on Jupiter Street on Jan. 2, 2018, and told her he needed to get out of town and take her car. The defendant told (the victim) he would shoot her if she did not get out of the vehicle then threw her out of her vehicle, shut the door, and nearly ran over her, the initial charging document stated. The woman said she didnt see a weapon but wasnt looking for one. Police later located the car outside a house in Butte and found Buhl hiding in a bedroom. Montana does not define carjacking as a specific crime, relying instead on such charges as robbery, theft and criminal endangerment. Gannon-Nagle said Thursday that her client was remorseful. He feels terrible that the victim in this case was terrified for a short period of time, she said. But, she added, He is a very young man and has a bright future before him. Krueger said Buhl had no prior criminal history and was a low risk to reoffend. He told Buhl that he could face prison time if he did not follow through with mental health treatment and abide by probation conditions. It will be up to you whether you succeed or not, he told him. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 7 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Counterfeit $100 bills Butte police arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly cashing one counterfeit $100 bill and attempting to pass two others. Officers went to Sparkys Garage on East Park Street on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. to speak with Tyler Johannes, who had reportedly attempted to cash a fake $100 bill there. Police say Johannes told officers he had gotten the bill from a friend, but they began to doubt that story after hearing he had recently used two other fake bills around town. Sparky's employees told police that Johannes had successfully cashed another fake $100 bill at the restaurant Tuesday night that wasn't discovered until Wednesday morning. And police say he attempted to cash a third fake $100 bill at a casino in Rocker a short while before coming to the Park Street restaurant on Wednesday night. Employees at the Rocker casino reportedly told Johannes they would not accept his $100 and kept it. Police arrested Johannes for two counts of misdemeanor forgery and a parole violation. Aggravated burglary Police arrested one of three men who allegedly broke into a home in the 800 block of Main Street last month and struck one of its residents in the head, causing him to bleed. At 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, officers saw Marvin Rubusch, 42, walking on Main Street. The officers knew Rubusch had a warrant out for his alleged involvement in an aggravated burglary last month and arrested him without incident. That burglary occurred March 30 at 12:30 a.m., when Rubusch and two other men allegedly broke into a Main Street residence in search of a knife and some gloves. When they came in contact with one of the homes residents, police say the trio assaulted the resident, who ended up with a bloody forehead. Rubusch was cited for aggravated burglary, a felony. Burglar from Dillon Police arrested a 38-year-old man Wednesday on two warrants related to a burglary in Beaverhead County. According to police, they went to the residence of Jeremy Juarez on the 1200 block of East Farrell Street, where police were helping Beaverhead County law enforcement investigate a burglary of a private residence in the Dillon area. Several firearms and other items were reportedly stolen from the home, and law enforcement suspected Juarez was involved. When officers informed Juarez in an alley near his residence that two felony warrants had been issued for his arrest, police said he ran inside. Another tenant was able to come to the East Farrell Street home with a key, allowing police to enter and take Juarez into custody. Juarez was cited for felony escape, since he ran from police, and was arrested on the two Beaverhead County felony warrants. Sirraya Roeber, 25, was also arrested for obstructing justice, a felony, at the scene. Roeber was inside the East Farrell residence when Juarez ran inside and allegedly told officers he had run out the front door and wasnt there anymore. She also reportedly would not let them in the home, police said. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 2 Consistent with stands taken during his 2006 campaign for the U.S. Senate, during his first term U.S. Sen. Jon Tester cast critical votes against mass amnesties for illegal aliens. Those defeats of amnesty bills in 2007 and 2010 didnt remedy the huge problem presented by illegal immigration, but they kept it from rapidly worsening. However, since 2010, Testers performance on this subject has ranged from unhelpful to abysmal. For example, in 2015 and 2018, he opposed measures that would have discouraged cities from declaring themselves sanctuaries for illegal aliens. And in 2013 he supported the Gang of Eight amnesty bill that would also have doubled legal immigration rates. (Fortunately, that Senate-passed monstrosity died in the House.) So is it significant that Tester has returned to the subject with his April 8 Missoulian article, What I saw at the southern border? Perhaps, but his focus on the border itself showed that hes largely missing the point. In fact, the current crisis is primarily the consequence of our outdated asylum laws, which are easily gamed by Central Americas poverty legions, and of the related failure to prevent illegal aliens from accessing American jobs. For make no mistake, very few among the people rushing our southwest border are legitimate refugees. As departing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen explained last November, Historically, less than 10% of those who claim asylum from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are found eligible by a federal judge. 90% are not eligible. Most of these migrants are seeking jobs or to join family who are already in the U.S. They have all refused multiple opportunities to seek protection in Mexico or with the UN Refugee Agency. Seeking employment or family reunification are not grounds for asylum under our laws, or any international obligation. What about people who claim to be fleeing gang violence, as Tester mentioned? Thats not grounds for asylum either, since the actual concept is political asylum, which is defined in the 1980 Refugee Act to apply to people who are persecuted by their own government due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinions, or membership in a particular social group. Theres nothing in the definition about criminal gangs or domestic violence nor, for that matter: mudslides, earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanoes. The current dynamics at the border mostly involve adults who show up with minors in tow, knowing that the current federal rules arising from the Flores settlement forbid detaining children more than 20 days. They tell their typically fraudulent stories to the Border Patrol and are soon thereafter released into the U.S. interior, carrying paperwork to start the asylum-application process. But since they have little chance of being granted asylum, most dont submit applications. Instead, they simply vanish into our countrys woodwork, intent on benefiting from the infrastructure and welfare programs of our modern society, a great improvement over their third-world origins. Such people constitute the newest surge of illegal aliens. Theyll keep coming and burdening our schools, hospitals, housing and welfare programs until Congress changes the incentives that drive the influx. So the real crisis is Congresss refusal to satisfy its responsibility for the broad national interest. Whats needed is a change in the refugee law to allow prompt deportation of people including people with accompanying children who are obvious non-candidates for asylum. Further, we need to ensure that illegal aliens cant get jobs, so its time in fact, far past time to make use of E-Verify (electronic verification of eligibility for employment) universally mandatory in hiring. Thus if hes once again serious about this subject, theres plenty for Senator Tester to do. Paul Nachman, a retired physicist in Bozeman, is a founding member of Montanans for Immigration Law Enforcement. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 MUSCATINE A new gas station is expected to open near the end of summer on the northeast side of Muscatine. Construction crews recently broke ground at 3605 University Drive for a Kwik Star convenience store and gas station. John McHugh, director of corporate communications at Kwik Trip Inc., said building the stores takes about 20 weeks to complete and anticipates the location to be open at the end of August. This will be the Wisconsin-based company's only location in the Muscatine area. McHugh said the company, with headquarters in LaCrosse, also operates its own dairy and commissary to supply products to its stores. He said 80 percent of the food items sold in the store including bread, muffins, pizza, doughnuts and milk are made in LaCrosse and supplied to stores daily. The company has its own trucking service for deliveries. Locations also sell bananas, eggs and onions, he said, food customers may need in between trips to the grocery store. "We tried to beat all the big box retailers on price," he said for those items. Britain is set to toughen the rules under which Huawei Technologies Co. operates in the country while stopping short of an outright ban on the Chinese telecom equipment maker, according to people familiar with the matter. The measures, designed to address concerns that Chinese intelligence could use Huaweis systems to spy on other countries, are expected to involve closer state oversight and may restrict the vendor from some sensitive parts of the U.K.s telecom networks, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are confidential. The results of a six-month review of Britains telecom supply chain were submitted Tuesday to the National Security Council chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May. Officials will spend coming days working through the details before announcing a final decision. Mays office declined to comment Wednesday on a Telegraph report that she had decided to allow Huawei to build parts of the new generation of wireless networks known as 5G. Western allies are watching. Britain has monitored Shenzhen-based Huaweis systems closely for several years, while allowing it to become a major supplier of U.K. communications infrastructure. Huawei denies that its equipment is vulnerable to state espionage. We welcome reports that the U.K. government is moving towards allowing Huawei to help build the UKs 5G networks, a Huawei spokesman said in an email. While we await a formal government announcement, we will continue to work cooperatively with the government and the industry. The issue has divided U.K. government departments, with some officials pushing for tough restrictions and others concerned this would saddle the industry with extra costs and delay infrastructure upgrades, the people said. Speaking during a session of the Treasury Select Committee, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said that where our security experts tell us that there are ways in which we can maintain security, whether its of networks or of installations, that avoid the most economically costly outcomes, then we should look very carefully at those options. U.K. Parliament foreign affairs committee Chairman Tom Tugendhat wrote on Twitter: Allowing Huawei into the U.K.s 5G infrastructure would cause allies to doubt our ability to keep data secure and erode the trust essential to Five Eyes cooperation, referring to the security alliance of Western nations. Theres a reason others have said no. Heres what the government may do: Exclude Huawei From Core Networks The core is the brain of a network, housing control functions and private customer information. The government has been weighing whether to force all operators to adhere to security guidelines that already apply to the U.K.s dominant phone company, BT Group Plc, which is set to remove Huawei from the core of the EE mobile network it bought in 2016. This could exclude vendors deemed as risky from law-enforcement functions such as wiretaps or installing equipment in Westminster, the home of central government. Ensure a Mix of Suppliers Officials are considering rules to ensure equipment in a given area comes from different vendors so that operators are not reliant on a single suppliers technology, according to people familiar with the review. Limit Outsourcing Operators could be restricted from allowing vendors to manage their networks, according to one person familiar with the deliberations. Huawei has signed such managed services contracts with Telefonica SAs O2 and CK Hutchisons Three U.K. More Testing and Regulation The review may lead to new powers for communications regulator Ofcom, which is responsible for auditing and enforcing telecom security according to recent guidance from government. Ofcom is due to launch a cybersecurity attack testing system, it said in its annual plan last month. Network Restrictions Forbidding Huawei to supply equipment such as masts and antennas for upgraded mobile networks would be more drastic and is seen as unlikely. Technical experts say the radio access network is a low-risk part of the system. It also accounts for the majority of Huaweis presence and sales in the U.K. Phone companies say such a ban would cost them hundreds of millions of pounds and delay rollout of the fifth-generation networks by years. Euphoria Telecom Co-Founder George Golding is a born entrepreneur he started his first business at primary school and sold computers to his fellow UCT students at university. This entrepreneurial spirit drove him to start Euphoria Telecom in 2011 with two friends, Conrad De Wet and Rafal Janik. He recalled how they wanted to solve a problem for small businesses in South Africa at the time. Small business owners wanted PBX systems but the high costs, long term contracts, antiquated technology and weak service put them off, he said. We wanted business owners to have the functionality of a corporate level PBX that they could easily manage themselves for a fraction of the price. Golding and his co-founders decided to build an international class Cloud PBX system to serve local businesses, and Euphoria Telecom was born. Starting and growing Euphoria Telecom Euphoria Telecom started in a spare bedroom in De Wets house in Woodstock, Cape Town, with only the three founders as employees. An angel investor funded the business through payments of R100,000 per month for 10 months in return for equity in the company. We kept our past small businesses running on the side and paid ourselves only R11,000 per month, Golding said. We used asset finance where we could and required a further R400,000 from the angel investor before the company broke even and began paying and funding itself. Business started to blossom. While it took Euphoria Telecom 18 months to make its first R1 million in revenue, it took only another 30 months to increase that to R1 million per month. Building a successful tech startup Golding believes that any tech startup requires a minimum of two different types of people to grow it into a success. One should be a product person who is the lead engineer or tech architect of the system, application or platform, he said. The other is a sales and operations person whose primary responsibility is to sell the product and build the operation and the brand. He said both these core employees need a have a solid, unbreakable belief in the idea. Its your undying belief and resultant inspiration that helps you to persevere against the odds, he said. Love for computing Like many tech entrepreneurs, Golding always had a love for computing. He received his first computer a BBC when he was eight and was captivated by it. I received an IBM 386 XT for my 11th birthday and it was the best birthday present I could have ever asked for, he told MyBroadband. I remember using it and saying to myself I am going to change the world with computer systems. So, I was always a bit of a tech head. Euphoria Telecom CEO George Goldings tech and business choices Euphoria Telecom CEO George Golding shared his tech and business choices with MyBroadband. What was your first ever business? In standard 5 I bought half litre tubs of non-stick, non-toxic slime and sold it the whole primary school at a 100% markup. I also started a computer and software sales business while studying at UCT and sold them to students at cost-effective prices. What was your first job and what was your salary? I have never had permanent employment. I completed a few short IT contracts in the UK for the banks over a period of 20 months. I have never been good with authority or the status quo. I am always seeing better ways to do things and I have always been driven to make them a reality. What laptop do you currently use? An Apple Macbook Air running Windows 10. What smartphone do you currently use? Apple iPhone X. What is the best gadget you have ever bought? An Electric Mountain Bike thats the most fun I have ever had on the mountain. What is the worst gadget you have ever bought? An iPad it very quickly became a digital photo frame. What was your best ever investment? Buying Bitcoin at $180 each. What was your worst ever investment? I invested in a venture called Poolcop that was meant to revolutionise and automate pool maintenance. The investment has literally been a total loss. What is the best business advice you have ever received? The Competition Commission recently released a provisional report on its Data Services Market Inquiry, which is aimed at understanding the reasons behind high mobile data prices in South Africa. In its preliminary findings, the commission said international benchmarking confirmed that South African data prices are high particularly for mobile prepaid data. It also found that Vodacom and MTN charge higher prices in South Africa than other countries in which they operate. While the intentions of the report may be noble, the research and data behind these findings are atrocious. Instead of doing its own research to do a market comparison, the Competition Commission relied on outdated research from other organisations for its report. Many of the conclusions, which include its arguments related to data bundle prices, the effective rate of data, MVNOs, spectrum, and fixed broadband services, were half-baked and one-sided. What makes this particularly frustrating is that the outdated and incorrect data which it used in the report is easy to find, and there is no reason why the commission could not use accurate 2019 data. Here are three examples which illustrate why the Competition Commission should have done better. What the Competition Commission report states The report states that ICASAs latest tariff report on price benchmarking shows that South Africas prices are expensive compared to other countries. Disturbingly, ICASA shows that Vodacom and MTN prices in South Africa are considerably higher than the prices they charge in other countries in which they operate, it states. This is illustrated for Vodacom in the 1GB category below Why it is inaccurate The information provided in the Competition Commission report about the countries in which Vodacom operates and Vodacom 1GB retail tariffs across Africa is entirely flawed. Vodacom has mobile network operations in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Lesotho and Kenya. It therefore does not have consumer mobile data products, as shown in the table above, in Egypt, Nigeria, Angola, or Albania. The claim of a data comparison of African operations also curiously includes Albania, which is in Europe and not in Africa. What the Competition Commission report states A lot of the data which the Competition Commission relied on for its mobile pricing comparison comes from 2017. Why it is inaccurate There were a lot of changes in the South African mobile data market since 2017, which means the Competition Commission based its findings on outdated information. MTN, for example, cut its out-of-bundle (OOB) data rate by up to 75% for pre-paid customers in February 2019. Customers not making use of data bundles are now paying R0.29 per MB for data usage and customers that do purchase data bundles are now paying R0.49 per MB for OOB usage. This information is easy to find, and there is no reason for the Competition Commission to rely on outdated research for its mobile data pricing report. What the Competition Commission report states The Competition Commission report states that the legacy of apartheid and the economic characteristics of fixed line infrastructure means that the market will never service lower income and rural households. This market has, and will continue to, primarily service wealthy, historically white, urban areas absent from some form of intervention, it said. In this respect, the market is failing lower income and rural households which most need the benefit of lower data prices, and which require alternatives to mobile where there is a pricing structure that exploits this position. According to the Commission, thanks to the legacy of apartheid, there existed fixed line copper-based service through aerial poles or underground ducts in former whites-only residential areas. This legacy infrastructure has enabled the more immediate provision of ADSL broadband services by Telkom Openserve to these residential areas at low incremental cost. In addition, the duct and pole infrastructure provides the basis of rapid and lower cost fibre rollout by Openserve into these same residential areas, making the deployment of FTTH in these areas far more likely. Why it is inaccurate While it is true that Telkom was able to roll out ADSL in 2002 without having to invest in a new last mile fixed line network, the Competition Commissions take on the situation is, at best, a gross oversimplification. The Competition Commission seems to be suggesting ADSL as an alternative to low-volume mobile data services for South Africas poorest citizens. However, Telkoms pricing of ADSL has always been completely beyond the reach of the poor, currently requiring a monthly payment of over R200 just for access to a phone line. Then you havent even paid the monthly ADSL access fee, or for your data. The least you will pay for ADSL in South Africa is around R355 per month. The Competition Commission also failed to mention the fact that Telkom, a state-owned enterprise, was forced to roll out phone lines to underserviced areas more than 10 years ago, but completely abandoned those fixed lines as soon as it could. Furthermore, the Competition Commission is completely ignoring the work many fibre network operators are doing, digging their own trenches and laying their own ducts due to governments and ICASAs failure to implement effective facilities leasing regulations. There is also no mention of Vumatels ambition to roll out fibre in Alexandra, and the challenges the company is facing to roll out uncapped 100Mbps fibre services to the township at R89 per month. The availability of existing ducting or poles is not a requirement for network operators to roll out fixed line infrastructure in an area. Conversely, the lack of ducting is not a serious impediment to rolling out in an area. One serious impediment that didnt get any attention is crime. In addition to suffering terrible living conditions, many of South Africas poorest households also face high crime rates in their communities. There have been reports of contractors who work for fibre network operators being harassed, attacked, and robbed at gun-point. Most recently, MyBroadband received word that Vumatel has completely abandoned its network deployment in KwaZulu-Natal. Though the company declined to provide reasons, the historical record speaks for itself. The companys workers faced intimidation and threats, and Vumatel said at the time that it is not safe or practical for the contractors to continue working in the field at the moment. Perhaps if the South African government just made it safe for fibre network operators to go to under-serviced communities, and nailed criminals who steal and destroy critical infrastructure, the equation of broadband access in South Africa would look quite different. No comment from the Competition Commission The Competition Commission was asked for comment about the outdated and inaccurate information in the report, but it did not respond by the time of publication. The way forward It is disappointing that a respected body like the Competition Commission produced such a poorly-researched report. Some good news is that this is only a provisional report and stakeholders can make submissions on the report by 14 June 2019. Thereafter the inquiry team will assess these submissions before publishing a final report later this year. The Competition Commission can therefore redeem itself by using accurate and current data for the report to ensure accurate findings and recommendations. Now read: Big mobile data price changes and new network rules proposed Samsung launched its new QLED TVs in South Africa this week, which include a range of 8K displays for an excellent viewing experience. The Samsung 8K TVs under the Q900 range come in four sizes, all of which support AI-powered upscaling features and HDR. Leading the line-up is the Samsung 98-inch Q900, a giant display with a price tag to match. The sizes of the 8K TVs and their South African pricing are listed below: 65-inch R76,999 R76,999 75-inch R112,999 R112,999 82-inch R179,999 R179,999 98-inch Up to R999,999 Samsung said that all its new TVs will launch in South Africa from today and until 5 May 2019 those who purchase a new QLED TV will receive a Samsung soundbar for free. Delivery and installation will also be included, added Samsung. Samsung 98-inch Q900 The Samsung 98-inch Q900 recently made headlines when it launched internationally, thanks to its $100,000 price tag making it one of the most expensive TVs on the market. It features a 97.5-inch display with a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 with HDR 10+ support, backlit by Samsungs QLED technology. This is 16-times the resolution of Full HD. There is not much 8K content in the market today, however, which Samsung is aware of and to remedy this its TV comes with 8K AI Upscaling. This revolutionary upscaler remasters content into 8K, said the company, and is powered by the TVs Quantum Processor 8K. Samsung has also included features such as automatic adoption, which adapts the TVs brightness and sound to match the conditions of the room it is in, and an Ultra Viewing Angle to reduce glare for viewers. Additionally, SmartThings smart home integration, the Bixby voice assistant, smart speaker compatibility, Ambient Mode (which blends the TV into its surrounding by display various images), and FreeSync support are included. The Samsung 98-inch Q900 is shown in the images below. By Benjamin Jumbe. Uganda Tourism Board is optimistic that the revival of Uganda Airlines will greatly boost the sector. Two of the four commissioned Bombardier CRJ900 air crafts landed at Entebbe International Airport yesterday as part of the much anticipated plan for the revival of Uganda Airlines. The aircraft, that carry Ugandas national flag on the wingtip, are expected to significantly boost the countries trade on the global market and also facilitate travel across the continent. Speaking to KFM, the boards Chief Executive Officer, Lilly Ajarova said the arrival of the bombardiers and revival of Uganda Airlines is a step closer to UTBs goal of marketing destination Uganda. Related Stories The 1st batch of Uganda Airlines jets touch down Advertise Here Be seen advertise here. Contact us. 19382019 Trudi Lawrence 80 years of age died peacefully on April 12, 2019 at La Mariposa nursing home in Fairfield, Ca. Trudi was preceded in death by her twin sister Geraldine Jackson-Posch and her husband Frederick Lawrence. Trudi was a native of Detroit Michigan. Born July 17, 1938. Attended CassTechnical High School. The school focused on art. She did oil and water color paintings. After school she got a job doing advertising putting her art skills to use. A while later she got a job as a reservationist for American Airlines. She worked there for about 20 years. After retiring from the Airlines she volunteered for a few years at Covenat House in New York city. A half way house for troubled and homeless teens. Trudi moved to San Francisco, Ca. in the mid 1990s. Before coming to California she had converted to Catholicism. Her faith in God was very strong and she remained very faithful and devout for the rest of her life. Her strong love of God drew her to the monastery of Mt. Tabor in Ukiah, Ca where she entered and was a hermitess Nun. Her life there was spent in much prayer and painting Icons. She spent several years there before returning to San Francisco. Trudi moved to Napa, Ca. in the early 2000s where she pursued her interest in art by painting many beautiful Icons and other paintings. She loved nature scenes. She continued her spiritual life by attending church, praying and reading much, especially spiritual books. She enjoyed corresponding and visiting with family and friends. Trudi moved to La Mariposa Nursing Home in 2014 when she was no longer able to care for herself. She was lovingly cared for by all the nurses and aides. Everyone loved her joyful disposition. Trudi is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Adams and son-in law Thomas Adams (Texas), grandson, George Brenner (Texas) and her nephew, Andrew Jackson (Glendale.Ca). Funeral Mass will take place at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 2725 Elm St., Napa, Ca at 11:00 a.m. Private burial will take place immediately after services in Marin County. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 2725 Elm St., Napa, Ca 94558 A controversial housing bill that could bring taller buildings to certain California neighborhoods cleared its second hurdle Wednesday, scoring a decisive committee vote after several changes designed to make it more palatable to its many opponents. Senate Bill 50 gathered the votes it needed to pass out of the state Senate Governance and Finance Committee, but the bill looks different now than when it was first introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. Wiener's bill has been heavily attacked by city leaders worried it would usurp their local planning control and apply one-size-fits-all zoning rules throughout the state, and by activists worried it would accelerate gentrification and lead to the displacement of more low-income residents. In response, Wiener amended the bill to include some exemptions for smaller cities and counties, a provision to make sure affordable housing is built with SB 50 projects, and several other tweaks. The changes merged Wiener's bill with SB 4 by Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg. "Every city and county in the Golden State needs to do their part with housing ...The strategy of 'no' no longer works," McGuire, chair of the Governance and Finance Committee, said Wednesday. "At the same time, we know we need to take into account the unique differences of jurisdictions." The hearing was packed Wednesday with dozens of supporters and opponents of the bill. Emotions were running high, and McGuire had to remind attendees to refrain from hissing, booing or clapping. SB 50 now moves on to the Senate Appropriations Committee. If it passes there, it will move on to the Senate floor. SB 4 will not advance. SB 50 would override local zoning rules to allow taller and denser residential buildings near transit hubs and in "job-rich" communities, in an effort to get more units of housing built and ease the state's shortage. Under the new version of the bill, smaller cities and counties would get special treatment, while small coastal cities, historic districts and fire-prone areas would be exempt. In counties with 600,000 or fewer residents, projects within a half mile of rail or ferry terminals would generally abide by a scaled-back version of SB 50 -- they could increase their height by one story. For example, if the neighborhood is zoned for three-story buildings, a developer could build up to four stories under SB 50. Previously, SB would have allowed developers in any city to build four or five-story apartments near rail stations. The new one-story rules apply only if a city has a population of more than 50,000. Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo counties all had populations of more than 600,000 as of last year. Marin, Napa, Monterey, Santa Cruz and Sonoma counties were among those that had fewer, and would be eligible for special treatment under SB 50. In another major change, the new SB 50 would require streamlined approval of fourplexes on vacant land in any residentially zoned neighborhood in California. The compromises didn't appease many of the bill's opponents, who lined up to voice their dissent Wednesday. Norma Garcia, director of policy and advocacy for the nonprofit Mission Economic Development Agency, worried the legislators haven't done enough research on the impact SB 50 will have on low-income communities vulnerable to gentrification. "We're talking about rezoning the entire state without a study, and I just can't imagine that that is prudent," she said. "I think as a state we need to be careful about how we do this." Wiener has attempted to address gentrification concerns. SB 50 would not allow developers to tear down an existing building if a tenant has lived there within the last seven years. Certain low-income communities would get an extra five years to comply with the new zoning rules. And before developers could move tenants into a market-rate SB 50 project, they would have to secure building permits for their required accompanying affordable housing units. "I'm very sensitive to making sure we're not displacing people," Wiener said. "This is about adding housing, not displacing residents who are already residing in a neighborhood." David Reyes, director of planning and community development for the city of Pasadena, complained the bill is now a "two-sizes-fit-all" solution, instead of a "one-size-fits-all." If it becomes law, it will destroy the hard-fought partnerships formed between city officials, local residents and developers each time a new building is proposed, he said. "What cities will do in response to a bill like this, is sue the state," Reyes said. A recent study by the Embarcadero Institute, a nonprofit with connections to a Palo Alto-based slow-growth group, said the original SB 50's zoning rules could potentially allow Palo Alto to triple in size -- a claim Wiener dismissed as "misleading" and "absurd." Several tenants rights organizations lined up Wednesday to oppose the bill, as did representatives from cities including Danville, Pleasanton, Orinda, Walnut Creek, Beverly Hills and Redondo Beach. Supporters included construction industry groups, the California Association of Realtors, environmental protection groups, the AARP, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's office and Facebook. McGuire, who has been working with Wiener for three months to come up with a compromise bill both can stomach, said their efforts aren't done. "This is not an easy bill. Will there need to be more work? You betcha," McGuire said. But, he said, "it sets us on a path that doesn't adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, and it ensures that change does come to communities big and small." Staff writer Katy Murphy contributed to this report. ___ (c)2019 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Kelly Doren Copy Desk Chief/Wire Editor Napa Valley Register 1615 Soscol Ave. Napa, CA 94558 PHONE: 707-256-2263 A 47-year-old man faces a potential 25-years-to-life sentence in state prison after his conviction for rape Wednesday in Napa County Superior Court, prosecutors announced. A jury convicted Aniceto Landa Alarcon of forcible rape in connection with an attack on a woman Feb. 12, 2018, District Attorney Allison Haley said in a news release. Alarcon, who has ties to Fairfield and the Central Valley, also was convicted of kidnapping in the course of rape, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence and making a criminal threat at the end of a 1 -week trial overseen by Judge Scott Young. Sentencing of Alarcon, who is being held without bail in the Napa County jail, is scheduled for May 22. The woman had been in a dating relationship with Alarcon that already was marked by violence before he drove her against her will to a remote area off Soscol Creek Road in Napa County and assaulted her, until a passer-by interrupted the attack and called 911, according to Haley. Alarcon was arrested by American Canyon Police officers a day later. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Authorities have identified the woman whose body was found inside a central Napa house Monday night, but the cause of her death remained unknown late Wednesday. The deceased person was Belinda Janet Laird, 60, of Napa, according to Henry Wofford, spokesperson for the Napa County Coroner's Office. She was found dead at a home on Coleman Street, Napa Police reported. The circumstances of Laird's death remain unknown, and police Lt. Gary Pitkin said in an email that authorities would not release further details pending the results of an autopsy and other tests. Napa Police have released minimal information about the incident, saying only that a body was found and that detectives with the Napa Special Investigations Bureau also responded. Earlier, Pitkin asked that anyone with information about this incident to call Detective Garrett Wade at 257-9509 or email him at GWade@cityofnapa.org. According to online records, Laird lived in the 1700 block of Coleman Street. She also had lived in other Napa addresses. In an earlier marriage, she had been known as Belinda Janet Testa. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Bremer Family Winery is suing the local law firm that defended it in a Napa County code violations case that ended with a settlement the Bremers deem unfavorable. The lawsuit claims that Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty failed to adequately represent the Bremers, resulting in negligence and breaches of contract and fiduciary duty. Allegations include having work done by an employee with little to no experience in California land use law and concealing this from the Bremers. As a result, the winery suffered such damages as an unfavorable settlement, loss of income and future income and loss of more than a half-million dollars in wasted, unearned attorney fees, the filing said. Bremer Group LLC filed the lawsuit in Napa County Superior Court, the same venue as its legal battle with Napa County. The Bremers are represented by Los Angeles law firm Makarem & Associates. Carol Kingery Ritter, managing partner with Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty, released an email statement on behalf of the firm after being contacted by the Napa Valley Register. The firm spent years of diligent and successful work on a highly technical legal matter involving county winery use permits and the countys changing interpretation and enforcement of winery use permits, the statement said. The Bremers have filed a baseless lawsuit to gain leverage for their personal and unearned gain, it said. DPFs professional obligations prevent us from discussing the details of the Bremers matter in the press, but we wish to make clear that we stand behind our work, our professionalism and our efforts in the Bremers representation, the statement said. During litigation, the Bremers actual motive in bringing this meritless lawsuit will become clear, it said. Bremer Family Winery is located near Deer Park in the mountains east of St. Helena. John and Laura Bremer bought the winery in 2002, taking over a winery use permit granted by Napa County in 1979. The winery hired Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty in September 2016 to work with the county to ensure the winery was complying with county laws after code violation notices. The Bremers accuse the law firm of failing to timely submit the required application materials. Napa County filed its code compliance lawsuit against the Bremers in August 2017. In court papers, it called the winery a continuing public nuisance. The list of alleged violations included holding unpermitted marketing events, having too many visitors, using the wine barrel storage cave for events and tastings, renting the winery for events, using a tractor storage shed and grounds for a pizza oven and bocce ball court and making various improvements without building permits. Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty continued representing the Bremers for most of the court case. In Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty court filings for the code enforcement case, the Bremers said the winerys 1979 use permit doesnt limit by-appointment visitation. The county said the application for the permit called for one visitor daily and up to six visitors weekly and that this limit applies. Subsequent filings by the county said Judge Victoria Wood in a tentative ruling apparently agreed with the Bremers. If that ruling becomes final, it could have significant and widespread impact on the countys regulation of the wine industry, the filings said. The case never went to trial. A settlement in February called for lower winery visitor numbers than the Bremers sought and for correcting building code violations, among other things. The Bremers must pay the county $271,464 for legal costs and give the county a $320,658 promissory note to be canceled if they comply with the judgment. The local attorney signing the settlement on behalf of the Bremers is David Gilbreth, who is not with Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty. In their lawsuit against Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty, the Bremers accuse the law firm of failing to ascertain the Bremers objectives, failing to head off litigation, failing to properly advise the Bremers of the pros, cons, costs, benefits and outcomes, failing to control litigation, charging excessive and unconscionable fees and performing unnecessary work, among other things. One of the attorneys working on the case was not licensed to practice law in California and had little to no experience in land use law or California administrative agency litigation, the lawsuit said. If the Bremers had known this from the outset, they would have terminated the representation. Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty has yet to file papers in court responding to each allegation. A Napa County Superior Court case management conference is scheduled for Sept. 25. Jared Walder is an attorney with Makarem & Associates. He said his law firm is representing the Bremers in their case against Dickenson Peatman and Fogarty and that Gilbreth is representing them in wrapping up the code issues with Napa County. Since Gilbreth took over, there has been great cooperation with Napa County and things are moving forward, Walder said. Pop the cork on Napa Valley wine! Discover the hidden stories of Napa Valley wine and the people behind it -- plus expert analysis from our columnists and more with our weekly email newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NEWS.am daily digest: 22.12.21 Lavrov, Mirzoyan agree on steps to launch practical activities for demarcation of Armenian-Azerbaijani border Turkey hopes construction of Igdir-Nakhchivan natural gas pipeline is launched as soon as possible Inter-agency task force holds first session at Armenia Emergency Situations Ministry Armenian and Russian FMs hold phone talks Georgian and Azerbaijani MODs sign 2022 Bilateral Cooperation Plan Deputy PM: Armenia seeks to diversify its energy system Analyst: At this rate, Armenia's authorities might refuse to visit Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex soon Papikyan, Zas discuss CSTO priorities during Armenia chairmanship Iran-Armenia Friendship Group member: Tehran won't tolerate any territorial change in the region Armenia opposition party leader is arrested One dollar falls below AMD 480 in Armenia Erdogan rejects possibility of snap elections in Turkey Iranian FM: Iran welcomes further economic and trade cooperation with Azerbaijan Peskov says Putin-Biden video call might be held before end of the year Lavrov urges NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to resign Saakashvili to not attend trial in Tbilisi court today Azerbaijan extends special lockdown regime Peskov: Russia has informed Turkey that it doesn't approve of naming of a park after Dudayev IFFHS announces its UEFA Team of the Year 2021 Yerevan has new mayor Yerevan hosts meeting of Armenia-Russia intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation Armenia Deputy PM: Most realistic projects are being considered in this stage Armenia PM expresses condolences over death of wife of statesman and National Hero Karen Demirtchyan Dembele to stay at Barcelona Russia presidential spokesman informs about CIS leaders summit on December 29 Armenia Security Council Secretary meets with Stanislav Zas Armenias Sarkissian, Kuwait diplomat confer on regional issues Lewandowski believes Ronaldo had to work harder than Messi to succeed President, PM discuss challenges facing Armenia Member of ruling faction is chairing session of Yerevan Council of Elders after recess, not mayor Azerbaijan defense minister tells details of their operation to seize Karabakhs Shushi International Studies expert: For first time Armenia enters process with Turkey, meeting Ankaras main preconditions Yerevan Mayor on Armenias ruling political force: These people are trying to privatize the revolution Artsakh official: Why international leaders praise Baku for releasing Armenian captives if its international law duty? I went to premiere: Not original - "The Matrix Resurrections" (NO SPOILERS) Armenia President signs law on 2022 state budget 1 more person dies of coronavirus in Artsakh Iran FM heading for Azerbaijan Levon Aronian makes social media post on late wifes birthday 152 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenian film director Vrezh Petrosyan dies Armenia premier, Russia deputy PM discuss prospects for restoration of communications in South Caucasus World oil prices going up City council majority faction: Current situation will not enable to work, serve Yerevan effectively for next 2 years Kanye West donates over 4,000 toys to children in Chicago Newspaper: Another bonus pay distributed in Armenia parliament 8 Real players test positive for Covid Yerevan city council convenes special session, no-confidence motion against Mayor Marutyan on agenda Armenian animated film Dream of Kafka included in 3rd edition of Los Angeles International Film Festival Newspaper: Heated discussion occurs during meeting with Armenia PM What are beneficial properties of cabbage? Junior Eurovision 2021 winner Malena returns to Armenia (PHOTOS) La Liga: Sevilla, Barca play draw Serie A: Juve win, Atalanta play draw EFL Cup: Arsenal reach semifinals La Liga: Villarreal win 5-2 Armenian judges address justice minister, say draft laws will put their independence at risk What disease could shoulder or hand pain be a sign of? 26 Italian MPs express satisfaction with release of 10 Armenian POWs Mayor of Armenia's Kajaran Manvel Paramazyan greeted pompously after release from custody Aliyev meets with Georgian defense minister Iran's Ambassador to Yemen Hassan Irloo passes away after contracting COVID-19 Anthony Martial wants to join Sevilla in January Japan hangs three suicide bomber convicts It's snowing for the first time this year in Yerevan (PHOTOS) Opposition and police clash in Sukhumi Ibrahimovic receives injury, will miss match against Empoli Russian servicemen get stuck under an avalanche in South Ossetia Turkey's TRT covers normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul railway project launched Armenia FM receives Ile-de-France's Regional Council president, humanitarian issues discussed Armenian cross-stone placed and consecrated in Ukraine's Severodonetsk Eden Hazard ready to quit Real Madrid Armenia Parliament ex-Speaker Karen Demirtchyan's widow dies at 88 EU Special Representative welcomes handover of 2 Azerbaijani servicemen by Armenia Putin, Macron discuss settlement of Karabakh conflict Georgians holding demonstration demanding Saakashvili's release in Tbilisi Armenia Parliament Speaker receives head of France's Ile-de-France region Manchester United resume training after coronavirus outbreak Armenia customs attache: There are nearly 400-500 Armenian truck drivers at Upper Lars checkpoint Armenia Ombudsman, UNICEF release teacher's guide about children's rights Armenia health minister receives leaders of several Russian companies Armenia President, Japan Ambassador discuss current agenda of Armenian-Japanese relations Sarkissian to Pecresse: During war we were convinced once again that France is our real friend Putin assigns to enhance military-technical cooperation with Shanghai Cooperation Organization and CSTO Armen Sarkissian receives India Ambassador Armenia ex-Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan files report to incumbent Attorney General Members of Armenia ruling party boycott first session of Council of Elders in Aparan Deputies of Iranian Majles visit Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex Yerevan main Christmas tree to be lighted Thursday Dollar gains value in Armenia Ruling power lawmaker: Azerbaijan servicemens capture by Armenia soldiers is deterrent for Baku Ruling force MP: Armenia envoy for dialogue with Turkey will have quite representative apparatus Vladimir Putin: Humanitarian situation in Karabakh has improved thanks to Russian peacekeepers Armenia premiers working visit to Georgia concludes Russia, Turkey discuss current situation in Syria Russia deputy PM to arrive in Armenia today Armenia President congratulates Emmanuel Macron Ciro Immobile tests positive for COVID-19 Senators Ed Markey and Dianne Feinstein have expressed their support to the resolution on recognition of Armenian Genocide, and which their colleagues Bob Menendez and Ted Cruz had submitted to the US Senate. We can never truly honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide until we fully acknowledge the extent of the horror, Senator Markey wrote on Twitter. Thats why I have once again joined @SenatorMenendez to intro a resolution that would officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. To prevent atrocities of the past from repeating themselves we must recognize them for what they were, Senator Feinstein noted on Twitter. Its long past time for Congress to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Ive joined my colleagues on a bipartisan resolution calling for that recognition. Bob Menendez and Ted Cruz had submitted to the US Senate a resolution on the recognition Armenian Genocide. Im proud to lead the effort to ensure U.S. foreign policy is based on formal recognition of the #ArmenianGenocide, Senator Menendez had written on Twitter, in this regard. Its a historical fact thats NOT up for debate & only by recognizing it can we move forward & prevent other mass atrocities. Facebook expects a fine from the US regulatory authorities because of the scandal associated with Cambridge Analytica, in the amount of 3-5 billion dollars, CNBC reported. The matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final outcome, the company wrote in its release. Earlier, Facebook reported the reducing of its profits in the first quarter of 2019 by 51% compared to the same period last year to 2.43 billion dollars. Net sales fell less significantly - by 39% - to 3.3 billion dollars. This result coincided with the forecast of most American analysts polled by major US news agencies. Experts attributed this reduction to the scandal involving the British consulting company Cambridge Analytica, which illegally used the data of 87 million for campaigning. Facebook has recognized that the data of 87 million social network users, mainly in the US, were compromised and mistakenly transferred to this company. According to media reports, Cambridge Analytica, which used data mining technologies to develop strategic communication during election campaigns on the Internet, collaborated with Donald Trump during the election campaign. Based on the data collected, the researchers evaluated the political preferences of voters and showed them advertising that directly fell into the zone of their interests. The scandal led to the fact that the head of Facebook had to give an answer for what happened in the US Congress. After that, a number of US departments and the US Congress opened investigations related to the leakage of user data. In particular, the investigation was opened by the US Federal Trade Commission. An ongoing and provocative combined aerial drill between South Korea and the U.S. will necessitate a corresponding response from North Koreas army, NK News reported referring to a press statement from the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country (CPRC) said on Thursday. Now that the south Korean authorities get undisguised in their military provocation against the DPRK together with the U.S., there will be corresponding response to it from our army, the statement noted. On Monday, the South Korean and US Air Forces launched two-week drills using F-15K fighter-bombers, Korean KF-16 fighters and F-16 fighters. The exercises are a smaller version of the larger Max Thunder maneuvers. On Monday, the South Korean and US Air Forces launched two-week drills using F-15K fighter-bombers, Korean KF-16 fighters and F-16 fighters. The exercises are a smaller version of the larger Max Thunder maneuvers. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said his country supports the efforts of the Armenians for international recognition of the genocide, Financial Mirror reported. A statement on the occasion of the 104th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, said the President of the Republic and the government condemn this appalling crime against the Armenian people, describing it as a stain in the history of mankind. Anastasiades said the Republic of Cyprus supports the efforts of the Armenians for international recognition of the genocide and notes Cyprus was one of the first countries, the first in Europe and the second worldwide, which recognised this terrible crime and asks for the historical truth to be established. Addressing the Armenians of Cyprus, the President said they have contributed in a substantive way to the progress we have achieved to our common homeland, and our co-existence constitutes an example for the whole world. Cement production is matter of preserving employment, said Prosperous Armenia Party MP Mikayel Melkumyan during the meeting at the Armenian Parliament on Thursday. According to MP, the subject of the discussion is to increase import duties on cement clinker, an intermediate product for cement production. Clinker is concentrated cement. Cement production from limestone, in essence, means the consumption of 60% of energy resources, 15% of raw materials and 10% of wages. In the case of cement production via using clinker, different technological processes will be carried out. And for Gagik Tsarukyan (the owner of the plant for the production of cement, the chair of the Prosperous Armenia Party and its parliamentary faction - ed.) It would be more profitable to import clinker, but the problem lies in the local production of raw materials and in the preserving employment, he noted. The Armenian parliament recently passed a law establishing a duty on cement imports from Iran and other countries in the amount of 22 thousand drams per ton. However, this did not satisfy the Prosperous Armenia Party deputies, who demanded that the duty be set on the import of clinker. YEREVAN. At its Cabinet session on Thursday, the government agreedby 50 percentwith the law initiative which the Bright Armenia parliamentary faction had submitted. This bill proposes to remove from the law on consumer crediting the lower and upper thresholds100,000 drams and 10,000,000 drams, respectivelyof the special crediting agreements. Minister of Finance Atom Janjughazyan presented the matter. He noted that the bill which envisages removal from the law the part on not applying the provisions of this law to loans up to 100,000 drams was already being considered at the National Assembly. In conclusion, Janjughazyan proposed to refrain from debating on the already submitted bill, and, if necessary, to reflect on the provisions of the draft within the framework of the debates on the aforesaid bill. Why is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia declaring that Armenia is ready to establish relations with Turkey without preconditions? What happened to dignity? This is what political scientist Hayk A. Martirosyan said during an April 25 press conference. He advised journalists to pay close attention to the shameful statement that Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan made yesterday, stating that Armenia is still ready to interact with Turkey without preconditions. What happened to dignity? Do you read the Turkish presidents tweets? Is it only the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense who can make dignified statements? The political scientist believes this is a matter of policy. I dont want to blame the foreign minister because he doesnt develop a specific policy. He also asked why the Russian Federation and Greece didnt issue statements on the Armenian Genocide on April 24th. Russia didnt issue any statement on the Armenian Genocide because Turkey is its closest ally. Moscow didnt even use the word genocide. I think Yerevan should have responded because the State Duma has recognized the Armenian Genocide. As for Greece, Martirosyan stated that the relations between Greece and Turkey are very uncertain and believes the Greeks preferred not to take a risk. Martirosyan said he considers the opening of borders with Turkey unacceptable because the opening of borders will imply Armenias perdition. The European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgement in the case of Armenias first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan against Armenia. The European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been: a violation of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights, and a violation of Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) in conjunction with Article 11. Complaints under Article 5 1 (right to liberty and security) and Article 2 of Protocol No. 4 (freedom of movement) were rejected as manifestly ill-founded. The case concerned the applicants complaint about the dispersal of a protest rally on 1 March 2008, the lack of an effective remedy and his alleged placement under house arrest. The Court found in particular that the Government, claiming non-exhaustion of domestic remedies, had failed to satisfy it that there had been an effective remedy in the domestic legal system. It further held that the dispersal of the assembly had not been justified. Although reports had suggested Mr Ter-Petrosyan had been under house arrest, there was still a dispute about that incident which was primarily one of fact. The Court found that it was not in a position to conclude he had been deprived of his liberty or had had his freedom of movement restricted. Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison has sensationally admitted to bowing to pressure from a foreign dictatorship, when backflipping on his prior use of the word genocide when referring to the Armenian Genocide. The Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that Morrison made the admission when answering questions from the media on what has become a controversial issue, covered by mass Australian media including leading radio broadcaster Alan Jones and the Nine Network of newspapers. The Prime Minister's statement to Armenian-Australians marking the 104th anniversary of the systematic attempt to destroy the Armenian race referred to the Armenian Genocide as ... the horrors that befell Armenian people at the end of the Ottoman Empire. This is in stark contrast to his speech to Parliament on 26th May 2011 - while in Opposition - when he said: "Today, as a member of this House, I join others in this place, and in parliaments around the world, to place on record that I believe the Armenian genocide was one of the greatest crimes against humanity ... it is important that we recognise the Armenian genocide for what it was." Morrison told journalists on Wednesday that, despite using the word genocide in the past as a private citizen, as Prime Minister I represent the views of the country, seemingly forgetting that he had made that statement as a Member of Parliament, in Parliament. Quite sensationally, he then linked his decision to avoid using the term to Australia's Anzac Day commemoration service in Gallipoli, confirming long-held views that Australia was under a gag order by the Turkish dictatorship on this issue. Weve been working closely with the Turkish government to ensure that we continue to have a very strong relationship that enables Australians, and New Zealanders for that matter, to make that pilgrimage, Morrison said. The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has condemned this "shameful backflip" and the reasons behind it. There was serious hope from many that Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be the one to end Turkeys gag rule on Australia by releasing an appropriate statement on the eve of the Armenian Genocide," said ANC-AU Executive Director, Haig Kayserian. Instead we have the Prime Minister admitting to have drank President Erdogan's Kool-Aid. The Eurasian Development Bank has suspended implementation of crediting program of Armenia-based Spayka company until the criminal case against the company is over, chairman of the board of directors Andrey Belyaninov told reporters. The claims concern the taxes, so we have suspended [it]. We are ready, but we have suspended [it] on Spayka. We cant take risk if the matter is about potential bankruptcy, he said. Asked whether the Bank will continue cooperation with Spayka if the company settles the matter with the Armenian authorities, he said: We have just suspended the project. The is reason is force majeure. The Bank planned to allocate a credit of $67 million to Spayka which is engaged in the production and export of agricultural products. Secretary of the Defense Ministry of Sri Lanka Hemasiri Fernando filed a report on the dismissal after the appearance of criticism in his address from the society and the country's leadership, TASS reported referring to news portal Newsfirst. Earlier, the President of Sri Lanka Maitripala Sirisena asked Fernando to voluntarily release his post. According to the Sri Lankan media, Fernando could not prevent a series of explosions in the country, despite the data received by the authorities about the upcoming attacks. Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Vizheyadasa Rajapaksa demanded that the head of state immediately arrest the Defense Secretary. As reported earlier, a series of explosions rocked Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, the first six thundered in three temples and three hotels in the country, the seventh was recorded in the west of the island, while the eighth have been heard in a residential complex in the suburbs of Colombo. The authorities of Sri Lanka have already detained over 100 people amid series of terrorist attacks that rocked the island last Sunda The ISIS has claimed the responsibility for the attack without providing evidences. The authorities of Sri Lanka have warned about the threat of terrorist attacks in the mosques on April 26, The Sunday Times reported. Security is to be strengthened around Mosques in a bid to avert a possible attack during religious observances tomorrow (April 26). "The State Intelligence Service has informed me of a possible threat by the same group which was involved in last Sunday's carnage," Chairman of the Dewatagaha Mosque in Colombo told Times Online. Meanwhile, the government minister for Muslim religious affairs, Abdul Haleem Mohamed Hasheem, asked the country's larger Islamic population to avoid mosques on Friday, the Muslim holy day. "As a sign of solidarity with the Catholic Community and a show of protest against the barbaric act of the ruthless terrorists I appeal to my Muslim brothers to avoid gathering for congregational prayers tomorrow (Friday), but to pray in the homes instead, for peace and security of our Motherland," he said in a letter distributed via Muslim community groups. On April 24, Indias leading Jawaharlal Nehru University hosted a conference devoted to the Armenian Genocide and entitled Policy of Memory in Armenia, reports the news service of Armenias Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference gathered students and professors of Jawaharlal Nehru University, as well as representatives of the intelligentsia of Delhi, the local Armenian community and the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in India. The conference began with an opening speech devoted to the Armenian Genocide by Rector of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Chintamani Mahapatra, followed by a speech by Armenias Ambassador to India Armen Martirosyan, who presented the historical and geopolitical aspects of the Armenian Genocide and Armenias approaches to overcoming the consequences of the genocide. Among other speakers were professors, writers, publicists and journalists. The event ended with a candle-lighting ceremony commemorating the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide. They are the vestiges of a sad period in Caribbean history. Elegant Spanish-style buildings, with stately concrete columns and arches, which served as sugar mills where hundreds of African slaves toiled to harvest white gold, or sugar. The Dominican Republic has many such abandoned mills, near small towns and rivers. In mid-February, 16 University of Miami School of Architecture students and professors joined a group of students from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena (UNPHU) to tour four of these mills, to begin a project to refurbish these structures and open them for new public use. The idea for the project stemmed from previous work done in the island by associate professor of practice Carmen Guerrero, who led the Upper Level Studio trip along with Jaime Correa, also an associate professor of practice at School of Architecture. The trip was sponsored by the Canin Award, an annual gift from Myrna and Brian Canin, founders of Canin Associates in Orlando. They have been sponsors for the past 15 years. As the child of Dominican parents who spent summers and holidays there, I had no idea that we had these historic sugar mills, said Guerrero. Now the government wants to refurbish them so that they can become usable for tourism and other uses. Many other countries in the Caribbean have rebuilt their sugar mills into luxurious hotels or cultural centers, which attract the public and generate revenue. Santo Domingo, the first founded city in the New World and a stronghold for the Spanish Conquistadores prodigious sugar industry, has yet to refurbish these mills. The four visited by the architecture students during the three-day trip were Boca de Nigua, Palave, Diego Caballero and Engombe. This project and trip exposed the students to the culture of the island as well as the socio-political history of the Dominican Republic and how that has translated into its rural and urban areas, said Correa. Indeed, the UM students joined by their cohorts from the island as well as a historian and archeologist, toured the ruins and watched how the area residents interacted with the structures. The Dominican students are also working on design projects for the mills. It was a beautiful dynamic to watch as the students worked together, said Jose Constanza, UNPHU dean of student welfare and professor of architecture, whose students are also developing projects to renovate the mills. There was very little language barrier because they used the universal language of drawing to communicate. Constanza added that having UM students working on this project added a global perspective that could be beneficial. People from other places can have a different way of thinking and can even be risque in their approach, he said. At the Engombe site, one of the largest in the country which still houses a two-story mansion, a chapel, a warehouse structure and a mill used to extract juice from the sugar cane called a trapiche, locals use the grounds for picnics, as a playground, and even as a backdrop for wedding pictures. For UM architecture students Emily Suarez and Andrea Hernandez, the only way to portray the history of Engombe in their design was to be true to its roots. We did not want to intervene with the structures integrity, said Suarez, a fifth-year architecture student. So instead we decided to envelop the structure with black material but leave the ruins as they are. The black material symbolizes the sad history of slavery, which was such an integral part of sugar plantation lives, said Suarez. We have to acknowledge the sad part of the story. In their design, Suarez and Hernandez also added a white tower with 16 telescopes. The telescopes would provide an overlook for visitors who come to admire the surrounding countryside, but it would also hark back to the 16th century practice by plantation overseers of watching over the slaves as they carried on their backbreaking work of cutting and harvesting sugar cane. For Max Erickson and Olivia Kramer, fifth-year architecture students who did not speak Spanish, the language barrier did not detain them from absorbing the history and culture of the Dominican countryside. Dominican students helped them out by translating lessons on the history of the island and the Colonial Period. I was so impressed by the topography of the place and how green it was, said Erickson. As we learned about the ruins we realized that we needed to address the needs of the people who live near there. In their designs of Engombe, Erickson and Kramer featured several elements that would provide teaching moments for visitors. One of them was adding an elevated walkway that would link all the structures and would feature plaques describing various segments of the sugar production industry at the time. Their design also showed the abandoned warehouse as a completely remodeled space to be used for parties, family reunions or community gatherings. Parts of the large space could also work as a library and cafe, they said. On Monday, April 29, a delegation of faculty from Santo Domingos UNPHU will visit UMs School of Architecture to review all the proposed projects the students have worked on. IS Supporting Groups Continue Promotion of Sri Lanka Bombings, Incite Targeting of Christians Dental hygiene students earn CDHC online certification by Pete Rosenbery CARBONDALE, Ill. Completing an online certification program developed by the American Dental Association will give Southern Illinois University Carbondale dental hygiene student Samantha Shankle an important resource as she moves forward in her career. The Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) certification will assist Shankle and 28 of her classmates in working with underserved populations after graduating from the program during May 11 commencement exercises at the SIU Arena. I really want to be in community dental, said Shankle, who is from Marion. Ideally, I would like to work in public health. I would like to serve the underserved and help people who dont generally have dental insurance or access to dental care. Second certification class at SIU Jennifer Sherry and Faith Miller, associate professors in the dental hygiene program, started the online component in fall 2017, and a class of 20 graduates completed the program May 2018. Sherry emphasized that much of the CDHC material already is in the dental hygiene programs community dental health course. Building on the existing curriculum content allows students to further develop their skill sets, she said. Working through the universitys Desire2Learn online management system students complete assignments within six modules: Dental advocacy and outreach. Communication and cultural competency. Interviewing skills. Legal and ethical issues. Financing and payment of dental care. CDHC Internship, which is completed through the SIU Dental Sealant Grant program. Access to dental care is an issue Sherry notes that access to dental care for many is an issue not just in Southern Illinois, but nationwide. These graduates will position themselves to be able to provide dental services for clients who might not otherwise have the ability to receive them. As a part of the certification, students learn program planning, grant writing and resource mapping, all of which are vital when talking about public health, Shankle said. Resource mapping is a mechanism for dental professionals to assist patients in finding a way to make dental appointments in public dental health clinics when access is limited. The resource map to me is the most important part, she said. It forces you to know the area you are working in and know the people, she said. If someone is struggling with something like addiction, abuse, unemployment, or lack of transportation, the resource map can help us point them in the right direction. Cross-training helps students connect with unique client base Sherry notes that it is important for students to be cross-trained and to learn to work together. Public health is different than in a clinical practice because the clientele is different and patients can present a variety of different needs. The courses also help students build their communication skills. Working with Natalie Richardson, the programs dental sealant grant coordinator, students gain valuable training in learning how to talk with parents of children and helping to assess a childs dental needs. They are a very good group, she said. I look forward to seeing great things from them. They will be a valuable part of a dental team. Four-year dental hygiene degree A third CDHC cohort with 34 students will finish in the spring 2020 semester. A future goal is to administer the CDHC curriculum through Conference and Scheduling Services at SIU as a continuing education course for registered dental hygienists. Accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, SIUs program remains the only one in Illinois that offers a four-year dental hygiene bachelors degree in the state. The program also offers an online degree for present dental hygiene professionals. Faculty care about students Shankle, a non-traditional student who has a bachelors degree in history from Webster University, notes the important role that faculty play in student success. They really encourage us to push ourselves and set our bar higher and higher, she said. Once you achieve that higher standard just keep going up from there, she said. I dont think I would have succeeded as well as I have here anywhere else. Focusing on a patients overall care is also an emphasis, she said. The program in general encourages us to really care about the people we are treating and see them as a whole person and not just a mouthful of teeth to clean, she said. The 29 graduating seniors who completed the CDHC certification, with their hometowns are: ILLINOIS: Addieville: Hanna Bergkoetter. Channanon: Brittany Pelton. Chicago: Jessica Dominguez. Crestwood: Gillian Gapski. Crystal Lake: Kayla Schnell. Des Plaines: Samcy Samuel. Glendale Heights: Arielle Zambrano. Homer Glen: Anna Roczkowski. Homewood: Shaderia Young. Makanda: Madison Forby. Marion: Samantha Shankle. Norris City: Megan Beckman. North Lake: Kara Urbaniak. Oak Lawn: Cassidy Ward. Orland Park: Hannah Murray. Orland Park: Areliz Servin. Oswego: Annamarie Radecki. Palos Hills: Melina Sapokaite. Palos Park: Rebecca Tompkins. Pinckneyville: Deanne Brand. Sandwich: Jacqueline Johnson. Sesser: Kaitlyn Melton. Spring Grove: Amanda Graf. Tamaroa: Bailey Nippe. Tonica: Hayley Zulkowsky. MISSOURI Cape Girardeau: Alice Cai. Kelso: Kayce Landewee. Louis: Arnela Causevic. TENNESSEE State science fair returns to SIU May 3-4 by Tim Crosby The overall per-capita science proficiency in Carbondale will rise significantly early next month, as Southern Illinois University Carbondale plays host to the Illinois Junior Academy of Science State Fair. The event, set for May 3-4 at the SIU Arena, will bring about 1,500 top junior high and high school science students from around Illinois to campus, as well as their parents, teachers and other supporters. SIU will temporarily open a limited number of rooms in one of its tower residence halls to accommodate the expected need for short-term housing, organizers say. Event is returning to SIU The event will mark the second time SIU has hosted the state science fair since the Illinois Junior Academy of Science begin rotating its location to institutions around the state. Kathy Pericak-Spector, retired professor of mathematics who is acting as liaison between the IJAS and SIU for the event, said the event is an important opportunity for the university. It gives us a chance to show off what we have here, not only at the university but in Southern Illinois. We have so many opportunities here at SIU, and when parents come along, they get to see that, too, as well as younger siblings, she said. Basically, we get to do this every four years. Awards aplenty on tap SIU and the Carbondale area is providing about 200 judges for the event, including faculty, students and community members. The IJAS will give two awards each for grades 7-8 and 9-12. But SIU and a host of other groups and agencies also will give awards for the best projects in special areas. To qualify for SIUs special awards, contestants must register in advance. What I really like about our awards is many departments not only give a monetary award to the student, but also to their schools, Pericak-Spector said. Suites available on campus University Housing is making 200 suites in Mae Smith Hall on the east side of campus available for the event, putting the event within easy walking distance. Suites sleep up to eight and cost $100 for one night or $160 for two nights and include a free parking pass. Registering in advance is highly recommended, and rooms are going fast. Two days of presentations and fun On the afternoon of May 3, students will present their papers and judges will review their work. During their free time throughout the day, the students will tour the SIU campus, checking out various science and other facilities such as the Transportation Education Center at Southern Illinois Airport. That evening, the university will host a Pizza and Pie and Pi event at the Student Center. It will include various activities sponsored by campus departments and student organizations, games and food. On May 4, Students will give formal presentations on the posters that illustrate and explain their scientific work. Their 10-minute presentations will take place 9 a.m. to noon. The public will be able to the view the various posters and displays from noon to 3 p.m. that day, with the awards ceremony beginning shortly thereafter. Special event for those staying over For those competitors who opt to spend Saturday night in Carbondale as well, the university will host a May the 4th Be With You series of events at the Student Recreation Center that evening. Activities such as the climbing wall and pool will be available, as well as games provided by local business Castle Perilous, Pericak-Spector said. Those interested must register in advance for this event. Learning skills for the future Pericak-Spector said participating in the event teaches students the scientific method, but much more. It certainly shows them how to define a problem, research it, design experiments, collect data and then analyze that data, she said. I think analyzing the data is one of the most important parts because it teaches critical thinking and thinking outside the box. These are all skills students need to move on with their education. 7545 Oso Blanca Road. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Centennial Hills? According to Walk Score, this Las Vegas neighborhood requires a car for most errands, is somewhat bikeable and has some transit options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one-bedroom in Centennial Hills is currently hovering around $875. So, what might you expect to find if you've got $1,100/month earmarked for your rent? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental listings, via Zumper. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 9145 Echelon Point Drive First, listed at $1,100/month, this 915-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom is located at 9145 Echelon Point Drive. In the unit, you can anticipate high ceilings, hardwood floors, a dishwasher, a walk-in closet, a balcony and in-unit laundry. Building amenities include a swimming pool, a fitness center, a roof deck, a residents' lounge and garage parking. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are welcome. (Check out the complete listing here.) 7100 Grand Montecito Parkway Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom over at 7100 Grand Montecito Parkway. It's listed for $1,073/month for its 690 square feet of space. In the unit, you'll have hardwood floors, high ceilings, stainless steel appliances, a walk-in closet, a balcony and in-unit laundry. As for building amenities, expect a swimming pool, a fitness center, a residents' lounge, outdoor space and garage parking. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are allowed. (Check out the complete listing here.) 7545 Oso Blanca Road Finally, here's a 753-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 7545 Oso Blanca Road that's going for $1,009/month. In the unit, look for high ceilings, a walk-in closet, a balcony and in-unit laundry. Building amenities include a swimming pool, a fitness center, outdoor space and a residents' lounge. Luckily for pet owners, both dogs and cats are welcome. (Take a look at the full listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 4560 S. Balsam Way. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Marston? According to Walk Score, this Denver neighborhood requires a car for most errands, isn't particularly bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in Marston is currently hovering around $1,079. So, what might you expect to find if you've got $1,400/month earmarked for your rent? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental listings, via Zumper. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 4801 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Listed at $1,380/month, this 730-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom is located at 4801 S. Wadsworth Blvd. In the unit, you can anticipate hardwood floors, in-unit laundry, a walk-in closet and a fireplace. Building amenities include a fitness center, a swimming pool, a residents lounge, outdoor space and garage parking. Good news for animal lovers: both dogs and cats are welcome here. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (Check out the complete listing here.) 4560 S. Balsam Way Next, there's this apartment located at 4560 S. Balsam Way. It's listed for $1,379/month for its 765 square feet of space. When it comes to building amenities, anticipate garage parking, outdoor space, a swimming pool and a fitness center. In the unit, there are hardwood floors, in-unit laundry, a walk-in closet, a fireplace and a balcony. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are allowed. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the complete listing here.) 8000 W. Crestline Ave. Here's a 707-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 8000 W. Crestline Ave. that's going for $1,329/month. In the unit, you'll get high ceilings, a dishwasher, a walk-in closet and a fireplace. The building features a business center, a fitness center, a swimming pool and garage parking. Both cats and dogs are allowed. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the full listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. * Defense secretary resigns * Police issue names, photographs of seven wanted suspects * Bomb scares rattle nervous capital * Focus turns towards foreign groups supporting Sri Lankan bombers * Pakistanis flee in fear of reprisals (Recasts with lower death toll from senior officials) By Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez COLOMBO, April 25 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan officials revised the death toll from Easter Sunday bombings down by about 100 on Thursday, blaming the difficulty in identifying body parts at bomb scenes for the earlier inaccurate number. The new official figure was 253, down from an earlier 359, Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said. He blamed inaccurate data provided by morgues for the discrepancy. Anil Jasinghe, the director general of Sri Lanka's health services, told Reuters any figure was an estimate: "It could be 250 or 260. I can't exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure." The suicide bomb attacks on three churches and four hotels have exposed an intelligence failure, with accusations that warnings had not been acted on and feuds at the top levels of government had undermined security cooperation. Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks, although he insisted on Thursday that the authorities had been acting in response to intelligence tips from India warning of imminent attacks. "We were working on that. All those agencies were working on that," Fernando told Reuters. He said he had resigned to take responsibility for institutions he ran, but said there had been no failure on his part. Police issued names and photographs of four men and three women wanted in connection with the attacks, as bomb scares and security sweeps kept the country on edge. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities have said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many tourists sitting to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. Story continues They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. About 500 people were wounded. Britain on Thursday warned its nationals to avoid the country unless it was absolutely necessary as there could be more attacks. SNAPSHOTS The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. It released a video that showed eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The government said there were nine suicide bombers, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Authorities have focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups - National Thawheed Jama'ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - they believe carried out the attacks. A picture has emerged of a group of nine well-educated, home-grown suicide bombers. Two were brothers, sons of a wealthy spice trader, a source close to the family said. At least 76 people, including several foreigners, have been rounded up since Sunday, but police on Thursday for the first time identified seven people they were looking for and appealed to the public for help in finding them. Photographs, apparently casual snapshots, posted with a wanted notice showed young bearded men, one with a Muslim cap, and three young women, all with headscarves. Fears that more bombers are at large has kept Sri Lanka on edge all week. Authorities locked down the central bank and shut the road to the capital's airport for part of the day because of bomb scares as communal tension simmered. Office workers in Colombo's business district were asked to go home early, police said, to avoid vulnerable throngs of people at rush hour. City-center restaurants also shut early. Police arrested three people and seized 21 locally made grenades and six swords during a raid in Colombo, a spokesman said. He did not give details or suggest that the raid was linked to the suicide bombings. RECRIMINATIONS The bombings shattered the relative calm that has existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago. Sri Lanka's 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island's conflict and communal tensions. It seems unlikely that Fernando's resignation will end the questions and recriminations over why authorities failed to act more effectively to stop the plotters. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in the sharing of intelligence information. Lakshman Kiriella, the leader of parliament, said senior officials had deliberately withheld the intelligence about possible attacks. Both President Maithripala Sirisena and his rival, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, denied seeing the Indian intelligence warnings, officials have said. The president fired Wickremesinghe last October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, fears are growing of a surge of communal tension. Muslims have fled the Negombo region on Sri Lanka's west coast since scores of worshippers were killed in the bombing of the St. Sebastian church there on Sunday. Hundreds of Pakistani Muslims have left the port city, crammed into buses, after threats of revenge. "The local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses," one of them, Adnan Ali, told Reuters on Wednesday, as he prepared to board a bus. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; Additional reporting by Sanjeev Miglani in COLOMBO, Alasdair Pal and Sunil Kataria in NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka, and Will Ziebell in MELBOURNE; Writing by Paul Tait, Robert Birsel and Peter Graff; Editing by Michael Perry, Alex Richardson and Toby Chopra) (Adds dropped words in paragraph 2, Conservative lawmaker) By Elisabeth O'Leary EDINBURGH, April 25 (Reuters) - As Brexit gnaws at Britain's political structure, supporters of an independent Scotland are launching a new grassroots campaign aimed at convincing a large majority of Scots to back a split from the United Kingdom. Scots rejected independence in a 2014 referendum and support since then has stuck at around 45 percent, opinion polls say. But they also voted to remain in the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum in which England and Wales voted to leave, and discontent over the handling of Brexit is widespread. "Voices for Scotland," a crowd-funded initiative with about 100,000 participants, will try to boost support for secession to 60 percent via a clipboard-wielding army of activists who aim to cover the whole of Scotland. They are targetting around one third of Scots who they believe were "soft 'No'" voters in 2014 through their family and friends. "It's about conversations with people you trust," said professor Iain Black from Stirling University, who has compiled research for the group and took part in a news conference. Black found that women, particularly those who are young, were changing their minds about independence because of "the closing off of opportunity of Brexit," he said. Conversely those more opposed to the idea were older citizens. The launch comes a day after Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the country would start preparing for a second referendum on independence before May 2021 without permission from London. In the campaign for the 2014 independence referendum, unionists said the only way for Scotland to stay in the EU was to stick with the United Kingdom. Sturgeon's Scottish National Party (SNP), which runs the devolved government in Edinburgh, says a second referendum just a few years later is justified as Scotland is now being dragged out of the bloc against its will. Story continues On Thursday David Lidington, the de facto British deputy prime minister, ruled out any referendum on Scottish independence, saying the matter was settled for a generation in 2014. Opponents of independence say Brexit has not changed Scotland's desire to reamain part of the United Kingdom. "The people of Scotland voted 'no' in 2014 enough is enough," said Scottish Conservative lawmaker Adam Tomkins. "UK IS NOT OK" Debate among family and friends is the way the Voices for Scotland intends to spread its message, providing training and resources for activists. Listening to worries about independence will be as central as touting the merits of ending the 300-year-old union. "We have to take a big majority of the country with us, and in order to do that we have to change our discourse," actress Elaine C Smith, one of the platform's founders, told reporters. Secessionists want to learn from the divisiveness of Brexit and take a different tone from the 2014 "Yes" independence campaign, they say. "We can see in the political discourse of the last year or more what a very narrow vote can do to a country and a community. That is not what we want," Smith said. The grassroots independence movement is still a force to be reckoned with, having boosted support to 45 percent in 2014 from around 23 percent in 2012. Britain is mired in political chaos after parliament rejected three times the withdrawal deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May and other EU leaders. It is still unclear when or even if it will leave the bloc. "I get the sense that we are in the death throes of the United Kingdom," Maggie Chapman, also part of Voices for Scotland and co-convenor of the Scottish Greens, told Reuters. "One of the things that 'no' or undecided voters said to me in 2014, in the run-up to that referendum (on Scottish independence) was 'why, what do you want to change, the UK is fine as it is'." "Brexit tells us that the UK is not OK" ($1 = 0.77 pounds) (Reporting by Elisabeth O'Leary Editing by Gareth Jones and Angus MacSwan) (Adds quotes) LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) - British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday he would opt to leave the European Union without a deal if he was faced with a choice between a no-deal Brexit or not leaving the bloc at all. Britain's exit from the EU has been delayed until as late as Oct. 31 after parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's deal with Brussels three times. She is now seeking to reach a compromise with the opposition Labour Party on a way forward. Hunt is tipped as a possible successor to May, who has promised to step down before the next phase of Brexit negotiations but is under pressure from some in her Conservative Party to go sooner. Asked at an event in parliament if he would be prepared to take Britain out of the EU without a deal, Hunt said: "If there was a binary choice between no deal or no Brexit, I would choose no deal because I think the democratic risk of no Brexit ultimately is higher than the economic risk of no deal." Hunt also said he did not believe parliament, which has repeatedly voted against a no deal Brexit, would allow Britain to leave the bloc without an agreement. "I would always prefer to leave with a deal because I think there will be disruption without a deal ... it would potentially be very significant and that is something I think anyone sensible would wish to avoid." Hunt said foreign ministers of other countries were worried about the paralysis in Britain over the way forward on Brexit, and that it would be a "big mistake" to hold a national election before Britain has left the EU. "So as far as Brexit is concerned, my view is very straight forward: we have to leave, we have to leave quickly, we have to leave cleanly," he said. (Reporting by William James and Kylie MacLellan, Editing by Elizabeth Piper and Guy Faulconbridge) (Adds figures for evacuees, Hydro Quebec comment) MONTREAL/OTTAWA, April 25 (Reuters) - Rising waters were prompting further evacuations in central Canada on Thursday, with the mayor of the country's capital, Ottawa, declaring a state of emergency and Quebec authorities warning that a hydroelectric dam was at risk of breaking. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared the emergency in response to rising water levels along the Ottawa River and weather forecasts that called for significant rainfall on Friday. In a statement on Twitter, Watson asked for help from the Ontario provincial government and the country's military. He warned that "flood levels are currently forecasted to exceed the levels that caused significant damage to numerous properties in the city of Ottawa in 2017." Spring flooding had killed one person and forced more than 900 people from their homes in Canadas Quebec province as of 1 p.m. on Thursday, according to a government website. Ottawa has received 80 requests for service related to potential flooding such as sandbagging, a city spokeswoman said. The prospect of more rain over the next 24 to 48 hours triggered concerns on Thursday that the hydroelectric dam at Bell Falls in the western part of Quebec could be at risk of failing because of rising water levels. Quebec's provincial police said 250 people were protectively removed from homes in the area as of late afternoon in case the dam on the Rouge River breaks. The dam is now at its full flow capacity of 980 cubic meters per second of water, said Francis Labbe, a spokesman for the province's state-owned utility, Hydro Quebec. He said Hydro Quebec expected the flow could rise to 1,200 cubic meters per second of water over the next two days. "We have to take the worst-case scenario into consideration, since we`re already at the maximum capacity," Labbe said by phone. The dam is part of a power station that no longer produces electricity, but is regularly inspected by Hydro Quebec, he said. (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and David Ljunggren and Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Editing by James Dalgleish and Peter Cooney) RTHK: Sri Lanka holds more suspects as toll crosses 350 Sri Lankan security forces detained 18 new suspects in the Easter bombings that killed more than 350 people, as the government admitted Wednesday that "major" intelligence lapses had led to a failure to prevent the attacks. The 18 new arrests were made in night-time raids using emergency powers, said police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera. Fifty-eight people are now in custody and more arrests are expected in coming days, deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told a press conference. The government has said more attacks are possible and in a sign of the heightened tensions, authorities carried out at least two controlled explosions of a suspect package and vehicle on Wednesday. This comes as a chilling CCTV footage emerged showing a suicide bomber calmly patting a child on the head and shoulder moments before he walked into a packed Sri Lankan church, unleashing carnage. Security camera footage from outside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo shows a bearded man in a light blue shirt, navy trousers and sandals appear on a pathway and cross a courtyard outside the church. As he approaches his target, he passes a young girl and briefly pats her head and shoulder, with the young girl glancing up at him as he continues on towards the church. The girl is the granddaughter of Dilip Fernando. The 66-year-old retiree had come to St Sebastian's for Mass, but seeing how crowded it was, decided to try and find a service elsewhere. That decision probably saved their lives. Some of his family, including his granddaughter, stayed but were outside the church and survived. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New tech will detect infant breathing problems An innovative wearable sensor to monitor new-born babies in poor areas is being developed by Anglia Ruskin University, in collaboration with experts in Jordan. Academics will create wearable technology to accurately measure the respiratory rate in new-born babies, specifically for areas where access to healthcare is poor. Researchers were alerted to the scale of the issue through their work in the Zaatri refugee camp in Jordan, where they saw the effect that limited access to respiratory monitoring impacted access to appropriate healthcare. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 60% of neo-natal deaths in the camp were associated with preterm birth and its associated complication of respiratory stress syndrome. This international collaborative project will develop a wearable sensor that makes use of wireless communication to provide continuous remote monitoring of an infant's breathing. This in turn will support faster, more accurate identification of health conditions in new-borns. Inkjet-printing technology will create stretchable and biocompatible sensors for the monitor, and the project team will work closely with industry to ensure the designs conform to medical standards and can be easily commercialised. Professor Dingchang Zheng, of Anglia Ruskin University, said: "The first week of life is crucial for new-born babies, and in low income areas, access to appropriate healthcare is often limited. If a baby develops a problem, it can sometimes be too late before the issue is diagnosed. "As a result, there is an increasing need for remote, low-cost, reliable, and comfortable respiratory rate sensors that provide physicians with accurate readings and to assess the health condition of new-borns. "We are developing a sensor which will be made of flexible and biocompatible materials with an attachment mechanism that avoids skin infection caused by traditional adhesive electrodes. "We're delighted to be working with our partners in Jordan to create this vital piece of technology. We believe it will have a real tangible benefit which can save the lives of vulnerable babies." ### Professor Zheng of Anglia Ruskin is working with Professor Ala'aldeen Al-Halhouli of the German Jordanian University as part of the UK-Jordan Industry-Academia Partnership Programme being funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, through the Newton Fund. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (Adds quotes, details) BEIJING, April 25 (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua expressed regret on Thursday to visiting British finance minister Philip Hammond that the South China Sea issue had harmed ties, after a British warship sailed close to islands claimed by China last August. China was infuriated by a voyage by the HMS Albion, a 22,000-ton amphibious warship, near the Paracel Islands, calling it a "provocation." The Paracels are occupied entirely by China but also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Prior to that, China and Britain, which have talked of a "golden era" of relations, had agreed to look at the possibility of reaching a "top notch" post-Brexit free trade deal that promised an important political win for the British government. "It is regrettable that since August last year the relations between our two countries witnessed some fluctuations because of the South China Sea issue and a series of institutional dialogs and cooperation projects had to pause," Hu told Hammond during a meeting in Beijing. "The South China Sea issue concerns the sovereignty and core interests of China and it is highly important and sensitive in relations between China and Britain," he said, in comments in front of reporters. "We have noticed that Britain recently has many times said it is dedicated to promoting the golden era in relations between China and Britain, and we hope Britain can earnestly respect Chinas core interests and important concerns, and that its actions are in keeping with what it says." Hammond said he shared Hu's regret that there had been "some difficulties in advancing the positive course of the relationship that our leaders have set out." "Of course, you understand that the UK takes no position in relation to the issues in the South China Sea," Hammond added, before reporters were ushered from the room. Hammond is in Beijing to attend the second summit of China's Belt and Road Initiative, championed by President Xi Jinping, which envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China to Asia and beyond with extensive infrastructure investment. Story continues The United States has frequently sent warships near Chinese-occupied features in the South China Sea, where China has been reclaiming land for runways and ports. Some U.S. allies, including Britain, have followed suit. Freedom of navigation should not be used to infringe upon the rights of other countries, China's navy chief Shen Jinlong said on Wednesday, taking a dig at the United States and its allies. China regards the patrols as a provocation, as it views almost all of the South China Sea as its territory, although Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and the Philippines all have competing claims. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Joyce Zhou Editing by Darren Schuettler, Robert Birsel) (Adds comments from Malek and Craig) By Alicia Powell OCHO RIOS, Jamaica, April 25 (Reuters) - Oscar winner Rami Malek will play the international villain who Daniel Craig's James Bond must battle in the British spy franchise's 25th film set for release next year, the producers announced on Thursday. Malek, 37, drew critical acclaim for his portrayal of Queen front man Freddie Mercury in last year's "Bohemian Rhapsody." "I promise you all I will be making sure that Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it," Malek said in a recorded announcement from New York aired as part of a webcast about the new movie. In an interview, Malek promised a different type of villain than Bond fans have come to expect. The film will take "the perspective of what it means to be a villain, and perhaps flipping that on its head in some way, shape or form," he said. The still untitled movie known by the working title "Bond 25" will be Craig's fifth go-around as Britain's most famous fictional secret agent, and will feature on-location scenes in Jamaica, the producers said in the webcast from the Caribbean island. After 2015 film "Spectre," Craig had said he would rather slash his wrists than play Bond again. But in 2017, the actor confirmed he would return to the role one last time. "A break was what I needed," Craig told Reuters on Thursday in Jamaica, where some of the cast members are filming. "I'm incredibly excited just to get going." Actors who will reprise their roles alongside Craig include Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny and Ben Whishaw as Q. Joining the cast are Jeffrey Wright, Billy Magnussen and Dali Benssalah. Producers had already announced that the movie, set for release next April, will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the man behind the first season of the U.S. television drama "True Detective." Among trademarks of Bond movies are their exotic locations, beginning with Jamaica when the franchise was launched with "Dr. No" in 1962. Story continues "We consider Jamaica Bond's spiritual home," said producer Barbara Broccoli. The new film will be shot in Italy, Norway and London in addition to Jamaica, the producers said. The Bond franchise, based on the Ian Fleming novels about the British secret agent who outsmarts international villains, overcomes certain death and charms glamorous women, first hit screens during the Cold War with Sean Connery as Bond. Bond has also been played by George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. (Reporting by Alicia Powell in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Peter Szekely in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and James Dalgleish) (Adds comment from PAN Foundation) By Nate Raymond BOSTON, April 25 (Reuters) - Two drugmakers will pay nearly $125 million to resolve claims they used charities that help cover Medicare patients' out-of-pocket drug costs as a way to pay kickbacks aimed at encouraging the use of their high-priced medications, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday. The department said Japan-based Astellas Pharma and Amgen Inc, the world's largest biotechnology company, were the latest to settle claims stemming from an industry-wide probe of drugmakers' financial support of patient assistance charities. Astellas will pay $100 million while Amgen will pay $24.75 million, the department said. Neither company admitted wrongdoing. Amgen in a statement said it did not agree that its conduct was inappropriate but settled to put the matter behind it. Astellas also said it believed its actions were lawful. The investigation, led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston, came amid growing attention to soaring U.S. drug prices. Copays are partly meant to serve as a check on healthcare expenses by exposing patients to some of a medicine's cost. Drug companies are prohibited from subsidizing copayments for patients enrolled in the government's Medicare healthcare program for those aged 65 and older. Companies may donate to non-profits providing copay assistance as long as they are independent. But the government alleged the drugmakers used such charities as conduits to improperly pay the copay obligations of Medicare patients using their drugs, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. The government alleged that Astellas from 2013 to 2014 while selling the prostate cancer drug Xtandi arranged to have two foundations run funds that would only cover co-pays for patients using androgen receptor inhibitors. Xtandi at the time was the only major drug used to treat advanced castration resistant prostate cancer from that class of medicines, the government alleged, and Astellas was the only donor to both funds. Story continues The charities were Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation and Chronic Disease Fund, which is now known as Good Days. PAN said the case involved issues that occurred under its prior leadership. Good Days did not respond to requests for comment. The government also alleged Amgen from 2011 to 2014 used PAN Foundation as a conduit to pay the copay obligations of Medicare patients using its secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment Sensipar. The department said Onyx Pharmaceuticals, which Amgen acquired in 2013, also used Chronic Disease Fund as a means to improperly pay the out-of-pocket costs of Medicare patients using its multiple myeloma drug Kyprolis. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Bill Berkrot) * Nokia drags Europe lower after surprise quarterly loss * Sainsbury slump, Taylor Wimpey's lower outlook weigh on FTSE * UBS rises; Swedbank and Barclays drop after results (Updates to close) By Susan Mathew April 25 (Reuters) - European shares slipped on Thursday as weak earnings from Nokia and news of failed attempts at mergers added to a downbeat mood on renewed fears of a slowdown in global growth. The pan-European STOXX 600 index finished 0.2 percent lower after an eight-session rally in the benchmark index stalled on Wednesday. "The sizes of losses seem to be driven primarily by domestic news," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA in London, pointing also to some profit-taking and softer earnings. Most major country indexes in the region ended significantly lower, with London's FTSE 100 down 0.5 percent while Frankfurt's DAX broke a nine-session winning streak with a 0.25 percent decline. But not all earnings were bad. Stocks in Madrid and Zurich got a headwind from strong earnings at wind energy producer Iberdrola and lender UBS, respectively. Reigniting growth fears, data showed the South Korean economy unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter, while Chinese officials warned of protracted pressure on growth, a day after disappointing German Ifo sentiment survey exacerbated concerns about the euro zone's economic outlook. Finnish telecom network equipment Nokia was the biggest drag on STOXX 600, sliding 9 percent and logging its sharpest decline in 18 months, after reporting a surprise quarterly loss. Nokia's fall knocked the tech index 0.7 percent lower following the previous day's 4 percent surge. Sainsbury's slump after Britain's competition regulator blocked its proposed 7.3 billion pound ($9.4 billion) takeover of Walmart-owned Asda, and homebuilder Taylor Wimpey's warning on lower full-year margins, weighed on London's FTSE. The banking index shed 0.6 percent, weighed down by Barclays and Swedbank shares. Story continues Britain's Barclays slipped after reporting a 10 percent drop in quarterly profit, as its under-pressure investment bank struggled with tough markets. Swedbank fell after posting an estimate-beating first-quarter profit as the Swedish lender admitted to previous shortcomings in combating money laundering. However losses were tempered by Switzerland's biggest bank UBS advancing after its first-quarter results surpassed analyst expectations, a day after smaller rival Credit Suisse also posted strong results. The gains helped Swiss shares buck the gloom and close 0.4 percent higher. Meanwhile, wind energy producer Iberdrola's 4.3 percent jump after it raised its 2019 guidance for net profit and dividend growth, helped Spanish stocks outperform. "Equity markets are very much driven by the earnings season and as there are mixed numbers are coming in, investors are taking a little bit of cautious approach," Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at TF Global Markets (UK) Ltd in London. Shares of Swiss drugmaker Novartis was the biggest boost to the pan-region index, after Guggenheim upgraded the stock, while many other brokerages raise price target after the drugmaker posted higher first-quarter profit and raised 2019 profit target. German heavyweight Bayer rose after the drug and farming supplies company posted a 45 percent gain in quarterly core earnings on the back of seed maker Monsanto's acquisition. Semiconductor maker ASM soared about 10 percent after beating first-quarter targets, while Germany's Dialog Semiconductor rose more than 2.5 percent after forecasting higher than anticipated profits in the first quarter. In the wake of the failed merger talks between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, a deal that had faced fierce opposition from the workforce, Deutsche shares dipped 1.5 percent while Commerzbank slipped 2.3 percent. (Reporting by Medha Singh, Agamoni Ghosh and Susan Mathew in Bengaluru Editing by Catherine Evans) (Adds councilman comment, background, TV) WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Thursday executed search warrants at the home and offices of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, Maryland's Republican governor said on Thursday, prompting further calls for the Democratic city leader to resign. The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service conducted the raids on Pugh's home and Baltimore City Hall amid allegations of improper financial dealings with the University of Maryland Medical System, Governor Larry Hogan said on Twitter. "Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign," Hogan wrote. City Councilman Brandon Scott also called for Pugh's resignation, saying in a statement: "Baltimore needs to move forward and heal from this embarrassment." The Baltimore City Council previously called for her resignation earlier this month. Pugh has faced scrutiny in recent weeks over sales of her self-published children's books and allegations - first reported by the Baltimore Sun - that she made sales deals with healthcare entities that have ties to the local government, including the state university's medical system. Representatives for the FBI and the IRS did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the mayor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An FBI spokesman told the Sun and the Washington Post that federal agents were executing a court-authorized search of Pugh's home and City Hall. The Sun and other local news outlets also reported the FBI raided a second home owned by Pugh, a nonprofit she has closely worked with, the offices of her attorney and the home of one of her aides. According to the Sun, the University of Maryland Medical System paid Pugh $500,000 between 2012 and 2018 to buy copies of her book series promoting health choices for children at a time she also served on the medical system's board. Pugh has been on an indefinite leave of absence since April 1, the same day Hogan had called on state prosecutors to start their probe. (Reporting by Makini Brice and Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Steve Orlofsky and Jonathan Oatis) (Adds details from statement, context on DoJ investigation) April 25 (Reuters) - Glencore Plc said https://www.glencore.com/media-and-insights/news/announcement-re-the-commodity-futures-trading-commission on Thursday that the U.S Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is investigating whether the miner and its units may have violated certain regulations through "corrupt practices." The company said the investigations are at an early stage and have a similar scope in terms of subject matter as a current investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Swiss-based Glencore said last July it received a subpoena from the DoJ requesting documents and records on compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money-laundering statutes. The documents related to the company's business in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela and Nigeria. Glencore said it will cooperate with the CFTC, but declined to comment beyond the statement. The company added that its response will be managed by its investigations committee, which was set up following the DoJ subpoena. (Reporting by Justin George Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Sriraj Kalluvila) (Adds details from report, byline) By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Department's inspector general on Thursday concluded acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan did not seek preferential treatment of Boeing Co, his former employer, while at the Pentagon. The decision potentially opens the door for U.S. President Donald Trump to formally nominate Shanahan to be defense secretary. The inspector general started the investigation in March after a watchdog group filed a complaint alleging Shanahan promoted aerospace firm Boeing in meetings and disparaged competitors. Shanahan, 56, who spent more than three decades at Boeing, is the longest serving acting defense secretary ever. He took over at the Pentagon in an acting capacity on Jan. 1 after Jim Mattis resigned amid policy differences with Trump. The inspector general's report, which was published on Thursday, said none of the allegations against Shanahan were substantiated. "We determined that Mr. Shanahan fully complied with his ethics agreements and his ethical obligations regarding Boeing and its competitors," it said. The report said investigators had interviewed Shanahan and 33 other witnesses, including Mattis and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul Selva, and reviewed more than 5,600 unclassified documents and about 1,700 pages of classified documents. The report said it found that while Shanahan did refer to his time at Boeing, witnesses saw it as Shanahan trying to improve management of Pentagon programs. One of the allegations was that Shanahan criticized the F-35 aircraft made by Lockheed Martin and "repeatedly dumped" on the jet in meetings. But the report said his comments about the F-35 program were consistent with comments about problems cited by other senior Pentagon officials. The investigation was in part based on a complaint filed by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group, which said Shanahan had appeared to violate the ethical rules by promoting Boeing while at the Pentagon. Officials close to Shanahan have said they believe the investigation was one of the main reasons he has not been nominated yet for the job formally. There is growing speculation that after being cleared by the inspector general, Trump could nominate Shanahan in the coming days. If nominated, Shanahan would have to be confirmed by the Senate. (Reporting by Idrees Ali. Additional reporting by Makini Brice Editing by Susan Heavey and Bill Trott) * Kim says peace, security depend on U.S. attitude * Trump thanks Putin, says progress being made * Putin says North Korea needs security guarantees * First Putin-Kim talks yields no breakthrough * Putin accepts Kim's invitation to visit North (Adds Trump remarks) By Joyce Lee and Jeff Mason SEOUL/WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin that peace and security on the Korean peninsula depended on the United States, warning that a state of hostility could easily return, North Korean media said on Friday. Kim's remarks during talks with Putin on Thursday appeared aimed at pushing Washington to be more flexible on North Korean demands for an easing of international sanctions. U.S. President Donald Trump, who ended a second summit with Kim in February without a deal for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, seemed unperturbed, saying a lot of progress was being made towards an agreement and welcoming Putin's support. Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with Kim in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. {nL5N2278EY] He said he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue, which included Russia, China, Japan and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea. "I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there's a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea." The Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi in February collapsed without progress on a U.S. demand that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons and North Korean demands for easing of sanctions. Story continues Kim has said he would wait until the end of the year for the United States to be more flexible. "The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-U.S. summit talks," North Korea's official KCNA news agency quoted Kim as saying. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is North Korea's official name. "The DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation." KCNA quoted Kim as saying. William Hagerty, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, told a Washington think-tank on Thursday that Kims contacts with both Russia and China were part of an effort to seek relief from sanctions and it was important the international community continue to enforce these. "The fact you see Kim Jong Un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime," Hagerty said. "What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearise," he said. SECURITY GUARANTEES The first face-to-face talks between Putin and Kim, held on an island off the Russian Pacific city, did not appear to yield any major breakthrough. The two discussed ways to promote strategic communication and tactical collaboration in the course of ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and beyond, KCNA said. Putin said a deal on North Korea's nuclear program was possible by moving step by step to build trust. Russia was for years a participant in the six-party talks, which have not been held since 2009. "They only need guarantees about their security. That's it. All of us together need to think about this," Putin told reporters after talks with Kim. Such guarantees would have to be international, legally binding, and vouch for North Korea's sovereignty, Putin said. Russia and North Korea agreed to increase cooperation and Putin accepted an invitation by Kim to visit North Korea, KCNA said. No date was announced. "North Korea seems to be trying to expand its negotiating position with the U.S.," said South Korea's ambassador to the United States, Cho Yoon-je, according to the Yonhap news agency. "The U.S. continues to send a message to North Korea through channels at every level that it is open to dialog ... The expectation seems to be that the North may respond once Chairman Kim Jong Un's diplomatic schedule is completed." (Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Jeff Mason in WASHINGTON, Hyonhee Shin in SEOUL and Maria Vasilyeva in VLADIVOSTOK Editing by Jack Kim, Robert Birsel and James Dalgleish) * U.N. Committee against Torture examines Mexico's record * Government says it has a "long road" to eradicate torture * Asphyxiation and electric shocks used, activists say (Adds details, quotes) By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA, April 24 (Reuters) - Mexico's new government vowed on Thursday to eradicate the torture of detainees which U.N. experts and activists said is systematically committed by security forces and investigators who go unpunished. The U.N. Committee against Torture, composed of 10 independent experts, began a two-day review of Mexico's record in complying with an international treaty banning the crime. Activists said on Wednesday that Mexico's security forces and prison authorities commit systematic torture and rape of detainees with "near-universal" impunity. Asphyxiation and electric shocks are used, as well as sexual violence, 120 groups said in a joint statement. Out of 8,335 torture investigations, the federal special prosecutor's office reported last year that it had brought charges in only 17 cases, the groups said. Mexico's delegation told the hearing that under the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which came into office in January, the prosecutor's office no longer reported to the executive, thus "guaranteeing independence" in criminal investigations. "We still have a long road to ensure that torture and other cruel or inhumane treatment are eradicated once and for all," Marta Delgado Peralta, under-secretary for multilateral issues and human rights in the foreign ministry, told the panel. Stephanie Brewer of the Mexican human rights group Centro Prodh told reporters ahead of the review: "This is going to be a litmus test of whether the government is really going to change in its actions." A government survey carried out in 2016 in some 300 prisons, found that more than 75 percent of inmates suffered violence during their arrest, the activists' groups said, identifying members of the army and navy as the "worst offenders." Story continues Panel members raised the allegations, including of deaths in custody and mistreatment of Central American migrants, with the government delegation which will reply on Friday. "There is still a high level of torture and mistreatment by the state party (Mexico)," said panel member Diego Rodriguez-Pinzon. "There is also a climate of impunity." Some 200,000 prisoners are in custody in Mexico, where more than half of the jails are "ruled or co-ruled by criminal gangs," panel chair Jens Modvig said, citing the country's National Committee for Human Rights. He called for Mexico to establish an independent forensics institute instead of relying on doctors in the prosecutor's office to document torture. "Substandard medical reports remain the main cause of impunity because the courts tend to dismiss cases without clear medical evidence," he said. "We have a vicious circle that will maintain the problem of torture and evidence produced by using torture," he said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Alison Williams) (Adds details, background) RABAT, April 25 (Reuters) - Moroccan police used water cannons to disperse a protest by thousands of young teachers in Rabat, the capital, on Thursday, according to witnesses. Around 65 protesters were injured, said Abdelwahab Ghallat, one of the organizers. "One teacher got seriously wounded," he said. Authorities could not be reached for comment. Teachers have been staging a series of protests and striking to demand an end to renewable contracts in favor of permanent jobs that offer civil service benefits, including a better retirement pension. The protesters had arrived from several parts of the kingdom and tried to camp out in front of parliament until police dispersed then, witnesses said. Education Minister Said Amzazi has threatened to sack teachers if they do not return to classrooms, saying the strike has affected 7 percent of Moroccos 7 million students. Morocco, which has avoided the turmoil seen by other countries during and after the Arab Spring of 2011, regularly sees protests though they rarely involve confrontations with police. Some 55,000 teachers out of 240,000 in total have been hired on renewable contracts by regional education delegations since 2016 to address overcrowding in rural classrooms. Morocco increased the education budget by 5.4 billion dirhams ($558.4 million) in 2019 to 68 billion dirhams as it seeks to boost access and improve infrastructure notably in hard to reach areas. ($1 = 9.6707 Moroccan dirham) (Reporting by Zakia Abdennebi; writing by Ulf Laessing; editing by Leslie Adler and James Dalgleish) * Boeing's MAX may add NOK 500 mln to cost * Cuts 2019 capex guidance to $1.7 bln vs pvs $2.0 bln * Q1 loss NOK 1.49 bln vs forecast loss 1.65 bln * Has postponed aircraft deliveries from Airbus, Boeing * Shares rise 4.4 percent (Adds CEO comments, capex guidance, analysts) By Victoria Klesty and Terje Solsvik OSLO, April 25 (Reuters) - Norwegian Air said the grounding of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft may last until the end of August and could scupper the carrier's plan to return to profitability this year. Boeing's MAX aircraft have been grounded following the crash of a Lion Air plane in Indonesia last October and an Ethiopian Airlines jet last month, which together killed 346 people. The MAX ban will likely raise Norwegian's 2019 costs by up to 500 million Norwegian crowns ($57.84 million), the company said, adding that its efforts to cut other operating expenses were moving at a faster-than-expected pace. "Due to the uncertainty related to the MAX grounding, the company sees increased risk related to the target of a positive net profit in 2019," Norwegian said. Norwegian will have to lease other aircraft to replace its 18 MAX planes as the peak summer season nears. "There is a saying that you should hope for the best and plan for the worst, so we are planning to have (the MAX aircraft) on the ground throughout August," Chief Executive Bjoern Kjos told Reuters. Norwegian also reported a bigger year-on-year first-quarter loss on Thursday and sharply cut capital expenditures plans for this year and next, allowing it to save money and give time to improve operations, Kjos said. The Oslo-listed airline has shaken up the long-haul market by offering cut-price trans-Atlantic fares, but its rapid expansion has left it with hefty losses and high debts. The carrier, which has had to raise money from shareholders in recent months, said late on Wednesday it had agreed with Boeing and Airbus to postpone more aircraft deliveries. Story continues This will cut its planned 2019 capital expenditure by $300 million to $1.7 billion, while it now sees 2020 capex at $1.2 billion, half of its previous estimate. Norwegian has now completed its program to delay orders, Kjos said. "We have come to a very good conclusion, or settlement, with the factories and that gives us headroom to actually concentrate on running an efficient operation over the next two years." Norwegian's shares were up 4.4 percent at 0930 GMT. The budget carrier posted a quarterly net loss of 1.49 billion Norwegian crowns ($172.4 million), versus a 46.2 million crowns loss a year earlier, while analysts in a Reuters poll on average had expected a loss of 1.65 billion crowns. "Today's results were good enough for this company to continue flying in the near-term, but do not fully solve underlying structural issues," Bernstein said in a note. Kjos declined to say whether Norwegian had come to an agreement with Boeing regarding compensation for the aircraft groundings. "We try to maneuver through these difficult things for both Boeing and us in the best way possible," Kjos said. "The only thing I can say is that ... Boeing has a full understanding of the problems these groundings are causing us." In February, Norwegian said it would prioritize earnings over growth, cutting a 2019 target for capacity increases to just 9 percent from 15-20 percent. On Thursday it predicted capacity growth of 5-10 percent. ($1 = 8.6451 Norwegian crowns) (Editing by Gwladys Fouche/Himani Sarkar/Jane Merriman) The Daily Beast ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/GettyMOSCOWAfter months of bubbling tensions and threats of all-out war, Ukraine has made the shock decision to grant one of President Vladimir Putins greatest wishes.As far as overtures go, this was a grand gesture indeed.Ukraine has charged former President Petro Poroshenkowho is described as Washingtons puppet in Moscowwith state treason and financing terrorism. The longtime enemy of Putin faces as much as 15 years in prison if convicted.Even more delicious for Moscow, (Corrects spelling of name to Hagerty in paragraph 12) * Putin, Kim met on island off Russian Pacific port * Russia hoped to burnish credentials as global player * Visit follows failure of Kim's nuclear talks with Trump * Putin says he'll inform U.S., China about the talks By Vladimir Soldatkin and Maria Vasilyeva VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 25 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program. Putin and Kim held a day of talks on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. The talks between Putin and Kim did not appear to have yielded any major breakthrough. But Putin, keen to use the summit to burnish Russia's diplomatic credentials as a global player, said he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue. That would mean including Russia, China, Japan and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea, a long-standing format that has been sidelined by unilateral U.S. efforts to broker a deal. "They (the North Koreans) only need guarantees about their security. That's it. All of us together need to think about this," Putin told reporters after talks with Kim. .".. I'm deeply convinced that if we get to a situation when some kind of security guarantees are needed from one party, in this case for North Korea, that it won't be possible to get by without international guarantees. It's unlikely that any agreements between two countries will be enough." Such guarantees would have to be international, legally binding, and vouch for North Korea's sovereignty, said Putin. Story continues The two leaders appeared to get on well. The first session between Putin and Kim, comprising one-on-one talks with just a few aides present, lasted twice as long as the 50 minutes allocated in the schedule. Putin described Kim as "quite open" and as "thoughtful" and "interesting." MUSIC AND GIFTS Promising to brief the Chinese and U.S. leadership about his talks, Putin said he thought a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear program was possible and that the way to get there was to move forward step-by-step in order to build trust. There was no immediate comment on the summit from the U.S. State Department, but William Hagerty, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, told a Washington think tank Kims outreach to Russia and China was part of an effort to seek relief from international sanctions, which both are committed to. "The fact you see Kim Jong Un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime," he said. "What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearize," he said, adding: "I think its critically important that we all remain in lockstep in enforcing the U.N. Security Council resolutions that sanction North Korea." Kim, who arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday on board his armored train, said the situation on the Korean peninsula "is an issue that the world is very interested in." He did not speak to the media afterwards, but shook hands with Putin before being driven away in his limousine. The two leaders had earlier attended a gala dinner where they toasted each other and watched traditional musical numbers and dancing performed by Russian artists. The numbers included the Russian classic song "Black Eyes" and a Korean song called "the Great Commander," Russian state media reported. The two men also exchanged gifts. Kim gave Putin a traditional Korean sword, while the Russian leader gave Kim a saber and a tea service suitable for use on his armored train. "When modern weapons did not exist, they used such swords," Russian state media cited Kim as telling Putin. "They embody strength, my soul and our people who support you." With North Korea-U.S. talks stalled, the summit in Vladivostok has provided Pyongyang with an opportunity to improve ties with its giant neighbor Russia. For the Kremlin, the summit was a chance to show it remains an important actor on the global stage despite efforts by the United States and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding international sanctions until North Korea dismantles its nuclear program, Russia's room for maneuver, beyond putting on a show of camaraderie, was limited. Putin's last summit with a North Korean leader was in 2002 when his counterpart was Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, then Russia's president and now its prime minister. (Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee in SEOUL, Maria Kiselyova, Darya Korsunskaya and Maxim Rodionov in MOSCOW and David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON; Writing by Christian Lowe/Andrew Osborn; editing by Gareth Jones and Jonathan Oatis) (Updates shares, adds details on missiles unit) By Ankit Ajmera and Mike Stone April 25 (Reuters) - Shares of Raytheon Co slumped nearly 6 percent on Thursday after the U.S. weapons maker reported a jump in its quarterly profit but left its earnings outlook for the year unchanged. Raytheon, which makes the Tomahawk missile, and other U.S. weapons makers have been expected to benefit from higher defense spending under U.S. President Donald Trump as well as strong global demand for advanced weapons and munitions. The company reaffirmed it expected earnings per share from continuing operations to be between $11.40 and $11.60 in 2019. It also left its forecast for net sales for the year in a range of $28.6 billion to $29.1 billion. When asked why the company didn't raise its guidance for 2019, Raytheon Chief Financial Officer Toby O'Brien told Reuters in an interview, "We did see some higher sales volume which was really timing ... related to the quarter, but that also gives us confidence ... in our outlook in the range for the year." In a research note, Robert Stallard, an analyst at Vertical Research, said "there could be some disappointment about the unchanged 2019 guidance." Shares of Waltham, Massachusetts-based Raytheon were down 5.5 percent to $175.31 in late morning trading. Income from continuing operations jumped to $775 million, or $2.77 per share, in the quarter ended March 31, from $624 million, or $2.20 per share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 7.4 percent to $6.73 billion. Analysts on average had expected first-quarter earnings of $2.47 per share on revenue of $6.62 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Sales in the Raytheon's intelligence, information and services unit (IIS), its second biggest by revenue, increased 12.3 percent to $1.78 billion in the quarter, helped by higher revenue from "classified programs." Operating margin in the intelligence, information and services business, which provides cybersecurity support to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, surged to 10.5 percent from 7.4 percent. Story continues The Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) unit, which makes sensors for satellites, saw operating income increase 10 percent in the quarter to $212 million. "We saw IIS and SAS with strong performance and we improved their total year outlook. But those improvements at IIS and SAS, they were effectively offset by some decreases in the margin outlook at Missiles based upon the quarter in the year," O'Brien said. Raytheon's Missile Systems unit saw its operating income decrease by 10 percent to $190 million in the quarter from a year earlier due to operating inefficiencies. In a call with analysts after the release of the quarterly results, Raytheon Chief Executive Thomas Kennedy said "we are implementing action plans to improve program execution." O'Brien told analysts the company expected more than $9 billion in bookings for the unit in 2019. Raytheon also reiterated its full-year outlook for operating cash flow from continuing operations of between $3.9 billion and $4.1 billion. (Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington and Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru Editing by Bernadette Baum and Paul Simao) (Adds details from NASA and SpaceX) By Joey Roulette ORLANDO, Fla., April 25 (Reuters) - A NASA safety panel said on Thursday that Saturday's accident on a SpaceX astronaut capsule happened after eight engines were test fired, but offered scant details on what caused the mishap or the extent of the damage. NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) told reporters Elon Musk's rocket company continues to investigate the cause of the 'anomaly' during a test of engines designed to propel the crew to safety at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Orange smoke was seen rising above SpaceX's facilities by a photographer working for local newspaper Florida Today. No injuries were reported. The capsule, which conducted a six-day test flight to the International Space Station in March, was one of at least six models SpaceX has in production. The company is planning to launch Crew Dragon's first mission to space carrying humans as soon as July, though the accident could delay that. ASAP chair Patricia Sanders said SpaceX and NASA are in the early stages of the investigation, focusing on collecting data from the accident and determining how much it will impact the schedule for the human spaceflight mission. NASA awarded $6.8 billion to SpaceX and Boeing Co to develop separate capsule systems to fly astronauts to space, but both companies have faced technical challenges and delays. "There's been a lot of progress made on each side, but there's still technical issues that need to be resolved as both providers are on the path to qualification," ASAP member Sandra Magnus, a former U.S. astronaut, said. (Reporting by Joey Roulette in Orlando, Florida Writing by Eric M. Johnson Editing by James Dalgleish) (Adds details from Anzac Day service in Turkey) By Praveen Menon WELLINGTON/SYDNEY, April 25 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands gathered in Australia and New Zealand at Anzac Day memorials on Thursday amid heightened security following the shooting massacre at Christchurch mosques and deadly suicide bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. A Sri Lankan government minister says the bombings on Easter Sunday were retaliation for the Christchurch massacre on March 15, in which a lone gunman killed 50 Muslim worshippers at two mosques. New Zealand says it has no evidence of a link. Turkish authorities arrested a suspected member of the Islamic State group they believe was planning to attack an Anzac Day commemoration at Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders, Turkish police said on Wednesday. The arrest didn't deter some 1,100 Australians and New Zealanders who attended a dawn service at Anzac Cove in Turkey. "I feel quite safe, I feel that if there is any concerns, that it would have been called off and they wouldn't have put us at risk," said Chris King, a nurse from New Zealand. Anzac Day commemorates the bloody battle on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey during World War One. On April 25, 1915, thousands of troops from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) were among a larger Allied force that landed on the narrow beaches of the Gallipoli peninsula, an ill-fated campaign that would claim more than 130,000 lives. While the Gallipoli campaign against the Turks failed, the landing date of April 25 has become a major day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand for their troops killed in all military conflicts. Addressing thousands gathered for a dawn service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that, in the wake of the Christchurch massacre, Anzac Day 2019 should be an even greater uniting force. "Let us recommit to always remembering our shared humanity that there is more that unites us than divides us," Ardern said. Story continues "Our sense of independence is as strong as our sense of responsibility to each other and not just as nation states but as human beings. That is part of the Anzac legacy," she said. Heavily armed police surrounded the function area and snipers were positioned on rooftops during the ceremony. Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, paid tribute at the Auckland War Memorial alongside Ardern. He will travel to Christchurch later on Thursday to honor the 50 victims of the shooting. Heightened security saw about 1,000 police deployed across New Zealand at hundreds of locations and security concerns meant Anzac Day events in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, and elsewhere were scaled back. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed a dawn service in Townsville, Queensland, where he shared memories of his grandfather, who served in World War Two. "Our heroes dont just belong to the past, they live with us today," Morrison said. (Reporting by Praveen Menon in WELLINGTON and Will Ziebell in MELBOURNE. Additional reporting by Kemal Aslan and Bulent Usta; Editing by Michael Perry) (Adds background, previous Bernhardt comments) By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The Trump administration's plans to expand offshore drilling are on hold after a March court ruling blocked drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told the Wall Street Journal. The newly-confirmed secretary in an article published on Thursday said the agency's five-year plan for oil and gas drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf would be sidelined indefinitely as it waits for the case to go through the appeals process. By the time the court rules, that may be discombobulating to our plan, Bernhardt told the Journal. A federal judge in Alaska on March 30 ruled that President Donald Trump's 2017 order to revoke the Obama administration's ban on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans was illegal. Judge Sharon Gleason said that a president could remove certain areas of federal land and waters from development but could not reverse such bans. As the Trump administration appeals the ruling, Bernhardt said it would not release its offshore drilling plans, which Interior and Bureau of Ocean Management officials have said was to be released in the near future. Interior Department spokeswoman Molly Block said in an e-mail, "the secretary was expressing his view that hes grappling with the situation. Theres no further information to share at this time." The 2018 proposal to open up the Atlantic, Pacific and new parts of the Arctic oceans to offshore drilling drew vehement opposition from nearly every coastal state, mainly over environmental concerns related to potential oil spills that could spoil beaches and hurt the lucrative tourism industry. Republican and Democratic governors, senators and congressmen from coastal states ranging from Maine to Georgia and Florida urged Bernhardt to leave their states out of offshore drilling plans ahead of his confirmation. Story continues Since 2018, six states passed legislation or amendments to restrict offshore drilling. Earlier this month, Georgias House of Representatives passed a bill opposing offshore drilling. Last week, South Carolinas Republican-majority Senate advanced a measure that would require the state to block new infrastructure to transport or process offshore oil and gas over fear the Interior Department will open the Atlantic coast to offshore drilling. Bernhardt last month hinted at his confirmation hearing that plans to release the offshore drilling plan were not advancing quickly. "Were at step one, not step seven, Bernhardt told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, adding the plan had yet to be fully drafted. (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; editing by Bill Berkrot) (Adds background) WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump approved the payment of a $2 million bill presented by North Korea to cover its care of comatose American Otto Warmbier, a college student who died shortly after being returned home from 17 months in a North Korean prison, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The Post said an invoice was handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier, 22, was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. Warmbier died six days later. Yun, when asked for comment, said in an email "I cannot comment/confirm on diplomatic exchanges." The U.S. envoy, who was sent to retrieve Warmbier, signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, the Post reported, citing two unidentified people familiar with the situation. We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told Reuters. The bill was sent to the Treasury Department and remained unpaid through 2017, the Post reported. It was not known if the administration later paid the bill. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student visiting North Korea as a tourist, was imprisoned there for 17 months starting in January 2016. North Korea state media said he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for trying to steal an item bearing a propaganda slogan from his hotel. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Doina Chiacu and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish) (Adds background) WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would soon host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House, setting the stage for a possible agreement on trade between the world's two largest economies. The White House said on Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would travel to Beijing for additional talks on a trade dispute that has led to tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who will lead the Beijing talks for China, will also travel to Washington for more discussions starting on May 8, it said. "The subjects of next week's discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases, and enforcement," the White House said. Beijing and Washington are seeking a deal to end a bitter trade war that has cost them billions of dollars, disrupted supply chains and rattled financial markets. Trump has said he expects to finalize the deal in a meeting with Xi. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Peter Cooney) (Adds details, background) By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it is inviting top civil aviation officials from around the world to a May 23 meeting to discuss the now-grounded Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft has been involved in two deadly crashes since October. The FAA said the meeting "is intended to provide participants the FAAs safety analysis that will inform its decision to return the 737 MAX fleet to service in the U.S. when it is made." The FAA, which did not disclose where the meeting will take place, said that at the May 23 meeting it will "provide safety experts to answer any questions participants have related to their respective decisions to return the fleet to service." It will not include Boeing at the meeting. The meeting is separate from a joint governmental review of the Boeing 737 MAX led by the FAA that will begin on April 29 and will include nine other aviation regulators from around the world. The FAA has said a decision on when to unground the plane is separate from that joint review. Boeing has announced a planned software update on the 737 MAX to prevent erroneous data from triggering an anti-stall system known as MCAS that is under scrutiny following the two disastrous nose-down crashes. It has not yet submitted the software to the FAA for formal approval. Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said last week the manufacturer is making steady progress on the path to certifying a software update to the grounded 737 MAX and has made the final test flight before a certification flight. The FAA said this month it was forming an international team to review the safety of the aircraft, grounded worldwide following two deadly crashes - in Indonesia in October and in Ethiopia last month - that killed nearly 350 people. China, the European Aviation Safety Agency, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates will all take part in the review set to last 90 days, the FAA said. The review is chaired by former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Chris Hart and is comprised of a team of experts from the FAA, NASA and international aviation authorities. The group will conduct a comprehensive review of the certification of the aircrafts automated flight control system. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines Co have canceled flights into August as a result of the grounding. (Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Cynthia Osterman) (Adds comment from Republican state legislative leader, details from ruling) By Joseph Ax April 25 (Reuters) - A panel of federal judges on Thursday ordered Michigan's Republican-controlled legislature to redraw nearly three dozen state and U.S. congressional districts, ruling that the existing lines illegally dilute the power of Democratic voters. The decision gives lawmakers until Aug. 1 to approve new district maps, which would need to be signed by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. If legislators fail to do so, or if the court finds the new district lines are similarly unconstitutional, the judges said they would draw the maps themselves. The redrawn districts would take effect in time for the 2020 elections. The court also ordered Michigan to hold special state Senate elections next year, rather than in 2022 as scheduled, in any gerrymandered districts. The state's 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are also up for election next year, and a majority of them could have new boundaries under the court's ruling. The decision is likely a boon for Democrats, who in 2018 failed to win a majority of the seats in the state House of Representatives, state Senate or the state's U.S. congressional delegation despite winning the overall popular vote in all three cases. "Today, this court joins the growing chorus of federal courts that have, in recent years, held that partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional," U.S. District Judge Eric Clay, an appointee of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, wrote for a unanimous three-judge panel. Partisan gerrymandering is the process by which one party draws legislative districts to weaken the other party's voters. The lines are typically redrawn once a decade after the U.S. census, and in many states the party in power controls the decision-making. In late March, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether such gerrymandering violates the U.S. Constitution in a case stemming from the electoral maps in Maryland and North Carolina. Story continues The Supreme Court has historically been reluctant to assert judicial oversight over what has always been a political undertaking. The judges in the Michigan case said the gerrymandered map "gives Republicans a strong, systematic, and durable structural advantage in Michigan's elections and decidedly discriminates against Democrats." The result is a violation of Democratic voters' constitutional right under the First Amendment to freely associate, the court said. "Federal courts must not abdicate their responsibility to protect American voters from this unconstitutional and pernicious practice that undermines our democracy," the judges wrote. Republican lawmakers, who intervened in the case, will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said. "We will prepare to comply with this most recent ruling while we await the outcome of the appeal," Shirkey said in a statement. The Supreme Court could choose to put the Michigan ruling on hold until it issues its own decision, which is expected by June. The lawsuit was filed by a number of Democratic voters and by the League of Women Voters of Michigan. Michigan was key to U.S. President Donald Trump's victory in 2016, when he became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the state's support in nearly 30 years. The state is likely to be a major battleground state next year, when Trump runs for a second term. (Reporting by Joseph Ax Editing by Alistair Bell and Tom Brown) * Critics say it is unfair to Russian-speaking minority * Poroshenko expected to sign law before stepping down * Many speak both Ukrainian and Russian * Language more sensitive issue after Russia annexed Crimea (Adds Russian foreign ministry, Ukrainian opposition reaction) By Pavel Polityuk KIEV, April 25 (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament approved a law on Thursday that grants special status to the Ukrainian language and makes it mandatory for public sector workers, a move Russia described as divisive and said discriminated against Russian-speakers. The law, which obliges all citizens to know the Ukrainian language and makes it a mandatory requirement for civil servants, soldiers, doctors, and teachers, was championed by outgoing President Petro Poroshenko. He is expected to sign it into law before he leaves office in coming weeks after losing re-election on Sunday to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, an actor who mainly speaks Russian in public. Ukrainian is the predominant language in western Ukraine, while Russian is predominant in much of the east. Both languages are spoken widely in the capital Kiev, and a large proportion of the population speaks both fluently. Television is often bi-lingual, with talk show hosts and their guests slipping between the two languages, sometimes asking questions in one and answering them in another. Language has become a much more sensitive issue since 2014, when a pro-Russian president was toppled in a popular revolt and Russia responded by annexing the Crimea region and backing a pro-Russian separatist uprising in the east. The separatists argued in part that easterners were victims of growing discrimination against Russian-speakers. Some Ukrainian-speakers argue that the prominence of Russian is a legacy of the Soviet era that undermines Ukraine's identity. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order simplifying the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport for residents of eastern Ukraine's rebellious regions, prompting calls from Kiev for more international sanctions. Story continues Poroshenko put promotion of the Ukrainian language at the heart of his unsuccessful re-election campaign. Zelenskiy, who played a schoolteacher-turned-president in a Russian-language comedy series on Ukrainian TV before launching his political career, said on Thursday his team would examine the new law to see if the rights of all citizens were respected. "We must initiate and adopt laws and decisions that consolidate society, and not vice versa," he wrote on Facebook. Zelenskiy said the draft law's origins during the electoral cycle "made it hostage to political rhetoric," adding that it was hard to predict the consequences of adopting the law. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the new law would deepen divisions within Ukrainian society and impose severe limitations, including in some cases bans, on the use of Russian in Ukrainian public life. Viktor Medvedchuk, a prominent figure in Ukraine's Russia-friendly opposition, said it violated the constitutional rights of millions of Ukrainian Russian-speakers. STANDING OVATION The new legislation requires TV and film distribution firms to ensure 90 percent of their content is in Ukrainian and for the proportion of Ukrainian-language printed media and books to be at least 50 percent. Computer software must also have a Ukrainian-language interface although the law also allows the use of English or any other official language of the European Union. Lawmakers gave a standing ovation after the law was passed and sang the national anthem. Hundreds of people with Ukrainian flags had gathered outside parliament to support the law. "This is a historic moment, which Ukrainians have been awaiting for centuries, because for centuries Ukrainians have tried to achieve the right to their own language," one of the authors of the bill, Mykola Knyazhytsky, said before the vote. The make-up of the parliament has not changed since Zelenskiy's election win and remains dominated by a coalition supportive of Poroshenko. (Additional reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Matthias Williams, Alison Williams and Peter Graff) * Trong fell ill on April 14 - diplomatic sources * 75-year-old expected to return to work "soon" - foreign ministry * Reuters unable to determine seriousness of Trong's condition * Foreign ministry says weather, workload, affected Trong's health * Trong stepping down could shift power balance in Vietnam (Updates to show picture available with story) By James Pearson HANOI, April 25 (Reuters) - Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong, the architect of the Southeast Asian country's anti-corruption drive, has been suffering from an unspecified illness, four diplomatic sources have told Reuters. Trong was admitted to the 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, the diplomatic sources said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue in the communist-ruled country. In the first official comments on the 75-year-old Vietnamese leader's health since his last public appearance 11 days ago, foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said on Thursday that Trong's health had been affected by a "heavy workload" and "changeable weather conditions." Hang did not say how serious Trong's condition was, but added that he would "resume his normal duties soon," without elaborating. Reuters was unable to determine how serious Trong's condition was, or if he was still in hospital. "We have no knowledge of his condition or how fit he is to carry out any official functions," one of the diplomatic sources said. The sources said Trong, who is both president of the country and general secretary of the Communist Party, fell ill on his birthday on April 14 in the southern province of Kien Giang, where - according to state media - he had been visiting local agricultural and industrial projects. The health of Vietnam's leadership is by law considered a state secret and, before Thursday's foreign ministry statement, state media had not reported on Trong's health. Story continues In the absence of information, unconfirmed rumor and speculation about Trong's condition has spread quickly on social media. On Monday, after Trong was taken ill, his name was trending on Google in Vietnam. Trong has presided over a widespread crackdown on corruption in Vietnam that has seen several high-ranking ministers and politicians, including one Politburo member, handed prison terms on charges ranging from embezzlement to economic mismanagement. The crackdown, which is viewed by critics as being politically motivated, has also led to the arrest of several high-ranking police officers and prominent businessmen. Officially, Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is led collectively by the president, prime minister, Communist Party chief, and chair of the National Assembly. But Trong added the role of president to his existing role of Communist Party General Secretary in September last year following the death of former President Tran Dai Quang. If the two positions were to become vacant it could spark a shift in the balance of power in Vietnam ahead of the next meeting of the Party congress, the country's supreme body, in early 2021. (Reporting by James Pearson Editing by John Chalmers, Alex Richardson and Neil Fullick) (Combines Miller refusal to testify with House Committees' demands for documents) By Mark Hosenball and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The chairmen of three U.S. House committees sought documents on Thursday related to recent Trump administration firings of top Department of Homeland Security officials, escalating tensions between congressional Democrats and the White House over immigration policy. U.S. Representatives Elijah Cummings, Bennie Thompson and Jerrold Nadler, Democrats who head the House of Representatives Oversight, Homeland Security and Judiciary committees, said in a statement they were "concerned that the president may have removed DHS officials because they refused his demands to violate federal immigration law and judicial orders." The chairmen said they were particularly interested in documents relating to recent moves by President Donald Trump and Stephen Miller, a former congressional aide who has become a top presidential adviser on immigration, to purge DHS of "senior leaders" who "reportedly refused orders to violate the law." The committee leaders' move followed a White House declaration that it was refusing a request from the Oversight Committee for Miller to testify before the panel. In a letter to the committee on Wednesday, the White House said Miller would not testify about administration immigration initiatives, including Trump's policy of separating migrant children from their parents and his threat to send immigrants in the country illegally to so-called sanctuary cities. "In accordance with longstanding precedent, we respectfully decline the invitation to make Mr. Miller available for testimony before the committee," the White House counsel said in the letter, which was provided to Reuters on Thursday. The Republican president is pushing back against legal requests from Democratic-led House committees, which are conducting wide-ranging investigations of Trump and his administration, including his tax returns, White House security clearances and possible obstruction of justice by Trump. Story continues DHS DEPARTURES In their Thursday letter, the Democratic committee chairmen noted that DHS recently announced the departures of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, the department's undersecretary for management, the director of the U.S. Secret Service and the acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Cummings, whose committee has launched multiple investigations into Trump administration and White House policies, accused Trump on Wednesday of an "unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction" after he ordered federal employees not to comply with congressional investigations. Cummings on April 17 invited Miller to testify voluntarily about why the administration decided to separate immigrant children from their parents at the border. Cummings also called for an explanation of "transferring asylum seekers to sanctuary cities as a form of illegal retribution against your political adversaries, and firing top administration officials who refuse orders to violate the law." Trump has said he is considering sending immigrants in the country illegally to jurisdictions that have adopted some form of "sanctuary city" policies in which they refuse to use their resources to help federal agents enforce deportations. Miller, a former Senate aide, helped shape some of Trump's most contentious immigration policies, from a ban on Muslim immigrants proposed shortly after Trump took office in 2017 to the child separation policy, both of which were rejected by courts. The oversight panel could move to subpoena Miller, but the White House could invoke executive privilege to protect his discussions with Trump. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Roberta Rampton and Mark Hosenball; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Peter Cooney) (Adds Facebook comment, background on FTC investigation) By David Shepardson April 25 (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Letitia James said on Thursday she is investigating Facebook Inc's unauthorized storage of up to 1.5 million Facebook users' email contact databases, the latest privacy issue to affect the U.S. social media giant. Last week, Facebook said it may have "unintentionally uploaded" email contacts of up to 1.5 million new users since May 2016, adding that the "contacts were not shared with anyone and we are deleting them." James said on Thursday in a statement that when the individuals' contacts were taken into account "the total number of people whose information was improperly obtained may be hundreds of millions." Facebook said in an emailed statement that it was "in touch with the New York State attorney general's office and are responding to their questions on this matter." James called last week's disclosure "the latest demonstration that Facebook does not take seriously its role in protecting our personal information." "It is time Facebook is held accountable for how it handles consumers' personal information," she added. On Wednesday, Facebook said it had set aside $3 billion to cover a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over privacy issues. The FTC has been investigating revelations that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million of its users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The probe has focused on whether the sharing of data and other disputes violated a 2011 agreement with the FTC to safeguard user privacy. The settlement accrual, which Facebook set at $3 billion but said could rise as high as $5 billion, cut the company's net income in the first quarter to $2.43 billion, or 85 cents per share. Several Democrats in Congress on Wednesday said a $5 billion fine would amount to a "slap on the wrist" for Facebook. (Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Bill Berkrot and Rosalba O'Brien) A 13-year-old girl who was placed on life support after being attacked by three other girls has died, according to ABC 13. Kashala Francis, a student at Attucks Middle School, died Wednesday morning at Texas Children's Hospital, six days after being beaten up after class last week, police and her mother Mamie Jackson said. Doctors discovered a tumor in the back of Francis' head while she was on life support and believed the fight may have worsened her condition. Authorities are treating Francis' death as a homicide pending an autopsy, said Victor Senties, a spokesman for the Houston police. "Until the autopsy is finished, we won't know," he told the station. Photo: Facebook In a video of last Thursday's assault, several girls can be seen attacking Francis while laughing. One of the girls allegedly kicked her in the head. Though Francis returned home that day claiming she was fine, she called her mother three days later to complain of a headache. "I drove over and I told her get up. I said 'Get up, Kashala.' She kept saying, 'Mama, my head hurt,' so she laid down," Jackson said. When Francis lost consciousness, Jackson said she called 911. Paramedics took the middle schooler to the hospital, where she slipped into a coma. While operating on her, doctors found the tumor in her head. "We found out she has a large tumor in the back of her head, and she had fluid buildup in her brain," Jackson said. Police are unsure whether Francis ultimately died due to the tumor or the fight and have not made any arrests. * Banks cite risks of getting deal done, restructuring costs * Announcement came during the sixth week of talks * Raises questions about future of both banks * Deutsche shares up 1.1 percent, Commerzbank off 2.6 pct (Updates with Commerzbank employee survey, fund manager, Bundesbank comment, CFO) By Andreas Framke, Arno Schuetze and Tom Sims FRANKFURT, April 25 (Reuters) - German hopes of creating a national banking champion able to challenge global competitors were dashed on Thursday when Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank ended merger talks due to the risks of doing a deal, restructuring costs and capital demands. Germany's two largest banks announced that nearly six weeks of high-level negotiations about a tie-up had ended in failure, confirming an earlier Reuters report and immediately raising questions about the future of the Frankfurt-based rivals. The decision to ditch the talks followed a final early morning meeting between Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Christian Sewing and his Commerzbank counterpart Martin Zielke, two sources told Reuters. Both CEOs said a deal would not have created sufficient benefits to offset the risks and costs of a merger, which had been opposed by unions fearing 30,000 job losses, and raised concerns among investors and regulators. While the talks are over, investors doubt either bank can go it alone for long under their current strategies given their low levels of profitability. German government officials, led by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, had pushed for a tie-up to create a national banking champion and end questions over the future of both banks, which have struggled to recover since the financial crisis. Deutsche Bank's 2018 return on equity was just 0.4 percent, trailing far behind rival U.S., and increasingly other European, investment banks, while Zielke said this month that Commerzbank does not have the market share for costly investments, fueling speculation of an alternative tie-up if talks fell through. Story continues Shares in Commerzbank were 2.1 percent lower at 1235 GMT. Deutsche Bank traded 0.3 percent lower, erasing earlier gains. Deutsche Bank will now face pressure to make more radical changes, such as cuts to its U.S. investment bank as advocated by regulators and some major investors. It is already looking at a deal for its asset management unit DWS. "Deutsche Bank will continue to review all alternatives," Germany's largest bank said. BIDDERS IN THE WINGS Employees of both banks immediately welcomed the news, although a senior Commerzbank manager acknowledged it opened the door to further uncertainty as foreign competitors circle. "It is clear that others will now come out of the woodwork with offers and ideas," the manager told Reuters. Doing nothing is "not an option," Zielke has told his staff, 82 percent of whom were against a merger in an internal survey. Both UniCredit and ING Groep have expressed interest in Commerzbank, which is Germany's No. 2 lender and 15 percent owned by the government, sources have said. UniCredit and ING declined to comment after news that talks between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank had failed. Some major Deutsche Bank investors had questioned the deal's logic and were unwilling to stump up any extra cash to get it done, while credit ratings agencies had warned of risks. The European Central Bank would have asked Deutsche Bank to raise fresh funds before it gave the go-ahead for a merger, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. . The German central bank, which helps oversee the banks, stressed their individual health, calling them sound and stable. "This was the case prior to discussions, during discussions and now without qualification," Bundesbank executive board member Joachim Wuermeling said. Deutsche Bank also published preliminary earnings in which it said it expects to post a first-quarter net profit of about 200 million euros ($223 million), beating analysts' expectations of 29 million. "A merger would have been an enormously complicated and protracted undertaking. In the end, reason has won," said Ingo Speich, head of sustainability and corporate governance at Deka Investment, a shareholder in both banks, adding they urgently need to address their strategies. Alexandra Annecke, portfolio manager at Union Investment, which also holds shares in Deutsche Bank, said it needs to focus on increasing profitability, especially at its investment bank. Deutsche Bank's finance chief James von Moltke told CNBC that the U.S. investment bank is "a core part of our strategy." Gerhard Schick, finance activist at Finanzwende and a former member of the German parliament, welcomed the end of talks but cautioned that Deutsche Bank remains "too great a risk." "The bank is still far too large and would probably have to be rescued in an emergency," he said, with reference to the likelihood of Deutsche Bank needing to turn to the state to keep it afloat if it ran into difficulty. (Reporting by Hans Seidenstuecker, Andreas Framke, Arno Schuetze, Tom Sims, Francesco Canepa, Frank Siebelt; Additional reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam and Gianluca Semeraro in Milan; Editing by Sabine Wollrab, Tassilo Hummel, Michelle Martin and Alexander Smith) (Adds comments, updates throughout) By John Whitesides and James Oliphant WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, a moderate who has made his appeal to working-class voters who deserted the Democrats in 2016 a key part of his political identity, launched a bid for the White House on Thursday as the party's instant frontrunner. Biden announced the third presidential bid of his career by video on YouTube and other social media. He is expected to make his first public appearance as a candidate on Monday at an event in Pittsburgh featuring union members, a key constituency. In his video, Biden drew a stark contrast between himself and President Donald Trump. "Everything that has made America America is at stake," he said, adding: "I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and let that happen." Biden, 76, had been wrestling for months over whether to run. His candidacy will face numerous questions, including whether he is too old and too centrist for a Democratic Party yearning for fresh faces and increasingly propelled by its more vocal liberal wing. Biden starts as leader of the pack in opinion polls of a Democratic field of 20 contenders seeking a chance to challenge Trump, the likely Republican nominee, in November 2020. Critics say his standing in polls is largely a function of name recognition for the former U.S. senator from Delaware, whose more than four decades in public service includes eight years as President Barack Obama's No. 2 in the White House. Obama's spokeswoman Katie Hill said in a statement after Biden's announcement that Obama has long said selecting Biden to be his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made. The statement fell short of a formal endorsement, but said Obama relied on Biden's insight, knowledge and judgment through both election campaigns and his entire presidency. Story continues As speculation about his bid mounted, Biden faced new questions about his propensity for touching and kissing strangers at political events, with several women coming forward to say he had made them feel uncomfortable. Biden struggled in his response to the concerns, at times joking about his behavior. But ultimately, he apologized and said he recognized standards for personal conduct had evolved in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Trump and his allies seized on the flap, attempting to weaken the incumbent president's likely top rival before Biden entered the race. Even so, Biden was determined to push forward, arguing that his background, experience and resume best positioned him to take on Trump next year. In a speech to union members in April, Biden called Trump a "tragedy in two acts." "This country cant afford more years of a president looking to settle personal scores," he said. In his announcement on Thursday, Biden held up the example of the August 2017 attack at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that killed a female counterprotester as a defining moment for the nation. "It was there ... we saw (Ku Klux) Klansmen and white supremacists and neo-Nazis come out in the open ... bearing the fangs of racism," Biden said, criticizing Trump's remarks at the time that there were "very fine people on both sides." There was no moral equivalence between racists and those fighting such inequality, he said. "In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime," said Biden. Biden's candidacy will offer early hints about whether Democrats are more interested in finding a centrist who can win over the white working-class voters who backed Trump in 2016, or someone who can fire up the party's diverse progressive wing, such as Senators Kamala Harris of California, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, or Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. His long history in the Senate, where Biden was a leading voice on foreign policy, will give liberal activists plenty to criticize. As Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, he angered women's rights activists with his handling of sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas during the justice's 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings. He also has been censured over his ties to the financial industry, which is prominent in his home state of Delaware, and for his authorship of a 1994 crime act that led to increased incarceration rates. Biden has been one of the party's more aggressive Trump critics. Last year, he said he would have "beat the hell" out of Trump if the two were in high school because of the way the president has talked about women. That prompted Trump to call him "Crazy Joe Biden" and to claim on Twitter that Biden would "go down fast and hard, crying all the way" if they fought. Biden later lamented the exchange, saying: "I shouldn't get down in the mosh pit with this guy." Known for his verbal gaffes on the campaign trail, Biden failed to gain traction with voters during his previous runs in 1988 and 2008. He dropped his 1988 bid amid allegations he had plagiarized some of his stump oratory and early academic work. But his experience and strong debate performances in 2008 impressed Obama enough that he tapped Biden as his running mate. Biden decided against a 2016 presidential bid after a lengthy public period of indecision, as he struggled with doubts over whether he and his family were ready for a grueling campaign while mourning his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in May 2015. His son had urged him to run. Biden faced some of the same family considerations this time around as he continues to cope with Beau's demise, while his other son, Hunter, has gone through a divorce. (Reporting by John Whitesides and James Oliphant; additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Rich McKay and Ginger Gibson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Jonathan Oatis, Peter Graff and Bernadette Baum) (Adds that U.N. Security Council met on the issue in paragraph 6) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 25 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday there was nothing wrong with easing rules for residents of Ukrainian rebel regions to receive Russian passports, a decision that prompted condemnation and calls for more sanctions against Moscow. Speaking to reporters at the end of a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Putin said Poland, Romania and Hungary grant citizenship to their ethnic kin outside their borders and he saw no reason why Russia could not do the same. "It caused a negative reaction. That's strange," Putin said. "How are Russians in Ukraine worse than Romanians, Poles or Hungarians? I don't see anything unusual here." Putin signed an order on Wednesday saying that residents of the Donestk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine were entitled to apply for Russian citizenship under an expedited procedure to be processed within three months. The United Nations Security Council met to discuss the issue on Thursday at the request of Ukraine. The 15-member body is unable to take any action as Russia is one of five permanent veto powers. The European Union condemned Russia's move on Thursday, calling it another attack by Moscow on Ukraine's sovereignty. "The timing ... shows Russia's intention to further destabilize Ukraine and to exacerbate the conflict," the spokesperson for the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement. Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who won a presidential election in a landslide on Sunday, said the Russian move showed Moscow was waging war in Ukraine and called for additional sanctions against Russia. Rebellions broke out against Ukrainian government rule in east Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2014 shortly after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Kiev in a popular revolt. Moscow, which also annexed Ukraine's Crimea region that year, provided military help for the separatists in the east, according to evidence gathered by Reuters, although Russian officials have denied providing material support. Story continues Five years of war have killed 13,000 people. A ceasefire signed in 2015 ended major combat but deadly clashes still occur regularly. The United States and the EU have maintained financial sanctions against Russia since 2014 over its Ukraine policies. Putin said on Thursday that Moscow was willing to work with Zelenskiy if he implemented the full terms of the 2015 truce agreements, brokered in the Belarus capital Minsk with international support. Both sides accuse each other of violating the agreements. "If those coming to power in Kiev find the strength to implement the Minsk agreements, we will do all we can to cooperate and we will do everything to normalize the situation in south-eastern Ukraine," Putin said. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Maria Vasilyeva in Vladivostok, Jan Strupczewski in Brussels, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations Writing by Christian Lowe and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber Editing by Gareth Jones, Peter Graff and Sandra Maler) (Adds details of mutual gifts, Kim quote, edits) * Putin, Kim met on island off Russian Pacific port * Russia hoped to burnish credentials as global player * Visit follows failure of Kim's nuclear talks with Trump * Putin says he'll inform U.S., China about the talks By Vladimir Soldatkin and Maria Vasilyeva VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 25 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program. Putin and Kim held a day of talks on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. The talks between Putin and Kim did not appear to have yielded any major breakthrough. But Putin, keen to use the summit to burnish Russia's diplomatic credentials as a global player, said he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue. That would mean including Russia, China, Japan and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea, a long-standing format that has been sidelined by unilateral U.S. efforts to broker a deal. "They (the North Koreans) only need guarantees about their security. That's it. All of us together need to think about this," Putin told reporters after talks with Kim. ."..I'm deeply convinced that if we get to a situation when some kind of security guarantees are needed from one party, in this case for North Korea, that it won't be possible to get by without international guarantees. It's unlikely that any agreements between two countries will be enough." Such guarantees would have to be international, legally-binding, and vouch for North Korea's sovereignty, said Putin. Story continues The two leaders appeared to get on well. The first session between Putin and Kim, comprising one-on-one talks with just a few aides present, lasted twice as long as the 50 minutes allocated in the schedule. Putin described Kim as "quite open" and as "thoughtful" and "interesting." MUSIC AND GIFTS Promising to brief the Chinese and U.S. leadership about his talks, Putin said he thought a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear program was possible and that the way to get there was to move forward step-by-step in order to build trust. Kim, who arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday on board his armored train, said the situation on the Korean peninsula "is an issue that the world is very interested in." He did not speak to the media afterwards, but shook hands with Putin before being driven away in his limousine. The two leaders had earlier attended a gala dinner where they toasted each other and watched traditional musical numbers and dancing performed by Russian artists. The numbers included the Russian classic song "Black Eyes" and a Korean song called "the Great Commander," Russian state media reported. The two men also exchanged gifts. Kim gave Putin a traditional Korean sword, while the Russian leader gave Kim a saber and a tea service suitable for use on his armored train. "When modern weapons did not exist, they used such swords," Russian state media cited Kim as telling Putin. "They embody strength, my soul and our people who support you." With North Korea-U.S. talks stalled, the summit in Vladivostok has provided Pyongyang with an opportunity to improve ties with its giant neighbor Russia. For the Kremlin, the summit was a chance to show it remains an important actor on the global stage despite efforts by the United States and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding international sanctions until North Korea dismantles its nuclear program, Russia's room for maneuver, beyond putting on a show of camaraderie, was limited. Putin's last summit with a North Korean leader was in 2002 when his counterpart was Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, then Russia's president and now its prime minister. (Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee in SEOUL and Maria Kiselyova, Darya Korsunskaya and Maxim Rodionov in MOSCOW Writing by Christian Lowe/Andrew Osborn Editing by Gareth Jones) (Adds additional comments from former U.S. diplomat Joseph Yun) WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump approved payment of a $2 million bill presented by North Korea to cover its care of comatose American Otto Warmbier, a college student who died shortly after being returned home from 17 months in a North Korean prison, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The Post said an invoice was handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier, 22, was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. Warmbier died six days later. The U.S. envoy, who was sent to retrieve Warmbier, signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, the Post reported, citing two unidentified people familiar with the situation. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told Reuters. Yun also told Reuters he could not comment on diplomatic exchanges. But in an interview with CNN on Thursday, he said he was given broad orders to secure Warmbier's release and he understood the instructions came directly from Trump. "Yes, my orders were completely: Do whatever you can to get Otto back," he told CNN. Yun said he understood that money had been exchanged in previous releases of U.S. prisoners and was justified as "hospital costs," but he gave no further details. In another interview on CNN, Yun said the United States did not pay any ransom for American prisoners held by Pyongyang while he was the special representative for North Korea. He left the post in March 2018. The bill was sent to the Treasury Department and remained unpaid through 2017, the Post reported. It was not known if the administration later paid the bill. Representatives for the State Department did not respond to a request for comment. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student visiting North Korea as a tourist, was imprisoned in January 2016. North Korea state media said he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for trying to steal an item bearing a propaganda slogan from his hotel. Story continues Reached by phone, Fred Warmbier, Otto Warmbier's father, declined to comment on the report or to confirm the Post's account that he had said the hospital bill sounded like ransom. Trump has denied paying North Korea to release hostages. "I got back our hostages; I never paid them anything," he said at a September news conference. Warmbier's parents issued a sharp statement in March after Trump said he believed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's assertion not to have known how their son was treated. The U.S. president also praised Kim's leadership after their second summit collapsed in February in Hanoi when the two sides failed to reach a deal for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto," Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in March. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that." Trump said later he held North Korea responsible for the young man's death. A U.S. court in December ordered North Korea to pay $501 million in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain. Pyongyang blamed botulism and ingestion of a sleeping pill and dismissed torture claims. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Doina Chiacu and David Brunnstrom; additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Eric Beech Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish) Beijing (AFP) - Sitting lotus-style on an apartment floor, two women quietly rotate their arms in front of them -- a rare sight in China where public displays of Falungong meditation have all but disappeared. It is a shadow of the spiritual movement's heyday in China, where the group once boasted more than 70 million followers before it was outlawed in 1999, giving police carte blanche to persecute members. But 20 years on, the group has remained stubbornly persistent, even as practitioners in mainland China continue to face arrests and torture, according to rights groups. Before the crackdown, Falungong members would congregate in parks in large numbers to practise "qigong" meditation. Now they do their slow movement exercises behind closed doors. "It doesn't matter how the Communist Party suppresses (Falungong), I don't think about it too much," one of the women, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, told AFP. "I just do what I want to do," she said. Falungong, which emphasises moral teachings, was once encouraged by Chinese authorities to ease the burden on a creaky health system after it was unveiled in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, who emigrated to the US four years later. But after over 10,000 Falungong members surrounded Communist Party headquarters in central Beijing on April 25, 1999, to protest the detention of some of their members, the government leapt into action. Then-president Jiang Zemin issued orders to eliminate the group, which was later declared an "evil cult" -- a tactic to justify the repression, scholars say. Top officials "see Falungong, first and foremost, as an ideological and political threat", Maria Cheung, a University of Manitoba professor who has researched the movement, told AFP. The demonstration had been the biggest protest in Beijing since the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy sit-in in 1989. - 'Flesh and blood' - Following the protest, Chinese authorities launched a special security bureau known as the "610 office" to suppress and monitor Falungong followers. Story continues Practitioners and rights groups have also reported death, torture, and abuse at labour camps. One woman from northern China recounted a traumatic period when her father was pressured by local authorities to beat his younger sister, who was a "very resolute practitioner of Falungong". He was "forced to break his own flesh and blood, resulting in my aunt hating her own brother for many years," she told AFP, shuddering with tears. David Ownby, a history professor at the University of Montreal who has studied Falungong, said cults emerge in China because the officially atheist state has successfully kept traditional religions weak. "That means that part of the market is open to groups that are not sanctioned," he said. "That is the basic paradox at the heart of the religion policy." A Falungong follower in China, who joined in 2010, told AFP that her dissatisfaction with society and family life turned her towards the spiritual movement. "I thought that maybe a bit of (religious) faith would make me better," she said, adding that she had also been exposed to Buddhism. While Falungong survives underground in mainland China, it has swelled among the Chinese diaspora, as followers have fled overseas in search of asylum. Falungong is practised in over 70 countries, according to Falun Dafa Info Centre, the group's press office. The movement has also turned "hard-edged" over the years, said Ownby, with some academics reporting harassment for calling Falungong a sect or cult. Levi Browde, the centre's executive director, said he believes if harassment has occurred, it is simply an effort by Falungong practitioners "to provide more information to the scholars". - More political stance - It is about "making sure we're not adding momentum to the wave of violence and death that engulfs the lives of Falungong practitioners throughout China", he said. The spiritual movement has also adopted a more political stance in some parts of the world. In Hong Kong, where Falungong activists hand out flyers and try to talk to people -- especially mainland tourists -- the movement has taken on a stridently anti-communist tone. One key slogan, seen on banners and blared through loudspeakers is: "The heavens will destroy the Chinese Communist Party". Zhang Yucheng, a 76-year-old Falungong member who distributes the anti-communism newspaper The Epoch Times to passers-by in Hong Kong, said he did not join the spiritual movement to be a dissident. "I was a Chinese Communist Party member," he said. But when the party decided to "fight against Falungong and started to tell lies", he felt he was left with no choice. "If one continues to tell the truth, they will end up like me, expelled from the party," Zhang added. Beijing's efforts to eliminate Falungong and other groups it deems heretical show no sign of abating, with dedicated "cult prevention and handling" departments active around the country. More than 900 Falungong followers were sentenced to prison between January 2013 and June 2016, according to a 2017 report by US-based Freedom House. This year, posters appeared on public walls in Beijing warning people against cults, with the message: "wipe your eyes and stay awake". The government is "calm on the surface but controlling underneath" said the Falungong follower from northern China. "I don't think they have loosened up." "Whether it's wire-tapping or contacting you time and again," she said, "they still want to control". HOUSTON Elizabeth Odunsi worries about her brothers and other black male family and friends. She fears that a chance encounter with police will end in tragedy. The 34-year-old Houston resident, whose mother is from Nigeria, also worries about cousins who are Dreamers, young immigrants protected from deportation under the policy of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). For her, immigration and criminal justice, along with health care. are issues that strike on a personal level and she wants to see a presidential contender who will go beyond lip service and buzz words. Showing up is not enough. She wants action. Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, answers questions during a presidential forum held by She The People on the Texas State University campus Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. That's why she came to Texas Southern University on Wednesday for an event billed as the first presidential candidate forum targeting issues that matter to women of color. The three-hour forum, which featured eight declared Democratic candidates, was sponsored by She the People and drew about 2,000 attendees from 28 states. More: Black students say they want 2020 candidates' issues, not pandering, ahead of She the People forum More: Who is running for president in 2020? An interactive guide Presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, former Rep. Beto ORourke and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro spoke to the crowd about housing and health care, criminal justice, voting rights, gentrification and climate change. Members of the lively crowd in return called out answers that fell short and candidates who swerved around questions. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waves as he attends a presidential forum held by She The People on the Texas State University campus Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) There were few surprises: Sanders touted his long record of advocating against income inequality and mentioned marching with Martin Luther King Jr. (a response that elicited groans from the audience). Booker, who served as mayor of Newark, New Jersey, spoke of how climate change impacts communities of color. O'Rourke noted that his hometown of El Paso, Texas, is one of the safest cities in the country as he voiced support for immigrants and immigration. Story continues Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., answers questions during a presidential forum held by She The People on the Texas State University campus Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) Warren garnered standing ovations for her proposal to tackle the crisis of maternal mortality among African American women (by giving hospitals a bonus for reducing rates and fining them if they fail to do so) and for her standard response to almost every question: "I have a plan." Several of the candidates took swipes at the current White House resident. Booker said President Donald Trump's rhetoric has helped incite right-wing extremism, and Sanders condemned the president's "racism, sexism and homophobia." The questions came from moderators and audience members who reflected the diversity among women of color: a caregiver from Miami, a restaurant worker from New Orleans, a Native American activist and several undocumented immigrants. Presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar answers questions during a presidential forum held by She The People on the Texas State University campus Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) The forum signaled a rising awareness of the critical role women of color especially black women have long played in elections and the clout they expect to wield in the 2020 presidential race. They helped lead voter turnout efforts last year, including in governor's races in Georgia and Florida, where Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum edged close to victory. They helped Democrat Doug Jones clinch the 2017 Senate race in Alabama. They helped make this Congress the most diverse in history by supporting women candidates of color. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., answers questions during a presidential forum held by She The People on the Texas State University campus Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) Wendy Smooth, associate professor in the Department of Women's Gender & Sexuality Studies at Ohio State University, called the forum an important event for Democrats to be "a lot more serious about their engagement with women of color and particularly black women. Its up to the candidates to make a true connection with women of color, which means more than saying, I see women of color, I know women of color.' Weve seen that before," Smooth said. Its important that we see candidates who are actually engaging with issues that women of color are concerned about." Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro greets the audience before answering questions during a presidential forum held by She The People on the Texas State University campus Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) The location of the forum drove home that message, with multiple layers of history and relevance. It took place in Texas, long a solidly red state but a potential pivotal battleground after ORourke ran a competitive Senate campaign against Republican Ted Cruz. Houston is in Harris County, the third-largest and one of the most racially and ethnically diverse metro areas in the country, where 17 African American women judges running under the slogan Black Girl Magic were elected to the bench in the midterms in November. And Texas Southern University is one of the countrys 101 historically black universities, institutions created before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to serve African-Americans. Former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke answers questions during a presidential forum held by She The People on the Texas State University campus Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) It's a welcoming place to have a discussion about what Democratic candidates are thinking, said Rickey Hill, retired chair of the political science department at Jackson State University. One would think that there is a base out there that they can tap into. Michelle Tremillo, executive director and co-founder of the Texas Organizing Project, a grassroots organization that helped turn out 465,000 voters including 270,000 new midterm voters last November, came to the forum with two questions: Who could not only help defeat Trump but would also usher in policies that would change life for the better in communities of color? Who understands and prioritizes criminal justice, immigration, economic justice and the right to a living wage? Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during a presidential forum held by She The People on the Texas State University campus Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) Brianna Brown, deputy director of the Texas Organizing Project, said the forum was an opportunity for candidates to put forth bold policy agendas that center on black women. "We need people speaking directly to us," Brown said, "and doing so unapologetically." After the forum, Odunsi, who supported O'Rourke during his Senate run, described Warren as the standout of the event because of her well-laid-out plans. She was also impressed by Sanders, who vowed that his cabinet would reflect the diversity of the country, and by Harris, who noted the irony that many young black men served time for marijuana offenses yet are blocked from participating in the growing and lucrative legal marijuana industry. "The candidates made me feel like there is hope for real change," she said. "We aren't lost yet." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2020 Democrats pressed for detailed policies and priorities by women of color CHICAGO (AP) A jury has awarded more than $21 million to the family of a Chicago mother of five who was killed during a police chase. Thirty-seven-year-old Maria Carrion-Adame was killed and members of her family injured when a minivan slammed into their vehicle on Dec. 12, 2015. Her family alleged in a lawsuit that Chicago police showed indifference and disregard for the safety of others during the chase. Family attorney Antonio Romanucci contended the officers involved in the chase were in an unmarked car with no sirens engaged and kept going when a sergeant ordered them to stop. The lawsuit named the city of Chicago, three police officers and Trevante Reed, the then-16-year-old who was allegedly driving the stolen vehicle. He is charged with reckless homicide. Chicago law department spokesman Bill McCaffrey said city officials were "disappointed" by the verdict. Photo: Dane Deaner/Unsplash Looking to get out into the community this weekend? From a food and agriculture event to a discussion on autism, there's plenty to do when it comes to community and cultural meetups coming up in Tucson. Read on for a rundown. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Ignite Agave! Enjoy a presentation on food, agriculture and beverages with live music, celebrity chefs and botanists this Friday. Business owners will discuss sustainability and the effect of the agave plant. Specialty cocktails and appetizers will also be served. When: Friday, April 26, 7-10 p.m. Where: Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.. Admission: $5 (General Admission); $45 (VIP) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Cultivate Tucson: Spring 2019 Early Bird Hours Stop by Cultivate Tucson, a pop-up collective of artists and creators, on Saturday for early access to the market and for a chance to meet with vendors. Tickets also include a limited edition tote. When: Saturday, April 27, 8-10 a.m. Where: 1 E Toole Ave. Admission: $15 (advance); $20 (at the door) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Speaker Series: Transition from Youth to Adulthood Join The Autism Society of Southern Arizona this Saturday as they discuss how to prepare children with autism for adulthood. Available services and support systems will be discussed by community experts. When: Saturday, April 27, 9-11:30 a.m. Where: Intermountain Academy, 1100 W. Fresno St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: Medzo Gelato Bar/Yelp Looking for the best new desserts in Seattle? These spots will satisfy all your cravings. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for some desserts. Medzo Gelato Bar 106 James St., Pioneer Square Photo: Medzo Gelato Bar/Yelp Medzo Gelato Bar is a spot to score gelato and more. The gelato shop dishes up homemade creations using organic dairy and natural ingredients. Try the rotating menu of Mediterranean flavors of gelato and sorbet or order from the beverage menu that features Italian hot chocolate, affogato and more. With a five-star Yelp rating out six reviews, Medzo Gelato Bar has been getting positive attention. Yelper Sheri C., who reviewed Medzo Gelato Bar on April 10, wrote, "Medzo is a delightful gelato bar in Pioneer Square that just opened this week. All gelato is made in house from scratch. The service was top notch. I tried the rose, which was delightful." Alex F. noted, "The staff is super nice. I had the peanut butter ice cream and it was amazing! The atmosphere is very nice. I'm not much of a gelato person but this has changed my views entirely." Medzo Gelato Bar is open from noon8 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and noon9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The Barque Brontes 1426 Western Ave., Pike Market Photo: Mandy B./Yelp The Barque Brontes is a cafe and bakery. Order from a rotating menu of pastries like cake pops, croissants, drop cookies and more. The business is the sister-store of Diane's Delights, a dessert catering company. The Barque Brontes currently holds 4.5 stars out of three reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews. Rachel H. noted, "This is a really cute coffee shop right off of Pike Place but doesn't have the crowds that come with the location. It's a good place to grab a coffee and take a break from the chaos." Yelper Angela K. wrote, "This hidden place opened just a month ago, they used to do catering for desserts more than 10 years ago, but now opened a cafe. It is small and pretty chill. The staff is also super friendly." Story continues The Barque Brontes is open from 8 a.m.5 p.m. daily. Lady Yum 116 S. Washington St., Pioneer Square Photo: Michelle C./Yelp Lady Yum is a spot to score macarons and beer, wine and spirits. The dessert spot serves macarons in flavors like oatmeal cookie, honey lavender and unicorn. Stop in for monthly and seasonal varieties, too. The business is the dream-come-true of the owner, Lady Wagstaff, who previously worked as an operations manager for a wealth management firm. Lady Yum's current rating of five stars out of 19 reviews on Yelp indicates positive attention from users. Yelper Andrea C., who was one of the first users to visit Lady Yum on April 17, wrote, "The aesthetics to this place is gorgeous! So Instagram-worthy! The staff was also very informative and friendly." Mark N. noted, "Visiting Seattle and stumbled upon this absolute delight. There are many things they didn't need to do, but the exaggerated disco ball in the center is a statement to their attention to detail. Ordered the Nutella, salted caramel and raspberry chardonnay and we were blown away." Lady Yum is open from 8 a.m.10 p.m. daily. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. * Swedbank creates anti-financial crime unit * Says facing probes from multiple U.S. authorities * Rising costs also weigh on share price (Adds analyst comments, SEC and FSA no comments, details) By Johan Ahlander and Esha Vaish STOCKHOLM, April 25 (Reuters) - Swedbank admitted to failings in combating money laundering on Thursday and said it was under investigation by multiple U.S. authorities, piling more pressure on the bank as it tries to rebuild its reputation. Sweden's oldest bank, whose CEO and chairman have both left as money laundering allegations snowballed, is already facing a joint probe by financial watchdogs in Sweden and the Baltics and another by Sweden's economic crimes body. Swedbank has found itself caught up in a regional money laundering scandal originating with Danske Bank, which said last year that 200 billion euros ($223 billion) of suspicious funds moved through its Estonia branch between 2007 and 2015. Swedish broadcaster SVT has reported that Swedbank processed gross transactions worth up to 20 billion euros a year from high-risk, non-resident clients, mostly Russian, through its Estonian branch from 2010 to 2016. Any action by U.S. authorities, such as the Department of Justice or the Securities and Exchange Commission, is a key concern for investors because of the size of potential U.S. sanctions could dwarf those from local watchdogs and even jeopardize Swedbank's ability to transact in the U.S. dollar. Swedbank did not name the U.S. watchdogs. The SEC and Sweden's financial watchdog declined to comment. Since allegations first surfaced in February, the bank had repeatedly said it had faith in its anti-money laundering procedures and that suspicious transactions that were identified were reported to authorities. But acting CEO Anders Karlsson, who took charge at the end of March, admitted on Thursday that previous internal investigations had indicated shortcomings. He cited reports of certain customers identified in previous money-laundering cases not being flagged, weaknesses in know-your-customer procedures and a lack of reports to the authorities on some suspicious transactions. Story continues "For Swedbank to deserve the trust of customers, authorities, investors, employees and other stakeholders, continuous improvement in our anti-money laundering work is required," Karlsson told reporters. Alecta, the banks's third biggest investor which has criticized its handling of the crisis, praised Thursday's disclosures, which its CEO Magnus Billing said answered a call for greater transparency made by investors. "Swedbank is being transparent, cooperating with the authorities and working to restore trust, which is necessary and positive," he told Reuters. COST RISE Swedbank's shares, which has lost a quarter in value this year, were down 2.4 percent at 151.2 Swedish crowns by 1448 GMT, as the market also looked at lower-than-expected asset quality and common equity tier 1 ratio and worse-than-expected costs. The company reported first-quarter headline costs of 4.52 billion Swedish crowns, a 2 percent miss versus consensus, due to expenses incurred to deal with money laundering allegations and severance paid to its former CEO Birgitte Bonnesen. It forecast additional spending of 1 billion Swedish crowns in 2019, with about 650 million earmarked to hire staff to assist with the various investigations, beef up the compliance unit and set up a new unit to combat all areas of financial crime, Karlsson said. Swedbank announced an in-depth internal probe was under way to review its current and historic customer relationships through its Baltic units, its response to previous internal reviews and its anti-money laundering compliance processes. "It is good that the bank now addresses the problems of money laundering by deepening and broadening the internal analysis," Carina Lundberg Markow, chief strategist on responsible investment at Folksam, Swedbank's second-largest investor, told Reuters. SEB Investment Management, which has halved its stake in Swedbank since the scandal broke, sees it as a positive that the company is acting on a broad front, Hans Ek, acting head of SEB Investment Management said via email. The internal investigation has two goals, Karlsson said. "One is for us to understand what has happened in the past and if there is anything we can learn from that and the second is to manage the different authorities' questions in the best possible way," he told analysts. ($1 = 9.4288 Swedish crowns) ($1 = 0.8966 euros) (Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Esha Vaish; Additional reporting by Niklas Pollard; Editing by Alexander Smith/Keith Weir/Jane Merriman) Earlier this week, Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) released its first-quarter 2019 results, which were mixed overall. The company's earnings beat analysts' consensus estimates. The revenue growth for Verizon's wireless business showed that the telecommunications giant is still able to attract and retain smartphone customers. But the company's net phone losses of 44,000 were larger than some analysts had predicted. To better understand the company's latest quarter, it's worth taking a closer look at how Verizon grew its sales and earnings in the quarter, how much it's shelling out for capital expenditures (and why), and how the company's wireless business could improve in the coming year. Man holding a smartphone and standing before a yellow background. Image source: Getty Images. An earnings beat and raised guidance Verizon's total revenue increased by 1.1% in the quarter. This doesn't seem all that impressive at first blush, but the company's $32.1 billion in sales was on par with analysts' consensus estimate for the quarter. Investors should take note that revenue from Verizon's important wireless segment -- which accounted for 70% of sales in the quarter -- grew by 3.7% year over year to $22.7 billion. That shows that the wireless carrier is successfully growing its wireless business at a time when the wireless industry is about to expand into new, more lucrative tech like 5G (more on that later). On the earnings side, Verizon reported $1.22 per share on $5.16 billion in net income, which was more than enough to beat analysts' consensus estimate of $1.17. That put the company's earnings about 9% higher than the year-ago quarter, when Verizon reported $1.11 per share. The telecom's solid performance in the quarter was enough to cause Verizon's management to raise its full-year earnings guidance. The company now expects low-single-digit-percentage growth for both its adjusted earnings per share and GAAP revenue for the year, up from its previous guidance that earnings would be relatively flat compared to 2018. Story continues Spending on its 5G network ramps up Verizon spent $4.3 billion in the first quarter on capital expenditures, which it said were to "support the launch and continued build-out of its 5G Ultra Wideband network, the growth in data and video traffic on the company's 4G LTE network, the deployment of significant fiber in markets nationwide, and the upgrade to Verizon's Intelligent Edge Network." Additionally, Verizon said that it would spend between $17 billion and $18 billion for the full year and noted that this figure includes the "expanded commercial launch of 5G." You may recall that last year, Verizon replaced its former CEO with Hans Vestberg, its former chief technology officer. The move was primarily seen as a way for Verizon to focus attention on 5G technology as its next area of growth. With the company's increased spending in the quarter (and ultimately over the full year), that appears to be happening. Just this month, Verizon debuted its 5G network in two cities, and the company expects 5G to bring wireless speeds up to 20 times faster than 4G and lower latency rates (faster connection times between devices and cell towers). While Verizon's 5G network is only available in a very limited area right now (parts of two cities), it has plans to bring it to 30 cities by the end of this year. Cellular towers on a horizon. Image source: Getty Images. Verizon's wireless business grows, but could be better As mentioned earlier, Verizon's wireless revenue increased by 3.7% in the first quarter to $22.7 billion. Verizon attributed this growth, in part, to improving sales from its services business, which saw sales increase 4.4% in the quarter. Verizon's management said the sales uptick came from customer "step-ups" to more expensive monthly plans and an increase in the number of devices on accounts. Verizon had 174,000 postpaid smartphone net additions in the quarter, which is good news for the company as postpaid smartphone users tend to be more lucrative customers. But Verizon still has a few areas within its wireless business that could use some improvement. For one, postpaid smartphone net additions were down from the year-ago quarter, when they reached 220,000. Additionally, the company had a total net loss of 44,000 phone connections for the quarter, an increase from the phone net loss of 24,000 in the first quarter 2018. Despite this drop, Verizon still has a lot of potential to grow its wireless business as it ramps up its 5G services. The executive vice president of Verizon Wireless has said in the past that 5G will generate $12.3 trillion in economic value by 2023 -- and Verizon is already positioning itself to benefit. The company said back in March that it will charge $10 more per month for 5G services, on top of its unlimited data plan pricing. While some other carriers have said their 5G customers won't spend more for their networks, Verizon is making the case that its 5G will be so much better than 4G that it'll be worth paying more for. That plays right into the company's strategy of moving its customers up to more expensive smartphone plans and could ultimately help Verizon boost sales once its 5G network comes online nationwide. Something to keep in mind At face value, Verizon's first-quarter results were mixed. When you look a little closer at what the company's wireless net additions and capital expenditures mean for its future growth, the latest results look even better. Investors should keep in mind, though, that Verizon's 5G network will take a while to build out and bring online. It's likely the benefits of this new tech will come sometime in 2020. But with Verizon's early lead in this market, it appears the carrier has a lot to look forward to in the coming quarters. More From The Motley Fool Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 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The company has a broad view of economic activity by serving many industries and operating in nearly every country in the world. So when 3M reports a big decline in sales, investors should take notice. In the case of the first quarter, it's not just the decline in revenue that's concerning -- it's the company's widespread weakness that should be a red flag for investors of all types. Sticky notes on a board. Image source: Getty Images. Digging into the numbers Overall, 3M's revenue dropped 5% in the first quarter of 2019 to $7.9 billion and organic local-currency sales were down 1.1%. GAAP earnings per share jumped 54.1% from a year ago to $1.51, but on an adjusted basis, which pulls out one-time items, earnings per share fell 10.8% to $2.23. The declines were widespread across business segments. Business Unit Sales Change Operating Income Change Industrials (6.6%) (18%) Safety and graphics (4.2%) (17.7%) Health care 0.3% (5.6%) Electronics and energy (11.8%) (15.6%) Consumer (1.9%) (0.7%) Data source: 3M Q1 2019 earnings report. It's easy to see that sales dropped in most segments and operating income declines followed. A strengthening dollar didn't help, with organic local-currency sales falling, but there were a few bright spots. Regionally, it was Asia that was the weakest for 3M, and once again that's a point of concern. Region Organic Local-Currency Growth USA (0.4%) Asia-Pacific (3.6%) Latin America/Caribbean 0.8% Europe, Middle East, and Africa 0.7% Data source: 3M Q1 2019 earnings report. It's Asia, and most notably China, that has driven most of the global growth over the past decade. So if the region is slowing, it may not bode well for corporate earnings or the economy overall. Management's reaction 3M is a strange company in that its business is diverse and often rides the global economic trends, but its long-term success is driven by research and innovative new products. This makes it hard for management to determine how much to cut costs in the short term without sacrificing long-term growth. Story continues If management sees an economic slowdown coming, it makes sense that it would announce a reduction of 2,000 jobs that will save $225 million to $250 million annually, including $100 million in 2019, as it did Thursday. What's concerning is that cutting 2,000 jobs will directly impact investment in future products. If sales are falling now, it might be tough to turn the company around in future years if new, innovative products aren't being released. It's a tough balancing act for 3M, but that's the reality of its business. No signs of hope 3M's management thinks a global economic slowdown is largely to explain for weak results. "We continued to face slowing conditions in key end markets which impacted both organic growth and margins," CEO Mike Roman said. He also said execution was poor, but the economy was the bigger focus. There are certainly some company-specific issues to 3M at play here, but it's still a good bellwether for the overall economy. And with slow growth or declining revenue widespread across the company's business segments and geographic regions, it might be time to start worrying about the trajectory of the global economy. More From The Motley Fool Travis Hoium has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends 3M. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. By Ankit Ajmera and Rachit Vats (Reuters) - Shares of 3M Co fell 11 percent on Thursday after the U.S. manufacturing conglomerate cut its 2019 earnings forecast and said it would lay off 2,000 workers, citing worsening performance in high-growth markets such as China. The stock's worst day in more than three decades dragged down the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and added to the gloom across the manufacturing sector following bleak results from Caterpillar Inc and United Parcel Service Inc. 3M, which makes everything from adhesive tapes to air filters, said the dismal performance in the first three months of 2019 was caused by weak demand in the China automotive and electronics sectors, causing it to cut production. "We didn't respond aggressively enough to what we were seeing. And so, we're behind the curve," Chief Executive Officer Mike Roman said on a post earnings call with analysts. Roman added that the maker of Post-it notes and Scotch tape was slow to align its spending with reduced output, and this dented margins. An analyst on the call peppered management with questions on Roman's management style and asked if 3M needed to change its incentives or compensation schemes to get its leaders to adapt faster to the changing macro economy. "We're going to take stock of what we're doing, how we're doing it, and compensation is an important piece and we look at that as well," Roman said. 3M's shares have underperformed peers such as Honeywell International Inc since Roman took the helm in July last year, with the stock rising 11.4 percent, compared with a 24 percent gain for Honeywell. "Since the prior CEO stepped down, 3M has really not performed anywhere close to its industrial peers," Melius Research analyst Scott Davis told CNBC. The results come a day after heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc flagged tepid sales in its construction equipment business in the Asia-Pacific region, pointing to subdued growth in China. Story continues After a sharp slowdown in the fourth quarter, China's economy unexpectedly grew at a steady 6.4 percent pace in the first quarter, but analysts cautioned that it was too early to call a sustainable turnaround. Sales in Asia-Pacific, 3M's biggest market outside the United States, fell 7.4 percent, while Europe, Middle East and Africa reported declines of 9.4 percent. Sales in the United States rose just 0.1 percent. "The only positive that may come out today for the stock is that one of the sell-side bulls may downgrade, as even the most disingenuous analyst has to admit a change in thesis," J.P.Morgan analyst Stephen Tusa wrote in a note. 3M now expects 2019 adjusted earnings between $9.25 and $9.75 per share, versus its prior forecast of $10.45 to $10.90. The job cuts would result in an estimated annual pre-tax savings range of $225 million to $250 million, with $100 million in the remainder of 2019, the company said in a statement https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005428/en/3M-Reports-First-Quarter-2019-Results-Company-Initiates. (Reporting by Rachit Vats and Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Sriraj Kalluvila) Busboys and Poets. | Photo: Nina J./Yelp Looking to get out into the community this weekend? From an annual bike ride to film screenings, there's plenty to do when it comes to community and cultural meetups coming up in Washington. Read on for a rundown. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Symposium From the event description: The Georgetown University Persian Language and Culture Program and the Jalinous Endowed Fund for Persian Culture and Language Studies invite you to an exclusive screening of the documentary film, "Sardaris Enigma," about Abolhosssein Sardari, the Iranian diplomat who saved hundreds of Iranian Jews in Paris in 1942. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion on Sardari and on Christian and Jewish Polish refugees in Iran during World War II. When: Friday, April 26, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Where: Georgetown University, 3700 O St. NW., Intercultural Center (ICC Auditorium, Floor 2). Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets 10th Annual D.C. Seersucker Social Bike Ride From the event description: Join us for our annual stylish and leisurely 10-mile spring bike ride through the streets of Washington, D.C. We will have a few fun stopping points along the way and are working on some fun surprises as well. When: Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Dupont Circle Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Sneak Preview Fundraiser From the event description: Mu Films, Me & Korea, and Adoption Links DC cordially invite you to a special fundraising event in Washington, DC featuring a sneak preview of the soon-to-be released documentary, "Geographies of Kinship," by Emmy Award-winning director Deann Borshay Liem and an advance peek at the work-in-progress film, "Relative Strangers." Festivities include a live cultural performance and a catered reception. Story continues When: Saturday, April 27, 6-9 p.m. Where: Howard University Hospital, Towers Auditorium, 2041 Georgia Ave. NW. Admission: Free; donations are encouraged Click here for more details, and to get your tickets The Muslim Women of Spoken Word From the event description: Crescent Moon Nights and My Voice Speaks LLC present "The Muslim Women of Spoken Word." Seven Women of the Mic will converge on the stage to captivate and poetically enthrall you with the truths that they know as life. When: Sunday, April 28, 6-8:30 p.m. Where: Busboys and Poets, 450 K St. NW. Admission: $20 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Rami Malek and Lashana Lynch have joined the cast of Bond 25. James Bonds politics have been slowly evolving since Daniel Craig first pulled on the iconic tux, with his films increasingly featuring more (Bond) girl-power, jokes about 007 being a dinosaur, and a more world-weary tone that reflects how people feel about the British Empire in the modern era. Craigs Bond is more likely to see M sipping tea from a British bulldog mug than he is to jump out of a plane wearing a Union Jack parachute. But, with Bond not on active service at the start of the movie, with a licence to chill in Jamaica, Bond 25 might have shrugged off some of the colonial weight hes carried in the past. Read more: Bond 25 remains untitled, Rami Malek confirmed as villain And it looks like Bond 25 is going to be another progressive leap forward for the franchise, going by todays official announcements. Theres a LOT of evidence that Daniel Craigs final Bond movie will be the most woke (yeah, we hate that word too) 007 movie ever made. Bond 25 has no Bond girls Ana De Armas might not be a Bond girl in Bond 25. One of the most striking elements of the Bond 25 announcement was that, while Craig and director Cary Joji Fukunaga were surrounded by actresses for their segment, the word Bond girl wasnt uttered once by any of them. Its one of the more archaic elements of the franchise (these are women, not girls), so its interesting that it appears to have been phased out of the early conversation. Well see if it continues, but, for now, its a good sign Bond is moving with the times. Still, if Lea Seydoux (Madeleine Swann), gets killed, Bond teams up with Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), and Ana De Armas (Blade Runner 2049) betrays him, well know theyre not straying too far from the template. Bond 25 features the franchises first non-white director Cary Joji Fukunaga will direct Bond 25. It might seem astonishing, but in nearly 60 years of Bond movies, Cary Joji Fukunaga is the first non-white director to call action on an instalment of this franchise. Story continues Who knows if thats the catalyst for what appears to be a fresh approach to the series, or if Eon realise the audiences who made Black Panther and Captain Marvel such mega-hits have higher standards in terms of the politics they expect from their blockbusters. Whatever the reason, it definitely feels like change is coming all you have to do is look at the cast to see that. Bond 25 has a diverse cast The cast details for the upcoming film were revealed from Jamaica (credit: PA). The new cast includes Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Ana De Armas (Blade Runner 2049), Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), and Dali Benssalah (Nox). Other announced names include Billy Magnussen (Game Night), and David Dencik (McMafia), but with returning actors Naomie Harris (Miss Moneypenny), and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) factored in, this could be the most diverse Bond movie of the modern era. Read more: Eva Green thinks a Bond 25 flashback could be cheesy (exclusive) Sure, it would be a step backwards if Rami Maleks ethnicity factors into the plot hes clearly playing the villain, and hes the son of Egyptian immigrants but hopefully this is colour-blind casting. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is Bond 25s co-writer, not just a script doctor It has been announced she will work on the screenplay for the 25th James Bond film (credit: PA). When Phoebe Waller-Bridge was recently announced as working on Bond 25s script at Daniel Craigs request, we assumed she was brought in for a bit of script-doctoring, some last-minute dialogue punch-ups. But with todays live event confirming her a co-writer, that means shes going to be a larger contributor than we assumed. And the traditional Bond format isnt really her style. I write from the point of view of what Id like to watch, Waller-Bridge said. Im always satisfying my own appetite. So I guess that means transgressive women, friendships, pain. I love pain. Good luck, 007. Read more: Claire Foy says James Bond should be gender-switched like Doctor Who A person of colour presented the live Bond 25 reveal Clara Amfo is joined by the Bond 25 cast (credit: YouTube) This might seem minor to some, but for under-represented people, the sight of a black woman presenting the Bond 25 live reveal was a progressive moment; its the first time Eon has hired a black woman to present one of their big reveals. Clara Amfo smashed it, under difficult circumstances (with some distracting early technical issues). Samantha Chavarria started to notice symptoms of fibromyalgia after giving birth to her third child. I noticed pain and sensitivity in my arms first, she told HelloGiggles. I had a very physical job working as a bakery manager. I would come home from 8 to 10 hours in the bakery and would literally stay in a chair without moving until the evening. She initially thought the chronic pain and tenderness were related to her job in the bakery, but they were actually symptoms of an underlying illness. When she sought help from her regular doctor, though, she was simply told to lose weight. Fibro cannot be determined by blood work or tests. Instead, it is determined by eliminating all other rheumatic issues, Chavarria said. This doctor ran some tests, which all came back negative, and she concluded that I was fine. It took Chavarria, who is a freelance writer and regular contributor to HG, over a year after that experience to finally get a fibromyalgia diagnosis; she said she was too afraid of not being believed to share her pain with another doctor. It was better to struggle with my pain privately rather than open myself up to scrutiny again, she said. Chavarrias experience is not uncommon. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain, chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and migraines, affect more women than men globally, but women are less likely to receive treatment. According to Dr. Jennifer Wider, a womens health expert, sexism plays a role in that gap. undefined Ali Haggett, a former medical historian, told HG that historical gender biases may play a role in womens inability to get a correct diagnosis. There is a longstanding cultural association between women and weakness and irrationality, borne from ancient understandings that they were dominated by their reproductive organs (hysteria meant wandering wombit was thought to rise up through the body cavity causing a host of unexplainable symptoms). Over time, this has led to the potential for the medical profession to consider that female expression is likely to be neurotic or irrational in some way, she said. Story continues Too often, women who report chronic pain to their doctors are told theres nothing wrong with them, or that they need to make a lifestyle changelike losing weightto deal with their pain. For women with fibromyalgia, for example, it takes an average of five years to receive a correct diagnosis, according to the American Chronic Pain Association. For Black women, the situation is even worse; not only do African American women face a higher risk of developing a chronic illness, but racial discrimination and bias in medicine mean theyre less likely to be believed and to get the treatment they need. Sexism and racism in medicine are big issues that arent going away any time soon. But in the meantime, its important for women with chronic pain to feel empowered to stand up for themselves in the doctors office. Its hard, of course, to stay strong in the face of rejection, especially by someone whos supposed to care about your well-being and be an expert. But if youre looking for some advice about how to speak up for yourself, keep reading. Keep a symptom journal Your doctor is seeing you in a particular moment and assessing your pain based on your description that day. But they may not get a full picture of all youve been dealing with unless you have a timeline showing consistent symptoms over time, so start keeping a pain journal documenting your symptoms. Pain is very subjective, said Dr. Wider. Describing your symptoms clearly will help: how it feels, the location, how severe, how often it occurs, and how long its gone on for. She recommended writing down anything that makes your pain worse, such as the time of day, after you eat, etc. Patrice N. Douglas, a licensed marriage and family therapist who often works with women of color patients who say that doctors are ignoring their pain, also recommends writing down your symptoms. Start keeping a journal of your symptoms day by day so that when you go into the doctor and theyre like, Okay, it sounds like it may be a mild flu. You can say, Doctor, [I had] a fever from Monday to Tuesday last week; I was throwing up. Have a timeline of things that are going on so that when you go to the doctor, you can have evidence that this isnt just something that occurred over night. Go to the doctor before things get really bad Oftentimes, we wait until things get really bad before we visit the doctor. But at that point, your doctor may just try to treat your pain symptoms instead of treating the underlying cause of the pain. If youre not feeling well, go when youre not feeling your best, not when on a scale of 1 to 10 its at a 20, said Douglas. Women will wait until their limbs are falling off to get help. This is especially true for some Black women, Douglas said, who may feel they have to be strong all the time. She acknowledged that the Black community has a dark history with the medical profession, so theres a dynamic of mistrust there. But she added that trusting doctors is an important step to getting necessary care. We have to start speaking up when were not feeling wellright away, Douglas, herself a Black woman, told HG. If you know youre hurting, this is the time to start making the phone call to the doctor, this is the time to start documenting. Not, Oh, its not that bad, I can do it. Ive got too many things going on in life that I cant take a moment to check on my health. Youd rather put everything else [first] because you want to be this strong, Black woman, but in reality, your body is shutting down on you while youre trying to be strong. You cant be strong 24/7. Take notes in the doctors office If you sense that your doctor isnt taking your pain seriously, or that theyre speaking too quickly and you cant keep up, Douglas suggested writing down what the doctor is saying and reading it back to them. If your doctors not making eye contact or theyre talking too fast, have them write down what theyre talking about, or take notes. And while youre taking those notes, repeat back what they just saidso that the doctors aware that youre paying attention, Douglas said. A lot of times, they think you just want prescription drugs, that youre not here to really figure out whats going on, that you just want to relieve the pain, so theyre rushing the process. Use I statements If you decide you want to confront your doctor about how theyve been treating you, Douglas said its important to know what is bothering you first. Are you not getting enough eye contact? Are you being rushed out of the office? Is your doctor giving only painkillers and ignoring a possible chronic illness? Do you have an idea of what might be wrong but your doctor is brushing you off? Figure out what the problem is, then use I statements to express it to your doctor. Douglas suggests saying things like, I feel like Im not being heard because when I talk to you, I dont get any eye contact. I dont get any feedback about what I just said. I feel like Im just rushed out the door. These types of I statements should help your doctor realize theyre affecting you emotionally, and hopefully they wont become defensive. Get a second opinion If your doctor recommends a treatment that seems off to you, or gives you a diagnosis that doesnt feel quite right, you should feel free to seek another opinion. A second opinion never hurts, said Dr. Wider. If a procedure, surgery, or medication is recommended, getting a second opinion can only help. Sometimes options may be limited, so if you cant get a second opinion, make sure all of your questions are answered thoroughly and explained so you have a comfort level with the recommendation. When all else fails, ditch your doctor At some point, you may decide youve had enough and your doctor just isnt taking your concerns seriously. At that point, it might be time to ditch your provider and seek help elsewhere. Any health care provider who is dismissive, doesnt answer questions, seems annoyed, [or] spends very little time with you may be cause for concern, said Dr. Wider. Time to switch! Added Douglas, Youre never stuck with any medical professional, whether its a therapist or a doctor. If youre not happy, or you dont have good communication with your doctor, then its always okay to go find another doctor. Theres always going to be another doctor. Chavarria told HG that if she could go back in time, she would have tried to seek treatment from another provider soon after her first doctors incorrect diagnosis. She said she lived in pain for too long, and hopes other women get diagnosed much more quickly. To any woman experiencing rejection from the medical community, I would tell her that her pain is valid. It can take a long time to get a diagnosis, but that doesnt mean that your experience isnt real. Your pain matters, she said. Dont underestimate the power that chronically ill women possess. Materials and metals companies that pay investors. When looking for dividend-paying stocks that deliver reliable paydays, many investors look to consumer products companies that they recognize for the expected stability in almost any economy. However, income-oriented investors shouldn't overlook the big potential in materials stocks that mine for the raw products that go into so much of what the global economy needs -- from the iron in skyscrapers to the gold in jewelry to the copper in wires and electronics. If you're looking beyond traditional staples stocks for income, then consider these seven miners with significant dividends as part of your portfolio. Southern Copper Corp. (ticker: SCCO) As you can probably guess, Southern Copper is one of the largest dedicated copper miners. The company also produces zinc, lead, silver and even gold as byproducts of its massive mining operations. After all, there's no reason to overlook other potential minerals if you're digging that many holes in the ground. The $31 billion miner has exploration operations in Peru, Mexico, Argentina and Chile that are constantly bringing a steady flow of valuable metals to market. And as a result, SCCO offers a steady and reliable dividend. Current yield: 4% BHP Group (BBL) Even bigger is BBL, a stock recently highlighted as one of the best megacap dividend stocks to buy. At $200 billion in market value, it is the biggest publicly traded mining stock -- and among one of the largest corporations across any sector. That reach and stability should be a great draw for income-oriented investors looking for consistent dividend payers. And with a diversity of minerals in its mining portfolio, from base metals like copper and zinc to more valuable metals including silver and uranium, BHP Group is sure to find customers across the global economy in any market environment. Current yield: 4.3% Vale (VALE) Brazil-based mining conglomerate Vale is another big and stable player. Vale is a major player in ferrous minerals including iron ore as well as coal. The company also dabbles in other metals such as nickel and gold as by-products of extracting materials from its mines. The company's base of operations in Rio de Janeiro allows Vale to enter into strategic relationships with many Latin American manufacturers and industrial corporations, giving it a key foothold in many high-potential emerging markets. That allows for important sales that support generous dividends. Just be aware these payments can fluctuate quarter to quarter and aren't fixed like U.S.-based blue-chip stocks. Story continues Current yield: 4.1% Vedanta Ltd. (VEDL) Vedanta is a $10 billion miner based in India, with diverse operations that extract zinc, lead, silver, iron ore, copper and aluminum. It also produces thermal coal, which it actually deploys in its own power plants to provide electricity to businesses and residential customers in India. As an emerging market investment with a bit more risk, the dividends aren't quite as consistent at VEDL. The company typically pays once in the spring and once in the fall at rates that can fluctuate significantly. However, based on the last two payouts, the annual yield on this stock is approaching double digits, so it is certainly worth a look by more aggressive dividend investors. Current yield: 9.8% Nexa Resources (NEXA) Though headquartered in laissez faire Luxembourg, Nexa owns and operates five mines across the Central Andes of Peru and in Brazil. There, Nexa is focused mainly on zinc extraction, though it also produces copper, lead, silver and gold as byproducts from its mining. A relative newcomer to the dividend scene, there's only two years of history for payments. And furthermore, the distributions are annual -- not quarterly -- so you'll have to do some waiting between paydays. But as many dividend investors think in terms of years not months, the current yield north of 4% may be worth waiting for. Current yield: 4.2% Compass Minerals International (CMP) Not all miners take familiar metals like copper or gold out of the ground to make a buck. Case in point is Compass, which is as much a chemicals company as a miner as it extracts rock salt and magnesium chloride. The products are used in various ways, including plant fertilizers and the road salt you may see on your local highway in the winter. Salts aren't a high-margin business, but they do enjoy reliable demand from corporations and local governments that need these products no matter the economic environment. That lends stability to CMP stock and reliability to its dividend to shareholders. Current yield: 5.3% Ciner Resources (CINR) Relatively unknown miner Ciner Resources is only $500 million in market capitalization but has consistently paid a quarterly dividend of more than 50 cents a share for several years. And despite a massive yield, those dividends remain comfortable under its projected earnings per share and thus don't appear at any risk of drying up. Another unconventional minerals company, Ciner is focused on lesser known raw materials such as trona ore and soda ash. These materials are used in glass products, detergents and other chemicals and industrial products. It may not be as glamorous as digging for gold, but income investors who receive the paydays are pleased with CINR stock nevertheless. Current yield: 8.9% Smart materials stocks to buy for the dividends. -- Southern Copper Corp. (SCCO) -- BHP Group (BBL) -- Vale (VALE) -- Vedanta Ltd. (VEDL) -- Nexa Resources (NEXA) -- Compass Minerals International (CMP) -- Ciner Resources (CINR) If Joe Biden were elected president, his Supreme Court nominees would certainly back the expansive right to abortion asserted in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton any time in pregnancy for almost any reason anywhere in the country just like every other Supreme Court justice nominated by a Democrat since Byron White. For some progressive abortion activists, thats not enough. They view Biden with suspicion, if not outright hostility, because of his reproductive rights heresies, which include the following: Biden once said Roe v. Wade went too far and voted in 1982 for an amendment to allow states to overturn the Supreme Courts decision; he changed his mind and voted against the same bill in 1983. Biden repeatedly voted for the ban on partial-birth abortion, a particular late-term abortion procedure in which a childs body is mostly delivered breech before her skull is punctured and crushed. It did not, as I would have liked, ban all post-viability abortions, Biden said of the ban in 1997. I was and still am concerned that in banning only partial-birth abortions, we do not go far enough. Biden has repeatedly voted for the Hyde amendment, which bans federal funding for elective abortions for Medicaid recipients. I will continue to abide by the same principle that has guided me throughout my 21 years in the Senate: those of us who are opposed to abortion should not be compelled to pay for them, Biden wrote to a constituent in 1994. As you may know, I have consistently on no fewer than 50 occasions voted against federal funding of abortions. Joe Biden is trying to carve out a space for himself as the middle, moderate candidate, and hes going to have to really get with the times and understand that standing with abortion rights is the middle, moderate position, NARAL leader Ilyse Hogue recently told the New York Times. I cant tell you if hes there or not. Neither could Bidens spokesman tell the Times whether the former vice president still opposes taxpayer funding of elective abortion and late-term abortion: Mr. Russo declined to detail Mr. Bidens current views on specific policies he once supported, including banning all federal funding for abortion services and research. Story continues Bidens opposition to unlimited federal funding of abortion for Medicaid recipients puts him out of step with his party but not the American people. In October 2016, a poll conducted for Politico and Harvards school of public health found that all likely voters opposed Medicaid funding of abortion by a 22-point margin (58 percent to 36 percent). But voters backing Hillary Clinton favored Medicaid funding for abortion by a 21-point margin (57 percent to 36 percent). Does that mean Biden is toast in the Democratic primary if he continues to support the Hyde amendment? Not necessarily. I think he would be smart to stick with it, Kristen Day of Democrats for Life told National Review in a phone interview after Biden announced his campaign on Thursday morning. Theres a third of the Democratic party thats pro-life. More than that oppose late-term abortions. The pro-abortion vote is going to be split 19 ways or 20 ways. He could differentiate himself with a more reasonable position on this. Polling backs up Days description of her party: A recent Marist survey found that 34 percent of Democrats identify as pro-life. And in 2014, Quinnipiac asked voters: As you may know, in 2013 the House of Representatives approved legislation that would ban virtually all abortions nationwide after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape and incest that are reported to authorities. Would you support or oppose such legislation? Among Democrats, 46 percent supported the bill, while 47 percent opposed it. As Biden contemplated a presidential bid in 2015, liberal columnist Michelle Goldberg worried that Biden might sign the bill banning abortions later than 20 weeks after conception, when premature infants are old enough to survive outside the womb. But only three Democratic senators voted for the bill in 2018 (Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, and Joe Donnelly of Indiana). A Democratic president, Jimmy Carter, first signed the Hyde amendment into law, but subsequent Democratic presidential nominees opposed it. There is a long history of Democrats (from Al Gore to Jesse Jackson to Richard Gephardt) moving left on abortion when they run for president. It remains to be seen whether Biden will follow their lead. He already moved left once on abortion in the 1980s. More recently he has has come under fire for holding an apology tour ahead of his campaign announcement. Reversing himself on a position hes held for decades as a matter of conscience could be seen as too craven. While we dont know exactly where Biden will come down on the issue as a 2020 candidate, one thing is clear: Hes going to face tremendous pressure, says Kristen Day. Her organization sent out a questionnaire to Democratic presidential campaigns two weeks ago asking candidates if they welcome pro-life voters in the party and about their position on unrestricted late-term and taxpayer-funded abortion. So far, not a single Democratic campaign has returned it. More from National Review WASHINGTON The Pentagon inspector general cleared acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan of ethics violations, a move that could pave his path toward nomination by the White House to be a full member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet. The investigation examined allegations that Shanahan disparaged Lockheed Martin, a competitor of the defense contractor Boeing, his previous employer, during official meetings. The inspector general interviewed 33 witnesses, reviewed thousands of pages of classified and unclassified documents and concluded Shanahan had not violated ethics rules. The results were released Thursday. Referrals for the investigation came from several sources, including the office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and a member of the Armed Services Committee. "The evidence showed that Acting Secretary Shanahan fully complied with his ethical obligations and ethical agreements with regard to Boeing and its competitors," Pentagon Inspector General Glenn Fine said in a statement. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan arrives The inspector general investigated one claim that Shanahan tried to force the Marine Corps commandant, Gen. Robert Neller, to buy Boeing F/A-18s and threatened to cut Air Force programs unless the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. David Goldfein, supported buying Boeing F-15Xs. Investigators looked into claims that Shanahan "repeatedly dumped on the Lockheed Martin's F-35 aircraft. "We determined that Mr. Shanahan did not make the alleged comments and did not promote Boeing, or disparage its competitors," the investigation concluded. Shanahan said the report's findings speak for themselves, said Army Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, his spokesman. Shanahan, 56, replaced Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who retired last December after Trump announced his intent to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria and slash the number of troops in Afghanistan. Shanahan was Mattis' deputy. Shanahan has served in an acting capacity since then. Story continues A Washington state native, Shanahan holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington and a master's degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His nomination would require Senate confirmation. Additional great reading: Download the USA TODAY app This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan cleared of ethics violations related to Lockheed-Boeing discussions KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) The Taliban ambushed a security convoy in western Afghanistan, killing nine policemen, and in Kabul, a would-be attacker died when a bomb he was trying to plant at a private university detonated prematurely, officials said Thursday. According to a councilman in western Farah province, Abdul Samad Salehi, the ambush took place in Anardara district as the convoy was heading to defuse a roadside bomb on Wednesday afternoon. Shortly after the attack, other Taliban insurgents targeted and briefly overran the district police headquarters, setting off hours-long clashes, Salehi said. Reinforcements arrived later and managed to wrest back control of the headquarters. The resurgent Taliban, who have been active in the area and have launched large-scale attacks against Afghan security forces in Farah in the past, did not immediately comment on the attacks. The insurgents have been staging near-daily attacks across Afghanistan even as they hold talks with a U.S. envoy tasked with finding a peaceful resolution to the 17-year war. On Thursday in Kabul, a bomb meant to target the private Jahan University blew up apparently prematurely inside a campus bathroom, killing the suspected militant and wounding three students. Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the blast took place around 10:30 a.m. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion but the Taliban and Islamic State militants who both oppose women's rights to education have targeted schools and placed of education in the past. Though the Taliban are holding meetings and negotiating with U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, they refuse to talk directly to the Afghan government. Talks that were to start last week in Qatar between the Taliban and an array of prominent Afghans, including government officials and opposition representatives, were scuttled after a falling-out between the two sides over who should attend. Also on Thursday, unidentified gunmen wounded a local reporter in eastern Nangarhar province, said Farid Khan, spokesman for the provincial police chief. Story continues Khan said Emran lemar, a reporter for the Mazal radio station, was shot inside a park in the provincial capital of Jalalabad. He was hospitalized and a police investigation into the attack has begun, Khan said. In March, Sultan Mahmoud Khirkhowa, a local TV journalist in eastern Khost province, was shot and killed when two men on a motorcycle opened fire on his vehicle. The Islamic State group affiliate claimed the attack in Khost. Afghanistan is among the most dangerous countries in the world for reporters. The Afghan Journalist Safety Committee reported 121 cases of violence against journalists and media workers in 2018, with 17 killed. Durban (South Africa) (AFP) - Around 70 people have been killed in devastating floods in South Africa, an official said on Thursday, while 1,000 people have been forced from their homes. Heavy rains have lashed the southeast of the country, tearing down homes and ravaging infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Eastern Cape provinces. The acting leader of KZN province, which includes port city Durban, Sihle Zikalala said "we are worried and quite devastated by the increase of the number of fatalities". "We're now told that the number (of fatalities) is getting around 70. The final figure will be released during the day," he said at a media briefing. "It is the first time in KZN that we experience such a loss of people, that we lose people in such a great number." President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the deluged province on Wednesday and pledged government funds to help those affected by the extreme weather. Emergency responders have reported collapsed buildings and flooded roads, blocked sewer lines and toppled electricity pylons. "So all this part it just fell... We only have two survivors, one of them is my son and the other friend," said Ntombi Ztombi Zama whose sister was killed in a landslide at a property in Chatsworth, south of Durban. "When I came and I see everything demolished it just broke me. It was bad." South African military personnel have been dispatched to help rescue and evacuation efforts. The South African Weather Service has warned that more heavy rain and gale force winds are on the way. Alaska Air Group (ALK) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.17 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.13 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.14 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 30.77%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this airline would post earnings of $0.73 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.75, delivering a surprise of 2.74%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Alaska Air, which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Airline industry, posted revenues of $1.88 billion for the quarter ended March 2019, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.16%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.83 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Alaska Air shares have lost about 0.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 16.8%. What's Next for Alaska Air? While Alaska Air has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Alaska Air was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $2.16 on $2.31 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.05 on $8.71 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Transportation - Airline is currently in the bottom 40% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. 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 Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Overall, Altria Group (NYSE: MO) has done a good job of navigating the secular decline in cigarette smoking over the long run. With a combination of strong brand loyalty and targeted price increases, the tobacco giant has been able to offset steady drops in sales volume to keep both sales and profits moving steadily higher. Yet even the most bullish investors recognized that Altria's strategy wouldn't necessarily work forever and it would have to pursue other growth opportunities to offset the steady decline in its sales of smokeable products. Coming into Thursday's first-quarter financial report, Altria investors were prepared for modest top- and bottom-line drops but they still wanted to see signs that the company's growth initiatives were looking promising. Altria's results were worse than expected, and that put even more pressure on the tobacco giant to make its long-term strategic vision pay off. Collage with logos and products sold by Altria Group, as well as buildings and production locations. Image source: Altria. Altria gets through a tough quarter Altria's first-quarter results showed just how hard the beginning of 2019 was for the company. Revenue net of excise tax was down 6%, to $4.39 billion, which was far worse than the 2% drop that most investors were expecting. Adjusted net income also fell 6%, to $1.70 billion, and the resulting $0.90 per share in adjusted earnings fell short of the consensus forecast among those following the stock for $0.95 per share. From a segment perspective, weakness in the smokeable-products business was the most alarming. Revenue net of excise taxes dropped 7% in the segment, leading to a slight drop in adjusted operating company income. Domestic cigarette shipment volume plunged 14%, and even after making reasonable adjustments for trade-inventory movements and calendar impacts, volume was still off 7% from year-earlier figures and underperformed the broader industry. Altria saw its market share in cigarettes drop below the key 50% mark, with particular weakness in discount brands reflecting the impact of higher gasoline prices on the ability of customers to afford purchases. Story continues The smokeless business looked stronger for Altria. Revenue net of excise taxes rose 3%, pushing adjusted operating company income higher by almost 8%. Even so, shipment volume for the unit fell, and as we've seen countless times before, weakness in the Skoal brand more than offset relative strength in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, the wine business was mixed, with a nearly 7% rise in revenue and an 8% rise in shipment volume proving unable to offset a 12% drop in adjusted operating company income. Can Altria bounce back? CEO Howard Willard tried to keep his eyes on the bigger picture. "After taking steps to position Altria for long-term success at the end of 2018," Willard said, "we entered 2019 with an evolved business platform that includes our strong core tobacco businesses and new strategic investments with tremendous potential for growth." The CEO believes that Altria has made notable progress toward its long-term strategic goals so far in 2019. Altria also suggested that the negative financial impacts the company suffered during the first quarter could be, in part, due to timing. Willard pointed out that although Altria incurred debt to help finance its acquisitions of Juul and Cronos Group, incurring greater interest expense as a result, the savings from its cost-reduction program didn't fully kick in until the end of the first quarter. Altria hopes that it'll be able to see more cost savings benefit its bottom line in subsequent quarters. Accordingly, Altria repeated its previous guidance for the full year. The tobacco giant still believes that it can earn $4.15 to $4.27 per share during 2019, even though it believes that it will bring in less in dividends from its investment in Anheuser-Busch InBev. Altria also cut its shipment-volume projections and now expects a 4% to 5% drop for the full year. Accordingly, Altria shareholders responded negatively to the news, and the stock fell 6% on Thursday following the morning announcement. Until the tobacco giant starts to see tangible rewards from its holdings in Juul and Cronos Group, Altria will rely on its core traditional tobacco businesses for growth -- and that could lead to more problems if the secular decline in smoking accelerates. More From The Motley Fool Dan Caplinger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Anheuser-Busch InBev NV. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. By Sanjeev Miglani and Shihar Aneez COLOMBO, April 25 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother, then the defense secretary, crushed Tamil Tiger separatists with such ferocity ten years ago that Western powers sought war crime trials against them and greeted their defeat in elections later with barely concealed glee. But now the tiny Indian Ocean island is faced with South Asia's deadliest militant attack - claimed by Islamic State - and may well again turn to the Rajapaksas for a strong-willed response to the new threat, politicians and diplomats say. Elections to pick a new president are due between October and December and Mahinda Rajapaksa is already targeting President Maithripala Sirisena and his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for failing to preserve the hard fought peace. Rajapaksa cannot contest for president again, but his brother Gotabaya is ready to make a bid, his aide has said. "Rajapaksas' will take the easy benefit and be able to claim with some credibility that if they come back to power, they will adopt the same strong security policy that allowed them to free the country from terrorism," said a Western diplomat. Sri Lanka, a country of 21 million, has been a tinder box of sectarian and ethnic tensions, first between the Sinhalese Buddhist majority and minority Tamil groups and in recent years between the Sinhalese and the Muslims. At the same time, the island nation better known for its beaches, jungles and tea plantations, has gained in geopolitical importance, becoming an arena for influence peddling between India, its traditional partner, and China, which has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure. With Islamic State claiming responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks in which more than 350 people were killed, Sri Lanka has been thrust further into the global limelight. Rajapaksa and his supporters say that the government - under foreign pressure - has been weakening the military and intelligence arms he had built up to ensure there was no revival of the Tamil movement, but also keep an eye on disaffected minorities. Story continues Instead, the government has spent its energy investigating old allegations of abuse against soldiers stemming from the 26-year civil war against the Tamil separatists. "Because the government was engaged in relentlessly persecuting its own armed forces, we became an easy target for terrorists," Rajapaksa said in parliament this week. "No other country has persecuted and weakened their own armed forces and intelligence services in this manner. Terrorists observe these things and plan accordingly," he said. The government said it had received prior warnings about impending attacks on churches but these were not shared across the government and admitted that was a lapse. DISBANDING INTELLIGENCE CELLS A source in the Indian government, which provided three warnings ahead of the Sunday bombings, said Sri Lanka no longer had the sophisticated national security apparatus that the former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa ran. Out in the east, home to the suspected mastermind of the attacks, there was a 45-member cell of intelligence operatives that had been wound up, said Kehelia Rambukwella, a spokesman for Rajapaksa's party. "Some of its people had been sent to the welfare department. If you had them still functioning, we might have picked this plot up," he said. But government officials said many of these secret intelligence cells were disbanded because they faced allegations of abuse, including torture and extra judicial killings, during the war and in the months afterwards, officials said. Rajitha Senaratne, a government spokesman said: "We can't allow the military to kill innocent people, children, and journalists. Murderers can't be war heroes." Gotabaya is himself facing lawsuits in the United States where he is a dual citizen. The South Africa-based International Truth and Justice Project, in partnership with U.S. law firm Hausfeld, filed a civil case in California this month against Gotabaya on behalf of a Tamil torture survivor. In a separate case, Ahimsa Wickrematunga, the daughter of murdered investigative editor Lasantha Wickrematunga, filed a complaint for damages in the same U.S. District Court in California for allegedly instigating and authorizing the extrajudicial killing of her father. Gotabaya has denied the allegations and said these were timed to thwart his possible presidential run. For the Sinhalese nationalists who fully backed the measures against the Tamil separatists, the new attacks have already fueled calls for strong leadership. Political differences between President Sirisena and his premier, Wickremesinghe, have presented a picture of a government in drift and an economy vastly underperforming. Both sides have said they were not aware of the intelligence that was provided by India about the attacks, prompting questions about who was in command. The worry is that the election campaign, now months away, could turn into a contest on who is tougher on Islamist militancy and in that the country's largely peaceful Muslim community would be under pressure, said political commentator Kusal Perera. "The post-attack situation is going to create a demand for Rajapaksas because Sinhala Buddhist nationalists are going to say they need a dictator or a strong leader who can handle the national security threats," he said. Earlier the country's Tamil minority were the targets, but now in the aftermath of the attacks carried out by suicide bombers who have been identified as well-educated local Muslims, the community could face the heat in the elections. "The anti-Muslim racist card could become the main election campaign strategy of all political parties," said Perera. (Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) * Parallel finance system funds Haftar's campaign * Mix of bonds, Russia-printed cash and bank deposits * Tripoli has moved to curb banks' operations in the east * Banks struggle to meet minimum deposit requirements * Arab backers prefer to give help in kind, not cash By Ulf Laessing TRIPOLI, April 25 (Reuters) - Eastern Libya commander Khalifa Haftar has thrown much of his military forces into attacking Tripoli, but the outcome of the offensive could be determined by a separate battle -- to keep open the parallel finance system that funds his soldiers. Mobilizing Libya's biggest military campaign since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, Haftar has advanced on the U.N.-backed administration in the capital from a bastion in the east, where he has a parallel government and central bank branch. The general has funded his eastern state with a mix of unofficial bonds, Russia-printed cash and deposits from eastern banks, accumulating debt worth around 35 billion Libyan dinars ($25.18 billion) outside the official banking system. But diplomats and banking sources say that those sources of support might be closing, as the Tripoli-based central bank, which controls the country's energy revenues, has taken steps to curtail the operations of banks in the east. Those banks have in recent months struggled to meet minimum deposit requirements, which could give the Tripoli central bank allied to Tripoli Premier Fayez al-Serraj the excuse to shut off access to hard currency, they said. "There is a looming banking crisis that could undermine eastern authorities' ability to fund themselves in the near future," said Claudia Gazzini, senior Libya analyst at International Crisis Group. "The crisis was already in the making before the war broke out." Haftar has built up his Libyan National Army (LNA) with the help of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt supplying heavy gear such helicopters, according to U.N. reports. Story continues WELFARE STATE But Gulf countries such as the UAE have preferred not to give cash directly to Haftar, fearing it will end up being used for the wrong purposes, several diplomatic sources told Reuters. That has forced the septuagenarian leader to use merchants to import vehicles and other gear, using hard currency obtained from the Tripoli central bank and paid out by eastern commercial banks issuing letters of credit, military sources said. There is no public data on the costs of Haftar's war, but he has sent more than 1,000 troops west plus support staff like drivers or medics, military sources and residents said. Fuel is not a problem, costing just 0.15 dinars a liter, with state oil firm NOC serving the whole country. But in its attempt to capture Tripoli the LNA has used hundreds of vehicles, with convoys going west non-stop from Benghazi, carrying anything from soldiers to ammunition to food. In addition, every day two flights with Russian-made transport planes go from Benghazi to Jufrah in central Libya, his main base. Seriously wounded soldiers are flown to Tunisia. The offensive has stalled, and so the LNA has vowed to move in yet more troops. Haftar's finances face another potential vulnerability. In November, the House of Representatives allied to Haftar approved a law to set up a military investment authority which gives the LNA control -- like in Egypt -- of parts of the economy including civilian activities such as scrap metal. The investment vehicle's companies are exempted from taxes and import duties, as part of a welfare state envisaged by Haftar, but they need banks to deal with partners abroad and expand their businesses, analysts say. "If the banks fail, Haftar's welfare state will come under pressure," said a Western diplomat. SUPPORT NETWORK Functioning banks are also needed for Haftar's parallel government to pay salaries and serve an LNA support network, analysts say. The central bank in Tripoli covers some public salaries in eastern Libya but not LNA soldiers hired after 2014 when the country split into western and eastern administrations. The Tripoli central bank has already cut three eastern banks from Libya's electronic banking system to curb their operations. Lenders have still been able to get hard currency via other banks but in a further step the Tripoli central bank might shut access completely, diplomats and business sources said. The Tripoli central bank (CBL) has vowed to stay neutral and but diplomats say it is also helping Serraj, approving his plans to allocate some 2 billion dinars for his own war effort. CBL did not respond to mailed questions. There has been a banking crisis building up all across Libya and especially in the east, where three eastern banks have struggled to keep a required 20 percent of customers' deposits at the Tripoli central bank: They have been paying out more hard currency in recent months, but need to balance accounts. "Their deposits with CBL have fallen short of their statutory minimum requirements," Husni Bey, a prominent business leader and owner of HB group. Data received by Reuters confirmed his. FEW OPTIONS Diplomats do not expect Tripoli central bank governor Sadiq al-Kabir to shut eastern banks completely as this would pose risks for western lenders. The same banks operate in the west and east with money flows hard to differentiate. But they fear the longer the conflict lasts, the harder it will be to unify the central banks and repay debt. The west has piled up debt of 68 billion dinars, bringing Libya's total deficit and public debt to 130 billion, including unpaid state obligations such as social insurance, said Bey. The biggest worry among diplomats is that Haftar, who surprised world powers with his offensive, might try selling crude from oilfields and ports, bypassing NOC. "If the offensive fails, Haftar might do this as he feels encouraged by (U.S. President Donald) Trump," said one Western diplomat. On Friday, the White House said that Trump had told Haftar by phone he recognized his "significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya's oil resources," a comment which has enraged his opponents but fired up LNA supporters. ($1 = 1.3898 Libyan dinars) (Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous in Dubai; Editing by William Maclean) ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Shohei Ohtani has faced live pitching to begin the probable final step in the Los Angeles Angels slugger's return from Tommy John surgery. Ohtani made four plate appearances Wednesday in a simulated game at Angel Stadium, several hours before the Angels faced the Yankees. The AL Rookie of the Year drew two walks and hit a line drive into the gap. Ohtani is expected to face about a week of live pitching before he returns to the Angels' lineup. He isn't expected to have a minor league assignment. The Angels have long projected that Ohtani would return as their designated hitter in early May. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery Oct. 1. He won't pitch again until 2020. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Username: Password: or Register Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Suicide Bomber UK Kingston Uni LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 497768 04-25-2019 08:18 PM Post: #1 Suicide Bomber UK Kingston Uni Advertisement Ruqaya, a Muslim student from Sri Lanka, said: "I've never heard of, like, radicalisation in Kingston University." She slammed the media for pointing fingers, arguing that "they just don't know what to do, so they are just pointing at people to take the blame." The student then spoke of sectarianism in Sri Lanka and fears of retaliatory attacks on Muslims following the Easter bombings, noting that it is "really scary to be a Muslim in Sri Lanka. But I guess, we thought everything would have died down by now, but I guess it might come back again after this." One of the alleged Sri Lanka bombers, identified as Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, is thought to have studied aerospace engineering at Kingston University between 2006 and 2007. He is believed to be among nine suicide bombers who killed at least 359 people and injured a further 500 in a string of attacks on hotels and churches in Sri Lanka during the Easter weekend. British intelligence agents are now probing connections Mohamed made in the UK to examine whether he could have been radicalised while studying at Kingston. Kingston has been heavily criticised by former UK prime minister David Cameron, which he claimed was one of four UK universities that invited the most radical speakers to events. Kingston has strongly denied Cameron's claims. Can you believe what she just said! Why don't Muslims go to universities in Islamic countries, why do you think they come to ours? Students from Kingston University denied it has any links to radicalisation on Thursday after authorities found one of the Sri Lanka suicide bombers studied at the south London institute a decade ago.Ruqaya, a Muslim student from Sri Lanka, said: "I've never heard of, like, radicalisation in Kingston University."She slammed the media for pointing fingers, arguing that "they just don't know what to do, so they are just pointing at people to take the blame."The student then spoke of sectarianism in Sri Lanka and fears of retaliatory attacks on Muslims following the Easter bombings, noting that it is "really scary to be a Muslim in Sri Lanka. But I guess, we thought everything would have died down by now, but I guess it might come back again after this."One of the alleged Sri Lanka bombers, identified as Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, is thought to have studied aerospace engineering at Kingston University between 2006 and 2007.He is believed to be among nine suicide bombers who killed at least 359 people and injured a further 500 in a string of attacks on hotels and churches in Sri Lanka during the Easter weekend.British intelligence agents are now probing connections Mohamed made in the UK to examine whether he could have been radicalised while studying at Kingston.Kingston has been heavily criticised by former UK prime minister David Cameron, which he claimed was one of four UK universities that invited the most radical speakers to events.Kingston has strongly denied Cameron's claims.Can you believe what she just said! Why don't Muslims go to universities in Islamic countries, why do you think they come to ours? Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Bridget Anne Kelly, who was the deputy chief of staff for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, called for justice against her former boss after she was re-sentenced to 13 months in federal prison for helping to orchestrate the infamous Bridgegate scandal. The fact that I am here in place of others from the Christie administration, and the governor himself, does not prove my guilt. It only proves that justice is not blind, Kelly said Wednesday. It has favorites. It misses the mark. It misses the truth. And it picks winners and losers that are sometimes beyond anyones control. Christie, along with many of his closest associates, were mentioned repeatedly during Kellys seven-week trial, she said, but have not been sentenced. How did all these men escape justice? she asked. Christie has repeatedly denied having knowledge of or involvement in the so-called Bridgegate scandal, during which several access lanes to the busy George Washington Bridge were shut down in 2013, apparently to create traffic in the New Jersey borough of Fort Lee. The plan was cast as an act of retaliation against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, who did not endorse Christie who was then running for re-election as governor as expected. In 2016, Kelly and Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, were found guilty for their role in improperly planning to close down the access lanes. Kelly was initially sentenced to 18 months in prison, but part of that sentence was thrown out after she appealed the decision. She was re-sentenced on Wednesday, though she continues to appeal, NJ.com reports. As she fights her sentence, Kelly is taking the former governor to task. Both she and Baroni have said Christie knew about the Bridgegate plan, and Kelly said Wednesday that she will continue fighting to bring that truth to light. Mr. Christie, you are a bully, and the days of you calling me a liar and destroying my life are over, Kelly said. The truth will be heard, and for the former governor, that truth will be unescapable, regardless of lucrative television deals or even future campaigns. I plan to make sure of that. The nationwide boom in teeth straightening is poised to accelerate with the introduction of SmileDirectClub's braces alternative in certain CVS Pharmacy stores. CVS Health plans to announce Thursday that it will devote sections of "hundreds" of stores to the surging startup's Smile Shops later this year after a pilot delivered promising results. The move continues the drugstore chain's strategy of shifting more floor space from retail to health care services while cutting back on poorly selling products like greeting cards. Customers will be able to start their SmileDirectClub treatment plan in stores by getting their teeth scanned and signing up for plastic teeth aligners, which straighten teeth over a course of months and can be removed temporarily for eating and drinking. SmileDirectClub patients then receive aligners in shipments to their homes after their cases are reviewed remotely by an orthodontist or dentist. "We believe its just a testament to the consumers trust in teledentistry and our business model as a leading solution for affordable and convenient smile care," Alex Fenkell, SmileDirectClub's co-founder, told USA TODAY. CVS stores will devote "a very private environment in the back of the store" to the SmileDirectClub space, much like its MinuteClinic service for basic medical care, CVS Pharmacy President Kevin Hourican said. Since more than 8 in 10 Americans live within three miles of one of CVS' 9,600 stores, the partnership extends teeth straightening services into communities that previously didn't have access to orthodontic care, the executives said. Goodbye, braces?: Invisalign, SmileDirectClub lead teeth-straightening boom Less retail, more health care: CVS plans changes to stores after Aetna deal Hourican said CVS would add SmileDirectClub to more than 100 stores this year. Eventually, the partnership will end up "more than doubling" SmileDirectClub's current network of 246 stores, Fenkell said. Story continues Hourican said the 13-store pilot showed that CVS will gain customers who previously would not have shopped there. "Were pleasantly surprised by the traffic that its driving," he said. Hourican and Fenkell declined to reveal the financial arrangement of their store-within-a-store model. SmileDirectClub and Align Technology's Invisalign are the leading sellers of plastic teeth aligners, which provide an alternative to braces and have led to a nationwide boom in orthodontic care. In general, Invisalign, which has treated about 6 million cases since its founding in 1997, is capable of treating more complex cases and requires in-person visits. SmileDirectClub, which has treated more than 560,000 since its founding in 2014, handles less complex cases and does so through online correspondence, including chats and photos. Align estimated last year in a public filing that 300 million people worldwide could benefit from straightening their teeth but are unlikely to seek treatment through a doctors office. Prices range from about $2,000 for mild-to-moderate teeth straightening from start-ups like SmileDirectClub and Candid, to an average of $5,500 for Invisalign. Invisalign also offers a $2,500 option for correcting simple cases. SmileDirectClubs model has drawn criticism from the orthodontics industry. The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has filed complaints against SmileDirectClub in at least 36 states, saying that the companys do-it-yourself model violates dental-practice statutes. The interest group has also issued a consumer warning about SmileDirectClub and other mail-order orthodontics businesses, saying that treatments must be done in person. SmileDirectClub said its treatment is safe because each case is monitored remotely by a dentist or orthodontist. CVS' Hourican said the retailer is comfortable with the company's approach. Accusations of treatments gone wrong seem to have thin roots, Brandon Couillard, an analyst for Jefferies who tracks the teeth aligner industry, told USA TODAY in December. SmileDirectClub also announced that it will immediately begin filing in-network insurance claims for UnitedHealthcare dental plan members and will do the same for CVS-owned Aetna's dental plan members beginning this summer. While SmileDirectClub was already accepting insurance, customers have been required to submit claims for reimbursement on their own. Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Hundreds' of CVS Pharmacy stores to get SmileDirectClub shops A Muslim woman's response to protesters at a conference in Washington, D.C., has gone viral. Shaymaa Ismaa'eel, 24, was attending a conference for the nonprofit group Islamic Circle of North America when she spotted a group of Islamophobic protesters, reports CNN. That's when Ismaa'eel decided to pose in front of them, smiling and holding up her fingers like a peace sign. "On April 21st I smiled in the face of bigotry and walked away feeling the greatest form of accomplishment," she wrote in a tweet on April 23 accompanying the images, which has drawn more than 292,000 likes. A similar post on Instagram published on April 21 has generated more than 273,000 likes. On April 21st I smiled in the face of bigotry and walked away feeling the greatest form of accomplishment. pic.twitter.com/Dbrtk7MDAw (@ShaymaaDarling) April 23, 2019 In an interview with The Guardian, Ismaa'eel said she wanted to show protesters she could be "kind and unapologetic" about being Muslim. "I wanted them to see the smile on my face, and see how happy I was to be me and walk around being a Muslim woman," she told The Guardian. Ismaa'eel said she's surprised at the reaction to her photo. "I'm a low-key person," she told CNN. "I'm still shook that it reached more that 200 likes at most. It's refreshing to see so many people supporting." Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'I smiled in the face of bigotry': A woman's response to anti-Islam protesters goes viral The camera panned across dozens of faces, exhausted migrants crouched in the New Mexico night, fenced in by armed civilians. The woman filming issued a stern warning. "Don't aim the gun," she called out to a member of the group off-screen, before she commented about how many children were in the group being "detained". The 16 April video of armed civilians holding migrants tore across social media and news outlets amid concerns by the American Civil Liberties Union that the actions of the United Constitutional Patriots amounted to armed kidnapping and coercion. The video and the stories that followed prompted stern denunciation from the state's governor and rights groups. The elements of that video and others are fuelling inquiry over the legal grey areas in which self-described militias can operate. That activity has placed armed civilians within feet of federal immigration agents at night in wild shrub land, with migrants caught in the middle, confused about who has actual authority on the border and what their rights are on US soil. [[gallery-0]] "Menacing or threatening migrant families and asylum seekers is absolutely unacceptable and must cease," New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said after the ACLU brought the video to light, calling the group's activities "completely unacceptable". The men in these videos wear military-style uniforms, surround migrants with rifles and issue commands to stop and sit. One member can be seen walking in front of the camera with an AR-15 rifle. In at least one video that has since been restricted, the group yells "Policia, alto!" Police, stop! at migrants, BuzzFeed News reported. In another, "a member of the militia is heard yelling in Spanish, 'Pistola, pistola' gun, gun at a group of people moments after they crossed the border at night," Buzzfeed wrote. Photos show the men wearing police-style star badges. Story continues In the April 16 video, Customs and Border Protection agents arrive and collect migrants but do not ask the group with guns to disperse or take their weapons elsewhere. "Border Patrol has never asked us to stand down," Jim Benvie, a group spokesman, told the New York Times in a story published on 18 April. Benvie did not reply to multiple requests for an interview for this story, but he has been active on Facebook, and described his group's motivation for their actions in two videos on Tuesday night. "We are simply there because President [Donald] Trump declared a national emergency on the border we came down to find out what that emergency is," Benvie says. "We are sitting here right now and we're doing what we need to do." Experts say the legal world these groups exist in is murky. What is the status of this group? Is it a militia? Is its actions protected by the constitution, or does the conduct rise to the level of kidnapping or impersonating law enforcement? "Militia is a term used in a rather fluid manner," said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University. "It's loosely defined as an armed group engaged in some paramilitary operation." The Supreme Court has ruled it is an individual right to bear arms, Turley said, and if the members lawfully assemble without trespassing, they can exist in the ways neighbourhood patrols do albeit armed with AR-15 rifles. "In some ways these groups are George Zimmerman on steroids," Turley said, referring to the man who followed and killed Trayvon Martin and was exonerated on Florida's stand-your-ground, self-defence law. According to the group's Facebook page, its objective is to "uphold the Constitution of the United States of America" and to protect citizens' rights "against all enemies both foreign and domestic" phrasing that mimics the oath taken by US service members. Dave Kopel, an adjunct professor constitutional law at Denver University, explained that in the American Revolution, militias were auxiliary forces that supplemented Continental troops across swaths of territory where an army presence was not always possible. Militias were crucial in raids and harassment campaigns against British soldiers. Now, organised militias are National Guard units and some state guard groups, he said. All able-bodied men between 17 and 45 years old are members of an organised militia subject to mobilisation, according to US law. The difference between those groups and the organisation at the border, Kopel explained, is a matter of oversight. Governors command National Guard troops. Presidents can activate them for federal service. It is legal to carry firearms openly in New Mexico, and there is not a law banning the use of military-style uniforms, although Turley said some behaviour could catch the eye of prosecutors. Most attorneys rely on explicit statements of misrepresenting oneself as law enforcement, but wearing police-style badges may get group members "dangerously close to the line of impersonating an officer." The group has sought to distance itself from the appearance of coercion, with Benvie calling their activities "a verbal citizen's arrest" and suggesting that their activity is not actual detainment. "We can't make them stay if they don't want to," Benvie told the New York Times. Still, Turley said, confusion may reign on the border when militiamen emerge from the dark with weapons drawn. "It's very likely they view these militia members to be law enforcement," he said. Benvie told the paper the members were instructed not to point weapons and that military-style rifles were no longer permitted on patrols, though handguns were permissible. The 16 April video shows rifles in the hands of group members. New Mexico has no statute on citizen's arrest, Alan Malott, a since-retired judge of the 2nd Judicial District Court in New Mexico, wrote in 2011, saying people can arrest private citizens who they believe "committed a felony-level crime or a breach of the peace in his presence". In a statement on Twitter, CBP said it "does not endorse or condone private groups or organisations taking enforcement matters into their own hands. Interference by civilians in law enforcement matters could have public safety and legal consequences for all parties involved." It followed that tweet with phone numbers to call "if a member of the community witnesses or suspects illegal activity". Carlos Diaz, CBP spokesman, declined to comment on what was shown in the videos, which appear to have shown armed civilians alongside Border Patrol agents. Benvie did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, but he has shared several videos on his Facebook page over the past week, explaining the group's actions and their motivations. "We have repeated time and time and time again this is not a militia," Benvie said onTuesday. "This is not an armed vigilante group. This is not the KKK. This is not a terrorist organisation. "If we did anything wrong, if there had ever been anything wrong, not only would those videos have not been done live but the Border Patrol would have immediately acted," Benvie said. "They don't want civilians to enforce the law." "However," he continues, "if you read the second part of their statement they do encourage citizens to observe and report illegal activity relating to immigration, and they do welcome that they they've even posted the phone number, OK? So the point I'm trying to tell you is, is that 'observing and reporting' more or less is what we've been doing." The United Constitutional Patriots' leader, Larry Mitchell Hopkins, appeared in court Monday on charges from 2017 of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The FBI also contends his group was training for assassinations against liberal politicians and donors. Hopkins, who goes by the pseudonym Johnny Horton and is referred to within the group as "Striker," was arrested and accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer in 2006. "This is a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families," Hector Balderas, the state attorney general, said in a statement after Hopkins's arrest. Balderas said the arrest "indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not vigilantes." A letter sent by the New Mexico chapter of the ACLU asked Balderas to investigate the group. "We cannot allow racist and armed vigilantes to kidnap and detain people seeking asylum," it said. Benvie has said his group was welcomed by local law enforcement and said police were "happy we were there." However, the group's outpost in New Mexico was abandoned amid pressure from law enforcement, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. Sunland Police Chief Javier Guerra said it would take action if group members pointed weapons at migrants. "We can arrest them for assault," Guerra said, AP reported. But in the 16 April video, the woman narrating the incident sought more a more influential audience. "Donald Trump needs to see this," she said. Washington Post During the 2018 midterm elections, Florida voted to pass Amendment 4 which restored the voting rights of 1.4 million Floridians with felony records. Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Desmond Meade led the charge for its passage. The constitutional amendment was the largest expansion of voting rights in a half-century, and Desmond made it happen, Stacey Abrams wrote in her TIME 100 tribute to Meade. Having served time in prison, Meade was unable to vote including for his own wife, Sheena Meade, when she ran for state legislature in 2016 (she lost the race). At the time, he was one of more than 6 million Americans disenfranchised because of felony convictions. With his grassroots organization Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Meade has fought for the re-enfranchisement of Floridians with felony convictions and continues his efforts as new challenges arise for the recently enfranchised voters. After Amendment 4 passed in November, Floridas Republican-controlled Legislature introduced a bill that would require individuals with felony records to pay back all court fines and fees before they can register to vote. The Florida House passed the bill on April 24. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had tweeted that the measure is a poll tax, and supporters of Amendment 4 expressed serious concern that the newly restored voting rights will be limited as lawmakers add adjustments to their implementation. Ive worked tirelessly to re-enfranchise Floridians with felony convictions, Meade says. Now well work tirelessly once again to register over 1.4 million newly enfranchised voters. Meade will take over TIMEs Reddit account and answer your questions this Friday in a Reddit Ask Me Anything. The AMA will take place from 1:30 p.m. ET to 2:30 p.m. ET in the subreddit r/politics. Editors Note: This essay is adapted from a speech given by Michael Novak at Westminster Abbey upon receiving the Templeton Prize in 1994. It is reprinted with permission of the Novak family. As we draw near the close of the 20th century, we owe ourselves a reckoning. This century was historys bloodiest. At a time they didnt choose, and in a way they didnt foresee, more than a hundred million persons in Europe found their lives brutally taken from them. Beyond the war dead, 66 million prisoners perished in the Soviet labor camps. Add the scores of millions dead in Asia, Africa, and the other continents since 1900. Nor is there any guarantee that the 21st century will not be bloodier. And yet the world has drawn four painful lessons from the ashes of our century. First, even under conditions of nihilism, better than cowardice is fidelity to truth. From fidelity to truth, inner liberty is wrested. Second, the boast of Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler that dictatorship is more vigorous than decadent democracy was empty. It led to concentration camps. Third, the claim that socialism is morally superior to capitalism, and better for the poor, was also empty. It paved the road to serfdom. Fourth, vulgar relativism so undermines the culture of liberty that free institutions may not survive the 21st century. The First Lesson: Truth Matters For three centuries, modernity has been supremely fruitful in its practical discoveries in its magnificent institutions of political and economic liberty, for example. But it has been spectacularly wrong in its underlying philosophy of life. An age that is wrong about God is almost certain to be wrong about man. History, Hegel once remarked, is a butchers bench. Homo homini lupus. Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. Many sober inquirers, who saw how prodigally in this century the bodies of individuals have been thrown around like sacks of bones, understandably asserted that God is dead. Since this foul century began, how many terrorized children have spent long nights, uncomprehendingly, in tears? Story continues And yet, in this night of a century, a first fundamental lesson was drawn from the bowels of nihilism itself: Truth matters. Even for those unsure whether there is a God, truth is different from a lie. Torturers can twist your mind, even reduce you to a vegetable, but as long as you retain the ability to say yes or no as truth alone commands, they cannot own you. Further, as the prison literature of the 20th century (a very large literature, alas) testifies abundantly, truth is not simply a pragmatic compromise, although torturers present it so. It is such a little thing, they say. All you have to do is say yes, sign here, and this will all be over. Then you can forget about it. What harm will come of it? We have been in power for seventy years. We will always be in power. It is such a little thing, like swatting a fly. Who will ever know? Yet millions have known in such circumstances that their identity as free women and free men was at stake; more exactly, their salvation. Irina Ratushinskaya, Raoul Wallenberg, Andrei Sakharov, Maximilian Kolbe, Vladimir Bukovsky, Vaclav Havel, Anatole Scharansky, Pavel Bratinka, Tomas Halik, Mikhailo Mikhailov, Armando Valladares let us summon up the witnesses, the endless scroll of honor of our century. To obey truth is to be free, and in extreme circumstances nothing is more clear to the tormented mind, nothing more vital to the survival of self-respect, nothing so important to ones sense of remaining a worthy human being of being no ones cog, part of no ones machine, and resister to death against the kingdom of lies nothing is so dear as to hold to truth. In fidelity to truth lies human dignity. There is nothing recondite in this. Simple people have often seen it more clearly than have clerks. This is the plain insight that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn expressed when he wrote in his Nobel address (1970) that one single truth is more powerful than all the weapons in the world; that, dark as that hour then seemed in the world, with Communism everywhere advancing, truth would prevail against the lie; and that those who clung to truth would overturn tyranny. He was correct in his predictions. Truth did prevail over arms we are witnesses to history; it is our obligation to teach this to our children. What those learned who suffered in prison in our time what Dostoevsky learned in prison in the Tsars time is that we human beings do not own the truth. Truth is not merely subjective, not something we make up, or choose, or cut to todays fashions or the morrows pragmatism we obey the truth. We do not have the truth. Truth owns us. Truth is far larger and deeper than we are. Truth leads us where it will. It is not ours for mastering. And yet, even in prison, truth is a master before whom a free man stands erect. In obeying the evidence of truth, no human being is humiliated rather, in that way alone ennobled. In obeying truth, the way of liberty is marked out as a lamp unto our feet. In obeying truth, a man becomes aware of his participation in something greater than himself. Truth is the light of God within us. For us its humble mode is inquiry, seeking, restlessness. Innermost at the core of us, even as children, is an irrepressible drive to ask questions. That unlimited drive is Gods dynamic presence in us, the seed of our dissatisfaction with everything less than infinite. The grand refusal of the modern age to say yes to God is a failure both of intellect and of imagination. Modernitys mistake is to have imagined God as if He were different from truth, alien to ourselves, out there like a ghostly object far in space, to serve Whom is to lose our own autonomy. Modernity has imagined God to be a ghostly version of the tyrants we have actually seen in the 20th century. It took the real tyrants of our time, jackbooted, oily-haired, self-confident, enjoying the torture of innocents, to shatter that false identity. The tyrants may have thought they were like God; it was idiotic to flatter them that God was like them. In the 20th century, prisons and torture chambers have been better places to encounter God than universities. Many who resisted the tyrants of our era turned nihilism inside out. In the nothingness they found inner light. Many came to call the light they found God. The relation some gradually assumed toward this inner light, whose Source, they knew, was not themselves, was that of wordless conversation or communion. They addressed their God in conversation, under the name of Truth. Two Great Practical Lessons Until recently, modernity was mistaken in its relation to truth, and thus to God and humankind. But even so modernity has, to its great credit, by grant of Providence, made three great institutional discoveries. Modern thinkers first worked out, as neither the ancients nor the medievals did, the practical principles of the free society: free in its polity, free in its economy, and free in the realm of conscience and inquiry. The great modern achievements in these matters have been supremely practical: how to make free institutions work at least tolerably well, and better in most ways than earlier regimes. However, despite these happy practical gains, modernity tore down the only philosophical foundations which can sustain the free society. The Enlightenment was supposed to do away with sectarian bickering, but it did not. If you stay within your own school of thought, the foundations of the free society may seem secure. Peek outside, however, and you will hear raucous voices shouting. The age of Enlightenment has failed to secure an intelligent mode of public moral argument that gets beyond the language of the playpen. Lest we forget: The 20th century was not only the bloodiest, but also the most ideological century. Ideology is the atheists substitute for faith; lacking faith, our age did not want for warring ideologies. For nine decades of this century, armies not exactly ignorant clashed by night. Beneath the fearful din, two great practical principles of the free society were mortally contested: first, the political principle; second, the economic principle. Despite the books and songs of the 1930s The End of an Era, The Lights are Going Out All Over the World, The Decline of the West and despite the boast of dictators that In three weeks England will have her neck wrung like a chicken decadent democracies proved they had the will, the audacity, and the stamina to defeat the principle of dictatorship. They defeated it so decisively that today hardly a dictator anywhere in the world, although many (alas) remain, dares to argue that dictatorship is an ideal form of government. Most are left to argue limply that, in the particular case of their own countries, dictatorship is expedient. They lie. For poor people, the principles of democracy (the rule of law, limited government, checks and balances) are better than dictatorship. Only thus can people enjoy the zone of civil liberty necessary to ensure their dignity and self-command. Political democracy is the worlds first great practical lesson of our time, learned at fearful cost. The second great practical lesson of our century is the futility of socialism as an economic principle. For 150 years, the intellectual battle over fundamental economic principles was conducted asymmetrically. Hundreds of books detailed the wonders of socialism as an ideology, passionately dissected the flaws of capitalist practice, and boastfully mapped out the coming transition from capitalism to socialism. Not one single book existed when the time finally came to map out the necessary transition from socialism to capitalism. I doubt whether ever in history so many intellectuals were wrong on a matter to which they themselves assigned highest moment, while considering themselves scientific. The story of how this happened must one day be recounted. As Pope John Paul II recently pointed out in Centesimus Annus, this story is connected to the intellectuals devaluation of the human person. No system that devalues the initiative and creativity of every woman and every man, made in the image of their Creator, is fit for human habitation. On the first day that the flag of Russia snapped against the blue sky over the city hall of St. Petersburg, where for seven decades the red flag had flown, a Russian artist told me: The next time you want to try an experiment like socialism, try it out on animals first men it hurts too much. Indeed, once the Iron Curtain was joyfully torn down, and the great lie thoroughly unmasked, it became clear that in the heartland of real existing socialism the poor were living in third-world conditions; that a large majority of the population was in misery; that both the will to work and economic creativity had been suffocated in the crib; that economic intelligence had been blinded by the absurd necessity to set arbitrarily the prices of some 22 million commodities and services; that the omnivorous State had almost wholly swallowed civil society; that the society of comrades had in fact driven millions of individuals into thoroughly privatized, untrusting, and alienated inner isolation; that this culture of the lie had been hated by scores of millions; and that the soils of vast stretches of the land and the waters of rivers and lakes had been despoiled. Three great lessons have been learned from our century, then, even if the cost of learning them was fearful beyond measure. First, truth matters. Second, for all its manifest faults, even absurdities, democracy is better for the protection of individuals and minorities than dictatorship. Third, for all its deficiencies, even gaping inadequacies, capitalism is better for the poor than either of its two great rivals, socialism and the third-world traditional state. Just watch in which direction the poor of the world invariably migrate. The poor among whom my family in living memory could be counted know better than the intellectuals. They seek opportunity and liberty. They seek systems that allow them to be economically creative, as God made them to be. From these three lessons, one might derive reasons for hope: Quite possibly if along that great plain that runs like an arrow eastward from Germany through Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Russian steppes, the new experiments in democracy and capitalism succeed the 21st century could be the most prosperous and free in the history of the world. Perhaps China, too, if it becomes a democracy under the rule of law as it is already becoming capitalist, will bring to its more than 1 billion citizens unprecedented liberty. Throughout Latin America, there is a chance that the fertile soil of liberty will yield new fruits of education, creative energy, and prosperity for all. The 21st century could be the single most creative century in history, bringing virtually all the peoples of the world under the cool and healthful shade of liberty. It could be lovely. Far likelier, alas, is the prospect that the 21st century will be like the 20th: tormented, sanguinary, barbarous. For there is still a fourth lesson. The Ecology of Liberty During the 20th century, the free society was fighting for its life. The urgent need to secure the free polity and the free economy blinded most to the cultural peril into which liberty has rapidly been falling. Many sophisticated people love to say that they are cynical, that ours is a cynical age. They flatter themselves. They do not believe nothing; they believe anything. Ours is not an age of unbelief, but of arrogant gullibility. Think how many actually believed the romance of fascism. Think how many plighted their troth to socialism. Think how many, now today, believe in global warming; think how many believe in a coming Ice Age and think how many believe in both! One thing our intellectual betters never lack is passionate belief. One principle that many ardent souls of our time most passionately disseminate, for example, is vulgar relativism, nihilism with a happy face. For them, it is certain that there is no truth, only opinion: my opinion, your opinion. They abandon the defense of intellect and retreat to the romance of will. There being no purchase of intellect upon reality, nothing else is left but preference, and will becomes everything. But this is to give to Mussolini and Hitler posthumously, and casually, what they could not vindicate by the most willful force of arms. It is to miss the first great lesson rescued from the ashes of World War II: Those who surrender the domain of intellect make straight the road of fascism. Totalitarianism, as Mussolini defined it, is la feroce volonta. It is the will-to-power, unchecked by any regard for truth. To surrender the claims of truth upon humans is to surrender the earth to thugs. It is to make a mockery of those who endured agonies for truth at the hands of torturers. This most perilous threat to the free society is neither political nor economic. It is the poisonous, corrupting culture of relativism. Vulgar relativism is an invisible gas, odorless, deadly, that is now polluting every free society on earth. It is a gas that attacks the central nervous system of moral striving. The people know this, while the intellectuals do not. If our intellectual betters knew this, they would be sounding the alarm. Freedom cannot grow it cannot even survive in every atmosphere or clime. In the wearying journey of human history, free societies have been astonishingly rare. The ecology of liberty is more fragile than the biosphere of Earth. Freedom needs clean and healthful habits, sound families, common decencies, and the unafraid respect of one human for another. Freedom needs entire rain forests of little acts of virtue, tangled loyalties, fierce loves, undying commitments. Freedom needs particular institutions and these, in turn, need peoples of particular habits of the heart. There are two types of liberty: one pre-critical, emotive, whimsical, proper to children; the other critical, sober, deliberate, responsible, and proper to adults. Alexis de Tocqueville called attention to this difference early in Democracy in America, and at Cambridge Lord Acton put it this way: Liberty is not the freedom to do what you wish; it is the freedom to do what you ought. Human beings are the only creatures on earth that do not blindly obey the laws of their nature, by instinct, but are free to choose to obey them with a loving will. Only humans enjoy the liberty to do what we ought to do or, alas, not to do it. It is this second kind of liberty critical, adult liberty that lies at the living core of the free society. It is the liberty of self-command, a tolerable mastery over ones own passions, bigotry, ignorance, and self-deceit. It is the liberty of self-government in ones own personal life. For how, James Madison once asked, can a people incapable of self-government in private life prove capable of it in public? If they cannot practice self-government over their private passions, how will they practice it over the institutions of the republic? Can there be a free society among citizens who habitually lie, who malinger, who constantly cheat, who do not meet their responsibilities, who cannot be counted on, who shirk difficulties, who flout the law or who prefer to live as serfs or slaves, content in their dependency, so long as they are fed and entertained? Freedom requires the exercise of conscience; it requires the practice of those virtues that, as Winston Churchill noted in his wartime speeches to the House of Commons, have long been practiced in the British Isles: dutiful stout arms, ready hearts, courage, courtesy, ingenuity, respect for individual choice, a patient regard for hearing evidence on both sides of the story. During the past 100 years, the question for those who loved liberty was whether, relying on the virtues of our peoples, we could survive the most powerful assaults from without. During the next 100 years, the question for those who love liberty will be whether we can survive the most insidious and duplicitous attacks from within, from those who undermine the virtues of our people, doing in advance the work of the Father of Lies. There is no such thing as truth, they teach even the little ones. Truth is bondage. Believe what seems right to you. There are as many truths as there are individuals. Get in touch with yourself. Do what feels comfortable. This is how they speak, those who prepare the jails of the 21st century. Those who undermine the idea of truth do the work of tyrants. No doubt, you have heard objection to this warning. It goes like this: To accept the idea of moral truth is to accept authoritarian control. Pity those who say this! Between moral relativism and political control, there is a third alternative, well known to the common sense of the English-speaking peoples. It is called self-control. We do not want a government that coerces the free consciences of individuals; on the contrary, we want self-governing individuals to restrain immoral government. We want self-government, self-command, self-control. If a people composed of 100 million citizens is guarded by 100 million inner policemen that is, by 100 million self-governing consciences then the number of policemen on its streets may be few. For a society without inner policemen, on the contrary, there arent enough policemen in the world to make society civil. Self-control is not authoritarianism; it is the alternative to it. What Must We Do? The Revolution, Charles Peguy once wrote, is moral; or not at all. This is also the law for the free society. It will deepen its moral culture or it will die. As human lungs need air, so does liberty need virtue. As does this blue-green planet Earth, so has liberty its own ecology. The deepest and most vital struggles of the 21st century will be cultural arguments over the sorts of habits necessary to the preservation of liberty. What are the habits we must teach our young? Which are the habits we must encourage in ourselves, and which discourage? To allow liberty to survive and, more than that, to make it worth all the blood and tears expended to achieve it how do we need to live? With the ample wealth produced by a free economy, with private liberties bestowed abundantly by free polities, are we not now ashamed of the culture we have wrought, of its shocking crimes, its loss of virtue, its loss of courtesy, the decline of common decency? Can all the sufferings of our ancestors on behalf of liberty have been endured for this that we might be as we now are? Nihilism builds no cities. Great cultures are built by vaulting aspiration by the eros of truth and love and justice and realism. We must learn again how to teach the virtues of the noble Greeks and Romans; the commandments God entrusted to the Hebrews; the virtues that Jesus introduced into the world even into secular consciences such as gentleness, kindness, compassion, and the equality of all in our Fathers love. We must celebrate again the heroes, great and humble, who have for centuries exemplified the virtues proper to our individual peoples. We must learn again how to speak of virtue, character, and nobility of soul. Liberty itself requires unprecedented virtues, rarely seen in simpler and more simply led societies. Special virtues are needed by self-governing peoples: calm, deliberate, dispassionate reflection; careful, responsible, consequence-accepting choice. In self-government, citizens are sovereigns, and must learn to exercise the virtues of sovereigns. The free economy, too, demands more virtues than the socialist or third-world traditional economies: It demands active persons, self-starters, women and men of enterprise and risk. It requires the willingness to sacrifice present pleasures for rewards that will be enjoyed primarily by future generations. It requires vision, discovery, invention. Its dynamism is human creativity endowed in us by our Creator, Who made us in His image. And so, too, the pluralist society calls for higher levels of civility, tolerance, and reasoned public argument than citizens in simpler times ever needed. It is a constant struggle to maintain free societies in any of their three parts, economic, political, or cultural. Of these three, the cultural struggle, long neglected, is the one on whose outcome the fate of free societies in the 21st century will most depend. We will have to learn, once again, how to think about such matters, and how to argue about them publicly, with civility and with the moral seriousness of those who know that the survival of liberty depends upon the outcome. The free society is moral; or not at all. No one ever promised us that free societies will endure forever. Indeed, a cold view of history shows that submission to tyranny is the more frequent condition of the human race and that free societies have been few in number and not often long-lived. Free societies such as our own, which have arisen rather late in the long evolution of the human race, may pass across the darkness of time like splendid little comets, burn into ashes, disappear. Yet nothing in the entire universe, vast as it is, is as beautiful as the human person. The human person alone is shaped to the image of God. This God loves humans with a love most powerful. It is this God who draws us, erect and free, toward Himself, this God Who, in Dantes words, is: The Love that moves the sun and all the stars. More from National Review By Issei Kato and Tim Kelly TOKYO, April 25 (Reuters) - From a 14-hour wait outside Tokyo's main jail on Christmas Day to a momentous photograph filed from the top of a step-ladder, covering the Carlos Ghosn story has mostly been about mastering the art of Japanese stakeout journalism. That often means waiting for hours on suburban streets or outside offices to accost corporate bosses and politicians for what are called "burasagari," or stakeout briefings. Such vigils were an important part of Reuters coverage in the days following the arrest in November of Ghosn, the former head of Nissan Motor Co. Learning the craft of burasagari - literally "hanging onto," conjuring up the image of a scrum of journalists clinging to a source - is a rite of passage for many young Japanese reporters, photographers and video journalists. For instance, there is the media gaggle that lurks during the day in the entrance hall of the prime minister's residence, kept at bay in one corner with a strip of blue tape on the granite floor. Journalists are only allowed to cross when someone walks in. Elsewhere, reporters stalk the halls of Japan's Ministry of Finance for comments on currencies or the economy. Others press their ears to meeting room doors for muffled snippets at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party offices. On the streets, scandal-tainted celebrities and criminal suspects are shadowed by lurking reporters. One particular kind of ambush journalism practiced in Japan is "yomawari," or night raids, when reporters stake out the residence of an executive or politician, hoping to catch them on their way home. Night raids over the Ghosn story became so frequent and heavily attended that Nissan sent registered letters in December to news organizations asking them to stop visiting the homes of their executives. The company said neighbors had complained and that the "intrusive reporting" had led to one passerby getting injured, without elaborating. Story continues JAIL STAKEOUT From the time Ghosn was arrested, the Reuters team in Tokyo has spent hours, days even, outside the Tokyo jail. There have also been chilly evenings on night stakeouts in front of his lawyer's office or outside the court waiting for news. Bounded by elevated motor expressways, a river and train line, the imposing Tokyo Detention House sits in one of Tokyos poorer neighborhoods, surrounded by small workshops and apartment blocks. There are few places for the tired and frozen to take refuge and warm up. A solitary 7-Eleven convenience store nearby often sold out of steamed dumplings, hot drinks and other sustenance. On Christmas Day, Reuters journalists waited 14 hours outside the jail for a glimpse of Ghosn's co-accused, Greg Kelly, when he was freed on bail. There was a slice of luck when Ghosn himself was freed on bail in March. Chief Photographer Issei Kato had been waiting outside the detention center for two days for Ghosn to appear along with about 200 other journalists. Kato was standing atop a cameraman's ladder, holding the camera and a heavy 200-400 millimeter lens, with a 1.4x extender, worrying about the fading light as sun began to set. He couldn't use a flash as he was shooting through a fence that would have flooded the picture with reflected light. It was then Kato suddenly saw a group of guards and men dressed in work clothes and wearing surgical masks walk quickly out of the entrance in tight formation and get into a small van with a ladder on top. "I didn't immediately recognize Ghosn amongst them, but thought they somehow looked odd," he said. "I instinctively squeezed the shutter." As the van swung around and drove away, Kato said he began checking the images through the camera's view screen. "I suddenly realized that the eyes peeking from behind the mask of one of the men belonged to Ghosn. "Still atop the step-ladder, I quickly transmitted the picture of Ghosn in his disguise to our European photo desk in Gdynia, Poland, directly from my camera using the wireless transmitter attached to it," he said. "The transmission of the first image took about 15 seconds. The photo editors in Gdynia quickly cropped, captioned and published the photo within a few minutes." Kato's image of the masked Ghosn was used widely online and in newspapers. The former Nissan boss has since been re-arrested and is back in jail. But on Thursday, the court granted him bail a second time, prompting Kato - who has acquired a longer step-ladder - and other journalists to race to the detention center yet again. (Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink and Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Malcolm Foster and Raju Gopalakrishnan) Baltimore (AFP) - As the conductor raises her baton, dozens of children come to order, and their everyday cacophonous chatting gives way to a melodic cascade of notes. The 60 or so students are part of OrchKids, a program run by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which is hoping to bring change to the troubled city through the power of music. "We are trying to combat some of the social challenges here in Baltimore," says program director Nick Skinner. One recent OrchKids concert took place just a few blocks from where Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, was arrested in April 2015. Gray fell into a coma while in police custody and later died, and the incident sparked violent protests in Baltimore, a port city plagued by violence, drugs and crime. "Charm City" is now one of the most violent in the United States, with an average of more than 300 murders a year. Nearly a quarter of its 620,000 residents live below the poverty line. In recent years, urban renewal projects have sought to break the spiral of gloom, but in some neighborhoods, only a few blocks separate condemned buildings from hip hotspots. Those behind OrchKids remain optimistic. In all, 1,300 children -- from grade school to high school -- are enrolled in the program, which offers them free music education, four afternoons a week after school. The program offers them a safe place to go after school without charge -- easing the minds of busy parents who would otherwise need child care or be forced to leave their children unsupervised. "We're providing not only academic support but also a healthy snack and a dinner before they go home," Skinner explains. OrchKids -- which takes inspiration from El Sistema, Venezuela's venerable music education program -- started a little more than a decade ago with just 30 students. "Back when we started the program in 2008, most of the community thought that we were actually undercover cops," Skinner says. Story continues "There was no trust," he adds, recalling the long history of distrust, especially in the city's African American community, toward local officials and a police force seen as racist and corrupt. - 'A different kind of future' - This year, that first class of 30 students is getting ready to graduate from high school and some will head on to university -- firsts for many of the families involved. Some of the OrchKids students have studied at the prestigious summer camp at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. Ludy Gutierres, a 12-year-old who plays the bassoon, even performed for Barack Obama. "Yeah, that was just once... It was fun," Ludy said, nonchalantly, as if playing a concert for a former US president were an everyday experience. Even if music is not a career option for most of the students enrolled in OrchKids, the program offers them a perspective that is not always available to inner-city kids, especially in Charm City. Bella, a middle schooler who also plays bassoon, knows that her participation in OrchKids will give her a leg up when it comes time to apply for college, even if she does not want to be a musician. "It's a good way to teach patience," she says. The Baltimore Symphony's long-time conductor, Marin Alsop, has lent her considerable influence to OrchKids. Alsop, who leads orchestras around the world, has made Baltimore her home since 2007, when she became the first woman to lead a major US symphony orchestra. She says using her platform to make classical music more accessible, and possibly offer a positive influence to children in her home city, was important to her. "The issues of violence that we face are pretty overwhelming," Alsop explains, adding that the city's children "live under a lot of stress." "That really takes a toll and I think through programs like OrchKids, they start to see a different kind of future," she adds. "They're able to travel to play... they're receiving positive affirmation for what they're doing," she says. "As a result, many of them are looking at futures that they wouldn't have considered before." The American conductor -- who also leads the Sao Paulo State Symphony Orchestra and is chief conductor designate of the Vienna Radio Symphony -- says she hopes to reach 10,000 children through OrchKids. That would be one in eight kids in Baltimore's public school system. "I'd love Baltimore to become known as the City of Music rather than the City of Murder," she says. Tokyo (AFP) - Tokyo on Thursday displayed a drawing thought to be the work of Banksy, as the city's mayor urged the famous and mysterious street artist to get in touch. Curious Tokyoites, tourists and art lovers flocked to see the work depicting a rat holding an umbrella that was spotted on a panel near a monorail station in central Tokyo. As ever, doubts rage over whether it is a genuine work by the secretive artist and Governor Yuriko Koike said: "If there are any problems, I'd very much like Mr Banksy to contact the Tokyo metropolitan government." It is unclear exactly when the drawing -- which Koike described as a "cute rat" -- was painted but the city's public safety bureau has known about the graffiti for a long time, seemingly oblivious to its potential. A rat holding an umbrella is one of Banksy's most famous artworks and there are photos on social media dating back several years that appear to show the same drawing. It was only in December the city government realised it might be a "Banksy" after local residents contacted them. The drawing, behind a protective glass cover, now stands in a corner of the sprawling metropolitan government building. Viewers voiced hopes that it was genuine. "Because he is a much-talked-about artist, I came here really hoping it's real," said Akihiro Ishikawa, 71. Knut Holth-Larsen, a 70-year-old from Oslo, said he and his wife just happened to spot the display while sightseeing. He said it was "very interesting" to see the work. "It was an extra plus for the day." "What is good is no-one knows who he is. I like his being mysterious," said Riyuko Sato, a woman in her 50s. Her husband Toshio said the artist was unlikely to contact the government. Tokyo has been consulting experts but the work's authenticity has not been confirmed yet. The city says graffiti in public areas is "not acceptable" but decided to unveil it given the high level of public interest. Just before the door was taken away in January for storage to protect it from damage, Koike took a photo of the drawing and tweeted: "There's a painting of a cute rat in Tokyo which could be Banksy's work! A gift to Tokyo?" Banksy, whose identity is known to only a handful of friends, caused a sensation in October when one of his paintings began shredding itself, just after selling for $1.4 million (1.2 million euros). Jes Staley CEO of Barclays (BARC.L) has defended the banks under-fire investment banking division, saying he will continue with the strategy we set out three years ago. Barclays first quarter earnings on Thursday showed a tough quarter for its investment bank. Income fell by 11% to 2.5bn ($3.2bn) and pre-tax profit fell by 29% to 846m. Barclays is currently battling activist investor Edward Bramson, who has built up a 1bn stake in the bank and wants it to cut back on investment banking activities to boost its share price. Staley hit back on Thursday, following the publication of the banks results, saying the investment bank performed well despite not normal market conditions. This is the sixth quarter in a row in the markets business that weve gained market share against the US banks, Staley told Yahoo Finance UK. Those who argue that were structurally disadvantaged versus the US banks if our structural disadvantage leads to 6 quarters of growth, maybe we should keep it. He added that the markets business within the investment bank was more profitable than the overall investment bank. As we seek to improve the overall profitability of the business, if Ive got a markets business which is gaining market share and generating higher than the banks overall level of profitability thats a good thing, Staley said. We like the progress were making in the corporate and investment bank, we like the profitability of our markets business in the first quarter, and were going to continue with the strategy we set out three years ago. Messy and poor results The sign on a branch of Barclays bank in London. Photo: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File Staley is set for a showdown with Bramson at Barclays AGM next week when shareholders will vote on whether to elect Bramson to the banks board. Bramson, who owns 5.5% of Barclays through his company Sherborne Investors, is calling for the board seat in order to push through changes at the investment bank. Analysts said Thursdays results weakened Staleys hand ahead of the vote on May 2. Story continues Barclays is keen to point to a growing share of global banking fees, Nicholas Hyett, an equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said. But despite a better than expected result in fixed income trading, todays numbers will do little to take the pressure from activist Edward Bramson off the board. The readings from the investment bank dont look too good for CEO Jes Staley, said Neil Wilson, the chief market analyst at Markets.com. Barclays has urged shareholders to reject Bramsons motion, saying he has a a poor understanding of the bank and his plan is based on multiple factual errors. Bramsons Sherborne Investors wrote to Barclays shareholders earlier this month and said: An alternative voice on the board would seem to be healthy for the company and its shareholders. Barclays finance director Tushar Morzaria said on Thursday the bank didnt know if Bramson or any Sherborne representatives would appear or speak at next weeks AGM. Subdued markets Across Barclays, total income was down by 2% to 5.2bn in the first quarter. Pre-tax profit was down by 10% to 1.5bn. Attributable profit was just over 1bn and return on tangible equity across the bank was 9.6%. Earnings per share was 6.3p, which was higher than consensus forecasts but below the 7.1p reported in the first quarter of 2018. Hyett said the investment banks performance was poor and the overall banks results were messy. Barclays shares were down 1.5% in early trade. The start of 2019 has continued to be tough for investment banks after a brutal end to 2018. Data provider Refinitiv estimated that investment banking revenues across Europe fell by 25% in the first three months of the year. Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam called it a challenging period on Wednesday, despite his bank posting better-than-expected numbers. UBS reported a 27% fall in net profits on Thursday. CEO Jes Staley told media: Like the other banks, M&A and capital markets activity in the first quarter globally, but particularly in the UK & Europe was quite subdued. Staley said that the US government shut down had led to reduced IPO revenues in the first quarter as companies could file paperwork to go public. He added that Brexit had also hit capital markets in the UK. Barry George, the man who was wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando, has said that he was jailed on no sound evidence. He also said that his conscience is clear over Dandos murder, which remains unsolved. George has been interviewed for a new ITV documentary, airing tonight, exploring the high-profile case 20 years on. Dando, who presented the BBCs Crimewatch and a host of other programmes, was shot dead the her doorstep of her house in South London on April 26, 1999. Barry George (Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA) Though George was arrested, and then jailed for the crime in 2001, he was acquitted at a retrial seven years later. There are probably a select few people who may think, Okay, hes been through the case. Hes got off on a technicality, probably, or whatever, he tells ITV. But my conscience was clear I knew I hadnt done it. I find it sad that they done what theyve done to me and that they didnt have no sound evidence. The truth of the real killer is somewhere out there, you know. Jill Dando (Credit: PA) George, who had previous convictions for indecent assault and attempted rape, has received no compensation for being wrongly convicted of Dandos murder, because the Ministry of Justice ruled that he has not proved his innocence. It was doubt over gunshot residue evidence presented at Georges retrial that led to his acquittal. Former commander of the police John OConnor, he even turns turns round and makes a statement, Excellent leads of the Jill Dando case were never followed up. The Met, though, just shut their eyes to everything else once they had nicked poor Barry George, George added. To be questioned about a murder and you havent done it Just somewhat overwhelming. And just absolute ludicrous. You know, it just beggars belief. Barry George (Credit: AP) The programme also looks at failures of Operation Oxborough, the investigation into Dandos death, to adequately explore leads linking her murder to threats called in by an unidentified man to the BBC, relating to the NATO bombings in Serbia during the Balkan War. Story continues Intelligence reports suggest that the killing of Dando, a high-profile personality who had appeared three weeks before her murder as the face of a charity appeal for Kosovan refugees, was done in revenge. The documentary reveals that another anonymous call made to the BBC after Dandos death appeared to be taking responsibility for the murder. Jill Dando The 20 Year Mystery airs on ITV at 9pm tonight. Khartoum (AFP) - With the fall of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's long stifled graffiti artists are finally able to express their art, painting the country's revolution in murals and portraits flourishing across Khartoum's walls. Inspired by the months-long protest movement that finally toppled Bashir on April 11, several artists are using the walls near the army headquarters as a canvas. The once-grey walls close to the complex, where thousands of protesters remain encamped, are full of large clenched fists and victory signs symbolic of the popular uprising that ended Bashir's rule. Bright murals of Sudanese flags and portraits of protest leaders have also come up near the complex. "It was unimaginable to paint any wall without a permit, let alone around the army building, but this revolution has changed everything," said Lotfy Abdel Fattah, who specialises in fine art. "Even if it's wiped out some day, the drawings will leave an everlasting mark on people's minds," the 35-year-old told AFP. For years such artwork remained underground amid censorship imposed by heavy-handed security agents, who considered it anti-establishment or pure vandalism. But artists say everything changed on April 6, when thousands of protesters broke through security cordons and massed outside the army headquarters. They braved volleys of tear gas to demand the military depose Bashir after three decades, while a day later graffiti artists began publicly exhibiting their work at the protest site and elsewhere in Khartoum. - 'Tell the story' - "People welcomed our drawings and we felt we should start painting all the walls," said 26-year old Amir Saleh, a graffiti artist working on a mural outside the military complex. "All of these walls were empty. We, along with other artists, have filled them with graffiti," added Saleh, who took part in anti-Bashir rallies from December. Story continues "We just wanted to tell the story of what's happening here." Saleh said many of the designs reflect the protest movement's catchcry of "freedom, peace, justice". "The revolution has to keep on going... freedom and security are at the core," he said. Painting fluorescent shades of orange across a wall, 26-year-old Belal Abdelrahman said he was inspired by the protesters' call: "just fall, that's all." Many murals attempt to show the peaceful nature of the protest movement, including one image of a clenched fist facing two large bullets. "This just shows that the people's determination to bring down Bashir was much bigger than the bullets his security met the protests with," Abdelrahman said. Officials say at least 65 people have died in protest-related violence since December. Artists have blazoned one wall with a rifle -- symbolic of the violent crackdown on anti-Bashir demonstrators -- with a red flower protruding from its muzzle. "These are peaceful protests and they will remain so," Abdelrahman said. - 'Dressed in bright colours' - Some artists like Abdel Fattah, who has been painting murals for more than a decade, are keen to show the vibrant future of Sudan. "I usually depict Sudan as a country covered in lush greenery and flowers to show that it has a lot to offer," he said. Even as these artists enjoy their first stroke of freedom, they all complain of a shortage of materials. "It is supposed to be done using sprays, but it's unavailable and very expensive to import. What we have is regular paint," said Abdelrahman. Hit by an acute foreign currency shortage, Sudan's economy has only worsened over the years. The ongoing protest movement threatens to further derail the economy, but demonstrators are firm in their demand that the new military rulers hand over power to civilians. And graffiti artists support the protesters. "We want a more open Sudan, one that accepts art and promotes freedom of expression," said Saleh. "This is just the beginning of the revolution. Hopefully, the whole of Sudan will be dressed in bright colours." Eduardo Rodriguez shined over six innings, and J.D. Martinez collected a season-high three hits to lead the Boston Red Sox to an 11-4 win over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. Rodriguez (2-2) struck out seven while allowing one run on two hits and three walks. He kept the Tigers hitless over his first 4 1/3 innings as the Red Sox rebounded from a doubleheader sweep on Tuesday. After Brandon Workman struck out the side for Boston in the seventh, Matt Barnes did the same in the eighth, though Detroit had loaded the bases with two outs while down 4-1. Barnes fanned Ronny Rodriguez on three pitches to escape the jam. The Red Sox sent 12 men to the plate and scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it a blowout. Three came home on bases-loaded walks. The Tigers had a three-game winning streak snapped. Martinez, who had an 11-game hitting streak end in Game 1 on Tuesday, has a hit in 23 of Boston's first 25 games this season. His RBI single in the fifth inning gave the Red Sox a 4-0 lead. Detroit, which had put just three runners on base against Eduardo Rodriguez over the first five innings, finally posed a threat in the sixth. Jeimer Candelario led off with a double, and Nicholas Castellanos walked. Niko Goodrum drove home Candelario with a sacrifice fly. Tigers starter Tyson Ross had a tougher time staying out of trouble. After Martinez led off the second with a base hit and moved up on a groundout, a Rafael Devers single made its way through the infield into right to put Boston on the board. Christian Vazquez singled home a run later in the frame to make it 2-0. Ross ran into trouble again in the fifth, walking Andrew Benintendi with one out. Mookie Betts drove the runner home with a double high off the Green Monster in left-center and came around to score on Martinez's third hit. Ross (1-3) surrendered four runs on seven hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out five. Detroit's Miguel Cabrera singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. It was his 2,700th career hit. --Field Level Media Yahoo News photo illustration; photos: AP, Getty Images Four years ago last month, I wrote a column titled Biden should run. Now. I thought Joe Biden, then the vice president, had earned the right to challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, no matter how eager most of the partys leaders were to shove him aside and clear the field. If youd asked me even a week ago, though, Id have told you that I really didnt think Biden would run in 2020, no matter what his advisers kept telling reporters. And even now, though hes expected to announce his candidacy today, I find myself wondering if hell actually go through with it. Moreover, Im not sure he should. This time, Biden seems like the classic elder-statesman kind of candidate, who would love to have the nomination if it were his for the asking, but who may not have the stomach for the nasty, protracted battle ahead. And by waiting as long as he did, Biden has already squandered his most significant advantage. After all, what special power does a former vice president have that other candidates dont? Its not celebrity or experience at least not anymore. No, the one thing a titan like Biden could have done is exactly what Clinton did in 2015: project inevitability, mobilize an army of loyalists early on and deter some other good candidates from getting in. Instead, Biden dithered for months, while half the registered Democrats in Washington figured what the hell and filed papers to run. So now hell be just one of a dozen serious candidates, at least, half of whom will, at any given moment, be subtly mocking him for his age (hed be 78 on Inauguration Day), or for his support of mandatory minimum sentences and credit card companies, or for his treatment of Anita Hill and his propensity to literally press the flesh. (Biden once put his hand on my knee during a conversation in the West Wing, by the way. Im pretty sure he was just being demonstrative.) But say this for Biden, because its not a small thing: Hes never been afraid to lose. Story continues Hes run twice before the first time in 1988, when he was taken out by a made-up scandal in the moment when generating scandal was becoming the principal obsession of political journalism, and then again in 2008, when insiders had already written him off as a has-been, but when his maturity and command of the issues won him a spot on the ticket anyway. (Heres a column I wrote about Biden during that primary campaign, when almost no one wrote anything about him at all.) Its exceedingly rare for any politician to run for president not just three times, but three times spaced out over 32 years. A Democratic strategist joked to me this week, not unkindly, that if Biden could wait just a few more years before jumping back into the arena, hed be a political cicada, emerging every 20 years to wreak havoc and then disappear. In his past two bids, though, first as a still-young senator and then as an aging eminence of Washington, Biden had relatively little to lose. This campaign is different. Now he faces the very real possibility of being made to look old and foolish in his last tour of duty, of having the first line of his eventual obituary read three-time loser instead of Democratic icon. He knows that, of course. But you cant do anything to Joe Biden in politics that comes close to what the world outside has already done. He lost a wife and a daughter, came back from a brain aneurysm that nearly killed him, then lost a son. At this point hes playing with house money. The challenge for Biden, if in fact hes now decided to run, is to figure out how. In a Democratic moment dominated by talk of identity and inclusion, when a choice between capitalism and socialism has actually become a defining point of debate, Bidens candidacy has to answer two questions. Why him? And why now? Theres probably no shortage of replies to those questions ricocheting among Bidens advisers. But if he were to ask me (and why would he, really?), heres what Id tell him. You wont get there by trying to put your past in a box and pretending that you can be just as au courant as a Bernie Sanders or a Kamala Harris. So all this business about apologizing for some of the seminal moments in your career, like the crime bill vote or the Clarence Thomas hearings thats just pandering to people who arent going to choose you anyway. No, Mr. Vice President, your only path right now is to stand as Warren Harding once put it, though thats probably not a comparison you really want to make for a return to normalcy. Its to speak for all those Democratic voters who want not socialism or a whole new political system or a war on white men, but rather a turn back to rationality, pragmatism and governance. Stop making creepy apology videos; thats just an old guy trying to floss. (The dance, not the dental thing.) You need to be the calming grandfather who arrives to find the parents screaming and the kids running around in their underwear and says, Time out, I got this. If I were you, Id say, Yeah, we all need to change with the times, and if you want to fight about a law I passed 25 years ago, then go right ahead, but the main order of business here is to beat Donald Trump and restore some sanity and dignity and proportion to our politics, so you dont wake up every day wondering whats going to whack you in the face next. And by the way, it might also help to acknowledge that youd be 86 after two terms, so instead of running for reelection, youre thinking youll choose a younger, female running mate and turn the keys over once youve got things running smoothly again. That would go a long way toward solving the old-white-guy problem. To be clear, Im not saying this gets you where you want to go. In the best scenario, you commandeer enough of a plurality to barely outlast a bunch of other Democrats on Super Tuesday, and you go on to trounce Trump in a general election, as you surely would. In the less ideal scenario, you lose the nomination fight by a lot, and its humiliating. But at least this way youd go out as a guy who chose, in his final public act, to run on his convictions, rather than from them. Even the doomed cicadas have to sing their own song. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexico's lower house has passed a measure that would overturn contentious elements of a 2013 education reform that was a key piece of legislation under then-President Enrique Pena Nieto. The bill would eliminate teacher evaluations and return some power to unions. It goes to the Senate, where President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's allies have a majority. Lopez Obrador praised Thursday's vote, saying: "This is one less problem" for the country. The reform was promoted as an attempt to modernize education in Mexico. It imposed exams and evaluations on teachers and stripped unions of their longtime influence over hiring, salaries and promotions of teachers. Critics of the reform said it failed to account for regional and historic inequalities. Lopez Obrador had campaigned on overturning it during last year's presidential race. COLOMBO, April 25 (Reuters) - A blast was heard on Thursday from vacant land behind the magistrates court in the town of Pugoda, 40 km (25 miles) east of the capital Colombo, police and local residents said. Police said they were investigating the explosion, which came at a time of high tension in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday suicide bomber attacks on the island state that killed 359 people and wounded about 500. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Michael Perry) COLOMBO (Reuters) - An explosion occurred in a town east of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, on Thursday but there were no casualties, a police spokesman said. Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said police were investigating the blast on empty land behind the magistrate's court in Pugoda, 40 km (25 miles). "There was an explosion behind the court, we are investigating," he said, adding it was not a controlled explosion like other blasts in recent days. The blast came at a time of high tension in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday suicide bomber attacks on the island state that killed 359 people and wounded about 500. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Writing by John Chalmers and Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Michael Perry) Nicosia (AFP) - Cypriot authorities on Thursday uncovered another body in a widening probe into the murders of foreign women and girls after a suspected serial killer confessed to seven killings, police sources said. A 35-year-old Greek Cypriot army officer appeared for a remand hearing in court in connection with the murder of a third Filipina woman who was reported missing last year. Police sources, quoted by the state-run CNA news agency, said authorities were also looking into cases involving an Asian woman as well as that of a Romanian mother and her young daughter reported missing in 2016. The suspect, who allegedly confessed to seven killings, earlier Thursday showed investigators the spot where he had dumped a body in a well at an army firing range outside the capital Nicosia. As the case becomes more complex, Cypriot police are requesting the aid of experts from British law enforcement. They include a coroner, a clinical psychiatrist, a forensic specialist and investigators experienced in multiple murder cases. Local media have dubbed the case the islands "first serial killings" after two bodies, both believed to be Filipinas, were recovered from an abandoned mineshaft since April 14. Cypriot police are also searching for the body of a missing six-year-old Filipina girl, daughter of one of the murdered women. Last month, one of Boeing's (NYSE: BA) new 737 MAX jets suffered a fatal crash for the second time in five months. Hardware and software changes in the 737 MAX (compared to older versions of the 737) appear to have contributed to the two disasters. The new MCAS system -- designed to prevent a stall -- instead sent each of the two planes into a fatal dive based on erroneous sensor data. As a result, the 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide since mid-March. In early April, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg acknowledged that the MCAS system was a common link contributing to both crashes. That may expose Boeing to billions of dollars in liabilities through potential government fines, lawsuits by victims' families, and airlines' demands for compensation. None of those costs made their way into Boeing's first-quarter earnings report, which came out on Wednesday morning. Nevertheless, the 737 MAX is already having a big negative impact on Boeing's results -- and the pain will get worse before it gets better. Q1 by the numbers In recent years, Boeing has reported stellar growth in earnings and especially free cash flow due to a combination of cost cuts, rising 737 production, and improving profitability for the 787 Dreamliner program. However, that momentum quickly reversed last quarter. Consider Boeing's first-quarter key performance metrics: Metric Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Change (YOY) Revenue $22.9 billion $23.4 billion (2%) Commercial airplane deliveries 149 184 (19%) Core operating margin 8.7% 10.7% N/A Free cash flow $2.3 billion $2.7 billion (17%) Core EPS $3.16 $3.64 (13.2%) Total order backlog $487 billion $486 billion 0.2% Data source: Boeing Q1 earnings releases. YOY = year over year. During the first quarter, Boeing delivered 35 fewer commercial jets than it did a year earlier. The decline was driven entirely by the suspension of 737 MAX deliveries in mid-March. Across its four wide-body aircraft programs, Boeing delivered 60 jets, up from 52 in the first quarter of 2018. However, 737 deliveries plunged from 132 to 89. Story continues Despite this sharp decline in aircraft deliveries, revenue fell just 2% year over year. First, wide-body jets typically sell for at least twice as much as narrow-bodies like the 737. Second, revenue increased 2% in the defense segment and surged 17% in Boeing's new services segment. The services division's growth was driven in part by the acquisition of aerospace parts distributor KLX Aerospace last year. Still, the reduction in commercial airplane deliveries led to margin erosion and also hurt cash flow. As a result, Boeing reported double-digit declines for both core earnings per share and free cash flow. A Boeing 737 MAX 8 in China Southern Airlines livery taking off. The Boeing 737 MAX is currently grounded worldwide due to safety issues. Image source: Boeing. Some parts of Boeing are still healthy The 737 MAX is undoubtedly Boeing's most important product. Thus, it should be no surprise that its grounding led to poor results for the aerospace giant last quarter. That said, other aspects of the business continue to perform quite well. The defense and services segments -- which account for nearly half of Boeing's revenue and more than half of its operating income -- both posted revenue and earnings growth in the first quarter. Additionally, Boeing's wide-body product lines appear to be gaining momentum. During the first quarter, Boeing won important orders for its 777X and 787 families from British Airways and Lufthansa, respectively. Additionally, it began building its 787-family jets at a faster rate (14 per month, up from 12 per month) and reported a big step-up in the profitability of 787 production, driven by an improving product mix and ongoing cost reductions. Boeing abandons guidance In conjunction with the earnings report, Boeing withdrew its 2019 guidance. The company has designed a software fix -- along with cockpit changes and enhanced pilot training -- to address safety concerns regarding the 737 MAX and prevent a repeat of the recent tragedies, but it could still take months to get regulatory approval to resume commercial service with the 737 MAX. That makes it difficult to estimate how Boeing will fare on a full-year basis. That said, investors can be fairly certain that the second quarter will be a stinker. The 737 MAX grounding is unlikely to be lifted before the end of the quarter, which means that Boeing will deliver hardly any 737s this quarter (just a handful of older-generation models). This will have a severe negative impact on its earnings and will decimate free cash flow, as Boeing will continue to build 737 MAX jets but won't receive most of the purchase price until they are delivered. Boeing should be able to recover some of the lost earnings and cash flow later in the year once 737 MAX deliveries resume. However, the company's decision to slow 737 output will make it virtually impossible for Boeing to hit its original targets -- even leaving aside the cost of compensating victims' families and customers. With Boeing stock still trading at a generous valuation of nearly 24 times trailing earnings, investors would probably be better off putting their money elsewhere for the foreseeable future. More From The Motley Fool Adam Levine-Weinberg 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. Photo credit: MGM From Popular Mechanics James Bond is back. On Thursday morning, the creative team behind the still-untitled 25th Bond movie revealed some crucial details about the much-anticipated flick, which is rumored to be Daniel Craigs fifth and final installment. In an announcement video live from Jamaica , where the film is currently shooting, Craig and company finally let a few things slip. Heres what we know so far. What's the Name? We thought we might have found out the title at todays reveal event, but alas, producers opted to keep us waiting a little longer. There were rumors that it might be called Shatterhand, an alias that classic Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld once used in the novel You Only Live Twice, but producers shot that down. Honestly, Bond 25 sounds pretty cool as is. But the real title will probably be something dark, ominous, slightly confusing, and very British. Who Is Playing James Bond? Photo credit: Slaven Vlasic - Getty Images James Bond is sick of being James Bond-or at least the guy who plays him is. Despite Craigs 14-year reign as the consensus Best 007 Ever, the actor has been publicly threatening to hang up his three-piece suit since the last Bond flick, 2015s Spectre, going so far as to say that hed rather slash his wrists than ever play the secret agent on the big screen again. In the intervening years, its been fun to speculate about which star could step into Craigs shoes: Idris Elba? Maybe Richard Madden? Perhaps one of the Toms, from Hiddleston to Hardy. But money talks, and Craig is indeed back on board for at least Bond 25, and potentially beyond. Those other guys will have to wait a few more years for a chance to become Britains finest. Who Is the Bad Guy? Photo credit: Jemal Countess - Getty Images That would be Rami Malek, fresh off winning an Oscar for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. No word yet on what kind of scoundrel Malek will be playing in Bond 25, but in a video message at the launch event, Malek said 007 will not have an easy ride of it. Story continues The actor is a good choice, if only because Maleks intense, creepy stare makes him look like a natural Bond villain anyway. What Is It About? What, you thought they were going to spill all the details? The producers are practically secret agents when it comes to staying tight-lipped. While plot pickings are slim, we did get a few crumbs from the event, including that at the start of Bond 25, 007 isnt actively involved in MI6 duties. In fact, hes enjoying himself in Jamaica in a swank house fit for a king, per the producers. Jamaica plays an important part in Bond lore. Its where novelist Ian Fleming first created the character, as well as the setting for part of 1962s Dr. No. In addition to the island, Bond 25 will also be shot in London, Norway, and Italy. Cool as it would be to watch 007 light up on the beach and listen to reggae for a few hours, Bonds Jamaica jaunt is predictably short lived. According to the official logline, Bonds CIA pal Felix Leiter-played by Jeffrey Wright in 2008s Quantum of Solace-shows up, asks for help to rescue a kidnapped scientist, and leads Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. So...What About the New Tech? Beats us. But theres a 100 percent chance that whatever toys and tools Bond employs this time around to take down Malek and his henchmen, theyre bound to be badass . Who Is Directing? Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Trainspotting) signed on to helm Bond 25 back in March 2018, taking the reins from Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes, but left the project a few months later, citing creative differences. Shortly after Boyles departure, Cary Joji Fukunaga-the visionary behind the original True Detective and Maniac-was named his replacement. Hes the first American director in the history of the Bond series. Who Else Is Involved? Barbara Broccoli and of Michael G. Wilson, of course. Broccoli is the daughter of original Bond producer Cubby Broccoli, and Wilson is her half-brother. Theyve been involved in some capacity on every Bond movie since 1977s The Spy Who Loved Me. They run the show. As far as the rest of the creative team on Bond 25 goes, veteran writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who have shaped every story since 1999s The World Is Not Enough, are back in the fold. As is Scott Z. Burns, who penned The Bourne Ultimatum and Contagion. And last month, we learned that Craig personally asked Phoebe Waller Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) to hop in the screenplay and make Bond 25 funnier. Who Else Is in Bond 25? All your old pals from MI6 are back: Ralph Fiennes returns as Bonds boss Gareth Mallory (M), as does Wright as Leiter, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner, Ben Whishaw as Q, and Lea Seydoux as Madeleine Swann. In addition to Malek, Billy Magnussen, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, and Lashana Lynch also enter the picture. Meanwhile, Cuban actress Ana de Armas, who joined the cast at the Jamaica event and appears later this year with Craig in director Rian Johnsons mysterious Knives Out, is the probable Bond Girl. When Does Bond 25 Come Out? Bond 25 is scheduled for release on April 8, 2020. Okay, last question. What Is He Driving? Photo credit: Markus Cuff - Getty Images According to a report in The Sun , James Bond is going green. Fukunaga, a total tree-hugger, is reportedly pushing for Craig to drive an Aston Martin Rapide E-the luxury automakers first all-electric vehicle. Granted, the ride will still top out at 155 mph and go 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds, per Aston Martin , but itll still be pretty jarring to see Bond behind the wheel of an EV. ('You Might Also Like',) Daniel Craig and Rami Malek will face off we think in Bond 25 (YouTube) Now, pay attention Bond, the first details of the twenty-fifth instalment in the 007 franchise have been announced. Universal Pictures announced that Bond 25, coming to cinemas in April 2020, remains untitled for now but will star Daniel Craig (James Bond), Ralph Fiennes (M), Ben Whishaw (Q), Naomie Harris (Miss Moneypenny), Rory Kinnear (Tanner), Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter), and Lea Seydoux (Madeleine Swann) alongside new cast members Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Ana De Armas (Blade Runner 2049), Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), Dali Benssalah (Nox), Billy Magnussen (Game Night), and David Dencik (McMafia). Oscar-winner Malek was not at the announcement, but appeared via video to promise his character would not give 007 an easy ride, suggesting hes playing the films villain. L-R Ana De Armas, Naomie Harris, Daniel Craig, host, Lashana Lynch, Lea Seydoux, and Cary Joji Fukunaga (YouTube) Bond is not on active service when we start the film, shared producer Barbara Broccoli, so we see him enjoying himself in Jamaica. He starts his journey here, and weve built an extraordinary house for him. Read more: Remember when people hated Daniel Craig as Bond? Heres the official synopsis: Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Its been confirmed Bond 25 will be Daniel Craigs fifth and final outing as James Bond, and director Cary Joji Fukunaga promised to send the 51-year-old actor out on an all-time high, saying he would be upping the ante for the next director to take on the franchise down the line. Malek promised his character would not give Bond an easy ride (YouTube) Craigs previous Bond films were Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre. Cameras have already begun to roll on the film, with second unit footage already captured in Norway earlier this year. Director Cary Fukunaga confirmed the film would also shoot at Pinewood, on location in London, and in Matera, Italy. Story continues A word about #BOND25 from Rami Malek pic.twitter.com/CLJ5mpO9mu James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019 The film is working from a script written by series veterans Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, with Michael G. Wilson confirming that Scott Z. Burns and Phoebe Waller-Bridge have also contributed to the script. Read more: Amazing Bond films that never got made Other members of the creative team are; Director of Photography Linus Sandgren, Editor Tom Cross and Elliot Graham, Production Designer Mark Tildesley, Costume Designer Suttirat Larlarb, Supervising Stunt Coordinator Olivier Schneider, 2nd Unit Stunt Coordinator Lee Morrison and Visual Effects Supervisor Charlie Noble. Returning members to the team are; 2nd Unit Director Alexander Witt, Special Effects and Action Vehicles Supervisor Chris Corbould and Casting Director Debbie McWilliams. Wilson confirmed his plan to cameo in the film. A first look at Bond 25 was also revealed in the livestream, showing what we think is Bonds island home. (YouTube) The details were announced via a livestream from GoldenEye, James Bond novelist Ian Flemings estate on Oracabessa bay, Jamaica. Read more: The most un-PC Bond moments The sprawling beachside home sits on the northern coastline on the Caribbean island on Oracabessa bay, and was bought by Bob Marley following Flemings death in 1964. A number of the Bond movies, including Dr No and Live And Let Die, were filmed near the estate, which now operates as a hotel. Bond 25 is set to be released in UK cinemas on April 3, 2020. Coming up at 13:10 BST/05:10 PDT is the #BOND25 Live Reveal which you can watch here on Twitter. Do you have a question for the cast? Now's your chance. Just use #BOND25 in your question pic.twitter.com/NXuz8LT4lC James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019 Need a 007 hit before Bond 25 lands in cinemas? Dont forget you can immerse yourself into the glamorous and action-packed world of the legendary British spy this summer at Secret Cinema Presents Casino Royale. The immersive cinema experience begins Wednesday 5 June to Sunday 22 September, running Wednesday to Sunday each week. For full details click here. Photo: Owl Labs/Facebook Boston-based health diagnostics company PathAI has secured $60 million in Series B funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the citys recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced April 17. According to its Crunchbase profile, "PathAIs services solve the most challenging pathology problems faced by the research and pharmaceutical industry. The PathAI platform provides end-to-end automation for reliable, scalable and cost-effective long-term solutions. Their solutions make discovery scalable." The three-year-old startup has raised two previous funding rounds, including an $11 million Series A round in 2017. The round brings total funding raised by Boston companies in software over the past month to $563 million, an increase of $530 million from the month before. The local software industry has produced 144 funding rounds over the past year, capturing a total of $2.4 billion in venture funding. In other local funding news, video and video conferencing company Owl Labs announced a $15 million Series B funding round on April 17, led by Spark Capital. According to Crunchbase, "Owl Labs describes its video conferencing product, called Owl, as 'the first plug-and-play smart video camera that automatically focuses on the speakers, in order to provide an immersive telepresence experience.' It 'works seamlessly with Google Hangouts, Skype and other widely used video conferencing software,' the website adds, noting that it aims to provide a hassle-free setup that doesn't require dedicated meeting rooms." Founded in 2014, the company has raised two previous rounds, including a $6 million Series A round in 2017. This story was created automatically using local investment data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Brasilia (AFP) - Police arrested at least 19 people in raids across Brazil Thursday that targeted environmental protection officials and companies allegedly involved in illegal logging in the Amazon rainforest. The operation coincided with a huge protest in the capital Brasilia by indigenous people demanding better protection of their lands from miners, loggers and farmers, as well as new reports sounding the alarm over rampant destruction of the Amazon. Federal police officers armed with 29 arrest warrants and more than 100 search and seizure orders carried out the operation in eight states and the Brasilia federal district. They targeted those involved in the "illegal extraction, exploitation and trade of wood" as well as corrupt officials inside environmental protection agencies and timber companies, police said in a statement. Some 50 million reais ($12 million) belonging to companies under investigation was also frozen. A former employee of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Resources was among 19 people arrested, a federal police spokesman told AFP. The investigation that led to Thursday's raids had already resulted in the seizure of 400 containers holding 8,000 cubic meters of wood in December 2017 in the river port of Manaus, the main city of the Amazon. The illegal shipment included "140 containers for export to countries in Europe, Asia and North America," the police statement said. The raids come as thousands of indigenous people from across the country stage an annual three-day protest in the capital to defend hard-won land rights they fear could be eroded by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, a champion of mining and agribusiness who took power on January 1. Their concerns were reinforced Thursday by a global report showing that an expanse of tropical forest nearly the size of England was destroyed in 2018 -- a quarter of it in Brazil, home to around 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest. Story continues Nearly a third of primary forest destruction in the world took place in Brazil (13,500 square kilometers, 5,200 square miles), according to the annual assessment from scientists at Global Forest Watch (GFW). Rainforests are the planet's richest repository of wildlife and a critical sponge for soaking up planet-heating CO2. In response to the GFW report, Brazil's foreign ministry told AFP the Latin American country was "firmly committed to reconciling agricultural production and environmental preservation." "We are an example of how this conciliation is not only desirable but also fully achievable," it said in a statement. Amid growing tensions over the Amazon, a separate report on Thursday accused companies in Europe and North America of "complicity" in the destruction of the rainforest by trading with and investing in Brazilian companies linked to illegal deforestation. "If they continue to support Brazilian companies, they should be ready to shoulder the blame for the destruction of rainforests and the abuse of indigenous peoples," said US activist group Amazon Watch. Bitfinex is accused of co-mingling client and corporate funds. | Source: Shutterstock By CCN: The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James has officially obtained a court order to request iFinex Inc, the operator of bitcoin exchange Bitfinex and Tether, to cease operations in New York. The Attorney Generals office found that Bitfinex allegedly handed over $850 million in co-mingled client and corporate funds to Crypto Capital Corp, a company based in Panama. Bitfinex is said to have never received the funds from the Panamanian firm, leading to the loss of more than $850 million. The Attorney Generals office alleged Bitfinex granted itself access to Tethers treasury and mismanaged $900 million of the stablecoins cash reserves to hide the loss of $850 million. Attorney General James said: Our investigation has determined that the operators of the Bitfinex trading platform, who also control the Tether virtual currency, have engaged in a cover-up to hide the apparent loss of $850 million dollars of co-mingled client and corporate funds. New York state has led the way in requiring virtual currency businesses to operate according to the law. And we will continue to stand-up for investors and seek justice on their behalf when misled or cheated by any of these companies. How Did It Happen? The core problem with Tether is that it does not issue public audits like strictly regulated stablecoins such as Gemini Dollar and Circles USDC. As a result, investors are unaware of what the potential receivables could be and the dealings of Tether. Read the full story on CCN.com. When the sun shines on the town of Clacton-on-Sea on the east coast of England, its seafront plays host to sunbathers, kids feeding coins into arcade machines and shopkeepers hawking beach balls on the sandswept promenade. But the sky on April 23 was overcast, and it hung over a different sort of crowd. A few hundred people gathered at Clactons pier, many bearing pro-Brexit signs and wearing Union Jack pins. As Nigel Farage, the man they had come to see, stepped up on stage, the local politician who introduced him told the crowd what they already knew: He is the Godfather of Brexit. Farage is the former leader of the U.K. Independence Party, or UKIP, a political movement dedicated to bringing the country out of the European Union a goal the party helped realize in the Brexit referendum of June 2016. It was the victory Farage had spent decades dreaming of, and after the result came through, he stepped down. My political ambition, he said in July 2016, has been achieved. But now, Farage is back and touring the Brexit heartland in search of another political upset. On May 23, along with every member state in the E.U, the U.K. will hold elections for the European Parliament a vote it never intended to hold as the formal exit from the E.U. was initially scheduled for March 29. But as that deadline approached, Prime Minister Theresa May could not convince a majority of lawmakers to ratify the exit deal she had struck with the E.U., and she decided to ask for a delay. Now, Brexit has been pushed back to October 31 and the U.K. must, by law, vote in E.U. elections next month. That was enough to reel the Brexit Godfather back into British politics. He kept a low public profile after stepping down as UKIP leader in 2016, and left the party altogether in December, criticizing the partys pivot to an anti-Islam platform as it struggled for a new constituency after the main parties pledged to deliver Brexit. In April, he launched a new political movement called The Brexit Party. Within a week, the party was polling in first place, ahead of Mays Conservatives and the official opposition Labour Party, with 27 percent of voters polled by YouGov saying they would vote for Farages Brexit Party. His message was again one of insurgent anger. We have openly and willfully been betrayed by our government, Farage told the crowd in Clacton, where there were more than two leave voters for every remain one in the 2016 referendum. I havent come out of semi-retirement to muck about, he said. Of course were going to win. The victory would be mostly symbolic, as any elected lawmakers would stand down once Brexit finally happens. But it could still have major repercussions. For May, who has been fending off calls to resign for months, a poor performance in E.U. elections would give extra ammunition to those calling for her to go. For her Conservative Party, it threatens to echo the impact that Farage had on policy as the leader of UKIP in the early 2010s: putting pressure on the Conservatives by stealing right-leaning voters, incentivizing them to adopt more hardline policies. And for the country, it could add yet another wrinkle in the stuttering political process to bring the U.K. out of the E.U. Just like three years ago, Farage has the opportunity to reshape politics from the outside. If his playbook from 2016 is anything to go by, thats where he prefers. He has never been elected to the U.K. Parliament despite seven attempts, and although he has been an elected Member of the European Parliament since 1999, other MEPs have criticized him for rarely turning up. His role in the Brexit campaign won Farage some powerful friends. In August 2016, he appeared in the U.S. to speak at a rally in support of then-candidate Donald Trump, who introduced him as Mr. Brexit. Now, he has spied the opportunity to play the role again in this years unexpected E.U. elections. What he and his other announced candidates will do if elected is a separate question, one that Farage has so far avoided addressing in any detail. No political upset could possibly match the scale of Farages victory in 2016. But as seagulls circled over Clacton, he warned that 2019 could be the start of something at least comparable. Do you believe that this political class now needs to be swept aside and replaced by better people? The crowd roared yes. Well that is what we are going to do! LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said terrorists were likely to try to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka and warned its nationals to avoid the country unless it was absolutely necessary following the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359 people. The British Foreign Office said future attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. "Following the horrific attacks on Easter Sunday, and the ongoing Sri Lankan security operation, I have ... decided to update the travel advice to British nationals to Sri Lanka to advise against all but essential travel," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said. "We will keep this decision under close and constant review." In its updated travel advice it added: "Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka." Most of the victims in Sunday's attacks were Sri Lankans, although authorities have said at least 38 foreigners were killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included eight British people. The Foreign Office advised any Britons in Sri Lanka to follow the advice of local security authorities, to keep a low profile and avoid crowded public places, and to avoid traveling during periods of curfew. (Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Toby Chopra) Working to advance radiation therapy for children with cancer Doctors at Children's Hospital Los Angeles continue to lead the field of radiation oncology by pushing the leading edge of technological advances. A new report by Arthur Olch, PhD, highlights use of specialized software that could advance treatment accuracy for pediatric cancer patients. During radiation therapy, patient position must be stable from session to session to ensure radiation beams are properly targeting the tumor. For this reason, x-ray images are taken before each treatment. Radiation therapists can use this information to reorient the patient so that the position is exactly the same each time. Doctors at CHLA are taking this already rigorous process one step further. From early in its development, Dr. Olch, a radiation physicist, has been evaluating the use of new software to advance quality assurance in radiation therapy. In a recent publication, he highlights the use of this technological advance to aid in the treatment of pediatric cancers. Radiation therapy uses a beam of targeted x-rays that kill cancer cells over the course of treatment. After the beam passes through the patient, it is captured on an imaging panel. Dr. Olch and his team make use of the information carried by these beams - called exit images - using the automated software. These images contain important information about the exact dose being delivered to the tumor and surrounding tissues and can be compared to the planned doses. Up to 20 images might be generated per treatment session. With treatments occurring every day for several weeks, this makes for an unwieldy amount of data to manually process. Now, radiation oncology staff have a tool that will do this in seconds. The program automates not only image capture but also analysis. Analyzing these images provides new information that allows further fine tuning of the radiation beams and patient position from session to session. This, says Dr. Olch, gives radiation oncologists more information that can be used to account for anatomy changes in real time. "If a patient gains or loses weight, their dimensions change" he says. "Likewise, as the tumor shrinks, radiation beams need to take a different trajectory." Adjustments are routinely made as a standard of care, but by utilizing the latest technological advances, CHLA radiation oncologists are redefining this standard. "We have a very comprehensive quality assurance strategy," says Dr. Olch, "and this software is an important addition to our already high standard of care." What does this mean for patients? As one of the only pediatric centers in the country to adopt and use this new technology, CHLA gives patients the best chance at fighting their disease. "If your child needs radiation therapy, we are the only place around using this system," says Dr. Olch. "It's difficult to say at this point whether this will necessarily cure more children. But if we can better target their tumors and refine our radiation dosing, we are reducing toxicity and giving kids their best possible chance." ### Dr. Olch is also a Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology at USC. He co-authored the publication with Kyle O'Meara and Kenneth Wong, MD. Dr. Olch provides consulting services to Sun Nuclear Corporation, who provided PerFRACTION software but did not fund the study. About Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been ranked the top children's hospital in California and sixth in the nation for clinical excellence by the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. The Saban Research Institute at CHLA is one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. CHLA also is one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more, visit CHLA.org, the child health blog and the research blog. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) - Britain condemned a move by Russia to simplify the procedure for residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine to obtain Russian passports. "This step is the latest in a pattern of Russian behavior aimed at threatening Ukraines security and sovereignty, and undermining its territorial integrity," the British foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday. "Russian officials have sought to justify this move by citing humanitarian concerns. Yet the communities they claim to support are suffering the consequences of a conflict started and fueled by Russia and its proxies." Earlier on Thursday, Germany and France also condemned Russia's move. (Reporting by Andrew MacAskill Editing by William Schomberg) GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) - Britain will not consider high risk equipment vendors in security critical parts of its next-generation 5G networks, Cabinet Office minister David Lidington said on Thursday. Sources told Reuters on Wednesday Britain's National Security Council had decided this week to bar China's Huawei Technologies from all core parts of the 5G network and restrict its access to non-core parts. Speaking at a cyber security conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Lidington said Britain had rigorous procedures to manage risk in its telecoms infrastructure and the government's decision was based on "evidence and expertise not supposition or speculation." "We will not countenance high risk vendors in those parts of the UK's 5G network that perform critical security functions," he said. "The government approach is not about one company or even one country, it is about ensuring stronger cyber security across telecoms, greater resilience in telecoms networks and more diversity in the supply chain." (Reporting by Jack Stubbs and Michael Holden; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge) By Michael Holden and Jack Stubbs GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May's government wants to get her thrice-defeated Brexit deal approved by parliament before the new European parliament opens in July, her de-facto deputy, David Lidington, said on Thursday. Lidington, cabinet office minister, said the timing was heavily dependent on how talks progressed with the opposition Labour Party on finding a consensus for a deal but said the issue could not drag on. ""(I) can't give you an exact time. It depends in a large part in how conversations with the Labour Party are going," Lidington told Reuters in Glasgow where he was attending a cyber security conference. "I don't want to set a rigid dateline because that starts to create its own inflexibilities but I don't think this can be allowed to drift for much longer. Really we need to get this done before the new European parliament comes in, in July this year." May's spokesman said working groups from both sides were pressing on with the talks this week, including a meeting to discuss financial services on Wednesday. Lidington said talks had been productive and workmanlike. Britain is mired in political chaos after parliament rejected three times the withdrawal deal negotiated by May and other EU leaders, and it is still unclear when or even if the country will leave the bloc. The EU has postponed the planned divorce date from March to give May until Oct. 31 to persuade parliament to approve the terms of the countrys exit. She has said she hopes Britain can leave before the country has to take part in elections for the European Parliament in late May. But, the timetable for doing so is very tight. Asked if the deal would be brought back before then, Lidington said: "We want to bring this decision back to parliament as soon as we possibly can but we want to feel that there is a chance of parliament actually rallying behind a particular outcome. "I think there is a responsibility on all MPs (lawmakers) of all parties to work out how to take the country forward, that means compromise from all sides." (Reporting by Michael Holden and Jack Stubbs; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew MacAskill) Jussie Smollett was accused of staging a hate crime against himself, but Chicago prosecutors dropped the charges on March 26 - to the fury of the mayor and police - Invision Jussie Smollett's lawyers have been sued by two Nigerian-American brothers who carried out the "attack" on the actor, accusing the legal team of defamation in the latest twist to the strange case. Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, a pair of personal trainers, were briefly taken into custody in January as Chicago police investigated Smollett's claim. The Empire actor, who is black and gay, said two men attacked him in the city, hurling homophobic insults and pro-Trump slogans at him and beating him up, leaving him with a noose around his neck. Chicago police quickly surmised that the attack had been staged. Smollett reportedly was angry at the producers of Empire over his reported $125,000-per-episode salary, and wanted a pay rise. Jussie Smollett on February 21, asking the judge to allow him to travel while he was on bail. Smollett had the charges dropped a month later However, prosecutors dropped the charges on March 26, to the fury of police and the mayor. On Tuesday the two Nigerian-American brothers, who were never charged, and who police said were paid $5,000 by Smollett to "attack" him, sued Smollett's lawyers. They sought damages for defamation, after the lawyers insisted they had "criminally attacked" the 36-year-old actor, even after police concluded otherwise. In the lawsuit, filed in Chicago federal court, the Osundairo brothers said that Smollett's lawyers Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian falsely accused them of attacking Smollett, even after the investigation was over. "He wanted his employer and the public to notice and appreciate him as a successful black, openly gay actor," it said. "Smollett directed every aspect of the attack, including the location and the noose." Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks during a press conference at Chicago police headquarters about the arrest of Empire actor Jussie Smollett on February 21. Spt Johnson would later denounce Smollett for wasting police time Smollett's lawyers have not responded to a request for comment. Smollett has said he had always been truthful about the incident, which sparked extensive outrage on social media, drawing the attention of both President Donald Trump and some of the Democrats who hope to challenge him in 2020. Gloria Schmidt, one of the brothers' lawyers, said on Tuesday: "They've realised that it was wrong. They've apologised for it. Story continues "But make no mistake: they had no role in calling the police and they had no role in defrauding the police department." The lawsuit seeks unspecified financial damages. The city of Chicago earlier this month sued Smollett, seeking three times the damages it said it incurred in the investigation of the incident. Smollett had previously refused a demand by the city for $130,000 to cover police overtime costs to investigate his claims. New York (AFP) - The Boss is back in town: Bruce Springsteen said Thursday he will release his first new album in five years this June, promising a return to his signature ruminations on the American condition. Springsteen's 19th studio album "Western Stars," set for release June 14, drew inspiration from southern California pop classics of the 1960s and 70s, the legendary artist from New Jersey said. "This record is a return to my solo recordings featuring character-driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements," Springsteen said, calling it a "jewel box." The album's first single, "Hello Sunshine," will drop just after midnight ET on Thursday. The 13-track album includes "a sweeping range of American themes, of highways and desert spaces, of isolation and community and the permanence of home and hope," the 69-year-old's statement said. "Western Stars" -- whose cover art shows a horse with a glossy brown coat galloping across the desert towards the horizon -- is Springsteen's first studio album since 2014's "High Hopes" that followed 2012's "Wrecking Ball." It also comes months after the artist closed his wildly successful run on Broadway, a 236-concert residency that ended in December after several renewals. The intimate show -- which is now available for streaming on Netflix -- became one of Broadway's most coveted tickets, with resale prices running upwards of $1000. BT has been operating in Ireland since 2001. Photo: Reuters Telecoms giant BT (BT-A.L) is planning to auction off its Irish unit for around 400m ($515.6m) in the wake of the accounting scandal in its Italian division. The move would mark a retreat from Ireland for the 22bn group, which has operated there since 2001. In 2018, BTs 600-person Irish company, which mainly handles corporate customers, made a profit of 34m (29m) on sales of 425m (368m). In addition to its connectivity, IT outsourcing, and call-centre business in Ireland, BT also owns extensive infrastructure assets in the country, including around 2,500km of fibre-optic cabling. The potential sale of the unit, which was reported by the Telegraph, will be handled by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which is already assessing first-round bids. BT has not yet been able to offload its scandal-plagued Italian division, whose accounting irregularities have cost it hundreds of millions. Italian prosecutors this week alleged that senior executives at BT were involved in artificially inflating the financial performance of the company. Senior executives in the companys Global Services division have already exited, and Gavin Patterson stepped down as CEO in January amid pressure about revenues. As a result of the scandal, BT has chosen to focus on 800 of its largest corporate accounts and has moved to improve profitability by selling off its network assets across the world. Nearly two decades ago, BT spent billions acquiring Esat Telecom, a joint venture between Norwegian operator Telenor and Irish entrepreneur Denis O'Brien. The mobile division of Esat Telecom formed part of BTs stock market float of O2 in 2001, and BT sold off the rest of its consumer operations in Ireland to Vodafone in 2009. Lorries queue at the cement dispensing outlet at the CRH Plc. quarry in west Dublin, Ireland. Photo: John Cogill/Bloomberg via Getty Images Irish building materials giant CRH (CRG.IR) said on Thursday that a lot of buyers are interested in acquiring its European distribution division, which is valued at around 2bn (1.7bn). Bank of America is overseeing the process surrounding the potential sale of the division, which is expected to begin next month. The company, which is the largest buyer of cement in the world, put the division under review in 2018. Leading private equity firms Advent, Lone Star, and CVC have all expressed interest in the purchase of the division, according to reports. CRHs European distribution division operates in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, among other countries. "We've had a lot of people interested. It's an area that there has been a lot of interest in the distribution space. Private equity have been involved in this space for a decade," CRH CEO Albert Manifold said on Thursday, following the company's AGM. Manifold said the company would weigh the potential value of holding onto the unit, whose fortunes he said were improving, against the price offered by potential bidders. CRH has become known for offloading divisions it feels are not delivering high enough returns, and has set high earnings targets for the coming years. CRH sold Allied Building Products, a similar US distribution business, for $2.6bn (2bn) in 2017. On Wednesday, the firm reported a 7% jump in sales in the first quarter of 2019, boosted by an upswing in its European materials division. Manifold said this period was the first time in 15 years that the firm was able to increase cement prices across Europe. But he also said that, in the context of Brexit, his company had noticed that the approval of large Irish government-funded infrastructure projects was taking longer than usual. Nairobi (AFP) - A senior Burundian police official has publicly threatened the lives of members of the main opposition party and their families, if they organise "clandestine meetings", according to an audio recording heard by AFP Friday. The threats were made by a provincial commissioner as the opposition National Congress for Freedom (CNL) party -- the country's second biggest political force -- denounced "ferocious" repression suffered by its members since February. "I would like to say to anyone who holds a clandestine nocturnal meeting at their home that... you will be attracting misfortune on your entire family," Jerome Ntibibogora, commissioner of eastern Muyinga province, allegedly said at a public meeting in Gasogwe on Wednesday, according to the recording. Several witnesses present confirmed the authenticity of the recording to AFP. Ntibibogora said he had "explosive devices" and that it was "enough to throw two of them" into a house. "If you want to disrupt security, I'll finish with you there, and if you're with your wife and children, you'll go together," he said in response to questions about a crackdown on CNL activists. Contacted by AFP, the National Police and Interior Ministry declined to comment on the alleged remarks. A government official, however, criticised "an excess of zeal" on the part of the commissioner. "A police officer cannot make such comments because they do not correspond to government policy," the official said on condition of anonymity. Ntibibogora led the police in the southern districts of Bujumbura -- the country's capital until February -- at the height of a 2015 crisis. He was one of the leading figures in the crackdown on protests against the candidacy of President Pierre Nkurunziza for a controversial third term. - Turmoil - Burundi has been in turmoil since the president announced in April 2015 that he intended to stand again for the presidency. He was re-elected in July of that year. Story continues The violence has claimed at least 1,200 lives and displaced more than 400,000 between April 2015 and May 2017, according to estimates by the International Criminal Court which has opened an investigation. CNL spokesman Aime Magera condemned a "real manhunt" against party activists, claiming that 135 had been arrested since mid-February, mainly "on the pretext of holding unauthorised meetings". "Many of them were tortured including one who died of his wounds" in northeastern Kirundo province, while four others have been reported missing in central Gitega province, he said. The incidents were confirmed to AFP by police sources, witnesses independent local media. The CNL is due to hold a congress on Saturday in Bujumbura to appoint local officials. "We want to remove the excuse he has put forward to explain these arrests, namely that our activists hold unauthorised, clandestine meetings because we do not have officially recognised local officials," the spokesman added. An Australian woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Cambodian court on Thursday, for attempting to smuggle almost two kilograms of heroin out of Phnom Penh. Ve Thi Tran was arrested at Phnom Penh airport last January by immigration police after they received a tip from the Australian Federal Police. The thirty-eight year old was about to board a flight to Hong Kong, bound for Australia as her final destination. The municipal Court found her guilty of drug trafficking after she had been held in Phnom Penh's notorious Prey Sar prison for more than a year. "The court has decided to sentence Ve Thi Tran to 30 years in jail and fines her 80 million riel ($19,700)," said Judge Khuon Sona. The Vietnamese-born Australian admitted to the court on April 9 she carried the bags of heroin, which she received from two Vietnamese men in Phnom Penh. She had stashed the bags in the lining of her luggage, according to state media. Cambodia has taken a hard line on drugs in recent years in response to smugglers turning to the country as a transit point, particularly for heroin and methamphetamine. Heavy sentences are passed down for drug trafficking, with hundreds arrested including senior officials and foreigners. Ottawa (AFP) - Canada's privacy commissioner said Thursday Facebook broke the law when it harvested data from 600,000 citizens -- and vowed to go to court to force reforms at the social networking giant. Daniel Therrien's findings were the result of an investigation into the California tech company's role in a worldwide data scandal involving the now-defunct British consultancy Cambridge Analytica. "Facebook's refusal to act responsibly is deeply troubling given the vast amount of sensitive personal information users have entrusted to this company," Therrien said. His investigation followed revelations that the personal details of tens of millions of Facebook users worldwide was hijacked by Cambridge Analytica as it worked for US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. The probe found that Facebook had violated federal statutes and provincial laws in British Columbia by giving unauthorized third-party access to 600,000 Canadians. The company failed to obtain meaningful consent from "friends of friends" on the platform, he said, and took no responsibility for personal information. Therrien, who carried out his investigation with a provincial counterpart in British Columbia, said Facebook disputed his findings and has refused to heed his recommendations. "The stark contradiction between Facebook's public promises to mend its ways on privacy and its refusal to address the serious problems we've identified -- or even acknowledge that it broke the law -- is extremely concerning," he said. He recommended that the federal government urgently revise the law to mandate closer inspections of social networks' privacy practices and impose hefty penalties for law-breakers. Facebook said on Wednesday it expected to be hit with a fine of $3 billion to $5 billion by the US Federal Trade Commission for "user data practices," and had factored that into its earnings report. The company did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Therrien's findings. Gatineau (Canada) (AFP) - Michelle Lorrain climbs into a canoe and paddles down a flooded street to check in on her parents desperately trying to save their "dream home" from rising waters in Canada's capital region -- the second time in two years. "We're all discouraged and ready to give up," she told AFP, holding back tears as waters creeped from the nearby Gatineau and Ottawa Rivers. Her father, she said, cried when she last saw him a day earlier. He'd just finished renovating his basement and it was now water-damaged. "This is his dream house," she said, pointing to a modest two-story house in the distance shored up by sand bags and surrounded by flood waters, adding that neighbors in this part of Gatineau, Quebec "are all in the same boat." A few blocks over, Gilles Raymond in hip waders surveilled the flooding. "We had the same thing in 2017," he recalled. "We expect it's going to be the same thing again this year." "It's nerve-wracking," he said. If his water pump fails, his home will be lost. But he's optimistic that everyone is better prepared this time. - Climate change - Homes lost now, however, could be gone forever. There is mounting pressure, led by Quebec Premier Francois Legault, to not rebuild those at risk of repeat flooding. Twenty-three homes damaged in 2017 in the neighborhood have already been demolished. Ghost lots dot the area, filled with water several feet deep. Sand bags as high as six feet protect those remaining. "I'm not interested in leaving," Raymond said. "I'm 69 years old today. If next year it starts again we'll see. I'll be 70." His sister lives further up the street. "When she saw the vacant lots (where homes were demolished) she started crying, it was very emotional, we grew up with these people and now they're just gone." Jocelyn Laplante, checking on his parents, said they have lived in their house for more than 50 years and "they hope to continue to until they die." Story continues The biologist is of the opinion that damaged homes in flood plains shouldn't be rebuilt, but acknowledges that it is a hard sell for many. "It make sense," he said, "to give the land back to Nature especially if it's going to be flooded year after year." - New reality - "Trying to keep waters from overwhelming dykes is exhausting -- both physically and morally," he said. "But people are very attached to their homes. They're working day and night to save them." It's a picturesque single-family residential neighborhood with thick woods all around and a river view. Many of the homes are worth much more than the Can$200,000 (US$150,000) buyout proposed by the Quebec government. The mayor of Gatineau Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said more aid monies are needed to help communities cope and adapt to climate change. An official report published earlier this month said Canada is warming at twice the rate of other countries, bringing a higher risk of extreme weather events, including wildfires and floods. "We want a solution that is long lasting. But that will take more discussions and hard decisions," he said. More than 300 local residents have asked the municipality for help; 80 are staying in emergency shelters. Soldiers have been helping fill sandbags. Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie dropped by to help. "Unfortunately, we are once again in a flood situation here in Quebec," Trudeau commented. "Across the country we know that with climate change, it will happen more and more often," he said. "This is a new reality that we will be facing in the coming years, we have to start thinking about how we are going to adapt, how we are going to help people." Close to 1,000 troops have been deployed in Quebec to prevent a recurrence of the devastating floods of 2017, the worst in half a century. From the Muskoka region of Ontario, north of Toronto, to the Saint John River in New Brunswick, through the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries in southern Quebec, all of Eastern Canada has been hit by spring floods in recent days due to heavy rains and snowmelt. Across Quebec, the epicenter, 1,889 homes have been flooded and 515 people were evacuated, according to official figures. To date, there has been only one flood-related death. Rivers are expected to crest at the end of the week. MONTREAL/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Rising waters were prompting further evacuations in central Canada on Thursday, with the mayor of the country's capital, Ottawa, declaring a state of emergency and Quebec authorities warning that a hydroelectric dam was at risk of breaking. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared the emergency in response to rising water levels along the Ottawa River and weather forecasts that called for significant rainfall on Friday. In a statement on Twitter, Watson asked for help from the Ontario provincial government and the country's military. He warned that "flood levels are currently forecasted to exceed the levels that caused significant damage to numerous properties in the city of Ottawa in 2017." Spring flooding had killed one person and forced more than 900 people from their homes in Canadas Quebec province as of 1 p.m. on Thursday, according to a government website. Ottawa has received 80 requests for service related to potential flooding such as sandbagging, a city spokeswoman said. The prospect of more rain over the next 24 to 48 hours triggered concerns on Thursday that the hydroelectric dam at Bell Falls in the western part of Quebec could be at risk of failing because of rising water levels. Quebec's provincial police said 250 people were protectively removed from homes in the area as of late afternoon in case the dam on the Rouge River breaks. The dam is now at its full flow capacity of 980 cubic metres per second of water, said Francis Labbe, a spokesman for the province's state-owned utility, Hydro Quebec. He said Hydro Quebec expected the flow could rise to 1,200 cubic metres per second of water over the next two days. "We have to take the worst-case scenario into consideration, since we`re already at the maximum capacity," Labbe said by phone. The dam is part of a power station that no longer produces electricity, but is regularly inspected by Hydro Quebec, he said. (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and David Ljunggren and Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Editing by James Dalgleish and Peter Cooney) After a Tokyo court extended Friday Carlos Ghosn's detention until April 22, here are key developments since the former Nissan and Renault boss was arrested in Japan five months ago for alleged financial misconduct, with four formal charges since filed against him: - Plane stormed - A team of prosecutors charges onto Ghosn's private jet after it touches down at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on November 19. They arrest the Brazil-born Frenchman and his right-hand man Greg Kelly, accused of under-reporting Ghosn's salary. Hours later, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa tells reporters: "Too much authority was given to one person in terms of governance," referring to "a dark side of the Ghosn era". Ghosn and Kelly both deny wrongdoing. Their detention for investigation is later extended twice to December 10. - Fired - French car giant Renault announces on November 20 that Ghosn is "temporarily incapacitated" and chief operating officer Thierry Bollore will take over his role. Nissan's board votes unanimously on November 22 to "discharge" Ghosn as chairman. Four days later, he is also fired as boss of Mitsubishi Motors. Ghosn oversaw the alliance of the three groups that makes up the world's top-selling auto company. - Charged and new allegations - On December 10, prosecutors formally charge Ghosn and Kelly with under-reporting the auto titan's salary between 2010 and 2015. They immediately rearrest the pair on allegations of further under-reporting in the past three years. On December 21, prosecutors arrest Ghosn again over fresh allegations that he transferred losses from personal financial investments to Nissan. His detention is subsequently prolonged twice until January 11. Kelly wins bail on December 25 on the condition that he stays in Japan. - First court appearance - In his first public appearance since his arrest, Ghosn attends a court hearing on January 8 in handcuffs. "I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations," he says. Story continues The judge says his detention is justified because he poses a flight risk and could tamper with evidence. On January 11, prosecutors file two new formal charges of financial misconduct against Ghosn. On January 15, the court denies his bail request. - Personal appeal - On January 21, Ghosn issues a personal appeal for bail, vowing he would not seek to leave Japan before a trial and offering to wear an electronic tagging bracelet. His request is rejected. On January 31, Ghosn tells AFP from his prison cell that his detention would "not be normal in any other democracy". He shakes up his legal team on February 13. - Bail approved - On March 5, the court approves Ghosn's third request for bail which is set at one billion yen ($9 million, eight million euros). Ghosn says in a statement he will "strongly" defend himself against "unfounded" charges. On March 6 he walks out of his detention centre wearing a medical face mask and a workman's outfit, with the world's media in attendance. - Rearrest - He is arrested in a dawn raid of his Tokyo apartment on April 4, with investigators now probing suspect payments to a Nissan distributor in Oman. Ghosn slams the fresh arrest as "outrageous" and says, "I will not be broken." His lawyer Junichiro Hironaka says it "should not be tolerated in a civilised nation". The court grants prosecutors a further 10 days to question Ghosn, setting his detention until at least April 14. - 'Backstabbing' - On April 9, Ghosn's representatives release a video recorded shortly before his rearrest in which he accuses "backstabbing" Nissan executives of a "conspiracy" leading to his arrest. He repeats that he is "innocent of all the charges". On April 12, a court rules that Ghosn will remain in detention until April 22 for further questioning. At the end of his detention period, authorities hit him with a further charge of aggravated breach of trust, alleging he siphoned off money for personal ends from cash transferred from Nissan to a dealership in Oman. - Bail II - On April 25, the court grants a second bail to Ghosn of $4.5 million, also banning him from leaving Japan and imposing other conditions aimed at preventing him from evidence tampering or contacting people involved in the case. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, known as the CFPB, announced a fairly esoteric-sounding policy change on Wednesday, changing the way it issues investigational subpoenas. But consumer advocate groups are very concerned that this is another kneecapping of the agency that was supposed to have the backs of ordinary Americans. When investigating a company, the CFPB sends a Civil Investigative Demand, known as a CID, which is a type of subpoena that asks the company to turn over information and documents the company has. As one financial services lawyer put it to Yahoo Finance, all the incriminating evidence is typically in the defendants possession. The new change will require the CFPB to provide more information to companies that are being investigated as to what exactly they are being investigated for, a measure that consumer advocates fear will result in the destruction of evidence from below-board companies. The FPB, said F. Paul Bland, executive director at consumer group Public Justice, dropping the Consumer in disgust, is setting itself up to be one of the weakest investigative agencies in the country by showing all of its cards to a target at the outset. The CFPB's teeth began to dull under Mick Mulvaney's tenure and have continued under Kathy Kraninger. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Christopher Peterson, who was a former senior counsel at the CFPBs enforcement office and who now teaches law at the University of Utah, said that the CFPB is tinkering with minor process revisions to make being investigated more convenient for debt collectors, banks, and other corporations suspected of breaking the law. In Blands view, This is the kind of investigative approach a defense lawyer would have crafted. The CFPB, the brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who is now running for president, has lost its teeth when President Donald Trump appointed Mick Mulvaney, who had previously wanted to destroy it. The agency is now being run by Kathy Kraninger, Mulvaneys former deputy at the Office of Management and Budget. In the past, the CFPB tried to walk the fine line between accommodating companies too much and evidence gathering, and occasionally got burned. Story continues As one recent comment from consumer groups read, While some investigation subjects are forthcoming and cooperative in investigations, other subjects may engage in spoliation of evidence, concealment, and obfuscation in order to frustrate the federal governments legitimate law enforcement goals. For example, Payday Lender Cash America destroyed records after being contacted by the Bureau in 2013. The Financial Services industry has had it out for CIDs for years In the Obama era, when it was led by Richard Cordroy, the CFPB executed regular enforcement actions of companies that did not play by the rules, and used CIDs liberally, much to the chagrin of financial services companies that had to respond to them. CIDs can be very broad and must be responded to quickly, and often at great cost over $1 million in some cases to compile and format documents which critics say can damage small businesses. They can be fought or negotiated formally or informally, but petitions to alter the demands rarely budge. FILE - In this March 26, 2015, file photo, former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray speaks during a panel discussion in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File) In an interview, one lawyer for the financial services industry who wished to remain anonymous called CIDs "fishing expeditions" and lamented the low bar needed for the agency to issue these expensive demands. A common criticism in the industry is that the demands themselves are akin to punishment in and of themselves. Another lawyer who represents the Financial Service Industry who also agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity, had a much milder take, telling Yahoo Finance that nearly all the CIDs issued resulted in enforcement actions, and that the industrys narrative that describes CIDs as a vindictive tool did not match up to the lawyer's experience. Incidents of innocent bystanders that happen to possess useful documents to the CFPB and get hit with CIDs, the lawyer added, are extraordinarily rare. Peterson, the former CFPB enforcement counsel, said the relative expense is specific to the case, noting that some of the companies the CFPB investigates are fly-by-night companies that are on the brink of going out of business. But others, he said, are gigantic banks that have total assets larger than most countries. The CFPBs enforcement track record during Director Crordays term was overwhelmingly successful, Peterson added. They oversaw two hundred cases that produced nearly 12 billion dollars in consumer restitution while suffering only a handful setbacks. Going forward, consumer advocates see this as another victory for those who wish to protect corporations, not people. In the meantime, said Peterson, the Trump Administration it is doing nothing to stop suffering caused by exploitative payday lenders or fix mismanagement in student loan collections." - Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumer issues, personal finance, retail, airlines, and more. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Congress may ban the IRS from launching free online tax filing A hacked census would be disastrous for business Photo: Srecko Skrobic/Unsplash Looking to make a difference this week? From a conference on environmental policy to a walkathon for autism, there's plenty to do when it comes to good causes coming up in Long Beach this week. Read on for a rundown. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. State of the Environment Conference First, check out the second annual State of the Environment Conference on Friday morning. The event will be formatted like the presidential State of the Union address but will focus on environmental policy. There will also be a film screening and a Q&A session. When: Friday, April 26, 9 a.m.4 p.m. Where: CSULB University Student Union Ballrooms, 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd. Price: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets The YES Breakfast Next, head to Hotel Maya on Saturday morning to join Team World Vision. TWV is a humanitarian organization working to help children and families in poverty. The group will discuss its plans for 2019 while guests enjoy breakfast at the hotel. When: Saturday, April 27, 8:3010:40 a.m. Where: Hotel Maya, 700 Queensway Drive Price: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Autism Superhero Walkathon Last but not least, head to Los Cerritos Park on Saturday afternoon for the Autism Superhero Walkathon. The event helps those struggling to afford medical costs that are not covered by insurance. There will be food, drinks, an egg toss, a water balloon toss and more. When: Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m.2 p.m. Where: Los Cerritos Park, 3750 Del Mar Ave. Price: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. By Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) - China aims to make the Belt and Road initiative sustainable and prevent debt risks, its finance minister said on Thursday, seeking to allay criticism that the infrastructure plan to boost trade and investment creates a heavy burden for some nations. The policy championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping has become mired in controversy, with some partner nations bemoaning the high cost of projects, though China has repeatedly said it is not seeking to trap anyone with debt. Western governments have tended to view it as a means to spread Chinese influence abroad, saddling poor countries with unsustainable debt. Finance minister Liu Kun, speaking at a forum to kick off a three-day Belt and Road summit in Beijing, said China will establish an analysis framework on debt sustainability for Belt and Road projects to "prevent and resolve debt risks". Chinese financial institutions, countries involved in Belt and Road and international agencies are encouraged to use this framework to enhance debt management, Liu said. While most of the Belt and Road projects are continuing as planned, some have been caught up by changes in government in countries such as Malaysia and the Maldives. Those that have been shelved for financial reasons include a power plant in Pakistan and an airport in Sierra Leone, and Beijing has in recent months had to rebuff critics by saying that not one country has been burdened with so-called "debt traps". Yi Gang, China's central bank governor, said at the same event that local currencies will be used for investments related to the Belt and Road plan to curb exchange rate risks. China will follow market principles and rely on commercial funds for Belt and Road financing, Yi said, adding that China will improve transparency for those projects. "We should strengthen debt and risk management. We should objectively and fully understand debt problems of developing countries," he added. Story continues "Investment decisions should ... effectively control risks and fully consider a country's overall debt capacity and ensure debt is sustainable." In a nod to debt concerns, a draft communique seen by Reuters said that 37 world leaders attending the summit will agree to project financing that respects global debt goals and promotes green growth. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY Chinese government officials and heads of state-owned enterprises such as China National Petroleum Corp and China Communications Construction Corp told a separate forum that they would pay more attention to environmental conservation and protection. They also pledged to undertake higher quality projects that would hire more local staff and respond to the needs of recipient countries. Jose Vinals, chairman of Standard Chartered Bank, said at the forum he hoped to see the initiative focus more on quality and multilateralism, saying that many projects remained bilateral in the sense that they involved the Chinese government and firms dealing directly with recipient countries. More opportunities have to be given to other countries as well as the private sector to play a role, he said, adding that bilateral engagement tended to have less transparency and lower levels of governance, which in turn could affect the quality of projects. "It is very important to emphasise project quality over project quantity," he said. LOW-LEVEL U.S.PARTICIPATION Visiting leaders will be headlined by Russia's Vladimir Putin, as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, a close China ally and among the biggest recipients of Belt and Road investment, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy, which recently became the first G7 country to sign on to the initiative. The United States, which has not joined the Belt and Road, is expected to send only lower-level officials, and nobody from Washington, citing concerns over opaque financing practices, poor governance, and disregard for internationally accepted norms. Washington sent Matt Pottinger, the senior White House official for Asia, to the last Belt and Road summit in 2017. European officials who attended that summit said then that it would take time to know whether China was going to give foreign companies equal access to projects as their Chinese counterparts. Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission's vice president for energy who is attending this week's forum, told Reuters that European companies were ready to engage, but still had the same complaints as several years earlier, including that the plan lacks a transparent and open bidding process. "Our difference is that we want to discuss it. We want to negotiate about it. We want to solve it in a cooperative way," Sefcovic said, referring to the United States downgrading its presence at the forum. Asked if there was any evidence European companies had more access to Belt and Road projects than two years ago, Sefcovic said: "I'm not sure." (Additional reporting by Brenda Goh, Stella Qiu, Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Richard Borsuk) BEIJING, April 25 (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua expressed regret on Thursday to visiting British finance minister Philip Hammond that the South China Sea issue had harmed ties, after a British warship sailed close to islands claimed by China last August. "It is regrettable that since August last year the relations between our two countries witnessed some fluctuations because of the South China Sea issue and a series of institutional dialogs and cooperation projects had to pause," Hu told Hammond during a meeting in Beijing. Hammond said he shared Hu's regret that there had been "some difficulties in advancing the positive course of the relationship that our leaders have set out." "Of course you understand that the UK takes no position in relation to the issues in the South China Sea," he added. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Joyce Zhou; editing by Darren Schuettler) By David Lague ZHUHAI, China, April 25 (Reuters) - China is leading the U.S. in a race to deploy hypersonic missiles that would defeat existing air defense systems, according to senior U.S. officials. The combination of speed, maneuverability and altitude of these missiles makes them difficult to track and intercept. They travel at speeds of more than five times the speed of sound or about 6,200 kilometers (3,853 miles) per hour. Some will travel as fast as 25,000 kilometers per hour, according to U.S. and other Western weapons researchers. That's about 25 times as fast as modern passenger jets. Admiral Harry Harris, the former head of U.S. Pacific Command, told the House Armed Services Committee in February last year that hypersonic weapons were one of a range of advanced technologies where China was beginning to outpace the U.S. military, challenging its dominance in the Asia-Pacific region. Last April, Michael Griffin, the U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that China has deployed, or is close to deploying, hypersonic systems armed with conventional warheads. These can travel thousands of kilometers from the Chinese coast and threaten American forward bases or carrier battle groups, he said. "We do not have defenses against those systems," Griffin said. Russia may have already fielded a hypersonic weapon. At a parade in May last year, the Russian military displayed what it had earlier said was a hypersonic missile. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the missile as invincible. Russia's defense ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters about its hypersonic weapons capabilities. The Chinese military in 2014 said it had conducted a hypersonic test flight. By early 2016, it had conducted six successful tests, according to U.S. military officials. In early November, China unveiled a new ballistic anti-ship missile, the CM-401, at the biennial airshow in the southern city of Zhuhai. Reports in the official state-controlled media said the new missile was a hypersonic weapon. An information panel alongside a model of the new missile said the CM-401 was a "high supersonic" ballistic missile which had a trajectory reaching near space. It had a range of up to 290 kilometers, the panel said. Story continues China, Russia and the United States have focused research and development on two classes of these weapons: hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles that fly at hypersonic speeds, according to U.S. and other Western weapons analysts and military officials. Both types could carry conventional or nuclear payloads. A hypersonic glide vehicle is boosted aloft on a rocket to heights of between 40 km to 100 km above the earth before detaching to glide along the upper atmosphere towards its target. It is released at a height and speed that would allow it to glide unpowered to the target. Control surfaces on the glide vehicle mean it can steer an unpredictable course and maneuver sharply as it approaches impact. These glide vehicles follow a much flatter and lower trajectory than the high, arching path of a ballistic missile, these researchers say. That makes them much harder to detect early with radar, giving missile defenses less time to respond. Hypersonic cruise missiles, meanwhile, have internal engines. But unlike regular cruise missiles, they travel far faster and higher. After years of stop-start development of hypersonics, the U.S. is now trying to accelerate testing and deployment to match China and Russia, according to senior Pentagon officials. Last year, the U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin Corporation two contracts to develop hypersonic missiles. And, the U.S. navy said it conducted a successful test of a long-range hypersonic missile on October 30, 2017. Last month, the Pentagon awarded missile-maker Raytheon Company a $63.3 million contract for hypersonic weapons development, the company said in a statement. "Frankly, we were the leaders in that 10 and 15 years ago, and we just let it drop," Griffin told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in April last year. "We need to get started again." (Reporting by David Lague. Edited by Peter Hirschberg.) BEIJING (AP) China said Thursday that it will hold joint naval drills with Russia next week, in another sign that the countries' militaries are growing closer in the face of shared opposition to U.S. military dominance. The "Joint Sea 2019" drills will be held off the northern port city of Qingdao, Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said at a monthly briefing. Taking place from Monday to Saturday, they will feature ships and submarines along with fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and marine units. Ren described the drills as "joint maritime defensive operations" aimed at "strengthening the two navies' capability to commonly address maritime security threats." "The exercise does not target any third parties," Ren said. Bonded by a common rivalry with the U.S., Moscow and Beijing have forged what they describe as a "strategic partnership," expressing their shared opposition to the "unipolar" world a term they use to describe perceived U.S. global dominance. Last September, about 3,200 Chinese troops joined Russia's largest-ever war games in Siberia, in which nearly 300,000 Russian troops conducted drills. China's People's Liberation Army Navy marked its 70th anniversary this week with a fleet review attended by President Xi Jinping, who is also head of the armed forces and has expanded the country's military might. Last year, Xi said the mission of transforming China's navy into a "first-rate world navy" has "never been more urgent." China has taken an aggressive approach to its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where it has built military installations on man-made islands in the waters claimed by several other nations. Military experts describe that as a strategy of "anti-access area denial" to prevent foreign militaries especially the U.S. Navy from intervening over a crisis such as a Chinese attack on Taiwan, the self-governing island China claims as its own territory. To achieve those goals, it is also building ships at a faster rate than any other country, with many, such as its latest 10,000-ton displacement type 055 guided missile destroyer, boasting cutting-edge combat capabilities. By Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) - China aims to make the Belt and Road initiative sustainable and prevent debt risks, its finance minister said on Thursday, seeking to allay criticism that the infrastructure plan to boost trade and investment creates a heavy burden for some nations. The policy championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping has become mired in controversy, with some partner nations bemoaning the high cost of projects, though China has repeatedly said it is not seeking to trap anyone with debt. Western governments have tended to view it as a means to spread Chinese influence abroad, saddling poor countries with unsustainable debt. Finance minister Liu Kun, speaking at a forum to kick off a three-day Belt and Road summit in Beijing, said China will establish an analysis framework on debt sustainability for Belt and Road projects to "prevent and resolve debt risks". Chinese financial institutions, countries involved in Belt and Road and international agencies are encouraged to use this framework to enhance debt management, Liu said. While most of the Belt and Road projects are continuing as planned, some have been caught up by changes in government in countries such as Malaysia and the Maldives. Those that have been shelved for financial reasons include a power plant in Pakistan and an airport in Sierra Leone, and Beijing has in recent months had to rebuff critics by saying that not one country has been burdened with so-called "debt traps". Yi Gang, China's central bank governor, said at the same event that local currencies will be used for investments related to the Belt and Road plan to curb exchange rate risks. China will follow market principles and rely on commercial funds for Belt and Road financing, Yi said, adding that China will improve transparency for those projects. "We should strengthen debt and risk management. We should objectively and fully understand debt problems of developing countries," he added. Story continues "Investment decisions should ... effectively control risks and fully consider a country's overall debt capacity and ensure debt is sustainable." In a nod to debt concerns, a draft communique seen by Reuters said that 37 world leaders attending the summit will agree to project financing that respects global debt goals and promotes green growth. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY Chinese government officials and heads of state-owned enterprises such as China National Petroleum Corp and China Communications Construction Corp told a separate forum that they would pay more attention to environmental conservation and protection. They also pledged to undertake higher quality projects that would hire more local staff and respond to the needs of recipient countries. Jose Vinals, chairman of Standard Chartered Bank, said at the forum he hoped to see the initiative focus more on quality and multilateralism, saying that many projects remained bilateral in the sense that they involved the Chinese government and firms dealing directly with recipient countries. More opportunities have to be given to other countries as well as the private sector to play a role, he said, adding that bilateral engagement tended to have less transparency and lower levels of governance, which in turn could affect the quality of projects. "It is very important to emphasize project quality over project quantity," he said. LOW-LEVEL U.S.PARTICIPATION Visiting leaders will be headlined by Russia's Vladimir Putin, as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, a close China ally and among the biggest recipients of Belt and Road investment, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy, which recently became the first G7 country to sign on to the initiative. The United States, which has not joined the Belt and Road, is expected to send only lower-level officials, and nobody from Washington, citing concerns over opaque financing practices, poor governance, and disregard for internationally accepted norms. Washington sent Matt Pottinger, the senior White House official for Asia, to the last Belt and Road summit in 2017. European officials who attended that summit said then that it would take time to know whether China was going to give foreign companies equal access to projects as their Chinese counterparts. Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission's vice president for energy who is attending this week's forum, told Reuters that European companies were ready to engage, but still had the same complaints as several years earlier, including that the plan lacks a transparent and open bidding process. "Our difference is that we want to discuss it. We want to negotiate about it. We want to solve it in a cooperative way," Sefcovic said, referring to the United States downgrading its presence at the forum. Asked if there was any evidence European companies had more access to Belt and Road projects than two years ago, Sefcovic said: "I'm not sure." (Additional reporting by Brenda Goh, Stella Qiu, Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Richard Borsuk) Today we'll evaluate China Silver Group Limited (HKG:815) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. 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. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. Finally, we'll look at how its current liabilities affect its ROCE. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) ROCE measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. Overall, it is a valuable metric that has its flaws. 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 China Silver Group: 0.12 = CN395m (CN4.0b - CN637m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) Therefore, China Silver Group has an ROCE of 12%. See our latest analysis for China Silver Group Is China Silver Group's ROCE Good? ROCE is commonly used for comparing the performance of similar businesses. In our analysis, China Silver Group's ROCE is meaningfully higher than the 9.1% average in the Metals and Mining industry. I think that's good to see, since it implies the company is better than other companies at making the most of its capital. Separate from China Silver Group's performance relative to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms looks satisfactory, and it may be worth researching in more depth. In our analysis, China Silver Group's ROCE appears to be 12%, compared to 3 years ago, when its ROCE was 1.3%. This makes us think about whether the company has been reinvesting shrewdly. Story continues SEHK:815 Past Revenue and Net Income, April 24th 2019 Remember that this metric is backwards looking - it shows what has happened in the past, and does not accurately predict the future. ROCE can be misleading for companies in cyclical industries, with returns looking impressive during the boom times, but very weak during the busts. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. Given the industry it operates in, China Silver Group could be considered cyclical. If China Silver Group is cyclical, it could make sense to check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. What Are Current Liabilities, And How Do They Affect China Silver Group's ROCE? Current liabilities include invoices, such as supplier payments, short-term debt, or a tax bill, that need to be paid within 12 months. 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 check the impact of this, we calculate if a company has high current liabilities relative to its total assets. China Silver Group has total liabilities of CN637m and total assets of CN4.0b. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 16% of its total assets. A fairly low level of current liabilities is not influencing the ROCE too much. Our Take On China Silver Group's ROCE This is good to see, and with a sound ROCE, China Silver Group could be worth a closer look. There might be better investments than China Silver Group out there, but you will have to work hard to find them . These promising businesses with rapidly growing earnings might be right up your alley. If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are 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. China launched on Thursday a staunch defence of its Belt and Road global infrastructure project as it opened a summit with a pledge to ease concerns about debt linked to its signature foreign policy. President Xi Jinping's pet project is a reboot of the ancient Silk Road to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through massive investments in maritime, road and rail projects. The initiative offers to bring much-needed modern infrastructure to developing countries, but the United States has dubbed it a "vanity project" and critics warn it is a "debt trap" favouring Chinese companies. Huang Kunming, a member of China's powerful Politburo, said at the opening of the three-day Belt and Road Forum in Beijing that there have been "some misunderstandings and unfounded rumours" about BRI that they hope to clear up. But in a nod to the concerns over loans, Finance Minister Liu Kun said China would release a framework to "prevent debt risks," according to state-owned China Securities Journal. The "debt sustainability analysis framework" encourages Chinese financial institutions and BRI countries to voluntarily improve debt management levels, the report said. China must properly address "issues of environmental protection and debt management that the international community pays close attention to," said Zheng Zhijie, governor of the China Development Bank. The state policy bank has doled out much of the Belt and Road-related loans since 2013, with Zheng saying it had extended $190 billion in financing to 600 projects. - Debt trouble - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said Liu's announcement and China's increased focus on the long-term success of BRI projects were "very welcome steps in the right direction." Lagarde told the forum that "sound financial regulation, transparent rules for investment, and attention to fiscal sustainability" were needed to successfully open capital markets, according to her prepared remarks. Story continues Leaders from 37 countries have begun to arrive in Beijing for the three-day forum, with officials from scores of other nations in attendance. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, whose country became the first G7 member to sign up to Belt and Road, are among the headliners. But EU powers Germany and France are sending ministers instead, while the United States has not dispatched any officials from Washington. "We call upon all countries to ensure that their economic diplomacy initiatives adhere to internationally-accepted norms and standards, promote sustainable, inclusive development, and advance good governance and strong economic institutions," a US embassy spokesperson said. Since Xi launched Belt and Road in 2013, China has invested $90 billion in projects while banks have provided between $200 billion and $300 billion in loans, according to Chinese officials. But examples of debt trouble abound. Sri Lanka turned over a deep-sea port to China for 99-years after it was unable to repay loans. Pakistan needs an international bailout. And Montenegro has had to make difficult choices after taking on crushing Chinese debt to pay a Chinese company to build a new highway. Two state-owned Chinese energy giants have each taken 10 percent stakes in Russian Novatek's liquified natural gas (LNG) projects, the second largest gas company in Russia said Thursday. The China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Corporation (CNODC) signed an agreement to acquire the stake in Novatek's Arctic LNG 2, the privately owned Russian company said in a statement. CNODC is part of the state-run China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). Novatek also announced that the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) had taken a stake of the same size in the $20-billion project. In two press releases, Novatek boss Leonid Mikhelson first praised "the continuation of fruitful cooperation with CNPC" and then the "new partner" CNOOC, "because China is one of the main consumer markets for our sales of liquefied natural gas". The agreements were signed in Beijing during the New Silk Roads Summit. French company Total is also a 10 percent partner in the Arctic LNG 2 project, which extracts gas from northern Siberia. Also on Thursday, Novatek announced its net profit had increased nine-fold in the first quarter on 2019, on the back of Arctic LNG 2 and other arctic megaproject Yamal LNG. The net profit of the group was 381.8 billion rubles (5.3 billion euros, $5.9 billion), an increase of 786 percent year-on-year, according to Novatek figures. A federal judge has agreed to consider the pretrial release of a white nationalist military officer who prosecutors allege was planning domestic terrorism on a scale rarely seen in this country. Magistrate Judge Charles Day said Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Maryland that the government had not met the standard for continued detention of Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Hasson, who was arrested in February on drug and weapons related offenses. Prosecutors called him a domestic terrorist, bent on committing acts dangerous to human life that are intended to affect governmental conduct. Government officials had argued that Hasson, who was arrested Feb. 15, should remain in custody pending his trial. Hasson has pleaded not guilty to the weapons and drug charges, and his lawyer said in a court filing that no further charges were expected. Despite the prosecutors assertion that Hasson intended to kill Democratic political figures and liberal commentators, they apparently were unable to find a statute under which he could be charged as a terrorist. Legal experts say it is difficult to charge domestic terrorists unless they are affiliated with Islamic extremist groups. Authorities have not cited any concrete actions he took that could be charged as conspiracy or attempted murder. Left, firearms and ammunition cited in the motion for detention pending trial in the case against Christopher Paul Hasson, right. (Photos: U.S. District Court via AP/U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland) In a court filing submitted earlier this week, however, federal prosecutors argued that two charges of possession of an unmarked and unregistered silencer are directly related to Hassons alleged terror plot. The silencers serve one purpose: to murder quietly. The defendant intended to do so on a mass scale, and his detention has thwarted his unlawful desire, the prosecutors wrote, arguing that Hasson continues to pose a serious danger and must be detained pending trial. At a future hearing, not yet scheduled, defense attorneys will stipulate conditions for Hassons release. If Day finds them acceptable, Hasson will be freed from jail. Hes got to have a whole lot of supervision, Day said, mentioning home confinement and electronic monitoring as options. Somebody whos got eyes and ears on him like nobodys business. Story continues Federal prosecutors alleged that in addition to accumulating firearms and silencers, Hasson routinely perused the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, a far-right Norwegian terrorist who killed 77 people in two attacks in 2011, whose beliefs were also cited by the gunman who killed 50 people at a series of New Zealand mosques last month. In what prosecutors described as an apparently unsent draft email from September 2017, Hasson addressed a well-known American neo-Nazi leader, whose name has not been disclosed, identifying himself as a long time White Nationalist, having been a skinhead 30 plus years ago before my time in the military. Hassons arrest renewed concerns about members of white nationalist and other extremists groups infiltrating the U.S. military. According to prosecutors, Hasson compiled a list of targets including a number of Democratic politicians and left-leaning political commentators. The names on the list include Sen blumen jew (presumably Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.,) and poca warren (presumably Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.). There are also references to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a long list of additional Democratic senators, including Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Tim Kaine, D-Va. The list also includes likely references to a number of House members (Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.), television hosts (Joe Scarborough and Chris Hayes of MSNBC, Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo of CNN), former Rep. Beto ORourke of Texas and the Democratic Socialists of America. On the same day he finished the list, the court filing says, Hasson completed the following Google searches over the course of three hours: what if trump illegally impeached, best place in dc to see congress people, where in dc to congress live, civil war if trump impeached and social democrats usa. In an April 23 filing, prosecutors said Hasson had previously searched for the addresses of two unnamed Supreme Court judges and two unnamed social media executives along with the phrases best n----- killing gun, white homeland, when are whites going to wake up, and please god let there be a race war. Prosecutors also allege that Hasson was present at a 1995 assault by a neo-Nazi leader in a jacket with swastika patches. Per the court document, Hasson had been serving as an acquisitions officer at the Coast Guards D.C. headquarters since June 2016. Though he has not received any tactical weapons or explosives-related training in this position, the prosecutors note that Hasson served in the Marine Corps from 1988 to 1993, followed by approximately two years of active duty with the Army National Guard. When authorities raided his residence in Silver Spring, Md., they found 15 firearms and over 1,000 rounds of mixed ammunition, according to the charges filed against him. Charges related to domestic terrorism in the United States have risen in recent years and, according to a February report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups operating in the country has reached an all-time high. Last fall, a Florida man was arrested for mailing 16 pipe bombs to critics of President Trump and prominent Democratic figures, and a gunman killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue that had supported refugees. Caitlin Dickson contributed to the reporting of this story. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Rhinegeist Brewery. | Photo: Alyssa H./Yelp When it comes to food and drink, there's plenty to do in Cincinnati this week. From a beer and food feast to a pretzel celebration, here's how to add some flavor to your social calendar. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Rhinegeist Beer Feast with Sartre OTR Rhinegeist Brewery will partner with Sartre OTR for this Sunday evening event pairing unique beers with a five-course family-style menu intended to herald the arrival of spring and the warm weather-inspired food and beverage items at each establishment. When: Sunday, April 28, 6-9 p.m. Where: Rhinegeist Brewery, 1910 Elm St. Price: $60 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets National Pretzel Day Did you know that National Pretzel Day is this Friday? Head on down to Listermann Brewing Company to partake in free pretzels with every beer you purchase. Fans of Listermann's beer 'The Works' will be happy to know that it will be back on tap that night. When: Friday, April 26, 10-11 a.m. Where: Listermann Brewing Company, 1621 Dana Ave. Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Brewing Heritage Trail Come out on Saturday afternoon to celebrate the first phase of the Brewing Heritage Trail. This free event features beer brewing demonstrations, brewery displays and even several activities for children. However, if you want to take part in receiving VIP access to historic saloons, breweries and bars, along with a special souvenir, you'll want to purchase the $25 ticket. When: Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: Grant Park, 73 E. McMicken Ave. Price: Free; $25 (VIP Admission) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. London (AFP) - Environmentalists glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange entrance and staged impromptu concerts in the middle of traffic on the final day of a campaign that brought parts of the UK capital to a halt. Activists from Extinction Rebellion -- a fast-growing movement founded last year by British academics -- have used 11 days of festive but highly disruptive rallies to focus global attention on climate change. Their ultimate goal is to slash greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025 and to end biodiversity loss. But their immediate aim was to get UK politicians to look past hot-button issues such as Brexit and come up with ways to save the planet from damage that younger generations think will hurt them most. Extinction Rebellion members said their campaign drew plenty of public attention but failed to get the government to budge. "The traffic disruptions have really, really brought the whole climate and environment out from being a niche issue," guitarist Nick Onley said while leading a group of 20 through a Beatles song performance in the middle of a busy street. "But it hasn't been a complete success. We haven't got to that point where the government says 'yes, please talk to us'," Onley said as drivers stuck in the heart of London's bustling financial district furiously honked their horns. An aide to UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove said no meeting had been scheduled with campaigners but that one might possibly happen next week. The protest outside the London Stock Exchange building that stands in the shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral saw several glue themselves to the pavement in front of one of the glass entrance turnstiles. One person wearing a gas mask also chained himself to one of the sleek building's stone columns. "This institution literally trades in the devastation of our planet," the group said in a statement. Extinction Rebellion estimated that top banks have poured $1.9 trillion (1.7 billion euros) into "fossil fuel financing" since the Paris Agreement on dealing with greenhouse gases was signed in 2016. Story continues The group staged similar protests outside the entrances of the Bank of England and the UK Treasury. - 'Not here to be liked' - Activists had earlier targeted high-profile -- and tourist-heavy -- locations such as the Oxford and Piccadilly Circus junctions. They also camped out on a statue-filled square facing the parliament building and potted plants and flowers on a central bridge. Their tactics of sitting down in the middle of busy roads and refusing -- peacefully -- to move have generated media headlines. But some activists admitted many Londoners were mystified as to why the group thinks such tactics will help stop climate change. "Some people don't like our methods but do like our message," retiree Trudy Warner said. "What we say is: We're not here to be liked. We're here to get attention." The entire campaign saw police make 1,130 arrests and press charges against 69 people. Retired engineer Godfrey Whitehouse said he spent three nights in a police station holding cell. "I am just an ordinary member of the public who is absolutely terrified of the climate," Whitehouse said. "And we would like to apologise to the public for the disruptions," he added. The London campaign's closing act saw activists wash protest signs off the pavement and pack up the trash outside the Marble Arch monument where they had spent days camping out on the edge of Hyde Park. London (AFP) - Environmentalists glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange entrance and staged impromptu concerts in the middle of traffic on the final day of a campaign that brought parts of the UK capital to a standstill. Activists from Extinction Rebellion -- a fast-growing movement founded last year by British academics -- have used 11 days of festive but highly disruptive rallies to focus global attention on climate change. Their ultimate goal is to slash greenhouse gas emissions to a net level of zero by 2025 and bring biodiversity loss to a halt. But their immediate aim was to get UK politicians to look past hot-button issues such as Brexit and think of ways to save the planet from irreparable damage that younger generations think will hurt them the most. Extinction Rebellion members said their campaign received a great deal of public attention but failed to get the government to budge. "The traffic disruptions have really, really brought the whole climate and environment out from being a niche issue," guitarist Nick Onley said while leading a group of 20 through a Beatles song performance in the middle of a busy London intersection. "But it hasn't been a complete success. We haven't got to that point where the government says yes, please talk to us," Onley said as drivers stuck in the heart of London's bustling financial district furiously honked their horns. The protest outside the London Stock Exchange building that stand in the shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral saw several glue themselves to the pavement in front of one of the glass entrance turnstiles. One person wearing a gas mask also chained himself to one of the sleek building's stone columns. "Many of the most environmentally destructive companies in the world have their stock market listings at the London Stock Exchange (LSE)," the group said in a statement. "This institution literally trades in the devastation of our planet." Story continues AFP reporters counted seven campaigners at the building's entrance. Police eventually separated them and trading opened as usual. - 'Not here to be liked' - Activists had earlier targeted high-profile -- and tourist-heavy -- locations such as the Oxford and Piccadilly Circus intersections. They also camped out on a statue-filled square facing the grand parliament building and potted plants and flowers on a central bridge. Their tactics of sitting down in the middle of busy roads and refusing -- peacefully -- to move have proved remarkably effective at generating media headlines. But some activists admitted that Londoners often seemed befuddled about why the group thinks such tactics will help stop climate change. "Some people don't like our methods but do like our message," retiree Trudy Warner said. "What we say is: We're not here to be liked. We're here to get attention." The entire campaign saw police make 1,130 arrests and press charges against 69 people. Retired engineer Godfrey Whitehouse said he spent three nights in a police station holding cell. "I am just an ordinary member of the public who is absolutely terrified of the climate," Whitehouse said. "And we would like to apologise to the public for the disruptions," he added softly. In a meeting last week at Middlebury College, administrators apologized to students who were upset that a conservative speaker had been invited to campus and pledged to do more to prevent right-wing speakers in the future. Audio of the meeting, which was obtained by The College Fix, features three administrators trying to calm students who were offended by the invitation of Ryszard Legutko, a conservative Polish politician whose views they described as homophobic and Islamophobic. Its important to note that Legutkos planned April 17th speech had actually been canceled a few hours beforehand, with administrators citing safety concerns, and Legutko wound up simply giving a small, private talk in a political-science professors class instead. According to The Fix, it seems as though the students at the meeting did not know that this talk had occurred, because it had taken place the same time that afternoon as the meeting. Obvious from the audio of the meeting, the fact that the college had essentially canceled Legutkos appearance was not enough the students believe that he should have never been invited in the first place. There is a distinct compromise of the students who felt marginalized on this campus or who put effort into this protest, or this combat effort, they feel like their academic freedom has been compromised because they are not capable of learning because their emotional state is so distraught or their emotional energy is just consumed by this, one female student said. (She was referring to a pro-LGBT protest that had been scheduled to take place outside of the lecture hall in response to Legutkos presence.) Rather than explain the value of academic freedom or of knowing how to engage (or at least coexist) with different viewpoints, administrators can be heard desperately attempting to apologize to the students and reassure them that nothing like this would ever happen again in the future. Story continues I hear you, and you should be outraged, and we should acknowledge that and apologize, because thats the least we can do right now, because we cant make it right in the moment, one administrator said. But in the future we will do everything we can to make it right. Other administrator comments included You are absolutely right, me apologizing is not going to cut it, and Im just really frustrated too, and again that doesnt make this right, doesnt absolve me of my responsibilities in any shape or form, but were going to keep at it, because this is not the institution we want. Honestly, the college took the wrong approach. Whats more, I say this as someone who certainly does not agree with many of Legutkos views. For example, I am a strong supporter of LGBT equality, and I think that his views are flat-out wrong in this arena. In fact, I would count myself among those who find his views offensive. The truth is, though, protecting students from views that make them uncomfortable on campus is really not going to do them any favors in the long run. In the real world, after all, there are no such luxuries. Make no mistake: These students will, after they graduate, have to encounter people who, for example, believe that homosexuality is a sin. Keeping these people off of campus is not going to keep them out of society, and I strongly believe it would be better for these students to start to learn the kinds of skills that they will need to deal with these situations in a supportive environment rather than to simply shield them from reality until it hits them in the face after they graduate. More from National Review (The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters) By Peter Apps LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) - When Pariss Notre-Dame cathedral caught fire on April 15, it was only a matter of minutes before conspiracy theories were swirling across social media. Some were from far-right accounts and outlets desperate to blame the blaze on some kind of Islamist attack. As the inferno was broadcast worldwide, websites such as U.S.-based Infowars pushed out reams of unverified and often false information, speculation and rhetoric. "The West has fallen," tweeted right-wing documentary filmmaker https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/1117840292986490880 Mike Cernovich. According to the European Unions specialist disinformation monitoring unit https://euvsdisinfo.eu/building-blocks-of-disinformation-case-notre-dame, these messages were then further picked up, amplified and spread by a host of Russian-linked accounts, platforms and automated trolls. They added new, often deeply implausible theories. As well as blaming Islamists, some suggested Frances yellow vest protesters might be responsible. Others suggested unlikely Ukrainian links to the fire, while one completely without evidence speculated the pope himself would call for a mosque to be built on the medieval cathedrals ruins. The latter claim came from the website of the Kremlin- supporting Tsargrad TV which pushes a relentlessly nationalist pro-Russian Orthodox Church line highly supportive of President Vladimir Putin. Its sheer implausibility points to a growing trend in the growing ideological battles on social media and the Internet in which the truth can appear increasingly irrelevant. How to handle this and whether, when, how, and if to exploit it is a growing challenge for almost every country. In the aftermath of last weekends Easter bombings that killed more than 350, Sri Lanka imposed an outright if not always effective block on multiple https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48022530 social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat. That follows widespread condemnation of social media platforms after the New Zealand mosque shooting the previous month, when unedited footage streamed by the gunman was widely distributed. Story continues CRISIS How effective such restrictions are remains in question. Indeed, they may be counterproductive, simply adding to the air of crisis. In Sri Lanka, many users were able to find ways around the block, not least to reassure friends and family they were safe. Indeed, by activating a function whereby users could mark themselves unharmed after attacks and disasters, the tech firm may well have contributed to the bans failure, whether willingly or not. Such draconian action can also simply reinforce the narrative that a government has something to hide particularly in Sri Lankas case, where warnings of an imminent attack from other intelligence services may have been ignored. What does appear increasingly clear is that the Internet and social media platforms have become something of a cesspool for hatred and conspiracy, and that powerful forces wish to use that to their advantage. What is equally clear is that those who wish to stop them have yet to find a truly workable strategy. Getting moderators to review and remove potentially harmful content has been the preferred route of many platforms. But it is, those involved in the process say, often a losing battle. Newspaper comments sections can remain full of racist, misogynist and similar comments. So does Facebook, despite hiring an army of often poorly paid contractors to remove material it says breaches its ever-evolving terms of use. Those who have done https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/25/18229714/cognizant-facebook-content-moderator-interviews-trauma-working-conditions-arizona the job describe it as an unending nightmare of pornography, violence including beheadings, child abuse and more along with sexist, racist, and brutally misogynist rants. Contractors are timed to make fast decisions, and report horrific mental health issues in consequence. Without them, even more of that material would doubtless reach a wider audience but even stopping that would only tackle the tip of the iceberg. In many ways, of course, these problems are not new. Sectarian, racist, and divisive language and rumor have long been a potent tool for populists, xenophobes and anyone else seeking to foster division, fear and distrust to entrench their own control. Indeed, in many locations for example, the Indian subcontinent things used to be much worse. In 1983, a much smaller attack by Tamil Tiger rebels on government troops triggered massive ethnic riots against Tamils in the capital, killing hundreds and jump-starting a quarter century long war. Indias Sikhs suffered similar attacks the next year following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Much worse communal violence was orchestrated during Indias 1947 partition by radio, leaflet and rumor, long before the advent of the Internet. MEMES The effect of social media can be rapid but it can also be slower and even more insidious. In private Facebook and WhatsApp groups, truth often does not matter, and conversations and memes can swiftly prove self-reinforcing. In Western politics, that increasingly includes Islamaphobia, anti-Semitism, or both, often couched as part of a wider backlash against liberal multicultural elites and norms. This is a world created by modern technology and political frustration, particularly amongst the perceived losers of globalization. But it is a situation some actors in particular Russia, the far right, and Islamist groups such as Islamic State have learned to exploit. A study this year https://www.stratcomcoe.org/robotrolling-20191 by the NATO Strategic Indications Centre of Excellence found a majority of accounts on Russian social media site VK that were trolling against Western military activity in Eastern Europe were automated and robotic. Such tools are increasingly for sale. A separate report by the same center identified an increasingly lucrative black market in often illegal social media manipulation software, data and other products, allowing users to buy likes, comments, ads and fake personas. Many are easy to spot but improved artificial intelligence and machine learning may soon make that more difficult. Perhaps the best pointer to how to tackle this comes from the Christchurch mosque massacre in New Zealand. While still criticizing social media firms, Prime Minister Jacinda Arden spent most of her time on more practical solutions introducing gun control and pushing forward a more inclusive vision of the country that blunted the attackers message. Whether that will be enough is another question. Because if the West ever genuinely falls, it is as likely to do so through social media-fueled bigotry, division and deceit as any physical attack. *** Peter Apps is a writer on international affairs, globalization, conflict and other issues. He is the founder and executive director of the Project for Study of the 21st Century; PS21, a non-national, non-partisan, non-ideological think tank. Paralyzed by a war-zone car crash in 2006, he also blogs about his disability and other topics. He was previously a reporter for Reuters and continues to be paid by Thomson Reuters. Since 2016, he has been a member of the British Army Reserve and the UK Labour Party, and is an active fundraiser for the party. (Editing by Giles Elgood) Moscow (AFP) - "Hello, Mr President?" Two Russian pranksters famous for pulling off high-profile hoax phone calls say they tricked France's Emmanuel Macron by pretending to be Ukraine's new president elect. The pair, Vladimir "Vovan" Kuznetsov and Alexei "Lexus" Stolyarov, regularly carry out prank calls that dupe the rich and the powerful. This time they posed as Volodymyr Zelensky, himself a comedian who won a landslide victory in Sunday's presidential election. They released a recording of the 15-minute call online on Wednesday with someone they claim is the 41-year-old French leader, who is the same age as Zelensky. The supposed Zelensky was in boastful mode after trouncing incumbent Petro Poroshenko, winning 73 percent of Sunday's vote. "Seventy three percent of Ukrainians, it's just incredible... I feel like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin who got the same score," he joked, as the taped conversation carried on in Russian and French with the help of translators. "I have the feeling, at least at this stage, that the system on your side is slightly less well organised (than Putin's) and so that must make it a bit more natural. You have not yet put all your opponents in jail," says the person the two pranksters say is President Macron. The French president's office declined to comment on the video and the claims. "The president certainly talked with Zelensky on Sunday evening, an exchange on which we later released a statement, as did the Zelensky side. Contact has been well established between the president of the republic (Macron) and his Ukranian counterpart," it added. Contacted by AFP, the two pranksters stood by their story and said they hoped Macron "is not too upset". "Vovan" and "Lexus" have a track record of snaring the unwary, counting among their victims Elton John, former British foreign minister Boris Boris Johnson and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko. Vovan told AFP in 2016 that the pair wanted to "show the real face, the hypocrisy" of some of Russia's erstwhile partners. "We only do things that are in the interest of our country," said "Lexus." You looked on sadly as your co-workers cleared out their desks and headed for the exit. But in the wake of a layoff, your strongest immediate reaction may be relief that you didn't number among those summoned to the manager's office and then dismissed. That consolation may not last. Downsizing often has negative effects on workers who remain employed, according to business and psychology research. Many suffer from "survivor syndrome," a cluster of symptoms that includes feelings of guilt, loss of control and decreased motivation to perform well at work. These problems arise when a restructuring seems to workers like a breach of the unspoken psychological contract they have with their employers, explains Wayne Cascio, distinguished university professor and the Robert H. Reynolds chair in global leadership at the University of Colorado--Denver. "When you have a downsizing, if the procedures are not seen as fair, it leads to feelings of injustice and betrayal," he says. Layoff survivors may experience: -- Perceived lack of fairness. -- Grief, guilt and fear. -- Loss of motivation and productivity. -- Stress and resentment. -- Temptation to look for a new job. [READ: 5 Ways to Prepare for a Corporate Layoff.] Perceived Lack of Fairness No one likes a layoff. But workers and researchers agree that some approaches are preferable to others. Employees are more likely to perceive layoffs as fair when they're reserved as a measure of last resort, Cascio says. Employees tend to appreciate when companies try alternatives first, such as freezing hiring or pay, or offering unpaid leave or early retirement to volunteers. Other factors influencing what researchers call perceived "procedural fairness" include the extent to which laid-off employees received advance notice, were treated with dignity and respect and received adequate benefits, according to an article by Joel Brockner, the Phillip Hettleman professor of business at Columbia Business School. Story continues "If you feel the layoffs were done in a fair manner, it makes you more satisfied in the outcome," says Rebecca Bennett, professor of management at the University of Central Florida College of Business. If not, however, you'll likely feel a lot worse about the whole experience. Grief, Guilt and Fear Downsizing can stir up a whole host of unpleasant emotions. Guilt is a common reaction among survivors who wonder why they got to keep their jobs. The sudden departure of a workplace friend or admired mentor can also trigger mourning. "Clinical psychologists tell us it's important to be able to grieve," Cascio says. "When people are let go, they don't get to say goodbye. They're just gone. That adds to the stress." Layoffs may make survivors feel like they've lost control over their environments and fates, an unpleasant sensation that may inspire fear. Loss of Motivation and Productivity Negative feelings like these can dampen survivors' motivation to excel at the office. They may notice their personal productivity nosedive as they worry about their own job security and wonder whether the company has a viable future. "Unless management addresses those questions, it only gets more and more severe," Cascio says. If workers don't receive reassurance that the company still offers opportunities for growth and success, they may not believe there are any remaining incentives to stay productive, according to Brockner's paper. [SEE: 26 Careers With the Most Job Security.] Stress and Resentment When a company announces plans to "streamline" its processes, that's often code for asking employees to do more with less. Workers who survive a layoff may find themselves required to take on additional tasks or assume new responsibilities without adequate resources or additional compensation. This situation can quickly create stress and leave layoff survivors feeling burned out. It can also sour their relationships with their managers. Bosses who apply performance pressure after a layoff without explaining why may come across as abusive, breeding resentment. Workers who recognize that their managers have "outside influences on their behavior are less likely to blame them and think they're a jerk," Bennett explains. So before jumping to negative conclusions, layoff survivors may want to ask their supervisors to justify why extra effort is being requested at a difficult time. [Read: 5 Signs of Burnout at Work.] Temptation to Look for a New Job During a layoff, a company intentionally cuts the size of its staff. Leaders may not realize, though, that this drastic action often inspires survivors to leave, too, for job opportunities elsewhere. In the year after workers are laid off, "unanticipated voluntary turnover" is often much higher than usual, Cascio says. "Morale and loyalty to the organization drop. So does trust in management," he explains. "How deeply involved you want to get in the organization drops as well." Unfortunately for survivors, colleagues who leave voluntarily are often the best performers and most desired on the job market. This turnover can lower morale even further and leave remaining employees even less well-equipped to tackle work challenges. Survivors who have to cover for former co-workers may experience at least one benefit from the situation, however. The additional responsibilities and tasks they take on may provide them with new skills that improve their resumes, eventually making them more attractive for job opportunities, too. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) became the latest Democratic presidential candidate to release his tax returns on Wednesday, ramping up the pressure on President Donald Trump to do the same. Bookers release shows an adjusted gross income of $152,715 last year, with about 19% of that income going toward federal taxes. Hes earned significantly more in previous years, largely due to the release of his 2016 memoir, United, and lucrative speaking gigs when he served as the mayor of Newark from 2009 to 2013. He donated 16% of his 2018 income to charities a significant amount compared with the 2% or less given by most of his 2020 opponents whove also released their tax returns. His tax returns show that he donated at least $20,000 or more annually to charitable causes over the last decade, with more than $240,000 given in 2013. Booker follows Sens. Kamala Harris,Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and former Rep. Beto ORourke in the decision to release tax returns. Trump has long shirked requests that he do the same, defying decades of precedent for presidential candidates. On Tuesday, his administration said it would not abide by House Democrats request for the documents, leaving it up to courts to decide whether the Treasury Department must comply with tax disclosure laws. Photo: iStock The number of crime incidents in Orlando saw an overall increase last week, after a previous decline, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents rose to 1,302 for the week of April 15, up from 1,182 the week before. The specific offenses that increased the most were theft and burglary. Theft rose to 244 incidents last week, from 198 the week before. Burglary went from 40 to 52. Reports of burglary have continued to grow for the last two weeks. While somewhat smaller categories, there was also a considerable percentage increase in assault, from 184 incidents per week to 190, and in robbery, from nine to 10 incidents. There were 34 reported vandalism incidents last week. That represents a steady state from the previous week. Among the few types of offenses that saw a downturn last week, shootings went from four to two. There were 770 reports of "other" crimes, an increase of 59 from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations. Of those incidents, 24 involved arrests, such as for drug possession, up from 21 reported arrests the week before. As far as where crime is concentrated in the city, Holden-Parramore, Florida Center and the Central Business District had the most reported incidents last week. Holden-Parramore and Florida Center were at the top of the list the previous week as well. Crime in College Park went up the most; incidents in the neighborhood have been rising for two weeks in a row. Crime reports in the Central Business District also rose, after declining the week before, and incidents in Florida Center are up considerably as well. Regarding day and time factors, Fridays, Mondays and Tuesdays saw the most crime incidents last week. The largest increase from the previous week occurred on Fridays, Mondays and Tuesdays, while incidents on Sundays went down. Comparing times of day, evening, late night and late morning saw the most crime last week. Story continues To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department. Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area. This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback. By Nelson Acosta HAVANA, April 25 (Reuters) - Cuba branded U.S. national security adviser John Bolton a "pathological liar" on Thursday for his allegation that it has troops stationed in ally Venezuela and said the latest U.S. sanctions would further hurt but not vanquish the Cuban people. In a speech last week unveiling a tightening of the decades-old U.S. travel and trade embargo on Cuba, Bolton reiterated his charge that its Communist government is propping up Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with thousands of security forces. The longtime Cuba hard-liner has not publicly offered any evidence for the claim. The Cuban government says Bolton has a history of spinning falsehoods about it. He accused it in 2002 of working to develop biological weapons without publicly presenting compelling evidence, a claim even top U.S. officials cast doubt on. "This is vulgar calumny. Cuba does not have troops nor military forces nor does it participate in military or security operations of the sister Republic of Venezuela," Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez told a news conference. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has imposed sanctions over the last year on the socialist governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, in a bid to weaken what Bolton has called a "troika of tyranny." Some analysts say this is part of Trump's broader attack on socialism as part of his strategy for re-election next year. Last week, Bolton announced a new cap on remittances to Cubans at $1,000 per person per quarter. Rodriguez said this would ironically severely hurt the fledgling private sector that the United States has said it wants to support. While many Cubans live off remittances from family on the other side of the Florida Straits, most will not be affected by the new limit, which is higher than what they receive, analysts say. More affected will be those who planned to use sizable sums of foreign capital to set up or run private businesses. Story continues The U.S. State Department also announced last week that it would allow American citizens to file lawsuits against Cuban or foreign companies using properties confiscated by the government after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution - a move countries around the world including top U.S. allies denounced. Rodriguez said this would further restrict the island's access to financing, creating "greater difficulties and shortages for our people," although Cuba would not yield to U.S. demands. Cuba is already suffering growing shortages of even basic goods like chicken as its inefficient centrally planned economy battles with declining aid from Venezuela, weaker exports nearly across the board and tighter U.S. sanctions. "The defense of sovereignty will prevail and we will find a way to vanquish these measures," Rodriguez said. (Reporting by Nelson Acosta Writing by Sarah Marsh Editing by Jonathan Oatis) NICOSIA, April 25 (Reuters) - Police in Cyprus investigating the disappearance of women from the Philippines discovered a third body on Thursday in a suspected serial murder case which has shocked the Mediterranean island. A 35-year-old Greek Cypriot, a career officer in the army, was in custody as the primary murder suspect, police said. The bodies of two women were found in an abandoned mine shaft on April 14 and 20, and are thought to belong to two individuals from the Philippines reported missing in May and August of 2018. On Thursday police discovered the body of another woman at an army firing range about 14 km (8.6 miles) from the mine shaft but there was no immediate information as to her identity. Police sources told Reuters another three potential victims, based on the testimony of the suspect, were being sought. "Inquiries continuing today located a body ...a woman, after details obtained from the suspect," a police source told Reuters, requesting anonymity since investigations are going on. Earlier, police obtained an extension of a remand order against the suspect on suspicion of killing a woman from the Philippines who disappeared in December 2017, in addition to a remand already obtained for the disappearance and murder of two women in May and August of 2018. Police sources said the suspect on Thursday gave police details of an additional victim, "either Indian or Nepalese" killed in the summer of 2018. He also confessed to killing a Romanian woman and her under-aged daughter, the police source added. In court hearings, police said the army officer was suspected of having approached the dead women on an online dating site. The six year old child of one of the victims is also missing. Serial killings are virtually unknown in Cyprus, but there has been an uptick in serious crime in recent years. The last serious double-murder case involving the abduction and death of two women, one from Sweden and one from Ukraine, occurred in 1993. The perpetrators were sentenced to life in jail. (Reporting By Michele Kambas, Editing by William Maclean) Ketel Marte drove in four runs with two homers Wednesday as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates for the third straight night, 11-2. Nick Ahmed also homered, Eduardo Escobar was 3-for-4 with a triple and a double, David Peralta was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Christian Walker was 2-for-5 with an RBI for Arizona, which has won nine in a row at PNC Park. The Diamondbacks can sweep the four-game series with a win Thursday. Arizona starter Merrill Kelly (2-2) went seven innings, giving up two runs and six hits, with five strikeouts and two walks. Josh Bell and Jung Ho Kang homered for Pittsburgh, which has lost a season-worst four straight. The bubble burst for Pittsburgh starter Jordan Lyles (2-1). He had been charged with just one earned run in three previous starts, but this time gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings, with three strikeouts and no walks. His ERA rose from 0.53 to 2.05. Arizona got right to work. Escobar tripled to the right-center gap with one out in the first and scored on Peralta's single to center for a 1-0 lead. Walker got an infield single plus a throwing error by Lyles, putting runners on second and third. Wilmer Flores, who had been 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position this season, got Peralta home on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. In the second, Ahmed's homer to left-center upped the Diamondbacks' lead to 3-0. Escobar added an RBI double off the wall in center later that inning, and it was 4-0. Bell cut it to 4-1 with a shot to center to lead off the fourth, but Arizona came right back to make it 5-1 on Marte's leadoff homer in the fifth. Kang's one-out homer to center in the sixth cut it to 5-2. The Diamondbacks stretched it to 8-2 with a three-run seventh against reliever Nick Kingham, highlighted by back-to-back doubles by Peralta and Walker. Marte's second homer of the night was a three-run shot down the line in left in the eighth off Steven Brault for an 11-2 lead. --Field Level Media By Sanjana Shivdas (Reuters) - D.R. Horton Inc forecast 2019 revenue below Wall Street estimates and did not provide an outlook on gross margin for the year, spooking investors who have been worried about the impact of rising costs on future profits. Shares of the No.1 U.S. homebuilder fell about 5 percent in morning trade, dragging those of rivals such as Lennar Corp and PulteGroup Inc lower. Housing market fundamentals have been strengthening due to lower mortgage rates, but Horton's effort to make its homes more affordable is coming at a cost amid widespread land and labor shortage in the industry. Some analysts have said the company has been spending more on incentives to spur sales. "Incentives is just one lever that is causing them some lack of clarity right now," JMP Securities analyst Peter Martin said. Horton's costs rose 10 percent to $3.26 billion in the second quarter, while its average closing price for the second quarter slipped 1 percent to $295,300. Home sales data for March showed builders were unable to break more ground on lower-priced housing projects - an area where Horton has been focusing on. "In terms of the gross margin, we're balancing pace and price margin and volume to generate the best returns we have," Chief Financial Officer Bill Wheat said in a conference call with analysts. "The incentive levels that we had to put in place to regain momentum back in Q1, we feel good about the level that we're at and the ability to potentially start to carve some margin back." In the reported quarter, Horton said gross margins fell sequentially to 19.3 percent, mainly due to cost increases, less pricing power and higher incentives. "Without the gross margin guidance (full year) people get a little nervous they could be at the lower end of gross margins," JMP Securities' Martin said. The company, whose homes sell in the price range of between $100,000 and $1 million, said 69 percent of its homes sold in the second quarter were under $300,000. Story continues "Affordability concerns have caused some moderation in demand for homes since late 2018 particularly at higher price points," Chief Executive Officer David Auld said. Horton said it expects to deliver between 55,000 homes and 56,000 homes in 2019. Analysts on average were expecting home sales of 55,668 homes. The company topped expectations for quarterly orders at 16,805 homes at an average selling price of $294,100, down 2 percent from a year earlier. But its full-year revenue forecast of $16.7 billion to $17.0 billion fell short of the average analyst estimate of $17.16 billion. Net income attributable to Horton was largely flat at $351.3 million, or 93 cents per share, in the quarter ended March 31. Revenue rose 9 percent to $4.13 billion and beat analysts' estimates of $4.05 billion. Excluding items, the company earned 87 cents per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv, compared with estimates of 86 cents. (Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Arun Koyyur) Los Angeles (AFP) - Actor Ken Kercheval, who played the role of Texas oilman Cliff Barnes opposite Larry Hagman's devious J.R. Ewing on the hit TV series "Dallas," has died at age 83. A spokeswoman at Frist Funeral Home in Kercheval's hometown of Clinton, Indiana, confirmed the death to AFP and said his burial will be private. She did not provide further details. Local news reports said Kercheval died on Sunday at his home after a long illness. The actor played the role of a beleaguered oil tycoon on "Dallas," constantly having to defend himself from the scheming J.R. Ewing. He said in an interview in 2012 that he liked his character who constantly tried -- without success -- to outwit J.R. "J.R. was coming after my ass all the time, so I always had to defend myself," he said. "If I did something that wasn't quite right, it's because I had to." Both actors were the only stars who stayed with the series throughout its 14-year run from 1978 to 1991. Kercheval was also part of a revival of the drama -- which revolved around a wealthy feuding Texas family -- from 2012 to 2014. Actress Audrey Landers, who played Barnes' girlfriend, Afton Cooper, for several seasons on "Dallas," paid tribute to him in an Instagram post, saying he would always be in her heart. "Thank you for being a great friend, scene partner, and for making history on #Dallas," she wrote. Born in 1935 in Wolcottville, Indiana, Kercheval studied art and drama and began his career as a stage actor. "He was one of those guys who was going to be the next James Dean," David Jacobs, the creator of "Dallas," told the Hollywood Reporter. He appeared with Dustin Hoffman in an off-Broadway production of "Dead End" and had roles in several Broadway musicals in the 1960s including "The Young Abe Lincoln" and "Cabaret." His big-screen credits include "Network," "The Secret Storm," and "The Lincoln Conspiracy." Story continues Beyond "Dallas," he had roles in dozens of TV series including "Murder, She Wrote," "Kojak," "L.A. Law" and "ER." A prolific smoker, Kercheval underwent surgery for lung cancer in 1994 and was a self-described "practicing alcoholic" for 20 years before he stopped drinking. The Hollywood Reporter said he was an avid collector of Americana and owned the inkwell that Abraham Lincoln dipped his pen into to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. News reports said he was survived by several adult children. On April 25, 1906, future Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan was born in New Jersey. During his nearly 34 years at the Court, Brennan wrote the second-most opinions in the Courts history, including several landmark majority decisions. A member of the Courts liberal wing, Brennan served with three Chief Justices during his time in Washington. Brennan was the child of Irish immigrants; he grew up in Newark, New Jersey, attended the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, and served in the United State Army before entering private law practice. Brennan later was serving on the New Jersey state Supreme Court when President Dwight Eisenhower nominated him to the United States Supreme Court as a recess appointment. The only Senator who later objected to the Brennan nomination was Joseph McCarthy. Once on the Court, Brennan became known for his role in landmark opinions. In Baker v. Carr (1962), Brennan wrote the majority opinion that supported the concept of one person, one vote and the idea that the Supreme Court could decide political questions under the 14th Amendment if voting rights were violated. Perhaps Brennans most-known opinion came in 1964, in New York Times v. Sullivan. Writing for a unanimous court, Brennan said public officials in defamation cases against the press needed to prove actual malice or knowledge that [a statement made] was false or with reckless disregard for the truth. Before the New York Times decision, the press had limited legal protections against libel and slander lawsuits, especially those launched by public officials who didnt like negative press coverage. Late in his career, Brennan wrote another landmark opinion in the flag-burning case, Texas v. Johnson. Again writing for the majority, Brennan recognized the burning of the American flag at a public protest as a protected form of symbolic free speech. ''If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable, Brennan said, who was joined in his opinion by two new conservative Justices on the bench, Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia. Brennan retired in 1990 and passed away in July 1997. The official Supreme Court memorial resolution on Brennans passing noted the extraordinary scope of his career at the high court. In the course of a remarkable tenure that fell short of Chief Justice John Marshall's by a matter of months, Justice Brennan authored 1,573 opinions: 533 opinions for the Court, 694 dissents, and 346 concurrences. Justice Brennan's opinions shaped our nation, the resolution said. The Court also noted Brennans role in crafting the unsigned, per-curium opinion in Brandenberg v. Ohio (1969), which held that public free speech could only be limited if it was directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action. The resolution noted that Justice Brennan's mastery of the interplay between First Amendment values and the institutional structures needed to protect them is at the core of Brandenburg v. Ohio. [which] reflects a classic Brennan effort to develop legal doctrine strongly weighted in favor of individual freedom, but sufficiently flexible to permit regulation when absolutely necessary. DURBAN/JOHANNESBURG, April 25 (Reuters) - Almost 70 people have been killed in South Africa after torrential rains along the eastern coast, an official said on Thursday, and rescuers are still recovering bodies. KwaZulu-Natal province, where most of the deaths occurred after the downpours led to flooding and mudslides, has heavy rain every year, but they rarely kill so many people in such a short space of time. The number of people killed was "approaching 70," Lennox Mabaso, a spokesman for the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs department, said by phone. "I don't recall that in history," he said, attributing the severity of the storm and its impact on the population to climate change. A Reuters witness saw rescuers come to collect the body of a woman who had been dug out of the mud by locals. Mabaso said a more precise death toll would be given later on Thursday. Eye witnesses recounted on Wednesday how flood waters and mudslides crashed through houses, many with people inside, and destroyed roads and other infrastructure. The rains carved chunks out of hills and roads in the region, with cars, tin roofs and other rubble swept into the deep muddy trenches left behind. In other places, people buried their dead on muddy hillsides churned up by the storm, marking their resting place with simple wooden crosses. Vanetia Phakula, a senior forecaster at the South African Weather Service, said the storm was not currently seen as unusual, though the level of rainfall might have been higher than normal. Over 100 millimeters of rain was recorded as falling at numerous stations within the area between Monday morning and Tuesday, she said. Phakula said the high death toll could instead be explained by the flooding and mudslides occurring in more highly populated areas. "Hence the death toll is what it is today," she said. While more rain was expected on Thursday it was not expected to be heavy, and the service was forecasting dry weather in most areas by Friday, she added. (Reporting by Rogan Ward in Durban and Emma Rumney in Johannesburg; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Paris (AFP) - Diplomats and scientists from 130 nations gather in Paris next week to vet and validate the first UN global assessment of the state of Nature in more than a decade, and the news is not good. A quarter of 100,000 species already assessed are on a path to extinction, and the total number facing a forced exit from the world stage is closer to a million, according to an executive summary, obtained by AFP, of a 1,800-page scientific report three years in the making. A score of 10-year targets adopted in 2010 under the UN's biodiversity treaty -- to expand protected areas, slow species and forest loss, and reduce pollution impact -- will almost all fail, the draft Summary for Policy Makers reports. But the focus of the five-day meet is not just pangolins, pandas, polar bears and the multitude of less "charismatic" lifeforms that humanity is eating, crowding or poisoning into oblivion. Rather, the spotlight is on the one species that has so ravaged Earth's natural systems as to imperil its own existence as well. That, of course, would be us: homo sapiens. The accelerating loss of clean air, drinkable water, healthy soil, pollinating insects, protein-rich fish and storm-blocking mangroves -- to name but a few of the dwindling services rendered by Nature -- poses no less of a threat to humanity than climate change, according to the report, set to be unveiled May 6. "Up to now, we have talked about the importance of biodiversity mostly from an environmental perspective," said Robert Watson, chair of the UN-mandated body that compiled the report, told AFP. "Now we are saying that Nature is crucial for food production, for pure water, for medicines and even social cohesion." And to fight climate change, he added. Forests and oceans, for example, soak up half of the planet-warming greenhouse gases we spew into the atmosphere. If they didn't, Earth might already be locked into an unliveable future of runaway global warming. Story continues And yet, an area of tropical forest five times the size of England has been destroyed since 2014, mainly to service the growing global demand for beef, biofuels, soy beans and palm oil. It would be like setting fire to a lifeboat while lost at sea in order to cook the fish one just caught. - Hidden impacts - "We need to recognise that climate change and loss of Nature are equally important, not just for the environment, but as development and economic issues as well," Watson said. "The way we produce our food and energy is undermining the regulating services that we get from Nature." Set up in 2012, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) synthesises published science for policymakers in the same way the IPCC does for climate. Both advisory bodies are tied to UN treaties. But the Convention on Biological Diversity has always been a poor stepchild compared to its climate counterpart, and the IPBES -- unlike the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- was added two decades later as an afterthought, making its authority harder to establish. For the public, "biodiversity" remains an abstract concept, and its impacts harder to see: species loss is invisible and remote compared to deadly heatwaves, superstorms and sea-level rise. "There is no question that the climate convention is stronger," Watson said. "But our goal is to make sure that governments and the private sector really start to take biodiversity as seriously as they do climate." - Species disappearing - One major finding of the report to be reviewed next week that might help do that is "an imminent rapid acceleration in the global rate of species extinction." The pace of loss "is already tens to hundreds of times higher than it has been, on average, over the last 10 million years," it notes. "Half-a-million to a million species are projected to be threatened with extinction, many within decades." Experts on biodiversity are also trying to engineer a "Paris moment," something equivalent to the 2015 climate treaty that set a hard target for capping global warming at under two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit). That could come next year in China at the next full meeting of the Convention on Biodiversity, they say. But the plan to save Nature -- and humanity along with it -- must be every bit as "transformative" as the changes proposed to avert a climate-addled future of human misery, said Watson. "The way we produce and use energy, with way we produce and waste food -- all of that has to be looked at," he said. "The global report will make the case that biodiversity is essential to a sustainable world and human well-being." Rio Arriba County deputy Capt. Billy Merrifield stands beside his daughter's grave. Brandi Merrifield died of an overdose at the age of 22 on August 7, 2016. (Photo: KOAT) A Rio Arriba County deputy has had to do what every parent fears most: bury his own child, but he is hopeful that his heartbreaking struggle will help other families affected by drug addiction. Capt. Billy Merrifield spoke with KOAT of how drug addiction doesn't discriminate. Despite having a deputy as a father, Brandi Merrifield died due to an overdose at just 22 years old on Aug. 7, 2016. Brandi was Capt. Merrifield's only child. "None of us will ever know what she would have done or what her career was going to be," Merrifield said. Brandi, according to the outlet, loved cosmetology and writing poetry. Merrifield, like so many family members of addicts, tried to help his daughter. He offered to buy her gas for her car or food but would not give her money to fuel her addiction. He desperately attempted to get Brandi into drug abuse programs. As a peace officer, his duty to his daughter went beyond fatherhood. "I, myself, as a father, put handcuffs on her and kept her in jail for about four months. I honestly knew in my heart if I didn't do this, who's to say it wouldn't have happened sooner?" One day, Merrifield's phone rang, and he knew the terrible news that was waiting for him. As he was getting ready for duty himself, the state police called with the news his daughter had overdosed. "We're not supposed to bury our children, they're supposed to bury us," Merrifield said. The tragedy, Merrifield said, has helped him help others. "I'm able to relate to some of the family and to talk to them. It's hard for people to understand you or even want to listen to you, especially if you're wearing a uniform." Merrifield is hopeful that his story can help save someone else, especially those in his community of New Mexico. According to a recent study by WalletHub, New Mexico was ranked sixth in states with the biggest drug problem in 2018. The state also ranked No. 3 for the highest percentage of teenage drug users and 14 for the highest percentage of adult drug users. Story continues Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. The CEO of Derwent London Plc (LON:DLN) is John Burns. First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. View our latest analysis for Derwent London How Does John Burns's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? Our data indicates that Derwent London Plc is worth UK3.6b, and total annual CEO compensation is UK1.7m. (This figure is for the year to December 2017). While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at UK638k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of UK1.5b to UK4.9b. The median total CEO compensation was UK1.8m. That means John Burns receives fairly typical remuneration for the CEO of a company that size. While this data point isn't particularly informative alone, it gains more meaning when considered with business performance. You can see a visual representation of the CEO compensation at Derwent London, below. LSE:DLN CEO Compensation, April 25th 2019 Is Derwent London Plc Growing? On average over the last three years, Derwent London Plc has shrunk earnings per share by 36% each year (measured with a line of best fit). Its revenue is up 12% over last year. Unfortunately, earnings per share have trended lower over the last three years. While the revenue growth is good to see, it is outweighed by the fact that earnings per share are down, over three years. It's hard to argue the company is firing on all cylinders, so shareholders might be averse to high CEO remuneration. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings. Has Derwent London Plc Been A Good Investment? With a total shareholder return of 7.0% over three years, Derwent London Plc has done okay by shareholders. But they probably wouldn't be so happy as to think the CEO should be paid more than is normal, for companies around this size. Story continues In Summary... John Burns is paid around the same as most CEOs of similar size companies. We feel that earnings per share have been a bit disappointing, but and we don't think the total returns are amazing. We do not think the CEO pay is a problem, but one might argue that the company should improve returns to shareholders before increasing it. CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling Derwent London (free visualization of insider trades). Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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. FRANKFURT, April 25 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank's chief executive Christian Sewing wants to be an active player in European banking consolidation, a German newspaper reported on Thursday. Asked about a possible acquisition of Deutsche by a foreign bank, Sewing told Bild newspaper: "I still expect banking consolidation in Europe over the next few years. And I don't just want to watch, I want to be a player too." (Reporting by Tom Sims Editing by Edward Taylor) Some stocks are best avoided. We don't wish catastrophic capital loss on anyone. Anyone who held Adcorp Australia Limited (ASX:AAU) for five years would be nursing their metaphorical wounds since the share price dropped 83% in that time. We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson. See our latest analysis for Adcorp Australia Adcorp Australia isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size. Over half a decade Adcorp Australia reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 11% for each year. That puts it in an unattractive cohort, to put it mildly. So it's not that strange that the share price dropped 30% per year in that period. We don't think this is a particularly promising picture. Of course, the poor performance could mean the market has been too severe selling down. That can happen. The graphic below shows how revenue and earnings have changed as management guided the business forward. If you want to see cashflow, you can click on the chart. ASX:AAU Income Statement, April 25th 2019 This free interactive report on Adcorp Australia's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? We've already covered Adcorp Australia's share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Adcorp Australia hasn't been paying dividends, but its TSR of -80% exceeds its share price return of -83%, implying it has either spun-off a business, or raised capital at a discount; thereby providing additional value to shareholders. Story continues A Different Perspective We're pleased to report that Adcorp Australia shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 97% over one year. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 28% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. We generally put more weight on the long term performance over the short term, but the recent improvement could hint at a (positive) inflection point within the business. If you would like to research Adcorp Australia in more detail then you might want to take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in the company. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on AU 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. Automotive Stampings and Assemblies Limited (NSE:ASAL) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 12% in the last quarter. But the silver lining is the stock is up over five years. Unfortunately its return of 51% is below the market return of 89%. View our latest analysis for Automotive Stampings and Assemblies Because Automotive Stampings and Assemblies is loss-making, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit. In the last 5 years Automotive Stampings and Assemblies saw its revenue grow at 5.0% per year. That's not a very high growth rate considering the bottom line. Like its revenue, its share price gained over the period. The increase of 8.6% per year probably reflects the modest revenue growth. If profitability is likely in the near term, then this might be one to add to your watchlist. Depicted in the graphic below, you'll see revenue and earnings over time. If you want more detail, you can click on the chart itself. NSEI:ASAL Income Statement, April 25th 2019 If you are thinking of buying or selling Automotive Stampings and Assemblies stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet. A Different Perspective While the broader market gained around 0.03% in the last year, Automotive Stampings and Assemblies shareholders lost 34%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 8.6%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. You could get a better understanding of Automotive Stampings and Assemblies's growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Story continues Of course Automotive Stampings and Assemblies may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks. 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. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - A young Syrian with cerebral palsy, who trekked with a wheelchair from her homeland all the way to Germany as a refugee, on Wednesday urged the UN Security Council to focus more on Syria's "invisible" disabled people. It was the first time the council has formally considered the rights of disabled people affected by conflict, a rights watchdog said. "I call on all members of the council to do more to make sure (of) humanitarian access to address the urgent needs of the people affected by the conflict, particularly people with disabilities," said Nujeen Mustafa, 20. She reached Germany in September 2015 after an arduous month-long 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile) journey with family members that included a terrifying boat trip to Greece, after it became too dangerous for them to stay in Aleppo. Mustafa, who dreamed of becoming an astronaut, wrote a memoir of her experience and even Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai hailed her as an inspiration. A student in Germany, Mustafa has become an advocate for the rights of disabled people in conflict, trying to get states and UN agencies to include them in humanitarian aid. "There is very little data on how many people with disabilities live in Syria or have fled to neighboring countries and what our needs are," she said. "And without this data, the programs and policies just don't meet our needs. We're invisible." - Idlib's 175,000 disabled - New York-based Human Rights Watch backed Mustafa's call, saying the Security Council "should urgently act to improve the protection of people with disabilities in armed conflict." Mustafa drew the council's attention to the situation in Syria's jihadist-controlled Idlib region, home to about three million people and which has come under increasing bombardment since former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. Story continues "In Idlib, there are more than 175,000 people with disabilities -- many of whom now have disabilities because of the conflict," she said. "The council cannot allow Idlib to be another Aleppo, with hundreds of thousands forced to flee," Mustafa said in an appeal reinforced by Ursula Mueller, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. More than 200 civilians have reportedly been killed since February as a direct result of increased military clashes and attacks, Mueller said. "Civilian structures -- particularly schools and hospitals -- continue to be hit" in the jihadists' last Syrian bastion, she said. Idlib has since September been protected from a massive regime offensive by a fragile ceasefire deal signed by Damascus ally Russia and rebel-backer Turkey. At the UN, however, several countries are worried that "the Russians will soon let the regime take back the pocket in a bloodbath and with their support," according to a diplomatic source. There are "more and more Russian signals that the situation in Idlib is untenable, that it will be necessary to burst the abscess and that the province will return to the fold of the government," the source said. On Wednesday, a powerful explosion in Idlib killed 18 people including more than a dozen civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. Fiserv, Inc. FISV is scheduled to report first-quarter 2019 results on Apr 30, after market close. While strength in Payments and Industry Products segment should boost the companys top line, the bottom line is likely to benefit from internal revenue growth, tax leverage and operational effectiveness. So far this year, shares of Fiserv have gained 17.7% compared with the 25.6% rise of the industry it belongs to and 16.5% increase of the Zacks S&P 500 composite. Let's check out how things are shaping up for the announcement. Top-Line Expectations The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter 2019 revenues stands at $1.50 billion, indicating growth of 4% from the year-ago reported figure. The expected growth is likely to be driven by strength in Payments and Industry Products segment. The consensus estimate for this segments revenues is pegged at $913 million, indicating growth of 8.4% from the year-ago reported figure. The segment should benefit from solid performance of card services, biller solutions and electronic payments. The company is likely to witness solid growth across organic debit transaction and total P2P transactions, including both Popmoney and Zelle solutions, increase in Mobiliti ASP subscribers and client additions in its unified digital platform Architect. In fourth-quarter 2018, segment revenues of $944 million increased 9.1% year over year. For Financial Institution Services revenues,the consensus mark is pegged at $604 million, indicating decline of 1.9% from the year-ago reported figure. Divestiture of 55% interest of the company's Lending Solutions business (the "Lending Transaction") is expected to weigh on the segment. In fourth-quarter 2018, segment revenues of $615 million decreased 7.9% year over year. In fourth-quarter 2018, total revenues of $1.55 billion increased 2.3% year over year. Internal revenue growth was 4.5%. Bottom Line to Improve Year Over Year Story continues The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings per share in the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at 82 cents, implying growth of 7.9% from the year-ago period. The bottom line is likely to benefit from internal revenue growth, tax leverage and operational effectiveness. In fourth-quarter 2018, adjusted earnings per share of 84 cents increased 23.5% year over year. What Our Model Says According to the Zacks model, a company with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) has a good chance of beating estimates if it also has a positive Earnings ESP. Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell) stocks are best avoided, especially if they have a negative Earnings ESP. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Fiserv has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of -1.66%, a combination that makes surprise prediction difficult. Fiserv, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Fiserv, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Fiserv, Inc. Quote Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are a few stocks from the broader Zacks Business Services sector that investors may consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in first-quarter 2019: SailPoint Technologies SAIL has an Earnings ESP of +100.00% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company is scheduled to report results on May 8. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. EVERTEC EVTC has an Earnings ESP of +3.73% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is slated to release results on May 1. Delphi Technologies DLPH has an Earnings ESP of +1.56% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to report results on May 2. Radical New Technology Creates $12.3 Trillion Opportunity Imagine buying Microsoft stock in the early days of personal computers or Motorola after it released the worlds first cell phone. These technologies changed our lives and created massive profits for investors. Today, were on the brink of the next quantum leap in technology. 7 innovative companies are leading this 4th Industrial Revolution - and early investors stand to earn the biggest profits. See the 7 breakthrough stocks now>> 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 Delphi Technologies PLC (DLPH) : Free Stock Analysis Report Fiserv, Inc. (FISV) : Free Stock Analysis Report Evertec, Inc. (EVTC) : Free Stock Analysis Report SailPoint Technologies Holdings, Inc. (SAIL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger (Credit: AFP Photo/CHIP SOMODEVILLA) Disney has defended the multi-million dollar salaries it pays its top executives, following an excoriating editorial from Abigail Disney. The studio heiress called the pay packet of Disney CEO Bob Iger who earned $65.6 million last year insane. Read more: Avengers: Endgame has already leaked on torrent sites Disney highlighted the inequality of his remuneration in a series of tweets, after which she was given her own op-ed column in the Washington Post. Let me very clear. I like Bob Iger. I do NOT speak for my family but only for myself. Other than owning shares (not that many) I have no more say in what happens there than anyone else. But by any objective measure a pay ratio over a thousand is insane. https://t.co/O34OjXd6rr Abigail Disney (@abigaildisney) April 21, 2019 She noted that Igers pay was 1,424 that of the average salary made by Disney employees, with the columns headline appealing Its time to call out my familys company and anyone else rich off their workers backs. To put that gap in context, in 1978, the average CEO made about 30 times a typical workers salary. Since 1978, CEO pay has grown by 937 percent, while the pay of an average worker grew just 11.2 percent, she wrote. Abigail Disney (Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Womens Media Center) I have been quietly grumbling about this issue for some time now, uncertain how public to be. It is time to call out the men and women who lead us and to draw a line in the sand about how low we are prepared to let hard-working people sink while top management takes home ever-more-outrageous sums of money. But in a statement given to the New York Times, the Mouse House has defended what it pays its employees. Read more: Disney accused of whitewashing racially dubious past Disney has made historic investments to expand the earning potential and upward mobility of our workers, implementing a starting hourly wage of $15 at Disneyland thats double the federal minimum wage, it said. Story continues It also defended Igers pay, saying that under his tenure, Disney stock has risen from $24 a share to $133 a share, which directly benefits the literally thousands of employees who hold our stock. Abigail Disney is the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney, who founded the company with his brother Walt Disney in 1923. The Disney family have had no involvement in the running of the media giant since Roy E. Disney, Abigail Disneys father, left the companys board in 2003. Sarah Sanders WASHINGTON President Donald Trump will give the commencement address next month at the Air Force Academy, spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said during her first briefing in the White House press room since February mostly to an audience of children. Conducting the traditional briefing for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, Sanders told a gaggle of children she would tell them things their parents didn't know. That's when she announced that Trump would speak at the Air Force graduation ceremony scheduled for May 30 in Colorado Springs, Colo. "The president loves our military," Sanders told the children. The press secretary also announced that NASCAR driver Joey Logano will soon visit the White House. The White House declared the rest of the kids' briefing off the record, though some details dribbled out. The Associated Press reported that while many of the questions were of the "favorite color" and "favorite dinosaur" variety, one child ask about child separation policies for undocumented migrants. Sanders replied that Trump wants to "keep families together." Vice President Mike Pence also showed up for part of the festivities. Trump himself is scheduled to address the children later in the day. It's not the first time Sanders has used this briefing to make news. Last year on Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, Sanders disclosed a Trump trip to London. The president addresses military graduation ceremonies every year, rotating among the difference service academies. Last year, Trump addressed the U.S. Naval Academy. This was also Sanders' first appearance in the briefing room since embarrassing disclosures emerged about her in the Robert Mueller report on the China investigation. Sanders told prosecutors she lied when she told reporters in May of 2017 that members of the FBI told they had lost confidence in Director James Comey and that was a reason Trump fired him. Story continues "Sanders told this Office that her reference to hearing from countless members of the FBI was a slip of the tongue, the report said. She also recalled that her statement in a separate press interview that rank-and-file FBI agents had lost confidence in Comey was a comment she made 'in the heat of the moment' that was not founded on anything. Like what you're reading?: Download the USA TODAY app for more This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump to speak at Air Force, Sarah Sanders says at kids' briefing Rabat (AFP) - Over 70 demonstrators were left wounded Thursday after Moroccan police used water cannon to disperse a rally in the capital by thousands of contract teachers protesting over their employment terms. Teachers chanting "Social justice!" and "No to dismantling public schools!" attempted to camp out overnight in front of parliament in central Rabat to press their demands, but police broke up their rally. The public-sector teachers, mostly wearing white coats, came from several cities around the country after a meeting with the education ministry was cancelled on Tuesday. Organisers of the event later said over 70 teachers were hospitalised, with varying injuries during the protest, with many beaten by batons. Teachers on temporary contracts launched a strike in March and have held major demonstrations to press their demand for permanent employment arrangements to improve their conditions, especially over retirement. After a first meeting with the education ministry in mid-April, representatives of the teachers suspended their strike. But the education ministry Tuesday accused some teachers of not respecting that commitment and said it would not continue the dialogue until they resumed work. For their part, the teachers say the ministry does not want to grant their main demand: to be granted civil servant status along with the job security that affords. The dispute concerns 55,000 teachers recruited since 2016 on fixed-term contracts. Teachers on temporary contracts enjoy the same salaries as their permanent colleagues -- 5,000 dirhams ($520) a month -- but unlike them, do not have access to a pension fund and other benefits. Ear infections are one of the most common reasons children visit my pediatric practice. Recently, there have been changes to the way ear infections are diagnosed and treated. Current evidence-based guidelines stress the importance of pain management during early infection and offer practical ways to prevent antibiotic resistance. Here are some things every parent should know about ear infections: There are no absolute "signs" that a child has an ear infection. Kids can pull on their ears for a variety of reasons, from teething to self-soothing. Not all ear infections cause fever. And, not all ear pain is from bacterial infection. For this reason, it's common for parents to have a few ear pain "false alarms" that lead to a doctor's visit without a diagnosis. Only after a child gets an ear infection a few times will the symptoms become more apparent. [Read: Does My Child Have Strep Throat?] Ear pain is not an emergency. Pain management is the primary goal for ear pain until your child's doctor is available for an appointment. A doctor who knows your child and family will be a better diagnostician and has a much higher chance to get the therapy correct. If you must visit an urgent care center or emergency room, be sure that the clinician is well-versed in children's health care. Ear infections happen on a spectrum. This means the physical exam findings can change as the infection progresses. Many families get upset if an ear infection isn't diagnosed in the initial doctor's visit. But it may not be possible to detect an infection until more time lapses. It is always best to have a definite diagnosis rather than early, unnecessary treatment. Not all ear infections need to be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotic treatment can safely be delayed in certain circumstances. Specifically, children 6 months or older with unilateral (one-sided) infections and minimal symptoms may be offered pain medication like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen for 48 hours to see if the ear infection resolves on its own. If pain or symptoms worsen or persist after 48 hours, then antibiotics may be started. The key is close follow-up with your child's doctor. Story continues Antibiotics do not decrease pain. This is especially true in children under the age of 2 years. Even if your child is started on antibiotics, expect to continue over-the-counter pain medication for the first few days of treatment. Pain early in treatment does not indicate the antibiotic is not working. [Read: 12 Things You Should Know About Stomach Flu in Children.] The best antibiotic is chosen based on your child's medical history. It's essential for a clinician to prescribe the correct antibiotic for optimal treatment. Correct antibiotic selection also decreases the development of antibiotic resistance. If the doctor is unaware of your child's full medical history, however, the antibiotic decision can be difficult. Ideally, all of your visits for ear pain will be at your child's medical home. If that's not possible, be sure to gather paperwork from other providers to add to your child's primary medical record. If your child's doctor isn't aware of previous antibiotics the child has taken, it will increase the chances your child will be prescribed the wrong antibiotic. Children 6 and older may have a shorter duration of treatment. Current recommendations suggest the duration of antibiotic therapy for ear infections can change based on a child's age. Babies 6 months to 2 years of age should be treated for 10 days. Preschoolers ages 2 to 5 years old can be treated for seven days. Kids over the age of 6 years only need five days of treatment. Know when your child should be referred to a specialist. Referral to an ear, nose and throat doctor for tympanostomy tubes, or ear tubes, should occur after three infections in six months. Keep in mind that some infections may take multiple rounds of antibiotics to cure. For this reason, the number of individual infections is more important than the number of times a child is on antibiotics. For children with a strong family history of ear infection, kids with Down syndrome or certain anatomic characteristics, or those with immune deficiencies, referral to an ENT may occur more quickly. Vaccines help prevent ear infections. Germs like pneumococcus, haemophilus influenzae and the influenza virus are commonly known to cause meningitis, pneumonia, and life-threatening infections. However, these are some of the same germs that cause ear infections, too. Vaccines help protect your child from all sorts of illnesses, so vaccinate on time and on schedule. [See: 10 Things Pediatricians Advise That Parents Ignore -- and Really Shouldn't.] Nearly every child will have at least one ear infection during childhood. Current experience and scientific review are allowing clinicians to treat this common infection with more precision. Advocate for following these updated guidelines when visiting your child's doctor for ear pain. Natasha Burgert, M.D., FAAP has been contributing to the U.S. News For Parents blog since 2018. After receiving her medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, she completed her pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. She now calls Kansas City, Missouri, home, working as an innovative general pediatrician, while serving as a national spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the AAP's Counsel of Communications and Media. Her work with patients has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Parents magazine. She has also been on NBC Nightly News, CBS This Morning and other local news programs. She is a regular contributor to NBC News' Parent Toolkit and her local NPR affiliate and has been quoted in numerous print and digital articles. She's also been the keynote speak at various health marketing, vaccine advocacy, and physician-led organizations. If she is not in clinic, you will find her regularly sharing evidence-based child health on KCKidsDoc.com, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Elizabeth Warren had a singular moment at Wednesdays She the People forum that helped her stand out from the other the other Democrats seeking the support of an audience made up mostly of women of color activists. After answering a series of questions on topics ranging from maternal mortality, affordable housing and criminal justice to bank reform and Native American tribal sovereignty, Sen. Warren, D-Mass., was asked by co-moderator Joy Reid whether voters should feel confident that America was ready for a woman to serve as commander in chief. We are at She the People, this wonderful organization that is empowering women and women of color, but when I talk with women of color in my own life theyll say, Wow, that Elizabeth Warren has great plans. Shes got specific plans. Shes got great ideas, but theres a fear a lot of people of color and a lot of women of color that say, after the experience of 2016, they dont have the confidence in the electorate of this country to elect a woman president, Reid said. They want to vote one way, but their fear says that they may need to flee to the safety of a white male candidate. How do you address Warren gazed out skeptically at the audience. I think thats called side-eye, She the People founder Aimee Allison said. Thats side-eye. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren. (Photo: Rick Bowmer/AP) So, let me just say this about confidence, Warren began. This is the heart of it. Its, how are we going to fight? Not just individually, but how are we going to fight together? Are we going to fight because were afraid? Are we going to show up for people that we didnt actually believe in, but because we were too afraid to do anything else? Thats not who we are. Thats not how were going to do this. Warrens policy proposals have received lots of attention lately. The Washington Posts Jennifer Rubin wrote Tuesday that she has a zillion policy ideas, while FiveThirtyEight has described her as a progressive policy anchor in the 2020 Democratic field. Yet Warren, who has been singled out for derisive criticism by President Trump, has not risen to the top of the pack. A Monmouth University poll released Tuesday found her receiving just 6 percent support, behind former Vice President Joe Biden (27 percent), Sen. Bernie Sanders (20 percent), Sen. Kamala Harris (8 percent), and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (8 percent). Story continues Heres how I see this. Ill tell you how I see it, Warren continued, to cheers from the audience. We got a room full of people here who werent given anything. We got a room full of people here who had to fight for what they believe in. We have a room full of people here who had to reach down deep, no matter how hard it was, no matter how scary it looked. They found what they needed to find and they brought it up and they took care of the people they loved. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Paris (AFP) - Both admired and loathed as the training ground for France's political leaders, the Ecole Nationale d'Administration will learn Thursday whether it is to be scrapped by President Emmanuel Macron for being a symbol of out-dated elitism. Macron is the fourth president since World War II to have passed through the halls of ENA that count his predecessors Valery Giscard d'Estaing, Jacques Chirac and Francois Hollande among its illustrious graduates. But Macron might be the last if he decides to go ahead with plans to ditch the post-graduate school in Strasbourg in a speech later Thursday intended as a response to months of anti-government protests. ENA graduates, known as Enarques in France, form a network of influence that stretches across the top echelons of politics and business, making it a target for critics of the French establishment for decades. But its success in producing highly-qualified public administrators, most of whom go on to hold senior jobs in ministries or public bodies, has spawned copycat institutions in other countries, including in Russia. "The French are aware that their administration is rather well managed, competent, neutral and not politicised, and all of that we owe in part to ENA," Daniel Keller, who heads an association of former students, told AFP. In a national address he was due to make last week but which was shelved when the Notre-Dame cathedral caught fire, Macron was to announce the scrapping of the school on the grounds it was failing in its mission. - Spare us, director pleads - It was created in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II when France needed to rebuild its civil service, parts of which had collaborated with France's Nazi occupiers during the conflict. It succeeded initially in opening up the vast public administration to people drawn from different backgrounds, rather than the old aristocracy which had traditionally dominated the French state. Story continues But in recent decades, studies have shown its intake narrowing increasingly to the children of wealthy families, often those with past links to the school, despite an entrance exam which is open to everyone and supposedly meritocratic. Patrick Gerard, the school's director, acknowledged on Wednesday that only 19 percent of current students had a parent from a blue-collar background. "We need to do better," he said in a column for Le Figaro newspaper which pleaded for the school to be spared. - Demagoguery? - According to a leaked copy of Macron's speech last week, he was going to justify closing ENA on grounds that public institutions should offer "chances to all of our young people on the basis of merit and not their social or family origins". The 41-year-old is set to respond to months of protests by "yellow vest" demonstrators on Thursday by announcing a slew of policy measures to respond to their anger. Reports suggest the French leader may have had a re-think about ENA and will back a reform of the institution and its entrance process and criteria, rather than an outright closure. When Macron was studying there, his year group was highly critical of the management of the school. At the end of their two years of study and work experience, the graduates wrote a letter denouncing the teaching methods and intake. But as a presidential candidate, Macron frequently defended his alma mater, saying he had won a place there through hard work, not connections, given that his parents were doctors in provincial France. Since the address was leaked, Macron has been accused of demagoguery by some critics who say closing ENA will do nothing to resolve the underlying problems of inequality in French society. Former president Francois Hollande on Wednesday recognised the need for reform but warned against the school's closure: "I went to this school, I do not repent. I do not scourge myself by saying 'it's terrible, I went to this school'." David Guilbaud, a French administrator who has written a book about ENA, said closing the school was "a very good bit of PR but one that does not resolve the problem of how to train the top civil service." burs-adp/hmw/har/dcr DURHAM, N.C. (AP) An energy company employee who was critically injured in a natural gas explosion in North Carolina has died. UNC Medical Center spokesman Tom Hughes confirmed Thursday that 51-year-old Jay Rambeaut of Creedmoor died. Hughes didn't say when Rambeaut died, citing hospital policy. Rambeaut, who worked for PSNC Energy, was among the first on the scene in Durham when a gas leak was reported a half-hour before the explosion on April 10. Firefighters were working to get people out of nearby buildings when the explosion occurred. Rambeaut's family has said as a result of the explosion, he had 150 holes in his chest from debris as well as a skull fracture and debris in his brain. A coffee shop owner died and 25 others were injured, including nine firefighters. PRAGUE (AP) Europe's far-right political leaders campaigned Thursday in Prague, calling migration and Islam major threats to Europe as they sought to rally support ahead of the European Parliament elections next month. Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally party and Geert Wilders, founder of the Dutch anti-Islam Party for Freedom, were the main draws for hundreds at downtown Wenceslas Square. Matteo Salvini, Italy's hard-line interior minister and leader of the anti-migrant League party, sent a video message. They attended a rally of the Freedom and Direct Democracy party, the Czech member of the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom. All the far-right politicians denounced migration and Islam, linking them to terror attacks and criticizing the current European Union. They vowed their alliance would seek a radical change in how Europe is run. "The battle of Europe has begun," Le Pen announced. "Long live a Europe of sovereign nations." She said the EU is to blame for flooding Europe with migrants who threaten to destroy the European nations. Wilders, meanwhile, called the EU an undemocratic superstate that has been attempting "to erase our nation states." "Today, we're fighting for our existence," Wilders said. "Islam is a medieval cult that denies freedom to others," he said. "Islam and freedom are not compatible." "We don't want Islam here!" the crowd repeatedly chanted. The rally was disrupted by protesters, who were pushed aside by riot police. Police said 10 people were detained but no one was injured. Political experts say the May 23-26 elections for the European Parliament, which take place in the EU's 28 nations, could prove to be a tipping point in post-war European politics. Traditional political powerhouses on both the right and the left are expected to lose support as extremist, populist parties gain more clout. Story continues The Czech populist group is the most anti-migrant, anti-Muslim, anti-EU party in the Czech Republic. It has 22 seats in the country's 200-seat lower house of Parliament. The party wants to ban Islam, which it calls an ideology of hate. Its chairman, Tomio Okamura, is currently a deputy speaker of the house. The Czech Republic has not been hit like other EU nations by migration into Europe and only has a small, moderate Muslim community. Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero/The Daily Beast/Getty If Attorney General Bill Barr had led his press conference last Thursday morning by saying, The Mueller report reveals that, among other things, on multiple occasions, President Donald Trump ordered Corey Lewandowski and Don McGahn to obstruct justice, the House of Representatives would be planning Trumps impeachment hearings, with probably even some Republicans in the House and the Senate putting out statements in support of the hearings. Spoiler alert: The Mueller report revealed that Donald Trump gave those orders, along with no fewer than 11 other instances of the president attempting to obstruct justice. From dictating to then-White House Communications Director Hope Hicks a press release to lie about the Trump Tower meeting with Russians offering dirt on Hillary Clinton, that was accepted and attended by Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner; to twice ordering then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller; to telling Corey Lewandowski to force Attorney General Jeff Sessions to thwart the Mueller investigation; to asking NSA chief Admiral Mike Rogers to squelch the investigation by lying to the press and more, Trump, but for Bill Barr throwing himself on a live hand grenade, would likely be tendering his resignation by nowNixon-style. These individuals, who each were trusted Trump allies and darlings of MAGA world to varying degrees, recounting under oath on live television how the president asked them to break the law, will be even more powerful than reading the Mueller report itself, and with viewership in the stratosphere. It would make Super Bowl ratings look like basic local cable by comparison. Polls show that Americans who read the Mueller report support impeaching Trump, while those who have not believe Barrs wild misrepresentation of it. This is a problem, since its not reasonable to expect most citizens to read a two-volume, 448-page report. However, it is more than reasonablea sure thing, in factthat dozens of millions of Americans would be glued to their TV to watch live, unfiltered impeachment hearings. And, as happened in the Nixon hearings, that Trumps approval numbers would plummet as his erstwhile supporters realized theyve been duped and lied to. Story continues Just after the Mueller report was issued, a Reuters poll showed Trump had lost six points (PDF). Just think what live, televised hearings would do to those numbers. Theres a reason why Rush Limbaugh and Fox News hosts are instructing the Trump cult not to read the redacted report: It clearly shows high crimes and misdemeanors on the part of the president. Few voters watching Lewandowski, McGahn, Rex Tillerson, and other former Trump staff, Cabinet members, and associates testify under oath how Trump ordered them to lie and obstruct justice will call the investigation a witch hunt or claim libtards are just butthurt over Hillary Clintons loss, or that Barrs fantastical version of the Mueller report was anything other than propaganda. Why should Democrats spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the 2020 election cycle trying to educate voters on what the Mueller report says when they can educate them through live, televised, unfiltered impeachment hearings? Splitting the baby with half-measures like oversight hearings and investigations wont cut it. House Democrats have a political mandate from the 2018 midterm elections, and a constitutional duty from the Mueller report. There are also practical matters to consider. Ask any TV news producer which rates: oversight hearings or impeachment hearings. With people watching the hearings, not just hearing about them, truth and fact will rule over propaganda and lies. As to the argument that impeachment hearings would rally Trumps base, the cult-like fervor the Trump base displays for him is enviable. And while much of his social media support is fake, as we now know with the exposing of Russian bots and trolls, mere anecdotal everyday life, tense family Thanksgiving dinners, and Facebooking with old high and school and college friends, are enough to inform that MAGA devotion goes well beyond traditional political tribalism. Yes, some of his rally participants are paid. But these events do tend to attract people whove never been politically active beforethe holy grail for any politician. Trumps base doesnt just support him. Their devotion is political evangelism. SoOK. Trumps base will be energized if he is impeached. But so what? Trumps base will "rally" if he eats a ham sandwich, or shoots someone on Fifth Avenue. As passionate as that base is, its unlikely to grow. House Democrats need to worry about their own base, plus independents and #NeverTrump Republicans and former Republicans. Democratic primary voters may decide they prefer the moxie, strength, patriotism, and resolve of the new freshman class to the old guard seeming fearful that doing the right thing might lose them a few long-held seats. Finally, whiffing on impeachment in the House out of the expectation the GOP Senate wont convict is misguided. In fact, they might. In fact, they may force Trump to resignas Nixon didso they dont have to face a trial and have that vote hanging around their 2020 necks with 22 GOP Senate seats to defend. In fact, impeaching Trump in the House but falling short of the 67 Senate votes needed to convict could be even more politically beneficial to Democrats. Trump would be exposed and damaged, and lose badly in 2020. There would be no President Mike Pence and no pardon, just the prospect of prosecution from a Department of Justice once again concerned with providing it. But in an era and season of wild scenarios being the norm, how wild would it be if the only way Trump avoids prosecution is if the GOP Senate convicts him so that he can be pardoned by a President Pence? It may ultimately prove to be his only exit ramp. Ironically, Barrs role in covering up Trumps obstruction of justice by lying to the American people about what is in the Mueller report may end up as the deciding factor in the decision to start impeachment proceedings, since the hearings will do what he would not: educate Americans on what the Mueller report actually says. Trump repeatedly and brazenly tried to get his staff, former staff, Cabinet, and others to lie for him, obstruct justice, help him ingratiate himself with Vladimir Putin, kill the Mueller investigation, and build what can only be described as an autocracy bordering on a dictatorship. Trumps outright advocating for Russian interference and the release of stolen emails by WikiLeaks should be enough to write him off. Even without that mountain of evidence, his refusal to acknowledge Russias interference in the 2016 election and its plans for a repeat performance in 2020 should, as a standalone, be impeachable. Its time. Cheri Jacobus is a political consultant, writer, and commentator. Read more at The Daily Beast. DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) A former Massachusetts police officer whose badge, gun holster and handcuffs were used by two men who kidnapped another man later found dead has been sentenced to prison. Delivered Thursday, a judge stayed Michael Schoener's sentence of up to nine years pending appeal. Schoener was convicted Wednesday of being an accessory before the fact in the January 2014 abduction of 37-year-old James Robertson from an Avon home. Schoener was a Dedham officer at the time. Robertson's body was found two years later in a town 30 miles away. Prosecutors say the men who kidnapped Robertson were posing as constables and "looked the part" because they had police equipment. The kidnappers took him to James Feeney, who was upset that Robertson was dating his ex-girlfriend. Feeney was convicted of murder. KIEV, Ukraine (AP) A celebrated former Ukrainian military pilot accused of plotting an attack on parliament has been freed from jail. A court in Brovary, outside the Ukrainian capital, refused to extend Nadiya Savchenko's arrest, setting her free Tuesday after a year behind bars. Savchenko was arrested in March 2018 on charges of planning to attack parliament with hand grenades and automatic weapons. She rejected the charges as an attempt by President Petro Poroshenko to get rid of a powerful challenger. Savchenko became a national hero in Ukraine after spending years in a Russian prison. She was freed in 2016 under international pressure, but after returning home to a hero's welcome quickly fell out with Poroshenko, accusing his government of corruption and incompetence. Poroshenko is trailing comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy ahead of Sunday's runoff. You might be a massive fan of the Lord of the Rings series, whether the books or the film adaptations, but how well do you know the original novels' author, J.R.R. Tolkien? If your answer is "not very well," then the upcoming biopic about the writer's life, aptly titled Tolkien, needs to be on your must-watch list. The film stars Nicholas Hoult as a younger version of the titular writer, who pulls inspiration for his stories from his formative years as an orphan, his tight-knit friendship with a group of fellow outcasts at school, his intense love of language, and his experience fighting in World War I. But it's his "beautiful romance" with Edith Bratt (Lily Collins) that truly shapes his now-iconic tale. In an exclusive featurette from the film, which arrives in theaters on May 10, costars Hoult and Collins discuss what makes their characters and Tolkein's story so special all these years later (as well as the cool connection Collins has to Peter Jackson's film trilogy that you might not have realized). Check it out above! By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A French warship passed through the strategic Taiwan Strait this month, U.S. officials told Reuters, a rare voyage by a vessel of a European country that is likely to be welcomed by Washington but increase tension with Beijing. The passage, which was confirmed by China, is a sign that U.S. allies are increasingly asserting freedom of navigation in international waterways near China. It could open the door for other allies, such as Japan and Australia, to consider similar operations. The French operation comes amid increasing tensions between the United States and China. Taiwan is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and China's increasingly muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom of navigation patrols. Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a French military vessel carried out the transit in the narrow waterway between China and Taiwan on April 6. One of the officials identified the warship as the French frigate Vendemiaire and said it was shadowed by the Chinese military. The official was not aware of any previous French military passage through the Taiwan Strait. The officials said that as a result of the passage, China notified France it was no longer invited to a naval parade to mark the 70 years since the founding of China's Navy. Warships from India, Australia and several other nations participated. China said on Thursday it had lodged "stern representations" with France for what it called an "illegal" passage. "Chinas military sent navy ships in accordance with the law and the rules to identify the French ship and warn it to leave," defense ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told a regularly scheduled media briefing, while declining to say if the sailing had led to the withdrawal of France's invitation to the parade of ships this week. Story continues "Chinas military will stay alert to firmly safeguard China's sovereignty and security," he said. Colonel Patrik Steiger, the spokesman for France's military chief of staff, declined to comment on an operational mission. The U.S. officials did not speculate on the purpose of the passage or whether it was designed to assert freedom of navigation. MOUNTING TENSIONS The French strait passage comes against the backdrop of increasingly regular passages by U.S. warships through the strategic waterway. Last month, the United States sent Navy and Coast Guard ships through the Taiwan Strait. The passages upset China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory. Beijing has been ramping up pressure to assert its sovereignty over the island. Chen Chung-chi, spokesman for Taiwan's defense ministry, told Reuters by phone the strait is part of busy international waters and it is "a necessity" for vessels from all countries to transit through it. He said Taiwan's defense ministry will continue to monitor movement of foreign vessels in the region. "This is an important development both because of the transit itself but also because it reflects a more geopolitical approach by France towards China and the broader Asia-Pacific," said Abraham Denmark, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia. The transit is a sign that countries like France are not only looking at China through the lens of trade but from a military standpoint as well, Denmark said. Last month, France and China signed deals worth billions of euros during a visit to Paris by Chinese President Xi Jinping. French President Emmanuel Macron wants to forge a united European front to confront Chinese advances in trade and technology. "It is important to have other countries operating in Asia to demonstrate that this is just not a matter of competition between Washington and Beijing, that what China has been doing represents a broader challenge to a liberal international order," Denmark, who is with the Woodrow Wilson Center think-tank in Washington, added. Washington has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help provide the island with the means to defend itself and is its main source of arms. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart in Washington; Additional reporting by Sophie Louet in Paris, Yimou Lee in Taipei and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by James Dalgleish, Robert Birsel) By Jonathan Landay and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is accelerating a plan to cut up to half of the workforce at the U.S. embassy in Kabul starting at the end of next month, sparking concern it will undermine the fragile Afghan peace process, U.S. officials and congressional aides said. Pompeos order for the largest U.S. diplomatic mission comes about a year earlier than expected, a surprise development given the meager progress in U.S. talks with Taliban militants on an agreement that would pave the way for a U.S. troop withdrawal and an end to America's longest war. The Taliban, their negotiating leverage bolstered by U.S. President Donald Trumps public impatience to end the war, could dig in further because they would regard a large embassy drawdown as more confirmation of his eagerness to reduce the U.S. role in Afghanistan. The Kabul embassy is a testament to the size of America's investment in Afghanistan since it went to war there in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. With a workforce of about 1,500, the heavily fortified compound underwent an $800 million expansion four years ago and now includes 700 beds for staff. One U.S. official said the reduction should be seen as part of a global redistribution of U.S. diplomats required by the Trump administration's national security strategy shift from emphasizing counter-terrorism to confronting renewed "great power" rivalry with Russia and China. But a drastic embassy workforce cut - which State Department officials briefed key congressional committees about last week in advance of a formal notification - will likely reverberate throughout Afghanistan. It could erode a strained U.S. relationship with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government a month after the allies publicly clashed over Kabul's exclusion from the negotiations with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. Ghani "would see this as another step in a betrayal," said Thomas Lynch, a U.S. National Defense University fellow focused on Afghanistan and former adviser to the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff. U.S. officials and congressional aides said that among the concerns about a major drawdown was the risk that it could alarm NATO allies, already at odds with Trump over a host of issues, and ordinary Afghans. A State Department spokeswoman said in an email when asked about the planned embassy cuts that the department "regularly reviews our presence at our overseas missions to reflect changing circumstances and our policy goals." Trump's priorities are "ending the war in Afghanistan through a sustainable peace settlement and focusing on counterterrorism," she said, adding that Washington will maintain "a robust" presence in Afghanistan. She did not explain why Pompeo moved up the embassy staff reduction plan. 'SHOCK AND STUPEFACTION' U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, has reported some progress toward an accord on a U.S. troop withdrawal and on how the Taliban would prevent extremists from using Afghanistan to launch attacks as al Qaeda did on Sept. 11, 2001. The insurgents, however, so far have rejected U.S. demands for a ceasefire and talks on the country's political future that would include Afghan government officials. News that Washington was examining a workforce cut in Kabul first was reported by National Public Radio in February. Foreign Policy magazine reported earlier this month that the State Department was preparing to reduce personnel by half in 2020. Now, the reduction "is starting as soon as May 31 and they want to have it done by September," said one congressional aide. Four other sources, including three U.S. officials, confirmed the plan to reduce the embassy staff by up to half. One said it would be achieved by not filling posts that regularly go vacant. Pompeo's order was not accompanied by a justification, such as cost-cutting, said a U.S. official and a congressional aide. "You have to have some parameters, some guidelines, and there werent any," said the U.S. official, adding that Pompeos directive triggered "shock and stupefaction" in the State Department when it was issued about two weeks ago. The congressional aide said that when asked to justify the drawdown in congressional briefings last week, State Department officials said, (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Phil Stewart Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mary Milliken and Alistair Bell) Photo: iStock Looking for an adventure in one of the worlds great megacities, but without the hassle of flying halfway around the world? Mexico City is North Americas largest, at over 8 million people (and more than twice that number in the greater metro area). It's the oldest capital city in the Americas, rich in history and culture, and a major economic center in the region today. In addition to Aztec ruins, the city has the worlds largest single-metropolitan concentration of museums, plus extensive art galleries, concert halls and theaters. And the citys 16 boroughs and many colorful neighborhoods offer an abundance of shopping, restaurants, bars and nightlife. Whether youre trying to escape ASAP or youre looking to plan your travels around upcoming deals, take a look at these forthcoming flights between Oklahoma City and Mexico City, which we pulled from travel site Skyscanner. We've also included top-rated hotels, restaurants and attractions in Mexico City to get you started on planning your ideal getaway. (Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in the articles may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Prices and availability are subject to change.) Cheapest Mexico City flights The cheapest flights between Oklahoma City and Mexico City are if you leave on May 3 and return from Mexico on May 10. Aeromexico currently has roundtrip, nonstop tickets for $311. There are also deals to be had in August. If you fly out of Oklahoma City on Aug. 23 and return from Mexico City on Aug. 26, Aeromexico can get you there and back for $322 roundtrip Top Mexico City hotels To plan your accommodations, here are two of Mexico Citys top-rated hotels, according to Skyscanner, that we selected based on price, proximity to things to do and customer satisfaction. The St. Regis Mexico City (Paseo de la Reforma 439) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner If you're looking to splurge on top quality, consider The St. Regis Mexico City. The hotel has a five-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $255. Story continues The Four Seasons Mexico City (Paseo de la Reforma 500) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner There's also the 4.9-star rated The Four Seasons Mexico City, which has rooms for $179/night. Set in the heart of Mexico City on the busy Paseo de la Reforma, this luxury hotel is close to the Monumento a los Ninos Heroes and the Monumento a los Heroes de la Independencia. Top picks for dining and drinking If you're looking to snag a bite at one of Mexico City's many quality eateries, here are a few popular culinary destinations from Skyscanner's listings that will help keep you satiated. Panaderia Rosetta (Colima 179) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner If you're looking for a local favorite, head to the Panaderia Rosetta, which has an average of 4.9 stars out of 11 reviews on Skyscanner. "It's a very cozy breakfast spot with only a few bar stools for seating. Get there early to get your hands on the good pastries," wrote visitor Leila. El Moro (Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 42) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Another popular dining destination is El Moro, with 4.8 stars from 17 reviews. "This 1930s churreria is a must-visit," wrote reviewer Harold. Restaurante El Cardenal (Calle de la Palma 23) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner Also worth considering is the Restaurante El Cardenal, with 4.6 stars from 22 reviews. "The food was fantastic here. The eggs at breakfast were perfect," wrote Frank. Featured Mexico City attractions To round out your trip, Mexico City offers plenty of popular attractions worth visiting. Here are two top recommendations, based on Skyscanner's descriptions and reviews. The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Av. Juarez) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner First up is The Palacio de Bellas Artes, with 4.8 stars from 74 reviews. Inaugurated in 1934, the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City is a major cultural center where you can attend poetry readings, operas, dance recitals, art shows and more. Callejon Regina (Calle Regina Centro Historico) Photo: Trip by Skyscanner The Callejon Regina is another popular destination. It checks in with five stars from five reviews on Skyscanner. "Undoubtedly, this is one of my favorite areas of the historic center. It's the home of very trendy cafes and restaurants as well as the refuge of urban and independent artists," wrote visitor Rebeca. This story was created automatically using flight, hotel, and local attractions data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Good morning. Boeing reported yesterday that its earnings fell 21% in the first three months of the year after the grounding of its 737 Max jet, following two fatal crashes. The company backed off its earnings guidance for the year, and suspended its share repurchase program. Due to the uncertainty of the timing and conditions surrounding return to service of the 737 Max fleet, new guidance will be issued at a future date, it said. United CEO Oscar Munoz separately said he has no sense when the planes will start to fly again. Shareholders brushed off the bad news. But I suspect things are at Boeing are going to get worse before they get better. The company has had little to say about a report in the New York Times this weekend detailing problems at a production plant in South Carolina that produces a separate plane, the Dreamliner. That plane has an exemplary safety record. But the Times reporting highlights quality control problems at the plant that were ignored by managers pushing to prevent production delays. CEO Daily readers can be forgiven for thinking the New York Times too often takes a reflexive anti-business view. And in the age of Trump, Boeing officials may believe they can brush off the story by dismissing it as fake news. But I find the reporting pretty compelling. Its implication is that the company has something of a Wells Fargo problem: It has been pushing so hard to overcome production delaysand incentivizing managers to follow suitthat its historic concern with quality and safety may have been pushed to the back seat. Id particularly recommend the account of one whistleblower that the paper highlighted in its regular podcast, The Daily. You can listen to it here. Its a pretty compelling tale. Boeing continues to say that it always puts safety first. But I think the company has a lot of work to do before it earns back the trust of the flying public. Story continues More news below. And be sure to read Fortune tech guru Adam Lashinskys fresh take on Disneys bold pivot to streaming services, which you can read here. Alan Murray @alansmurray alan.murray@fortune.com Facebook said Wednesday it expects to pay a fine of up to $5 billion related to the Federal Trade Commissions probe into its data practices, which would mark the biggest penalty against a tech company in the agencys history. Facebook revealed the estimated finefrom $3 billion to $5 billionas part of its first quarter earnings. But the actual amount is still unclear because the inquiry is still pending. This matter is not resolved so the actual amount of payment remains uncertain, Dave Wehner, Facebooks chief financial officer, said during a call with investors in which he declined to provide additional details. Facebook has been in the F.T.C.s crosshairs for some time after a series of privacy missteps that tarnished the companys reputation and sent its executives, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, scrambling to clean up the mess. The problems started last year after news leaked that Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm that harvested data from up to 87 million Facebook users to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It continued with news that Facebook had suffered a major data breach. In part, the troubles could violate Facebooks 2011 agreement with the FTC that it would first obtain user consent before sharing their data with third parties. In the case of Cambridge Analytica, Facebook did not obtain explicit user consent. Investors, wary about the possibility of an even bigger fine, seemed to be relieved that Facebook may end up paying $5 billion. They sent Facebooks stock price up nearly 8% in after-hour trading to $196.39. Its a big number, dont get me wrong, said Ron Josey, analyst at JMP Securities. But at the same time, its nice to hear we might be near some sort of agreement so we can move on beyond this, he said. For Facebook, which has $45.24 billion in cash, such a fine would be manageable. But its unclear whether a penalty by the F.T.C. would also include restrictions on Facebooks business or oversight of its operations, which could eat into the companys highly profitable ad business. Story continues This is a significant development, and any settlement with the FTC may impact the ways advertisers can use the platform in the future, said Debra Aho Williamson, analyst at marking research firm eMarketer. The first-quarter earnings results paled in importance to the talk of the F.T.C.s inquiry. The company said it had revenue of $15.08 billion versus the $14.97 billion that Wall Street expected. Meanwhile, profits were dragged down by $3 billion the company had set aside for expenses related to FTCs investigation. Without the $3 billion charge, the company said first-quarter earnings wouldve been $1.89 per share, versus 85 cents with the expense. Additionally, Facebook said it had 1.56 billion daily active users and 2.38 billion monthly active users across all of its products, which include Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Both numbers represent an 8% increase from the same quarter last year. The Falungong triggered a relentless Chinese government crackdown against the movement when thousands of its members protested around Communist Party headquarters in Beijing 20 years ago. The government outlawed the group following the April 25, 1999 demonstration. Now deemed an evil cult by Chinese authorities, the group has gone underground in China while its followers abroad can be seen in public parks doing slow meditative exercises and espousing the values of "truthfulness, compassion and forbearance". On the 20th anniversary of the protest, here are four key questions about Falungong and how it became one of the Chinese government's biggest taboos: - What is Falungong? The spiritual movement was founded in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, a former employee of a state-owned grain company from northeast China. Within years he had amassed tens of millions of followers. Falungong espouses a set of exercises based on Qigong, an ancient system of exercises involving controlled breathing that practitioners believe enhances overall health by promoting the circulation of vital energy within the human body. Though it insists is is not a religion, Falungong also emphasises moral teachings mixing Buddhist and Taoist philosophies. The Chinese government once supported the movement and encouraged the practice to ease the burden on a creaky health system. - What happened 20 years ago? A major turning point came on April 25, 1999, when over 10,000 Falungong followers encircled Zhongnanhai, the Communist Partys headquarters in Beijing -- the largest demonstration in Beijing since the Chinese army crushed the Tiananmen Square student protests a decade earlier. Participants in the silent rally protested against official harassment and demanded freedom to study the teachings of its leader and follow its beliefs. They peacefully dispersed later that day after government leaders agreed to hold talks with the group. However, Falungong's ability to mobilise large numbers of followers caught the government off guard and alarmed leaders. Story continues - What was China's response? Several months later, China banned Falungong, declaring it an illegal organisation and accusing it of "spreading fallacies, hoodwinking people, inciting and creating disturbances and jeopardising social stability." It rounded up leaders and launched a major propaganda campaign painting the group as a cult that cheats its followers. State media called Li a fake, blaming him for causing the deaths of adherents by teaching followers to refuse medical treatment and leading them to commit suicide. Li -- who had already emigrated to the US -- denied all the charges from Beijing. Tens of thousands of followers were detained in the months following the ban, according to official figures. Falungong accuses China of torturing adherents and holding many in prison and labour camps, as well as harvesting the organs of detained followers, which Beijing denies. It estimates that over 4,000 practitioners have died as a result of torture in custody and other forms of persecution in the two decades that followed. - Where is Falungong now? Though the government's campaign against the group continues, NGO Freedom House estimated in a 2017 report that millions in China continue to practice Falungong, including many who took it up after the government ban. Though actual membership numbers are unknown, Falungong has continued to get its message out through its practitioners abroad. From Washington to Hong Kong, followers gather under banners opposing the Communist government and hand out flyers to passersby. Falungong practitioners also founded the television network New Tang Dynasty, which broadcasts around the clock and has reporters stationed across the globe, as well as a newspaper, The Epoch Times, which is printed in eight languages and publishes in 21 languages online. Prague (AFP) - Prague will on Thursday host a meeting of populist far-right party leaders seeking unprecedented success in European elections next month following a steep rise of anti-EU movements across Europe. France's National Rally head Marine Le Pen and Dutch Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders are among the speakers, while Italian League leader and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini will send a video message. A Czech far-right band will open the event at Prague's central Wenceslas Square, hosted by Czech lawmaker Tomio Okamura, who is head of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party. "On Thursday, the SPD will officially launch the EU election campaign. We want to show that we're not alone," Okamura told AFP. "Polls have shown our Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) faction led by Matteo Salvini, Marine Le Pen, Austria's Freedom Party and others has a chance to form one of the strongest groups in the European Parliament," he said. "This would enable us to implement fundamental changes aimed at ensuring the freedom and sovereignty of individual European states without orders from Brussels." Parties in the faction, including Alternative for Germany (AfD) or Denmark's People's Party, share anti-migrant policies, promote national sovereignty and individual freedoms. The SPD, which has never taken part in EU elections and has thus no deputies in Strasbourg, favours a "Czexit" from the EU, just like Wilders's PVV promotes a "Nexit". The anti-system parties got their last boost a week ago when the Finns Party came a narrow second in a general election in Finland. - 'They will be strong' - Salvini, who visited Okamura in Prague earlier this month, has recently called on nationalist parties scattered across the European Parliament to join forces and form a new alliance. He said he expected the new bloc to be the largest in the 751-member parliament after the May 23-26 vote. Story continues These parties "will get there, they will be strong, they will do very well in the election, especially in Italy for instance," said Czech independent political analyst Jan Kubacek. "But the problem with all these groups is that they cannot really cooperate, they are too focussed on their national interests," he told AFP. If the alliance emerges after the vote, it will have to pick a leader with Le Pen and Salvini looking set to battle it out for the post. "Salvini will have the upper hand in policymaking, the more so that he will most probably become prime minister," said Kubacek. "Le Pen will be very active in the European Parliament -- she can't really show her best in French politics so she uses the parliament as her second platform." Le Pen, Wilders and Okamura already met in Prague in December 2017 to hail the SPD's gain of 22 seats in the 200-member Czech parliament in general elections. It impressed voters with an anti-migrant campaign, although migrants have largely snubbed the Czech Republic for wealthier countries such as Germany, and "No to Islam" is its key motto for the EU vote too. - Low turnout - But whether the SPD will make it to the European Parliament remains a question, mainly because of traditionally low turnout. "The SPD has an election potential of 10 percent, according to sociologists -- but with turnout at 19 or 20 percent, it will gain about three percent support in the vote," Kubacek said. "Okamura must do his best to make the voters go and propel the SPD over the five percent threshold." The 47-year-old Tokyo-born former entrepreneur remains optimistic about his EU candidates led by psychiatrist Ivan David. "Any mandate will be a success. But it would be great if we could get close to our general election result (from 2017), which was almost 11 percent," Okamura said. "And of course I would like our faction to win the EU vote." Salvini has convened a big meeting of the anti-EU parties to Milan for May 18, with Le Pen and Okamura expected to take part. "The meeting should be a pan-European demonstration of the ability of European nations to closely cooperate without a dictate from Brussels, merely on the basis of mutual agreement," Okamura told AFP. San Vicente del Raspeig (Espana) (AFP) - On the distant margins of politics until it burst onto the scene in southern Spain, far-right party Vox hopes lingering discontent will help it score big in Sunday's general election. For a long time, Spain was one of the few European countries that didn't have a far-right party to speak of. That changed in December when Vox won 12 parliamentary seats in the southern region of Andalusia, helping a coalition of the conservative Popular Party (PP) and centre-right Ciudadanos take power in a traditional socialist bastion. Now, the party that was founded in 2013 seeks to emulate its success at a national level and enter parliament for the first time. - 'Silenced' Spain - Ultra-nationalist, the party slams the outgoing socialist executive as an "enemy" of Spain for trying to negotiate with separatists in Catalonia, where a secession bid in 2017 shocked the country -- outrage Vox has seized upon. Opposed to Spain's influential feminist movement, uncompromising on illegal immigration, anti-abortion and same-sex marriage, the party boasts that its rallies are full to the brim. Vox "has managed to awaken hope among many of those who had lost it, who didn't feel represented," Vox leader Santiago Abascal told Spanish radio this week. Insisting that parts of Spain had long been "silenced" by what he dubs the "progressive dictatorship," he promised Vox voters would "cause a genuine stir" in Sunday's elections. Shunning most traditional media and campaigning hard on social networks and in rallies, Abascal has adopted the campaign tactics of US and Brazilian presidents Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro. - Catalonia - While immigration has been a centre-piece for many far-right parties in Europe, Vox has seized more on concern in Spain over Catalonia's independence movement. Abascal, a former PP member in the northern Basque Country who grew up under the constant threat of armed group ETA, has pledged to "take control" of the separatist-governed region of Catalonia if he came to power and wants to ban pro-independence parties. Story continues John Muller, who coordinated a book of essays on Vox, says that for years, the threat of Spain breaking up was not taken seriously, until Catalonia's separatist government attempted to secede in 2017. Vox, he says, is "a response" to that. Commended by Steve Bannon, Trump's former advisor, the party also criticises a law against gender violence, which it believes "criminalises" men. Jorge del Palacio, a professor at the King Juan Carlos University who specialises in the history of political thinking, says there is an interesting mirror effect between Vox and Podemos, which polls say is on the decline. "In 2014, Podemos was able to capitalise (on discontent) because there was an economic crisis. Now, Vox is able to capitalise (on discontent) because there is an identity crisis." - Rural world - One of Vox's voter-targets for the elections is the hunting world. So much so that Angel Lopez Maraver, president of Spain's hunting federation, will be the party's candidate in May's European elections. He told AFP at a March hunting fair in Madrid that Vox -- which also defends bullfighting -- is attempting to preserve Spain's traditions. But he also warned that "they have everything to prove and no track record." - Hunting for the disgruntled - Perhaps Vox's most audacious wager is to attract disgruntled left-wingers. People like David Garcia, Vox's coordinator in San Vicente del Raspeig, a dormitory town next to Alicante in southeastern Spain. The 38-year-old who has worked variously as a security guard, logistics manager and farm labourer, says he always voted socialist, like his parents. Then he joined Vox in 2014 for a variety of reasons, including his belief that Spanish regions have too much power. "We're people who are new (to politics) who have been working all our lives. These aren't the hands of politicians," he says showing the calluses on his hands. He's joined by other activists like Adela Marquez, 43, unemployed and a victim of gender violence. She used to vote for Podemos but has now joined Vox, saying she saw women taking advantage of the law against gender violence, "filing false complaints." That "really harms those of us who have been abused." Vox has said there are thousands of false complaints every year. But according to the prosecution office, just 0.007 percent of all sentences have been for false accusations since 2009. No matter, says Muller, for whom this and other criticism is only "strengthening" a party that profits from general "anger" against politics. FBI and IRS agents on Thursday raided the home and city hall offices of Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh as part of an investigation into possible public corruption, the Baltimore Sun reported. Pugh took a leave of absence from her position earlier this month after it was revealed that she made $500,000 selling copies of her Healthy Holly childrens-health book to the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) while sitting on the systems board. It was later revealed that health insurance provider Kaiser Permanente paid Pugh $100,000 for 20,000 copies of the book while the company was seeking a lucrative contract to insure the citys employees. In total, Pugh made $800,000 selling copies of her book to local entities since 2011, according to the Sun. Agents also raided the Maryland Center for Adult Education, a local non-profit that Pugh used to run, as well as her attorneys offices. Maryland governor Larry Hogan responded to the news of the raids by calling on Pugh to resign in a Thursday morning statement. On April 1, I directed the state prosecutor to investigate the disturbing allegations surrounding Mayor Catherine Pughs questionable financial dealings with the University of Maryland Medical SystemNow more than ever, Baltimore City needs strong and responsible leadership, the statement read. Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign. Pugh apologized in March for having done something to upset the people and returned $100,000 to the UMMS. She has maintained, however, that she did not exploit her position for personal financial gain. All my income is reported to the IRS and everything is filed, Pugh told the Sun when asked whether she would release her tax returns publicly. I dont know what witch hunt yall are on, but its done. Ive got 1099s and I pay my taxes and everything is filed. More from National Review By Beh Lih Yi SINGAPORE, April 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - After traveling the world for more than two decades seeking to improve access to bathrooms, "Mr. Toilet" Jack Sim is now ready to plunge into the cinematic world with a film about his unusual campaign. Armed with humor - and sometimes a plunger - the World Toilet Organisation's founder is the subject of a film "Mr. Toilet: The World's #2 Man" set to premiere this week, as health campaigners warn billions are still at risk of disease due to toilet shortages. "Toilet is my religion and we create a belief system that everybody subscribes to," the 62-year-old Singaporean told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "We have to make toilet sexy. If governments understand how much money they are already spending (on public healthcare) without having toilets, there is no reason for them not to build toilets," he added. Sim's work has stretched from Asia to Africa and was the inspiration behind the United Nations' 2013 declaration of a "World Toilet Day," in a push to break taboos around toilets. The U.N. day is marked on Nov. 19 each year - same date Sim set up his group in 2001 to lobby governments around the world to change their policies and make sanitation accessible for all. The Singapore-headquartered group builds toilets in places like China and trains local entrepreneurs in India as well as Cambodia to develop affordable latrines in remote villages. From India to China and Africa, 60 percent of the world's population - or 4.5 billion people either have no toilet at home or one that does not safely manage human waste, the U.N. said. Some 900 million people still practice open defecation, risking disease, and causing tens of thousands of diarrhea-related deaths and cases of chronic malnutrition each year, according to the group. The U.N. warned last year that the world is not on track to end open defecation and ensure access to safe toilets for all by 2030, as pledged by countries. Story continues Sim said he hopes his new film will help turn the tide. CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION Shot in four countries over five years, the 86-minute film will be screened at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto on April 27. "The intention of the film is to use both humor and a heartfelt story to draw attention to a subject people normally wouldn't care about," said Los Angeles-based director Lily Zepeda. "Many people are unaware of how disproportionately a lack of sanitation affects women and girls around the world," she added. Women and girls are at risk of sexual attack when they go out in the fields to relieve themselves, while adolescent girls are often forced to miss classes when they are on their periods if there are no proper toilets, UK-based charity WaterAid said. The World Bank in 2017 warned countries they needed to quadruple spending to $150 billion a year to deliver universal safe water and sanitation. Sim's effort is not the first time a film has been made about toilets. In India, a Bollywood movie, "Toilet: A Love Story," was released in 2017 as an attempt to bring the issue into the mainstream. The lack of access to sanitation remains a major problem in the South Asian giant and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been pushing a campaign to build 100 million toilets, although the drive has not covered large parts of the country. "Our pace of work is definitely much slower than the need," said Deepmala Mahla, the Asia director for humanitarian agency CARE International, which campaigns on sanitation issues. "We can only be on the right track fully when we don't look at the (toilet) issue in isolation. Our sanitation work needs to be more responsive to the need of women and girls," she said. Sim struck a more optimistic note. As the world's two most populous nations, China and India, step up efforts to improve access to toilets, he believes the world will achieve the 2030 U.N. target on ending open defecation but he warned building bathrooms alone is not enough. The key, he said, is to turn the poop culture into "pop culture." "The cultural transformation must come in because we can build the toilet, but if people don't use it there is no use," he said. "We have to turn toilets into a fashion, a social status." (Reporting by Beh Lih Yi @behlihyi; Editing by Jason Fields. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org) Solomon Islands police were maintaining an uneasy calm in the capital Honiara Thursday, a day after more than 50 people were arrested in riots following the contested election of prime minister Manasseh Sogavare. Police commissioner Matthew Varley said most Honiara shops remained closed after Wednesday's unrest, which saw vehicles damaged, roadblocks set on fire and police stations attacked by people throwing rocks. "Our officers were battling a moving, running crowd," he told reporters Thursday, adding more than 50 people were arrested or detained for offences relating to "riots, rock throwing and other acts of criminal damage". After Sogavare won a run-off ballot for prime minister, crowds of protestors trashed businesses in Chinatown before causing "serious and substantial" damage to a hotel and casino, the police commissioner said. Riot police were deployed with tear gas and used "less lethal rounds" to restore order after a dozen officers and a number of civilians were injured, he added. The Solomon Islands has often struggled with ethnic tensions and political violence since gaining independence from Britain in 1978. Varley called for calm and said he expected the tension to ease in the coming days. Following an inconclusive election earlier this month, Sogavare won the backing of 34 of 50 members of parliament in a controversial run-off, with his opponents boycotting the vote. It is his fourth time as prime minister. He has been ousted in votes of no confidence in two of his previous terms. A 2006 election prompted widespread rioting in the capital with shops in Chinatown looted and burnt down, forcing foreign peacekeepers to step in. Police have urged the public to accept the outcome of the latest poll and let parliament and courts deal with electoral issues. The fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris spurred at least temporary unity among the people of France and triggered sadness around the world. The April 15 fire has also placed a renewed focus on the fragility of sites that represent icons of culture -- buildings, artifacts and relics that are recognized internationally as true landmarks of civilization, such as the 850-year-old cathedral that is the greatest tourist draw in the French capital. U.S. News & World Report recently spoke with Stefan Simon, director of the Rathgen Research Laboratory, a research institute at the Berlin State Museums in Germany. The institute practices conservation science and conducts studies on cultural artifacts and the fine arts. Simon discussed the value that cultural landmarks provide to society, previous warnings about their fragility and what governments can do to protect such landmarks. The piece has been edited for length and clarity. Describe the importance of cultural landmarks and icons to countries. Is it possible to place a currency value on their importance? Yes and no. First of all, when we talk about values of cultural heritage, there is a whole variety of values to be considered. Not all are currency-based. There are social, historic, aesthetic, scientific, educational, environmental and economic values which, among others, form a value-pie for any specific object or site. When we talk about financial value, it is undisputed that cultural heritage is an economic driver. This assumption is often mainly based on visitor numbers and the importance of tourism , which ranks at about 10% of global (gross domestic product). (Question is): How do we establish a frame for calculating the real economic cost and benefits? Do we consider secondary effects like its impact on real estate, employment rates, education and wider infrastructure? We cannot ignore that many world heritage sites around the globe are also struggling with the downsides of tourism, and respective value loss. Story continues Is any country out there doing this assessment efficiently? Although there have been some interesting studies, in the U.S., Norway or Switzerland, I would say that we are still in lack of an efficient tool kit to properly assess the currency value of cultural heritage and its preservation. Mostly because we are not approaching the question in a sufficiently transdisciplinary way. This is a fundamental research gap in academia. How much do you estimate the restoration of Notre Dame will finally cost? I think it is premature to talk concrete numbers at this stage. The first step needs to be a profound and scientific damage assessment. France is in the privileged situation that it is home to some of the world's finest conservation and research institutions, and they also can count on long-standing collaboration in Europe and beyond. In the 1990s, for example, we have seen a very successful collaborative German-French research program in heritage preservation, devoted mainly to stone and glass, implemented at churches and cathedrals in Tours, Salem, Tann and Oppenheim. Maybe it is a good time to revitalize this network, and help bring a new generation of experts together in tackling this tremendous challenge. How long will the restoration of Notre Dame take? Also very early to make an informed guess on the time schedule, before a detailed damage assessment is executed. It could well last over a decade, probably longer. I am not sure whether speed should be a key priority when dealing with this cultural heritage site. The fire has consumed not only the roof framework, it may have also had an impact on the limestone, and especially the lime mortar joints in the masonry, where it could have caused partial decarboxylation. Also the huge amounts of water, and to a lesser extent the soot, can have detrimental effects. The stability of vaults and masonry should be studied by engineering, for example geoseismic methodology. This cannot be done in haste. A floating time horizon of five years may be politically motivated, but is certainly not realistic. [MORE: Top 10 Countries for Technological Expertise, Ranked by Perception] Are there historical parallels to damage and destruction of cultural icons and landmarks as significant as Notre Dame? Throughout history there is an almost endless list of examples. Fire, earthquakes or floods almost destroyed entire cities, like Lisbon in 1755 or San Francisco in 1906. The destruction of the old city of Warsaw by the German occupants during World War II is one. Its reconstruction in the aftermath of the war became a symbol for the national resurrection of Poland. It was even sparking the birth of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), the international NGO where more than 10,000 professionals are now united and collaborating across all cultural and political boundaries for the preservation of cultural heritage. Another example would be historic Namdaemun city gate in central Seoul, or the Voltigeurs de Quebec Armoury in Quebec , which both fell victim to devastating fires in 2008. How should we see such events? The world needs to come together and support the recovery efforts in all these places. Common cultural heritage, world heritage, comes with shared responsibilities. Another aspect, which we could try to consider, is that yes, the losses at Notre Dame are tremendous and painful -- many irreversible. But in the light of this tragedy, also a few things were gained: for example the stories that happened during this catastrophe, the Parisians coming together in public prayer, the donors and their generous donations, the donated oak trees from all over Europe. Many of the parts which will now be used for the reconstruction , at some point in history down the road , will be considered valuable and significant cultural heritage as well. What are the greatest threats to damage and destruction of cultural icons and landmarks? Catastrophes and disasters, whether man-made or natural, are always making headlines and immediately drawing our attention. Nowadays, we can follow these events often live over the media, where they may cause (some of) us even physical pain. Of course, fire is an extremely vicious destructor, as are earthquakes or floods. And the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage during war and conflict, as we saw it unfolding in the Middle East in the recent past, is not only a huge threat, but also should be considered and prosecuted as a war crime. [MORE: 10 of the Deadliest Natural Disasters in 2018] However, the largest threat to cultural heritage globally is probably development, urbanization and agricultural land use. On the international scale, we are experiencing a massive and unprecedented growth of our big cities, which is causal for a correspondingly large loss of cultural and natural heritage. This may be less visible in the media, but is ranking higher as a threat. Has there been any research on the number of such landmarks and icons -- properties ranging from relics, art, buildings and other items -- that are exposed to potential damage and destruction? To my knowledge there is no globally coordinated research on this question. There are, however, many national and international projects which study the potential impact of climate change on cultural heritage under various scenarios. Especially in Europe, but also the U.S. How do we quantify the numbers of landmarks and icons? By counting the more than 1,000 sites on the (U.N.'s) World Heritage List? By counting the inventories of the state boards of antiquities? We need to realize that cultural heritage is lost continuously -- it is impossible to preserve anything forever. But we can manage the inevitable change, hopefully in a sustainable manner. That is what good conservation can be translated into. Sintia Radu covers international affairs and technology for U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter @sintiaradu and send her suggestions and ideas at sradu@usnews.com. London (AFP) - Find out how your date voted on Brexit or risk an early break-up, behavioural psychologists warned British singles on Thursday in new research for the dating site eharmony. Eric Robinson from the University of Liverpool said that raising the subject of Brexit was a "calculated risk" even though it could cause "romantic fireworks". "Our political views communicate our wider social values and world view," he said, adding that "opposing political views can cause relationships to fail".Robinson cited reports showing that 22 percent of "millennials" -- people born in the 1980s and 1990s -- have broken up with someone over political differences. The issue of Brexit has caused deep divisions in British society that are still raw three years on from a referendum in which a majority voted to leave the European Union. Brexit has been blamed for marital and friendship splits, as well as inter-generational conflict as many older people voted for Brexit while many younger people voted to remain in the EU. Brexit was listed by University of Liverpool researchers Robinson and Michelle Tornquist as being among the five "right" questions to ask on a first date. The others were: "If you lost your wallet do you think it would be returned? What was your last holiday? What do you spend most of your money on? How did you spend Christmas and New Year?" "In this research, we focused on concrete questions. These centre on a very specific opinion or moment in a person's life that can help to cut through impression management," Robinson said. "Why should it take three to five dates to see if we are not compatible with someone?," he asked. "It might be because on the first date we play it safe. The same polite conversations, the same normal questions." Johnny Juzang, regarded as one of the top prospects for the 2020 class, is moving up his college timetable and reclassifying for the 2019 class. The 6-foot-7 small forward out of California made the announcement in an Instagram post on Wednesday. Juzang also indicated he'd be picking a school over the next couple weeks and would begin attending classes in the fall. Juzang, 18, already met with Kentucky's John Calipari last week and will make an official visit to the school on Monday, according to reports. He is also reportedly considering a number of other top schools, including Villanova, Virginia, USC and Kansas. Juzang visited Virginia in the fall. --Field Level Media From the food we eat to the air that we breathe, Nature not only provides mankind with the means to live but also the services to thrive. Ahead of a major biodiversity summit in Paris expected to outline in the starkest terms yet the threat humans pose to Earth's natural habitats and species, here is a look at what Nature does for us. - On our plate - One of the main unseen roles played by Nature comes in the form of pollinating insects. As much as three quarters of all food produced globally relies on insects to pollinate the crop -- an industry upon which 1.4 billion people rely for income, according to one study. Yet faced with global temperature increases caused by manmade emissions and poisoned by blanket pesticide use, insects are dying en masse. This has a cascading effect up the food chain -- birds, lizards and frogs that eat bugs are also dying out. In just 30 years, Europe has lost 80 percent of its insect population leading to the disappearance of some 400 million birds. In addition, the erosion of coral reefs due to warming seas imperils as much as 30 percent of all marine species, including the fish that half a billion people rely on to feed themselves. - In the medicine cabinet - Around half of the active ingredients in commercial medicines derive from plants or animals. Starfishes, sea urchins and periwinkles are just three of the myriad species known to have anti-carcinogenic properties, while molecules from marine worms have proven crucial in preserving skin grafts. But the health benefits of simply living near Nature -- reducing allergies, alleviating chronic physical and mental conditions -- might outweigh those provided by any drug. One US study of 100,000 people over eight years showed those who lived within 250 metres of a green space were 12 percent less likely to die than those who didn't. Four billion people rely primarily on natural medicines for their healthcare, and 70 percent of drugs used for cancer are natural or bio-inspired, according to a draft report to be vetted at the Paris meeting. Story continues - Our sinks - Plants and micro-organisms play a vital role in providing humans with clean water for drinking and crop production, sucking out dangerous particles from rainfall and sanitising groundwater. According to biologist Gilles Boeuf, "no waste treatment plant can ever be as good as a living swamp" for clean water production. - The air we breathe - Forests and oceans absorb around half of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions annually, offsetting the worst excesses of global warming and providing us with clean air to breathe. But as emissions continue to rise and the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere hit their highest in three million years, scientists warn that Earth's natural CO2 absorbtion ability may not be able to keep pace. Plants are also a powerful filter against air pollution in cities. A recent study in Shanghai showed that its green spaces were capable of capturing 10 percent of dangerous fine particles. Another study, from 2008, showed a fully-grown tree can sequester as much as 20 kilogrammes of particulate matter. - Our wallets - Much research has tried to evaluate the worth, in monetary terms, of the services rendered to us by Nature. One estimate puts Nature's worth at $125 trillion each year, corresponding to roughly a half of global GDP. Insect pollination alone is worth $200 billion per annum. One study from 2010 put the cost of biodiversity loss at between $1.35-3.1 trillion annually. By Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan officials revised the death toll from Easter Sunday bombings down by about 100 on Thursday, blaming the difficulty in identifying body parts at bomb scenes for the earlier inaccurate number. The new official figure was 253, down from an earlier 359, Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said. He blamed inaccurate data provided by morgues for the discrepancy. Anil Jasinghe, the director general of Sri Lanka's health services, told Reuters any figure was an estimate: "It could be 250 or 260. I can't exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure." The suicide bomb attacks on three churches and four hotels have exposed an intelligence failure, with accusations that warnings had not been acted on and feuds at the top levels of government had undermined security cooperation. Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks, although he insisted on Thursday that the authorities had been acting in response to intelligence tips from India warning of imminent attacks. "We were working on that. All those agencies were working on that," Fernando told Reuters. He said he had resigned to take responsibility for institutions he ran, but said there had been no failure on his part. Police issued names and photographs of four men and three women wanted in connection with the attacks, as bomb scares and security sweeps kept the country on edge. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities have said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many tourists sitting to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. About 500 people were wounded. Britain on Thursday warned its nationals to avoid the country unless it was absolutely necessary as there could be more attacks. SNAPSHOTS The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. It released a video that showed eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The government said there were nine suicide bombers, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Authorities have focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups - National Thawheed Jama'ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - they believe carried out the attacks. A picture has emerged of a group of nine well-educated, home-grown suicide bombers. Two were brothers, sons of a wealthy spice trader, a source close to the family said. At least 76 people, including several foreigners, have been rounded up since Sunday, but police on Thursday for the first time identified seven people they were looking for and appealed to the public for help in finding them. Photographs, apparently casual snapshots, posted with a wanted notice showed young bearded men, one with a Muslim cap, and three young women, all with headscarves. Fears that more bombers are at large has kept Sri Lanka on edge all week. Authorities locked down the central bank and shut the road to the capital's airport for part of the day because of bomb scares as communal tension simmered. Office workers in Colombo's business district were asked to go home early, police said, to avoid vulnerable throngs of people at rush hour. City-centre restaurants also shut early. Police arrested three people and seized 21 locally made grenades and six swords during a raid in Colombo, a spokesman said. He did not give details or suggest that the raid was linked to the suicide bombings. (GRAPHIC: Sri Lanka bombings - https://tmsnrt.rs/2Xy02BA) (GRAPHIC: A decade of peace shattered - https://tmsnrt.rs/2W4wZoU) RECRIMINATIONS The bombings shattered the relative calm that has existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago. Sri Lanka's 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island's conflict and communal tensions. It seems unlikely that Fernando's resignation will end the questions and recriminations over why authorities failed to act more effectively to stop the plotters. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in the sharing of intelligence information. Lakshman Kiriella, the leader of parliament, said senior officials had deliberately withheld the intelligence about possible attacks. Both President Maithripala Sirisena and his rival, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, denied seeing the Indian intelligence warnings, officials have said. The president fired Wickremesinghe last October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, fears are growing of a surge of communal tension. Muslims have fled the Negombo region on Sri Lanka's west coast since scores of worshippers were killed in the bombing of the St. Sebastian church there on Sunday. Hundreds of Pakistani Muslims have left the port city, crammed into buses, after threats of revenge. "The local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses," one of them, Adnan Ali, told Reuters on Wednesday, as he prepared to board a bus. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; Additional reporting by Sanjeev Miglani in COLOMBO, Alasdair Pal and Sunil Kataria in NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka, and Will Ziebell in MELBOURNE; Writing by Paul Tait, Robert Birsel and Peter Graff; Editing by Michael Perry, Alex Richardson and Toby Chopra) Berlin (AFP) - Weather experts warn of drought in Europe over its summer as firefighters tackled forest fires on Thursday, and farmers fretted over wilting crops and a repeat of 2018's arid conditions. In Germany, Europe's biggest economy, farmers are fearful at the start of the growing season following below-average rainfall earlier this year -- bad news after last year's drought. Unless significant rain falls in May, experts say there is little chance of decent crops. "If the dry weather continues in the coming months, the drought of 2018 could be repeated or even exceeded," warned Udo Busch, head of the German weather service's agricultural section. A lack of rain has turned some forests into potential tinderboxes. Over the past few days, German firefighters have tackled blazing forest fires in the states of Hessen, Brandenburg and Thuringia. A senior fire chief has even asked authorities, including the army, to lend helicopters in order to "react adequately". Scandinavia has also been hit, with Swedish firefighters currently tackling 10 to 15 forest fires a day after precious little rain this month. The most serious blaze broke out over 300 hectares (740 acres) in the southern district of Hassleholm, forcing 49 people to be evacuated. - 'Decisive month is May' - Last year nearly 25,000 hectares of land was ravaged by fires in Sweden. In neighbouring Norway, a forest fire narrowly missed the community of Sokndal, but around 70 firefighters were still extinguishing flames on Thursday over an area of 750 hectares. Dry conditions are a headache for northern Europe's farmers. Phil Hogan, the European Union's agriculture commissioner, on Thursday promised farmers and rural communities in member states will get EU support should drought strike again. In the German state of Brandenburg, surrounding Berlin, barren fields resemble desert landscapes. There are fears of a repeat of last year's poor harvest, when crops were down between 30 to 80 percent, threatening the livelihoods of many German farmers. Story continues Across Brandenburg's 780 farms, reported losses for 2018 topped 93 million euros ($104 million) and the state had to provide 72 million euros in aid. Rain is forecast for the coming days. But it is expected to be far insufficient for what is needed to mitigate a worrying situation. "We sincerely hope for rain -- the decisive month for us is May," said farmers' association spokesman Tino Erstling. In neighbouring Austria, the first signs of drought have already appeared in the east and north, raising fears of another bleak harvest. Rainfall is already down to just a quarter of the 10-year average in recent weeks. - 'Signs point to suffering' - Potato growers are demanding a relaxation of pesticide regulations to better control numbers of wireworm, which they say are flourishing because of drought. "The current signs point to suffering for agriculture," said Hagelversicherung, a specialist insurance company. The situation is even more shocking in the Czech Republic, where 99 percent of the country has already been hit by drought over the last five weeks. A third of the country is classed among the worst two drought categories on a six-level scale, according to the Intersucho (Interdrought) portal, which monitors drought in central Europe. The drought has come a month earlier than last year. In many Czech villages, the wells are already dry, forcing the population to find other ways to get water. Forecasters predict rain this weekend which may help save some crops, but farmers remain sceptical. Hardest hit will be the regions northwest of Prague, where hops crucial to the Czech beer industry are grown, and in the southeast, famous for its wine and grain. A couple of windy days over the past weeks haven't helped as the wind has dried the top layer of soil. The drought is also devastating Czech forests as it encourages breeding of the bark beetle with damage this year projected to top one billion euros. The Czech Republic has been grappling with bark beetle infestation for several years and experts say the current situation is the worst in Czech history. burs-ryj/dlc/rmb A senator who lost re-election in 2018 is using her leftover campaign funds to push her fellow Democrats to reconnect with rural voters, arguing that they risk letting President Donald Trump win a second term if they dont. On Thursday, former Nebraska Sen. Heidi Heitkamp launched the One Country Project, which is designed to be a clearinghouse for research on rural voters, to criticize Trumps record on issues they care about and to press Democrats to engage more in rural areas. Known for a blunt speaking style, Heitkamp seemed to acknowledge the thorniness of the issue at the groups launch in Washington, D.C. America wants to get stuff done again, she said. I could put a different word in there, which I usually do, but I wont, she tacks on. Heitkamp argued that rural voters feel disrespected or dismissed altogether. The fights in Washington seem distant to their worries in the heartland and are offering folks like her neighbors little help. And, based on her research on voting trends since her loss last year, she believes Democrats in 2020 are poised to have an even larger win with the popular vote while still losing in the Electoral College. If you said, Whats the one thing that we should all be talking about? Getting stuff done. Solving problems. And not whos on this side or what does this look like or the narrative that gets spun every day, she says, adding that she wants to work with any of the Democratic candidates many of them she considers friends to help them get their rural policies and pitches right on topics as varied as international tariffs and opioid abuse, automation and income disparity. Its not a groundbreaking idea, but one that may help stop or maybe reverse her partys slide away from rural messages toward one designed to surge with urban voters. Former Sen. Joe Donnelly, who lost his re-election bid in Indiana last years, is also pitching in for the party on this project. Story continues When Barack Obama first ran for President in 2008, he picked up 45% of the rural vote. Eight years later, Hillary Clinton picked up just 34%. The rural vote accounted for 11% of the population when Obama ran. When Clinton was running, that number was 17%, according to exit polls, despite urban areas outpacing them in rates of growth. Put plainly: If a Democrat is going to win the White House in 2020, they cant be writing off as much as one-fifth of the voters. After all, according to the Census, almost 60 million people live in rural areas and Trump did 29 percentage points better in rural areas than in urban ones. In Pennsylvania, that urban-rural gap was 46 percentage points. Ever the pragmatist, Heitkamp insists this cannot stand. Rural America got left behind, Heitkamp says of the 2016 election. I knew she was in trouble when I went to a wedding in western Pennsylvania and I did not see one [yard] sign. If you drove around western Minnesota, there was not one sign for her and there were signs all over for Donald Trump. This time around, Heitkamp is working to make sure Trump doesnt enjoy an uncontested advantage with rural voters. One Country is organized under two different parts of the tax code, a design that will allow leaders to do both policy advocacy and political activism. She wants to use the group to highlight how Trumps trade war is costing farmers profits, how manufacturing policy is making tractors more expensive and how its policies are keeping high-speed Internet out of many small towns. Heitkamp also argued that social issues such as LGBT rights and abortion are less significant to rural voters than thought, noting Midwestern Democrats who won Senate seats in the past such as Kent Conrad, Tim Johnson and Bob Kerrey. The culture has not changed that much in the last 10 or 20 years. They will vote for Democrats if Democrats are seen as representing and understanding their issues, Heitkamp says. This project was born not necessarily out of my interest in making sure that Democrats are competitive in rural America by making sure that rural America understands that there is an opportunity here to look at the two sides and choose a political party that can, in fact, be responsive to their concerns. It all comes with a goal of making Trump a one-term President. If you are an economic voter in rural America, this president hasnt earned a second term, she says. I used to believe and I dont any more that the Democratic Party could win a presidency without rural America but never the Senate. Im not sure that first statement is true any more. AMSTERDAM, April 25 (Reuters) - The first five presidents of the International Criminal Court's oversight body called on Thursday for a review of the institution's functioning, following its April 12 decision not to investigate atrocities in Afghanistan. "We are disappointed by the quality of some of its judicial proceedings, frustrated by some of the results, and exasperated by the management deficiencies that prevent the Court from living up to its full potential," said the group in a post on the Atlantic Council's website entitled "The International Criminal Court Needs Fixing." The group, which includes former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein, called for an independent assessement of the court's functioning to be carried out by a small group of experts. (Reporting by Toby Sterling Editing by Gareth Jones) Washington (AFP) - Former US Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday he is running for the White House, positioning the veteran Democrat as a frontrunner among the many candidates seeking to challenge Donald Trump in 2020. The party's 76-year-old senior statesman became the most experienced and recognized Democrat in the race, a popular former vice president dominating early polls following months -- even years -- of campaign planning. In a tweet accompanied by a three-and-a-half minute video, Biden said he could not stand idly by as US President Donald Trump "fundamentally altered the character of this nation". "The core values of this nation... our standing in the world... our very democracy... everything that has made America -- America -- is at stake," he wrote in the post. "That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for President of the United States." Biden, whose working-class appeal remains intact despite nearly half a century in Washington politics, is seen as a comforting, known quantity for American voters who will be vetting some 20 Democrats now officially in the presidential field. But recent controversy over his tactile style, particularly with women, could dampen a rollout that he envisioned as the final main entry to the Democratic primary battle. Even before his official announcement, Biden, who served eight years as Barack Obama's vice president, led most surveys of Democratic voters. The RealClearPolitics poll aggregate puts him as favourite with 29.3 percent support, followed by independent Senator Bernie Sanders at 23 percent. Washington (AFP) - Former US vice president and Democratic elder statesman Joe Biden launched his third White House bid Thursday, becoming the frontrunner in a crowded field and painting incumbent Donald Trump as a "threat" to America. The 76-year-old is the most experienced and best recognized Democrat in the running, a veteran campaigner who has dominated early polls following months -- even years -- of planning. In a campaign launch video, Biden said he couldn't stand by and watch Trump "fundamentally alter the character of this nation" during a second four-year term. Biden criticized the president's response to a deadly 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, recalling that Trump infamously described "very fine people" on both sides of the clashes. "And in that moment I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime," Biden said. The Democratic stalwart, for eight years Barack Obama's deputy, added that he couldn't remain idle while Trump stood to gut America's core values and "everything that made America America." Trump's response was swift: he insulted Biden on Twitter, his favorite forum for smacking down rivals, casting doubt on his opponent's mental capacity. - 'Sleepy Joe' - "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign," Trump tweeted. He returned to the theme later on Fox News, telling host Sean Hannity that Biden "is not the brightest light bulb in the group" but "he has a name that they know." Biden has managed to keep his working-class appeal intact despite nearly half a century in Washington politics. He is seen as a comforting, known quantity for American voters who will be vetting 20 Democrats now officially in the race. Hours after his announcement, the gregarious Biden was in his element, pressing flesh and posing for photographs at a Wilmington, Delaware pizza parlor. Story continues "Who's the best person to lead the country? That's what this is going to be all about and it's going to be for the voters to decide that," he told reporters. Even before his official launch, Biden led most surveys of Democratic voters. But recent controversy over his tactile style, particularly with women, could dampen his rollout. The RealClearPolitics poll aggregate puts him as favorite with 29.3 percent support, followed by independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who votes with the Democrats, at 23 percent. Both white men in their 70s, the two are unlikely to be seen as the ideal shop window for a party seeking to win over young and minority voters. Biden finds himself in a field of unprecedented diversity -- six contenders are women and three are black -- as he makes his third presidential run, following unsuccessful attempts in 1988 and 2008. After the death of his son Beau from cancer, Biden opted out of a presidential campaign in 2016. Speaking on Fox, Trump opined that unlike Biden, Sanders "has a lot of energy," but it was "misguided" and he had done poorly as a legislator. He similarly dismissed Texan Democrat Beto O'Rourke as "fading very fast," and said Senator Kamala Harris "has got a little bit of a nasty wit but that might be it." Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old Midwestern mayor whose insurgent candidacy has caught observers by surprise "is not going to make it (though) I would hope he would," Trump added. - Top of the polls - Complicating matters for Biden, the last weeks have been clouded by accusations from multiple women who say he touched them inappropriately or made them feel uncomfortable with his shows of affection. Biden, an old-school politico who acknowledges he is quick to offer hugs and shoulder rubs, has not outright apologized, but pledged to be "more mindful" about society's changing boundaries. In another apparent attempt to defuse a key vulnerability for the Democratic candidate, Biden earlier this month called Anita Hill -- the woman at the center of emblematic sex harassment hearings three decades ago -- to express "regret for what she endured" during her testimony. Hill, a law professor, confirmed the call to The New York Times but also said Biden stopped short of an apology, saying she was not convinced he accepts the harm she says he caused her and other harassment victims. Obama, through a source close to his thinking, praised Biden but pointedly avoided endorsing, preferring to "let the candidates make their cases directly to the voters." Biden concurred, saying he had discouraged his former boss from any public blessing because "whoever wins this nomination should win it on its own merits." Biden enters the race months after rivals, and trails in a key benchmark: fundraising. He headed Thursday to Philadelphia, reportedly to attend a high-dollar fundraiser hosted by a telecoms executive. On Monday he travels to Pittsburgh, another city in must-win Pennsylvania, for his first major campaign event, a labor union address. Two birds, one stone: Drug combo may prove effective against second type of leukemia BOSTON - Every year, nearly 11,000 Americans die of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a blood cancer that affects mainly older adults. While most patients initially respond to chemotherapy, more than half of those who respond will eventually relapse as the cancer cells develop resistance to treatment. In a new paper published today in Cell Research, a team of scientists led by Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, Director of the Cancer Center and Cancer Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, reveal vulnerabilities in a subset of AML that could serve as the foothold researchers need to overcome resistance to therapy. "There is an acute need to develop rational combinations to treat disease and overcome resistance that arises in response to therapy," said Pandolfi. "By providing a critical understanding of the mechanisms underlying the disease, we identified a therapeutic strategy for treatment of this type of AML." About 20 percent of AML cases involve a mutation in a key metabolic enzyme called IDH. Using a previously published genetically engineered mouse model as well as human cell line in vitro and in vivo models for AML with this mutation, Pandolfi and colleagues identified key processes these cancer cells use to develop - or evolve - drug resistance in response to therapies. By following the pathway to resistance in a step-by-step manner, the scientists - including first author Vera Mugoni, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Pandolfi lab - identified critical vulnerabilities that researchers can potentially exploit for therapeutic benefit in all stages of the disease's evolution. Moreover, the team demonstrated that a combination of drugs already in use for treatment of another type of leukemia worked equally as well against this form of AML in both an in vitro and in vivo setting. "The molecular processes that are frequently required to promote resistance to therapy leave tumors vulnerable in other areas," said Mugoni. "In the case of AML with mutation to IDH enzymes, both metabolism and differentiation pathways were altered, exposing vulnerabilities that become exacerbated as the leukemia evolves, and for which we already have approved agents that can be utilized." Another form of leukemia known as acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) was once a fatal diagnosis. It is now considered a curable disease, thanks to researchers including Pandolfi, who demonstrated that arsenic trioxide (ATO) was effective against APL in combination with another drug called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). In the current study, Pandolfi and colleagues tested the combination in both the mouse model of AML with IDH mutation and in human AML cells. They determined that, while the drugs target different vulnerabilities in the different forms of leukemia, the combination proved "powerfully and exquisitely effective" against this subset of AML. "With my lab's previous discovery that all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide is curative in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), witnessing the translation of this same therapy to possible therapeutic approaches for other forms of AML is extremely rewarding," said Pandolfi. Pandolfi adds his team is currently working to develop clinical trials to evaluate the ATRA and ATO combination for treatment of AML with mutation in IDH enzymes at multiple centers throughout the United States and beyond. ### In addition to Pandolfi and Mugoni, authors include Riccardo Panella, Giulia Cheloni, Ming Chen, Dina Stroopinsky, Jlenia Guarino, Emanuele Monteleone, Jonathan David Lee, Lourdes Mendez, Archita Venugopal Menon, David Avigan, Letizia Longo and John Gerard Clohessy, of the Cancer Research Institute at BIDMC; Olga Pozdnyakova and Andrew A. Lane of Brigham and Women's Hospital; Jon Christopher Aster, Richard Maury Stone and Ilene Galinsky of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Jose Cervera Zamora of Biobanco La Fe - Instituto de Investigation Sanitaria La Fe (IIS-LA FE); Francesco Lo-Coco of the University of Rome; and Manoj Kumar Bhasin, of the Division of IMBIO, Department of Medicine, BIDMC Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Center at Harvard Medical School and BIDMC. This work was supported by EMBO Long Term post-doctoral fellowship (ALTF 1011-2014); European Commission (LTFCOFUND2013, GA-20130609409); the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (career Development Program, Grant number: 5437-16); the Marie Curie Action Fellowship "Mobility Program for post graduated scientists in the Life Sciences" (C.I. 130011240012025124540); the Societa Italiana di Biofisica e Biologia Molecolare (SIBBM); the Ludwig Center at Harvard; and National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute grants R35CA197529 and R01CA142874. Disclosures: Pandolfi is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA. Pandolfi, Mugoni, Clohessy and Chen have filed U.S. Patent Application No. 62/593,761, entitled "ARSENIC TRIOXIDE AND RETINOIC ACID COMPOUNDS FOR TREATMENT OF IDH-ASSOCIATED DISORDERS," filed December 1, 2017. This application is still pending. The remaining authors declare no competing interests. About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding. BIDMC is in the community with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Anna Jaques Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, Signature Healthcare, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance and Atrius Health. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Jackson Laboratory. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit http://www. bidmc. org . CONTACTS: Teresa Herbert or Jacqueline Mitchell * 617-667-7305 * therbert@bidmc.harvard.edu This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. With an early-morning tweet and accompanying video, former Vice President Joe Biden announced that he is making a third run for his Democratic Partys presidential nomination. Bidens entry to the race on Thursday carried zero surprise but sky-high expectations that have only been building in recent weeks. Biden is a beloved figure in American politics and a decades-long leader on the global stage. But he still faces the same task as his rivals: to build what could be a billion-dollar start-up on the fly. The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020 https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2019 Some Democrats are bracing for a rough start for the former Vice President. Biden benefited greatly when Barack Obamas White House made easy his logistics and his political machine handled the fundraising. But now? Biden has told friends he worries about meeting expectations, especially on fundraising. Last week, his allies started asking supporters to line up like-minded Democrats with deep pockets to bundle donations to have at the ready. Add to that the persistent questions about his often physical but never sexual contacts with others and his political fortunes may be on shakier ground than his polling lead would suggest. Biden has said he is listening to women and men who have said Bidens frequent physicality made them feel uncomfortable. Photograph by Andreas GebertPicture Alliance/Getty Images Read More: Joe Biden and the Hard Choices for Democrats in 2020 And the minute Biden shifts from party elder into rival for the nomination, rivals will take off their gloves and start combing through Bidens long record. Bidens team knows the tone will shift almost instantly. One former adviser who is not rejoining Team Joe has told current advisers that Biden will never be as popular as he is today. Bidens critics have thick files of his record to use against him, some of which have already surfaced. One Democrat even went as far as to alert the Washington Post to a 1975 interview on school segregation that had been entered into the Congressional Record at the time. According to the Post, the Democrat spoke out citing a concern that Bidens positions could be problematic for the party. Story continues Biden has told friends he is not going to be frightened away from the campaign. Ever since he left the White House, hes been itching for another fight. You could practically hear the signs rolling off the printing presses back when Biden published in 2017 a narrow memoir about his late son Beaus yearlong fight against brain cancer. (He said he was saving his telling of his eights years in the White House for a second volume. That choice telegraphed that he wasnt ready to write the figurative last chapter on his public life.) In the 2017 book, Biden recounts a question President Barack Obama put to him in January of 2015, when Biden was considering a run in 2016. Joe, Obama asked, according to Bidens telling, how do you want to spend the rest of your life? Bidens answer was that he wanted to spend time with his family and I want to help change the country and the world for the better. The former Vice President has been just as transparent in recent weeks. He has loved the renewed attention from the public and the press. At a firefighters event on March 12, he told cheering Run, Joe, Run! cheers that they should save their voice for when he needed them in a few weeks. And on March 16, he seemed to slip when he said he is the most progressive candidate in the race. Recognizing the gaffe, Biden quickly corrected himself to say he would be the most progressive candidate in the race if he joined it. He then smiled and blessed himself with a Sign of the Cross. That kind of plainspokenness is why Biden is among the most popular politicians in the country. In February, Gallup found that eight in 10 Democrats and a third of Republican have positive views of Biden. Among all Americans, 56% have a favorable view of Biden. (Gallup also asked about Trump during this period, too. The polling organization found 43% of Americans approve of the president job performance. It is a different question. But its a necessary proxy because you cant ask the public if they approve of Bidens job performance, given hes out of public life.) But Biden has been hemming and hawing about actually joining the contest. Initially, he had planned on making a decision after the 2018 elections and talks with his family. That slipped into the holidays. And then it slipped to by the end of March, when the fundraising quarter ended. Then it slipped into April. Then Wednesday, which slipped into Thursday. All the while, his would-be rivals are getting widespread coverage for their innovative policy ideas, compelling biographies and political hustle. But Biden has been itching to take on Trump. For one, Biden carries little respect for Trump the individual. Biden, who wrote the original Violence Against Women Act, especially finds Trumps treatment of women abhorrent, and even more horrifying to Biden is Trumps dismissal of it as locker room talk. Ive been in a lot of locker rooms my whole life, Biden told an audience in Miami last year. Im a pretty damn good athlete. Any guy that talked that way was usually the fattest, ugliest S.O.B. in the room. At the same event, Biden went so far as to imagine that he would win a fistfight. Thats the type of off-the-cuff campaigning that earned Biden the nickname of Uncle Joe during the Obama years. He has what they call Bidenism using literally incorrectly, saying God love him when it was clear Biden did not, invoking his late Irish-Catholic mother, Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden that pepper his speeches. He is an authentic old-school politician who grew up in Scranton and never let the trappings of the Senate change him. But the politics did change around him. Read More: Joe Biden Will Announce His Presidential Campaign Next Week, Unless He Doesnt Biden has been in public office since 1970. Biden advisers know that he will be called to task for everything in his record, from civil rights to gay rights. (Those advisers are correct to note that Biden endorsed marriage rights for same-sex couples before Obama.) Bidens physical interactions with the wives and daughters of lawmakers at their swearing-in ceremonies which some thought of as endearing back in 2009 are now seen on YouTube through the lens of #MeToo. As Biden said, the rules are different now. Still, Democrats right now may suppress their ideals on gender equality or set aside nagging guilt about nominating another old white man to be their standard bearer. More than anything else, Democrats want to win. And central to Bidens pitch is that he can, arguing that he can blunt Trumps inroads with voters in the industrial Midwest in a way that other Democratic candidates may not. But if thats Bidens lane, no one is ceding it to him. ORourke on March 18 made campaign stops in Michigan and Ohio, two states that helped Trump win the White House. Rep. Tim Ryan, who represents Ohios hollowed-out Mahoning Valley, has joined the campaign and is busy building an organization in Iowa and New Hampshire. And South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been enjoying a media boomlet of late with his heartland pitch to voters heartstrings. In other words, that may be Bidens last act in a remarkable political life, and it has all of the potential for trouble. Biden, though, did not want to be on the sidelines. He was ready to race. By James Oliphant and John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden entered the 2020 Democratic presidential field on Thursday as an instant front-runner, drawing momentum away from other leading candidates and putting new pressure on underperformers to find ways to stay relevant. Biden, 76, a longtime U.S. senator who served two terms as then-President Barack Obama's No. 2, announced his bid in a video describing the high stakes of the race to take on Republican President Donald Trump in next year's election. "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," Biden said. "I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and let that happen." Trump responded in a post on Twitter, saying "welcome to the race Sleepy Joe" and slamming Biden's intelligence. Biden joins U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a self-described "democratic socialist," atop the 20-candidate field. With Biden positioned to be Sanders' chief rival, the resulting clash could lay bare the conflict in the Democratic Party between its moderate and progressive wings. Although Biden has yet to lay out policy proposals as a candidate, he backs many causes valued by progressives, including raising the minimum wage, combating climate change, banning assault weapons and free public college. He has not come out in favour of a Medicare for All plan advocated by Sanders and others. Kyle Kondik, a political analyst at the University of Virginia, says it remains unclear whether Biden can build on his loyal base of support. If that happens, it could come at Sanders' expense. Given his long-standing support from African-Americans and his partnership with Obama, Biden could also affect the candidacy of U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, who is widely regarded as a serious contender for the nomination. Story continues Biden's entry also threatens to derail the rise of Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who has benefited from a surge of media coverage in recent weeks. And it further presses candidates such as former housing Secretary Julian Castro of Texas, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who have failed so far to register with voters, to come up with ways to stay in the game. "In many ways, this settles the race down rather than shaking it up," said Jeff Link, a Democratic strategist in Iowa who worked for Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. But Biden faces his own challenges, including questions about whether he is too old and too centrist for a party yearning for fresh faces and increasingly propelled by its more vocal liberal wing. Biden failed to gain traction with voters during previous presidential bid in 1988 and 2008. As speculation about his third effort mounted, Biden came under fire for his propensity for touching and kissing strangers at political events, with several women coming forward to say he had made them feel uncomfortable. Biden struggled in his response to the concerns, at times joking about his behaviour. But ultimately he apologized and said he recognised standards for personal conduct had evolved in the wake of the #MeToo movement. "Joe Biden is going to regret this decision," said Matt Gorman, a former official at the National Republican Congressional Committee, an arm of the Republican Party. "His candidacy will not only rehash his very long record in public life, but allow his opponents to subtly argue he is too old and too moderate to be the Democratic standard-bearer." Obama said in a statement that he has long said selecting Biden to be his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made. Biden on Thursday told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, that he has asked Obama to not endorse him. Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits, Biden said. 'THREAT TO NATION' On Thursday, Biden held up the example of the 2017 attack at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that killed a counterprotester as a defining moment for the nation. "It was there ... we saw (Ku Klux) Klansmen and white supremacists and neo-Nazis come out in the open ... baring the fangs of racism," Biden said, criticizing Trump's remarks at the time that there were "very fine people on both sides." There was no moral equivalence between racists and those fighting such inequality, he said. "In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime," Biden said. Biden will travel across the country in the coming weeks, kicking off his tour with a visit on Monday to Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, not far from Biden's home state of Delaware, is a key battleground state and former industrial hub that backed Trump in 2016. The Republican president is seeking to capture the state again even as Democrats saw wins there in the 2018 congressional elections. CENTRIST CANDIDATE Biden's long history in the Senate, where he was a leading voice on foreign policy, will give liberal activists plenty to criticise. He is the only candidate in the field who voted in support of the Iraq War in 2002. As Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, he angered women's rights activists with his handling of sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas by law professor Anita Hill during the justice's 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings. The New York Times reported on Thursday that Biden phoned Hill earlier this month to express regret about what she "endured" testifying against Thomas. Hill told the Times that the call left her unsatisfied and that she could not support his presidential bid. He also has been censured over his ties to the financial industry and for his authorship of a 1994 crime act that led to increased incarceration rates. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which backs U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, said Biden's centrist record could be a hindrance. "If Joe Biden positions himself as the political insider from yesteryear who says big ideas like universal childcare, student debt relief and a wealth tax on ultra-millionaires are not possible, he would be an easy foil," said Adam Green, the group's co-founder. (Reporting by John Whitesides and James Oliphant; additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Rich McKay and Ginger Gibson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis) Besancon (France) (AFP) - A Chilean national is to be tried in France for the suspected murder of his Japanese ex-girlfriend, with Paris to request his extradition later this year, a prosecutor said Thursday. Narumi Kurosaki, 21, went missing in December 2016 from her university residence in Besancon, a town near the Alps in eastern France, after having dinner with her Chilean ex, Nicolas Zepeda. Investigators are convinced she was killed by Zepeda in a jealous rage, but despite extensive searches, her body was never found. Zepeda, who is the sole suspect, returned to Chile shortly after she went missing, before investigators could issue an arrest warrant. He denies any involvement in her disappearance. Earlier this month, the Besancon prosecutor Etienne Manteaux travelled to Chile with a judge and two police investigators to interview Zepeda, with the announcement made on their return. "French judicial authorities will formalise an extradition request this autumn which will be presented to their Chilean counterparts," Manteaux told reporters in Besancon. "Whether he is extradited or not... it is certain there will be a trial at Besancon," he pledged. So far, Zepeda has not been arrested or charged by the Chilean authorities, with a Chilean judge previously denying a French request to detain and extradite him, citing insufficient evidence. But Manteaux said the investigators had presented all the relevant evidence during their visit. "The prosecution believes there are now enough incriminating facts to bringing Nicolas Zepeda to court for the murder of Narumi Kurosaki," he said. - Loud cries - Kurosaki, described as a smiley, gentle individual by friends, started a relationship with Zepeda after they met in Japan but the couple later split. She moved to Besancon in September of that year to study French. Investigators said Zepeda, who was working as a teaching assistant, had reacted badly to news that she had started a new relationship, posting videos online threatening her. Story continues He had also bought five litres of flammable liquid and matches at a supermarket days before Kurosaki disappeared, and when he returned his hire car, it was covered in mud. On the night of December 4, Kurosaki was last seen dining with Zepeda at a restaurant a short drive from Besancon, which is in the foothills of the Alps. He admitted going to her room afterwards for what he said was consensual sex. Later that night, fellow students reported hearing sounds of a struggle and very loud cries at around 3:30 am. But no blood was found inside her room at the university, with Manteaux saying late last year that investigators believed she may have been strangled. - 'Visibly shaken' - Ahead of the visit, Manteaux said 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. Until now, France has not sent a formal extradition request, with most countries reluctant to extradite their own nationals for trials overseas. During Zepeda's questioning on April 18, which was carried out by a Chilean magistrate in the presence of the French team, the suspect remained silent but was "visibly shaken by the 95 questions" that were put to him, Manteaux said. "It is the family's wish, in the first instance, to obtain an extradition that will ultimately see Nicolas Zepeda brought to trial here in Besancon," the family's lawyer Sylvie Galley told reporters. Manteaux has previously said that either Zepeda would be tried in Chile based on evidence handed over by the French authorities, or that the case would be prosecuted in France with the suspect tried in absentia. PARIS, April 25 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron pledged on Thursday to cut tax further and said the French would have to work more as he outlined his response to months of anti-government protests that have challenged his authority. Two years into his presidency, Macron is under pressure to deliver policies to quell the five-month old "yellow vest" movement, after a first salvo of measures worth 10 billion euros ($11.13 billion) last December failed to put the genie back in the bottle. Macron said he wanted a "significant" cut in income tax, which would be financed by closing loopholes, squeezing government spending, but the French would also have to work more. Although the number of demonstrators has declined since a peak in November, protesters clashed with police for a 23rd straight week last Saturday. Thursday's response is the result of a three-month long national debate, during which Macron rolled up his sleeves to discuss issues from high taxes to local democracy and decaying shopping streets with mayors, students and hard-up workers. He stuck to his guns on Thursday, however, about the bulk of reforms his government has already implemented. "I asked myself: Should we stop everything that was done over the past two years? Did we take a wrong turn? I believe quite the opposite," Macron told a news conference, the first of his presidency in the Elysee Palace. The street rebellion erupted over planned diesel tax hikes last November but morphed into a broader backlash against inequality and a political elite perceived as having lost touch with the common person. Macron, who swept to power promising to "transform France" and "make work pay," has seen his ambitious reform agenda derailed by the unrest. Pension and unemployment insurance reforms planned for 2019 have made little progress so far. ($1 = 0.8984 euros) (Reporting by Michel Rose, Marine Pennetier, Jean-Baptiste Vey; writing by Leigh Thomas, Editing by Sarah White) By Richard Lough PARIS (Reuters) - The Ecole Nationale d'Administration has for decades churned out presidents, ambassadors and industry leaders but on Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron said he would abolish what has become a symbol of inequality in his drive for a fairer society. "To carry this reform we need to put an end to the ENA," Macron said as he outlined his response to months of protests in part against elitism in the political establishment. "This is not about saying the ENA is a bad thing, quite the contrary. This is about ambitious reform, we need to build something that works better." The president's eye-catching move against his own prestigious alma mater will please those who consider the ENA an emblem of the tight-knit club that dominates political and business circles and rile others who see a cynical gesture that fails to address the causes of France's social imbalances. "If you keep the same structures, habits are too strong," Macron said as he sought to calm a five-month street revolt that has derailed his economic reforms and challenged his authority. The postgraduate school was founded in 1945 by Charles de Gaulle to train a postwar administrative elite drawn from across all social classes. With time, however, it earned a reputation as out of touch and catering to privileged students from the upper social echelons and struggled to modernize its image. Four modern-day presidents and seven prime ministers are Enarques, as the school's alumni are known. So too are the chief executives of telecoms group Orange, Societe Generale bank and the former boss of insurer AXA. The flagbearer of Macron's European election campaign, Nathalie Loiseau, is a past director of the school and the president said France needed to change the way senior civil servants are recruited, trained and their careers are managed. The growing tendency for Enarques to move back and forth between the public and private sector has only deepened the public perception of a distant, incestuous old boy's network. ELITISM "The ENA has come to symbolize exactly that which so many French people loathe: elitism," Alain Klarsfeld, a professor at the Toulouse Business School, wrote in a column in Le Monde. Macron is not the first French leader to talk about either abolishing the ENA or narrowing the wide gulf between France's grandes ecoles like the ENA and its public universities. With the education system already skewed, Nicolas Sarkozy tried to modernize the ENA by broadening the school's socio-economic in-take and sought to scrap the 'classement' system that allows each year's top 15 achievers to cherry pick the most prestigious posts. He failed. "There are two types of Enarques: the top 15 and then the rest," said historian Marc-Olivier Baruch, who studied at the ENA nearly 40 years ago. "The top 15 know they will be the bosses of the rest, and the rest know they will obey the 15." Shutting down the ENA is unlikely to solve France's two-tier education system, as students continue to pass through other grandes ecoles - highly competitive institutions that sit apart from the broader university system. Asked how far abolishing the ENA would appease yellow vest protesters, Baruch said: "They won't give a damn." Macron's plans for ENA leaked after a fire ripped through Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, forcing the president to delay his long-awaited policy announcements and prompting a robust defense of the school from ENA director Patrick Gerard. "No, ENA students are not cut off from the realities of their time," Gerard wrote in Le Figaro. "No, ENA students are not in their own little bubble." (Additional reporting by Michel Rose, Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Leigh Thomas, William Maclean) Its hard to think of a single prominent American Christian who better illustrates the collapsing Evangelical public witness than Franklin Graham, Billy Grahams son. His commitment to the Christian character of American public officials seems to depend largely on their partisan political identity. Lets look at the record. In 1998, at the height of Bill Clintons sex scandals, the younger Graham wrote a powerful op-ed in the Wall Street Journal combating Clintons assertion that his affair was a private matter. Clinton argued that his misdeeds were between me, the two people I love the most my wife and our daughter and our God. Graham noted that even the most private of sins can have very public, devastating consequences, and he asked a simple question: If [Clinton] will lie to or mislead his wife and daughter, those with whom he is most intimate, what will prevent him from doing the same to the American public? Graham was right: Clinton, it turned out, wouldnt just lie to mislead his family. Hed lie to influence courts, Congress, and the American people. Fast-forward 20 years. By 2018, Donald Trump was president and helping to win important policy victories for religious conservatives and Grahams tune had changed dramatically. He actively repudiated his condemnations of Clinton, calling the Republican pursuit of the then-president a great mistake that should never have happened, and argued that this thing with Stormy Daniels and so forth is nobodys business. Graham was wrong: Trump, it turns out, doesnt just lie to mislead his family. He lies all the time to influence courts, Congress, and the American people. So is this the new normal for Evangelicals? Is politics entirely transactional now? Do we evaluate politicians only on their policies and leave the sex discussions to the privacy of their own bedrooms? Apparently not, according to . . . Franklin Graham. Now that the Democratic primary is gaining steam and a gay candidate is surging forward, Graham has rediscovered his moral voice. Yesterday he tweeted this: Story continues Mayor Buttigieg says hes a gay Christian. As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a womannot two men, not two women. 2/3 Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) April 24, 2019 Yes, marriage is the union between a man and a woman, but Trump married a woman, then married his mistress, then married a third woman, then had an affair with a porn star while that third wife was pregnant with his child. Yet Graham says, God put him in the presidency and we need to get behind him and support him. The proper Evangelical position toward any president is not hard to articulate, though it is exceedingly difficult to hold to, especially in polarized times when one party seems set on limiting religious liberty and zealously defending abortion: We should pray for presidents, critique them when theyre wrong, praise them when theyre right, and never, ever impose partisan double standards. We cant ever forget the importance of character, the necessity of our own integrity, and the power of the prophetic witness. In other words, Evangelicals can never take a purely transactional approach to politics. We are never divorced from our transcendent purpose, which always trumps political expediency. In scripture, prophets confronted leaders about their sin. They understood a core truth, one clearly articulated in the Southern Baptist Conventions 1998 Resolution on Moral Character of Public Officials: Tolerance of serious wrong by leaders sears the conscience of the culture, spawns unrestrained immorality and lawlessness in the society, and surely results in Gods judgment. All too many of our nations Evangelical leaders havent just tolerated serious wrongdoing by Trump, theyve rationalized and minimized it. Some have even given the thumbs up in front of a Playboy cover. (What would Nathan, who dramatically confronted David over his infidelity and murder, say?) In so doing, theyve seared the consciences of the culture and the church, and granted their secular opponents all the ammunition necessary to question our sincerity as believers. Scripture repeatedly warns that Christians should expect to be despised by the world, and in many quarters of our culture (the academy, Silicon Valley, Hollywood), Evangelicals are among the most-hated members of all. But whenever someone hates us, we should ask why. If its because of our faith, we should rejoice; if its because of our sin, we should be humble enough to repent. Even the best of men are far from perfect, and our troubles can be our own fault. Franklin Graham is under fire today. He should be. His double standards have cost the church. This mistake should not define him he has done much good and preached the Gospel faithfully for many years but it should grieve him. Through his blatant hypocrisy, he has earned his critics wrath. More from National Review 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 Fu Shou Yuan International Group Limited (HKG:1448), by way of a worked example. Our data shows Fu Shou Yuan International Group has a return on equity of 15% for the last year. One way to conceptualize this, is that for each HK$1 of shareholders' equity it has, the company made HK$0.15 in profit. Check out our latest analysis for Fu Shou Yuan International Group How Do You Calculate ROE? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders' Equity Or for Fu Shou Yuan International Group: 15% = CN488m CN4.1b (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. The easiest way to calculate shareholders' equity is to subtract the company's total liabilities from the total assets. What Does Return On Equity Mean? 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. The higher the ROE, the more profit the company is making. So, all else equal, investors should like a high ROE. Clearly, then, one can use ROE to compare different companies. Does Fu Shou Yuan International Group Have A Good ROE? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. As you can see in the graphic below, Fu Shou Yuan International Group has a higher ROE than the average (12%) in the Consumer Services industry. SEHK:1448 Past Revenue and Net Income, April 25th 2019 That is a good sign. I usually take a closer look when a company has a better ROE than industry peers. For example, I often check if insiders have been buying shares . Story continues How Does Debt Impact Return On Equity? Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. That cash can come from issuing shares, retained earnings, or debt. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt required for growth will boost returns, but will not impact the shareholders' equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same. Fu Shou Yuan International Group's Debt And Its 15% ROE Although Fu Shou Yuan International Group does use a little debt, its debt to equity ratio of just 0.04 is very low. Its very respectable ROE, combined with only modest debt, suggests the business is in good shape. 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. The Bottom Line On ROE Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Photo: Helena Yankovska/Unsplash When it comes to food and drinks, there's plenty to do in Louisville this week. From a celebration of black horse jockeys to a boozy taste test, here's how to add some flavor to your social calendar. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. The Black Jockey Brunch Stop by Aloft Louisville Downtown on Sunday morning to honor Alonzo Lonnie Clayton, an African American jockey who was the youngest person to win the Kentucky Derby, during the Black Bourbon Society's Exclusive Excursion prefacing the running of the derby. Wear black chic clothing and expect to taste a variety of whiskeys and gins. When: Sunday, April 28, 10 a.m.1 p.m. Where: Aloft Louisville Downtown, 102 W. Main St. Price: $41.50 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Slow Food Bluegrass: Cocktail Challenge Stop by the Rabbit Hole Distillery on Sunday evening for the second annual cocktail challenge, presented by Slow Food Bluegrass. The city's top mixologists compete for the title of best bartender. Food will be provided for those in attendance. When: Sunday, April 28, 58 p.m. Where: Rabbit Hole Distillery, 711 E. Jefferson St. Price: $25 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets 50% off wine tasting and tour at Old 502 Winery Take advantage of this half-off discount to taste eclectic wines made with grapes from local Kentucky farmers. Where: 120 S. 10th St., Portland Price: $40 (50 percent discount off regular price) Click here for more details, and to score this deal This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. The armoured van was found abandoned on Tuesday. (Reuters) A G4S driver has been charged after he allegedly ran off with 1million hed taken from deposit boxes and leaving his security van in the street. The man is said to have taken 40 deposit boxes from the vehicle and left it in a residential street in Clapham, south-west London on Tuesday. Bemused locals notice the armoured blue van, emblazoned with G4S logos, soon after it was abandoned on double yellow lines around 9am, wondering why it was left there when there when no shops or cash machines were nearby. It wasn't until eight hours later the security at around 7pm the police reported, even though residents on the street had called the security company at 5.30pm, The Sun reported. The van was found on double yellow rise on the Clapham residential street Larkhall Rise. (Google) Joel March, 38, of Rectory Grove, in Clapham, has been charged with one count of theft by employee and will appear at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court on Thursday. Scotland Yards Flying Squad headed the investigation and soon managed to recover a quantity of cash from. G4S - a major government security contractor - said there had been no "material" financial impact from the incident. A local resident told The Sun: I saw some strips of paper with mum, dad and phone numbers. That worried me in case someone had come to harm. A G4S spokeswoman said: "These incidents are extremely rare in our UK Cash business and we are working closely with the Metropolitan Police to resolve the matter. The financial impact is not material." A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "Police were called at approximately 7pm on Tuesday, 23 April to reports of a theft of cash deposit boxes from a cash-in-transit vehicle. "Officers attended a location in the Larkhall Rise area of Clapham where the vehicle was parked. There was no sign of forced entry to the vehicle. "An investigation was launched by the Met's Flying Squad and a 36-year-old man was arrested by officers on suspicion of theft at approximately 3pm on Wednesday, April 24 in SW2. Police said the suspect was being kept in a South London police station and inquiries were continuing. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Georgian startup companies Flying Painter By Nika Gamtsemlidze Last week we wrote about AlterSocks, one of the most successful startup companies in Georgia. Today, we are going to tell you a story of the Flying Painter.Flying Painter is a Georgian clothing and accessories brand which according to the brand concept, creates each piece as an art project. Every single one of their creations has a story of their own. We will take a look into the stories that the Flying Painter has to tell.The company was established in 2016, when the founders of Fabrika decided to invite one of the owners of the Flying Painter, Eka Ketsbaia, to open an atelier store in place of the old clothing factory. Eka invited other creators, Bobo Mkhitar and Natuka Vatsadze and thus the Flying Painter was born.The brand focuses on delivering social, political, critical and romantic messages to the public and they utilize the language of fashion and art for this purpose. All the clothes that are manufactured in the atelier are ready to wear and tell stories that many might not have heard before.The name of the brand, Flying Painter, was inspired by the work of the Georgian modernist painter Petre Otskheli, who was killed during the Great Purge. The painting was created by Otskheli in 1936, for the film "Winged Painter", which was directed by Leo Esakia.We met with one of the founders of the Flying Painter, Natuka Vatsadze, who told us interesting facts and stories about the brand.Whats the story behind the creation of the Flying Painter?In 2016, one of my dear friends, Eka Ketsbaia, was invited to Fabrika to use the space for her new ideas. This place was full of old clothes. As you know, it used to be a clothing factory, called Nino. We wanted to use those old collections for something, but changing them would not do any good, because its very risky to work on old fabric. So, we decided to leave the old collection as it was. It amazes me that the clothes that were popular 30 and more years ago are still very trendy and fashionable today.I think the main reason why Eka invited me and our other friends to work with her was that we really enjoy doing this work. Also, working with your own friends is a lot of fun and everything just seems a lot easier.When we first came here, this place was full of dust and we did not have any money, so we had to do everything on our own. We cleaned every inch of this place with our own hands, and to be honest, it was a little fun, because we were doing this for something that we really love - art. We worked very hard to clean this place for 10 days.3 years ago, we started working on a new collection. We had a very little budget for fabrics, maybe like GEL 1000, which is almost nothing. We had only one tailor, who also was a constructor. But thankfully, in the beginning, Fabrika had a good policy, and we didnt have to pay much for this place.What can you tell us about your collections?When we started making our first collection, we did not have a plan of what we wanted to do. In the end, it became something that you not only wear but something that helps you to tell a story. It happened very naturally.Our first collection was Karamaniani, which, Im very glad that remains as one of our most popular collections even today. It was inspired by the Persian heroic epos. "Karamaniani" is dark-colored clothes for daily wear. Every single piece has unique details that are not repeated on the other models. The phrases from the poem are embroidered on dresses and coats."Karamaniani" is created for heroes and reckless travelers, it tells stories from far away. There is still a lot to tell with this collection, and we cant wait to continue working on them.During the ruling of King Erekle II, it was a very popular poem in Georgia. We would very much like to make it popular for new generations as well.The second collection is called Paco. Very colorful and popular collection, which is also connected to our history. Pieces that belong in this collection have Georgian Constitution on them. Other than Constitution, in the pockets, you can also find instructions on how to behave during police raids or when you are taken for undergoing drug tests.In the 90s, the political situation in Georgia was very strange. During this time, police illegally planted drugs in the pockets and extorted money. Some parents were cutting off the pockets of their childrens clothes. Instead of cutting the pockets off, we decided to put the constitution in, so people can defend themselves if something like this happens to them.The other collection is called Ruler-belt, which comes from a famous phrase "tighten your belts". During the economic crisis, this was the phrase that expressed the tight budget.We also have a collection called Global Warming, and everything with this label is made with recycled fabrics. We chose the name Global Warming, not only because we used second-hand fabrics that are considered eco-friendly, but, because the Khrushov rule, the phase that is often referred to as the warming in the USSR history, was characterized with the warming of relations between USSR and other countries. Some of the people from the Soviet countries even had a chance to see the outer world. Because of this, clothes and culture started to change too.But because of making a situation better with others, the relationship between USSR and China became worse and silk bedspreads even more coveted.In the epoch of Global Warming and ecological catastrophe, we have created a new collection made of the once carefully saved fabrics, saturated with the smell of mothballs and velvet carpets removed from walls long ago. Global Warming is dedicated to global love humans, nature and the beautiful animal, deer.We also have other very interesting collections, Black Cat; Mze; Religions Sweatshirts; Soviet Vintage. All of them tell their own unique and beautiful stories.The messenger has also talked to one of the employees, Lali Razmadze, who told us Im very lucky that I ended up working here. Its very hard for women my age to find themselves. We were born in a time when everything was drastically different. The environment at the Flying Painter is very intellectual, rich with new ideas and knowledge of history. Their views are very close to my heart, and Im very happy to have the comfort of working here.We will continue to showcase other interesting stories likes of the Flying Painter, that are so important for the growth of the Georgian economy and the popularization of Georgian products around the world. Washington (AFP) - "I don't see Joe Biden as a threat." It was with these words that Donald Trump earlier this month summarily dismissed the challenge posed by the former vice president, who on Thursday announced his long-expected decision to run for the Democratic nomination in 2020. But could the bravado belie how much the president in fact fears the prospect of going toe-to-toe with his fellow septuagenarian, who leads him handily in early polls and threatens to poach his base? Make no mistake: in the months to come, sparks will fly as the New York business tycoon who won the 2016 election without any political or diplomatic experience trades blows with the old Beltway hand and lion of the Democratic party, who first entered the US Senate in 1973. If at first glance there is plenty that separates the two men, they also share much in common. Both style themselves as ardent defenders of the working classes, court voters in Middle America, and, in their own very different ways, are known for their plain-speaking. "Because of his blue-collar strength in states Trump won in 2016, Biden is a real threat to Trump," said Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia. But to get there, Biden needs to beat a crowded field vying for the Democratic nomination, "and hes never done well in presidential primaries," added Sabato. During the 2016 campaign, then once more in 2018, the former Democratic senator had expressed in his own inimitable fashion and, one suspects, only half in jest, his desire to physically thrash the Republican billionaire over his attitude toward women. "They asked me would I like to debate this gentleman, and I said no. I said, 'If we were in high school, I'd take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him,'" Biden told an audience at the University of Miami last year. It didn't take long for a reply. "Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy," tweeted Trump, who called his opponent "weak, both mentally and physically," and added: "he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way." Story continues Julian Zelizer, a professor at Princeton University, told AFP: "In some ways, Biden offers the best chance for Trump to unleash his firepower with someone who will be seen as comparable opponent," predicting no holds barred confrontations between the pair. - Pale, male and stale? - Biden's entry into the race has revived the lively exchanges between Trump and the man he has described variously as "Sleepy Joe" and "Crazy Joe." The Democrat from Delaware lived up to his reputation for being gaffe-prone when, during a dinner in mid-March, he accidentally let it slip that he was running. "Joe Biden got tongue tied over the weekend when he was unable to properly deliver a very simple line about his decision to run for President," Trump tweeted. "Get used to it, another low I.Q. individual!" And when Barack Obama's second-in-command found himself coming under fire over his unsolicited physical contact with multiple women, Trump was quick to troll his rival's video apology with his own doctored clip that showed a fake Biden creeping up on the real version and placing his hands on his shoulders. "WELCOME BACK JOE!" Trump wrote above the video. Many Democrats denounced the intervention as unacceptable, coming as it did by a man accused by more than a dozen women of sexual misconduct -- and who declared in a notorious 2005 recording that leaked during the 2016 campaign that being a star allowed him to grab women "by the pussy." He later put the remarks down to "locker room talk." Given their advanced years -- Trump is 72 while Biden is 76 -- questions about their age and records are sure to come to the forefront, with each man approaching the topics with different angles of attack. "This country can't afford four more years of a president locked in the past," Biden told auto workers in early April, characterizing Trump as a man consumed with personal grievances, one whose policies were at odds with the nation's core values. Trump meanwhile has attacked Biden as part of the political old guard that is out of touch and has nothing new to offer the country. Presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway got her own jabs in this week, deriding Biden and Bernie Sanders, the independent socialist Senator currently polling second in the Democratic race, as "old white male career politicians" -- a dig referencing the fact that their party has positioned itself as the voice of women and minorities. There have always been touchy-feely guys, and its not always easy for a woman, especially in the moment, to know how she should feel about it. Theres the colleague you dont see very often, who kisses you affectionately on the cheek when he sees you. If youve read each others cues and you both know its OK, theres no problem. But what if you dont like it? Might objecting somehow undermine you in a world where men and women have to work together? Theres the uncle-in-law who, during a friendly embrace, puts his hand in a spot thats either too high or too low, youre not quite surebut its not a capital offense, so you laugh it off. Does that make you a tool of the patriarchy, an enabler of old-school boys will be boys behavior? How much do we put up with? And why do we feel we need to put up with anything at all? In its short life so far, the Me Too era has been a period of justified anger and understandable relief, as women have realized that when they speak up about abuse, assault and harassment, others are, at last, poised to listen. But in any exchange between men and womenor between people who, whatever their gender or orientation, possess human sexual impulsesthere are gray zones, and even in the context of womens newfound space to speak up, we dont always have the mechanisms to deal with them. Most sane, sensible people, once theyd heard womens testimonies, wouldnt hesitate to stand behind Harvey Weinsteins accusers. But on social media or in casual conversation, anyone expressing doubts about less clear cut accountsas in, Maybe that Aziz Ansari thing was just a bad date between two people with differing expectations and not cause for public outragehad to tread carefully. The prevailing mentality has been: Youre either with us or against us. Story continues But now, one clumsy, seemingly benevolent guy has shifted the conversation. No one knows quite what to do with Joe Biden and the inappropriate-touching flap stirred up in the weeks before he announced his presidential candidacy on April 25. Internet outrage fizzled, and in its place is a kind of whispered questioning. Men are asking themselves, What kind of touching is OK in a public or professional setting? And women are asking, Do we really have to be radically aggrieved by every instance of sexism or disrespect, without weighing the intentions of the accused? And what is the proper punishmentif there ought to be a punishment at allfor a guy who has not assaulted or abused us but has made us uncomfortable? In a March 29 essay on New York Magazines The Cut, Former Nevada assemblymember Lucy Flores opened the conversation around Bidens handsy behaviorand thus his unsuitability for the job of Presidentby writing about a 2014 incident in which Biden, during a political event, put his hands on Flores shoulders, smelled her hair and slowly kissed the back of her head. In the essay, Flores said the incident made her feel embarrassed, shocked and confused. She found Bidens behavior demeaning and disrespectful, and spoke of the power imbalance between Biden and the women he feels so comfortable touching. In the days that followed, several other women came forward to say that they, too, had been on the receiving end of Bidens inappropriate touching. But while no one is claiming these women arent telling the truthwho doesnt know about Bidens space-invader impulses?their accusations didnt unleash torrents of anger over Bidens behavior. In fact, according to polling data from Morning Consult for the week of April 1 to 7the week after the allegations against Biden became public34 percent of Democratic women cited Biden as their first choice for the partys nomination; polling results from the previous week had been roughly the same. With exceptions, of course, few women in the press or on social media condemned Biden; eventually, the conversation settled into confused silence. Many women on the left, it seems, arent so much angry with Joe Biden as they are frustrated with Uncle Joe, a seemingly well-meaning bumbler whos constantly sabotaging himself with his own exuberant impulses. Bidens touchy-feeliness has been the stuff of memes for years, and its usually been easy enough to brush it off with a There he goes again eyeroll. But the stakes are higher now that he has entered the race, especially at a time when theres so much focus, finally, on female leaders. The party and the women voters within it have to reckon with what Bidens behavior toward women meansif it has any significant meaning at all. In political terms, theres plenty to be said about Biden and his suitability, or lack thereof, for the presidency. But our discussion of this thing we can refer to only by the nebulous label inappropriate touching is far more complex. By talking about it, we may be able to get men and women closer to understanding what is and isnt OKand also to acknowledge that women have different benchmarks for what they consider harassment, or what makes them uncomfortable. The onus may beas alwayson women to speak clearly about what they want from men, but also to listen to other women, without judgment, who may have different benchmarks. Our personal comfort zones are personal for a reason: theyre specific to each of us. How are we, as women, supposed to respond when a man violates another womans personal spacea violation thats personal for her but not for us? Are we supposed to respond with a unibrain rallying cry of support? And if were uncomfortable with that kind of blanket defense, are we traitors to the idea of believing women? The Me Too movement has provided a vital gateway for women to stand up to abusive men. But it has divided women too, in ways that arent always easy to talk about. We might believe a womans account, yet also feel some sympathy for the object of her complaint. In these gray areas, who decides which degree of gray is acceptable? Maybe women, as well as men, have something to learn from the Joe Biden fracasnot about men, but about each other. If we give Biden the benefit of the doubt and assume his touching is just inappropriately expressed exuberance, then hes the perfect example of the Clueless Older Guy who just doesnt know any better. We talked about this guy a lot in the early days of Me Too: What were we supposed to do with men whod been in the workplace (or the world) for a long time and who grew up with different rules for what kind of behavior is acceptable? How quickly were they supposed to change? Was it our job to help change them? And if so, ugh! Didnt we already have enough work to do? These are things many of us have been thinking about for years, even before the hashtag went viral. And our uncertainty about what, exactly, to do with the Clueless Older Guy may explain why relatively few women are ready to damn Biden outrightthough for many on the left, the inappropriate-touching controversy has opened a channel to express frustrations with him as a potential candidate. Just so pissed at Joe Biden, political writer Ana Marie Cox tweeted on April 3, five days after the appearance of Flores essay, a blurt of exasperation that felt reflective of the free-floating irritation many women were feeling at the time. Many seem to be angry with Biden less for his transgression of personal boundaries specifically and more for what they see as a larger pattern of disrespectful behavior, stemming, at least in part, from his poor handling of Anita Hills testimony in 1991. Weve also gotten mixed signals from Biden: The same guy who sponsored, and continues to support, the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, and who was one of the architects of Its On Us, an initiative to educate the public about sexual assault, doesnt automatically understand how wrongor even just how weirdit is to kiss the back of a woman politicians head during an event? (And that happened in 2014, the same year Biden helped launch Its On Us.) After Flores essay ran, Biden issued a video statement in which he vowed to be more mindful of others personal boundaries going forward; some see this apology as inadequate. In The Atlantic, in early April, Megan Garber likened Bidens statement to what she sees as the non-apology Biden has offered Hill; the day Biden announced his candidacy, Amber Phillips expressed similar reservations in the Washington Post. (Addressing the audience at the Biden Courage Awards on March 26, Biden praised Hill for speaking out about the harassment she suffered at the hands of Clarence Thomas, and also said, To this day, I regret I couldnt come up with a way to get her the kind of hearing she deserved, given the courage she showed by reaching out to us.) And Flores continues to stress the importance of talking about Biden-style invasions of personal space in the context of Me Too. It should include the entire spectrum of when our spaces, our bodies, are violated without our consent, she said in an April 6 interview with Teen Vogue. Even so, Biden isnt a clear-cut villain here. Many women seem to accept where, as an older guy, hes coming from, even if they cant condone his behavior, or cant fully square that behavior with, say, his involvement in establishing VAWA. In an early-April article on Elle.com, human-resources expert Lucy Adams noted that, based on her experience, shed guess that Biden was feeling a little bit bruised and embarrassed after being called out on his behaviorand said that when you talk to a man about something hes gotten wrong, what you usually see is a period of reflection, if hes a decent human being. She also set out a three-step approach to dealing with the clueless older guy in the workplace, the first of which is to address the behavior outright, using humor if possible, followed by speaking out more directly and firmly. The third step, going to HR, is applicable only in the workplace, but the overall tone of Adams approach seems healthy: If crossed signals are the problem, the first thing is to try to uncross them. Adams sympathy for Biden reflects what many felt when the whole controversy began. As dumb as it may sound, some men just dont know any better, and if nothing else, the allegations against Biden have at least set some guidelines for them. Attention, dudes, especially older ones with a tendency to be physically demonstrative! Take better care not to invade a womans space. Dont treat her like shes adorable. Dont put your hand on her knee. Dont move in close, as if to rub noses. You may not need to be told to do any of these thingsbut if youre ever moved to do them, think twice. If nothing else, the Biden mess at least gives us a reference point for our own personal threshold of whats acceptable. Younger women, especially, seem to be exasperated that we have to educate men at all, but the reality is that men learn a lot from women. There are just some things we notice about the way men behavethings they have done for years without thinking, simply because no one has called them out. Theres no magic formula that will make all men behave properly, but talking to them directly about what bugs us is a start. Its just as well weve already started having this discussion as it pertains to Biden: Were going to be seeing a lot more of him in the months ahead. How does his behavior measure up to his promises, and against his stated policies? And in the context of larger political upheaval and division, is Bidens touchy-feeliness such a big deal? We have the right to ask those questions. But the worst thing we can do is to let our resentment harden into a culture of punishment, where accusations fly but nobody strives to understand anyone else. We live in a complicated, sometimes dangerous world, where men and women have to get along whether they like it or not. The gray zones hold all the stuff we dont really want to talk about. But its the gray zones that may be our salvation. By Emilio Parodi MILAN (Reuters) - French luxury group Kering is close to agreeing to pay between 1.3 billion and 1.4 billion euros ($1.5-1.6 billion) to settle a dispute with Italian authorities over unpaid taxes by its fashion brand Gucci, three sources told Reuters on Thursday. An agreement between the group and the Italian tax authority is expected to be signed in the first few days of May, said one of the sources, who all have direct knowledge of the matter. This would be the biggest tax settlement ever agreed by a company with the Italian tax authorities. Kering said in an emailed statement it had held regular discussions with the Italian tax service, adding the meetings took place in "an open and collaborative climate". "At this stage, no agreement has been reached yet on any specific figure," it added. The tax authority could not immediately be reached for comment. Earlier this year, Kering said it faced a claim for 1.4 billion euros in unpaid Italian taxes, adding it contested the preliminary findings. The group has consistently denied avoiding tax, saying its activities were fully compliant with all tax obligations. The company's Swiss-based Luxury Goods International (LGI) subsidiary has been under investigation for allegedly avoiding tax on earnings generated elsewhere. Most of the allegations centre on Gucci, whose offices in Milan and Florence were raided by Italian police in late 2017. In November, Milan prosecutors wrapped up their probe into alleged tax evasion of more than 1 billion euros by Gucci for revenues booked in the years between 2010 and 2016. The prosecutors say that revenues booked through LGI should be taxed in Italy and not in Switzerland. By agreeing to a settlement, Kering would be spared from having to pay interest and sanctions for late tax payments, which one source said would have added around 500 million euros to the final bill. Gucci's Chief Executive Marco Bizzarri and former CEO Patrizio Di Marco are under investigation in the case. That investigation is expected to conclude with a separate settlement once the agreement on the tax dispute has been signed, one of the sources added. Lawyers for Bizzarri and Di Marco declined to comment. (Reporting by Emilio Parodi; Additional reporting by Sarah White; Editing by Alexander Smith and Mark Potter) Ross Brain of Edinburgh University's fitness club was sacked for making offensive remarks (INSTAGRAM) A gym boss at a UK university has been sacked over allegations he joked how a woman should be raped for not showing up to a class. Senior fitness instructor Ross Brain, of Edinburgh University's Sport & Exercise club, is accused of sending offensive messages to a work WhatsApp group. The message reportedly sent by Mr Brain read: Lets rape her. Or give her the choice of 600 burpees or rape. While other colleagues ignored the message, Mr Brain then appeared to follow up with another message, saying: No-one up for this then? (INSTAGRAM) After the message, which was sent shortly before Christmas, staff reported the comments to the HR department in January. But colleagues were left bemused after waiting for over three months for action to be taken. The Edinburgh Evening News reports the fitness instructor was sacked on Wednesday evening following an open letter demanding the university dismiss him was signed by 800 students. Read more on Yahoo News UK Experts warn of public health timebomb over parents refusal to vaccinate children against measles White supremacist executed in Texas for brutal dragging death of black man Police hunt man who tried to 'upskirt' 15-year-old girl in school uniform at rail station in Manchester A source at the gym said: It's like they're trying to brush it under the rug. People are feeling let down. The university is loud and proud about its zero tolerance policies but a lot of people want action on this - they feel abandoned.' Staff were told there'd be an investigation in January and have heard no more. There are off-hand sexist remarks particularly working in the fitness industry that are leftover attitudes that haven't made their way out yet. One senior manager apparently told female members of staff they must wear tight leggings because 'it looks more professional'. Over 800 students signed an open letter demanding Ross Brain be dismissed from his position (INSTAGRAM) A spokesman for the University of Edinburgh said: We take incidents such as this very seriously - the use of such language is abhorrent and has no place in this University. Story continues We have a zero-tolerance stance towards sexual harassment of any kind and are absolutely committed to providing an environment in which all members of the University community treat others with dignity and respect. We put significant effort into reinforcing our zero tolerance culture including through campaigns such as 'Don't Cross the Line'. While we do not comment on the detail or outcome of individual cases, we can confirm that a full disciplinary investigation has taken place in this instance. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- WASHINGTON (AP) Video of a Washington, D.C., police officer chasing and handcuffing a 9-year-old boy on Monday has prompted a review of police practices. Attorney General Karl A. Racine told news outlets Wednesday about the review into how the department deals with children. He says those practices will then be compared to other departments. The child wasn't charged with a crime and was released into his mother's custody. The mother says her son was leaning against a car and the officer asked him to move. She says her son then called the officer a slur and fled. Police say an internal investigation is ongoing. Last month, another officer detained a 10-year-old boy later determined to have been wrongfully accused of armed robbery. Chief Peter Newsham says that launched an internal procedure review. By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - The number of homicides in England and Wales hit their highest level in a decade, official statistics showed on Thursday, as authorities struggle to halt a surge in fatal stabbings. The Office for National Statistics said homicides - which includes murders and manslaughter - had been rising since March 2014, in contrast to falling numbers over the previous decade. While still rare in Britain, the sharp rise in murders, especially from knife-crime, has put pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May, whose government has been focused on trying to leave the European Union. The government said it had given police extra powers and billions of pounds of extra funding. "Too many people are still falling victim to serious violence, which is why we will continue our urgent and unprecedented action to reverse this terrible trend," junior minister Nick Hurd said. The opposition Labour Party said the government was "in denial" about the impact of police funding cuts. Reductions in police staffing levels during May's time as interior minister were a big issue during campaigning for the 2017 election, at which she lost her majority. Since then, the number of homicides has increased further. Police-recorded statistics showed a 6 percent rise in homicides to 732 in the year ending December 2018, the highest levels since the year to March 2008. The figures for 2017 were pushed up by militant attacks in London and Manchester which killed 36 people. Excluding casualties from those attacks, there was a 12 percent increase in homicides in 2018. Official statistics published last month showed there were 285 fatal stabbings in England and Wales in 2018, the highest level since records began more than 70 years ago. Police say the surge in knife crime in a country where guns are hard to obtain has been driven by several factors, including rivalries between drug gangs, cuts to youth services and provocations on social media. (Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by William Schomberg) Honda Odyssey Minivans Recalled for Rollaway Risk Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Honda is recalling more than 50,000 Odyssey minivans from the 2018 and 2019 model years because the transmission may unexpectedly attempt to shift itself into Park while the vehicle is moving. This could damage the part of the transmission that keeps a car stationary when the driver puts the shifter into Park. If this part of the transmissionknown as a parking rodis damaged, the vehicle could roll away when parked if the electronic parking brake is not also set. Honda said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to this problem. Only Odyssey Touring and Touring Elite models equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions are affected by this recall. The Details Vehicles recalled: Certain 2019 Honda Odyssey minivans manufactured from April 12, 2018 through Jan. 14, 2019 and certain 2018 Honda Odyssey minivans manufactured from Jan. 19, 2017 through April 16, 2018. The problem: Either a faulty battery or a faulty battery connection could cause the computerized transmission controller to reboot while the vehicle is in motion. If that happens, the transmission will automatically attempt to shift itself into Park. That could damage the parking rod, which is the part of an automatic transmission that keeps a vehicle stationary when shifted into Park. As a result of this damage, the vehicle could roll away even if the vehicle is parked. If the transmission attempts to shift into Park while the vehicle is in motion, drivers may notice noise or the feeling of added friction in the drivetrain. A Honda spokesman told CR that he's unaware of any instances when the transmission succeeded at shifting into Park at speed. The fix: Honda will update the transmission controllers software, tighten 12-volt battery cables, and replace the transmission free of charge if the parking gear does not work properly. Story continues How to contact the manufacturer: The recall is expected to begin June 1, 2019. Owners of affected vehicles may also contact Honda at 888-234-2138. NHTSA campaign number: 19V299. Honda's own numbers for this recall are Z4J and Y4K. Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSAs website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed. If you plug your cars 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into NHTSAs website and a recall doesnt appear, it means your vehicle doesnt currently have any open recalls. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc. UPDATE 4/29/2019: The cause of death for 13-year-old Kashala Francis, who died just days after being attacked by three fellow students at her middle school has been released. Houston news station KTRK reported that Kashala died due to complications of intracranial neoplasm, a brain tumor, as per the medical examiner's report. Doctors discovered the tumor in the back of her head at Texas Children's Hospital after Kashala was placed on life support two days after the brutal attack outside of Attucks Middle School in Houston, Texas. It is believed that the assault, in which the three girls repeatedly punched and kicked Kashala in the head, may have exacerbated the tumor. - UPDATE 4/25/2019: Kashala Francis, 13, has died Wednesday morning, just days after she was brutally attacked outside of Attucks Middle School by three other students. The 7th-grade student was repeatedly punched and kicked in her head in a fight that was captured on cell phone footage on April 18. On Sunday, she complained of headaches and fell unconscious. At the hospital, doctors made the discovery that Kashala had a brain tumor, as well as fluid build-up. Her mother, Mamie Jackson, believes that had the fight not occurred, she "would have had more time with my baby." "It's not fair," Jackson discussed the footage with KTRK. "She did not deserve that. She kept saying 'Stop.' She didn't even want to fight, but they kept going." Both Kashala's family and friends are mourning over the loss of the young girl. "She was a sweet baby, real sweet," her mother said. "She always said she loved me, gave me hugs, kisses." "She always found a way to make me laugh, when I was sad or mad, no matter what happened, said a friend. Jackson feels like there is a lot she still does not know. For Jackson, a healthy 13-year-old dying just days after a fight does not make sense, even with the unknown tumor. Investigators are waiting for the autopsy results to determine how Kashala's injuries may have aided in her death. Story continues "Why do I have to suffer?" Jackson asked. "Why do I have to wake up and she's not here?" - A 13-year-old girl is on life support at Texas Children's Hospital two days after three girls attacked her outside of her middle school in Houston. The Attucks Middle School student, Kashala Francis, told her mother, Mamie Jackson, that on Thursday she was attacked by two girls after school and at some point, a third girl jumped in and kicked her in the head. Jackson was able to see the bruising on her daughter's face, but the 7th-grade student told her she was okay. On Saturday, Kashala was at a family member's house where Jackson's niece said the young girl was delusional, but then returned to normal. On Sunday, Kashala was complaining of a headache and weakness to her mother on the phone. "I drove over and I told her get up. I said 'Get up, Kashala.' She kept saying, 'Mama, my head hurt,' so she laid down," Jackson told ABC13. Kashala did not open her eyes again. When first responders arrived, she was unconscious. At Texas Children's Hospital, doctors found a brain tumor that Kashala's family did not know about, as well as fluid buildup in her brain. It is unknown whether the tumor was a pre-existing condition or a result of the fight. The family's Facebook donation page, which has been set up to help pay for Kashala's medical expenses, reads, "After multiple surgeries, the doctors stated that there is nothing they can do for Kashala and she has been pronounced brain dead." "All I know is my daughter was perfectly fine before this fight and now, I'm losing my baby," Jackson told ABC13 through tears. "Nobody knows how that feels to have to bury their child." Both Houston and Houston Independent School District police departments are investigating the incident. A representative for HISD did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyles requests for comment, but they did provide the following statement to ABC13: "The district is aware that several Attucks Middle School students were involved in an off-campus altercation on Thursday. HISD is gathering information and cooperating with the Houston Police Department in its investigation." Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. An Indian court has reversed a decision that ordered Google and Apple to take down Chinese-owned video app TikTok over the spread of pornographic material, local media said. The controversial but wildly popular app allows users to upload and share short 15 second clips from their phones and claims to have 500 million users worldwide -- more than 120 million of them in India. It is already banned in neighbouring Bangladesh and was hit with an enormous fine in the United States for illegally collecting information from children. The Wednesday ruling by the Madras High Court in India's southern Tamil Nadu state requires the popular platform to prevent "obscene videos" from being posted. "(The court) warned if any controversial video violating its conditions were found uploaded using the app, it would be considered a contempt of court," a report by the Press Trust of India agency said. On April 16, India's government demanded Google and Apple remove the service from its app stores, though the order did not stop those who had already downloaded the app from using it. The case against TikTok was launched by an activist group that said the app encouraged paedophiles and pornography. India's government told the court on Wednesday that they had formed a committee to suggest ways to regulate apps like TikTok, PTI said. TikTok told the court that they had removed around six million controversial videos from the platform since the order was announced banning new downloads last week. The app hit the headlines in India earlier in April after a 19-year-old man was accidentally shot dead by a friend in Delhi as they posed with a pistol to make a video on the platform. TikTok has become a major rival to Facebook, Instagram and other social network sites among teenaged smartphone users in the past year. Bangladesh banned TikTok in February as part of a clampdown on internet pornography. The same month, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said a $5.7 million fine ordered against the company was the largest imposed in a child privacy investigation. The social network failed to obtain parental consent from underage users as required by the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, FTC officials said. By Rajendra Jadhav NASHIK, India (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party and a Hindu nationalist ally face a big electoral challenge in the critical western state of Maharashtra where rural distress, unemployment and drought may hurt Modi's bid for a second term. Strategists already expect Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to lose ground in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh in the north, as voting is underway in a general election that began on April 11 and ends on May 19. That coupled with possible losses in Maharashtra, home to India's financial capital, Mumbai, and the second most seats in parliament after Uttar Pradesh, would make it harder for the BJP-led coalition to win a governing majority, they say. The BJP and its regional ally, Shiv Sena, won 41 of 48 seats in Maharashtra in the 2014 election. There are 545 seats in the lower house of parliament. How rural India votes will largely determine the outcome. Nearly two-thirds of its 1.3 billion people live in the towns and villages in the countryside. Only a few weeks ago, Modi appeared to have turned back the opposition tide in Maharashtra with his tough line on Pakistan after Islamist militants based there killed 40 Indian police in a suicide attack in the disputed Kashmir region. Modi ordered an air strike on a suspected militant camp in Pakistan, and doubled down on security as a campaign issue. "In March, it looked like the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra had an edge due to the air strikes," said Pratap Asbe, a political commentator based in Mumbai. "But in the past few weeks the opposition has seized on issues such as unemployment and lower crop prices that have hurt voters," he said. FARM SUICIDES Reuters interviewed 148 farmers from 11 districts in the state in March and April, and nearly two-thirds said their incomes had fallen and they blamed the government for not doing enough to support crop prices. The BJP-led state government's slow response to the farm crisis has inflamed the anti-incumbency mood ahead of a state election due by October, Abse said. Protests by farmers in the state have grown in the last two years as crop prices plunged, while some gave up hope. There were 3,661 farm suicides in Maharashtra in 2016, nearly a third of the national toll that year, according to government data. Recent numbers are not available. The farm crisis is acutely felt in the sugar industry. Sugar mills in the state, India's second-biggest producer of sugar, cotton and soybeans, have run up a record $614.8 million in arrears to cane farmers due to poor sales amid a sugar glut. "Sugar mills are not paying government-mandated prices for cane and have also been delaying payments for months," said Madhav Pawase, a farmer in Nashik district, nearly 175 km (110 miles) north of Mumbai. Modi's administration has done little to ensure mills pay the right price to farmers on time, added Pawase, who voted for Shiv Sena in the 2014 election. Poor rains have added to farmers' woes. Rainfall in the state was 23 percent below normal in 2018, wilting crops and causing water shortages. Farmers say the government is reluctant to open cattle shelters where livestock can get free water and fodder. The lack of jobs is also major issue for voters in Maharashtra, where competition for government positions has fueled community tensions. The state's dominant Maratha community has organized protests and shutdowns, including marches to Mumbai in recent years, to demand that government posts are reserved for them. "There are no jobs today. We want a government that will create jobs," said Akash Phalke, a mechanical engineer who has spent the past two years looking for a job. INFIGHTING Shiv Sena is one of the BJP's oldest allies, but they have long squabbled over how to share power. Shiv Sena had said it would contest this general election alone, but agreed just before the polls to another tie up with the BJP. However, it's not clear if BJP and Shiv Sena cadres have embraced the renewed alliance on the campaign trail, said Sunil Chawake, a senior assistant editor at the Maharashtra Times newspaper. "The lower level workers of both parties have grudges against each other and don't work together cohesively," he said. The partnership between the opposition Congress party and its Maharashtra ally, the Nationalist Congress Party, is more watertight, Chawake said. The opposition also got a boost when a regional party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, decided to sit out the general election and its leader Raj Thackeray began campaigning against the BJP. "Thackeray has been propelling the winning chances of the opposition in Mumbai and the adjourning areas," said Asbe. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Martin Howell and Darren Schuettler) We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So before you buy or sell SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Limited (HKG:315), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. What Is Insider Buying? Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market. We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.' See our latest analysis for SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Chairman Ping-luen Kwok for HK$460k worth of shares, at about HK$9.13 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of HK$8.32. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is encouraging to see an insider paid above the current price for shares, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. Ping-luen Kwok was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Story continues SEHK:315 Recent Insider Trading, April 25th 2019 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. Does SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Boast High Insider Ownership? Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. From our data, it seems that SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings insiders own 0.5% of the company, worth about HK$47m. Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings. What Might The Insider Transactions At SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Tell Us? The recent insider purchase is heartening. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. Insiders likely see value in SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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. By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY, April 25 (Reuters) - In April 2017, a group of Mexican executives filed into the Texas governor's mansion in Austin for a meeting they hoped would help save a trillion-dollar trade deal. They had a simple pitch for their audience - Republican Governor Greg Abbott, a handful of business leaders and some party donors: it would be in Texas' best interest to preserve the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Abbott was just one of the prominent names on a list of dozens of American politicians and business executives that Mexico would carefully compile to help save NAFTA from the relentless attacks of U.S. President Donald Trump. Supplying them with up-to-date information on trade and investment flows, the Mexicans believed the Americans could persuade policymakers that scrapping NAFTA would hurt U.S. workers and companies. (Graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2I9Q1Gb) Rather than "be good to Mexico," said Juan Gallardo, a prominent Mexican businessman who helped craft the strategy, the message was "don't shoot yourself in the foot." The inside story of Mexico's efforts to stop Trump from killing NAFTA and to preserve its essence in a reworked accord comes from interviews with more than 20 Mexican and U.S. officials, lawmakers and executives involved in the process. After 18 months of talks and concessions by both sides, a deal was struck. Canada later signed on in what became known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which awaits ratification by lawmakers in the three countries. But final approval has become more uncertain since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives from Republicans, a potential setback to Mexico's best laid plans. GIVING GROUND Mexican business and political leaders, including the heads of the foreign and economy ministries, started scrambling to save the 25-year-old trade deal right after Trump's election in November 2016. Story continues Early on, they decided to avoid public confrontation with Trump, who had made blaming NAFTA for job losses, particularly in manufacturing, a centerpiece of his campaign. "Tit-for-tat wasn't going to work," said Moises Kalach, head of the international negotiating arm of Mexico's CCE business lobby. "We agreed not to even get into the ring." Trump showed no sign of backing off after taking office in January 2017, telling aides he wanted to withdraw simultaneously from NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), according to three Mexican business and government leaders. When Trump pulled out of TPP that month, Mexican officials feared NAFTA would be next. In Mexico City, then-foreign minister Luis Videgaray and his counterpart in the economy ministry, Ildefonso Guajardo, flew to Washington to sketch out possible concessions for an overhauled trade pact. Meeting with Trump's economic advisors and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, they floated stricter content rules for auto manufacturing, tougher Mexican labor laws and changes to dispute resolution mechanisms, Mexican participants said. Those early concessions would eventually evolve into new rules set out in the USMCA deal. "I'm absolutely convinced that if that didn't happen ... NAFTA would have died in January 2017," Videgaray told Reuters shortly before leaving office. While Videgaray dangled concessions, Mexico's private sector rolled out a lobbying operation underpinned by reams of data supplied by IQOM, a Mexican trade consultancy. Headquartered in an old stone townhouse in Mexico City, IQOM collected data and intelligence to pinpoint U.S. businesses with the most to lose from a NAFTA repeal. Two top Mexican negotiators of the original NAFTA, Herminio Blanco and Jaime Zabludovsky, spearheaded the effort. It was "a permanent, online, computer-based information-gathering drive," said IQOM partner Zabludovsky. "And a lot of data crunching." Meanwhile, the CCE hired Washington lobbying firm Akin Gump in the summer of 2017 to help identify about 250 potential U.S. allies, Gallardo said. Akin Gump and the CCE communicated daily and met regularly. The idea was to "engage with USMCA stakeholders on both sides of the aisle and in the Trump administration," an Akin Gump spokesperson said, and build "CCE's brand and reputation as a trusted partner." Throughout the process, Mexican negotiators were in close contact with their Canadian counterparts - even as Mexico also left the door open to a bilateral deal with the United States. EYE-OPENER During negotiations, Mexico's private sector had some 200 representatives in Washington updating its negotiators on how best to pitch the case to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, according to sources involved in the process. Each member of Mexico's team also had politicians or executives to target. Kalach of the CCE said he spoke to 36 U.S. state governors about the value of cross-border trade. Mexican participants often expressed surprise about how little U.S. politicians knew about the extent of bilateral economic ties. Even in Texas, the state doing the most trade with Mexico, some officials appeared not to have grasped fully what a NAFTA termination could cost, Gallardo said. At the April 2017 meeting in the governor's mansion, the Mexican delegation gave a detailed breakdown of trade between Mexico and Texas to Abbott and the others, who included Gerardo Schwebel, executive vice president of the International Bank of Commerce, and oil tycoon Paul Foster, sources said. Economic ties were explained "by players, by amounts," Gallardo said. "That was an eye-opener... no one had ever put that together into one paper." Abbott eventually sent a letter to Lighthizer defending NAFTA - emphasizing that Texas exported more than $90 billion of goods to Mexico annually and that nearly a million jobs depended on free trade with the NAFTA partners. In a second letter to Lighthizer, Abbott asked the Trump administration to "reconsider" its demand for a sunset clause that could have killed the new agreement in five years, a major Mexican concern. In the end, the clause was left out. John Wittman, a spokesman for Abbott, confirmed the Austin meeting, adding that the governor had been engaged with various stakeholders and White House officials throughout NAFTA talks. Lighthizer's office did not respond to a request for comment. HELP FROM WALL STREET High among the list of prospective allies drawn up by Mexico were several top Wall Street executives, including Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase & Co, Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman and KKR's Henry Kravis. Dimon chairs the Business Roundtable, which, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was viewed by the Mexicans as a powerful voice in support of NAFTA. The banking executive proved particularly effective, Mexican and U.S. sources said. Among others, a source familiar with the situation said, Dimon met with Kushner, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Gary Cohn, Trump's chief economic adviser until April 2018. Calling Mexico a peaceful neighbor, Dimon publicly argued a trade agreement would help "ensure that the young democracy in Mexico is not hijacked by populist and anti-American leaders." Mnuchin held multiple meetings with counterparts, and offered his input to Lighthizer as he negotiated USMCA, a U.S. Treasury official said. Mnuchin sees Canada and Mexico as important trading partners, and believes free and fair trade with them benefits the United States, the official added. The White House did not respond to requests for comment about the meetings. Representatives for Cohn, Schwarzman and Kravis declined to comment or did not reply to requests for one. Kansas City Southern Chief Executive Officer Pat Ottensmeyer, whose company runs trains through Mexico, was a staunch advocate for NAFTA in the United States, and also consulted with top-level Mexican officials. Between Trump's inauguration and the end of 2018, Kansas City Southern said it had organized or participated in 65 meetings with lawmakers or regulators, as well as 76 speeches or conferences in defense of NAFTA. Ottensmeyer recalled speaking to several cabinet members, including Lighthizer and current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when he was still head of the CIA. The approach was to "literally talk to anybody and everybody who we thought was willing to listen and could be influential in the process," Ottensmeyer told Reuters. A representative for Pompeo declined to comment. Within months, Mexico's lobbying efforts began paying dividends: American politicians and business executives were making a case for NAFTA directly to the White House, pushing back on Trump's ongoing threats to rip up NAFTA. "From what I understand," Gallardo said, "Trump never, ever in his wildest dreams imagined the kind of uproar this was going to create. And that's what stopped him." (Reporting by Dave Graham Additional reporting by Frank Jack Daniel and Anthony Esposito in Mexico City, Jennifer Hiller in Houston, Richard Cowan in Washington, David Henry in New York Editing by Simon Webb, Brian Thevenot and Paul Thomasch) ERBIL, Iraq, April 25 (Reuters) - Iraq's oil minister said on Thursday that Baghdad would meet soon with authorities from the Kurdistan Regional Government to discuss issues relating to oil exports from the semi-autonomous region as well as the budget agreement. Thamer Ghadhban also said studies were being carried out to increase production capacity from the Kirkuk oilfields by 50 percent from current levels. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Raya Jalabi; Editing by Mark Potter) Members of the Irish police force in Dublin in March. Photo: Getty Law enforcement agency Europol has asked for financial crime experts from Irelands police service to help set up an EU unit to target the finances of crime bosses. Europol executive director Catherine De Bolle has requested that officers from the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau, which investigates assets acquired from criminal activity, be seconded to the agency. In a statement to Yahoo Finance UK, a Europol spokesperson confirmed that the agency had made the request, but said that it was too early to establish a timeline. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, De Bolle said that the Irish police service, the Garda Siochana, had a lot of experience in economic and financial crime. We discussed about the presence of their police service in Europol, she said. Though the Irish police service has two liaison officers in Europol, it has not yet taken up the option to second national experts to the agency. We need experts to start something new up and we need to find the experts, De Bolle said. Europol told Yahoo Finance UK that De Bolle had discussed the future work of Europol with all law enforcement chiefs in Europe, to understand how best to serve the law enforcement communities around Europe. Facebook's European headquarters in Dublin. Photo: PA Irelands data protection watchdog said on Thursday that it had opened an investigation into Facebook after the social media giant said that hundreds of millions of passwords were not stored securely on its servers. The Irish Data Protection Commission said that it had been notified by the company that the passwords, relating to Facebook, Facebook Lite, and Instagram, were stored by Facebook in plain text format in its internal servers. While best security practice requires passwords to be encrypted, Facebook acknowledged in March that a bug in its systems resulted in hundreds of millions of passwords being stored on its servers in human-readable form. This meant that thousands of employees could have searched for the passwords. We have this week commenced a statutory inquiry in relation to this issue to determine whether Facebook has complied with its obligations under relevant provisions of the GDPR, the commission said in a statement. For its part, Facebook said it had found no evidence that anyone internally abused or improperly accessed the passwords. As part of a routine security review in January, we found that some user passwords were being stored in a readable format within our internal data storage systems, Pedro Canahuati, Facebooks vice president of engineering, security, and privacy said in March. The Irish Data Protection Commission is considered to be Europes most important data watchdog, as the European headquarters of several social media giants are based in the country. In February, the commission said that there were seven similar ongoing inquiries into Facebook, including one in relation to a breach that made at least 50 million user accounts vulnerable to hackers. GDPR, the European Unions data protection regulation, came into force in 2018. Under the regulation, companies could be hit with fines of up to 4% of global turnover meaning that Facebook might face billions of euro in fines for these breaches. Dubai (AFP) - At least 192 countries will attend Dubai's Expo 2020 innovation fair, organisers said Thursday, with the Paris-based global body for the mega-events confirming Israel was among the invitees. "We have invited every country in the world without exception," organisers in Dubai announced, saying it would be "a truly international event". Vicente G. Loscertales, head of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), said that "by inviting all countries of the world to take part, including the State of Israel, the organisers of Expo 2020 are genuinely reflecting the universal spirit of World Expos." Israel's foreign ministry confirmed that the Jewish state had been invited. "We are excited to be a part of (this) common endeavour," it said. Organisers in Dubai said that for 170 years, international expos had been "non-political" events. The BIE describes expos, which follow in the tradition of London's 1851 Great Exhibition, as "large-scale, global events... to educate the public, share innovation, promote progress and foster cooperation". Expo 2020, which runs from October 20 next year to April 20, 2021, is set to attract some 25 million visitors to the glitzy emirate, famed for its luxury resorts and opulent shopping malls. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the organisers' decision to invite the Jewish state. "I welcome Israel's participation in the Dubai expo," his office said in a statement. "It is another expression of Israel's rising status in the world and in the region." Dubai is one of the seven city-states making up the United Arab Emirates, which do not currently have diplomatic relations with Israel. But the UAE has recently hosted several Israeli ministers, and along with regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, shares Israel's hostility towards nearby Iran. The Expo 2010 in Shanghai drew 73 million visitors, and Expo 2015 in Milan attracted over 21 million, according to the BIE. Dubai's government has already spent over $40 billion on major infrastructure projects related to the Expo, including a new $2.9-billion metro line and an expansion to a new airport near the Expo site. The mega-event is expected to give the United Arab Emirates an economic boost of over $33 billion, consultants Ernst and Young said in a study earlier this month. President Uhuru Kenyatta is the only leader who is honest in the efforts to unite the country, Aden Duale has said. Speaking in parliament Wednesday, Duale accused politicians of dividing the country along ethnic lines in the name of the handshake deal between Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga. President Uhuru Kenyatta is the only honest person about uniting the country. The rest of us starting with the former prime minister (Raila Odinga), including DP William Ruto, Kalonzo Msyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, MPs and Senators, when we go to our constituencies talk a different language. Some of us from both sides of the divide believe that this unity must be selective, he said. The National Assembly Majority leader said any type of unity that isolates one side of a political divide should be rejected. If you want to have unity with Uhuru Kenyatta, there is no way you will avoid William Ruto. It is called the Presidency. There is even no way you will avoid Aden Duale. This is the same way you cannot have unity with the former prime minister and avoid a section of his party, added Duale. The Garissa Township MP also addressed the issue of politicians donating millions to churches, saying that each citizen has freedom of worship and their behaviour around the place of worship cannot be regulated. Why do you want to measure how I behave in a mosque or church. If you are stingy, and your heart is dark, and you do not want to appreciate what God has given you.. leave those who want to build churches to build them, (and) those who want to build mosques to build them. If you think the money comes from money laundering, stand up before the church/mosque before the Harambee starts and say that it is from money laundering and bring evidence, he said. Duale further disclosed that he is helping build Sh1.2 billion mosque in Eastleigh. Tokyo (AFP) - Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn emerged from his Tokyo detention centre in the late hours of Thursday after accepting bail of $4.5 million under strict conditions including restrictions on seeing his wife. The 65-year-old tycoon faces four charges of financial misconduct ranging from concealing part of his salary from shareholders to syphoning off Nissan funds for his personal use. His case has captivated Japan and the business community with its multiple twists and turns, as well as shone a spotlight on the Japanese justice system which critics say is overly harsh. Ghosn exited the Kosuge Detention Centre in northern Tokyo around 10:30pm (1330 GMT) after spending 21 days answering questions from authorities over allegations he creamed off $5 million in Nissan funds for personal ends. Unlike his previous departure, when he was dressed bizarrely in a Japanese workman's outfit with cap and facemask, Ghosn this time strode confidently out dressed in a dark suit without tie. Under the conditions of his bail, Ghosn must stay in Japan and must live in a court-appointed residence with cameras to monitor his movements amid fears he might try to destroy evidence. His lead defence lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said the conditions also included an "approval system" to see his wife Carole, whom prosecutors believe has made contact with people involved in the case. "If the court approves it, she will be able to meet him," he said. In a statement three hours after his release, Ghosn slammed this condition as an "outrage". "No person should ever be indefinitely held in solitary confinement for the purpose of being forced into making a confession. But restricting communications and contact between my wife and me is cruel and unnecessary," he said. - 'Baseless accusations' - Ghosn denies all the charges, with a spokesperson for the executive saying on Monday he would "vigorously defend himself against these baseless accusations and fully expects to be vindicated". Story continues The spokesperson said Ghosn was being detained "under cruel and unjust conditions, in violation of his human rights, in an effort by prosecutors to coerce a confession from him". On Monday, he was hit with what experts have described as the most serious charges yet as prosecutors accused him of syphoning off $5 million of Nissan cash transferred from the company to a dealership in Oman. He also faces two charges of deferring some $80 million of his salary and hiding this in official documents to shareholders, and seeking to shift personal investment losses to the firm during the 2008 financial crisis. A Nissan spokesman said in a statement that the company's "internal investigation has uncovered substantial evidence of blatantly unethical conduct". "Further discoveries related to Ghosn's misconduct continue to emerge," he added. This was the second time Ghosn has been granted bail after posting $9 million in March to win his freedom. Last time he left the detention centre, he was dressed in a cap, face mask and workman's uniform in an apparent attempt to evade dozens of journalists from around the world hoping to snap a picture of the fallen tycoon. The bizarre stunt was cooked up by one of his lawyers, Takashi Takano, who later apologised for "tainting" the reputation of his client, who usually appears in public in sharp suits. - 'Tell the truth' - Ghosn was preparing to hold a much-anticipated news conference to "tell the truth" about his case but he was re-arrested shortly beforehand to face questioning about the alleged $5 million embezzlement. Clearly aware he was about to return to custody, Ghosn pre-recorded a video in which he accused "backstabbing" Nissan executives of a "plot" against him, as they feared closer ties with French partner Renault. Unless re-arrested over further allegations, Ghosn will be free to organise his defence ahead of a possible trial that is likely to take months to prepare. Hironaka has told reporters that a trial as early as the autumn was "not possible for various reasons". His lawyers have demanded he be tried separately from Nissan, which also faces charges for submitting the suspect financial documents, and have voiced fears he will not receive a fair trial. The dramatic case has thrown international attention onto the Japanese justice system, derided by critics as "hostage justice" as it allows prolonged detention and relies heavily on suspects' confessions. Deputy prosecutor Shin Kukimoto at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office told AFP it was "extremely regrettable that (the court) approved his bail even as it recognised that the accused had planned to work with people related to the case". The court has also "recognised there was a fear over destroying evidence of the crime", Kukimoto added. Tokyo (AFP) - Japanese scientists have succeeded in creating what they called the first-ever artificial crater on an asteroid, a step towards shedding light on how the solar system evolved, the country's space agency said Thursday. The announcement comes after the Hayabusa2 probe fired an explosive device at the Ryugu asteroid early this month to blast a crater in the surface and scoop up material, aiming to reveal more about the origins of life on Earth. Yuichi Tsuda, Hayabusa2 project manager at the Japanese space agency (JAXA), told reporters they confirmed the crater from images captured by the probe located 1,700 metres (5,500 feet) from the asteroid's surface. "Creating an artificial crater with an impactor and observing it in detail afterwards is a world-first attempt," Tsuda said. "This is a big success." NASA's Deep Impact probe succeeded in creating an artificial crater on a comet in 2005, but only for observation purposes. Masahiko Arakawa, a Kobe University professor involved in the project, said it was "the best day of his life". "We can see such a big hole a lot more clearly than expected," he said, adding the images showed a crater 10 metres in diameter. JAXA scientists had previously predicted that the crater could be as large as 10 metres in diameter if the surface was sandy, or three metres if rocky. "The surface is filled with boulders but yet we created a crater this big. This could mean there's a scientific mechanism we don't know or something special about Ryugu's materials," the professor said. The aim of blasting the crater on Ryugu is to throw up "fresh" material from under the asteroid's surface that could shed light on the early stages of the solar system. The asteroid is thought to contain relatively large amounts of organic matter and water from some 4.6 billion years ago when the solar system was born. In February, Hayabusa2 touched down briefly on Ryugu and fired a bullet into the surface to puff up dust for collection, before blasting back to its holding position. The mission, with a price tag of around 30 billion yen ($270 million), was launched in December 2014 and is scheduled to return to Earth with its samples in 2020. Photos of Ryugu -- which means "Dragon Palace" in Japanese and refers to a castle at the bottom of the ocean in an ancient Japanese tale -- show the asteroid has a rough surface full of boulders. TOKYO (Reuters) - Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn was set to leave a Japanese jail after the Tokyo District Court on Thursday rejected a prosecutors' appeal against its decision to allow his release on bail, Kyodo News and public broadcaster NHK reported. The court earlier approved Ghosn's release on bail of 500 million yen ($4.5 million). The former auto executive has posted bail and was awaiting the decision on the appeal. (Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Robert Birsel) By Ritsuko Ando TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese online fashion retailer Zozo Inc said it expects its profit to recover in the current fiscal year, after booking its first-ever annual drop in earnings on a failed experiment with bespoke tailoring and clashes with fashion brands. But Zozo's results also showed its liabilities mounting and cash position dwindling, underscoring worries about the finances of the company that runs the popular Zozotown online mall. Zozo has captured nearly half of Japan's online sales of mid- to high-end clothes by setting up a website catering to fashion-forward, higher-income customers. It sought to transform itself in recent years from an e-commerce site into a tech-retail hybrid by starting a private brand and launching a made-to-measure service using a bodysuit that allowed users to upload measurements online. The bodysuit, along with billionaire CEO Yusaku Maezawa's plans for a lunar flyby as the first private passenger on Elon Musk's SpaceX mission, had helped spread Zozo's name globally. But many who ordered the bodysuit did not use it to buy clothes, leaving Zozo saddled with the huge cost of distributing the suits without seeing returns. It also struggled to cope with orders that did come in, forcing some customers to wait several months for delivery. "We started this with the belief that it's not good enough to have just three sizes of S, M or L. But as you know, it did not go as we had hoped," Maezawa told analysts. Zozo's operating profit for the year ended March fell 21.5 percent to 25.7 billion yen ($229 million). That was worse than its most recent forecast of 26.5 billion, which had been marked down from an initial projection of 40 billion yen. Maezawa also announced an end to the company's controversial "Zozoarigato" membership service, which charged users fixed fees in return for discounts throughout the website. Fashion brands had complained of what they saw as excessive discounting under the service, driving some including Onward Holdings Co to leave the site. Zozo has been trying to regain momentum by adding more mass-market retailers such as Shimamura, but some analysts say this has hurt its initial, fashion-focused image. Maezawa said the membership service did not turn out to be as profitable as he had hoped, and that he wanted to mend the site's relationship with brands. Shares of Zozo have nearly halved in the past year on fears that its popularity may be waning, and that its cash position looked weak. The company secured a 15 billion yen commitment line from banks in late March. Thursday's results show Zozo's cash and cash equivalents fell to 21.6 billion yen by end-March, versus 24.6 billion a year earlier, while total liabilities jumped to 56.3 billion from 29.9 billion. But the company said it expects business to pick up as Japanese consumers were just beginning to buy clothes online. It forecast a 24.7 percent rise in operating profit to 32 billion yen for the current financial year. Maezawa said he was preparing to expand Zozotown in China, citing the surge in disposable income among the younger generation. He also said the company had not given up on an online made-to-measure service, and was planning to work with other brands to keep the idea alive. "I'm actually more certain than ever that there's a need for that," he said. (Reporting by Ritsuko Ando; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christopher Cushing) Jared Kushner downplayed the significance of Russian interference in the 2016 election, dismissing it as a couple of Facebook ads in an interview with TIME and arguing that Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation was more damaging to democracy than the influence operation itself. You look at what Russia did, buying some Facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do it, and its a terrible thing, Kushner said at the TIME 100 Summit in New York City. But I think the investigations and all of the speculation thats happened for the last two years has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of Facebook ads. If you look at the magnitude of what they did, the ensuing investigations have been way more harmful, he added. The Mueller report described a wide-ranging Russian operation that included hacking Hillary Clinton, Sens. Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; attempting to hack the Republican National Committee; releasing stolen emails online; probing state voter databases for weaknesses and stealing hundreds of thousands of voters personal information; spreading propaganda aimed to sowing division and depressing the vote through fake accounts on social media; staging a handful of rallies in Florida, Pennsylvania and New York; and setting up multiple meetings with members of the Trump campaign, although the probe did not find that members of the Trump campaign actively coordinated or cooperated with Russia. But Kushner said that according to the Trump 2016 campaigns data operation, what Russia was doing at the time didnt register with us as being impactful. Kushner also spoke about his relationships with other foreign actors and questions over his security clearance. When questioned about his foreign business entanglements and his work in the White House, the Presidents son-in-law and senior adviser said theres been no actions Ive taken that I have benefited from financially. Story continues He also said he doesnt disagree with the U.S. intelligence communitys assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman with whom Kushner has developed a close working relationship ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Im not going to dispute American intelligence services recommendations, Kushner said. Kushner also said he advised the Saudi Crown Prince about how to handle the fallout from the murder. The advice I gave was be as transparent as possible and that obviously we have to make sure there is accountability for what happened, Kushner said. Kushner has been working on a Middle East peace plan, which he said will be unveiled sometime after Ramadan, which is in early June. Before that, Kushner said hell be presenting a comprehensive immigration reform plan to the President by early next week. If I can get Stephen Miller and Kevin Hassett to agree on an immigration plan, Kushner joked, then Middle East peace will be easy by comparison. See TIME's full list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2019 Former vice president Joe Biden announced his entry into the crowded Democratic primary field Thursday, officially launching his third campaign for the nomination after months of hesitation. Biden, 76, released a three-and-a-half-minute video Thursday morning in which he casts himself as a genial centrist who can unite the country and help lead Americans away from the division he believes President Trump has enflamed. The video illustrates that division through footage of the violent clash between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va., in the summer of 2017 and Trumps equivocating response. In that moment I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime, Biden says of Trumps claim that there were very fine people on both sides of the clash. I wrote at the time that we are in a battle for the soul of this nation, and thats true, we are in a battle for the soul of this nation, he continues. I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment of time, but if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. Bidens announcement comes after months of signaling that he would enter the race during a string of public appearances that were interrupted by allegations from multiple women that he invaded their personal space and made them feel uncomfortable during his time serving as vice president. Biden apologized and pledged to moderate his behavior according to what he cast as new societal conventions. President Obama praised Biden but did not offer an official endorsement in a statement provided to the New York Times. President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made, said Katie Hill, Mr. Obamas spokeswoman. He relied on the vice presidents knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today. Story continues Bidens candidacy is expected to be buoyed by support from large donors and institutions, a fundraising structure that could prove a liability as fellow candidates tout their grass roots support. Widely viewed as a stabilizing force capable of fortifying and extending President Obamas legacy, Biden is leading the 20-candidate Democratic field in most polling averages by a healthy margin. The candidate will appear on ABCs The View Friday morning before traveling to Pittsburgh Monday for a campaign rally. More from National Review A progressive group aligned with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has blasted Joe Biden as the old guard of Democratic politics, just hours after the former vice president announced his candidacy for president. Justice Democrats, a PAC that supported candidates like Ms Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, declared on Thursday morning it would support whoever becomes the Democratic nominee but claimed candidates such as Mr Biden had divided America and led to the election of Donald Trump. The old guard of the Democratic Party failed to stop Trump, and they cant be counted on to lead the fight against his divide-and-conquer politics today. The party needs new leadership with a bold vision capable of energizing voters in the Democratic base who stayed home in 2016, the statement read. But, the group went on to blast Mr Biden specifically, and used the former campaign slogan of Barack Obama Yes We Can against the former vice president. While were going to support the Democrat nominee, we cant let a so-called centrist like Joe Biden divide the Democratic Party and turn it into the party of No, we cant, the group wrote. The early attack highlights the broad ideological spectrum represented in the 2020 Democratic field, which now has 20 candidates with Mr Biden in the race. While Mr Biden has led in many early polls of Democratic voters, voters have also shown strong support for Bernie Sanders a candidate largely written off during his 2016 run against Hillary Clinton, only to aggressively compete in that primary. Candidates like Mr Sanders have sworn off support from big moneyed interests, drawing a clear line between their candidacies and those of candidates like Mr Biden, who is supported by big money interests and whose campaign announcement was expected to be followed hours later by a fundraiser hosted by an executive for Comcast one of Americas largest telecommunication companies. Washington (AFP) - Joe Biden, the former vice president and Democratic heavyweight who launched his 2020 White House campaign Thursday, has sought the office twice before, in 1988 and 2008. He considered mounting another run four years ago, but his son Beau succumbed to brain cancer in May 2015, and the grief-stricken vice president ultimately decided against seeking the nomination in 2016. Here is a look at Biden's previous two presidential bids. - 1988 - Biden was 44 years old and a 15-year veteran of the US Senate in June 1987 when he first threw his hat in the nomination ring. While on the campaign trail he sought to promote his family's humble origins, and began borrowing the eloquent phrasings and syntax of British politician Neil Kinnock. At first Biden credited Kinnock, but by the time he used the lines in his closing remarks at an August debate at the Iowa State Fair, the crediting was absent. It was subsequently learned that Biden lifted passages from the late Robert Kennedy without attribution, and plagiarized five pages of a law-review paper, and pressure swiftly built on the candidate. He dropped out of the race that September, saying that as head of the Senate Judiciary Committee he would concentrate his efforts on chairing the confirmation hearings for US Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork. - 2008 - Twenty years later, Biden was ready for another political rodeo. He ran on his extensive national security experience, gained in part from his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his support for a political solution in Iraq. Biden also caused a firestorm early in the race when he characterized then-senator Barack Obama, one of his campaign opponents, as "the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean." The remark was considered by many to be racist, and Biden expressed regret for the comments. Biden soldiered on, campaigning in early voting states and debating rivals. But his campaign stalled, and in early 2008 he finished fifth in the Iowa caucuses. He dropped out soon after. His campaign, however, raised his profile in the eyes of rival Obama, who became the nominee and picked Biden as his running mate, in part to beef up his foreign policy credibility. The pair won the general election in November 2008. Washington (AFP) - After months of reflection, Joe Biden was set to launch his US presidential bid Thursday, positioning the veteran Democrat as a frontrunner among the many candidates seeking to challenge Donald Trump in 2020. The party's 76-year-old senior statesman, whose announcement was expected to arrive via online video post, would become the most experienced and recognized Democrat in the race, a popular former vice president dominating early polls following months -- even years -- of campaign planning. Biden, whose working-class appeal remains intact despite nearly half a century in Washington politics, is seen as a comforting, known quantity for American voters who will be vetting some 20 Democrats now officially in the presidential field. But recent controversy over his tactile style, particularly with women, could dampen a rollout that he envisioned as the final main entry to the Democratic primary battle. Biden aides remained tight-lipped this week about the early campaign. But people familiar with the Democrat's plans told US media that after launching on Thursday, he will head to Pittsburgh, in the swing state of Pennsylvania that Trump won in 2016, to address a labor union gathering Monday, in his first public appearance after throwing his hat in the ring. - Third time lucky? - The record number of candidates means Biden faces a field of unprecedented diversity as he makes his third run for president, following two unsuccessful attempts in 1988 and 2008. After the death of his son Beau from cancer, Biden passed on a presidential campaign in 2016. As he let the suspense over his political plans drag out for months this year, his broad lead has been whittled, with newer and notably young faces gaining ground including moderate South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who at 37 is less than half Biden's age. Complicating matters, the last weeks of waiting have been clouded by revelations from multiple women accusing Biden of touching them inappropriately or making them feel uncomfortable with his affection. Story continues Biden, an old-school politician who acknowledges he is quick to offer hugs and shoulder rubs as he forges connections with voters, has not outright apologized for his behavior, but he pledged earlier this month to be "more mindful" about society's changing boundaries. He remains atop most recent polls. With 29.3 percent of the vote, Biden leads leftist Senator Bernie Sanders who is at 23 percent, according to a poll aggregate by website RealClearPolitics. Senator Kamala Harris is third at 8.3 percent, followed by Buttigieg (7.5 percent), progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren (6.5 percent) and former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke (6.3 percent). - How much support? - Biden leads the pack largely on the strength of his lifelong political experience -- he was elected to the US Senate at just 29 -- and his name recognition. But in the early stages of what will be a heated primary battle, the status of frontrunner is by no means assured. "The key question is whether Biden's current support represents more of a floor for him than a ceiling," Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics told AFP. "If it's a floor, he's in great shape. If it's a ceiling, his candidacy could fall apart quickly." Biden likes to highlight his modest Pennsylvania origins, which could give him a valuable advantage in Rust Belt states that flipped for Trump in 2016. "Wall Street bankers and CEOs did not build America," Biden told strikers last week. "Ordinary, middle-class people build America. And guys that's not hyperbole, that's just a simple fact." Biden remains popular for the Democratic base, especially among older, moderate and African-American voters, whose mobilization could play an important role in the race. Biden gained "some genuine goodwill" with voters over his career, over 36 years as a senator and then eight years as Barack Obama's deputy, said Kondik. But his victory in the Democratic primary is no given with a full 10 months before the first nominations votes are cast. In addition to the unsolicited touching controversy and his famous gaffes, Biden's long legislative record is facing scrutiny, notably his support for a 1990s anti-crime bill that disproportionately impacted African-Americans. So is his handling of 1990s hearings featuring Anita Hill, a woman who accused US Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. Former Vice President Joe Biden announces his 2020 candidacy - REUTERS Joe Biden said Donald Trump posed a historic threat to the values of America on Thursday as he formally announced his 2020 White House bid, framing himself as the person best placed to defeat the US president. Mr Biden, who served as Barack Obamas vice president for eight years, confirmed his long-expected bid in a video that declared a battle for the soul of this nation was underway. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen, Mr Biden said. The 76-year-old has consistently led opinion polls asking who Democratic Party voters want as their presidential 2020 candidate ever since Mr Trump took office. The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2019 However his challenge will be to appeal to the party's energised Left-wing that wants a progressive policy platform and those favouring a candidate who embodies change. Mr Trump was quick to respond on Twitter, writing: Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! It will be the third presidential campaign for Mr Biden, who secured just a fraction of Democrat primary votes in the 1988 and 2008 campaigns and dropped out early. Story continues Announcing his campaign in a three-and-a-half minute video, Mr Biden focused on Mr Trumps response to a 2017 clash between white supremacists and anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville that left one woman dead. The video launching Mr Biden's campaign makes heavy reference to the 2017 Charlottesville riots, in which white supremacists took to the streets, clashing with counter-protestors Credit: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images "He said there were 'some very fine people on both sides', Mr Biden said of Mr Trump's reaction to the violence. Very fine people on both sides? With those words, the President of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime. Mr Biden added: The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America, America, is at stake. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States. In an email to supporters, Mr Biden called Mr Trump "a president who, like most charlatans and demagogues throughout history, seeks only to aggrandise himself, to consolidate his own power - by blaming the 'other'." Mr Biden enters a packed field, with 20 Democrats seeking the nomination and possibly more still to enter the race. Primary voting starts in February 2020. The Biden campaign is framing their candidate as best placed to defeat Mr Trump, noting his political experience he served as a senator for Delaware for more than three decades - and history alongside Mr Obama. Mr Biden is pitching himself as an "Obama-Biden Democrat", as pragmatic as he is progressive Credit: REUTERS/Jim Bourg Mr Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania a swing state which Mr Trump won in 2016 and has touted his ability to win over working class voters who abandoned the Democrats. His first campaign event will be in the state on Monday. However he must overcome a string of political challenges if he is to win the nomination. A surge of progressive energy from left-wing Democrats, driven by democratic socialist senator Bernie Sanders, is at odds with Mr Bidens historic willingness to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans. His moderate politics including pushing through a hardline crime bill in the 1990s that has blamed for ushering in an era of mass incarceration will likely face scrutiny. So too will accusations that he touched women inappropriately at political events, such as rubbing shoulders or kissing people on the head, that have surfaced in recent weeks. He has promised to learn from the incidents. His age Mr Biden would be 78 on his first day in office and status as a white male Washington insider at a time when the party had a historically diverse set of candidates elected to Congress last year will also be questioned. Mr Obamas spokesman released a statement praising Mr Bidens knowledge, insight and judgment. However the former president declined to give an endorsement and is understood to have decided not to back any candidate during the Democrat primaries. Members of the Nairobi County Assembly will not accept former Speaker Beatrice Elachi to lead the House again. The Assembly leadership said that the embattled Elachi was lawfully impeached and she is no longer recognised as the assemblys speaker. This comes ahead of a court ruling on Friday that will decide Elachis fate. Majority Leader Abdi Hassan Guyo said the court cannot impose her to the Assembly by force. As a house, we have and already lost confidence in her. Elachi was our servant and we do not require her services anymore and that is why we proceeded to impeach her on the floor of the assembly. The court cannot force her down our throats, said Guyo as quoted by Star. According to Guyo, the House has already moved on and is comfortable under the leadership of acting assembly speaker Ngara MCA Chege Mwaura. The Matopeni Ward rep noted that the Court can only provide the assembly with remedies but cannot force Elachi back to the house. Guyos sentiments were echoed by his counterpart from the minority side, Elias Otieno, who said Elachi is now a stranger to them. We will allow the court to do its part because we did ours last year in September where we impeached Elachi and followed the county assembly standing orders, Elias said. Elachi will remain to be a stranger to us and she cannot come back and lead this house. So far we are doing well with our acting speaker and everything has progressed. Elias maintained that even if the court rules in Elachis favour, it cannot force the House to accept her. On paper, Joe Biden has about as many advantages as a presidential candidate could want. A former vice president, he has national name recognition, a strong connection to a popular former president, longstanding ties to major donors, good relations with Republican lawmakers and the top spot in most recent polls. But in practice, many of those strengths may turn out to be weaknesses as Bidens third presidential campaign gets underway this week. Bidens name recognition also means many voters already have formed an opinion on him, which gives him less room to grow than the much less well-known field of contenders in the Democratic primary. More than 80 percent of Democrats in a recent Reuters poll said they were at least somewhat familiar with him. By comparison, relative unknown South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg has shot up to third place in some recent polls after strong performances in TV interviews and on the hustings. A core source of Buttigiegs rise? Former Biden supporters. In the interim, Bidens ties to Barack Obama may not mean as much in a field where African-American voters can pick from Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker and may hurt him among Hispanic voters who werent exactly keen on the presidents record on deportations. Read More: Why Obama Wont Endorse Biden (For Now) While upstart candidates like former HUD Secretary Julian Castro and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee have built grassroots support in order to reach a 65,000-donor threshold to participate in Democratic primary debates, Biden is already a sure thing for the debate stage and has done little outreach on Facebook and other platforms to build his small-donor base. Bidens long career in politics and his history of bipartisan outreach has already stung him, too, with his treatment of Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation, his hands-on style of voter outreach and his past stances on criminal justice issues raising questions before hes even joined the race. Story continues In other words, its tough to imagine a frontrunner for a presidential nomination on such shaky footing. The scaffolding holding Biden up may, at any inflection point of this campaign, come crashing down. As one former aide put it, the best day of the Biden campaign will be the day he launches, and from there is stands to get worse. Biden advisers say they recognize these challenges, but their central worry for now is money. After joining the race on Thursday, Biden will have to race to catch up to his rivals. The New York Times recently noted that for Biden to catch up with what Bernie Sanders has already banked, he will have to raise $100,000 a day through Christmas to reach parity. And with donations capped at $2,800 per person, thats a lot of time on phone calls and picking at cheese plates. Photograph by Andreas GebertPicture Alliance/Getty Images Read More: Joe Biden and the Hard Choices for Democrats in 2020 And, as much as his public persona suggests Biden enjoys the one-on-one campaign moments, he privately hates doing it with donors. Which leaves many Biden boosters worried about his next few months, especially for the debates. His last true debate was in 2012 and he came off as smug and condescending to GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan. With a stage likely to be filled with women and minorities, a mansplaining Uncle Joe could be a very bad look on him. Add in there the risk of a whiff of arrogance as an elder statesman in an era of fresh faces and Biden could be running headlong into a political wood-chipper. The Vice President loves debate prep, says one former adviser. He thinks its a blast, standing up there, having his record attacked. Im not sure hes going to love it when every day, starting with his launch, it will be a sustained series of tough questions about that record. And it wont be Sarah Palin or Paul Ryan this time. Itll be people he likes and respects challenging him. Internally, Team Joe knows it has problems. Biden himself is a classic, old-school politician. If things go as planned, Biden will meet with donors on Friday and then appear at a union hall in Pittsburgh on Monday? Rather than emulate other candidates who announce, rally and blitz cable, Biden seems to be going a decidedly throwback route, one that has some of his younger aides nervous. But Biden has made clear to his team that this is his campaign and its his name on the theoretical bumper stickers that, to Biden, are a stand-in for grassroots backing. History will judge him and not the aides. Biden is well aware that this is likely his final crossroads in American politics and likely to decide the first line of his obituary. So if he wants to do things his way, aides are going to get out of his way. Behind the scenes, Bidens team has been quietly assembling an organization that would be a shell of what is to come. Hiring has been slower than expected, largely because Bidens entrance into the races has been repeatedly pushed back. First, he was going to decide over the December holidays, then during the first quarter of the year, and now it is nearing the end of April. He had planned to announce on Wednesday but his team realized it stood to steal headlines from a conference for women of color taking place that day. There are at least two versions of his announcement video. Privately, Biden has been smarting about some of the coverage of his record, especially from journalists he considers friendly. His record in regards to race and to women is getting closer looks. Biden found it deeply unfair that, according to the Washington Post, a fellow Democrat flagged for the newspaper an interview he gave opposing school desegregation by bussing students to other buildings. His handling of Thomas confirmation hearings isnt exactly a proud moment for him, either, and criticism of his sometimes too-close physicality is, to his mind, overblown and a ridiculous distraction from Trumps conduct. Advisers have urged Biden to ignore much of that, arguing that its tame compared to the type of scrutiny that is to come when he joins the race as a frontrunner. Their message to him to focus on what lies ahead and is fixable. His fundraising numbers will be studied and coming up short to someone like relative newcomer Beto ORourke will be embarrassing. His online presence, which at the moment is close to zilch, is badly lacking even start-up efforts from the likes of Tim Ryan. And his crowd sizes will inevitably be compared to the launches of Harris and Elizabeth Warren. Then, theres Bidens immutable personality. Democrats will have to ask themselves if Biden is really the vessel for their Trump-defeating dreams. Biden has said he wants to beat up the President, but is Biden really the best person to counter-punch Trump, who has shown no peers in his ability to rewrite the rules of politics? Its still nine months before Iowa kicks off the process with its caucuses and almost 300 news cycles. Biden is sure to dominate a good many of them by dint of his polling advantage and his deep knowledge of policy. And yet, some fear, he will be in the headlines for the wrong reasons, such as lackluster fundraising or one of his legendary gaffes. As Biden spends his last few hours before beginning the hardest job interview on the planet, his advisers are urging him to remember that he is beginning the race not just the frontrunner but also the man everyone else needs to take down if they are to win. Joe Biden might appear the most likely Democrat to win the primaries and take on Donald Trump in 2020 but the 76-year-old politician may be facing his greatest uphill battle yet as he tries to reconcile his past with voters calling for a progressive future. For each of his political flaws there seems to be a younger, fresher Democrat lacking similar baggage. Whereas Mr Biden voted to support legislation the National Rifle Association (NRA) hailed in 1986 as the law that saved gun rights in America, Kamala Harris proposed this week a slate of aggressive executive actions on gun control reform that she would take if Congress fails to act within her first 100 days in the Oval Office. Mr Bidens record also includes longstanding support, dating back to 1999, for the Bankruptcy Reform Act, a bill critics said made it more difficult for students to release college-related debts. Elizabeth Warren, in comparison, recently called for debt-free college and massive student loan cancellations. A 39-year-old Mr Biden also voted in favour of an amendment allowing individual states to overturn Roe v Wade in 1982, while the 46-year-old Beto ORourke speaks eloquently and unabashedly about his support for pro-choice abortion policies, even in his deeply red home state where the issue remains taboo. Theres plenty of fodder for all of [Mr Bidens] opponents to jump on, Tobe Berkovitz, a professor at Boston University whose spent 30 years as a Democratic political media consultant, told The Independent. He is somewhat the frontrunner and he also has perhaps the most amorphous record because he was in the Senate so long, he was the vice president so there are going to be plenty of things these campaigns can find as a weakness at the current time in his record. Yet as one of the highest-polling Democrats to throw his hat in the ring this season, Mr Biden still remains popular across the country for his brand of centrist politics, and reports indicate he will run on a message of unity and moving the country forward. Story continues Mr Biden says hes changed his stance on a range of issues and in many ways he has. Former President Barack Obama tasked him with spearheading the former administrations efforts surrounding gun control, and he earned an F from the NRA. He also was one of the highest-profile Democrats to support marriage equality, before the Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage in 2015. Hes previously rebuked his own past in some cases, acknowledging his regret over his handling of the Anita Hill hearings in 1991 as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I wish I could have done something I opposed Clarence Thomas nomination, and I voted against him, he said in a recent statement. But I also realized that there was a real and perceived problem the Committee faced: There were a bunch of white guys. Mr Biden seemingly foreshadowed how he might address the controversies from his past in a March speech. Im told I get criticised by the New Left, he said. I have the most progressive record of anybody running for the anybody who would run. Other facets of his past could also seriously diminish his shot in 2020, after multiple women accused Mr Biden in recent months of inappropriate touching along the campaign trail in past years. He has not been accused of sexual assault. In an Op-Ed, HuffPosts Washington Bureau Chief Amanda Terkel wrote: Biden is the wrong guy to bear the standard of any party purporting to speak for victims of unaccountable power. The newly energized women under the Democratic tent may not want a relic from the pre-woke era to be their standard-bearer, she wrote. Mr Biden also faces a bounty of criticism over his handling of racial issues, including his support for desegregating schools while previously referring to integration as the most racist concept you can come up with. When announcing the end of his first presidential candidacy in September 1987, Mr Biden blamed the exaggerated shadow of his past mistakes for obscuring the essence of his campaign. He also expressed frustration with the environment of presidential politics that makes it so difficult for the American people to measure the whole of Joe Biden and not just the misstatements that I have made. There will be many opportunities for me to run for President again, he said at the time. Whether that opportunity has already come and gone for Mr Biden, however, will soon be far more evident. What he has to do is what Obama did very effectively multiple times, Mr Berkovitz said. Go to the thesaurus, look up five synonyms for evolved, and sprinkle them through all of his presentations. By Tom Hals (Reuters) - A U.S. judge said on Thursday he would order the Trump administration to comb through the records of 47,000 immigrant children and within six months identify those separated from their parents after crossing the Mexican border. While a government official said at Thursday's hearing he hoped to meet the deadline, the government said earlier this month it might take two years to identify the separated children. "I am going to issue an order to do this in six months, subject to good cause," said U.S. Judge Dana Sabraw at a hearing in San Diego. "It is important for all government actors to have a time frame and I intend to stand on it." The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought a class action lawsuit on behalf of parents separated from their children, pressed Sabraw to give the government a firm deadline. Last year, Sabraw ordered the government to reunite around 2,700 children who were separated under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy of criminally prosecuting illegal border crossers, even if they had children. The ACLU said the reunifications were generally successful because the government scrambled to comply with Sabraw's order to complete the task in 30 days. The administration abandoned the zero tolerance policy last year in the wake of widespread outcry. In January, an internal government watchdog said there were potentially thousands more separated migrant children, although the exact number is unclear due to informal record keeping. Sabraw expanded the class action case in March to include the parents of this newly identified group of children. The government needs to review records for 47,000 immigrant children to determine which ones might be covered by the expanded class action, Jonathan White testified at the Thursday's court hearing. White, an official with the Department of Health and Human Services, said his team had already identified between 500 and 1,000 children who might have been separated from their parents. The watchdog report said prior to the official zero-tolerance policy, the government began ramping up separations in 2017 for other reasons related to a childs safety and well-being, including separating parents with criminal records or lack of proper documents. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) Associated Press A Libyan parliamentary committee said Wednesday that it has become impossible to hold a long-awaited presidential vote in two days as scheduled, in a major blow to international efforts to end a decade of chaos in the oil-rich country. It was the first official statement that the vote would not happen on Friday, although it had been widely expected amid mounting challenges and calls for a delay. For nearly a year, the election was the lynchpin of international efforts to bring peace to Libya, and many have warned that either scenario holding the vote on time or postponing it could be a destabilizing setback. A Cook County judge recently castigated States Attorney Kim Foxx for upholding a double standard by prosecuting an anonymous woman for filing a false police report after dropping all charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who was indicted for the same offense. Smollett was indicted by a grand jury on sixteen charges earlier this year following an extensive investigation that yielded substantial evidence that he paid two associates to attack him in the middle of the night in order to elevate his public profile. Foxxs office then dropped all charges without requiring that Smollett admit guilt, despite the strenuous objections of the Chicago Police Department and the mayors office. Foxxs office, in explaining the decision, cited Smolletts record of community service and the fact that no one was physically harmed in the commission of his alleged crime. Cook County judge Marc Martin, while presiding over an unrelated case, chastised Foxx and her office for creating an untenable situation in which anyone charged with filing a false police report should expect to be granted the leniency afforded to Smollett. Well, Ms. Clark is not a movie star, she doesnt have a high-price lawyer, although, her lawyers very good. And this smells, big time. I didnt create this mess, your office created this mess. And your explanation is unsatisfactory to this court. Shes being treated differently, Martin said to Foxx during a recent court proceeding, according to a transcript obtained by a local Fox affiliate. Theres no publicity on this case. She doesnt have Mark Geragos as her lawyer or Ron Safer or Judge Brown, Martin continued. Its not right. And [if] I proceed in this matter, youre just digging yourselves further in a hole. [If the] press gets a hold of this, itll be in a newspaper. Why is Ms. Clark being treated differently than Mr. Smollett? Story continues Smollett double standard? Cook Co. Judge Marc Martin rips Kim Foxxs office for its handling of false police report case involving suburban woman. Wonders why theyre not giving her same consideration they gave @JussieSmollett. Exclusive story tonight @fox32news pic.twitter.com/e75GipLRo5 Dane Placko FOX 32 (@dsplacko) April 24, 2019 Foxx recused herself from the Smollett case in February but continued to oversee the investigation through her correspondence with her assistant, Joseph Magats. In a series of text messages sent in early March and obtained by the Chicago Tribune, Foxx cautions Magats against appearing overzealous in their prosecution of Smollett. SoooIm recused, but when people accuse us of overcharging cases16 counts on a class 4 becomes exhibit A, Foxx wrote to Magats on March 8. Pedophile with 4 victims 10 counts. Washed up celeb who lied to cops, 16. On a case eligible for deferred prosecution I think its indicative of something we should be looking at generally. Just because we can charge something doesnt mean we should, she added, referring to the case of disgraced pop singer R. Kelly. Smollett continues to maintain his innocence and has said he is considering suing the Chicago police for damages. The fate of Smolletts tenure on the hit show Empire remains unclear, but his co-stars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard are demanding that he appear on the shows next season. Together, as a united front, we stand with Jussie Smollett and ask that our co-star, brother and friend be brought back for our sixth season of Empire, the shows top cast said in a statement released this week. More from National Review Warsaw (AFP) - Poland's ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has denounced LGBT rights, gender theory and UN sex education recommendations as a "threat" to the devout Catholic EU country. The head of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has also called on the country's 38 million people to respect the Catholic Church regardless of personal beliefs. Kaczynski made the comments Wednesday in the central city of Wloclawek at a patriotic conference organised by Catholic Action, a lay group that seeks to boost Catholic influence on society. Widely regarded as Poland's de facto powerbroker, Kaczynski identified a series of phenomena that he believes threaten the country. Those include "an attack on the family and children, their sexualisation", as well as sex education recommendations from the World Health Organization, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) movement. He also faulted gender theory -- a look at sexual orientation and the roles assigned by society to individuals based on their gender -- which the Polish church believes undermines the traditional family. "These ideologies, philosophies, all of this is imported, these are not internal Polish mechanisms," Kaczynski said at the conference. "They are a threat to Polish identity, to our nation, to its existence and thus to the Polish state." Though he is formally only a member of parliament, the powerful PiS leader has played a key role behind the scenes in shaping both domestic and foreign policy since the party took power in 2015. The latest opinion polls show the PiS just edging ahead of the broad liberal-centrist opposition European Coalition in next month's EU election. In presenting his vision of the Polish state, Kaczynski denounced attacks against the Catholic Church and lauded the role of the Christian faith in Polish life. "To call into question the position of the Catholic Church is a non-patriotic act regardless of (the person's) beliefs," he said. The Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex arrive at the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey [Photo: PA] The Duke of Sussex has made a last minute appearance at the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey, suggesting theres no sign of the royal baby just yet. Father-to-be Harry, 34, joined sister-in-law Kate to honour the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces. His name was not printed on the order of service in the case the baby arrived. Meghan, 37, is expected to give birth to the couples first child within the coming days. Harry was able to travel to central London for the hour-long service, from his new home Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. The pair smiled and chatted as they arrived at the service [Photo: PA] Kate and Harry were also joined by the Duke of Gloucester at the Anzac Day Service [Photo: PA] Buckingham Palace announced that the duke and duchess are keeping details around the birth private and they will celebrate as a family first before introducing their newborn to the world. Harry, who served in the military for ten years, donned his three service medals and a poppy pinned to his left lapel. READ MORE: What a royal astrologer says about Harry and Meghan's relationship The Duchess of Cambridge, 37, dressed conservatively in a teal Catherine Walker flared coat dress and also sported a poppy. Her husband William, 36, is currently in New Zealand for a two day visit, where he attended the Anzac Day service in Auckland on Thursday morning. He will also visit Christchurch to pay tribute to those affected by the terror attack last month, which claimed the lives of 50 people. William, Harry and Meghan attended last years Anzac Day service in London. It took place just two days after Kate gave birth to her third child Prince Louis. The Duchess of Sussex was not present at the Easter Sunday service in Windsor last week. Harry, Kate and William were among the royals who joined the Queen at St Georges Chapel. A Kenyan court has found UK national Jermaine Grant guilty of possessing explosive-making materials. Jermaine Grant was charged alongside his wife Warda Breik and Frank Ngala after being arrested at a house in Kisauni, Mombasa. The house was allegedly owned by the most wanted woman on the terror list Samantha Lewthwaite alias White Widow. Grant, who has been facing charges since 2011, was charged with three counts among them, conspiracy to manufacture explosives with the aim of causing mass destruction. The Mombasa Court said the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the accused person lived in the house where the chemicals which are key components in explosives making were recovered. The Magistrate further said evidence produced in court had linked the chemicals to Mr Grant. Grants wife, Warda Breik Islam, a Kenyan national, was accused of being an accomplice in the offence. She was acquitted over lack of sufficient evidence. The court ruled that Ms. Breik, who was arrested a day after marrying the accused, was not well aware of her husbands activities or that explosives had been stored in their matrimonial house. The third suspect was also released after the court found that he had been accused wrongfully. Frank Ngala, who was found with a phone belonging to Grant, told the court he had picked up the device in a public vehicle. He denied knowing Grant and his wife personally before the arrest. The accused will be sentenced on May 9, 2019. Grant is already serving a nine years term for forging immigration documents in order to obtain an identification card. He is believed to be part of an al Shabab-linked cell that planned multiple attacks over Christmas in 2011. Last year, Prince Harry and then-bride-to-be Meghan Markle spent Anzac Day which honors Australian and New Zealand servicemen and -women, as well as the contributions of those countries during World War I in the company of Prince William, long before rumors of a royal rift would surface. (Kate Middleton missed out, having given birth to Prince Louis days before.) This time, just Kate and Harry represented the royal family at a church service in Londons Westminster Abbey. LOUISVILLE, Ky. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin reopened political wounds with Kentucky teachers on Thursday when he blamed their sickouts for the shooting of a 7-year-old. During remarks to the Louisville Rotary Club, Bevin responded to a question about what can be done to stem gun violence. More attention must be spent on looking at behavioral health and firearms safety as opposed to the government creating more gun regulations, Bevin said. "One thing you almost didn't hear anything about while we had people pretending to be sick when they weren't sick and leaving kids unattended to or in situations that they should not have been in a little girl was shot, 7 years old, by another kid," he said. "Because they were somewhere that they weren't intended and because a parent didn't have any option, put them in a situation so that they could go to work, it left these kids in a compromised situation where they encountered a gun and there was not enough awareness." The governor appeared to be referring to a March 12 shooting in the Shively area when a 7-year-old girl was shot by her 11-year-old brother inside their home while their guardian, their uncle, was outside, officials said. Bevin's office did not respond to an email asking whether the governor was talking about that incident. More: Kentucky teachers outraged over Gov. Matt Bevin's sex abuse remarks It is unclear whether the children attended Jefferson County Public Schools. In a March 27 release, Shively police said the boy accidentally shot his sister and she was taken to a hospital for surgery. The girl was "listed in good condition, being transferred to begin rehabilitation, eating solid food." The department has not responded to requests for further information. JCPS was closed on the day of the shooting because of a teacher sickout to protest legislation related to pensions. It was the fourth of six days between Feb. 28 and March 14 that JCPS was closed because of sickouts. Story continues Most JCPS elementary schools dismiss at 3:45 p.m., according to the district's website. Police do not typically identify juvenile shooting victims, JCPS spokeswoman Renee Murphy said Thursday. After the meeting, Bevin chastised reporters for writing about his comments related to the child's shooting. "The only thing you all are pumping out there is talking this 7-year-old girl who was shot really? That's pretty sad," said Bevin, who is seeking reelection. "And it's why our state is struggling because we're not focusing on things that are important." Kentucky Democrats condemned the governor's comments. State Rep. Joni Jenkins of Shively said the governor's comments were "shameful" and the worst example of state politics. "Our community, like the family, is devastated by what occurred and prays for the children," she said. "This should drive us to enact commonsense gun safety, not further a spiteful agenda against teachers. The Democrats looking to take Bevin on in the fall chimed in with swift condemnations as well. "Theres plainly something wrong with Matt Bevin," Democratic gubernatorial candidate Adam Edelen said. "I simply dont have the words to adequately describe what a new low this is. Gov. Bevin clearly lacks the decency and humanity to serve as Kentuckys leader." Theres plainly something wrong with Matt Bevin. You dont politicize the shooting of a child. I simply dont have the words to describe what a new low this is. Governor Bevin clearly lacks the decency and humanity to serve as Kentuckys leader. #kygov https://t.co/GfJcIxSzha Adam Edelen (@adamhedelen) April 25, 2019 Attorney General Andy Beshear, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, ripped the governor's comments on Twitter. "Despicable," he said. "Matt Bevin is unfit to govern. Kentucky families, teachers, and kids deserve so much better than this governor." Despicable. Matt Bevin is unfit to govern. Kentucky families, teachers, and kids deserve so much better than this governor. https://t.co/X8jeqCicyE Andy Beshear (@AndyBeshearKY) April 25, 2019 The Kentucky Democratic Party also released a statement decrying Bevin's claim, and demanding he apologize. Governor Bevins continued attacks on teachers are disgusting and unforgivable," party spokeswoman Marisa McNee said. "Hes completely out of control. Kentuckians deserve better than this. This is not the first time Bevin has claimed teacher protests put children in harm's way. After a teacher rally in April 2018 shut down dozens of school districts across Kentucky, Bevin told reporters that children were sexually assaulted or ingested poison somewhere in the state because teachers were not in class. "I guarantee you somewhere in Kentucky today, a child was sexually assaulted that was left at home because there was nobody there to watch them," Bevin said. "I guarantee you somewhere today, a child was physically harmed or ingested poison because they were left alone because a single parent didnt have any money to take care of them." The incident ignited a national backlash against Bevin, who has been at odds with educators since fall 2017, when his administration took aim at overhauling the state's woefully funded pension system. A poll released Thursday by Morning Consult, a nonpartisan polling firm in Washington, D.C., shows Bevin's popularity nosedived soon after his 2018 comments on the teacher rallies. In fact, the new poll showed he is the least popular governor in the nation. The firm's survey of Kentucky voters showed 33% approved of Bevin, while 52% did not. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point. The 19-point gap was the largest among all U.S. governors. Bevin dismissed the poll's finding when asked about if his reelection chances may be in jeopardy. He said previous surveys showed him losing or unpopular, and that he won the 2015 governor's race convincingly. "It's irrelevant," Bevin said. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky governor says teacher protests caused a 7-year-old student to be shot SEOUL, April 26 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said peace and security on the Korean Peninsula will entirely depend on the future U.S. attitude, North Korean state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Friday. "The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-U.S. summit talks," KCNA reported Kim saying. Both Russia and North Korea agreed to take positive measures in several fields in order to further cooperate in trade, economy, science and technology, KCNA said. (Reporting by Joyce Lee Editing by Bill Berkrot) Two months after his second denuclearization summit with President Donald Trump broke down because of disputes over U.S. sanctions, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held his first face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders met Thursday on Russky Island in eastern Russia, near the port city of Vladivostok. They pledged to boost ties and defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and Putin said North Korea was ready to denuclearize if given security guarantees. "There are no secrets," Putin said after the talks concluded, indicating his willingness to act as a mediator in stalled diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington. A Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, collapsed in February without a deal over North Korea's nuclear arsenal. In Vladivostok, where Kim and Putin approached each other with wide smiles and lingered in front of cameras for an extended handshake, Russia's leader voiced confidence that Kims first visit to Russia will "help better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes going on now." Putin called for the resumption of six-way talks on North Korea's nuclear program. He stressed the need for multilateral cooperation to support Pyongyang. The talks would include the two Koreas, plus China, Japan, Russia and the United States. "We welcome your efforts to develop an inter-Korean dialogue and normalize North Koreas relations with the United States," Putin told Kim. Standoff: Takeaways from Donald Trump's abruptly ended summit with Kim Jong Un A third summit? Trump predicts 'tremendous things' with North Korea, but over time Kim said the two leaders had a "very meaningful exchange" and expressed a desire to continue "jointly apprising and studying" mutual interests and "current issues." He congratulated Putin on his re-election last year to another six-year term. Story continues The Trump-Kim talks in Vietnam ended without any agreement because of differences over demands for Pyongyang to denuclearize and for Washington to drop sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the United States and North Korea, although both sides say they are open to a third summit. Kim wants the United States to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. Washington maintains the sanctions need to stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearization moves. North Korea expressed frustration at the deadlocked negotiations. Last week, Pyongyang test-fired what it called a new "tactical guided weapon" and demanded U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo be removed from the nuclear talks. Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday aboard an armored train. He told Russian state media he hoped his first visit to Russia would be "successful and useful." He evoked his father's "great love for Russia" and said he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. His father, Kim Jong Il, made three trips to Russia, the last time in 2011. Like the United States, Russia opposes Pyongyangs nuclear weapons program. Putin reiterated that opposition Thursday. The White House did not comment on the Kim-Putin summit. Kim Jong Un plays hardball: North Korea wants Pompeo out of talks Or else! North Korea threatens to restart missile tests, end negotiations with Trump Putin welcomed Trumps meetings with Kim but urged the United States to do more to assuage Pyongyangs security concerns. He said in a news conference Thursday that Pyongyang needs serious security guarantees before it gives up its nuclear program. Putin didnt specify what those security guarantees should be but said they would probably need to be underwritten by multiple nations. Before the talks, Putins foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Russia would seek to "consolidate the positive trends" stemming from Trump-Kim meetings. He noted that the Kremlin would try to help "create preconditions and a favorable atmosphere for reaching solid agreements on the problem of the Korean Peninsula." Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said Putin probably encouraged Kim to continue constructive talks with the United States, reflecting Russias own worry about the North's nuclear and missile programs. "Russia cant be expected to side with North Korea and, lets say, support the North Koreans all the way in the Security Council where Russia is a veto-wielding member and where all sanctions imposed on North Korea require Russias approval," he said. Trenin emphasized that Moscow is skeptical the North could be persuaded to fully abandon its nuclear weapons, considering it a "mission impossible." "North Korea will not give up the only guarantee of the survival of the North Korean state and its regime," Trenin said. Russia would like to gain broader access to North Koreas mineral resources, including rare metals. Pyongyang covets Russias electricity supplies and investment to modernize its dilapidated Soviet-built industrial plants, railways and other infrastructure. At the start of a dinner banquet with Putin in Vladivostok, Kim made a toast and said the people of North Korea "always have affectionate and brotherly emotions about the people of Russia and feel pride that a great country like Russia is a close neighbor." Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After Kim-Trump summit collapse, North Korean leader holds talks with Vladimir Putin An American tourist abducted and held hostage in Uganda earlier this month spoke out about her time in captivity, revealing the thoughts that ran through her mind before she was saved. In a CBS This Morning interview that aired Thursday, Kimberly Endicott, who was on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park when four armed men kidnapped her and her driver, said that she contemplated how she could have died. How do I get them to shoot me ... instead of dismembering me or raping me? she remembered thinking. How do I get them to do that? What can I do that will actually create that? And I could never actually come up with a strategy for that. If I ran, I think that would just make them angry and I think I would probably get treated pretty badly if I tried to run. On April 7, Ugandan police and its associated security forces rescued Endicott, who was held for nearly five days with her driver, Jean Paul Mirenge Remezo, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The kidnappers demanded $500,000 for the pairs release, and a ransom was paid, though the amount and the identity of the donor remain unknown, according to ABC News. The two had been on an evening game outing through the park when Endicott realized something was wrong. Were sitting there and all of a sudden four men come out of a perfectly square bush thats in front of us, she told CBS. And my first thought was there must be something happening behind us and that these are rangers. Endicott explained that she had been gorilla trekking in the past, and since the guides were armed, she didnt immediately assume the men were a threat. Looking at them it became apparent pretty quickly that, no, thats not what this is. They were not in uniform. They were ragtag. They were a little bit of everything, she said. She was then forced to get out of the vehicle and sit on the ground a moment she remembers having experienced terror. Theres really not a word to describe what that felt like. Pure fear. But that almost doesnt do it justice, she said. Shortly after Endicotts rescue, CNN reported that Ugandan police apprehended eight people they believed had strong [links] to kidnapping tourists. Officials also heightened security in the park. A Delaware girl was bitten on the face by a "kissing bug" in July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed last week, but what do you need to know about the insects that carry a potentially fatal disease? Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Triatomine bugs carry it and can infect humans with their bite, the CDC says. Chagas is found only in the Americas, and mainly rural parts of Latin America, the CDC says. While triatomine bugs are in the United States, only a few cases of Chagas disease from contact with the bugs in the US have been confirmed, health officials say. Here's what you need to know: What are 'kissing bugs' and how do you get Chagas disease? Triatomine bugs get their nickname "kissing bugs" because they often bite people's face, the CDC says. However, being bitten does not mean you'll get Chagas as the CDC says transmission is "not easy." Triatomine bugs often ingest, or "suck," people's blood after they bite, and then defecate on the person. If their feces infected with the parasite T. cruzi enters the body, that's when infection can occur, according to the CDC. Delaware girl bitten: CDC confirms treacherous 'kissing bug' bit Delaware girl on the face In many cases, the bugs hide in cracks and corners in homes and often emerge overnight. When a bug bites then defecates on a sleeping person, they may unknowingly rub the feces into the bite or their eyes or mouth, per the CDC. In the recent sighting in Delaware, the girl was bitten as she watched TV in her room. The family lived in an older single-family home near a heavily wooded area, and there was an air conditioner in the window of the girl's bedroom, the CDC said. The girl did not get sick, health officials said. The disease can also be spread from congenital transmission, such as a pregnant woman to her baby, blood transfusion, organ donation or eating contaminated foods. Story continues How widespread are 'kissing bugs' with Chagas and T. cruzi? More than 300,000 people in the United States have T. cruzi infections, the CDC estimates. Most were infected in Latin America. Triatomine bugs are found mostly in the southern United States. There have been confirmed sightings of 11 species. In September, the CDC warned that the deadly bloodsuckers were on the move up from Central and South America and had been reported as far north as Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Texas case in June: Insidious 'kissing bugs' bite Texas woman; she awaits Chagas disease test results How do I know whether I have Chagas disease? Acute Chagas is diagnosed through a blood test. A few weeks or months after infection, a person may have no or mild symptoms, including fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting, the CDC says. However, those symptoms often are associated with other common diseases, and many people with Chagas do not suspect it, per the CDC. Other symptoms can include mild enlargement of the liver or spleen, swollen glands, or swelling at the site of the bite. Romana's sign, swelling of the eyelid, is also an indicator and occurs when the infected feces is rubbed into a person's eye. Young children with Chagas can also get severe inflammation and heart muscle or brain infections, which can be fatal, though it is rare, the CDC says. People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV or undergoing chemotherapy, are also at an increased risk. Chronic Chagas can last a lifetime and many don't have symptoms. However, cardiac and gastrointestinal complications, which can be fatal, can occur in around 20% to 30% of people, the CDC says. Can Chagas disease be treated? Yes. Antiparasitic treatment can kill T. cruzi, especially with an early diagnosis. It can also help those with chronic Chagas, according to the CDC. Symptomatic treatment may also be needed for those with complications from chronic Chagas. There is no drug or vaccine to prevent Chagas, the CDC says. How can I protect myself? If you live in the United States and don't plan to travel to Latin America, you are likely safe from Chagas disease. The CDC says prevention in the U.S. is focused on stopping the spread from blood transfusion, organ transplantation and mother-to-baby. When traveling, sleeping indoors in structures without cracks open to the outside can keep triatomine bugs from coming in. The CDC also says checking uncooked food and unpeeled fruits can help protect travelers. Contributing: Jessica Bies, Delaware News Journal This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kissing bugs suck blood and poop in your face. Heres how that spreads Chagas disease By Fabio Teixeira RIO DE JANEIRO, April 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A main government body responsible for the fight against slavery and labor infractions in Brazil is in a "calamitous" state, leading to a lower number of victims being rescued in recent years, top government officials told Congress on Thursday. The Labor Inspection Secretariat, which works with prosecutors and police to rescue victims, is understaffed and underfunded, said labor judge Guilherme Guimaraes, head of Brazil's National Association of Labor Judges. "The (working) conditions for labor inspectors, which are at the front in the fight (against slavery), is calamitous," said Guimaraes during a public hearing in the Brazilian lower house of Congress. According to officials, labor inspectors lack funds to pay for basic necessities like gas and maintenance for their cars or money to pay for their stays in cities where they travel to do inspections. The hearing, held by congressman Tulio Gadelha, invited representatives of government and judicial bodies responsible for Brazil's anti-slavery efforts to present their views. The top officials repeatedly said labor inspectors lack the means and personnel to do the field work necessary to rescue victims. Government data shows that the number of workers rescued from slavery has steadily fallen in Brazil since 2012, when about 2,708 victims were rescued. In 2017, the number reached a record low of 639, before rebounding in 2018 to 1,153. The lower numbers are due, in part, to lack of funds, said the labor inspector's representative at the hearing, Carlos Fernando da Silva Filho. "In 2016 and 2017 ... we could not go into the field due to lack of money," da Silva Filho told lawmakers. In 2017, during a crippling recession, the Secretariat's budget was cut by 70 percent, the inspector's union said. Brazil formally acknowledged to the international community that slave labor existed in the country in 1995. Story continues To fight it, a special unit - inside the Secretariat - was launched. Coordinated by labor inspectors, they work with prosecutors and police to find and raid farms, construction sites and companies suspected of using forced labor. Since 1995, more than 53,000 people have been found in slavery-like conditions by government agents. In 2018, 370,000 people were living in slave-like conditions in Brazil, according to the Global Slavery Index from the Walk Free Foundation. In recent years, however, it's hard to get labor inspectors to do field work, said federal prosecutor Adriana Scordamaglia, who specializes in forced labor cases. "Either it's lack of money, or the plane tickets are not supplied in time, or we lack labor inspectors," she told lawmakers. In the past decade, labor inspectors have been retiring at a faster rate than the government can replenish them, official data shows. In 2010, there were some 3,059 active labor inspectors. By 2018 that number had fallen to about 2,303. Funding for labor inspectors comes from the Special Secretariat of Pensions and Labor. A representative of the secretariat at the hearing, Matheus Viana, recognized that lack of funds is an issue, but emphasized that no operations by the group were canceled in 2018 and 2019 due to it. Viana, however, agreed that the lack of labor inspectors is a serious problem. "We have less and less people. It's a critical situation." (Reporting by Fabio Teixeira; Editing by Jason Fields. Please credit Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit www.trust.org) Lam Research Corporation LRCX reported third-quarter fiscal 2019 non-GAAP earnings of $3.70 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 32 cents. However, the figure decreased 4.4% sequentially and 22.8% year over year. Moreover, adjusted revenues decreased 3.3% sequentially and 15.7% year over year to $2.44 billion. However, the reported revenues surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.51%. Management remains positive about both etch and deposition technologies, which in turn will continue to expand its serviceable addressable market. Shares of Lam Research have gained 8.7% in the past 12 months compared with its industrys 5.3% growth. Top Line in Detail In the quarter, Korea and Taiwan accounted for 25% and 23% of the companys total revenues, respectively, while Japan and China contributed 17% each. On the contrary, United States, Southeast Asia and Europe accounted for 9%, 5% and 4%, respectively. Operating Details Non-GAAP gross margin came in at 45.1%, which contracted 120 basis points (bps) sequentially. Non-GAAP operating expenses were $488.4 million, reflecting an increase of 11% sequentially. As a percentage of sales, both research & development and selling, general & administrative expenses marked an increase. Adjusted operating margin was 25.1%, down 370 bps sequentially. The decrease was primarily due to higher expenses. Balance Sheet & Cash Flow At the end of the fiscal third quarter, cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments increased to $6.1 billion from $3.6 billion in the fiscal second quarter. Cash flow from operating activities was $932.8million, up from $642 billion in the fiscal second quarter. Capital expenditures were $75.5 million, down from $106 million in the fiscal second quarter. During the quarter, Lam Research paid dividends of $171.2 million. Guidance For fourth-quarter fiscal 2019, Lam Research projects revenues to be $2.35 billion (+/- $150 million). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $2.32 billion. Story continues Gross margin is projected at around 45.5% (+/-1%) and operating margin is expected to be 26% (+/-1%). Non-GAAP earnings are projected at $3.40 (+/- 20 cents) per share on a share count of nearly 155 million. The corresponding Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $3.28 per share. Lam Research Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Lam Research Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Lam Research Corporation Quote Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider Currently, Lam Research carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector include Amazon AMZN, Ctrip.com International, Ltd. CTRP and Square SQ, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Long-term earnings growth for Amazon, Ctrip.com and Square is currently projected at 31.2%, 23% and 25%, respectively. Radical New Technology Creates $12.3 Trillion Opportunity Imagine buying Microsoft stock in the early days of personal computers or Motorola after it released the worlds first cell phone. These technologies changed our lives and created massive profits for investors. Today, were on the brink of the next quantum leap in technology. 7 innovative companies are leading this 4th Industrial Revolution - and early investors stand to earn the biggest profits. See the 7 breakthrough stocks now>> 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 Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Square, Inc. (SQ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (CTRP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The governor for Machakos County Dr Alfred Mutua has implored Western countries to assist Kenya in the fight against rampant corruption and drug trafficking. Governor Mutua challenged the US and the European Union to make public lists of corrupt government officials, drug barons and terrorists. Speaking on Tuesday during the unveiling of Mars Wrigley Confectioneries plant in Athi River, Dr Mutua asked the US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter, who was in attendance, to ask Washington to release a list of shame. I want to challenge the American ambassador and your colleagues from the European Union and even other nations like Japan to take a stand on the issue of corruption, he said. You have a database of drug dealers and, I believe, terrorists from our region who are on your radar. I also believe there is a database of super corrupt people in this country. My request is, stop these very senior government officials from stealing from us. The former government spokesman also asked the West to punish corrupt individuals by banning them from investing in their countries. Name and shame these people. You have the database of the corrupt people. Give us a list of shame and stop them from coming to your country. Punish them so that they dont just send their children to study in your country and to live well whereas our children are left in suffering in poverty, governor Mutua said, adding, Why cant you stop them from coming to your countries to hide or invest our money? Mutua also appeared to throw an indirect jibe at DP William Ruto, saying, There are some who say they are targeted whenever we talk about corruption. But why do you feel guilty unless you have a history of thievery? The County boss said Kenyans should not trust thieves to create jobs for the youth and grow the countrys economy. Photo credit: USAF - Getty Images From Popular Mechanics A June 2018 crash of a F-15C Eagle fighter was caused by pilot error, a report into the incident has determined. The report says that the pilot became confused while visually tracking a F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, thinking he was flying to the right when he was actually flying vertically. The pilot ejected moments before impact, sustaining moderate injuries. The F-15C fighter, assigned to the U.S. Air Forces 44th Fighter Squadron on the island of Okinawa, was engaged in a mock dogfight with a Raptor from the Alaska-based 525th Fighter Squadron. The F-15C pilot realized that the plane was slowing down and, according to Stars and Stripes , the aircraft may have stalled. The pilot attempted to correct the situation but, acting on incorrect information, took action that actually made the problem worse. Within seconds the pilot attempted to bail out but at first pulled the wrong handle. When the pilot finally did bail out he or she was just 1,100 feet above the Pacific Ocean. The pilot suffered a broken leg during the process but was picked up by a Japanese Self Defense Force search and rescue helicopter. The president of the accident investigation board convened to look into the crash, Colonel Harmon Lewis Jr., said of the crash: three additional factors substantially contributed to the mishap: spatial disorientation, lack of emergency procedure training for negative G departures from controlled flight, and limited time to analyze the situation and recover. The fighter apparently crashed into the Pacific Ocean and was a total loss. The crash caused a temporary stand-down of F-15s at Kadena air base in Okinawa where the fighter was based. Source: Stars and Stripes ('You Might Also Like',) BALTIMORE (AP) The Latest on investigations involving Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (all times local): 5:15 p.m. An attorney for embattled Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has met with her to discuss "options" after multiple court-authorized searches by federal agents. Outside of Pugh's Baltimore residence, attorney Steven Silverman told reporters Thursday that "there are multiple options available to her" amid the intensifying investigations. He asserted that a way forward "will be up to her," but did not offer more specifics. Silverman also says the 69-year-old Pugh is "physically still ill" from a bout of pneumonia. He says she's "emotionally extremely distraught" following the searches by FBI and IRS agents. Pugh announced her indefinite leave of absence from City Hall on April 1, the same day Maryland's governor asked the state prosecutor to investigate her "Healthy Holly" book deals, including $500,000 in bulk sales to a hospital network. ___ 2:25 p.m. Federal prosecutors are seeking evidence from the University of Maryland Medical System as they investigate Baltimore's embattled mayor. Spokesman Michael Schwartzberg said in an emailed statement that the medical system received a grand jury witness subpoena Thursday seeking documents and information related to Mayor Catherine Pugh. Schwartzberg said the system is fully cooperating. Federal agents searched Pugh's homes and offices as part of as part of probes into whether she used sales of her children's books to disguise government kickbacks. For years, Pugh had sold her self-published children's books to entities she was involved with as a lawmaker and later as mayor. She sold $500,000 in "Healthy Holly" books to the University of Maryland Medical System. She sat on the system's board and pushed legislation that would have benefited the $4 billion hospital network. ___ 1:20 p.m. Story continues An attorney for Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh says federal agents came to his city law firm to serve a subpoena for her original financial records. Steve Silverman says the agents were directed to a sequestered area where Pugh's documents were kept. He says there was no "search" of the law firm and they did not seek any attorney-client privileged communications with their client. He says the firm complied with the subpoena. FBI spokesman Dave Fitz earlier confirmed that agents had gone to a building where Pugh's attorney works. FBI and IRS agents have conducted searches at multiple locations including City Hall, Pugh's residences, and a nonprofit. Silverman says his law firm "will continue to vigorously defend the mayor, who is entitled the presumption of innocence." ___ 11:00 a.m. Federal agents have expanded their searches related to embattled Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh to include the work address of one of her attorneys, and the home of one of her aides. FBI spokesman Dave Fitz said agents had searched Thursday at a building where Pugh's attorney Steve Silverman works. People at the law office declined to comment but said Silverman would issue a statement. Fitz also confirmed that agents had searched the home of Gerald Brown, a former Pugh aide recently fired by the interim mayor. He said agents also searched the Maryland Center for Adult Training, which provides job training for unemployed people. Earlier, authorities said they were searching two of Pugh's homes and offices inside City Hall. The searches are part of widening probes to determine whether Pugh used sales of her children's books to disguise government kickbacks. __ 10:30 a.m. The governor of Maryland is calling for the resignation of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh. Gov. Larry Hogan says "Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust" and is "clearly not fit to lead." Hogan cites the state probe he directed into Pugh's financial dealings with the University of Maryland Medical System, and Thursday's federal raids of her homes and offices as well as the office of her attorney. He says Baltimore needs strong and responsible leadership now more than ever, so "for the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign." ___ 7:48 a.m. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall. FBI spokesman Dave Fitz says multiple agents are "executing court-authorized search warrants" at "both residences and City Hall." The mayor's spokesman, James Bentley, said he has no immediate comment on the Thursday raids. Her attorney Steve Silverman, did not immediately return calls. Pugh and five of her staffers are now on paid leave amid a scandal over her book sales. BERLIN (AP) The Latest on Europe's response to mass migration (all times local): 3:30 p.m. The European Union's statistics agency says more than 300,000 people were granted asylum within the bloc last year, a drop of almost 40 percent from 2017. Eurostat said Thursday that around 333,400 people were deemed eligible for international protection, most of them Syrians, Afghans or Iraqis fleeing conflict or persecution. The agency says 67,000 of the total 96,100 Syrians determined to be bona fide refugees across the 28-nation EU in 2018 were granted asylum in Germany. Germany, Italy and France were the EU countries that recognized the most refugees. Well over 1 million migrants entered the EU in 2015, a relatively small number compared to arrivals in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. However, the influx caused a political crisis and immigration became a hot-button topic. . EU countries remain deeply divided over the best approach despite the sharp drop in new arrivals. ___ 12:50 p.m. A survey has found that Germans are increasingly hostile toward asylum-seekers, whereas prejudices toward homeless or gay people have declined. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which commissioned the survey, said Thursday that 54.1% of respondents expressed negative opinions about asylum-seekers, up from 49.5% in 2016 and 44% in 2014. Germany saw a significant increase in migrant arrivals in 2016, with almost 746,000 people seeking asylum that year. Numbers have since declined again, with about 186,000 asylum requests last year. The representative telephone survey, which is conducted every two years, involved 1,890 respondents and took place between September and February. The study also examined for the first time how receptive Germans are to conspiracy theories. It found that about 46% of respondents believed secret organizations influence political decision-making. PARIS (AP) The Latest on French President Emmanuel Macron's proposed solutions to the economic problems raised by yellow vest protesters (all times local): 8:50 p.m. Activists involved in France's five months of yellow vest protests say they are disappointed with President Emmanuel Macron's response to their demands for economic relief for the country's working classes. Paris region activist Thierry-Paul Valette tweeted after Macron outlined his long-awaited proposals Thursday night that the president spoke like "a supreme chief and doesn't seem to understand that he should show modesty." Movement activists plan to protest for a 24th straight weekend on Saturday. Once-prominent yellow vest activist Ingrid Levavasseur, who scaled back her participation amid the movement's internal divisions and protest violence, told The Associated Press she found Macron's response "not at all satisfactory." Levavasseur, cautiously welcomed his proposed measures to decentralize decision-making but said Macron's plan wasn't ambitious enough overall and didn't resolve the financial difficulties of retirees. She acknowledged that "the expectations are so enormous that it was bound to be disappointing." ___ 8:20 p.m. French President Emmanuel Macron has called Islamic extremism a threat to the French republic and says he wants the government to work harder to keep extremists from doing harm. Macron said during a speech on Thursday night that he wants to strengthen oversight of extremist groups in France that are financed from abroad. He insisted France's long-held public policy of secularism state's secular rules is the key that allows people of different beliefs and backgrounds to live together peaceably. But the French leader also said he thinks illegal immigration is on France and Europe. He said he favors a "strong" Europe that protects its borders and takes in some asylum-seekers whose lives are at risk in other countries. Story continues He said: "To be welcoming, you need to have a house. So we need borders. We need borders to be respected. We need rules." ___ 6:50 p.m. French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to cut income taxes for middle-class workers. Macron made the vow Thursday during a planned speech outlining his response to months of anti-government protests. He said he wants to "cut taxes for a maximum number of citizens and especially those who are working, the middle-class." Macron said he is considering financing the measure through cuts in public spending and making people work longer before they retire. He didn't elaborate. ___ 6:35 p.m. French President Emmanuel wants to reduce the number of lawmakers in parliament and to change the national legislature's voting system so it better reflects the diversity of France's political parties. Macron said Thursday during a speech planned to address the concerns raised by the anti-government yellow vest protesters: "We can improve" the parliament and make it "more efficient." France's parliamentary election system currently is designed to give the winning party a strong majority, disadvantaging smaller parties. Macron says he wants some of the seats in the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, to be filled through a proportional system. He said he also plans to make it easier for citizens to propose national referendums. ___ 9 a.m. French President Emmanuel Macron is set to unveil long-awaited plans to quell five months of yellow vest protests that have damaged his presidency. Macron will speak to the nation from the Elysee presidential palace after three months of national debate aimed at addressing the protesters' concerns through town hall meetings and collecting complaints online. He is expected to unveil tax cuts for lower-income households and measures to boost pensions and help single parents. He may also make it easier for ordinary people to initiate local referendums. While his promises are expected to respond to some demonstrators' grievances, other critics are likely to dismiss them as too little, too late. The protesters see the centrist Macron, a former investment banker, as leading a French government that favors the rich and want more income equality. Many French protesters say they can't pay their bills due to the high cost of living. BALTIMORE (AP) The Latest on investigations involving Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (all times local): 11:00 a.m. Federal agents have expanded their searches related to embattled Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh to include the work address of one of her attorneys, and the home of one of her aides. FBI spokesman Dave Fitz said agents had searched Thursday at a building where Pugh's attorney Steve Silverman works. People at the law office declined to comment but said Silverman would issue a statement. Fitz also confirmed that agents had searched the home of Gerald Brown, a former Pugh aide recently fired by the interim mayor. He said agents also searched the Maryland Center for Adult Training, which provides job training for unemployed people. Earlier, authorities said they were searching two of Pugh's homes and offices inside City Hall. The searches are part of widening probes to determine whether Pugh used sales of her children's books to disguise government kickbacks. __ 10:30 a.m. The governor of Maryland is calling for the resignation of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh. Gov. Larry Hogan says "Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust" and is "clearly not fit to lead." Hogan cites the state probe he directed into Pugh's financial dealings with the University of Maryland Medical System, and Thursday's federal raids of her homes and offices as well as the office of her attorney. He says Baltimore needs strong and responsible leadership now more than ever, so "for the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign." ___ 7:48 a.m. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall. FBI spokesman Dave Fitz says multiple agents are "executing court-authorized search warrants" at "both residences and City Hall." The mayor's spokesman, James Bentley, said he has no immediate comment on the Thursday raids. Her attorney Steve Silverman, did not immediately return calls. Pugh and five of her staffers are now on paid leave amid a scandal over her book sales. BALTIMORE (AP) The Latest on investigations involving Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (all times local): 2:25 p.m. Federal prosecutors are seeking evidence from the University of Maryland Medical System as they investigate Baltimore's embattled mayor. Spokesman Michael Schwartzberg said in an emailed statement that the medical system received a grand jury witness subpoena Thursday seeking documents and information related to Mayor Catherine Pugh. Schwartzberg said the system is fully cooperating. Federal agents searched Pugh's homes and offices as part of as part of probes into whether she used sales of her children's books to disguise government kickbacks. For years, Pugh had sold her self-published children's books to entities she was involved with as a lawmaker and later as mayor. She sold $500,000 in "Healthy Holly" books to the University of Maryland Medical System. She sat on the system's board and pushed legislation that would have benefited the $4 billion hospital network. ___ 1:20 p.m. An attorney for Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh says federal agents came to his city law firm to serve a subpoena for her original financial records. Steve Silverman says the agents were directed to a sequestered area where Pugh's documents were kept. He says there was no "search" of the law firm and they did not seek any attorney-client privileged communications with their client. He says the firm complied with the subpoena. FBI spokesman Dave Fitz earlier confirmed that agents had gone to a building where Pugh's attorney works. FBI and IRS agents have conducted searches at multiple locations including City Hall, Pugh's residences, and a nonprofit. Silverman says his law firm "will continue to vigorously defend the mayor, who is entitled the presumption of innocence." ___ 11:00 a.m. Federal agents have expanded their searches related to embattled Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh to include the work address of one of her attorneys, and the home of one of her aides. Story continues FBI spokesman Dave Fitz said agents had searched Thursday at a building where Pugh's attorney Steve Silverman works. People at the law office declined to comment but said Silverman would issue a statement. Fitz also confirmed that agents had searched the home of Gerald Brown, a former Pugh aide recently fired by the interim mayor. He said agents also searched the Maryland Center for Adult Training, which provides job training for unemployed people. Earlier, authorities said they were searching two of Pugh's homes and offices inside City Hall. The searches are part of widening probes to determine whether Pugh used sales of her children's books to disguise government kickbacks. __ 10:30 a.m. The governor of Maryland is calling for the resignation of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh. Gov. Larry Hogan says "Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust" and is "clearly not fit to lead." Hogan cites the state probe he directed into Pugh's financial dealings with the University of Maryland Medical System, and Thursday's federal raids of her homes and offices as well as the office of her attorney. He says Baltimore needs strong and responsible leadership now more than ever, so "for the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign." ___ 7:48 a.m. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall. FBI spokesman Dave Fitz says multiple agents are "executing court-authorized search warrants" at "both residences and City Hall." The mayor's spokesman, James Bentley, said he has no immediate comment on the Thursday raids. Her attorney Steve Silverman, did not immediately return calls. Pugh and five of her staffers are now on paid leave amid a scandal over her book sales. WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on former Vice President Joe Biden's 2020 presidential bid (all times local): 3:40 p.m. Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke says he's glad former Vice President Joe Biden has joined the race. The former Texas congressman told reporters during a campaign stop in Reno, Nevada, on Thursday that Biden brings "some extraordinary experience in public service" to the competition for the party's 2020 presidential nomination. He said it's good for Democrats and good for America. O'Rourke says Biden is joining an "extraordinary field of candidates with amazing diversity and backgrounds," experience and life stories. He said after a speech to the University of Nevada Young Democrats at a coffee shop on the edge of the Reno campus that it's up to voters, not to him, to decide whether Biden should be considered the front-runner in the race or whether he's too much of a centrist candidate. ___ 2:45 p.m. A top aide to Joe Biden says the former vice president has spoken with Anita Hill, whose treatment during Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearing has been a source of criticism for the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. In a text message Thursday to The Associated Press, Biden's deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield says, "They had a private discussion where he shared with her directly his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country." Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991, when Hill came forward with allegations that Thomas had sexually harassed her. Hill has not responded to multiple requests for comment by the AP. Biden has said he wishes he could have avoided what called questioning that was "hostile and insulting." ___ 2:15 p.m. Former Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond is supporting former Vice President Joe Biden's 2020 presidential bid. He says Biden "has always been in the corner of working people and minorities." Story continues The Democratic Louisiana congressman told The Associated Press on Thursday that he encouraged Biden to run soon after President Donald Trump's 2016 election. Richmond said he called Biden and urged him to run. He said Biden is "genuinely concerned about where we're going as a country. I think that played a large role in his decision." Ahead of his decision to enter the race, Biden has leaned heavily on Congressional Black Caucus members, who represent millions of black voters in early primary states. ___ 11:55 a.m. Former Vice President Joe Biden has dismissed a reporter's question about why he wasn't endorsed for 2020 by former President Barack Obama, who issued a statement calling his choice of Biden as a running mate in 2008 "one of the best decisions" he's ever made. Biden arrived in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday to a crowd of reporters anxious to talk to him after he announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. At a train station en route to Philadelphia, Biden said he "asked President Obama not to endorse" and "Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merit." Asked what separates him from the rest of the massive Democratic field, Biden said, "That will be for the Democrats to decide." Before walking away, Biden cheerily says, "Welcome to Delaware." Biden has said the "soul of this nation" is at stake if President Donald Trump wins re-election. ___ 9:45 a.m. Former Vice President Joe Biden will hit the road campaigning first thing next week. Biden is scheduled to begin in Pittsburgh, the working class heart of his childhood home state of Pennsylvania. He'll receive the endorsement of the International Association of Fire Fighters and speak about rebuilding the middle class. Then it's off to Iowa, home of the leadoff nominating caucuses. That will be followed by a trip to South Carolina, where Biden is seen as having to do well among the state's sizable blocs of African American voters and military veterans. Biden is scheduled to visit other early-voting states Nevada and New Hampshire in early May, before holding a national event in Philadelphia on May 18. Biden joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday, declaring the "soul of this nation" at stake if President Donald Trump wins re-election. ___ 9:25 a.m. Former Vice President Joe Biden is running into immediate headwinds from some progressive Democrats from the party's left wing as he launches his 2020 presidential bid. A group aligned with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called Justice Democrats says in a lengthy statement that Biden is a centrist Democrat who could "divide the party." It says Biden could squelch progressive enthusiasm for policies like single-payer health care and a Green New Deal. The group said Thursday the "old guard" already failed to defeat President Donald Trump in 2016 and cannot be counted on to excite the base in 2020. But the statement still notes that Justice Democrats will support whoever wins the Democratic nomination next year. Biden joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday morning, declaring the "soul of this nation" at stake if Trump wins re-election. ___ 8:30 a.m. President Donald Trump is welcoming former Vice President Joe Biden to the 2020 race with a taste of his acerbic Twitter commentary. Trump tweets Thursday: "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe," one of his nicknames for Biden, a fellow septuagenarian. He adds: "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign." Trump predicts that the race to face him in the general election will be "nasty" but says if Biden wins the nomination, "I will see you at the Starting Gate!" Biden formally announced his candidacy on Thursday, entering the crowded 2020 Democratic field as a front-runner. ___ 7 a.m. Senate Democrats from Joe Biden's twin home states of Delaware and Pennsylvania are endorsing him for president. Delaware Sen. Chris Coons and Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey quickly issued written statements supporting the former vice president after Biden posted a video declaring his 2020 candidacy. Coons, who holds Biden's old Senate seat, says in the statement, "Joe Biden doesn't just talk about making our county more just, he delivers results." Casey says, "At this make-or-break moment for the middle class, our children and our workers, America needs Vice President Joe Biden to be its next President." Biden was raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but has lived most of his life in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden represented Delaware in the Senate from 1973 to 2009. ___ 6:40 a.m. President Barack Obama is weighing in on Joe Biden's entry into the 2020 presidential race, saying through a spokeswoman that selecting Biden as his running mate in 2008 was "one of the best decisions he ever made." Obama did not endorse Biden, nor is he expected to endorse any candidate early in the Democratic primary. But the fact that he released a statement something he hasn't done after any other candidate announcements underscores his close personal bond with Biden. Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill says Obama relied on Biden's "knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency." The former president has met with multiple Democratic presidential contenders and is said to welcome the large 2020 field and believe it will make the eventual Democratic nominee a stronger White House contender. ___ 6 a.m. Joe Biden has formally entered the 2020 race for president. The vice president under President Barack Obama made the announcement in a video released Thursday morning. The move marks what will likely be the 76-year-old's final opportunity to seek a job he has eyed for more than a generation. He struggled in two previous campaigns. One of the most recognizable names in U.S. politics, Biden leads most early Democratic primary polls. But as an older white man who spent a half-century in Washington, it's unclear if he will be embraced by today's increasingly liberal Democratic Party. Eric Giunta engaged in a lengthy debate on Facebook with a theologian and professor about the validity of systemic racism. (Photo: Courtesy of RenewAmerica) A Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) lawyer has resigned one day after a problematic Facebook debate with a theologian landed him under disciplinary review. In the online dialogue, the lawyer seemed to villainize the black community and called systemic racism a leftist lie. Eric S. Giunta, who had been assistant general counsel at the department since December 2017, stuck to his guns while taking on Holly Taylor Coolman, who had posted a video entitled Systemic Racism Explained on Tuesday. The video is a primer on the circumstances that keep many African-Americans at a great disadvantage compared to white Americans, including a neighborhood zoning practice called redlining, which stigmatizes black neighborhoods and funnels far less tax dollars into their school systems. Giunta, however, wasnt buying it, commenting, What a load of crap. He left a second comment that read, If the black community wants to better itself, it can, quite easily. Black people need to stop raping, murdering, stealing and vandalizing, and quit having children out of wedlock. Thats how literally every other once-despised ethnic group broke the cycle and entered into the middle-class mainstream. Coolman admitted she was finding it hard to know how even to begin to respond. She continued, Ill just say briefly that I dont think your comment reflects an understanding of the important differences between the history of the black community and of every other once-despised ethnic group.' She then went on to quote a 2018 letter from the U.S. Catholic bishops, which explained the difference between systemic racism, a major affliction of our society that still profoundly affects our culture, and individual racism, which is only found in the hearts of individuals who can be dismissed as ignorant or unenlightened. The U.S. bishops are wrong, Giunta declared, and went on to decry popular leftist cliches and bromides without serious analysis or argument, under a theory that identifies Catholic social doctrine with the following equation: monotheism + the latest iteration of woke socialism abortion. Story continues Coolman tried to defuse the tense debate, but Giunta was intent on pressing the issue. Systemic racism is a leftist lie, like same-sex marriage and transgenderism,' he declared. He then explained that part of being rational is holding prejudices against certain people based on their ethnicity. He called it a matter of appreciating ethnic and cultural differences. After the Tallahassee Democrat reported on the debate, Giunta was placed under disciplinary review. This individuals comments are absolutely unacceptable and are not in line with the values of the Florida Department of Corrections, nor are they a reflection of the thousands of dedicated professionals who serve our agency daily, Michelle Glady, director of communications for FDC, told the publication. Several hours later, an FDC official confirmed that Giunta had resigned. When reached by the Tallahassee Democrat, Giunta who had written a column for a conservative website, Renew America, until 2015 confirmed that he made the comments on Coolmans post. He then released a statement in which he called his words admittedly brusque and admittedly inartful, but said he did not mean to imply that all or even most black people are criminals, violent or otherwise. Instead, he said he meant to point out the deficits of Coolmans video on systemic racism, which includes, according to him, the failure to address the effect relatively high crime rates, and astronomically high out-of-wedlock birth rates, have on black communities and the ability of many blacks to break out of the economic-depressive cycles the video refers to. Giunta, who is reportedly Italian-American, added, Suffice it to say I, a son of immigrants, do not have a racist bone in my body, and I went out of my way in my comments to make clear that I do not believe the socio-economic difficulties faced by many black communities are in any way intrinsic to being black, but that they can be overcome by adequate cultural reformation within these communities, in much the same way other once-disadvantaged ethnic groups in this country, including my own, broke these same depressive cycles by the adoption of so-called bourgeois values: getting married before having children and staying married for the childrens sake; working hard, as if no one owed you welfare; being civic-minded and charitable; going out of ones way to obey the laws and avoid substance abuse, etc. He also maintained that there is no such thing as systemic racism by white people. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. By Julio-Cesar Chavez SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (Reuters) - The leader of an armed militia that spent two months rounding up migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border before he was arrested on federal weapons charges was hospitalized after a jailhouse attack, his lawyer and authorities said on Wednesday. Larry Hopkins, 69, whose group of self-styled citizen border cops drew condemnation from civil liberties advocates, suffered broken ribs in the beating by fellow inmates on Tuesday at the Dona Ana County Detention Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico, according to his attorney, Kelly O'Connell. Hopkins was arrested on Saturday by the FBI on an outstanding warrant accusing him of being a felon in illegal possession of firearms, a charge dating back to a 2017 search of his home. The detention facility, about 200 miles south of Albuquerque, confirmed that Hopkins was "the alleged victim" of a Tuesday night attack and said the incident was under investigation. "Hopkins was given medical attention for non life-threatening injuries," county spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said in an email. She later told Reuters that Hopkins had been transferred from the jail on Wednesday and turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service. She said Hopkins was beaten by three other inmates in the jail's television viewing room, and no weapons were found. Jameson said she had no information on what precipitated the violence. The attack occurred the same day that Hopkins' United Constitutional Patriots group abandoned its encampment in Sunland Park, New Mexico, where they had spent two months patrolling a 5-mile stretch of the border and said they detained thousands of migrants they caught trying to cross into the United States. The American Civil Liberties Union last week denounced the UCP as group of "fascist" vigilantes impersonating law enforcement to essentially kidnap Central American families seeking asylum. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, ordered an investigation of the group. UCP members insisted they were acting at the behest of U.S. Border Patrol agents. Story continues O'Connell, who said on Wednesday he had spoken with Hopkins by phone, questioned the jail's ability to protect a "very high-profile" inmate, but said he did not know why Hopkins was targeted. A UCP spokesman, Jim Benvie, said he believed it was because of Hopkins' activity at the border. "They put him in a pod cell with a group of people, and they had just got done watching the article about the ACLU writing about him being racist, and as a result of that he was attacked," Benvie said in a video posted online. Hopkins was being held without bail pending a detention hearing set for Monday in Albuquerque. Benvie said the UCP was moving to another campsite in a couple of days and would continue to support the U.S. Border Patrol, which has said it does not support private citizens acting as law enforcement. (Additional reporting by Peter Szekely in New York and Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatisand Leslie Adler) Nairobi leaders, Governor Mike Sonko and Senator Johnson Sakaja, on Wednesday locked horns over the lack of a Deputy Governor. Appearing before the Senates Devolution Committee, Sonko said he was shocked that his friend Sakaja brought up the matter before the hearing committee. Even the other day he sent me a picture that we took some two years ago. So I am shocked that Senator Sakaja is bringing this matter to this committee, said Sonko. According to Sonko, the deputy governor position was a non-issue that did not need the attention of the Senate. There was no need of calling senators to come and deal with this non-issue. I have shown goodwill by nominating Miguna.. this is not a serious issue. The senator would have summoned me to ask me these issues instead of petitioning the Senate. So this is a none issue, said Sonko. On his part, Sakaja asked the chair, Laikipia Senator John Kinyua, to give him time to respond to Sonko on the issue of their friendship. It is true that Sonko is my friend and that I sent him the pictures that we took during the campaigns two years ago. Chair the pictures were just a TBT, he explained. The Nairobi Senator stated that whatever he raised on the floor in regards to the deputy position was not related to his friendship with Sonko. But Sonko retorted that Sakaja only brought the deputy governor issue to the committee because he has his eyes on the Nairobi Governor seat. It is true that I wanted to be the governor it is true that he(Sakaja) also wants to be the governor but he is playing his cards wrong Sonko said. But Sakaja objected Sonkos claims saying he was only doing his job as Senator. that statement needs to be withdrawn. I have never declared anywhere that I want to be the governor of Nairobi. In any case, I am a Kenyan and if I want to vie I am free to do so. In any public record, I have never made that declaration I am looking at issues objectively as the senator of Nairobi and I will continue to exercise my mandate, said Sakaja. Sonko further asked Sakaja to investigate facts before making allegations. Get your facts right before you raise your allegations.. when I was the senator of Nairobi when similar matters were raised I would investigate and come with facts..and made sure that I had sufficient evidence, he said. The County Chief explained that he was prepared to name a deputy last December but failed after he received two letters from NASA chiefs urging him to appoint their preferred persons in the spirit of the handshake. Im still consulting because this is an emotive issue. Furthermore, there is no law that allows me to appoint a deputy, he said. Sonko said the Supreme Advisory issued in March last year giving governors 14 days to appoint a deputy in case of a vacancy, was not binding and, therefore, he has not violated any law by not appointing a deputy. The seat has remained vacant for more than 15 months since Polycarp Igathe resigned. Lena Dunham might be somewhat of a poster child for Brooklyn, but the writer and actress is looking to sell her former home in the borough's Williamsburg neighborhood. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom condominium, which offers stunning views of the Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges and the New York City skyline, originally hit the market in November 2018 for $3 million, and is now for sale again, this time for $2.65 million. The loft is located in a former musical instrument factory called The Gretsch, which was converted into residential units by architect Karl Fischer and offers a doorman, library, roof deck, and bicycle storage. Dunham's light, airy apartment was recently renovated by David Bers, and boasts 13-foot ceilings, plenty of windows, and tons of built-in cabinetry for storage. In the open-plan kitchen and living room, a gas fireplace anchors the space, while white Carrara marble countertops make the kitchen feel clean and light. The master suite boasts great views, a raised platform bed, a walk-in closet, and a luxurious Carrara marblecovered master bath. lena dunham williamsburg condo Photo: DDreps lena dunham williamsburg condo bathroom Photo: DDreps lena dunham williamsburg condo bedroom Photo: DDreps In a profile with New York magazine in November, the Camping star revealed that she has been spending more time at her home in Los Angeles, and also has an apartment in Manhattan's West Village. My whole identity was, like, Brooklyn, and now Im like, Thank you, Lord. Im back amongst my tribe, which is like old people puttering around the health-food store," said the former Girls star of her new New York City digs. As for her Los Angeles place, the article describes it as a bungalow decorated with "purple snakeskin poufs, leopard-print rugs, and bright-green walls." Dunham also notes that she plastered the home with f---ing-nutty wallpaper," and reveals that she often redecorates. It helps that her interior designer is a family friend who lives in her guesthouse. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Libya has asked the UN Security Council to dispatch a fact-finding mission to investigate attacks on civilians in Tripoli, according to a letter released Thursday. Libya's UN-recognized government said forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar had killed and displaced civilians, destroyed property, recruited child soldiers and used heavy artillery and Grad missiles on populated areas. The government requested that the council "delegate a fact-finding mission to investigate the violations committed by the attacking forces in the city of Tripoli," said the letter dated April 18 from Libyan Ambassador Elmahdi Elmajerbi. The council has been unable to agree on a draft resolution put forward by Britain demanding a ceasefire in Tripoli after Haftar's forces launched an offensive on April 4 to seize the capital. Russia has opposed a text that singles out Haftar for criticism while the United States has asked for more time to consider the situation, according to UN diplomats. After forces loyal to the Tripoli-based government of national unity launched a counter-attack last weekend, the International Committee for the Red Cross warned that residential areas of Tripoli were being turned into battlefields. At least 278 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the clashes, according to the World Health Organization. More than 35,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. Nearly 16 years after debuting for Barcelona at age 16, the miracle that is Lionel Messi is currently dominating the argument for the best player on the planet in the vacuum of the current season ahead of his 32nd birthday in June. Truth be told, Messi has been showing a bit too much of his alien skin of late, having a statistical season that dwarfs any mention of direct competition across Europe. He's Usain Bolt in his prime, with everyone else racing for second place. Beyond his individual brilliance, though, Messi also has Barcelona on course to capture an unprecedented third European treble in his first season as club captain. "He is breaking all the records, and those he will still beat, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde said about his star player last week. He makes the public always expect something special from him, and he delivers it. In his first year as Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi has carried his side and plowed his way into the club's first Champions League semifinal since 2015. (Getty Images) Into his 30s, Messi should be slowing down and showing signs of decline, but ask defenders across Spain and Europe if the Argentine is slowing down. "I think he's the best player in the world, but we'll see," Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk said about Messi after the two teams advanced to the Champions League semifinals, and Van Dijk is widely considered the best defender in Europe. For starters, Messi has 45 goals in 43 matches in the current campaign, which marks the 10th straight season hes tallied 40-plus goals in a season. Under normal circumstances, a forward scoring 20 goals in a season is considered good returns, but of course, there is nothing normal about Messi. The double against Manchester United served to put Messi into double figures for the Champions League. For the sake of comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo exited the competition with six goals, while the closest goal scorer still alive in the competition is Ajaxs Dusan Tadic, also sitting on six tallies. With a maximum of three matches remaining in the competition, Messis name may as well already be carved into that trophy. Story continues In La Liga, Messi is sitting on 33 goals, which puts him considerably out of reach of the trio of Premier League forwards sitting on 19 goals, Fabio Quagliarellas 22-goal resurgence in Serie A and Robert Lewandowskis 21 goals to lead the Bundesliga. The only valid threat to Messi in the race for the European Golden Shoe, which is handed out annually to the top league scorer in Europe, comes via Kylian Mbappes 30 goals in Ligue 1. Still, Messi holds a healthy lead on the young Frenchman despite the 20-year-olds hat trick against Monaco on Sunday. Add in Messis 19 assists across all competitions, which are better than any other player in Europe, and any argument against the Martian that claims to be from Rosario being the best player in Europeahem, the universeduring the 2018-19 campaign is dead on arrival. Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League quarterfinal against Manchester United in Barcelona on April 16, 2019. (AP Photo) With Messi taking the reins as captain for the first time, Barcelona has La Liga all but secured with a nine-point lead and only five matches remaining. A likely win over Valencia at the end of May in the Copa del Rey final would give the Blaugrana yet another domestic double. "Last season was very good because we won the cup and La Liga but the Champions League sticks in our throat, especially given the way we were eliminated," Messi told the crowd at Camp Nou in his captain's address to start the 2018-19 season. Seven months after publicly setting his sights on recapturing the Champions League, Barcelona's captain has carried his side and plowed his way into the club's first Champions League semifinal since 2015. That year, Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez memorably combined to win the clubs second European treble. Into the final four in Europe and with Messi regularly hovering above the other 21 players on the pitch, oddsmakers have decided Barcelona is the favorite to win Europe's grandest prize, with Liverpool second on the list. The La Liga trophy is already on the bus to Barcelona, while the Copa del Rey trophy is seemingly waiting to be picked up, so a historic third European treble is within touching distance for Barcelona. Of course, it would also be the third European treble for Messi, who would be all but guaranteed to go on to collect his sixth Ballon dOrnotably, his first since 2015. And yes, that would put him one above Ronaldo and add another chalk mark in favor of Messi in the interminable debate. More from Yahoo Sports: L'Ours Bakery Cafe. | Photo: Kristen K./Yelp Looking for the best new tea in Chicago? These spots will satisfy all your cravings. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for some tea. BomboBar Old Town 1529 N. Wells St., Old Town Photo: Ashley L./Yelp BomboBar Old Town is a spot to score pizza, coffee, tea and desserts. This is the second location in Chicago offering sweet and savory menu items. As for tea, look for the Chai, Loose Leaf Tea or the Affogato. BomboBar Old Town's current Yelp rating of four stars out of five reviews indicates the newcomer is finding its way, but it's still early days. Yelper Ashley L., who reviewed BomboBar Old Town on April 16, wrote, "BomboBar is one of those must-visit and totally Instagrammable dessert places that I'm really happy is on this side of town now." Yelper Miriam B. wrote, "This place is the real deal with amazing gelato, fresh ground espresso drinks and bombolini (aka the best doughnuts ever)." BomboBar Old Town is open from 8 a.m.10 p.m. on Monday-Wednesday and Sunday, 8 a.m.midnight on Thursday, 8 a.m.2:30 a.m. on Friday, and 9 a.m.3:30 a.m. on Saturday. Xurro 3927 N. Lincoln Ave., North Center Photo: surim H./Yelp Xurro is a Mexican spot, offering desserts and coffee and tea. The new spot specializes in churros offering a wide variety of dessert options. Try the Chai Tea Latte with one of the specialty churros. Yelp users are excited about Xurro, which currently holds five stars out of three reviews on the site. Yelper Surim H., who reviewed Xurro on March 17, wrote, "It's super clean and churros are made fresh to order! They offer mini plain churros, smoothies, milkshakes and other sorts of desserts." Mike B. noted, "Churros and ice cream this is an instant winner. I went straight (vanilla) churro, my daughter had the churro sundae. Tasted great and the price was super reasonable." Xurro is open from 8 a.m.9 p.m. daily. L'Ours Bakery Cafe 1424 W. Taylor St., University Village Story continues Photo: Yanhong J./Yelp L'Ours Bakery Cafe is a cafe and bakery, offering coffee, tea and more. The new cafe offers milk tea, fruit tea and tea latte. On the menu, look for the Golden Milk Tea, Super Lemon Detox, Peach Peach and more. L'Ours Bakery Cafe currently holds 4.5 stars out of 41 reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews. Yelper Jasmine D., who was one of the first users to visit L'Ours Bakery Cafe on March 18, wrote, "L'Ours is a welcome addition to University Village! I came here on a weekday afternoon to work for a few hours. ... I ordered the Oriental Beauty a jasmine/peach creation with a cheese mustache. Apart from its name, this drink was a solid 10/10." Yelper Ariel H. wrote, "A really cute find! We're not generally located near UIC, but ventured out here on a rare sunny Saturday. The lighting is soft and really conducive to studying, and there are a few larger tables." L'Ours Bakery Cafe is open from 8 a.m.10 p.m. daily. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Andowah Newton, vice president of legal affairs at Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH), filed an official complaint that she was harassed by a senior LVMH employee for several years. But when she tried to tell the company about it, her manager told her, in so many words, that she should just deal with it. undefined Newton also tried to confront her harasser via email and was told that she should apologize to the harasser, and promote the harasser to a new position. Newton described in her lawsuit that her harasser would leer at her, try to kiss her, and once thrust his pelvis and genitals into her face. As for the kissing complaint, a senior level executive at LVMH tried to explain to her that its what executives do in a French company. The harassment and the shocking responses from management happened in New York City between 2015 and 2018. Frustrated with the response from her colleagues, Newton eventually filed a formal complaint with human resources. Unfortunatelyand like so many workplace harassment situationsthe company led an internal and a third-party investigation and found no evidence of wrongdoing. Additionally, LVMH referred to Newtons harasser in their investigation documents as a a member of the companys facilities staff even though Newton identified him as a senior level management employee. Newton called their investigation a sham and says she was maligned for unjustifiably attacking the man. On Tuesday, April 23rd, 2018 in New York City, Newton filed a lawsuit against the French fashion conglomerate. 3816 E. McDowell Road. | Photos: Zumper Apartment hunting on a budget can be frustrating. So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in Camelback East look like these days and what might you get for your money? Per Walk Score ratings, the neighborhood is moderately walkable, is relatively bikeable and has some transit options. It also features median rents for a one-bedroom that hover around $995, compared to a $975 one-bedroom median for Phoenix as a whole. A look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in Camelback East, via rental site Zumper, offers an overview of what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find in this Phoenix neighborhood. Read on for the cheapest listings available right now. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1110 E. Highland Ave. First, this studio, situated at 1110 E. Highland Ave., is listed for $655/month for its 425 square feet of space. In the unit, you'll find in-unit laundry. Pet owners, take heed: cats and dogs are permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental, but there is a $500.00 deposit. (See the complete listing here.) 3816 E. McDowell Road Then there's this 495-square-foot at 3816 E. McDowell Road, listed at $690/month. In the unit, look for hardwood floors, a walk-in closet and a balcony. The building boasts a swimming pool, outdoor space, assigned parking and on-site laundry. Pets are not welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. (See the listing here.) 1829 E. Morten Ave. This studio, situated at 1829 E. Morten Ave., is listed for $739/month for its 440 square feet of space. In the unit, expect hardwood floors and a dishwasher. Building amenities include a swimming pool, a fitness center, outdoor space and on-site laundry. (See the listing here.) 1920 N. 32nd St. Next, here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 1920 N. 32nd St., which, with 531 square feet, is going for $750/month. Story continues The unit listing promises in-unit laundry and a ceiling fan. The building offers assigned parking, extra storage space and on-site management. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee but expect a $20 application fee and a $500.00 deposit. (Check out the listing here.) 2939 N. 36th St. Finally, over at 2939 N. 36th St., there's this 550-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom, also going for $750/month. In the unit, look for hardwood floors. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. (View the listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. PARIS (AP) French President Emmanuel Macron announced tax cuts for middle-class workers and plans for a more representative parliament Thursday as part of a promised response to the weekly yellow vest protests that damaged his presidency. In a nationally televised speech followed up by a news conference, the French leader also said France and Europe must do more to fight illegal migration. Macron spoke to the nation from the presidential Elysee Palace after he convened nationwide meetings where communities could debate how to address economic concerns raised by the yellow vest movement, including high taxes, unemployment and stagnant wages. He unveiled measures to boost pensions under 2,000 euros ($ 2,226) and said he would propose an overhaul of France's retirement system during the summer. But he said the "best solution" for financial disparities is "to cut taxes for a maximum number of citizens and especially those who are working, especially the middle-class." The president also vowed to introduce "deep changes" to France's system of democracy. One is easing the rules for organizing public referendums so people have another outlet for grievances besides the street protests that have convulsed the country for five months. He pledged to reduce the number of lawmakers in parliament by about 30% and to change how seats are filled so the national legislature better reflects the diversity of France's political parties. France's parliamentary election system currently is designed to give the winning party a strong majority, putting smaller parties at a disadvantage. But Macron warned that there comes a time for hard choices. He said he thinks illegal immigration is weighing on Europe. The European Union should be "strong" by both protecting its borders and taking in some asylum-seekers from countries where their lives are at risk. "To be welcoming, you need to have a house. So we need borders, we need borders to be respected, we need rules," he said. Story continues In a move to counter the yellow vest movement's portrayal of him as elitist, Macron said he decided to do away with France's Ecole Nationale d'Administration, the influential college that trains top civil servants and politicians. The centrist Macron, a former investment banker, is himself an ENA graduate. Macron apologized for some comments that were perceived as arrogant, such as his telling an unemployed man he could find a job if he "crosses the street" and advising a retiree not to complain. "I may have given the impression to give orders all the time and be tough. Which I regret," he said. At the same time, he said he would keep pushing pro-business policies opposed by labor unions and the yellow vest movement. "I asked myself, 'Were we wrong?' I think the total opposite. I think the ongoing changes, the necessary changes we have to do in our country mustn't be stopped," Macron said. "They haven't been quick enough for some, not radical enough, not human enough." Some activists who have been involved in the yellow vest movement said they were disappointed with Macron's response to their demands for economic relief for the country's working classes. Paris region activist Thierry-Paul Valette tweeted after Macron outlined his proposals that the president spoke like "a supreme chief and doesn't seem to understand that he should show modesty." Once-prominent yellow vest activist Ingrid Levavasseur, who scaled back her participation amid the movement's internal divisions and protest violence, told The Associated Press she found Macron's response "not at all satisfactory." Levavasseur cautiously welcomed his proposed measures to decentralize decision-making but said the overall plan wasn't ambitious enough. "The expectations are so enormous that it was bound to be disappointing," she said. The yellow vest movement started to oppose a fuel tax increase and was named after the fluorescent jackets French motorists are required to keep in their cars. Attendance at protests has dwindled, but movement activists are organizing the 24th straight weekend demonstrations for Saturday. Leaders from Macron's party and government plan to meet Monday to develop a timetable for implementing the new measures. Macron made some concessions to the protests earlier, such as abandoning the fuel tax hike. He also scrapped a tax increase for retirees and introduced monthly bonuses of 100 euros ($113) for people earning the minimum wage. But Macron has repeatedly refused to meet one of the protesters' main demands: reintroducing a wealth tax for France's richest people, He refused again Thursday, saying he was aiming to keep investments in the country. PARIS (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday Franco-German friendship should not mean Paris should always see eye to eye with Berlin and that disagreements with Germany's Angela Merkel over Brexit and relations with the United States were necessary. "This compromise culture is very important - and I learnt a lot on that from Chancellor Merkel," Macron told reporters in a news conference. "But it should not prevent the affirmation of a (distinct) French position when there is one," he said, adding that "fruitful confrontation" was sometimes necessary to build compromise. "So yes, on Brexit, we're not exactly on the same line. On climate and energy policies, we're not exactly on the same line." (Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Mathieu Rosemain) A Malaysian climber stranded in the open for two nights on one of the world's most treacherous mountains was rescued in Nepal Thursday, expedition organisers said. Climbing experts said it was a "miracle" that 48-year-old Chin Wui Kin survived the freezing conditions on Mount Annapurna for so long. Chin reached the top of the 8,100-metre (26,500-foot) Himalayan mountain on Tuesday but failed to return to the nearest camp, one kilometre below the peak, with the rest of his group. Frantic efforts began to find him after his guide stumbled to the camp and raised the alert. "Our team has found him alive. He is conscious," Thaneshwor Guragain of Seven Summit Treks told AFP. A rescue helicopter spotted Kin waving from the snowy slopes at an elevation of around 7,500 metres (24,500 feet) early Thursday, organisers said. Four experienced sherpas were then dropped at another camp at 6,500 metres (21,300 feet) to try to reach him. "They have given him some water and are trying to bring him down," Guragain said. No details of his condition were given. But Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summits Treks called the rescue "a miracle". "We were very worried yesterday. Not everyone can survive at that altitude for that long. This is rare," he said. Hundreds of people from around the world travel to the Himalayas each year for the spring climbing season, when conditions are best. Chin had returned to Nepal after summiting Everest last year. Annapurna is avalanche-prone, technically difficult and has a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak. Nine South Korean climbers were killed last October after a snowstorm swept them off a cliff on Mount Gurja, west of Annapurna. The second edition of the Malta Delta Summit is set to take place in October this year and promises the biggest names in tech, business, and blockchain, according to its executive chairman. Malta has become a blockchain hub over the past few years, and the country is continuing its blockchain drive with the second edition of the Malta Delta Summit. The Delta Summit is Maltas official platform, according to a press release shared with Coin Rivet, and will showcase Maltas pioneering initiatives in the disruptive technology sector. It is also backed by the Maltese government, and should help cement Maltas global status as the Blockchain Island. The summit will expand further this year to focus on artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), esports, and game development. The first Delta Summit back in 2018 attracted more than 4,000 visitors, with exhibitors including Binance, OKEx, Tim Draper, and Roger Ver to name a few. For 2019, the Delta Summit organisers are aspiring to attract more than 8,000 attendees and are focused on bringing the most forward-looking entrepreneurs, policy makers, investors, service providers, and thought leaders to the summit. Dr Abdalla Kablan, executive chairman of Delta Summit, commented: The government of Malta is building something special here and we want Delta Summit to be the crown jewel of international tech events. Delta Summit is all-embracing: we want thought leaders, innovators, tech enthusiasts, fans, gamers, builders, coders, entrepreneurs, and pioneers from around the world to come to Malta and get involved in this movement. Interested in reading more blockchain and Malta-related stories? Discover more about how Malta became the first country to roll out certificates on the blockchain. The post Malta Delta Summit 2019 promises to be the crown jewel of global tech events appeared first on Coin Rivet. A look at todays top news headlines. Live updates: Sri Lanka investigates Easter bombings What were covering here What were covering here What happened: A wave of deadly blasts hit Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Authorities now say there were nine suicide bombers, and have arrested around 60 people in a nationwide investigation. Early warnings: Indias intelligence services warned Sri Lankan officials of potential attacks based on information gleaned from an ISIS suspect. Israeli soldiers shoot blindfolded, handcuffed Palestinian as he tried to flee Israeli soldiers shot a blindfolded, handcuffed Palestinian teenager who had been arrested on suspicion of taking part in disturbances as he tried to flee. Kim Jong Un arrives in Vladivostok ahead of summit with Putin North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Vladivostok ahead of his planned summit with Vladimir Putin, Russian state news agency TASS reported Wednesday. Death toll rises to 16 after 6.1-magnitude earthquake in Philippines At least 16 people have died after the Philippines was rattled by two major earthquakes, authorities said on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia executes 37 people, crucifying one, for terror-related crimes Saudi Arabia has executed 37 men convicted of terror-related crimes, the kingdoms official news agency said Tuesday. US accuses pair of stealing GE secrets and passing them to China The US government has alleged that a GE engineer and Chinese businessman stole tech secrets with the intention of passing them onto Beijing. At least 28 hippos found dead in Ethiopias national park The bodies of at least 28 hippopotamuses have been found in Ethiopias national park in the southwest of the country, local media reported Monday. What Donald Trumps unsettlingly erratic 24 hours on Twitter tell us Its hard to even imagine President Donald Trumps Twitter addiction getting worse, but we may be living through just that right now. Jeopardy! contestant wins again, bringing his total to more than $1 million James Holzhauer won $118,816 on Tuesdays Jeopardy! episode. That brought his total earnings on the Alex Trebek-hosted show to $1,061,554. Hes the second person in the shows history to earn more than $1 million in the regular season. South Africa floods kill 51 Floods and mudslides in the South African city of Durban and the wider KwaZulu-Natal province have killed at least 51 people, officials say. President Cyril Ramaphosa has flown into the region to visit the affected areas. Southern and eastern parts of the country have been badly hit by torrential rain in the last few days. Sudan army will not attack protesters The head of Sudans military transitional council has told the BBC the army will not use force against protesters who want it to leave power. Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan spoke as African leaders extended their ultimatum for the military to organise a return to civilian rule. UK to allow Huawei to help build 5G The government has given Chinese telecoms giant Huawei the go-ahead to supply equipment for the UK 5G data network despite senior ministers warning it poses a security risk. The Daily Telegraph reports the company will help build some non-core parts. The plan was said to have worried the home, defence and foreign secretaries. How the paparazzi make their money Santiago Baez has been a paparazzo since the early 1990s. Camera in hand, hes witnessed the fallout of extramarital affairs, new babies, deaths, new love and breakups of some of New Yorks most famous residents. How did the qwerty keyboard become so popular? It isnt easy to type QWERTY on a qwerty keyboard. My left-hand little finger holds the shift key, then the other fingers of my left hand clumsily crab sideways across the upper row. Q-W-E-R-T-Y. Theres a lesson here: it matters where the keys sit on your keyboard. Avengers: Endgame is an amazing flex by Marvel Avengers: Endgame is not the best Marvel movie ever made. Its not the prettiest or the funniest; it wont blow your mind with new ideas or complicated character development. But it is the most Marvel movie ever made, and theres something incredible about that. Tesla Model S and Model X ranges get big upgrades Tesla is giving its Model S and Model X cars much-needed boosts just as its older offerings have seen sales languish. Range and charging capabilities will be upgraded in both, the carmaker announced in a blog post Tuesday. Tesla is also bringing back a cheaper version of the cars that dont have as much range. Avengers: Endgame reviews praise an epic, emotional conclusion Nothing will prepare you for Avengers: Endgame. The culmination of over 10 years of MCU movies will release in a matter of days but until then, spoiler-free reviews of it are finally in. Mashables own Angie Han has dubbed it Marvels biggest flex, and understandably so. Twitter co-founder subtweets Jack Dorsey into dust following Trump meeting The subtweet is coming from inside the house. Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey was on the receiving end of a not-so-subtle own today following an April 23 Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump. It seems that Biz Stone, one of the companys original co-founders, doesnt think too highly of the CEOs justification for meeting with the President. The unnamed man was sentenced at High Wycombe Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning (GETTY) A man has received a jail term for causing unnecessary suffering after he repeatedly stabbed a dog. The unnamed man from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was sentenced to a 12 week prison term and banned from owning a dog for five years at High Wycombe Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning. He also received a charge of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress after being abusive to police officers and members of the public. (STOCK IMAGE) The man was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal (GETTY) Thames Valley Police attended an address in the town on Tuesday, where they found the animal suffering with serious injuries. Luckily, the dog survived thanks to the quick reactions of a local vet. Read more on Yahoo News UK White supremacist executed in Texas for brutal dragging death of black man Police hunt man for chopping up dead porpoise with meat cleaver on Margate beach Milkman of 50 years forced to retire after thug beat him up with baseball bat A police statement read: On Tuesday 23rd April 2019 officers from #TEAM2 #ARV and #NHPT arrested a male on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and using threatening abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Officers were called to an address in Aylesbury where a male had stabbed a dog multiple times resulting in emergency surgery and treatment with a local vet. On arrest the male was abusive to attending officers an members of the public. Thankfully the dog is now in a stable condition due to the fast actions of the vets. Yesterday at High Wycombe Magistrate's court he pleaded guilty to these offences and has been imprisoned for 12 weeks. As well as this he has also been given a ban for 5 years from owning any other dog. Last year was one of the most volatile on record for the stock market. People watched the gut-wrenching drops as the results of years of diligent investing was lost in just days (or even hours), before the market ticked back up again. Many people were glad to put 2018 behind them and the first few months of 2019 have been relatively quiet. In fact, the most commonly cited measure of volatility, the CBOE Volatility Index or VIX, spiked to 25.45 at the start of January, and dropping consistently since. Perhaps because of this relatively calm start to the year, a third of people say they are comfortable with current market conditions and ready to invest, according to the Allianz Life Quarterly Market Perceptions Study from the first quarter of 2019. Further, 52% reported feeling optimistic that the stock market will grow 5% or more in 2019. [See: 7 Top Investing Strategies for an Uncertain Market. ] This ongoing optimism could be chalked up to the fact that -- despite the wild swings -- we are still in the longest bull market on record. But the pragmatists are wondering how long the good times will last, with more than four in 10 saying they feel worried that a major recession or big market crash are on the horizon. So for those who are expecting a crash or recession, and even those of you who may have your blinders on, take this time of relative calm to devise a strategy to protect investments for the next time the market experiences a drop and minimize the need to make up losses. This increased level of comfort with volatility means people may be less alarmed by swings, and therefore unprepared for it if they have to recover lost funds. An increasing number of people say if the market dropped, causing them to lose a significant amount of money, there is no way they could rebuild their savings in time for retirement. Yet, compared with the study conducted last year, fewer people are willing to give up some potential gains for a product that protects from market losses. It's understandable that people want to take advantage of the bull market, but they still need to be realistic about the long term, and protect themselves for when the other shoe drops. In order to protect their investments, consumers -- particularly those approaching retirement age with less opportunity to recoup losses from short-term market downturns -- should take steps now to help ensure their diligent work saving and investing doesn't disappear with a market drop. Story continues Stay calm. First and foremost, don't panic when you see wild swings in the market. The worst thing you can do when the market drops is sell off investments because you are selling at a loss, and have no chance at recovery and any future gains. In fact, when the market is down can be a good time to actually buy when investment prices are low. [See: 10 Ways to Maximize Your Retirement Investments.] It can also help to keep longer term financial goals in mind and to remember to stay the course as the market has, historically, bounced back. So if you are confident in your strategy, consider turning off the TV, leave investments where they are and slowly back away. Check in on your risk exposure. As a general investment rule, as you age you should have less invested in equity and more in bonds, money market funds and other less volatile investments -- keeping some growth potential while protecting your assets. One-third of people admit that recent volatility is making them anxious about their nest egg. If you fall into this category, work with your financial professional to assess your current risk exposure. Your advisor can help your explore opportunities for diversification and make changes if necessary. Seek protection opportunities. While this bull market has lasted for a decade, no one knows when this rally will come to an end. But wise investors will be prepared for when it does. Over two thirds of people (69%) agree it is important to have some retirement savings in a financial product that protects it from market loss, especially respondents with high investable assets (84%). There are a number of traditional, fixed-income products that can provide a level of protection such as, annuities, certificates of deposit and money-market funds. Each type of investment poses a certain level of risk and offers a level of potential reward. Your financial professional can help you determine what opportunities make the most sense for your unique situation. [See: 13 Ways to Take the Emotions Out of Investing.] While a sense of optimism is a trait to be admired, especially after all that investors have endured over the past year, that doesn't mean people shouldn't be prepared for a potential downturn in the markets. Wise investors can take steps now to help set them up for success no matter what the stock market may do in the future. Kelly LaVigne is a contributor to The Smarter Investor blog. He is vice president of advanced markets for Allianz Life Insurance Co., where he is responsible for the development of advanced programs that assist financial professionals in serving clients with retirement and estate planning and tax-related strategies. Prior to joining Allianz in 2017, LaVigne was director of advanced markets and director of industry and regulatory strategies for Transamerica Capital Management. Before joining Transamerica, he led advanced markets for AXA Equitable. Prior to AXA, Kelly held leadership roles at ING/Aetna Financial Services and Travelers Life and Annuity. LaVigne holds a juris doctor degree from Western New England College School of Law in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and a bachelor's degree in communications and marketing from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. He holds his Series 6 and 26 securities registrations. LaVigne is an author and contributor to industry publications such as National Underwriter and Brokers World. MEXICO CITY (AP) A mayor and two others were shot to death as they were traveling in a municipal vehicle on a highway in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz, authorities said Thursday. Prosecutors said Maricela Vallejo, the mayor of the Mixtla de Altamirano municipality, was with her husband and her driver in the SUV when they came under fire from behind and both sides. Authorities found 31 bullet casings. There was no immediate word on a possible motive. The killing came a day after a mayor was slain in the southwestern state of Michoacan. Eduardo Otlica Aviles of Nahuatzen was kidnapped and his body found hours later. Killings of politicians in Mexico rose last year during nationwide elections but then fell off. Overall Mexico's homicides were up 9.7% in the first quarter of his year, compared with the same period in 2018. Summers a busy time at McDonaldsand the fast food chain is finding that teen workers arent as reliable as it would like in early morning shifts. So its focusing on the opposite end of the age spectrum for its seasonal hiring blitz. McDonalds and AARP are teaming up to help fill roughly 250,000 jobs this summer. The company will also work with AARP on a five-state pilot program to match low-income American seniors with jobs. The jobs will range from cashier to shift manager, depending on the skills of the older workers. Many of the positions will be listed on the AARPs Job Board. For the first time ever, five generations are now working together under the Arches, said Melissa Kersey, McDonalds U.S. Chief People Officer in a statement. Together with our franchisees we have a responsibility to each generation to provide opportunity, flexibility and resources for wherever they are on their career journey. While McDonalds, which recently stopped lobbying against minimum wage hikes, has no plans to pull back on teen hiring, officials note that a 5am shift is difficult for them due to school or their own circadian rhythm. Older Americans are more accepting of the breakfast and lunch shifts. (And breakfast has become an increasingly important segment for McDonalds.) Theres certainly a sizable pool for the chain to draw from . People who are 55 and older will make up 24.8% of the workforce by 2026, projects the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Integrating these workers with their younger staff can often bring unexpected benefits including two-way mentoring which supports growth for all, said Susan Weinstock, AARP Vice President for Financial Resilience. Editors note: This storys headline originally said McDonalds would hire 250,000 senior citizens for summer jobs. The chain will be hiring seniors as part of a multigenerational push to fill the seasonal jobs. * U.N. Committee against Torture examines Mexico's record * Government says it has a "long road" to eradicate torture * Asphyxiation and electric shocks used, activists say By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA, April 24 (Reuters) - Mexico vowed on Thursday to eradicate the torture of detainees which U.N. experts and activists said is systematically committed by security forces and investigators who go unpunished. The U.N. Committee against Torture, composed of 10 independent experts, has begun a two-day review of Mexico's record in complying with an international treaty banning the crime. Activists said on Wednesday that Mexico's security forces and prison authorities commit systematic torture and rape of detainees with "near-universal" impunity. Asphyxiation and electric shocks are used, as well as sexual violence, 120 groups said in a joint statement. Under the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which came into office in January, the prosecutor's office no longer reports to the executive, thus "guaranteeing independence" in criminal investigations, its delegation said. "We still have a long road to make sure that torture and ill-treatment are eradicated once and for all," Marta Delgado Peralta, under-secretary for multilateral issues and human rights in the foreign ministry, told the panel. "Four months into its administration this government is aware of the challenges before it," she said. U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, on a visit to Mexico this month, said the deadly toll of its rampant gangland violence was reminiscent of the era in her native Chile when thousands died or disappeared during a military dictatorship. A government survey carried out in 2016 in some 300 prisons, found that more than 75 percent of inmates suffered violence during their arrest, the activists' groups said, identifying members of the army and navy as the worst offenders. Story continues Panel members raised the allegations, including of deaths in custody and mistreatment of Central American migrants, with the government delegation which will reply on Friday. "There is still a high level of torture and mistreatment by the state party (Mexico)," said panel member Diego Rodriguez-Pinzon. "There is also a climate of impunity." Panel chair Jens Modvig called for Mexico to establish an independent forensics institute instead of relying on doctors in the prosecutor's office to document torture. "We have a vicious circle that will maintain the problem of torture and evidence produced by using torture," he said, noting that the legal system puts the burden of proof on the victim. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Alison Williams) Russia`s naval shipbuilding industry has laid down several surfaced combatants, launched a submarine, and linked the sections of a Project 20386 Corvette (The Merkuriy Corvette), according to the country`s officials. Russia`s naval shipbuilding industry has laid down several surfaced combatants, launched a submarine, and linked the sections of a Project 20386 Corvette (The Merkuriy Corvette), according to the country`s officials. Artist impression of the new Project 20386 Corvette for the Russian Navy "I hope that the planned construction terms will be kept. [Those programs] are vitally important for the strengthening of our fleet, maintenance of our security, and protection of the country`s interests in blue and green waters of the World Ocean," said President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin during an official ceremony. According to him, the Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF) has received more than 80 naval platforms, including three nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, seven nuclear-powered attack underwater combatants and diesel-electric submarines, and 21 surface ships since 2012. "I would point out that we have sustained high rates of the Navy`s rearmament in recent years We will support our shipbuilding industry and shore up its scientific, human, and technological potential," said Putin. The Project 20386 Corvette Merkuriy (originally Derzkiy) was laid down on October 28, 2016. On April 23, the first three sections of the ship were linked. The Project 20386 Corvette is designed to conduct naval operations in blue and green waters and protect maritime communications and economic assets. The ships strike surface combatants and vessels by SLCMs, destroys submarines by her onboard ASW systems, provides AD, and supports offshore landings. The ship has a full displacement of 3,400 t and is 109 m long and 13 m wide. She produces a top speed of 30 knots and a cruising range of 5,000 nautical miles. The platform features an 80-strong crew. The Corvette is powered by a combined diesel-electric and gas turbine (CODLOG) powerplant that integrates two 27,500-hp M90FR gas-turbine engines, two electric power packs with a power output of 2,200 hp each, and a 6RP speed-reduction unit. The new naval platform features a well-balanced armament suite, integral open-architecture information management systems, new electronic and sensor suites, and robotized devices. The surface combatant has a well-balanced crew, increased cruising range, and high speed. The Project 20386 Corvette has been fitted with a modular armament suite that incorporates either two four-cell 3S-24 inclined launchers with the Kh-35 Uran (SS-N-25 Switchblade) ASMs or containerized launchers with the Kalibr-family missiles. Her AD is provided by two eight-cell 3S.97 Redut VLSs coupled to the Zaslon multifunctional radar that has its phased antenna arrays integrated with the tower-mast construction. The corvette`s near-field area is protected by two AK-630M 30 mm CIWSs mounted in pair on the aft superstructure. The ship is also armed with a nose-mounted A-190-01 100 mm naval gun that can be controlled by the Zaslon radar. The Project 20386 surface combatant carries the Paket ASW system with two four-cell SM-588 launchers for 324 mm torpedoes and anti-torpedoes. According to the open sources, the ship is fitted with the Minotavr-ISPN-M sonar with a belly antenna. The Corvette can store a Ka-27-family rotorcraft in an onboard hangar. Her sensor suite comprises electronic warfare devices and the Signa-20380 CMS (probably modernized). Copyright 2019 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Mexico's new government vowed on Thursday to eradicate the torture of detainees which U.N. experts and activists said is systematically committed by security forces and investigators who go unpunished. The U.N. Committee against Torture, composed of 10 independent experts, began a two-day review of Mexico's record in complying with an international treaty banning the crime. Activists said on Wednesday that Mexico's security forces and prison authorities commit systematic torture and rape of detainees with "near-universal" impunity. Asphyxiation and electric shocks are used, as well as sexual violence, 120 groups said in a joint statement. Out of 8,335 torture investigations, the federal special prosecutor's office reported last year that it had brought charges in only 17 cases, the groups said. Mexico's delegation told the hearing that under the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which came into office in January, the prosecutor's office no longer reported to the executive, thus "guaranteeing independence" in criminal investigations. "We still have a long road to ensure that torture and other cruel or inhumane treatment are eradicated once and for all," Marta Delgado Peralta, under-secretary for multilateral issues and human rights in the foreign ministry, told the panel. Stephanie Brewer of the Mexican human rights group Centro Prodh told reporters ahead of the review: "This is going to be a litmus test of whether the government is really going to change in its actions." A government survey carried out in 2016 in some 300 prisons, found that more than 75 percent of inmates suffered violence during their arrest, the activists' groups said, identifying members of the army and navy as the "worst offenders". Panel members raised the allegations, including of deaths in custody and mistreatment of Central American migrants, with the government delegation which will reply on Friday. "There is still a high level of torture and mistreatment by the state party (Mexico)," said panel member Diego Rodriguez-Pinzon. "There is also a climate of impunity." Some 200,000 prisoners are in custody in Mexico, where more than half of the jails are "ruled or co-ruled by criminal gangs", panel chair Jens Modvig said, citing the country's National Committee for Human Rights. He called for Mexico to establish an independent forensics institute instead of relying on doctors in the prosecutor's office to document torture. "Substandard medical reports remain the main cause of impunity because the courts tend to dismiss cases without clear medical evidence," he said. "We have a vicious circle that will maintain the problem of torture and evidence produced by using torture," he said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Alison Williams) By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Mexico's new government vowed on Thursday to eradicate the torture of detainees which U.N. experts and activists said is systematically committed by security forces and investigators who go unpunished. The U.N. Committee against Torture, composed of 10 independent experts, began a two-day review of Mexico's record in complying with an international treaty banning the crime. Activists said on Wednesday that Mexico's security forces and prison authorities commit systematic torture and rape of detainees with "near-universal" impunity. Asphyxiation and electric shocks are used, as well as sexual violence, 120 groups said in a joint statement. Out of 8,335 torture investigations, the federal special prosecutor's office reported last year that it had brought charges in only 17 cases, the groups said. Mexico's delegation told the hearing that under the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which came into office in January, the prosecutor's office no longer reported to the executive, thus "guaranteeing independence" in criminal investigations. "We still have a long road to ensure that torture and other cruel or inhumane treatment are eradicated once and for all," Marta Delgado Peralta, under-secretary for multilateral issues and human rights in the foreign ministry, told the panel. Stephanie Brewer of the Mexican human rights group Centro Prodh told reporters ahead of the review: "This is going to be a litmus test of whether the government is really going to change in its actions." A government survey carried out in 2016 in some 300 prisons, found that more than 75 percent of inmates suffered violence during their arrest, the activists' groups said, identifying members of the army and navy as the "worst offenders". Panel members raised the allegations, including of deaths in custody and mistreatment of Central American migrants, with the government delegation which will reply on Friday. Story continues "There is still a high level of torture and mistreatment by the state party (Mexico)," said panel member Diego Rodriguez-Pinzon. "There is also a climate of impunity." Some 200,000 prisoners are in custody in Mexico, where more than half of the jails are "ruled or co-ruled by criminal gangs", panel chair Jens Modvig said, citing the country's National Committee for Human Rights. He called for Mexico to establish an independent forensics institute instead of relying on doctors in the prosecutor's office to document torture. "Substandard medical reports remain the main cause of impunity because the courts tend to dismiss cases without clear medical evidence," he said. "We have a vicious circle that will maintain the problem of torture and evidence produced by using torture," he said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Alison Williams) The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to Minsheng Education Group Company Limited's (HKG:1569), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Minsheng Education Group has a P/E ratio of 18.73, based on the last twelve months. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying HK$18.73 for every HK$1 in prior year profit. Check out our latest analysis for Minsheng Education Group How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio? The formula for P/E is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price (in reporting currency) Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Minsheng Education Group: P/E of 18.73 = CN1.55 (Note: this is the share price in the reporting currency, namely, CNY ) CN0.083 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) Is A High P/E Ratio Good? The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. That is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases. Minsheng Education Group increased earnings per share by an impressive 21% over the last twelve months. And earnings per share have improved by 20% annually, over the last five years. So one might expect an above average P/E ratio. How Does Minsheng Education Group's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. As you can see below Minsheng Education Group has a P/E ratio that is fairly close for the average for the consumer services industry, which is 19.9. Story continues SEHK:1569 Price Estimation Relative to Market, April 24th 2019 Minsheng Education Group's P/E tells us that market participants think its prospects are roughly in line with its industry. So if Minsheng Education Group actually outperforms its peers going forward, that should be a positive for the share price. Further research into factors such asmanagement tenure, could help you form your own view on whether that is likely. Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on growth. 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. Minsheng Education Group's Balance Sheet With net cash of CN1.1b, Minsheng Education Group has a very strong balance sheet, which may be important for its business. Having said that, at 17% of its market capitalization the cash hoard would contribute towards a higher P/E ratio. The Verdict On Minsheng Education Group's P/E Ratio Minsheng Education Group's P/E is 18.7 which is above average (12.1) in the HK market. Its net cash position supports a higher P/E ratio, as does its solid recent earnings growth. So it is not surprising the market is probably extrapolating recent growth well into the future, reflected in the relatively high P/E ratio. Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock. 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. (This story is a shorter version of the Special Report CHINA-ARMY/ROCKETS) By David Lague and Benjamin Kang Lim ZHUHAI, China, April 25 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping has elevated his country's missile forces to a level where they pose an unprecedented challenge to the aircraft carriers and bases that form the backbone of American military primacy in Asia, a Reuters special report reveals today. Many of the missiles in Beijing's arsenal now rival or outperform those of the United States, puncturing the protective umbrella that for decades America has afforded its regional allies South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Captain James Fanell, a former U.S. Navy intelligence chief, told Reuters that China now has "the most advanced ballistic missile force in the world" and has "the capacity to overwhelm the defensive systems we are pursuing." Critically, China has forged a monopoly in one class of conventional missiles that enable it to strike at U.S. aircraft carriers off its coast and at bases in Japan or even Guam in the Pacific Ocean. Under a Cold War-era treaty between the U.S. and Russia, neither country has been allowed to develop these weapons land-based, intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (3,418 miles). But China, which isn't a signatory to the treaty, has been deploying these rockets in massive numbers. Today's special report is part of "The China Challenge," a Reuters series on how Xi Jinping is reshaping and rejuvenating China's military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), by filling its top ranks with loyal allies and enhancing its missile, naval and nuclear capabilities. Previously in "The China Challenge" - Inside Xi's remaking of the world's largest fighting force: https://reut.rs/2Uzr9z4 In the event of a confrontation in the seas off its coast, Chinese military brass say they now have the means with which to keep American carriers at bay. "We cannot defeat the United States at sea," a retired PLA colonel told Reuters. "But we have missiles that specifically target aircraft carriers to stop them from approaching our territorial waters if there were conflict." Story continues That is a potentially dramatic development, signaling that China is able to deter U.S. intervention as it expands its control in the South China Sea, steps up naval and air sorties around Taiwan, and extends its operations into areas it disputes with Japan. With the United States suddenly finding itself on the wrong side of the missile gap, American military planners face a new and daunting scenario. Because some of China's anti-ship missiles now outrange the fighter jets aboard U.S. carriers, they could neutralize American flattops in a conflict. If these carriers are forced to operate outside the range of their aircraft, they would be far less potent. The United States, which has long been preoccupied with wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan, is now rushing to claw back the advantage. President Trump announced on Feb. 1 that Washington would withdraw from its missile treaty with Russia in six months, clearing the way for the U.S. to begin building the ground-launched missiles banned for more than three decades. China's Ministry of National Defense, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the Pentagon did not respond to questions from Reuters. The full article can be read here: https://reut.rs/2Z8DetC (Reporting by David Lague and Benjamin Kang Lim. Edited by Peter Hirschberg and Elizabeth Culliford.) April 25 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley will pay $150 million to settle charges it concealed the risk of mortgage-backed securities that were sold to two large California pension funds, the state's attorney general Xavier Becerra announced on Thursday. The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) will receive $122 million from the settlement, while the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) will receive $8 million. The remainder will go to Becerra's office. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York Editing by Marguerita Choy) North Korea's close relationship with the Soviet Union cooled in the 1990s under a new Russian power, but were revived in the 2000s as Moscow sought support amid a new standoff with the West. As Kim Jong Un meets President Vladimir Putin for the first time, here is a broad overview. - Cold War allies - At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union was given trusteeship of the northern half of the Korean peninsula, the United States having the same for the south. Moscow installed Kim Il Sung -- who had led a Korean contingent in the Soviet army -- as leader and he established the communist North Korean state in 1948. Two years later, with the backing of China and the Soviet Union, Kim's forces invaded the South, triggering a war that claimed four million lives before a 1953 armistice. As the Cold War stand-off between the Soviet Union and the West deepened, North Korea benefited substantially from Soviet aid including in weapons and fuel. A 1961 treaty signed between Kim Il Sung and Nikita Khrushchev committed the Soviet Union to defend North Korea in the event of an attack. Kim Il Sung visited Moscow in 1984 and in 1986, when he met Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for the first time. - Relations break off - The special relationship ended in 1990 when Gorbachev established diplomatic relations with South Korea, the North accusing it of treachery. The Soviet Union's break-up in 1991 ushered in a Russian regime favourable to the West; as the Cold War ended, so did Soviet aid to the North. In 1992 president Boris Yeltsin declared the 1961 treaty void, saying it existed "only on paper". - Renewal - Putin revived relations between Russia and North Korea -- lead by Kim Jong Il who had taken over when his father died in 1994 -- shortly after he became president. Just months into his presidency in 2000 Putin travelled to Pyongyang, becoming the first Russian leader to visit the reclusive state. He and Kim Jong Il agreed to put relations back on track and signed a broad military cooperation agreement. Story continues In 2001 and 2002 Kim Jong Il travelled to Moscow for talks with Putin. In 2003 -- as international concerns mounted that North Korea was secretly developing nuclear weapons -- Russia took part in a first round of six-country talks aimed at making Pyongyang abandon its nuclear arms programmes. Kim Jong Il made his third and final trip to Russia in 2011, four months before he died. His son Kim Jong Un took over. - Summits and summits - In 2014 Moscow cancelled 90 percent of the debt Pyongyang owed to Russia dating back to the Soviet era. The February 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea saw a spectacular detente between the two Koreas and with the United States. Just months later US President Donald Trump met Kim in an unprecedented summit in Singapore, the North Korean leader pledging to "work towards complete denuclearisation" of the peninsula. Putin praised the meeting and reiterated that he too would be happy to meet Kim. However a second Trump-Kim summit in February 2019 in Hanoi ended in failure, with Pyongyang saying later it was again testing weapons. Kim's meeting with Putin will be his first with another head of state since returning from Hanoi. Beira (Mozambique) (AFP) - A powerful cyclone pounded northern Mozambique on Friday, leaving one person dead and wrecking homes and communications, barely a month after the country was hit by one of the worst storms in its history. Cyclone Kenneth, a Category Three storm on the hurricane scale, made landfall in Cabo Delgado province late Thursday after swiping the Comoros islands. By mid-Friday, its peak winds of 160 kilometres (100 miles) an hour had fallen back to about 70 kph, according to the national meteorological institute. But heavy rains were forecast over the next 24 hours, fuelling the risks of floods and mudslides in the poor region. Mozambique's emergency agency, the INGC, reported a death caused by a falling coconut tree in the port city of Pemba, Cabo Delgado's provincial capital, along with severe flooding, mudslides and widespread power outages. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported "heavy damage" and wrecked homes in some coastal towns along the northern coast, while communication lines in Macomia and Muidumbe remain down. In many affected communities, areas "are prone to flooding and landslides in normal rainfall, and this is far from a normal situation," it warned. - 'Biblical' - On the tourist island of Ibo, home to 6,000 people, 90 percent of homes had been flattened, according to a spokesman for the INGC, Antonio Beleza. "It looks like the island has been bombed... It is biblical," said a South African tour operator and owner of a hotel on Ibo, Kevin Record. Communities in central Mozambique are still reeling from Cyclone Idai, which hit on the night of March 14-15, causing killer floods that swept away homes, roads and bridges. The storm also smashed into Zimbabwe and Malawi. In the three countries, more than a thousand lives were lost, and damage is estimated at around $2 billion (1.8 billion euros). The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday said Kenneth was expected to dump over 600 millimetres (almost 24 inches) of rain over the next few days in some areas. Story continues By way of comparison, this would be nearly double the amount that fell on the central city of Beira during Cyclone Idai -- a downpour that turned parts of the region into an inland sea. - 'Additional blow' - "Although floodwaters have receded in most areas it (Idai) affected, access is still a challenge as infrastructure was severely compromised," the WFP warned. "This second cyclone is an additional blow for the people of Mozambique and bound to complicate the humanitarian response." The UN agency added that it had already provided food aid to 1.3 million people after Idai. The government has made public buildings including schools available to people seeking shelter and the WFP has "pre-positioned" over 500 tonnes of food. A helicopter is expected to arrived in Cabo Delgado when weather conditions allow as roads are expected to be impassable because of flooding, making food delivery difficult. Forecasters at Meteo-France warned that Kenneth could trigger waves off Mozambique's northeastern shore as much as five metres (16 feet) higher than usual. - Tanzania worried - In neighbouring Tanzania, the authorities issued red alerts to warn of the dangers from rain, floods and landslides. The provinces of Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma were at highest risk, the country's meteorological agency said. Residents in Mtwara were leaving the coastal enclave with their families, some on foot, for emergency shelters, witnesses told AFP by phone. Gelasius Byakanwa, the governor of Mtwara, ordered schools closed in his province and asked "students to stay home and employees not to go to their offices". In Geneva, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Mozambique's back-to-back cyclones were unprecedented. "There is no record of two storms of such intensity striking Mozambique in the same season," the UN's weather agency said. A fact-finding WMO mission in Mozambique will look at the "impact of climate change and sea-level rise on Mozambique's resilience" to extreme weather, it said. Climate change has made cyclones more damaging, as rising sea levels have increased the strength of storm surges, WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis told AFP. Higher or more powerful waves are driven towards the shore, potentially posing a greater risk for coastal-dwelling populations. Paul Scott has been the CEO of Renew Holdings plc (LON:RNWH) since 2016. This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other companies that have similar market capitalization. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. And finally we will reflect on how common stockholders have fared in the last few years, as a secondary measure of performance. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid. Check out our latest analysis for Renew Holdings How Does Paul Scott's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Renew Holdings plc has a market capitalization of UK300m, and pays its CEO total annual compensation worth UK663k. (This is based on the year to September 2018). While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at UK283k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of UK154m to UK618m. The median total CEO compensation was UK629k. So Paul Scott receives a similar amount to the median CEO pay, amongst the companies we looked at. This doesn't tell us a whole lot on its own, but looking at the performance of the actual business will give us useful context. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at Renew Holdings has changed over time. AIM:RNWH CEO Compensation, April 25th 2019 Is Renew Holdings plc Growing? On average over the last three years, Renew Holdings plc has shrunk earnings per share by 14% each year (measured with a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue changed by just -0.6%. Unfortunately, earnings per share have trended lower over the last three years. And the flat revenue is seriously uninspiring. So given this relatively weak performance, shareholders would probably not want to see high compensation for the CEO. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings. Has Renew Holdings plc Been A Good Investment? Story continues Renew Holdings plc has served shareholders reasonably well, with a total return of 11% over three years. But they probably wouldn't be so happy as to think the CEO should be paid more than is normal, for companies around this size. In Summary... Paul Scott is paid around what is normal the leaders of comparable size companies. The company isn't growing earnings per share, and nor have the total returns inspired us. We're not saying the CEO pay is too generous, but one might argue that the company should improve returns to shareholders before increasing it. So you may want to check if insiders are buying Renew Holdings shares with their own money (free access). Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Researchers verify new method of HIV transmission among injection drug users and effective prevention technique LONDON, ON - New studies from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University have found for the first time that HIV can be transmitted through the sharing of equipment used to prepare drugs before injection and that a simple intervention - heating the equipment with a cigarette lighter for 10 seconds - can destroy the HIV virus, preventing that transmission. The findings, used to inform a public health campaign called 'Cook Your Wash,' have helped reduce rates of HIV transmission in London, Ontario. The two studies published in Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (JAIDS) were initiated in 2016 to address a public health emergency in London, Ontario when HIV rates amongst injection drug users more than doubled. "This outbreak occurred despite London having Canada's largest per capita sterile needle and syringe distribution program, a strong opiate substitution therapy program and a multidisciplinary HIV clinic," says Dr. Michael Silverman, Lawson Associate Scientist and Chair/Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London. "We knew there must be a novel method of HIV transmission at play." From August 2016 to June 2017, the research team interviewed 119 injection drug users to understand their injection behaviours and risk for HIV. They discovered that those who shared equipment used to prepare drugs for injection were 22 times more likely to contract HIV than those who did not, despite not sharing needles or syringes. The equipment includes a metal 'cooker' used to dissolve drugs in water and a filter used to draw the mixture, known as 'the wash,' into the syringe. Injection drug users reported reusing the equipment when consuming controlled-release hydromorphone, one of the most commonly injected opioids. "Controlled-release hydromorphone is expensive and difficult to dissolve. After the first wash, large amounts of the drug remain in the equipment which is then saved, shared or sold for future use," explains Dr. Sharon Koivu, Associate Scientist at Lawson and Associate Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "While people know not to share needles, some use their own needle multiple times allowing for contamination of the equipment." The team took their findings back to the research laboratory. They confirmed that, on average, 45 per cent of the drug remains in the equipment after the first wash. They not only confirmed the HIV virus can be transmitted between needles, cookers and filters, but also discovered that controlled-release hydromorphone has properties that promote survival of the virus. "The slow release properties in the drug can unfortunately stabilize the HIV virus," says Eric Arts, PhD, Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "For the first time, we were able to demonstrate that sharing equipment could lead to the type of HIV outbreak we observed in the community." The team discovered that when the cooker is heated with a cigarette lighter for approximately 10 seconds, or until the wash bubbles, the virus is destroyed. They termed the technique 'cook your wash.' They also confirmed that heating the cooker did not impact drug concentration. "We had to make sure that cooking your wash would not change the amount of drug being drawn into the syringe," notes Dr. Silverman. "If too much drug was released, it could lead to overdoses. If any drug was burnt off or lost, the intervention would not be accepted by persons who inject drugs." Partnering with local community organizations like the Middlesex-London Health Unit and Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, 'Cook Your Wash' was launched as a public health campaign. "The 'Cook Your Wash' campaign is one of the most exciting things to happen in our community," says Dr. Koivu. "We learned from persons who inject drugs, took that information to the lab to develop a solution and then brought that solution back to the community in record time." Dr. Silverman adds that local rates of new HIV cases fell dramatically after the introduction of the campaign. "It wasn't the sole reason for the reduction in HIV rates as other interventions were also introduced, but the timing suggests it was part of the solution." The studies build on previous research that shows sharing equipment can lead to the transmission of hepatitis C and controlled-release hydromorphone can promote the survival of bacteria that can cause endocarditis, which is an infection of the heart valves. The team hopes this research can be used to inform understanding and interventions in other centres facing HIV epidemics amongst persons who inject drugs. "We hope our findings can be used to reduce the incidence of HIV transmissions even further and that, one day, society will be HIV free," says Dr. Silverman. ### Video of the researchers discussing their work can be found here: https:/ / youtu. be/ VQK3SQFzxTQ . MEDIA CONTACT: Robert DeLaet, Communications and External Relations, Lawson Health Research Institute, t. 519.685.8500 ext. 75664, c. 519.619.3872, robert.delaet@lawsonresearch.com ABOUT LAWSON HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London, and working in partnership with Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world. ABOUT WESTERN Western University delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community. ABOUT THE SCHULICH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University is one of Canada's preeminent medical and dental schools. Established in 1881, it was one of the founding schools of Western University and is known for being the birthplace of family medicine in Canada. For more than 130 years, the School has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and a passion for scientific discovery. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Emory community gathered Tuesday, April 23, in two spaces in Cannon Chapel to remember victims of the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka. Chaplains were available from 1-3 p.m. in the Rustin Chapel and the Spiritual Formation Room for anyone who wanted to drop in to offer prayers, intentions and reflections related to the tragedy. Support resources Below is information about resources for those who have been impacted by this tragedy, or who would like support dealing with other issues: Emory Helpline is an anonymous, peer counseling telephone service for students. It is open from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week, during the regular academic year (excluding major holidays). Students with non-urgent mental health situations may contact the Helpline at 404-727-4357 (HELP). Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides individual, group and couples counseling; stress management classes; and community outreach to provide support for students and assist them in negotiating emotional and interpersonal difficulties as they matriculate through Emory University. 404-727-7450. Student Intervention Services (SIS) assists students in times of crisis. It also offers impartial, judgment-free counsel for students seeking guidance and assistance through life's ongoing challenges. 404-430-1120. Student Health Services (SHS) offers free psychiatric services for all enrolled Emory students. Services include diagnostic psychiatric evaluations, medication evaluations, long-term management of psychiatric medications, and community referrals. Learn more information about reaching SHS for after-hours emergencies or call 404-727-7551. Office of Spiritual and Religious Life is located in the Alumni Memorial University Center (AMUC 125) and Cannon Chapel (Suite 316). Services are available for students, faculty and staff. 404-727-6225. Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) provides support for employees, including daytime emergency appointments and on-call after-hours services. Visit the emergency services webpage or call 404-727-9355 (WELL). By Alasdair Pal and Sunil Kataria NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka, April 25 (Reuters) - As mourners buried the remains of Christian worshippers killed by the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, hundreds of Muslim refugees fled Negombo on the country's west coast where communal tensions have flared in recent days. At least 359 people perished in the coordinated series of blasts targeting churches and hotels. Church leaders believe the final toll from the attack on St Sebastian's Church in Negombo could be close to 200, almost certainly making Negombo the deadliest of the six near-simultaneous attacks. On Wednesday, hundreds of Pakistani Muslims fled the multi-ethnic port an hour north of the capital, Colombo. Crammed into buses organized by community leaders and police, they left fearing for their safety after threats of revenge from locals. "Because of the bomb blasts and explosions that have taken place here, the local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses," Adnan Ali, a Pakistani Muslim, told Reuters as he prepared to board a bus. "Right now we don't know where we will go." Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks, yet despite Islamic State being a Sunni jihadist group, many of the Muslims fleeing Negombo belong to the Ahmadi community, who had been hounded out of Pakistan years ago after their sect was declared non-Muslim. The fallout from Sunday's attacks appears set to render them homeless once more. Farah Jameel, a Pakistani Ahmadi, said she had been thrown out of her house by her landlord. "She said 'get out of here and go wherever you want to go, but don't live here', she told Reuters, gathered with many others at the Ahmadiyya Mosque, waiting for buses to take them to a safe location. "I HAVE NOTHING NOW" Sri Lanka's government is in disarray over the failure to prevent the attacks, despite repeated warnings from intelligence sources. Story continues Police have detained an unspecified number of people were detained in western Sri Lanka, the scene of anti-Muslim riots in 2014, in the wake of the attacks, and raids were carried out in neighborhoods around St Sebastian's Church. Police played down the threats to the refugees, but said they have been inundated with calls from locals casting suspicion on Pakistanis in Negombo. "We have to search houses if people suspect," said Herath BSS Sisila Kumara, the officer in charge at Katara police station, where 35 of the Pakistanis that gathered at the mosque were taken into police custody for their own protection, before being sent to an undisclosed location. "All the Pakistanis have been sent to safe houses," he said. "Only they will decide when they come back." Two kilometers away, makeshift wooden crosses marked the new graves at the sandy cemetery of St Sebastian's Church, as the latest funerals on Wednesday took the number buried there to 40. Channa Repunjaya, 49, was at home when he heard about the blast at St Sebastian's. His wife, Chandralata Dassanaike and nine-year-old daughter Meeranhi both died. "I felt like committing suicide when I heard that they had died, he told Reuters by the open graves. "I have nothing now." Meeranhi's grandmother, with her head still bandaged after being wounded in the attack, was held by a relative as the first handfuls of earth were scattered upon her child-sized coffin. Most of Sri Lanka's 22 million people are Buddhist, but the Indian Ocean island's population includes Muslim, Hindu and Christian minorities. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island's conflict and communal tensions. There were signs of some religious communities pulling together following Sunday's outrage. Saffron- and scarlet-robed Buddhist monks from a nearby monastery handed out bottled water to mourners who gathered under a baking afternoon sun. But the town, which has a long history of sheltering refugees including those made homeless by a devastating tsunami in 2004 may struggle to recover from Sunday's violence, said Father Jude Thomas, one of dozens of Catholic priests who attended Wednesday's burials. "Muslims and Catholics lived side by side," he said. "It was always a peaceful area, but now things have come to the surface we cannot control." (Editing by John Chalmers & Simon Cameron-Moore) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the United States of acting in "bad faith" during his Hanoi summit with President Donald Trump, and says peace on the peninsula depends on Washington, state media said Friday. Kim made the comments during his first summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Thursday in Vladivostok, the Korean Central News Agency reported, describing their talks as "unreserved and friendly". The comments also came about a week after Pyongyang demanded the removal of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from stalled nuclear talks with Washington, accusing him of derailing the process. The North Korean leader said "the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point", KCNA said. Kim warned that the situation "may return to its original state as the US took an unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks", the agency added. The Kim-Trump summit broke down in late February without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal. At those talks, cash-strapped North Korea demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the two sides disagreed over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. Kim told Putin that the "DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation", KCNA said. The North Korean leader invited Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", the agency said in one of several dispatches about the summit. During his talks with Kim on Thursday, Putin positioned himself as a counterweight to the United States, insisting that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". "We need to... return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Putin said. Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. The pair "were unanimous" that their meeting could help in "strategically controlling the unstable situation of the Korean peninsula in the wake of the second DPRK-US summit talks", it said. A recent surge in spottings of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, has prompted the Navy to create formalized guidelines for reporting sightings, according to the Washington Post. The Post reports that naval officers have spotted an increasing number of mysterious aircraft, which the military calls unexplained aerial phenomena. These sightings have sometimes occurred within military airspace. Pilots are upset, and theyre trying to help wake up a slumbering system, Chris Mellon, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence and staffer on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told the Post. Mellon estimates that there are dozens of incidents each year, which is forcing the Navys hand in addressing the issue. Some hope that streamlined guidelines will help make it more acceptable to report these incidents, which pilots have sometimes refrained from discussing due to stigma. Some personnel took it even further. Luis Elizondo, a former Pentagon official who ran a secret investigative program funded by the U.S. government to study UFOs, called the new guidelines the single greatest decision the Navy has made in decades, reports the Post. Read More:Navy Pilot Says UFO He Saw Off California Was Not of This World The rules could also make it easier to investigate the occurrences. Since 2014, these intrusions have been happening on a regular basis, Joseph Gradisher, spokesperson for office of the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare, told the Post. We want to get to the bottom of this. We need to determine whos doing it, where its coming from and what their intent is. We need to try to find ways to prevent it from happening again. Commercial pilots across the world are already coming forward to share their sighting experiences. The FAA released radio traffic recordings from two commercial pilots who reported sightings in early 2018. Late last year in Ireland, three separate pilots reported a mysterious object in the same night. Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin's passport (HuffPost) The attorneys for Daily Stormer publisher Andrew Anglin told a Montana federal court this week that they intend to withdraw from a high-profile harassment lawsuit against their neo-Nazi client after indicating that Anglin will refuse to obey a court order to appear in the United States for an in-person deposition at the end of April. Anglin, an Ohio native who says he lives in a secret overseas location, claimed that a deposition in the U.S. would put him at risk of physical harm. He believes that his life is in danger if his whereabouts are revealed, Anglins lead attorney Marc Randazza told HuffPost in March. Thats his firmly and sincerely held belief. That was not, however, the belief of the judge, who ruled this month that Anglins safety concerns were factually unsupported, after which Randazza announced that his client would likely default rather than appear in person to answer questions under oath in a case that could have been a litmus test for how the legal system might hold ringleaders of online harassment mobs accountable. In 2016, Anglin used his website to unleash an anti-Semitic troll storm on Tanya Gersh, a Jewish realtor embroiled in a property dispute with the mother of white nationalist Richard Spencer. Gersh and her family received more than 700 threatening and harassing communications from Anglins followers. With the help of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Gersh sued Anglin in 2017 for invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violating a Montana anti-intimidation law. Anglin quickly hired Randazza, who bills himself as a First Amendment attorney and has become the go-to advocate for far-right propagandists and extremists advancing a hateful anti-democratic ideology with the goal of silencing others. Randazza is the best there is, Anglin wrote on the Daily Stormer at the time. But Randazza was not the best. In fact, he has since been disciplined in Nevada and Arizona for ethical violations he committed while working as an in-house counsel for pornographers years ago. Story continues Randazza appears regularly on far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' InfoWars. (InfoWars/HuffPost) Last month, a Connecticut judge cited Randazzas serious misconduct in denying the attorney entry in a case where he was hoping to represent far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who is being sued by several parents of children murdered in the Sandy Hook massacre. After Nevada sanctioned him, other state bars that license Randazza initiated reciprocal discipline procedures. In May, Randazza will appear at a hearing in Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that could determine whether he will be suspended for an additional ethical violation that the State Bar of Nevada ignored. If nothing else, Randazza and Anglin made a fitting Mutt-and-Jeff courthouse combo as the Gersh case devolved into farce thanks to their trollish antics. For almost a year, Anglin evaded process servers while Randazza unsuccessfully argued that his client existed beyond the courts jurisdiction as a stateless citizen. He told the court that Anglin, who was involved in preparations for the deadly white supremacist riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, hadnt set foot in the U.S. since 2012, despite Anglin admitting on the Daily Stormer to being in his hometown of Columbus in 2017 to expunge a misdemeanor drug conviction from his record. Randazza suggested that Anglin was in Nigeria, Russia, the Philippines, Greece, Cambodia. He offered up incomplete images of Anglins passport as evidence. None of it worked. In a more sinister turn, the attorney also trotted out Holocaust denial as a legal defense, arguing, essentially, that if Anglin didnt believe the Nazis gassed Jews during World War II, then his followers threats to gas Gersh and her family shouldnt be taken seriously. But the pairs primary defense all along was to argue that everything Anglin published on his site including contact information for Gersh and her family, instructions on how to harass her and sample content his followers could use to harass her was protected speech. After a judge shot down that argument in November, Randazza and Anglin resorted to desperate-looking stalling and dodging tactics. Anglin, for instance, proposed doing the Gersh deposition in Cuba or Venezuela, a proposition that even Randazza, who did not comment for this story, said he was unprepared to vigorously defend. Last month, Randazza absurdly likened his neo-Nazi client to Thomas Paine and tried to persuade the court that Anglin, a propagandist and serial harasser who routinely libels journalists and celebrates violence against the press, was himself a journalist and, therefore, protected by a Montana shield law from revealing the identities of his followers who anonymously threatened Gersh and continue to menace targets of Anglins choosing. Anglin, for example, recently dispatched his trolls to harass a man who runs a packaging company in Charlottesville and had apparently sent Anglin an email encouraging the neo-Nazi to remain in whatever fascist rat hole in which hes hiding. Anglins trolls downvoted the packaging company on its Google reviews page and left scores of bogus, bigoted write-ups. The neo-Nazi also showed HuffPost evidence that he took part in the trolling campaign. He has gotten far more radical. Marc Randazza, Anglin's attorney By then, his legal gyrations in Montana were coming to an end. On Monday, Randazza and Anglins other lawyers told the court they had notified their client of their decision to back out of the case, a move that still requires the approval of a judge. The lawyers must file a motion to withdraw by May 13. This is not the first time Randazza has slunk away from his legal wreckage last year, he withdrew from a case after he and a client made numerous misrepresentations in Utah federal court that led to his client being sanctioned. This breakup, though, is different. For a time, Randazza and Anglin were pals subverting the system together. But Anglin was always too far gone, a conspiratorial loon raving about Jewish cabalism, his hatred of America and his desire to see the brains of his enemies splattered on walls. He has gotten far more radical, Randazza told HuffPost in March. If Anglin fails to show up for his deposition next week, the court will enter a default in the matter and open the door for Gersh to file for default judgment, which would likely result in her being awarded damages that could put a long-term drain on Anglins finances. Targeting someone for an onslaught of hateful threats causes real harm, said David Dinielli, the SPLCs deputy legal director. A default will bring this case one step closer to a confirmation that there is no place in a civil society for these kinds of attacks. Individuals, like Tanya Gersh, can stand up for themselves in court, and win. But nobody wants to stand up for Anglin anymore. If the Montana judge lets Randazza out of the Gersh case, it would be an appropriate denouement to a twisting legal saga for the attorney and his extremist client and one not without a touch of sorrow for Anglin. When reached for comment over Twitter, where the neo-Nazi was ostensibly banned four years ago, Anglin refused to discuss Randazzas desire to dump him as a client. That question is too personal to answer, he said. CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said Anglin admitted to being in his hometown in 2016. He said he was there in 2017. The first summit between Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin was short on public content but the mere fact of it was a diplomatic boost for Pyongyang in its nuclear stalemate with the US, analysts said. Thursday's talks in Vladivostok were the North Korean leader's first meeting with another head of state since returning from his February summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, which broke down without a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal. In Russia, Kim said little about the specifics of his discussions with Putin, preferring promises of strengthening traditional ties -- and did not mention the word "denuclearisation" once in public. There was no joint statement -- and the Kremlin had said beforehand there would not be. The Russian president told reporters that, like Washington, Moscow wanted to see "complete denuclearisation", but added that North Korea's security should be guaranteed, without going into detail. Despite the limited substance, analysts say Kim got exactly what he was looking for: a strong handshake with Putin in front of international media. And unlike some other occasions, the Russian president did not keep his guest waiting. "The summit was heavy on diplomatic symbolism rather than actual cooperation, but the meeting itself is an achievement for Kim," said Shin Beom-chul of the Asan Institute of Policy Studies. It was the latest chapter in the North Korean leader's summit diplomacy, aimed at chipping away some of the negative public image of his regime, analysts said. For six years after inheriting power, the North Korean leader was an international recluse and remained within his borders. But since March 2018, he has held meetings four times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one each with Vietnam's president and Singapore's prime minister. "Kim understands there is clearly a benefit in just holding a summit," said Harry Kazianis of the Center for National Interest ahead of the talks. Story continues "All Kim needs to be successful is images of him shaking Putin's hand -- a sort of selfie diplomacy with summit pictures being plastered all over the media -- to prove to the world he is a global statesman." - Wining and dining - In Thursday's expanded meeting, Kim was accompanied only by Ri Yong Ho and Choe Son Hui -- his foreign minister and vice foreign minister. Opposite them sat about a dozen Russians, among them officials handling economic cooperation with the North, such as mothballed gas pipeline and power grid projects. Their North Korean counterparts did not travel to Russia with Kim and their absence showed that reviving such joint projects was nowhere near the top of Pyongyang's agenda, said Koo Kab-woo, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. For the North, the main goal of the summitry was finding "another exit" -- an alternative option to China -- Koo said, and seek more international support in its nuclear stand-off against Washington. At the meeting with Trump in Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from sanctions imposed over its weapons programmes, but the talks broke up in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. Since then, North Korea has carried out a new weapons test and demanded the removal from negotiations of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who said Wednesday that he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with Pyongyang. North Korea will expect the sight of Kim and Putin wining and dining together to prompt Washington to return to the negotiating table with a better offer, Koo said. Sony Pictures has released a new trailer for upcoming reboot Men in Black: International and fans might be surprised to see Liam Neeson feature so prominently despite recent calls for him to be cut from the franchise. The two-and-a-half minute clip sees Tessa Thompsons character infiltrate the MIB and practically beg to be given a job there, arguing that if she was able to discover the alien-fighting agencys super secret headquarters then shes bound to be the perfect recruit. Read more: First Men In Black: International trailer is funny, sexy and weird Before long, shes donning the iconic black-and-white uniform, given the codename Agent M and being shipped off to the forces UK division in London where Neesons character High T appears to be the boss. Liam Neeson is front-and-centre on the new poster for Men in Black: International He assigns M a partner in Chris Hemsworths Agent H before explaining that the MIB has never faced a threat like the Hive, a deadly species that can take the form of anyone, even agents. Some fans of the franchise are likely to be disappointed by how many times he pop ups in the video nor will they be thrilled to see him front-and-centre on the latest poster. Back in February, several individuals took to Twitter to urge Sony Pictures to digitally replace, or even erase, Neeson or else theyd boycott the whole movie because of the controversial confession he made while promoting Cold Pursuit. Read more: Men In Black Jump Street crossover no longer in development The Irish actor revealed to The Independent that when one of his friends was sexually assaulted 40 years ago, he used to patrol the streets with a weapon in the hopes that some black b*****d would pick a fight with him so that he could kill someone. Describing it as a primal urge at the time, he admitted that seeking revenge was not the answer but his comments understandably shocked audiences. The backlash was so fervent in fact that the red carpet before Cold Pursuits premiere was cancelled. If they can magically de-age every actor in the MCU, they can digitally replace Liam Neeson in MIB and they should (@bigbang) February 4, 2019 Also starring Rafe Spall, Rebecca Ferguson, Kumail Nunjiani and Emma Thompson, Men in Black: International reaches UK cinemas on 14 June. It will be released in the US on the same day. Adam Shapiro, co-anchor of Yahoo Finances On the Moves, brings you the top headlines for Thursday, April 25, 2019. ADDS SUSPECT - Parkland school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz listens to his public defender, Diane Cuddihy, right, during a hearing on police body-camera footage at the Broward Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Friday, March 22, 2019. (Taimy Alvarez/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool) Parkland shooter gets insurance money The man who shot and killed 17 students and administrators at a high school in Parkland, Florida is getting a $430,000 benefit from one of his parents life insurance policy. It's believed 20-year-old Nikolas Cruz and his brother are splitting the almost $865,000 dollar policy award from MetLife Insurance. The public defenders office which represents Cruz disclosed the death benefit in recent court filings requesting lawyers be allowed to quit. The lawyers say they and Cruz were unaware of the death benefit. FILE - In this March 27, 2019, file photo, a woman receives a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y. Measles cases in the U.S. this year have climbed to the highest level in 25 years, according to preliminary figures, a resurgence attributed largely to misinformation about vaccines. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) New measles record The Centers for Disease Control released data that shows 695 cases of Measles this year in the United States, the highest number of diagnosed cases since measles was declared eradicated in the early 2000s. The previous record, 667 cases, was reached in 2014. The outbreak is largest in places like New York City and New York state which have large populations of people opposed to vaccinations. The CDC says the recent outbreak of measles was brought to the U.S. by travelers from areas like Ukraine and Israel. Russian President Vladimir Putin, center right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Putin and Kim are set to have a one-on-one meeting at the Far Eastern State University on the Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok. The meeting will be followed by broader talks involving officials from both sides. (Yuri Kadobnov/Pool Photo via AP) Putin meets Kim Jong Un Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will share the results of his summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, with China and the United States. The two leaders met earlier today in Vladivostok. Putin was asked if Kim would be willing to continue his nuclear negotiations with the United States. Putin replied Kim will be guided by his own national interests. Putin plans to travel to Beijing to discuss the summit with Chinese leaders. He says he will also share North Korea's positions with the Trump administration. Elon Musk headshot, entrepreneur, graphic element on gray Tesla to offer insurance Elon Musk says Tesla is developing an insurance product with details to be announced possibly within a month. Musk disclosed the insurance product on the earnings call after Tesla reported Wednesday. He says Tesla shares data on its auto pilot program with insurance companies and As we launch our own insurance product next month, we will certainly incorporate that information into the insurance rates." MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) A Nicaraguan bank close to President Daniel Ortega's government has shut down after the United States imposed sanctions for alleged financial misdeeds on behalf of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. Eduardo Holmann Chamorro, one of Bancorp's three directors, told The Associated Press late Wednesday that the country's superintendent for banks and financial institutions had accepted the bank's request for a "voluntary dissolution." "Unfortunately Bancorp disappears and 106 employees are out in the street," Holmann said. He said Bancorp was solvent and deposits would be returned to its clients. A committee has been formed to oversee the liquidation and make sure employees are paid, he added. The banking agency did not confirm Bancorp's dissolution. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton announced new sanctions against the bank last week, calling it a "slush fund" for Ortega, who has been facing anti-government protests for a year. The U.S. had already sanctioned the bank for its ties to Venezuela. Bancorp was created in 2014 to handle money of Nicaraguan companies started with Venezuelan money. It was started by Alba de Nicaragua (Albanisa), a consortium of companies managed by Ortega loyalists that was created through an oil agreement signed between Venezuela and Nicaragua seven years earlier. Venezuela's state oil company, known as PDVSA, holds a 51% stake in Albanisa, while Nicaragua's state oil company Petronic owns 49%. Bancorp published a statement this week on its website saying Albanisa had not been a client since February. It described itself as a private bank that did not work with Venezuelan entities. In targeting Bancorp, the U.S. Treasury cited the bank for "its role in the corruption and money laundering for the benefit of people in the Ortega regime." It blocked Bancorp from the U.S. financial markets, making it impossible for the bank to operate. Story continues Holmann said Bancorp had been "demonized" and he charged that it was being isolated by other Nicaraguan banks even before the U.S. imposed sanctions. "The bankers didn't want Bancorp around. It was a hair in the soup," said Holmann, a businessman with long ties to Ortega's Sandinista party. Holmann was mayor of the beach destination San Juan del Sur from 2004 to 2008. In March, Nicaragua's parliament approved the government's purchase of Bancorp's shares for $22.8 million to create a new entity, National Bank, but Holmann said the transaction was never completed. "The state pulled out of the deal. There's a lot of pressure," he said. Jose Adan Aguerri, president of the country's Superior Council of Private Business, said Washington's sanctions likely kept Ortega from creating a state bank with Bancorp's funds, which he said could have endangered other institutions, including the Central Bank. The United States Nigeria Council (USNC) has expressed satisfaction that the positive economic developments taking place in Nigeria would encourage investors. It also backed the Central Bank of Nigerias (CBN) monetary policy that is driving the countrys economy. Ambassador Terence McCulley, USNC Chairman, said on Thursday in Lagos at the annual executive spring dinner in Washington, U.S., on the margins of the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings. He noted that the council was satisfied with the positive economic developments taking place in Nigeria, and would encourage investors to take a new look at Nigerias economy, under the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. McCulley said that the council supported the apex banks monetary policy under the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, for steering the countrys economy out of recession, and sustaining economic growth. He said that U.S. companies would be encouraged to continue to invest in Nigerias economy, in a bid to strengthen the two countries economic ties. The Council remains the only business group solely focused on Nigeria, and we are pleased to serve as a convener of U.S. and Nigerian entrepreneurs in support of this important bilateral relationship, McCulley said. Emefiele said on the occasion that Nigerias economy had witnessed seven quarters of sustained economic recovery and growth. The CBN governor urged U.S. companies to take a closer look at the new dawn in Nigerian economy, by investing more in the country. Also speaking, Stuart Symington, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, echoed the optimism for Nigerias progress by assuring the CBN governor of more U.S. companies presence in Nigeria. Mr Emmanuel Okeleji, Founder, SeamlessHR, said that the USNC partnership had greatly impacted on Nigerias economy in terms of job creation, food security and ICT development. Partnering with leading Nigerian and U.S. companies can greatly accelerate our growth, and thus job creation in Nigeria, he said. USNC is dedicated to strengthening commercial and business ties between the United States and Nigeria. The council builds and supports long-term business partnerships between U.S. and Nigerian companies that drive innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, job creation, and economic growth in both economies. Abuja (AFP) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will leave for Britain on Thursday on a private visit, his office said, in a statement set to revive concern about his state of health. The 76-year-old -- who has previously been in London for long spells of medical care -- is currently visiting Maiduguri, capital of the northeastern state of Borno, which is battling the Boko Haram insurgency. "At the end of the visit, President Buhari will be proceeding to the United Kingdom on a private visit," presidential spokesman Femi Adesina in a statement. "He is expected to return to Nigeria on May 5," he said, giving no further details. From May 2016 until mid-2017, Buhari was in London for medical treatment for increasingly long periods of time, forcing government denials that he was gravely ill or even dead. To date, he has not disclosed details about his condition, apart from saying he had "never been so ill" and had to undergo multiple blood transfusions. His health status was an issue in the campaign for the February 23 presidential elections, with the opposition insisting he was physically unfit to govern. The retired general, who was first elected in 2015, is scheduled to be sworn in for a second four-year term on May 29. Opposition leader Atiku Abubakar has lodged a legal challenge to the results. By Sam Nussey OSAKA (Reuters) - Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd cautioned it will take time for the launch of its Switch console in China and dampened speculation about introducing a low-cost version of the device. Nintendo's partner Tencent Holdings won approval last week to sell the hybrid home-portable device in China. But though Nintendo Chief Executive Shuntaro Furukawa praised Tencent and the partnership on Thursday, he said Switch sales in China wouldn't begin soon. The news of the partnership and hopes that it will extend to mobile gaming helped lift Nintendo's stock price to six-month highs last week. Mobile and PC gaming in China, the world's largest video games market, dwarfs the market for consoles, whose growth has been pegged back by local regulations. Nintendo's push into mobile is yet to deliver a major hit, although analysts point to Mario Kart Tour, developed with DeNA and due for release this summer, as a possible contender. The Kyoto-based gaming company, which has a reputation for making conservative forecasts, said it would sell 18 million Switch console units globally this financial year, up 6.2 percent from last year. It expects operating profit to rise 4.1 percent to 260 billion yen ($2.3 billion) this year, well below an average analyst estimate of 342 billion yen, according to Refinitiv data. Media reports that Nintendo is preparing a low-cost version of the Switch have helped push its shares higher in recent weeks. Furukawa said at a news conference that while the company is always developing new hardware internally it has nothing to announce and had no plans to reveal new hardware at the E3 trade show in June. Nintendo sold 16.95 million Switch hardware units in the year just ended, slightly undershooting its revised forecast of 17 million units. Nintendo had initially forecast sales of 20 million units before Furukawa took up the role in June. The Switch games pipeline continues to create fan excitement, with two full Pokemon titles due later this year. Nintendo expects to sell 125 million copies of Switch games in the current fiscal year, versus 118.55 million in the year ended in March. The industry is facing a shake-up with established console gaming companies like Nintendo and Sony Corp exposed to competition from new entrants like Alphabet Inc's Google offering browser-based games streaming services. Furukawa said he welcomed new technology bringing games to users. Nintendo's shares closed up 1.3 percent ahead of the earnings announcement. Its share price has risen 32 percent year-to-date, pushing its market capitalization above 5 trillion yen. (Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) TOKYO (AP) Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn walked out of a Japanese detention center Thursday evening, his head held high, after paying 500 million yen ($4.5 million) in bail and winning a court rejection of an appeal from prosecutors. Ghosn walked solemnly out of the Tokyo Detention House with one of his lawyers by his side. They got into a dark van without speaking and drove off, watched by dozens of journalists who had been waiting for his release for hours. Prosecutors had fought to keep him in custody, contending he could tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. But the Tokyo District Court decided in the evening he should be released. In a new twist, the court also decided to restrict Ghosn's contact with his wife, Carole Ghosn, targeting her as someone related to the latest allegations, according to his legal team. In a statement issued shortly after his release, Ghosn said the new bail conditions were "cruel and unnecessary." Ghosn was arrested in November, released on bail in early March, but re-arrested and detained again April 4 on new allegations. The latest bail comes on top of the 1 billion yen ($9 million) Ghosn posted for his earlier release. He has been charged with under-reporting his post-retirement compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money and allegedly having it shoulder his personal investment losses. Ghosn's lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, said the bail conditions require advance notice of contacts between Ghosn and Carole Ghosn. They will not be able to live together and a lawyer must be present when they meet. Carole Ghosn is not a suspect, and she had been looking forward to being with her husband. She is mentioned in the latest allegations that center around payments by an Oman business to operations allegedly run by Ghosn, which reportedly have some links to his wife's business. She was called in for questioning earlier this month. "We love each other very much, she answered all of the prosecutors' questions in court, and she has done nothing wrong," Carlos Ghosn said in the statement. Story continues Carole Ghosn, who has said both her husband and she are innocent, has been a vocal proponent, appealing to public opinion and human rights groups about Ghosn's treatment. Hironaka said he had expected the restrictions because bail conditions generally prohibit contact with people linked to the case. He said the legal team will work to moderate the restrictions. Ghosn, 65, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, contends the compensation he allegedly underreported was never decided on or paid and the payments were for legitimate services. "I maintain my innocence and am committed to vigorously defending myself against these meritless and unsubstantiated accusations. I hope to be given a fair trial where the truth will come to light and I will be fully vindicated," he said in the statement. For his earlier release, his defense team offered special conditions such as installing a surveillance camera at the entrance to a specified residence for the former star executive and promising to use a cellphone and the internet only under certain conditions. The latest release requires similar restrictions, including not leaving the country, according to the court. The lawyer who was with Ghosn when he was released, Takashi Takano, has denied Japanese media reports that Carole Ghosn had contacted people related to the allegations and stressed Ghosn's entire family has been abiding by the terms of his bail agreement. "If they had done such a thing, the release on bail would end, and they would lose bail money," he said in a recent blog post. Japanese social media and mainstream media had been buzzing with speculation over how Ghosn would appear when he left detention. When he was released on March 4 after more than 100 days in detention, he wore a cap, mask and what appeared to be a construction worker's outfit. Ghosn was still easily recognizable, and the "disguise" provoked widespread amusement and commentary. Ghosn's case has reignited criticism, both internally and internationally, against lengthy detentions without a trial or conviction in Japan, which critics call "hostage justice." Although prolonged detentions are routine in Japan, rearresting a person who has cleared bail is unusual. But legal experts say Ghosn's release is unusual in coming so soon after being charged. Some have expressed hopes that Ghosn's case will help to gradually change the system. Ghosn led Nissan Motor Co. for two decades and was credited with steering the success of the global alliance with Renault SA of France and smaller Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Renault owns 43 percent of Yokohama-based Nissan, while Nissan owns 15 percent of Renault. His departure has raised concern over a potential leadership vacuum at Nissan, which he dominated until his arrest, and about the future of its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi. In a video statement released April 9, Ghosn said a few Nissan executives had plotted against him in "a conspiracy." A date for Ghosn's trial has not been set. In Japan, trial preparations tend to take months. Both sides have said that the case is complex. The allegations against him involve payments to a Saudi dealership, as well as the funds paid to an Oman business. ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en Photo credit: Artwork by Sam Bailey From CR Fashion Book Like many people, I still remember clearly my mothers two-for-the-price-of-one account of sex and procreation, told to me when I was five or six years old: When a man and a woman truly love each other, they decide to make a baby together. The story made no mention of homosexuality, of transgender or intersex people, of infertility, condoms, or the plastic clam in the bathroom with its pink and green pills and the little wheel with the days of the week printed on it. Over the past 20 years, the triad of love, sex, and reproduction-never as stable as its proponents have claimed-has broken apart spectacularly. Even with glitches in the system-from scammers on Tinder and blackmailers on OKCupid to rumors of Chinese government officials accessing Grindrs user data-the outlines of what sociologists call differentiation are clear: many want their sex and reproduction served a la carte, putting love off until its convenient and children until theyve passed certain personal and professional milestones. Unfortunately for them, technology is lagging behind culture. The average age of first-time parents in the developed world has climbed precipitously in recent decades, and age-related infertility, coupled with falling sperm counts, is leading ever more people to turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF). But IVF is far from a panacea: for women under 35, the live birth rate is 31 percent, but for those past 40, it drops to less than 10 percent. IVF depends on invasive egg harvesting and often produces faulty embryos. Moreover, the science behind evaluating laboratory-produced embryos remains flawed. Comparing the struggles the industry faces with the enormous quantities of money it moves-15 billion dollars in 2017-it is hard not to recall the old advertising jingle: Theres got to be a better way. Photo credit: Henry T. Greely This is precisely what Stanford law professor Henry Greely proposes in his recent book The End of Sex and the Future of Human Reproduction. Greely believes that sometime in the next 20 to 40 years, sexual reproduction as well as IVF in its current iteration will likely be supplanted by what he calls Easy PGD-a combination of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and the creation of embryos via eggs and sperm derived from parents stem cells. The benefits are obvious: advances in genetic testing will allow the screening of thousands of medical conditions and-depending on the law-will permit parents to select their childs height, hair color, physical strength, and disposition. The use of stem cells will make biological children an option not only for those struggling with traditional pregnancy, but also for gay couples or intersex individuals reluctant to adopt or use donor sperm or eggs. Story continues With recent tech flops ranging from Elon Musks incredibly profound Hawthorne Test Tunnel, which moved a single car through a one-mile tunnel at an average speed of 30 mph, to the revelation that numerous AI-based virtual assistants are actually just people responding to text messages, skepticism is healthy when it comes to headline-grabbing futuristic breakthroughs or books titled the end of something. But Greely shows the science necessary to make Easy PGD a reality has been advancing at a remarkable clip. The Human Genome Project ran from 1990 to 2003, with a budget running into the billions; this past November, a Massachusetts company, Veritas Genetics, offered whole genome sequencing and interpretation for two hundred dollars. Veritas estimates the cost will drop to less than a hundred dollars in the next five years; this could allow the affordable screening of dozens of embryos, selecting for health, optimal implantability, and even cosmetic traits. Photo credit: Getty Images Photo credit: Getty Images As to where the stem cells will come from, there are currently two techniques under investigation: somatic cell nuclear transfer, responsible for Dolly the sheep (and Damian the frog, the fifth Beatle of animal cloning), and induced pluripotent stem cells. As the first requires donor material and involves the destruction of embryos, Greely sees the second approach as the likelier of the two. At present, the difficulties are enormous: Mitinori Saitou, one of the leading researchers in the field, has successfully derived sperm and egg cells from mouse stem cells, but the process is inefficient, and offspring have been prone to disease. Much of the problem relates to our ignorance of how embryos themselves develop, and while a team of Dutch scientists has managed to make model embryos from mouse stem cells to study this very issue, the likelihood of producing human model embryos in this way still appears remote. Photo credit: Getty Images If Easy PGD is the future, the legal and moral issues it raises are far-reaching. Most would likely celebrate the elimination of devastating hereditary illnesses like Lesch-Nyhan syndrome or Tay-Sachs disease, but where do we draw the line between an affliction and simple human diversity? The Deaf Culture movement views deafness as a social and linguistic identity and rejects the disability label-so should deaf parents be entitled to choose sperm or egg cells likely to give them a deaf child? The U.K. banned so-called designer disabilities in 2008, but in the U.S. no central policy regulates genetic testing, and a survey of American facilities found that three percent of clients had gone looking for embryos with a specific disease or disability. On the other end of the spectrum, it is easy to imagine Tiger parents conspiring with their doctors in an arms race to engineer perfect children. PGD could be a blessing for non-traditional families wanting to have their own biological children, but, Greely asks, how non-traditional are we willing to go? He imagines the offspring of two siblings, of the very old, of the legally dead, of the unsuspecting-once stem cells can be used to make gametes, all these doors are open. The most chilling possibility may be uniparenting, with sperm and egg cells derived from a single individual. Greely seems skeptical that such a thing would catch on-but in our selfie-ish age of social media, perhaps it can. The jury is still out on the science behind Easy PGD-Greely thinks it is just decades away, while others view it as little more than science fiction-but this isnt an all-or-nothing proposition. IVF technologies will improve; our understanding of human genetics will improve; and the robustness of genetic testing will improve. The consequences of large-scale intervention in human reproduction are mind-boggling, and Greely is right that we should debate them now, before the future catches us off-guard. CR Fashion Book Issue 14 is available now on newsstands. To order a copy click here, and sign up for our newsletter for exclusive stories from the new issues. Nokia Corporation NOK reported lower-than-expected first-quarter 2019 financial results, wherein both the bottom line and the top line missed the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate. Net Loss Reported loss for the quarter was 442 million ($501.9 million) or loss of 0.08 (9 cents) per share compared with loss of 354 million or loss of 0.06 per share in the prior-year quarter due to higher cost of sales. Non-IFRS loss was 116 million ($131.7 million) or loss of 0.02 (2 cents) per share against profit of 83 million or 0.02 per share in the prior-year quarter. The bottom line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5 cents. Nokia Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Nokia Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Nokia Corporation Quote Revenues On a reported basis, net sales for the quarter increased 2.2% year over year to 5,032 million ($5,713.7 million), indicating the competitiveness of its offerings as well as an improving industry environment, driven by strong 5G customer engagement in all key markets across portfolio. While net sales improved in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and North America (up 6%, 3% and 9%, respectively), it declined in Greater China and Middle East & Africa (down 10% and 4%, respectively). Europes revenues were almost stable year over year. Non-IFRS net sales increased 2.6% to 5,057 million ($5,742.1 million), missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5,771 million. Other Details Non-IFRS gross profit decreased 15.5% year over year to 1,641 million due to higher cost of sales. Non-IFRS cost of sales increased to 3,416 million from 2,988 million. Non-IFRS operating loss was 59 million against operating profit of 239 million in the year-ago quarter. Segmental Performance In Networks, net sales increased 4.3% year over year to 3,944 million ($4,478.3 million). The segments gross margin declined 790 basis points (bps) to 26.9%. Operating margin declined 760 bps to a negative 6.4%, owing to lower gross profit. Net sales in Nokia Software were almost flat year over year at 543 million ($616.6 million), primarily due to applications and core networks. While the segments gross margin declined 280 bps to 40.3%, its operating margin decreased 150 bps to negative 1.3%. Net sales in Nokia Technologies were up 1.4% year over year to 370 million ($420.1 million), primarily due to higher one-time catch-up net sales related to a new license agreement and the sale of certain patents. While the segments gross margin declined 80 bps to 96.5%, its operating margin expanded 650 bps to 81.6%. In Group Common and Other, net sales decreased 12.7% year over year to 220 million ($249.8 million), primarily due to Alcatel Submarine Networks, partly offset by Radio Frequency Systems. The decline in Alcatel Submarine Networks was due to the completion of specific projects, which benefited the year-ago quarter. The segments gross margin was 1.8%, down 1,250 bps. Cash Flow & Liquidity During the first quarter, Nokia utilized 526 million ($597.3 million) of cash in operations against a cash generation of 143 million in the year-ago period. As of Mar 31, 2019, the technology company had 5,862 million ($6,575.4 million) in cash and equivalents with 3,650 million ($4,094.2 million) of long-term interest-bearing liabilities compared with the respective tallies of 6,555 million and 3,169 million a year ago. Guidance Reiterated Supported by expected 5G ramp up, Nokia has reiterated its guidance for 2019 and expects non-IFRS operating margin between 9% and 12%. Non-IFRS earnings per share are expected in the range of 0.25-0.29. Going Forward Nokia continues to execute its strategy with particularly good progress in Nokia Software and expansion to select enterprise vertical markets. It aims to accelerate strategy execution, sharpen customer focus and reduce long-term costs. This will help the company position itself for long-term 5G leadership and reaffirm commitment to full-year 2020 non-IFRS operating margin between 12% and 16% and non-IFRS earnings per share in the range of 0.37-0.42 guidance. Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider Nokia currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the industry include Ericsson ERIC, PCTEL, Inc. PCTI and Juniper Networks, Inc. JNPR. While Ericsson and PCTEL sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Juniper carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Ericsson currently has a forward P/E (F1) of 27.4x. PCTEL currently has a forward P/E (F1) of 61.8x. Juniper has long-term earnings growth expectation of 7.1%. Conversion rate used: 1 = $1.135469 (period average from Jan 1, 2019 to Mar 31, 2019) 1 = $1.121707 (as of Mar 31, 2019) Radical New Technology Creates $12.3 Trillion Opportunity Imagine buying Microsoft stock in the early days of personal computers or Motorola after it released the worlds first cell phone. These technologies changed our lives and created massive profits for investors. Today, were on the brink of the next quantum leap in technology. 7 innovative companies are leading this 4th Industrial Revolution - and early investors stand to earn the biggest profits. See the 7 breakthrough stocks now>> 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 Juniper Networks, Inc. (JNPR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ericsson (ERIC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Nokia Corporation (NOK) : Free Stock Analysis Report PC-Tel, Inc. (PCTI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Paris (AFP) - The global pace of new oil and gas pipeline construction has tripled in less than two decades, a multi-billion-dollar boom in infrastructure that experts warned Thursday could torpedo hopes for limiting global warming. In the first worldwide survey of its kind, the Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker identified a potential investor bubble ready to burst as renewable energy prices plummet and climate regulations begin to bite. It paints a picture of fossil fuel companies rushing to complete projects in order to lock countries and investors into oil and gas use for decades, even as calls for drastic cuts to greenhouse gas emissions grow louder. "Everyone knows there's a drilling boom in North America -- but they don't look at the infrastructure," said Ted Nace, executive director of Global Energy Monitor, a network of fossil fuel industry trackers. "When you drill a well you have it for a year or two, but building infrastructure is building things that are going to be around for 40 or 50 years," he told AFP. The analysis -- which used open-source data to map hundreds of new delivery plans around the world -- found that fully a third of more than 180,000 kilometres (110,000 miles) of oil and gas pipelines in development were in North America. By the metric of overall number of projects, 51.5 percent were planned for the continent. The accelerated rate of new pipeline construction echoes the recent US coal-mining crash, which saw investors left on the hook after American coal prices cratered due to a rapid increase in the domestic production of coal in China, once a major client. Nace said that the changing costs of energy production should make investors think twice before putting their money in fossil fuel infrastructure. "The idea is you will pick up natural gas and oil in America, ship it across the sea and they will (in Asia) be using that in their power plants instead of their own coal and instead of their renewables," he said. Story continues "That's where it gets a little questionable. Those economics are changing really quickly." - 'Not locked in' - Pipeline construction has tripled since 1996, with natural gas outnumbering oil projects four-to-one, the survey found. Investment in current and future infrastructure in the United States and Canada totalled close to $1 trillion. In October, the United Nation's expert panel on climate change said drastic cuts in fossil fuels -- including an 87-percent fall in oil by 2050 in at least two scenarios -- are needed to hit the Paris climate deal goals. That accord enjoins nations to limit global temperature rises to well-under two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) -- a target in serious jeopardy as emissions continue to rise amid soaring energy demand. Thursday's report spoke of a "perfect storm" for oil and gas investors as legislation, shifting public opinion, energy prices, and pressure on public subsidies all play on the mind of investors. This week, a report by the watchdog Global Witness found that oil and gas majors were gearing up to invest $4.9 trillion in new field exploration -- plans it said were "poles apart" from the Paris goals. Nace noted that many pipeline projects were in the planning stage, and could be delayed or mothballed if political opinions shift, for example in the 2020 US presidential election. "Most of this is still up for grabs. It's not locked in," he said. "You can't go out and stop 600,000 wells from being drilled, but civil society has been extremely effective in stopping infrastructure. "Oil and gas is now becoming a successful campaigning issue so there's a lot of opportunities for this story to be rewritten." WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - North Korea gave the United States a $2 million bill to cover its expenses for the care of comatose Otto Warmbier, who died shortly after being returned to his home in Ohio after being held in detention in North Korea, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The newspaper, citing two people familiar with the matter, said an invoice was handed to a State Department envoy hours before Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was flown out of Pyongyang in June 2017. (Reporting by Tim Ahmann and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump approved payment of a $2 million bill presented by North Korea to cover its care of comatose American Otto Warmbier, a college student who died shortly after being returned home from 17 months in a North Korean prison, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The Post said an invoice was handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier, 22, was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. Warmbier died six days later. The U.S. envoy, who was sent to retrieve Warmbier, signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, the Post reported, citing two unidentified people familiar with the situation. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told Reuters. Yun also told Reuters he could not comment on diplomatic exchanges. But in an interview with CNN on Thursday, he said he was given broad orders to secure Warmbier's release and he understood the instructions came directly from Trump. "Yes, my orders were completely: do whatever you can to get Otto back," he told CNN. Yun said he understood that money had been exchanged in previous releases of U.S. prisoners and was justified as "hospital costs," but he gave no further details. Representatives for the State Department did not respond to a request for comment. The bill was sent to the Treasury Department and remained unpaid through 2017, the Post reported. It was not known if the administration later paid the bill. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student visiting North Korea as a tourist, was imprisoned in January 2016. North Korea state media said he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for trying to steal an item bearing a propaganda slogan from his hotel. Reached by phone, Fred Warmbier, Otto Warmbier's father, declined to comment on the report or to confirm the Post's account that he had said the hospital bill sounded like ransom. Trump has denied paying North Korea to release hostages. "I got back our hostages; I never paid them anything," he said at a September news conference. Warmbier's parents issued a sharp statement in March after Trump said he believed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's claim not to have known how their son was treated. The U.S. president also praised Kim's leadership after their second summit collapsed in February in Hanoi when the two sides failed to reach a deal for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto," Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in March. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that." Trump said later he held North Korea responsible for the young man's death. A U.S. court in December ordered North Korea to pay $501 million in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain. Pyongyang blamed botulism and ingestion of a sleeping pill and dismissed torture claims. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Doina Chiacu and David Brunnstrom; additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish) The Federal Government has been urged to rethink the plan to close some of its foreign missions so as not to lose the flow of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). Mr Sunny Ofehe, Founder and Executive Director of Hope for Niger Delta Campaign based in The Netherlands, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday. He said that rather than closing these embassies completely. The option of reviewing activities carried out in such embassies in relation to the need of Nigerians and foreign partners. A country like Nigerian that enjoys this robust global acceptability and respect must not compromise and diminish its international diplomatic posture before the world. It is therefore imperative that as a country, we must ensure adequate representation in global affairs and at the same time serve our citizens and promote our core socio-economic values around the world. I clearly understand the challenges that our economy back home is facing but you must remember that these problems are peculiar with all countries around the world today. In spite of the need to cut spending and prioritise government expenditure, we must set our priorities straight. Ofehe said that the current global economic downturn required government take measures to reduce the impact on citizens as well as balancing global obligations. At a time Nigeria is facing issues such as poverty, serious income inequality, battered economy and poor quality of life for average citizens, it can be quite difficult to justify the allocation of limited government funds to maintaining embassies. However, Nigeria as a developing country will require foreign direct investments and increased market access for their goods and services to help grow the economy, and embassies play key roles in bringing these into the country. I am aware that our embassies usually send profile of foreign companies willing to invest and do business in Nigeria to the relevant ministries and government agencies after properly vetting the legality and legitimacy of such companies. The 2019 governorship aspirants of Delta under the All Progressive Congress said that the idea of using Information and Communication Technology to replace staff was not tenable yet. He said that developed countries like America and Netherlands still maintain physical presence in spite of the advancement in ICT. Another advantage of having people on the ground is the extensive people-to-people contact it allows the host country. While communication may be maintained via phone and e-mail, and air travel makes it easy for officials to fly in for crucial meetings, these tools cannot replicate the relationship that can be established through constant personal contact and interaction. Particularly in countries like China, India and the Middle-East whose cultures put a premium on personal relationships as part of doing business, a lot more is usually achieved over formal and informal meetings compared to constant exchanges of emails or phone calls. There are fears that based on the 2019 budget estimate of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria may be forced to close some of its foreign missions over the bad state of the embassies across the globe, due to poor funding. Nigeria at present has 110 missions around the world. Washington (AFP) - North Korea demanded that the United States pay a $2 million medical bill for US student Otto Warmbier, who went into a coma after being tortured in the totalitarian country, a report said Thursday. The Washington Post quoted unidentified sources as saying that a US official was made to sign a pledge to pay an invoice for the medical costs before being allowed to fly Warmbier back home from Pyongyang in 2017. The envoy signed the pledge on instructions from President Donald Trump, according to the Post report. It was unclear whether the bill was ever paid, the report said. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was imprisoned after being accused of taking down a propaganda poster in his hotel during a tour trip to North Korea. He fell into a coma after apparently being tortured behind bars and died days after arriving back in the United States. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders' only reaction to the report was: "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration." Trump has made rapprochement with North Korea one of his signature policies and he has held two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. At their last meeting in Hanoi in February, Trump said he accepted Kim's claim not to have known what had happened to Warmbier in prison, despite the case being extraordinarily sensitive. "I will take him at his word," Trump said. North Korea reportedly insisted that the United States agree to pay a $2 million hospital bill before returning American prisoner Otto Warmbier, who was in a coma at the time of his release and later died. A U.S. envoy signed an agreement to pay the bill at the instruction of President Donald Trump, two unnamed sources told the Washington Post. But Trump tweeted on Friday that the bill was never paid. No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else, Trump tweeted Friday morning. No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2019 In 2016, 21-year-old Warmbier fell into a coma at the time he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The University of Virginia student was convicted in North Korea of a hostile act against the state after he pulled down a propaganda sign in Pyongyang. Warmbiers parents spoke out against Trump in March after the president said he took Kim Jong Un at his word that he had no role in their sons torture. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto, Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in a statement at the time. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that. OSLO, April 25 (Reuters) - The grounding of Norwegian Air's fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft may scupper the carrier's plan to return to profitability this year, it said while posting a widening first-quarter loss on Thursday. "Due to the uncertainty related to the MAX grounding, the company sees increased risk related to the target of a positive net profit in 2019," Norwegian said. The budget carrier's net result plunged to a loss of 1.49 billion Norwegian crowns ($172.4 million) from 46.2 million crowns a year ago, while analysts in a Reuters poll on average had expected a deficit of 1.65 billion crowns. Norwegian, which has cut costs and raised money from shareholders in recent months, said late on Wednesday it had agreed with Boeing and Airbus to postpone more aircraft deliveries as it seeks to preserve cash. ($1 = 8.6440 Norwegian crowns) (Reporting by Terje Solsvik and Victoria Klesty, editing by Gwladys Fouche) Tours (France) (AFP) - A Frenchman who killed his parents, wife and children after pretending for two decades to be a successful doctor in a case that inspired a book and films, is to be released on parole, his lawyer said Thursday. Jean-Claude Romand killed his parents, wife and two children in 1993 as they were about to learn about his double life. Romand had spent nearly 20 years pretending he was a successful doctor and researcher working for the Geneva-based World Health Organization. "Parole has been granted," his lawyer Jean-Louis Abad told AFP. "His release is imminent but without doubt will not be today." French prosecutors confirmed the ruling by an appeals court in Bourges in central France, saying he should be out by June 28. Romand, now 65, will be under electronic surveillance for two years and must live in an area approved by the judiciary. But a lawyer for the family of Romand's murdered wife Florence said it was a very difficult time for the relatives. "It is a huge disappointment for my clients and a cause of great pain. They feel that everything is over for Mr Romand but it will never end for them," said Laure Moureu. Sentenced to life in jail in 1996, Romand has been eligible for release since 2015. His case has been the subject of fascination in France, notably inspiring the book "L'adversaire" (The Adversary) by Emmanuel Carrere which was made into a film in 2002 by Nicole Garcia starring prominent French actor Daniel Auteuil. The case also inspired the 2001 film "L'emploi du temps" by French director Laurent Cantet, which was very well received. Romand hid his failure to qualify as a doctor from his family and instead claimed to be a high-ranking WHO researcher. Threatened with exposure as creditors closed in, Romand, then aged 38, carried out the killings on January 9, 1993. He murdered his wife with a rolling pin and then shot dead his daughter and son aged 7 and 5, before killing his parents. He then went home and took barbiturates, setting his house on fire. But he was found alive, though unconscious, by the fire brigade. Logo of jester cap with thought bubble with words 'Fool Transcripts' below it Image source: The Motley Fool. Service Now (NYSE: NOW) Q1 2019 Earnings Call April 24, 2019 5:00 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good afternoon. My name is Jesse and I'll be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the ServiceNow Q1 2019 earnings conference call. [Operator instructions] Michael Scarpelli, chief financial officer, you may begin your conference. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us. On the call with me today is John Donahoe, our chief executive officer. During today's call, we will review our first-quarter financial results and discuss our financial guidance for the second-quarter and full-year 2019. We'd like to point out that the company reports non-GAAP results in addition to and not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. All financial figures we will discuss today are non-GAAP except for revenues and revenue growth. To see the reconciliation between these non-GAAP and GAAP results, please refer to our press release filed earlier today and the prior quarter's previously filed press releases, all of which are posted at investors.servicenow.com. We may make forward-looking statements on this conference call such as those using the words may, will, expects, believes or similar phrases to convey that information is not historical fact. More From The Motley Fool These statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Please refer to the press release and risk factors and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K for information on risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in such forward-looking statements. I would now like to turn the call over to John. Story continues John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Mike. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us on today's call. We delivered another strong quarter, continuing the momentum from our outstanding 2018 performance. We are focused on driving customer success, and we're expanding our footprint across almost 75% of the Fortune 500, enabling digital transformation as a strategic partner to the world's largest enterprises and we're delivering digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity. This is the future of work. Let's look at key Q1 results. In the first quarter, we closed 25 deals with ACV greater than $1 million. We now had 717 customers doing more than $1 million in business with us, which represents a 33% increase year over year. Our renewal rate for the quarter continued to be strong at 98%. This quarter, we saw particular strength in the Americas region led by strong performance with U.S. federal agencies. Three of our top 10 largest net new ACV deals were with federal agencies, and we now had six federal customers doing more than $10 million in ACV with us. These results show how the public sector is embracing cloud-based solutions, and it demonstrates our role as one of the core strategic partners to these government agencies, helping them digitally transform how they operate, serving their employees and citizens and delivering services. And our Q1 results also underscore our strong product portfolio. This quarter, Customer Service Management product saw significant growth with 28 customers now spending more than $1 million. Our customer workflow products enhance customer operations management. That means that our customers are able to deliver better experiences and outcomes for their customers. In fact, Customer Service Management led to one of our largest deals during the quarter. This customer evaluated a number of competitors, including the legacy incumbent technology provider, and they chose ServiceNow because of our operations management capabilities. This is our sweet spot, managing inbound contacts to identify the root causes of customer issues, fixing those issues so that you can prevent future problems, automating self-help solutions. And in other areas, our IT and HR products led a large expansion deal with Humana, a Fortune 100 company. Humana is now expanding their use of the ServiceNow platform across IT and HR to enable enterprisewide focus on improving productivity and enhancing their employee experience. Across our customer base, we saw a positive response to the launch of our Madrid platform release in Q1. Early indications show that customers are adopting Madrid faster than previous releases. Madrid offers customers over 600 innovations such as new mobile-first experiences and digital workflows that unlock productivity for IT, for employees and for customers. This customer response shows our progress in making upgrades simple and easy, ensuring customers can quickly take advantage of our latest platform and product innovations. And I'm personally very excited about the mobile capabilities we're rolling out. We're delivering easy, intuitive, out-of-the-box mobile capabilities that enable consumer-like experiences across the enterprise. These are the kind of experiences that employees expect and demand today. We've also made significant strides in our product organization over the past year led by Chief Product Officer CJ Desai. We have a great global product team, and they're driving continuous quality enhancements and customer-focused innovation across our platform and product portfolio. This team is also focused on building a strong pipeline of product innovation as we look to meet a broader range of customer needs and leverage the power of our Now platform across the entire enterprise. During the first quarter, I had an opportunity to visit Israel and spend time with our product teams there. As you recall, we acquired SkyGiraffe in late 2017 to enhance our mobile capabilities, and that Israeli-based team is fully integrated now. I met with this team and many other tech entrepreneurs throughout Israel. Israel has an incredible community of outstanding world-class technology talent, and we're building a strong product and tech hub there with more than 125 employees to date. I left Israel so impressed with the quality and caliber of our team and with the innovation happening there. I also traveled during the quarter to Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Sydney spending time with our teams and customers. My customer interactions worldwide continue to validate the business imperative of digital transformation. Customers continually tell me that the strength of our product portfolio and the capabilities of our Now platform position us as one of their core strategic partners enabling digital transformation. Our focus on the Now platform and three core workflows: IT, employee and customer, are being well received by our customers. And it's empowering our product teams to focus on delivering even more integrated digital workflow solutions that drive great experiences and unlock productivity across the enterprise. A few weeks ago, we held our first CIO Advisory board meeting, spending two days with roughly a dozen of the top CIOs in the world. We had a rich discussion, reaffirming that we are on the right path with our strategies, our product vision, and our focus on customer success. We've also been pleased with some of the positive feedback we've received throughout the quarter in response to our first-ever company brand campaign, which launched in January and continues through early June. As I have said before, this campaign is designed to increase awareness of ServiceNow more broadly with C-suite executives. The campaign is also resonating very well with our employees and enhancing our recruiting efforts from a talent brand perspective. We'll continue to invest in company brand awareness to position ServiceNow as both a partner and employer of choice. In closing, I'm pleased with our strong start to 2019 and our continued progress against our priorities. We are committed to making the world of work, work better for people, and we're focused on building deep, trust-based customer relationships to enable their digital transformation and create the future of work. Now I know many of you are planning to join us in Las Vegas on the week of May 6 for our Financial Analyst Day and for Knowledge 19, our seminal customer event. We expect this year's conference to be our largest ever with 20,000 people registered to attend. Spending time with our customers is always my favorite activity, and Knowledge is one of the real highlights of the year. I'll look forward to seeing many of you there. With that, I'll turn the call back over to Mike. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Thank you, John. In Q1, we delivered another good quarter, strong top-line growth combined with margin expansion. After a strong 2018, it was very important that we started 2019 off on the right foot. Let's dive into the highlights on the quarter. Subscription revenues for the first quarter were $740 million, representing 40% year-over-year adjusted growth, including $20 million of foreign exchange headwinds. Subscription billings were $810 million, representing 33% year-over-year adjusted growth, including $22 million and $18 million of foreign exchange and duration headwind, respectively. Our revenue and billings performance was driven by strong bookings in the Americas. In addition, accelerated revenue recognition from self-hosted deals related to our federal business drove revenue outperformance. We continued to see traction across the product portfolio with 17 of our top 20 deals purchasing through more products as customers realize the power of the platform in an enterprisewide solution. We booked four Customer Service Management deals with more than $1 million of ACV, including its $3 million deal to a federal agency, our largest CSM deal ever. We also booked a $1 million HR Service Delivery deal with a federal agency to modernize their HR processes and employee experiences with our user portal and mobile capabilities being a differentiator. Our U.S. federal business highlighted the quarter representing 15% of total net new ACV, up from 6% the prior year. We booked our largest Q1 deal ever with the federal agency with now doing more than $18 million in ACV. We expect the U.S. federal sector will continue to purchase throughout the year as they accelerate their use of modern technology to digitally transform how they operate. We saw strong profitability in Q1 with operating margin at 19% driven by our revenue performance and expenses that will be realized in Q2. Our free cash flow margin was 40% and benefits from a seasonally high amount of collections from our strong Q4 billings. Now let's turn to guidance for the second-quarter and full-year 2019. For Q2, we expect subscription revenues between $778 million and $783 million, representing 35% to 36% year-over-year adjusted growth, including approximately $15 million of foreign exchange headwinds. We expect subscription billings between $798 million and $803 million, representing 32% to 33% year-over-year adjusted growth including approximately $17 million of foreign exchange headwinds. We expect a 17% operating margin, which is impacted by Q1 expenses moving to Q2 expenses related to our annual users conference, Knowledge 19. We expect 193 million diluted weighted average shares outstanding. Coming off our strong Q1, we are raising our full-year 2019 subscription revenue guidance to between $3.235 billion and $3.250 billion, representing 35% to 36% year-over-year adjusted growth including approximately $45 million of foreign exchange headwind. We are also raising our full-year 2019 subscription billings guidance to between $3.725 billion and $3.740 billion, representing 32% year-over-year adjusted growth including approximately $50 million and $22 million of foreign exchange and duration headwinds, respectively. While we are increasing our top-line revenue guidance, we are also increasing our investments and maintaining full-year 2019 margin guidance as follows: subscription gross margin of 86%; operating margin of 21%, which includes record hiring in Q1; and free cash flow margin of 28%, which includes the opening of a new pair of data centers in Japan expected for later this year. For the year, we expect diluted average weighted shares outstanding of 193 million. Before closing, please note our Financial Analyst Day will be held on Monday, May 6, in Las Vegas in conjunction with Knowledge 19. For those who cannot join in person, we will hold a webcast to the event accessible on our IR website. With that, operator, you can now open up the line for questions. Questions and Answers: Operator Thank you. [Operator instructions] Your first question comes from Raimo Lenschow with Barclays. Your line is open. Raimo Lenschow -- Barclays -- Analyst Hey. Thanks for taking my question. Two quick questions. First, can you talk a little bit about the platform strength this quarter? Obviously, you mentioned federal, but the 17% you got from platform still kind of seems to be like a step-up from what we've seen before. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Yes. Well, included in that group, platform was strong, but you also have Performance Analytics in there, Raimo as well and Performance Analytics had a very strong quarter, but platform was strong as well and we're seeing that in many of our customers. Raimo Lenschow -- Barclays -- Analyst OK. And then can you talk a little bit about -- you talked about the record hiring in Q2, Mike, but you still talked about Q1 expenses kind of that slip in Q2. Can you talk a little bit about what was going on there and the magnitude? Thank you. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer So it was record hiring in Q1 and the impact of that is going through Q2. It was very back-end loaded, a lot of that hiring, but SKUs as well. There were some other expenses that we are expecting to incur in Q1 that got pushed in Q2 because of timing and we weren't ready to spend the money efficiently so we pushed into Q2. Raimo Lenschow -- Barclays -- Analyst Perfect. Well done. Congratulations. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Thank you. Operator Your next question comes from Brad Zelnick with Credit Suisse. Your line is open. Brad Zelnick -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst Excellent. Thanks so much and congrats on a great start to the year. My first question is for John. John the momentum you're seeing in U.S. federal is really impressive and Mike's comments suggests you're seeing a lot more demand in this market throughout the year. Can you help us understand the size of opportunity in context of 15% of ACV mix today where can it go? And how do you think about this translating to other governments around the world, looking to transform the citizen engagement the way government employees work? John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Well, Brad, I think that's -- I think the way you put the question's exactly the right way to think about it because if I just step back, let me describe this as the public sector. And included in public sector will be federal, state, regional and local governments. In the first quarter, I think in my global travel, I met with all flavors of that. Simply put, those institutions are under more pressure than ever to deliver better experiences for their employees and their citizens and to drive real productivity in a time of economic challenge. And the key thing is that they are now realizing that cloud is a great way to do this. And by and large, they've largely overcome their security concerns around cloud. So whether it's the U.S. federal government, other federal government, state regional, local, we see a pretty aggressive appetite to both understand and embrace cloud. And so as you know it, let me just now zoom in on the U.S. federal a little bit. We, over the last several years, have built a dedicated U.S. federal team. We've been focused on both orienting and packaging and ensuring that our platform and our products conform to the requirements of the U.S. federal agencies. And in 2018, that was roughly 10% of our ACV, and as Mike mentioned, in Q1 this year, it was roughly 15%. And over time, I -- it's hard to gauge any given piece, but I think Mike and I will both say that overall public sector, when you add not just the U.S. federal government but other federal government, state and local, could be up to 20% of our business over time. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer I would agree there's no reason why it can't be 20% for us from what we're seeing right now. John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer And one of the interesting things, Brad, that is to me one of the most exciting pieces of this is that interestingly, these government, public sector organizations are often some of the most innovative users of our platform. And what's interesting is these federal agencies and many of state regional in Australia, the U.K., in other markets think platform first and they see the power of our platform to adopt their ability to have better experiences. Let me give you an example. The Veterans Affairs U.S. agency has -- adopting a ServiceNow-first philosophy both for their employees and for their customers who are veterans. And so, for instance, they've got a global service desk for over 550,000 Veterans Affairs employees powered by ServiceNow, and they're using ServiceNow to allow their customers, that is the veterans, to help schedule some of their procedures in their respective hospitals. So because our assets are in the Veterans Affair CMDB, if a veteran has to schedule an MRI, ServiceNow's platform can help that veteran figure out which hospitals have which openings with which equipment and actually schedule their appointment. So I find it very energizing to spend time with whether it's the defense-oriented federal agencies or other federal agencies because they are some of the most creative and innovative users of our platform. Brad Zelnick -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst Thanks very much for that color. And, Mike, just a competitive question for you, but more in the context of pricing especially in HR and customer service cloud's where you're seeing large players stepping up investments, can you talk a bit about pricing trends and average discount specifically in those clouds? Thank you. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Yes, we haven't seen any noticeable from a -- if you're talking specifically about HR as we like to say our employee experience. And we really take different approach to those other vendors. Those other vendors are more specific around HR more and more around enterprise service delivery for our employees. And we're still seeing adoption by our customers jointly with whether it's in Workday or SuccessFactors or even extend that life of the Peoplesoft implementation. So, no change there. Brad Zelnick -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst Excellent. Thanks again. Operator Your next question comes from Kirk Materne with Evercore ISI. Your line is open. Kirk Materne -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Thanks very much and thanks for taking the question. I guess, John, just to start-off with, given the success you'll had in the federal government in related to someone unique how are you thinking just about the broader virtualization of your sales organization as you go deeper into big enterprises sort of being able to speak the language of industry and be able to serve help them solve their biggest problems? I guess, how are you thinking about that evolving as you look out maybe over the next 12 to 24 months? John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Yes. Well, Kirk, it's an area that we're leaning into. And as you mentioned, federal was sort of the first area where we really focused on it, and that is both a go-to-market motion where you have dedicated people who speak the language but also tailoring the product, making sure we're meeting the federal security and other requirements. Second area as I think you know is we have a dedicated we call Med/SLED team but a dedicated team around some of the healthcare market, again both to meet the go-to-market expectations of those customers to -- that we understand their deep needs and to ensure that our product complies with the regulatory compliance requirements in the healthcare sector broadly defined. And obviously, there are several subsectors within healthcare. The third area where we have a, I would call, a quasi formal vertical financial services. Now this is just by virtue that a large portion of the financial services world is either in New York or London. And so if you were to look at our New York and London teams, you see a lot of dedicated resources toward the financial services sector. Obviously within that, you've got banking, you've got insurance, you have other subsectors. And there, I suppose, the go-to-market motion, also some focus on the encryption and other security requirements required for compliance and regulatory capabilities. And then -- so those three, I would say, we're furthest along, and we're increasing to invest in those and making sure that they're becoming more globally oriented in our ability to share experience, in our ability to ensure that we're trying our road maps to them. And then we have a set of next verticals too. Telecom is an area where the needs are very common globally, whether you're Telstra in Australia or AT&T or Verizon in the U.S., or SoftBank in Japan. And so that's an area where, I would say is next on our stage of building out a global -- a bit of a global vertical focus. I'll also say I think there's a -- Kirk Materne -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Great. Thanks very much. John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Sure. I'll just finish up, Kirk. There are a couple of others, a variety of others where it's more packaging and communicating that we understand the industry. We speak their language, we can share best practice, and those will be further down the load. Kirk Materne -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Very good. Thanks very much. I'll pass it on to others. Congrats on the quarter. Operator Your next question comes from Sarah Hindlian with Macquarie. Your line is open. Sarah Hindlian -- Macquarie Group -- Analyst All right. Great. Thank you so much and thank you for taking my questions and congrats. I'll add my congratulations on really nice start to the year. My first is for you John. John, as you're looking at digital workflows, how are you thinking about the next near adjacencies for you guys? And maybe you could give as an update on how you're thinking about your M&A strategy as well as this time? And then, Mike, I have a follow-up for you. It would be great if you could give us a little bit of incremental color on what you're seeing in terms of new logo addition, I think in particular, in international market? Thanks guys. John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Yes. Sarah, on the first part of your question, in terms of organic product innovation, I think we talked before that we, at the beginning of last year, formed something we call NowX, which is a dedicated team focused on defining and building products that will launch one to three years out. And what's interesting is we have an abundance of ideas. So -- and it's ideas that come from our customers, ideas that come from developers, ideas that come from our people. And frankly, many of these ideas come from examples where customers have built a automated workflow on our platform, and they come to us and say, "We just did this -- we built this for our own use, but we would love it if you build it out of the box." And so what the NowX team, which is now up to well over 100 people, do is they take all of these ideas on top of the funnel. They prioritize, work their way down to basically build out working prototypes of, let's say, three to five, maybe eight of them and then actually get some early, I'll call it, alpha customers to see if they really resonate and then get a beta customer to see the -- if they come out and if they are -- have the kind of value we think they do. And then our goal is each Knowledge to announce one to two, I don't know if you call them new products. I would call them extensions, adjacent extensions of our product portfolio and you'll hear about one of those at this coming Knowledge. So I think you'll see a series of incremental new capabilities and new products that come out of us each year. And building that organic innovation muscle is really important. And then M&A, M&A to date has largely been focused on what I would call -- we call acqui-hires. That's probably defined as acquiring technologies, teams that help build out and accelerate the abilities of our platform. We'll continue to do those. But if and when we see opportunities to acquire adjacent capabilities, acquire new growth engines, we'll -- obviously, we've got the resource to do it. We'll act on it. One of the luxuries we have is the luxury of choice and time because we have such a strong organic innovation agenda. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer And then, Sarah, on your question with regards to new logo acquisitions. What I'll remind you, is roughly 80% plus of our net new ACV comes from existing customers. So the new logos don't contribute a big piece of net new ACV in any point in quarter but that is the future for those up-sells. With regard to new logos, we did add about 200 new logos in the quarter and that compares with all of 2018. We had about 1,000, I think. If you look at that, it was about 50% North America and 50% rest of the world. I will say North America was really driven by our federal as we said earlier; it was the one that really outperformed in our net new ACV. I would say EMEA and APJ were a little light, but that's because they came off such a fabulous 2018 and we knew Q1 going into that, when we gave guidance, is going to be a tiger quarter. Sarah Hindlian -- Macquarie Group -- Analyst All right. That's great color. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Operator The next question comes from Matt Hedberg with RBC Capital Markets. Your line is open. Matt Hedberg -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Hey, guys. Thanks for taking my questions. Congrats from me as well. And I guess, for either of you ITSM was included I believe in 15 of the top 20 deals this quarter. And I think you talked last year about how ITSM reaccelerated. I guess, I'm wondering, did you see that same trend this quarter? And can you put a finer point on maybe what's driving such strong results in your core? Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer I would say, the ITSM, there was no reacceleration in ITSM in Q1. But ITSM was -- ITSM and IT products in general were extremely strong for us and continue to be the big driver of net new ACV. We expect that to continue throughout the year, especially when we're landing new logos, but there's still a lot of room for expansion with our existing customers within ITSM. John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer And just building on that, Matt, what Mike was saying is that here's what I think can be a little misleading. And I think, frankly, us as an -- we as an organization really embraced this aggressively last year, maybe late 2017 but throughout last year. We may have an ITSM presence in a large global bank, but it may be in the private wealth business and not yet enterprisewide, or it may be in Europe but not in the other regions. And so when we look at -- we have a strong ITSM presence and as I said earlier, 75 of the Fortune 500 are our customers. But in many of those cases, we landed in a division or a geography or a certain part of the organization, and we're in a world where increasingly customers want to drive platform adoption across the enterprise. And so some reasonable portion of the ITSM growth or the reacceleration is simply existing customers saying, "You know what we got great results in division A. Let's drive this enterprisewide." "We got great results in geography A. Let's extend that to be a more global rollout." And so that's why I don't think it's -- you can consider it a "mature" product. I think that's significant opportunity. Matt Hedberg -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst That's great. Maybe just one more quick one about GSI momentum. I know we've talked about it in the past in terms of how significant GSIs can become for you guys. I'm wondering if there's any update there. And perhaps, was that some of the strengths in platform sales this quarter? Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Well, what's interesting, I was with Mike Lawrie from DXC yesterday. We had our quarterly top to top. I was with Janet, the Chairman of Deloitte, last month. We had a half day top to top. I'll see Andrew Wilson from Accenture next week at Financial Analyst Day, and I think he'll even be a guest of honor there. And in each of these conversations -- and obviously, the same with KPMG, IBM, are some of our -- basically, what they're saying is they see the same digital transformation opportunity and need. They see ServiceNow as one of the fastest growing portions of their practice. And I think we've gotten significantly better over the past 12 to 18 months of basically calling on, selling to, and serving customers in a coordinated way with these GSIs. And that's actually healthy for customers because, in many cases, to get full value out of the ServiceNow Platform, you need to reengineer your processes. It's one thing to lift and shift historical processes and put it on the ServiceNow Platform. And you get some benefits of that, but the real power is when you take time to also reengineer how you operate. That's how you get digital transformation to operate. And so our platform is increasingly at the epicenter of that not just in IT but across many of the various products and services. And some of these GSIs, DXC, who -- I was talking with Mike yesterday, they have platform GFC, right? They are building their own platform of which ServiceNow is core component along with some of cloud providers and others. And so we sell both with these GSIs directly to the customers where there's a direct ServiceNow instance. And in other situations, the customer is buying the platform, if you will, from the SI of which ServiceNow is a piece of it. And frankly, we're indifferent, whatever allows the customer to get the best results. So they're a critical part not just of our future but I think, frankly, a critical determinant about whether digital transformation actually transforms customers' businesses and drives significant improvement and results. It's got to require us working closely with the GSIs. I think they see that. We see that. And so they're stronger focused on energy than ever on making sure that happens. I'm also delighted -- I forget if I mentioned this last quarter. We hired David Parsons to run our partner ecosystem. He's just a fabulous leader in this area, and so I'm really pleased with the progress that our teams are making in this area. Matt Hedberg -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Well done. Thanks again guys. Operator Your next question comes from Walter Pritchard with Citi. Your line is open. Walter Pritchard -- Citi -- Analyst Hi, thanks. Question for John and question for Mike. John, on the CSM side you mentioned legacy incumbent replacement. Could you talk through the competitive landscape there, what you're seeing given the success this quarter? How much is the big sales force in the market versus legacy and then some of the small emerging players in that space? Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Yes, so most of the CSM deals that we're doing is we're not replacing modern technology. We're replacing legacy technology. And that could be a legacy Oracle implementation from the placebo implementation, may be there is a lot of remedy that was used out there as well for CSM or their own solution. And that's typically what we're seeing. There usually is modern technology competing at the table for the same business we're going after. It's really about our approach to CSM, why customers choose us, when they do choose us is because they like the fact that we are all about understanding root cause analysis within our system, a lot more collaborative with people in the organization to resolve the problem, so you never see what it's doing. And that's just a very different approach to Customer Service Management from a CRM-centric approach. John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Let me -- Walter, let me just build on that. CSM is clearly a huge segment, huge market, $20 billion market. And I think way too many people think that somehow it's all the same, and it's not. There are distinct segments in that market. And different providers align better with different segments. So as Mike said, we're not focused on going after the full $20 billion. There are certain segments of the CRM -- I'm sorry, the customer service market that require a strong CRM-based system, right? We're not the best provider of that. Salesforce is the best provider of that. But there are other segments that want to take inbound contacts; identify root cause, which is a cross-functional workflow. Fix what the problem was, which again requires cross-functional coordination workflow so that, that problem doesn't happen in the future and segments where you want the customer to be able to address in a self-help or automated fashion, resolving their problem, understanding where it stands. And our platform is well geared for that segment of the market. So if you were to see where we focus our go-to-market teams in CSM, it's not across the entire CSM market. It's against the subsegment of the market where our product lines up well with needs. That tends to be B2B technology company services businesses and ones where there is, I would call, sophisticated customer needs to be served. And so I think this is not a zero-sum market. It's a $20 billion market. And as Mike said, there's a lot of old legacy software there, and so I think there will be multiple winners in this segment. Walter Pritchard -- Citi -- Analyst And then, Mike, on the upfront business, you had a strong quarter there with the Fed. How should we think about what you're expecting as we move throughout the year? It seems like that was light in Q4, and then it was stronger this quarter? Any way for us to get expectation there for the year, thinking about how it will vary quarter to quarter? Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Unfortunately, it depends upon the new business that's happening. Renewal business, we know, for instance, I know in Q2 there's a pretty big renewal that will take place that's on-prem. We did suspect that this business was going to happen in the quarter, but we kind of hedged that a little bit, because I just don't know if it doesn't come in. It was really driven by the federal government, a chapter of our federal government, roughly 50% of our federal business is self-help, because they can't be in a public data center and that would consider ours to be a public data center, even our fed ramp data center they're not comfortable being in, because of the security they require, and so it's hard to forecast. I will say it's about 7%, 6% to 7% of our revenue for the full year associated with self-hosted deals. Walter Pritchard -- Citi -- Analyst Great. Thanks. Operator Your next question comes from Jennifer Lowe with UBS. Your line is open. Rakesh Kumar -- UBS -- Analyst Hi. Thanks. This is Rakesh Kumar sitting in for Jen Lowe. I wanted to talk about this Adobe partnership that you discussed a couple of weeks ago. What does this specifically mean for ServiceNow and what more can we expect in the future? John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Well, Rakesh, this, frankly, came to Shantanu and my attention based on our respective customer business. It wasn't something -- even though he's a very good friend of mine, it wasn't something we thought of in isolation. We both came back from the ongoing customer business we do and had a growing number of customers asking, "Hey, could you connect some of the ServiceNow Platform with some of the Adobe capabilities we had?" And Shantanu was hearing the same. And we're a big Adobe user ourselves internally. So we got our platform team and to a lesser extent, our CSM team together with the Adobe team about how can we ensure that a shared customer that's using Adobe and ServiceNow, we make one plus one equals three, making it easier to use, getting more value and it's often about linking the data. It's -- Adobe provides tremendous marketing analytics and other data. Our platform has a lot of data. And if you're going to get a 360 view of the customer, you're going to get the kind of the actionability. Adobe generates the insights. We often -- the system of action. And so linking them together is, wherever possible, making it easier for customers to get value sort of with the spirit. And so Shantanu announced that their customer conference feedback from customers has been strong and our teams are excited about it. We think it causal can offer some incremental opportunity for each company. Rakesh Kumar -- UBS -- Analyst Great. And then I have one more. You talked about adding two new data centers in Japan. Does that potentially accelerate G2K penetration in that region? Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Well, the whole reason we're building those data centers because we think it's going to drive business and there are a lot of G2Ks in Japan specifically. And based upon our feedback to get into some of those larger entities, they require data centers to be in Japan because of the data sovereignty requirements. So yes. Rakesh Kumar -- UBS -- Analyst Thank you. Operator Your next question comes from Keith Weiss with Morgan Stanley. Your line is now open. Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Thank you. This is Sanjit Singh for Keith Weiss and congrats on a nice start to the year. I have two questions and maybe we can start off with a question on Madrid. John you mentioned the about 600 new features with this release. And I think the highlight was sort of the mobile application, making it easier to build application on top of the platform. Do you see any of these new features or capabilities sort of force multipliers for some of your core products or does that sort fuel will growth in just the overall platform business? John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Well, Sanjit, I'm very excited about mobile, right? In my prior life, I had the chance to have a front row seat in the consumer mobile revolution and got to see firsthand well how born-in-the-cloud applications like an eBay, like a PayPal, like Amazon, Lyft have completely transformed our lives at home by taking what's complex and are personalized and making it simple, easy and intuitive. That's now going to happen in the enterprise. And with Madrid was the first time we launched, in essence, the replatform SkyGiraffe native mobile capabilities in the ServiceNow Platform. And Madrid started with facilitator experience. And so I see some nice pickup by our customers who are excited about that. New York, which comes this summer, has the employee experience. And so you'll hear us talking at Knowledge about how the mobile employee on-boarding capability, this true enterprisewide onboarding. But we're using it internally now at ServiceNow and it's awesome. And then secondly, the, what I would call, shared services portal back in a mobile lab, I think you're seeing the most progressive companies realizing that employees don't care if they have an IT problem, an HR problem, a facilities problem, a legal problem, a finance problem. They just want to get their problem addressed. They just want to get their questions answered. And so if you're going to get people to migrate from -- change their behavior from picking up the phone and calling, they're going one place, get their questions answered and their problems addressed, that must be our shared services portal, internally branded, right? So we see that. We have that as a web product today. In New York, there will be I think just a killer mobile app that'll be out of the box, low code, no code requirement for the customer, branded in the customer's name where they can then allow their employees to go one place to get their issues resolved. And so will that lead to an acceleration? You called it an acceleration of ITSM and HR case management, some of the other products, I think it will be -- certainly be an answer and we hope and accelerator and it is -- you see more and more companies taking a shared services mindset to driving a great and employee experience. And I think mobile, I think mobile will be an accelerator of that. Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst That makes a ton of sense. Looking forward to hearing more at the Analyst Day in a couple of weeks. My second question was sort of our around sales and with so many big opportunities ahead of the company whether it's ITOM or CSM or HR from a sales perspective were there any changes made this year to -- moving to more specialized sales force? Or do you really feel that the current sales force can go -- can go to a customer's who are selling it -- selling the entire platform, whatever use case the customer maybe interest in? John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Well, I think the biggest change is -- I don't know if you classically call it sales, but it's the other parts of the full go-to-market motion, which includes post-sales coverage. So I mentioned in my remarks that we had, we met with 10 to 15 of the top CIOs in the world in the CIO Advisory Council. And one of the things our best and largest customers are looking for is dedicated ServiceNow resources who are solutions architects, who are on site, helping them ensure that they are architecting their implementation of ServiceNow to get maximum value from the platform and advising them on how to extend the platform. And so as we think about, if we think about our entire go-to-market motion, it's not just the -- a classic pre-sales disciplines, accounting exec solutions consultant, product line specialist, but we also now -- these solutions architects who are also often part of our professional services organization, training and certification and our partner ecosystem I referred to earlier. It's that whole combination of capabilities that allows us to deliver the kind of end-to-end customer coverage that allows us to expand the customer relationships the way Mike described earlier in a healthy manner. And in our case, we're quite fortunate that all of that reports to Dave Schneider. And so Dave is architecting right from the very beginning a seamless experience where -- when we both sell to a customer initially and then serve them, expand our relationship and help deliver real value to them over time. We're doing that bringing the full breadth of our capabilities to bear, that full end-to-end, we call it, go-to-market experience and includes customer success solutions, architects and coordinating with our partners. And so in that sense, yes, our -- one of our sales motion is evolving, and Dave's doing a great job and his team, as I mentioned, Dave Parsons, Jimmy Fitzgerald, Cath Lang, who are on the post-sale coverage areas coordinating along with Kevin Haverty and the really strong presales team we have. And it's now increasingly -- we aren't even talking about presales, post-sales. We're just talking about customer coverage. Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Got it. I appreciate the thoughts. Thanks. Operator Your next question comes from Samad Samana with Jefferies. Your line is open. Samad Samana -- Jefferies -- Analyst Hi, good afternoon. Thanks for taking my questions. I wanted to ask about traction for the add-on products outside of the U.S. or maybe if you could give us a little bit more color around whether you're seeing more traction for CSM and HR Service Delivery in the U.S. or outside of the U.S.? And within the New York products what's having more success with your international customers? John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer We're really not seeing any difference from a customer adoption of the emerging or platform. It's pretty much the same profile in the U.S., in EMEA and APJ. At the end of the day these tend to be global, large enterprises that all have the same problems. So, I'm not seeing any noticeable difference. Yes, one quarter you may have because there's big deals in CSM or HR or maybe stronger in one regional than other, when you look at it over a year there's really no difference that I've been able to see. Samad Samana -- Jefferies -- Analyst Great. And then maybe just one follow-up. The ITSM pro SKU, I believe that's priced quite higher than the core SKU. I'm curious if that's having an impact on the size of new deals? And as existing customers come up for renewal, maybe you could comment on whether they're upgrading to higher dollars, if that's driving a positive impact on getting them to adopt additional products rather than eating up price increase? So, maybe it will be helpful if you could just walk us through that as well. Thanks. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer Yes, so I can say the pro bundle was really a way to monetize the investments we've made in artificial intelligence in machine learning. And we have definitely seen an uptick in that pricing has been able to keep pricing higher on customers who are likely to do that with new customers, and we are seeing success on renewals with our customers, but it's still very early. Remember our renewals take over a number of years, typically a customer signed three-year contract. And I think it's going to take a little bit more time to see what the uptick is with our installed base of customers, but it's definitely getting traction with new logos. Samad Samana -- Jefferies -- Analyst Great. Thanks for taking my questions today. Congrats on the quarter. Operator Your next question comes from Derrick Wood with Cowen. Your line is open. Derrick Wood -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst Great. Thanks, John. Given the brand marketing you've invested in over the last few months, I know you mentioned its increased awareness with the C level executives. What I'm curious has this already helped in the field surface new conversations and engagement at the C-level? And I guess if we were to fast forward a year or two from now is one of the hopes that it drives more executives to be buyers of ServiceNow or how do you think it could help transform to high-level engagements? John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Yes, Derrick, I think it's too early to point out that direct cause and effect. But I can tell you, for instance, as I engage with C-Suite execs, either as customers or just more generally, the number of people that said, hey, I saw that ServiceNow ad. Boy, that was funny. That was great, which is exactly what the point was. Alan Marks, who's sitting here next to me, is our chief brand creative officer and was the real architect behind these commercials. And again, here's the simple -- the way I think about it and I think Mike and I would think similarly about this. But a year from now when a CIO or CIO and CHRO are bringing to a CFO a $10 million contract for ServiceNow, we want that CFO to say, yes, I've heard of ServiceNow. And so there's just a general awareness as being one of the top strategic platforms that we're trying to build. Whether that will lead to new leads across the C Suite, I don't know. I can -- frankly, that's not the direct goal because usually the new leads come from more direct selling activities. This provides kind of the air cover, legitimacy and brand building that establishes us as a leading innovative, very human with maybe a little sense of humor company. I also think, frankly, the value as much with -- on the employee brand side. Talent is the lifeblood of any technology company, and we are growing rapidly and growing globally rapidly. And so it matters if students on the top universities have heard of ServiceNow. It matters if someone in a local market can say, go home to their parents, whether real/proverbial mother and say, yes, I'm joining ServiceNow and have -- his or her mother have heard of ServiceNow. You may laugh about that, but that kind of stuff matters as you're kind of scaling in the way we are. And we are absolutely focusing in attracting and retaining top talent. And so the global brand building's also part of that, is -- both C-suite executives and talent. So good start. We're going to get the data in on our aided, nonaided awareness, which I'm sure has increased and we'll continue to invest to build that over time. Derrick Wood -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst Got it. Thanks. I was hoping to touch on the SecOps product. It doesn't seem to get as much attention a CSM or HR, but can you talk about how you see the opportunity is shaping up over the next 12 to 18 months? And maybe what you can do to help drive more penetration in the security budget? John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Well, I mean I think interestingly one of the things that we've done is by bundling our products into the three workflows and SecOps in the IT workflow, I think that's a little more symptomatic or emblematic and aligned with how the decision-making often happens because where we thrive is when a CSO and a CIO are both jointly involved in the -- our products decision. We do vulnerability response, incident response and so as part of I think a healthy and natural ServiceNow bundle if you will, ServiceNow suite of solutions. I'll also say I mentioned earlier I was with Mike Lawrie, his team from DXC yesterday. They had some very interesting security offerings that they were saying that they believe ServiceNow can be a really important component to it. So, I think partnerships like -- with people like DXC, with people like Accenture, Deloitte, the KPMG can also accelerate part of our business as we are offering the full security solution. We have an important component of it with our security -- our incident respond, our vulnerability response and to some extent our GRC capabilities. Derrick Wood -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst All right. OK. Thank you. Operator Your last question comes from Michael Turits with Raymond James. Your line is open. Michael Turits -- Raymond James -- Analyst Hey, Mike and John. I just want to talk about the mid-market and commercial market. Who are you seeing competitively down there? And are you adjusting your go-to-market in any way? Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer We tend to see in a lower market, that's where you hear of more the Atlassian with their service desk and Zendesk. And you have Freshworks -- t's been the same people that we've seen there for a number of years, but it's a very small piece of our business. As you know, we tend to focus more on enterprise. The commercial segment now was around 20% of our business, and even of that, that's really the high-end commercial. It's typically the 3,000 to 5,000 employees we focus on, and it still very much a direct selling model. We are trying to do more through the channel. But at the end of day, when you have customer data, they want to have a direct relationship with you. So channel partners are more involved in that segment, but we still have direct contracting relationships with those customers. And I got to say there's really been no change in that market for the last five or six years that I've seen. But the one exception I would say is we used to hear more of Cherwell. We don't hear of Cherwell nearly as much as we used to in that segment. John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer And, Michael, just building on what Mike said, my observation would be, one, we have a terrific leader there, John Sapone, and he's got a really, really strong team, a talented commercial sales team. But what you see is there are certain businesses that are in that, we define commercial as 1,000 to 5,000 people that are high growth and are on their way to becoming an enterprise. And almost inevitably, the larger you get, the more you want a platform, and the more you want a scaled platform like ServiceNow. And that's really where we're strongest. Some of them that's going to stay right at the 1,000 employees, be there three to five years from now. They have to make a fundamental decision. Do you want to go with one of the companies Mike mentioned earlier or do they want to go with ServiceNow? But where we -- what we really like about our position is those companies in that market are growing, understand that they need to -- that once you get to a certain size, you have to have the kind of fundamental platform that we offer. And so John and his team do a nice job of segmenting that market, ensuring they're focusing their energies on where customers have a real, legitimate need for what we deliver and offer. But as Mike said, it's not -- OK. Michael Turits -- Raymond James -- Analyst Thanks very much, guys. Really appreciate it. Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer OK. Thank you, everyone. As a reminder, a replay of this call will be available as a webcast in the Investors section of our website. Thank you for joining us today. Operator [Operator signoff] Duration: 60 minutes Call Participants: Michael Scarpelli -- Chief Financial Officer John Donahoe -- Chief Executive Officer Raimo Lenschow -- Barclays -- Analyst Brad Zelnick -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst Kirk Materne -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Sarah Hindlian -- Macquarie Group -- Analyst Matt Hedberg -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Walter Pritchard -- Citi -- Analyst Rakesh Kumar -- UBS -- Analyst Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Samad Samana -- Jefferies -- Analyst Derrick Wood -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst Michael Turits -- Raymond James -- Analyst More NOW analysis This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. More From The Motley Fool Motley Fool Transcribing has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Service Now. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Curitiba (Brazil) (AFP) - Prosecutors said a top former executive of Brazilian multinational Odebrecht gave details Wednesday of multi-million dollar payoffs to Peruvian politicians including a top aide of former president Alan Garcia, who committed suicide last week. Jorge Barata, Odebrecht's former chief in Peru, provided details of "money routes" to Peruvian prosecutors who questioned him in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba. "Mr Barata has given an explanation of the money routes," said Rafael Vela, the lead prosecutor who questioned the former Odebrecht executive for a second day at Curitiba's federal prosecutors' office. "We are absolutely satisfied with what he has said," Vela told reporters. "The investigative hypothesis of the Public Prosecutor's office is being verified," he said. He gave no details, but the influential Peruvian portal IDL-Reporters said Barata had confirmed Odebrecht paid more than $4 million to Garcia's aide Luis Nava during the ex-president's second term from 2006-2011. According to the website, Barata told prosecutors that Nava "was the person who opened the doors to the Government Palace during Alan Garcia's term." It said Barata had "agreed to pay Luis Nava $3 million" to ensure the Brazilian construction giant would hold the contract to build Peru's interoceanic highway, which links Brazil's industrial cities to ports on Peru's south coast. Garcia, who was 69, shot himself dead at his home in Lima last Wednesday, as police arrived to arrest him over allegations of money laundering during his time in office. Before his suicide, Garcia insisted he was innocent. Barata's evidence follows a cooperation agreement signed between Odebrecht and Peru's public prosecutor in December. As part of the deal, Odebrecht must pay $182 million to Peru in civil reparations, an amount based on the four projects the Brazilian firm gained through paying bribes. Story continues The company paid $788 million in bribes throughout a dozen Latin American countries to obtain major public works contracts over a decade, according to the US Department of Justice. Odebrecht has admitted to paying $29 million in bribes in Peru between 2005 and 2014. Barata's illicit payments to Nava were made in two instalments beginning in 2006, the website reported. A second payment of 1.3 million was made through a bank in Andorra, it said. The former Odebrecht chief said an additional payment of half a million dollars was made to Nava's son, according to the website. Nava is currently in preventive detention in Lima as part of the investigation. He denies any wrongdoing. Garcia was one of four Peruvian ex-presidents embroiled in various corruption scandals -- alongside Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-18), Ollanta Humala (2011-16) and Alejandro Toledo (2001-06). On Friday, a Peruvian judge ordered Kuczynski held in pre-trial detention for up to three years as investigators look into allegations he received kickbacks from Odebrecht. The two Nigerian brothers who allegedly participated in a staged hate attack on Jussie Smollett have filed a defamation suit against Smolletts lawyers. Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo accused the attorneys of smearing their reputations in a bid to salvage Smolletts image according to Variety. The suit alleges that Smolletts attorneys, Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian gave interviews in which they sought to scapegoat the brothers. The suit also accuses Glandian of falsely suggesting that Abimbola had sexual relations with Smollett, exposing him to backlash in the Nigerian community. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Smollett told Chicago police on Jan. 29 that he was attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs and put a noose around his neck. Police later traced the attack to the Osundairo brothers, who confessed that Smollett had paid them to stage the attack. In the suit, the brothers state that Smollett asked them to help him stage a social media hoax, and that they went along with it because he is a wealthy actor and they were aspiring to make it in Hollywood. Smolletts motivation was simple, he wanted his employer and the public to notice and appreciate him as a successful Black, openly gay actor, the suit states. They further said Smollett directed every aspect of the attack, including the location and the noose. It was also reported that Smollett has maintained his innocence. He was indicted on 16 counts of filing a false police report. In a surprise move, the Cook County States Attorneys office dropped all charges against him in exchange for the forfeiture of a $10,000 bond. After the charges were dropped, Glandian gave interviews defending Smollett. In one, she noted that Abimbola is a personal trainer who advertises steroid-free bodybuilding, and said that it was ridiculous. The suit contends that Glandian was implying that Osundairo distributes illegal Nigerian steroids. Glandian also suggested that the two brothers wore whiteface makeup on the night of the attack, in an effort to explain why Smollett told police that his attackers were white-skinned. The suit states that that is not true. The suit also accuses Glandian of falsely implying that Abimbola Osundairo had sex with Smollett. The brothers are Nigerian-American, and have Nigerian relatives. The suit notes that homosexual activity is a crime in Nigeria. Ms. Glandians globally broadcasted statements that Bola Osundairo is homosexual endangers him and the lives of his Nigerian family, the suit states. The suit also contends that the brothers have been financially harmed by the attorneys effort to blame them for the attack. Ms. Glandians statements have caused considerable damage to Plaintiffs careers, as they have lost talent agent contracts and career opportunities, the suit alleges. Glandian and Geragos issued a response, vowing to expose the brothers for perpetrating a fraud on the public. At first we thought this comical legal document was a parody. Instead this so-called lawsuit by the brothers is more of their lawyer driven nonsense. A desperate attempt for them to stay relevant and further profit from an attack they admit they perpetrated. While we know this ridiculous lawsuit will soon be dismissed because it lacks any legal footing, we look forward to exposing the fraud the Osundairo brothers and their attorneys have committed on the public, the attorneys said. Old Line Bancshares (OLBK) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.50 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.54 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.48 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -7.41%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this financial holding company would post earnings of $0.58 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.59, delivering a surprise of 1.72%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once. Old Line Bancshares, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $26.07 million for the quarter ended March 2019, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.02%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $19.48 million. The company has not been able to beat consensus revenue estimates over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Old Line Bancshares shares have lost about 0.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 17%. What's Next for Old Line Bancshares? While Old Line Bancshares has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Old Line Bancshares was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.57 on $28.19 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.35 on $114.50 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the bottom 23% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. 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 Old Line Bancshares, Inc. (OLBK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. A New Orleans high school student has been accepted to 115 colleges and earned more than $3.7 million in total scholarships, her school says. Antoinette Love, a senior at International High School of New Orleans, started applying in September, and was soon getting flooded with acceptance letters and scholarship offers, she told NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune. In a Facebook post sharing the news, her high school congratulated the student. "The IHSNO community is so proud of you and your accomplishments!!" the school wrote in the post. The school also shared a photo of the girl and her parents with all her acceptance letters. Love plans to visit schools in the coming weeks and hopes to make a decision by May 1, she told NOLA.com. She hopes to major in elementary education and become an educator one day. She was able to apply to so many schools by seeking out application fee waivers and using the Common App and the Common Black College Application, which she used to apply to 50 historically black colleges and universities, her mother Yolanda told the news outlet. She had a 3.5 grade point average while also being enrolled in a community college, and she spends much of her time helping her parents, Yolanda and Anthony Love, raise her siblings who are ages nine to 15, her mother told NOLA.com. When Love was born, her parents were teens and she was premature six weeks, her mother told the New Orleans Advocate. The when she was 2-years old, a dog viciously attacked her, but she survived, her mom added. "We have so much going on in our lives to where this is that one moment where its something good and something positive, not only for our family but for the city, too, to show what kind of kids New Orleans has," Yolanda Love told NOLA.com. Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Orleans high school senior admitted to 115 colleges, gets $3.7 million in scholarships London (AFP) - Oscar winner Rami Malek was unveiled Thursday as the villain in the long-awaited new James Bond movie that is set to see Daniel Craig bow out after eight years as 007. The 25th edition of one of the world's most enduring franchises will also see the return of Ralph Fiennes as Bond's boss and French actress Lea Seydoux. "I promise you all I will be making sure Mr Bond does not have an easy ride in this," Malek said in a livestream announcement of the new film's cast outside Bond creator Ian Fleming's private villa at Goldeneye in Jamaica. The production has been repeatedly delayed over script disputes. It is now due to open in cinemas in the United States, Britain and France on April 8, 2020, distributor Universal Pictures International said. Long-time Bond producer Barbara Broccoli was tight-lipped about the new film's name but she did reveal one tantalising plot line. Bond will be in what suspiciously sounds like retirement when the action kicks off at Goldeneye. "Bond is not on active service when we start," Broccoli said. "He is actually enjoying himself in Jamaica." Craig jocularly played along with Malek's warning about the tough time he faces in his fifth and final appearance as everyone's favourite British spy. "Scared, a little bit creepy," Craig said of Malek's message. Craig, who has already said that it will be his last outing as 007, spoke of how he had been a Bond fan since childhood. "I remember going to see them as a kid and they were a moment -- a new Bond coming out was incredibly exciting," he recalled. "We've tried to continue that tradition of just making movies that stand out." - 'Quite a ride' - Malek, who won this year's best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody", said it would be honour to appear alongside Craig on his swansong. Story continues "It's Daniel's last film -- that's pretty sad -- but I'm going to give him a run for his money," he said in an interview on US television. "Daniel has just done such an astounding, stunning job, in a way making him relatable. Obviously there's a lot of things that none of us can do as James Bond but he brings this class to it, this human factor, and he's kind of cynical at the same time and ruthless but you are always rooting him." Malek said the last couple of years had been a dream for him, "playing Freddie Mercury, getting an Oscar for it and now being the villain in a Bond movie." "We have had such great villains in film history and I have just been going back and watching so many of them and trying to perhaps steal a little nugget from each one of them," he told ABC. Fiennes will return for another mission as British secret service chief M, as will Jeffrey Wright as the CIA operative who last helped 007 in "Quantum of Solace". Moneypenny will be played by Naomie Harris while Ben Whishaw is back as the gadget-savvy -- and cat-loving -- spook Q. "Q is very fond of cats and he has two feline companions which may or may not appear in this new film. That's all I'm saying," Whishaw said of the character, who never appeared in the Fleming novels. The new production's delays were prompted in part by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle's replacement by Cary Fukunaga in September. London and Hollywood media reported that Boyle left because producers refused to let him kill off the current Bond and replace him with a woman or a non-white actor. Boyle said only that revealing the true reason would be "unfair" on his successor and Fukunaga ("True Detective," "Beasts of No Nation") gave little away Thursday. "Daniel is my favourite Bond I want to continue that... to make sure this run of films have a really great next chapter, upping the ante and making sure who comes next has a tough job," the new director said. The film is due to feature its familiar mix of exotic locales and those closer to Bond's London home. It will shoot across the seas from Jamaica to Norway and include some scenes in the cave city of Matera in southern Italy. In an interview with Britain's Press Association, Broccoli held out hope that it wasn't necessarily Craig's 007 finale. "He's saying it's his last film, but I hope it's not," she said. "We'll have to wait and see." Photo credit: Takashi Aoyama - Getty Images From Car and Driver Former Nissan and Renault chairman Carlos Ghosn has been the subject of further investigations by prosecutors in Japan, most recently about an alleged kickback that would have enriched the executive by $5 million. Ghosn posted a YouTube video in early April claiming he is innocent and the victim of a conspiracy. He also said his love for Japan is "untainted" by the charges against him. Ghosn is still awaiting trial. UPDATE 8/26/19: The Wall Street Journal reports that Japanese prosecutors are investigating a kickback that Carlos Ghosn allegedly received as part of Nissan incentive payments to an Omani distributor who was also Ghosn's business partner. The alleged amount is $5 million out of a total $10 million payment that, according to the Journal's report, prosecutors say was made strictly for Ghosn to steal. The report exposes more of Ghosn's personal business deals that involved the Omani distributor and his son, Anthony, along with a company registered in the British Virgin Islands that owns a Ghosn family yacht, but proof of any actual wrongdoing is still pending. Ghosn is still awaiting trial, which the paper says is slated to take place in 2020. UPDATE 4/25/19: Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi, is out of jail again, for the second time since his initial arrest last November. He was released today by Tokyo District Court on $4.5 million bail. He had been in jail this time since April 4. Prior to that, Ghosn had been held for more than 100 days before being released on March 6 on nearly $9 million bail. The Twitter feed of a Wall Street Journal reporter based in Japan displayed this candid shot of his departure today. On April 9, in his first direct public announcement since Tokyo police arrested him in November, Carlos Ghosn declared his innocence against a backdrop of conspiracy, mismanagement, and selfishness of his former board members at Nissan. The former chairman of Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi posted a video on YouTube early Tuesday after police arrested him before he was due for a hearing on Thursday. Story continues "The first message is I'm innocent," said a clean-shaven Ghosn in a white-collared shirt and blue blazer. "I'm also innocent of all the accusations that came around these charges that are all biased, taken out of context, twisted in a way to paint a personage of greed, and a personage of dictatorship." Ghosn was finally granted a $9 million bail in early March and had been out of jail for almost a full month before police raided his Tokyo home last week and arrested him for the fourth time. Under Japanese law, prosecutors can continue to pile charges in order to re-arrest suspects and detain them indefinitely until they confess or until a trial is set. He has made previous statements at court appearances and to specific media outlets, but today's video was his first statement on camera for all to see. "I spent 108 days in prison because I've been always consistent with this position that I was innocent of all the charges," he said. Ghosn referenced Khaled Al Juffali, Shinsei Bank, and the financial institution letters which Nissan has alleged Ghosn used to funnel money to the Saudi Arabian businessman to cover a personal debt. Ghosn has said that the payments to Juffali were for legitimate business purposes for helping Nissan fix a dispute with a local distributor and for opening a bank contract to convert his salary from yen to U.S. dollars to avoid currency swings. The total is a reported $14.7 million between 2009 and 2012. "This is about a plot. This is about conspiracy. This is about backstabbing, that's what we're talking about," he said, without naming anyone. Ghosn said that certain Nissan executives feared a stronger Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliancewhich he had been pushing, as Renault owns 43 percent of Nissanwould cause Nissan to lose independence and essentially threaten their own jobs. Internally, he said, some people had thought of him as a dictator as he sought to grow the alliance and drive down costs. "For people who say there is only two options, consensus or dictatorship, that means they don't know what leadership is about, and this is very sad," he said. Ghosn said Nissan's current performance, referencing an emissions scandal in Japan and recent warnings of lower company profits, had "degraded" and that now, he didn't think there was "any vision for the alliance being built." "I've been the fiercest defender of the autonomy of Nissan," he said. "But this autonomy must be based on performance. Nobody gets autonomy for the sake of autonomy." However, Ghosn remained upbeat about Japan and the Japanese automaker he used to work for. He said despite the charges, his appreciation for the country was "untainted" despite people "who really played a very dirty game" against him. "I love Japan, and I love Nissan. Nobody spends 20 years in a country, nobody works 20 years in the leadership of a company without love and without attachment and without engagement," he said. "I came to Japan in 1999 not by calculation. I came to Japan in 1999 because I was fascinated by the country and I was fascinated by the challenge of reviving Nissan." Ghosn has been formally charged with making false disclosures on Nissan's corporate financial statementsspecifically, that he omitted tens of millions of dollars of his income from Nissan's public filingsalong with breach of trust for using company money for personal use, among additional charges. Additional allegations that Ghosn used Nissan money to buy luxury homes in Beirut and Paris and that an Oman distributor helped him buy a yacht have swirled before his trial date, which is not even set. "My biggest wish is to have a fair trial," he said. You Might Also Like Miami (AFP) - Confessed Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz' public defenders have asked to withdraw from the case after learning that he seeks to inherit more than $400,000, according to court records. In asking to step down as Cruz' lawyers, the Broward County public defender's office said it is not allowed to represent a "non-indigent defendant." In the United States, when someone accused of a crime is unable to afford their own lawyer, a public defender is appointed to defend them. In their motion, the public defender's office said it has learned that Cruz "is a beneficiary in a MetLife life insurance policy and is entitled to half of a death benefit valued at $864,929.17." According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Cruz and his brother Zachary are beneficiaries of a life insurance policy that was taken out on their mother, who died suddenly in November 2017. The newspaper said Cruz was unlikely to see the money, however, because of civil suits filed against him by the families of the victims. Cruz has confessed to opening fire on his former classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, killing 14 students and three staff members. The withdrawal of the public defender could delay his trial, which had been expected to begin in January. "This will only cause more delay," said Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was among the victims. "I am furiously mad right now," Guttenberg said on Twitter. The passenger reportedly fell from a height in front of other shocked passengers (Stock Photo: Getty Images) A passenger was rushed to hospital on Wednesday evening after falling from a height in front of shocked travellers at Gatwick Airport. According to reports, the passenger fell at around 6.30pm near the duty free shop in Gatwicks South Terminal departure lounge. Pictures posted on the Twitter account London 999 Feed showed emergency services inside medical screens after the incident. #GatwickAirport A medical screen outside the Terminals Duty Free shop was erected as shocked passengers looked on. A Gatwick Airport spokesperson confirmed that a passenger was flown to hospital via Air Ambulance. His condition is currently unknown. pic.twitter.com/Ib0LgNtoqr London 999 Feed (@999London) April 24, 2019 According to reports, the passenger was taken to hospital by air ambulance. Their condition is unknown. A Gatwick Airport spokesperson said: On Wednesday evening the emergency services and Gatwick staff were called to assist a passenger injured in a fall in the South Terminal departure lounge. The passenger was taken to hospital by the air ambulance service. READ MORE US Navy updates UFO reporting procedure after sightings The spokesman could not confirm what height the passenger had fallen from. Sussex Police have also confirmed that they were dealing with an incident at the airport. LIMA, April 24 (Reuters) - Peru will sign a memorandum of understanding to join China's ambitious Belt and Road infrastructure initiative in coming days, China's ambassador said on Wednesday. Ambassador Jia Guide made the announcement to guests at a private party in Lima alongside Peru's vice president, as China kicked off a three-day Belt and Road summit in Beijing that Peru's trade minister and leaders from around the world are attending. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Sandra Maler) By Marco Aquino LIMA (Reuters) - Peru will sign a memorandum of understanding to join China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative in coming days, China's ambassador said on Wednesday, despite recent warnings from the United States about the Beijing's rise in Latin America. Ambassador Jia Guide made the announcement to guests at a private party in Lima alongside Peru's vice president, as China kicked off a three-day Belt and Road summit in Beijing that Peru's trade minister and leaders from around the world are attending. The deal will make Peru one of a few Latin American nations to formally join the China's flagship infrastructure policy, underscoring how countries around the world are being drawn into China's orbit by the promise of investment and despite U.S. objections. Vice President Mercedes Araoz said Peru's relationship with Washington would remain strong. "Signing this memorandum of understanding is the start of a cooperation model that China has proposed to the world which...will allow us to broaden our ties," Araoz told Reuters at the event following Jia's announcement. "We've established very strong bilateral relations with China as we have with the United States," Araoz added. Chinese President Xi Jinping first pitched its "One Belt, One Road" policy in 2013 as a way to expand Beijing's links with Asia, Africa and Europe through billions of dollars in infrastructure investments. But early last year, China invited Latin American and Caribbean countries to sign up as well, as it seeks to deepen its ties in a resource-rich region where U.S. influence is historically strong. Chile, which like Peru is a close ally of the United States, announced in November that it was joining the initiative. Peru's decision to sign up as well comes within two weeks of a state visit from U.S. Secretary of State, who repeatedly warned about the risks of what he described as Chinese predatory lending on his recent four-nation tour of South America. Story continues China's finance minister said at the start of the summit that Beijing aims to make the Belt and Road initiative sustainable and prevent debt risks, seeking to allay criticism that its infrastructure plan fuels indebtedness in participant countries and lacks transparency. China overtook the United States as Peru's largest trade partner years ago, thanks largely to its imports of copper and other minerals from the South American country. Chinese investments in Peru remain focused on mining, but have broadened to include infrastructure in recent years. (Reporting by Marco Aquino, Writing by Mitra Taj; Editing by Sandra Maler & Kim Coghill) Democratic frontrunners are facing scrutiny for their stance on voting rights for incarcerated felons - after Bernie Sanders said he supports voting rights 'even for terrible people'. In one of five CNN town halls that aired Tuesday night, Senator Sanders was asked by a Harvard student specifically on whether those currently serving a prison sentence should be allowed to vote. "This is a democracy and we have got to expand that democracy, the Vermont senator said, and I believe every single person does have the right to vote. Vermont is one of two states, the other being Maine, where incarcerated felons have always retained their right to vote. In Sanderss adopted state, voters must be citizens of Vermont and register at their previous home address, preventing prisons from becoming voting blocs. A 2018 report from NBC on the practice claimed that its had a profound effect on prisoners re-entering free society. As of 2018, neither states tracks the number of votes from prison. Still, allowing prisoners to vote became an unexpected, and hotly contested, issue. Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren both told audiences that theyd like to have a conversation about that practice. Each added that restoring voting rights for felons after they leave prison remains important to them. Meanwhile, South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg came out strongly against the notion. "You lose your freedom and I think during that freedom it does not make sense to have an exception for it the right to vote," Buttigieg said. His response was mostly met with applause in the town hall, but a swift response from viewers at home criticised the Midwestern mayor for his unwavering stance. "Ive been working in prisons for five years now & there is not a single person in there who doesnt deserve the right to vote," wrote author and Harvard PhD candidate Clint Smith on Twitter. "To suggest otherwise is to have a myopic, regressive view of who & is not deserving of citizenship." Story continues "Buttigieg said that it was a matter of punishment," wrote organiser and photographer Kelly Hayes in the midst of a Twitter thread responding to the mayor's position. "But if to punish a human being, you must remove their ability to have any voice in what happens to them in the largest of matters, in addition to the smallest of matters, that's not mere punishment. That's utter dehumanisation." Others pointed out hat at least one member of the town hall audience seemed perplexed by the mayor's statement. What's the reason NOT to let incarcerated people vote? wrote Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti in a tweet Wednesday morning. Shouldn't the people most affected by unjust laws have some say in electing people to change them? Senator Amy Klobuchar, who also had a town hall on CNN Tuesday night, was not asked about her stance on the matter. * Creditors say open to offers from all firms * Subic Bay location key asset to Philippines, allies * Eight firms from six countries have shown interest - banker * Hanjin Philippines has debts of $1.3 bln By Neil Jerome Morales and Karen Lema MANILA, April 25 (Reuters) - All offers from potential buyers of a strategically located but debt-laden Philippine shipyard will be welcome, the trade minister said on Thursday, ruling out barring Chinese firms over national security fears. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the government would not, and could not, block interested buyers of distressed shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines, which defaulted on $1.3 billion in loans, of which $900 million is owed to South Korean banks and the rest to five Philippine lenders. Hanjin, a unit of South Korea's Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co Ltd, until recently employed 20,000 workers at its yard in Subic Bay, which until 1992 was home to a U.S. navy base used during World War Two and the Vietnam War. Subic is considered an important asset because of the bay's shelter, deep water and access to the South China Sea. Lopez was responding to a report by Japan's Nikkei Asian Review that the Philippine government was set to bar Chinese from bidding for the Subic facility because of national security concerns, citing an unidentified trade ministry official, who said the defense ministry had signified reservations. "We did not make any statement barring Chinese or any nationality from bidding," Lopez told Reuters. Lopez said it would be up to creditors to decide which offer to accept. In January, Hanjin Philippines filed for court rehabilitation proceedings as it grappled with a slump in the global shipping and shipbuilding industry. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, has voiced his support for the shipyard to be controlled by a Philippine entity, possibly with the navy buying a stake and using it to build vessels. Interest from two unidentified Chinese firms, which was confirmed to Reuters by a Philippine trade official, comes as China rapidly expands and fortifies its presence in the South China Sea, a trade route for $3 trillion of commerce each year, amid global concern that Beijing is seeking to establish a new hegemony in Asia, politically, economically and militarily. Story continues It also comes amid U.S. warnings and growing global scrutiny of Chinese technology firms because of fears they could be vehicles for Chinese state spying, which they have rejected. John Thomas Deveras, senior executive vice-president of the mid-sized lender Rizal Commercial Banking Corp, said Chinese were not being excluded and at least eight foreign companies had expressed interest and buying Hanjin. Hanjin borrowed $145 million from RCBC. "All companies can approach and negotiate," Deveras told Reuters. He said American, Japanese, Dutch, French, Swedish and South Korean firms had made approaches, but declined to name them. No timeframe has been announced for the sale. Cezar Consing, president of another creditor, Bank of the Philippine Islands, which lent $52 million to Hanjin Philippines, told shareholders on Thursday that talks on the sale were progressing. "We believe there's some light at the end of the tunnel," he said. (Editing by Martin Petty, Robert Birsel) April 25 (Reuters) - Standing casually and turning their heads to stare straight at the camera, Ndakazi and Ndeze look like any cool selfie pros - only these posers are gorillas. The picture showing the two orphaned female gorillas posing like humans was taken in Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park and has gone viral since it was published on the park's Instagram and Facebook pages this week. Mathieu Shamavu, Virunga ranger and caretaker at the park's Senkwekwe Center for Orphaned Mountain Gorillas, said he was out walking with Ndakazi and Ndeze when he spotted a photo opportunity. "We let them loose so they are at ease. They were curious about what was happening. They stood up. And when they stood up, I took my phone because I didn't want to lose the shot because it was exceptional," Shamavu said in an interview. "When they saw me take out my phone they dropped what they were doing, spotted the camera and watched." Ndakazi and Ndeze were raised by caretakers at the Senkwekwe Center after being rescued in 2007 when they were babies. The park, which lies amid the volcanic mountains of Central Africa, is home to more than half of the total population of mountain gorillas, an endangered species facing threats from poachers and armed groups. "You see they can walk one or two meters on two legs but also these animals are so used (to humans), they like to imitate and do what people do," Shamavu said. "We are always together, we feed them, we walk with them, we accompany them in their natural environment, we are in charge of their security. This is why these gorillas are used to us, their guardians and no one else, no journalist, no visitor would have been able to take this photo." The park was closed last year after gunmen kidnapped tourists and killed a ranger trying to defend them. It reopened in February this year, but less than a month later, militiamen killed a ranger there. (Reporting By Sophie Meyer; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Susan Fenton) Home goods retailer Pier 1 Imports is careening toward a potential bankruptcy restructuring, according to a major credit rating agency. S&P Global Ratings warned Wednesday that the "potential for a bankruptcy filing or debt restructuring is continuing to increase" for Pier 1 as its retail performance continues "to deteriorate significantly." The warning comes after Pier 1 announced last week that it could close as many as 145 of its 973 stores. S&P downgraded Pier 1's credit rating from CCC+ to CCC-, reflecting concerns about the company's ability to pay back its debts. "The negative outlook reflects that we do not see a path for Pier 1 to return to profitability in the coming six months to one year, even when factoring in the full impact of planned performance improvements," S&P said. Pier 1 acknowledged having faced "execution issues" but said it has "since put in place a capable senior leadership team to develop and implement a new fiscal 2020 plan to reset and rebuild our business." "Pier 1 has developed an action plan that the Company believes will provide sufficient liquidity to implement the strategic initiatives that are part of its new fiscal 2020 plan," the retailer said Thursday in a statement. The plan includes $100 million to $110 million in savings from cost cuts and other business improvements. The company said it "is not currently contemplating" or "discussing any debt exchange." Pier 1's struggles come amid a wave of retail bankruptcies. So far in 2019, bankruptcy filings have included Charlotte Russe, Payless ShoeSource and Gymboree. All three ended up liquidating most or all of their stores. 2019 store closures: Payless, Gymboree and Victoria's Secret closing locations More store closings coming: Pier 1 Imports could close up to 145 more stores Department store chain Sears filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October and narrowly escaped total liquidation after a last-minute sale in February to its longtime investor and former CEO. Story continues Retailers are expected to close more than 6,500 stores in 2019, according to Coresight Research, court records and public filings. Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pier 1 Imports may be headed toward bankruptcy, S&P warns Nueva Helvecia (Uruguay) (AFP) - Already the first country in the world to legalize recreational use of marijuana, Uruguay now aims to go further by becoming the first in Latin America to export it for medicinal purposes. It's taken a year to get to this point but in Nueva Helvecia -- 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the capital Montevideo -- the first harvest is ready to be sent abroad. Employees of the US company Fotmer -- the only one currently licenced to export -- are cutting and drying the plant before it is exported to Europe, Canada and Australia. In taking this step, Uruguay is joining the ranks of medicinal marijuana exporters dominated by the United Kingdom, which according to United Nations data from 2016 had cornered more than two thirds of the market. The Netherlands (16.4 percent) and Austria (8.7) are the other major players although a growing number of countries are investing in producing medical marijuana, which is legal in around 30 countries worldwide. "Uruguay has been visionary," said Jordan Lewis, 46, one of Fotmer's owners. "The market is growing" and Lewis believes Uruguay -- a country in which cannabis can be bought in pharmacies -- could lead the way. This year, Fotmer aims to produce six tons of medicinal marijuana but Lewis's ultimate goal is to reach 400 tons a year in return for a $15 million investment. It has installed 18 greenhouses in Uruguay covering 30,000 square meters (320,000 square feet). - Tightly regulated - The plants can grow to two meters (6.5 feet)high after which employees such as 33-year-old Santiago Bardanca prune them and separate stems and flowers into colored boxes. "It takes between five and 10 minutes" for each person to process a plant, Bardanca told AFP. Fotmer employs 150 people in peak season when the plants are harvested. That's an intense and stressful time that lasts just a few days as employees work in shifts to ensure a 24-hour operation. Story continues The whole process is tightly regulated as the flowers and extract which the plants produce are mostly destined for the pharmaceutical industry. "Our aim is to become the main provider of medical marijuana" in the world, taking advantage of Uruguay's liberal laws surrounding the drug, adds American Lewis, a vet by profession. Starting with 10 plants, he jumped at the opportunity afforded him by the South American country to run his own business dealing in a plant he's studied extensively and whose economic potential he considers huge. Through cloning, he now has 10,000 plants. A 2017 study by US-based Grand View Research has estimated the global market for medical marijuana could reach $55.8 billion by 2025. - 'Hyper-paranoia The flowers are sent to countries such as Germany -- one of 21 European Union nations where medical marijuana is legal -- while other chemical components are used in specific remedies, says Lewis. In the production process, each area is strictly separated. To pass from one room to another, employees must pass through a pressurized area in which connecting doors can only be opened one at a time. Workers must even change clothes, shoes and masks when moving between the different production areas to reduce the risk of contamination. "This is hyper-paranoia," says Fotmer's scientific director Asim Beg, but necessary given "this is a medicine like any other medicine." The production process involves cutting the plants at exactly the right moment, then leaving the flowers for six days to dry and another six to "stabilize," during which time the chemical components reach their final state. It then takes two days to pack the final product. "The plant's entire life is monitored from plantation to sale," says Beg, adding that it's a pharmaceutical industry requirement. Each packet weighs around three kilograms (6.6 pounds) and will be sold for between $9,000 and $21,000 on the international market, where prices range from $3 to $7 per gram. The first packages will be heading to Germany. "It's very emotional," admits Lewis. Photo: She's Not Here/Yelp Unsure where Austin's insiders are eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see. We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which eateries have been getting a noteworthy uptick in attention this month. To find out who made the list, we looked at Austin businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance. Read on to see which spots are riding a trend this spring. Market Street Pizza PHOTO: LAUREN G./YELP Open since August 2017, this pizza spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Pizza" on Yelp. Citywide, pizza spots saw a median 2.7 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Market Street Pizza saw a 20 percent increase, maintaining a convincing 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Market Street Pizza's review count increased by more than 230 percent. Located at 13000 N. Interstate 35, Suite 210, Market Street Pizza offers pasta, calzones, sandwiches, salads and more. Look for the cheese burger pizza with mozzarella cheese, special burger sauce, ground beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, onions, pickles, lettuce and tomatoes. Theres also the taco pizza, made of refried beans, taco meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cilantro and taco sauce. Joann's Fine Foods PHOTO: MAHA K./YELP Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Bouldin's Joann's Fine Foods, the brunch and dinner Tex-Mex spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data. While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 2.1 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Joann's Fine Foods bagged a 19.2 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.4 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance. Story continues Open at 1224 S. Congress Ave. since October 2018, Joann's Fine Foods offers Mexican brunch and dinner items that include tacos, with on corn or flour tortillas, jack cheese and an option of two fillings such as chorizo and hash browns or bacon and eggs. Or try the green chicken enchiladas that are made of jack cheese, sour cream, pickled onions and add rice and a choice of beans. She's Not Here PHOTO: SHE'S NOT HERE/YELP Downtown Austin's She's Not Here is also making waves. Open since August 2018, at 440 W. Second St., the cocktai/sushi bar and pan Asian spot has seen a 14.9 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 3.6 percent for all businesses tagged "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis She's Not Here's review count increased by more than 280 percent. There's more than one hotspot trending in Austin's cocktail bar category: Upstairs at Caroline has seen a 12 percent increase in reviews. She's Not Here offers Sunday breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try dishes like wagyu rib eye, soft shell crab, maki that has yellowtail, crab salad, seasonal white fish, and cucumber; and Tasmanian ocean trout with passion fruit, South Pacific fruit relish and crown daisy. Over the past month, it's maintained a convincing four-star rating among Yelpers. Umi Sushi Bar & Grill PHOTO: ALEXIS R./YELP East Congress's Umi Sushi Bar & Grill is the city's buzziest bar by the numbers. The well-established sushi bar, bar and Japanese spot, which opened at 5510 S. I-35, Suite 400 on February, increased its new review count by 5.5 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.9 percent for the Yelp category "Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 4.2 times more reviews than expected based on past performance. Umi Sushi Bar & Grill offers traditional and modern nigiri style sushi and rolls. Expect specialty rolls like the Pepper Tuna, which has thin slices of seared pepper tuna sashimi, served over cucumber with ponzu, scallions and roasted garlic . There's also classic rolls such as California roll kanikama, cucumber, avocado and topped with masago. Taco Flats PHOTO: ANTHONY M./YELP Allandale's well-established Taco Flats is currently on the upswing in the Mexican category on Yelp. While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp saw a median 1.9 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this cocktail bar, beer bar and Mexican spot increased its by 3.6 percentand kept its rating consistent at four stars. Review counts increased by more than 320 percent on a month-to-month basis. Open for business at 5520 Burnet Road, Suite 101 since October 2014, the business offers various types of tacos. Enjoy Barbacoa tacos that have beef tongue and beef roll, fried garlic, onion and cilantro; Chilaquiles DF, made of tortilla chips, salsa roja, grilled jalapeno, fried egg, crema fresca, cilantro and queso fresco; or the Dirty South which irefried black beans, potato, bacon, scrambled eggs and American cheese. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) The man whom officials say shot and killed his young children and his sister-in-law before shooting himself had just taken a job with Child Protective Services and was in training to be a CPS investigator. Fort Worth police Sgt. Joe Loughman said Wednesday investigators believe 32-year-old Ronald Parra shot and killed 45-year-old Melinda Mercado, 4-year-old Alyssa Parra and 23-month-old Michael Parra before turning the gun on himself. Parra's wife found their bodies Monday in the family home in northern Fort Worth. No motive has been released. CPS spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales said Ronald Parra was hired March 18 and was being trained to be an investigator. The couple had been married since August 2013 and court records showed no sign of estrangement. Ronald Parra had no criminal record. WARSAW, Poland (AP) The chairman of Poland's conservative ruling party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has called the LGBT rights movement a foreign import that threatens the Polish nation. Kaczynski, a member of parliament who wields tremendous influence as leader of the Law and Justice party, also said during a lecture on patriotism that "everyone must accept Christianity" in Poland and questioning the Roman Catholic Church is unpatriotic. The positions Kaczynski expressed Wednesday in the central city of Wloclawek came as Poland's powerful Catholic Church is under scrutiny for child sex abuse by clergy and superiors who might have covered up for pedophile priests. Poland also has two elections this year: the vote next month to elect the country's representatives to the European Union parliament and a national election in the fall. With his remarks, Kaczynski seemed to be tapping into the belief held by some Poles that liberal values have been forced on them as a result of Poland joining the EU 15 years ago. Kaczynski's Law and Justice party won the last general election in 2015, the height of Europe's mass migration crisis. The party's campaign included portraying Muslim refugees as a threat to Poland. In recent weeks, Law and Justice has described the LGBT rights movement as another danger to Polish families and children. LGBT rights have become increasingly visible as more Polish cities and towns hold gay pride parades, even places known as bastions of the church and conservative values. Miroslawa Makuchowska, from the group Campaign Against Homophobia, said she thinks the party chairman's anti-LGBT message was meant to distract attention from corruption scandals in the Catholic Church and in the Polish government. "These are the same methods and same messages" used to demonize Muslim immigrants, Makuchowska said. "It's appalling and frightening because it's scapegoating." Story continues The Catholic Church has long been revered as the institution that kept the language and spirit of Poland's people alive during a long period of foreign rule, while also supporting the democracy movement under communism But the church's standing has taken a hit as sex abuse victims increasingly speak publicly about past crimes of accused priests. Public opinion surveys show falling support for having nuns and priests, or even lay educators, teach religion in public schools, as is now the case. A movie about the clergy abuse problem, "Kler" (Clergy), became a blockbuster hit last year. On Wednesday, Kaczynski called the film an "attack on the church" and alleged it's the LGBT rights movement that puts Polish children at risk. "We are dealing with a direct attack on the family and children - the sexualization of children, that entire LBGT movement, gender," he said. "This is imported, but they, today, actually threaten our identity, our nation, its continuation and therefore the Polish state." ____ This story has been corrected to show that the name of the city where Kaczynski spoke is Wloclawek, not Wroclawek. LISBON, April 25 (Reuters) - Thousands marched in Portugal on Thursday to celebrate the almost bloodless revolution 45 years ago that ended its four-decade-long dictatorship, while politicians said that economic and social developments had not matched its democratic advance. Dictator Antonio Oliveira Salazar ruled Portugal from 1932 to 1968, though his regime only crumbled on April 25 1974, in the 'Carnation' revolution that led Portugal to democracy. In Lisbon on Thursday, protesters young and old marched through the streets shouting "Fascism, never again!." Demonstrators also took over the main streets of Portugal's second-biggest city Porto, to hail the country's liberation but also to demand more rights. Portugal will hold a general election in October. Holding a red carnation, the symbol of the revolution, Portugal's president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told a room in parliament packed with politicians and guests that more must be done to tackle the country's most pressing challenges. "We want more, much more from our social, political and economic democracy," said Rebelo de Sousa. "Persisting inequalities continue to undermine cohesion between people, between groups and territories." Catarina Martins, leader of the Left Bloc, which backs Prime Minister Antonio Costa's minority Socialist government, told public broadcaster RTP there are "many battles left to win to achieve equality." "We live in a country with such low wages and pensions," she said. "People do not know if they can make it to the end of the month." Portugal's minimum wage is fixed at 600 euros a month, compared with 1,050 euros in Spain. Opposition leader Rui Rio also argued the country is in need of reform, especially around its electoral, political and justice system. "After (this year's election) political parties must consider a reform of the democratic regime in order for it to remain democratic," he said. Costa's Socialists are expected to win October's election, but may struggle to secure an outright majority. (Reporting by Catarina Demony and Goncalo Almeida; Editing by Catherine Evans) LISBON (Reuters) - Thousands marched in Portugal on Thursday to celebrate the almost bloodless revolution 45 years ago that ended its four-decade-long dictatorship, while politicians said that economic and social developments had not matched its democratic advance. Dictator Antonio Oliveira Salazar ruled Portugal from 1932 to 1968, though his regime only crumbled on April 25 1974, in the 'Carnation' revolution that led Portugal to democracy. In Lisbon on Thursday, protesters young and old marched through the streets shouting "Fascism, never again!". Demonstrators also took over the main streets of Portugal's second-biggest city Porto, to hail the country's liberation but also to demand more rights. Portugal will hold a general election in October. Holding a red carnation, the symbol of the revolution, Portugal's president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told a room in parliament packed with politicians and guests that more must be done to tackle the country's most pressing challenges. "We want more, much more from our social, political and economic democracy," said Rebelo de Sousa. "Persisting inequalities continue to undermine cohesion between people, between groups and territories." Catarina Martins, leader of the Left Bloc, which backs Prime Minister Antonio Costa's minority Socialist government, told public broadcaster RTP there are "many battles left to win to achieve equality". "We live in a country with such low wages and pensions," she said. "People do not know if they can make it to the end of the month." Portugal's minimum wage is fixed at 600 euros a month, compared with 1,050 euros in Spain. Opposition leader Rui Rio also argued the country is in need of reform, especially around its electoral, political and justice system. "After (this year's election) political parties must consider a reform of the democratic regime in order for it to remain democratic," he said. Costa's Socialists are expected to win October's election, but may struggle to secure an outright majority. (Reporting by Catarina Demony and Goncalo Almeida; Editing by Catherine Evans) Days before his wife, Meghan Markle, is due with the couples first child, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance alongside his sister-in-law at the countrys Anzac Day services. The Daily Mails royal reporter Rebecca English tweeted that she was told by a source that Harry was pleased he can attend todays Service, as planned. With their baby due, his name was not printed in the programme in case he was unable to do so. Prince Harrys surprise appearance was alongside the Duchess of Cambridge, a.k.a. Kate Middleton, at Westminster Abbey at the memorial service designed to honor citizens of Australia and New Zealand who died in military conflict or peacekeeping operations, particularly those killed during the Anzac landings in Gallipoli during World War I, per the Royal Family. (Anzac stands for the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.) This years service also marked the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The Duchess of Cambridge arrives with The Duke of Sussex for today's #AnzacDay service at Westminster Abbey. pic.twitter.com/gu4kEWtHDO Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 25, 2019 Prince Harry and Duchess Kate attended the event together, because Meghan Markle could be too close to her due date to attend and Prince William is currently in New Zealand paying tribute to the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has at last played the Russian card, meeting President Vladimir Putin for their first summit. But hes still holding it close to his chest. Yes, Kim appeared to have gotten along better with Putin in Vladivostok than he did with President Donald Trump in Hanoi, where the summit meltdown seems to have cost a top North Korean diplomat his job and is rumored to have cost four lesser envoys their lives. After Kim arrived by train (in a scene CNNs Jeanne Moos likened to a Mussolini-Hitler summit parodied by Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator) Putin and Kim talked for an uninterrupted two hours at a university. They then appeared in front of the press to recite opaque and most likely pre-scripted diplospeak. No, they did not emerge with a joint communique affirming whatever they said about the two most pressing issuesdenuclearization and sanctions. If Trump was looking for his buddy Putin to deliver something on those issues, it would seem hell be disappointed. There was no indication that Putin got anywhere in persuading Kim to get rid of his nukes and missiles, and there was no sign that Putin would join Kim in trying to persuade the United Nations Security Council to drop the sanctions imposed with the unanimous approval of its five permanent members, including Russia and China, after the Norths nuclear and missile tests in late 2017. Instead, all that Putin would say was that he and Kim had talked over what should be done to improve the situation, and Kim said they had had a very fruitful exchange about ways to achieve a peaceful settlement. Just what was meant by peaceful settlement was left vague, although Kim presumably told Putin about his desire for a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War. Kim would not have been able to press that idea too far, however, since the former Soviet Union was not a signatory to the armistice signed at the truce village of Panmunjom in July 1953, even though the Kremlin had supplied planes, tanks, and artillery to North Korean forces. Story continues The fact that the two finally met was definitely a sign, however, that Putin would like to play a bigger role in the Far East, notably the Korean Peninsula, in competition with China as well as the United States. Putin left no doubt of his vision of a place for Russia at the table, any table, telling Tass, the Russian news agency, that he was confident that international guarantees for North Korea would be necessary. He even suggested a return to dormant six-party talks, including China, the U.S., Japan, Russia, and the two Koreas, saying they might help in developing a system of international security guarantees needed by the North. And why not, he suggested, come up with an aid programsomething Trump has made much of, too? If these projects and similar ones were implemented, he was quoted as saying, this would create the necessary conditions for building the trust thats so necessary for solving the key issues. In fact, the conversation may also have gotten down to one of Russias longstanding dreamsa railroad running up the Korean Peninsula, from South Korea through North Korea and then on to Siberia for carrying freight to Europe. As Yuriy Krupnov, Moscow-based analyst at the Institute of Demography, Migration and Regional Development, told The Daily Beast. We have built railroads and developed the port on the Sea of Japan for a big economic breakthrough in our cooperation with China. North Korean ports play a big role in this business plan; Trump should pay attentionthis tango could be danced by all three of us, Russia, China, and United States. Clearly, the summit was intrinsic in Putins attempt to reassert Russian influence over North Korea, which Soviet forces ruled in the immediate aftermath of the Korean War as part of a deal with the U.S. dividing the peninsula between North and South at the 38th parallel. The Soviet Union, under dictator Joseph Stalin, was responsible for bringing Kims grandfather, Kim Il Sung, to North Korea aboard a Soviet merchant vessel and installing him as leader of a caretaker government. Kim Il Sung had sat out World War II as a captain in the Soviet army, living near the far eastern city of Khabarovsk, but he had no responsibilities. It was while he was there that Kim Jong Uns father, Kim Jong Il, was born, though North Korean propaganda maintains the mythology that Jong Il was born on the slopes of the sacred Mount Paektu on the Chinese border. Kim Jong Un is assumed to have pleaded with Putin for breaks in trade and aid, which Moscow provided for almost nothing before the end of communist rule and the breakup of the Soviet Union nearly 30 years ago. North Korea, suffering under sanctions and crop failures, desperately needs oil and gas, which the Soviet Union used to ship into North Korea in return for virtually useless North Korean currency. In 1990, Moscow began demanding payment in real moneyfull value. Kim Jong Un journeyed to Vladivostok by train right after getting rid of the man who had most to do with preparing his two summits with Trump. Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the Workers Party, of which Kim is chairman, was replaced as head of the United Front Department, responsible for dealings with the U.S. He had met Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on several occasions, including a visit to the U.S. during which he met Trump in Washington. Presumably, however, Kim Jong Un saw Kim Yong Chol as responsible for the failure of his summit with Trump at the end of February. That meeting ended with Trump declaring his abiding friendship with Kim Jong Un, but demanding that Kim reveal where North Korea has all its nuclear facilities and agreeing to complete denuclearization. Kim Yong Chol was not in the North Korean delegation to Vladivostok a clear sign that hed been sidelined, if not disciplined, for failing to let his boss know that Trump was serious about his demands and would probably agree to nothing less. Kim Jong Un obviously was caught by surprise by Trumps walkout. There was even a report by a small Japanese news and photo agency, Asia Press, that four members of the North Korean foreign ministry had been executed for their role in the Hanoi summit. According to the report, the four were accused of having accepted bribes in return for information provided to the Americans in the run-up to the summit. The report said military as well as civilian officials had witnessed the executions by firing squad, but there was no verification. For Kim Jong Uns summit with Putin, there was no advance build-up or prediction of results, just that the two would meet and review all the sensitive issues. Viewed that way, the summit was still a breakthrough considering that Russia had appeared as a minor player while Kim met Chinas President Xi Jinping four times, amid much pomp and circumstance, in Beijing. Basically, Kim was following in the footsteps of his father, who had met Putin in Moscow in 2001 and 10 years later conferred with Dmitry Medvedev, the Putin sidekick who was then filling in as president. Both Kims, father and son, traveled to Russia by train, as indeed Kim Jong Un had done when he went to Hanoi to meet Trump. Putin had a military honor guard greet Kim on his arrival in Vladivostok, matching the welcome accorded Kim by the Chinese, a sign of a budding new relationship grafted onto the historic ties of the Soviet era. Anna Nemtsova in Moscow also contributed reporting to this article. Read more at The Daily Beast. Vladivostok (Russia) (AFP) - President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia was ready to restore full relations with Kiev, after a political novice won the Ukraine presidential election. "We want and we are ready to fully restore relations with Ukraine. But we cannot do this unilaterally," he told journalists following his summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok. He said the weekend election, in which Volodymyr Zelensky beat incumbent Petro Poroshenko with 73 percent of the vote, showed the "complete failure" of Poroshenko's policies. "Ukraine's new leadership cannot fail to understand this," he said. Poroshenko took a hard line on Russia over his term, which was marked by the fight against Moscow-backed rebels in eastern separatist regions. Over a bitter campaign he consistently presented himself as the only candidate who could stand up to Putin. Putin's comments came a day after he signed a decree making it easier for people living in Ukraine's separatist territories to obtain Russian passports, drawing condemnation from Kiev and the West. April 25 (Reuters) - Tomahawk missile maker Raytheon Co on Thursday reported a better-than-expected first-quarter profit, driven by higher demand for its weapons from the United States and its allies. Waltham, Massachusetts-based Raytheon and other U.S. weapons makers are expected to benefit from higher U.S. defense spending under President Donald Trump as well as strong global demand for advanced weapons and munitions. Sales in the Raytheon's intelligence, information and services unit, it's second biggest by revenue, increased 12.3 percent to $1.78 billion in the quarter ended March 31, helped by higher revenue from 'classified programs'. Operating margin in the intelligence, information and services business, which provides cybersecurity support to the U.S Department of Homeland Security, surged to 10.5 percent from 7.4 percent. The company reaffirmed its 2019 net sales in a range of $28.6 billion to $29.1 billion and earnings from continuing operations between $11.40 per share and $11.60 per share. Raytheon also reiterated its full-year outlook for operating cash flow from continuing operations between $3.9 billion and $4.1 billion. Income from continuing operations jumped to $775 million, or $2.77 per share, in the quarter, from $624 million, or $2.20 per share, a year earlier. Revenue in the quarter rose 7.4 percent to $6.73 billion. Analysts on average had expected first-quarter earnings of $2.47 per share and revenue of $6.62 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. (Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by James Emmanuel) [April 25, 2019] Aaron's, Inc. Reports First Quarter Revenue and Earnings ATLANTA, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions, today announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2019. "We are pleased to report a strong start to the year, achieving over $1 billion in quarterly revenues for the first time and 33% growth in non-GAAP earnings per share," said John Robinson, Chief Executive Officer. "Progressive continues to perform at a high level and is executing well with its new and existing retail partners. At the same time, it continues to make meaningful investments ahead of expected strong revenue growth and pipeline conversion. The Aaron's Business reported results in-line with our expectations and achieved positive same store revenues. We are encouraged by the success the Aaron's Business is experiencing in its business transformation initiatives," concluded Mr. Robinson. Consolidated Results For the first quarter of 2019, consolidated revenues were $1.012 billion compared with $954.8 million for the first quarter of 2018. Calculated on a basis consistent with the 2019 adoption of ASC 842 related to lease accounting, revenues increased $103.8 million, or 11.4%, compared to the prior year period. Additionally, the Aaron's Business same store revenues were positive 0.7% which was a continuation of the improving trend in same store revenues experienced throughout 2018. The increase in consolidated revenues was primarily due to the 19.0% increase in revenues at Progressive, calculated on a basis consistent with the 2019 adoption of ASC 842, and the contributions of 152 franchised locations acquired by the Aaron's Business in 2018. Net earnings for the first quarter of 2019 were $56.1 million compared to $52.2 million in the prior year period. Net earnings in the first quarter were burdened with approximately $13.3 million in pretax charges related to the closure of 84 underperforming company-owned stores. Adjusted EBITDA for the Company was $115.2 million for the first quarter of 2019, compared with $94.1 million for the same period in 2018, an increase of $21.1 million, or 22.4%, due primarily to the strong growth in our Progressive segment. As a percentage of revenues, Adjusted EBITDA was 11.4% in the first quarter of 2019, an increase of 100 basis points from the first quarter of 2018 on a consistent accounting basis, resulting from higher consolidated gross margin. See "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information" and the related non-GAAP reconciliation accompanying this press release. Diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2019 were $0.82 compared with $0.73 in the year ago period. On a non-GAAP basis, earnings per share assuming dilution were $1.08 in the first quarter of 2019 compared with $0.81 for the same quarter in 2018, an increase of $0.27 or 33.3%. The Company generated $164.7 million in cash from operations during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and ended the first quarter with $124.2 million in cash, compared with a cash balance of $15.3 million at the end of 2018. Progressive Leasing Segment Results Progressive Leasing's revenues in the first quarter of 2019 were $523.4 million compared to reported revenues of $486.5 million in the first quarter of 2018. Calculated on a basis consistent with the 2019 adoption of ASC 842, revenues increased $83.4 million or 19.0%. Invoice volume increased 14.2% in the quarter, driven by a 17.9% increase in invoice volume per active door, partially offset by a 3.1% decrease in active doors to approximately 19,800. The decrease in active door count was primarily due a reduction in mattress and mobile doors, which was partially offset by additions in other verticals. Progressive Leasing had 863,000 customers at March 31, 2019, a 19.2% increase from March 31, 2018. Earnings before income taxes for the first quarter of 2019 were $55.4 million. EBITDA for the first quarter of 2019 was $65.3 million compared with $46.2 million for the same period of 2018, an increase of 41.2%. As a percentage of revenues, EBITDA was 12.5% for the first quarter of 2019, an increase of 200 basis points compared to the first quarter of 2018, when calculated on a basis consistent with the 2019 adoption of ASC 842. This increase was due primarily to somewhat lower 90-day early buyout activity, and the improved leverage of SG&A on higher revenues. The provision for lease merchandise write-offs was 7.0% of revenues in the first quarter of 2019, compared with 6.8% in the same period of 2018, on a basis consistent with the 2019 adoption of ASC 842. The Aaron's Business Segment Results For the first quarter of 2019, total revenues for the Aaron's Business increased 4.6% to $480.1 million from $458.8 million in the first quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily due to the contributions from 152 franchised locations acquired throughout 2018. Same store revenues were up 0.7% in the first quarter of 2019, continuing the trend of improvement experienced throughout 2018. Customer count on a same store basis was down 3.9% during the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. Company-operated Aaron's stores had 992,000 customers at March 31, 2019, a 4.1% increase from March 31, 2018. Lease revenue and fees for the three months ended March 31, 2019 increased 9.7% compared with the same period in 2018. Non-retail sales, which primarily consist of merchandise sales to the Company's franchisees, decreased 30.5% for the first quarter of 2019 compared with the same period of the prior year. The decline is attributed primarily to the franchise acquisitions completed in 2018. Earnings before income taxes for the first quarter of 2019 were $17.6 million. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $51.4 million compared with $48.0 million for the same period in 2018, an increase of $3.4 million or 7.0%. As a percentage of revenues, Adjusted EBITDA improved 20 basis points to 10.7% for the three months ended March 31, 2019, compared with 10.5% for the same period last year. Write-offs for damaged, lost or unsaleable merchandise were 4.8% of revenues in the first quarter of 2019, compared with 3.8% for the same period last year. At March 31, 2019, the Aaron's Business had 1,230 Company-operated stores and 369 franchised stores. During the first quarter of 2019, the Company acquired four franchised stores and closed 85 Company-operated stores. Additionally, during the quarter, three franchised stores closed and one franchised store was sold to a third party. Significant Components of Revenue Consolidated lease revenues and fees for the three months ended March 31, 2019 increased 14.6% over the same period of the prior year, calculated on a basis consistent with the 2019 adoption of ASC 842 related to accounting for leases. Franchise royalties and fees decreased 28.4% in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the same period a year ago, primarily as a result of the lower number of franchised stores. Franchise revenues totaled $120.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, a decrease of 32.1% from the same period for the prior year. Same store revenues for franchised stores were up 1.3% and same store customer counts were down 0.8% for the first quarter of 2019 compared with the same quarter in 2018. Franchised stores had 259,000 customers at the end of the first quarter of 2019. Revenues and customers of franchisees are not revenues and customers of the Aaron's Business or the Company. 2019 Outlook The Company is reiterating its outlook for 2019. Conference Call and Webcast The Company will hold a conference call to discuss its quarterly results on Thursday, April 25, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The public is invited to listen to the conference call by webcast accessible through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, aarons.com. The webcast will be archived for playback at that same site. About Aaron's, Inc. Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), is a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions. Progressive Leasing provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 20,000 retail partner locations in 46 states. The Aaron's Business engages in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories through its 1,599 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com. Dent-A-Med, Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard, provides a variety of second-look credit products that are originated through federally-insured banks. For more information, visit investor.aarons.com, Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com. "Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this news release regarding our business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as "believe," "guidance," "outlook," "expect," "will," "expectations," and "trends" and similar terminology. These risks and uncertainties include factors such as changes in general economic conditions, competition, pricing, legal and regulatory proceedings and investigations, customer privacy, information security, customer demand, the execution and results of our strategy and expense reduction and store closure and consolidation initiatives (including the risk that the costs associated with these initiatives exceeds expectations), risks related to M&A activities, including our recent franchisee acquisitions and the risk that the financial performance from those acquisitions and from M&A activities do not meet our expectations, risks related to Progressive Leasing's "virtual" lease-to-own business, the outcome of Progressive Leasing's pilot or test programs with various retailers and the results of Progressive Leasing's efforts to expand its relationships with existing retailer partners and establish new partnerships with additional retailers, increases in lease merchandise write-offs and bad debt expense associated with Progressive Leasing's growth in doors and customers and changes in product mix, and the other risks and uncertainties discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. Statements in this release that are "forward-looking" include without limitation statements about our expectations regarding: the strength of our lease-to-own businesses; the results of our investments in the Aaron's Business and Progressive Leasing; the results of our business transformation initiatives in the Aaron's Business; revenue growth and pipeline conversions for Progressive Leasing; same store sales for the Aaron's Business and the reiteration in this press release of the 2019 fiscal year Outlook set forth in the Company's press release on February 14, 2019, for the Company on a consolidated basis, and for Progressive Leasing, the Aaron's Business and DAMI. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date of this press release. Aaron's, Inc. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Earnings (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Revenues: Lease Revenues and Fees $ 944,157 $ 870,067 Retail Sales 12,809 8,516 Non-Retail Sales 36,981 53,230 Franchise Royalties and Fees 9,207 12,862 Interest and Fees on Loans Receivable 8,646 9,542 Other 303 592 Total $ 1,012,103 $ 954,809 Costs and Expenses: Depreciation of Lease Merchandise 500,820 440,008 Retail Cost of Sales 8,632 5,662 Non-Retail Cost of Sales 29,196 48,020 Operating Expenses 387,216 390,232 Restructuring Expenses, Net 13,281 906 Other Operating Income, Net (897) (83) Total $ 938,248 $ 884,745 Operating Profit 73,855 70,064 Interest Income 101 202 Interest Expense (4,956) (4,326) Other Non-Operating Income, Net 1,308 812 Earnings Before Income Tax Expense $ 70,308 $ 66,752 Income Tax Expense 14,230 14,506 Net Earnings $ 56,078 $ 52,246 Earnings Per Share $ 0.83 $ 0.75 Earnings Per Share Assuming Dilution $ 0.82 $ 0.73 Weighted Average Shares Outstanding 67,294 70,105 Weighted Average Shares Outstanding Assuming Dilution 68,773 72,018 Aaron's, Inc. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands) (Unaudited) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 ASSETS: Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 124,154 $ 15,278 Accounts Receivable (net of allowances of $56,785 in 2019 and $62,704 in 2018) 84,037 98,159 Lease Merchandise (net of accumulated depreciation and allowances of $808,056 in 2019 and $816,928 in 2018) 1,301,066 1,318,470 Loans Receivable (net of allowances and unamortized fees of $18,925 in 2019 and $19,941 in 2018) 72,564 76,153 Property, Plant and Equipment at Cost (net of accumulated depreciation of $291,750 in 2019 and $284,287 in 2018) 228,864 229,492 Operating Lease Right-of-Use Assets 370,282 Goodwill 734,558 733,170 Other Intangibles (net of accumulated amortization of $138,308 in 2019 and $130,116 in 2018) 216,559 228,600 Income Tax Receivable 13,401 29,148 Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets 92,481 98,222 Total Assets $ 3,237,966 $ 2,826,692 LIABILITIES & SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY: Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses $ 246,779 $ 293,153 Deferred Income Taxes Payable 279,224 267,500 Customer Deposits and Advance Payments 83,610 80,579 Operating Lease Liabilities 406,559 Debt 408,286 424,752 Total Liabilities 1,424,458 1,065,984 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY: Common Stock, Par Value $0.50 Per Share: Authorized: 225,000,000 Shares at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018; Shares Issued: 90,752,123 at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 45,376 45,376 Additional Paid-in Capital 270,727 278,922 Retained Earnings 2,061,651 2,005,344 Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (663) (1,087) Less: Treasury Shares at Cost Common Stock: 23,074,674 Shares at March 31, 2019 and 23,567,979 at December 31, 2018 (563,583) (567,847) Total Shareholders' Equity 1,813,508 1,760,708 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 3,237,966 2,826,692 Aaron's, Inc. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, (In Thousands) 2019 2018 OPERATING ACTIVITIES: Net Earnings $ 56,078 $ 52,246 Adjustments to Reconcile Net Earnings to Cash Provided by Operating Activities: Depreciation of Lease Merchandise 500,820 440,008 Other Depreciation and Amortization 26,562 22,115 Accounts Receivable Provision 63,235 51,458 Provision for Credit Losses on Loans Receivable 4,255 4,492 Stock-Based Compensation 7,549 8,519 Deferred Income Taxes 10,861 23,201 Impairment of Assets 10,492 Amortization of Right of Use Assets 25,802 Other Changes, Net 883 (1,014) Changes in Operating Assets and Liabilities, Net of Effects of Acquisitions and Dispositions: Additions to Lease Merchandise (580,089) (514,055) Book Value of Lease Merchandise Sold or Disposed 98,257 98,797 Accounts Receivable (50,467) (33,591) Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets 1,550 (6,022) Income Tax Receivable 15,747 68,214 Operating Lease Liabilities (27,890) Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses (1,854) (21,598) Customer Deposits and Advance Payments 2,947 3,806 Cash Provided by Operating Activities 164,738 196,576 INVESTING ACTIVITIES: Investments in Loans Receivable (14,493) (14,598) Proceeds from Loans Receivable 14,482 15,135 Proceeds from Investments 666 Outflows on Purchases of Property, Plant and Equipment (23,807) (17,254) Proceeds from Property, Plant and Equipment 511 2,731 Outflows on Acquisitions of Businesses and Customer Agreements, Net of Cash Acquired (3,470) (4,774) Proceeds from Dispositions of Businesses and Customer Agreements, Net of Cash Disposed 755 144 Cash Used in Investing Activities (26,022) (17,950) FINANCING ACTIVITIES: Repayments on Revolving Facility, Net (16,000) Repayments on Debt (575) (10,511) Dividends Paid (2,366) (2,111) Acquisition of Treasury Stock (18,407) Issuance of Stock Under Stock Option Plans 1,996 3,182 Shares Withheld for Tax Payments (12,977) (12,343) Debt Issuance Costs (55) Cash Used in Financing Activities (29,922) (40,245) EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 82 (8) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents 108,876 138,373 Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period 15,278 51,037 Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period $ 124,154 $ 189,410 Aaron's, Inc. and Subsidiaries Quarterly Revenues by Segment (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Progressive Leasing1 The Aaron's Business DAMI Consolidated Total Lease Revenues and Fees $ 523,401 $ 420,756 $ $ 944,157 Retail Sales 12,809 12,809 Non-Retail Sales 36,981 36,981 Franchise Royalties and Fees 9,207 9,207 Interest and Fees on Loans Receivable 8,646 8,646 Other 303 303 Total Revenues $ 523,401 $ 480,056 $ 8,646 $ 1,012,103 1 For the three months ended March 31, 2019, Progressive Leasing incurred bad debt expense of $56,070 which was recorded as a reduction to Lease Revenues and Fees as a result of the Company's adoption of ASC 842, Leases. (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 Progressive Leasing The Aaron's Business DAMI Consolidated Total Lease Revenues and Fees $ 486,517 $ 383,550 $ $ 870,067 Retail Sales 8,516 8,516 Non-Retail Sales 53,230 53,230 Franchise Royalties and Fees 12,862 12,862 Interest and Fees on Loans Receivable 9,542 9,542 Other 592 592 Total Revenues $ 486,517 $ 458,750 $ 9,542 $ 954,809 Progressive Bad Debt Expense 46,525 46,525 Total Revenues, net of Progressive Bad Debt Expense1 $ 439,992 $ 458,750 $ 9,542 $ 908,284 1 See the "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information" section accompanying this press release. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information: Non-GAAP net earnings, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures of our performance that are not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). Non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2019 each exclude $5.4 million in Progressive Leasing-related intangible amortization expense, $4.0 million in amortization expense resulting from franchisee acquisitions, $0.1 million in acquisition transaction and transition costs related to franchisee acquisitions and $13.3 million in restructuring charges. Non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2018 exclude $5.4 million in Progressive Leasing-related intangible amortization expense, $1.2 million in amortization expense resulting from franchisee acquisitions, $0.9 million in restructuring charges and $0.2 million in tax effects related to a Tax Act adjustment. The EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA figures presented in this press release are calculated as the Company's earnings before interest expense, depreciation on property, plant and equipment, amortization of intangible assets and income taxes. Adjusted EBITDA also excludes the other adjustments described in the calculation of non-GAAP net earnings above. Management believes that non-GAAP net earnings, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provide relevant and useful information, and are widely used by analysts, investors and competitors in our industry as well as by our management in assessing both consolidated and business unit performance. Non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted earnings provides management and investors with an understanding of the results from the primary operations of our business by excluding the effects of certain items that generally arose from larger, one-time transactions that are not reflective of the ordinary earnings activity of our operations. This measure may be useful to an investor in evaluating the underlying operating performance of our business. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA also provides management and investors with an understanding of one aspect of earnings before the impact of investing and financing charges and income taxes. These measures may be useful to an investor in evaluating our operating performance and liquidity because the measures: Are widely used by investors to measure a company's operating performance without regard to items excluded from the calculation of such measure, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods, book value of assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired, among other factors. Are a financial measurement that is used by rating agencies, lenders and other parties to evaluate our creditworthiness. Are used by our management for various purposes, including as a measure of performance of our operating entities and as a basis for strategic planning and forecasting. This press release also discloses non-GAAP revenues for periods prior to January 1, 2019 as if the lessor accounting impacts of ASC 842 were in effect during the three months ended March 31, 2018. "Total Revenues, net of Progressive Bad Debt Expense" and the related percentages for the comparable prior year period are a supplemental measure of our performance that are not calculated in accordance with GAAP in place during 2018. These non-GAAP measures assume that Progressive bad debt expense is recorded as a reduction to lease revenues and fees instead of within operating expenses in 2018. Please see Note 1 to the condensed consolidated financial statements and the "Results of Operations" section of our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 for a more comprehensive disclosure of bad debt expense and the impact of the adoption of ASC 842 related to accounting for leases for the prospective periods beginning with the first quarter of 2019. Management believes these non-GAAP measures for 2018 provide relevant and useful information for users of our financial statements, as it provides comparability with the financial results we are reporting beginning in 2019 when ASC 842 became effective and we began reporting Progressive bad debt expense as a reduction to lease revenues and fees. We believe these non-GAAP measures provide management and investors the ability to better understand the results from the primary operations of our business in 2019 compared with 2018 by classifying Progressive bad debt expense consistently between the periods. Finally, this press release presents pre-tax, pre-provision loss for DAMI, which is also a supplemental measure not calculated in accordance with GAAP. Management believes this measure is useful because it gives management and investors an additional, supplemental metric to assess DAMI's underlying operational performance for the period. Due to the growth of our originated credit card loan portfolio after our October 2015 acquisition of DAMI, we believe pre-provision, pre-tax loss helps investors to assess DAMI's operating performance until such time as the credit card portfolio reaches levels which management believes will be normal and recurring. Management uses this measure as one of its bases for strategic planning and forecasting for DAMI. Our use of pre-provision, pre-tax loss may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies, because not all companies and analysts calculate these measures in the same manner. Non-GAAP financial measures, however, should not be used as a substitute for, or considered superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP, such as the Company's GAAP basis net earnings and diluted earnings per share and the GAAP earnings before income taxes of the Company's segments, which are also presented in the press release. Further, we caution investors that amounts presented in accordance with our definitions of non-GAAP net earnings, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Total revenues net of Progressive bad debt expense and the related percentages for the comparable prior year period, and pre-tax, pre-provision loss may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies, because not all companies and analysts calculate these measures in the same manner. Reconciliation of Net Earnings and Earnings Per Share Assuming Dilution to Non-GAAP Net Earnings and Earnings Per Share Assuming Dilution (In thousands, except per share) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net Earnings $ 56,078 $ 52,246 Add Progressive Leasing-Related Intangible Amortization Expense (1)(2) 4,324 4,243 Add Franchisee-Related Intangible Amortization Expense(3)(4) 3,226 953 Add Restructuring Expense, net (5)(6) 10,593 709 Add Acquisition Transaction and Transition Costs(7) 90 Tax Act Adjustments 193 Non-GAAP Net Earnings $ 74,311 $ 58,344 Earnings Per Share Assuming Dilution $ 0.82 $ 0.73 Add Progressive Leasing-Related Intangible Amortization Expense (1)(2) 0.06 0.06 Add Franchisee-Related Intangible Amortization Expense(3)(4) 0.05 0.01 Add Restructuring Expense, net(5)(6) 0.15 0.01 Add Acquisition Transaction and Transition Costs(7) Tax Act Adjustments Non-GAAP Earnings Per Share Assuming Dilution(8) $ 1.08 $ 0.81 Weighted Average Shares Outstanding Assuming Dilution 68,773 72,018 (1) Net of taxes of $1,097 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 calculated using the effective tax rate for the period. (2) Net of taxes of $1,178 for the three months ended March 31, 2018 calculated using the estimated tax rate of 21.73% for the period. (3) Net of taxes of $819 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 calculated using the effective tax rate for the period. (4) Net of taxes of $264 for the three months ended March 31, 2018 calculated using the estimated tax rate of 21.73% for the period. (5) Net of taxes of $2,688 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 calculated using the effective tax rate for the period. (6) Net of taxes of $197 for the three months ended March 31, 2018 calculated using the estimated tax rate of 21.73% for the period. (7) Net of taxes of $23 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 calculated using the effective tax rate for the period. (8) In some cases, the sum of individual EPS amounts may not equal total non-GAAP EPS calculations due to rounding. DAMI Pre-tax, Pre-provision Loss (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Loss Before Income Taxes $ (2,668) $ (1,306) Adjustment to Increase Allowance for Loan Losses During Period (607) (755) Pre-tax, Pre-provision Loss $ (3,275) $ (2,061) Aaron's, Inc. and Subsidiaries Non-GAAP Financial Information Quarterly Segment EBITDA (In thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Progressive Leasing The Aaron's Business DAMI Consolidated Total Net Earnings $ 56,078 Income Taxes1 14,230 Earnings (Loss) Before Income Taxes 55,388 17,588 (2,668) 70,308 Interest Expense 2,722 1,354 880 4,956 Depreciation 1,787 14,588 190 16,565 Amortization 5,421 4,431 145 9,997 EBITDA $ 65,318 $ 37,961 $ (1,453) $ 101,826 Restructuring Expenses 13,281 13,281 Acquisition Transaction and Transition Costs 113 113 Adjusted EBITDA $ 65,318 $ 51,355 $ (1,453) $ 115,220 (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 Progressive Leasing The Aaron's Business DAMI Consolidated Total Net Earnings $ 52,246 Income Taxes1 14,506 Earnings (Loss) Before Income Taxes 34,979 33,079 (1,306) 66,752 Interest Expense 4,375 (823) 774 4,326 Depreciation 1,468 13,086 242 14,796 Amortization 5,421 1,753 145 7,319 EBITDA $ 46,243 $ 47,095 $ (145) $ 93,193 Restructuring Expenses 906 906 Adjusted EBITDA $ 46,243 $ 48,001 $ (145) $ 94,099 (1) Taxes are calculated on a consolidated basis and are not identifiable by company segments. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aarons-inc-reports-first-quarter-revenue-and-earnings-300837902.html SOURCE Aaron's, Inc. [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] Nairobi (AFP) - The rivals in South Sudan's conflict have been invited to hold talks in Ethiopia's capital next week to nudge along a fragile peace deal that has suffered repeated setbacks, according to a letter seen Thursday by AFP. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc for East Africa, extended the invitation on Wednesday to the two sides, led by President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar. The letter urges them to attend the May 2-3 talks in Addis Ababa to discuss "the implementation of the peace agreement and the way forward". The peace deal, signed in September, put an end to much of the civil war that had ravaged the world's youngest nation since December 2013, killing 400,000 people and displacing four million. But the formation of a transitional government combining both camps has not been forthcoming. Machar -- who fled the capital Juba in 2016 when a previous peace deal fell apart -- has asked for a delay of six months, saying it was too unsafe for him to return. Kiir last weekend called on Machar -- his former vice president and an erstwhile ally in South Sudan's struggle for independence, to return to Juba from neighbouring Sudan. Machar's continued absence would destroy the current peace accord, he warned. The transitional government is meant to be formed by a May 12 deadline, with Machar once again taking up the post of vice president. Government and opposition representatives confirmed to AFP they had received IGAD's invitation and they had the intention of participating in the talks. But there were differences in what they expected. For the government, the discussions needed to focus on "arrangements that will lead to the preparations of the formation of the transitional government in May," said a spokesman for South Sudan's foreign ministry, Mawien Makol. But the head of one opposition group, Peter Mayen Majongdit, said the Addis talks should decide "whether the government will be formed or not" in May. Political turmoil in neighbouring Sudan, where longtime president Omar al-Bashir -- a prime architect of the South Sudan accord -- was ousted two weeks ago, has raised fears that the peace deal could be weakened. 3100 Smith St. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Houston? We've rounded up the latest rental offerings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to finding a place in Houston if you've got a budget of $1,500/month. Take a look at the listings, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Greenbriar Drive and Main Street (Medical Center Area) Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment over at Greenbriar Drive and Main Street. It's listed for $1,499/month for its 799 square feet of space. When it comes to building amenities, expect garage parking, outdoor space and a swimming pool. In the apartment, there are hardwood floors, high ceilings and a balcony. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is very walkable, is easy to get around on a bicycle and has excellent transit. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) 3100 Smith St. (Midtown) Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 3100 Smith St. that's also going for $1,499/month. In the furnished unit, you'll get air conditioning, a dishwasher and in-unit laundry. The building offers assigned parking and a swimming pool. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is friendly for those on foot, is relatively bikeable and is a haven for transit riders. (Take a look at the full listing here.) 1028 Dreyfus St. (Medical Center Area) Next, check out this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's located at 1028 Dreyfus St. It's listed for $1,497/month. In the unit, you'll get hardwood floors, in-unit laundry and a balcony. The building features garage parking, a swimming pool and an elevator. Luckily for pet owners, both dogs and cats are permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. Story continues Per Walk Score ratings, this location is moderately walkable, is convenient for biking and has excellent transit. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) 2119 Westheimer Road (Greenway / Upper Kirby Area) Finally, located at 2119 Westheimer Road, here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's listed for $1,493/month. In the furnished unit, you can anticipate hardwood floors, in-unit laundry and a walk-in closet. When it comes to building amenities, expect garage parking, a swimming pool and a fitness center. Pet owners, take heed: cats and dogs are welcome. According to Walk Score's assessment, the area around this address is friendly for those on foot, is bikeable and has good transit options. (See the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 3500 University Blvd. North. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Jacksonville? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to hunting down a rental in Jacksonville with a budget of $900/month. Read on for the listings. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 3919 Bell Tower Drive, #1 (San Jose) Listed at $900/month, this 845-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom spot is located at 3919 Bell Tower Drive, #1. In the unit, expect tile floors. The building has on-site laundry, outdoor space and a swimming pool. Animals are not permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is somewhat walkable and is fairly bikeable. (See the complete listing here.) 2900 Florida, A1A (North Beach) Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom over at 2900 Florida, A1A. It's also listed for $900/month for its 625 square feet of space. In the unit, there is air conditioning, high ceilings and a balcony. Building amenities include a swimming pool, a fitness center and a roof deck. When it comes to pets, both meows and barks are allowed. Walk Score indicates that this location is car-dependent and is bikeable. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) 3500 University Blvd. North (Jacksonville University) Next, check out this 750-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom that's located at 3500 University Blvd. North. It's listed for $899/month. In the unit, you'll get hardwood floors. The building has on-site laundry, a swimming pool and a fitness center. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are permitted on this property. Per Walk Score ratings, this location is car-dependent and is somewhat bikeable. (Check out the complete listing here.) Story continues 2834 Downing St., #4 (Riverside) Located at 2834 Downing St., #4, here's a 750-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's listed for $895/month. In the unit, you can anticipate air conditioning and carpeted flooring. Assigned parking is listed as a building amenity. Cats and dogs are not welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score's assessment, the surrounding area is very walkable and is relatively bikeable. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 601 N.E. 36th St., #2005. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Miami? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to finding a rental in Miami if you've got $2,200/month earmarked for your rent. Read on for the listings. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 601 N.E. 36th St., #2005 Listed at $2,200/month, this one-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom residence is located at 601 N.E. 36th St., #2005. Unit amenities include marble floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Building amenities include outdoor space, a swimming pool and concierge service. Animals are not welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area is quite walkable, is bikeable and has good transit options. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) 1900 N. Bayshore Drive, #808 Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo at 1900 N. Bayshore Drive, #808, that's also going for $2,200/month. In the furnished unit, you'll get hardwood floors, high ceilings and a balcony. Amenities offered in the building include garage parking, a swimming pool and a fitness center. Neither cats nor dogs are permitted. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that the surrounding area is a "walker's paradise," is very bikeable and is a haven for transit riders. (Take a look at the full listing here.) 300 S. Biscayne Blvd., #T2007 (Downtown) Next, check out this 733-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom abode that's located at 300 S. Biscayne Blvd., #T2007. It's listed for $2,200/month. In the unit, you'll get in-unit laundry. The building has on-site management. Animals are not permitted. Per Walk Score ratings, this location is a "walker's paradise," is convenient for biking and has excellent transit. Story continues (Take a look at the complete listing here.) 253 N.E. Second St., #3806 (Downtown) Listed at $2,200/month, this one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo is located at 253 N.E. Second St., #3806. The building offers a swimming pool, a fitness center and a roof deck. The furnished unit comes with air conditioning. Neither cats nor dogs are permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, this location is extremely walkable, is quite bikeable and is a haven for transit riders. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 14600 Dwyer Blvd. | Photos: Zumper Need a budget-friendly new spot? Though apartment hunting can be challenging, don't despair just yetthere are deals to be had. So what does the low-end rent on a rental in New Orleans look like these daysand what might you get for the price? We took a look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in New Orleans via rental site Zumper to find out what budget-minded apartment seekers can expect to find. Take a look at the cheapest listings available right now, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 14600 Dwyer Blvd., #47-5018 Listed at $694/month, this 580-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, located at 14600 Dwyer Blvd., #47-5018, in Village De L'Est, is 40.8 percent less than the median rent for a one bedroom in New Orleans, which is currently estimated at around $1,171/month. Unit amenities include both air conditioning and central heating along with in-unit laundry. The building features a fitness center. Pets are not allowed. According to Walk Score, the area around this address requires a car for most errands and is bikeable. (See the complete listing here.) 1828 Washington Ave. Here's a studio at 1828 Washington Ave. in Central City, which is going for $800/month. Amenities offered in the building include assigned parking, on-site laundry and secured entry. In the unit, anticipate air conditioning and stainless steel appliances. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: this spot doesn't allow cats or dogs. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score's assessment, the surrounding area is very walkable and is convenient for biking. (See the full listing here.) 4254 Maple Leaf Drive This one-bedroom, one-bathroom, situated at 4254 Maple Leaf Drive in Old Aurora, is listed for $885/month for its 737 square feet of space. Story continues Building amenities include a swimming pool, a fitness center and on-site laundry. In the unit, which comes furnished, you'll find air conditioning, a balcony and a walk-in closet. Luckily for pet owners, both dogs and cats are allowed. Per Walk Score ratings, this location isn't very walkable and isn't particularly bikeable. (See the listing here.) 5700 St. Anthony Ave. Listed at $895/month, this 700-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom is located at 5700 St. Anthony Ave. in St. Anthony. In the unit, expect to find air conditioning, in-unit laundry and a dishwasher. The building offers a business center. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are allowed. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that this location is car-dependent and is very bikeable. (Check out the complete listing here.) 2508 Napoleon Ave. To round things out, there's this 500-square-foot studio at 2508 Napoleon Ave. in Freret. It's being listed for $945/month. In the unit, the listing promises hardwood floors, high ceilings and stainless steel appliances. Building amenities include assigned parking. Cats and dogs are not welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area is very walkable and is convenient for biking. (Here's the full listing.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 4077 Third Ave., #110. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in San Diego? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to finding a rental in San Diego if you don't want to spend more than $1,900/month on rent. Take a peek at what rentals the city has to offer, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 8640 Via Mallorca, #F (La Jolla) First, here's a 691-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at 8640 Via Mallorca, #F that's going for $1,900/month. In the unit, you'll have carpeted floors, a dishwasher, storage space and a patio. As for building amenities, anticipate on-site laundry, assigned parking, outdoor space, a swimming pool and a fitness center. Neither cats nor dogs are allowed. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. According to Walk Score's assessment, the surrounding area is somewhat walkable, is relatively bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 4077 Third Ave., #110 (Hillcrest) Next, check out this studio abode that's located at 4077 Third Ave., #110. It's listed for $1,895/month. In the furnished unit, look for hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and air conditioning. The building boasts on-site laundry. Animals are not permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is friendly for those on foot, has some bike infrastructure and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here.) 610 W. Laurel St., #5 (Park West) Located at 610 W. Laurel St., #5, here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's also listed for $1,895/month. In the unit, you can expect hardwood floors, a dishwasher and in-unit laundry. Luckily for pet owners, both dogs and cats are welcome. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. Story continues According to Walk Score, the surrounding area is quite walkable, isn't particularly bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) 1080 Park Blvd., #1218 (East Village) Next, there's this studio abode located at 1080 Park Blvd., #1218. It's listed for $1,895/month for its 863 square feet of space. The unit features hardwood floors, a balcony and in-unit laundry. Building amenities include garage parking, outdoor space, a fitness center and a roof deck. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. According to Walk Score's assessment, the surrounding area is extremely walkable, has some bike infrastructure and is a haven for transit riders. (Check out the complete listing here.) 3767 Bancroft St. (North Park) Finally, located at 3767 Bancroft St., here's a 511-square-foot studio apartment that's listed for $1,895/month. In the unit, anticipate hardwood floors, high ceilings, stainless steel appliances, a balcony and in-unit laundry. As for building amenities, look for garage parking, storage space and secured entry. When it comes to pets, both meows and barks are allowed. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is extremely walkable, has some bike infrastructure and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. According to a recent report from Harvard called The Caring Company, 32 percent of people leave the workforce for family caregiving responsibilities. Many are in senior management. While there is a lot of talk about leaving the workforce, very little has been written about reentering it -- so let's take a look. What You're Doing Now Is Important Caregiving is a job in itself -- so be proud of what you're doing. There is no reason to apologize. Because caregiving is becoming so prevalent, when you tell people why you left the job market, they'll understand. Adults 55 and up are the fastest-growing segment of the workforce, and many have been caregivers. Stand up straight -- you've done the right thing. No doubt, reentering the workforce is hard, and circumstances vary. How long you've been out of the workforce also impacts your strategy -- three months versus three years. [See: 14 Ways Caregivers Can Care for Themselves.] First and Foremost, Maintain Your Network Chris Farrell, author of Purpose and a Paycheck and senior economics contributor at Marketplace, recommends that you keep in touch with former colleagues. Be engaged with your local network, whether it's through church, service clubs and other associations. College alumni groups are great, too. Your network is comprised of the people who have known you over the years. Have coffee with them; send them emails once in a while. By doing so, you'll stay on their radar. So, What About My Resume? Think about your skills, not your title, to open up more possibilities. You can list chronological positions on your resume, but save that for the second page. Listing those first tends to showcase gaps. Include a short and general description such as, "Caregiving for Ailing Dad." Highlight any classes you took or any training you had during that time. During your caregiving journey, you may find yourself using skills you honed in the workforce or developing new ones. Story continues For example, I don't use logistics in the normal part of my job. Yet, using tech tools, I was able to logistically organize care for my mom in Florida while my sister was unsuccessfully battling cancer. New skill: logistics. My mom was a tough Roman Catholic "broad" who spoke her mind and had all of her mental faculties to do so. That taught me additional new skills: resiliency and grace under pressure. Tell a compelling story about the skills you've been using as a caregiver. Think of a problem and how you solved it, and show the result and how it translates to the job. [See: How to Help Aging Parents Manage Medications.] Should You Contact Your Former Employer? It depends. Did you leave on good terms? Did you like the job? Also, the higher up the hierarchy you were, the tighter the market. Maybe you can go back as a contract employee or replace someone on leave for a short term. That may also require catching up with your profession and the latest trends and developments. "Returnships" is a new buzzword describing programs designed by companies like Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse and MetLife to help people who left the workforce renter the workforce with a paid internship. Path Forward helps people transition back to work after years spent in caregiving. Pursue Something Different A lot of people come out the other side of caregiving with new purpose, but not necessarily for what they were doing. I've witnessed people build careers around finding solutions to the elder care crisis directly because of things that happened during their journey. So, evaluate your skill-set to better understand where you want to go. Then think about some local community college courses or other training to help you explore further. Maybe taking those courses can be part of your respite and recharge plan. The reality is that for the typical caregiver -- you know, mid-40s, early 50s -- 20 years in a job may have been enough. You may be seeking more purpose in your life. So, before you go back to a previous employer, ask yourself what you want to do next. Also, return to your network. They don't think of you as your job. They think of you as a person with character, and they know what you're good at doing. Ask them what they think you should do. Take on an experimental mindset and be open to the possibilities. They will be candid with you, too. [See: 8 Proven Strategies to Stop Overthinking and Ease Anxiety Now.] Where to Look for Work Organization size and type matter. Large organizations are starting to see the impact of caregiving in the workforce and are instituting policies that help take care of and protect the workforce. Health care organizations that see the impact of family caregivers on their front-line caregivers also have been more sensitive to the issue. They're often more willing to negotiate part time work. Find a company that is caring to caregivers. Don't discount small businesses. Many times, the owners are so connected to their employees that they'll keep a job open or make room when he or she returns. Don Weber of Logistics Health told me that when one of his employees had to leave the workforce for six months to take care of her dad, who had cancer, Weber kept her job open and made financial arrangements for her. The 65-plus crowd has the highest levels of self-employment, so that's another avenue you could pursue. If organizations won't allow you to be creative, be creative on your own. Someone in their 50s, 60s or 70s can be a creative and productive member of society. Yes, there are ageism issues to combat, but we have strength in numbers, right? Oh yeah, and one final thing: Don't burn bridges! Anthony Cirillo is president of The Aging Experience. He's a passionate advocate for family caregivers and older adults, helping them lead a quality life through a platform of educated aging -- physically, emotionally and financially. Cirillo is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives with a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania, His clients have ranged from the Cleveland Clinic, Unisys,and King Faisal Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Carolinas Health Care, Novant Health, Wall Street startups and many more. Anthony serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for PPS Alert for Long-Term Care and is an editorial board member for the Journal of Aging and Geriatric Psychiatry. Following is a summary of current health news briefs. WHO recommends one-hour maximum screen time per day for under-5s Young children should not spend more than an hour a day watching television and videos or playing computer games and infants less than one year old should not be exposed to electronic screens at all, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. The United Nations agency, issuing its first such guidelines, said under-fives should also be physically active and get adequate sleep to help develop good lifelong habits and prevent obesity and other diseases in later life. Gaming associated with impaired social skills for some girls, but not boys Playing video games may not necessarily impair children's social skills, and a new study suggests that any behavioral effect that frequent gaming might have may occur only in pre-teen girls. The rising popularity of video games in recent years has raised questions among parents, doctors and educators about the potential for gaming to negatively impact children's psychological and social development, researchers note in Child Development. But much of this research has focused on kids who spend too much time gaming or favor violent games. Trump says he is holding big Pharma accountable in opioid fight U.S. President Donald Trump touted progress in the fight against opioid abuse on Wednesday and promised to hold drugmakers accountable for their part in the crisis, a day after his administration brought its first related criminal charges against a major drug distributor and company executives. America's opioid epidemic, especially damaging in rural areas where Trump is popular, has been a focus for the Republican president. Surescripts faces U.S. antitrust lawsuit over electronic prescription monopoly The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed an antitrust lawsuit against the health information network Surescripts on Wednesday, accusing them of using illegal means to maintain monopolies over two portions of the electronic prescribing market. Surescripts said in a statement that it was "disappointed" by the lawsuit and had been cooperating with the agency. Story continues Drones to deliver vaccines, blood and drugs across Ghana Hundreds of drones will begin delivering life-saving vaccines, blood and medicines to patients in Ghana this week in the largest scheme of its kind, the global vaccine alliance GAVI said on Wednesday. Medics will place orders by text message when supplies run dry, said GAVI chief executive Seth Berkley. Millions of children miss measles shots, creating outbreaks: UNICEF By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) - More than 20 million children a year missed out on measles vaccines across the world in the past eight years, laying a path of exposure to a virus that is now causing disease outbreaks globally, a United Nations report said on Thursday. Sunny Portugal: A gateway to Europe's medical pot market Famous for its roasted suckling pig and wines, the Portuguese city of Cantanhede now hosts the country's first medical cannabis production farm - a budding European hub of efforts to meet growing demand for the flowering herb. Portugal's California-like weather caught the eye of Canada-based Tilray as its CEO Brendan Kennedy roved around Europe from 2015 to 2017 in search of the perfect spot for a new production site. Ebola first responders threaten strike if security not improved Health workers in one of the epicenters of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak threatened on Wednesday to go on strike as early as next week if authorities don't do more to protect them. Repeated attacks on treatment centers by armed militiamen and community members who think Ebola is a conspiracy against them have hampered the response to the second-deadliest outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever in history. German scientists create see-through human organs Researchers in Germany have created transparent human organs using a new technology that could pave the way to print three-dimensional body parts such as kidneys for transplants. Scientists led by Ali Erturk at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich have developed a technique that uses a solvent to make organs such as the brain and kidneys transparent. U.S. measles cases hit highest level since eradication in 2000 The United States has confirmed 695 measles cases so far this year, the highest level since the country declared it had eliminated the virus in 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday. The resurgence, which public health officials blamed in part on the spread of misinformation about the safety of vaccines, has been concentrated mainly in Washington state and New York with outbreaks that began late last year. [April 25, 2019] The Bell MTS all-fibre broadband network is expanding to Carman Access to Gigabit Fibe Internet and next-generation Fibe TV service CARMAN, MB, April 25, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell MTS and the Town of Carman today announced plans to expand the Bell MTS all-fibre broadband network to approximately 1,600 residences and business locations throughout the town. These direct fibre connections will offer the Pembina Valley community access to Bell MTS Gigabit Fibe Internet service as well as the innovative Fibe TV television service with 4K picture quality and exclusive viewing features. "The Town of Carman is excited to partner with Bell MTS to extend high quality broadband connections to those that live, work and visit our community," said Brent Owen, Mayor of the Town of Carman. "Access to high-speed Internet is a priority for Carman and this Bell MTS investment will provide meaningful economic benefits for our community, while helping us keep pace with changing technology." "We're proud to bring the most advanced broadband services to consumers and businesses alike in the Town of Carman," said Dan McKeen, Vice Chair Bell MTS & Western Canada. "Our billion-dollar capital investment plan for Manitoba continues to deliver ne opportunities for communities across the province to engage in the growing digital economy." Fully funded by Bell MTS, the network expansion includes approximately 40 kilometres of new fibre installation directly to homes and commercial locations throughout Carman. The first customer connections are expected later this year. For more information about Bell MTS Fibe services, please visit BellMTS.ca/Internet or BellMTS.ca/Business. About the Town of Carman The Town of Carman, located less than an hour south west of Winnipeg, keeps you close to the big city in a close-knit and friendly rural environment. Home to over 3,000 residents, our economic prosperity is built on our thriving agricultural services industry. We enjoy a strong sense of community and have cultivated a diverse cultural landscape that can be experienced at the renowned Country Fair or any of the hundreds of community events we host each and every year. About Bell MTS Bell MTS is part of BCE, Canada's largest communications company, and provides advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communication services throughout Manitoba. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading television, radio, out of home and digital media assets in Manitoba and across Canada. To learn more, please visit BellMTS.ca or BCE.ca . The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk . Media inquiries: Morgan Shipley Bell MTS 204-391-2849 morgan.shipley@bellmts.ca @Bell_News Tyler King Town of Carman 204-745-2675 tyler@townofcarman.com SOURCE Bell Canada [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Putin: nothing wrong with us giving passports to east Ukraine residents Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday there was nothing wrong with easing rules for residents of Ukrainian rebel regions to receive Russian passports, a decision that prompted condemnation and calls for more sanctions against Moscow. Speaking to reporters at the end of a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Putin said Poland, Romania and Hungary grant citizenship to their ethnic kin outside their borders and he saw no reason why Russia could not do the same. Exclusive: In rare move, French warship passes through Taiwan Strait A French warship passed through the strategic Taiwan Strait this month, U.S. officials told Reuters, a rare voyage by a vessel of a European country that is likely to be welcomed by Washington but increase tension with Beijing. The passage, which was confirmed by China, is a sign that U.S. allies are increasingly asserting freedom of navigation in international waterways near China. It could open the door for other allies, such as Japan and Australia, to consider similar operations. Britain wants Brexit deal approved before July: May's deputy British Prime Minister Theresa May's government wants to get her thrice-defeated Brexit deal approved by parliament before the new European parliament opens in July, her de-facto deputy, David Lidington, said on Thursday. Lidington, cabinet office minister, said the timing was heavily dependent on how talks progressed with the opposition Labour Party on finding a consensus for a deal but said the issue could not drag on. Catalonia: the crisis at the heart of Spain's election Proudly displaying two Spanish flags he brought to wave at a Vox rally, retired police officer Jose Antonio Corrales Sierra says he will vote for the far-right party in Sunday's election and is ditching the mainstream PP conservatives because of Catalonia. The northeastern region's independence drive has been an agent of radical change. It was instrumental in triggering the election, has been a pivotal issue throughout campaigning and is expected to be crucial in determining the composition of the next government. Story continues Sri Lanka on edge with scares, lock-downs and sweeps for bomb suspects Sri Lankan authorities locked down the central bank and shut the road leading to the jittery capital's airport because of a bomb scare on Thursday as more people were swept up in the search for those behind Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359. Two bank officials told Reuters the street outside the building near the World Trade Center in the capital, Colombo, was blocked to traffic before the security alert was lifted. Sri Lanka's crisis of leadership opens space for nationalist Rajapaksas Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother, then the defense secretary, crushed Tamil Tiger separatists with such ferocity ten years ago that Western powers sought war crime trials against them and greeted their defeat in elections later with barely concealed glee. But now the tiny Indian Ocean island is faced with South Asia's deadliest militant attack - claimed by Islamic State - and may well again turn to the Rajapaksas for a strong-willed response to the new threat, politicians and diplomats say. Extinction Rebellion protesters glue themselves to London Stock Exchange Protesters from the environmental group Extinction Rebellion glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange building on Thursday on the final day of protests that have caused mass disruption in the British capital. At London Stock Exchange's headquarters, six protesters dressed in black suits and red ties were blocking the revolving doors of the building. In east Aleppo, bodies still under rubble show limits of Syria's recovery The bodies of three-year-old Malak Kasas and two neighbors still lie under a pile of rubble in Aleppo's Kalasa district more than two years after the Syrian government recaptured the area. Malak's grandfather, Omar, and uncle, Mahmoud, live in the building opposite. When they stand on the balcony, they see the collapsed building that is her tomb. Whenever Omar says her name he bursts into silent, convulsive, sobs. Putin says U.S. guarantees unlikely to prompt North Korea to de-nuclearize Russian President Vladimir Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program. Putin and Kim held a day of talks on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. India's Modi faces fight in Maharashtra state that could decide majority Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party and a Hindu nationalist ally face a big electoral challenge in the critical western state of Maharashtra where rural distress, unemployment and drought may hurt Modi's bid for a second term. Strategists already expect Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to lose ground in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh in the north, as voting is underway in a general election that began on April 11 and ends on May 19. Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Picture emerges of well-to-do young bombers behind Sri Lankan carnage Details began to emerge in Sri Lanka on Wednesday of a band of nine, well-educated Islamist suicide bombers, including a woman, from well-to-do families who slaughtered 359 people in Easter Sunday bomb attacks. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks on three churches and four hotels. If that connection is confirmed, the attacks looks likely to be the deadliest ever linked to the group. Exclusive: Gold worth billions smuggled out of Africa Billions of dollars' worth of gold is being smuggled out of Africa every year through the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East a gateway to markets in Europe, the United States and beyond a Reuters analysis has found. Customs data shows that the UAE imported $15.1 billion worth of gold from Africa in 2016, more than any other country and up from $1.3 billion in 2006. The total weight was 446 tonnes, in varying degrees of purity up from 67 tonnes in 2006. Three members of Sudan military council resign after demand by opposition Three members of Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council have resigned, but their resignations are yet to be accepted, the TMC said late on Wednesday. Lieutenant-General Omar Zain al-Abideen who heads the TMC's political committee was one of the resigning members, the TMC said in a statement. The two others were Lieutenant-General Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh and Lieutenant-General Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel. Russia offers passports to east Ukraine, president-elect decries 'aggressor state' Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed an order simplifying the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport for residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine, prompting calls for more international sanctions from Kiev. Five years of war between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed forces have killed 13,000 people despite a notional ceasefire signed in 2015. Story continues Japan's incoming imperial couple offers the nation something new Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife, Masako, represent a lot of firsts for an imperial couple: university-educated, multilingual and with years of experience living overseas, during which Naruhito even did his own laundry. As they prepare to carve out identities as Japan's emperor and empress, hopes are high they will make the office both more international and more in touch with the lives of ordinary Japanese. Scaffolding firm says workers smoked at Paris' Notre-Dame A scaffolding firm that has worked on the roof of Notre-Dame said some of its workers had smoked on the site, but ruled out that a cigarette butt might have started the fire that destroyed the cathedral's oak-framed roof last week. A spokesman for family-owned Le Bras Freres, confirming a report in French weekly Le Canard Enchaine, told Reuters that some workers of its Europe Echafaudage scaffolding unit had informed police that they had "sometimes" smoked on the scaffolding, despite a smoking ban on the site. Exclusive: Iran's Zarif believes Trump does not want war, but could be lured into conflict Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif does not believe U.S. President Donald Trump wants war with Iran, but he told Reuters on Wednesday that Trump could be lured into a conflict. "I don't think he wants war," Zarif said in an interview at the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York. "But that doesn't exclude him being basically lured into one." 325 detained migrants evacuated as war reaches Tripoli The United Nations refugee agency evacuated 325 African refugees on Wednesday from Qasr Ben Gashir detention center in southern Tripoli because of deteriorating security and escalating violence. The refugees - mainly Eritrean, Sudanese and Nigerian - were taken to a detention center in Zawiya, a town west of the Libyan capital, where they were at "reduced risk," the UNHCR said in a statement. Spurned by Washington, North Korea's Kim seeks a friend in Putin North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at a summit designed to show that Washington is not the only power able to set the agenda on Pyongyang's nuclear program. The two men will sit down together on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. Anger over Brexit sparks new grassroots drive for Scottish independence Supporters of an independent Scotland will launch a new grassroots campaign on Thursday ahead of a possible second referendum on secession from the United Kingdom, hoping to harness Scottish voters' anger over Brexit. Scots rejected independence in 2014 and support since then has remained stuck at around 45 percent, opinion polls suggest. But Scots also voted to remain in the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum, in which England and Wales voted to leave. A Rhode Island man allegedly threatened to murder a pro-abortion rights professor and kill every Democrat in the world," federal officials announced Wednesday. Matthew Haviland, 30, of North Kingstown was charged Wednesday after sending approximately 28 threatening emails on March 10 to a college professor, whose name and affiliation was withheld by federal officials. Haviland is facing federal threat charges and cyberstalking. In an affidavit, FBI task force officer Richard Laft, Jr. wrote that the professor told authorities Havilands views regarding abortion and politics have become more extreme within the last year. The professor, who had been friends with Haviland for about 11 years, believed Havilands views changed because of the way the news media portrays President Donald Trump, Laft wrote. Haviland used social media to praise Trump and accuse the news media of attempting to ruin his presidency, the Daily Beast reported. The professor, referred to as "Victim 1," publicly advocated for abortion rights. 'This is endangering lives': Rep. Ilhan Omar claims spike in death threats after Trump tweet You are Evil. Pure evil all Democrats must be eradicated, like the Confederates before them and among their ranks, Haviland wrote to the professor in a series of emails sent within a three-hour period. They must be slaughtered. In a separate email, Haviland also threatened that people wearing "pink f-----g hats," seemingly referring to hats worn by the Women's March supporters, "should all be slaughtered." He also threatened to murder the professor, saying he would "rip every limb from your body and eat it, piece by piece." You will have your face ripped off and eaten by me, personally, he also told the professor. More: Federal judge in Oregon to block new Trump abortion policy In addition, Haviland sent 12 threatening emails to the admissions office of the professor's university on March 15. Haviland also left over 100 voice messages on April 4 and 5 at an abortion clinic in Rhode Island, where he compared doctors who work at the clinic to Nazis. According to the affidavit, Haviland admitted to authorities that he made the calls, but had no intent of harming anyone. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rhode Island man charged after allegedly threatening to kill every Democrat,' eat pro-abortion professor (Removes stray product code; text of story unchanged) * Putin, Kim met on island off Russian Pacific port * Russia hoped to burnish credentials as global player * Visit follows failure of Kim's nuclear talks with Trump * Putin says he'll inform U.S., China about the talks By Vladimir Soldatkin and Maria Vasilyeva VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 25 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program. Putin and Kim held a day of talks on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. The talks between Putin and Kim did not appear to have yielded any major breakthrough. But Putin, keen to use the summit to burnish Russia's diplomatic credentials as a global player, said he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue. That would mean including Russia, China, Japan and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea, a long-standing format that has been sidelined by unilateral U.S. efforts to broker a deal. "They (the North Koreans) only need guarantees about their security. That's it. All of us together need to think about this," Putin told reporters after talks with Kim. ."..I'm deeply convinced that if we get to a situation when some kind of security guarantees are needed from one party, in this case for North Korea, that it won't be possible to get by without international guarantees. It's unlikely that any agreements between two countries will be enough." Such guarantees would have to be international, legally-binding, and vouch for North Korea's sovereignty, said Putin. Story continues The two leaders appeared to get on well. The first session between Putin and Kim, comprising one-on-one talks with just a few aides present, lasted twice as long as the 50 minutes allocated in the schedule. Putin described Kim as "quite open" and as "thoughtful" and "interesting." MUSIC AND GIFTS Promising to brief the Chinese and U.S. leadership about his talks, Putin said he thought a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear program was possible and that the way to get there was to move forward step-by-step in order to build trust. Kim, who arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday on board his armored train, said the situation on the Korean peninsula "is an issue that the world is very interested in." He did not speak to the media afterwards, but shook hands with Putin before being driven away in his limousine. The two leaders had earlier attended a gala dinner where they toasted each other and watched traditional musical numbers and dancing performed by Russian artists. The numbers included the Russian classic song "Black Eyes" and a Korean song called "the Great Commander," Russian state media reported. The two men also exchanged gifts. Kim gave Putin a traditional Korean sword, while the Russian leader gave Kim a saber and a tea service suitable for use on his armored train. "When modern weapons did not exist, they used such swords," Russian state media cited Kim as telling Putin. "They embody strength, my soul and our people who support you." With North Korea-U.S. talks stalled, the summit in Vladivostok has provided Pyongyang with an opportunity to improve ties with its giant neighbor Russia. For the Kremlin, the summit was a chance to show it remains an important actor on the global stage despite efforts by the United States and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding international sanctions until North Korea dismantles its nuclear program, Russia's room for maneuver, beyond putting on a show of camaraderie, was limited. Putin's last summit with a North Korean leader was in 2002 when his counterpart was Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, then Russia's president and now its prime minister. (Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee in SEOUL and Maria Kiselyova, Darya Korsunskaya and Maxim Rodionov in MOSCOW Writing by Christian Lowe/Andrew Osborn Editing by Gareth Jones) Kiev (AFP) - Russia on Thursday slammed as "scandalous" a move by Ukraine to reduce the use of the Russian language, pushing up already high tensions days after Ukraine elected a new president. The reaction came hours after Ukraine's parliament approved a controversial law to enhance the status of the Ukrainian language at the expense of Russian, in a move likely to rile eastern areas of the country controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. The measure increases the quota for Ukrainian-language television and radio programming and obliges all Ukrainians to speak Ukrainian, making it mandatory for civil servants, doctors, teachers and lawyers under the threat of fines. Most of Ukraine, once part of the former Soviet Union, can speak Russian, which is closely related to Ukrainian. But use of Russian has become highly politicised after Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and backed the separatist uprising in the east. Outgoing President Petro Poroshenko on Twitter called the new law a "historic event". But his successor Volodymyr Zelensky, a popular, Russian-speaking comic actor who beat him in a run-off election last Sunday despite having no political experience beyond playing the president on television, vowed to review the law once he takes office in two months' time. "After I take up the position of president, there will be a thorough analysis of this law," he said in a statement. Russia expressed its outrage at the legislated rollback of its linguistic influence. "It is a scandalous law, there's nothing else to call it," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. The decision would "only deepen the split in Ukrainian society and further remove the possibility of bringing an end to the ongoing Ukraine crisis," she added. That objection, however, was expressed one day after Russia made it easier for people living in eastern Ukraine's separatist territories to obtain Russian passports -- a move roundly condemned by Kiev and its Western allies. Story continues - Language inspectors - According to the draft law, denigration or "neglect" of Ukrainian will be deemed a criminal offence and language inspectors will hunt down violations. But fines will not be applied for the first three years, while centres are set up around the country to support the learning of the Ukrainian language. The east and south of Ukraine are primarily Russian speaking. Ukraine also has sizeable ethnic Hungarian and Romanian minorities in the west of the country. Poroshenko compared the adoption of the law to the regeneration of the army and the creation of a unified Ukrainian Orthodox church -- another move that riled Russia. But analysts said it poses a challenge for Zelensky, who often speaks Russian at public events. Political expert Anatoliy Oktsysyuk said Zelensky has so far played a "balancing act" on the issue but "now he will need to decide: either he is for or against it". - Putin 'ready to restore ties' - Russian President Vladimir Putin has not congratulated Zelensky on his election win but on Thursday said he was ready to restore full relations with Kiev following the vote. "We want and we are ready to fully restore relations with Ukraine. But we cannot do this unilaterally," he told journalists following a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok. Putin defended the decree he signed Wednesday making it easier for residents of Ukraine's separatist territories to obtain Russian passports, saying it was of "humanitarian character". The decree is aimed at people living in the unrecognised Donetsk and Lugansk republics that broke away from Kiev in 2014 and are governed by Moscow-backed rebels. Zelensky called for more international sanctions on Russia in response to the passport decree and the European Union called it a fresh attack on Ukrainian sovereignty. Officials in Kiev said the timing of the decree was aimed at destabilising Ukraine during a period of transition and the Kremlin was testing political novice Zelensky. The EU also condemned the move, saying it violated the Minsk agreements aimed at ending the conflict in the east. Vladivostok (Russia) (AFP) - Waitresses at the North Korean restaurant in Vladivostok have broad smiles but fall silent when asked what they think about the visit of leader Kim Jong Un to the Russian city. "I don't understand Russian," they say when pressed on Kim's first trip to the country, despite using the language for taking orders. With national dish kimchi and delicacies such as shark fin soup on the menu, along with kitsch socialist realist paintings on the walls, the restaurant is just one sign of the port city's ties with its Asian neighbour. Here diners can read Russian-language booklets packed with the supreme leader's thoughts on creating a "rich and powerful homeland". These ties made Vladivostok -- just 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the border with North Korea -- the natural choice for Kim and Putin's first meeting. Kim followed the same route from the border in his armoured train as his father and grandfather. Outside the restaurant, locals expressed excitement at the high-profile visit and a sense of fellowship with North Korea even if few have ever visited. Nadezhda, a 61-year-old lawyer, took her five-year-old grandson to watch Kim's arrival at the city's art nouveau train station. She talked with nostalgia of going to school with Koreans on the far eastern Russian island of Sakhalin. "We really love Koreans, we respect and love them," she said, but declined to comment on the policies of the current North Korean leader. - 'Our nearest neighbours' - While the city welcomed Kim, visitors from South Korea were far more in evidence. Many of them had gathered to take selfies on the main square, looking onto a harbour teeming with Russian naval vessels and cargo ships. The main pedestrian street has shops that specialise in Korean food and cosmetics. Signs luring tourists in to buy traditional matryoshka dolls are written in languages including Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Story continues "Koreans mainly buy beer," said Svetlana Lushchina, a 38-year-old cashier at a store selling Korean sweets and biscuits alongside Russian chocolate bars. "Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese -- they come along in waves, as groups." She said her husband was one of the drivers who took delegates to Russky Island, off the Pacific city, for the talks. "It's important that such powerful people are meeting in Vladivostok," Lushchina said, adding that she was following the event closely. In her cosy shop selling Russian crafts, 61-year-old Nina Guminyuk said large numbers of South Koreans began arriving several years ago and were snapping up matryoshka dolls and brightly coloured pottery. But North Koreans are rare visitors to her store, she said, only coming as part of official delegations to the nearby regional administration. "It's rare, maybe two or three times a year," she estimated. "There are no tourists from North Korea." For some South Koreans, Kim's visit was a draw and many came to the rail station to catch a glimpse of him. One, Ye Won Lee from Seoul, said he was a "dangerous person." Others however expressed indifference. "Yeah whatever," said Jiehuyn, a 32-year-old accountant carrying her young daughter in a sling as she posed for a photo in front of a Soviet-era statue. She said she knew of Kim's visit but struggled to come up with an opinion. "I don't know why he came here, I don't know exactly." Another tourist from Seoul, Hyun Jeong Lee, travelling with friends in Russia, responded through a translation app on her pink cell phone: "Sorry, I'm not interested." Vladivostok residents were more enthusiastic. Yelena, a 51-year-old accountant, scrolled through her cell phone to show pictures she took of the motorcade cruising down the main street with North Korean journalists filming through a car roof window. "We need to be friends," she said, "live peacefully, not fight," "These are our nearest neighbours." SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an intriguing twist to the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea, which appeared to hit a wall after a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed in February. It also adds a chapter to the storied but often-strained friendship between Pyongyang and Moscow, which was forged in war and weathered by the Soviet collapse and tensions surrounding the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons. A look at relations between the two sides since the 1950-53 Korean War: ___ KOREAN CONFLICT The old Soviet Union was directly involved in the founding of North Korea after the end of World War II, which ended Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula but resulted in a division between the Soviet-backed North and U.S.-controlled South. Soviet officers installed ambitious young nationalist Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of North Korea's current ruler and an ex-guerrilla commander who fought Japanese forces from Manchuria in the 1930s, as the Korean leader of the emerging state on the northern half the peninsula. By early 1950, Kim Il Sung successfully persuaded an initially reluctant Joseph Stalin to allow him to unify the Koreas by force, guaranteeing a swift victory. Kim Il Sung's forces launched a surprise attack on the South in June, triggering a devastating war that drew massive interventions by the United States and China and left millions killed or injured before stopping with an armistice in 1953. The Soviets supported North Korea during the war with weapons, military advisers and pilots but stayed out of land warfare, a decision that shaped Kim Il Sung's postwar efforts to strengthen his personal power and autonomy. Moscow's support became less important for Kim's internal control when he could count on China to counter the influence of the Soviets, especially after the late 1950s when relations between the two major communist powers grew increasingly hostile. Story continues While playing Moscow and Beijing against each other to win more political independence and aid, Kim Il Sung consolidated his domestic power by violently purging his pro-Soviet and pro-Chinese opponents. ___ SOVIET COLLAPSE Despite the ups and downs in bilateral relations, Soviet military, energy and food aid were crucial in keeping North Korea's struggling economy afloat for decades. That all changed in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, which instantly deprived Pyongyang of its main economic and security benefactor. The post-communist government in Moscow led by President Boris Yeltsin saw Russia as a partner of the U.S.-led West and had no enthusiasm to continue supporting North Korea with aid and subsidized trade. Moscow established formal diplomatic ties with Seoul in hopes of drawing massive South Korean investment and allowed its Soviet-era military alliance with North Korea to expire. There were widespread predictions that a collapse of the North Korean government was imminent. Facing an existential crisis, North Korea reacted by accepting more help from China, which despite a level of mutual distrust remains Pyongyang's only major ally and considers preventing a North Korean collapse critical to its security interests. The North also became more vocal in its pursuit of a nuclear deterrent, which forced the United States to the negotiation table. In 1994, shortly after the death of Kim Il Sung, North Korea reached a major agreement with the United States to halt plutonium production in exchange for energy and food aid and security assurances. The deal broke down in 2002 after U.S. officials confronted Pyongyang over a clandestine nuclear program using enriched uranium. ___ PUTIN IN PYONGYANG Russia began to reconsider its Koreas policies in the late 1990s over what it saw as disappointing business activity with South Korea and concerns that Moscow's heavy tilt toward Seoul diminished its influence in international efforts to deal with Pyongyang. The divergence between Moscow and the West over key security issues was also becoming clear. After his first election in 2000, Putin actively sought to restore Russia's ties with North Korea, visiting Pyongyang in July that year for a meeting with Kim Jong Il, the second-generation North Korean leader, where they issued criticism of U.S. missile defense plans. The trip was seen as Putin's message to the West that Russia would seek to restore its traditional domains of influence. Putin hosted two return visits by Kim Jong Il in 2001 and 2002. Russia was also a participant in the so-called six-party talks with North Korea that were aimed at persuading the North to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for security and economic benefits. The talks, which also involved the United States, China, South Korea and Japan, have stalled since December 2008. ___ KIM'S NEW WAY Kim Jong Un's meeting with Putin is the first summit between the countries since his father traveled to eastern Siberia for a meeting with then-Russian President Dimitry Medvedev in August 2011. Kim Jong Il died in December that year. Under Kim Jong Un, North Korea accelerated its weapons tests to turn a crude nuclear program into a viable arsenal that includes purported thermonuclear weapons and long-range missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. The Trump-Kim meeting in Vietnam in February broke down after the North demanded the removal of most of the U.S.-led sanctions against the country in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear program. Kim had said he would seek a "new way" if the United States continued to test his patience with sanctions. Kim's outreach to Putin could be part of his plans to expand his options and secure allies who would apply pressure on Washington to ease its stance on sanctions. Russia currently seems better positioned to endorse Kim's stance than China, which is locked in high-stakes trade negotiations with the U.S. The summit with Kim could also serve Putin's desire to increase Russia's regional clout. Although Moscow has never supported a nuclear-armed North Korea, it may share a view with Pyongyang that a weakened U.S. influence in the region would benefit both. Following three-way talks in Moscow last October, the deputy foreign ministers of North Korea, Russia and China called on the U.N. Security Council to "adjust" its sanctions regime on Pyongyang to facilitate progress in the nuclear negotiations. While Moscow and Beijing can't lift the sanctions on their own, they can give Pyongyang more breathing room if Kim persuades them to loosen their enforcement of the measures. Electronics giant Samsung is investing in crypto hardware wallet developer Ledger. | Source: Shutterstock By CCN.com: Samsung, South Koreas biggest conglomerate and one of the worlds largest brands, has invested $2.9 million in crypto hardware wallet manufacturer and custodial service provider Ledger in a high-profile deal. The multi-million dollar investment in Ledger by Samsung comes less than a week after Samsung Ventures led a $4 million round in ZenGo, a startup developing keyless crypto wallets. On aura toujours besoin de hardware wallets, mais pour accompagner une revolution crypto basee sur une souverainete personnelle accessible a tous, le smartphone va effectivement jouer un role central. Eric Larcheveque (@EricLarch) April 24, 2019 The commitment of Samsung in the crypto sector is likely to act as a catalyst that recovers the confidence of investors in the long-term prospect of the market. Why Samsung is Heavily Investing in Crypto Wallets Earlier this week, CoindeskKorea, a crypto publication operated by mainstream media outlet Hankyoreh, reported that Samsung is reportedly testing Samsung Coin and an ERC20-based blockchain protocol on top of the Ethereum blockchain. Blockchain task force made several models and are evaluating [them]. There are already several platforms that are functioning after some internal tests, a company insider told local publications. If Samsung has planned to launch its own crypto asset all along, its relatively aggressive move to integrate a crypto wallet into the Galaxy S10 during a period in which most major smartphone manufacturers are cautiously observing the market becomes more sensible. Read the full story on CCN.com. Two Saudi sisters who fled their country called Wednesday for U.S. tech giants to remove an app which allows men in the Gulf state to monitor their female relatives. The sisters say Apple and Google should pull the app, called Absher, because it supports the countrys harsh male guardianship system, Reuters reports. Maha and Wafa al-Subaei are seeking asylum in the country of Georgia after fleeing what they described as an oppressive society in Saudi Arabia. The sisters said the app is helping to trap Saudi girls in abusive families. It gives men control over women, Wafa said of the controversial app. They have to remove it. Read More: Take My Golden Cage and Give Me the Sky. Saudi Sisters Gain Freedom With Emergency Visas Absher is a free, government-developed mobile app. Saudis can use it to perform a variety of administrative tasks, like registering vehicles and booking government appointments. But the e-service also allows Saudi men to approve or deny female relatives travel plans and to get text messages when the womens passports are used. Under the kingdoms draconian male guardianship system, adult women are required to obtain permission from a male family member, usually a father, brother or son, for activities like traveling abroad, applying for a passport, working or marrying. The sisters said they stole their fathers phone to grant themselves approval to escape, according to Reuters. Wafa said that action by Apple and Google could help prompt change in Saudi Arabia, especially if the tech companies modified the app to allow women to independently plan their own travel. Read More: What to know about Absher, Saudi Arabias Controversial Woman-Tracking App The sisters plea joins a growing chorus urging Apple and Google to take action. U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said she recently met with Silicon Valley companies to discuss the threat posed by technology like Absher. Story continues U.S. lawmakers have also called for the removal of the app. The ingenuity of American technology companies should not be perverted to violate the human rights of Saudi women, Representative Jackie Speier wrote in a letter to Apple and Google, according to the Associated Press. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in February that although he was unfamiliar with the app, he would take a look, according to Reuters. Last month, Google reportedly decided to continue hosting Absher in its store after a review concluded that the controversial app did not violate any terms of service. Hundreds of Muslim refugees in western Sri Lanka have taken refuge in mosques and a police station after facing intimidation following the deadly Easter bombings, activists said Thursday. At least 359 people died in Sunday's coordinated suicide blasts, including more than 100 Christians attending mass at St Sebastian's church in Negombo on the island's west coast. The attacks have been condemned by leaders of the country's Muslim minority who have said mosques will not bury the bombers, and the community has been left in fear of a backlash. Scores of Ahmadi Muslims who settled in Negombo after fleeing persecution in their home countries have been thrown out of their accommodation by landlords, according to officials. "Today these refugees have become refugees again in Sri Lanka. They have been displaced for a second time," Ruki Fernando of Inform, a Sri Lankan human rights group, told reporters. The refugees are from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iran. Ahmadis have faced repeated attacks in these countries by hardline Islamist groups who do not consider them to be Muslim. Relations between Ahmadis and native Sri Lankans have long been tense with many locals in Negombo accusing the refugees of driving up rent prices. Ahmadis complain of harassment while rights groups accuse Sri Lanka's government of not doing enough to protect the community. Fernando said homeowners had evicted the refugees because they feared their properties would be targeted by groups seeking revenge for the bomb blasts which were carried out by Islamist extremists. Many others have fled of their own accord, fearing for their safety. "Some unknown people broke into their houses in Negombo and beat them," Fernando told reporters. He said numbers had yet to be verified but around 700 refugees were believed to have sought shelter in one Negombo mosque. Around 120 were at a police station while several hundred more were at another mosque in Pasyala, in Gampaha, 25 kilometres (15 miles) from Negombo. Story continues - 'Won't accept their bodies' - He said that dozens got on buses to leave Negombo on Wednesday but turned back after they were advised against heading to the capital Colombo over security fears. "People are scared. They are in a vulnerable position and don't have basic facilities," said Herman Kumar from Unity of Negombo Citizens, a group trying to foster communal harmony in the city. The comments came at a press conference in Colombo where community leaders from Sri Lanka's different religions urged unity and calm as tensions simmer on the island. "We appeal to all communities to come together and protect each and every person," Kumar said. Sri Lankan Muslims account for 10 percent of the island's population of 21 million, which is dominated by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Muslims have been on the receiving end of sporadic violence and hate attacks since the civil war ended in 2009 and the bombings have left many feeling vulnerable. Sri Lankan authorities say local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath carried out the blasts with the help of militants from abroad. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility without providing evidence. The leader of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, the main umbrella body for Sri Lanka's Islamic clerics, told journalists Thursday that funerals would not be held for the attackers. "Those who committed this barbaric attack on innocent civilians do not belong to us and hence we categorically state that we will not accept their bodies," said Rizwe Mufti, the group's president. The country's Minister for Muslim Affairs Abdul Haleem meanwhile called Thursday for mosques to cancel Friday prayers in a show of solidarity "against the barbaric acts of the ruthless terrorists". He said Muslims should instead pray at home that "almighty Allah destroys the activities of those inhuman terrorist murderers". Instead of packing lunches, many high school students now pack their cellphones, ordering food delivered to their school with apps like Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats. The deliveries have become so frequent and disruptive that many schools have banned them. "It was getting to the point where you'd have eight, 10, 15 deliveries a day," said Pat Watson, principal at West Bloomfield High School in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. The Detroit metro area recently reminded students to knock it off. "It's a building policy: You can't have food delivered during the school day," Watson said. Other schools have done the same thing. School officials have addressed the issue from California to Florida. "We view it as a safety concern," said Diane Blain, spokeswoman for Chippewa Valley Schools in Macomb County, Michigan, north of Detroit. "Having strangers and people that we dont know coming to our buildings with delivery bags, we just dont allow it." April freebies: Your monthly guide to food specials, meal deals and more Plant-based progress: Vegan and meat-free fast-food options are growing. Here's where to find them. Blain said the district's Dakota High School banned the practice about three years ago, and its other high school, Chippewa Valley, followed suit. Some schools have policies explicitly prohibiting it. Others frown on it, but don't formally ban it. All of them say the practice has exploded with cellphone use and the proliferation of delivery services. Grade-school deliveries High school students aren't the only ones who order food deliveries to school, said Jeff Hueter, assistant manager of the Jet's Pizza about a mile north of West Bloomfield High. Some students in elementary school will have pizza delivered for lunch, he said. "The parents will call and say my kid's lunch is at noon, can you deliver a pizza to the office and maybe throw in a bottle of water?" Hueter said. Story continues Parents typically pay with a credit card or through the Jet's app on their phone. The delivery driver will bring plates and napkins if requested, he said. Jet's charges $3.50 for delivery compared with $4 for Grubhub, he said. His pizza place is across the street from a middle school and a prep school, in addition to two nearby elementary schools. All of them are good for business, he said. Teachers are known to order a pie for lunch as well, he said. Jeff Hueter, assistant general manager of the Jet's Pizza location on Orchard Lake Road, said schools provide good business for pizza deliveries. Not all of the schools in the same area address the delivery issue in the same manner. The Plymouth-Canton School District, just northeast of Ann Arbor, Michigan, which operates three high schools in one location, doesn't have a formal policy about food deliveries, but the building procedures don't allow it, said spokesman Nick Brandon. The main reason for the ban is school safety, he said, but there are other reasons as well. "The second that food enters the school office, it becomes the school office's responsibility," Brandon said, adding it created concerns of food safety, food-borne illnesses and allergic reactions. "It's also a workload issue for office personnel," he said. "If they're having to manage multiple food orders at a given lunch time with all the other things they have to be responsible for, that's a concern as well." Waiting for lunch The district works hard to provide healthy, good tasting food in its cafeterias and students are always free to brown bag it, Brandon said. And deliveries aren't always on time. Tardy deliveries made for tardy students, said Watson, the West Bloomfield principal. "It's supposed to be here at 12 and my lunch is done at 12:30," Watson said. "Now it shows up at 12:35 so now I haven't gone to class. But now I've got my Panera and I go to class to eat in there." Watson said teachers object to kids eating in class, but the students would complain it wasn't their fault, the delivery was late. Watson also has heard plenty of excuses for why an order was placed. "Kids say, 'Oh, my mom forgot to put money on my lunch account'," Watson said. One student claimed a cousin ordered it for him, not knowing it wasn't allowed. But that claim seemed doubtful when the delivery driver knew the student's name, Watson said. The school does allow deliveries to school after class ends, so students staying after school for a sport or other extracurricular activity can order all they want, he said. "When I was in high school we knew to pack two lunches, one for lunch and one for after school," Watson said. "I guess the new normal is you whip out your cellphone and order some food." Cellphones have become so pervasive in high schools that Watson has used them to his own advantage. When he wanted to remind kids of the no food orders during school hours policy, he sent it out in a tweet. Is my food safe?: Gluten found in 32% of food labeled gluten-free, new study says McDonald's menu change: McDonalds cuts its premium sandwiches line, Signature Crafted Recipes, after two years This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Schools curb students' appetites for Grubhub, Uber Eats deliveries during school day London (AFP) - Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's renewed push for secession from the UK faces several hurdles if her nationalist party's dream of independence is to come true, analysts said Thursday. Sturgeon announced Wednesday that she will push for a second independence referendum, to be held before May 2021, saying Scotland should have the option of staying in the European Union as a separate nation. Sturgeon leads the left-wing, separatist Scottish National Party, which has its spring conference this weekend. In the 2014 referendum, some 55 percent said Scotland should not be an independent country, but the dream still burns brightly within the SNP, which runs a minority government in the devolved Scottish parliament. Daniel Kenealy, a politics lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, said the SNP was not as united on the independence drive as it likes to present. He said newer members energised by the 2014 referendum were keen for another plebiscite soon, convinced they will win -- while a more gradualist element within the party was more cautious. "There's a real tactical disagreement in the party on how best to progress this issue," he told AFP. He said Sturgeon's announcement was targeted at keeping independence "at the forefront of people's imaginations" in Scotland. Kenealy said the nationalists thrive on a message of Scottish interests being impeded by London. The British government swiftly ruling out granting a referendum re-run "is just money in the bank for the SNP". - Brexit and EU - In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 62 percent of voters in Scotland wanted the UK as a whole to remain in the EU. Professor Murray Pittock of the University of Glasgow, who has written extensively on the Scottish independence question, said a soft Brexit would weaken the chances of a second Scottish referendum. "It's likely that there will be another independence referendum; whether that occurs before 2021 is another matter, and that seems unlikely," he told AFP. Story continues He said Sturgeon would not hold an unauthorised referendum without the consent of the British government. Pittock explained there was a "real possibility" that Spain would veto Scotland joining the EU if it held an independence vote without London's consent, as Madrid could not recognise a Catalonian independence referendum held on those terms. Both Kenealy and Pittock said the announcement of citizens' assemblies to debate independence issues was smart politics by Sturgeon. The assemblies could find areas of common ground with unionists for greater Scottish autonomy -- and also expose fired-up nationalists to the scale of the opposition they face. The experts also said the way the devolved administrations had been largely sidelined in the Brexit process had only fuelled Sturgeon's argument. - Public opinion unchanged - Jackson Carlaw, interim leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, the main opposition in the Scottish Parliament, said Sturgeon and her fellow travellers this time were "largely journeying on their own". "There simply isn't the consensus that existed in 2011 when every political party accepted that the question of Scottish independence needed to be asked," he wrote in The Times newspaper. The Scotsman newspaper's editorial said Sturgeon could not simply keep asking the independence question over and over. "Those plans should stay on the shelf until there is a sign of a substantial shift in public opinion," it said. Polls have shown almost no movement on independence since the 2014 referendum. With Scottish independence as with Brexit, Pittock said opinions on both sides had hardened since the close referendum outcomes. "The lesson is if you don't want them to be re-run, address the large minority who have lost and find some solution which goes a significant way to achieving their goals without letting down the majority," he said. "Polarisation creates a bad legacy." KABUL (Reuters) - The United Nations' top official in Afghanistan met the Taiban's chief negotiator in Qatar on Thursday, the movement's chief spokesman said, as moves continue to try to start full peace negotiations to end more than 17 years of war. The head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Tadamichi Yamamoto met Mullah Baradar Akhund and other members of the Taliban's negotiating team in the Qatari capital Doha, the movement's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. Discussions centered on "the ongoing peace process, civilian casualties and humanitarian aid in areas of the Islamic Emirate," he said in a statement. UNAMA noted that it has frequent meetings with all parties to the conflict as part of efforts to help bring an end to the war and has had regular meetings with the Taliban in Doha. "It has on multiple occasions made public statements that such meetings take place but, in keeping with UNAMA's good offices mandate, does not comment further," a spokesman said in an emailed statement. The Doha meeting took place as officials from Russia and China were due to meet the special U.S. envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, in Moscow to look for ways to persuade the Taliban to open talks with the government in Kabul. The Taliban have held several meetings with U.S. diplomats and their representatives have also met officials from neighboring countries and others with an interest in Afghanistan. But it has so far refused to talk to the internationally recognized Afghan government, which it describes as a foreign-appointed "puppet" regime. The Doha meeting comes a day after the latest UNAMA report on civilian casualties showed a marked fall in deaths and injuries in the first three months of the year after a big decline in suicide attacks on civilian targets. The report said that for the first time, more civilians were killed by Afghan security forces and their U.S. allies than by groups fighting the Kabul government. (Reporting by James Mackenzie, Editing by William Maclean) (In 11th paragraph corrects participants in campaign to the Beekeeping Association of Serbia, along with Serbian public-private development agency NALED and U.S. development agency USAID, not the Serbian government and beekeepers) BELGRADE, April 25 (Reuters) - Early April in Serbia was sunny, orchards were in full bloom and honey bees from most of the country's 1.2 million beehives were busy collecting nectar and pollen. Within a week, however, bees suddenly started dying at several locations across the country. The pollen they were eating was poisonous because trees had been heavily oversprayed with insecticides. Rodoljub Zivadinovic, head of the Beekeeping Association of Serbia, said the country's agriculture sector could suffer damages of over $200 million a year due to a lack of pollination and if poisoning of bees continues. "There can be horrible scenes, bees sometimes die on the spot and sometimes ... much later ... after they start consuming pollen which contains insecticides," he told Reuters in an interview. Since 2006, honey bees and other pollinators worldwide have experienced rapid population decline, due to a number of factors, including the excessive use of chemicals. Although Serbia, which wants to join the European Union, has imposed strict guidelines about the use of chemicals in agriculture, many farmers are ignoring them, said Nenad Savic, a beekeeper from the village of Ripanj, just outside Belgrade. "All these chemicals that are banned in the West end up here and they are used until they run out of supply," Savic said. Poisoning of bees this year also affected parts of neighboring Bosnia and Croatia, an EU member. Vladimir Teznjan, a beekeeper from Stajicevo in northern Serbia, said that many farmers are treating seeds with neonicotinoids that are banned both in the EU and Serbia. Such chemicals are deadly for all insects. "It is an open secret ... I know that many farmers are buying them (neonicotinoids) on the black market," he said. Story continues The Beekeeping Association of Serbia, along with Serbian public-private development agency NALED and U.S. development agency USAID, launched an awareness and control campaign last month, advising fruit farmers not to use excessive quantities of pesticides and how to spray when bees are not active. Agriculture accounts for around 6 percent of Serbia's gross domestic product and its exports generated around 3.9 billion euros ($4.4 billion) last year, including fruits which directly depend on pollinators. According to Serbia's Beekeeping Association, the country is home to around 20,000 registered beekeepers. In 2017, Serbia produced over 7,000 tonnes of honey, 22 percent more than the previous year. It exported honey worth around $10 million. ($1 = 0.8974 euros) (Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Susan Fenton) By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES, April 25 (Reuters) - A popular sex classified website said this week that it was shutting down its services in the United States, citing the likelihood that legal challenges would fail to overturn a landmark package of federal sex trafficking laws passed by Congress a year ago. The decision by MassageRepublic.com marks the latest indication that the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, known collectively as FOSTA-SESTA, has made it difficult for websites selling sex to survive in a climate of higher risk for them. "When one of these sites shuts down it usually inspires others to shut down," said Rob Spectre, chief executive of the counter-human trafficking technology company Childsafe.AI. "It's another signal of the volatility in this market - there are going to be some wild swings ahead this year." President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan FOSTA-SESTA into law just days after federal law enforcement officials seized Backpage.com, at the time the dominant player in the internet prostitution market, in a U.S. Justice Department sex trafficking and child prostitution investigation. Seven people, including the websites founders, were charged in a 93-count indictment with facilitating prostitution, money laundering and fraud. Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer pleaded guilty to state and federal charges, agreeing to cooperate in the case and shut down the website. "In the current environment, we are not sure that the challenges ... to this dumb law will succeed, so have no choice but to suspend service," the owners of MassageRepublic.com wrote in a blog post explaining the decision. "Since FOSTA/SESTA, this site has not billed a single dollar to any advertiser or user, nor has received any other financial income or benefit based on any activity in the US," MassageRepublic wrote. MassageRepublic did not immediately respond to an interview request. Story continues Experts say the crackdown has made it much more difficult for men who want to buy sex on the internet. Sex worker advocates have fiercely criticized FOSTA-SESTA and have argued that taking down Backpage and similar sites would drive prostitution further underground or into the streets. Free speech activists say the laws unconstitutionally burden website owners with policing content. MassageRepublic argued in its blog post that the main justification for the new law was child exploitation and human trafficking," not purchasing sex services over the internet. "We have processes in place to identify this type of behavior, stop listings of that type and never got a complaint for the U.S. about anything like this," it wrote. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb Editing by Leslie Adler) By Ju-min Park and Heekyong Yang SEOUL (Reuters) - SK Hynix Inc said on Thursday it was confident of a recovery in memory chips later this year due to rising demand from data centres, after the South Korean chipmaker posted its smallest quarterly profit in more than two years. The notoriously cyclical memory chip industry is in the midst of a downturn after a two-year boom, as slowing demand for gadgets such as smartphones pulls down chip prices. "There is now stronger evidence which led us to a stronger conviction regarding our forecast" for DRAM chips, Executive Vice President Cha Jin-Seok said during an earnings briefing. For instance, Cha said, internet data centres using DRAM chips for servers are likely to raise investment "significantly" from the third quarter of 2019. Also, smartphone makers are adopting high-density chips, he said, to counter a market slump. Shares of SK Hynix were 2.8 percent higher after the firm discussed its outlook, versus the wider market's 0.3 percent decline as of 0144 GMT. "I think the upward cycle of data centre customers' investment is indeed coming, as the company explained," said analyst Eo Kyu-jin at eBest Securities. He said about 24 percent of SK Hynix's revenue comes from DRAM server chips, used mainly in data centres. The world's second-biggest memory chip maker by sales reported a 69 percent drop in first-quarter operating profit to 1.4 trillion won ($1.21 billion), matching analyst estimates, and blaming weak memory chip prices. Revenue fell 22 percent. Earlier this month, market leader Samsung Electronics Co Ltd forecast its lowest quarterly profit in over two years, with a glut in memory chips being a primary cause. Samsung also expects demand to improve later in the year. PRICE FALLS Prices for DRAM chips, which help devices perform multiple tasks, declined more than 20 percent in the first quarter from three months earlier, and are likely to fall as much as 20 percent in the second quarter, showed data from industry tracker DRAMeXchange. Story continues Prices of NAND memory chips, which provide long-term data storage, lost 20 percent in the first quarter, DRAMeXchange said. Such price declines are likely to ease into the second half of this year, SK Hynix said during the earnings briefing. And next year, the memory chip market should experience a "big boom" with the launch of fifth-generation (5G) telecommunication networks and fresh data centre investment, said SK Hynix's Cha. "We will focus on reducing raw material costs and securing competitiveness in the market where memory demand uncertainty and hope for demand recovery co-exist," SK Hynix said. (Reporting by Ju-min Park and Heekyong Yang; Editing by Neil Fullick and Christopher Cushing) We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Mongolian sumo grand champion Hakuho has been reprimanded for leading the crowd in an impromptu round of hand-clapping after winning a tournament last month, a spokeswoman for the ancient sport said Thursday. The 34-year-old "Yokozuna" -- or grand champion -- received a dressing-down from top officials after what Hakuho described as a "spur-of-the-moment act" he did "to make spectators happy." But the three bouts of rhythmic hand-clapping, equivalent to "three cheers", did not go down well with the highly-ritualised sport's governing body, the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). JSA chairman Hakkaku said in a statement "I told Hakuho that I wanted him to observe sumo's tradition, discipline, courtesy and stylistic beauty as a Yokozuna." The spokeswoman declined to give a precise reason for the reprimand but public broadcaster NHK noted that the hand-clapping came before the traditional ceremony that usually concludes a sumo tournament. She said the hulking Mongolian had been given an "oral reprimand", the lightest punishment in the governing body's armoury but also noted he had received a warning previously in 2017 for similar actions. The popular Hakuho, born Munkhbat Davaajargal, has earned praise for helping restore dignity to sumo following a series of scandals that have tarnished the reputation of a sport said to date back some 2,000 years. But he is not without his critics among staunch sumo traditionalists, who dislike his wild wrestling style and occasional protests against judges. Hakuho's stablemaster, sumo elder Miyagino, was hit with a stiffer penalty of a 10-percent salary cut for three months, for neglecting his leadership duties, the JSA spokeswoman said. Sumo has taken a battering in recent years -- from allegations of bout-fixing and the involvement of organised crime to drugs arrests and severe bullying, the most serious case resulting in the death of a teenage wrestler in 2007. Story continues Yokozuna Harumafuji was charged over a brutal assault on a rival wrestler while out drinking in 2017, ending his illustrious career. The sport was plunged into further controversy last year when women who rushed to the aid of a local mayor who had collapsed during a speech were repeatedly told to leave the ring, sparking a flurry of embarrassing headlines. The punishment comes as local media reported Hakuho has applied for Japanese citizenship -- a requirement of all foreign wrestlers wishing to become sumo elders. The move was seen as an indication of Hakuho's intention to remain in the sumo world after he eventually retires. BELLS BEACH, Australia (AP) Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater has advanced from the round of 32 at the Bells Beach World Surf League event, and fellow American Caroline Marks and seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore are into the quarterfinals. It was a much improved performance from Slater, who is returning from a lengthy layoff last season because of broken right foot. Slater was eliminated in his second-round heat in the WSL's season-opening event two weeks ago on the Gold Coast. The 47-year-old Slater beat Australian Julian Wilson 11.84 points to 7.20 on Thursday to move into the round of 16. Slater's next opponent will be Peterson Crisanto, who won an all-Brazilian encounter against Michael Rodrigues. Florida teenager Marks, who won her first WSL event on the Gold Coast, edged fellow American Bronte Macaulay 7.67 to 5.20 while Gilmore advanced to the final eight by beating fellow Australian Kobie Enright 14.13 to 10.76. The Bells Beach event had been hit by three consecutive lay days due to poor surf, but conditions improved Thursday and were expected to be even better on Friday and the weekend up to five meters (16 feet). "Tomorrow's round is going to be dodging bullets," Slater said. "I don't know that it's going to be favoring anybody. I think it's just going to be choosing the right waves and positioning yourself." The WSL circuit will help determine qualifiers for next year's Tokyo Olympics, where surfing will make its debut. The top 10-ranked men and eight highest-ranked women on the 2019 tour will be among those qualifying for the 2020 Games. ____ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports By Paresh Dave SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A SoftBank Corp subsidiary said on Wednesday it had invested $125 million in an Alphabet Inc company that is working to fly cellphone antennas high in the atmosphere to provide internet in areas that are difficult to reach. SoftBank's HAPSMobile, which has also been trying to fly networking equipment at high altitudes to provide high-speed internet to areas that are out of range of land towers, said it had invested in Loon, a unit of the Google owner. Loon, spun out from Alphabet's business incubator in July, carries the gear with a long balloon, while HAPSMobile uses a drone. Both systems are solar powered, limiting the areas they can serve to equatorial regions of the globe. Mobile network operators, governments and other potential clients have yet to demonstrate much enthusiasm for buying such technologies, despite the need to plug gaps in internet coverage in rural areas or at times of natural disasters. The two firms are competing with billionaire entrepreneurs, such as Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, which are all backing separate ventures that aim to offer internet links using satellites in near-Earth orbit. Loon and HAPSMobile said at a Tokyo news conference on Wednesday that they needed to collaborate to win over customers and were discussing sharing technology, standardizing gear and cooperating in regulatory talks. The firms said in a joint statement they had entered a "long-term" partnership. "I'm confident we can accelerate the path toward the realization of utilizing the stratosphere for global networks by pooling our technologies, insights and experience," Junichi Miyakawa, SoftBank chief technology officer and HAPSMobile chief executive, said in the statement. Miyakawa said HAPSMobile had taken a minority stake in Loon at its request and a right to observe board meetings. HAPSMobile did not expect to fund additional companies operating in the same field but was open to receiving investment, he said. HAPSMobile, which uses technology developed by dronemaker AeroVironment Inc that has a 10 percent stake in the Softbank unit, planned to test its drone at Lanai Airport in Hawaii and was also discussing conducting tests in Australia, Miyakawa told Reuters. Securing certfication from aviation agencies could take up to three years, he said. Loon, which has tested balloons for nearly a decade and expects to hold its first commercial trial in Kenya by mid-year, has not ruled out raising additional funding, Chief Executive Alastair Westgarth said. Loon has an option to invest $125 million in HAPSMobile for a minority stake at a later date. (Reporting by Paresh Dave; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Edmund Blair) Washington (AFP) - NASA and SpaceX remained tight-lipped Thursday about what caused a mysterious but apparently serious incident last weekend during engine tests on the Crew Dragon capsule designed to carry US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year. SpaceX said that an "anomaly" had occurred during Saturday's ground tests at Cape Canaveral in Florida. A photo on the Florida Today website showed large amounts of smoke pouring out of the test site, prompting speculation about a possible explosion. A video posted on Twitter showed an explosion. The video has not been authenticated, nor has SpaceX denied its veracity. SpaceX has not issued any more details since its statement on Saturday, and NASA has referred any questions back to Elon Musk's company. NASA's safety advisory panel did however mention the incident during a meeting on Thursday and confirmed it was the result of firing the space vehicle's SuperDraco engines. Patricia Sanders, the panel's head, said that the "firing of eight SuperDracos resulted in an anomaly." "The mishap did not result in an injury," she said during the meeting in Huntsville, Alabama. There were no personnel present at the ground test site when the incident occurred. "SpaceX is leading the investigation with active NASA participation," she added, noting that the initial focus was on collecting data and securing the site. "The investigation will take time before the root cause analysis is completed," Sanders said, without speculating as to what might be the impact of the incident on the eventual manned flight of the craft, which is set to take two astronauts into space before the end of 2019. Another member of the safety panel, Sandra Magnus, called for patience from the press and public. "We know that there's a lot of interest regarding the recent SpaceX mishap. We urge patience (to) allow the team to investigate," she said. Story continues The Dragon capsule was successfully launched, without any crew on board, by SpaceX in March. It docked with the ISS and returned to Earth without incident. In the coming months, the company is due to test the in-flight abort system. Dragon's engines are designed to fire up very quickly if there is a problem with the rocket to allow the capsule to separate and save the crew inside it. The capsule's return to Earth would be slowed down by parachutes before splashing down in the ocean. Boeing is also developing a capsule for NASA for return trips to the ISS, but its first unmanned trip is not scheduled until August. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) The outcome of Spain's election on Sunday is anyone's guess. A substantial pool of voters is still undecided. The country's traditional parties have been diluted. And a rising populist party has splintered the right. The ballot will be Spain's third parliamentary election in less than four years, with no sign that the uncertainty will go away anytime soon. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is hoping voters give him a strong mandate to stay in the office he assumed 11 months ago, when a no-confidence vote ousted his conservative predecessor. However, about a third of those surveyed heading into the final week of campaigning said they didn't know how they would cast their votes. The upstart Vox party seems sure to garner enough support to put far-right lawmakers in Spain's lower house, the Congress of Deputies, for the first time since the 1980s. A strong performance by Vox would be crucial to the ability of two center-right parties to forge a majority coalition government to supplant Sanchez. Sanchez urged voters who abandoned the Socialists in recent years to once again vote for Spain's oldest national party "so that we can stop the three parties on the right from joining forces." If Vox does as well as expected, Spain would have five national parties of significant size. A government opinion poll of 16,194 eligible voters forecast that Sanchez*s Socialists would win 30% of the vote, the conservative Popular Party 17%, the center-right Citizens 13%, the far-left United We Can 12% and Vox 11%. All the polls published by private news organizations in Spain also forecast Sanchez leading the Socialists to victory for the first time since 2008. "We are very close to seeing the Socialist party winning an election 11 years since its last victory," Sanchez said. "We are very close to being able to offer all Spaniards a prospect of stability, of a country that is walking toward a future of more social justice, more peaceful coexistence and a clean manner of doing politics." Story continues In 2008, the Socialists and their ideological rivals from the Popular Party together accounted for 82% of the vote. The combined vote total for the two parties, which dominated Spanish politics for three decades, fell to 50% in the December 2015 election. In the period in between, the global economic meltdown hit Spain hard and helped give rise to the Citizens party and United We Can. The fragmentation has made the governments in Madrid much more fragile and short-lived. The current Socialist-led government and the one the Popular Party led from 2016-2018 controlled a minority of parliament seats. Neither accomplished much or came close to seeing out a full four-year legislative term. Sanchez was forced to call this weekend's early election after he was unable to get a national budget passed in February. "For the foreseeable future in Spain, parties are going to have to establish agreements," said Andrew Dowling, an expert on contemporary Spanish politics at Cardiff University in Wales. "I don't think there's any indication any single party will be able to win. We should remind ourselves that as late as 2004 and 2008, the Socialists were able to get 42 percent of the vote. They're a long way from going back there." Two nights of televised debates gave the candidates ample time to trade barbs and to try to win over undecided voters. But before the election, there's been more talk about postelection partnerships than about policy platforms. Pablo Iglesias, the leader of United We Can, was lauded for his moderate tone and defense of the Spanish Constitution during one of the debates, a contrast to his fiery, revolutionary rhetoric during past campaigns. Iglesias has talked openly of wanting to come into government with the Socialists. Sanchez's ideal scenario would be to cobble together reliable support from 176 of the 350 members of the Congress of Deputies through his Socialists, Iglesias* United We Can and moderate regional lawmakers from the northern Basque Country. If he can't build a majority that way, Sanchez might find himself again relying on pro-independence lawmakers from the Catalonia region who already proved to be untrustworthy partners. Catalan separatists in parliament voted against the prime minister's national spending bill after Sanchez refused to authorize a referendum on the region's secession from Spain. The chance of Popular Party leader Pablo Casado becoming prime minister rests on his candidates beating hopefuls from Citizens and then striking a deal with the center-right party to form a coalition government. If Vox representatives agree to support the coalition, the Popular-Citizens government would be able to command a majority of votes in parliament. Casado, Citizens leader Albert Rivera and Vox leader Santiago Abascal have competed to be seen as tough enough to stand up to the separatist politicians in Catalonia. A failed push to declare the region's independence in 2017 plunged Spain into a deep political crisis. All three right-wing parties Popular, Citizens and Vox accuse Sanchez of being weak on Catalonia because he opened talks with the region's pro-secession leaders. The three parties came together to defeat Sanchez's Socialists during a December election in southern Spain's Andalusia region, long a Socialist stronghold. The Andalusia election introduced Vox to the Spanish political scene. The party campaigned on stemming illegal immigration, protecting Spanish traditions like bullfighting and vows to punish Catalonia by taking over its regional government. Now the three are competing to see which of them could lead a similar takeover at the national level. "I think what Sunday will decide is who is the winner on the right," Dowling said. "It will be very much a kind of a choice between head and heart for right-wing voters." ___ Aritz Parra contributed to this report from Madrid. Madrid (AFP) - Spain's Socialist prime minister refused Thursday to rule out including centre-right group Ciudadanos in any governing alliance if his party wins a weekend general election. Polls suggest the Socialists will win the most seats in Sunday's snap polls but will lack a majority to govern on their own and will once again have to form alliances with other parties to stay in power. "My commitment is to talk to all political parties, within democracy...democracy is not 'vetocracy'," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during an interview with public television TVE when asked if he would be willing to govern with Ciudadanos. Sanchez came to power in June 2018 after wining a surprise no-confidence vote against his conservative predecessor with the support of far-left party Podemos and Catalan separatists and Basque nationalist parties. But several surveys show the Socialists and Ciudadanos could together win a majority of seats in Spain's lower house of parliament on Sunday. Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera has ruled out an alliance, repeatedly urging voters to "oust Sanchez" because of his willingness to seek dialogue with Catalan separatist parties who attempted to break Catalonia away from Spain in 2017. Ciudadanos has governed at the local level with both the Socialists and the conservative Popular Party (PP). Rivara's party allied with the PP and upstart far-right formation Vox to remove the Socialists from power in Andalusia following a regional election there in December. But before the election Ciudadanos had propped up the minority Socialist government in the southern region. The Socialists and Ciudadanos tried and failed to form a governing alliance following an inconclusive general election in 2016. PP leader Pablo Casado said he was "certain" that if the Socialists and Ciudadanos obtain a parliamentary majority in the weekend election they will once again try to reach an agreement to govern. Story continues "I don't have any doubt," he added during an interview published Thursday in daily newspaper El Mundo. Another post-election option for Sanchez would be to form a pact with Podemos but polls suggest the two parties together would not have a majority. Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias, who has called for a post-election alliance with the Socialists, told radio Cadena SER that Sanchez was not being "clear". He said that if the Socialists and Ciudadanos obtained a majority "there would be enormous pressure by economic powers and part of the Socialist party" for the two parties to reach an agreement. (Part of a series, "The China Challenge," on the growing power of the Chinese military) By David Lague and Benjamin Kang Lim ZHUHAI, China, April 25 (Reuters) - China's powerful military is considered to be a master at concealing its intentions. But there is no secret about how it plans to destroy American aircraft carriers if rivalry becomes war. At November's biennial air show in the southern city of Zhuhai, the biggest state-owned missile maker, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Ltd, screened an animation showing a hostile "blue force," comprising an aircraft carrier, escort ships and strike aircraft, approaching "red force" territory. On a giant screen, the animation showed a barrage of the Chinese company's missiles launched from "red force" warships, submarines, shore batteries and aircraft wreaking havoc on the escort vessels around the carrier. In a final salvo, two missiles plunge onto the flight deck of the carrier and a third slams into the side of the hull near the bow. The fate of the ship is an unmistakable message to an America that has long dominated the globe from its mighty aircraft carriers and sprawling network of hundreds of bases. China's military is now making giant strides toward replacing the United States as the supreme power in Asia. With the Pentagon distracted by almost two decades of costly war in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), has exploited a period of sustained budget increases and rapid technical improvement to build and deploy an arsenal of advanced missiles. Many of these missiles are specifically designed to attack the aircraft carriers and bases that form the backbone of U.S. military dominance in the region and which for decades have protected allies including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Across almost all categories of these weapons, based on land, loaded on strike aircraft or deployed on warships and submarines, China's missiles rival or outperform their counterparts in the armories of the United States and its allies, according to current and former U.S. military officers with knowledge of PLA test launches, Taiwanese and Chinese military analysts, and technical specifications published in China's state-controlled media. Story continues See the interactive version here: https://reut.rs/2Z8DetC China has also seized a virtual monopoly in one class of conventional missiles land-based, intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles. Under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a Cold War-era agreement aimed at reducing the threat of nuclear conflict, the United States and Russia are banned from deploying this class of missiles, with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (3,418 miles). But Beijing, unrestrained by the INF Treaty, is deploying them in massive numbers. This includes so-called carrier killer missiles like the DF-21D, which can target aircraft carriers and other warships underway at sea at a range of up to 1,500 kilometers, according to Chinese and Western military analysts. If effective, these missiles would give China a destructive capability no other military can boast. China's advantage in this class of missiles is likely to remain for the foreseeable future, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's decision in February to withdraw from the treaty in six months. China is also making rapid strides in developing so-called hypersonic missiles, which can maneuver sharply and travel at five times the speed of sound (or even faster). Currently, the United States has no defenses against a missile like this, according to Pentagon officials. China's Ministry of National Defense and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation did not respond to questions from Reuters about Beijing's missile capabilities. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the Pentagon had no comment. THE MISSILE GAP China's growing missile arsenal hasn't yet been proven in a real-world clash, and some Chinese officials play down their advances. But under the Trump administration, Washington has come to view China as a rival determined to displace the United States in Asia. This modern-day missile gap, the administration believes, is emerging as one of the biggest dangers to American military supremacy in Asia since the end of the Cold War. The Pentagon is now scrambling for new weapons and strategies to counter the PLA's rocket arsenal. "We know that China has the most advanced ballistic missile force in the world," said James Fanell, a retired U.S. Navy captain and former senior intelligence officer with the U.S. Pacific Fleet. "They have the capacity to overwhelm the defensive systems we are pursuing." Fanell was sidelined by the Pentagon ahead of his 2015 retirement, after warning about the Chinese build-up at a time when President Barack Obama was seeking cooperation with Beijing. Today, Pentagon policy hews more closely to his views that China intends to displace the United States as Asia's dominant power. Chinese military brass agree they can now keep American carriers at bay. Six people in China interviewed by Reuters, including retired PLA officers and a person with ties to the Beijing leadership, said China's enhanced missile capability was a great leveler and would serve to deter the United States from getting too close to Chinese shores. "We cannot defeat the United States at sea," a retired PLA colonel said in an interview. The United States has 11 aircraft carriers and China has just two. "But we have missiles that specifically target aircraft carriers to stop them from approaching our territorial waters if there were conflict." A person with ties to the Chinese leadership who once served in the military had a similar message: "If U.S. aircraft carriers come too close to our coastlines in a conflict, our missiles can destroy them." Xi Jinping, who has seized direct control of the world's largest fighting force, has played a pivotal role in the ascendancy of Chinese missile forces. This series, "The China Challenge," examines how Xi is transforming the PLA and challenging U.S. supremacy in Asia. He has delivered a powerful boost to the prestige and influence of the elite unit responsible for China's nuclear and conventional missiles, the PLA Rocket Force. The Chinese leader has described the missile forces as a "core of strategic deterrence, a strategic buttress to the country's position as a major power and a cornerstone on which to build national security." Xi has brought senior missile force veterans into his closest circle of military aides as he has consolidated his grip on the PLA with a sweeping purge of senior officers accused of corruption or disloyalty. The Rocket Force has always enjoyed strong support from the ruling Communist Party. But under Xi, the once secretive unit, formerly known as the Second Artillery Corps, has been thrust into the limelight. Since he took power in 2012 with a pledge to rejuvenate China as a great power, the Rocket Force's latest nuclear and conventional missiles have played a starring role at some of the biggest military parades held in the Communist era. In one of these displays, in 2015, the designations of new missiles, including the "carrier killer" DF-21D, were painted on the sides of the projectiles in big white letters. The bold labels were aimed directly at foreign audiences, according to Western military analysts monitoring the parade in Beijing. At a parade Xi presided over to mark the 90th anniversary of the PLA in 2017, missiles were also prominently displayed. SENDING A MESSAGE This elaborate, choreographed showcasing of the newest and most powerful missiles has provided a backdrop for Xi as he burnishes his credentials as China's supreme military leader. Coverage of test launches, new warheads and technical breakthroughs dominate the state-controlled military media. But it's not mere theater. This concerted advertising of China's ability to deliver long-range conventional strikes without risking aircraft, ships or casualties is a key element of PLA strategy under Xi. Foreign military analysts say it sends a signal that China has the capacity to resist interference as it expands control over vast swathes of the South China Sea, intensifies naval and air sorties around Taiwan, and extends operations into territory it disputes with Japan in the East China Sea. To be sure, while China's missile fleet has indisputably grown more formidable, the reliability, accuracy and payloads of its weapons have yet to be tested in battle. China hasn't fought a war since invading Vietnam in 1979. The U.S. arsenal of air and sea-launched missiles, by contrast, has been tried and proven repeatedly in wars over the past two decades. It is also unknown if the PLA missile systems could survive electronic, cyber and physical attacks on launch facilities, guidance systems and command-and-control centers. Military analysts point out that there is still some doubt about whether China has mastered the know-how that would allow a "carrier killer" ballistic missile to detect, track and hit a moving target far from the Chinese coast. U.S. military commanders and PLA watchers also acknowledge that there could be elements of subterfuge involved in the publicity about Chinese missiles. Deception is traditionally a key element of Chinese military strategy. The PLA is well aware that America and other potential rivals would be closely monitoring their test sites, according to satellite imagery specialists. Some retired PLA officers who spoke to Reuters played down the capability of China's missiles. "U.S. missiles are superior to ours in terms of quality and quantity," the former PLA colonel told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic with the foreign media. "If we were truly more advanced than the United States," said a Chinese military analyst, "we would have liberated Taiwan." Still, current and former U.S. military officials say they are convinced from close monitoring of China's numerous test firings that PLA missiles are a genuine threat. THE RANGE WAR What makes Chinese missiles so dangerous for the United States and its Asian allies is that the PLA is winning the "range war," according to Robert Haddick, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and now a visiting senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies based in Arlington, Virginia. While the United States was taking what Haddick describes as a "long holiday" from missile development in the aftermath of the Cold War, China was shooting for distance, developing missiles that can fly further than those in the armories of the United States and its Asian allies. The Pentagon has begun to publicly acknowledge that in missiles, at least, China has the upper hand. "We are at a disadvantage with regard to China today in the sense that China has ground-based ballistic missiles that threaten our basing in the Western Pacific and our ships," the former commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris, said in testimony before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in March last year. At the time, Harris explained that the United States was unable to counter with similar missiles because of the 1987 INF Treaty with Russia, which banned these weapons. The treaty constraints have left the United States with no equivalent to weapons like China's DF-26 ballistic missile, which has a range of up to 4,000 km and can strike at the key U.S. base at Guam. China says the missile has a carrier-killer variant that can hit a moving target at sea. U.S. bases in South Korea and Japan are within range of another PLA projectile, the CJ-10 land attack cruise missile, which has a range of about 1,500 km, according to Pentagon estimates. However, the Trump administration appears to be clearing the way for the United States to compete. On Feb. 1, Trump announced Washington would withdraw from the treaty, accusing Moscow of breaching the agreement. He said in a statement that the U.S. would quit in six months unless Russia returned to compliance. Trump also said that China had more than 1,000 missiles of the range covered by the INF Treaty. He added that the U.S. would now develop a ground-launched conventional missile that would have been banned under the treaty. This could help offset China's advantage, military experts say, but it will take time, probably years, for the U.S. to develop and deploy these weapons. China criticized Trump's announcement, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang saying the treaty was important in "safeguarding global strategic balance and stability." Geng, however, didn't mention the PLA's own arsenal of these weapons or that China itself isn't party to the pact. He said China opposed negotiating a new treaty that would cover other nations as well as Russia and America. This missile gap portends a military upheaval. Some powerful PLA anti-ship missiles now far outrange the strike aircraft deployed on U.S. carriers. That means American military planners are grappling with a scenario that until recently didn't exist: U.S. carriers could be obsolete in a conflict near the Chinese mainland. If forced to operate outside the range of their aircraft when approaching China, the nuclear-powered leviathans would be far less effective. Sail too close and they would be vulnerable. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy has been able to use its carriers to bludgeon weaker enemies, approaching close enough to launch air strikes, confident that the giant warships are untouchable. Today, in the event of conflict with China in East Asia, Pentagon planners and other regional militaries say they are wrestling with how to respond to something they haven't seen since World War Two: a return to highly contested warfare at sea. For the U.S. military, one fear is that swarms of cheap, expendable Chinese missiles have the potential to neutralize the most expensive warships ever built. China does not publish the cost of its missiles. A modern version of the subsonic, Cold-war vintage Harpoon, the mainstay anti-ship missile of the United States and its allies, costs $1.2 million, according to the U.S. Navy. Western military officials assume China's lower manufacturing costs would mean it could build similar missiles for less. The latest U.S. carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, cost about $13 billion to build about 10,000 times the price of the Harpoon. A HESITANT U.S. For more than half a century since China's ruling Communist Party took power in 1949, a vast but technologically backward PLA was largely confined to the Asian mainland and coastal waters. A small force of nuclear warheads aimed at deterring a first strike comprised the only serious long-range weapons in the PLA arsenal. For most of that period, the United States and other foreign navies exercised, patrolled, snooped and routinely sailed in the waters off the Chinese coast, much as they did throughout the colonial period when China was powerless to stop foreign encroachment on its territory. The threat from China's new missiles, along with rapidly increasing numbers of PLA navy submarines, means warships from the United States and other foreign navies now patrol hesitantly and infrequently in some key waterways close to the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, according to serving American officials and veterans of U.S. navy operations in Asia. China's rulers have never made public the number of missiles the PLA possesses. But the Communist Youth League, the youth arm of the Communist Party, disclosed some figures on its official Twitter-like Weibo account in October 2016. China's Rocket Force boasts 100,000 men and possesses about 200 intercontinental ballistic missiles, about 300 medium-range ballistic missiles, 1,150 short-range ballistic missiles and 3,000 cruise missiles, the Youth League said. According to U.S. and other Western estimates, China has about 2,000 conventional missiles that would fall within the terms of the INF missile treaty - enough to launch saturation attacks on air bases, ports or critical infrastructure in Japan, South Korea or Taiwan. Apart from weapons covered by the INF Treaty where China has a monopoly, the PLA has other missiles in its arsenal that outperform their U.S. counterparts. These include two supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, the YJ-12, with a range of 400 km, and the YJ-18, which can hit targets up to 540 km away. To counter these missiles, the United States relies on its subsonic, Harpoon anti-ship missile which has been modified to give it a maximum range of about 240 km. "That is a very big gap," said Haddick, who is also an adviser to the U.S. Special Operations Command. "China's anti-ship missile capability exceeds those of the United States in terms of range, speed and sensor performance." As part of a sweeping reorganization of the Chinese armed forces, Xi in late 2015 elevated the missile force to the level of a service alongside the army, navy and air force. In a ceremony widely covered in the state-controlled media, the Second Artillery Corps was renamed the PLA Rocket Force. Two veterans of this force, General Wei Fenghe and General Zhang Shengmin, now sit on the Communist Party's Central Military Commission, the supreme military control body that is chaired by Xi. Another Rocket Force veteran, General Gao Jin, is seen as a rising star of the Chinese military. When the missile force was rebadged, Gao was appointed to head a new branch of the PLA, the Strategic Support Force, which is responsible for cyber, electronic and space warfare. Gao has been a key figure in the transition of the Rocket Force from its origins as primarily a nuclear deterrent to its current dual role of both nuclear shield and spearhead of the PLA's conventional strike capability, according to U.S. and Chinese military analysts. PEARL HARBOR-STYLE ATTACK For the United States and its regional allies, a top priority is to wrest back the lead in the range war. Extra performance is being squeezed out of old U.S. air and sea-launched missiles. Boeing is upgrading the Harpoon anti-ship missile. An anti-ship variant of Raytheon's venerable Tomahawk land attack cruise missile - with a range in excess of 1,600 km - is undergoing tests. The U.S. Navy is working to add range to carrier strike aircraft, and new weapons are in the pipeline. Lockheed Martin said in December that it had delivered the first of its new, long-range anti-ship missiles to the U.S. Air Force after a series of successful tests. This stealthy missile could also be deployed on warships. Meanwhile, China continues to improve its firepower. Two sets of satellite images on Google Earth, taken three years apart, show how China's Rocket Force is testing its growing arsenal. In one, the distinctive shape of a jet fighter is clearly visible on what appears to be a mock airstrip in a remote Chinese desert. The images, captured in mid-2013 over the far west of China, show the outline of a delta-wing aircraft at the southern end of the runway. Images taken in late 2016 tell a different story. The wings and tail section are strewn at odd angles in a pile of wreckage. "That plane looks like it has been shot at," said Sean O'Connor, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence analyst who now works as a principal research analyst at Jane's, the defense information company. The replica runway, pockmarked at one end with impact craters, is part of what O'Connor and other satellite imagery analysts have identified as a PLA missile test range. Here and at other remote sites in western China, the PLA has been blasting missiles at what appear to be simulated targets of air bases, fuel depots, ports, ships, communication hubs, radar arrays and buildings. Some of the mock-ups appear to mimic targets in Japan and Taiwan. Satellite images of the test range with the mock airstrip also suggest China is rehearsing strikes on the key U.S. Navy base at Yokosuka in Japan and other important facilities, according to a 2017 report from two U.S. Navy officers, Commander Thomas Shugart and Commander Javier Gonzalez. The two officers identified a mock target that appeared to be a mirror image of the inner harbor at Yokosuka base, home port for the U.S. carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group. In their report for the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based research group, the two officers said the target had outlines of angled piers similar to those at Yokosuka and the shapes of three warships about the same size as the U.S. destroyers based at the port. The scenario Shugart and Gonzalez laid out evokes the darkest moment in American naval history. The mock-up, they wrote, could be interpreted as a rehearsal of a Pearl Harbor-style surprise attack. That paralyzing blow sank or damaged key elements of the American fleet, killed more than 2,300 Americans and plunged the United States into World War Two. But the Japanese failed to sink the American aircraft carriers normally based at Pearl Harbor because they were at sea. In the animation at the recent Chinese airshow in Zhuhai, the "red force" doesn't make the same mistake. After red force missiles strike the blue force carrier, the animation concludes with the words: "The defensive counter-attack operation has gotten the expected results." (Reporting by David Lague in Zhuhai, China, and Benjamin Kang Lim. Edited by Peter Hirschberg) Mystery of the universe's expansion rate widens with new Hubble data Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope say they have crossed an important threshold in revealing a discrepancy between the two key techniques for measuring the universe's expansion rate. The recent study strengthens the case that new theories may be needed to explain the forces that have shaped the cosmos. A brief recap: The universe is getting bigger every second. The space between galaxies is stretching, like dough rising in the oven. But how fast is the universe expanding? As Hubble and other telescopes seek to answer this question, they have run into an intriguing difference between what scientists predict and what they observe. Hubble measurements suggest a faster expansion rate in the modern universe than expected, based on how the universe appeared more than 13 billion years ago. These measurements of the early universe come from the European Space Agency's Planck satellite. This discrepancy has been identified in scientific papers over the last several years, but it has been unclear whether differences in measurement techniques are to blame, or whether the difference could result from unlucky measurements. The latest Hubble data lower the possibility that the discrepancy is only a fluke to 1 in 100,000. This is a significant gain from an earlier estimate, less than a year ago, of a chance of 1 in 3,000. These most precise Hubble measurements to date bolster the idea that new physics may be needed to explain the mismatch. "The Hubble tension between the early and late universe may be the most exciting development in cosmology in decades," said lead researcher and Nobel laureate Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland. "This mismatch has been growing and has now reached a point that is really impossible to dismiss as a fluke. This disparity could not plausibly occur just by chance." Tightening the bolts on the 'cosmic distance ladder' Scientists use a "cosmic distance ladder" to determine how far away things are in the universe. This method depends on making accurate measurements of distances to nearby galaxies and then moving to galaxies farther and farther away, using their stars as milepost markers. Astronomers use these values, along with other measurements of the galaxies' light that reddens as it passes through a stretching universe, to calculate how fast the cosmos expands with time, a value known as the Hubble constant. Riess and his SH0ES (Supernovae H0 for the Equation of State) team have been on a quest since 2005 to refine those distance measurements with Hubble and fine-tune the Hubble constant. In this new study, astronomers used Hubble to observe 70 pulsating stars called Cepheid variables in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The observations helped the astronomers "rebuild" the distance ladder by improving the comparison between those Cepheids and their more distant cousins in the galactic hosts of supernovas. Riess's team reduced the uncertainty in their Hubble constant value to 1.9% from an earlier estimate of 2.2%. As the team's measurements have become more precise, their calculation of the Hubble constant has remained at odds with the expected value derived from observations of the early universe's expansion. Those measurements were made by Planck, which maps the cosmic microwave background, a relic afterglow from 380,000 years after the big bang. The measurements have been thoroughly vetted, so astronomers cannot currently dismiss the gap between the two results as due to an error in any single measurement or method. Both values have been tested multiple ways. "This is not just two experiments disagreeing," Riess explained. "We are measuring something fundamentally different. One is a measurement of how fast the universe is expanding today, as we see it. The other is a prediction based on the physics of the early universe and on measurements of how fast it ought to be expanding. If these values don't agree, there becomes a very strong likelihood that we're missing something in the cosmological model that connects the two eras." How the new study was done Astronomers have been using Cepheid variables as cosmic yardsticks to gauge nearby intergalactic distances for more than a century. But trying to harvest a bunch of these stars was so time-consuming as to be nearly unachievable. So, the team employed a clever new method, called DASH (Drift And Shift), using Hubble as a "point-and-shoot" camera to snap quick images of the extremely bright pulsating stars, which eliminates the time-consuming need for precise pointing. "When Hubble uses precise pointing by locking onto guide stars, it can only observe one Cepheid per each 90-minute Hubble orbit around Earth. So, it would be very costly for the telescope to observe each Cepheid," explained team member Stefano Casertano, also of STScI and Johns Hopkins. "Instead, we searched for groups of Cepheids close enough to each other that we could move between them without recalibrating the telescope pointing. These Cepheids are so bright, we only need to observe them for two seconds. This technique is allowing us to observe a dozen Cepheids for the duration of one orbit. So, we stay on gyroscope control and keep 'DASHing' around very fast." The Hubble astronomers then combined their result with another set of observations, made by the Araucaria Project, a collaboration between astronomers from institutions in Chile, the U.S., and Europe. This group made distance measurements to the Large Magellanic Cloud by observing the dimming of light as one star passes in front of its partner in eclipsing binary-star systems. The combined measurements helped the SH0ES Team refine the Cepheids' true brightness. With this more accurate result, the team could then "tighten the bolts" of the rest of the distance ladder that extends deeper into space. The new estimate of the Hubble constant is 74 kilometers (46 miles) per second per megaparsec. This means that for every 3.3 million light-years farther away a galaxy is from us, it appears to be moving 74 kilometers (46 miles) per second faster, as a result of the expansion of the universe. The number indicates that the universe is expanding at a 9% faster rate than the prediction of 67 kilometers (41.6 miles) per second per megaparsec, which comes from Planck's observations of the early universe, coupled with our present understanding of the universe. So, what could explain this discrepancy? One explanation for the mismatch involves an unexpected appearance of dark energy in the young universe, which is thought to now comprise 70% of the universe's contents. Proposed by astronomers at Johns Hopkins, the theory is dubbed "early dark energy," and suggests that the universe evolved like a three-act play. Astronomers have already hypothesized that dark energy existed during the first seconds after the big bang and pushed matter throughout space, starting the initial expansion. Dark energy may also be the reason for the universe's accelerated expansion today. The new theory suggests that there was a third dark-energy episode not long after the big bang, which expanded the universe faster than astronomers had predicted. The existence of this "early dark energy" could account for the tension between the two Hubble constant values, Riess said. Another idea is that the universe contains a new subatomic particle that travels close to the speed of light. Such speedy particles are collectively called "dark radiation" and include previously known particles like neutrinos, which are created in nuclear reactions and radioactive decays. Yet another attractive possibility is that dark matter (an invisible form of matter not made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons) interacts more strongly with normal matter or radiation than previously assumed. But the true explanation is still a mystery. Riess doesn't have an answer to this vexing problem, but his team will continue to use Hubble to reduce the uncertainties in the Hubble constant. Their goal is to decrease the uncertainty to 1%, which should help astronomers identify the cause of the discrepancy. ### The team's results have been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 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. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Vladimir Soldatkin and Maria Vasilyeva VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program. Putin and Kim held a day of talks on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. The talks between Putin and Kim did not appear to have yielded any major breakthrough. But Putin, keen to use the summit to burnish Russia's diplomatic credentials as a global player, said he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue. That would mean including Russia, China, Japan and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea, a long-standing format that has been sidelined by unilateral U.S. efforts to broker a deal. "They (the North Koreans) only need guarantees about their security. That's it. All of us together need to think about this," Putin told reporters after talks with Kim. "... I'm deeply convinced that if we get to a situation when some kind of security guarantees are needed from one party, in this case for North Korea, that it won't be possible to get by without international guarantees. It's unlikely that any agreements between two countries will be enough." Such guarantees would have to be international, legally binding, and vouch for North Korea's sovereignty, said Putin. The two leaders appeared to get on well. The first session between Putin and Kim, comprising one-on-one talks with just a few aides present, lasted twice as long as the 50 minutes allocated in the schedule. Putin described Kim as "quite open" and as "thoughtful" and "interesting". MUSIC AND GIFTS Promising to brief the Chinese and U.S. leadership about his talks, Putin said he thought a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear program was possible and that the way to get there was to move forward step-by-step in order to build trust. There was no immediate comment on the summit from the U.S. State Department, but William Hagerty, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, told a Washington think tank Kims outreach to Russia and China was part of an effort to seek relief from international sanctions, which both are committed to. "The fact you see Kim Jong Un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime," he said. "What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearize," he said, adding: "I think its critically important that we all remain in lockstep in enforcing the U.N. Security Council resolutions that sanction North Korea." Kim, who arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday on board his armored train, said the situation on the Korean peninsula "is an issue that the world is very interested in". He did not speak to the media afterwards, but shook hands with Putin before being driven away in his limousine. The two leaders had earlier attended a gala dinner where they toasted each other and watched traditional musical numbers and dancing performed by Russian artists. The numbers included the Russian classic song "Black Eyes" and a Korean song called "the Great Commander," Russian state media reported. The two men also exchanged gifts. Kim gave Putin a traditional Korean sword, while the Russian leader gave Kim a saber and a tea service suitable for use on his armored train. "When modern weapons did not exist, they used such swords," Russian state media cited Kim as telling Putin. "They embody strength, my soul and our people who support you." With North Korea-U.S. talks stalled, the summit in Vladivostok has provided Pyongyang with an opportunity to improve ties with its giant neighbor Russia. For the Kremlin, the summit was a chance to show it remains an important actor on the global stage despite efforts by the United States and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding international sanctions until North Korea dismantles its nuclear program, Russia's room for maneuver, beyond putting on a show of camaraderie, was limited. Putin's last summit with a North Korean leader was in 2002 when his counterpart was Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, then Russia's president and now its prime minister. (Corrects spelling of name to Hagerty in paragraph 12.) (Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee in SEOUL, Maria Kiselyova, Darya Korsunskaya and Maxim Rodionov in MOSCOW and David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON; Writing by Christian Lowe/Andrew Osborn; editing by Gareth Jones and Jonathan Oatis) Washington (AFP) - The Central Intelligence Agency opened its own account on Instagram Thursday with a picture of a desk of mysteries teased by the children's game prompt "I spy with my little eye." The photo tempts with intrigues and adventure: a wig suggesting disguises, maps of China and the Gulf, foreign banknotes, a burn bag for getting rid of secret documents, a notebook with Arabic, and other items -- mostly real operation souvenirs of CIA officers. Next to a wall is a photo with the words: "I want to travel the world." The Instagram posting was an expansion of the premier US spy agency's effort to recruit a younger generation of officers, agents and analysts, having already been on Twitter and Facebook for years. The agency has been openly recruiting from universities and industry, and Instagram gives it a way to reach a large, younger demographic: most of its regular users are under 30. "We're looking to spark the curiosity of Instagram's users about the many ways CIA's global mission has us going where others cannot go and doing what others cannot do," the agency said in a statement. "Through the account, we'll give a peek into agency life, but we can't promise any selfies from secret locations." Sanaa (AFP) - Griffon vulture Nelson crossed into war-torn Yemen in search of food but ended up in the hands of Yemeni fighters -- and temporarily in jail for suspected espionage. The sand-coloured bird came down in the country's third city of Taez, an unusual move for a young vulture that can soar for long distances across continents in search of food and moderate weather. Nelson, approximately two years old, embarked on his journey in September 2018 from Bulgaria, where his wing was tagged and equipped with a satellite transmitter by the Fund for Wild Fauna and Flora (FWFF). But he seems to have lost his way, eventually coming down into Taez -- under siege by Huthi rebels but controlled by pro-government forces, who mistook Nelson's satellite transmitter for an espionage device and detained the bird. - Spy device - Forces loyal to the government believed that the GPS tracker attached to the bird may have been a spy device for the rebels. Hisham al-Hoot, who represents the FWFF in Yemen, travelled from the rebel-held capital Sanaa to Taez to plead with local officials to release the helpless animal. "It took about 12 days to get the bird," he told AFP. "The Bulgarian foreign ministry reached out to the Yemeni ambassador, who in turn contacted local officials (in Taez) and told them to immediately give the organisation the vulture." Hoot said that the bird migrated from Bulgaria, to Turkey, to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and then Yemen -- where the FWFF lost track of the bird. Nelson was MIA until April 5, when the conservation group received hundreds of messages from Yemenis concerned about the creatures' welfare. Today, the locally-famous vulture is being properly fed and getting stronger every day. "When we first took him, he was in very bad condition," said Hoot, adding that the bird was underweight. Smiling, he puts on gloves and carefully handles the majestic creature -- blowing it a kiss. Story continues - Broken wings - Hoot said the bird will be released in two months when he believed Nelson will have regained his full strength and his wing -- broken somewhere during his journey -- will have healed. "We thought at first it would take six months for him to heal, but now we don't think it will be more than two months," he said. Hoot said that Nelson was not able to find any source of sustenance in Yemen. "They can eat carcasses of dead animals, but now there is no more with the current situation of war. "This is what forced him to come down and stopped him from completing his journey." The four-year conflict in Yemen has unleashed the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations, with millions facing famine. The war escalated in March 2015 when a coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, intervened to bolster the efforts of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Since then, at least 10,000 people -- most of them civilians -- have been killed and more than 60,000 wounded, according to the World Health Organization. Other rights groups estimate the toll could be much higher. COLOMBO, April 25 (Reuters) - The death toll in Sri Lanka's Easter Day attack is around 100 fewer than the 359 originally thought, a top health official told Reuters on Thursday. "It could be 250 or 260. I can't exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure," Anil Jasinghe, the director general of Sri Lanka's health services told Reuters in a phone interview. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Alasdair Pal; Editing by Toby Chopra) COLOMBO (Reuters) - The death toll in Sri Lanka's Easter Day attack is around 100 fewer than the 359 originally thought, a two top government officials told Reuters on Thursday. "It could be 250 or 260. I can't exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure," Anil Jasinghe, the director general of Sri Lanka's health services told Reuters in a phone interview. Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lanka's deputy defense minister whose ministry is responsible for the island's police force, said the death toll had been revised down to 253 due to inaccurate figures provided by the country's morgues. "Unfortunately the health ministry provided the earlier number to us," he said. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Alasdair Pal; Editing by Toby Chopra) Crucial intelligence that could have prevented Sri Lanka's Easter attacks went ignored in part because of feuding between the country's leaders, experts say. The government has admitted "major" lapses in its failure to act on intelligence warnings, and analysts say a longstanding political crisis is to blame. The warnings were clear: On April 11, Sri Lanka's police chief issued an alert saying that radical Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) planned suicide bombings of "prominent churches", citing alerts from a foreign intelligence agency. The document was addressed to several top officials, but neither the prime minister nor the deputy defence minister were among the recipients. That comes as little surprise to experts familiar with Sri Lanka's messy political scene, which has been dominated by wrangling between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena. Sirisena also serves as defence and law and order minister. "As part of his ongoing war with the prime minister, the president has tried to weaken him in many ways, including taking the police under his control," said Alan Keenan, Sri Lanka specialist at the International Crisis Group think tank. "So it's entirely possible that the police wouldn't share information with ministers not aligned with the president," Keenan told AFP. - 'Criminal negligence' - The attempt to shut out Wickremesinghe follows efforts by Sirisena to sack the premier last year. Although the prime minister was eventually reinstated after a court ruling, the bad blood between the two men persists. Hours after the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359 people, Wickremesinghe called an urgent meeting of the armed forces chiefs. But Sirisena was still out of the country on holiday and the military leadership initially refused to attend, saying they answered solely to the president, official sources told AFP. Story continues They only agreed to the request after Wickremesinghe turned up at their headquarters in the defence ministry, the sources added. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, head of the Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives, said the political infighting meant security concerns had been relegated to the backburner. "The national security council has not met with the participation of the prime minister and the deputy minister of defence for four months," he told AFP. "What on earth were the two of them doing?" he said, accusing both the president and prime minister of allowing personal animosity to overshadow security concerns. "The leaders are there to protect the people and that they have failed to do and... (people) have paid with their lives. This is criminal negligence." - 'Looking for leadership' - But bickering alone does not explain why Sri Lanka's security apparatus -- populated by officers with years of experience fighting a decades-long Tamil insurgency -- ignored warnings of an attack. Political commentator Kusal Perera said the police were familiar with the NTJ and its potential to carry out attacks, referring to a raid in January at a training camp that turned up explosives and detonators. "Is it only their responsibility to collect intelligence, not question suspects? During the civil war they never waited for the president and prime minister to instruct them before rounding up suspects and interrogating people," Perera said. "Agencies responsible for maintaining law and order should not sit back and relax and wait for instructions after finding evidence of possible attacks," he said. President Sirisena has vowed a major shake-up of the military's top brass in the wake of the bombings, and an investigation is underway to establish why police did not share intelligence with Wickremesinghe's office. With elections due this year, the government is under mounting pressure. Former strongman leader Mahinda Rajapakse has wasted no time in blasting its failure to keep Sri Lankans safe, accusing the authorities of "crippling" the security agencies. ICG analyst Keenan told AFP that "Sri Lankans have an absolute right to be very angry but the problem is there is no way to hold anyone to account." "What you have is a fearful, brokenhearted public who are looking for leadership and not finding it." Colombo (AFP) - Sri Lanka deployed thousands of additional troops countrywide overnight to help police hunt for suspects in the Easter Sunday suicide blasts that killed nearly 360 people, a spokesman said Thursday. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said the army increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. "We are armed with powers to search, seize, arrest and detain under emergency regulations," Atapattu told AFP. "We are involved in static guard duties, patrolling and helping with cordon-and-search operations." The government also announced a ban on all drone flights and said licences issued to all commercial operators were suspended with immediate effect. Police said they arrested another 16 suspects overnight with alleged ties to the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) extremist group accused of the blasts at three churches and three luxury hotels. Police said about 75 people were now being interrogated in connection with the deadliest attack against civilians in the country's history. Sri Lankan authorities are also investigating a security failure to act on prior information about the impending Easter bombings by the NTJ. President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also the minister of defence and law and order, on Tuesday vowed a major security shake up with pledges to remove the heads of the police and armed forces "within 24 hours", but there were no changes by Thursday morning. Recriminations have flown since Sunday's attacks and the country remained tense with many shops and offices closed and motorists staying off the roads. Sirisena is due to meet with leaders of all political parties as well as religious leaders in two separate meetings on Thursday to discuss the situation. Sunday's bomb attacks were the first in the country since the Tamil insurgency ended almost 10 years ago in May 2009. Fifteen people including six children died in a battle between Sri Lankan security forces and suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the latest fallout from the Easter attacks, police said Saturday. Three men set off explosives that killed themselves, three women and six children inside what was believed to be a jihadist hideout near the eastern town of Kalmunai. "Three other men, also believed to be suicide bombers, were found dead outside the house," police said in a statement. They were shot dead by security forces, police officials added. Security forces tried to storm the house late Friday and a one-hour long gun battle ensued before the explosions, a military official said. A civilian was also killed in the crossfire during the raid near the predominantly Muslim town. Hundreds of families later fled their homes. Police and troops have stepped up searches after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels, which killed least 253 people and injured 500. Kalmunai is in the same region as the home town of the jihadist Zahran Hashim who founded the group accused of staging the attacks. Police and officials said a series of tip offs after the arrest of Hashim's driver, Mohamed Sharif Adam, in Hashim's home town of Kathankudy led them to the safe house. Officials said the driver provided information leading to a raid on Friday on a hideout south of Kathankudy where they believe Hashim and other bombers recorded a video pledging allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the Easter attacks. - Islamic State flag - Video on state television showed explosives, a generator, a drone and a large quantity of batteries inside the converted studio. An IS flag and uniforms similar to those worn by the eight fighters in the video were also found, police said. That in turn provided a tip off about the hideout in Kalmunai, 370 kilometres (230 miles) east of the capital. Story continues Authorities named Hashim's group, National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), as the perpetrators of the attacks. They announced Friday that he had been killed in the bombing of the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo. President Maithripala Sirisena used emergency powers to ban the NTJ and a splinter group identified as Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI), his office said in a statement Saturday. "All movable and immovable property of these two organisations will be confiscated," the statement said. The government is on the defensive over its failure to heed a foreign intelligence warning that NTJ was planning suicide bombings on churches. Police chief Pujith Jayasundara became the second high-ranking official to resign over the blunders Friday, after top defence ministry official Hemasiri Fernando stepped down. - Private prayers - Sri Lanka's Catholic leader, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, has said he felt "betrayed" by the government's failure to act on the warnings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe apologised on Friday. "We take collective responsibility and apologise to our fellow citizens for our failure to protect victims of these tragic events," he wrote on Twitter. Amidst fears of new attacks, the Roman Catholic church has suspended all public services across the country until security is guaranteed by the government. The archbishop, who has appealed to Catholics to stay home and say private prayers, is to hold a special mass at his official residence Sunday which will be broadcast live on television. Some groups were expected to hold public vigils in Colombo and Negombo, where St Sebastian's Church suffered some of the worst casualties in the bombings. The military have poured troops onto the streets to back up police as they search for suspects using newly granted powers under a state of emergency. At least 94 people are in custody, including a man believed to be the father of two of the bombers. Authorities warned the hunt would continue. "We now have info that there are about 140 people in Sri Lanka linked to the Islamic State. We can and we will eradicate all of them very soon," Sirisena said Friday, when he announced the new legislation to tackle extremist groups. - Tourism hit - Dozens of foreigners died in the attacks and the government has said it expects the number of overseas tourists to fall by 30 percent this year, at a cost of $1.5 billion in revenues. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the island -- which depends on tourism as a cornerstone of its economy -- could take up to two years to fully recover. The United States, Israel, Australia, India and Britain have all warned their citizens against visiting Sri Lanka. A photograph has been obtained by Sky News which, according to a security source, is of the suspected Sri Lanka suicide bomber who studied in Britain - Sky News The Easter Sunday suicide bomber who lived and studied in the UK had been under police surveillance in Sri Lanka for years, it emerged on Thursday. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, 36, who studied aerospace engineering in the UK for almost two years, was on a Sri Lankan terror watchlist, according to sources close to his family. The claim raises further embarrassing questions for the Sri Lankan authorities over their failure to stop Sundays coordinated attacks on churches and hotels. The source, close to his brother, said: He was under surveillance for years. It came as footage emerged on Thursday night believed to show Jameel Mohamed with a rucksack laden with explosives, and a suitcase at the Taj hotel in Colombo on Easter Sunday. In the pictures, obtained by Sky News, he is wearing a baseball cap just like two other suspected bombers pictured on CCTV footage before they struck the Shangri-La hotel. British intelligence officers are combing through Jameel Mohameds connections made in the UK to determine whether he could have been radicalised in this country. He flew into the UK on January 1 2006 and lived in a rented bedsit in Tooting in south London before flying home at the end of September 2007. He returned again in 2008. The guesthouse blown up by Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, who lived and studied in the UK Credit: Sam Tarling The Daily Telegraph has been told that he was initially denied a visa to enter the UK but that his father - a wealthy tea trader in Sri Lanka - had threatened to bring a legal claim against the High Commission if it didnt reverse the block on his sons travel. Sources have insisted Jameel Mohamed was initially prevented from entering Britain because of administrative problems with his visa application, and not because he posed any danger at that time. He enrolled at Kingston University on an aerospace engineering course as part of a programme tied to the Asian Aviation Centre in Colombo. Kingston was one of four universities named and shamed in 2015 by then prime minister David Cameron over claims it had hosted the most events with extremist speakers. Story continues The claim was vehemently contested by Kingston, which insisted that it was highly unlikely students were being radicalised. Family friends said Jameel Mohamed, who spent a year at Kingston University in 2006, was being monitored by police in Sri Lanka as he plotted the terror attacks with seven other suspected jihadis. Jameel Mohamed killed two people when he detonated his bomb at a guesthouse near Colombo zoo. His original target was the five-star The Taj Samudra hotel, located close to three other high-end hotels targeted in coordinated attacks. But his bomb failed to detonate and he was forced to return to a safe house before launching his the attack. As the investigation into the attacks continued in the UK and Sri Lanka, more details were emerging on Thursday about Jameel Mohamed. People who knew the suspected bomber told The Telegraph that the he was sympathetic towards Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). But we never took him seriously when he talked about his views, said a childhood friend. Who would have thought we would have maniacs who would commit this kind of atrocity and kill all innocent people? Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, 36, is bearded with a rucksack, thought to contain explosives, and a suitcase at the Taj hotel Credit: Sky News Some of Jameel Mohameds friends and family members have been taken into police custody for questioning, including an older brother and a brother-in-law. A police spokesman confirmed that at least one of his brothers, who runs the family tea trading business, is currently detained and is being interrogated. Other friends and acquaintances told The Telegraph that he was a bit different from the others. He was always a bit weird, a friend, who did not want to be named told The Telegraph. A bit of a recluse. His sister, Samsul Hidaya, said her brother had been radicalised during his studies abroad, but thought that followed a stint in Melbourne, Australia, rather than in London. On Friday The Australian newspaper reported that Jameel Mohamed studied at Swinburne University in Melbourne between 2009 and 2013. Samsul Hidaya, one of Mohamed's sisters, told the Daily Mail that her brother came back from Australia after his post-graduate studies a changed man. Quoting AAP, the report said her brother became "a different man" in Australia and became withdrawn and intense. "My brother became deeply, deeply religious while he was in Australia," Ms Hidaya said. "He was normal when he went to study in Britain, and normal when he came back. But after he did his postgraduate in Australia, he came back to Sri Lanka a different man. "He had a long beard and had lost his sense of humour. He became serious and withdrawn and would not even smile at anyone he didn't know, let alone laugh." A Kingston University spokesman said: The University does not tolerate any form of incitement to hatred or violence, and condemns in the strongest terms extremist activity. It has been fully compliant with the Governments Prevent duty guidance since its instigation, and takes these responsibilities extremely seriously. The fresh details emerged amid growing public concern about further attacks in Colombo. Tensions remained high as it was reported that the mastermind of the bombings may still be alive. The fate of Zahran Hashmi, an extremist cleric also called Mohamed Kasim Mohamed Zahran, has been unknown since Sri Lankan intelligence accused him of orchestrating the multiple suicide bombings that killed 359 people. Hashmi, the alleged leader of the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) group that the government believe carried out the atrocity, was thought to have been killed. But his death has not been confirmed, BBC Sinhala reported on Thursday. The report was based on a statement by Ruwan Wijewardene, the deputy defence minister, who declined to comment specifically on the fate of Hashmi. He did say, however, that the 'leader' of the suicide bomber team that struck three churches and three luxury hotels had died. Zahran Hashmi, the alleged mastermind of the plot, may still be alive Previously it had been reported that Hashmi had died after blowing himself up at the Shangri La hotel breakfast buffet, but the police have disputed these claims. Close to 60 people have been detained in sweeping arrests across the island as the government faces growing anger over its failure to act on crucial Indian intelligence earlier this month about possible attacks on churches. The publics nerves were frayed further by a small blast near a magistrates court on Thursday morning in Pugoda town, about 25 miles east of the capital, Colombo. No casualties were reported. Traffic was also disrupted near the islands main international airport as the police inspected a suspicious vehicle. The Indian Ocean island remains under curfew and emergency security measures while the counter-terrorism operation, assisted by experts from the US, UK, Australia and UAE, is underway. All Catholic churches have been instructed to stay closed and suspend services until security improves. Christians in Jaffna, in the north of the country, issued a statement urging patience and peace as the truth of these heinous crimes emerges, adding: our grief is never a call for retribution. Their appeal came as Sri Lankas minority Muslim community spoke of their fears about retaliation and reported online abuse and stones being thrown at Muslim homes and businesses. Sri Lankas government believes that the massacre was carried out with the NTJ, previously an obscure local Islamist group, with assistance from overseas terrorism networks due to its precise and coordinated nature and the use of military-grade explosives. Sri Lanka is on a heightened state of alert Credit: Eranga Jayawardena/AP The targeting of Christians and hotels popular with westerners bore the hallmarks of global jihadi terrorism. The Islamic State terrorist group on Tuesday claimed credit for the bloodbath and released a video of the suicide bombers swearing allegiance to the militant groups leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. It did not provide further proof that it had engineered the attack. However, the Hindu newspaper reported on Wednesday that investigators had found that two of the suspects had recently returned from fighting in Syria and Iraq. The video released on Isils Aamaq news agency showed Hashmi at the centre of a group of eight attackers in front of an Islamic State flag. He was the only person to keep his face uncovered. Indias CNN News 18 channel first reported the possible involvement of Hashmi in the massacre, claiming that Indian intelligence sources had indicated to the Sri Lankans that he was planning to attack the Indian High Commission in Colombo in early April. Over the last few years, Hashmi has gained thousands of followers for his incendiary sermons denouncing non-Muslims on pro-IS social media accounts. A woman mourns her mother, killed in the St Sebastian's church Credit: Carl Court /Getty Images Hilmy Ahamed, the vice-president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, told The Telegraph he had been trying to warn officials about Hashmis extremism for three years after it emerged that he was radicalising young pupils in his Koran classes. Hashmi's group began as an offshoot of the Sri Lanka Thawheed Jamaath, which has denied any involvement in the bombings. Hashmi was reported in the local press as a divisive figure within his own community who incited violence against other Muslims. According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Hashmi was operating out of southern India, or had links there, in the months before Sunday's bombings. "All his YouTube videos of hate speech were uploaded in India," claimed Mr Hilmy. "He has a base in either Chennai or Bangalore." Hashmis Indian ties are expected to come under closer investigation. India's National Investigation Agency had specific intelligence ahead of the serial blasts, which it passed on to Colombo, but no action was taken by the Sri Lankans. The Hindu reported that Indian investigators unearthed the plot during an interrogation of an IS sympathiser in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu six months ago. COLOMBO, April 25 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan police arrested three people, and seized 21 locally made grenades and six swords, during a raid in Colombo, a police spokesman said on Thursday. He did not give further details or suggest that the raid was linked to the rash of suicide bomber attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that killed 359 people and wounded about 500. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez Writing by John Chalmers Editing by Robert Birsel) King Mohammed VI broke the ground Wednesday for the start of the construction of the new headquarters of the national police (DGSN), meant to be an engine of modernity and efficiency in police actions at the service of Moroccos security. This royal gesture is a recognition for the tireless efforts and huge sacrifices made by police agents, men and women, to ensure the security of citizens, protect their properties and preserve public order. It is also a recognition for their spirit of mobilization, vigilance and determination while fulfilling their duties, stated MAP news agency. The project, to cost 2 billion dirhams, is in line with the Kings directives to the government to provide the police institution with all the necessary human and financial resources to help it conduct its mission properly. The new headquarters, a modern and integrated administrative complex to be completed within five years, meets the highest security standards, integrates the latest state-of-the-art technologies, supports the development and modernization of the police institution in terms of human and material resources, and contributes to strengthening the Moroccan model of national security. The facility will house all police directorates and central services, in addition to a 1,200-seat conference room, a police museum, an archives centre, an identity data bank, ID cards printing facility, and a computer centre. The new headquarters can also accommodate reserve forces. Also on Wednesday, King Mohammed VI inaugurated, in the same Hay Ryad district a medical Centre destined to the National Police members and their families. The new facility includes a radiology centre, a medical analysis laboratory and a day hospital, all equipped with the latest generation equipment. It is meant to upgrade the medico-social services offered to the national police. COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan police arrested three people, and seized 21 locally made grenades and six swords, during a raid in Colombo, a police spokesman said on Thursday. He did not give further details or suggest that the raid was linked to the rash of suicide bomber attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that killed 359 people and wounded about 500. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Robert Birsel) COLOMBO, April 25 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando told Reuters on Thursday that he had resigned, taking responsibility for the suicide bomber attacks on the country last Sunday. He said that while there had been no failure on his own part, he was taking responsibility for failures of some institutions he headed as the secretary of defense. He said that security agencies were actively responding to intelligence they had about the possibility of attacks before they were launched. "We were working on that. All those agencies were working on that," he said. The Easter Sunday bombings on churches and luxury hotels killed at least 359 people and wounded about 500. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Editing by John Chalmers and Toby Chopra) St. James Infirmary examining room. | Photos: David-Elijah Nahmod/Hoodline This year marks the 20th anniversary of St. James Infirmary, which provides medical, mental health and social services to San Francisco's sex workers and their families. The occasion is a major one for the clinic, which was forced out of its longtime SoMa space in 2016. After two challenging years in a new space on Eddy Street in the Tenderloin, it moved again last year to its current home, at 730 Polk St. "Our [client] numbers had dropped," said executive director Toni Newman of St. James' decision to leave the Eddy Street location. "People weren't coming because that corner, Eddy and Taylor, had a lot of drug dealing going on. People didn't feel comfortable." With the help of the San Francisco Community Health Center, Newman was able to find a new, safer space for St. James on Polk Street, which it shares with meal-service nonprofit Project Open Hand. Toni Newman at the St. James Infirmary registration desk. The clinic, which opened in 1999, is named for Margo St. James, a pioneering sex-work activist who first formed the organization COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) in the 1970s. Newman said the infirmary got its start because its founders were disenchanted with SFPD's treatment of people working on the streets, including testing their blood without consent. "They were arresting them and testing them for HIV without their permission, and [Margo] just wasn't having it," Newman said. "She got with the [San Francisco] Department of Health, which still funds us today, and got money to start St. James Infirmary." Today, St. James Infirmary has an annual budget of more than $1 million and 22 paid staff members. It prides itself on serving people of all genders and backgrounds, with many staffers who are transgender or people of color. "I feel very safe here because St. James in open to everyone," said infirmary client Candy Alba. "We need support for hormone therapy and medical care. If we don't support each other, then no one will." Story continues St. James Infirmary client Candy Alba. In addition to primary care services, counseling and treatment for HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and substance abuse treatment programs, St. James also offers its clients mental health counseling, self-defense classes, a transgender hormone therapy program, and a needle exchange. All its services are free of charge, including the food and clothing that are often distributed to participants. (The only caveat is that clients must be 18 or older; those younger than 18 are referred to Larkin Street Youth Services.) "We have two therapy rooms," Newman said. "We have a private conference room, we have an auditorium that we share, we have an HIV unit, private offices, and we have medical examining rooms. It feels like we are a clinic." HIV services manager Cary Escovedo. Though the clinic still exclusively serves the sex worker community, Newman said that she'd like to see St. James' mission expand and grow. Hoodline's visit to the clinic coincided with National HIV Transgender Testing Day, for which St. James held a conference in conjunction with San Francisco Community Health. The organization served food and offered assistance to 42 transgender people, some of whom were not sex workers, but all of whom were either unhoused or recently incarcerated. "How can we help them do better?" Newman asked. "We don't judge, but how can we help them do better?" "Doing better" often means meeting clients where they're at, Newman said, even if they might not immediately be amenable to seeking treatment for an addiction or mental health issue. "If you get high, I send you to my syringe exchange program," she explained. "If you want to use needles, then be safe. If you want to go out on the street and prostitute tonight, here's some condoms, here's a care packet. Just be safe. See you next week." St. James Infirmary's therapy room. Funding for the clinic comes from the national Centers For Disease Control, the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, the SF Department of Health, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development. The clinic also receives some of its funding from private corporations, such as Wells Fargo. Recently, Newman said, St. James has begun to team up with other community partners, from its neighbor Project Open Hand to the San Francisco LGBT Community Center to Shanti, which works with disabled and terminally ill people. If a client is unemployed, for example, they can be sent to the LGBT Center, which offers employment training. "We're building community partnerships," she said. "I hope to increase the budget and be more of a community partner, because I can't do everything. If you're getting evicted, if you need a lawyer, if you're HIV-positive, there are [organizations] we can call now, and it's beautiful." To help raise funds for its programs, St. James is planning a June 2 gala at SoMa's Terra Gallery, featuring Tony-winning Broadway actress Jennifer Holliday and local comic legend Marga Gomez. "On our 20th anniversary, I feel St. James Infirmary is stepping into the 21st century, with first-class services to the sex worker community," Newman said. "My goal is to assist our community with the services they need today." For information on St. James Infirmary's programs, or to make a donation including donations of food and clothing visit the clinic's website. Coffee chain Starbucks Corporation SBUX had a solid start to the year, up more than 50% since last summer. So far this year, its shares have risen 18.6%, outperforming the broader S&P 500 index, which has risen 16.2%. But, can Starbucks repeat the stellar performance when it reports fiscal second-quarter earnings results after the closing bell on Apr 25? Quite frankly, there are plenty of reasons to be bullish. Despite intensifying competition in China, Starbucks loyalty program stands in good stead. Its employee-focused stance, share repurchases programs and innovative ideas to improve sales will surely boost second-quarter results. Lets take a closer look Stiff Rivalry in China China has been home to nearly 500 million middle-class families. And thats the reason why Starbucks management believes that China is the companys biggest market. At the same time, China is untapped as a coffee market. But now, Starbucks is facing stiff competition from Chinese coffee joint Luckin Coffee which has introduced coffee at affordable prices. Meanwhile, even though Starbucks provides top-quality coffee beverages, its pretty pricey. Needless to say, Luckin is well poised to come up with an aggressive plan that may make it bigger than Starbucks in China by the end of this year. But does this raise alarm bells for Starbucks? Certainly not! New Rewards Program Starbucks is betting on its Rewards loyalty program to help improve earnings results. In the fiscal first quarter, the company witnessed more than 1 million new customers under the program, 14% more than the count registered in the same period last year. CFO Pat Grismer acknowledged that the Rewards loyalty program has boosted Starbucks' comps growth in the fiscal first quarter. He added that the program will continue to impact Starbucks results this time as well. Lest we forget, comps in the United States increased 4% in the fiscal first quarter, more than 3% in the preceding quarter. Story continues Other Catalysts Starbucks recently opened its Mobile Order & Pay app to allow non-Rewards members to place orders, which in turn should boost revenues. Further, Starbucks created a venture capital fund Valor Siren Ventures 1 in partnership with Valor Equity Partners to invest in food/retail related start-ups. This should boost Starbucks bottom line. Notably, Starbucks has committed to returning $25 billion to shareholders over the three-year period through fiscal 2020. Such share repurchase programs highlight the fundamental strength of the company that should get reflected in the earnings results as well. Notably, the companys innovative concepts like the Third Place, which means customers should consider Starbucks outlets as a third home, after their own homes and workplaces, should go a long way in boosting profits. Starbucks Will Continue to Rake in Profits Starbucks is widely expected to post 56 cents a share in earnings, up from 53 cents reported a year ago. The Zacks Consensus Estimate call for revenues of nearly $6.3 billion, up about 4.6% from the same period last year. The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company also has a positive earnings surprise and js more likely to positively surprise in the future. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. If this wasnt enough, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has moved up 0.4% in the past 60 days. Encouraging earnings performance, undoubtedly, will lead to a rally in the share price. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 12.8%, higher than the Retail - Restaurants industrys estimated rise of 5.3%. In fact, the company has outperformed the broader industry in the past year (+28.6% vs +21.3%). Radical New Technology Creates $12.3 Trillion Opportunity Imagine buying Microsoft stock in the early days of personal computers or Motorola after it released the worlds first cell phone. These technologies changed our lives and created massive profits for investors. Today, were on the brink of the next quantum leap in technology. 7 innovative companies are leading this 4th Industrial Revolution - and early investors stand to earn the biggest profits. See the 7 breakthrough stocks now>> 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 Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (Note: Print or Digital Use Allowed. Please credit Stateline, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts. For downloadable graphics, please visit www.pewtrusts.org/stateline) By April Simpson April 25 (Stateline) - In the weeks after flooding drowned the livelihoods of families whove farmed along the Missouri River for generations, rural advocates in the Midwest began gearing up for another crisis. The devastating floods increased concerns about the mental health and well-being of farmers who already were struggling with yearslong economic uncertainty. Groups in flood-affected states such as Nebraska say they are preparing to provide mental and emotional support to devastated farmers. Meanwhile, the federal government has yet to begin implementing a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network that was revived in the 2018 farm bill. Farmers have weathered years of a slow decline, but advocates worry they could crumble under the sudden pressures created by the natural disaster. Tough financial situations are a key driver of mental distress among farmers, according to experts. Were in a fragile place because once you get through the flood itself and the adrenaline wears off, then the enormity of the flood and the consequences settle in, said John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union. Theres a huge emotional load if youre the one who loses the family business, especially if that business is how you define yourself as a person, Hansen said. Many farmers have persisted over five years of low commodity prices, further strained by the Trump administrations trade tariffs. Meanwhile, net farm income has fallen nearly 50 percent from its peak in 2013, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in written testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture in late February, weeks before the flooding. Farm debt has risen more rapidly over the past five years, increasing by nearly a third since 2013 to levels last seen during the 1980s, according to Perdues testimony. Story continues And though loan demand remains historically high, the USDA Farm Service Agencys Farm Loan Program in 2018 saw another slight annual decline in lending. Increasing farm financial stress could lead commercial lenders to seek more loan guarantees, Perdue said, while the Farm Service Agency may see an increase in repayment difficulties. Difficult Decisions Farm families live through hope and optimism from one year to the next, but when things get tight, theres often a rise in anxiety and depression, experts said. University of Iowa research that tracked suicides and homicides among farmers and agriculture workers between 1992 and 2010 found that they had a higher rate of suicides than workers in other occupations. Farm families often have held the same land for generations, and it means everything to them, said Michael Rosmann, a clinical psychologist and farmer in Harlan, Iowa, who serves the agricultural population. When threatened with the loss of land, stressed farmers increase their workload, but sometimes the farmers become so overwhelmed they cant sleep properly or make sound decisions. Thats when counseling helps them manage their behavior and their farming operations, Rosmann said. Any threat to the loss of the land, or the assets needed to farm, and farmers react by doubling down in their work ethic, Rosmann said. But they have learned how to take into account their behavioral well-being, so they dont overdo it as much. About 55 percent of people who contact Rosmann are men, which shows theyre not as reluctant as they were even a decade ago when women were still more likely to seek behavioral health assistance, he said. He receives between four and 12 contacts a week. Increasing awareness of mental health and emotional well-being in farm magazines and newspapers has helped. Community meetings involving businesspersons and farmers strategizing together also help curb social isolation and broaden options when making sound decisions, Rosmann said. Difficult decisions about selling land affect everyone in the family differently, and not always at the same time, said Charlie Griffin, a retired professor with the School of Family Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University, and former member of the Governors Mental Health Task Force in Kansas. The loss of land can affect families over two to three generations and often results in an increase in stress and family conflict, including marital difficulties, Griffin said. Both Rosmann and Griffin recommend a broad approach to supporting farmers that includes therapists, financial counselors, attorneys, farm management specialists, career specialists and faith-based providers. Between 1985 and 1994, Griffin was a mental health counselor with a farm hotline called Farmers Assistance Counseling and Training Service, or FACTS, which ended when farm bill funding dedicated to addressing the 1980s farm crisis dried up, Griffin said. He went on to participate in Agriwellness collaborative projects, directed by Rosmann across seven Midwestern states, which ended in 2014. Each state had a helpline that advised callers on legal and financial issues, disaster assistance and accessing free counseling services, while the program provided support groups for farmers and families. People need help, Griffin said. They are not going to pull through it by cowboying it through on their own without any other assistance. Federal Aid Lawmakers acknowledged the need for mental health support in the 2018 farm bill, which President Donald Trump signed in December. The bill reauthorized the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, which was first authorized in the 2008 farm bill, but was never funded and expired in 2012. Times were pretty good in farm country at the time the 2014 farm bill was written, said Matt Perdue, government relations director with the National Farmers Union, which lists resources available to farmers on a Farm Crisis Center webpage. To be frank, there just didnt seem to be many folks paying attention to the program. The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network would provide mental health support for farmers via grants to state departments of agriculture, state cooperative extension services and nonprofits. They would develop stress assistance programs, including counseling, farm telephone helplines and websites, training for advocates, support groups, outreach services and activities, and when necessary, home delivery of assistance. Rural and farm advocacy groups sent a letter to congressional appropriators March 25, weeks after the historic crest in the Missouri River, asking for the full $10 million in funding per year. I think there are a number of people across the state who are waiting for that funding to come down, so theyre equipped to hire people with expertise in behavioral health, said Griffin of Kansas. Farmers hadnt started the year optimistic about government assistance. Many already were anxious about late passage of the farm bill in December, followed by a government shutdown that strained the USDA and other government agencies, according to advocates. Now, the floods may have stripped many farmers land of the soil it needs to grow crops, which could take years to return to production. Some farmers have been storing grain for several years in anticipation of better prices, but floodwaters eroded their land and contaminated the grain. Neither USDA disaster programs nor insurance policies cover stored grain. Crop insurance may cover inputs, such as chemical and fertilizer, but it wont provide additional income to support households. Its going to spell the end for a lot of folks who dont have the capability to ride it out until things get rosier, said Joe Schroeder, a farmer advocate who speaks to distraught farmers through the Farm Aid hotline, which provides support services to farm families in crisis. Even losing livestock, for some, can affect mental stability, said Greg Ibach, USDA undersecretary of marketing and regulatory programs, at the Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., March 18. Its almost like losing family in many cases, Ibach said. Some families have spent decades building up a herd with marketable traits and genetics, said Cora Fox, a policy associate with the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Nebraska. Farmers can expect a gap before federal funds hit. Congress went on two-week recess until April 29 without passing a disaster relief bill. Nebraska and Iowa have reported billion-dollar losses. Rural Response Nebraska, among the hardest-hit states, is preparing to boost support of farmers emotional and behavioral health after the historic floods. The Nebraska Rural Response Hotline, the longest continuously serving farm crisis hotline in the country, provides no-cost vouchers for counseling services to farmers in need. Michelle Soll, who takes farmers desperate calls, has empathy: Her familys 192-acre farm flooded too. Even before the floods, the hotline was receiving record numbers of calls for counseling outreach and mental health therapy this year, according to organizers. Year-over-year program calls increased by nearly 90% when comparing January 2018 with January 2019, according to data provided by Interchurch Ministries of Nebraska, a statewide ecumenical agency that provides the hotline alongside local partners. Year-over-year program calls increased by nearly half when comparing February 2018 with February 2019, but dipped about 16% from March 2018 to March 2019, which organizers attributed to people taking care of their immediate needs. We are seeing a gradual increase, and we expect in the next few weeks well have pretty close to 50 percent more calls than weve experienced in the last year or two, said the Rev. Jerry Albright, the hotlines administrator. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension also held a Wellness in Tough Times webinar April 23 for farmers and ranchers and their families. During the 30-minute webinar, attendees could ask questions privately through a chat box. Extension agents are planning six Communicating with Farmers Under Stress trainings across Nebraska, said Susan Harris-Broomfield, a University of Nebraska Extension educator focused on rural health, wellness and safety. The trainings are geared toward helping agriculture business professionals, including those in health care and banking, learn about farmer stress, how it may manifest and where to access local resources. Bank lenders need help, Harris-Broomfield said. Many must tell farmers and ranchers they may not qualify for loans that sustain their operations. During the first training, prior to the flooding, a USDA county executive director said she had a farmer crying in her office because of financial challenges and she didnt know how to respond, Harris-Broomfield said. This is exactly the kind of thing that will happen more due to the stress of the flood, Harris-Broomfield said. During the interactive sessions, participants will practice having awkward conversations, Harris-Broomfield said. Oftentimes people are confident meeting neighbors physical needs, but are afraid to ask uncomfortable questions, such as whether people are considering suicide. The most important thing is to not ignore someone who you think is experiencing extreme stress, Harris-Broomfield said. Practice active listening without judgment. There may be some awkward conversations, but this is an awkward time. Things are going to be tough and we just have to roll with it. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2019/04/25/farmers-wash-up-in-a-fragile-place-after-historic-midwest-floods Fed up with rising drug costs, a growing number of states are pursuing a novel idea: They want to treat the pharmaceutical industry like a utility and cap what they will pay for certain medicines. Basically, a newly created rate-setting board or an existing government agency, depending upon the state, would determine an upper payment limit for any prescription drug brand-name or generic that is considered unaffordable after reviewing cost and pricing data submitted by drug makers. In some states, such a ceiling might also apply to fully insured commercial health plans, not just state health programs. In general, the concept builds on efforts to demand more transparency from the pharmaceutical industry while mimicking how governments determine how much is paid for electricity. The hope, of course, is to prevent budgets from being further stretched and, importantly, develop a tool to convince drug makers to compromise. The premise is relatively simple and worth pursuing even if the execution may prove complex. It may be hard to get a lower price, but it doesnt mean a state should otherwise write a blank check, says Rena Conti, a health economist and an associate professor at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. This is designed to keep prices in a reasonable range and not allow companies to effectively shut out access to certain cost-sensitive payers. Before explaining why this makes sense, lets acknowledge that the Trump administration and congressional Democrats have proposed various ideas to attack rising drug costs. One balloon being floated would require binding arbitration for Medicare, which is a way to cap prices. But what isnt clear is whether any proposal will come to fruition or what a final version may look like. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are, correctly, not counting on Washington to come to the rescue. Unlike in other industrialized nations, there is no entity at the federal level in the U.S. which would make the drug corporations justify what they charge for high-cost drugs and protect Americans from unaffordable costs for critically needed drugs, says Joseline Pena-Melnyk, who co-sponsored a bill in Maryland that is the closest to becoming law. Story continues Earlier this month, legislators there voted to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has until the end of May to either support or veto the measure. Meanwhile, bills are percolating in seven other states, according to National Academy for State Health Policy, an independent group of state policy makers that has championed setting upper payment limits for medicines. Read more: Pharma lobbyists flooded Maryland to block a drug-pricing bill. Opponents pushed back and won Until recently, though, state lawmakers have pursued what I would call half measures, mostly passing or pursuing so-called transparency laws requiring drug makers to disclose costs and explain pricing. As it turns out, you can file those attempts under Nice try, but The efforts have generated lots of attention, yet havent really caught on. Why? At the end of the day, in the absence of overt political pressure, those laws do not give state officials a way to control prices or lower costs. Frustrated legislators in Vermont, for instance, learned this lesson the hard way when they wondered what to do with the information their 2016 law allowed them to gather. This is a key reason why setting upper payment limits, not just demanding transparency, holds appeal. You can have transparency and understand pricing trends, but then what can you do about it? says Alyssa Vangeli, co-director of policy and government relations at Health Care For All in Massachusetts, where the advocacy group has lobbied the state legislature to pursue the idea. We think its really necessary to have an enforcement mechanism. She makes a good point, but of course, there is no guarantee rate-setting boards will become reality. Cue opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. A spokesman for PhRMA, the industry trade group, which fought the bill in Maryland and is pushing back elsewhere, argues there are serious concerns about the constitutionality of the legislation. He also maintains that rate-setting boards are really a form of price controls that would threaten innovation and delay patient access to new treatments. Lets take these arguments one at a time. Yes, there are a few points that could spark a heated constitutional fight, such as the extent to which a cap might thwart interstate commerce. However, as Maryland Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Rowe wrote in a Jan. 4 memo, the bill may have elements of price controls, but would not limit what drug makers can charge anywhere, but limit only what would insurers and consumers in the state would pay. In her view, the legislation would likely withstand a court challenge. Rowe appeared slightly less certain about arguments that a rate-setting board would impinge on the right of a drug maker to profit from its patents, setting up a fight over whether federal law supersedes a state law. Still, she maintained the bill could be upheld, although I think the door is certainly open to a protracted, high-profile legal battle. As for innovation, Craig Garthwaite, an associate professor of strategy at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, believes the pharmaceutical industry has a good point. Its a trade-off, he tells me. A state will gain access to drugs today in exchange for access to drugs in the future. And it probably means you will get less innovation later. But maybe were OK with that. Are we OK with that? I get the industry argument that revenue has to come from somewhere to fund the R&D. You need money to make stuff. But its also true that innovation isnt worth much if access is just too difficult. In the end, though, its going to have to be about compromise. Unless, that is, a company threatens to halt sales of a medicine in a given state. This is not impossible. Just look at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which has played hardball in several countries, as well as in New York state, over discounting the price of a cystic fibrosis treatment. Of course, the states will have to consider the extent to which alternative treatments may or may not be available when setting an upper payment limit. But any drug maker that walks away from negotiating with this or that state is only likely to prompt a state official to look elsewhere, such as Canada, for medicines. And then there is the notion of bad publicity. Were at a difficult moment when it comes to affording medicines. But treating pharma as a utility can serve a useful purpose. Otherwise, it may be lights out for too many patients. Three people have died after falling at the Grand Canyon over the last month, but officials say that the number of fatalities this year is not unusual. A total of five people have died inside the Grand Canyon National Park this year, compared to 17 people last year said park spokesperson Vanessa Ceja. A Hong Kong man in his 50s also died on March 28 after falling over the rim inside the Hualapai Reservation. The reservation is not part of the national park, but does encompass part of the canyon. About 12 people die inside the park each year, although many of the deaths are caused by heat or natural causes, Ceja said. Nearly 5 million people visit the park every year. John Quinley, a spokesperson for the park, said that there are typically fewer than five deaths in the park each year caused by falls. He said that park officials do not believe the number of deaths this year is unusual. It may happen again or we might go seven months with zero. The numbers are so small, its hard to sort of see a trend, Quinley said. He added that while the Grand Canyon National Park staff reviews park safety annually, officials are not currently planning to add any more safety precautions. At this point, were not seeing any obvious change thats necessary. Quinley said that more aggressive safety measures such as significantly adding to fencing in the park is impractical given the size of the canyon. The formation is 277 miles long, and it can be approached at two sides. The park provides fencing at the most popular viewing sites and visitors are also offered safety information at park kiosks, from park staff and on the parks website. A spate of deaths in recent weeks has drawn public attention to safety at the park. On April 23, a 70-year-old woman who had walked off the park trail died after falling about 200 feet from the canyons Southern Rim. And on April 3, a 67-year-old man from California died after falling 400 feet from the South Rim at Grand Canyon village. Roger Clark, the Grand Canyon Program Director for the Grand Canyon Trust, said that while accidents tend to generate public conversations about safety, its impossible to entirely eliminate danger in a place like the Grand Canyon. Gravity is part of the package, said Clark. Theres places like that- whether youre at the Gand Canyon or walking the street- where one foot can mean the difference between life and death. By Khalid Abdelaziz KHARTOUM (Reuters) - A huge crowd massed outside Sudan's Defence Ministry on Thursday to demand civilian rule, a Reuters witness said, challenging the Transitional Military Council that removed President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month to cede power. They were responding to a call by the Sudanese Professionals' Association (SPA), the main organiser of protests including a sit-in outside the Defence Ministry compound that began on April 6, for a million people to join the march. A Reuters reporter estimated the crowd to number hundreds of thousands. Earlier, about 100 Sudanese judges demanding civilian rule had walked from the Supreme Court in Khartoum towards the sit-in, joining anti-government protests for the first time, a Reuters witness said. Wearing their black robes, some of the judges carried signs reading "judges for change" as they marched through central Khartoum to the Defence Ministry, the witness said. "Civilian, civilian, protected by the judiciary", they chanted. Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the opposition have been at loggerheads over how long it will take to move to civilian rule after the military ousted Bashir on April 11 following months of protests against his 30-year rule. The military then established the TMC to run Sudan for a period of up to two years. Thursday's march was the first by judges in Sudan since before Bashir took power in an Islamist-backed military coup in 1989. "We demand reform of the judiciary until justice prevails and corruption is prosecuted," appeals judge Abu al-Fattah Mohamed Othman told Reuters. "We demand the removal of symbols of the former regime from the judiciary and the dismissal of the head of the judiciary to achieve justice." Shortly after the judges' march began, the TMC announced it would retain "sovereign authority only", while civilians would hold the post of prime minister and head all government ministries. Story continues "The Transitional Military Council has the sovereign authority only, while the head of the cabinet, the civilian government and all the executive authority will be completely civilian," TMC spokesman Shams El Din Kabbashi told al Arabiya television. RAPID HANDOVER OF POWER The opposition has demanded a rapid handover of power to civilians. The sit-in outside the Defence Ministry, which began five days before Bashir's removal, has continued as protest leaders press for faster and deeper change. On Wednesday evening, the opposition and the TMC agreed to form a committee to resolve their differences. Three TMC members resigned, the TMC said late on Wednesday, but their resignations are yet to be accepted. The members were Lieutenant-General Omar Zain al-Abideen, head of the political committee, Lieutenant-General Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh and Lieutenant-General Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel. One of the SPA's demands was that the three lieutenant-generals be dismissed and tried over their alleged role in a crackdown that killed dozens of protesters. The SPA has insisted a civilian ruling council with representation for the military should take over. Dozens of protesters gathered outside Egypt's embassy in Khartoum to demand President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi not interfere in Sudan, footage aired by Al Jazeera Mubasher showed. "Tell Sisi this is Sudan, your borders are just (until) Aswan", they chanted. At a Cairo meeting led by Sisi on Tuesday, African leaders agreed to give the TMC three months to implement democratic reforms, extending a 15-day deadline set by the African Union last week. Sisi holds the rotating African Union presidency. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Yousef Saba; Editing by Catherine Evans) Russia supports a quick consensual resolution of the Sahara issue, said on Tuesday Russias Deputy Foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov. He made the remarks in Moscow after meeting vice chairman of the Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO), Talaa Saoud Atlassi. Mr.Bogdanov, who is also a presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa, said Moscow and Rabat share strong historical ties, hailing the two countries growing cooperation within the frame of the strategic partnership sealed in March 2016. He also affirmed that Russia and Morocco have agreed to strengthen bilateral dialogue on several issues of common interest, including latest developments in the MENA region, the fight against terrorism and extremism and opportunities for socio-economic development in the region. For his part, Atlassi, also chairman of the Moroccan Committee for Peace and Solidarity, said his meeting with Mr. Bogdanov was an opportunity to underline Russias positive role, seeking a consensual, lasting and realistic solution to the Sahara regional conflict. Russia is part of the Group of Friends of the Sahara along with the United States, France, United Kingdom, and Spain. By Catarina Demony and Rafael Marchante CANTANHEDE, Portugal (Reuters) - Famous for its roasted suckling pig and wines, the Portuguese city of Cantanhede now hosts the country's first medical cannabis production farm - a budding European hub of efforts to meet growing demand for the flowering herb. Portugal's California-like weather caught the eye of Canada-based Tilray as its CEO Brendan Kennedy roved around Europe from 2015 to 2017 in search of the perfect spot for a new production site. Kennedy said Portugal had the ideal climate for cannabis cultivation and the country's young, educated workforce and its major agricultural sector were further attractions. Covering 2.4 hectares (5.9 acres) in a biotechnology park just outside Cantanhede, Tilray's site was given the green light by Portugal's regulator Infarmed in 2017. The company then rushed to import its first baby plants and recently reported its first two successful cannabis harvests.Kennedy opened the site to visitors for the first time at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday. "Some of our competitors are located in Denmark and northern Germany, where there isn't that much sun - so we think we can produce a more environmentally-friendly product here," he told Reuters. Portugal also offers tariff-free entry to the rest of the European Union, a market Tilray wants to explore further at a time when an increasing number of governments are legalising medical marijuana. FROM PROHIBITION TO LEGALISATION "The paradigm is shifting from prohibition to legalisation," Kennedy said, with demand for the product growing. "I'm fairly optimistic that over the next two years we will see every country in Europe legalising it." Last year Portugal's parliament approved a bill to legalise marijuana-based medicines, following in the footsteps of EU countries such as Italy and Germany as well as Canada and parts of the United States. Britain made a similar move in July 2018. Tilray's 20-million-euro ($22.29 million) facility includes indoor, outdoor and greenhouse cultivation sites, as well as research labs, processing, packaging and distribution sites for medical cannabis and cannabinoid-derived products. Tilray supplies medical cannabis products with CBD and THC to patients in a number of countries, through subsidiaries in Australia, Canada, Germany and Latin American, and through agreements with pharmaceutical distributors. Earlier this year, the European Parliament called for an EU-wide policy on medical cannabis and properly funded scientific research. "We are at point where almost every doctor around the world recognises the medical benefits of cannabis," Kennedy said. The World Health Organization has stated that several studies have demonstrated cannabinoids provide therapeutic effects for nausea and vomiting in the advanced stages of illnesses such as cancer and AIDS. Moreover, a handful of regulated pharmaceuticals use chemicals derived from cannabis, such as GW Pharmaceuticals' Sativex which is approved for treating symptoms of multiple sclerosis. BOOST EXPORTS From Canada, where Tilray has six facilities, the company already sells medical cannabis products to 13 countries. Portugal will help Tilray boost exports further, Kennedy said. "Our business plan for this facility is focused on exporting products from Portugal to other countries around the world." In Europe, Tilray products are already available in Germany, Croatia, Cyprus and the Czech Republic but it expects to start exporting to the United Kingdom - and potentially to France, Italy and Greece - in the next 12 months. Kennedy said Tilray hopes this summer to expand exports to countries such as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. According to analysis firm Prohibition Partners, the EU cannabis market will be worth 123 billion euros by 2028. Kennedy did not confirm how much medical marijuana Tilray plans to produce. ($1 = 0.8973 euros) (Reporting by Catarina Demony and Rafael Marchante; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan) (AFP) - Russia's envoy on Syria said Thursday that "several unclear issues" were slowing the formation of a constitutional committee which the United Nations hopes will drive a political settlement for the war-ravaged country. Speaking at the end of the first day of talks in Kazakhstan with Iran, Turkey and delegations from the Syrian regime and its armed opponents, Russia's Syria negotiator Aleksandr Lavrentyev said the talks over the committee were "complex" but "moving forward." "We are on a complex path towards forming the constitutional committee. There are some unclear issues," he told reporters. "(We are) moving forward...I think tomorrow at the plenary session we will be able to put these issues to a general discussion," Lavrentyev said. Delegations from Iran, Russia and Turkey arrived in Kazakhstan's capital Nur-Sultan seeking an end to the eight-year conflict in Syria while shoring up their interests in the country. United Nations Syria envoy Geir Pedersen is also participating in the talks. The constitutional committee is of particular interest to the UN which favours a Syrian-led resolution to the conflict. Lavrentyev did not mention which problems specifically were stalling its formation. One Western diplomat told AFP that Moscow will be aware of perceptions that recent rounds of the so-called "Astana process" have made little progress and may look to speed up the committee's formation. "Even if a Constitutional Committee is created, it will then take a long time to reach a very uncertain result," the diplomat told AFP. Any proposal would therefore be "low risk" for Moscow, whose military intervention in 2015 has helped Damascus assert control over two-thirds of the country's territory. - Troubled Idlib - The situation on the ground in the northwestern region of Idlib, under the administrative control of Syrias former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was also touched on in negotiations Thursday, Lavrentyev said. Story continues Lavrentyev said there would be no ceasefire with HTS, but that minimising harm to "peaceful citizens" was a priority in the fight against the militant group. Idlib has been protected from a massive regime offensive by a September deal inked by Damascus ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. But regime bombardment has increased since HTS took full control of the region from rival rebels in January. Lavrentyev confirmed that prisoner swaps were another item on the agenda of talks in the Central Asian country that are also expected to address the distribution of humanitarian aid. Russia, a backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has taken the lead role in diplomatic efforts in Kazakhstan that have largely sidelined UN diplomacy in Geneva. Tehran, like Moscow, is an ally of Assad's regime, while Ankara has aligned itself with the rebels but has repeatedly threatened to attack Kurdish fighters on the Syrian side of its southern border that it views as "terrorists". The capital of Kazakhstan was called Astana until last month, when it was renamed Nur-Sultan after the country's outgoing president. It began hosting talks on Syria in January 2017. Syria's war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since the conflict began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - T-Mobile US Inc and Sprint Corp executives this week urged senior U.S. regulators to approve the proposed tie-up, saying the combined company would have the incentive to slash prices, according to a filing on Thursday. At the meeting Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission officials questioned company executives about such issues as "submitted economic modeling, including how it is conservative in measuring benefits and pricing constraints," according to a filing with the FCC from a lawyer for the companies. "They also discussed their pricing commitments as well as the incentives for New T-Mobile to aggressively lower prices," the letter said. The carriers argued that customers with prepaid phone plans "would be among the biggest beneficiaries of the transaction." They suggested that without the merger, T-Mobile and Sprint "will likely have to raise prices" because they "will lack the capacity to keep up with growing demand for wireless data." Congressional Democrats and consumer activists have objected to the $26 billion merger saying it will raise prices for wireless customers. Kathleen Ham, senior vice president for government affairs at T-Mobile, along with lawyers for both companies, met with FCC Chief of Staff Matthew Berry and other senior officials on Wednesday to answer questions about the deal. If completed, the tie-up of the third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless carriers would create a carrier with 127 million customers that would be a formidable competitor to the No. 1 wireless carrier Verizon Communications Inc and No. 2 AT&T Inc. Last week, T-Mobile chief executive John Legere and Sprint executive chairman Marcelo Claure made the case for the deal to FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. In February, a group of eight Democratic senators and independent Senator Bernie Sanders urged the Justice Department and FCC to reject the deal, saying it could boost monthly bills as much as 10 percent. Story continues Sources told Reuters last week that the Justice Department had concerns about the merger's current structure. Legere met last week with the head of the Justice Department's antitrust division, Makan Delrahim, as the government's review nears a conclusion, Reuters reported. A decision is likely by early June, people briefed on the matter said. In October, shareholders for both companies approved the deal, struck in April 2018. It has also received national security clearance, but still needs approval from the Justice Department and FCC. A number of state attorneys general are also reviewing it. To win support, T-Mobile had said it would not increase prices for three years and will offer 5G services at no additional charge. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio) According to a customer who ordered the Samsung Galaxy Fold from AT&T, the telecommunications company sent out emails this morning confirming that the new ship date for the flexible phones is June 13. After delaying the release and recalling pre-released units, AT&T is sending out emails to Samsung Galaxy Fold customers -- as reported by Twitter user MightyDroid -- saying the phone is now expected to ship on June 13, over two weeks after the original date. If anyone is curious as to when the #GalaxyFold will ship, here is the email I just got. @backlon pic.twitter.com/RGwbDv6NeP MightyDroid (@mighty_droid) April 23, 2019 The folding handsets were originally supposed to be sent out on April 24, but several journalists and reviewers who received the device ahead of this date reported that it had broken (or they had accidentally broken it) within days of receiving it. This bad buzz took social media by storm, and yesterday, it was reported that Samsung is taking all the devices back to evaluate the issues. Will a delay of just a little over a fortnight be enough for Samsung to address all the issues that pre-release users experienced? With a price tag of very nearly $2,000, we hope so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jmVrPggiwo Miami (AFP) - Ten elementary school children in the southern US state of Georgia were hit by what appeared to be a pellet or BB gun when someone in a wooded area started shooting at their playground, an official said Thursday. The incident sparked panic at the Wynbrooke Elementary School in DeKalb County as police descended on the scene of what initially appeared to be yet another mass shooting. Caleb Edmonson, an 11-year-old student, told local news WSB-TV 2: "Everybody started to get a little bit panicked, but people started thinking it was a drill, but then a couple of minutes later we saw ambulances, police officers coming in, running down our hallways." The students were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non life-threatening injuries or picked up their parents, Portia Kirkland, a spokeswoman for DeKalb County School District told AFP, adding a police investigation was underway. The incident came days after the 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting when two armed teens killed 12 students at their Colorado high school. Since then, an estimated 226,000 children in 233 schools have been exposed to the sight or sound of gunfire, according to a Washington Post investigation. The worst shootings to date were those at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut in 2012 (20 young children and six adults were killed) and at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last year (17 dead). New York (AFP) - Electric carmaker Tesla on Wednesday announced a heavy loss in the first quarter as car deliveries sputtered overseas and a US tax credit that made its prices more attractive was reduced. The California-based company reported a loss of $702 million in the first three months of this year after two consecutive quarters of profit. Tesla produced about 63,000 Model 3 vehicles in the period, an increase of three percent from the same quarter a year earlier but fewer than had been anticipated. The company attributed its disappointing financial results to Model 3 shipping delays, particularly in Europe and China. Overall company revenue in the period rose 33 percent to $4.5 billion in a year-over-year comparison, but fell far short of Wall Street forecasts. The company's shares that finished the formal trading day down nearly two percent to $258.66 were essentially flat in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures. Tesla's quarterly loss followed changes to pricing and reversals in the way the company sells vehicles. - 'Running out of steam' - In late February Tesla said its Model 3 -- heralded as an electric car for the masses -- was available for order online only, at a price of $35,000 with delivery promised within a month. The following month it reversed course, saying it would keep many of its showrooms open -- but would need to hike prices to do so. Then, in April, the carmaker ended internet sales of its cheapest Model 3 sedan in another shift to the company's retail strategy. Tesla planned to keep taking online orders for the Standard Plus Model 3, which starts at $39,500 and became the lowest-price option available to digital consumers. But online customers could no longer order the Model 3 Standard for $35,000, a long-promised price for a vehicle that has been seen as essential to CEO Elon Musk's ambition to disrupt the auto industry. A challenge to vehicle demand has been the lowering of a US tax credit on Tesla vehicles to $3,500 from $7,500 previously. Story continues Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com executive director of industry analysis, said there were "many signals that the brand is running out of steam." Edmunds research indicated that most of the vehicles Tesla made in the first quarter were shipped overseas, suggesting US demand was softening, according to Caldwell. Nonetheless, Tesla was confident it would get past the financial speed-bumps and into a smoother road to improved fortune. Musk contended that demand for Tesla vehicles is solid and vehicle production numbers would increase in the current quarter. Tesla vowed to significantly reduce losses this quarter and aimed to return to profit in the following three months. The company expected to remain on course to deliver between 360,000 and 400,000 vehicles in total this year, topping 2018 numbers by at least 45 percent. "If our Gigafactory Shanghai is able to reach volume production early in Q4 this year, we may be able to produce as many as 500,000 vehicles globally in 2019," Musk and freshly-installed chief financial officer Zachary Kirkhorn said in a letter to investors. "This is an aggressive schedule, but it is what we are targeting." The German carmaker BMW announced Tuesday it will from next year stop sourcing cobalt mineral from DR Congo and will shift to Morocco and Australia where working conditions are acceptable and not linked to child labor. The German company is planning to start producing electrical cars next year. BMW and other world carmakers are under stress over concerns that cobalt stored in warehouses in London Metal Exchange (the world center for industrial metals trading) may be linked to child labor, Bloomberg reports. Human rights groups attacked in recent years the mining of the commodity in DR Congo, the worlds largest exporter of the mineral, as they denounced unethical working conditions involving children. Tuesday, Andreas Wendt Head of the procurement department at BMW told reporters that the German company will cease purchasing Cobalt from DR Congo. The current situation at non-mechanized Congolese sites, known as artisanal mines, is simply not compatible with our sustainability standards, Bloomberg quoted the official as saying. To substitute the Congolese mine, the German firm will turn to Australia and Morocco where, Andreas Wendt said, the production conditions are in line with our sustainability standards and there are no issues with working conditions such as child labor. Morocco produces the mineral from Bou-Azzer mine, 120 kilometers south of Ouarzazate in the Sahara desert. Ranking 12th largest exporter in the world, Morocco produced 2,081 metric tons of the mineral in 2016, Morocco World News reports. By Praveen Menon WELLINGTON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Tens of thousands gathered in Australia and New Zealand at Anzac Day memorials on Thursday amid heightened security following the shooting massacre at Christchurch mosques and deadly suicide bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. A Sri Lankan government minister says the bombings on Easter Sunday were retaliation for the Christchurch massacre on March 15, in which a lone gunman killed 50 Muslim worshippers at two mosques. New Zealand says it has no evidence of a link. Turkish authorities arrested a suspected member of the Islamic State group they believe was planning to attack an Anzac Day commemoration at Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders, Turkish police said on Wednesday. The arrest didn't deter some 1,100 Australians and New Zealanders who attended a dawn service at Anzac Cove in Turkey. "I feel quite safe, I feel that if there is any concerns, that it would have been called off and they wouldn't have put us at risk," said Chris King, a nurse from New Zealand. Anzac Day commemorates the bloody battle on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey during World War One. On April 25, 1915, thousands of troops from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) were among a larger Allied force that landed on the narrow beaches of the Gallipoli peninsula, an ill-fated campaign that would claim more than 130,000 lives. While the Gallipoli campaign against the Turks failed, the landing date of April 25 has become a major day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand for their troops killed in all military conflicts. Addressing thousands gathered for a dawn service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that, in the wake of the Christchurch massacre, Anzac Day 2019 should be an even greater uniting force. "Let us recommit to always remembering our shared humanity that there is more that unites us than divides us," Ardern said. Story continues "Our sense of independence is as strong as our sense of responsibility to each other and not just as nation states but as human beings. That is part of the Anzac legacy," she said. Heavily armed police surrounded the function area and snipers were positioned on rooftops during the ceremony. Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, paid tribute at the Auckland War Memorial alongside Ardern. He will travel to Christchurch later on Thursday to honour the 50 victims of the shooting. Heightened security saw about 1,000 police deployed across New Zealand at hundreds of locations and security concerns meant Anzac Day events in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, and elsewhere were scaled back. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed a dawn service in Townsville, Queensland, where he shared memories of his grandfather, who served in World War Two. "Our heroes dont just belong to the past, they live with us today," Morrison said. (Reporting by Praveen Menon in WELLINGTON and Will Ziebell in MELBOURNE. Additional reporting by Kemal Aslan and Bulent Usta; Editing by Michael Perry) PHOENIX - The executive director of an Arizona wildlife sanctuary was seriously injured when he was attacked by a tiger as he was moving the animals during a heavy storm Monday, officials at the facility confirmed. In a statement posted on its Facebook page Wednesday evening, officials with Keepers of the Wild, about 35 miles east of Kingman, confirmed that Jonathan Kraft suffered multiple wounds and two broken bones when a Bengal tiger named Bowie clamped its jaws on Kraft. The statement said the 11-year-old tiger is one of three large cats previously owned as pets that came to the sanctuary last September. Kraft is recovering from his injuries at Kingman Regional Medical Center. 'World's most dangerous bird': A Florida man was attacked and killed by his giant, flightless bird. Now it's up for sale Kraft decided to take "unilateral action'' to move several large cats, including Bowie, to another area of the sanctuary safe from the outdoor elements, as a heavy thunderstorm moved through the area after a flash flood warning had been issued, according to the statement. "During that process, a safety protocol had obviously failed resulting in the incident,'' the statement said. "Jonathan made the decision to shift Bowies gates to allow him access to his den box area. During the process, the usually docile behaving Bowie exhibited unusual conduct by suddenly pushing the gates prior to Jonathan being able to secure the safety clips. Arizona jaguar attack: Woman attacked by jaguar at Arizona zoo claims she was not taking a selfie "Animal Care staff rushed to assist Jonathan and remove him from the tigers grip. Although Bowie lacks front claws, he took advantage of his strong teeth to hold onto Jonathan." Kraft issued a statement through the sanctuary noting that he has had years of experience working closely with large cats. The sanctuary said he is a former Las Vegas illusionist who eventually stopped using big cats in his act, and urged other entertainers to follow suit. Story continues "My accident with Bowie was my fault. I was concerned for his welfare and did not stay focused on him,'' Kraft's statement said. "It only takes a fraction of a second for a captive wild animal to revert to their instinctual behavior. These situations occur when there is human error. The sanctuary said Bowie will not be euthanized as a result of the incident. The tiger had been declawed as a young cub and the procedure resulted in causing "progressive lameness to both front feet,'' the sanctuary said. Poacher eaten: Suspected rhino poacher in South Africa killed by an elephant, eaten by a pack of lions Animal care staff typically work in pairs when opening animals to their holding and den box areas, the statement said, adding that safety protocols and training have been regularly updated over the past 14 years in compliance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal Welfare Act. The statement said the facility is conducting an internal investigation. Keepers of the Wild is home to 50 different species and sub-species of exotic and native wildlife, according to the statement. The various habitats occupy over 60 acres of developed land and the big cat species occupy 20 individual areas. Follow Chris Coppola on Twitter: @chris_coppola This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tiger mauls executive director of Arizona wildlife sanctuary Robinson has launched his campaign to stand as an MEP (PA) Tommy Robinson is set to stand as MEP for north-west England in Mays European elections. Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon has been supported by Ukip leader Gerard Batten and is an adviser on topics such as rape gangs and prison reform. Despite the role, he is still banned from joining the party. He will stand for MEP as an independent candidate. A campaign image from Robinson's website (VOTE TOMMY) On Thursday, the EDL founder launched his website on final day of nominations to stand in the Europe-wide poll. He said he will fight against the Islamification of Britain and branded Brexit party leader Nigel Farage as another millionaire stockbroker who looks down at the working classes. Read more on Yahoo News UK Brexit Party leads the polls ahead of EU elections in huge blow for Tories and Labour Nigel Farage claims Parliament needs to fear the electorate In a statement on his website, he wrote: Theyre laughing at us. All of them Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, the European Union bureaucrats. 17.4 million of us voted for Brexit, but they dont care about people like us. Robinson will stand as an independent candidate for the elections on May 23 (GETTY) Theyve tried to silence us, and they took away our democratic rights by betraying Brexit. The election on 23rd May is how we fight back. Put me right inside the EU and they wont know what hit them. Theyll long for the days when it was just Nigel Farage. Continuing he said: Im with the people the armed forces; the families who have suffered from Muslim rape gangs; the working class people who have been left behind economically. People who have been mocked by the elites, who were told they just dont count. This is a developing story. More to follow... COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Australia's prime minister said Friday that the Sri Lankan militant group blamed for the Easter bombings that killed at least 250 people had support from the Islamic State group, a day after Sri Lankan officials said they were still evaluating foreign ties. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters that he could confirm links between a local Sri Lankan organization and "support being provided including the targets of these attacks" by the Islamic State group network, citing overnight briefings. He said Australian police were involved in the investigation. In the capital Colombo, there was a visible increase of security overnight as authorities warned of another attack and pursued at least five suspects that could have access to explosives. Australia's prime minister says the Sri Lankan militants blamed for the Easter attacks in that country had support from the Islamic State group. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters Friday that ties between the local group and Islamic State included identifying the targets of the attacks. Sunday's attacks killing at least 253 people primarily struck three churches that were packed with Easter worshippers and three luxury hotels popular with foreigners. Morrison said the attacks demonstrated a new front in fighting terrorism, that militants who fought in Syria and Iraq had returned home with skills to carry out attacks while being part of a broader network that could provide money, training and target identification. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) During the bad years, when rebels mostly from the ethnic minority Tamils and majority Sinhalese government forces were slaughtering each other in a horrific civil war, Gnanamani found solace in something many of her fellow Tamils didn't have: Christianity, and especially its long inclusion in Sri Lanka's main ethnic groups. A religious minority here, Christians are part of both the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups, unlike the mainly homogenous Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists on the teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean. After Islamic militants detonated suicide bombs on Sunday that killed Easter worshippers in three churches, including St. Story continues VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid his respects at a ceremony honoring the war dead Friday to wrap up a brief and generally successful visit to the Russian Far East for his first summit with President Vladimir Putin. Kim arrived about two hours later than expected at a park near the headquarters of the Russian navy's Pacific Fleet for the wreath-laying ceremony. Wearing a black suit and a fedora, he followed two goose-stepping Russian soldiers carrying a plate of red flowers with his name spelled out in Korean in gold colors on a red ribbon. Kim then laid flowers, took off his hat and bowed as a Russian military band played music, including North Korea's national anthem. BEIJING (AP) President Xi Jinping has promised to set high standards for China's Belt and Road infrastructure-building initiative, seeking to dispel complaints the many billion dollars in projects leave developing countries with too much debt. Xi avoided mentioning debt complaints in a speech opening a forum attended by leaders from some three dozen countries to celebrate his signature foreign initiative. But he said Beijing wants "open, green and clean cooperation" with "zero tolerance for corruption." Developing countries welcome the initiative to expand trade by building roads, ports and other facilities across Asia and Africa to Europe. But high costs have prompted complaints some are falling into a "debt trap." The United States, Russia, Japan and India also worry Beijing is trying to build a trade and political network centered on China and expand its strategic influence at their expense. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Britain's Prince William on Friday visited a mosque where a white supremacist shot dozens of people last month and said the gunman had failed in his mission to sow division and hatred. The Duke of Cambridge was visiting the first of two mosques where 50 people were killed and 50 others wounded in the March 15 attack. He plans to visit the second mosque later on Friday. William spoke to about 100 people at the Al Noor mosque, including survivors of the shootings, Muslim leaders and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The prince said the mosque stood for the principles of togetherness and selflessness, which the terrorist had tried to challenge. KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) Four years since a catastrophic earthquake destroyed much of central and eastern Nepal, a remote Himalayan area is still reeling with what looks like irreparable damage. Nestled in the foothills of Langtang Mountain, Helambu has become a textbook example of how not to rebuild after a disaster. Unattractive tiny huts made of blue corrugated iron sheets dot the foothills around the ruins of houses reduced to rubble in the earthquake. "It was not how I wanted to rebuild. But it was all I managed to construct with my savings and the money provided by the government," said 44-year-old Gyalbu Lama. TOKYO (AP) Japan's soon-to-be-anointed new emperor is a musician and historian, both mild-mannered and quietly tenacious, a team player and a loyal husband and friend who will bring an unusually global perspective to an ancient institution when he ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1. Because Naruhito, 59, will be more distanced from the World War II shadows that his 85-year-old father, Akihito, labored under, he may also enjoy greater liberty in shaping the contours of his reign. Japan's constitution gives the emperor only symbolic status, and Naruhito is likely to emulate his father, who has embraced his role as national symbol. HONG KONG (AP) Just opposite the entrance to a neon-lit night market, one of Hong Kong's few remaining carvers of mahjong tiles engraves the two Chinese characters for the number 8,000 on a piece of acrylic. With a knife in his right hand, Cheung Shun-king turns the tile with the other to cut into it. From time to time, he gently blows away the shavings. His is a dying craft in an era of mass-produced tiles for the table-top game, popular in southern China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The 65-year-old artisan believes there are only three or four carvers left in Hong Kong. BRUSSELS (AP) Japan and the European Union committed Thursday to fair and open trade and to respect rules-based international commerce in the face of what they see as increasing trade protectionism, particularly in the United States. At the talks in Brussels, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, EU Council President Donald Tusk and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker underlined their support for reforms at the World Trade Organization. "The most important issue for the international community right now is to maintain the free-trade regime," Abe told reporters, The Japanese leader is on a tour of Europe and North America to prepare to host a summit of the Group of 20 industrialized nations in Osaka in late June. Photo: Andrew Schultz/Unsplash Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Atlanta. Atlanta Hawks confirm report that online store had been infiltrated by hackers A forensic analyst reportedly asserted that HawksShop.com had been infected with malware "designed to steal credit card information." Read the full story on 11ALIVE. Man wanted on suspicion of murder, armed robbery in Atlanta arrested in San Antonio Members of the US Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in San Antonio have arrested a man who is wanted on suspicion of murder and armed robbery in Georgia. Read the full story on KSAT 12 . This is what President Trump's motorcade looked like rolling through Atlanta It stopped all traffic in one direction on one of the city's busiest roadways. Read the full story on 11ALIVE. U.S. Supreme Court to hear Metro Atlanta LGBT discrimination case A GA case headed to the Supreme Court revolves around whether LGBTQ people are covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Read the full story on CBS Atlanta. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: Matthew Hamilton/Unsplash Missed the the most recent top news in Chicago? Read on for everything you need to know. Three arrested after shooting spree in North Chicago that included shots fired at cops, police say Three suspects were arrested after allegedly firing shots from an SUV at two vehicles at different locations and then shooting at a North Chicago police car that was pursuing them early Sunday morning, according to authorities. Charges include attempted first-degree murder of a police officer. Read the full story on Lake County News-Sun. Rents rise, supply drops Chicagos affordable housing woes mount A new report underscores the depth and breadth of Chicago's affordable housing problem while a plan for an affordable housing development in Logan Square sparks controversy. Read the full story on Chicago Tribune. Following historic Chicago mayoral loss, Toni Preckwinkle returns to County Board, where it's like business as usual By this time in April, Toni Preckwinkle had hoped to be bringing her brand of progressive politics to City Hall, where she would usher in a new era as Chicago mayor. Instead, the Cook County Board president lost the April 2 mayoral election to first-time candidate Lori Lightfoot. Read the full story on Chicago Tribune. Accused gunman in killing of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer exploring self-defense claim An attorney for a four-time felon charged in the killing of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer said in court Wednesday that he is exploring an argument that Bauer was shot in self-defense a tactic that would surely prove controversial in the high-profile case. Read the full story on Chicago Tribune. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: iStock Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Fresno. 10-acre grass fire growing along Highway 180 in Fresno. The Fresno Fire Department is responding to a grass fire along Highway 180 near Marks Avenue. Read the full story on The Fresno Bee. Deputies searching for woman accused of stealing Fresno neighborhoods mail Deputies are now searching for the woman that they think its responsible for several mail thefts in a Fresno neighborhood. Cameras caught the woman stealing mail from a neighborhood between Peach and Minnewawa Avenues, south of Belmont Ave. Read the full story on FOX26. More than 1,400 without power in parts of Fresno, PG&E assessing issue More than 1,400 homes are without power in parts of central, northeast and northwest Fresno, according to PG&E. Read the full story on ABC30 Action News. Man clubbed to death in fight over Easter rabbits; undocumented suspects flee, Fresno police say Fresno, California police said a man was clubbed to death in a fight over the purchasing of rabbits to celebrate Easter. Police said two undocumented suspects are believed to have fled to Mexico. Read the full story on Fresno Bee. Employee arrested with $130,000 in scratcher tickets in Fresno, police say Fresno, California employee acused of stealing $130,000 in scratcher tickets. Read the full story on Fresno Bee. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: Austin Censor/Unsplash Missed the the most recent top news in Los Angeles? Read on for everything you need to know. 3-year-old girl, infant brother survive for days in home after parents' murder-suicide Los Angeles police are calling a 3-year-old girl a hero for keeping herself and her infant brother alive for days after her parents' murder-suicide. Read the full story on FOX 29. Manson follower Van Houten gets another shot at release Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten is getting another chance at getting out of prison following a years-long saga that has seen a board recommend her parole three separate times. Read the full story on NBC LA. Amber Alert issued for 2 children allegedly kidnapped in Los Angeles County An Amber Alert was issued on Wednesday morning for two children who police said were abducted by their father, who is considered armed and dangerous. Read the full story on Fox 11 Los Angeles. LA ranked worst in ozone pollution again, report says The Los Angeles-Long Beach metropolitan area had the worst ozone pollution in the nation between 2015 and 2017, and also ranked among the worst in terms of particle pollution, or soot, according to an American Lung Assn. report released today. Read the full story on Los Angeles Times. Man gunned down in front of South LA marijuana dispensary An investigation continues Wednesday into a shooting that killed a man in front of a marijuana dispensary in South Los Angeles. Read the full story on CBS Los Angeles. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Nidaa Tounes Executive director Wednesday said the partys founder and country President Beiji Caid Essebsi will be the political movement candidate for this year presidential elections though the 92-year old statesman recently cast doubt about seeking a second term in office. Khalid Shaukat, in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), said Essebsi who has been in power since 2014 is still relevant for the countrys future. Tunisia still needs Essebsi who has managed to restore the countrys good image, in addition to the steady improvement he has made at the security level, Shaukat said. The ruling party leader added that Essebsi, given the limited power granted by the constitution, can still play a key role by keeping the North African country away from the conflict of axes in the Arab world and protecting Tunisian interests, without threatening the diplomatic relations of the country. The Tunisian leader himself early this month at the first congress of the party he formed in 2012 said he will not run for a second mandate and will step aside for younger leaders of the ruling party. Shaukat however reportedly told the Qatari news agency that the party will persuade Essebi to scrap his plans to retire. The North African country will elect a new president on November 17, 2019. Six candidates including two independent candidates Kais Saied, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Tunisia, and Omar Sehabou, a media and political activist, recently announced their candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections. Former Minister of Defense Kamel Morjane from the Democratic Constitutional Rally is also contender for the election. Essebsis two tough rivals, Ennahdaa leader Rached Ghannouchi and current Prime Minister Youssef Chahed of newly created party Tahya Tounes (Long Live Tunisia) are yet to unveil their plans. Photo: Jacqueline Day/Unsplash Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Philadelphia. Philadelphia pastor among 16 men netted in NJ child predator investigation The New Jersey Attorney Generals Office announced the arrests of sixteen men netted during "Operation Home Alone." One of the men arrested, 37-year-old , Roger Arroyo is a traveling minister from Philadelphia. Read the full story on 6abc Action News. Philadelphia Police looking for missing sisters last seen in Olney neighborhood The two were last seen at 7:30 a.m. on the 100 block of East Albanus Street. Read the full story on CBS Philly. Police officers widow, FOP call for DA Krasners resignation vver Abu-Jamal appeal Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner was gunned down by Mumia Abu-Jamal during a traffic stop in 1981. Read the full story on CBS Philly. 10-year-old boy seriously injured after being struck by driver in West Oak Lane A 10-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital after police say he was struck by a driver in Philadelphia. Read the full story on 6abc Action News. Trump DOJ goes after anti-overdose sites as crack ouses Federal prosecutors dust off an 80s war on drug law to go after Seattle and Philly for trying to save lives. Read the full story on The Daily Beast. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Missed the the most recent top news in Raleigh? Read on for everything you need to know. Parents of Raleigh teen who nearly drowned in rip current: 'We will do what it takes to keep her with us' A spring break trip to the coast has turned into a nightmare for a Raleigh couple, who say their 17-year-old daughter will never fully recover after nearly drowning in a rip current last week. Read the full story on WRAL TV. Raleigh police need help finding 11-year-old boy with cognitive impairments Raleigh police are asking for the public's help finding an 11-year-old boy who went missing early Wednesday morning. Read the full story on ABC11 WTVD. 2nd man charged in Raleigh home break-in that left resident seriously hurt, police say Donovan Moenell Williams is the second man accused of breaking into a northeast Raleigh house and threatening to use a gun, police say. He was arrested and charged with robbery and other charges, records show. Read the full story on Herald Sun. Raleigh preps for 50K in downtown for teacher rally A total of 24 school districts across North Carolina will be closed May 1 due to the rally. Read the full story on WFMY. Questions remain in RPD officer-involved shooting Community advocates in Raleigh have new questions about an officer-involved shooting that left a man dead. Read the full story on ABC11 WTVD. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: iStock Here's what you need to know about what's happening in San Diego. Navy man convicted of fatal bridge crash faces nearly decade in prison A Navy petty officer will be sentenced next week. He was behind the wheel of a pickup truck that plummeted over the side of a transition ramp to the San Diego-Coronado Bridge and landed in Chicano Park, killing four people. Read the full story on FOX 5 San Diego. DEA suspect drives into teen walking home, before fleeing A suspect fleeing DEA agents nearly hit a teen walking home from school in a San Diego canyon Wednesday. Read the full story on 10News ABC San Diego KGTV. Group arrested, accused of ambushing pedestrians in armed robberies A group of young males were arrested early Wednesday morning on suspicion of ambushing people in at least four separate armed robberies across the city of San Diego. Read the full story on 10News ABC San Diego KGTV. UCSD doctor who violated human research rules on leave following Inewsource investigation Dr. Kang Zhang, chief of eye genetics at the University of California, San Diego, is on leave after an inewsource investigation exposed how the doctor put medical research subjects in harm's way for years while pulling in millions of federal dollars for the institution. Read the full story on KPBS. Judge is ssked to evict people in Julian Fire Station as county fears sabotage - Times of San Diego Lawyers for San Diego County will ask a judge Thursday to evict volunteer firefighters and others who have locked themselves in the Julian fire station, saying they're worried about equipment or property totaling $3 million being stolen or damaged. Read the full story on Times of San Diego. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: Eric Zhang/Unsplash Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Seattle. Trump DOJ goes after anti-overdose sites as crack houses Federal prosecutors dust off an 80s war on drug law to go after Seattle and Philly for trying to save lives. Read the full story on The Daily Beast. Seattle-Tacoma air quality now among 10 worst in US, report finds Air quality in the Seattle-Tacoma area deteriorated over the past year, making it one of the top 10 most polluted areas in the nation due mainly to short-time spikes in smoke and soot from wildfires, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. In addition, King County dropped from a "C" to an "F" grade for small particle pollution in the metro area, the report found. Read the full story on KOMO News . Seattle City Attorney, public defense attorney ask judge to step aside Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes and Anita Khandelwal, the director of the Department of Public Defense penned a letter to Judge Ed McKenna accusing him of disregarding his duty to act impartially and with integrity as a judge. Read the full story on KOMO News . Seattle police seeking information about shooting in Capitol Hill neighborhood Police were seeking information about a Tuesday night shooting in the Capitol Hill neighborhood that left one man with a gunshot wound in his leg. Read the full story on SeattlePI . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. It is alleged the incident was a politically motivated attack (FACEBOOK) A local election candidate was left needing treatment after she was assaulted and called a Tory b***h while on the campaign trail in Essex. Carla Hales, who is running in the Colchester Borough Council Elections. claims she was punched multiple times on Wednesday afternoon outside Bourne Mill in Colchesters New Town by a man shouting anti-Tory abuse at her. Carla, 46, said: I was in the Bourne Mill area and was trying to get some social media area pictures. The Tory candidate was attacked as she went about campaign activities in Colchester, Essex (TWITTER) I stopped to lean against a wall but I had my head in my phone and had some leaflets out and was maybe going do to a selfie or something like that. I didnt hear a person come up behind me. It was one, two, three punch in my ribs in my side and I was sworn at - called a f** Tory b**** and then he just ran away. It just happened so quickly, I sat there for a second and thought did that actually happen? Absolutely disgusted to hear one of our local election candidates @CarlaEllenHales has been the victim of a politically motivated violent assault. My thoughts are with Carla who is one of the loveliest most genuine people I know. I hope Essex Police catch the perpetrator. Will Quince MP (@willquince) April 24, 2019 I took a deep breath and had a real deep pain in my side and for a second thought have I been stabbed? Following the attack, Mrs Hales drove herself to A&E and was told after x-rays to her back that her ribs were badly bruised. In a statement, Colchester Conservative Group Darius Laws said: I am saddened and appalled to have learnt that earlier today one of our candidates, Carla Hales, standing in the upcoming Colchester Borough Council Elections, was verbally abused and violently assaulted. Read more on Yahoo News UK: Off-duty Essex Police officer stabbed three times on his doorstep Story continues Girl, 18, who stabbed boyfriend through heart in 'fit of anger' receives life sentence for murder Knife crime hits record high as murder rate also soars to 10-year peak Carla sought medical treatment and is now recovering at home. "This is the ugly side of politics and it is an attack not just on a Conservative but an attack on democracy. It is an attack on everyone who seeks to put their name forward to stand up for their community, such violence and intimidation is utterly deplorable. Morning all. Have to say, feeling the this morning. Nothing broken but some sore ribs and slightly bruised ego @JohnHal75174634 excellent nurse. Taking a couple of days off campaigning but going to work. Children have a brilliant way of taking your mind off things! #thankyou pic.twitter.com/PJfZgDOKon Carla Ellen Hales (@CarlaEllenHales) April 25, 2019 I had hoped after the tragic murder of Jo Cox MP we might have learnt lessons about the way in which people with opposing viewpoints conduct themselves. I have asked the Police Commander for Colchester to ensure that this incident is investigated and the man responsible is brought to justice. Conservative MP for Colchester Matt Quince said on Twitter: Absolutely disgusted to hear one of our local election candidates has been the victim of a politically motivated violent assault. My thoughts are with Carla who is one of the loveliest most genuine people I know. I hope Essex Police catch the perpetrator. Meanwhile, Essex Police have said in a statement: We are investigating following an assault in Colchester. A woman in her 40s reported a man had verbally abused her and punched her to the side in Bourne Road at around 4pm on April 24. Our enquiries are ongoing. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump will deliver the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony next month. The White House announced Thursday that Trump will travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado, on May 30 to speak to the graduates. It's tradition for the commander in chief to address graduates at one of the military service academies each year during the president's term in office. Trump participated in commencement ceremonies at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 2017 and at the U.S. Naval Academy in 2018. Three military figures in Sudans Transitional Military Council (TMC) have resigned following protesters calls for their exclusion over their links with deposed leader Omar Bashir. The TMC late Wednesday announced the resignations of Lieutenant-General Omar Zain al-Abideen, Lieutenant-General Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh and Lieutenant-General Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel, according to local media reports. The resignations are yet to be confirmed by the council. The three are accused by the protesters who have been camping in front of the army compound since April 6, for participating in the crackdown of demonstrators during previous months of protests that led to the ouster of Bashir by the army early this month after 30 years of autocratic ruling. The post-Bashir era has been tense as uprising leaders, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) and the TMC have been embroiled in a deadlock over the swift transfer of power to a civilian transitional council. After announcing Sunday an escalation in the protests over the TMCs reluctance to surrender power, the SPA earlier on Wednesday scored points as the military council agreed to form a committee to resolve their disagreements. We are partners working together to bring Sudan to safety, TMC spokesman Shams El Din Kabbashi said on state TV following a meeting with the umbrella group Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change, which includes the SPA. The dialogue will also include the opposition groups. The TMC is facing continental pressure to hand over power to civilians. Tuesday, the African Union (AU) following mini-summit of heads of state hosted by Egypt, gave the council three-month timeline to hand over power to civilians. The Pentagons watchdog cleared acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan in its investigation into whether he violated any ethics rules by promoting his longtime former employer Boeing Co. while serving in the Trump Administration. The reprieve removes a major hurdle for President Donald Trump to nominate him as Defense Secretary, a post that has been empty for 112 days since James Mattis resigned last December. The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General had launched the probe in the face of allegations he pushed military leadership to purchase more Boeing-made F-15X fighter jets and openly criticized Boeing-rival Lockheed Martin Corp. during government meetings. The allegations were based on referrals from an anonymous Senate Armed Services Committee attorney, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warrens staff, several media reports and an outside watchdog group, called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The inspector general was able clear Shanahan in a just a month, which is lightning-quick for an Inspector Generals investigation that often run months-long. Over that time, investigators said they interviewed Shanahan and 33 witnesses, including top Pentagon brass, while also poring over more than 7,300 pages of classified and unclassified documents. We found that the allegations were not substantiated and that Mr. Shanahan fully complied with his ethics agreements and ethical obligations regarding Boeing and its competitors, the inspector general said in its 47-page report, which was made public Thursday. Shanahan, who came to the Pentagon after spending more than three decades at Boeing, has routinely fended off questions about potential conflicts of interest with the aerospace company, which also happens to be one of the largest suppliers for the U.S. military. In March, he told Congress that he welcomed any such investigation into his actions in office. The investigation came after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington wrote a nine-page complaint in March to the Pentagons inspector general urging the agency to scrutinize the relationship. In its complaint, the group cited a Politico report from January that said Shanahan had been promoting Boeing while criticizing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a Lockheed Martin program. The plane was f-cked up, he reportedly said, and Lockheed Martin doesnt know how to run a program. Story continues However, the inspector general said in its report that Shanahan told investigators that he never said the F-35 fighter jet, itself, was f-cked up. He told them the aircraft is awesome. However, Shanahan told investigators that he said the F-35 program was f-cked up. Evidently, that point of distinction was important, because the inspector general found his comments were substantive, related to the programs performance, and were consistent with comments about the F-35 program made by other senior Government officials. The inspector generals office interviewed those most likely to have encountered Shanahans alleged bias, including Shanahans old boss, Mattis; Gen. David Goldfein, the chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force; Marine Commandant Gen. Robert Neller. Investigators also reviewed Shanahans emails and other correspondence for terms related to Boeing and Boeing products. We determined that Mr. Shanahan did not make the alleged comments and did not promote Boeing, or disparage its competitors, the inspector generals report said. While Mr. Shanahan did routinely refer to his prior industry experience in meetings, witnesses interpreted it, and told us, that he was doing it to describe his experience and to improve Government management of DoD programs, rather than to promote Boeing or its products. The inspector general also cleared Shanahan of any wrongdoing in three other issues related to Boeing, which were also proven erroneous. I have never heard him mention, nor have I had a conversation [with him] about Boeing, and to the extent that the issue has come up we did Congressional testimony together, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford told investigators. Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, a spokesman for Shanahan, did not comment on the findings. Acting Secretary Shanahans focus remains on our global operations, our strategy, and our service members, civilians, and families, he said in a statement. The resolution of the allegations takes on increased importance because Shanahan, 56, is the leading contender to become Defense Secretary. He has the dubious distinction of being the longest serving Acting Defense Secretary in the nations history. The path is now clear for the nomination, now that this dark cloud has passed. A Washington state native, Shanahan initially stepped into the No. 2 spot at the Pentagon in 2017 after leaving his business career at Boeing. A mechanical engineer by trade, with two advanced degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Shanahan quietly turned around some of Boeings most troubled programs, including a multibillion-dollar missile defense system and the problem-plagued 787 commercial airliner. His success earned him the nickname, Mr. Fix-It, inside the company. At the Pentagon, Shanahan has assumed the role of a technocrat, leading efforts to cut wasteful spending and create a standalone Space Force a priority for Trump. Hes maintained a low public profile thus far, and he has not forged strong ties around Washington like Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, had garnered. Shanahan, who has relatively little foreign policy experience, would assume the top job at a time of historic change around the world. Hell have to juggle the continued fight against terror groups in the Middle East, Russias renewed resurgence in Europe and Chinas muscular rise in Asia. Add to that the litany of other issues putting pressure on the liberal international order that won the Cold War and advanced American interests for a half century. Shanahan now has a daunting task of navigating this minefield, while also managing the expectations of a demanding Commander-in-Chief. For instance, the Pentagon entanglements in the Administrations immigration policy have worried both parties on Capitol Hill, and top U.S. military leaders have faced tough questions from Congress about the months-long troop presence along the southern border with Mexico. The Pentagon is also on the hook to help shelter 5,000 migrant children caught crossing the U.S. southern border without a parent. It shouldnt come as a surprise that well provide more support to the border, Shanahan told reporters on April 12. And the way I tend to frame that is, its our support is very elastic. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump used an event Thursday with children of White House staff and reporters to take a softer tone than usual with the media joking with the kids that he likes them "much more than your parents." Trump made the remarks to a group of children gathered on the South Lawn for the annual Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. "It's a very special day, officially called take our daughters and our sons to work day, right? That's the politically correct term, and we always have to be politically correct, right?" Trump joked with the children. "I even love the media today, I see these beautiful children, products of the media, and I actually like you much more than your parents." Trump also used the opportunity to say he will host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House "soon," signaling that the U.S. may be making progress in its longstanding trade dispute with Beijing. Trump did not give a timeline for a meeting with Xi. The White House said earlier in the week that a delegation of U.S. trade negotiators will travel to China this month. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is expected to lead a delegation to Washington early next month to discuss trade, the White House said. Want news from USA TODAY on WhatsApp? Click this link on your mobile device to get started At the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work event, Trump told the children to stay away from drugs and joked that the media uses pictures that make him look bad. "Sometimes I think they do it on purpose actually," Trump went on. "Always my chin is pulled in, I look terrible, but that's ok." Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders held a mock press briefing for the children in what has become an annual tradition. Sanders used that event to announce that Trump will give the commencement address next month at the Air Force Academy. The White House declared much of the kids' briefing off the record, though some details dribbled out. U.S.-China negotiators have been meeting regularly for months after Trump announced late last year he would hold off on additional sanctions, lowering the temperature in a tit-for-tat trade war that has affected billions of dollars in goods. Despite the more positive rhetoric, the two sides have so far failed to reach an agreement to begin lifting tariffs. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump to the children of reporters: 'I actually like you much more than your parents' By Makini Brice WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump denied on Thursday that he had ordered then-White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller from the Russia investigation, moving to undermine McGahn's credibility ahead of a possible congressional testimony. Trump's move appears to be part of an effort by the White House to push back on attempts by congressional Democrats to pursue investigations related to Mueller's probe into Russian election interference in 2016 and possible obstruction of justice by Trump. "As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn't need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself," Trump wrote on Twitter. A redacted version of Mueller's report released last week mentioned conversations in June 2017, when Trump called McGahn to tell him he should direct Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who was overseeing the special counsel's probe, to remove Mueller because of conflicts of interest. The report cited "McGahn's clear recollection" that the president directed him to tell Rosenstein that "Mueller has to go." McGahn did not carry out Trump's order, the report said. Trump also tried unsuccessfully to get McGahn to dispute media reports that the president had attempted to fire Mueller, the report said. Mueller's report uncovered numerous links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and described how Trump tried to impede the Russia investigation. But it said there was not enough evidence to establish that the Trump campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow, and did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump committed the crime of obstruction of justice. MCGAHN ATTACKS A lawyer for McGahn declined to comment on Trump's tweet. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has repeatedly attacked McGahn's veracity since the report's release. Giuliani has called the former White House counsel "hopelessly confused" and said his account may be "the product of an inaccurate recollection." The Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives judiciary panel has issued a subpoena for McGahn to testify and provide documents to the committee. But it is not clear whether the White House would try to stop him from testifying by claiming executive privilege, a legal doctrine allowing the president to withhold information about internal executive branch deliberations from other branches of government. Trump has vowed to fight every subpoena from House Democrats probing his administration and has ordered officials not to obey legal requests for cooperation from the Democratic-led House. In response, Democratic House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings has accused Trump of an "unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction." (Reporting by Makini Brice; additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Alistair Bell) By Makini Brice WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump denied on Thursday that he had ordered then-White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller from the Russia investigation, moving to undermine McGahn's credibility ahead of a possible congressional testimony. Trump's move appears to be part of an effort by the White House to push back on attempts by congressional Democrats to pursue investigations related to Mueller's probe into Russian election interference in 2016 and possible obstruction of justice by Trump. "As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn't need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself," Trump wrote on Twitter. A redacted version of Mueller's report released last week mentioned conversations in June 2017, when Trump called McGahn to tell him he should direct Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who was overseeing the special counsel's probe, to remove Mueller because of conflicts of interest. The report cited "McGahn's clear recollection" that the president directed him to tell Rosenstein that "Mueller has to go." McGahn did not carry out Trump's order, the report said. Trump also tried unsuccessfully to get McGahn to dispute media reports that the president had attempted to fire Mueller, the report said. Mueller's report uncovered numerous links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and described how Trump tried to impede the Russia investigation. But it said there was not enough evidence to establish that the Trump campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow, and did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump committed the crime of obstruction of justice. MCGAHN ATTACKS A lawyer for McGahn declined to comment on Trump's tweet. Story continues Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has repeatedly attacked McGahn's veracity since the report's release. Giuliani has called the former White House counsel "hopelessly confused" and said his account may be "the product of an inaccurate recollection." The Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives judiciary panel has issued a subpoena for McGahn to testify and provide documents to the committee. But it is not clear whether the White House would try to stop him from testifying by claiming executive privilege, a legal doctrine allowing the president to withhold information about internal executive branch deliberations from other branches of government. Trump has vowed to fight every subpoena from House Democrats probing his administration and has ordered officials not to obey legal requests for cooperation from the Democratic-led House. In response, Democratic House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings has accused Trump of an "unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction." (Reporting by Makini Brice; additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Alistair Bell) By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A merit-based immigration proposal being put together by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner could lead to an increase in U.S. visas for highly skilled workers, sources familiar with the effort said on Wednesday. Kushner is expected to present the comprehensive plan next week to President Donald Trump, who will decide whether to adopt it as his official position or send it back for changes, the sources said. The plan does not propose ways to address young people who came to the United States illegally as children who were protected by former President Barack Obama in the 2014 program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), or those people who have Temporary Protected Status, the sources said. Democrats, whose support the White House would need to advance any kind of immigration legislation through Congress, have insisted that the DACA recipients be protected. Kushner has held about 50 listening sessions with conservative groups on immigration, a senior administration official said. He has been working with White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett and policy adviser Stephen Miller on the plan and the sources said there has been some intense behind-the-scenes jockeying about the plan. At a Time magazine forum in New York on Tuesday, Kushner said he was working well with Miller, an immigration hawk, on the topic. The two men are both long-time Trump advisers. "Stephen and I haven't had any fights," he said with a smile. That drew skepticism from immigration advocate Marshall Fitz of the Emerson Collective, who gave Kushner credit for advancing criminal justice reform but said immigration was a dramatically different issue that Miller was dominating at the White House. "It's impossible to see how Kushner could navigate an issue this freighted with history and central to the president's re-election strategy in a way that would actually move the ball forward," Fitz said. As a White House candidate in 2016 and throughout his presidency, Trump has advocated a hard-line policy on immigration, pushing for a wall to be built on the U.S.-Mexico border and using bruising rhetoric to describe people who have fled Central American countries to enter the United States. Republicans have largely supported his immigration proposals, but the latest White House plan aims to bring them together on a broader basis. Some in the U.S. business community have asked that the number of highly skilled visas be raised to attract more employees from abroad for specialized jobs amid a booming U.S. economy. Trump himself has talked of the need to bring in more skilled workers. The immigration plan would either leave the number of highly skilled visas each year at the same level or raise it slightly, the sources said. The overall goal is to reshape the visa program into a more merit-based system, a key Trump goal. Officials working on the plan have been reviewing the systems used by Canada and Australia as possible models for the Trump effort. The group has been working on a guest-worker program as part of the proposal to address the U.S. agriculture community's need for seasonal labor while not hurting American workers, but nothing has been finalized, the sources said. Trump has sought to court farmers in key battleground states to boost his chances of re-election in 2020. The proposal will include recommendations for modernizing ports of entry along the U.S. border to ensure safe trade while preventing illegal activity. It also aims to decrease the number of immigrants able to enter the United States based on their family ties, the sources said. Trump has already taken steps to address those immigrants who overstay their visas. Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law, is also a main architect of a Middle East peace proposal that the president is expected to unveil this summer. His objective on the immigration plan at the very least is to have a document that represents the president's immigration policy and provide something that Republicans can rally around. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; additional reporting by Mica Rosenberg; Editing by Tom Brown and Lisa Shumaker) Liberals basic narrative about the Trump administration is that the president is an idiot who has no idea what he is doing. That evergreen storyline enables Democrats to fantasize that the last 27 months have been merely a bad dream and can be quickly reversed once the rightful heirs to the White House oust the usurper. But some in the foreign-policy establishment have not succumbed to this fantasy. As a recent Politico Magazine article by two longstanding purveyors of conventional wisdom about the Middle East Aaron David Miller and Richard Sokolsky makes clear, some of Trumps opponents understand that his policies are a serious attempt to implement genuine change. Miller was a State Department functionary for 24 years, and has long advocated putting pressure on Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians. Sokolsky is another longtime State Department staffer who like Miller, who now heads the Wilson Center has retired to a comfortable perch in the think-tank world at the Carnegie Endowment. The pair are sounding the alarm that Trumps successor wont be able to reverse his approach to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict and his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Theyre right about the seismic nature of these changes. But as much as Trump has altered the landscape on both issues, it is not beyond the power of his opponents to send us back to the situation he inherited from Barack Obama at a disastrous cost to U.S. interests. That sets up the 2020 presidential election as one that will have enormous consequences in the Middle East. Trumps approach to the IsraelPalestinian conflict is indeed unprecedented. Dating back to Israels War of Independence, the United States had never recognized Israels sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem or the citys status as the capital of the Jewish state, believing this was essential to preserving Americas status as an honest broker in the conflict as well as to force the Israelis to be more accommodating in negotiations. Story continues The same assumptions have been the foundation of U.S. policy toward IsraeliPalestinian negotiations since the 1993 Oslo peace accords. The administrations that Miller and Sokolsky served pressured Israel to make concessions while turning a blind eye to the Palestinian Authoritys efforts to undermine peace. Trump has turned all that on its head. Miller and Sokolsky think recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital and adopting an aggressive stance toward the Palestinian Authority focused on forcing it to stop funding terrorism have ended any hope of diplomatic progress. These changes, as well as Trumps more recent recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, have in their view aligned the U.S. with Israel and signaled to the Palestinians that their hopes for statehood are finished. Miller and Sokolsky are probably right that the peace plan crafted by presidential adviser/son-in-law Jared Kushner isnt going to succeed. But the policies they backed in the past not only failed miserably but also made peace less likely. The Palestinians have always assumed that they didnt need to make concessions because, sooner or later, the West would abandon Israel. That dangerous delusion was reinforced by President Obamas belief that only by creating more daylight between the U.S. and Israel could peace be achieved. But the Palestinians never took advantage of Obamas efforts to tilt the diplomatic playing field in their direction and his open antagonism for Benjamin Netanyahu. The P.A. continued to believe that the international community would eventually bring Israel to its knees and fearful of appearing weak in comparison with the Islamists of Hamas that ran Gaza as an independent state in all but name, so it never budged off of its maximal territorial demands, its funding for terrorists, or its reluctance to agree to language that would clarify that the conflict was concluded for all time. Despite the predictions of the experts, Trumps Jerusalem move and his more realistic approach to peace talks havent undermined U.S. influence in the region. To the contrary, Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt have urged the P.A. to negotiate rather than reject Kushners plan out of hand though the P.A. has thus far defied this advice. By strengthening the U.S.Israel relationship, Trump has also shown the Palestinians what they have to lose from further intransigence. If they refuse his offer, they will find themselves even more isolated. Trumps willingness to trash Obamas Iran deal is another example of how he has substituted rational analysis for wishful thinking in the Middle East. Miller and Sokolsky describe Secretary of State Mike Pompeos list of objectives with regard to Iran as extreme and unnecessarily provocative. But ending Irans support of terrorism, its quest for regional hegemony (advanced by foreign adventures such as its intervention in Syria and its support for rebels in Yemen), and its illegal missile production were the same goals Obama started out with before he abandoned a policy of tough sanctions in favor of appeasement. Moreover, the Iran deal left Tehran with its nuclear infrastructure intact and had an expiration date that would have allowed Iran to eventually construct a bomb anyway. Contrary to Miller and Sokolsky, the goal of U.S. diplomacy with Iran never should have been to achieve more cordial relations with the Islamist regime; the goal must be to change Irans behavior. By reimposing sanctions and seeking to shut off Irans oil exports, Trump isnt despite Irans transparent bluffs setting the stage for a military conflict. Instead, he has returned us to the point in 2013 when Obama abandoned the Wests economic leverage in exchange for only a temporary pause in Irans quest for a nuclear weapon. By enriching and empowering Iran, Obama made it more dangerous. Trumps policies are already showing signs of success in weakening it. If Iran and the Palestinians are still holding on to hope that these setbacks can be reversed, it is because they are being told by Western interlocutors, including former secretary of state John Kerry, that they should sit tight until 2021, when a Democratic successor to Trump will reinstate Obamas policies. This is possible, pace Miller and Sokolsky, though they are right that it wont wont be easy. Despite the contempt in which Miller and Sokolsky hold the president, they understand that measures like moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and sanctioning Iran are broadly popular. Any Democrat who seeks to reverse these moves will face opposition. Yet Trumps measures have not blown up the region, very much leaving open the possibility of returning to a policy of more daylight or reinstating the Iran deal. Both the Palestinians and the Iranians are likely to stand pat and try to hold out until the 2020 election. But should Trump be reelected, they will be forced to face reality and adjust their policies accordingly if they really want a state (in the case of the Palestinians) or to end their isolation (in the case of Iran). On both issues, Trumps contempt for experts such as Miller and Sokolsky was entirely justified, and his policy shifts have strengthened Americas position in the Middle East. But the permanence of those changes remains in the hands of the voters. More from National Review Donald Trump has hit out at Joe Biden after the Democratic veteran announced his intention to run against him in 2020, questioning his intelligence and branding him Sleepy Joe while lashing out over the Mueller report and attempting to fend off further congressional investigations into his affairs. Barack Obamas former vice-president, a man with almost half a century of experience in US politics, is widely tipped to be Mr Trumps most serious challenger at the polls, joining a crowded field of 20 Democratic candidates already confirmed for the race. Privately, Trump allies have warned that Mr Biden might be the biggest re-election threat given the former vice presidents potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Mr Trump a path to the presidency. The former vice president is paying special attention to his native Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Mr Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. While Mr Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years, he was often referred to as Pennsylvanias third senator. Despite digging in his heels in Washington, the president meanwhile faces a new threat in his old stomping ground of New York City, where Deutsche Bank is beginning the process of handing over records of its dealings with Mr Trump to the state attorney-general, who is investigating allegations made by his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, that he inflated his assets to secure loans in order to bankroll his hotel business. Two House committees have also subpoenaed Deutsche Bank and several other financial institutions earlier this month as part of investigations into the president's finances. It was unclear exactly what the committees asked for. The investigations are among several House Democrats are conducting into aspects of the presidents personal and political life, and top Democrat Adam Schiff has said he is investigating whether foreign actors, including Russia, have sought to hold leverage over Mr Trump or his family and associates. Deutsche Bank is a German asset management firm that has lent Mr Trumps real estate organization millions of dollars over time. The two committees have been working with the bank for several weeks, and both chairs have said officials have been cooperative. Mr Schiff said in his statement that the subpoena to Deutsche Bank is a friendly subpoena, meaning he expects them to continue working with the committees. The request comes as a third committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, is sparring with the White House over Mr Trumps tax returns. Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will soon host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House, setting the stage for a possible agreement on trade between the world's two largest economies. The White House said on Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will travel to Beijing for additional talks on a trade dispute that has led to tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Tim Ahmann) Moroccos BMCE Bank of Africa launched Tuesday in Shanghai, China, its first branch in the worlds second largest economy as it positions itself as the channel between Chinese investors and Africa. Present in China for over two decades as a representation office, MBCE Bank of Africas new branch, is located in the financial district of Pudong-la Shanghai Tower. The new financial institution started operation in January this year and the Tuesday inauguration marked the 60th anniversary of the Moroccan powerful financial firm. The shift from a representation office to an entire branch, according to the Banks CEO Othman Benjelloun, aims at contributing to establishing trust among economic agents, and among states. The Shanghai office of the Moroccan banking group will assist Chinese business people seeking to invest in Africa. Chinese investors can use the already existing over 1650 branch-network of the bank. Moroccan investors in search of Chinese business partners or markets across Asia can rely as well as on the Shanghai branch. The White House and Democrats in Congress are preparing for a lengthy legal fight as the US Treasury Department stares down a final deadline to release Donald Trumps tax returns. Democrats in the House Ways and Means Committee have requested six years of the presidents individual and business returns, and have set a final deadline for 5pm ET on Tuesday. The committee informed Internal Revenue Service commissioner Charles Rettig in a letter that any failure to comply would be viewed as a denial. The White House has vowed to fight the request, with acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney saying that the returns would never be handed over to Congress. Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, meanwhile, has said that he intends to follow the law, and vowing to not allow the IRS to be weaponised in a political fight between the president and Congress. But, while Mr Mulvaney has made clear he believes the tax returns will never see the light of day, Mr Trump and others in the White House have repeatedly attempted to explain the resistance by saying Mr Trump has been under audit. It is the same line that the president has been using since the campaign. As I understand it, the presidents pretty clear: Once hes out of audit, hell think about doing it, but hes not inclined to do so at this time, Hogan Gidley, a White House spokesperson, said during an interview with Fox News. Bill Pascrell, a leading Democrat fighting to secure the release of Mr Trumps tax returns, said in a statement that the law is on their side, and that they will continue to fight to secure he financial documents that could shed light on potential conflicts of interest the president may have. The law is on our side. The law is clearer than crystal. They have no choice: they must abide by (it), Representative Bill Pascrell, who has been leading the Democratic push for Trumps tax records, said in a statement to Reuters. While running for president in 2016, Mr Trump broke from decades of tradition to become the first candidate for Americas highest office to not release detailed tax returns to the public. In response, Democrats have sought to make the presidents taxes a campaign issue. Leading candidates in the 2020 race have already released several years of their tax returns, too, with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Beto ORourke among those who have made those forms available. By Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian police stormed the offices of a private television station and cut it off the air on Thursday over accusations it had breached broadcasting rules, which the channel called an attempt to silence its voice criticizing the government. Dozens of members of the security forces stormed the headquarters of Nesna television, switched off its transmissions and seized equipment, journalists at the station told Reuters. The move followed a ruling by broadcasting regulator HAICA, which revoked the channel's license last year. The HAICA had fined the channel for broadcasts the body described as exploiting poor people and promoting the political agenda of the channel's owner, businessman Nabil Karoui. The channel rejected the fines and said it did not recognize the rulings by the body, which it said were motivated in response to the broadcaster's criticism of the government. The government has denied any responsibility for rulings by the HAICA. Officials at Nesma were not immediately available to comment on Thursday's raid. The channel's website said it was being punished for its criticism of the government and coverage of anti-government protests. (Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Peter Graff) Istanbul (AFP) - Six former staff of the opposition daily Cumhuriyet including cartoonist Musa Kart went back to prison on Thursday after an appeals court upheld their jail sentences. Last year 14 former Cumhuriyet staff, including journalists and executives, were sentenced for "aiding and abetting terror groups without being a member" but they remained free pending the appeals. An appeals court in Istanbul in February unanimously approved the sentences. The six including Kart, four administrators and one accountant, were returned to Kandira prison to serve the rest of their jail sentences, an official from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said. Kandira is in the northwestern city of Kocaeli nearly 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Istanbul. The controversial Cumhuriyet case sparked criticism over the state of press freedom in Turkey. Cumhuriyet, the country's oldest daily founded in 1924, is not owned by a business tycoon but by an independent foundation. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned Turkey's "disgraceful" persecution of the former staff members. "We are appalled to see these leading figures being thrown in prison again," RSF's Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu said in a statement. "This is the culmination of ruthless political vengeance that highlights the collapse of the rule of law," he added. The daily has often had troubles with government authorities, with its former editor-in-chief Can Dundar fleeing to Germany after being convicted in 2016 over an article alleging that Turkey had supplied weapons to Islamist groups in Syria. (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday added China's third-largest e-commerce platform to its list of "notorious markets" for violations of intellectual property rights and kept China on its priority watch list for piracy and counterfeiting concerns. The U.S. Trade Representative's Office placed Pinduoduo.com, which USTR described as third largest by number of users, on its blacklist of commercial marketplaces that fail to curb the sale of counterfeit products. It also kept Alibaba Group's taobao.com, China's largest e-commerce platform, on the list. USTR's annual review of trading partners' protection of intellectual properties rights and so-called "notorious markets" comes as the United States and China are embroiled in negotiations to end a tit-for-tat tariff battle that has roiled supply chains and cost both countries billions of dollars. The two countries are due to resume talks in Beijing next week. China's inclusion on the list "reflects the urgent need to remediate a range of intellectual property-related concerns," a USTR official told reporters on a call to discuss the report. He noted longstanding concerns that have been voiced by the Trump administration in the trade talks, including "coercive" technology transfer requirements, widespread copyright infringement and "rampant" piracy and counterfeiting. The official declined to discuss how the talks with China were going, but said that additional actions using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 were possible. The United States has levied tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods under the act. Of Pinduoduo.com, USTR said in the report: "Many of (the site's) price-conscious shoppers are reportedly aware of the proliferation of counterfeit products on pinduoduo.com but are nevertheless attracted to the low-priced goods on the platform." While Alibaba has taken steps to address counterfeit products offered and sold on the Taobao marketplace, companies continue to see widespread infringement, USTR said. Story continues A spokesperson for Alibaba said the company disagreed with USTR's decision to keep it on the list, adding the company's practices are considered "best-in-class" by industry members. "In fact, zero industry associations called for our inclusion in the report this year. We will continue to wage this fight against counterfeiters," Brion Tingler, head of external affairs, said in an emailed statement. ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT A total of 36 countries were on this year's overall watch list of trade partners warranting additional bilateral engagement over these issues, including Russia and India. In addition, USTR raised Saudi Arabia to include it among 11 countries on the priority list. The bump-up in Saudi Arabia's status as a concern was in part due to an illicit service for pirated content called BeoutQ, the report said. Despite "extensive engagement" in Saudi Arabia by both U.S. government and private stakeholders, treatment of intellectual property rights "continued to deteriorate," USTR said. Canada was removed as a priority because of commitments made in the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade pact agreed in 2018. It remained on the overall watch list, however. Tajikistan was removed from the list due to "concrete steps" to improve its intellectual property regime, the agency said. USTR also called out free trade zones as places where counterfeiting can be rampant. In thousands of such zones across 130 economies, including in Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore, manufacturers and logistics companies are subject to different customs regulations and duties than they are elsewhere, it said. The more "barrier-free" environment can draw illegal activity like the trade and manufacture of counterfeit and pirated goods without proper oversight, USTR said. (Reporting by Chris Prentice in New York and David Lawder in Washington; editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Sonya Hepinstall) BOSTON, April 25 (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors on Thursday charged a Massachusetts judge and court officer with conspiracy and obstruction of justice, alleging they interfered with U.S. officials' attempts to arrest an undocumented migrant at a 2018 court proceeding. The charges mark the latest shot in President Donald Trump's crackdown on sanctuary cities and states that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. (Reporting by Nate Raymond and Scott Malone) By Nate Raymond and Scott Malone BOSTON (Reuters) - U.S. federal prosecutors on Thursday charged a Massachusetts judge and court officer with conspiracy and obstruction, saying they blocked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer from arresting an illegal immigrant at a 2018 court proceeding. The move marks the latest skirmish over immigration between President Donald Trump's administration and local governments who have resisted his crackdown. The state's Democratic attorney general called the charges "politically motivated." The charges target Massachusetts District Court Judge Shelley Joseph, 51, and Massachusetts Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor, 56. They focus on an April 2018 hearing in Newton District Court, outside Boston, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer intended to arrest an unidentified suspected illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic facing a drug charge. They described a huddled conversation between the judge and the defendant's lawyer in which Joseph asks, "ICE is gonna get him?" and later says, "I'm not gonna allow them to come in here." She then arranged for the suspect to be released through the court's rear door while the ICE agent waited in the courtroom's lobby for him to emerge. Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling, a Trump appointee, said the case was not intended to send a political message. "We did not bring this case in response to the public debate over immigration enforcement," he said. State Attorney General Maura Healey rejected that assertion. "Today's indictment is a radical and politically-motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts," Healey said in a statement. Representatives of the judge and court officer did not respond to requests for comment. The state Supreme Judicial Court suspended Joseph without pay, but said its move "in no way reflects any opinion on the merits of the pending criminal case." Story continues The charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The suspect has since been caught and is now in federal custody. Massachusetts' top court in 2017 ruled that state police cannot detain illegal immigrants solely to buy time for federal officials to take them into custody. One of Trump's top priorities in office has been cracking down on illegal and legal immigration and he has regularly railed against "sanctuary" cities and states that do not cooperate with all aspects of federal immigration enforcement. Trump earlier this month floated the idea of busing undocumented migrants stopped at the border to "sanctuary cities," a move critics called illustrative of a callous approach to the issue and some Trump allies called impractical. (Reporting by Scott Malone and Nate Raymond; editing by David Gregorio, Cynthia Osterman and Susan Thomas) The Moroccan Royal Armed Forces concluded one of their largest military drills on the eastern desert border with the participation of land and air armies. The exercise known as Saghro focused on testing the readiness of land and air forces and desert warfare, the well-informed defense news portal FAR-Maroc said. The military drills were also intended to test the inter-operability of the land and air segments and build upon the success of international military exercises hosted by Morocco with the participation of foreign armies. Earlier this year, Morocco hosted the Tafilalet military exercises featuring deployment of the French and the Belgian armies and the African Lion drills held together with the US army as well as the Euro-Mediterranean navy exercises dubbed Phoenix Express. Land forces are key to the Moroccan army, which has fought a guerrilla war by the Algerian-backed separatists until the UN brokered a ceasefire in 1991. To further bolster its air forces, Morocco ordered 25 F16 fighter jets to be added to an existing fleet of 23 jets ordered since 2008. DUBAI (Reuters) - Tehran is prepared for a U.S. decision to end waivers granted to buyers of Iranian crude, an Iranian oil ministry source said on Monday, as the Revolutionary Guards repeated their threat to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported. The United States will fail to cut Iranian oil exports to zero, the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Monday quoted an unnamed Iranian oil ministry source as saying. U.S. President Donald Trump has decided not to reissue waivers in May allowing importers to buy Iranian oil without facing U.S. sanctions, the White House said in a statement on Monday. Separately, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards' navy said Iran would close the Strait if Tehran is barred from using it. "According to international law, the Strait of Hormuz is a marine passageway and if we are barred from using it, we will shut it down," the semi-official news agency Fars quoted General Alireza Tangsiri as saying on Monday. "In case of any threat, we will have not even an iota of doubt to protect and defend the Iranian waters," Tangsiri added. Tasnim quoted the unnamed source as saying: "Whether the waivers continue or not, Iran's oil exports will not be zero under any circumstances unless Iranian authorities decide to stop oil exports ... and this is not relevant now." "We have been monitoring and analysing all possible scenarios and conditions for the advance of our country's oil exports, and necessary measures have been taken ... Iran is not waiting for America's decision or the lack of it to export its oil," Tasnim quoted the source as saying."We have years of experience in neutralising efforts by enemies to strike blows against our country," the source added. Iran has threatened to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipment channel in the Gulf, if the United States tries to strangle Tehran's economy by halting its oil exports. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; editing by David Evans and Louise Heavens) (Refiles to give full name of UCLA paragraph 2) By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES, April 25 (Reuters) - A nationwide measles outbreak has led health officials to quarantine dozens of people at two Los Angeles universities, officials said on Thursday. The quarantine affects the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) and comes as the United States battles the highest number of measles cases since the country declared the virus eliminated in 2000. The people ordered quarantined at two California campuses were exposed to measles and could not provide evidence they had been immunized against the disease, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement. The United States has confirmed 695 cases of measles, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday, with many of those cases in the states of New York and Washington. California health officials have said the state has confirmed 38 measles cases, pointing to a new challenge in their work to contain the disease which includes the quarantines at Cal State LA and UCLA. "Both universities are assisting with the implementation of quarantine orders and determining how best to support students who must be quarantined and who live on campus," the Department of Public Health said in a statement. The quarantine at Cal State LA is related to a measles exposure believed to have occurred in a library on April 11, the university said in a statement. The quarantine affects 198 Cal State LA employees who were at the library, including 71 employees who are also students, the university statement said. At UCLA, 119 students and eight staff members who were exposed to measles at the campus earlier this month and could not provide proof of immunity were ordered quarantined on Wednesday, the university said in a statement. Since then, officials have released 45 people from the UCLA quarantine after establishing they had immunity to measles. Story continues U.S. public health officials have blamed the nationwide outbreak, which coincides with a global rise in the prevalence of the disease, in part on the spread of misinformation about the safety of vaccines. Although the disease was eliminated from the country in 2000, meaning the virus was no longer continually present year-round, outbreaks still happen via travelers coming from countries where measles is still common, the CDC says. The virus can lead to deadly complications, but no measles deaths have been reported in the latest outbreaks. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis, editing by G Crosse) Health officials on Thursday issued quarantine orders at the University of California, Los Angeles and California State University Los Angeles amid a measles outbreak in Los Angeles County. In this situation, for those exposed to a confirmed case of measles who could not provide evidence of two doses of measles immunizations or lab verified immunity to measles, a Health Officer Order for quarantine is being issued, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement. Students who may have been exposed to the disease and who cannot show verification of immunization must remain in their residences, notify health officials if they develop measles symptoms, and avoid contact with others while the quarantine is in effect, the department said. Quarantine for measles can be up to 21 days from the date of last exposure, at which time the exposed person is no longer a risk for developing the disease and spreading measles to others, the statement read. Public health officials declared a measles outbreak in Los Angeles County after confirming at least five cases of the disease, including one at UCLA. On Wednesday, 119 students and eight faculty members were under quarantine at UCLA, the school said in a statement. Seventy-one students and 127 staff members were quarantined at Cal State Los Angeles. By Thursday afternoon, UCLA had released 43 students and two faculty members from quarantine after establishing proof of their immunity. I know there is concern about measles, particularly among the very small percentage of our community who have not been vaccinated, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement. Please be assured that we have the resources we need for prevention and treatment, and that we are working very closely with local public health officials on the matter. Health officials also identified one of the libraries at Cal State Los Angeles as having been a potential site of exposure. Story continues The Department of Public Health has determined that there is no known current risk related to measles at the library at this time, Cal State said in a statement to HuffPost. As the Los Angeles Times noted, adults now in their early 20s were infants in 1998 when scientist Andrew Wakefield published his since-debunked study, based on just 12 patients, claiming vaccines were correlated with autism. Some members of this so-called Wakefield generation may not have been immunized against measles due to their parents fears of possible side-effects. The U.S. is currently witnessing the largest outbreak of measles cases since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of this week, 695 measles cases have been reported across 22 states in 2019. California has confirmed at least 38 measles cases this year. State legislators are currently considering a bill that would require health officials to vet all medical exemptions to school immunization requirements. California is one of just three states, along with West Virginia and Mississippi, that dont allow families to opt children out of immunization for religious or philosophical reasons. This story has been updated with the latest quarantine numbers from UCLA. By Elias Biryabarema KASAWO, Uganda April 25 (Reuters) - Mariam Nabatanzi gave birth to twins a year after she was married off at the age of 12. Five more sets of twins followed - along with four sets of triplets and five sets of quadruplets. Three years ago, however, the 39-year-old Ugandan was abandoned by her husband, leaving her to support their surviving 38 children alone. It was just the latest setback in a life marred by tragedy for Nabatanzi, who lives with her children in four cramped houses made of cement blocks and topped with corrugated iron in a village surrounded by coffee fields 50 km (31 miles) north of Kampala. After her first sets of twins were born, Nabatanzi went to a doctor who told her she had unusually large ovaries. He advised her that birth control like pills might cause health problems. So the children kept coming. Family sizes are at their largest in Africa. In Uganda, the fertility rate averages out at 5.6 children per woman, one of the continent's highest, and more than double the global average of 2.4 children, according to the World Bank. But even in Uganda, the size of Nabatanzi's family makes her an extreme outlier. Her last pregnancy, two and a half years ago, had complications. It was her sixth set of twins and one of them died in childbirth, her sixth child to die. Then her husband - often absent for long stretches - abandoned her. His name is now a family curse. Nabatanzi refers to him using an expletive. "I have grown up in tears, my man has passed me through a lot of suffering," she said during an interview at her home, hands clasped as her eyes welled up. "All my time has been spent looking after my children and working to earn some money." Desperate for cash, Nabatanzi turns a hand to everything: hairdressing, event decorating, collecting and selling scrap metal, brewing local gin and selling herbal medicine. The money is swallowed up by food, medical care, clothing and school fees. Story continues On a grimy wall in one room of her home hang proud portraits of some of her children graduating from school, gold tinsel around their necks. "Mum is overwhelmed, the work is crushing her, we help where we can, like in cooking and washing, but she still carries the whole burden for the family. I feel for her," said her eldest child Ivan Kibuka, 23, who had to drop out of secondary school when the money ran out. TRAGIC STORY Nabatanzi's desire for a large family has its roots in tragedy. Three days after she was born, Nabatanzi's mother abandoned the family: her father, the newborn girl and her five siblings. "She just left us," said Nabatanzi sombrely, as some of her ragged children played on the dirt floor while others did chores. After her father remarried, her stepmother poisoned the five older children with crushed glass mixed in their food. They all died. Nabatanzi escaped because she was visiting a relative, she says. "I was seven years old then, too young to even understand what death actually meant. I was told by relatives what had happened," she said. She grew up wanting to have six children to rebuild her shattered family. Providing a home for 38 children is a constant challenge. Twelve of the children sleep on metal bunk beds with thin mattresses in one small room with grime-caked walls. In the other rooms, lucky children pile onto shared mattresses while the others sleep on the dirt floor. Older children help look after the young ones and everyone helps with chores like cooking. A single day can require 25 kilograms of maize flour, Nabatanzi says. Fish or meat are rare treats. A roster on a small wooden board nailed to a wall spells out washing or cooking duties. "On Saturday we all work together," it reads. Having endured such a hard childhood herself, Nabatanzi's greatest wish now is for her children to be happy. "I started taking on adult responsibilities at an early stage," she said. "I have not had joy, I think, since I was born." (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema Editing by Maggie Fick/Katharine Houreld/Susan Fenton) London (AFP) - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Thursday dismissed the suggestion of a prisoner swap for a British-Iranian mother being held in Tehran as a "vile" diplomatic ploy, while her husband told AFP the idea was "almost impossible". In New York, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday suggested a swap between Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is in jail in Tehran for alleged sedition, and Negar Ghodskani, an Iranian woman held in Australia on a US extradition warrant. Hunt said there was a "huge difference" between the two women. "The woman in jail in Australia is facing due process, a proper legal procedure, and she is alleged to have committed a very serious crime," he told reporters in London. "Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is innocent -- she has done nothing wrong." He added: "What is unacceptable about what Iran is doing is that they are putting innocent people in prison and using it as leverage. "I'm afraid that is what is happening with this Australian case. They're saying, we'll only release this innocent Brit if you'll do something that suits us diplomatically." Richard Ratcliffe, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband who has been campaigning for her release, said he was "blindsided" by the offer as he followed Zarif's speech on Twitter and does not think it is the "way forward". "It's clearly a hopeful thing that he was talking about her release explicitly," he told AFP. "At the same time, linking her in a public way to a big complicated deal that is almost impossible to do because it's been made public could easily be a displacement tactic." Zaghari-Ratcliffe worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation and was arrested in 2016 while visiting relatives for the Persian New Year. Iranian authorities accused her of plotting against the government and handed her a five-year jail sentence for sedition. Story continues Britain has taken the unusual step of granting her diplomatic protection in a bid to free her. Ghodskani, a legal resident of Australia, was arrested in 2017 after US prosecutors said she sought US digital communications technology by presenting herself as an employee of a Malaysian company. US prosecutors said she in fact was sending the technology to Iranian company Fanamoj, which works in public broadcasting. Both women have been separated from their young children while being detained. Ratcliffe has also been separated from his daughter Gabriella, who was with her mother when she was detained in Iran and has since remained in the country with her grandparents. The prospect of Gabriella's possible return to Britain after her fifth birthday this June is causing Zaghari-Ratcliffe fresh anguish amid her continued detention, he said. Ratcliffe said his wife was "lifted" by the British government's decision to grant her diplomatic protection in March. But he added: "generally, her spirits are gradually sinking now." LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) - The British government will support an Airbus contract to manufacture and deliver two satellites for Turkish communications company Turksat, trade minister Liam Fox said on Thursday. "UK Export Finance will support an Airbus Defence and Space UK contract worth nearly $500 million to manufacture and deliver two satellites and a ground station for Turksat," Fox told parliament. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by William James) LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May is clear the protection of information on national security matters is of the highest importance, her spokesman said on Thursday. Some lawmakers have called for an inquiry into a leak of discussions held at a meeting of Britain's National Security Council over barring China's Huawei Technologies from all core parts of the 5G network. (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Writing by Kylie MacLellan) MOSCOW (AP) Ukrainian lawmakers have approved a language law that seeks to increase the use of Ukrainian in a country where Russian is also widely used. The Supreme Rada on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to support the bill which will force increased use of Ukrainian in the media and in public administration. The office of the U.N. Human Rights Commissioner as well as the Council of Europe has expressed its concern over the previous draft of the bill, saying that it could infringe the rights of language minorities. Most Ukrainians switch between Ukrainian and Russian effortlessly but generations of Ukrainian politicians have exploited and encouraged the language divide in this country of 45 million. The language issue became a major point of discontent in 2014 when separatists took control of parts of eastern Ukraine after Russian officials and media fanned fears that the new pro-Western government in Kiev would be forcing the Ukrainian language on the residents in that predominantly Russian-speaking region. The language bill was passed a day after the Kremlin said that it would be offering fast-track Russian citizenship to Ukrainians living in the areas under separatist control. President Vladimir Putin on Thursday defended his decision, saying it will help people stranded in areas where Ukrainian government services are not available. Ukraine's president-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a Russian speaker who won a whopping 73% of the vote, including in the Ukrainian-speaking west of the country, came out with mild criticism of the bill. In a statement posted on Facebook, he lamented that the bill "was adopted without a prior broad discussion with the public" and vowed to look into the law once it is officially published to make sure that "all constitutional rights and interests of all Ukrainian citizens are respected." Outgoing President Petro Poroshenko who stays in office until next month has rejected the criticism and said he would sign it into law. redator Oil & Gas Holdings said it made a significant gas discovery in the Guercif permit in eastern Morocco. The discovery was described by the British company as another very positive step with a best estimate recoverable prospective resources of 474 billion cubic feet. The company plans to sell the gas from the permit to cement plants and power generators in Morocco. Predator Oil and Gas also expects additional hydrocarbon potential over the entire Guercif area demonstrated by multiple prospective leads in diverse geological settings in the Miocene, Jurassic and Triassic, CEO Paul Griffiths said. This will facilitate a rolling drilling program to create economies of scale in respect of costs which could be expected to lead to sustained exploration activity over several years, he continued. KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's president-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy, keen to build parliamentary support, said on Thursday the election commission was preventing him from calling a snap parliamentary election by delaying the announcement of his election victory. Zelenskiy won by a landslide in last Sunday's presidential election but he has no lawmakers in parliament. Calling a snap election could help his new party win seats while his popularity is high. But he has only a limited time in which to call a snap election: He can do so only after the election commission has officially declared his election win, but no later than six months before the next scheduled parliamentary election, which is due in late October. "There is victory, but no authority," Zelenskiy said in a video posted on social media. The central commission delayed the announcement of the official results, in order to delay his inauguration beyond May 27, he said. "Why? So that President Zelenskiy does not even have the opportunity to think about the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament)," he said. An election commission spokesman declined immediate comment but on Tuesday the deputy head of the commission said the result would be declared on April 30, ahead of its official deadline. Zelenskiy is expected to take power within weeks. His ability to work with parliament will be crucial to meeting the expectations of his voters and passing reforms to keep foreign aid flowing. Zelenskiy's powers will include appointing the head of the state security service, the head of the military, the general prosecutor, the central bank governor and the foreign and defense ministers. But parliament must confirm each appointment. Zelenskiy also needs lawmakers to pass legislation that matters to the International Monetary Fund, Ukraine's most important foreign backer, such as a bill to criminalize illegal enrichment. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets; writing by Matthias Williams, Editing by William Maclean) By Charlotte Greenfield WELLINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William met survivors of a deadly shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, including a five-year-old girl recovering in hospital, during a two-day visit to New Zealand. William, the Duke of Cambridge, was making the trip on behalf of his 93-year-old grandmother Queen Elizabeth, New Zealand's head of state, following a request from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. He arrived in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon and on Friday visited Christchurch Hospital to meet survivors recovering from injuries from the attacks, before he was set to visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 worshippers on March 15. He had started the visit on Thursday in the country's largest city of Auckland where he attended an ANZAC memorial service. He later visited Starship Children's Hospital with Ardern to meet five-year-old Alen Alsati, who had recently woken up from a coma after she and her father were injured in the attacks. Photos and a video posted on Kensington Palace's Twitter account showed Prince William sitting on the side of the child's hospital bed, surrounded by her family and Ardern. The girl asked if he had a daughter. "Yes, she's called Charlotte ... she's about the same age as you," Prince William replied. Later in the evening, the Prince went to Christchurch's justice center to meet first responders to the mosque shootings, including ambulance staff. "You did an incredible job on a very bad day," he said, according to Kensington Palace's Twitter account. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Sandra Maler) By Charlotte Greenfield WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William met survivors of a deadly shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, including a five-year-old girl recovering in hospital, during a two-day visit to New Zealand. William, the Duke of Cambridge, was making the trip on behalf of his 93-year-old grandmother Queen Elizabeth, New Zealand's head of state, following a request from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. He arrived in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon and on Friday visited Christchurch Hospital to meet survivors recovering from injuries from the attacks, before he was set to visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 worshippers on March 15. He had started the visit on Thursday in the country's largest city of Auckland where he attended an ANZAC memorial service. He later visited Starship Children's Hospital with Ardern to meet five-year-old Alen Alsati, who had recently woken up from a coma after she and her father were injured in the attacks. Photos and a video posted on Kensington Palace's Twitter account showed Prince William sitting on the side of the child's hospital bed, surrounded by her family and Ardern. The girl asked if he had a daughter. "Yes, she's called Charlotte ... she's about the same age as you," Prince William replied. Later in the evening, the Prince went to Christchurch's justice centre to meet first responders to the mosque shootings, including ambulance staff. "You did an incredible job on a very bad day," he said, according to Kensington Palace's Twitter account. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Sandra Maler) BEIRUT (AP) U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon have confirmed the existence of a third cross-border tunnel, out of six the Israeli military said it discovered in the area last year. The force known as UNIFIL says the tunnels violate a cease-fire resolution that ended a devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. It said Thursday peacekeepers completed a technical inspection and confirmed the third tunnel. Earlier, UNIFIL had confirmed two other tunnels. Israel says the frontier tunnels are a tactic used by Hezbollah in previous wars and has called on the international community to impose new sanctions on the Lebanese militant group. UNIFL says it informed Lebanese authorities about the violation and requested follow-up actions. Israel in January wrapped up its operation to destroy the part of the tunnels stretching into Israel. Los Angeles (AFP) - US actor Michael Madsen, best known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino films including "Kill Bill" and "Reservoir Dogs," has been charged with drunk driving, authorities said Wednesday. The veteran 61-year-old actor was charged with two misdemeanors in connection with a DUI arrest last month in Malibu, where he crashed his Land Rover into a pole, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. It said the incident marked the second time in 10 years that Madsen has been arrested for drunk driving. The actor, who is scheduled to be arraigned on May 20, appears in Tarantino's latest hotly anticipated film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." The film is set to be released in July. Washington (AFP) - The United States said Thursday it would bar the entry of Chechnya's prime minister for allegedly orchestrating human rights violations in the Russian republic. Under a US law that requires action against foreign officials over human rights concerns, the United States announced that Chairman Muslim Khuchiyev and his immediate family will be ineligible for US visas if they apply. The State Department said in a statement that it had "credible information that Muslim Khuchiyev was involved in torture." Chechnya's pro-Moscow authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov last year elevated Khuchiyev, previously the mayor of the Chechen capital Grozny which was reduced to rubble when Russia crushed two separatist wars that left tens of thousands dead. While the Muslim-majority republic has largely been pacified, Chechen authorities have still engaged in unlawful arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings, according to a report last year by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The public designation comes amid a slew of rifts between Russia and the United States, which has pressed President Vladimir Putin over Moscow's support for separatists in Ukraine and alleged interference in US elections. London (AFP) - The United States and former colonial power Britain on Thursday voiced alarm over the jailing of leaders of Hong Kong's democracy movement and urged China to allow free expression. Four prominent leaders were jailed on Wednesday over their role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement, which paralysed Hong Kong for months and infuriated Beijing with its show of anger over the city's leadership and direction. "The sentences handed to the 'Occupy' activists in Hong Kong are deeply disappointing," British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement on Twitter. Britain said that the "One Country, Two Systems" concept -- enshrined in a Joint Declaration under which Britain handed the metropolis to China in 1997 -- guaranteed political freedom. "It would be deeply concerning if the outcome for these individuals were to deter the people of Hong Kong from participating in peaceful protest in the future," a spokeswoman for British Prime Minister Theresa May said separately. "Freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are both guaranteed by the Sino-British Joint Declaration and it is important that these... are fully respected," she said. The United States also said it was "disappointed" and called on Hong Kong to respect "residents' rights of freedom of speech and peaceful assembly." "Societies are best served when diverse political views are respected and can be freely expressed," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. "Continued erosion of the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework puts at risk Hong Kong's long-established special status in international affairs," she said. Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen in mainland China, but activists have warned of a steady erosion of freedoms. The United States also voiced concern over Hong Kong's plans for an extradition treaty with mainland China, under which residents of the international financial hub could become entangled in the communist nation's opaque courts. Beirut (AFP) - Intensive US-led coalition bombardment on the Syrian city of Raqa killed more than 1,600 civilians over four months in 2017, according to a report released on Thursday. The findings were compiled after months of field research and extensive data analysis, including via a project that saw 3,000 digital activists scan satellite imagery online. In mid-2017, Raqa had been the de facto Syria capital of the Islamic State group's cross-border "caliphate" for three years and the US-led coalition launched a military campaign to crush the jihadists in their main remaining hub. The unprecedented investigation, carried out by Amnesty International and the Airwars monitoring group, urged top coalition members to show more transparency and accountability. "Many of the air bombardments were inaccurate and tens of thousands of artillery strikes were indiscriminate," said Donatella Rovera, crisis response advisor at Amnesty. The civilian death toll from the coalition's Raqa campaign, which supported Kurdish-led ground forces in their successful advance against IS, stands at more than 1,600, according to the report. The coalition has admitted to around 10 percent of those deaths, it said. "Coalition forces razed Raqa, but they cannot erase the truth," Rovera said. "Amnesty International and Airwars call upon the Coalition forces to end their denial about the shocking scale of civilian deaths and destruction caused by their offensive in Raqa." Rovera said a number of reasons explained the high casualty toll among civilians, including failing intelligence and surveillance, and the use of inappropriate weaponry. - Digital activists - In many cases, buildings in Raqa were targeted following insufficient remote surveillance, Rovera said, killing entire families that were still living or sheltering in them. "If there had been adequate surveillance of these buildings... a civilian pattern of life would have been very detectable," she told AFP. Story continues Rovera, who spent months going to strike sites in Raqa since it was captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in October 2017, also said the coalition's choice of weapons was a problem. "It may have to do with money," Rovera said. "There are, more expensive, smaller impact-radius missiles, but the coalition often used... old MK-type bombs that take out entire buildings. Those are much cheaper," she said. Amnesty also criticised the extensive use of artillery in the battle for Raqa, which one US military official boasted was the US's highest since the Vietnam war. "With a margin of error of more than 100 metres, unguided artillery is notoriously imprecise and its use in populated areas constitutes indiscriminate attacks," the London-based rights group said. The investigation into the civilian deaths resulted in an interactive, immersive website that includes pictures and videos of destroyed homes, the names of the families killed and links to data gathered from a variety of sources. One of them was a project called Strike Trackers, which employed digital volunteers from 124 countries to identify each one of the 11,000 destroyed buildings in Raqa by analysing more than two million frames of satellite imagery. - Humanitarian law - Civilians have started returning to the city but basic infrastructure remains almost non-existent. Raqa was described as 80 percent destroyed after the offensive. "Many of the cases documented by Amnesty International likely amount to violations of international humanitarian law and warrant further investigation," Amnesty said. It urged coalition members, especially the United States, Britain and France, to put in place an independent investigation mechanism and create a fund to compensate civilian victims. The coalition responded by saying it investigated reports submitted to it by various sources, including Amnesty, and complied with international humanitarian law. "The Coalition takes all reasonable measures to minimise civilian casualties. We conduct precision strikes after in-depth monitoring," coalition spokesman Scott Rawlinson said. The coalition said in a statement Thursday that it conducted a total of 34,464 strikes in Iraq and Syria since it was created in August 2014, unintentionally killing at least 1,291 civilians, according to its latest statement. Parts of Syria such as Eastern Ghouta, near the capital Damascus, also came under intense bombardment from Syrian and Russian forces but the same rights groups are not able to carry out investigations there. New York (AFP) - The US recorded 695 cases of measles in 2019, the most of any year since the disease was declared eliminated at the turn of the century, officials said Wednesday, ahead of a campaign to reinforce the message that vaccines are safe. The surge comes amid a growing global movement against inoculation, with an estimated 169 million children missing out on the vital first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017, according to a UNICEF report. The UN Children's Fund found the United States topping the list of high-income countries where children had not received their first round of immunization, at over 2.5 million. It was followed by France and Britain, with over 600,000 and 500,000 unvaccinated infants respectively over the same period. The new tally of American cases confirmed by US authorities surpassed the previous high of 667 reached in 2014. - Anti-vaxxers - Resurgence of the once-eradicated, highly-contagious disease is linked to the growing anti-vaccine movement in richer nations, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as a major global health threat. The anti-vax phenomenon has adherents across Western countries but is particularly high profile in the US, where it has been fueled by medically baseless claims spread on social media. "The high number of cases in 2019 is primarily the result of a few large outbreaks -- one in Washington State and two large outbreaks in New York that started in late 2018," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. People infected with the virus brought it to the United States from Israel and Ukraine and passed it on to members of their communities, many of whom had not been vaccinated. Although New York and Washington State have been the main areas affected cases have been found in 22 states. "A significant factor contributing to the outbreaks in New York is misinformation in the communities about the safety of the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine," CDC said. Story continues In a separate statement confirming the new record, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said "measles vaccines are among the most extensively studied medical products we have, and their safety has been firmly established over many years." He added that next week, during National Infant Immunization Week, his department will carry out "a comprehensive campaign to reinforce the message that vaccines are safe and effective." In New York, an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn has been hardest hit. They were infected by visitors from Israel, where an outbreak of began a year ago. Earlier this month New York's mayor declared a public health emergency in parts of Brooklyn, ordering all residents to be vaccinated to fight measles. The New York county of Rockland declared a similar emergency in March. Washington state's Clark County has seen the outbreak concentrated among a Russian-speaking community. After a child brought the virus back from Ukraine in December it spread to 74 other people, mostly children, through schools, supermarkets and a bowling alley. Washington, in the country's northwest, declared in January a state of emergency over its outbreak of the airborne infection that causes fever, coughing and rashes that can be deadly in rare cases. - Global surge - Worldwide, measles cases rose 300 percent through the first three months of 2019 compared with the same period last year, according to the United Nations. Two does are required to protect children from the disease. But global rates of first dose were reported at 85 percent in 2017, falling to 67 percent for the second dose. The WHO recommends 95 percent for so-called "herd immunity." Tens of thousands of cases have been reported in Africa and Europe. Ukraine alone has had more than 30,000 cases and 11 deaths since January. An estimated 110,000 people, most of them children, died from measles in 2017, a 22 per cent increase from the year before, the UN children's agency UNICEF said. Among low and middle-income countries, UNICEF put declining coverage down to lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or skepticism over immunization. In this bracket, Nigeria had the highest number of unvaccinated children younger than one year, with nearly 4 million, followed by India (2.9 million), Pakistan and Indonesia (1.2 million each), and Ethiopia (1.1 million). "If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike," UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said in a statement. Washington (AFP) - The United States urged Yemen's Huthi rebels to end mistreatment of members of the Baha'i faith, as the community on Thursday criticized as "absurd" prosecutor's allegations against a believer sentenced to death. The Baha'i community said that Hamed bin Haydara, who has been detained since 2013, will face an appeal hearing on Tuesday in the Huthi-controlled capital Sanaa. The US State Department said it was "deeply concerned" that the Iranian-linked rebels have targeted dozens of Baha'is and voiced alarm over accounts that Haydara has endured "physical and psychological torture." "This persistent pattern of vilification, oppression and mistreatment by the Huthis of Baha'is in Yemen must end," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. The Baha'i community on Thursday released what it said was the response to Haydara's appeal, with the prosecutor accusing the faith of being founded on "satanic thought." It said that Haydara has also been accused of seeking to create a separate Baha'i homeland on the Yemeni island of Socotra. "The prosecutor's arguments do not address the merits of Mr. Haydara's appeal and instead make absurd, wide-ranging accusations that are not based in law or in fact," said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. He charged that the prosecutor was following the tactics of Iran's Shiite clerical regime, which allows freedom of religion to several minorities but targets the Bahai's, whose founder the Baha'u'llah was Iranian born in 1817. The Baha'i faith calls for unity among religions and equality between men and women. Baha'is consider the Baha'u'llah to be a prophet, a sharp contrast from the orthodox Islamic view that Mohammed was God's final messenger. The Huthis control vast swathes of Yemen despite a US-backed military campaign led by Saudi Arabia, which has contributed to what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The Egmont Institute, an independent Think-thank based in Brussels, has praised Moroccos counterterrorism policy, saying the North African Kingdom has been successful in preventing terrorist attacks and getting intelligence information, which has been helpful locally and internationally. In its latest report entitled: Returnees in the Maghreb: Comparing Policies on returning Foreign Fighters in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, the experts said that Morocco is by far the most advanced in dealing with returnees in the region. The country has taken legal measures and strengthened as well its security services accordingly. It has also developed deradicalization programs in prison and is working on other initiatives with former radicals, underlined the authors of the report. In contrast, Tunisia and Egypt are much less transparent and systematic in their approaches. It appears that their capacities are limited, and their approach is very narrowly security-driven, said the Egmont Institute report. According to this study, Morocco has engaged, since 2005, in the reform of the religious sphere with the aim to counter radical religious narratives, while preserving the Moroccan version of Islam, which is described as moderate. This reform helped to modernize religious institutions such the Council of Religious Scholars and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, ensuring greater transparency when it comes to the financing of mosques and other religious activities. Morocco also contributes to the training of future imams based in France and other European countries at the Rabat Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams. According to the Egmont analysis, the return of foreign fighters from war zone requires a strong EUMorocco cooperation, stressing the need to address the socioeconomic and governance challenges, along with softer prevention programs. The report calls on the EU and other international partners of Morocco to remain committed to encouraging and supporting efforts aimed at reducing the socio economic disparities to counter major conducive factors to radicalization. Victoria Beckham is set to host a charity-focused catwalk show in November. The British fashion designer has been named the special guest in the fifth series of Suzanne Rogers Presents, which has raised more than $3 million for children's charities focusing on poverty, healthcare and education over the years. The upcoming edition, which will take place in Toronto, will see Beckham put on an intimate fashion presentation, followed by a luncheon. Proceeds will be donated to Camp Ooch, which provides fun experiences for children affected by cancer, and The Penelope Neuroblastoma Foundation, which funds neuroblastoma research. Additional causes and programs are yet to be confirmed. "Suzanne's charitable endeavours in bettering the lives of children around the world is inspiring, and I am delighted to be involved in the next in her series of fundraisers," said Beckham in a statement. "The event will provide a rare opportunity with designer Victoria Beckham and her beautiful collection," added Rogers. The show comes during a busy year for Beckham, who dropped a collaborative collection with the sportswear giant Reebok this January, before unveiling her Autumn/Winter 2019 ready-to-wear collection at London Fashion Week. The former Spice Girl has also been teasing an imminent beauty launch later this year, and has sparked rumours that she could be getting involved in the makeup and skincare business. By James Pearson HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong, the architect of the Southeast Asian country's anti-corruption drive, has been suffering from an unspecified illness, four diplomatic sources have told Reuters. Trong was admitted to the 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, the diplomatic sources said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue in the communist-ruled country. In the first official comments on the 75-year-old Vietnamese leader's health since his last public appearance 11 days ago, foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said on Thursday that Trong's health had been affected by a "heavy workload" and "changeable weather conditions". Hang did not say how serious Trong's condition was, but added that he would "resume his normal duties soon", without elaborating. Reuters was unable to determine how serious Trong's condition was, or if he was still in hospital. "We have no knowledge of his condition or how fit he is to carry out any official functions," one of the diplomatic sources said. The sources said Trong, who is both president of the country and general secretary of the Communist Party, fell ill on his birthday on April 14 in the southern province of Kien Giang, where - according to state media - he had been visiting local agricultural and industrial projects. The health of Vietnam's leadership is by law considered a state secret and, before Thursday's foreign ministry statement, state media had not reported on Trong's health. In the absence of information, unconfirmed rumour and speculation about Trong's condition has spread quickly on social media. On Monday, after Trong was taken ill, his name was trending on Google in Vietnam. Trong has presided over a widespread crackdown on corruption in Vietnam that has seen several high-ranking ministers and politicians, including one Politburo member, handed prison terms on charges ranging from embezzlement to economic mismanagement. Story continues The crackdown, which is viewed by critics as being politically motivated, has also led to the arrest of several high-ranking police officers and prominent businessmen. Officially, Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is led collectively by the president, prime minister, Communist Party chief, and chair of the National Assembly. But Trong added the role of president to his existing role of Communist Party General Secretary in September last year following the death of former President Tran Dai Quang. If the two positions were to become vacant it could spark a shift in the balance of power in Vietnam ahead of the next meeting of the Party congress, the country's supreme body, in early 2021. (Reporting by James Pearson; Editing by John Chalmers, Alex Richardson and Neil Fullick) By Goran Tomasevic MAISA, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenya's Chief Eipa Choro, 74, remembers when battles were fought with knives and spears. But now newcomers with far more firepower are taking lives in his region at the remote northern edge of the Rift Valley. Instability in neighboring Ethiopia and South Sudan are spilling over the border into the disputed territory known as the Ilemi Triangle, residents said. A growing population, changing weather patterns, and displacement caused by conflict are all crowding more people and livestock into their arid scrublands. That intensifying conflict may be repeated in unstable regions across the world, said Murithi Mutiga, deputy project director at the International Crisis Group, a think-tank based in Brussels. "This is going to become an increasingly difficult problem, not just in the Horn of Africa, but in many other places where there's changing weather patterns and a slowness to adapt to more modern forms of cultural thinking -- places like Chad, Nigeria, and Sudan," Mutiga said. Traditional fighting and livestock raids used to claim perhaps one life in Choro's area every six months, the chief said. But he estimated that almost 20 people had been killed in the last two months. "These attacks are becoming too much," he told Reuters over a crackling phone line. "There's no proper communication, no radio, the (phone) network signal is very weak. If we are attacked we can't send out a message for rescue." His village, Maisa, is about 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) from the border with Ethiopia, where ethnic violence has displaced around 3 million people, and 50 km from South Sudan, whose five-year civil war ended with a fragile September peace deal. Two armed police reservists live in Choro's community, but the nearest police station is more than 20 km away -- more than an hour by car across the rutted, trackless land. Edward Mwamburi, the police commander for the Rift Valley region, said he was not aware of the violence. "I have not heard of any deaths of people killed," he said. Choro said there had been an influx of people from the Dassenach ethnic group in Ethiopia's Omo riverlands. Armed men from the Nyangatom ethnic group in South Sudan, who speak a similar language to the Turkana, Choro's own ethnic group, have occupied an area called Soya near his village since November 2018, he said. Clashes between the groups are not new, but he said the level of fatalities is unprecedented. "They've been attacking for a very long time," Choro said. "But now they have better weapons, more ammo and are more organized than traditional warriors." Last month a group of more than 200 attackers from Nyangatom killed four Turkana men, he said. Three Nyangatom were also killed. Akiru Losuru, 33, confirmed to Reuters that Nyangatom had killed four men from her area on March 17. (Additional reporting by Billy Kapua in Maisa and Katharine Houreld and Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Catherine Evans) Violent storms unleashed floods and tornadoes across Texas and Louisiana on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving at least five people dead. The threat for rough weather will continue Friday, the National Weather Service said. Severe thunderstorms are possible across the mid-Atlantic region, and strong winds and tornadoes are both possible in eastern portions of North Carolina and Virginia. Two people were killed early Thursday in Ruston, in north-central Louisiana, after a tornado ripped through the town and the Louisiana Tech University campus around 2:30 a.m. local time. "I've never seen it this bad in my 43 years. It's tragic, and it's going to be a while before we can get all this cleaned up," Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone said. Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker confirmed the two fatalities. "It's bad; real bad," Walker said. "We took a direct hit." Late Thursday afternoon, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state due to the fierce storms. The National Weather Service said the tornado was rated an EF-3, which means its wind speeds were in the 136 to 165 mph range. Weather service hydrologist C. S. Ross says it appears the tornado cut a track over 130 miles from eastern Texas to the Louisiana-Arkansas border. The same cluster of thunderstorms produced flooding and severe weather in Texas on Wednesday, the Weather Channel reported. THE AFTERMATH - We're live over Ruston as we get our first view of tornado damage seen in the daylight over the region. These storms did kill at least two people as confirmed by the mayor earlier. pic.twitter.com/kAK5vIHcUT WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) April 25, 2019 About 75 miles southwest of Fort Worth, a woman and two children were killed when the family's car was caught in rushing flood waters, authorities said. The incident occurred at about 6 a.m. in what's usually a small creek just outside Dublin. Story continues The Weather Channel said the threat of severe weather, including possible large hail and tornadoes, will continue to move into the Southeast on Thursday night before shifting toward the mid-Atlantic on Friday. A long-tracked supercell thunderstorm crossed from Deep East Texas into west-central Louisiana and into the ArkLaMiss overnight. We will be surveying along this swath over the next several days. At this time, we cannot confirm a tornado was on the ground along this entire path. pic.twitter.com/Ieuk3yUZBw NWS Shreveport (@NWSShreveport) April 25, 2019 Thursday's opening of the New Orleans Jazz Fest was delayed because of the storms, the event organizers said. The PGA golf tournament in New Orleans was also delayed for several hours because of lightning. Contributing: The Associated Press; The News-Star (Monroe, La.) Storms smashed through Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, early on April 25, 2019. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Violent storms, floods, tornadoes leave 5 dead in South Talks have officially begun between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin as the pair met in Vladivostok for their first summit together. The Russian president said that the Kremlin would like to help support efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff. Putin told Kim that Russia supports his efforts to normalise North Korea's relations with the United States, adding that their talks should help better understand what Russia could do to support negotiations. The pair smiled and shook hands before heading to talks at a university in Vladivostok. Kim Jong-un has met for talks with Vladimir Putin in Russia (AP) The Russian president said that the Kremlin would like to help support efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff (AP) Kim congratulated Putin on winning another six-year term in last year's election and noted that their talks will give a chance to exchange views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The North Korean leader arrived by train dressed in a black coat and hat before meeting with local officials at Russia's Khasan train station near the border with North Korea. Speaking to Russia's state-owned Rossiya-24, Kim said on arrival that he is hoping for a "successful and useful" visit and would like to discuss "settlement of the situation in the Korean peninsula" as well as bilateral ties with Russia. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Theresa May safe until December Nurse struck off for pocketing 16,000 in cash for crash scam North Korea executed four officials after failed US summit He then sat down with local officials as well as a Russian deputy foreign minister before setting off to the Pacific port city of Vladivostok for a summit with Mr Putin on Thursday. He is the first North Korean leader to travel to Russia since his late father, Kim Jong Il, visited in 2011. "I have heard a lot about your country and have long dreamt of visiting it," he was quoted as saying. Kim met with officials after arriving in Russia by train (AP) It was all smiles between the two controversial leaders (AP) "It's been seven years since I took the helm, and I've only just managed to visit." Kim evoked his father's "great love for Russia" and said he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. Earlier on Wednesday, the North's state media confirmed his departure aboard his khaki-green armoured train from an undisclosed location in North Korea. Story continues Kim arrived later in Vladivostok for a dinner reception hosted by Russian deputy prime minister Yuri Trutnev, according to South Korean media. After his summit with Mr Putin, Kim may tour neighbouring facilities or landmarks before departing for home on Friday, the reports said. Kim attends a welcoming ceremony in Vladivostok after his arrival (AP) The North Korean leader received bread and salt upon his arrival at Khasan train station (AP) Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian media the summit will focus on North Korea's nuclear programme, noting that Moscow will seek to "consolidate the positive trends" stemming from Donald Trump's meetings with Kim. In February, Kim's second summit with the US president in Hanoi ended without agreement because of disputes over US-led sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the US and North Korea, although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Kim wants the US to ease the sanctions to reciprocate some partial disarmament steps he took last year, but the US maintains the sanctions will stay in place until Pyongyang takes more significant denuclearisation steps. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Teruel (Spain) (AFP) - Just kilometres from one of Spain's prettiest towns, Albarracin, where distinctive pink-hued medieval houses act as a tourist magnet, other villages are dead. Ahead of an election on Sunday that is tipped to be a tight race in which every seat will count, this depopulation of the Spanish interior and the problems it causes for rural voters has become a focus of attention. Two grassroots organisations in two provinces most hit by urban drift -- Teruel in the east where Albarracin is located and Soria, north of Madrid -- launched a "revolt of empty Spain" ahead of the snap polls. About 50,000 people took to the streets of Madrid in late March to draw candidates' attention to a soaring exodus from the countryside that has left parts of Spain with a population density comparable to that of northern Finland and Sweden. After a three-hour drive from Madrid, Albarracin emerges with well-preserved, picturesque fortifications, churches and houses set on a high rocky promontory. The village draws visitors from around the world, helping it to maintain about 1,000 residents. But you can drive for half an hour outside the village without seeing anyone. "The population density can drop to less than two residents per square kilometre," said Manuel Gimeno, the spokesman for grassroots group "Teruel exists". Driving through a vast area of juniper and pine trees, the 67-year-old former doctor points out several villages that are either uninhabited or "at risk of extinction". - Lack of children - As you near Calomarde, one of many villages without any children in Teruel, mobile phone coverage falls off. The village officially has 74 residents but most do not live there year-round. Last year only 24 people spent the winter in Calomarde, this year just 12, said Paqui Bauza, manager of a restaurant housed in a former school that has been closed for decades, as she served soup to a few Belgian tourists. Story continues "Politicians live in cities and from their offices they design a future for villages with measures that are about as useful as pushing water uphill," the energetic 60-year-old added. The term "empty Spain" was coined by writer and journalist Sergio del Molino in a 2016 essay by the same name about the country's depopulated interior. It applies to five regions -- Aragon, Castile and Leon, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and La Rioja -- which comprise 53 percent of Spain's territory but are home to just 15 percent of its population, according to Del Molino. Largely ignored by development plans drawn up during the 1939-75 dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, these regions saw a strong migration to cities between the 1950s and 1970s. "Spanish farmers never had the political capacity to influence institutions," said Del Molino. - 'It's over' - But with opinion polls suggesting no party will secure a majority in parliament, candidates are paying more attention to rural areas that elect about 100 of the 350 lawmakers in Spain's lower house. Under Spain's electoral system, fewer votes are needed in these rural districts to win a seat than is the case in urban areas, making them attractive battlegrounds. Spain's two main parties -- the conservative Popular Party (PP) and the Socialists -- have traditionally shared these seats but the rise of new parties has deepened competition for the votes from "empty Spain". PP leader Pablo Casado was recently seen petting a calf while the leader of centre-right party Ciudadanos was photographed sitting on a tractor. Worried that it could lose votes to upstart far-right party Vox, the PP has portrayed itself as "the party of the countryside and villages". Meanwhile Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has presented a "national strategy to fight depopulation" that includes better internet connectivity and job training in rural areas. While welcoming attention to their problems, many rural residents say politicians' promises will soon fade away. "No one will remember depopulation after the elections," said Jose Alberto Ramos, a 67-year-old former hot-air balloon pilot who lives in Calomarde. Teruel has lost nearly half of its population in the past century and the planned closure of a thermal power plant which generates 4,000 jobs could pull the plug on more villages. In Terriente, the bells of the church still chime each quarter hour. There is a bakery, a cafe and even three newborns although the local school is closed. But "when the farmers who are left die, it's over," predicted Teresa Domingo, 64, as she watched over her sheep. Tech fixes can't protect us from disinformation campaigns COLUMBUS, Ohio - More than technological fixes are needed to stop countries from spreading disinformation on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, according to two experts. Policymakers and diplomats need to focus more on the psychology behind why citizens are so vulnerable to disinformation campaigns, said Erik Nisbet and Olga Kamenchuk of The Ohio State University. "There is so much attention on how social media companies can adjust their algorithms and ban bots to stop the flood of false information," said Nisbet, an associate professor of communication. "But the human dimension is being left out. Why do people believe these inaccurate stories?" Russia targeted American citizens during the 2016 election with posts on every major social media platform, according to reports produced for U.S. Senate investigators. This is just one example of how some countries have distributed "fake news" to influence the citizens of rival nations, according to the researchers. In an invited paper just released in The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, Nisbet and Kamenchuk, a research associate at Ohio State's Mershon Center for International Security Studies, discussed how to use psychology to battle these disinformation campaigns. "Technology is only the tool to spread the disinformation," Kamenchuk said. "It is important to understand how Facebook and Twitter can improve what they do, but it may be even more important to understand how consumers react to disinformation and what we can do to protect them." The researchers, who are co-directors of the Mershon Center's Eurasian Security and Governance Program, discussed three types of disinformation campaigns: identity-grievance, information gaslighting and incidental exposure. Identity-grievance campaigns focus on exploiting real or perceived divisions within a country. "The Russian Facebook advertisements during the 2016 election in the United States are a perfect example," Nisbet said. "Many of these ads tried to inflame racial resentment in the country." Another disinformation strategy is information gaslighting, in which a country is flooded with false or misleading information through social media, blogs, fake news, online comments and advertising. A recent Ohio State study showed that social media has only a small influence on how much people believe fake news. But the goal of information gaslighting is not so much to persuade the audience as it is to distract and sow uncertainty, Nisbet said. A third kind of disinformation campaign simply aims to increase a foreign audience's everyday, incidental exposure to "fake news." State-controlled news portals, like Russia's Sputnik, may spread false information that sometimes is even picked up by legitimate news outlets. "The more people are exposed to some piece of false information, the more familiar it becomes, and the more willing they are to accept it," Kamenchuk said. "If citizens can't tell fact from fiction, at some point they give up trying." These three types of disinformation campaigns can be difficult to combat, Nisbet said. "It sometimes seems easier to point to the technology and criticize Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, rather than take on the larger issues, like our psychological vulnerabilities or societal polarization," he said. But there are ways to use psychology to battle disinformation campaigns, Kamemchuk and Nisbet said. One way is to turn the tables and use technology for good. Online or social-media games such as Post-Facto, Bad News and The News Hero teach online fact-checking skills or the basic design principles of disinformation campaigns. Because campaigns to spread false information often depend on stoking negative emotions, one tactic is to deploy "emotional dampening" tools. Such tools could include apps and online platforms that push for constructive and civil conversations about controversial topics. More generally, diplomats and policymakers must work to address the political and social conditions that allow disinformation to succeed, such as the loss of confidence in democratic institutions. "We can't let the public believe that things are so bad that nothing can be done," Kamenchuk said. "We have to give citizens faith that what they think matters and that they can help change the system for the better." ### Contact: Erik Nisbet, Nisbet.5@osu.edu Olga Kamenchuk, Kamenchuk.1@osu.edu Written by Jeff Grabmeier, 614-292-8457; Grabmeier.1@osu.edu This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Kenya authorities plan to invest more in solar energy as results from the Garissa solar power plant in eastern Kenya helps to stabilize electricity prices in the Eastern African nation. According to Simon Gicharu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the rural electrification and renewable energy company (Rerec), the Kenyan government will not rest on its laurels because the short-term results produced by the largest solar power plant in East Africa are encouraging. The Garissa power plant has proven to be an exemplary project with many environmental benefits. That is why we will now invest more in solar power projects, Gicharu said. Garissa solar power plant, which has been launched in November 2018, produced 28.5 million KW, sold to distributor Kenya Power for 3.8 million. By injecting clean energy into the national grid, the 65.54-megawatt solar power plant, built and financed by China, stabilized the price of KW/h during the drought period from December 2018 to January and February 2019. Kenya intends to use its annual sunshine of more than 300 days in the development of electrical energy. The government plans to upgrade the rural electrification program by establishing energy centers in 47 rural communities. In 2018, the Kenyan Government announced its intention to achieve universal electricity access by 2022 through on-grid, off-grid and small-scale solutions. In The White Crow, young Rudolf Nureyev (played by Oleg Ivenko) first arrives in Paris to perform with St. Petersburgs Mariinsky Theatre ballet troupe, but his immediate desire is to visit the Louvre. I want The Raft to myself, he says, referring to Gericaults 1818 large-scale masterpiece The Raft of the Medusa. Nureyevs yearning is significant to his character and his strivers experience in the Soviet working class. Art is the raft that carries Nureyev from strict Russian conformity to the freedom his individual egotistic personality needs and that he finds in the West. There is so much patronizing in contemporary immigration film usually about Africans, as in Grianfranco Rosis Fire at Sea, or about Central Americans, as in Cary Joji Fukunagas Sin Nombre that we have lost sight of the most important principles. The White Crow observes immigration experience through the idiosyncrasy of a famous artist rather than in humanitarian crisis platitudes, the meanings of which shift according to whoever is mouthing them. Because Nureyevs citizen-of-the-world identity is not a political issue, The White Crow avoids the usual sanctimony associated with Western attitudes toward immigration. (Think of those maudlin Statue of Liberty tales that politicians exploit and movies rarely get right only Jim Sheridans In America and the first half of Paul Mazurskys Moscow on the Hudson came close to justifying beautiful mosaic corniness, and it eventually succumbed to piety.) As The White Crows title suggests, its perspective derives from the Russian folk metaphor of the white crow, which describes an unusual person, an outsider. The film is clear-eyed about immigration because it focuses on a privileged artists selfishness, the part of his humanity that is inseparable from his ambition and probably inherent to his talent. Ivenko actually resembles Mikhail Baryshnikov, but he can certainly dance the Rudolf role, and he plays it with youthful zest. Nureyevs first emotional connection in the West comes when he breaches KGB protocol at an official meet-and-greet by daring to approach French dancer Pierre Lacotte (Raphael Personnaz). Lacotte looks at the brash Russian with intense interest two pairs of wide eyes flash. Story continues In their commiseration on the roof of the Paris Opera, Lacotte tells Nureyev, Art is to learn from. This turns out to be the guiding principle of director Ralph Fiennes (who also plays the role of Nureyevs ballet instructor, Pushkin) and screenwriter David Hare. Key scenes of Nureyev in isolated rehearsal sessions are intercut with scenes of the infatuated dance protege and tourist enraptured at the Louvre; his close examinations of large, sensual, smooth-muscled sculptures serve almost as fantasy allegories for his sexual privacy. Fiennes and Hare steer clear of banalities including the subplot of Pushkins insistence that Nureyev live with him and his wife, which leads to fairly restrained infidelity and hints of deviance (although some Ken Russell brazenness might have gone deeper). Fiennes and Hares discretion emphasize cultural appreciation over politics, which ultimately unbalances the narrative: When Nureyev makes his 1961 defection, the meaning of the event confirming memories of The Raft doesnt have the dramatic impact they should. Nureyevs stubbornness is well established in scenes where he haughtily joins the Parisian elite, especially a restaurant scene with socialite Clara Saint (Adele Exarchopoulos) that raises class fears from his background. It will figure in the famous moment at Le Bourget airport when he is poised between KGB officials and French police and fearfully contemplates his steps toward asylum. The individuals sense of freedom characterized his artistic reputation. Your technique is clumsy, but your spirit is perfect. You take the stage! Lacotte says with admiration. Clara Saint, a helpful intimate of Andre Malrauxs, Frances minister of culture, encourages boldness when insisting that Nureyev fight his fears and ask for what he wants. Either Hare fumbles this decisive incident or Fiennes stages it poorly. By films end, Hare and Fiennes do not pity the poor immigrants ethical dilemma (pace Bob Dylan). Instead, they recall dance critic Arlene Croces summation: It was his pride and idealism, which sometimes took the form of defensiveness, that were so moving. Nureyev has got the world to accept him exactly as he is, because that is how he accepts himself. The freedom that our Founding Fathers articulated as an emanation of a mans soul is apparent in Nureyev, the white crow. More from National Review WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The White House is refusing to allow President Donald Trump's top immigration aide to testify to Congress about the administration's immigration policies, its latest salvo against oversight efforts by Democratic lawmakers. In a letter on Wednesday to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, the White House declined a request for Stephen Miller to testify about Trump immigration initiatives, including the policy of separating migrant children from their parents and his threat to send illegal immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities. "In accordance with longstanding precedent, we respectfully decline the invitation to make Mr. Miller available for testimony before the committee," the White House counsel said in the letter, first posted online by CNN. The refusal is part of a wider pushback by the Republican president against legal requests from the Democratic-led House, which is conducting multiple investigations of his administration, including his tax returns, White House security clearances and possible obstruction of justice by Trump. U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, the Democratic chairman of the Oversight Committee, on Wednesday accused Trump of a "unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction" after he ordered federal employees not to comply with congressional investigations. Cummings on April 17 invited Miller to testify voluntarily about why the administration decided to separate immigrant children from their parents at the border. Cummings also called for an explanation of "transferring asylum seekers to sanctuary cities as a form of illegal retribution against your political adversaries, and firing top administration officials who refuse orders to violate the law." Trump has said he is considering sending immigrants in the country illegally to jurisdictions that have adopted some form of "sanctuary city" policies in which they refuse to use their resources to help federal agents enforce deportations. Miller, a former Senate aide, has helped shape some of Trump's most controversial immigration policies, from the first Muslim ban shortly after he took office in 2017 to last year's child separation policy, both of which were rejected by courts. The oversight panel could exercise its power to subpoena him, although the White House could invoke executive privilege to protect Miller's discussions with Trump. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) White supremacist executed for killing black man by dragging him behind truck originally appeared on abcnews.go.com White supremacist John William King was executed on Wednesday, more than 20 years after he killed James Byrd Jr. in a horrifying hate crime. PHOTO: This undated photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows John William King. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP) King was one of three white men convicted of murdering Byrd, who was black, on June 7, 1998, near Jasper, Texas. (MORE: 4 of the 5 counties with the most death penalty executions are in Texas: Data) Byrd, a 49-year-old father of three, was abducted, beaten, chained to the back of a pickup truck and then dragged down a country road. He was dragged for nearly three miles and was alive for at least two of those miles, according to The Associated Press. (MORE: Matthew Shepard: The legacy of a gay college student 20 years after his brutal murder) His body was decapitated, dismembered and ditched. PHOTO:In this file photo, Ricky Jason wears a photograph of James Byrd Jr. outside the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Huntsville Unit on the day of the execution of Lawrence Russell Brewer, Sept. 21, 2011, in Huntsville, Texas. (David J. Phillip/AP, FILE) King, 44, orchestrated the attack, according to the AP. He was sentenced to death in 1999. The other killers were Lawrence Russell Brewer, who was executed in September 2011, and Shawn Allen Berry, who is serving life in prison. (MORE: Dylann Roof sentenced to death, 1st to get death penalty for federal hate crimes) In 1999, Byrd's family founded the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing, a non-profit organization that works to promote "racial healing and cultural diversity through education." PHOTO: In this April 10, 2019, photo Mylinda Byrd Washington, 66, left, and Louvon Byrd Harris, 61, hold up photographs of their brother James Byrd Jr. in Houston. (Juan Lozano/AP,FILE) Byrd's gruesome slaying led to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was signed by President Barack Obama in 2009. The legislation added crimes motivated by victims' race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability to the federal hate crime law. Shepard, an openly gay college student, was abducted, fatally beaten and tied to a fence in Wyoming in October 1998. PHOTO: James Byrd Sr. and Stella arrange flowers around a new headstone commemorating their son, James Byrd Jr., Feb. 1, 1999, in Jasper, Texas. (Pat Sullivan/AP, FILE) King's execution took place in Huntsville, Texas, at 7 p.m. local time Wednesday. King called himself an "unrepentant racist" -- but innocent of the crime -- in a 2004 interview with ABC News. Story continues PHOTO: In this file photo taken on Feb. 24, 1999 John William King is escorted into the Jasper County Courthouse for the penalty phase of his capital murder trial in Jasper, Texas. (Paul Buck/AFP/Getty Images, FILE) Allen Richard Ellis, an appeals attorney for King, told ABC News in 2003 that King's "racist beliefs" left him on death row even though he said the crime wasn't race-related. "Byrd was not killed because he was black," said Ellis. "There was a history of drug dealing between one of the people in the apartment and Mr. Byrd. Mr. Byrd had ripped one of them off, and this is unfortunately what happened to him." "A lot of people in this country, for very good reason, would find him to be a very offensive person," Ellis said of his client, but added that "he deserves unconflicted legal representation." Ellis did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on Wednesday. ABC News' Gina Sunseri contributed to this report. She has been branded an ignorant brainwashed child by Jeremy Corbyns brother and a role model by others. Schoolgirl climate activist Greta Thunberg is the poster girl for climate change activism. She prompted the school strike against climate change last year and has gone on to be an outspoken voice on the issue. The 16-year-old visited the Houses of Parliament where she told MPs that her future had been stolen. Listening to an ignorant brainwashed child is deranged. I am an actual scientist of physics Meteorology, astrophysics and climate and say @GretaThunberg is wrong and suffers mental abuse by manipulative adults. Facts:#Scientists4truthhttps://t.co/zUmOeShYAS@ClimateRealists RT https://t.co/9rlodCJbIW Piers Corbyn (@Piers_Corbyn) April 23, 2019 She said: We probably dont even have a future any more. That future has been sold so that a small number of people can make unimaginable amounts of money. It was stolen from us every time you said the sky is the limit and you only live once. Greta was branded an ignorant brainwashed child by Jeremy Corbyns brother Piers Corbyn, who said she was being manipulated by adults. But his Labour leader brother met the activist at a roundtable with party leaders, tweeting an image of himself with her in front of a portrait of Tony Benn. Greta Thunberg sparked the climate change strikes by pupils across the world (Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP) But who is Greta Thunberg? In August 2018, the Swedish teenager stopped attending school in Stockholm and began a protest outside the Swedish Parliament to draw political attention to climate change. The strike by the 16-year-old, who has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD, sparked similar action by pupils across the world. Story continues READ MORE Human tongues can actually smell Since then she has become a key figure in protests against climate change, speaking at various key events and being nominated to be considered for this years Nobel Peace Prize. The teen was in the UK this week after travelling hundreds of miles by train to join climate change protests by Extinction Rebellion and was welcomed to the Houses of Parliament where she addressed MPs. It recently emerged that Gretas mother Malena Ernman starred in the Eurovision final ten years ago, leading to criticism by some that the 16-year-old is from a privileged background. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Joe Biden has been ahead in the early polling for a long time. But, I wonder: Why? The argument for Joe Bidens nomination seems to be the one least likely to excite Democratic voters: hes old and white, and his nomination is a decent enough accommodation to Republican political enemies who are backward looking. That is a problem because two different large cohorts of Democrats want to move forward in different ways. An upwardly mobile section of woke white progressives wants to triumph in the cultural arena, not accommodate. And a more socialist-influenced core wants to move on from the Clinton and Obama policies they detest as half measures. Biden is now so aged in politics that he partially belongs to history. And of course, having been around long enough, he was frequently on the wrong side of it. At least by progressive sensibilities. He sponsored the 1994 crime bill, which is deplored as a sop to racist suburbanites and cops rather than a reaction to horrific crime rates. Earlier than that he opposed mandated school busing to create racially integrated schools. Some progressives are thrilled to see Mayor Pete Buttigieg fight the supposedly homophobic Vice President Mike Pence (Pences great offense is that he previously called Buttigieg a patriot). But back in 1973, Biden was asked by gay-rights activists about security clearances for homosexuals. Biden responded that his gut reaction was that homosexuals were security risks. All of these things could be excused in the way Obamas opposition to gay marriage was, as mere concessions to the regnant taboos and politics of the day. But Democrats want to vote for a leader who inspires them, not one who requires contextualization. The Biden campaigns implicit promise is a return to normalcy. But that is a rebuke to the liberal imagination of history, in which Obama was a welcome rupture with the tradition of 42 white men as U.S. president. And in which the arc of history destines Democrats to make another startling break from the norm. There are qualified women in the Democratic race, arent there? And women of color. And a gay man. Wouldnt electing one of them do more, symbolically, than electing another handsy old man on the premise that he is adept at coddling a politically fickle white working class? Bidens candidacy is an attempt by Democrats to bargain with Trumps America. Other candidates are promising to cleanse America from what Democrats see as the disgrace or even the sacrilege of Trumps presidency. Democrats dont want to bargain with the devil, they want an exorcist. Story continues If anything, recent presidential elections have taught the two major parties not to settle for someone who seems electable and unthreatening to swing voters, but to go with the candidate who excites them in the hope that excitement itself will be contagious. John Kerry as war veteran flopped. So did Romney. It was the candidates who drew impassioned crowds, Obama and Trump, who prevailed. But what about his accomplishments? Biden has historically positioned himself as a foreign-policy expert. But his record of judgment includes the very thing that disqualified Hillary Clinton for Democratic voters in 2008: a vote in support of the Iraq War. And despite Bidens experience and insight on foreign policy, his proposed solution for Iraq was in some ways the one later attempted by ISIS, cleaving it into pieces along religious lines. What this would have meant for Syria, for Saudi Arabia, and for the resultant states, which would not all have equal access to Iraqs resource wealth, he never quite speculated at the time. Some say that Biden is a reminder of the Obama years, and a counter-conventional wisdom is developing that nostalgia for the Obama years is precisely what the left wing of the party discounts at their peril. Bidens campaign logo, as a design proposition, tries to steal Obamas halo and place it on ol Joe himself. But, Obama was a history-making candidate, allowing voters to be aspirational about their country and themselves by voting for him. And Biden isnt. Biden is the white guy who got in trouble for calling Obama clean and articulate. For the voter set that is looking for a break with the mostly centrist economic orthodoxy of the Clintons and Obamas, Biden is a step backward as well. Biden helped write the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which made it harder for consumers to escape their debts through bankruptcy, a gift for lenders such as JP Morgan, Chase, and Wells Fargo. Biden has always been a favorite of Delaware-based financial and credit firms. His son even worked for MBNA, both as an employee and as a consultant. Bidens great poll numbers are the result of his great name recognition and his association with a popular ex-president. But Bidens debut did not give voters a reason to be more excited about him than any of the other candidates, the ones who promise real, substantial, and symbolic breaks from the past. More from National Review Sitting in the back seat? You could be at more risk of dying or suffering serious injury in a head-on collision than someone sitting in the front. That counterintuitive finding comes from a study released Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which found that rear passengers often lack sufficient protections in frontal crashes. In some crashes, poorly engineered seat belts are killing or badly injuring back-seat passengers while front-seat passengers in the same vehicle survive or avoid serious injury. IIHS is using the findings to design a crash test that will assess the safety of rear-seat passengers in new vehicles. "Automakers have done a great job at improving restraint systems for drivers and front seat passengers," IIHS President David Harkey told USA TODAY. "Less attention has been paid to the back seat and the safety of those passengers." More Money: Boomerang buyers: More people who lost homes during housing crisis are buying again More Money: 'Hundreds' of CVS Pharmacy stores to get SmileDirectClub shops More Money: Cheetos lip balm, New Coke among the 50 worst product flops of all time One reason is that rear seatbelts are not made with the same care as front seatbelts. Seat belt pre-tensioners, which tighten the belt immediately before the collision but allow enough space to mitigate injury, are insufficient in the back seat, IIHS found. "Its not that the rear seat has become less safe, its that the front seat has become more safe over time," Harkey said. The study assessed the impact of 117 deadly real-world crashes on older children and adults who were wearing seatbelts. Experts continue to recommend that young children be strapped into car seats in the back and not seated in the front, where powerful airbags pose the threat of injury. 30 safest vehicles: IIHS picks the safest 2019 models Older headlights pose problem: 'Major safety concern' for American motorists Story continues In some cases, back-seat passengers are suffering chest injuries from belts that are too tight, while in others their heads are smashing into the seat. Harkey said the results suggest that it's time for automakers to consider front airbags in the back seat. No vehicle currently has them, he said. IIHS also said that automakers could consider inflatable seat belts, such as ones introduced by Ford and Mercedes-Benz. With ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft taking off, it's increasingly important to consider safety upgrades, Harkey said. "Theres the potential that were going to have a lot more people riding in rear seats as we move forward and therefore greater risk of injury to rear seat passengers," Harkey said. Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why you might be safer in the front seat than the back seat in head-on crashes Why Southwest Canceled 10,000 Flights in the First Quarter Southwest Airlines might have had a blowout quarter, if not for two major operational disruptions that severely hampered its ability to deliver customers to their destinations, CEO Gary Kelly said Thursday. For the first quarter, which ended March 31, Southwest canceled more than 10,000 flights, or roughly 4 percent of its published schedule. It was the airlines highest cancellation rate since the third quarter of 2001, after 9/11. Flights on the Boeing 737 Max received much of the attention, as Southwest is the biggest U.S. operator of the jet. But the Federal Aviation Administration didnt ground it until March 13, nearly at the end of the quarter. Instead, in the first quarter, Southwests biggest issue was self-inflicted: It canceled thousands of flights during what it called a labor disruption by its mechanics union. According to the airline, some mechanics were recommending the airline pull aircraft from service due to minor issues. In a federal lawsuit, the airline alleged mechanics in some focus cities were expressing displeasure with the status of contract negotiations. The airline and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, or AMFA, reached a tentative agreement on a new contract earlier this month, and Southwest is now taking fewer aircraft from service for technical reasons. Mechanics are voting on whether to endorse the deal, and the results will be available next month. Our unexpected maintenance events are behind us since we moved to the tentative agreement with AMFA, Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven said. 737 Max Woes That leaves the Boeing 737 Max as the carriers main challenge. Southwest has 34 Max jets, and while the airline does not know when they will return to service, executives said they are optimistic it will happen this summer. Southwest already has cleared its schedule of all Max flying through August 5. But executives said Thursday if the planes can fly earlier, the airline will use them as spares until August 6. Story continues Southwest has planned to take 41 more Max aircraft later this year, and chief financial officer Tammy Romo said that remains the target, even though Boeing has paused deliveries. Still, she said the airline is evaluating its fleet retirement plan, which calls for it to park as many as 18 airplanes this year. Its possible some could stay longer than planned, if the Max jets cannot be delivered. But long term, Kelly said he would prefer the airline stick with its retirement strategy. It would be a lot of work for us to go in and unwind our retirement plan, he said. And I do not want to do that. That would not be efficient. Kelly also told analysts Southwest is not seriously considering adding jets from Airbus, Boeings top competitor. The Air Current, a trade publication, reported Tuesday that a Southwest delegation recently visited Airbus to learn about A220, a new narrow-body jet. Southwest has long had an all-Boeing fleet, but most airlines evaluate jets from several manufacturers even if they dont plan to add them. Kelly said this was not an unusual visit, nor meant to put pressure on Boeing. The timing is a bit unfortunate, Kelly said. And I dread speculation that its intentional on our part to perhaps consider a change from our current direction with Boeing and the Max, and that is not true. Still, Kelly said its possible Southwest someday could add a new aircraft type. We have no plan to do anything other than grow our fleet with the Max, he said. Will that be the case in perpetuity? Im not prepared to say that. Pilot Training Kelly said Southwest will follow whatever steps the FAA requires to return the jet to service. But Kelly said he does not think the pilots should have to train in Boeing 737 Max simulators. Boeing and many airlines have long argued the Max is so similar to previous generations of 737s that pilots can fly it without training in a special simulator. Others have countered that the jet has some unique features like the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System that may have confused pilots in two recent crashes so pilots should have different training. I think that just getting pilots back into the simulator for an event would be a challenge, and that would take time, Kelly said. I think it just depends on what training one is talking about, because our pilots are extensively trained. And again, Im a layperson at this. But my own interpretation is that we already do the kind of training that one would be contemplating to put the Max back into service. Public sentiment Many airline insiders, including Southwests top executives, say theyre confident in the Max airplane and Boeings ability to fix it. But travelers arent as sure. Some analysts wonder whether Southwest customers will avoid booking Max flights once the plane returns. The airlines executives acknowledge it might happen, but said they have a public relations plan to boost consumer confidence. There is just so much media and coverage on the topic that everyones got an opinion, and I think that theres certainly going to be some people that I expect will probably book away for some period of time, Southwest President Tom Nealon said. Kelly said he expects the airline will benefit from what he said is a close relationship with customers. We have a great brand, he said. Its one that people trust. Clearly, were not going to do anything that we think is unsafe. Financial Results Despite what executives called a choppy quarter, Southwest produced impressive earnings. The airline reported net income of $387 million, down from $463 million in the same period last year. Its operating margin was 9.8 percent. Southwest estimates the quarter would have been significantly better if not for the unexpected challenges. Without the flight cancellations, the U.S. government shutdown and a softness in leisure revenue trends Southwest told analysts it would have recorded $150 million more in net income. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story identified the wrong speaker in a quotation about whether customers may remain skittish about the Max when it returns to service. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. Morocco reiterated, on Wednesday in Addis Ababa, its support for the Libyan peoples aspirations to build a democratic, inclusive, and united State and to preserve their countrys national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The pledge was renewed by Moroccos representative to the African Union (AU), ambassador Mohammed Arrouchi, in an address at a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council that was discussing the situation in Libya. The Moroccan diplomat reaffirmed the Kingdoms constant readiness to support the brotherly Libyan people in the delicate transition their country is going through and to help them fulfill their aspirations to build a democratic and united State. Mohammed Arrouchi who highlighted Moroccos efforts to reach a political solution to the Libyan crisis, stressed that the Skhirate agreement, signed by the parties to the conflict in 2015, can be adjusted but remains a fundamental reference for the settlement of this crisis, through a political solution guaranteeing Libyas stability and security and fulfilling the aspirations of the Libyan people. The Moroccan diplomat stressed the need to put an end to all military operations and to encourage all parties and political actors to resolve their differences through dialogue, insisting that a military option would not contribute to the stability of that country. He also renewed Moroccos support for the efforts of the UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame to reach a political settlement, and emphasized the importance of concerted efforts to eliminate the scourge of terrorism and combat illegal immigration. The Kingdom of Morocco reiterates its commitment to provide Libya with the necessary support to strengthen the capacity of the State and its institutions, the diplomat said. The AU Peace and Security Council meeting also addressed the issue of security sector reform in The Gambia. In this regard, Arrouchi expressed Moroccos solidarity with this country, within the framework of the Kingdoms global vision based on the principle of solidarity with African countries. He called on the African Union to provide all forms of financial, human and logistical support to ensure the success Gambias security sector reform process. HOUSTON (AP) Former Vice President Joe Biden's decision to enter the Democratic presidential race is causing consternation among some Democrats, particularly women of color, who have been hoping for a nominee who better reflects the nation's diversity. At the She the People forum, billed as the first presidential forum focused on women of color, Roxy D. Hall Williamson's shoulders slumped at the mention of Biden, who made his campaign announcement on Thursday. "I know that we have been cultured to feel that only the white man can save us," the LaMarque, Texas, organizer said Wednesday. "I just don't feel like Biden is our answer." Biden's candidacy is likely to reshape the Democratic race, which has put the party's diversity on display. The group of eight 2020 hopefuls who spoke at the forum was comprised of one black man, one black woman, three other women, a Latino man and two white men, all making the case for why they should be the nominee. Black female voters will play a critical role in the Democratic Party's attempt to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020. An inability to earn their support in past cycles has spelled political peril for Democratic candidates. For his part, Biden has maintained strong ties to the African American community over the decades. The raucous, standing-room crowd in the 1,800-person capacity auditorium at the historically black Texas Southern University listened intently as the candidates were questioned about maternal mortality, immigration, tribal sovereignty, income inequality and other issues. Attending were Sen. Cory Booker, former Obama Cabinet member Julian Castro, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of Black Voters Matter, said she was initially eager for Biden to enter the race but now sees "strong alternatives" to him. Story continues "I'm over white men running the country," Brown said. "I don't know if him getting in changes the field. He has name recognition, but his strength is also his weakness. Who is his announcing going to surprise?" She added: "To ignite the kind of base that needs to be ignited to beat Trump, I'm not sure he moves them." In interviews, black women repeatedly pointed to a singular issue plaguing Biden's candidacy: his handling of the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Clarence Thomas and the Senate Judiciary Committee's treatment of Anita Hill, a black professor who faced a panel of white male lawmakers about her sexual harassment allegations against Thomas. Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware, was the committee's chairman. Williamson said that she was "still salty" about the role Biden played in the hearing and that "it wasn't OK then and it's not OK now." Adoneca Fortier, 55, said that she hoped that Biden would more fully address his role in the hearings, perhaps by extending a personal apology to Hill. "If there is an apology, I think it would be genuine because I think he realizes what's happening now," Fortier said, adding that she hoped Biden would choose a woman of color as his running mate. On Thursday, Biden's deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said the former vice president had spoken to Hill recently and expressed his regret to her for what she endured and his admiration for what she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment. But Hill told The New York Times that her conversation with Biden earlier this month left her feeling deeply unsatisfied and unconvinced that he has accepted the harm for what he's done. "I cannot be satisfied by simply saying I'm sorry for what happened to you. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose," Hill said. Cherisse Scott, 44, of Memphis, said the issue is "bigger than Anita Hill." "Though we supported President Obama, I think we still wanted to see more happening on behalf of black and brown communities, specifically black communities," Scott said. "I think Joe Biden's great. I think Joe Biden was a hell of a vice president. But I wouldn't vote for him for president." Cynthia Dismuke, 53, of Houston, is undecided on a candidate in 2020 but finds Biden's openness to a female running mate attractive. Nevertheless, she was one of many women at the event who came away impressed with Warren, saying, "She's not making promises. She has a plan." "I don't necessarily want another white male ticket," Dismuke said. "I want to see who's going to get Trump out of office." Leah Daughtry, CEO of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, said Wednesday's forum was a testament to the strength of black women at the polls. "We show up and we make the difference in any election," said Daughtry, the forum's honorary co-chair. "We aren't interested in the flash. We want to know: What are you going to do? What are your policies that are going to impact our lives?" While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why it is important. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand China Energy Development Holdings Limited (HKG:228). China Energy Development Holdings has a ROE of 1.7%, based on the last twelve months. One way to conceptualize this, is that for each HK$1 of shareholders' equity it has, the company made HK$0.017 in profit. See our latest analysis for China Energy Development Holdings How Do I Calculate ROE? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders' Equity Or for China Energy Development Holdings: 1.7% = HK$28m HK$1.6b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.) Most know that net profit is the total earnings after all expenses, but the concept of shareholders' equity is a little more complicated. It is all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. You can calculate shareholders' equity by subtracting the company's total liabilities from its total assets. What Does Return On Equity Mean? ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. The higher the ROE, the more profit the company is making. So, all else equal, investors should like a high ROE. That means it can be interesting to compare the ROE of different companies. Does China Energy Development Holdings Have A Good ROE? Arguably the easiest way to assess company's ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, China Energy Development Holdings has a lower ROE than the average (7.9%) in the Hospitality industry. Story continues SEHK:228 Past Revenue and Net Income, April 25th 2019 That's not what we like to see. It is better when the ROE is above industry average, but a low one doesn't necessarily mean the business is overpriced. Nonetheless, it could be useful to double-check if insiders have sold shares recently. Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE Most companies need money -- from somewhere -- to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won't affect the total equity. That will make the ROE look better than if no debt was used. Combining China Energy Development Holdings's Debt And Its 1.7% Return On Equity While China Energy Development Holdings does have some debt, with debt to equity of just 0.11, we wouldn't say debt is excessive. Its ROE is rather low, and it does use some debt, albeit not much. That's not great to see. 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. The Bottom Line On ROE Return on equity is one way we can compare the business quality of different companies. In my book the highest quality companies have high return on equity, despite low debt. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. You can see how the company has grow in the past by looking at this FREE 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, that have HIGH return on equity 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 New York Yankees are running low on outfielders so they worked out a deal to acquire Cameron Maybin from the Cleveland Indians on Thursday, according to multiple reports. It wasn't immediately known what New York gave up to land the 32-year-old Maybin, who was batting .216 with no homers and five RBIs in 14 games at Triple-A Columbus. Maybin was released by the San Francisco Giants last month. He has a .254 career average with 60 homers, 315 RBIs and 174 steals in 12 seasons with seven teams since reaching the majors in 2007. The Yankees made the move after placing a fourth outfielder -- Clint Frazier -- on the 10-day injured list. He joins Aaron Judge (oblique), Giancarlo Stanton (biceps) and Aaron Hicks (back). The New York Yankees placed Frazier on the IL after an MRI exam revealed a partial tear in his left ankle. Yankees manager Aaron Boone made the announcement after Wednesday night's victory in Anaheim, telling reporters there's "enough in there" to shut down Frazier. "The good news is we feel like it will be short. feel like it's a 10-14-day thing. Maybe a little less. So we don't feel like it's a long thing," Boone said, adding that Frazier "feels like he could play or is close to playing." Frazier injured the ankle Monday night against the Angels when he rolled it getting back to second base on a pickoff attempt. The Yankees recalled right-handed reliever Joe Harvey to take Frazier's spot on the roster. Frazier was hitting .324 with six homers and 17 RBIs since being called up for Stanton, who Boone said has hit a snag in his recovery from a biceps strain. Though the arm has healed, Boone said Stanton has encountered a "residual" left shoulder problem. Boone said Stanton had a cortisone shot earlier this week. "He's in Day 2 or 3 of not swinging," Boone said. "We figured now while he's down coming back from [the biceps injury], let's make sure to treat this as best we can so it doesn't become a lingering issue if we can help it." The news on Frazier and Stanton came the same day the club activated catcher Gary Sanchez from his stint on the IL. --Field Level Media The New York Yankees are running low on outfielders so they worked out a deal to acquire Cameron Maybin from the Cleveland Indians on Thursday. The Yankees announced they acquired the 32-year-old Maybin, who was batting .216 with no homers and five RBIs in 14 games at Triple-A Columbus, for cash considerations. In a corresponding move, right-hander Luis Severino was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster. Maybin was released by the San Francisco Giants last month. He has a .254 career average with 60 homers, 315 RBIs and 174 steals in 12 seasons with seven teams since reaching the majors in 2007. The Yankees made the move after placing a fourth outfielder -- Clint Frazier -- on the 10-day IL. He joins Aaron Judge (oblique), Giancarlo Stanton (biceps) and Aaron Hicks (back). The New York Yankees placed Frazier on the IL after an MRI exam revealed a partial tear in his left ankle. Yankees manager Aaron Boone made the announcement after Wednesday night's victory in Anaheim, telling reporters there's "enough in there" to shut down Frazier. "The good news is we feel like it will be short. feel like it's a 10-14-day thing. Maybe a little less. So we don't feel like it's a long thing," Boone said, adding that Frazier "feels like he could play or is close to playing." Frazier injured the ankle Monday night against the Angels when he rolled it getting back to second base on a pickoff attempt. The Yankees recalled right-handed reliever Joe Harvey to take Frazier's spot on the roster. Frazier was hitting .324 with six homers and 17 RBIs since being called up for Stanton, who Boone said has hit a snag in his recovery from a biceps strain. Though the arm has healed, Boone said Stanton has encountered a "residual" left shoulder problem. Boone said Stanton had a cortisone shot earlier this week. "He's in Day 2 or 3 of not swinging," Boone said. "We figured now while he's down coming back from [the biceps injury], let's make sure to treat this as best we can so it doesn't become a lingering issue if we can help it." The news on Frazier and Stanton came the same day the club activated catcher Gary Sanchez from his stint on the IL. --Field Level Media New York's software industry is on a roll with investors, with 27 local companies securing venture capital. New funding rounds were recently announced by software firms Payfone, Unqork, Jumprope and ESHQ, according to company database Crunchbase. Payfone topped the city's recent funding headlines by announcing a $24 million Series G round on April 17, led by TransUnion. According to its Crunchbase profile, "Payfone is a mobile and digital identity authentication solutions provider for businesses. Payfone provides identity certainty, the ability to validate customers to create easy, secure and frictionless experiences across PC's, mobile phones, and tablets and allows enterprises to deliver fast, frictionless, and fraud-free customer experiences to over 90% of customers. Payfone closes the gap in trust and delivers a real-time proprietary." The 11-year-old company has raised eight previous funding rounds, including a $23 million Series F round in 2018. Next up, Unqork raised $22 million in Series A funding, in a round announced on April 18 and led by Goldman Sachs Principal Strategic Investments. According to Crunchbase, "Unqork is the No-Code Platform for Financial Services & Insurance. They work with financial services and insurance companies to radically accelerate client acquisition and onboarding." The company also raised a $5.1 million seed round in 2018. Meanwhile, Jumprope raised $4.5 million in seed funding, announced on April 17. The round's investors were led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. From the company's Crunchbase profile, "Were unlocking knowledge so the world can learn how its done. We all have passions: quilt making, vegan cooking, theatrical makeup, rock climbing. And things we need to get done: thermostats to install, tail lights to fix, cat-eye makeup to apply." Jumprope last raised $3.9 million in seed funding in 2018. Also of note, dating company ESHQ raised pre-seed funding, announced on April 19 and led by Jackson Moses. Story continues From Crunchbase, "ESHQ is the first groundbreaking relationship app that sets the stage for Muslim women to make the first approach in meeting someone. Once there's a match, women have 48 hours to send the first message. ESHQ delivers a seamless combination of beauty and cutting-edge technology that not only creates meaningful connections, but allows for real time communication." The company previously raised pre-seed funding in 2018. Across the industry, New York-based software companies have raised $645 million in venture funding over the past month, and $8.4 billion over the past year. This story was created automatically using local investment data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. President Trump speaks at U.S. Steels Granite City Works steel mill in Illinois on July 26, 2018. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Two hours. Thats how long it took first responders working to free Jill Greningers body from a meat grinder. Its a story marked beginning to end by hideous details. Greningers co-workers at the Pennsdale, Pennsylvania, plant discovered her accident after they heard strange noises coming from the grinder, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. The Lycoming County coroner later told NBC News that Greninger tragically either fell or was drawn into the machine resulting in her death. Later, a local news channel reported that Greninger may have been standing on a set of rolling stairs when she fell. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is responsible for enforcing workplace safety standards, will investigate her death, NBC added. The investigation could take up to six months. Greningers death occurs at a desperate moment for OSHA. The federal agency suffers from a severe staffing shortage, which undermines its ability to carry out safety inspections. A new report from the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, released the day after Greningers death, says that OSHA now has only 875 health and safety inspectors to cover the 9 million workplaces in its jurisdiction. (OSHA is not responsible for all workplaces. Churches, for example, are exempt from its oversight.) If OSHAs inspectors chose to visit every workplace in their jurisdiction, the task would take them 158 years to complete, COSH continues. Even when OSHA does investigate a death and finds an employer negligent, the median fine is only $7,500. The median American burial, meanwhile, costs $8,755. A toothless OSHA can be dangerous for workers, COSH argued. Latinx, immigrant, and contract workers are experiencing especially sharp increases in workplace deaths. The organization also singled out a dozen employers for incidents of workplace negligence in 2018. Greningers employer, Economy Locker and Storage, doesnt appear on COSHs Dirty Dozen list, and it might never; theres much we still dont know about her death or the conditions in which she worked. But her death does resemble some of the incidents highlighted in COSHs report. At a Genan Inc. plant, 26-year-old Byron Jones got pulled into a tire shredder and killed. Jason Holmes died in a trench collapse at worksite managed by Tooma Enterprises Inc. A 2018 news report about Holmess death said the construction worker lay buried for hours before first responders could recover him. He smothered to death, in other words; according to COSH, his employer had not placed protective shoring or a trench box on-site. Two tech companies made the list, too. Six workers died in U.S. Amazon facilities or operations in 2018, COSH said; thirteen have died since 2013. (In a statement emailed to New York on Thursday, Amazon said the COSH report should be taken with a giant of grain salt and added that COSH is NOT a government entity, it is NOT a group of regulators, and it does NOT have any official understanding of the workings of an Amazon fulfillment center.) COSH also cited Facebook for failing to provide appropriate support to its content moderators, who are exposed to violent imagery on a daily basis. COSHs findings affirm earlier reports about OSHAs weakened status. Though OSHA has arguably never had the staffing resources it requires to carry out its stated purpose, it began to shrink after President Trump took office. The president disbanded five federal advisory boards that recommend new safety standards to OSHA, ProPublica and the Sante Fe New Mexican reported in 2018. Earlier this year, the National Employment Law Center reported that OSHAs safety-enforcement activity has declined and the number of inspectors it employs has decreased since 2016. The agencys staffing shortage appears to be self-inflicted. Like the Veterans Affairs Administration, which reported nearly 49,000 outstanding vacancies in February, OSHA has simply failed to replace workers when they leave the agency. OSHA did not fill a single vacancy in 2017, NELP noted, and now employs the lowest number of inspectors in its history. Nationwide, workplace deaths slightly decreased from 2017 to 2018 but theyve increased by 11 percent since 2012. And in workplaces under OSHAs jurisdiction, fatalities may be on the rise. As the agencys enforcement activity trends downward, the number of investigations it carries out in response to workplace fatalities or catastrophic accidents that involve three or more workers increased from 837 in 2017 to 921 in 2018 the steepest such increase in a decade, according to NELP. With fewer resources to spare, OSHA is in a poor position to address Jill Geningers death and prevent deaths like hers in the future. This article has been updated to clarify the employment status of workers who died in Amazon facilities and to include comment from Amazon. (Bloomberg) -- John McAfee, the eccentric antivirus pioneer known for his brushes with the law, said he has spoken with Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto and plans to reveal the persons identity. But the timing of the announcement is up in the air. After previously telling Bloomberg he would expose Nakamoto within a week, he backed off the plan. McAfee said Tuesday on Twitter the controversy could hurt his efforts to fight an extradition to the U.S. The background of Nakamoto -- a pseudonym that is thought to refer to a person or group of people -- has been fiercely debated for years, with a long list of discredited theories fueling suspicion Bitcoins pioneer is probably dead. In recent days, McAfee has said that Nakamoto is a man living in the U.S. Ive spoken with him, and he is not a happy camper about my attempt to out him, McAfee said in a phone interview from the Bahamas. McAfees antics and erratic behavior have overshadowed his past as a software pioneer, and its hard to know whether hes finally tracked down the real Nakamoto -- a feat that many others have failed to pull off. People Forget But McAfee said in the interview that he has spent a lifetime pursuing hackers, making him well-suited to this task. People forget that I am a technologist, he said. I am one of the best. In delaying the revelation, McAfee posted a letter from Mario Gray, his extradition lawyer, saying that exposing Nakamoto could make him the target of lawsuits -- forcing him to defend himself on many fronts. Releasing the identity of Satoshi at this time could influence the trial and risk my extradition, he said in a tweet. I cannot risk that. Ill wait. The entrepreneur founded McAfee Associates in 1987, though the company has since passed through several hands. He was a person of interest in a murder in Belize, after which he returned to the U.S. In recent years, McAfee has been investing in digital coins, as well as promoting them -- for a fee -- in his own Twitter feed. He also is running for U.S. president. Story continues If Nakamoto is indeed alive, that could throw a wrench into Bitcoin trading. Nakamoto -- possibly along with fellow pioneers of the crypto currency -- is believed to be one of the largest holders of Bitcoins. He may possess nearly 1 million of them, a huge chunk when you consider that entire circulating supply is about 17.6 million coins. The stake would be worth $5.6 billion at current prices. Because these coins havent been moved in 10 years, most people have presumed Nakamoto was dead -- a theory supported by a lawsuit filed by the estate of a Florida man that claims he helped invent Bitcoin. Pressure on Prices Nakamoto wrote the white paper outlining Bitcoin in 2008, and then worked with a group of people to develop the currency, which debuted the following year, McAfee said. If Nakamoto isnt dead, then these coins could potentially enter the market. And their sale would put pressure on Bitcoin prices. Every time a trustee of the now-defunct exchange Mt. Gox sold Bitcoins to pay back creditors, the currencys price dipped sharply. Theories about Nakamoto have circulated for years. The New York Times and New Yorker have both tried to find the person or people behind the pseudonym. In a 2014 cover story, Newsweek identified the real Nakamoto as a California physicist, who denied the report. In a 2016 blog post and interviews with three media outlets, Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright had said that he is Nakamoto. McAfees threat to out Nakamoto was prompted in part by a recent libel lawsuit that Wright filed against a podcaster who questioned if Wright is Nakamoto. Wright isnt the man he found and spoke to, McAfee told Bloomberg. My entire life Ive been tracking people who are the best in the world, and hiding their identity, he said in the interview. Finding Satoshi was a piece of cake for me. To contact the reporter on this story: Olga Kharif in Portland at okharif@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, David Scheer For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Meghan Markle is reportedly only going to take a few weeks maternity leave. Photo: Getty Images The Duchess of Sussex is just days away from welcoming her first child. While mothers in the UK can take up to 52 weeks maternity leave, Meghan is reportedly planning a return to royal duties just 12 weeks after giving birth. The mum-to-be, 37, was last seen in public on March 19, when she and Harry made an unscheduled visit to New Zealand House to sign a condolence book for the victims of the Christchurch terror attacks. Since then she and Harry, 34, have moved into their new home Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor. Meghan has made it very clear she wants to return to work as soon as possible. She has huge amounts of energy, is extremely determined and wants to be as hands-on as possible with her charities, a royal source told The Sun. Nothing has been written into her diary just yet, as she wants to wait and see how she feels after having the baby. Shes pencilled in three months, but shell most likely return to public life in six weeks on the Queens official birthday, Trooping the Colour, in June. The Duchess of Cambridge took just five weeks off after giving birth to Prince George in 2013 and four months off after Princess Charlotte was born in 2015. The Duchess of Cambridge took just five weeks off after giving birth to Prince George in 2013 and four months off after Princess Charlotte was born in 2015. Photo: Getty Images She returned to royal duties last October after having six months maternity leave, following the arrival of Prince Louis on 23 April 2018. In the US, The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) requires 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually for mothers of newborn or newly adopted children if they work for a company with 50 or more employees. So for Meghan, who was born in Los Angeles, California, this would be seen as standard. Ahead of the arrival of Baby Sussex, Buckingham Palace has revealed the duke and duchess want to keep the details of the childs birth private. It is understood that there will not be the media photocall outside the Lindo Wing, like weve seen with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after the birth of each of their three children. Instead, photographs of Meghan and Harrys baby will be released a few days after the birth. Story continues Written by Danielle Stacey Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or sign up to our daily newsletter here. Theres power in a union-busting law firm. Photo: Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden is a true supporter of working people with strong ties to organized labor. And his working-class brand just might be the Democratic Partys best chance of bringing union members not necessarily the leadership but the rank and file back into the Democratic fold. Or so early reports on Bidens nascent candidacy would suggest. The Democratic front-runner will officially kick off his campaign on Monday at the Teamsters Local 249 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with United Steelworkers president Leo Gerard at his side and a crowd of steelworkers decked out in their USW gear cheering him on. Meanwhile, the International Association of Fire Fighters is preparing an organized effort to boost Biden in the early-voting states. But before Biden calls on the workers of western Pennsylvania to unite, he plans to show solidarity with the forgotten men and women of the union-busting and telecom-lobbying industries. On Thursday night in Philadelphia, Comcasts chief lobbyist David Cohen will host a high-dollar fundraiser for Bidens campaign. Former Governor Ed Rendell and the top lobbyists and lawyers in Pennsylvania will be in attendance; among those lawyers will be a longtime Biden ally named Stephen Cozen. Earlier this week, Cozen told Politico that the fundraiser aimed to demonstrate to others that [Bidens] got this very broad band of support at the lowest level, not necessarily even at the highest level, where Im sure I know for a fact there are people with a lot of money sitting out there waiting for Joe to get in. Thats not what were concentrating on. Were concentrating on building the bottom. Cozen is the chairman of the esteemed law firm Cozen OConnor. As Payday Report noted Wednesday, if you go to the firms website, you can read up on its speciality: Photo: Screenshot via cozen.com Stephen Cozen and his colleagues are eager to help a broad spectrum of private and public sector employers to prepare for and respond to picket lines, strikes, lockouts, and other economic campaigns, and/or avoid unionization through positive employee relations. The firm further assures its prospective clients, Our attorneys manage labor relations with a clear eye toward the bottom line. Most of the Democrats 2020 candidates have eschewed high-dollar corporate fundraisers, seeking instead to assemble highly engaged progressive voters into small-dollar armies. But if courting corporate cash isnt an ideal look for a Democrat in 2020, at least Biden is seeking the sponsorship of a universally beloved company like Comcast whose name is synonymous with quality customer service and a lawyer like Stephen Cozen, whose speciality in no way contradicts the Biden campaigns core narrative. Whats more, its not like Biden has ever given voters any reason to suspect that telecommunications companies or well-heeled interests hostile to working people might enjoy undue influence over his actions in public office. All in all, it is in no way depressing to know that Biden really does have significant support within the labor movement, particularly among its whiter, maler unions, which seem to take less exception to his coziness with their literal class enemies than they do comfort in his political incorrectness. The Trump administration has done its best to promote coal, oil and gas at the federal level, but individual U.S. states continue to step up their ambition on renewable energy. A wave of clean energy policies have recently washed through state capitols across the country, a trend that has come despite, or because of, the federal deregulation effort. Washington State just passed a bill requiring 100 percent clean and renewable electricity by 2045, while also completely eliminating coal-fired power by 2025. New Mexico passed a similar bill that calls for 100 percent clean energy by 2045. Along with previously passed 100 percent clean energy mandates in California and Hawaii, there are now four states with such laws on the books. Nevadas Governor just signed into law a bill that would require 50 percent renewable energy by 2030. Maryland is moving forward on similar legislation 50 percent by 2030. There are countless policies at the municipal level that also push the envelope. Notably, New York City just passed a law aiming to slash emissions from buildings by 40 percent by 2030. Buildings are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the citys emissions. New Yorks effort targeting commercial buildings has been called unprecedented. Most states have renewable portfolio standards in some form, requiring utilities to generate or procure a portion of electricity from renewable or otherwise low-emissions sources. At the start of the year, there were 29 states plus the District of Columbia that that had renewable portfolios in place, according to the EIA. States with legally binding requirements accounted for 63 percent of electricity retail sales in 2018, the agency said. At present, there is no federal requirement for renewable energy, although that is something that is gaining a bit of traction in Congress. There is quite a bit of debate about the efficacy and cost of renewable portfolio standards. A working paper just out from the University of Chicago says the policies are expensive, although there has been quite a bit of pushback about the methods of that study. Economists consistently prefer carbon taxes to mandated requirements as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but carbon taxes are political kryptonite. A carbon tax proposed in green-tinged Washington State failed a voter referendum last year. While the oil industry poured money into the state to defeat that vote, politicians still took note of the defeat. Changing course, the state just passed its 100 percent clean energy standard. Related: Saudi Oil Minister: We Wont Ramp Up Oil Production Soon For all the ink spilled promoting carbon taxes, it has been the array of energy mandates that have actually put solar and wind on the grid. About half of the growth in renewable energy since 2000 can be attributed to these state level policies, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Moreover, deploying clean energy helps drive down costs. The levelized cost of solar fell by 85 percent between 2010 and 2018. Renewable portfolio standards have played a big role in driving down these costs, which in turn, makes the policies less expensive. Looking forward, the battle between fossil fuels and clean energy on the U.S. grid is already won. Solar and wind will capture the majority of new capacity additions for at least the next two years, according to the EIA, a trend that should only accelerate over time. Utility-scale solar will grow by 10 percent this year and another 17 percent in 2020, while wind will expand by 12 percent and 14 percent in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Natural gas generation will also grow, but coal-fired power plants will continue to close, as they have for the last decade. For years, renewables fought with coal and gas over which was cheaper in terms of new additions. But renewable energy is increasingly the cheapest option even when compared to existing coal-fired power plants. In other words, it is increasingly cheaper to build new solar and wind than it is to simply operate an existing coal plant. Related: Saudi Arabias Dream Of $85 Oil Is Closer Than Ever Today, local wind and solar could replace approximately 74 percent of the U.S. coal fleet at an immediate savings to customers, Energy Innovation, a non-partisan think-tank, wrote in a March report. By 2025, this number grows to 86 percent of the coal fleet. The report argues that local-decision makers should consider plans for a smooth shut-down of these old plants. For all the hand-wringing about how solar and wind are an expensive luxury that few communities can afford, it seems that the opposite is now true. Fighting to keep coal online is a costly exercise. Its also increasingly an uphill battle. Former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt found this out the hard way when he turned up in Indiana recently hired by a coal producer to lobby the state regulators to block utilities from shutting down a series of coal plants. The utilities involved are seeking to build natural gas, solar and wind as cheaper options. Pruitts effort has proved unconvincing. A similar tale unfolded earlier this year, with President Trump himself pressuring the Tennessee Valley Authority to keep some aging coal plants alive. The TVAs board, like Indiana officials more recently, concluded that coal was the costlier option. The TVA voted to shut down the plants. The energy transition, in many respects, is inevitable. The question is just how quickly it will unfold. The ratcheting up of renewable portfolio standards will accelerate the changeover. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Iraq will play a crucial part in meeting global oil demand over the next decade, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Iraq is expected to add 1.2 million barrels per day (mb/d) through 2030, the IEA projects, which is the third largest increase out of any other country in the world after the U.S. and Brazil. Already OPECs second largest producer, Iraq has succeeded in ramping up production to nearly 4.5 mb/d in 2018, a remarkable achievement given where the country has been in recent years. As a result, Iraq has played a pivotal role in global supply. Iraqs oil sector has navigated well a very turbulent period in the last decade, managing to nearly double its output despite the war against ISIL and large swings in the oil price, the IEA wrote. As a result, Iraq has accounted for around one-fifth of the net increase in global supply over this period, and is now the fifth largest producer in the world. But there is no shortage of challenges facing Iraq, and the assumed increases cannot be taken for granted, the IEA cautioned. Obviously, volatile oil prices, and the prospect of a peak demand loom over the horizon. However, Iraq faces several unique hurdles that arent necessarily prominent issues elsewhere, including having sufficient water for injection, attracting foreign capital, and maintaining a stable political and security environment. On the first point, the IEA notes that having enough water to inject into its oil fields will be a critical element in Iraq growing its oil production. Without it, production rates could struggle to climb much beyond their current levels, the IEA warned. In order to reach the 6 mb/d of oil production by 2030, Iraq needs an additional 3 mb/d of water for injection. Related: Iraqi Oil Industry Takes A Critical Turn Meanwhile, Iraq may also struggle with having too much heavy oil and not enough refining capacity to handle it. The countrys largest oil refinery, the Baiji refinery, was damaged during the war against ISIS years ago and has not been fully repaired. The countrys crude slate is skewed towards heavy fuel oil, but it does not have the ability to process much of it. As a result, it imports refined fuels at a cost of around $2 to $2.5 billion per year, the IEA said. This could become a bigger problem heading into 2020 as rules on sulfur concentrations in marine fuels take effect. Global demand for heavy fuel oil is expected to plunge, which could force deeper discounts for Iraqi heavy high-sulfur oil. Meanwhile, Iraq has adequate supplies of natural gas but has been flaring gas at increasing rates as oil production climbs. Gas is needed for power generation and Iraq has resorted to importing larger volumes from Iran to feed its power plants even as it flares its own gas. The anticipated increase in oil production will bring with it a commensurate increase in associated natural gas, the IEA said. The amount of attention Iraq has paid to gas in the past, as well as the volumes that have been produced, has sorely lagged behind that of oil. Gas flaring surged by more than a third from 12 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year in 2012 to around 16 bcm in 2018. The IEA offered some recommendations for the array of problems Iraq faces, including expediting water projects so that the countrys southern oil fields have enough water for injection; implementing gas flaring reduction projects in the next two years; and fully restoring the Baiji refinery. Related: Chevron And Occidental Start Bidding War For Anadarko These are serious challenges, but ones that the IEA feels are manageable. If they can be overcome, Iraq can produce as much as 6 mb/d of oil by 2030. However, this is not the first time that the IEA has been bullish on Iraqs oil sector, and notably, the most recent outlook is decidedly more modest than previous iterations. In 2012, the IEA put out a special report on Iraqs energy sector, in which it predicted that Iraqs oil production would double from 3 mb/d in 2012 to more than 6 mb/d by 2020 and 8.3 mb/d by 2035. The IEA even laid out a more remote but optimistic scenario that held out the possibility that Iraq could hit 9 mb/dby 2020. The IEA now thinks that Iraq can reach 6 mb/d by 2030, which is a decade later than it previously thought. Still, with output at around 4.5 mb/d (down from 4.7 mb/d in January due to the OPEC+ agreement), the goal laid out seems to be within reach. As always, though, the long list of above-ground obstacles in Iraq - political gridlock, security challenges, attracting foreign capital, and water scarcity - will be very challenging to overcome. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Following the news that Chevron had agreed to pay a nearly 40 percent premium to acquire Anadarko Petroleum, investors quickly bid up the shares of other potential acquisition targets. As I argued in the previous article, I believe the Permian was the key to the Anadarko acquisition, but there are plenty of other targets in the region. There are also several companies with the capability of making acquisitions. In recent years, the few mergers and acquisitions in the oil and gas industry have been largely focused on the Permian Basin. The supermajor integrated oil and gas companies have been increasingly making forays into the Permian. In addition to Chevrons new acquisition, in 2017 ExxonMobil paid $6.6 billion to acquire Permian acreage from the Bass family of Fort Worth, Texas. ExxonMobil also spent $41 billion in 2009 to acquire XTO, which has a major presence in the Permian. Permian Players Today major acreage holders in the Permian Basin include the supermajors Chevron and ExxonMobil, as well as Occidental, Apache and Concho Resources. Occidental, in fact, reportedly attempted to acquire Anadarko prior to Chevron sealing the deal. But Occidental may now find itself in the crosshairs of a bigger player looking to shore up their Permian portfolio. But there are many other major producers in the region, including ConocoPhillips, EOG Resources, Pioneer Natural Resources, Noble Energy, Devon Energy, and Diamondback Energy. Smaller producers in the region include WPX Energy, Parsley Energy, Cimarex Energy, Callon Petroleum, Centennial Resource Development, Jagged Peak Energy and Laredo Petroleum. Lets first take a look at the largest companies operating in the Permian according to enterprise value. This metric is preferred over market capitalization, because it includes a companys debt. In the case of a potential acquisition, the acquiring company would be responsible for this debt in addition to the purchase price. Hence, it is a more comprehensive representation of a companys market value. Related: Why Gasoline Prices Could Be About To Rocket I have included the integrated supermajors that could have the ability to make major acquisitions, three of the larger exploration and production companies (which could make an acquisition or be a target themselves), and Anadarko for comparison. All data were retrieved from the S&P Capital IQ database. (Click to enlarge) Metrics for major oil companies operating in the Permian Basin. EV Enterprise value at the close on April 12, 2019 in billions of U.S. dollars EBITDA TTM earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization in billions of U.S. dollars TTM Trailing 12 months FCF Free cash flow in billions of U.S. dollars Debt Net debt at the end of the previous fiscal quarter 2018 Res Total proved oil and gas reserves in billion barrels of oil equivalent at year-end 2018 EV/Res The value of the company divided by its proved reserves Potential Buyers Based on their size and debt metrics, ExxonMobil and Chevron still appear to be the most capable of pulling off a major deal. Shell has been moving in the direction of becoming a natural gas company, and has already made major capital expenditures in this area in recent years. Further, in 2016 they made their own major acquisition a $70 billion deal for BG Group. Meanwhile, Total hasnt shown much interest in the Permian. BP may not have an appetite for an acquisition as it continues to be weighed down by its obligations from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. As an aside, the continued fallout from that disaster has also resulted in BP having the cheapest reserves on the books by far of any company listed in the table. Also note that the EV/Res metric for integrated supermajors isnt directly comparable to pure oil producers like Anadarko, as the former also have midstream and refining assets. ConocoPhillips appears to be the most attractive target for an acquisition from a pure valuation perspective, but as the largest pure oil company it would be a large bite for even ExxonMobil. With respect to making an acquisition, ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance stated earlier this year that the company isnt feeling any pressure to do so. Related: Survey: Canadas Government To Blame For Oil Crisis Occidental also falls into the category of potentially making an acquisition or of being acquired. On a relative basis, they are more expensive than ConocoPhillips, but on an absolute basis the price would be more manageable. What about smaller players like Parsley, WPX Energy, or Cimarex Energy? Based on the price movement following the announcement of the Chevron-Anadarko deal, investors are clearly betting that more deals will follow. Below are some of the metrics of potential acquisition targets (with Anadarko for comparison), including some of the large players listed in the previous table: (Click to enlarge) Metrics for smaller oil companies operating in the Permian Basin. 1-Day Change Change in share price on April 12, 2019, the day the Chevron-Anadarko deal was announced Note that the double-digit gains of both Pioneer Natural Resources and Parley Energy imply that investors believe they could be next on the acquisition list. Parsley looks attractively priced according to its enterprise value and total reserves. Several other companies stand out, such as Devon Energy and Cimarex, although all of these companies outspent their cash flow in 2018. An acquisition by one of the larger players could give them the efficiencies and economies of scale to rectify that. Another name on the list that stands out is Diamondback Energy, which has long been one of my favorite Permian Basin oil companies. Diamondback has been an outstanding performer in recent years, but now looks to be the most richly valued according to several metrics following its 2018 acquisition of Energen. The biggest challenge with the smaller players is that they may not have enough reserves to really move the profit needle for the biggest players. Laredo Petroleums 200+ million barrels of oil and gas reserves might not be sufficiently appealing to ExxonMobil, which had 24 billion barrels of reserves at the end of 2018. But it could be appealing to a company like EOG Resources, which closed the year with 2.8 billion barrels of reserves. Ultimately, price and valuation are only part of the equation. Anadarko wasnt the cheapest acquisition target for Chevron, but Chevron liked the synergies of Anadarkos locations. Thus, every major operator in the Permian is more likely to acquire companies whose properties are adjacent to their own. A deeper dive thus becomes an exercise in not only value, but in studying maps of the Permian producers large and small. By Robert Rapier More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The president of the United States may remove a 1920 piece of legislation that bans any non-U.S. vessels from moving any cargo between two U.S. ports. The reason: an imbalance between natural gas supply and demand in some parts of the country, especially in the Northeast and in Puerto Rico. Bloomberg reported this week, citing unnamed sources, that Donald Trump had discussed the possibility of canceling the Merchant Marine Act from 1920 with industry insiders and other stakeholders in response to pressure from the Puerto Rican government and the energy industry. However, officials in his administration are divided. What is the Merchant Marine Act? Also called the Jones Act, the legislation seeks to protect U.S. shipbuilders, owners, and crews by stipulating, as per Investopedia, that goods shipped between U.S. ports will be transported on ships that are built, owned, and operated by United States citizens or permanent residents. However, this protection measure makes the shipments of goods to places such as Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and other non-continental U.S. territories a lot costlier than they could be otherwise. This is particularly troublesome for Puerto Rico, which is still struggling with the fallout from the devastation Hurricane Maria wreaked upon the island two years ago. Energy costs remain too high and increasing natural gas supplies from the U.S. could go a long way towards relieving some of the load. With the Northeast United States, the problem is a lack of pipeline infrastructure, which has caused a spike in non-.U.S. LNG imports including from Russia; this is bound to have been seen as close to a personal offense by some in the Trump administration and in Congress. Related: Saudi Arabias Dream Of $85 Oil Is Closer Than Ever The higher LNG imports seem to be a major weapon in the arsenal of those who want the Merchant Marine Act repealed. Indeed, with the fast rate at which U.S. natural gas production is growing, it is easy to see why LNG imports have rattled administration officials. To the supporters of the Jones Act repealment, the situation is probably reminiscent of Australias gas woes: the country exports so much of the fuel that there is a shortage on the domestic market. However, opponents of the repeal are betting on the protection argument. According to them, as per Bloombergs sources, protecting the U.S. shipbuilding, ship-owning, and ship-operating industries is just as important today as it was when the act was first passed. Repealing the Jones Act would weaken the shipbuilding and related industries andto make the point sharperthe jobs they create. This camps lobby is so determined that a few officials from the administration have proposed to expand the reach of the Jones Act. This is interesting because it will affect the energy industry in a pretty adverse way. According to Bloomberg sources, the idea is to ban all foreign vessels from transporting cargoes between U.S. ports andthe interesting partfrom ports to offshore oil platforms. This proposal is not new. It was first floated a few years ago, but the strong reaction of the energy industry led to its shelving. It seems that once again, President Trump is between a rock and a hard place trying to juggle the interests of two major industries without harming either ones interests. It will be interesting to see whose lobby gains the upper hand. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The central Iraqi government will meet with its Kurdish counterparts soon to talk about oil exports from the now semi-autonomous region that tried to gain independence last year. Reuters reported, citing Iraqs oil minister, Thamer Ghadhban, that the two sides will also discuss the increase of oil production from the fields around the northern city of Kirkuk by as much as 50 percent. The fields around Kirkuk, as well as the city itself, were until the fall of 2017 under the control of the Kurdish government, although the area was not officially part of the Kurdistan region. However, after the ill-fated independence referendum, which led to a strong reaction from Baghdad, the central Iraqi authorities regained control of the oil fields that account for a sizeable portion of Iraqs oil total. Around 300,000 bpd of crude oil previously pumped and exported in the Kirkuk province to the Turkish port of Ceyhan were shut in when the Iraqi federal government moved in October 2017 to take control over the oil fields in Kirkuk from Kurdish forces after the semi-autonomous region held a referendum that Baghdad didnt recognize. However, the only export outlet of the Kirkuk oil is the oil pipeline of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The Iraqi federal government and the KRG had been in talks for months to try to reach an agreement on resuming Iraqi exports from Kirkuk. Iraq only resumed oil exports from the Kirkuk province a year after it had stopped the oil flows. In separate but related news, Thamer Ghadhban said the country had enough oil production capacity to boost output to as much as 6 million bpd if need be, although right now he did not see a pressing need for more OPEC production despite the removal of U.S. sanction waivers for Iranian oil importers. We have plenty of time to assess the markets reaction, the official said as quoted by Reuters, echoing an earlier statement by his Saudi counterpart, Khalid al-Falih. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Poland has shut down the flow of Russian crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline after traces of contamination were found, Reuters reports. An earlier report that Germany had also stopped taking in Russian crude because of the contamination was refuted by the German oil industry association, which said it had not yet encountered problems with oil quality. The oil was contaminated with organic chlorine, and apparently originated with a Russian oil producer that remained unnamed at the time of writing. The amounts of the chemical were found to be at levels much higher than the maximum allowable amount, with refiners risking damage to their equipment. Reuters quoted European traders as saying the oil contained as much as 150-330 parts per million of the output-boosting chemical, when the maximum safe amount was 10 ppm. The usual level of organic chloride in crude is between 1 and 3 parts per million. Russia has said that Transneft, the oil pipeline monopoly in Russia, is working to fix the problem. In the meantime, Russian government officials are meeting urgently to discuss the problem, unnamed sources told Reuters. The Druzhba pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany with branches into countries along the way has the capacity to transport up to 1 million barrels of crude daily. Yet the contamination has also been found in tanker cargoes loaded at the Ust Luga port. According to Reuters trading sources, at least five vessels belonging to Rosneft, Surgutneftegaz, and Kazakh companies, have set sail from the terminal with contaminated cargo. The buyers of the cargoes include Total, Trafigura, Vitol, and Equinor. No one wants to stop the refineries in Germany. They will be operating at lower capacity now and may import some crude from the sea, one of the sources said. This is the first time in about ten years that Russia crude was found to be contaminated with organic chloride. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Nigerian firm Aiteo Oil Exploration and Production Company, has discovered that sabotage was the cause of the fire that caused Nigerias oil production to fall 8% per day, creating a force majeure. All six saboteurs, The Joint Military Task Force said on Wednesday, had been killed in the blaze. The Nembe Creek Trunk Line, with a capacity of 150,000 barrels per day, was shuttered following the fire that has now been linked back. The pipeline carries oil from the eastern Niger Delta to the Bonny Export Terminal. This is the second shutdown of the pipeline in as many months, after an explosion from a well head in Nembe Creek resulted in a separate fire. Aiteo said it had repaired the breach, but did not disclose whether the oil was flowing again at normal rates. Despite the force majeure which remains in effect, preliminary loading programs showed on Wednesday that four major Nigerian crude oil grades will see an uptick in exports in June, according to Reuters. The largest increase will come from its Forcados grade, which will see June loadings of 230,000 bpd, up from 127,000 bpd in May. In total, Reuters data shows, the four Nigerian grades will see a 155,000 barrel-per-day export increase in June over May. Nigeria has had a long and painful history with militants disrupting the countrys oil flows, but recent months has seen relatively stability in production levels between 1.723 and 1.733 million barrels per day, according to OPECs Monthly Oil Market Report. The production stability for the African nation this year comes as its breakeven costs fell to just US$23 per barrel, according to Nigerian Petroleum Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who added that the goal is to reduce this per barrel cost further to US$15 per barrel. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: Can Biden successfully float above or duke it out with a large field of Democratic rivals? Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Now that both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have officially ignored my advice not to saddle the Democratic Party with two mid-septuagenarian front-runners for their 2020 presidential nomination, there is naturally a lot of discussion of the former veeps positioning, messaging, and rationale for becoming Trumps general-election opponent. But its also worth taking a good initial look at how, mechanically, his campaign plans to win his partys nod. The threshold question about Biden 2020 was nicely captured by Nate Silver: Hes somewhere in between being a traditional, next-in-line front-runner, with the polling and party support to match, and a factional candidate, where the faction is the old guard of more moderate, working-class Democrats. Factional candidates sometimes can win their nominations, but its a harder road to navigate, especially given a Democratic nomination process where delegates are awarded in a highly proportional fashion and a plurality of support is not necessarily sufficient to avert a contested convention. Obviously, Biden would prefer to go into the voting phase of the nomination contest as a consensus unity candidate who will win almost automatically if no one else catches fire, using his high positive name ID, his support among name-brand party stalwarts, and his fundraising prowess to glide past a divided field in the early states (with the possible exception of New Hampshire, where Bernie Sanders is very strong), then consolidate his victory in March when others are running out of money and time. To cite just one scenario, he could quite possibly end the campaigns of Kamala Harris and Cory Booker if he beats them among African-Americans in South Carolina, demonstrating his breadth of support demographically and geographically. And if none of his self-styled centrist rivals (e.g., Amy Klobuchar, Beto ORourke and John Hickenlooper) score an early breakthrough, its hard to see any of them competing with Biden for long. Indeed, Iowa could be a graveyard for all of those candidacies. And a Biden candidacy thats perceived by voters as unifying would also be well-positioned to wear down Bernie Sanders, who in turn could do Biden a great favor by squeezing out potential progressive alternatives like Elizabeth Warren. But can Biden maintain the unity candidate mantle? The avalanche of criticism Biden has received in recent months for the baggage he brings into the contest his age, his extensive list of heresies against progressive orthodoxy (from his anti-busing position in the 1970s to his support for the Iraq War), and his discomforting handsiness with women has called into question his ability to remain what I have called a sort of intraparty Coalition of National Salvation option who could serve as a bridge between the Clinton-Obama era of Democratic politics and the presumably more progressive future. Still, all this flak, which accurately reflects elite progressive disdain for Biden, has had approximately zero effect on his standing in public opinion. Hes not simply leading in the polls: He has remarkably positive favorability ratios among Democrats (75/14 in the latest tracking poll from Morning Consult), with a diverse base of support that lacks just one component: the young voters least likely to participate in caucuses and primaries (viz, in the 2016 Iowa Democratic caucuses, 64 percent of participants were 45 or older). So Team Biden is probably justified in launching his candidacy with what it has described as a show of force thats light on policy and heavy on memories of Joes partnership with Barack, even though it makes those who remember the 2016 Jeb Bush campaign cringe with anticipatory embarrassment. At this point Biden can run as a unity/consensus candidate who is the best bet to beat Trump, until something happens that calls that strategy into question. And if that does happen, he can always fall back on the option of running as the factional candidate of Democrats who fear a lefty nominee would play right into Republican plans to depict their party as having lurched off into socialist extremism. That could transpire if the huge Democratic field is quickly winnowed down to its two currently dominant old white men, Biden and Sanders. The two candidates dont need some shocking upset to stay alive, and theyre generally best positioned for a long and expensive slog through the March primaries that could decide it all. The odds of that scenario producing an ideologically polarizing contest similar to that which afflicted Democrats in 2016 are high, but Biden has reason to think he could prevail and then unite his party against the existential threat of a second Trump term. Perhaps if the nomination fight becomes a de facto retroactive referendum on the centrist Clinton-Obama heritage that Biden represents, the 44th president could be convinced to get off the sidelines and support his old chum. So there really are two plausible paths forward for Biden, which gives him more strategic flexibility than candidates who have to gamble on elbowing past each other for attention, and cant afford to undershoot expectations anywhere. Still, as Silver points out, Biden cannot afford any major mistakes: If youre Hillary Clinton and you start out with 60 percent or 65 percent of the vote, you can lose quite a bit of that support and still come out ahead. But if youre Biden and you start out with 25 percent or 30 percent, theres much less margin for error. Is Bidens floor higher than everyone elses ceiling? Maybe, but its not hard to imagine Sanders or Buttigieg or ORourke or Klobuchar or pretty much anyone else cobbling together 20 percent or 25 percent of the vote in Iowa, winning the state and sending the race on an entirely different trajectory or Harris or Booker causing problems for Biden in South Carolina. One plausible scenario is Sanders upsetting Biden in Iowa and then beating him badly in New Hampshire (where Sanders trounced Clinton in 2016). At that point Biden would be looking down the barrel of the historical fact that in the last four decades only Bill Clinton has been able to win the nomination while losing the first two states (and that exception is mitigated by the fact that Tom Harkins 1992 candidacy took Iowa off the table). Another possibility is that all that progressive criticism, which so far hasnt affected Bidens standing, will finally sink in among rank-and-file Democrats, reducing his lead over the field and forcing him into a factional candidacy thats far more perilous. And for all any of us know, a particular candidate could indeed catch fire and capture the imagination of primary voters, making Biden look (as I recently suggested) like the north end of a southbound dinosaur. All in all, Bidens path to the nomination will require a sure-footedness that some see in this veteran of the political wars, while others noting his proclivity for gaffes think is lacking. An early stumble or two and Biden could be devoured by his hungry rivals like a fat old sheep who doesnt see an approaching pack of wolves. If he survives all that, he probably is ready to take on the king of wolves in the White House. Tesla may soon announce a capital raise after Elon Musk suggested There is some merit to raising capital, adding Its probably about the right time, as quoted by Reuters. The comments by Teslas CEO followed the release of the companys first-quarter results yesterday. The EV maker reported a net loss of US$702 million as well as a US$1.5-billion decline in cash and cash equivalents, to US$2.2 billion. Whats more, Model 3 production only inched up by 3 percent during the quarter, to 63,000, which must have disappointed shareholders eager to see the strong growth in production promised by the company. Going forward, Musk once again revised down production targets: the gigafactory in Shanghai, currently in construction, would produce an average 1,000 or maybe 2,000 Model 3s weekly this year, rather than the 3,000 expected earlier. Overall, however, Tesla kept its production forecasts for the year unchanged at 360,000 to 400,000. A production rate of 500,000 cars is also a possibility in case the Chinese factory achieves volume production in the last quarter of the year. As for the next financial results of the company, this quarters loss will be a lot lower than the one for the first quarter, and in the third quarter the carmaker will return to the black. The need for a capital raise, however, may worry investors, whose lives have been kept interesting by Musk and company without a doubt. The latest reason to worry came earlier this month, when one of the companys largest shareholders, T. Rowe Price, cut its the stake he holds in Tesla via several funds sparking concern in the market. Between September and December last year, the funds reduced their holding in the EV maker from 10.2 percent to 5.2 percent. The cutting continued in 2019 as well: according to Reuters Refinitiv data, the asset manager divested 92 percent of its previous interest in Tesla. By Irina Slav via Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.S. sanctions imposed last November on Iran have denied the country some US$10 billion in oil revenues so far, Washingtons Special Envoy for Iran Brian Hook told media. The comments were made days after Washington announced the end to sanction waivers that it had granted eight large Iranian oil importers, among them India, China, Japan, and South Korea. Before sanctions...Iran generated as much as $50 billion annually in oil revenue. We estimate that our sanctions have already denied the regime more than $10 billion since May, Hook said, referring to May 2018 when President Trump said the sanctions would be returning later in 2018. According to Reuters, before the sanctionsand after the UN-approved sanctions were removed thanks to the so-called nuclear dealIran exported some 4 million bpd of crude, which made it one of the largest producers in OPEC. Now, export data suggests, the country is exporting about 1 million bpd. Related: Saudi Arabias Dream Of $85 Oil Is Closer Than Ever Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as Iraq, have stated they would be ready to step in and fill the gap left by Iranian crude oil after the end of waivers next week but China, for one, has signaled that it will not respect the end of the waivers. Unlike others, China has been vocal in its opposition to the removal of the waivers while India has stated it would look to other suppliers to compensate for the cutoff of Iranian oil. South Korea and Japan do not expect any major negative impact from the cancelation of the waivers. Despite Washingtons determination to completely stop the flow of oil from Iran to foreign markets, few believe the zero-export target is achievable. If anything, it would spur more smuggling, some observers believe. What it will undoubtedly do, however, is keep prices higher, closer to where Saudi Arabia and other OPEC producers would like them to be, in stark contrast to what voting drivers in the U.S. want. Its no coincidence that after its initial declaration of support and readiness to reverse production cuts, Saudi Arabia noted it would not rush into a reversal of the cuts but would rather first wait and see what happens in Iran. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Massive blackouts in Venezuela in March and April have drastically reduced oil production at Chevrons biggest oil joint venture in the country, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing data that it had compiled from company sources. Chevron holds a 30-percent stake in Petropiar, a joint venture with PDVSA in Venezuelas Orinoco Belt operated by the Venezuelan state oil firm. The project processes extra heavy crude oil from the Huyapari field and upgrades it to a lighter, higher-value synthetic oil. Due to the numerous blackouts and the rationing of electricity in the Orinoco Belt over the past two months, Petropiars production averaged 74,000 bpd in the first two weeks of April, which was 44 percent below the average production in the first two weeks of January. Petropiar has historically been one of the top producing projects in Venezuela and has a capacity of 190,000 bpd. The Chevron venture produced an average 132,000 bpd in January, but after the blackouts began in early March, production has drastically dropped and was even entirely offline for two days in a row, according to the data compiled by Bloomberg. PDVSA expects a sharp decline in oil production in April, with the four upgraders operating in joint ventures with international majors running a lot lower than capacity, Reuters reported earlier this month, citing company documents and sources close to the company. A string of blackouts in the last few weeks have caused extended outages at crucial oil facilities including the upgraders, which have a combined capacity of 700,000 bpd. On top of the massive blackouts, Venezuelas oil industry suffered in the past two months from the U.S. sanctions, the continued economic crisis, and the chronic underinvestment in its oil facilities. Venezuela, one of OPECs members exempt from the ongoing production cuts, contributed inadvertently to the cartels mission to reduce global oil supply last month. Venezuelas crude oil production plunged by 289,000 bpd from February to below 1 million bpdto 732,000 bpd in March, according to OPECs secondary sources. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... Precio del Brent To get the BRENT oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del WTI To get the oil price, please enable Javascript. Dolar USA Vs Euro Paginas vistas en total Lo volvio a hacer Capitalismo=embuste Historico Bitcoin La bateria mas grande de Holanda El futuro es solar Nec plus ultra, nec variatur Fisica y culturalmente Jamas nos callaran Sin ellas, no seremos Deja vu Nada que celebrar Hasta cuando? Colombia Hoy Para nunca olvidar 'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England Sin palabras La UE le apunta a la paz Cada vez mas solo Precio del Oro To get the gold price, please enable Javascript. LULA y su Pueblo Bye Bye Homenaje al genial Quino Fueron ellos Una imagen que resume Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero? Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante) Ladrones al poder Asi mira el perrito a su amo Crazy Clamor popular La nueva inquisicion Bolivia Chile Hoy Eso es todo amigos! Piensalo! 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Por culpa de Chavez Cerveza Polar Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar Translate LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares? Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano... Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos: Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias. Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera. No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje. En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio. Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida. Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella. Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal. Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista. Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen. Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che? Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio. Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora. Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo. Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo. Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania. No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar. Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga. Alguna duda? Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia. OZ1 OZ2 OZ3 OZ4 Homenaje a Jason Galarraga La Victoria de Samotracia Odalisca Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008 La Sierra Nevada de Merida Nuestro precioso Churum Meru Homenaje a Picasso Autoretrato Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola? La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar. Mi profesion? Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos. Sal en la Coca Cola? A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar. De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla: Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido) azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa) Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas Mucha Cafeina Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja. Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos. Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja. En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero). Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma. La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate. Bebidas Light? Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal. Publicado por loretahur En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina: 1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias. 2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina. 3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard. 4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos. 5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla. 6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos. Ahora... sobre la margarina: 1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) . 2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias. 3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno). 4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer. 5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna. 6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo. 7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina. Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas: * No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo). * No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!! No a la guerra, Si a la Paz Misterios de la ciencia... Los costos de la guerra medicos y capitalismo... Capitalismo... medicos (2) Quien educa a nuestros hijos? Los Medios... Sin Palabras... Chistes feministas - Cual es el problema, Eva? - Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas. - Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas... - Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti. - Que es un hombre? - Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente. - Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente. - Cual es el truco?. - Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion. - Cual? - Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer. Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Ellas... Ellas (2)... Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1 Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije: -Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro. Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria. Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre? -Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa! VENGANZA NUMERO 2 Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris. A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita: - Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!! Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta. La mujer paso quince dias en Francia. El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla. Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es: - Y amor me trajiste mi francesita?? - Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina. VENGANZA NUMERO 3 El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion. - No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo. - Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz. Te quiero confesar algo. - Esta bien, esta bien. Habla! - He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga. - Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!! machismo y cibernetica Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston. -Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide. -Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!. .Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos. Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco. Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas Gol !!!! Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso! Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy! Christopher Hasson. Photo: U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Maryland Prosecutors have released troubling new details in the State of Marylands case against Coast Guard lieutenant Christopher Hasson, who was indicted in February on gun and drug charges. According to court filings reported by CNN on Wednesday, Hasson had searched for the home addresses of two unnamed Supreme Court justices and for the phrase please god let there be a race war. Hasson also reportedly targeted two social-media-company executives, who arent named in reports. Also on Wednesday, prosecutors outlined the basis for charging Hasson over the discovery of silencers at his home. The devices, they wrote, serve one purpose: to murder quietly. The defendant intended to do so on a mass scale, and his detention has thwarted his unlawful desire. Hasson pleaded not guilty in March and has a court appearance scheduled for Thursday. His defense team has argued that the charges against him are not severe enough to keep him in detention during his trial. Prosecutors, however, argued in todays filings that he is too dangerous to release. The State of Marylands case established Hasson as a zealous white supremacist with a hit list that included prominent Democrats and journalists, as first reported by Seamus Hughes of George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism. Hassons ties to organized white nationalism are deep. He wrote to the late Harold Hovington, a prominent neo-Nazi, and expressed admiration for Anders Breivik, the Norwegian white nationalist who murdered 77 people in 2011. In Hassons home, investigators also discovered the hit list of Democrats and journalists, along with 15 firearms and 1,000 rounds of ammunition. I am a long time White Nationalist, having been a skinhead 30 plus years ago before my time in the military, Hasson wrote in a document uncovered by prosecutors. He also espoused support for a white homeland and wrote in one draft email, I am dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on earth. The Hasson case coincides with a national increase in reported hate crimes. In February, the Southern Poverty Law Center announced that reported hate crimes had increased for the fourth year in a row; the civil-rights organization speculated that President Trumps rhetoric was exacerbating that violent trend. Researchers from the University of North Texas found in March that counties that hosted political rallies with Donald Trump as the headliner in 2016 saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes, compared with counties that did not host Trump, Vox reported. Correlation is not causation, as the researchers themselves pointed out, but they did conclude that Trumps rhetoric could be a factor, adding, [S]uggestions that this effect can be explained through a plethora of faux hate crimes are at best unrealistic. Hasson faces dramatic charges, but hes a symptom, not an anomaly. Though Hasson isnt facing terrorism charges, prosecutors in February did refer to him as a would-be domestic terrorist, and its difficult to argue with the validity of that label. Wednesdays filings reinforce an unsettling conclusion: Hasson allegedly aspired to join the ranks of historys most violent white nationalists and had amassed the tools necessary to make those ambitions come true. If a Coast Guard program hadnt flagged Hassons suspicious use of a work computer, he might have been able to carry out a significant attack just like the killers he admired. " " A masked demonstrator displays an anarchy flag close to the blocked street leading to Spain's parliament during an anti-government demonstration in Madrid in 2013. JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images You may have seen TV footage of black-clad, masked protesters, smashing storefront windows and spray-painting their logo an 'A' inside a circle on buildings on the eve of President Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2017. Or, viewed news stories about similarly clad dissidents throwing rocks and firebombs at police in the streets of Portland, Oregon, as a May Day march for immigrant and workers' rights suddenly turned into a melee [sources: Stockman, Ryan]. Those clashes and countless others that have erupted over the years in cities across the U.S. and Europe might give the impression that anarchists are simply out to create disorder and chaos. But there's a whole lot more to anarchism than that. It's a political philosophy that's been around since the mid-1800s and traces its roots back to ancient Greece and China, as well as to the ideas of thinkers such as Henry David Thoreau and Leo Tolstoy [sources: Woodcock, Buckley]. Advertisement While there are a range of different ideas and approaches within the movement, in general anarchists believe that government authority and any sort of hierarchy, for that matter is bad for people and should be eliminated. They want to replace the existing power structure with a society in which everyone is free and equal, and the only associations are ones that people enter into voluntarily. Instead of electing representatives to lead them, people would rule themselves through direct democracy. As Robert Hoffman explained in the 1975 book "Anarchism as Political Philosophy," anarchists say "that a society ruled by government cannot be orderly, that government creates and perpetuates both disorder and violence." But not all anarchists agree on the best way to establish a society without government authority. While some have depended on violent revolution as the only route, other anarchists have advocated achieving change peacefully, though activism and nonviolent protest. Some even have set up their own communities that practice anarchist principles on a local level, and in some places most recently, in Greece anarchists have stepped in to provide poor people with services when the government hasn't. In this article, we'll look at the history of anarchism and the ways in which anarchists have tried to advance their vision of society. FINALLY, a light came to Daniel Biboy Cabrera, the boy who used to study under the lights of a fast food chain in Mandaue City, when he graduated from elementary school in March.The mathematics-inclined FINALLY, a light came to Daniel Biboy Cabrera, the boy who used to study under the lights of a fast food chain in Mandaue City, when he graduated from elementary school in March. The mathematics-inclined Cabrera, who was then nine years old when a photo of him went viral on social media, said he was still very happy even if he did not get a medal or special award during graduation. Read: Borrowed light for this childs dreams Most of those who have honors are those active in camping, Cabrera said in Cebuano. To become a policeman is the ultimate dream of the young Cabrera, but he doesnt like to go camping like the boy scouts do since he finds it dangerous. Cabrera said it is not necessary for a policeman to bring himself to danger. A policeman only needs to do his best to protect the people. If you enter risky situations, you will not reach your dreams, the now 13-year-old Biboy said. SunStar Cebu asked for a graduation photo of Cabrera, but his mother Cristina Espinosa said she was not able to get the graduation photo of her son since she did not have money to pay for it yet. I prioritized his clothes, so he would wear a brand-new one, Espinosa said. Biboys graduation is very important for his mother who said that among her six children, Biboy is her first child to reach high school. Biboy is the fifth among six siblings. Since going viral with his photo, Cabrera has been grateful for the blessings he got from the people who helped them. I know God will also help them, he said. The 2015 viral photo opened many opportunities for him, including a scholarship grant from Ronald McDonalds House of Charities Philippines for his elementary school education and a college scholarship awarded by Samuel Pagdilao of the Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement & Support (ACT-CIS) partylist. Cabrera was also grateful when they got a power connection at home. But there are still days he goes to McDonalds because he is already used to it. Story continues Fr. Carmelo Diola of Dilaab Foundation Inc. also helped his family get a house. He said they will be moving there next year, but as early as now, Biboy admitted he doesnt want to transfer since he will be missing his friends. More than the opportunities of free education, Cabrera was also elated by the thrill of riding a plane for the first time when he went to Manila for an interview on national television. Now that he is going to high school, Biboy said he will do his best to finish his studies and face the hardships he and his family will encounter for the following years he will be studying high school. (JJL) Businessman Liberato Levy Laus of the LausGroup of Companies, along with two companionspilot Everette Coronel and bodyguard Wilfran Estebandied as the helicopter they were in crashed into a fishpond earlier today, at around 12:30 PM, in Barangay Anilao in Malolos, Bulacan. According to SunStar.com.ph, an eyewitness identified as Jonald Borlongan said he noticed that the helicopter was already malfunctioning while in the air as it was seen emitting a thick smoke trail. As it was about to make an emergency landing in the area, parts of the chopper, including its main rotor, reportedly started falling until it crashed into the fishpond. Pagbagsak nung helicopter, tumakbo kami agad pero di kami makalapit kasi baka sumabog. Pero nung nakita namin okay na, nakita namin lumutang na agad iyong dalawang pasahero. Iyong isa may tama sa ulo, sa sentido (After the crash, we rushed to check, but we cannot go near as it might explode. We then saw the two passengers; one of them had a wound in the head), Borlongan said. The report added that the helicopter, which was owned by Laus and had body number RPC8098, left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) general aviation area at 12:28 PM for San Fernando City in Pampanga. The city of San Fernando has been the LausGroups base of operations since it started in 1978. From a dealership that only had three cars on display, Laus built his company into what it now calls as the largest multi-brand dealership network in the Philippines with over 55 dealerships in Metro Manila and Central and Northern Luzon. The group currently is the dealer of automobile brands like Mitsubishi, Ford, Kia, Chevrolet, BMW, Hyundai, Mazda, Suzuki, Haima, Nissan, Volkswagen, Jeep, and Peugeot. Beyond cars, the LausGroup also has truck and bus dealerships for Fuso and Hyundai as well as motorcycle dealerships in BMW Motorrad and Piaggio APE. Below is the official statement released by the LausGroup of Companies. Story continues It is with great sorrow that the Laus Family and LausGroup of Companies (LGC) announce the tragic loss of our patriarch and esteemed Chairman and CEO, Liberato Levy P. Laus. He was 68. Levy to family and friends, LPL to colleagues and associates, he was a visionary and leader who championed countryside development with such idealistic and vigorous zeal. He made and left an ingrained mark in the automotive industry as well as the lives of numerous partners he inspired and encouraged, family and friends he loved and cherished, and clients he served and helped. His untimely passing unfortunately came at a time when he was looking forward to greater things, not only for the LGC, but also for the whole province of Pampanga, especially his beloved city of San Fernando. He unfailingly demonstrated the exceptional values in business, integrity and compassion in all his work. His enthusiasm, quick wit and endless charm will inspire and stay with us always. He will be remembered for his love of and dedication to the LGC as a group of companies, as a brand, as a family. He will be greatly missed. We request that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made and donated to the Levy P. Laus Foundation, Inc. The post Businessman Levy Laus of LausGroup of Companies, Two Others, Die in Helicopter Crash appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. Containers of mixed wastes shipment from Canada declared as recyclable scrap plastics but actually contained household trash, newspapers, plastic bottles and bags, and even used adult diapers. MANILA, Philippines Canada has committed to resolve its trash dumping issue with the Philippines. The Embassy of Canada in the Philippines released a statement on Wednesday (April 24) after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to wage war if Canada will not take its garbage back. Canada is strongly committed to collaborating with the Government of the Philippines to resolve this issue and is aware of the court decision ordering the importer to ship the material back to Canada, the Embassy said in a statement posted on its Facebook account. The Embassy added that: A joint technical working group, consisting of officials from both countries, is examining the full spectrum of issues related to the removal of the waste with a view to a timely resolution. On Tuesday (April 23), President Duterte issued a warning to Canada for its failure to remove its trash illegally exported to the country. The President said he would no longer allow Canada to turn the Philippines into a dumpsite. For Canadas garbage, I want a boat prepared. I will give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail to Canada and dump their garbage there, the President said. We will declare war. Load the containers to a ship and advise Canada. I will advise Canada that, Your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to, he added. It was between 2013 to 2014 when the Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted a total of 103 containers of mixed wastes shipment from Canada declared as recyclable scrap plastics but actually contained household trash, newspapers, plastic bottles and bags, and even used adult diapers. During his visit to the Philippines to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to cooperate with the Philippine government in resolving the offending shipment. Story continues Trudeau, however, said the Philippines and Canadian governments need to settle issues including who will pay for the shipment of the illegal trash to the country. In its statement, the Embassy reiterated the Canadian governments commitment to working collaboratively with the Government of the Philippines to ensure the material is processed in an environmentally responsible way. The embassy added that the relationship between the two countries is built on strong people to people ties, common interest in strengthening political, economic and cultural relations, and in mutual commitment to peace and is highly valued as the two countries celebrate their 70 years of diplomatic relations this year. Marje Pelayo The post Canada vows to resolve trash dumping issue after Dutertes war threat appeared first on UNTV News. THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their ARE We Still a Democracy was an essay I did not bother to read because it presumed we were once a democracy. The more fundamental question is Were we ever a democracy? For the answer, we have to go back to the essential features of representative democracy. (Direct democracy works only in small organizations like cooperatives.) One, universal suffrage. Our constitution guarantees this. However, as the other features would show, obstructions litter the road to the free exercise of this right. Two, proportionate representation. This we never had and for lacking it we were never a representative democracy. Ever since the ilustrados led by Emilio Aguinaldo took over the proletarian revolution of Andres Bonifacio, our political parties have simply represented factions of one and the same vested interest group. The Americans introduced democracy but gave the privilege to represent Filipinos in the colonial government exclusively to local land and business lords. Thus when we were given independence, political power seamlessly flowed into the hands of this traditional elite who had a bias for their and the former colonizers aligned economic interests. In addition to suffrage we also have the right to be voted into office. But in reality only the elite have so far been able to avail themselves of this right. Luis Taruc, head of a Central Luzon farmers group that advocated for land reform and fought the Japanese, won a seat in Congress of the newly independent Philippines. But such was the determination of the elite to keep political power within their enclave that they managed to unseat Congressman Taruc even as they allowed former Japanese collaborators from among them into the halls of Congress. One can only wonder how the latter won those seats. Three, free elections. Vested interest groups crafted the laws governing elections and designed them for easy and unrestricted violation notwithstanding paper-tiger Comelecs posturings against violators. Guns and goons might have receded into disuse for the most part but gold remains an effective means for the elite to buy their way into office. Story continues Hence elections were free only to a rich minority but hardly to the poor majority. The coming elections will be a farce as usual. Candidates of and for the elite should be in jail for flagrant violation of election laws. Instead these law-breakers, thieves, and liars will be elected to continue to mock democracy. Four, rule of the majority, the core of democracy. But to win in our elections, one only needs to get more votes than rivals. Thus unopposed candidates win with just one vote. Wheres rule of the majority in that system? No, we were never a democracy. But what do you think, were we ever? MANILA, Philippines Charge dAffaires Elmer Cato on Wednesday (April 24) reiterated his plea for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Tripoli to go home. Cato reported on his social media post that another Filipino, whom he did not name, was wounded when a mortar round fell and exploded in their compound near the Tripoli International Airport . He added that the Filipino was working for an oil and gas service provider outside the capital Tripoli. Our kababayan is lucky he only sustained a shrapnel wound in his right foot. His Sudanese coworker was nothe was killed in the explosion, Cato said. Cato said the incident came only a few days after mortar rounds struck a hospital in Qasr bin Ghashir where 18 Filipino nurses working survived. A few days earlier, six Filipinos were caught in the middle of intense clashes in Ain Zara town and several Filipinos who were taken over by armed men also asked the embassys help to convince their employers to move them to safety. Some of us may not be lucky the next time rockets or mortars rain in on Tripoli, the official said. So before the fighting intensifies further and before it gets closer to where many of our kababayan are in Tripoli, we plead to them and to their families in the Philippines to please seriously consider our offer to bring them home while we still can, he concluded. The Philippine Embassy in Tripoli maintains Alert Level 3 in Tripoli which means voluntary repatriation is taking place. Thus, the Embassy continues to advise Filipinos in the African country to volunteer themselves for repatriation. Marje Pelayo The post Envoy reiterates plea for repatriation after another Filipino gets hurt in Libya fighting appeared first on UNTV News. FILE PHOTO: A construction worker (NASH SAHAGUN / Photoville International) An expert on structural engineering is confident that the Philippines has enough laws on the construction of buildings to ensure that infrastructures can withstand earthquakes and calamities. Engineer Danny Domingo, a former president of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, said the country doesnt have to adopt technologies from other countries such as Japan just to guarantee that edifices are earthquake-resilient. He added that the problem lies in the implementation of the said laws, such as the National Building Code of the Philippines. Its just a matter of applying what we have right now. The existing code, I believe, would be enough to make sure the buildings are okay. We have the right tool to make sure that our buildings will withstand the magnitude of earthquake. Nasa proper implementation lang, he said Domingo also reiterated the need to check on the old structures in Metro Manila, particularly those built in the 60s and 70s, and ascertain the ones that need to be demolished. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), in the meantime, has assured that the building projects under the Build Build Build program of the government are all of good quality. The DPWH Build Build Build Committee has committed to seeing to it that the infrastructures under their care are earthquake proof. Secretary Mark Villar has also issued instructions to DPWH officials to conduct assessments on the structural integrity of big government projects that are now under construction. Maris Federez (with reports from Nel Maribojoc) The post Expert urges government to strictly implement laws on building construction appeared first on UNTV News. Courtesy : Pixabay The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has placed the Luzon grid under yellow and red alerts again on Thursday (April 25). In an advisory posted on Facebook, the NGCP said that Luzon grid will be on yellow alert from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. It will be on red alert from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. These alerts mean that power reserves are lower than the power supply demand. Rotating brownouts are likely to occur in Luzon during the hours when red alert is raised. The NGCP said that the current available capacity of the Luzon grid is at 10,707 megawatts (MW) while the peak demand is expected at 10,534MW. The alerts were issued in the wake of the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that rattled parts of Luzon on Monday (April 22), which caused multiple trippings in some power plants. Robie de Guzman The post Luzon grid on red, yellow alerts anew appeared first on UNTV News. MANILA, Philippines The National Union of Peoples Lawyers (NUPL) has taken the issue of the alleged oust-Duterte matrix to the Supreme Court to justify its plea for protection from alleged harassment by government forces. In a manifestation filed by mail late Wednesday, the group cited its inclusion in the Association between Bikoy and Ellen Tordesillas which shows the names of organizations, journalists and lawyers said to be involved in the black propaganda against President Rodrigo Duterte by publishing and distributing online videos which contain the alleged involvement of the Duterte family in the narcotics trade. The petition was filed following the release of the matrix last Monday tagging the group in the alleged destabilization plot against the Duterte government. The group told the Supreme Court in its pleading that the baseless and reckless claim against their group and others named in the matrix is proof of intimidation and harassment. These malicious statements and dangerous claims, as well as the contrived matrix above, baseless and reckless as they are, compel the petitioners to again seek this time for the Honorable Courts protection and reiterate their prayer for a temporary protection order, the group said. Petitioners simply chose to practice the ideals of the legal profession by rendering services to the underprivileged as mandated by our oath and by legal, constitutional and international principles, it added. The matrix shows the supposed links between NUPL, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Vera Files, Rappler and other media groups and personalities. The groups were also accused of distributing the Totoong Narco list videos. The lawyers group earlier sought protection from the High Tribunal through the issuance of a writ of amparo and writ of habeas data. The group claims that the military harassed their members after they were accused of being part of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New Peoples Army (NPA). In its SC manifestation, the NUPL named as respondents Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Maj. Gen. Antonio Parlade, President Rodrigo Duterte, National Security Adviser and National Security Council Director Hermogenes Esperon, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, AFP Chief Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, deputy commander for intelligence Brig. Gen. Fernando Trinidad, Intelligence service chief Maj. Gen. Erwin Bernard Neri and Philippine Army commanding General Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto. Robie de Guzman (with details from Mai Bermudez) The post NUPL takes Oust Duterte matrix to SC appeared first on UNTV News. 25 Apr South Korean star Park Bo-gum recently announced that he is postponing his upcoming fan meeting in Manila. As reported on Push, the actor shared the bad news on Twitter, writing, "I'd like to inform you that the event in the Philippines scheduled for April 27, Saturday, has now been postponed due to the recent earthquake." "I apologise to all who have been waiting for the event and ask for your kind understanding," he added. In another post, Park expressed his condolences to the victims of the earthquakes and their families. "I'll pray for the Philippines, and may God's protection and care always be with all people in the Philippines," he tweeted. Park's management company has also released a statement saying that they made the decision after considering the safety of the fans. The upcoming fan meeting has been rescheduled to be held on 22 June at the Mall of Asia Arena. (Photo Source: Park Bo Gum Instagram) Photo: CHARLES PLATIAU/AFP/Getty Images On Wednesday, Facebook announced that it expected to be fined up to $5 billion by the Federal Trade Commission for privacy violations the same amount of money as the social networks initial public offering in 2012. In its quarterly financial statement, Facebook revealed it intended to eat a penalty somewhere between $3 billion and $5 billion. For months, Facebook has been negotiating with the FTC regarding a violation of a 2011 privacy consent decree. According to the agency, Facebook deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public. A new investigation was opened in 2018 after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which it emerged that Facebook exposed the personal information of almost 50 million users in an effort funded by the right-wing billionaire Mercer family that intended to use Facebook data to cater political advertising toward users in an attempt to influence their votes. If Facebooks estimate is anywhere near the actual levy the FTC hands down, it will mark a historic fine against a tech company: the largest prior FTC fine in the field was $22 million against Google in 2012 for misrepresenting to Safari users users that it would not place tracking cookies or serve targeted ads. As the New York Times notes, the fine could mark a turning point in the political treatment of the tech industry: Levying a sizable fine on Facebook would go against the reputation of the United States of not restraining the power of big tech companies. For years, American regulators have faced criticism that they allowed Silicon Valley firms to grow unchecked, even as their European counterparts aggressively brought actions against tech companies including fining Google a record $5.1 billion last year for abusing its power in the mobile phone market. For the Trump administration, penalizing Facebook would be a defining action. Although President Trump has rolled back scores of business regulations, he and others in Washington including Democrats have coalesced around calling for greater scrutiny and enforcement of tech companies. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts and presidential candidate, has called for the breakup of Amazon, Google and Facebook. And Mr. Trump has sounded alarms over the dominance of the firms and their control over speech and the distribution of information. But as a financial penalty, the $3 to $5 billion mark wont dent a company that earns $56 billion in annual revenue in any meaningful way. Facebook must be held accountable not just by fines but also far reaching reforms in management, privacy practices and culture, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal responded on Twitter. And as the Ringer staff writer Victor Luckerson noted, the social media company appears to be presenting two contrasting faces to the public and to investors: Facebook still adding users (even in North America) and posting stellar earnings. Stock up 9% after hours despite a $3 billion FTC fine expected soon. The whiplash between saying "we must do better" to the public and "we can't be stopped" to Wall Street is frightening Victor Luckerson (@VLuck) April 24, 2019 Drought in Southeast Asia may become even more frequent and intense if countries do not take steps to reduce its impact, according to a joint study from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) and Asean. Ready for the Dry Years: Building resilience to drought in Southeast Asia, released on April 19, said the cumulative impact of drought in the region disproportionately affected the poor and heightened inequality, which in turn increased the prospect of violent conflict. Over the past three decades, droughts have affected more than 66 million people in Southeast Asia. One such person is 23-year-old Bonreach Kleng, a volunteer coordinator in Cambodia. Its really hard for us because its really hot throughout the year. In some areas of Phnom Penh, there is no water. We live on the third floor so we have to carry water from the ground [floor] to the top, she said. Because of the drought there is no water to produce electricity. The government cannot do anything. They just tell us to buy power banks. The drought-prone area of Southeast Asia is concentrated in the north and south of Vietnam, southern Sulawesi and Borneo, and the central part of Java, Sulawesi and Papua. The study found that ongoing climate change was likely to shift and expand this historical drought area. One scenario it used was that of a less severe El Nino a weather phenomenon in which the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean becomes abnormally warm, causing disruptions in the global atmosphere and resulting in extreme weather events such as typhoons, winter storms and droughts from the Pacific Rim to Sub-Saharan Africa. Should this occur, the drought area in southern Vietnam will extend to Cambodia and southern Thailand by 2050. In Java, the proportion of the island affected by drought will increase from 62 per cent to 72 per cent. Story continues In the same scenario, between the years 2071 and 2100, 96 per cent of the Asean region is likely to be affected by drought. The northern part of Vietnam and Laos will face extreme drought, while there will also be severe drought conditions in eastern Sumatra, northern Borneo and the southern part of Papua. Still, the report said estimates of the impact of drought on the region were conservative because such events were under-reported and under-monitored. Countries that depend heavily on agriculture are most vulnerable to the effects of drought, as the sector bears the brunt of around four-fifths of drought-induced economic impact. Agriculture generates roughly 11 per cent of value-added GDP for Asean as a whole. It is the primary source of employment in Laos (61 per cent), Vietnam (41 per cent), Indonesia (31 per cent), Cambodia (27 per cent), and the Philippines (26 per cent). According to the report, drought also worsens social inequality by cutting into the incomes of vulnerable populations. It found a very strong correlation (88 per cent) between projected conflict risk and natural disasters in the Asean region. Between 1980 to 2001, more than 80 per cent of localised conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region occurred in areas that were at some stage affected by drought. To mitigate the widespread and increasing threat of drought to the Asean region, Escap and Asean have proposed three ways governments can prepare for the dry years ahead, within a network of regional cooperation. These were strengthening drought risk assessment and early warning services; cultivating drought-risk financing markets; and by helping people and businesses adapt better to drought. According to Kleng from Cambodia, the government had thus far not been very helpful. They do nothing. They inform us beforehand that we will face this drought and tell us to be careful and make preparations by ourselves, she said. They said its a natural disaster so they cant control it. Danny Marks, assistant professor of environmental studies at City University in Hong Kong, said early warning systems in Southeast Asia were weak due to limited technology and funding, while limited communications was another issue. Even if the national government knows theres a drought coming, it has difficulty disseminating this information to rural populations due to the limited capacity of local governments and the fragmentation between national and local government agencies, he said. At the regional level, Marks said Asean could help establish social safety nets to help farmers in crises. One example would be to create an insurance mechanism that pools together collective risks of agricultural production in the region. It would use wealth-based indices and give farmers insurance when they are struck with major agricultural disasters, including droughts. Countries that are net consumers of agricultural products should help subsidise this scheme. At the national level, Marks recommends governments invest in more irrigated land and increase funding devoted to agricultural research that focuses on greener and more affordable technologies, such as seeds which require less water, which can help farmers increase productivity and adapt to drought. More dry years are inevitable, but more suffering is not. Timely interventions now can reduce the impacts of drought, protect the poorest communities and foster more harmonious societies, said UN Undersecretary-General and Executive Secretary of Escap Armida Alisjahbana. This article Southeast Asia to suffer intense, more frequent drought without government action: UN and Asean report first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Dont look now, but Honda is planning to release its newest 2020 Honda Civic Type R this year. MotorAuthority reported that its prototype was spotted during a test drive at the Nurburgring, and from the looks of it, suggests more lightweight body panels fitted on its model. Theres a big possibility that Honda will introduce more options in its latest Type R. These might include a more powerful variant, a tamer one with less power, and one designed for grand touring. Currently, the Type R in the Philippiness Inline 4-Cylinder, Earth Dreams Technology engine has a maximum power that tips at 310 hp @ 6,500 rpm, while its maximum pulling strength comes at 400 Nm @ 2,500 4,500 rpm. Its sox-speed manual transmission also has a rev-matching function. Combining all these features gives a more dynamic powertrain for a more intense driving experience. Fastest Front-Wheel Drive Car The Civic Type R has set the benchmark in the Shrine of Speed, the Nurburgring Nordschleife. It garnered an impressive record time of 7:43:80, making itas Honda claimedthe fastest production front-wheel drive car of its era. It offers excellent safety features, adding innovations like Walk Away Auto Lock, Speed Sensing Auto Door Lock, and the usual staples found in vehicles: Side Curtain Airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), and Multi-view Reverse Camera. Honda Civic Type R The post The Updated 2020 Honda Civic Type R is Coming This Year appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. In this March 28, 2018, file photo, a visitor poses for a photo with the Facebook logo reflected on her sunglasses at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook reports earnings Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) The possibility of a $5 billion federal privacy fine for Facebook suggests that U.S. regulators may be taking a cue from the large penalties their European counterparts have been handing out to U.S. technology giants. While investors appear to have shrugged it off for now, the potential fine from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission would be more than a slap on the wrist for Facebook, especially if it comes with strings that limit how the company targets advertising to its massive user base. Facebook said Wednesday it is planning for a fine between $3 billion and $5 billion and formally set aside $3 billion for the FTC, which is investigating whether the social network violated its users' privacy. The amount is a contingency against a possible penalty; Facebook noted that the "matter remains unresolved." The company's disclosure is the latest indication of U.S. moves toward tighter regulation of the technology industry, which has enjoyed years of nearly unrestricted growth with little oversight. Talk of a national data-privacy law is swirling around Capitol Hill, states like California have already forged ahead with their own measures, and U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has proposed breaking up the biggest U.S. tech companies. In Europe, regulators have routinely slapped Google and other U.S. firms with major fines. Google now owes almost $10 billion in such penalties for alleged anticompetitive behavior; its parent company Alphabet is appealing. EU watchdogs also hit Apple with a back-taxes bill of more than $15 billion . Facebook, meanwhile, is already preparing for a future where targeted ads play a smaller role in its business, flexing its muscles in e-commerce and payments and touting a coming shift toward private communications. The one-time charge slashed Facebook's first-quarter profit considerably, although revenue grew by 26% in the period. The FTC has been looking into whether Facebook broke its own 2011 agreement promising to protect user privacy. Investors shrugged off the charge and sent the company's stock up more than 9% to nearly $200 in after-hours trading. Wall Street in general tends to forgive one-time accounting dents in companies' earnings reports and focus instead on how the overall business is doing. Besides, even if Facebook ends up paying $5 billion this year, it's unlikely to seriously harm a company that's expected to rake in profit of $22 billion this year. EMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson, however, called it a "significant development" and noted that any settlement is likely to go beyond a mere dollar amount. The FTC move, she said, "may impact the ways advertisers can use the platform in the future." In this Aug. 31, 2016, file photo, visitors take photos in front of the Facebook logo outside of the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook reports earnings Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) Facebook has had several high-profile privacy lapses in the past couple of years. The FTC has been looking into Facebook's involvement with the data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica since last March. That company accessed the data of as many as 87 million Facebook users without their consent. The 2011 FTC agreement bound Facebook to a 20-year privacy commitment and violations could subject Facebook to fines of $41,484 per violation per user per day. The agreement requires that Facebook users give "affirmative express consent" any time that data they haven't made public is shared with a third party. Cambridge Analytica accessed information from so many users because it was able to access the data of people's friends, and not just people who explicitly permitted access when they took a personality quiz. While Facebook did have controls in place that allowed people to restrict such access, they were buried in the site's settings and difficult to find. The FTC's investigation and anticipated sanction against Facebook has put a spotlight on the agency's role as an enforcer of privacy protections. Consumer privacy advocates and Democratic lawmakers, saying the FTC is hampered, have pushed for legislation to expand its powers and funding to police privacy. Republicans have generally opposed an expansion of federal authority, but in the wake of the Facebook and other privacy scandals some have taken a more open view. The FTC would be expected to write the rules for the privacy legislation if it were to become law. Beyond consumer advocates, some business interests also are proposing an expanded role on privacy protection for the FTC. The Business Roundtable, representing CEOs of major companies, has put forward a proposed framework for national legislation that includes "adequate funding and staffing to effectively enforce the consumer privacy law." In addition to the FTC investigation, Facebook faces several others in the U.S. and Europe, including by the Irish Data Protection Commission , and others in Belgium and Germany . Ireland is Facebook's lead privacy regulator for Europe. The FTC is also reportedly looking into how it might hold CEO Mark Zuckerberg accountable for the company's privacy lapses. 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. An artist's impression of an asteroid breaking up. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech In the event of an asteroid heading to Earth and likely to cause catastrophic damage, an Armageddon-style nuclear explosion may well be our best line of defence. But would doing so lead the way to potential space-based nuclear apocalypse instead? Professor James A. Green from the University of Reading has explored the legal issues surrounding the 'nuclear option' in a new article published in the Hastings International and Comparative Law Review. The paper looks the potential risk of seeing a Ronald Reagan-esque Star Wars scenario in space, if 'asteroids' become a justification for ignoring laws that prohibit using nuclear weapons in space. James A. Green, Professor of Public International Law at the University of Reading said: "I was somewhat surprised when I began looking into the hypothetical situation in Michael Bay's Armageddon. In particular, not only are there serious scientific discussions about the merits or not of a nuclear approach to asteroids, but legal restrictions that currently would mean that the heroic actions of a group of ragtag oil drillers likely would be in breach of a number of international treaties. "The current state of the law leaves us in a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' scenario. The prohibitions in place protect us from space nukes but put us at risk of extinction if that killer asteroid ever appears. If we don't relax the law a little, then countries may just ignore the law to shoot down an asteroid, which would challenge the whole legal regime; relax the law too much, though, and we risk undoing all the efforts made to stop a nuclear space age." While the risk of a Near Earth Object (NEO) hitting our planet is very small and most small NEOs are likely to disintegrate as they enter the atmosphere, NASA's NEO observation platform discovers around 40 objects each week, and currently lists around 1900 asteroids that could be 'potentially hazardous' to our planet. Following a 2013 asteroid impact in Chelyabinsk in Russia, the UN develop an initiative to combat an apocalyptic asteroid strike. Prior to 2013, most of the activity has been focused on identification of asteroids rather than ways to tackle a potential asteroid impact, although recent efforts by the European Space Agency have looked at the feasibility of technology to deflect asteroids on a collision course with the Earth. While US President John F. Kennedy and co may well never have dreamt of a scenario in 1963 where a nuclear weapon would need to be used against a NEO, Professor Green sets out how the passing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty among other provisions restricts the exploding of nuclear bombs in space. The paper goes onto look at arguments for and against a NEO scenario being so exceptional as to get around these treaties. Green however concludes that were the events of Armageddon to actually be required, unless we develop some forms of legal exception, states will take measures into their own hands which is worse. Professor Green said: "At the same time as I was conducting this research, the US Government began talking openly about both asteroid defence and about the militarization of space. Far from being an escapist, full of explosions blockbuster, the idea behind the film and this research sets out some of the considerable legal questions that would need to be asked in the event of an impending asteroid." Explore further Small asteroid to shave safely by Earth Friday More information: James A. Green, 'Planetary Defense: Near-Earth Objects, Nuclear Weapons, and International Law' (2019) 42(1) Hastings International and Comparative Law Review 1-71. James A. Green, 'Planetary Defense: Near-Earth Objects, Nuclear Weapons, and International Law' (2019) 42(1) Hastings International and Comparative Law Review 1-71. repository.uchastings.edu/hast review/vol42/iss1/2/ Mathematics professor emeritus Carl Pomerance explains his proof of the Sheldon conjecture that states that the number 73s unusual properties make it unique among prime numbers. Credit: Eli Burakian A prime number theory equation by mathematics professor emeritus Carl Pomerance turned up on The Big Bang Theory, where it was scrawled on a white board in the background of the hit sitcom about a group of friends and roommates who are scientists, many of them physicists at the California Institute of Technology. In a recent paper, "Proof of the Sheldon Conjecture," Pomerance, the John G. Kemeny Parents Professor of Mathematics Emeritus, does the math on a claim by fictional quantum physicist Sheldon Cooper that 73 is "the best number" because of several unique properties. Pomerance's proof shows that 73 is indeed unique. The Big Bang Theory is known for dressing the set with "Easter eggs" to delight the self-avowed science nerds in the audience. When UCLA physics professor David Saltzberg, technical consultant for The Big Bang Theory, heard about the Sheldon proof, he contacted Pomerance to ask if they could use it in the show, which was broadcast April 18. "What's interesting is, when you see cartoons with technical stuff on boards, usually it doesn't make any sense, but the stuff that they have on the boards, I'll usually say, oh, I recognize that," says Pomerance, who wasn't particularly a fan of the show before he came across the "Sheldon prime number problem" while doing some light math reading. What is it about the number 73 that makes it so attractive to Sheldon, who includes a T-shirt emblazoned with the number in his regular shirt rotation? Pomerance and co-author Chris Spicer, associate professor of mathematics at Morningside College, explain in the introduction to the proof, accepted for publication in American Mathematical Monthly. One note of context: The "index" of a prime number is its place in ascending numerical order. (For example, the consecutive prime numbers 2, 3, 5, 7 are indexed 1, 2, 3, and 4.) "First note that not only is 73 a prime number, its index in the sequence of primes is the product of its digits, namely 21; it is the 21st prime. In addition, reversing the digits of 73, we obtain the prime 37, which is the 12th prime, and 12 is the reverse of 21," they write, laying out the points Sheldon makes on the show. The question Pomerance and Spicer set out to solve is whether this is the only prime number with these properties. Since there is, theoretically, an infinite number of prime numbers, that is easier said than proved. Their paper proposes a series of equations that they say proves 73 is, in fact, unique. It is a portion of this proof, which runs 10 pages, that is written on a whiteboard on the show's set. "It's like the show within the show. It has nothing at all to do with the plot. It's just in the background. It's difficult to see it. Sometimes it's a little fuzzy, it's at an angle, there's a character blocking it. But if you know to look for ithey, that's my paper," Pomerance says. Explore further Mathematician proves there are infinitely many pairs of prime numbers less than 70 million units apart In this March 29, 2018 file photo, the logo for social media giant Facebook, appears on screens at the Nasdaq MarketSite, in New York's Times Square.Ireland's privacy regulator says it launched its eleventh investigation into Facebook over the social media giant's recent revelation that left hundreds of millions of user passwords exposed. The Irish Data Protection Commission said Thursday, April 25, 2019 that it opened a statutory inquiry this week into Facebook after the company notified it about the security lapse. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) Canada's privacy czar said Thursday that he is taking Facebook to court after finding that lax practices at the social media giant allowed personal information to be used for political purposes. A joint report from privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien and his British Columbia counterpart said major shortcomings were uncovered in Facebook's procedures. It called for stronger laws to protect Canadians. The commissioners expressed dismay that Facebook had rebuffed their findings and recommendations. Facebook insisted it took the investigation seriously. The company said it offered to enter into a compliance agreement. The Canadian report comes as Ireland's privacy regulator is investigating Facebook over the company's recent revelation that it had left hundreds of millions of user passwords exposed. The Canadian probe followed reports that Facebook let an outside organization use an app to access users' personal information and that some of the data was then passed to others. Recipients of the information included the firm Cambridge Analytica. The app, at one point known as "This is Your Digital Life," encouraged users to complete a personality quiz but collected much more information about those who installed the app as well as data about their Facebook friends, the commissioners said. About 300,000 Facebook users worldwide added the app, leading to the potential disclosure of the personal information of approximately 87 million others, including more than 600,000 Canadians, the report said. The commissioners concluded that Facebook broke Canada's privacy law governing companies by failing to obtain valid and meaningful consent of installing users and their friends and that it had "inadequate safeguards" to protect user information. Despite its public acknowledgment of a "major breach of trust" in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook disputes the report's findings and refuses to implement recommendations, the commissioners said. "Facebook's refusal to act responsibly is deeply troubling given the vast amount of sensitive information people have entrusted to this company," Therrien said. "The company's privacy framework was empty." Therrien reiterated his longstanding call for the Canadian government to give him authority to issue binding orders to companies and levy fines for non-compliance with the law. In addition, he wants powers to inspect the practices of organizations. The office of Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, the Cabinet member responsible for Canada's private-sector privacy law, said the government would take concrete actions on privacy in coming weeks. Facebook Canada spokeswoman Erin Taylor said the company was disappointed that Therrien considers the issues unresolved. "There's no evidence that Canadians' data was shared with Cambridge Analytica, and we've made dramatic improvements to our platform to protect people's personal information," Taylor said. "We understand our responsibility to protect people's personal information, which is why we've proactively taken important steps toward tackling a number of issues raised in the report." If the application to Federal Court is successful, it could lead to modest fines and an order for Facebook to revamp its privacy practices, Therrien said. Also on Thursday, the New York State Attorney General's Office announced that it is investigating the company's unauthorized collection of the email contacts of 1.5 million users. Facebook has previously acknowledged that it unintentionally uploaded the contacts. The Menlo Park, California, said it is "in touch with the New York State attorney general's office and (is) responding to their questions on this matter." 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Conserving wildlife is not very different from improving public health. They both involve (sometimes nasty) debates between people with different opinions and values. In health, some most value the enjoyment they get from smoking or unprotected sex, while others value stopping the illnesses caused by these behaviours. In conservation, some value the management of predators above all else, while others value animal control that does not use poisons or is less cruel or they find value in the comfort of a pet cat. In public health, a compromise has been found using a type of research called behaviour prioritisation, so my colleagues and I wondered if this same approach might work in the controversy over the conservation of native wildlife and pet cats. The research process is simple, but potentially profound. First, we looked at ways cat owners might reduce the killing their cats do and found nine possible approaches they could take. They could, for example, de-sex their cat or make them wear a collar with a bell. They could also fence their cat in or build them an enclosure, or even keep the cat inside 24-7. We then asked cat owners which of those they already did or would be willing to do, and then asked vets which actions they would most support and which would be best for cat welfare. We also asked animal conservationists which of the possible actions would best protect wildlife. We entered all this information into a behaviour prioritisation algorithma fancy way of saying that we multiplied them together to come up with a score for each of the nine cat-owner actions. The higher the score, the more likely the action would be accepted and implemented as well as reduce the impact of cats on wildlife. Overall, keeping cats inside at night (from before dusk until after dawn) received the highest score. Of course, keeping cats inside always would be the most effective way to prevent them killing wildlife, but this action was not supported by cat owners or vets. However, about 30 percent of cat owners already keep their cats inside at night, so conservationists could count on their support of this conservation action. Already I can hear a chorus of conservationists saying: "Oh, but the cats will still kill some wildlife, and keeping them inside at night will stop them killing the rats that kill birdsthis solution is worse than useless!" And they may be right, although there has been no research with domestic cats in suburban landscapes to show this is true. That work still needs to be done. Also, more importantly, my colleagues and I recommend keeping cats in at night because it is the behaviour cat owners are most likely to adopt and implement. This action engages constructively with cat owners and begins a positive conversation between conservationists and cat owners that diffuses conflict and opens the door to future progress. Pursuing the actions that give the greatest conservation benefit but will never be adopted by cat owners risks failure and future polarisation of the debate. Focussing instead on achievable, smaller actions in the short-term is a recipe for incremental progress. Australia is miles ahead of us in this regard. A decade ago, only a third of people kept their cats inside at night and keeping cats inside 24-7 was considered cruel. More recent studies show that over 80 percent of cat owners keep their cats inside at night, with nearly 40 percent keeping them inside all the time. A quarter of Australian cat owners have also built outdoor enclosures for their cats. This progress has happened because the values and needs of cat owners were understood and they were involved in a dialogue with conservationists towards a solution. We could make the same progress in New Zealand. Conflicts over wildlife conservation need not be antagonistic and disrespectful. Science and scientists, and good social science, can make sure the values and opinions of both sides are heard and respected, and can accelerate compromise and create a pathway to progress for our leading environmental issues. Perhaps we can also apply this approach to the contentious debate about 1080 to help resolve that long-standing conflict? Explore further The environmental impact of cats on native wildlife More information: Wayne L. Linklater et al. Prioritizing catowner behaviors for a campaign to reduce wildlife depredation, Conservation Science and Practice (2019). Wayne L. Linklater et al. Prioritizing catowner behaviors for a campaign to reduce wildlife depredation,(2019). DOI: 10.1111/csp2.29 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Working class people have always been much less likely to find jobs in creative industries such as acting and film making, and there was no golden age of classless meritocracy, says a new study. Three researchers used data drawn from Census records back to 1971 to challenge the common idea that it is harder now than in the past for working class people to get creative jobs. They found that people whose parents had held the most privileged occupations, such as doctors, lawyers and senior management, were over four times more likely to be working as actors, musicians, artists, programme makers and in other creative roles than those from a working class background. This disparity did not significantly change across the period studied, from 1981 to 2011. Employment data shows that the proportion of people from a working class background in creative jobs was higher in the past. But this was because there were more working class people in the 1980s and not because it was easier for them to find creative jobs. The researchers are Dr. Orian Brook and Dr. Dave O'Brien, of the University of Edinburgh, and Dr. Mark Taylor, University of Sheffield. Dr. Brook told the British Sociological Association's annual conference in Glasgow today [Thursday 25 April 2019] that "people from working class origins have a dramatically lower probability of working in creative jobs that those from the privileged class but this has not changed over time." There was a widespread feeling that it was now harder than before for working class people to get into acting, with actors such as Ian McKellen, Julie Walters, Christopher Eccleston and David Morrissey expressing concern. "But our research shows that creative occupations have always been characterised by over-representations of those from privileged social origins, with little evidence of a classless meritocracy." Dr. Brook said that among the oldest people working in creative jobs, those born in the 1950s, 16% were working class and 12% from the highest managerial and professional background. Among the youngest studied, those born in the 1980s, the figures were 8% and 25% respectively. "These changes demonstrate why core creative workers now in their fifties rightly see those now entering the occupations as being much more privileged than their peer group of the same age," said Dr. Brook. "When they entered creative jobs many more of their colleagues were from working class backgrounds than the young people they see entering creative work now. But this mirrors broader changes in society." The changes reflected changes across the workforce as a whole over time, and were not because those from a working class background found it harder now than before to get a creative job their chances were the same today as before. "There is no evidence that this is a new phenomenon, and there was no golden age of classless access to creative employment," said Dr. Brook. "We have shown that cultural work, for the population born in the 1950s and after, has always been socially exclusive." Education could reduce but not end the disparity a graduate whose parents were in the highest managerial and professional class was nearly twice as likely to gain creative work as a graduate from working class origins. The researchers compared people from the highest socio-economic category defined as 'higher managerial and professional occupations' with those who parents worked in semi-routine occupations or routine occupations. They used the ONS Longitudinal Study which drew on national Census data. For more details of the project, see: createlondon.org/event/panic-paper/ Explore further Most people in Britain today regard themselves working class In this March 29, 2019, photo, Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at U.N. headquarters. The U.N. climate chief says world leaders must recognize there is no option except to speed-up and scale-up action to tackle global warming, warning that continuing on the current path will lead to "a catastrophe." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) The U.N. climate chief says world leaders must recognize there is no option except to speed-up and scale-up action to tackle global warming, warning that continuing on the current path will lead to "a catastrophe. Patricia Espinosa stressed in two recent interviews with the Associated Press that climate scientists are saying there's still a chance to make things right "but the window of opportunity is closing very soon" and the world has 12 years until carbon emissions reach "a point of no return." That means the world needs to accelerate all efforts to keep from reaching that level, "and therefore all efforts are absolutely indispensable" to cut carbon emissions and keep temperatures from rising, she said. Some top scientists say reaching the "tipping point" in 12 years is an oversimplification of a U.N. report last year. Espinosa said carbon emissions were expected to rise in the immediate future after the landmark Paris agreement was adopted in 2015 to address climate change because the transformations needed to go to a downward trajectory "cannot be done overnight." In addition, global population is growing and more people demand more energy and resources, she said. "What has become clear, however, is that if we continue to grow or to behave in a way that this kind of trajectory is maintained we will not be able to achieve the goals of the Paris agreement," said Espinosa, who is executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Paris agreement called for global temperatures to rise a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial times and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). The world has already warmed 1 degree Celsius, so the goal is really about preventing another 1 or 0.5 degrees Celsius (1.8 or 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) increase from now. A report last year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, concluded that while it's technically possible to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, it is highly unlikely because this would require a dramatic overhaul of the global economy, including a shift away from fossil fuels. Deep in the report, scientists say less than 2 percent of 529 of their calculated possible future scenarios kept warming below the 1.5 degree C (2.7 degrees F) goal. "What science is showing now since Paris is that 1.5 degrees C is really necessary because the consequences of staying at 2 degrees C are very big," Espinosa said. "And secondly, it is also showing that 1.5 degrees C is possible. It takes more effort. It takes much more political will." She said the IPCC scientists gave the world 12 years "to speed-up and scale-up the actions" to cut emissions before they start spiraling out of control. "It doesn't mean that we need to wait 12 years and then look at it as the moment to do this," Espinosa said. "It means that we need to accelerate the tipping point, and therefore all efforts are absolutely indispensable." The U.N. report does not say 2030, the date used, is a last chance, hard deadline for action, as it has been interpreted in some quarters. The panel "did not say we have 12 years left to save the world," James Skea, co-chairman of the report and professor of sustainable energy at Imperial College London, told The Associated Press. "The hotter it gets, the worse it gets, but there is no cliff edge." "This has been a persistent source of confusion," agreed Kristie L. Ebi, director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the University of Washington in Seattle. "The report never said we only have 12 years left." In this March 29, 2019, photo, Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at U.N. headquarters. The U.N. climate chief says world leaders must recognize there is no option except to speed-up and scale-up action to tackle global warming, warning that continuing on the current path will lead to "a catastrophe." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Espinosa said in an interview Tuesday that the attention the issue is getting "is clearly growing" but not "at the speed and the breadth that it should." Governments get trapped in dealing with immediate needs "and we are not yet in a situation where we can say we have a broad understanding that the threat to climate change is part of those immediate needs," Espinosa said. She said communities that suffer destruction from the effects of climate change have woken up, the movement by children from schools around the world is "a wake-up call," and mass protests to combat climate change will hopefully spur decision-makers. But Espinosa said some people say climate change isn't happening, "this is not man-made," and "others are just very, very indifferent to the issue." "So we have a lot of work to do to still to get everybody on board," she said. "We have a very long, long way to go." Espinosa stressed that the goal is "to get to a moment where leaders recognize that there is no option." "The truth is that if we continue to produce, consume, to function as we are doing now, we know that we are going toward a catastrophe," she said, and that will mean loss of lives, serious impacts on different sectors of the economy, massive displacement and instability. Leaders must understand "that the business as usual scenario is not an option anymore," she said. To those who question how the goal of 1.5 degrees C can be achieved, Espinosa asked: "How can we ignore a goal that is absolutely necessary to avoid really catastrophic consequences?" U.S. President Donald Trump announced in 2017 that the U.S. will pull out of the Paris climate accord unless he can get a better deala possibility that others such as the European Union and China have dismissed. "We want to engage with the U.S. government and listen to their concerns and see how we can maybe address them together," Espinosa said. "I'm still hopeful that there could be reconsideration of this decision." She noted that many places in the United States are being severely affected by climate change "so I believe this can also bring political leaders in the U.S. to try to exercise their influence in hopefully looking at this issue one more time." Even without support from the Trump administration, Espinosa said, there is a lot of U.S. leadership on climate change from the business sector, regions, governors, mayors and ordinary Americans which "we see with great optimism." Explore further UN climate talks begin amid uncertainty over US position 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Spring plants in parts of the Arctic tundra are arriving earlier than in previous decades, owing to early melt of winter snows and rising temperatures, according to a study led by University of Edinburgh scientists. Credit: Sandra Angers-Blondin The early arrival of spring in parts of the Arctic is driven by winter snow melting sooner than in previous decades and by rising temperatures, research suggests. The findings, from a study of plants at coastal sites around the Arctic tundra, help scientists understand how the region is responding to a changing climate and how it may continue to adapt. Researchers studied the timing of activity in seasonal vegetation, which acts as a barometer for the environment. Changes in the arrival of leaves and flowerswhich cover much of the regioncan reflect or influence shifts in the climate. A team from the University of Edinburgh, and universities in Canada, the US, Denmark and Germany, gathered data on the greening and flowering of 14 plant species at four sites in Alaska, Canada and Greenland. They sought to better understand which factors have the greatest influence on the timing of spring plants in the tundratemperatures, snow melt or sea ice melt. Variation in the timing of leaves and flowers appearing on plants between the sites was found to be linked to the timing of local snow melt and, to a lesser extent, temperatures. Across the tundra, leaves and flowers were found to emerge as much as 20 days sooner compared with two decades ago. Within the same timeframe, spring temperatures warmed by 1 degree Celsius each decade on average, while loss of sea ice occurred around 20 days sooner across the different regions. Spring plants in parts of the Arctic tundra are arriving earlier than in previous decades, owing to early melt of winter snows and rising temperatures, according to a study led by University of Edinburgh scientists. Credit: Anne D. Bjorkman Spring plants in parts of the Arctic tundra are arriving earlier than in previous decades, owing to early melt of winter snows and rising temperatures, according to a study led by University of Edinburgh scientists. Credit: Anne D. Bjorkman Overall snow melt, which advanced by about 10 days over two decades, had the greatest influence on the timing of spring. The study, published in Global Change Biology, was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council. Dr. Isla Myers-Smith, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, who took part in the study, said: "In the extreme climate of the Arctic tundra, where summers are short, the melting of winter snows as well as warming temperatures are key drivers of the timing of spring. This will help us to understand how Arctic ecosystems are responding as the climate warms." Explore further Air temperatures in the Arctic are driving system change More information: Jakob J. Assmann et al, Local snow melt and temperaturebut not regional sea iceexplain variation in spring phenology in coastal Arctic tundra, Global Change Biology (2019). Journal information: Global Change Biology Jakob J. Assmann et al, Local snow melt and temperaturebut not regional sea iceexplain variation in spring phenology in coastal Arctic tundra,(2019). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14639 Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images In an earnings call with investors yesterday, Facebook publicly disclosed for the first time that it was anticipating hefty fines from the Federal Trade Commission. While the two entities are still in talks over the exact agreement and final tally, Facebook told investors that it estimates getting hit with a fine between $3 billion and $5 billion. In his remarks, Zuckerberg repeated his interest in reorienting Facebook toward privacy (encryption, messaging, closed groups, etc.) and away from the public-facing, feed-based monster he helped create. I understand that any regulation may hurt our business. But I think its necessary. Getting these issues right is more important than our interests, he said. Over the long term, I believe that that increase in the trustworthiness of the internet can have a much larger positive impact for our community and our business than any short-term hit that were going to take. Despite news of the fine, Wall Street institutions didnt really seem to care, and stock jumped from around $183 dollars a share to $192 when the stock market opened this morning. This could be because Wall Street assumes that Facebook sending the FTC a big check with Im reawwy sowwy written in the memo line is enough fend off business-model-altering regulation for the near future. Facebook CFO Dave Wehner had no answer when asked if the impending FTC agreement will affect how Facebooks ad-targeting business actually operates. Compare this reaction from the finance industry to its reaction last summer, when investors balked. In July of 2018, Facebook announced that it expected revenue growth to slow as it began putting privacy first, making significant investments in user safety and security. Facebooks ad-targeting business doesnt work as well when users have strong privacy and control over how Facebook uses their data. Upon the announcement, Facebooks stock dropped 20 percent. (It has since recovered, duh.) With the FTC settlement looming, some regulators are singling out Zuckerberg for censure as well. This week, Oregon senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the FTC demanding that Zuckerberg be personally reprimanded as well. Facebooks corporate governance is structured in such a way that it gives the CEO complete control over the company, with little to no checks and balances. Given Mr. Zuckerbergs deceptive statements, his personal control over Facebook, and his role in approving key decisions related to the sharing of user data, the FTC can and must hold Mr. Zuckerberg personally responsible for these continued violations, Wyden wrote, according to the Washington Post. Zuckerberg was not personally named in the companys previous FTC agreement in 2011. A $3 billion fine would easily be the largest one levied against a tech company in history, eclipsing the $22 million fine the FTC hit Google with in 2012 by a magnitude of about 150. And still, looking at Facebooks stock price, its tough not to get the sense that even this enormous onetime fee is viewed by Wall Street as a slap on the wrist, a toll that Facebook needs to pay once to get the monkey off its back. Should the terms of the settlement require Facebook to actually change how it does, well, anything, then you might see investors start to panic. Until then, however, the flimsy current state of tech regulation doesnt seem to have anyone at Facebook, or on Wall Street, worried. The crystal structure of the SALON phosphor is the reason for its excellent luminescence properties. Credit: University of Innsbruck The human eye is particularly sensitive to green, but less sensitive to blue and red. Chemists led by Hubert Huppertz at the University of Innsbruck have now developed a new red phosphor whose light is well perceived by the eye. This increases the light yield of white LEDs by around one sixth, which can significantly improve the energy efficiency of lighting systems. Light emitting diodes or LEDs are only able to produce light of a certain colour. However, white light can be created using different colour mixing processes. "In a white LED, red and yellow-green phosphors are excited by the light from a blue diode. The particles emit light in the red and green range, and in combination with the blue light, they produce white light," describes Hubert Huppertz from the Department of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He and his team are working on improving the red and green phosphors. In cooperation with OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, his team has now succeeded in synthesizing a new red phosphor that has excellent luminescence properties and can make LED lighting significantly more energy-efficient. Color shift improves luminous efficacy The powerful red phosphor Sr[Li 2 Al 2 O 2 N 2 ]:Eu2+, named SALON by the researchers, meets all the requirements for the optical properties of a phosphor. The development goes back to research carried out by Hubert Huppertz at the University of Bayreuth. As part of his doctoral thesis, he developed nitrides doped with europium that are fluorescent. These were then further optimised by the working group in Munich and are now widely used. These red phosphors are partly responsible for the fact that LEDs no longer glow only cold white, but also warm white. Interestingly, the human eye reacts most sensitively to the colour green. In the blue and red areas, the eye is less sensitive. Although these phosphors emit red light in the visible range, a large part of the energy goes into the infrared range, which the human eye does not perceive. The fluorescent material developed in Innsbruck has now succeeded in slightly shifting the light emission from red towards blue. Shifting the color from red to orange improves the luminous efficacy. Credit: University of Innsbruck "Since initially only a few very small particles were available in a very inhomogeneous sample, it was difficult to optimise the synthesis," said doctoral student Gregor Hoerder. The breakthrough came when the researchers were able to isolate a single-crystal from one of the most promising synthesis products and thus determine the structure of the new material. "The substance is synthesised in such a way that it emits more orange than red," says Hubert Huppertz. "With SALON we have less energy loss, it emits exactly in the red range we can see." OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, a strong industrial partner, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructures of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle and Dirk Johrendt's research group at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich were also involved in further characterizing the new material. The development has already been registered for patent. Explore further LEDs: Better red makes brighter white More information: Gregor J. Hoerder et al. Sr[Li 2 Al 2 O 2 N 2 ]:Eu2+A high performance red phosphor to brighten the future, Nature Communications (2019). Journal information: Nature Communications Gregor J. Hoerder et al. Sr[LiAl]:EuA high performance red phosphor to brighten the future,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09632-w In parts of Germany, farmers' fields resemble desert landscapes Weather experts warn of drought in Europe over its summer as firefighters tackled forest fires on Thursday, and farmers fretted over wilting crops and a repeat of 2018's arid conditions. In Germany, Europe's biggest economy, farmers are fearful at the start of the growing season following below-average rainfall earlier this yearbad news after last year's drought. Unless significant rain falls in May, experts say there is little chance of decent crops. "If the dry weather continues in the coming months, the drought of 2018 could be repeated or even exceeded," warned Udo Busch, head of the German weather service's agricultural section. A lack of rain has turned some forests into potential tinderboxes. Over the past few days, German firefighters have tackled blazing forest fires in the states of Hessen, Brandenburg and Thuringia. A senior fire chief has even asked authorities, including the army, to lend helicopters in order to "react adequately". Scandinavia has also been hit, with Swedish firefighters currently tackling 10 to 15 forest fires a day after precious little rain this month. The most serious blaze broke out over 300 hectares (740 acres) in the southern district of Hassleholm, forcing 49 people to be evacuated. 'Decisive month is May' Last year nearly 25,000 hectares of land was ravaged by fires in Sweden. In Sweden, tractors hauling fertilizer tanks filled with water are used to put out a forest fire In neighbouring Norway, a forest fire narrowly missed the community of Sokndal, but around 70 firefighters were still extinguishing flames on Thursday over an area of 750 hectares. Dry conditions are a headache for northern Europe's farmers. Phil Hogan, the European Union's agriculture commissioner, on Thursday promised farmers and rural communities in member states will get EU support should drought strike again. In the German state of Brandenburg, surrounding Berlin, barren fields resemble desert landscapes. There are fears of a repeat of last year's poor harvest, when crops were down between 30 to 80 percent, threatening the livelihoods of many German farmers. Across Brandenburg's 780 farms, reported losses for 2018 topped 93 million euros ($104 million) and the state had to provide 72 million euros in aid. Rain is forecast for the coming days. But it is expected to be far insufficient for what is needed to mitigate a worrying situation. "We sincerely hope for rainthe decisive month for us is May," said farmers' association spokesman Tino Erstling. In neighbouring Austria, the first signs of drought have already appeared in the east and north, raising fears of another bleak harvest. Rainfall is already down to just a quarter of the 10-year average in recent weeks. Northern Italy, too, has been affected by lack of rain over Europe's winter months 'Signs point to suffering' Potato growers are demanding a relaxation of pesticide regulations to better control numbers of wireworm, which they say are flourishing because of drought. "The current signs point to suffering for agriculture," said Hagelversicherung, a specialist insurance company. The situation is even more shocking in the Czech Republic, where 99 percent of the country has already been hit by drought over the last five weeks. A third of the country is classed among the worst two drought categories on a six-level scale, according to the Intersucho (Interdrought) portal, which monitors drought in central Europe. The drought has come a month earlier than last year. In many Czech villages, the wells are already dry, forcing the population to find other ways to get water. Forecasters predict rain this weekend which may help save some crops, but farmers remain sceptical. Hardest hit will be the regions northwest of Prague, where hops crucial to the Czech beer industry are grown, and in the southeast, famous for its wine and grain. A couple of windy days over the past weeks haven't helped as the wind has dried the top layer of soil. The drought is also devastating Czech forests as it encourages breeding of the bark beetle with damage this year projected to top one billion euros. The Czech Republic has been grappling with bark beetle infestation for several years and experts say the current situation is the worst in Czech history. Explore further European heatwave brings drought, wildfires 2019 AFP In this Nov. 1, 2018, file photo, workers protest against Google's handling of sexual misconduct allegations at the company's Mountain View, Calif., headquarters. Google says it has updated the way it investigates misconduct claims, changes it pledged to make after thousands of employees walked out in protest last November. The company says the changes make it simpler for employees to file complaints about sexual misconduct or other harassment. The move follows claims by two walkout organizers that they faced Google retaliation for helping to put together the protest. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) Google said Thursday it has updated the way it investigates misconduct claimschanges the company pledged to make after employees called for action last year. The company is simultaneously facing backlash from two employees who say they faced corporate retaliation after helping to organizing the November walkout protests . Thursday's changes are designed to make it simpler for employees to file complaints about sexual misconduct or other issues. Google also issued guidelines to tell employees what to expect during an investigation, and added a policy that allows workers to bring along a colleague for support during the reporting process. Google CEO Sundar Pichai promised to make these changes last fall after thousands of Google employees at company offices around the world briefly walked out to protest the company's handling of sexual misconduct investigations and payouts to executives facing misconduct allegations. Google has already responded to some protester demands by ending mandatory arbitration and changing benefit rules for some temporary workers and contractors. But organizers of the walkout say there is more to be done. Two organizers sent an internal email to some Google employees this week saying they had been retaliated against by the company after helping to put together the protests. This Nov. 1, 2018, file photo shows a photo of the Google logo at their offices in Granary Sqaure, London. Google says it has updated the way it investigates misconduct claims, changes it pledged to make after thousands of employees walked out in protest last November. The company says the changes make it simpler for employees to file complaints about sexual misconduct or other harassment. The move follows claims by two walkout organizers that they faced Google retaliation for helping to put together the protest. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File) One employee said she was told to end her outside research work about artificial intelligence ethics. Another said she was effectively demoted before hiring a lawyer, when her work was then restored. But she faces a "hostile" environment and considers quitting every day, she wrote in the email. Google denied the retaliation claims, saying employees are regularly given new assignments as business needs change. The walkout organizers are holding a virtual town hall Friday for Google employees to discuss retaliation claims. Explore further Google reforms sexual misconduct rules 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Atlantis Aziz-Dickerson, left, Joyceline Dweh, center, and D'Asia Buchanan--seniors at Rochester Prep High School--isolated, identified and genetically sequenced the genome of a Yimella bacterium in the RIT Genomics Lab with faculty mentor Andre Hudson, head of RIT's Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences. Credit: A. Sue Weisler/RIT Three high school students working in a science lab for the first time made a surprising discovery with a Rochester Institute of Technology professor. Now, the young women are co-authors on a scientific paper announcing a rare bacterium that kills e-coli. Atlantis Aziz-Dickerson, Joyceline Dweh and D'Asia Buchananseniors at Uncommon Schools' Rochester Prep High Schoolisolated, identified and genetically sequenced the genome of a Yimella bacterium in the RIT Genomics Lab with faculty mentor Andre Hudson, head of RIT's Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences. The species of Yimella produces antibiotic compounds that inhibit at least two kinds of bacteria, Escherichia and Bacillus, both of which contain species pathogenic to humans. Their findings will appear in the April 25 issue of The American Society for Microbiology's Microbiology Resource Announcements. The paper, "Isolation, whole-genome sequencing and annotation of Yimella sp. RIT 621, a strain that produces antibiotic compounds against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Bacillus subtilis BGSC 168," lists the high school students alongside lead author Anutthaman Parthasarathy, RIT postdoctoral researcher; Narayan Wong, Genomics Lab technician; and Nicholas Burns, a fourth-year biotechnology and molecular bioscience major, and RIT faculty Michael Savka and Hudson. Working in the RIT Genomics Lab throughout the fall semester, the students isolated, extracted and sequenced the whole genome of the bacterium3.2 million base pairsusing an advanced sequencing platform, the Illumina MiSeq Next Generation Sequencer. The team annotated the genomic information and analyzed the genome of the bacterium to reveal the organism's unique properties. "We all worked on it together," Buchanan said. "Knowing that I was a part of this finding was really exciting for me because not everybody has the same opportunities and, being that we come from a place where we don't have a lot of opportunities to be published and to be in this situation, it was very rewarding." Aziz-Dickerson isolated the bacterium from the door handle leading to a lecture hall in RIT's College of Science building, or Gosnell Hall. The high school senior plans to study biomedical sciences and biology at college. "Antibiotic resistance is a growing factor in our world," Aziz-Dickerson said. "We swabbed a door handle, one of the bathroom hand dryers and a cell phone, and we isolated three different bacteria. We didn't know the genera or species of the bacteria we isolated. We found out it inhibits the growth of two different types of bacteria." Hudson geared the capstone project towards bioprospectingsearching for unique bacteria with beneficial properties that can be exploited. He was surprised to find this species. "This one is unique," Hudson said. "Our paper is one of the few studies out there and the bacterium produces compounds to kill other bacteria. I see science as a service, and we are making the strain available to the scientific community. We will need to do follow-up experiments, but this strain of Yimella may be a candidate for isolating compounds to create new antibiotics." Antibiotic and antifungal resistance is a growing concern around the world, and pharmaceutical companies are racing to make up for lost time in developing new drugs to treat infections. The overuse and lack of stewardship of antibiotics, along with the hurdles of the drug approval process, are to blame, Hudson said. "We had drugs on the market that worked well for a while but stopped working due to a natural phenomenon of evolution," Hudson said. "If you continue challenging the same organism or organisms with the same drug over time, they well figure out a way to circumvent it. We weren't discovering or developing drugs at the same time to match the pace of evolution. We knew ultimately that this was going to come, it was just a matter of time." Nearly 20 students from Rochester Prep visited RIT during the fall and winter to work with professors on a variety of projects in science, biomedical sciences, sustainability, game design, photojournalism and sociology. Many of the Rochester Prep students will be among the first in their family to attend college. Experiential learning opportunities like the capstone program give them a glimpse of the culture and pace of college. "I've never been in a lab before," Dweh said. "I already have the knowledge of what to expect when I go to college now that I have this experience. Doing this capstone project took me out of my comfort zone, and I think it will help me in the future." Hudson did not hesitate to volunteer to be a capstone mentor when he learned about the opportunity. "I was heartened by this program," Hudson said. "I am a scientist today because someone took the time to do exactly what I hope I did for those students." The capstone program grew out of a unique relationship between the charter high school and the university. Rochester Prep High School, a member of award-winning charter management organization Uncommon Schools, opened in 2014 with a strong partnership with RIT already in place, through a donation from RIT Trustee Ron Zarella. "The Zarella gift supports RIT in directing relevant resources to the goal of 100 percent college graduation for all Rochester Prep students," said Kit Mayberry, RIT vice president for strategic planning and special initiatives. "RIT's involvement with the high school is not a recruitment tool; like Uncommon Schools, it helps graduating seniors find the college most suitable to their talents and interests." Mayberry, who directs the RIT side of the partnership, thinks that this unique alliance can become a model for other urban schools. "It stands to reason that higher education should be a major player in the process of preparing students for a successful college career," Mayberry said. "While not all Rochester Prep capstone students will be co-authors on a scientific research paper, the partnership gives all of them a huge leg-up for college success." Explore further A universal framework combining genome annotation and undergraduate education More information: Anutthaman Parthasarathy et al. Isolation, Whole-Genome Sequencing, and Annotation of Yimella sp. RIT 621, a Strain That Produces Antibiotic Compounds against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Bacillus subtilis BGSC 168, Microbiology Resource Announcements (2019). Anutthaman Parthasarathy et al. Isolation, Whole-Genome Sequencing, and Annotation of Yimella sp. RIT 621, a Strain That Produces Antibiotic Compounds against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Bacillus subtilis BGSC 168,(2019). DOI: 10.1128/MRA.00329-19 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Households in the UK where the woman is the sole earner are significantly poorer than those where the man is the only breadwinner, bucking the trend in western Europe. The findings disprove the assumption that British women breadwinners are high-earning and empowered, says new research. Dr. Helen Kowalewska, of the University of Southampton, and Dr. Agnese Vitali, University of Trento, Italy, analysed survey data on 171,697 people in the United States, Australia, Canada and 17 European countries. Dr. Kowalewska told the British Sociological Association's annual conference in Glasgow today [Thursday 25 April] that the average (median) disposable income of UK households where the woman was the only earner was $13,983 [US dollarssee Note 1 at end]. Where the man was the sole earner, it was around $17,095. In Western Europe, the US, Canada and Australia, households with women as the sole breadwinners earned more than those with just the men in employment, with only Germany and Norway as exception. In southern and eastern Europe, the opposite was true households with women as the sole breadwinners earned less than those with just the men in employment, with only Slovenia an exception. "Our findings shed doubt on popular depictions of female breadwinners as high-earning, empowered women instead they are often lower-educated," Dr. Kowalewska told the conference. "Rather than reflecting women's empowerment or greater gender equity, female breadwinners are in this position by default, forced to take up employment when their partner loses his job. "One reason why the UK bucks the trend for western Europe is that women who are the sole breadwinners work significantly fewer hours, an average of 34 a week, compared with sole men breadwinners who work 43. "They are also less likely to be in managerial or professional occupations 29% compared with 26% for men sole breadwinners." By contrast, the researchers found that where the main earner in UK households was the woman and her partner worked part-time, the total disposable income was around $25,968, slightly more than where the man was the main earner and the women worked part-time. Households where both partners worked were the best off, with a disposable income defined as the total income after tax of around $32,505. Explore further Higher-earning men would take a pay cut to spend more time with partners Anish Tuteja, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, and his research group have created a coating that sheds ice off large surfaces. Credit: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications and Marketing A new class of coatings that sheds ice effortlessly from even large surfaces has moved researchers closer to their decades-long goal of ice-proofing cargo ships, airplanes, power lines and other large structures. The spray-on coatings, developed at the University of Michigan, cause ice to fall away from structuresregardless of their sizewith just the force of a light breeze, or often the weight of the ice itself. A paper on the research is published in Science. In a test on a mock power line, the coating shed ice immediately. The researchers overcame a major limitation of previous ice-repellent coatingswhile they worked well on small areas, researchers found in field testing that they didn't shed ice on very large surfaces as effectively as they had hoped. That's an issue, since ice tends to cause the biggest problems on the biggest surfacessapping efficiency, jeopardizing safety and necessitating costly removal. They cleared this hurdle with a "beautiful demonstration of mechanics." Anish Tuteja, an associate professor of materials science and engineering, described how he and his colleagues turned to a property that isn't well-known in icing research. "For decades, coating research has focused on lowering adhesion strengththe force per unit area required to tear a sheet of ice from a surface," Tuteja said. "The problem with this strategy is that the larger the sheet of ice, the more force is required. We found that we were bumping up against the limits of low adhesion strength, and our coatings became ineffective once the surface area got large enough." Professor Anish Tutejas group at the University of Michigan demonstrates the performance of a low interfacial toughness (LIT) coating in shedding ice for different applications and conditions. Credit: Abhishek Dhyani The new coatings solve the problem by introducing a second strategy: low interfacial toughness, abbreviated LIT. Surfaces with low interfacial toughness encourage cracks to form between ice and the surface. And unlike breaking an ice sheet's surface adhesion, which requires tearing the entire sheet free, a crack only breaks the surface free along its leading edge. Once that crack starts, it can quickly spread across the entire iced surface, regardless of its size. "Imagine pulling a rug across a floor," said Michael Thouless, the Janine Johnson Weins Professor of Engineering in mechanical engineering. "The larger the rug, the harder it is to move. You are resisted by the strength of the entire interface between the rug and floor. The frictional force is analogous to the interfacial strength. "But now imagine there's a wrinkle in that rug. It's easy to keep pushing that wrinkle across the rug, regardless of how big the rug is. The resistance to propagating the wrinkle is analogous to the interfacial toughness that resists the propagation of a crack." Thouless said the concept of interfacial toughness is well known in the field of fracture mechanics, where it underpins products like laminated surfaces and adhesive-based aircraft joints. But until now, it hadn't been applied in ice mitigation. The advance came when Thouless learned of Tuteja's previous work and saw an opportunity. Anish Tuteja, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, and his research group have created a coating that sheds ice off large surfaces. Credit: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications and Marketing Anish Tuteja, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, and his research group have created a coating that sheds ice off large surfaces. Credit: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications and Marketing Anish Tuteja, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, and his research group have created a coating that sheds ice off large surfaces. Credit: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications and Marketing "Traditionally, fracture mechanics researchers only care about interfacial toughness, and ice mitigation researchers often only care about interfacial strength," Thouless said. "But both parameters are important for understanding adhesion. "I pointed out to Anish that if he were to test increasing lengths of ice, he would find the failure load would rise while interfacial strength was important, but then plateau once toughness became important. Anish and his students tried the experiments and ended up with a really beautiful demonstration of the mechanics, and a new concept for ice adhesion." To test the idea, Tuteja's team used a technique he honed during previous coating research. By mapping out the properties of a vast library of substances and adding interfacial toughness as well as adhesion strength to the equation, they were able to mathematically predict the properties of a coating without the need to physically test each one. This enabled them to concoct a wide variety of combinations, each with a specifically tailored balance between interfacial toughness and adhesion strength. They tested a variety of coatings on large surfacesa rigid aluminum sheet approximately 3 feet square, and a flexible aluminum piece approximately 1 inch wide and 3 feet long, to mimic a power line. On every surface, ice fell off immediately due to its own weight. It stuck fast, however, to the control surfaces, which were identical in sizeone was uncoated and another was coated with an earlier icephobic coating. The team's next step is to improve its durability of the LIT coatings. More information: K. Golovin el al., "Lowinterfacial toughness materials for effective large-scale deicing," Science (2019). Journal information: Science K. Golovin el al., "Lowinterfacial toughness materials for effective large-scale deicing,"(2019). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi 1126/science.aav1266 In this Aug. 31, 2016, file photo, visitors take photos in front of the Facebook logo outside of the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook reports earnings Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) Ireland's privacy regulator says it's investigating Facebook over the social media giant's recent revelation that it had left hundreds of millions of user passwords exposed. The Irish Data Protection Commission said Thursday that it opened a statutory inquiry this week into Facebook after the company notified it about the security lapse. The company said last month that it had inadvertently stored passwords for users of Facebook, Facebook Lite and Instagram in plain text, making it possible for employees to search them. Facebook said it is working with the commission on the inquiry. "There is no evidence that these internally stored passwords were abused or improperly accessed," the company said in a statement. Facebook has said it fixed the problem and planned to notify millions of Facebook and Instagram users and "hundreds of millions" of users of Facebook Lite, which is primarily used in developing countries. It's the latest regulatory headache for Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has promised to turn the company into a "privacy focused platform." The Irish commission, which is Facebook's lead privacy regulator for Europe, already has 10 other investigations under way into the company and its subsidiaries over whether it's complying with European data protection rules. Facebook said Wednesday it expects to be fined at least $3 billion by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which is investigating whether the social network violated users' privacy. It also faces other probes in the U.S. and Europe, including in Belgium and Germany. 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Credit: AlexanderAlUS/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 The nano research team led by professors Helge Weman and Bjrn-Ove Fimland at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Department of Electronic Systems has succeeded in creating light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, from a nanomaterial that emits ultraviolet light. It is the first time anyone has created ultraviolet light on a graphene surface. "We've shown that it's possible, which is really exciting," says Ph.D. candidate Ida Marie Hiaas, who has been working on the project with Ph.D. candidate Andreas Liudi Mulyo. "We've created a new electronic component that has the potential to become a commercial product. It's non-toxic and could turn out to be cheaper, and more stable and durable than today's fluorescent lamps. If we succeed in making the diodes efficient and much cheaper, it's easy to imagine this equipment becoming commonplace in people's homes. That would increase the market potential considerably," Hiaas says. Dangerousbut useful Although it's important to protect ourselves from too much exposure to the sun's UV radiation, ultraviolet light also has very useful properties. This applies especially to UV light with short wavelengths of 100-280 nanometres, called UVC light, which is especially useful for its ability to destroy bacteria and viruses. Fortunately, the dangerous UVC rays from the sun are trapped by the ozone layer and oxygen and don't reach the Earth. But it is possible to create UVC light, which can be used to clean surfaces and hospital equipment, or to purify water and air. The problem today is that many UVC lamps contain mercury. The UN's Minamata Convention, which went into effect in 2017, sets out measures to phase out mercury mining and reduce mercury use. The convention was named for a Japanese fishing village where the population was poisoned by mercury emissions from a factory in the 1950s. Building on graphene A layer of graphene placed on glass forms the substrate for the researchers' new diode that generates UV light. Graphene is a super-strong and ultra-thin crystalline material consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms. Researchers have succeeded in growing nanowires of aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN) on the graphene lattice. The process takes place in a high temperature vacuum chamber where aluminium and gallium atoms are deposited or grown directly on the graphene substratewith high precision and in the presence of nitrogen plasma. This process is known as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and is conducted in Japan, where the NTNU research team collaborates with Professor Katsumi Kishino at Sophia University in Tokyo. Let there be light After growing the sample, it is transported to the NTNU NanoLab where the researchers make metal contacts of gold and nickel on the graphene and nanowires. When power is sent from the graphene and through the nanowires, they emit UV light. Graphene is transparent for light of all wavelengths, and the light emitted from the nanowires shines through the graphene and glass. "It's exciting to be able to combine nanomaterials this way and create functioning LEDs, says Hiaas. Multi-million dollar market An analysis has calculated that the market for UVC products will increase by NOK 6 billion, or roughly US $700 million between now and 2023. The growing demand for such products and the phase-out of mercury are expected to yield an annual market increase of almost 40 per cent. Concurrently with her Ph.D. research at NTNU, Hiaas is working with the same technology on an industrial platform for CrayoNano. The company is a spinoff from NTNU's nano research group. Use less electricity more cheaply UVC LEDs that can replace fluorescent bulbs are already on the market, but CrayoNano's goal is to create far more energy-efficient and cheaper diodes. According to the company, one reason that today's UV LEDs are expensive is that the substrate is made of expensive aluminium nitride. Graphene is cheaper to manufacture and requires less material for the LED diode. Further development needed Hiaas believes that a lot of improvements are needed before the process developed at NTNU can be scaled up to industrial production level. Necessary upgrades include conductivity and energy efficiency, more advanced nanowire structures and shorter wavelengths to create UVC light. CrayoNano has progressed further, but their results have not yet been published. "CrayoNano's goal is to commercialize the technology sometime in 2022," says Hiaas. Explore further Better solar cells, better LED light and vast optical possibilities More information: Ida Marie Hiaas et al, GaN/AlGaN Nanocolumn Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diode Using Double-Layer Graphene as Substrate and Transparent Electrode, Nano Letters (2019). Journal information: Nano Letters Ida Marie Hiaas et al, GaN/AlGaN Nanocolumn Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diode Using Double-Layer Graphene as Substrate and Transparent Electrode,(2019). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b04607 Peene river and flooded lands near Anklamer Stadtbruch, Germany. Credit: Solvin Zankl/Rewilding Europe Regardless of whether we are dealing with a floodplain landscape or an entire national park, the success of a restoration project depends on more than just the reintroduction of individual plant or animal species into an area. An international team of researchers led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig reveals it is more a matter of helping the damaged ecosystem to regenerate and sustain itself. In the current issue of the journal Science the researchers describe how rewilding measures can be better planned and implementedand the benefits this can have on humans. Nature has been severely affected around the world by the construction of cities, roads and factories as well as intensive farming practices. Entire ecosystems have been destroyed, resulting in a continuous decline in biodiversity. "As a result, many ecosystems are no longer able to perform important tasks such as flood regulation," says Professor Henrique Pereira of MLU and iDiv. For several decades projects have been conducted around the world that aim to recreate regions that are as near to nature as possible. A well-known approach is so-called rewilding. "Rewilding focuses on the ecosystem as a whole and attempts to restore its functionality through targeted measures, allowing the ecosystem to sustain itself with little or no human management," explains lead author Andrea Perino, who is working on her doctorate in Pereira's research group. At the same time, rewilding also serves to make the aesthetic and intangible value of nature accessible to people. A prime example of a successful rewilding project in Germany is the Oder river delta at Szczecin Lagoon located along the Baltic coast between Germany and Poland. Many animals live here in the wild, including white-tailed eagles, bison and beavers. A vibrant nature tourism industry has developed in the area in recent years. "This is a good example of how rewilding can create both environmental and social benefits," says Perino. In their article in Science, the researchers present a type of blueprint on how to plan and carry out rewilding projects. Above all, they call for a shift in perspective: there is no one ideal ecosystem that can be created through specific measures. Instead, it is much more important to examine the functions of the respective ecosystem, analyse the disturbances in this system and derive a range of measures to restore the processes that have been disrupted, while at the same time minimizing human intervention. In a floodplain landscape, for example, this could be achieved by removing dams that are no longer needed, thereby submerging at least part of the landscape. This could create a habitat for animals and plants that were previously displaced by humans. It is important to factor in geographical and social possibilities. "Rewilding projects must always involve the local population," explains Perino. Otherwise, the projects will have no chance of success. A compromise always needs to be made between what is theoretically possible and what is actually feasible. Not every region is suitable for all rewilding measures: "It is not about directing all your energies towards the specific objective of creating an ideal ecosystem. Ecosystems are dynamic and therefore measures also have to be dynamic." Provided by Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg Nintendo's portable Switch console has become a huge global seller Nintendo said Thursday its full-year net profit jumped nearly 40 percent, lifted by strong sales of blockbuster game titles for its popular Switch console. The Kyoto-based games giant said "Pokemon" and "Super Smash Bros" gave an extra boost for the year as its shares surged on expectations of its launch of Switch games in China. Nintendo's net profit for the fiscal year to March rose 39.0 percent from a year earlier to 194 billion yen ($1.7 billion), on sales of 1.2 trillion yen, up 13.7 percent. "The results for this fiscal year showed strong software sales for Nintendo Switch, which contributed to the expansion of hardware sales," the firm said in a statement. In particular, "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" recorded sales of nearly 14 million units, while "Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu!", and "Pokemon Let's Go, Eevee!" sold more than 10 million units, it said. For the current fiscal year to March next year, Nintendo forecasts its bottom-line profit would decline by 7.2 percent but set a higher sales target. Nintendo said sales of Switch hardware are projected to rise six percent to 18 million units for the current fiscal year with plans to release "Super Mario Maker 2", "Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield" and "The Legend of Zelda". Its latest portable console, the Switch, has become a huge global seller, helped by the release of innovative, family-friendly titles that have wowed critics and gamers alike. The company's shares surged more than 12 percent since news reports said earlier this month that its games and the Switch will soon be available in China via tech giant Tencent. "Switch's expected launch in China is likely to be an extra boost to its growth for the current fiscal year," Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute in Tokyo, told AFP. The share gain was also backed by speculation that Nintendo would soon launch a smaller version of the Switch, "which will make up for a shrinking market share of its 3DS" portable games, said Yasuo Imanaka, an analyst at Rakuten Securities in Tokyo. But analysts have warned that Nintendo and its gaming rival Sony may be forced to put the brake on growth as Google plans to release its Stadia platform that will let game players stream their titles to any device they wish. Sony, maker of the PlayStation console, is scheduled to release its full-year results on Friday. 2019 AFP The presidents good buddy Franklin Graham. Photo: Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images For Christians in the Western tradition (the Eastern Orthodox Easter is this coming Sunday), its the joyful season of the Resurrection, when sackcloth and ashes are put aside and believers celebrate the redemptive love of God for all of humankind. But for conservative Evangelical leader and Trump supporter Franklin Graham, intolerance is always in season: Mayor Buttigieg says hes a gay Christian. As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a womannot two men, not two women. 2/3 Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) April 24, 2019 This is hardly a new point of view for conservative Evangelicals, but most are less brazen about telling a fellow Christian hes not one, and that God wants him to hate his very nature and spurn his spouse. How does Graham rationalize his bigotry? He blames it on the Bible, to which he takes a spiritually barren, legalistic approach that keeps him from seeing forest or trees because hes scratching around in the pine straw of cultural conservatism, divinizing the Way Things Used to Be. In this, Graham reminds me of former Georgia congressman and Christian right stalwart Paul Broun Jr.: The Bible, he says, is a manufacturers handbook, that shows how to run our lives individually, how to run our families, how to run our churches how to run all of public policy and everything in society. What an astonishingly, depressingly unspiritual way to look at the Good Book; what an appallingly illiterate way of understanding it, particularly if you get that the only scriptures people like Broun want to use to control the lives of everyone in the world just happen to reinforce the kind of smug white conservative patriarchal world-view from a bygone era they consider ideal. Buttigieg, of course, has said to Grahams religio-political brother-in-arms Mike Pence that when it comes to his sexual orientation: Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator. Graham has no problem presuming to reject the work of that creator on grounds that he knows better because of sparse and random condemnations of homosexuality (never by Jesus, it should be noted) in a book whose unmistakable themes are Gods unfailing and unconditional love for all of His creation and the particularly sinful nature of human self-righteousness. Next time President Trump has press availability, someone should ask him if he agrees with Grahams belief that all gay people are depraved and cannot practice Christianity without renouncing their orientation or at least heading back to the closet. Granted, the president knows about as much about religion as he does about the U.S. Constitution. But he should at least accept some responsibility for the hateful views of some of his most fervent supporters or challenge them to repent. Students Alex Rivas and Rachel Biega work on a Gate Trainer Harness, which is used in the physical therapy treatment of patients who have limited walking capabilities, in the Enabling Engineering Lab in Hayden Hall on April 24, 2019. Credit: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University Kevin Leiser starts with his eyes closed and his back to the target. As he turns and raises the compound bow, he keeps his eyes shut, listening to the beeping in his headphones. He adjusts his aim until the beeps merge into a solid tone that comes through evenly in both ears. He draws back an arrow, makes a few final adjustments, and fires. Leiser, a fifth-year student studying electrical engineering at Northeastern, usually shoots with his eyes open. But he has spent the past two semesters working with a team of his peers to build a system that would enable visually-impaired individuals to aim and fire a bow on their own. "We wanted to make a device that enables blind archery shooters to shoot with some sense of accuracy, while also giving them some sense of independence while they do it," says Leiser. The device was just one of the projects displayed by undergraduates in Northeastern's Enabling Engineering student group at the annual showcase earlier this month. Students in the group work to design and build devices to improve the lives of people with physical and cognitive disabilities. "We're really focused on connection with our clients," says Waleed Meleis, an associate professor and associate chair of electrical and computer engineering who advises the group. "We don't just build something in a vacuum." Other projects included a modified exercise device that will play music when students use it, encouraging them to keep pedaling; a clamp to help a woman with muscular dystrophy put her hair into a ponytail with one hand; and a sensory tray with interesting objects that can be attached to a wheelchair to keep with the attention of a client with cognitive disabilities. "You have to be really creative," says Alex Rivas, a fifth-year student studying bioengineering. "It's always daunting at firstWhere are you going to begin?but I think that's part of the fun." Rivas has been working on a project to design a more comfortable physical therapy harness for individuals who need to practice using their legs, but can't walk without assistance. Starting with a climbing harness and a tactical vest, the group has experimented with different configurations and padding to make something that is comfortable and adjustable for different patients. While many of the students involved in Enabling Engineering are engineers, the group draws students from across disciplines and areas of study. Rachel Biega, a third-year physical therapy student, lent her knowledge to the harness project, along with another bioengineer. "Being on an interdisciplinary team, working with engineers, that's really cool and rewarding," Biega says. "I get to hear their side and listen to their lingo, and then they can learn a little bit about PT at the same time." Students work through the design process together, with guidance from professors and professionals in the Boston area and around the country. Sometimes it takes several tries to get a project to work; students may have to make small design adjustments or start over from scratch. "There's no solution that you're guided to," says Amanda Haines, a third-year mechanical engineering student. "You're just given a problem and then you have to run with it from there." Haines and her group took over on a project to build a device that would enable their client to learn to play guitar with one hand. The original prototypes, which were designed to hold down the strings in different chord shapes while the client strummed, hadn't been successful. The group went back to the drawing board. Sam Baumgartel, a third-year electrical engineering student who happens to play guitar, suggested flipping the design and building something that would handle the strumming, instead of chords. So far, their new design seems to be working. The client will be able to control the strumming with a foot pedal and hold the chords with his hand. The group hopes to have a final product in time for him to start guitar lessons in the fall. "Fail early and fail hard: that's a really important lesson that this club teaches very well," Baumgartel says. "It's not something that anyone will teach you in a class." Explore further Engineering students build treadmill that helps athletes in wheelchairs work out Credit: CC0 Public Domain Fifty-year-old job seekers are up to three times less likely to be selected for interview than younger applicants with less relevant experience, a major new study shows. Research found that applications from 28-year-old white men were three times more likely to get an interview than those sent by 50-year-old black women, and over twice as likely as those sent by 50-year-old white women. Academics from Anglia Ruskin and Cyprus universities applied for 811 sales and service jobs in England, sending in applications from fictional British job seekers. One was a 28-year-old white man with nine years' experience relevant to the job, and the others were from 50-year-old white and black men and women with 31 years' relevant experience. All the fictional applicants said they were employed at the time, and their age and ethnic background were noted on their CVs. Researchers found that applications from young white men were: 1.8 times more likely to be selected for interview than ones from 50-year-old white men 2.3 times more likely to be selected than those from 50-year-old white women 2.6 times more likely to be selected than those from 50-year-old black men 3 times more likely to be selected than those from 50-year-old black women. Professor Nick Drydakis, Dr. Anna Paraskevopoulou of the School of Business and Law, Anglia Ruskin University, and Dr. Vasiliki Bozani of Economics Research Centre, University of Cyprus, also found that the young men were accepted for interview for jobs that paid more highly, around 19,863, than the ones that 50-year-old men were invited to, around 17,552, 13% lower. The jobs that 50-year-old women were selected for interview for paid 2,454 per year, 14% lower than those for 28-year-old white men, those that 50-year-old black men were selected for paid 2,572 less, and those for 50-year-old black women paid 2,937 less. Dr. Paraskevopoulou told the British Sociological Association's annual conference in Glasgow today [Thursday 25 April] that the study showed that "Despite the growing participation of older workers in the labour market, many employers are prejudiced against older workers. "Older applicants might not receive invitations for an interview, or they might receive invitations to interview for lower-paid jobs. "The results of this study also showed that this ageism was worse for older black men and much worse for older black women. "These results originate from stereotypical beliefs that the physical strengths and job performance decline with age, and earlier among women than men. They are also in line with general and persistent racial prejudices. "This study shows how much work is still needed to address age bias in the labour market. The existence of age, gender and racial bias in the workplace could have serious consequences for society as a whole and the individuals affected." She said that anti-discrimination and inclusion policies should be designed and that firms should not only solicit applications from older individuals but also ensure that they are fairly considered once received. The researchers wrote job applications which matched the fictional applicants with the role they were applying for in terms of education and hobbies, ensuring that the only difference were in age and the length of work experience. Explore further Educated Muslim women much less likely to be in professional jobs than white women Credit: CC0 Public Domain If someone in the workplace is mistreated, their colleagues may respond with empathyor with schadenfreude. The latter emotion, according to a new study by the University of Zurich, occurs primarily in highly competitive working environments, when one person's misfortune facilitates another's goals. Even worse, schadenfreude can be contagious. For this reason, it is worth establishing an inclusive working climate and team-based incentives. Most employees have heard of or witnessed a colleague being mistreated, talked over, or bullied. To date, most research on this subject argues that observers feel empathy toward victims and anger toward perpetrators. However, Jamie Gloor, business economist at UZH, believes that this view oversimplifies the complex nature of social dynamics. Together with colleagues from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the National University of Singapore, she devoted her latest publication to the emergence, development, and behavioral consequences of schadenfreudean emotion long discussed by philosophers as early as Aristotle but which modern organizational research has largely overlooked. Competitive workplaces create perfect conditions As well as providing positive social experiences such as comradery and support, modern organizations are also ripe for competition, envy, and intergroup tension. These negative dynamics increase the likelihood that some people may benefit from the mistreatment of others, and it is under such conditions that schadenfreude is able to arise and thrive. "In complex and progressively busy environments, like workplaces, we focus on what is most relevant to us and our goals," says Gloor. This means that schadenfreude is more likely to be directed toward employees who particularly stand out and are envied. "The mistreatment can level the playing field, potentially increasing one's own chances for coveted rewards such as bonuses and promotions." Schadenfreude's vicious circle As the authors explain, observers may be particularly bold in showing their schadenfreude if the victim is deemed to have deserved the mistreatment and is somehow responsiblebecause of past misdeeds, for example. The researchers make a distinction between this righteous schadenfreude and ambivalent schadenfreude, which is when the pleasure in someone else's misfortune is clouded by feelings of guilt and shame. The problem with schadenfreude, particularly that which is considered to be justified, is that it can set off more cycles of mistreatment. So observers may also start treating the target of their schadenfreude unfairly, for example, by refusing to help them or actively excluding them. In this way, pleasure in another person's pain can create vicious circles of mistreatment. "If schadenfreude becomes pervasive among employees, mistreatment could also become the norm," concludes Gloor. Counteracting competitive dynamics Consequently, the authors couple their conclusions with a series of recommendations. They advise leaders to develop shared visions and promote team-based rather than individual incentives. Creating an inclusive climate may also help reduce feelings of "otherness," which can also promote feelings of schadenfreude. In addition, the authors stress the importance of maintaining fair policies and procedures to reduce potential envy and resentment toward star performers. Finally, it may also be worth paying close attention to opinion leaders within social groups to avert spirals of mistreatment. Explore further Why does it feel good to see someone fail? More information: Xinxin Li et al, Schadenfreude: A Counternormative Observer Response to Workplace Mistreatment, Academy of Management Review (2018). Xinxin Li et al, Schadenfreude: A Counternormative Observer Response to Workplace Mistreatment,(2018). DOI: 10.5465/amr.2016.0134 Solfatara is a shallow volcanic crater located at the centre of Campi Flegrei, where volcanic material is emitted through steaming vents. Credit: University of Aberdeen Scientists have used the sound of the sea to discover the route taken by hot fluids that feed a supervolcano in southern Italy. Using an innovative technique that uses the 'hum' - or seismic noiseof waves crashing at the coastline of Campi Flegrei, scientists have produced a seismic image of the deeper structure of the volcano that reveals the main route bringing hot fluids to the surface. Their research has featured in a documentary'The Next Pompeii'on Nova, a popular science series on major US broadcaster PBS. The documentary highlights the innovative scientific techniques being used to monitor Campi Flegrei a volcanic caldera to the west of Naples that last erupted five centuries ago. The area has been relatively quiet since the 1980s, when the injection of volcanic material in the shallower structure of the volcano caused thousands of small earthquakes, which was followed by 38 years of relative silence. Seismic imaging is one of the main methods used by scientists to accurately map a volcano's structure at depth, however the low level of seismic activity in the area over nearly four decades has meant that Campi Flegrei's inner structure has remained a mystery until now. The so-called 'feeder pathway' discovered by scientists is believed to have been formed during the last period of seismic activity in the 1980s, and brings volcanic material from the depths of the volcano, located out at sea. The material then travels up and along established routes beneath the volcano towards fumaroles at Solfatara and Pisciarellilocated approximately in the centre of the calderawhere they are expelled as vapour through steaming vents. Seismologists Professor Luca De Siena, Dr. Carmelo Sammarco and Dr. David Cornwell led the study from the School of Geosciences at the University of Aberdeen. They worked alongside the Vesuvius Observatory, which advises the Italian Government's Department of Civil Protection of the threat posed by volcanic activity in the region. Professor De Siena, now at the University of Mainz, said: "By using the noise at the seashore to create a seismic image, we have finally a better idea of how volcanic material travels from the depths of the volcano to the surface," "This is the first time this relatively new technique has been used in a heavily populated area, and it shows us that the feeder pathway created at the beginning of the 1980s appears fully functional in 2011-2013, when we collected the data. "This is important as it improves our understanding of the character of the volcano, which may ultimately improve monitoring and early warning procedures in an area inhabited by millions of people." Explore further Scientists locate potential magma source in Italian supervolcano More information: L. De Siena et al. Ambient Seismic Noise Image of the Structurally Controlled Heat and Fluid Feeder Pathway at Campi Flegrei Caldera, Geophysical Research Letters (2018). Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters L. De Siena et al. Ambient Seismic Noise Image of the Structurally Controlled Heat and Fluid Feeder Pathway at Campi Flegrei Caldera,(2018). DOI: 10.1029/2018GL078817 Visitors walk past a Tesla Model 3 at the Shanghai Auto Show in China on April 17, 2019 Electric carmaker Tesla on Wednesday announced a heavy loss in the first quarter as car deliveries sputtered overseas and a US tax credit that made its prices more attractive was reduced. The California-based company reported a loss of $702 million in the first three months of this year after two consecutive quarters of profit. Tesla produced about 63,000 Model 3 vehicles in the period, an increase of three percent from the same quarter a year earlier but fewer than had been anticipated. The company attributed its disappointing financial results to Model 3 shipping delays, particularly in Europe and China. Overall company revenue in the period rose 33 percent to $4.5 billion in a year-over-year comparison, but fell far short of Wall Street forecasts. The company's shares that finished the formal trading day down nearly two percent to $258.66 were essentially flat in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures. Tesla's quarterly loss followed changes to pricing and reversals in the way the company sells vehicles. 'Running out of steam' In late February Tesla said its Model 3heralded as an electric car for the masseswas available for order online only, at a price of $35,000 with delivery promised within a month. The following month it reversed course, saying it would keep many of its showrooms openbut would need to hike prices to do so. Then, in April, the carmaker ended internet sales of its cheapest Model 3 sedan in another shift to the company's retail strategy. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, gesturing during unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y in March, 2019, is targeting production of a possible 500,000 vehicles worldwide in 2019 Tesla planned to keep taking online orders for the Standard Plus Model 3, which starts at $39,500 and became the lowest-price option available to digital consumers. But online customers could no longer order the Model 3 Standard for $35,000, a long-promised price for a vehicle that has been seen as essential to CEO Elon Musk's ambition to disrupt the auto industry. A challenge to vehicle demand has been the lowering of a US tax credit on Tesla vehicles to $3,500 from $7,500 previously. Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com executive director of industry analysis, said there were "many signals that the brand is running out of steam." Edmunds research indicated that most of the vehicles Tesla made in the first quarter were shipped overseas, suggesting US demand was softening, according to Caldwell. Nonetheless, Tesla was confident it would get past the financial speed-bumps and into a smoother road to improved fortune. Musk contended that demand for Tesla vehicles is solid and vehicle production numbers would increase in the current quarter. Tesla vowed to significantly reduce losses this quarter and aimed to return to profit in the following three months. The company expected to remain on course to deliver between 360,000 and 400,000 vehicles in total this year, topping 2018 numbers by at least 45 percent. "If our Gigafactory Shanghai is able to reach volume production early in Q4 this year, we may be able to produce as many as 500,000 vehicles globally in 2019," Musk and freshly-installed chief financial officer Zachary Kirkhorn said in a letter to investors. "This is an aggressive schedule, but it is what we are targeting." Explore further Tesla to stop selling $35,000 Model 3 online 2019 AFP An injured kukri snake. Credit: Wen-San Huang A team of researchers with members from Taiwan, the U.S., China and the U.K. has found evidence that suggests the reason females of most species live longer than males is because of male aggressive tendencies. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes their study of a species of turtle where the females are the aggressors and what they found. Scientists have been theorizing about the reason for females of most species living longer than males for many years. Some have suggested it has something to do with the differences in hormones, others that it has to do with deleterious mutations in mtDNA passed down from mothers. But the strongest argument has been that it comes down to aggression in malesmostly due to competing for a mate. In many species, fighting for a mate results in both injuries and high stress levels. In this new effort, the researchers came upon an opportunity to test this last theory quite by accident. They were studying kukri snakes living on Orchid Island, which is just off the coast of Taiwan. The snakes live on the beach, and prior research has shown that the females become territorial because of a major food supplysea turtle eggs. They actually fight one another while trying to protect their turf. Prior research had also shown that the female snakes tended to have shorter lifespans than the males. Logic had suggested the reason for that was their aggressive behaviormales did not fight each other for eggs, or for a mate. Video of sea turtle laying eggs, and snakes fighting for eggs. Credit: NMNS, Wen-San Huang As the researchers were studying the snakes at two beach locations, one of the beaches was hammered by a large stormit inflicted so much damage that the sea turtles could not use the beach to lay their eggs. That led to an ideal test environment. The researchers continued to monitor the behavior and lifespan of the snakes living on both beaches and after enough time had passed, compared them. They report that without any eggs to fight over, the females became less aggressive, and unsurprisingly, their average lifespan grew longer. The researchers suggest their study adds more credence to the theory that it is differences in aggressiveness between genders in most species that lead to females generally living longer. A tail-cut male kukri snake tried to enter into a green sea turtles nest to consume the eggs. Credit: Wen-San Huang Explore further Researchers find bee species where males perform babysitting duties More information: Chi-Ying Lee et al. When males live longer: Resource-driven territorial behavior drives sex-specific survival in snakes, Science Advances (2019). Journal information: Science Advances Chi-Ying Lee et al. When males live longer: Resource-driven territorial behavior drives sex-specific survival in snakes,(2019). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar5478 2019 Science X Network In this March 29, 2019, file photo, Huawei's mobile phones are displayed at a telecoms service shop in Hong Kong. Chinese tech giant Huawei said Monday, April 22, 2019, its revenue rose 39 percent over a year earlier in the latest quarter despite U.S. pressure on allies to shun its telecom and network technology as a security risk. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) The British government has not yet decided whether to allow China's Huawei to supply parts for the U.K.'s new 5G wireless network, Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright said Thursday, as he condemned leaks from private government discussions on the sensitive issue. Wright said government officials and U.K. intelligence agencies are still carrying out a review on how best to strike the "difficult balance between security and prosperity." He told lawmakers in the House of Commons that "there has not been a final decision made on this subject." The United States has been lobbying allies to exclude Huawei from all 5G networks, noting that the Chinese government can force the company to give it backdoor access to data on its networks. Huawei officials have denied that the company is a security risk, saying that they have no links to the Chinese government and operate like any other international company. Wright said it was unrealistic to try to eliminate all Chinese equipment from U.K. telecoms systems. "Huawei is a significant player in this market; there are very few others," he said. Wright also warned lawmakers against leaking details of meetings of the National Security Council, after the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Wednesday that the council had approved Huawei's involvement in "non-core" parts of the 5G network. The security council includes senior ministers, who receive briefings from top military and intelligence officials. "Officials, including the security and intelligence agencies, need to feel that they can give advice to ministers which ministers will treat seriously and keep private," Wright said. "If they do not feel that, they will not give us that advice and government will be worse as a result." Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, urged National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill to start an inquiry "urgently." "Such leaks not only potentially threaten our national security, but they also damage our relationships with key allies and undermine their trust in us," Tugendhat wrote in a letter to Sedwill. The leak comes amid a Brexit-fueled breakdown in government discipline. With Prime Minister Theresa May weakened by her failure to take Britain out of the European Union, multiple ministers are positioning themselves to try to replace her, partly by cultivating positive press coverage. The Telegraph reported that several ministers, including Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson and Defense Secretary Sajid Javid, had opposed letting Huawei work on the 5G network. Labour Party lawmaker Jo Platt said suggestions that a minister leaked the information as part of Conservative leadership jockeying were "truly shocking. " "Critical issues of national security should be handled with utmost care, not used as political ammunition in a Tory Party civil war," she said. Explore further Britain 'approves' Huawei role in 5G network 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. A customer shops for bananas at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. High resolution cameras suspended from the ceiling point to the table of bananas and determine from the color of the bananas how ripe they are. When a banana starts to bruise, that would send an alert to an associate to replenish. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) Who's minding the store? In the not-too-distant future it could be cameras and sensors that can tell almost instantly when bruised bananas need to be swapped for fresh ones and more cash registers need to open before lines get too long. Walmart, which faces fierce competition from Amazon and other online retailers, is experimenting with digitizing its physical stores to manage them more efficiently, keep costs under control and make the shopping experience more pleasant. On Thursday, the retail giant officially opens its Intelligent Retail Lab inside a 50,000-square-foot Neighborhood Market grocery store on Long Island. Thousands of cameras suspended from the ceiling, combined with other technology like sensors on shelves, will monitor the store in real time so workers can quickly replenish products or fix other problems. The technology, shown first to The Associated Press, will also be able to spot spills, track when shelves need to be restocked and know when shopping carts are running low. Cameras, for example, can determine how ripe bananas are from their color, and workers will get an alert on their phone if they need to be replaced. Walmart's deep dive into artificial intelligence in its physical store comes as Amazon raised the stakes in the grocery business with its purchase of Whole Foods Market nearly two years ago. A customer shops at the meat counter at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. Walmart can rely on thousands of cameras hanging from the ceiling that track when products are running low or when produce or meat start to lose their freshness. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) That's put more pressure on Walmart and other traditional retailers like Kroger and Albertsons to pour money into technology in their stores. At the same time, they're trying to keep food prices down and manage expenses. Amazon has been rolling out cashier-less Amazon Go stores , which have shelf sensors that track the 1,000 products on their shelves. Walmart's online U.S. sales are still a fraction of Amazon's online global merchandise empire, which reached $122.98 billion last year. But Walmart says more than 140 million U.S. shoppers visit a store in person or online per week, creating a treasure trove of data. In its latest fiscal year ended Jan. 31, Walmart generated more than $500 billion in overall sales globally. Walmart hopes to start scaling some of the new technology at other stores in the next six months, with an eye toward lower costs and thus lower prices. As the shopping experience improves, the retailer expects to see higher sales. "We really like to think of this store as an artificial intelligence factory, a place where we are building these products, experiences, where we are testing and learning," said Mike Hanrahan, CEO of Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab and co-founder of Jet.com, purchased by Walmart three years ago. A customer pulls her shopping cart past an information kiosk at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. Kiosks and signs throughout the store keep customers informed that they are shopping in an artificial intelligence factory. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) Hanrahan says the cameras are programmed to focus primarily on the products and shelves right now. Sensors embedded in shelves will give the store extra information because they know what's at the back of the shelves that the cameras can't see. Cameras do not recognize faces, determine the ethnicity of a person picking up a product or track the movement of shoppers, he says. Some other companies have recently started experimenting with store shelf cameras that try to guess shoppers' ages, genders and moods. There are signs throughout the Neighborhood Market educating shoppers about how it is being used as a lab. Still, the cameras could raise privacy concerns. A Walmart associate arranges items on a shelf at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. The cameras that are suspended above are a key feature of a living lab inside this 50,000-square-foot store. Walmart envisions using these cameras, combined with other technology like sensors on shelves to get the best picture of what's going on in the store in real time so its workers can quickly react to replenish the products or fix other problems. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) Dozens of cameras hang above an aisle at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. This living lab, dubbed Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab, is Walmart's biggest attempt to digitize the physical store. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) Mike Hanrahan, CEO of Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab, discusses a kiosk that describes to customers the high technology in use at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. "If we know in real time everything that's happening in the store from an inventory and in stock perspective, that really helps us rethink about how we can potentially manage the store," said Hanrahan. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) A Walmart associate works at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. Inside one of Walmart's busiest Neighborhood Market stores, thousands of cameras suspended from the ceilings track when products are running low or when produce or meat start to lose their freshness. The technology is one of several features of a living lab that officially opens inside this store on Thursday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) A customer pushes her cart into the parking lot after shopping at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. The company has made the market into an artificial intelligence lab. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) Marcy Seinberg shops at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. Despite the signs and visible cameras many shoppers, including Seinberg, didn't seem to notice or care. "I am not bothered by it," Seinberg said. "If technology saves me money, I would be interested." (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) "Machine learning fundamentally finds and matches patterns," says Steven M. Bellovin, a computer science professor at Columbia University and a privacy expert, who hasn't seen the new Walmart AI Lab. But he says companies run into trouble when they start to match behavior to a specific customer. Hanrahan says Walmart has made sure to protect shoppers' privacy and emphasized that there are no cameras at the pharmacy, in front of the rest rooms or in employee breakrooms. The lab is Walmart's second in a physical store. Last year, Walmart's Sam's Club opened a 32,000 square foot lab store, a quarter of the size of a typical Sam's Club. The lab is testing new features surrounding the Scan & Go App, which lets customers scan items as they shop and then buy from their phones, skipping the checkout line. The retail lab is the third project from Walmart's new incubation arm, created after the Jet.com acquisition as a way for the discounter to shape the future of retail. The Intelligent Retail Lab is located in the Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. Shoppers can see the massive data center where nine cooling towers, 100 servers and other computer equipment that process the 1.6 terra bytes of data per second that is coming from cameras, and other equipment. Walmart says this AI Lab in a store is the first of its kind in the industry. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) It follows the launch of Jetblack, a shopping by text service aimed at affluent shoppers in New York. Walmart's second incubation project was Spatial&, a VR tech company. As part of the launch, it's bringing tractor-trailers to some of Walmart parking lots so customers can experience DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" through virtual reality. Hanrahan says the company is embracing the labs in stores to better understand the real ways that technology affects customers and workers. It also wants to educate shoppers. Walmart has made a point to not hide the technology, and small educational kiosks are set up throughout the Neighborhood Market. Shoppers can peer through a glass enclosed data center at the back of the store. It houses nine cooling towers, 100 servers and other computer equipment that processes all the data. Despite the signs and visible cameras, many shoppers, including Marcy Seinberg from Wantagh, New York, didn't seem to notice or care. "I am not bothered by it," Seinberg said. "If technology saves me money, I would be interested." Explore further Walmart partners with Google on grocery shopping via voice 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images In a phone call with Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar earlier in April, President Trump gave the impression that he condoned the warlords attack on the capital city of Tripoli to depose the U.N.-backed government, according to American officials who spoke with Bloomberg. White House resident hawk and national-security adviser John Bolton also reportedly gave the impression that the Trump administration approved of Haftars April 4 assault, which has killed at least 264 and displaced around 35,000 individuals. Earlier in April, the White House gave a different impression of the presidents contact with Haftar. In a statement issued on April 19, four days after the conversation between the two leaders, the White House stated that Trump recognized Field Marshal Haftars significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libyas oil resources. Critics argue that addressing Haftar with the title of field marshal undermined the authority of the U.N.-backed government led by Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj. Haftar, who lived in Virginia for around 20 years before returning to Libya in 2011 for the uprising that deposed Muammar Qaddafi, has been called Libyas most potent warlord. Haftars Libyan National Army is supported by Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates and is in control of much of Libyas east and south. While Haftar claims his move on the capital is a counter-terrorist effort, the U.N. envoy to Libya called the maneuver more like a coup than counter-terrorism. The April 19 announcement of their contact and the Bloomberg report surprised both the international community and, most likely, Trumps own administration. On April 19, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said that a military solution is not what Libya needs and that the Pentagon and the White House are well-aligned on Libya. But it appears that Shanahan did not account for the possible influence of other authoritarian-leaning powers in the region. As Bloomberg reports: Trumps conversation with Haftar took place after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with the U.S. president on April 9 and urged him to back Haftar, according to two people familiar with the matter. Trump also spoke with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a Haftar supporter, the day before the White House issued the statement acknowledging the call with Haftar. Trump giving his own administration the foreign-policy runaround is yet another example of his approach in the Middle East and North Africa: favoring the word of authoritarian governments particularly ones on the Arabian Peninsula at the expense of his own Cabinets suggestions and the American intelligence community. Consider past examples of extremely similar behavior, like when Trump decided to pull American troops from Syria while on the phone with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, or his refusal in November 2018 to condemn Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for the death of Jamal Khashoggi: It could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event maybe he did and maybe he didnt! For governments abroad, the presidents reported support of Khalifa Haftar is another successful template for how to influence American foreign policy in the Trump era. For Trump, it appears to be an opportunity to bulk up the list of strongmen he can call on for foreign-policy advice. I read "I Capture the Castle," by Dodie Smith, published in 1949 and set in the English countryside, not far outside London, in the 1930s. Smith was British, but she wrote the book during World War II, when she was living in California with her husband, who was a conscientious objector. I had a vague idea this novel is considered a classic, and I was intrigued by its title, so, noticing it on my bookshelf as I browsed for a fresh story, I pulled it out. It's a wonderful, charming book funny and entrancing but with more sharp insights and outlandish episodes than I expected. It tells of a few life-altering months in the life of an artistic, eccentric and very far down on their luck family living in a centuries-old castle. They're so poor they've sold almost all their furniture and wear clothes that are little more than rags. The father is a writer with one brilliant, celebrated book to his credit who hasn't been able to write a word for about a decade. His first wife died, his second wife is a famous, beautiful model, and he has three teenage children two girls on the cusp of adulthood and a younger boy. There is a lot of Jane Austen in the book, which is all to the good. No book can have too much Austen influence, in my opinion. But "I Capture the Castle" has its own quirky character, and the sharp edges that would be sanded down to a tolerable smoothness in Austen are left sharp and splintery by Smith. The father is dangerously close to unhinged. The daughters' emotions are more raw and their romances more explicitly physical than anything spelled out in "Pride and Prejudice." Smith brings to vivid life the English countryside and the castle and its grounds, complete with moat and tower. She also features believable American characters, something I have noticed other English writers (like Somerset Maugham) have struggled with, because they overdo the effort to include American speech idioms and make the characters sound stilted. Smith, born late in the 19th century, was already a successful playwright and movie script writer when "I Capture the Castle" was published. A few years later, she published another novel, "The Hundred and One Dalmatians," a huge hit. She died in 1990, when she was well into her 90s. Will Doolittle is projects editor at The Post-Star. He may be reached at will@poststar.com and followed on his blog, I think not, and on Twitter at @trafficstatic. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GLENS FALLS The city is exploring the possibility of using The Post-Star site as a new home for a Department of Public Works facility. City Engineer Steve Gurzler confirmed Wednesday that city officials visited the newspapers property at the corner of Lawrence and Cooper streets and thought it had potential. Its a roomy site. It has good access to roads. It is about the same size as our current site. The building square footage available is comparable as well, he said. The 5-acre Post-Star campus is on the market for an asking price of $1.4 million. The newspaper is looking to sell the property and relocate to smaller space, ideally within the city, because it is too large for the companys current needs. The Post-Star has been printed at The Daily Gazette in Schenectady since October 2017, a change made when The Post-Star faced a costly repair of its printing press. Steve Borgos, The Post-Stars real estate agent, said potential buyers have shown a lot of interest in the site. He estimated there have been eight or nine showings of the property. We are in negotiations with some people. Thats all I can say right now, he said. The city has been evaluating the needs of its aging buildings. The current DPW building on Dix Avenue has peeling paint on the outside and has structural issues. Gurzler said previously that the blocks in the back wall have some cracks and some of the concrete piers need repairs. The building is also losing heat. Gurzler said the city is not ready, however, to commit to purchasing the newspaper property. Were going to be looking at what might best serve the interest of the city. Do we relocate Public Works, or do we stay where we are and look for some other commercial development of The Post-Star site? Gurzler said. The Common Council on April 8 approved hiring C.T. Male Associates to provide engineering services to evaluate and design structural and roofing repairs to the DPW building at a cost of $75,000. Gurzler said the drawbacks of The Post-Star site are the buildings would also need to be upgraded and renovated to fit the citys needs. Another consideration is that the paper is in a mixed commercial and residential area. We might be better off not inflicting our 24-7 operations on that neighborhood, he said. Another residential project that could be coming into the neighborhood is a 29-unit apartment building proposed by the Warren-Washington Association for Mental Health. If the city did relocate its operations, Gurzler said, it would sell the Dix Avenue property to a private developer and put it back on the tax rolls. When asked about the timeline for when decisions would be made, Gurzler deferred to city leadership. Mayor Dan Hall did not return a message left for comment. Michael Goot covers politics, business, the city of Glens Falls and the town and village of Lake George. Reach him at 518-742-3320 or mgoot@poststar.com and follow his blog at http://poststar.com/blogs/michael_goot/. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. FORT EDWARD A Fort Edward man who was sentenced to probation for illegally having a handgun is headed to prison for violating probation. Austin J. Mosher, 21, pleaded guilty last year to attempted criminal possession of a weapon for a December 2017 arrest in Whitehall for possessing a stolen, unregistered .45-caliber handgun. Police said he sold the gun to someone, and it was later recovered. He was sentenced to 5 years on probation, but was arrested in recent months for possession of unspecified drugs and endangering the welfare of a child, court records show. Mosher faces 1 to 3 years in state prison when resentenced as part of a plea deal in Washington County Court. Love 0 Funny 13 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 6 Big Machine In 2017, Reba McEntire was all set to return to TV in a new role shed developed with Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry: In Red-Blooded, she wouldve starred as a small-town Southern sheriff who partners with a Middle Eastern FBI agent after an unspeakable tragedy. Now, the Country Music Hall of Famer is opening up about her disappointment that the show didnt get picked up. I thought, Man, this is going to be great,' she tells Good Housekeeping. To me, it was one of the greatest things Id ever gotten to be a part of. I was really proud of it, she adds. It was a different type of role for me. It was a one-hour drama pilot. Reba had just landed for a vacation in South Africa when she got the news that the show wasnt going to happen. I was like Wow, what? No, youre kidding,' she recalls. I was aggravated, I was mad. I was disgruntled. I was like Ill never do TV again, Reba says candidly. I did, kind of, question, Was it my performance? Was it, I wasnt right for the part? Ultimately, Reba got over her disappointment: She now has a new TV project in the works. Reba's self-titled sitcom aired for six seasons on The WB and The CW starting in 2001. She followed that up with one season of Malibu Country on ABC in 2012. Right now, Rebas focusing on music: Her new album, Stronger Than the Truth, just came out and features her latest single, Freedom. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Senator Elizabeth Warren at the She the People Presidential Forum on April 24, 2019, in Houston. Photo: Sergio Flores/Getty Images Elizabeth Warren has distinguished herself in the 2020 field by continually releasing smart policy proposals, but on Wednesday, the Massachusetts senator stumbled. In a speech delivered at the She the People Forum, Warren lightly outlined a plan to address the inordinately high maternal mortality rates of black women. Warren suggested a financial bonus for hospitals that improve health outcomes for new black mothers. Hospitals that fail to do so, she added, will have money taken away from them. I want to see the hospitals see it as their responsibility to address this problem head-on and make it a first priority. The best way to do that is to use money to make it happen, because we gotta have change and we gotta have change now. Black women are three to four times more likely than white women to die in childbirth, NPR reported in 2017. But the candidates plan could harm the very patients she seeks to help. Racial disparities in maternal mortality outcomes dont begin and end in delivery rooms. Nor is the mere fact of a financial bonus enough for a hospital to overcome the structural challenges posed by segregation and an inadequate social safety net. Warrens proposal sounds like common sense why give money to hospitals with poor outcomes? but it may have outcomes she did not anticipate. By penalizing hospitals that fail to meet certain outcome standards, Warrens proposal could actually reinforce the very injustice she wants to solve. Warren is right to identify implicit bias as a major contributing factor to rates of death for black mothers. As ProPublica reported in 2017, black women in wealthy neighborhoods where hospitals are likely to be well-funded, high-quality institutions are still much more likely to die from pregnancy complications. In 2014, black Americans comprised a mere 4 percent of the nations physician workforce, and medical school doesnt root out racism from the psyches of their white colleagues. Medicines inequities result in concrete treatment disparities. Theres significant literature documenting that African-American patients are treated differently than white patients when it comes to cardiovascular procedures, Aaron Carroll, a professor of medicine, recently noted in the New York Times. Black patients with HIV or cancer are also more likely to receive suboptimal treatment. But a financial penalty for low-quality care could overburden hospitals that already lack the resources they need to serve their patients. Hospitals in low-income areas are more likely to serve patients who lack health insurance. High volumes of uncompensated care can strain hospital resources, and put hospitals with a low-income service area at a disadvantage compared to hospitals in wealthier neighborhoods. These structural inequalities can disproportionately affect black patients in need of care. The more segregated a neighborhood, the more likely it is to experience a hospital closing, Vann Newkirk reported for the Atlantic in 2016. In New York City, public hospitals are in financial free fall as they struggle to bear up under the collective weight of funding cuts and high numbers of uninsured, underinsured, and indigent patients. Thats bad news for black mothers, who are more likely to rely on public hospitals for care. Cash-strapped hospitals cant afford to lose further resources, and neither can their patients. Theres little evidence that financial incentives even improve patient outcomes. In 2017, researchers from the University of Michigan concluded that the one such incentive program the Affordable Care Acts Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program didnt meaningfully reduce overall rates of patient mortality. Instead, Warren may want to borrow some ideas from her fellow Democratic candidate, Senator Kamala Harris of California. Harriss Maternal CARE Act, which she introduced in 2018, would fund implicit bias trainings for medical professionals, along with a pilot Pregnancy Medical Home program modeled after an existing statewide project in North Carolina. North Carolinas version assigns a case manager to pregnant Medicaid beneficiaries at high risk for health complications. For the duration of a womans pregnancy, her case manager arranges transportation to and from medical appointments, helps her manage medications, provides 24-hour-a-day access to a medical provider, and if shes eligible, refers her to programs like WIC. Financial incentives encourage physicians to enroll in the program and to maintain certain standards of care throughout a participating womans pregnancy, but its all carrot, no stick. And it works. In 2017, Pew reported that women who participated in North Carolinas program were less likely to give birth to low-weight babies. Maternal mortality rates for black and white women in the state are now nearly even. Thats due in part to an increase in white maternal mortality, Pew said, but the Pregnancy Medical Home model also appears to have an equalizing effect. North Carolinas holistic model works by addressing the disproportionate burdens that black women bear long before they become pregnant. Compared to white women, black women are more likely to live in poverty, have inadequate access to preventative health care, and to suffer food and housing insecurity. Warren may address these disparities in future policy proposals; her student loan proposal, for example, showed sensitivity to racial disparities in student debt loads. She may also introduce a more thoroughly considered maternal mortality proposal at a later date. But if she does, she should consider racialized disparities in hospital funding, too. Carrots and sticks might work on donkeys, but public health is a bit more complex. The finalists for this years High School Juried Show at The Hyde Collection have been chosen, and the show features the work of students from 12 different area school districts. Nearly 600 pieces were submitted for consideration this year, with a group of three judges evaluating each piece to decide the final 100 that would make it into the exhibit, said Jenny Hutchinson, curator of museum education and programming. The judges are provided with a rubric and select the pieces based on artistic merit and originality, Hutchinson said. The merit is often high by the end, so originality is highly regarded. The three jurors evaluating the students work this year were Niskayuna art teacher Katie Chwazik; Amy Stevens, a graphic designer and creative director at SUNY Adirondack; and Corey Pitkin, an award-winning local artist. South High students learn about Alzheimer's disease South Glens Falls High School students got an in-depth look at Alzheimers disease Monday as SUNY Adirondack was one of the sponsors of this years exhibit and has provided five $250 scholarships for a curators choice, a best in show and each of the three jurors awards. The exhibit really fits into our education mission. Students are a priority here at the collection, Hutchinson said. This is something The Hyde Collection looks forward to every year, and its incredibly important we continue to provide this opportunity to our students in the region. The exhibit opens on May 4 with a reception from 1 to 4 p.m. and an award ceremony at 2 p.m. Elementary School receives honor A five-year-long process has ended in Lake George Elementary School receiving the title of a Leader in Me Lighthouse School, a recognition that fewer than 10% of the 4,500 participants receive. Fort Ann Veterans Dinner part of focus on service FORT ANN Fort Ann students served up home-cooked meals to local veterans Wednesday afterno Schools from across the globe compete in the program, and Ann Moellman, the schools social worker, said in a release the program promotes timeless principles that encourage everyone to be a leader and change their surroundings. This certification is a wonderful tribute to our schools commitment to cultivating and honoring the greatness within our students, staff and families, Moellman said. This is yet another testament to the unwavering focus on serving the whole child at LGES. Skidmore with record applications Skidmore College announced this month it has received a record number of applications for the 2019-20 school year. The total number was more than 11,000 for just 710 spots and included applications from all 50 states and D.C. and 141 countries. Skidmore Vice President and Dean of Admissions Mary Lou Bates said in the release it was gratifying so many students from around the country and world were interested in the college. The news is in stark contrast to many smaller schools on the Vermont side of the border shutting their doors because of declining enrollment. Skidmore is consistently rated highly in many college rankings and was given the number 41 spot in the best Liberal Arts Colleges in the country by U.S. News in 2019. Samuel Northrop is the education reporter for The Post-Star. He can be reached at snorthrop@poststar.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. QUEENSBURY The Saratoga Hospital urgent care and medical offices building being proposed near the Exit 18 interchange got most of the town approvals it needed Wednesday night. But the developer may need to reduce the number of parking spaces and add landscaping. The proposal is to demolish Carl Rs, a vacant restaurant on Main Street. Then Columbia Development would build a two-story, 17,700-square-foot medical building. The plans called for 76 parking spaces, largely behind the building. But the town would actually require 36 to 59 spaces, town staff said in notes on the project. The plan also calls for just 20 percent of the site to be permeable, generally by adding landscaping. The rule was created to reduce drainage problems when rain water washes off one parking lot onto another owners land. Sites that have more permeability can absorb more rainwater. The town requires 30 percent of the site to be permeable, although Carl Rs fell far below that threshold. Only 10 percent of the site was permeable when the restaurant was in use. But by reducing parking, the developer could add more green space, which would also increase the permeability. Planning Board Chairman Stephen Traver told the developer Tuesday to look closely at the staff notes before returning to the Planning Board for final approval. There are a number of site plan issues, he said, suggesting that the developer might need to make changes. But board members supported the variances that the developer needed to build the urgent care facility. The project needed permission to build very close to the property line and permission to put up signs. Setbacks are required from Big Boom Road, Main Street and the Northway behind the site. The setback encompasses basically all of our property, said developer Gavin Vuillaume. Keep in mind, the building is roughly in the same location as the existing building. Its about 4 feet closer to the side property line, putting the building about 40 feet from the Northway entrance ramp. On Wednesday, the Zoning Board granted variances for the setbacks. However, the board tabled a decision on the signs. That will be discussed at the boards May 30 meeting. Saratoga Hospital has not definitively said what it will do with the building, but has described it as likely to be an urgent care center with diagnostic services and medical offices for specialties that the hospital already offers in the Glens Falls area. Those specialties include nephrology and pulmonology. The hospital is also assessing community need to identify the services that make the most sense. You can reach Kathleen Moore at 742-3247 or kmoore@poststar.com. Follow her on Twitter @ByKathleenMoore or at her blog on www.poststar.com. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. There is probably no greater resource other than breathable air more important to our region than Lake George. Its pristine waters and beautiful vistas are the engine that drives the tourism economy in our region. Sure, there are other important reasons to visit our slice of heaven, but none more important than Lake George. It is the destination and its health and well-being must be protected at any cost. This week, Lake George Village Mayor Robert Blais said that cost would be $200,000 a year over the course of a 30-year bond while building a new wastewater treatment plant. Lake Georges aging plant has been malfunctioning for some time and the state has demanded a new plant be built by the end of 2021. Unfortunately, Lake George has secured just $7.2 million of the $24 million but that cost will probably rise needed to build the plant. Blais, out of ideas and almost out of time, addressed the Warren County Board of Supervisors Tuesday and asked the county to dip into its bed tax or sales tax monies at $200,000 a year. He said that number would reduce the tax burden on village residents to an acceptable level. Without the help from the county, each village resident would be responsible for up to $26,000 of the plants cost. While we sympathize with the plight of Mayor Blais and the challenges he faces in raising the money, the village does shoulder significant blame in not addressing this issue sooner, while also going forward with a significant hotel project that further strained the system. The good news is that Warren Countys bed tax has been healthy it took in $4.3 million last year and there is precedent for what the village is asking. The county contributes $60,000 a year to fight invasive species in the lake while also contributing $250,000 a year to support the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls. Warren County definitely has the money, and we believe that securing the water quality of the countys number one tourist attraction fits perfectly with the mission of the bed tax. What does bother us is that the wastewater treatment plant is not the only threat to water quality in the lake. Communities all around the lake continue to grapple with out-of-date and failing residential septic systems. If Warren County is to make a commitment to Lake George water quality, it should also be working with local towns and villages so that residents adjacent to the lake are also being held accountable for water quality. Mayor Blais contention that he is willing to go to jail before he inflicts taxpayer Armageddon on village residents seems a bit dramatic to us, but it is a reminder of how few year-round residents live in the village. We wonder if a good compromise measure would be a five-year commitment from the county of $200,000 a year while Mayor Blais seeks further funding from the state and federal government. After all, Sen. Charles Schumer was just here pledging to help if he can. A limited commitment from the county might give Schumer and Gov. Cuomo more of an incentive to be part of the solution. If the monies cannot be found after five years, Warren County could review another funding request. We concur that something must be done immediately to help Lake George, but we hesitate when it comes to a 30-year commitment. Post-Star editorials represent the opinion of The Post-Stars editorial board, which consists of Interim Publisher Brian Corcoran, Editor Ken Tingley, Projects Editor Will Doolittle and citizen representatives Jean Aurilio, Connie Bosse and Barbara Sealy. Post-Star editorials represent the opinion of The Post-Stars editorial board, which consists of Interim Publisher Brian Corcoran, Editor Ken Tingley, Projects Editor Will Doolittle and citizen representatives Jean Aurilio, Connie Bosse and Barbara Sealy. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 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 The truth doesnt count. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images The Census Act requires the federal government to get a rough count of the U.S. population every ten years using the best available tools and techniques. The Trump administration says that to fulfill this duty in 2020, it will need to add a new question to the Census one that asks respondents to disclose their citizenship status. This is an odd claim. The primary objective of the Census is to count every human being in the United States, not every citizen. And a large body of research suggests that adding a citizenship question will discourage undocumented immigrants from participating and thus lead the government to systematically undercount them. In fact, the administrations own estimates suggest that adding the question will cause 6.5 million fewer American residents to respond. The Census Bureaus chief scientist, meanwhile, has said that adding such a question is very costly, harms the quality of the census count, and would use substantially less accurate citizenship-status data than are available from administrative sources. Cynics suspected the inaccuracy is the point. After all, members of the Trump administration have argued that demographic change is a threat to the conservative movements political power and that the Democratic Party uses undocumented immigration to inflate its own political power. And undermining an accurate Census in a manner that systematically undercounts undocumented immigrants would address both of those purported problems. Census data shapes the contours of political districts and determines each states clout in the Electoral College. It dictates what proportion of federal funding for schools, roads, and libraries each state is entitled to. Thus, if the Trump administration found a facially neutral way of systematically undercounting residents in Democratic-leaning areas, it could inflate red Americas (already disproportionate) influence over our political system. But the White House insisted its actual motives couldnt have been more different: In truth, the administration wished to ask about citizenship out of a heartfelt desire to protect the political representation of African-Americans. In congressional testimony, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross explained that his bureau began considering the question only after the Department of Justice indicated that it needed such information to fully enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965. There are a few reasons to view this claim with skepticism. For one thing, the Trump administration has not filed a single lawsuit aimed at enforcing the VRA since it took power; to the contrary, it has backed Voter ID laws that have been shown to depress nonwhite voter turnout. For another, six former leaders of the DOJs civil-rights division have said a citizenship question will deter Latino and other voters from responding to the census and thus undermine enforcement of the [Voting Rights] Act. Oh, and internal Commerce Department memos have established that Ross was lying. The Justice Department did not initiate the request for the citizenship question rather, the Commerce Department asked the DOJ to make such a request, the DOJ resisted for months, Rosss department started looking around for another agency that would provide it with a rationale for adding a citizenship question, and then the DOJ finally acquiesced. Nevertheless, when the Supreme Court held oral arguments in a case challenging the citizenship question on Tuesday, Chief Justice John Roberts (who gutted the VRA a few years ago) seemed to take the Trump administration at its word. Experts who watched the hearings were almost unanimous in their conclusion that the Court would uphold the question in a 5-4 vote. On Wednesday morning, Donald Trump celebrated his impending triumph by ostensibly admitting his administrations argument had been a fraud. The American people deserve to know who is in this Country. Yesterday, the Supreme Court took up the Census Citizenship question, a really big deal. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2019 Cynics insist Trumps disclosure will not undermine his administrations case because the conservative justices dont care if the Commerce Department is being honest about its intentions. These days, the cynics tend to be right. SPRINGFIELD Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Tuesday called for greater regulation of alternative retail energy suppliers, many of which go door-to-door using deceptive practices to lock consumers into contracts that ultimately lead to higher energy costs. At a Chicago news conference, Raoul said almost nobody who signs up to receive gas or electricity from alternative energy providers ends up paying less for their energy bills than consumers who stayed with their public utility. Raoul said Illinois customers who switched to an alternative supplier paid more than $600 million more in electricity costs over the past four years. For the average consumer who switches, the added cost is between $87 and $208 each year. Not everybody who is a victim of their utility rates increasing as a result of being victimized by one of these suppliers realizes this, that theyre being victimized, theyre paying increased rates, Raoul said. He noted that high-price energy contracts disproportionately affect African-American and Latino communities in Chicago on the south and west sides. Senior citizens are often targeted as well, Raoul said. SPRINGFIELD McHenry County is a 610-square-mile area on the Wisconsin border, about 90 minutes from downtown Chicago. Its 300,000 residents live in urban centers such as Crystal Lake and Woodstock, the seat of government and rural communities. Like most of Illinois, the county has a system of government comprised of overlapping layers of townships and districts, each of which can levy taxes. They are responsible for everything from the daily operations of towns, to plowing roads in the winter or killing mosquitoes in the summer. McHenry County is the sole subject of legislation giving its voters an option to dissolve township government. It is an effort by a state lawmaker to cut residents property taxes by eliminating what he calls unnecessary levels of government. If the experiment goes well there, in the sixth most populous county in the state, Rep. David McSweeney said the next step would be to give the rest of Illinois the ability to get rid of township governments. Thats what Im hoping, the Barrington Hills Republican said. I want to show that consolidating government works in McHenry County. I want this go to statewide to allow consolidation to be considered by voters across Illinois. He was a polarizing figure hated by many Democrats, prone to paranoia and not above lying to further his political ambitions. He earned the moniker Tricky Dick all on his own. So how could Nixon, with all of those liabilities, carry 49 states in 1972? Well, Democratic primary voters chose a candidate who was perceived by many voters as being out of the mainstream. McGovern advocated the federal government giving every American $1,000 (about $6,000 in todays dollars). He also was one of only a dozen members of Congress who opposed American military involvement in Vietnam from the beginning. While today we might view his position as prophetic, in 1972 he was still viewed as too Dovish to be commander in chief. His nomination resulted in a landslide victory for Nixon. As regular readers know, Im an advocate for lower taxes, less regulation and fewer barriers to trade. And I also like the idea of less government. Most folks would call that conservative. But I wont support someone of any political stripe who fails to display integrity. There's been a system in place for unauthorized immigrants and other foreign-born people to get Taxpayer Identification Numbers with which to file income taxes since 1996. Moreover, schemes to legalize immigrants have often hinged on requiring them to prove they have a track record of paying their taxes. This has resulted in a windfall for the government. You also have to stop to consider that unauthorized immigrants represent but a small percentage of all the Latinos in our country -- as a whole, all immigrants represent only about a third of all Hispanics. And make no mistake: Latinos have money. They also have property. "Over the past decade, Hispanics have accounted for 62.7% of net U.S. homeownership gains, growing from 6,303,000 homeowners to 7,877,000, a total increase of 1,574,000 Hispanic homeowners," according to the 2018 State of Hispanic Home Ownership report from the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. This same report calculated that the median household income for Hispanics rose to $50,486 in 2017, accounting for the largest increase in income (3.7%) among all racial or ethnic population groups. American student Otto Warmbier at his 2015 trial. Photo: Lu Rui/Xinhua/Getty Images In the summer of 2017, just before the release of American student Otto Warmbier from North Korean custody, a U.S. diplomat signed a pledge that Washington would pay $2 million for the 22-year-olds lengthy hospital stay in Pyongyang, the Washington Post reports. Its unclear if the bill, which Warmbiers father described as a ransom, was ever paid. Two people familiar with the situation told the Posts Anna Fifield that the Treasury Department hadnt sent a check as of the end of 2017. However, it is unclear whether the Trump administration later paid the bill, or whether it came up during preparations for Trumps two summits with Kim Jong Un, the Post reports. The bill, and the agreement to sign it, were presented to Joseph Yun, the State Departments former special representative for North Korea Policy, in the lead-up to Warmbiers release. The Post describes what Yun did after he received the bill: Yun called the then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and told him about the bill. Tillerson called Trump. They instructed their envoy to sign the piece of paper agreeing that he would pay the $2 million, the two people said. In 2016, Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for tearing down a propaganda poster in a Pyongyang hotel. On the night of his sentencing, he fell into a coma. North Korea later said Warmbier got sick after an allergic reaction to a sleeping pill and fighting off a case of botulism. Just days after returning to the U.S. in a vegetative state, he died. At the time of Warmbiers death, President Trump called out the brutality of the North Korean regime. But hes recently changed his tune. In February, after meeting with Kim Jong-un, Trump absolved the leader of any role in Warmbiers death. He tells me that he didnt know about it, and I will take him at his word, Trump said. Those prisons are rough. Theyre rough places, and bad things happen. But I dont believe he knew about it. United Steelworkers Local 105 will host an event Friday afternoon to commemorate Workers Memorial Day and fight for workers rights. The event will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, at the USW Local 105 union hall, at 880 Devils Glen Road, Bettendorf. Representatives and workers will come together to advocate for workers' rights and protections, plus demand that elected officials "put workers' well-being above corporate interests," according to a news release. Officials said in the release that the union is working to protect Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations which are "threatened" by the Trump administration. "The Trump administration has carried out an all-out assault on regulations, targeting job safety rules on beryllium, mine examinations, injury reporting and child labor protections," officials said in the release. "The labor movement and allies have fought back and blocked some of these attacks. However, this assault has taken a toll: Key protections have been repealed or rolled back and agency budgets and staff have been cut." The union will "fight for safe jobs" at the event on Friday. Times staff Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Q. I just read a reader question about traffics lights on Veterans Memorial Parkway and Utica Ridge Road and the Davenport traffic engineer response. Why not look toward the future and install traffic circles at all intersections including Elmore Avenue, etc., all the way from Brady Street in Davenport to Bettendorf? I have seen the benefits in safety and traffic fluency here locally but even more so in densely traveled routes across metropolitan areas in western Europe. It is also a more cost efficient solution. Indeed, it may be an initial higher investment but will pay off nicely in the long run. -- Patrick, a Davenport reader A. Brian Schadt, Davenport city engineer, said, "Thanks for your question. Roundabouts require significantly more right of way land than a traditional intersection. As roadways are re-done or installed, roundabouts will be considered if the appropriate amount of land can be obtained. This can be very costly and/or owners may not be willing to sell the land, so there are many factors that limit a citys ability to introduce new roundabouts. For further clarification, these sections of roadway mentioned were designed and bid under the Iowa DOT process. As sections of this corridor were programmed prior to others due to budgetary considerations, they were further along in the design/review process. To change these intersections from signalized to roundabouts, the projects would have needed to start back at the beginning of the review process causing significant delays in the corridor development." Bettendorf police have arrested a convicted sex offender on allegations he abused a child under the age of 12. Matthew Brian Lamb, 35, of 2104 15th St., Moline, is charged with one count of second-degree sexual abuse, a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Lamb was taken into custody Tuesday and had his first appearance in Scott County District Court on Wednesday. He is scheduled to be arraigned May 16. Lamb was being held Wednesday night in the Scott County Jail in a cash-only bond of $25,000. According to the arrest affidavit filed by Bettendorf Police Detective Brian Crouch, Lamb is accused of sexually abusing the child between November 1 and March 28. The victim is known to Lamb. Bettendorf Police Chief Keith Kimball said the case was brought to the attention of police March 28 after being reported to the Iowa Department of Human Services. Kimball said that detectives followed up on the investigation and on Tuesday with the aid of Davenport Police officer Richard Niesen, Lamb admitted to the offense and was taken to the Scott County Jail from the Davenport Police Station. It wasnt just one event, it was multiple things happening in the classroom that werent addressed: disruptions, interruptions, kids screaming on the floor, on the tables, Woelfel said. Parent Jason Smith said he wanted to open enroll his children in Bettendorf because one wasnt receiving the reading intervention services he deemed necessary. We need a school that has adequate resources so that he does not continue to fall behind, he said. Davenport is one of five Iowa districts with a diversity plan, created to maintain the balance between students from lower- and higher-income families. The goal is to attempt to grant approvals for students on free or reduced lunch, or who get fee waivers, with the same number of similar applications to enter the district. The administrations recommendation to deny the appeals was unanimously approved by the board; Director Clyde Mayfield was not present to vote, and Director Allison Beck abstained because she knew two of the families personally. But some showed hesitation. Iowa has one of the more unusual processes, Blaesing said. Its quite traditional; it does not provide for an alternative route, unlike most other states do now. Illinois-based HYA conducts searches across the country. After getting his license through WiscAd, an alternative program specific to Wisconsin, Kobylski was a superintendent in that state for 12 years and jointly supervised Nicolet High School and one of its feeder K-8 districts, Fox Point. When the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners rejected the waiver attached to that license, Kobylski paid to renew his Illinois license, earned through his Ph.D. program at Loyola a regionally-accredited program in 1999. Now, he's using that to try to gain his Iowa license, rather than appealing for a different waiver. He will also take three courses to address anticipated gaps between his certification 20 years ago and whats typically required now. A Moline woman was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for stealing social security and disability benefits paid to the bank account of her deceased mother. The Davenport City Council plans to take ownership of two Canadian Pacific Railroad bridges that have been closed for nearly a year, in return for a $1.9 million payment from the railroad company to help repair them. But it will cost around $6.3 million to repair Elm Street and 13th Street bridges, city officials have said. They are looking for state and federal grants to bridge the gap. Alderman discussed the proposal during Wednesday's meeting. Were hoping maybe sometime next week we can get a signature and were already at public works looking at which grants we want to apply for and writing those grants, said Nicole Gleason, Davenports public works director. The Elm and 13th Street bridges were shut down because of deterioration caused by old age and wear. Gleason said they are in terrible condition, and the city has previously ruled out fixing them. Gleason said passage of the agenda item would allow staff to continue negotiations with the railroad, saying a verbal agreement is already in place. The $1.9 million from the railroad could also work as seed money as the city looks for other funding sources, she said. Here is the afternoon forecast from the National Weather Service. According to a Hazardous Weather Outlook from the weather service there will be a chance for a thunderstorm this afternoon and early evening along a passing cold front. Lightning and small hail would be the primary threats, as severe weather is not currently expected for today and tonight. Brisk northwest winds behind the passing cold front may gust up to 35 mph at times from mid-afternoon through early evening before decreasing again later tonight. There's a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms for the Quad-City metro area after 5 p.m. Skies will be partly sunny with a high near 70 degrees. Tonight showers and thunderstorms are likely before 10 p.m. The chance of precipitation is 60% with new precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible with higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Skies will be mostly cloudy then gradually becoming mostly clear with a low around 42 degrees. Northwest winds between 10 to 20 mph will gust as high as 30 mph. Friday will be sunny with a high near 62 degrees and a low around 44 degrees. Northwest winds will gust as high as 30 mph. At least four railroad crossings between River Drive and the Mississippi River in Davenport are likely to remain impassible to the public after the floodwaters recede. Canadian Pacific Railway has been raising sections of track since the end of last month to keep its trains moving through the high water. Their efforts initially raised the ire of city officials who said Canadian Pacific failed to sufficiently inform them of the plan. But communications between the railroad and the city have since improved, both parties said this week. Though Canadian Pacific does not need the city's permission to raise the tracks, the company has just 30 days after floodwaters recede to get the crossings back into passable shape for public use, according to state law. The clock will start ticking when the roads running parallel to the rail are accessible. "They have committed to city leadership that all disturbed crossings will be restored to properly allow for vehicle and pedestrian crossing once the floodwaters recede," Public Works Director Nicole Gleason wrote in an email." We have seen engineering plans for this, but since there is no end date to the flood as of yet, we dont have a start date." Different theories of electability support the candidacies of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders. Photo: Getty Images Its generally understood that for all the talk of Democrats moving to the left and embracing audaciously progressive policies, they are also very concerned about the electability of their 2020 presidential nominee. This is a concern that is likely to border on an obsession if the prospective general election looks close as voters begin voting, as I noted last month: [How will] Democrats at both the elite and grassroots level react to the real possibility of a second Trump win, particularly if it grows more plausible as 2020 approaches. Will they calmly resolve to unite behind whoever emerges from the abattoir of the nominating process, based on their popularity among Democratic primary voters? Or will they panic and become obsessed about electability as opposed to any other candidate quality? It is sometimes forgotten, though, that different Democrats approach the question of electability from very different perspectives. Sure, general-election trial-heat polls offer one way to project the odds of winning with this or that nominee. But early in the nominating contest, they sometimes measure name identification as well as popularity. And as Democrats learned to their eternal sorrow in 2016, polls can get it all wrong, too, even late in the contest. So barring definitive evidence that a particular candidate is decisively stronger as a Trump opponent than others, what do Democrats (and for that matter media observers) mean by electability in the first place? What prejudices do they bring to that discussion? I would discern five basic ideas about the abilities that equip a candidate to do well in 2020: 1. Command the center. This is the oldest idea, and probably the one most often embraced by media folks. Its basis in social science is the median voter theorem the basic idea of which is that the candidate that puts themselves in the center can win the most votes: The median voter theorem as developed by Anthony Downs in his 1957 book, An Economic Theory of Democracy, is an attempt to explain why politicians on both ends of the spectrum tend to gravitate towards the philosophical center. Downs, as well as economist Duncan Black, who proposed the theory in 1948, argue that politicians take political positions are far as possible near the center in order to appeal to as many potential voters as possible. Under certain constraints/assumptions, Black says, the median voter wins, and the outcome ends up as a Nash equilibrium. For obvious reasons, the median voter theorem is unpopular among ideologues in both parties who view the center as a place where the unprincipled and the timid gravitate. There are also some problems associated with defining the center in the first place, as Perry Bacon Jr. has noted: Would it help the Democrats in 2020 if they had a centrist at the top of the ticket? All else being equal, its probably safe to conclude that candidates more removed from the mainstream of American political thought will do worse at the ballot box. There is some evidence, for example, that Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater (1964) and Democratic nominee George McGovern (1972) lost by larger margins than other factors would have predicted in their elections because of the ideological extremism of their voting records. But ideology is somewhat complicated to measure, particularly for people who havent served in legislative bodies (like Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a potential Democratic candidate in 2020) or in any political office at all (like Trump.) Trumps Muslim plan was perhaps the most radical idea proposed by any recent presidential candidate, but voters had trouble pinning the candidate down on a left-right spectrum before the election. Trump, according to the Pew Research Center, won the plurality of 2016 voters who described their views as mixed and basically was even with Clinton among self-described independents. All sorts of candidates, moreover, can make a plausible claim to represent views within the political mainstream. As my colleague Eric Levitz has pointed out, the democratic socialist Bernie Sanders has been careful to identify himself with initiatives that are broadly popular: Bernie Sanderss signature policies Medicare for All, tuition-free college, a $15 minimum wage, a giant tax hike on the wealthy, and a $1 trillion infrastructure stimulus all boast majority support in most surveys, and overwhelming bipartisan support in a few. Still, the strong tendency in many circles to view the center as ideologically moderate is an explicit talking point in the campaigns of Amy Klobuchar and John Hickenlooper, who are reasonably close to the Clinton-Obama centrist heritage that won four presidential elections for Democrats since 1992. And its certain to be a fundamental argument for Joe Bidens candidacy as well. 2. Win crucial swing voters. Another prevalent way to judge candidate electability is to frame 2020 as essentially a battle over a particular set of crucial swing voters to whom particular candidates do or dont appeal. Without question, the most popular contestants for key swing voters next year are the Rust Belt white working-class voters many of whom voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and/or 2012 who helped Trump win Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and thus, the presidency in 2016. Midwestern natives Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and Tim Ryan will talk early and often about their geographical and psychological solidarity with these voters. And Joe Bidens alleged popularity in this sector will be a big deal for him, too; its no accident he is launching his candidacy with multiple events in his native Pennsylvania. The belief that particular candidates will hurt Democrats among swing voters can become a factor as well. Theres a widespread if often quiet fear that Hillary Clintons gender and perceived cultural elitism killed her candidacy in the Rust Belt. This fear could hurt female candidates particularly from the coasts in 2020. 3. Run to the left. For many years there has been a persistent progressive dissent against the median voter theorem holding that on the contrary, Democrats need a more strongly ideological candidate to win an electorate left cold by centrists and the Washington bipartisan Establishment they embody. A subset of that dissent is what Id call the hidden majority hypothesis, articulated here by Colin McAuliffe and Sean McElwee: [T]he path forward for Democrats needs to include mobilizing marginal voters, individuals who drift in and out of the electorate. These voters are overwhelmingly more supportive of progressive policies than individuals who consistently vote. According to Cooperative Congressional Election Studies (CCES) 2016 data, individuals who voted for Barack Obama but stayed home in 2016 preferred Democratic candidates in the House 83 percent to 14 percent (the rest preferred a third-party candidate). Ninety-one percent of those nonvoters support increasing the minimum wage to $12, 72 percent believe white people have advantages, 76 percent support a renewable fuel mandate, and 82 percent support an assault weapons ban. Another run to the left argument is that Democrats need an insurgent candidate to counter Trumps anti-Establishment drain the swamp rhetoric while authentically representing the increasingly left-wing views of reliable Democratic voters. The most powerful evidence for aiming the 2020 Democratic candidacy to the left, of course, is negative: Look what happened to Hillary Clinton. There is some evidence to support the emotionally powerful claim that Sanders would not have lost, sparing the country a Trump presidency. 4. Energize the base. A theory that sometimes overlaps with the run to the left prescription simply holds that 2020 will be a savage turnout battle and Democrats need a candidate whose identity will help mobilize the party base. This approach generally begins with an analysis of disappointing 2016 turnout by African-Americans and Latinos, and the importance of minority voters in states trending Democratic like Arizona, Georgia, and Texas. This theory offers a particularly strong boost to Kamala Harris, an African/Asian-American woman. But Cory Booker relies on it as well, as does the sole Latino in the field, Julian Castro. Its unlikely, but if Stacey Abrams were to jump into the race late, it would be significant that shes devoted most of her career to registering and mobilizing young and minority voters. And speaking of young voters, candidates not named Joe Biden will likely boast of their appeal to Democratic-trending millennials and post-millennials. 5. Charm the electorate. Theres one theory of electability that denies ideology or geography or ethnic, gender, and racial identity offer the best Democratic path to victory. Its all about a candidates charisma or relatability or likability, as Molly Ball recently suggested: As always, style and charisma are likely to matter to voters at least as much as policy papers and voting records. These candidates are going to try very hard to distinguish themselves from each other, but their positions are pretty similar, says Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau. Its going to be a lot more about the framing of your worldview than one specific vote. Arguably Donald Trump won not because of policy positions or money or endorsements, but because he embodies his own sinister brand of charisma, based on an ability to understand and amplify the inchoate fury of white voters who feel threatened or left behind by technological or demographic or cultural change. Some Democrats think they need their own brand of rhetorical enchantment, and are attracted to candidates like Beto ORourke and Pete Buttigieg, who offer narratives instead of policy papers, and just seem refreshingly likable. Any successful candidate is going to give off some of that sweet aroma of charm, but maintaining it regularly is tough. So next time you hear someone boast of this or that candidates electability, its useful to discern what is meant, and which often-unstated premises are involved. It will make everything easier for Democrats if polls in January of 2020 show one candidate beating Trump by 20 points and the rest of them trailing the much-feared demagogue. They probably wont be that lucky. at Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. A Davenport police officer was shot Thursday afternoon about 4:15 p.m. One man is in custody. The identity of the officer has not been released. Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane said the wounded officer is in stable condition, but it wasn't immediately clear how seriously the officer was wounded or what led to the gunfire. Streets in the Five Points area of Division and Locust streets were clogged with traffic and onlookers as Davenport officers, some carrying weapons, and Scott County deputies arrived. Davenport and Scott County officers are going door-to-door, looking for evidence. One neighbor said she heard "two pops," and other neighbors and business owners looked on as officers worked. Kimberly Smithe, owner of G & G Retailers Inc. says she never thought something like this would happen here. But it can happen anywhere. As the situation unfolded, squad cars sped to and from the area while neighbors gathered with cellphone cameras to get pictures and video, and traffic was congested for blocks. Police closed off streets near 17th and Division. DES MOINES --- Despite heavy opposition from municipal governments, the Iowa Senate has approved a proposal that would require local governments to take extra steps before they increase property tax revenues --- whether by increasing the tax rate or property values. Under the proposal passed Wednesday: City councils and county boards would be required to document and hold a public hearing for residents when they plan to increase property tax revenues through higher tax rates or reevaluated property value assessments. If a citys or countys tax revenues will be increased more than 2 percent, the vote would require two-thirds of the board's members instead of a simple majority. A measure that would put a 3 percent hard cap on increases, and allow for a voter referendum to reverse the increase was removed from the bill. Supporters say the proposal is needed to require transparency in local property taxes, so taxpayers can understand why their bill is increasing. They say it would force municipalities to show when property tax revenues are increasing and why. It was disappointing to learn the Scott County Board of Supervisors has taken a step back from openness to the public. ("Scott County tables motion to record meetings," April 19 edition of the Quad-City Times and "Scott County Board doesn't have votes to record meetings," April 16 edition.) Scott County residents deserve a chance to learn first-hand what is said and done in public meetings, without making a trip to Davenport at unusual meeting hours. The board does much of its business at an 8 a.m. committee-of-the-whole meeting every other Tuesday; that would be a good time to record the sessions and make them available online. It is impractical to expect many taxpayers to actually attend the morning session. The supervisors also meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday of that same week, when they may vote on topics that were raised in the Tuesday morning session. In the Times stories of April 16 and April 19, supervisors focused their concerns on costs alone. However, similar costs are borne by other counties in Iowa, and in many of the state's municipalities. For example, in a quick online search, video or audio recordings are available online in Johnson, Black Hawk and Polk counties. Italian hardware and software company Arduino has generously gifted Coding for Kids 45 microprocessor boards and instructional kits for use in upcoming computer technology classes offered to students in the Bitterroot Valley. This valuable gift will make the Coding for Kids Maker Space classes much more rewarding as each student will have the tools to design and build their own digital creation. Coding for Kids Stevensville was formed in 2017 to give local students aged 6-16 exposure to programming, robotics, digital art, drones, and digital device construction. Over 170 students, from Florence to Hamilton, have taken advantage of the program to build creative problem solving and job-ready digital skills. This summer the program offers eight classes ranging from beginning programming to building your own eCommerce website. Full details about the program and the upcoming classes can be found at http://codingstevensville.net Arduino is recognized as the leading open-source project board company in the growing maker movement. Their flexible, inexpensive computer boards can programmed and paired with sensors and switches to let inventors of all ages create digital solutions to real world problems. Students can use their creative spirit to design and build musical instruments, warning devices, pet-feeders or many other imaginative products. Dr. Loey Knapp was the director of Information Technology at the University of Montana before retiring to Stevensville in 2014. She now leads the Coding for Kids program and enjoys sharing her love of technology with kids who will face an increasingly digital world. "The award and equipment grant from Arduino are a validation of what weve been able to accomplish so far and huge help in giving us the tools we need to teach for many years to come," Knapp said. "We want to make this program a model for other rural communities and we look forward to working with Arduino as a strategic partner. Local attorney and Stevensville School Board Chairman Greg Trangmoe sees the importance of supplementing traditional education with hands-on technical skills. As we move into a world where every toaster, shoe and light switch has a computer inside, these are the skills that employers will look for, locally and nationally," Trangmoe said. "Whether you go college or enter a trade right out of high school, the best jobs available to future graduates will require technical problem-solving skills in addition to solid reading, writing and arithmetic. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A change aimed at spreading out fishing pressure on the West Fork and upper Bitterroot River was approved unanimously by the state Fish and Game Commission Thursday. It was pretty much a slam dunk, said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recreation manager Christine Oschell. The updated rule will be in place when the restrictions start on June 1. Last year was the first for new rules managing commercial use on the popular trout streams. The rules capped the number of outfitters and divided the upper reaches of the Bitterroot River and the West Fork into four sections. Each section was closed one day a week between June 1 and Sept. 15 to provide opportunity for non-commercial anglers. Following that first season, outfitters and guides complained about the sections being too short, especially during high water. They said that forced them to pile into the same access points at the top of each section to ensure the longest float possible rather than spreading out and using other access sites. The new rule changes the word float to launch. It allows outfitters and guides to launch in one section and float through adjoining sections open to commercial trips on any given day. Outfitters will still be limited to two launches from any one section of the river. They wont be allowed to float through sections that are closed to commercial angling. Oschell said FWP plans to increase its monitoring this summer and will publish a report at the end of the year. The department received a good number of comments on the proposed change on both sides of the issue from out-of-state anglers. Bill Harness didnt say where he was from in his comment, but he did want to let FWP know he was growing tired of the whole situation. We have been coming the Bitterroot Valley for the last 25 years to fish each July, Harness wrote. Becoming a part of some traffic jam exercise by the DFWP is ruining the experience for me. I realize you have a job to do, and protecting the wildlife is of paramount importance, but my activity in the valley has done nothing but bring important revenue to the area all while having little or no impact on the environment. We keep nothing. We kill very few. We do not litter. We do not carry on while on the river, he wrote. Why not enforce behavior and let people fish where they want to and when they want to? It has come to the point I would rather just go somewhere else. The experience is being ruined by DFWP and not by too many fishermen on the river at any given time. But L. Marovelli had a different take. I live on the West Fork near mile marker 20 and have been disgusted in recent years by the abusive overuse of this fishery by commercial float interests, Marovelli wrote. I am considering relocating my retirement residence as a result. I am total disgusted by the lack of action provided by the FWP to protect this small stream from commercial interests, he wrote. It is a shame that I must drive over the pass into Idaho or to Dillon to find some solace while fly fishing. Marovelli signed his comment Disgusted on the West Fork. Oschell said the number of out-of-state comments on the proposed rule change was sizeable. While most were focused on support of outfitters, a much smaller component came from people who lived along the river and didnt like seeing boats float by. This year, those complaints started early. So far this spring, Oschell said the department has received a number of calls from people about crowding on the West Fork. Its the only clear water around right now, she said. Its been really crowded. Weve started monitoring that. There are lots of people. About 98% are commercial. Oschell said the number of people using the river in the spring and fall has been growing. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A bill to authorize and help fund construction of an expanded history museum in Helena and fund grants to museums around the state passed out of a legislative committee Wednesday. The state House Appropriations committee passed the Montana Museums Act of 2020 without amendment, all but confirming that the House's action this week will decide whether the bill reaches the governors office before the Legislature adjourns. Otherwise known as Senate Bill 338, the act calls for an increase in the state lodging sales and use taxes from 3% to 4% to help fund a historic preservation grant program, grants for maintenance at historic mansions in Billings and Hamilton, and funding for the Montana Historical Societys Heritage Center project. The bill did not go through a necessary procedural process on the House floor Wednesday, but those who support the bill say they believe it will still come up for a vote Thursday, when the Legislature is expected to adjourn to end the session. MHS plans for the Heritage Center project include renovation of the current Historical Society building and construction of a second building near the Capitol to increase available space from 93,000 square feet to nearly 159,000 square feet. The organization began lobbying for state funding of the Heritage Center project in 2005, and saw House Appropriations table a bill in March that requested $32.1 million in bonding for the project. MHS Director Bruce Whittenberg told the Senate Finance and Claims committee last month that Sen. Terry Gauthiers bill was as good as anything MHS has seen in past sessions. Gauthier is a Republican from Helena. Lets get this done, Whittenberg told House Appropriations Wednesday. The tax increase in Gauthier's bill is forecast to generate more than $9 million per year after fiscal 2020. Representatives from the state Lodging and Hospitality Association, Chamber of Commerce and Infrastructure Coalition followed Gauthier to the podium in support of the bill, which saw no opponents in Wednesdays hearing. The bill passed the Senate only four days after its initial hearing last month but ended up in limbo in the House Taxation Committee after being tabled and revived. Consecutive tie votes on April 12 ensured the bill could not reach the House floor or be tabled a second time. Rep. Julie Dooling, R-Helena, successfully blasted the bill out of committee last week to force a House floor debate in which a pair of amendments failed. One would have allowed the museum to sell up to $50 million of objects that do not possess outstanding historical value relative to Montana, do not display exceptional qualities of Montana's history worth preserving, or do not tell the story of Montana. Rep. Joel Krautter, R-Sidney, criticized that amendment as allowing a garage sale of state artifacts. A second, to change the portions of lodging tax heading to the Heritage Center and preservation grants, was revived in committee Wednesday but refused by members who felt amendments this late in the session would kill the bill. Any amendments attached to the bill from this point on would force a second round of Senate debate if the bill passed the House. Wednesday marked day 86 of the 90 permitted for a regular legislative session, but motions to adjourn could come at any time. Thom Bridge can be reached at Thom.bridge@helenair.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An attempt to revive a preschool funding proposal failed Wednesday morning, only one day after opponents of the plan braced for its expected passage. A proposed amendment for a companion bill to the state budget that would have resurrected a preschool program proposed by Rep. Eric Moore, a Miles City Republican, failed on a 4-2 vote. But another preschool amendment awaits in a meeting scheduled for Thursday, and more could come forward. Wednesday morning's hearing was a free conference committee, where legislators have wide latitude to make both fiscal and policy. The companion bill, SB 352, underwent major changes with the proposed amendment. That set the stage for a reversal of expectations from education advocates who speculated that SB 352 would become "too big to fail" and that its sweeping nature would ensure passage of the preschool program. Whatever is placed before them on early childhood education will pass, said Montana School Boards Association executive director Lance Melton in a Tuesday conference call with school trustees from across the state, a prediction that didn't hold true. MTSBA opposed several of the provisions in the amendment, which largely mirrors Moore's HB 755, a bill that was shot down in committee in March. The program would create a new state department of early childhood to oversee private preschools and Head Start programs, funded with $3 million in 2020. Public school-based preschools would be supervised by the Office of Public Instruction and regulated by existing rules from the Board of Public Education, with $8 million in funding set aside for 2020. In the intervening year, $2 million would help keep the STARS program a pilot program for public preschool passed in 2017 afloat, and $3 million would aid programs currently in their final year of funding from a federal grant. The two programs are credited with adding more than 1,000 high-quality preschool slots. Several STARS programs said their classrooms would fold without new funding. Some programs aided by the federal grant said they planned for expiring funding and won't need deep cuts, while others are less certain. Gov. Steve Bullock supported Moore's bill, as did Rep. Casey Schreiner, a Great Falls Democrat who carried an earlier Bullock-backed public preschool proposal that failed. But several school advocacy groups opposed the bill because of its inclusion of public money for private programs and concerns about the creation of a new state agency. This looks like a mini step toward a parallel universe of private charter schools that would be paid for out of the public purse, teacher's union president Eric Feaver said at Wednesday's committee, which allowed brief public comment on preschool. Education groups did win some small concessions in Moore's amendment, like the removal of language affecting schools' ability to receive funding for preschool-lite programs. Sen. Jon Sesso, a Butte Democrat who voted for Moores amendment, prepared a different amendment that would continue funding for the STARS preschool pilot program and offer state funding to programs that had received federal grant money worth $11 million over two years. But the committee didnt reconvene Wednesday, despite a false start at about noon and a later scheduled meeting that never materialized. Its scheduled to meet Thursday morning. Republican Speaker of the House Greg Hertz, R-Polson, said the bill could be tied to the fate of a proposal to continue funding for STARS, which was passed in the 2017 session. That amendment, which would go onto a budget companion bill, was suggested Wednesday morning after another effort to graft a statewide preschool program onto the companion bill and create a new state agency was voted down. The committee taking up that companion bill delayed action on a STARS preschool vote until Thursday morning. During the Tuesday call, Melton excoriated the use of free conference committees and companion bills to legislate large issues like preschool. The process makes a charade of a legislative session for 90 days, he said, because it can be used to skirt legislative deadlines and rules for example, the route that Moore's original preschool bill failed to get through. Moore and Rep. Llew Jones, a Conrad Republican who has helped spearhead preschool negotiations, defended the process. Jones argued that late legislative haggling is inevitable. I would love a system that didnt wait until the deadlines, Jones said. The sausage-making process is never pretty. Everybody always talks about how early theyre going have their ideas vetted, but in the end its the looming deadline that always causes things to finally come together. It takes time. It takes a discussion. We have all 90 days, right? And day 88 is just as viable as day 43, Moore said. Lee Montana's Holly Michels contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body On the eighth anniversary of the April 27 tornadoes that ravaged the state of Alabama, Bo Bikes Bamas eighth annual bike ride will bring people together to create a safer Alabama. More than 1,000 riders will participate in either a 20- or 60-mile ride as part of Bo Jacksons annual fundraiser, which supports the Alabama Governors Emergency Relief Fund. The fund helps aid in recovery and prepares communities for future disasters. The rides begin and end at Auburn Arena, with the 60-mile ride participants starting at 7 a.m. and the 20-mile ride starting at 10 a.m. The day will kick-off with remarks from Bo Jackson and Gov. Kay Ivey. Prior to each ride starting, a moment of silence will honor the 23 lives lost during the Lee County tornadoes of March 3. Since the first ride in 2012, Bo Bikes Bama has raised more than $1.54 million, and participants this year have raised more than $130,000. Throughout the years, participants have come from 31 states, some even traveling from Canada and England, to take part in the fundraising event. Bo Bikes Bama began as a five-day, 300-mile bike ride following the tornadoes' path. In 2013, the fundraiser was hosted in Cordova, one of the hardest hit areas. Auburn University has hosted the event every year since 2014. For more information, go to http://www.bobikesbama.com. I had to laugh at this headline today. "Revolutionary: Oklahoma has just put a ban in place-banning bans on plastic bags" I love this, it was bound to happen after all the bans we've been seeing the past few years. We love to ban things and plastic grocery bags are number one this year. Ban the Bans! We're banned out. I don't like the plastic bags especially when baggers put only a couple of things in each one, but I don't like bans even more. Retirement means something quite different in America today: Increasingly, it is being redefined as laboring in old age. In fact, the Baby Boomers that are now reaching retirement age are still playing a key role in the American workforce--but not necessarily by choice. Seniors are mostly working longer because they need the money. Hikes in Social Security's retirement age, massive health-care costs, depleting savings and high levels of personal debt have made it harder than it was in the 1960s and 1970s to retire. According to a new report from money manager United Income, the participation rate in the labor force of retirement-age workers has topped the 20-percent mark for the first time in 57 years. As of February, the ranks of people age 65 or older who are working or seeking paid work doubled from a low of 10 percent back in early 1985, the report found. Whats worse is this: The upward trend is expected to continue, with the report estimating that 13 million Americans aged 65 or older will be in the labor force by 2024. While some switch to new jobs within their long-time careers, for others a retirement job means trying something entirely new. According to the data, the most popular jobs of 65+ people including accounting, teacher assistants, retail However, not everybody can work longer. As workers with desk jobs can work past retirement age, the ones working hard labor cant. About 10 percent of those over 50 had to leave their jobs because of health. Related: Strong U.S. Dollar Weighs On Blue Chip Earnings And there is no getting around the obvious here: At the core of the problem is the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs--the number one biggest threats to retirement solvency. A recent study by Gallup entitled The US Healthcare Cost Crisis found that seniors last year withdrew an estimated $22 billion from their long-term savings for health-related expenses. The report also found that some 10 percent of Americans aged 65 and older did not seek needed treatment in the past 12 months because of the cost of care. And the future seem to be just as grim, if not worse. A study by the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis finds that about 40% of middle-class Americans will live close to or in poverty by the time they reach retirement age. On a rare positive note, older workers are not only growing rapidly in numbers, but are also becoming substantially healthier and no longer feel that the traditional retirement age is an expiration date. Of Americans aged 65 or older and working or looking for work, 78 percent report being in good health or better, up from 73 percent in 1997 and 69 percent in 1985. And since manufacturing jobs are being overtaken more frequently by desk jobs or jobs that require less physical activity, age isnt quite the barrier to employment that it used to be. Related: How Millennials Are Reshaping Real Estate Economists have also found that retiring at age 66, instead of 62, can raise a retirees standard of living by one-third. Employers arent complaining because the elderly workers are better educated and more experienced in many cases than their younger colleagues. The share of all employees aged 65 or older with at least an undergraduate degree is now 53 percent, up from 25 percent in 1985. This pushed up the average real income of retirement-age workers by 63 percent during this time period, from $48,000 to $78,000. But the heart of the matter is that eternal American bogeyman of healthcare: The system is broken to the point that retirement is increasingly elusive and many are hoping that it will crack soon--and preferably before Baby Boomers end up workers as Walmart greeters just to survive. By Fred Dunkley for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com John David Finley is a free-lance writer and author of the cookbook, Sacred Meals from our Family Table, which features Santa Barbara County wines. He can be reached at jdfinley53@outlook.com Vodafone Idea's rights issue entailing 2,000 crore shares received bids for 1,109 crore shares, according to data available on the NSE. The country's largest telecom operator through the rights issue, which ran between April 10 and April 24, offered 2,000 crore new shares at Rs 12.50 apiece. As per the data, the rights issue had received bids for 11,09,28,57,339 shares at 2000 hours and showed the status as "active". When contacted, the company remained tight-lipped about the final numbers saying it is bound by applicable compliance norms and guidelines. To a separate query, the company said its interactions with investors suggest there is a "strong demand for the rights issue". "Axiata's renunciation has been fully taken up with a strong demand. Hence, we have good reason to believe that the issue will be fully subscribed," Vodafone Idea said in an e-mail response. The company added that it expects allotment to be made on or around May 6, 2019, as mentioned in the offer document. Data on the BSE showed that 492 crore bids were received as on 2000 hours. The company had earlier said its rights issue entitlement worth about Rs 2,000 crore renounced by Malaysia-based Axiata Group was fully subscribed on strong demand. Promoter shareholders -- Vodafone Group and Aditya Birla Group -- have reiterated to the board that they intend to contribute up to Rs 11,000 crore and up to Rs 7,250 crore, respectively, amounting to a total of Rs 18,250 crore, as part of the Rs 25,000-crore rights issue. Microsoft joins $1 trillion market cap club after impressive Q3 earnings If you have a problem with a stock brokerage firm, either as an investor or a financial professional, call Sallah Astarita & Cox, LLC Let's find out if our attorneys, who are former SEC Enforcement attorneys and broker-dealer counsel, can help you. Texas completes another execution of another killer involved in notorious hate crime | Main | "Jared Kushner: Fifteen Lessons I Learned From Criminal-Justice Reform" As reported in this press release, "from 2007 to 2017, incarceration rates in both prisons and jails decreased by more than 10%, according to reports released today by the Bureau of Justice Statistics." Here is more from the release: Over a decade, the incarceration rate among state and federal prisoners sentenced to more than a year dropped by 13%, from 506 prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents in 2007 to 440 prisoners per 100,000 in 2017. The prison incarceration rate also dropped 2.1% from 2016 to 2017, bringing it to the lowest level since 1997. The jail incarceration rate decreased by 12% from 2007 to 2017, from 259 to 229 jail inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents, but did not decline from 2016 to 2017. The U.S. prison population was 1.5 million prisoners at year-end 2017, and the population of jail inmates in the U.S. was 745,000 at midyear 2017. There were 1.3 million prisoners under state jurisdiction and 183,000 under federal jurisdiction. From the end of 2016 to the end of 2017, the number of prisoners under federal jurisdiction declined by 6,100 (down 3%), while the number of prisoners under state jurisdiction fell by 12,600 (down 1%). By citizenship status, non-citizens made up roughly the same portion of the U.S. prison population (7.6%) as of the total U.S. population (7.0%, per the U.S. Census Bureau). This is based on prisoners held in the custody of publicly or privately operated state or federal prisons. Among racial groups, the imprisonment rate for sentenced black adults declined by 31% from 2007 to 2017 and by 4% from 2016 to 2017, the largest declines of any racial group. However, the imprisonment rate for sentenced black males was more than twice the rate for sentenced Hispanic males and almost six times that for sentenced white males (2,336 per 100,000 black males compared to 1,054 per 100,000 Hispanic males and 397 per 100,000 white males). The rate for sentenced black females was almost double that for sentenced white females (92 per 100,000 black females compared to 49 per 100,000 white females). Among state prisoners sentenced to more than one year, more than half (55%) were serving a sentence for a violent offense at year-end 2016, the most recent year for which state data are available. An estimated 60% of blacks and Hispanics in state prisons were serving a sentence for a violent offense, compared to 48% of whites. At the end of fiscal year 2017, nearly half of all federal prisoners were serving a sentence for drug trafficking. Privately operated prison facilities held 121,400 prisoners, or 8% of all state and federal prisoners, at year-end 2017. Inmates in these facilities were under the jurisdiction of 27 states and the Bureau of Prisons. The number of federal prisoners held in private facilities decreased by 6,600 from 2016 to 2017 (down 19%). In 2017, almost two-thirds (482,000) of jail inmates were unconvicted, awaiting court action on a charge, while the rest (263,200) were convicted and either serving a sentence or awaiting sentencing. The demographic characteristics of persons incarcerated in jails shifted from 2005 to 2017. During this period, the percentage of the jail population that was white increased from 44% to 50%, while the percentage that was black decreased from 39% to 34%. Hispanics accounted for 15% of all jail inmates in 2017, the same as in 2005. Asians accounted for less than 1% of jail inmates in both years. In 2017, the jail incarceration rate for blacks was more than 3 times the rate for whites and Hispanics, and more than 20 times the rate for Asians. Jails reported 10.6 million admissions in 2017, which represented no change from 2016 but a 19% decline from 13.1 million in 2007. The overall weekly inmate turnover rate was 54% in 2017, while the estimated average time spent in jail before release was 26 days. BJS releases "Prisoners in 2016" and "Jail Inmates in 2017" reporting notable declines in incarcerated persons | Main | "The High Stakes of Low-Level Criminal Justice" The title of this post is the headline of this interesting Time commentary authored by Jared Kushner, which seems to be something of a follow up to his interview as part of The TIME 100 Summit. I would recommend the extended piece in full, especially for those interested in more background on how the FIRST STEP Act became a reality and how best to be successful in seeking the next steps in federal criminal justice reform. Here is a taste: In the wake of this legislation, hundreds of people have asked me how it was possible in the middle of such a divided political climate to bring both parties together on an issue that initially seemed to have no consensus, no champion and no pathway. Pursuing the passage of the First Step Act was one of the hardest experiences of my life. I got a close-up view of how Congress works and how it doesnt. Because this was neither a major issue of the campaign nor one of the first priorities of the new Administration, I did a lot of the staff work on it myself, with a small and dedicated team, and we were able to follow what I designed as a more intuitive process, instead of a standard legislative process. This ended up working even though this bill nearly died dozens of times along the way. Here are the key lessons I learned from the experience. The first lesson is that you have to reach out and talk to the other side. You will never make a deal in politics by only talking to people who agree with you. Ivanka and I would frequently host bipartisan groups of six to eight legislators at our home for off-the-record dinners, normally on a specific legislative priority, and the first toast was always by someone saying, We dont do this enough. We used to spend more time with people in the other party in safe and productive environments. Politics is a tribal business, and my reaching out to Democrats made some on the right uncomfortable. My politics have been those of an independent. Since I was new to professional politics, I did not feel that I knew the best way to solve the problems we have in this country so I sought out respected people on both sides of the aisle. I saw that when people reach out on either side of the aisle, they are subjected to criticism and even being labeled a traitor by those in their own party. By contrast, President Trump is a pragmatist. He looks to solve problems but is not ideologically fixed. I believed that he deserved thoughtful, researched options on how to pursue the promises that he made to the American people. There are many different ways to solve problems and no party has a monopoly on good ideas. The second lesson is that you have to engage early with a diverse group of people. For the prison reform effort, we started out by hosting multiple listening sessions in which we assembled the right people and allowed everyone to share their perspective. T his included Senators, Congressmen, governors, academics, law enforcement and many others. From these conversations we got good ideas, we saw overlapping areas of agreement, and we made people feel included in the process from the outset. Asking a lot of questions and closely listening, helped me form a more nuanced perspective. As my close friend and mentor Ambassador Bob Lighthizer would tell me during intense trade negotiations, I dont know anyone who ever got smarter by talking. While being in the White House and having the President on board was powerful, we could not have gotten this done if it werent for the many outside groups supporting the effort. There are too many to name who worked on this issue for a decade before I got involved, but they laid the foundation for our success. When we had politicians on the fence about voting with us, we would activate these outside groups and they always knew who the most influential voices were for each Senator or Congressman. Having many supporters out on TV and in the communities in both liberal and conservative circles helped bring around others who were less familiar with the issue. This coalition enabled me to cross the most important hurdle of all, which was to get President Trump to support this effort over the objections of others. The third lesson is to study what was tried and assess why it failed. Our system was designed to make change hard, and I remind my team all the time not to be afraid to follow intuition over ceremony and to try new approaches. We started by looking at the 2016 legislative effort and sought to understand who supported it and why the effort had failed. We were told that the Senate would not put a new bill on the floor since there was still too much disagreement. The leading opponent in 2016 was then Senator Jeff Sessions, who in 2018 was the Attorney General. Following dozens of discussions with interested parties, I engaged with him and after several meetings I was able to get him to agree not to block prison-reform efforts in exchange for us not working on the sentencing reforms he opposed. I told him that I would assume that we would work in good faith to achieve our shared goals of reducing crime. To that end, we would take all of his comments under advisement and try to incorporate them to the degree possible. This angered Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin, who had spent considerable time crafting the compromise language on the old bill. They were skeptical of Sessions working in good faith on this issue and thought we were disrespecting their work. After several heated meetings, I told them that we were going to start working in the House on a prison-reform bill. The other side of this is to study what has worked . The best thing about the federalist system is that the states are laboratories of democracy where ideas are tested. On prison reform we analyzed the many red states where reforms have succeeded. For instance, in Texas in 2002, Governor Rick Perry saw that the costs of incarceration were rising fast. He determined, with the help of his then policy director Brooke Rollins who later led this effort with me from the White House that you can change the prison system to focus it on locking up the worst violent criminals and that by being more targeted with these efforts you can lower incarceration costs and also lower crime rates. The fourth lesson was to develop a full legislative strategy early, and be prepared to modify as things progressed. We started working with Representatives Doug Collins and Hakeem Jeffries in the House, who had been the co-sponsors for the previous prison-reform bill. What we hoped would be easy got complicated very quickly. When the White House engaged, this raised the profile of the effort making it more political than it was the last time. We received criticism on all sides. Law-enforcement groups insisted that the current version of the bill was inadequate and in need of major revisions; Congressman Jeffries was taking heat for working with Trumps White House; and Senate Democrats even claimed that our version of the bill was potentially racially discriminatory in how it would be implemented. We had our work cut out for us. The fifth lesson is that the details really matter. Its easy for politicians to disagree on big concepts, but you find compromise and solutions in the details. During the negotiations we had many moments where both sides almost quit. At one point, those at the table who were against the bill had put so many poison pill provisions into the draft legislation that I got an emergency call from JaRon Smith, the talented legislative staffer who volunteered to work on this with me. JaRon told me that Jeffries team had walked away. The poison pills did not matter to our primary objective, while putting undue pressure on the Congressman, who was already getting a lot of criticism from the left. I didnt want to let him down. We reviewed the provisions and determined which ones were reasonable and which were not.... The seventh lesson is that nothing significant in Washington gets done without the Presidents buy-in. After a year of research and planning, we were confident that this was a worthwhile effort but could not take any further steps without President Trumps blessing. The President was a bit skeptical going into the meeting, saying Jared, this sounds like a pretty liberal issue. So I scheduled a policy meeting in January 2018 with external conservative leaders who could better explain how these reforms would advance his agenda. Before it began, Sarah Sanders noted that her father had passed similar reforms in Arkansas and that they were some of the most impactful and popular things he had done. When the President entered the room he was pleased to see many familiar conservative faces. I made a few introductory points and quickly passed it off to others to make the case. Having conservative governors, activists and law-enforcement leaders there helped a lot. But the most important statement made at that meeting was by aide Reed Cordish who said to President Trump, You promised during your campaign to fight for the forgotten men and women of this country. There is no one more forgotten or underrepresented than the people in prison. I could see that this statement hit the President and moved him deeply. After we had gone through the statistics and policy, the President said, Thats really sad. These people make a mistake, do their time, get out and then have all of these challenges. In some ways, what do we expect them to do? He saw immediately why both parties should support these reforms and told me: I am all in. Lets get it done, but work with Jeff to make sure this isnt soft on crime. "How to Argue with an Algorithm: Lessons from the COMPAS ProPublica Debate" | Main | BJS releases "Prisoners in 2016" and "Jail Inmates in 2017" reporting notable declines in incarcerated persons April 24, 2019 Texas completes another execution of another killer involved in notorious hate crime As reported in this local article, headlined "Texas executes John William King in racist dragging death of James Byrd Jr.," the Lone Star State has completed another notable execution. Here are the basics: Its been more than two decades since an infamous hate crime in East Texas, where three white men were convicted of chaining a black man to the back of a pickup truck, dragging him for miles and then dumping the remains of his body in front of a church. On Wednesday evening, John William King, 44, became the second and final man to be executed in the 1998 murder case of James Byrd Jr. Lawrence Brewer was put to death in 2011 for the crime, and Shawn Berry is serving a life sentence. King had previously been involved in a white supremacist prison gang, and he was notoriously covered in racist tattoos, including Ku Klux Klan symbols, a swastika and a visual depiction of a lynching, according to court documents. But King maintained that he was innocent in Byrds murder claiming that Berry dropped him and Brewer off at their shared apartment before Byrd was beaten and dragged to death. In a last-minute appeal, Kings attorney argued that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling entitled his client to a new trial because his original lawyers didnt assert his claim of innocence to the jury despite Kings insistence. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals narrowly rejected this appeal in a 5-4 ruling Monday, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against stopping the execution about 30 minutes after it was scheduled to begin Wednesday. After the ruling, King was taken from a holding cell and placed on a gurney in the death chamber and hooked up to an IV. He had no personal witnesses at his execution and spoke no final words, but he did provide a written statement beforehand, stating "Capital Punishment: Them without the capital get the punishment." He was injected with a lethal dose of pentobarbital at 6:56 p.m., and pronounced dead 12 minutes later, according to the prison department. Two of Byrds sisters and his niece planned to watch King's death. One of the sisters, who also watched Brewer's execution in 2011, told The Texas Tribune Tuesday that she didnt understand why Kings case was tied up for so long with numerous appeals. He was sentenced to death in February 1999. He wants to find a way not to die, but he didnt give James that chance, said Louvon Harris. Hes still getting off easy because your bodys not going to be flying behind a pickup truck being pulled apart.... Before the execution, Harris said King's death would bring her some closure, but she will still have to be involved in Berrys case as he becomes eligible for parole in 2038. Notably, this was only the fourth execution in all of the US so far in 2019. For telling contrast, consider that 10 years ago, there were 24 executions in 2009 before the end of April; and 20 years ago, there were 40 executions in 1999 before the end of April. Were the pace of just one execution per month to continue, we would see in 2019 the fewest total number of executions in the United States in more than 30 years. However, as this upcoming executions page reveals, there are already five executions in five different states scheduled for May 2019. If all those executions are carried out, the pace for nationwide executions in 2019 would be comparable to the pace in 2017 and 2018. April 24, 2019 at 10:04 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment Singaporehas come a long way from its developing nation status and the unemploymentbaggage that comes with such to arrive at its current first world status. Whilesmall businesses flourish in the Asian country, employment opportunities havesoared as well. WithSingapores push to become a Smart Economy, sectors like manufacturing,Information Technology (IT) and Healthcare have evolved over time. More peoplenow desire careers in these sectors. This has left the physical retail storesclutching at straws as e-commerce has changed the narrative in thatsector. To ajob seeker, gaining an employment opportunity is definitely a big deal, but theassociated paycheck is much bigger. For those unaware, Singapore has industrieswith the highest paycheck you can think of. Thesemouthwatering salaries arent just for those at the top of the company.Entry-level employees in these industries have been known to command salariesthat leave many onlookers green with envy. If youare looking to earn big through a career path in Singapore, the followingindustries are worth the effort: Accounting Whileworking with figures might appear drab, these professionals are cashing outmore money than you think. According to Kelly Services Salary Guide for2018,accounting experts earn as much as $15000 monthly. This shouldnt come as a surprisesince this is probably one of the most versatile career paths in existence. Theservices of accountants are in great demand in the corporate space to overseedifferent strategic roles such as funding, risk management, financialmanagement and a lot more. Since there are not enough accountancy professionalswith the experience to fill these roles, the competition to secure the servicesof those available leads to higher paycheck offers. Not bad for such a boringjob! Compliance Management Over time,the activities of this industry have stayed behind the curtains, and theprofessionals involved continue to command attractive salaries without much noise. Story continues Fromthe findings in the Gemini Personnel Group SalaryGuide in Singapore,the compliant management industry has salary earnings of an entry employeerunning in thousands of dollars. Well, you cant fault them. Saddled with theresponsibility of maintaining standards for other industries, keeping the beakof their employees adequately wet appears to be super productive. Fromthe lowly operations analysts and fraud investigators to the executives thatform part of the decision-making team, the professionals in the compliantindustry are getting paid significant salaries that you can only dream of. Banking and Finance Theprofessionals in this industry might not be one of the top earners elsewhere,but in Singapore, they earn amazing paychecks. And there is a reason for this.Singapore has a robust liquid and capital market with many companies preferringto list in the country. There are more than 700companies listed on the Singaporean Exchange and a significant market capitalization sum tomatch this. Withsalaries varying between $4,500 and $19,000, individuals working in theSingaporean banking and finance sector are the envy of their mates in otherindustries. The Singaporean authorities are looking to increase the number ofprofessionals working in the sector by making an entry into financialtechnology, expanding the asset management niche and establish the country asthe first choice when it comes to financing in the Asian continent. The futurelooks bright for anyone interested in a career in banking and finance. Engineering and Technical InSingapore, like everywhere else, skilled labor comes at a steep price highmonumental salaries. Due to the strong demand for individuals with disciplinesin engineering and other technical vocation, the salary structure for expertsthat possess the necessary track has been on the increase. Professionals inthis industry earn between $2000 and $9000 on a monthly basis. One ofthe reasons why the engineering and technical industry remains a high payingone for professionals is the wide array of sectors that depend on this industryto survive. Transport, electronics,info-communications, and media are some of the sectors serviced by thepersonnel from the engineering and technical industry. With the launch of theindustry transformation map for electronic engineering in Singapore,individuals in this discipline will remain in high demand for a long time. Customer Service Thoughpopular, customer service remains the industry with the widest range ofopportunities. Just about every sector depends on the industry to functioneffectively. Every company needs a professional who understands customer relations,company processes and can relate the same to a customer when necessary. Withsalaries varying between $1500 and $7000, professionals in this industry occupythe last spot on this list. Customerservice has evolved over the years to combine the use of digital media andtechnology to respond to query by unsatisfied customers. Many companies nowhave bots to compensate for the input of customer representatives. Despite theautomation efforts, the industry remains strong in Singapore. The stringentforeign manpower regulations ensure the industry is never saturated. Themanufacturing, tourism and retail sector continues to demand the services ofpersonnel in this industry. Other High Paying Industries HealthCare and Life Sciences Manymight find it surprising that this industry never made the top spot consideringhow the medical profession is one of the most sought after. But the salarystructure is decided by a lot of factors beyond a personal decision. Thehealthcare industry in Singapore isnt as financially rewarding as many think. Withthe National University of Singapore looking to increase intake for nursingstudents over the next few years, more healthcare workers are bound to bechurned out in their hundreds. Human Resources Withthe growth in the other industries, more people will be getting hired. Thehuman resources departments of these industries are bound to have their handsfilled. Hiring competent hands while keeping in mind the Singaporean laborregulations can be a tough ask. Experts in this industry can earn as much$18,000 monthly for their effort. Conclusion With the industries that offer the biggest paycheck in Singapore succinctly outlined, the onus is now on you to arm yourself with the skills required to get in contention for these jobs in Singapore. Get a degree and build your experience from the ground up. Goodluck! You may also like to read: Employee Benefits And Compensation Packages Job Seekers Are Seeking In Singapore How to Get a Job in the Best Companies to Work for in Singapore (By Molly Joshi) Related Articles - Highest Paying Jobs in Singapore For 2018 (And a Section For The Fresh Grads!) - Highest Paying Finance Jobs In Singapore 2018 - Top 20 Highest Paying Companies in the US in 2017 Market Live Updates: BSE Sensex closed at 38730.86 down -323.82 points or by -0.83 % and NSE Nifty closed at 11637.05 down by-89.1 points or by -0.76 % after brent crude rose above $75 per barrel for the first time in 2019 in the wake of tightening sanctions on Iran. The top gainers of the BSE Sensex pack were Bharti Airtel Ltd. (Rs. 331.25,+2.08%), Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (Rs. 2197.20,+0.54%), Bajaj Auto Ltd. (Rs. 3088.80,+0.41%), among others. On the sectoral front, BSE Oil & Gas index closed at 14997.57 up by 16.74 points or by 0.11%. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (Rs. 359.00,+3.01%), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (Rs. 274.10,+2.14%), Petronet LNG Ltd. (Rs. 237.55,+0.64%), Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (Rs. 309.85,+0.52%). The Market breadth, indicating the overall strength of the market, was weak. On BSE out of total shares traded 2841, shares advanced were 1200 while 1465 shares declined and 176 were unchanged. Here's a look at live updates for the Indian share market today: Maruti shares falls 2% post Q4 results 3:00 pm Maruti's stock fell 2% to day's low of Rs 6,880, after the company reported a fall in net profit for the Q4 ended March 31. Company's net profit fell by 4.6% to Rs 1,795.6 crore, down 4.6% compared to the same period previous year. It registered net sales of Rs. 20,737.5 crore, up by 0.7% over the same period previous year. The board of directors have also recommended a dividend of Rs. 80 per share of face value Rs 5- for 2018-19, the same as that of last year. Stock has been losing for the last 5 days and has fallen 7.29% in the period. The stock currently trades at Rs 6,920, down 1.48%. Read full report here: Maruti Suzuki's consolidated profit falls 2.9% to Rs 7,650.60 crore in FY19 L&T Finance Holdings and Apis Partners announce equity investment of up to US$ 110 million 2:45 pm Apis Growth Fund II, a private equity fund managed by Apis Partners LLP has agreed to invest up about Rs 770 crore in L&T Infra Debt Fund Ltd (L&T IDF),a subsidiary of LTFH. Out of the total investment amount, 70% is in the form of growth capital for L&T IDF and 30% is for purchase of shares from existing shareholders. "The Fund's investment into L&T IDF will support the growth of its loan book focused on infrastructure projects in India, strengthen its capital structure, and further its technology and digitisation strategy. This long-term partnership will support the company in accessing low cost international sources of funds which will be utilised to refinance operational infrastructure projects in India," company said in a regulatory filing. The stock is currently trading at Rs 138, down 1.25%. L&T Finance Holdings is a non-banking unit of engineering-to-software giant Larsen & Toubro Ltd that lends to infrastructure projects. Neogen Chemicals IPO Subscribed 78% 2:30 pm Mumbai-based Neogen Chemicals' Rs. 132-crore IPO or initial public offer, which opened for subscription on Wednesday, was subscribed 78 % on Thursday afternoon. The issue price band is fixed at Rs 212-215 per share, with a minimum lot size of 65 equity shares. The issue closes on April 26 and IPO will be lisitng on May 8, on both the exchanges, BSE and NSE. Read full report here: Neogen Chemicals IPO subscribed nearly 80% on Day 2 Indiabulls Real Estate top gainer on BSE 2:00pm As per latest reports, Indiabulls Real Estate has decided to disinvest in light of the sluggish London property market amid the uncertainty over Brexit uncertainty. Commenting on the clarification on news item by the BSE, company in a BSE filing yesterday said that it would not comment on speculations. "The company has been engaged in its business re-organization exercise for quite some time in the past and have been keeping the exchanges informed on such related developments, if any," it said, adding that it did not want to comment on speculations with respect to such discussions. The stock has been gaining for the last 2 days and has risen 19.04% in the period. Company also posted its fourth quarterly results yesterday. The stock rose almost 10 % and touched an intraday high of Rs 127. Read full report here: Indiabulls Real Estate share jumps 13% on raising Rs 1,807 cr from London property sale Investor Dolly and Rajiv Khanna cuts stake in nine companies in the Q4 1:45 pm IFB Agro Industries, JK Paper, Muthoot Capital, Nilkamal, Nocil, Rain Industries, RSWM, Ruchira Papers and Som Distilleries & Breweries are the companies in which they decreased stake in Q4. They have also raised stake in two companies namely Radico Khaitan and Butterfly Gandhimathi Appliances UltraTechCement surges to a new 52-week high after reporting a strong earnings for January-March quarter 1:15 pm Ultratech Cement's consolidated PAT increased to Rs 1,013 crore in Q4 FY19 versus Rs 446 crore in the same quarter a year ago; EBITDA rose to Rs 2,459 crore as compared to Rs 1,892 crore in FY18 Stock has been gaining for the last 2 days and has risen 1.37% in the period. The share has touched an intraday high of Rs 4,686.30 (6.59%), which is also a new 52-week high. Read full report here: Ultratech Cement posts PAT of Rs 2,435 cr in FY19; board declares dividend of Rs 11.50 per share UltraTech posts robust results for Q4 FY18-19: Benefits of acquisition reflect in earnings with sales volumes up by 18%, net profits up 148% and operating EBITDA by 63% over Q3 FY18-19. Click here to read more https://t.co/R6I3kW2wHC pic.twitter.com/muDjJAv99q - UltraTech Cement Ltd (@UltraTechCement) April 24, 2019 Listing of equity shares of Jinaams Dress Ltd 12:35 pm A per the filing on BSE, "Trading Members of the Exchange are hereby informed that effective from April 25, 2019, the equity shares of Jinaams Dress Ltd. are listed and admitted to dealings on the Exchange in the list of MT Group Securities". Global Markets 12:15 pm Asian markets are lower today as Chinese and Hong Kong shares are down. The Shanghai Composite is off 1.22% while the Hang Seng is down 0.09%. The Nikkei 225 is not trading. Jason Unsworth takes up offer to buy stake in Jet Airways 11:55 am In an exchange filing, Jet Airways confirmed that it received an unsolicited communication for stake sale and the sender has bee advised to formally engaged with SBI Caps, which is heading the bidding process for the same. Lenders of Jet Airways are planning to recover debt to the tune of Rs 8,500 crore buy selling stake in the embattled airline. share of @jetairways I believe 75% shares are available and believe we will be able to offer an amount higher then the actual debt of 810 Million GPB, $1.3 Billion USD we have received multiple offers of encouragement and an extremely positive response from all @jetairways staff - Jason Unsworth (@JasonUnsworth2) April 25, 2019 Jet airways stock has fallen after 2 days of consecutive gain and touched an intraday low of Rs 162.50 (5.11%) in today's trading session. Read full report here: British entrepreneur Jason Unsworth takes up offer to buy stake in Jet Airways with lenders Trident to consider the stock split on May 13 and to consider fund raising via share sales, convertible bonds. #MOMarketUpdates - Motilal Oswal Group (@MotilalOswalLtd) April 25, 2019 Trident to consider Stock Split on May 13 11:30 am Trident Ltd informed BSE that in the board meeting to be held on May 13, 2019, the company plans to consider and recommend sub-division/split of company's equity share having face value of Rs 10 each. Vodafone Idea rights issue receives bids for 1,109 crore shares 11:15 am According to data available on the NSE, Vodafone Idea's rights issue, which was priced at Rs 12.50 apiece entailing 2,000 crore shares received bids for 1,109 crore shares. The rights issue which opened on April 10 received bids for 11,09,28,57,339 shares, as per the data. Read full report here: Vodafone Idea's rights issue received bids for 1,109 crore shares, says NSE ICICI Prudential shares rise 5% post Q4 results 11:00am Shares of ICICI Prudential rose almost 5% intraday after the company announced it registered total income doubling in the March quarter to Rs 16,053.89 crore compared to Rs 7,136.87 crore in the year-ago period. The total premium registered a growth of 14.3 percent from Rs 27,069 crore to Rs 30,930 crore in 2018-19, ICICI Prudential Life said in a regulatory filing. ICICI Prudential shares had a trend reversal today after 2 days of consecutive fall. The stock rose almost 5% to touch an intraday high of Rs 379 and currently trades at Rs 370, up 1.89%. REad full report here: ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Q4 profit dips 23% to Rs 261 cr, board declares dividend of Rs 1.55 per share IPRU Life reported impressive quarterly results. Company reported 4QFY19 PAT of INR2.6b (in-line). Gross premium growth picked up to 16.4% YoY in the quarter (+14.3% for FY19), mainly led by ~11%/118% growth in first-year/single premium. #MOMarketUpdates - Motilal Oswal Group (@MotilalOswalLtd) April 25, 2019 Results Today 10:15 am Axis Bank, Biocon, Cyient, GHCL, Indiabulls Ventures, Maruti Suzuki, MCX, Rallis India, SBI Life Insurance and Tata Steel among others. Results 10:00 am Ultratech Cement - Reported strong numbers thanks to good volume growth and subdued cost. All India Cement utilisation stood at 78%. M&M Finance - Reported above expected quarterly numbers guided by strong collections and good disbursements. Bad loans comes down meaningfully. Tata Elexi - Numbers less than market expectation due to weaker revenue. Advisable to shift from Tata Elexi to TCS. Top Gainers and Losers 9:40 am Grasim, Ultratech Cement, PowerGrid, NTPC, and Hindalco were the top gainers on the Nifty, while, Bharti Infratel, Indiabulls Housing, Tata Motors, IOC and Adani Ports fell the most on the index. Orient cement, Balrampur Chini Mills, Ultratech Cement, DCM Shriram, and SpiceJet are the top gainers on Sensex, whereas Reliance Communications, Jet Airways, Bharti Infratel, Vodafone Idea, and M&M Financial Services are the top losers on the BSE. Sensex value at 25 Apr, 2019 09:33 AM: 39,096.43 - Sensex India (@bse_sensex) April 25, 2019 Opening bell 9:20 am The BSE Sensex was trading down 29 points at 39,025 and the broader NSE Nifty50 fell 3 points to 11,724 level. In BSE, out of 1728 stocks, 1102 are advancing against 617 declining and 89 stocks unchanged. Sectoral indices were trading mixed with IT, Metal, Auto falling over 0.2 %. Institutional Inflows and Outflows 9:15 am Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth 974.88 Cr on a net basis, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold shares worth 657.06 Cr yesterday. Derivative View 9:05 am VIX closed at 23.71. Max Put OI is at 11500 then 11600 strike while Max Call OI is at 11800 then 12000 strike. Option band signifies a shift in a trading range in between 11600 to 11800 zone. Market Closing on Wednesday 8:45 am Yesterday late hours showed buying in heavy weights which should give push up to the market today also. Broader Indices Nifty closed at 150 points at 11,726 level and Sensex ended 489 points up at 39,054. The BSE Sensex touched intraday high of 39095.35 and intraday low of 38571. The NSE Nifty touched intraday high of 11740.85 and intraday low of 11578.85. Read full report here: Share Market Update: Sensex ends 489 points higher, Nifty closes at 11,726; UltraTech Cement, HCL Tech top gainers post Q4 results Expect market to open on a flat note on account of global cues. U.S. equities edged marginally lower (down 2%) as investors assessed corporate earnings and economic data. The S&P 500 Index slumped 0.2% from Tuesday's record close. AT&T Inc. and Caterpillar Inc. #MOMarketUpdates - Motilal Oswal Group (@MotilalOswalLtd) April 25, 2019 Global Market 8:30 am Markets are expected to open flat ahead of F&O expiry on account of global cues. Asian stocks are trading mixed. Hong Kong declined 0.4%, while Nikkei trades marginally positive ahead of policy meet. US stocks slipped from record levels as Wall Street digested a mixed batch of corporate earnings. SGX Nifty on the Singapore Exchange slipped 26 pts or 0.2%. Rupee openes lower 8:25 am Rupee opened lower at 70 against the dollar versus wednesady's close of 69.87/$. (Edited by Rupa Burman Roy) Juan Guaido, opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, sits on a boat with staff members before crossing Maracaibo Lake to reach the town of Cabimas, Venezuela where he will lead a rally, Sunday, April 14, 2019. Guaido was forced to take the boat in order to outmaneuver police roadblocks and reach throngs of supporters waiting to hear him speak. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) MARACAIBO, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has met obstacles at nearly every turn since he declared presidential powers in a bid to end socialist President Nicolas Maduro's rule, and his visit to this once-thriving oil center was no different. He was forced to take a boat to outmaneuver police roadblocks and reach throngs of supporters waiting to hear him speak in the sweltering heat in Maracaibo, a city now infamous for its blackouts. Security forces had blocked the bridge across Lake Maracaibo just as Guaido arrived on Sunday. Undeterred, the 35-year-old opposition leader and his entourage boarded a private boat and sped off across the water. While Guaido has gained backing from the United States and some 50 other nations, Maduro remains firmly entrenched nearly three months into the struggle for control of Venezuela. Guaido has been stripped of his immunity and faces the looming threat of arrest something he warned would be a "big mistake." "It would only deepen the crisis," Guaido told The Associated Press as the boat crossed the choppy waters. "The consequences would only hurt the regime." Maracaibo, Venezuela's second-largest city of 1.5 million where refineries that once hummed with constant activity have fallen into disrepair, is a window into a nation that has plunged into chaos. The power has returned for most of Venezuela after a massive electrical grid failure that blanketed most of the country's 30 million residents for days starting March 7. But Maracaibo hasn't bounced back. The city is a crumbling version of its former self. Gushing oil wells that helped make a nation with the world's largest oil reserves flush with cash have given way to broken-down oil platforms that sit idle as nearby shores are black with oozing crude. Maracaibo has endured rampant blackouts for more than a year, leaving residents of a city where temperatures regularly reach 100 degrees without air conditioning and refrigerators, spoiling food. In the streets, residents spend hours searching for water, and schools barely open. Story continues Frustration spilled over for several days in mid-March, with mass looting by mobs that overran shopping centers sacking 523 stores many of which have not reopened their doors. Residents say they live in fear of a serious illness or injury. Doctors in the main emergency hospital tell patients to bring their own water to clean wounds and even the most basic items like aspirin are lacking. Guaido's first visit to Maracaibo since declaring presidential powers on Jan. 23 comes at a time when he seeks to tap into popular frustration and anger to re-energize his campaign. Some fear he's leading yet another fatally stalled opposition movement unable to break free from Maduro. Guaido has failed to win a critical mass of the armed forces away from Maduro or bring in international shipments of humanitarian aid. The masses of supporters who flooded the streets in the capital, Caracas, immediately after Guaido declared presidential powers aimed at toppling Maduro have begun to wane. But in Maracaibo, a historic opposition stronghold, he was met Sunday by thousands who turned out at a series of rallies to hear him speak even as his voice turned hoarse. Several thousand followers waited more than four hours in the middle of one of the city's main avenues. The visit came as pressure on Guaido is only tightening. The National Constituent Assembly, stacked with Maduro loyalists, withdrew Guaido's parliamentary immunity earlier this month, opening the path to prosecute and arrest him for allegedly violating the constitution. Days earlier Guaido's chief of staff was jailed as an accused terrorist. Guaido said he has urged his international backers to adopt a stance of "zero tolerance" toward Venezuela's rampant corruption and the mismanagement of its resources. Maduro boasts support from Russia, China and Turkey, but Guaido dismissed that as "more of a show" than having any substance amid Venezuela's crisis. Guaido refuses to negotiate with Maduro. "There's no possibility of a dialogue with Maduro," Guaido said. "He's the problem." Given the fading anti-government protests and the opposition's refusal to open a dialogue with Maduro, the option of some sort of U.S. military deployment starting with efforts to bolster humanitarian aid deliveries to Venezuela has been gaining strength, especially among some figures in Washington. "It is becoming clear that we will have to consider the use of American military assets to deliver aid," Florida Sen. Rick Scott said last week at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. "Maduro and his thugs have left us no choice." The Trump administration is determined to see Maduro removed from power, preferably through diplomatic and economic pressure. The White House has slapped dozens of officials in Maduro's government with financial sanctions and targeted Venezuela's oil industry, its most important source of revenue. But while White House officials have repeatedly warned that "all options are on the table," no plan appears to be in place backing up the tough talk. Reaching the other side of Lake Maracaibo, Guaido hit another police roadblock. His entourage abandoned their cars and turned to local residents to help them navigate around backroads. Guaido spoke at several rallies, urging Venezuelans not to give into Venezuela's collapsing public services. Rather, he said, they need to keep the protests alive throughout the country, rejecting Maduro's government. "We're not going to bend our knees if that's what they tell us to do," Guaido said, as the mass of people cheered in support. "Yes we can!" they shouted. ___ Fabiola Sanchez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fisanchezn (Google Maps screencap) SINGAPORE A primary school in Bukit Panjang has been hit by a gastroenteritis outbreak last week, with 230 reportedly affected as of 5pm on Wednesday (24 April). About 200 students from Zhenghua Primary School, located at 9 Fajar Road, had experienced symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain last Wednesday and Thursday, said its principal Constance Loke in response to media queries on Thursday. More than 90 per cent of affected students have recovered and returned to school by Monday, said Loke. Two students who were hospitalised have since been discharged and are back at school. The health and well-being of our students and staff are of utmost importance, she added. The school is monitoring the situation closely and working with the relevant government agencies to ascertain the cause of the incident. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in a statement on Thursday that a joint inspection of the school canteen was conducted last Wednesday where 16 food handlers were sent for stool screening. Food and environmental swabs were also taken for laboratory analysis, the joint statement added. The canteen, which was closed a day after the inspection, resumed partial operations on Wednesday, said Loke. It will resume full operations next Monday. For now, the school has engaged a licensed caterer to bring in packed food for the students during recess and lunchtime, she added. Loke said that the school has also taken steps to sanitise common areas, water coolers, the canteen and the classrooms of the affected students. The school will continue its daily cleaning routine and teachers will continue to remind students to practise strict personal hygiene. We also regularly remind canteen food handlers about the importance of food hygiene in the handling and preparation of food. Our Food Hygiene Officer also conducts regular checks of the canteen stalls, she said. The MOH and the SFA said that people who have gastroenteritis typically experience diarrhoea or vomiting. Story continues It is important for affected persons to rehydrate by drinking plenty of fluids and to seek medical attention if necessary, added the authorities. The contagious disease can be developed in several ways: eating or drinking contaminated food items, touching surfaces or objects that are contaminated or having the mouth coming into contact with unwashed hands. The food supply chain is extensive and food can be contaminated at any point in time, said the authorities, who called for good food hygiene and safety processes, as well as infection prevention and control practices to be adopted by key stakeholders, including the industry and public. Last month, over 250 people were taken ill in a gastroenteritis outbreak across 13 Sparkletots pre-school centres and one P.L.A.N. Student Care Centre. In February, 30 children and one employee were affected following a gastroenteritis outbreak at the MindChamps pre-schools Tanglin branch. In November last year, another outbreak of the disease linked to the River Valley branch of Spize Restaurant saw 72 people affected. Among them was Sats employee Fadli Salleh, 38, who subsequently died as a result of his illness. Related stories: Gastroenteritis outbreak: Number of cases rises to 257, 1 new PCF Sparkletots centre affected Man dies after gastroenteritis outbreak at Spize Restaurant at River Valley When food poisoning turns deadly The car wash boys of Freetown face daily malaria risks Four in 10 hospital visits are attributed to malaria in Sierra Leone. For World Malaria Day, Zoe Jewell and Paul Myles meet the people living in the shadow of this everyday threat. Malaria is ever present in Sierra Leone. Its such a part of everyday life that locals joke you are not a real Sierra Leonean if you havent had the disease. Over the past year, a group of Sierra Leonean reporters from community-journalism outfit On Our Radar have been gathering the stories of those affected. Here, we present three short video stories of ordinary people living with this menace. The car wash boys With reporting from Amjata Bayoh, Freetown For people living hand to mouth like the car wash boys, malaria can devastate livelihoods. Young people who arent in formal employment rely on day-to-day work in the informal sector. One day without working means one day without money. But in order to solve one problem, these young men have to expose themselves to another. The peak time for the anopheles mosquito to bite is after dark while the car wash boys are outside working. They are surrounded by vats of water and open gutters, the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. After breeding in the gutters, the mosquitoes look for meat and the only meat around is the car wash boys, says Jaguar, the chairman of the youth-led co-operative. The mosquitoes survive on us and it creates a lot of problems. Each night, between 10 and 20 men sleep in between jobs on wooden benches with no nets to protect them from mosquitoes. Three to four men get malaria every month. Most of them will force themselves into work even when theyre ill, for fear of losing a days earnings. For cleaning a taxi, we take 15,000 leones (roughly 1.30) split between three people says Jaguar. We have to wash a lot of cars before earning enough for the day. Hassan, who has worked here for five years, has malaria right now, but said he cannot take time off even while he is sick. Theres no other way to find money so I have to come in, he says. Story continues The car wash boys pool their money to pay for healthcare costs when someone gets malaria, but last year two of their colleagues died including the former chairman. He was a man full of humour and so hard-working. We will miss them because they were part of us, says Jaguar. But we dont have any other option. We cant stop washing cars, its our livelihood. We dont want to be thieves going around pick-pocketing. If you dont take the risk, you cant feed your family. The riskiest place in the world to give birth With reporting from Mariama B. Jalloh, Kabala Bambay Koroma is a 60-year-old grandmother who is the sole carer of eight young grandchildren in Kabala, a sleepy town surrounded by mountains in the north of Sierra Leone. As the kids play around her compound, she sits on the side of the hill breaking rocks to make a living. She describes how her daughter-in-law suffered from malaria regularly during pregnancy but Bambay and her family could not afford treatment. When her daughter went into labour, she needed an urgent blood transfusion but Bambay had no money to buy blood. By the time she managed to find a relative who could donate their blood, it was too late her daughter-in-law died soon after delivering a baby boy. Everyone was crying that day in the hospital. The mother would never know the child and the child would never know the mother. But what could I do? As is common in Sierra Leone, Bambay stepped into the breach after the death of her daughter-in-law to care for the baby, along with the seven other grandchildren left behind. Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality ratio in the world, with close to 3,000 mothers losing their lives in pregnancy or childbirth every year often due to malaria. There is only one nurse or midwife for every 10,000 people. The people most vulnerable to malaria are pregnant women and children under five. Elizabeth Katta, a reporter in Sierra Leones second city of Bo, is furious when she hears about stories like Bambays. Malaria is treatable and the treatment is supposed to be free, so why are so many women dying? In 2010, a government initiative part funded by donors such as DfID, the World Bank and the Global Fund made healthcare free for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five. But Elizabeth knows that this doesnt always work in practice: some healthcare workers are unpaid volunteers who demand payments from patients directly. I was sick with malaria from zero to eight months, says Elizabeth. When I went into labour I was attacked with fever, but in the hospital they were asking me to pay. No one would talk to me because I didnt give them a single cent. Elizabeth was too weak to push and she was told that only a C-section could save her and her baby. My husband didnt have money so we had to call an uncle who rescued us and sent us 1.5 million leones (roughly 130). Elizabeths baby girl was delivered safely but soon after she developed malaria symptoms too and, again, Elizabeth was asked to pay for her treatment. Today shes alive. Shes called Victoria because shes Victorious! Elizabeth is determined to help other women fight against corruption in hospitals. I am seriously angry with the nurses. I paid the money because I was in dire need and I was at the point of death. Now if I know a pregnant woman going to the hospital I will check on them to see how they are treating them. They always call me trouble maker at the hospital because I am always preaching the truth. Leaving it late With reporting from Abdul Samba Brima, Freetown Emmanuel Bundu knows the risk of delaying malaria treatment only too well. This year, on March 5, he gathered together the school friends of his young son, Shadrach, for a poignant celebration. It would have been Shadrachs sixth birthday, but last summer he died of malaria. When my child contracted malaria, I lost his life in less than one week. I am an activist for children and people with disabilities so when I work for children, especially now that schools have reopened, it makes me run tears. Changing attitudes and educating communities is key to reducing malaria in Sierra Leone. Malaria is especially dangerous for children because their immunity is low. Within a few days, a perfectly healthy child can collapse with a raging fever and develop severe complications, such as convulsions or anaemia. Emmanuel wasnt at home when his son got sick, so he doesnt feel he can blame anyone for it. However, he believes that if his son had been taken to hospital before convulsions started, then they may not have lost him. African people look to traditional herbs to treat malaria... I am pretty sure these were the herbs they were using at home with the intention that hes going to get well soon. Malaria has become normalised in Sierra Leone and travelling to the nearest healthcare facility can be costly, so parents often wait until symptoms are severe before seeking professional help. But by the time children arrive at hospital, it can be too late. In one childrens hospital, Ola During in Freetown, malaria accounts for between 40 and 50 per cent of all admissions. An on-call doctor says: We notice that [parents] are very limited in terms of the prevention of malaria... the dos and donts. There are times when they are given bed nets but they dont use them. Theyve told us their husbands are fishermen, they use them for fishing. But when children are taken to the hospital in time and when the free healthcare is well-resourced and corruption-free, treatment really works. Most people coming to Ola During are deprived, so at least they have somewhere to go when they need that emergency help. There are times I sit down and ask myself what will become of these people if they say we are ending the free healthcare initiative. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security A young Syrian with cerebral palsy, who trekked with a wheelchair from her homeland all the way to Germany as a refugee, on Wednesday urged the UN Security Council to focus more on Syria's "invisible" disabled people. It was the first time the council has formally considered the rights of disabled people affected by conflict, a rights watchdog said. "I call on all members of the council to do more to make sure (of) humanitarian access to address the urgent needs of the people affected by the conflict, particularly people with disabilities," said Nujeen Mustafa, 20. She reached Germany in September 2015 after an arduous month-long 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile) journey with family members that included a terrifying boat trip to Greece, after it became too dangerous for them to stay in Aleppo. Mustafa, who dreamed of becoming an astronaut, wrote a memoir of her experience and even Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai hailed her as an inspiration. A student in Germany, Mustafa has become an advocate for the rights of disabled people in conflict, trying to get states and UN agencies to include them in humanitarian aid. "There is very little data on how many people with disabilities live in Syria or have fled to neighboring countries and what our needs are," she said. "And without this data, the programs and policies just don't meet our needs. We're invisible." - Idlib's 175,000 disabled - New York-based Human Rights Watch backed Mustafa's call, saying the Security Council "should urgently act to improve the protection of people with disabilities in armed conflict." Mustafa drew the council's attention to the situation in Syria's jihadist-controlled Idlib region, home to about three million people and which has come under increasing bombardment since former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. "In Idlib, there are more than 175,000 people with disabilities -- many of whom now have disabilities because of the conflict," she said. "The council cannot allow Idlib to be another Aleppo, with hundreds of thousands forced to flee," Mustafa said in an appeal reinforced by Ursula Mueller, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. More than 200 civilians have reportedly been killed since February as a direct result of increased military clashes and attacks, Mueller said. "Civilian structures -- particularly schools and hospitals -- continue to be hit" in the jihadists' last Syrian bastion, she said. Idlib has since September been protected from a massive regime offensive by a fragile ceasefire deal signed by Damascus ally Russia and rebel-backer Turkey. At the UN, however, several countries are worried that "the Russians will soon let the regime take back the pocket in a bloodbath and with their support," according to a diplomatic source. There are "more and more Russian signals that the situation in Idlib is untenable, that it will be necessary to burst the abscess and that the province will return to the fold of the government," the source said. On Wednesday, a powerful explosion in Idlib killed 18 people including more than a dozen civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. 23 puppies were smuggled in six carriers. (Photo: Singapore Food Agency/Facebook) SINGAPORE He attempted to smuggle 23 puppies in six cramped carriers on board his pleasure craft but was caught by Police Coast Guard (PCG) officers in Singapore. After the puppies, which were no more than eight weeks old, were rescued, 11 contracted a virus and died. The puppies consisted of Golden Retrievers, Poodles, Pomeranians, French Bulldogs and Shih Tzus. Cheow Yon Siong, a 53-year-old Singaporean, owned and operated the Singapore-registered pleasure craft that was used to smuggle the puppies across. He aided Yeun Jian Iun, a 23-year-old Malaysia, in the operation. On Thursday (25 April), Cheow admitted to one count of abetting the import of the puppies without a license and one count of failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that the puppies were not confined and suffering while being transported. He also pleaded guilty to consuming and possessing methamphetamine. Seven other drug-related charges were taken into consideration for sentencing. In 2016, Yuen pleaded guilty to his charges and was sentenced to eight months jail. The plan was masterminded by Yeun, who received a call from a man who proposed for him to smuggle puppies into Singapore for a fee. On 23 October 2016, the man told Yeun that he would be paid $1,000 upon successful delivery. Yeun accepted the offer four days later. On 28 October, Yeun boarded Cheows pleasure craft and headed to Sebana Cove at Malaysia in the morning. Cheow remained in the craft while Yeun collected the 23 puppies in six carriers. The carriers were placed on the vessel and covered with large bath towels before Cheow drove back to Singapore. When the boat reached Singapores coastal waters some 20 minutes later, PCG patrols searched the vessel and heard the sound of barking dogs. Upon a further inspection, the puppies were uncovered. Cheow claimed that the puppies belonged to them and they had earlier brought to Malaysia for vaccination. However, neither he nor Yeun were able to substantiate their claims. Story continues The craft was escorted to Marina Country Club and the case referred to the then Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore. The authority discovered that there was no food or water in the carriers, which were cramped and barely had any space for the puppies to move around. Up to five puppies were kept in each carrier, with some being pressed to the side of the container. The puppies were transported to Sembawang Quarantine Station on the same day and examined. Seventeen puppies were estimated to be between four and seven weeks old, with the remaining six estimated at around eight weeks old. Their young age suggests that they were only recently weaned from their dam. Based on their young age, the puppies are unlikely to be vaccinated, since puppies are normally vaccinated from only six to eight weeks of age, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Theong Li Han. Some of the puppies were found to be weak, lethargic and unwilling to eat while others vomited and had diarrhoea. Ten of the puppies eventually died from parvovirus and one was euthanised. A few months later, Cheow was later arrested for drug offences. Drugs were seized from his home. Cheows urine sample tested positive for methamphetamine. Cheow is expected to be sentenced on 16 May for the importation and drug-related offences. He is currently serving a jail sentence of six years and six months for trafficking methamphetamine. Other Singapore stories: An editor's confession Man charged with causing death of off-duty police officer in Maxwell Road accident Singapore's tripartite partners in 'advanced stage' of setting new retirement, re-employment ages: Ng Chee Meng NUS student leaves Great Eastern after being suspended for inappropriate misconduct SINGAPORE Students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) recounted traumatic experiences of sexual misconduct on campus and lambasted NUS for its inertia in tackling the longstanding issue at a packed town hall meeting at the University Town auditorium on Thursday (25 April). The closed-door meeting was prompted by the furore over the handling by the university of the incident involving Nicholas Lim, a male NUS student who was caught filming undergraduate Monica Baey, 23, in a hostel toilet in November last year, and the perceived light punishments that Lim received. The NUS Board of Discipline had ordered Lim, also 23, to be suspended for one semester. In addition, he was banned from entering into hostel premises on campus, had to undergo counselling sessions and was ordered to write a letter of apology to Baey. Lim, who was a first-time offender, was also given a 12-month conditional warning by the police. If he were to commit another offence over the following 12 months after the warning, he would be prosecuted for both offences. Around 800 people attended the meeting, with the attendees spilling over to a second auditorium. The meeting organised for NUS students, faculty and staff was chaired by Professor Florence Ling, Vice-Provost (Student Life) and Associate Professor Peter Pang, Dean of Students. Isaac Neo, a 25-year-old NUS undergraduate majoring in political science, told Yahoo News Singapore that Baey, who was also among the attendees, gave several suggestions to curb sexual misconduct on campus. She proposed a separate office to provide support for victims of sexual assault, longer periods of suspension for offenders, and mandatory rehabilitative counselling for offenders to better understand sexual assault. Systematic failure at NUS One attendee who said that she was molested by a male student on campus decided to recount her ordeal of being attended to by counsellors from the universitys Counselling and Psychological Services unit. Story continues The student said a counsellor told her not to speak up in public. I was interrogated by two male staff and one female staff. No psychologist was brought inI was accused of being inconsistent, she added. The personnel handling her complaint decided to drop the case, citing lack of evidence, while the perpetrator went on with his life and graduated without a criminal record to his name, she said. The incident had left her with post-traumatic stress disorder, poor appetite and a fear of showering at night, she added. Another attendee read out a statement by a female friend who was a victim of voyeurism while she was showering on campus. The woman was given a rape whistle by the campus security and counsellors attending to the incident had told her not to report the offender in order to give him a chance to be rehabilitated. I was utterly failed by the administration Overall there is a systemic failure in the way that NUS handles these cases NUS leadership does not understand the trauma that victims face, the statement said, according to a tweet posted by Kellynn Wee, research associate of NUS Asia Research Institute, who attended the meeting. Tighter security measures The attendees demanded that NUS immediately enhance its security infrastructure on campus, particularly in hostel bathrooms and toilets. They proposed measures including installing facial recognition cameras in halls and card access to enter bathrooms. Prof Ling said NUS will immediately implement two measures: the setting up of a care unit for victims of sexual misconduct and the enhancement of its infrastructure and campus security system. NUS has said that it will convene a committee to review the current disciplinary and support frameworks, which will study the approaches taken by other international institutions, and solicit views from various stakeholders. While students who attended the meeting felt it was a useful start of a two-way dialogue regarding sexual offences on campus, Neo felt that much more needs to be done. He said, The town hall meeting showed that the NUS administration is out of touch with the students feelings and grievances regarding sexual assault on campus, and their response to current cases is woefully inadequate, in their own words. I think it is good that they have promised to listen to our feedback and make changes, especially to provide greater victim support, but it has a long way to go to getting a fuller picture of our needs. When the meeting was about to end, one student directed her frustration at the two NUS academics. She said, Having victim care is incredible, but we have told you that this is inadequate. We have no affirmation from you that the perpetrator in question who has started all of this will be punished more severely. Related stories: NUS voyeur can be rehabilitated, prosecution would ruin his future: police Ong Ye Kung concerned over manifestly inadequate penalties in NUS sexual misconduct case NUS student leaves Great Eastern after being suspended for inappropriate misconduct NUS to hold town hall this week to address concerns of sexual misconduct on campus Almost 500 NUS students issue statement of concern on sexual harassment at NUS Most Indians consider real estate (RE) as one of their primary investment avenues. Hardly any HNI portfolio would there be where real estate doesn't feature. However, as markets and investment opportunities evolve, no smart investor can ignore the lure of commercial real estate opportunities for perceived steadier returns. Be it office spaces or retail, savvy investors are trying to get a piece of the commercial real estate boom across urban India. Smart commercial investments, however, are not just about picking the right asset but also about optimising investible funds to ensure you get the best value for that investment both with capital appreciation and as a potential income stream. Regulatory changes and evolving market dynamics have created several investment options other than conventional options such as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Alternate Investment Funds (AIF). Builders must spend 70% of buyers' money on construction: RERA Take a look: Direct purchase/pure play: Traditionally the option to buy real estate directly in your own name used to be the only preferred mode of investment, but it came with its own shortcomings and nuances. The biggest one was the title and execution risk with such transactions. In addition, price discovery was always more an estimate than a science. Such kind of ownership also carried leasing risk and the burden of maintenance. Virtual ownership: To solve the issues related with direct purchases, some developers provided options of virtual ownership, where the investor did not own a unit but an unidentified area in a larger space (floor or building). The developer in such cases also took over the burden of leasing, maintenance etc. This provided a stable return but carried vacancy risk and the risk of not being able to have an identified space. Real estate funds: Run by various financial and wealth management fund houses in India, RE funds take the same exposure as direct purchases, but in a scalable and institutionalised setup. The fund manager bets on land parcels, developers and cities, while unit holders hold a portion of the diversified pool of assets and get returns by way of dividends and NAV (net asset value) appreciation thanks to capital value improvement. These funds are typically 6-8 years in tenure with harsh exit clauses in case of exit prior to fund life. REIT: With India's first REIT listing on the anvil, this newest asset class allows investors to invest as little as Rs 50,000 while adding to their portfolio institutional grade assets, which have been consolidated by the REIT sponsor over time. This mode provides stable yield flow and minimal execution, leasing and default risk. Debt: The above options mostly talk about equity in RE, but debt is also an option. Secured RE debt sold through fund houses and papers of developers are usually priced several basis points higher than G-Sec yields. Although riskier by nature, they do provide a notional cover of security. Which option is right for you? The answer depends on your risk-reward expectations. The decision should be made on the matrix of risk and return. What is refreshing though is the plethora of options to choose from. (The author is the Chief Executive Officer of InterGlobe Real Estate) Polio workers across Pakistan were told to remain vigilant Thursday after multiple attacks on vaccination teams killed at least three people this week during an ongoing push to eradicate the disease from the restive country. The latest victim, a polio worker, was shot in southwestern Balochistan province Thursday morning, following separate attacks targeting health workers in the countrys northwest earlier this week that left two police officers dead. "The attack has taken place in a remote area, and we have received reports that one female polio worker has been killed," Attaullah Shah, a district police chief, told AFP, saying a second health worker was also critically injured in the attack. The injured worker was later rushed to a nearby clinic before being sent to hospital in the provincial capital of Quetta for additional treatment. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident but militants -- including the Pakistani Taliban -- have attacked polio workers in the past, killing more than 100 people since December 2012. Security officials in Pakistan told AFP that authorities have instructed polio teams to remain "vigilant" amid the violence. The attacks come days after more than 25,000 children were rushed to hospitals in northwestern Pakistan after rumours spread some had suffered reactions to a polio vaccine. The panic came as health workers were carrying out a three-day vaccination campaign in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with authorities saying dozens of polio workers have been beaten or harassed. Ongoing suspicion of the polio vaccine in Pakistan has been compounded recently by anti-vaccination videos circulating on social media. Islamist opposition to all forms of inoculation grew after the CIA organised a fake vaccination drive to help track down Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad. He was killed there by US forces in 2011. Some Taliban and ultra-conservative religious leaders have also been known to spread rumours that vaccines contain ingredients forbidden in Islam, such as pork derivatives, or that can cause infertility as part of a Western plot to reduce the population. "We have a communication challenge, it's a mistrust issue," said Babar Atta, who is helping oversee the countrys vaccination drive. Atta said at least 260,000 health workers are involved in the campaign with some 150,000 police escorting the teams. However Atta added that hundreds of thousands of children were likely to go unvaccinated. "There is a serious lack of trust among the parents," he said. Polio is endemic in only three countries in the world -- Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria -- although a relatively rare strain was also detected in Papua New Guinea at the end of last year. Polio is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours. It mainly affects children under the age of five. Sri Lanka deployed thousands of additional troops countrywide overnight to help police hunt for suspects in the Easter Sunday suicide blasts that killed nearly 360 people, a spokesman said Thursday. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said the army increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. "We are armed with powers to search, seize, arrest and detain under emergency regulations," Atapattu told AFP. "We are involved in static guard duties, patrolling and helping with cordon-and-search operations." The government also announced a ban on all drone flights and said licences issued to all commercial operators were suspended with immediate effect. Police said they arrested another 16 suspects overnight with alleged ties to the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) extremist group accused of the blasts at three churches and three luxury hotels. Police said about 75 people were now being interrogated in connection with the deadliest attack against civilians in the country's history. Sri Lankan authorities are also investigating a security failure to act on prior information about the impending Easter bombings by the NTJ. President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also the minister of defence and law and order, on Tuesday vowed a major security shake up with pledges to remove the heads of the police and armed forces "within 24 hours", but there were no changes by Thursday morning. Recriminations have flown since Sunday's attacks and the country remained tense with many shops and offices closed and motorists staying off the roads. Sirisena is due to meet with leaders of all political parties as well as religious leaders in two separate meetings on Thursday to discuss the situation. Sunday's bomb attacks were the first in the country since the Tamil insurgency ended almost 10 years ago in May 2009. Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) definitely made the Waku Doki experience in a much grander scale as it is set to hold the Vios Racing Festival this weekend. Slated April 28, Sunday, from 9:00 AM at Block 16, Mall of Asia open grounds, the festival will be opened by the Vios Autocross Challenge. Those who wish to see and support their favorite celebrity racers such as Gerald Anderson, Daniel Matsunaga, Chie Filomeno, Gretchen Ho, Aubrey Miles, Troy Montero, and Fabio Ide compete against each other may do so as admission is free. Toyota owners can also have the opportunity to race at the Vios Autocross Challenge. Interested Toyota owners may visit www.facebook.com/ToyotaMotorPhilippines to participate in an online game that will determine who gets the chance to be a racer for the weekend. What exactly is the Vios Autocross Challenge? TMP President Satoru Suzuki expressed eagerness to make motorsports accessible to Filipinos. Toyota wants to make racing an accessible sport for the ordinary Filipino by providing an extraordinary opportunity to get themselves started, fueled by their passion for motorsports, Suzuki said. The Vios Autocross Challenge is a timed competition wherein drivers navigate through an obstacle course one at a time, aiming to finish the track within the shortest lap time possible. This new format will be more amateur-friendly than a standard circuit race, where all participants are simultaneously racing against each other. The adrenaline factor is retained through several mechanics which highlight driving precision: for example, every pylon hit adds 2 seconds on top of the racers final lap time. In order to promote a more inclusive racing scene that fosters friendly competition, drivers from different backgrounds are invited: celebrities, social media influencers, car club members, new Vios owners, motoring journalists, and now even loyal Toyota patrons. How can I join the Vios Autocross Challenge? Story continues The online promo on Facebook is open to all Toyota ownersregardless of model and yearthat can drive a manual transmission vehicle. Toyota Motor Philippines will be lending out race-ready Vios units during the event day to at least five lucky participants with the best captioned entries. The official Facebook post can be accessed through this link: http://bit.ly/2GBCmVM Chosen entries will be announced via Facebook. Toyota representatives will contact the winners for further participation instructions. For more updates on Toyota events and promos, visit TMPs official website at www.toyota.com.ph and follow the official Facebook page. The Toyota Vios Racing Festival is held in cooperation with Bridgestone; supported by Petron, Motul, and Rota; and other sponsors Brembo, Denso, AVT, 3M, OMP, and Tuason Racing. The post Toyota PH to Unite Toyota Owners, Celebs at Vios Autocross Challenge This Weekend appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. When the curtain raises on the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Thursday, 40 foreign leaders and thousands of delegates from more than 100 countries will be there to witness Chinas most important diplomatic event of the year. The one noticeable absentee will be Chinas largest trading partner, the United States, whose attitude towards the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative has undergone a shift in recent years that largely reflects the tense state of relations between the two nations. Once muted, the US response to the sprawling plan to rebuild the ancient Silk Road by connecting China with the Middle East, Europe, Africa and beyond with massive infrastructure projects has now veered towards a hard-line stance and seeking allies to promote an alternative to Beijings development programme. From the State Department to the largest US contractors, American involvement in global infrastructure build-outs is on a divergent track. The turning point appeared after Chinas first Belt and Road Forum two years ago, when US President Donald Trump sent a delegation led by Matthew Pottinger, the senior White House official for Asia. Pottinger made headlines at the event with his declaration that US firms were ready to participate in belt and road projects and had much to offer, citing their long and successful track record in global infrastructure development. That cooperative tone, however, was soon overtaken by a flurry of critical, even hostile, comments by senior US officials. In October 2017, then-US Defence Secretary James Mattis fired the first thinly veiled rebuke. In a globalised world, there are many belts and many roads, he told a Senate hearing. And no one nation should put itself into a position of dictating one belt, one road, he said, using the plans former name. We see the results of the Belt and Road Initiative, the predatory economics associated with it Randall Schriver, Pentagons top Asia-Pacific affairs official Story continues Two weeks later, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson weighed in with a laundry list of problems Chinese infrastructure projects were alleged to have brought to recipient countries, from failing to promote local jobs to burdening poor states with enormous levels of debt. Trump added his disapproval the following month at a summit of Pacific Rim leaders in Vietnam, implicitly criticising belt and road projects as state-directed initiatives that come with many strings attached. Washingtons about-face did not stop at rhetoric. Efforts to counter Beijings plan by offering developing economies a US alternative soon ensued, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announcing in July a US$113 million infrastructure development programme for the Indo-Pacific region and a revamp of a finance agency to strengthen its financial support. The sharp turn is symptomatic of a broader shift of US attitude towards China, with which it is now locked in a protracted trade war that has imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods and rattled global markets. The rising rivalry is also playing out on numerous other fronts, from technology to military to geopolitics. A growing consensus in Washington holds that a tougher stance on China has been inevitable. Trumps antagonistic approach towards the belt and road scheme is in stark contrast to the mild response of his predecessor, Barack Obama, in the early days after the plan was announced. The two-pronged concept of an overland Silk Road Economic Belt transversing Eurasia and a Maritime Silk Road across the Indian Ocean was first floated by Chinese President Xi Jinping during visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia in late 2013. Jonathan Hillman, who worked in the Office of the United States Trade Representative from 2014 to 2016, said the launch of Xis plan was not big news at first. When I think back, we didnt really talk about the belt and road, said Hillman, now a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. He said he could remember no more than two speeches by US trade officials that mentioned it. There was an initial period where people were trying to figure out what was this thing, and I think some people are still trying to figure that out, Hillman said. The framework, loosely defined and ever expanding, now spans about 70 countries and encompasses everything from hard infrastructure such as roads, railways, power plants and ports to trade networks and a digital Silk Road of fibre-optic cables, telecommunication networks, satellites and e-commerce links. It has also grown to become Xis personal stamp on foreign policy. In a telling sign of its significance and durability, the initiative was written into the ruling Communist Partys constitution in late 2017. [Xis] legacy is going to be tied up with belt and road, so I think theres been this readjustment as we realise that it is not going away, said Zack Cooper, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank. Another reason for the Obama administrations limited concern: it was pushing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a colossal multilateral trade agreement among the 12 major trading nations along the Pacific Rim that account for 40 per cent of worlds gross domestic product, excluding Chinas. At the centre of Obamas so-called pivot to Asia, the deal, if passed, would not only expand America's economic presence but also buttress its strategic interests in the region. Back then, the main rival for the TPP was not the belt and road plan, but the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, composed of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India. But the TPP, the backbone of a US strategy to counter Chinese economic influence in the Asia-Pacific for years to come, was swept aside when Trump took office in January 2017; he signed an executive order to withdraw from the TPP on his first day as president. I honestly dont think there was a lot of high-level attention given [to the belt and road] until Matt Pottinger went to the Belt and Road Forum in May 2017, Hillman said. Pottinger and the US delegation attended the first summit as observers a decision jointly reached by a working group focusing on China and approved by Trump, according to Steve Bannon, the White House chief strategist at the time. But there are no such plans this year. We will not send high-level officials from the United States, a State Department spokesman confirmed in an emailed statement, citing concerns about the belt and road plans opaque financing practices, poor governance and disregard for internationally accepted norms and standards. We have repeatedly called on China to address these concerns, the statement said. Bannon said the Trump White House came to regard the programme as the perfect manifestation of the CCPs East India Company model of predatory capitalism, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. I am honoured to have been part of the leadership under President Trump that focused the US government on the economic war China has waged unanswered for 20 years, Bannon said. But Randall Schriver, the Pentagons top official for Asia-Pacific affairs, said that Washingtons negative turn towards the plan was not a matter of politics or ideology, but rather the simple result of it having learned more about the programme. We have more data coming in. We see the results of the Belt and Road Initiative, the predatory economics associated with it, he said. Corruption scandals in recipient countries such as Malaysia and the Maldives had also exposed the problematic contracts and bad financial deals of some belt and road projects, he said. Malaysia is looking into allegations that China agreed to help bail out its multibillion-dollar state development fund, known as 1MDB, by inflating the cost of lucrative infrastructure projects there under former prime minister Najib Razak. The Maldives ruling party, having won a landslide in the archipelagos parliamentary election this month, also pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into deals with China and its crippling debts, which could run as high as US$3 billion almost two-thirds of the countrys gross domestic product. Still, Hillman said, the case that had an outsize impact on how the US government thought and talked about the belt and road was Sri Lanka, regarded as the poster child for debt-trap diplomacy. In December 2017, China acquired a major port on the island after the Sri Lankan government failed to repay the loans that had financed its construction, drawing backlash against Beijings financing practices. The US now invokes Sri Lanka as Exhibit A when it wants to discredit Beijings grand plan. During a speech at the Hudson Institute in February, Christopher Ashley Ford, assistant secretary of state at the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, raised Sri Lanka as a cautionary tale. It was debt entanglement, for instance, that allowed China to take out a 99-year lease on the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota essentially replicating, with remarkable irony, the very terms that Chinese leaders themselves spent generations decrying as exploitative imperialism in the form of the British Empires 99-year lease of the New Territories of Hong Kong, he said. Another issue raising US concerns especially in the past year is digital infrastructure, which has become a crucial component of belt and road projects. We look at whats happening with all the tracking software thats being used in Xinjiang and I think the American policy community has gotten increasingly concerned about human rights in China and worried that China might export some of its tracking and surveillance technologies abroad, said Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute. Among other belt and road projects, China has exported facial recognition technology to Zimbabwe. To counter Beijings strategy, the Trump administration is ramping up investment abroad. Last year, Congress passed the Better Utilisation of Investment Leading to Development Act with strong bipartisan support. Trump signed it into law in October. The act consolidates the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a government agency for development finance, into a new agency with a doubled investment cap of US$60 billion although still a drop in the ocean compared with the belt and roads estimated US$1 trillion. OPIC, which offers financing and insurance to US companies investing in development projects abroad, has now been authorised to invest equity in development projects, instead of just providing loans. As an alternative to the Chinese state-backed development of the belt and road, all OPIC projects involved the private sector, said David Bohiginan, the agencys acting president. This private sector participation leads to terms that are more financially sustainable, helping avoid the debt-trap diplomacy that has left so many countries worse off, said Bohigian, who also highlighted its high standards on the environment and workers rights. While China seeks to build spheres of influence, the US approach is designed to help improve local business conditions, connect countries with global markets and reduce dependence on foreign aid. To dispel charges that the belt and road is exclusively a Chinese endeavour, Beijing has encouraged companies of all nationalities to participate. But whether or not global US engineering and construction firms such as Aecom Corporation are taking cues from Washingtons messaging about Beijings initiative, they have been largely absent from it. In February 2018, the Los Angeles-based company published an article on its website How Aecom Asia is helping to drive the Belt and Road Initiative which said it was collaborating on railway, port and marine, airport, industrial estates, buildings and urban development projects, principally in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The piece also quoted Aecom Asias executive vice-president Wong Chi Chung as saying mid- to long-term opportunities under the belt and road were undeniably positive. However, among Aecom projects in the states now highlighted on its website, none is identified as belt and road-related and only one features collaboration with a mainland Chinese company. (That project, Malaysias Second Penang Bridge, was started in 2008 and completed in 2014.) More recently, Aecom formed an alliance with Japans Oriental Consultants Global, which last year signed on to become a partner in OPICs expansion. Johan van de Ven, a senior analyst at RWR Advisory Group, a Washington-based consulting firm, said US engineering firms might not refuse to participate in belt and road projects they found commercially viable because they were not as beholden to Washington as their Chinese competitors were to Beijings policymakers. But companies like Aecom and Bechtel Corp, another American engineering and construction firm with projects worldwide, would probably also be prepared to take advantage of the developments surrounding OPIC, he said. Before Washington heightened its rhetoric, Bechtel was also optimistic about working with China on global projects. In a December 2017 panel discussion hosted by the Washington-based think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Brendan Bechtel, the companys chief executive, said that there are lots of stereotypes within the engineering and construction industry about Chinese contractors and Im not here to reinforce any of those today, and in fact I want to debunk some of those. We work with Chinese firms either as joint venture partners or as subcontractors as well as use a Chinese supply chain, he said. But a search this week of Bechtels website showed no signs of joint projects with Chinese companies. I cant see [Brendan Bechtel] giving the same talk now, van de Ven said. We evaluate any prospective project based on whether it fits our value proposition of delivering highly complex projects in a sustainable and inclusive way, such as training, upskilling, and employing local people as part of the project, the chief executive said when asked about his companys participation in Beijings infrastructure plan. Aecom declined to comment when asked about its involvement in the scheme. Fluor Corporation, another American engineering and construction company with projects worldwide, did not respond to requests for comment. Additional reporting by Mark Magnier More from South China Morning Post: This article United States under Donald Trump is veering away from Chinas belt and road first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. Singapores sweltering hot weather is always a good excuse to cool down with ice cream. Whether its Italian gelato, Hokkaido soft serve or citrus sorbets, weve brought you a list of pure tasty indulgence. 5 Places to Get Your Ice Cream Treats in Singapore Marco Alfero, Founder of Alfero Gelato, came from Turin, Italy to Singapore a decade ago to bring us handmade artisan Italian gelato. Made 96% fat-free with free-range fresh milk and fresh fruits, you can look forward to great tasting treats at Alfero Gelato. Best selling gelato flavours include Pistachio, Avocado, Bacio, Dark Chocolate, and Durian. Besides heading down to their outlet at MacPherson Lane, you can order your gelato goodness on Grab Food, Deliveroo and FoodPanda too. How do they ensure the smoothness and creamy quality of their gelato as well as the rich taste? Alfero Gelato uses only the finest quality ingredients imported from Italy and other parts of Europe and stores its gelato in pozzetto cabinets where exposure to light and air is greatly reduced, thus ensuring the excellent quality of the gelato remains. Taste one spoonful of Alfero Gelato and youll be having scoop after scoop! 5 Places to Get Your Ice Cream Treats in Singapore Haagen-Dazs bursts into Spring with a Limited Edition Floral Collection consisting of two new signature premium ice cream flavours - Jasmine Raspberry & Pomegranate as well as Orange Blossom. Infused with authentic flower extracts from jasmine and orange blossom blooms, the velvety ice creams are then topped with raspberry and pomegranate sauce and bergamot sauce respectively. Haagen-Dazs is also offering a Love Blossoms High Tea Set for two, which consists of mini ice cream scoops in a tart, assorted pastries, seasonal fresh fruits, warm chocolate fondue sauce, and complimentary tea and coffee. 5 Places to Get Your Ice Cream Treats in Singapore Chef Janice Wong has launched a 5-set degustation dessert menu at 2am:dessertbar inspired by her Japanese heritage. Working alongside Pastry Chef Tomo Nakashima, Janice Wong has created unusual flavour combinations showcasing regional Japanese ingredients such as Kinkan, Yuzu and Japanese black sugar. Story continues Using an unfamiliar ingredient, the Japanese leaf vegetable, Shungiku, Janice Wong has transformed the vegetable into a delicately balanced Shungiku ice-cream in the fourth dish of the degustation menu. The dessert consists of Kinkan osmanthus tea, Kinkan compote from kochi, pistachio crumble, osmanthus tea gel, smoked cream, yuzu powder and olive oil marinade pomelo. The fifth dish features a fresh lemon sorbet accompanied by spice jelly cubes, ginger ribbon tuile, milk chocolate financier, torched meringue and tiger nuts. 5 Places to Get Your Ice Cream Treats in Singapore Hokkaidos number one selling soft serve and gelato, Icenoie Hokkaido, has opened its fourth outlet at the iconic Jewel Changi Airport and its open 24 hours! So you know where to go for late night ice cream cravings. Serving four kinds of soft serve and seven types of gelato, Icenoie Hokkaido also offers creme brulee, Sakura Raw Milk Cream Roll and soft serve parfait. Soft serve flavours include Honey Walnut, Huscup Yogurt, Rum Raisin, Yame Matcha, Fresh Milk, Double Cheese, and Chocolate. Gelato flavours include Fresh Strawberry, Matcha, Rich Milk, and Yubari Melon. 5 Places to Get Your Ice Cream Treats in Singapore We tried the all-new Magnum Macadamia Salted Caramel flavour and we cant get enough of it. Magnum delivers superior pleasure with its velvety salted caramel ice-cream, dipped in thick cracking milk chocolate with crunchy roasted Australian Macadamias. Each Magnum Macadamia Salted Caramel is skillfully crafted by expert chocolatiers. Enjoy the ultimate combination of the sweet decadent premium chocolate and savoury flavours of salted caramel in every bite! The smartphones of 2020 are slated to be the most innovative yet On Tuesday, Google Indonesia announced via Twitter that Duo, Google's answer to FaceTime and Skype, has begun rolling out across the country, supporting group video calls with up to four people. Just a couple of minutes later, Google Duo's founder and tech lead confirmed that group calling is officially available in "select regions." Back in December, sources reported that Google is developing a group calling feature for Duo. Just a few months later on Tuesday, April 24, Google Indonesia confirmed that group calling up to four people is available in the country. Later that day, Duo founder and tech lead Justin Uberti confirmed that the functionality is rolling out in "select regions." While four people isn't nearly as impressive as Skype's recently launched 50-person video calling, or even Apple's FaceTime, which can support 32 people on a single video-call, it's certainly a start, especially if Google wants to remain an industry leader. The video published by Google Indonesia demonstrating how to add multiple people to a video call shows that a "create group" button has been added to the application. When you tap it, your top contacts will appear as the first options to add to the group, followed by the rest of your phonebook. You can also save these groups for easy access later. Di bulan Ramadan nanti mau video call lancar rame - rame sama teman dan keluarga? Good news!! #GoogleDUO sekarang bisa group call sampai dengan 4 orang loh. Yuk, cobain langsung Google DUO di Android kamu! pic.twitter.com/Yo7nQg6FdX Google Indonesia (@Google_IDN) April 24, 2019 Though Duo's four-person group calling is only available in a few regions as of today, it's likely that the rest of the world will start gaining access over the next couple of months. Photo credit: Getty Images From Esquire Ryan Reynolds isn't a major risk-taker when it comes to getting dressed. In fact, the guy seems downright disinterested in the vagaries of capital "F" fashion, instead opting for easy outfits that just plain look good. In other words: He dresses like a lot of us aim to dress day-to-day. But, of course, because he's Ryan Reynolds, he does it with everyone watching. That's very good news for anyone who wants a little style inspiration that doesn't push things too far in the direction of any one trend or vibe (looking at your barrage of sleaze, Justin Bieber), but does feel like something you could immediately work into your own wardrobe. And this past weekend in Beijing, while doing the rounds in support of the upcoming Detective Pikachu, he wore a pair of sneakers that pretty much every guy who cares about style can appreciate. On first glance, they seem like the simplest of white kicks. But there's a little more to them, and that makes all the difference. The sneakers in question are the Royale silhouette from direct-to-consumer brand Greats, which offers up made-in-Italy kicks for less than half of what you'd expect to pay in the department store. And while the upper is indeed a classic white-made from locally sourced Italian leather-it's the soles that set them apart. Instead of a tonal treatment, this particular sneaker finishes things off with a gum sole. Is this a major shift? Nope! In fact, gum soles are a mainstay of the sneaker world, because they're the color of the untreated rubber that's used to keep your feet comfy as you stroll around. But paired with a refined shape and a sleek, all-navy outfit, they're the element that takes things from "stylish, but safe," to "hold on, let me take another look at that well-dressed man." And don't we all-Poke-Man, human, etc.-want that kind of appreciation from time to time? ('You Might Also Like',) Photo credit: Mitchell Willetts - AP From Esquire (Permanent Musical Accompaniment To This Post) Being our semi-regular weekly survey of what's goin' down in the several states where, as you know, the real work of governmentin' gets done, and where the highway is for gamblers, so use your sense. One of the really wicked, tricksy, false plays being run in various state governments these days is the ongoing effort by Republican legislative majorities to neuter Democratic governors whose election last fall these legislative majorities consider to be inconvenient. Wisconsin has been the index patient in this regard, but don't sleep on Kansas. There may not be much nostalgia for former Governor Sam Brownback, who turned the state government into Ayn Rand's lab rat, but the Republicans in the Kansas state capitol aren't taking the election of Democratic Governor Laura Kelly last November lying down, either. From the Wichita Eagle: Under the state Constitution, the governor holds the power to appoint a replacement if the office of the attorney general or secretary of state becomes vacant. HCR 5013, however, would allow the legislature to move that power to party delegates. The system would work much in the same way legislative vacancies are filled now, Rep. Blake Carpenter, R-Derby, said. More or less were just modeling the appointment process after how we appoint legislators, Carpenter said. Sure, nothing to see here. Move along, please. The appointment power would fall to the delegates of whichever party last held the executive office. For example, if Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, were to leave, it would be up to to the Republican party to choose a replacement. It allows both parties to have a fair shake, Carpenter said. Bullpucky. It would allow Brownbackian Kansas Republicans to maintain a lock on state offices after the people rose up in rebellion against the way Brownback ran things. In addition: A second bill, HB 2410, would remove the governors power to fill vacancies in the offices of the state treasurer and insurance commissioner. The bill was requested for introduction on March 25, also by Carpenter. Story continues Ni shagu nazad, baby. Not one step backwards, and they never sleep on power. Photo credit: Mark Reinstein - Getty Images In a similar vein, Florida is monkeywrenching a referendum that passed by a huge margin in November giving convicted felons who'd served their bids their right to vote. Now, in 1966, the Supreme Court, by a 6-3 margin, decided the case of Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, a ruling that declared unconstitutional forever the idea of a poll tax. Writing for the majority, Justice William O. Douglas said: We say the same whether the citizen, otherwise qualified to vote, has $1.50 in his pocket or nothing at all, pays the fee or fails to pay it. The principle that denies the State the right to dilute a citizen's vote on account of his economic status or other such factors, by analogy, bars a system which excludes those unable to pay a fee to vote or who fail to pay. It is argued that a State may exact fees from citizens for many different kinds of licenses; that, if it can demand from all an equal fee for a driver's license, it can demand from all an equal poll tax for voting. But we must remember that the interest of the State, when it comes to voting, is limited to the power to fix qualifications. Wealth, like race, creed, or color, is not germane to one's ability to participate intelligently in the electoral process. Lines drawn on the basis of wealth or property, like those of race (Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214, 216), are traditionally disfavored. Poll taxes had been steadily transforming into a universally acknowledged abomination. (Four years earlier, their elimination had been the topic of a maiden speech from a newly elected senator from Massachusetts named Edward M. Kennedy.) So, when the Court finally ruled, it was to place what was believed to be a permanent set of shackles on this particular enemy of the franchise. Photo credit: Scott Keeler - AP Ah, but the forces that benefitted from poll taxes, and from all other manner of voter suppression, were not entirely in irons. And now, in 2019, they are loose again in Florida. From WWSB: Republican Rep. Jamie Grant of Tampa, the main sponsor, said completion of a sentence includes any period of probation and any financial obligations ordered by a judge. Grant said proponents of Amendment 4 specifically included those provisions when the issue came before the Florida Supreme Court for approval prior to last year's election."We're not putting any additional impediments in. We are upholding what was put before the voters," Grant said. "It absolutely includes fines, fees and court costs." Opponents said those requirements would bar many former felons from voting and violate the spirit of the constitutional amendment. They compared the financial aspects of the bill to a type of poll tax used to bar African Americans from voting during the Jim Crow era in the South. "The amendment was self-executing," said Democratic Rep. Joe Geller of Hallandale Beach. "The amendment does not require implementing language for these people to be put on the voter rolls." You don't have to stretch very far to make this a poll tax, and to apply Douglas's test from Harper to prove that it is. It falls hardest on minorities, some of whom face staggering "administrative fees" on top of their fines and incarceration. Nobody interpreted this process this way until the state's voters passed the referendum last fall that allowed convicted felons who'd served their sentences to vote. Photo credit: Joshua Lott - Getty Images We move along from this little slice of Jim Crow to another old American political staple: investigations into a governor of Illinois. And this one, from Bloomberg, is a beaut. There are no signs that criminal charges are imminent, the station reported. The probe is related to the billionaire Democrats pursuit of a property tax break on a 126-year-old mansion he and his wife, M.K. Pritzker, bought next to their Chicago home. A Cook County inspector generals report, first published by the Chicago Sun-Times in 2017, found that Pritzkers wife told workers to remove toilets from the mansion to have it declared uninhabitable, enabling a big property tax break. Her husband was elected governor in November and took office in January. The report also found that M.K. Pritzkers assistant, Christine Lovely, and the governors brother-in-law, Thomas J. Muenster, made false representations on tax appeal documents, WBEZ reported. And the winner of this week's understatement of the week is... Illinois governors have a history of drawing the attention of law enforcement. Much in the same way a meat locker would draw the attention of wolverines. We move again out to Montana to see how easily trade wars are won... From KRTV in Great Falls: Recently, the Montana Farmers Unions (MFU) Chris Christiaens traveled to Washington D.C. to share agricultures concerns regarding the increases with the Surface Transportation Board (STB). One of the primary reasons we went back was the simple fact, were talking about captive shippers and with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Rail Road (BNSF) being the only rail across the northern part of Montana, said Christiaens. It costs about thirty four hundred and some odd dollars for a grain car to take our grain to the port in Washington. North Dakota and South Dakota will also see rate hikes, but their rates are around $350 dollars cheaper per train than the rates in Montana. Its interesting in the simple fact that both North Dakota and South Dakota are further from the port than is Montana, Christiaens added. Rail transportation is a critical part in moving commodities, but Christiaens said more competition would benefit Montana farmers. I doubt that theres ever going to be a real opportunity to have competition along that line that Burlington Northern does, said Christiaens. But you know, even if the Canadian Pacific could come down at some part it could help. When youve got competition, generally you can get some better rates. Whether that will happen I dont know. But I think it will also be interesting to find out what the rates will show when theyre all compiled by the STB the end of May of this year. Yes, it likely will be. President Donald Trump is threatening tariffs against the European Union if the EU doesnt bring agriculture to the trade negotiation table. Trump has threatened tariffs on European cars and auto parts imports, a move the EU has previously said it would abandon the talks over. The EU agreed to move forward with the trade talks earlier this week but reiterated that agriculture will not be part of the negotiation. The refusal to include agriculture makes any deal with the EU uncertain, as lawmakers from farm states have threatened the potential agreement would not pass Congress. Agriculture groups are urging the Trump administration to demand agriculture be included in the negotiation, citing biotechnology and pesticide regulations in the EU, among other issues. If Trump goes ahead with the auto tariffs, the EU seems likely to retaliate with tariffs on U.S. wine and dairy. So much winning. Photo credit: Sue Ogrocki - AP And we conclude, as is our custom, in the great state of Oklahoma, where Blog Official Sand Dauber Friedman of the Plains brings us the tale of one of those uniquely American second chances. From the Tulsa World: Betty Shelby, who was acquitted in May 2017 of first-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher in September 2016, is listed as an NRA Instructor on a Facebook posting for the event. She has been a deputy with the Rogers County Sheriffs Office since leaving the Tulsa Police Department in August 2017. Scott Wood, Shelbys attorney, said the event is the most rudimentary class for firearms available. The class would be a prerequisite for concealed carry or tactical courses, though he said he doesnt think the Shelbys intend to expand to those topics. Crutcher, who was unarmed, was shot by Shelby apparently because he was a "big, bad dude" who wasn't responding to commands and kept reaching into his pockets. To many people, the sight of Betty Shelby with a gun is terrifying, Lewis said. When you go to that (Facebook) page and see that picture of her with a firearm, it just brings back the memory of what happened to Terence Crutcher that night he was killed. When asked why Shelby has associated herself with firearms in the aftermath of Crutchers death, Wood said he believes its something for Shelby to do with her husband and a hobby of sorts related to her law enforcement career. A hobby. How nice for both of them. This is your democracy, America. Cherish it. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook Page here. ('You Might Also Like',) Tucked away on a residential street in the Athenian neighborhood of Ampelokipoi, is a large, unassuming apartment building the kind that was built en masse in Greece during the 1960s and '70s. Walk through the glass and wood paneled lobby to the elevator, up to the fourth floor, and knock on an otherwise nondescript door. Welcome to the clinic of the best facialist in Greece. For the past fifteen years, the Dimitra Goula Institute has been quietly servicing Athens beau monde. There are no shortage of aestheticians and pharmacies in the city, but Goula is a true pioneer. She exclusively uses all-natural, organic ingredients, and her institute is the first in the country to work without any chemicals. Courtesy of Dimitra Goula Goula, who grew up on the southern island of Crete, went to Germany for cosmetic school in the late 1990s. When she returned to Greece to open up her own boutique, she used products containing chemicals for a few years until her sensitive skin started to have a bad reaction. I started freaking out reading the ingredient lists and researching about [these products], she told Travel + Leisure. All these chemicals are bad for our health, and bad for the health of our children. She threw everything out and started over, this time studying in Greece and focusing on holistic, all-natural skincare. Luckily, of all the places in Europe to focus on clean skincare, Greece has one of the richest canvases, with over one thousand endemic plants and a significant botanical history. The majority of the products Goula uses comes from Mt. Athos in northern Greece, one of the most important and spiritual centers of Eastern Orthodox monasticism. There, monks enjoy one of the healthiest lifestyles in the world, as their pristine, organic environment has remained unspoiled for the last couple of centuries. Goula works directly with these monks to collect products like rose petals, wild chestnut oil, soapwort, and beeswax. They gather each item at the peak of its freshness: jasmine, for example, is best picked around 3 a.m., when its scent is strongest. Products that dont exist on Mt. Athos (papaya, cinnamon) are sourced from organic producers in other countries. For Goula, this is as much about beauty as it is a philosophy: treat your skin kindly, simply, and only use natural products. Even simple olive oil or honey is better than the harsh acid exfoliants the skin care world is fawning over. Story continues Courtesy of Dimitra Goula Its very easy to have this philosophy, actually, said Goula. And its cheaper. Treatments and products are bespoke: youll start with a three-hour-long consultation that includes testing the skins pH and oxygen level. Youll be asked questions like What is your favorite smell? as a way for the esthetician understand what your skin may subconsciously be missing. (The smell of oranges, for example, means your skin might be dull and lacking brightness). Unless youre already exclusively using organic products, first-time visitors will start with a deep-cleansing facial that meticulously extracts each of the chemical impurities your poor pores have been sucking up. Goula also offers non-invasive treatments designed to lift and tone, like acupuncture, micro-needling, cupping, and buccal massages. After your first facial, youll be sent home with a report card much like in high school that grades, in eye-watering detail, the subjects your skin is both excelling and failing at, and which products are best for your skin specifically. Products are made on the spot for each client after treatments; youll be sent home with a little refrigerated bag. If youre ordering from abroad, the products will be shipped to you on dry ice (following an online consultation, of course). Everything must be refrigerated because they dont have any preservatives or stabilizers - you can put a spoon inside and eat it, said Goula. The products can remain alive for a few days out of the fridge, which is helpful if youre traveling and the minibar, which you were hoping to repurpose as a minispa, is nowhere to be found. Greece has several skincare brands that have achieved worldwide popularity if youre visiting, its a good time to stock up on both Korres and Apivita, which are sold here for a fraction of the price in the U.S. But Goula, with her holistic approach and commitment to all-natural excellence, remains an local secret for the time being, at least. British private equity fund Apis Partners Thursday said it is picking up a 25.1 per cent stake for USD 110 million in L&T Infra Debt Fund (IDF), the infra refinancing arm of EPC major. L&T IDF has a loan book of Rs 8,000 crore and the investment will help grow the book, an official statement said. Apis Growth Fund II has entered into a binding agreement to acquire the stake in L&T IDF, it said, adding 70 per cent of the investment will come as growth capital while 30 per cent is a secondary transaction where existing shareholders are exiting their holdings, it said. The investment will support the growth of L&T IDFs loan book across sectors such as renewable energy, roads, power transmission, airports and ports, it said. The funding will also strengthen the IDF's capital structure, technology and digitisation strategy, it added. Partnering with Apis will support the IDF in accessing low-cost international sources of funds which will be utilised to refinance operational infrastructure projects in India, the statement said. As of December, it had a loan book of Rs 8,000 crore spread across 94 projects with half of the portfolio being guaranteed by a government authority, it said, adding there is no asset quality stress. "This partnership with Apis is a reflection of the value creation that the Indian infrastructure financing space offers to investors looking for sustainable returns in the long term," Dinanath Dubhashi, the managing director and chief executive of L&T Finance Holdings, the promoter of the IDF said. Udayan Goyal, co-founder and managing partner of Apis Partners said the IDF has "an exceptional track record in refinancing high potential infrastructure projects and raising funds at competitive fixed rates in tenors of up to 20 years". The L&T Finance Holdings scrip closed 1.61 per cent down at Rs 137.50 a piece on the BSE, as against a 0.83 per cent correction in the benchmark. Also Read: Nirav Modi's Rolls Royce Ghost, 12 other luxury cars to be auctioned Also Read: Reliance Jio beats Airtel to become India's 2nd largest telecom company Also Read: Maruti Suzuki's consolidated profit falls 2.9% to Rs 7,650.60 crore in FY19 Top image: Crazy Rich Asians / Time Amidst all the online furore, there is one dimension that has been overlooked in the Monica Baey incident: class. Netizens have speculated that Nicholas was let off with a minor punishment because his parents were powerful people who had pulled strings with the authorities. Soon after recounting her unfortunate experience with NUS and the police, Monica received a mysterious warning from @jane_tan1996 to beware of angering Nicholas powerful parents. Rumours of Nicholass powerful connections were echoed in discussions among other netizens, who were puzzled why the normally-strict police had opted to treat Nicholas with relative leniency. Even when the police revealed that Nicholas parents were ordinary folkhis father is a driver in the public transport sector and his mother is a housewifemany remained convinced that they must have enjoyed some proximity to political power (e.g. grassroots leadership) that could have allowed them to secure a lighter sentence for their son. While such assertions have little factual basis, the fact that they have captured the imagination of Singaporeans is itself an interesting phenomenon. Singapore has long prided itself as a meritocratic society where anyone can succeed regardless of race, religion, or background if they are willing to work hard. Yet the belief that wealth and power can be used to buy privileges suggests that a small part of our collective psyche remains sceptical that we live in a truly meritocratic society. Urban legends of prominent citizens using their wealth and power to circumvent Singapores meritocratic social order have been a prevalent if underexamined part of Singaporean culture. During my primary school days, it was rumoured that rich parents could buy their sons a place at Anglo-Chinese Schoola school long associated with Singapores monied classeswith a hefty donation. NSmen still whisper about the mythical White Horse platoons, where the sons of ministers and prominent people are supposedly assigned to for preferential treatment. Story continues It is debatable why such myths are so prevalent in Singaporean culture. Some argue that these myths serve as a coping mechanism against the constant sense of judgement that Singaporeans face in a meritocratic system. Constantly made aware of ones flaws in relation to their peers, and being told that ones mediocre social position is a result of a moral failing on ones part, these urban legends are arguably subconscious attempts at resisting such stigmatisation. By implying that ones genuine attempts at hard work have been unfairly undermined by the cheating behaviour of more successful citizens, these myths reduce the responsibility they bear for not attaining similar levels of success. Even then, it is perhaps elitist to dismiss these stories as merely the grumblings of sour grapes indulging in the politics of envy. A more convincing explanation is that these myths are used to reconcile the contradiction between popular conceptions of what Singapore society is and what it ought to be. While Singaporeans do indeed aspire to live in a meritocratic society, we are often disappointed when the society we live in does not always live up to its lofty aspirations. No country in the world can hope to be a perfect meritocracy. Despite attempts to create theoretical equality of opportunity by instituting processes like competitive examinations, the fact is that family background, social networks, and wealth accumulation inevitably confers individuals with certain advantages when competing with fellow citizens. These consequently result in inequality despiteor perhaps even inadvertently compounded bythe existence of said meritocratic institutions. It is therefore unsurprising that Singaporeans sense that despite the strong emphasis on meritocracy in our political and socio-cultural discourse, meritocracy does not always translate perfectly into reality. We feel uncomfortable when we notice that places at elite schools are dominated by the children of the wealthy, or that plum positions at work are sometimes assigned to undeserving people who have cosied up to their bosses. This feeling is exacerbated as the income gap widensthe ossification of haves and have-nots creates a discomforting sense that our cherished meritocracy is under threat. Conspiracy theories are therefore an expression of our insecurity about the state of meritocracy in Singapore. They reflect a quiet sense of moral outrage that a minority of wealthy individuals among us are apparently given a leg-up in society by virtue of their wealth and social networks. Unable or unwilling to openly state such a controversial opinion, rumours are a covert means of expressing discontent at pockets of unfairness within a system designed to be meritocratic. Citizens have, however, become more vocal about their concerns regarding the state of meritocracy in Singapore. This year in particular has seen growing debates about education inequality, as Singaporeans increasingly demand a less elitist and more egalitarian education system to better ensure equality of opportunity for all. Young people have been especially active in initiating grassroots efforts to ameliorate structural inequalities in our society. The government has increasingly taken steps to narrow inequality in Singapore through policies such as the abolition of streaming and the introduction of the workfare income supplement. Yet, the persistent belief that the wealthy and powerful are able to cheat the system suggests that more needs to be done to regain public faith in meritocracy. Greater redistributive policies and a more thorough reform of elitist institutions and attitudes should be implemented to further narrow socio-economic inequality, assuring Singaporeans that equality of opportunity still exists. The belief that every citizen has an equal opportunity to succeed is the cornerstone of our Singaporean identity: it gives Singaporeans a stake in our countrys success and strengthens our sense of belonging to the nation. While the desire to be a perfectly meritocratic country may always remain an unattainable aspiration, we must take pains as far as possible to uphold this principle and preserve public trust in it. Failure to do so risks creating a sense of apathy and resentment if people come to believes that their efforts at pursuing their dreams are futile in a society where money and power appear to be the only route to future success. Do the rich and powerful get all the privilege in Singapore? Tell us what you think at community@ricemedia.co. The post The Rich Parents Narrative is Proof that Singaporeans Dont Really Believe in Meritocracy appeared first on RICE. FILE PHOTO: Getty Images SINGAPORE Scoot announced on Thursday (25 April) that it has launched sales of flight tickets to four new cities in China: Wuhan, Changsha, Kunming and Fuzhou. These routes were transferred from sister airline SilkAir to better meet customer demand, the Singapore budget carrier said in its media release. With the new additions, the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines will cover a total of 23 mainland Chinese cities, with more than 100 flights to China weekly. READ MORE: Eat, shop, see: What this editor did in Melbourne Is it safe to visit Sri Lanka and can I cancel my holiday? Singaporeans dont believe in meritocracy and other top lifestyle news to know Flight schedules to the 4 cities Thrice-weekly flights (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays) to Wuhan the capital of Hubei province are slated to commence on 22 May. Flights will go up to a daily frequency from 1 June. For Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, flights will begin on 20 June on a four-times-weekly basis (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays). This will go up to five times a week with the addition of Wednesday flights from 19 July. Flights to the Yunnan province capital of Kunming will commence on 25 June, four times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays). This will become a six-times-weekly route on 24 July, with the addition of Monday and Wednesday flights. For Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, thrice-weekly flights will start from 5 July (Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays) before going up to four times a week from 29 July with an additional flight on Mondays. Ticket prices from S$79 One-way Economy FLY ticket prices will start from S$79 to Wuhan and S$99 to the other three cities, while one-way ScootBiz fares to Wuhan will start from S$269. Scoot chief executive officer Lee Lik Hsin said, The addition of the four new cities not only strengthens our China network, but also offers more unconventional options for travellers for a short getaway, at affordable prices. These four destinations are each a gateway to rich Chinese history and nature, and we are confident that they will appeal to a wide variety of travellers. Follow Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore on Facebook. Alaskas Katmai National Park and Preserve is home to about 2,200 brown bears, a fact that draws visitors who come to watch bears from a safe distance, of course in their natural habitat. That human-to-bear connection is important, but its been unintentionally sabotaged by the infrastructure that provides visitors with access to the park. The existing floating bridge that visitors use to enter Katmai National Park and Preserve is often blocked by bears who rest or play near the bridge and trail. The parks protocol to stop and wait for the bear to move often results in delays for visitors who need to cross the river. Thats all about to change this summer, as the park debuts a new elevated bridge and boardwalk. Related: The 15 Least-visited National Parks Have All the Beauty, and None of the Crowds The new infrastructure will secure more consistent public access and visitor safety while enhancing bear-viewing opportunities. Most importantly, the new construction will improve the ability for wildlife to move naturally and access the river. Construction on the new bridge began in summer 2018 and should open to visitors this June, according to Travel Weekly. This is a great conservation story, and it's really what the park service does best, said Pete Christian, National Park Service spokesman for the Alaska region, in an interview with Travel Weekly. We're allowing for visitors to have a unique, once-in-a-lifetime wild experience with bears, while protecting the bears themselves. Due to its location, Katmai is one of the least-visited national parks in the U.S. If the trip is too far for you this summer, don't worry you can also watch the bears on the park's live webcams. Its common knowledge that coral reefs across the globe are in extreme danger. In fact, more than 70 percent of Japans largest coral reef has already died, and several Thai islands have been closed as a protective measure to preserve their reefs. But now, scientists may have found a unique solution to help solve the coral reef problem, at least in Thailand. And it involves an item you might have in your kitchen junk drawer. According to The Telegraph, ecologists have come up with a way to regrow dead coral by attaching dead parts of the reef to rocks below the water using superglue. Yes, superglue. Though its strange to think the same item youd use to fix a broken vase can also be used on a (formerly) living sea creature, its actually working. Apparently, it only takes about a week for the coral to grow and grip the terrain beneath it. Then, the super glue dissolves away and the reef is practically as good as new. Scientists have been trying this experiment out in Maya Bay in particular, which was the beach made famous by the 2000 movie "The Beach," starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The success of the film naturally led to over tourism, which consequently led to the destruction of the coral surrounding the cove. Maya Bay has been closed indefinitely since last October. Swedish photographer Magnus Larsson, who managed to photograph the regrowth process, told The Telegraph, [The coral is] the base in the coral reef ecosystem and so if they disappear, everything else goes with it. According to The Metro, Larsson expects the rehabilitation of Maya Bay to take at least four years. In the meantime, Thailand has plenty of other beautiful beaches to visit where you wont be damaging the reef below the water. In theory, this method of restoring the reef could possibly be used in other parts of the world, though it is unclear whether this will address issues of coral bleaching or changes in the sediment. For a country that saw 38.27 million tourists in 2018, it may surprise you to learn that Thailand thinks it needs more. While 38.27 million is objectively large, 20 million international visitors flocked to Bangkok, the most visited city in the world, in 2018. In October, Ko Phi Phi Les Maya Bay, which rose to fame thanks to the 2000 Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Beach, closed indefinitely due to over tourism. The rest of Thailand is not getting as much attention, and the Thai government wants to change that. %image1 In an effort to increase domestic tourism, Thailands Finance Ministry has set aside 15 million baht ($467,730 USD) to pay people to travel around the country, Thai news source The Nation reported. The Finance Ministry has sent their proposal to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and the Cabinet for consideration. Should the proposal be accepted, anyone who signs up for the program will receive 1,500 baht ($47 USD) via an e-payment system. The money can then be spent at participating shops in 55 provinces that are part of the campaign. We aim to launch the campaign before July this year, a representative from the Finance Ministry told The Nation. Before you get too excited, you must have Thai citizenship and be at least 18 years old in order to register. The Finance Ministry has not yet announced how to apply, but it is expecting applications from ten million Thai citizens. The government hopes that this initiative will have a positive impact on the countrys economy, particularly in rural areas, whose welfare has been suffering from drought. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand, told Vice that the campaign will bring Thailands GDP up from 0.3 to 0.5 percent. Not a Thai citizen? Dont let that stop you from getting outside of Bangkok and Phuket. From Koh Libong island in Trang to Mae Ya waterfall in the Chiang Mai Province, Thailand is a wonderland of hidden gems waiting for you to explore. Photo credit: Richard Martin-Roberts - Getty Images From Cosmopolitan Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are busy prepping for the arrival of their first baby, but theyre also handling a royal feud situation that has dominated headlines for months now. Based on their most recent Instagram, it looks like everythings okay between Meghan, Harry, Kate Middleton, and Prince William. If youre a living, breathing person with access to the internet, you might have heard a little something about a potential royal feud between Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, and Prince William. Meghan and Harry might've just given a major clue that those rumors are false . Today is Anzac Day in the U.K., which is kind of like Memorial Day in the U.S. The British royal fam usually celebrates by going to church or special services to honor servicemen. Meghan is obviously home, waiting for her impending royal baby, but Prince Harry joined Kate Middleton at a service at Westminster Abbey. Prince William, however, is in New Zealand, paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the Christchurch shooting. Meghan and Harry just posted a carousel on Instagram, and in it, they posted one picture of Harry and Kate together and another of Prince William in New Zealand. So like, you would think that if you were in the middle of a major feud with another couple, you wouldnt include them in your Instagram carousel, right?? Especially not once, but two times? IDK! Story continues The pics are a combination of old and new, and they definitely could have posted just one and called it a day, but no, they posted eight photos total. Oh, also. Harry wasnt even supposed to be at this service today, and many people are taking the fact that he made a last-minute appearance as confirmation that Meghan hasnt gone into labor yet. Good to know! ('You Might Also Like',) Photo: Getty The internet is a virtual treasure trove of crazy, almost unbelievable, bridezilla, bridesmaids, and wedding guest horror stories. But this wild tale of a bride and her friend is possibly the worst bridezilla story weve ever heard, and it sent social media into a spin. A woman took to Facebook to share a tale of how her friend was asked to be a bridesmaid for possibly the craziest bride ever. The unnamed woman starts off by explaining that Marie the bride and her friend Jess the soon to be bridesmaid, but not yet had been friends for a long time. READ MORE: Bride kicks sister out of wedding for selfish speech Even when Marie moved to Japan and Jess remained in the US they continued to stay in touch. However the woman stresses that, in her eyes, Marie was bossy and not really the best kind of friend to Jess. But the real drama starts when Marie announces she is engaged to be married and, so that it is easier for everyone, organises to hold a destination wedding at an exotic all-inclusive resort that is very expensive. All of a sudden [Jess] is Maries best friend and it would be inconceivable that she not come, the woman writes. Jess felt compelled reasons that its all inclusive and shell use up as many travel points as she can. The wedding is 18 months away, so its doable. The bride also emails the writer of the post, who wasnt even friends with her, asking her to come, which she politely declines. Then six months out Jess is asked via a frantic call to be a bridesmaid. READ MORE: Bride makes friends compete to secure spot in wedding She feels pressured. Says Yes. And now has to get a dress, the post continues, saying Jess is up for more costs as the dress she is sent, from another bridesmaid, and needs a lot of tailoring. Photos: Facebook As the wedding approaches Marie now insists Jess fly out a week early, even though she has managed to buy cheaper tickets for two days before. The resulting row sees Marie go full bridezilla, screaming at Jess via Skype, and other bridesmaids starting getting fed up, the woman explains. Story continues But everything came to a head when one day before Jess was to leave for the wedding, Marie calls her to say the wedding was off. And it was something she had been contemplating for one year. Because everything was so expensive Jess, and most of the wedding guests, including the bride, groom, and bridal parties on both sides, decide they would still go on a vacation. READ MORE: Bride asks wedding guests to pay for food, drink and cake As you can expect it turned into what the woman describes as a weird version of 2016 west side story where warring groups circled around each other and the two central characters wanted to kill each other. And to top everything off, because there was no longer a wedding the resort informed everyone they were no longer eligible for the all-inclusive wedding package. Jess pretty much ate ramen the whole time, the woman wrote. Jess comes home and one month later gets a phone call: Marie has met someone. A woman. One year later and theyre engaged. The poor woman looks miserable. Guess where they want to have the wedding? Guess whos invited? Is Marie the worst bride ever? Not pictured. Photo: HBO The epic tale has quickly gone viral with people commending Jess for putting up with Marie for as long as she did. This is the quality b***h fest I am here for, one person commented. F***. Me. Running, another admitted. Wow I admire Jess self-control for not drowning Marie in the resort toilet, was another response. Given what happened this time, lets all hope Jess steers clear of Maries second attempt at a wedding. This is one of the best posts I have ever read. ANYWHERE, one person said. Oh my God that was a wild ride, another wrote. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Bubba Wallace Soars in an F-15E Strike Eagle at Seymour Johnson AFB Posted by: newsla on Apr 25, 2019 - 08:27 AM Bubba Wallace Soars in an F-15E Strike Eagle at Seymour Johnson AFB Having spent much of his life speeding around on pavement, Bubba Wallace turned his attention to the skies on Tuesday at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Continuing Charlotte Motor Speedways Mission 600 in conjunction with the Department of Defense in previewing the 60th running of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26 the Coca-Cola Racing Family driver met with airmen, donned a full Air Force flight suit and took an orientation flight code-named Joust 43 aboard an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet. It was an awesome day, Wallace said. I enjoy coming to Seymour Johnson and just being a part of the organization, obviously Richard Petty Motorsports with its partnership with the Air Force is great. Being able to go up in the fighter jet, whenever they ask me if I want to keep going up Im going to say Yes, because theres no cooler thing to do. We were going 500 miles per hour just a little bit faster than what we do. You get to take in the world that we live in from a different perspective. Having the freedoms that we do, it ties back in to why our military is so important and why our sport supports the military. Hosted by the 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, the Air Force-sponsored Richard Petty Motorsports driver received emergency egress and parachute training as well as cockpit familiarization before he arrived at the 333rd Fighter Squadron whose pilots are known as the Lancers for pre-flight briefing. Following his training, Wallace took to the air with fighter pilot Capt. John Wraith Tilton for a 90-minute flight spanning from the Appalachian Mountains to the Outer Banks. This flight kicked my butt, Wallace added. Just to be here and take everything in, you always heard people getting deployed when we were growing up and theres so much more to it than that. I cant think these airmen enough and the brave men and women who fight for our country. Capt. Tilton relished the opportunity to give Wallace a taste of life in the Air Force. Its great, especially to put our squadron and all the troops in the public eye with what we do, Tilton said. Its nice to share that with a guy like Bubba and to give the world a better picture of what we do. Bubba told me about a 45G crash he had and I told him we wouldnt do that today. We pulled an 8.5 today, but he handled it pretty well. Wallace said the buildup event to the Coca-Cola 600 has him psyched up for what promises to be a patriotic weekend like no other. Racing on Memorial Day weekend (in the Coca-Cola 600) has always been special," Wallace added. "We look forward to the troops coming to the track, meeting them and their families and giving them an inside look at what we do. Im proud to be a part of the sport, of NASCAR and Coca-Cola and of everything that Charlotte Motor Speedway does. Im proud to be involved. Along with Mission 600s thrilling build-up to the Coca-Cola 600, thousands of troops will join fans in the race-day festivities, which will include static military displays and interactive showcases in the Fan Zone. Additionally, 600 troops comprised of members from all five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces will be on the frontstretch during pre-race activities. Mission 600 kicks off the festivities, with upcoming visits tentatively slated to feature Kyle Larson at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island on April 29; and Austin Dillon at U.S. Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach on April 30. Through the speedways Patriot Partners program, race fans or corporate customers can buy a ticket for a member of the U.S. Armed Forces for just $25. Tickets will be distributed to active-duty personnel and their families through the USO. Prior to the green flag, ticketholders to the Coca-Cola 600 can also enjoy a FREE pre-race concert featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Cheap Trick. As part of the salute to the military, race fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #KnowYourMil. TICKETS: Coca-Cola 600 tickets for adults start at just $49 while kids 13 and under get in for $10. Tickets, camping and upgrades for every event are available at the gates, by visiting charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets or calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). KEEP TRACK: Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app. KNOW YOUR MILITARY: Salute your military by sharing your connections and stories on social media using hashtag #KnowYourMil. PaddockTalk Perspective Half of all pregnant women who experience depression do not get any treatment, and some may turn to alcohol, marijuana, and opioids to self-medicate, a study of national data found. The research, which was published this month in Psychiatric Services in Advance, involved responses from 12,360 women to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2011 and 2016. Researchers compared responses for pregnant and nonpregnant women between the ages of 18 and 44, all of whom had an episode of major depression. They found 51 percent of pregnant women and 43 percent of nonpregnant women did not get any treatment for depression. In general, treatment rates are very, very low, said Maria X. Sanmartin, a coauthor of the study and assistant professor of health professions at Hofstra University. But pregnant women seem to be particularly underserved. Even among those who did get some treatment, pregnant women were significantly more likely to say it was not enough to meet their needs. What we would expect is that pregnant women are visiting the ob-gyn more and they should have more opportunities to see a psychologist or psychiatrist, Sanmartin said. But that is not what we found. Guidelines from both the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend doctors screen all pregnant women for depression and refer those at risk to counseling. The study didnt ask women if they were screened, but maternal-health experts say depression in pregnant and postpartum women is consistently underdiagnosed. Many women are not asked about depression symptoms, and even those who are may feel too ashamed to answer truthfully. For women of color, an added fear of child welfare services deeming them unfit can keep women from admitting symptoms and seeking care. When mental illnesses go untreated, there can be serious consequences, research shows from deteriorating physical health for the mother to developmental delays for the baby. People with untreated mental illness are also at higher risk for substance use. The study found that in the month before women took the survey, 23 percent of pregnant women reported using alcohol, 17 percent used marijuana, and 6 percent used opioids. That indicates a significant health concern for mother and child, Sanmartin said. In Pennsylvania, more than 3,000 drug-exposed newborns were born in 2017 a number that has soared over the last decade as the opioid crisis grows. Experts suggest getting women proper mental-health and substance-use treatment could lower these numbers. But what should treatment look like? Maternal mental-health guidelines suggest therapy and consultations with a psychiatrist should be the first option. Yet the study found prescription medication was the most prevalent form of treatment among pregnant women. The easiest way to cope with these things is to just give medication, Sanmartin said. But medication alone might not be what would help the patient. The American Psychiatric Association says there is growing evidence that its safe for pregnant women to use antidepressants, and they can be helpful for some. But combining medication with therapy helps people address environmental and social factors that influence their mental health too. Often, cost gets in the way, Sanmartin said. The study found both pregnant and nonpregnant women cited financial concerns as the main barrier that kept them from getting treatment. More than three-quarters of the women in the study had insurance, but some had high deductibles or could not afford the copay. Under the Affordable Care Act, all insurance plans are required to cover mental health and substance use treatment. But that doesnt necessarily make accessing care easy or affordable. Studies have shown many insurance plans have few in-network mental-health providers, forcing people to pay high fees for an out-of-network provider or skip treatment altogether. Add to that the shortage of psychiatrists across the nation and wait times for appointments that can stretch weeks, and the obstacles can be insurmountable for some. Sanmartin said it would help to have doctors work in teams an ob-gyn with a psychiatrist, for example to detect depression in pregnant women and improve treatment rates. Its also crucial to improve patient education, she said. Doctors need to let women know about the possibility of experiencing depression during pregnancy and that there are treatment options. Otherwise women might not know its not normal what theyre feeling, she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BALTIMORE When she was a student at Johns Hopkins University, Nirali Chauhan enjoyed exercising. She took part in Baltimore Running Festivals and was certified as a group exercise instructor. But on the very day she was to attend a one-year memorial for the passing of her father in a Chicago suburb Nov. 6, 2015, Chauhan was accidentally run over by an elderly neighbor in his sport-utility vehicle and suffered a variety of cuts, scrapes and bruises. While her body healed, a concussion she sustained became more problematic. "After the injury, it became very difficult to move my body," Chauhan recalled. "It kind of felt foreign to me. I felt very dizzy and nauseous when I did move. So that inactivity led to a lot of weakness in my body, and that's something that I still struggle with today." Chauhan then found yoga sessions operated by LoveYourBrain, an organization committed to improving life for people suffering from traumatic brain injuries, after she graduated in 2016 and moved to New Hampshire to pursue a master's degree at Dartmouth College. The yoga has helped Chauhan, now 25, become physically active once again. "After an injury that profoundly impacts you, I think it is natural to fight your brain or resist the changes that your injury has caused," she said. "But the program teaches you that it's important to do the exact opposite in order to heal. You have to nurture it and feed it and love your brain and your entire self, and only with that intention can you properly heal. It took me a little time to get to that point, but when I did, it only got better for me." LoveYourBrain yoga has expanded to 29 states and served more than 2,100 people. The organization is seeking to be in all 50 states by 2021. The LoveYourBrain Foundation was established by brothers Adam and Kevin Pearce after the latter suffered a serious brain injury from a snowboarding accident in Park City, Utah, on New Year's Eve in 2009. Kevin Pearce, who spent nearly a week in a coma and was forced to give up his hopes of competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics, was hampered by physical and cognitive challenges until a friend took him to a yoga class. In 2014, in their home state of Vermont, Pearce and his brother established LoveYourBrain, which offers programs to foster community and resilience to people suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The yoga portion introduces patients and their caregivers to the physical benefits of yoga while also giving the participants a chance to connect to each other. "Because TBI is so complex, it's actually quite challenging to come up with a program that is dynamic enough to be tailored to the individuals in a group, but then also has a consistent structure so that it's able to have fidelity and remain high quality across a wide variety of people," said Kyla Pearce, senior director of the organization's yoga program and wife of Adam Pearce. "So it was surprising just knowing the benefits of yoga and its potential for supporting rehabilitation. But as we continued to roll out the program, we learned how to overcome the barriers so that we could effectively implement it on a very large scale." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2.87 million TBI-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths occurred in the United States in 2014. In addition, that number had increased by 53 percent from 2006 to 2014. Medical experts have routinely promoted the benefits of physical activity in patients' recoveries, and Dr. Joseph Cleary, a senior pediatric neuropsychologist at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore, praised LoveYourBrain's approach. "I think it's a cool kind of thing just because not only are you getting out of the house and practicing yoga, which would be beneficial, but they're practicing yoga with other people who have (brain injuries)," he said. "So that has to have a huge effect, almost like a group therapy effect on belonging and formalizing issues. "We see a lot of kids when they go back into their environment, they withdraw from friends, and there's increased depression and anxiety because they don't feel like they fit in anymore. So that has huge implications for social and emotional and pure relationship values." Added Dr. Christopher Vaughan, a pediatric neuropsychologist at Children's National in Washington: "We spend a lot of time focused on traumatic brain injuries as a harmful and detrimental issue, but there's something to be said about a positive message that focuses on brain health." Chauhan, the Hopkins graduate, said she has been diagnosed with postconcussion syndrome. She became dizzy and nauseated when concentrating, especially in front of a computer, was carried to the kitchen table for meals, and distanced herself from friends because she felt they could not understand her situation. "It turned my whole world upside down," Chauhan said of the concussion. "I really took a lot of pride in being able to excel at school. That was part of my identity growing up. And so after my injury, losing that part of me was really difficult because with any other type of injury, it's your brain that tells you to push forward, to be strong, to persevere. But in my case, it was the brain that was broken." Chauhan said she still deals with postconcussion symptoms. But she passed the MCATs and will attend medical school next year. She said she is "in a much more positive and hopeful place" than earlier in her recovery and has credited LoveYourBrain's yoga sessions with helping her rebuild her life. "I actually do feel like it's made me a better person," she said. "But it has been a long journey, and I know that will only continue as well." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City Police officer who lost part of his leg to a serious post-injury infection has a bold idea -- he wants to be the first known amputee to serve as an officer in Sioux City. Bruce Hokel, 46, a 14-year veteran of the Sioux City Police Department working in crimes against persons and special investigations, sustained a pilon fracture in his left leg Jan. 27 after he slipped from the roof of his house and fell 12 feet while doing maintenance work. "The tibia was broken in four places above the ankle," Hokel said. He spent a night in the hospital and had to wait 10 days for the swelling to go down before doctors could put screws and plates to fix the leg. At some point while he was recuperating, an aggressive staph infection set in, eroding the bone and cartilage in his leg. "Things weren't quite healing right," Hokel said. In April he was sent to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, where doctors had to amputate his leg below the knee. Hokel has begun some physical therapy, though it will be several weeks before they can begin looking into a prosthetic. While he said his pain level "hasn't been too bad," it takes time to adjust when the body goes through something like that. "It does definitely hurt. Any time you stand up, all the blood wants to flow to the end of it, and it throbs," he said. Hokel said he plans to return to duty once he is back up and running with a prosthetic, though he isn't sure how long that will take. "We've done a bunch of research on it, and that does not appear to be an obstacle whatsoever," Hokel said. "My plan is to be the first Sioux City amputee in a squad car." Sioux City Police Chief Rex Mueller said Hokel will be welcome back on the force once he's up to it. "We're holding out hope, and we're very optimistic that, even with this amputation, that he's able to return to work," Mueller said. He said other police departments have officers who've undergone amputations, and that with modern prosthetics, "they really don't lose a step." His fellow Sioux City Police Officers have been supportive of Hokel and his family during his convalescence, he said. "Everybody's been contacting me, making sure we didn't need anything, making sure stuff was handled, been here to visit me," Hokel said. Hokel's wife, Meg, said Siouxland Spouses Behind the Shield, a local group for police spouses, has been in "almost daily" contact with her, making sure the family has everything they need. "It's an overwhelming outpouring of love," Meg Hokel said. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Hokel family defray its medical expenses, and a benefit luncheon is scheduled for 11 a.m. May 2 at the downtown Sioux City Public Library. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- Local broadcaster KTIV has announced it will add two new multicast channels to the station's over-the-air signal. Court TV Network (KTIV 4.4) and Ion Television (KTIV 4.5) will be added starting May 1, according to a news release from the station. Over-the-air viewers using an antenna will need to re-scan their televisions after 10 a.m. May 1 due to the changes in the signal. Cable, satellite or streaming customers will not be affected. KTIV broadcasts the NBC network on its main channel, KTIV 4.1. It also carries the CW Network (KTIV 4.2) and Me-TV (KTIV 4.3.) The station is owned by Quincy Media, Inc. of Quincy, Illinois. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- State Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, has thrown his support to presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, and has joined the campaign team of the former congressman from Texas. Hall has been named political director for the O'Rourke team in Iowa, which is among several such top campaign hirings announced in a Wednesday release. Hall in an interview said O'Rourke stands out in a wide field of 19 Democratic presidential candidates seeking to unseat President Donald Trump in 2020, drawing big crowds on "the strength of his message." "Beto's (U.S. Senate) campaign in deep-red Texas last year inspired people across the country, including myself. We need a leader who will reach out to every voter, no matter where they live or what political party they belong to," Hall said. Political director is a paid position, and Hall will continue to serve his term in the Iowa House. Hall said he expects the Legislature to finish its session and adjourn in a few days, so he'll soon begin to work full-time for O'Rourke. O'Rourke has campaigned once in Northwest Iowa, including an April 4 event that drew 300 people at a Sioux City college. Other key staffers announced include Norm Sterzenbach, who was deputy campaign manager for Chet Culvers successful 2006 campaign for Iowa governor, as state director and Margaret Jarosz as caucus director. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Broward County Sheriffs Office(DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.) -- A Florida sheriff's office on Wednesday said it had opened an internal investigation after video surfaced showing a deputy punching a suspect who was handcuffed to a hospital bed. Officer bodycam footage showed Broward County Sheriff Deputy Jorge Sobrino punching David O'Connell and aggressively twisting his arm at a South Florida hospital in January. Sobrino arrested O'Connell, 26, at a Walmart in Pompano Beach, Florida, while responding to a domestic disturbance report. O'Connell was apprehend on charges of resisting without violence and taken Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach, Florida, for injuries he sustained during the arrest. That's when the two got into a heated exchange. "Hey, I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here. I wanna sign off!" O'Connell is heard yelling in the video. "I wanna sign off!" Sobrino then closes the door, and orders O'Connell, who had one hand cuffed to the hospital bed, to sit down -- but he refused. "Now you're going to f---ing close the door and beat my ass again," O'Connell is heard saying. "F--- you! Now you think your all big now because you're a f---ing cop?" The officer then appears to throw O'Connell's legs on the bed, punch him in the face and twist his arm behind his back. Sobrino was aware that he was being recorded and he even pointed to the camera at one point after the confrontation. Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen said the officer's conduct was "unacceptable" and called for his firing. "Unacceptable and outrageous for a deputy sheriff to punch a male who is handcuffed to a hospital bed," Bogen said Wednesday. "Abuse of power cannot be tolerated. Deputy needs to be held accountable by being fired." He said he recommended the State Attorney's Office open a criminal investigation into the incident. The Broward County Sheriff's Office said it's internal affairs division opened a preliminary investigation on Wednesday after receiving a letter from the Broward County Public Defender's Office, which is representing O'Connell. "He clearly wanted to beat up Mr. O'Connell rather than use some deescalation techniques," Broward County Assistant Public Defender Gordon Weekes told ABC affiliate WPLG-TV on Wednesday. "It shows how brazen and how comfortable he is in using this type of force and that he will use it even when he knows the camera is running." The video surfaced just days after Broward County deputies were seen beating and pepper-spraying a 15-year-old boy during an arrest outside a Fort Lauderdale high school. The sheriff's office suspended two officers in connection with the arrest on Tuesday as video of the violent encounter went viral. That case is also under an internal investigation. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Developing China-Pakistan relations are diplomatic priority: Shah Mahmood China on Wednesday called on the international community to view Pakistans counter-terrorism efforts and contributions in an objective and fair manner, and strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the country. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting where both the leaders stressed that developing China-Pakistan relations are a diplomatic priority, and reiterated commitment to strengthen all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and build a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era, according to a statement issued by the foreign ministry. The Chinese side reiterated its steadfast support for Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and national dignity, choosing its development path according to its national conditions, and establishing a better security environment. The Chinese side also appreciated Pakistans constructive role on international and regional issues. Both the leaders agreed to further strengthen their coordination and cooperation on international and regional matters. They resolved to continue closer communication and collaboration in multilateral forums, including the UN, multilateral financial institutions, the SCO and SAARC. Both sides believed that a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous South Asia is in the common interest of all the parties, and emphasised the importance of dialogue in resolving all disputes and issues in this region on the basis of mutual respect and equality. The Chinese side appreciated efforts made by the government and people of Pakistan in firmly combating terrorism and extremism and implementing the National Action Plan (NAP) through important measures taken recently. The Chinese side called on the international community to view Pakistans counter-terrorism efforts and contributions in an objective and fair manner, and to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Pakistan. DES MOINES Despite heavy opposition from municipal governments, the Iowa Legislature debated through the night before approving a proposal to require local governments to take extra steps before they increase property tax revenues -- whether because of a higher tax rate or rising property values. Under the proposal passed Wednesday by the Senate and then at 2:52 a.m. Thursday by the House: City councils and county boards would be required to document and hold a public hearing for residents when they plan to increase property tax revenues through higher tax rates or reevaluated property value assessments. If a citys or countys tax revenues will be increased more than 2 percent, the vote would require two-thirds of the board's members instead of a simple majority. A measure that would put a 3 percent hard cap on increases, and allow for a voter referendum to reverse the increase was removed from the bill. Supporters say the proposal is needed to require transparency in local property taxes, so taxpayers can understand why their bill is increasing. They say it would force municipalities to show when property tax revenues are increasing and why. This is an opportunity for the taxpayers of Iowa to have some ability, some way they can reach out and have some say in what their property taxes should or should not be, said Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, who managed the proposal in the Iowa Senate. However, opponents said it does nothing to lower property taxes or increase transparency. It will, they warned, damage IPERS, the states public employee retirement system, and the police and fire retirement program. Nothing could be farther from the truth, said Dustin Hite, R-New Sharon, who was the mayor of his 1,300-person hometown for seven years. This bill is not about IPERS. Its a property tax bill. Now, the trust and agency levy that covers local governments mandatory contribution to the retirement program can be raised as necessary to cover the employers share. Under the bill, House Democrats argued, any increase in that levy will count toward triggering the requirement for super-majority approval of revenue hikes higher than 2 percent. That would put the employers share of retirement program funding in competition with other local government expenses, they said, and government officials may choose to lay off staff members to free up money to make IPERS and police and fire retirement costs. Supporters of the proposal said some local governments have enjoyed property tax revenue boosts because of higher property values while passing the blame for increases to property owners tax bills. They believe it will make local governments think twice about collecting more property tax revenue. Ive had numerous constituents concerned with (property) valuations going through the roof, said Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel. For far too long local officials have been able to get by saying, We didnt raise your taxes. Opponents of the proposal said it would place an undue burden on and infringe upon the authority of local governments. This is a red tape machine for city clerks and county supervisors to do their jobs that they were elected to do, said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City. The Senate approved Senate File 634 passed the Iowa Senate 33-17 with Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, joining Republicans in support. In the House, SF 634 was approved after more than four hours of debate 53-46. It now goes to the governor. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 New reports on Iowa water argue that nitrate and bacteria levels in private wells have increased for more than a decade, while water quality funding has remained grossly inadequate. The two reports were released Wednesday. Water Quality Spending A report by the not-for-profit Iowa Policy Project took a look at the states spending commitment to water quality and sought to identify funding levels needed to make meaningful progress on nutrient pollution reduction. The report found that, despite the 2013 adoption of the states Nutrient Reduction Strategy, water quality spending from Iowas general fund dropped off post-recession and has yet to return. Funding peaked in fiscal 2009 at more than $45 million, but dropped to less than $30 million in fiscal 2012. The number since has climbed back up to about $43 million last year. Meanwhile, the report notes that federal and state funding on nutrient reduction in Iowa reached $512 million in 2017-18. The majority of that went to Conservation Reserve Program payments. When you compare that to what the state is spending, you really see how little commitment we really have, said David Osterberg, co-founder of the Iowa Policy Project. The report does note last years $282 million water quality bill the first bill signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. However, that bill is spread across 12 years, making for about $24 million per year. The report notes the need for water quality funding is in the billions of dollars. It really shows this 2018 bill is small potatoes in regard to where we need to be, said Natalie Veldhouse, Iowa Policy Project research associate. Whats more, Iowas share of the nutrient load in the Mississippi and Missouri river watersheds has increased between 2000 and 2016. Osterberg said a sales tax on fertilizers, which can increase nutrient levels, could be a source of additional funding. Money doesnt solve everything, but no money is not going to solve anything and thats what were seeing, is not enough money, Osterberg said. Contaminants in Wells A joint report released by the Environmental Working Group and the Iowa Environmental Council analyzed state records from 2002 to 2017. The study found that in private wells that were tested, the average nitrate levels grew from 3.1 parts per million in 2003 to 5.7 ppm in 2013. The states own data show that agricultural pollution of drinking water in Iowa is worse than most people have previously thought, Anne Schechinger, study author and senior economic analyst at EWG, said in a news release. Wherever Iowans test for these contaminants, they have a pretty good chance of finding them. According to the report, as many as 290,000 Iowans use private wells for drinking water, yet only 55,000 wells have been tested for nitrates and/or bacteria in the last 16 years. Of those tested, more than 40 percent tested positive for coliform bacteria at least once. The Environmental Protection Agency, which enforces water quality rules, does not require testing on private wells. The report aligns with similar findings in a 2016 Iowa Watch series on water quality, which found that: 49 percent of wells had detectable nitrate; 12 percent had levels higher than the EPAs public drinking water standard of 10 milligrams per liter. 43 percent of wells had total coliform bacteria; 19 percent had enterococci, a bacteria found in feces that can cause infections in wounds or in the urinary tract; 11 percent had E. coli. Contaminants such as bacteria dont necessarily pose an immediate health concern, but can indicate the well is susceptible to outside contamination, such as agricultural runoff, the Iowa Watch report notes. High nitrogen levels can pose health risks to infants by causing blue-baby syndrome, which affects the bloods ability to carry oxygen. In addition to nitrates and bacteria, some Iowa homes struggle with arsenic levels in their water. A 2017 U.S. Geological Survey report found that more than 35,000 or 6 percent of the roughly 591,000 domestic wells in Iowa likely have arsenic concentrations above 10 parts per billion, or the maximum level set by the EPA. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst this morning sided with Iowas other senator, Chuck Grassley, in calling for the Trump administration to remove the tariffs it imposed on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico. And the Republican noted Wednesday morning its a very good question whether President Donald Trumps continuation of those tariffs could impede Mexico and Canada from ratifying the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada, or USMCA, trade agreement. Ernst headed a roundtable at Kinze Manufacturings Innovation Center in Williamsburg with about 20 Iowa farmers, manufacturers and business owners. The other participants in the roundtable and a subsequent question-and-answer session detailed the harm some of the participants said theyve faced both from the steel and aluminum import tariffs and retaliatory fees other countries have placed on agricultural exports. Richard Dix, senior director for Kinzes supply chain, said his company has seen an unprecedented increase in the commodity price of steel following the application of the import tariffs. The result, Dix said, is that Kinze loses profitability, plus some of its ability to reward employees or develop new products. Its all well and good to hear sound bites on national TV about sticking it to the Chinese, or this is a tax on the Chinese ... the bottom line is, were paying the price. The United States imposed 25 percent and 10 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, respectively, in March 2018, and let exemptions from those tariffs expire for Canada, Mexico and the European Union in May 2018. Those governments responded with retaliatory tariffs amounting to billions of dollars, with affected products ranging from pork, soybean, corn and steel exports. China also imposed retaliatory export tariffs after Trump proposed import tariffs as a response to its unfair trade practices. Jeff Quint, owner of Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery in Swisher, said the EU imposed a retaliatory tariff on whiskey exports right before his business was poised to ship multiple containers of product overseas. Quint said he ultimately cut the price of each container by about $25,000 so as to keep the order. Since these tariffs came in, weve been treading water (in Europe), he said. We were going to go into China, weve backed off entirely on that ... . Were waiting to see if we can get this behind us and get back to making some money and exporting some products. Uncertainty over federal trade policy, including the timeline for new agreements, is just killing us, said Pam Johnson, a sixth-generation farmer in Floyd County and past president of the National Corn Growers Association. Her biggest concern, she said, is the effect the uncertainty could have on the next generation of farmers. If youve got a great job in Chicago or anywhere else, why would you quit right now and come back when youre not sure if youre going to make a living? Johnson posed. It is just imperative for us to show Iowans that there is some certainty and that we can move forward, and were not giving a pass to all our competitors around the world. Ernst said she cannot speak for what Trump might do regarding tariffs in the future but praised his style toward negotiating with the countrys trading partners if you call it a style. He does toss out publicly the worst possible scenario, but what you do see is that he does get results from that, she said. Ernst said she is cautiously optimistic USMCA will be ratified within the current Congressional session and that, in speaking with U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer, she believes the United States is close to reaching a trade deal with China, including over tariffs. In a January guest column to The Gazette, Sen. Grassley called for the Trump administration to drop its tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico, saying retaliatory tariffs from the countries stand to wipe out gains our farmers have made over the past two and a half decades. About 408,600 Iowa jobs about one in five depend on trade, according to the Business Roundtable, which last week reported $1.4 trillion and over 12 million jobs nationwide depend on trade with Canada and Mexico. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO -- Wasn't the 2016 presidential election the event that taught us to distrust polls? Didn't almost everyone get it wrong, eroding the public's trust in both journalism and their fellow citizens, who made electoral choices that seemed to go against their own self-interest? Welcome to the 2020 campaign season, which is already making me -- and probably many others -- want to tear my hair out. It's because I'm looking at new poll numbers from Latino Decisions, the nation's (perhaps not incorrectly) self-proclaimed "leading polling and research firm on Latino Americans." But instead of fearing that the numbers are wrong, they seem frighteningly on-target. Twenty-five percent of all the Latino registered voters who were polled have not only heard of President Trump but also have a very or somewhat favorable impression of him, according to the Spring 2019 national poll. Twenty percent say that the president and Republicans are doing a good job of reaching out to Hispanics. Seventeen percent say they will be voting for Donald Trump in 2020, and another 3 percent are undecided but leaning toward Trump. Twenty-seven percent either strongly or somewhat agree with Trump's February decision to declare a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border and redirect money meant for military and disaster relief to build a border wall. I was also mildly surprised to see how the registered Hispanic voters who were polled reacted to potential democratic presidential contenders. They did not jump at the Latino candidate, former housing secretary Julian Castro, as a top choice. They weren't set on fire by Kamala Harris, a leader in the Latino-majority state of California and a woman of color who has come out strong against the Trump administration's treatment of migrants at the border. Nope. It's Biden, with 59 percent favorability. He's followed very closely by Bernie at 58 percent favorability -- that would be the socialist Bernie Sanders who's been a millionaire since 2016. And after Sanders, the list of the top three most favored candidates is rounded out by, drumroll please: former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke, at 48 percent, the non-Latino guy with the Hispanic nickname. Oh boy. If these are startling revelations, then you just haven't been paying attention. Latinos were never the monolith that the mainstream media portrayed them to be. There's no denying they are an increasingly diverse population in the United States, one that no longer counts language, country of origin, geographic concentration or immigration status as a unifying common denominator. This is also shown clearly in what Hispanics ranked as the most important issues to them in the Latino Decisions poll, which echoed decades of prior research. Even in this time of Trump-induced humanitarian crises at the border, the issue of protecting immigrants' rights rates only a third-place spot, overshadowed by the high cost of health care and the desire to see wages and income improve. But we shouldn't underestimate the fact that these are the thoughts of Latinos who are already registered to vote and thinking ahead about the presidential race, which is still more than a year away. They may skew more conservative or be outliers because of their political interest at this early stage. Or the sample size of the poll could simply be too small. We don't know what a Latino voter who registers close to Election Day cares about because we're still pretty far out from November 2020 for the average person's interest in politics to kick in. And when it comes right down to it, history tells us that not enough of the 32 million Hispanics who will be eligible to vote in 2020 will be registered and then show up at the polls. (In the 2016 presidential election, Latino turnout was 47.6 percent, about the same as in 2012.) If Democrats want to be competitive with Latino voters, they need to provide what Hispanic grassroots organizations across the country have consistently said they need -- money and resources to invest in voter registration and get-out-the-vote organizing. Without the proper investments, Latinos might have lackluster turnout, furthering a track record of not seeming too invested in their government. And what a shame it would be for eligible Latino voters to again be kept on the sidelines of a presidential election because slick ads with pandering and sometimes unintelligible Spanish translations are more palatable to fund than the education of a whole new generation of voters. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Earlier this week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren became the first major Democratic presidential candidate to support mass student loan forgiveness, rolling out a plan that would cancel at least some debt for an estimated 42 million Americans. According to a new analysis published by the Brookings Institution, most of the benefits from her proposal would flow to middle-class households. You would not necessarily guess that, however, based on some of the headlines the report has generated. The Wall Street Journal, for instance, ran a piece titled, Warrens Student-Debt Deal Would Most Benefit Stronger Earners, Study Finds. The Brookings brief somewhat pushes that interpretation of its findings, calling Warrens idea regressive, expensive, and full of uncertainties. Id argue that its actual numbers, however, tell a more flattering story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For years now, left-wing activists have dreamed of wiping out every last dollar of student loan debt on Americas books in one enormous jubilee. As many writers, myself included, have pointed out, such a move would be pretty regressive, since a disproportionate share of outstanding eduction debt belongs upper middle class and high-income households. Warrens plan, however, is designed to take this into account. It caps forgiveness at $50,000 for individual in households making up to $100,000, and gradually phases down the amount of loan relief a borrower can receive as their income rises. Those earning $250,000 or more would not be eligible for any debt cancellation at all. The idea is to cancel debt for more borrowers, without giving a windfall to corporate lawyers and high-earning doctors who borrowed six-figures for their lucrative professional degrees. Advertisement Advertisement Measured by the total amount of debt written off, Brookings finds that 73 percent of the benefit goes to Americans in the middle 60 percent of the countrys income distribution (the analysis only includes households headed by adults age 25 or older, and excludes people who are still in school). Almost a third of the benefits are especially concentrated in the 60th to 80th percentile, where households earn between $68,000 and $111,000 per year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be clear, this does not make the plan progressive. Low income households get the smallest share of the benefits. Some upper-middle class those in the 80th to 90th income percentilesget a slightly oversized oversized share of the haul. But Warrens plan does a decent job of limiting the benefits of the very highest earners, while helping out middle-income families. Looked at another way, Warrens plan is a bit more favorable to six-figure earners. The Brookings report also measures the distribution of debt relief by measuring the actual reduction in annual payments households would see.* Its a wonkier, less intuitive approach, but it makes some sense because there are many low-income households that will likely never pay off their full loan balance before they qualify for one of the federal forgiveness programs that already exist. If you look at the data from this angle, 23 percent of the benefit goes to households in 80th to 90th percentile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Personally, I think you have to look at both of these graphs to get a sense of who benefits under Warrens plan. So, what are the take-aways? Advertisement Advertisement Warrens plan is not strictly progressive. But it does successfully limit the amount of debt relief going to high-earning MDs, JDs, and MBAs, while keeping it concentrated in the broadly defined middle class. There are definitely ways Warren could make her plan more progressive. She could drop the maximum forgiveness amount to $20,000roughly the median that borrowers have graduated school with in recent yearsand wipe out the loan balances of a lot of lower income students while limiting the rewards to six-figure earners. She could exclusively forgive undergraduate loans. You can tweak it in all sorts of ways. Advertisement On the other hand, Warren is planning to pay for her $650 billion proposal with proceeds from a wealth tax on people with assets above $50 million, and a partial reversal of the corporate tax cut Republicans passed. I dont know if Id personally place a debt-forgiveness plan like she has proposed at the very center of a left-wing agenda (the very poor could use some help first). But there are certainly much more appalling things than a transfer from the ultra-wealthy to the middle class. Mathew Knowles, the former manager of Destinys Child better known as Beyonces dad, has announced that he is producing a stage musical about the R&B group. Survivor: The Destinys Child Musical will tell the story of the legendary girl groups come-up from Knowles perspective, according to Deadline. As of now, its not clear whether any of the actual membersBeyonce, Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowlandwill be involved in the production. Beyonce split from her dad as manager in 2011, and the pair has not collaborated professionally since. Advertisement Survivor will follow Destiny Childs formation in 1997 and their presence in the R&B scene up until their breakup in 2006. Though Beyonce was a key member of the group through its run, Destinys Child cycled through several different lineups over the years, the most successful being the familiar trio of Bey, Rowland, and Williams. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to pull back the curtain, Knowles said of the production in a statement on his website. I feel its time to give the world an opportunity to hear, see and feel the victories and failures that Ive had as a husband, father and manager who risked everything in pursuit of fulfilling dreamsthose of mine and others. Jezebel points out that this isnt the first time Knowles has tried to tell his side of the story: Leaked emails from the Sony hack revealed that he had been shopping around a Destinys Child biopic back in 2013. Unlike that movie, which apparently never got off the ground, Knowles musical is set to premiere next year in Houston with, Knowles hopes, runs on Broadway and Londons West End to follow.* Get Slate Culture in Your Inbox We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Dear Prudence, My fiance is dead set on two women he was formerly in love with attending our weddingone of whom he confessed he still had feelings for a month before he proposed. He was infatuated with them for a very long time. They both turned him down for long-term relationships, but not before using him to cheat on their significant others. He was in love with them since high school. He is now 28. He claims that they are really good friends who only want to see him happy, but they never reach out to him to hang out. Our wedding is planned for November 2020, and we got engaged in November 2018. I am against these women attending, but should I give in and let them attend my happy day, since it would make him happy? Not-So-Welcome Guests Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lots of people are able to maintain platonic friendships with their exes, and I certainly dont have an ironclad Dont invite anyone youve ever slept with to your wedding policy. But this reads like a parody of a bad idea. You and your fiance got engaged five months ago. Six months ago he was still in love with another woman (a woman he had been in love with for at least a decade and who cheated on her partner with him). Its unclear to me whether he confessed these feelings to you and about her or whether he confessed to her first, got turned down, and then confessed/proposed to you afterward. Either way, Im really glad the two of you wont be getting married until 2020, because that gives you more than a year to spend in couples counseling together. You two need to go! A few important questions you should explore with your therapist: 1) Why did I, LW, accept a marriage proposal from someone who was in love with an ex a month before? 2) What do I believe changed in that month? 3) What kind of relationship does my fiance plan on having with these two exes for the rest of his life? 4) Does that make me feel supported, valued, and as though I can trust him not to cheat on me? Good luck, and please dont put down any deposits until after youve had your first few sessions. Advertisement Advertisement Dear Prudence, I have a disability that requires me to use a cane on bad days. On a Saturday, a co-worker left her elementary-age children in the lobby, and they proceed to openly mock me and imitate how I walk. It left me in tears. I was in a lot of pain, and it brought up bad memories of my childhood. I didnt take it to my manager directly. I took my co-worker aside and told her what her children did. She got defensive and told me they were good and I was no good (English is her second language). I was sympathetic until she tried to grab my cane and called me a fake. I went to my manager. He talked to her. Since then, the children no longer imitate me but use slurs they think I cant understand. This has gone on for several weeks. I hoped it would go away, but the kids find it funnier to yell offensive terms at me as soon as they see me get out of my car (I learned a lot). The company doesnt allow children on the property, but the on-site managers ignore it and let the kids run outside and watch TV in the lobby. I am not sure what to do. If I record the kids and complain to the higher-ups, that will impact many of the co-workers I actually like. I dont want to cause trouble. Cane Problems Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You are not causing trouble. You are trying to do your job despite being harassed about your disability, and you have every reason to ask for help and support. Your co-worker grabbed your cane and accused you of faking your disability. Frankly, Im not just worried about her childrens teasing. Im worried that shell try to hurt you again. Dont try to record them. Its possibly illegal, could endanger your safety, and isnt necessary, especially since youve already spoken to your manager about them in the past, and he offered you (some) support. Go back to your manager and tell him youre prepared to bring this issue to HR and upper-level management because it hasnt improved and is making it difficult for you to get your work done. Based on the fact that theres already a company policy about not letting children in the office and that youre protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you have an excellent foundation for getting things changed. It would be a shame if other colleagues werent able to bring their well-behaved kids to hang out in the lobby when they have trouble getting child care, but thats not your problem to solve, and you shouldnt force yourself to put up with painful, humiliating harassment on a regular basis. Advertisement Advertisement How to Get Advice From Prudie: Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.) Join the live chat every Monday at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the live discussion. Call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show. Dear Prudence, I just found out through my mother that my sister has been sexually assaulted multiple times in the past year. My mother is scared out of her mind because my sister seems to be dealing with this by drinking excessively, which has been the circumstances of each assault. My mom is worried that she is continuing to put herself in the same dangerous circumstances. I dont know what to do. Everything feels so urgent, but really it feels like there is nothing I can do. My sister doesnt even know that I have been told about these assaults, and I dont want to retraumatize her by asking her to tell me about them. I am heartbroken and feel so much pain for her but dont know what to do. How to Be Helpful? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think youre right not to ask your sister right now. I know it must be painful to know this about her and not feel like youre able to be more helpful or present, but if she hasnt chosen to share this information with you, it likely would only make her feel more vulnerable if you told her you knew. Although you mothers distress and bewilderment are understandable given the circumstances, shes not helping your sister by sharing the news of her assaults without consent. Encourage your mother to find a professional who can help her find better ways to cope. And although I can understand her desire to find the secret key to safetyif only my daughter doesnt do X or starts doing Z, I can guarantee that shell escape harm and predation for the rest of her lifethere is no perfect roadmap to ensuring that someone else will never try to commit sexual assault. And I hope that your sister is also able to access meaningful help and develop coping strategies that dont undermine her long-term health and well-being, too. Advertisement As for what you can do right now, I can think of a few thingsnone of them perfect, Im afraid, but this is the kind of situation that can force one into close contact with ones own powerlessness. You can call your sister more often (not so often that its obvious youre fishing for information), express how much you care for her, ask her how shes doing, and offer her real opportunities for connection and solidarity. You can, if she decides to share any of this with you herself, offer her confidentiality, love, affirmation, and support. And you can ask her what she needs and take her at her word. Advertisement Get Prudie in Your Inbox Sign up for the Dear Prudence mailing list to receive notifications of new columns and chats We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Dear Prudence, I started dating my now-wife when we were teenagers. She had multiple childhood traumas and would later be diagnosed with PTSD. From the first week of our dating, she pressured and coerced me into getting engaged and getting her pregnant. I was raised in a very religious, sheltered household and didnt have the faculties to deal with the psychological abuse. I used a friends credit card to buy her a ring (I had no money or savings) and then got her pregnant within six months of our first date. We stayed together, and after 20 years she finally got treatment for her PTSD and now lives as a healthy person. She has accepted responsibility for the manipulation she put me through and for selfishly derailing my dreams. Despite the rough start, we have built a family and life together and enjoy financial success. Advertisement The issue is that she wants a new engagement ring that is more reflective of our current standard of living. Even though I have made peace with the abuse, I spent two decades of life having to work twice as hard to get an education, support her and the kids, and build a career, all while she stayed at home and made minimal contributions because of her PTSD. The thought of presenting her with a new ring brings back horrible memories of the manipulation, suicide threats, and ultimatums of our first weeks together, and I want nothing to do with it. She hints at a new ring fairly frequently, and I dont know how to explain that, while I love her, this isnt a way that I am willing to express that love. How can I either get over this or else express to her how I feel without crushing her? Ring Upgrade Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If your wife has accepted responsibility for the ways in which shes harmed you, then its important for you to share these recurring feelings of anguish and anxiety with her. You say youve made peace with her past abuse, and I dont mean to discount that, but having achieved a degree of hard-fought acceptance over a painful past doesnt mean that you have to feel completely serene 24/7. Your wife has received treatment for her PTSD, and it seems to have benefited her immensely. Im wondering whether youve given yourself the same opportunity and space to seek professional help for your own residual distress. I dont mean to suggest that you need to get yourself a PTSD diagnosis too, but the past is clearly still weighing on you in a way that makes your life more difficult today. And I certainly think you ought to tell your wife that asking for an upgraded ring has brought back painful memories for you of how pressured, isolated, and frightened you were during the early days of your relationship and that she needs to stop asking you for one. Your financial focus right now should be on finding a good therapist who can help you work through your own history with trauma. You have every right to take space, express your pain and anger, think about what you need in your relationship now to feel safe and respected, and say no when your wife asks you to buy her something. Advertisement Dear Prudence Uncensored I am pretty sure the ADA has something to say about that. Daniel Mallory Ortberg and Nicole Cliffe discuss this letter in this weeks Dear Prudence Uncensoredonly for Slate Plus members. Dear Prudence, My dad recently died, and my siblings and I are in the middle of planning his memorial. My dads sister and her husband are devout Christians and would each like to speak at the memorial. They have hinted that part of their speeches will include some religious content. My dad was not religioushe was even mildly antiorganized religion, and their religious zeal was an ongoing source of conflictbut had his own brand of private spirituality. My siblings and I are similarly religiously unaffiliated. How can we respectfully ask (or tell) them to keep their beliefs about the afterlife and any other Christian content to themselves? Respecting Dads Wishes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Depending on how many other people will be speaking at the funeral, it may help to give them a time limit: Dad was loved by a lot of people, so were asking everyone to speak for less than five minutes to make sure everyone gets a chance to say a few words about him. You can also offer them specific instructions disguised as a general policy so they dont feel singled out but still get the message that this isnt the time to start an altar call: Were asking everyone who gives a eulogy to share something memorable from Dads life and, in keeping with his wishes, not to discuss religion. Let me know if you have any questions. It may very well be that they try to push back at this point, and youll have to be more explicit about the conditions under which theyll be allowed to speak at the funeral, but at least youll have worded the initial request calmly and respectfully. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dear Prudence, Im a 22-year-old woman and the first-born of six. I lived at home all through undergrad, and this will be the first year Ive lived away from home for more than a few months. Im fine with itit was time for me to have some independencebut its been difficult for my parents, especially since Im the first child to leave on good terms (two of my brothers no longer speak to my parents, and its been hard for them). I want to visit home for Mothers Day as a surprise for my mom, but I also love my dad and would want to visit for Fathers Day as well, and I cant afford two trips in as many months. How do I pick? Is there a way to split the difference and do both? I dont want either of my parents to feel like I care for them less. Picking Favorites Advertisement Advertisement How extraordinarily thoughtful! Its fine to pick one day and celebrate the other (either late or early) while youre in town. If either of your parents felt slighted by a surprise visit home, then the answer would be for them to reassess their expectations, not for you to save up for more last-minute tickets. Pick whichever weekend has the cheaper tickets, double-check that your parents will be in town during your trip, and have a wonderful time. Classic Prudie My girlfriend of six months has worn the same bra every day now for two weeks. I really wonder: Is this a normal thing for most women or a psychological issue? I feel it is a matter of hygiene, abnormal behavior, and also really gross. If ppl want presidential system it could be discussed: Sindh Governor SEHWAN: Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has said that ongoing debate on presidential system will cause no harm to democracy as it is just another form of governance which is working efficiently in many countries. If people wanted the presidential system it could be discussed on the condition that democracy continued to function whether the system was parliamentary or presidential, he said while speaking to journalists after inaugurating the 767th annual urs celebrations of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar here on Wednesday. He rejected the impression that the Centre was not releasing funds to Sindh government and said the federal government had released complete share of funds under NFC award to the Sindh government. Still, if the provincial government had a financial issue, he was ready to approach Prime Minister Imran Khan in this regard. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was a strong premier. He was working in such a manner that no prime minister had ever worked before for Pakistan. The country was facing economic crisis because of past governments actions and the prime minister was just trying to pay back the loans they had used up, he said. About changes in federal cabinet, he said the prime minister had powers to have cabinet of his choice; if he noticed someone was not performing properly he was well within his authority to change him. It was the responsibility of the prime minister to look into all issues and seek their solutions, he said. He said in answer to a question that the National Accountability Bureau was free to carry out its activities across the country and the government had not put any pressure on it to get something done. NAB had power to raid any place if it had proofs. The governor termed the prime ministers visit to Iran successful and said that Imran Khan wanted good relations with all neighbouring countries, particularly Iran. He said that he was fortunate that he had inaugurated the annual urs celebrations. Because of saints like Qalandar, Sindh remained peaceful and prosperous, he said, adding that he got late reaching Sehwan as he had no helicopter. Around 2.5 to three million devotees were expected to visit Sehwan this year, he said. This article is published through a partnership with New York Medias Strategist. The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected by New York Media. If you buy something through our links, Slate and New York Media may earn an affiliate commission. Most home cooks are okay with using just one kind of salt. Its job is to make things salty no more, no less. But ask a professional chef, baker, or restaurateur and theyll give you a long and detailed list of salts they use depending on the dish theyre whipping up. While theres no shame in sticking to one multipurpose salt, the better the salt the better your food will taste. Like wine or coffee, good salts carry the flavors and minerals of the place where they were harvested. And like wine or coffee, choosing your new go-to can be overwhelming, to say the least. So to help you broaden your flavor palette we talked to nine chefs about the various salts they use to season their food plus a few salty alternatives. Best everyday sea salts Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carla Perez-Gallardo and Hannah Black of Lil Debs Oasis in Hudson, New York, describe themselves as high salt and high acid cooks, and pull from a diverse arsenal of salts depending on what theyre making. But when they need something to salt their pasta water they reach for this classic. I think probably all the chefs that you talk to will tell you Diamond Kosher salt is the one to have around. We use it as our bulk salt, to salt pasta water or potato water, and when we just really need to throw in a whole quart of salt somewhere. Sosalt Sicilian Seasalt Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not every chef is a fan of Diamond Kosher salt, however. Michele Baldacci, chef at Camillo and Locanda Vini & Olii in Brooklyn, says, In the very beginning, we used to use kosher salt but I hated it because it didnt salt things enough. The proportions compared to Italian salt were all wrong. Now I only use Sicilian salt imported from Salina in Trapani, Italy. The sea water is left to evaporate and then the sea salt is extracted. So basically they are giant pools of shallow seawater. Its really beautiful to drive by and see the mountains of sea salt. I use coarse salt for pasta water, crushed coarse salt for grilled meat, and fine salt for everything else. The coarse salt is minimally processed. I have even found pebbles in the bags. They definitely clean it, otherwise it wouldnt be usable, but its really minimally processed and I like that. La Baleine French Fine Sea Salt Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In baking, especially when youre making bread and pastries for large groups, consistency is key. Thats why Zoe Kanan, the pastry chef at Simon and the Whale, likes this fine, French sea salt. When Im making bread or various kinds of pastries the salt has a function in the recipe. Its there for seasoning, but its also there to help with gluten development or the browning of crusts. We use Baleine fine sea salt inside all of our pastries. I like the slight minerality and the superclean and very pure flavor. It works quite well when were just looking for basic salinity and arent asking too much of the salt. Chung-Jung-One Natural Premium Sea Salt Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to flavoring soup, the finer the texture of your salt the quicker it will incorporate. Sarah Gavigan, the chef and owner of Otaku Ramen in Nashville, prefers this budget option because she goes through it so fast. I like to use this inexpensive Korean sea salt for everyday cooking. I obviously make a lot of soup, and this salt is very fine, almost like talcum, so it dissolves into liquids really well. Because its 100 percent sea salt, with no additives, it doesnt have any of that off-putting ammonia taste it just brightens everything it touches. Its almost like MSG, plumping up flavor. I probably use too much of it at home, but its just so good. Hakata Sel De Mer Roti Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im all about the Hakata Sel De Mer Roti, says Nick Korbee, the chef at Egg Shop in New York. Its harvested in Mexico and Australia, then imported to Japan where its mixed with Japanese seawater before being dehydrated at a high temperature and roasted again. Korbee loves this globally made salt for its true-to-the-ocean briny taste. Its my go-to for high-quality beef, game, exotic eggs, and fresh seafood. It accentuates natural flavor while providing a subtle earthiness that leaves your guests in awe of your secret umami genius. Best finishing salts Maldon Sea Salt Flakes Advertisement Were fans of Maldon salt here at the Strategist, especially the little desk-sized tins of the stuff, and Hannah Black of Lil Debs is too. Maldon is obviously always on hand and we put it on almost all of our desserts. When youre finishing a dish, it goes well on most things. It doesnt spread the saltiness across, but it adds little pockets of flavor and texture. With ceviche, Maldon salt is always the best, and with salad its always a key element. Monomoit Wild Handmade Sea Salt Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like raw homemade honey, small-batch hand-harvested sea salt is a rare luxury. One that Carla and Hannah of Lil Debs were kind enough to share with us. I grew up in a household with a mom who was obsessed with salt. So I have a bunch of different particularities, but at the restaurant last year we were blessed with a gift of salts from a friend of ours whose father hand harvests and dries single origin salts in Cape Cod. So weve been getting these little jars of salt labeled with the source location and the date that it was collected. Its been really beautiful to access salt from that close of a viewpoint because you really can taste the terroir, dare I say. Its definitely available locally because our friend has been spreading the gospel. Saltverk Birch Smoked Salt Advertisement Advertisement Both Gunnar Gislason, executive chef at Agern, and Zoe Kanan of Simon and the Whale recommended this Icelandic sea salt for finishing everything from bagels to fish and meat. I love Saltverk sea salt from the very west of Iceland. The flavor and saltiness is right up my alley, but most importantly, their flake salt is produced with 100 percent geothermal energy in middle of nowhere in stunningly beautiful Reykjanes. We use it as a finishing salt for a lot of our plates, but especially on top of any fish and meat. I feel like Saltverk is a bit softer and more mild in flavor than a lot of other salts, and I love the way its produced. Kiawe Smoked Sea Salt Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carla Perez-Gallardo and Hannah Black mentioned using black sea salt on a dessert they call coconut snow. But Bruce Bromberg, co-founder, chef, and owner of Blue Ribbon Restaurants, uses the smoky version of the dark salt on savory things like ribs and roasted vegetables. After moving to Hawaii two years ago I was somewhat disappointed with the quality of the sea salts, but one day at the Farmers Market in Waimea, on the Big Island, I stumbled across Hawaiian Volcano Sea Salt. It has radically changed the way I use salt and how I cook. These salts are derived from waters that are brought up to the surface from 2,200 feet deep and dried by the sun in a natural manner to create a light, flaky crystal. The Kiawe Smoked version is amazing for curing and for foods with a bold flavor, like roasts, ribs, and chicken; I like the Guava Smoked for more delicate dishes, like roasted vegetables, poke, and crudo. Fleur De Sel Esprit Du Sel Advertisement Advertisement France is well known for their gray salt with its melt-in-your-mouth texture and slight brine. At the Riddler, well have a popcorn machine for serve-yourself complimentary popcorn all day long, with a selection of 12 seasoned salts. As you can imagine, weve done lots of testing with all sorts of salts, and we are obsessed with a Fleur de Sel from the Isle of Rhe by Esprit du Sel, says Jen Pelka, owner of the Riddler in San Francisco. Its collected by hand from the surface of the water in the Esprit du Sel bays, and dried in the sun. Even by itself on popcorn, warm butter, and nothing else, its perfect. Best salt alternatives Three Crabs Brand Fish Sauce Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several chefs mentioned using alternatives to sea salt in certain dishes or as a finishing touch that adds more than just basic saltiness. We sometimes substitute fish sauce entirely for regular salt and that adds an umami flavor and saltiness. Perez-Gallardo and Black use this in the sauce they make for tamales. Wild Icelandic Kelp Advertisement Zoe Kanan let us in on her most recent salty discovery that tops slabs of butter in her bread course at Simon and the Whale. This is from a spice company that my friend Jena introduced me to called Burlap & Barrel. They source single-origin specialty spices and work directly with farmers and one of their products is wild Icelandic kelp powder. Its wild harvested and dried out before being ground into a mixture of granules of kelp and tiny, tiny flakes of salt. I completely fell in love with it when I tasted it and its become a pantry item in our kitchen. We serve it with our bread course at Simon and the Whale on top of butter, its amazing. I take it home and I put it on popcorn its my go-to salt when I dont need it to perform technically for me and Im just looking for flavor. Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. All prices were up to date at the time of publication. This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy. Theres been a ton of focus in recent weeks on what William Barr and Robert Mueller have already saidin particular, on Barrs four-page letter to Congress previewing the special counsels report, Barrs press conference preceding the release of that report, and of course Muellers report itself. Their words have been perused, parsed, and even panned by some. But soon, each will again have the chance to speak for himself. Barr testifies before Congress on May 1 and May 2. And with Barr having said publicly that he has no objection to Bob Mueller personally testifying, Muellers own appearance on the Hill likely wont lag far behind. Advertisement We are recommending key questions that each should be asked about their work on the investigations of Trump-Russia links, their anticipations and recommendations for what comes next, andperhaps most intriguinglytheir interactions with, and expectations of, each other in the context of the Russia investigation. We begin here with Barr and will follow up with questions for Mueller after Barr testifies and once a date for Muellers hearing is set. I. Preparation for Release of the Redacted Mueller Report 1. Do you hereby testify that everything you said in your March 24 summary letter and in your press conference on the morning of the public release of the Mueller report is true and accurate? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2. With whom exactly, outside of the Department of Justice, did you share a copy of the Mueller report before releasing it to Congress? Did those copies of the report include the exact same redactions as the version you sent to Congress? Advertisement Advertisement 3. At the press conference on the morning of the public release of the Mueller report, you said, the White House fully cooperated with the Special Counsels investigation. How can you make such a claim when the report itself documents such conduct as the president (1) trying to fire the special counsel and (2) refusing the special counsels request for an interview? 4. The Mueller reports description of obstruction raises many questions about what exactly took place and how the special counsels office interpreted some individuals actions and intentions. As one example, it is not clear why the special counsel concluded that the president was not asking K.T. McFarland to lie, given that the president asked her to make a written record of something she did not believe to be true. Between the time you received the special counsels report and issued your summary two days later, did you have any questions about the report that you discussed with Mueller? How many hours would you estimate you spent discussing your questions with him? What questions were foremost on your mind? II. Conspiracy and Coordination 5. Mueller provides two important caveats to his conclusions on collusion. On Page 2, he notes that insufficiency of evidence is neither lack of evidence nor no evidence and emphasizes that his standard for evaluating the activities that he investigated was whether there was enough evidence to prove every element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. On Page 10, Mueller further notes that he was hindered in some instances from obtaining evidence because witnesses invoked the Fifth Amendment, deleted communications, provided false or misleading testimony, or were located abroad. As an example, in the executive summary, the report states that several individuals affiliated with the Trump campaign lied to the special counsels office, which materially impaired the investigation of Russian election interference. These caveats are critical context to his conclusionscan you explain why you did not include them in your summary or your prepared remarks? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 6. You stated in your press conference on the morning of the public release of the Mueller report that Mueller found no underlying collusion with Russia. However, Mueller specifically stated that he was not applying the term collusion to his findings but rather a criminal conspiracy framework. The report states: [T]his Office evaluated potentially criminal conduct that involved the collective action of multiple individuals not under the rubric of collusion, but through the lens of conspiracy law. He also emphasizes that the investigation uncovered numerous instances of links between Russia and the Trump campaign, the substance of which he evaluated under several sets of federal laws. Can you clarify your use and definition of the term collusion, and moreover why you chose to use it when Mueller had made clear that his investigation had not? Advertisement Advertisement 7. Mueller states in his report that the investigation into election interference began in July 2016after a sequence of three events: (1) the June 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee server, for which the U.S. intelligence community determined Russia was responsible; (2) an initial release of some of these stolen emails by WikiLeaks in early July 2016; and (3) reports to the FBI from a foreign government, just days later, that an individual claiming contacts with the Russian government had earlier approached Trumps foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, to assist the campaign by releasing information that would be damaging to Hillary Clinton. Do you believe that resolving whether Russia had targeted the Trump campaign using its hacked information was an appropriate predicate for a national security investigation (and, if not, why not)? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 8. Can you explain the standard for probable cause for a FISA order, and how it differs from the standard and type of probable cause applicable in a criminal case? Can you explain the different purposes of a FISA order, in contrast to the purposes of a wiretap in a criminal case? Given these differences, do you believe there could be probable cause to obtain a FISA order for foreign intelligence purposes but not to charge the target of that order with a criminal offense that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt? Advertisement 9. What work is the Department of Justice, including FBI, still doing to assess possible Russian influence on the Trump White House, and to mitigate any concerns about the threat of foreign influence? III. Obstruction 10. Did Mueller ask you to reach and articulate publicly a conclusion on whether the president had obstructed justice, after Mueller felt he could or should not do so in light of Justice Department policy? If not, did you ask his advice on whether you should (and, if you did, what did he say)? Advertisement 11. In your prepared remarks for the press conference on the morning of the public release of the Mueller report, you said, the deputy attorney general and I disagreed with some of the special counsels legal theories. What exactly were these disagreements? Did you personally discuss these disagreements with Mueller? If he does not answer: Do you agree with Muellers theory that fairness principles preclude the Justice Department from making an accusation against the president? Do you agree with Muellers theory that the statutory defenses echoed in your 2018 memorandum are not legally sound? Do you agree with Mueller that Congress has an independent interest in investigating obstruction of justice as a part of its power to create federal courts and create the rules that are necessary and proper for how they operate? Advertisement Do you agree that you can share grand jury materials with members of the judiciary committees? 12. What did you mean at your press conference on the morning of the public release of the Mueller report when you said Mueller had told you that the current Justice Department guidance finding impermissible the indictment of a sitting president played essentially no role in his work and decision-making? Do you read Muellers own report as saying that the guidance played essentially no role? 13. How can the American people trust that you approached your oversight role properly when you gave an interview to the Hill for a June 17, 2017, article and called the special counsels obstruction investigation asinine and said that Mueller risked taking on the look of an entirely political operation to overthrow the president? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Follow-up question: During your nomination hearings, you testified that you met with the president in June 2017 when he discussed offering you a job on his defense team. Was that meeting after the Hill quoted your views on the obstruction case? Could the views you expressed in the Hill story be part of the reason why the president was interested in hiring you? Advertisement 14. In your March 24 summary letter, you said the following with respect to your and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosensteins analysis: Our determination was made without regard to, and is not based on, the constitutional considerations that surround the indictment and criminal prosecution of a sitting president. Was your determination made with regard to any views you may have about whether a president can be guilty of obstruction as reflected in your 19-page memo that you sent to the administration when you were in private practice? Was your determination made with regard to any views of the Constitution or statutory law on obstruction that differ from the views expressed in the appendix of the Mueller report? 15. Do you disagree with the following statement in the Mueller report?: Direct or indirect action by the President to end a criminal investigation into his own or his family members conduct to protect against personal embarrassment or legal liability would constitute a core example of corruptly motivated conduct. Advertisement Advertisement 16. In your March 24 summary letterwhich echoes your unsolicited memo to the deputy attorney general one year agoyou stated that the absence of evidence that the president committed an underlying crime bears on whether Trump had the requisite intent to obstruct justice. That is a highly controversial proposition, for which you would find little support in case law or legal treatises. Even if you were correct in that formulation, isnt it clear from the public record and court proceedings in New York that the president directed hush money payments that involved criminal violations of campaign finance law, the discovery of which arose out of the special counsels investigation? Isnt it true that the underlying crime itself may have been obstruction of justice or witness tampering, and the president engaged in a subsequent round of obstruction to interfere with the investigation of that crime? Isnt it true that the president may have been worried that other members of the campaign committed crimes and the investigation would discover and result in convictions for those crimes? Would these constitute underlying crimes for the purposes of obstruction, under your legal theory? Advertisement Advertisement 17. Do you disagree with the following statement in the Mueller report: Obstruction of justice can be motivated by a desire to protect non-criminal personal interests, to protect against investigations where underlying criminal liability falls into a gray area, or to avoid personal embarrassment. The injury to the integrity of the justice system is the same regardless of whether a person committed an underlying wrong. Advertisement Advertisement (A likely answer by Barr: He does not disagree with the statement. If pressed, he may say obstruction can be motivated by such desires. If pressed further, he may say that, even though obstruction can be motivated by a desire to protect noncriminal personal interests, it is less likely or rarer to establish obstruction on that basis, and that should be taken into account in assessing obstruction. But thats not what the special counsel said, and its not correct.) IV. Actions Upon and Following the Release of the Redacted Mueller Report 18. In your March 24 summary letter, you stated: The Special Counsels decision to describe the facts of his obstruction investigation without reaching any legal conclusions leaves it to the Attorney General to determine whether the conduct described in the report constitutes a crime. Why does it leave it up to you, and where in the report do you see indication of that? Why could you not have done as the special counsel did, which is to leave it up to Congress and a future Justice Department, when Trump is no longer in office, to decide? More fundamentally, Mueller thought he could not reach such a determination because of the Justice Department guidance that a sitting president cannot be indicted. Is it your position that Mueller could have reached such an assessment himself? If so, can the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York also reach such an assessment? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 19. The view of the Justice Department is that a sitting president cannot be indicted for a crime and that the only remedy is impeachment. What if a sitting president took actions that criminally interfered with the ability of Congress to impeach himin your view, would it make sense that he cannot be indicted when he has undermined the ability of Congress to impeach? Take an extreme example, such as if a president bribed or threatened the life of members of the House Judiciary Committee to prevent them from impeaching him. Or, to take a less extreme example, what if a president criminally obstructed the investigation of the FBI to determine whether he engaged in impeachable wrongdoing? 20. Rule 6(e) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure allows you to ask a federal court to reveal grand jury matters preliminarily to or in connection with a judicial proceeding. Do you agree that such judicial proceedings include impeachment proceedings? What is your view of situations that count as preliminarily to an impeachment proceeding? Advertisement 21. Do you agree that Rule 6(e)(3)(D) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure allows you to share grand jury material with at least some members of Congress without prior court authorization for matters involving national security and counterintelligence? If so, why have you not done so? The Senate Judiciary Committee has investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential connections to the Trump campaign associates. Do you agree that you can share grand jury materials with members of the judiciary committees under Rule 6(e)(3)(D)? 22. Do you commit to permitting to reach their natural conclusions (in the eyes of those officials managing them directly) all of the investigations that the Mueller report references as continuing, in Appendix D of Volume II of his report, including those whose descriptions were redacted in the version of the report that you released? Think we are missing some crucial questions? Send us a note (lte@justsecurity.org), and we can add your question to the list with attribution. More From Just Security: Trump Administrations New Cuba Policy Threatens Discord With U.S. Allies Gutting the Substance of a Security Council Resolution on Sexual Violence A Massachusetts judge has been indicted for helping an unauthorized immigrant avoid Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in her own courthouse. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Boston released the indictment on Thursday, charging Judge Shelley Richmond Joseph with obstruction of justice. Federal prosecutors also secured the indictment of Wesley MacGregor, a court officer, for obstruction and perjury. The charges constitute a remarkable intrusion into the internal affairs of a state judiciary and possible retaliation against Massachusetts sanctuary policies. Rarely in modern history has the federal government sought to punish a state judge acting in exercise of judicial functions. This prosecution sends a clear threat to state courts around the country that do not want to be commandeered by ICE. Advertisement Thursdays charges stem from an incident on April 2, 2018, when Joseph held an arraignment hearing for Jose Medina-Perez, who has resided in the United States unlawfully. Medina-Perez had been arrested on drug charges by police in Newton, Massachusetts, where Joseph presides. Prosecutors initially believed he also had an outstanding warrant for drunk driving. But on April 2, Assistant District Attorney Shannon Jurgens concluded that Medina-Perez was not the individual named in the warrant. She also declined to request that the state hold him the drug charges. So Joseph ordered him released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats when the trouble began. Joseph and the attorneys were aware that a plainclothes ICE officer was present to arrest Medina-Perez once the hearing concluded; the judge had asked him to wait outside the courtroom. Before releasing him, Joseph held a sidebar with Medina-Perezs attorney, David Jellinek. She asked Jellinek, ICE is gonna get him? She then asked him What if we detain him? Then she had the court recorder turned off for an off the record conversation, in apparent violation of the Massachusetts Rules of Court. After the recording resumed, Joseph ordered Medina-Perez released. MacGregor escorted him to a backdoor exit, avoiding the ICE officer just outside the courtroom. Medina-Perez left, successfully evading arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors allege that Joseph and MacGregor conspired to help the immigrant elude ICE, thereby obstructing justice. (They also claim that MacGregor lied to a grand jury during the ensuing federal investigation.) The indictment alleges that, when the recorder shut off, Joseph and Jellinek (who has not been charged) discussed devising a way to help Medina-Perez escape ICE, which had a detainer for his arrest. Josephs case is certain to prompt an outcry from civil liberties advocates who oppose ICEs aggressive invasion of state courthouses to seize immigrants suspected of lacking proper documentation. Newton is a sanctuary citymunicipal law bars local officials from helping federal agents detain unauthorized immigrants. Moreover, Massachusetts is a partial sanctuary state, as the Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that state court officers cannot legally comply with ICE detainers. (These detainers, or immigration holds, direct officers to hold immigrants in custody until ICE can retrieve them.) Advertisement Advertisement There is, however, a line between refusing to cooperate with ICE and actively obstructing ICEs operations. Joseph and MacGregor are alleged to have crossed that line. It is gratifying to see that the Justice Department still believes that obstruction of justice can occur, but this case is a curious one to pursue. Advertisement Advertisement Joseph will surely raise the defense of judicial immunity, since judges generally have absolute immunity for actions they take in their official capacity. For that reason, prosecutors are famously hesitant to charge judges for any exercise of their judicial function. To win this case, prosecutors may have to prove that Joseph did not engage in a judicial act when she allowed Medina-Perez to leave out the back door. But judges typically have the power to determine how an individual in custody is released, so the prosecution may prove to be an uphill climb. (Prosecutors will surely cite the fact that Joseph turned the court recorder off, in apparent violation of the courts rules, as evidence that the judge knew she wasnt acting in a lawful, official capacity.) Advertisement Advertisement This case, then, appears deeply politicala warning to judges who, like Joseph, will not collude with ICE under any circumstances, and may even work to thwart ICEs goals. Few, if any, contemporary legal disputes involve such a direct clash between federal and state authority; one might need to revisit the Fugitive Slave Act cases to locate a roughly analogous conflict between federal authorities and state courts. While the legal issues here are murky and complex, the message from the Justice Department is clear: State judges who help immigrants evade arrest in jurisdictions with sanctuary policies may themselves wind up behind bars. In the coming months, Democratic voters will get the chance to choose from a large field of presidential candidates that includes virtually every type of progressive politician available on the American spectrum. This might seem like an advantage. But the perils of alienating considerable swaths of general election voters are not insignificant, and in an election that will surely hinge on turnout, Democrats are walking a tightrope. With 18 months left on the electoral calendar, the party faces a long list of dilemmas, and candidates are still working out how to approach topics ranging from health care to racial injustice to climate change to opioid addiction, but the question that drove the most conversation this week was whether to begin impeachment proceedings against the presidentnot precisely a deep public policy discussion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the toughest quandary facing the party this spring and summer may not be impeachment, but immigration and how best to counter President Donald Trumps obsessive focus on the issue. Other than his fixation with Robert Muellers inquiry and his personal battle against the media, no other topic has been as present in Trumps Twitter demagoguery and campaign rhetoric as immigrant fearmongering. There is no question that the issue matters, at least to Republican voters. In a poll just before last years midterms, a Pew study found that 75 percent of Republicans identify illegal immigration as a very big problem for the United States, above other objectively more relevant challenges like gun violence, the drug epidemic or economic inequality. In another, more recent poll, 68 percent of Republicans chose immigration as a priority for both Trump and Congress this year, the third most important issue after terrorism and the economy. Advertisement Advertisement Immigration will surely be front and center again next year. How should the Democrats respond? The answer isnt obvious. Some voices have urged Democrats to not only engage on the issue but embrace the need for prosecution and deterrence to face the current immigration wave from Central America. David Frum recently warned against liberal complacency on the issue and, controversially, urged Democrats to emphasize enforcement. If liberals insist that only fascists will enforce borders, then voters will hire fascists to do the job liberals refuse to do, wrote Frum, a man who, granted, is not particularly known for his progressive credentials. Advertisement Still, some in the Democratic Party seem to agree. Strategist Simon Rosenberg told me Democrats should lean in on the issue of immigration in 2020, underlining the partys own achievements on border security, putting forth a humane and tenable road map to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and proposing an ambitious plan for development aid to Central American countries. Democrats have a strong record of pragmatic management of border and immigration issues, Rosenberg said. The nation is now looking for solutions. We should focus on updating our comprehensive reform approach to account for the new challenges the Trump era has created. What would this counternarrative to Trumps nativism look like? Of the 19 candidates running for the Democratic nomination, only former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro has laid out anything resembling an innovative approach to immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats have, of course, another possible path, that might seem counterintuitive in the age of Trumps rabid fearmongering: They could downplay immigration. During a panel I recently moderated on the future of progressive immigration policy, University of Southern California journalism professor Roberto Suro, an eloquent expert on the topic, suggested progressives should just run the numbers.* When I brought up that 3 out of 4 Republican voters seem actively troubled about undocumented immigration, Suro seemed unconcerned. 75 percent of Republican voters gets you to what, 30 percent of the electorate, maybe less? asked Suro. For those voters, its their top issue and theyll vote on it. But youve got the rest of the country, and by very large numbers the public attitudes toward immigration have not changed. Four years of this rhetoric, all the craziness at the border, American attitudes toward immigration have not changed: They are overwhelmingly welcoming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has a point. Immigration doesnt seem to be a priority for most American voters. Among the general public, immigration ranks ninth among public policy priorities for 2019. Polls have consistently shown a majority of Americans view immigration as an asset for the country. Perhaps more importantly, some polls suggest the number of independents who hold a positive view of immigration and its role in America has continued to grow. During the same conversation, Daniel Restrepo, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former Western Hemisphere adviser to President Obama, told me Democrats should avoid getting into some sort of argument about how to manage migration into the United States. According to Restrepo, immigration is not a frontline issue for a lot of persuadable voters. Advertisement Again, Suro and Restrepo may be right. Perhaps the way for the Democrats to counter Trumps nativism is not to take the bait at all, focusing instead on kitchen table economic issues. If fearmongering proves to be an ineffective political tool with everyone but the Republican base and anti-immigrant rhetoric truly falls on deaf ears with the majority of the countrys voters, American democracy would emerge newly bolstered. If it doesnt, well, Donald Trump will be proven right, and nativism might become the norm. Its a huge gamble. And the onus is on the Democrats. Joe Biden officially kicked off his long-expected 2020 campaign on Thursday with a video featuring footage from the 2017 white supremacist march and counterprotest in Charlottesville, Virginia. In his telling of the origin story of his latest White House bid, the moment President Donald Trump said that there were some very fine people on both sides of that clash was when Biden realized that we are in the battle for the soul of this nation. I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time, Biden says. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nationwho we areand I cannot stand by and watch that happen. The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America, America, is at stake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bidens pitch is many thingsemotionally compelling, politically shrewd, and a little presumptuous, among them. But it is one thing above all else: convenient. Advertisement Advertisement Biden is telling many Americans who oppose Trump, particularly white ones, what they want to hear: that Trumps electionlike what happened in Virginia the following summerwas an aberration, a tumor that can be surgically excised from the body politic, and not a symptom of an underlying disease thats been present since the nations birth. The desire to reduce American history to a series of individual moments is natural, particularly for a politician, but in this case the oversimplification gives Biden the chance to choose which moments made America, America, and which can be brushed aside as isolated incidents uncharacteristic of that same America. And so when images of the womens suffrage and civil rights movements flash on screen, Biden is asking his audience to see that progress as what defines America, rather than the centuries of disenfranchisement based on gender and race that preceded it and the racism and sexism that remain. Consider how Biden chose to begin the video (emphasis mine): Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charlottesville, Virginia, is home to the author of one of the great documents in human history. We know it by heart: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. We havent always lived up to these ideals; Jefferson himself didnt. But we have never before walked away from them. In the span of three words, Biden shrugs off Thomas Jeffersons ownership of slavesand the nations long embrace of slavery along with itas a failure to live up to a professed set of ideals, as opposed to the conscious decision to compromise those ideals. Bidens hardly the first politician to don rose-colored glasses when looking upon American history, but few Democrats wear them so regularly as he does today. Advertisement Advertisement As Ive noted before, Biden loves to wax nostalgic about the bipartisan days of yore, seemingly unable to grasp that the friends he made back during his early days in the U.S. Capitol were segregationists like Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms, or that Congress was so male-dominated when he first arrived that it would take another two decades before women got their own restroom off the Senate floor. Its why Biden praises the late John McCain, defends Vice President Mike Pence, and vouches for Republican congressmen whove spent their careers working to thwart progress. To Biden, public service is a noble act, regardless of what one does with ones power. Trump makes plain the flaw in that logic, and so Biden must write him out of history as somehow un-American. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden is asking us to believe that Trump emerged from thin airto ignore the reality that the Republican Party nominated him, after long exploiting a strategy of racial resentmentand to forget that 63 million Americans ultimately cast their ballots for him. It would be a stretch to say Biden wants to Make America Great Again in the nationalist sense Trump means it. But Biden, like Trump, is holding up the past as an example of where the nation needs to go. He is saying that America has always been greatstill will be as long as Trump is denied another four years. Advertisement Folks, Americas an idea, an idea thats stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It gives hope to the most desperate people on earth. It guarantees that everyone is treated with dignity and gives hate no safe harbor. It instills in every person in this country the belief that no matter where you start in life, theres nothing you cant achieve if you work at it. Thats what we believe. And above all else, thats whats at stake in this election. Advertisement Advertisement Such a Pollyannaish view of America is hardly unique to Biden, but it is uniquely helpful to his case when running in a crowded Democratic field. Bidens biggest liability in the primary is his long record on the national stage, much of which looks downright conservative by todays standards. And so Biden needs voters to believe that America before Trump is an America worth returning tobecause the America before Trump is also the America that Joe Biden helped build. He spent 36 years in the U.S. Senate, including stints as the powerful chairman of the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees, and then another eight years by President Barack Obamas side. Biden, then, has been a key contributor to roughly one-fifth of the nations 243-year political history, a slice of time that has seen remarkable progress but also plenty of setbacks. Advertisement In the 1970s, Biden was a vocal opponent of school integration. In the 1980s, he was a law-and-order drug warrior. In the 1990s, he held the judiciary gavel during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings and helped pass the draconian Clinton crime bill. In the 2000s, he voted to authorize the invasion of Iraq and to pass bank-friendly bankruptcy reform. Most Americans look back fondly, for good reason, at the Obama administration in which Biden served faithfully, but it wasnt without its flaws: Obama exponentially expanded the use of drones, failed to close Guantanamo Bay, and opted not to prosecute big banks and other bad actors in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, among other shortcomings. All of that makes the story of Joe Bidenand the pre-Trump history of modern Americafar more complicated than Biden is ready to admit. Biden closed his launch video by urging Americans to remember who we are, but in reality hes asking us to forget much more. Hes offering voters a deal in 2020: Forgive his political sins, and they can ignore the nations as well. Finally: Joe Biden launched his presidential campaign on Thursday, ending literally years of speculation. But judging by his long (and growing) list of challengers, many Democrats dont think the former veep can win. Are they making a bad bet? Jim Newell surveys the field. Hands off: Countries around the world are dealing with the effects of social media disinformation on their politicsand some are taking drastic measures. Sri Lanka has imposed a nationwide social media block to stem fake news in the aftermath of the devastating Easter terrorist attacks. But Sri Lankan writer Yudhanjaya Wijeratne argues this is just making things worse, and by no means should other countries follow this example. Advertisement Dust to dirt: A new bill passed by the Washington State Legislature will legalize composting human bodies after death. The proposal, championed by residents of the famously progressive state, still has a few logistical and regulatory questions to answerlike what can grow in human compost, if anything. Jane C. Hu has a breakdown of arguments about the bills moral complexity: Its a lovely idea for the dead to be returned to the land. But are the living ready for that? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of the journey is the end: After 11 years, the Avengers saga comes to an end this week with the sprawling three-hour epic Endgame. Dana Stevens says goodbye to the series, praising the curiously intimate final installment and comparing itfavorably!to Samuel Becketts play of the same name (hear her out). Meanwhile, Heather Schwedel contemplates the ubiquity of the word endgame in pop culture. For fun: I am Donald Trumps star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Ive seen enough. Its time for impeachment. With you till the end of the line, Vicky Theres an odious Supreme Court case from 1971, Palmer v. Thompson, that most people dont remember and that most who do remember wish they could forget. Its a relic of a bygone eraone of the last pieces of the Jim Crow system that the Supreme Court ever sustained. On our current Supreme Court, Palmer v. Thompson looks to be having a moment. Its reasoning stealthily drove last years decision in Trump v. Hawaii, in which the courts five-justice conservative majority upheld the travel restrictions that the president had planned during the campaign to be a Muslim ban. And this weeks oral arguments in the census case suggest that four of the conservative justices who upheld that pretextual banand the fifth conservative who replaced Anthony Kennedyare poised to use the reasoning of both Palmer and that travel ban decision to endorse the administrations tactic of forcing people to reveal their citizenship status if they simply want to be counted as present in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How could a late-stage Jim Crow decision be wreaking such havoc in the 21st century? Palmer v. Thompson was about a particular racist notion that surfaced in white people in the American South at the idea of being in the water with black people. As late as 1963, the city of Jackson, Mississippi, ran five public pools, all of them for whites only. A lawsuit led a federal judge to declare that black people had the constitutional right to unsegregated use of the citys pools. Jacksons political leaders responded not by integrating the pools but by closing them. It was a devilish move that packaged Jacksons racism in neutral wrapping paper. Closing the pools wasnt racist, the city argued; it applied equally to everyone. Nobodyblack or whitewould any longer be able to beat the heat of a Mississippi summer in a Jackson municipal swimming pool. Advertisement Advertisement How could a late-stage Jim Crow decision be wreaking such havoc in the 21 st century? Justice William O. Douglas saw the devil in the move: A city can close its pools, he reasoned, but not for the purpose of perpetuating or installing apartheid. Justice Byron White agreed. Shutting down the pools, he argued, was nothing more or less than a most effective expression of official policy that Negroes and whites must not be permitted to mingle together. Advertisement But their views did not prevail. Justice Hugo Black, writing for a bare majority of five, upheld the citys decision to shut the pools rather than integrate them. Jacksons lawyers had come into court arguing that the city closed the pools for administrative, not racial, reasons: It would be too costly to run integrated pools, the city argued, and too unsafe. Justice Black credited those rationalizations. Where a law treats both races equally, as the closure of the pools purportedly did, the motivations of the men who voted for it cannot undermine the laws neutrality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Black also wrote that it is extremely difficult for a court to ascertain the motivation, or collection of different motivations, that lie behind a legislative enactment. It is hard not to burst out laughing at this assertion in the context of 1960s Mississippi. Now, improbably, Palmer v. Thompson is back. Consider this weeks oral argument in the census case, Department of Commerce v. New York. The census has many uses, but the most importantthe one listed in the Constitutionis the actual enumeration of all the people in the country. The census tally drives legislative apportionment, and legislative apportionment drives our democracy. Getting the numbers right is crucial because the tally is enduring. The count wont happen again for a decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Commerce Department intent on getting the numbers right would work to remove barriers to participation in the census rather than build them. But this administrations Commerce Department intends to ask all respondents whether they are U.S. citizens, something it hasnt done since 1950. It intends to do this in a climate of concern, even turmoil, over the presence and status of immigrants, especially Hispanic immigrants, in the United States. The president wants to wall off the southern border. Deportation numbers are soaring, and families are being broken apart. The governments own evidence estimates that the citizenship question will deter between 6 million and 7 million people from responding to the census. And that undercount wont be politically neutral: Far more of the millions deterred will live in Democratic than Republican areas. Thats the reality. Advertisement Enter the reasoning of Palmer v. Thompson. The citizenship question, the claim goes, has a purpose other than deterring immigrants from responding. Thats what the governments lawyer told the Supreme Court this week. The reason for asking about citizenship, said Solicitor General Noel Francisco, was that the data would help the Justice Department enforce a voting rights law, by supplying a number needed for the calculation of something called citizen voting age population, or CVAP, that experts are often called on to testify about. There are other sources for the citizen piece of the CVAP than the census, but the Commerce Department thinks it would be convenient to use the census to gather the data. Advertisement Advertisement This explanation received a warm embrace from justices in the Supreme Courts conservative majority. The CVAP is the critical element in voting rights enforcement, said Chief Justice John Roberts in pressing a lawyer challenging the citizenship question, as if the existence of some legitimate factor could paper over the reality of the questions response-suppressing tendencies. Questions with similarly credulous premises came from Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch. Observers came away from the argument predicting that the court will allow the citizenship questionin the face of the obvious undercounting of millions (in Democratic-leaning districts). Advertisement If theres a facially legitimate reason for an action that will disadvantage those without powereven if its not a genuine reason and even if its concocted after the factthat is enough. Actual motivations be damned. This was precisely the reasoning of the conservative five-justice majority in last years Trump v. Hawaii decision. The issue there was the legality of the order halting immigration by travelers from a list of Muslim-majority countries. The president had called for a complete and total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States on the campaign trail. He repeated this sort of rhetoric across the whole campaign and after taking office. His focus on and animus toward Muslims were unmistakable, and the five-justice majority that upheld his actions did not even try to deny them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But again, enter Palmer v. Thompson. The presidents subjective motivations did not undermine the legality of his order because his lawyers managed to cast its provisions in neutral terms that did not single out Muslims as such. The administration added a couple of nonMuslim-majority countries, like North Korea and Venezuela, to the list of affected nations, and said that what got a country on or off the list was not the religion of its population but the quality of certain security-vetting procedures on the ground. It was this veneer of neutrality, rather than the litany of anti-Muslim statements coming from the presidents mouth and Twitter account, that commanded the majoritys attention. The issue before us, said the chief justice, was not whether to denounce the statements. Rather, the justices in the majority chose to decide whether to credit the surface neutrality of the presidents order. Credit it they did. Just as they appear poised to credit a pretextual defense of the census question. And just as a bare majority, in an earlier day, accepted the ludicrous notion that the city of Jackson, Mississippi, closed its pools to save money rather than to keep black people from swimming with white people. If Palmer v. Thompson stands for anything in our world today, it should stand as a reminder of the evil that can thrive when credulous courts look the other way. Its revival should worry us all. Last week, Virginia Heffernan had Dahlia Lithwick on Trumpcast to discuss the rise and fall of Michael Avenatti, the celebrity lawyer who once represented Stormy Daniels and is now facing multiple charges of embezzlement and fraud. Their conversation, which appears on a Slate Plus episode, has been edited and condensed for clarity. Virginia Heffernan: Michael Avenatti. I need, first, to sort of eat my words. I definitely am guilty of fleetingly having an idea that he might be our kind of Flight 93 moment of just, Look, I am out of ideas, it looks like traditional media is out of ideas on how to confront an autocrat, it looks like the legal redress is slow. People, going by the book, arent pulling this thing off. Advertisement He looked like he dressed the part, and he looked like at least he was Team Good Guy. He was trying to sort of speak for children at the border, but ultimately, he just is in the same messy, murky world of bribes and quid pro quo and gouging all he can out of the system. Nothing has made more of a moral prude of me. Also, I think now that maybe people who drive Ferraris are never good people. Is that fair? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dahlia Lithwick: I mean, I feel like the interesting thing about Avenatti, and Ive been sort of tracking your vibing on him for since he emerged, is that we have this misperception that the anti-Trump was going to be the only thing that took down Trump. He was going to use Trumps weapons to destroy the masters house, right, and that you just had to be a reality show grifter. I think it wasnt a bad thesis, because weve seen, you know, sober men in suits trying to take Trump down. Advertisement Advertisement I think the mistake we made is at the end of the day, grifters going to grift. Right. He definitely inhabits that illegitimate sector, the gray market figures. I just cant figure out what percentage of American professionals now live in that area, but every day, Im newly surprised. I wonder, because Ive been thinking about it in the context of Christine Blasey Ford this week. Partly because Kamala Harriss write-up of her was really beautiful for the Time list and partly because I think the groove that I cant kind of get the record to stop skipping at isChristine Blasey Ford, we all believed her, right? Advertisement Everyone. Theres a new study that shows we all believed her. Then there are two alternatives: We believed her and it just doesnt matter, or we believed her and rage, shouting it down, somehow has a bigger impact. When Kavanaugh started screaming about it, were like, Well, we believe her, but were scared. I dont know which of those to think about, but what I keep thinking is this is the world, right? We live in a world in which guys get drunk at parties and hurt girls, and the girls remember and remember their names years later, and guys dont. Thats the world we live in. We live in a world where if youre married to your third trophy wife, you have certain views about women, and you can pretend that that makes you like a very good, religious man. I just think that theres a way in which everything that you and I are dispirited about is this is the world we live in, you know? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On one side. Its lovely and moving that Time magazine puts Christine Blasey Ford in their most influential people, but has anyone tried to make her whole? Has anybody tried to make reparations for what the system did to her, for what Susan Collins said about her, for what Lindsey Graham shouted at her? No, nobody does because the system doesnt exist to do that. Advertisement Advertisement We have this misperception that the anti-Trump was going to be the only thing that took down Trump. Dahlia Lithwick As my friend Karen Schwartz, whos been on the show, said, The lesson of Clarence Thomas was that Clarence Thomas is on the Supreme Court, and now the lesson of Brett Kavanaugh is that Brett Kavanaugh is on the Supreme Court, and Dr. Ford has had to move at least twice and is the subject of death threats. Advertisement Advertisement I think also, just to pull on the Michael Avenatti, think about who our allies are, right? He was supposed to be the ally. Hes the Julie Swetnick rescuer, except by the way, that was not credible, and it ended up undermining completely the testimony of Blasey Ford and Debbie Ramirez. Think about what it means to grasp at allies who are themselves kind of grifters and say, Oh, this guy is going to save the #MeToo movement. Perfectly transactional on his part, and we put faith that this was the system careening into the good side. There was something that Michael Cohen said, in his would-be truthful testimony the second time about his role as a fixer, that really interested me. In his own defense, he didnt say, I am a great father and a religious man, and I love God. He said, I am everybodys emergency contact, and people put me as the friend they would call at 3 a.m. I was like, God, who would call Michael Cohen at 3 a.m.? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But I do see why, learning that those guys all have fixers, can make you desperately think you need one too, but obviously thats not the way. That just gets you in a mess, too, and I dont think Stormy Daniels is holding up all that well with Michael Avenatti. No, I think theres only one system. I mean, thats the point. Theres only one system. Theres one system, and if its broken, hiring a broken person to navigate you through the broken system doesnt make the system work, and this is part of the problem that we have of sort of buying your own justice in America, right? Were looking at Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, who are going to serve no time and have lovely lives, whereas like the guy who stole the jeggings from Walmart is going to jail. You know, I mean, I think this is the problem is that as long as you are operating within a system where you pay to play, and where people hang out a shingle and say, Pay to play, and Ill help you play, then this is whats going to happen. As American officials negotiated the release of American college student Otto Warmbier, the North Koreans demanded $2 million for his medical care, the Washington Post reported Thursday. Its not clear if the U.S. ever paid that billa North Korean condition for turning over the comatose University of Virginia studentbut the Post did report that President Trump instructed the U.S. envoy sent to collect Warmbier to sign a pledge to do so. Warmbier died six days after his release. The bill was sent to the Treasury Department, where it sat through 2017. Its possible the Trump administration later made the payment, but other news outlets have reported that the invoice has not been paid. Advertisement Trump himself has repeatedly bragged that the U.S. paid no money to North Korea when arranging the return of Warmbier and other American citizens held by the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to reporting about the negotiations and rescue, it was clear when a U.S. doctor examined Warmbier in North Korea in June 2017 that he would never return to a healthy state. He apparently went into a coma the night he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for pulling down a propaganda poster in a hotel in Pyongyang in 2016. His parents have insisted the coma was a result of torture. An American doctor who examined Warmbier 15 months after the event that caused the coma said Warmbier appeared to be well cared for in the hospital. Doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who examined Warmbier after he returned home found no physical evidence of torture. The exact cause of his brain damage remains a mystery. Fred Warmbier told the Post that the $2 million bill sounded to him like a ransom for his son. Trump himself has said he does not believe that the North Koreans tortured Warmbier, as Kim Jong-un apparently told him that he did not know about Warmbiers treatment. I dont believe he would have allowed that to happen, Trump said in February, after his second summit with Kim. He tells me he didnt know about it, and I take him at his word. Get More Political Gabfest Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to the Political Gabfest Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. Listen to Slates Political Gabfest via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. On this weeks Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Democrats impeachment dilemma, the Supreme Court case that could wreck the census, and Elizabeth Warrens plan for college debt forgiveness. Here are some of the links and references from this weeks show: Charlie Savage for the New York Times: How Barrs Excerpts Compare to the Mueller Reports Findings Advertisement Eric Schmitt, David E. Sanger and Maggie Haberman for the New York Times: In Push for 2020 Election Security, Top Official Was Warned: Dont Tell Trump Paul Krugman for the New York Times: The Great Republican Abdication Jamelle Bouie for Slate: Minority Rule Does Not Have to Be Here Forever Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael R. Strain for Bloomberg: Warrens College-Loan Plan Is a Subsidy for the Comfortable Class Here are this weeks cocktail chatters: John: Trump demonstrates what fake news means in one tweet. Emily: Lil Dickys We Love the Earth and Lady Gaga in a girl power clip from A Star Is Born David: This Map Shows All of the Places Eagles Visited in One Year, and People Are Guessing Why They Stayed Clear of the Sea Advertisement Advertisement Listener chatter from Parrish Berquist: Matto Mildenberger for the Scientific American: The Tragedy of the Tragedy of the Commons For this weeks Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss presidential candidates hitting the podcast circuit. Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Become a fan of the Political Gabfest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @SlateGabfest. The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has recently made claims that the Akufo-Addo Government has saved Ghana an amount of US$7.6 billion from the termination of some eleven (11) Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) entered into by the erstwhile Mahama Administration. Ordinarily these lies and contrived statement should have been treated with the contempt it deserves, however, due to the closeness of Gabby to President Akufo-Addo and the enormous political influence he wields in government, it necessary for NDC to set the records straight. CONTRADICTIONS On November 17, 2017, the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko informed the general public that the Ministry of Energy had made savings of US$7.6 billion from the termination of some 11 Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) over a 13 year period, (https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/2017/November-20th/govt-cancels-11-power agreements.php). Soon after Boakye Agyarkos resignation, the new Minister for Energy, Hon. John Peter Amewu disclosed a totally different figure at a press conference on Thursday, September 20, 2018. At the said press conference, Amewu stated that the Ministry of Energy has made savings of $6.8billion from the termination of the same Power Purchase Agreements. (https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Gov-t-terminates-11-Power-Purchasing-Agreements-signed-under-Mahama-686747) However, these claims were only recently discounted by the ECG (which is the off-taker and the signatory to the said agreements) at a presentation to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy. It is therefore laughable that a government with over 120 Ministers will rely on a private citizen, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko to churn out such vile propaganda. THE FACTS On November 13, 2016, a Cabinet report on the Energy Sector prepared by the Ministry of Energy, the Energy Commission and the World Bank (IBRD and IDA) recommended the discontinuance of some PPAs which had failed to achieve financial closure. Notable among the findings contained in this report was the failure by some of IPPs to meet their contractual obligations, thereby prolonging the countrys power deficit and challenges. It is worthy of note that most of these PPAs could only become effective after certain condition precedents had been fulfilled. The agreements needed to receive the necessary cabinet and parliamentary approvals with the accompanying Government Consent and Support Agreement (GCSA) which was later changed to a Put-Call Option Agreement (PCOA). It is therefore preposterous for Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko and the NPP to come to conclusion that the country has saved a whopping US$7.6 Billion by what they claim as "termination of PPAs". Clearly, that view is not borne out by the facts and reflects a complete misunderstanding of the issues. It is important to point out that Power Purchase Agreements are mostly executed by the Off-Taker (ECG) and not the President as Gabby and the NPP are mischievously trying portray. The critical question is - why has Gabby and the NPP failed to provide details of the said terminated PPAs (including the date they were signed, the annual capacity charges and the conditions thereof) for Ghanaians to make their own judgement. Clearly, the Akufo-Addo government and the NPP have lost focus, hence their continuous resort to mendacity and sheer political chicanery. RECOMMENDATIONS Rather than continuously whining about Ghanas excess capacity, the Akufo-Addo government should focus on expanding national electricity coverage and the exportation of power to neighbouring countries. Since assuming office, the Akufo-Addo Government has only managed to achieve a paltry 1% increment in national electricity expansion. Even more disturbing is the fact that the expansion of our transmission lines from 161KV to 330KV which begun under President Mahama with the intention to expand the exportation of power to Burkina Faso and other neighboring countries has stalled under this Government. These are the vexed issues that should occupy governments attention. The President should desist from the continuous lamentations and take advantage of the additional generation ueathed to them to propel their wobbling and floundering 1 District 1 Factory profmise. Ananse Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Donald Trump is about to squeeze Iran like never before. Its hard to see where this can lead except to chaos or war. And its fairly clear that Trump wants it this way. When Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed economic sanctions that had been lifted as part of that accord, he issued six-month waivers to eight countriesChina, India, Iraq, Turkey, South Korea, Italy, Greece, and Taiwanallowing them to keep buying Iranian oil. On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the waivers would end May 2. After then, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic would be barred from the U.S. banking system, which dominates financial transactions worldwide. Advertisement In recent months, some countries, notably China and members of the European Union, have discussed setting up some mechanism to trade with Iran without going through U.S. banks, but this has proved easier said than done. The European countries that were granted waivers have already stopped importing Iranian oil; the others have cut back, albeit reluctantly. After May 2, if Washington really enforces a no-tolerance ban, Iranwhich is already hurting economicallywill be boxed in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, have said that, in response to this hostile act, they might block the Strait of Hormuz, a body of water with a two-mile-wide shipping lane that transits 20 percent of the worlds oil supply. The idea is that if Iran cant send its oil through the strait, which borders its territory, nobody else can either. Zarif also has said that Iran might resume enriching uraniumand thus reviving its nuclear programin response. Either of these moves would likely spark a U.S. military reaction, which may be what Trump wants to happen. Advertisement Advertisement One clear sign that Trump wants Iran boxed in is that he hasnt offered another choicehe hasnt said what he wants the Iranian government to do in exchange for dropping his campaign of maximum pressure. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif likened the Trump administrations behavior to that of a gangster. Pompeo has said he wants a better nuclear accord, but his definition of the word is so over the top that hes clearly signaling that he doesnt mean it. In a speech at the Heritage Foundation in May, he laid out 12 conditions that Iran must fulfill for a new deal. They include ending its enrichment of uraniuma ban imposed on no other country in the world. (Article IV of the Non-Proliferation Treaty gives signatories the inalienable right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, which includes enriching uranium at low levels. The Iran deal allows enrichment up to 3 percentway below whats needed to make a weapon.) Pompeo also demanded that Iran give international inspectors unqualified access to all sites throughout Irana formula for espionage that no country would accept. He said Iran must halt tests and development of ballistic and cruise missiles (a ban on development is impossible to verify); end support for Syria, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen; disarm its militias in Iraq; drop all threats against Israel; and release all foreign prisoners. All these steps would be welcome, but no nation would surrender so much of its sovereignty to a foreign power, except, possibly, after a total defeat in a war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More drastic still, Pompeo listed these conditions not as the terms of a new deal but merely as the steps that Iran must take before the United States sits down at the bargaining table. What further concessions, they might ask, would Trump and Pompeo demand after that? In any case, the Iranians have no cause to trust them, given that Trump withdrew from the existing deal, which was negotiated with six other countries, even though the International Atomic Energy Agency has attested many times that Iran is in full compliance. There are ways to get a better deal with Iran, if thats what Trump really wanted. He could do what Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, the two Bushes, Clinton, and Obama did to get better nuclear arms deals with the Kremlin. They negotiated a series of treaties, each one reducing nuclear weapons to lower levels without tearing up some previous accord just because it didnt go as far as one side or the other might have preferred. Advertisement Advertisement At a Q&A with journalists at Irans U.N. mission in New York on Thursday, Javad Zarif likened the Trump administrations behavior to that of a gangster. The Iran nuclear deal, which is enshrined in a U.N. Security Council resolution, bars impediments to trade with Iran. Trumps officials arent acting like the worlds policeman, he said. Rather, theyre demanding that other nations break the law. Advertisement Advertisement Sad to say, hes right, and this is one reason so many countriesespecially those that signed the nuclear accordare bitter about the way Trump is flexing American power. Yet Javad Zarif took care to draw a distinction between Trump and his administration, noting national security adviser John Bolton is a longtime advocate of regime change in Iran, while Trump has pledged to avoid another stupid, costly war in the Middle East. He also noted that Iran never left the negotiating table; only the United States did that, and Tehran stands ready to continue talks. Advertisement Advertisement But this stab at an appeal to Trumps more restrained impulses is probably based on a false hope. Clearly, Trump has no interest in talking with the Iranians about a new accord. And Pompeo, who sees a big part of his job as saying what Trump wants him to say, reflects that disdain. In his Heritage speech and in others, especially one delivered in July before an audience of Iranian Americans at the Reagan Presidential Library, Pompeo emphasized U.S. solidarity with the Iranian people against their oppressive government. He went about as far as a senior U.S. diplomat could go toward advancing a policy of regime change without uttering those words. Advertisement Trump may well think that this maximum pressure will simply bring the Iranian regime to its knees. This is doubtful. But if it does, it is even more unlikely that Western-leaning freedom fighters will replace the toppled mullahs. Tehran is the most literate, pro-Western city in the entire Middle East, outside of Israel, but even its denizens know the history of foreign coups in Iran, and despite their hatred for the medievalists occupying supreme power in their country, they would resist another episode of American meddling. If the mullahs were somehow to be ousted, they would more likely be succeeded by a more anti-Western faction, probably consisting of the most intolerant elements of the military. Advertisement Trumps stepped-up pressure campaign might be justified if Iran posed an urgent, existential threat to the United States, its allies, or its interestsor if Irans leaders were poised to break out of the nuclear deals restrictions. But it doesnt, and they arent. The other parties to the nuclear dealBritain, France, Germany, Russia, and Chinaare sticking to it, seeing no reason to pull out and many reasons to stay in. It prevents Iran from building a nuclear bomb, has already led to the dismantlement of materials with which they might have built a bomb, and contains the tightest verification regimen in the history of arms control accords. Even most Israeli military and intelligence officers favor sticking with the deal. Trump is serving the interests only of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners, who want to keep Iran holed up, and of the regions Sunni Arab powers, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which want to wage war on Iran. In effect, Trumps new policywhich forces the world to reimpose the sanctions that he wantsis a declaration of economic war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even if Iran doesnt shut down the Hormuz Strait or resume enriching uranium, the move is likely to contract the global economy, at least somewhat. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have said they will redirect some of their oil exports to Iraq and Turkey in order to make up for the cutoff of Iranian supplies. But its unclear where this extra oil will come fromtheyve recently cut their output and have not said theyll pump moreor who will compensate the countries that once got lots of oil from the Arabs but are now getting shortchanged. Oil analysts say that Trumps policy will squeeze global supplies in a market already facing disruptions and will almost certainly raise gasoline prices, just in time to make summer vacations more costly. Trump is taking a huge risk, alienating allies, aggravating American consumers, upsetting global markets, and possibly triggering warall because he doesnt like Iran and doesnt like the Iran nuclear deal (or any other deal) that was struck by President Barack Obama. Hes governing by pique, and we may all pay the price in one way or another. Russia conspiracy skeptics like the Intercepts Glenn Greenwald and President Donald Trump are not done gloating/ranting about how the media allegedly embarrassed itself by reporting on seemingly improper relationships between Trump advisers and the Russian government in 2016 and 2017. Which is interesting, because I keep reading parts of the Mueller report and finding examples of potential Trump-Russia deals that were very likely called off because of accurate media reports. Here are three of them! Trump Tower Moscow. Trump attorney Michael Cohen was involved in an effort to secure Russian approval for the development of a Trump Tower project in Moscow in late 2015 and 2016. Cohen and the Trump Organization were still pursuing the project on June 9, 2016, when senior Trump campaign figures attended a meeting at which they discussed foreign policy with several individuals representing the interests of the Russian government. It wasnt until June 14 that Cohen told Felix Sater, the Trump Organizations liaison to Russian partners, that the organization was putting pursuit of the deal on hold. Thats also the day that the Washington Post first reported that Russian hackers were targeting the Democratic Party. According to the special counsels report, After the media began questioning Trumps connections to Russia, Cohen promoted a party line that publicly distanced Trump from Russia and asserted he had no business there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sanctions. What the Russians at the June 9 meeting specifically wanted to discuss with Trumps advisers was their governments interest in getting the U.S. to lift sanctions that prevent Russian officials, oligarchs, and/or organized crime figures from using the American financial system. And June 9 wasnt the only attempt to broach this issue: Campaign chairman Paul Manafort discussed a sanctions-related Ukraine peace plan in August 2016 with one of his former business partners, Konstantin Kilimnik, who had connections to Russian military intelligence. Additionally, eventual Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn served as an adviser until June 2016 to a company that was developing a plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East in collaboration with Russian partners, a plan that would have required the U.S. to lift certain sanctions. Advertisement Advertisement As is documented at length in Muellers report, during the presidential transition period Flynn told Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that the Trump administration did not want to escalate sanctions that the Obama administration had imposed against Russia over its election interference. A former State Department official who dealt with sanctions has also said publicly that Trump officials began initiating plans to rescind other sanctions against Russia immediately after Trumps inauguration. Those efforts subsequently died under heavy political pressure, however. After the Washington Post broke the news of Flynns conversation with Kislyak, he was eventually forced out of officeand more broadly, as the New Yorker has reported, the administrations efforts to strike a sanctions-easing agreement with Russia died because of the looming Mueller investigation and because members of Congress were pushing at the time to expand sanctions against Russia, not reduce them. Says the New Yorker: Trump told aides that he was frustrated that he could not make progress because of political opposition in Washington. That political opposition, of course, existed because even Republican senators were responding to what John McCain described as Russias attack on American democracya subject that had been covered since June 2016 in press accounts of Russian propaganda and hacking operations whose details would go on to be confirmed by multiple Mueller indictments and documented in his report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael Flynns nuclear deal. As mentioned above, Flynn served well into 2016 as an adviser to a group called ACU Strategic Partners, which was developing a plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East in collaboration with Russian companies and, in Reuters description, required lifting sanctions on Russia to go forward. But when Flynn became Trumps national security adviser and began promoting a Middle East nuclear plan inside the administration, it was one developed by a different company hed advised, IP3, whose key figures split from ACU in 2016and say they specifically did so because they didnt want Russia involved in the deal. (The post-inauguration nuclear plan push alarmed many career national security staffers who felt it was being pursued for potentially corrupt reasons, and it has since been documented in reports by the House Oversight Committee.) According to Newsweeks coverage, ACUs breakup took place in the context of reports that the FBI was investigating possible collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign. One of IP3s partners told Politico that he and the others had told Flynn that were not up for working with Russia. Flynns disclosure forms say his work with ACU ended in June 2016, the month that Trump-Russia reporting first surfaced, and that he started advising IP3 in August of that year. The picture the Mueller report creates of Trump World in 2016 and early 2017 is one in which Russia-connected figures were swarming around trying to squeeze concessions out of the campaign and administration. And, repeatedly, Trumps advisers were receptive to hearing about and pursuing these plans until being caught in the spotlight of press scrutiny and related political pressure. No wonder he hates the media! COLOMBO, Sri LankaToday has been a bizarre day. In an ideal world, I should be working on a project-funding proposal and trying to finish a short story about a near-future police force. Instead, Im pacing the office. I just finished speaking with a journalist from a prominent media organization about the block on social media imposed in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the devastating recent terrorist attacks, its effects, and the information flows in this country. Ive been digging into social media and politics for a while, so people think I have answers. Advertisement Now, the journalist is waiting for an Uber to take him to what is effectively a high-security zone. He doesnt have his press pass. He is a foreign national, a brown man carrying two cameras and an enormous backpack. The latter is the hallmark of a suicide bomber right now. If the police detain him, hes finished. If the neighbors see his backpack coming out of our office, were finished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Uber driver, thankfully, is a Muslim. Right now, he understands more than anyone else what it is like to be suspect. We have a small chat. He reminds me of a guy I used to work for, back when I was selling keyboards and mice at a mall retail store. Every other month someone would start a thread on a popular local internet forum, railing at the store for being Muslim-owned. The people who jumped into the cesspool of hate included a semifamous ex-con who was fond of making death threats. My boss would scroll up and down anxiously, but his store stayed open regardless. The driver, likewise, intends to roll on. This is, I assure the journalist, a bad time to be in Colombo, but itll get better. It always does. Advertisement Advertisement To understand Colombo, one needs to first grok how small it isnot just in terms of size, but in terms of community, Colombo is one of those places where everybody knows everybody else. Forget Facebooks 3 degrees of separation. Its near-impossible to meet someone without finding out immediately after that theyre somehow connected to your father, mother, sister, brother, cousin, batchmate, colleague, frenemy. Whereas other cities seem to offer casual anonymity, Colombo takes it away. Advertisement So take this tightly bound community. Rip out a few hundred people. Hospitalize a couple of hundred more. What you get is a wounded, panicked, screaming beast. The first news of the wounds came to us through social media. Bhanuka Harischandra, a friend of mine and a successful startup founder, put up an Instagram post of the outside of the Shangri-La Hotel with a caption about seeing bodies tossed out by a blast. He was there to meet a potential business partner. His next post was from the Cinnamon Grandwhere the suicide bomber stood in the buffet line, according to reportswith bits of ash and shrapnel in his T-shirt. Then came a flurry of tweets asking what had happened to Kingsbury, another luxury hotel. And a church in Batticaloa. And St. Sebastians. Then another church. Photos were shared through Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only then did news of the attacks break on television. Media in Sri Lanka is tightly controlled by a very few people and often riddled with political bias. It is customary in Sri Lankan politics to steamroll, impugn, and commit character assassination on those who do not join you in victory; journalists have traditionally been forced to be instruments. Media might be freer now, but these bruises still remain, entrenched by political power. Advertisement Advertisement In a country with such tight government controls on traditional media, social media is more of a boon than Western commentators would assume. In October, the current president of Sri Lanka decided to violate the Constitution, instigate a coup, and appoint the former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, as prime ministerwhile an elected prime minister sat in office. Advertisement Advertisement Within minutes, Sri Lanka effectively had two governments and two prime ministers. Parliamentarians were crossing over to opposing parties, and some lesser ministers bodyguard had fired into a mob. The videos of all of these reached us a full 15 minutes before the news anchors started their spiels, their political affiliations obvious. Without social media, we would not have known what was going on during that volatile political situation. And this week, as chaos reigns, people in the West are celebrating the decision to block access to social networks. As of Thursday, the block is still in place. A state of emergency has been declared, and we have no idea what time curfew will be tomorrow, let alone the fate of the Facebook block. Official information sources are increasingly starting to resemble hoaxes themselves. Advertisement In this zeitgeist, the few journalists who engage with the Colombo community, such as Azzam Ameen, a reporter with BBC Sinhala and a journalist with a fast thumb, are go-to sources. The text from Ameens Twitter and Facebook pages is copied and shared in WhatsApp groupsfamily and friends, entire school batches (or classes) from many decades ago. The blockwhich is not a ban on people accessing social networks so much as an easily circumventable order for internet service providers to block the websites and appsis making it harder for many to access Ameens information. But it isnt stopping rumors from flourishing. I should know, since Ive spent a great deal of my time trying to help people verify information. Advertisement Advertisement Maybe a block could have been usefulif the government had presented a clear stream of relevant information. In the West, many praised the most recent social media block. Kara Swisher wrote in the New York Times, When the Sri Lankan government temporarily shut down access to American social media services like Facebook and Googles YouTube after the bombings there on Easter morning, my first thought was good. because it could save lives because the companies that run these platforms seem incapable of controlling the powerful global tools they have built so many false reports about the carnage were already circulating online that the Sri Lankan government worried more violence would follow. Swisher acknowledges at the end of her column that shutting social media down in times of crisis isnt going to work. But she seems unaware of the actual source of the problem here. Advertisement The Sri Lankan government has tried all this before. It shut down social networks in March 2018, in response to riots targeting Muslims. In the events leading up to those attacks, the government didnt do anything about the anti-Muslim hate speech peddled on social media by the far-right Buddhist organization Bodu Bala Sena and its affiliates; theyre monks, after all. This negligence is precisely what caused organized mob violence in the first plane. The government let hate speech run its course, then took the rug out from everyoneeven, for some bizarre reason, blocking my own author website (my political blog was left intact)and then blamed the scapegoat of the day, Facebook. Media attention was focused at the time on the role of Facebook in violence in Myanmar, and Western journalists lap this stuff up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People also fail to understand blocks can be quite easily circumvented with virtual private networks. Innocent peoplewho may be unaware of the security riskssearch Google for VPN and download the first thing they see, opening their devices and network traffic up for all kinds of nefarious third parties. The block also sends the actual racists and hate speechmongers underground. Whereas once we could see some tip to the iceberg, now it stays underwater, propagating across networks that are far more difficult to examineWhatsApp and SMS, for instance. If more people start using Signal or Telegram, we might as well forget the whole thing altogether. Advertisement Advertisement To be clear, social media isnt entirely benign in Sri Lanka or anywhere. Here it took a dark twist very quickly after the Easter bombings. The blame game kicked off with a vengeance. In general, four fingers were pointed: Advertisement 1. The Muslims did it. 2. The Sinhala Buddhists did it. (This was expounded on, completely unverified, by a journalist at the BBC.) 3. A hypothetical resurgent Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelamthe group the government fought in the Sri Lankan civil war that ended a decade agodid it. 4. The current government stood by and did nothing. Maybe it wanted this to happen. Advertisement I put up a warning against the spread of misinformation that went viral shortly after. It didnt seem to have done much good. Not just for social media, but for traditional media as well. BBC World aired some pundit claiming the attacks were from Sinhala Buddhist mobs, a complete untruth. Soon the social networks were buzzing with fake news and misinformation spreading like lightning precisely because of the tightly connected nature of the beast. Hoaxes appeared on school-batch groups, work groups, and family-and-friends channels and spread out to second- and third-degree networks with a flick of the finger. A small cadre of volunteer fact-checkers leaped in to bridge the gap between journalists on the ground and a panicked public. Advertisement The things I have been asked to verify over the past 48 hours stretch from the silly to the post-apocalyptic. Fakes starting with Azzam Ameen told my friend. (Easy for me to debunk: I just had to drop Ameen a Twitter message to confirm it fake within minutes.) Doctored screenshots claiming Dialog Axiata, a prominent telecommunications company, was fining people for the use of VPNs (easily countered by talking to telecom regulators, examining the relevant acts for mentions of fines and VPNs, getting a Dialog customer care agent to consent to be recorded confirming this was fake, and then pestering Dialog until it did the same through Twitter). Rumors of the water supply in Hunupitiya being poisoned (not so easily countered; residents knew nothing, and by the time we finished calling, there were vehicles on the streets of Kiribathgoda and Mattakkuliya urging people not to drink tap water). A fake police page claiming use of VPNs would get you hauled away by the police. Someone closely connected to either Army or Navy circles talking about a lorry full of unexploded bombs going up and down (That one turned out to be like Nostradamus: eventually true.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maybe a block could have been usefulif the government had presented a unified front and a clear stream of relevant information and then clamped down tightly on all the jokers out there. Instead what we saw was a minister smirking about how his father told him this would happen days ago and the prime ministers camp saying the National Security Council refused to meet the prime minister until the president got back from a jaunt overseas. We got the secretary of defense shrugging off the attacks and whining about how unfair it was to single him out. We saw the president claiming to have absolutely no knowledge of the matter. And across Colombo, my friends are reporting to me of Muslim tenants asked to leave homes, of Uber drivers refusing to take on Muslim clients, of family groups asking their daughters not to wear scarves and for sons to shave their beards. Likewise, a flood of people offering support, places to stay, food, reparations. Every so often, an incident grows beyond the minor and escalates to the point where someone like Ameen will have a look at it, verify it with the police and local authorities, and post it with images. Advertisement Advertisement What the government should have done is engage, instead of block. They have the capacity. Last year, when I was editing the presidents Wikipedia article to link it to a Constitutional Crisis page, the Presidents Media Division swung into action immediately: Myself and others (who wish to remain unnamed) ended up in a bizarre Wikipedia edit war. Every time we linked to any derogatory news about the president, they would remove it. This particular division, as far as I know, is close to 100 people. One hundred people fact-checking via social media could have done so much to manage the chaos and restore orderly information flows. Advertisement Instead, the government and its chaotic approach continue to compound problems. In a case of horrible mistaken identity, for instance, the police and Criminal Investigation Department have just plastered a photo of Amara Majeed, a student at Brown, as a suspect on national TV. It was local social media that found out who she was. I have been fact-checking information for the past three days, and I am forced to conclude the police are incapable of looking up an image on Google. Advertisement One wonders whom to trust, and the inevitable truth is this: I trust people on social media more than I trust the instruments of government. Because in Colombo, where there is little anonymity, me and mine know the person and can reach them in minutes. This is not to diminish the role of some news agencies that did their job this time around, but I cannot trust theyll do the same once the next election rolls around and something else happens. And as for the government, there are probably colonies of bacteria on the Red Sea that are more competent at running a country. And thats putting it kindly. 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... The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. Such programmes also operate in other European cities. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled More information about travelling in Slovakia Please see our Please see our Spectacular Slovakia travel guide The Bratislava Volunteer Centre (BDC), along with the Bratislava Organisation of Tourism, have launched the Tourist Angels project. Volunteers will help tourists at touristic strategic points reach their destination, the Sme daily reported. Volunteers will recommend places based on their own experience as well. Those who participate in the programme will develop their language skills, meet new people and gain new contacts, explained Michaela Bagalova from BDC, as quoted by Sme. Read also: Read also: Main railway station in Bratislava has new lounge for families with children Read more Navigator should know Bratislava well The Volunteer Tourist Angel should be older than 18 and should have good knowledge of Bratislava, its monuments, galleries, museums, theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Volunteers will wear T-shirts with the Tourist Angels logo with the emphasised letter i, which stands for information, Sme reported. The navigator should be aware of how public transport works, noted Bagalova, as quoted by Sme. A good command of the English language is also a must, while an extra foreign language is a plus. Read also: Read also: Bratislava region opens new tourist centre in Vienna Read more The volunteers will undergo training, where their knowledge of language(s) and Bratislava will be tested. The turnout was among the lowest in the EU in recent years. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The turnout for the May 25 European Parliament elections may be higher than previous years. About 20 percent of Slovaks would certainly cast their ballot, according to the recent Eurobarometer report. In addition, a further 19 percent of Slovaks said they would probably participate the EP elections. As a result, altogether 39 percent of Slovaks are interested in the election, said Dionyz Hochel, acting head of the EP Information Office in Slovakia. In the last election held in 2014, the turnout was the lowest in the EU, with only 13.05 percent of eligible voters coming to polling stations. Were very pleased by this increase, said Hochel, as quoted by the TASR newswire. The Eurobarometer survey in Slovakia was conducted between February 20 and March 3, 2019, on 1,115 respondents. Who is interested in the elections? The highest interest in EP elections is among age groups of 25-39 years and over 55 years. The interest is higher in the case of men and university-educated people, according to Eurobarometer. Counsel for NDC National Chairman has welcomed the states decision to prosecute his client, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, charged with conspiracy to cause harm. They are welcome, legal practitioner, Victor Adawudu, said on Joy FMs Top Story Monday, before adding, the trial will not go anywhere. The trial, which begins Tuesday, will be the first-ever time a sitting party chairman is facing prosecution. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, seen as a soft-spoken politician, was heard talking tough in a tape that leaked in February. The NDC Chairman while addressing party communicators, allegedly okayed politics of insults and revealed political plans to create a sense of insecurity ahead of the 2020 elections. He has flatly denied making comments while the partys 2020 flagbearer, John Mahama, has tried to rationalise portions of his comments contained in the tape. Some had believed that beyond the governing party scoring political points, the saga would not travel the distance of prosecution. The Attorney-General has signalled it will, as it opens a case that Samuel Ofosu Ampofo should be convicted for conspiring to assault a public officer in addition to conspiracy to cause harm. The Deputy National Communications Officer of the party also faces the same charges after he publicly admitted the party chairman made the comments attributed to him. Despite narrating his clients consistent cooperation with the Police since their interest was piqued, Victor Adawudu has expressed surprise at the escalation. I didnt expect this will go anywhere, he said and predicted the state will struggle to secure conviction. For us, there is nothing criminal in that tape, he maintained his clients innocence. The legal practitioner would, however, not rule out the state finding difficulties producing evidence beyond what the tape provides. These pieces of evidence, if they exist, will have to be supplied to the accused, he explained the court process. This case, he said, was his clients first-ever brush with the law, Victor Adawudu pointed out his clients comportment and stay-away-from-trouble record. Victor Adawudu has also endorsed a party statement calling on supporters to mass up at the Accra High court for the trial. It is a notice that is not expected to go unheeded by supporters of Ghanas largest opposition. Samuel Ofosu Ampofos visit, on March 4, 2019, to the Police Headquarters in Accra, where he was first charged, attracted a throng. The second coming of the supporters is very necessary, counsel for the accused hinted at the political nature of the trial. On the face of the law, this case is much ado about nothing but this case is also political and so anything can happen, Victor Adawudu said. This is the second time in 12 months that a national executive of the opposition NDC has been charged with a criminal offence. In March 2018, deputy NDC General Secretary Koku Anyhidoho was charged with treason after he charged there will be a civil revolt and drew linkages to the countrys coup detat history. This was following Ghanas ratification of a controversial military agreement with the United States, which the NDC demonstrated against. But in August 2018, the state dropped all charges and said it was disinterested. With the interest in prosecuting Samuel Ofosu Ampofo shaping up, there is some scepticism that it will not falter. Source: joynews Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Trade barriers between Slovakia and Japan should be removed, the PMs agreed. He also met with his counterparts from the V4 countries. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Japanese PM Shinzo Abe visited Slovakia for the first time and met with his Slovak counterpart Peter Pellegrini. The two discussed the possibilities of making Japanese companies investments in Slovakia more intensive, as well as agreements to remove the trade barriers between the countries and the situation on the Korean peninsula. Currently, 63 Japanese companies operate in Slovakia, employing about 13,000 people. The quality of Japanese investments in Slovakia is increasing, said Pellegrini, as quoted by the SITA newswire. They are not only production plants anymore, research and innovations have also moved here. Trade relations Pellegrini welcomes this as Slovakia desires to be a modern, dynamic country that supports development, research and innovations. Read also: Read also: Slovakia wants to intensify links with Japan Read more Another motivation for the development of the trade relationship is represented by an agreement on social security that comes into force on July 1. We expect to lower the burden for companies, said Abe, as quoted by SITA. We have found out recently that the Slovak company ESET is investing in Japan, creating a branch there. That is one of the ways to deepen relationships. V4 meets Japan Apart from his Slovak counterpart, Shinzo Abe also met with the representatives of the remaining Visegrad Group (V4) countries: Czech PM Andrej Babis, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban. They mainly discussed the cooperation between the EU and Japan, global politics and the potential extension of common trade relationships. Moreover, they talked about the possibilities of closer cooperation in economic questions and the regulation of digital technologies. Klaus von Klitzing is coming to Slovakia. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled In the past few decades, scientific development has reached the phase that has allowed humankind to leave artifacts representing the kilogram and the metre behind, and define them based on natural laws. The reason to choose natural laws as the basis of our metric system is that they are very stable, says German professor Klaus von Klitzing, whose discovery significantly contributed to changing the definitions of units. This article is published to mark the planned visit of the Nobel Prize laureate Klaus von Klitzing in Slovakia. His public lecture will be held on April 29 at 16:00 in Bratislava. You can book your place here. Until recently we have been using the prototype of kilogram as the basis for our measurements. Why has it become a problem and why do we need to change it? The problem with the kilogram was that we have been using the cylindrical prototype deposited in Paris. That was the one kilogram by definition. If a little piece was scratched from this metal cylinder, or if the whole thing disappeared, it would be a problem, because we would no longer be able to tell what a kilogram is. That is why it is important to have something that is not linked with the prototype, something that can be reproduced anywhere in the world. We have got seven basic units that help us measure everything in the world; from what we observe through biology and chemistry to particle physics. Sometimes we use derived units, but at the end of the day, everything goes back to the basic SI units. And we need a very good foundation for each of them. Is that why we are looking for new definitions of our units? The reason why we choose natural laws as a basis for our metric system is that they are very stable. We started off with, for instance, the atomic clock that we built based on the characteristics of the microcosmos. Such a device can be produced anywhere. With the metre, we focused on the measured speed of light, one of the basic constants in physics. The speed of light is the same everywhere in the universe. That way we can tell the length that light travels in a certain time. Thus, today, the metre is linked with the speed of light. So only now have we been able to practically measure the constants and adjust the basic units accordingly? It hadnt been the case for a long time. Only now we have we reached the level that our experiments are good enough and able to measure individual physics constants precisely. Our metric system is now accessible and reproducible in different places of the world. The US Embassy in Slovakia granted the awards for the eighth time. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The US Embassy in Slovakia awarded three Slovaks for pursuing human and women's rights and transparency in Slovakia. The awards were granted for the eighth time. This is an important opportunity for us to recognise all of you for your work to promote values that unite Slovaks and Americans, including human rights, good governance and transparency, said US Ambassador to Slovakia Adam Sterling, who presented the awards on April 25. The ceremony is also a chance to reflect on Slovakias journey over the past year, Sterling continued, recalling the shock following the murder of investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova. Read also: Read also: US Embassy will rename an award after Jan Kuciak Read more That shock made us remember how much we need courageous journalists and free press to safeguard our democratic societies, Sterling stressed. In this respect, he also recalled the protest gatherings that followed and how Slovaks inspired them with their determination to defend democracy and live in a decent society. Who are the laureates? Ex-journalist and head of the Stop Corruption Foundation Zuzana Petkova received the Woman of Courage award for her relentless efforts to inform the Slovak public and fight against corruption. Petkova is one of the leading representatives of investigative journalists and, as chair of the foundation, is seeking solutions to protect whistleblowers. At the same time, she leads in a dialogue with the government and raises awareness about negative impacts of corruption, the SITA newswire reported. Lawyer Roman Kvasnica was granted the Human Rights Award for his involvement and principled defence of people and organisations whose human rights have been overlooked or violated. He is currently defending six Roma who are being persecuted for false testimony and perjury in the case of the police raid in Moldava nad Bodvou (Kosice Region) back in 2013. He also represents Zlatica Kusnirova, the mother of Martina Kusnirova. For 12 years he defended Hedviga Zakova, nee Malinova, who was charged with perjury, SITA wrote. Investigative journalist Adam Valcek received the Jan Kuciak Transparency Award for his courage and deployment in revealing the truth. In his reports, he has revealed several dubious business transactions and frauds, SITA reported. A trio of second-leg divisions of the Virginia OBrien Memorial Pacing Series was contested during Thursdays (April 25) matinee program at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The $10,000 divisions provided the fillies and mares with their last opportunities to earn points towards next weeks $30,000 (added) final. The series is currently wide open heading into the final. The series has not seen repeat winner thus far through the preliminary legs, and none of the Thursday favourites ultimately prevailed in their second-leg tasks. The fastest winner in Thursdays second leg was Mississippi Charm, by Mach Three, who set a lifetime mark by overcoming a long first-over journey to prevail in 1:56. Jay Randall piloted the Andy Sardella trainee. Mississippi Charm had made a break while racing as the publics choice in the first leg, but she avenged that miscue with a resounding victory Thursday. She drew away to win by two and a half lengths and bested the races 1-5 betting favourite Jayda Nicole in the process. Mississippi Charm likely punched her ticket to next weeks final via the Thursday effort, in which she paid $8.30 to win. The win was of three on the card for Randall. Mississippi Charm, pictured victorious at Saratoga Casino Hotel on April 25, 2019. Mississippi Charm, pictured victorious at Saratoga Casino Hotel on April 25, 2019. Reflexionofroyalty, by American Ideal, continued her winning ways during Leg 2, as she secured her fifth victory in what was her eighth seasonal try. Jimmy Devaux sat behind the Allen Sisco-trained four-year-old who came from well off the pace to spring the upset at odds of 7-1. Reflexionofroyalty paid $16.80 to win. Unusual Clarity, by Betterthancheddar, sprung a mild upset of her own in Leg 2. Mark Beckwiith piloted the Paul Minckler-trained mare to victory. Having gotten up to win in 1:56.1, Unusual Clarity recorded the fastest of her three seasonal scores on Thursday. She followed the Leg 2 trend of winners coming from off the tempo to prevail. Unusual Clarity returned $9.80 to win and secured her spot in next weeks final. Live racing at Saratoga will resume on Saturday evening with a first post time of 6:45 p.m. There will be a Pick Five carryover of $1,977 into Saturday nights pool. The Pick Five will get underway in the evenings first race. (With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel) In June 2019 the U.S. Navy will restore the tradition of the oldest warship in service being the only one to fly the Revolutionary War era First Navy Jack (with 13 alternating horizontal red and white stripes with a rattlesnake superimposed as well as the words "Don't Tread On Me") instead of the usual Union Jack (blue with fifty white stars). Since September 11, 2002, all U.S. Navy ships have been flying the First Navy Jack and that was to continue for the duration of the War On Terrorism. The navy has no official comment on what this change has to do with the progress of the war. The First Navy Jack moved around a lot in the 1990s, as the U.S. Navy downsized because the Soviet navy had largely disappeared after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. This process resulted in some very old ships finally getting retired. The USS Prairie, the last of the pre-war US Navy ships that fought in World War II, was decommissioned on 27, March 1993. The ship, a destroyer tender (a supply and maintenance ship for deployed destroyers), entered service in late 1939. The USS Prairie passed the First Navy Jack on to the USS Orion, a submarine tender commissioned in 1944. But the Orion went out of service later that year and the First Navy Jack rapidly moved from one retiring ship to another until the Kitty Hawk got it in 1998, and held on to it for eleven years, an unusually long time. Most navies would not want to bring attention to their oldest ship, especially if it was nearly a century old. It's different in the American Navy. For example, in 2009 the carrier, USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) was finally decommissioned and ceased to be the oldest ship in the fleet. The Kitty Hawk served for 48 years and 13 days. In that time about 100,000 sailors served on the ship. The ship was the Navy's last non-nuclear carrier and, since 1998, the oldest ship in commission. "The Hawk" did not age well and had lots of breakdowns in its final years. This led members of the crew to more frequently call their ship "Shitty Hawk" or "Shitty Kitty". After the Hawk retired the USS Enterprise (which entered service seven months after the Kitty Hawk) became the oldest ship in service. Since 2009 three American warships have been the oldest ship and there are likely to be the ships holding the oldest ship title for longer periods because the U.S. Navy has decided it would be cheaper to refurbish and extend the useful lives of older warships than building new replacements. The Enterprise was retired in 2012 and the amphibious ship Denver (LPD 9), which entered service in 1968, was the oldest ship until 2014 and succeeded by another amphibious ship the Blue Ridge (LCC-19) which entered service in 1970 and as of 2019 is still active and as of June the sole ship flying the First Navy Jack and is expected to keep flying it until retirement in 2039. The First Union Jack returned to wide use in 1976 when, for the entire bicentennial year (of American independence), all U.S. Navy ships flew it off the rear of the ship instead of the usual Union Jack. In 1980 the navy began having the oldest ship in service flying the First Navy Jack. By the 1990s, with many warships worldwide being retired with the end of the Cold War in 1991, this also generated more interest about which navy in the world had the oldest ship still in service. It was long believed that the oldest warship in service was the Russian salvage ship VMF Kommuna. This 2,500 ton catamaran was built in the Netherlands and entered service in 1915. Kommuna began service in the Czar's navy, spent most of its career in the Soviet (communist) Navy and now serves in the fleet of the Russian Federation. Originally designed to recover submarines that had sunk in shallow coastal waters, Kommuna remains in service to handle smaller submersibles, does it well and has been maintained over the decades to the point where it is cheaper to keep the old girl operational than to try to design and build a replacement. While the Kommuna is a navy ship it is not a warship, it is not armed. The oldest armed navy ship still in service is apparently the gunboat Parnaiba of the Brazilian Navy. Parnaiba is small (720 tons) river monitor that entered service in 1938. Brazil, with one of the largest river systems in the world (and the second longest river in the world, the Amazon) has long depended on rivers for transportation and has over 22,000 kilometers of navigable rivers. Since many of these rivers pass through thinly populated inland regions Brazil always depended on small river gunboats to back up local law enforcement. The Brazilian Navy still maintains a force of fifteen river gunboats because it still has a lot of rivers that need patrolling. When the Parnaiba entered service in 1938 it was a modern design and, except for a few years during World War II (Brazil declared war on Germany in 1942 and sent some troops to fight), the only naval threat was German submarines in 1942. Parnaiba was briefly pressed into service as a coastal anti-submarine patrol boat but really was not built for operations in the ocean, even if just coastal waters, and soon returned to river patrols. Over the years Parnaiba has been well maintained and in the 1990s had her steam engines replaced with diesels. Some of her weapons were updated as well along with her electronics. Currently, Parnaiba is armed with a 76mm cannon, two 40mm and six 20mm autocannon as well as two 81mm mortars and some machine-guns and small arms. The ship now has a helipad for medium (up to 10 ton) helicopters. Top speed is 22 kilometers an hour and there is onboard fuel for traveling 2,500 kilometers at 10 kilometers an hour. Supplies are carried to sustain the crew of 74 for 16 days. Parnaiba became the oldest armed warship in 2011 when the British Royal Navy retired the 4,700 ton HMS Caroline. This light cruiser entered service in 1914 and fought in the epic Battle of Jutland in 1916. Caroline lost most of its heavy guns in the 1920s when many World War I cruisers and destroyers had their heavy guns removed for use as shore batteries. While HMS Caroline still had some weapons and its engines it spent most of its time tied up in port as a headquarters ship. After World War II Caroline served as a training ship, mostly tied up at dockside. When decommissioned in 2011, the ship could no longer move under her own power. At that point, it was noted that the Caroline was not the only World War I warship still in service and that Russians were still using the Kommuna, an unarmed support ship. So it was in 2011 that Parnaiba became the oldest armed warship still in service. The U.S. Navy had retired the last of its World War II era armed ships in the 1990s and ships like the Caroline were technically still not in service as an armed warship. But the Parnaiba still is and always has been, even though it patrols the worlds largest rivers, not the oceans. In any event, the thousands of Brazilian sailors who have served on the Parnaiba since 1938 all have war stories to tell. The rivers often attracted all manner of criminal activity that the Parnaiba had to deal with. Nothing really epic but there was violence, threats, chases and occasional use of the heavy weapons on board. Parnaiba was armed for a reason and not called a gunboat for nothing. Bangladesh and major foreign aid agencies are improving living conditions for the Rohingya refugees from Burma who are apparently not going home and currently living near the Burma border. The UN sought nearly a billion dollars from aid donors to pay for supporting the 900,000 Rohingya still stuck in Bangladesh refugee camps. The donors are apparently responding and upgrades to the camps are underway. Despite considerable efforts to persuade Burma to take the Rohingya back, it was pretty obvious at the end of 2018 that previous plans had failed. One glitch was the failure to persuade Rohingya Moslems to leave Bangladesh and return to Burma. This effort has been suspended with Burma and Bangladesh agreeing to work towards trying again before 2020. Not much progress so far. The fundamental problem remains; Burma does not want to take back the refugees and the Rohingya are unwilling to return as long as Burma continues to tolerate hostile public attitudes towards the Rohingya. The Burmese Buddhist nationalists who started all the violence in 2012 were reviving a decades old hostility towards the Rohingya. The hostility was made worse by the upsurge in Islamic terrorism worldwide since the 1990s. Finally, the military commanders who had given up most of their power in 2011 and allowed democracy to return after half a century of military rule saw the Rohingya violence (which the army participated in) as a possible way to regain more of their political power. That could happen because Western nations are now considering reviving economic sanctions for Burma because of the unresolved Rohingya refugee problem. China is hoping for the worst because that would mean Burma would be more dependent on China for trade and investment. It would make Burma a Chinese dependency (sort of like North Korea) and the Burmese dont care for that but that the army leadership is comfortable with it. The Chinese need some help because the Chinese operating commercial (rather than Chinese government) enterprises in northern Burma (Kachin and Shan states) are a major source of complaints in Burma. There seems to be no end of illegal schemes the Chinese come up with that profit at the expense of Burmese in the north. Two of the recent rackets is enticing or kidnapping Burmese women to China and selling them to Chinese men to be wives. There a growing shortage of Chinese women has created a market for young foreign women. China's "one child" policy of the last few decades and the ability to determine the sex of the child before birth led to more (20 percent more) boys than girls being born in China. There's a growing shortage of potential brides, and desperate Chinese men are willing to buy a kidnapped tribal girl from northern Burma (or anywhere else). And then there are the Chinese banana plantations. Some are legitimate and registered to operate. But nearly all these Banana operations break the law in one way or another, usually by illegally expanding into state or locally owned forests and illegally using pesticides and fertilizer. For the northern tribes, China has rarely been a good neighbor and Burma is the current best example of the worst behavior by a larger neighbor. That bad behavior recently manifested itself in Kachin State when 8,000 people demonstrated against the Chinese Myitsone dam project, a $3.6 billion project that began in 2009 but has been stalled by local resistance since 2011. In the last year, China has threatened Myanmar with economic retaliation and withdrawal of protection in the UN (over criticism of the mistreatment of Rohingya Moslems) unless the dam project resumes. Opposition to the dam has become a national issue with most Burmese angry at Chinese attempts to bully Burma into accepting the dam project. Because Burma needs China more than the other way around Burmese leaders are still working on ways to get the Chinese projects moving again. Meanwhile, the official Chinese policy is an ominous We just want to be friends. April 24, 2019: In the northwest (Rakhine state), three of 27 civilians arrested two weeks ago on suspicion of supporting the AA (Arakan Army) were found dead alongside a road. In the north (Shan State), the army revealed that over the last few days troops had taken at least seven KIA (Kachin Independence Army) outposts in contested areas. Peace negotiations with the KIA continue to be stalled by disagreements on the extent of KIA controlled territory. April 22, 2019: In the north (Kachin State), 54 jade miners died during a landslide that took place at night while everyone was sleeping. About 40 vehicles also disappeared into what, when it was all over, was described as a mud lake. There is more risk of this thing because unemployed jade miners become scavengers who scour abandoned (because the owners felt there was not enough jade left to be worth extracting) jade mining sites and work these sites without much regard for safety. Some lucrative jade mines are shut down because of legal problems and those sites have armed guards and police to provide security for the jade mines mainly to keep scavengers away. But many old mines that still have some jade left in them are not guarded or monitored by safety engineers in order to prevent accidental deaths and more unwelcome publicity to the lucrative but embarrassing jade industry. The scavengers have few other employment options and are not deterred by armed guards or the danger. For the third time this year ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) rebels attacked police. This time they planted a mine in a road that damaged a police van, wounding one policeman. There were actually two mines planted in the area but the other one caused no casualties. There are rumors, but little evidence that Islamic terrorist group ARSA is growing and becoming a threat. In mid-2017 there were rumors, but little proof, that ARSA had attacked Hindu villages in Burma and killed at least 99 Hindus. There have been persistent reports but not a lot of conclusive evidence that ARSA sought out and murdered Hindus. Islamic terrorists tend to take credit for their attacks, not deny them, so its unclear what is going on with this. Rakhine State Islamic terrorists first showed up in late 2016 and August 2017 when there were attacks by a Rohingya Islamic terrorist group called ARSA. Its founder (a Rohingya expatriate) and much of the cash came from Saudi Arabia. Burma prefers to call groups like ARSA Islamic terrorists but until ARSA and the Saudi cash showed up there had not been much, if any, religious aspect to the armed Rohingya resistance. ARSA was openly calling for Rohingya worldwide to support a war against Burma for the bad treatment the Rohingya have received, especially since 2012. Until this new document appeared ARSA had denied any connection with al Qaeda but that has apparently changed. Since 2018 ARSA has also apparently begun coordinating its operations with the AA (Arakan Army) rebels. The AA has been much more active and their clashes with the army have left nearly a hundred dead (most of them AA gunmen) so far this year. For the moment ARSA is more of a force on the Internet, not on the ground. The same can be said for ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), which was never able to establish itself in Burma or neighboring Thailand (which actually has a minor Islamic terrorist problem in the far south). Burma and Thailand are both Buddhist majority nations that have always allowed Moslem minorities but have responded violently if the local Moslems got aggressive or radicalized. April 17, 2019: In the north (Shan State), the autonomous Wa government celebrated the 30th anniversary of the treaty it signed with the military government to bring peace to the Wa State. In 1989 the government agreed to allow nearly 4,000 square kilometers along the Chinese border in Shan State to have some autonomy as long as the Wa militias no longer fought the army and the Wa leadership consulted with the government on matters of mutual importance. The government actually agreed to six of these self-administered zones in Shan State. Together they comprised less than five percent of the area in Shan State but a larger share of the organized tribal population. Some ten percent of all Shan State residents live in Wa territory. Over the last three decades, the Wa have done the most (economically and diplomatically) with this autonomy. The 30th anniversary celebration was held in the Wa State capital Hopang which, in 1989 was a small village near the Chinese border with no electricity or paved roads. Now it is the largest town in the region with high rise buildings, paved roads and traffic jams. Wa policemen direct traffic during rush hour. The Wa zone has a population of nearly 600,000 and it is generally closed to tourists and entry is via checkpoints operated by UWSA forces. For decades before the 1989 agreement, the Wa were the major producers of illegal drugs. The Wa say they have moved away from that but the Wa are still the major supplier of methamphetamine. Production of meth, mainly in Burma, has gone from 30 tons in 2016 to over a hundred tons in 2018 and is still growing. Shan state, which is on the Chinese border, remains the largest source of illegal drugs in the region. Opium and heroin used to be the major source of income but those old staples are being displaced by methamphetamine. The Burmese methamphetamine production is a major regional problem that is worth billions of dollars a year to the tribes and that is a tremendous incentive for tribal drug gangs and corrupt government officials to help keep it going, The meth (usually in pill form) is called yaba locally and is the most popular drug in Southeast Asia and China. Most (nearly half) of yaba goes to China, followed by Thailand. The Burmese meth has become hugely popular in China, which is pressuring the Burmese government to do more about the problem and that has resulted in more police activity up there, but not enough to put a dent in the drug business and the Wa State is basically untouchable. To protect all they have the UWSA (United Wa State Army) has 30,000 full time uniformed and trained troops. Most are conscripts but the pay is good and neither the Burmese military nor other tribal militias in the region want to take on the UWSA. The military parade at the celebration showed why. There were over 7,000 uniformed personnel marching or driving in the parade. The USWA showed off new (over the last few years) Chinese weapons and vehicles. Not all USWA weapons (like the helicopters and 122mm artillery) were shown off but there were new twin barrel 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine-guns and new model shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. These troops also have modern military radios, combat helmets and all manner of commercial gadgets (GPS and quadcopter UAVs). USWA is negotiating to obtain larger Chinese military UAVs. The UWSA is clearly the leading tribal militia and unlike most other tribal militias in Burma is not at war with Burma. The Burmese army tends to respect UWSA military capabilities. Half the tribal militiamen in the far north belong to the UWSA, which has 50,000 armed men available. This includes 20,000 organized reserves. The Wa are related to the ethnic (Han) Chinese, and many other Wa live across the border in China. The Burmese Wa use Chinese as a second language and do most of their business (legal, illegal and semi-legal) with Chinese. As a result, the Chinese government makes it clear to the Burmese government that any attack on the Wa would not be appreciated and have pressured the Burmese on behalf of the Wa in the past. The Wa have long been recognized as the leader of a loose coalition of tribal rebels in the north who have, like the Wa, refused to sign any of the peace deals the army has offered. The Wa insist that they do not need to sign any new agreement because their 1989 ceasefire agreement is still in force. The Wa coalition includes the KIA, the MNDAA, the SSA-N, the Arakan Army and the TNLA. Without the cooperation of this powerful coalition there can never be peace in the north. Thus there has been nearly continuous fighting in Shan state for years. This led to a ban on voting in much of Shan state. The fighting has been rather low level but there have been several thousand casualties each year and over 100,000 more refugees fleeing their homes since 2014. The Wa State works with the Burmese government to try and work out peace deals with other tribes. There has been some success with this but there are still tribal rebels who are still at war with the Burmese (although not the Wa). April 9, 2019: In the northwest (Rakhine state), hundreds of AA rebels attacked army and police facilities before dawn. Police and army reinforcements soon arrived, including air support (helicopters and warplanes) and the rebels dispersed. There appeared to have been about a hundred casualties but an accurate count was impossible because the rebels took their dead and wounded with them. April 5, 2019: In the northwest (Rakhine state,) the army said six AA rebels killed during a recent airstrike (using a helicopter gunship) were Rohingya Moslems or, as many Burmese call Rohingya, Bangladeshis. The AA is largely composed of Burmese Buddhists from Rakhine but in this tribal warfare, you are always on the lookout for allies. In any event, locals insist the six dead Rohingya were civilians out cutting down bamboo. The army insisted the six had fired on the helicopter. California State University Monterey Bay The online MBA program through California State University Monterey Bay offers flexible classes in a variety of structures. Students complete a total of 14 classes and can finish the program in about 18 months. Classes are either one or five weeks long and cover topics including leadership, accounting, economics, marketing, global business, and business communications. Students must complete the courses in a particular sequence, and, in addition, the curriculum includes a capstone experience and a seminar in professional development. Loyola Marymount University The Executive MBA program at Loyola Marymount University is aimed at professionals with significant work experience. Applicants who demonstrate this qualification do not need to take the GMAT exam. Students at Loyola Marymount complete the program in just under two years by taking in-person weekend classes. During the first year, students focus on aspects of leadership including communication and organizational performance. Later, students concentrate on global business. As part of this module, students travel to an international market to conduct research for a final project. The program also includes a summer session on innovation and a preliminary leadership retreat. University of Southern California The University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business offers an Executive MBA program for which the GMAT is optional. Suited for professionals already pursuing a management career, the program offers in-person classes on Fridays and Saturdays and can be completed in under two years. During the first year of study, coursework examines operations and covers markets, essential business disciplines, and information technology. The second year focuses on strategy and includes coursework in globalization and strategic planning along with an international travel opportunity. University of California - Los Angeles In conjunction with the National University of Singapore, UCLA offers an Executive MBA program aimed at professionals with 10 or more years of work experience. For qualified applicants, the GMAT is not required. This program takes a global perspective with a particular focus on Asian countries. In addition to completing coursework in Los Angeles, students study in cities including Singapore, Shanghai, and New Delhi. UCLA's curriculum includes classes in economics, entrepreneurship, logistics, finance, and negotiation. The program can be completed in 15 months. University of Redlands The University of Redlands offers an online MBA program that does not require GMAT scores. This degree requires the completion of 48 credit hours and can be earned in approximately two years. Classes are offered in eight-week segments with several start dates throughout the year. The MBA curriculum covers subjects including accounting, investing, marketing, and organizational behavior. Students also select a concentration in finance, general business, location analytics, or marketing. Colorado Christian University | BS in Organizational Management in Christian Leadership Colorado Christian University offers a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management in Christian Leadership degree program for students who are interested in preparing for careers leading churches, non-profits, and businesses. Discover more about CCU's program here. Official Program Name: Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management in Christian Leadership School Offering Program: Colorado Christian University Degree Level: Bachelor's Program Prerequisites: Applicants to the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management in Christian Leadership degree program should have an interest in implementing biblical ideas of leadership into ministry and business roles. All applicants to Colorado Christian University must have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent; some programs might have additional requirements. Program Description: From ethics and management theories to leadership and motivational techniques, the B.S in Organizational Management in Christian Leadership program is designed to produce graduates who are ready to lead. Students might learn about effective team-building strategies, biblical ideas of leadership, and practical management skills. Coursework in topics like biblical studies, organizational behavior, project management, and fiscal management is intended to provide a solid foundation for students who want to work with churches, parachurches, or business organizations. Students may also have the chance to participate in the Values-Aligned Leadership Summit, a conference devoted to the role of ethics in business. Learning Format: Online and on campus Program Length: 120 credits. Financial Aid: Eligible students could be able to receive financial aid in the forms of grants, loans, and scholarships. Contact Colorado Christian University's financial aid office for more information. Colorado Christian University | MBA: Health Care Administration The Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration program at Colorado Christian University is designed to prepare graduates for leadership roles in healthcare organizations and help fill the needs in this growing field. Learn more about what the program at Colorado Christian University offers. Official Program Name: Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration School Offering Program: Colorado Christian University Degree Level: Master's Program Prerequisites: Applicants to the Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration program should be interested in holding a leadership position in a health organization. They'll also need an undergraduate minimum GPA of 2.5, at least five years of work experience, and a passing grade for each of three prerequisite courses. All master's level programs at Colorado Christian University require a bachelor's degree; some programs may have additional admissions requirements. Program Description: The Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration program offered at Colorado Christian University is designed to prepare graduates to be leaders in the healthcare sector and to navigate its dynamic demands and requirements. The program gives students the opportunity to receive specialized training in the context of small class sizes. The emphasis in healthcare administration focuses on healthcare systems, economics, and law as well as performance improvement. The courses are designed to give students a unique blend of business experience and a knowledge of the technical aspects of healthcare administration. In line with the focus of the university, the academic learning in this program will be framed from a spiritual perspective. Learning Format: Online Program Length: 39 credits. Financial Aid: Eligible students could be able to receive financial aid in the forms of grants, loans, and scholarships. Contact Colorado Christian University's financial aid office for more information. The fuel crisis in Syria, could be used as an opportunity to push the regime to accept a political solution and potentially could lead to a change at the top of the regime writes Iqtissad. The shortage of gasoline and the almost total inability to provide solutions, has put the Assad regime under increasing pressure at a time when there is talk of an international and regional desire for a political solution in accordance with the Security Councils resolutions. Analysts argue that the economic crises plaguing the regime will push it to compromise in order to reach a political solution. For more than a week, the regime has suffered from a severe fuel crisis that has immobilized transportation in all regions, particularly in the major cities of Damascus and Aleppo. The head of the Syrian Economic Task Force, Osama Kadi, said in an exclusive interview with Iqtissad that, the suffocating embargo on the Assad regime is designed to embarrass Iran and force the regime to abandon such a weak ally, which will not be able to deliver oil for its ally. Russias Approval In his analysis, Kadi asserts that the embargo is approved by Russia, in order to deliver a clear message to Iran that Russia is the only strong ally and the one in command in Syria, and that the embarrassment of the regime, in front its loyalists, is preparation for the replacement of the head of the regime by Russia. Russia is using US sanctions as a means of getting rid of the head of the regime and its ally Iran. Russia is trying to gain popularity in Syria, as well as gaining international recognition for its role in fighting Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism, he said. Kadi added that this time, America is serious about tightening the boycott against the regime and Iran, not to overthrow the regime, but to push for a political solution, especially if the Caesar Act is ratified (a civilian protection act drafted in 2016). He stresses that: the Syrian crisis is very complex, and the political solution ensures a balance between the interests of Russia and America, specifically their relations with Israel, Turkey, Egypt and the Gulf. He expressed his belief that the American administration wants an additional gain, namely, the elimination of the Iranian influence and expansion in Syria and perhaps in Iraq as well, and appearing as the victor who brought the Syrian issue to political safety, albeit without fulfilling popular demands. Complex Crisis Economist Yunus al-Karim described the crisis in the system as a complex crisis and that to understand the impact of the oil crisis on the behavior of the regime it must be analyzed. He pointed out, in an exclusive statement to Iqtissad, that there is a role played by the regime in the crisis, where it paves the way to raise government subsidies on fuel prices and sell it at international prices, in order to attract multinational companies, which are considered the main player in international policies. He explained that state subsidies makes it hard for multinational companies to enter the local market, as it will make it more difficult to compete and will make the expected profits weaker; as well as an increase in the taxes imposed by the State because of its support for certain basic goods and materials, ie, increased State responsibility. The second reason for the crisis, according to Karim, is political, resulting from the international demands from the regime in order to proceed with the political solution. He said that, the goal of the economic siege on the regime is to pressure it to implement the full procedures required to advance the political solution, specifically the formation of the constitutional committee, because that would reorganize the opposition. Karim continues that, As a result of the oppressive policies of the regime, no Syrian opposition has been capable of performing the internationally demanded role. The withdrawal of the head of the regime or his absence, before arranging for what comes next, may drive the country towards a greater conflict. The Only Victor However, the dissented financial analyst, Munther Mohammed, ruled out the regime taking real steps towards a political solution, saying that, despite the financial and economic crises shaking the regime, Assad still thinks that he is the only victor in the war. He added to Iqtissad that the regime mostly suffers from shortages in liquidity at its Central Bank, and its inability to pay the price of the oil that was imported from Iran, who stopped the supply of oil to demand the implementation of signed contracts with it, starting with receiving the port of Lattakia. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Since the Nasib Border Crossing between Syria and Jordan reopened, a steady stream of displaced Syrians have used the crossing to return reports SANA. SANAs reporter in Daraa said that a new batch of displaced Syrian families returned from the refugee camps in Jordan through Nasib Border Crossing to their villages, which have been liberated from terrorism. On Apr. 10, 2019, a batch of displaced Syrians returned from the refugee camps in Jordan and the concerned authorities in Daraa provided basic services to them to ensure their return to their home towns and villages. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Cowlitz County Sheriffs deputy Justin DeRosier was remembered as a loyal and courageous lawman who had a heart the size of a mountain at an April 24 funeral service in the University of Portlands Chiles Center that attracted thousands of law enforcement officers. DeRosier was honored at a two-hour service after an hour-long funeral procession that brought his body on a winding path through Longview and Kelso and ended with funerary pomp, motorcycles, bagpipers and thousands of uniformed personnel on the University of Portland campus. The Chiles Center, which holds nearly 5,000 people, was nearly full. Brett Myers, Whitman County sheriff, spoke first during the ceremony. DeRosier began his career in law enforcement at the Whitman County Sheriffs Office. Myers quoted the saying Heroes are ordinary people who do extraordinary things. I would take exception, Myers said. Justin was anything but ordinary. Justin was an extraordinary person who did extraordinary things. DeRosier was the kind of guy everybody liked and had a work ethic second to none, Myers said, relating that he often called DeRosier Boy Wonder. He had qualities you cant train, Myers said. (They were) almost heaven-sent. Justin did everything right that night, Myers said of the night of April 13, when he died of a gunshot wound during a blocking vehicle call in Kalama. But heaven called for that Boy Wonder. Woodland Police Chief Jim Kelly joked that after knowing DeRosier nearly his entire life, he wanted to convince him to leave the sheriffs office for Woodland PD. Few deputies or officers would sign in (over the radio) with the enthusiasm of Justin, Kelly said. When he learned DeRosier had been shot, I realized Cowlitz County had lost one of the greatest officers I have ever known, Kelly said, adding, Rest well my son. Cowlitz County Undersheriff Darren Ullmann said DeRosier never thought twice about facing the danger. Justins destiny (was): To make s- happen as loudly as possible, Ullmann laughed. He had a heart the size of a mountain and an insatiable appetite for knowledge. And because of him, we know its OK to hug and cry while in uniform, Ullmann said. We really need more Justin DeRosiers, not only as cops but as friends. Multiple speakers said they believed that DeRosier, 29, wouldnt have hesitated to go into law enforcement even had he known he would die in the line of duty just five years after he graduated from the police academy. The procession into the university began with dozens of police motorcycles, followed by the Seattle Police Pipes & Drums and Portland Police Highland guard performing on drums and bagpipes to lead the rest of the group in. Hundreds, if not more than a thousand uniformed personnel lined the route, arms raised as they stood stoically. Deputies from the Cowlitz County sheriffs office overlooked the transfer of DeRosiers casket to the ceremony. Personnel came from Washington and Oregon sheriffs offices and police departments, EMS and firefighting agencies. Even Homeland Security was present. A Pierce County sheriffs deputy who only gave his first name Bob said it was an honor to be there representing another agency. Its a fallen brother, killed in the line of duty. I think its an honor to do this. Come out and show support. Two crossed firefighter ladders on the route of the procession displayed the same flag used in the 2011 memorial service held at the Chiles center for Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter, who was shot in the line of duty that January. The crossed ladders tradition is a symbolic way of honoring the fallen, said Vancouver Fire Department Captain Perry LeDoux. Its difficult, because you know the cost that is associated with this, LeDoux said. Whether it be a loss in either law enforcement, or fire service, it hurts no matter what. Were all partners. ... We all know the underlying reason why were here, and that kind of hurts, but its good to support and honor Justin and his family. Thats what we want them mostly to see. Thats the reason why were here, is to show them how much care for him and to know that theyre not alone. Its a demonstration of support for DeRosier and for fellow first responders, LeDoux said. Were all in the same mission. Any day could be our last day, and we see it. Its a fairly tight bond. Were all looking out for each other. If we have an issue, theyre there for us. Were together in the streets, and we grieve together, Longview fire Lt. Scott Kerker added. For a lot of the guys who work in the same jurisdiction or area, its a first-name basis. You see them on EMS calls. They have a problem, were there for them and vice-versa. Love 6 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 40 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Nearly 900 residents of an unincorporated area of West Longview will decide on Nov. 5 whether to join the city. Longview officials announced Wednesday that enough petition signatures from a proposed annexation area have been submitted to force a public vote on the matter. That vote will be held in the next general election. Until that vote, the city will not act on the annexation, which officials say would save residents in the area about $523 annually in utility charges. Property taxes would also be slightly lower. But some fees would increase, and many residents of the area have been concerned that they would be subject to more restrictive property regulations. The proposed annexation area is a 237-acre unincorporated island surrounded by neighborhoods already incorporated into the city. The area is between 40th and 52nd avenues on both the north and south sides of Ocean Beach Highway. The city and Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue sought the annexation to make city boundaries more logical and identifiable for police, fire and other emergency responders. The annexation process requires an agreement among the the city, Cowlitz County and Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue. Both Cowlitz 2 and the county had indicated agreement. But residents and businesses in the area can block the annexation if at least 10 percent of the residents sign a petition to put the matter to a public vote. The Cowlitz County Auditor recently certified that the petition effort has an adequate number of valid number of signatures, but the number of them was not available Wednesday because the auditors office was closed for the funeral for sheriffs deputy Justin DeRosier. Contact City Editor Andre Stepankowsky at 360-577-2520. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Top view images of the tri-arm soft magnetic structures that bear different magnetization profiles. Credit: Xu et al., Sci. Robot. 4, eaav4494 (2019) Assembling a microrobot used to require a pair of needle-nosed tweezers, a microscope, steady hands and at least eight hours. But now University of Toronto Engineering researchers have developed a method that requires only a 3-D printer and 20 minutes. In the lab of Professor Eric Diller, researchers create magnetized microrobotsthe size of the head of a pinthat can travel through fluid-filled vessels and organs within the human body. Diller and his team control the motion of these microrobots wirelessly using magnetic fields. Each microrobot is built by precisely arranging microscopic sections of magnetic needles atop a flat, flexible material. Once deployed, the researchers apply magnetic fields to induce microrobots to travel with worm-like motion through fluid channels, or close its tiny mechanical 'jaws' to take a tissue sample. "These robots are quite difficult and labour-intensive to fabricate because the process requires precision," says graduate student, Tianqi Xu. "Also because of the need for manual assembly, it's more difficult to make these robots smaller, which is a major goal of our research." That is why Xu and his labmates developed an automated approach that significantly cuts down on design and development time, and expands the types of microrobots they can manufacture. Their findings were published today in Science Robotics. A microrobot with gripping-jaw, cargo-carrying capabilities. Credit: Tianqi Xu Smaller and more complex microrobots are needed for future medical applications, such as targeted drug delivery, assisted fertilization, or biopsies. "If we were taking samples in the urinary tract or within fluid cavities of the brainwe envision that an optimized technique would be instrumental in scaling down surgical robotic tools," says Diller. To demonstrate the capabilities of their new technique, the researchers devised more than 20 different robotic shapes, which were then programmed into a 3-D printer. The printer then builds and solidifies the design, orienting the magnetically patterned particles as part of the process. MASc student Tianqi Xu holds up a microrobot that was fabricated using their automated system. Credit: Liz Do, U of T Engineering The paddle-crawling magnetic robot. Credit: Xu et al., Sci. Robot. 4, eaav4494 (2019) As a proof of concept of that their method can be used to magnetize soft polymers at a small scale, the researchers magnetically encoded a QR code with clearly defined boundaries and sharp edges in a 5 mm 5 mm region on a sheet of polymer. Credit: Xu et al., Sci. Robot. 4, eaav4494 (2019) "Previously, we would prepare one shape and manually design it, spend weeks planning it, before we could fabricate it. And that's just one shape," says Diller. "Then when we build it, we would inevitably discover specific quirksfor example, we might have to tweak it to be a little bigger or thinner to make it work." "Now we can program the shapes and click print," adds Xu. "We can iterate, design and refine it easily. We have the power to really explore new designs now." The researchers' optimized approach opens the doors for developing even smaller and more complex microrobots than the current millimetre-size. "We think it's promising that we could one day go 10 times smaller," says Diller. Diller's lab plans to use the automated process to explore more sophisticated and complicated shapes of microrobots. "As a robotics research community, there's a need to explore this space of tiny medical robots," adds Diller. "Being able to optimize designs is a really critical aspect of what the field needs." Explore further Microrobots that can form into multiple types of swarming shapes More information: T. Xu el al., "Millimeter-Scale Flexible Robots with Programmable Three-Dimensional Magnetization and Motions," Science Robotics (2019). Journal information: Science Robotics T. Xu el al., "Millimeter-Scale Flexible Robots with Programmable Three-Dimensional Magnetization and Motions,"(2019). robotics.sciencemag.org/lookup /scirobotics.aav4494 A 22-year-old from Carbondale will serve two years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to a Class 3 felony charge of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon. According to a news release from Jackson County State's Attorney Michael Carr, Jonquel M. Gaston pleaded guilty on Monday and was given a 24-month sentence, plus one year of mandatory supervised release after his prison term. Carr said Carbondale Police Officers on Feb. 2 saw Gaston in the 500 block of East Main Street, and knowing there was a warrant for his arrest, approached him and took him into custody without incident. When he was searched, officers found a loaded .38-caliber handgun in Gaston's pocket. Gaston admittied it was his, and said he carried it for protection, according to a news release from Carr's office. MARION Williamson County authorities are asking for help from the public in locating the suspect in a series of vehicle thefts that occurred early Wednesday morning. Adam Walker is believed to be the suspect in the theft of multiple vehicles, including one that he crashed and another he stole from a good Samaritan who stopped at that crash to offer help, Williamson County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Murrah said in a Wednesday news release. Walker is described as a white male, 33 years old, about 6 feet 3 inches tall and 250 pounds. He is believed to be driving vehicle he stole from the scene of a crash on Illinois 166 at Canaville Road. The vehicle is a silver 2010 Chevrolet Impala that is missing paint on the front bumper and has a car seat in the backseat. It has Missouri registration SG6Y4F. Marion police officers checked on a suspicious vehicle near Williamson County Courthouse at 4:10 a.m. Wednesday. They located the vehicle and identified the driver as Adam Ray Walker. There was no evidence of criminal activity, so he was not detained. At about 5:20 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a residence on Corinth Road. The resident had received a call from a gas station in Marion where property belonging to her was found. When the resident checked, she discovered one of her vehicles had been burglarized and the other vehicle was missing. In the driveway, the resident found a vehicle that had been stolen earlier in Marion. The vehicle that was stolen from this Corinth Road address was the same vehicle involved in the suspicious vehicle call near the sheriffs office earlier in that morning. As deputies were investigating this report, Marion Police Department received a 911 call reporting a traffic crash and car on fire on Illinois 166 at Canaville Road. The caller is described as a good Samaritan who had driven up on the crash and stopped to help. While she was on the phone with 911, the driver of the crashed vehicle drove away in her vehicle. Illinois State Police handled the traffic crash investigation. They have confirmed that the wrecked vehicle was the vehicle stolen from Corinth Road. Williamson County deputies are investigating the stolen vehicles. The suspect driver was described as a white male with tattoos, wearing shorts and a tank top and carrying a backpack. This matches Walker's description; Walker was identified by Marion police as the driver of the suspicious vehicle earlier in the morning. At this time, Williamson County Sheriff Bennie Vick is asking for the help of the public in locating Walker and the vehicle he stole at the crash scene. Anyone with information about Walker or the stolen Impala is asked to contact the Williamson County Sheriffs Office at 618-997-6541. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. constitutionalconduct.com 24 April 2019 OPEN STATEMENT BY FORMER CIVIL SERVANTS a CHARGE-SHEETED TERROR ACCUSED AS PARTY CANDIDATE Our group of former civil servants of the All India and Central Services has no affiliation with any political party and is firmly committed to the Constitution of India. We write to express our disbelief and dismay at the candidature of Pragya Thakur for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat. This decision could have been dismissed as yet another example of political expediency but for the enthusiastic endorsement by no less a person than the Prime Minister of India, who has termed her candidature as a symbol of our civilisational heritage. As if it were not enough to nominate a person who is undergoing trial for acts of terror (the Malegaon Bomb Blast Case), Pragya Thakur, who is out on bail on medical grounds, has used the political platform she has been provided not just to propound her brand of bigotry, but also to insult the memory of Shri Hemant Karkare, the IPS officer who laid down his life in the fight against terror. For Ms. Thakur, Shri Karkare died not because he sacrificed his own life defending ours, but because she had put a curse on him for daring to investigate her and, through his meticulous investigations, successfully charging her for terrorist crimes. In her worldview, anyone who has the audacity to investigate a self-styled aHindua religious leader in a aHindua country earns divine wrath and therefore would naturally be destroyed. As former civil servants, we are not normally wont to give voice to our feelings. However, this dishonouring of a former colleague, an officer known for his professionalism, has come as the ultimate shock and saddened us beyond words. The country needs to honour the sacrifice of Shri Karkare and not allow deviant individuals to denigrate him and his memory. Every officer who has served with or supervised the work of Shri Karkare has testified that he was a person of impeccable integrity and an inspiration to all who came in touch with him. But this statement is not just about Shri Karkare. It is also about the atmosphere of hate and divisiveness that characterises not just this electoral campaign but seems to be percolating through society as a whole. The candidature of Pragya Thakur is not a symbol of our civilisational heritage. Our heritage is not that of acts of terrorism. It is not of majoritarianism but of celebrating our diversity. It is of tolerance, fraternity and of the unifying spirit of the Constitution of India. To this end, we appeal to the Prime Minister of India to unequivocally condemn, through actions and statements, the existence of terror in any form. He cannot escape the irony of his party seeking votes in the name of fighting terrorism and at the same time endorsing the candidature of a person accused of terror crimes. Martyrdom cannot be selectively appropriated or given up for the pursuit of political ambition. To institutions like the Election Commission and the Judiciary, we would like to point out that their efforts to contain the politics of divisiveness and of hate have had little impact so far. It is necessary to be far more proactive to stamp out this aberration. Inaction will only exacerbate the situation. We, who came together to use our pooled experience in the service of the Constitution and to further the values enshrined therein, call upon our fellow citizens to join us in: a Condemning unequivocally, the statement of Pragya Thakur; a Demanding that the BJP withdraw her candidature; a Reminding the Prime Minister of his oath to uphold Constitutional values and appealing to him to take the lead in putting an end to the climate of fear and intimidation and communal viciousness that seems to be permeating the entire electoral process. We appeal to our fellow citizens to come together and use our collective might to ensure that the India that was dreamt of by Mahatma Gandhi a an India engaged in a ceaseless quest for truth and nonviolence a and the India that the founding fathers of our Constitution conceived of, remains intact and rises to its full potential. We also appeal to our fellow citizens to reject the pervading atmosphere of hate and divisiveness. Every citizen of India, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, belongs to this country. Let us celebrate our unity in diversity and recall that, together, we have given unto ourselves this Constitution. 1. Anita Agnihotri IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Social Justice Empowerment, GoI 2. Salahuddin Ahmad IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Rajasthan 3. V.S. Ailawadi IAS (Retd.) Former Vice Chairman, Delhi Development Authority 4. S.P. Ambrose IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Secretary, Ministry of Shipping & Transport, GoI 5. Vappala Balachandran IPS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, GoI 6. Gopalan Balagopal IAS (Retd.) Former Special Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 7. Chandrashekhar Balakrishnan IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Coal, GoI 8. Meeran C Borwankar IPS (Retd.) Former DGP, Bureau of Police Research and Development, GoI 9. Ravi Budhiraja IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, GoI 10. Sundar Burra IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 11. Kalyani Chaudhuri IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 12. Javid Chowdhury IAS (Retd.) Former Health Secretary, GoI 13. Anna Dani IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra 14. Surjit K. Das IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Uttarakhand 15. Vibha Puri Das IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI 16. P.R. Dasgupta IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Food Corporation of India, GoI 17. Nareshwar Dayal IFS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom 18. Pradeep K. Deb IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Deptt. Of Sports, GoI 19. Keshav Desiraju IAS (Retd.) Former Health Secretary, GoI 20. M.G. Devasahayam IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Govt. of Haryana 21. Sushil Dubey IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Sweden 22. K.P. Fabian IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Italy 23. Arif Ghauri IRS (Retd.) Former Governance Adviser, DFID, Govt. of the United Kingdom (on deputation) 24. Gourisankar Ghosh IAS (Retd.) Former Mission Director, National Drinking Water Mission, GoI 25. Meena Gupta IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, GoI 26. Ravi Vira Gupta IAS (Retd.) Former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India 27. Wajahat Habibullah IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, GoI and Chief Information Commissioner 28. Deepa Hari IRS (Resigned) 29. Sajjad Hassan IAS (Retd.) Former Commissioner (Planning), Govt. of Manipur 30. Kamal Jaswal IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Information Technology, GoI 31. Rahul Khullar IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India 32. Ajai Kumar Indian Forest Service (Retd.) Former Director, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI 33. Arun Kumar IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, GoI 34. Brijesh Kumar IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Department of Information Technology, GoI 35. Sudhir Kumar IAS (Retd.) Former Member, Central Administrative Tribunal 36. Subodh Lal IPoS (Retd.) Former Deputy Director General, Ministry of Communications, GoI 37. Harsh Mander IAS (Retd.) Govt. of Madhya Pradesh 38. Aditi Mehta IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan 39. Sonalini Mirchandani IFS (Resigned) GoI 40. Sunil Mitra IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI 41. Noor Mohammad IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority, Govt. of India 42. Deb Mukharji IFS (Retd.) Former High Commissioner to Bangladesh and former Ambassador to Nepal 43. Pranab S. Mukhopadhyay IAS (Retd.) Former Director, Institute of Port Management, GoI 44. Nagalsamy IA&AS (Retd.) Former Principal Accountant General, Tamil Nadu & Kerala 45. P.G.J. Nampoothiri IPS (Retd.) Former Director General of Police, Govt. of Gujarat 46. Amitabha Pande IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Inter-State Council, GoI 47. Niranjan Pant IA&AS (Retd.) Former Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General of India 48. Alok Perti IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Coal, GoI 49. Jayant Prasad IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Nepal 50. N.K. Raghupathy IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Staff Selection Commission, GoI 51. V.P. Raja IAS (Retd.) Former Chairman, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission 52. C. Babu Rajeev IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, GoI 53. Julio Ribeiro IPS (Retd.) Former Adviser to Governor of Punjab & former Ambassador to Romania 54. Aruna Roy IAS (Resigned) 55. Deepak Sanan IAS (Retd.) Former Principal Adviser (AR) to Chief Minister, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh 56. Shyam Saran IFS (Retd.) Former Foreign Secretary and Former Chairman, National Security Advisory Board 57. S. Satyabhama IAS (Retd.) Former Chairperson, National Seeds Corporation, GoI 58. N.C. Saxena IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Planning Commission, GoI 59. Ardhendu Sen IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal 60. Abhijit Sengupta IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI 61. Aftab Seth IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Japan 62. Ashok Kumar Sharma IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Finland and Estonia 63. Navrekha Sharma IFS (Retd.) Former Ambassador to Indonesia 64. Raju Sharma IAS (Retd.) Former Member, Board of Revenue, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh 65. Jawhar Sircar IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI, & former CEO, Prasar Bharati 66. Narendra Sisodia IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary, Ministry of Finance, GoI 67. Parveen Talha IRS (Retd.) Former Member, Union Public Service Commission 68. Thanksy Thekkekera IAS (Retd.) Former Additional Chief Secretary, Minorities Development, Govt. of Maharashtra 69. P.S.S. Thomas IAS (Retd.) Former Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission 70. Hindal Tyabji IAS (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary rank, Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir 71. Ramani Venkatesan IAS (Retd.) Former Director General, YASHADA, Govt. of Maharashtra CARBONDALE Police in Harrisburg have arrested an alleged gunman in an April 12 shooting in downtown Carbondale that left four injured, including innocent bystanders. On Thursday afternoon, around 2 p.m., officers arrested Jody Pullen Jr., 27, in the 400 block of Small Street in Harrisburg, according to a news release from Carbondale Police Department. Pullen was wanted on charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated battery with a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the shooting. He had been at large since the shooting. Pullen is currently incarcerated in the Saline County Jail, Carbondale Police indicated in the news release. Our officers and our investigators have done a tremendous job resolving a traumatic and senseless incident," said Carbondale Police Chief Jeff Grubbs. "One part of that was identifying and removing this violent offender from the community. I appreciate the assistance of the public in furthering the efforts of our officers as we continue on with this investigation. The shooting, which occurred in the alley between Tres Hombres and ABC Liquors on a warm spring night when many were out on the town, evolved from a dispute among several acquaintances, Grubbs previously told The Southern. Two of the people who were injured were involved in the dispute, and two of the injured were bystanders, Grubbs said. Carbondale Police have not yet identified any subjects other than Pullen, but haven't ruled out the possibility. "We continue to seek information regarding potential criminal actions of those who were involved in this incident which may lead to charges against them," Grubbs told The Southern last week. The Carbondale Police Department was assisted by the Illinois State Police, the Harrisburg Police Department and the United States Marshals Service in Pullen's arrest, the CPD news release stated. Pullens criminal record shows a string of felonies including guilty verdicts for criminal sexual assault and domestic battery. Pullen is the brother of Jarrell Pullen, who was charged with first-degree murder in the 2017 shooting death of JaVon Trott, a 19-year-old from Johnston City, near the Eurma Hayes Community Center in Carbondale. Jarrell Pullen is set to face a jury trial related to that incident next week. Love 3 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 6 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A 23-year-old from Herrin will serve two concurrent sentences in state prison, one a 10-year term for possessing a weapon illegally, and the other a six-year term for possessing marijuana. According to a news release from Williamson County State's Attorney Brandon Zanotti, Dimitri R. Johnson on Wednesday was sentenced to 10 years on a felony charge of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and six years on a charge of unlawful possession of cannabis (more than 100 grams but less than 500 grams). Johnson was convicted of the two charges following a three-day jury trial this past February. Zanotti said the case stemmed from a December 2017 traffic stop, during which Johnson, already a felon, was found in possession of a loaded handgun and "a large bag of cannabis." Zanotti said Johnson has multiple prior convictions, including for theft, burglary and aggravated eluding and fleeing a police officer. Johnson also will serve two years of mandatory supervised release after he completes his prison term. The Southern Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 CHICAGO An attorney for a four-time felon charged in the killing of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer said in court Wednesday that he is exploring an argument that Bauer was shot in self-defense a tactic that would surely prove controversial in the high-profile case. Attorney Scott Kamin, representing Shomari Legghette, requested access to Bauer's disciplinary and training records in preparing his defense. Cook County Judge Erica Reddick said she would review the records in private before deciding if they would be relevant to the defense. In raising the need for the records, Kamin noted that Bauer and Legghette were alone together at the bottom of a stairwell outside the Thompson Center at the time of the shooting, so "there is a question of self-defense," he said. The disciplinary records could shed light on "what judgment did (Bauer) use?" Kamin told the judge. "... Does he have a penchant for excessive force or unreasonable chases?" The comment earned murmurs of disdain from police officers and civilians who routinely pack the courtroom for hearings for Legghette at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. The group remains standing for the duration of each hearing as a show of support for the slain commander. Assistant State's Attorney John Maher acknowledged there would be a "factual question" about what precisely happened at the bottom of the stairwell but noted that Legghette emerged without any injuries. Bauer, who was shot multiple times, was acting in his office as a police commander, he noted. Pursuing such a strategy would likely be fraught with risk for the defense including that Legghette himself would presumably need to testify about what happened on the bottom of the stairwell, exposing him to a harsh cross-examination. The tactic could easily backfire with jurors. In an interview with Chicago Magazine last year, Legghette appeared to hint that he acted in self-defense, comparing himself to Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager fatally shot in Florida by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. "Would Trayvon Martin have been guilty with George Zimmerman if it had went the other way?" Legghette was quoted as saying in the story. Under Illinois law, a defendant claiming self-defense can attempt to introduce evidence of the victim's history or tendencies toward violence, even if the defendant could not have known about that history at the time of the incident. The practice has been criticized as a way to unfairly smear crime victims. It was unclear if the records to be reviewed by the judge would include a 2003 pursuit involving Bauer, then a sergeant, through the busy downtown area. As he followed a car of thieves who had stolen a wallet from a River North restaurant, the suspects' Dodge ran a red light and struck an SUV, which in turn hit and killed a 25-year-old pregnant woman who was waiting to cross the street on pedestrian-choked West Madison Street. A lawsuit brought by the woman's husband was settled for $12 million and helped prompt wholesale changes in how police pursuits are handled. Bauer was the highest-ranking officer killed on the job in decades. The chain of events leading to his February 2018 death began when officers patrolling Lower Wacker Drive because of a recent shooting and drug sales approached Legghette, but he took off running, authorities said. Bauer, downtown for a meeting with aldermen after attending training for handling mass shootings earlier in the day, heard a radio call of a fleeing suspect and spotted Legghette running nearby moments later, authorities said. Bauer chased Legghette to the top of a stairwell outside the Thompson Center and attempted to detain him, authorities said. The two struggled and ended up on a landing below. Legghette, who was wearing body armor, drew a handgun and fired seven shots, fatally wounding Bauer, prosecutors have said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 To the Editor: When I was a young nurse, working in the emergency department at Edward Hospital in Naperville, I learned that many factors contribute to the quality of care received by patients. Each person, as a unique creation of God, deserves our very best. This includes the best medicines and treatments available, the best facilities, the best-trained caregivers and the best of our personal attentiveness as we encounter them in our healing spaces. At SSM Health, we believe in the healing power of presence. This kind of transformative care is best achieved when caregivers and administrators work hand-in-hand to deliver exceptional care. The Illinois State Legislature is misguided in considering HB 2604, a measure that would prescribe a certain nursing ratio (that is, the number of patients that an individual nurse can serve at a given time). Proper nursing ratios are determined by a number of factors, among them the severity of a patients illness or injury, the skill and experience level of the nurses on a certain floor and specialized training that the caregivers have received. Limiting our staffing decisions will result in less flexibility to develop new and innovative care models as well as our capacity to put the patient, nurse and community first. In their current legislative work, we believe the Capitol is attempting to do something good for patients, and we salute that. In reality, however, mandated nurse staffing ratios imply a one size fits all approach to patient care. The size of the hospital, patient needs, location and the community are not taken into consideration. When these factors are missing from the equation, patient needs can be left unmet and wait times and costs could increase. We do not believe that legislators, well-intentioned though they may be, are in the best position to decide what sort of staffing hospitals should provide. For this reason, we cannot support HB 2604. Lisa DiMarco Chief Nursing Officer SSM Health Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ST. MATTHEWS A vote by Calhoun County Council could pave the way for Community Development Block Grant funds in the future. Council on Monday agreed to enter into an intergovernmental agreement for the annual Lower Savannah Council of Governments planning grant. The agreement includes Calhoun, Orangeburg, Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg and Barnwell counties. Calhoun County Administrator Ted Felder said, What they do is every year to be able to apply for Community Development Block Grant Funds, CDBG funds, they apply to the South Carolina Department of Commerce for a grant, a planning grant. Felder said the planning grant assists the LSCOG as it seeks to help the county secure CBDG funding. What that allows them to do is do the pre-work with the counties before they apply for the grant. CDBG grants are very complicated in general. This allows them to get funds up front to be able to work with counties on potential CDBG grant funds, Felder stated. According to the S.C. Department of Commerces website, the CBDG program provides grants to eligible local governments that do not directly receive CDBG funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. CDBG grants can fund a wide variety of projects from revitalizing neighborhoods to improving community infrastructure, providing public facilities and creating or retaining jobs, the website said. The state program is administered by the S.C. Department of Commerce, Division of Grants Administration. Also during Mondays meeting: Council approved third reading of an ordinance authorizing an amendment to the allocation of revenue generated from the multi-county industrial parks in the county. Council approved the transfer of $30,000 from the Calhoun County Sherriffs Departments salary fund to its overtime fund. Council recognized the Calhoun County Council on Aging and Director Jenny Swofford for the agencys work in the county. Felder gave council a report on the County Building and Planning Department for the month of March. He reported that the department issued a total of 33 permits, completed 94 inspections and collected $7,215 in revenue. Dr. William Molnar of LSCOG appeared before the council and gave a report detailing its involvement in the county. Molnar reported on several programs geared to help the elderly and low-income citizens, as well as helping students in the county develop soft skills. Contact the writer: bharris@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5516 Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A 28-year-old Denmark man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Bamberg County jury convicted him of first-degree burglary on Wednesday. Assistant 2nd Circuit Solicitor R. Jackson Cooper said the jury deliberated nine minutes before they convicted Randy Chestnut of 20566 Heritage Highway of breaking into a Denmark home. He stole a 65-inch television. A Denmark child discovered the burglary when she returned home from school on Dec. 6, 2018. The backdoor of the home was open. In a panic, the child went to her mothers workplace, which was nearby, Cooper said. The homeowners motion-activated surveillance system partially captured images of the burglar. The family provided the video to local news media, Cooper said. North police officer Anita Chestnut saw the video and recognized her brother. She then showed the video to North Police Chief Lin Shirer and he called Lt. Laquan Linder of the Denmark Police Department, Cooper said. On Dec. 18, 2018, Officer Chestnut and Linder met to discuss the video. While Linder conducted routine patrol of a gas station in Denmark on Dec. 19, Randy Chestnut approached her and said, Yo, Quan, my sister said I needed to talk with you. The conversation between Linder and Chestnut wasnt recorded, but Linder claimed that he told her he took what was his from the Denmark home. Linder obtained a warrant charging Chestnut with burglary. Denmark police arrested Chestnut for an unrelated assault charge in January. While Chestnut remained at the Bamberg County Detention Center, prosecutors decided to listen to his phone calls. Cooper said that in one of the calls, Chestnut told a woman that he was wearing gloves the whole time. Cooper said that matched the recorded video surveillance at the burglarized Denmark home. Chestnut was previously convicted of first-offense third-degree burglary in 2008. He pleaded guilty to four felonies in 2010: armed robbery, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and two counts of non-violent second-degree burglary. Judge Doyet A. Early III sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Cooper said Chestnut was released on May 1, 2018. Now Chestnut will spend the rest of his life in prison, without any chance of parole. Michael Emmer, of the solicitors office, assisted in prosecuting the case. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD Love 0 Funny 5 Wow 12 Sad 17 Angry 12 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After centuries dominated by constant wars between states, the end of World War II brought about more than seven decades of big peace and no wars between great powers. This past week marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, which has been instrumental in this long peace. Founded in 1949 as a collective defense pact against Soviet aggression, NATO is an enduring cornerstone of the post-war efforts to prevent further global-scale conflict and encourage strong diplomatic ties between countries who share common interests and values. Engagement with NATO and support for the alliance has been a longstanding, bipartisan tenet of American foreign policy one that I have seen play out personally in my own deployment flying with NATO forces in Libya. Recently, however, a growing number of voices in the United States have begun to more forcefully question U.S. involvement with NATO with some of the loudest of these voices, unfortunately, coming from near and at the top. While there are certainly things that can be done to improve NATOs effectiveness in the 21st century, such rhetoric has led Americas closest allies to question U.S. commitments to the alliance and the good that it does for all members. The best way to ensure the continued effectiveness of NATO is through thoughtful engagement in concert with our partners. Such engagement is the key to continued collective defense and increased member defense spending. Without a doubt, collective defense a core piece of NATO makes us safer. Nevertheless, a growing number of people view NATO as some sort of United States protectorate whereby European nations require American protection. What this argument forgets is that the alliance has come to our aid before. The only time in history that NATOs collective defense measure, Article V, has been invoked was after the 9/11 attacks when our allies sent troops alongside the U.S. military to Afghanistan. In fact, troops from NATO countries still serve alongside our men and women in uniform today. The core idea behind NATO is that collective defense, or the idea that an attack on one is an attack on all, deters outside aggression and prevents global-scale conflicts like the two World Wars. Such a collective defense upholds the democratic peace and deters bad actors from upending the global order. The entire Free World benefits from such an arrangement. Earlier in my career, I had the opportunity to meet then NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen where he summarized all this. His message to those of us showing him around our aircraft was that the only way we identify and defeat threats is by working together with allies. He knew that no one nation, no one organization, can do it alone, and that solidarity between NATO partners has and will remain vital to our continued success. The opposition to continued American involvement with NATO would tell you that being 70 years old goes to show just how out of date the alliance is, or that the alliance has been ineffective because allies dont put up enough money (or that they owe the U.S. money for protecting them). It is a longstanding, bipartisan U.S. foreign policy position that NATO allies need to increase their military spending to, and beyond, the 2 percent of GDP requirement but NATO does not operate on a dues system. Therefore, rather than berate allies, the United States should urge allies to increase their spending by illustrating the shared threats faced. For instance, part of this spending must be focused on evolving the alliance to face 21st-century threats like transnational terrorism, disinformation and a rising China. All of this can, and should, be done while providing a still-needed check on Vladimir Putins Russia in Europe a role still very much needed in light of Putins invasion of two European countries in the last 10 years. Ultimately, NATO was created to make the world a safer place, and its idea of an attack on one is an attack on all led allies to come to American aid after 9/11. The United States should urge its allies to put more money into defense, through continued basing, engagement and sharing of information and training. Attacking the alliance itself only does Vladimir Putins work for him, and is not the strongly held view that critics of NATO seem to think it is. As a combat aircrew member and military leader, I have personally seen that we are all stronger when working together. Should the worst ever come, I want to know that America will operate well with its NATO allies but what I really want is a strong alliance that prevents that from ever having to happen. Jason Baker is a major in the Air Force with numerous deployments working alongside NATO allies. He is also a member of Truman National Security Projects Defense Council. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Once upon a time, the Mueller report was supposed to mark the end of the Russiagate mystery. This yearning now looks naive. Now the report itself is the subject of ongoing battles over redactions and interpretation between Democrats and President Donald Trumps attorney general. Even more naive, however, was the faith that evidence of foul play with Russia would put things to right in our political system after an aberration in 2016. Its not that there was nothing there. Russia and its online troll farms plainly wanted Trump to win. Members of Trump world lied extensively about contacts with Russians, and about projects like the proposed Trump tower in Moscow. Top-level campaign staff, even Trumps own son, actually met with Russians promising government-sponsored dirt on Hillary Clinton. More revelations may follow as reporters dig through the redacted Mueller report. Seems likely enough, even if collusion is never definitively proved to a legal standard. The naive part is the belief that our political system is healthy enough to correct itself, if only the right piece of evidence falls into the hands of an elite prosecutor looking for collusion. Plainly, its not. Because evidence of much more thorough collusion has always been perfectly out in the open with corporations. While Russigate gobbled up all the cable news hours, this sort of collusion has had a far more catastrophic material impact on real people. For instance, an authoritative U.N. climate report gave the world just 12 terrifyingly short years to avert the worst impacts of climate change. Since Trump was elected hurricanes have put Houston, Americas fourth-largest city, underwater, and killed as many Americans in Puerto Rico as died on 9/11. California, our most populous state, seems like its always on fire. How has Trump responded? He pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, put first an oil-backed politician and then a coal lobbyist in charge of the EPA, and handed the Departments of State and Interior over to oil men. What about health care? We spend more on it than any developed country. Its our leading cause of bankruptcy, yet we live shorter lives than people in our peer countries. Still, Trump openly partnered with health care profiteers in a bid to throw up to 30 million Americans off even the modest coverage offered by the Affordable Care Act. His administration is trying to kill the law to this day. On taxes, Trump and his party rammed through an enormous, $2 trillion tax cut for the rich and corporations and immediately proposed cutting Social Security and Medicare to cover the damage. This is much deadlier collusion than anything Trump couldve arranged with the Russians, and Robert Mueller cant do a thing about it. You know who can? Activists like the Sunrise Movement pushing for a Green New Deal. The democratic socialists who made Medicare for All a litmus test in the Democratic primary. And the majority of Americans who want the Trump tax cuts overturned. Support for all these ideas is growing in Congress, thanks to cheerleading by progressive members like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Pramila Jayapal of Washington. Yet by and large theyve enjoyed nothing like the protection offered to narrower undertakings like the Mueller investigation. To the contrary, leading Democrats have at times scoffed at them. Nancy Pelosi dismissed the Green New Deal the most comprehensive progressive vision that actually saves the planet yet devised as a green dream or whatever. And a top Pelosi aide privately comforted pharmaceutical executives that the Democratic leadership wasnt serious about Medicare for All. Rather than confront these interests, they treated Russia as Trumps most egregious crime. Even worse, a few even sprinkled in neo-Cold War calls to confront Russia geopolitically, raising the stakes dramatically. Its not that Trumps possible collusion or obstruction dont deserve scrutiny. But the other Republicans who collude openly with these industries plainly have no intention of holding Trump accountable for Russia or anything else. Leading Democrats, too, are constrained by their accommodations with big money. This arrangement, in short, isnt going to correct itself. But real-life movements, organized around real-life issues like health care and the planet, really could. Maybe they are already. Peter Certo is the editorial manager of the Institute for Policy Studies. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 After the death of Grand Duke Jean on Tuesday, there have been reactions throughout the country. The Ministry of Education has made a special call to remember the former head of state in the school curriculum. The obvious suggestion was that history courses should include the eventful life story of Grand Duke Jean, who helped liberated Luxembourg with the Allied forces. The Ministry of Education also recommended incorporating the Grand Duke's life into political education in schools. "A witness of time" As the Minister of Education Claude Meisch explained, the Grand Duke, who died aged 98, is a "witness of time" of nearly 100 years of Luxembourg history. He represented the country and Meisch explained that young people's interest in the Grand Duke has risen over the last few days. Having heard a lot about Grand Duke Jean with the news of his death, young people are now questioning what the statesman meant for Luxembourg and how he affected their lives, the minister explained. As a result, he announced that schools would now cover the life of the Grand Duke in schools. AUDIO: Extrait Claude Meisch (1) Meisch described youth not strictly as an age, but also as an approach to life, and one represented by the Grand Duke. He described the current time as the opportunity to teach young people about Grand Duke Jean's active life, citing the existing interest as one of many reasons. Crucially, he stressed that it is important to transmit information of someone who lived through so many historical events to the next generation. The history of the Grand Ducal family is already on the school curriculum, but it has not explicitly covered the life of the late Grand Duke. This is due to change in the future. AUDIO: Extrait Claude Meisch (2) Meisch explained it was a natural process to cover former Grand Dukes in history courses, which of course includes Grand Duke Jean. But he also confirmed that the curriculum will be adapted, citing the week dedicated to Luxembourg's cultural heritage (in June) as an opportunity to cover the life and achievements of Grand Duke Jean. He said the ministry is encouraging schools to put an emphasis on the former head of state. Meisch's call also involved more generally reinforcing education concerning Luxembourgish history and politics. Mat desem Appell soll och generell an de Schoulen d'Educatioun iwwert Letzebuerger Geschicht an och d'Politik renforceiert ginn. Political education The Centre for Political Education (ZpB - Zentrum fir politesch Bildung) has the purpose of making politics more understandable for teenagers. The foundation may be financed by the Ministry of Education, but continues to emphasise its independence. Meisch reiterated this point, highlighting the centre's purpose of providing an introduction to politics, which he believes should not be run by a ministry. As for what the centre chooses to highlight, he explained that the centre decides on its own themes. In light of the upcoming European elections, the centre's current slogan is 'experiencing democracy': the centre is providing explanations for many European buzzwords that remain vague concepts. The centre especially places a lot of value on experiencing politics, rather than theory courses, and the minister believes the centre's measures are incredibly important to reaching many young people. The centre uses many different media sources to connect younger people with politics: competitions, brochures, and websites like smartwielen.lu. The ZpB's "democracity" project has also shows itself to be successful due to its participative nature. It allows students in various schools throughout the country to experience democratic decision processes in order to understand the complexity of politics. This will help prepare first-time voters for the elections. Powder River Basin coal demand could fall between 1 to 3 percent per year, according to one of the basins largest producers, Arch Coal. Paul Lang, Arch president and COO, said higher quality coal in the basin is expected to fare better than the 8400 market. He made the comments during Archs first quarter earnings call with investors Tuesday, when the firm reported $555 million in revenue for the first three months of the year, its trouble in the Powder River Basin due to flooding, its record cash per ton from its metallurgical coal segment and its continued effort to return millions of dollars in earnings $726 million since early 2017 to its shareholders through buybacks and dividends. The Powder River Basin portion of Archs business was down both in volumes and the amount of cash made from each ton of rock, minus the cost to mine it, year over year. Arch made $12.18 per ton on coal but spent $10.98 to mine each ton in the first quarter of this year. That margin per ton of $1.20 in the Powder River Basin is down from $1.38 in the first three months of 2018. Those margins are in keeping with the companys mid-range expectations for the year of $1.10. In terms of the outlook of Wyomings coal sector which makes up the bulk of the Powder River Basin coal sector Lang was fairly blunt. I think we have what Id call a sober view of the PRB, Lang said, noting the mixed sucess of the different value coals. But its a great story as far as cash generation, but I just dont see any expansion or any growth possible out there. Wyoming coal has faced considerable headwinds in recent years, from the bankruptcy period of 2015 and 2016, when Arch was among the large players to declare bankruptcy, to the ongoing bleed of customers for Wyoming coal as power plants across the country shutter. Arch, like other large players, continues to rely on the growth and health of the metallurgical coal market to offset declines and flatlines in the Powder. Production volumes out of Archs Powder River Basin mines Black Thunder and Coal Creek - will likely be lower than the first quarter, Lang said in the earnings call Wednesday. PRB, its a little bit of a moving target, he said. I think Q2 will be slightly worse than Q1, but I dont think its going to be much below that. The second quarter of the year is usually the lowest production quarter for Wyoming coal as a shoulder season between winter and summer demand. Due to flooding in the Midwest interrupting rail access out of the Powder, the second quarter for Arch will likely be affected, the company noted in its earnings release. In response to a question Wednesday regarding the low natural gas price effect on demand for Powder River Basin coal, Arch Coals Deck Slone, senior vice president for strategy and public policy, said it was a constant battle, but reiterated that the company had had a strong first quarter. We are seeing good, solid demand really across the board from various operations but particularly in the PRB, Slone said. And weve seen higher levels of activity in Q1 than weve seen in the past five years, so clearly the fact that stockpiles have come down to now close to target levels is helpful. Slone said despite the gas challenge, the company felt like demand was quite solid and stable. Arch Coal has chosen to scale back in the Powder River Basin over the last few years, reducing its mid-range expectations of production to keep pace with the demand. Its also shifted its focus to Black Thunder, one of the largest surface mines in the country, over its operations at Coal Creek a lower quality coal thats a bit more expensive to get out of the ground. As noted by Lang in the earnings call, lower heat coal operations in the Powder appear to face greater challenges than higher quality assets, but experts note that both the higher- and lower-heat coal markets face challenges. A recent report from Moodys Investors Service noted that the outlook for the Powder River Basin is difficult but consolidation of operations, which would pull supply more in line with weaker demand, is unlikely at this time, the Moodys analysts noted. Follow energy reporter Heather Richards on Twitter @hroxaner Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Joining a wave of such protests across the Western world, Natrona County High students will stage a one-day strike from school next week over the looming, planet-altering effects of climate change. I do want anyone who feels that they deserve a planet where you can live and breathe and work to show up because we dont have another planet as a backup plan, said NC junior Maille Gray, whos organizing the event. On May 3, Gray and others will take a sick day from school, she said. The group will hold a rally in the morning at Caspers Washington Park, which will include speakers and group discussion by students. The rally will also include 11 minutes of silence from 11 a.m. to 11:11 to signify the 11 years humanity has left to stave off the catastrophe of climate disaster. A United Nations report, written by leading climate scientists, warned last year that the planet has just a dozen years to limit the impact of climate change. If the max temperatures increase beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to the Guardian, then even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people. The Casper protest will come two months after a similar protest in Jackson brought out 30 students. Protests were held around the country and globe by as many as a million younger people, according to the Guardian. The international endeavor, like the local one, is an effort by the coming generations to urge change that would avert the worst effects of climate change and global warming. The protest is also the second effort by NC students in the past year. In March 2018, students from the west Casper school walked out of school to show solidarity with the victims of the Parkland, Florida, shooting. Kelly Walsh students held an internal event, students there previously said. Its unclear how many students will participate in Natrona Countys strike, nor is it clear how many will attend next Fridays rally, Gray said. She and the other students, organized under the banner of the national Youth Climate Strike group, will begin advertising and hanging up posters this week. She said she has reached out to students at Roosevelt and Kelly Walsh, as well. In a statement, Natrona County School District spokeswoman Tanya Southerland said Wednesday that, per policy, students who join the strike will be marked absent. This ensures the school is able to account for those who are present and/or absent, thus ensuring student safety, Southerland wrote. For an absence to count as a parent excused absence, the parent or guardian of the student will notify the school in person, by telephone, or in writing prior to the absence or as soon as possible. Students who have an unverified absence may face appropriate disciplinary consequences, per district policy. Gray said she realized she needed to do something after hiking in the Wind River Range. According to her map, which dated back to the early 1990s, she shouldve been camping on a glacier. In reality, she said, the glacier was a half-mile away. If that change in glacier mass is possible in 20, 30 years, just imagining the amount of change if we dont do anything is detrimental, she said, and it means I wont be able to enjoy the beautiful outdoors that I love so much. Gray said she was expecting some backlash but was hoping people understood why she and other students feel they must speak up. The youth have a strong, strong amount of political force because were the ones that come next, she said. And were the ones who take over, essentially, and we also have the most time left on this planet. Follow education reporter Seth Klamann on Twitter @SethKlamann Love 12 Funny 16 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 15 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LARAMIE Attorneys representing the University of Wyoming filed the schools first arguments Tuesday in a Wyoming Supreme Court case concerning UWs ability to restrict the carrying of firearms on campus. Lyle Williams, a Uinta County delegate to the Wyoming State Republican Party Convention last year, sued the university after UW police cited him for openly carrying his firearm during a political rally at the UW Conference Center. Williams argued the schools ban on guns violates Wyoming Statute 6-8-401, which prohibits gun regulations by any city, town, county, political subdivision or any other entity. In December, Albany County District Court Judge Tori Kricken decided UW does have the right to regulate guns, in part because she determined that statute, Section 401, only applies to guns manufactured in Wyoming. The applicability limitation for Section 401 was likely an error by the 2010 Legislature made during the passage of the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act. Even if the 2010 Legislature hadnt made that mistake, however, Kricken said UW would still have the right to regulate guns because its an arm of the state, not a city, town, county, political subdivision or any other entity. Ultimately, the arguments before the Wyoming Supreme Court deal with three legal questions. First, does the states pre-emption of gun regulations deal apply to all guns? Second, do all UW properties qualify as sensitive places exempt from Second Amendment protections? Finally, does UW, as an arm of the state, have the right to regulate gun possession in a way local governments can? Laramie attorney Jason Tangeman, whos representing Williams in his appeal, had argued that U.S. Supreme Court protections of sensitive places do not apply to the UW Conference Center. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed certain exceptions to the Constitutions Second Amendment in the 2008 landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller. In that case, the countrys high court struck down the District of Columbias handgun ban while upholding laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings. The UW Conference Center, Tangeman argues, is not formally on the campus and is not even a building that has a nexus to an educational purpose. In UWs Tuesday response to Tangemans arguments, the schools attorneys reiterated the stance that all UW properties qualify as sensitive places in large part because of the number of youth, including those attending the UW Lab School, who visit campus. Here, neither the Second Amendment nor the Wyoming Constitution require the University to promulgate different firearm regulations for each location on University grounds depending on the use of the particular location, UW attorneys argue. But even if such site-specific regulations were required, the UW Convention Center is a location where people congregate and are most vulnerable. Attorneys representing UW said in their brief that the universitys gun ban is important for creating a safe environment. The University is aware of arguments by gun rights advocates that arming students, faculty and visitors creates a safer environment on college campuses, UWs attorney said. The truth of this claim remains doubtful. The National Academy of Science reviewed the conflicting claims about the issue and basically declared that the debate had no winners, for there was no credible evidence that the passage of right-to-carry laws decreases or increases violent crime and the data available on these questions are too weak to support unambiguous conclusions or strong policy statements. The pre-emption of gun regulations by the state under Section 401 has existed since 1995. In 2010, gun advocates in the Legislature attempted to update the statute to add even more restrictions on gun regulations. However, they did so using the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act, a law largely intended to skirt federal regulation of Wyoming-made guns. The update to Section 401 was a tangentially-related rider to the law. However, the law also begins with an applicability clause: This act shall apply to firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition that are manufactured in Wyoming. That applicability clause applies to the Section 401 update as well, Kricken said in December, meaning that, since 2010, the states pre-emption of gun regulations applies only to guns manufactured within the state. If the Wyoming Legislature doesnt want its ban on regulations to apply only to Wyoming-manufactured guns, its the Legislatures job to fix its mistake, Kricken said. If, indeed such is the case, then it is within the province of the Wyoming Legislature, not this court, to correct said typo, she wrote. The Legislature is more than competent to amend the current statutory scheme to remove (Section 401) from the act, should it deem necessary. In response to Krickens ruling, Sen. Dave Kinskey, R-Sheridan, brought a bill this legislative session that he said was chiefly aimed at changing the result in the lawsuit. If you have a firearm that was not made in Wyoming, you can have different rules in each city, each county and each town. Thats the result were trying to avoid, Kinskey said when introducing the bill. I didnt want to bring anything into play other than restoring what was the original intent of the local pre-emption statute. Those other questions are questions for another day. A lot of us feel like campus carry is the right thing to do, but thats not what were trying to do in this bill. That bill sailed through the Senate in early February. Only two of the 15 original co-sponsor of the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act are still in the Legislature. But when the Senate discussed Kinskeys bill, its membership seemed confident that the 2010 Legislature did not intend to do what Kricken said they did. What happened with that bill in 2010, when everything was numbered, the pre-emption had a few changes in it to comply with the firearm freedom act, and it was inadvertently numbered in that bill, said Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne, during the February floor debate. Kinskeys bill was ultimately killed by the House Appropriations Committee, none of whose members were in the Legislature when the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act was passed. Neither sides attorneys have discussed the legislative record from the original 2010 bills vetting in their briefs. But the record seems to suggest that it was, in fact, merely a drafting error that led to Krickens decision. A summary of the bill created in 2010 by the Legislative Service Office outlines 10 things the bill does. Changing the applicability of Section 401 isnt one of them. In 2010, the bill came up for floor debate four times in the House and Senate. In none of those discussions did legislators ever say that the bill would strip out some of the states pre-emption on gun regulations. Sen. Kit Jennings, a Casper Republican who co-sponsored the bill, even said in 2010 the bill only included Section 401 in the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act to add political subdivisions to the list of government bodies not allowed to regulate guns. When explaining the bill on first reading, he gave no indication the bills sponsors knew that other aspects of the bill might affect a judicial reading of Section 401. Tangemans response to UWs opening brief is due May 8. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Eight states have abolished the death penalty in the past two decades. Capital punishment opponents in Wyoming have tried many times to follow suit, with a repeal bill having been introduced in the state legislature nearly every year this decade. Each time, the effort has failed. Most bills are dead on arrival, failing introduction by committee vote. In the 2018 budget session, Laramie Democrat Charles Pelkey attempted to bring a death penalty repeal bill to the floor, but failed to achieve the two-thirds margin required for introduction. Something different happened this winter. Backed by Cheyenne Republican Jared Olsen, a death penalty repeal bill for the first time in history slowly gathered the momentum it needed to clear the House, eventually passing onto the Senate by a healthy 15-vote margin. But despite that unprecedented level of support, the Wyoming Senate shot down the bill as it neared the finish line. Olsen, however, is not discouraged. In a Thursday interview with the Star-Tribune, Olsen said he will be doing all he can to ensure that 2020 will be the year Wyoming finally repeals the death penalty. We will bring a bill during the 2020 budget session to repeal the death penalty, Olsen said. Were hoping between now and then to build more consensus and more support through education we believe that is a missing component between failure and success. Those legislators who took the time to learn about the cost, learn about the moral considerations and really think about their decision, made the right choice. And those we maybe didnt get whether it was the full education component or who we didnt spend the right amount time with we think we can change a lot of those hearts and votes. Efforts to change those minds, he said, will begin next week. At noon Tuesday on the steps of the Wyoming Supreme Court, Olsen joined by ACLU of Wyoming Director Sabrina King will be kicking off a statewide education campaign to gain support for ending the death penalty. The 2019 repeal effort bore a number of notable differences from years past. In hearings and in the halls of the temporary capital in Cheyenne, lawmakers were lobbied by a mix of individuals from legal experts to religious representatives and, at one point, an exonerated inmate from Illinois death row. Those efforts, however widely supported, were largely confined to the Wyoming Legislature one of the reasons King said the effort wasnt ultimately successful. There is always a need for a good public discussion for the mobilization of people on the ground and in legislators districts to really make the eventual repeal of the death penalty a statewide-supported effort, said King. Thats what were trying to put legs to. We feel we know that support is in, but we want to bring people in and give them the ability to voice their opinion and say to their legislators, to say to the governor, we want to repeal the death penalty. This is something we support. So lets do it now. King said on Thursday that the effort would focus on educating local leaders and Wyoming residents from the town and county level all the way up the ladder. In addition to receiving assistance from various religious and civil groups, the effort would have a dedicated social media campaign, a website and, further down the road, a campaign organizer with the explicit purpose of spreading the message of repeal statewide, King said. Our hope is, by launching the campaign and really moving this work forward, we can help formalize that coalition and really bring together a broad base of people around Wyoming who are interested in ending the death penalty and really try to shift the money, time and resources involved in that to other things, said King. Its very rare when you have an issue so many people are behind where you could actually make that happen. Meanwhile, Olsen has planned other means of eliminating the death penalty, including prospects of introducing a bill within the Joint Appropriations Committee to eliminate a chunk of the roughly $1 million in funding it costs to keep the law on the books each year. I cant say right now that my immediate strategy will be to reduce it to zero, but we will take a really hard look at making some adjustments to the funding during the 2020 budget session, Olsen said. Other options remain as well. Though a ballot initiative a difficult prospect in Wyoming is not on the table, Olsen pointed to a recent moratorium on the death penalty that was unilaterally implemented by California Gov. Gavin Newsome, something Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon could pursue if he chose to do so. The legislative option, however, remains the most realistic one, and the only means of permanently eliminating the death penalty. In budget years, lawmakers need to gain a two-thirds majority on the floor to have non-committee bills heard. Olsen, given this years level of support, believes he can make that happen. Based on our sponsorship alone and our votes, we have the two-thirds we need, and there were some missing members who were committed aye votes this year, Olsen said. We know we have the votes, and I feel weve grown the votes through our efforts. Follow politics reporter Nick Reynolds on Twitter @IAmNickReynolds Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. University of Wyoming faculty leaders are proposing a resolution that criticizes the schools board for its silence on the decision not to renew President Laurie Nichols contract and calls on the trustees to provide an explanation. Be it resolved that faculty senate requests the Board explain to President Nichols in confidence the basis for its decision about her contract renewal, the resolution, put forward earlier this week, states, as well as provide a general explanation to the public, including employees of this university. The resolution, which will be debated and voted on at the Faculty Senates May 6 meeting, comes a month after the university announced that Nichols would become a faculty member when her presidential contract expires June 30. The board, via its president, Dave True, has repeatedly declined to provide any details about why the decision was made. In her two public statements since the surprise announcement, Nichols has said she was caught off guard by the decision and has received no explanation from trustees. The resolution calls the decision by the board to not give Nichols an explanation inappropriate and said that the silence would harm the schools ability ... to hire top-tier administrators while adding to the public impression that the Board is secretive and arbitrary. The Faculty Senates proposal comes a week after the student government voted unanimously to support a resolution supporting Nichols, though it voted down an effort to have board members be elected rather than appointed by the governor. We wanted to say that when we do staff evaluations, if somebodys screwing up, we tell them, Youre screwing up, if you keep doing this, we might let you go, Faculty Senate chair Donal OToole said Wednesday. (The trustees) didnt do that here, and that seems not fair. It seems like its discourteous, and it seems to be beyond belief that Laurie cant even guess what it is she did. OToole added that if the trustees think theyre doing Nichols a favor by keeping the details quiet, really theyre not. Theyre basically saying she committed a sin so profound we cant even speak of it in public, he said. I assume it will hurt her professionally. I assume she would like to move on. But when people read that the trustees would not release the reasoning, theyll wonder what did she do? With this resolution, he continued, the Faculty Senate also wanted to signal to the board: No funny stuff about hiring a new president. We got that with (Robert) Sternberg, OToole said. OToole added that Dave Bostrom, a trustee at the time, came to faculty and told them to trust the board. Sternberg would resign after just a few months after a groundswell of opposition. Well, it blew up so bad, much worse than I wouldve even imagined. I think they still remember that because they owned all of that. OToole and Ken Chestek, a law school professor who will take over as Faculty Senate chair next month, both said they expect the resolution to pass, likely unanimously. OToole said that the Faculty Senate putting forward a separate resolution thanking Nichols is forthcoming. We need an open and transparent search process involving faculty, Chestek said. The reason we got the mess we had with Sternberg is because it was a closed process. I think trustees have learned that doesnt work. He echoed OTooles call for transparency in the Nichols decision, as well. We need to shut down the rumor mill by giving some maybe there is some good reason not to be specific in public, I dont know, but at least give us a general idea so we can shut down the rumor mill, he said. Follow education reporter Seth Klamann on Twitter @SethKlamann Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The United States government is in disarray, three of Wyomings most prominent political minds warned in a forum last week at Casper College, saying the collision of money in politics, mass and partisan media, and a loss of civic engagement has thrown the government into unprecedented levels of dysfunction over the past several decades. Sponsored by the Casper College Department of Political Science and its department of History and International Studies, the lecture entitled Stay in Your Lane, Bro! brought together several of Wyomings most well-respected names across the three branches of government to speak on the function of each, while addressing how those roles fit within todays modern political landscape. In speeches to introduce the forum, former Wyoming Gov. Mike Sullivan, former U.S. Senator Al Simpson, and U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson each looked over their shares of the groups collective century of public service, remembering long-forgotten legislative battles, bipartisan deal-making, confirmation hearings and the weight of responsibility each role had borne, recalling the way things used to be, how they functioned and how well they functioned. The conditions todays government operates under, however, are almost unrecognizable. Hatred has entered the scene like never before in our history, said Simpson. Now, the hatred in America is beyond belief. You never saw that before. A different world For all their experience, each of the panelists said few memories of their time in public service resemble the realities of government today. The judiciary today, said Johnson, has gone from the least-powerful branch of government to its most powerful, defining American life in ways that are sweeping, dramatic and increasingly cemented by ideologically-driven appointments that have profound influence on issues from elections to peoples civil rights. Beginning with the highly contentious confirmation hearing of the conservative judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court in 1987 (his confirmation was denied) to the hearings of recent Supreme Court Justices like Brett Kavanaugh who was dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct throughout his confirmation process the very act of nominating and confirming judges has devolved from a vetting of astute and capable jurists into a partisan spectacle, with the senators responsible for vetting them increasingly compelled by ideology and an overriding adherence to political tribalism. The effect of that power has been felt. Its been seen by you on your television, played out, said Johnson. Because the selection of a justice has become so consequential for both sides of polarized society, that it almost cannot be achieved, and increases the separation that exists in our society. And I suspect that will all end in tears, as peoples lives, reputations, work, is destroyed along with whatever family life they might have. Meanwhile, todays legislative branch, said Simpson, is gridlocked so busy raising money and appealing to their bases to get re-elected that theyve foregone their principal duty as a legislator: legislating. The conditions that have enabled this are many, Simpson said, but have fermented as politicians have pledged increasing loyalties to corporate money spurred by the landmark U.S. Supreme Courts Citizens United decision and an increasingly polarized electorate, driven apart by partisan media and a sheer lack of understanding on how the government actually works. With the legislative branch rendered immobile, the modern executive branch has been given free rein to exploit the power vacuums the legislative branch has chosen to abdicate. Thats going to go on, and the line is crossed every day now, said Simpson. The real one that would cause a real rupture is if the U.S. House the origin of all revenue rejects a budget requirement and the president goes around that on an appropriation. You got real trouble in River City. Its going to get worse, and thatll be cured by the ballot box and nothing else. A slackening of tensions between branches While the nations founding fathers always intended for a natural tension to exist between the three branches the concept of checks and balances that comes from three equal entities recent shifts in society and trends in the nations politics have left that system vulnerable for exploitation, something made increasingly clear by presidents who have increasingly challenged those traditional roles. There will be some comments made tonight that, if truthful, will appear partisan, Sullivan told the audience. But no, its not. There was vagueness left in the Constitution to each of the branches, intentionally designed to create conflict so as to not establish unnecessary or pernicious power in one branch. But as weve developed in recent times, the government generally isnt functioning as intended, leaving vacuums in other places. The theories behind the destabilization of the American system of democracy are complex, explained Sullivan, spurred on by societal and policy changes and three branches of government that because of these shifts have relinquished power to a degree never before seen in American history. While neither President Donald Trump nor his predecessor, Barack Obama, have issued the most executive orders among American presidents, Sullivan said the intent and purpose of those orders have increasingly come in the face of a gridlocked legislative branch that, because of money and ideology, has consistently failed to act. Its really our fault, because the legislative system can only make a decision that is within their tribal authority, he said. As a result, they dont really get decisions. I think the system is deeply broken, he added. Is there hope left? While the evenings discussion had an undeniable bleakness to it, the three men maintained that while solutions seemed ambitious in the face of overwhelming challenges, those solutions were still achievable. Much of the answer, Simpson said, lies within ones self, and an individuals own initiative to spur change in a dysfunctional system. Now 87 years old, the Republicans former whip in the Senate a position he held for a decade recalled his first foray into politics when he was just 24, taking over as a precinct committee chairman of District 25-1 in his hometown of Cody on the urging of his wife, Ann, after a bill in the legislature at the time had troubled him. It was a ghastly duty, said Simpson. During the Johnson-Goldwater race, Ann and I knocked on all the doors and they said we love your guy Goldwater, hes just terrific, and then 72 percent of the people in our precinct voted for Johnson. That experience, Simpson said, turned him into a master of lost causes, including pushing back at the time against members of his party including one old woman at the precinct meetings who opposed same-sex marriage. The only reason that conversation happened, however, was because he was there to have that discussion with them helped by a couple of friends, $1,500 in a political action committee, and a desire to stick it to the establishment. If you dont like whats going on, go where they went, said Simpson. If you dont like whats happening in your precinct or county where some cult took over to tell you how to live and conduct your life just say youre going to run for precinct committeeman or committeewoman. If you want to sit around, have gas, ulcers, be my guest, he added. If you really want to make a difference, dont forget about the people who worked their way into the wormwood while you werent paying attention at all. While action is important, Johnson and Sullivan both said that Americans lack of understanding of the system, as well as of each others perspectives, was another factor in the systems decline, and that increased student engagement, an emphasis on civics, and forums like those held on Tuesday night could help get that conversation started. We cant forget the values that brought this country together, he said. Follow politics reporter Nick Reynolds on Twitter @IAmNickReynolds Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 3 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. President Trump and the media have an interesting relationship. Each is the object of the others obsession, though neither seems willing to admit it. Im not sure what this says about me because Im obsessed with the relationship. Theres something strangely captivating about watching such abject dysfunction manifest itself on such a big stage. I find myself looking at every major news story, especially those that have absolutely nothing to do with the president or the U.S., and wonder when and how the media will work Trump into the narrative, or how Trump himself will shoehorn his way into the story. Im rarely disappointed. As I watched Notre Dame cathedral burn, I thought, No. Not now. Surely, theres no way the president can find his way into this one. And then this, on CNNs website: Trump gives fire advice. See how French officials responded. Voila. The president, apparently trying to be helpful, though Im not sure about his qualifications in fire management, offered this tweet, as flames engulfed the medieval cathedral: So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Its not the worst suggestion Ive ever heard but what do I know. I almost set my kitchen on fire once when I put a pan of burning oil under the faucet. The French Civil Security agency responded to Trump with a tweet of its own: The weight of the water and the intensity of the drop at low altitude could indeed weaken the structure of Notre-Dame and result in collateral damage to the buildings in the vicinity. OK, so it wasnt such a great idea. But CNN, in its effort to show that all roads, foreign and domestic, lead to Trump, ran several stories on the tweets. That Trump offered his own two cents on the best way to put out the fire as opposed to simply expressing condolences is a reflection of his belief that a) everyone wants his opinion at all times and b) his is an expert opinion, no matter what the subject matter, wrote Chris Cillizza, in an analysis of the exchange. Cillizza is probably right. On the other hand, maybe Trump, as a real estate tycoon, knows something about large structures and fire, although I dont recall him ever owning any five-star, 850-year-old cathedrals. But there is one thing about which I am absolutely certain as much as Trump and the mainstream media loathe each other, they need each other. Batman needs the Joker. Tom needs Jerry. Holmes needs Moriarty. Trump will always take the bait, but so will the media. They cant help themselves. Such is the nature of an unhealthy, mutual obsession. Last Tuesday, Stephen Colbert made fun of Trumps firefighting suggestion. Does he think every time theres an emergency in France, theyre like Claude, ze Cathedral is on fire! We must check Donald Trumps Twitter feed, Colbert said. The Washington Post ran an opinion piece under the headline, As Notre Dame burned, Trump again tweeted something abnormal. From the Associated Press: Trump offers unsolicited advice on fighting Notre Dame fire. When the president of the United States tweets, its news, regardless of the subject matter. But when this president tweets, its manna from heaven, or chum in the water, depending on your perspective. Even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of all people, is outraged. All day on TV and I dont even watch TV, except sports. But he says somebody had a horse face all day we hear about that. We hear about Kanye West, all day. You just give him all day! Pelosi said in November, as she called out media outlets for their Trump obsession. What would Trump and the media do without each other? What would Trump do without Twitter? CNN would have to go back to covering the news. The president would have to find another vehicle for his stream of consciousness and, for the rest of us, the air would smell sweeter and food would taste better. I never thought Id write this, or even think it, but maybe the media needs to listen to Pelosi. The world is a big place. Theres certainly more in creation worthy of our attention than Trumps Twitter feed. Sure, things would be a little more boring but, as my father used to say, A little boredom isnt such a bad thing. Rich Manieri is a Philadelphia-born journalist and author. He is currently a professor of journalism at Asbury University in Kentucky. His book, We Burn on Friday: A Memoir of My Father and Me is available at amazon.com. You can reach him at manieri2@gmail.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BOISE, Idaho A federal appeals court has overturned a U.S. District Courts dismissal of a lawsuit by environmental groups challenging a federal agencys killing of wolves in Idaho. A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Tuesday ruled that U.S. District Court Judge Edward Lodge erred in January 2018 when he ruled in favor of the U.S. Department of Agricultures Wildlife Services. Specifically, the appeals panel ruled that the environmental groups have standing to bring the lawsuit, and sent the case back to the district court. The environmental groups contend Wildlife Services 2011 study allowing it to kill wolves in the state is flawed because it relies on outdated information. The groups say the Agriculture Department is violating environmental laws by killing wolves without a new environmental analysis. With the new decision, we can return to the heart of the matter: whether or not Wildlife Services adequately reviewed the ecological consequences of killing scores of wolves each year in Idaho, Talasi Brooks, an attorney with Western Watersheds Project, said in a statement. The U.S Justice Department, which defends federal agencies in lawsuits, didnt immediately respond to an inquiry from The Associated Press on Wednesday. Lodge in his ruling said that even if Wildlife Services stopped killing wolves in Idaho, it wouldnt matter because the Idaho Department of Fish and Game manages wolves in the state and has demonstrated it can kill wolves, hire third parties to kill wolves or increase hunting and trapping for wolves. He said that meant the environmental groups lacked standing to bring the lawsuit. The appeals court panel rejected that ruling. The court concluded that its possible if not likely that not as many wolves would be killed in Idaho if Wildlife Services stopped killing wolves because the Idaho Department of Fish and Game hadnt demonstrated significant ability in that area. Indeed, the fact that Wildlife Services has carried out nearly all lethal wolf management in Idaho since 2011, partially through highly technical operations such as aerial hunting, suggests that IDFG may lack the expertise and resources to carry out those operations itself, the appeals court wrote. Fish and Game officials on Wednesday disputed that statement. Idaho Fish and Game has the capacity and expertise for wolf management, including conducting wolf control using agency employees, or other qualified contractors, to meet management objectives, the agency said in an email to the AP. The Agriculture Department has said that in the 2018 federal fiscal year, which runs from the beginning of October to the end of September, Wildlife Services killed 83 wolves in Idaho. Of those, 73 involved livestock attacks and 10 were an effort to boost elk numbers in northern Idaho. Besides wolf control actions, hunters and trappers also kill wolves. Fish and Game said that in 2018, hunters killed 179 wolves and trappers harvested another 133. And in March, Fish and Game said seven wolves were killed in northern Idaho to boost elk numbers. The state agency hired a Montana-based contractor to kill the wolves. In related action, Idaho lawmakers earlier this year approved maintaining a Wolf Depredation Control Board that receives money from the livestock industry thats matched by Fish and Game. The board pays Wildlife Services to kill wolves that attack livestock and elk. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 At the commissions open meeting on Wednesday, Tobin said that failing to adopt his 15-year contract mandate would cause Arizona to miss out on some $600 million worth of potential PURPA-based solar projects that could be an economic boon to rural areas. He said delaying the matter until after hearings this fall would jeopardize the viability of those projects, as a 30 percent federal tax credit for renewable-energy projects will start to step down for facilities that start construction on or after Jan. 1. Tobin said input gathered from the utilities and solar developers during an informal commission workshop held in March, along with the record of the utilities past power-purchase agreements, should be enough to prompt regulators to act. But representatives of TEP and APS objected, arguing any vote ahead of formal hearings would deny them their due-process rights to formally submit evidence and question witnesses. Commission Chairman Bob Burns and members Sandra Kennedy and Boyd Dunn said they could not decide the matter without formal hearings. The remains of 23 indigent military veterans will be honored and interred at a ceremony Saturday, April 27, at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Marana. The ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m., is open to the public. The Southern Arizona Missing in America Project will inter the 23 homeless, unclaimed or indigent veterans, who served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. The ceremony will include military honors and a last roll call before the veterans are laid to rest. There will also be a missing man formation flyover during the ceremony. The cemetery in Marana hosted a similar ceremony in October, when 33 homeless, unclaimed or indigent veterans were interred. The Arizona Department of Veterans Services partners with the Missing in America Project to honor deceased veterans and their families. The project has interred more than 3,900 veterans nationwide. The groups focus is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremains of American veterans. The cemetery is at 15950 N. Luckett Road, just west of Interstate 10. More information is available at www.miap.us. Paul Marotta/Getty Images(BALTIMORE) -- FBI agents are searching the office and homes of Baltimore's embattled mayor, ABC News has learned. Dave Fitz, a spokesman for the FBI's Baltimore field office, confirmed that search warrants were being executed Thursday morning at homes belonging to Mayor Catherine Pugh as well as at Baltimore City Hall. However, the nature of the investigation and substance of the searches are under seal. The mayor's office did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. Pugh is on a leave of absence due to deteriorating health from a bout with pneumonia. The mayor announced her departure earlier this month, on the same day Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan called for a criminal investigation into Pugh's lucrative book sales to the University of Maryland Medical System while she was a board member. Pugh has since stepped down from her board position and returned $100,000 to the medical system for the last order of her self-published children's book, Healthy Holly, according to ABC Baltimore affiliate WMAR-TV. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. PHOENIX Good news for margarita lovers: You still have a chance to have your favorite beverage designated as the official state drink. On an 18-12 vote Wednesday, state senators declined to give their blessing to a declaration that lemonade is Arizonas official drink. Putting the proposal into the state statute books would eliminate all other possible drinks from getting the designation. That bothered Sen. Tyler Pace, R-Mesa. I felt that lemonade didnt represent Arizonas uniqueness, he said. When choosing an item for the state to be its representative, we want to choose something that is unique and as individual as Arizona is. Sen. Victoria Steele, D-Tucson, had a suggestion she thought met that test: margaritas. But that didnt fly. I believe that everyone in the state should be able to drink the state drink, Pace said. Some people dont drink alcohol and some people arent old enough to drink alcohol. Rep. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, sponsored the legislation on behalf of Garrett Glover, a teen living in his district. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Copenhagen Imports Most freshman biology students already know the basic of DNA, said Michael Johnson, an assistant professor of immunobiology at the UA College of Medicine. But they dont understand how their DNA is used for research purposes in the real world. Did you know you could actually use your DNA to figure out how this receptor might look, that (it) can block a treatment or make a treatment work? Johnson told the Star. He helped Molina and another UA graduate student, Tyler Ripperger, coordinate the DNA Day festivities. On Wednesday, the UA students walked the Cholla ninth-graders through hands-on experiments that drew on their existing knowledge of DNA and genetics. The students learned how to use a genetic wheel, identifying the types of genes they might have based on certain physical traits, like having a widows peak, detached earlobes or knuckle hair. Yeah, yours seem detached! one student said with a smile when her classmate asked about the state of her earlobes. The teens also got a chance to extract their own DNA from their saliva using only dish soap, salt and isopropyl alcohol. OPINION: "We are now entering a new "industrial revolution," one in which using non-fossil fuels to power society is receiving all the attention. However, I contend we are making the same mistake as was made in the 1700's. Namely, we are not considering what will be the effect of the new sources of energy on the environment," writes Green Valley resident William Frix. BEIJING -- Chinas top feed producer, New Hope Group, said on Thursday it is building three pig farms in neighboring Vietnam, even as an incurable pig disease spreads through the Southeast Asian country. The farms, located in Thanh Hoa, Binh Phuoc, and Binh Dinh provinces, will produce 930,000 pigs in total every year, with construction to be completed by 2021, according to New Hope Group. The new investment expands New Hopes footprint in Southeast Asia on top of its existing eight feed firms in Vietnam, which sold more than 700,000 tonnes of feed in 2018. The major pig and feed producer has invested more than 1.1 billion yuan ($163.51 million) into the pig farms, eyeing an opportunity from an upgrade of the hog farming industry in Vietnam, the company said, as it signs an agreement with Vietnamese authorities at Chinas Belt and Road Forum on Thursday. The move also came as a deadly African swine fever disease spread to at least 17 provinces in northern Vietnam with 239 outbreaks confirmed since February. China, the worlds top pig producer, is fighting its own battle against the deadly virus, which has now been found in every province and region on the mainland, including Hainan island, since it was first detected in August 2018. New Hope sold 2.55 million pigs and 17.04 million tonnes of feed in 2018, according to the annual report of its agribusiness subsidiary New Hope Liuhe. Your browser does not support the audio element. Over 200 children born with fatal diseases in Vietnam have been sent to Singapore for special treatment thanks to a charity fund founded by an overseas Vietnamese. Nguyen Thi Thao Huong, also known as Lisa Nguyen, is a Vietnamese woman currently living in Singapore, where she has spent the last three years dedicating her time and money to her Children Are Innocent campaign a fund which helps support medical treatment for sick children born into poor families. Before moving to Singapore, Huong took part in many charity events and activities to help people, especially impoverished children. But even after she left Vietnam, she knew she still needed to find a way to give back to her country. I cant hold back tears when I see those pure little childrens eyes suffering from the pain, so I do my best to help them get the treatment they deserve, she said, explaining her motivation for founding Children Are Innocent. Huong, with the help of her friends, founded the fund in 2016 and has since raised VND70 billion (over US$3 million) from donors around the world. Two-year-old Dinh Trung Kien is just one of dozens of needy children who have been saved by the fund. Kien, from the north-central province Ha Tinh, was born with hydrocephalus, a physical illness with symptoms that include a rapid increase in the babys head size as well as vomiting and sleepiness. Knowing that Kiens situation was grave, his family spent months seeking out sponsors to help support his treatment, but they kept coming up empty-handed. However, they met Huong. When Huong heard about Kien, she immediately called for financial support from kind-hearted philanthropists to help move Kien to Singapore for special treatment. She even handled all the administrative procedures, accommodation for Kiens family, and interpretation at the hospital. Kiens mother, Bui Thi Luyen, was shy in showing her gratitude toward Huong for the mental and financial support she had given the family. Words cannot describe my feelings right now, the mother said in tears. She is definitely a real life wonder woman. Hoai Thuong, a ten-month old from the north-central province of Nghe An, is another child saved by Huong. Thuong was diagnosed with both hydrocephalus and gastro-intestinal infection in 2018. At that time, Huong continuously put out a call for help on social media to raise money from people from all over the world to help Thuong. Her efforts culminated in over VND9 billion (approximately $391,000) raised to support the baby girls medical treatment. Despite Thuongs severe condition and little chance of survival, we still tried our best to fight for her life, no matter what it took, she said. After a seven-month treatment at specialized medical facilities in Singapore, Thuong finally recovered and returned to Vietnam. Thu Ha, Thuongs mother, shared that during the time her daughter was being treated in the hospital, Huong took care of everything for both of them and always assured her to stay strong. Until now it is still hard to believe that we actually got such a large amount of money for Hoai Thuongs treatment, the mother said. I couldnt imagine how I would be without Huongs support. Huongs generosity and kindness have earned her a reputation as a real life angel sent to spread miracles for poor children across Vietnam. I cry with tears of joy seeing children with illnesses get treated and grow up healthily, she said. As a mother, my happiness depends on each childs bright future. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! COLOMBO -- Details began to emerge in Sri Lanka on Wednesday of a band of nine, well-educated Islamist suicide bombers, including a woman, from well-to-do families who slaughtered 359 people in Easter Sunday bomb attacks. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks on three churches and four hotels. If that connection is confirmed, the attacks looks likely to be the deadliest ever linked to the group. Both the Sri Lankan government and the United States said the scale and sophistication of the coordinated bombings suggested the involvement of an external group such as Islamic State. The Islamist group released a video late on Tuesday through its AMAQ news agency, showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag, declaring loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The one man in the video with his face uncovered was Mohamed Zahran, a Sri Lankan preacher known for militant views. While the video showed eight men, Sri Lankas junior defense minister, Ruwan Wijewardene, said there were nine suicide bombers. Eight had been identified and one of them was a woman, he said. Most of the bombers are well-educated, come from economically strong families. Some of them went abroad for studies, Wijewardene told a news conference. One of them we know went to the UK, then went to Australia for a law degree. Foreign partners, including the UK, are helping us with those investigations. Two of the bombers were brothers, sons of a wealthy spice trader and pillar of the business community, a source close to the family said. Intelligence officials and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believe that Zahran, a Tamil-speaking preacher from the east of the Indian Ocean island country, may have been the mastermind. He was well-known for his militant views and fiery Facebook posts, according to Muslim leaders and a Sri Lankan intelligence report issued earlier and seen by Reuters. The government suspects two Sri Lankan Islamist groups - the National Thawheed Jamaut, of which Zahran was believed to have been a member, and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - were responsible, with outside help. Missed warnings The early Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that has existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu, ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago, and raised fears of a return to sectarian violence. Sri Lankas 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the islands conflict and communal tensions. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and military were also supporting the investigation into possible foreign connections, the U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina Teplitz, told reporters. If you look at the scale of the attacks, the level of coordination, the sophistication of them, its not implausible to think there are foreign linkages, Teplitz said. As well as the huge death toll, 500 people were wounded in the worst ever such militant attack in South Asia. It has also exposed a significant Sri Lankan intelligence failure, with warnings of strikes not acted on and feuds at the highest levels of government. It is a major lapse in the sharing of intelligence information, Wijewardene said. We have to take responsibility. Lakshman Kiriella, the leader of parliament, said senior officials had deliberately withheld intelligence about possible attacks. The top brass security officials did not take appropriate actions, Kiriella, who is also minister of public enterprise, told parliament. He said information about possible attacks was received from Indian intelligence on April 4 and a Security Council meeting was chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena three days later, but it was not shared more widely. Sirisena has said his office never received the Indian report. The prime minister also had not been told of warnings of an attack, a minister said. The president fired Prime Minister Wickremesinghe last October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Two sources close to the president said he had asked the police chief and defense secretary to resign. Checking on Muslim areas' A total of 60 people have been detained for questioning across Colombo, Wijewardene said. That total includes a Syrian, according to security sources. Raids included areas near the Gothic-style St Sebastian church in Negombo, north of the capital, where scores were killed on Sunday, a police spokesman said. An unspecified number of people were detained in western Sri Lanka, the scene of anti-Muslim riots in 2014. Search operations are going on everywhere, there is tight checking of Muslim areas, a security source said. Most of those killed and wounded were Sri Lankans, although officials said 38 foreigners were also killed. That included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Forty-five children were among the dead. The government has imposed emergency rule and an overnight curfew. It said it has also blocked online messaging services to stop the spread of inflammatory rumors that it feared could incite communal clashes. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc arrived in Beijing on Thursday to start his participation in the second Belt and Road Forum. The plane that carried the premier and a high-ranking delegation landed at Beijing Capital International Airport at 8:25 am (Vietnam time), the Vietnam Government Portal reported. He was welcomed at the airport by Beijing leaders, the Chinese ambassador to Vietnam, representatives from Chinas foreign ministry, the Vietnamese ambassador to China, and other Vietnamese embassy personnel. His participation lasts from Thursday to Saturday. The prime minister will meet with Chinese leaders, major Chinese companies, Vietnamese embassy personnel, and the Vietnamese community in China. The Vietnamese premier will attend the forums opening on April 26 before joining President Xi Jinping and his spouse in a dinner on the evening of the same day. On April 27, PM Phuc is scheduled to speak at a roundtable summit attended by leaders of 36 other nations and China. China welcomes some 5,000 delegates from over 150 countries and 90 international organizations to the second Belt and Road Forum. It is Beijings most important event of the year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. In 2017, the first-ever Belt and Road Forum was held in Beijing, attracting 29 world leaders and more than 1,600 participants. Vietnam and China signed a government-level memorandum of agreement on promoting connectivity between Vietnams Two Corridors, One Economic Belt framework and Chinas Belt and Road Initiative during President Xis Vietnam visit in November 2017. The two sides are discussing implementation of the memo. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check what is in the news today! Society -- Firefighters in Ho Chi Minh City successfully rescued three children stuck in a blaze that engulfed the fifth floor of a five-story house in District 3 on Wednesday evening. -- People in the famed resort town of Sa Pa, located in the northern Vietnamese province of Lao Cai, have been left with a shrinking supply of fresh water due to the severe, long-lasting scorching weather that has drained four-fifths of supplies to the local water treatment plant. -- Drivers of a group of mini trucks carrying banners with messages to raise awareness of traffic safety were seen running a red light in a video that sparked outrage on social media earlier this week. -- More than 600 people are killed monthly in traffic accidents across Vietnam, according to a report released at a meeting held by the National Traffic Safety Committee on Wednesday. Business -- The Noi Bai International Airport (NIA) in Hanoi is expected to serve about 90,000 passengers on the peak day of the five-day holiday starting this Saturday, according to a representative of the NIA. -- The 2019 Hanoi International Plastic, Rubber, Printing, Packing Industry Exhibition opened in the Vietnamese capital city on Wednesday, attracting 180 exhibitors from ten countries and territories worldwide, according to the Vietnam News Agency. -- Users of e-wallets will be subject to a transaction cap of VND20 million (US$860) a day and VND100 million ($4,300) a month, according to a draft circular the State Bank of Vietnam is soliciting public feedback on. Education -- More than 886,000 high school students have registered to attend this years national high school exam, whose results will be used for high school graduation and college admissions, according to the Ministry of Education and Training. Lifestyle -- The Peoples Committee of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on Wednesday approved a VND19-billion ($817,000) project to renovate the campus of the Pedagogical College of Da Lat, a national cultural and historical relic that has deteriorated. -- Tangible and intangible cultural heritages of the central city of Da Nang are being introduced to the public at a photo exhibition that opened in the park in front of Da Nang Museum on Wednesday and will last through April 26. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The operator of a garbage treatment plant in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau has recovered hundreds of dead fetuses from their garbage intake over the course of seven years, a plant leader told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday. To Hoai Dan, general director of Cong Ly Ltd., which owns and operates the Ca Mau Garbage Treatment Plant, said they have found over 300 dead fetuses from the their daily volume of garbage since 2012. Whenever we find a fetus, we have them cleaned and buried inside the factory campus, said Nguyen Hoang Tham, director of the garbage treatment plant. Every month, we invite Buddhist monks to come and pray for these fetuses, Tham said. However, the plant is running out of space for burial while it does not have enough funds to have the fetuses cremated, he added. Therefore, it has submitted a formal report to the provincial administration on the issue, asking for support. A worker points at offerings placed on top of a grave for fetuses found at the Ca Mau Garbage Treatment Plant in Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: N. Hung / Tuoi Tre We are seeking a comprehensive solution to prevent [fetus dumping] in the future, Dan said. In response, the provincial chairman has asked local hospitals to tighten control over medical waste and put a stop to stillborn babies ending up in dumpsters. Oftentimes, stillborn babies [at our hospital] would be handed over to their parents after birth for funeral services, said Vo Thanh Loi, director of the Ca Mau Hospital for Obstetrics and Pediatrics. For fetuses removed via abortion, cremation is our go-to method of laying the unborn babies to rest, Loi said. Nguyen Van Dung, acting director of Ca Maus Department of Health, said it would be impossible for fetuses from a hospital to end up in a dumpster. Nobody dumps a fetus like garbage, Dung claimed. In addition, we dont allow abortion late in the pregnancy, and private hospitals are not permitted to perform the procedure at all." Vietnam bans abortion of fetuses from six weeks old, although illegal services are rampant across the country, according to the official Vietnam News Agency. A 2016 survey conducted by Vietnams General Statistics Office revealed that 70 percent of the countrys illegal abortions involved teenagers aged 13 to 19. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese police have apprehended a suspect in the killing on Wednesday of three people in a family, allegedly resulting from a personal animus toward one of the victims who had opposed the suspect watching porn at her house. Officers said on Thursday that they had arrested Tran Trong Luan, a 34-year-old man from Tan Uyen Town in Binh Duong, a province around 35km to the east of Ho Chi Minh City, the day before. Luan is accused of killing three family members, including a grandmother, a daughter, and a grandchild, in Tan Uyen. The suspect, who was the victims neighbor, would watch porn on his smartphone whenever he came to the house of Dao Thi Thu Cuc, 54, for coffee, as the place doubles as a coffee shop, according to preliminary reports. He was told to go home by Tran Thi Quynh Nhi, Cucs 17-year-old daughter, each time he opened porn, leading to his animosity toward the young girl. Luan intended to commit suicide after losing all of his money in gambling on Tuesday evening. But the intention of killing Nhi suddenly crossed his mind so he carried three knives and a machete to the coffee shop around 0:00 on Wednesday. He was breaking into the house through the roof when Cuc found him. He then slashed her with the machete to death before going on to murder Nhi and her niece, 8-year-old Nguyen Thi Bao Ngan. Police officers found the weapons Luan had thrown 100 meters away from the crime scene. The crime story unfolded when neighbors heard dogs barking continuously at 3:00 am on Wednesday but they did not check the area, thinking someone might be working at the sand strip nearby. At 7:00 am, Cucs eldest adult child Tran Minh Phuong dropped by to pick up her daughter, Ngan, on the way to work when she saw the little girl lying motionless on the floor amid blood. She shouted for help from neighbors who rushed in to see Cuc and Nhi also dead. Police were informed of the crime shortly. They captured Luan after a raid on Wednesday. During the raid, the suspect tried to kill himself with poison but he survived after police took him to the hospital. The suspect admitted to his crime at the police station. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The cast of Empire have written a letter of support for besieged actor Jussie Smollett to (now Disney-owned) 20th Century FOX and the creative team. Terrence Howard, Taraji P Henson, Gabourey Sidibe and others showed a united front for their colleague who recently had charges that he staged a hate crime dropped by Prosecutors. Smolletts future remains in doubt while the show itself is yet to be officially renewed. Dear Charlie, Dana, Michael, Lee, Danny, Francie, Brian, Sanaa, Dennis, and Brett, Together, as a united front, we stand with Jussie Smollett and ask that our co-star, brother and friend be brought back for our sixth season of Empire. We understand the past months have been difficult to process sometimes the headlines brought more confusion than clarity, yet we now have a conclusion to this ordeal. Throughout Empires five seasons working with Jussie and watching how he has conducted himself throughout this traumatic event, we have come to know not just the character Jussie portrays, but also truly come to know Jussies personal character. He is kind. He is compassionate. He is honest and above all he is filled with integrity. He is also innocent and no longer subject to legal uncertainty with the criminal charges against him having been dropped. We are confident in his lawyers assurance that the case was dismissed because it would not have prevailed. Jussie has shown us on and off the set who he really is as a leader. In addition to being a caring friend and cast member who treats every crew member with love and respect, he has spent time with our families and individually supported each of us. These recent and detailed letters from The Black AIDS Institute, the Rainbow Push Coalition and the City Lights Orchestra shine a light on his commitment to true community service. Just a few months ago, Jussie partnered with the Trevor Project to provide support to their volunteer program that allows LGBTQ youth in crisis access to vital counseling services. Prior to that, he gave every cent from his sold out world tour to numerous charities. He has adopted a school in Chicago, taught songwriting to incarcerated youth at the Cook County Jail last year and bought the family of Kayden Kinckle, a six-year-old, double amputee, a wheelchair accessible van due to his school district not having a wheelchair accessible school bus. He has traveled to South Africa for service as well as to Jamaica to quietly meet about the safety of LGBTQ youth. This was all done without posturing, the need for attention or even discussion. This is the Jussie we know. Its clearer every day that the extreme political climate in our country has only made our system of justice and the court of public opinion more unjust. It is why now, more than ever, we must stand together as a family. A family is there for us in good times and bad. It can cut through the noise and confusion to understand that there is a person in the center of all this who deserves nothing more than to move forward with his life. We understand that this show is a business. And that business matters to us as well. We are confident our fans will welcome our Jamal back into the Empire family as enthusiastically as we will. That is why we write today to ask you to keep Jussie on the cast so that we can all put this behind us and move forward. Thank you for taking time to hear us. Its our hope that together we will move into our sixth season as the entire Empire family should. SINCERELY, Terrence Howard Taraji P Henson Bryshere Y. Gray Trai Byers Gabourey Sidibe Nicole Ari Parker Hollywood Reporter Cookies op Tweakers Tweakers maakt gebruik van cookies Tweakers is onderdeel van DPG Media en maakt gebruik van cookies, JavaScript en vergelijkbare technologie om je onder andere een optimale gebruikerservaring te bieden. Functionele en analytische cookies die door Tweakers zelf geplaatst worden, worden gebruikt om de website goed te laten functioneren, bezoekersstatistieken bij te houden en a/b-testen uit te voeren. 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If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). A man caught up in a bomb blast has appealed for Brexiteers to take Irish border concerns seriously. Outrage at the killing of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry last week has put Northern Irish politics under the spotlight, following steadily increasing tensions this year. The priest at the funeral of Miss McKee was given a standing ovation on Wednesday when he challenged politicians present, including Prime Minister Theresa May asking why it took her death to unite them. Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral, but DUP MP Sammy Wilson said he did not believe it represented a turning point to restore powersharing at Stormont which has not been a functioning executive for two years. But politicians from all sides stood together in condemnation of Republican terrorist group the New IRA, which claimed responsibility for Miss McKees death, as well as a car bomb attack in January and sending parcel bombs to targets in mainland Britain last month. The New IRA has admitted responsibility for the murder of Lyra McKee in Londonderry (Family handout/PA) In the January blast, the man who did not wish to be named caught up in the explosion told the Press Association he was left cowering behind a police officer as the bomb went off in the middle of a mass evacuation. Emergency action was taken after a Samaritans phone line in the West Midlands received a bomb threat for Londonderry city centre on January 19. Police were given just 10 minutes to clear the area but it was not enough time, he said, and the bomb detonated as residents were still on the street. I heard a hard bang, he said. It was like a loud crack. The police were yelling Get down! Get down! and I ended up crouched down with a police officer on top of me. There was a big black plume of smoke rising into the sky, the smell was really thick and unpleasant and the air tasted so bad. I was quite stunned. CCTV footage showing a car bomb exploding outside the court house on Bishop Street in Londonderry (PSNI/PA) The man spoke out because he worried ignorant politicians were contributing to the increase in tension in the area as the Northern Irish border has become a central sticking point in Brexit negotiations. Story continues He told the Press Association: People were raging that somebody would do this to us. Everybody is worried because we dont want to go backwards on the peace process when we have come so far. People just want to go on living their lives. Sectarian tensions have been steadily rising since the start of the year, but Theresa May has insisted this is not linked to Brexit and she is committed to protecting the Good Friday Agreement. Back in January, she told MPs: This House stands together with the people of Northern Ireland in ensuring that we never go back to the violence and terror of the past. Jacob Rees-Mogg MP (Victoria Jones/PA) However, the man involved in the bomb blast said he did not think Brexiteer politicians like Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson were respectful enough of the deep trauma Northern Ireland has been through over the border. There is an issue with ignorance on Westminster and the people in power there who have never been here, he said. They seem to have forgotten the Troubles. Mr Johnson has compared the Irish border to the boundaries between London boroughs inside the capitals congestion zone, claiming there could be an as-yet-unspecified technical solution to prevent a hard border after Brexit. Boris Johnson (Michael Cooper/PA) European Research Group (ERG) chairman Mr Rees-Mogg, who has been the ringleader for the hardest deal with the biggest risk to the Irish border, should visit again to feel the tensions himself, he suggested. The vapidity of this is insulting, said the man. Its insulting to have politicians who dont try to respect the people here, who are gaslighting over the Troubles and misrepresenting the situation. This is a politically fragile place. Politicians are actively harming us with Brexit that most people here voted against. Former British negotiator to Northern Ireland Jonathan Powell has said this week he believes the political vacuum around Brexit is contributing to sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, although he was careful to stress it was not the sole cause. But Tory Brexiteer MP Mark Francois, ERG vice chairman, dismissed any link between the upswing in violence around the Irish border and Brexit. Its important not to confuse two different things, said Mr Francois. Weve not had a Northern Irish executive for around two years thats nothing to do with Brexit. There is a political vacuum in Northern Ireland but thats not because of Brexit but because Sinn Fein chose to withdraw from the Northern Irish assembly and its important not to mix the two up. The Duchess of Sussex has been given a ringing endorsement by the Commonwealths Secretary-General, who has praised her contribution to the family of nations. Meghan has taken on important roles with the institution during her first year as a member of the monarchy and was described by Baroness Scotland as a young, vibrant, professional woman who is dedicating herself to public service. The Secretary-General, who was born in the Commonwealth country of Dominica and brought up in the UK, acknowledged the duchess background would be relevant to many across the globe, but stressed there had been other mixed-race members of the monarchy. In an interview to mark the family of nations 70th anniversary, the Secretary-General agreed with the suggestion citizens from the Commonwealths culturally diverse 2.4 billion population would say Meghan looks like me. Baroness Scotland, speaking about the duke and duchess, who is due to give birth imminently, told the Press Association: I think the fact they are a young, committed couple, that they are both sharing such a deep interest in young people and in issues of learning and development, has been an inspiration for many of those young people and they love to see them. I think her contribution as a young, vibrant, professional woman who is now going to dedicate herself to public service, is a great example, a great example. Our Commonwealth is very, very mixed but as someone said to me lots of people are getting very excited about the fact the duchess is mixed race, shes not the first mixed race person to go into the royal family and people tend to forget that. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with Baroness Scotland, arrive to attend the Your Commonwealth Youth Challenge reception at Marlborough House in London (Yui Mok/PA) It is thought Queen Charlotte, who was married to George III, was of African descent and she has been described as Britains first black Queen. With 60% of Commonwealth citizens aged 29 or under, the duke and duchess appeal to the young is being capitalised on. Story continues Meghan is patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and vice president of the Queens Commonwealth Trust (QCT), which champions youth around the world, while Harry is the QCTs president and the Commonwealths Youth Ambassador. The modern Commonwealth was formed in 1949 when eight countries Australia, Britain, Ceylon, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Canada signed the Declaration of London exactly 70 years ago April 26, 1949 after a six-day conference. Meghan and Harry pictured at a womens empowerment reception during last years Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the UK (Chris Jackson/PA) In the past, commentators have criticised the Commonwealth for its apparent weakness, illustrated by what critics called dithering during the political crisis in Zimbabwe that finally culminated in the country being suspended from the institution. But supporters of the family of nations believe it has allowed countries to unify on common causes like climate change or challenging Apartheid and ultimately, through unity, affect change. Throughout her reign the Queen has been a passionate supporter of the family of nations which she heads and the Secretary-General said they had benefited from her wisdom, her support, and her total lifelong commitment. Charles was named as the next head of the Commonwealth when the leaders of its member nations met at Windsor Castle last year, another example of the gentle handover of responsibilities from the Queen to her son and heir. The Queen gives the opening address at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting staged in the UK in 2018 (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Baroness Scotland, a former attorney general, said: I think the Commonwealth and his royal highness have a lot in common, because of course in 1989 when the Commonwealth was raising the issues of climate change, if you remember there werent many people who were flying that particular flag. The Commonwealth have been pushing quite strongly the idea of regenerative development, that we need to be more holistic, we need to take care of our environment and we need to give back to it and nurture it well can you think of someone else whos been saying that for all that time. The Prince of Wales has been committed to that agenda for as long as I can remember but also (with) the Princes Trust hes been committed to young people, and hes been committed to making sure that the young people who are disadvantaged and forgotten (are supported). Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has walked out of a Japanese detention centre, his head held high, after paying 500 million yen (3.5 million) in bail and winning a court rejection of an appeal from prosecutors. Ghosn walked solemnly out of the Tokyo Detention House with one of his lawyers by his side. They got into a dark van without speaking and drove off, watched by dozens of journalists who had been waiting for his release for hours. Prosecutors had fought to keep him in custody, contending he could tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. But the Tokyo District Court decided in the evening he should be released. A vehicle with former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn on board leaves the Tokyo Detention Centre (Eugene Hoshiko/AP) In a new twist, the court also decided to restrict Ghosns contact with his wife, Carole Ghosn, targeting her as someone related to the latest allegations, according to his legal team. Ghosn was arrested in November, released on bail in early March, but re-arrested and detained again April 4 on new allegations. The latest bail comes on top of the one billion yen Ghosn posted for his earlier release. He has been charged with under-reporting his post-retirement compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money and allegedly having it shoulder his personal investment losses. Ghosn, 65, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, says he is innocent. He contends the compensation he allegedly under-reported was never decided on or paid and the payments were for legitimate services. For the earlier release, his defence team offered special conditions such installing a surveillance camera at the entrance to a specified residence for the former star executive and promising to use a cellphone and the internet only under specified conditions. The latest release requires similar restrictions, including not leaving the country, according to the court. I am so relieved. I had been worried, Ghosns lawyer Junichiro Hironaka told reporters about the court decision. Mr Hironaka said the bail conditions require advance notice of contacts between Ghosn and Carole Ghosn. Story continues She is mentioned in the latest allegations that centre around payments by an Oman business to operations allegedly run by Ghosn, which reportedly have some links to his wifes business. She was called in for questioning earlier this month. Carole Ghosn has said both her husband and she are innocent. She has been a vocal proponent, appealing to public opinion and human rights groups about Ghosns treatment. Carlos Ghosn, right, and his wife Carole (AP) Mr Hironaka said he had expected the restrictions because bail conditions generally prohibit contact with people linked to the case. He said the legal team will work to moderate the restrictions. Another of his lawyers, Takashi Takano, has denied Japanese media reports that Carole Ghosn had contacted people related to the allegations and stressed Ghosns entire family has been abiding by the terms of his bail agreement. If they had done such a thing, the release on bail would end, and they would lose bail money, he said in a recent blog post. Japanese social media and media had been buzzing with speculation over how Ghosn would appear when he left detention. When he was released on March 4 after more than 100 days in detention, he wore a cap, mask and what appeared to be a construction workers outfit. Ghosn was still easily recognisable, and the disguise provoked widespread amusement and commentary. Ghosns case has reignited criticism, both internally and internationally, against lengthy detentions without a trial or conviction in Japan, which critics call hostage justice. Although prolonged detentions are routine in Japan, rearresting a person who has cleared bail is unusual. Ghosn led Nissan for two decades and was credited with steering the success of the global alliance with Renault SA of France and smaller Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Renault owns 43% of Yokohama-based Nissan, while Nissan owns 15% of Renault. Carlos Ghosn in 2013 (David Parry/PA) His departure has raised concern over a potential leadership vacuum at Nissan, which he dominated until his arrest, and about the future of its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi. In a video statement released April 9, Ghosn said a few Nissan executives had plotted against him in a conspiracy. A date for Ghosns trial has not been set. In Japan, trial preparations tend to take months. Both sides have said that the case is complex. The allegations against him involve payments to a Saudi dealership, as well as the funds paid to an Oman business. Yahoo Celebrity UK Kate Thornton relives the past year at White Wine Question Time, from Gary Barlow FaceTiming Elton John in lockdown, to Hannah Waddingham and Ellie Taylor spilling the tea about working on the multi-award winning Ted Lasso. Listen in to recall some of the stand out moments.White Wine Question Time with Kate Thornton is the podcast that brings together well-known guests to answer three thought-provoking questions over three glasses of wine. Discover the friendships behind the entertainment headlines, and listen in on their conversations for a side to the celebrities you've never heard before. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and follow on Instagram (@whitewineqt) & Twitter (@WhiteWineQT) to keep up to date with the latest guests, news and more! COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A Danish family has established contact with two relatives who went missing after the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, Ritzau news agency said on Wednesday, citing Denmark's foreign ministry. Denmark's ambassador to India said earlier on Wednesday that relatives and authorities had been trying unsuccessfully since Sunday to establish contact with the two Danish citizens, who had checked into a hotel in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo. However, they were at a hotel that was not affected by the blasts and are both unharmed, the ministry said after speaking to their relatives. Three Danes are already confirmed dead in the blasts, which killed 359 people and wounded about 500 more at churches and hotels. Denmark's richest man Anders Holch Povlsen and his wife lost three of their four children in the attacks, a spokesman for Povlsen's fashion firm said on Monday. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Catherine Evans) A UN Development Program (UNDP) study released Tuesday estimates the war in Yemen and subsequent humanitarian disaster means the country has already lost more than two decades in terms of development. The study found that if even if the war were to end this year, it will have caused economic losses of $88.8 billion. If the conflict lasts until 2030, it would leave 71 percent of the population in extreme poverty, 84 percent malnourished and cause economic losses of $657 billion.The UNDP's Yemen representative, Auke Lootsma, said that "even if there were to be peace tomorrow, it could take decades for Yemen to return to pre-conflict levels of development".A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels since 2015. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and driven the country to the brink of famine.Click on the video player above to watch FRANCE 24's report. A UN Development Program (UNDP) study released Tuesday estimates the war in Yemen and subsequent humanitarian disaster means the country has already lost more than two decades in terms of development. The study found that if even if the war were to end this year, it will have caused economic losses of $88.8 billion. If the conflict lasts until 2030, it would leave 71 percent of the population in extreme poverty, 84 percent malnourished and cause economic losses of $657 billion. The UNDP's Yemen representative, Auke Lootsma, said that "even if there were to be peace tomorrow, it could take decades for Yemen to return to pre-conflict levels of development". A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels since 2015. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and driven the country to the brink of famine. Click on the video player above to watch FRANCE 24's report. The Duke of Cambridge has arrived in New Zealand for a two-day visit aimed at "bringing comfort" to those affected by last month's terror attacks. Fifty people were killed when a gunman opened fire in two mosques in the South Island city of Christchurch on 15 March. Prince William is visiting New Zealand on behalf of the Queen and at the request of the country's prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who said she believed his presence would "bring comfort to those affected". He arrived in Auckland on Thursday morning local time and shortly afterwards he attended an Anzac Day service at the city's war memorial with Ms Ardern and other invited guests. The day marks the anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs) landing at Gallipoli in 1915 but it has grown over the years to include remembrance for Australian and New Zealand deaths in all wars. As he arrived at the ceremony, the prince was given a traditional Maori welcome. He sang along with the hymn Abide With Me, parts of it sung in Maori, and he also laid a wreath of red and white flowers on behalf of the Queen, alongside Ms Ardern and Auckland's mayor Phil Goff. But thoughts of Christchurch were never far from the minds of those at the service - the city featured in prayers, as did Sri Lanka, where 359 people were killed in a series of bombings on Easter Sunday . In an address, Rear Admiral James Gilmour, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, said New Zealand was still coming to terms with what had happened in Christchurch. He added: "As a nation, we are still grieving the loss and the fact that this happened. "The people of Christchurch will be experiencing this cruel nightmare." After the service, William headed to the South Island city and on Friday he is expected to visit the mosques and meet emergency services, Muslim leaders and survivors of the attacks. Ms Ardern, who was praised by many for her leadership after the mosque attacks, said the prince's visit "provides the opportunity to pay tribute to those affected by the mosque terrorist attacks and show support to the local and national community". Story continues "We welcome this visit by His Royal Highness and know it will bring comfort to those affected." It's not the first time William has been to Christchurch after tragedy - he visited after the city was devastated by an earthquake in 2011, which killed 185 people. He is travelling without his wife the Duchess of Cambridge and their three children. Wanna Flip for $1,200? A Live Cash Game Question April 25 2019 Lee Jones After you play a lot of live poker, you think you've seen it all. That's when the universe shows you a new trick. The scene was a California $3/$5 no-limit hold'em game I'll leave the exact location unspoken. When my tale is told, you'll understand why. I was leaning against a post, waiting for my seat, when the under-the-gun player announced that he was all in. Thing is, he hadn't received his first card the dealer was just getting ready to pitch it to him. Dealer: "You're all in?" UTG: "Yep." Dealer shrugs (they have seen it all) and tosses the all-in button in front of him. He's got about $1,200. My immediate thought was, "Wow if I were next to act, what would I need to call?" A couple of players around the table had $1K, and UTG (aka "RandomMan") had everybody covered. It's interesting that this decision hinges on not only the math, but also on a player's risk tolerance and dollar utility. If everybody folds to me in the big blind, it's a straightforward question: "What do I need to call $1,200 all-in?" The answer is equally straightforward: "The set of hands that are +EV against two random cards." But suppose RandomMan shoves $1,200 blind and you're next to act? With what range of hands should you stick in your $1,200? You must have a stronger hand than "anything that's beating two random cards" because somebody may wake up with pocket jacks behind you and you will be stomped. I spent some time on Pro Poker Tools and found a range of hands that will do well if somebody behind you jumps in. To simplify the search, I assumed that once you called RandomMan's shove, another player would require a "top 20%" hand to get in as well. I put the results in a Google spreadsheet that you're welcome to review. But for those of you who want it pre-digested: Any positive edge heads-up: A2s+ , K2s+ , Q3s+ , J6s+ , T7s+ , 98s , A2o+ , K2o+ , Q5o+ , J8o+ , T9o , 22+ , , , , , , , , , , , 55% edge heads-up (you expect to win about $120 if you and RandomMan each have $1,200): A2s+ , K4s+ , Q8s+ , J9s+ , A3o+ , K7o+ , Q9o+ , JTo , 44+ , , , , , , , , Any positive edge 3-way against RandomMan and a top 20% hand: A7s+, KTs+, QJs, ATo+, Kqo, 66+. Of course, if you stick to this range and nobody comes in behind you, you're destroying RandomMan you'll have a 39% edge and expect to win $450 in a $2,400 heads-up pot. It's interesting that this decision hinges on not only the math, but also on a player's risk tolerance and dollar utility. If you're Warren Buffett, then the money means nothing, but passing up a positive investment is too much to bear. If that $1,200 is your "case money," as the old gamblers used to call it, then (a) why do you have that money on the table? and (b) you'd better wait for a better situation, I guess. Anyway, let's get our heads out of the spreadsheet and back to the table. When we left off, RandomMan had just shipped $1,200 from under the gun, completely blind. Halfway around the table, the tightest player in the room called for $800. I thought, "That's a top 10% hand. RandomMan is in trouble." Then one of the action players called and the rest folded. RandomMan squeezed out his hand, and discovered he had a monster pocket nines. Tight guy had ace-queen. Board ran out clean, both tight guy and gambly guy mucked, and RandomMan scooped a $2,500 pot. This crazy scenario is not likely to happen to you, but in case it does, check in with me at www.leejones.com/contact and let me know what your decision was and how it worked out. Epilogue Not 48 hours after writing "This crazy scenario is not likely to happen to you" I found myself in another $3/$5 game where a completely different guy was blind shoving $1K every other hand. I sat there thinking, "Bet I know correct calling ranges better than most here." My grinder friends tell me this behavior is more common than one might expect, so now you're prepared. If you want coaching on more mundane poker topics, Lee is the man. Check out his coaching site at leejones.com/coaching to get a free consultation and see if his coaching is right for you. Meghan Markle attends the 2018 Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2018. (Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) Long before Meghan Markle was an actress or a royal, she was a feminist: an 11-year-old Meghan famously and unwittingly became an advocate for womens rights when she objected to the wording in an advert for dishwashing liquid. Meghan wrote letters to then-U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton, TV journalist Linda Ellerbee, attorney Gloria Allred and Procter & Gamble, who changed the slogan in the commercial from women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans to people all over America, landing Meghan Markle her first feminist victory of many to come. So its no surprise to us that Meghan Markle is a fiercely feminist princess, reflected in statements shes made about Baby Sussex, how shes using her role to champion feminist causes and speeches shes made since becoming the Duchess of Sussex. Here are five of our favourite feminist moments from Meghan Markle were sure there will be plenty more to come. READ MORE: The gender confidence gap and how to overcome it Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in her early pregnancy. (Photo: Getty Images) When she felt the embryonic kicking of feminism in her belly In March 2019, Meghan spoke at an International Womens Day panel hosted by Anne McElvoy and mentioned that her unborn baby boy or girl is most definitely going to be a feminist. Its funny, Ive actually been joking in the past few weeks I had seen this documentary on Netflix about feminism and one of the things they said during pregnancy is, I feel the embryonic kicking of feminism. I loved that, so boy or girl, or whatever it is, we hope thats the case. Not only will Baby Sussex be a feminist, but Meghan Markle has stirred up the royals with talk of raising her baby in a gender fluid way, which as far as we can gather from reports, means having a neutral-toned nursery rather than one thats pink or blue. Kensington Palace decided to issue a statement that the reports are totally false. But were still expecting to see Baby Sussex clad in yellow. When she gave a powerful speech about womens suffrage in New Zealand Story continues With her background as an actress and a degree from the prestigious Northwestern University, its no surprise that Meghan is a powerful, captivating and intelligent speaker. In her feminist speech on womens suffrage, during her visit to New Zealand in autumn 2018, she spoke eloquently on equality. Womens suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness. Suffrage is not simply about the right to vote, but also about what that represents: the basic and fundamental human right of being able to participate in the choices for your future and that of your community, she said. READ MORE: 11 role models to tell your daughters about now His Royal Highness Prince Harry Of Wales and Meghan Markle announce their engagement. (Photo: Getty Images) When she used the word feminist in her official biography and decided to focus her charitable efforts on womens issues Meghan Markle isnt afraid to call herself a feminist: in fact, it says she is in big, bold letters on her royal family bio page: I am proud to be a woman and a feminist. Markles royal biography also indicates that she was a philanthropist helping women long before it was her full-time job, like when she became the UN Womens Advocate for Womens Political Participation and Leadership in 2015. She continues to devote her humanitarian efforts to helping women and children, whether its visiting India with World Vision to bring awareness to girls lack of education, or helping provide clean water to Rwandan children, so that they can continue their schooling. Messages written on bananas by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex as she helped to prepare food parcels to be dispatched by the charity outreach van, during her visit with Britains Prince Harry to One25, a charity specialising in helping women to break free from street sex work, addiction and other life-controlling issues. (Photo: Getty Images) When she wrote messages of affirmation on bananas to sex workers Meghan and Harry visited charity One25 in Bristol in February 2019 and it was a visit to remember. The charity helps sex workers get off the streets and as Meghan and Harry made meals for the women, she was inspired to write messages of affirmation and empowerment on the bananas. Markle had read that a woman in Virginia had done the same for kids school lunches and she thought it was a touching gesture. We agree. READ MORE: Inspiring mother-daughter duos Sanitary pads prepared by the Myna Mahila Foundation are displayed at their office in the Indian city of Mumbai. The Indian charity championing menstrual hygiene was over the moon at being chosen as one of seven organisations to benefit from Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding. The couple asked wedding guests to donate to charity rather than sending wedding gifts. (Photo: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images) When she penned this article on menstrual shame In March 2017, Markle wrote about her experience in India with World Vision for TIME magazine, and how menstrual shame and lack of information about proper menstrual health hygiene means that girls education is compromised as a result. Markle then named The Myna Mahila Foundation which helps women in Mumbai slums access cheap sanitary pads and works to educate people about menstruation as one of the seven charities people were encouraged to donate to in celebration of her and Harrys wedding in April 2018. Mariam Nabatanzi was married off aged 12. She gave birth to twins a year after. [Photo: Reuters] Ugandan woman, Mariam Nabatanzi, has what doctors describe as unusually large ovaries. This, paired with her ability to ovulate multiple times explains why Mariam has had so many sets of twins, triplets and quadruplets. Ovaries can become enlarged for a number of reasons. In Mariams case it was because her ovaries were working harder to hyper-ovulate; the process that happens in order to produce twins. Shes had six twins, four sets of triplets and five sets of quadruplets. The 39-year-old woman has a condition called hyper-ovulation, meaning she ovulates more than once per cycle. [Photo: Reuters] Family sizes are larger in Africa. In Uganda, women will have 5.6 children on average, compared to the global average of 3.6. Even by Ugandan standards, though, the Nabatanzi family are unusually large. After her first set of twins were born, Mariam visited her doctor. This was the first time she was told she had large ovaries. The doctor warned her off of birth control, believing that it may cause her health problems. READ MORE: Heartwarming moment twins meet after a month apart In most women, the ovaries will take it in turns to release an egg. In women with hyper-ovulation, both ovaries will release the egg at the same time. People have enlarged ovaries for a number of reasons. For many its temporary, for example, during ovulation. For others, it highlights an underlying health problem like polycystic ovary syndrome or ovarian edema. READ MORE: Father admits he cant tell his twin daughters apart People with enlarged ovaries might also have other symptoms like, pelvic pain or pressure, irregular menstural cycle, unexplained fatigue and weight loss. For Mariam, it may have been genetic, with her Mother having six children herself. Three days after she was born, her mother walked out on her and her five siblings. After her father remarried, her stepmother poisoned all of her siblings. Mariam narrowly escaped because she was out of town that day. Her desire for a big family comes from a place of tragedy; to rebuild the one she lost. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on April 25, 2019 2019/04/25 Q: Russian President Vladimir Putin and the DPRK leader Kim Jong-un concluded their face-to-face meeting in Vladivostok today. As far as we know, they mainly discussed ways to resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula. I wonder if China has any comment about this meeting? Also, President Putin is coming to China for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) and a meeting with President Xi Jinping. Is President Xi going to discuss the Russia-DPRK summit in Vladivostok with him? A: Russia and the DPRK are both China's friendly neighbors. We are pleased to see stronger high-level exchange and deeper bilateral cooperation between them, which we believe is conducive to the further development of their bilateral relationship and regional peace and stability. We have been following the Russia-DPRK summit. According to the information I have, it has yielded some positive outcomes. We believe this summit will inject new impetus into resolving the Peninsula issue. I also want to add that as close neighbors of the Korean Peninsula and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia have all along maintained close communication and coordination on the Peninsula issue. We have made a lot of joint efforts for peace and stability on the Peninsula and explored the formulation of a road map for the political settlement of the issue. The situation on the Peninsula is now showing a positive momentum for dialogue and deescalation. China stands ready to work with all parties concerned, including Russia, to take phased and synchronized steps as part of a package plan, and continue to advance denuclearization and political settlement for more positive outcomes. As for your question on President Putin's meeting with President Xi, we welcome President Putin's participation in the second BRF in Beijing, and President Xi will hold talks with him. More information will be released in due course. You may follow up on that. [April 24, 2019] Vonage to Attend Upcoming Investor Conferences HOLMDEL, N.J., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG), a global business cloud communications leader, today announced that management is scheduled to attend the following investor conferences: J.P. Morgan Technology, Media and Communications Conference Tuesday, May 14, 2019 (presentation at 2:40 PM ET) Boston, Massachusetts Needham Emerging Technology Conference Tuesday, May 21, 2019 (presentation at 4:30pm PM ET) New York, New York Craig-Hallum Institutional Investor Conference Wednesday, May 29, 2019 Minneapolis, Minnesota Live webcasts of the J.P. Morgan and Needham presentations will be available on Vonage's Investor Relations website. A replay will be available shortly after each live webcast. About Vonage Vonage (NYSE:VG) 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, the Middle East and Asia. 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. (vg-f) View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vonage-to-attend-upcoming-investor-conferences-300837857.html SOURCE Vonage [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next. On a rough estimate, New York uses 23 billion plastic bags annually and most of them end up in landfills, clog the waterways and become eyesores around the city. In order to eliminate the menace that is damaging the Environment, New York governor Andrew Cuomo has taken a timely decision to ban single-use plastic bags in the state. He has signed the legislation on Earth Day, and it would be effective from next March. He had constituted a task force in 2017 to develop a long-term solution to this problem and they studied all the pros and cons. Their recommendation was to ban it in totality and promote alternatives like paper bags. This will be in line with the decisions taken by California and Hawaii. Forbes quotes the task force report that says discarded bags are scattered in the landscape and in waterways and are not a pleasant sight. The report adds - Single-use plastic bags are a detriment to the health of communities and the environment alike. Other issues related to plastic bags The main advantage of imposing a ban on plastic bags is to get a cleaner environment with a reduced presence of plastic, the item that does not decompose or break down into products that the soil can absorb. The ban has another plus point because it would eliminate millions of barrels of oil necessary to make the plastic bags. According to estimates of the Environmental Protection Agency, the majority of the plastic that ends up in the oceans originates on land. Unless there is a concerted effort to arrest this trend, a time might come by 2050 when the weight of plastic in the oceans will be more than the weight of the fish. New York City adds 5-cent fee for paper bags after state bans plastic bags https://t.co/aSiAdDi3iB pic.twitter.com/yI55Sxz4BU CBS News (@CBSNews) April 24, 2019 Forbes goes on to add that past statistics reveal in 2014, an average American family used nearly 1,500 single-use plastic bags each year. Discuss this news on Eunomia That could add up to 100 billion single-use plastic shopping bags every year. Therefore, New York has decided to team up with California and Hawaii and ban single-use plastic bags. Plastic bags destroy the environment Daily Mail UK reports about Governor Andrew Cuomo signing legislation that imposes a ban on single-use plastic grocery bags in New York. California did it in 2016 and Hawaii followed. Its counties have imposed their own restrictions and Hawaii wants to ban the use of plastic in eateries. Actions of this nature are necessary to save the environment because plastic is something that is non-biodegradable and continues to clutter the surroundings for ages. They damage the ecosystems and waterways. Under the provisions of the ban, local governments would have the option of imposing a nominal charge on paper bags. A portion of this would go towards the state's Environmental Protection Fund and another portion to the local governments. This would meet the demands of advocates of environmental conservation who have been demanding a statewide fee for paper bags to wean people away from plastic bags and switch over to reusable bags. "General Hospital" (GH) spoilers focus on two dramatic situations. On the one hand, there is Oscar, sure to die soon, while on the other there is Jordan who, despite having fought with his serious pathology, has had a serious relapse. Jordan's collapse will put her in serious danger. Now, more than ever, it is essential to find a compatible donor to perform the kidney transplant. Meanwhile, Oscar is in the Quartermaine house, where he receives palliative care to alleviate the physical pain and severe symptoms resulting from his brain cancer. "GH" spoilers tease that these two storylines might unexpectedly have a common, yet tragic ending. 'General Hospital': Oscar Nero's death is getting closer Unfortunately, GH spoilers do not give much hope to those who believe a miracle that can save the poor kid. The brain tumor is at the last stage, and the only act of love that the doctors could do was to bring Oscar to the Quartermaine clinic. Here, trained staff will help him to face his last days, trying not to make him suffer, at least physically. Oscar is surrounded by the love of his family, although Josslyn does not seem to accept the idea of losing him. Joss will often lose her head and put his anger on Cameron, making the dramatic situation even worse. "General Hospital" spoilers say that it will be Oscar who prays to his family not to suffer for him and makes them promise to always remember him with a smile. Oscar's words will move Josslyn and Cameron, who will try to listen to the brave boy. 'GH' next episodes: Jordan close to death According to Celebrity Dirty Laundry, another character of the soap opera will also be poised between life and death. We're talking about Jordan, already ill from severe kidney disease. The police commissioner has worked tirelessly and has accumulated a not inconsiderable dose of stress. Discuss this news on Eunomia "GH" spoilers on Soap Dirt reveal that Jordan will have a very serious collapse. The doctors will inform his family that this time the woman is in danger of her life. The only hope for her is to find a compatible kidney donor as soon as possible. Curtis will make an immediate effort to find a donor, but her research will not be successful. Jordan will fight between life and death. "GH's" latest and dramatic spoilers tease an unexpected hypothesis. As we unfortunately know, Oscar Nero's death is near, although fans are hoping for one last miracle. Oscar has a brain tumor, but the other organs are healthy. So, he could prove to be an ideal kidney donor for Jordan. Will the two tragic stories have a common ending? We look forward to having other "General Hospital" (GH) spoilers to update you. Meanwhile, stay tuned. Prince Edward Island is the most recent Canadian province to elect a new government. Traditionally, political power in the province has alternated between two parties - the Progressive Conservatives and the Liberals. A third party has made a major mark on Prince Edward Island politics. The environmentally-focused Green Party fell short of winning but outdid the Liberals. Progressive Conservatives win a plurality of seats The Progressive Conservative Party has won a plurality of seats in the Prince Edward Island General Assembly. Some polls had indicated the Greens could win the election and form a government, something they have never done in Canada. However, this was not to be, though they did win the second-most seats. The Liberal Party, which had controlled the provincial government since 2007, fell to third place. Incumbent Premier Wade MacLauchlan lost his own riding to PC candidate Bloyce Thompson. The New Democratic Party, the third-largest party in the national Canadian Parliament, was once again shut out. Since its creation, the NDP has only had one member elected to the Prince Edward Island General Assembly. As Global News reports, these results are part of a continuing trend that indicates trouble for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The scandal-ridden prime minister's Liberal Party has continued to struggle mightily in provincial elections. Most likely to benefit from Trudeau and the Liberals' problems are the Conservative Party of Canada. They are led by Andrew Scheer. The next federal election is set for later this year. The Progressive Conservatives likely would've been expected to do better. Especially given the woes of the Liberals, as the National Observer touches on. Discuss this news on Eunomia Party members have struggled to find a long-term leader since the tenure of Pat Binns ended. Binns had been a member of the federal parliament in the 1980s. He would serve as party leader and premier of Prince Edward Island for over a decade. At one point, the party was so dominant that they held all but one seat in the general assembly. Afterward, Binns was Canadian ambassador to the Republic of Ireland. For all of the continuous problems the party has had in the leadership position, they've found success once again. The new premier-to-be is Dennis King. A former staff member for Pat Binns, King just won his General Assembly seat in this election. One seat in the General Assembly hasn't been decided. Voting for the new riding of Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park has been delayed. Green Party candidate Josh Underway and his son were killed in a tragic canoeing accident days before the election. A by-election is to be held at a later date. Whatever the result, it's unlikely to change the make-up of the General Assembly. An electoral reform referendum failed to pass Another point of interest was a referendum about whether or not the province should reform its voting system. Voters chose to remain with the traditional first past the post system over changing to mixed-member proportional representation. The movement for change failed to reach even 50 percent, where at least 60 was required for passage. Voting for the current system was strongest in the areas of and near Alberton. Conversely, voting for the other system was strongest in the Malpeque Bay region. Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhangliang Pay a Courtesy Call on Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry 2019/04/24 On 18 April, 2019, the Chinese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Sierra Leone, H.E. Mr. HU Zhangliang, paid a courtesy call on Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Sierra Leone Mr. Joseph Ndanema. The two sides exchanged views on strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation. Ambassador HU said that the foundation for agricultural cooperation between China and Sierra Leone was solid, the Chinese Embassy would continue to work with the Sierra Leonean side to jointly promote bilateral agricultural cooperation and support the sustainable development of agriculture in this country. Minister Mr. Ndanema welcomed Ambassador HU for assuming his new post, and thanked the government and people of China for the firm support in the development of agriculture and food security in Sierra Leone. He said he would like to continue to make joint efforts with the Chinese side to expand the cooperation in agriculture, especially enhance bilateral governmental cooperation and attract Chinese investment in agriculture. Domestic cashew processing enterprises have been facing difficulties due to a new regulation that requires additional checks on raw materials imported from African ports. Vietnamese cashew sector seeks to increase export value Vietnam cashew industry: the more exports, the bigger losses VN cashew industry pain set to continue: experts Cashew processed for exports Dang Hoang Giang, Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas), said: "The domestic industry is facing difficulties this year, and new regulations has pushed up production costs." They needed more time and money to obtain customs clearance, according to the association. The enterprises also had to send more staff to track their shipments, causing congestion at ports and reducing the competitiveness of enterprises and the industry, it said. In mid-March, Vinacas President Pham Van Cong sent a letter to the Department of Plant Protection to propose solutions for the new regulations that aimed to prevent the Trogoderma SP worm from entering the country. Hoang Trung, Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments Department of Plant Protection, said the department had directed the Plant Quarantine Sub-department of Region 2 that in April if no batches were infected, the sub-department would permit businesses to move shipments directly to their warehouses. If any batches were found to be infected, the quarantine sub-department would propose stopping shipments from the relevant countries, Trung said. Since the beginning of the year, the department had checked all shipments arriving at the countrys ports. The process took 7-10 days compared to 2-3 days in the past. Vinacas has asked the Plant Protection Department to resume quick inspections at the dock and further checks where necessary at warehouses. This was the peak time for buying and importing raw cashew for processing, so if the new regulation was not adjusted, it would seriously hit the domestic cashew industry, Giang said. Trung said since 2013, the department has found numerous shipments from Africa containing the Trogoderma SP worm. The worm is classed as dangerous and is on a list of tightly-controlled pests in many countries. Previously, the quarantine process for imported goods needed four hours at border gates and 10 hours at seaports and airports. We have continued to find the worms in imported cashew shipments so enterprises must work with quarantine agencies to stop this pest from entering the country. Vietnamese goods would face many difficulties and eradicating the worms would cost a lot. If quarantine agencies do not find worms in the next 5-7 batches, we will permit businesses to ship them to warehouses and then check the remaining batches, creating favourable conditions, Trung said. According to the ministry, imports of raw cashew nuts in the first quarter of this year reached 224,000 tonnes worth 389 million USD. The imports surged by 6.2 percent year on year in volume but reduced 19.5 percent in value. In the first quarter, Cambodia was the largest supplier of cashews for Vietnam, accounting for 33.2 percent of total import value, up about 10 times year-on-year. The second largest import value was from the Ivory Coast with 47 million USD, up about 2 times. The third was from Indonesia with 24.2 million USD, up 1.8 times. Vietnams raw cashew imports are forecast to reach more than 1 million tonnes this year. The nation has imported raw materials for many years because of its reduction in cashew growing area and output.-VNS Among 53 cities and provinces having received FDI in the first four months this year, Hanoi has attracted the largest portion of capital commitments with over US$4.47 billion, accounting for 30.6% of total investment in the period. Top 10 countries and territories by FDI commitments in Vietnam in January - April (Unit: billion USD). Source: MPI/Graphic: Nguyen Tung. Ho Chi Minh City came second with US$2.37 billion or 16.3% of the total investment, followed by Binh Duong with over US$1 billion, accounting for 7% of total investment, a report of the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment has shown. Four-year high FDI commitments Foreign investors committed to pour US$14.59 billion into Vietnam in the January April period, marking a four-year high and up 81% year-on-year. Disbursement of FDI projects jumped to US$5.7 billion in the four-month period, representing an increase of 7.5% year-on-year. According to the agency, 1,082 new projects have been approved with total commitments of US$5.34 billion in the January April period, up 50.4% from the corresponding period last year, while 395 existing projects have been injected an additional US$2.11 billion, down 6% from the same period last year. During this period, 1,653 projects have had US$5.68 billion in capital contributed by foreign investors, an increase of 3-fold year-on-year and accounting for 52.6% of total registered capital. Investors have invested in 19 fields and sectors, in which manufacturing and processing continued to attract substantial attention with investment capital of US$10.5 billion, accounting for 72% of total FDI approvals. Real estate was the second most heavily invested, with US$1.1 billion, or 7.5% of total registered capital, followed by retail and wholesale with US$742.7 million or 5%. The data shows that out of 80 countries and territories investing in Vietnam in the four-month period, Hong Kong (China) took the lead with US$4.7 billion, accounting for 32.5% of total investment. South Korea came second with US$1.98 billion or 13.6% of total investment, while the third place belonged to Singapore with US$1.87 billion or 12.8%. China and Japan claimed the fourth and fifth places with US$1 billion and US$700 million, respectively. Massive production relocation from China With uncertainties surrounding the China US trade friction, foreign-invested companies have been pushing for relocating of their production facilities from China to Vietnam. Among 51 countries and territories that had fresh projects in Vietnam in the first four months of 2019, China was the largest investor with US$1.31 billion, accounting for 24.53% of the total and nearly double that of Singapore in the second place with US$700 million. Some of the big-ticket projects in the January April period from China include US$3.85 billion in capital contribution from Hong Kong -based Beerco Limited to Vietnam Beverage for a beer project in Hanoi; the US$260-million electronic manufacturing plant by Goertek (Hong Kong) located in Bac Ninh province; tire manufacturing plant worth US$280 million from a Chinese investor in Tay Ninh province and a similar project worth US$214.4 million financed by Guizhou Advance Type Investment (China) in Tien Giang province. As a result, a production shift from China to Vietnam has led to a surge in manpower demand, according to Navigos Group, the operator of Vietnams biggest job portal Vietnamworks. In its latest report on recruitment demands for senior management level in Vietnam in the first quarter of 2019, Navigos said the trend has been growing strongly, especially in supporting industries and wood furniture industry. Additionally, there are projects that launch new factories in Vietnam, which are expected to greatly increase the number of employees by double, or triple during the year, especially in the field of electronics, high-end components manufacturing, stated the report. The vacancies are mainly in Supervisory and Management positions, and the recruitment demand is expected to increase steadily until the companies operate stably. Besides, Chinese businesses also require candidates who must speak Chinese. Hanoitimes The main purposes of attracting FDI into the mining sector are to increase deep exploration with high technology, linking local businesses into supply chains, and increase the governments budgetary revenue. Inspections up in Lao Cai ore trade New path for VN mining industry However, even though FDI in mining has been minimal, most projects are bogged down in contractual disputes or tax issues, causing headaches to local authorities. More transparent legislation and a fair tax system are just two areas which could prevent further discontent After exploiting 6.9 tonnes of gold worth more than VND5 trillion ($217.4 million) at the Bong Mieu mine, one of the two largest gold mines in Southeast Asia, Canadas Besra Group has fled without returning the site to its original state as required by the law, leaving behind unpaid debts of dozens of millions of US dollars. Le Van Thang, who used to be a foreman at Bong Mieu Gold Mining Co., Ltd. and now works for a local company as a security guard at the Bong Mieu mine is sadly looking at the rusting, empty facilities, while saying: Bong Mieu went bankrupt and the investor has left, but their disastrous mess remains. Life has not returned to normal. The Bong Mieu mine was the most modern gold facility in the country when it was opened in the central province of Quang Nam in 2005 amidst high-sounding promises of enriching local state coffers and creating jobs for the locals. However, Bong Mieu Gold Minings financial statement paints a very different picture, reporting VND1.26 trillion ($54.78 million) of debts and VND1 trillion ($43.48 million) in accumulated loss, which exceed its total equity by VND966 billion ($42 million). As of November 2017, the companys debts include tax arrears, unpaid social insurance, and loans to around 100 creditors. Despite officially going bankrupt, Bong Mieu Gold Mining has not closed the mine or restored the site due to a lack of finances, providing an opportunity for locals to enter the area to illegally exploit and glean gold dust, poisoning the local rivers and streams. In another case, Indonesian firm PT Vietmindo Energitama also fell short of expectations when it was accused of illegally exploiting 80,000 tonnes of high-quality coal in the northern province of Quang Ninh. In addition, Vietmindos ongoing contractual dispute with local contractor Tan Viet Bac (TAVIBA) also made headlines after a scuffle at the mining site. The dispute revolves around Vietmindos unilateral termination of its contract with TAVIBA, claiming that the latter had been continuously failing to fulfil its contractual obligations. Protesting the termination, TAVIBA blocked major roads at the mining site with its vehicles, machinery, and equipment for the past 10 months. The company also submitted increasing compensation demands, from VND60 billion ($2.6 million) to VND400 billion ($17.39 million). The dispute has brought about damage to both sides and caused a headache for local authorities. Vietmindo even declared to permanently stop the mining project before the scheduled ending time in 2021. The declaration is even considered a ploy to pressurise the province and government officials and goes against Vietmindos statement at a recent press event that it had submitted a proposal to extend the time of exploitation at the mine by 20 years. Another leading factor behind investors breaking their promises in Vietnam is price fluctuation, highlighted by the example of the Ban Phuc Nickel mine project invested by Ban Phuc Nickel Mines LLC (BPNM), a subsidiary of Canada-based Asian Mineral Resources Ltd. (AMR). The Ban Phuc nickel mine contains more than 200,000 tonnes of nickel and 18,000 tonnes of copper reserves in highly concentrated and disseminated sulfur ore. Immediately after going into operation in 2013, the entire volume of nickel-copper sulfur ore was used to produce and export 9.5 nickel concentrate. As of November 2016, the company had exported 42 shipments of pure nickel ore, paying the state VND929 billion ($40.39 million) as export tax. However, the company suspended exploitation and processing at the Ban Phuc Nickel field from September 2016 to the end of September 2018 because it claimed the revenue generated by the project was not enough to offset operating costs. Eventually, in May last year, AMR entered into an agreement to divest its 90 per cent ownership in Ban Phuc Nickel Mine to Ta Khoa Mining Ltd., a company established by AMRs longstanding in-country senior manager, Stephen Ennor. This transaction will allow AMR to achieve an orderly exit from Vietnam and move forward to focus on exploring new investment opportunities in resource-based companies or other potential strategic options, stated the company website. Difficult experiences Le Chi Thanh, deputy chairman of the Quang Nams People Committee, admitted that Bong Mieu gold mine was a painful lesson in managing foreign-invested projects in the province. The Mineral Law should be revised for stricter and more effective management of mineral activities such as granting exploration licences, said Thanh. Meanwhile, at the recent forum to review the implementation of policies governing the Vietnamese mining industry, experts said that although the Mineral Law 2010 as well as the Law on Environmental Protection clearly stipulate the responsibilities of mining organisations and individuals to restore the environment and pay a deposit for environmental restoration, as well as their specific responsibilities for environmental rehabilitation and restoration in the course of mineral mining and the revaluation of public property before closing mines, there are no feasible mechanisms to sanction mining organisations and individuals who fail to implement proper mine closure plans. Trinh Anh Hung, a lawyer from the Quang Nam Bar Association, called for more transparency in tax management as well as allocating responsibilities among state authorities for tax losses incurred from mining exploration. Bankruptcy does not mean that the tax debt disappears. The company representative must be responsible for unresolved tax arrears, he stressed, adding that when a firm leaves with unsolved tax debt, the first responsibility should belong to the local tax department and the finance ministry. Urgency to revise legislation Dr Oliver Massmann, general director of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC, said that a modern mining project would have a positive impact by creating a large number of jobs, promoting local goods, and bringing new orders to service providers, while at the same time improving infrastructure. To sum it up, there are essentially three solution concepts. First, existing mining legislation could be revised and made more transparent, clearer. Investor-friendly rules could be created. Second, state co-ordination with law enforcement can be established to ensure the consistent and effective application of the relevant rules. Third, a fair tax system for the government and investors likewise should be created, Massmann suggested. Currently, the Vietnamese mining industry remains largely undeveloped with most operations being insufficient and causing harm to the environment. However, there remains great potential in the industry due to the abundance of unexploited mineral resources. The discovery of new minerals can be significantly facilitated by foreign investment. This provides an opportunity to use modern, efficient, sustainable, and secure technologies, which could have a huge impact on the nations economic growth and would lead to a reduction in public debt. Massmann added that Vietnam should persistently and resolutely follow its policy of restricting the export of raw materials to the utmost, with clear and consistent communication by state management agencies to urge businesses to invest in intensive processing to increase export value. At the same time, the country needs a comprehensive strategy covering the extraction, processing, and use of all mineral resources. VIR The central bank believes that the consumer finance market in Vietnam is still in an early development stage, and needs to be controlled strictly by risk management tools. SBV is drafting a circular to replace the current Circular 43 on the management of consumer credit, attempting to set a limit on the disbursement of cash. Under the draft, the cash to be valued by lenders must not be higher than 30 percent of total consumer outstanding loans. Meanwhile, finance companies can only lend in cash to loyal clients who have good debt payment profiles. The compiler said there are latent risks in lending cash directly to customers because it is difficult for lenders to control the capital use to ensure that the capital is used for the right purposes. A cap on disbursement rate will be necessary to help consumer credit develop in an effective and sustainable way. Meanwhile, Nguyen Tri Hieu, a renowned banking expert, believes that there is no need to make an intervention in finance companies business. The compiler said there are latent risks in lending cash directly to customers because it is difficult for lenders to control the capital use to ensure that the capital is used for the right purposes. A cap on disbursement rate will be necessary to help consumer credit develop in an effective and sustainable way. He said finance companies must be given the right of self-determination. Finance companies, not state agencies, have to take responsibility for their bad decisions. Hieu went on to warn that the limitation may make black credit even more serious in Vietnam. A client wants to borrow money to pay for hospital fee, for example. If he cannot receive enough money because of the limitation of 30 percent set by the State Bank, he will have to seek capital from black credit, HIeu said. So, the limit on cash to be disbursed wont help clear black credit as expected, he warned. Consumer credit products are diversified to satisfy borrowers different needs for tuition, weddings, house repair, daily expenses and spending on special days. In these cases, borrowers need cash. Can Van Luc, chief economist of BIDV, does not oppose the idea of setting a cap on the amounts of cash to be disbursed, but questions the 30 percent limit proposed by SBV. Why 30 percent? Did the state management agency survey the consumer loans at finance companies before setting the level? he said. While agreeing that it is necessary to tighten control over consumer credit, Luc believes that it is necessary to reconsider lending activities to find a reasonable limit. An analyst commented that the limitation would be a double edge knife. While it would help better control consumer loans and better protect lenders, it would also reduce the opportunities for true consumers accessing orthodox financial services. Though agreeing that consumer lending is a risky business, the analyst still believes that it would be better to let finance companies decide whether to lend and how much to lend. RELATED NEWS Consumer lending booms, lenders pop up everywhere Foreign investors stir up consumer finance market Chi Nam Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has had a meeting with Nathaniel F. McGill, Chief of Staff in the office of the Liberian President, when he attended the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Nathaniel F. McGill, Chief of Staff in the office of the Liberian President At the function, both sides expressed their delight at fast growth of cooperation between the two countries since their diplomatic relations were established in June 2016. Bilateral trade doubled within a year after the establishment and exceeded 70 million USD in 2018. Praising Vietnams impressive growth, McGill said he hopes Vietnamese firms will increase their study of investment opportunities in Liberia, as the country is turning itself into a dynamic development hub with tax incentives in Africa. He suggested the Vietnamese Government and enterprises assist and share experience with Liberia in rice cultivation and production. For his part, Minh asked Liberia to back Vietnams bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council (UNSC) in the 2020-2021 tenure. He stated Vietnam is willing to boost the bilateral ties to new heights toward effectiveness and practical outcomes, particularly in economy, trade and investment. Sharing Vietnams successful agricultural experience, Minh suggested both sides study different cooperation measures in agriculture and rice production, especially multilateral collaboration models that Vietnam has successfully carried out with an African country. The sides agreed to increase the exchange of delegations, particularly high-level ones, and hoped the Liberian President to soon visit Vietnam. While in Beijing, the Deputy PM also met with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti. Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti (Photo: VNA) Congratulating Djibouti on its normalization of ties with Eritrea for peace and national development, Minh affirmed Vietnam wants to boost cooperation with the country. Djibouti will be a bridge for Vietnam to step up trade and investment with African countries, he said. For his part, Youssouf stated he supports Vietnams candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UNSC in the 2020-2021 tenure. The official hoped Vietnam and Djibouti always coordinate well at multilateral forums and international organisations, including the UN and the International Organisation of Francophonie. Both sides agreed to enhance the two nations multifaceted cooperation, particularly in economy, and to encourage their enterprises to study each others market and investment opportunities. They said they will push for the countries early signing of an agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports, organise Vietnam-Djibouti political consultations, and boost visits between Vietnamese and Djiboutian officials.-VNA Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong will return to work soon after some health issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters at a news briefing today, April 25. Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong meets Kien Giang leaders on April 14 In response to questions from foreign reporters regarding rumors that Trong had suffered a stroke during a working visit to Kien Giang Province last month, spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang of the ministry confirmed that the leader would return to work soon. The heavy workload and weather conditions had affected his health, she said. On April 18, Trong sent a congratulatory message to the leaders of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, who were elected during the first session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly. On April 21, he sent a message of condolences to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena over the bombings last Sunday that killed more than 300 people and injured nearly 500. The Party General Secretary and State President visited the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang on April 13-14, where they discussed with local authorities the execution of socioeconomic, security and national defense tasks, according to the local media. Vietnam attaches importance to developing its traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with the Chinese Party, State and people, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Meeting with Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing on April 25, PM Phuc expressed his pleasure at the positive development of relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the CPC as well as between the two nations over the recent past. The Vietnamese PM said the CPV and CPC set up effective and diversified cooperation mechanisms, which help the two sides realise the common perceptions reached by their senior leaders. Cooperative ties and exchanges between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National Peoples Congress of China as well as between the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, and important ministries and sectors such as defence, public security, and foreign affairs, have been stepped up, he said. The practical development of the bilateral collaboration in the fields of economy, trade, investment and tourism has become a spotlight in Vietnam-China relations, PM Phuc noted. He went on to say that friendly exchanges and cooperation between Vietnamese and Chinese localities, especially those along the shared borderline, have been continuously strengthened. The sharing of experience in national construction and development as well as in the Party building is of important significance, contributing to the enhancement of the bilateral friendship, win-win cooperation and mutual assistance and support, he said. PM Phuc congratulated China on its remarkable achievements in the Party building and anti-corruption, and expressed his wish to exchange experience with China in this field. The Vietnamese leader believed that China will implement successfully the goals set at the 19th National Congress of the CPC in the cause of national construction and development. For his part, Wang welcomed PM Phuc and the Vietnamese delegations attendance at the upcoming second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, saying this showed that the Vietnamese Party and State treasured Vietnam-China relations, thus contributing to the success of the event. He affirmed that the Chinese Party and State have also attached importance to relations with Vietnam and agreed to work with the Southeast Asian country to maintain high-level meetings, increase political trust, and promote cooperative fields, including cooperation through the Party channel. The Chinese official applauded the enhancement of trade and economic ties, helping to develop the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner. Vietnam creates optimal conditions for Chinese businesses: PM Phuc Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc receives leaders of leading Chinese energy companies The Vietnamese Government creates optimal conditions for foreign businesses, including those from China, especially firms that have financial and technological potential, to invest in Vietnam for mutual benefits, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said. PM Phuc made the pledge during his meetings with representatives of leading businesses of China and the world in the fields of infrastructure, energy, and finance-technology-telecommunications. The PM, who is in Beijing to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, said Vietnam has great demands for the development of infrastructure, energy, technology, and finance-banking. He told the businesspeople that during his meeting with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping earlier the same day, the two sides discussed a range of issues regarding the promotion of Vietnam-China cooperation in the time ahead. The bilateral cooperative ties have developed strongly over the past time, he said, stressing that China has remained Vietnams largest trade partner while Vietnam is Chinas biggest trade partner in Southeast Asia. The two countries have substantial potential for commercial collaboration and they are big, important markets of each other, he said. Vietnam has become an attractive destination for global investors, attracting 28,000 projects worth more than 350 billion USD from 130 countries and territories across the world, PM Phuc said. He highly valued quality and efficient projects by Chinese investors in Vietnam. However, the leader said, the implementation of some projects, including those in steel production and railway building, has remained sluggish. With a small-scale economy, Vietnam needs more resources from the private sector, domestic and foreign enterprises under the public-private partnership (PPP) model and other investment forms, including projects within the link of the Two Corridors, One Belt and Belt and Road initiatives, PM Phuc said. This is an opportunity for Chinas good investment projects, he said, noting that Vietnam considers infrastructure development a strategic breakthrough and the country needs investments in road, railway and airport infrastructure. In the sphere of energy, he said Vietnam wants to mobilise a lot of resources for the sector, particularly clean energy projects, under the PPP form. PM Phuc expressed his hope that Chinese technology and telecoms companies will step up their production in Vietnam instead of only supplying equipment, components and spare parts. He also showed his support for further cooperation between the China Development Bank and Vietnams aviation firms to increase flights as well as the quality of direct air services between the two countries. The Chinese enterprises are all in the worlds top 500 largest companies, and they operate in the fields of railway, construction, industrial park, production of electricity and electrical equipment, insurance, telecommunications and technology. Renowned names include Alibaba, Huawei, ZTE, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, China Energy Development Holdings Limited, China Development Bank and Ping An Insurance, many of whom have poured investment in Vietnam. At the meetings, Chinese corporations expressed their impression on the robust socio-economic development of Vietnam in recent years, saying that this is a golden opportunity for foreign investors, including those from China, to boost investment in infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and finance and banking in the country. They believed that Vietnam, with the strongest economic growth in the region, will become an attractive destination for Chinese businesses, who want to step in energy infrastructure development, wind power, solar power, smart healthcare and smart agriculture in Vietnam. Meanwhile, telecommunications firms said they were impressed by Vietnams IT and telecommunications development. They spoke highly of the Vietnamese Governments policy to promote digital economy, the fourth industrial revolution, and 5G technology in socio-economic development, and said that they want to join efforts to implement the policy. VNA Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport of China on the morning of April 25 to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which takes place from April 25-27. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) at the Beijing Capital International Airport of China Welcoming the PM at the airport were leaders of Beijing, the Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo, leaders of Chinas Foreign Ministry and Vietnamese Ambassador to China Dang Minh Khoi. The Vietnamese PM is scheduled to have talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, pay a courtesy call to General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President Xi Jinping, and meet member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee and Secretary of the CPC Central Committees Secretariat Wang Huning. PM Phuc will attend the BRFs opening and the welcoming ceremony for heads of delegations, as well as three discussion sessions of the forum. The first session will focus on promoting connectivity to seek new growth motivations, the second on the strengthening of policy resonance and building of closer partnerships, and the third on promoting green and sustainable growth for implementing the UN Agenda 2030. The PM will have some bilateral meetings with leaders of attending countries, and meet Chinese businesses in infrastructure, energy, technology and finance. On April 25, he will visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing and meet the Vietnamese community in China.-VNA Stepping up inter-country adoption service is part of Vietnam`s efforts to maximize conditions for children. Social support establishments should be empowered: Adoption official Over 14,500 children get adopted in 2011-2015 Child adoption registration fee announced Vietnam has greatly protected childrens rights and maximized social welfare for those disadvantaged adolescents through the Inter-country Adoption Service with the support by the UNCEF and the US government over the past years. With the ratification of The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption (The Hague Convention) in 2011, Vietnam has marked a milestone in multilateral cooperation in international justice and inter-country adoption. The moves have enabled Vietnam to seek better living conditions for its juveniles as the country is home to roughly 1.4 million children living in extremely poor conditions, including 176,000 orphans and abandoned. Some 22,000 children are currently living in social protection shelters, according to data provided by the French Institute. UNICEF and France In August 2018, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the French Embassy in Vietnam have signed an agreement to finalize their collaboration to improve international adoption standards in the country. The two-year project will help strengthen the legal and policy framework on adoption, support a pilot project in in Ho Chi Minh City and in Danang on inter-country adoption in compliance with the international standards defined in the 1993 Hague Adoption Convention. It will also help build capacity of agencies and organizations working on adoption, including on monitoring and supervision through training on alternative care and adoption processes and procedures. Vietnam has ratified the Hague Convention in 2011 and the authorities have committed to ensure that inter-country adoption is done in an ethical and transparent manner giving paramount consideration to the best interests of children, said UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Youssouf Abdel-Jelil. He said the child protection system in the country is still nascent and inter-country adoption in Vietnam still faces several gaps and challenges to meet international standards, the UNICEF said on its website. Vietnam is the first country of origin in terms of adoption for France. Meanwhile, the UNICEFs work in Viet Nam focuses on building and strengthening the child protection system, working with governmental partners, UN agencies, and civil society to ensure that a robust legal and policy framework is in place for the protection of children and to build capacity of the social welfare, justice and law enforcement sectors. In a latest move, on April 17, 2019, Yves Denechere, director of the French Institute of Vietnam and professor at University of Angers, and Le Hong Loan, child protection specialist of UNICEF Vietnam, discussed international adoption and child protection in the Southeast Asian country. Inter-country adoption has become an effective means of helping unhappy children and Vietnam was one of the first countries of origin of adopted children in the 1970s. So far, France is the third host country for Vietnamese children. According to Denechere, 1,300 Vietnamese children arrive in France every year. The US Inter-country adoption between the US and Vietnam has been inactive since 2008. Since that time, Vietnam has strengthened its commitment to reforming its adoption system. After The Hague Convention entered into force for Vietnam in February 2012, Vietnam has taken a number of steps to improve the implementation, particularly in adoptions of children with special needs and for older children and biological sibling groups. A new adoption law, implementing decree, and related circulars have been passed and are being implemented. The US highlighted Vietnams efforts to enhance its child welfare and inter-country adoption system and has determined that, through the Special Adoption Program, it will be able to process Convention adoptions from Vietnam. In September 2014, the inter-country adoption resumed between the US and Vietnam and the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice licensed two US adoption service providers namely Dillon International and Holt International Childrens Services to operate inter-country adoption program for children with special needs, children aged five and older, and children in biological sibling groups. In 2016, the first inter-country adoption visa was issued under the new Special Adoption Program between the US and Vietnam. Former US Ambassador Ted Osius to Vietnam praised Vietnams efforts to enhance its child welfare system and develop a transparent and ethical inter-country adoption process under the Hague Convention. Hanoitimes The United States Supreme Court has denied a petition to review New Jerseys ban on youth conversion therapy. On April 15, the nations high court declined to take up acase challenging New Jerseys ban on the practice of conversion or reparative therapy on minors. The controversial form of therapy has been prohibited in New Jersey since 2013. Former Gov. Chris Christie signed the law, pointing to reports from the American Psychological Association that revealed the practice can pose critical health risks, including, but not limited to, depression, substance abuse, social withdraw, decreased self-esteem and suicidal thoughts. Conversion therapy is the practice of attempting to change a persons sexual orientation. Sixteen states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have banned the practice on minors. So-called conversion therapy inflicts harm on minors and has been debunked by every mainstream medical and mental health association, said Equality Florida public policy director Jon Harris Maurer. Were proud to support the 20 local bans on conversion therapy enacted around the state. The Liberty Counsel, a Christian organization headquartered in Orange County, is challenging bans on conversion therapy in Palm Beach County, Boca Raton and Tampa. TheBroward County ban, Harris Maurer said, is not being challenged. In January,David Matheson, a conversion therapist in Utah, came out as gay. Matheson, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said he can no longer live without an intimate relationship with another man. Harris Maurer said cases like Mathesons are not an uncommon event. Vietnam has been named among 20 countries where you can retire comfortably on US$150,000, according to MoneyWise. According to MoneyWise, culture-rich Vietnam is quickly becoming a popular retirement destination for North Americans. And with its French colonial architecture, endless natural pursuits and amazing street food. Particularly affordable expat-friendly destinations include the beach town Nha Trang and the bustling city of Da Nang, where around US$1,000 can cover your living costs for a month. Theres a growing expat community in Nha Trang and expanding services catering to Westerners and locals alike. Da Nang is modern, international and welcoming, and its lovely weather will allow you to enjoy the citys parks, beach and riverfront year-round. In Vietnams cities and tourist centers, English is becoming more commonly spoken, and the government has put more emphasis on English classes in schools. But youll need some knowledge of Vietnamese to communicate in smaller towns and rural areas. Vietnamese health care is good for basic needs, but the country doesnt score high for specialized care or surgeries. Vietnam doesnt have a retirement visa, but the US citizens can get a one-year multiple-entry visa that will have to be renewed. It requires that you leave the country once every 90 days. Costa Rica tops the list, followed by Mexico, Panama, Malta, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Peru, etc. The number of foreign holidaymakers to Vietnam in the first quarter of 2019 is estimated at 4.5 million, a rise of 7% year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). Hanoitimes Vietnam has successfully carried out over 750 stem cell transplants for treatment of blood diseases in the last decade, Nhan dan reported. Vietnam faces challenges applying stem cell therapy Scientists apply stem cells to preserve rare animal genes Vietnamese scientists make stem cell drug for treating lumbar degenerative disc Stem cell banks face shortage as demand rises rapidly A patient received stem cell transplantation at the Hanoi-based Stem Cell Centre The statistics were published at the 5th National Scientific Conference on Stem Cells, which opened in Hanoi on April 23 with the participation of around 300 health experts. Since the 1950s, the study and application of stem cells in medicine has been considered a breakthrough, creating new development opportunities for the medical sector. The advanced technology has been widely used to help cure several diseases that were impossible to treat before, including stem cell transplantation to treat blood diseases or support in the treatment of cancer and other musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Bach Quoc Khanh, head of the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) and head of the organising board, said that the seminar provides opportunities for medical experts to review the achieved results and share experiences in the field, while clarifying the challenges in research and application of stem cells. In addition to scientific researches and reports by domestic scientists presented at the event, there is also experience sharing by foreign experts from the stem cell transplant centre at the USs John Hopkins University one of the leading centres for stem cells in the world, as well as updating new advances in stem cell transplantations. In Vietnam, the research and application of hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, as well as products derived from stem cells, have brought about positive progress, which have been highly praised by the international community. Stem cell transplantation in Vietnam has reached international standards and increasingly improved, with diverse techniques, methods and sources of stem cells. With such development, there are nine centres for hematopoietic stem cell transplantations established across Vietnam, helping increase the number of transplantations. At the NIHBT, stem cell transplantation has been implemented since 2006, with over 356 successful cases up to now, helping many patients return to their normal lives. - VNA How many Chinese aircraft carriers killing missiles has Iran stockpiled? How many sophisticated Russian high explosive, fast and deadly silent torpedoes. Trumps shutdown of Iranian oil sales invites a major military conflict in the middle-east. By James DiGeorgia In a show of defiance and at the same time unity with the Shiite Iraqi regime Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Alhakim, in Baghdad, Iraq at his side threatened to shut down one-fifth of the worlds oil supplies by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz. The United States must be prepared for the consequences if it tries to stop Iran from selling oil and using the Strait of Hormuz. If the United States takes the crazy measure of trying to prevent us from doing that, then it should be prepared for the consequences." Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the same time offered to negotiate prisoner swaps with Washington as a peace branch. Suggesting a willingness to swap British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been detained in Iran since 2016, for an Iranian woman detained in Australia for the past three years on a U.S. extradition request "I feel sorry for them, and I have done my best to help," Zarif said of Zaghari-Ratcliffe. "But nobody talks about this lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison. ... I put this offering on the table publicly now - exchange them." Zarif after pointing out Iran had approached Washington on the prisoner exchange six months ago, and the turned back to the Strait of Hormuz went on to say "We believe that Iran will continue to sell its oil. We will continue to find buyers for our oil, and we will continue to use the Strait of Hormuz as a safe transit passage for the sale of our oil." Zarif also suggested that if the United States and Iran cooperated it could bring stability to Iraq and Afghanistan, something both Tehran and Washington consider a high priority. Irans supreme leader says his nation can export as much oil as it needs. Trump could order the U.S. Navy to prevent Iranian oil from navigating through Strait of Hormuz. Are we about to see the tail wag the dog? OPINION By James DiGeorgia Through his official website on Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told his country that the U.S. oil sanction actions was a meaningless policy because Iran can export (smuggle) as much oil as it needs. He told his nation "America's efforts in sanctioning the sale of Iranian oil won't get anywhere," "We can export as much of our oil as we need and want." Is this President of the United States going to try to regain popularity by intentionally, illegally starting a war? Is he pinning his political survival nationalism? Ayatollah Khamenei assurances to his people are truthful; if they can get the oil to its buyers, they can take payment in gold, cash, and weaponry. Smuggling oil production isnt the problem; ships can be like chameleons turning transponders of and becoming ghost ships. I believe Trump is determined to provoke a war with Iran by ordering U.S. Navy forces to prevent tankers carrying Iranian oil from using the Strait of Hormuz. The United Nations won't sanction it, and most of our allies will be enraged to new heights. Trumps constant lying, 8,000+ lies, and climbing have eroded and worn down normality to the point were still aiding in the Saudi infliction of the murder of tens of thousands of civilians. The GOP Senate is in lockstep with this President. A president, who declared during his campaign he loves war, is a real danger to everything and everyone. A president who asks repeatedly why nuclear weapons were never to be used without fully comprehending the implications of complete annihilation is naive, immature, and just plain stupid. Therefore if we should be planning a scenario for a war, I hope President Trump first knows. How many Chinese anti-aircraft carrier missiles the Iranians have in their arsenal? How many high explosive battleship destroying torpedoes theyve bought from the Russians in recent years? What other weaponry do they have that they could be used to shut down the most crucial waterway for the worlds oil market? Is the United States willing to bomb civilians as collateral damage? Trump just designated Irans Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization and their navel branch is not going to accept a U.S. Navy blockade or embargo and will react to one by doing everything they can to make it impossible for any oil to get through the strait. Including, suicide attacks. If an embargo or blockade is implemented will President Trump order the U.S. Navy to conduct inspections on foreign sovereign countries ships in non-United States waters? Will U.S. sailors be boarding every tanker passing through the strait to prove every ships origin, and to ensure no ships are smuggling Iranian oil to market? What could go wrong? Iranian President Hassan Rouhani recognizes the escalating danger. He is clearly warning we may be on the precipice of war by making it known that any conflict between the United States and Iran will turn instantly into a regional war on his official website Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are making a mistake in helping U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to cut back on Iran's oil exports, you whose existence is in the shadow of the Islamic Republic of Iran, how can you tell Trump that if you bring Iran's oil exports to zero we will make up for it?" "Do you understand the consequences of this statement and that it means you are a definite enemy of the Iranian people?" Rouhanis posted statement makes it clear Iran is willing to negotiate with the United States only when Washington removes pressure and apologizes. To his demand, we should consider that Iran was, and remains in compliance with the multi-lateral Iran Nuclear Treaty. An agreement was drafted predicated on observing nonnuclear policy and to address missile research and deployment. Trump threw out the agreement unilaterally. Our withdrawal was without cause, and the Trump administration forced a coalition that included Russia and China to withdraw from it under threat of retaliation against them. We then unilaterally restored and toughen sanction that existed before the treaty went in to effect. Trump has regime change in mind; the trouble is hes willing to spill the blood of our bravest and best to do it. The setup to provoke a war has begun. The White House said after its ban on Iranian oil sales it was working with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to guarantee the oil markets were adequately supplied. The Saudis and the UAE must realize that the Iranians will do everything they must to sink their tankers, compromise their oil production and undermine their Monarchies. The bone spur coward is oblivious to facts. He has no real understanding of the danger and possible short and long term consequences of provoking a war with Iran. He doesnt understand this would be a regional war and in this part of the world, a regional war can last decades, and create entirely new and re-energize old terrorist groups. If Trump causes all of this to happen doesnt bother you even if hes doing it to cover up all his scandals. Then at least consider how - $120 oil and $6 a gallon gasoline will hurt your wallet? Subscribers to WorldOpportunityTrader.com have been positioned in an oil play that should easily double their money if crude oil rises to $85 a barrel as I expect it will on the actual shooting and should triple their money if oil surges over $120. Even if you love Trump, you know, he lies his ass off or doesnt anticipate that what he is doing because his decision is based on his gut and his mood and not facts. As a result, he tends to create problems and making them worse. Sometimes claiming he cured a problem and controversy he created in the first place. Is Trump willing to start a war with Iran to improve his chances of getting re-elected? For gods sake, this is a man that stood by and allowed breastfeeding babies being ripped from their mother's arms. He allowed children to imprisoned in cold cages without identification. The question should be what isnt this man capable of doing? A war with Iran is an even a worse idea than intentionally orphaning thousands of Latin American Children to please one of Trumps sycophants, Steven Miller. Theres the possibility of war coming to the United States and World. As President Donald Trump tramples international law, let's see how it plays out with his partisan GOP brothers and sisters and the constituency that sees nothing he does as wrong. WATERLOO Those who tried to keep Gracie Buss alive said something didnt add up after she was found unresponsive at her Downing Court townhouse in May 2015. A paramedic and a doctor who initially treated the 4-year-old took the stand Thursday as the state began presenting its murder case against 35-year-old Chad Allen Little, the boyfriend of Gracies mother. The doctor and the medic said the extent of the girls injuries didnt mesh with a tumble down the steps Little had reported during a phone call under an assumed name to a hospital help hotline the morning of May 30, 2015. In my opinion, Gracies injuries werent consistent with a fall down the stairs, Dr. James Poock, who treated Gracie at the Covenant Medical Center emergency room, told jurors. The physician said the wounds were more consistent with abuse. Poock diagnosed Gracie with a skull fracture and subdural hematoma bleeding on the brain. He noted other injuries bleeding in the mouth, bruises in different stages of healing. There was an older bruise around her right temple and a newer, square-shaped deep red bruise on her right temple. Earlier in the trial, the state zoomed in on security camera video showing a large graduation-style ring on Littles right hand not long after the ambulance call. Black Hawk County Attorney Brian Williams said another video shows Little removing something from his hand as he prepares to be interviewed by police investigators. Little is charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death. Defense Attorney Thomas Gaul told jurors Little wasnt Gracies parent or guardian, and he may not be a likable person. Not liking Chad is not the same a finding him guilty, Gaul said. He noted it was Little who phoned for help while the childs mother did nothing. The state alleges Little used another persons name when he phoned then-Covenants Medical Centers ask-a-nurse line, stating Gracie was unresponsive after having a seizure and falling down steps. The girls abdomen was hard and bloated and she had bruises on her face and knees, the caller said. Nurse Susan Doyle said the male caller sounded nervous and upset, and he told her they had already called 911 and were told to call back if it was an emergency. Doyle decided to call 911 herself. Williams said Little and Gracies older brother fled the house before paramedics arrived and watched from a nearby fence line as the ambulance pulled up. Witnesses said Little then went to a nearby car wash on University Avenue and asked to use the businesss landline, claiming his cell phone had been shut off. One customer said Little also said he needed $80 because he was being evicted, and he told people in the lobby his little girl had fallen down steps and was in an ambulance and she might die. Authorities who arrived said they found Gracies mother, Kristi Buss, nonchalant about what was going on. Paramedic Kyle Fuller with Waterloo Fire Rescue found Gracie on the floor in an upstairs bedroom. Her skin was pale, and she was breathing irregularly, he said. When he touched her head to stabilize her, the top of her skull appeared soft and moveable, the sign of a skull fracture. Her posture indicated she suffered a brain injury, he said. Fuller told jurors he questioned the falling-down-the-stairs account. When people fall down the stairs, they tend to have injuries to one side, not their entire body, he said. Police said they counted eight carpeted steps up to a landing and then a turn and another eight steps up to the upper floor. Gracie was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City by ambulance and died days later. Kristi Buss also is charged with child endangerment and will have a separate trial. Littles trial continues Friday in Black Hawk County District Court. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 WATERLOO Prosecutors are expected to outline their case against a Waterloo man accused of killing his girlfriends 4-year-old daughter today. Chad Allen Little, 35, is charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death. He has pleaded not guilty. On Wednesday the court seated a jury panel of 12 plus two alternates 11 women and three men following two days of jury selection. Prosecutors allege Little injured Gracie Buss at her Downing Court apartment on May 30, 2015. She died days later at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. An autopsy found blunt trauma to the head. Gracies mother, Kristi Buss, 34, told investigators the girl had fallen down the stairs but later told police that wasnt the case. Court records allege that another witness told police that Little beat Gracie a lot. Kristi Buss is also charged with child endangerment causing death and will have a separate trial. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 This story has been updated to correct the vote tally. WATERLOO Todd Holcomb is looking forward to starting his new role as president of Hawkeye Community College in just over two months. I think this is an excellent opportunity. Im really excited to get over there and get started, Holcomb said in a phone interview Wednesday from Scottsbluff, Neb., where he has served as president of Western Nebraska Community College for more than nine years. Hawkeyes board of trustees named him to the top job Tuesday evening following a more-than-two-hour closed session where they discussed Holcomb and two other finalists. He was given a three-year contract with a $246,500 annual salary and benefits. Among the yearly benefits are a retirement plan contribution, an $8,400 car allowance and expense reimbursements of up to $6,600. Holcomb will replace Linda Allen, who is retiring after eight years as president July 1. But as the 57-year-old prepares for the move, including some time spent in the Cedar Valley, duties will need to be wrapped up at his current position. Its going to be a slow process. I still have to finish up my work here, said Holcomb. Im going to have to get over there and have the opportunity to look around for housing and working on the transition with Dr. Allen, he added. So, I think there will be one or two times Ill get over there before July 1st. Ultimately, the goal is to find a house in the (Hawkeye) district, make connections and start building relationships with people. Holcomb noted he and his wife, Carolyn, have talked about building a house, so they may pursue that as part of the move. The couple has two adult children. The Michigan natives family moved to Tipton, Iowa, when he was in seventh grade. He headed to college in Missouri and earned a bachelors degree in psychology from Truman State University in 1984. He earned a masters degree in higher education administration in 1987 from Texas Tech University and a doctorate in higher education in 1992 from the University of Georgia. Holcomb worked as an administrator in residence life and student affairs positions at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and at Iowa State University in Ames between 1994 and 2009. He served as an associate vice president at Iowa State. When he moved to Western Nebraska in 2009, initially as vice president of student services, it was his first position with a community college. The college has about 2,500 credit students enrolled, said Holcomb. As of last fall, Hawkeye had more than 5,200 students enrolled in credit programs. Though it is about half the size, Western Nebraska has a good mix of transfer education and career and technical education like Hawkeye, he noted. Still, while visiting the college last week, Holcomb said he wont make assumptions about whats best for it. He indicated a readiness to continue hearing from employees and other constituents after starting the job. You look, you listen and you learn about the culture, he said during one of the open forums. Board chairman Jay Nardini said when trustees were polled during the closed session Tuesday, Holcomb was the top candidate of the three finalists. However, in open session they fell short of a unanimous vote to hire him with trustees Casey McLaughlin and Todd Rohlfsen dissenting. Holcomb, who understands trustees wont always be unanimous in such a decision, said his focus will be on serving the needs in our district upon arriving at Hawkeye. I look forward to working with all the board members and I hope over time to win them over. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DECORAH A Happy Easter post on the Winneshiek County Sheriffs Office Facebook page Sunday generated a flurry of reaction about whether a religious message from a government entity is appropriate. The post, which includes an image of the cross with the words He is risen, has received more than 600 reactions and more than 185 comments. It was criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa. We simply offered a holiday greeting on a weekend that is recognized by Winneshiek County, and unfortunately some people appeared to be offended by it, Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx said. The Winneshiek County Sheriffs Office generally does an excellent job. Its too bad that didnt carry over to their concept of the separation of church and state. And yes, we did go to church this morning. Yes, I do pray for the safety of folks who work to keep us safe. And I fully support their right to worship however they want outside the office, read one comment. I am also thankful for what you do to help the community. But Happy weekend would definitely be more inclusive to all, read another. Thank you. He has risen indeed. I am so grateful for this post and for the good hearts behind it, one comment read. Another commenter said the social media debate over Easter made her sad. This is a day (Easter) to celebrate that our sins are forgiven and instead, there is hate and very ungodly conversation/argument. Lets all go to our religion of choice and practice what it preaches, she said. Another Facebook user urged the Sheriffs Office to take down the post immediately. This has no business being on a government page. Did I see a post about Ramadan, Hanukkah, Passover? No I didnt because it wasnt posted. Be inclusive to all or post from your personal Facebook page, he wrote. Marx has no plans to remove the post. The ACLU of Iowa was made aware of the Easter posting by an individual who commented on the Sheriffs Office page. This social media post by the Winneshiek County Sheriffs official Facebook page is grossly inappropriate under our traditions of religious freedom enshrined in the Iowa and U.S. Constitutions, said Mark Stringer, ACLU of Iowa executive director and former Universalist Unitarian minister. Religious freedom is alive and well in the United States precisely because the government cant tell us when, how, or even whether, to pray. Government-sponsored prayer is an insult to our proud tradition of religious pluralism and equality. It sends an unconstitutional and exclusionary message that people of some faiths are officially favored while everyone else is second-class, or worse, in the governments eyes. When, how, or whether to pray is a deeply personal decisionone that should be made without the governments interference or influence. Our government is of the people, by the people, for the people, regardless of faith. Government prayer is a recipe for religious exclusion that undermines these timeless principles, Stringer said. Love 6 Funny 12 Wow 4 Sad 2 Angry 20 DES MOINES As legislators slow-marched their way toward adjournment, the House approved agreements Wednesday to changes senators made in a host of bills, including the $952 million education budget for fiscal 2020. The budget, which includes funds for 11,837 full-time equivalent positions in the departments of Education and Blind, College Student Aid Commission and Board of Regents, represents a $40 million increase from the current year. Although the budget came that came back from the Senate was a compromise $1.3 million less the House successfully negotiated with the Senate to fund important measures, according to Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David Kerr, R-Morning Sun. That included funding for the All-Iowa Opportunity Scholarships, Rural Primary Loan Program, Health Care Loan Repayment Program and Iowa Tuition Grants. However, Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, wished Kerr had fought harder for the House position on the budget. Compromise is only good when both entities win, Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, said. Wheres the win? The budget wasnt what representatives of both political parties fought for, but it represents a huge investment by the state of Iowa, Kerr said before the House voted 54-46 to send it to the governor. Representatives from regent universities called for more funding for the institutions. The House had approved $580 million $13.5 million more than now. But the Senate lowered it to $576 million. Lawmakers need to think of support for the universities as a long-term investment, argued Rep. Dave Williams, D-Cedar Falls. Majority Republicans seem to find ways to maintain or increase support for private education, he said, but university funding fell $100 million short of what he wanted. We have a responsibility to fund these universities, and we dont do a very good job of that, Rep. Vicki Lensing, D-Iowa City, said. The House also: Approved 54-46 Senate File 203 to prohibit the Natural Resource Commission from stocking privately owned ponds or lakes with fish. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources had a program until 2015 to stock private ponds. It stocked about 600 ponds per year, and charged about $25 per pond, said Rep. Dean Fisher, R-Montour, said. Since then, private industry, like a hatchery in his district, has filled that void. Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, said stocking private ponds, like one owned by his family, was a taxpayer service. An amendment struck a section that would have allowed nonfamily members to fish on privately owned ponds without a fishing license. That would have cost the Iowa DNR nearly $800,000 a year, according to the Legislative Services Agency, and the potential loss of $616,000 in federal funds for the Fish and Game Trust Fund. Because of the amendment, the bill returns to the Senate. Approved 89-11 and sent to the Senate House File 742 to require someone convicted of a Class C or D felony for agricultural theft or vandalism of crop, livestock or honeybees be assessed a surcharge of $500. Revenue would go to the Judicial Branch. Its similar to legislation the House passed last year, but died in the Senate. Sent Senate File 592, which deals with services that may be performed by a physician assistants, back to the Senate with an amendment allow optometrists to administer injections for the medical treatment of the eye. The amendment was similar to House File 310, which was approved earlier in the session but died in the Senate. Although it was ruled not germane, Republicans suspended the rules to attach it to SF 592. Voted 69-31 to approve Senate File 629, which would allow the Iowa Department of Transportation to issue $175 annual permits authorizing vehicles of excessive size and weight transporting raw forestry products. The change has been sought by Northeast Iowa lumber interests that ship products domestically and internationally. Similar exemptions are made for raw milk and garbage trucks, Rep. Lee Hein, R-Monticello, said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. OSAGE Residents from the Toeterville area have asked the Mitchell County Supervisors to re-consider their decision not to pave Hickory Avenue from north of town to the state line. With all the traffic to and from the Northern Country Co-op, the unpaved road is a safety hazard, said Al Hofland, one of those who spoke to supervisors during their April 16 meeting. The dust is so bad, you cant even see, he said. Someone is going to get hurt there. Scot Janssen, general manager of Northern Country Co-op, said the company wants to expand at Toeterville, but cant do that without decent roads. Somethings got to be done, he said. Toeterville residents have been asking county officials for years for four miles of Hickory Avenue to be paved. Earlier this year, Supervisor Stan Walk proposed using $2 million in tax increment financing funds for the project. However, the other two supervisors werent in favor of the proposal, so it was not included on the list of TIF projects the board plans to formally approve later this spring or during the summer. After Toeterville residents and officials from Northern Country spoke at the April 16 meeting, Supervisor Steven Smolik said the project might be an option down the road, but not now. He said he cant justify spending $500,000 per mile to pave Hickory Avenue. He said he would rather use TIF funds to maintain existing gravel and hard-surface roads than doing more paving. Smolik said Hickory Avenue is a farm-to-market road, meaning its already a step above other gravel roads. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO Those who tried to keep Gracie Buss alive said something didnt add up after she was found unresponsive at her Downing Court townho CEDAR FALLS Live well, live bold is the message behind the senior living event Thrive, which takes place Wednesday. The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Diamond Event Center, 5307 Caraway Lane, presented by the Courier, Western Home Communities and Cedar Valley Medical Specialists. Admission is free. Seminars begin at 10:15 a.m. when Humble Travel representatives will discuss guided trips and tours. Amanda Lynch, director of wellness for Western Home Communities, will share Healthy Movements for Active Aging at 10:45 a.m., followed at 11:15 a.m. by What if I Told You ... Dont Be Afraid of Hospice featuring Cedar Valley Hospice. At 12:45 p.m., Western Home Communities Executive Chef Norman Grant will share information about Jackfruit, described as the latest miracle fruit. Profile by Sanford will present Investing in Your Health at 1:15 p.m. Wrapping up the seminars will be What is Home Health? at 2 p.m., presented by the Waterloo Visiting Nurses Association. A variety of demonstrations are planned, and visitors can sign up to win prizes from vendors. Winners will be announced at 2:30 p.m. Featured exhibitors and vendors include Humble Travel, Visiting Nurses Association, Fosters Mattress, Hawkeye Stages, Concept by Iowa Hearing Aid Centers, Nucara Pharmacy, Care Initiatives, Revive Asthetics, Western Home Communities, Home Instead and Hertz Farm Management. Also Manor Care, Cedar Valley Upper Cervical, Cedar Valley Hospice, Cedar Valley Medical Specialists, Cozy Van, Caring Transitions, Profile by Sanford, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, Remax Home Group, Cedar Valley Victors, Riverview Conference Center and Black Hawk Custom Hearing. Dr. Gregory Harter and his staff from Cedar Valley Family Medicine will perform free health screenings throughout the event. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WATERLOO That cherished ceramic vase you inherited could be Ming dynasty or just a pretty good knockoff. What if that cuckoo clock really is pre-1930 Black Forest? Maybe those cast-iron toy soldiers found in a shoebox in Granddads attic are worth a few bucks. If youre curious about your familys treasures, have them appraised at the Waterloo Public Librarys second appraisal event, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. Antiques expert and author Mark F. Moran will conduct appraisals in the library meeting room. Folks who bring their items in for appraisal usually are not that interested in what an item is worth. They want to know if the family story theyve heard from generation to generation about Aunt Marthas funny glass vase is true, said Moran, who has frequently appeared on PBS popular Antiques Roadshow. Our first appraisal event in 2017 was so successful and entertaining that we thought wed do it a second time, said the librarys Sue Pearson. Public response was impressive, Moran said, as well as the quality of items brought for appraisal. Preregistration is required for all items to be appraised. Cost is $10 per item or $25 for two items, due at registration. To register, contact the library help desk or call 291-4476. Moran did 140 appraisal events last year. At the library, he expects to appraise many characteristically Midwestern items, such as German ceramics, paintings, various kinds of folk art, Norwegian rosemaled wooden tina boxes, tramp art and glass that runs the gamut from rare Coke bottles and Depression glass to fine Tiffany, Steuben, Lalique and Gala, he explained. Formerly senior editor of Antiques and Collectibles Books for Krause Publications in Iola, Wis., Moran has been a contributing editor for Antique Trader magazine. He has served as editor of Antique Review East magazine; producer of Atlantique City, an antique show held in Atlantic City, N.J.; and editorial director of F+W Medias Antiques Group. Moran is the author or co-author of more than 25 books on antiques and collectibles, including three editions of the 800-page annual Warmans Antiques & Collectibles. He has been an appraisal expert for more than 20 years. Moran will appraise fine art; ceramics, including figural vases, dishes, kitchenware and stoneware; glassware, including marbles; vintage photographs, tintypes, ambrotypes and daguerreotypes; advertising, including posters and lithographed tin; folk art; assorted toys; mechanical banks; metalware; costume jewelry; sporting memorabilia; furniture and much more. Photos of large pieces should be sent to Moran in advance. He doesnt discount having a few surprises. One time I had a guy come in wheeling a dolly carrying an old oak door off a church confessional, Moran recalled. For large or fragile items, Moran will make house calls for $75 an hour by calling (715) 281-5060 or email moranm1953@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.markfmoran.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Max, a 20-year-old gay German student, has been harassed by the same man for three years. Max, whose last name was left out to protect the ongoing case, said the man was responsible for sending death threats, tormenting him on social media, and outing him to friends and family members, according to Buzzfeed News. And the District Attorneys Office believes Max is one of at least 10 young gay men who have been harassed by the same stalker. I am still angry that he outed me to my dad, he said, according to Buzzfeed News. I never had the chance to tell him about it myself. The perpetrator was identified and arrested by police in 2016 after making a bomb threat. It still isnt clear when Maxs stalker will stand trial, the municipal court spokesperson told Buzzfeed. Whether or not the U.S. president has been compromised by a hostile foreign power is one thing the Mueller report might have answered. Yet 448 pages of documentation and analysis of the many connections between the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and various Russians linked to their countrys government do little to illuminate what inspires Trumps public subservience to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nor does the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller reveal what inhibits Trump from addressing the Russian attack on the 2016 U.S. election or protecting against future attacks. The report doesnt even tip the scales much. After the election, when questions persisted about possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign, the president-elect continued to deny any connections to Russia and privately expressed concerns that reports of Russian election interference might lead the public to question the legitimacy of his election. Thats the gist of the legitimacy theory. The idea is that the terminally insecure Trump has fixated on the Russia investigation because he fears it makes him appear illegitimate. Trouble is, Trump has always seemed less concerned with disputing the sabotage that advanced his candidacy than disputing that the sabotage was specifically Russian. As he said in April 2017, it couldve been China, couldve been a lot of different groups. Why not Russian? Why never Russian? Heres a scene from the Mueller report about a briefing of Trump that included deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland. During the briefing, President-elect Trump asked McFarland if the Russians did it, meaning the intrusions intended to influence the presidential election. When McFarland answered yes, Trump expressed doubt that it was the Russians. So Trump can acknowledge that it happened that his election was tainted by an act of sabotage he just cant acknowledge, either in public with Putin or in private with his own aides, that the sabotage was Russian. The Mueller report gives readers few tools for understanding why. It documents a presidential campaign that was lousy with Russian contacts, and equally lousy with lies denying such contacts existed. Russians no doubt targeted the campaign in part because it was overstocked with inexperienced, incompetent and unethical staff. But was it also compromised in a more profound manner? Noting Trumps myriad efforts to obstruct the Mueller investigation, Marcy Wheeler writes on her national security blog Empty Wheel: But the most significant thing that doesnt show up in this report is whether Trump was undercutting the investigation as a favor to Russia, reportedly one of the concerns (Deputy Attorney General) Rod Rosenstein had when he first hired Mueller. The Mueller report explores the 2016 softening of the Republican platform toward Russian aggression in Ukraine, but the narrative manages to sidestep the central question. On July 11, 2016, a GOP convention delegate submitted a proposed platform amendment supporting armed support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. A Trump aide named J.D. Gordon watered down the proposal. Heres how he explained the events to the special counsel. Gordon stated that he flagged this amendment because of Trumps stated position on Ukraine, which Gordon personally heard the candidate say at the March 31 foreign policy meeting namely, that the Europeans should take primary responsibility for any assistance to Ukraine, that there should be improved U.S.-Russia relations, and that he did not want to start World War III over that region. Gordon told the Office that Trumps statements on the campaign trail following the March meeting underscored those positions to the point where Gordon felt obliged to object to the proposed platform change and seek its dilution. So the platform was softened regarding Russian aggression to make the platform consistent with Trumps position. But why was Trumps position so sympathetic to Russia in the first place especially after it was known that Russia had hacked American institutions? Despite granular details that confirm the operational madness of Trumpworld, the Mueller report leaves us not very far from where we started. It tells us that the dossier compiled by the former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele was wrong in placing Trump lawyer Michael Cohen in Prague for a meeting, which further undermines the dossiers already shaken credibility. But it doesnt parse the document or address its thesis of compromise. We merely learn more of what we already knew: We have a president who was elected with the aid of coordinated Russian cyber and disinformation attacks. Once elected, the president refused to acknowledge the nature of the attacks and resisted punishing the aggressor. He has done nothing to prevent a recurrence. He has publicly sided with the aggressor against his own intelligence agencies. And he repeatedly sought to undermine the investigation into the attacks. (The Mueller report all but shouts that Trump obstructed justice.) As Trumps one-time Republican rival Jeb Bush pointed out, Trump was a chaos candidate who was destined to be a chaos president. Yet Trumps chaos nonetheless has a consistent Russian vector. And as we near 2020, Trump and Putin once again share a dangerous confluence of interests. Francis Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg Opinion. He was executive editor of the Week. He was previously a writer for Rolling Stone, a communications consultant and a political media strategist. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Q: Where are the funds coming from to build the new Public Safety building in Cedar Falls? A: The project is being financed without issuing general obligation bonds, from funds the city has put away over the years. Q: On Anne of Green Gables, she lived on Prince Edward Island. Is that a real place? Can people travel there? A: Its real PEI is one of Canadas maritime provinces, off the coast of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Tourism is a booming business there, including plenty of things to do with the Anne stories. Q: I noticed Natalie Morales hasnt been on Access for a number of weeks. Is she off the show or just taking time off? A: It appears she is off the show. After rumors in March that she had been fired, a show producer said she had absolutely not been fired, but it was likely she would be leaving the show. Q: What date was Mr. Foods chicken casserole recipe published in Call the Courier? A: It was in the March 24 paper, and its also available at wcfcourier.com. Q: When will Highway 63 North from Donald Street to Dunkerton Road be resurfaced? A: The resurfacing project has started. The contractor is currently patching the worst parts of the highway. Q: I have a Sears gift card for $25, a Barmuda card for $25 and a Lone Star card for $25. Any suggestions on how to redeem the value of these cards? A: Weve gotten enough similar questions over the years that we think we should urge people to use their gift cards right away. Dont save them for a rainy day! As for Lone Star and Sears, youll probably need to drive to an out-of-town location, or order from Sears online. Former Barmuda owner Darin Beck said in a recent interview that Barmuda cards would be honored for a time so use it now. Q: In one of the 1969 pages earlier this year, it said Congress doubled the presidents salary to $100,000. What is that worth in todays money? How long had it been at $50,000? A: The salary was already $100,000 in 1969 it was doubled that year to $200,000. $100,000 in 1969 had the same buying power as about $707,900 now. The presidents salary was $50,000 from 1873 to 1909, $75,000 from 1909-1949 and went to $100,000 in 1949. Q: Does the Veterans Home in Marshalltown have a unit for mentally ill vets? A: Heres what the Iowa Veterans Home says: Part of our medical staff team includes mental health services. This department provides psychiatry and psychology services. They provide coverage 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The mental health providers schedule weekly clinics on various units and are available to see residents for routine or acute needs Monday through Friday. Q: Is Robert Blake in prison? A: No. He was acquitted of murder in 2005, although later found liable in a civil wrongful death trial. Q: Is House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy any relation to former Sen. Joe McCarthy? A: No, no relation. Calls are taken on a special Courier phone line at 234-3566. Questions are answered by Courier staff and staff at the Waterloo Public Library. 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17 (24) Jan 16 (23) Jan 15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) The 2019 Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture has announced its theme as Urban Interactions, the only biennial exhibition in the world based exclusively on urbanism and urbanisation. The eighth edition of the Biennale will launch in Shenzhen on 15 December 2019. The team of Chief Curators includes Architect and Director of MIT Senseable City Lab Carlo Ratti, CAE Academician Meng Jianmin and famous curator and art critic Fabio Cavallucci. The exhibition consists of two sections, namely "Eyes of the City" and "Ascending City," which will explore the evolving relationship between urban space and technological innovation from different perspectives. The exhibition is scheduled to open at the Futian Railway Station and the surrounding areas, the Main Venue, in Shenzhen in December 2019. At the same time, nine sub-venues will be set up in in districts of Yantian, Baoan, Longgang, Longhua, Guangming, Dapeng New District and Qianhai Free Trade Zone respectively, to interconnect with the Main Venue, completing an organically interactive network throughout the city. Image courtesy of CRA Urban Interactions: opening up the infinite possibilities of future cities Nowadays, the interactions and engagements between cities, city and inhabitant, and between urban dwellers become common phenomena. The significance of such interactions lies not only in its innovative application value, but also in the fact that it has triggered multilevel philosophical reflection. The new relationships derived from virtual-real space, HCI and cross-regional mega-city community will certainly turn into a new forefront that human beings are to face in the future. What kind of new relationship will be iterated between the "interactive cities" of Shenzhen and Hong Kong is one of the questions to be studied in this exhibition. Starting from the Great Bay Area, it can be further extended to the global cyberspace, asking how technological innovation and urban space are going to deeply entangle with each other. Two paralleling sections initiate cross-disciplinary interaction through science and technology The "Eyes of the City" section is jointly curated by Carlo Ratti and the South China - Torino Lab (formed by South China University of Technology and Politecnico di Torino). It aims to investigate how Artificial Intelligence is going to impact architecture as well as peoples daily life in the city. Architectural space is acquiring the full ability to see. The exhibition will collect design hypotheses and suggestionsimaginative, ironic, practical, visionaryso as to reflect on what kind of digitally-augmented city we want to build tomorrow. This section will also include projects selected through an international Open Call. The Ascending City section is curated by the team headed by Meng Jianmin and Fabio Cavallucci, bringing together prestige architects, artists, filmmakers, writers and museum advisors, as well as interdisciplinary professionals. This section consists of 3 sub-sections, Empowering Citizens in Progressive Cities," "Urban Alchemists" and "Daily Sci-Fi," corresponding to the viewpoints of the citys users, creators and visionary thinkers respectively. Liu Cixin, a sci-fi writer and author of The Three-Body Problem, Cai Guo-Qiang, a contemporary artist, and Wlodek Goldkorn, a Polish writer, served as academic consultants and will be specially involved in 2019 UABB (Shenzhen). Image courtesy of CRA Main venuea hub connecting two super cities Main venue of this UABB is located in Futian Railway Station and surrounding area. Futian CBD served as the main venue for the 3rd and 4th editions of UABB (Shenzhen) in 2009 and 2011 respectively. Nowadays when it is about to host a third Biennale, the latter is no longer a mere art event that means to activate some specific physical spaces, but a brainstorming that inspires more possibilities and creativity for future cities and sets free people's imagination. The space in and around the station will be re-designed and transformed according to the theme. Interaction, as an important methodology of this Biennale, is profoundly embodied in the concept, composition and presentation of the exhibition. This Biennale is expected to embrace a burst of future-oriented innovative power inherently rooted in itself. Top image: Futian railway station and surrounding area. Image UABB > via Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture Strong shortlist has been announced for the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, a prestigious architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. The award identifies and encourages building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence. The 9-member Master Jury, composed of Kwame Anthony Appiah, Meisa Batayneh, Sir David Chipperfield, Elizabeth Diller, Edhem Eldem, Mona Fawaz, Kareem Ibrahim, Ali M. Malkawi and Nondita Correa Mehrotra, reviewed hundreds of nominations. The master jury shortlisted 20 projects that are now undergoing rigorous investigations by a team of experts who visit and evaluate each project on-site. The projects will compete for US$ 1 million in prize money. OMA's Concrete at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, Snhetta's Muttrah Fish Market in Oman, Tabanlioglu Architects' Beyazt State Library in Turkey, SHAU Architects' Taman Bima Microlibrary in Indonesia are among the shortlisted projects. "Their reports are the basis for the Master Jurys selection of the eventual laureates. It should be noted that projects commissioned by the Aga Khan or any of the institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) are ineligible for the Award," said the Aga Khan Award. "To be eligible for consideration in the 2019 Award cycle, projects had to be completed between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2017, and should have been in use for at least one year." The 20 shortlisted projects are competing for the 2017-2019 Cycle. The Master Jury will meet again in July 2019 and the announcement of Awards and Award Ceremony will be held in Autumn 2019. Scroll down to see the 20 shortlisted projects with their short info: Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden Revitalization of Muharraq in Bahrain by Authority for Culture & Antiquities Conservation Department "The building offers testimony on the pearl trade in the Arabian Peninsula over the centuries, especially when Bahrain thrived during the 19th century. This site is an exceptional testimony to the pearl trade in the Arabian Peninsula, on which Bahrain thrived during the 19th century. In a visionary effort to maintain the spirit of this historic city a number of conservation projects as well as some new buildings and schemes for the public spaces have been implemented by an NGO and the government." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Sanndro di Carlo Darsa Arcadia Education Project in Bangladesh by Saif Ul Haque Sthapati "A modular amphibious structure incorporating space for a preschool, a hostel, a nursery and a vocational training centre which is tied down on a riverine site that is often flooded for five months every year. Maleka Welfare Trust, a private social welfare organization, purchased a patch of land to relocate one of their preschools and develop additional social facilities, such as a hostel for single women, a nursery and a vocational training centre." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Sandro di Carlo Darsa Amber Denim Loom Shed in Gazipur, Bangladesh by Archeground "The design combines traditional Bangladeshi residential architecture and contemporary elements in a large open space that accommodates machines, a buyers lounge, a dining space, a prayer area and washrooms. The Loom Shed is a new design that employs a traditional Bangladeshi residential architecture with contemporary elements that give it a modern twist." Image People's Architecture Office Courtyard House Plugin in Beijing by People's Architecture Office "This prefabricated modular system was first developed as a prototype for installation within courtyard houses in the traditionally Muslim district of Dashilar, in Beijing. The dense historic neighbourhood is home to disadvantaged communities who do not have the means to renovate the buildings. The Courtyard House Plugin initiative aims to upgrade dilapidated structures in an adaptable and cost-effective way, therefore both improving the residents living conditions and preserving the original architecture." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Jjumba Martin Tadjourah SOS Children's Village in Tadjourah, Djibouti by Urko Sanchez Architects "Based on the model of SOS Childrens Villages, the project team built 15 houses in a medina-styled complex designed to shelter at-risk children and give them the chance of a normal childhood in a loving family. Each unit, built in cement blocks and RC structure, houses six to seven children and a foster mother. The design emulates the traditional layout of narrow streets; wind towers and lattices provide natural shade and ventilation." Image Architecture and Vision / Arturo Vittori Warka Water in Dorza, Ethiopia by Arturo Vittori "During a trip to Ethiopia, architect Arturio Vittori discovered the natural beauty of the country along with one of its dramatic realities: a dearth of drinking water. To solve this issue, Vittori and his team came up with an unusual design solution: Warka Water. The prototype consists of an elegant triangular frame, made out of local bamboo, that encloses a thin polyester mesh that captures droplets from high humidity in the air." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Barzin Baharlooei Enghelab Street Rehabilitation in Tehran by Iwyan Consultants "The project encompasses both the rehabilitation of the facades of 114 existing buildings including 54 of particular interest and the creation of a public cultural space between the national theatre and opera house. The project was developed through community consultations involving 1,000 invitations, 300 hours of meetings, 200 agreements and numerous plans and drawings. Owners were encouraged to collaborate in the renovation process and maintain their buildings thereafter favouring preservation over demolition." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden Taman Bima Microlibrary in Bandung, Indonesia by SHAU Architects "A pilot project for a series of low-cost, eco-conscious reading facilities in urban and rural villages, the Microlibrary aims to help combat Indonesias low literacy rates. An elevated library and book storage space was added above a pre-existing stage used for community events. The upper structure is steel and concrete, with facades made of 2,000 upcycled ice-cream buckets, which help with day light and cross-ventilation." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden AM Residence in Jakarta by Andramatin Architect "Designed for the architect, the house is characterised by a sense of warmth, simple space programming, and consideration for its wooded suburban context. Its design is inspired by Indonesian vernacular stilt houses, which favour natural ventilation. The ground floor, which is partially excavated down to street level, incorporates a giant pool, library and services. The entrance ramp continues up to the open-plan first-floor communal area, with its long wooden table and pool, and to the bedrooms above." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden Jarahieh School in Al-Marj, Lebanon by CatalyticAction, AOUMM "The school provides not only educational facilities for children from 300 Syrian refugee families, but is also a hub for community activities and the settlements only secure shelter in the event of snowstorm or earthquake. An adaptation of the Expo 2015 Save the Children Italy Pavilion in Milan, it is a source of pride for the community who helped redesign and build it." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden Muttrah Fish Market in Muscat, Oman by Snhetta "The new market celebrates the continuity of the regions trade and fishing traditions, while also catering to Omans growing tourism industry. Situated at Muttrahs harbour, a top tourist attraction, it houses a rooftop restaurant in addition to the market itself. The design exemplifies contextual regionalism, respecting the scale and integrity of the traditional context whilst adding new and dynamic elements. The curved wall that defines its spine reflects the radial shape of the corniche and bay area, and has light-filtering pierced decoration." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden Msheireb Museums in Doha, Qatar by John McAslan + Partners "Four historic courtyard houses dating from the early 20th century have been remodelled and extended to accommodate unified, state-of-the-art museums that together comprise a central element of the development of downtown Doha. The subject of each museum relates directly to the occupations or visions of those who originally lived in them, making them authentic mouthpieces for Qatari history and culture. The domestic architecture was reinstated using traditional construction techniques and materials; new services and technologies were integrated into floor areas and hidden recesses." Image Daniel Shvedov Tatarstan Public Spaces Development Programme in Various locations, Russian Federation by Architecturny Desant Architectural Bureau, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russian Federation "A programme to improve public spaces, which continues until 2022, covers each of Tatarstans 45 municipal districts, the main settlements of which range from major cities to small villages. Since its initiation in 2015, 328 parks, squares, riverfronts and pedestrian streets have been created or remodelled for year-round enjoyment even in snow. A key aim is to offer an equal quality of environment in terms of design, equipment and materials, regardless of the settlements size." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cherif Tall Alioune Diop University Lecture Building in Bambey, Senegal by IDOM "Inspired by a large tree in the centre of the Alioune Diop University campus, the new lecture building was designed as a place of shelter, shade and freshness for its students. Scarcity of resources conditioned the use of bioclimatic strategies: a large double roof canopy extending 10m over the north facade and latticework covering the south one prevent direct solar radiation while remaining permeable to air. To solve the lack of water and sewers, the architects incorporated infiltration rafts with vegetation that collect rainwater." Image Emre Dorter Beyazt State Library Renovation in Istanbul, Turkey by Tabanlioglu Architects "Founded in 1884 inside a 16th century building, Beyazt State Library, one of the oldest and largest libraries in Istanbul, underwent an important restoration. A reorganisation of the library space introduced a public flow through the library, from the square to the backyard, passing through spaces devoted to the display of over 25,000 rare manuscripts and reading rooms grouped around the courtyard." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Jjumba Martin Ashinaga Uganda Dormitory in Nansana, Uganda by Terrain Architects "This residential school accommodates 50 orphans from different countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The students learn to live together with people from different cultures and are prepared to enter universities abroad. Six buildings that house classrooms, a canteen, separate dormitories for girls and boys, offices, and staff quarters surround a planted courtyard, the social centre of the community. Linear modules of brick walls are spaced in bays of three or four metres; smaller spaces are delineated within some of the bays." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden Concrete at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, UAE by Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) "Alserkal Avenue, a former industrial complex in Dubai has been transformed into a cultural hub. This project took four existing warehouses and reimagined them to create Concrete, a flexible, multipurpose space for artists and cultural events in the centre of the complex. In order to maximise the area for events, the services were consolidated at one end of the building. The entrance and events space, with a flexible floorplan containing four 8-metre high pivoting and sliding walls, are situated close to The Yard, the districts main outdoor public space." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden Al Mureijah Art Spaces in Sharjah, UAE by Mona El Mousfy, Sharmeen Azam Inayat "The Sharjah Art Foundation, a cultural institution that emerged from the Sharjah Biennial, wanted to invest in non-museum spaces and simultaneously reclaim historic links to the city centre. Five dilapidated buildings in the Al Mureijah neighbourhood offered the perfect urban and architectural setting for a contemporary art venue. Now renovated and combined with additional outdoor exhibition areas, the five buildings provide a range of interior and exterior spaces to experience art in a variety of ambiences." Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Cemal Emden Wasit Wetland Centre in Sharjah, UAE by X-Architects "Part of a much larger project to clean up and rehabilitate this ancient chain of wetlands along the coast, the Wetland Centre aims to provide information and education about this unique environment and to encourage its preservation. The architecture of the centre uses the existing topography of the site to minimise the structures visual impact. Upon arrival, visitors are led underground along a pathway into a linear gallery with a transparent wall that allows them to observe birds in their natural habitat." The Steering Committee is chaired by His Highness the Aga Khan. The other members of the Steering Committee are: Sir David Adjaye, Mohammad al-Asad, Emre Arolat, Francesco Bandarin, Hanif Kara, Azim Nanji, Nasser Rabbat, Brigitte Shim, Marina Tabassum. Farrokh Derakhshani is the Director of the Award. President Minnikhanov welcomed the decision of the Awards Steering Committee to host the prestigious prize-giving ceremony in the historic centre city of Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation, in the autumn of 2019. Top image: Amber Denim Loom Shed in Gazipur, Bangladesh by Archeground. Image Aga Khan Trust for Culture / Sandro di Carlo Darsa > via Aga Khan Award for Architecture Frank Bainimarama, prime minister of Fiji, said same-sex marriage is rubbish, in 2016. Then, last Sunday, Bainimarama said at a press conference that as long as hes in office, hell never legalize gay sex because its against his Christian values, according to Pink News. He then apologized to the audience that the topic was even brought up. LGBT organizations in Fiji have condemned his statement. The LGBTQI community is already marginalised within our society and these comments made by someone in authority, such as the Prime Minister, are extremely dangerous and only exacerbate the existing discrimination against members of the LGBTQI community, Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights chair Nalini Singh said, according to Pink News. Same-sex couples and parents currently have no protections under Fiji law, according to Pink News. Michael Lapointe at the TLS: Were often told that todays North American critics are missing something vital. But what? Ever self-reliant, American critics often identify the missing element as a certain intensity, as though the questing knight has grown flabby and a little domestic. In American Audacity: In defense of literary daring, an impressive new collection of essays, the Boston-based critic and novelist William Giraldi sounds the alarm. The danger is real now, he writes, godlike and unprecedented, all- powerful and everywhere. The Internet has zapped us all into obliging zombies; it makes yesterdays threat from television look whimsical and rather cute. Against these stupefying forces, Giraldi calls for the critic to return to fundamentals. The critics chief loyalty is to the duet of beauty and wisdom, he writes, to the well-made and usefully wise, and to the ligatures between style and meaning. Giraldi is the sort of critic often the most helpful when one is choosing what to read who insists on the paramount importance of a works aesthetic features. He is hostile to those who would perceive literature through a political or theoretical lens. Ideology is the enemy of art because ideology is the end of imagination, he avers. more here. Xavier Bettel, Luxembourgs gay prime minister, praised Mexico City for its human rights progress, but called on the rest of Mexico to advance womens and LGBT rights. Bettel, one of the only openly gay world leaders, addressed the Mexican Senate, and rights groups are saying theyve never heard such a pro-LGBT speech there, calling it historic, according to Reuters. But Bettel called on the rest of Mexico to catch up to its capital. I know that Mexico - and I dont say this just to please you Mr. President - is more advanced than other countries on all these issues, Bettel told senators, according to Reuters. [But] Mexico City doesnt represent the whole country, of course. And there is still a lot of work to be done. Less than half of Mexicos 32 states have legalized gay marriage, Reuters reported. Pattanaphong Khuankaew/iStock(BOSTON) -- A state judge in Massachusetts was indicted Thursday for refusing to allow ICE to take custody of an undocumented immigrant, according to court papers. Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph, 51, of Natick, was charged in the case along with a court officer, Wesley MacGregor, 56, of Watertown. In court on Thursday, the judge and court officer were released after appearing. The undocumented immigrant is in deportation hearings but not in custody and The allegations in todays indictment involve obstruction by a sitting judge, that is intentional interference with the enforcement of federal law, and that is a crime," said U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. "We cannot pick and choose the federal laws we follow, or use our personal views to justify violating the law." According to officials, police in Newton arrested a suspect on March 30, 2018, for being a fugitive on narcotics charges. Officials discovered that the suspect had been deported twice and Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a detainer. On April 2, 2018, a plainclothes ICE officer came to the district court in Newtown to take custody of the suspect and was told to wait in the lobby. But during the course of the proceedings, Joseph allegedly arranged for the suspect, his lawyer and an interpreter, to leave through a different exit, escorted by MacGregor. The actions of the judge in this incident are a detriment to the rule of law and highly offensive to the law enforcement officers of ICE who swear an oath to uphold our nations immigration laws, said Todd M. Lyons, the acting field office director of ICE in Boston. The defendant, whos not identified by name in court documents, had been previously deported twice from the U.S., officials said. According to the court documents, Judge Joseph arraigned the immigrant facing deportation on those charges, but later in the day she recalled his case. At that point, according to court documents Judge Joseph asked the ICE officer to wait outside the courtroom while proceedings took place. The indictment includes court transcripts from the hearing which took place on April 2, 2018. ICE is gonna get him? she asks the defendants attorney before turning off the court recorder, which the indictment said is a violation of Massachusetts court rules. According to the government, 52 seconds later court recordings were turned back on. The court clerk then asked the judge if she wanted to let the ICE officer back in, because he was set to visit the lockup portion of the jail, she declined and lets the unidentified subject go. "That's fine. I'm not gonna allow them to come in here. But he's been released on this, she says. The court officer, who is also charged, asks if he is released. The judge said yes. He is. Um, [Defense Attorney] asked if the interpreter can accompany him downstairs, um, to further interview him...- and I've allowed that to happen, she continued. After that, the government says without the knowledge of the ICE officer, MacGregor released the alleged suspect out the back door, the government alleged, and said that "defendant Joseph and the Defense Attorney discussed devising a way to have A.S. avoid being arrested by the ICE Officer." Immediately following the proceeding, defendant MacGregor escorted A.S. from the Courtroom downstairs to the lockup, accompanied by the Defense Attorney and an interpreter," the indictment reads. "Once inside the lockup, defendant MacGregor used his security access card to open the rear sally-port exit and released A.S. out the backdoor at approximately 3:01 p.m,," the indictment stated. Shelley previously served as a criminal defense attorney and was appointed to the Massachusetts district court by Governor Charlie Baker in 2017. When the allegations first surfaced, Governor Baker told the Boston Globe that the judge should be removed from hearing criminal cases pending an investigation into her conduct. Look, judges are not supposed to be in the business of obstructing justice," Baker said. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Gospel For Asia Grieves its Social Worker's Five Family Members Killed in Sri Lanka Easter Terror Bomb Attacks on Two Different Churches Humanitarian agency Gospel For Asia (GFA) continues to support grief-stricken communities as death toll rises to more than 250, president declares State of Emergency Terrorists' serial church bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday claimed the lives of five family members of a GFA-supported Bridge of Hope social worker. GFA Founder K.P. Yohannan called on believers around the world to pray for the families, church leaders and believers amid attacks intended to intimidate and sow fear among those in the country. NEWS PROVIDED BY Gospel for Asia April 25, 2019 WILLS POINT, Texas, April 25, 2019 /Standard Newswire/ -- Humanitarian agency Gospel For Asia (GFA, www.gfa.org), today announced that one of its social workers in Sri Lanka lost five family members in the Easter Sunday terror bomb attacks on two separate churches. GFA mourns the loss of her relatives and continues to pray for members of the community. The female social worker, who serves at a GFA-supported Bridge of Hope children's center, was "in utter shock and great grief" after she discovered five of her relatives were killed in blasts at two separate churches, said GFA founder K.P. Yohannan. The victims included four members of the same family both parents and their two children. "Please pray for God's comfort and peace upon the bereaved families," Yohannan said. "Pray that God will give them strength during this difficult time... and for protection upon all families and communities in Sri Lanka as insecurity and uncertainty continues." Funeral services have been held for the GFA worker's family members, killed in the separate serial suicide bomber attacks. Terrorists targeted three churches, hotels and other locations. GFA also reported that a bomb had been defused on a street near one of its supported offices. The latest death toll in the attacks, linked to an Islamic terror group, stood at 253, with the country's president declaring a State of Emergency and deploying 7,000 security forces across Sri Lanka amid fears of possible unrest and further attacks. "GFA-supported national workers will be part of the healing and restoration of shattered communities in the weeks to come," said Yohannan. In addition to providing relief aid, Gospel For Asia maintains ongoing projects in Sri Lanka, including supporting Bridge of Hope centers that provide quality education, meals and medical care to children who were impacted by Sri Lanka's devastating civil war. One center in the north is home to 120 children who have lost one or both parents to war. GFA also supports women's Christian fellowships and radio ministry broadcasts. "I ask for your prayers and support, that the people of Sri Lanka may find strength in God's grace as they move forward," Yohannan said. "Please join us in praying that during these pain-filled days ahead, our brothers and sisters on the field would be the healing hands of Jesus to broken and hurting people." To join GFA's prayer network for Sri Lanka, go to: www.gfa.org/pray/sri-lanka. About Gospel for Asia Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2019, GFA (Gospel for Asia, www.gfa.org) is a leading faith-based humanitarian and mission agency, bringing vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear the "good news" of Jesus Christ. In 2018, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,100 villages and remote communities, over 4,700 wells drilled, over 11,400 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 240,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. SOURCE Gospel for Asia CONTACT: Gregg Wooding, 972-567-7660, gwooding@inchristcommunications.com Related Links www.gfa.org Shorthanded Golden Eagles unable to complete comeback against Yankton Aberdeen Central, who was without two starters, were unable to complete a fourth-quarter comeback, falling to Yankton. The skies lit up on Sunday, Dec. 12 with many of the fireworks perfectly timed to lyrics from music played at the base of the pier on the Skechers stage. SUNNYVALE, Calif. A California man who authorities said drove his car through a crosswalk in a quiet Silicon Valley suburb, hitting seven people and injuring eight, is being held in jail on eight counts of attempted murder. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Chief Phan Ngo said Wednesday that four people remain hospitalized with major injuries, including a 13-year-old Sunnyvale resident who is in critical condition. Six people were taken to area hospitals. Ngo said there is no evidence linking Isaiah Joel Peoples, a 34-year-old Army veteran, to known terrorist organizations but that the crash appeared deliberate. Peoples was arrested after Tuesdays crash. Peoples did not slow down prior to the collision and appeared to accelerate as he moved into the crosswalk, he said, adding they do not have a motive. The youngest victim was a 9-year-old boy who was treated and released with minor injuries. A 15-year-old boy was treated and released by paramedics. The 13-year-old is a girl, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Capt. Jim Choi has said. Peoples mother, Leevell Peoples of Sacramento, California, said Wednesday that she couldnt imagine any situation in which her mild-mannered son would deliberately crash into innocent people, other than something related to the PTSD she said he experienced after serving as an Army sharpshooter in Iraq. Unless the car malfunctioned, he would not have done that. Hes like the perfect, model citizen, she said. Hes an Army vet, hes a good kid, never been arrested. I promise you: It was not deliberate. If anything, it was that Army. Peoples, who is an auditor for the Department of Defense in Mountain View, received inpatient treatment for PTSD in 2015, his mother said. The crash happened at a large intersection in an area of commercial strip malls that residents describe as a quiet suburb. Businesses and roads were back open Wednesday morning, and the police tape that had been put up to cordon off the area as officers investigated had been removed. The only signs of the crash were skid marks on the sidewalk where the car swerved, and a dented tree that Peoples crashed into, muttering thanks to Jesus as he slumped over the steering wheel of a hissing car. Don Draper, 72, said he was waiting in his convertible for the light to turn green when the Toyota zoomed by. Draper said he was so enraged that he marched over to the car. He wasnt hurt apparently, and he was mumbling over and over again, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus again and again, Draper said. And at this point I realized I had to call 911. Other witness statements matched Drapers recollection that the driver was speeding and drove directly toward the pedestrians without trying to veer away or stop before striking them in the city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of San Francisco. But the drivers mother, Leevell Peoples, described him as a well-behaved son who treats everyone with respect and attends church on Sundays. Isaiah wouldnt even run a yellow light, she said. He basically probably has no friends but the people he works with, she said. Im just hoping the Army stuff wouldnt have caused this to happen. He doesnt have any seizures or anything. She said her son graduated from Sacramento State University after returning from Iraq in 2007. But he did have a bad episode with PTSD about two years ago, and Peoples said her son told her he has been regularly taking medication since. Everyone in his family knows how cautious he is, and he would never do anything to hurt someone, she said. Former housemate Chuck Herrera described Peoples as very quiet, someone who had to be coaxed into going out for drinks or dinner. But he said Peoples was polite and kind and sweet to Herreras toddler son. He recalls Peoples always had a lot of pills, and had a cough. The guy I met was not someone who you think will hurt someone, he said. My guess is something happened. Police officers went to Peoples apartment complex Wednesday. The FBI is assisting California officials in the investigation. Leevell Peoples said the Army forced her son to retire because of his PTSD. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col Carla Gleason confirmed Wednesday that he retired from the U.S. Army but provided no other details. Draper said a victim landed in front of his car, with what appeared to be a bloody head wound. I saw a body flying through the air, and one of them was right in front of me, Draper said. This woman was about 10 feet (3 meters) off the ground; I can see her feet pointing upward. Some of the eight people injured were at a corner or on the crosswalk when the car hit them before smashing into a tree, Choi said. ___ Williams and Har reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to show 13-year-old victim is a girl. When a seven-year veteran of the Albuquerque Police Department shot and injured Pedro Escalante three weeks ago, it was not the first time that day the suspect had been fired upon. Less than 30 minutes earlier, police say, a woman who saw Escalante in her stolen car had also shot at him. She didnt hit him, but she could face charges, including child abuse, because, police say, a 2-year-old was with her when she chased after Escalante. APD Lt. Scott Norris held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to provide updates about the April 5 police shooting and the circumstances that led to it. Norris said officer James Sullivan told investigators Escalante cornered against a wrought-iron fence had pointed a handgun at him, so he fired four times, striking him in the hip once. A gun was found on the scene, and it was loaded with 27 rounds. Sullivan was put on standard administrative leave immediately after the shooting but has since returned to work as a field officer in the Southeast Area Command. He had not been involved in any previous shootings. Norris played lapel camera video from officer Sullivan and from another officer, who was behind him. Neither video captured the shooting or a gun being pointed at officers. The videos provided by APD end immediately after the shooting. Additional video will be available later, according to APD. Escalante, 26, was taken to a hospital and then booked into the county jail. He is being held until his trial. His defense attorney did not respond to phone calls from the Journal. Two weeks after the April 5 shooting, police shot another suspect, a man they said committed a home invasion robbery. No details have been released about that shooting, including the suspects name of how many or which officers shot him. The Multi-Agency Task Force is still investigating both shootings, and Norris said he doesnt know when detectives will be able to turn over Escalantes case to the District Attorneys Office. This occurred less than a month ago, and it is very difficult to conclude an investigation of this complexity, he said. And now we have another one. The incident began around 5:30 p.m. on April 5 when Amber Trujillo saw her red Hyundai Sonata, which had been stolen three days earlier. She called 911 but continued to follow the stolen car as a passenger in a white Hyundai Elantra. Around 6 p.m., Norris said, Trujillo began firing at Escalante, shooting her own car three times. Officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop on the white Elantra at Louisiana and Trumbull SE and detained Trujillo, as well as the driver of the vehicle, Mary Trujillo, Norris said. A child was also located in the vehicle and taken into protective custody. Norris said the investigation involving Amber Trujillo is ongoing, and she could face charges of child abuse, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and shooting at or from a motor vehicle. Escalante, however, did not stop there and continued to weave through Southeast Albuquerque neighborhoods. Officers set up a spike belt at Grove and Bell SE, and Escalante blew threw it heading north, crashing into a silver Toyota Camry that was heading west, Norris said. The driver of the Camry suffered a minor shoulder injury. Norris said Escalante got out of the stolen Sonata and ran north, as officer Sullivan chased him. He said Escalante attempted to jump a fence while pointing a firearm at Sullivan, so Sullivan shot him. One civilian who witnessed the shooting told officers he had seen Escalante point the gun, Norris said. Escalante was treated at a hospital and booked into jail the next day. He is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, and receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle. Norris said that the gun that was found next to Escalante has been tied to a shooting at a mobile home park six days earlier, and that police are investigating whether he was involved in that shooting as well. The gun had not been reported stolen. Escalante has a lengthy criminal history, including charges of aggravated assault on a peace officer, and receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle, according to online court records. A newly minted Republican and founder of a political action committee called Democrats for Democracy announced this week that he would run for the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by Ben Ray Lujan, who is running for U.S. Senate. Brett Kokinadis said in a news release that hes changed his party affiliation to Republican to seek Lujans seat and that he wanted to focus on finding commonality among New Mexicans. I see this as an opportunity an olive branch to unite New Mexicans. Many politicians talk about working across the aisle; Im jumping across it to build a bridge for New Mexicos future, he said in the news release. Kokinadis, who could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, said in the release that he was pushed out of the Democratic Party for talking facts. I didnt buy into the mantras, the division, and hate, he said. But on Tuesday, a conservative Republican blogger sent a news release of his own, pointing out provocative statements Kokinadis allegedly made in the past on Twitter two years ago. He included a link to screen shots of tweets purportedly made by Kokinadis. Kokinadis tweets span from threats to President Trumps life, calling for the commander in chief to have a stroke, and making misogynistic comments about Sarah Huckabee Sanders, saying she looked like trash as she addressed the nation, commenting that she came on stage after cleaning the bathrooms,' wrote John Block, whose blog is called NM Politics with John Block. Kokinadis is the first Republican to declare his candidacy for the CD3 race. Two Democrats District 40 state Rep. Joseph Sanchez of Alcalde and Raton businessman Mark McDonald of Raton have said they will be candidates to succeed Lujan in Congress. Several other Democrats have said they are considering running. One whos decided to not run for the seat is Public Regulation Commission member Valerie Espinoza, who on Wednesday announced during a PRC meeting that she wont throw her hat into the ring. She had said previously she was considering making the race. New Mexico is my forever home, she said in a brief phone interview after the meeting. I could have gone to work in Washington, D.C. 20 years go but I chose New Mexico. This time, I choose northern New Mexico. Espinoza said shes happy to stay here and continue to represent the people of New Mexico as PRC commissioner. Its important for me to continue to represent the rate payers in northern New Mexico on the PRC. We dont just represent our district, we represent the state at large with our decisions we make here, she said. Espinozas term on the PRC ends at the end of 2020. She doesnt know what shell do after that, but said shes been a public servant most her life and will probably continue in such a role. I realized (running for Congress) was an opportunity knocking on my door, but there are many more opportunities here in the Land of Enchantment, she said. Prosecutors say alcohol, speed and cellphone use may have been factors in a deadly crash last month on Albuquerques West Side. Joshua Appelgate, 23, is charged with vehicular homicide and attorneys said during a hearing Wednesday that a test showed his blood-alcohol level was .06 percent below New Mexicos presumed level of intoxication. But under state law, a driver can be charged with DWI if hes impaired to the slightest degree. Francisco Lopez died at the scene, near McMahon and Unser. A month before the wreck, Appelgate had been arrested on a DWI charge after police pulled him over for driving 76 in a 45 mph zone, according to court documents. Under his conditions of release in that case, he should not have been consuming alcohol or driving a vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock. Appelgate admitted to police on the night of the crash that hed had a hard cider hours before. He said the vehicle pulled out in front of him and he did not have time to stop. A prosecutor acknowledged that Lopez had a stop sign, but she also said its possible that the intersection looked clear to him. A witness reported that Appelgate had been driving at a high rate of speed and nearly swerved into his vehicle. That witness also reported that Appelgate had been using his cellphone while driving, according to court records. He was indicted last week on one count of vehicular homicide caused by driving while under the influence, or alternatively, vehicular homicide caused by reckless driving. Appelgate was in District Court on Wednesday as a judge considered whether he should be locked up awaiting trial. Appelgates attorney pointed out that her clients criminal record consisted of a couple of traffic citations. She said Appelgate had been involved in Alcoholics Anonymous before he was taken into custody and is looking into additional treatment options. Judge Cristina Jaramillo, who said the case was somewhat questionable, opted to impose strict conditions of release. Appelgate is prohibited from driving under any circumstances. She said that Appelgate can be released from jail after completing an alcohol treatment program. He cannot leave his home between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m., and he cannot consume alcohol. Someone died, Mr. Appelgate. Somebodys family is without their son, their father, their uncle, and you may be responsible for that, Jaramillo said. So lets take this seriously. Do you think this is impeachable? Chuck Todd, host of Meet the Press, asked Rep. Jerrold Nadler about the findings in the report by special counsel Robert Mueller. The congressman from New York took a dramatic pause before replying, Yeah, I do. I do think this, if proven, if proven some of this would be impeachable, yes. Obstruction of justice, if proven, would be impeachable. Within NBCs studio and outside it, this was greeted as news. Maybe in one sense, it was. Nadler chairs the House Judiciary Committee, where impeachment proceedings originate. Like the Democratic leadership generally, he has been very circumspect on the issue. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remains reluctant to commit to impeachment. Nadler, however, nudged the Democratic position toward impeachment, slightly. But in another sense this was just another no-duh moment. Of course, obstruction of justice if proved is impeachable. Not even Rudy Giuliani would dispute that. Obstruction of justice was at the heart of the impeachment case that caused President Nixon to resign. It was one of the two charges against President Clinton in his impeachment; the other was perjury. But heres the thing: Even if its not proved, obstruction of justice is impeachable. What I mean is: If a majority of House members think the president obstructed justice, they can vote to impeach him, even if the charge would never fly in a court of law. In fact, the House can impeach the president for literally any reason it wants, including noncriminal behavior. Thats because Congress isnt a judicial body, and impeachment isnt a criminal proceeding but a political one and, save for the trial in the Senate, theres no appeal. The frustrating thing about impeachment debates under every president, not just Trump is how lawyers are granted almost priestly authority over the subject, in part to save politicians from making tough calls. That is not what the founders intended. In Federalist No. 65, Alexander Hamilton the dude from the musical explained that impeachable offenses are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated POLITICAL the all-caps are Hamiltons. They proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust that does injury immediately to the society itself. Among the 11 articles of impeachment against Andrew Johnson, Article 10 remains my favorite. It charged the president with attempting to bring into disgrace, ridicule, hatred, contempt and reproach, the Congress of the United States to impair and destroy the regard and respect of all the good people of the United States for the Congress and the legislative power thereof Thats great stuff. Because impeachment is a political process, the key consideration isnt what criminal law says, but what the American people say. Yet they, too, have abdicated their responsibilities to call out leaders who have violated the Constitution or simply the public trust. When President George W. Bush signed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 also known as the McCain-Feingold Act, restricting certain spending on political campaigns Bush said the law presented serious constitutional concerns. He signed it anyway, saying hed leave it for the courts to deal with them. Bush was right about his concerns, as the court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The president takes an oath to uphold the Constitution. In Bushs own words, he violated the spirit of that oath. Congress, of course, wouldnt impeach a president for signing a law it passed. But I wish I lived in a country where voters saw that as an impeachable act. Worse, Americans now seem to believe presidents from their side can take whatever steps the Supreme Court will let them get away with. President Obama unilaterally overhauled U.S. immigration policy, though he had repeatedly said he didnt have the authority to do it. Republicans were outraged at this abuse of executive power and they shouldnt have been alone. But they were, so now theyre not inclined to share Democrats outrage over Trumps excesses. Congress has impotently outsourced its own judgment to lawyers, courts, executive branch bureaucrats and, most importantly, to a public capable only of partisan outrage. So now congressional Democrats wrestling with whether to impeach Trump are pretending they need some legal smoking gun. Its all a canard. All they need are votes first in the House, then in the Senate and the support of Americans around the country. They might have enough of the former but probably not of the latter. E-mail goldbergcolumn@gmail.com, Twitter @JonahNRO. 2019 Tribune Content Agency LLC. At Salt Lake, 6:35 p.m. 610 AM/95.9 FM Probables: Isotopes RHP Ryan Castellani (2-0, 1.79) vs. Bees TBA Wednesday: The Isotopes opened a five-game series at Salt Lake with a come-from-behind 5-4 win. Pat Valaika hit two home runs and Sam Hilliard hit a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth inning to lead the Isotopes. Transaction: The parent Colorado Rockies on Wednesday reinstated IF Daniel Murphy from the injured list and optioned RHP Jeff Hoffman back to Albuquerque. Hoffman started Tuesdays 6-3 home loss to the Nationals and took the loss. Next home game: Monday vs. Sacramento, 6:35 p.m. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal Authorities have caught the 17-year-old accused of gunning down a mail carrier during a dispute outside his mothers house in a West Side neighborhood on Monday afternoon. Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said officers with APD and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service arrested Xavier Zamora without incident during a joint operation Wednesday night. The teen faces an open count of murder in the death of 47-year-old Jose Hernandez, a longtime mail carrier. APD worked closely with USPIS and the FBI to ensure Zamora was located and arrested, Gallegos said. The investigation is ongoing. Police say Zamora was arguing with his mother outside their home in the 700 block of Terracotta SW, near Tower and 98th Street, on Monday afternoon. Hernandez was working his mail route when he came upon the fight and intervened. Court records allege Zamora became aggressive and Hernandez ended up macing the teen. Then Zamora got a gun from inside the house and shot Hernandez. Police say Zamora ran back inside the house as neighbors tried to revive Hernandez, but he died at the scene. The SWAT team responded to the block and entered the home, searching for Zamora, but he was nowhere to be found. Neighbors and coworkers soon erected a memorial at the site of the shooting as police launched into a search for Zamora. Hernandezs family told the Journal he was a native of Phoenix, had four children and was an Army veteran. He had worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Albuquerque for 12 years and out of the Five Points post office for the past five, according to a Postal Service spokesman. Detel forays into a new business vertical of refurbished device with an e-commerce platform www.preloveddevice.com with the mission of creating a new experience of buying a refurbished device for its customer. The experience that starts right from the excitement of opening the box of a new device. Its chic and cool packaging in red and white simply catches your attention. You feel even mesmerized after holding a smartphone in your hand which gives you look and feel of as good as new smartphone. PreLoved Device ensures your confidence with the glance of sophisticatedly placed quality components and accessories inside the box. All the accessories are nicely packed. Last but not the least after having procured the warranty of a minimum of 6 months to 1 year with most customer friendly after sale services, PreLoved Device makes you witness the new experience of buying a refurbished device with never like before satisfaction and happiness. With PreLoved Device, Detel aims to strengthen the entire ecosystem of buying and selling of refurbished and pre-owned devices. The company ensures the quality by selling the most authenticated products certified and graded by the experts at Detels state-of-the-art refurbishment facility. At present, customers can purchase refurbished smartphones of leading brands like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus etc. from www.preloveddevice.com. In time to come, the company also plans to make available Home Appliances, Laptops, tablets, and other gadgets & accessories. With an extensive distribution network, the company is set to deliver products pan India. Commenting on the launch, Yogesh Bhatia, MD, Detel, said, We have been operating in the new-goods market and have successfully introduced the worlds most economical devices such as Mobile phone and Television. Having spent over two decades in the industry, we understand consumers pulse. Our new venture PreLoved Device is committed to bring technology for all at competitive prices and bridge the gap between Desirability & Affordability. We now aim to eliminate the trust deficit that exists in the refurbished device market. Sanjeev Soni, Head, PreLoved Device, added, We are glad to have launched PreLoved Device wherein all products listed on the website go through a rigorous 52-step quality check. With attractive packaging, warranty, pricing, PreLoved Device also bring a pool of value added services such as Free Shipping, multiple payment options, new accessories along with the refurbished device, as well as a dedicated Loyalty programme for its customers. We are extensively working on creating many more value adds for our customers in the time to come. As India soars to be at the forefront of the technology industry, the amount of electronic waste it generates has been consequently growing at an alarming rate. As per reports, India produces 2 million tonnes (MT) of e-waste annually, out of which 82 percent of this e-waste is pertaining to personal devices. Yogesh Bhatia, MD, Detel, stated, With the launch of PreLoved Device, Detel embarks a new journey of creating a New environment of Refurbished for our better tomorrow by building a strong new perception for Refurbished device in India. We are planning to propel the idea extensively amongst Indians to have them embraced the wave of refurbishing in their lives. For customers expectations and satisfactory fulfilments, the platform listed down the assortment of products divided into 5 grades of refurbishing: LAS CRUCES Hollywood and Broadway joined Las Cruces in mourning the departure of Mark Medoff, the dramatist and educator who died in hospice Tuesday evening. Medoff, who lived in Las Cruces and taught at New Mexico State University for more than 50 years, was the author of the Tony-winning play, Children of a Lesser God, and numerous other works for stage and screen. He also directed and produced several films while teaching and even directing plays on local community stages. For these contributions, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a news release, an indelible piece of his legacy is having brought world-class artistic expression and education to New Mexico classrooms. He selflessly invested in the development of countless actors and writers, and his generosity will extend to future generations of New Mexicans through the programs he helped found at New Mexico State University. On Tuesday, Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima responded to news of Medoffs death by saying, When Mark won the Tony award for Children of a Lesser God, he put Las Cruces on the national stage. We will always remember him and he will be greatly missed. Tributes on social media Tuesday and Wednesday included remembrances by friends, former students and artists who had worked with Medoff over decades. Neil Patrick Harris, a New Mexico native and acclaimed actor on film, television and stage, has long credited Medoff with discovering him at a theatre camp in Las Cruces, eventually helping him win a role in the 1988 film Claras Heart, which Medoff scripted and starred Whoopi Goldberg. I owe my career to him, he wrote, adding, Without him, Id be nowhere. Marlee Matlin, who was just 19 years old when she began work on her Oscar-winning performance in the 1986 film version of Children of a Lesser God, credited Medoff with fighting for the role of Sarah, a character who is deaf, to be played by a deaf performer. Nyle DiMarco, an actor and model who was a producer of the 2018 Broadway revival of Children of a Lesser God, credited Medoff for opening hundreds, if not thousands, opportunities (sic) for aspiring Deaf performers. From the main campus of New Mexico State University, where Medoff began as an English teacher, later headed the Theatre Arts department and helped found the Creative Media Institute, NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu called Medoff an Aggie legend and said, His much lauded work as a playwright, film director and professor, will forever be remembered in our hearts. In his own statement, NMSU President John Floros wrote, What he has given to NMSU cant be measured in years, or awards. It can only be felt in the hearts of those he touched, who learned from him and will pass on that knowledge and experience to future generations of Aggies. Mark was dedicated to students and their education, and introduced so many of them into the profession, the current Theatre Arts department head, Wil Kilroy, said in a statement. The production of the musical My Fair Lady currently in production at the university, to be performed in the theatre named after Mark and Stephanie Medoff, will be dedicate to the late artist, Kilroy said. As tributes continued to pour in on social media, news and show business pages, Medoffs son-in-law, film director Ross Marks, said plans were underway for a public tribute at the universitys performance arts center at 2 p.m. on May 19. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Mark Medoff Visiting Lecture Series at New Mexico State University. Gifts payable to the NMSU Foundation can be mailed to the NMSU Foundation, P.O. Box 3590, Las Cruces, NM 88003-3590. Donations should be indicated for the Mark Medoff Lecture Series, Fund #982761. Gifts can also be made online at advancing.nmsu.edu/givenow indicating on the pull down menu that the donation should be directed to the Medoff Lecture Series, Fund #982761. Algernon DAmmassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonActor on Twitter. 2019 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at www.lcsun-news.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. LONDON Irelands privacy regulator says its investigating Facebook over the social media giants recent revelation that it had left hundreds of millions of user passwords exposed. The Irish Data Protection Commission said Thursday that it opened a statutory inquiry this week into Facebook after the company notified it about the security lapse. The company said last month that it had inadvertently stored passwords for users of Facebook, Facebook Lite and Instagram in plain text, making it possible for employees to search them. Facebook said it is working with the commission on the inquiry. There is no evidence that these internally stored passwords were abused or improperly accessed, the company said in a statement. Facebook has said it fixed the problem and planned to notify millions of Facebook and Instagram users and hundreds of millions of users of Facebook Lite, which is primarily used in developing countries. Its the latest regulatory headache for Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has promised to turn the company into a privacy focused platform. The Irish commission, which is Facebooks lead privacy regulator for Europe, already has 10 other investigations under way into the company and its subsidiaries over whether its complying with European data protection rules. Facebook said Wednesday it expects to be fined at least $3 billion by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which is investigating whether the social network violated users privacy. It also faces other probes in the U.S. and Europe, including in Belgium and Germany. PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron announced tax cuts for middle-class workers and plans for a more representative parliament Thursday as part of a promised response to the weekly yellow vest protests that damaged his presidency. In a nationally televised speech followed up by a news conference, the French leader also said France and Europe must do more to fight illegal migration. Macron spoke to the nation from the presidential Elysee Palace after he convened nationwide meetings where communities could debate how to address economic concerns raised by the yellow vest movement, including high taxes, unemployment and stagnant wages. He unveiled measures to boost pensions under 2,000 euros ($ 2,226) and said he would propose an overhaul of Frances retirement system during the summer. But he said the best solution for financial disparities is to cut taxes for a maximum number of citizens and especially those who are working, especially the middle-class. The president also vowed to introduce deep changes to Frances system of democracy. One is easing the rules for organizing public referendums so people have another outlet for grievances besides the street protests that have convulsed the country for five months. He pledged to reduce the number of lawmakers in parliament by about 30% and to change how seats are filled so the national legislature better reflects the diversity of Frances political parties. Frances parliamentary election system currently is designed to give the winning party a strong majority, putting smaller parties at a disadvantage. But Macron warned that there comes a time for hard choices. He said he thinks illegal immigration is weighing on Europe. The European Union should be strong by both protecting its borders and taking in some asylum-seekers from countries where their lives are at risk. To be welcoming, you need to have a house. So we need borders, we need borders to be respected, we need rules, he said. In a move to counter the yellow vest movements portrayal of him as elitist, Macron said he decided to do away with Frances Ecole Nationale dAdministration, the influential college that trains top civil servants and politicians. The centrist Macron, a former investment banker, is himself an ENA graduate. Macron apologized for some comments that were perceived as arrogant, such as his telling an unemployed man he could find a job if he crosses the street and advising a retiree not to complain. I may have given the impression to give orders all the time and be tough. Which I regret, he said. At the same time, he said he would keep pushing pro-business policies opposed by labor unions and the yellow vest movement. I asked myself, Were we wrong? I think the total opposite. I think the ongoing changes, the necessary changes we have to do in our country mustnt be stopped, Macron said. They havent been quick enough for some, not radical enough, not human enough. Some activists who have been involved in the yellow vest movement said they were disappointed with Macrons response to their demands for economic relief for the countrys working classes. Paris region activist Thierry-Paul Valette tweeted after Macron outlined his proposals that the president spoke like a supreme chief and doesnt seem to understand that he should show modesty. Once-prominent yellow vest activist Ingrid Levavasseur, who scaled back her participation amid the movements internal divisions and protest violence, told The Associated Press she found Macrons response not at all satisfactory. Levavasseur cautiously welcomed his proposed measures to decentralize decision-making but said the overall plan wasnt ambitious enough. The expectations are so enormous that it was bound to be disappointing, she said. The yellow vest movement started to oppose a fuel tax increase and was named after the fluorescent jackets French motorists are required to keep in their cars. Attendance at protests has dwindled, but movement activists are organizing the 24th straight weekend demonstrations for Saturday. Leaders from Macrons party and government plan to meet Monday to develop a timetable for implementing the new measures. Macron made some concessions to the protests earlier, such as abandoning the fuel tax hike. He also scrapped a tax increase for retirees and introduced monthly bonuses of 100 euros ($113) for people earning the minimum wage. But Macron has repeatedly refused to meet one of the protesters main demands: reintroducing a wealth tax for Frances richest people, He refused again Thursday, saying he was aiming to keep investments in the country. BEIRUT The U.S.-led coalition killed more than 1,600 civilians in the northern Syria city of Raqqa during months of bombardment that liberated it from the Islamic State group, hundreds more than the number the U.S.-led coalition claims over the entire four-year campaign against IS, Amnesty International and a London-based watchdog group said Thursday. Amnesty and Airwars said the toll came after the most comprehensive investigation into civilian deaths in a modern conflict. The U.S.-led coalition said last month that 1,257 civilians were killed in airstrikes against IS over four years in Syria and Iraq. We continue to employ thorough and deliberate targeting and strike processes to minimize the impact of our operations on civilian populations and infrastructure, the coalition said. Raqqa was the de facto capital of ISs self-declared caliphate, which once encompassed a third of Syria and Iraq. Last month, IS lost the last area it controlled in eastern Syria marking the end of the so-called caliphate. U.S.-backed Syrian fighters captured Raqqa in October 2017 after a four-month campaign. The U.N estimates that more than 10,000 buildings were destroyed or 80 percent of the city. Coalition forces razed Raqqa, but they cannot erase the truth. Amnesty International and Airwars call upon the Coalition forces to end their denial about the shocking scale of civilian deaths and destruction caused by their offensive in Raqqa, the two groups said in a joint statement. In June last year, an Amnesty International report said hundreds of civilians were killed in Raqqa, while the Airwars said it has evidence of 1,400 fatalities. The statement said Amnesty Internationals innovative Strike Trackers project also identified when each of the more than 11,000 destroyed buildings in Raqqa was hit. More than 3,000 digital activists in 124 countries took part, analyzing a total of more than 2 million satellite image frames, it said. The Coalition needs to fully investigate what went wrong at Raqqa and learn from those lessons, to prevent inflicting such tremendous suffering on civilians caught in future military operations, said Chris Woods, Director of Airwars. Separately, Syrian Minister of Transportation Ali Hammoud said his country will sign a contract with a Russian company to run and expand the port of Tartous on the Mediterranean. Hammoud said in remarks published by the pro-government Al-Watan daily Thursday that Russias Stroytransgaz will run the port for 49 years. The minister added that a Russian company would expand the port and pump more than $500 million in this project, pointing that it has been agreed with the company to keep all Syrian workers in the port. Russia has been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assads government and Moscow tipped the balance of power in favor of government forces after joining Syrias war in 2015. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov met with Assad in Damascus over the weekend and said in comments carried by Russian news agencies that he was expecting the contract to be signed this week. Borisov said the Russian lease of the port would boost bilateral trade and benefit the Syrian economy. Stroytransgaz is controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putins childhood friend Gennady Timchenko. The Tartous port would be an important asset for the company which landed a contract for 30 percent of the output in a major phosphate field outside Palmyra last year and signed a deal with a government-owned chemical company to rebuild Syrias only fertilizer plant in the central province of Homs. Unlike many major Russian companies, private or state-owned, Stroytransgaz is not wary of international sanctions against the Syrian government since Timchenko himself and his businesses including Stroytransgaz were slapped with U.S. sanctions in 2014 following Russias annexation of Crimea. RIO RANCHO Intels annual report to Sandoval County shows the chip giant has invested over $135 million in its local manufacturing plant in 2018, an increase over $88 million from the year prior. Intel spokeswoman Linda Qian said the company is very proud of the continued investments it has made in its New Mexico facility. Since we first established operations here in 1980, (those operations) have been a really critical part of our global technology development and manufacturing network, she said. Qian confirmed that Intel is still in the process of hiring for many roles, all posted at intel.com/nmjobs. The Intel annual report released in keeping with the companys industrial revenue bond lease agreement said the company paid Sandoval County $9.15 million in fiscal year 2018, per its IRB agreement, which was made with the county in 2004. It also paid almost $588,000 in property tax. The Journal reported in September that Intels Sandoval County plant was investing in and pursuing technology development to create new products as part of the companys efforts to diversify its markets beyond its traditional focus on semiconductor chips for computer processing. Intel spent just over $200 million with New Mexico-based organizations in 2018 and hired 168 new employees, 33 percent of whom came from New Mexico, according to the report. Since 1995, 62 percent of Intels new hires at the Rio Rancho plant have been New Mexico residents, according to the report. Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block said Intels future looked bleak when it downsized 2,000 jobs between 2013 and 2016. After I was elected, along with (Chairman) Dave Heil, weve worked a lot with Intel, with the IRB to incentivize them to start hiring more, Block said. Thanks to some technological breakthroughs and advances, Intel is reinvesting back into our community and into their plant. Intel will soon host two job fairs in New Mexico, one at Central New Mexico Community College main campus Monday and another at Kirtland Air Force Base on May 3. The governor replaced a panel of regulators Thursday to oversee New Mexicos horse racing industry amid a legal battle centered on the states sixth and final license for a racetrack and casino. The New Mexico Racing Commissions newly appointed five members will decide the contentious competition for the lucrative license that includes a contested feasibility study on the economics behind the five proposals under consideration. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she expects the commissioners to be fair and equitable. These five individuals are experienced and knowledgeable, and I have every confidence they will ably regulate and promote the continued development of this industry, she said in a statement. The appointments include two members who previously served on the panel as well as others who have been involved in the industry for years. Beverly Bourguet was a commission member from 2011 to 2015 and is a founding member of the Downs at Albuquerque Chaplaincy. She breeds and raises quarter horses and races quarter horses and thoroughbreds. David Hossie Sanchez, owner of San Bar Racing LLC, was a commissioner from 2003 to 2009 and has served on the State Fair Commission since 2009. John Buffington, former chief operating officer of the San Juan Regional Medical Center, has decades of experience as an owner and breeder. Freda McSwane, an attorney from southern New Mexico, is an owner and breeder. Construction company owner Billy G. Smith has been involved in the racing industry since the 1970s. He also has served on various boards for the American Quarter Horse Association. The previous commission repeatedly put off a vote on the racino license, saying the legal dispute needed to be addressed before the panel could move forward. The board recently took a step toward doing that by ratifying a proposed settlement with one of the applicants, but it will be up to a judge to decide whether to dismiss the case. With the case pending, it could be a month before the new commission provides any insight into how it will handle the racino license. The next meeting will be May 16. Attorneys for some applicants are concerned that the commission might have to restart the process. Others say theres nothing to prevent the new commissioners from reviewing all the past meeting minutes, feasibility study and public comments before determining whether to award the license. Lujan Grisham had asked the commission earlier this year for more research and information on the selection process. The previous commissioners did not fulfill that request. The applications include three separate proposals for a racino in the Clovis area, one in Tucumcari and one in Lordsburg. Under state compacts with casino-operating tribes, only six racinos are allowed in New Mexico. The five existing establishments are in Hobbs, Ruidoso, Farmington, Albuquerque and Sunland Park. The existing racinos have voiced concerns about adding a sixth venue, saying doing so would hurt their business. They have described New Mexicos racing industry as far from healthy, saying additional forces could result in more downward pressure on the industry. Campaign records show Lujan Grisham received political donations from the existing racinos and their owners, as well as individuals and companies with ties to at least two of the license applicants. SANTA FE After decisively winning election last year, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams honeymoon with New Mexico voters might be wearing off. The first-term Democratic governors approval rating of 41 percent came in toward the bottom of the pack, according to a national Morning Consult poll released Thursday that tallied the popularity of all 50 governors. However, it was in the same neighborhood as the approval ratings for several other governors who took office this year, indicating that voters might still be forming their opinions. Roughly 33 percent of state voters surveyed Jan. 1 through March 31 disapproved of the job Lujan Grisham was doing, while the remaining voters were undecided or did not have an opinion. Lujan Grisham succeeded in winning approval of high-profile initiatives during this years 60-day legislative session including bills setting future renewable energy standards and expanding background check requirements for gun purchases but rankled some rural New Mexicans in the process. Former Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican, ranked among the nations 10 least popular governors before leaving office at the end of last year. But her approval rating had been much higher during her first years as governor after being elected in 2010. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, was the least popular governor in the nation, with a 52 percent disapproval rating, the poll released Thursday found. GOP Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts retained the honor of having the highest approval rating of any governor, with 73 percent. Meanwhile, New Mexicos two U.S. senators Democrats Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich both had approval ratings of 39 percent, the survey found. CHICO, Calif. - The Chico West Side Little League park got a makeover thanks to Sherwin Williams and national painting week. Every year, Sherwin Williams employees transform local spaces in the community through the power of paint and this year they chose to refresh the little-league park from its original yellow and green to a baby blue and royal blue color. This season, Chico West Side Little League park also served as a temporary home for Paradise little league teams as their town rebuilds from the Camp Fire. "For the kids, I mean, that fire was horrible for everyone but even more so for the children," said Thomas Vichi, manager of a local Sherwin Williams. "So I think helping them out here is a great opportunity." Employees repainted everything from the dugout to the bleachers and even the snack bar. Sherwin Williams also donated more than 80 gallons of paint and supplies for the project. Officials find high levels of pollutants in water from Camp Fire burn scar Preliminary results from water testing in the Camp Fire burn area have been released. Higher than normal levels of pollutants like lead, aluminum and arsenic have been found in water samples. The State Water Board is advising people to not drink any water from waterways, or even wells. Chico police searching for drive-by shooting suspect Chico police are on the hunt for a suspect in a drive-by shooting. Police said a man in a white truck fired shots into another car on W 9th and Walnut Streets around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night. No one was injured. Anyone with information is asked to call the Chico Police Department at (530) 897-4900. California Senate approves tougher vaccination rules California state lawmakers have advanced tougher rules for vaccinations. The Senate Health Committee approved the proposal yesterday. It gives state and public health officials, instead of doctors, the power to decide which children can skip their shots before attending school. North State communities participate in National Drug Take-Back Day Saturday is National Drug Take-Back Day and communities all around the North State are taking part, starting Thursday with Chico State. Wednesday's activities will take place at the BMU lobby on Chico State's campus from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. PG&E offers mobile help center for Camp Fire victims PG&E will offer a new mobile help center for people who want in-person help after the Camp Fire. Services will start on May 2 and continue every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Starting on May 7, every Tuesday the help center will be outside the Paradise Town Hall on the Skyway. Madison Media has just announced yet another senior level appointment of Amol Dighe as Chief Executive Officer, Madison Media Ultra and Head Investments based in Mumbai. Amol will look after the agencys Madison Media Ultra unit which handles the prestigious Godrej and Marico accounts. In addition, Amol will be Head of Investments for Madison Media Group. Amol is a seasoned media professional with 22 years of experience across Agency, Client, Broadcast and Content companies. He is well versed with all aspects of Media Media Agency management, Sales and Sales Strategy in broadcasting, Planning, Buying and negotiations, commercial and operations systems, business planning and developing media business systems coupled with analytics. He started his career with the The Times of India in Response, then moved on to Mindshare Fulcrum where he had a long stint on the Unilever business. His Media skills helped him set up Sales Strategy teams at Star TV, where he was the Strategy Head for 4 years. He then moved on to Unilever as the Regional Buying and Operations head for the APAC region. He has also worked in Mindshare Indonesia in a leadership role, post which, he moved back to India and joined Omnicom Media Group in a leadership role. He has been the Business Head at Amagi, a media technology company in Geographical Targeting of consumers. His last stint was in the area of Content development and Celebrity management with CA Media, a KKR invested company. Says Mr. Vikram Sakhuja, Partner & Group CEO Madison Media & OOH, We are delighted to have an experienced professional like Amol join our Madison Media Leadership team and am confident that with his width of experience, Amol is going to contribute significantly to our key clients and to Madison. Says Amol Dighe, on his appointment, I am delighted to be a part of this Iconic Media Company, ably led by Industry stalwarts. Its highly motivating to work on clients with such amazing pedigree. Looking forward to doing great work which helps our clients in growing their Brands. Madison Media was recently in the news for having won back the Marico account and the BJP account for Loksabha elections. Madison Media is ranked the 2nd Most Admired Media Agency by the Economic Times Brand Equity Ad Agency Reckoner, 2018. Madison Media has also been voted the Ideal Media Agency, the Most Attractive Media Agency, and No. 1 in Creative Media Thinking, by R3 Scopen Study amongst 59 advertisers in India. Madison Media Group is Indias foremost media agency handling media planning and buying for blue chip clients including Godrej, Marico, Titan, Asian Paints, Viacom 18, UBER, BJP, TVS, Raymond, Pidilite, Ceat, Blue Star, Piramal Healthcare, Dominos, McDonalds Gaana.com, Timesjobs.com, Tata Chemicals, Crompton, Indian Oil, Snapdeal, Gowardhan Dairy and many others. Madison Media, is a part of Madison World which through its 11 companies served last year as many as 550 advertisers. Sony YAY!, the first kids offering from Sony Pictures Networks, India, is completing 2 years in April 2019. The kids channel has tripled its content bank to 300 hours since launch as it adds 100 hours of fresh fun-dose this summer with new episodes and 13 movies. Sony YAY! is all set to go multi-platform with long and short content formats on Sony LIV, mobile games, screen integration initiatives and more. Sony YAY! is the only kids TV channel that serves content in 7 languages English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bangla, Malayalam and Marathi. The channel claims to have taken the leadership position in the kids category in West Bengal, Maharashtra and Kerala consistently. Sony YAY! launched in 2017 with almost 95 hours of content, and in these two years has introduced characters such as Kicko and Super Speedo as well as a feline duo in Honey Bunny Ka Jholmaal. As part of its birthday celebrations, Sony YAY! has lined up a plethora of initiatives offline to keep kids engaged with their favourite toons across India. Malls in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Kochi, will allow kids to meet their favourite YAY toons up-close and personal. Sony YAY! van activation across India in over 115 cities will enable young fans to meet and play with the toon characters. Associations with a host of brands, amusement parks, and a slew of merchandise are also on the anvil. Leena Lele Dutta, Business Head, Sony Pictures Networks India, Kids Genre, commented, We started with a belief to create characters and stories that kids will love. It has been an exhilarating journey to be a part of kids lives. This summer, we have planned loads of fresh content with 109 new episodes and 13 movies on TV. The characters, however, are character agnostic and every new platform is an avenue to bring toons to life beyond just TV. Seven language feeds, digital extensions and consumer products are all a step towards a new phase of our journey and we have never been more excited. In conversation with Adgully, Leena Lele Dutta speaks at length on the growth of the kids genre in India, Sony YAY!s content strategy, focus on growing the language markets, innovations and much more. Excerpts: How is Sony YAY! strategising to be the Destination for unlimited happiness for kids? Sony Pictures Networks, India didnt have a kids channel in their portfolio, so when we decided to launch a kids channel 4 years ago there was no legacy or guidelines to follow. We had a field day on what we wanted to do on the content side. We then hit the ground and researched. We went across 30-odd cities, metros and non-metros, had focus groups. We not only met kids, but also mothers, fathers, grandparents, teachers, counselors and child psychologists to understand the kids psyche. We got a lot of insights kids today, whether they are from the metros or towns, are very competitive and aspirational. Hence, this space is very competitive. A kids life today is filled with so many activities that they get just about 1 hour of TV time. That 1 hour is when they want to be free from all kinds of stress and it is during this time that they are sucked into the world of toons and their friends. These friends are not real, but characters in their favourite cartoons. Todays kids want their Me time and are looking for role models and these little pieces and nuggets of happiness to come into their life, even if for that 1 hour. Once the TV is switched off, they are back to reality. Thats when we decided to build on this premise come to us and we will ensure that you will get unlimited happiness, away from the stress of homework/tuitions, etc. The core premise of our channels philosophy is Happiness unlimited, which is encapsulated in many ways our content mix, colours of the channel and the brand resonating into the theme of the channel the YAY philosophy. Kids might not be loyal to channels, but are definitely attached to shows or their favourite characters. How is Sony YAY! factoring that in? We have done a dipstick with the kids in the market and our decision to go aggressive and whole hog with Honey Bunny is coming from that research. The character affinity with the two cats, Honey & Bunny, their constant banter, quarrels even as they are surrounded by other characters like a dog, parrot and humans in the form of Khanna and Khatkar. Actually, this is the flavour, confusion and slapstick comedy that the kids have identified with and enjoyed. Kids in North India have more affinity with Kicko & Super Speedo as it is a fast-paced action show. Kids love how Super Speedo is energised by cosmic energy when she goes to sleep all the manifestations of a kids mind, which is fertile and imaginative. How has the response been in the regional markets? The response has been fantastic. We are exclusively available in Malayalam, Bangla and Marathi languages. We are the No. 1 if we take the aggregate of these three markets together. When we launched in Bangla, it didnt do too well initially. It took 6 weeks before the channel gathered momentum and since then the channel has seen a steady organic growth; now we are the No. 2 or No. 3 in the Bangla kids genre. We were in two minds regarding launching in Marathi, as Hindi is also prevalent in Maharashtra. But we took the risk and launched the channel and now it has taken 4 weeks to be among the top 3 kids channels. In Malayalam, we shot up from the second week itself to be the No. 2 channel from 7th or 8th. We do not literally translate and dub, but in each language the script is written in the regional language to get in the local flavour and nuances of the language of that particular region. With kids channels like Cartoon Network, Pogo, Nickelodeon have a greater top-of-mind recall, how is Sony YAY! planning to break through that barrier? There is a challenge with the iconic brands that have been in the market for two decades now. Ultimately, if I have to look at it from a two-pronged approach, on the one hand is our target audience the kids and the other is the trade. The trade believes that the iconic brands have the pull and the power, but kids think otherwise. For example, Honey Bunny and Kicko are equally important to them as Motu Patlu or Chota Bheem. In their minds, kids are very clear as to who their friends are. In audience preference terms, we have come very close to being among the top 5 in character affinity. However, in the trade perspective, it is still a challenge. We are trying to break that as the channel is seeing its trajectory moving from No. 8 when we launched and now breaking into the top 5. In addition to being No. 1 in the local markets, there is a perception shift as well and they are recognising the investment that the channel has been doing in creating local content and spending that kind of money, as cost of animation is only increasing year on year. The proof of the pudding is the kind of growth that the channel has had from the time of its launch. What kind of licensing and merchandising opportunities are you exploring? This is a natural progression and extension of our IPs. It is not only to feed our broadcast business, but the more my characters reach out to the different touchpoints in a kids life, the more will be the affinity that the kid has towards the character this feeds off each other. I will go and offer him school bags and pencil boxes which he will take to school, then come back and watch more of Honey Bunny. In terms of brand promotion, we have integrated a juice brand with Honey Bunny. If he loves the character, he will go and buy that packet of juice. Its all an eco-system and a natural extension; licencing and merchandising allow us to go beyond on-air and television. What about your digital foray? We have recently got on to the SonyLIV platform and this will be the first season where our episodes/ games will be available on the OTT platform. We also have our YouTube channel of Sony YAY!, which was launched in November 2018. From 0 subscribers, we now have 630,000 subscribers. We have grown exponentially. How has the kids genre been affected by TRAIs new regime? The new regime has upset many genres, not just the kids genre. What we are going by is the BARC data, and BARC themselves are saying dont go by this data too seriously, we will give you an advisory when it settles down. So, hopefully in the next month or so we will be able to see clarity. Diversity in the workforce has become a necessity today, and more so in the leadership positions. It cant be denied that women bring a high level of creativity and empathy while solving problems and handling crises. Women leaders bring to the table a different level of dexterity. AdGullys The W-Suite series features interactions with influential women leaders in India, who share some deep insights on what being a woman leader means in Indias business landscape, the mantras to succeed, achieving work-life balance, pay parity and much more. Businesses should never need to give back to society; rather businesses should be built around the needs and upliftment of the society in which they operate this firm belief led Aditi Balbir, Founder & CEO, V Resorts, and celebrated Indian eco-tourism entrepreneur, to lay the foundation of her venture V Resorts, now Indias largest hospitality chain focused on micro-level eco-tourism. Balbir is a trendsetter for eco-tourism in India. She has brought in and strictly adheres to the concepts of 100 per cent local procurement, maximum employment to local staff, and empowerment to local communities, especially women. Born and brought up in Delhi, Balbir is a quintessential Delhi girl with a penchant for art. Had she not been an entrepreneur, Balbir could have been an art critic or perhaps even a writer. As a keen writer, she enjoys writing on a range of subjects and features regularly in well-known publications. As an entrepreneur, Balbir believes in the power of teamwork; no wonder then that the animal she identifies herself with is the wolf, a species known to function as a single pack of strength. How would you define todays woman leader? Todays woman leader is strong in knowledge and well-versed in her skills. She works hard and leads by example. She is capable of taking difficult business decisions and can tackle problems with ease. She knows how to put her interpersonal skills to the best use in her professional world. What are the foremost attributes that women leaders in todays business ecosystem must possess? The most important attribute that women leaders must possess in todays business ecosystem is the right mindset. They need to think both practically and strategically and get the job done in the right way. With a new vision in place, every woman leader must possess the guts to propose a new order and must have the strength to make sure that it is executed in the right way in order to set an example. Todays women leaders should be capable of figuring out ways they can add value beyond their prescribed roles and knowing how to contribute to the business in a creative way by thinking out-of-the-box. Despite the qualifications, aptitude and experience, why do you think we dont see the expected number of women business leaders, especially when it comes to boardroom decision-making? Although women have started making their claims for leadership roles, owing to their skills and experiences, but their workplaces are making the challenge more severe. In fact, the Women in the Workplace 2018 report by McKinsey & Company cites that one of the biggest hindrances for womens claim to leadership is the lack of awareness among male leaders about the obstacles for women at their workplaces that arise due to the companies low priority towards addressing gender diversity. What more do Indian corporates need to do to encourage and groom women leaders? Indian corporates need to show more confidence in womens skills and start giving women the freedom to make important business decisions. This will not just make women stronger, but also help them put their skills to best use to take responsible decisions for the business. According to you, what are the Dos and Donts for todays women to break through the glass ceiling? Dos: Women should make sure that they put their skills to the best of use Women should always stand up for what they feel is right, and should always make their opinions heard Women should understand their strengths and invest in them to get the best results at the workplace Donts: Women must never shy away from asking what is rightfully theirs Whenever stuck or scared, women must never hesitate to ask for help How acute is the gender pay gap issue in India today? What needs to be done to address this in an effective manner? Unfortunately, the gender wage gap is the highest in India. According to a recent report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), on an average, women in India are paid 34 per cent less than women globally. The only way to address this in an effective manner is increased awareness among companies about the strengths and skills of todays women. Organisations need to set examples by increasingly entrusting women in significant roles, wherein they can make the most important business decisions. Do you think the leadership effectiveness of women is higher than men? Why? The leadership effectiveness of women is higher than men due to a number of reasons. Apart from valuing work-life balance, women as leaders are usually empathetic, are great listeners, nurturing are good at multitasking, are strong communicators, and are able to handle crisis situations well. What are the five most effective lessons that you have learned as a woman leader? Have faith in your own abilities and be authentic in your style of working Acting with a calm mind and without being impulsive is the best way to tackle difficult situations In crises, it is better not to rush to solutions Being a good listener helps one understand situations better It is always good to seek out advice from mentors and seniors at times of need How challenging has it been for you to maintain a balance between career goals and family responsibilities? What is your mantra to maintain that balance? Somewhere between chasing career goals and family responsibilities, balance must always be maintained. My family has always been supportive and helped me run my business with ease. My mantra to maintain the balance is just to take one day at a time and give more priority to whatever is urgent for that day. How prevalent are the instances of sexual harassment in work places in India? What should the industry collectively do to tackle such a serious issue? Until the latter half of 2018, sexual harassment at Indian workplaces was on the rise and had increased by 54 per cent in just 4 years. However, the issue has been taken up seriously by Indian companies and they are addressing in the best possible manner. One good way of tackling this serious issue is Prevention Of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Workshops at workplaces so that both men and women are aware of the extent of tolerance, and can thus take up their fights accordingly. Also, the industry needs to come together to show more concern towards their women employees and listen to their problems more often, and take necessary actions wherever applicable. Richwood, TX (77531) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 46F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 46F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Last year the United Kingdom appointed its first minister for loneliness, partly in response to an official study finding that over 9 million UK residents often or always feel lonely. One of them is photographer Aristotle Roufanis, who moved to London from his native Greece to pursue a master's degree in fine arts and now explores urban loneliness in his series Alone Together. Each image in the series is made up of hundred or even thousands of photographs Roufanis took of cities at night. Joe Bidens key foreign policy role as Barack Obamas vice president and his record of support for Israel make him one of the candidates best positioned to defend the nuclear deal with Iran as he enters the 2020 presidential race today. Unlike his rivals, the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee boasts a decades-long relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, potentially helping Biden to fend off Republican attacks against his support for Obamas signature foreign policy effort. That tight connection, however, could prove a liability with some left-wing primary voters who have soured on Israels right-wing leadership. As he puts together his campaign staff, Biden is expected to draw from a pool of experts that participated in years of negotiations with Iran, said Ben Fishman, a former adviser to Obama on Middle East policy. That should leave him well-positioned to defend specifics of the deal while also addressing lingering bipartisan concerns about Irans role in the region. His first-hand knowledge of the details will allow him to articulate a policy not just on the nuclear elements of Iran, but the regional destabilization elements that Iran is still pursuing actively including in Iraq, said Fishman, now a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. A Morning Consult poll released last year shortly before President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord found that 68% of Democrats and 56% of the general public support the deal. Most of the leading 2020 Democratic contenders have come out in support of reentering the nuclear deal that Trump abandoned in May 2018, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. But Bidens close ties to the Israeli leadership set him apart, Fishman argues. You have to start with the premise that Bidens relationship with Israel goes back 40-plus years, Fishman told Al-Monitor. What the Democratic Party is going to have to wrestle with is balancing the partys relationship with Israel with a right-wing-dominated government thats more than likely going to take steps against the Palestinians, such as annexation of parts of the West Bank. But I think Biden is well positioned to walk that balance, much more than Sanders or some of the other candidates who have less experience on the issue. A former US official told Al-Monitor that Biden was a key voice in the Obama administration in seeking to assuage Israels concerns over the Iran deal, which was vociferously opposed by Netanyahu. Ultimately Obama increased base military aid to Israel to $38 billion over 10 years, up from $30 billion the previous decade. Biden was a leading voice to argue that we still need to solidify the relationship to include providing additional security assistance to Israel, the former official said, to make sure that the Israelis understood whatever our disagreements were on the Iran deal, that we continue to support their security. The official added that Biden is expected to try to revive the deal should he win the presidency. If Iran remains compliant with its obligations under the deal, then I think that he would envision entering the agreement, the source said. But I could also imagine that he would first engage in pretty close consultations with our [international] partners, especially the Europeans, about how any US reentry should be integrated into a broad approach to Iran. Bidens record on Israel could open him to attacks from the left, however. A Pew Research poll released Wednesday found that only 26% of Democrats have a favorable view of Israels government versus 61% of Republicans. Most Democratic candidates have not shied away from criticizing Netanyahu, particularly after he included the extremist Jewish Power party as part of his winning electoral alliance. While the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) denounced Sanders this week after the progressive stalwart condemned the Netanyahu government as racist, even AIPAC-friendly candidates have criticized the prime minister. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., became the first candidate to condemn Netanyahus deal with Jewish Power shortly after AIPAC itself did the same. The situation could be more complicated for Biden, who has had a historically warmer relationship with the prime minister dating back to his days on the Foreign Relations panel. That chemistry was tested during Bidens time in the White House. The relationship between Obama and Netanyahu became increasingly acrimonious as the United States negotiated the Iran deal and Israel continued to expand settlements in the West Bank. The Netanyahu government embarrassed Biden by announcing 1,600 new settler homes in East Jerusalem in the middle of the then-vice presidents 2010 trip to Israel. Five years later, Netanyahu again infuriated the White House with his 2015 speech to Congress, which Biden did not attend, urging opposition to the deal. Still, in 2016 Netanyahu met with Biden in Israel even as he rejected Obamas invitation to meet at the White House. The vice president has believed and this is true of all foreign leaders that it serves us well if we have a good personal relationship with foreign leaders because it allows you to have frank conversations with them, the former Obama official told Al-Monitor. In the past, Biden has reserved most of his harsh words for private conversations. Despite the friction, Biden continued to refer to Netanyahu as a great friend. In 2012, he noted that Netanyahu has been his friend for more than 30 years. Bibi, I dont agree with a damn thing you say, but I love you, Biden said at the time. Bidens extensive experience in Iraq could also serve as an asset as Iran takes center stage in the foreign policy debate. As vice president, Biden assumed the Iraq portfolio following his extensive experience in the country as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. With Trumps "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran putting Iraq in the crosshairs, Biden has a unique opportunity to leverage that experience. He knows the strategic importance of Iraq and not letting it either fall within the Iranian orbit or keeping it out of an [Islamic State] return, Fishman said. Still, Bidens 2002 vote authorizing military action against Iraq could dog him, providing ample fodder for opponents in the primaries and Trump himself just as it did Hillary Clinton during her failed 2008 and 2016 campaigns. Egypt's pro-government media celebrated the results of a referendum on sweeping constitutional amendments that would allow President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to remain in power until 2030 and entrench the military's authority. Yet opponents of the constitutional "reforms" reacted with dismay, frustration and a great deal of skepticism. There was no doubt that voters would overwhelmingly approve the controversial constitutional changes, as the referendum lacked guarantees of being "free and fair," according to Transparency International. Yet the announcement by the National Election Authority on April 23 that nearly 90% of voters had backed the amendments dealt a heavy blow to the nearly 3 million citizens who had rejected them at the ballot box and an unknown number of others who boycotted the vote. Many activists expressed their grievances on social media, calling the referendum "null and void" and complaining that citizen participation in the vote had been "coerced." "The results are not surprising even if the vote was monitored by the most assiduously careful set of national and international observers, the environment in which these amendments were voted on was hardly conducive to an informed choice," tweeted H.A. Hellyer, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Not only was the vote rushed coming just three days after parliament approved the revisions but the government also went to great lengths to suppress dissent ahead of the vote. Two artists who had spoken out about their rejection of the constitutional changes were branded as "traitors" by the pro-government media and expelled from the actors' union, the very state body entrusted with protecting actors' rights. Ahmed Badawi, an engineer and member of the liberal Dostour Party, was arrested April 22 the third and final day of the vote after raising a sign saying "No to the constitutional changes" outside a polling station in an affluent district of Cairo. His arrest was the latest in a string of arrests linked to opposition to the amendments. In February, four members of the Dostour Party were arrested and "forcibly disappeared" after voicing their objection to the constitutional changes, according to Mada Masr. On March 1, Ahmed Mohy, another activist who had raised a sign in Tahrir Square calling for Sisi to "step down," was shown in an online video being dragged away by police. His whereabouts remain unknown. "The whole process has been deeply politicized and too many suspicions around the transparency of the process exist for us all to expect the results will be accepted at face value. Whether they are true or not is almost besides the point trust in the system is what is in doubt," Hellyer tweeted. An internet activist who uses the pseudonym The Big Pharoah on Twitter questioned the "high turnout" cited by Judge Lasheen Ibrahim, the head of Egypt's election authority. "Voter turnout in the 2011 constitutional referendum was 41%, they claim this one is 44%. Last Sunday I voted in less than 1 minute. In 2011, I stood in line for an hour and a half to vote!" he tweeted, the latter in reference to voter enthusiasm during the March 2011 constitutional referendum Egypt's first free and fair vote held just weeks after President Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down Ahead of the recent vote, banners filled the streets of Cairo, urging Egyptians to "do the right thing." Patriotic songs played on the radio and TV stations in a bid to stir up nationalistic fervor. During the three days of voting, the same music could be heard blaring from loudspeakers outside polling stations, where voters were bussed in by the dozens to cast their ballots. At several polling booths, food parcels or grocery vouchers were distributed to citizens who showed their ink-stained fingers as proof they had voted. The food parcels bore the logo of the pro-government Future of the Nation Party, whose members claimed the offerings were "charity for the upcoming month of Ramadan." The vouchers, meanwhile, could later be exchanged for staples like cooking oil, rice, pasta and sugar at nearby grocery stores. Media reports of "the bribes" embarrassed the government, prompting hasty denials from election officials and accusations by the pro-Sisi media that the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood had "tried to tarnish the vote" by providing the food packages. Rights advocates criticized the vote-buying as a "humiliating exploitation" of the needy during a time of economic hardship. "How much did the government waste on a fraudulent referendum in which Egyptians were coerced into participating and the poor were humiliatingly exploited in a farce meant to confirm the insurmountable power of their dictator?" tweeted Timothy Kaldas, an analyst at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. "Every piaster spent was stolen from Egypt's impoverished masses." But Egypt's pro-government media turned a blind eye to the violation, instead hailing the referendum as a "victory in the epic battle of the people" and "a new dawn in the country's history." Sisi's supporters also overlooked the vote-buying and rejoiced upon hearing the referendum results. Member of parliament Mohamed Abu Hamed, a staunch Sisi supporter, congratulated "Egypt and its people" in a tweet, saying, "It's a new step in building the nation and the future." "Greetings to the great people of Egypt, who will always be an inspiration to the peoples of the world and the guardians of their homeland," he added. Sisi also paid tribute to voters in a tweet, saying they "dazzled the world with their national awareness of the challenges facing our dear Egypt." "This referendum will be recorded with pride in the history of our great nation," he added. In contrast, a feeling of foreboding was palpable among opposition activists, who believe the amendments could spell "the beginning of the end" for the current regime. "Unfortunately, the Egyptian regime is not learning the lessons of the 2011 revolution or experiences in Algeria and Sudan," Khaled Dawood, former head of the Dostour Party, told the Associated Press April 18. Other opposition activists like Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science at Cairo University, warned of even more repression to come. "There will dangerous repercussions from the ruling regime as we will see more repression and restrictive policies," he said. CAIRO Small businesses continue to serve as a gateway into a better economic life for many Egyptian women, especially in the countrys rural areas and Upper Egypt. Nevein Gamea, the executive director of the state-owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), said in an April 14 statement that rural women control 51% of the total MSMEDA-funded projects. At a press conference on the sidelines of the 2019 Arab Forum for Sustainable Development held in Beirut April 10, Egyptian Minister of Planning, Follow-up and Administrative Reform Hala al-Saeed announced that small and medium enterprise (SME) lending for Egyptian women either through MSMEDA or banks had increased and reached in 2018 46% of the total funds and loans of the banks and MSMEDA. However, there are no statistics on previous years. At an international conference held on March 19 on the occasion of International Womens Day at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Nahla Zeitoun, senior social protection specialist at the World Bank, announced the findings of a joint study carried out by the World Bank, Egypts National Council for Women (NCW) as well as several local human rights organizations and experts on womens economic empowerment. The study showed that in 2018, SME lending for women in Egypt increased to 69% of total general loans from banks, while microcredit for women stood at 51%. Despite the disparity in the SME lending figures of the study and of the Egyptian minister of planning, these numbers reflect a clear fact that Egyptian women have become a major driver for small and medium-sized projects in the country. The pertinent question, however, is how did women reach this status and to what extent can they contribute to developing the Egyptian economy through such projects? Gamea told Al-Monitor she believes that this boost in SME lending for women is due to the Egyptian states interest in promoting womens rights as part of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisis strategy to empower women, which he launched alongside the NCW in 2016. She added that Sisi also declared 2017 the Year of Women on March 8, which marked International Womens Day, prompting many Egyptian banks to increase lending to female-run SMEs. Magued Osman, director of the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research (Baseera) and co-author of the World Bank study on womens economic empowerment, told Al-Monitor that Sisis strategy for empowering women served as an incentive for women to be strongly present at the SME level. However, he explained that according to other studies on the economic empowerment of women such as the one launched by Egyptian Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr in March there are many other factors for womens economic growth, namely their enthusiasm and drive after long years of marginalization and neglect. One can say that women are now very eager to prove themselves and to show their potential in all areas, including the economic sphere, Osman said. The NCW, in cooperation with the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, an Egyptian charity, issues twice a year a publication titled Womens Catalogue, featuring success stories of female entrepreneurs who have proved to be pioneers in SME projects, especially in handicrafts. Fatima Idris Mohammed, from Aswan governorate in Upper Egypt, is the owner of Al-Arjoun Handicrafts Workshop and Training Center. She told Al-Monitor, I believe the obstacles facing women in Egypt particularly in the rural areas are at the very same time the driving force and impetus behind their success. The greater the challenge, the greater the success. She said, Because of customs, traditions and also the financial hardships in Upper Egypt, I had to drop out of middle school. But I made sure not to make the same mistake with my daughters, as my husband and I were adamant to send our daughters to school until they complete their studies no matter how difficult our financial situation. I also decided to invest in my skills in manufacturing palm extract, which is at the base of many handicrafts, and set up a small workshop. Mohammed added, What started out as a small workshop grew into a business with 30 female workers. I strongly believe in my role to help other women in Upper Egypt to overcome obstacles and complete their studies. In addition to the workshop, I also established a small vocational school to train young women on art skills such as designing and drawing that are necessary for them to get admitted into universities and faculties of art or education." Magda Abdel Rahim of Sohag in Upper Egypt organizes a workshop called Shegl Gadati ("Handmade by Grandmother"), which is dedicated to reviving an almost lost Egyptian craft tally embroidery, which uses gold and silver threads. I believe that social networking sites and access to the world through the internet have played a major role in helping women become pioneers and start their own SME projects. I am always motivated and inspired when I see on social media other women starting their own businesses and succeeding. It gives me an incentive to follow in their footsteps, Abdel Rahim told Al-Monitor. Reem Salim, an economic researcher at Egyptian Visions periodical issued by Al-Ahram Center for Social and Historical Studies, believes women will play a prominent role in boosting Egypts economy in the coming years through SMEs. Salim told Al-Monitor that the Egyptian economy has taken many steps to improve its performance through economic reforms since 2016. Any economy that seeks growth and reform must primarily rely on SMEs. Through these SMEs women will be able to assume a pioneering role. Salim referred to one of her studies (not available online) that indicated that SMEs in general account for 51.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of developed countries. SMEs currently represent in Egypt about 25% of the GDP, she said, hoping that the state support to SMEs and the high level of women's entrepreneurship would increase this GDP percentage up to that registered in developed countries. The ever-increasing cost of living in Egypt since the countrys Central Bank floated the currency in 2016 has started taking its toll on death itself. In the last few years, burial has become a lucrative business in Egypt. Local jokes to the effect that even death has become too expensive for Egyptians can be heard on social media and comedy shows. But the problem is no laughing matter. The price of a tomb of 60 square meters (645.8 square feet) may reach as high as 500,000 Egyptian pounds ($29,070), equivalent to an apartment of 100 square meters (1,076.39 square feet) in a working-class district in Cairo. If you think finding an affordable apartment is tough, I dare say finding a grave for a decent burial has become even tougher, Hajj Islam, head of the Cairo-based Nour al-Rahman Company for Graveyards, told Al-Monitor. Hajj Islam, who has been in the cemetery construction business for more than 30 years, said that ever since the currency float, many buyers are asking to pay for their graves in installments. Prior to the pound flotation, a 25-square-meter tomb [82-square-foot] in a new cemetery sold for around 20,000 pounds ($1,170). Now the price has more than doubled, reaching 55,000 pounds ($3,210). That price is only for cash sales. An extra 10,000 pounds ($581) is added for an 18-month installment plan, he said. The countrys rich heritage of burial and death rituals dates back to the ancient Egyptians, who built far more temples and tombs than palaces. Contemporary graves are also more elaborate than those in many other countries, with large tombs divided into spaces for men and women. Our company sells 40-square-meter (430-square-f00t) and 60-square-meter (646-square-foot) tombs for 135,000 ($7,850) and 145,000 ($8,430) pounds in cash, respectively, Hajj Islam said. Burial sites in Madinet El-Salam, 28 km east of Cairo, are cheap compared with graveyards located in Fayyoum and 6th of October, which are closer to Cairo, he said. The price of a grave in an old cemetery in Fatimid Cairo may reach as high as 500,000 pounds. In New Cairo, prices of 25-square-meter [82-square-foot] tomb starts at 150,000. As any other business, the whole matter is based on supply and demand, Hajj Islam said. Egypts mortality rate was 5.7% in 2017, according to the state-run Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, and 547,000 Egyptians were buried that year. Egypt is the most populous Arab country, with a population of 98.5 million as of April 2019. To boost supply, the state-run New Urban Communities Authority put 1,017 new graves up for sale on March 28 at a total price of 90,000 pounds ($5,230) per tomb. This is not sufficient. The demand for graveyards has been on the rise over the past 20 years, especially in the Nile Delta governorates. The cemeteries in some governorates like Daqahliya and Gharbia are overcrowded. There are no licensed plots of land to build new graveyards there, construction company owner Ahmed Shaaban told Al-Monitor. The currency float has more than doubled the construction costs. The prices of cement, steel rebar, bricks and other materials have shot up since November 2016, he said. The Egyptian authorities embarked on a raft of economic reforms after signing a $12 billion loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund in November 2016. New cemeteries have been built outside Cairo and Giza near Fayyoum governorate. Rising demand is scaling up prices of graves nationwide, especially in Cairo and Giza," Shaaban said, calling for new plots of land for graveyards, especially in the Nile Delta. Some villagers in the Nile Delta governorate of Dakahlia have added stories to the existing graves, Shaaban said. However, multi-story burial is unlawful in Islam, according to a fatwa issued by the Islamic Research Academy of Al-Azhar, the worlds highest seat of Sunni Muslim learning, two years ago. Abdullah El-Naggar, a member of the Islamic Research Academy, held that the multi-story graves are forbidden by sharia, stating, The burial must be underground. Undertaker Hajj Subhi of Bab El-Wazir Cemetery in Fatimid Cairo told Al-Monitor that he had not heard of such fatwa. As in ancient tombs, we bury the bodies in rooms inside the grave, and not in the soil. A man can stand inside these rooms. We have to clean the ground inside the tomb at least every three months by putting the bones aside, Hajj Subhi said. Answering a question what happens to the poor who cannot afford graves, Subhi pointed to charity cemeteries, saying, We have an old saying that graves never reject a dead body. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The General Authority for Civil Affairs (PCA) concluded April 10 an understanding with the Israeli authorities allowing farmers in the West Bank villages of Jinsafut in Qalqilya governorate and Deir Istiya in Salfit governorate to regain access to their lands. These farmers had been denied access to their lands for 25 years because their plots are located near the Israeli Immanuel settlement established in these villages. According to the official Wafa news agency, PCA Director General Mohanned Shawer said that this Israeli decision is the fruit of sustained and intensive Palestinian efforts, and it will significantly contribute to helping citizens rehabilitate and exploit their lands. Qassem Awad, director general of publication and documentation in the Wall and Settlement Resistance Committee of the PLO, told Al-Monitor, Farmers will be reportedly given access to 79 private agricultural properties in Jinsafut and Deir Istiya. He explained that this decision will create thousands of job opportunities for Palestinians and will increase the agricultural produce of the two villages, most of whose population works in agriculture. This will positively affect the economic conditions in the region. Awad said that the village of Jinsafut extends over about 17,500 dunums (4,300 acres), with 500 dunums (120 acres) dedicated to urban areas. The village of Deir Istiya extends over 36,000 dunums (8,900 acres), 640 dunums (160 acres) of which are urban areas. He added that while the urban areas in the two villages are located within Area B and are under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority (PA), the agricultural lands are located within Area C, which is under the Israeli control as per the Oslo Accord. Israel prevented Palestinians from developing these lands or building anything on it, as it exploited the land for the construction of settlements, Awad said. He pointed out that there is a settlement belt surrounding the villages of Jinsafut and Deir Istiya on the northern, western and eastern sides. This belt, which includes several settlements such as Immanuel, Karnei Shomron and Neve Oranim, has caused problems that hindered the lives of Palestinian residents. Chief among these, Awad said, is that Palestinians are denied access to 70% of the agricultural lands of Deir Istiya, as Israel built settlements or established shortcuts for settlers thereon. He added that there are agricultural lands deemed as closed security zones because they are located in the vicinity of settlements. Muhammad Salman, a farmer and resident of the village of Deir Istiya, is very happy about the understanding that will give him access to the land he inherited from his father. I have an agricultural land that extends over 150 dunums [37 acres], but I only had access to the part that was in Area B under PA supervision, and this part extends over 10 dunums [2.4 acres]. Most of my land falls within Area C and the occupation authorities had prevented me from reaching it since 1994 because of its proximity to the Israeli settlement of Immanuel, Salman told Al-Monitor. He said that his land has been subjected to many violations in the past, as its olive trees have been uprooted and wastewater from the Immanuel settlement is being channeled into it. Salih Ayoub, a farmer and resident of the village of Jinsafut, told Al-Monitor that agriculture is the only source of livelihood for the villagers who have olive trees and who live off produce such as cucumber, wheat, barley, chickpeas and stone fruits. Ayoub noted that while Israel prohibits farmers from accessing their lands if these are adjacent to settlements, it allows them to visit those adjacent to the PA areas twice a year provided they have a permit from the Israeli authorities. We sow the land the first time we visit it and we harvest our crop the second time. However any farmer in the world knows that two visits to a land are not enough to reap a good harvest, he added. He explained that due to the lack of sufficient care, two-thirds of the farmers crops is spoiled. Said Zeidan, head of the village council in Deir Istiya, told Al-Monitor, The decision to allow farmers to enter their lands 25 years later will encourage them to get back to work on their farms, and this would stimulate the agricultural sector in the region. Zeidan said that by allowing the farmers of Jinsafut and Deir Istiya to reach their land, Israel is trying to give the Palestinians a chance to restore their rural agricultural life in order to reduce the level of Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets. He said that the Palestinian villages and towns located between Salfit and Qalqilya are like an island in a sea of settlements, and this has dealt a blow to the agriculture economy in the region. Zeidan added that the area between Salfit and Qalqilya is important for Israel, as it is located on the second water basin in Palestine. It also contains large green areas characterized by fertile soil and is located near the Green Line separating the West Bank and Israel. For Awad, having farmers cling to their lands is one of the best forms of popular resistance to the Israeli occupation. This is why there are Palestinian efforts to supply the agricultural lands in Jinsafut and Deir Istiya with water and electricity, he added. Ayoub concluded, Allowing the farmers of Jinsafut and Deir Istiya to have access to their lands is a Palestinian victory, but the fact remains that we suffer from a number of violations and attacks due to the settlements surrounding our lands. The settlers keep attacking farmers, and they channel wastewater from their settlements into the Palestinian agricultural lands, thus exposing them to different types of pollution. CAIRO Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Hifter visited Egypt on April 14 to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and discuss new developments in Libya. It was Hifters first foreign trip since the start of the military conflict in Libya on April 4. The meeting between Sisi and Hifter comes after the Libyan army launched on April 4 a military operation dubbed Operation Flood of Dignity under Hifters command to seize control of the Libyan capital Tripoli and expel militias. The capital is currently under the control of the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj. A statement issued by the Egyptian presidency following the visit said that Sisi reiterates Egypts support for the efforts made to fight terrorism, extremist groups and militias in a bid to establish security across Libya, pave the way for a stable and sovereign civil state and kick off the reconstruction and restoration process in the country. BBC published a report April 5 stating that the Government of National Accord, which is backed by the United Nations, relies on a group of militias for protection and security. This group, according to the report, includes several organizations, most notably the Tripoli Protection Force, Libya Revolutionaries and the Joint Deterrence and Intervention Force. The UN condemned in August 2018 the militias obstruction of the Libyan institutions work. It also called on the GNA to launch a campaign against these groups and take the necessary steps to prosecute the responsible parties. Ahmad Youssef Ahmad, a professor of political science at Cairo University and former dean of the Institute of Arab Research and Studies, told Al-Monitor over the phone, There is a strong relationship between Egypt and the [Libyan] national army. Egypts support for this army is strategic and it backs the military efforts to reunite the Libyan state. It was normal for Hifter to visit Egypt to discuss the latest events in Libya with the Egyptian president and listen to the Egyptian point of view. In an April 5 statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Egypt called on all parties in Libya to exercise restraint and stop escalation. It also reiterated its support for the UN efforts and stressed the need for a political solution, being the only option to preserve Libya. At the same time, it called for continuing the fight against terrorism and eradicating it from all Libyan territory. There are media reports that claim Hifter has been enjoying Egyptian support ever since he confronted Islamist armed groups in the wake of Operation Karama in May 2014, which was aimed at cleansing the city of Benghazi, the second-largest city in Libya, from extremist groups that had unprecedentedly gained influence in the eastern part of Libya. In an interview with the French magazine JeuneAfrique on Feb. 9, 2018, Hifter talked about his relationship with Sisi. Our positions are getting closer, indeed. I do not see the Egyptian president as an example, but the situation of his country when he came to power is comparable to that of Libya today. Our great enemies, the Muslim Brotherhood, threaten both our countries and their African and European neighbors. Terrorism has spread across Libya, he said. A news analysis published on Sept. 20, 2018, by Afrigatenews said that the Egyptian role in Libya stems from several motives. These include securing the common border, which extends over 1,200 kilometers (746 miles), confronting the movements of terrorist groups between the two countries and preserving Egypt's regional role. Youssef Ahmad said, The Egyptian position on the Libyan crisis is a strategic position that is consistent with the Egyptian policy toward the conflicts taking place in the region. Egypt seeks to defend the entities of the Arab nations against any challenge. In Libyas case, it is supporting the national army in its bid to reunite Libya, especially considering that the GNA is forging alliances with unofficial militias that are not subject to the will or control of the state. Also, according to Youssef Ahmad, Egypt is anxious about its border with Libya, and it fears the infiltration of terrorists into Egypt. Anything that happens in Libya will certainly affect Egypt's national security, hence the Egyptian interest in what is going on there, he said. Abdel Sattar Hatitah, a writer specializing in Libyan affairs at the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, told Al-Monitor over the phone, Egypt is a source of confidence for Hifter. This is why he visited Egypt to discuss the steps that need to be taken in his country. He added, Egypts support for the Libyan army is an important position, and I think that the Europeans are intrigued by this support because it is a serious and declared stance against terrorism. In conjunction with Hifters visit, Sisi received a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss developments in Tripoli." An April 15 statement issued by the Egyptian presidency said that Sisi received a call from Merkel, who was keen to listen to the president's vision regarding the latest developments on the Libyan arena in light of Egypt's active role in the region and given that Sisi currently chairs the African Union. Sisi and Merkel agreed to intensify international efforts in a bid to find a swift solution to the Libyan crisis and stop the situation from deteriorating. In the wake of the armed clashes, the World Health Organization in Libya announced on Twitter April 18 that 213 people had been killed in more than two weeks since clashes broke out in and around Tripoli. Egypt supports all efforts aimed at restructuring the Libyan military establishment. On Feb. 20, 2018, the Egyptian Committee on Libya discussed with the Libyan army delegation the military establishment restructuring mechanisms as well as ways of upgrading the professional military performance. This would protect the country's border and preserve its unity so that the army serves as a key guarantor of the civilian character of the Libyan state. Hatitah concluded, By supporting the Libyan army, Egypt is not seeking to protect the Libyans but to protect its border and the security of its people because terrorism in Libya travels across neighboring countries such as Egypt. Mahmoud Sadeghi, an Iranian Reformist parliamentarian, has questioned the benefits of Iran staying in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal between Iran and five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany and the European Union, given the exit of the United States and Europes inability to provide the promised economic dividends under the deal. Sadeghi presented his question, which was addressed to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in written form to the parliaments presiding board. The parliamentarian, who is outspoken and active on social media, tweeted a picture of the question submitted. According to the document, Sadeghi began, In May of the previous year, the pact-breaking president of the United States of America, contrary to international law, violated his [countrys] official and legal commitments and exited the nuclear deal (JCPOA), and to further pressure the Islamic Republic of Iran has day by day expanded the oppressive sanctions and imposed them on other countries. The document continued that while Europe has remained committed to the JCPOA, it is procrastinating in creating a financial mechanism to avert US sanctions. While France, Germany and the United Kingdom announced the creation of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) in January in order to facilitate trade with Iran, Iranian officials have previously stated that the mechanism has not been operationalized. Of note, the United States recently announced that it would no longer offer sanctions waivers for eight nations that were in November 2018 granted exemptions allowing them to import limited amounts of Iranian oil. The question, which Sadeghi had worked up to, was why Iran does not exercise its right to exit the accord if it has been breached by the other side, and given the current circumstances: What use is there in keeping the JCPOA?" The letter has gotten attention since the Reformists were the chief supporters of reaching a nuclear deal with the West in the first place, hoping that decreased tensions with the United States and Europe would open up the country economically and provide an opportunity to have broader political participation domestically, in line with President Hassan Rouhanis campaign promises. Now, Sadeghis criticisms of the JCPOA are instead similar to conservative criticism of the JCPOA, like that of Kayhan editor Hossein Shariatmadari who wrote in his recent column titled Us, JCPOA and nothing else! that not only has Europe not saved the JCPOA but it has cooperated with the United States. Europes response to Americas latest anti-Iranian action, meaning the end of sanctions waivers for Irans oil customers was an expression of disappointment, Shariatmadari wrote. Now the United States has no commitments within the JCPOA, Europe has not accepted any of its JCPOA commitments and it is Iran that has made all of the concessions. Zarif has not yet responded to the new wave of criticisms of the Rouhani administrations key foreign policy achievement. He is presently in the United States, where he addressed a summit on multilateralism at the UN on April 24. In an appearance at the Asia Society the same day, Zarif said that he believes Trumps objectives on Iran differ from that of his national security adviser John Bolton. He noted that Trump was not seeking war with Iran but what he called the B team Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan is trying to coddle the United States into a war. NEW YORK Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif acknowledged today that he had received a letter from Robert C. OBrien, US special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, asking for the release of detained US citizens. Zarifs confirmation that he had received the US envoy's letter comes after he publicly proposed a prisoner swap yesterday, and said he was authorized to negotiate such an exchange. He also said he had privately proposed a prisoner swap to the Trump administration six months ago, but had received no response. Asked by Al-Monitor if he had not received a letter from OBrien, Zarif acknowledged that he had, but portrayed the letter as one-sided. Know what the letter said? It said please release the detained Americans, Zarif told a group of journalists at the Iranian mission to the UN in New York today. It was not an offer. The trend of thinking in Washington is to expect us to do unilateral actions, Zarif added. While the US-educated Zarif offered familiar critiques, there also seemed to be in his remarks a new emphasis on Iranian willingness to negotiate and Iran still being at the negotiating table, which the United States walked away from when it quit the nuclear deal last year. The negotiating table is there, he said. We did not leave the negotiating table. The US left the negotiating table. Regarding several US Democratic presidential candidates saying they would have the United States rejoin the Iran nuclear deal if they won, Zarif said Iran cant rely on that. We cannot rely on what will happen two years down the road, he said. We dont know what will be the policy of a new administration, Democratic or Republican. Zarif also warned that he believed that Trumps national security adviser John Bolton could undermine Trumps expressed desire to avoid another expensive intervention in the Middle East. Correction: April 26, 2019. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Zarif had also asked his deputy to write a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking for the release of Iranians detained for alleged violations of US sanctions laws. A spokesman for the Iran mission to the UN said Friday that Zarif said that he could have directed his deputy to write such a letter to Pompeo, but in fact did not, and his deputy did not send such a letter. QAIM, Iraq A fighter from the Kataib al-Imam Ali holds up a photo of himself from his time as a competitive weightlifter, thick veins protruding from his muscular and oiled body. Another fighter scrolls through photos of his young children. Yet another fighter amicably but unexpectedly shoves his phone in front of this correspondent while he is on a Skype call with a friend who is at the shrine of Sayyida Zeinab in Damascus. The Kataib al-Imam Ali is a nonlocal force within the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). It has been criticized in previous years for its brutal methods. In early April, fighters from the brigade crossed into the area of Husaybah in the Sunni-majority Iraqi border city of Qaim to speak to Al-Monitor. Husaybah is near the brigade's headquarters in the Syrian regime-controlled town of al-Bukamal, where regiment commander Qaysar "Abu Sajjad" said they "watch over civilians' souls at night." Many of the brigade's fighters are from the Shiite-majority south of Baghdad, and fought against US troops after the 2003 invasion alongside Muqtada al-Sadr's Jaish al-Mahdi. Billboards throughout Iraq, including one at a major intersection near the busy Nahdha garage in Baghdad, extol the group's "fighting prowess." Kataib al-Imam Ali is widely believed to be controlled and funded by Iran. Abu Sajjad told Al-Monitor that the PMU get "our salaries from the PMU committee. No one else. And the PMU get them from the [Iraqi] Defense Ministry." The group denied reports of a recent clash between Kataib al-Imam Ali and Mosul police. Abu Sajjad said the group had been involved in operations against opposition-held areas in Syria since 2015. He said he has fought alongside forces answering to the Syrian government troops as well as its allies in Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra and Homs. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have died in the Syrian conflict since 2011. Many of the deaths have been attributed to foreign militias backed by Iran, including Iraqi ones. Abu Sajjad said that the Syrian army is weak because of rampant corruption and low wages, noting that al-Bukamal is a strategic point and that "we are 37 kilometers inside Syria for the protection of Iraq." He claimed that there are 500 fighters from Kataib al-Imam Ali stationed in Syria and 4,500 total in the PMU. He railed against the "1,500 Islamic State (IS) fighters trained by the United States in the Syrian desert" in Tanf, on the border between Syria, Iraq and Jordan. A Free Syrian Army contingent remains there, made up largely of local fighters from Deir ez-Zor. Abu Sajjad said that the 40,000 inhabitants of the Rukban camp mostly women and children are all terrorists. One fighter scrolls through his phone to a blurry video of nighttime clashes. "These were IS fighters and they were very close," he said. "But don't worry, it's safe now." Most of the fighters wore the simple olive-green attire that Iran-linked PMU have become known for, while Abu Sajjad's son, 15, wore desert fatigues. Abu Sajjad said he had vowed to teach his son what "jihad actually means" when the boy performed poorly at school. Members of Qaim security forces and Kataib al-Imam Ali in Qaim, Iraq, April 3, 2019 (Shelly Kittleson/Al-Monitor) Abu Sajjad angrily repeated several times throughout the interview that America and Israel "want to destroy Islam," a view frequently espoused by both Shiite and Sunni jihadist groups. In Husaybah, airstrikes carried out by the anti-IS international coalition could be heard in early April. The airstrikes targets IS holdouts in Syria. In September 2018, Danish special forces pulled out of the Iraqi-Syrian border area. The French artillery which had been deployed since 2016 announced in early April 2019 they would soon be following suit. Local Iraqi police and SWAT teams, many of whom have long told Al-Monitor that the nonlocal PMU must leave, seem to be warier of speaking about them now, amid a reduction in the "post-IS" international coalition presence. Al-Monitor spoke to members of the local forces who are trying to determine which nonlocal PMU to coordinate with. "We need them here for security," said one. "The Iraqi army and police are not enough." "As you can see," he said, "it's calm here now. That is important. We need security and electricity and our kids in school." However, another said that civilians are frightened of the Shiite-led "PMU from the south." A longstanding source in a local PMU told Al-Monitor that Kataib al-Imam Ali is involved in sheep smuggling to Iraq and fuel smuggling to Syria, which is particularly lucrative after recent reductions in subsidies in regime-held Syria. He said Kataib al-Imam Ali is known to be "involved in the counterfeit dollar trade" and that this negatively affects local shops and traders. Other members of the security forces said, "There is no difference between the PMU from the south and IS," due to a shared ideology of jihad and attaining control of territory. Meanwhile, rumors circulated of an impending operation by the coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into al-Bukamal. Yet this seems unlikely. Commenting on the situation across the border in Syria, north of the Euphrates River, Col. James Rawlinson, spokesman for the anti-IS taskforce, told Al-Monitor in an email exchange, "The SDF have begun conducting clearance operations to find and remove any remaining Daesh [IS] presence with Coalition support. Once the clearing operations have concluded, we will continue to enable security forces [to] contain local Daesh threats to prevent their resurgence. Due to operational security, we wont discuss specific future operations." It has been six months since Baghdad formed its new government, and no major political crises have arisen. For Iraq, this is unheard of. This could be the result of the president, prime minister and parliament speaker working in harmony. But as summer approaches, so do three potential problems: Basras urgent need for a reliable source of electricity, a growing opposition bloc in parliament and Baghdads contentious relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Many political pundits predict a tough summer ahead, one similar to last summer and its deadly unrest in Basra, when demonstrations erupted over the pitiful lack of basic services such as water and electricity, and many government and political party headquarters in the city were burned down. The problems in Basra are tied, in a way, to another issue: Iraqs entanglement in US-Iran relations. The US-Iran saga could take another twist in the coming months. Last month, the United States granted Iraq another 90-day extension of a sanctions waiver so it can keep getting gas from Iran to produce electricity. But theres speculation that the United States might not renew the waiver again. Washington is adamant that Iraq must take firm action to reduce its dependency on Iran as an energy source. The United States is even considering new measures that would further squeeze Iran and put Iraq between a rock and a hard place. Another potential obstacle in Iraqs path forward lies in parliament, where political parties are suffering from lack of direction and deep internal divisions. Some parties are on the fence about the current government and are thinking of joining the opposition. Such talk has been circulating for the past two months. Leading the charge in that regard is former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, head of the Nasr coalition. Abadi has been quite vocal in his criticism of the government, especially in reference to current Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdis policy toward the KRG. Abadi accuses Abdul Mahdi of sending the KRG its share of the budget for the past three months to appease Kurdistan Democratic Party leaders despite the KRG not handing over the 250,000 barrels a day of crude oil stipulated in the 2019 budget law. Furthermore, Abdul Mahdi stands accused by the Nasr coalition of suspending or postponing court proceedings in a case Iraq brought against Ankara for allowing the KRG to sell crude oil through Turkey. However, Abdul Mahdi says the case is going ahead as planned and he rejects the accusations against him. Abadi is not alone in his government criticism. Joining forces with him as an unlikely ally is former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is growing disappointed with the entire government because he was promised but hasnt received a post as vice president. Maliki appears to be thinking of joining the opposition, amid the Dawa Partys frantic effort to reform and reunite Abadi and Maliki inside the party. Another political party that has started publicly criticizing the government is the Hikma bloc, led by Ammar al-Hakim. Hikma has no representation in the Cabinet and party leaders believe they are getting little for their support of the government. With the provincial council elections looming, they may think it would be better for them, strategically, to join the opposition. If these three coalitions Nasr, State of Law and Hikma join forces to become opposition, they are likely to be joined by some smaller entities such as the New Generation Movement and Fadhila party, among others. The opposition has the potential to reach 100 members, which would give it an influential opposing voice. From what we have learned in the past six months, Abdul Mahdi has a clear path ahead of him and knows where he stands. Alongside him are the president and speaker who fully understand the common cause. They collectively worked for good relations with the regional and international communities, and became a formidable force in front of the divided political blocs. The three presidencies have been able to establish unity, and working together gives them an aura of invincibility, unlike their predecessors. Many insiders speak of Abdul Mahdi as being firmly in charge of his Cabinet, pushing his ministers to stick to the agenda they set out. His eyes are set on getting through this summer with minimal damage. Thereafter he would work on improving security and the economy, to deliver jobs and services. Insider sources talk about his desire to set a completely different budget and agenda for 2020 in which he will stress infrastructure projects and job creation. The government has helped form a task force in Basra. Spearheaded by Fatah Alliance leader Hadi al-Amiri, the task force seems to be delivering on the services. International agencies such as the United Nations Development Program and European Union are funding several projects in Basra. However, its not clear how the Iraqi government will handle the US sanctions on Iran amid growing pressure from both Washington and Tehran. Iraq needs to make some hard choices in the near future, any of which could result in dire consequences. The United States would like to see Iraq make progress on the electricity front, and has encouraged neighbors such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to supply Iraq with electricity this summer. Such action might help Iraq to increase its electricity supply to Basra and other provinces and avoid any unrest that might stem from it. Soft diplomacy will be needed to deal with opposition parties or those that are thinking of becoming opponents. Abdul Mahdi will continue to rely on the parliamentary strength of the partnership between Amiris Fatah Alliance and the Sairoon Alliance headed by Muqtada al-Sadr. After May, KRG-Baghdad relations could become the first major crisis of this administration if the KRG continues to sell oil without handing over the proceeds to Baghdad. Abdul Mahdi would be put in a tough position and his potential strategy is unclear but he would certainly try to find a balance as he has done in the past. The Iraqi government is working on a new plan to beef up security and protect its border with Syria to keep terrorists from crossing over. This way, Iraqis can benefit from the recent liberation of Baghouz, Syria, from the Islamic State (IS) and the control of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) over the area. In Baghdad's eyes, securing the border is a major step toward restoring security and stability in Iraq. The government hasn't had total control of the border area for the past 15 years. The Iraqi parliaments Security and Defense Committee warned of the dangerous situation there, as IS members might try to conduct attacks in Iraq. For this reason, the committee recommended on April 16 buying more thermographic cameras. Committee member Abbas al-Ismaili confirmed during a press conference that day that terrorist groups plan to take advantage of border areas that lack strong security "to coordinate attacks on Iraqi territory and create a state of chaos. Iraq's border with Syria extends some 605 kilometers (376 miles), running from the western province of Anbar, northeast to Ninevah governorate until it reaches Turkey. Since 2003, the border has been a source of danger, especially when IS controlled Anbar and Ninevah, giving the terrorist group room to move freely between Syria and Iraq. Yet in March, once the village of Baghouz was freed from IS, Iraq was relieved and felt it no longer had to worry constantly about the area. Although the SDF forces that took over weren't part of the Syrian army, Iraq still had an understanding with them. A security source told Al-Monitor, The Iraqi government is in contact with the SDF, which controls part of the border. The issues between the SDF and the Syrian government don't obstruct coordination with the Iraqi side. The SDF has worked with the US-led alliance against IS. The security source added, The international alliance plays a big role in facilitating communication and coordination between Iraqi government forces and the SDF to secure the border. This was evident when the SDF turned over some IS captives to the Iraqi government. The Baghouz border with Iraq is 80 kilometers (50 miles) long. The Iraqi government worked to secure this area about a month ago, setting up thermographic cameras, watch towers at close intervals, and barbed wire. With the latest developments in Baghouz, Falih al-Fayadh, chairman of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) and head of the National Security Council, announced additional measures to secure the Iraqi-Syrian border. According to Fayadh, this project is important and [will] incorporate technical and engineering aspects" that will be implemented this year. Gen. Yahya Rassoul, spokesman for the government-linked Iraqi Security Media Center, told Al-Monitor, The border with Syria is secured and controlled by the Iraqi army, the border police and the [PMU]. He added, Technology was included in the process of monitoring the border and securing it through setting up surveillance cameras and [using drones]. The armys aviation team runs scanning operations to clear the area. Tunnels and earth barriers are also set. Arms have been distributed and the efforts of watch towers have been reinforced. Qassem Moslih, PMU commander in western Anbar, talked to Etejah Press about the need to maintain security at the Syrian border. "There are sleeping terrorist cells in these areas. They are starting to move, so it is important to seriously neutralize and fight them," he said. Gen. Mahmoud al-Falahi, the Iraq army's operations commander in Anbar province at the Syrian border, said in a press statement, The Iraqi security forces are watching the terrorist activities inside Syria to block them from infiltrating Iraq. This is part of the new operation strategies Iraqi forces are following to secure the border. Fadhil Abu Raghaf, an independent security expert, told Al-Monitor, It's difficult to entirely secure the border. It's too long. There are also unfriendly forces at the border which are obstructing communications. Abu Raghaf, who is close to Iraqi security forces, said Iraq now has only 80 thermographic cameras, enough to cover only 3% of the border with Syria. The stability Baghouz now enjoys will help reassure the Iraqi government of the decrease in the number of IS members going back and forth to Iraq. It also contributes to restoring Iraqi border police and any forces supporting them from the army or PMU. In conclusion, Iraq is still developing its operation to secure the border. The government has set up barbed wire, watchtowers and underground tunnels. Yet all of this is not enough without employing sophisticated technology, rather than relying on intelligence information. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit published Feb. 27 his decision to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "upon a hearing." However, since then, no date has been set for the hearing procedure. In fact, in legal parlance, and when it comes to Netanyahu, the term hearing seems synonymous with foot-dragging. As a first step, the Ministry of Justice had notified Netanyahus attorneys that the police and prosecution documents relating to his three pending indictments is ready to be picked up. But while this article is being penned, the ministry still chases after the attorneys, begging them to get the files. One can assume that when and if they pick up the documents, they will need several months to study it. Then, the attorney general and his team will analyze the lawyers comments and meet with them. That also takes time, and before you know it, a year has gone by. In diplomatic jargon, this type of stalling is called voicing reservations. A very familiar term when talking about the Israeli-Palestinian "peace process." The archives of the peace process contain Israeli reservations to President Bill Clintons proposed peace plan from 2000 and to President George W. Bushs 2003 road map for Middle East peace. Peace did not emerge from any of these reservations. Israels settlements in the occupied territories, on the other hand, have thrived. White House adviser Jared Kushner hinted April 23 that a similar fate awaits President Donald Trumps long touted deal of the century. Trumps son-in-law underscored that the administration would not impose any plan on the sides, adding that the administration would merely suggest recommended guidelines for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, which they could take or leave. We ask both Israelis and Palestinians go over the plan before they voice their concerns about it and not to reject it right off the bat," Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt urged the sides on April 19. His comments indicate that this time, too, as with the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem and closure of the PLO office in Washington last year, the Palestinians will get the short end of the stick. Greenblatt challenged the two-state principle, the foundation stone of Palestinian policy since the PLOs 1988 declaration of independence. There is no reason to use the term 'two-state solution,'" because "every side sees it differently," he said. Indeed, the Israeli side interprets the two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians as an absurd idea promoted by leftists and a plot that must be foiled at all costs. Netanyahu himself pledged in 2015 that a Palestinian state would not be established on his watch. He did not propose any alternative, other than for Israelis to continue living by the sword. The Palestinians, on the other hand, have not budged from the two-state idea and their support for the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which sets out guidelines for regional peace. Last month, the PLO Committee for Interaction with Israeli Society issued a document laying out Palestinian positions regarding a permanent agreement with Israel. These include an end to the conflict, a return to the 1967 borders, land swaps, a possibility for Israeli settlers to remain in Palestinian areas, East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine accessible to all three religions and a just solution to the Palestinian refugee issue based on UN Resolution 194. The guidelines also stipulate that Palestine will not enter into any military pact that would destabilize the region, security arrangements would respond to the needs of both sides and the joint committee on prevention of incitement by either side would resume its operations. Indeed, as Greenblatt said, previous US administrations that propounded the two-state formula were unsuccessful in promoting peace. Weve studied the past efforts and how they failed and why they failed, Kushner noted, adding that he and his team had consulted with significant office holders from previous rounds of negotiations. Kushner and Greenblatt seem to have skipped over the lessons learned by Dr. Aaron David Miller, a veteran of previous US peace teams. For far too long, many American officials involved in Arab-Israeli peacemaking, myself included, have acted as Israel's attorney, catering and coordinating with the Israelis at the expense of successful peace negotiations, Miller wrote in a 2005 op-ed. Miller recommended that if his successors want to serve as honest and effective brokers between Israelis and Arabs, they must pursue only one goal a solution that meets the needs of both sides. Netanyahus central need is to remain forever in the prime ministers residence on Jerusalems Balfour Street. Trump and his people surely understand that Knesset member Bezalel Smotrich and his colleagues on the radical right are Netanyahus last line of defense before prison. Netanyahu is counting on Smotrich and his colleagues to adopt some sort of legislation that would offer him immunity against the pending indictments. This same Smotrich has already declared that he would not consider even giving the Palestinians some form of autonomy, not to mention independence. It is hard to believe that the American president would lend a hand to any move that would force his good friend who pledged this week to name a neighborhood or settlement in the Golan Heights after him to choose between the White House and the jailhouse. At best, the Palestinian side will ask for time to study Trumps plan, before rejecting it. In a worst-case scenario, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will make good on his threat to reject out of hand any plan not based on the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Either way, the political right will unearth the gift that keeps on giving the excuse provided almost 20 years ago by then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak who claimed there is no partner on the Palestinian side with whom Israel can make peace. What will the leading opposition party Blue and White with its 35 Knesset seats do when that happens? Will it display patriotism and celebrate with the government the victory over the Arabs? The Knesset factions left-wing standard-bearer Michael Biton told Al-Monitor this week that he hoped publication of the Trump plan would breathe life into the deadened peace process and enable movement toward peace. Biton was unwilling to commit to his partys position prior to the unveiling of the plan, but the Blue and White platform lays out the principles that will guide its stance. These include the need to preserve a Jewish majority in Israel but also to enable normal life everywhere Israelis live, without exception, while maintaining an open horizon to a future arrangement with the Palestinians but also ensuring that a united Jerusalem will be Israels eternal capital. That's how the party can include both former Labor Party stalwart Biton and Likud graduate Lt. Gen. (Res.) Moshe Yaalon. A cocktail of contradictions is good for an election campaign run by a group of people thrust together at the last minute to replace a corrupting prime minister. Now that they have been elected to the Knesset, they are not meant to help Netanyahu stall on a futile American plan and exchange accusations with the neighbors. When serving as Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Benny Gantz was responsible for the security of Israeli citizens. Now he must direct his talents to the diplomatic arena. And in order to justify the faith that more than a million voters accorded him, Gantz must present a feasible diplomatic plan a plan with a Palestinian partner; a plan that would receive the support of the Arab world. On Passover, Jews celebrate the Exodus from Egypt, which traditionally took place around 1300 B.C. Today, some 3,300 years after Jews were slaves to the pharaohs, Israelis are returning to Egypt in droves. The Egyptians of today are very gracious hosts, but Israeli security services warn that a trip to Sinai is still a dangerous adventure. Loudspeakers set up at the Taba border crossing over the last few days blast the travel warning in a monotonous tone. In a statement released by the National Security Council, which was updated April 23, the threat is described as a "serious travel warning (Level 1)." The statement says, In addition to [the Islamic State's] activities, al-Qaeda members in the area are encouraging attacks on Israeli targets. The statement recommends that all Israelis currently in the Sinai Peninsula leave "immediately" and return to Israel. "Anyone wishing to visit the Sinai is asked to refrain from doing so," adds the statement. But Israelis arent too concerned about these warnings, and continue to pour into Sinai. It is estimated that at least 40,000 Israelis, including families with children, will celebrate Passover in the peninsula, 20% more than Passover last year. Some of the vacationers responded to the warnings with amusement and even ridicule. For example, Lee Yaron, who writes for Haaretz, tweeted a photo of the smoke used to get rid of mosquitos in the huts favored by many vacationers. Extreme measures are needed to deal with an Islamic State of mosquitos, she wrote. The rush to Sinai also provided Israelis with an amusing new TV star, Hadassah Benizri of Jerusalem, whose interview on Channel 12 mocking the dangers (There are more Israelis than Egyptians here) went viral. As head of the National Security Council until two years ago, Yaakov Nagel recommends that people do not take these warnings lightly. "The fact that there were warnings [in the past], which came to nothing, does not mean that the current adventurers will continue to be so lucky, he tells Al-Monitor. Any Israeli entering Sinai is a target for the Islamic State. Israelis have an attitude of, It wont happen to me, but we certainly cant rely on the Egyptian security forces. I cant understand the lightheaded attitude of Israelis going to Sinai in droves. If my son wanted to go to Sinai, Id use force to stop him. Sinai has seen some horrific terrorist attacks over the last few years. The most recent attack targeting Israelis, in 2004, resulted in 34 deaths, including 12 Israelis. Then there was the downing of Metrojet flight 9268 in 2015, which resulted in the deaths of 224 passengers, most of them Russian citizens. Recently, the Egyptian government has made efforts to bring back Russian tourists to Sinai. As reported in Al-Monitor, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi even met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on April 6 to discuss this subject specifically. The two men agreed to resume flights from Russia to Sharm el-Sheikh. The list of major attacks in Sinai also includes one on November 2017, when more than 250 people were killed by an Islamic State-affiliated group. And, of course, there are occasional reports of smaller attacks. The Sinai travel warning has been around for 12 years at least, says Yiftah Shua, who manages a popular Facebook group for vacationers called Sinai: Tips and Recommendations. He adds, Terror threats exist in all major cities around the world, including Paris and Jerusalem. There was a terrorist attack in Sri Lanka just days ago, and there was no travel warning there. The only place that is perfectly safe is a nuclear shelter. Of course theres a risk, but it doesnt seem much more serious than in many other places around the world, yet tens of thousands of people visit those places despite the risks. The Meir family from Yahud went to Sinai on April 29, despite the severe travel warning. Speaking to Al-Monitor from Sinai, they explained their decision: We were in Sinai in the summer, and we saw from up close that it wasnt scary. Theres a huge difference between the threats in Israel and the sense of security here, in Sinai, says the father of the family, Eli, a repairman. Sure, there is some concern, but whats the alternative? Its dangerous in Israel, too. There are terrorist attacks in Paris and London. So what are supposed to do? Sit home scared all day? Following an Islamic State attack on Egyptian churches in April 2017, Israels security establishment made an unprecedented decision last Passover to close the Taba border crossing. In response, vacationers appealed the decision before the Supreme Court. As far as the Meir family is concerned, the fact that the border crossing has not been shut this Passover indicates that the warning is not real. When there really was a risk, they shut the border and would not let anyone cross. If they havent shut the border now, it must mean that this is just a general warning, not the kind which would prevent us from going [to Sinai], says Eli. According to Nagel, who saw the border crossing closed on his watch, this reasoning is weak. There is a Level 1 warning, the highest level of warning. This really isnt some game," he says. "I cant comment on the [current] decision not to shut the border, because I am no longer part of the National Security Council, but in no way is this proof that the risk level is any less serious. One of the things that attracts Israelis to Sinai is its geographical proximity, which makes it possible to drive right into the peninsula. Then there are the cheap prices. We are a couple with two children. This vacation will cost us just 2,000 shekels ($550) for everything, says Eli. There are no comparable prices in Israel, not on Passover, and not during the rest of the year. Shua admits that cheap prices in Sinai are a big part of the appeal. The prices really are ridiculous, though of course they go up during the holidays, he explains. A holiday in the Big Dune Camp in Nuweiba costs something like 40 shekels in the off-season, and that includes breakfast. A five-star hotel for a couple, with breakfast, costs around 80-100 shekels per person. People can find accommodations at a lower level for 50 shekels. Transportation is really cheap, too. A bus from Taba to Sharm el-Sheikh, a distance of 220 kilometers, only costs about 10 shekels. Nevertheless, according to Shua, prices are just part of the story. Theres a certain magic in Sinai that is hard to explain," he says. "You can feel the tranquility the moment you cross the border. Anyone who comes once keeps going back again and again. Its a kind of transition from one civilization to another. Personally, I think that living all shut up in a constant state of anxiety is a victory for terrorism. While we dont encourage anyone to vacation in Sinai, we put the threat in proportion. Qatari citizens took to the polls on April 16 to select members of the countrys only elected deliberative body, the Central Municipal Council (CMC). The CMC is a 29-member assembly that advises authorities on local affairs but does not possess legislative or executive powers. The elections were the sixth since the establishment of the CMC in 1999, and the first since the June 2017 blockade of Qatar by neighboring Arab states. The ongoing diplomatic crisis among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) lent special significance to last week's elections. The economic and political embargo led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates prompted unprecedented mobilization among ordinary Qatari citizens in support of the state, defying concerted efforts by the blockading countries to undermine the legitimacy of the political leadership. As such, public interest in the elections can be viewed as one test of whether the increased popular participation witnessed since June 2017 is likely to translate into the political arena proper. Neighboring Bahrain, for instance, provides a cautionary example. In 2011, a Shiite-led mass uprising precipitated Sunni counter-movements that initially aimed to defend the state against revolution, but later morphed into populist groups and then institutionalized parties that began articulating political demands of their own. Fearful that these potent new actors would find success in Bahrains first parliamentary elections after the uprising in November 2014, the government hastily redrew electoral boundaries and engaged in other measures to undermine their candidates, who did not win a single seat. The results of Qatars 2019 municipal council elections, however, paint the opposite picture. Official figures show that the number of citizens who voted declined by 9% compared to the last elections in 2015, from 14,670 to only 13,334 roughly 1 in 13 Qatari adults in 2019. Such turnout suggests a Qatari citizenry that is slightly less engaged in the formal political process in the wake of the GCC crisis. Findings from a nationally representative preelection opinion survey conducted by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University offer some insight into the reasons for Qataris abstention from the 2019 vote. Among respondents who said they did not intend to participate in the elections, about a third cited lack of time; another third responded that the CMC lacks the authority to influence policy; and approximately 15% said that none of the available candidates appealed to them. Notably, very few nonvoters less than 10% attributed their lack of participation in 2019 to the belief that voting and elections are not the best way to address important issues. Qataris thus appear disinterested in the CMC elections, but not in elections generally. This raises the question of Qatars other deliberative assembly, the 45-person Shura Council. In contrast to the limited role and authority of the CMC, the Shura Council enjoys, among other powers, control over the general budget. While usually docile, the Shura Council remains influential on matters of domestic politics, and has watered down and even blocked legislation most notably, labor reforms that might challenge the privileged status of Qataris in society and in business. Since the Shura Councils formation in 1972, Qatars constitution has provided for the direct election of its members. However, the state has continued to postpone elections by invoking a clause that permits extending the appointed councils term if required by the public interest. Most recently, after the Arab uprisings in 2011, authorities pledged to hold elections of two-thirds of the body within two years, but the current councils term has since been extended twice more through at least 2019. So, is the continued disengagement with Qatars municipal elections a sign of growing discontent over the ever-delayed Shura Council vote? Public opinion data suggest otherwise. In the 2019 SESRI study, less than half of Qataris about 45% said they would be very interested in taking part in Shura Council elections if they were held, compared to a statistically equivalent 41% of respondents in the same survey conducted four years earlier before the 2015 CMC elections. Even more tellingly, the 2019 survey asked respondents directly whether they would like to see members of the Shura Council elected, or else remain appointed. Only a quarter of citizens indicated a preference for elections, two thirds reported favoring an appointed Shura Council, and around 10% were undecided. These results point to another possible explanation for Qataris indifference toward the 2019 CMC elections, and indeed toward formal political participation generally. It is a different sort of impact of the now two-year-old blockade: an increasing preference for security and political stability in a time of heightened risk and uncertainty. Previous research examining the effect of the Arab Spring protests in Qatar, for instance, showed a decline in the importance that Qataris attached to democracy and buoyed confidence in state institutions after 2011 a backlash against the bloody aftermath of rebellion on display in Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and elsewhere. Citizens prioritization of electoral participation may likewise have declined since the traumatic experience of June 2017, with more men and women content to leave governance up to the state. Such views have likely been shaped by the governments success in insulating ordinary Qataris from the economic effects of the GCC crisis. Despite the Saudi-led boycott, the average household income reported by Qataris in SESRI surveys has actually increased since 2017, undercutting efforts by the blockading countries to foment internal political grievances through financial hardship. Moreover, while Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other GCC states have gone forward with implementation of a 5% tax on goods and services to address fiscal shortfalls, Qatar has used the contingency of the blockade to delay the unpopular reform. And with resource revenues expected to reach more than $150,000 per citizen in 2019, Qatar, unlike its Gulf neighbors, can afford to wait. Nevertheless, a lack of increased electoral interest in Qatar since the blockade does not necessarily signal political stagnation. Here, the results of the CMC elections, rather than the turnout, are instructive. Several longtime members from influential families and tribes, including the four-term vice chairman, were surprisingly unseated by young, relatively unknown candidates. The Shura Council, too, saw an influx of technocratic appointees at the expense of tribal-based members in a November 2017 shake-up, including, for the first time, four women. The new Shura Council has shown an increased willingness to exercise its authority to quiz Cabinet ministers, raising the prospect of a more empowered if still not elected legislature. All this points to a Qatari public that remains interested in responsive and accountable government, but that does not conceive of it primarily in terms of voting. Asked in a 2019 poll to name the most important attribute of democracy, a plurality over 40% responded that the government guarantees order and the rule of law. Another quarter of citizens believed that democracy means the state guarantees jobs for all. Only around 10% of Qataris identified free, multiparty elections as the most important attribute of democracy. The popular activism witnessed in Qatar since the GCC crisis may ultimately lead to a more participatory form of citizenship, but it is almost certain to be grounded within the local political context. Nearly everywhere US troops go in Syria, the Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) provide protection, escorting small units and acting as Americas intelligence collectors on the ground. Theyre like the eyes and ears for US forces, providing information on which buildings to target with airstrikes, said Amy Austin Holmes, a fellow with the Wilson Centers Middle East program who traveled to the country in February. But as the Donald Trump administration looks to draw down US forces, experts worry about disrupting a fragile balance where US troops trade military power in the form of airstrikes, advisers and ground firepower for protection from Kurdish-dominated local units. Theres just not a lot of US forces in northeast Syria. Theyll become even thinner, said Aaron Stein, director of the Middle East program at Foreign Policy Research Institute. The US cant be out everywhere reaching out touching everything, so they rely on the SDF. The security concerns are resurfacing as the Trump administration struggles to reach a deal with European nations and other allies to set up a safe zone to protect the Kurdish forces in northeast Syria. The Pentagon operates with the consent of Kurdish forces, who are co-mingled with US troops on bases in northern Syria and out on the front lines, Stein said. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the US had been rejected or only offered token support by almost two dozen countries. As the talks continue with allies, the Pentagon insists it can draw down forces and also ensure the Islamic State (IS) does not return while preventing a security vacuum that destabilizes the area, said Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesman who said the department would not comment on numbers of troops or timelines. Trumps proposal could also now include Turkish forces inside a buffer zone in Syria, Al-Monitor first reported last week. With US equipment and troops beginning to trickle out of Syria, the United States already appears to be applying less military power to support the SDFs effort to roll up IS remnants. The US-led coalition did not conduct any strikes in Syria between April 7 and April 20, US Central Command reported Wednesday, the first time the Pentagon has gone a full week without striking IS targets since January 2016. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan formally declared an end of IS's hold in Syria in March. The SDF cant just be their own military, because their power is derived from our presence just like our security is derived from their presence, said a US source with experience in Syria who spoke on condition of anonymity. If they cut a deal with the regime and the Russians, force protection could be a big issue. It has to be a methodical withdrawal because were not going to be there when the Russians and the [Bashar al-Assad] regime roll up. Pentagon budget justifications for the upcoming fiscal year said the ability of US-backed Syrian forces to fight and move across the battlefield is directly linked to US support, including the provision of weapons, ammunition and equipment. The Defense Department has said it hopes to train 61,000 Syrian opposition fighters by October 2020 who "will focus on back-clearing and holding areas that were liberated from [IS]," though national security adviser John Bolton and other top Trump administration officials have insisted on Iran's expulsion from Syria as a condition of US withdrawal. Kurdish-dominated fighting and security units have provided extensive support to the US effort. The US source said the SDF provides escorts and helps control checkpoints for the small contingent of US troops and personnel on the ground, which doesnt have the numbers to spread out across Syrias northeast. In the former IS capital of Raqqa, for instance, internal security forces were almost like a police force, managing traffic, spotting bombs and looking for snipers, while also providing security for US meetings in Raqqa, Tabqa and Ain Issa, the source said. The US-led coalition described the group as tenacious fighters with a degree of basic military training to function as infantrymen who are heavily dependent on the United States for firepower to fight IS, according to a recent Pentagon inspector general report. The Pentagon has assessed that IS could resurge within six to 12 months in Syria without consistent pressure. I dont believe that there has been enough time to work with them and train them up to provide the military capacity for a standalone force, said Linda Robinson, a senior defense researcher at the RAND Corporation. Meanwhile, top defense officials have also raised concerns that Syrias sprawling civil war could ensnare US troops fighting IS. Speaking at the US Military Academy in West Point in March 2018 just weeks after a deadly clash between US and pro-Assad and Russian forces near a Syrian oil field, then-head of US Special Operations Gen. Tony Thomas described the battle for control as utter chaos that has increasingly enmeshed US troops coffee-breath close to their Russian counterparts. The Assad government and Russia have called for US troops to leave. With US money for stabilization projects frozen even as cities liberated from IS lie in ruins, experts fear that the militant group will be able to quickly resurge. Raqqa was liberated a year and a half ago, but its still in ruins, said Holmes. Youve got 80% of the city thats still mined. You cannot expect a civilian population to live like that. That is exactly what Islamists exploit, she added. Six former employees of one of Turkeys oldest newspapers were sent back to prison on Thursday after a court upheld their convictions on terrorism-related charges in a high-profile case international rights defenders have slammed as a blatant attack on press freedom. The group, which includes journalists, lawyers, a board member and an accountant who worked for Cumhuriyet newspaper, were all sentenced to prison terms of fewer than five years exactly one year ago, and had been free pending their appeal. A district appeals court last week rejected their petition and ordered the men to return to prison. Columnists Guray Oz and Hakan Kara and award-winning political cartoonist Musa Kart were among those who entered prison in the northwest town of Kocaeli on Thursday. Kadri Gursel, an Al-Monitor columnist, and lawyer Bulent Utku have yet to receive their summons but could face re-arrest in the coming days, a source close to the matter said. All of the men are among the 18 people who were convicted after a court ruled that Cumhuriyets coverage had aided terrorist groups. Reporters Without Borders sees imprisoning these journalists again as a transgression of the rule of law and a cruel implementation that clearly harbors political retribution, Erol Onderoglu, the watchdogs representative in Turkey, told Al-Monitor. The defendants have since left Cumhuriyet after a witness who testified against them won his legal battle to retake control of the newspaper late last year. Its editorial tone has shifted from left-leaning to more nationalist since the change in management. The current management of the newspaper bears responsibility for the situation we find ourselves in, Kart told a news conference on Monday. But all of the media in Turkey is utterly manipulated by the government. Despite our case being an egregious violation of the law, we have not seen the solidarity this case merits from the press. In a bitter twist of Turkish criminal law, those ordered back to prison did not have the right to appeal to a higher court because their sentences amounted to less than five years. Six more defendants, including investigative reporter Ahmet Sik, who is now an opposition lawmaker, received longer jail terms for the same crimes in the same trial. Those harsher sentences allow them to appeal, and they remain free pending a ruling. Should Sik and the others win their appeal, those jailed today will also benefit. If the appeal fails, Kart and the others will spend about a year in prison due to time already served during their lengthy pre-trial detentions, said Al-Monitor's source. The opposition-minded Cumhuriyet was one of Turkeys last newspapers to report on corruption and other wrongdoings allegedly committed by state officials before prosecutors targeted the outlet, accusing it of links with a religious network led by Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for a failed 2016 military coup that killed more than 250 people. Gulen, who resides in Pennsylvania, denies orchestrating the abortive putsch, but tens of thousands of his suspected followers are in prison on coup-plotting charges. The government classifies the sect as a terrorist organization, dubbing the network FETO. Mustafa Kemal Gungor, a lawyer who was among those who returned to prison, said at the news conference that the staunchly secular Cumhuriyet newspaper spent the last four decades warning of the perils posed by the influential Gulen network, which was close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogans party until Gulen turned on him in 2013. This case is aimed at intimidating the rest of the press and all other opposition circles in society. They are spreading fear throughout society so that no one will speak or write or criticize, Gungor said. One cannot help but think of Orwells 1984. Indeed, the trial, which began in 2017, often bordered on the surreal. The prosecutor who first brought the case was himself later indicted for membership in FETO. Among the dubious evidence presented in court were doctored headlines to make Cumhuriyet appear sympathetic toward the coup and calls to book a reservation with a popular tour operator that was later linked to the Gulen network. The owner of that company is now Turkeys tourism minister. The defendants were also accused of aiding two militant groups, the armed Kurdistan Workers Party and the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front, for their news stories covering the organizations. Today, the government or businesses close to it control 90% of Turkish media outlets, according to Reporters Without Borders. The Paris-based advocacy group ranked Turkey 157th out of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index this month, citing the countrys broad erosion of the rule of law since the coup attempt that has crippled independent media. The Cumhuriyet trial drew condemnation from international rights defenders including PEN International, which said the trial was not fair, and the EU, which questioned whether membership candidate country Turkey falls short of its democratic standards. But the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, has failed to take up the defendants applications more than two years after they were lodged. On Thursday, the defendants were accompanied by their spouses, lawyers and former Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu as they quietly waited in line to enter prison, a video shared with members of the press showed. We are going back to prison, holding our heads up high, said Kart at the news conference. In the video, he turns to wave to the camera. Stay well, he says before entering the penitentiary. The political infighting in Turkey following the nationwide local elections on March 31 has shifted public focus away from the trouble brewing for Ankara in Syrias northeast Idlib governorate. The agreement between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi in September 2018 is failing to prevent violence between the Syrian regime and the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Ankara is increasingly concerned about an all-out operation by Russian- and Iranian-backed regime forces aimed at bringing the region under Damascus control. The topic is expected to be high on the agenda of this weeks talks on Syria backed by Turkey, Russia and Iran in Kazakhstans capital, Astana. Meeting Russias special envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, in Damascus last week, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the Sochi agreement had failed to eliminate jihadist terrorists in Idlib. Assad called on obstacles preventing the implementation of the agreement to be removed. Ankara, however, blames the regime for the escalating violence in Idlib. Turkeys government-controlled Anadolu Agency reported recently that the regime had staged 6,422 attacks in Idlib in March alone. Turkey has forces deployed along a 14- to 20-kilometer-deep (8- to 12-mile-deep) demilitarized zone in Idlib to monitor the cease-fire, as agreed on last September by Erdogan and Putin. Ankara says regime attacks on the region are violations of the Sochi agreement. Eyeing its burgeoning ties with Moscow, Ankara refrains from criticizing Russia, even though Russian jets are known to take part in regime operations in Idlib and elsewhere in the country. Russia and Damascus point to the continuing HTS presence in Idlib, which, under the Sochi agreement, was to be cleared of heavy weapons and jihadist groups of all shades, starting with HTS. Moscows position continues to be that Turkey has not yet succeeded despite its considerable efforts to overcome difficulties in implementing the Sochi agreement in full. This is just a diplomatic way of telling Ankara that it has responsibilities in Idlib regarding the HTS, which have yet to produce results. Moscow is unhappy that HTS, rather than blending away and disappearing, as Turkey wants, has become the main powerbroker in Idlib. Moscow is also holding back from criticizing Turkey openly because of its deepening economic and military ties with Ankara. In order to mollify Ankara, Moscow recently decided to mount joint air patrols with Turkey to monitor the situation in Idlib, even though this appears ironic since Russia is helping the regime strike the region. Meanwhile, Iran is also calling for HTS to be removed from Idlib. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters in Damascus last week a day before arriving in Ankara for talks that the Sochi agreement had to be fully implemented in order for HTS and similar groups to be eradicated. Ankaras main concern is that a large operation in Idlib by the regime will send another flood of refugees toward Turkeys borders and add to the over 3 million Syrians it is already hosting. The United Nations' senior humanitarian adviser for Syria, Najat Rochdi, said at a meeting in Geneva on April 11 that up to 106,000 people had fled their homes in the governorate over the past two and a half months due to increased military clashes. Ankara is also worried that jihadist terrorists may take refuge in Turkey as they retreat from a major onslaught by regime forces that are backed by Russia and groups supported by Iran. Idlib is the last remaining rebel stronghold in Syria and has come largely under the control of HTS. Damascus has vowed to gain full control over the region. It has the support of Moscow and Tehran, who say the region should go to the regime. Observers of the region indicate that HTS has forced other jihadist groups under its umbrella and established its own brand of radical Islamic rule over nearly 3 million people in the governorate. In a release on March 28, Amnesty International said HTS and the armed groups operating under its umbrella were present in several cities and towns in the region, either on checkpoints, military bases, police stations, or they conduct regular patrolling of residential neighborhoods. The release said that local councils run by civilians are believed to be, in some cases by force, affiliated, supported or guarded by the Salvation Government, established in 2017 by HTS. Nicholas Heras, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security, told the Independent earlier this month that HTS is becoming so woven into Idlib that the only way that its power can end is if it is ripped out of Idlib, which will lead to many dead and displaced. Turkey was tasked with neutralizing HTS under the Sochi agreement but has been reluctant to take on the group militarily, hoping instead to get it to join the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) and thus melt away. The FSA is a party to the cease-fire agreed on between Erdogan and Putin in Sochi. HTS has so far refused to be blended into the FSA, as Ankara wants. In the meantime, various reports have suggested that HTS is actually happy about the Turkish military presence in Idlib because of the protection this provides against the regime. Some media reports in the past even claimed that HTS fighters had provided escorts for Turkish troops moving into their positions in the region. Syria watcher Akdogan Ozkan believes that HTS is working to establish a lasting presence in northern Syria, similar to that of Hezbollah in Lebanon. By calling on other [jihadist] organizations to unite under one roof the group is trying to secure political legitimacy for its entity, which will not be ruled by the Damascus regime, Ozkan wrote in an article for the news portal T24. Ozkan maintained that if Ankara succeeds in bringing HTS under the FSA banner, the group will have taken a major step toward gaining international legitimacy. A Western diplomat speaking with Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said that if Ankara is engaged in such an exercise, This amounts to wishful thinking since neither Russia nor Iran, let alone Damascus, would agree to any HTS presence in Syria under any name. Retired Ambassador Mithat Rende also believes that HTS will not realize its dreams in Idlib because Russia and the regime would never accept Sharia rule being established in any part of Syria. If Turkey has any hopes that such a rule can be established in Syria, then it should give up on this because the only system that will bring peace to that country is a secular one, Rende said. As for the Sochi agreement, Rende said, This was merely a device for Turkey to gain time as it tried to avert a military operation against Idlib by the regime. What Turkey wanted to achieve was to use this time to either rehabilitate HTS or get it to leave the region, but it failed to deliver on this, Rende told Al-Monitor. Meanwhile, he said, HTS has become the main power in the governorate, which has merely compounded Ankaras difficulties. It looks like Russia and the regime will tell Turkey in the end that it has failed to achieve its end of the bargain and take matters into their own hands because their patience has run out, Rende said. Retired Brig. Gen. Naim Baburoglu argued, however, that Moscow is currently cooperating with Ankara in Idlib and is therefore unlikely to want a major operation there by the regime, at least for the time being. According to Baburoglu, there is also a link between the S-400 anti-ballistic missile systems Turkey has committed to buy from Russia and the situation in Idlib. The negotiations with Turkey regarding this sale are at a very sensitive stage, and Russia would not want to endanger them by giving the green light to an operation in Idlib that would leave Ankara in a difficult position, Baburoglu told Al-Monitor. If Turkey decides, however, under pressure from the United States to revoke the S-400 deal, then Moscows position is likely to change, Baburoglu added. The bottom line is that while extraneous factors may be providing Turkey with some extra time in Idlib, the clock is ticking away and unless Ankara can produce viable options that are acceptable to Moscow and Damascus, it is going to face further headaches in Syria. AMRAN, Yemen After a fortnight of suffering from acute diarrhea, Dhaifullah al-Yemeni finally vomited, and was subsequently transferred to the Cholera Treatment Center in the Khamir district of Amran, in central Yemen. He was close to death, just like those who died before him on their way to the hospital due to lack of awareness of the disease's symptoms, and those who pass away at home because they cannot afford transportation. I threw up a lot yesterday, Yemeni recalled, while receiving treatment at the Cholera Treatment Center affiliated with Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials, MSF) in Khamir on April 12. It's been 15 days of suffering from acute watery diarrhea, but no vomiting. Yesterday [April 11] I decided to come here. Yemeni, 65, is an internally displaced person from Maran, in the northwestern Saada province, the birthplace and stronghold of Abdul Malek al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi group. Yemeni has five children, including a boy he claims was killed in his village, during the fifth war between Ali Abdullah Saleh's government and the Houthis in 2008. He declined to give further details on the circumstances of his death. Yemeni, who has been living in Khamir in a rental house for 11 years, was confirmed cholera-positive by a medic who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to media. Yemeni, on his second day at the center, is among 3 million Yemenis who have fled their homes, according to estimates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Dhaifullah al-Yemeni (Naseh Shaker/Al-Monitor) The medic said Yemeni is like many civilians who have no awareness of cholera and thus die before reaching a hospital or on the way to it. Poverty and inability to afford transportation makes it hard to be transferred to a hospital, Yemeni said. In August 2018, Peter Salama, World Health Organization deputy director-general of emergency preparedness and response, told a UN briefing in Geneva that Yemen may be on the cusp of the third major wave of cholera epidemics. Yemen has already witnessed two major waves of cholera epidemics. According to Yemen's Ministry of Health, from January 2018 to April 2019, cholera is the suspected cause of at least 470 deaths. The "outbreak has affected 21 of 23 governorates and 286 of 333 districts in Yemen since the beginning of 2019," according to the WHO. It is said the waterborne disease is endemic in Yemen, where the worst outbreak of the disease in history was in 2017, when more than 1 million cases were reported and 2,500 people died of the infection between April and December of that year. MSF said in a March 27 statement that its teams have opened a 50-bed cholera treatment center in Khamir. At the end of Yemeni's treatment bed sits Ameen, his 15-year-old son. Ameen, who left school to be by his fathers side, declined to speak about his feelings on his father's condition. What's the importance of speaking while [my father] is still ill? Ameen told Al-Monitor. It is hard to persuade Ameen to be optimistic. How can I be optimistic while my father is ill? I wish this war was over Yemeni is one of the few people still retaining a Saadi nomadic lifestyle after being displaced by the war. Yemeni still drinks coffee in the Saadi tradition, with special cups and a thermos for the world-renowned Yemeni coffee. He puts the thermos full of coffee without sugar, because he suffers from diabetes on a small table near his hospital bed. Under the table, there is a plastic bag full of drugs for his noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The medic confirmed to Al-Monitor he suffers from these diseases. I wish this war was over, so everyone could go back home, Yemeni said, recalling when he used to live in his village of Maran before the war. Cholera attack hits high in Huth On March 27, Hassan Boucenine, MSF's head of Yemen mission, said his organization is supporting a hospital treating cholera cases in Huth, around 100 kilometers north of Sanaa, adding, The attack rate is particularly high in Huth, in Amran governorate, where we support a health center. Huth hospital, Amran governorate, Yemen (Naseh Shaker/Al-Monitor) On April 13, I arrived at Huth hospital and directly reached the facilities supported by MSF, but the cholera center is supported by UNICEF, according to a staff member. Inside the hospital's Cholera Treatment Center, there were three cholera-positive individuals, each lying in one of the center's three rooms. All cases were admitted days ago. Only six suspected cholera cases have been admitted Saturday [April 13] for the past three morning hours, head of the center Yahya Omran told Al-Monitor. In one of the three rooms, four women were escorting a woman, Tayseer. Her mother-in-law told Al-Monitor she has cholera and came from the nearby district of Bani Ghuthaima. In the second room, a grandmother sits near her 3-year-old grandchild, Batoul Darawan. Darawan has been hospitalized for three days, after a local health facility in Khaiwan village in the Huth district transferred the patient to the hospital. Batoul Darawan and her grandmother (Naseh Shaker/Al-Monitor) The boy's mother can't be beside her son, because she is breastfeeding for her newborn baby, Darawan's grandmother told Al-Monitor. Huths main hospital has not only treated cholera, but also those wounded in the war, especially in 2014, during fighting between Houthi fighters and the sons of former parliamentary speaker Abdullah al-Ahmar. At the Huth cholera center, the last death occurred April 3. Hassas Naser Ahmed was from al-Ashah district, and was transferred to Huth hospital owing to bad health services in al-Ashah, according to Omran. There were four deaths at Khamir hospital in March, and one death at Huth hospital in February, according to Yahya al-Shuraimi, a medic at Huth hospital. Al-Monitor couldn't reach their homes to interview relatives and see their living conditions because of the difficult terrain and a gas shortage that made it hard to reach their rural houses. Birmingham will host two international business conventions next month at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, bringing more than 200 companies to the Magic City over a three-day period. The Aerospace Innovative Technology Summit (AITS) will be held from May 7 through 9, spotlighting the leaders in the aerospace, space and defense industries, while the Automotive Advanced Technology Summit (AATS) will take place from May 8 to 9. The two events, occurring the same week, will not only spotlight the Birmingham area as a hub for innovative technology, but bring together leaders across multiple fields of industry and commerce. The Birmingham Business Alliance, the City of Birmingham, the Birmingham Airport Authority and Jefferson County are partnering to market Birmingham at the conventions with an eye toward improving economic development in the region. For the AITS, presenters will include Airbus, GKN, Microsoft, NASA and others. Organizers say Birmingham was chosen as the host because of its central location in Alabama near Airbus in Mobile and its proximity to Huntsville, home to the second largest research park in the United States. The AATS will focus on advanced manufacturing and innovative technologies within the automotive industry, with the states automakers - Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing - and others serving as featured presenters. The gala dinner and networking reception, to take place the evening of May 8, will be held at the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum in Birmingham. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said the events will be an ideal opportunity to identify innovative partners that share our commitment to the next generation of manufacturing in the aerospace and automotive industries." Now, more than ever, Birmingham is focused on bringing high-quality technology jobs to our city," Woodfin said. Birminghams infrastructure, including four major highways, railways, and 400+ acres of the airport in an Opportunity Zone, position us as a destination city to expand high-tech manufacturing operations. We are grateful for the chance to highlight the strength of the workforce and the opportunity to become a logistical hub for companies looking to grow. World Vision, one of the largest global Christian relief organizations, is considering locating a distribution center in Alabama that would help give away millions of dollars in donated goods to help people in poverty and after natural disasters such as tornadoes in the South. Evangelist Scott Dawson visited World Visions headquarters and main distribution center in Seattle last year after losing in the Republican primary for governor. He met World Vision CEO Edgar Sandoval and invited him to Birmingham to consider Alabama as a location for a 40,000-square-foot warehouse that would distribute donated goods. World Vision worked with major corporations to donate appliances, mattresses, bedding and building materials in Houston after Hurricane Harvey. With its distribution center in Houston, World Vision has helped rebuild and furnish homes destroyed by flooding and storm damage. In the past 18 months, World Vision has helped 326,000 people and distributed $11 million worth of gifts-in-kind in partnership with 75 churches in Houston. World Vision, which has a $2.1 billion annual budget and 26,000 employees worldwide, typically comes in after natural disasters such as typhoons and famine and then stays to help stabilize the economy and build up a faith community that takes over its operations. Weve responded to 143 emergencies in a relief role, and then we stayed, said Sandoval, who has an engineering degree from Rutgers University and a masters degree in business administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He joined World Vision after a 20-year career with Procter & Gamble. On Thursday, Dawson and Sandoval pitched the idea of a World Vision distribution center in Birmingham to separate meetings of faith leaders and government leaders. World Vision would look for churches and non-profit organizations to partner with. Were not asking for anything, Dawson said. Were going to raise the money outside government outlets. U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne and U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer both attended the meetings with World Vision leaders on Thursday. If they see enough local support, Ill think theyll come, Byrne said. World Vision started in the 1950s and in the 1980s was one of the largest relief organizations bringing aid to victims of the famine in Ethiopia. After other relief organizations left, World Vision stayed and helped farmers build back their crops. We work in about 100 countries and 99 percent of the staff is indigenous, Sandoval said. A Birmingham distribution center would include school supplies for teachers serving needy students in under-funded schools, said Reed Slattery, who oversees warehouses nationwide for World Vision. Teachers come to their distribution centers and get free supplies for their classrooms and students, he said. Its like walking into a Costco, he said. We want to make sure we can come down to the South and make a big difference. World Vision had been looking into the possibility of a location in the Southeast when Dawson came to visit in Seattle, Slattery said. We want to make sure we can come down to the South and make a big difference, he said. World Vision would look to partner with an existing ministry with a distribution warehouse, or find one that can be used, he said. We do the training, make sure the operation is safe, he said. We need to find people with the heart to serve the most vulnerable children. An Alabama native and decorated Army hero died Monday from injuries he sustained after helping a motorist change a tire on a Virginia highway, his command said Wednesday. Col. Gregory S. Townsend, 46, commander of the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade at the Fort Lee Army Base in Virginia, died April 18 while aiding a stranded motorist on U.S. Highway 460, according to the U.S. Quartermaster School. Townsend was driving on the highway on April 18 when he stopped to help a motorist change a tire. After he finished changing the tire, the vehicle fell on Townsend. He was taken by life flight helicopter to VCU Critical Care Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, where he received treatment until his death on Monday. Townsend grew up in Alabama and attended Auburn University. Shortly after graduating Auburn, he entered the Army in May 1996 and was commissioned through ROTC into the Quartermaster Corps. The loss of Col. Greg Townsend is devastating for his Family and the Army. He was a dedicated leader and the most genuine man you could meet, said Brig. Gen. Douglas M. McBride Jr., 55th Quartermaster General and commandant of the Quartermaster School. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gregs family and friends during this very difficult time. His legacy as a servant leader will live on in the hearts and minds of all Soldiers that he has served with and led. He was deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan before assuming command of the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade at Fort Lee in July 2017. Townsend was given a number of awards and decorations, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Staff Commendation Medal, and Army Commendation Medal. An Alabama House committee today unanimously approved a bill that will require third-graders not reading on grade level by the 2021-22 school year to be retained in the third grade. The bill also calls for a renewed focus on early learning, in grades K-3 and requires schools to provide more support for struggling readers. During a public hearing on the bill, called the Alabama Literacy Act, parents of children with dyslexia said the bill is long overdue and would have helped their children if it was already in place. Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, who chairs the House Education Policy committee, sponsored the House version of the bill. She said she has been working on this issue for a few years, and the time is now to make these changes. "I've read estimates that only 35 percent of our children are reading proficiently," Collins told committee members. "That's 65 percent that are not." Collins said the retention piece is what creates a sense of urgency. I call it the promotion bill, she said, because in states that have implemented a third-grade retention policy, retentions in grades K-3 went down the longer the policy was in place. Exceptions are made for students who have an individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan, are English language learners, or have been retained twice already. Were going to have to do things differently, Collins said, adding, This is the budget year to do it. The education budget is expected to top $7 billion for the first time. Ashley McCurdy drove from Demopolis with her husband and 7-year-old daughter, who has dyslexia, to speak during the public hearing. McCurdy said her childs public school teachers tried to help, but ended up making her daughters reading gap even larger. After her child's teacher blamed her daughter's lack of progress on test anxiety, McCurdy said, "I realized how little my school knew about dyslexia." She now drives to Birmingham every Monday, a four-hour round trip, to pay for private therapy for her daughter at a cost of nearly $700 each month. McCurdy said most people can't afford the cost, and that's why she supports the bill. She said she came to advocate for the bill because children with dyslexia, she said, "go through life thinking they're dumb, they're not capable. But really, we're just not tapping into the way they learn." Though estimates in a fiscal note show a cost of $90 million to implement the bills multiple parts, Collins said those numbers were high. Collins said the bill is based on sample legislation from the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a national advocacy group chaired by former Gov. Jeb Bush. Cari Miller, a reading specialist from the foundation testified that 12 states have similar legislation. Eight of those states have had the law in place long enough to see a measurable impact, she said, and all outperform states on the National Assessment for Educational Progress, or NAEP, without a bill like the one Collins proposes. Florida and Mississippi enacted similar laws and have shown substantial improvement in reading scores, Miller said. The bill creates a task force to continuously monitor the reading program and make recommendations, creates a dyslexia endorsement for teachers, and provides multiple levels of support for schools, teachers and students. Opponents of the bill include most of the state's education groups, including the Alabama State Department of Education, the School Superintendents of Alabama, the Council for Leaders in Alabama's Schools, and the Alabama Association of School Boards. Those groups said they agree with the goal of improving reading in the early grades but dont believe students not on grade level should be retained in the third grade. Alabama Association of School Boards director Sally Smith said this is a problem that needs a solution, but wanted the bill carried over to allow further discussion. Collins said she has been working with multiple education groups all along the way and is willing to continue working with them to make the bill better. Collins couldnt say when the bill might go to the full House for approval. Collins told AL.com Alabama already has the foundation for a good reading program in the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), and this bill will build on that. It takes our ARI program we already have, Collins said, puts it on steroids, and gives it accountability. And thats what I intend for this to do. A fourth Alabama university has announced it will put a freeze on raising tuition for the upcoming academic year. The University of Montevallo announced last week that it would not raise tuition for undergraduate students in the 2019-20 academic year. The move comes after the University of Alabama System announced it would not raise tuition at its campuses in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Huntsville. Montevallo also said it would simplify student fees. The fee simplification will make it easier for students to predict and understand their bills, Mary Ellen Heuton, University of Montevallo vice president for business affairs, said in the announcement. An aspect I am particularly pleased with is the elimination of the course fees as those could cause unexpected charges on a students bill if they changed their schedule to a class with a fee. The Montevallo board of trustees is scheduled to meet May 1 to vote on the tuition freeze and student fee adjustment. Rising college tuition costs have been a trend across the country for decades. Over the past 10 years, Montevallo has seen a higher rise in tuition than any other public college in Alabama at 82 percent, according data compiled by the Alabama Commission of Higher Education. The UA System has not seen a simultaneous tuition freeze at all three of its campuses in more than 40 years. Update April 25 7:38 p.m.: ALEA says King has been found safe. The missing senior alert issued for King has been cancelled. Original story: The Arab Police Department is asking for the publics help in finding a 68-year-old man who disappeared Tuesday. Elton Leon King was last seen at 777 County 1809 in Joppa around noon Tuesday, according to the Alabama Law Enfocement Agency. King may be suffering from a condition that impairs his judgment, authorities said. The missing senior may be traveling in a red 1998 Dodge Ram pickup with Alabama tag 25CF112, according to ALEA. Authorities do not currently know which direction he is traveling in. Anyone with information on Kings whereabouts was asked to contact the Arab Police Department at (256) 586-8124 or call 911. Although a federal appeals court ruled chalking tires is unconstitutional, the ruling is unlikely to affect whether Alabama cities continue the longtime parking enforcement practice at least for now. The ruling, which said tire-chalking violates the Fourth Amendments bar on unreasonable searches, was handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati. Because Alabama isnt one of the states covered by the Sixth Circuit Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee the ruling doesnt apply here, said Marcus Helstowski, an attorney in Huntsville. However, Helstowski said, the Sixth Circuits ruling could be used as precedent if anyone from Alabama decided to file a lawsuit of their own. In Huntsville, parking enforcement staff regularly chalk tires with white lines to enforce time limits and issue tickets in zones that dont have meters. City Attorney Trey Riley didnt return a call for comment on whether the city will continue the practice. In Birmingham, parking enforcement does not use actual chalk that physically touches a car and makes a mark, a city spokesman said in an email to AL.com. Parking in downtown Mobile is handled by a private company, said city spokeswoman Charlette Solis in an email. Solis said Mobile police issue parking citations throughout the city, but we don't mark tires. The Sixth Circuit case came from Saginaw, a city in Central Michigan, where lawyer Philip Ellison represented a friend in a civil rights lawsuit. Ellisons friend, Alison Taylor, complained about getting a 15th parking ticket in two years, the Washington Post reported. They sued the city and a parking enforcement officer, who, according to Ellison, issues more than 95 percent of the tickets, The Post reported. The lawsuit was initially dismissed by a federal district court, which ruled tire-chalking isnt an unreasonable search. On appeal, the Sixth Circuit reversed. Now, the city of Saginaw could appeal the appellate courts decision and ask the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in the case. If the Supreme Court chose to hear the case and agreed with the Sixth Circuit, that decision would apply to states across the country including Alabama. Thats all assuming Saginaw is not just going to concede and say, OK, were not going to do this anymore, Helstowski said. But its likely they will appeal and ask the Supreme Court to hear the case, Helstowski added. Writing parking tickets is a money-making outlet for cities. AL.com reporters Chris Harress and Carol Robinson contributed to this report. State parks officials today announced the creation of the Alabama State Parks Foundation, which will raise money for all 21 parks to enhance programming, facilities and parks experiences. The announcement was made by Alabama State Parks Director Greg Lein during a ceremony at Oak Mountain State Park. The not-for-profit group is led by Dan L. Hendricks of Florence, who will serve as president of the ASPF Board of Directors. He is former executive director of the University of North Alabama Foundation. The 15-person volunteer board includes business people and philanthropists from across the state. Over the past 18 months, Dr. Hendricks has been developing and implementing a plan to create our very own Alabama State Parks Foundation. During that time, he has succeeded in accomplishing the steps of creating the non-profit corporation, establishing the by-laws, recruiting and forming a diverse and strong board of directors, and achieving 501 (c) 3 status with the Internal Revenue Service, Lein said. It is my pleasure to share this great news with you, and invite you and other park friends to learn more about the new Alabama State Parks Foundation. The Foundation also unveiled its First Friends program and www.asparksfoundation.org website at Thursdays event. Our First Friends initiative intends to build a network of supporters who are excited about getting in on the ground floor of this endeavor, Hendricks said. First Friends who give to the Foundation will forever be recognized as Founding Members of the Alabama State Parks Foundation. Like our founding board of directors, our First Friends are people who are dedicated to building and sustaining a great statewide park system. Corporate partners are also supporters of the new Foundation. Buffalo Rock President & Chief Operating Officer Matthew Dent called the Foundation a perfect opportunity for businesses. The price tag to widen I-565 in Huntsville caused heads to ache, eyes to roll and faces to grimace. The estimates were $100 million on the low end and to as high as $150 million, according to state Sen. Arthur Orr, a member of the Senates General Fund committee and chair of the Senate school funding committee. "The original design of somewhere between $100 to $150 million was the replacement of all the bridges you find on that stretch of road," said Orr, R-Decatur. In other words, a cost-prohibitive project and a traffic flow problem with no solution. Then last week, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that the highway would be widened to three lanes after all and the Alabama Department of Transportation assessed that preliminary estimated cost at about $17 million. So what changed? Curtis Vincent, the ALDOT chief engineer for the northern district, said he had studied I-565 for years and researched its construction. He determined that the highway was wide enough already to add another lane in each direction and thats including the short-length bridges along the route. In short, Vincent said the shoulders on I-565 were built to the same specifications as the travel lanes and needed only to be paved to be utilized. And suddenly a solution was discovered. "I kept looking at it and I thought that shoulder is 14 feet wide," Vincent said. "It's a sufficient shoulder we can utilize because it's got the buildup like the mainline. We wouldn't have to reconstruct it to put traffic on it. So we started exploring that option." The key, Vincent said, was the bridges. Did they have the capacity to add a third lane? "Those bridges are 40 feet (wide) from wall to wall," he said. "Even if you had three 12-foot lanes, that would allow you four feet for a shoulder." A tight fit, maybe, but a workable solution. "It's still going to be safe," Vincent said. "The lane width will still be the same. We may have two 12-foot lanes and an 11-foot lane across the bridges and a minimal shoulder. But people drive across bridges every day that have less than a two-foot shoulder. "These are very short bridges -- 200-250 feet long. Driving at 75 mph, you're only on that bridge for a couple of seconds." The need for increased capacity on I-565 is probably obvious to any daily commuter using the highway into and out of Huntsville. Traffic routinely backs up for miles coming into the Rocket City in the morning and again in the evening leaving town. It's also going to see increased traffic with the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA plant under construction just north of I-565. The plant is expected to employ 4,000 people at its peak and will begin operations in 2020. The widening of I-565 has been a priority for Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle for years. One detail of the project, however, is that it won't be a comprehensive solution for Huntsville commuters. Vincent said the widening will begin just west of County Line Road in Limestone County and stretch about 7 miles to the west to I-65. That means the two-lane sections in each direction on I-565 from Wall-Triana Highway to County Line Road will remain two lanes and some bottlenecking for rush hour traffic will likely still occur. Vincent acknowledged that issue and said it remains on the ALDOT radar to address in the not-too-distant future. The highway can be widened to the inside, Vincent said, and ALDOT controls that right-of-way. The I-565 widening is also still awaiting formal approval from the Federal Highway Administration, Vincent said. "I've already had conversations with them on more than one occasion where they agreed in theory it would work and they were supportive of it," Vincent said. "But I've got to get their signature on that design exception. But from a safety standpoint, once the public goes across those bridges a few times, they will never remember those bridges were two lanes." The good news for motorists is that the widening project is expected to be a quick one. Vincent said his early estimate is 180 working days, though more time could be needed. Either way, ALDOT said the project should be completed in a matter of months rather than a matter of years. The roadwork will also be done at night, Vincent said. And by simply repaving and re-striping the bridges on I-565 rather than widening them or building new ones, it won't require further approval from federal wildlife officials for the section crossing through Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, Vincent said. Meanwhile, Orr is pushing to have motorist message boards installed on I-565 to provide highway travel advisories. Similar message boards stretched across the highway are in place in Birmingham and Montgomery and inform motorists about commute times and traffic or weather issues. Its just good for the whole Tennessee Valley, not just Limestone or Morgan (counties) commuters, Orr said of the widening project. I see 565 as the backbone of east-west transportation in the Tennessee Valley and Im just pleased it will be able to bear additional capacity in the coming years. Alabama was one of only two states in the U.S. that significantly decreased its number of people in state prisons by the end of 2017, but the states prisons remain overcrowded. Thats according to reports released today by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the U.S. Department of Justice agency responsible for collecting the nations crime and criminal justice statistics. The drop in inmate population between 2016 and 2017 came during a period in which the DOJ was in the midst of investigating reports of rampant violence, sexual abuse, and living conditions within the walls of Alabamas state mens prisons. That investigation, which began in the fall of 2016, led to a report issued earlier this month and a deadline by the DOJ for Alabama to take steps towards fixing the problems or face legal action. The decrease noted in todays report kept pace with a national trend, as incarceration rates in both prisons and jails nationwide shrank by more than 10 percent from 2007 through 2017. Over that decade, the national incarceration rate among state and federal prisoners sentenced to more than a year also dropped by 13 percent. Still, the numbers gave a mixed picture for Alabama, which decreased its count of sentenced prisoners by 4,080 from 2016 to 2017. The decrease likely reflects sentencing reforms enacted six years ago for nonviolent crimes, which were aimed at sentencing fewer offenders to prison. The Alabama Legislature is expected to consider more sentencing reforms this session. But between 2016 and 2017, the state saw one of the largest increases in the U.S. of people newly sentenced to more than a year behind bars in state and federal prisons. That figure was up by 1,400, the report stated. And advocates say the number of people going in is still getting higher. The Equal Justice Initiative states on its website that ADOC reported admitting more than 14,000 people in 2018, the highest number of admissions in a single year in the departments history. Brock Boone, an attorney for the ACLU of Alabama, said the number of people admitted last year shows that reforms are still not anywhere near where they need to be. Parole should be expanded, along with rehabilitation and treatment programs, he said. However, Bennet Wright, executive director of the Alabama Sentencing Commission, said the large number of admissions reflects the total number of people coming into the custody of the Department of Corrections - that means inmates not only in prisons, but those being held on probation and parole revocations. He said he believes sentencing reforms, and the 2015 reforms to probation and parole, are working. Obviously, given the DOJ report, theres still a lot of issues regarding the physical prisons, the pay of guards, the number of guards, health care, he said. But the numbers since 2013 show these reforms have been successful, and the state needs to continue those efforts. Wright said he expects some form of further sentencing reform sometime within the next month from the Legislature. Alabama held 27,608 inmates in its state and federal correctional institutions by the end of 2017, according to the report. Of those, 12,600 were white, and 14,857 were black. There were no figures for the number of Hispanic inmates. In its latest internal report of facilities, the Alabama Department of Corrections, as of this January, had 27,242 in its custody, which includes all inmates serving time within ADOC facilities and programs, as well as in the custody of other correctional authorities, such as county jails, other states, community correction programs, and federal and private prisons. Nationally, the imprisonment rate for sentenced black adults declined by 31 percent from 2007 to 2017 and by 4 percent from 2016 to 2017, the largest declines of any racial group. But the imprisonment rate for sentenced black males was almost six times that for sentenced white males. Overall, the rate of inmates serving sentences of one year or more in Alabama prisons dropped from 571 per 100,000 to 486 per 100,000 - a rate surpassed only by nine other states. There was little surprise in one notation about Alabamas state prison system in todays report The majority of Alabama prisons were overcrowded. According to the Alabama Department of Corrections internal overview in 2017, the states 15 medium and close security prisons at the time were occupied by 160.5 percent more inmates than they were designed to hold. Alabamas overcrowded, aging prisons were only one area of focus in this months report on Alabamas mens prisons by the U.S. Department of Justice, which found there is reasonable cause to believe conditions in Alabama prisons violate the Constitution. The report said Alabama prisons have the highest homicide rate in the nation and that violence has increased dramatically in the last five-and-a-half years. Todays report also shed light on other areas of the states prison picture. The number of Alabamians held in private prisons was down 24 percent from 2016 to 2017, but that number of prisoners 348 makes up barely 1 percent of the total of incarcerated people. The state also held 817 non-U.S. citizens in federal and state prisons, or about 3.7 percent of its total imprisoned population. Only 17 prisoners statewide were the age of 17 or younger. Nationally, the prison incarceration rate dropped 2.1 percent from 2016 to 2017, bringing it to the lowest level since 1997. The rate of people in jails also decreased by 12 percent from 2007 to 2017, but did not decline from 2016 to 2017. Half of jail inmates were white and a third were black. In fact, the demographic characteristics of people in jails shifted from 2005 to 2017. During this period, the percentage of white prisoners increased from 44 percent to 50 percent, while the percentage that was black decreased from 39 percent to 34 percent. The Hispanic proportion nationwide remained unchanged from 2005, at 15 percent. At the end of fiscal year 2017, nearly half of all federal prisoners were serving a sentence for drug trafficking, the report stated. The report on jails did not provide state by state numbers. Alabama prisons coverage The U.S. is in the midst of the worst measles outbreak since it was deemed eliminated from the country in 2000. As of this week, there are 695 cases of measles in 22 states, with concerns the highly-contagious virus could spread. Concerns about the spread of the virus once blamed for almost 500 deaths each year in the U.S. has also raised questions about measle vaccinations. The current recommendation, issued in 1989, calls for two doses of the MMR, or measles, mumps, and rubella, vaccine. The first dose is given when a child is between 12 and 15 months, the second between 4 and 6 years. Prior to 1989, vaccination recommendations varied and those differences can impact how effective the vaccine is against the virus. You can go here to see more information on who should receive a measles vaccine booster. The most recent outbreak started among communities with high numbers of unvaccinated people, the Centers for Disease Control said, urging people to get the vaccine. "Measles is not a harmless childhood illness, but a highly contagious, potentially life-threatening disease," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said. "We have the ability to safely protect our children and our communities. Vaccines are a safe, highly effective public health solution that can prevent this disease. The measles vaccines are among the most extensively studied medical products we have, and their safety has been firmly established over many years in some of the largest vaccine studies ever undertaken." How to get your vaccine records For adults There is no national organization that maintains vaccine records and the CDC does not have this information. For many people, the only records that exists are those parents were given when the vaccines were administered and the ones maintained by doctors or clinics. The CDC has several recommendations for adults wanting to track down vaccination records: Ask parents or other caregivers if they have records of your childhood immunizations. Try looking through baby books or other saved documents from your childhood. Check with your high school and/or college health services for dates of any immunizations. Keep in mind that generally records are kept only for 1-2 years after students leave the system. Check with previous employers (including the military) that may have required immunizations. Check with your doctor or public health clinic. Keep in mind that vaccination records are maintained at doctors office for a limited number of years. You can see more information on finding vaccination records here. State of Alabama records Alabama operates the Immunization Patient Registry with Integrated Technology known as ImmPRINT a statewide population-based information system on all children born in Alabama since Jan. 1, 1993. The system also has vaccine histories for patients of all ages if they have been to a county health department or see a private provider enrolled in ImmPRINT. The best way to find out if your provider participates in ImmPRINT is to ask. Certificates of Immunization, records used for school entry, can be obtained from the immunization provider or county health department that administered the vaccines, or the states digital registry. You can find more information on obtaining your childs vaccination records here. Free/low cost vaccines for children Alabama operates its Vaccines for Children Program to promote vaccinations among eligible children. Both private providers and county health departments participate in the VCP. To qualify, children from birth through 18 are eligible to receive a free vaccine if they are: enrolled in Medicaid; uninsured; are Native American or Alaskan native; underinsured, defined as having health insurance that does not include vaccinations as a covered benefit. An administration fee can apply, so check with your provider to see if they participate and if there are extra costs. Some schools also participate in school-based vaccination programs. Ask your school about its participation and what vaccines are available. Are you an adult that needs a vaccine? The Alabama Department of Public Health maintains a list of resources for adults wanting vaccinations. You can see that list here. What to do if you cant find your vaccine records If you cant find your personal records or records from the doctor, you may need to get some of the vaccines again. While this is not ideal, it is safe to repeat vaccines, the CDC said. The doctor can also sometimes do blood tests to see if you are immune to certain vaccine-preventable diseases. Reports that a person with measles made at least two stops in Alabama including one at a Fort Payne restaurant has added to concerns over the virus being spread to the state. Thats a real possibility, according to health experts. Heres what you need to know: Whats happening in Alabama? The Alabama Department of Public Health announced yesterday it had learned a person with a confirmed case of measles traveled through Alabama to Tennessee on April 11. On the way, the person made two stops D&J Travel Plaza on Highway 28 in Livingston at 2:20 p.m. and Chick-fil-A on Glenn Blvd. in Fort Payne at 5:54 p.m. And thats a big deal because Those stops raise concerns that people at both locations were exposed to the highly contagious virus. Measles can live up to two hours in the air or on surfaces after an infected person coughs or sneezes and a person with measles is contagious four days before and four days after the virus telltale rash appears. It is spread person-to-person through coughing and sneezing or touching items and surfaces that an infected person has coughed or sneezed on. How contagious are measles? A single case of measles will infect up to 95 percent of unvaccinated people who are exposed, the ADPH said, resulting in an additional 12-18 cases on average. Up to 30 percent of infected people have complications from the disease, especially children younger than age 5 or adults older than 20. What to do if you were potentially exposed? The ADPH recommends people who were potentially exposed by the person traveling through Alabama to contact their healthcare provider before being seen at their office. They also advise potential patients to follow instructions for reporting and to isolate themselves to avoid spreading the disease. What are the symptoms of measles? Symptoms of measles appear seven to 14 days after a person is infected. Common early symptoms include: High fever, up to 105 degrees F Cough Runny nose Red or watery eyes Two to three days after symptoms begin, an infected person typically develops tiny white spots that appear inside of the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, the infected person could also develop a rash of flat red spots that appear on the face and spread to the neck, chest, arms, legs and feet, sometimes topped by small raised bumps. The national scene The report from Alabama comes amid concerns over a national outbreak of the disease. The Centers for Disease Control announced Wednesday measles cases in the U.S. were at the highest level since the disease was eliminated in 2000. As of April 24, there are 695 cases of measles in 22 states, mostly the result of a few large outbreaks one in Washington state and two in New York. According to the CDC, the most recent outbreaks started when an unvaccinated traveler visited a country where measles are widespread. They become infected and return to the U.S. and expose people in their community who are not vaccinated. When measles is imported into a community with a highly vaccinated population, outbreaks either dont happen or are usually small, the CDC said. However, once measles is in an unvaccinated community, it becomes difficult to control the spread of the disease. States with measles cases The states with reported cases of measles are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington. Globally The World Health Organization reported this month that there has been a 300 percent increase in the number of measles cases worldwide compared with the first 3 months of 2018. No cases in Alabama, yet Measles have now been reported in Georgia, Florida and Tennessee and health officials warn it will likely spread to Alabama. Were likely to have one or more cases here in Alabama, William Curry, M.D., Senior VP for Population Health, UAB, said Monday. It is a very infectious and effective virus. Once it gets started in a vulnerable population it will spread quickly. If we have neighborhoods of people who are not immunized and we are likely to see more than one case. The ADPH has conducted 211 investigations into possible measles cases in Alabama in the past 12 months; none of the cases were found to be the measles. Thought to be eliminated in 2000 Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, almost 40 years after the first live measles vaccine was licensed. In the decade before the vaccinations, an average of 549,000 measles cases and 495 measles deaths were reported annually in the U.S. Since 2000, the annual number of cases has ranged from a low of 37 in 2004 to a high of 667 in 2014. How do you protect yourself from the measles? A two-round dose of measles vaccinations is the most effective way to protect yourself from the disease. The first dose of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is given when a child is between 12 and 15 months, the second between 4 and 6 years. Two doses of the vaccine provides protection against the disease 97 percent of the time, the CDC said. If the remaining 3 percent contract measles, they are likely to have a milder illness and be less likely to spread the disease to other people. Do I need a measles booster? Thats a complicated question and the answer has to do with when and how you were vaccinated. If you were born prior to 1963, its thought you either had the measles or were exposed to it and dont need a vaccination. If you were born between 1963 and 1967, you could have received a less effective form of the vaccine. People born in that period should consider getting a booster. Adults born between 1968 and 1989 need to ensure theyve had at least one dose of the measles vaccine. Those that are in a high-risk settings, including people who work at schools, in healthcare or who travel internationally, are advised to have two doses separated by at least 28 days. What if I dont know about my vaccination history? If youre unsure whether youve been vaccinated or what type you received, the CDC recommends trying to locate your vaccination records. If thats not possible, you should get vaccinated. There are no dangers or side effects associated with receiving another dose. Is there anyone who should not get a measles vaccination? Pregnant women, people with a weakened immune system or those with a life-threatening reaction to neomycini, a component of the vaccine, or to a previous dose, are advised against getting vaccinated. When in doubt, ask your healthcare provider. Is the MMR vaccination safe? While any vaccination has the potential for side effects, a large 2015 study showed the MMR vaccine did not increase risk for autism spectrum disorder. Researchers analyzed health records for 95,727 children, including more than 15,000 children unvaccinated at age 2 and more than 8,000 still unvaccinated at age 5. Nearly 2,000 of the children were considered at risk for autism because they were born into families that already had a child with the disorder. Consistent with studies in other populations, we observed no association between MMR vaccination and increased ASD risk, the studys authors wrote. We also found no evidence that receipt of either one or two doses of MMR vaccination was associated with an increased risk of ASD among children who had older siblings with ASD. You can see the report here. For more information... Want more information on measles? You can learn more at the CDC here. A former Madison City Schools aide was arrested Thursday and booked into the Limestone County Jail on a charge of willful torture/child abuse following a month-long investigation, police said. Jamerson Lee Baker, 37, of Madison, was arrested on a warrant obtained by Madison detectives after an investigation into allegations against Baker that were made earlier this month, police said. Authorities did not give further details about the allegations because they involve a minor. Baker was charged with willful torture/abuse of a child by caregiver or person on charge and booked into the Madison County Jail on Thursday. His bond was set at $2,500. Madison City Schools told police the ex-aide was a contract employee through a staffing agency. More than 100 students walked out of a Wednesday night speech given by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions at a Massachusetts college. Sessions was at Amherst College to discuss the 2016 election and issues related to the 2020 presidential contest. The event, hosted by Amherst College Republicans, was open to students and staff only. About 10 minutes into his speech at the campus chapel, a group of about 100 students, one carrying a rainbow flag, walked out of the address. Reports said the students chants of No racist police and Aint no power like the power of the people because the power of the people dont stop. Some professors joined in the protest. Sessions, a former Alabama Senator who left the Justice Department in November 2018 after repeated run-ins with President Trump, did not appear bothered by the protest. A good college that has no intellectual diversity is not a healthy place, Sessions said. Its too close to indoctrination to suit me. Students protest Jeff Sessions talk by walking out of Johnson Chapel and leaving nearly half the chapel empty. Video courtesy of Alex Liu 19 pic.twitter.com/09gMfmNK7N The Amherst Student (@AmherstStudent) April 25, 2019 Alabama might better its chances of holding on to its seven U.S. House seats if the Supreme Court allows a citizenship question on the 2020 Census, experts say. But its certainly an iffy thing, they add, and may have little bearing on reapportionment in the end. A case heard by the justices Tuesday, sparking lengthy discussion, would open the way for the 2020 Census to inquire about a households citizenship status. The case is entirely separate from a lawsuit filed by two top Alabama elected leaders who argue against counting undocumented immigrants for congressional reapportionment purposes. But both cases share the support of conservatives who believe the addition of a citizenship question on Census forms in June could provide a lift for low-immigration states like Alabama. That is an issue that has been widely debated, said Ed Blum, the director of the conservative legal advocacy group Project on Fair Representation based in Arlington, Virginia. It would not be unreasonable to expect that if there is a drop off in participation by noncitizens in this country, that a state like Alabama would, perhaps, benefit. Said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Alabamas lawsuit does not depend on the outcome of this other lawsuit, but we do support including a citizenship question in the Census. Salvaging a seat At issue for Alabama is whether it will lose one of its seats in the U.S. House, as well as an electoral vote during presidential elections, because the state has experienced relatively slow growth since the 2010 Census. The latest Census updates show Alabamas growth rate sluggish compared to other faster-growing states in the Southeast, putting at risk one of the states seven House seats. The last time Alabama lost a House seat was in 1970. The struggle is related to two factors: Alabama has the nations second-highest death rate behind West Virginia and one of the lowest rates of immigration from other countries. Alabama is one of five states attracting less than one foreign immigrant for every 1,000 residents, according to 2017 Census figures. And the state ranks toward the bottom in terms of its rate of international in-migration. Meanwhile, Texas and California draw headlines for high immigrant counts. The two states, along with New Jersey, also have the highest concentration of unauthorized immigrants. And those states would likely face a potential undercount if the Supreme Court sides with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in supporting revised 2020 Census questionnaires to add the citizenship question. The court is expected to decide the case in June. All indications are pointing to the courts conservative majority backing Ross in endorsing the question. Critics, including civil rights groups, contend that adding the citizenship question will discourage both legal and undocumented immigrants from filling out forms. They also argue that the Census count will be inaccurate, skewing population totals in regions of the country where immigrants flourish, such as parts of Texas. The rate of growth in the Hispanic population in Texas is very high, and these would likely be the folks who may not respond to the Census, said Gerald Webster, a professor of political geography at the University of Wyoming and a former geography professor at the University of Alabama. Texas, unlike California, remains very much a Republican-controlled state, thwarting accusations that the Trump administrations support for the citizenship question is solely based on politics, according to some experts. It would not only be blue states that would have undercounts, said Webster, pointing to Texas, where all statewide offices are occupied by Republicans. Terri Ann Rosenthal, a former staff director of a House oversight subcommittee on the Census, said the analyses shes seen on the citizenship question indicate that it could create an undercount that produces a shift of congressional seats away from states with larger immigrant populations to the benefit of states with smaller immigrant populations. Webster said, all in all, its seems unlikely that Alabama could keep its congressional seat solely on Census undercounts elsewhere. Alabama, in 2010, was one of 20 states that had higher participation rate for mailing in census forms than in 2000. For that to happen, the undercounts would have to be very substantial and geographically uneven, with Alabama having a very high response rate and other states having low response rates, he said. Alabama, according to Pew Research Center data, has 55,000 unauthorized immigrants living within the state, or about 1.2 percent of the overall population. While low, Alabama still ranks higher than 13 other states Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont, Alaska, to name a few in having a higher concentration of undocumented immigrants. Rosenthal said shes hopeful that all of the states take the Census activity seriously. I hope no state, or community, wants to see an inaccurate Census anywhere, she said. I urge Alabama to focus on efforts to help the Census Bureau conduct a full count of Alabama residents just like every state will be doing rather than pinning its hopes on the Census not being successful in other states. She added, This is our largest national civic activity. Its constitutionally required. An accurate Census nationwide lifts all boats. Running out of time For Marshall and Republican U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, they are not concerned about whether to prevent undocumented immigrants from being counted for the overall Census. Instead, the two are worried about including them in a holistic count to determine congressional standing the House. They jointly filed a lawsuit nearly 11 months ago that takes aim at the 14th Amendments Residence Rule, which gives the Census Bureau the authority to count undocumented immigrants when determining congressional seats in states where they reside. That lawsuit is pending in the U.S. District Court of Northern Alabama. Marshall has said that its unfair to reward states with congressional seats simply for having higher concentrations of undocumented immigrants. Federal statistics from 2010 showed that more than 60 percent of the nations undocumented immigrants lived in only six states. The lawsuit also argues that counting undocumented immigrants will lead to the state losing millions of federal dollars that get doled out based on population. Transportation, child care and non-profit funding would all be jeopardized, the lawsuit contends. The last significant brief filed in the case was in late February, and Marshall says that the state is awaiting the court to rule on whether the case can go forward. The U.S. Department of Justice, seeking to have the case dismissed, argues that Marshall and Brooks are using vague allegations that counting undocumented immigrants for reapportionment purposes will lead to a future injury. Brooks spokesman did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday, but Marshall said that Alabamas loss would be another states gain. Marshall said there is no indication on when a ruling could come, and Lowenthal said that ought to alarm Alabama officials. Alabama is running out of time on the lawsuit, she said. I think its too late already. Lowenthal said, Even if Alabama were to be successful on its constitutional claim about who should be included (for reapportionment counts), there is no timely practical remedy without delaying the Census. Webster said he doesnt see the Alabama lawsuit gaining much traction, arguing that altering reapportionment based on the number of citizens rather than the complete population would require a reinterpretation of the U.S. Constitution. That seems highly unlikely given more than two centuries of reliance on the current interpretation, said Webster. Hence, I see the two issues differently even if the citizenship question appears on the 2020 Census, total population would still be used for reapportionment and redistricting. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., endorsed former Vice President Joe Bidens 2020 presidential campaign shortly after Biden announced his run early Thursday morning in a video blasted across social media. Jones cited the former vice presidents ability to bring people together to find common ground while standing up for what he believes is right a hallmark of the senators own campaign in 2017s special election to fill Jeff Sessions seat. The quality that makes Joe stand out is his ability to bring people together to find common ground while standing up for what he believes is right. We need to listen to each other & get things done for working people. Joe can, and will, do that. Thats why I support Joe Biden. https://t.co/vxnLQu0XDZ Doug Jones (@DougJones) April 25, 2019 Jones endorsement of Biden was bashed by Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan, who said Jones and Biden were two of a kind on supporting unpopular policies. Biden, long-rumored to be a presidential candidate, made it official at 6 a.m. Thursday. In the video, the erstwhile vice president and former U.S. senator from Delaware said America is engaged in a battle for the soul of this nation. The announcement used images from the neo-Nazi rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, and criticized President Trumps remark that there were very fine people on both sides of the protests to back up Bidens assertion. The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020 https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2019 The endorsement -- made less than two hours after Bidens announcement -- comes with little surprise, as Jones all but telegraphed his support in a podcast interview with Mother Jones released Wednesday. Biden also delivered Jones highest-profile endorsement in 2017 when the vice president backed Jones during a rally in Birmingham, saying the then-candidate understands in his gut middle-class Alabamians. Alabamas junior senator told Mother Jones he was impressed with all of his Senate colleagues running for president but, My closest friend in this field of candidates has been someone that Ive known for 40 years and thats former vice president Biden. Despite the issues that hes faced, I think he still has the ability to reach people from all ends of the pol spectrum and govern this country. Those issues Jones alluded to were the allegations from women who said Biden inappropriately touched them during photo-ops or political events. Biden released an apology video earlier this month saying he would be more mindful about respecting peoples personal space in the future. Ive always tried to make a human connection. ...I shake hands, I hug people, I grab men and women by the shoulders and say, You can do this, and whether theyre women, men, young, old, its just the way Ive been," he said. Social norms have begun to change, theyve shifted and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset, and I get it, I get it. I hear what theyre saying, I understand it. And Ill be much more mindful. Thats my responsibility, my responsibility, and Ill meet it. Asked if he felt Biden meaningfully addressed the criticism in the era of the Me Too movement, Jones said, I think hes said some of the right things, I think hes said some wrong things. I think the thing that people need to remembers is that its not for others to judge. Its really for the people who were [on] the receiving end of that. Theyre the ones that need the reassurance. Although Jones said that Bidens intentions during the interactions didnt matter as long as the women felt uncomfortable by them, he suggested that there was a false equivalence between the Biden allegations -- where there was no sexual intent -- and claims made against other political figures like former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore, Jones GOP challenger in 2017. Its one thing to harass, its one thing to assault, Jones said, but I think we got to be much more aware of someone elses space. The endorsement was panned by Lathan, the Alabama GOP chairwoman, in a statement. Sen. Jones and Vice President Biden are two of a kind. Both support bigger government, ObamaCare and abortion all issues the majority of Alabamians oppose, she said. As long as the Democrats embrace their liberal propaganda and platform, Alabama will continue to reject their candidates. Its just not Alabama. The Jones campaign could not be reached for comment on Lathans statement. Two young Birmingham men have pleaded guilty to the 2017 shooting death of a Wenonah High School senior. Monsure Davis, now 20, and Dequerius Tyrell Fair, now 19, pleaded guilty to the slaying of 17-year-old Juzahris Webb. Both defendants were teens when they were initially arrested on capital murder charges in Webbs death. The charge was capital because the deadly shots were fired from a vehicle. The killing happened Jan. 31, 2017. Webb was shot in the stomach while walking home from Wenonah High School. The 17-year-old and his friend, Demarcus Daniels, were walking to Daniels grandmother's house when a car passed them, drove back by, and someone inside the car fired at the two teens. After being shot, Webb and Daniels ran to a nearby auto business where shop employees called police. Webb was pronounced dead at UAB Hospital. The shooting reportedly stemmed from an argument over a girl. Davis and another teen - who was charged with first-degree theft of property in connection with a stolen car he and Davis were in during the shooting - were taken into custody later that evening. Birmingham police arrested the third teen - Fair - about a week after the shooting. In June 2017, a Jefferson County grand jury indicted Davis and Fair in Webbs death and for shooting at Daniels. Authorities have not said who fired the fatal shots, but family members of the victim say the actual shooter was a minor who is serving five years in a juvenile facility. In the days after his death, Webbs father, Chris Major, said this about his son: He was a real kind person. Everybody loved him. "He didn't really have a lot of enemies,'' Major said. "He had his head screwed on right." Webbs mother, Karitsa, wrote this to the judge when Davis was trying to get out of jail on bond. "This is the hardest thing I have ever had to endure. Juzahris was a great boy! He was never disrespectful towards anyone... He and I was [sic] so excited about graduation and his birthday which were only one day apart. When he was gunned down like a dog he was holding his senior packet in his hand so that he could take pictures and order senior items! That too was taken away from me." She wrote, "I remember when he was maybe 5 years old he grabbed my leg and hugged me. He looked up at me and said, "I'm never moving out! I'm going to always be with you!" In an online profile, Webb described himself as "the most-happiest person you will ever meet in your life." He said he wanted to be a firefighter after graduating Wenonah. "I want to be a firefighter after I graduate high school because it would make feel wonderful to know that I have saved someone's life or house or anything that caught fire that belongs to them." Davis and Fair pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of murder in Webbs death, and to attempted murder for shooting at Daniels. They were given 20 years in prison with five to serve in each case, with the sentences to run consecutively, meaning both were ordered to serve a total of 10 years. Once their sentences are complete, they will spend 42 months on probation. They are to have no contact with any of the witnesses in the case, nor can they possess a firearm once they are free. Im happy,'' Karitsa Webb said. They got what they deserved for their role in the murder. Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Deborah Danneman released this statement to AL.com following the guilty pleas: The resolution of these cases is the end of a diligent investigation led by Detective James Towns of the Birmingham Police Department, in which he sought not only to identify those responsible for the death of Juzahris Webb and attempted murder of Demarcus Daniels, but to determine the roles each of those individuals played in this tragedy. The disposition of these cases recognizes that the law seeks to hold accomplices responsible for their participation, even when they did not cause the death by their own hand. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with the family of Juzahris as they suffered a tragedy that no family should have to endure. An initiative by Jefferson County leaders to end misdemeanor marijuana arrests and instead cite and release offenders has been put on hold. Jefferson County sheriffs deputies on Thursday received notice from Chief Deputy Willie Hill that the Big Ticket program has been put on hold and all sworn deputies were ordered to return the ticket books back to the property room. Sheriffs spokesman Sgt. James Perry confirmed the action but said he did not know specifics. Sheriff Mark Pettway, and Jefferson County district attorneys Lynneice Washington and Danny Carr collaborated to implement the Big Ticket. Specifically, authorities said, it is a Uniform Non-Traffic Citation and Complaint form. In practice, the procedure allows an individual to sign his or her own recognizance bond in lieu of arrest, assuring their presence in future court matters related to the citation charge. Washington said there was a list of offenses that would fall under the Big Ticket program, including simple marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and harassment. A complete list of applicable offenses has not yet been released but Capt. David Agee earlier this week said they included non-violent offenses such as possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal littering, and fireworks violations. Agee called the effort an example of criminal justice reform. I think we have some very progressive leaders who are not afraid to do what needs to be done, Agee said. People are always talking about criminal justice reform, well this is more than talk, this is action. This is big. Washington said she was unaware the program had been put on hold. Efforts to reach Carr for comment werent immediately successful. Pettway said this: I have talked to the DA and at this time we have decided not to use the Big Ticket for misdemeanor arrests. On Wednesday, Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran said he previously explored the idea of implementing the plan a few years back but said he ran into legal roadblocks. Cochran said he expected Jefferson County would run into the same issues. We were told we could not change it without getting the Supreme Court of Alabama to approve the various charges. Weve sort of been at a dead end on all that for quite some time, Cochran said. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. A Mountain Brook man is accused of embezzling more than $1 million from his clients. Jeffrey Rusert, 52, is charged with a wire fraud scheme, according to a joint announcement by U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. According to authorities, Rusert was the owner and president of Southern Crafstman Custom Homes Inc., a company that built luxury residential homes. Between 2016 and 2018, federal investigators contend, Rusert engaged in a fraudulent scheme to obtain money more than $1.3 million - from at least 16 people or families. The scheme worked like this: Rusert solicited clients to sign a contract and pay money to Southern Craftsman for the construction of a custom home. He accepted the checks and down payments from numerous people and families and then fraudulently used the proceeds on unrelated construction projects, outstanding debt, and personal expenses. In addition to obtaining personal checks from the victims, authorities state, Rusert helped the clients obtain loans to finance the construction of their custom home. After obtaining financing, Rusert submitted false and fraudulent invoices and documentation to financial institutions for the purpose of obtaining checks or draws from the construction loans purportedly to pay for materials, labor and expenses associated with a particular home under construction. Rusert, they said, failed to apply the money obtained from the financial institutions towards the construction of the customers home project. The case against Rusert was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Beardsley Mark is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Rusert faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Federal authorities do not release mugshots. The victims trusted the defendant to help them achieve the American dream of a custom-built home, Town said, and instead he took their money, used it for his own benefit, and left them without a home, while he moved on to other unsuspecting victims. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The mother of a baby who died following a fire at an east Alabama apartment complex has been charged in her infants death. Phenix City police on Thursday announced the arrest of 31-year-old Ashley Nicole King. She is charged with capital murder in the Wednesday death of her 4-month-old son, said Phenix City police Capt. Darryl Joey Williams. She is being held without bond. The ordeal began Wednesday morning. Police said a property manager at Clover Leaf Apartments on Stadium Drive responded to the apartment on a noise complaint. King told the manager the baby would not stop crying and she had gotten no sleep. About 30 minutes later - at 10:14 a.m., police and firefighters responded to the complex. They were alerted to a fire in Apt. No. 29 - which was leased by Kings boyfriend - and rescued King from the blaze. It was then they learned the baby boy was still inside. They found the unresponsive baby suffering from severe burns, Williams said. The baby was taken to Piedmont Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. King had an outstanding warrant at the time of her rescue. She was taken into custody on that warrant. Investigations into the cause of the fire were conducted and it was determined that the fire was a deliberate act, Williams said, and the capital murder warrants were obtained against King. She made a court appearance Thursday morning. Authorities have not yet confirmed how the fire was started, nor publicly released a motive. Williams said the investigation is ongoing and is a coordinated effort with the Phenix City Fire Department, Russell County Department of Human Resources, the Alabama State Fire Marshals office, and the Phenix City Police Department. He said certain aspects of the case cannot yet be disclosed. WASHINGTON (AP) Former Vice President Joe Biden formally joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday, betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obamas presidency will help him overcome questions about his place in todays increasingly liberal Democratic Party. He made his announcement in a video posted on Twitter. Thursday's announcement marks the unofficial end of the chaotic early phase of the 2020 presidential season. The field now features at least 20 Democrats jockeying for the chance to take on President Donald Trump next year. Several lesser-known candidates may still join the race. Biden, a 76-year-old lifelong politician, becomes an instant front-runner alongside Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is leading many polls and has proved to be a successful fundraiser . Among Democrats, Biden has unmatched international and legislative experience, and he is among the best-known faces in U.S. politics. But the anti-establishment wave that swept Trump into office has not been kind to either party's statesmen. Biden's team worries about his fundraising ability and his tendency to commit gaffes. His centrist approach in a party moving left on major policy debates raises questions about his appeal. However, according to Politico: Senior Trump 2020 advisers are headed to Harrisburg on Wednesday to meet with Pennsylvania GOP officials amid mounting concerns about the presidents prospects in the critical battleground state. Four years Trump's senior, Biden would be the oldest person ever elected president should he win. Yet his allies believe the skeptics will ultimately warm to his strong connections to the Obama years. Biden has said he would campaign as an "Obama-Biden Democrat," who is as pragmatic as he is progressive. He's aiming to be a conduit between working-class white voters and the younger, more diverse voters who backed Obama in historic numbers. The Republican Party wasted no time seeking to undercut Biden's record, releasing a video on Wednesday questioning economic growth under Obama and Biden while resurrecting conservative arguments against Obama's health care law and a failed investment in green energy company Solyndra. The video ends with the words, "Joe Biden: Backwards, not forwards." Yet privately, Trump allies have warned that Biden might be the biggest re-election threat given the former vice president's potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Trump a path to the presidency. The Republican video notably does not argue a Biden candidacy would lead to socialism, as Trump and his backers have said would happen with many in the large 2020 Democratic presidential field. Biden is paying special attention to Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. The former vice president will be in the state three times within the opening weeks of his campaign. He'll be in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast. Biden is aiming to raise $500,000 at the event. He will hold an event in Pittsburgh on Monday and will return to Philadelphia in the next two weeks for a major rally. His plans were described by people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss his schedule and fundraising goals. With a record that stretches half a century, Biden's challenges are easy to find. Most recently, he struggled to respond to claims that he touched 2014 Nevada lieutenant governor nominee Lucy Flores' shoulders and kissed the back of her head before a fall campaign event. A handful of other women have made similar claims, though none has alleged sexual misconduct. Biden initially said he didn't recall the Flores incident but credited her with coming forward. He took a different approach in a subsequent statement, saying, "Never did I believe I acted inappropriately." Biden later pledged in an online video to be "much more mindful" of respecting personal space but joked two days later that he "had permission" to hug a male union leader before addressing the group's national conference. The episode offered a stark reminder of Biden's proclivity to gaffes and his long record in public office that has never felt the full glare of the spotlight that comes along with being a presidential front-runner. His first White House bid in 1988 ended after a plagiarism scandal. He dropped out of the 2008 race after earning less than 1 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses. Later that year, Obama named Biden as his running mate. More recently, Biden's willingness to work with Republicans has caused him political headaches. He was forced to walk back a comment last month that Vice President Mike Pence is "a decent guy" after intense blowback from liberal activists upset with Pence's opposition to gay rights. In recent weeks, Biden also has been repeatedly forced to explain his 1991 decision, as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, to allow Anita Hill to face difficult questions from an all-male panel about allegations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, who later was confirmed to the high court. Biden has since apologized for his role in the hearing. But in the #MeToo era, particularly after the contentious confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the episode remains a significant political liability. Likewise, Biden once played a key role in anti-crime legislation that had a disproportionately negative impact on African Americans. And while several 2020 Democratic contenders have embraced the possibility of reparations to African Americans for slavery in recent weeks, Biden last month struggled to explain comments he made as a freshman senator in 1975 about the school busing debate. Biden's 2020 bid comes four years after he opted against challenging Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic contest. In a book he wrote about conversations with his dying son, he opened up about the difficult choice to sit out the last presidential race: abandon a careerlong quest for the presidency or lose precious time with a family he'd held together through tragedy, from his first wife's and his daughter's deaths in a 1972 car accident to son Beau Biden's 2015 death from cancer. "He was worried that what I'd worked on my whole life, the things that mattered to me the most since I was a kid, that I'd walk away," Biden said of his son. Ultimately, the draw to take on Trump in 2020 was too strong. TO BECOME AN AMERICAN YOU MUST CHANGE YOUR VALUES ... NOT YOUR LOCATION STAY HOME AND BUILD AMERICA ON YOUR SOIL Escalation of violence against indigenous groups in Brazil pushes growing number of native women to lead the movement. Sao Paulo, Brazil Celia Xakriaba was 13 years old when she joined the fight for indigenous rights. Her indigenous Xakriaba community is one of the few who survived the advancement of colonisers and missionaries in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais during the 18th century. Xakriaba, now 29, continues the fight for the rights of native people in Brazil and is one of the growing number of women who have taken the lead in the movement. The 21st century belongs to women and our voices are stronger than ever, Xakriaba told Al Jazeera over the phone. Indigenous women have the chance to bring new strategies to this moment of political crisis and deadly policies. Last year was one of the bloodiest years on record for indigenous communities in Brazil. The Indigenous Missionary Council, a religious organisation fighting for indigenous rights, recorded at least 110 murders of indigenous individuals in 2017. Rights groups fear the violence will only get worse under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who took office in January. Even if you dont go to the fight, the fight comes to you, Xakriaba told Al Jazeera. Since coming to power, Bolsonaro has pledged to open the Amazon to foreign prospectors, and has repeatedly said he would not demarcate one centimetre of indigenous land. Theres a necessity Nara Bare, leader of the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), said the increase in violence, as well as the implementation of public policies that favour the interests of the farming industry, have pushed many women to join the traditionally male-dominated movement. Before, we didnt have the necessity to be part of the movement, but now, because of the total disrespect for our peoples, for our lives, we feel the need to join our warriors, our men, to walk this journey together, she told Al Jazeera. In 2017, Bare was the first woman to be elected as the leader of COIAB, the biggest indigenous organisation in the country. Im proud to be an example for other women and tell them, yes, we can and should occupy more decision-making roles and places of power,' she said. Nara Bare speaks to indigenous women during lasts year Free Land Camp [File: Mia Alberti/Al Jazeera] Bares organisation was part of a successful nationwide effort to push and support a record 136 indigenous candidates in last years elections, including Sonia Guajajara who became the first woman in the countrys history to run as vice president. 181012203934564 Activist and lawyer Joenia Wapichana also ran for office. She was the only indigenous candidate to be elected and became the first ever native female federal deputy. Before her, only one other indigenous deputy was elected in the 1980s. She is now the voice of the more than 900,000 indigenous people in Brazil and faces the power of the so-called rural bench in Congress that represents the interests of the farming industry. Bare said women are showing how important self-representation is in Brazil in todays climate. For many time other people and institutions spoke for us, she told Al Jazeera. Now we are our own spokespeople. This time belongs to women, we are stronger, powerful and more present. Mounting challenges But women still face many challenges. The country has the fifth-highest femicide rate in the world, according to Article 19, a UK-based rights group. The yearly homicide and suicide rates were twice as high than those of non-indigenous women between 2003 and 2013, according to the World Bank. And only 77 of the 513 deputies in Brazils lower house of congress are women. Samantha Tsitsina is part of the indigenous movement in Mato Grosso do Sul, the state with the highest number of killings of individuals people. She said women also face other types of non-explicit violence, including prejudice and racism. In my village, people constantly judge that I am 34 years old with no husband or children, she told Al Jazeera. If I go out of my village the looks are instantly different. When I go to the supermarket, the security guard starts following me. This is prejudice, institutionalised racism, Tsitsina said. I questioned and confronted [the security guard] because I had the opportunity to go to the university and education is a means to be informed about our rights and how to defend them, she said, adding that many women, who havent had access to education, suffer the abuse in silence. Samantha Tsitsina says women face other kinds of non-explicit violence [Courtesy of Samatha Tsitsina] 190424182035658 Bare, Xakriaba and Tsitsina are attending this years Free Land Camp in Brasilia, the biggest indigenous protest in Brazil. Thousands of indigenous people from across Brazil are gathering for a three-day event this week to demand native rights be respected, especially under Bolsonaro. This years Free Land Camp is a direct response to the Government, Xakriaba said. Women will be there to contribute and strengthen the fight. For Bare, the strength of the indigenous community, especially among women, is all the more reason to continue. We are seeing indigenous women from the villages to the National Congress, she says. And thats because we are here to defend our lives and our future generations. Why the BJP leadership is systematically trying to downplay incidents of Hindu terrorism during this election campaign. On April 21, as terror gripped Sri Lanka in the aftermath one of the worst attacks witnessed by the country in recent years, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a message of condolence to Colombo. He called the attacks cold-blooded and preplanned barbaric acts and reiterated that there could be no place for such barbarism in any civilised country. He pointed out that terrorism poses the most serious challenge in South Asia, especially since the attacks in Sri Lanka were perpetrated at religious sites and during a religious festival. Two days before the prime minister said these words, he inducted Pragya Thakur, a seer from the province of Madhya Pradesh, into his party and gave her an election ticket to contest one of the most coveted seats in the North Indian belt, which over the past two decades has witnessed multiple episodes of intercommunal tensions. Thakur or Sadhvi (priestess) Pragya as she is referred to by her followers was introduced into the electoral race by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supposedly to correct for the gender imbalance on their list of candidates. Yet, most Indians know her not as a rising female politician, but as a suspect facing terror charges in relation to a deadly bomb blast in the city of Malegaon, Maharashtra state which targeted the Muslim minority. On the morning of September 29, 2008, two explosive devices fitted into a motorcycle exploded in the city killing nine people and injuring hundreds. The motorcycle belonged to Thakur and in a taped conversation with a co-accused submitted to court as evidence, she supposedly says: If my vehicle was used for the blast, how come so few people (Muslims) died, why didnt you park it in a crowd? Besides the Malegaon incident of 2008, Thakur was also investigated for her role in the 2006 blasts in the same city during the Muslim festival Shab-e-Baraat that took 40 lives. Just like the terrorists who targeted the Christian community of Sri Lanka on Sunday, the perpetrators of the 2006 bombings wanted to ensure maximum casualties and instil fear in the Muslim community. Her name also appeared in investigations into a series of deadly incidents in 2007 the bombing of Samjhauta Express, the Mecca Masjid blast, and Ajmer Sharif shrine explosion all of which targeted minorities and aimed at stirring intercommunal unrest in the country. Currently, she still faces charges in the 2008 Malegoan case under the draconian Unlawful Activities Preventive act, which deals with terrorism. It is, perhaps, the first occasion in the history of independent India that a suspect facing terror charges has been asked to contest elections by the ruling party and has been endorsed by none other than the prime minister himself. In an interview for a news channel on April 19, Modi said that Thakurs candidacy is a symbolic answer to those who labelled Hindus as terrorists. Two days after her nomination was announced, Thakur wearing a saffron robe addressed a gathering attended by thousands of mostly BJP members. She boasted about taking part in the demolition of the iconic Babri mosque, which unleashed one of the worst episodes of communal carnage in the country in 1992. She claimed that Indias celebrated anti-terror squad head Hemant Karkare, who died in the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, died due to her curse. He is credited with exposing the face of ultra-right terror in India and exposed their role in cases that were earlier attributed to Muslims who spent years languishing in jail on false charges. In 2008, Karkare unearthed the terror activities of the Abhinav Bharat, an organisation Thakur had pledged allegiance to. The aim of the Abhinav Bharat was to create a Hindu kingdom and establish Hindu supremacy. Her induction in the BJP was celebrated as the triumph of Hindu pride which was supposedly restored under the leadership of Modi and BJP President Amit Shah. In their endorsement of her candidacy, the BJP leadership have normalised the terror and hate that she championed and set the agenda for the country should Modi be re-elected. In this way, they have also sent a chilling message to the Muslim community that those responsible for terror acts against them could potentially come to rule the country with brazen disregard for the rule of law and justice. During his campaign speeches, Modi has questioned the concept of right-wing terror in the country as a whole, suggesting that Hindus can never be terrorists. He has also pointed several times to the final verdict in the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing case, which was announced in March this year, in which four Hindu nationalists who were accused of setting up the explosives that killed 68 passengers, mostly Pakistani nationals, were acquitted by a special court. What many saw as a travesty of justice, Modi has brandished as proof that Hindus were being framed in terror cases by investigators sympathetic to secular parties. Meanwhile, his government in the western province of Gujarat endorsed a bail application for a rioter involved in the Gujarat carnage of 2002 which killed a thousand Muslims. In March, Babu Bajrangi, a Hindu nationalist who participated in the riots and was sentenced to life imprisonment, was granted bail on medical grounds, with the help of a government-issued affidavit. This same government has jailed academics and intellectuals for dissent and refused to give any relief for their medical needs. Lower-ranking BJP functionaries have taken cues from the leadership and also gotten involved in endorsing Hindu terror. Yogi Adityanath, a saffron-clothed monk who is Modis most controversial provincial minister, recently seated the key accused in a lynching of Muslims in the front row of his election rally. For all his talk about bringing economic development and prosperity, Modi has only succeeded in sowing divisions in the country. In fact, he has gone back to the script put together by the man he considers his mentor Madhav Sadashiv Golwalker, one of the founders of the right-wing organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In a book called We, or our nationhood defined Golwalker writes: As long as the Muslims and the Christians failed to abandon their own religion and culture they cannot but be only foreigners in this country and if they stayed here without losing their separate existence they might be treated as enemies. In 2019, Modi has cast himself as the prodigal son who has come back to continue the legacy of his ideological forefathers and defend it against the secular and democratic principles independent India was founded on. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Once a pool of more than 25 has now been reduced to just one. Former Vice President Joe Biden is the last candidate in the 2020 Democratic presidential race. His now-likely nomination comes after Senator Bernie Sanders, once a Democratic frontrunner, ended his bid in April, saying he the path toward victory was virtually impossible. The race has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced campaigns online, delayed primary elections and force the Democratic National Committee to postpone its nominating convention. Heres a brief look at who Biden is, and the list of candidates that dropped out ahead of Novembers election. Joe Biden, 77 Joe Biden served as vice president under former President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017 after nearly four decades serving as a senator from Delaware. Biden is the most experienced politician in the race and among the oldest at 77. This will be his third presidential run. His first White House bid in 1987 ended after a plagiarism scandal. In a video announcement of his candidacy posted on Twitter on April 25, Biden focused on the 2017 deadly clash between white supremacists and counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Virginia. Biden noted US President Donald Trumps comments that there were some very fine people on both sides of the violent encounter, which left one woman dead. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Biden said. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen. Last year, Biden struggled to respond to comments from Lucy Flores, a 2014 lieutenant governor nominee in Nevada, who said he made her uncomfortable by touching her shoulders and kissing the back of her head before a campaign event. Several other women have made similar claims. In a video, Biden pledged to be more mindful of respecting personal space, but Flores told Fox News this week that the former senators jokes on the matter have been so incredibly disrespectful. The incident is just a glimpse of the harsh vetting from both Democrats and Republicans expected for Biden, who has run for president twice before but never from such a strong political starting position. Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Biden Courage Awards last year in New York. [Frank Franklin II/AP Photo] Last year, he was also repeatedly forced to explain his 1991 decision, as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman to allow Anita Hill to face questions about her allegations of sexual harassment against Clarence Thomas, then a nominee for the Supreme Court. Biden has since apologised for his role in the hearing. But in the #MeToo era, it is another example of why critics believe he may struggle to catch on with the Democratic primary voters of 2020. Biden was also becoming a prominent figure in the House of Representatives impeachment inquiry of Trump. That probe is centred on a July 25 phone call in which Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Biden and his businessman son, Hunter. Democrats have accused Trump of pressuring Ukraine to find incriminating information on Biden after withholding nearly $400m in US security aid to Ukraine. There has been no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens. In December, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The president was acquitted in February. Biden made all debate stages during the campaign season. He struggled to maintain his early momentum in the first three contests of the primary season but got a boost for his campaign in the South Carolina primary. Who has dropped out? Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg served as New York City mayor from 2002 to 2013. The 78-year-old billionaire who entered the race in November decided to forego the four states with the earliest primaries and caucuses, focusing instead on states like California that vote on Super Tuesday. A disastrous showing on Super Tuesday, in which he managed a win only in the US territory of American Samoa, made it clear he had no path forward, however, so he dropped out on March 4 and endorsed Biden. Michael Bennet Michael Bennet has served as a US senator from Colorado since 2009. Bennet, a former head of the Denver school district, carved out a profile as a wonky, policy-oriented senator. But his profile did not do him any favours, never catching on in the polls or in his fundraising. Bennet announced the end of his campaign on February 11, the night of the New Hampshire election. Cory Booker Cory Booker has served as a US senator from New Jersey the first African American in the states history to hold the office since 2013. He was the mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013. After struggling in the polls and fundraising, Booker dropped out of the race in January. Its with a full heart that I share this news Im suspending my campaign for president, he tweeted when announcing he was ending his bid. To my team, supporters, and everyone who gave me a shot thank you. I am so proud of what we built, and I feel nothing but faith in what we can accomplish together, he added. Booker had qualified for five debates but failed to meet the requirements for the sixth event. Steven Bullock Montana Governor Steve Bullock quit his bid for the Democratic nomination in early December. Today, I am suspending my campaign to become the Democratic Partys nominee for president, Bullock, 53, said in a statement on December 2. While there were many obstacles we could not have anticipated when entering this race, it has become clear that, in this moment, I wont be able to break through to the top tier of this still-crowded field of candidates. Bullock, 53, will return to Montana to finish his second term as governor. He will not run for the US Senate, despite encouragement from party leaders to do so and help Democrats wrest control of Congresss upper house from Republicans. Bullock was re-elected in conservative Montana in 2016, making him the only Democratic presidential contender who had won a statewide election in a state Trump carried in 2016. Bullock failed to make the presidential debate stage in June but did so in July. Due to the stricter guidelines for the events in September, October and November, he did not qualify. Pete Buttigieg Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor who was a rising star in the Democratic Party, dropped out of the race on March 1, just before Super Tuesday. I will no longer seek to be the 2020 Democratic nominee for president, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that have a new Democratic president come January, he told supporters in South Bend. We need leadership to heal a divided nation, not drive us further apart, he said, apparently warning against giving Sanders the nomination. Buttigieg made history as the first openly gay Democratic candidate to run for president. He won the delegate count in the chaotic Iowa caucuses. Buttigieg qualified for all debates held before he dropped out. Julian Castro Julian Castro was elected mayor of San Antonio, Texas in 2009 and served until 2014. He served as the 16th US secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under US President Barack Obama from 2014 until 2017. He ended his presidential bid in January, saying in a video: Ive determined that it simply isnt our time. He said he was not done fighting. Ill keep working towards a nation where everyone counts, a nation where everyone can get a good job, good health care and a decent place to live. Castro made the debate stage for the first four events, but failed to qualify for the fifth and sixth debates. Bill de Blasio The New York City mayor emerged as a progressive standard-bearer in 2013, when he won the first of two four-year terms at the helm of the countrys biggest city on a platform of addressing income inequality. But he struggled amid middling approval ratings and some political setbacks to build a national profile. After making the first two 2020 Democratic debates, but failing to qualify for the September event, the New York City mayor dropped out of the race in mid-September. I feel like Ive contributed all that I can to this primary election, de Blasio told MSNBC when announcing he was withdrawing from the race. Its clearly not my time. John Delaney John Delaney served as a US congressman for Marylands sixth district from 2013 to 2019. He was the first Democrat to formally declare a run for the partys 2020 presidential nomination, but at the end of January, he said he was dropping out of the race. Delaney, who had already been campaigning for more than a year, announced the end of his presidential run in an interview on CNN. He failed to qualify for the first debate but was able to do so for the second. He could not, however, meet the guidelines for the rest of the debates. Tulsi Gabbard, 38 Tulsi Gabbard has served as a US congresswoman from Hawaiis second district since 2013. She dropped out on March 19 and endorsed Biden. Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Gillibrand has served as a US senator from New York since 2009. After failing to qualify for the third Democratic presidential debate, Gillibrand, who campaigned on a platform centred on womens rights, dropped out of the race. In announcing her decision on August 28, Gillibrand told US media she had not decided which candidate to endorse. I think that women have a unique ability to bring people together and heal this country, Gillibrand told the New York Times newspaper. I think a woman nominee would be inspiring and exciting, she added. Mike Gravel Mike Gravel, the 89-year-old former senator, made a little-known run for the Democratic nomination in 2008 and took another stab at it early in the Democratic race. His goal was to make the debate stage, but when that did not happen, he officially ended his campaign in August and endorsed Sanders. Kamala Harris Kamala Harris has served as a US senator from California since 2017. In early December, she ended her bid for the nomination, saying her campaign did not have the financial resources to continue. Ive taken stock and looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life, Harris said in an email to supporters. My campaign for president simply doesnt have the financial resources we need to continue. Harris had qualified for all five debates that took place before she ended her bid. John Hickenlooper John Hickenlooper served as the governor of Colorado from 2011 to 2019. He announced he was ending his presidential bid on August 15 in a video posted on Twitter. While this campaign didnt have the outcome we were hoping for, every moment has been worthwhile and Im thankful to everyone who supported this campaign and our entire team, Hickenlooper tweeted. Later in August, Hickenlooper announced he would run in the US Senate race against Republican incumbent Cory Gardner in Colorado. Jay Inslee Jay Inslee has served as the governor of the state of Washington since 2013. On August 21, he announced he was dropping out of the race, saying, it has become clear that Im not going to be carrying the ball. I am not going to be the president. Inslee made fighting climate change the central issue of his campaign. In announcing his withdrawal, Inslee said he hoped other 2020 candidates would use his detailed 10-year climate plan. Amy Klobuchar Amy Klobuchar served as a US senator from Minnesota since 2007, becoming her states first elected female senator. Before joining the Senate, she was the Hennepin County lawyer. While she performed better than expected in some of the early voting contests during the primary season, she ended her campaign on March 2, just before Super Tuesday. She plans to endorse Biden. Wayne Messam Wayne Messam has served as mayor of Miramar, Florida, since 2015. In mid-November, he tweeted that he was suspending his campaign. Messam had failed to make a single debate stage during the campaign. Seth Moulton Seth Moulton has served as the US representative for Massachusettss sixth congressional district since 2015. On August 23, he announced he was dropping out of the 2020 race, telling US media if one of the more progressive candidates won the nomination it could make it harder for the Democrats to beat Trump. I think its evident that this is now a three-way race between Biden, Warren and Sanders, and really its a debate about how far left the party should go, Moulton told the New York Times newspaper. Richard Ojeda Richard Ojeda was the first official presidential contender to drop out of the race. In January, the former West Virginia state senator announced he was suspending his campaign, acknowledging he does not have the ability to compete. Beto ORourke Beto ORourke served Texass 16th congressional district in the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019. ORourke gained fame last year for his record fundraising and ability to draw crowds before his unexpectedly narrow loss in the US Senate race against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. On November 1, ORourke announced he was dropping out of the presidential race. The New York Times reported that his campaign was facing financial strain. My service to the country will not be as a candidate or a nominee, ORourke said in an online post. Though it is difficult to accept, it is clear to me now that this campaign does not have the means to move forward successfully, he wrote on Medium. Acknowledging this now is in the best interests of those in the campaign; it is in the best interests of this party as we seek to unify around a nominee, and it is in the best interests of the country. Deval Patrick Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in November 2019 said he was seeking the Democratic Partys 2020 presidential nomination despite an already crowded race to bring a divided country and splintering political party together. But he announced the end of his bid on February 12, the day after a poor performance in New Hampshire. I believed and still believe we had a strong case to make for being able to deliver better outcomes, Patrick said in a statement. But the vote in New Hampshire last night was not enough for us to create the practical wind at the campaigns back to go on to the next round of voting. He did not make it to the debate stage during his run. Tim Ryan Tim Ryan has served as a US House representative from Ohios 13th district since 2003. On October 24, he announced that he was ending his bid for the nomination and would instead seek re-election in his House race. Ryans campaign was marked by slow fundraising and low poll numbers. Bernie Sanders Bernie Sanders served as a US representative for 16 years before being elected to the Senate in 2006 where he currently represents the state of Vermont. He dropped out of the race in early April, acknowledging that the Biden was too far ahead for him to have any reasonable hope of catching up. He insisted that his campaign, while unsuccessful, won an ideological struggle and opened Americans eyes to the importance of his signature issues such as a higher minimum wage and free higher education. Sanders seized on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as evidence that his proposal of Medicare for All is even more critical to the country than it was just a few months ago. He said the crisis has exposed for all to see how absurd our current employer-based health insurance system is. He acknowledged that many of his supporters want him to stay in the race, but said he cannot in good conscience continue to mount a campaign that cannot win and congratulated Biden, whom he called a very decent man that I will work with to move our progressive ideas forward. Joe Sestak Former US Representative Joe Sestak joined the race in June. In announcing his candidacy, Sestak, a retired three-star US Navy admiral, emphasised his 31-year military career, the need to restore US leadership in the world and tackle challenges from climate change to Chinas growing global influence. But after failing to qualify for any of the debates and impress donors, the 67-year-old dropped out of the race in early December. In a statement posted on his Twitter page, Sestak offered his thanks to supporters for the honor of running for president as I end our campaign together. Without the privilege of national press, it is unfair to ask others to husband their resolve and to sacrifice resources any longer, he wrote. Tom Steyer Tom Steyer, a billionaire donor and liberal activist, announced on July 9, 2019, he was joining the Democratic presidential field after initially saying he would not run to focus his attention on impeaching Trump and getting fellow Democrats elected to Congress. He said he was ending his bid, however, on February 29, after poor performances in the first four voting contests. Honestly, I cant see a path where I can win the presidency, he reportedly told supporters in South Carolina. He said he would continue putting his money behind the Democratic Party. Every Democrat is a million times better than Trump. Trump is a disaster, Steyer was quoted by US media as saying. So, of course, Ill be working on that. Eric Swalwell Eric Swalwell, an Iowa native, has served as a House representative from Californias 15th congressional district since 2013. He dropped out of the presidential race after the first primary debate in June. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Warren, who dropped out of the race March 5, has served as a US senator from Massachusetts since 2013. Warren, known as a progressive, taught law at several universities and was a Harvard professor. Warren is a leader of the partys liberals and a fierce Wall Street critic who was instrumental in creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Marianne Williamson Marianne Williamson is an author, entrepreneur and activist. The self-help guru dropped out of the race in January. I stayed in the race to take advantage of every possible effort to share our message. With caucuses and primaries now about to begin, however, we will not be able to garner enough votes in the election to elevate our conversation any more than it is now, Williamson said in a statement. Williamson qualified for the first two debates, but failed to do so in September, October, November and December. Andrew Yang Andrew Yang filed to run for president in 2017. But the entrepreneur ended his bid on February 11, the day of the New Hampshire primary, after a poor showing in New England state, as well as in Iowa. Yang failed to qualify for the January debate but did make the cut for the February event. Central bank locked down as another 16 people are arrested over Easter Sunday blasts that killed 359 people. Authorities in Sri Lanka have issued a nationwide alert as more people were arrested overnight in connection with the deadly Easter Sunday bombings that left 359 people dead. In the capital, Colombo, authorities locked down the central bank and the road leading to the airport was shut briefly following a bomb scare on Thursday. Reporting from Colombo, Al Jazeeras Florence Looi said the police have issued a countrywide alert for nine vehicles suspected to have been used in the Sunday bombings. The situation remains tense and security has been beefed up, with even naval and air force officers patrolling the streets, she said. 190421092621543 Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told Al Jazeera several road blocks had been set up throughout Colombo and suspicious vehicles and individuals were being searched. We will conduct raids inside private premises if necessary, he said, asking for people to cooperate in the search operation. Al Jazeeras Minelle Fernandez, also reporting from Colombo, said there were intelligence warnings of potential further attacks and the authorities dont want to take too many risks. A police spokesman said there was an explosion, so far unexplained, in a town east of the capital but there were no casualties. It was not a controlled detonation like other blasts in recent days and was being investigated, he said. Church services suspended All Catholic churches in the country have been instructed to stay closed and suspend services until security improves. On the advice of the security forces, we are keeping all churches closed, a priest told AFP news agency. Security has been beefed up for Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and for the Bishops House in Colombo, sources told Al Jazeera. More people, including foreigners, were swept up for questioning overnight as domestic and international authorities probed deeper into the bombings, potentially the deadliest operation claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. Sri Lankan soldiers perform security checks on motorists at a road in Colombo [Eranga Jayawardena/AP] Police said on Thursday another 16 people were detained for questioning overnight, taking the number held since Sunday to at least 76. A police statement said one of those detained was linked to a terrorist organisation but gave no other details. Al Jazeeras Fernandez said there were widespread concerns over the state of emergency imposed in the country since the attacks. Detention of suspects can be done for three months without the usual legal process kicking in, with law enforcement agencies allowed to apply for its extension by up to a year, she said. Civil society activists and constitutional experts are concerned about the scope of the emergency regulations. Groups behind attacks A picture has slowly emerged of a group of nine well-educated, home-grown suicide bombers, including a woman, who carried out the attacks in the South Asian nation. Police say eight out of the nine suicide bombers have been identified. 190424211451933 However, authorities have also focused their investigations on international links to a domestic Muslim group, National Thowheed Jamath, believed to be behind the attacks. ISIL, also known as ISIS, offered no firm information to back up its claim of responsibility. It released a video on Tuesday that showed eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black ISIS flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The man whose face could be seen has been identified as Mohamed Zahran, a preacher from the east of Sri Lanka known for his hardline views who officials believe was the attacks mastermind. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday another of the bombers had lived in Australia with his wife and child on a student visa but left in 2013. Morrison did not identify the man, although his family has said his name was Abdul Latheef Mohamed Jameel. Crosses cast shadows at the site of a mass burial in Negombo [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters] Foreigners detained Police also said they detained an Egyptian who was found not to have a valid visa or passport. The man taught Arabic in a school about 70km from Colombo and had been living in Sri Lanka for more than seven years. A police spokesman also said a group of Pakistanis had been detained among an unspecified number of foreign nationals for overstaying their visas. The bombings shattered the relative calm that has existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu, ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago and raised fears of a return to sectarian violence. Sri Lankas 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the islands conflict and communal tensions. President Maithripala Sirisena will meet representatives of different faiths later on Thursday to address concerns of a sectarian backlash. Meanwhile, Muslims have fled the Negombo region on Sri Lankas west coast since scores of worshippers were killed in the bombing of St Sebastians church there on Sunday. Communal tensions have since flared. Hundreds of Pakistani Muslims left the port city on Wednesday, crammed into buses, after threats of revenge. Because of the bomb blasts and explosions that have taken place here, the local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses, Adnan Ali, a Pakistani Muslim, told Reuters as he prepared to board a bus. Sri Lankas State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene has said he believed the bombings were carried out in retaliation for the March 15 attack on two mosques in New Zealand without providing evidence or explaining where the information came from. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said she has seen no evidence to support that claim. Most of the Easter Sunday victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities confirmed at least 38 foreigners were also killed. These included British, American, Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Additional reporting by Dilrukshi Handunnetti from Colombo The Boy Scouts of America faces accusations that it failed to report cases of child sex abuse. A child sexual abuse scandal threatens to engulf Boy Scouts of America, an institution once considered one of the United States most wholesome and patriotic. More than 12,000 children were sexually abused while taking part in Boy Scouts activities, it has emerged. The organisation kept quiet about the alleged paedophiles after kicking them out, keeping their files secret instead of revealing their identities. Now, lawyer Jeff Anderson plans to file multiple lawsuits on behalf of the victims, said the organisation. Al Jazeeras Rob Reynolds reports. Far-right figureheads including Le Pen and Wilders attempt to boost support before European Parliament elections. Prague, Czech Republic In 1989, up to half a million people filled Wenceslas Square during the Velvet Revolution that deposed the communists. Thirty years later, on Thursday, French far-right figurehead Marine le Pen and the Netherlands Geert Wilders urged Czechs to once more fight dictatorship. The whole of Europe remembers the Prague Spring, Le Pen told a crowd of about 1,000 people. Czechs are brave and should resist European Union efforts to dilute nations and hand them to an oligarchy of civil servants, she claimed. The rally was organised by Tomio Okamura, the Czech-Japanese leader of the Freedom and Direct Democracy Party (SPD), the third-largest in the Czech parliament. Matteo Salvini, Italys interior minister, sent a 15-second video message. The group wants to harness growing populism and xenophobia across Europe. They hope that the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) faction can turn itself from the smallest to the largest group in the European Parliament at elections between May 23 and 26. We are not alone, Okamura told the crowd. Le Pen and Wilders were drafted in to boost the SPDs chances in the Czech Republic. The party currently has no MEPs. Such events are planned to show that these are modern nationalists, different from old-style fascist parties, and they can cooperate to achieve power, Miroslav Mares, an expert on extremism at Brnos Masaryk University, told Al Jazeera. Central and Eastern European countries are seen as promising targets. Strong anti-migrant sentiment has put nationalist-populist parties in power across the region. Le Pen will appear at a rally in Slovakia in mid-May. Closing Europes borders is one of ENFs main policy goals. The Czech Republic has taken in just 12 asylum seekers under the EUs migrant quotas and Muslims constitute at most around 0.2 percent of the population of 10 million, but political populists have whipped up fear. We need to prevent Islamisation; the destruction of European culture, said Alena, a 32-year-old supermarket worker who travelled 90km from the small city of Hradec Kralove to the capital to attend. Voters such as Alena keep the ENF coming back for more. Okamura first hosted Le Pen and Wilders at a conference in late 2017, where they praised central and Eastern European countries for refusing the EUs migrant quotas. The Czech opposition to Islamic invasion inspires us, Wilders told the rally in English on Thursday. However, the region could struggle to deliver as the far right competes with nationalist and populist mainstream parties. Czech President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babis both rode to power criticising EU migrant policy and Islam. Polls suggest support for the SPD has more than halved since it won 11 percent at national elections in 2017. Liberal opponents harbour realistic hopes the party will remain without a Member of the European Parliament or MEP, post-election. Okamura is using his guests to boost his profile. We want to use the opportunity to tell Europe theres another side to Czech society, said Marcela Peknikova from Pulse of Europe, a pro-European citizens movement. The NGO organised one of several counterdemonstrations that sought to drown out the rally using pots and pans, drums and whistles. These parties are exploiting vulnerable people, said Jaroslav, a 26-year-old teacher from Kladno, 25km northwest of Prague. Okamura is a businessman that trades in fear. The far-right supporters responded with anger, some screaming Jews! at the protesters. Analysts say the European far right lacks a sense of cooperation; Le Pen and Salvini are already said to be competing for leadership of the ENF. Theres also persistent misunderstanding between east and west. Central and Eastern European economies are heavily dependent on EU trade and also receive huge development funding. Polls suggest very low support for a Czexit. The SPDs decision to put Ortel, a rock band with neo-Nazi links,on stage on Thursday also illustrates the confusion. Its a risk to the efforts of Le Pen to cultivate a more moderate image, said Mares. Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien pledges to seek a court order to force Facebook to change its practices. Facebook Inc broke Canadian privacy laws when it collected the information of some 600,000 citizens, a top watchdog said on Thursday, pledging to seek a court order to force the social media giant to change its practices. Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien made his comments while releasing the results of an investigation, opened a year ago, into a data sharing scandal involving Facebook and the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Cambridge Analytica acquired millions of Facebook users personal information to build software that could target potential swing voters in political campaigns, including US President Donald Trumps 2016 election bid. Though Facebook has acknowledged a major breach of trust in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the company disputed the results of the Canadian probe, Therrien said. Facebooks refusal to act responsibly is deeply troubling given the vast amount of sensitive personal information users have entrusted to this company, said Therrien. Specifically, the company refused to voluntarily submit to audits of its privacy policies and practices over the next five years, he said. 190418170234731 The stark contradiction between Facebooks public promises to mend its ways on privacy and its refusal to address the serious problems weve identified or even acknowledge that it broke the law is extremely concerning, he added. Facebook was not immediately available for comment, Reuters reports. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner does not have the power to levy financial penalties, but it can seek court orders to force an entity to follow its recommendations. It could take a year to obtain a court order, Therrien said. Lack of responsibility The investigation revealed there was an overall lack of responsibility with peoples personal information that means there is a high risk that their data could be used in ways that they do not know or suspect, exposing them to potential harms. Apart from privacy violations by Facebook, the investigation also highlighted problems with regulating social media. Facebooks rejection of the watchdogs recommendations revealed critical weaknesses in the current legislation, Therrien added, urging legislators to give his office more sanctioning power. We should not count on all companies to act responsibly and therefore a new law should ensure a third party, a regulator, holds companies responsible, Therrien said. 190414120451203 Canadian Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould, who this month said the government might have to regulate Facebook and other social media companies unless they did more to help combat foreign meddling in this Octobers election, will react later on Thursday, a spokeswoman said. Facebook said on Wednesday it had set aside three billion dollars to cover a settlement with United States regulators probing revelations that the company had inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million of its users with Cambridge Analytica. RTHK: Kim Jong-un arrives in Vladivostok for summit North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia's Pacific port city of Vladivostok on Wednesday for a first summit with Vladimir Putin, as Pyongyang seeks support in its nuclear deadlock with the United States. The talks, organised in secret and announced at the last minute, will be Kim's first face-to-face meeting with another head of state since negotiations with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi collapsed in February. Kim's armoured train arrived in the afternoon at the Tsarist-era train station in Vladivostok and he stepped out onto a red carpet before making his way outside to be received by an honour guard. Russian and North Korean flags were already flying on lamp posts on Tuesday on Vladivostok's Russky island, where the summit is expected to take place at a university campus. Kim plans to stay on in Vladivostok on Friday for a series of cultural events, including a ballet and a visit to the city's aquarium, Russian media reported. The talks follow repeated invitations from Putin since Kim embarked on his diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with the South's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. Analysts say he is now looking for wider international support in his standoff with Washington, while Moscow is keen to inject itself into another global flashpoint. In Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from the sanctions imposed on it over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, but the talks broke down in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test. Moscow has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Scott Olson/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Conservative Evangelical leader Franklin Graham is blasting South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg for being gay and is calling on the presidential hopeful to repent for his sin. In a series of tweets to his 1.9 million followers on Wednesday, Graham said, Mayor Buttigieg says hes a gay Christian. As a Christian, I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as a sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a woman not two men, not two women. Graham, the 66-year-old son of the late Billy Graham, began his attack by referring to Buttigiegs comments at a CNN town hall on Monday, where the mayor said God does not have a political party while answering a question on uniting conservative, moderate and liberal Christians behind his 2020 campaign. Part of Gods love is experienced, according to my faith tradition, is in the way that we support one another and, in particular, support the least among us, Buttigieg said. It can be challenging to be a person of faith whos also part of the LGBTQ community and yet, to me, the core of faith is regard for one another. Graham responded by tweeting [Pete Buttigieg] is right God doesnt have a political party. But God does have commandments, laws & standards He gives us to live by. Mayor Buttigieg, an Episcopalian, has not shied away from discussing his faith during the early run of this presidential race. Most recently, Buttigieg quarreled with Vice President Mike Pence over the hypocrisy of supporting President Donald Trump while boasting his Christian values. When you have somebody seeming to want to impose his religion on others as the vice president has, and at the same time teaming up with the presidency that seems to have no regard for, at least, what I would consider to be Christian values, I do think that hypocrisy needs to be called out," Buttigieg said on Good Morning America earlier this month. Pence responded by saying that they had a great working relationship during his time as governor of Indiana and criticized the mayors description of his religious beliefs. He knows better, he knows me the vice president said. In response to Grahams tweet, celebrities and LGBT organizations slammed the attack on the 37-year-old mayor. "Franklin Graham is a sad, out of touch extremist who has spent the last several years selling his soul for parts in order to excuse Donald Trump's worst behavior," Chris Sgro, Senior Director of Communications for the Human Rights Campaign, told ABC News. Ross Murray, Senior Director at the GLAAD Media Institute and Deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, says Graham needs to stop the attacks on LGBTQ Christians and allies like Buttigieg, and focus on the Gospel's call to protect those most marginalized. Franklin Graham's relentless attacks on Christians who are a part of the LGBTQ community, while excusing the very un-Christian actions of President Donald Trump, demonstrates that he has been seduced by worldly power and fallen prey to sin, Murray said in a statement to ABC News. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to cut taxes further and said the French would have to work more as he outlined his response to months of Yellow Vest protests. Thursdays move is the result of a three-month-long national debate, during which Macron rolled up his sleeves to discuss issues from taxes to local democracy and decaying shopping streets with mayors, students and hard-up workers. Macron said that he wanted a significant cut in income tax for a maximum number of citizens and especially those who are working, the middle class. The initiative would be financed by closing loopholes, squeezing government spending, but the French would also have to work more, he said. He stuck to his guns on Thursday, however, about the bulk of reforms his government has already implemented. I asked myself: Should we stop everything that was done over the past two years? Did we take a wrong turn? I believe quite the opposite, Macron told a news conference, the first of his presidency in the Elysee Palace. He also said he wanted to make the parliament more efficient. Frances parliamentary election system currently is designed to give the winning party a strong majority, disadvantaging smaller parties. Macron said he wanted some of the seats in the lower house of Parliament, the National Assembly, to be filled through a proportional system. He said he also planned to make it easier for citizens to propose national referendums. Yellow Vests Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris, said the speech was aimed at convincing the population that he is listening. During the Yellow Vest protests, a lot of the anger has been directed at Macron himself, who has become for some people a figure of the elite, she said. This is the president who after all came to power as a political outsider. Yet, over the past two years, he hasnt managed to persuade people that he is a political outsider. Although the number of anti-government demonstrators has declined since a peak in November, protesters clashed with police for a 23rd straight week last Saturday. The protest movement erupted over planned diesel tax increases last November but morphed into a broader backlash against inequality and a political elite perceived as having lost touch with the common person. Macron, who swept to power promising to transform France and make work pay, has seen his ambitious reform agenda derailed by the unrest. Pension and unemployment insurance reforms planned for 2019 have made little progress so far. Attack on vaccination team raises toll in similar attacks since 2012 to at least 95, according to an Al Jazeera tally. Islamabad, Pakistan Unidentified gunmen have killed at least one polio vaccination worker in the southwestern Pakistani area of Chaman, government officials say, bringing the death toll from a drive this week to eradicate the virus to at least three. Gunmen opened fire on a team of vaccination workers in the remote village of Sultan Zai, about 100km northwest of the provincial capital Quetta, on Thursday, said Sami Agha, a local government official. The body of the killed polio worker and another person who was wounded have been transferred to hospital, Agha said in a statement. Security forces have launched a search operation in the area, and the polio vaccination drive in near Sultan Zai has been temporarily suspended, the statement said. Polio, a highly infectious debilitating virus that targets the nervous system of children, has been wiped out across the world, but remains endemic in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Vaccination drives in Pakistan have been consistently targeted by misinformation and violent attacks on polio vaccinators and the policemen who guard them. The attack on Thursday came after two policemen who were guarding vaccinators were killed in separate incidents in the northern districts of Bannu and Buner earlier in the week. This weeks violence brings the death toll from attacks targeting polio vaccination teams in the South Asian country to at least 95 since 2012, according to an Al Jazeera tally. Misinformation and rumours Last year, of 33 worldwide cases of polio reported by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), 12 were reported in Pakistan. The remaining 21 cases were reported from neighbouring Afghanistan. Sultan Zai, where Thursdays attack took place, is located on the border between the two countries. This year, at least six cases of polio have been reported in Pakistan, according to a World Health Organization data. That number is a significant reduction from the 306 cases reported in 2014, but the virus remains a significant threat to the unvaccinated, with environmental samples across the country regularly showing signs of it. Polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan have often been the subject of misinformation, with parents concerned about rumours that the vaccines would either neuter their children or harm them in some other way. On Monday, an angry mob burned down a government health facility in the northern district of Peshawar, after rumours spread that children administered the polio vaccine had begun to fall sick. Hundreds of children were brought to Peshawar hospitals as hysteria gripped parents in the area, the local Dawn newspaper reported. Pakistani officials say a certain degree of resistance is expected among the targeted communities, with roughly 400,000 children missed due to parental refusal in each vaccination drive cycle. Roughly 39.4 million children are targeted in each vaccination cycle, according to the government data. We expected [refusals], but we did not realise that people would panic and that something like this would also happen, Babar bin Atta, the Pakistani prime ministers focal person for polio eradication told Al Jazeera. We have to run very aggressive perception management campaigns [to combat misinformation], he said. We had planned for the next polio campaign to be at the end of June. That gives us some time to work on this. Atta said at least 262,000 polio vaccination workers and 151,000 security personnel were taking part in this weeks polio vaccination drive across the country, which remained ongoing. Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras digital correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim. Saadullah Akhtar contributed additional reporting from Quetta. Tens of thousands of people join huge demonstrations in Khartoum demanding an end to military rule. Khartoum, Sudan Huge crowds of protesters have rallied in the streets of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, stepping up pressure on the countrys ruling military council to cede power to an interim civilian body. Tens of thousands of people chanting We will protect the revolution with our blood marched through Khartoums main streets on Thursday before converging outside the military headquarters, where hundreds of demonstrators have kept up a weeks-long sit-in demanding democratic rule. Sudans military assumed power after overthrowing longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir on April 11. It then established a council to govern the country for a period of up to two years, but the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which spearheaded the anti-government protests that ended al-Bashirs nearly three-decade presidency, has insisted on a civilian-led administration. The army wants to steal our revolution but we will not let that happen, said Samir Bakhit, a student who travelled three hours from a village outside Khartoum to join the protest. Im here and will not go anywhere until the military accepts our demands. We want a civilian government, not another military authority, the 21-year-old said. Many others attending the protest also came from cities and towns in other states. Soldiers on pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns manned some of the streets along the march routes but did not interfere with the protesters. I came here to show that Im standing with the young people who want freedom and justice for our country, said Suleiman Mohamed Yakib, a retired civil servant, from Kosti, a town 312km south of the capital. We Sudanese have to be united, young, old men and women, to have a democratic government, said the 71-year-old. Qualitative push Others have been at the sit-in site outside the military compound since it began three weeks ago. I will keep coming back until they go and we have an elected government. We did not ask for another military man. We want civilian government, Najwa Atif, 21, told Al Jazeera. Thursdays protest, in which scores of judges took part for the first time, came after the SPA called for a million people march. Amro Shaaban, a Khartoum-based political analyst, told Al Jazeera that the demonstration was also the first rally that involved protesters from outside the capital and was likely to be keenly watched by the army. Todays large protest will give more momentum to the opposition as thousands of people have come from other cities outside Khartoum like Atbara, Medani and Kosti. Also, it is the first time that judges are participating, giving the opposition a qualitative push, he said. On Wednesday, the military council said it was willing to discuss the immediate transfer of power to a transitional civilian government. We agreed to form a joint committee, between us and them, to discuss these points of succession and to introduce a joint solution, Lieutenant General Shams al-Din Kabashi, spokesman for the military council, said in a statement after meeting the groups behind the mass protests. Following that meeting, three members of the military council stepped down, but the council said their resignations were yet to be accepted. The members were Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Abdin, Lieutenant General Jalal al-Din al-Sheikh and General Al-Tayeb Babakr. The demonstrations first began in the central town of Atbara on December 19 after the government tripled the price of bread, a staple food in the northeast African country of 40 million people, and later spiralled into calls for al-Bashir and his government to step down. Follow Hamza Mohamed on Twitter: @Hamza_Africa US president vowed on Wednesday to take fight to Supreme Court if congressional Democrats want to impeach him. US President Donald Trump has vowed to fight all the way to the Supreme Court, against any attempts to impeach him. This comes after Democrats in Congress launched new investigations into the president. Congress remains the only body with control over any impeachment proceedings in the US. Democrats remain divided on whether to proceed with Trumps impeachment after Special Counsel Robert Muellers Russia inquiry. Al Jazeeras Kimberly Halkett reports from Washington, DC. Anxiety among Muslims, who form 14 percent of Indias population but barely constitute four percent of its parliament. New Delhi, India As India conducts the biggest democratic exercise in the world, its Muslim minority has little to cheer amid their increasing electoral marginalisation. In the lower house of the outgoing parliament known as Lok Sabha, there were only 22 Muslims of 543 politicians. The South Asian nations largest minority forms some 14 percent of the countrys 1.3 billion population, but only four percent are represented in the Lok Sabha. It is the lowest Muslim representation in five decades, compared with more than six percent a decade ago and a peak of 9.6 percent in 1980. Many young Muslims Al Jazeera spoke to expressed pessimism about the future of Muslim politics in the country currently ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modis ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Over the last five years, the BJP has polarised votes to such an extent that political parties are now reluctant to give tickets to Muslim candidates. Parties fear it will cost them the Hindu vote bank, Mohammad Adnan, who runs a travel agency in New Delhis Jamia Nagar area, told Al Jazeera. 190306214221486 In 2014, BJP won a record 282 seats in the Lok Sabha with none of its MPs from the Muslim community. In the past five years under Modi, the representation of Muslims in state assemblies has also fallen, with critics blaming anti-Muslim rhetoric pushed by the BJP. BJP very consciously and explicitly aims to exclude Muslims from the public sphere, Gilles Verniers, a political scientist at Ashoka University based in Haryana state, told Al Jazeera. Hindu majoritarian party Verniers said the BJPs policy of marginalising Muslims electorally is a signal to its voter base that it is a Hindu majoritarian party. In 2017, the BJP didnt field a single Muslim candidate in Uttar Pradesh, Indias most populous state with a population of 40 million Muslims. In Modis home state of Gujarat, which also went to the polls in 2017, BJP again failed to give a single ticket to Muslim candidates. The right-wing party came to power in both states. A BJP spokesperson denied the party discriminated against any citizen on the basis of religion. BJP doesnt discriminate or distinguish between Indian citizens on the basis of caste, religion, colour, region or any other agenda. It (BJP) follows Article 14 of the constitution, right to equality, in totality, Nalin Kohli told Al Jazeera. Since Modi came to power in 2014, Muslims have faced increased hate crimes [Amit Dave/Reuters] Representation or giving seats in an election is primarily winnability-driven. We have had Muslim candidates also and [if] more such winnable candidates are part of our party fold, they certainly will find their opportunities, he said. The secular parties, including Indian National Congress a party that prides itself for having fought for Indias independence with purported ideals of plurality and secularism have also begun to shun Muslims in recent decades. Last year, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said the BJP had managed to convince people that the Congress was a Muslim party and indicated that her son and current party president Rahul Gandhis much talked-about visits to Hindu temples were an attempt to shed that perception. With the formidable rise of the BJP, other political parties have also become somewhat reticent in fielding a lot of Muslim candidates. The Congress, in particular, the BJPs main rival, has reduced the number of tickets to Muslims due to fear that it would backfire electorally, said Verniers. Electorally irrelevant Mohammad Sajjad, professor of history at Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh,said Hindu majoritarianism is aimed at making Indias Muslims electorally irrelevant. BJP very consciously and explicitly aims to exclude Muslims from the public sphere Gilles Verniers, a political analyst The Hindu consolidation is being done by vilifying Muslims, by spreading hatred against Muslims, he said. Modi came to power on a promise to deliver economic growth, more jobs and to end corruption, but as he seeks a second term, the country is facing its worst job crisis in 45 years. The past five years have seen a rise in hate crimes against Muslims and other minorities, and people, mostly Muslims, have been lynched by cow vigilantes, radical cow protection groups. According to FactChecker.in, which tracks hate crimes in India, of 79 fatal incidents recorded by the website since 2009, 76 happened in the past five years. Meanwhile, the people involved in hate crimes have been honoured by senior ruling party leaders. Jayant Sinha, a Modi cabinet minister, last year stoked controversy after he garlanded eight men convicted for killing a Muslim cattle trader while they were released on bail. Since the BJP government came to power, Muslims are living in an environment of fear, said Ehtisham Uddin, a resident of Old Delhi. Every now and then, we see reports of a Muslim attacked on suspicion of eating beef or in other cow-related cases. Silence on Muslim exclusion Kohli, the BJP spokesperson, however, said that the prime minister himself has condemned such acts of hooliganism. Muslims, who number 170 million, are historically underrepresented in democratic institutions. [Amarjeet Kumar Singh/Al Jazeera] [The] law is acting against each one of such perpetrators, we are not interfering in it. Political analyst Shiv Visvanathan said that as the BJPs influence spreads, it is becoming more and more exclusive. BJP wants a uniform world, he said. It doesnt know how to be pluralistic. Visvanathan said the BJPs electoral majority has made it indifferent to minority politics, adding that in such a climate, nobody is raising issues concerning Muslims. This election will be known for its silences rather than issues, he said. Verniers said even other political parties, with their claims of secularism, have failed to take on the BJP on its anti-Muslim stance. No one is really willing to confront the BJP on its practice of exclusion of Muslims. They are not doing it out of fear of being branded pro-Muslim, and therefore anti-Hindu, Verniers told Al Jazeera. History of underrepresentation While Indias Muslims have held high-profile constitutional posts, including the president and chief justice, analysts say the community has been historically underrepresented in democratic and government institutions. In 1947, a majority of Muslims did not migrate to Pakistan when British India was partitioned into Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India. In Indias first national elections in 1952, only 11 Muslims could make their way into parliament. 190327111755815 In the first elections after independence, parties wouldnt give too many seats to Muslims as there was a clear lack of legitimacy of Muslim candidates and a climate of suspicion against Muslim politicians, Verniers told Al Jazeera. The Congress would provide them protection against their votes, but that would not translate into political representation. That practice lies at the root of skewed Muslim representation. Author and political commentator Siddiq Wahid said the Congress looked at Muslims only as a vote bank and did little to promote leadership within the community. However, senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz called the grand-old party a unifier and a great hope, not only for Muslims but for all the downtrodden people across India. The weaker sections of society look up to the Congress, Soz told Al Jazeera. Nalin Kohli, BJP spokesperson Professor Sajjad, however, added that mere emphasis on identity may not help Muslims and they should also focus on quality leadership. Between 2012 and 2017, Sajjad said there were more than 60 MLAs from the Muslim community in the Uttar Pradesh assembly but they didnt speak out against the violence that happened in several parts of the state against Muslims. So mere numbers wont work. Muslims require quality leaders who can make intervention both inside and outside the legislative arena, he added. Iraq looks for ways to balance both its relationship with the US and Iran. Iraq has been caught up in increasing US hostility towards its neighbour, Iran. Trade between Iraq and Iran is worth over $13bn annually and Iraq is reliant upon Iran for its energy needs, but US sanctions have already complicated relations. Additionally, the US recently placed Irans Revolutionary Guard on its list of terrorist groups, but some Iraqis have close ties with the organisation, which helped the government of Iraq defeat ISIL only just recently. Al Jazeeras Dorsa Jabbari reports from Baghdad. Russia does not want a nuclear disaster next door, but its interest in the disarmament of North Korea is limited. The Kremlin tried hard to present Kim Jong Uns first ever visit to Russia as an historic event aimed at proving how important Moscow is in the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula especially after the failure of US-North Korean talks in Hanoi two months ago. Kremlin-controlled media described in great detail how Kims armoured train arrived in the Pacific port of Vladivostok on Wednesday, how Russian officials welcomed him with traditional round bread and salt, what theatres, museums and landmarks the North Korean leader will visit during his three-day trip. We are very much willing to take the Korean-Russian ties to a new, higher level, Kim said during a reception after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that lasted for more than three hours on Thursday. 190425040716872 Everyone is happy with the outcome of the talks, Putin added and toasted to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Mutual interests Kim highlighted the importance of the relationship and said ties have strengthened, while both nations had overcome every hardship thrown to them by history. The people of the two countries understand [that the] North Korea-Russia tie not only serves our mutual interests but is also indispensable for securing the regions peace and stability, Kim said. But the summits presumed importance seemed to fizzle out as it did not produce a deal of any significance for the Korean settlement, and no accords were signed after the talks. Experts say, however, that the true purpose of Kims visit to Russia was a chance to leave himself some wiggle room when talks with the US resume and to use Russia as the bogeyman if US President Donald Trump goes too far with his threats. This is the breakthrough the [North] Korean side needed to tell the US: Look, we have normal ties with Moscow, if something happens, we will run to them for protection, stop waving your fists,' Dmitry Zhuravlev, director general of the Institute of Regional Issues, a Moscow think-tank, told Al Jazeera. China is North Koreas main international backer, but Russia has plenty of leverage and interest in propping up Kims dynasty. If it werent for the Soviet Union, North Korea would not exist Communist Moscow supplied its tiny vassal with foodstuffs, fuel and diplomatic protection for decades. Moscow still has veto power in the United Nations Security Council, and it wants to play a role in anything related to North Korea. The nations share a border, and Russia serves as a workplace for at least 10,000 North Korean labour migrants, an important source of hard currency for Pyongyang. Russia does not want a nuclear disaster next door, but its interest in the disarmament of North Korea is limited; the fall of the Kim dynasty would likely mean that a unified Korea becomes a US ally, and American military bases could appear next to Russias Pacific provinces. As a result of Thursdays summit, Putin and Kim reached an agreement that Russia will definitely be one of the international guarantors of any accord between North Korea and the United States, Andrey Fyodorov, Russias former deputy foreign minister and an expert on North Korea, told Al Jazeera. Russia will also help shape a list of conditions for North Koreas disarmament. US demands dont suit Kim In February, Kims talks with US President Donald Trump collapsed because they could not reach an agreement on White Houses demands for Pyongyang to denuclearize and for Washington to drop sanctions. 190424001223691 US demands dont suit Kim fully, they are too broad, they involve all walks of life, such as a ban on space research, chemical research and what not, Fyodorov said. That is why the main task of Russia, the US and China is to come up with a real formulation of denuclearisation. Putin said he would discuss a possible disarmament deal in China, where he is flying later on Thursday. I will, of course, talk tomorrow in Beijing with the leaders of China, but we will openly and frankly discuss todays meeting with the US leaders, Putin told journalists after the summit. Moscows role in talks over North Koreas nuclear programme is one of the few remaining points of contact with Washington as Russias ties with the West plunged to Cold War-era lows because of the annexation of Crimea and support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Without us, without Russia, one cant untie the Gordian knot of the Korean problems, Zhuravlev said. Kim said that he may board his custom-made train to traverse Siberia for talks later this year the way his father, Kim Jong Il, who was born in a Russian village not far from the Chinese border in 1941, visited Russia several times. The people of North Korea have always had affectionate and brotherly emotions about the people of Russia and feel pride that a great country like Russia is a close neighbour, Kim said after the talks. Amnesty and Airwars say US, UK and French forces only admitted to 10 percent of killings. The US-backed assault to drive the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from its Syrian capital Raqqa in 2017 killed more than 1,600 civilians, a figure 10 times what the coalition has acknowledged, according to a new report. The investigation, published by Amnesty International and the monitoring group Airwars on Thursday, urged top coalition members to end almost two years of denial about the massive civilian death toll and destruction it unleashed in Raqqa. Donatella Rovera, senior crisis response adviser at Amnesty, said, Many of the air bombardments were inaccurate and tens of thousands of artillery strikes were indiscriminate. 181127151642097 Coalition forces razed Raqqa, but they cannot erase the truth, she said. The findings were compiled after months of field research and extensive data analysis, including via a project that saw 3,000 digital activists scan satellite imagery online. Amnesty and Airwars said the cases they had documented probably amounted to violations of international humanitarian law. They also urged coalition members, especially the United States, Britain and France, to put in place an independent investigation mechanism and create a fund to compensate victims and their families. Responding to the report, the coalition said it takes all reasonable measures to minimise civilian casualties and that there were still open allegations it was investigating. Any unintentional loss of life during the defeat of Daesh is tragic, said Scott Rawlinson, a coalition spokesman in an emailed statement later on Thursday, using an Arabic acronym for ISIL However, it must be balanced against the risk of enabling Daesh to continue terrorist activities, causing pain and suffering to anyone they choose, he added. 190404122152387 ISIL seized Raqqa in early 2014 during its advance through Syria and Iraq in which it built a self-proclaimed caliphate characterised by summary executions. Its mass killing and enslavement of minorities were described as genocide by the United Nations. The group has since been driven from all the territory it controlled by military campaigns waged by an array of forces including the Syrian and Iraqi governments, US, its European allies and their rivals Russia and Iran. ISIL was defeated by US-backed fighters in its last Syrian stronghold this year. Despite no longer controlling territory, it is still seen as a threat capable of launching attacks around the world. Amnesty said last year that there was evidence coalition air and artillery strikes in Raqqa had broken international law by endangering the lives of civilians, but until now had not given an estimate of the death toll during the battle. The London-based rights group also criticised the extensive use of artillery in the battle of Raqqa. With a margin of error of more than 100 metres, unguided artillery is notoriously imprecise and its use in populated areas constitutes indiscriminate attacks, it said. Charges mark latest skirmish over immigration enforcement between Trump and local govts that resist his crackdown. US federal prosecutors on Thursday charged a Massachusetts judge and court officer with conspiracy and obstruction, saying they blocked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer from arresting an undocumented immigrant at a 2018 court proceeding. The charges mark the latest skirmish in the United States over immigration enforcement between US President Donald Trumps administration and local governments that have resisted his crackdown. The charges target Massachusetts District Court Judge Shelley Joseph, 51, and Massachusetts Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor, 56, who came under federal investigation last year after authorities said the duo schemed to let the man escape from the Newton court. ICE intended to arrest the unidentified suspected undocumented immigrant from the Dominican Republic facing a drug charge. They described a huddled conversation between the judge and the defendants lawyer in which Joseph asks, ICE is gonna get him? and later says, Im not gonna allow them to come in here. Joseph then arranged for the suspect to be released through the courts rear door while the ICE agent waited in the court rooms lobby for him to emerge. 190423172910150 MacGregor was also charged with perjury for allegedly lying to a grand jury that heard evidence on the case. Not a political message Massachusetts US Attorney Andrew Lelling said the case was not intended to send a political message. We did not bring this case in response to the public debate over immigration enforcement, he said. This is isnt a policy seminar, its a law enforcement action. Representatives of the judge and court officer did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters news agency. The state Supreme Judicial Court suspended Joseph without pay following the charges, noting its move in no way reflects any opinion on the merits of the pending criminal case. The charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The suspect has since been caught and is now in federal custody. Massachusetts top court in 2017 ruled that state police cannot detain undocumented immigrants solely to buy time for federal officials to take them into custody. 190410200141867 One of Trumps top priorities in office has been cracking down on undocumented immigration and he has regularly railed against sanctuary cities and states that do not cooperate with all aspects of federal immigration enforcement. Trump earlier this month floated the idea of busing undocumented migrants stopped at the border to sanctuary cities, a move that critics called illustrative of the White Houses callous approach to the issue and some Trump allies called impractical. The al-Subaie sisters,who stole their fathers phone to get passports, say they know of other women trying to escape. Two runaway Saudi sisters have urged Apple and Google to pull an inhuman app allowing men to monitor and control female relatives travel as it helped trap girls in abusive families. Maha and Wafa al-Subaie, who are seeking asylum in Georgia after fleeing their family, said Absher a government e-services app was bad for women as it supported Saudi Arabias strict male guardian system. It gives men control over women, said Wafa, 25. They have to remove it, she added, referring to Google and Apple. Absher, which is available in the Saudi version of Google and Apple online stores, allows men to update or withdraw permissions for female relatives to travel abroad and to get SMS updates if their passports are used, according to researchers. Seeking refuge overseas Neither company was immediately available to comment. Apples chief executive Tim Cook said in February that he had not heard of Absher but pledged to take a look at it. A free tool created by the interior ministry, Absher allows Saudis to access a wide range of government services, such as renewing passports, making appointments and viewing traffic violations. In Apples app store, it is listed as a productivity tool. Saudi women must have permission from a male relative to work, marry and travel under the conservative Islamic kingdoms guardianship system, which has faced scrutiny following recent public cases of Saudi women seeking refuge overseas. 190419093638066 The al-Subaie sisters, who stole their fathers phone to get themselves passports and authorisation to fly to Istanbul, said they knew of dozens of other young women who were looking to escape abusive families. Tech giants could help bring about change in Saudi Arabia if they pulled Absher or insisted that it allows women to organise travel independently which would significantly hamper the guardianship system they said. If (they) remove this application, maybe the government will do something, Wafa told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview. The sisters plea added to growing calls from rights groups, diplomats and US and European politicians for the app to be removed from online stores. United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday that she had asked tech companies in Silicon Valley tough questions this month about the threats posed by apps like Absher which allow Saudi men to restrict womens movement. Technology can, and should, be all about progress. But the hugely invasive powers that are being unleashed may do incalculable damage if there are not sufficient checks in place to respect human rights, she said in a statement. I nadequately protected Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has introduced reforms, such as lifting the driving ban for women, and indicated last year that he favoured ending the guardianship system. But he has stopped short of backing its annulment. Western criticism of the kingdom has sharpened with the trial of 11 women activists who said last month that they had been tortured while in detention on charges related to human rights work and contacts with foreign journalists and diplomats. 190417062719848 The public prosecutor has denied the torture allegations and said the women had been arrested on suspicion of harming Saudi interests and offering support to hostile elements abroad. A Saudi teen won global attention and asylum in Canada when she holed up in a Thai airport hotel in January to escape her family. Two other Saudi sisters who hid in Hong Kong for six months were granted visas in March to travel to a third country. Increasing cases of women fleeing the country are indicative of the situation of women in Saudi Arabia, said Lynn Maalouf, Middle East research director for rights group Amnesty International. Despite some limited reforms, (they) are inadequately protected against domestic violence and abuse and, more generally, are discriminated against. Putin is the first head of state the North Korean leader is meeting after the failed Hanoi summit with Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin has met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who says they have had fruitful talks about how to resolve a standoff over Pyongyangs nuclear programme. Speaking after the first session of talks on the Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok on Thursday, Putin said he and Kim exchanged opinions about what should be done to improve the situation. Kim noted that they had discussed ways of peaceful settlement and had a very fruitful exchange. Putin and Kim met in Russias Far East for their first summit, with the North Korean leader looking for support in his nuclear standoff with the United States. The first meeting lasted two hours, almost twice as long as expected. We talked, of course, about the situation on the Korean peninsula, we exchanged views on how and what we can do so that there are good prospects for an improvement in the situation, Putin said at the start of the second phase of talks, involving larger delegations from each side. The Russian leader landed in the Pacific coast port Vladivostok on Thursday, a day after Kims armoured train pulled in to the citys Tsarist-era station. The meeting is Kims first face-to-face interaction with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down without a deal on North Koreas nuclear arsenal in February. Analysts say Thursdays Russia-North Korea summit will serve as a reminder to Washington that the North Korean leader has other options in the region backing his leadership. In brief statements before their meeting, both men said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Unions support for the founder of North Korea, Kims grandfather Kim Il Sung. 190424001223691 Kim will be looking for Russias support in easing sanctions imposed on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme, while Putin is eager to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint. Earlier, after arriving in Russia on Wednesday, Kim said he hoped for a successful and useful summit. Kims key concerns for the summit are North Korean labourers in Russia and a food shortage in his country. Around 10,000 North Korean labourers are still employed in Russia. All of them will have to leave the country by the end of the year as a 2017 UN sanctions resolution takes effect. The labourers, who previously numbered as many as 50,000, provided Pyongyang with more than $500m in foreign exchange annually, according to documents seen by Reuters news agency. Maybe the numbers will stop decreasing after Kims visit, said Dmitry Zhuravlev, director general of the Institute of Regional Problems in Moscow. The labourers presence is crucial in Russias underpopulated provinces that have plenty of fallow land, timber and natural resources but they are large enough and there is enough room for the Koreans, added Zhuravlev. North Koreas food shortage Kim is also looking at the possibility of a food shortage in North Korea this summer. Russia has shown a willingness to provide humanitarian aid. Last month, it announced it had shipped more than 2,000 tonnes of wheat to the North Korean port of Chongjin. For Putin, the summit is a chance to push Russias agenda of opposing the international influence of the US. In an interview with Chinas official Peoples Daily, published on Thursday, Putin lashed out at countries claiming sole global leadership. They carelessly trample on the norms and principles of international law, resort to blackmail, sanctions and pressure, and try to force their values and dubious ideals on entire countries and populations, said Putin, who is heading to China after the talks for another summit. The Vladivostok meeting follows repeated invitations from Putin since Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Koreas Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnams President Nguyen Phu Trong. The little-known Muslim group is suspected of being involved in the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359 people. Sri Lankan authorities have pointed the finger of blame at an obscure group, the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), for carrying out a series of coordinated bombings on Easter Sunday killing more than 350 people. Police have arrested at least 76 people, including alleged NTJ members, in connection with the deadliest attacks in the South Asian island nation since the end of its civil war a decade ago. Police suspect the NTJ of having international ties. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group has claimed responsibility for the bombings. But Sri Lankan authorities remain unsure of ISILs involvement and have blamed breakaway members of the NTJ and another group, named the Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI). Intelligence officials and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believe that Mohamed Zahran or Zahran Hashim, a Tamil-speaking preacher from the east of the country, may have been the mastermind. However, four days after the blasts and following several media briefings by the government officials, little is known about the NTJ. When was NTJ formed? The NTJ is believed to have been formed sometime around 2014 after breaking away from the larger Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath (SLTJ), according to a report in The Hindu newspaper. Based in Kattankudy, a Muslim-dominated town in eastern Sri Lanka, the NTJ, much like the SLTJ, is believed to have been strongly influenced by Wahhabism the official religious doctrine in Saudi Arabia that calls for a strict and literal reading of the Quran and the Sunnah, the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. According to its Twitter account, which has a limited social media presence and hasnt been updated since March 2018, the NTJ would regularly organise talks and seminars, distribute videos and even arrange funeral prayers at mosques. Glenn Carle, a former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for transnational threats at the CIA, said while little was known about NTJs membership, its size was likely modest compared to the SLTJ. Muslims make up only 9.7 percent of Sri Lankas population, and Carle said the NTJ appeared to be very small in size. The group is reportedly led by an imam who has been trained or influenced by Wahhabism. However, its foreign ties are surmised and not known, Carle told Al Jazeera. Last year, the Sri Lankan government was forced to declare a national state of emergency after the majority Sinhalese ethnic group attacked dozens of Muslim businesses, houses and a mosque in the central district of Kandy. A young Muslim man was killed with his body found in a burnt-out building. Months after the riots, the NTJ came to prominence in December when its followers were accused of attacking Buddhist statues in Kegalle district. NTJ secretary Abdul Razik has been arrested several times on charges of inciting religious unrest. Its predecessor group, the SLTJ, which is also relatively unknown, has spoken out against Buddhist hardliners for years. In a statement on Thursday, the SLTJ strongly condemned reports that the Easter Sunday attackers were linked to the group. Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath would like to point out that media outlets acting irresponsibly and erroneously linking [it to] terror bombings is absolutely false. Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath has no connection whatsoever with the bombings and has no connection with the organisation suspected to have [been] involved in the incident, the SLTJs general secretary MFM Faseeh said in a statement. ISIL connection? Investigators suspect the involvement of a band of nine, well-educated suicide bombers, including a woman, from well-to-do families in the bombings. ISIL released a video late on Tuesday through its AMAQ news agency, showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black ISIL flag, declaring loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The one man in the video with his face uncovered was Mohamed Zahran. While the video showed eight men, Sri Lankas state minister of defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, said there were nine suicide bombers. Eight had been identified and one of them was a woman, he said. Most of the bombers are well-educated, come from economically strong families. Some of them went abroad for studies, Wijewardene told a news conference. One of them we know went to the UK, then went to Australia for a law degree. Foreign partners, including the UK, are helping us with those investigations. Police sources say two Muslim brothers sons of a wealthy Colombo spice trader were among the perpetrators of the attacks. They blew themselves up as guests queued for breakfast at the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the capital, the source said. The pair were key members of the NTJ, according to an investigating officer. The ISIL statement on Tuesday said three fighters it named as Abu Obeidah, Abu Baraa and Abu Moukhtar were behind the attacks on the Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels. Three other fighters it named as Abu Hamza, Abu Khalil and Abu Mohammad carried out attacks on churches in the cities of Colombo, Negombo, and Batticaloa, it said. The seventh man, Abu Abdallah, killed three police officers in an attack in a Colombo suburb, it said. Early warning signs A 2007 academic policy paper warned that violence by hardliner Muslims against Sufis in Sri Lanka might one day give rise to armed movements in parts of the country. One reason why the warning signs may have been ignored is that the governments overwhelming focus has been on suppressing any revival of Tamil separatism. Like other minorities, Muslims remained marginalised after the civil war between the Sinhalese Buddhist government and the mostly Hindu Tamil fighters ended in 2009. Muslims in Sri Lanka, who are spread out geographically, never quite belonged to either side during the civil war. Hundreds of Muslim youth were abducted and killed by Tamil rebels because of their Muslim identity. There were largescale massacres in mosques in Kattankundy and Eravur, where more than 260 Muslims were killed in 1990. Muslims were also forced to flee northern towns, leaving thousands still displaced. Fast becoming a cancer If the attacks were carried out by a purely local Sri Lankan group, the attackers would have sought revenge against the Buddhist community for ultranationalist mob attacks on Muslims over the years and not churches or hotels, said Neil Devotta, a professor at Wake Forest University in North Carolina who has written extensively about Muslims in Sri Lanka. Groups like the NTJ do not represent even one percent of the Muslim population in Sri Lanka, he said. What the moderate Muslims in Sri Lanka really fear is that these sorts of groups provide ammunition to Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists who tend to view Muslims and other minorities, but especially Muslims, in a very negative light to begin with, Devotta said. This is not good for the Muslim community. In 2014, a group called the Peace Loving Moderate Muslims in Sri Lanka published a statement in the local Daily Mirror newspaper denouncing NTJ and warning that it was fast becoming a cancer within Sri Lankas Muslim community. The statement warned that members of the group were making mosque attendance compulsory, forcing a strict implementation of Islamic law above Sri Lankan law and forcing women to cover their faces and wear long robes in place of traditional saris. It is tragic that the majority of Muslims who are essentially peace-loving are to pay for the actions of this minority, the statement said. We fear that these activities if left unchecked by the authorities, would create a situation in which the majority of Muslims in Sri Lanka, already under threat and harassment from this extremist minority, may have to face the wrath of other religions, the statement said. Authorities in Sri Lanka have lowered the death toll in a spate of Easter bombings by more than 100, saying the difficulty in identifying body parts at blast scenes led to the earlier inaccurate number. The new number of people killed was 253, down from an earlier total of 359, the health ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Many of the victims were badly mutilated There was double counting, it said, adding the lower toll was reached once all autopsies were completed and cross-referenced with DNA samples. The suicide bomb attacks on three churches and four hotels have exposed an intelligence failure, with accusations that warnings had not been acted on and feuds at the top levels of government had undermined security cooperation. Hemasiri Fernando, the defence secretary, resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks, saying he was stepping down to take responsibility for institutions he ran. But he said there had been no failure on his part. Authorities have blamed two local Muslim groups, National Thowheed Jamaat and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) also claimed responsibility, though officials are still investigating the extent of any involvement. The government said there were nine suicide bombers, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Officials said some of those involved in the coordinated blasts were well-educated and well-off financially. More than 70 people, including several foreigners, have been arrested since Sunday, including the father of two of the alleged suicide bombers one of Sri Lankas wealthiest spice traders. Earlier on Thursday, police for the first time identified seven people they were looking for and appealed to the public for help in finding them. Photographs, apparently casual snapshots, posted with a wanted notice showed young bearded men and three young women wearing headscarves. Bomb scares Tensions remained high, with the capital on alert because of bomb scares. The central bank was briefly locked down and the road to the capitals airport was shut for part of the day. Office workers in Colombos business district were asked to go home early, police said, to avoid vulnerable throngs of people at rush hour. City-centre restaurants also shut early. Religious leaders, meanwhile, cancelled public prayer gatherings amid warnings of more such attacks, along with retaliatory sectarian violence. MHA Haleem, Sri Lankas Islamic affairs minister, appealed to Muslims to avoid gathering for Friday prayers and instead urged them to pray at home. The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, an association of Islamic scholars, urged women not to hinder the security forces in their efforts by wearing face veils. People come to the site of a mass burial to pay their respects to victims of Easter Sunday bombings [Athit Perawongmetha/ Reuters] Niroshan Perera, a priest overseeing funerals of some of the dozens of people killed in the blast at St Sebastians church in Negombo, just outside Colombo, said Catholic churches in the city all closed and cancelled Mass on the governments advice. Perera said an official had warned him that police were still searching Negombo for two armed suspects. Little bit, we are nervous, he said. In an unusually specific warning, the US embassy in Sri Lanka said places of worship could be hit this weekend. Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship, the US embassy warned on Twitter. Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow. The UK advised its citizens against traveling to the island country. 190424081042798 The bombings shattered the relative calm that has existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago. Sri Lankas 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the islands conflict and communal tensions. Amid fears of a surge of communal tension, some Muslims have fled the Negombo region. Hundreds of Pakistani Muslims have left the port city, crammed into buses, after threats of revenge. The local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses, one of them, Adnan Ali, told Reuters News Agency on Wednesday, as he prepared to board a bus. Military spokesman confirms joint committee formed to discuss points of succession with groups who lead the protests. Sudans ruling military council has met organisers of the protests that toppled former President Omar al-Bashir after they had suspended talks with the generals over the weekend. The council said in a statement before Wednesdays meeting that it was willing to discuss proposals from the coalition of groups behind the protests for an immediate transfer of power to a transitional civilian government. We agreed to form a joint committee, between us and them, to discuss these points of succession and to introduce a joint solution with the military council and the Alliance of Freedom and Change, said Lieutenant General Shamseldin Kibashi, the Sudanese military council spokesman. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) and its allies, who organised the four months of demonstrations that drove al-Bashir from power on April 11, accepted the invitation and met the council, an SPA spokesperson said. The SPA plans to announce its own civilian transitional council during mass rallies on Thursday. We agreed to this meeting based on their positive position in the statement prior to the invitation to the Alliance of Freedom and Change. And honestly, it was started in a beautiful spirit, said SPA spokesman Ahmed Rabie. The military council later said three of its members resigned on Wednesday amid heightened tensions with the protest organisers. The council said in a statement that Lieutenant General Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh, Police Lieutenant General al-Tayeb Babakr and Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Abideen have stepped down from their posts. The opposition has repeatedly called for their dismissal, describing them as representing the old regime of removed al-Bashir in the new government. Protesters march against government plans to decrease the education budget and change pension plans. Bogota, Colombia Thousands of Colombians filled the capital Bogotas main square on Thursday in a national strike against government plans to decrease the education budget and change pension plans, among other issues. In attendance were farmers, indigenous groups, womens groups, students, Afro-Colombian groups, LGBT organisations, unions and pensioners. Other civil society actors and members of the FARC political party also participated. The march was also against President Ivan Duques National Development Plan (NDP), which has riled many Colombians over cuts made to education budgets and pension plans as more money is invested in national security. The governments plan affects the education budget which takes a toll all areas of education, said Virginia Castro, 50, who has worked as a teacher for 30 years. Its not only that, but other areas like health, culture and sport are also seeing huge cuts, she told Al Jazeera. Theyre taking the money from these things and putting it into security. Some groups also protested against Bogotas flawed mass transport system, the TransMilenio. Dignified transport for Usme, chanted one group holding posters with photographs of the swarms of daily commuters who pile on the TransMilenio transport system in the working class area of Usme. Other groups called for better conditions in Colombian prisons and the end to the killings of Colombian social leaders and human rights activists. Alexandra Castiblanco, 27, marched to support her retired mother who had worked as a teacher. Their [teachers] pay is awful, she told Al Jazeera. My mom is a pensioner now but she received hardly anything after working her whole life. Its really bad for teachers here. 190409184929366 Some analysts believe Thursdays protest is likely to be the start of a long-term movement. This is not going to be a one-day protest, this is a movement thats going to address some of the inequities and long-standing political feuds in Colombia, said Sergio Guzman, director of Colombia Risk Analysis, a political risk consultancy firm. Guzman told Al Jazeera that the event was politically motivated, as it was taking place a week before Labour Day, six months before the local elections and at a time when the presidents popularity ratings were losing steam. This is a show of strength to tell the government hey, we matter, and it could escalate depending on how the government responds, he said. If the government chooses to ignore the protesters and their main concerns, this is going to go on for a while, because its essentially a battle of wills, and who has a stronger will. The government has been known to sit down and negotiate when things get bad enough. So the question is, how bad can it get? Thursdays protests were largely peaceful by mid-afternoon with small clashes between police and demonstrators at times. Special Counsel Robert Mueller claims correctly that a traditional prosecution or declination decision is a binary choice to prosecute or not to prosecute. Mueller was able to make a decision regarding collusion, so why couldnt he make one regarding obstruction? He claims he couldnt because the Office of Legal Counsel had previously opined that a sitting president cannot be indicted; he also claims that it would be unfair to accuse the president of committing a crime without indicting him and thus denying him the right to defend himself in court to clear his name. Then why did Mueller spend millions of taxpayer dollars investigating the president for obstruction when he wouldnt indict him for it anyway? Mueller claims that he was creating and preserving a record for the future, perhaps when Trump is no longer president and thus can be indicted. But he also wrote that he was concerned that indicting Trump would, preempt constitutional processes for addressing presidential misconduct. What does he mean? Read his footnote -- he means impeachment. So, Mueller didnt charge obstruction because he didnt want to preempt the Democrats impeachment plans. Instead of performing his duty as a prosecutor, Mueller was creating a roadmap to impeachment. Mueller made a political decision, not a legal one. He was appointed to investigate any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. He was authorized to prosecute any federal crimes arising from his investigation. He admitted there was no evidence of collusion, conspiracy, or even the made-up crime called coordination. Yet on corruption, instead of reaching the obvious conclusion, he deferred to Congress. But Mueller is a prosecutor, not a member of Congress. His job is to enforce the criminal code, not to facilitate impeachment. Where Mueller played the politician, Attorney General William Barr played the prosecutor. Barr determined the evidence provided by Mueller was insufficient to establish an obstruction of justice charge. In reaching that decision, Barr based his conclusion on the evidence, which is what prosecutors are supposed to do. Barr even examined the evidence using Muellers unconventional legal theory that a person can be charged with obstruction for carrying out his lawful duties, and still found none. Mueller, on the other hand, laid out the factual issues that he believes could support an obstruction charge: public attacks on the investigation, non-public efforts to control it, and efforts in both public and private to encourage witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation. First, public criticism cannot constitute obstruction; the president, like any American, has the 1st Amendment right to criticize the government, including the agents who prosecute him. Even if one disregards the Constitution, the facts reveal that although the president criticized the investigation, he did nothing to hinder it. Second, the president has the constitutional duty to take care that the laws are faithfully executed; that duty includes efforts to control any federal investigation. And whether he acknowledges it or not, the special counsel ultimately works under the president. Again, if one disregards the Constitution and examines just the facts, one reaches that same conclusion; there was no evidence that the president actually controlled the investigation. The evidence reveals the opposite. Mueller reports that Trump wanted him removed for a conflict of interest. Well, he wasnt -- he wasnt even asked. Mueller reports that Trump wanted then Attorney General Jeff Sessions to unrecuse himself. Well, he didnt. And, the presidents response, I'm not going to do anything or direct you to do anything. I just want to be treated fairly. The third factual issue is the only one that could possibly be in the realm of obstruction of justice. But, upon examination of the facts, not Muellers characterization of them, there is no there, there. Mueller claims Trump made, efforts in both public and private to encourage witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation. Muellers best proof? Michael Cohen claiming that the President's personal counsel told him to stay on message and not contradict the President. Yet, Michael Cohen had plead guilty to lying to Congress and was trying to save himself from a long prison sentence. He lacks any credibility. In the end, Special Counsel Bob Mueller has done significant damage to the Trump presidency. Because he refused to do what he was appointed to do, he has fueled the fires of impeachment. So, now well spend the next year and half with Democrats beating the drums of impeachment even though the special counsel exonerated the president of committing the crime for which the special counsel was appointed, and the attorney general cleared the president of obstruction of justice. Mueller reports that Trump complained the appointment of the special counsel will end his presidency. Lets hope the American people see this for what it is -- a political prosecution, not a legal one. Marc A. Scaringi, Esq. Mr. Scaringi is an attorney in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a radio talk show host of The Marc Scaringi Show on WHP 580AM and I Heart Radio and a Donald J. Trump endorsed Delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention. After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers on September 11, there was a group of people mostly those of the America-hating variety who did not believe that Muslim terrorists were behind the attacks. Rather, they thought President George W. Bush and the high members of the military-industrial complex, motivated by greed and power, perpetuated a narrative about Muslim terrorists to cover for the truth that it was really they who had directed the attacks. These people became known as "truthers." Writer and editor Cathy Young now assigns this term to people who have questions about the cause of the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in her article, "The Rise of Notre Dame Truthers." She cites examples of conservative pundits ranging from Fox to Infowars in her mind, they're all one and the same either expressing doubts about the cause or suggesting that Muslim terrorists might have started the fire. She also includes other conservatives who interpret this event as a metaphor for European Christianity's retreat in face of Islam. For the sake of appearing objective and fair (but doing the opposite), Young calls out people on the Left who celebrated Notre Dame's burning and aired their hatred of the West, Christianity, and Ben Shapiro. Somehow, these critics' vitriol puts them in the same camp as truthers who justifiably sense something suspect about the "fire was simply an accident" narrative. Apparently, anyone who ponders the possibilities of deliberation along with raving activists dancing on the ashes of an old church is a truther, among the number of conspiracy kooks looking to stir up dissent and disregard all evidence. In the case of liberals feeling triggered by any eulogies for Notre Dame, it is simply wrong to call them truthers. Rather, they are liberals spouting the same nonsense and showing the same outrage they always do. They have every right to troll and rage on Twitter, and conservatives like Shapiro have every right to respond and call out their stupidity. In the case of conservatives asking questions about Notre Dame, "truthers" is a vile epithet meant to silence and marginalize them. Looking at the evidence available, nearly all of it points to an act of arson, not some random accident, as Frank Hawkins explains at American Thinker. Renovation workers took special care not expose the flammable roof to anything that could short-circuit and create a spark, and none of them were even there to make that kind of blunder. Additionally, these kinds of attacks on Church buildings happened all across France an arsonist tried to burn down St. Sulpice Church a few blocks down the road just the week before. To make matters even more suspicious, Hawkins points out how investigators proclaimed this an accident before they could even investigate. Reporters and spokespeople dismissed questions about the cause while providing no evidence for their story. Hardly a day later, President Macron secured millions from wealthy donors to rebuild the cathedral bigger and better than before. If nothing else, the speedy, forceful response implies a cover-up. Otherwise, why not look for evidence? Why not consider possible motives? Is it because renovation workers have every reason not to set fire to the most important building in Paris, and radical Muslim thugs or a corrupt government looking for free donations to help pay for its tourist site have every reason start a fire? People actually paying attention have already come to this conclusion and have accepted that French leadership is compromised and immigration has only brought harm. The only people the mainstream media and French elite have convinced are those who are apathetic and those who hate Gothic cathedrals because they somehow find them racist. Ironically, invoking the truther label only perpetuates trutherism. If a group of people perpetuate a bogus argument or false narrative, people with more knowledge can challenge this and provide proof. Responsible intellectuals and transparent government officials confronted the original truther conspiracy theories with simple facts; they did not shut them down by calling their proponents names and dismissing them as kooks. Because of this transparency, Americans were willing to pledge themselves to fighting the scourge of terrorism and be watchful of other such attacks. By contrast, normal French people don't know whom to believe. Their politicians lie to them, supposedly to protect the Muslim population from hate crimes but mostly to virtue-signal and find the easiest short-term solution available. The media support those politicians and smother inquiry with a deluge of repeated lies and narratives. And radical Muslims express their delight at Notre Dame burning down and take to the streets and vandalize more churches, since no one will stop them. When a country's elites make this the norm, no one should be surprised that the same people protest every weekend and vote for anti-immigration nationalists. As most writers note, the burning of Notre Dame is only the tip of the iceberg. France has many problems, as does every other country. Covering up for these problems only makes the situation worse and makes the people angrier, and not just the French, but Americans as well. While French politicians and media try to cover up for their immigration crisis and government corruption, American media and political elites do the same, covering up for immigration woes at the southern border and blatant corruption of intelligence agencies and Democrat politicians. Instead of calling out truthers, Young and the many pundits like her should call out their own hypocrisy. Only transparency will help a culture in decline reverse its course, and the internet and social media, which provide a platform for alternative (mainly conservative) media, can help bring this about. Simple life experience will show that a person can handle truth much better than he can handle falsehood. Falsehood closes off a person, makes him paranoid, and multiplies mistakes, whereas truth, even ugly truth, really does set one free to grow, to learn, and to connect with others. So it is with society. Everyone deserves to know the truth about Notre Dame, and no one should rest until it comes out. Auguste Meyrat is an English teacher in the Dallas area. He is the editor of The Everyman and has also written essays for The Federalist and The American Conservative. Follow him on Twitter. By Trend The World Bank (WB) positively assesses the progress of implementing the Agricultural Competitiveness Improvement Project (ACIP) in Azerbaijan, Trend reports with the reference to the banks report. "Good progress continues to be made with implementation of the animal disease control program and upgrading the veterinary education," reads the report. "The project is initiating establishment of the Animal Identification and Registration System. Twelve value chain sub-projects approved and eight are under implementation. Project investments in research and variety development program, and seed production and processing have already resulted in improving the quality of seeds and overall seed production capacity. Some 50 investment sub-loans in a wide range of agribusiness activities have been issued. Beneficiary agribusinesses report sizeable growth in outputs and the project objective remains achievable." The bank has so far allocated $19.54 million (57 percent from the WB in financing the project) to Azerbaijan for the project. The total cost of the project is $53.25 million, and the WB share is $34.5 million. The project for strengthening agricultural competitiveness aims to facilitate market access for agricultural producers by improving the quality of sanitary and phytosanitary services, providing financial services to agriculture enterprises, and so on. The project contributes to further development of agribusiness and food industry through the provision of loans to improve technology, increase production, and modernize phytosanitary and veterinary services. The project also contributes to improving the regulatory and institutional framework in the field of food safety and quality. The ACIP was approved on Sept. 30, 2013 The project is expected to end on June 30, 2020. Azerbaijan has been a WB member since 1992. For some time, I've written here that my Mexican friends south of the border are puzzled with the caravans walking through their country. For whatever reason, Mexico may be changing strategy. Yesterday, we learned about the fate of some Central Americans who entered Mexico. This is from the Los Angeles Times: Mexican police and immigration officials in the southern state of Chiapas on Monday rounded up hundreds of undocumented Central American migrants headed for the U.S. border. It's one of the largest raids targeting a caravan since the exodus began last year, and comes as the U.S. ramps up pressure on Mexico to curb the flow of migrants. What we know so far: Police arrested 300-500 migrants outside the city of Pijijiapan, Chiapas, reports said. They were part of a caravan of about 3,000 Central Americans heading north. Witnesses said authorities forcibly wrestled women, men and children into vehicles. The migrants were driven to buses, likely headed to migration centers for deportation, according to activists. Local media reported on Friday that more than 250 migrants were also arrested in the nearby city of Mapastepec. Change of heart or something else? We will see, My guess is that the Lopez-Obrador administration is starting to feel the heat from Mexicans. Most Mexicans, as we do too, sympathize with people who want a better life. However, they just don't want their highways to turn into caravans of people to the U.S. Furthermore, there is a valid concern south of the border that there are other nationalities joining the caravan and tagging along. Another Mexican friend told me last night that President Lopez-Obrador may be trying to show the cartels who is "boss." Over the last few weeks, we've read about the role of organized crime in this human movement. Last but not least, don't underestimate President Trump's threats. In other words, President Lopez-Obrador knows that President Trump does not make empty threats. P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. China faces the biggest pension crisis on the planet with its social security systems running out of money by 2035 and many provincial and business retirement funds already broke. Chinese Academy of Social Sciences released a study estimating that Chinas main state-sponsored social security fund could be exhausted by 2035, or about the same year as actuaries for the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund estimate its fund will run dry. But the more immediate problem for China is that nearly half of Chinas 31 provincial regions expect to report operating shortfalls in their basic pension funds by 2022, compared to six in 2015. Despite federal subsidies, the northeastern China rust belt province of Heilongjiang was forced in to begin delaying pension payments in July 2018. Only about 17.3 percent of Chinese were 60 years of age or older in 2017, compared to 21.8 percent in the U.S. But due to Chinas population of 1.4 billion versus 326 million in the U.S., China had 240 million people age 60 or older, compared to 70 million in the U.S. Unlike the U.S., which experienced its baby boom in the 1950s and is currently in a retirement boom, Chinas biggest baby boom was during the 1980s and its retirement boom is approaching. As a result, the number of Chinese 60 and older will skyrocket to 300 million in 2025; 400 million in 2033; and 490 million by 2050. The international accounting and consulting firm KPMG issued a white paper that estimated in dollar terms that Chinas state social security system without significant reforms would see its funding gap spike from $590 billion in 2017 to $1.1 trillion in 2025. With 80 percent of workers employed by a state agency or state-owned enterprise through 1978, Chinese workers expected the communist iron rice bowl would provide guaranteed lifetime pensions payments, plus free healthcare and public housing. But with the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union and collapse of international communist trading networks forcing China to open up its economy to competition, the state-owned enterprise sector had shriveled to just 15 percent of employment by 2017. Mandated pension contribution rates for Chinese employers to state-run pensions are very high, but a 2018 survey by Chinas social-insurance information provider 51Shebao found that more than 70 percent of Chinese firms were behind on their social insurance contributions and only 27 percent of companies made full payments. Tax evasion by large enterprises is very common in China, because local tax collectors fear the political clout of high-ranking executives in big companies. The ancient Confusion ideals that still drive Chinese culture revere age and respect for the wisdom of the elderly as a buttress to stability and social harmony. The Chinese government is acutely aware that public opinion polls over the last five years have consistently ranked social securitys solvency in the top three public concerns, along with the aging population and slowing economic growth. The day after the CASS report was released, Chinas Ministry of Finance mandated that the seven wealthiest and most developed provincial-level regions -- Guangdong, Beijing, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Fujian and Shandong -- will begin subsidizing 21 provincial regions that are facing outflows of workers and rapidly aging populations. The past week gave us a glimpse into what an increasingly possible, widespread rash of ransomware attacks would look like in a worst-case scenario for America. An outbreak of similar penetrations wreaked havoc on Augusta, ME, Imperial County, CA, Stuart, FL, and Greenville, NC. In Augusta, ME, the ransomware attacks affected municipal services ranging from the police dispatch system to the municipal financial systems, countywide billing services, automobile excise tax records, property tax assessors records, and even general assistance hotlines. Greenville, SC is said to be relying on paper forms currently, as its IT department sorts through the issue, while workers in Imperial County, CA, are using their personal email accounts along with Facebook to communicate with residents. The specific variant of ransomware used is known as Ryuk ransomware, first identified on August 13th, 2018, and categorized as a hybrid between the Bitpaymer Ransomware and the Hermes Ransomware. The Bitpaymer ransomware strain uses an almost identical ransom note, but Ryuks encryption method is believed to be based on the Hermes ransomware variant. Vulnerabilities in state and municipal networks are nothing new. Just last year, cybersecurity researcher Logan Lamb of Bastille Networks managed to breach Georgias supposedly secured election data by accident. As a result of his white hat hacking operation that was spurred by curiosity inspired by stories regarding Russian election interference, Lamb was able download over 14 GB of Georgia voter information. That information included registration records for 6.7 million voters. Lamb was also able to access the login credentials of poll workers assigned to work on Election Day. Weve seen accusations of foreign meddling, most notably in the 2016 American presidential election, that has sent the media into a frenzy and was a continuing theme of the almost two-year Mueller investigation. Last weeks scare is significant in that, if a coordinated campaign of attacks against the network infrastructures of a major city was to occur, the number of affected Americans could potentially reach into the tens of millions instantaneously. That would have a catastrophic effect on services ranging from 911 and police dispatch systems to local hospital networks. So how exactly does America protect her intricate and overlapping layers of network communications against criminals that have already show a propensity and a measure of success in negotiating their brazen illegal endeavors? In Georgia, the election network vulnerabilities exposed by Lamb led to the proposal of a misguided piece of legislation known as SB 315. That bill looked to prosecute the activities carried out by White Hat and Grey Hat hackers that are an important part of developing network protections. Thankfully, Governor Nathan Deal vetoed the bill. At the time Deal said, Under the proposed legislation, it would be a crime to intentionally access a computer or computer network with knowledge that such access is without authority. However, certain components of the legislation have led to concerns regarding national security implications and other potential ramifications. Consequently, while intending to protect against online breaches and hacks, SB 315 may inadvertently hinder the ability of government and private industries to do so. Other efforts include Californias CA A 1906, that requires manufacturers of network connected devices in the State of California to equip the devices with preinstalled security features that prevent the remote control or access of the device. In the election-critical state of Iowa, a bill called IA H 2252 seems to weaken their protections related to the local election process. It Changes the requirements for membership on the board of examiners for voting systems, allowing one member to have been trained in cybersecurity rather than requiring training in computer programming and operations. At the federal level, under last years Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Act (CISA), the federal government is shifting its mission towards, protecting the Nations critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats, while also seeking, collaboration among a broad spectrum of government and private sector organizations. Recent shakeups at the Department of Homeland Security are sure to have some level of effect on CISA implementation, but the faster that all levels of government find the perfect mix of collaboration, the safer we all are as the proverbial clock ticks towards another eventual cyberattack. Now that the Philadelphia Flyers and Comcast Spectacor have officially removed the statue of Kate Smith outside the Wells Fargo Center and banned her famous version of "God Bless America," there is another question that needs to be addressed: should Muhammad Ali, a racial separatist and supporter of George Wallace, continue to be honored by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia? Fans of Ali know that on September 13, 2012, he was given the prestigious Liberty Medal for being a "Champion of Freedom" and is currently on the Constitution Center's list of medal-winners, which dates back to 1989, when Poland's Lech Walesa won the award. According to President Clinton, "Ali embodies the spirit of the Liberty Medal by embracing the ideals of the Constitution freedom, self-governance, equality, and empowerment and helping to spread them across the globe." Despite Clinton's praise, Ali was still a man with a controversial past a past filled with rhetoric much more radical than that of Kate Smith. In a 1968 interview with storied Boston Globe reporter Bud Collins, Ali said whites and blacks living together is as unnatural as humans living with wild animals. "I don't hate rattlesnakes, I don't hate tigers I just know I can't get along with them," Ali told Collins. "I don't want to try to eat with them or sleep with them." When pressed by Collins about this separatist view, Ali doubled down. "I know whites and blacks cannot get along," he said. "This is nature." Ali then went on to publicly proclaim his support for Alabama's Governor George Wallace, the infamous segregationist, who was running for president. "I like what he says," Ali told Collins. "Negroes shouldn't force themselves in white neighborhoods, and white people shouldn't have to move out of the neighborhood just because one Negro comes. Now that makes sense." As Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby wrote in June of 2016, shortly after Ali's passing, "This was not some inexplicable aberration. It reflected a hateful worldview that Ali, as a devotee of Elijah Muhammad and the segregationist Nation of Islam, espoused for years." Yet in 2012, National Constitution Center president and CEO David Eisner still praised the retired boxer, saying, "Muhammad Ali symbolizes all that makes America great, while pushing us as a people and as a nation to be better." Apparently, Eisner didn't realize that Ali had stood in alliance with the Ku Klux Klan, having attended one of their rallies. In the 2008 HBO documentary Thrilla in Manila, Ali describes the rally, complete with white hoods and a burning cross, where he stood on the platform, preaching racial segregation. "Black people should marry their own women," Ali shouted. "Bluebirds with bluebirds, red birds with red birds, pigeons with pigeons, eagles with eagles. God didn't make no mistake!" In a 1975, interview with Playboy Magazine, Ali even went as far as to say, "A black man should be killed if he's messing with a white woman." The same went for white men hitting on black women. "We'll kill anybody who tries to mess around with our women," Ali insisted. According to the National Constitution Center's website, however, Ali is "a champion of freedom who embodies everything the award was established to honor: individuals of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe." Sure, Ali matured over time, and like Malcolm X, he softened some of his views. But then again, so did Kate Smith. In 1982, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan, because her rendition of "God Bless America" helped sell millions of dollars in war bonds during World War II. "Those simple and deeply moving words, God Bless America, have taken on extra meaning because of the way she sang them," President Reagan said. "In giving us a magnificent, selfless talent like Kate Smith's, God has blessed America." This raises the question: if the 1982 Presidential Freedom Medalwinner who is accused of racial insensitivity doesn't deserve to be honored with a bronze statue outside the Wells Fargo Center, does Ali, a racial separatist and Klan rally attendee, deserve to keep his Liberty Medal and remain on the National Constitution Center's prestigious list of winners? Interestingly, the song Kate Smith is under fire for, titled "That's Why Darkies Were Born," was also recorded by Paul Robeson, the legendary civil rights activist. Other racially insensitive songs recorded by Robeson include "The Little Piccaninny's Gone to Sleep" from his record "Plantation Medley." Some have argued that Smith's songs from the 1930s have been taken out of context. No one, however, has called for Paul Robeson High School in West Philadelphia to be renamed because of racial insensitivity. And no one seems to care that Muhammad Ali was, in Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby's words, "an unabashed bigot." When it comes to repenting of past misdeeds in Philadelphia, it looks as though Kate Smith is all alone. Image: Dutch National Archives via Wikimedia Commons. San Francisco is a city covered in excrement, and now even the wealthy inhabitants of its Embarcadero are going to experience more of it, up close to home and quite personal. Here's the news from the Guardian: Authorities in San Francisco have approved plans for a homeless shelter that had faced fierce protests from wealthy local residents. Tuesday's unanimous vote by San Francisco's port commissioners was the culmination of weeks of contention that began with residents of one of the city's most desirable waterfront neighborhoods raising more than $101,000 in a crowdfunding campaign to pay for an attorney to fight the construction of the Navigation Center. They got steamrolled. This comes despite what locals say was "nearly 100% opposition," along with a swift raising of more than $100,000 from a GoFundMe campaign to legally fight the coming nightmare. They're about to learn they've become the latest sacrificial lambs, because they're now the low men on the San Francisco totem pole. They've become the new peasants, and they probably don't even know it. But they do know that something has gone wrong. The Guardian continues: "We believe that in the mayor's haste to meet her campaign promises, she has failed to follow the law," he said. "It's pretty disrespectful to the people who live there to shove it down their throats like this. I have been practicing law in this city for almost 30 years and I have never seen so much disregard for the feelings, thoughts, and opinions of thousands of people." Maybe they should have thought of that before they elected an incompetent weakling like Mayor London Breed based on color considerations, or passed Proposition C in that same election, taxing big businesses to pay for More Homeless programs. The residents aren't the most sympathetic people out there, given their voting patterns. All the same, this could be some kind of watershed, widening a new fault line on the left, given that tech billionaires were the ones behind this, making a sort of warfare on the merely wealthy. After all, in San Francisco, there's no one else left. The residents' interests were steamrolled and without a significant concession, as activists from San Francisco's vast 'homeless industrial complex' (who stand to make a lot of money from the project) heckled their protests as "stand up to hate." That's not just a steamroller going over a lot of people; that's a pave-over. The ironically named 'SAFE' navigation center for the homeless will go up no matter what they think, and as part of all that safety from the "SAFE" center, the city promises two new beat cops in the vicinity to protect residents. (Assuming they show up.) It's not going to work, of course. The city already spends $77,000 per homeless person (the money going to activists and nonprofits), which is higher than the mean average income of the average U.S. resident, wrote Rich Cibotti in a data-filled 2017 piece for the Daily Wire. It has a $10-billion city budget (in stark contrast to the $3-billion city budgets of much larger cities such as San Diego and San Jose) and doles out $600 million among homeless agencies and non-profits to pay for 'homeless services,' which is an amount that is higher than its police or fire budgets. The homeless cash is expected to keep rolling in in coming years, with Proposition C expected to bring in another $300 million (assuming the large companies targeted for the homeless tax stay around to pay it), and the homeless problem will proliferate. The city itself says it's ramping up its homeless services in 2019 by about 17% even as other city services are cut to pay that. During the next year, we will increase the number of Navigation Center beds by nearly 150 percent. In addition to increasing Navigation Center capacity and services, we will add 172 units of new supportive housing placements as well as millions in rental subsidies to assist people in need of housing. This budget also includes additional funding to expand programs tailored to the specific needs of different populations experiencing homelessness families, youth, LBGTQ and veterans. Net result: A city covered in more poop than it knows what to do with. As Thomas Sowell has observed, you can have all the poverty you want to pay for. The Embarcadero people, who likely have extended themselves financially to live there, aren't going to be happy about going underwater on their mortgages as the homeless move in. But on the left, money talks, and these poor souls just don't have the political clout it takes in San Francisco to keep the homeless off their doorsteps the way the super-rich do. They are, after all, merely wealthy, not tech billionaires. Now, the measure was opposed by residents, but it was loudly supported by the super-rich, such as Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff (formerly an Oracle biggie), who are fully sheltered from any 'interaction' with the city's abundant homeless or their "byproducts." Benioff loudly supported Proposition C, which is likely to drive businesses and tax revenue from the city, but apparently not his company, which will have to shell out only $10 million in new taxes. The company itself paid $7 million to get the measure passed. (Dorsey opposed it.) Benioff's influence is present in other areas, too. The homeless SAFE center's location is weird stuff. Way back in 2014, something called the Presidio Trust squelched another project that might have eventually gone up at the SAFE site known as Seawall Lot 330, which was George Lucas's proposed "Cultural Arts Museum," at another location, Crissy Field, and Lucas was then offered the Seawall Lot 330 location, which he spurned as too little, too late, and after legal challenges, he eventually took to Los Angeles. Interestingly enough, that federal board, a place where political plums are offered to political donors (and President Obama certainly played this game), has since seen the appointment of Benioff's wife and another Oracle scion to the body in 2015. Lucas dismissed the entire board and its offers as 'they hate us,' so there was something in the air about keeping Lucas out of the site and replacing it with a homeless services center instead. Does it sound as though someone wanted to lower property values, chasing the local residents out, and then cleaning up later? The homeless center is, supposedly, "temporary," with a lease to be renewed or not in two years. It almost sounds as though the super-rich are seeking to drive enough residents out by ruining the quality of their lives as they pay high costs, driving their mortgages under water, and getting the market low enough to make a killing. The super-rich can do that; the merely wealthy cannot. Makes you wonder why Benioff and Dorsey were just so enthusiastic as advocates for the homeless industrial complex. They seem to be using the homeless as guided weapons targeting the merely wealthy hoi polloi. As the eldest sibling, I used to taunt my kid sister in all manner of petty and childish ways, until she opened her mouth to tattle at which point I would accuse her of the very conduct I had been dishing out. The more strident her outraged protests became, the more she convicted herself. House speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that the Trump administration is an "existential threat to our democracy." Quite aside from the fact that the United States of America is not, never was, and was never meant to be a democracy, Madame Speaker cites facts not in evidence very conspicuously not in evidence. Following more than two years and millions of dollars wasted in a phony "investigation" of a crime that everyone in America knew had not occurred, Democrats have painted themselves into the ugliest corner in history. I suppose we can't blame them for trying to whistle past the graveyard on this. What else can they do tell the truth? The truth places most of the Obama administration, Hillary Clinton, and many Democratic Party leaders in federal prison for wholesale election fraud and sedition. The truth is, as we've known it all along, that the only election-tampering that occurred in 2016 was perpetrated by the Democrats in a desperate effort to keep Donald J. Trump out of the White House. Everything they've screamed about since then has been a brazen attempt to hang Trump for the crimes committed by his opposition. Clearly, the truth won't serve. The trouble with continuing to lie is that they're running out of lies to throw at this president. If the Democrats launched into the month of May charging President Trump with murder, would anyone at this point be surprised? It's about the only crime they haven't accused him of already. Today, they're settling for the charge du jour: being an existential threat to democracy. In what way is President Trump a danger to our nonexistent democracy? Has he threatened to tear up the Constitution, as Democrats have done and continue to do? Has he violated someone's rights, as the Democrats have done and continue to do? Has he deprived someone of a civil liberty, as Democrats do daily? We keep hearing this inflammatory rhetoric, but it's like an urban legend. It's always an unnamed, unspecified, unphotographed, unvetted "something" that occurred to a brother of a friend's cousin. Well, to be fair, Democrats have asserted one particular right President Trump has violated, affecting millions of people: the "right" to cross our borders, enter our country, and remain here illegally. But the problem with that is, there's no such right. Nor should there be. Ironically, those who assert that America has no right to secure borders are an existential threat to our republic, because without a border, you aren't a country. If you're not a country, what are you? So while Madame Speaker practices her histrionics for the cameras, we are treated to another psychosis whereby Democrats charge Republicans with crimes committed in reality by Democrats. It's become a favorite tactic of the Left: accusing us of doing what leftists themselves are doing. It's like an elder sibling torturing his kid sister for sadistic laughs, except when your brother taunts you, there's no chance that his jibes will burn your house down. The Democrats are setting fire to America. Because they would rather burn down your house than lose another election. Is that strong language? Consider: Democrats are willing to ascribe unspeakable crimes to a man they knew to be innocent, just because they needed a leftist ideologue in his job. They are willing to demolish our electoral system the worldwide standard of fair and balanced elections by rampant fraud until we draw derision from banana republics. They are willing to sabotage wars just to acquire leverage against an opponent, as they did in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are willing to watch law enforcement officers executed in the streets just to push a false narrative of racial injustice. They are willing to do whatever it takes, pay whatever it costs, to perpetuate their delusional ideology. Speaker Pelosi fretting on national television about existential threats to America is too much like Nikita Khrushchev complaining that those ungrateful mobs in Budapest got blood all over his shiny tanks. Her opportunistic posturing was never amusing, but now it's taken on a deadly edge. Americans are getting hurt, getting killed, over this fantasyland nonsense. When will Americans decide enough is enough, that governing by mass hallucination can't work, and finally put an end to the farce the Democratic Party has become? Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. So much for poverty causing 'terrorism' as the left likes to claim. A better case can be made for wealth and radicalism causing terrorism, given the latest revelations from Sri Lanka that its monstrous suicide bombers, who killed 359 mostly poor people in their churches this past Easter Sunday, were the cossetted children of the country's elites. What a putrid picture. ZeroHedge has a report, largely citing the reporting in the New York Times: Sri Lankan police have determined that two of the eight suicide bombers who carried out the Easter Sunday bombings, one of the deadliest terror attacks in recent memory, were the sons of one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country - a spice trader whose family lived in what the New York Times described as a "beautiful white villa" just outside of the capital, Colombo. The spice trader, Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim, built his fortune on black pepper, white pepper, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla. He was even celebrated by Sri Lanka's former president for his "outstanding service to the nation." But that didn't stop two of his sons from joining a jihadist group and pledging their allegiance to ISIS. Here are some Times details: Sri Lankan officials have been reluctant to identify the suicide bombers, saying that could hamper their investigation. But at a news conference on Wednesday, Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lankas minister of defense, said most of the bombers had been well educated and had come from middle-class or upper-class families. "Financially they are quite independent and their families are stable financially. So that is a worrying fact," he said. "Some of them have studied in various other countries. They hold degrees, LLMs. They are quite well-educated people." Nope, not poor people. But it was very much poor people who were their victims, despite the press coverage about a prominent Danish billionaire also losing three of his four children in the horrible attack. If you've ever been to Sri Lanka, you will know that the Sri Lankans who become Christians are largely from the ranks of the poor, escaping ethnic and class barriers. The multi-pronged attack Sunday was a grotesque reversal of the usual class warfare narrative put out there by the left, in that it was the rich kids, preening around with guns in their social media photos, who inflicted the vilest of harm on the poor. It's also consistent with what Sri Lanka knew about ISIS recruits from among their national whom they'd caught earlier -- that the were the idle children of the rich. I noted that here. CNN has a good laundry list of previous Islamist terrorists who came from wealthy backgrounds: The writer noted that terrorism experts say terrorism really is 'a bourgeois phenomenon.' Which signals that the pattern is holding and the left's narrative about poverty and terrorism is garbage. The anarchist and leftist terrorists of late 19th century and early 20th century tsarist Russia had this background - read Joseph Conrad's 'The Secret Agent' or 'Under Western Eyes.' But more prominently for us, so did the U.S., during the late 1960s, when rich terrorists such as Weather Underground founder Bill Ayers, unleashed terror on America's poor and working class in the name of championing them, dancing around with guns and good looking chicks in mini-skirts for the cameras after each outrage, putting on the berets, and preening for the press, saying only the most outrageous of offensive things, celebrating Charles Manson. It was all so very fun for Ayers and his fellow rich radicals in that inner circle. Then the rich punk, who was the son of the Commonwealth Edison CEO, got off scot-free after he was caught, walking out of a courthouse "guilty as sin, free as a bird," as he put it, and after that, he went on to radicalize the Illinois school system and mentor the young Barack Obama. Sri Lanka's archishop of Colombo has called on the Islamist radicalized terrorists who blew up the churches to be punished without mercy, and declared them 'animals.' Given the U.S. history of Ayers, it's quite possible he knows what will otherwise happen if the authorities don't stomp this out harshly and fast. Ayers went on to spread his radicalism through the 'long march through the institutions' as the Gramsciian lefties say, leaving considerable rubble in its wake. And he told the New York Times, in a famous interview that ran on 9/11, that he wasn't ashamed of his bombings and didn't think he'd done enough. He certainly wasn't sorry. It's not far-fetched to think a similar pattern could happen in Sri Lanka, now that the intellectual rot has begun among the rich. These phenomenon often do happen in periods of rising prosperity - in the U.S., in tsarist Russia, and certainly Sri Lanka, which has seen a considerable rise in its standard of living with the end of its inter-ethnic civil war several years ago. Authorities there say they still think a lot of these rich elites gone bad are still out there. A far stronger statement from Pope Francis, the supposed champion of the poor, and a far stronger response from Sri Lankan authorities to put these miscreants down would seem to be in order, even as doing so will force them to come into conflict with the country's moneyed rich. They need to do it anyway, and the history of Ayers is exactly the reason why. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons public domain The long-awaited report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller should have put to rest the false and destructive narrative propagated by the Democratic Party and the liberal media. But instead, many willfully blind Democrats still reject the finding that neither Trump nor anyone in his administration colluded or conspired with the Russians to win his election. All the others have simply shifted their attention to something else -- obstruction of justice. Whether its Stormy Daniels, the presidents tax records, Russian collusion, or obstruction of justice, each glimmer of hope for impeachment becomes a tantalizing, shimmering object that Democrats somehow cant resist. Like a school of fish, they dart from one shiny object to another. They say theyre doing their job. They pontificate about their congressional oversight responsibility. But their utter indifference to Hillary Clintons illicit private email server belies that claim. Their stupefied expression at the mention of Uranium One, or government abuse of the FISA Court reveals that they care nothing about congressional oversight. Time and again theyve shown theyre really only interested in the political and personal destruction of Donald Trump. So Democrats and the news media are now focusing on ten instances in Muellers report that could be interpreted as obstruction of justice, and the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives is poised to repeat everything Mueller and his team have been doing for the past two years. If they believe that vague, legally debatable suggestions of obstruction demand congressional inquiries, they must have been asleep when the last president used his executive privilege to short-stop the congressional investigation into Fast and Furious. That scandal directly involving the death of an American Border Patrol Agent and countless others. Now they plan to reveal exactly what President Trump was thinking when he offered a few words of support for General Michael Flynn during a private meeting with then-FBI director James Comey. And after more endless hearings and incantations, like Johnny Carsons Carnac, theyll triumphantly reveal what theyve already concluded -- that he fired Comey, not because of his incompetence, but in order to obstruct justice. But if theyre so desperate to find obstruction of justice, they dont need to divine the deepest thoughts of Trumps psyche. For decades, two prominent Democrats have been showing the country what obstruction of justice is all about. Hillary Clinton offered a perfect example during the last presidential campaign, when she deliberately deleted 30,000 emails that had already been subpoenaed by Congress. It doesnt take a mind-reader to interpret her motive. And when Bill Clinton lied in a written deposition in 1998, there was no question about his purpose. It was what led to charges of perjury and obstruction of justice by the House of Representatives. Democrats today are unquestionably mindful of Clintons impeachment. They remember that even with a clear-cut case of obstruction of justice, and the opposition party controlling both houses, Republicans could still not muster the two-thirds majority needed in the Senate to convict the president. They also know that the entire impeachment proceedings lasted less than two months, and only seemed to boost Clintons popularity. So theyre in no hurry to begin Trumps impeachment and end this folly. For them, the threat of impeachment is far more valuable and much safer than the path laid out by an irrational, obsessed, hyperventilating congresswoman from Californias 43rd District. For now, theyre happy to prolong the national nightmare with accusations, innuendo, and endless hearings. If they were not so consumed with hatred and the presidents impeachment, those breathtakingly hypocritical Democrats would accept the findings of the two-year, $30 million Mueller probe, and work with President Trump to resolve real problems, like the invasion of our southern border. Or they could ignore history, impeach this president, and suffer the consequences. Maybe, when its all behind us, they can finally move on and allow a reinvigorated, more popular President Trump to continue the work he was elected to do. Either way, its time to end the travesty. Peter Lemiska is a military veteran and retired Senior Special Agent of the U.S. Secret Service. His opinion pieces regularly appear on renewamerica.com and other conservative sites. These days, few educated people are dismissive of the idea that, elsewhere in the galaxy, there may be advanced technological civilizations capable of space travel. We have no actual evidence for believing that there are, but the notion seems eminently plausible nonetheless. When the United States Navy and Air Force affirm that eyewitness reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) can no longer be ignored, it is worthwhile for the rest of us to take notice. For decades, pilots, both civilian and military, have been aware that pilots who reported having seen UFOs were often labeled as mentally unstable. For a professional pilot, such a label can end a career. Therefore, when pilots saw unknown aircraft performing maneuvers of which no known aircraft are capable, they often made no report of the sighting. Now the cat is out of the bag. The reports are being officially acknowledged as worthy of respectful investigation. The downside to this is that the "I told you so" enthusiasts will predictably come to the fore, vying with each other to produce the most spectacular accounts; little green men will become fashionable once again. At the other extreme, skeptics will struggle to find a "normal" explanation for the abnormal sightings, such as optical illusions or even hoaxes. Is there a middle ground? The temptation is to speculate that some of the sightings are of spacecraft from faraway planets. Even Oumuamua, the asteroid that streaked through our solar system from another star system, was closely evaluated by astronomers for any indication that it was intelligently manufactured or directed. Throughout history, mysteries of the unknown were explained in terms of the known (or believed). In the 1800s, UFOs were reported to be flying ships, ships of the wooden sailing vessel variety. In medieval times, there were reports of witches flying on brooms. In modern times, supposed alien spaceships are assumed to be piloted by alien pilots, because our own aircraft are manned by pilots. The reality, if and when it becomes known, may turn out to be something entirely different from what our experience leads us to extrapolate. For the Navy and Air Force, there is no practical concern that the UFOs might be extraterrestrial spacecraft. Even if they are, our technology would be utterly incapable of dealing with them, despite science fiction movies to the contrary. The actual concern of the government is that our earthly adversaries, can we call them enemies, might be developing advanced technology that poses an existential threat to our nation. This fear is not entirely without precedent. During World War 2, the Nazis developed the V-2 rocket, against which there was no defense. Had the war continued a few more years, such rockets could have reached the United States. I do not lie awake at night worrying that Russia or China has made a spectacular, secret breakthrough in physics, but neither can we ignore the likelihood that these countries are doing their best to do so, and to weaponize it. Our best path forward is to study the aerial phenomena that we observe, to explore all avenues of conjecture, even the seemingly silly ones, and to apply discipline and rigor to draw useful conclusions. Along those lines, after decades of informal study, I have written a series of commentaries. They are too lengthy for inclusion here, but they may provide some context as to how such a study might begin. The series is by no means exhaustive or final, but for those who are interested, it might be worthwhile to take a look. By Trend On April 25, a test launch of a plant for the production of polyethylene coatings will take place in the Mahammadi settlement near Baku, Bakhtiyar Naghiyev, director of the plant, told Trend. The director noted that the first products of the plant will be delivered to markets within ten days. It is planned to produce 7,000 tons of products annually, of which 3,500 tons will be sold on the local market, Naghiyev said. The remaining part is planned to be exported to foreign markets, particularly to Russia and Central Asia, he added. Naghiyev noted that the plant was built at the expense of soft loans totaling 3.5 million manats, issued by the Entrepreneurship Development Fund of Azerbaijan. Consumers who pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy Fold over at AT&T have received an e-mail recently, notifying them that the phone will ship on June 13, making many people believe that is the new release date for the phone, following its delay. Well, it seems like that date was only a placeholder. AT&T has removed shipping dates from Galaxy Fold pre-orders, and it did the same for the Galaxy Fold listing on its website, while the phone is listed as Out of Stock at the moment. This more or less confirms that the June 13, mentioned in AT&Ts e-mails, was just a placeholder, which is not surprising considering that the date was shown publicly just a day after pre-orders opened, so that was possibly a date for the arrival of the second batch of devices. If that is not enough of a confirmation for you, the source actually received a tip from a user who pre-ordered the Galaxy Fold over at AT&T. That screenshot clearly shows that the June 13 date has been removed completely, while it was there until recently, as you can see in the provided image. Advertisement So, what does this mean? Well, it means that were back to square one. Samsung did start collecting early review units in order to investigate the device properly, and it will take a bit of time for the company to know exactly what went wrong and fix it. The phone was supposed to on sale tomorrow (April 26) in the US, which means that Samsung already manufactured quite a few Galaxy Fold units. Considering the phones display issues, which we wrote about quite a few times thus far, the company had to postpone the phones launch, and it will take a while for them to alter all of the units it manufactured, as it seems this problem is hardware-related. This is actually quite a large problem for Samsung, but at least the phone did not make its way to the hands of people who purchased it, as the company definitely wants to avoid a scandal similar to the one it lived through with the Galaxy Note7. In case youre wondering what went wrong with the Galaxy Fold in the first place, well, it seems like the problem is display-related, but we dont exactly know what, yet, at least not officially. Folks over at iFixit have their theories, but well wait for Samsungs official explanation. Advertisement These issues started soon after early review units were shipped out, and the problem is two-fold, it seems. Some reviewers tried to remove a protective layer from the display, as they thought that its a screen protector, while it turns out its a part of the display, and you will damage the display if you remove it. That is their fault, not the phones fault. Well, unfortunately for Samsung, thats not the only issue. Displays on some Galaxy Fold units started malfunctioning on their own. In one instance, white lines appeared on the display, and it didnt take long for it to stop responding to interactions. In a separate case, the display started flickering, and then shut off completely. These are only two examples, while quite a few of them appeared lately. Samsung acknowledged the problem, and will probably publish an update on the issue soon, along with a new release date for the device. The worlds most popular search engine, Google, is already used by many people around the world to look for jobs. Since sifting through results could be quite cumbersome, the search giant has now announced that it has refined its job search options. The new features are basically aimed at people looking for remote job opportunities. In the past few years, the number of people choosing to work from home has increased significantly. People usually resort to social networking websites or online job portals to look for a job and the process is often time-consuming. When conducting a direct Google search, there is a risk of being redirected to a malicious website or a phony job. In some case, shady companies also scam people by disappearing once the job is done, leaving people without a remuneration. To improve the job search experience, Google has now added tools that will facilitate both employers and job hunters. The service is currently available in the U.S. but hopefully, it will be rolled out to other locations in the future. Advertisement With the new features, job searchers will be able to search for home based jobs on the basis of their skills set. For an industry-wide search, there is also an option to search for work from home jobs to explore all open opportunities. The new tools will also be equally beneficial for employers, as Google will use something called Schema.org markup, which is already being used by a number of job websites to post their listing on Google Jobs. This will allow employers to post jobs along with any requirements they might have such as geographic limitations and whether the job is home based or office based. Google already has numerous job listing websites on board, including We Work Remotely, ZipRecruiter, and Working Nomads. As more websites implement the Schema.org markup, the number of jobs that turn up on Google will also increase. The home-based jobs posted using Googles Cloud Talent Solution will also show up in the filtered results if they are marked as remote opportunities by the employers and job boards. Advertisement Google apparently conducted a number of studies to arrive at the conclusion that most remote job listings didnt explicitly state their nature and this made it difficult for people to accurately identify work from home opportunities. With the new tools in place, Google hopes to make it easier for job seekers and job providers to discover each other. There are a million of job openings in the U.S. at any given time and while there are a number of paid job portals such as Career Builder and Jobs.com that can help you land your dream job, Google is a better option if you do not want to spend a dime. The search engine brings together listings from across the web to make it easier for people to find a job. The search can further be narrowed down with the help of additional filters such as title, location, or employer. With the addition of new tools, the search engine would definitely become all the more important for job seekers. Huawei is now calling for cooperation across every facet of the wireless networking industry in the adoption of new cell site technology that will better support current networks through 5G and beyond. Speaking at the recent Huawei Analyst Summit in Shenzhen, company CMO Peter Zhou pointed to two concepts behind the companys SingleRAN Pro solution that Mr. Zhou says will help boost performance and drive down cost. AI to the rescue Centering on concepts introduced with its mobile automation engine last year, the second part of Huaweis answer is embodied in two solutions that are driven by AI management of cell networks. For outdoor cell sites, the company points to its Super Blade site solution, suitable for greenfield macro sites, rooftops, and new installations. Thats built around a specialized ASIC chip that improves integration and utilizes a 1+1 antenna integrated into a more modular design. The decrease in complexity for indoor cells is provided via the 5G LampSite. Advertisement Both solutions center around the use of mobile network automation, which shifts maintenance of a network as well as configuration and optimization more application-focused. By comparison to current networking solutions, Huawei says its solution could result in a ten-fold increase in efficiency and a boost in network performance of 20-percent as its solution reaches Level 3 autonomy in 2022. Coinciding with that and the second, the worlds largest telecoms supplier is also calling for openness in terms of cell sites themselves. Huaweis CMO says that the industry needs to move away from traditional cell tower cabinets to a more modular design based on standardized components that dont rely on open interfaces. The company plans to lead the way on that front by opening up its own design standards across interfacing, heat dissipation, and traditional site weights to third-parties. Overall, Huawei says that standardizing behind less open interfaces can improve on the total cost of ownership for infrastructure by as much as 30-percent and by as much as half for lamp posts. Advertisement Difficult challenges ahead for Huawei The overarching goal is to eventually enable mobile operators to work out of a single box for every base station that supports all required mobile technologies and spectrum, Peter Zhou says. That might be easier said than done with solutions stemming from Huawei, however, since the executive says the effort would need to include a combined effort from between vendors, tower companies, mobile operators, and governments. The US government, in particular, has found itself in multiple standoffs over the past several months, culminating in several arrests and a push to stop the countries allies from utilizing Huaweis networking technology. Of chief concern is whether or not the Chinese government will use the technology for spying purposes. Many world leaders have effectively shrugged off those allegations or are confident that they can circumvent any illicit activity. Advertisement Regardless, the disparate sentiments and cautious approach from governments are going to make any use of Huawei technology on a more open platform a more daunting sell for the company. There may also be qualms from within the wider community of operators, who have already formed the O-RAN Alliance with similar endpoints in mind and which Huawei has not joined. Namely, the group works to ensure that there are clear definitions for network requirements so that base stations can be prepared on open standards to accept the equipment of providers. Huawei disagrees with the approach, claiming that it could ultimately raise the total cost of ownership on cell sites. By Trend Azerbaijan has invited Chinese companies to cooperate in the field of alternative energy, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said, Trend reports on April 25 with reference to the Energy Ministry. Shahbazov made the remarks in Beijing at the meeting with Head of Chinas National Energy Administration Zhang Jianhua. The parties discussed expansion of ties in the energy sector and cooperation within the "One Belt One Road" initiative. Shahbazov noted that the signing of documents worth $821 million between Azerbaijan and China, which took place on April 24, creates new opportunities for expanding cooperation between the countries. We hope that we will be able to continue this success in the field of energy, the minister added. At the meeting, attention was drawn to the possibility of cooperation in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemicals, processing industry, electric power industry and alternative energy. Zhang Jianhua noted the importance of strengthening mutual activities of the companies of the two countries operating in the energy sector. In his words, the administration headed by him will make efforts to expand the participation of Chinese companies in Azerbaijans energy sector including the field of alternative energy. Shahbazov invited the Chinese side to visit Azerbaijan to explore the potential for cooperation in the field of alternative energy. Verizons CEO, Hands Vestberg, confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Note10 will support 5G. This confirmation came during the companys Q1 2019 earnings call, as Mr. Vestberg said: The Note and the Galaxy coming this year will both have 5G, while he also pointed out that Verizon also has a 5G-enabled LG smartphone for the race, and hes probably referring to the LG V50 ThinQ 5G. This doesnt really come as a surprise, as the 5G variant of the Galaxy S10 was announced by Samsung, so it was safe to assume that the same will happen with the Galaxy Note10 later this year. Various rumors also pointed out that well see a 5G variant of the Galaxy Note10, in fact, those rumors suggest that well see two 5G Galaxy Note10 variants. Samsung is rumored to announce two different Galaxy Note10s, one with a smaller display, and one with a larger panel. The larger Galaxy Note10 will probably also have some other benefit over the smaller one, and rumors claim that both of them will available in both 4G and 5G variants. Advertisement Now, if rumors are to be believed, the smaller Galaxy Note10 will be called the Galaxy Note10, while the larger one will ship with the Galaxy Note10 Pro branding. This would be somewhat surprising on Samsungs part, as the Galaxy S10e, S10, S10+, and S10 5G were announced by the company, so it would make more sense for the more powerful Galaxy Note10 variant to be called the Galaxy Note10+, not the Galaxy Note 10 Pro, but there you have it. The Galaxy Note10 is expected to sport a 6.28-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display, while the Galaxy Note10 Pro will include a 6.75-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED panel, if rumors are to be believed. The same goes for both 4G and 5G variants of both devices, as the two will probably be completely identical, save for the 5G connectivity. The larger Galaxy Note10 unit is also rumored to sport more cameras than the regular one, four compared to three, though that rumor surfaced at the beginning of this month when the two phones were rumored to be called the Galaxy Note10e and Galaxy Note10, instead of the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note 10 Pro. That is still a possibility, though, but the Galaxy Note10 Pro name surfaced more times than the Galaxy Note10e, and it kind of makes more sense, but well see. Advertisement All Galaxy Note10 variants will ship with Android 9 Pie out of the box, and Samsungs One UI Android overlay on top of it. The Galaxy Note10 series will probably land in August, one year after the Galaxy Note9 launched. Samsung will almost certainly plan to launch the Galaxy Note10 series before IFA in Berlin kicks off, as the company did that the last couple of years. There are a number of reasons for that, but the most important one is probably the fact that the company can organize a separate event and get all the attention. Samsung actually did something similar with the Galaxy S10 series and the Galaxy Fold back in February, as it launched all of those phones prior to MWC 2019. Two endangered moon bear cubs safe in sanctuary after rescue from Vietnamese circus 25 April 2019 Cubs Sugar and Spice were rescued after Animals Asia investigators discovered them being forced to perform on stage in downtown Hanoi, Vietnam. An Animals Asia rescue team successfully freed two female moon bear cubs from Central Circus in downtown Hanoi, Vietnam after the authorities confirmed they were being held illegally. The cubs were transferred to Animals Asias award-winning Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre in nearby Vinh Phuc province on Wednesday 24 April, where they immediately entered a quarantine area. Animals Asia Vietnam Director Tuan Bendixsen said: Were very grateful to the authorities for taking swift action in this case and sending a clear message to circuses around the country that they are not above the nations wildlife laws. This rescue will be a deterrent to those who would commit wildlife crime, a wake up call for the public who may consider attending an animal circus, and hopefully a catalyst for the government to take a closer look at other facilities around the country using protected and endangered species in their shows. The cubs, named Sugar and Spice weigh just 36 and 50 kilogrammes respectively and are believed to be under a year old. A preliminary health check found no serious health problems but Spice was found to have a scar on her wrist likely from being trapped in the wild while Sugar had suffered some dental damage. With no survival skills and no safe forest for release, it is likely the bear cubs will spend the rest of their lives potentially up to 30 years in the care of Animals Asia. At the sanctuary they will have access to large, semi-natural outdoor enclosures filled with trees, grass, climbing frames, swimming pools and rock piles which will keep them stimulated and encourage natural behaviours. When they are old enough, they will be integrated with an existing community of bear providing even more stimulation for the duo. While Hanois Central Circus holds many other endangered species, including moon bears, macaques, pythons and an elephant, Animals Asia was unable to rescue these individuals as the circus currently holds legal paperwork for their ownership. An Animals Asia investigation in 2017 revealed that circuses up and down the country were routinely forcing endangered species to perform while 100% of facilities failed to meet the basic needs of the animals. To date, no facility has been able to explain the origin of their protected species, yet the rescue of Sugar and Spice marks the first time the authorities have taken punitive action against a circus or tourist facility in possession of a protected species. With facilities unable to breed bears and their poaching and sale illegal, serious questions remain as to how the animals are being obtained. Animals Asia is currently petitioning the Vietnam government to ban wild animal performance and send the animals to recognised rescue centres and sanctuaries. The petition currently has more than 120,000 signatures and will be presented to the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism during a meeting with the charity in May. Our work doesnt end when a bear is rescued. Thats when it really begins As cubs, Sugar and Spice can expect to live up to 30 years. And with no survival skills or safe forests for release, they will likely spend the rest of their lives in our care. Thats a huge commitment we can only make with your help. A gift from you today could help support the long-term care and rehabilitation facing these two innocent bears. Could you help give these brave little bears the happy new livest they deserve? Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk. Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen. If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned. I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country. It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously. Vote View Results Marysville, CA (95901) Today Steady light rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High near 50F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 49F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. By Trend Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger exchanged the views on the OSCEs role in facilitating the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Trend reports referring to the Russian Foreign Ministry on April 24. Lavrov met with Greminger on April 24, who was in Moscow to participate in the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security. "The OSCEs growing role in restoring confidence and de-escalation of the military-political situation in Euro-Atlantic region was stressed during the talks, the ministry said. The importance of increasing the OSCEs potential in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and challenges in cyberspace was confirmed." 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. The fundamental political rights of Catalan pro-independence leaders Junqueras, Romeva, Sanchez, Turull, and Rull are being severely and persistently violated. In my view, pre-trial detention is not justified for any of the nine defendants who find themselves in this situation, but in the case of the aforementioned five leaders there is an additional violation of their fundamental rights that increases the glaring injustice they are being subjected to. This is also harmful to the public interest of all citizens and jeopardizes Spanish democracy itself. Here is why. I should point out that the violation of these five defendants' political rights is not something new, but has been in effect since they were elected members of the Parliament of Catalonia in December 2017, as many of us denounced at the time. But recently, two new important resolutions have been published that continue to disregard these fundamental political rights. The first, of April 10, is the decision by the Secretary General of Penitentiary Institutions, Angel Luis Ortiz, which denies ERC (the party of Junqueras and Romeva) the possibility of holding campaign events in the prisons of Soto del Real and Alcala Meco. The decision is based on two principal reasons, both of which are wrong. First, it suggests that holding election-related events would affect the "security and orderly coexistence" and "the order of the penitentiary system", altering "functionality", "pre-established schedules", "distribution of meals", etc. But in our prisons, events that alter the pre-established schedules are constantly being held without causing any threat to security. And there are ways of organizing a campaign event in certain controlled spaces within a prison, from a debate between different political parties to a remote television broadcast, while maintaining security conditions. The second argument is not only wrong, but outrageous. It claims that, should they allow election-related events in prisons, the values of transparency, objectivity, and equality between the candidates would be violated, and that public authorities would lose their neutrality, when it is exactly the opposite. If inmates are not granted permission by the prison authorities to campaign or take part in an election debate, the only way to guarantee a level playing field for candidates is to authorize certain events inside the prisons themselves. In denying this possibility, not only have the fundamental political rights of prisoners been violated, but so has the right of all citizens to a fully democratic electoral process, with scrupulous equality of opportunities for the candidates. The decision by the Central Electoral Board announced a few days ago to allow Oriol Junqueras to participate in a press conference while denying him other interviews and debates, is just another step in the same direction. Why have they been denied a release on bail, as well as permission to leave in order to exercise their fundamental political rights as candidates, as would be done if they were to receive hospital treatment under another fundamental right, the right to their health? The second decision I mentioned, dated April 11, is the interlocutory finding of the Supreme Court judging special case 20907/2017, which again denies this possibility completely in finding that there are no new circumstances that justify reviewing the previous decision. The main reason is that the flight risk persists and that, due to the "proximity to the border and the transit facilities between EU countries", not even a tracking device could provide the necessary security to prevent flight. But that is clearly false. The existing tracking devices in use today allow precise and real-time monitoring of the individual in question. In addition, the defendants could have a continuous police escort during their campaign events and return to prison at night. If well organized, their temporary release (at least partially, for a few hours a day) would pose no flight risk whatsoever. But the most worrying aspect is that the interlocutory finding denies their importance as candidates in the upcoming elections. Surprisingly, to support this denial, it quotes the recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in the Demirtas v. Turkey case, which explicitly states that "the political condition" of a defendant "is not incompatible" with pre-trial detention. Certainly, it is not incompatible, but the ECHR ruling also establishes the obligation of national courts in this case the Supreme Court to consider whether pre-trial detention and the good that it seeks to protect is proportional in each case to the importance and nature of the actions that the defendant wishes to be able to perform as a representative or, in this case, as an election candidate. And the answer here seems to be negative. First because, as already mentioned, there are alternatives to custody that are fully feasible. But especially because, while a representative can still perform some of his functions from prison (whilst many others are not possible), it is clear that a candidate in prison cannot campaign on equal terms with the other candidates. The infringement that occurs in this case is, therefore, much more serious. And it affects our democracy as a whole. We need to take the fundamental political rights of our citizens more seriously. Otherwise the European Court of Human Rights will do it for us, as it did precisely in the Demirtas case. Working with a team spirit is one of the secrets of the success of Dubais aviation sector. The results of this success were highlighted at the DA Excellence Awards where that team spirit was recognised, said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airports. At Dubai Airports we have consistently invested over the years to continuously improve the quality and variety of services we provide to airlines and travellers, and we are working hard to achieve our vision and our brand promise of transforming global travel to suit not only current but future expectations. DXB is no longer just a place for the traveller to reach their destination, it is itself a destination, a hub connecting the entire world, and providing customers with incomparable choices offered through our partners." The awards were presented by the CEO of Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths, as a true celebration of the contributions to the airport experience made by commercial service partners and airlines. Focusing on Customer Service, Operations, Innovation, Partnership, Sustainability and Pride and Dedication, nominations were submitted from around the airport community for airlines and commercial partners over several months and a board of judges decided the final outcomes. With up to 300 delegates, the forum will include a diverse conference programme, including panel discussions, keynotes, Q&As and airline & industry briefings as well as unlimited one-to-one meetings pre-scheduled for airlines, airports and suppliers - all combined with endless informal opportunities for networking. Throughout 2018, the busiest long-haul Middle Eastern flight route was Dubai International Airport to London Heathrow Airport, with 7,109 flights between March 2018 and February 2019, according to the latest analysis from leading travel data provider OAG. In terms of short-haul flights, the busiest Middle Eastern route was between King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with 35,419 flights, while the busiest international route within the region was between Dubai International Airport and Kuwait International Airport with 14,581 flights. Nick Pilbeam, divisional director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: 2018 was a busy year for flight routes both to and from the Middle East and as we look ahead this trend is expected to continue with IATA predicting an extra 290 million air passengers on routes to, from and within the region by 2037 - with the total market size increasing to 501 million passengers during the same period. This projected growth underscores Dubai, and of course the Middle East, as the ideal location to bring together professionals from the aviation and tourism industry for the inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa forum. In 2018, GCC airlines added 58 new flight routes focusing on areas of consistent and substantial growth - according to research from Colliers International - based on a sample of 10 airlines including Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Salaam Air, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Saudia, flyadeal, Air Arabia and IndiGo Airlines. Looking at the UAE alone, almost 50% of new routes introduced in 2018 were to destinations across Europe - with the second largest share of new flights connecting the UAE with Russia.Karin Butot, CEO, The Airport Agency, said: With two thirds of the worlds population within an eight-hour flight from the GCC it is an ideal base for exploring some of the worlds most interesting and previously inaccessible corners of the world. And, GCC as well as various Middle Eastern airlines are making it even easier with the continuous addition of new and direct flight routes. 2019 is set to be an exciting year for new routes particularly between the Middle East and Europe with various new and direct flights announced by UAE airlines to destinations such as Budapest, Naples, Prague and Belgrade as well as an increased number of flights to Barcelona and London. The inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa will witness a strong delegation of both Middle Eastern and European carriers such as Air Arabia, Oman Air, Saudia, Etihad, Flynas and Flydubai as well as airports including London Stansted, Basel, Bologna, Vienna, Fraport TAV Antalya and Belgrade. With a focus on the European aviation market, a keynote from Annabelle Lepiece, Partner for CMS DeBacker and CMS Belgium titled European Union External Aviation Policy will discuss the ongoing negotiations for comprehensive air transport agreements between the EU and the GCC which are being hampered by protectionist voices. Also taking place on day one of the forum will be a panel titled Regional Focus: What are the opportunities and challenges for the Middle East region? will address the on-going geo-political challenges and volatile fuel prices affecting the aviation industry at present while discussing how new and emerging destinations are positioning themselves to attract and develop significant air passenger traffic Other highlights from the two-day forum will include a training workshop on the Simpson Paradox, an Airbus briefing session which will provide an update on the current Airbus product line and a China Southern Airline briefing which will discuss the airlines dual-hub strategy between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport as well as their cooperation strategy. CONNECTs online meeting system is opened, so that delegates can plan and book their onsite appointments in advance. Please log on to: www.connect-aviation.com/2019-meia/ for more details. CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa will form part of the newly launched Arabian Travel Week, an umbrella brand comprising four co-located shows including ATM 2019; ILTM Arabia and new consumer-led event ATM Holiday Shopper. Arabian Travel Week will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 27 April 1 May 2019. By Trend President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping in Beijing, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service. Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping welcomed President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The presidents posed for official photos. By Trend The employees of the Turkmen State Customs Service took part in the UN regional workshop, which was held at the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center (CARICC), Trend reports referring to the Turkmen State Customs Service. The CARICC headquarters is located in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Regional trainings focused on the use of the Advance Passenger Information System and the data contained in the passenger arrival and departure records, as well as biometric data to intensify border security and fight against foreign terrorists. The event was organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as part of a project aimed at strengthening cooperation against cross-border and international terrorism in Central Asia, South Asia and North Africa. Over 50 participants, including 32 representatives of the competent bodies of the Central Asian countries, as well as 10 international experts attended the training, said the message posted on the CARICC website. The experts delivered speeches, practical activities were held during the training. The samples on the use of databases were also considered there. An interactive session on the identification of foreign terrorists was held during the training. CARICC aims at coordinating the efforts of the competent bodies of CARICC member-states in countering transnational drug-related crime. CARICC member-states are Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Jason Unsworth is the founder and CEO of Atmosphere Intercontinental Airlines. Jet Airways had received an unsolicited e-mail communication from the British entrepreneur, it said in a filing to the BSE. New Delhi: Jet Airways has advised British entrepreneur Jason Unsworth to contact SBI Caps Ltd, which is managing the bidding process for the bust airline, after he made an unsolicited bid for the carrier. The full service carrier temporarily suspended operations on April 17 as it ran out of cash after lenders decided against extending any emergency funds. Jet Airways had received an unsolicited e-mail communication from the British entrepreneur, it said in a filing to the BSE. "... the sender has been advised to formally engage with SBI Caps Limited, who are leading the bidding process under resolution plan initiated by consortium of domestic lenders led by State Bank of India," it noted. The filing came in response to a clarification sought from the airline on reports that the British entrepreneur has offered to take control of Jet Airways. Jason Unsworth said he contacted SBI on Wednesday. "I can confirm @jetairways have given me two further contacts at @TheOfficialSBI to get in touch with regarding @atmosphereairuk's bid to take a controlling share of the airline," he said in a series of tweets. Unsworth is the founder and CEO of Atmosphere Intercontinental Airlines, which plans to establish a new premium airline group in four different countries, according to his Twitter profile. "Just had a meeting with an Indian #Entrepreneur investors will put up 1,500 crore/$215.702 Million USD for @atmosphereairuk @jetairways bid... with more interested parties still to meet with and take calls from over the coming 2 weeks...," he said in another tweet. Separately, the airline informed the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday that its website was under "heavy maintenance" due to which certain details were not accessible and that necessary changes have been done. Under Sebi norms, a listed entity is required to maintain a functional website containing the information as prescribed. On Tuesday, the NSE sought clarification from the airline about certain information being not available on its website. "Since the company has temporarily suspended its operation due to which the website of the company was under heavy maintenance to carry out changes related to operation of the company. Due to said maintenance activity other section was not accessible for some time. The company has carried out necessary changes on website and details can be accessed on the website," the airline said in a communication to the exchange on Wednesday. RBI sold stake in NHB on March 19, while it sold the stake in Nabard on February 26, the bank said in a statement. "With this divestment, the government now holds 100 per cent stake in both these financial institutions," RBI said in a statement. Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India has exited the National Housing Bank (NHB) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), by selling its entire stakes to the government for Rs 1,450 crore and Rs 20 crore, respectively, making them fully government-owned. The central bank has sold its stake in NHB on March 19, while it sold the stake in Nabard on February 26, the bank said in a statement on Wednesday. "With this divestment, the government now holds 100 per cent stake in both these financial institutions," RBI said in a statement. The move is part of ending the cross-holding in regulatory institutions and follows the recommendation of second Narasimham committee report of October 2001 and the RBI's own discussion paper on the same entitled 'Harmonizing the role and operations of development financial institutions and banks.' The Narasimham panel had said RBI could not own those entities which are regulated by it. The RBI said divestment of its shareholding in Nabard was done in two phases. The central bank held 72.5 per cent equity in Nabard worth Rs 1,450 crore, of which 71.5 per cent amounting to Rs 1,430 crore were divested way back in October 2010 and the residual shareholding was divested on February 26, 2019. The RBI held 100 per cent shareholding in NHB, which was divested on March 19, 2019. Earlier, based on the second Narasimham committee recommendations, the RBI had proposed to transfer its ownership in SBI, NHB and Nabard to the government in October 2001. Accordingly, on June 29, the government had bought out the entire 59.7 per cent stake in SBI from the Reserve Bank. The current change in the capital structure of both these financial institutions was brought in by the government through amendments to the Nabard Act of 1981 and the NHB Act of 1987 which were notified on January 19, 2018, and March 29, 2018, respectively. The Nabard came into existence on July 12, 1982, by transferring the agricultural credit functions of RBI and refinance functions of the then Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation. Set up with an initial capital of Rs 100 crore, the development finance institution's paid up capital stood at Rs 10,580 crore as of March 2018. The decision to establish NHB was announced in the 1987-88 Budget. Following that, the National Housing Bank Bill, providing a legislative framework for the NHB, was passed by Parliament in the Winter session of 1987 and it became an Act on December 23, 1987. The National Housing Policy of 1988 envisaged setting up of NHB as the apex level institution for promoting the housing sector. Modi is scheduled to visit Varanasi from April 25-26 to file his nomination. New Delhi: Taking a dig at the BJP, the Congress on Wednesday used the ruling partys denial of media reports of Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a press conference in Varanasi while tauntingly commenting, tum se na ho payega (you will not be able to do it). After media reports claimed that Prime Minister Modi would hold a press conference on April 26 in Varanasi, the BJP clarified that there is no presser scheduled either on Thursday or Friday. Mr Modi is scheduled to visit Varanasi from April 25-26 to file his nomination. Seizing on to the BJP clarification, the Congress tweeted: Tum se na ho payega. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly attacked Modi, saying that he is scared to face a press conference. After releasing the Congress manifesto on April 2, the Congress chief had asked the media persons to question the prime minister as to why he is scared of facing a press conference. You ask me questions, but you are scared of him. Ask him Mr Prime Minister why are you scared of the people of India, why are you scared of the press...We will defeat him in the polls, Mr Gandhi had said. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Ali was planning to seek police security following the development. Bhopal: A Muslim youth here was trolled in social media and given threats on phone for supporting BJPs nominee for Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, an accused in 2008 Malegaon blast in which six people were killed and 101 injured. Syed Saddam Ali, member of minority wing of state BJP here, told reporters here that he was being trolled in social media and receiving threat calls from different parts of the country for hailing nomination of Pragya as party candidate for Bhopal. It is my duty as a party man to support its candidate. I have done nothing wrong by extending my support to her. But, I am being trolled in social media by some people for supporting her and even my cell number has been circulated in social media. As a result of which I have been receiving calls to withdraw my support to her or face consequence, he said.Mr Ali was planning to seek police security following the development. This is a major breakthrough for women in armed forces as, so far, they were being inducted only as officers in select roles. Women will be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20 per cent of total Corps of Military Police and their role would range from probing crime cases to assisting the Army in field operations. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: Opening up a new avenue for females, the Indian Army has kicked off the process of inducting women as jawans by starting their online registration for recruitment in the corps of military police. This is being seen as a major breakthrough for women in armed forces as, so far, they were being inducted only as officers and this is the first time they would be taken in as soldiers. Online registration will start today (Thursday, 25th April) for the recruitment of women as jawans and the last date for it is June 8. The project was first mooted by Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat soon after he took charge of the force, Army officials said. The decks for the induction were cleared in January this year after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government has taken a "historic" decision to induct women in the military police with an aim to enhance their representation in the three services. Women will be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20 per cent of total Corps of Military Police and their role would range from probing crime cases to assisting the Army in field operations wherever required. Last year, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said the process to allow women in a combat role, currently, an exclusive domain of men, was moving fast and initially, women will be recruited for positions in Military Police. Accordingly, the Army chalked out induction of approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing the breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police. As per government data, the Army has 3.80 per cent of its workforce as women, the Air Force has 13.09 per cent and the Navy six per cent. The request for an intervention by the MEA and the embassy of India, Kathmandu, has also been sought by the Indian broadcasters, sources added. The broadcasters also expressed reservations that their content could be pirated and inserted with unwanted and undesirable advertisement on their channels as they dont have any control over pirated feeds by the local distributors in Nepal if the law comes into force. (Representational image) New Delhi: Nepalese citizens may soon be bombarded with anti-India content if a proposed law that aims to stop foreign advertisements of channels being distributed in the country comes into force and paving the way for backing out of Indian TV channels. The Indian broadcast sector is fearful that it might lose the Nepalaese television market, their content pirated and exploited commercially in Nepal if the law comes into force. As per the proposed Advertisement (Regulation) Bill, the Communist government in Nepal wants no advertising on feed that is being beamed from a foreign country. The Bill has recently been passed by the Upper House and is likely to be introduced in the Lower House of the Nepalese Parliament after the Budget Session in June 2019. Industry sources believe that Pakistan and Chinas public service broadcasters would move in and take over the market because of the vacuum created with the non-availability of Indian channels. Pakistani and Chinese public broadcasters may produce content and try to take over the market with content produced in Hindi and Urdu languages, sources added. This could adversely affect Indian interests as these channels could telecast programmes that adversely affect our countrys interests, they added. At present, Indian broadcasters enjoy complete domination over the Nepalese broadcast sector. Indian serials and films are popular and are followed by the general population. The proposed law isnt only going to affect Indian commercial channels, but also Doordarshan, Indias public sector broadcaster, as its channels are distributed widely in Nepal. The boadcasters have reportedly also briefed the Indian government and the Union information and broadcasting ministry regarding the pitfalls if the law is passed and Nepal decides to ban foreign channels with commercials on the feed being distributed in the country. The request for an intervention by the ministry of external affairs and the embassy of India, Kathmandu, has also been sought by the Indian broadcasters, sources added. Similar meetings have also been held with the Ministry of Information & Communication (Nepal Government) regarding the concerns of the Indian broadcasters on the proposed clean feed policy. The broadcasters also expressed reservations that their content could be pirated and inserted with unwanted and undesirable advertisement on their channels as they dont have any control over pirated feeds by the local distributors in Nepal if the law comes into force. During these meetings, it has been conveyed clearly conveyed to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu as well as to the Ministries of Information & Broadcasting and External Affairs about the technical and economic unviability and the regulatory challenges that foreign broadcasters would encounter in the face of implementation of Clean Feed Policy by the Government of Nepal. It is pertinent to note that a number of channels operating in Nepal are of Indian origin. Further, consumers will be denied of quality content which they love to watch and follow, distribution platforms will denied of subscription revenue, the Government of Nepal will be impacted in terms of taxes in case of implementation of the said policy. Most importantly, Indian TV channels will be pirated and exploited by forces inimical to Indian interests and that revenue could be used against India for anti-India activities, the representation made by the indutry stated. The man claimed to be a relative of the former court staffer who has levelled sexual harassment allegations against the Chief Justice. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed a retired top court judge, Justice A.K. Patnaik, to probe allegations that disgruntled employees had ganged up together to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on the false charge of sexual harassment after their dismissal from service. A special bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Rohinton Nariman and Deepak Gupta passed this order in the suo motu proceedings relating to the matter of great public importance touching upon the independence of the judiciary after the charges levelled by a former woman employee of the court against the CJI. In its order, the bench said considering the affidavits filed by Mr Utsav Singh Bains, an advocate, that there was an attempt to fix the CJI, we appoint Justice A.K. Patnaik, a retired judge of this court, to hold an inquiry into the allegations made in the affidavits. However, at the same time, we make it clear that this inquiry shall not be with respect to the alleged misbehaviour involving the Chief Justice of India. This is with respect to the content of the affidavits, whether the affidavits are correct or not. The bench also reiterated that the outcome of the inquiry shall not affect the in-house procedure/inquiry pending on the administrative side in any manner whatsoever. The bench said that it is appointing Justice Patnaik (Retd), we request the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, the director of the Intelligence Bureau and the commissioner of police, Delhi, to cooperate with the honourable judge as and when their services are required at any point of time for the purpose of investigation of the matter... We leave it to the honourable judge to take the assistance of whosoever else His Lordship desires. The bench asked Justice Patnaik to submit a report to this court on the basis of the inquiry as to the allegations mentioned in the affidavits and directed these affidavits be transmitted to Justice Patnaik along with the other materials. Earlier in the day, Justice Arun Mishra voiced concern over attempts to manage the Supreme Court by money and muscle power, and said there were rich and powerful people who thought they could bludgeon and blackmail the court into submission, but little did they know that they were playing with fire. Justice Mishra made these oral observations in response to an affidavit filed by lawyer Utsav Singh Bains claiming that he had proof of a powerful lobby of fixers, disgruntled employees and corporate figures at work to frame CJI Ranjan Gogoi with the sexual harassment charge. Mr Bains said he was approached by a person called Ajay, who enticed him with money. The man claimed to be a relative of the former court staffer who has levelled sexual harassment allegations against the Chief Justice. Justice Mishra said: The Supreme Court cannot be run by money power or political power. When somebody tries to clean up the system, he is killed or maligned. This will stop. The way this institution is being treated for the last three to four years is as if this institution is going to die. The people of this country should know the truth. Do the powerful of this country think they can run this country? We want to send a clear message to influential people with money and political power that they cannot interfere in Supreme Court proceedings and there cannot be any match-fixing in the judicial system. Expressing his anguish, Justice Mishra said: This is the court made by the likes of Fali Nariman, Nani Palkhiwala and K. Parasaran... But every other day we hear of bench-fixing, every day wrong practices are made in the court... Whenever we start hearing a big case, letters are written. Whenever big cases or big persons are involved, this happens in this court... People are trying to (influence) this court, its registry with money power... So many things are going on. Earlier, when the hearing began, advocate Utsav Bains handed over to the court more material in a sealed cover. Claiming privilege, he refused to divulge certain communications. The bench rejected the claim of privilege and asked him to produce all communications and materials with him for the purpose of inquiry. As senior advocate Indira Jaising voiced apprehensions about the parallel probe, the bench made it clear that it will not go into the allegations of sexual harassment raised by the former Supreme Court staffer. Justice Misrha said: Our job is to find out if somebody approached Utsav Bains to file a false case; whether they are two former Supreme employees or others; whether there are fixers involved; whether a conspiracy was hatched after bench-fixing attempt failed. Ms Jaising asked the bench to probe the credentials of this person Utsav Bains. She said: My Lords have to see if he has come to the court with clean hands, she said. The bench pointed out that the advocate had named Tapan Kumar Chakraborty, Manav Sharma and others, and also alleged they have asserted they could fix the bench of the judges. This is a very serious aspect of the affidavit filed by Mr Utsav Singh Bains, which should be probed, it said. The bench directed the matter to be listed after submission of the report by Justice Patnaik. Sources added that had the grand alliance agreed to back her, then Mr Gandhi would have agreed to his sister contesting from Varanasi. New Delhi/Varanasi: The Congress on Thursday pretty much conceded the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat to the Bharatiya Janata Party without any contest by deciding not to field Priyanka Gandhi as its candidate despite weeks of speculation and comments by the partys general secretary herself that she wasnt averse to the idea of challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his constituency. The Congress, instead, fielded local strongman Ajai Rai who had fought against Mr Modi in 2014 and had come third after Arvind Kejriwal. While Mr Kejriwal got approximately 2,09,000 votes against Mr Modis 5,86,000 votes, Mr Rai secured 75,000 votes. Though the fight in Varanasi was heavily loaded in favour of the BJP and its star candidate, the Congress decision to not let its own star campaigner to directly take on Mr Modi is being seen as the partys instinct to protect the Gandhi scion from the embarrassment of a defeat. Highly placed sources said that the Congress core group committee, headed by party chief Rahul Gandhi, met on Wednesday and unanimously prevailed upon its general secretary, Ms Priyanka Gandhi, to desist from contesting Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. Ignoring her keenness to take on Mr Modi, the core group committee was of the view that since Ms Gandhi has just entered politics it wont be wise to rush into a high-profile poll battle. It felt that she should first establish herself in Uttar Pradesh. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is not part of the Congress core group committee. Sources privy to the deliberations said that the main reason behind the partys reluctance was that till the last moment the Congress was hoping the Mahagathbandhan of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would support Ms Gandhis candidature from Varanasi on its platform, and things could then be taken forward. However, the grand alliances unwillingness put an end to all hopes of Ms Gandhi contesting from Varanasi as it was felt that her prospects would be considerably weakened without the support of the SP-BSP alliance. Sources added that had the grand alliance agreed to back her, then Mr Gandhi would have agreed to his sister contesting from Varanasi. However, when it became clear that the Mahagathbandhan was not keen on offering its support to Ms Gandhi, and on April 23 SP announced the name of Shalini Yadav as its candidate from Varanasi, the Congress decided to field Ajay Rai. Party sources indicated that the Mahagathbandhans reluctance to back Ms Gandhis candidature was influenced by the apprehension that had she thrown her hat in the fray, the grand alliances seats in the neighbouring areas could have been influenced. This would have been counter-productive to their poll prospects. The nine-member Congress core group committee comprises A.K. Antony, P. Chidambaram, Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmad Patel, Jairam Ramesh, K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala. During Wednesdays meeting, all the members except Mr Gehlot (who is busy in Rajasthan which goes to polls on April 29), were present. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. The Prime Minister later tweeted that he was grateful for the warmth and affection shown by the people of Kashi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at supporters during his roadshow a day ahead of filing his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls in Varanasi on Thursday. (Photo: PTI) Varanasi: A day before filing his nomination from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday led a mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency with thousands lining the streets of the city of temples and chanting Modi, Modi. The roadshow ended at the Dashashwamedh Ghat where the Prime Minister performed Ganga Aarti along with BJP president Amit Shah to seek blessing for winning Varanasi again and recapturing power at the Centre. The Prime Minister, wearing a saffron kurta and scarf, was cheered by a massive crowd along the seven-km route of the roadshow, while Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders joined his cavalcade. The show of strength by the Prime Minister took place on a day the Congress ended all speculation about its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra taking on Mr Modi in the city and re-nominated Ajay Rai who had finished third on the seat in 2014. Raising the issue of global terrorism in his address to a group of intellectuals, Mr Modi said that India held the mega Kumbh Mela but no terrorist dared to attack holy sites in five years. If you permit, I will file my nomination from here tomorrow. And will return to thank you all after winning, said Mr Modi. I want to assure you all that this Chowkidar will never let Kashis dignity get harmed at any cost, he said, targeting rivals for questioning what he had done for Varanasi. Taking I want to tell you all what Kashi has changed in me. I am glad that I was able to get associated with the Vedic knowledge of the city and was able to take it forward. It not only helped in my social life, but also political, Mr Modi said. He said Tulsidas, Sant Ravidas, Kabir and Ramanand drew inspiration from Kashis religious beliefs and that he is indebted to the city forever as the inspiration of trust, justice non-violence and knowledge enabled him to stand up to these values globally. The Prime Minister later tweeted that he was grateful for the warmth and affection shown by the people of Kashi. Mr Modi started his roadshow from the campus of the Benaras Hindu University by paying respects at the statue of Madan Mohan Malviya at a specially constructed stage in front of the main gate of the varsity. The rally was originally to start at 3 pm, but was delayed by over two hours. Members of Mauni Baba Ram Lila troupe also accompanied the roadshow dressed as mytholocial characters from the Ramayana. BJP supporters braved the scorching sun and shouting the slogan, Chappe, chappe se udi pukaar, phir ek baar Modi sarkar (Modi government once more is the demand everywhere) as the Prime Minister waved at the crowd from the sunroof of his vehicle. The cavalcade traversed through Assi Ghat, Bhadaini, Sonarpura, Madanpura, Jangambadi, Godowlia before concluding at the Dashashwamedh Ghat. Slogans like Jai Shri Ram, Har Har Mahadev, Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi and Vande Matram were also heard along the roadshows route. Asked if the SP-BSP-RLD combine will dent the BJPs prospects in UP, Sanjay Upadhyaya, a resident of Madanpura, said, Woh log TV par he milae hain, unke dil nahin mile (They have come together only on TV, their hearts are still miles apart). In the evening people thronged the Dashashwamedh Ghat ghat even as Mr Modi and BJP supporters were seen blowing conch shells and beating drums on boats, which were decked up with party flags and its election symbol, the lotus. At the Bundiparkota Ghat nearby, a painting of IAFs pilot Abhinandan Varthaman and Balakot airstrikes was on display, highlighting the BJPs nationalism plank. Mr Modi is on a two-day visit to his parlimentary constituency and is scheduled to file his nomination on Friday in the presence of NDA leaders. On Friday, the Prime Minister will address booth heads and party workers at 9.30 a.m. and go on to worship the city god Kal Bhairav at 11 a.m. At 11.30 am, PM will file his nomination for Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, said a BJP press statement. In this (nomination) programme, Akali Dals senior leader and former chief minister (Punjab) Parkash Singh Badal, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Central minister and president of Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas Paswan will be present, it said. After Varanasi, Mr Modi is scheduled to visit is Ayodhya on May 1. He will address a campaign rally in Ayodhya, which keeps cropping up along with the polarising issue of Ram Mandir, ahead of crucial polls. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. By Trend Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to Patriarch Archbishop of the Armenian community of Turkey Aram Ateshian regarding the events of 1915, Trend reports with reference to the website of the president of Turkey. Erdogans letter reads that 1915 was a difficult year for all the subjects of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey expresses condolences for the loss of lives of all those residents of the state who died during the events of 1915, including Armenians, Erdogans letter says. In Turkey, Armenians have always lived in peace and tranquility, Erdogan noted in his letter. The security of the Armenian population of Turkey is important for Ankara. We will not allow any discrimination of Turkish Armenians because of their ethnic origin. Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. City of Baltimore experiences the transformative power of music. Some of the OrchKids students have studied at the prestigious summer camp at the Interlochen Centre for the Arts in Michigan. (Photo: AFP) Baltimore: As the conductor raises her baton, dozens of children come to order, and their everyday cacophonous chatting gives way to a melodic cascade of notes. The 60 or so students are part of OrchKids, a program run by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which is hoping to bring change to the troubled city through the power of music. "We are trying to combat some of the social challenges here in Baltimore," says program director Nick Skinner. One recent OrchKids concert took place just a few blocks from where Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, was arrested in April 2015. Gray fell into a coma while in police custody and later died, and the incident sparked violent protests in Baltimore, a port city plagued by violence, drugs and crime. "Charm City" is now one of the most violent in the United States, with an average of more than 300 murders a year. Nearly a quarter of its 620,000 residents live below the poverty line. In recent years, urban renewal projects have sought to break the spiral of gloom, but in some neighbourhoods, only a few blocks separate condemned buildings from hip hotspots. Those behind OrchKids remain optimistic. In all, 1,300 children from grade school to high school are enrolled in the program, which offers them free music education, four afternoons a week after school. The program offers them a safe place to go after school without charge easing the minds of busy parents who would otherwise need child care or be forced to leave their children unsupervised. "We're providing not only academic support but also a healthy snack and dinner before they go home," Skinner explains. OrchKids, which takes inspiration from El Sistema, Venezuela's venerable music education program started a little more than a decade ago with just 30 students. "Back when we started the program in 2008, most of the community thought that we were actually undercover cops," Skinner says. "There was no trust," he adds, recalling the long history of distrust, especially in the city's African American community, toward local officials and a police force seen as racist and corrupt. This year, that first class of 30 students is getting ready to graduate from high school and some will head on to university firsts for many of the families involved. Some of the OrchKids students have studied at the prestigious summer camp at the Interlochen Centre for the Arts in Michigan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he could not afford a single day off from work in the five years he has been in office. Im afraid we are getting a bit too serious about politics. This makes us lose sight of its sunnier and funnier sides. We need to cherish them, especially in these dark and cheerless days, when everyones hand is at the throat of everyone else. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he could not afford a single day off from work in the five years he has been in office. What makes this statement noteworthy (no pun intended) is its assumption that it is good to have off-days, or days free from the cares of the state. He said it, in its context, clearly to appeal to the sympathy of the voters. Thats fine. But what he went on to say was a bit odd. Therefore, he pleaded, give me five more years in office! No one would deny that Mr Modi worked desperately hard. So, all of us feel sad that he could not complete any of the many things he attempted to do. He did well in refraining from reeling off the items on his list of unfinished agendas. This raises some interesting issues. First, the inability to complete what one undertakes is not a merit. It points to an incumbents incompetence. How did Mr Modi land himself in this sorry state? Did he bite off much more than he could chew? Did he overestimate his competence? Or, underestimate the challenges on the way? If so, are the voters to reward Mr Modi for his incompetence? His public admission that he could not complete what he undertook to do is a serious self-indictment, though it is meant as an appeal to voter sympathy. Ironically, this is worse than anything that his adversaries have said against him. Second, if a person remains facing a heap of unfinished tasks because he was not keen enough, and did not try hard enough, to accomplish what he set out to do, there is some sense in giving him a second term. There is a chance that he could do better. But that is not what Mr Modi says. He worked desperately hard. He could not have worked harder. That leaves us with only one conclusion: Mr Modis very best was not good enough. If so, the evidence of this unfinished agenda is a veritable chargesheet against him. Third, a person who has worked for five long years without any respite, and is now saddled with a mountain of unfinished businesses, must be utterly weary and exhausted. It is cruel and unfair to crush him with another term in office. Mr Modi, by his own admission, needs rest; and needs it desperately. He is now like a wayfarer who, weary from a long and largely futile journey, is dragging himself closer home; a state reminiscent of that haunting scene in a Bombay film in which Amitabh Bachchan says, at the fag-end of the film, Neend aa gayee, ma (I am weary unto death, mother). We have a duty, out of sheer compassion, to reward him with a sufficiently long spell of rest and recuperation. We must excuse him from the thankless burdens of barren governance. Mr Modi is followed, not far behind, by Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. She is as metaphysical as Mr Modi is physical. Mr Modi is weary; whereas she is fiery. She claims to have killed a police officer with a curse. Surely, that betokens some potency! There is a profound spiritual side to the sadhvis out-of-the-box script, which it would be a pity to miss. Ms Thakur, I have to insist, has been rather uncharitably misunderstood. She may want to revive heroic memories of tearing down the Babri Masjid with her bare hands, possessed by hate and malice towards the children of Babur. But that was a quarter century ago. Now, perhaps, she wants to signal via this curse-episode a radical shift in her religious outlook. Let us take Ms Thakurs claim at face value and unpack its implications. Ms Thakurs curse was fulfilled through Pakistani terrorists, or Muslim jihadis. So Ms Thakurs hex, or evil spell, takes effect via an inter-religious, Hindu-Muslim partnership. Ms Thakurs curse activated a terror cell in Pakistan. It made light of the yawning gulf of hostility between Hinduism and Islam, India and Pakistan. This view is radically new and very exciting; except that it precipitates a huge problem what happens to the anti-Pakistan rhetoric on which the BJP relies so heavily? Who is our true hero? Abhinandan Varthaman, who risks his life to down a Pakistani fighter plane? Or, Ms Thakur who employs a Pakistani terrorist partnership? By nominating Ms Thakur, is the BJP sending a new signal to the country; namely, that a new era of India-Pakistan detente is imminent? It is a possibility rendered all the more credible by Pakistani PM Imran Khans preference for a Narendra Modi-led BJP government! The MPs from the region have generally not been vocal inside Parliament, but that they have a voice is something that cannot be ignored. In the overall canvas of elections to the 543-member Lok Sabha, the Northeast appears as a tiny dot because the eight states of the region sends a total of just 25 members to the all-important Lower House of Parliament. But the battle for these 25 seats had never been so intense with the mascots of the countrys two major political parties, BJP top gun and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, making multiple trips to the region this poll season to campaign for their candidates. The 25 MPs are important because the region happens to be one of Indias most strategically located stretches that shares borders with five neighbouring countries China, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan and is home to a diverse set of ethnicities, numbering 300 or more. To put it simply, these 25 MPs represent the voice of more than 300 ethnic groups and communities with a total population of 45 million. The MPs from the region have generally not been vocal inside Parliament, but that they have a voice is something that cannot be ignored. Voting for all these 25 seats ended with the third phase on April 23, and if one has to talk about the key features, it has to be said that the fight had been between the Congress on one side, the BJP and its allies on the other, and a plethora of other regional parties. The main contest though had been between the solitary Congress (except in Assam, where it got the indirect support of the AIUDF) and the BJP, aided by an array of regional allies. In the Northeast, the 2019 elections are critical for the BJP because the party has so far not been able to send any MP to the Lok Sabha from six of the states, barring Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The polls were held in the backdrop of the BJP managing to oust the Congress from power in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh and defeating the Left Front in Tripura. In Nagaland and Meghalaya, the BJP is part of the coalition ruling the states, and in Mizoram, the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) is still a part of the National Democratic Alliance. This leaves out Sikkim, where the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front seeking re-election this time with the simultaneous state Assembly polls that were held is not considered a dependable ally of the NDA. The long and short of the story is that the BJP and its allies have managed to achieve its target of a Congress-mukt or Congress-free Northeast. The challenge now for the BJP is to have representatives from the region in Parliament and that too at a time when every single win could stand to count. Can the BJP achieve its publicly stated target of winning at least 19 of the regions 25 seats along with its allies? One has to wait and watch, but what the BJP may not have expected is the expansionist campaign in the region by one of its key allies, the National Peoples Party (NPP), headed by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma. The NPP, founded by one of the regions political stalwarts and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma, has expanded to become a pan-Northeast party and fielded candidates of its own and even entered into independent alliances. For example, the NPP candidate is the frontrunner in the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya, but for the Shillong seat, the NPP has put up a common candidate of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance coalition, of which the BJP is also a part. But interestingly, kicking the alliance dharma aside, the BJP on its own has put up candidates in both the Meghalaya seats Tura and Shillong. This technically means the NDA, of which the NPP is a constituent, had two candidates in the fray at least in Meghalaya! The confusion is blatant because there also is a BJP-floated platform of like-minded parties in the region called the North-East Democratic Alliance, or NEDA, headed by the BJPs main strategist in the Northeast, senior Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sharma. Now, parties like the NPP are a part of NEDA. Then, take the case of Mizoram, where the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) is both a part of the NDA and NEDA, but faced a BJP candidate in the states lone Lok Sabha seat. The BJP had fought the recent Assembly polls as well in Mizoram. But the focus automatically comes back on the party to watch, the NPP, because it absorbed and fielded eight sitting BJP MLAs, including two ministers, in Arunachal Pradesh, which also saw simultaneous Assembly polls. This is because the BJP had denied them tickets to seek re-election. Anyone would like to ask the question as to whats going on why is a big national party like the BJP tolerating such defiance by smaller parties like the NPP? The answer is not far to seek the BJP is on a mission to consolidate its hold in the region and is prepared, therefore, to not only be flexible to a fault but compromise on many of its stated stands and allow itself to be regionalised. Contrast this with the Congress, which was in power in most of the northeastern states until 2015 but fought a near solitary battle in the region, once its bastion. Even in Assam, the Congress kept away from any official alliances although the decision of the pro-minority AIUDF, led by Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, to contest only three of the states 14 Lok Sabha seats led to speculation of an understanding between the two parties. The Congress has denied any deal with the AIUDF, but miffed at the Congress decision to field candidates against even AIUDF chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal in Dhubri at the last minute, the AIUD F said five Congress leaders had entered into a gentlemens agreement with the party but later betrayed them. The only open support the Congress got and took was from the opposition Naga Peoples Front for the lone Nagaland seat. Talking about issues the region has many. Some of them are a solution to the Naga insurgency issue, the annual problem of floods and erosion in Assam, poor connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh, poor road conditions in Nagaland, law and order and higher education bottlenecks in Manipur, the security situation in Tripura, poor infrastructure in Mizoram, and others. And yes, how can one forget the issue of illegal migration when the Supreme Court, in the middle of the poll campaign, pulled up the Assam government over the disappearance of 70,000 people declared as illegal Bangladeshi migrants by Foreigners Tribunals! But these were not part of the core poll discourse in the region. The political bigwigs in their campaign appearances mostly indulged in rhetoric and tried to pull each other down. It is now left to the MPs to change the narrative in the days ahead from rhetoric to real work. The core is where the networks most critical controls are located and the most sensitive information is stored. 5G promises super-fast connections which tech evangelists say will transform the way we live our lives. (Photo: AP) Britains plan to allow Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies a restricted role in its next-generation mobile networks is part of a heated international debate over the security risks so-called 5G technology presents. Britain plans to allow Huawei access to non-core parts of fifth-generation, or 5G, networks on a restricted basis and block it from all so-called core parts, sources told Reuters. The core is where the networks most critical controls are located and the most sensitive information is stored, while the periphery includes masts, antennas and other passive equipment. The move comes despite calls from Britains close ally, the United States, for countries to ban Huawei altogether from 5G networks because of concerns that its equipment could be used by Beijing for spying or sabotage. 5G promises super-fast connections which tech evangelists say will transform the way we live our lives, enabling everything from self-driving cars to remote surgery and automated manufacturing. But that dramatically increases the security risk, US officials say, because of the increasingly central role that telecommunications will play in our lives and the expected dramatic increase in connected devices in the network. As 5G becomes embedded in everything from hospitals to transport systems and power plants it will rapidly become a part of each countrys critical national infrastructure. This makes the consequences of the networks failing or being deliberately sabotaged in a cyber attack significantly more serious. 5G will really start touching all parts of our lives because it will be the underlying infrastructure for so much of the critical services that are provided to the public, said Robert Strayer, the US State Departments lead cyber policy diplomat. So if a 5G network fails, there would be significant ramifications for all parts of society, Strayer said. With much faster data speeds, experts predict there will be billions of connected devices. These will include traditional mobile and broadband connections, but also internet-enabled devices from dishwashers through to advanced medical equipment. Industry association GSMA forecasts the number of internet-enabled devices will triple to 25 billion by 2025. The larger the network, the more opportunities there are for hackers to attack, meaning there is an increasingly complex system with more parts that need protecting. One of the biggest changes between 4G and 5G is the ability to take the advanced computing power usually kept in the protected core of a network and distribute it to other parts of the system. This will provide more reliable high-speed connections. But it also means engineers will no longer be able to clearly ring-fence the most sensitive parts of the system, US officials say. Some British lawmakers agree. Allowing Huawei into the UKs 5G infrastructure would cause allies to doubt our ability to keep data secure and erode the trust essential to Five Eyes cooperation, said Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of Britains Foreign Affairs Committee. The Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing group that comprises the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The definition of core and non-core is a very difficult one with 5G, he added. Shares of the worlds biggest online social network jumped more than 10 per cent to $200.50. Excluding the charge, Facebook would have earned $1.89 a share, up from $1.69 in the year-ago quarter and easily beating analysts average estimate of $1.63 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Facebook Inc on Wednesday blew past Wall Street profit estimates in the first quarter and set aside $3 billion to cover a settlement with US regulators, calming investors who had worried about the outcome of a months-long federal probe. Shares of the worlds biggest online social network jumped more than 10 percent to $200.50 in after-hours trade. They have now regained much of the ground lost last year amid slowing growth and costs associated with the companys privacy scandals. The settlement accrual, which Facebook set at $3 billion but said could rise as high as $5 billion, cut the companys net income in the first quarter to $2.43 billion, or 85 cents per share. Excluding the charge, Facebook would have earned $1.89 a share, up from $1.69 in the year-ago quarter and easily beating analysts average estimate of $1.63 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Total first-quarter revenue rose 26 percent to $15.1 billion from $12.0 billion last year, again beating analysts average estimate of $15.0 billion. This is a strong report suggesting that advertisers still see value in Facebooks platform, as they did before the controversies and scandals erupted, said Haris Anwar, senior analyst at financial markets platform Investing.com. Monthly and daily users of the main Facebook app were both up 8 percent compared to last year, to 2.4 billion and 1.6 billion, respectively, in line with forecasts. Total expenses in the first quarter were $11.8 billion, including the settlement accrual, up 80 percent compared with a year ago as the company hired content moderators and invested in new security controls to make its social networks safer. Executives said in a conference call with investors that they expected expenses to grow 47 to 55 percent this year, updating their earlier forecast of an increase of 40 to 50 percent. The first-quarter operating margin fell to 22 percent from 46 percent a year ago, but would have been a comfortable 42 percent without the one-time expense. BIGGEST PENALTY The US Federal Trade Commission has been investigating revelations that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million of its users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The probe has focused on whether the sharing of data and other disputes violated a 2011 agreement with the FTC to safeguard user privacy. A settlement of between $3 billion and $5 billion would be the largest civil penalty ever paid to the agency, said David Vladeck, a former FTC official who is now a professor at Georgetown Law School. Everyone expected there would be a substantial civil penalty in this case, said Vladeck. Theres no question that Facebook is going to have to settle this matter. Investors want this behind them. Even once the FTC probe is resolved, other challenges remain. The number of Facebook users barely budged in the United States, Canada and Europe, indicating saturation in the companys most lucrative markets. Its largest and fastest-growing user base is now in Asia, where monthly active users jumped 12.4 percent from last year. The region represents nearly half of all Facebook users, but brought in less than a fifth of the companys revenue. That shift in geography, along with slow advertiser adoption of new services like Stories, resulted in a 4 percent decline in the average price per ad in the first quarter. Facebook plans to shift focus toward private communications, integrating its messaging services across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, but has not yet articulated how it will adapt its advertising-driven business model. The company launched a sales system last month that enables users to purchase products directly on Instagram and is testing a WhatsApp payments system in India that it plans to roll out to other countries, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said. In countries where we already are the leading platform there will be more ability to work on things like payments in the near term and build in additional ways that people want to interact privately, he said. But the services would not be a major driver of Facebooks business for at least a couple of years, he said. Facebook also faces the prospect of action by lawmakers, with some calling for federal privacy regulation and anti-trust action to break up big tech companies. Representative David Cicilline, who chairs the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committees subcommittee on antitrust issues, said on Twitter that Facebook was a repeat offender and called for an FTC response strong enough to prevent future violations. A fine in the low billions of dollars would amount to a slap on the wrist for Facebook. Tonight, we learned thats how Wall Street sees it too - as a slap on the wrist. If the FTC wont act, Congress has to, he said. The corridor is scheduled to operationalise on the occasion of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak. Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday accused India of delaying the delegation-level talks to finalise the agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur corridor. The Kartarpur corridor links Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Narowal with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in Punjab. Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said, "Pakistan is keen that the Kartarpur Corridor becomes operational as per the schedule. However, the meetings are delayed as the Indian government is not willing to hold the delegation-level meeting at this juncture." On April 16, India and Pakistan held a meeting on technical aspects of the proposed corridor. At the nearly four-hour-long meeting, which took place in makeshift tents at "Zero point" of the proposed corridor, experts and technicians from both the countries discussed timing for completion of bridge, alignment of roads and engineering aspects of the proposed crossing points. After the meeting, Faisal said that work is proceeding rapidly on the Pakistani side on the Kartarpur corridor. "In view of paucity of time, we are keen to hold the meeting to finalise the draft agreement at the earliest. The meeting is specifically to discuss differences related to proposals of both countries for operationalising the corridor and to align positions to build convergence. We hope India will agree to hold a meeting at the earliest," he had said. In November 2018, India and Pakistan agreed to set up the border crossing linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak, to Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district. The corridor is scheduled to operationalise on the occasion of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak. States With the Most Marriages Looking for Love? Your Odds Are Better in These States Looking to put a ring on it? Where you live (or travel to) might increase your chances, according to a new study. RELATED: Top 10: Reasons to Get Married Using data acquired from two different U.S. agencies, AreaVibes put together a comprehensive map showing current marriage trends in Mapping Marriage: A Geographic Look at Marriage in America, and you might be surprised. Thinking your odds for marriage are higher in Hawaii or Nevada? You might want to think twice. According to Pew Research Center, the U.S. marriage rate is right at 50 percent. However, two trends are starting to impact marriage statistics. First, people are waiting longer to marry, says AreaVibes in its study. Plus, people's attitudes toward getting married have changed through the years, since more adults are living with a partner instead of marrying, or raising children outside of marriage. While statistics and logic can explain a lot, sometimes you have to scratch beneath the surface to figure out what's really going on in the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans. For instance, according to the studys data, romantic adventurous folks looking to score a life partner would do well to consider moving to New Mexico, Mississippi, Georgia, Rhode Island, or New York. In the years spanning from 2008 to 2017, New Mexico saw a whopping 48 percent increase in marriages. Mississippi came in at second place with a still-impressive 32 percent improvement, while George limped in at third with a 15 percent boost in marriage rates. Rhode Island and New York showed that Cupid wasn't entirely done with them, with each boasting 11 percent rises over their past performances in terms of happily ever afters. By contrast, those looking to avoid bad luck in love might steer clear of Nevada, Hawaii, Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, and Louisiana. The state famous for Sin City makes for a bit of a commonsense answer, perhaps, but looks dire with a 32 percent decrease in marriages. Maybe the whole drive-thru wedding officiated by an Elvis impersonator isn't as hot as it used to be. Hawaii, Alaska, and several heartland states might be the biggest surprises here, with all of the other regions listed showing about a 20 percent decline in wedded bliss. Those who simply would prefer to fly solo might hit the casinos or the Pacific coast. However, theres another important statistic to look at in this study. The category? Never-married people, men and women, aged 20 to 34. If you're looking for a lady, you might head on down to Catron County, New Mexico where nearly 94 percent of young women in this age range have never married. On the other hand, if youre cruising for an eligible bachelor, your odds are best somewhere near the Mississippi Delta East Carroll Parrish. Almost 96 percent of young, available men from this northeasterly corner of Louisiana have also never tied the knot. RELATED: The Key to a Good Marriage Beyond that, there's been something of a boom in people opting to remain unmarried, and that's good news for older gents pursuing marriage. If you're one of these, consider hitting up Manhattan. The stats say that almost 1 in 5 women over 65 in the Big Apple have never been hitched, so dust off the old suit jacket and get busy! Whether you live in New York or Nevada, no matter what your age, your occupation, or your appearance, there is likely somebody out there for you. If youre looking for marriage, make sure youre, at least, where your odds are greatest. You Might Also Dig: AskMen Style Defined: Make Black Look Anything but Basic Make a Bold Choice in All Black This Spring The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Here at AskMen, we strive to bring you new and interesting content to help answer any questions you may have from sex and dating to health and fitness to food and booze and of course, style and grooming. In our latest installment of the weekly series AskMen Style Defined, we talk about the forgotten color of spring black. RELATED: AskMen Style Defined Last Week: Cool Style for the Warm Weather Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, fashionable Instagrammer Dustin Carrington has called Toronto home for the past five years. Currently overseeing wholesale for eastern Canada for the Toronto-based jewelry brand Jenny Bird, he has been involved in the retail game for quite some time. I honestly can't remember a time that I wasn't interested in fashion, he says. My first job in the industry though was more than 10 years ago [for the affordable fashion brand] Mexx. Clothing has always been a way for me to just express my mood, or my creativity. I dabbled in other jobs, but I've always known that the fashion industry was where I belonged. Although posting photos on Instagram has been a passion side project for quite a few years, he has been interested in fashion long before any of us knew what a Clarendon filter was. [I] have been documenting my style through photos since before Instagram even existed, Carrington says about his images. I remember keeping a spreadsheet of my planned outfits even back in elementary school. Then [I] got hooked on an app called Pose before switching over to Instagram once [it] launched. Now defunct, Pose was an app launched in 2010 that set the tone for what Instagram has become today followers, fashionable photos and most importantly, shoppable links. So where does Carrington find his inspiration when pulling double duty? It really just depends on how I feel when I wake up, and where I'm going, Carrington tells us. An outfit inspiration could come from an interior photo I stumbled across on Instagram [or] a stranger walking down the street. [Even] a piece of jewelry. That would make sense considering he immersed himself in the world of womens jewelry fulltime. I actually get inspired by women's fashion a lot as well, he says. Women generally have much more options when it comes to clothing and accessories, and I love to pull from that and make it my own. I can dress super street, but then also clean up and throw on a blazer and loafers and love that look too. RELATED: Men's Style Guide: Spring 2019 Fashion Trends What stood out to us from his varied feed of everything from bold and bright tracksuits to mixed, muted neutrals was this all-black outfit that is anything but dim. The denim is from a brand I [was] recently introduced to called Outland Denim, he explains. What I really love about the brand, and especially this pair of denim, is that everything they use is sustainable [and] organic. The cotton, the threads, vegetable dyes etc. We are a big fan of sustainable, eco-friendly clothing here at AskMen as well, so check out some more of our favorites we rounded up for Earth Day. This patched, distressed, leather jacket from Diesel is honestly my favorite piece I own in my whole closet, he continues. I've been watching "Riverdale" lately, (I know I'm late to that party) but I was inspired by the South Side Serpents, a gang in the show I just really wanted to wear my leather jacket since it was finally warm enough to not be completely bundled up. What is Carrington looking forward to most as the weather warms up? This probably sounds lame, but what I'm most excited about ... is being able to spend more time outside with my dogs [Maui and Thai]. After working all day ... there is honestly nothing better than relaxing at the park with my pups. If you are looking for an idea how to make basic black anything but, well, basic, we suggest getting taking a cue from Carringtons outfit. Items to shop inspired by Carringtons look: Budget: Topman Classic Fit Biker Jacket, $310 at Nordstrom.com Alternative Apparel Burnout Terry Hoodie, $58 at AlternativeApparel.com Abercrombie Skinny Jeans, $94 at Abercrombie.com Ray-Ban Aviator, $150 at MrPorter.com Chuck Taylor All Star High Top, $55 at Converse.com Baller: Schott NYC Perfecto Motorcycle Jacket, $1,124 at SchottNYC.com AMI Acid-Washed Fleeceback Hoodie, $340 at MrPorter.com AMIRI Skinny-Fit Distressed Jeans, $750 at MrPorter.com Vuarnet Swing 1611, $310 at Vuarnet.com VISVIM Skagway High-Top Sneakers, $575 at MrPorter.com We think this dark outfit still looks fresh for spring with its bright Chucks and even brighter hair, but what do you think? What do you want to see? Do you have a look you like? Follow us on Instagram and Twitter and friend us on Facebook to share your best looks or tell us about someone we should check out. Tag us and use the hashtag #AskMenStyleDefined to get our attention. Or email us directly at [email protected] with AskMen Style Defined in the subject line. Maybe next week, well pick you! You Might Also Dig: AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC) is planning to issue up to SR4 billion ($1.1 billion) of long-term sukuk which is being modelled on the lines of US mortgage finance firm Fannie Mae, reported Reuters citing its top official. The plan by SRC, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund, comes as it prepares to purchase more home loan portfolios from mortgage financing companies and banks to boost the kingdom's secondary mortgage market. SRC, formed in 2017, is also keen to tap foreign institutional investors for its debt sale this year, stated CEO Fabrice Susini in an interview. "Our strategy is clearly to tap the market twice this year," he said. "We are really looking at probably issuing something between ... SR2 and SR4 billion that we may be issuing in two tranches," revealed Susini. He said SRC was looking at sukuk in the 10 to 15-year range, to help minimise refinancing risks. "Generally speaking we are trying to issue as long as possible," he added. Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company, said Susini, was assessing whether it could also issue bonds in currencies other than the local riyal. In March, SRC completed a SR750 million sukuk issue with multiple tenors, under a programme that allows it to issue up to SR11 billion of local currency denominated Islamic bonds, he added. Ivan Cholakov/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- The Defense Department's internal watchdog has cleared acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan of favoring his former employer, Boeing, while serving at the Pentagon. The Pentagon's inspector general found that reports of ethics violations were not substantiated, clearing the way for Shanahan for a possible nomination to the top Pentagon job. The inspector general opened the investigation last month after receiving a complaint that Shanahan "allegedly took actions to promote his former employer, Boeing, and disparage its competitors, allegedly in violation of ethics rules." During the investigation, more than 30 witnesses were interviewed, including many senior defense officials and Shanahan, according to the inspector general. More than 5,600 pages of unclassified documents and approximately 1,700 pages of classified documents relevant to the allegations were also reviewed. "The Office of Inspector General took these allegations seriously, and our 43-page report of investigation, which we released today, describes our conclusions and the facts on which they are based," said Glenn Fine, the Principal Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General. "The evidence showed that Acting Secretary Shanahan fully complied with his ethical obligations and ethical agreements with regard to Boeing and its competitors." Shanahan worked for Boeing for 31 years, last serving as senior vice president of supply chain operations. When he transitioned to the Pentagon as then-Defense Secretary James Mattis' deputy in 2017, Shanahan said he divested his financial interests related to Boeing and signed an ethics agreement barring him for participating in Boeing-related activities -- as is typical for government officials transitioning from the private sector. He's been serving in the "acting" capacity since Mattis departed the Department of Defense over policy differences related to the war against the Islamic State in Syria at the end of last year. At the time the inspector general announced its investigation, a Pentagon spokesperson said in a statement that Shanahan had "at all times remained committed to upholding his ethics agreement filed with the DOD." "This agreement ensures any matters pertaining to Boeing are handled by appropriate officials within the Pentagon to eliminate any perceived or actual conflict of interest issue(s) with Boeing," the statement added. The complaint that launched the investigation was filed to the inspector general in March by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which in its complaint cited news reports that Shanahan had privately promoted Boeing in discussions about government contracts, disparaging defense industry competitors like Lockheed Martin. Shanahan has been rumored as a top contender to replace Mattis as the next defense secretary. He would need to be formally nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate. The full inspector general report is available online here. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Gulf Medical University (GMU), Ajman, received the Best Medical Education University at the Forbes Middle East Higher Education Awards 2019 held recently at the Taj Dubai. The award was received by Professor Hossam Hamdy, the chancellor of GMU, in the presence of top decision makers from the regions education industry as well as government officials and other VIP dignitaries. With six colleges and 26 accredited courses, GMU has risen to the forefront of medical universities in the Middle East region. GMUs curriculum and training methodology, tie-ups with leading international universities, world-class facilities and its establishment of the first private academic health system in the region have consolidated its position as one of the most popular destinations for state-of-the-art medical education, attracting student applications in large numbers from over 80 countries every academic year, it said in a statement. GMU has unique academic programmes to its credit. GMUs recently launched College of Healthcare Management and Economics is a unique, specialised college of healthcare management and economics which aims to prepare the graduates to pursue careers in healthcare management, health economics, policy-making and administration in the region and internationally. It offers a four-year bachelors program and a 12-month executive masters program designed to respond to the constantly growing health industry. The programs are offered in collaboration with international universities - the University of Milan, University of Arizona, American University of Cairo, University of Central Florida, etc. The college is a member of the European Healthcare Management Association. Research is an important strategic direction of the GMU Academic Health System. The Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine leads research in the field of cancer biology and immunology, with international collaboration with France, Poland and Korea. Hamdy said: Recognitions like these explain why GMU is called the medical university of the future. We differentiate ourselves in the full spectrum of medical education. We are proud of our student diversity, the quality of our faculty and our highly advanced curriculum. GMU is located in Thumbay Medicity, a regional hub of futuristic medical education, state-of-the-art healthcare and cutting-edge research. The faculty members are also active medical professionals and practitioners and researchers. The University has its own network of academic hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, diagnostic labs etc., providing ample opportunities for students to undergo clinical training and internship. Furthermore, GMU graduates are given priority for employment with the various healthcare establishments of Thumbay Group, it said. TradeArabia News Service Clifford Chance adds nine partners in Asia Pacific in latest promotions In its largest promotion rounds for a decade, Clifford Chance has added 30 partners to its global headcount. Nine of the new partners are in Asia Pacific across the Sydney, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, and Hong Kong Offices; matching the UK for the largest share of the new partners. The promotions are effective 1st May 2019. Clayton has advised a Saudi investor in its acquisition of more than 200,000 hectares of farmland in Western Australia. The Saudi Agricultural Livestock Investment Company (SALIC), which is owned by the public investment fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bought the land from John Nicoletti, WAs largest grain farmer. It is SALICs first Australian acquisition. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but ABC reported that the deal is estimated to be worth $60m. The network said that the property is one of the largest single parcels of broadacre land to be sold in the country, and thus required approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board. Dubai-based Drydocks World, a leading marine, onshore and offshore service provider to the oil, gas and renewable energy sectors, has completed the fifth Wellhead Platform Aqam for TechnipFMC and end-client Dubai Petroleum. The topside is an oil and gas processing module weighing 900 tonnes, designed for unmanned offshore operation with a life span of 25 years. It contains advanced piping and control systems, which were entirely fabricated, integrated and pre-commissioned by Drydocks World, said a statement. The 800 tonnes jacket structure is designed to support the topside offshore in Dubai at a sea depth of 40 m. The scope of work also includes pile fabrication, oil, water injection and gas risers fabrication as well as subsea spools for connecting the platform to Dubai Petroleums existing offshore subsea network. This unmanned platform will be part of the UAE offshore AQAM field development and has the ability to handle oil, gas lift and water injection. Captain Rado Antolovic Phd, chief executive officer and managing director of DP Worlds Maritime Services Division, said: Everyone at Drydocks World is proud of the infrastructure that has been constructed in our Dubai yard for the UAE regional oil and gas industry. TechnipFMC and Dubai Petroleum are valued clients, and we are committed to delivering excellent performance to serve the UAE and the global energy industry, he said. These five wellhead platforms completed demonstrate our strong capabilities in the offshore construction market, and the repeat orders show that our services are resonating well with customers, he added. The yard is positively progressing towards our ambitious growth strategy, with innovation, quality, and safety inherent in our system. We look forward to working with TechnipFMC and Dubai Petroleum again and are grateful for their continued faith in our services, Antolovic concluded. TradeArabia News Service Just why should prosecutors put up with those long hours, drafting documents for which they receive no remuneration? Why should they do all of those add-ons the could you just requests, which are performed out of professional duty? Just how much more and for how much longer is the Criminal Bar expected to put up with this? it said. An overwhelming 99% of respondents said that current pay for prosecution advocacy does not reflect the skill and responsibility the work involves. Asked whether they feel valued by the CPS more often than not, 85% said no. An increase in the amount of work expected of criminal law barristers over the past five years was also reported by 84% of respondents, of whom 97% said that the amount of time spent dealing with unused material has ballooned. While the bar has been engaging with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the CPS and will continue to do so for a short further period, 95% of respondents said they were ready to take direct action, including no returns and days of action, should all routes of negotiations be exhausted. This is not rocket science. All we ask for is fair remuneration for work presently done for nothing, the bar said. Hi, I'm an aus resident and my husband is Indian. We applied for our spouse visa nearly 1 year ago. We have had 5 visitor visa refusals last one was last night and it is infuriating me that immigration can be refusing for the same thing each time- no incentive to return , a common refusal letter I'm sure. He shows family, family business lease agreements ect, all he could show but regardless of my stat dec or any documents provided they seem to insist he will not leave and it's not for a genuine temporary stay. He has never been to Australia, great visa history elsewhere we have showed everything possible each time. One would think a partner visa is great proof that we would never jeopardise our future together but how do we build our strong history when I can't drop everything and go back to India? How will this effect our spouse visa and how on earth can my husband show more honest incentive to return ? I just don't know what they want from people! All we wanted was to be together for our anniversary. I'm on a work contract I can't go back to India for another 5 months , these refusals are breaking our hearts. Please guys ... any advice so many are granted tourist visas why do they do this, so disappointed in the unfair presumptions. I swear this driver actually toys with the idea of blaming the lamppost for suddenly appearing. pic.twitter.com/sPswXg5Vbx Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) April 24, 2019 A dude driving a Mitsubishi is delivering the best LOLs today, as a video of his stupid crash has started picking up traction online. There is no date stamp to it and no clues as to the location where it was shot, but neither does away with how funny it is.The setting is simple: a near-empty, very bright parking lot and a man driving a Mitsubishi . The footage, captured by a surveillance camera and posted to Twitter on a page dedicated to stupid, bad and hilarious driving, shows the car heading straight towards the pole. When the inevitable crash happens, the driver gets out and looks almost shocked.He comes out of the now-badly damaged car and looks at the pole with surprise. Then, the harsh reality of what hes done dawns on him, and he lifts his hands to his head in frustration and anger. Its too late, of course.I swear this driver actually toys with the idea of blaming the lamppost for suddenly appearing, British radio personality Jeremy Vine, who also picked up the video and reposted it, says on his Twitter And thats the consensus with all commenters: dude is simply shocked the pole didnt move. From that to jokes about how the lamppost should have worn a hi-viz jacket or moved at the honk was but a step.There are also a few commenters that try to explain such a hilarious crash rationally. At the beginning of the video, when the car starts, its sitting directly in the sun. So, as he moves towards the pole, it could be that the driver was temporarily blinded by the sun and missed it. Another probably explanation could be that he was too engrossed in his phone, which he seems to be holding in his left hand when he gets out. In other words, this G 63 matches the Porsche-developed engine in the Lamborghini Urus. The tuner cranked torque up to 950 Nm, translating to 700 pound-feet or more than the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Something called the Lumma powerbox is responsible for these specifications, and its also available for the Mercedes-Benz G 500.Turning out attention to the CLR G770 body kit, Lumma wants 10,950 for the essentials. In addition to the square-shaped exhaust trim, the package also includes daytime running lights, front spoiler and bumper, wheel arch extensions, side skirts, rear bumper, and the aerodynamic diffuser.Goodies such as the spare wheel cover, carbon-fiber headlight finish, and roof trim with full-beam headlights cost extra. The wheels now measure 24 inches at the front and rear, Lumma recommends performance spacers for this application. Brake calipers painted in red, aluminum pedals, and leather edging for the floor mats are a few other highlights.The mad professors in Winterlingen can customize the G 63 to the customers wishes. Horst Lumma has been doing it for 30 years now, and his company is also obliged to modify models from Lexus, BMWs, Jaguars, and Range Rovers. These babies are photographed all over the world for a handful of reasons, let alone the dramatic exterior makeover.Produced in Graz, Austria by Magna Steyr, the second generation of the W463 is also available with a 3.0-liter turbo diesel. The inline-six that Mercedes-Benz calls OM 656 churns out 330 PS (325 horsepower) and 700 Nm (516 pound-feet) of torque. A lesser version of the engine makes do with 100 fewer newton-meters and 40 fewer kilowatts.Pricing for the G 350 d starts at 107,040 in Germany. Head on over to the United States, and the G 550 and G 63 retail at $124,500 and $147,500, respectively (excluding destination). A hint of this move came on social media earlier this month, when the Museum posted photos of defaced description plaques, where the word she had been scratched out. Apparently, some activists had walked around the museum and, not happy with reading about a ship referred to as a she, decided to cut that word right out.In the post, the Museum rightfully lamented the act of vandalism, saying that they operated as a charity and couldnt afford to replace the destroyed plaques. Still, they did order new ones and they would replace she with it in all descriptions of ships.In statements to the British media, people from the Museum also said that calling a ship she was outdated and that they wanted to be seen as progressive, hence the change. Judging by the reactions their announcement has gotten, the only thing they managed to do was get on a lot of peoples toes.Former Navy Chief Lord Alan West, ex First Sea Lord, for one, is fuming mad. He is so mad that he placed a call on a BBC program discussing the move, just so he could describe it as stark staring bonkers. Thats British-speak for a lot of cuss words, as you know.[Its] political correctness gone mad, he said, as cited by The Telegraph . It's a sort of insult to generations of sailors, the ships are seen almost as a mother to preserve us from the dangers of the sea and also from the violence of the enemy. To change it in this trite fashion is just absolutely stupid.We've done it for centuries as that's how we refer to them, we have to be very careful with little tiny pressure groups that make people change things. It's a very dangerous road we are going down, Lord West continued. I don't think it's dated at all sometimes things that are dated are there for very good reasons and I am very proud of some of those facts.He is not the only one to feel that the Museum is caving in to PC activists, either. A spokesperson for the Royal Navy tells The Telegraph that the Navy feels the same way, so they have no plans to start referring to ships as it anytime soon. Or ever. CVT SIA is the only manufacturing facility outside of Japan according to Subaru. Production began in 1989, and annual output increased from 67,000 to 370,000 vehicles. The 2020 Outback and Legacy mid-size sedan are scheduled to roll off the assembly line at the end of July 2019.This is an incredible milestone for our associates and our company, commented Scott Brand, senior vice president at Subaru of Indiana Automotive. Weve come a long way since building our first Subaru vehicle more than 30 years ago. If you were wondering, the first generation of the Legacy is the vehicle that kicked off production at SIA.At the present moment, Subaru of Indiana Automotive has 5,700 associates directly responsible for the quality that customers have come to expect. SIA currently produces the Ascent mid-size crossover , Outback, Legacy, and Impreza for North America.For the 2020 model year, the Outback has been redesigned from the ground up. Revealed at the 2019 New York International Auto Show, the station wagon with the attitude of a crossover rides on the Subaru Global Platform of the Legacy. In addition to the underpinnings, the Japanese automaker decided to retire the six-cylinder for four-cylinder engine options.In addition to the 2.5-liter N/A option (182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque), customers can opt for a turbocharged 2.4 with 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet. Those figures are no different from the Ascent and Legacy, both mid-size models. Regardless of engine, the transmission comes in the guise of athat simulates an eight-speed automatic.Both the 2020 Outback and Legacy stand out with their 11.6-inch infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air-updates, theres a lot to like for both the driver and passengers. Customers going for the Onyx Edition are treated to gloss-black detailing and water-repellent upholstery.If it were your money, would you take the Outback over the Ascent for family duties? According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the helicopter, which crashed around 12:47 pm, was owned and operated by LGC Air Transport. It left the NAIA General Aviation (GenAv) hangar bound for San Fernando, Pampanga at 12:28 pm. The cause of the accident has yet to be determined. First responders and the Philippine Red Cross carried out the rescue operation. Philippine Red Cross Chairman, Senator Richard Gordon, confirmed that two of the victims perished on site. One other passenger expired on the way to the hospital. Laus was considered an influential auto industry icon. He had one of the biggest multi-brand automotive networks in the country, most notably in the central and northern parts of Luzon. His group currently operates over 50 vehicle dealerships. Just some of the brands he has handled include Mitsubishi (Carworld, Inc.), Ford, Kia, Haima, Hyundai, Mazda, Chevrolet, Nissan, Suzuki, BMW, Volkswagen, Jeep, Peugeot, Fuso, and more recently Changhe. He was also chairman emeritus of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce, and pushed for development in the countryside. Laus also led the Save San Fernando Movement which compelled the government to build a protective dike to stop lahar from flowing into the province's capital. The Laus Group has issued an official statement: It is with great sorrow that the Laus Family and LausGroup of Companies (LGC) announce the tragic loss of our patriarch and esteemed Chairman and CEO, Liberato "Levy" P. Laus. He was 68. Levy to family and friends, LPL to colleagues and associates, he was a visionary and leader who championed countryside development with such idealistic and vigorous zeal. He made and left an ingrained mark in the automotive industry as well as the lives of numerous partners he inspired and encouraged, family and friends he loved and cherished, and clients he served and helped. His untimely passing, unfortunately, came at a time when he was looking forward to greater things, not only for the LGC but also for the whole province of Pampanga, especially his beloved city of San Fernando. He unfailingly demonstrated the exceptional values in business, integrity, and compassion in all his work. His enthusiasm, quick wit, and endless charm will inspire and stay with us always. He will be remembered for his love of and dedication to the LGC as a group of companies, as a brand, as a family. He will be greatly missed. We request that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made and donated to the Levy P. Laus Foundation, Inc. Range anxiety is still a common fear when it comes to driving electric vehicles. Tesla is continuously improving the range of their electric vehicles to help assure people that they will have nothing to worry about. Upcoming units of the Model S and Model X will feature an upgraded drivetrain design which would extend each vehicle range per charge. No changes were made to the 100 kWh battery pack. Instead, the extra range comes more efficient drive units. The new Model S Long Range now has 595 km of range in a single charge, a 56km increase over the previous unit. Meanwhile, the Model X Long Range is now capable of going 523km in a single charge gaining an additional 48km. Aside from the long-range variants, the Performance version also gets more range. The Model S Performance sees its range bumped to 555km and the Model X Performance to 490km. A panel of 3 federal judges on Thursday struck down Michigans congressional and state legislative districts, ruling that they were unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor Republicans who could "enjoy durable majorities in Michigans congressional delegation and in both chambers of the Michigan legislature for the entire decade." "This Court joins the growing chorus of federal courts that have, in recent years, held that partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional. We find that the Enacted Plan violates Plaintiffs First and Fourteenth Amendment rights because it deliberately dilutes the power of their votes by placing them in districts that were intentionally drawn to ensure a particular partisan outcome in each district." U.S. District Judge Eric Clay wrote. Details: In response to a federal suit from the League of Women Voters and Democratic voters targeting the state's GOP-dominated legislature 2011 redistricting plan, the judges ruled that 34 state House, Senate and congressional districts should be redrawn before the 2020 elections. The legislature has until Aug. 1 to enact a new plan. If that deadline is missed, the court said it will draw the new maps. The state has also been ordered to hold special elections in 2020 for affected Senate districts, instead of 2022 as currently scheduled. Last year, the suit unearthed private emails showing that Republican had used their 2011 redistricting plan to maintain electoral advantage over Democrats, contradicting Republicans claims that the lines were not drawn with political bias. The backdrop: This order comes just days after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in two blockbuster partisan gerrymandering cases in North Carolina and Maryland seeking to determine whether electoral maps warped by politics may cross a constitutional line. The Supreme Court's decision, which is expected by June, will likely determine the outcome of the Michigan ruling. Last year, voters in Michigan frequently a battleground state in national elections voted to shift the duty of drawing electoral maps into the hands of independent redistricting commissions rather than lawmakers. Voting maps are drawn every 10 years to reflect population change. Go deeper: Supreme Court weighs limits on gerrymandering Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the Bahrain-based aluminium smelter, said it is a key sponsor and participant at the ongoing CRUs 24th World Aluminium Conference, being held in London, UK. The event which opened yesterday (April 24) will conclude tomorrow (April 26), and is being held Jumairah Carlton Tower. More than 210 delegates, representing 129 companies from 41 countries, are participating in this years conference which provides in-depth insights on supply, demand, price, premiums, sustainability and costs for the benefit of a highly-influential audience from the global aluminium industry. Albas marketing director Boris Santosi; Alba Americas manager Patrick Hudson; strategic supply and planning manager Mohd Khalid; and acting public relations manager Abdulla Seyadi represented Alba at this event. Albas chief executive officer Tim Murray said: We look forward to engage with industry experts to effectively address the challenges our industry are facing to improve the market sentiment. Such gatherings provide us with the right platform to meet with our peers, existing and potential business partners as we are on course to become the worlds largest aluminium smelter, he added. TradeArabia News Service Florida's GOP-controlled House passed a measure along party lines on Wednesday requiring former felons to pay fees and fines before having their voting rights restored, resulting in backlash from voting rights advocates who say it undermines a voter-approved constitutional amendment that allows an estimated 1.4 million former felons to vote again. Details: The measure, now in the Senate, calls for court fines, fees and restitution to be paid before ex-felons, who've completed their sentences, can vote. According to the Miami Herald, the Senates version of the bill only requires restitution to be paid, "but not court fees and fines if those have been converted to a civil lien, which often happens." Nonetheless, any restrictions would prevent thousands from voting. The backdrop: After Floridians overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendment last year, only Iowa and Kentucky remained as states that permanently prohibit ex-felons from voting, unless the governors of those states approves a clemency plea. The ballot measure, which took effect in January, did not apply to those convicted of murder or sex crimes. State Republican lawmakers quickly proposed measures they argue would provide clarification because ex-felons should repay all fines and fees connected to their sentences. Voting rights advocates labeled the measure a modern-day "poll tax" a reference to the fees used to keep black Americans from voting in the South during the Jim Crow era. Go deeper: A Massachusetts judge and court officer were charged with federal obstruction of justice by the Boston U.S. Attorney's Office for helping an undocumented immigrant elude arrest in April 2018, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday. Details Judge Shelley Joseph and court officer Wesley MacGregor allegedly devised a plan after the prosecutor and the suspect's defense attorney said they thought U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeted the wrong person. The government alleges that MacGregor used his security access card to release the suspect out of the back exit of the courthouse. It is unclear what happened to the defendant identified as A.S. after he left the courthouse. Joseph is expected in court Thursday afternoon. The big picture: In 2017, Boston was one of 5 jurisdictions in Massachusetts that ICE deemed "non-cooperative," or a "sanctuary city." President Trump recently said his administration is strongly considering placing "illegal immigrants" in sanctuary cities, an extreme proposal that critics view as political retribution. Go deeper: "Sanctuary city" mayors welcome Trump's latest immigration idea The announcement that the U.S. will not extend waivers for Iran oil export sanctions beyond May 2 sent oil prices up, though President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signaled that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would add supplies. The big picture: This plan could strain production cuts Riyadh agreed to in December with OPEC, Russia and others that have buoyed prices by 37% in 2019. Saudi Arabia's broader cooperation with OPEC+ since late 2016 has provided much-needed cash to mitigate deficits, burnish sovereign assets for mortgage and fund the Crown Princes economic transformation plans. Where it stands: Iran exported about 1.1 million barrels per day (b/d) this month. Saudi Arabia and the UAE could quickly add about 1.5 million b/d, but that would breach OPEC+ targets, up for review in June. Having cut beyond its targets, Saudi Arabia could pump an additional 500,000 b/d and still comply with the outstanding deal. The impact: All this puts pressure on the 2.5-year-old OPEC+ arrangement, and specifically the Saudi-Russian partnership. Saudi Arabia considers the cuts a success and supports a continued partnership with Russia to bolster prices. Washington's 2018 about-face notwithstanding, Saudi Arabia will likely boost production to squeeze archrival Iran while making itself indispensable to the Trump administration's Iran policy. Despite its wavering on OPEC+ generally, Russia is unlikely to abandon the partnership and facilitate U.S. sanctions policy. Though Russia has always been less enthusiastic about production cuts, which were imposed on companies by the Kremlin for strategic reasons. As U.S. production surges on high prices, there are worries in Moscow about market share. What to watch: It will become clear in the next few weeks how China, India and Turkey intend to respond to the sanctions and how the U.S. will enforce them. The May 19 OPEC+ ministerial monitoring meeting will indicate how participants see the oil market, ahead of a decision about extending production cuts to be made on June 26. The bottom line: With the market tightening due to political events in Libya and Venezuela and the onset of summer driving season in the U.S., there is reason enough for Saudi Arabia to increase short-term production targets while maintaining the OPEC+ relationship. Phillip Cornell is a non-resident scholar at the Arabia Foundation and a specialist in energy policy and economics of the Middle East. There was a telling exchange in this months meeting of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission that pours some cold water on the fervor to move toward a system that pays hospitals and doctors for how well they take care of patients, instead of how many tests and services they order. Driving the news: MedPAC was weighing a proposal that would force all doctors to participate in a Medicare accountable care organization. A transcript of the meeting, flagged by the Health Care Blog, revealed that health economist and MedPAC vice chairman Jon Christianson was worried about that idea. "There is not strong evidence that [Medicare Advantage plans and ACOs] have or can reduce costs for the Medicare program or improve quality But somehow we are assuming that whatever we do going forward, that will change," he said. The bottom line: We are still in a nascent stage of new health care payment models, but it's not a slam dunk they will meaningfully lower costs or improve quality. Go deeper: The Trump administration's new primary-care payment models Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has strongly condemned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans latest public denial of the 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire, saying that it amounts to extreme hate speech. Erdogan again lambasted France and other nations recognizing the genocide on Wednesday when he spoke at a conference in Ankara apparently timed to coincide with the annual remembrance of some 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives during the First World War. Erdogan claimed that Armenians themselves massacred Muslim civilians and that their mass deportations to the Syrian desert was the most reasonable action that could be taken by the Ottoman government. Relocation is one thing, massacre is another thing, he said. Pashinian reacted angrily to Erdogans remarks on his Twitter page. Calling victims ofthe Armenian Genocide, the Ottoman Empire's entire Armenian population, which was sent to death marches, Armenian gangs & their supporters is not just a new high in denialism but justification of nation murder, he wrote. Above all, doing this on April 24 is an ultimate insult to the Armenian people and to humanity, the prime minister added, urging the international community to condemn Erdogans extreme hate speech. Throughout his long rule, Erdogan has stuck to successive Turkish governments strong denial of a premeditated effort by the Ottoman regime of the Young Turks to exterminate the empires Armenian population. In April 2015, he likewise said that the relocation of the Armenian population in Anatolia to southern lands was a legitimate response to violence by Armenian gangs provoked by various powers. The Turkish leader referred to the Syrian desert where hundreds of thousands of Armenians -- mostly women, children and elderly people -- were killed or starved to death. Scores of others died on their way to the Deir ez-Zor camps. In his latest speech, Erdogan lashed out at France, which officially recognized the genocide in 2001 and held its first "national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide" on Wednesday. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe led the commemorations in Paris on Wednesday, laying flowers at a monument to the genocide victims erected in 2003. France intends to contribute to the recognition of the Armenian genocide as a crime against humanity, against civilization, Philippe said, according to the AFP news agency. It will not be impressed by any lies, by any pressure, what we are looking for is historical accuracy and reconciliation. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 30 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said April 25, 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. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova The Baku International Sea Trade Port has begun cooperation with companies operating in the city of Venlo in the Limburg Province of the Netherlands, which is considered one of the transport and logistics hubs of Europe. Port of Baku, the province of Limburg and Dutch companies have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation. The Memorandum envisages cooperation with the Cabooter Group, SMART Logistics Center, the Limburg Development and Investment Company, Greenport Venlo, KLG Europe, Northern Limburg Development Council, the Azerbaijan-Netherlands Business Hub and the Fontys University of Applied Sciences. After the signing ceremony, Director General of Baku International Sea Trade Port, Taleh Ziyadov, noted that these agreements will help attract Dutch and European companies to the Port of Baku. The sides also reached a preliminary agreement with the logistics companies operating in Venlo for the first test container transportation along the Venlo-Istanbul-Baku-China route in May this year. At the same time, in order to expand bilateral trade relations, discussions were held on the opening of the European representative office of the Baku Port in Venlo. As part of the agreement reached with the Fontys University, Baku Port specialists will be involved in training and practical experience for a six-month period in Venlo. Baku International Sea Trade Port was commissioned in 2018. Its territory is 400 hectares. The port can simultaneously receive up to 12 ships. The Baku Port in Azerbaijans Alat settlement is expected to become one of the leading trade and logistics hubs of Eurasia. The capacity of the port is 15 million tons of cargo, including 100,000 containers per year. Its going to increase to 25 million tons of cargo, including 500 000 TEU with completion of the 2nd phase. In the future, it is planned to create a free economic zone in the surrounding areas, including the territory of the port. The port in Alat is a transportation hub linking the west (Turkey & EU), south (Iran & India) and north (Russia). In addition, the port's location is linked to existing highways and railways, connecting the port to the inland regions of the country. In 2018, the total volume of cargo transportation at all terminals of the Port of Baku was about 3.8 million tons, of which 84.5 percent (3.2 million tons) accounted for transit cargo. In the first quarter of 2019, the volume of cargo transportation via the Baku International Sea Trade Port exceeded 1.03 million tons. More than 861,000 tons or 83.1 percent of all cargo transportation volume accounted for transit. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova The World Bank (WB) has an exceptional role on the projects implemented within agricultural reforms in Azerbaijan, which aim to increase productivity and competitiveness in this sector. WB positively assesses the progress of implementing the Agricultural Competitiveness Improvement Project (ACIP) in Azerbaijan, the banks report says. "Good progress continues to be made with implementation of the animal disease control program and upgrading the veterinary education. The project is initiating establishment of the Animal Identification and Registration System. Twelve value chain sub-projects approved and eight are under implementation," reads the report. Project investments in research and variety development program, and seed production and processing have already resulted in improving the quality of seeds and overall seed production capacity, according to WB. Some 50 investment sub-loans in a wide range of agribusiness activities have been issued. Beneficiary agribusinesses report sizeable growth in outputs and the project objective remains achievable. The project, which is expected to last until 2020, aims to facilitate the access of agricultural producers to markets by strengthening sanitary and phytosantiary services, enhancing selected value chains, and providing financial services to agribusiness enterprises. The project contributes to further development of agribusiness and food industry through the provision of loans to improve technology, increase production, and modernize phytosanitary and veterinary services. The project also contributes to improving the regulatory and institutional framework in the field of food safety and quality. The ACIP was approved in 2013. The Bank has so far allocated $19.54 million (57 percent from the WB share in financing the project) to Azerbaijan for the project. The total cost of the project is $53.25 million, and the WB share is $34.5 million. Azerbaijan has been cooperating with the World Bank since September 1992. The Bank's local representative office in Azerbaijan was opened in 2016. Most of the international organizations providing financial aid to Azerbaijan are part of the World Bank. After the gaining of independence, the WB was helping to overcome a number of challenges facing Azerbaijan. WB has supported Azerbaijan in implementing critical structural reforms to help stabilize the economy after a long-lasting contraction. Cooperation between Azerbaijan and the World Bank is multidimensional, covering infrastructure, agriculture, transport and other areas. The projects implemented in the relevant fields with the financial and technical support of the WB play an important role in the development of these areas. WB cooperates with Azerbaijan within the Country Partnership Strategy. The Banks Country Partnership Strategy for 2016-2020 for Azerbaijan aims to support the country on its path to sustainable, inclusive, and private sector-led growth. The program mainly focuses on the public sector management and service delivery, and economic competitiveness. Over the past years, the Bank allocated loans for the implementation of over 50 projects in the country worth over $3 billion. Seven new projects worth about $1.5 billion are being implemented. Besides the loans, WB allocated 45 grants to Azerbaijan totalling $41.57 million in 1995-2014. The Bank mainly focuses on development of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan's economy. Today, WB supports such areas as agriculture, healthcare, support for the development of rural areas, projects for the reconstruction of main roads, as well as the implementation of the e-court system in Azerbaijan. WB also plans to take part in the program on the implementation of mandatory medical insurance system in Azerbaijan, as well as in the reconstruction of the Baku-Astara railway. Agriculture is important for providing ecological balance, raising the level of socio-economic development in rural areas and protecting rural lifestyle, although its primary function is to produce foodstuffs and raw materials. WB has proposed five solutions for the development of agriculture in Azerbaijan. The solutions offered by the Bank envisage using the accurate agricultural technologies suitable for local risk management strategies and climate, facilitating the access of small farms to the markets, diversification of export markets, increasing food security and enhancing education in this area. By 2017, WBs total commitment to Azerbaijan was $3.4 billion, while the cost of nine projects completed in agricultural sector was $380.4 million. WB expects that Azerbaijani economy will grow by 3.3 percent in 2019, 3.5 percent in 2020 and by 3.7 percent in 2021. Azerbaijans economy expanded at a moderate pace in 2018 aided by stable oil production and a modest pick-up in domestic demand, as higher oil earnings boosted fiscal spending and real wages rose, WB said. As a result, real GDP increased by 1.4 percent in 2018. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijani and Chinese companies have signed ten agreements covering various fields on the sidelines of the second One Belt One Road international forum to be held in Beijing. The total amount of the contracts is worth $821 million. Addressing the signing ceremony, Azerbaijans Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev said that the political will and friendly ties of the Azerbaijani and Chinese presidents are the key driving forces for the development of cooperation between the two countries. Mustafayev described Azerbaijan as China's key trade partner in the South Caucasus region, saying that the country accounts for 43 percent of Chinas trade in the South Caucasus. In his remarks, co-chair of the Azerbaijan-China Intergovernmental Trade and Economic Cooperation Commission, head of the Eurasia Department of the Ministry of Commerce Luo Weidong expressed China`s interest in increasing the import of agricultural, chemical and industrial products from Azerbaijan, as well as deepening cooperation on the creation of the digital Silk Road and development of the Silk Road e-commerce. Following the speeches, MoUs on cooperation between Azerbaijani and Chinese companies were signed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade In recent years, automotive industry in Azerbaijan has been experiencing positive changes. The country is developing its own automobile manufacturing market by launching new plants to increase local production and decrease import dependence. Market Analysis Azerbaijan 2019, presented by the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce (AHK Azerbaijan), forecasts that production in the automotive industry of Azerbaijan will reach $20 million this year and $70 million by 2022. One of the car plants of Azerbaijan is the Khazar car plant built by AzerMash. It is located in southeast Azerbaijan in the Neftchala Industrial Zone. All cars produced there comply with Euro 5 standards. Cars have been sold since summer 2018. Gunay Namidar, Head of Press Service at AzerMash, has told Trend that Peugeot cars produced at the Khazar plant have already been supplied to a number of state and private entities. She said that currently, AzerMash produces only one Peugeot model. Mass production started in May. The ordered Peugeot 407 have already been supplied to many public and private sector entities. Their prices vary within 17,500-19,500 manats ($10,200-11,500), Namidar noted. She added that cars are supplied only to the local market for now. Currently, produced cars are designed for the local market. After a certain time, with obtaining a license to sell abroad, these cars will be exported to the CIS countries. Initially, Azerbaijan will supply Peugeot to the Ukrainian market, Namidar emphasized. Automotive sector is currently developing fast in Azerbaijan, as more plants engaged in the production of cars are being launched across the country. Recently, the foundation of a bus plant was laid in Hajigabul. The new plant is expected to produce 500 buses of both European and Asian countries at the initial stage. As many as 100 people will be employed at the enterprise, which will operate on 5 hectares of land. The cost of the project is 11 million manats ($6.47 million). Earlier, the groundbreaking ceremony of the GAZ cars assembly plant was held in Azerbaijan's Hajigabul industrial Estate. The estimated investment in the new plant is 14 million manats (over $8 million). The plant owned by AzerMash will assemble a line of 12 types of light-duty Russian GAZ trucks, the output of which is scheduled for the second half of 2020. Moreover, a plant in Nakhchivan opened in 2010 assembles eight models of Lifan passenger cars designed by Chinas Lifan Group, which provides all the necessary spare parts for cars to the plant, so they may be assembled in Azerbaijan under the direct supervision of Chinese automotive specialists. As for statistics, approximately 1,000 cars were sold in 2018, while about 500 cars were sold in the first two months of 2019. If last year 40 percent accounted for purchases by government agencies and 60 percent - by the population, now this ratio has changed. This year only 15 percent account for government agencies, while 85 percent falls in the share of the population. -- Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Help India! TCN News Bilkis Yakoob Rasool Bano was 21 years and 5 months pregnant when she was gang raped by 11 men and her entire family were slaughtered in front of her during the 2002 Gujrat progrom. Her 3 year old daughters head was smashed against the wall resulting in her death right in front of her eyes. Support TwoCircles Bilkis has been ever since unrelentingly fighting for justice and her case was being conducted out of the Gujrat state as there were attempts to tamper with the evidence and also threats to Bilkiss life. The Bombay high court had, in 2008, awarded life imprisonment to the 11 accused. The state of Gujrat had awarded RS. 5 lakh as compensation which was turned down by Bilkis because she wanted justice. Now the Supreme Court has awarded her 50 lakhs compensation, a government job and accommodation to help her start life afresh on 23rd April. Bilkis has announced that she will use a part of the compensation money to help other rape survivors. She has also thanked the SC for recognising her pain and sorrow that she has been bearing all these years. The police officials against whom the state government of Gujrat had not taken any action earlier for tampering with the evidence and delaying the case have now been suitably punished as per the directions of the appellate court. The police officers stripped off their pension benefits and one IPS officer has been demoted. Many people have welcomed this verdict and this is supposed to be the highest ever compensation awarded to a rape survivor. Popular Front of India, in their press release, has hailed the Supreme Court order directing the Gujarat government to pay compensation of Rs 50 lakhs and government job to Balkis Bano. Chairman E Abubacker stated that the court order is a slap on the ugly faces of BJP top brass who were in power in Gujarat during the dreadful days of anti-Muslim riots in 2002. The press note also stated that BJP leaders including Narendra Modi and Amit Shah who were at the helm of state affairs in Gujarat at that time must get ashamed and make a public apology at least now in the light of the strong signal of Supreme Court against blatant misuse of power and discrimination. E Abubacker hoped that the latest exposure of the true face of RSS-BJP politics will serve a reminder for the people in the context of the ongoing elections to Indian parliament. By Leman Mammadova The Innovation Agency under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies organized a global event called "Falcons Summit" in Baku on April 24. The event, which will last until April 26, aims to create new opportunities for startup companies to increase capital and establish business relations with major investors, business leaders, international organizations and government officials. During his speech at the event, BP Azerbaijan Vice President Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli said that Azerbaijan has the least energy sources in the Caspian basin; however, it demonstrates the most effective management of these resources. In his words, BP and partners have invested over $70 billion in Azerbaijan in the past 27 years. Over these years, 3.5 billion barrels of oil have been extracted from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli block (ACG), and the consortiums investments here reached to $36 billion. At the same time, 44 billion cubic meters of associated gas was extracted and donated to the state. Total gas production in the Shah Deniz field is 100 billion cubic meters, he added. Aslanbayli stressed that BP invests substantial funds in Azerbaijan and will continue to invest further thanks to the conditions created for investors in Azerbaijan. He said that Azerbaijan is the only country among the Caspian littoral states that has never unilaterally changed the terms of the signed agreements. So far, 36 Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) have been signed. Some of them are already in force. None of these oil agreements has been unilaterally amended by the government without the investors consent, Aslanbayli noted. BP is one of the world's most renowned oil and gas suppliers. It has been managing large projects for exploration, development and transportation in oil and gas fields in Azerbaijan since 1992. BP and SOCAR have long-term cooperation in the oil and gas industry of Azerbaijan. BP Azerbaijan is the operator of ACG, Shah Deniz, Shallow Water Absheron Peninsula, Shafag-Asiman and Gobustan fields. BP and Azerbaijan are also cooperating on the renewable energy development opportunities. Recently, BP announced a $500-million extension to its drilling and engineering contract in Azerbaijan. The contract covers offshore operations and maintenance activities for seven platform rigs operated by BP including the Central, East and West Azeri, Deepwater Gunashli, West Chirag, Chirag and Shah Deniz installations. BP is also ready to consider the purchase of Exxon and Chevron shares in Azerbaijan's project on the development of ACG block. ACG is the largest oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea, covering more than 432 square kilometers. A contract for the development of ACG block of oil and gas fields was signed in 1994 for 30 years. Oil extraction from the field began in November 1997. The new agreement signed in 2017 provides for the development of the field until 2050. More than $36 billion has been invested into the development of ACG since the original PSA was signed in 1994. Proven oil reserves of ACG block of oil and gas fields are estimated at 1.2 billion tons, while gas reserves make 350 billion cubic meters. ACG participating interests are as follows: BP - 30.37 percent; AzACG (SOCAR) - 25 percent; Chevron - 9.57 percent; INPEX - 9.31 percent; Equinor - 7.27 percent; ExxonMobil - 6.79 percent; TPAO - 5.73 percent; ITOCHU - 3.65 percent; ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) - 2.31 percent. Recently, the next stage of development of the ACG field - Azeri Central East (ACE) project - has been sanctioned. The $6 billion development includes a new offshore platform and facilities designed to process up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day. The project is expected to achieve first production in 2023 and produce up to 300 million barrels over its lifetime. According to Wood Mackenzie, Azerbaijan will become the 5th largest source of production in BP's global portfolio when oil production will begin within the Azeri Central East project. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade Relations between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia have always been at a high level, and relations between the countries' business circles are also developing successfully. Business forums in Baku and Riyadh as well as export missions organized between the two countries are evidence of expansion of economic cooperation. Representatives of the public and private sectors of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), who are visiting Baku to attend the Falcons Summit, visited the Agency for the Development of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), the Agency stated. At the meeting, Chairman of the Board of the Agency Orkhan Mammadov and SAGIAs International Cooperation & Treaties Senior Specialist Bader Mohammad Almufgai discussed the expansion of ties in the sphere of investments between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. The areas of cooperation envisaged by the program for framework cooperation to expand bilateral investment ties were also discussed, along with the measures to be taken in this area. The document was signed between the Agency for the Development of SMEs and SAGIA during the 5th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Saudi Arabia Intergovernmental Commission in Baku held on March 4, 2019. Meetings organized by the Agency are also scheduled between the Saudi delegation and a number of Azerbaijani structures. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Over the past years, the bilateral economic relations have strengthened and expanded with the increased interest in investment. Azerbaijans trade turnover with Saudi Arabia amounted to 30.9 million manats ($18.12 million) in 2018, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan. About 24.3 million manats ($14.25 million) accounted for the import of Saudi products in Azerbaijan. Saudi Arabia is especially interested in investing in energy sector of Azerbaijan along with agriculture, tourism and transport. Agency for the Development of SMEs under the Ministry of Economy constantly works for enhancing bilateral investment relations. Its main task is to ensure the succession of reforms, as well as the improvement of the business regulation system and the application of effective coordination, enhancing the role and competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's economy, and the compliance of the management system in this area with modern requirements. As a single structure with special powers, the Agency organizes, coordinates, evaluates and regulates the services provided by government agencies and organizations in this area through SME houses. -- Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova The new model of cooperation within the One Belt One Road Initiative encourages mutual investments in both Azerbaijan and China. Opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Energy Partnership has been held in China within the framework of the second One Belt One Road international forum. On the sidelines of the event, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with Head of Chinas National Energy Administration Zhang Jianhua. During the meeting, the minister said that Azerbaijan has invited Chinese companies to cooperate in the field of alternative energy. The parties discussed expansion of ties in the energy sector and cooperation within the One Belt, One Road initiative. Shahbazov noted that the signing of documents worth $821 million between Azerbaijan and China, which took place on April 24, creates new opportunities for expanding cooperation between the countries. We hope that we will be able to continue this success in the field of energy, the minister added. At the meeting, attention was drawn to the possibility of cooperation in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemicals, processing industry, electric power industry and alternative energy. Zhang Jianhua, in turn, noted the importance of strengthening mutual activities of the companies of the two countries operating in the energy sector. In his words, the administration headed by him will make efforts to expand the participation of Chinese companies in Azerbaijans energy sector, including the field of alternative energy. Shahbazov invited the Chinese side to visit Azerbaijan to explore the potential for cooperation in the field of alternative energy. Azerbaijani and Chinese companies have recently signed ten agreements covering various fields on the sidelines of the second One Belt One Road international forum. The total worth of the contracts is $821 million. Azerbaijan is one of the first countries that supported the One Belt, One Road project and is one of the active participants in its implementation. Azerbaijan became a signatory to the Belt and Road Energy Partnership Declaration in October 2018. China announced the One Belt, One Road initiative in 2013, aimed at creating infrastructure and establishing links among the Eurasian countries back. This Chinese strategy envisages two key areas of development: the economic belt of the Silk Road and the maritime Silk Road. It is related to the creation of trade corridor for direct deliveries of goods from East to West on preferential terms. Successful transport projects implemented by Azerbaijan, such as Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, South-North, Alat International Sea Trade Port, have considerably contributed to the One Belt, One Road initiative. Azerbaijan is China's key trade partner in the South Caucasus region. Last year, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and China exceeded $1.3 billion, making 43 percent of Chinas total trade turnover with the countries of the South Caucasus. Over the past period, Azerbaijan invested $1.7 billion in China, and Chinese investments to Azerbaijan exceeded $800 million. Chinese companies also took part in projects implemented in Azerbaijan at the expense of public funds worth $600 million. Although China participated in only a few oil projects in Azerbaijan, two countries have great potential for cooperation in the energy sector. For a long time, Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR has been cooperating with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), from which it bought equipment used in the petrochemical sphere. In October 2018, SOCAR and the Chinese company BGP Inc, which is a subsidiary of the CNPC, signed an agreement on the establishment of a joint venture to carry out seismic exploration in Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea. Earlier, Azerbaijan and China agreed for the cooperation on the oil and gas processing and petrochemical complex (GPC) project of SOCAR. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The Armenian sides statement once again confirms the existence of only two sides of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said, Trend reports. Abdullayeva was commenting on her Armenian counterparts statement. "Without going into details of the way of outlining the issue of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the EU-Armenia agreement, I can only say that by making this statement, the Armenian side once again confirms that there are two sides of the conflict, namely, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the absence of any "third party"," she added. In her comments, spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry Anna Naghdalyan stressed that the EUs position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement has been clearly outlined in the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, where the right to self-determination has been also mentioned among other principles. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Upon the instructions of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, the activity in the field of increasing the level of combat readiness and improving the social conditions of the military personnel of the Air Force is being continued, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. On April 24, 2019, the Minister of Defense Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the Ministry took part in the opening of the new joint command post of the Air Force Base and got acquainted with the conditions created at the post. The leadership of the Ministry of Defense paid tribute and laid flowers to the bust of national leader Heydar Aliyev at the territory of the military unit. Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the Ministry reviewed the new navigation system, designed to monitor and control flights, the training premises of the Air Force training ground and other service and administrative facilities. The minister watched the training sessions of combat crews of anti-aircraft missile systems, technical staff of the Air Defense units and Radio-technical units of the Land Forces. He also visited the control post of S-125 anti-aircraft missile systems. The Defense Minister was informed that the main purpose of the joint command post, which is equipped with modern equipment produced by companies of Turkey, Israel, USA, France, Great Britain, Norway and other countries, is to control the flights of various types of military aviation, as well as to continuously ensure accurate and effective fulfillment of combat missions. Then a detailed briefing on the activities of the joint command post was presented to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense. Having inspected the "Super Mushshak" aircraft and the training rooms, the Minister of Defense brought the servicemen's attention to the tasks on development of military capability assigned by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and gave relevant instructions to the command staff regarding the increasing the combat readiness of military personnel and professionalism of military pilots. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri. "I was deeply saddened by the news of the death of your father, outstanding statesman, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. On the occasion of this heavy loss, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my deepest condolences to you, your family and the whole people of Luxembourg." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Chairman of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping pointed to the successful implementation of domestic and foreign policies in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. He was speaking at the meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Beijing. Mr. President Aliyev, let me once again welcome you to Beijing and to the upcoming second One Belt, One Road International Cooperation Forum, Xi Jinping said. The Azerbaijani side and you personally have been paying great attention to the development of Chinese-Azerbaijani relations and the joint implementation of the One Belt, One Road initiative, and we appreciate that. Azerbaijan is one of Chinas main partners in the Eurasian space, he noted. You are also among the first who responded and actively participated in the implementation of the One Belt, One Road project. Azerbaijan is also located on the Great Silk Road and is a natural partner in restoring this path. We already have a whole number of cooperation results, which brings tangible benefits to our peoples. Together with you, I am ready to continue the implementation of the One Belt, One Road project, to constantly deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas in the interests of joint development and prosperity. Mr. President, you are a longtime friend of the Chinese people, constantly make personal effort to develop Chinese-Azerbaijani relations and cooperation in all areas, Xi Jinping added. I appreciate that and am ready to maintain close contacts with you and bilateral relations together in the interests of sound development. The Chinese Communist Party is also ready to step up contacts with the New Azerbaijan Party, exchange experience in public administration and strengthen mutual trust between our two countries. Xi Jinping pointed to the successful implementation of domestic and foreign policies in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the countrys growing authority in the international arena, stability in Azerbaijan, improving well-being of the people, and development in the economic sphere. He emphasized that China supported the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Azerbaijan. Xi Jinping stated the importance of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor within the framework of the One Belt, One Road project. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Azerbaijan and Belarus are interested in using the cooperation opportunities in various fields on mutually beneficial conditions. Azerbaijan will be ready to help Belarus in case of its appeal regarding oil supplies, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belarus Latif Gandilov told Belarusian media. He noted that it is necessary to take into account the complexity of the transportation of oil from Azerbaijan to Belarus and look for the most optimal ways that will not lead to a strong increase in the cost of energy resources. There are no other issues except for transportation routes, which may greatly affect the cost of transported oil, Gandilov said. He suggested that deliveries may be made possible through the ports of the Black Sea. The ambassador also noted the great potential of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. "Belarus is located in the center of Europe. It means the European market will be open to us. In its turn, Azerbaijan, which is at the outer edge of the East, can open the Middle East market for Belarus," he said. Industrial cooperation between the two states has been recently expanding, and third countries have been starting to join the partnership, which is exemplified by the joint production of MAZ equipment at the Ganja Automobile Plant in Azerbaijan and supply of the plant's products to the Turkish market. "I think such manufacturing cooperation would facilitate division of labor and expand the choice of products we can jointly manufacture. It is a very correct approach to the matter. It will result in more successful development of our region by means of providing more job opportunities to people and, thus, will increase their well-being," Gandilov said. Belarusian media have earlier reported that the country intends to begin importing oil alternative to Russian oil by the end of the year. Oil may be shipped via the ports of the Baltic Sea and Ukraine. Belarusian oil refineries can process 18 varieties of oil from Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus were established in 1993, and cooperation in the economic sphere has been developing dynamically in the past decade. Today, a legal and organizational framework has been set up that allows the implementation of joint projects. The Agreement on Investment Promotion and Mutual Protection between the Governments of Belarus and Azerbaijan came into force in 2011, which accelerated the bilateral economic cooperation. Azerbaijans first ever Trade House was opened in Belarusian capital Minsk on May 26, 2017. The Trade House presents Azerbaijan's domestic products. Two countries closely cooperate in the field of machine engineering. Azerbaijani-Belarusian enterprise for the assembly of tractors of the Minsk Tractor Plant (MTZ) in Turkey will be put into operation in July 2019. So far, more than 10,000 Belarusian tractors and specialized equipment have been assembled at the Ganja Automobile Plant, which is the largest assembly plant of Belarusian tractors outside the Eurasian Economic Union. Last year, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Belarus was about $204 million, which is approximately $56 million more than the figure of 2017. The volume of trade between Azerbaijan and Belarus reached $60 million in January-February this year. Imports from Belarus to Azerbaijan amounted to $55.9 million, while the volume of exports from Azerbaijan to Belarus was $3.3 million. Products of the machine engineering industry, petrochemistry, woodworking, pharmaceuticals, military-technical cooperation made up the main Belarusian export items to Azerbaijan. In turn, Azerbaijan mainly exports to Belarus petrochemicals, vegetables, fruits and other non-oil products. Meanwhile, Belarus is interested in the North-South project and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and aims to create the Minsk-Baku railway route. Earlier, Belarusian Railways and Azerbaijan Railways signed an agreement on mutually beneficial cooperation for the interaction of the railways of the two countries to contribute to the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijan has invited Chinese companies to cooperate in the field of alternative energy, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said, Trend reports on April 25 with reference to the Energy Ministry. Shahbazov made the remarks in Beijing at the meeting with Head of Chinas National Energy Administration Zhang Jianhua. The parties discussed expansion of ties in the energy sector and cooperation within the "One Belt One Road" initiative. Shahbazov noted that the signing of documents worth $821 million between Azerbaijan and China, which took place on April 24, creates new opportunities for expanding cooperation between the countries. We hope that we will be able to continue this success in the field of energy, the minister added. At the meeting, attention was drawn to the possibility of cooperation in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemicals, processing industry, electric power industry and alternative energy. Zhang Jianhua noted the importance of strengthening mutual activities of the companies of the two countries operating in the energy sector. In his words, the administration headed by him will make efforts to expand the participation of Chinese companies in Azerbaijans energy sector including the field of alternative energy. Shahbazov invited the Chinese side to visit Azerbaijan to explore the potential for cooperation in the field of alternative energy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov As can be observed, Kyrgyz economy has markedly grown at the end of 2018. Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Muhammedkaliy Abylgaziyev, spoke about the main macroeconomic indicators of the country during the report on the activities of the Kyrgyz Government for 2018. The Head of Government noted that the country's GDP amounted to 557.1 billion soms ($8 billion, growth of 3.5 percent). Growth was provided by the following sectors: construction (7.8 percent), industry (5.5 percent), agriculture (2.7 percent) and services (2.1 percent). Abylgaziyev said that GDP per capita increased by 3 percent, while external debt decreased by $265 million and totalled $3.8 billion in 2018. He noted that the ratio of the external debt to GDP was reduced from 53.1 to 48 percent. At the same time, the volume of foreign trade grew by 6.6 percent, reaching $6.7 billion, the inflow of foreign investments made up $570 million, and the outflow of investments decreased by $200 million (27.7 percent) compared to 2017, said Abylgaziyev. He also noted that the volume of domestic investments in fixed assets amounted to 108.6 billion soms ($1.56 billion, 24 percent up), while the volume of investments from enterprises and organizations totalled 50.1 billion soms ($718.8 million, 36 percent up). In addition, exports in the framework of Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) increased by 5 percent, while imports decreased by 4.7 percent. Abylgaziyev stressed that a business ombudsman institute was established to improve the investment climate, a two-year moratorium was introduced to inspect business entities, new enterprises were exempted from taxes for five years, and the Fund for the Preparation of Sustainable Development Projects was established. At the same time, work will be continued to ensure the transparency of banking institutions. In addition, a roadmap for capitalization of SSC Bank OJSC was signed in conjunction with the Kyrgyz-Russian Development Fund and the Eurasian Development Bank, concluded Abylgaziev. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz President Xi Jinping has urged Chinese officials to redouble their efforts to fight poverty and pollution so that the Communist Party can deliver its promise of creating a comprehensively well-off society by the end of next year. South China Morning Post reports in its article Xi Jinping tells Chinese officials to finish the journey and shifts focus back to fight against poverty that Xi told the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs, the Communist Partys decision-making body on economic matters, on Monday that they must complete the last mile of a journey to eradicate absolute poverty in the worlds most populous country, according to statement published by the official Xinhua news agency. Xis renewed focus on two of his key policy goals follows a change in emphasis last year when the priority shifted towards keeping the economy on track amid a deepening slowdown. After the continuous efforts of several generations, weve basically realised the goal of building up a comprehensive well-off society, Xi said. But there are still some weak links, and we must speed up the process of fixing them. Xi also told officials to concentrate resources in areas such as ensuring poor people in remote areas of the country have access to education, basic health care and safe housing. Poverty reduction is one of the three key battles that Xi has promised to fight, along with pollution control and financial risk control, and the president recently made a tour of villages in a remote and mountainous area in the southwest of the country to see how the drive to eliminate the last pockets of poverty was progressing. The 2020 goal is the first milestone in Xis grand dream for China that will see the country become a modernised socialist country by 2035 and a powerful socialist country by 2050. However, since last summer the focus has shifted to arresting a deepening economic slowdown amid the trade war with the US, which saw funds being channelled towards infrastructure projects and air quality control measures sidelined. Yu Chunhai, deputy dean at the school of economics at Renmin University of China, said the country had somewhat downplayed Xis three key battles since the second half of last year as keeping economic growth on track became a priority. But the renewed focus on his plans follows reported economic growth of 6.4 per cent for the first quarter, which Yu said had given the leadership room to focus on long-standing challenges. There is still foreign pressure, but the tension has been eased after many rounds of China-US trade negations, Yu said. At Mondays meeting, Xi said China must intensify countercyclical macroeconomic control with efficient fiscal spending and the full implementation of tax cuts, which suggests Beijing is still alert to the risk of a downturn. But he also stressed that China must not let up in its efforts to tackle pollution and must meet its environmental goals for 2020, including a significant improvement to air quality in northern China. Ding Shuang, chief China economist with Standard Chartered, said the top leadership was using this line to tell local cadres to prepare for economic liberalisation and deregulation. When China joined the World Trade Organisation as an developing country, external forces pushed Chinas reforms [at home]. Now as China is turning from a developing country to a developed one, there are domestic pressures to change again, Ding said. It also let [officials] know that the upcoming reforms will be good for the country and Beijing is not being forced by outside powers into doing so. In a sign of displeasure with local officials, Xi reminded them to avoid fraud and cheating and respect the key economic decisions taken at the annual economic work conference, which is usually held at the end of the year to chart the policy direction for the following 12 months. They were told all Chinese regions and departments had a major political responsibility to toe the line and warned not to shout slogans loudly and implement them lightly. Xi also chaired a Politburo meeting last Friday about economic policy, where the 25 members discussed a better than expected start to the year and decided to make economic reforms a priority. By Abdul Kerimkhanov A meeting of the Belarusian-Tajik intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation has been held in Minsk. The Agriculture Minister of Tajikistan, Izatullo Sattori, stated that the cooperation between Belarus and Tajikistan is developing fruitfully. Sattori noted that the MTZ tractors assembled at the joint venture are already working in the fields of Tajikistan to ensure food security. He informed that Tajik side intends to work closely with Belarusian scientists on heat- and drought-resistant varieties of agricultural plants and to introduce them in Tajikistan. This issue is particularly relevant due to the climate change. We are striving for our research institutes to work more together and apply science in production, he stressed. The minister also said that a joint venture for milk processing will be commissioned in September. In turn, Anatoly Khotko, Agriculture and Food Minister of Belarus, noted that the main directions for the development of interaction between the countries are engineering, agriculture, medicine and culture. He recalled that Tajikistan and Belarus have a joint venture in mechanical engineering. The minister considers it necessary to build ways to promote Belarussian products, including through Tajikistan to neighboring countries. "We are working on the creation of joint dairy enterprises. We will cooperate in the field of seed production, use the resources of our scientists and plant breeders to increase yields in Tajikistan," stressed Khotko. In 2016, in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement between Tajikistan and Belarus, the construction of a joint Tajik-Belarusian enterprise for the assembly of tractors and other equipment for agriculture as well as the production of a number of components and parts started in Gissar city. The enterprise was included in the Resolution of Tajik Government On Especially Important Objects. Its construction and activities are supported by the government and the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies. The first stage of the joint venture was commissioned by the presidents of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon and Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on May 16, 2018. At present, the production complex includes a small assembly workshop (1,100 square meters), a warehouse for finished products, an open exhibition area for the display of agricultural equipment and an administrative and educational building. Diplomatic relations between Belarus and Tajikistan were established on September 5, 1996. The trade turnover between Belarus and Tajikistan amounted to $37.4 million in 2018. A large range of Belarusian goods has already positively established itself in the Tajik market such as tractors and trucks, chipboard, fiberboard, carpets and floor coverings, polyacetals and polyethers, tires. In turn, in Belarus, such Tajik goods as cotton unkempt fiber, cotton yarn, dried fruit, nuts and other agricultural products are in demand. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Uzbekistan considers Italy as a long-term and promising partner on the European continent. The Embassy of Uzbekistan, with the assistance of the Il Santuccio Wine Association, the Italian companies Marchesi de Frescobaldi and Tecnovite Group, made a presentation of Uzbekistan's wine industry. The presentation was held in one of the ancient castles of Florence for the 100 leading experts in the field of winemaking in the Toscana region. Eugenio Giani, governor of Toscana attended the event. He noted that the richness of the historical and cultural heritage of Florence and Samarkand, which occupy a special place in the history of two peoples, is in many ways comparable and echoes. It is noteworthy that Toscana business circles are showing interest in the Uzbek market amid the changes taking place in the country. Uzbek Ambassador Otabek Akbarov presented Italian specialists and entrepreneurs with detailed information on the history and current development of the Uzbek wine industry. He also informed about measures taken by the leadership and the Government of Uzbekistan to modernize it in order to improve the quality of wines produced. Within the framework of the presentation, professional tasting of the best brands of modern Uzbek wines - Kagor Bagizagan, Chinuri, Bagizagan and Muscat - was held. Recognized in Italy and abroad wine industry experts Leonardo Comucci and Simone Fabbri led the tasting. The foundation of the Uzbek-Italian relations was laid during the official visits of the First President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, to Italy in June 1996 and November 2000. In January 2013, an agreement on friendship and cooperation was signed between the Samarkand city administration and the administration of the Florence province. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met with Ambassador of Japan to Turkmenistan Takahiko Katsumata in the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry. The sides noted positive dynamics in the development of bilateral relations, in particular in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, the report said. A detailed discussion of the agenda of the Turkmen-Japanese Committee for Economic Cooperation also took place, and its next meeting is scheduled to be held in late May. The delegation of Turkmenistan recently held talks in Tokyo with representatives of Japanese companies specializing in the oil and gas sector. In particular, issues of preparation for the operation of a plant for the production of synthetic gasoline from natural gas in Ovadandepe village in the Ahal region of Turkmenistan and proposals for the construction of the second phase of this plant were discussed with the leadership of Kawasaki. Negotiations with Sojitz concerned the project of a workshop for the production of phosphate fertilizers at the Turkmenabat chemical plant. This is while proposals for developing a project for the construction of another ammonia and urea production plant in Turkmenistan were discussed with the representatives of Mitsubishi. Meetings were also held with representatives of Itochu, Highchem, Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, Sojitz on the sale and export of oil, gas and chemical products. A number of major infrastructure projects have already been implemented with the participation of Japanese companies. They include a complex of ammonia and urea production plants in Mary province, the Garabogazkarbamid plant and a polymer complex in the Balkan province. Turkmenistan, holding one of the key positions in the region in terms of supply of natural gas, in recent years has started to actively diversify economy. In particular, the construction of innovative gas processing complexes is planned. The impulse to business partnership was given by the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Turkmenistan in October 2015, during which memoranda were signed in the areas of development of natural resources and the transport infrastructure of Turkmenistan. Agreements on a number of projects worth $18 billion were also concluded. Japan then expressed its desire to participate in projects to develop the industrial infrastructure of Turkmenistans biggest gas field Galkynysh. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend A meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan with Baroness Emma Nicholson, representative of the House of Lords of the UK Parliament, Trend reports referring to Turkmen Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, it was proposed to hold an investment forum of Turkmenistan in the UK. Cooperation in the field of environmental protection was also discussed. A representative delegation from the UK arrived in Ashgabat to attend the 7th meeting of the Turkmenistan-UK Trade & Industry Council (TUKTIC). While discussing the upcoming seventh meeting of TUKTIC, during which it is planned to consider issues to increase trade, the parties separately noted the high level of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Kingdom in trade and economic sphere. The parties also agreed to hold next political consultations in Ashgabat in the second half of 2019 or in 2020. British companies hold a prominent position in the Turkmen market. Dragon Oil, one of the largest investors in the country, has been operating in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea since 1999. Another company, Petrofac, carried out a service project for developing the Galkynysh gas field, the second largest gas field in the world located in the Mary Region, in September 2013. Gaffney, Cline & Associates is actively involved in conducting an independent audit of Turkmenistans gas fields, with Turkmen gas reserves ranking fourth in the world. De La Rue company is connected with history of the Turkmen manat, the national currency of Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan and the UK signed an intergovernmental convention on the elimination of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital appreciation. During bilateral business negotiations, it has been noted that the parties share common interests in the key areas of cooperation including investments, energy and transport. Joint business forums are attended by representatives of the UK companies such as British Expertise International, Aggreko, Arempa International Ltd (FZE), Buried Hill, De La Rue, Global ATS Ltd, Industrial Power Group, JTA, Rapiscan Systems Ltd, Tensar and TheCityUK. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov For many centuries, the peoples of Uzbekistan and China have been linked by multifaceted relations of friendship and mutual respect. The two nations' cultural interaction began at the time of the Great Silk Road. In recent years, within the framework of the Belt and Road initiative, there has been an active dynamic in the bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and China, said the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to China Bakhtiyor Saidov. On the eve of the 2nd High Level Forum on International Cooperation opening within the framework of Belt and Road, Saidov gave an exclusive interview to Chinese media. He noted that positive dynamics of interaction between Uzbekistan and China within the Belt and Road initiative is observed both in the field of trade and the economy and in the sphere of investments. According to the data published on the website of the Chinese Commerce Ministry, the trade turnover between the two countries reached $6.4 billion in 2018, which is an increase of 35 percent. China remains Uzbekistans largest trading partner. Saidov said that today more than 1,000 Chinese companies present in Uzbek market and operate in various sectors of economy. As ambassador informed, during the Uzbek President's visit to China in the framework of the Qingdao SCO Summit in 2018, as many as 46 investment projects worth $6.86 billion were signed. Of these, $3.11 billion is a direct investment. Moreover, the volume of direct investment by Chinese companies in Uzbekistan exceeded $500 million in 2018. The diplomat pointed out the importance of developing direct dialogue between the business circles of the two countries and strengthening interregional cooperation. He considers that 2018 was a breakthrough in terms of developing cooperation between Uzbek and Chinese regions. Saidov added that leaders of 11 Uzbek regions visited large and industrially developed Chinese provinces in 2018, during which fruitful negotiations were held. He added that parties signed trade, economic and investment agreements in the amount of more than $3 billion. Ambassador considers joint projects in the sphere of high technologies and innovations are becoming priorities along with the specified directions. He also noted that the creation of the Silk Road Economic Belt, the overland part of the Belt and Road, integrated industrial technoparks, research and innovation clusters and free economic zones should be a common task. Saidov further said that the Action Strategy for the five priority areas of development of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021 has many points of intersection with the Belt and Road initiative. He stressed that presence of a firm mutual interest of China and Uzbekistan to cooperate in the Belt and Road initiative format is the main condition for the successful interaction of the two countries. Diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and China were established on January 2, 1992. The trade turnover between the two countries totalled $6.43 billion in 2018. Of this amount, $2.87 billion was Uzbek exports, while $3.56 billion was imports from China. Last year, Uzbekistan acquired special construction equipment worth $2.1 billion from China. Today, over 1,100 enterprises with Chinese capital are registered in Uzbekistan. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is on 24 April in the capital of Kazakhstan on an official visit, said that Hungary sees for itself new prospects in the rapidly developing countries of Central Asia. New Europe reports in its article Hungary sees new opportunities in Central Asia that the head of the Hungarian government at a briefing in Akorda after talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that in recent years the situation in the world has changed dramatically, in particular, both Asia and the East are constantly getting stronger. We in the West are puzzled over how we can keep up with this development. Hungary is adapting to this new situation by strengthening its contacts with countries in the East, including Central Asian countries. It is easy for us. We see for ourselves not danger, but new opportunities. And we are trying to take advantage of these opportunities by establishing more and more intensive contacts, Orban said. The Hungarian Prime Minister said Hungarians consider the peoples of Central Asia as relatives. Our historical roots are related to the peoples living in Central Asia. We consider them to be our relatives, and therefore diplomacy and economic contacts have their cultural background. Hungary is a country that is the easternmost country in Europe, Orban said. According to official data from the Kazakh side, Kazakhstan is the fourth largest trading partner of Hungary among the Commonwealth of Independent (CIS) countries after Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. At the end of 2018, trade amounted to $ 139,2 million, which is 11% lower than the 2017 figure. According to him, over 100 Hungarian businessmen will fly to Nur-Sultan on April 29-30 to participate in the meeting of the Kazakh-Hungarian Strategic Council. The Hungarian Prime Minister also expressed his opinion on the upcoming presidential elections in Kazakhstan, arguing that the true meaning of the Greek word democracy means not only that people can take part in elections and be involved in discussing common issues. Democracy, according to the old Greek perception, also means a form of governance (management). Orban opined that participation and freedom of opinion must be translated into effective governance of the country. That is why the most successful countries of the world are at the same time those countries where the most stable political system. And Kazakhstan took the leading place in the field of stability. I said this to the President and I wish Kazakhstan great success in the future, including in the elections, Orban argued. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Wednesday for a summit he is likely to use to seek support from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Telegraph reports in its article Kim Jong-un arrives in Russia for summit with Putin as US nuclear talks remain in limbo that Pyongyang's nuclear talks with Washington remain in limbo. The armoured train carrying Kim on his first official visit to Russia pulled into the quayside station in Vladivostok, on the Pacific Ocean, a few hours after crossing from North Korea into Russia. After a brief delay while the door of Kim's carriage was lined up with a red carpet laid out on the platform, the door opened and a smiling Kim stepped out. Earlier, at a stop on the border, Kim told Russian state television he was hoping for useful and successful discussions with Putin. "I hope that we can discuss concrete questions about peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula, and our bilateral relations," he said through an interpreter. Kim will sit down for talks with Putin on Thursday at a university campus on an island just off Vladivostok. It will be the first summit between the two leaders, and the standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear programme will top the agenda, according to a Kremlin foreign policy aide. The meeting comes two months after a summit in Vietnam between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump ended in failure, leaving the North Korean leader looking elsewhere for international support and relief from sanctions. For Putin the summit is an opportunity to show that Russia remains a major global player despite being under sanctions itself over its intervention in Ukraine and allegations that it meddled in U.S. elections. But analysts predicted that Kim is unlikely to emerge from the summit with any substantial promises of sanctions relief. The meeting is likely to focus more on showing camaraderie. Vladivostok is located a few hours from the Russian-North Korean border by rail, Kim's preferred mode of international transport. On arrival in the city, the North Korean leader reviewed an honour guard of Russian troops in a square in front of the train station, with bodyguards looking on. He removed his black fedora while a military orchestra played first the North Korean national anthem, then the Russian anthem. After officials from the Russian and North Korean delegations exchanged handshakes, Kim climbed into a black limousine and drove off. About 10 North Korean security guards in black suits jogged alongside the vehicle for about the first 100 metres (yards) of its journey. Russian media reported that Kim would be heading to Russky island, linked by bridge to the mainland part of Vladivostok, where the summit will take place and where he is also expected to be staying. Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, said Kim would want to be seen as a world leader who has international interlocutors besides Washington, Beijing or Seoul. "As for Russia, the Putin-Kim summit will reaffirm Moscow's place as a major player on the Korean peninsula. This meeting is important for Russian international prestige," Lukin said. Putin held a summit in 2002 with Kim Jong-un's father and predecessor, Kim Jong-il, who also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, the Putin lieutenant who was then Russian president. Reader: I am so upset about the news at noon about (Monsignor) Craig Harrison and some man s REACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA Hundreds of comments were left on a Facebook post by Monsignor Craig Harrison on Thursday in which he defended himself against the allegations of sexual misconduct. Marjorie Holt: "You baptized my husband 18 years ago as an adult convert. You blessed our marriage. My adult children and grandchildren appreciate all youve done for us and continue to do. We stand behind you and know how filled with grace you are. This too, shall pass. Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." Donny Youngblood: "Remember, in our country, Innocent until PROVEN guilty!" Mark Monreal: "Many prayers to you Monsignor Harrison. The truth always comes out and sets us free." Jean Manuszak West: "Monsignor, please know you are in my prayers ... the devil never stops." Katie Plaza: "I don't believe this for a minute ... never" Carla Serban: "We are praying for you!!!! This is all so unbelievable. You have been there for our entire family in countless ways and we have always been so grateful for you. Stay strong and may God pour out his abundant Love over you. We love you!!" Vince Guthrie: "I served as an altar server under (Father Craig) for most of my childhood/young adulthood. During that time I was always treated with love and respect from you! You taught me about responsibility and serving the church as well as the lord. Thoughts and prayers for you buddy." Kathy Gargan: "My late mother would always tell us in times of trouble 'it's time to circle the wagons'. Monsignor Craig there are thousands of wagons protecting you with love and gratitude." A personal exhibition of one of the most popular Azerbaijani contemporary artists, Museib Amirov, opened in Moscow. He was born in Baku in 1963, he graduated from the State University of Culture and Arts in 1987. The master's works were exhibited in Istanbul, Seoul, Washington, Berlin and Paris. His works are eagerly bought by collectors. The world of Museib Amirov is complex and multidimensional. It has a place for both lyrical memories of childhood, sounding like nostalgic limpid melody, and emotional experiences associated with modern reality. Having absorbed the ideas of European artists of different eras from the Renaissance to the Russian avant-garde, American painters, as well as the Absheron school masters, Museib found his own language, recognizable and harmonious. He interprets both relevant themes and eternal topics of art close to him in his own way. "There are still places - Lagich, Kurdakhani - with old houses, some falling-down shacks with beautiful people. They should be red-listed, they are real philosophers. I come there, drink tea and talk with them. This summer I want to make portraits of these people who live in Absheron distinctively," Museib Amirov told Vestnik Kavkaza. The 'Blues of the solar wind' exhibition presents about 80 works created over the past four years. The project was supervised by Maria Filatova. "Probably, any painting can be compared with some music genre. In this situation, it is not jazz, not tango, but blues. The blues of the solar wind, because there is always solar wind in Baku. It lives in people's souls and everywhere. Thats why it has a name like that. I thinks it reflects true essence of the exhibition and Museib's general mood and character," Maria Filatova told Vestnik Kavkaza. The ambassador of Azerbaijan, Polad Bulbul oglu, who visited the opening-day of an exhibition, described it as a landmark event: "The works of a wonderful Azerbaijani artist speak for themselves. I think one doesnt need to be an art historian to see the beauty, a form accuracy, a riot of color of these paintings." The 'Blues of the solar wind' exhibition is held in the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery until May 19. It was organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation and the Russian Academy of Arts. A heavily tattooed Bakersfield man sentenced to life without parole in the torture and murder of a woman in 2011 is now suspected of killing h Dozens of people were arrested in an undercover, human-trafficking sting conducted in the Katy area last month, according to local law enforcement officials. Houston Police Department Sgt. John Wall said during a press conference Wednesday that 22 local, state and federal agencies partnered up for "Operation Tri Point" over the period of March 19-28 to tackle human trafficking in Katy and Fort Bend County. Wall said 47 people were arrested in total; 27 of whom were females, 20 were males. Eight were confirmed victims and eight were charged with human-trafficking related offenses. Wall said other charges such as sexual assault of a child, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon were also filed. STRUGGLE TO ESCAPE: Prostitutes try many times to leave the streets (Part 2 of our 3-part seris on the Bissonnet Track) "What we know is that human trafficking is occurring. It's not just an inner city problem," Wall said. "It's occurring out in the suburbs. It's occurring in smaller communities." The youngest victim was 16 years old and another victim was a runaway, according to Wall. He added most of the recruiting occurs online and through social media. "I would say as much as 90 percent [occurs online] and through social media," Wall said. "Young adults spend an enormous amount of time on social media and they are vulnerable...They don't understand the risk involved."Wall did not explain how the task force apprehended the traffickers and discovered the victims, but said resident tips and help from the community played a part in similar undercover stings. Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton said the sting is a step in the right direction toward eliminating trafficking in the area. "My office is committed to eradicating this problem in Fort Bend County," Middleton said. "We realize it's a serious issue and we are committed to combating it and making sure that Fort Bend County is safe and that these traffickers are run out of our county." Wall said the victims uncovered in the investigation will be given the appropriate support and services they need. "We understand they are scared to come forward but we are going to do everything we can in our power to give them the services they need to move forward with their life," Wall said. According to Wall, many of the cases were first-degree felonies that can a carry of sentence of 20 to 99 years in prison. He said some of the cases will be filed in federal court and can have mandatory sentencing of 20 to 40 years in prison. Wall said the investigation is still ongoing and other possible victims could be uncovered. "Through time hopefully we will develop more leads and identity other victims and that's our goal in these operations," Wall said. "This process could take months." Wall added similar undercover operations will be conducted throughout the Houston area. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. In February, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev appointed Farid Shafiyev chairman of the board of the International Relations Analytical Center, which was established on the basis of previously abolished Strategic Studies Center under President. Two months later, Farid Shafiyev gave an interview to Vestnik Kavkaza. This is his first interview with Russian media since accepting new post. - How would you characterize the state of modern system of international relations, and how will your center work in this direction? - If we talk about periodization of modern history, then, as you know, during the Cold War, the world was bipolar, and after the Soviet Union collapsed it became unipolar. Some time after the events of September 11, 2001, confrontation between Russia and the United States resumed with appearance of new centers of gravity. Perhaps there was a clash of civilizations. We see problems and conflicts in the Middle East, the Islamic-Christian confrontation, although, of course, we must be more careful in interpreting religious motives, since they are actually much more complicated. In the Middle East, there are also many other factors in addition to religious. Basically, the world has become much more complex and multipolar. At the same time, there are several other trends. It's like social Darwinism. There is a fight for resources: resources are decreasing, population of the Earth is increasing, demographic changes are taking place, somewhere population is aging, and somewhere it's growing thanks to migrants. Naturally, our Center takes all of these factors into account. One of the tasks of our center is to analyze situation around the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. The second is to analyze situation in the region: in the countries of the former USSR, in the Middle East, in Iran. We analyze challenges, threats and dangers that may appear or have already appeared, we will look for ways to deal with them, to respond to them. The most important function of analytical centers is to search for positive trends, to analyze which projects can bring dividends. Right now Azerbaijan is promoting several projects related to energy, transport. President Ilham Aliyev is going to visit China, attend conference on the "One Belt - One Road" initiative. In addition, this year Azerbaijan will host a conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, which has certain prospects. - One of the most acute problems of international relations is intervention with participation of military blocs or coalitions. Azerbaijan is an active member of the Non-Aligned Movement and will even chair this organization until 2022. What areas in international relations should Azerbaijan develop more actively? - For us, the status of non-alignment, which was determined over the past 20-25 years, is of fundamental importance. Azerbaijan considered participation in various projects, but instead decided to not join any blocks. Although situation may change in the future. Our center just has to analyze which blocks can bring us benefits, which can't. For the time being, the non-alignment formula will remain a prominent feature of our foreign policy. If we're talking about what Azerbaijan is focusing on today, then this economic block (energy and transport) is what brings income, which helps to strengthen our independence. Moreover, in this context, there are not just economic projects, but also about political, new contacts that open up opportunities for good-neighborly cooperation. Azerbaijan has always tried to develop relations with its neighbors, but this doesn't mean that we have no problems. There are always some problems between neighbors, and our main goal is to resolve them. Remember, at one time many people were skeptical about signing of the Convention on the Caspian Sea's status, thinking that legal issues won't be resilved. However, this convention has been signed. Issues like that can be resolved peacefully. Azerbaijan should do everything possible to achieve this. As an analytical center, as a think tank, we will be directly involved in this. Our main goal is to resolve the conflict with Armenia. It's a separate block of issues, and we will deal with them. - A meeting between President of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister of Armenia was held recently. One of the topics that was discussed at this meeting is humanitarian measures that can help to defuse tension on the contact line. How can such measures help resolve the conflict? - Yes, it can help to reduce tensions. There's a concept of public diplomacy, when negotiations are conducted between representatives of civil society, journalists, and scientists. Humanitarian mission has slightly different meaning - exchange of prisoners of war, defusing of situation on the front line. In other words, when it comes to resolution of conflicts, humanitarian dimension has two directions. The first one is measures under the Geneva Conventions on military conflicts. The second one is public diplomacy. But these measures can be successful only if some basic progress is achieved. Humanitarian cooperation requires substantive progress in the settlement. If there's no such progress, then humanitarian measures and people's diplomacy will eventually become useless. That's why our main goal is to achieve substantive negotiations. And it's necessary to achieve results this year. - In your opinion, what policy should Armenia pursue, taking into account the fact that military option is impossible for it? - As representative of Azerbaijani side, I can't say how Armenia should behave. I can only say how we see this problem can be resolved. Military path is unacceptable, this conflict should be resolved peacefully, but it's also unacceptable to maintain status quo, recognition of results of the military conflict at a certain stage. If we admit this, then, logically, we can try to change current situation through military actions. By the way, Azerbaijan was close to this in 2016, but stopped, showing goodwill to resolve this conflict peacefully. That's why today we're simply waiting. After change of power in Yerevan, experts expressed hope for progress in the settlement, but today these hopes are fading. We see inconsistency in the statements of Armenian leaders: they talk about humanitarian measures, about preparation for peaceful dialogue, but at the same time there are statements about the "new war for new territories". Moreover, explanation that this is being done for domestic audience can no longer be an excuse, since we have reached the point when it's necessary to take certain steps. Armenia must make necessary decisions in order to direct the conflict on a peaceful course. Azerbaijan has made many steps over the past six months, in particular on de-escalation on the contact line. But this cannot continue forever, status quo cannot be maintained, and all negotiating partners say that. That's why we're waiting for progress. There's also the fact that, from economic perpective, Armenias prospects pretty dim. It's obvious. There are nationalist forces in Armenia who declare: "We're ready to continue to starve, but we will not give up the territories." It's time to look at the world from different point of view: the world is developing; the experience of integration, good neighborly relations in Europe and other regions of the world shows that much more opportunities are currently opening up. Of course, difficulties in integration processes arise sometimes, but resolving problems peacefully is much better. - Armenian media and some high-ranking officials believe that Azerbaijani and Armenian communities cannot co-exist. How do you feel about this position? - It's wrong. From historical point of view, this conflict began not that long ago, about a hundred years. First clashes began in 1905. What's a hundred years in terms of history? It's a very small period. Before that, Azerbaijanis and Armenians lived quite peacefully. Communities lived and should live in peace. The idea of separation doesn't resolve the problem, since territories must be returned. As European experience of the First World War shows, discontent with the result of confrontation causes desire for revenge. 30 years after the First World War, the Second World War began. But after the Second World War, there was a different approach, since previous borders remained as is, and the rights of minorities were upheld. Europe began to grow rapidly after the World War II thanks to that. Yes, there was a difficult Kosovo precedent, Europeans are still thinking how to deal with it. But it's clear that separation, construction of walls, barriers between communities bring bad results. It's necessary to ensure that there's a dialogue between communities, exchange of goods, ideas... That's how I see the future of our region. - What influence do transport and energy projects with Baku's participation have on economy of Azerbaijan? - We hope for profits. We hope that Azerbaijan will become one of the suppliers, while not competing with anyone. Azerbaijan has a certain niche, a market we're aiming for. The Southern Gas Corridor project will bring great benefits to both transit countries, seller and buyer countries, which will get new source of resources. One country can't monopolize the European market. Europe came to this conclusion some time ago. Strategically, it has several major suppliers - Russia, North Africa, as well as British project of producing resources in the North Sea, the LNG project. Europe will have various suppliers, and Azerbaijan will be one of them. We see this as mutually beneficial project, and it's one of the priorities of Azerbaijan's energy policy. - Does your center cooperate with Russian think tanks? - Yes, we have projects, thoughts, ideas. But so far we're still in the process of forming a center. When all organizational and financial issues are settled, we will talk about development of cooperation. There will be colorful macaws, lithe lemurs and cackling Kookaburras for sale at an event billed by organizers as the dispersal of the animal estate of Marvin Hajos. But the animal that is likely to get the most attention is the giant bird that killed Hajos this month. That bird a hulking, flightless cassowary with a daggerlike claw on each foot will go up for auction Saturday alongside about 100 other exotic animals that Hajos, 75, kept on his property near Gainesville, Florida. (Several other cassowaries are also slated to go on the auction block.) Hajos fell between two cassowary pens on April 12 and was attacked through the fence by at least one of the birds, said Jeff Taylor, the deputy chief of Alachua County Fire Rescue. When rescue workers arrived they found him grievously injured on the ground between the two pens. An angry bird stood in one of the pens. More for you Florida man killed by dangerous bird he kept on his farm A couple of people from our crew had to dodge the bird themselves, Taylor said. The bird was obviously agitated and was trying to come at them through the fence, but they were quick enough to get themselves out of the way of the bird. Cassowaries are emu-like birds that can stand up to 6 1/2 feet tall. They have an almost prehistoric appearance. Their bright blue faces are topped with a hornlike ridge and their bodies, which can weigh up to 130 pounds, are covered with dark feathers. Their two muscular legs each sport one dangerous claw up to 5 inches long. My understanding is these birds are fairly shy around humans but if they are provoked or they have an opportunity they will be very aggressive, Taylor said. It may be they saw him fall and had an opportunity and decided to attack. Cassowaries have a violent reputation but human fatalities appear to be rare. According to Scientific American, the last recorded cassowary-on-human killing happened in April 1926, when a bird slit the throat of a 16-year-old boy in Australia who had fallen while running from it. The birds are indigenous to Australia and Southeast Asia, not Florida. Authorities in Alachua County on Tuesday expressed almost universal surprise at both their presence in the county and their role in a local death. Hajos son did not respond to messages seeking comment Tuesday. Bill Grotjahn, who investigated the death for the Medical Examiners Office, said Hajos had died from trauma inflicted by the bird. He called it such an unusual situation. Ive been doing this for 18 years and Ive never had a thing like this, he said. Ive had them killed by alligators and snakes but never by a bird like that. I know ostriches and emus have their moments, but cassowaries are an extremely, extremely dangerous bird. You dont want to fool around with them. They have no sense of humor. Grotjahn said he heard that Hajos might have gone to the cassowary pens on the day he died to check on their eggs. The female cassowary, which is the larger of the two birds, saw he was messing with the eggs and you know how that goes, he said. It is like a bear protecting their young. It was not clear why the bird that killed Hajos was not put down after the attack. In an email, Rob Klepper, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said cassowaries were considered Class II wildlife and can pose a threat to humans. But he said Hajos did not need a permit for his cassowaries because he employed an agricultural exemption for his possession of cassowaries for agricultural use. Klepper said they could be bred for meat, eggs and live animal sales. The organizers of the animal auction, Gulf Coast Livestock Auction, said it would be open to the public. But on Facebook they said the media would be barred from the event and risked the destruction of their equipment if they tried to attend it. There will be no videoing in any part of portion in whole of this auction, the group wrote. Anyone seen video taping in any capacity will be deemed trespassing and will be escorted out by security. Your video equipment may or may not be confiscated until all video recordings are destroyed. Jammi Wilson, the groups office manager, said Hajos family had asked them not to release any information to the media. Im sure youre looking for the cassowaries, right? she asked a reporter Tuesday. Were not releasing any answers or releasing any news releases or making any statements. Wilson said the group organized Saturdays auction because Hajos wanted the animals to be sold after his death. Elsewhere on the groups Facebook page, condolences poured in for the Hajos family. A video posted there showed a man identified as Hajos riding a camel on a gravel parking lot under a cloudy sky last February. He was a great friend, Wilson said. This was a total accident. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Southeast Texas residents and visitors have an opportunity to hear stories about a well-known Beaumont native, the late Jack Brooks, at a book signing early next month. The Meanest Man in Congress: Jack Brooks and the Making of an American Century tells of the lawmakers career, which spanned the tenures of 10 U.S. presidents, along with information about American history from the Kennedy assassination to the Iran-Contra affair, according to the books Amazon page. A 21-year-old undocumented immigrant living in Liberty was found guilty of kidnapping following a three-day trial, according to information from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Juan Carlos Saucedo-Meza was convicted Thursday of the kidnapping of a woman in Liberty on August 24, 2018. The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has opened in Beijing today. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the forum will be attended by some 5,000 participants from more than 150 countries and 90 international organisations, including from the IMF and the UN. Representatives of the United States and North Korea will participate in the upcoming forum. On April 26-27, Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a working visit to Beijing to take part in events of the forum. He will also hold talks with President of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping to discuss the further development of comprehensive Russian-Chinese partnership and strategic cooperation, as well as topical regional and international matters. In addition, Putin will hold a number of bilateral meetings with leaders of the states taking part in the forum. The forum is to be held on April 25-27. On April 25, 12 forums and conferences dedicated to various topics will be held. On April 26, there will be a solemn opening ceremony and high-level meetings, while on April 27, the leaders will attend a plenary session. The objective of the plan is to boost cooperation between Eurasian countries and advance economic growth in the region. The project also seeks to promote investment in projects that would connect dozens of countries across Africa, Asia and Europe through the creation of infrastructure networks resembling the ancient Silk Road trading routes. HUNTSVILLE John William King kept his eyes closed in the final moments of his life Wednesday night. The only word he uttered was No, when asked by Warden Bill Lewis if wanted to make a final statement before being put to death for one of the nations most horrific hate crimes. King, 44, did not look toward the group of witnesses, which included a niece and two sisters of his victim, James Byrd Jr. The first lethal dose of pentobarbital was administered at 6:56 p.m. and he was pronounced dead 12 minutes later. It was a quiet end for an act that Byrds family had been awaiting for 21 years. Today we witnessed the peaceful and dignified execution of John King for the savage, brutal and inhumane murder of James on June 7, 1998 really a modern-day lynching, Clara Taylor said as she stood with her daughter and sister outside the imposing red-brick Huntsville Unit prison, known colloquially as the Walls. > > RELATED: Scenes from Lawrence Russell Brewer's execution King showed no remorse then as well as tonight, Taylor said. His execution tonight was just punishment for his actions. The condemned man was already covered by a sheet and strapped to a gurney, restraints near his wrists and around his waist, when the witnesses were ushered in. His right arm was visible from elbow to wrist, heavily tattooed. King, who has no living parents, had no personal visitors in attendance. Witnessing on behalf of Byrds family were two of his sisters, Taylor and Louvon Harris, and niece Tiffany Taylor. Clara Taylor sat in a chair near the glass in the death chambers small witness room, with Tiffany Taylor standing behind her. Harris stood to their left. Tiffany Taylor occasionally shook her head slowly. Outside the prison was Newton County Sheriff Billy Rowles, who was the sheriff in Jasper County at the time of the slaying. He said he used to look forward to this day since King, Lawrence Russell Brewer and Shawn Allen Berry were convicted of capital murder. But now he cant help but have mixed emotions about the situation. He said he didnt attend the execution of Brewer, but he felt he needed to be here to witness Kings date with justice. > > RELATED: Clues, but no firm answers in King's path to infamy Ive seen people die, and Ive had the hollowness in my stomach when you see the life leave someone, Rowles said. I kind of have that same sentiment right now. At one end of the street that runs in front of the prison, about 75 anti-death penalty protesters gathered to call for abolition. On the other end of the street, a group about a third that size, applauded the punishment and said it should have been carried out much sooner. We waited 21 years for justice to be served, said Shemeekeiaa Smith of Huntsville. She was 23 when Byrd was killed and remembers the details of how his body was dragged for miles along a country road in Jasper before the headless torso was left by the wayside. Though he declined to make a final statement, he gave a written one to prison officials to be read after his death. Capital punishment: them without the capital get the punishment, it said. > > RELATED: The last words of people put to death last year He had declined media requests for an interview. King was the first of three men convicted of capital murder for chaining 49-year-old Byrd to the back of a pickup and dragging him three miles to his death in 1998. Brewer was executed in 2011. Berry is serving a life sentence and will be eligible for parole consideration in 2038. Wednesdays 6 p.m. scheduled start time was delayed slightly awaiting word from the U.S. Supreme Court on a request for a stay, which his lawyers filed Tuesday afternoon after the Texas Appeals Court voted 5-4 in favor of his death. King was taken from his holding cell at 6:41 p.m. and strapped to the gurney one minute later. Solution began to flow into his right arm at 6:44 p.m., and into his left arm at 6:48 p.m. The lethal dose began at 6:56 p.m. and was completed six minutes later. King took four audible breaths before his death, but otherwise remained still. A doctor put a stethoscope to his chest and abdomen areas before he was declared dead. Noting that James Byrd would have been 70 this year, Byrds sister spoke stoically of his body being slung from side to side like a sack of potatoes until his death by decapitation. He was deprived of so many priceless memories, such as watching his three children grow up and become productive citizens. He has four grandchildren and his oldest granddaughter will soon graduate from college. But he leaves a legacy of peace and nonviolence, she said, remarking on the state and federal legislation created after his brutal death, set to impose stricter penalties on crimes committed on the basis of race, religion, age, gender, disability, national origin or sexual orientation. The outcry of support and rage from around the world indicated that James death did make a difference, not just to us, his family, but to others of various races, Taylor said. The three members of Byrds family who witnessed Kings execution also were present for Brewers in 2011. Kings last three days were filled predominantly with reading or laying on his bunk, according to a log provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. His holding cell was approximately 10 feet from the death chamber. On the day of his death, he cleaned, read, showered, and visited with friends. King had a number of visitors on his approved visitation list and several had come in the days prior to his execution, said TDCJ spokesman Jeremy Desel. About four hours before his death, King was fairly talkative and in a fairly typical mood, Desel said. Meanwhile in Jasper, about 50 people gathered at James Byrd Jr. Memorial Park to sing hymns and pray for healing. The crowd included another Byrd sister, Betty Boatner. Privately, she said her faith helps her. Im OK, she said. Ive got God. Im OK. I really am. Ronnie Crocker and Jacob Dick contributed in Huntsville. Andrea Whitney contributed from Jasper. Monique Batson is the Day City Editor for the Beaumont Enterprise. Contact her at MBatson@BeaumontEnterprise.com or on Twitter by clicking here. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The White House has declined an invitation from the Democratic chairman of the House Oversight Committee for senior aide Stephen Miller to testify before the committee on the administrations immigration policies, including a plan to bus migrants to "sanctuary cities." In accordance with long-standing precedent, we respectfully decline the invitation to make Mr. Miller available for testimony before the committee, White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in a letter obtained by ABC News. The precedent for members of the White House staff to decline invitations to testify before congressional committees has been consistently adhered to by administrations of both political parties and is based on clearly established constitutional doctrines. The White House cites a Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel opinion which states that the presidents immediate advisers are immune from the congressional testimony process. The letter potentially provides a roadmap for how the White House plans to respond to requests for senior aides testifying before Congress. The chairmen of the House Oversight, Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday requesting documents related to Trump and Miller removing senior staffers at the agency. We are deeply concerned that the firing and forced resignation of these officials puts the security of the American people at risk, the chairmen wrote, referring to former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Secret Service Director Randolph Alles, former DHS Undersecretary for Management Claire Grady and former Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We are also concerned that the President may have removed DHS officials because they refused his demands to violate federal immigration law and judicial orders. " The chairmen also say they are concerned that Miller is in charge of handling the administration's immigration policy. Cummings requested that Miller come before the committee to explain the administrations handling of the border crisis and recent reports about a plan to transfer immigrants detained at the southern border onto the streets of sanctuary cities a plan President Donald Trump confirmed. I am offering you an opportunity to make your case to the Committee and the American people about why youand presumably President Trumpbelieve it is good policy for the Trump Administration to take the actions it has, including intentionally separating immigrant children from their parents at the border to deter them from coming to the United States, transferring asylum seekers to sanctuary cities as a form of illegal retribution against your political adversaries, and firing top Administration officials who refuse orders to violate the law, Cummings wrote in a letter to Miller last week. Anticipating that the White House would decline the invitation, Cummings referenced other senior White House aides who had testified, including former White House counsels and President Bill Clintons chief of staff. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. A blast hit a school in Istanbul's Gungorenh district today, Turkish media reported. According to reports, the explosion occurred during experiments in a chemistry class. As a result, the teacher got injured. Classes were stopped and students got evacuated immediately after the explosion, Haberturk reported. Firefighters and rescuers arrived at the school. President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned 19 prisoners, who will leave the penitentiary establishments today, Lasha Zhvania, Chief of the Presidents Administration, said at a briefing on April 25, InterPressNews reports. In connection with Easter holidays, within the discretion granted by the Constitution of Georgia, the President has pardoned 19 inmates, including 2 female prisoners. They will leave the penitentiary establishments today. The President has also pardoned 23 probationers, including two women. 21 probationers were fully released, while the probationary period was shorten for 3 convicts, Lasha Zhvania said. Houston rapper Bun B shot an armed intruder who forced his way into the artist's home and tried to rob him, according to Houston police. Demonte Jackson, 20, has been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and one count of burglary with intent to commit a felony, police said. He is in Harris County Jail in lieu of $120,000 bond for all three charges. Bun B, whose real name is Bernard Freeman, and his wife, who goes by Queenie Freeman, were not injured in the shooting, police and the rapper's attorney said. Police said Queenie Freeman first heard the doorbell around 5 p.m. Tuesday at their home on Knight Road in Houston. The couple lives in a three-story townhome in a gated community, according to the rapper's attorney Charles Adams. IN HUNTSVILLE: Ringleader of Jasper dragging death is put to death Police said she opened the door expecting a delivery from Amazon. Instead, she saw Jackson, who forced his way inside, police said. Adams said the man held Queenie Freeman at gunpoint and asked to go upstairs. She knew her husband was upstairs, so she instead offered her car keys and other possessions, Adams said. "She was afraid he was there to cause harm to her husband," Adams told Chron.com. Police said the rapper armed himself and came downstairs after hearing the commotion. Jackson was sitting in the car in the attached garage when both men exchanged gunfire, police said. Adams said both men were armed with handguns. Jackson suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He fled on foot, but the rapper chased him down and forced him to take his mask off, police said. Jackson ran and eventually turned up at Pearland Medical Center. Later, the rapper identified him in a photo array, police said. Adams, who was at the home that night, described the incident as a "story of mutual courage" for both the rapper and his wife. "It didn't sink in until I left the home that they both could have been easily killed," he said. Adams said he doesn't believe it was a targeted attack. He said he spoke with security guards in the neighborhood who reportedly saw surveillance footage of Jackson attempting to break into other homes before the shooting. "He happened to break into the wrong home," Adams said. Jackson's next court hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday in the 185th District Court. 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. The United States is ready to declare Venezuela a sponsor of international terrorism, Chief of Russias GRU military intelligence service Igor Kostyukov said at the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security. "Washington is basically ready to declare the leadership of Venezuela "a sponsor of international terrorism" and use force or sanctions against Caracas based on this," Kostyukov said. He added that the United States was considering various variants for overthrowing the Venezuelan government and might organise the interference via its allies, possibly Colombia. Though, as Kostyukov noted, the U.S. plan to have a swift campaign in Venezuela fell through. "Washington calculated wrong in its estimates of how resilient the legitimate government was and how much Venezuelan security forces were prepared to defend the leadership," Sputnik cited the GRU head as saying. If youre concerned about the upcoming hurricane season and you should be you might want to do some shopping this weekend. Thats because Saturday through Monday is one of three sales tax holidays each year in Texas, this one being for emergency supplies. Sales tax holidays, like anything including the word tax, can be controversial. Consumers like them because they can buy things they need without the state sales tax of 6.25% and in many cities, a local option of an additional 2 percent. Thats 8.25% combined. Budget-planners dont like these events so much because they reduce the amount of tax revenues government has to spend on roads and parks. Some also quibble at the items which are exempted, such as emergency ladders costing less than $300 this weekend, ostensibly to help you get in or out of a house in a storm. You could also buy a ladder costing less than $300 (as most do) for many other non-storm-related reasons. As always, theres a trade-off on events like this. State officials were smart enough not to exempt things like plywood and vehicle batteries, which have only a tenuous connection to storm prep. Saving 8.25% on a small-dollar purchase of flashlights or fuel containers (items exempted this weekend) wont pad your bottom line that much. On the other hand, if youve been thinking about getting a generator, you could save some serious cash. This weekend, portable generators costing less than $3,000 are exempt. If you bought one at that price in a city with the additional 2% sales tax option, you would not pay $247.50 in state and local sales taxes. Thats real money for us non-millionaires. The other two sales tax holidays in Texas are the one for energy-efficient and water-conservation products the Memorial Day weekend, and the biggie, the back-to-school bonanza, held the first or second week of August. Back-to-school shopping has emerged as the biggest burst of consumer spending outside of Christmas. Sometimes, the stores seem just as crowded. In Texas in 2017, consumers saved $87 million that weekend, and have saved $1.1 billion since the holiday began in this state in 1999. Other states have gotten in on the tax-holiday trend, though only 14 others so far. Its hard to imagine why more havent jumped on board. Their residents undoubtedly want them, but the reason is probably that their lawmakers need (or want) more tax dollars to play with each legislative session. The Texas economy has been growing every year (except when recessions arrive, and everybody takes a hit) so our lawmakers can be more generous. Plus, were just a notorious low-tax state, one of only seven without the dreaded state income tax. (The others are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.) Qualifying supplies Portable generators costing less than $3,000 Emergency ladders and hurricane shutters costing less than $300 All items below are exempted if they cost less than $75: Axes Batteries, single or multipack (AAA cell, AA cell, C cell, D cell, 6 volt or 9 volt) Can openers - nonelectric Carbon monoxide detectors Coolers and ice chests for food storage - nonelectric Fire extinguishers First-aid kits Fuel containers Ground anchor systems and tie-down kits Hatchets Ice products - reusable and artificial Light sources - portable self-powered (including battery operated); examples include candles, flashlights and lanterns Mobile telephone batteries and mobile telephone chargers Radios - portable self-powered (including battery operated); includes two-way and weather-band radios Smoke detectors Tarps and other plastic sheeting Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts For tips on putting together an emergency kit, go to: https://go.usa.gov/xmTNh See More Collapse On the other hand, famously blue states like Maryland and Connecticut have seven-day back-to-school sales tax holidays, whereas Texas and most other states limit that to three days. Missouri, curiously, has a seven-day tax holiday for energy-efficient products in April but only the standard three days for school supplies in August. Go figure. The Texas holiday for emergency supplies also comes a month before the start of the official hurricane season on June 1. As coastal residents know, hurricanes can strike at any month of the year. And this sales-tax holiday also covers items designed to help you in a rainstorm or flood, which of course happen all the time too. Its not a big deal, but the start of the official hurricane season always draws a lot of media attention. If the sales tax holiday were held then, it would get more attention. I bet a lot of people reading this column didnt know that the tax holiday for emergency supplies was this weekend. At any rate, you can never have enough flashlights, so check out the accompanying list of exempted items and like a good Scout, be prepared. Yes, smart phones these days have flashlight apps, and they work pretty well. But they also drain your phone battery big time, and in an emergency you will need that phone for many other things. Get an old-fashioned hand-held unit like grandpa used and hope we dodge a Cat 5 again this year. TTaschinger@BeaumontEnterprise.com A team of physicians wants to build a four- to six-suite surgery center in Aurora, Ill., on the campus of a former hospital, the Chicago Tribune reports. What you should know: 1. The physicians applied for a certificate of need from the state to build their surgery center on the former Copley Hospital campus. 2. Project developers believe the state will grant the CON. 3. The physicians did not reveal any other details on the surgery center. 4. The surgery center is part of a larger redevelopment project for the former campus. A school administration building, an urgent care and an independent living community are also proposed for the site. Brentwood, Tenn.-based TriStar Health is moving forward with a $17.3 million surgery center development after fierce opposition from competitors delayed the project for over a year, the Nashville Post reports. Six details: 1. The Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency gave TriStar approval to break ground on TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center by June. 2. With three operating rooms, two procedure rooms and several physician offices, the surgery center will be built in Brentwood on a 14-acre property owned by Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare. 3. TriStar expects to wrap up construction by the end of 2020, three years later than it originally planned. 4. TriStar received a certificate of need for the project in 2015, but the approval was appealed by Nashville-based Saint Thomas Health and Franklin (Tenn.) Endoscopy Center, an affiliate of Addison, Texas-based United Surgical Partners International. The opposition forced TriStar to delay construction. 5. TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center and Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital, both in Nashville, later submitted separate CON applications to build freestanding emergency departments in Brentwood. The state denied both, leading opponents of TriStar's surgery center development to drop their appeal. 6. TriStar had to restart its internal approval process, obtain various approvals and seek permits from government agencies before moving ahead with the surgery center project, which will no longer include a freestanding emergency department. Venture capitalists poured $2.6 billion into healthcare startups in January, and dozens of healthcare venture capital deals have been announced since then. Below are 16 healthcare venture capital deal announced in the past month: 1. Imago BioSciences, a San Francisco-based biotechnology company, raised $40 million in Series B financing led by Omega Funds. 2. Arch Oncology, a Brisbane, Calif.-based immuno-oncology company, raised $50 million in Series B funding led by Lightchain. 3. Prevail Therapeutics, a New York City-based gene therapy company, raised $50 million in Series B funding. Existing investors OrbiMed, Pontifax, RA Capital Management, EcoR1 Capital, Omega Funds, BVF Partners, Boxer Capital and Adage Capital Management were joined by AbbVie Ventures and Surveyor Capital in the funding round. 4. Saama Technologies, a Campbell, Calif.-based clinical data analytics platform firm, closed a $40 million financing with Perceptive Advisors. 5. SpringWorks Therapeutics, a Stamford, Conn.-based biopharmaceutical company, raised $125 million in Series B funding led by Perceptive Advisors. 6. Dyne Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Mass.-based biotechnology company, raised $50 million in Series A funding from Atlas Venture, Forbion and MPM Capital. 7. Scout Bio, a Philadelphia-based biotechnology company, raised $20 million in Series B financing co-led by Digitalis Ventures' Companion Fund and RiverVest Venture Partners. 8. Diameter Health, a Farmington, Conn.-based clinical data integration company, raised $9.6 million in Series A-1 funding led by Optum Ventures. 9. EveryWell, an Austin, Texas-based digital health company, raised $50 million in financing led by Goodwater Capital. 10. Sword Health, a New York City-based physical therapy provider, raised $8 million in Series A funding led by Khosla Ventures. 11. Bardy Diagnostics, a Seattle-based provider of ambulatory cardiac monitoring technologies, raised $35.5 million in Series B funding led by River Cities Capital Funds. 12. Kindbody, a New York City-based women's healthcare startup, raised $15 million in Series A funding co-led by RRE Ventures and Perceptive Advisors. 13. Panorama Medicine, a Philadelphia-based RNA therapeutics company, raised $3.7 million in seed funding led by WI Harper Group. 14. Nocion Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Mass.-based biotechnology company, raised $27 million in Series A funding co-led by Canaan and F-Prime Capital Partners. 15. AllyAlign Health, a Glen Allen, Va.-based administrator of Medicare Advantage special needs plans, closed a $10 million funding round led by McKesson Ventures. 16. Arrakis Therapeutics, a Waltham, Mass.-based biopharmaceutical company, raised $75 million in Series B funding co-led by venBio Partners and Nextech Invest. More articles on healthcare finance: 10 hospitals seeking CFOs $22B: The total savings seniors withdrew to pay for healthcare last year Ex-Missouri hospital owners accused of carrying out elaborate billing scheme Fairfax (Okla.) Community Hospital had 60 employees at the end of last year. Now, the 15-bed hospital has eight employees and is working its way through the bankruptcy process. The hospital, owned by Kansas City, Mo.-based EmpowerHMS, fell behind on payroll in December and hasn't issued a paycheck since. In February, a district judge in Oklahoma determined the hospital's financial troubles posed a threat to patient safety and appointed the Fairfax Healthcare Authority, a municipal trust authority, as receiver to assume operational control of the facility. However, the hospital remains on shaky financial footing. "After we were appointed receiver, it was apparent that there were a lot of debts still owed by the hospital," Fairfax Vice Mayor Charlie Cartwright told News On 6. "So the decision was made to file bankruptcy in the Northern District of Oklahoma." The hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 17. At that time, it had less than $50,000 in assets and more than $1 million in liabilities, according to the bankruptcy petition. Due to the financial troubles and payroll issues, more than 50 employees have left Fairfax Community Hospital since the end of 2018. "I don't blame them for leaving," Fairfax Community Hospital CNO Donna Renfro told News On 6. "People have had to leave to support their families." More articles on healthcare finance: CMS' proposed inpatient payment rule for 2020: 9 things to know 7 latest hospital, health system credit downgrades 10 hospitals seeking CFOs Twenty-two health information technology notes: 1. Microsoft reported $30.6 billion in revenue for the third quarter of fiscal year 2019, which ended March 31. This represents a 14 percent increase year over year, according to its financial statement issued April 24. 2. The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint April 17 in federal court against Surescripts, a health information network focused on e-prescriptions, alleging the company used illegal tactics to maintain monopolies over two e-prescribing markets. 3. AliveCor, the Mountain View, Calif.-based artificial intelligence and medtech company, has received FDA clearance for two more analyses on its AI-powered KardiaMobile electrocardiogram (ECG) device. 4. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, hinted on Twitter that news from Neuralink, the neurotechnology company he founded in 2016, is imminent. 5. Blockchain leader IBM was granted a patent for mobile data sharing through blockchain technology. 6. Electronic giant Samsung has been rumored to be creating its own blockchain network and cryptocurrency. 7. Watertown, Mass.-based health IT software company athenahealth will lay off nearly 4 percent of its global workforce. 8. Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about the tech giant's continued push into the healthcare space and the importance of using technology to monitor health in a conversation at the inaugural Time 100 Summit in New York City on April 23. 9. Pythonic AI, an artificial intelligence-powered medical records startup, was awarded $85,000 in seed funding from Northwestern Mutual. 10. Meredith Whittaker, a research scientist at New York City's NYU, an expert in the ethics of artificial intelligence and the head of Google's Open Research Group, wrote in a letter to other Google employees that she is facing retaliation from the company after helping organize a walkout in November 2018. 11. A U.S. District Court judge in San Jose, Calif., on Monday granted the request of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes to put off setting a trial date. 12. In recent years, Google has invested what is estimated to be billions of dollars into healthcare innovation, focusing especially on artificial intelligence-powered solutions. 13. Amazon Alexa will launch a skill this summer that can connect users with a live, human therapist. 14. Ancestry, the Lehi, Utah-based online genealogy company, is readying an initial public offering. 15. Construction on the latest phases of Cerner's $4.5 billion campus in Kansas City, Mo., is moving forward. 16. Executives at health technology startups credit their social missions as a large contributor to their increase in recruiting talent from tech giants like Facebook and Google. 17. Genealogy company Ancestry is in the process of removing a commercial that depicted a slave-era theme. 18. Healthcare technology solutions provider Nasco is teaming up with Express Scripts and three other providers to form a blockchain coalition, known as Coalesce Health Alliance. 19. Haven, the joint health venture between JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway and Amazon, will open an office in New York City to recruit prospects. 20. Vonage, a cloud and information technology services provider, released a new version of its application programming interface platform to support healthcare organizations' communications with patients. 21. Redox, an interoperability startup founded by Epic engineers, received $33 million in a new round of financing. 22. IBM has discontinued the development and sales of its Watson for Drug Discovery product due to poor financial performance. Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami has laid off 135 employees, according to the Miami Herald. The job cuts come as the hospital works to offset patient admission declines, insurance reimbursement drops and drug expense increases. "This action was part of a series of measures to preserve the financial health of our organization and the vital services we provide to the children of our community," Rachel Perry, a Nicklaus Children's spokesperson, told the Herald. The layoffs will affect management, administrative, technical and clinical support positions. Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan has launched a public campaign opposing Partners HealthCare's proposed acquisition of Care New England Health System, a deal that has been in the works for two years. Boston-based Partners and Providence-based Care New England agreed in April 2017 to explore an affiliation. In May of last year, Partners signed a definitive agreement to acquire Care New England. Under the deal, Care New England would become part of Partners' Brigham Health in Boston. State regulators are wrapping up their review of the proposed acquisition, but the transaction is facing opposition from Lifespan, one of Care New England's local competitors. The proposed deal "would have devastating consequences for Rhode Island and its healthcare delivery system, now and for years to come," Lifespan Chairman Lawrence Aubin said in a statement to local news station WPRI. Lifespan provided more details on those consequences on a website it launched criticizing the Partners-Care New England deal. The proposed transaction would lead to higher healthcare costs and insurance premiums, lost jobs and loss of local healthcare decsionmaking, the website states. Leaders from Care New England and Brigham Health defended the proposed deal and outlined its benefits in a joint statement issued April 24. "The acquisition by Brigham Health would further CNE's recent financial turnaround and provide much-needed financial stability," Brigham Health President and CEO Betsy Nabel, MD, and Care New England President and CEO James E. Fanale, MD, said. "We're exploring the potential for clinical expansion, including the development of new, lower-cost, community-based ambulatory care centers, which could create more clinical jobs and lead to the recruitment of specialty physicians offering an expanded array of clinical services in Rhode Island. We are working closely with the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Attorney General to ensure that this collaboration will strengthen the Rhode Island health care system for all." More articles on healthcare industry transactions: 17 latest hospital mergers and acquisitions Quorum divests Texas hospital Atrium, Wake Forest to create academic health system: 5 things to know Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will pay a working visit to Tashkent on May 2-3. He will meet with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told the briefing. During the meetings, it is expected to review the progress of the implementation of large-scale agreements, which were reached following Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Uzbekistan in October 2018, as well as an exchange of views on topical issues of bilateral cooperation, she noted. The diplomat also said that Lavrov will discuss with the leadership of Uzbekistan "a wide range of regional and international issues of mutual interest." Separate attention will be paid to the situation in Afghanistan, Zakharova added. John Van Wu, MD, was convicted in a case alleging he billed insurers and employee benefit programs for services that weren't rendered to patients, according to the Department of Justice. Prosecutors alleged that Dr. Wu submitted fraudulent claims to insurers through his medical clinic in Denver between January 2011 and March 2015. After a one-week trial in April, a federal jury found Dr. Wu guilty of mail fraud and obstruction of justice. During the trial, several of Dr. Wu's former patients testified that they did not get expensive procedures described in their files. For example, some files said patients received frequent injections to treat migraine headaches and other conditions, but the patients testified they never received the injections. During his testimony at trial, Dr. Wu admitted that he shredded patient files while the investigation into his billing practices was ongoing, according to the Justice Department. Dr. Wu also faces charges for allegedly selling oxycodone prescriptions for cash. The trial related to those charges is slated to begin July 8. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Ex-Pennsylvania health system COO charged in $1.3M fraud scheme California hospital hit with lawsuit after secretly recording 1,800 surgeries 12 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements A U.S. district judge dismissed Pittsburgh-based UPMC's lawsuit against Pennsylvania's attorney general April 24, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. U.S. District Judge John Jones tossed UPMC's lawsuit, determining that Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro acted properly in his push to open and change UPMC's consent decree with Highmark Health, also in Pittsburgh. Mr. Shapiro filed a petition against UPMC in February seeking changes that require UPMC to accept binding arbitration if an impasse is reached in contract negotiations with an insurer. UPMC filed a retaliatory suit in late February, accusing Mr. Shapiro of overstepping authority. However, Mr. Jones agreed with the attorney general's argument that UPMC's challenge came too early, as it remains unclear how the office's enforcement of the proposed consent decree amendment would play out, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. UPMC can appeal the decision. A UPMC spokesperson declined the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's request for comment. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Ex-Pennsylvania health system COO charged in $1.3M fraud scheme California hospital hit with lawsuit after secretly recording 1,800 surgeries 12 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare recently responded to a civil lawsuit filed by two cardiologists who claim they were fired from their leadership positions at Detroit Medical Center for raising concerns about quality of care and patient safety, according to local NPR news station Michigan Radio. In October, Amir Kaki, MD, and Mahir Elder, MD, were asked to step down from their leadership positions at Detroit Medical Center. In March, the pair sued DMC and its parent company, Tenet, alleging they were ousted from their leadership positions for reporting problems affecting patient care. Lawyers representing Tenet and DMC denied those claims in an April 17 response to the complaint. They say the physicians' directorship agreements were terminated for failure to follow Tenet's standards of conduct. The response details a number of complaints senior managers at DMC and Tenet allegedly received regarding Drs. Kaki and Elder. The physicians allegedly missed procedures they were responsible for performing, billed for services performed by less experienced physicians and had "undisclosed financial relationships with medical device vendors," according to the response to the complaint. "There were also multiple complaints about plaintiffs' poor interpersonal communications, bullying, yelling, screaming, and other inappropriate communications, which could only be described as abuse of coworkers, staff, and fellow service providers," states the response. Tenet and DMC are requesting the case be dismissed. They say Drs. Kaki and Elder signed agreements that require them to arbitrate any claims arising out of their professional service contracts with DMC and Tenet. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: Ex-Pennsylvania health system COO charged in $1.3M fraud scheme California hospital hit with lawsuit after secretly recording 1,800 surgeries 12 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements The Tulare (Calif.) Local Healthcare District sued three of its former board members and its prior legal counsel April 24 for allegedly breaking their fiduciary duty to the district, according to the Valley Voice. In its lawsuit, the hospital district accused the BakerHostetler law firm, attorney Bruce Greene, Parmod Kumar, MD, former board president Linda Wilbourn and board member Richard Torrez of putting their own interests over those of the district. The lawsuit also claims the parties committed professional negligence and that Mr. Greene committed fraud while attempting to block an elected member from joining the board. Among the allegations, the hospital district accused the former board members of breaching their fiduciary duties when they greenlighted a resolution that gave Healthcare Conglomerate Associates the ability to borrow $22 million in the district's name. The board members gave approval to use the funds as collateral without requiring further board approval, according to the report. For the full report, click here. While Minnesota has allowed only nonprofit health insurers to sell health plans in the state since 1973, a new law will upend that rule and possibly the market, according to Citypages. In 2017, lawmakers lifted a ban that barred for-profit insurers from selling policies in Minnesota. The ban blocked even Minneapolis-based UnitedHealth Group from selling plans in its own state. However, under a new law set to take effect in July, some of the nonprofit health plans doing business in Minnesota could convert to for-profit or be absorbed by for-profits. Lawmakers and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison want to reverse the law, arguing that Minnesota's nonprofit health plans hold about $10 billion in assets and reserves thanks to their nonprofit status. That money was supposed to be spent on public interests, but under the new system, those funds could be dispersed however the plans wished. "There's nothing in the statute preventing them from doing it," state Rep. Tina Schultz, D-Duluth, told Citypages. The publication cites the example of health insurer Medica, which already notified the Minnesota Department of Human Services it intends to transfer $100 million-plus to out-of-state subsidiaries. More articles on payers: CEO of Texas health insurer abruptly resigns UnitedHealth posts $3.5B profit in Q1 Las Vegas hospital doesn't contract with any payers Health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak zone threatened to go on strike April 24 if security measures are not improved, reports Reuters. Dozens of Congolese clinicians held a protest in the city of Butembo April 24, calling on health officials to increase security measures amid heightened violence in the area. The health workers said they will strike the first week of May if their security is not guaranteed. The threat comes about a week after an epidemiologist with the World Health Organization was killed in an attack at a hospital in the city of Butembo. Police are searching for three people who broke into a Pennsylvania hospital last weekend and stole $450,000 worth of colonoscopes, according to CBS Philadelphia. Two men and a woman pried open a door to a secured area around 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood and took the Olympus colonoscopes, police said. The theft was reported Monday. Police say it was too early to determine whether the theft was an inside job, but they are investigating all leads. "In my experience, I would say, and just thinking about it logically, you would think that this would not be something the average person would know what it is and where it is kept," Detective Sgt. Michael Vice of Lower Merion Township Police told CBS Philadelphia. Police are asking the public to come forward with any information they may have on the suspects. Louisville, Ky.-based Norton Healthcare teamed up with a local Kentucky school district to provide telemedicine services for elementary school students, Courier Journal reports. The program allows students at select Jefferson County Public Schools to access Norton Healthcare providers through teleconferencing technology during the school day. If a student feels ill, they can visit the school's nurse, who can then physically examine the student while a Norton Healthcare provider observes and asks questions remotely. The program, which rolled out in March, has helped diagnose students with inner ear infections, allergies, pinkeye and upper respiratory infections, among other conditions, according to the report. "We saw this as an opportunity to improve access to healthcare for children in our community, as well as support busy parents," Norton Medical Group Chief Medical Administrative Officer Joshua T. Honaker, MD, told Courier Journal. "The goal of our partnership with JCPS is to keep children healthy, in school and learning." A California neurosurgeon won the lawsuit he brought against the University of California regents and two others, claiming his department leaders retaliated against him for filing a grievance in 2014, according to a My News LA report. Four things to know: 1. The neurosurgeon, Mark Linskey, MD, claimed he filed a grievance against the chairman of his department at UC Irvine Johnny Delashaw, MD, and dean of the medical school Ralph Clayman, MD, in March 2014. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Linskey was moved out of his department, had his office relocated and was barred from working with residents. 2. Dr. Linskey also claimed that after he filed his grievance, he was transferred from general neurosurgery calls to vascular surgery calls, which affected his referral source. His pay was also reduced 55 percent, according to the report. 3. The jury reached its verdict on Monday, finding in favor of Dr. Linskey and awarding him $2 million. 4. In the second phase of the trial, Dr. Linskey will attempt to have his neurosurgeon status renewed at the hospital. Three spine surgeons weigh in on what they hope to see in 3D spine instrumentation printing in the near future. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: What is an integral part of your daily routine that helps you maintain productivity? Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, May 1, 5 p.m. CST. Question: What advances do you hope to see in 3D printing in the next five to 10 years? Mark M. Mikhael, MD. Spine Surgeon at NorthShore University HealthSystem's Orthopaedic Institute and Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (Chicago & Glenview, Ill.): I would like 3D printing to advance to shaping implants that are customized, better suited for different body types and sizes and various pathologies. Most people don't fall into the standard small, medium and large sizes. Also, as we learn to better utilize 3D printing with different kinds of materials, I would like to use more than metal implants more biologically compatible materials. There is promising research with implants that "on-growth" and "in-growth" into bone. They are made from porous materials and different biologics, such as calcium phosphate ceramic and hydroxyapatite, as examples. I hope we find a better way to bond implants to bone. It will only benefit the patient and result in improved long-term outcomes. Issada Thongtrangan, MD. Orthopedic Spine and Neurosurgeon at Minimally Invasive Spine (Phoenix): I see the future of 3D printing in complex spine cases, such as a congenital deformity, severe spinal degeneration or destruction of the spine from a tumor. These issues are difficult or impossible to reconstruct with an off-the-shelf implant. The main benefit of 3D spinal implants is that we can print a unique implant that is specifically designed to fit perfectly into a defect to correct a problem. In addition, there is currently research being performed on 3D printing of artificial discs. I would like to see the clinical outcomes data to justify this technology due to their cost. Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: This area has been seemingly quiescent, in my opinion. I am hoping that newer coatings on implants and highly detailed surfaces have some promise. Peer-reviewed, nonsponsored papers will bear out how much better [they will be]. This will dictate physician adoption. But custom implants are still expensive and represent a lot of cost. If the payers see value, they will flourish. If not, they will be another sad footnote in good but aborted technology. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un needs international security guarantees if he is to end his nuclear programme, BBC reports. Such guarantees would need to be offered within a multinational framework, he added, following talks near Vladivostok in Russia's far east. Mr Kim praised the summit as a "very meaningful one-on-one exchange". Mr Putin said North Korea's leader was "fairly open" and had "talked freely on all issues that were on the agenda". The video footage from a camera in the Cinnamon Grand's Taprobane restaurant shows the bomber inches away from people dining. He appeared to hesitate minutes before he blew himself up. Inshaf had reportedly checked into the hotel the previous night using a fake name and claiming to be on a business trip. A CCTV footage previously revealed the moment his brother Ilham and another bomber taking lift to the restaurant of the five-star Shangri-La hotel before blowing themselves up. They appear to be discussing something in the elevator before they got off it. A toddler and mother were seen running around near the bomber. They entered the hotels unnoticed and detonated the bombs as the guests were having their breakfast, while similar explosions devastated three churches. Hours later, Police raided their mansion in an xclusive neighbourhood of Colombo, Ilham's pregnant wife Fatima blew herself up, killing her three children and three officers. According to Daily Mail, Inshaf, 38, lived with his wife and their four children - an eight-year-old daughter and three boys aged six, four and two - in a 1.5million six-bed mansion on one of the most exclusive streets in Colombo. The house, which has its own gym and a fleet of high-end cars, is owned by Inshaf's brother-in-law Mr Alawdeen, a jewellery trader. Inshaf was a successful businessman and owned a copper factory thought to be where the suicide bombs were made.He was described by relatives and employees as affluent, calm and devout. He told his wife that he was flying to Zambia on business on Friday, adding that she should 'be strong' before killing himself and multiple others. Police have arrested 46 suspects, including the driver of a van allegedly used by the bombers. It's not all spotlights and glamour when you're shooting a film - and Andy and Ryan Tohill are living proof of that. The film-directing twins from Derriaghy on the edge of Belfast are just releasing their first full-length feature film - the product of an exceptionally tight 18 days of filming in a freezing bog near Ballymena. In November. So it's no surprise that the conditions when they were filming The Dig - starring Moe Dunford from The Vikings and Ballykissangel star Lorcan Cranitch - in 2017 were "horrendous", according to Ryan. "Thankfully, we had four really dedicated actors who helped us at every step of the way and were willing to cross through the mud every day for 18 days to make the film as good as it could be," he says. The tight schedule meant the film had to be completed by the end of the year, which meant filming in the wind and rain in November in bogland close to Broughshane. The lack of daylight hours proved difficult and many daytime scenes had to be switched to night-time. But one of the biggest problems was the sheer difficulty of moving around. "Moving 40ft took about 30 minutes - the amount of moisture in the ground was insane. The script would read DAY. BOG. But the sheer amount of will it took at the time to complete a day was enormous," says Ryan. "Welly boots were lost, wind came in sideways, holes filled with water which had to be manually removed with buckets and anyone who was free to grab one. However, we soon realised the more grim it was to film in, the better it looked on camera. "It's all about what appears in that little rectangle, that's what we'd keep saying to ourselves." But it was the actors who had the hardest time, particularly Moe and Lorcan. Expand Close Digging deep: a scene from The Dig featuring Lorcan Cranitch and Emily Taaffee / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Digging deep: a scene from The Dig featuring Lorcan Cranitch and Emily Taaffee "We'd stand around with North Face jackets, hats and waterproofs... they would be covered in mud with the same clothes they'd worn for a month. So fair play to the lads, they played a blinder," explains Ryan. What stood the two directors in good stead were their many years of experience. Andy and Ryan have been writing, directing and editing short films for 15 years and Ryan had worked on Game of Thrones since it started filming in Northern Ireland in 2009. But the 36-year-old identical twins say they have been obsessed with film for much longer than that and have wanted to be filmmakers ever since the age of 11 when they were growing up in Derriaghy. "We've been making films since then - that was the start of our obsession," Andy says. "We were watching a lot of movies, we were copying them and we were making our own movies on a camcorder. Expand Close The brothers filming in their younger days / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The brothers filming in their younger days "That never went away - as we grew older, our experience grew and our ambition grew. "To achieve a feature film now is a bit of a dream come true and it was always our endgame." Andy says the boys started out by making their own action franchises based on the action movies of the Eighties. "We made horror films, like slasher movies, based on films like Halloween and Scream. And after Pulp Fiction came out, we made lots of Tarantino knock-offs. "But the thrillers were always our preferred choice and it seems inevitable that we would end up making a thriller as our first feature." Even though Northern Ireland was something of a desert for film-making at the time, they never gave up their dream. Ryan studied visual arts at the Art College in Belfast, while Andy studied film at Queen's University Belfast. Expand Close The brothers on set of their first full-length film / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The brothers on set of their first full-length film "But it was still a pipe dream because there was no film industry here. In the end it was the result of really good timing, because the industry boomed just as we were moving into it," Andy says. These days, Andy is married to Nicole and they have three girls - twin three-year-olds and a one-year-old. He's an editor, working for post-production company Yellow Door in Holywood, Co Down. Ryan, who is single, works independently as an art director on productions such as The Fall, Line of Duty, Game of Thrones and the Frankenstein Chronicles. "I worked on Game of Thrones for 10 years, from the first the episode to the very end," he says. "That has been a good spell, racking up thousands of hours of on-set experience - it has been a great experience." As the hotly anticipated final season of Game of Thrones starts, Ryan isn't giving much away about how it all ends, but he says: "I think most fans will be happy. It did divide some camps, but most people think it finishes well." Working on Game of Thrones has been a hugely valuable experience for him. "When I started there I was dropped in at the deep end quite a bit, but over the years you become battle-hardened. I think your skills are finely tuned and you feel you know everything there is to know by the end," he adds. "You understand how all the departments operate together and that experience has now prepared us to make our own feature film. Expand Close The brothers on set of their first full-length film / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The brothers on set of their first full-length film "Due to the time constraints, we had to be all over everything and understand how every cog is moving to make sure our film was finished in good time." The Dig is a dark thriller starring Moe Dunford, who may be familiar as Aethelwulf in The Vikings. Ryan says: "He plays a man named Ronan Callahan who returns home after 15 years in prison for a murder he committed in a drunken haze." When the killer gets back to his derelict house, he discovers that the murdered woman's father, Sean, played by Lorcan Cranitch, has spent years digging hole after hole across Callahan's bog in search of her body. When Callahan asks the local police officer to remove Sean from his land, he soon realises that the police and community want the killer in their midst gone for good. With no memory of the murder and no way of stopping Sean, Callahan's only option is to lift a shovel and join in with the dig. Sean's disapproving daughter Roberta watches the uneasy alliance unfold and as they dig closer to the truth, Callahan hopes he will soon find the closure he has been searching for. The Dig has been well received - it won best Irish film at the Galway Film Fleadh and has been shown at other international festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival. Andy and Ryan's most recent short film, Insulin, premiered at Bafta and before that, Eye Line was winner of the Best New Coming Directors at the Cornwall Film Festival. Despite the horrendous conditions on the set of The Dig, Ryan describes the atmosphere as intense, and says there was a great sense of camaraderie. "All of the crew members are people we have known for 10 years and everyone was willing to go the extra mile for us," he says. Andy adds: "It was kind of like working with your friends." Intriguingly, the twins have developed their own shorthand code that helps to steer them through the film-making process. They say their film making is meticulously prepped and they tend to share the identical visual vocabulary when it comes to taste and style, designing the films through discussion long before their go near location, set or camera. "I think it really ties in with the fact that we are twins, but we've been at each other's side for most of our lives," Ryan says. "Our thinking patterns are very similar, so we don't need a lot of discussion on set. We have most of the discussion beforehand and when we're looking at a monitor we will both be on the same page about what we need to change. "Andy and I are always thinking on the same page. It's a good way of dividing the labour." They says their shorthand code mostly involves moments and beats in films that they love. "We'd have nicknames for little nuances. For example, if we said 'elevator ping', we'd know the movie reference, the shot size and how quick it lasts on screen," Andy says. "It sounds geeky but it is completely natural to us. That example is from Die Hard, by the way, when McClean hears the elevator just before he knocks off the first bad guy "We split our efforts too, Ryan would work with the actors and I'd talk to the director of photography - I've a background in editing so spend a lot of time by the monitor studying composition. Then we'd switch it around. "On The Dig in particular, it was good when dealing with exhaustion too. There were many times my head would be fried and I'd have to step away for the good of the production and Ryan would take the reins. It can be really handy in that respect." Like any set of twins, there have been moments when people have mixed them up - and that still does happen, Andy admits. "That is the curse of being an identical twin. It still happens on film sets - an actor will have talked to you and comes back to continue the conversation and he has the wrong one," he says. "You have to fake it and pretend you are the other guy, just to avoid confusing the actors!" Ryan says: "It's a really nice tag team; we are singing off the same sheet. But there are two of us and that's always been a bit of an advantage for us." The Dig is released in cinemas tomorrow A mourner wearing a Gryffindor scarf holds an order of service as she arrives for the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee (Brain Lawless/PA) A 10,000 reward has been offered for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. Ms McKee (29) was shot dead as she observed rioting in Londonderry's Creggan estate last Thursday. Police said they believe dissident republican group the New IRA was behind the attack and, on Monday night, the group accepted responsibility for the murder. The 10,000 reward is being offered by the charity Crimestoppers. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Irish Prime minister Leo Varadkar (R) and Prime Minister Theresa May (C) leave St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, after attending the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Irish President Michael D Higgins consoles Sara Canning, partner of the murdered journalist Lyra McKee as her funeral takes place at St. Anne's Cathedral (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn(centre) and Irish President Michael D Higgins(right) pictured at and at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Mourners react as the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, is placed into a hearse following her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye DUP leader Arlene Foster at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. AFP/Getty Images The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners gather outside of St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, during the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneOs Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Picture Matt Mackey / Press Eye. Matt Mackey / Presseye.com Prime Minister Theresa May paying her condolences to the family of Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Taoiseach Leo Varadkar , Prime Mnister Theresa May and President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners arrive for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners embrace ahead of the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish President Michael D Higgins pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA A mourner arrives carrying a wreath for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA DUP leader Arlene Foster with Sin Fein's Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Leo Varadkar arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - APRIL 24: The congregation arrive for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Journalist and campaigner for LGBT rights, Lyra McKee, 29, was shot dead last Thursday while observing the rioting in Londonderry. Her family gave a statement in which they said her "openness and her desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical". The New IRA have admitted responsibility for her killing. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The hearse carrying the body of murdered journalist Lyra McKee arrives at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Simon Coveney TD at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 SDLP leader Colum Eastwood at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Mike Nesbitt pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Michelle O'Neill, Vice President of Sinn Fein arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast Getty Images Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Naomi Long Alliance Party Leader at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners begin to gather for the funeral of Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Read More Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, who is leading the investigation into Lyra McKee's murder, said he hopes the reward will help bring those responsible to justice. Lyra tragically lost her life when bullets were fired indiscriminately into the community in Creggan. It was a senseless murder of a gifted young woman and Lyras family and loved ones have been left devastated by their loss," he said. I want to find the people who murdered Lyra and the information that can help us bring Lyras killer to justice lies within the local community. People saw the gunman people know who is responsible. Im asking them to come forward and help us. We have received widespread public support to date and if this reward further encourages some individuals to come forward, this may help assist us in our efforts to get some justice for Lyra and her loved ones. Speaking following Ms McKee's funeral service in Belfast on Wednesday, PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton said he believes the evidence is out there to convict those behind her murder. "The outpouring of condemnation from the communities of Derry, Creggan and the politicians all standing together in Creggan last Friday was something that was quite unique and quite different, we need to capitalise on that," he said. "The evidence to bring those responsible to justice is out there, we need people to have confidence in the police investigation." The 10,000 reward is available to anyone who passes information directly to Crimestoppers that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Lyra McKee's murder. Information can be provided to the charity on 0800 555 111 or via the untraceable anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org DUP leader Arlene Foster has defended her reaction to comments from Fr Micheal Magill at the funeral of Lyra McKee. Fr Magill, a friend of the murdered 29-year-old journalist, appealed directly to the many politicians in attendance to "get back around the table and talk". After commending the political leaders for coming together in Creggan last week, he asked why it took "the death of a woman with her whole life in front of her" to get to that point. The audience in St Anne's Cathedral gave him a standing ovation following his statement. Read More Mrs Foster was asked on BBC Radio Ulster on Thursday morning if she had been "embarrassed into standing" by Fr Magill's words. "No not at all, I think it was a very powerful moment," the DUP leader replied. It was suggested that she "took awhile" to stand up during the ovation. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Irish Prime minister Leo Varadkar (R) and Prime Minister Theresa May (C) leave St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, after attending the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Irish President Michael D Higgins consoles Sara Canning, partner of the murdered journalist Lyra McKee as her funeral takes place at St. Anne's Cathedral (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn(centre) and Irish President Michael D Higgins(right) pictured at and at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Mourners react as the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, is placed into a hearse following her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye DUP leader Arlene Foster at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. AFP/Getty Images The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners gather outside of St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, during the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneOs Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Picture Matt Mackey / Press Eye. Matt Mackey / Presseye.com Prime Minister Theresa May paying her condolences to the family of Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Taoiseach Leo Varadkar , Prime Mnister Theresa May and President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners arrive for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners embrace ahead of the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish President Michael D Higgins pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA A mourner arrives carrying a wreath for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA DUP leader Arlene Foster with Sin Fein's Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Leo Varadkar arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - APRIL 24: The congregation arrive for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Journalist and campaigner for LGBT rights, Lyra McKee, 29, was shot dead last Thursday while observing the rioting in Londonderry. Her family gave a statement in which they said her "openness and her desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical". The New IRA have admitted responsibility for her killing. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The hearse carrying the body of murdered journalist Lyra McKee arrives at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Simon Coveney TD at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 SDLP leader Colum Eastwood at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Mike Nesbitt pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Michelle O'Neill, Vice President of Sinn Fein arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast Getty Images Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Naomi Long Alliance Party Leader at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners begin to gather for the funeral of Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. "I wasn't aware, obviously I was standing at the front of everybody and I wasn't aware of what was happening behind me until later, and to be fair, neither were others in front of me," Mrs Foster said. "This isn't about how we react in a place of God to this sort of thing, I think what is important is what happens next. "I spoke to Fr Magill last night to congratulate him on his powerful message and his very clear message. I think it's one that we all listened to very carefully and I think the whole service yesterday was one of messages for everyone in that cathedral, whether it was from the word of God or Lyra's friend talking about her life, or her sister talking about Lyra as she grew up in Belfast. "I thought it was a hugely moving service and we shouldn't take away from the fact that whilst all of these messages come out, yesterday was a day of great grief for her family and friends and that should be the primary reason why people went there yesterday." Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said that his party "absolutely agree" with Fr Magill's comments. "We need to see the institutions up and working again and we have been pressing that case for some time," the Newry and Armagh MLA said. DUP leader Arlene Foster has said that Sinn Fein must compromise on their demands if the Northern Ireland Assembly is to be restored. Mrs Foster made the comments on BBC Radio Ulster while discussing the political legacy of the murder of Lyra McKee. She held talks with Secretary of State Karen Bradley and Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney on Wednesday night following the funeral of Ms McKee. Mrs Foster noted comments from Fr Michael Magill at the funeral service calling for politicians to get back around the table and talk to restore Stormont. Read More The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA acknowledged a public appetite for the return of devolved government, but said that Sinn Fein could not have everything their own way. "I think listening to people, and I've been out and about during the local government elections campaign talking to people, they want devolution back," Mrs Foster said. "I have said in the past and I make that plea again today, that we should get devolution back up and running again to deal with all of the issues that people are so concerned about. Expand Close Conor Murphy PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Conor Murphy "Let us back in and deal with those issues and have a parallel process to deal with matters which Sinn Fein want to raise, in a parallel and if necessary, time-limited process." Sinn Fein had previously suggested that returning to the Assembly before agreement on a way forward would be a "false start". "That would be putting their demands before the people of Northern Ireland, the people of Northern Ireland have many demands as well," Mrs Foster said. "As I said to Fr Magill last night, he will not find me wanting when it comes to trying to get things back up and running again." The DUP leader said that any agreement must be balanced and would not be giving into Sinn Fein's demands. "We've always said that what must come out of any talks process is a balanced agreement, not just a win-lose scenario, because that's not what Northern Ireland is about," Mrs Foster said. "Northern Ireland wants to have a power-sharing Executive that everyone has a stake in and not just one community or one party. "We have always said it's not a balanced agreement if Sinn Fein get everything that they want and people in my community are left with nothing. "The red line is that we can't have a 5-0 situation for Sinn Fein." Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said that it would take a "sustainable agreement" to see the institutions up and running again. "We need one of that means the institutions can last and not go up for a short period and come back down again," the Newry and Armagh MLA said. "It means that rights issues that people are entitled to in all other parts of these islands are delivered to people here as well. "That's something I think that Lyra McKee and many people that were in that service yesterday have campaigned on for a long number of years." Mr Murphy said rights issues like marriage equality affected everyone in Northern Ireland. "We had a negotiation for over a year, Arlene Foster had a year to bring issues that were important to the DUP into those negotiations, at the end of that process we reached an agreement which she signed off on and wasn't able to deliver that agreement," he said. "These aren't Sinn Fein issues, these are rights issues which apply to all people, not just Sinn Fein voters but DUP voters as well. "These are issues that need to be addressed, the Assembly needs to be up and working again, but it needs to be working on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement."" Jamie Wilson, General Manager of HMS Caroline at the announcement in Belfast. Credit: Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye A First World War ship docked in Belfast has been shortlisted for the most prestigious museum prize in the world. HMS Caroline is the last remaining floating survivor of the Battle of Jutland, in which the German Imperial Fleet clashed with the British Grand Fleet in what would be the last great naval battle in the world. The light cruiser is among five museums shortlisted for the 100,000 Art Fund Museum of the Year award. Expand Close HMS Caroline in Belfast has been named as a finalist. (Marc Atkins) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp HMS Caroline in Belfast has been named as a finalist. (Marc Atkins) Read More Restoration project director and the National Museum of the Royal Navy's chief of staff Captain John Rees OBE said the ship's overhaul provided a shared and neutral space for communities to learn about their shared history. He said: "It is also a magnificent museum which reveals the human side of World War One, how life at sea during conflict was experienced and the impact of this on later generations. "HMS Caroline has also become a platform for dramatic art productions, cinema screenings and other engaging activities, bringing some much-needed regeneration to this docks area of Belfast." The annual award celebrates innovation and exceptional achievement in museums and galleries across the UK. Expand Close An aerial view of the Lottery-funded restored HMS Caroline at Alexander Dock in Belfast (Niall Carson/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An aerial view of the Lottery-funded restored HMS Caroline at Alexander Dock in Belfast (Niall Carson/PA) The vessel was brought to Belfast shortly after the partition of Ireland and is an intrinsic part of Northern Ireland's historic fabric. The National Museum of the Royal Navy stepped in to save the ship from scrapping in 2011, secured a major grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and support from the Northern Ireland government to restore the ship and open it to the public in time for the centenary of the Battle of Jutland on May 31 2016. The other four shortlisted museums are Nottingham Contemporary; Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford; St Fagan's National Museum of History, Cardiff; and V&A Dundee. The winning museum, which will receive 100,000, will be announced at a ceremony at the Science Museum in London in July. On behalf of the judges, Stephen Deuchar said: "The five shortlisted museums have each offered outstanding and different approaches to the vital task of engaging with the widest public in new and adventurous ways. "We congratulate all those who are on the shortlist and encourage everyone to go and visit them." The scene of a suspected car bomb on Bishop Street in Londonderry (Steven MCauley/PA) A man caught up in a bomb blast has appealed for Brexiteers to take Irish border concerns seriously. Outrage at the killing of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry last week has put Northern Irish politics under the spotlight, following steadily increasing tensions this year. The priest at the funeral of Miss McKee was given a standing ovation on Wednesday when he challenged politicians present, including Prime Minister Theresa May asking why it took her death to unite them. Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral, but DUP MP Sammy Wilson said he did not believe it represented a turning point to restore powersharing at Stormont which has not been a functioning executive for two years. But politicians from all sides stood together in condemnation of Republican terrorist group the New IRA, which claimed responsibility for Miss McKees death, as well as a car bomb attack in January and sending parcel bombs to targets in mainland Britain last month. Expand Close The New IRA has admitted responsibility for the murder of Lyra McKee in Londonderry (Family handout/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The New IRA has admitted responsibility for the murder of Lyra McKee in Londonderry (Family handout/PA) In the January blast, the man who did not wish to be named caught up in the explosion told the Press Association he was left cowering behind a police officer as the bomb went off in the middle of a mass evacuation. Emergency action was taken after a Samaritans phone line in the West Midlands received a bomb threat for Londonderry city centre on January 19. Police were given just 10 minutes to clear the area but it was not enough time, he said, and the bomb detonated as residents were still on the street. I heard a hard bang, he said. It was like a loud crack. The police were yelling Get down! Get down! and I ended up crouched down with a police officer on top of me. There was a big black plume of smoke rising into the sky, the smell was really thick and unpleasant and the air tasted so bad. I was quite stunned. Expand Close CCTV footage showing a car bomb exploding outside the court house on Bishop Street in Londonderry (PSNI/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp CCTV footage showing a car bomb exploding outside the court house on Bishop Street in Londonderry (PSNI/PA) The man spoke out because he worried ignorant politicians were contributing to the increase in tension in the area as the Northern Irish border has become a central sticking point in Brexit negotiations. He told the Press Association: People were raging that somebody would do this to us. Everybody is worried because we dont want to go backwards on the peace process when we have come so far. People just want to go on living their lives. Sectarian tensions have been steadily rising since the start of the year, but Theresa May has insisted this is not linked to Brexit and she is committed to protecting the Good Friday Agreement. Back in January, she told MPs: This House stands together with the people of Northern Ireland in ensuring that we never go back to the violence and terror of the past. Expand Close Jacob Rees-Mogg MP (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jacob Rees-Mogg MP (Victoria Jones/PA) However, the man involved in the bomb blast said he did not think Brexiteer politicians like Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson were respectful enough of the deep trauma Northern Ireland has been through over the border. There is an issue with ignorance on Westminster and the people in power there who have never been here, he said. They seem to have forgotten the Troubles. Mr Johnson has compared the Irish border to the boundaries between London boroughs inside the capitals congestion zone, claiming there could be an as-yet-unspecified technical solution to prevent a hard border after Brexit. Expand Close Boris Johnson (Michael Cooper/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Boris Johnson (Michael Cooper/PA) European Research Group (ERG) chairman Mr Rees-Mogg, who has been the ringleader for the hardest deal with the biggest risk to the Irish border, should visit again to feel the tensions himself, he suggested. The vapidity of this is insulting, said the man. Its insulting to have politicians who dont try to respect the people here, who are gaslighting over the Troubles and misrepresenting the situation. This is a politically fragile place. Politicians are actively harming us with Brexit that most people here voted against. Former British negotiator to Northern Ireland Jonathan Powell has said this week he believes the political vacuum around Brexit is contributing to sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, although he was careful to stress it was not the sole cause. But Tory Brexiteer MP Mark Francois, ERG vice chairman, dismissed any link between the upswing in violence around the Irish border and Brexit. Its important not to confuse two different things, said Mr Francois. Weve not had a Northern Irish executive for around two years thats nothing to do with Brexit. There is a political vacuum in Northern Ireland but thats not because of Brexit but because Sinn Fein chose to withdraw from the Northern Irish assembly and its important not to mix the two up. Could you be a foster carer for a dog? Dogs Trust's 'Home from Home' fostering programme was developed to give dog lovers, who are not in a position to adopt on a permanent basis, the opportunity to own a dog on a temporary basis. It also helps the dogs experience life in a home environment. Now, Dogs Trust in Northern Ireland is appealing for more foster carers to help their canine residents by giving them a temporary home while they wait for a permanent one. The rehoming centre in Ballymena currently has 54 foster carers participating in the 'Home From Home' fostering programme, however they are now in a position to expand this network thanks to support from vets in the Belfast area. In the last year, more than 75% of dogs placed into the foster programme at Dogs Trust have gone on to find permanent homes as a result of their time in foster care. Dot and her husband Martin are Belfast-based foster carers for Dogs Trust Ballymena who have been fostering dogs since the Home From Home programme launched in 2016. Dot said: "Although my husband and I were never bothered about having to journey to Ballymena for the sake of a dog in our care, it will be so much handier having a vet practice closer to our home which will save us much more time. "After our two beloved dogs sadly passed away, we had no intention of getting another pet as it would have felt like a replacement. However, when we realised there were dogs out there with no homes to call their own, our perception changed and we began to understand that dogs need us as much as we care for them. "Fostering was the ideal solution for us because we could help lots of dogs on their road to forever homes and I'm proud to say that all 10 dogs we have looked after on the Home From Home programme are now in permanent homes. Friends always ask us whether it is difficult to look after a dog and then have to give them up; as much as we get very attached to them, we don't feel sad because each dog is going on to fulfil their potential as a family pet." Stephanie Scott, Home From Home fostering coordinator at Dogs Trust in Ballymena, said: "We have a few devoted foster carers in Belfast at the moment who go above and beyond for our dogs, although in the past it hasn't always been very practical for them as they would need to regularly travel between Ballymena and Belfast for vet check-ups. However, with veterinary support now available closer to Belfast, the fostering programme is much more accessible to people in the area." Dot and Martin's most recent foster dog was Poppy, a Shih-Tzu who spent most of her life in a home environment and was very nervous about leaving it, so was immediately placed in a foster home. Poppy has since found a permanent home. All foster families receive full support and advice. Fostering stays range from as little as one week up to nine months, and for certain dogs, foster carers don't need a lot of previous canine experience. Dogs Trust are also on the lookout for people who do have a little bit more experience too, to help care for expectant or new mums and their pups, as well as providing extra TLC to dogs with medical needs. To find out more contact Stephanie Scott on 07443 981710 or visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/our-centres/ballymena Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Beijing to take part in the One Belt One Road international forum on April 26-27. The Russian leaders working program will begin tomorrow. Together with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, he will speak at the opening ceremony of the forum in Beijing's National Convention Center, TASS reported. In addition, Putin will hold a series of meetings with other countries, including Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Putins bilateral talks with Xi Jinping are due to be held too. The forums three working sessions are scheduled for April 27. The Russian President plans to address one of them. Secretary of State Karen Bradley, Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar outside the cathedral following the funeral The DUP and Sinn Fein have both insisted they want talks to restore power-sharing at Stormont after a priest at the funeral of Lyra McKee urged them to get back to work. Arlene Foster pledged that her party would come to the negotiating table in a constructive manner, and Mary Lou McDonald said the current political stalemate couldn't continue. Secretary of State Karen Bradley will hold discussions with party leaders this week in an effort to restore the Assembly and Executive. Ms McKee was shot dead by a New IRA gunman during rioting in the Creggan area of Derry last Thursday night. Speaking at her funeral in St Anne's Cathedral yesterday, Father Martin Magill said: "Why does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get to this point?" Mourners broke into applause as he urged politicians to work together to produce a better life for young people. "I dare to hope that Lyra's murder on Holy Thursday night can be the doorway to a new beginning. I detect a deep desire for this," he added. Mrs Foster said she had spoken about the restoration of devolution with Mrs Bradley and Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who both attended the funeral. "We want to see the government take steps to ensure talks commence. For our part I want to ensure we can get down to business," the DUP leader said. "We all need to come to the table in a spirit of wanting to restore the Assembly and dealing with the issues which matter most to people. While we have been able to deliver millions of extra resources from Westminster, we could do so much more though through a restored Assembly and Executive. "We stand ready to restore our local government immediately and in parallel with a talks process to resolve outstanding issues." Responding to Fr Magill's remarks, Ms McDonald said: "In a clear, concise way he has said what I have heard all over Ireland. People want the Executive and the Assembly up and running, people want equality and they want good government they can have confidence in. "Political leaders should be working together. Read More "Sinn Fein wants to see the full restoration of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. "Sinn Fein wants to be in government making decisions on issues which impact on the lives of local people." The Sinn Fein president said her party had told Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that the current stalemate was "untenable". She added: "Sinn Fein is ready to play our full part in a serious and meaningful talks process which removes obstacles to power-sharing, delivers rights, and restores the Assembly." The partner of a man killed in a crash in Co Londonderry has said he will never leave her heart. Patrick Healy (46) died after the accident on the Glenshane Road on Tuesday night. Mr Healy, from Shantallow in Derry, was involved in a single vehicle collision near the Ponderosa Bar and Restaurant close to midnight. Two women in the car were injured, They were transferred to hospital in Belfast, where their condition has been described as "serious". Mr Healy's partner Kerrie Ann Holt said: "Rest in peace my love. You will never leave my heart. "Life will never be the same without you." Mr Healy's sister Janet Kerr added: "My beautiful baby brother I have loved all my life - you were my best wee buddy. "I can't believe I will never see your smiling face or hear your silly little laugh. "You were loved so much, my world will never be the same ever again. "I don't think I will ever smile again, I can't accept this, love you 'til I die." Mr Healy's death brings to 19 the number of people who have lost their lives on our roads this year. Christopher Sherrard from Life After, a support group for people who have lost loved ones in crashes, said: "On behalf of Life After, I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Mr Healy. "Sadly, he is the 19th person to die on our roads this year so far, and regrettably that figure is likely to rise before the year ends. "I would like to assure the family Life After will be available to offer whatever support we can during the difficult weeks and months that lie ahead. "Every one of us in Life After understands the immense sense of shock and disbelief that comes when you get the knock on the door to say your loved one has lost their life through a road collision." The Glenshane Road was closed overnight between the Garvagh Road in Dungiven and Tobermore Road in Maghera while police investigated. It led to severe disruption during the rush hour for motorists making the morning commute between Derry and Belfast, with drivers told to seek alternative routes. Police appealed for anyone who was travelling on the Glenshane Road on Tuesday night and who witnessed the collision, or anyone who has any mobile phone or dash cam footage of the incident, to come forward. They can contact officers in Limavady or the Collision Investigation Unit on 101, quoting reference 1654 23/04/19. The family of murdered Ballykelly teenager Jonathan Cairns have made an emotional appeal for information on the 20th anniversary of his murder. Jonathan was attacked as he made his way home from a night out in the early hours of Sunday April 25 1999. The 18-year-old's body was found in a shallow grave in Loughermore Forest, not far from his home, later that day. His bloodstained clothes were also discovered in the grounds of Glasvey Special School. A 49-year-old man was jailed for five years in 2002 for perverting the course of justice in relation to Jonathan's murder, but nobody has ever been charged with the killing. Jonathans father Raymond is appealing for anyone with information about their sons murder to come forward to police. Today I am making this appeal as its been 20 years since our son was murdered. 20 years of living each day without our lovely son, 20 years of living without answers, and without justice," Mr Cairns said. Jonathan was 18 when he died, he should now be 38 maybe with kids of his own. We think about him every day. He was always smiling, always happy. The people who did this took our son away from us and we dont know why. All of his family loved him and miss him so much. To anyone who has information, its never too late to come forward. Please tell us what you know. On the anniversary police will be conducting searches in the area Jonathan's body was found and police officers will be handing out leaflets. Expand Close Hazel and Raymond Cairns with a photograph of their son Jonathan, who was beaten to death in 1999 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hazel and Raymond Cairns with a photograph of their son Jonathan, who was beaten to death in 1999 A mobile police station will also be open today until 7pm in Ballykelly village at the junction between Plantation Road and the Main Street for anyone who wishes to speak with Police. The investigation into Jonathans murder has involved the identification of more than 2500 witnesses, statements taken from 872 people and in excess of 20 searches. Lead investigator Detective Inspector Adrian Brown said that Jonathan's friends and family had suffered "intolerable grief" for the last 20 years. "Their son died a violent death as a result of a vicious beating and we understand their desire to see justice done. We are committed to doing all in our power to apprehend those involved in this brutal incident which went far beyond a drunken assault," he said. I believe Jonathans killer or killers were local to the area and they may have known Jonathan. I also believe that people within the Ballykelly community have information which could help solve this case. I appreciate that this happened a long time ago but I would appeal to people to think back to the Saturday night and Sunday morning of 24th-25th April 1999. If you were in the Clooney Road/Loughermore Road/Caman Park areas of Ballykelly between 1.30am and 9am on Sunday 25 April and havent spoken to us, please speak to us. Detective Inspector Brown said police wanted to speak to two men seen in the area where Jonathan was attacked. Two men were seen in the area where Jonathan was assaulted on the Loughermore Road in the early hours of Sunday April 25 1999. They have never come forward to speak to police despite numerous appeals which leads me to believe they were involved in the murder. They were in their early 20s, about five foot 10 inches tall and one of them might have had auburn coloured hair," he said. Some people were not prepared to come forward at the time for a variety of reasons but we are asking people to search their conscience and think again. Circumstances and loyalties may have changed over years and it is never too late to do the right thing. Anyone with information should call detectives on 101. Or, if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111. DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald at the funeral and of journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. Credit: Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye. Sinn Fein will not "capitulate" on an Irish language act for Northern Ireland, party leader Mary Lou McDonald has said. Mrs McDonald was asked in an interview on RTE Radio whether her party was willing to compromise on the issue of a standalone Irish act in a bid to resolve the political impasse in Northern Ireland. An Irish language act has been a repeated sticking point in negotiations between the DUP and Sinn Fein, it was one of the main reasons talks collapsed around a return to power-sharing in February last year. DUP leader Arlene Foster has repeatedly stated that her party will not accept a standalone Irish language act. Read More Ms McDonald said that Northern Ireland needed an Irish language act and Sinn Fein would not be changing that view. "If you're asking me are we going to capitulate on behalf of citizens in the north to people who wish to hold back progress in every form, to people who do not wish to make room for others in an open democratic society, then the answer to that is no," she said. "We will not capitulate on that. Yes we need an Irish language act, that comes as no surprise." Expand Close Campaigners on the streets of Belfast protesting for an Irish Language Act / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Campaigners on the streets of Belfast protesting for an Irish Language Act Referring to the speech from Fr Martin Magill during journalist Lyra McKee's funeral on Wednesday, Mrs McDonald insisted that equality issues must be adressed. "Fr Magill laid down a very, very serious challenge, a challenge not just to talk, not to tick boxes, but to get powersharing up and running," the Sinn Fein leader said. "The only way that we are going to get to sustainable governance is to hardwire equality in." Ms McDonald added that it was her view, before and after having listened to Fr Magill's words at Miss McKee's funeral, that the British and Irish governments needed to step in to resolve the stalemate on the issues of marriage equality and the Irish language act. "Given that the DUP aren't prepared to lift these issues and resolve these issues with us, the governments now need to step in," she said. "They need to meet urgently, I believe, in the form of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and they need to map out the answers to these questions." In response, DUP Arlene Foster said in a tweet: "I respect that Irish is important to those who cherish the language. I respect that Irish is important to those who cherish the language. But schools & hospitals matter to everyone. Stormont should be restored immediately to deal with key reforms. A parallel all-party talks process can deal with those issues SF wish to raise. https://t.co/hc0PhtVe1N Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain (@ArleneFosterUK) April 25, 2019 "But schools & hospitals matter to everyone. Stormont should be restored immediately to deal with key reforms. A parallel all-party talks process can deal with those issues SF wish to raise." It makes basic financial sense for Lauren to live at home for moment Finding myself living back at home with a parent in my 30s is not where I imagined my life would be at this point. But, as we all know, life doesn't always go according to plan. It is partly my own fault as I knew that taking up a new job in Belfast would probably involve a "short" stay at home. Read More It was either that or a 160-mile round trip from Enniskillen, where I previously lived, to Belfast five days a week. Having the option to live with a parent who is based less than 15 minutes from the office seemed like a sensible move. For me, moving back home was less of a difficult decision and instead more of a practical one. At first it felt like I was taking a massive step backwards, particularly since most of my friends have already been there and done that long before me. It also seemed as though I was in the minority. But as I have since discovered, I'm not alone. Instead I am a statistic - an unexpected member of the Boomerang Generation. I am among thousands of potential first-time buyers who have moved back in with their parents to save up enough cash for a deposit. The latest government research shows that more young people are still living with their parents in Northern Ireland than any other part of the UK, so it is reassuring to know that it's not only me. I know that living at home is not going to last forever, because there is an end goal in sight. Like most people, my motivation and discipline to save has definitely increased with age. Travelling and regular nights out in my 20s put serious saving on the back burner - that was always something for my older self to worry about. In recent years I have never been quite sure where I might ultimately end up settling down, and in my chosen career path, it was never certain when unexpected opportunities could arise. For the moment Belfast seems to be the place where I want to settle down as most of my family and quite a few friends are not too far away. With that in mind, the next plan is to finally get a more permanent footing on the property ladder after years of renting. Since a mortgage equals money, that's something I need to gain much more of over the next few months. So living at home seems like my only option if I want to avoid shelling out several hundred pounds a month on a flat share. At this stage in my life renting feels like money down the drain when I could be investing it in a home of my own. By this time next year I should be in the right financial position to make the move out of home permanently. That will require patience, though - something I possess very little of, as my father can attest to! Journalists and delegates pay tribute to Lyra McKee at the Teachers Union of Ireland Annual Congress in Killarney yesterday Hundreds of people gathered at Guild Hall Square in Londonderry yesterday in memory of murdered journalist Lyra McKee The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has called for the return of Stormont in the wake of the murder of Lyra McKee. Archbishop Eamon Martin was among several hundred people who gathered at Guildhall Square in Londonderry in memory of the journalist, who was shot dead while observing a riot in the Creggan area of the city last Thursday night. The crowd held a minute's silence as the clock struck one to coincide with the start of Ms McKee's funeral service in Belfast. Archbishop Martin said the vacuum created by a lack of government was being filled with hatred. "In my view there has definitely been a vacuum in recent months," he said. "In fact, if you go back it is over two years since we have had a meaningful Assembly or government. "If you create a gap like that, people are going to move in and fill it with their own hatred, with their own violence. "Sometimes we hear people say they will sit down after the council elections or after Brexit. "I think the message is they do have permission to take some courageous and some compromising steps because it is easy for any of us to go into a corner and say: 'This is our position'. "We do need leadership now and we do need compromise. Read More "I say that gently. I do not say that in any critical way because I understand it is not easy to bring people along. "But sometimes being a leader means you have to go out in front and lead and bring the people with you. "I think the people of Derry and people all over this island are saying: 'You (politicians) have our support to sit down now'. And if that is an outcome of Lyra's death, then maybe something good will come of this whole situation." Archbishop Martin said the people of Derry had said the murder was not in their name and that they wanted to give peace a chance. He added: "This really pointless and needless death of a brave and courageous young journalist going about her business has really made all of us stop in our tracks." He also stressed that the people of Derry had known "too much sadness, too much trauma and instinctively they have reacted". "To see those images going around the world of burning vehicles, of fire, of violence and rioting... I think we have also had a very positive message coming from our city in recent days of 'Not in our name' and 'Let's get back to working for peace and reconciliation'," he added. DUP leader Arlene Foster (right) speaks with Sara Canning (left), the partner of 29-year-old journalist Lyra McKee, at a vigil in Derry, following her death last week. DUP leader Arlene Foster says that while she sympathised with the partner of murdered journalist Lyra McKee, the party's stance on gay marriage hasn't changed. Mrs Foster said "you cannot conflate sympathy and empathy with the political definition of marriage" when asked about the warm words of Father Martin McGill at Ms McKee's funeral yesterday. Fr McGill said he willingly acknowledged the love between Lyra and her partner Sara Canning from a pastoral point of view, saying there is a variety of views in the Church on homosexuality. Read More Mrs Foster was asked on RTE's Morning Ireland about how her party refused Ms McKee equality in her lifetime and whether the DUP would change that view. "We have a long standing policy which hasn't changed. That remains the position of the party," she said. "That doesn't mean I cannot sympathise and empathise with Sara and say to her that we feel her love. Her loss was all of our loss because this was a young woman who was doing great things in journalism and living her life in a city that she adopted. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Irish Prime minister Leo Varadkar (R) and Prime Minister Theresa May (C) leave St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, after attending the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Irish President Michael D Higgins consoles Sara Canning, partner of the murdered journalist Lyra McKee as her funeral takes place at St. Anne's Cathedral (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn(centre) and Irish President Michael D Higgins(right) pictured at and at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Mourners react as the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, is placed into a hearse following her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye DUP leader Arlene Foster at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. AFP/Getty Images The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners gather outside of St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, during the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneOs Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Picture Matt Mackey / Press Eye. Matt Mackey / Presseye.com Prime Minister Theresa May paying her condolences to the family of Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Taoiseach Leo Varadkar , Prime Mnister Theresa May and President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners arrive for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners embrace ahead of the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish President Michael D Higgins pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA A mourner arrives carrying a wreath for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA DUP leader Arlene Foster with Sin Fein's Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Leo Varadkar arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - APRIL 24: The congregation arrive for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Journalist and campaigner for LGBT rights, Lyra McKee, 29, was shot dead last Thursday while observing the rioting in Londonderry. Her family gave a statement in which they said her "openness and her desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical". The New IRA have admitted responsibility for her killing. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The hearse carrying the body of murdered journalist Lyra McKee arrives at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Simon Coveney TD at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 SDLP leader Colum Eastwood at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Mike Nesbitt pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Michelle O'Neill, Vice President of Sinn Fein arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast Getty Images Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Naomi Long Alliance Party Leader at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners begin to gather for the funeral of Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. "You shouldn't conflate the two issues of empathy and sympathy and a political issue which is the definition of marriage." While the party is running an openly gay candidate in the local council elections, the DUP opposes same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, the DUP leader said she didn't accept the collapse of Stormont contributed to Ms McKee's death, but she said the party shares responsibility for not having an assembly. "It [the violence] was fueled by people who wanted to use violence to further their own warped political agenda. That's why Lyra is dead and I think most people objectively think that is right. "That's not to say say we don't share responsibility for not having an assembly, of course we do. It's wrong. That's why I believe we need to get it up and running as quickly as possible. "We need to have an agreement that works for nationalism and unionism. We want to see a balanced deal for all the people of Northern Ireland." She said she would like to see the assembly back up and running now and a parallel talks process to deal with all the other issues. Meanwhile, a 10,000 reward has been offered for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of Ms McKee. Ms McKee (29) was shot dead as she observed rioting in Derry's Creggan estate last Thursday. Police said they believe dissident republican group the New IRA was behind the attack and, on Monday night, the group accepted responsibility for the murder. The 10,000 reward is being offered by the charity Crimestoppers. Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, who is leading the investigation into Lyra McKee's murder, said he hopes the reward will help bring those responsible to justice. Lyra tragically lost her life when bullets were fired indiscriminately into the community in Creggan. It was a senseless murder of a gifted young woman and Lyras family and loved ones have been left devastated by their loss," he said. I want to find the people who murdered Lyra and the information that can help us bring Lyras killer to justice lies within the local community. People saw the gunman people know who is responsible. Im asking them to come forward and help us. We have received widespread public support to date and if this reward further encourages some individuals to come forward, this may help assist us in our efforts to get some justice for Lyra and her loved ones. A man charged with terror-related offences has been refused bail to attend his sister's wedding A man charged with terror-related offences has been refused bail to attend his sister's wedding. John Paul Moore (23) has been in custody since last July charged with committing the offences during two nights of rioting in the Bogside in Londonderry. He made a compassionate bail application at Derry Magistrates Court to be released from custody for several hours to attend the wedding today. Moore, from Carleton Court in Ballymagroarty, is charged with possessing, making and throwing petrol bombs at police lines during rioting in Fahan Street on July 12 and July 13 last year. He is also charged with possessing explosives with intent to endanger life. Objecting to the application, a police officer told Deputy District Judge Ann Marshall that police CCTV footage, including helicopter video footage, showed the defendant throwing numerous petrol bombs into an area where members of the Press and public had gathered. She said an improvised explosive device was also thrown into the same area. The police witness said the defendant's offending allegedly occurred during a sustained episode of public order offences and she described the defendant's role as massive and single-handed. She said Moore had already made four bail applications since his arrest last July. Two of these were at Magistrates Court level and two at the High Court. All four were rejected on the grounds that there was a risk of Moore reoffending. The officer said Moore had been on the run from police for three weeks and had removed his court-imposed tag prior to his arrest last July. She said the defendant also attempted to avoid being arrested by changing his clothing after the disturbances had ended. Defence barrister Stephen Mooney said he accepted there was a prime facie case of some considerable weight against the defendant. He said the risk of the defendant absconding had not been mentioned at the four previous failed bail applications, nor had the issue of him interfering with witnesses been mentioned. Mr Mooney said given the amount of CCTV footage available, there was no prospect of the defendant interfering with witnesses. The barrister said the defendant's father would chaperone and supervise him if released to attend the wedding, the integrity of which the police accepted. The Deputy District Judge said the defendant faced some very serious charges and that among his previous convictions were ones for public order offences including attempted hijacking. She said she did not think that any conditions she could impose would negate the risk of the defendant reoffending. Bail was refused and the case was adjourned until May 16 for a preliminary enquiry hearing. The priest at the funeral of Lyra McKee has said her tragic death can be the "doorway to a new beginning" for Northern Ireland as he pleaded with politicians to make her murder a "catalyst to start talking again". Father Martin Magill was a friend of the 29-year-old, who was killed after being shot during serious rioting in Londonderry last Thursday night. The New IRA said they shot the journalist and offered its "sincere apologies" for the murder - a move met with a chorus of contempt. The congregation at the packed St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast was led by Ms McKee's partner Sara Canning (35), her mother Joan McKee (68), brothers Gary and David and sisters Joan, Nichola and Mary. Fr Magill told those gathered that the next generation of Northern Ireland citizens need hope, security and prosperity, not to live in the shadow of the gunman. He said: "One of Lyra's friends was reported as saying 'we have had enough. There is a younger generation coming up in the town and they don't need guns put in their hands. They need jobs, they need a better health service and education. They need a life, not a gun put in their hands'. "To those who had any part in her murder, I encourage you to reflect on Lyra McKee, journalist and writer, as a powerful example of 'The pen is mightier than the sword'. "I plead with you to take the road of non-violence to achieve your political ends." Read More Fr Magill had met Lyra on several occasions and said they kept in contact. However, he said one of the things they didn't discuss was her love for Harry Potter - mourners were asked to wear merchandise from the series to reflect her love for the films and books. Fr Magill added: "Like so many others I couldn't believe it when I heard the 7am news on Good Friday morning that Lyra McKee had been shot dead the previous night. "I'd met Lyra on several occasions, we had kept in contact by phone, WhatsApp and Twitter. "I would, however, have to confess that I wasn't aware of her great love of Harry Potter. "I hadn't heard the term 'Hufflepuff' until I did an internet search and found this definition - 'Hufflepuff is the most inclusive among the four houses; valuing hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play.' It struck me that the definition could just as easily have been about Lyra." The congregation laughed as he recalled their last humorous exchange on Twitter. He said: "While Harry Potter didn't feature in our conversations, what did - and it was our last exchange on Twitter at the end of March - was when Lyra tweeted me with a photo of herself dressed in a nun's veil with a glass of cider accompanied with these words: 'Got roped into performing as part of a Sister Act tribute act for Foyle Hospice. Hey @MartinJMagill, you need any help with mass tomorrow?'" Fr Magill gave an overview of Lyra's life and detailed her many accolades in the world of journalism. He told how in her early days Lyra struggled with reading and required extra support, but things changed dramatically when one of her teachers began to read her class The Twits by Roald Dahl. He said: "This was the spark that got Lyra interested in reading, and then thanks to her granny Patricia Lawrie buying her each of the Harry Potter books as they were published this led to her life-long interest in Harry Potter and later on to exchanges in social media with JK Rowling. "Lyra's love of reading was further nurtured when she went to St Gemma's High School, just off the Oldpark Road also in north Belfast. "Her interest in journalism began at the age of 14 when she wrote for the St Gemma's school newspaper. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Irish Prime minister Leo Varadkar (R) and Prime Minister Theresa May (C) leave St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, after attending the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Irish President Michael D Higgins consoles Sara Canning, partner of the murdered journalist Lyra McKee as her funeral takes place at St. Anne's Cathedral (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn(centre) and Irish President Michael D Higgins(right) pictured at and at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Mourners react as the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, is placed into a hearse following her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Funeral and service of thanksgiving for journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Mourners and friends pictured at the funeral. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye DUP leader Arlene Foster at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. AFP/Getty Images The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners gather outside of St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019, during the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Mourners gesture as pallbearers carry the coffin of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland on April 18, during the funeral service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24, 2019. - Lyra McKee, 29, who chronicled the troubled history of Northern Ireland, was shot in the head on April 18, 2019, as rioters clashed with police in Londonderry, the second city of the British province. (Photo by Paul Faith / AFP)PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneOs Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Picture Matt Mackey / Press Eye. Matt Mackey / Presseye.com Prime Minister Theresa May paying her condolences to the family of Lyra McKee Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Taoiseach Leo Varadkar , Prime Mnister Theresa May and President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners arrive for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Mourners embrace ahead of the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish President Michael D Higgins pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Prime Minister Theresa May pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA A mourner arrives carrying a wreath for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA DUP leader Arlene Foster with Sin Fein's Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Leo Varadkar arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - APRIL 24: The congregation arrive for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Journalist and campaigner for LGBT rights, Lyra McKee, 29, was shot dead last Thursday while observing the rioting in Londonderry. Her family gave a statement in which they said her "openness and her desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical". The New IRA have admitted responsibility for her killing. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald pictured at he funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The hearse carrying the body of murdered journalist Lyra McKee arrives at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PA Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Sinn Fein leader Michelle and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2019. Miss McKee, 29, died as a result of injuries sustained when she was shot on the Creggan estate on April 18. See PA story FUNERAL McKee. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Simon Coveney TD at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 SDLP leader Colum Eastwood at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye Northern Ireland Wednesday 24th April 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Mike Nesbitt pictured at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Michelle O'Neill, Vice President of Sinn Fein arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast Getty Images Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald arrives for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Naomi Long Alliance Party Leader at the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. General view of the funeral and service of thanksgiving for the life of journalist Lyra McKee at St AnneAos Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast. Lyra McKee was murdered in Creggan in Derry on Thursday 18th April. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The funeral of Journalist Lyra McKee takes place at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mourners begin to gather for the funeral of Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on April 24th 2019 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral on April 24, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. "Shortly afterwards Lyra became involved in a charity called The Headliners which gives young people a voice by using journalism and media as a tool for learning and campaigning. "This project played an important part in her being awarded the Sky News Young Journalist Award 2006. After school and further education, Lyra studied online journalism at Birmingham City University graduating with an MA degree." He told how, over the years, her writing won her much acclaim, such as her letter, when she was 24, to her 14-year-old self about growing up gay in Belfast. Fr Magill continued: "In 2016, aged just 25, she was acknowledged internationally as an exceptional achiever with an exciting future by Forbes magazine in their 30 under 30 list because of her work as an investigative reporter. "Last month the Irish Times featured Lyra in an article considering the 10 rising stars of Irish writing. "Her memory also lives on in her TEDx talk, 'How uncomfortable conversations can save lives', about the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting. Her book on the murder of Rev Robert Bradford, the Member of Parliament for South Belfast, called Angels With Blue Faces was due to be published later this year." He told how Lyra had came to see him as part of her research on a book she was working on called Lost Boys. He added: "We met on several occasions and kept in contact. "I knew absolutely nothing about 11-year-old Thomas Spence and 13-year-old John Rodgers, who vanished at a bus stop on the Falls Road in west Belfast in November 1974. "They were both living in St John's parish at that time where I am presently the parish priest and it was for this reason Lyra came to see me. "By the time Lyra had told me their story and what she hoped to do, I was fully behind her. Nichola her sister who spoke earlier described Lyra like 'a dog with a bone' when she had found something that interested her." Fr Magill said he experienced and admired her "gentle, determined doggedness". "When we exchanged greetings on New Year's Day and I wished her well not only in the writing of Lost Boys but also in her search for the remains of the boys which she made clear to me was very important to her," he added. "She replied in this way: 'If that's the only thing that comes out of this, it'll be worth it. It's the only thing I really want out of it, to find them and the others.' "In the course of her investigations, Lyra had discovered that other children had disappeared and she had wanted to find their bodies. "I pray that her work will be taken up and that their bodies will be found and even more importantly that there will be no more lost boys or lost girls." Fr Magill paid tribute to the strength of Lyra's partner, family and friends as he said he can't begin to imagine what they have been going through. He also commended the strength of Lyra's friends who took part in a "very powerful gesture of non-violence" as they placed red handprints on the walls of the headquarters of a dissident republican-linked group Saoradh in Derry earlier this week. The priest acknowledged too those who have given information about the murder to police. He said: "I pay tribute to the courage and determination of the women who in a very powerful gesture of non-violence, one by one placed their hands in blood red paint on a wall and said loudly 'we are not afraid'." He continued: "I commend the 140+ people in Creggan who have contacted the police. "There is a rule in many of our communities that we do not, we should not, give information to police and that, to do so is to become a 'tout.' "But that was one of a number of rules - rules that also said that it was okay to brutalise children for petty crimes, or rules that say you can live in the locality until you are told you can't or rules that said that the only way we could gain 'freedom' was by other fellow-human beings losing their lives. "But this week I have seen these rules turned on their head. "I have seen many people stand up and condemn this culture of violence and coercive control. "We need to send a very different message and so I appeal to those who have information about Lyra's murder but who haven't yet come forward to do so now. "If you want to see an end to these brutal rules, and see a new society built on justice and fairness, on hope and not fear, then you can help build that society by letting the police know what you know. "There will be special measures put in place to ensure your safety and where you will not be intimidated by coercive controllers, if you do so." Fr Magill said that our political leaders needed to work together again so that our young people can "have a life, not a gun put in their hands". He commended the coming together of nationalist and unionist leaders in Creggan for a vigil less than 24 hours after the murder but demanded to know why it took "the death of a woman with her whole life in front of her" to get to that point. His strong words brought the congregation - including Prime Minister Theresa May, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Irish President Michael D Higgins, Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill, and the DUP's Arlene Foster - to their feet in a standing ovation. Read More "Many of us will be praying that Lyra's death in its own way will not have been in vain and will contribute in some way to building peace here," he said. "Since Thursday night we have seen the coming together of many people in various places and the unifying of the community against violence. "I dare to hope that Lyra's murder on Holy Thursday night can be the doorway to a new beginning. I detect a deep desire for this." Fr Magill urged our politicians to "get back around the table and talk". "I know you as politicians have a very difficult job to but then so too did Lyra," he said. "There is another valuable lesson from her life - she was like 'a dog with a bone' when she believed she could make a difference. "When it comes to our peace process, I would love to see this dogged attitude to the rebuilding of an Assembly that works for the common good." He added: "I pray that Lyra's murder may be the catalyst needed for parties to start talking, to reform that which was corrosive in previous Assemblies and to begin anew." Following the service Lyra was buried in Carnmoney Cemetery. Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged weapons as presents with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their first-ever meeting in Vladivostok today. The Russian president led his North Korean counterpart through the traditional gift-giving ceremony that accompanies landmark international summits, offering him a set of handmade gilded glasses and a Russian curved saber. As is customary when gifting blades, to avoid bad luck the Russian president included a coin with the sword, which Kim then 'paid back' to him, RT reported. The North Korean leader then did the reverse, presenting a traditional straight Korean sword to the Russian president, with a coin of his own. "It represents strength, it represents the soul - mine and that of our people, who support you," Kim Jong-un said. Putin and Kim spent twice the allotted time during their face-to-face in Vladivostok, in what was the first ever face-to-face meeting between the two leaders ever. The scene of the killing last June A 22-year-old man currently facing a murder charge has been refused bail by a judge. Lord Justice Stephens determined that Jordan Snoddy, who is accused of killing 30-year-old Robert Molloy Jones, was not a suitable candidate for release following an application at the High Court yesterday. Mr Jones, a father-of-one who was originally from Craigavon, died following an incident at Parkmount Street in Tigers Bay, north Belfast, last summer. Snoddy, from Doonbeg Drive in Newtownabbey, is charged with murdering him on June 28, 2018 and is further accused of possessing an offensive weapon. During the bail application defence barrister Declan Quinn said his client is claiming he acted in self-defence. Before reaching his decision, Lord Justice Stephens heard submissions from both the Crown and defence. Prosecution barrister Laura Ivers said that the Crown was opposing bail for a number of reasons, including concerns that Snoddy would reoffend if released. Revealing the fatal incident occurred while Snoddy was on bail for an unrelated offence, Ms Ivers said the accused was not deemed a suitable candidate. Mr Quinn spoke of the steps Snoddy was taking to improve himself while in custody. These include participating in a mental health programme, passing drugs tests and being made an 'enhanced' prisoner. Regarding the offence, Mr Quinn said the core issue "will come down to pathology" and that Snoddy admitted throwing "two or three punches", but said he acted in self-defence after claiming he was struck by the deceased. Urging the judge to release Snoddy with strict conditions imposed, Mr Quinn said "the court can have confidence he will refrain from drugs". While he accepted Snoddy was an enhanced prisoner and was "making an attempt to engage in various courses within the prison", Lord Justice Stephens said he had to take into account the fact Snoddy was on bail when the incident occurred. Lord Justice Stephens said he believed that there was a prima facie case for murder. He added: "The evidence as to what has taken place will require a very careful analysis of the pathology evidence." The judge spoke of a lack of confidence that Snoddy would adhere to bail conditions if he was released and raised concerns over potential reoffending if he "went back to drink and drugs". Concluding that he did not consider Snoddy suitable for release, Lord Justice Stephens refused the bail application. A maths teacher has been charged with harassment and intimidation following incidents at a local secondary school A maths teacher has been charged with harassment and intimidation following incidents at a local secondary school. Patrick Hollywood appeared at Newry Magistrates Court yesterday. Hollywood (38), of Upper Fathom Road in the city, is accused of intimidation, harassment and causing others to fear violence, alleged to have occurred on dates from January 2017 to August 2018. The charges follow an investigation into complaints of harassment and intimidation surrounding incidents at St Patrick's High School in Keady, Co Armagh. The school faced allegations of English and maths GCSE exam cheating by teachers. The accused, dressed in a grey suit and red striped tie, only spoke to confirm his name and date of birth. A detective constable said she believed she could connect the accused to the charges. More than 45 statements from witnesses have so far been entered in the case. That number, the court heard, is expected to rise. A defence lawyer said his client would be asking for an independent examination of "a raft of forensic material largely made up of computer files and calligraphy". "This is fundamental to the defence," said the solicitor. Prosecution alluded to a summary of facts just submitted, which, they added, would need time to be reviewed. District judge Stephen Keown adjourned the case to May 22 for confirmation on a full file. Senior doctors may be forced out of the health service without major reform of pensions, a medical union has warned. The British Medical Association (BMA) said current pension and tax rules have created "a perfect storm" in the workforce. Last month, it was reported that a rising number of senior medics were being hit with large tax bills for exceeding their annual pension savings allowance. In many cases this leads to senior doctors across the UK turning down extra shifts over fears they will be landed with huge tax bills. Part of the problem is the "annual allowance taper", introduced in 2016 to lower the amount of tax cuts handed to high earners saving for retirement. In a letter to the Chancellor Phillip Hammond, the BMA said senior consultants are being forced to reduce their hours, retire early or leave the health service to avoid a tax hike. The BMA said the existing rules could drive the most skilled and experienced consultants out of the health service. Dr Anne Carson, who is chair of the BMA's Northern Ireland consultants committee, is among those raising concerns. "It cannot be right that doctors working extra hours to reduce waiting lists or cover rota gaps are then hit with additional tax bills greater than the value of the extra hours worked," she said. Dr Carson said the BMA felt there had been a refusal from the Westminster Government and Northern Ireland's Department of Health to fix the problem which she said was "disproportionately and unfairly" impacting on doctors. "Unless action is taken, our only option is to reduce the amount of time we work for the NHS, which will through no fault of our own be detrimental to our patients and to the country's health service - exactly what the BMA has been trying to avoid," she added. After writing to the Chancellor several times, she said she was "disappointed" the government had not acknowledged solutions put forward by the BMA. Dr Carson added: "Action is needed now, before doctors are compelled, by these punitive rules, to reduce their working hours or quit the health service. "Doctors are facing the very real prospect of effectively working for no pay and that is untenable. "We believe that there needs to be a fundamental review of current pensions taxation legislation. "While we understand that this is unlikely to happen quickly, we remain deeply concerned that once this information is more widely known, there will be a massive loss of capacity within the NHS." BMA members have sent over 1,600 letters to MPs, but the union said there has so far been "a worrying refusal to acknowledge the reality" faced by the wider NHS. Today's call from an all-party group of MPs for the UK Government to step in and legislate on Northern Ireland's abortion laws has drawn a mixed response. The report, from the Women and Equalities Committee, has recommended that in the absence of a functioning Stormont, Westminster should take responsibility for amending legislation here. Read More While Amnesty International said the UK Government must now move urgently to amend abortion laws, pro-life campaigners insisted the place for any decision remains in Northern Ireland. Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International's Northern Ireland campaign manager, said the UK Government must now address breaches of women's rights. She said: "Devolution does not relieve the UK Government of their obligation to protect and promote the rights of women in Northern Ireland. The time for change is now." Sarah Ewart was forced to travel to England for an abortion after being told her pregnancy had a fatal foetal diagnosis and has brought her case to Belfast High Court with support from Amnesty International. She said: "Northern Ireland's archaic abortion laws have left women like me suffering for far too long. I hope the recommendations signal a turning point and finally brings an end to the harm caused." The call was also welcomed by Clare Murphy from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. "Every day, women and girls are forced to make the choice between travelling for abortion care, risking life imprisonment by using abortion pills purchased online, or continuing a pregnancy against their wishes," she said. "The Government cannot continue to use devolution as an excuse for inaction." Les Allamby, chief commissioner at the NI Human Rights Commission, said criminalisation of women must end without further delay. "The Government must reform the law and uphold its human rights obligations," he said. Karen Murray, director for Northern Ireland at the Royal College of Midwives, said the current situation is serving neither women nor health professionals well. However, others cautioned against amending our abortion laws. Dawn McAvoy, co-founder of Both Lives Matter, said the report is at odds with the submissions received and raises serious questions about devolution. "This report, which was not adopted unanimously, calls for law change to allow abortion in cases of 'fatal foetal abnormality'. We would welcome consultation, but the proper place for such a debate is in Northern Ireland, not in the committee rooms of Westminster," she said. "The committee lacked any representation from Northern Ireland. "The submissions from those who do live in Northern Ireland clearly favoured no change in the law, yet the committee is proposing that Westminster impose abortion law change on us. "It is unacceptable to take advantage of political complexities to meddle in abortion law when this matter has been the responsibility of Northern Ireland politicians since 1921." Those views were echoed by CARE (Christian Action Research and Education), who said the prospect of Westminster bringing about change is "alarming". The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) said it was "outraged" by the report and noted the committee's membership does not include any Northern Ireland MPs. It said the findings were "a sham, lacking any credibility" and called on Prime Minister Theresa May to publicly reject the document. SPUC's Northern Ireland political officer Liam Gibson said: Not one of these MPs has received a single vote from the people of Northern Ireland. "They are totally dismissive of the right of the people here to maintain laws which protect children from abortion, laws which have saved the lives of over 100,000 babies. "They pay lip service to the devolution settlement but then try to dictate what our laws ought to be." Police are trying to track down the owner of a five-foot long snake that was found dead in a field in Craigavon. The reptile was discovered partially buried in a field near Carrickvale Manor on Monday afternoon. Posting on social media, PSNI Craigavon said: "Animals die, they get sick or old, that's normal, however there appears to have been an attempt to bury this in a shallow grave. It's all a bit odd. "What you can see here is roughly 5 feet (or 1&1/2 meters) worth of snake, with plenty more buried. "If you're the owner of said snake, or have any idea who may be, please get in touch. We'd like to check all is OK, and that it has indeed died in captivity, rather than been released where it shouldn't have and fallen foul of one of one of Lurgan's Bucky-infused pigeons." Anyone with any information regarding the snake has been urged to contact police on 101, quoting reference 974 of 23/04/19. Police have issued a warning about the dangers of carrying a knife. Credit: Katie Collins/PA Police have issued a strong warning on the dangers of carrying a knife following two stabbings in Lurgan last weekend. On Good Friday, a 15-year-old girl was left with "life-changing injuries" after being stabbed in the Dean's Walk area of the town. Less than 48 hours later, a man in his 20s was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after being stabbed in the Shankill Street area. Read More SDLP MLA Dolores Kelly said the community had been shocked by the two incidents and appealed for calm. Posting on social media, Superintendent Wendy Middleton said police understand why Lurgan residents are concerned and they are "not complacent about knife crime". "My message is clear - never carry a knife; knives take lives. It is unacceptable in any circumstances, and the consequence of carrying or using a knife can be devastating, often with life-taking and life-changing consequences," she said. "The issue of knives is not just a policing one, but it is police and our NHS colleagues who are left to deal with the sometimes terrible consequences of when a knife has been used. "In reality, we need the whole community to work together to deal with this issue and to reinforce the messages knives are illegal - dont carry them." Last month, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that almost 800 serious knife crimes took place in Northern Ireland in 2018. This figure includes five killings, 29 attempted murders and more than 540 incidents of someone being wounded. Superintendent Middleton said: "A knife picked up by a child could prove devastating so I am urging parents/guardians to have a conversation with your children and tell them of the dangers posed by knives. "Make sure they know never to carry one, just how dangerous they are and what they need to do if they come across a knife." Police in south Belfast say they are treating an attack on a house earlier this week as a racially-motivated hate crime Police in south Belfast say they are treating an attack on a house earlier this week as a racially-motivated hate crime. The property on Connaught Street was targeted at around 11pm on Tuesday. A window was smashed and paint was thrown over the front door. Local Alliance Party representative Micky Murray condemned the racists behind the intimidation. He said those who carried out the attack are not representative of the vast majority living in the area. He added that most locals wanted to see their community remain open, welcoming and inclusive. "Acts such as these cause a great deal of stress and fear to those who are on the receiving end," he said. "Racism simply has no place within our society and it has to be condemned by everyone." The PSNI urged anyone who has information on the attack to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 1617 April 23. South Belfast PSNI described the act as "truly despicable" adding that "the big concern here is that this has been left out deliberately to entice animals to eat". (stock photo) Dog walkers have been told to be vigilant after rat poison was left out in south Belfast in what police believe is a deliberate attempt to kill or harm animals. The warning comes after a member of the public found around 200 pellets of poison scattered amongst bread in a grassy area of Annadale embankment on Tuesday. South Belfast PSNI described the act as "truly despicable" adding that "the big concern here is that this has been left out deliberately to entice animals to eat". Posting a photograph on Facebook to illustrate how the pellets have been placed alongside pieces of white bread, the accompanying message stressed "there is absolutely no excuse for this and it will kill or make any animal severely ill, be it rodents or domestic animals". It added: "The likelihood is a dog would have eaten these and a family is left with a hefty vet bill or even worse the death of a beloved member of the family." SDLP Botanic representative Gary McKeown condemned the attempted poisoning of pet dogs in the area and said he was "shocked" at the "cruel and heartless" act. "I am absolutely shocked that hundreds of pellets of what is thought to be rat poison were left amongst bread," he said. "This is an extremely cruel and heartless thing to do and I am stunned it has happened. "Rat poison will cause a long and painful death in a pet dog or cat, so I have absolutely no idea why anyone would do this. I hope that no dogs have consumed the poison and that it hasn't been left out elsewhere." In a social media post a PSNI South Belfast spokesperson urged anyone with information to contact police. "During my time in the PSNI, I have seen some truly despicable things," the Facebook entry said. "What you see in the picture is approximately 200 pellets of what we believe to be rat poison left amongst bread. "The big concern here is that this has been left out deliberately to entice animals to eat. "There is absolutely no excuse for this and it will kill or make any animal severely ill, be it rodents or domestic animals. "Please be vigilant when walking your dog and ensure it doesn't eat anything it finds on the ground." SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has proposed the suspension of the petition of concern mechanism in a bid to restore Stormont. The Foyle MLA said the proposal would "create space to get politicians back to work" and that the death of Lyra McKee "must be a turning point" in Northern Ireland politics. Ms McKee died after being shot in the head by a suspected dissident republican during disturbances in the Creggan area of Londonderry last Thursday night. Her funeral took place on Wednesday. Read More Mr Eastwood said: "We must listen to the public and act. There is a simple truth to be faced - politics here has failed. That truth means it is our responsibility as political leaders to fix it. We have been casual with our peace and we have forgotten our primary purpose. Today, the SDLP is proposing the suspension of the petition of concern (POC) mechanism for the remainder of this Assembly in order to legislate for rights and for all of our futures through the democratic mandate handed to us by the people of Northern Ireland. "We are also proposing that while the temporary suspension takes place, a meaningful review of the POC is conducted with experts to find agreement on how to protect rights and stop any future abuse of the mechanism." The petition of concern means that any vote taken by the Assembly can be made dependent on cross-community support if a petition of concern is presented to the Assembly speaker. In such cases, a vote on proposed legislation will only pass if supported by a weighted majority (60%) of members voting, including at least 40% of each of the nationalist and unionist designations present at voting. The mechanism was designed as a way to safeguard minority rights in the power-sharing Assembly. This means, provided enough MLAs from a given community agree, a community can exercise a veto over the Assembly's decisions. Expand Close Colum Eastwood (centre) with SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon and party members leaving the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Colum Eastwood (centre) with SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon and party members leaving the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Eastwood added: "The SDLP has the legislation ready to bring progress and equality - we can begin to enact it on the Assembly's very first day back. This proposal threatens no one. It is about creating the space to get parties back into Stormont to take decisions affecting all of our lives. It is clear there is an Assembly majority to resolve the outstanding issues if we remove the veto. "We need to bring our people back together, we need to bring our government back together. "This is a time for leadership, for courage and for compromise. I respect that Irish is important to those who cherish the language. But schools & hospitals matter to everyone. Stormont should be restored immediately to deal with key reforms. A parallel all-party talks process can deal with those issues SF wish to raise. https://t.co/hc0PhtVe1N Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain (@ArleneFosterUK) April 25, 2019 Disagreements over Irish language legislation, same-sex marriage and legacy issues led to the collapse of talks to restore Stormont in the past, leaving Northern Ireland without a functioning government for more than two years. DUP leader Arlene Foster has said her party's policy on same-sex marriage has not changed. In a tweet responding to a Belfast Telegraph story about Sinn Fein calling for an Irish language act, Mrs Foster said: "I respect that Irish is important to those who cherish the language. "But schools & hospitals matter to everyone. Stormont should be restored immediately to deal with key reforms. A parallel all-party talks process can deal with those issues SF wish to raise." Expand Close Michelle ONeill (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michelle ONeill (Liam McBurney/PA) A DUP spokesman told the Belfast Telegraph: "The Assembly should be restored immediately so Ministers can get decisions made. These are the kind of discussions which could take place in a talks process running in parallel with a restored Assembly. "It should be noted that since March 2017, no single party has enough MLAs to independently trigger a Petition of Concern. "Indeed, in the 2011-16 mandate whether on welfare reform, education or local government legislation some of those most critical of the PoC were its most frequent users." A Sinn Fein spokesman said: "Unpicking key provisions of the Good Friday Agreement is shortsighted, and temporarily suspending the petition of concern does not achieve a long-term solution. "The British Irish Intergovernmental Conference should be urgently convened so that both governments working together begin addressing the need to end the discrimination and denial of rights- rights that are available everywhere else on these island. "In that changed context, Sinn Fein stands ready to re-establish the power-sharing institutions." The ties between Russia and China are at their highest point in the entire 70-year history of diplomatic relations and will continue to develop steadily, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Chinas Renmin Ribao newspaper ahead of his visit to Beijing. Russia and China have approached the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the "best relations in the entire history," he noted. "This is a result of thorough and successful work conducted in the past 30 years," TASS cited the Russian leader as saying. "Further expansion of cooperation between the two states is not opportunistic, and, therefore, is sustainable and long-term in nature," he continued. "This fully corresponds to the interests of our peoples, to tasks of maintaining global and regional stability and security," Putin added. The Russian president said his relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping were based on mutual respect and trust. Sinn Feins Martina Anderson is selected as the Partys Northern Ireland candidate for the European Elections (Niall Carson/PA) The final candidates for Northern Irelands three seats in the European Parliament are set to nominate themselves later. Hours before nominations close, outgoing MEP Martina Anderson (Sinn Fein) will submit her papers in Belfast. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and TUV leader Jim Allister are also expected to submit their nominations on Thursday. Expand Close SDLP leader Colum Eastwood will contest the European elections (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp SDLP leader Colum Eastwood will contest the European elections (PA) Next months poll comes as the UK Government remains unable to agree a deal to leave the European Union. UK voters electing a fresh batch of MEPs this year had not been planned after the nation voted in 2016 to leave the trading bloc. However, elections to the European Parliament are proceeding after London and European Council agreed to delay Brexit. Northern Irelands three seats in Brussels have historically been divided between the DUP, Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists. Expand Close DUP leader Arlene Foster speaks to media with DUP MEP candidate Diane Dodds (Michael McHugh/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp DUP leader Arlene Foster speaks to media with DUP MEP candidate Diane Dodds (Michael McHugh/PA) Ms Anderson and outgoing DUP MEP Diane Dodds will run again, while veteran Ulster Unionist Jim Nicholson is stepping aside after decades in the European Parliament. Mr Allister previously served as an MEP from 2004-2007, initially elected for the DUParty before leaving to form TUV in 2007. The ardent Brexiteer blasted the delays around the UK leaving the EU, some three years after the 2016 referendum vote, and described the UK electing MEPs in 2019 as shameful. We have arrived at this travesty and wider betrayal of Brexit by reason of the combination of the abysmal weakness of Mrs May and the bully boy tactics of the EU, he said. Brexiteers must fight this election to win. That is why I have nominated to be a candidate in these elections. Voters in the UK will go to the polls next month on May 23. The candidates running for Northern Irelands three seats in the European Parliament are Sinn Feins Martina Anderson, the DUPs Diane Dodds, Danny Kennedy (Ulster Unionist Party), Colum Eastwood (SDLP), Naomi Long (Alliance), Jim Allister (TUV), Clare Bailey (Green Party), Amandeep Singh Bhogal (Conservative and Unionist Party), Robert Hill (UKIP), Neil Patrick McCann (Independent) and Jane Morrice (Independent). Up to 200 former members of the security forces are being officially investigated for alleged Troubles-related crimes, it has been reported. The news comes after it was announced last month that a former Parachute Regiment soldier, known as "Soldier F", will face prosecution for his role in killings on Bloody Sunday in 1972. He is to be charged with the murders of James Wray and William McKinney and the attempted murders of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick O'Donnell. Read More It has also emerged recently that a veteran, known as "Soldier B", is to face trial over the death of 15-year-old schoolboy Daniel Hegarty in Londonderry in 1972. The former soldier is also accused of wounding with intent in respect of the shooting of 17-year-old Christopher Hegarty, Daniel Hegarty's cousin. The Guardian reports that the MOD has estimated that between 150 and 200 former soldiers and police are currently being investigated for alleged criminal acts during the Troubles. Dealing with the legacy of the Troubles has long been a contentious issue in Northern Ireland and further afield. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A new exhibition revealing the desolation and destruction experienced during the Troubles will be launched in Belfast next week. Photographer Sean Hillen. Credit Greg Dunn. At The Field. I like this image of the twin boys in their sashes. Twins always have a funny effect in any photo because it reminds the brain of a trick or illusion of some kind. Mourners line a wall at the funeral in Derry of hunger-striker Patsy O'Hara I was fascinated by this burnt-out shell of a bus effectively jamming an access road to the Divis Flats. My father was a bus driver and I was curious to see what the bus was made of its interesting that the steel frame is left while the body, which is aluminium and plastic, has burned away. A group of youths at the head of the parade dance extravagantly for my camera. Note the Olympic Boot Factory in the background (named after the Olympic ocean liner, sister-ship to the Titanic), along with the ubiquitous policeman. This lady is walking past what had been the Clonard Picture House on the Falls Road (opened in 1913), with the remains of the foyer swept back in off the pavement. Note the black flag, which was part of the campaign over the Republican prisoners, and the furniture for sale, which may have been a result of people losing their homes. This Union Jack and enticing advertisement were at the front of a Baptist church at the northern edge of Newry town centre. I took an even nicer frame before this photo, with one Orangeman pointing his umbrella at the sign, but the negative was sadly too badly scratched to be repaired. The next few photos are of the Belfast Twelfth parade, taken in my first year of art school in 1979. This man was a familiar sight in Belfast at that time. I found him here in a prominent position on Royal Avenue, with the City Hall in the far background. I love this photo of two young Orangemen relaxed enough to lie back and contemplate the sky after the parade. The people standing around this boarded-up bar in West Belfast told me that the night before a British Army armoured car had driven through the corner doorway, demolishing it. Later the same day I passed the bar again and found this man rebuilding it. My attention was particularly taken by the girls Country and Western style outfit. This family was waiting to watch the parade pass down Sandy Street in Newry. An older Orangeman rests against the chip van in 'the field' outside Newry, mid 1980's Patsy OHaras funeral had a uniquely double or joint colour party of IRA as well as INLA members. A journalist friend noticed that there were women among them. Young supporters would accompany the parade, singing and dancing along to the band music. Outside the old Co-Operative building in Royal Avenue I spotted these two girls. The one on the right has just bought a record from Easons, my bet is Rod Stewart. I clambered on to a scaffolding platform erected for the press and found a space at the rail, which gave a pretty good view as the funeral proceeded. I had brought along what was known as a portrait lens; a fixed, slightly longfocus lens with a wide aperture, good in low light. I made use of it here and was struck that I could see the eyes of this individual so clearly. Patsy O'Hara Funeral. 1992 Easter Parade. The Easter Parade has arrived at the entrance to the graveyard and the cohort of police vehicles pulls in ahead of it. Patsy O'Hara Funeral The harrowed and grief-stricken expression of the lady still seems to me both tragic and sobering. This youth asserted that he had been injured by a plastic bullet. Around 1983 or 84 I photographed this Annual Procession of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. It is, as far as I can see, a sort of social club for ordinary Catholics and at its roots has a romantic and Catholic Nationalist tendency. When I arrived they were assembling in the lee of the church for this group photo, which made my project easier. Two old men on a bench and a Marine Commando playing with his safety-catch of his rifle, at Sugar Island in the centre of Newry Co. Down, on a Twelfth of July around 1985. Newry was over 90% Catholic and the occasion would be tense with very few people were on the streets but police and soldiers. I spotted this scene and mentally framed the picture. It was illegal by definition to photograph 'the Security Forces' so I asked the soldier 'can I take a picture' and I think he nodded, so I fired one frame (shooting 35mm black-and-white film very sparingly), then I waited, shot another one, waited again and then the man in the middle looked up and that's my picture. Someone told me he's a Marine Commando and he's playing with the safety-catch of the rifle. From The SeaAAn Hillen Collection of photographs recently acquired by the National Library of Ireland Photographic Archive Hunger Strike March While hanging around a busy junction in a crowd of people waiting for the march, I struck up a conversation with this lady, who was quite animated and talkative view of the Mass Rock altar and the crowd assembling for the Mass Rock event in the Mourne Mountains, mid-1980s. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A new exhibition revealing the desolation and destruction experienced during the Troubles will be launched in Belfast next week. Mark Lancaster, the armed forces minister, recently announced in Parliament that the MoD was working "closely with the Northern Ireland Office on new arrangements, including to ensure that our armed forces and police officers are not unfairly treated". Last year, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson proposed an amnesty for former soldiers accused of historical crimes, in the form of a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations is backed by many Conservative backbenchers, including some who are former soldiers, however many unionists in Northern Ireland have expressed concern it could lead to an amnesty for former republican and loyalist paramilitaries. Since the announcement of Soldier F's prosecution, veterans groups in Northern Ireland and England have staged mass protests against the decision. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley is currently considering the form of new structures to deal with the legacy of unresolved deaths during the 30-year conflict. In their local government manifesto, Sinn Fein accused the Government of trying to "cover up" its role in state killings. "The British Government has sought to cover up its role in the deaths of many Irish citizens and is seeking to introduce an amnesty for those it directed to carry out such killings," it said. "Sinn Fein will continue to oppose the British Government's policy on this issue and demand that the legacy mechanisms agreed at Stormont House are implemented in a human rights-compliant manner." Read More A Government spokesperson said: "The system to investigate the past needs to change to provide better outcomes for victims and survivors of the Troubles and to also ensure members of our armed forces and police are not disproportionately affected. This is why we have consulted widely on the system in Northern Ireland. "The 2017 manifesto made clear any approach to the past must be consistent with the rule of law. We have always said that we will not introduce amnesties or immunities from prosecution in Northern Ireland. "The Ministry of Defence is currently looking at what more can be done to provide further legal protection to service personnel and veterans, including considering legislation. A Dublin doctor was forced to travel to Northern Ireland to donate a kidney to help a sick stranger. Dr Dominick Natin, an occupational physician in the Mater Hospital, Dublin, is one of a handful of altruistic donors who have given a kidney to someone they do not know. No such programme exists in the Republic, which confines donation of kidneys from people who have died or from living donors of relatives or friends. Dr Natin said that "from an early age" he wanted to help others and he is also a regular blood donor having been inspired by his childhood GP. Another three to five transplants could be carried out in the Republic annually if altruistic donation was allowed, the Medical Independent reported. But people who express an interest to doctors at Beaumont Hospital, where kidney transplants are carried out, have to be directed to Northern Ireland. Dr Natin said he read about giving the kidney in advance of having the operation, and he underwent a thorough assessment. He was told his kidney was a perfect match for another patient who was on the waiting list for a transplant. Late last year he finished work at 6pm, took the train to Belfast and had his kidney removed the following day. He said: "I woke up that evening feeling absolutely fine. "I was told the good news that the recipient had got the kidney, it was working well and the medical teams were very happy". Dr Natin was fit for discharge less than 24 hours later but he stayed on another day on the advice of his wife. The recipient of his kidney asked to meet him before he left hospital. He described the patient as "very lovely and gracious" and they have since written to him to say how their life has been transformed. Dr Natin was back at work in four weeks and did not accept vouched expenses which he was entitled to under the NHS programme. He believes there is a need to educate people, including healthcare staff, about the fact that it is a relatively safe operation. It will be necessary for the Irish Government to bring in long-delayed legislation covering human tissue before altruistic donation is allowed in the Republic. Last year there were 40 donations of living kidneys by relatives and friends in the Republic. Some 2,124 patients received kidney dialysis treatment last year, an increase of 50 compared to 2017. The TUV has launched its manifesto for next week's council elections with a call to end the culture of squander in local government. Leader Jim Allister said the party was focused on three core issues - Brexit, the failures at Stormont and the recent rise in violent republicanism. Taking aim at Sinn Fein, Mr Allister said his party "will never be fooled by the platitudes of republicans". He was speaking as the TUV launched its manifesto at the Loughshore Hotel in Carrickfergus. Northern Ireland goes to the polls next Thursday to elect councillors across all 11 local government districts. Addressing those gathered, Mr Allister said: "We stand under a shadow because of the brutal murder of Lyra McKee. "The murder of Miss McKee was wrong. So was the murder of all those who died at the hands of terrorists." Mr Allister criticised Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson over a weekend Twitter post in which she said that a play park in Newry would retain the name Raymond McCreesh, a dead IRA hunger striker. He said all Sinn Fein's words about outreach and respect was exposed in the message. Turning to local government, Mr Allister said his party was committed to providing value for money for ratepayers. "In our manifesto TUV outlines our priorities for the next council term and commits to being a party which stands for value for money for ratepayers, but it needs to be said at the outset that the big issues on the doorstep are Brexit and deadlock at Stormont," he added. "Leavers are understandably angry that their vote has been ignored by the powers that be at Westminster. "There was a clear commitment from all major political parties that they would respect the referendum result and yet the last three years have been characterised by politicians seeking to frustrate the will of the people. "TUV's message that leave should mean leave and that Northern Ireland should leave the EU on the same basis as the rest of the UK is resonating well on the doorsteps. "Equally TUV's clarity when it comes to Stormont - that it is time to shut it down if there is no will to bring in a democratic system which actually works - resonates with ordinary people." These are the first council elections since the shake-up of local government in 2015, which saw the number of councils cut from 26 to 11. Yet questions continue to be raised around council pay-offs, six-figure salaries for senior officials and overseas trips. Mr Allister criticised "the culture of squander" of local government, adding: "When it comes to local government the big issue on the doorstep is rates. "When the 11 new super councils came into operation, we were promised we would see a saving of 438m over 25 years. Ratepayers have seen little sign of this. "Rates have risen and there has been a culture of squander. "TUV is a low tax party. We believe that you should keep as much of your money as possible and that you have a right to expect value for money when it comes to the money you contribute in direct taxation or in rates." Mr Allister said the TUV had a proud record of challenging wasteful expenditure. The manifesto touches on a range of other issues, including calls for cleaner streets, a "fair deal" on planning and meeting housing needs. Noeline Blackwell, the chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, welcomed the additional government funding to combat sexual violence (Niall Carson/PA) The government has pledged an extra 1.5m euro in funding to tackle a rise in domestic and sexual violence. The additional money will go towards frontline services combating rape, sexual assaults and gender based attacks. Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone said 16 organisations combating sexual violence in Ireland will benefit from the 10% increase in core funding. Counties that are lacking in domestic violence services will have 12 new outreach workers for women and children. Areas in Galway, Carlow, Wicklow, Cork and Dublin are set to benefit from the increase in support. Ms Zappone said: As Minister I have seen at first hand the invaluable work of frontline agencies supporting women and children targeted by domestic, sexual and gender based violence. I have also listened to the voices of those forced out of their homes by threats, abuse and violence. Their views have informed the decisions which have been taken in order to provide better information, supports and protections. With the increase in funding we will address shortfalls and gaps in services which have been identified. The extra 1.5m euro in funding will allow a national roll out of a 12-week healing programme for children who have been impacted by domestic abuse which also helps parents and guardians to understand their childs experiences and support their recovery. A new refuge will open in south Dublin in the autumn while a specific initiative will be introduced to reduce the waiting times for counselling for victims of sexual violence. What people really need is face-to-face therapy and they should get it in a timely way.Noeline Blackwell The minister added: We all have a role to play in ensuring the safety of those forced to flee an abusive partner, often with their children. The funding I am now confirming is being directly targeted at frontline services. It will offer protection to people fleeing emotional, physical or sexual abuse it will help those in danger. The new initiatives will also ensure that Ireland meets its international obligations under the Istanbul Convention. Noeline Blackwell, the chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said the funding will help address the explosion in demand for the centres therapeutic services. She said: Its not just a regular increase the number of people who are disclosing sexual violence and seeking the treatment they need has increased enormously. We were not in a position to meet that need so this funding will allow us to address an ever-growing waiting list and bring in the resources we need to really focus on the people who are waiting. Around 18 months ago we were making our way through a waiting list of 150 people who were waiting about five months and that has now grown to 200 people waiting eight to nine months. What people really need is face-to-face therapy and they should get it in a timely way. While they are hurting and in pain they are not able to function. That is damaging for themselves, they people they love and damaging for us as a society. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre helpline number is 1800 77 88 88. Shares in Irish dairy giant Glanbia tumbled over 6% yesterday, after more than a fifth of the group's shareholders revolted against plans to hike managing director Siobhan Talbot's multi-million euro pay package by a further 22% Shares in Irish dairy giant Glanbia tumbled over 6% yesterday, after more than a fifth of the group's shareholders revolted against plans to hike managing director Siobhan Talbot's multi-million euro pay package by a further 22%. Last year less than 1% of shareholders voted against the remuneration committee's recommendation. Glanbia operates a mozzarella cheese factory in Moira, Co Down. Ahead of yesterday's AGM, two prominent investor advisor groups had recommended rejection of the proposed salary increase. However, the increase was voted through by 79.4% of shareholders. Glass Lewis and ISS had recommended that shareholders vote against the proposal, which sees Ms Talbot receive a pay rise of 22% and finance director Mark Garvey a 14.9% increase. Meanwhile, in a trading update the group's Global Performance Nutrition (GPN) arm reported its first quarterly fall in two years. The GPN division - which includes the recently acquired SlimFast brand - saw its volume decline by 16.5%, while its price declined 3.4% in the three months to March 31. Investors had expected the volume decline to be in the low double digits. The SlimFast acquisition performed strongly, with especially strong consumer demand for recent innovations in the UK and United States, according to the global nutrition group. Ms Talbot said the group's strategy "remains on track" as it reported an 8.4% increase in revenue overall in the three-month period. "Our strategy remains on track and we reiterate our full year guidance of 5% to 8% growth in adjusted earnings per share, constant currency, in 2019, with growth to be delivered in the second half of the year," she said. Glanbia reiterated its full-year guidance of 5% to 8% growth in adjusted earnings per share, with growth to be delivered in the second half of the year. Analysts at Davy Stockbrokers said they envisaged "no material changes" to Glanbia's financial year 2019 earnings forecast. The Kilkenny-headquartered company said it is looking at growing online sales of its nutritional products. Ms Talbot told shareholders that health and wellness is one of the biggest global trends among consumers and governments. Sinn Fein has published a bill to reform the Long Term Illness scheme. The partys health spokesperson Louise OReilly says the aim of the bill is to ensure that the health service is kept updated on the effectiveness of the provision of medicines or surgical appliances to people suffering from a disability or long term disease. The bill would make it mandatory that the scheme is reviewed within a year of the legislation, and every three years thereafter. .@loreillysf publishes Bill to ensure regular reviews into effectiveness of Long-Term Illnesses https://t.co/3wKTswHr1w pic.twitter.com/FoWyukC0rM Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) April 25, 2019 There has not been an addition to the current scheme since 1970, and Ms OReilly says people across Ireland with conditions like fibromyalgia are suffering due to the historic legislation. Its a real barrier for people accessing medicines, appliances and indeed even diagnostics, so we want to see the scheme reviewed so its fit for purpose, she said. Its a good scheme, but people cant get into it, they cant get access to it, so we want that review compulsory. Sinn Fein believes that the bill could have cross-party support, as TDs have already indicated their difficulties with the current long term illness scheme. I would be very surprised if we dont get cross-party support, even from some on the government benches, we all have constituencies, they all have clinics the same as I do, people come in and out and tell us about this and theres a very real need there, she said. Id urge people from all parties and none to support it, its a simple piece of legislation but it will be very effective if its fully implemented. The legislation itself only mandates a review on publication of the report, which Sinn Fein says will not require additional funding, as those denied access to the scheme are already using HSE services. A lot of people who cannot access the scheme already find themselves in a situation where they are already accessing the medicines required and doing it via different avenues what the scheme does is bring all that together, Ms OReilly added. Having said that, if there is a real need there, if there are conditions that are appropriate that arent being recognised in the long term illness scheme, I do think it appropriate they be included. Ive constituents come to me, and another TDs have too, telling them that its not fit for purpose, and needs updated this just makes that mandatory. The United States has publicly designated Chechnya's Prime Minister Muslim Khuchiev for his alleged role in human rights violations and denied him entry to the United States, the Department of State said in a press release on Thursday, Sputnik reports. "The Department is publicly designating Muslim Khuchiev, the Chairman (Prime Minister) of the Government of the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Act, due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights," the release said. The designation means that Khuchiev is now "ineligible for entry into the United States," the release added. "The Department has credible information that Muslim Khuchiev was involved in torture," the release said. His wife, Sapiyat Shabazova, was also barred from entering the United States, it added. The CMA has delivered its verdict on the deal (PA) The competition watchdog has blocked Sainsburys 12 billion merger with Asda on the grounds that it would result in higher prices for consumers and damage competition. In its final report into the deal, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that it would lead to increased prices in stores, online and at petrol stations across the UK. Shoppers and motorists would be worse off if Sainsburys and Walmart-owned Asda were to merge, the CMA said, adding that a tie-up would lead to price rises, reductions in the quality and range of products or a poorer overall retail experience. The watchdog claimed that the deal would have resulted in a substantial lessening of competition at both a national and local level for people shopping in supermarkets. Weve blocked the Sainsburys / Asda merger after finding that it would lead to: Higher prices for groceries and fuel Less choice and worse quality of products A poor shopping experience Read more: https://t.co/FrOpssqwS7 pic.twitter.com/lJQtk9BbeC Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) April 25, 2019 Stuart McIntosh, chairman of the CMA inquiry group, said: Its our responsibility to protect the millions of people who shop at Sainsburys and Asda every week. Following our in-depth investigation, we have found this deal would lead to increased prices, reduced quality and choice of products, or a poorer shopping experience for all of their UK shoppers. We have concluded that there is no effective way of addressing our concerns, other than to block the merger. Sainsburys boss Mike Coupe said that the decision effectively takes 1 billion out of customers pockets. Prior to Thursdays decision, Sainsburys and Walmart-owned Asda had offered to sell up to 150 stores as part of efforts to address competition concerns, and claimed that shoppers would be deprived of lower prices should it be blocked. But the CMA found 537 areas where there could be a substantial reduction in competition in supermarkets. The duo had also pledged to make a number of post-merger commitments, had the deal been approved. It included investing 1 billion a year in lowering prices by the third year of the deal completing, equating to a 10% cut on everyday items. Mr Coupe said on Thursday: The specific reason for wanting to merge was to lower prices for customers. The CMAs conclusion that we would increase prices post-merger ignores the dynamic and highly competitive nature of the UK grocery market. The CMA is today effectively taking 1 billion out of customers pockets. Sainsburys, Walmart and Asda have now mutually agreed to terminate the transaction. Expand Close It is the first major CMA decision since the appointment of former Tory MP Andrew Tyrie as chairman (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp It is the first major CMA decision since the appointment of former Tory MP Andrew Tyrie as chairman (PA) Shares in Sainsburys tumbled over 5% in morning trade to 214.4p. A merger between the duo, the UKs number two and three supermarkets, would have created a supermarket titan bigger than Tesco with revenues of 51 billion and a network of 2,800 Sainsburys, Asda and Argos stores. But fears had been expressed that suppliers could get squeezed as a result, with the tie-up giving the merged entity increased buying power. The move to reject the merger marks the first major decision the CMA has made since the appointment of former Tory MP Andrew Tyrie as chairman. Best known for his role as head of the influential Treasury Select Committee, Mr Tyrie gained a reputation as an effective inquisitor of corporate figures. It remains unclear where the duo go from here, but it is understood that Walmart will continue to look to sell Asda to another buyer. Walmart chief executive Judith McKenna said: While were disappointed by the CMAs final report and conclusions, our focus now is continuing to position Asda as a strong UK retailer delivering for customers. Walmart will ensure Asda has the resources it needs to achieve that. Roger Burnley, the Asda boss, said that he is disappointed in the CMAs decision. Unions reacted with delight at the decision, with the GMB and Unite hailing it as a victory for staff amid fears of store closures and job losses as a result of the deal. Attention will now turn to Mr Coupe, who is expected to face questions over his future following the breakdown of the deal. The chief executive drew criticism last year after he was caught on camera singing were in the money following the merger announcement. He later apologised, calling it an unfortunate choice of song from the musical 42nd Street. More than 1,000 harbour porpoises are dying in UK waters each year having been caught in fishing nets, according to conservationists. The shy and elusive cetaceans are accidentally trapped in gillnets - nets that are set at the surface or on the seabed - causing them to suffocate and die. A report by WWF and Sky Ocean Rescue estimated that between 587 and 2,615 porpoises were killed in 2017. The estimate is based on numbers recorded by observers onboard larger vessels using gillnets. The conservationists said the scale of the problem could be far greater as smaller boats - under 10 metres in length - make up the majority of the gillnet fleet. The report found that the South East and South West of England, as well as waters west of Shetland, saw a large number of fatalities. These areas are rich in marine life, which in turn attracts both high numbers of porpoises and gillnet fisheries. They said that the full extent of bycatch - wildlife, such as seabirds and turtles, accidentally captured in the nets - was unknown due to lack of monitoring. Helen McLachlan, WWF fisheries programme manager, said: "The tragic deaths of harbour porpoises are a national scandal that can no longer be ignored. "Many Brits will be horrified to learn of the scale of the issue and shocked that these beautiful mammals could be dying in the very nets used to catch the fish on their dinner plates. "Yet UK Governments have so far failed to combat this important threat to marine wildlife. "We need to see governments step up and work with the fishing industry to introduce effective mitigation or new capture methods that don't harm porpoises or other marine wildlife," she added. Jeremy Hunt said the security of British citizens is his first priority (Andrew Milligan/PA) The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday bombings. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: Our hope is that it will be possible to change this when the current security operation has concluded. My first priority will always be the security of British citizens living and travelling abroad. Our beloved father Bill Harrop was a devoted father, the best anyone could wish forGavin and Miles Harrop It comes as the family of Bill Harrop, from Manchester, paid tribute to the retired firefighter, who died in an explosion at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel alongside his wife, Sally Bradley, a GP. His sons, Gavin and Miles, said in a statement: Our beloved father Bill Harrop was a devoted father, the best anyone could wish for. On his retirement Bill moved to Australia with Sally to embark on new adventures, which have been so cruelly ended. His happiest times were spent with his family, sharing good times as we explored the world. Nine bombers co-ordinated blasts targeting churches and hotels in the country, killing 253 people including eight Britons and injuring hundreds. Sir Lankan authorities on Thursday lowered the death toll from 359 people, citing chaotic bombing scenes for the discrepancy. One suicide bomber reportedly educated in the UK was radicalised after leaving Britain, his sister has said. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed is understood to have studied in the south-east of England between 2006 and 2007, later completing a postgraduate course in Australia. His sister Samsul Hidaya told MailOnline: My brother became deeply, deeply religious while he was in Australia, he came back to Sri Lanka a different man. Expand Close Dr Sally Bradley and William Harrop, who died in a series of terror attacks in Sri Lanka (Metropolitan Police/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr Sally Bradley and William Harrop, who died in a series of terror attacks in Sri Lanka (Metropolitan Police/PA) He had a long beard and had lost his sense of humour. She told the news site he ended up really angry and totally crazy, and admonished male relatives who shaved their beards. Mohamed is reported to have studied aerospace engineering at Kingston University in south-west London, but the university on Thursday said it could not confirm this. The identity of Mohamed was first reported by Sky News, which said he was in the UK between January 2006 and September 2007, before returning to the UK in 2008 for a period. Two of the bombers were the sons of a wealthy spice trader, according to media reports. The father of the men was reportedly arrested on Thursday on suspicion of aiding his sons. Many of the attackers came from well-educated, middle-class families, and had been part of a pair of little-known extremist Muslim groups, Sri Lankas junior defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told reporters. Police in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo have detained 58 people in connection with the bombings, claimed by the Islamic State group. Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners, updated Foreign Office guidance said on Thursday. Among the British victims were Anita Nicholson, her son Alex, 14, and daughter Annabel, 11, who died when one of seven suicide bombers struck as they ate breakfast at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo. Londoner Matthew Linseys daughter Amelie, 15, and son Daniel, 19, were killed in the same blast on the final day of their holiday. IT specialist Lorraine Campbell, 55, was also in the Cinnamon Grand on a work trip when she was killed. Her husband Neil Evans said: Lorraine was a real tour de force. She epitomised the qualities she lived by, and was a conduit for bringing people together to both make things happen, and make them better. Ive lost my best friend in the world for all the adventures we shared and planned for the future. Juno Srivastava, a student at Middlesex University Dubai campus, also died in the blasts, while a locally employed British Council worker was said to be in hospital with his wife, both seriously injured. Specialist officers from the Metropolitan Polices Counter Terrorism Command have been sent to the country to support the bereaved and Scotland Yard has asked for images or video taken during the attacks. The crime scene outside McColls newsagents in St Enoch Square, Glasgow. A 38-year-old shop worker was stabbed to death in the shop. Knife crime reached a record level last year in England and Wales, while there was the highest number of homicides for more than a decade, official figures show. Police recorded 40,829 offences involving knives or sharp objects in 2018, an increase of 6% in a year and the largest total since comparable data began in 2011. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The number of homicides last year stood at 732, the highest in any calendar year since 2007 when it hit 765. The data released on Thursday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) came after a spate of knife crimes involving young people triggered a political row over cuts to police funding. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) One of the latest killings was that of an 18-year-old man stabbed to death in the Harborne area of Birmingham on Wednesday evening. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the deeply troubling figures show these reckless cuts must end. "Ministers are in denial, refusing to accept that their cuts to police forces have had any impact either on crime levels or the ability to apprehend the criminals." @HackneyAbbott https://t.co/q9V7y5Xs9w Labour Press (@labourpress) April 25, 2019 Fellow Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the disturbing increase in violent crime comes as arrests continue to fall. The police are completely overstretched and crime prevention work is far too limited, she said. The problem of violent crime is going to get worse unless the Government acts, and it is families and communities across the country who are paying a terrible price. Homicides, which include murder and manslaughter, increased 6% in the 12 months leading up to December compared with the year before. The majority of police forces (31 out of 43) recorded an increase in knife offences in the year ending December 2018 https://t.co/OxwnK96ETw pic.twitter.com/gV5uVFeJlP Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) April 25, 2019 The ONS release showed an increase in knife offences in 31 of the 43 police forces across the two nations. The Metropolitan Police recorded the largest volume, at 14,660, but this was an increase of just 1% in a year. Merseyside was up 35% and North Yorkshire 21%, while British Transport Police saw an increase of 54%. The 40,829 offences involving knives or sharp objects were reported across the forces excluding Greater Manchester Police, which records data differently. When comparable records began in 2011, this figure stood at 30,627. The number of violent offences recorded by police was more than 1,608,500 last year a 19% increase on 2017. However, the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) suggested there was no overall increase in violent offences. The ONS considers the CSEW a better indication of overall trends for this type of offending because lower-level attacks may be picked up in the survey but not reported to officers. The total number of crimes recorded by police was 5.8 million, which was 7% more than in 2017. Policing minister Nick Hurd said the Government would continue our urgent and unprecedented action to reverse this terrible trend. He said greater powers have been granted to officers, more than 1 billion has been funnelled into policing and that a greater emphasis was being put on prevention. Mr Hurd also said that separate figures from the Metropolitan Police released on the same day show action to tackle violent crime is having an impact. The Mets statistics for the financial year ending in March suggested a 25% drop in homicides to 122 from 163 in the previous period, as well as a decrease in stabbings. But Barnados chief executive Javed Khan said the ONS figures confirm we are now living through a knife crime crisis and urged action to prevent condemning future generations to live in an endless spiral of violence. Children are not born with knives in their hands. They dont feel safe. And they dont believe theres an alternative on offer too many see little or no possibility of a positive future what we call a poverty of hope, he added. It is thought Huawei will have 5G involvement (Steve Parsons/PA) Labour is demanding an official investigation into the leak of a Government decision to allow Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to work on the UKs new 5G mobile network. Details from the highly secretive National Security Council emerged in the press on Wednesday, a day after a meeting at which Theresa May and senior ministers discussed the issue with chiefs of security and intelligence agencies. Reports suggested spy chiefs were angry at the unprecedented leak from a forum at which sensitive matters are discussed openly in confidence that they will not be shared more widely. Conservative grandee Sir Nicholas Soames told the BBC that the leak would cause our friends and allies to wonder if we can be considered reliable and called for those responsible to be sacked. Labours shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said: This Tory Government has once again proved incapable of coming together to protect the public interest. Expand Close Labours Jon Trickett has called for an investigation into the Huawei leak (Yui Mok/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Labours Jon Trickett has called for an investigation into the Huawei leak (Yui Mok/PA) Critical issues of national security should be handled with utmost care, not used as political ammunition in a Tory Party civil war. The Government should launch a full investigation to get to the bottom of these leaks, otherwise it risks further extinguishing what little authority it has left. It is understood that the NSC meeting agreed that Huawei could be given work on non-core elements of the 5G network, despite misgivings voiced by ministers including Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Gavin Williamson and Penny Mordaunt. The US has barred Huawei from involvement in official networks and put pressure on its Five Eyes intelligence partners to do the same over security concerns surrounding the companys links with the Chinese government. Rob Joyce, a senior adviser at the US National Security Agency, said that Washington did not want to hand Beijing a loaded gun and would be looking closely at the UK decision. He told the Financial Times: We have got to understand all the details of that and decide what that means. What we will be insistent on is UK decisions cant put our information at risk but the good news is that the UK already understands that. Mrs Mays effective deputy David Lidington told MPs that no decision had been made on Huaweis involvement in 5G. He said a Government review was looking at creating greater resilience and critically diversity in the entire supply chain, adding that when decisions were made we will announce them to the House in the proper way. But he stressed that legally speaking (Huawei) is a private company not a government-owned company. And the director of the GCHQ eavesdropping agency appeared to seek to calm nerves over Chinese involvement in the 5G network, saying that technical issues were more important than flag of origin. Expand Close GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming told the CyberUK conference that flag of origin was not the only consideration (Andrew Milligan/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming told the CyberUK conference that flag of origin was not the only consideration (Andrew Milligan/PA) Jeremy Fleming told the Cyber UK conference in Glasgow: A flag of origin of 5G equipment is important but it is a secondary factor. Its a hugely complex strategic challenge, going to span the next few decades. How we deal with it will be crucial for our prosperity and for our security. Cabinet minister Liz Truss said Huawei involvement should not be ruled out, telling the BBC: We need to decide on a case-by-case basis based on the security advice, but that should be led by the UK we shouldnt be deciding on the basis of what the Americans think or what the Australians think. Ciaran Martin, head of GCHQs National Cyber Security Centre, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that the review was about the fundamentals of how to keep these networks safe from any attacker and not just Huawei. Some of the 5G infrastructure is built over existing networks so its not as if we are completely reinventing the wheel here, he added. Weve set out that objective independent technical assessment of whats needed and Im confident ministers will reach a decision that will provide for the type of safer 5G networks that we need. Expand Close Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid are among the ministers reported to have raised concerns (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid are among the ministers reported to have raised concerns (Stefan Rousseau/PA) A Downing Street spokeswoman said: We dont comment on NSC discussions. The reported decision came after a number of senior security figures warned publicly of the risks involved in allowing a Chinese firm access to the UKs critical communications network. MI6 chief Alex Younger has said Britain needs to decide how comfortable it is in allowing Chinese firms to become involved, while Mr Fleming, has spoken of both opportunities and threats. Some critics have expressed concerns that the Chinese government could require the firm to install technological back doors to enable it to spy on or disable Britains communications network. Last month, a Government-led committee set up to vet Huaweis products said it had found significant technological issues with its engineering processes posing new risks to the UK network. Huawei has denied having ties to the Chinese government, but critics question how independent any large Chinese company can be, with a legal obligation on firms to co-operate with the states intelligence agencies. A cross-party group of MPs has called on the UK Government to step in and legislate to amend Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws. Stock image A cross-party group of MPs has called on the UK Government to step in and legislate to amend Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws. The Women and Equalities Committee has advised that in the absence of an Executive at Stormont, responsibility for speeding up a response to breaches of human rights identified by the United Nations should now rest in Westminster. Read More The committee, chaired by Conservative MP Maria Miller, said there was a lack of clarity about the current legal situation and that was "creating confusion, fear and inequality". It has now called for the government to provide a timetable for a response to the UN Supreme Court's finding of "grave and systematic" breaches of women's rights. Ms Miller said: "We heard evidence from a wide range of witnesses in Belfast, Antrim and Derry/Londonderry - and in Westminster. "These included doctors, nurses and midwives, lawyers, ministers and officials, organisations representing a range of views, and women who spoke to us about their own experiences. "The lack of clarity about the current legal situation is creating confusion, fear and inequality. Our report sets out action which the Government must take to address this." Since the Northern Ireland Assembly ceased functioning, the report highlighted several significant developments relating to our abortion laws. Today's report noted how the UN body monitoring women's rights previously found that there were 'grave' violations in relation to cases of severe foetal impairment, including fatal foetal abnormality, rape or incest, 'systematic' violations in the criminalisation of abortion and highly restrictive access. It recommended that the Government, in the absence of Stormont, must now set out a clear framework and timeline to address the breaches of women's rights that the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women had identified. In identifying a breach of human rights in relation to cases of fatal foetal abnormality, rape and incest, the UK Supreme Court did not make a declaration of incompatibility because the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, which brought the case, did not have standing. The UK Government, said the report, must now set out a timetable for rectifying the error within the next six months so that an individual victim, such as a victim of rape or incest, does not have to take a case to court. Ms Miller added: "The situation of a woman or girl who became pregnant as a result of rape or incest having to pursue a court case highlights precisely why it should not depend on an individual victim to take a case to court. This must be rectified urgently." The report calls for doctors in Northern Ireland to be given guidance on the legalities of referring patients to the UK Government-funded scheme providing free abortions in England. Since 2017, women in Northern Ireland have been able to access abortion care elsewhere in the UK. The inquiry found that the UK Government's funding for abortion provision in England is failing marginalised groups, including those in abusive relationships, too ill to travel or who cannot make the journey to England for abortion care. It recommended that the Government Equality Office (GEO) publish an equality impact assessment on the scheme. Today's report concludes the current situation is "unacceptable" and further calls on the GEO to publish its legal advice on the scheme. It states the Department of Health for Northern Ireland should reissue guidance for healthcare professionals, making it clear that referring patients to the funded scheme is not unlawful. "We heard of doctors facing a potential conflict between their duty of care to their patients and the law, and between their duty of confidentiality and the law," said Ms Miller. "They still have not been given guidance on referring women to free abortions in England. This must be published immediately. "We must ensure that women who are vulnerable or marginalised have the same access to services as everyone else. "Women and girls who are pregnant as a result of rape or incest may face prosecution if they have not reported the offence to the police under Northern Ireland law. "The Government must address these concerns by issuing human rights guidance." KEY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT Three pre-school children knocked on the door of 10 Downing Street to ask the Government not to make them sit controversial new school tests. Hundreds of people, including other four-year-olds, parents, teachers and MPs, marched from Parliament Square to protest against a 20-minute baseline assessment that children could soon be sitting within their first term at school. The children presented a petition of 65,000 signatures against the Governments plans, addressed to schools minister Nick Gibb. Those who knocked on the Prime Ministers door were Alex Harrison, five, in reception class at Westdene Primary, Brighton, Safa Patel, four, in reception class at Highlands Primary School, Redbridge, east London and Isla Tart, four, in the nursery class at Purwell Primary School in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Although campaigners say children will be subject to tests, the Department for Education (DfE) contends this is not the case because there is no pass mark and no reason for pupils to be prepared for it. The DfE said they are an assessment of maths, language and literacy skills. Children will give answers by pointing, moving objects and giving oral responses, and teachers will make note of their responses on an iPad. They will be trialled by volunteering schools from this autumn with a view to being rolled out to all schools in England in 2020. The petition has been delivered #MarchOfThe4YearOlds pic.twitter.com/NwsCQTySCO More Than A Score (@MoreThanScore) April 25, 2019 Sue Quirk, 68, a retired headteacher from Sidcup, south-east London, who was among those who marched on Thursday, said she was worried about the effect the test could have on her four young grandchildren. She said: Young children need to be able to play, they need to be able to express themselves. Taking them out to do tests instead is morally wrong. Parents, teachers, heads and education experts were led by action group More Than A Score from Parliament Square in Westminster, waving flags and chanting we are small, we are four, we are more than just a score. Labour MPs Jack Dromey, Tracy Brabin and Peter Kyle were among those marching with the group, which is against all standardised tests. Some 96% of primary school leaders are against the new tests, and almost three quarters do not think four-year-olds can be reliably tested, according to a 2019 YouGov survey carried out for the protest group. Elaine Bennett, an early years teacher from Essex and More Than A Score spokeswoman, said: This assessment regime has nothing to do with providing a quality education and everything to do with a system obsessed with league tables and turning children into data points as soon as they start school. Like SATs, the baseline tests will bring extra workload for teachers as well as stress for children right at the start of their school experience when settling in happily and confidently should have first priority. The British Educational Research Association, a charity encouraging educational improvement, has described the tests as flawed, unjustified and totally unfit for purpose. A DfE spokesman said: Carried out in the right way, children should not even be aware an assessment is taking place. It will simply provide a vital starting point to measure how well primary schools are doing to make sure all children reach their potential. He added: It is just an opportunity for teachers to gauge exactly what level a child is at when they arrive. The current assessment of schools doesnt take this into account. The new biometric fingerprint debit card being demonstrated during its launch at the RBS Conference Centre in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) The first biometric fingerprint card to be issued by a UK bank has entered circulation. Royal Bank of Scotland, along with NatWest, is piloting the technology with 200 customers in a trial lasting three months. It enables customers to use their fingerprints to verify transactions above the 30 contactless limit, meaning they have no need to enter their PIN. The new cards work with existing contactless and chip and pin terminals so shops will be able to accept payments without having to update their technology. Expand Close The technology will be able to verify transactions over 30 (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The technology will be able to verify transactions over 30 (Jane Barlow/PA) Speaking at the banks headquarters in Edinburgh, David Crawford, head of payments at RBS, said: We have a real ambition and goal to make banking easier for our customers and payments are a really big element of that. Customers have told us they are looking for greater convenience, greater safety and security and they are looking for greater control. With the biometric cards were launching today which is a UK first were really excited about customers get these elements that they are talking about. Scotlands Deputy First Minister has said Theresa Mays refusal to grant Holyrood the legislative power to hold a further independence referendum should not be seen as the last word on the subject. John Swinney said the UK Government does not look particularly stable and he believes the position on declining to grant a request for a section 30 order needed to hold further ballot on Scottish independence could change. He said Nicola Sturgeons announcement on Wednesday of plans to hold an independence vote before May 2021 if the UK leaves the EU was the Scottish Government facing up to the question of what to do about the damage Brexit poses to Scotland. However much we want to wish away the whole Brexit trauma it is with us and it has implications for usJohn Swinney Speaking at the Scottish Council of Development and Industry (SCDI) annual forum in Edinburgh on Thursday, Mr Swinney said: We face an inescapable set of circumstances. However much we want to wish away the whole Brexit trauma it is with us and it has implications for us. There are a number of critical issues that will affect our economic performance that, if handled in the fashion that we fear they will be handled, will be very economically damaging to the country. The question that we then face is do we do anything about that or do we just accept that? And what the First Minister was doing yesterday was essentially encouraging people to think about, well do we do something about it or do we not? .@scotgov Deputy First Minister @JohnSwinney has opened the @SCDInews forum, outlining the @scotgov commitment to supporting business development and investment in Scotland. Follow #SCDIForum2019 for the latest. https://t.co/7BdLzs82Bm Scottish Government Finance and Economy (@scotgoveconomy) April 25, 2019 Questioned on the UK Governments refusal to grant a section 30 order to enable a further Scottish independence referendum to be held, Mr Swinney said: I dont currently think the UK Government looks particularly stable, if I may put it as delicately as that. I think theres a lot of water to go under the bridge about these questions, weve a lot of discussions to undertake with the UK Government and others on these questions but I dont think that should be viewed as the last word on the subject. Iran will not allow any country replace its oil sales in the global market, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said. "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not allow any country to replace Iran in the oil market. The United States and those countries will be responsible for any consequences," Fars news agency cited the minister saying. Mousavi stressed that he condemns Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for welcoming U.S. sanctions on Tehran. Washington has decided not to renew its exemptions from U.S. sanctions against Iran that it granted last year to buyers of Iranian oil. William meets with police and St John ambulance staff during a visit to New Zealand (Marty Melville/Pool Photo via AP) The Duke of Cambridge offered his support as a good friend of New Zealand as he met police and medics who were among the first on the scene of the devastating Christchurch mosque attacks. William, in New Zealand on a two-day trip on behalf of the Queen, spoke to first responders, officers and medics from St John Ambulance as he visited the citys Justice and Emergency Services Precinct. He also visited a young survivor of the attack who woke from a coma earlier this week in an Auckland hospital. Kensington Palace tweeted a video of the private meeting, in which the duke can be seen sitting at the bedside of five-year-old Alen Alsati at Starship Childrens Hospital. William also met Alens father Wasseim, who was also wounded in the mosque shootings. Describing Williams visit to the country as wonderful, New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said the emotion was palpable as the duke discovered more about how the shootings at two mosques unfolded. If I could use the words he used to our staff, a good friend doesnt pick up the phone when a person is in need they travel to their place and put their arms around them, he said. William meets with officers, first responders and members of St John Ambulance who dealt with the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings pic.twitter.com/4plYZCx9kl Ellie Cullen (@EllieCullenPA) April 25, 2019 Mr Bush said William was concerned with checking how those involved in the response were coping more than a month on from the tragedy. He was conscious about them needing to take care of themselves, he added. His main piece of advice was to talk to each other, to not bottle things up to support each other to talk about what they saw and what they do afterwards. There was a moment with all the first responders (where he was) just telling them how important their job was but also the importance of looking after themselves. When he said he was there to put his arms around us as a friend and offer support, that really had an impact on us. Expand Close William meets police chief Mike Bush (Marty Melville/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp William meets police chief Mike Bush (Marty Melville/AP) Mr Bush added that it was good to know that people as important as his royal highness really care about people who have to deal with such tragedies and those people who put their lives on the line to save others. As he arrived at the precinct, William asked staff about how the response was co-ordinated and how they put their training into practice in a real-life situation. Nothing really trains you for seeing it in real life, concluded the duke, who spent time as a pilot with the air ambulance service in East Anglia. Im sure the team pulls together, he said. The duke also asked how quickly officers and medical staff arrived at the scene, and how quickly the attacks unfolded. At the police headquarters, dozens of messages from the people of Christchurch young and old alike graced the corridors, thanking officers for keeping them safe after the shootings. Just a handful of letters from young and old alike thanking the New Zealand police for helping to keep them safe after the mosque shootings. The letters grace the walls of the police building in Christchurch. Very moving to read. pic.twitter.com/wAw6HxfxUU Ellie Cullen (@EllieCullenPA) April 25, 2019 Among them was a card signed by Sadie, which read: Thank you for helping to save all the people in the church. I think youre all very brave. Another said: You never give up and you never ever will give up trying to save NZ. Fifty people were killed and dozens wounded when a gunman opened fire during Friday prayers on March 15. William is due to meet survivors and their families, as well as Muslim community leaders as part of his visit. He began his trip in Auckland on Thursday, where he attended an Anzac Day memorial service. The devastation of the Christchurch shootings is still keenly felt across the country and was reflected on during the service at the citys war memorial. As a nation, we are still grieving for the loss, said Rear Admiral James Gilmour, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand. William, travelling without the Duchess of Cambridge or his three children, is visiting New Zealand at the request of prime minister Jacinda Ardern. Expand Close William shared a traditional Maori greeting with prime minister Jacinda Ardern (Mark Tantrum/New Zealand Government/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp William shared a traditional Maori greeting with prime minister Jacinda Ardern (Mark Tantrum/New Zealand Government/PA) It is not the first time William has been to Christchurch after a tragedy, with the duke also visiting after a devastating earthquake in 2011. Ms Ardern, who has been praised worldwide for her handling of the mosque attacks, said the duke had a close connection with New Zealand, and Christchurch in particular. His visit provides the opportunity to pay tribute to those affected by the mosque terrorist attacks and show support to the local and national community, she said. We welcome this visit by his royal highness and know it will bring comfort to those affected. The Duke of Cambridge has visited a young survivor of the Christchurch mosque attacks at her hospital bedside after she woke from a coma earlier this week. Five-year-old Alen Alsati was badly hurt in the shootings last month alongside her father Wasseim. She was visited by William at an Auckland hospital on Thursday as part of the dukes two-day visit to New Zealand. Kensington Palace tweeted a touching video of the private meeting, which showed William sitting on the edge of her bed at Starship Childrens Hospital. Do you have a daughter? Alen asked inquisitively. Yes, said William, shes called Charlotte. Shes about the same age as you. Alen and her father were among the dozens of people injured when a gunman opened fire during Friday prayers at two mosques on March 15. Fifty people were killed in the shootings. The Duke of Cambridge meets Muslim community leaders in Christchurch to thank them for their work bringing the community together following the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack. pic.twitter.com/HjCgNdDnM3 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 25, 2019 After meeting Alen, William flew to Christchurch to meet police and first responders who were among the first on the scene of the attacks. He later had a private meeting with Muslim community leaders, thanking them for bringing the community together after the tragedy. The duke is due to meet more of those affected by the attacks on the final day of his trip on Friday. The Duke of Cambridge was greeted with a traditional Maori nose rub from New Zealands prime minister as he visited a country still coming terms with the devastating mosque shootings. William, visiting the country on behalf of the Queen, performed the intimate greeting known as a hongi as he was warmly welcomed in Auckland by Jacinda Ardern. He began his two-day visit by attending an Anzac Day memorial service and will complete his trip in Christchurch to honour those affected by last months terrorist attack. Ms Ardern has said his visit will bring comfort to the people of New Zealand. On #AnzacDay The Duke of Cambridge attended the Civic Service at @AucklandMuseum in New Zealand, as we remember the servicemen and women of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who have served their nation in times of war. #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/84uwXxgYq1 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 25, 2019 The devastation of the shootings at two mosques during Friday prayers is still keenly felt in the country and was reflected on during the service at Aucklands war memorial. As a nation, we are still grieving for the loss, said Rear Admiral James Gilmour, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand. Describing the attacks as a cruel nightmare, he offered up prayers for the Christchurch community. Expand Close The Duke of Cambridge at the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (Mark Tantrum/New Zealand Government/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke of Cambridge at the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (Mark Tantrum/New Zealand Government/PA) William, dressed in a navy blue suit and wearing medals, joined dignitaries and a crowd of invited guests for the ceremony on the countrys national day of remembrance. After arriving at the citys war memorial, he was greeted with a traditional karanga, an exchange of calls that forms part of a powhiri, a Maori welcoming ceremony. He joined in a poignant rendition of hymn Abide With Me, with parts of it sung in the Maori language, before listening to a performance of Requiem for a Soldier. The duke laid a wreath at the cenotaph on behalf of the Queen, before Ms Ardern and Auckland mayor Phil Goff did the same. He joined the crowd in pausing for a minutes silence ahead of the national anthems of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. A fly past ahead of the national anthems of the UK, Australia and New Zealand being sung. pic.twitter.com/Q1Bf0yVPUf Ellie Cullen (@EllieCullenPA) April 25, 2019 William, travelling without the Duchess of Cambridge or his three children, is visiting New Zealand at the request of Ms Ardern after 50 people were killed and dozens others wounded in the mosque attacks on March 15. He is expected to meet survivors and their families, the first responders who dealt with the aftermath and Muslim community leaders during his short trip. Expand Close William lays a wreath during the Anzac Day service in Auckland (Brett Phibbs/SNPA via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp William lays a wreath during the Anzac Day service in Auckland (Brett Phibbs/SNPA via AP) It is not the first time William has visited Christchurch in the wake of a tragedy, with the duke also travelling to the country following a devastating earthquake in 2011. Ms Ardern, who has been praised worldwide for her handling of the mosque attacks, said the duke had a close connection with New Zealand and Christchurch in particular. His visit provides the opportunity to pay tribute to those affected by the mosque terrorist attacks and show support to the local and national community, she said. We welcome this visit by His Royal Highness and know it will bring comfort to those affected. A photo of Shaymaa Ismaaeel smiling in front of a group of anti-Islam protesters in Washington, DC (Shaymaa Ismaaeel) A Muslim woman has won praise for sending a message of positivity after a photo of her smiling in front of a group of anti-Islam protesters went viral. Shaymaa Ismaaeel, 24, was attending the Islamic Circle of North America conference in Washington, DC when she saw the protesters, and she knew she did not want to let the moment pass. She told the Press Association via email: I really wanted to combat their hatred with kindness honestly. I wanted them to see my face and simply walking by wasnt enough. Shaymaa, who is a behavioural therapist as well as a budding lifestyle YouTuber, explained she first saw the protesters as she arrived for the second day of the conference. The first thing I saw were the men with the signs on the street between the convention centre buildings, she said. The men were protesting against Islam as well as our Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Most people were very upset and didnt know how to embrace their presence. Some teens were getting upset, trying to approach the men. Most people just walked by without giving them any attention. It was on day three of the conference that Shaymaa got the photo, saying I smiled so hard in the picture and the man starting directing his speech toward me. Silly things like your face should be covered and you know its a cult when youre walking outside wearing pajamas.' But while Shaymaa saw the funny side, her friend did not. She felt that if she had seen this as a kid, she wouldnt want to wear hijab, said Shaymaa. She hoped the parents that day truly educated their children on the beauty of our religion and amazing person our Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) was. Former US vice president Joe Biden has formally joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest, declaring the soul of the nation at stake if President Donald Trump wins re-election. In a video posted on Twitter, Mr Biden focused on the 2017 deadly clash between white supremacists and counter protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia. Mr Biden noted Mr Trumps comments that there were some very fine people on both sides of the violent encounter, which left one woman dead. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Mr Biden said. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation who we are. The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020 https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2019 And I cannot stand by and watch that happen. The 76-year-old Mr Biden becomes an instant front-runner alongside Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, who is leading many polls and has proved to be a successful fundraiser. Among Democrats, Mr Biden has unmatched international and legislative experience, and he is among the best-known faces in US politics. Expand Close Joe Biden served as vice-president to Barack Obama (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe Biden served as vice-president to Barack Obama (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) He quickly racked up endorsements on Thursday morning, becoming the first Democrat running for president with the backing of more than one US senator. Still, Mr Biden must compete in a field that now spans at least 20 Democrats and has been celebrated for its racial and gender diversity. As an older white man with occasionally centrist views, Mr Biden has to prove hes not out of step with his party. He is betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obamas presidency will help him overcome those questions. Mr Biden has said he would campaign as an Obama-Biden Democrat, who is as pragmatic as he is progressive. Just minutes after the announcement, the Republicans lashed out against Mr Bidens record in the Obama administration, a line of attack in sharp contrast with recent criticism against other 2020 Democrats that has largely focused on them being too liberal, or even socialists. Bidens fingerprints are all over foreign policy blunders and the weakest economic recovery since World War II, Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Ahrens said. We dont need eight more years of Biden. Just ask President Obama, who isnt even endorsing his right-hand man. Mr Trump also weighed in with a trademark tweet, saying: Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! Expand Close Joe Biden is making his third bid for the presidency (Andrew Milligan/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe Biden is making his third bid for the presidency (Andrew Milligan/PA) While it is true that Mr Obama has not explicitly endorsed Mr Bidens bid, the former president took the unusual step of weighing in on Thursdays announcement through a spokeswoman. President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made, Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said. He relied on the vice presidents knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today. Privately, Trump allies have warned that Biden might be the biggest re-election threat given the former vice presidents potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Mr Trump a path to the presidency. While we're going to support the Democratic nominee, we can't let a so-called 'centrist' like Joe Biden divide the Democratic Party and turn it into the party of 'No, we cant.' Justice Democrats (@justicedems) April 25, 2019 Some Democrats also questioned Mr Bidens bid for the presidency, with the Justice Democrats group suggesting a new generation was needed to take back the keys to the Oval Office although they said whoever was nominated would win their support. The group tweeted: While were going to support the Democratic nominee, we cant let a so-called centrist like Joe Biden divide the Democratic Party and turn it into the party of No, we cant.' Mr Biden is paying special attention to Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Mr Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. The former vice president will be in the state three times within the opening weeks of his campaign. He will be in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast. Mr Biden is aiming to raise 500,000 dollars at the event. Expand Close Joe Biden talks with officials after a rally (Michael Dwyer/PA) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe Biden talks with officials after a rally (Michael Dwyer/PA) He will hold an event in Pittsburgh on Monday and will return to Philadelphia in the next two weeks for a major rally. He is scheduled to make his first media appearance as a 2020 presidential contender Friday morning on ABCs The View, a move that may help him make an appeal to women whose support will be crucial to winning the primary. As he neared his campaign launch, Mr Bidens challenges have come into greater focus. He struggled last month to respond to claims that he touched 2014 Nevada lieutenant governor nominee Lucy Flores shoulders and kissed the back of her head before a fall campaign event. A handful of other women have made similar claims, though none has alleged sexual misconduct. Mr Biden, a former US senator from Delaware, pledged in an online video to be much more mindful of respecting personal space but joked two days later that he had permission to hug a male union leader before addressing the groups national conference. Expand Close Donald Trump is the likely opponent for the winner of the Democratic primary (Evan Vucci/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump is the likely opponent for the winner of the Democratic primary (Evan Vucci/AP) Mr Biden also has been repeatedly forced to explain his 1991 decision, as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, to allow Anita Hill to face difficult questions from an all-male panel about allegations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, who later was confirmed to the high court. He has since apologised for his role in the hearing. But in the #MeToo era, particularly after the contentious confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the episode remains a significant political liability. Likewise, Mr Biden once played a key role in anti-crime legislation that had a disproportionately negative impact on African Americans. Joe Biden has no business running for president again. Just ask President Obama, whos chosen *not* to endorse his right-hand man. Biden has been losing presidential bids for decades 2020 wont be any different. Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) April 25, 2019 And while several 2020 Democratic contenders have embraced the possibility of reparations to African Americans for slavery in recent weeks, Mr Biden last month struggled to explain comments he made as a freshman senator in 1975 about the school bus debate. His first White House bid in 1988 ended after a plagiarism scandal in which he lifted an earlier speech by then Labour leader Neil Kinnock without acknowledgement. Whole sentences from Mr Kinnocks speech, as well as glaring similarities in syntax and ideas, seeped into Mr Bidens stump speech and his campaign ground to a halt. It also emerged that he had used an unattributed quote from Robert Kennedy, president John F Kennedys brother, and there was another accusation of plagiarism while he was in law school. He dropped out of the 2008 race after earning less than 1% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses. Later that year, Mr Obama named Mr Biden as his running mate. Thursdays summit reflects Russias effort to position itself as an essential player (AP/Dmitri Lovetsky, Evan Vucci, File) Russian president Vladimir Putin has arrived at Vladivostok for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The summit on Thursday reflects Russias effort to position itself as an essential player in the North Korean nuclear standoff. Mr Kims first trip to Russia comes about two months after his second summit with Donald Trump, which failed because of disputes over US-led sanctions on the North. The Russian and Korean leaders are set to have a one-on-one meeting at the Far Eastern State University on Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok. Expand Close Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday aboard his armoured train (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday aboard his armoured train (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) The meeting will be followed by broader talks involving officials from both sides. Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday aboard his armoured train, saying upon arrival that he is hoping for a successful and useful visit. It is Mr Kims first visit to Russia as North Korean leader; his late father, Kim Jong Il, visited Russia in 2011. The North Korean leader evoked his fathers great love for Russia and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. Mr Putins foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian media the summit would focus on North Koreas nuclear programme, noting that Russia will seek to consolidate the positive trends stemming from Mr Trumps meetings with Mr Kim. Expand Close Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement (AP/Evan Vucci, File) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement (AP/Evan Vucci, File) In February, Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement because of disputes over US-led sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the US and North Korea, although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Mr Kim wants the US to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the US maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearisation moves. Expand Close Some experts say Mr Kim could try to bolster his countrys ties with Russia and China (Naoya Osato/Kyodo News via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Some experts say Mr Kim could try to bolster his countrys ties with Russia and China (Naoya Osato/Kyodo News via AP) Some experts say Mr Kim could try to bolster his countrys ties with Russia and China. Others say it is not clear how big of a role Russia can play in efforts to restart the nuclear negotiations. Still, the summit could allow Mr Putin to try to increase his influence in regional politics and the standoff over North Koreas nuclear programme. Amal al-Zein, an activist who was detained under former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, attends a protest in Khartoum, Sudan (Salih Basheer/AP) The organisers of the protests that drove Sudans President Omar al-Bashir from power are delaying their announcement of a transitional civilian government as they hold new negotiations with the ruling military council. The protesters suspended talks with the military last weekend, saying key figures in the council were too close to Mr al-Bashir. Expand Close Rapid support forces guard the entrance of the military headquarters during a sit-in protest outside in Khartoum, Sudan (Salih Bashir/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rapid support forces guard the entrance of the military headquarters during a sit-in protest outside in Khartoum, Sudan (Salih Bashir/AP) But on Wednesday they resumed negotiations, and three members of the council resigned from their posts, apparently in response the protesters demands. The Sudanese Professionals Association, which spearheaded the protests, had planned to announce a transitional civilian government at a mass rally on Thursday. But Ahmed Rabie, a senior member of the group, says it will delay the announcement and instead focus on forming different committees to hold talks with the military. Last Thursday, journalist Lyra McKee was murdered in the Creggan area of Londonderry by a republican gunman, a member of the faction known as the New IRA. The murder took place in the midst of a riot, which was orchestrated to prevent PSNI searches for New IRA weaponry and in which republican youths pelted PSNI officers with petrol bombs and other missiles. There was widespread revulsion over the murder and politicians from across the political spectrum condemned it. Indeed, Irish justice minister, Charlie Flanagan TD, went further and warned of "the dangerous radicalisation of young people". He said: "What is very worrying is a trend across Northern Ireland - and we've seen it in Derry in particular - where there is something of a dangerous radicalisation of young people in Northern Ireland." He was absolutely right in identifying a serious problem and he was right in saying that it is a problem across Northern Ireland, but when it came to identifying the causes of the problem he was very wide of the mark. Flanagan said: "That, to my mind, is a direct result of what is a political vacuum, having regard to the fact that it's over two years now since we had institutions of government in Northern Ireland." Well, if that is how he sees it, he has very little understanding of northern republicanism. Dissident republicans rely heavily on radicalising and recruiting young people. However, radicalising and recruiting did not start with the collapse of Stormont in 2017 and so cannot be explained as being "a direct result" of the absence of devolution. The radicalising of young nationalists is not new and has been a feature of republicanism for many generations. Kevin Barry was initiated into the IRA at the age of 15 and he was 18 when he was arrested in 1920 for the murder of a British soldier who was younger than himself. A generation later, Tom Williams was only 17 when he joined the IRA and he was 18 when he was arrested for the murder of a Catholic policeman. So, when republicans sing a sentimental song about Kevin Barry as "a lad of 18 summers" and when they honour "brave Tom Williams", they are holding up teenage gunmen as role models for another generation of young nationalists. More recently, from the early-1970s, the Provisional IRA provided arms training to members of Fianna Eireann, the junior wing of the IRA. David McAuley, from Ardoyne, was just 14 when he was killed in 1972 as a result of an accidental shooting at a Provisional IRA training camp in the Republic. Indeed, some years later, Sinn Fein councillor Conor Maskey delivered a tribute to David McAuley, saying that he engaged in "armed struggle" and "died as a result of an accident with a weapon". The "dangerous radicalisation of young people" which Charlie Flanagan spoke about is nothing new and, sadly, the lessons of the past have not been learned. Today, dissident republican organisations such as Saoradh continue to radicalise a new generation of young people in order to recruit them. Indeed, there are some parallels with jihadist grooming of young Muslims. But they are not alone. Sinn Fein continues to radicalise a new generation of young people, believing that it will help to build their party. They are seeking to radicalise and mobilise young people to become party activists, but at the same time they further polarise society. Moreover, while Sinn Fein continue to glorify the "dead IRA volunteers", they are also creating an enabling environment for the dissident godfathers who want to recruit people into the ranks of the gunmen and the bombers. While Sinn Fein persist in honouring the Provisional IRA, while Sinn Fein politicians think it right to name a children's playground after an IRA gunman, while a new Sinn Fein president takes over the role with a shout of "Up the rebels", while republicans continue to feed young people a perversion of history and a diet of hate rather than hope, then some young people in each new generation will take up the gun. Lyra McKees funeral in Belfast yesterday was like one accorded to a head of state. In attendance were the Prime Minister and leader of the Opposition at Westminster, Northern Irelands party leaders, and the Republics President and Taoiseach. St Annes Cathedral was packed to overflowing by people from all sections of the community, all faiths and none, and all sexual orientations. Lyra was not just a 29-year-old journalist murdered by terrorists; she was an important voice for the ceasefire generation of young people. She articulated their frustration that the promise of the Good Friday Agreement has not been delivered by the cynical and pained generations who lived through the Troubles and for whom the past is present every day. And it was fitting that, although Lyras voice was stilled by a terrorists bullet just hours before Good Friday and the 21st anniversary of the signing of that accord, others took up her calls for a new beginning for a province still riven by divided loyalties and tribal politics. Fr Martin Magill, a friend of Lyra, brought the congregation to its feet and sent a standing ovation rippling through the cathedral and out into the crowds packing the street with his direct challenge to the politicians: Why in Gods name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get to this point? The point may have been made many times in the past in other tragic circumstances, but this time the Northern Ireland party leaders were caught in the unwavering glare of the television cameras near the front pews and it was clear that the priests comments made uncomfortable listening. How Lyra would have loved that moment. Her effervescent smile would have lit up the entire cathedral at the politicians unease. But it was not just the politicians who Fr Magill challenged. He urged the New IRA to take the road of non-violence to seek its aims and asked it to listen to the majority of people on this island, who are calling on the group to stop its violence. We can all play a part in making sure that happens. As the Chief Constable pointed out, there has been unprecedented assistance from the public to police investigating the killing. More is needed. The funeral, which lasted almost two hours, also touched on the qualities that made Lyra such a force of nature for one so young. And it was evident that her Christian impulses of generosity towards others, supporting those suffering victimisation or discrimination or driven to suicidal despair, lit a torch that her legion of friends are determined to carry on. The cynics among us who have seen hopes of a sea change in attitudes be dashed on the rocks of historic distrust may be confounded this time by the ceasefire generation, who want a better life and a more united Northern Ireland than we have yet managed to give them. Two forthcoming elections will not create fertile ground for new seeds of hope to grow in the anticipated all-party talks aimed at restoring devolution, but even if the politicians cannot reach agreement willingly, perhaps they can be shamed into doing so. However, we cannot lay the blame for Lyras death at politics. The New IRA was in existence when Stormont was functioning. What is certain is terrorism does not work, it leads to a coffin in someones front room, but rarely is that the terrorists own front room. In addition to the fact that limousine travel is very glamorous, it is also the most comfortable trip you can... Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran is not seeking confrontation with the United States, but will not escape defending itself The Iranian diplomat does not believe U.S. President Donald Trump wants war with Iran, but said that Trump could be lured into a conflict. "I dont think he wants war, Zarif said at the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York. "But that doesnt exclude him being basically lured into one," Reuters cited him as saying. ZArif said that those who have designed the policies that are being pursued do not want a negotiated solution. Twenty-one years on from the Good Friday Agreement, it is clear that Northern Ireland does not have the settled and just peace that we expected. This was clear before the terrible murder of Lyra McKee, but it is even more clear now. That tragedy has amplified the sense in which progress has stalled, or worse. Northern Ireland society has made far too little progress over the last 21 years. Society remains, to a large extent, segregated; suicide rates are terribly high; far too many children leave school without the basic and life skills they need; drug dependence is widespread; poverty rates are high; our economy is too small; where economic improvement takes place the benefits are not spread across all of Northern Ireland; thousands of our teenagers feel forced to leave every year to make a better life elsewhere. And, of course, we still have murders carried out by paramilitaries. None of this is acceptable. The next few weeks need to be a period of reflection. If we keep doing what we have done, the same outcome is likely. We must break out of the cycle. Coincidentally, a series of podcasts was launched on Good Friday in which leading figures in Northern Ireland and the Republic consider how we can move ahead; indeed, the series is called Forward Together. We asked sensible people sensible questions: "How do we strengthen civic society?"; "How do we achieve a shared and integrated society?"; "How do we deal with the past and do so in ways that achieve reconciliation?"; and "How do we address the constitutional question without generating division?" Remarkably, responses have been wide-ranging, and all being positive. The answers have been imaginative and different, rather than being repetitions of the same few suggestions. Happily, only one person approached declined to be interviewed. People who have themselves thought long and hard about how we fully put the Troubles behind us have been keen to share their thoughts. In that first Good Friday podcast, Bishop Ken Good, the Church of Ireland bishop of the cross-border diocese of Derry and Raphoe, emphasised the Christian message of forgiveness and repentance, urging other Christians to practice this principle. He also expressed his frustration at how our political system and the media culture emphasise division, rather than focusing on the points of consensus. Former UUP leader and former Victims' Commissioner Mike Nesbitt, in the second podcast interview, considered the future of unionism. He concluded that a civic unionist movement needs to be created that is parallel to the emerging civic nationalist movement that was displayed at the recent Beyond Brexit event at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Mike contemplated how this might lead to a positive coming-together of civic unionism and civic nationalism. In tomorrow's third podcast interview, Avila Kilmurray, a co-founder of the Women's Coalition, argues that civic society organisations have been undervalued. She argues that "civil society in many ways was the backbone of society in the 70s, 80s, 90s", but the strength of that experience is being drained away. Avila suggests that the lack of trust placed today by politicians in civil society is, in fact, a reflection of their lack of self-confidence. We are releasing two podcasts a week for a period of around three months - more than 30 interviews have been conducted. Each is very different and each contains ideas that warrant discussion. Next week, Frances Black, a senator in the Oireachtas, a famous singer and with family roots in Rathlin Island, considers the relationship between the Troubles, addiction and serious social problems. Across those 30-plus interviews, many well-known voices will be heard. They include Linda Ervine, a unionist who is also an Irish language activist; Professor Jim Dornan, who was key in developing some aspects of cross-border healthcare; Peter Sheridan of Co-operation Ireland and a former senior RUC officer; and Maeve McLaughlin of "the Derry Model". Political voices include independent unionist MLA Claire Sugden; Green Party leader Clare Bailey; DUP former finance minister Simon Hamilton; and Sinn Fein former finance minister Mairtin O Muilleoir. We also interviewed three writers who have researched the past to ask them what they have learnt from their work and what the wider society can learn from past events and their impact. If there was one message I expected to hear from the interviews, it was the importance of integrated education. Instead, I heard caution from Bishop Ken Good, who warned that "to talk about the magic bullet of 'educate them together and everything will be fine' is too simplistic". Rather, the impression I have been left with is the commonality of the experience of the Troubles. Communities that identified differently, in fact, had very similar experiences of tragedies, deaths and deprivation. If that commonality of experience could be accepted, then greater progress might be achieved. And across loyalist, unionist, nationalist and republican voices, there was a respect for the use of citizens' assemblies in the Republic. Serious consideration needs to be given to how citizens' assemblies might be adopted more widely in Northern Ireland to address the very many problems we are facing and which are felt across the sectarian divide in similar ways. I recently attended a talk organised by the Wave Trauma Centre, where survivors of the Troubles talked about their disabilities and the loss of close family members. School pupils attended from a range of colleges. One of the pupils said how deeply he had been affected by this experience and how much better it would be if schools taught history in ways that showed the personal damage caused by past violence, rather than focusing only on the political disagreements related to different identities. If more of us could recognise those similarities and the human impact of division, perhaps we could achieve much faster progress towards healing. That might sound optimistic, but there is probably no real alternative. The Forward Together series of podcasts can be heard though the Holywell Trust peace and reconciliation charity's website (www.holywelltrust.com) and the Slugger O'Toole website (https://sluggerotoole.com). They are funded by the media grant scheme of the Community Relations Council for Northern Ireland (www.community-relations.org.uk) The Ten Plagues which are recorded in the book of Exodus are the disasters God sent the Egyptians when Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews go free and allow them to worship God. Unfortunately, Pharaoh didnt let the Hebrews go free and Egypt suffered extreme devastation as a result of the ten plagues. Ultimately, the plagues represent Gods power over the gods of Egypt and Pharaoh. Moses played a major role in Exodus and in the deliverance of the Israelites. We know from Scripture that Moses lived to be 120 years old, but it wasnt until he was 80 years old that God called him to lead His people out of Egypt. When Moses was 80 years old, God told him to return to Egypt and He would free the Israelites from slavery. God gave Moses specific directions on what to say and do. Moses was also told ahead of time that Pharaoh would not let the people go first, but finally after 10 plagues fell on the Egyptians, Pharaoh sent for Moses and told him to take the Israelites out of Egypt. The Plagues of Egypt included blood, frogs, lice, wild animals or flies, pestilence of livestock, boils, thunderstorms of hail and fire, locusts, darkness for three days and death of first born. We know from Exodus that the first plague lasted for seven days, the ninth plague lasted for three days and the 10th was for one night, beginning at midnight. We arent told in Scripture how long the other seven plagues lasted but they were likely not much longer than these. Many have questioned whether science can explain the plagues of Egypt. The question of whether Bible stories can be linked to archaeological discoveries has fascinated scholars for centuries. The Ten Plagues are not excluded from this. Throughout history, scientists have been curious about whether the story of the plagues are based on some event that can be proved to have happened. Science has come up with a number of major theories. Recently, there has been a wave of four biblical plagues. This has many people wondering if the remaining six will soon strike. According to Jewish tradition, all of the plagues that struck Egypt will reappear before the final redemption. Here are four signs the ten plagues are reappearing. The Plague of Blood The Bible talks about the first plague in Exodus 7:20 which says, Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. Recently, there were signs of the first plague appearing with water turning to blood. There were several cases of rivers turning blood-red reported in different spots around the world according to Breaking Israel News. The Plague of Hail There were also signs of the seventh plague hail recently with hail showing up in many unexpected locations. Some of these included Saudi Arabia which was hit by base-ball sized hail and Swaziland, South Africa where the hail was so intense that it killed a herd of cows. What really caught attention was the biblical mix of fire and ice that struck in Australia as ice storms. The Bible addresses this in Exodus 9:22 which says, Hashem said to Moshe, Hold out your arm toward the sky that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, upon man and beast and all the grasses of the field in the land of Egypt. The Plague of Locusts Recently, Saudi Arabia was hit with a massive infestation of bugs, specifically locusts which is the eighth plague. While natural causes were blamed for the insects appearance, the images of locusts were quickly connected with the plague. Exodus 10:15 speaks of the eight plague which says. They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field through all the land of Egypt. The Plague of Darkness The final plague that has recently appeared is darkness. Exodus 10:21 speaks of this plague when it says, Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt. In 2017, the total solar eclipse that crossed the continental U.S. was followed by one of the most catastrophic hurricane seasons that weve seen in our nations history. Following this, there was a lunar eclipse that passed over the country with major biblical significance. When the Israelites ultimately left Egypt, they had a very clear picture of the magnitude of God and His power. They also could see Gods protection and plan for then. For all of those who were willing to believe, they had evidence that they served not only a true God but also a living God. For those who failed to believe (and many did), the plagues of Egypt and the initial trials led to other lessons by God. We know what the signs pointed to then. What do you think these signs are pointing to? At least 225 Indonesian polling station workers and 16 police officers died mainly from exhaustion when the worlds largest Muslim-majority nation held its simultaneous presidential, legislative and local elections last week, officials said Thursday. The stunning death toll prompted calls for the legislative and presidential elections to be held separately, as April 17 marked the first time that Indonesians voted for all offices in a single day. This is higher than the overall death toll of 150 during the 2014 elections when the legislative and presidential elections were held three months apart, KPU commissioner Evi Novida Ginting Manik told BenarNews. The majority of deaths were reportedly due to exhaustion resulting from heavy workload, she said, adding 1,470 other workers were stricken ill. Almost 81 percent of 192 million eligible Indonesians voted in last weeks polls, electing a president, 575 members of the House of Representatives, 136 members of the Regional Representative Council and almost 20,000 members of local legislatures in 548 provinces, districts and municipalities, officials said. More than 7 million workers were deployed nationwide and 245,000 candidates participated, according to the elections commission. National police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said only eight officers died during the 2014 election period. Exhaustion is the main cause, resulting from working long hours, Dedi told reporters. The commission has proposed compensation of up to 36 million rupiah ($2,500) for surviving families and up to 30 million ($2,100) each for those suffering permanent disability. While results have not been declared official, incumbent President Joko Jokowi Widodo has claimed victory based on the results of quick counts that showed him with a 10-percentage point lead over challenger Prabowo Subianto. The Australia-based Lowy Institute, an independent and nonpartisan think-tank, described the vote as the worlds biggest direct presidential elections (because the U.S. uses an electoral college) and one of the most complicated single-day elections in global history. [T]he scale of Indonesias electoral process is mind-boggling, with five separate elections at once, for the president, both houses of parliament, provincial legislatures and district/city councils, it said, noting that the 2019 parliamentary elections in India, the worlds most populous democracy, were being staged over six weeks in April and May. 2013 ruling A 2013 Constitutional Court ruling in favor of a citizens groups petition demanding simultaneous elections on cost-saving grounds led to the one-day vote on April 17. Titi Anggraini, executive director of the Association for Elections and Democracy, expressed hopes that the executive branch and the parliament would review the simultaneous elections. Because the scheme is very unreasonable in terms of workload. This is beyond a persons normal work capacity, Titi told BenarNews, while proposing national legislative election be held separately from the elections for provincial and municipal councils. Legislator Ahmad Riza Patria said the parliament would conduct a review. As this was the first time the elections were held simultaneously, we have a lot of evaluation to do, Ahmad Riza told the Detik.com news website. Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said he is open to separate legislative and presidential elections, but there should be discussions with parliament leaders. This is a political issue. It cannot be discussed at the policy level, Moeldoko said. Malaysian police officers escort Sim Wei Der (second from left) to a court in Johor, Malaysia, April 25, 2019. A Singapore man pleaded not guilty Thursday to pollution charges related to a toxic chemical dump that sickened more than 2,700 people and shut down dozens of schools in Johor state last month. Sim Wei Der entered the plea in Johor Bahru Sessions Court and was freed on 250,000 ringgit (U.S. $60,000) bail, officials said. Sim, who is scheduled to return to court on May 23, could be sentenced up to five years in jail and a maximum fine of 500,000 ringgit ($120,000), if he is found guilty on two charges under the Environmental Quality Act of 1974. Another Singaporean and two Malaysians were charged previously with similar offenses. Johor Deputy Police Chief Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said Sim, who is a director of a used tire processing company, surrendered to the Malaysian authorities on Wednesday at police headquarters in Pasir Gudang. The 49-year-old Singapore man was arrested, Mohd Kamarudin said. He was subsequently detained at the police lockup facility in Seri Alam. Sim and the others allegedly disposed oily sludge into the Sungai Kim Kim River on March 7 without written permission from the director-general of the Department of Environment, according to the charge sheet filed Thursday. Their action resulted in a chemical disaster around the town of Pasir Gudang, causing 111 schools to close and more than 2,700 people to seek medical treatment after being exposed to toxic fumes, prosecutors said. Benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene and d-limonene were found in samples taken from the river, the Department of Environment said. The World Health Organization reported such solvents are suspected carcinogens and could cause anemia and reduce white blood cells, according to the American Oil & Gas Reporter magazine. Yeo Bee Yin, minister of environment, science, technology and climate change, said 6.4 million ringgit ($1.5 million) had been spent cleaning a 1.5-km (1-mile) section of the river around the disposal site. The 6.4-million ringgit was just for cleaning and does not include the cost for personnel and others, she told reporters last month. State petroleum company Petronas and the military sent machinery and experts to help clean the river, which was declared safe on April 19, officials said. Singapore concerns Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong raised concerns about the polluted water during a retreat in Putrajaya with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on April 9. Lee asked about the cleanliness of rivers, including the Johor River, which serves as a water supply to his nation. Under a water deal signed in 1962, Malaysia sells Singapore water from the Johor River at less than one U.S. penny per 1,000 gallons, the South China Morning Post reported in September 2018. The report noted that 60 percent of Singapores water needs are supplied under the agreement. If the Johor River experiences the same occurrence as in Sungai Kim Kim the other day, its impact would be catastrophic for both countries, Lee said during the retreat. Chinese police stand guard in Beijing as world leaders attend a conference on One Belt, One Road infrastructure initiative, April 25, 2019. Southeast Asian and world leaders gathered in Beijing on Thursday for the three-day One Belt, One Road (OBOR) forum, aiming to reap economic deals amid Chinas unprecedented moves to assert its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad were among the leaders or diplomats from three dozen countries who have landed in the Chinese capital to participate in the second summit focusing on Chinas infrastructure-building initiative OBOR, aides told BenarNews. Indonesian leader Joko Jokowi Widodo, who attended the forums first edition in 2017, had been expected to attend the gathering but decided to stay home to tend to domestic issues as he awaits official election results following last weeks presidential election, aides said. Duterte was expected to sign bilateral agreements, his officials said, but a dispute over Beijings moves in the South China Sea threaten to hijack the agenda for his trip. The Philippine leader held talks Thursday with his counterpart Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, during which the Chinese leader reaffirmed his commitment to strengthen political and economic relations with Manila, officials said. Were happy that China and Philippine relations are getting better and better. I treat Mr. President as a good friend, a genuine friend and trustful partner, said Xi, referring to Duterte, according to transcripts made available to the Filipino media. In other action Thursday, Southeast Asian leaders and envoys witnessed the signing of trade deals with China, including Mahathir who was with his counterpart Li Keqiang when Malaysia inked a memorandum that would increase Chinas palm oil imports from Kuala Lumpur. China is one of Malaysias largest buyers of palm oil, after the European Union and India. Kuala Lumpur exported 3 million tons of palm oil valued at 8.4 billion ringgit (U.S. $2 billion) to China last year. Thursdays deal would increase exports by 1.9 million tons during a five-year period starting this year, officials said. Dutertes meeting with Xi occurred barely three weeks after the Philippine leader warned China to stay away from Philippine-occupied territories in the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the mineral-rich South China Sea, including areas that reach the shores of its smaller neighbors. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have overlapping claims. China said on Thursday that it had complained to France after a French warship entered Chinese territorial waters while passing through the Taiwan Strait on April 7. The complaint appear to illustrate how China is willing to permit assertions of its territorial claims to affect ties with nations from outside the region, according to the Associated Press. Protest filed Dutertes visit came as his administration filed a diplomatic protest against China for alleged swarming of Chinese militia ships near Pag-asa, an island in the contested sea region occupied by Philippine forces. Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday that Manila has already asked China to exercise self-restraint and keep its military forces at an appropriate distance from Pag-asa. The Chinese position is opposite, they claim all of the Spratlys. So we have basic differences but we have agreed that we should deal with these differences through peaceful and diplomatic means, he said. Former Philippine leader Benigno Aquino III had taken Beijing to the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea. The court ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016 after Duterte succeeded him as president. Indonesia says OBOR projects must be profit-oriented Indonesias coordinating ministry for maritime affairs said last month it had proposed 28 development projects with estimated value of $91 billion under the OBOR infrastructure initiative. On Thursday, Jokowis government said any infrastructure project under OBOR should be profitable and not add to government debt. Jokowi has made improving the countrys dilapidated infrastructure a priority during his first term, but opposition members ahead of last weeks election had accused him of having a penchant for debt and being too cozy with China. Projects must be profit-oriented. If theyre not profitable, they will not be implemented," Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told reporters. OBOR, Chinese President Xi Jinpings signature policy, is an estimated U.S. $1 trillion-plus initiative that stretches across 70 countries. It aims to weave a network of railways, ports and bridges, linking China with Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia. The initiative has drawn criticism abroad, amid accusations that China is engaging in a debt-trap diplomacy by extending excessive credit with the alleged intention of extracting economic or political concessions from the debtor country. Economists contend that the initiative forces emerging economies to take on unsustainable levels of debt to fund Beijing-backed projects. They highlight concerns by pointing out that a Chinese state-owned company took over the majority stake in Sri Lankas Hambantota port after Colombo struggled to repay its loans from China. Meanwhile, a China-backed hydropower project in Indonesia already is under the spotlight amid concerns that it could threaten the worlds rarest orangutan species. The U.S. $1.6 billion hydropower plant in the Batang Toru rainforest on Sumatra Island will divide the habitat of about 800 Tapanuli orangutan and increase the risk of their extinction, environmental groups and scientists have said. Another project, a railway linking the city of Bandung in West Java and the capital Jakarta, which has seen projected costs rise to U.S. $5.9 billion (85.6 trillion rupiah), is being constructed by a consortium led by China Railway International. Jokowi launched the project in early 2016 to much fanfare, but construction was delayed for about two years. Previously approved projects involving China include a hydroelectric project in North Kalimantan located in the Indonesian section of Borneo estimated to cost U.S. $25 billion (363 trillion rupiah) and a series of coal-fired power plants estimated to cost U.S. $12 billion (174 trillion rupiah). Sino-Indonesian trade grew almost tenfold from 2003 to 2010 alone, when the volume reached U.S. $36.1 billion (524 trillion rupiah), according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, a Canada-based independent think-tank. Thailand signs memorandum with Laos and China On Thursday, Thailands minister of transportation, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, signed a three-party memorandum of cooperation with Laos and China to build a railway bridge over the Mekong River to link Thailands high-speed train network with its rail segment in Laos. Arkhom inked the deal at Beijings National Convention Center with Hu Zucai, vice chairman of Chinas National Development and Reform Commission, and Bounchanh Sinthavong, Laos transport minister, according to a Thai ministry press statement issued in Bangkok. Noah Lee in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. Government cracks down on used machinery Updated: 09:51 - 25/04/2019 The Government has issued a decision on the import of used machinery, equipment and technological lines__Photo: VNA Vietnam has banned imports of used machinery, equipment and production line technology aged more than 10 years.The age limitation was regulated in the Governmental Decision No. 18/2019/QD-TTg on import of used machinery, equipment and production line technology.The decision was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and will take effect from June 15, 2019, replacing regulations in circular No 23/2015/TT-BKHCN issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2015.The ban aims to stop outdated, poor quality, polluting and unsafe used machinery, equipment and production line technology being used in the country.Only used machinery, equipment and production line technology directly serving production in Vietnam will be imported to the country.In addition, they must be manufactured in accordance with a National Technical Regulation (QCVN) or Vietnams Standard (TCVN) or Standards of G7 countries and the Republic of Korea with regard to safety, energy saving and environmental protection.The imported used production line technology must have capacity of at least 85 percent of their designed capacity and energy. Their consumption of materials, fuel and energy can't exceed 15 percent of designed consumption.The Ministry of Science and Technology will be responsible for announcing the lists of used machinery, equipment and production line technology that other countries have banned.- Filipino activists wear costumes mimicking shipping containers filled with garbage to call attention on a large shipment of trash from Canada, as they demonstrate outside the Canadian embassy in the Philippines financial district of Makati, May 7, 2015. The Philippines and Canada were locked in a dispute over garbage Thursday, two days after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened war if Canadian officials refuse to take back tons of waste shipped in batches from Ottawa to Manila five years ago. Canadas envoy to the Philippines, John Holmes, said Thursday that his government was committed to resolving the issue of more than 100 shipping containers filled with household trash, such as plastic bottles, bags and used adult diapers that were shipped to Manila between 2013 and 2014. Holmes statement came after Duterte, in a meeting with local officials on Tuesday after visiting areas devastated by an earthquake in the northern province of Pampanga, burst out in anger and threatened extreme steps if Canada does not take back its trash. I want a boat prepared. Ill give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail, I will throw it in Canada, Duterte said, according to official transcripts released by his office. Lets quarrel with Canada. I will declare war against them. We can face them, he said. I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to. The outspoken Philippine leader, who styles himself as a tough anti-crime crusader, is known to spew out outlandish threats and often prefaces with remarks with son-of-a-b h. He had once threatened to ride a jetski and plant the country's flag in disputed South China Sea islands, later clarifying that he made the statement in jest. Holmes said he was shocked by Dutertes rants, which were aired nationwide over state-run television. He said Canada had been working on the possible return of the garbage. Thats why, frankly, I was surprised by the comments because we are working closely with the government of the Philippines to resolve this issue, Holmes told reporters. I wont comment on the specific words of the president or his tone, but I will say this, our prime minister committed and has recommitted to resolving this issue, including taking the waste back to Canada, Holmes said, referring to Canadian leader Justin Trudeau. In a statement issued after Dutertes threat was made public, the Canadian Embassy in Manila said a joint technical working group, consisting of officials from both countries, was examining ways to properly remove the waste from the Philippines. No specifics, however, were given. Canada is strongly committed to collaborating with the Government of the Philippines to resolve this issue and is aware of the court decision ordering the importer to ship the material back to Canada, it said. Ottawa had earlier said it could not compel a private shipper to return the garbage to Canada. In 2015, Philippine lawmakers claimed that at least 26 shipping containers of the trash had been dumped in a private landfill in Capas town in Tarlac province, north of Manila. A Philippine customs official stands next to a shipping container filled with garbage that was returned to Seoul after it was shipped to a port in the southern Philippines from South Korea, Jan. 13, 2019. [Froilan Gallardo/BenarNews] Dutertes spokesman: Relations tested by garbage issue Reacting on Canadas statement, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said that the 70-year diplomatic relations between the two countries was being tested by the garbage issue. We take note that its response is not appropriate to the strong statement we made against its throwing its garbage to our land. Our stand against its making our country a garbage bin of their waste is non-negotiable. It cannot dilly-dally on its getting them back, Panelo said. It must retrieve them pronto or we throw them back to its shores. Its offensive act cannot be countenanced and any further discussion on the matter is unwelcome and unnecessary, he said, emphasizing that Canada had not issued an expression of regret. The verbal clash between the two nations occurred a year after Duterte cancelled a multimillion-dollar agreement to buy 16 military helicopters from a Canada-based manufacturer after Trudeaus government expressed concerns they could be used in anti-insurgency operations. Recently, EcoWaste Coalition, a group of environmentalists, wrote Trudeau and his environment minister, Catherine McKenna, asking them to act on the trash scandal. The dumping of Canadian wastes in the Philippines is immoral and illegal. We respectfully request that the Canadian government provide a clear and definite date by which it will repatriate its garbage, so that this protracted ordeal can finally be promptly ended, said Aileen Lucero, EcoWaste Coalitions national coordinator. In 2016, a court in Manila ordered the private importers, the Chronic Plastics Inc., the Valenzuela-based consignee, to ship the 2,500 tons of waste back to Canada. Mark Navales in Cotabato City contributed to this report. Thai officials inspect the site where a man was shot dead in Bunnung Sata, a district in Yala. April 25, 2019. Three people, including the son of an alleged police informant killed by militants two years ago, were shot to death and two women were injured Thursday in three separate attacks in the insurgent-wrecked Deep South, according to police officials. The attack came a day after Peter Haymond, the charge daffairs for the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, made his first trip to a university campus in Pattani, where he told reporters he wished the regions warring factions could stop the violence. Police said the first shooting occurred Thursday morning in Ban Sanambin village in Yala, when Amri Kuteh, 36, was riding back home on his motorcycle after working as a rubber tapper. At least two gunmen riding on a motorcycle flanked Amri and shot him with a 9 mm pistol into the head and he fell to the ground, said Lt. Capt. Nattawut Petchsatit, an investigator at Bunnang Sata police station. A police official who requested anonymity told BenarNews that Amris father was a high-profile police informant who was killed in a bomb and gun attack two years ago. Amri is the son of Ahamakuding Kuteh, who helped police hunt down many insurgents. I believe the insurgents carried out the attack in order to exact revenge against his father, the official said. The second attack occurred before dusk when Pathompong Kaewthong, a soldier, was shot in the head as he rode on a motorcycle with his wife in Saiburi, a district in Pattani, police said. He was pronounced dead at Kapo Hospital while his wife survived a bullet wound to her leg, a hospital official said. A few minutes later at a marketplace in Yarang, another district in Pattani, gunmen opened fire on an ice cream vendor, killing him and injuring another woman, police said, adding that the attackers managed to escape. No one, including Thailands most powerful insurgent group Barisan Revolusi Nasional, has claimed responsibility for any of Thursdays attacks. Since the beginning of the year, at least 44 people have died in the Deep South and at least 48 more were injured in violent attacks, according official reports obtained by BenarNews. About 7,000 people were killed since the violence reignited in Muslim-dominant Malay speaking region in 2004. The Thai government has unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate a peace settlement with the insurgent umbrella group MARA Patani since 2013. Haymond, who visited the campus of Prince of Songkla University in Pattani province on Wednesday, said U.S. officials would like to conduct projects to support young Muslims in the region. I hope when there is a new government, the negotiating partners succeed for the benefit of the Deep South and elsewhere, Haymond told reporters. Is the German embassy in Washington, D.C. lobbying for Russias energy and foreign policy? In March of this year, Emily Haber, the German ambassador to the US, wrote controversial letters to several Members of Congress. Over two pages, the German top diplomat opposes the tightening of the American sanctions policy against Russia. She asks the Senators addressed in the letter to stop threatening two Russian ventures in Germany with further sanctions. The letter, in which Haber seems to speak for the German government, says: We are concerned that Congress is currently considering imposing additional energy sanctions on Russia. These sanctions could affect Europes energy security. Germanys and Europes prosperity require both LNG (liquid gas, ed.) and Russian pipeline gas, she writes. Haber emphasizes that Germany wants to have a say before new sanctions are imposed on Russia: Our countries should liaise closely when it comes to designing energy sanctions that may be imposed on Russia. Auch Interessant Haber is against NOVATEK sanctions The letter further says: I am also worried by reports that the planned LNG terminal in Rostock could be captured by DASKA sanctions due to a minority stake being held by the Russian firm NOVATEK. In addition to the North Sea harbours of Brunsbuttel, Wilhelmshaven, and Stade, a LNG/liquid gas terminal is currently being built in Rostock and is scheduled to start operating in 2022. In the letter to the US Senators, Haber explains that sanctioning the Russian gas company NOVATEK which is involved in building this terminal could impair the acceptance of LNG imports in Germany and significantly impede the development of LNG import capacity. This is a clear threat against the US, which is highly interested in LNG terminals being installed in Germany because of future US exports to Germany. Lesen Sie auch Brit doesn't want to leave the EU My very personal Brexit-Catastrophe For the past three years the Brits have been fighting about how to leave the EU. I have had enough and will become German now. House of Eternity German companies donate millions to Yad Vashem! The most important Holocaust memorial will be able to maintain its legacy thanks in part to a considerable donation from Germany. Nord Steam 2 sanctions would undermine the European agreement According to the letter, the European compromise on the application of EU gas directives for pipelines from third countries such as Russia have resulted in a common European position on Nord Steam 2 as demanded by the US. Haber writes: This has now been achieved. She then argues emphatically: Any additional steps taken by the US against the project would be counterproductive and undermine the European agreement reached on this difficult issue involving energy security policy. However, has the gas directive agreement on the European level really resulted in a common European position concerning the highly controversial Gazprom project? Darius Semaska, ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania, told BILD: Even after the compromise on the European gas directive, our position hasnt changed. The Lithuanian government is against Nord Steam 2, because we do not think that it is in Europes interest. The ambassador of Latvia in Germany, Inga Skujina, also emphasized to BILD that her country continues to reject Nord Stream 2. Latvia's internationally well-known position vis-a-vis Nord Stream 2, which the Latvian President, the Prime Minister, and the defense and foreign ministers have addressed at their meetings with the highest officials in Germany in recent months, has not changed, said Skujina to BILD. Several diplomats from central-European EU countries told BILD likewise. US diplomats: letters are worse than Grenell letter A US Congress staff member told BILD that people are shocked by the German ambassadors letter, which unambiguously sides with Russia. Moreover, one US diplomat told BILD: Imagine if US ambassador Richard Grenell were to write letters to German governors asking them to use their influence on the Federal Government to get it to tighten its position on Russia. Habers actions have an entirely new quality, the diplomat said, because in contrast to Grenell she did not explain Germanys policy, but asked Members of Congress to support a change in the US policy against Russia. Lesen Sie auch As KGB spy in Dresden Putins secret Stasi ID discovered 28 years after the end of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the Stasi Records Agency (BStU) thought it knew all the secrets from the past. Comment by Richard Grenell Hanging of a gay man in Iran should be a wakeup call That the Iranian regime publically hanged a 31-year-old man for being gay should be a wakeup call for anyone. BILD asked the German foreign office whether its the governments position to oppose third-party sanctions on Russia and whether its normal for a German ambassador to defend this position so aggressively. The foreign office replied that the German government is in continuous and close contact with the US, also with respect to the issue of sanctions. Concerning the sanctions that have been in place since the annexation of Crimea, in violation of international law, the European Union and the US have always coordinated closely. We support ensuring that potential measures of the United States will still be closely coordinated with the EU in the future, so that sanctions can have their desired effects. For Immediate Release, April 25, 2019 Contact: Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity, (206) 379-7363, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org Rodi Rosensweig, Humane Society International/The Humane Society of the United States, (203) 270-8929, rrosensweig@humanesociety.org Daniela Arellano, Natural Resources Defense Council, (310) 434-2304, darellano@nrdc.org Lawsuit Prompts U.S. Officials to Consider Protecting Giraffes WASHINGTON After a prod from a lawsuit filed by conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that giraffes may qualify for protection under Americas Endangered Species Act. The 2018 lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Humane Society International, Humane Society of the United States and the Natural Resources Defense Council seeks a response to their April 2017 legal petition for Endangered Species Act protection for giraffes. The species is gravely imperiled by habitat loss and fragmentation, civil unrest and overhunting, as well as the international trade in bone carvings, skins and trophies. The United States provides a large market for giraffe parts: More than 21,400 bone carvings, 3,000 skin pieces and 3,700 hunting trophies were imported over the past decade. Limiting U.S. import and trade would give giraffes important protections, and a listing under the Act would also help provide critical funding for conservation work in Africa. The U.S. on average imports more than one giraffe trophy a day, and thousands of giraffe parts are sold domestically each year, said Anna Frostic, an attorney for the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International. The federal government must now expeditiously take stock of the role we are playing in giraffe decline and how we can work to instead save these unique animals. Africas giraffe population has plunged nearly 40 percent in the past 30 years. It now stands at just over 97,000 individuals. This is a big step toward protecting giraffes from the growing use of their bones by U.S. gun and knife makers, said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Its disgusting that it took a lawsuit to prompt the Trump administration to act. Saving everyones favorite long-necked animal from extinction should have been the easiest call in the world. With fewer giraffes than elephants left in Africa, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature elevated the threat level to giraffes from least concern to vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species in 2016. That finding was confirmed in 2018, along with a critically endangered assessment of two giraffe subspecies and an endangered assessment for another. The United States has long been complicit in the trade of giraffe parts, so its time for the federal government to stick its neck out for this species, said Elly Pepper at NRDC. The United States has taken action to help staunch the trade of numerous species in trouble. Sadly, now it is time to take action to ensure giraffes remain on the planet. They need Endangered Species Act protections and they need them now. Known for their six-foot-long necks, distinctive patterning and long eyelashes, giraffes have captured the human imagination for centuries. New research recently revealed that they live in complex societies, much like elephants, and have unique physiological traits, including the highest blood pressure of any land mammal. The IUCN currently recognizes one species of giraffes and nine subspecies: West African, Kordofan, Nubian, reticulated, Masai, Thornicrofts, Rothchilds, Angolan and South African. The legal petition seeks an endangered listing for the whole species. The Fish and Wildlife Service has 12 months to decide whether Endangered Species Act listing is warranted. For Immediate Release, April 25, 2019 Contact: Brett Hartl, Center for Biological Diversity, (202) 817-8121, bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org Taylor Jones, WildEarth Guardians, (720) 443-2615, tjones@wildearthguardians.org Leda Huta, Endangered Species Coalition, (202) 320-6467, lhuta@endangered.org Leigh Anne Tiffany, Defenders of Wildlife, (202) 772-0259, LTiffany@defenders.org California, Oregon, Colorado Community Hearings Focus on Trump Proposal to End Wolf Protection WASHINGTON A series of community hearings is being held around the country to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the Trump administrations proposal to end Endangered Species Act protection for gray wolves nationwide. The hearings will be held in Portland, Ore.; Sacramento, Calif.; and Denver, Colo. Despite requests from the public and even members of Congress, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has refused to schedule any public hearings of its own or extend the comment period on the proposal. If Trumps plan goes through, itll be the most damaging decision ever made in the long history of wolf recovery in this country, said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Its appalling that the Trump administration couldnt be bothered to hold any public hearings on this. So well hold our own. This is yet another example of the Trump administrations careless disregard for natural resources and wildlife, said Taylor Jones, an endangered species advocate at WildEarth Guardians. Were going to give people a chance to speak for the wild. Prematurely stripping the protections of the Endangered Species Act from gray wolves would halt their hard-won progress back from the brink of extinction and expose them to the unrestricted hunting and suppression that brought them to that point, said Mary Beth Beetham, director of legislative affairs for Defenders of Wildlife. The restoration of the gray wolf to the wild in the lower 48 states is one of the great conservation stories of our lifetime. This is not the time to turn our backs on this iconic species. The last time we faced wolf delisting, there was an overwhelming outpouring of opposition. So nobody is surprised that Interior Secretary Bernhardt doesn't want to hear more from the public, said Leda Huta, executive director of the Endangered Species Coalition. He is too busy serving his former industry clients. But America's natural heritage belongs to its citizens, not this former oil and gas lobbyist. And we're going to make sure that citizens have an opportunity to speak. Verbal and written comments at each hearing will be submitted to the Fish and Wildlife Service during the official public comment period, which closes May 14. The community hearings already scheduled are: Denver: Monday, April 29, 6:30 p.m. Sacramento: Thursday, May 2 at 5 p.m. Portland: Monday, May 6, 5:30 p.m. In 2013 the Service held six public hearings around the country on gray wolf delisting. That 2013 proposal to end federal protection for wolves was abandoned after serious scientific concerns arose during the public comment process. Background On March 6 the Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to strip gray wolves of their Endangered Species Act protection across the lower 48 states. If finalized, the proposal will allow trophy hunting and trapping of wolves in some areas and stall recovery of wolves in the United States. The proposal would remove federal protection from all gray wolves, with the exception of Mexican gray wolves, which are listed separately under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal will also all but ensure wolves are not allowed to recover in the Adirondacks, southern Rockies, and elsewhere in the United States where scientists have identified suitable habitat. New biopharma, medical advances and innovative healthcare products largely evolved in developed parts of the world before making their way to emerging markets. These sectors are still dominated by companies in North America and Europe[1] but we are already seeing a changing of the guard in terms of global innovation. Asias strong growth in biologics brings new supply chain demands Asia is now poised to lead the way, as a growing patient population and increased investment in infrastructure supports the trend to home-grown biologics and other innovative therapies. China and South Korea are the most active in Research & Development (R&D) such as clinical trials[2] prompting expansion of healthcare hubs in a thriving innovation ecosystem. Yet the trend from small molecular drugs to a biologics-driven drug creation process is one which is increasingly complex, time-consuming, expensive and risky. The complexity of these drug materials that FedEx is now transporting every day means theres a greater need for more sophisticated logistic and distribution solutions. The challenge we have as supply chain partners is to find that critical balance between the cost effectiveness of shipping active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations to research laboratories, with safety, trackability and regulatory compliance. A high-risk industry demands highly-differentiated solutions As a result, customers have identified pain points in the transportation process. Our Pharma customers in China cite product quality, speed, logistics costs, regulatory compliance, operational quality and end-to-end supply chain expertise as absolute must-haves for their Speciality Pharma, Biologics, Vaccines and Clinical Supplies. In such a competitive climate, highly specialised logistic solutions take on even greater importance providing fast and professional customs clearance, timely and accurate monitoring throughout the journey, and most significantly, cost effectiveness. Solutions like FedEx technology SenseAware, which controls and monitors temperature-sensitive shipments, provide real-time tracking and visibility into inventory using GPS communications. This greater visibility, along with enhanced process control and contingency planning in our transportation network, provides a highly secure distribution solution for time-critical and temperature sensitive shipments, while helping customers better manage costs. In the case of one Pharma R&D organization in China, which is using FedEx to ship sensitive APIs to the U.S., we provide unbeatable China to U.S. transit times, with customs clearance already completed when goods are in transit. Product Integrity is the Priority Another customer, a large Pharmaceutical company in Japan producing temperature-sensitive chemical APIs, can ensure the integrity of its highly valuable production samples to laboratories in the U.S. the next day. With faster end-to-end lead times and greater shipment flexibility, FedEx supports pharma innovators by helping them reduce R&D cycles with a leaner transport chain. Integrity and consistency of healthcare products are an absolute priority. Temperature-controlled packaging solutions protect product integrity, particularly for customers who require next-day delivery to the U.S. Ultimate peace of mind comes with 72-hours continuous protection. New models of collaboration Finally, building secure and compliant distribution solutions requires stronger collaboration with customers. Putting innovation into practice - by integrating technology with transportation - we are also integrating compliance with the supply chain process. This is raising the overall service level of the supply chain industry to better meet the requirements of biopharma customers, ensuring innovation remains at the heart of everything we do. Learn more about FedEx healthcare solutions. 1- https://www.kvoo.com/story/39762562/bio-pharma-logistics-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2019-2025 2- "Challenges of conducting clinical trials in Asia, August 2018, International Journal of Clinical Trials Software and services donation will back the expansion of PATH-led initiative in up to six countries across sub-Saharan Africa Tableau, Mapbox, Exasol, and Alteryx has announced a collective $4.3 million technology contribution over the next three years to help governments eliminate malaria for an estimated 60 million at-risk people in sub-Saharan Africa. This new grant to PATH, a global organization dedicated to accelerating health equity, expands on the early success of its Visualize No Malaria initiative and was announced at the World Malaria Day 2019 event hosted by the RBM Partnership to End Malaria in partnership with the City of Paris and the French government at the Hotel de Ville in Paris. With the grant, PATH will support national governments and regional organizations in up to six sub-Saharan countries in the use of real-time data and analytics to bolster decision-making around elimination efforts. These data-informed insights allow officials to determine where and how to deploy resources to respond most effectively in fighting disease. The investment will also provide training to hundreds of frontline health workers and officials on how to use the power of timely and accurate data to tackle malaria and other diseases. "Successful malaria elimination programs require accurate data that moves faster than the disease itselfto help shorten the distance and time it takes to find and treat cases, and even to predict risk and direct resources before cases occur," said Steve Davis, President and CEO of PATH. "We're excited to continue working with our technology partners to expand the support and tools governments need to get the upper hand in controlling and eventually eliminating a disease that still kills more than 400,000 people every year." Originally launched in 2015 as a collaboration between PATH, Tableau Foundation, and the Zambian Ministry of Health, the Visualize No Malaria digital technologies make real-time, actionable data about malaria available to everyone from national and district-level health officials to thousands of frontline health workers. Through the combination of improved use of data with other malaria control efforts, the Zambian government has reduced reported malaria cases by 85 percent and malaria-related deaths by 92 percent across a population of 1.8 million people in the country's Southern Province. Reducing the amount of time to see and understand health data from months to hours, health officials can now make faster decisions about the best ways to deploy a mix of interventions, including drug delivery, indoor residual spraying, bed net distribution, and other proven techniques to most effectively respond to existing cases and prevent new ones. In low-burden areas, this approach has proven to be a cost-effective way for governments to control malaria, and in high-burden areas, it could be an important differentiator in creating and sustaining steep drops in disease incidence. The Visualize No Malaria tools and approach are currently being replicated in Senegal, which has seen a similar 60 percent drop in reported malaria cases across a northern Senegal population of 1.8 million in just two years, and the initiative is set to expand in Senegal and neighboring countries under this new commitment by partners. "Senegal's National Malaria Control Program sees new tools to make data faster and easier to use and act upon as critical to helping us win the fight against malaria," said Dr. Doudou Sene, Director of Senegal's National Malaria Control Program. "With this new commitment, we can increase the number of districts where we use the Visualize No Malaria stack and make informed, real-time decisions across the nation, as well as support our cross-border collaboration with The Gambia." In 2017, an estimated 219 million cases of malaria occurred globally, which resulted in an estimated 435,000 deaths, the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa where the Visualize No Malaria effort is concentrated. Sixty-one percent of these deaths occurred in children under the age of five. With this renewed commitment, PATH will work to mobilize an additional $2.5 million in funding through its country and agency partnersand together, the Visualize No Malaria initiative will: Scale nationally across Zambia to serve the country's total population of 17 million people by equipping four remaining provinces. Build on work and relationships in Senegal and The Gambia to expand the tools and training across West Africa. Expand to three additional countries in the Elimination 8 initiative in southern Africa, allowing those countries to collaborate on an interoperable regional disease surveillance system. For Tableau Foundation, this is the second major grant and first in the global health space following the $100 million pledge announced by Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky at the 2018 Tableau Conference. It also honors the commitment made in March 2018 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting to expand the Visualize No Malaria initiative in sub-Saharan Africa. "Data and analytics are only as valuable as the ability of a decision-maker to use them. Since the outset of the Visualize No Malaria initiative, we've seen countries and communities develop incredibly effective resources for fighting malaria and other complex health issues," said Neal Myrick, Global Head of Tableau Foundation. "We're proud to work alongside so many of our technology partners to help a generation of leaders make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of men, women, and children." As part of its Alteryx for Good program, Alteryx is contributing the data science and analytics engine as well as on-site training in Africa. This will allow spatial analytics, custom macros, data validation and cleansing, and repeatable workflows to accurately target and eliminate malaria across borders. The Alteryx Platform workflows designed for Visualize No Malaria run in 0.6 seconds, analyzing tens of millions of records and producing multiple outputs to address different analytical questions. "The Alteryx for Good program was designed to empower nonprofit organizations in delivering game-changing social outcomes with data science and analytics," said Tori Adamo, Senior Manager, Alteryx for Good at Alteryx. "The Visualize No Malaria initiative is a prime example of our commitment to influencing social change with the Alteryx Platform and the impact technology can have in solving some of the world's biggest challenges. We are proud to support PATH and partner with fellow technology leaders to help eliminate malaria across the globe." Exasol's in-memory analytics database compresses massive amounts of data and serves them up fast in low-resource, lower-bandwidth settings. "We strongly support Visualize No Malaria's approach of using data as the foundation for decision-making as part of their initiative to wipe out malaria," said Eva Murray, Head of Business Intelligence at Exasol. "We are proud to be part of this partnership and look forward to our continuous involvement in improving the lives of people in sub-Saharan Africa with our tools, expertise, and our passion for doing the right things." Mapbox powers the mapping tools and geospatial data that can be combined with other datasets to create interactive maps within the Visualize No Malaria dashboards. Mapbox is providing remote and on-site technical support and training, as well as testing new offline mapping tools. "Our company's roots began with global development projects in Afghanistan, Congo, Haiti, and the United States, so the mission of Visualize No Malaria is very close to our hearts," said Mapbox CEO Eric Gundersen. "We built these tools to help people understand context in data so they can solve problems. It's incredible to see people use these platforms to literally save lives." Smart tech helps Indian farmers reduce foodwaste and boost income Clean cold - the hidden environmental cost Harnessing smartphone technology so that Indian farmers make better business decisions could help to tackle the sustainable cooling challenge facing India and the wider world, according to a new report launched today. Using mobile apps and data analysis to manage harvesting and logistics could help to reduce the amount of food wasted between farm gate and supermarket shelf, whilst boosting farmers incomes and reducing the environmental impact of much-needed food cooling. The recommendation is part of a four-point roadmap developed by experts at the University of Birmingham working with the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and MP Ensystems to uncover the cooling needs of farmers in the states of Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The plans authors recommend four key actions in Promoting Clean and Energy Efficient Cold-Chains in India: Promoting new business models that involve the communities taking charge of their own cooling needs; Establishing Living Labs in rural communities where new technology can be tested; Providing training to enable people in the food industry to use new technology; and Creating a new framework for delivering IT-based cold chain solutions; particularly IT-based services to manage harvesting and logistics, and selling surplus cooling capacity. Effective refrigeration is essential to preserve food and medicine. It underpins industries and economic growth, while air conditioning is key to sustainable urbanisation and human productivity and makes much of the world bearable - or even safe - to live in. Toby Peters, Professor in Clean Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham, commented: Were proposing a radical new approach to cooling provision with recommendations combined with Government of India action to address needs from the first to last mile of the cold-chain as well as those of the broader rural community. We must build capacity whilst demonstrating the efficiency of new technology that people will be able to use easily and affordably. For example, with increased penetration of mobile-based apps and technologies in rural areas, there is potential for an information-based system to help make informed marketing decisions and boost farmers incomes. The problems in India are acute, where up to 50% of food is lost post-harvest because of lack of cold chain. The report highlights that only 4% of produce that would benefit from a cold-chain actually does so, compared with around 70% in the UK. Pawanexh Kohli, CEO, National Centre for Cold-chain Development and Visiting Professor at the University of Birmingham commented: Cold-chains enhance economic wealth, cash flow and security for farmers and improve food quality, safety and value to the customer, but they must achieve this with minimum environmental impact.While we can reduce the loss of food in the delivery chain through use of technology, existing cold-chain is an energy intensive application, often relying on diesel to provide off-grid and on-vehicle cooling this is not good for the planet. Krishan Dhawan, CEO, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation commented: Cold chains are expected to grow rapidly in the next couple of years. Under a Business-as-Usual scenario, most cold chains will run on diesel and adopt carbon intensive cooling and refrigeration technologies. The way forward is for India is transition to cleaner and more efficient cold chains, in order to tackle climate change and to achieve wider socioeconomic benefits. Mahesh Patankar of MP Ensystems and Senior Advisor with the Regulatory Assistance Project commented: Cold-chain infrastructure and business models need to be grounded within the communities providing them the solutions to enhance their livelihood while catering to a countrys nutritional requirements. Enhanced IoT and Blockchain techniques proposed by the research team are designed to bring substantial benefits to those who need it the most. The report was launched at the two-day Clean Cooling Congress, which opened in London on 24 April hosted by University of Birmingham with the World Bank Group and the UK Department of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Mission Innovation. Representatives from governments, manufacturers, research and development organisations will attend the two-day Clean Cooling Congress, which opens in London on 24th April. With populations and incomes growing, urbanisation continuing and climate change causing rising temperatures, the world will need to provide far more cooling. Between now and 2050, it is estimated that 19 pieces of cooling equipment (such as room-size AC units, refrigerators and industrial size chillers) will be deployed every second. Despite this massive increase in cooling provision, access to cooling for all people that need it will still not be a reality, and the poorest in many hot countries will feel the impact. How the world meets this challenge and provides cooling services to a growing middle class and to the vulnerable poor in the coming decades will have important ramifications for our climate: without innovations and targeted interventions the energy demand for cooling could increase more than five times by 2050 and fast growing direct and indirect GHG emissions associated with cooling equipment can easily outpace all our attempts to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement and halt global warming. Clean cold - how do we meet urgent global need for cooling without over-heating the planet? - is now at the heart of the climate and development debate, which concerns many of the worlds international development and environmental agencies. ENDS For more information or a copy of the report, please contact the University of Birmingham Press Office on +44 (0) 121 414 8254.. For out-of-hours enquiries, please call +44 (0) 7789 921 165. Notes for editors Shopping in a supermarket has nothing in common with voting in an election - or does it? Working backwards from the moment of truth The logo that will appear on South Africas ballot papers on 8 May. The hero is always the cow Think about it. Youre in the coffee aisle. Youre looking for your brand, the one you buy no matter what. Or maybe youre shopping on price. Possibly youre open to something new. No matter what kind of shopper you are, the one thing that will guide you on making your decision is the most basic of all: the packaging.Thats the approach I took when Kanthan Pillay told me last June that he was planning to start a new political party. Without a distinctive logo that would stand out in an incredibly crowded space where everything is tiny, everything we spent on marketing and advertising up to that point would be a waste.So I worked backwards. What would stand out on the ballot sheet? What would the emotional state of the voter be? And how would that shape our strategy?I identified 3 things wed need at that ultimate moment of truth, the one shot we would have at our prospect for five long years.Firstly, to be distictive. Secondly, to be understood enough that our distinctiveness stood for something. Thirdly, to be liked enough to prompt action, making the cross next to us rather than someone else.Given the name of the party, the initial logos that Kanthan had in mind were all related to money in some way a coin, or the animals from bank notes. It was then that the obvious answer struck me: how about a cow?Id been painting Nguni cattle for years, and this was the traditional symbol of wealth in sub-Saharan Africa. A bull market is a good thing in international markets, so this was a neat way of combining traditional culture and global realities. And because of the Seth Godin marketing classic, and the fact that at the time, there were no other parties using purple, the cow had to be purple.I painted a scamp of the cow using markers and craft acrylic, and the rest is history. This is the painting that will be printed onto millions of ballot papers ahead of the election on 8 May.That was then. Now that we know that a record 48 parties are on the ballot, our strategy was even more on the mark. (Not long after we formulated the communication strategy, an expert with many years experience polling political campaigns told us wed need R20 million to make an impact. So far, weve spent 2% of that.)Everything in the strategy has flowed from the need to make our logo on the ballot sheet both famous and meaningful. So the hero of the campaign is the cow rather than the people associated with the party, and everything weve done is with the aim of demonstrating that we dont just say were different we are different.The purple cow first appeared in November 2018 with a series of weekly videos highlighting solutions to various issues, but without telling the public that this was a planned political party (if anyone had been reading the, they would have spotted it right away but nobody pays attention.)Once we were closer to officially registering to compete on the national ballot, we launched the first phase of our above-the-line campaign, one that literally created jobs for 35 people. (Im in the process of registering a company with 3 of the people I work with as directors, with the ambition of creating a sustainable source of income for them.)We kept the CI very simple and allowed supporters to play with our brand while being clear about its core values. The spontaneous avatars and memes that started appearing the moment the cow was out of the bag suggested that we have created something that is genuinely meaningful for party supporters.Only the results from 8 May will tell us whether the strategy was a good bet or an exceedingly risky one and perhaps both, because the biggest risk you can take when launching a completely new brand in a very cluttered category dominated by massive incumbents is to never take a risk at all.#VotePurpleCow is probably the most unconventional party political campaign ever to run in South Africa. If nothing else, weve shown that its possible to innovate in a category that needs fresh ideas and new thinking, and that its something that gets voters excited. After correcting 1.3% in the first two sessions of the week after setting new annual highs last Thursday at 9,588 points, the Ibex 35 has been boosted by Iberdrola's profits (+ 4.3%) for its results to go up 0.47% and recover the 9,500 integers (9,501.20 points). Other electricity companies, such as Endesa (+ 1.55%) and Naturgy (+ 1.54%), also posted outstanding profits. The power company chaired by Ignacio Galan has risen more than 3% by publishing results that impressed analysts with growth in all businesses. Their actions, in addition, have marked new historical highs above 8,18 euros. In addition, Bankinter (+ 0.06%) announced an improvement in its first-quarter profit of 1.4%, while BME reported a 16.5% drop in its share. In negative, few values. Inditex (-2.6%) was the most bearish after Morgan Stanley published a report in which it reiterated 'underweight' rating due to growing pressures on its business. In addition, ArcelorMittal has fallen by 2% and BBVA by 1%. In the Continuous Market, Atresmedia has shot up 10% after improving yours by 26%. On the other hand, DIA has fallen by 3% while the success of the Fridman bid is in jeopardy. In Europe, the Swiss bank UBS has reported a 27% drop in profit after a "very difficult quarter". The end of the negotiations between Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank for a potential merger has also made the news today. ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN Beyond all this, the electoral campaign continues in Spain as Sunday elections loom. And in this context, the EPA of the first quarter has been published today. Unemployment has risen by 49,900 people, its worst record since 2013. Other aspects have also been highlighted in the calendar on Thursday, such as the Bank of Japan's decision to keep rates unchanged at -0.1%. Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin have already held their first summit, in Vladisvostok, and have described the meeting as "crucial" to improve the Korean peninsula . It is also worth noting the meeting of the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, with the European leaders at the EU-Japan summit in Brussels. In other markets, Brent oil rose 0.6% to 75.06 dollars, after marking annual highs at 75.60 dollars. In addition, the euro fell in value 0.13% to $ 1.1141, after marking minimums of almost two years at 1.117. And the yield on the Spanish 10-year bond has fallen to 1.07%, while Spain's risk premium has risen slightly to 109 points. TECHNICAL ANALYSIS OF THE IBEX 35 "Once again we moved away from the first very short term support zone, which we found in the upward gap of 9,360 points, and the good thing is that in only two sessions of falls we have corrected a large part of the daily overbought levels and that is good, "argues Jose Maria Rodriguez, an analyst at Bolsamania. "But otherwise everything remains the same, we continue within the impeccable bullish channel of recent months, which base (support) for this moment by the 9,300 points and as resistance we have the upper part of this, now at 9,760 points", add this expert. "We still have no excuse to sell because we have not drilled any support, which does not mean that we no longer go up with the joy of before, it's called altitude sickness, and it's about maintaining the bullish positions in the background because building minimum and maximum increases does not fall, rather, quite the contrary ", concludes Rodriguez. Q&A with Gustavo Faveron Patriau How did the novel come about? Some three years ago, I saw a movie directed by a Peruvian friend of mine, more or less at the same time that he read my previous novel, The Antiquarian. We ran into each other in Lima once and, over coffee, talked about our impressions of each others work. By the end of the conversation, we decided we would try to work together on the script for his next movie. I told him about a couple of short stories I was working on and promised him I could bring out a whole film plot from them (which was a little bluffing on my side). I returned to Brunswick and started working on that. I remember writing 100 pages the very first day. One of the stories was about a young American man who commits a crime in Lima, Peru (where I am from), in the early 90s. The second short story was about an American former CIA agent who worked in Latin American countries under far-right dictatorships in the 60s and 70s. I decided to put them together, so that the young guy in the 90s would be following in the steps of the older man, his father, trying to trace the crimes the old man had probably committed in Latin America decades ago. However, my filmmaker friend went into politics (he is now prime minister of Peru), and I found myself with this whole idea and no vehicle for it. So I decided to turn it into a novel. The novel itself was written in three months, between May and July of 2016, here in Brunswick. The first version was chaotic and more than 1,000 pages long. After finishing that draft, I worked for a year on reducing it to some 650 pages. What is it about? The arc of the story goes from the youth of the older man, in 1930s Vermont, to his later life in the military, in the Korean war, then to his work advising dictators in Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay, where his main work is designing secret prisons (and killing Che Guevara), until decades later, when, in the early 80s, his son decides to find out who his father was exactly and what crimes he possibly committed in Latin America. Most of the novel involves the son retracing his fathers steps, traveling across Latin America and being increasingly unable to differentiate between his fathers immorality and his own sense of justice (he is like a marred avenger who tries to bring justice to his fathers victims, but often fails). The novel is also about madness and political violence, but is very playful and even humorous in the way the story is told, even the grimmest parts of it. Carmen Boullosa, a very important Mexican novelist (who visited Bowdoin a couple of years ago), has described the novel as "a sort of Latin American version of the Arabian Nights," because of the hundreds of short stories intertwined with the main plot and the large number of subplots. By the way, half of the novel takes place in Brunswick, and some of the main characters are Bowdoin professorsthey are actually loosely based on some of my real-life colleagues, but I will not reveal who the models are! (They are certainly the good guys in the novel, though). The road to Brandons airport will be getting an upgrade after the province announced the latest round of infrastructure funding tied to Manitoba 150. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/4/2019 (975 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us The road to Brandons airport will be getting an upgrade after the province announced the latest round of infrastructure funding tied to Manitoba 150. Sandison Road is set to be rehabilitated and the intersection with Highway 10 improved. Patrick Pulak, the City of Brandons general manager of development services, said the road falls under the jurisdiction of Manitoba Infrastructure and it has been quite a while since it was last paved. He said the road is currently in "really rough shape." "Recognizing now that the airport has built a new terminal and we have air service, there is the need for improved access to the airport." The funding comes as part of Manitoba 150 celebrations, according to a press release. The province is committing $45 million to infrastructure improvements across the province, which are meant to have a lasting impact. The province is also looking at widening the road to include shoulders on either side, something currently lacking. Discussions on improving the road and intersection first started around a year and a half ago, according to Pulak. "One of the biggest complaints that weve received from people accessing the airport is the condition of Sandison Road and how it is now and it is a narrow road. I mean, it certainly doesnt meet todays standard for roads being used as much as that one will be. "The impact is really a safer, better driving surface and it really addresses our concerns in terms of growth at the airport." He said the city is trying to ensure that at least one lane on Sandison Road stays open during paving. If there are closures, the airport will still be accessible by Deer Ridge Road. Paul White, a spokesperson for Manitoba Infrastructure, said he could not provide a cost estimate as the two projects have not been tendered yet. According to the departments advertising schedule, the two projects are tentatively set to be put out for tenders later this month, on May 28. "Were just happy to see it go forward," Pulak said. The province also announced intersection improvements on Highway 16 at Highway 478, near Binscarth, which is currently scheduled to be tended on May 14. The tenders list also includes a future tender for "bituminous pavement" at Adam Lake Campground, in Turtle Mountain Provincial Park. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ Laurel Roberts finally got new house insurance after she was denied coverage for growing cannabis in her basement but she had to go outside the province to get it. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 18/4/2019 (979 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Laurel Roberts finally got new house insurance after she was denied coverage for growing cannabis in her basement but she had to go outside the province to get it. The health-care aide from Hamiota was informed April 8 that Wawanesa Insurance would no longer provide coverage after it learned she was growing 20 cannabis plants in her home. FILE Laurel Roberts holds one of her cannabis plants in her home in Hamiota. Roberts grows medicinal cannabis for use to combat chronic migraines. It said her house insurance would be cancelled in two weeks. Roberts told The Sun earlier this month she started growing cannabis in January to help control chronic migraines. She has a permit from Health Canada to grow up to 20 plants. Roberts said her insurance broker finally found one company Saskatchewan Mutual Insurance willing to take her on as a customer. "Its such a relief," Roberts said Tuesday. She added SMI even backdated her house insurance to April 12. "So I was never without coverage." While she is happy to have house insurance, Roberts said she is disappointed she had to go with an out-of-province insurance company. "I think its extremely sad and frustrating," she said. "I like to support local (businesses)." Val Penner, assistant vice-president of underwriting for Saskatoon-based Saskatchewan Mutual Insurance, confirmed Tuesday her company has received enquiries from Manitoba brokers. But she said coverage for someone growing cannabis for medicinal purposes in their home is not guaranteed. Their underwriters would first have to assess the risk involved, she said, and review the homeowners permit to grow medicinal cannabis. "Its not a type of business that we are looking for," Penner said, adding SMI will not cover commercial grow-ops. "But if theyre growing for their own use, we will review them and make a decision whether or not its a risk that we feel we would be willing to insure," she said. David Hultin, a senior communications specialist with Wawanesa Insurance, said in an email to The Sun earlier this month that Wawanesa will typically insure personal property containing up to four cannabis plants if legally grown for medical and/or recreational purposes. "As the potential for fire, theft, humidity and liability claims on home policies increases with additional cannabis plants, Wawanesa does not insure properties that go beyond this amount," Hultin said in the email. Spokespersons for two other Manitoba companies Portage la Prairie Mutual Insurance Co. and Altona-based Red River Mutual did not return calls for comment Tuesday. Nadia Stolfi, senior communications consultant with The Co-operators a large national insurance company with an office in Brandon said in an email Tuesday, "Were unable to provide a comment at this time." Growing recreational cannabis at home is prohibited in Manitoba, and the province does not regulate cannabis for medicinal use, a provincial spokeswoman previously told The Sun. That falls under Health Canadas jurisdiction. Roberts said her troubles started when she checked with her insurance broker after reading about an Alberta person who lost their insurance because they had a grow-op in their home. She said the broker contacted Wawanesa, who then informed Roberts they would be cancelling her insurance in two weeks. brobertson@brandonsun.com Twitter: @BudRobertson4 Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has declared a state of emergency over flooding along the Ottawa River and other waterways. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Residents speak on a flooded street, Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in Gatineau, Que.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has declared a state of emergency over flooding along the Ottawa River and other waterways. In the declaration, the mayor's office says the water levels pose "an ongoing threat" to property, health and safety of nearby residents. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement forecasting up to 35 millimetres of rain in the capital region by Saturday. The mayor's office says the combination of already high water levels and further rainfall give rise to a situation that "constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm." Watson says about 400 soldiers with the Canadian Armed Forces are expected to assist with flooding efforts in the city. He says the declaration will help city crews, volunteers and residents in affected areas, which are mainly in outlying suburbs. OTTAWA - The company behind the second machine that could be approved for roadside drug tests in Canada says its product is faster and easier to use for police wary about the technology. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this photo illustration, smoke from a cannabis oil vaporizer is seen as the driver is behind the wheel of a car in North Vancouver, B.C., on November 14, 2018. Canadian police say they haven't been busting many more stoned drivers six months after legalization and continue to prioritize investigative resources toward more deadly drugs, but are reminding drivers to keep cannabis out of reach. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward OTTAWA - The company behind the second machine that could be approved for roadside drug tests in Canada says its product is faster and easier to use for police wary about the technology. Six months after the federal government legalized cannabis for recreational use, officers have expressed wariness about the one testing machine currently approved, called the Drager DrugTest 5000, and how its results might hold up in court. In an interview, two officials from the company Abbott say their testing device, the "SoToxa," has shown it can accurately use a saliva sample to test for drugs in a person's system within five minutes and works in cold weather. The company stressed that the device is an optional tool for police forces to use if they want to test for tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, before officers go through additional steps required to charge someone under Canada's drug-impaired driving law. "This helps identify the presence of possibly THC and or other drugs and allows it as a presumptive test, an extra point for the officer to say, OK, now I'm going to take the next step and maybe go ahead and arrest the person and take a blood sample and do the normal procedure," said Christine Moore, Abbott's chief toxicologist. The handheld device is now in a 30-day public review period after the government posted its intention to allow police to use the device. The notice went public on April 20 the date when cannabis activists host 4-20 events and says the SoToxa, its associated test cartridge and device for collecting oral fluid, when used together, would be considered "approved drug screening equipment" under Canadian law. "An oral fluid sample that tests positive would presumptively confirm the presence of the drug," the post said. The device was previously known as the Alere DDS 2 before Illinois-based Abbott, which has operations in Ottawa and Victoriaville, Que., bought and merged with Alere in 2017. Studies published in 2018 and another in 2017 found the device spit out false positives between three and seven per cent of the time. The 2017 study noted that police involved in testing liked the short time the machine takes to produce results but suggested they weren't as keen on the relatively long time needed to collect a sample. A study from Public Safety Canada published the same year yielded a similar finding. Roadside-testing technology is already facing a possible legal fight in Nova Scotia. Michelle Gray, a medical marijuana user, had her licence suspended after a positive saliva test for cannabis, even though she passed a police-administered sobriety test the same night. She and her lawyer have publicly said they plan to launch a constitutional challenge. If its testing device is approved, Abbott says it has enough to fill orders and training ready in both official languages. Some training would be delivered in person, and other follow-up online, said Fred Delfino, Abbott's North America manager for rapid diagnostic equipment. "We have inventory of product. We're not making anything new here, so we're ready to go once the process begins in terms of purchasing and next steps," he said. With key infrastructure in the Maritimes and Quebec again threatened by surging waterways, flooding experts say it's past time for fixes that consider worst-case climate change scenarios. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Residents wade through a flooded street Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Laval, Que.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz With key infrastructure in the Maritimes and Quebec again threatened by surging waterways, flooding experts say it's past time for fixes that consider worst-case climate change scenarios. The New Brunswick government announced Wednesday night the closure of portions of the Trans-Canada Highway between Fredericton and Moncton for the second year in a row forcing detours for car traffic and thousands of trucks that use the trade corridor each day. And on Thursday afternoon, Quebec officials issued an alert that a hydro dam on the Rouge River was at risk of failure, endangering about 250 people downstream. They ordered an immediate evacuation. Surging rivers in the province have already been blamed for one death, damage to factories and homes and the closures of many secondary routes. Slobodan Simonovic, director of engineering studies at the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, says engineers and the scientific community need to move more swiftly to design infrastructure that accounts for climate change science. "Go with the conservative prediction of the future. Go with something that is predicting high potential impact," said the civil engineer, who teaches at Western University in Ontario. The federal climate change report released two weeks ago predicts extreme rainfall events, lasting over several days are expected to increase. The report also notes that if current global carbon emissions continue, Atlantic Canada will experience a 12 per cent increase in annual precipitation over the next century, and a 30 per cent increase in one-in-10 year storms that produce large downpours of rain. Blair Feltmate, head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, says efforts are underway at the National Research Council, the Standards Council of Canada, the Canadian Standards Association and his centre to develop fresh standards for infrastructure to adapt to climate change. Solutions for roads already in place may include building protective berms, diversion channels to take storm waters from highways and holding ponds to keep water in safe locations, he said. There may also be methods to place natural features near roads to absorb water before it spills onto the pavement, and management systems can be put into place to clear debris in culverts and prevent damming. "We know what to do to take risk out of the system. The problem is complacency. We're simply not moving fast enough on these files," Feltmate said in an interview. "I think the light is starting to dawn. If we ignore it we do so at our own peril." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made similar points on Wednesday, while visiting an evacuation centre in the city of Gatineau, Que., near where the Ottawa River jumped its banks. "It means we have to think about adaptation, mitigation and how we are going to move forward together," he said. Quebec is struggling with infrastructure problems of its own, as residents of several small islands in the Montreal area have been cut off from the world after officials were forced to close the only bridges linking them to the mainland. Officials in Laval scrambled to set up dumpsters and emergency services for the 1,000 residents of the Iles-Laval on Thursday after the rising waters forced officials to close a bridge to vehicle traffic. Across the province more than 2,500 homes were flooded and 2,184 were isolated their road or bridge access cut off by water. Some 919 people had been forced to evacuate. One death has been blamed on the high water thus far, after 72-year-old Louise Seguin Lortie died last Saturday after driving her car into a sinkhole caused by flooding in the Pontiac area, about 30 kilometres northwest of Ottawa. Kevin Manaugh, a geography professor and member of McGill University's School of Urban Planning, said it's not easy to protect transportation infrastructure in Quebec, where frigid winters, high precipitation and the freeze/thaw cycle form a "unique set of circumstances that makes it harder to plan for things that will last for decades and centuries." He said that in urban areas especially, planners can turn to technical solutions such as using more permeable paving materials, planting trees and creating large water retention basins to help soak up the water near developed areas. "The more we build green space and rainwater retention, these are solutions that exist to make sure the land can take more heavy rainfall," he said. Civil engineer Guy Felio, senior adviser of asset management solutions at Stantec, said the key going forward is to build resilience in the roadways allowing them to adapt if rainfall predictions increase even further. He says designers are now starting to consider the various climate change projections in their work to make highways more resilient. That doesn't necessarily mean building roads higher and with harder materials at much higher costs, he said. Rather, it may involve purchasing land alongside the highways to allow for holding ponds and other features to be added. Paul Bradley, a spokesman for New Brunswick's Department of Transportation, said the flooding of the Trans-Canada Highway is the third such event since 2008 that has caused widespread damage. "It's obvious our circumstances are changing and we need to change as well," he wrote in an email. "Discussions about how we can reduce the impact of flooding on provincial infrastructure have already taken place." Al Giberson, the general manager of the MRDC Operations Corp., the operator of the highway, said in a telephone interview that the road's condition will be assessed after the flood recedes. "In the future, the assessments will have to include what the potential is for events like this ... and solutions will have to be developed for that. How long that takes, I can't answer right now," he said. With files from Morgan Lowrie TORONTO - An elderly man who has had his Canadian citizenship revoked for lying about his membership in a Second World War Nazi death squad has lost yet another bid to have his case revisited. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - An elderly man who has had his Canadian citizenship revoked for lying about his membership in a Second World War Nazi death squad has lost yet another bid to have his case revisited. In the latest such ruling in a case that dates back to the 1990s, the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an attempt by Helmut Oberlander, of Waterloo, Ont., to retain his citizenship. "We are devastated with this decision," Oberlander's family said in a statement Thursday. "Mr. Oberlander is now 95 years old. He has health issues. He wants nothing more than to have his Canadian citizenship and his reputation restored." Courts have repeatedly agreed Oberlander's citizenship should be revoked on the grounds that he lied about his participation in a Nazi squad responsible for the deaths of nearly 100,000 people, most of them Jewish. However, there has never been any evidence he took part in any atrocities. In June 2017, the federal government revoked Oberlander's Canadian citizenship for the fourth time since the mid 1990s. In doing so, the government maintained he was complicit in war crimes by belonging to Einsatzkommando 10a, known as Ek-10a. The Ukraine-born Oberlander, who came to Canada in 1954 and became a citizen in 1960, has long argued he was conscripted into the unit as a 17-year-old and risked execution had he tried to leave. He has insisted he acted as an interpreter and took no part in its savagery. In September, Federal Court Judge Michael Phelan upheld the government's decision as reasonable. Phelan said Federal Court Judge Andrew MacKay in 2000 had found Oberlander knew about the unit's brutality and was complicit in its war crimes by acting as an interpreter. However, Oberlander's lawyers maintained Phelan misinterpreted MacKay's decision and was in fact leaning on his own previous ruling from 2008 one that was upended on appeal. They argued Phelan was biased because of his involvement in the case 10 years earlier. The Federal Court of Appeal, however, dismissed Oberlander's bias motion without a full hearing on the merits of his case. "There is a strong presumption that judges will comply with their solemn judicial oath to administer justice impartially," the decision reads. "This presumption is not easily rebutted." Oberlander's lawyer Ron Poulton said he believes the appellate court made a mistake and said he was considering whether to try to have the Supreme Court of Canada weigh in normally a difficult proposition. "Prolonging this is not really the goal," Poulton said. "It's to get justice and to get a fair hearing before an unbiased, fair court." The government and Jewish groups want Oberlander, who is frail, legally blind and has hearing loss, to be deported. However, the government must first obtain a removal order, which can be contested in various ways. Poulton said he saw no merit in forcing an ailing geriatric man onto an airplane and "depositing him somewhere" in eastern Europe away from his children and grandchildren. "At the end of the day, cooler heads have to prevail," Poulton said. "Compassion has to be part of the decision-making process and hopefully the government recognizes that." ELIZABETH, N.J. - A Canadian man who gained internet fame as "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" has been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of a New Jersey man almost six years ago. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. ELIZABETH, N.J. - A Canadian man who gained internet fame as "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" has been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of a New Jersey man almost six years ago. Jurors in Union County convicted 30-year-old Caleb "Kai" McGillvary on Wednesday in the May 2013 death of 73-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy. Authorities say the two met in New York and the defendant stayed at Galfy's home. McGillvary was arrested in Philadelphia days later. He alleged that he acted in self-defence following an attempted sexual assault, but prosecutors said his statements were inconsistent and also cited the victim's extensive injuries. The Canadian gained some online fame after intervening in a 2012 assault on a California utility worker in which he described using a hatchet to fend off a further attack. MONTREAL - Quebec public security officials called for the immediate evacuation of an area along the Rouge River west of Montreal on Thursday because of the risk a hydro dam could fail. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Workers install a temporary dam to hold back floodwaters Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Laval, Que.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz MONTREAL - Quebec public security officials called for the immediate evacuation of an area along the Rouge River west of Montreal on Thursday because of the risk a hydro dam could fail. Simon Racicot, director of production and maintenance with Hydro-Quebec, told reporters the dam at Chute Bell was built to withstand what he called a millennial flood. "That means a flood that happens every 1,000 years," he said. Hydro workers discovered earlier in the day the millennial level of water had been reached. "We are confident that the structure is solid," Racicot said. "But the protocols force us to warn people of the danger. We are entering into an unknown zone right now completely unknown." The largely rural section of river affected is in Quebec's Lower Laurentians region, about 140 kilometres west of Montreal, stretching about 18 kilometres south to the Ottawa River. Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault told reporters Thursday evening the province's hydro utility is confident the dam can hold back its current water reservoir and is structurally sound. "But we are expecting more rain over the coming hours and days, so the water levels of the Rouge River can rise," she said in Montreal. Guilbault said there are 23 residences and 38 cottages in the evacuation zone along the river. Quebec provincial police tweeted they were helping about 250 people get clear of the affected area as a preventive measure. Provincial police spokesman Daniel Thibaudeau said 40 people had been removed to safety as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday, and the remainder would be taken out over the course of the evening. Residents evacuate the area after an alert that the Bell-Chute dam is at risk of failing Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Quebec.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz Several dozen officers were taking part in the operation with the aid of all-terrain vehicles and helicopters. About a dozen people living in areas not easily reached by land were airlifted out. Evacuees were being taken first to the town hall in nearby Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, and those with no alternative lodging were being transported to the arena in Lachute, about 40 kilometres away. Among those headed for the arena were Denise and Martin Audet, who had just returned home from some shopping when they heard police officers yelling that the area was being evacuated. "They told us that there was no time to pack our bags and that we had to leave because the dam was maybe going to break," Denise Audet said. She said everything happened so quickly she "didn't have time to be scared." Tom Arnold, mayor of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, said it could be weeks before evacuees can return home, even if the dam holds. "I don't have confidence. The worst is yet to come," he said when asked about the dam's stability. Hydro-Quebec said through social media that if the dam breaks, the water flow would have minimal impact on locations downstream once it joined with the Ottawa River. According to the utility's web site, the concrete dam, built in 1942, is 19 metres high and almost 60 metres long. It has the capacity to hold back 4 million cubic metres of water. The dam scare comes as many parts of Quebec have been hit by flooding. Officials say the flood risk remains high because of a combination of precipitation in the forecast and melting snow to the north. Earlier on Thursday, Guilbault toured the Lachute area, northwest of Montreal, where flood waters on the Riviere du Nord have risen in recent days. She said she was impressed with the level of preparation in smaller communities and was satisfied that the number of people on the ground working on flood relief which includes nearly 1,000 Canadian soldiers was sufficient. Guilbault added she wouldn't hesitate to ask for more help if necessary. Quebec public security officials said more than 2,500 homes were flooded and more than 2,100 were isolated Thursday, meaning they were considered cut off due to washed out roads or landslides. Authorities also warned specifically against landslides reported in various parts of the province. One person has died since widespread flooding began in the province. In Montreal, officials raised the security level and increased the number of teams on the ground amid fears flooding could get worse in the coming days but stressed the situation was under control. "You're going to see more firefighters, you're going to see more police officers and more municipal workers to help for floods that could come this weekend," said Martin Guilbault, operations chief of the Montreal fire department. Mayor Valerie Plante warned that anyone who was flooded in 2017 should prepare their homes for more flooding and possible evacuation if they haven't done so. "The threat is actually very concrete and direct and this is the message we want to send the entire population," she said. Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for Montreal with 30 to 50 millimetres expected Friday and Saturday. Rain is expected to begin in southern Quebec midday Friday and intensify overnight, spreading eastward. In Ottawa, Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon, calling in the Canadian Forces to help with flood protection in the capital. With files from Sidhartha Banerjee TORONTO - Forcing gas station operators to display Ontario government stickers on the federal carbon tax violates their rights and freedoms, the province's chamber of commerce said Thursday as it asked the Progressive Conservatives to reverse their decision. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - Forcing gas station operators to display Ontario government stickers on the federal carbon tax violates their rights and freedoms, the province's chamber of commerce said Thursday as it asked the Progressive Conservatives to reverse their decision. In a letter Thursday to the Energy Minister Greg Rickford, chamber president Rocco Rossi said the group's members are concerned about the "political nature" of the decals, which were unveiled earlier this month as part of the Tory government's fight against the federal levy. "Our members including gas station operators have expressed concerns regarding the political nature of the stickers, viewing them as a violation of their rights and freedoms," Rossi said. Ontario has introduced legislation that requires stickers in English and French to be put on gas pumps showing that the tax has added 4.4 cents a litre to the price of gasoline and that will rise to 11 cents per litre by 2022. The government said last week the stickers will cost taxpayers approximately $5,000 to print 25,000 decals but that does not cover the cost to distribute them to the province's 3,200 gas stations. Gas station operators who don't display the government-mandated stickers could be subject to fines of up to $10,000 per day. On Thursday, Rossi called on the government to scrap the section in the legislation which mandates the stickers. "This initiative is an example of unnecessary red tape: it is both a new administrative burden and an increased cost to business thanks to the punitive and outsized fines for non-compliance," he said in the letter. Rickford defended the stickers, saying in a statement that the federal carbon tax will have a negative impact on every one in the province. "Ontario families have the right to know exactly what the Trudeau carbon tax costs them every time they fill up at the pump," he said in a statement. "The carbon tax will kill jobs and raise the price of nearly everything across our province, hurting every member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce." The letter is a rare example of the chamber publicly disagreeing with the Ford government on policy since it came to office last year. Rossi points out that the chamber has supported the Tories on a number of pieces of legislation and the government's ongoing work to reduce Ontario's deficit and debt. The carbon tax is expected cost to a typical household $258 this year and $648 by 2022. Residents of provinces with the tax will be getting rebates on their income tax returns that start at $128 annually and increase for people with spouses or dependents at home. The federal government says a family of four in Ontario would get $307 this year. Ontario is one of four provinces, including Manitoba, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, where Ottawa imposed the levy because they opted not to impose their own pricing schemes on carbon emissions. OTTAWA - Katrina Adams has thought about getting a tattoo for all of her friends who have died in the past two years from opioid overdoses but she doesn't think she has enough room on her body for all the names. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opioid user Katrina Adams plays with her cat in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Katrina Adams has thought about getting a commemorative tattoo for all of her friends who have died in the past two years from opioid overdoses but she doesn't think she would have enough room on her body for all the names. Instead, the 27-year-old has pictures of deceased friends in her Ottawa apartment along with images of her two children. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Katrina Adams has thought about getting a tattoo for all of her friends who have died in the past two years from opioid overdoses but she doesn't think she has enough room on her body for all the names. Instead, the 27-year-old has pictures of many of them in her Ottawa apartment, along with images of her two children. Opioid addiction leads to daily Russian roulette, she said. The supply of drugs on the street is unpredictable, a mix of different chemicals of different potencies. Ottawa police recently tested a sample of stuff being sold as heroin and found it contained no heroin it was extra-potent fentanyl, mixed with fillers. Adams knows from experience: she's overdosed seven times, including during her last pregnancy. "There's no way to tell what you're taking out there from one day to another," Adams said. "I have died; I have come out the other side." Adams said she has found new hope, however, through a program in Ottawa where she can take intravenous hydromorphone an opioid known commercially as Dilaudid up to seven times a day, prescribed to her by a doctor. Participants live in an apartment building in a neighbourhood west of downtown where they can get regular medical care and support. "I'm not sitting in an alley ... shooting up with puddle water and (with) drugs that I have no idea where they came from," Adams said. "As much as safe injection sites have saved lives because they are there to intervene when the overdose actually happens, these safe injection sites actually have no way of preventing the overdose itself." Dr. Jeffrey Turnbull, a former chief of staff at the Ottawa Hospital and president of the Canadian Medical Association who has worked closely with the city's homeless population for 20 years, is instrumental in the program. It began about a year ago as Ottawa faced the enormity of the opioid epidemic, with numerous daily overdoses and frequent deaths, and it's aimed at exceptionally high-risk opioid users. "They were injection-opioid drug users but it was all the poison that was in the heroin that were placing them at an even higher risk fentanyl, carfentanil, newer metabolites," he said. "We felt that if we could take away the challenge of getting drugs, the criminality of that, take away the risk of a poisonous drug supply, stabilize the craziness of their lives ... then we could start to work on some of their other, underlying medical and mental health challenges." The Public Health Agency of Canada released new data this month showing that more than 3,200 Canadians died of apparent opioid-related overdoses between January and September last year alone a window into the epidemic that rages across the country, particularly in B.C., Alberta and Ontario, despite government interventions. The federal agency also reported fentanyl and other fentanyl-related substances continue to be a "major driver" of Canada's opioid crisis, with 73 per cent of deaths from apparent accidental opioid overdoses in the nine-month span involving the drug. The rising death count has prompted numerous health experts, including B.C.'s provincial health officer, to urge the federal look at ways of supplying safer opioid drugs an avenue being explored by the country's chief medical officer Dr. Theresa Tam and Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor. The latest federal budget proposes funding of $30.5 million over five years, starting this year, on targeted efforts to address "persistent gaps in harm reduction" and treatment. "Specifically, funding will support efforts to expand access to a safe supply of prescription opioids," it says. Conservative health critic Marilyn Gladu said pursuing a safe supply focuses on the wrong things. "I think they need to be looking at a more holistic solution with prevention and recovery," she said. "I think people have compassion for those that are addicted but we need to get them off drugs." It is critical to both decriminalize and medically regulate the supply to save lives, said NDP health critic Don Davies. "The problem, if we name it, is there is a toxic, poisoned, street supply," he said. Davies notes the death toll from opioids has gone up every single year. "Does that tell you that (the Liberal government's) policy response is working? It's not." As political discussions unfold on policy, the crisis carries on. The rationale for the program Adams is in is similar to the one behind a managed alcohol program that has operated in Ottawa for almost 20 years, which Turnbull also helped launch. Participants live in a building run by a shelter organization and get rations of wine once an hour. When they aren't always thinking about finding their next drinks, and can't binge, they can attend to other things. Studies have found that people with severe alcohol disorders who are in such programs there are versions in cities across the country have fewer hospital visits and fewer problems with the law than those who aren't. It would be a "game changer" to think of making safe opioids available through different channels, depending on users' needs, Turnbull said. He believes Canada needs to have a broader discussion about whether it's on the right track in its anti-overdose efforts. "I believe that we are going to have to think seriously about drug policy in this country in the face of an epidemic that kills more people than motor-vehicle accidents and suicides," he said. "It is very hard for the police to arrest their way out of this problem and we are really going to have rethink how we deal with drugs and how we think of the criminality of drug use." Addiction accelerates to a point where using drugs stops being a choice, Adams said. She said expanding access to safe drugs would help give opioid users like her the chance to also see what they're capable of, like rebuilding relationships, working toward employment and being able to make scheduled appointments. "These might seem like small things in the grand scheme of things but for us, this is huge," she said. "We are becoming functioning members of society again." Follow @kkirkup on Twitter TORONTO - A broken Crown promise to forever protect Aboriginal lands is at the heart of a novel Indigenous claim to the waters of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, an Ontario court heard Thursday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Greg Nadjiwon, chief of the Chippewas of Nawash, is seen outside Ontario Superior Court in Toronto on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Nadjiwon was observing the start of a landmark trial in which the Saugeen Ojibway Nation are pressing a claim to the waters of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, and urge the return to them of the Bruce Peninsula. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel TORONTO - A broken Crown promise to forever protect Aboriginal lands is at the heart of a novel Indigenous claim to the waters of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, an Ontario court heard Thursday. The two First Nations groups who make up the Saugeen Ojibway Nation or SON say their traditional territory includes what is now the Bruce Peninsula and lands south stretching from Goderich, Ont., to Collingwood, Ont. The territory, they assert, includes much of the waters of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. "They say they have a relationship with their territory for a thousand years," SON lawyer Roger Townshend said in opening comments. "The issues before this court are about the relationship historical and continued that SON has to these lands and waters." The promise SON claims was broken came by way of a treaty in 1836, as European settlers arrived in increasingly large numbers. Under Treaty 45-1/2, SON gave up 600,000 hectares of prime agricultural land south of Owen Sound, Ont. In return, SON asserts, the Crown promised to protect their interest in the Bruce Peninsula "forever." "The promise made and understood was to protect SON's unique and special interests in its territory," SON lawyer Cathy Guirguis said. "The king would ensure no one stole the lands in question." However, just 18 years later in 1854 under Treaty 72, the Crown demanded surrender of the peninsula, Guirguis told Justice Wendy Matheson in a Toronto courtroom packed with Indigenous spectators and supporters on Thursday. Indigenous people, she said, had gone from being allies to "obstacles to settlement." SON wants the court to recognize Aboriginal title to the offshore waters. It also wants the return of peninsula lands still owned by Canada or Ontario or otherwise not privately owned. Any compensation will be dealt with at a later phase of the trial. For their parts, the two governments maintain they have dealt with the First Nations fairly, have lived up to their treaty obligations, and deny Aboriginal title to the lands or waters exist. They want the claims thrown out. Speaking for the federal government, lawyer Michael Beggs said in his brief opening that the case was not about "what happened 9,000 years ago." Nevertheless, he urged the court to keep the historical context firmly in mind. It was, he said, a time in Canada's history when rapid settlement was taking place and the legal system very different. Beggs also warned against taking a "simplistic view of the various actors," saying it would be wrong to assume First Nations didn't know what was happening or what they were signing. The evidence, he said, will show that the Crown acted with honour, integrity and in good faith. "It was a difficult set of circumstances that the parties were facing," he said. "There are no bad guys." Similarly, Ontario lawyer David Feliciant said First Nations knew they were giving up the Bruce Peninsula in exchange for the proceeds as the lands were sold. They also knew their rights to hunt and fish would be displaced by the new owners, he said. "The plaintiffs had reasons to surrender the peninsula," Feliciant said. "The lands were sold and the communities benefited from the funds. The Crown's honour was not stained." The case, which will likely take years, is already scheduled into the fall, with some of the hearings due to be held on SON territory. Witnesses will include numerous experts including in Indigenous culture, anthropology, linguistics and history. Defendants include several municipalities, which see themselves as innocent victims in the dispute. Chief Lester Anoquot of Saugeen First Nation one of the two groups that make up SON said the issues were of profound importance. "This trial is not only a watershed moment for SON seeking recognition of our rights, but also for Indigenous peoples and Aboriginal rights across Canada," Anoquot said in a statement. "This is about legally recognizing how integral our waters are to us as Anishinaabe people." The trial was adjourned until Monday, when it will resume in Cape Croker, Ont. VANCOUVER - The leader of a First Nation nearly encircled by blazes during one of the worst wildfires seasons in British Columbia's history says building firefighting capacity is urgent as another season approaches. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Chief Joe Alphonse, tribal chairman of the Tsilhqot'in Nation is pictured at Farwell Canyon, B.C. Friday, Oct. 24, 2014. The leader of a First Nation nearly encircled by blazes during one of the worst wildfires seasons in British Columbia's history says building firefighting capacity is urgent as another season approaches. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward VANCOUVER - The leader of a First Nation nearly encircled by blazes during one of the worst wildfires seasons in British Columbia's history says building firefighting capacity is urgent as another season approaches. The Tsilqhot'in First Nation released a review of the 2017 wildfire season Wednesday detailing its experience and making 33 recommendations, including infrastructure upgrades, sustained funding for firefighting training and a one-stop reimbursement process for First Nations. Chief Joe Alphonse said while there have always been fires in the region, climate change is making them more common and severe, so there's no time to waste. "If you roll the dice and think this won't happen again, you're not going to win," Alphonse said. "Right now this year, we're probably looking at the driest conditions we've ever seen in the Chilcotin. We had no winter up there." The 2017 wildfires burned more than 1.2 million hectares of land in B.C., cost $600 million and forced 65,000 people from their homes. The Tsilqhot'in made headlines when about one third of its members refused to evacuate their territory and stayed to fight the blazes instead. "We live in a fire zone, always have. Our nation, our elders, generation after generation, kids growing up will hear their grandparents talk about fighting fires on horseback, hauling buckets of water from the rivers up to the fires," Alphonse said. Alphonse has been a vocal critic of the wildfire response by the federal and provincial governments, saying their failure to recognize Indigenous knowledge and firefighting skills posed a greater threat to the First Nation than the fires themselves. "When the fires hit, people automatically assumed we don't know what we're doing," he said. But he also told a crowd at the University of British Columbia that the six communities that comprise the Tsilqhot'in lack some basic infrastructure and resources that would better equip them to protect themselves and hope to fireproof their homes and communities. The report, called The Fires Awakened Us, does not propose a specific budget for implementing its recommendations, which also includes more fire halls, geotechnical work to stabilize banks and an Indigenous-led emergency centre with culturally-appropriate meals and other features. B.C.'s minister of forests, Doug Donaldson, said the government has begun acting on feedback it received from the First Nation, as well as 108 recommendations made in an independent report last May to overhaul disaster response practices after the 2017 wildfire and flood seasons. He said the province believes it has already addressed 18 per cent of the recommendations in the Tsilqhot'in report, including incorporating local knowledge in emergency responses and providing firefighting training. It has also increased the annual wildfire budget to $101 million from $64 million, he said. "There's no question that the wildfires of 2017 had a disproportionate and devastating effect on your community," Donaldson said. "We have more work to do and we need to do it in the spirit of reconciliation." Treasury Board President Joyce Murray said First Nations communities have incurred "extraordinary" costs protecting their communities from wildfires. She said the federal government is working with them and the provincial government to ensure all eligible expenses are reimbursed and recovery continues. "We know that there was record setting fires in 2018 as well so we have to expect this is going to be a continuing challenge," she said. Last summer, wildfires burned an even larger area than 2017 and destroyed 21 homes in the Tahltan Nation's community at Telegraph Creek in the province's northwest. Neither Donaldson nor Murray immediately committed any funding toward implementing the recommendations. Donaldson said they just received the report and Murray said negotiations are "underway," adding the federal budget includes $211 million over five years for emergency management. The report says adopting emergency response rooted in local traditions and values is an opportunity for reconciliation in an area that is complex but critical and could be applied to resolving "many First Nation jurisdictional battles." The change should be Indigenous-led but supported by the provincial and federal governments, it says. "Recognizing First Nation values and decision making require courage and leadership by all governments." Alphonse said the community is sharing its experience in hopes that both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities can learn from it. "We went through that, we experienced it. We want to share our experience to help other communities," he said. "We better be prepared. That's my message." RICHMOND, B.C. - Former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says she believes the federal Liberals have decided to "manage the problem" with Indigenous people rather than do the hard work of reconciliation. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 24/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. RICHMOND, B.C. - Former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says she believes the federal Liberals have decided to "manage the problem" with Indigenous people rather than do the hard work of reconciliation. In a speech on Wednesday to the First Nations Justice Council in British Columbia, Wilson-Raybould accused her former cabinet colleagues of backtracking on grand commitments Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made about reconciliation. "My fear and disappointment is that despite sounding the alarm, providing advice, pushing and challenging, sharing perspectives of lived Indigenous experience ... the federal government has fallen back, once again, into a pattern of trying to quote manage the problem with Indigenous Peoples," she said. The government appears to want to make incremental and limited shifts rather than transforming laws and policies to resolve injustices that have stood for generations, she said. In 2015, the Liberal Party was keen to recruit Indigenous candidates and affirm its commitment to solving long-standing problems. But four years later, many of these problems remain and First Nations leaders have raised concerns about the recent expulsion of Wilson-Raybould and former Indigenous services minister Jane Philpott from the party. Trudeau's Liberals, for their part, say they are still hearing support from Indigenous people and leaders. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett has said she continues to hear "very positive" feedback. Wilson-Raybould said when she went to Ottawa in 2015, she believed it was time for politics to be done differently. True reconciliation requires courage, audacity and innovation, she told the group. But she said she faced obstacles and resistance within the federal government, including when she issued a directive over how federal government lawyers should handle civil cases with Indigenous people. Former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould gives the keynote speech to the First Nations Justice Council in Richmond, B.C., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward The directive was one of her last acts as justice minister and attorney general before she was shuffled to the veterans-affairs portfolio in January. "There were some within the establishment who were fearful that shifting from the norm of how the courts had been used against Indigenous Peoples would be a costly mistake," she said. "(Some individuals) did not, and perhaps still do not, realize that uncertainty, conflict and unpredictability arise because of the denial of rights, not because of their recognition." When she became justice minister she had no illusions as to the reality of how the legal system has worked for Indigenous Canadians, she said, noting the higher incarceration rates of First Nations as well as the imposition of a "race-based, segregated and unequal Indian Act" upon them. She went to Ottawa to challenge this reality, she said. "This is not an arena of work conducive to political expediency, partisan games, cynical half-measures or rhetoric not backed up with action. This requires boldness, courage and a vigorous agenda for change from all of us," Wilson-Raybould said. Philpott also spoke at the event on Wednesday. She and Wilson-Raybould were kicked out of the Liberal caucus after they spoke out about alleged political pressure faced by the former attorney general to drop a criminal prosecution of Quebec engineering firm SNC-Lavalin. Philpott told the crowd the controversy revealed a "serious clash of cultures" in Ottawa. "In theory, there is a desire for diversity among people in politics. In reality, it seems that Ottawa is not entirely ready for people who approach leadership and responsibility from different world views. As a result, some voices were not heard or were not understood," she said. "Some have criticized me and Jody as being naive, as not understanding how things are done. Those critics failed to realize that the way things have always been done may not meet the standard of what Canadians expect from their political leaders." Last month, the number of trips to Ireland by overseas visitors rose 3% to 784,700. In the first three months of 2019, the number of trips made to Ireland by overseas residents increased by 5.5% when compared to the same period in 2018. According to the latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) today, the number of trips overseas made by Irish residents has also increased. In March 2019, Irish residents made 634,000 trips overseas, a rise of 13.5%. Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Shane Ross welcomed today's figures saying that the revenue received from overseas tourists is vital for businesses and communities. "Looking ahead to the remainder of 2019, I have asked the agencies to focus on the policy priorities of delivering sustainable growth that is regionally and seasonally dispersed," said Minister Ross. "To this end, I very much welcome initiatives such as the Failte Ireland led Taste the Island campaign, which will encourage holidaymakers to visit events and sample local produce across the island outside peak season, while at the same time improving Irelands image as a food tourism destination in what is now a huge market segment internationally. "I hope that the industry will be fully on board with this initiative come the autumn." Responding to the figures, Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland warned that it is still early days and that arrivals for the first quarter represent around 18% of total annual arrivals. He added that growth in the month of March has slowed. "Looking to the upcoming summer season and the air access picture, there will be a +3% increase in number of airline seats available, down from the original estimate of +6%," said Mr Gibbons. "A range of factors in the marketplace have contributed to this decline, including poor yields and stiff competition across Mainland Europe. We welcome the additional hotel capacity, which is facilitating growth; however, competitiveness remains key as we head into the peak season. Failte Irelands CEO Paul Kelly, said that today's figures are reassuring. "While this reflects the fact that international tourism is growing globally and Ireland continues to stand out as a destination, it is important to be cautious as we face a challenging year ahead," said Mr Kelly. "The potential impact of Brexit on our economy is a serious concern for the country as a whole but its impact specifically on the tourism industry, which one of Irelands biggest employers, should not be underestimated." Building materials group CRH will decide, within the next three months, whether or not to sell its European distribution division. Speaking after the group's AGM in Dun Laoghaire, chief executive Albert Manifold refused to confirm reports that Bank of America has been hired to sell the unit, which has an estimated value of 2bn. He did, however, say interest has been shown and a decision on the future of the division will be taken in the next two-to-three months. Mr Manifold said "a lot of people" have shown interest in the business and that the general sector attracts a lot of interest in general. "What I can say is that we're going through a very honest and open process over deciding whether this business is a right fit for the family of CRH or not. It's a very simple allocation of capital decision. It's not even an allocation issue; we have capital allocated to it. The question is 'do you want to leave it in there or take it out and put it elsewhere?'" The business has been the subject of a strategic review since last year. Earlier this week CRH said the review was ongoing and all options were being considered. Mr Manifold said it was a question of weighing up the chances of realising the full potential of the division against the value that could be crystallised from it now and what could be done with the money. To that end, CRH said it will seek to continue to strike a balance - when it comes to cash deployment - between ongoing share buybacks and more acquisitions. Its focus for the next three years is on growing profitability, cash generation, margins and returns. Much of that will be prompted by organic growth from recent large acquisitions still being fully consolidated into the group structure. At the agm, itself, Mr Manifold told shareholders he has never been more optimistic than he currently is about CRH's future. However, he said he was "disappointed" with the group's share price performance. Up by just 3% in the past 12 months, the stock fell by around 2% after the AGM. While CRH will only focus on core markets for future acquisitions, Mr Manifold said its main emerging markets presence in the Philippines remains a long-term investment with operations there recovering. He disagreed with a shareholder who suggested the Philippines business was "a problem child" for CRH. Mr Manifold would not be drawn on Cevian Capital, Europe's largest activist investor which bought into CRH earlier this year. He said the board views Cevian like any other shareholder and welcomes the views of all key investors, adding that all are happy with CRH's growth objectives. A reward of up to 10,000 has been offered for information about the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. The Crimestoppers charity said the cash was available to anyone providing information which directly led to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the dissident republican shooting in Derry last week. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stood alongside UK Prime Minister Theresa May at the 29-year-old's funeral in Belfast on Wednesday. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald was seated close to DUP chief Arlene Foster inside St Anne's Cathedral. DUP leader Arlene Foster with Sin Fein's Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire She said: "I think the first thing that needs to happen now to mark a step change in the political discourse is that the Irish and British governments need to meet in the British/Irish intergovernmental conference. "They need to set out and articulate the outstanding equality issues and they need to map out a way forward. "People now want resolution." Fr Martin Magill, the priest leading the service, received a standing ovation when he asked why it took the death of a 29-year-old woman to unite their parties. "Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get to this point?" | https://t.co/qD11IiNW59 #lyramckee pic.twitter.com/wCEO1c3lxl RTE News (@rtenews) April 24, 2019 Mourners said they hoped pleas for action would not fall on deaf ears. Mrs May said afterwards: "We must do our utmost to ensure that that does not happen." The 100-year-old cathedral in the heart of Belfast was packed for the funeral, where there were tears and laughter for Ms McKee. The congregation was led by Ms McKee's partner, aged 35, her mother Joan McKee, 68, brothers Gary and David and sisters Joan, Nichola and Mary. Her family earlier paid tribute to a "gentle, innocent soul" whose "desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical". Lyra's friends filled the pews wearing homemade #TeamLyra t-shirts, with Harry Potter-esque crests on the front. Friends arrive for the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. (Liam McBurney/PA Wire) Ms McKee was killed by indiscriminate fire as she observed clashes between police and New IRA dissidents on the Creggan estate in Londonderry on April 18. The New IRA is an amalgam of armed groups opposed to the peace process and it recently claimed responsibility for parcel bombs sent to London and Glasgow in March. Police believe the violence in Derry was orchestrated in response to an earlier search by officers aimed at averting imminent trouble associated with the anniversary of the Easter Rising. Launching the reward for information, a spokesman for Crimestoppers, said it could "make all the difference in helping Lyra's loved ones and the wider community have the answers they deserve". "This murder has sent shockwaves through the local community and across Northern Ireland. Indeed it has attracted global condemnation," they said. "Ms McKee was merely doing her job as a freelance journalist. "We know that this has affected all parts of the community and we urge anyone who has information about those who are responsible to come forward." The independent organisation takes calls confidentially via a telephone or using an anonymous online form. The spokesman said: "By contacting Crimestoppers, you stay 100% anonymous. Always. "You can pass on what you know, safe in the knowledge that you're doing the right thing. No-one will ever know you contacted us and you may also be entitled to a reward." The number to call is 0800 555 111 or the anonymous online form is available at Crimestoppers-uk.org. The reward will expire on July 24. Around 30 residents in a direct provision centre in Mosney held a protest today over their treatment at the facility. Residents at the Co Meath centre gathered at the front gate between 7am and 10am. The demonstration was organised after a mother of three at the centre was hospitalised after trying to take her own life. Her son is sick and she became upset when she was told they were going to be moved out of Mosney. The woman's sister says she was left in a desperate situation. "The residents went out at 7 o'clock...this was also a cry for help," she said. "People were like - could you please just listen." Gardai told us that they attended the "small protest" this morning. They said that it concluded peacefully and that no injuries or arrests were reported. In a statement, the Department of Justice and the Reception and Integration Agency said: "Upon being made aware of the protest at Mosney yesterday morning, management from RIA visited the accommodation centre. RIA staff members spoke to Management and staff. In keeping with established practice, RIA staff are available to residents in all centres to discuss any issues or concerns they may have. "The Gardai were present for a short time this morning due to the road being blocked. "The RIA will continue to monitor the situation in Mosney and to offer appropriate supports to residents." A local councillor has said the community of Tallaght in South Dublin is in fear these Easter holidays after shots were fired at a house overnight. At around 2am this morning a number of shots were fired at the front of a house in Cushlawn Park. Farmers, homeowners and businesses are being urged to use Eircodes to combat rural crime. The Government is now asking the public to take part in a new initiative which involves marking their property with their seven-digit Eircode in a bid to deter theft and to enable the gardai to identify the owners of stolen items. Ministers believe that Eircodes, which are already being used by emergency services to locate homes, can now be used to stop thefts of farm machinery and vehicles. The programme, which will be run through a not-for-profit company Property Marketing Ireland is to be rolled out in Donegal, Sligo, Cavan, Louth, Clare and Tipperary in the coming months before being expanded across the country. Minister of State Sean Canney said: "Property theft is very prevalent in rural Ireland and we need to put every barrier in place to rule out this type of illegal action. The use of Eircodes is a clever way of identifying ownership of property and helps in having recovered property returned." We need to make use of every technology available to us to make sure that we are better and smarter than thieves. He said the code can be marked on everything from machinery to mobile phones and the identifiers are placed in discreet and difficult to remove locations. Communications Minister Richard Bruton said: "Eircodes are the perfect unique identifier for marking your property, making it much less appealing to thieves. This service works with local communities to send a clear message to criminals operating in the area that theft will not be tolerated and makes it much easier for the Gardai to return stolen property to the rightful owner. The Oireachtas Justice Committee report last month called for an increase in garda patrols in rural areas The report on community policing and rural crime also recommended that community CCTV systems should be installed with State assistance and that a dedicated community garda be assigned to each district to encourage engagement and act as a first point of contact. An animal lover today escaped criminal sanction after admitting harassing a man he suspected of cruelty to a horse. At Gort District Court, John Mannion (54) of Lakeside Park, Loughrea, Co Galway pleaded guilty to harassing Michael Moran of Crowe Street, Gort over a two-month period from July 12 to September 13, 2017. In the case, Mr Mannion sent Mr Moran nine letters on dates between July 9 to September 5, 2017 including three letters on the one day of September 5. Judge Patrick Durcan said: This is something that shouldn't have happened. The motivation on the part of Mr Mannion was absolutely commendable, but the manner in which he ventilated that motivation was deplorable. In evidence, Mr Moran said that the receipt of the letters resulted in him having a massive heart attack. Putting some of the contents of the letters to Mr Moran, Judge Durcan said one letter from Mr Mannion said: How could you be so cruel to a horse? You scumbag. In reply, Mr Moran told Judge Durcan: Sure, you wouldnt like to be called that. Judge Durcan said that another letter from Mr Mannion told Mr Moran it was during dreadful weather like this that you let the poor horse starve to death. You horrible anti-Christ. In response, Mr Moran told Judge Durcan: I let no horse die - there are worse letters than that. Mr Moran told the court today that he didnt own the horse in question and was never cruel to a horse. He said: I got a massive heart attack out of it. I had to get two stents. 'A little over the top' Mr Moran was unsuccessfully prosecuted by the gardai concerning his treatment of a horse when Judge Durcan previously dismissed the case against Mr Moran as the State failed to prove that the horse in question was owned by Mr Moran. Garda Mervyn Forde told the court today that there was evidence of alleged cruelty to a horse in the case but the State was unable to make a connection between the horse and Mr Moran. Judge Durcan said that the garda investigation would have brought its own stresses on Mr Moran. Judge Durcan told Mr Moran: I sympathise with you. You have been through a stressful time, but a lot of that stress would have been self-induced as you were properly and correctly investigated by the gardai and that put you under pressure. Mr Moran said that he had no idea who was sending the letters and he made a complaint to the gardai and gave them the hand-written letters. Mr Mannion also sent a letter of complaint to Gort Gardai concerning the horse and gardai were able to identify Mr Mannion as the person writing the letters after sending them off to a garda hand-writing expert. Solicitor for Mr Mannion, John Nash told the court that Mr Mannion is an animal lover and was very upset and acted a little over the top in sending the letters. Mr Mannion has no previous convictions and Judge Durcan said that he has led an exemplary life. Judge Durcan said that he didnt want to convict Mr Mannion but ordered him to pay 500 to the Court Discretionary Fund or Poor Box to be paid to a charity that battles cruelty to animals and struck out the charge. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has said that if there was the political will the issues that led to the fall of the Stormont Assembly could be sorted out in one hour. Politicians need to roll up their sleeves and get cracking she told RTE radios Today With Miriam OCallaghan show. People want power sharing. This is not an Orange/Green dynamic, people want equality. She was responding to the call made by Fr Martin Magill at the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee for politicians to reform the power-sharing government. Fr Magill hit the nail on the head. He laid down serious challenges to us, not to just talk, not to just tick boxes. We need to fix the dysfunction. "Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get to this point?" | https://t.co/qD11IiNW59 #lyramckee pic.twitter.com/wCEO1c3lxl RTE News (@rtenews) April 24, 2019 Ms McDonald said that the only way to achieve sustainable government was to hardwire equality. She welcomed anything that moved the dial towards equality and inclusion. These are issues that need to be resolved. The challenge is, was and remains to talk and to engage, but if the question was Sinn Fein going to capitulate to people who would hold back progress, then the answer is no, we will not capitulate on that, she said. A compromise had been reached in February 2018, added Ms McDonald, but the DUP had walked away from that. Foster denies Lyra McKee death was caused by political vacuum DUP leader Arlene Foster has denied that Lyra McKees death was caused by a political vacuum. She was speaking on RTE radios Morning Ireland about the funeral service of the 29 year old journalist at which there was a standing ovation when Fr Martin Magill urged Northern Ireland's politicians to start talking to reform the power-sharing government. Earlier on BBC radio Good Morning Ulster she had described the occasion as a very powerful moment. She said she had not been aware of what was happening behind her (when people began standing). This is about what happens next. On Morning Ireland she said that the service had been very moving in so many ways. Fr Magills sermon had been very powerful and very clear about what people want to see happening power sharing and devolution. Thats why its important that we get back to the Assembly. To get it up and running again. There is a great public desire to see the Assembly up and running again, theres an awful lot to be done. Ms Foster said she wanted to see the Assembly up and running along with a parallel talks process for a specified time, which could be six months or nine months. Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald has said her party is ready to play a full part in a serious and meaningful talks process. Sinn Fein negotiator Conor Murphy (Niall Carson/PA) Sinn Fein negotiator Conor Murphy repeated his assertion that the DUP leadership had previously reached an agreement and was unable to sell it to its grassroots. This is an attempt to get the Executive, recognising the faults and failings of the last Executive, recognising why it collapsed and wishing to put together one which is sustainable and does not collapse again. He told the BBC that Sinn Feins conditions were those imposed by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. We want a sustainable agreement, one which keeps an Executive in place, not a quick fix which gets us up one week and brings us down the next. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said she intends to hold discussions with Stormonts party leaders this week in an effort to restore powersharing. They attended a vigil together in Londonderry following the young journalists death. When asked about her partys position on marriage equality, Ms Foster said that they had a long-standing policy of supporting traditional marriage, but that did not mean she could not express sympathy and empathise with Lyra McKees partner Sara for her loss. To do that was not a political issue. Fr Magill, when asked the same question, said that there was a variety of views on gay marriage within the church, but that it had been from a pastoral point of view that he had acknowledged the love that existed between Lyra and Sara. It had not been his intention to make an embarrassing situation for the politicians in attendance, but clearly it was. He was looking for something more than a blame game. He said he would like to see all the parties to be more involved, to get back together into talks about the Assembly. Additional reporting by PA The two-tier pay system which sees hospital consultants hired since October 2012 paid 30% less than longer-serving colleagues will be a major focus of attention at the AGM of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) which gets underway in Co Kerry today. Incoming IMO president Dr Patrick McGarry said the pay disparity was directly contributing to a shortage of consultants - there are currently almost 500 vacancies across the country - as well as contributing to delays in patient treatment. Update 8.30pm Gardai are appealing for witnesses after a man was shot in Drogheda this afternoon. The 36-year-old was shot in "a number of times" in the leg and shoulder in the Hardmans Gardens area of Drogheda. The man is in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda in a serious but stable condition. Gardai have said the attackers were travelling in a red Volkswagon Golf with fake registration plates that read: 191-D-31786. Gardai said the car was found burned out near Sheephouse on the Rathmullen Road, Drogheda. They believe two men ran from the car when it was abandoned. Superintendent Andrew Watters of Drogheda Garda Station said that gardai are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. Sup Int. Watters said gardai would like speak to anyone who: was in the Hardmans area of Drogheda today, before 4.23pm, who saw anything unusual in the area or persons/vehicles which drew their attention. saw a red Volkswagon Golf car, bearing registration plate 191D31786 or any red Volkswagon Golf in the Drogheda area today. was in the Drogheda area today with dashcam footage, particularly those who may have been in the vicinity of Hardmans Gardens, Lady of Lourdes Church and Rathmullen Road areas between 4pm and 5pm. Gardai said that in particular, they are appealing to the drivers of a dark navy coloured taxi and a rigid lorry with a white cab, advertising Tipperary Water, which were stopped directly behind the attackers red Volkswagon golf to come forward. Gardai said they are "aware that a number of other persons in the area very narrowly avoided being shot and seriously injured in the attack". Sup Int. Watters described the "indiscriminate" attack as callous and reckless adding that it endangering members of the public and children. He assured the community that gardai "making every effort to identify the culprits involved in this irresponsible attack". Anyone with information is asked to contact gardai at Drogheda Garda Station 041 9874200, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station. Earlier: Man, 36, injured following shooting in Drogheda A man has been injured following a shooting incident in Drogheda. Gardai say they are on the scene of the incident which occurred at around 4.30pm this afternoon. One man, 36, was injured in the incident and was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. Gardai say the incident occurred at Hardimans Gardens, Drogheda. More to follow... No action has been taken against tech companies in Ireland despite 2,000 complaints being made in the last year. Ireland is the designated lead regulator in Europe for new data privacy guidelines that came into effect last May. Weather forecasters have warned of gusts of up to 80mph (130km/h) and low temperatures more like January this weekend, with Storm Hannah expected to hit Ireland . The UK Met Office said on Thursday that its Irish partner had chosen to name the storm, which is expected to bring strong gales to Ireland on Friday night. #StormHannah has been named by @MetEireann. The storm will bring severe gales to Ireland on Friday night, with strong winds also expected for southern parts of the UK pic.twitter.com/esuddjvNyP Met Office (@metoffice) April 25, 2019 Met Eireann issued a Status Yellow advisory for Cork and Kerry, warning there would be "potential for stormy conditions for the southwest later on Friday and early Saturday". Gusts will reach up to 130 kilometres an hour in those areas. Forecasters are predicting very disturbed and unsettled weather conditions, with the potential for stormy conditions in the south west of Ireland on Friday. Met Eireann's Matthew Martin said the conditions are expected to be severe. He said: "With the strong winds expected there could be some falling debris, which could bring down power lines and cause some dangerous driving conditions." On Thursday, a status yellow wind warning was issued for Connacht, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly, Donegal, Tipperary and Waterford, running from 11pm on Friday to 9am on Saturday. More weather warnings associated with the storm are expected to follow later this morning. Status Yellow - Wind warning for Connacht, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly, Donegal, Tipperary and Waterford Valid: Friday 26 April 2019 23:00 to Saturday 27 April 2019 09:00 pic.twitter.com/8Xb8ugGR4N Met Eireann (@MetEireann) April 25, 2019 UK Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said that the system will affect Ireland most significantly. He said that going through the evening, the low pressure system would cross into parts of Ireland, affecting western parts. Status Orange - Wind warning for Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick Valid: Friday 26 April 2019 16:00 to Saturday 27 April 2019 05:00 pic.twitter.com/kxklPySnY8 Met Eireann (@MetEireann) April 25, 2019 Additional reporting by PA Superquinn founder and politician Feargal Quinn has died, aged 82. He passed away peacefully at his home in Howth, Co Dublin, after a short illness. Mr Quinn established the Superquinn chain of supermarkets in 1960 and served as a Senator from 1993 to 2016. Just hearing the very sad news that Feargal Quinn (82) founder of Superquinn has died. To his son Eamon and his siblings and mother Denise my deepest condolences. The Quinn Family Feargal, and his cousins Ruari & Lochlainn have contributed so much to this country. RIP pic.twitter.com/X6HClhjZIh Gavin Duffy (@GavinDuffy) April 25, 2019 The former Senator is survived by his wife Denise, their five children, and 19 grandchildren. In a statement, the Quinn family said: "First and foremost Feargal was a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and brother. "To everyone else who knew him, he was an ebullient businessman, entrepreneur, innovator and former Senator." Saddened to hear the news of the passing of my former colleague Fergal Quinn. A great politician with enormous integrity & a pioneering businessman always ahead of his time Martin Conway (@conwayforclare) April 25, 2019 Superquinn was sold to the Musgrave Group in 2011, who rebranded the remaining stores as SuperValu in 2014. Mr Quinn also presented the RTE TV series 'Feargal Quinn's Retail Therapy'. Paying tribute, President Michael D Higgins described Mr Quinn as a "gifted entrepreneur" who will be missed. "Feargal was a gifted entrepreneur, whose vision of customer service and innovation transformed the landscape of the retail trade in Ireland over many decades. As a lifelong supporter of small businesses and start-up companies, countless numbers of people benefited from his wise counsel, which was based on a highly successful career at the coalface of Irish business." "He will be deeply missed not just by his family and wide circle of friends, but also by those who served in the Seanad with him, where he will be remembered as a force for change, as a passionate advocate on business and related matters, and as an eloquent debater. "He was renowned for his courteous contributions and responses to both supporters and opponents. "Sabina and I would like to extend my condolences to his wife Denise, to his children and grandchildren, and to his many friends." Its a really sad day for the nation and for his family, said Minister for Transport Shane Ross on RTE Radio. This man was an icon. Ive always described him as The best president Ireland never had. Despite his great wealth and incredible success he related to everybody. Customers and staff loved him. He was so absolutely genuine in his beliefs. He was a cut above all of us politicians. He got on with his job, he didnt get involved in spats. He was never flash just generous, he was a superb listener, something very special. He was one of the great marketers, he found out what the customers and what staff were thinking. He was a very genuine and easy person to deal with. His word was his bond. Mr Quinn was presented with the Philanthropist of the Year Award earlier this year in recognition of his charity work. Former Tanaiste Michael McDowell said: People shouldnt consider that niceness made him a fluffy person, he was very strong. He made it his business to know his staff and to know his customers. He didnt take his Senate salary, he donated it to charity. While he was recognised as someone who was kind and gentle in his dealings with people, he was very firm in his opinions. He was conservative in his moral outlook, but not in his ambitions for Ireland. He was the consummate gentleman. All who had dealings with him will remember him for his kindness and ability. Businessman Ben Dunne said: Fergal Quinn made a difference, he brought in a thing called customer service. He had an ability to sell cheap because he was a good retailer. He made sure everything was right for the customer. He was kind, but he was also ruthless. He was nobodys fool. He kept that family feeling in business. He came from humble beginnings, he went from nowhere to matching the big operators. He was very competitive on price and was very fair to the people who worked for him. He was a great businessman and a great Irishman. The CEO of Musgrave Group, Chris Martin, said he was "saddened" to hear the news of Mr Quinn's passing. "As the founder of Superquinn, Feargal was a visionary in Irish food and a retail pioneer. Beyond the world of retail, Feargal made a significant and lasting contribution to Irish society and to political life as a member of Seanad Eireann. "He was a leader who will be deeply missed. Feargal was also a good friend to Musgrave and on behalf of everyone here, I would like to share our condolences with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time." An Post Chairman, Dermot Divilly, said: We are very saddened by the death of Feargal Quinn, the first Chairman of An Post. He worked tirelessly over a decade from 1979 to set the postal service and post office network on a sound, forward-looking, modern footing. He showed exemplary dedication and vision during these formative years and he remained a loyal supporter of An Post throughout his life. He is remembered with the greatest respect and fondness. Our sincere sympathy to Denise and all his family. May he rest in peace. Labours Seanad Leader Ivana Bacik expressed her sympathy to the Quinn family. Feargal Quinn was always a well regarded and courteous colleague to all of his fellow senators, Ms Bacik said. As a senator for the NUI panel, he represented his constituents in exemplary fashion, and as a fellow University senator, it was a pleasure to work alongside him as I did from 2007 until his retirement in 2016. I am sure that Feargals legacy as a successful businessperson and diligent politician will be a source of great pride for his family for years to come. Very sad to learn of the death of Feargal Quinn. His achievements in business and in the Seanad were significant and are well known, but what set him apart was his personal warmth and great integrity. We have lost a true gentleman with his passing. Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) April 25, 2019 Opposition leader Micheal Martin said he was sad to learn of Mr Quinns death. His achievements in business and in the Seanad were significant and are well known, but what set him apart was his personal warmth and great integrity, he wrote on Twitter. We have lost a true gentleman with his passing. Mr Quinn was trending on Twitter for most of the day as thousands of people paid tribute to him and shared their memories of working for and with him throughout his long career. Trade union Forsa says staff employed by Ireland's School Completion Programme should be given the same employment status as other public servants. The SCP's 248 full-time employees provide direct support to over 36,000 young people at risk of poor school attendance and participation. The union also wants improvements to be made in the programme's budget which was cut by almost 25% - from 33m a year to less than 25m in 2010. As well as seeking public service status for pay and conditions for staff, Forsa also wants a long overdue start to be made on restoring lost income during the crisis. Forsa's vice-president, Michael Smyth, said staff working in the programme had been holding the service together despite years of erosion. Mr Smyth, who was speaking at the trade union's education division conference in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, said demands on the service were still there. Young people are still dropping out of school, and our service is continuing to provide a valuable route back into education, he said. The programme was set up as part of the Department of Education and Skills DEIS Strategy Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools. There are 124 local programme projects employing 248 full-time, 627 part-time and 2,211 sessional and other staff. Forsa says new measures are also needed to underpin governance and provide national leadership to the service. It is seeking a firm statutory basis for the programme with a national management structure and adequate funding for services, pay and access to a pension scheme. Meanwhile, Forsa says it has not accepted changes to special needs assistants' working conditions on foot of the proposed new schools' inclusion model that emerged from a recent review by the National Council for Special Education. The union met officials from the Department of Education last week and formed the impression that the proposals for a new schools inclusion model are not "fully formed". Last month, Education Minister Joe McHugh announced his intention to pilot the proposals in 75 primary and secondary schools in Kildare and Wicklow in the next school year. Forsa accepted the department's belated offer of consultation with SNAs on the proposals because if they are rolled out they could have significant implications for the SNAs and the students they worked with. It believes there is an opportunity to seek to renegotiate the SNA contract if the new model ushers in significant changes. The union's education division conference unanimously backed a motion demanding funding in the next budget to put school secretaries, currently employed by school management boards, on public service pay scales. Forsa recently launched a campaign for pay justice for school secretaries, most of whom are very poorly paid and have irregular, short-term contracts that force them to sign on during the summer holidays. School secretary, Kathleen O'Doherty, said it was time the antiquated and discriminatory employment arrangement was scrapped and replaced with a model that reflected the vast range of responsibilities and tasks school secretaries perform. The UK government must respond to a court ruling that Northern Ireland's abortion laws are in breach of human rights laws, the Women and Equalities Committee has said. The Commons committee called for the government to set out its timetable to address the breaches identified by a UN committee monitoring women's rights. It comes after a report found that Northern Ireland's powersharing crisis had led the devolved government to fail to respond to international human rights obligations. According to the committee, the report also found that the absence of a Northern Ireland Assembly means there are no scrutiny bodies to make sure policies are working well nor any scrutiny of the use of UK government funds for women and girls seeking an abortion in England. Since the collapse of the powersharing executive in 2017, there have been several significant developments relating to abortion in Northern Ireland. A UN committee found "grave" and "systematic" breaches of women's rights, and the UK Supreme Court identified a breach of human rights in relation to cases of fatal foetal abnormality or where the pregnancy has resulted from rape or incest. The UK government also introduced funding for women and girls to access free abortion services in England. Committee chairwoman Maria Miller said the committee heard evidence from a wide range of witnesses both in Northern Ireland and in Westminster. "These included doctors, nurses and midwives, lawyers, ministers and officials, organisations representing a range of views, and women who spoke to us about their own experiences," she said. "The lack of clarity about the current legal situation is creating confusion, fear and inequality. Our report sets out action which the government must take to address this." The report calls for the UK government to set out a timetable within the next six months so that an individual victim, such as a victim of rape or incest, does not have to take a case to court. Ms Miller said: "The situation of a woman or girl who became pregnant as a result of rape or incest having to pursue a court case highlights precisely why it should not depend on an individual victim to take a case to court. This must be rectified urgently." The report also recommended that the government Equalities Office should publish its legal advice on the scheme funding women and girls from Northern Ireland to access abortions in England. It also stated that the Department of Health for Northern Ireland should reissue guidance for healthcare professionals making it clear that referring patients to the funded scheme is not unlawful. Ms Miller added: "We heard of doctors facing a potential conflict between their duty of care to their patients and the law, and between their duty of confidentiality and the law. "They still have not been given guidance on referring women to the UK government-funded scheme providing free abortions in England - which started in 2017. This must be published immediately." It further found that the UK government's funding for abortion provision in England is not accessed equally by different groups of women and girls. The report recommends that the government Equalities Office should publish an equality impact assessment on the scheme. Ms Miller continued: "In practice, the scheme is more accessible to some women than others, with problems for women on low incomes, or who are too ill to travel, who are facing domestic violence and abuse, have insecure immigration status, or who are not registered with a GP. "We must ensure that women who are vulnerable or marginalised have the same access to services as everyone else." Amnesty International UK and the Family Planning Association welcomed the report and called on the UK government to take immediate action. Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International's Northern Ireland Campaign Manager, said: "This report is a welcome and urgent intervention that the UK government cannot ignore. "The Committee has made clear that the government is responsible for delivering urgently needed change on abortion and calls for a timeline and framework to be set out. "Devolution does not relieve the UK government of their obligation to protect and promote the rights of women in Northern Ireland. "Inaction is no longer an option. The UK government cannot remain complicit in the harm caused by the existing abortion regime - the time for change is now." Sarah Ewart, a woman who was forced to travel to England for an abortion after being told her pregnancy had a fatal foetal diagnosis, brought her case to Belfast High Court with support from Amnesty. The judgment is pending on this case. Ms Ewart said: "Northern Ireland's archaic abortion laws have left women like me suffering for far too long. "The UK government has turned a blind eye and ignored the hurt caused to me and others in my circumstances." Karen Murray, director for Northern Ireland at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said the report recognises that the current political situation in Northern Ireland is serving "neither women nor health professionals well". "Women's human rights are being denied and health professionals face serious dilemmas in balancing the law of the land and their professional responsibilities," she said. "The current political situation means there is no one willing or able to take action to ensure that women's rights are safeguarded, that misery is averted or that health professionals can do their jobs properly." A government spokesman said: "As abortion is a devolved matter, the best way forward is for locally accountable politicians in Northern Ireland to make decisions. We want to see devolved government restored at the earliest opportunity. "The Government is carefully considering the committee's report and recommendations, and will respond to the report in due course." PA The Secretary of the Navy has issued a policy change in the last few days which has potentially seismic implications regarding the recovery, preservation and trade of former U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft. In a followup to the public forum regarding Department of the Navy Museum Exchanges convened at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NMNA) in Pensacola, Florida on March 12th (meeting minutes available HERE), the Naval History & Heritage Command (NHHC), under the new leadership of Admiral Sam Cox, will now entertain proposals that can and will involve the permanent transfer of government-owned artifacts, such as retired military aircraft, in exchange for other items of value to the preservation of naval history. Under the right conditions, this could see the recovery and release of historic U.S. Navy or Marine Corps aircraft to private citizens, museums and/or other entities. It is essentially a revised and revived version of the old Navy Trade and Exchange Program from previous decades, which led so successfully to the recovery and preservation of dozens of Navy aircraft ditched in Lake Michigan during wartime training accidents. The full outline for the new policy, SECNAV INSTRUCTION 5755.2B, can be found HERE. It entirely replaces and negates the previous document which had made the recovery and preservation of lost naval aircraft all-but-impossible for far, far too long. In a conversation this morning with Taras Lyssenko, who is intimately involved with both aircraft salvage and the changes to the Navy Trade and Exchange Program, this new policy is directly attributable to the new commander of the NHHC, Admiral Cox. Lyssenko stated, We have changed the whole paradigm [Admiral Cox wants the NHHC] to be a proactive educational organization that supports the interests of the USA. Accordingly, the new policy places a major emphasis on the educational outreach opportunities provided by any future exchange agreements. Some of this new direction is already well underway at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Experience (formerly the Kalamazoo Air Zoo) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where museum staff and volunteers are setting the standard, providing literally hundreds of young people (from sixth graders to college students) with opportunities to learn how to restore vintage aeroplanes with actual hands-on experiences working on a Douglas SBD-2P Dauntless and a Grumman FM-2 Wildcat; both Lake Michigan recoveries on loan from the NMNA. It is hard to argue against the logic behind these efforts, as without engaging younger generations in the importance of these historical artifacts, there will be far less interest in preserving them for the future. According to Lyssenko, since the April 12th meeting, there are already at least six different proposals involving five different aircraft which the NHHC is evaluating for the Navy Trade and Exchange Program. While these proposals are still in their infancy, one of them will likely see the restoration of Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver Bu.19866 which Lyssenko and A&T Recovery salvaged from Lake Otay near San Diego, California in August, 2010 on behalf of the NMNA. To speed the restoration time, it is quite possible that the wings will go to one entity, and the fuselage to another. What each outfit will receive in exchange for the work has yet to be decided, but regardless of the outcome of that particular effort, Admiral Coxs new policy is a refreshing change, and should bode well for the future efforts in preserving, and promoting, naval aviation history while also allowing for the possibility of former naval aircraft to reach civilian ownership and fly again. For those interested in learning more about A&T Recoverys salvage of sunken aircraft, Taras Lyssenko has a new book coming out this August, The Great Navy Birds of Lake Michigan The True Story of the Privateers of Lake Michigan and the Aircraft They Rescued, which explains the whole tangled history. The book is already available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com We will be publishing a review of our advance copy in the coming weeks it is an amazing read! 169 million children worldwide have missed out on the measles vaccine in the last eight years. The charity Unicef said increasing numbers of youngsters are being left unprotected against measles, which can cause disability and death. Inaccurate and misleading anti-vaccination messages on social media are thought to be one reason why vaccination rates are plummeting. Unicef's analysis shows that an estimated 169 million children around the world missed out on the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 - an average of 21.1 million a year. A list of 10 high-income countries, published by Unicef, shows the US has the highest number of children missing out on their first dose of the vaccine. Between 2010 and 2017, some 2,593,000 youngsters in the US did not have their first dose of the vaccine. The second most affected country was France, with 608,000 unvaccinated children over the same time period, followed by the UK, with 527,000. Other countries including Argentina, Italy, Japan, Canada, Germany and Australia also made the top 10. Unicef executive director Henrietta Fore said: "The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children. "If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike." In the first three months of 2019, more than 110,000 measles cases were reported worldwide - up almost 300% on the same period the year before. An estimated 110,000 people, most of them children, died from measles in 2017, a 22% rise on the previous year. Children need two doses of the vaccine for protection, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommending 95% coverage to achieve herd immunity, which offers protection against the disease spreading in the community. Executive Director of UNICEF Ireland, Peter Power, said it is a worry even in developed countries, including Ireland. He said: "In Ireland, for example, the cases of measles have doubled in the last three years. There is no excuse for parents not having their children vaccinated against measles - it's a very serious disease. "Children can die if they contract measles. The vaccine is very effective and we encourage all parents to have their children vaccinated." Globally, 85% of children received their first dose in 2017 and 67% got the second dose. Unicef said the rates reflected "lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or scepticism about vaccines". PA & Digital Desk Adrian Uphoff 19 knew he wanted to study politics in college, and the Oregon State Capitols proximity to campus drew him to Willamette. But he never imagined hed be a driving force for universal health care in Oregon before he graduated. The 22-year-old legislative aide kicked off his final semester by securing sponsors for Senate Bill 770, which would establish a state-sponsored commission to develop the Health Care for All Oregon Plan. Now the bill is making its way through the state Legislature. I managed the logistics of getting upwards of 40 signatures, which is nearly half the Legislature, to sponsor the bill, Uphoff said. Ive also worked with multiple stakeholders to draft two rounds of amendments to help the bill gain additional support. Uphoff is no stranger to the frenetic pace of life at the Capitol. During his first two years at Willamette, he interned for state Sen. Chuck Riley, D-Hillsboro. He took on additional duties as Rileys legislative assistant in 2018 before assuming his current role with state Sen. James Manning, D-Eugene. The minute I came to Willamette, I set foot in the state Capitol, Uphoff said. If you really want to work your way up and get the caliber of engagement with the political process that Im experiencing, you need to start early. You cant wait around. In between meetings with lobbyists and legislators, Uphoff has spearheaded efforts to improve student access to Capitol internships. He pushed for more paid internships and developed an online guide that provides detailed information about the application process. I felt like there were a lot of support structures this university should be investing in, Uphoff said. Applying for a position with the state Legislature is very different than the process for other internships at Willamette. There are a lot of nuances. I hope the online resource is my lasting mark on this university. I view it as a tool to help students overcome obstacles in taking legislative internships. Uphoff wants to leave a lasting mark in the public health arena as well. Hes planning to pursue a dual masters degree in public health and public policy, with a special focus on developing a tool that evaluates the potential health effects of proposed projects or policies. The HIA (health impact assessment) tool is a powerful bipartisan tool, Uphoff said. The spark for my interest in it came when I was sitting in (professor) Sammy Basus Death in America class. He made a point that death and sickness are universalizing, humanizing attributes. In this age of extreme partisanship, especially at the federal level, we need something that both parties can get behind when analyzing policy. After completing his graduate studies, Uphoff plans to address public health issues in a policy advising capacity, possibly as a government affairs director or chief of staff. No matter where he lands, hell look back on his days at Willamette as pivotal to his political career. My classes really resonated with what Im passionate about and what I want to do with my life, Uphoff said. They allowed me to explore how social systems and natural systems affect public health outcomes, and my access to the Capitol added a political nuance to how those social systems are created and perpetuated. Without those experiences, I wouldnt be in the position I am and doing the things I am today. Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear, And it shows them pearly white.... (Mack The Knife, Bobby Darin version). The pain at listed dentistry outfit Smiles Inclusive has increased substantially this week with founder-executive director Mike Timoney's employment terminated just hours after he led a second attempt to spill the board. Mike Timoney stepped down as Smiles Inclusive chief executive in the wake of the company's poor performance. Credit:Paul Harris The Wednesday evening announcement came just hours after Mr Timoney and former company chairman David Herlihy wrote to the company asking for an extraordinary meeting to replace Smiles' current directors including former Morgans executive Peter Evans. They proposed appointing a fresh cohort of directors including long-time Officeworks managing director Mark Ward. Gold Coast-headquartered Smiles, which operates under the name Totally Smiles, also said late on Wednesday it had withdrawn its February-issued 2019 profit guidance that it would post a small loss of between $500,000 and $1 million, saying it now expected to lose $4 million for the year. Unibail-Rodamco Westfield, the French company that completed a historic takeover of Sir Frank Lowy's retail empire in 2017, has weathered asset sales and political and consumer uncertainty to post a solid lift in sales. Having issued a profit warning in February on the back of weaker sales across the Westfield malls, the group said the flagship stores sales rose 4.8 per cent, while in its USA assets, speciality sales rose 2.4 per cent, for the first quarter of the new financial year as total sales lifted 4.3 per cent. Unibail-Rodamco owns major shopping centres like Forum des Halles in Paris. The result was hampered by a fall in the office division's rental income of 20.3 per cent, due to large-scale asset sales. Last month the retail giant sold its Tour Majunga in La Defense property for 850 million ($A1.35 billion) and indicated there was a further 2.9 billion ear-marked for disposal. The promise of a $120,000 contract lured Tami Kunjil from Papua New Guinea to Australia away from his wife and four children and his secure job of 14 years. When he arrived in Australia, the lucrative offer of an annual $120,000 salary for three years evaporated within months. Tami Kunjil. "I gave up a good job to come to Australia," he said. "My wife was expecting our fifth child. "They terminated my contract without any good reason. Mining magnate Clive Palmer has gained an edge over Pauline Hanson's One Nation in the race for the Senate after striking a deal with the Coalition that increases his chances of winning a seat in the upper house. The preference deal throws another wildcard into the battle for influence on the Senate crossbench, as new research shows both major parties would be forced to negotiate with minor parties to legislate their agendas. United Australia Party's Clive Palmer has had his election chances bolstered by a preference deal with the Coalition. Credit:AAP The Australia Institute polling finds that the "best case" scenario for a Coalition government is that it would have to deal with at least two minor parties to get its way, while the "best case" for Labor is that it would have to rely on Centre Alliance from South Australia to legislate its program. The Coalition has gained an edge over Labor as a result of the agreement with Mr Palmer's United Australia Party, helping it collect preferences in some of the most marginal lower house seats in Queensland. Labor leader Bill Shorten will unveil an election pledge to tackle youth homelessness with an $8 million package to support vulnerable teenagers, giving Father Chris Rileys Youth Off the Streets extra funding for its programs tackling youth disadvantage. The package, to be announced on Friday, will go towards the charity's programs across three eastern states, helping indigenous youth in regional NSW, youth migrants in Melbourne and kids from refugee backgrounds in Queensland and western Sydney. Labor will pledge $8 million for Father Chris Riley's Youth Off the Streets. Credit:Wayne Venables Labor will seek to leverage the commitment to bolster its image as the major party most committed to helping the nation's most vulnerable. Youth Off the Streets is devoted to helping young Australians who are homeless, drug dependent or recovering from abuse and assisted 1350 young people nationally in 2017-18. Angry school teachers have confronted a state Liberal MP demanding to know whether he also believes private schools are "far superior" to public schools, as the federal Liberal candidate for Macnamara has said. The exchanges at Thursday's ANZAC Day ceremony in Elwood were sparked by revelations the federal candidate for the seat of Macnamara in Melbourne, Kate Ashmor, described the quality and teaching at private schools as "far superior" to public schools in a letter to a local newspaper in 2001. Liberal candidate Kate Ashmor has attracted controversy for her views on the quality of public schools. While Ms Ashmor has apologised for referring to the wife of Labor leader Bill Shorten as a pig, she has not returned calls about her comments criticising state schools or about her opinion that childless leaders like Julia Gillard "lack empathy". Ms Ashmor has gone to ground since making the comments, leaving voters to take their concerns to the state MP, Liberal James Newbury, whose seat of Brighton overlaps Macnamara. Labor has committed $107 million to tackle the disproportionately high rates of incarceration facing Indigenous Australians, outlining funding boosts for community legal services and strategies to divert people from a life of crime. Declaring that Australia can solve the inequality in the justice system, Labor says it would also pursue justice targets in the Closing the Gap strategy and dedicate funding to family violence prevention in Indigenous communities. Senator Pat Dodson, left, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and community members on Bathurst Island. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "For too long, our justice system has failed First Nations peoples," Labor senator Patrick Dodson and shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said in a joint statement, lamenting a decades-long "vicious cycle that drives the unacceptable over-representation of Indigenous Australians in our justice system". Indigenous adults make up about 2 per cent of the Australian population but 28 per cent of the prison population. Insomniacs are haunted by painful recollections and trivial missteps because their brains arent processing emotional distress as they sleep, new research suggests. Their nighttime awakenings could be interrupting this crucial neurological task, putting them at increased risk of depression and anxiety, Dutch scientists say. Rose Stacey, 29, has battled insomnia disorder for 15 years. Credit:Louise Kennerely An estimated five to 10 per cent of adults worldwide have insomnia disorders. Australian surveys have shown between 13 and 33 per cent of the adult population have difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep. A recent federal government inquiry called for sleep to be made a national priority and recognised as a third pillar of a healthy lifestyle alongside diet and exercise. A woman has suffered serious leg injuries after a car crashed into a Gold Coast home. Emergency services were called to The Locale in Nerang just after 11.30am. Critical care paramedics and the High Acuity Response Unit responded to the incident in Nerang. Credit:Carly Madsen - 7 News Gold Coast The woman, whom paramedics believed was aged in her 40s, was hit while in the garage. She was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition. Hey Queensland, lets look before we leap and make sure we think before putting the grandstanding one-man wrecking ball, Clive Palmer, into the Senate. Unbelievably, hes again grabbing attention and is now a real chance of winning a Senate seat despite all the evidence stacked against him. And, most bizarrely, polls show him sitting on 14 per cent of the primary vote in Townsville, the city whose heart he broke with his poor management of a nickel refinery. It closed, costing hundreds of jobs and leaving the workers relying on a government handout while Clive kept doing business through other corporate structures. Beyond the hive of activity in the Howard Smith Wharves district lies a piece of history below the cliff face that is rarely admired. Runners, cyclists and families enjoyed their day in the precinct but only a few stopped to look at the remaining air-raid shelters built for World War II, just past Felons Brewing Co. The shelters, including two pillbox shelters and three unique pipe shelters, were rediscovered during the development of the precinct. Part of the pipe air-raid shelter in the Howard Smith Wharves Precinct, which is the only one of its kind in Brisbane. Credit:Jocelyn Garcia Tour groups led by the council's Brisbane Greeters were told the three air-raid pipe shelters, made from large storm-water pipes with multiple entrances, were the only type that have been identified in Brisbane. The changing birthplaces of people at the top of Australia's migration tree since 1901 reflect international conflicts, changed political boundaries and the end of racially-biased policies, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows. Stimulated by the gold rushes of the 1800s, Australia's early population was a strange mix with nearly 2000 Australians registered as born at sea by 1891, outnumbering migrants born in Italy and Holland combined at that point. By the time Federation came in 1901, the population was almost four million and people from Britain and Ireland made up over three-quarters of Australia's overseas-born population. But more migrants were born in Syria than Greece and South Africa combined at that time. A little over a century later the trend has reversed with 10-times more people born in South Africa living Down Under than have come from Syria. Thousands of servicemen and women, together with their family and friends, joined the parade through the streets of Perth on Thursday morning to commemorate Anzac Day. The Anzac Day March started from the corner of Barrack Street and St Georges Terrace, finishing at Langley Park. April 25 is one of Australias most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Excited attendees wave their flags at the Anzac Day March. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola The frenetic pace of the election campaign reached a point this week when even Bill Shortens team was surprised at the level of activity during what was meant to be a drowsy rest stop on the ride to May 18. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and wife Jenny attend Anzac Day Dawn services at Anzac Memorial Park in Townsville. Credit:AAP The timing of the election meant there would always be a natural pause in the intensity of the campaign around Easter and Anzac Day, but that has not stopped both sides campaigning hard at a local level. This is just one of the contrasts of the campaign. The national battle between Shorten and Scott Morrison looks sluggish, yet the two major parties are relentless in their local contests. Labor showed this when it dispatched frontbenchers to more than two dozen events this week, ranging from Tanya Plibersek in Alice Springs to Anthony Albanese in Nowra, Kim Carr in Townsville, Joel Fitzgibbon in Lismore and Chris Bowen in Burwood. Shanghai, April 29 Most air-lift airliners and military transports out of Shanghai during the past week have been crammed with high-ranking Nationalist military officers, their families and their household possessions all headed for Hong Kong, Canton and Formosa. This movement summarized the wilting defence of Shanghai and the lack of faith in the Chinese Nationalist army in their plans for holding the city. Nationalist generals and the A.D.C.s have elbowed British and American women and children out of the way in their disgraceful scramble into aircraft at Shanghais Lungwa Airport, brandishing gold bars, American dollars and foreign securities in the faces of pilots and air crews in the hope of securing priority. Meanwhile, behind the picket fence which surrounds Shanghai, garrison leaders have submitted merchants of the worlds third largest city (population more than 6,000,000) to an all-time record squeeze. Foreign military observers, who believe Shanghai cannot be defended, state the fate of Shanghai will be settled over the desk of the garrison commander, General Tang En-Po the officer who promulgated censorship regulations threatening death to foreign correspondents who reported the truth about the situation. Huge Sum Asked "I don't want people testifying to a party, because that is what they're doing if they do this," Trump said. The Justice Department backed up his stance. It disclosed that Attorney-General William Barr would prohibit John Gore, a top official in the agency, from appearing on Thursday, as ordered, to discuss any role in adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census despite the fact that he was called under a bipartisan subpoena. Loading That move came on top of the administration's position that it did not want Don McGahn, the former White House counsel, to testify about the Mueller report, as well as its instruction to Carl Kline, the former White House personnel security director, not to appear to answer questions about the issuance of security clearances. The Treasury Department also refused to obey an order from the Ways and Means Committee to produce the President's tax returns despite a law that gives the panel the authority to obtain the documents. "This is a massive, unprecedented and growing pattern of obstruction," said Representative Elijah Cummings, the chairman of the oversight panel. He also warned administration officials to be careful in blindly following the President's instructions. "These employees and their personal attorneys should think very carefully about their own legal interests rather than being swept up in the obstruction schemes of the Trump administration," Cummings said. Tom Davis, who as a Republican House member from Virginia led the oversight panel from 2003 to 2007, said he wasn't surprised by Trump's unyielding posture, seeing it as just another escalation in the continuing power struggle between the executive and legislative branches. "This administration may be taking it to the next level, but why wouldn't you expect that?" Davis said. "There are no rules anymore in Washington." Davis and other Republicans noted the administrations of both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama resisted complying with Republican subpoenas seeking information about various controversies. In June 2012, the Republican-controlled House held then attorney-general Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over documents sought in a gunrunning inquiry. Few Republicans appear willing to break with Trump even to protect the authority of their institution. "The predicate has been laid before," Davis said. "Trump didn't start this. It has been going on with everyone else." But in many past cases, there was a mutual recognition that Congress had substantial legitimate oversight power. Republican and Democratic administrations would reach an accommodation through a negotiation about who would ultimately testify or the extent of documents to be provided. The new indication from the Trump White House is that Trump is drawing a firm edict against cooperation and few Republicans appear willing to break with him even to protect the authority of their institution. Considering that most congressionally driven inquiries into an administration are politically charged, Trump is hardly the first president to come under siege from a congressional chamber controlled by the other party. A 2006 Congressional Research Service report found that the Republican-controlled House oversight committee issued more than 1000 subpoenas aimed at the Clinton administration and demanded an extraordinary amount of information about internal administration deliberations. While the Clinton administration pushed back, it also ended up producing many top-level witnesses, including three chiefs of staff, four White House counsels and scores of other senior officials, along with millions of documents. Among those who eventually testified in one of the Clinton scandals was the person who essentially held the same position as Kline, the personnel security director, a precedent that Democrats will no doubt explore. Despite their fury at the administration's refusal to cooperate, Democrats have few options to quickly enforce their demands. They can try to cut off funding to make their point, but would need Republican cooperation to do so an unlikely event and current funding doesn't expire until October 1. As shown in the case of Holder, who suffered no prosecution for being held in contempt, the Justice Department would be reluctant to act against someone representing its own administration. Congress also theoretically has its own power to detain a person found in contempt, but it really isn't in that business any longer, if it ever was. Ok, ok, I am all too familiar with the Im gonna get mine mentality, but Cardi B has put all women to shame. Her recent scandal, in which she admitted to drugging, and robing men has become her latest scandal. Cardi B has a rags to riches story, and true to the cliche, she was an aspiring artist with a rough childhood. Living with her grandparents, she turned to the streets and joined the Bloods Ganga heavily violent street gang involved in various criminal activities. Not a very wise choice, if you ask me. Later on, Cardi B began her career as a stripper. Not the best choice, but its still a job, and it was better than committing crimesright? A few days ago, a post from Cardi B began a scandal. She admitted to drugging men and then robbing them. She confessed: Oh yeah, you want to f**k me? Yeah, yeah, yeah, lets go back to this hotel, and I drugged n****rs up, and I robbed them. Thats what I used to do, Claiming to be a feminist, this goes against all feminism stands for. Feminism is defined as a movement to obtain equal rights among men and women such as wages, job opportunities, and such. When did feminism become something where women get back at men? The scenario Cardi B claims, when she would lure men to hotel rooms, and then drug them into unconsciousness, then taking all she could get from them, just to get hers, that is not feminism. If a man were to do that, he would catch a plethora of charges including kidnapping, causing bodily harm, theft, robbery, rape, and others. The truth is men are ashamed to admit a woman could do such a thing. Im sure if that would have happened to her, you know she would have been at the courthouse the very next day. So why are so many people supporting her? Making ends meet is one of her excuses. I am sorry, but I was under the impression that strippers make enough money to get by. Even bartenders make enough to get by. So why go the extra mile? Well, my only conclusion is greed. In another interview, Cardi B admitted: "Ever since I started using men...I feel so god damn powerful." Cardi B feels powerful using men. Getting anything and everything from men is her preference. So my question is, is this the role model we want for our youth? Is it ok to deliberately put a humans life in danger just so we can get ours? Many of her fans are backing her up, making it seem like its ok to do this. But, I still think that it has become ok, because she is a woman. There is absolutely no excuse to do this to anyone, man or woman. Cardi B acts as if she is untouchable just because it happened years ago. Does she feel remorse? While it is unclear if she does feel remorse, she certainly did not want to face her criticism. She deactivated her Instagram because she could not take the criticism. I am not saying shes the scum of the earth, but would it kill her to apologize? We all make mistakes, we all have a past we are not proud of, but if you really want to make things right, I think those men who were wronged deserve at least some acknowledgement. Fans would be more supportive if she just acknowledges she was wrong, and is truly sorry. Lets not put women strippers to shame, some actually do it out of necessity and do not go around raping men. Feminists deserve a better reputation. As far as Cardi B, we can move past it, as long as you humanize yourself and make these wrongs better. Latest News MoneyMe to acquire SocietyOne Deal brings together two of the fastest-growing brands in the non-bank space Resimac makes key broker channel hires Two new GMs to bolster broker support The Derwent Finance director recalls how he helped a couple of first home buyers to transform their financial position and create the ultimate family Christmas card THE SCENARIO Managing expectations is part and parcel of being a broker. Its well documented that buying property is one of the most stressful life events, meaning expectations are high, emotions are fraught, and often the broker takes the brunt. This happens to all types of buyers, but I have found that first home buyers in particular present their own set of considerations; they fall for the property before exploring their loan options, or they go it alone and get declined. Both of these factors impact on their ability to secure a loan. Sometimes the clients will give up on the idea of buying a home at all, or at least delay for an extended amount of time. Sometimes they come to a broker for solutions. This means that on a monthly, and sometimes even weekly, basis I have the job of explaining that a dream property isnt financially viable for them at that time. As one can imagine, the clients are often less than pleased to hear this news. The outcome? The broker cops the blame. But last year I met a couple of first home buyers who had been declined for a mortgage by their bank. They had two young children, both worked full-time, and they were angry and devastated that their property ambitions were slipping away. Given their personal circumstances and willingness to work on their goals, I was happy to take on their cause. THE SOLUTION With a scenario like this, the best approach is often to take a step back, calculate what the client can afford and look at pre-approval options. The best approach is often to take a step back, calculate what the client can afford, and look at pre-approval options Emmanuel Marios, director, Derwent Finance As their broker, my first objective was to prepare them for another application. Step one in this process was to explain why the previous loan was declined and then help them to improve their financial situation. Often this includes either myself or my support staff giving them what is effectively a household balance sheet, taking them through their spending and highlighting any problem areas that may exist. We then suggest changes and explain how these will improve their application. As all brokers know, this process can take as long as two years, but these particular clients returned just three months into the exercise ready to go. They had fully taken on board all our suggestions, changing their financial position as well as their attitude towards money. To say their new approach was transformational was an understatement it was like meeting with completely different people. They were on top of everything. Once again, they had found and fallen in love with their dream home, but this time, from their stronger financial position, it was possible to find a loan that matched their circumstances. This particular loan product was a non-specialist loan from MyState Bank at 90% LVR. They managed to obtain pre-approval, and the rest is history. For me, the icing on the cake was receiving a personalised Christmas card from them. The picture featured the whole family in their new home, wearing their Christmas pyjamas. After all the hard work and challenges, it really was the best Christmas gift for them and a scenario I will never forget. THE TAKEAWAY Often as a broker you have to take time to work with clients, educate and assist them and also keep their spirits up during what can be a challenging process, while dealing with the emotional fallout when there are bumps in the road. Its just a part of what we do. This work involved in this process isnt always paid, but when its done properly it can transform a clients life and then the rewards really come in the form of ongoing business and referrals. Therefore, the main takeaway for me in this situation is that preparation is key, and often that preparation work means the most to the client. Secondly, cases like this demonstrate how vital brokers are to everyday Australians. First home buyers are often the most challenging client profile, but they are also the most rewarding. If this family hadnt had a broker assisting them through the mortgage process, they would most likely still be renting their home, and their financial situation and future would be far less secure. Imagine the impact of a fee-for-service for a client like this. Emmanuel Marios Director, Derwent Finance Latest News MoneyMe to acquire SocietyOne Deal brings together two of the fastest-growing brands in the non-bank space Resimac makes key broker channel hires Two new GMs to bolster broker support Chief executives from banks, aggregators, and lenders are among those planning to once again sleep outside over one of the longest and coldest nights of the year to raise money for charity. Since 2006, Vinnies CEO Sleepout events have been hosted across the country in a show of support for the many Australians experiencing homelessness. Each participant commits to raising thousands of dollars to help fund new and existing initiatives, as well as expand the reach of programs already offered. Last year, the event raised $6.9m and included focus groups and conversations with homeless people to bring awareness to the issues that they face on a daily basis. Vinnies is aiming to make an even bigger impact this year, a goal made possible with an influx of new participants such as Jean-Pierre Gortan, MD of Simplicity Loans and Advisory, who explained his excitement at qualifying to take part for the first time this year. Ive always wanted to get more involved in the community. This event gives the chance to utilise the network that Ive built to provide fundraising and give back, he said. To Gortan, the event is unique in that it requires true engagement with the issue at hand. Its easy to donate money. Its a detached form of support, he said. However, stepping outside of ones regular schedule and giving both time and emotional energy is crucial for leaders who care about more than just business and are hoping to make a lasting difference. Another first-timer, Stephen Mitchell, CEO of Resicom & Oak Capital, agreed saying, Its very easy to get caught up in the day to day, especially in the business of financing people and lending money. Its easy to forget that there are others out there who have lost everything and cant get themselves back on their feet without help. Looking around the city of Melbourne, homelessness is becoming an ever-worsening problem and I thought I should get involved, he continued. According to the event website, there are over 116,000 Australians currently experiencing homelessness due to a range of complex social issues. Sleepouts will be held in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong on 20 June, as well as Geelong and Perth on 27 June. To make a donation, visit: https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/donation Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams The weekly podcast features Power Women such as Judge Judith Sheinlin of Judge Judy, Pat DiMango of Hot Bench, New York City Census Director Julie Menin and many others. This weeks podcast guest is Judge Margarita Lopez Torres, a judge for the Kings County Surrogates Court. Judge Torres talks to host Victoria Schneps about growing up in Brownsville after emigrating from Puerto Rico and becoming a lawyer after spending many years as a teacher. She was inspired by the Civil Rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during her formative years and felt that interest in the law could help people who were seeking equal rights. I saw the difference that a judge could make in a familys life, Torres said. I wanted to be one of those judges. Judge Torres talks about what has made her successful. Guests on the Power Women podcast share their secrets to success. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Municipal design gurus announced the winning design for a Prospect Park Memorial to Kings County Trailblazer Shirley Chisholm on Wednesday. City design experts chose artistic duo Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifouss design due to its striking portrayal of the nations first black Congresswoman looming large over the US Capitol Building, according to citys chief culture honcho said. Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous have put forward a fittingly bold vision for how to honor the remarkable Shirley Chisholm, said city Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl. Next year, New York City will have a new monument that is as multifaceted as Chisholm herself. The massive, 40-foot tall yellow and green image of the late, Brooklyn-born legislator will rise conspicuously above the Parkside Avenue entrance to Brooklyns backyard, which itself is being renovated as part of a larger $9.5 million project to improve the parks perimeter along Ocean and Parkside avenues. Department of Cultural Affairs The winning team beat four other finalists for the opportunity to make a permanent mark on Prospect Park following an open call for artists announced in December, and while the city gave locals four days to submit comments on the five design proposals in March a closed panel of experts hailing from the Percent for Art program made the final call to go with Williams and Jeyifous. But park patrons still have an opportunity to affect the memorials final design through local community boards, which will hear from the citys Department of Cultural Affairs in the coming months, although a spokesman for the agency could not immediately say which boards would get a vote, or when. The She Built NYC initiative that spawned the Chisholm memorial project was created on the suggestion of the Mayoral Monuments Commission, which Mayor Bill de Blasio convened following the riots that plagued Charlottesville in 2017 amid a proposal by that citys government to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixs on@cn gloca l.com or by calling (718) 260-4505. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Its a dog-gone tragedy. A pup pilfering bandit nabbed a Bergen Beach familys beloved pooch amid a brazen daylight burglary on Easter Sunday, breaking a 3-year-old girls heart in the process, according to her father. My daughter loves that dog. All I care about is getting my dog back to my daughter, said Anatoly Bartov. Cops are searching for the mastermind behind the canine caper, which occurred on April 21 at around 4:16 p.m., surveillance video provided by the Bartov family shows. In the minute-long clip, the dognapper can be seen opening the backyard gate to the vacant E. 73rd Street home and, 49 seconds in, strolling out with Oz a 2-year-old Alaskan Klee Kai. The dog owners returned to the home located between avenues W and X at around 6 p.m. to find the pup missing, and the leash he was chained to cut in half. Police described the suspect as an approximately 37-year-old man standing at 6 feet tall, weighing 180 pounds, and sporting short brown hair. Bartov promised a handsome reward to anyone who can help bring the dog-thief to justice. There will be a $5,000 reward to anyone who can help identity, find, and convict the person in the video, he said. We all remember those awful days back in high school, when we would strain our brain to get into those higher-level classes, and study for months on end in order to get the highest possible scores on our SATs. Those days full of coffee and soda that made our eyes hurt and our skulls numb from all the information we were trying to absorb seem like such a waste of time after the Varsity Blues scandal. Back in March, the Varsity Blues scandal was disclosed to the public. The charges brought on to around fifty different people, charged these people with felony conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud. Mail fraud (similar to wire fraud) is a charge that involves somebody who mails or electronically wires anything having to do with a fraud. It is a federal charge, because it crosses state lines. Honest services fraud is a crime that deprives others of the right to honest services, AKA, college admissions. This latest scandals implicates Lori Loughlin (former Full House actress) and Felicity Huffman (former Desperate Housewives actress) of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in order to reserve their children a spot at certain universities. While Huffman pleaded guilty and apologized publicly, Loughlin continues to fight her case alongside her husband, Mossimo Giannulli. They have already turned down a plea which would incarcerate them for a minimum of 2 years (not much, considering these charges could amount to a total of 40 years max.). Huffman, charged with having someone tinker with her daughters SAT exam and paying $15,000 for it, has not been sentenced yet. However, since she seems to be cooperating a bit more, has been considered for house arrest, a hefty fine, and some probation. Loughlin and Giannulli seem to be taking the matter a bit less seriously. Loughlin seemed calm and relaxed, and at one point almost arrogant during her court appearances. She certainly seems to think she has not committed a crime. However, her social media accounts have disappeared, and her marriage has been reported as being very rocky lately. So what does this scandal represent to the public, exactly? In a world where the vast minority who are wealthy pretty much rule the world, is this really necessary? If you have money like these women have, and a wonderful life of luxury and prestige, why do they have to mess with the education system? Getting into your college of choice is not supposed to be easy. Education is meant to challenge the mind, and weed out the students who simply cannot make it. This is life. The majority of people are outraged because these kids (although they claim to know nothing about it), are already privileged, and have more of an advantage over everyone, do they really need more? Is getting your child into your college of choice so that important that you would put your career on the line? These children have anything they could possibly need or want, was hiring a tutor for them really that difficult to do? Youd think they could have the best tutors, and place into these schools all by themselves, no? Although the outcome of Loughlin and hubby is unknown, her actions and arrogance have ended her acting contracts for now. She has some time before she goes back to court, and many of us will be expecting a jail term. It is simply not ok to think that you can mess with the higher level education system just because you have money in the bank and an acting career. The world will be expecting justice for these Varsity Blues. It is a well-known fact that the US government has always conducted secret scientific operations around the world. However, a recently released dossier shows concrete evidence of these activities, and more specifically, reveals that US military had been performing experiments related to time and space perception and consciousness manipulation. The 1983 document signed by US Army LTC. Wayne M. McDonnell describes a secret project called The Gateway Experience, which was allegedly focused on the relationship between the human mind and quantum physics. In one of its most interesting sections, the 29-page dossier explains the Holographic Universe and how our minds perceive it. Gateway [Project] involves more than just perception of those aspects of the universal hologram which can be accessed in the dimension of time-space as we know it, Mr Mc Donnell asserts. Physicists define time as a measurement of energy or force in motion. In other words, it is a measurement of change. However, in order for energy to be in motion, it must be first be limited in some way within the confines of some sort of vibratory pattern so that its confinement gives it the capacity for being contained at a specific location which is distinguishable from other locations (space), he added. The American military then went on to discuss about how energy in infinity, combined with human consciousness could catalyse holograms. Energy in infinity is said to be completely at rest, therefore, cannot generate holograms so long as it remains utterly inactive. [] Energy in this state of inactive infinity is defined by physicists as the Absolute, he affirmed. Theoretically, human consciousness can continue to expand the horizons of its perceptual capability until it reaches the dimension of the Absolute, at which point perceptions stops because the Absolute generates no holograms of or about itself, he continued. In consequence, the human mind can travel through different dimensions by expanding the horizons of its perceptual capability and this could be a key to explain phenomena such as the Mandela Effect. In the intermediate dimensions beyond time and space, the limitations imposed on energy to put it into a state of oscillating motion are not uniform as they are in our physical universe. A myriad of various distortions and incongruities are thus likely to be encountered, Mr Mc Donnell wrote. But even more important, access is opened to both the past and the future when the dimension of current time-space is left behind, he expressed. Draw your own conclusions For more information: https://www.facebook.com/The.Mandela.Effect.Project/posts/1135264773294773?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCUtic426yEPuH4zsY595AiFAsjqf-w9DUVaQL9HaQG-OFQ7q-bXKhnt0BFW5UvByQ1idWI3TD3hOm6JwmTFmcrRuCeuugM1TgnC_7Yg-ySeTzmypSjX2Wryzm-DfwI4vH8YM4UhpPtllQyDNQ7nozUQm048BwcTtEiflrAMKDK7vXDiI9NCpwZo6_KaER8zaAHof-01MbIcLH5AKbzX2skVrA0CnXK2R0yJdCvzGbAhaPHjSLn2KEXSUetk_Y_kLjafQIECvq6I-WFnKIfuTJMeLB9Ewpi-o5BVjeJSRv-xOsLgOFM5CmrAXnQlBF2Gq5GMX0R211rlhb8fFallU6bWQ&__tn__=-R Boeing removed 210 aircraft from its order backlog and took an impairment charge over customer financing losses on Wednesday following the near-collapse of Jet Airways. The adjustment pushed the worlds largest planemaker behind European rival Airbus in the race for business this year as both companies grappled with cancellations that outweighed new orders in the first quarter. Under recent changes in accounting rules, Boeing hives off orders that no longer meet its criteria for recognising revenue into a separate category, while defending contractual claims. ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Iron ore miners in Karnataka are stuck with 6.5 million tonnes of unsold inventory as against 1.5 mt a year ago. And one of the reasons is that the steel companies are buying ore from other states, while Karnataka mines are not allowed to export outside the state. Unsold ore amounts to more than 20 per cent of the total production of iron ore in the state in FY19. The miners are not able to sell the inventory in the state or domestic market since buyers prefer imported iron ore as they feel it is better on quality. This peculiar phenomenon not only has affected the miners, but also led ... Indian tax authorities have alleged that a number of big multinational companies have not passed on benefits from a tax cut to customers, a senior government official told Reuters. The official said, for example, that the tax authorities have alleged that US consumer goods maker Procter & Gamble did not pass on more than $35 million in tax benefits which were meant to have gone to its customers. Separately, the authorities are also investigating South Korea's Samsung Electronics and US drug maker Johnson & Johnson among others, the senior government official, speaking on ... If you have received a notice for not filing income tax returns within due date, you might want to pay heed to it. In what could probably be the first such instance, a director of Mumbai-based firm Ms Shah Time and Jewels was sentenced to jail for three months on Wednesday for not filing income tax returns within the due date for the assessment year 2014-15, according to The Times of India. When repeated notices sent to the firm and its director Paresh C Shah did not elicit any response, the deputy commissioner of Income Tax on November 22, 2017, filed a show cause notice seeking ... The Tea Board of India is reviving the Tea Council of India (TCI) which it had earlier set-up to monitor the quality of Indian tea in international markets. TCI is being set-up under the aegis of the Tea Board and will report to the Board if the random samples it collects from the industry fail quality testing parameters. For any tea which will be exported, TCI will check tea quality based on FSSAI guidelines and it will be funded by us. If any sample fails to meet those parameters, it will be reported to us based on which punitive action may be taken, A K Ray, deputy ... Type address separated by commas Your Email: Chinas globe-spanning infrastructure program is shrinking. The rhetoric at the second Belt and Road Forum, opening in Beijing on Thursday, is almost certain to be less triumphalist -- and new plans for roads, pipelines, bridges and rail lines more modest -- than at the first. Unfortunately for the US and its allies, though, a downsized program could pose more, not less of a competitive threat to the West. Until now, most worries about the Belt and Road have focused on its size and its weak standards. The sheer volume of the supposedly multi-trillion-dollar initiative looked ... Facebook said on Wednesday that it expected to be fined up to $5 billion by the Federal Trade Commission for privacy violations. The penalty would be a record by the agency against a technology company and a sign that the United States was willing to punish big tech companies. The social network disclosed the amount in its quarterly financial results, saying it estimated a one-time charge of $3 billion to $5 billion in connection with an ongoing inquiry by the F.T.C. Facebook added that the matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing ... Details began to emerge in Sri Lanka on Wednesday of a band of nine, well-educated Islamist suicide bombers, including a woman, from well-to-do families who slaughtered 359 people in Easter Sunday bomb attacks. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks on three churches and four hotels. If that connection is confirmed, the attacks looks likely to be the deadliest ever linked to the group. Both the Sri Lankan government and the United States said the scale and sophistication of the coordinated bombings suggested the involvement of an ... Iran will not allow any country replace its oil sales in the global market, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, after the United States told importers to halt Iranian purchases from May. Washington has decided not to renew its exemptions from US sanctions against Iran that it granted last year to buyers of Iranian oil. A senior US administration official said on Monday that President Donald Trump was confident Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would fill any gap left in the oil market. "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not allow any country to replace Iran in ... Australia's High Commissioner to India, Harinder Sidhu, and Australia's Consul-General in Kolkata, Mr Andrew Ford, today paid homage to those who lost their lives in service to their country, during an Anzac Day ceremony in Kolkata's Bhawanipore Commonwealth War graves. Anzac Day, commemorated on 25 April, marks the anniversary of the first major military action by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) in 1915 during the First World War. Approximately 16,000 Indian troops fought alongside the ANZACs in Gallipoli and around 1,600 lost their lives. Over 8,700 troops from Australia and 2,779 from New Zealand died in that conflict, marking both nations' greatest loss of life in the battle. ANZAC Day is a day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) leaders are gathering in Beijing ahead of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Corporation scheduled to be held here, from today. The three-day forum will provide a platform to the countries participating in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for exchanging views and experiences on regional connectivity, policy synergy, socio-economic development and trade, and commerce. According to media reports, India, for the second consecutive time has decided to boycott the forum, which will be attended by the leaders and representatives of 37 countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also are among the leaders who will attend the forum. The BRI is a development strategy adopted by the Chinese government involving infrastructure development and investments in countries in Europe, Aisa, and Africa. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP leader Fatima Rasool Siddique on Thursday said that she would campaign for Malegaon blast accused and her party candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur if she apologizes to Muslims for her recent statements. "I respect saffron but does Thakur respect hijab? If Thakur respects hijab then she must apologise to the Muslim community and then I will surely campaign for her," Siddique said while speaking to ANI. Last week, Thakur had said that she is "proud" to accept that she was involved in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Expressing discontentment over the controversial statements delivered by Thakur, Siddique said: "What Thakur has said was obnoxious and communal and her views can tarnish the image of the party. I will not campaign for someone who says a thing like waging a 'dharm yudh' (crusade). Her statement against former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare has hurt us badly." "Shivraj Singh Chouhan has a good reputation among Muslims. He is known for his strong views on Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb but her views might damage that too," she added. On being asked if she is unhappy with the party, Siddique said: "I have no resentment with the party. I am angry with madam ji (Thakur), I am not happy with the fact that she is provoking people." "There are several cases registered against her. Rather than giving statements against Karkare ji, we should focus on the development of Ganga and Yamuna rivers. Vande Mataram is not a matter of development, Thakur should apologize for this," she said. Underlying the need to focus on employment, education and women empowerment, Siddique said: "Our prophet had told us to keep the country at the first place. Be loyal to the country you are part of, we support the idea of Hindustan Zindabad. But what will happen to such talks, are they about development? Will they bring employment, education, women empowerment etc?" "Nowadays, people have become wiser, they are not in favour of dividing Hindu and Muslims. A lot of Muslims are associated with the BJP, they have also been hurt. No one has raised voice against Thakur but I have raised my voice. The party will suffer and this will harm all of us. I have given my message and filed a complaint against it with the party," she added. Last year in November, Siddiqui had joined the BJP and later she was nominated as the party's candidate from the Bhopal North assembly constituency. She was the lone Muslim woman candidate fielded by BJP in Madhya Pradesh. However, she lost to Congress candidate Arif Aqueel. Voting in Bhopal will take place on May 12. The counting of votes will be held on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Emirati woman defied medical odds when she regained consciousness after spending 27 years in a state of coma induced by an injury to the brain. In 1991, Munira Abdulla was involved in a road accident that left her in a state of reduced consciousness. In June of 2018, twenty-seven long years after the incident, she opened her eyes at a clinic in Germany, where doctors had been treating the complications of her long illness. "I never gave up on her because I always had a feeling that one day she will wake up," The New York times quoted Abdulla's 32-year-old son Omar Webair as saying. Omar was four when the incident happened. The first signs of her miraculous recovery began to emerge last year when Abdulla started saying her son's name. "We didn't believe it at first, but eventually it became very clear that she was saying her son's name," said Dr Mueller. A couple of weeks later, she was repeating verses of Quran that she had learned decades back. Recoveries from Minimally Conscious state as severe as in Abdulla's case are extremely rare. Only a handful of people are known to have made similar recoveries. Another famous case involved Terry Wallis, who uttered his first word "Mom" two decades after he fell into a coma. Munira Abdulla has returned to the United Arab Emirates. She is undergoing treatment in Abu Dhabi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Tokyo court on Thursday granted bail to former Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn for the second time since his arrest last year on financial misconduct charges. His bail has been set at USD 4.5 million, reported The Japan Times. Ghosn was arrested on April 4 for the fourth time over allegations of misusing the company's funds for personal purposes. Prosecutors alleged that Ghosn had transferred some of Nissan's funds to his personal bank account, causing the automaker a loss of USD five million. The former Nissan chief was earlier released on bail on April 5 following 108 consecutive days in detention, during which he was indicted on charges of an aggravated bench of trust and underreporting his remunerations for Nissan Motors. Ghosn has also been removed from the board of directors of the company, along with partners Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, during the prolonged detention initiated by his initial arrest in November. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A case was registered against Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Thursday at Begusarai police station for violating the model code of conduct by making controversial remarks against the Muslim community. This comes in response to Singh's statement where he demanded the Election Commission (EC) to impose a ban on the use of green flags, associated with religious and political bodies of Muslims. He alleged that the green flags not only spread hate but also create a perception of being used in Pakistan. In his complaint to ECI, the complainant alleged that Singh's remarks hurt the sentiments of a section of a minority group. The FIR was lodged under sections 125 of the Representation of People Act and 153 A, 295A, 171C, 188, 298, 505 of the Indian Penal Code. "I would like to say, Giriraj Singh's ancestors died and were cremated. You need a yard of land even after you die, for the burial of your mortal remains. If you say you cannot chant Vande Mataram, this nation will never forget you," Griraj said in an election rally here where BJP chief Amit Shah was also present. RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday had said Singh's demand to ban "green flags" is an insult to the tricolour (Tiranga). "This is an insult to the tricolour. The green colour is there in Tiranga too," he said while talking to reporters here. "One ideology, one thinking cannot be forcefully imposed on everyone. I don't like the name- Giriraj Singh. Change the name," he had quipped. The RJD leader alleged that the BJP is not talking about farmers, youth, jobs and other issues. "What kind of politics is this?" he had asked. Lok Sabha polls in 14 out of the 40 seats at stake in Bihar were conducted in the first three phases - on April 11, 18 and 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that the operation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) can be withdrawn only when there is a change in the ground situation in areas where the law is in force. "The Army cannot work without AFSPA in the areas like Jammu and Kashmir. You need to change the ground situation to remove AFSPA. Many programmes need to be done for that change," she said, addressing a press conference here. "We have done (removed) it in Arunachal (Pradesh) and some parts of Assam and Meghalaya. The central and state governments have to work towards changing the situation. After this, AFSPA can be removed. Without changing the ground situation, it is not right to remove it," Sitharaman said. Congress has promised in its election manifesto that it will not allow any change in Article 370 of the Constitution, which gives special status to J and K, and will review AFSPA if voted to power. AFSPA provides sweeping powers to the security forces. Replying to questions, Sitharaman refuted the allegation of Opposition parties that BJP was politicising the armed forces. "After a political will, a free hand is given to the Army to take the right steps. Our Army is capable to take such steps. This is about political will which was not there after the Mumbai attack, and it is there now," she said. "Congress has some problem with political will. That is why when we talk about it, they say we are politicising it. This is not politicisation. But when we have the leadership which is capable to take strict steps, then talking about it is politicisation," Sitharaman said. Sitharaman also accused Congress president Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting the Supreme Court. "...The Supreme Court in December spoke about all three issues - price, process and offset (in the Rafale deal). All this clearly shows there is no issue to rake up. But continuously they have been disrespecting institutions like the Supreme Court and the CAG," she said. "A limited matter was being considered by the Supreme Court where they wanted the papers to be placed on which we took a position that those have been illegally obtained from the ministry. Even after that, the Congress president puts words in the court's mouth to say that it has accepted that 'chowkidar' himself committed theft," the defence minister said. On April 23, the Supreme Court issued contempt notice to Gandhi for claiming that the court had said 'chowkidar chor hai' while hearing the admissibility of some documents in petitions seeking review of the December 14 verdict in the Rafale case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After treating the fans with the peppy number 'Vaddi Sharaban' and the soulful romantic track 'Tu Mila To Haina', the makers of Ajay Devgn starrer 'De De Pyaar De' are all set to release another song titled 'Hauli Hauli', which is coming out tomorrow. The 'Total Dhamaal' star took to his Instagram account to share the news along with a still which features him with the leading ladies of the film - Tabu and Rakul Preet Singh. He captioned the post, "HauliHauli coming jaldi jaldi! Song out tomorrow." Going by the still, the song appears to be a dance number. The lead trio can be seen dressed up in stunning attires. While the first song of the movie is a dance number based on the wedding theme, the second track is a soulful one where the duo can be seen romancing on the streets and sharing intimate moments with each other. The trailer of the film released earlier this month. The trailer shows Ajay's character Ashish, who is 50 years old, falling for Rakul's character Ayesha, who is 26 years old. The 'Golmaal' actor will also be seen portraying a divorcee with two kids who are as young as Rakul. Tabu is seen playing the role of Ajay's ex-wife in the film. The film also stars Alok Nath, Javed Jaaferi and Jimmy Shergill in key roles. The poster of the film which released on March 22 caught the attention of the viewers because of Ajay's iconic leg split. It is directed by Akiv Ali and is scheduled to hit the big screens on May 17, this year. Apart from this film, Ajay will be next seen in 'Bhuj: The Pride of India' playing the role of Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik, who was in charge of the Bhuj airbase during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The film also features Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, and Parineeti Chopra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Army signed an MoU with Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC) on Thursday to construct tunnels on borders with China and Pakistan for storage of ammunition and other war-related equipment. Under the pilot project, three tunnels will be built on China border while one will be built along the Line of Control with Pakistan, Army sources said. The project is meant to bolster the Indian Army's capabilities along the Chinese border where India's infrastructural development is far outpaced by that of China. It is difficult to move heavy equipment in the mountainous region bordering China due to lack of infrastructure development. Besides strengthening the defensive capabilities, the tunnels will protect the ammunition and other stored equipment from the air-strikes and detection by the enemy satellite. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Director General of the Indian Coast Guard Rajendra Singh met Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Kumar Verma here on Thursday. The meeting comes amidst Singh's four-day visit to Vietnam to strengthen ties with the nation. During the visit, the ICG chief will meet with his Vietnamese counterpart and other dignitaries and hold talks to strengthen defence ties between the two nations. The visit comes less than two weeks after India and Vietnam concluded a bilateral naval exercise. The second edition of the bilateral naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the Vietnam People's Navy participated in bilateral drills off Cam Ranh Bay between April 13 and 16. Amid India's growing concerns about China's dominance in the region, the bilateral ties between the two countries have deepened considerably especially in the security realm. New Delhi and Hanoi upgraded their relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" level. The ties between the two countries have grown over shared concerns about China. Vietnam is a claimant in the South China Sea, alongside China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan and India has a long-standing dispute with China overland border. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pharmaceuticals major Ipca Laboratories has entered into a pact to buy Maharashtra-based Ramdev Chemical for Rs 108.5 crore. "The acquisition of Ramdev Chemical will help Ipca Labs to grow its API by adding new molecules in its products basket with the possibility of forward integrating such products in its dosage formulations for the world market," Ipca said in a statement. Ramdev Chemical is engaged in the of manufacturing and marketing of advanced drug intermediates, fine chemicals, custom synthesis molecules and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Ipca Labs has entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire 100 per cent paid-up share capital of Ramdev Chemical, it informed stock exchanges in regulatory filings. Ipca is a fully-integrated Indian pharmaceutical company manufacturing over 350 formulations and 80 APIs for various therapeutic segments. It has been partnering with healthcare companies in over 120 countries and in markets across the United States, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. In the financial year ended March 31, 2018, it reported net income of Rs 3,259 crore and net profit of Rs 233 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The students of Government Degree College, Kishtwar on Wednesday staged a protest against the college administration for allegedly not paying heed to their plea regarding hoisting the Flag in the college. The protesting students later hoisted the flag at the college gate after being denied permission to do so by the college Principal. "Day before yesterday, students come to us demanding that flag should be hoisted somewhere in the college building. They also wrote to us. I assured them that a decision would be taken after consulting staff and following rules, but they insisted that we must take a decision within one or two days," said Pawan Kumar Varma, Principal. "Today they protested and hoisted the national flag at the college gate. We have demanded adequate police security at college gate," said principal. He said that some outsiders were also involved along with college students in the protest. "Some outsiders were also present in the protest. However, whenever the national flag will be hoisted, the state flag of Jammu and Kashmir will also be hoisted along with it," said Varma. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Hyderabad Police rescued three toddlers and busted a notorious kidnapping gang. The accused were identified as Vakapalli Gangadhar Reddy, Potla Jyothi alias Fouziya, G.Prasad, Gadepe Sindhu alias Sindhu, S Aruna, Korra Munna and Peddi Laxmi. During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused resorted to kidnapping children in an attempt to mint money. "All of them formed a group and started kidnapping minor boys and later sold these kids to needy couples who did not have children. They used to charge a large sum of money for the same," said Inspector G.Koteshwar Rao, Station House Officer, Chandrayangutta Police Station. The gang consisted of 9 members ( 4 males and 5 females) out of which two are still absconding. "Rs 35,000/ in cash were recovered from the possession of the accused persons," the police official said. A team was constituted which acting on specific intelligence input nabbed the accused and rescued the three minors. The arrested persons were later produced before the court which sent them to police custody. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday pledged a "significant" cut in income tax especially the "middle-class", and vowed to implement a bulk of other reforms in his government. "I asked myself: Should we stop everything that was done over the past two years? Did we take a wrong turn? I believe quite the opposite," Macron told reporters at the Elysee Palace. The press conference was first in two years after Macron took over his office as France's president, Al Jazeera reported. The reform measures come as a response by the French government to five months of demonstrations by "gilets jaunes" (yellow vests) anti-government demonstrators. The initiative would be financed by closing loopholes, squeezing government spending, but the French would also have to work more, he said. "The feeling of our fellow citizens: "You have asked us for changes to us, and you have not changed. " It's not false. We must change our democracy, our organization, our administration," the President took to Twitter as saying. Macron added that he wanted to make the parliament "more efficient". The President called for additional seats in the lower house of parliament, or the National Assembly, in order to provide representation to smaller parties, and planned to make proposals for national referendums easier. Although the number of anti-government demonstrators has declined since a peak in November, protesters clashed with police for the 23rd weekend last Saturday. The government introduced a string of initiatives, including increasing the minimum wage by 100 euros a month, as part of 'economic and social emergency plan' unveiled in November last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh urban development minister Suresh Khanna on Thursday referred Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati as a "fused transformer". Khanna, who was asked to react on Mayawati's scheduled rally in Shahjahanpur said, "See, they all fused transformer. If you connect a wire to a fused transformer, it will neither light a bulb nor turn on a fan. Neither will you get water nor air. So there is no point in discussing it. Why should we discuss a fused transformer?" Exuding confidence of winning Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Khanna said, "BJP is capable enough to answer SP-BSP alliance. In the first three phases of elections, Opposition is completely decimated." 'Mahagatbandhan' (grand alliance) leaders like Mayawati, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav, and RLD chief Ajit Singh will hold a joint rally in Shahjahanpur. SP-BSP-RLD are fighting the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh as allies. As per the seat-sharing agreement, SP is contesting 37 seats and BSP 38. Three seats have been given to the RLD--Mathura, Muzaffarpur, and Bagpat. Two seats--Rae Bareli and Amethi--have been left for the Congress. Uttar Pradesh, where 80 Lok Sabha seats are at stake, is undergoing polls during all seven phases. The 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.) In a major breakthrough, a team of Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Haryana Police has arrested a most wanted criminal Sachin alias Painda, carrying a reward of Rs one lakh, from Sadar Police Station area Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar. A spokesman of the Haryana police said that the accused was identified as Sachin alias Painda, a resident of Mehndipur Dabodha village.He also added that a 315 bore pistol and a live cartridge were recovered from his possession. Painda was the key accused in the killing of a former Sarpanch of village Dabodha Kalan in March this after which he was at large. At least five cases pertaining to heinous crimes have been registered against him at different police stations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney had urged former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen not to bring up concerns of Russian interference in the 2020 presidential election with President Donald Trump. Quoting senior administration officials, The New York Times reported that Mulvaney told Nielsen in a meeting this year that concerns about future Russian interference "wasn't a great subject and should be kept below his level". The White House chief of staff made it clear that Trump still equated any public discussion of malign Russian election activity with questions about the legitimacy of his victory, the officials added. Nielsen eventually dropped her plans to organize a White House meeting of cabinet secretaries to coordinate a strategy to protect next year's elections. However, in response to queries over the meeting, Mulvaney, on the same day, told CNN that he didn't "recall anything along those lines happening in any meeting" and insisted that the Trump administration has done more to combat Russian meddling than Barack Obama's administration." "In fact, for the first time in history, state, local, and federal governments have coordinated in all 50 states to share intelligence, we've broadened our efforts to combat meddling by engaging the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the FBI among others, and we have even conducted security breach training drills to ensure preparedness," Mulvaney was quoted saying. On April 7, Nielsen put down her resignation papers as Trump expressed his growing anger over the number of immigrants at the US-Mexico border. The report comes less than a week after a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian intelligence in the 2016 presidential election was released. "The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in a sweeping and systematic fashion," the report said. "The investigation established that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome," the statement added. It added that Trump's campaign "expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts". Meanwhile, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner downplayed Russia's involvement, describing it as "buying some Facebook ads to try to sow dissent". "Quite frankly, the whole thing's just a big distraction for the country," he said at the Time 100 Summit despite Mueller's findings. "It's a terrible thing, but I think the investigations and all the speculation that happened for the past two years had a much harsher impact on democracy than a couple of Facebook ads," The New York Times quoted Kushner as saying. Trump has repeatedly called the Mueller probe a "witch-hunt" and "hoax", while his legal team declared it to be a victory. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SERDIA Pharmaceuticals (INDIA) Pvt Ltd, a leader in cardiology, conducted a nation-wide campaign to raise awareness on angina. The campaign urged people to not ignore symptoms of angina-like clutching pain, heaviness or tightness in chest, pain in neck/shoulder, fatigue, backache and breathlessness and to consult a doctor at an early stage. The field force also reached out to thousands of doctors through their in-clinics awareness drive. Angina is often the initial manifestation of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most frequent cause of death worldwide today, and has been shown to double the risk of major cardiovascular diseases. Approximately one-third of the outpatients with chronic CAD suffer from angina, while 30 per cent of patients continue to experience angina symptoms as early as one month after revascularization. A recent study revealed that angina was under-recognized in 43.3 per cent patients with CAD who had reported angina the previous month. Among patients with frequent angina, 44 per cent were on suboptimal anti-anginal pharmacological therapy. These findings suggest that sustained efforts are needed to improve the management of angina patients. The Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has launched the Angina Awareness Initiative. This initiative is supported by SERVIER in the form of an educational grant, whose contribution will be to reach out to health care professionals to improve the management of this life-threatening yet preventable condition. As a part of this global initiative, SERDIA Pharmaceuticals has launched the comprehensive programme in India: 'Angina Awareness India'. To help spread the word, SERDIA Pharmaceuticals has also launched an online Facebook community page - AnginaAwarenessIndia, which has already crossed over 20,000 followers. The team also conducted video awareness campaign, Poster campaign, Community contact programs, in-clinic promotions and worked closely with leading Doctors to help spread the word. Through all channels, this awareness drive could reach more than 6 lakh patients across India. The free mobile app - Angina under Control that has been developed by SERVIER, is also a very useful tool that helps patients to record the incidence of chest pain or discomfort and allows patients to follow the evolution of the symptoms in an objective way between the visits. From a health economics perspective, angina represents a major burden on society. It also has a negative impact on quality of life and leads to a 3-fold higher risk of disability, 1.5-fold higher risk of job loss, and 4-fold higher risk of depression. "We have been a leader in the angina category in India. As a category leader, we thought it is our responsibility to create awareness for the population through Angina Awareness INDIA. That's why we are also celebrating April Angina Awareness month starting 1st April 2019", said Dr Georges Jabre, Ceo of SERDIA Pharmaceuticals. "Currently on Google there are over 30 lakh searches every month about the heart diseases/ angina category, which clearly indicates that people are looking out for more information. So, we co-created this 1st of its kind digital campaign along with doctors called Angina Awareness INDIA to promote angina awareness," he added. Angina awareness being the need of the hour, SERDIA Pharmaceuticals plans to continue its efforts around the year. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea had slapped the United States with a USD two million medical bill for Otto Warmbier, an American school student held captive by Pyongyang in 2016 according to the latest report. North Korea further insisted that the U.S. sign a pledge to pay the bill before releasing Warmbier a year later, The Washington Post, reported on Thursday quoting sources familiar with the matter. Warmbier, who travelled to North Korea as a part of his college trip, was released from custody in 2017 in a vegetative state and died just six days after he returned home to the U.S. Sources said that the bill was given to former State Department Special Representative for North Korea, Joseph Yun, who had orders from President Donald Trump to bring Warmbier home. Yun had signed the bill after informing then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about it, the source added. However, Yun has denied confirming such reports. "I cannot confirm that," Yun told CNN. "These are diplomatic exchanges and negotiations that I do not confirm," he added. The bill went to the Treasury Department, where it remained unpaid throughout 2017, sources said. However, it is unclear whether the Trump administration later paid the bill, or whether it came up during preparations for Trump's two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Meanwhile, the White House has also declined to comment on the issue. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was quoted as saying. Another source told CNN that the U.S. has not paid the bill and has made it clear to North Korea that it has no intention to ever pay it. After the second summit with the North Korean leader in Vietnam in February, Trump said that he does not hold Kim responsible for Warmbier's death. Otto suffered severe brain damage during his captivity. The Trump administration placed intense pressure on Pyongyang to release Warmbier when they learned of his condition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jodhpur (Rajasthan) [India], Apr 26 (ANI): Hindus who migrated from Pakistan to India say they are delighted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of Citizenship Amendment Bill as possessing Indian citizenship means one step forward towards a better future. For now, that dream seems entirely blurred in reality as migrants still hope to receive basic amenities, rehabilitation packages, medical and educational facilities. They claim that they have been promised houses under the Indira Aawas Yojna by the government but nothing has happened so far. Hindus, who have migrated from Pakistan to India via pilgrim visa, are residing in pockets of Jodhpur. While speaking to ANI, these migrants expressed their happiness over Modi's promise, of granting them citizenship, during his rallies in Barmer and Jodhpur. Moolchand, who came from Sindh province, told ANI that due to forceful conversions to Islam and daily harassment in Pakistan, he decided to move to India. "Women and girls cannot roam around freely in Pakistan. It gives a feeling that Modi delivers what he promises." Lack of electricity, water supply and other amenities are a matter of concern and disappointment for this community. "Although I am happy that I'm in my own country, infrastructure like schools, hospitals and roads are not there. I would request the government to provide these at the earliest," said Moolchand. [{b3d37ae7-468f-4feb-8823-da4217aa5d02:intradmin/Jodhpur_1.jpg}] Bhagwati, a migrant school girl from Mirpurkhas in Sindh, who is in India for the last three years said, "Young girls could not go freely in Pakistan. But here in India, the right to education is my right. Such right empowers women." Underlying the need to get citizenship in India, Keshu Devi said: "I feel good in India but I want basic infrastructure. The idea of citizenship to Hindus is a matter of delight for us and if we become citizens of India then it would be the most delightful moment for us," she said. Lalchand, another migrant, who aspires to be a doctor, said, "We were forced to read Islamic verses in Pakistan. I was even discriminated in the school as I was Hindu." In order to give a bright future to the children of migrants, several NGOs have stepped up in the area and working towards their growth. [{463d63ae-f21a-4901-aed9-9807214b05ac:intradmin/Jodhpur_2.jpg}] Manju Jain, a teacher who is helping these children for past one year said, "Government should also step up and help these students. We want them to stand up on their feet and become good citizens of the country." Meanwhile, Human rights activist Hindu Singh Sodha welcomed the citizenship promise made by the Prime Minister but also expressed concern on the legal aspect of the provision for pragmatic implementation. "The government must handle such sensitive matters with care," she said. The Citizenship Bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. Attempts by the Central government to pass it through the Rajya Sabha were stalled by the Opposition. Under the proposed amendments in the Bill, the minimum residency period for citizenship was being reduced from the existing 12 years to 7 years. The citizenship was supposed to be given to them only after due scrutiny and on the recommendation of district authorities and the state government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the race to be among the first to watch the new episode of a popular online series, or simply to cut down on the cost of purchasing a legit streaming app or device, users are exposing themselves to malicious software, a new study has revealed. According to Digital Citizens investigation, piracy apps on jailbroken devices, which resemble legit Fire TV Sticks or Apple TV, are in fact, laden with malware that steals usernames and passwords on the pretext of offering pirated movies and live programmes. These rogue devices link to pirated apps instead of linking to legitimate services such as Netflix or Hulu. The investigation also revealed an illegal scheme to monetize stolen Netflix accounts and ads for premium brands on pirate apps. Surprisingly, there are 12 million active users of these illicit devices in North America alone. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A letter threatening to kill Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat besides attacking several railway stations and temples across the state was received by Railway station master here on Wednesday, said police. The police said that the letter is being investigated and forces have been conducting inspections inside railway stations across the state. Earlier in January, this year, the Gorakhpur police arrested one person who dialled 100 and informed the police that there is a threat to the life of Uttar Pradesh chief minister. The caller was identified as Manoj Mishra, who claimed that the UP chief minister had a threat from another person named Laxman Yadav. Through his call, Mishra was trying to falsely implicate Yadav, who was his opponent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A recent study claims that air pollution puts young cancer survivors at higher risk of hospitalisation due to respiratory issues. The details were published in the Journal of Environmental Research and Public Better treatments developed through research have resulted in a dramatic increase in the rates of childhood cancer survival; today, nearly 80 percent of children diagnosed with cancer will survive their disease. However, these survivors may experience long-term detrimental issues related to their cancer treatment. In this project, researchers sought to better understand what a polluted environment means for the of cancer survivors who may already be at a higher risk for illness because of the type of cancer treatment they received. The team examined the medical records of nearly 4,000 childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer survivors. They tracked when and how often those survivors required emergency room treatment or were admitted to a hospital due to respiratory illness. The study was divided into three groups: those who received chemotherapy as part of their cancer treatment, those who didn't receive chemotherapy, and a cancer-free group. The researchers found the risk for respiratory hospitalization was significantly higher among the survivors who received chemotherapy compared to the cancer-free group. Researchers were specifically looking at what happened to survivors on unhealthy air days. The study found the risk for hospitalizations among cancer survivors was significant when air pollution (PM2.5) was below the standard for sensitive groups implying that levels below that protective standard may still contribute to respiratory problems for cancer survivors. This is the first study to report a connection between PM2.5 levels and childhood cancer survivors requiring emergency treatment or hospitalization for respiratory issues. Survivors of childhood cancers may have a higher vulnerability to high levels of PM2.5because of lung damage and potential immunosuppression resulting from cancer and treatment with chemotherapy. "This study has wide application to cancer survivors in Utah as well as nationwide," said Judy Ou, Ph.D., a cancer epidemiologist at HCI and lead author on the study. "There are approximately 17 million cancer survivors in the United States, and statistics show about 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in places that are considered polluted at certain times of the year. This study provides valuable information to the medical community about how air pollution affects young survivors of cancer. We can use this to inform strategies to address this risk." Anne Kirchhoff, Ph.D., HCI cancer researcher and associate professor of pediatrics at the U of U, said, "We really haven't thought about how environmental exposures may affect long-term healthcare needs and health outcomes. We may need to rethink guidelines, both on air pollution notifications from public health agencies as well as guidelines we're giving cancer patients," said Judy Ou, Ph.D., a cancer epidemiologist. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prince Harry made a surprise appearance in London and joined his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, for an annual service honouring the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces. While it was previously announced that Middleton would attend the service on Thursday, Harry's appearance came as a surprise. The two stepped out to honour fallen Australian and New Zealand veterans during the annual Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, reports People. Interestingly, Westminster Abbey is the very spot where she and Prince William tied the knot in 2011. Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates the first major battle involving Australian and New Zealand forces during World War I. According to media reports, Harry recently moved into a new house outside London with his wife Meghan Markle. The couple is expecting their first child in May this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The recently released 'Sucker', which welcomed the popular pop band, Jonas Brothers, back to the music scene, is winning millions of hearts. The 'Sucker' fever has now hit Parineeti Chopra and her latest post is proof! The 'Kesari' actor shared a behind-the-scenes video on her Instagram account featuring herself in which the star can be seen grooving to the hit track, which she calls her "jam." In her post, Parineeti revealed that the peppy song helped her get into the mood for a shoot sequence. "My jam to get into the mood for the scene yesterday!! Haha @nickjonas Whatsay," Parineeti captioned the post. The actor can be seen dressed in a green dress in the clip and has rounded off her look with nerdy glasses, which gives the whole look a quirky vibe to it! She can be seen lip-syncing and grooving to the hit single. Both Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra responded to Parineeti's post. Priyanka wrote, "Hahaha I love," with a laughing emoji. While Nick commented, saying, "Haha love it!" Seems like Parineeti is not the only one to be obsessed with the song. The track turned out to be an absolute favourite across all platforms. Jonas Brothers - Nick, Kevin, and Joe made their comeback with 'Sucker' which released in February. Along with the single, the band also premiered the music video of the track that featured the brother trio with their lovely leading ladies: Sophie Turner, Danielle Jonas, and Priyanka Chopra. The band released another song titled 'Cool' earlier this month. The Jonas Brothers are considered to be one of the best teenager bands of all time. However, the trio split up in the year 2013 and started concentrating on their solo musical careers. The Jonas Brothers reunited after a hiatus of nearly six years. The JoBros first entered the musical scene, capturing a million hearts with their songs back in 2005. Meanwhile, on the work front, Parineeti was last seen in 'Namaste England', co-starring Arjun Kapoor. The actor's line-up of films includes 'Jabariya Jodi', alongside Sidharth Malhotra, 'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar' alongside Arjun Kapoor, Saina Nehwal's biopic and multi starrer 'Bhuj: The Pride Of India'. She will also be seen in the Hindi adaptation of 'The Girl on the Train'. Meanwhile, Priyanka will be next seen in 'The Sky Is Pink'. The film marks her return to Bollywood after a hiatus of almost four years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday accused the Badals of trying to divide the people and polarise the communities in Punjab. While addressing a public rally here, the Punjab Chief Minister put the blame on the Akalis for the spate of desecrations and the police firing incidents of Bargari and Kotkapura, read a statement. He said that the Akalis did nothing to control the situation and allowed it to get out of hand, which indicated their involvement in the Behbal Kalan and other incidents. "Just one more month for you to enjoy, and then you will meet your fate," Captain Amarinder warned the Badals, adding that "they should remember they cannot escape their sins forever." The Sikhs would never forget or forgive them for the defilement of their holy scripture, said Captain Amarinder. He added that the Badals and others claiming to be Akalis were playing a farce on the people of Punjab. Asserting that the Akal Takth was the 'jaan' and 'shaan' (life and pride) of Sikhs, Captain Amarinder called upon the people to teach the Badals a lesson for eroding the dignity of the highest temporal seat of the community by summoning and giving orders to the Jathedar. His ancestors had historic ties with the holy city of Fatehgarh Sahib and he would continue to uphold the same, said the Chief Minister, recalling that it was Baba Ram Singh (of Patiala) and Baba Tarlok Singh (of Naba and Jind) who had disguised themselves as Pandits to perform the last rites of the Bade Sahibzada, the statement added. The tradition of sacrifice for the people was in his blood, said Captain Amarinder, adding that the self-styled 'Maharathi' Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife Harsimrat Badal would be routed out by the people of Ferozepur and Bathinda. "Though they claim to be the custodians of Sikhi, they did not do anything for the development of the holy city of Fatehgarh or the Panth," said the Chief Minister and pointed out that it was the Congress government which got the gates constructed in Fatehgarh Sahib and the 40 muktas (minarets) in Muktsar here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called for "international security guarantee" for North Korea to ensure denuclearisation by the country. He also put forward the idea of resuming the six-party talks, saying it would be "helpful in developing a system of international security guarantees" for North Korea. "I am not sure these (six-party) talks need to be resumed right now but I am confident that if we reach a stage where we will need to develop some kind of guarantees for one of the parties, primarily, security guarantees for North Korea, international guarantees will be necessary," TASS quoted Putin as saying. Putin made these remarks during his maiden "constructive" summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the port city of Vladivostok in eastern Russia. Terming the talks effective, the Russian President said, "We discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and shared our positions on the measures to be taken for the situation to have good prospects for improvement." Kim Jong-un thanked Putin for "fruitful" and "constructive" talks. "We just exchanged our positions with you, Mr President, in a face-to-face conversation on issues of mutual interest, on all major problems. I thank you for the splendid time and I hope that our negotiations will continue in the same way, as fruitful and constructive," he said. Earlier in the day, the Russian leader greeted Kim as he arrived at the federal university here for the talks. They also exchanged a few words before entering the venue. Bilateral relations and denuclearisation were the key aspects of the summit. Some analysts have termed Putin's meeting with Kim as a coup after the failure of US President Donald Trump led Hanoi summit, CNN reported. Though Kim and Trump have decided to hold another summit later this year, the North Korean leader approaching Putin signals that he is looking for alternatives. Washington has, until now, reinforced that relief in sanctions would only be given after Pyongyang carries out "complete and verifiable" denuclearisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a decree on granting individuals permanently residing in certain districts of Ukraine the right to apply for Russian citizenship using a simplified procedure. Citizenship of the Russian Federation is obtained by birth, as a result of granting citizenship and in the event of changing Russia's state borders in accordance with an international agreement. But the new legislation provides for a general and even more simplified procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship, TASS agency reported. According to the new legislation, citizenship is granted without requiring a residence permit and uninterrupted residence in Russia for five years. The term considering the documents, in this case, does not exceed six months. For citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, it has been reduced to three months in accordance with the four-party agreement signed on February 26, 1999, which took effect on November 4, 2000, the Kremlin said in a statement. In addition, Russian citizenship can be obtained under the simplified procedure by two more groups of foreign citizens and stateless persons (the time period for considering their applications is three months). The first group includes individuals who reside in Russia legally on a permanent basis and are recognised as native Russian speakers by a special commission set up by the Interior Ministry with the involvement of philologists and linguists. However, they must pledge to comply with the Russian Constitution and legislation, have legitimate income and renounce foreign citizenship, the statement added. The second category includes participants in the State program of assistance to voluntary resettlement of compatriots to the Russian Federation. If the application for Russian citizenship is rejected, the applicant may apply for citizenship again in a year's time. Putin signed the decree 24 hours after Ukraine's election commission officially declared Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the winner of the country's recently held presidential elections. Simplified citizenship for Donetsk and Luhansk residents was made possible after Putin was granted the authority to select foreigners eligible for Russian passports under a law that entered into force on March 29. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four days after the deadly serial blasts claimed at least 359 lives, an explosion was reported on Thursday in Sri Lanka's Pugada town, about 40 Km east of capital Colombo, police said. There were no reports of any casualty. The blast occurred in a garbage dump behind the Pugoda magistrate's court, The Daily Mirror said quoting the police. On April 21, eight explosions rattled Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikede and Batticaloa as the Christian community celebrated Easter Sunday. At least 359 people were killed and over 500 others were injured in the serial blasts. The casualties included 39 foreign nationals, including 10 Indians. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg on Thursday said that he did not approve of the manner in which Rajasthan Royals treated Ajinkya Rahane when they replaced him with Steve Smith as captain. Responding to questions by Twitter users, Hogg posted a video on the social networking site. To a query if it was a right move by RR to change the skipper in the middle of the tournament, he said: "I do not think Rajasthan Royals have made a right move down there. Even though Steve Smith had a win in his first game as captain, I don't like the way they treated Rahane." "While Rahane was the captain, there was so much arm-waving from other players within that line-up. When he was trying to talk to his bowlers, other players were coming in. A captain is your captain; he is the who makes decisions, no one else... I think it was a tough decision on Rahane, and it showed a little bit of disrespect for young Rahane," he added. However, the 48-year old heaped praise on Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer for his leadership prowess and for changing the fortune of his team. When asked who he thought was the most impressive captain in this IPL, Hogg said, "Shreyas Iyer, there is no doubt about that. Delhi Capitals have been nowhere throughout the whole IPL in the previous editions. In this year they are at the top because a young man has taken the responsibility with both bat and leadership out in the field. He is making the right decisions with his bowlers, has led from the front and has taken ownership of that job. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump on Wednesday again threatened to shut United States' southern border with Mexico and send more "armed soldiers" to the region if the latter did not block a new caravan of migrants soon. "Mexico must apprehend the remainder or we will be forced to close that section of the Border & call up the Military," Trump tweeted. "Mexico's Soldiers recently pulled guns on our National Guard Soldiers, probably as a diversionary tactic for drug smugglers on the Border. Better not happen again! We are now sending ARMED SOLDIERS to the Border. Mexico is not doing nearly enough in apprehending & returning!" he added. The remarks by the US President came in the wake of April 13 incident in which two US soldiers were questioned by Mexican troops while conducting a surveillance operation on the US side of the southern border, CNN confirmed after quoting US Defence officials. During the incident, the Mexican soldiers pointed their weapons at the US troops, removing a soldier's sidearm and returning it to the unmarked US vehicle, the officials said. The Mexican troops were armed with what appeared to be assault rifles, the officials noted. Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that his government would analyse the incident, take into account Trump's comments, and act "in keeping with the law within the framework of our sovereignty", Channel NewsAsia reported. "We are not going to fall for any provocation," he told reporters in Mexico City. "The most important thing is to tell (Trump) we are not going to fight with the government of the United States. The most important thing is to say we want a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation for the sake of development," the President was quoted as saying. However, it was unclear if Trump was indicating towards a fresh deployment or any change in the way US troops on the border are armed or in the rules under which they operate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United Nations Security Council has scheduled an urgent meeting for Thursday afternoon (local time) to address the situation in Eastern Ukraine. The development comes in the backdrop of Russian President Vladimir Putin signing a decree on Wednesday that would grant individuals residing in certain districts of eastern Ukraine the right to apply for Russian citizenship using a simplified procedure. Following the announcement, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko had said that he would ask the UN Security Council to halt Russia from enacting the decree, according to DW news agency. The decree was signed 24 hours after Ukraine's election commission officially declared Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the winner of the country's recently held presidential elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha has courted controversy, saying BJP is like the person who plays Sita in ram leela but smokes cigarette backstage. Kushwaha was earlier a minister in the BJP-led NDA government until his party pulled out of the coalition in December 2018. "I have seen BJP from inside as I was in the NDA government earlier. In Ram Leela when the curtain rises a person comes dressed as Sita Mata. People who watch Ram Leela bow their heads out of respect, if you go behind curtain the same Sita Ji can be seen smoking a cigarette. This is the face of BJP; full of evils from inside and it projects goodness from the outside," said Kushwaha. "Giriraj Singh said that people who don't vote for NDA will be sent to Pakistan. I say that after the formation of the Mahagathbandhan, we will make sure that we will send them to the desert and see how they send us to Pakistan," the RLSP leader warned. In the campaign for the 2014 general elections in Jharkhand, BJP leader Giriraj Singh had said that people against Modi should be sent to Pakistan as they are pro-Pakistan and not pro-India. Three phases of ongoing elections are already over in Bihar with four phases remaining on April 29, May 6, 12 and 19. The counting of votes will be done on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is facing NIA probe over charges of committing unlawful activities in India, termed the reports claiming Interpol taking up India's request to issue Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him, "a political witch-hunt". "I'm aware of the pressure the Indian government has been applying on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against me. It's part of an elaborate witch hunt," Naik said in a statement. The statement from the Islamic preacher comes Interpol reportedly accepted India's request to issue a RCN against him. "I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure," he contended. "I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date. One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government, which as a matter of fact, has been going on for over two years now," he added. Naik is facing probe both in India and Bangladesh after two suspects in the terror attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in July 2016 claimed that they were inspired by Naik's radical preaching. The two were staunch followers of Naik on Facebook and on the Peace Television Channel. The terror attack had left 22 people dead. He also said that the Interpol has already cancelled a red corner notice against him earlier. "...It's been one-and-a-half years since the government submitted a charge sheet and started applying pressure on the Interpol," Naik added. The 52-year-old currently holds a permanent residence status in Malaysia, which was confirmed last year by then-Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Last month, Enforcement Directorate arrested Zakir Naik's trusted aide Abdul Kadir Najmudin Sathak for allegedly "actively assisting" him in money laundering. According to ED, the money laundering was done through "dubious" origins from UAE to facilitate production and broadcasting of incriminating videos for spreading communal hatred and radicalisation of a particular community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkey's National Pride is Based on Genocide Denial During the years of World War I 75% (750,000) of the Assyrian population in the Ottoman Empire was systematically murdered. That genocide of Assyrians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1915 is a fact, but it has largely been forgotten by the world. The pain of the genocide continues in the collective memory of the Assyrians as Turkey continues to deny and publicly denounce responsibility for this largely forgotten crime against humanity against Assyrians, Armenians and Greeks. The Turkish republic, as the lawful successor of the Ottoman Empire, has a policy of denial and refuses to acknowledge the genocide despite overwhelming evidence. The Republic of Turkey was founded on the genocide of 1915 and even after 104 years the genocidal mentality remains. President Erdogan maintains that "Muslims cannot commit genocide." Kemal YalAin is a Turkish author living in Germany. YalAin has published many books about the Assyrian, Armenian and Greek genocide. He has done interviews on the genocide with many Armenians and Assyrians. One of his books contains a passage of an old man that aptly summarizes the emotions and thoughts of many Assyrians: Few of us have witnessed that great, horrible catastrophe. But its wounds have shaped our memories. I suffer even from its memory! Even though we didn't experience those frightful days, those caravans of death, we bear their scars on us. And what did those that experienced those days do? In our region the killing of the Armenians was delegated to the Kurds. Everybody knows this. The Kurds use the term "The infidel massacre." I have to point out that the term "infidel" gAvur is a condescending term to depict Christians. I'm by no means accusing all Kurds or Turks. My anger is directed to those that planned this catastrophe in detail. I will be relieved when all this is brought to light and is acknowledged. I don't hate the Turks or the Kurds. They should be ashamed of themselves! But I prey that God will have them punished. These are the emotions and thoughts of the Assyrians as well. Our issue is with those that planned and implemented this genocide. Perhaps you will think that this is odd because the perpetrators are all dead. Yes they are. But it is on their heritage that a country was founded. The modern Republic of Turkey was founded in this manner. Turkey was homogenized, and this was solely due to the perpetrators. It is not an exaggeration to claim that the economic prosperity of successive political elites in Turkey could only be attained by the genocide of the Christians. And I'm not aware of any serious research on this topic in Turkey so far. The effects of the genocide of 1915 were both economic and political. The present political elite are still denying the genocide by asserting the following thesis: "the event is a historical event, leave it to the historians". This thesis emanates from Turkeys wish to pacify and forget the whole issue. If it really wanted to leave it to the historians, they would have been more tolerant of dissenting academics. But we know that it is impossible for any historian to freely speak and write on the genocide. In this regard Turkey is far from being a democratic society. The descendants of Assyrian, Armenian and Greek victims of 1915 request acknowledgement and apologies for the atrocity within the framework of international law. Acknowledgement and apology is the required step to be taken with reference to the genocide. Turkey will benefit greatly from critically scrutinizing its history because it will receive more international respect. Denial will only bring the opposite. Acknowledgement of the genocide does not only imply social maturity, but also prevents future outbreaks of violence and persecution. Turkey's reckoning with its past, a growth of respect for human rights and an increase of democratization will prove to be a great asset for the entire world. Is there a difference between the mentality of the perpetrators of genocide, and those that deny one? The mentality I am talking about is in power today. We have no intention to foster hostility or hatred against Turkey or the Turkish people. Let us be aware that Turkey's sordid past cannot be cleaned away with threats and denials by Turkish leaders. The Turkish state, which carries on its shoulder the historic responsibility of the Assyrian, Greek and Armenian genocide, owes the victims, their descendants and the world an apology. I believe that the initial condition for eliminating these problems is not to compromise with history's brutality. Every great nation has its disgraceful pages written in history. What is important is what the nation learns, and embraces the chance to take responsibility, not just for the past, but also for the future generations. Willy Brandt was the Prime Minister of Germany. Whilst visiting Poland he visited a monument to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. He approached the monument, knelt and apologized. This gesture, from an honorable statesman, opened the way to improve the relations between the German and Jewish peoples. It is well known that Willy Brandt actively struggled against the Nazi regime and that he lived in exile as a result. As an individual he bore no responsibility for the Nazi brutality. But as a German, he realized this was about collective responsibility and that his nation must apologize to the Jews. Willy Brandt showed the first step on how a nation can take responsibility. As for the Turkish Prime minister Tayip Erdogan and his foreigner minister MevlAt AavuAoAlu, they have not demonstrated the same great statesmanship as Willy Brandt. In reference to France and Italy's recognition of the 1915 killings of Armenians as genocide, Minister AavuAoAlu said "We are proud of our history because our history has never had any genocides. And no colonialism exists in our history," at an event at SelAuk University in Konya on April 15. The true democratization of Turkey is impossible without acknowledgment of the genocide. Headline indices of the Mainland China equity market closed steep lower on Thursday, 25 April 2019, as risk off selloff triggered amid market concern over China central bank's shift away from further broad easing moves. Meanwhile, selloff fueled after latest exchange data revealed net outflows recorded through the stock connect in Hong Kong for three consecutive days. Wednesday, the latest data available from the Hong Kong stock exchange, disclosed that a net outflow of 3.525 billion yuan was recorded from both Shanghai and Shenzhen northbound. At closing bell, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 2.43%, or 77.79 points, to 3,123.83. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, sank 3.41%, or 59.63 points, to 1,688.25. The blue-chip CSI300 index shed 2.2%, or 88.27 points, to 3,941.82. Their declines came amid net outflows recorded through the stock connect in Hong Kong for three consecutive days. Wednesday, the latest data available from the Hong Kong stock exchange, disclosed that a net outflow of 3.525 billion yuan was recorded from both Shanghai and Shenzhen northbound. Shares of alcoholic beverages fared poorly despite reports that China's liquor industry profit jumped 24% amid economic slowdown. More than 2,500 Chinese liquor manufacturers saw their combined profit jump 24% in 2018, as a surge in baijiu sales offset a decline in wine consumption, according to data from industry group China Alcoholic Drinks Association. That profit jump far exceeded the 7% profit growth for all the Chinese companies listed on the A share market. Total profit for these liquor manufacturers reached 147.65 billion yuan in 2018. Sales also increased 10% to 821.3 billion yuan. Among all types of alcoholic beverages, baijiu, the fiery Chinese spirit, saw its profit up the most. The figure rose 30% to 125.05 billion yuan, making up 85% of the overall industry's profit. But the wine sector fared poorly. Wine production dropped 7.4% to 629.1 million liters. Revenue and profit also decreased, both down 9.5% to 28.85 billion yuan and 3.063 billion yuan, respectively. Other alcoholic beverages struggled as well. Beer production merely increased 0.5% to 38.12 billion liters, while its profit rose 5.6% to 12.2 billion yuan. The revenue of Huangjiu -- literally yellow wine -- increased 5.4% to 16.7 billion yuan, while profit declined 7.2% to 1.72 billion yuan. Chinese liquor king Kweichow Moutai (600519 CH) reported a 32% jump in net income to 11.2 billion yuan in the first quarter. It was up 64.4% for the year as of Wednesday's close, though it was down today by 1.24% to 958 yuan. Lakala Payment (300773 CH), one of the country's earliest online payment providers backed by Legend Holdings, hit its first trading day limit of 44%. Its price rose to 47.92 yuan from its issue price of 33.28 yuan. A total of 1.64 million yuan worth of stocks changed hands. The company was founded in 2005 and provides online payment services to retail customers and sells point-of-sale machines to retail businesses. CURRENCY NEWS: China's yuan was down against the U. S. dollar on Thursday, as soft mid-point fixing by central bank. Prior to market opening on Thursday, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) lowered its official yuan midpoint to 6.7307 per dollar, about 102 bps or 0.15% weaker than the previous fix of 6.7205, and the softest since March 29. In the spot market, onshore yuan fell to a low of 6.7360 at one point from an open at 6.7330 per dollar, hitting its weakest level since March 29. As of midday, the onshore spot yuan was changing hands at 6.7290, 70 bps weaker than the previous late session close but 0.03% firmer than the midpoint. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is quoting at Rs 275.4, up 2.46% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 7.07% in last one year as compared to a 10.7% gain in NIFTY and a 18.94% gain in the Nifty Energy index. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd rose for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 275.4, up 2.46% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.24% on the day, quoting at 11753.85. The Sensex is at 39132.13, up 0.2%. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has dropped around 0.6% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is a constituent, has dropped around 0.59% in last one month and is currently quoting at 16305.75, up 0.85% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 43.15 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 72.24 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 275, up 2.33% on the day. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is down 7.07% in last one year as compared to a 10.7% gain in NIFTY and a 18.94% gain in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 8.51 based on TTM earnings ending December 18. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Govt to soon launch new 'ODF Special' standard after ODF and ODF++ Speaking at the '3rd FICCI-ISC Sanitation Awards and India Sanitation Conclave', Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India said that the government is working on four verticals to achieve the target of ODF which include fecal sludge management, rural piped water supply, grey water management and solid waste management. He further added that all this will require active participation of the corporate sector to invest in the treatment and waste management. The government will also provide swachh credit facility to small entrepreneurs involved in the business of rural waste management. Parameswaran Iyer urged the private sector to exploit the potential of the Indian sanitation market which is likely to reach US$ 60 billion by 2021. The secretary emphasised that the UN Sustainable Development Goal-6 of ensuring access to water and sanitation, will be achieved mainly through the collective effort of all and partnerships. "Persistence is very important to sustain all the gains for achieving ODF," he said. Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India said that the government is working to launch the new standard 'ODF Special' after ODF++ which will provide complete solution standards. It is in the process of setting the benchmarks and ODF Special will be part of the next round of Swachh Survekshan, he said. Durga Shanker Mishra also added that under the Garbage Free City protocol, total 377 cities have been awarded 3 stars; 3 states with 5 stars rating and many are in the process for 7 stars. The toilets coverage in the country has increased more than 95% and total 19 states have made fecal sludge management policy leading to lower cost in treating and managing the waste. He highlighted that 23 States/UTs and 95% of 4,300 cities are ODF declared, total 377 cities have been ODF certified and 167 cities have been certified as ODF++. Naina Lal Kidwai, Chair, India Sanitation Coalition (ISC) said that we need more financing from multiple streams, including direct financing, credit and micro financing as also impact-based financing. The task of the SBM movement has only just begun. Moving forward, we need to ensure that the action agenda of the nation in terms of the activities aimed at maintaining the ODF status where achieved, focusing on behaviour change and reinforcement, adequate investment into maintenance and most importantly, planning and providing for treatment of waste is kept at the forefront of all our developmental initiatives. Then and only then, can the vision of a truly clean India 'Swachh Bharat' will come true, she added. FICCI President Sandip Somany said that the chamber remains committed to support sanitation, especially the small and medium sector companies involved in this. "FICCI -ISC is uniquely poised to galvanize the programme stakeholders into action not just for ensuring a sustainable open defecation free status, but also for addressing a host of sustainability measures," he said. Sandip Somany also presented the 3rd ISC-FICCI Sanitation Awards in six categories to corporates and individuals for their contribution in the area. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IPCA Laboratories announced that it has entered into a share purchase agreement (SPA) to acquire 100% paid-up share capital of Ramdev Chemical for cash at Rs 108.50 crore. Ramdev Chemical is engaged in the business of manufacturing and marketing of advanced drug intermediates, fine chemicals, custom synthesis molecules and active pharmaceutical ingredients. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 24 April 2019. Axis Bank, Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki India and Nestle India will announce its January-March 2019 quarterly earnings today, 25 April 2019. State Bank of India (SBI) announced that the executive committee of the central board in its meeting held on 24th April 2019 has approved long term fund raising in single/multiple tranches upto $2.5 billion, through a public offer and/or private placement of senior unsecured notes in US Dollar or any other convertible currency during FY 2019-2020. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 24 April 2019. Bank of Maharashtra announced that its board will meet on 29 April 2019 to consider the proposal of raising of capital through FPO/rights issue/QIP/preferential issue or any other mode or combination thereof and/or through issue of bonds or such other securities as may be permitted under applicable laws etc., subject to the necessary approvals. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 24 April 2019. Indiabulls Real Estate will be watched. With reference to media reports titled, "Seeking realty business exit, Indiabulls sounds out ally Blackstone", Indiabulls Real Estate clarified after market hours yesterday, 24 April 2019, that it has been engaged in its business reorganization exercise for quite some time in the past at different intervals, and have been keeping the exchanges informed on such related developments, if any. In respect of such reorganization of the company's businesses many informal discussions keep on raking place, from time to time, and the company do not comment on speculations with respect to such discussions. Oil India informed that its board approved the proposal for giving the employees of the company an opportunity to exercise the option to contribute towards the employee pension scheme on the basis of actual salary, having a financial impact of approximately Rs 1,788 crore to the company. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 24 April 2019. FDC announced that the company's non-sterile manufacturing facility located at 8-8, M.I.D.C Industrial area, Waluj, Aurangabad, Maharashtra had recently undergone an inspection by PIC/S Malaysia and it continues to be approved. Hence, the company continues to export oral liquid, oral powder and external powder products. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 24 April 2019. IL&FS Group shares will be watched. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday, 24 April 2019, directed banks and financial institutions to disclose the total amount of exposure, which are non-performing assets as per IRAC (income recognition and asset classification) norms, and are not classified as NPAs related to IL&FS. Further, banks should also outline the provisions required to be made and the provisions actually held for the debt-ridden infrastructure firm and its group entities. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reliance Industries Ltd is quoting at Rs 1407.25, up 1.28% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 44.28% in last one year as compared to a 10.7% spurt in NIFTY and a 18.94% spurt in the Nifty Energy index. Reliance Industries Ltd is up for a third straight session in a row. The stock is quoting at Rs 1407.25, up 1.28% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.24% on the day, quoting at 11753.85. The Sensex is at 39132.13, up 0.2%. Reliance Industries Ltd has risen around 2.93% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Reliance Industries Ltd is a constituent, has risen around 0.59% in last one month and is currently quoting at 16305.75, up 0.85% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 67.8 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 86.83 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 1406.2, up 1.1% on the day. Reliance Industries Ltd is up 44.28% in last one year as compared to a 10.7% spurt in NIFTY and a 18.94% spurt in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 25.06 based on TTM earnings ending March 19. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nineteen students have committed suicide in Telangana during last one week over the failure in the Intermediate examinations, according to media reports. While there were no official figures available, newspapers and channels have reported that 19 students of Intermediate first and second year (Classes 11 and 12 ended their lives since last Thursday. This is said to be the highest number of suicides by Intermediate students in recent years with the opposition parties blaming the goof-ups by the Telangana Board of Intermediate (TBIE) for the spate of suicides. Three students in the age group of 18-19 years committed suicide while one student went missing on Wednesday. Those who ended their lives include Chakali Raju of Medak district. Depressed over failing in Economics and Civics in Intermediate second year, he hanged himself at his house. He was said to have scored the third rank in his college in the first year but scored low marks in the second year. Akaram Mithi, 18, of Yadadri Bhongir district, also hanged herself as she had failed in Zoology and Physics papers in the second year. Sailaja of Nizamabad district committed suicide as she did not get expected marks in the Intermediate examination. A student of MPC (Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry) she scored 847 out of 1,000 but was not happy with her performance. Umesh Chandra, who failed in Intermediate first year examination, left his house in Warangal on the day results were announced and was yet to return home. Anxious parents lodged a missing complaint with the police. The TBIE announced the results on April 18 and the goof-ups sparked an outcry from students and their parents. It drove some students to depression and resulted in their taking extreme the step. The government has already formed a three-member committee to probe the bungling in declaring the results. The panel is looking into the system developed and implemented by an IT company whose services were hired by the TBIE. The fiasco and the suicides triggered protests by the opposition parties and student groups. While admitting the lapses, TBIE assured the students that these will be rectified. As the issue snowballed into a major row and caused embarrassment to the government coming, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao intervened on Wednesday to announce free re-verification of answer sheets for all the students who failed in the exams. For other students, re-verification will be done with the prescribed fee and as per the existing rules and regulations. A total of 9.74 lakh of students appeared in the Intermediate examinations held in February-March and out of these, 3.28 lakh failed. The latest move by the government is expected to check the spate of suicide. Voicing his concern over the suicides, the Chief Minister appealed to the students to desist from taking the extreme step. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, told the students that failure in Intermediate exams is not the end of life. "I felt extremely unhappy and deeply hurt over such incidents. Suicides of students is most unfortunate. Intermediate is not the whole life. Failing in examination does not amount to failing in the life. Life is precious. There will be plenty of opportunities," he said. He advised the students to stand up in the life and be courageous. "If you commit suicide, you will be leaving behind lot of sorrow to the parents. I appeal to every student not to commit suicide," he said. --IANS ms/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday described the 2019 general elections as a battle to save democracy, Constitution and the long tradition of unity which he said was under threat. Addressing the media at the party headquarters here, Kejriwal said: "2019 elections can prove a turning point as this election is to save the country, democracy and the Constitution." He said: "India is a 4,000-year-old country with a rich tradition. And despite diversity, India is one and its tradition has strengthened the country and given it power to face all kinds of attacks in the past. "But today, its unity is being attacked. And if the country gets divided on the basis of religion and caste, then it will lose its centuries old tradition." Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah over his controversial tweet of sending back all "infiltrators" from the country except Hindus, Budhists and Sikhs, he said: "He (Shah) did not mention other religions like Muslims, Parsis or Jains while describing the infiltrators. They constitute over 20-25 crore of the population. "What plan does the BJP has for them? Do they want them to be murdered, mob lynched or being thrown into the Pacific Ocean?" Kejriwal described the BJP manifesto as the one-line manifesto of pushing out "infiltrators" from the country. "For us, 2019 elections is to defeat that manifesto," he said. He accused the BJP of acting on Pakistan's agenda. "Pakistan wants people of Hindu and Muslim communities to fight each other and the BJP is working on the Pakistan's agenda," he said. "Our agenda is to stop (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and Shah," he said, adding that the AAP will support any party or alliance which believes in secularism and also supports full statehood for Delhi. --IANS aks/pg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The police have arrested three youths, including two graduates, for impersonating as authorized representatives of Microsoft Corporation and extorting money from scores of schools here, a police officer said on Thursday. Abhinav Jain, a resident of Saraswati Vihar, Ishan Garg, a resident of Alipur and Deepak, a resident of Suleman Nagar in the national capital, were arrested on Wednesday from Rohini Sector-8, the officer said. "A Special Investigation Team of the Crime Branch headed by ACP Sandeep Lamba on a tip-off raided an office from where the accused were operating to extort various schools and later arrested them," DCP G. Ram Gopal Naik said. Three hard disks, two printers, visiting cards of 'Microsoft Corporation', software of windows PRO 10, fake letters of Microsoft Corporation and mobile phones were recovered from them, Naik said. "The accused disclosed that their accomplice, Abhinav Jain had a licence for selling Microsoft software and is an authorized education partner. To earn quickly, they all started forging letters of Microsoft Corporation and sent them to school managements. They also attached a Crime Branch complaint letter for threatening and extorting money from them. They wanted to force the schools to buy software in bulk from them," the officer added. "The managements of over a hundred schools feared huge penalty and purchased the software in bulk from the gang. Several times, the accused sold the pirated software to schools. They used to visit schools impersonating as authorized representatives of Microsoft Corporation for checking the software of an institution," he said. A complaint was made last week by Neeraj Kumar, an authorized representative of Microsoft Corporation, to the Crime Branch, alleging an unknown syndicate was misrepresenting as authorized agents of Microsoft. --IANS sp/prs/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four out of five smartphone brands are selling their handsets below the average price of smartphones in India, a new report by CyberMedia Research (CMR) said on Thursday. According to the "CMR India Mobile Pricing Index 2018", in a hyper-competitive smartphone market, consumers are more demanding than before and seek more from their smartphone than before. Whether it is the latest specs, or overall experience, consumers seek the best and are driving the smartphone upgradation cycles, which in turn, contributes to increased average sales value (ASV) of smartphones. "CY2018 witnessed growth in ASV of smartphones largely due to upgradation. A majority of the current smartphone shipments are essentially upgrades, driven by consumers seeking more from their smartphones," Narinder Kumar, Lead Analyst-IIG, CMR, said in a statement. Indian and Chinese players contributed the most to the below industry average ASV, whereas every three out of five brands in above ASV segment were global brands. "The decline in above ASV percentage can be attributed to increasing market consolidation. There was around 10 per cent decline in numbers of brands operating in the 4G Smartphone space. With top 10 players contributing 80-85 per cent of market, there is stiff competition for rest of brands," Narinder Kumar added. --IANS ksc/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is contesting all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, on Thursday promised, in its election manifesto, to secure full statehood for Delhi, suggesting that it would address all the problems afflicting the city. Delhi's ruling party, which has been at loggerheads with the central Narendra Modi government, said only full statehood would give the city government control over land, law and order, police and over officials and decision-making. "With full statehood, several dreams of the people of Delhi will be realized," said the 35-page manifesto titled 'Le Kar Rahenge Purna Rajya' (We will secure full statehood) which was released by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "Women safety will considerably improve. Law and order in Delhi will improve. Youth will get jobs. Every child who has scored more than 60 per cent marks in 12th standard will get a college admission. Sealing will be stopped in Delhi. Every Delhi resident will have a house of his/her own. Unauthorized colonies will be regularized. Delhi will be a clean and beautiful city. Delhi will accelerate towards the path of development," Kejriwal said in a message in the manifesto. Delhi, where balloting for the Lok Sabha polls will take place on May 12, will have a triangular contest involving BJP, Congress and AAP. "The AAP is fighting the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi with the sole objective of making Delhi a full state," said the party which was trying to court the Congress for an electoral alliance but failed to do so. In the manifesto, released of other AAP leaders including Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and Sanjay Singh, the party said the Congress and the BJP have "betrayed the trust of the people" of Delhi over the issue. "Their reason being that they did not have their government in the Delhi Assembly. The truth is that there have been opportunities when they had their government, both at the centre and in Delhi. But they did not take effective steps to give full statehood for Delhi. Even today, the stance of BJP and Congress is not favourable towards granting full statehood," the manifesto reads. Kejriwal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before becoming the Prime Minister, demanded full statehood for Delhi. "But both these parties have betrayed the trust of the people of Delhi," he said, adding that many other parties in Parliament had expressed support for the demand for complete statehood for Delhi. The AAP said despite many hurdles, the Delhi government had achieved remarkable progress in the fields of education, health, electricity and water. "We fulfilled all the promises that we made. With full statehood, we assure you that we will fulfil all the above promises," Kejriwal's letter added. "Till today, you have voted in Lok Sabha elections to elect your Prime Minister. Now it's time to vote to make Delhi a full state. History and almighty give an opportunity only once. Delhi has that opportunity at this moment. This time, vote for AAP so that Delhi becomes a full state," he said. The manifesto said the AAP will join hands with other political parties which have an emotional attachment with the people of Delhi and believe in the right of the people of Delhi to have a full-fledged state. --IANS nks/mr/akk/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa on Thursday accused some of the state's Catholic priests of acting like agents of the Congress, appealing to the people to vote for the party. The majority of the state's population is Christian. Addressing a press conference here, AAP's Goa convenor Elvis Gomes said "I cannot brand all religious leaders in one group. Such people are there in all religions. But some (priests) do feel they should contribute to the Congress. There are three or four, who really act like agents. They leave religion aside and play " "But I do not want to categorise the whole bunch into one lot. Even in the last week, when (prayer) services were on, they appealed directly to vote for the Congress. I only appeal to their (Church) hierarchy to take cognisance of this. Such things should not happen during elections," Gomes said. In the run up to the elections, two videos showing Catholic priest Father Conceicao D'Silva badmouthing Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar and BJP President Amit Shah went viral triggering a controversy. The influential Catholic Church in Goa, which is the religious and spiritual guide to more than a quarter of the state's population, was forced to express regret for the video. However, days before the April 23 polls, Goa Archbishop Father Filipe Neri Ferrao created another furore by urging the electorate to vote out corrupt and communal candidates who promote division in the society. On polling day, Gomes also expressed his dissatisfaction about the functioning of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and even lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC). During the press conference, Gomes also formally announced the candidature of Valmiki Naik as the party's candidate for the May 19, Panaji Assembly bypoll. He is pitted against Congress candidate and former Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate. The BJP may either field Parrikar's son Utpal or former Panaji MLA Sidharth Kuncalienkar. The Panaji bypoll was necessitated by the death of Parrikar who represented the constituency. --IANS maya/rtp/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Bangladesh court has directed the country's telecom regulator to submit a report on the impact of radiation from tens of thousands of mobile phone towers. The court issued the order following a writ petition seeking the court's directive to the regulator for measures to minimize radiation impact on people and the environment, reported Xinhua news agency. The Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) was given four months to submit the report. Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a local rights body, filed the petition as a public interest litigation with the court following reports that the towers have been emitting radiation detrimental for human health. Bangladesh's mobile phone operators have currently over 35,000 towers. The total number of Bangladesh's mobile phone subscribers reached over 158 million at the end of February with the addition of 1.449 million new users in the first two months of this year, statistics from the country's telecom regulator showed. --IANS pg/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday slammed the BJP for repeatedly raising questions on the opposition's choice of Prime Ministerial candidate and said the saffron party is insulting 130 crore people of the country. "Why is BJP & co. repeatedly insulting masses by claiming that the opposition lack leadership for the post of Prime Minister? "'Who after Nehru' was the arrogant question asked earlier too. But people gave a befitting reply to all this nonsense and will surely give another one shortly," the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo tweeted. She lamented the fact that Modi "is moving freely without care despite facing numerous serious allegations of Model Code of Conduct violation, thanks to the Election Commission. "That's why he has started crossing the limit so far (even where) respect for women is concerned. Haven't BJP/RSS imposed a lajawab neta upon the country," she said. Mayawati's remarks came hours ahead Modi's road show in Varanasi. The BSP, which scored a nil in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls has been contesting the 2019 general elections in alliance with the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. The BSP is contesting on 38, the SP on 37 and the RLD on three seats out of 80 seats in the state. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance have left the two seats of Rae Bareli and Amethi for Congress in the state. Of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, 26 have voted so far in the first three phases of polling, while the other 54 constituencies will go to the polls in the remaining four phases. --IANS aks/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The pollsters may be more or less unanimous in predicting a thumping victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, but Hapur's "satta bazaar" is betting on a much closer fight. Punters do see Modi returning to power but not a wave as such in his favour. The "Modi magic" cannot be felt the way it was in 2014, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to finish with far less number of seats than the 2014 tally of 283, predict punters. "We are expecting the BJP to win 240 seats. At best, the tally may touch 245 but not more than that," said one of the operators in the satta market. Multiple people in the trade told IANS that although the Modi government will still be there, it would have dependence on its alliace partners, unlike the previous term. According to them, the BJP is likely to lose almost half of its previous tally in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh where the bookies see 41 seats for the saffron party, down from 71 last time. In other words, the party would lose substantial support base in the state which is considered crucial for forming government at the Centre. "In UP, the BJP will win 41 to 45 seats," said a bookie in the city's once-famous betting hub Mandi Patia where speculators ruled the roost until a few years ago. Incidentally, Hapur bookies have mostly been accurate in their estimates, outsmarting their counterparts in bigger cities. The projections here are based on the analysis of over 300 seats where polling has already been held. A weaker grip of Modi on the government would mean the saffron party's Hindu agenda taking a back seat, as some of its alles like Janata Dal-United (JD-U) would prefer to disassociate from the agenda. The poll promise of abrogating Article 35A could also lie dormant. Such scenario would also impact major policy decisions of the government, for building consensus on economic issues, especially reforms, could become an uphill task. "Given Modi's personality, it is difficult to even visualise how he would act in that situation. Among the BJP allies, the most powerful are Shiv Sena and JD-U, and they will definitely make his life difficult," a political analyst said. (Nirbhay Kumar can be contacted at nirbhay.k@ians.in) --IANS nk/sn/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion blocked the entrance to the London Stock Exchange on Thursday as climate change protests continued in the British capital. The group said it was "hitting the financial industry" to "demand they tell the truth about the devastating impact the industry has on our planet", according to a tweet announcing the action on its official Twitter account. In another tweet, the group revealed that other activists had climbed onto a train in London's Canary Wharf station for the second time in a week, reports CNN. At least four protesters on top of the train held signs that read "don't jail the canaries" and "business as usual death". Last week, three Extinction Rebellion activists were arrested at the same station after two glued themselves to the top of a train, and a third glued himself to the side. More than 1,000 protesters were arrested last week when the group took over locations in London such as Parliament Square, Oxford Circus and Waterloo Bridge. The police said 53 people were charged. A final protest site at Marble Arch was cleared on Thursday morning. "We remain in frequent contact with the organisers to ensure that the serious disruption to Londoners is brought to a close as soon as possible and that only lawful and peaceful protests continue," the police added. Extinction Rebellion said in a statement that the protests would end with a closing ceremony in Hyde Park at 6 p.m. on Thursday. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Gurugram Police on Thursday arrested the General Manager (finance) of a company for allegedly committing Rs 6 crore fraud, an official said. The accused has been identified as Lakhan Singh, GM (finance) of PLN9 Security Service Pvt Ltd, located near Iffco Chowk on MG road. Besides, Assistant GM (finance) Vivek Kumar Chaudhary and chartered accountant Amit Agrawal were also involved in the fraud, the official said. "The financial irregularities by Singh come to the attention of company director Sobha Shandilya in 2016 when she wanted detailed financial report. Lakhan made some excuse and delayed the process," said Subhash Bokan, PRO of Gurugram Police. "When she asked Chaudhary to submit reports, he refused. Then the company director decided to get audit of financial transaction conducted by CA Agrawal," Bokan said. Singh had bought immovable properties in Delhi and Gurugram from the ill-gotten money, it was alleged. "We conducted several raids at his Dwarka house but could not catch him. On Wednesday, the EOW sleuths nabbed him from Sohna Chowk in Gurugram. He was presented before the Gurugram Civil Court, which remanded him to 4-day police custody," Bokan said. Investigation to arrest two other accused was on, the official said. --IANS str/pgh/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a stern action, the Gujarat Congress here on Thursday made a representation to the State Assembly to disqualify rebel legislator Alpesh Thakore, who had resigned recently from all the posts of the party. Congress Chief Whip Ashwin Kotwal and another legislator Baldevji Thakore met the Secretary to the State Assembly and submitted the party's representation addressed to Speaker Rajendra Trivedi. Ashwin Kotwal told IANS that, "Alpesh Thakore had resigned from all posts of the party and is no longer a Congress member. With this, he ceases to be a Congress legislator". He added that he had contested the state Assembly elections in 2017 from the Radhanpur constituency in North Gujarat's Banaskantha district on a Congress mandate and won from there. "Now that he is not with the Congress party, he cannot continue to be an MLA," Kotwal said. He went on to say that Alpesh Thakore was also indulging in anti-party activities by campaigning for independent candidates from his Thakore Sena during the Lok Sabha elections, the polling for which concluded in Gujarat on Tuesday. OBC leader and convenor of the Gujarat Kshatriya-Thakore Sena Alpesh Thakore had joined the Congress amid much fanfare in the run-up to the assembly elections in 2017 in the presence of party President Rahul Gandhi. He resigned earlier this month claiming that the party's state leadership had sidelined him and that he felt humiliated. State Congress president Amit Chavda maintained that the party had done its best for Thakore, right from giving him an assembly ticket soon after he joined, to making him an AICC Secretary and a co-incharge of the party affairs in Bihar as well as appointing him on all the key committees of the party in Gujarat. --IANS desai/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Communist Party of India has complained to the Election Commission against BJP chief Amit Shah saying he violated the model code of conduct by invoking armed forces to seek votes. In their complaint to the EC on Thursday, the CPI said while addressing an election meeting at Krishna Nagar, West Bengal on April 22, Shah referred to the Indian air strikes against terror camps across India after the Pulwama terror attack. "This is nothing but invoking armed forces in polls for votes. There is no Modi sena, no Modi Air Force but only Indian Army, which belongs to the nation. Somebody trying to own it is unpardonable and shameful," CPI said. The Left party said the incident happened after Election Commission took action against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the same issue. --IANS amit/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Thursday questioned the inordinate delay in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Pollachi sexual abuse-cum-blackmail case. In a statement here, Dhinakaran said more than 40 days had passed since the probe was transferred to the CBI from the Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Department (CBCID) and there appears to be no progress in the case. He said that it is unclear whether the delay in the CBI probe has anything to do with the BJP and the AIADMK having sealed an electoral alliance. Dhinakaran also said the state government should clearly specify which organisation is probing the Pollachi case, the current status of the investigation and clarify about the problems in transferring the case to the CBI. On Wednesday, the CBCID told the Madras High Court that it has not heard from the CBI on the probe, and hence was constrained to continue with the investigation so that evidence is not lost. --IANS vj/bc/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Zac Efron says he found it impossible to detach himself from the role of serial killer Ted Bundy while shooting for "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile". The film charts the murderous ways of one of America's most disturbing criminals. "I've never played a role in which I really have to separate myself from when I go home at night and it was almost impossible. I'd like to say that I did it successfully but I couldn't," Efron said here, reports dailymail.co.uk. He added: "I really wasn't interested in playing a serial killer. I'm not in the business of glamourising a horrendous person or his acts, but there is something unique about the way we went into the psyche of Ted, and his longtime girlfriend Liz (played by Lily Collins). "It's a different perspective and not your run-of-the-mill serial killer cliche, body count gets higher and higher ... This is what it was like to be there on the day, we didn't know if he was innocent or guilty, we just saw Ted Bundy through their eyes." --IANS sug/nn/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kannauj, the perfume capital of the country, does not smell good right now. Traditionally, a Samajwadi bastion, the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat which has Dimple Yadav as its sitting MP, seems undecided about its choice in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Dimple Yadav had created a record of sorts when she got elected from Kannauj unopposed in 2012 when her husband Akhilesh Yadav vacated his seat after becoming the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. She had earlier faced defeat in a by-election in Ferozabad in 2009. In 2014, however, Dimple Yadav won the seat with a narrow margin. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Subrat Pathak, who had lost to her in 2014. This time around, Pathak is using Dimple Yadav's inaccessibility to the people of Kannauj to push his own case. "She is never available for the people of Kannauj. Many of them who travel to Lucknow are also unable to meet her. "Dimple comes here rarely and that too for specific programmes. Today, people want their representative to be accessible to them and this is a major factor that is going against her," says Ram Nagina Misra, a local school teacher. The people of Kannauj admit that a great deal of development took place in the constituency when Akhilesh Yadav was in power. "We got roads, electricity and good water supply during the Samajwadi regime but there is no one to help us with issues related to police, etc. Dimple should have spent at least 10 to 15 days in her constituency every month," says Raju Patel. Vivek Singh, a local BJP worker, informs that they have been working since 2014 and have reached out to every nook and corner of the constituency. "When elections ended in 2014, we never stopped working for the people. The people know that they can depend on us in times of crisis. "It is certainly not going to be a cakewalk for Dimple Yadav this time," he asserts. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate in 2014 Nirmal Tiwari, who had got 1.27 lakh votes has now joined the BJP which explains the upbeat mood in the saffron camp. What, however, is working in Dimple's favour is the fact that this time, her party is in alliance with the BSP and she can hope to get the support of Dalits too. According to BJP estimates, the constituency has about five lakh upper caste votes. Lodhi Rajputs, traditional supporters of the BJP, are about two lakh. The party's plan is to limit the SP into Yadav and Muslim votes, which is around 4.5 lakh in number. "The 2017 Assembly elections proved that the SP and BSP base has eroded in the district. We will win hands down this time," says Subrat Pathak. Dimple Yadav rests her hopes on youth support. She is popularly known as 'Bhabhiji' in the constituency and slogans like "Vikas ki chabhi, Dimple bhabhi" rent the air when she campaigns. In her speeches, she restricts herself to the major developmental projects taken up in husband Akhilesh's regime. "Samajwadiyon ka kaam bolta hai-from Agra Expressway to Metro, SP has done it all". Dimple's team that includes Abhishek Yadav, Yogesh Yadav, Mayank Singh and others, say that the response from the ground is marvellous. "The youth and women are with her. The BJP tries to create problems using caste, but we solve issues using caste. The cadre and workers of SP and BSP work as an engine to ensure the victory of alliance candidates." --IANS amita/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the midst of elections, environmentalists have flagged concerns over "patchy recognition of the problem of unhealthy air" by MPs over the past five years, particularly those representing the cities and towns that figure in WHOs list of most polluted cities. The environmentalists say elected representatives must take "proactive steps" to address such issues. However, environmentalists also saw a silver lining in the major political parties mentioning air pollution in their manifestos and lauded the centre for at least formulating the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). A recent report - Political Leaders' Position and Action on Air Quality 2014-19 - complied by Climate Trends, a communications strategy initiative, showed that MPs were not proactive in addressing air quality issues in their respective constituencies. "Our analysis of the 14 most polluted cities of the world, all of which are in north India, clearly shows there is patchy recognition of the problem of unhealthy air. It clearly shows that none of the MPs in the last five years were able to realise the importance of air quality in their constituencies so as to take comprehensive measures which will address the problem," Climate Trends' Director Aarti Khosla told IANS. According to green activists, measures for low carbon and infrastructural development have been taken based on a "piecemeal approach" without addressing the betterment of air quality and that is why in the last four-five years this "has actually deteriorated". "There is a lack of coordinated and individual response of MPs with respect to air quality and even understanding that air pollution problem is causing a public health crisis," Khosla pointed out. "A new global report on air pollution by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that 14 cities with the highest levels of PM 2.5 pollutants in 2016 were in India. These 14 towns and cities cover a broad swathe of northern India stretching west to east. Effectively then, the new WHO report identifies the Indo-Gangetic Plain, along with Rajasthan and the Kashmir Valley, as having the worst air in the world," the report said. While Delhi, Agra and Kanpur are known to have very high levels of air pollution, places like Varanasi, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, and Srinagar - all on the list of the most-polluted - do not have a high concentration of polluting industries, or other common sources of pollution, such as vehicular emissions, it said. Inadequate monitoring and insufficient data on poor air quality are primary reasons for limited understanding of the problem, the report said. IIT-Kanpur Professor Sachchidanand Tripathi said the Central government in the last 2-3 years has probably "taken cognisance of the problem which was recognised as an NCR-centric problem, but it actually covers the Indo-Gangetic Plain running through 10 states. There are other regions in which air pollution issues are also increasing. "Air pollution is a very complex problem. States have to join hands with the centre and need to bring their own plans and not necessarily rely on the centre's resources. Cities too have to work upon their own plans. "We need collective action against the problem and more coordination is required between the centre, state and city governments, as also between the cities. Members of parliament have an important role to play in it," Tripathi told IANS. Parliamentarians are not responsible for executing and enforcing policies for a particular city, but they are "important link" in terms of accelerating whatever coordination is required at the level of the state or region or cities, activists said. Naba Datta, General Secretary, Sabuj Mancha - a network of organisations and individuals fighting for the green cause - questioned the political will of the parties to expedite the issues of in parliament. "For example, Trinamool Congress MP Sandhya Roy (a Bengali film actress), was made a member of Standing Committee & Forests. Has she asked any questions on the This is the attitude of a political party. "In West Bengal, for instance, there are 14 MPs representing different cities and places where many environmental problems, including air pollution, exist. Have they raised their voices in parliament? They are not proactive," Datta told IANS. However, greens felt it is a step in the right direction that party manifestos are prioritising air pollution. "While the Congress manifesto talked about sectoral targets to tackle air pollution, the BJP's manifesto talks about converting the NCAP into a mission. Air pollution will have to be dealt with at the local, regional and national levels. It needs top-level buy-in and we hope BJP's mission will accord air pollution that status," Khosla said. (Bappaditya Chatterjee can be contacted at bappaditya.c@ians.in) --IANS bdc/ssp/vm/akk/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mayor of Mixtla de Altamirano, her husband and her driver were murdered by gunmen in the Mexican Gulf state of Veracruz, officials said. Maricela Vallejo Orea, a member of the leftist governing National Regeneration Movement (Morena) and her companions were gunned down around 9:00 p.m. (local time) on Wednesday at the Zongolica-Orizaba highway in the Sierra de Zongolica. Gunmen riding in a vehicle cut off the mayor's SUV and opened fire, killing the three occupants, officials said. Municipal, state and federal law enforcement agents responded to the shooting, the Efe news reported. In January, Vallejo was one of the featured speakers at an event introducing a program to fight violence against women and girls in Veracruz. The mayor proposed the creation of an agency in each municipality to combat gender violence, assigning specialists to deal with each case. Two people were killed and three others wounded in clashes between Morena and Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) supporters in Mixtla de Altamirano during the 2017 elections. In December of that year, Vallejo said she had received death threats and was offered 300,000 pesos (about $15,789) to walk away from the mayoralty. Vallejo is the second mayor murdered in Mexico this week. On Tuesday, Nahuatzen Mayor David Otlica Aviles was kidnapped and murdered by gunmen in the southwestern state of Michoacan. Otlica Aviles, who ran on the ticket of the leftist PRD and the Mexican Green Party (PVEM), took office last September, the Michoacan Attorney General's Office said. Investigators have determined that Otlica Aviles was kidnapped in the early morning hours by several gunmen who showed up at his residence in the community of San Isidro, the AG's office said. The mayor appears to have been tortured before being killed, AG's office investigators said. Investigators are looking into a conflict between Otlica Aviles and indigenous people living in the community of Sevina who wanted to manage their share of the municipal budget directly. Mexico got off to the bloodiest start to a year ever, with a total of 8,493 murders registered in the first quarter of 2019, the highest number of killings since 1997, when the government started keeping murder statistics. Last year, 33,369 murders were recorded in Mexico, making it the most violent year since 1997. On Monday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he was sticking with his security strategy and vowed that it would yield results this year. --IANS rs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Illegal cultivation of Bt brinjal has been found in some parts of Haryana, the Coalition for a GM-Free India alleged on Thursday, citing tests it conducted on suspected genetically modified brinjals collected from two farms in the state's Sirsa and Fatehabad districts. Representatives of the coalition held a press conference here demanding action against the people behind the supply of Bt brinjal seeds and saplings to farmers. They conducted "strip tests" during the conference to prove that the collected samples from Haryana were actually genetically modified. Rajinder Chaudhary of Kudrati Kheti Abhiyan said the said samples have been sent to a private testing laboratory for further confirmation. "We got to know about the Bt brinjal farming through our contacts last week. When we visited those farms and made inquiries, we were told by farmers that saplings were provided to them through unknown sources," he said. Kapil Shah of Jatan Trust said complaints have been filed with the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) of the Union Ministry, and the Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture in Haryana. "We also have sent the samples to the GEAC. While there have been no word from the GEAC as yet, the Haryana government has promised to look into the matter." Bt brinjal has been developed by Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech. Sridhar Radhakrishnan of NGO Thanal said that the country cannot afford to allow Bt brinjal cultivation to continue or spread when the Central government has placed indefinite moratorium of its commercial release since February 2010. "It is clear that this bio-hazard has to be contained and destroyed, and GEAC cannot allow citizens to be exposed to the health and environmental hazards of Bt brinjal," he said. Shah asked if the regulatory authorities were capable of checking the use of Bt brinjal seeds. "Cultivation of Herbicide tolerant (Ht) soybean was found in Gujarat a few years ago. Subsequently, complaints were filed. However, we do not know what happened after that. What are regulatory authorities doing?" he said. These activists demanded "criminal proceedings" be initiated against the responsible for the distribution of GM seeds. --IANS spk/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court on Thursday asked Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to appear before it on May 9 after he skipped the hearing on Thursday in connection with a defamation case filed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval. Jairam's counsel moved an application seeking exemption from personal appearance on Thursday before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal, who allowed his plea. Jairam's counsel told the court that he had to attend some rituals at his residence after his wife passed away some months ago. The court directed him to appear on May 9. Meanwhile, the court granted bail to The Caravan magazine Editor-in-Chief Paresh Nath and reporter Kaushal Shroff after they appeared before it in pursuance of summons issued against them. In March, the court has summoned Ramesh and others in a defamation case, filed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval. Observing that allegations made against Vivek Doval were "prima facie defamatory", the court said there exists sufficient grounds to proceed against all the accused. The court was hearing a defamation case filed against Ramesh and others by Vivek in connection with an article titled "The D-Companies", published on January 16. --IANS ak/pg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The stake sale process for the grounded Jet Airways could hit the "substantial ownership and effective control" clause of the official civil aviation rules (CAR) and cast a shadow on public sector banks' (PSBs) efforts to fully recover their dues from the debt-laden airline, according to analysts. "Now, if Etihad teams up with foreign private equity firms or fund houses it will have to ensure that effective control of airline still rests in Indian hands. This will be difficult. Clarity is needed on this," an aviation policy expert said. The present rules allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) into an Indian carrier but the stake ownership of foreign airlines has been capped at 49 per cent. Besides, the investors have to also comply with the clause of substantial ownership and effective control (SOEC). Air Asia India, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Malaysian carrier Air Asia, had come under scrutiny for alleged violation of the SOEC clause and had to fight legal battles to prove its Indian control. Qatar Airways was once keen to set up a local unit in India but could not do so due to the restrictive FDI rules. Opening a floodgate for FDI across various sectors, the Modi government had in 2016 allowed foreign investors to pick up 100 per cent equity stake in Indian carriers but retained the cap of 49 per cent for foreign airlines. It also continued with the SOEC provision for issuing a flying permit to an airline. "There is FDI cap of 49 per cent for foreign airlines so Etihad ownership can not breach that. Secondly, substantial ownership and effective control should be in the hands of Indian entities. "Further, the majority of members of the Board have to be Indian citizens. So, it would be critical for foreign companies to comply with but apparently not difficult to maintain," a former Civil Aviation Secretary said. "This issue would be there. But I think DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) will have to rule on it as it did in case of Air Asia India," he added. PwC India partner Dhiraj Mathur said that the issue of SOEC may come up in the Jet case. Private equity firm TPG Capital, Indigo Partners, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Etihad Airways are in the race to buy a stake in the grounded Jet Airways. The lenders consortium of Jet Airways led by state-run State Bank of India (SBI) is currently in the process of selling the airline to recover their dues of over Rs 8,400 crore. SBI Caps, the merchant banking arm of SBI, is currently shortlisting the investors for submitting their financial proposal by April-end. (Nirbhay Kumar can be contacted at nirbhay.k@ians.in) --IANS nk/sn/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday asked party workers from across the country, barring Punjab and Haryana, to come to Delhi to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. In a tweet in Hindi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief also said that the party has to defeat the BJP in the capital. "I request all the workers to take off from their job till elections. Barring Punjab and Haryana, workers from across the country should come to Delhi," he said. Delhi will vote on May 12 to elect seven members to the Lok Sabha. --IANS nks/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday came together for the very first time and held a summit where the two nations pledged for better ties and expressed hope that the historic meeting will revive the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The summit at the Far Eastern Federal University is the first high-level meeting between the two countries since 2011, when Kim's late father, Kim Jong-il, met then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in eastern Siberia, reports CNN. Speaking before the North Korean and Russian delegations, Putin said that he believed Kim's visit would help "our bilateral relations and will help us to understand the ways we can help to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what can be done together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are taking their place now. "We welcome your efforts on developing inter-Korean dialogue and your efforts on normalising the US-North Korean relations... In terms of bilateral agenda, we need to achieve a lot to develop trade and economic ties and humanitarian ties." Putin said he had "thorough one-on-one talks about the history of relations between our countries, about today and perspectives of development of our bilateral relations". In response, Kim Jong-un described his visit to Russia as "a great joy". "I would like to offer again a sincere gratitude to Mr. President for making time in his busy schedule and come thousands of miles from the capital city of Moscow to here to give us time for a great conversation." He said this visit was not only to meet Putin in person, but also "to exchange our mutual views on the Korean Peninsula". Kim Jong-un said that it was "to exchange opinions on the issues like growing and developing our two nation's traditional relationship into one that is more solid and constructive according to the demand of the new century". The summit will be followed by closed-door delegation level talks which are expected to focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the issue of Pyongyang's denuclearization and efforts at reducing cross-border tensions on the Korean peninsula. Kim Jong-un arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday after travelling in a train from Pyongyang The summit comes at a time when talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled following the failure of a summit in Hanoi in February between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. Putin is the sixth world leader to meet Kim Jong-un since he took control of North Korea in 2011. Besides Putin and Trump, Kim Jong-un has also met Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong. --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Zahran Hashim, a radical Tamil-speaking cleric who is believed to have masterminded the Sri Lanka blasts which left over 350 people dead and around 500 injured on Easter Sunday, was in "direct and regular" touch with some Islamic State sympathizers in Southern India for over three years and was instrumental in forming a "pro-IS module", sources said. An official of a counter-terror agency told IANS that Hashim had developed relations with Islamic State sympathizers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu through illegal trade and social media sites like Youtube and Facebook. The official said some of the Islamic State sympathizers are in National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody and many of them have been named in its chargesheet filed on February 26. Most of them have visited Sri Lanka before having allegiance to Islamic State. They belong to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Arrested IS sympathizers include Mohammed Ashiq, Ismail, Samsudeen, Jafar Sadik Ali and Shahul Hameed. Some of them were in touch with Hashim while others were in contact with men in Hashim's network of operatives trying to establish a pro-IS module in Southern India. All of them are in judicial custody on charges of hatching conspiracy to target Hindu leaders at Coimbatore with intention to furthering the objectives of the Islamic State. They belong to different areas in Tamil Nadu. Hashim, another intelligence official said, was also instrumental in radicalizing youths in Sri Lanka in the garb of conducting Quran classes and was known there as a "Molvi" (cleric). The central intelligence agencies in India, however, are not sure if Hashim died in the Sri Lankan attack before which he was a virtual unknown in the island state. It is believed that he went to an Islamic college in Sri Lanka. However, he was not known to be popular in his community. The Sri Lankan government has pointed a finger at Hashim indirectly as the prime suspect in the Easter Sunday blasts and accused him of leading a little-known Islamist group, the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), affiliated to the Islamic State. Sri Lankan intelligence officials and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believe that Hashim may have masterminded the attacks. The Islamic State had on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attacks without providing evidence of its involvement. A video released by the terrorist outfit shows a person, purported to be Hashim, swearing allegiance to Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. Another official also confirmed that an intelligence input regarding the Easter Sunday attack was shared with Sri Lankan intelligence officials late on Saturday and that it took the Indian officials engaged almost whole day considering its importance. According to the official, the warning was specific about threat to some churches, hotels and the Indian High Commission in Colombo. Three churches and four hotels were hit by suicide bombers on Sunday morning, sending shockwaves through the island nation that has been relatively peaceful since the civil war ended a decade ago. Another similar intelligence input, the official said, was shared with Sri Lankan intelligence agents on April 4 and April 20. So far, over 50 people have been arrested in Sri Lanka in connection with the attack, said the official. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena - who was out of the country during the attacks - has said he was not informed about this advisory and asked for the resignation of the country's defence secretary and police chief. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) --IANS rak/am/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A minor explosion occurred in the outskirts of the Sri Lankan capital on Thursday, although there were no reports of casualties or damages in the incident that came four days after the deadly Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359 people, police said. The explosion occurred at around 9 a.m. in a garbage dump behind the Magistrate's Court in Pugoda, some 36 km from Colombo, reports Xinhua news agency. Following the blast police have advise the general public not to panic as the security forces are conducting search operations in the area and also across the country, reports the Daily Mirror. In the Easter Sunday bombings, hundreds of others were also injured in what is being called as the bloodiest day in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade ago. The Sri Lankan government has blamed a local Muslim outfit, National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), for the deadly bombings. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The nodal election officer who went missing at Ranaghat in West Bengal's Nadia district was found on Thursday, a senior police officer said. "Arnab Roy was traced near the Howrah station. He is fine and presently he is with his in-laws in Howrah. The reason for his disappearance will be clear after further investigation," Deputy Inspector General of Police Nishat Parvez said. Roy was in charge of EVMs and VVPATs and went missing on April 18. Asked about his disappearance, the Special Observer for West Bengal, Ajay V. Nayak, had told reporters: "I think it has something to do with his personal life and probably he was in depression." But Roy's wife Anisha Jash denied that her husband was suffering from any kind of depression. --IANS bnd/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Aluminum Co Ltd (Nalco) has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Odisha High Court judgement allowing Vedantas Jharsuguda unit to participate in the tender floated by Nalco for the sale of surplus alumina. Public sector enterprise Nalco, in its special leave petition, said that as per the policy, the tender for export of alumina was issued only to overseas customers and, therefore, Vedanta could not be registered with Nalco. It also told the court that in 2005 Nalco, after considering various circumstance, decided to sell alumina overseas. Nalco is a leading producer of low-cost metallurgical grade alumina in the world and the commodity produced is used to meet its requirements to produce primary aluminium at smelter. The surplus alumina is sold to third parties in the export market. But Nalco has rejected Vedanta's plea for participating in tender for the sale of alumina, observing that Vedanta Ltd was established under the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) statute. However, Nalco said that Vedanta could participate in the tender, if interested, through its sister concern company based in London. Aggrieved by the decision, Vedanta moved the Odisha High Court which allowed the company's Jharsuguda unit to participate in the tender. The Odisha High Court in its order delivered on March 26 said: "... Because on one hand, it refuses the petitioner (Vedanta) to participate in the tender, on the other hand, the opposite party has allowed the petitioner to apply through its sister concern based in London and spend huge Forex to transport to London and call it back for its use at SEZ, does not find favour with the commercial sense." Vedanta has challenged the corporate conditions contained in the tender of spot sale of 30,000 mt of Metallurgical Grade Calcined Alumina floated by Nalco. Vedanta said that the decision of Nalco has adversely affected the public interest of fetching maximum revenue by sale of a alumina produced from bauxite (which is readily available to the oppposite party through mining on account of it being a public sector undertaking). Vedanta claimed it was the largest manufacturer of aluminium and was engaged in manufacturing and selling aluminium products. The company is having 1.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) aluminium smelter plant which includes a SEZ unit having an Aluminum Smelter Plant with a capacity of 1.25 MTPA at Bhurkamunda in Jharsuguda district in Odisha. (Amiya Kumar Kushwaha can be reached at amiya.k@ians.in) --IANS ak/pg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tokyo District Court on Thursday granted ousted Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn's release on bail after he was indicted for the fourth time over alleged misuse of company funds. The bail was set at 500 million yen ($4.5 million), reports Kyodo News Agency. The fresh charges relate to accusations that payments from Nissan to a distributor in Oman were funnelled to an investment company effectively owned by Ghosn for his personal use, causing the automaker to sustain a $5 million loss. The prosecutors, who are expected to appeal, believe that in this instance the misuse of funds cost Nissan around $5 million in losses. Ghosn's earlier release following 108 days in detention through early March was cut short after the prosecutors served him with a warrant on April 4. In a video message released by his lawyers after he was arrested, Ghosn maintained his innocence and claimed that he had been the victim of a conspiracy at Nissan involving other executives. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their first ever summit here on Thursday, with the two nations expressing hope that the historic meeting will revive the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The summit at the ar Eastern Federal University is the first high-level meeting between the two nations since 2011, when Kim's late father, Kim Jong-il, met the then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in eastern Siberia. This is also the first time that Putin and Kim Jong-un is coming face-to-face. Putin said he believed Kim Jong-un's visit would help "our bilateral relations and will help us to understand the ways we can help to settle the situation on the Korean peninsula, what can be done together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are taking their place now", reports CNN. "We welcome your efforts on developing inter-Korean dialogue and your efforts on normalising the US-North Korean relations... In terms of bilateral agenda, we need to achieve a lot to develop trade and economic ties and humanitarian ties." Speaking to the media after meeting Putin, Kim Jong-un said he expects to have a "beneficial meeting" with the Russian President. He also thanked Putin for hosting him during a "very busy time" and added that the summit "will be very beneficial to constructively developing our two nation's relations which boasts a long history and tradition of friendship into one that is more firm and whole". Kim Jong-un was greeted by Putin as the summit began with an official welcoming ceremony, after which the leaders are due to hold a bilateral meeting before being joined by their respective delegation, said Efe news. The meetings are expected to focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the issue of Pyongyang's denuclearization and efforts at reducing cross-border tensions on the Korean peninsula. The summit will also touch on bilateral issues between two nations who have previously enjoyed a much closer relationship. The two nations were allies during the Cold War, a period during which the Soviet economic support effectively subsidizsd the existence of the North Korean regime. Upon his arrival on Wednesday, Kim Jong-un said he hoped his meeting with Putin would be successful and that during the talks he hopes address issues related to the problems in Korean peninsula and the development of bilateral relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders will focus their meeting on denuclearization efforts of the Korean peninsula at a time when talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled following the failure of a summit in Hanoi in February between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Putin is the sixth world leader to meet Kim Jong-un since he took control of North Korea in 2011. Besides Putin and Trump, Kim Jong-un has also met Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be responsible if Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power in the Lok Sabha polls, promising his party will do everything to stop the Shah-Modi duo in Delhi. Speaking to the media over a possible alliance between the AAP and Congress in the national capital, he said his party would have left all the seven seats for Congress if it was in a position to win. "But the Congress cannot win even a single seat in Delhi." "They don't have an intention (to forge an alliance). For the past two months, we have been trying for an alliance. I am saying this with huge sadness that if Modi and (BJP President Amit) Shah return to power, only one person will be responsible -- Rahul Gandhi. "The way he is weakening the opposition in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh and Haryana, this is not a good thing," the Delhi Chief Minister said after releasing AAP's Delhi manifesto. He said his party was giving a tough fight to the BJP and claimed, "we can defeat the BJP in Delhi". Kejriwal said the AAP was born amid corruption charges during Congress rule. "The thought of an alliance with the Congress was something we could not even think of at one point. But the tough situation the country is facing made us take such a decision." The talks between the AAP and Congress for an alliance in Delhi were on for some time but both the parties will now contest the May 12 Lok Sabha battle in Delhi on their own. Kejriwal also slammed Rahul Gandhi for tweeting discussions related to the alliance. "Where in the world an alliance took place on Twitter or through newspaper headlines?", referring to Rahul Gandhi's tweet accusing the AAP chief of "another U turn" on the alliance. "If they were serious about forming an alliance they should have come to the table for negotiations." While the AAP had named its candidates last month, the Congress named all its Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi, ending any possibility of a pre-poll tie-up between the two after weeks of negotiations for giving three of the seven seats to the Congress. "An alliance with Congress by giving them three seats would be with like forming an alliance with BJP. My conscience does not allow me to give three seats to BJP," he said.A He also said the 2019 elections can prove a turning point in the history as this election is to save the country, democracy and the Constitution and Delhi's seven seats will play a crucial role in the governmnet formation. "India is a 4,000-year-old country with a rich tradition. And despite diversity, India is one and its tradition has strengthened the country and given it power to face all kinds of attacks in the past. "But today, its unity is being attacked. And if the country gets divided on the basis of religion and caste, then it will lose its centuries-old tradition." "We will do everything to stop the Modi-Shah duo. We will support any grand alliance government. The BJP is against minorities. We are Indians first, then Hindu or Muslim," he said adding that the seven seats in Delhi will play a crucial role in the government formation at the Centre. --IANS nks/prs (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.) For centuries, pilgrims trekked hundreds of miles to visit Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines nestled in the Garhwal range of Himalayas in Uttarakhand. Most of these routes, also undertaken by Adi Shankracharya, vanished after roads were built right up to Badrinath and Gaurikund, the base camp of Kedarnath. And now, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of the Uttarakhand Police has undertaken a new initiative to rediscover these treks that were lost in the vagaries of time. A 13-member team, headed by Inspector Sanjay Upreti, has been sent to Kedarnath-Badrinath areas, said Director General of Police Ashok Kumar. "Only 70 years ago, pilgrims used to trek to reach Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines. But after roads were built, these routes were lost. We have made a new initiative to retrace these treks," said Kumar. The SDRF team, which started its journey on April 20 from Lakshman Jhula area in Rishikesh, has already reached Thakra village near Srinagar town on the borders of Rudraprayag and Pauri districts, covering a distance of more than 140 km along the Ganga river. "Tomorrow, we will reach Rudraprayag area from where we will divide the team in two to undertake Kedarnath and Badrinath routes in different directions," said Upreti from Thakra village. The team members, including two women, are carrying ancient literature besides torches and ropes. They will take help of the global positioning system (GPS) to relocate these treks. "We are also taking the help of villagers and sadhus to find these treks," said Upreti. "If our mission is successful, it will give a boost to the religious and adventure tourism in the area," said Kumar. A detailed report will be prepared after the team returns, said Kumar. --IANS ssp/pg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There's a new twist in the triangular poll battle among the BJP, the RJD and the CPI in Begusarai with the latter two asking each other to withdraw their candidates in favour of the other. Interestingly, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) were in talks for a pre-poll alliance in Bihar as part of the Congress-led Mahagathbandhan. But former JNU Students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar's candidature from Begusarai became the "deal-breaker" as the Lalu Prasad-led party doubted Kumar's winnability in view of the controversies surrounding him. RJD General Secretary Shivanand Tiwari on Thursday said the CPI should withdraw its candidate Kanhaiya Kumar and support RJD's Tanvir Hasan if it wanted to defeat the fascist forces. Tiwari said the media had made Kanhaiya a hero across the country, but fact was he had no support base in Begusarai. Tiwari's comments came a day after CPI General Secretary Sudhakar Reddy claimed that Kanhaiya was getting "excellent" support from all sections. "I would therefore urge RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to consider our appeal to withdraw Tanvir Hasan from the contest. He can do this much to help Kanhaiya get a decisive win since the last date of withdrawal of nominations has lapsed," Reddy said. --IANS ik/rtp/pcj (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Samsung India, which installed its fourth 4K ONYX Cinema LED screen in Bengaluru on Thursday, aims to introduce 35-40 such Cinema LED displays at movie theatres across the country by the end of 2022. "We started with the ONYX Cinema LED journey in Delhi and Mumbai and now we're entering the south India market, which we foresee as a strong market for Samsung. Our primary focus will be around metro and other Class A cities," Puneet Sethi, Vice President, Consumer Electronics Enterprise Business, Samsung India told IANS. The technology was originally introduced by the company in 2017 and the first screen was installed in Korea. "There is huge potential in India and we want to convert at least 20 per cent of the screens to Cinema LED over the next decade. We will offer innovative solutions to consumers in India and transform their overall cinema viewing experience," Sethi added. The ONYX screen is 3D applicable, with active 3D technology for all 618 seats in the Bengaluru theatre. The South Korean tech major installed the first such screen at PVR in Delhi last year. After that, it partnered with INOX to bring the ONYX experience in Mumbai and with Cinepolis in Delhi. According to the company, the installation of one LED screen roughly requires 8-10 weeks. The 4K LED screen comes with comprehensive solutions such as "Onyx View", "Onyx 3D" and "Onyx Sound". The display has HDR (High Dynamic Range) to the cinema, showcasing on-screen contents at peak brightness level, nearly 10 times greater than that offered by the standard cinema projectors. "Since the beginning, cinemas have been powered by projector based systems. ONYX Cinema LED is the next generation of cinema viewing. This theatre in Bengaluru -- Swagath Onyx Theatre -- incorporates a 14-metre Cinema LED screen, which is the largest in the world," said Sethi. The ONYX display accommodates any venue configuration and aims to deliver an unmatched visual quality, technical performance and reliability over traditional projectors, the company claimed. The display maintains its advanced presentation capabilities in ambient lighting conditions regardless of the featured on-screen content. (Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at krishna.s@ians.in) --IANS ksc/na/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed its unhappiness about measures taken by the Assam government to deport illegal foreigners lodged in state's detention camps. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna sought details of the foreigners lodged in the detention camps and also inquired about the measures being taken by the Assam government to deport them. The bench was hearing a PIL by Harsh Mander, a social activist, who moved the court raising concern on the plight of inmates in the state detention camps. The state chief secretary submitted an affidavit detailing the measures. The court was informed that the foreigners who have completed five years in detention centres would be released after they furnish a security of Rs 5 lakh, and then submit documents to verify their address. The state government would also prepare their biometric database. After initially hearing the Chief Secretary, in a sharp jibe at the methodology devised by the state government to deport foreigners, the court said: "You are asking the Supreme Court to be a part of an illegal order where a foreigner who has no right to stay in the country will remain and sign a bond and so on." The CJI rubbishing the state's arguments, said "Don't you agree there has been failure on part of your government?" The Chief Secretary informed the bench that these foreigners have illegally registered themselves in the voters' list. The court observed that the government of Assam should deport these foreigners as soon as possible. "But we don't see that effort from the state government", said the court. Amicus Gaurab Banerjee informed the court that a collaborative mechanism needs to be developed with assistance of the country of origin of these foreigners, and that detainees, too, should cooperate. The court observed that it is apparent that government failed in its job. The CJI queried the Chief Secretary about the nature of assistance offered by the government in collaboration with the state of Assam. The amicus submitted a copy of minutes of the meeting held on March 25 to the court. Advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for the petitioner, social activist Harsh Mander, sought time to file his reply to the affidavit. --IANS ss/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nearly 4,000 military personnel with sweeping police powers to arrest suspects were on Thursday tasked to provide security to churches and other religious places across Sri Lanka in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings. A statement from the Defence Ministry said hundreds of Army officers and other ranks "immediately took up position" across the country after the armed forces were conferred with "the powers of search, detention or arrest without warrant", reports Efe news. A total of 3,984 military personnel in coordination with the police will provide security to religious places and vital installations like power stations, government buildings, hospitals, hotels, bus stands and television centres. All embassies and diplomatic missions have also been given necessary security. Security has also been beefed up at highways, public markets, bridges and "all other vulnerable points", the statement said. The troops, it said, "have begun foot patrols, vehicle patrols and static patrols in all major cities and suburbs" of the country. The island nation has been in a state of emergency since Monday following a presidential order from Maithripala Sirisena after suicide bombers in coordinated attacks hit three luxury hotels in Colombo and three churches around the country during Easter services. A few hours later, a seventh blast rocked a small hotel near the Dehiwala Zoo, south of the capital, while an eighth explosion took place at a residential compound in Colombo. A total of 359 people, including 39 foreigners, were killed and 500 injured in the carnage claimed by Islamic State militant group. Some 70 Sri Lankan suspects who may have aided the suicide bombers have been arrested. Makeshift checkpoints were set up across the country to carry out detailed searches of vehicles. The moves come after a series of warnings was issued by the State Intelligence Services on possible car bomb attacks in the country. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that one of the suicide bombers involved in the Sri Lankan bombings spent time in Australia, Nine News Australia said on Thursday. The Prime Minister has said the man was not granted another visa after leaving Australia more than six years ago, the Daily Mirror reported. "I can confirm that the suicide bomber had been in Australia. They departed in early 2013. That individual had been here on a student and a graduate skilled visa," Morrison told reporters in Townsville. "That individual had been here some years ago and they had a spouse and child visa at that time as well but they had not returned to the country." Sri Lankan authorities have said that Australian intelligence agencies were helping with the investigation, alongside Interpol and British authorities, into the Easter bloodbath. --IANS mr/pg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka on Thursday revised down the death toll in Easter Sunday carnage by over 100, from 359 to "about 253", reports said. The island nation's Health Ministry blamed "a calculation error" for the higher figure, the BBC reported. A group of suicide bombers, said to be nine, attacked churches and hotels in Colombo and elsewhere on Sunday, causing heavy loss of life. Many foreigners, including Indians, were among those killed. --IANS vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One of the Sri Lankan suicide bombers was previously arrested by police and then released, a senior government official said on Thursday. Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, one of two sons of a spice tycoon who blew themselves up in Sunday's attacks, detonated a device at the Cinnamon Grand hotel in Colombo on Easter Sunday, the official told CNN. "It was the suicide bomber of the Cinnamon Grand bomb attack who was released earlier," the official said. Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim and his brother Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim were previously identified as two of the suicide bombers in Sunday's attacks which left at least 359 people dead. Police have confirmed to CNN that they are holding the brothers' father, Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, a wealthy spice trader, on suspicion of aiding and abetting his sons. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local Muslim group for the bloodbath although the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings. --IANS mr/pg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Sri Lankan warship docked in Manila on Thursday for a four-day goodwill visit, the first since the two countries established diplomatic relations nearly 60 years ago. A contingent of the Philippine Navy welcomed the ship at the Pier 15 at the South Harbour in Manila, reports Xinhua news agency. "This is the first time that a Sri Lankan Navy ship will be visiting the country and it's an opportunity to bestow upon them the warm welcome that Filipinos are known for," Philippine Navy spokesman Capt. Jonathan Zata said. He added the visit is "a prime opportunity to foster closer ties between both navies to better address common maritime challenges". The Philippines and Sri Lanka forged a diplomatic relation in 1961 and have been pursuing military-to-military activities since then. Zata said the port visit will further boost the relations of the two countries. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A suspected militant was killed on Thursday when a device he was planting inside a washroom at a university in Kabul went off prematurely, police said. Three students were also injured in the explosion at Jahan University in the east of the Afghan capital. "Today at around 10.30 a.m., a terrorist wanted to place explosives in the toilets of Jahan University in Police District 8. The explosives went off prematurely and the man was killed," Basir Mujahid, Kabul police spokesperson, told Efe news. The explosion took place when most of the students were in classes. "Initial investigation shows the man was a terrorist. We will release further details later," the police spokesperson said. The students were sent home for the day after the blast. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Forty-nine candidates filed their nomination papers on Thursday, the fourth day of the process, to contest the Lok Sabha election to be held in single phase in the state on May 19, a senior poll panel official said. So far, 107 nominations have been filed, Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju said in a release here. Congress candidates Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Amar Singh, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Akali nominee D S Guru, Apna Punjab Party candidate Dharmavira Gandhi were prominent among those who filed their papers. Warring, Singh, Bittu, Guru and Gandhi filed their nomination from Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala, respectively. AAP candidate Peter Masih filed his papers from Gurdaspur seat while Punjab Ekta Party nominee Paramjit Kaur Khalra from Khadoor Sahib seat. The nomination process will continue till April 29. The scrutiny of the nominations will be done on April 30 and the last date of withdrawal of candidature will be May 2. Voting will be held for all the 13 seats on May 19. Congress, Akali Dal and BJP have announced their candidates from all 13 seats in the state. AAP and Punjab Democratic Alliance comprising several political outfits Sukhpal Khaira-led Punjabi Ekta Party, Dharamvira Gandhi-led Nawan Punjab Party, BSP, Lok Insaaf Party, CPI and Revolutionary Marxist Party of India have also fielded candidates. SAD (Taksali), a breakaway faction of the SAD, is also testing political waters from Anandpur Sahib and Sangrur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 56-year-old man was arrested for allegedly killing his mother and younger brother by stabbing them multiple times in Dwarka's Bindapur area, police said Thursday. The accused has been identified as Sunil Arora, a resident of Vishwash Park in Uttam Nagar, they said. Complainant Naresh Singh, who is a resident of Vishwash Park in Uttam Nagar said when he was standing near Gali number 5 on Tuesday at around 8.45 pm, his neighbour Rajender came and asked for help. Rajendra had some stab injuries and was bleeding and said that his elder brother Sunil has stabbed him and his mother, the complainant Naresh said. When Naresh along with his friends went to Rajender's building, they saw his elder brother Sunil standing there with a knife in his hand. The elder brother also threatened us, saying it is a family issue and there is no need to come in between that, the police said. Sunil again stabbed Rajender in front of Naresh and dragged him to his flat. Later, another neighbour of the deceased Amit Kumar Maurya called the police and informed them about the incident, police said. The victims were rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital where Rajeneder was declared brought dead. Later, his 75-year-old mother Lata Arora also succumbed to her injuries, police said. A case under section 302 (murder) has been registered and the accused has been arrested, police said. One knife, one broken wooden bat and bent scissor were recovered from the accused's house, police said. Police further said that the brother did not have any job. Their father had died couple of years back and they were living with their mother on her pension. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China said Thursday that it will hold joint naval drills with Russia next week, in another sign that the countries' militaries are growing closer. The drills will be held off the northern port city of Qingdao, Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said at a monthly briefing. Taking place from Monday to Saturday, they will feature ships and submarines along with fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and marine units. Bonded by a common rivalry with the U.S., Moscow and Beijing have forged what they describe as a "strategic partnership," expressing their shared opposition to the "unipolar" world a term they use to describe perceived US global dominance. Last September, about 3,200 Chinese troops joined Russia's largest-ever war games in Siberia, in which nearly 300,000 Russian troops conducted drills. China's People's Liberation Army Navy marked its 70th anniversary this week with a fleet review attended by President Xi Jinping, who is also head of the armed forces and has expanded the country's military might. Last year, Xi said the mission of transforming China's navy into a "first-rate world navy" has "never been more urgent." China has taken an aggressive approach to its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where it has built military installations on man-made islands in the waters claimed by several other nations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Thursday said it has complained to France after a French warship entered Chinese territorial waters while passing through the Taiwan Strait this month. In a related development, Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua blamed British activity in the South China Sea for a downturn in relations in comments at the start of a meeting with British treasury chief Philip Hammond. The complaint and Hu's comments appear to illustrate how China is now willing to permit assertions of its territorial claims to affect ties with nations from outside the region. The April 7 incident in the Taiwan Strait marks a rare case of military friction between the two countries, which have held joint search and rescue exercises before. Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said the navy dispatched ships to identify, warn and escort the French ship and would remain "highly alert to firmly safeguard China's sovereignty and security." It was not immediately clear whether France had responded to the Chinese complaint. The 160-kilometer (100-mile) -wide Taiwan Strait divides mainland China from Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. It is considered an international waterway heavily trafficked by ships from all nations, many of them bound for Chinese ports. However, China is highly sensitive to operations by foreign warships near areas it claims, such as the South China Sea, where it has built military installations atop seven man-made islands. American allies such as France, Australia and Britain have been increasing their presence in the region, just as the US Navy is stepping up its "freedom of navigation operation" missions near Chinese island holdings, enraging Beijing. In his remarks to Hammond, Hu appeared to reference one such mission by a British warship last August. At the time, China denounced the passage of the British warship HMS Albion close to Chinese-claimed islands in the South China Sea's Paracel group, in a development seen as possibly affecting negotiations on a post-Brexit trade agreement between the sides. "It is regrettable that since August last year the relations between our two countries witnessed some fluctuations because of the South China Sea issue and a series of institutional dialogues and cooperation projects had to pause," Hu said. "The South China Sea issue concerns the sovereignty and core interests of China and it is highly important and sensitive in relations between China and Britain," he said. Hammond responded that he shared Hu's "regret that over the last few months there have been some difficulties in advancing the positive course of the relationship that our leaders have set out." "Of course, you understand that the UK takes no position in relation to the issues in the South China Sea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday called China an "iron brother" of Pakistan and said his visit to Beijing for the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) will take bilateral strategic ties to new heights. In his departure statement before embarking on a four-day visit to China to attend the BRF which began on Thursday, Khan said he was looking forward to meet his "good friends" President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang for an in-depth exchange of views on all issues of mutual interest. "I begin my visit to China today with the resolve to take our all weather strategic cooperative partnership to newer heights, Khan said. He described China as Pakistan's "closest friend" and "iron brother". Khan said it was a matter of great satisfaction that Pakistan-China bilateral ties were not only based on convergence of interests but rooted in common experiences of past and high-level of mutual trust and understanding. He said that Pakistan-China friendship is "ingrained in the hearts and minds of the two people" and it would remain unaffected by any regional and international developments. I want to thank China for its strong and unequivocal support to Pakistan's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will continue to standby China on all issues of its core interest, Khan said. He "endorsed China's vision of a peaceful world based on win-win cooperation and community of shared destiny and a new model of development envisioned in President Xi's Belt and Road Initiative." He said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and it will remain the top priority of his government. In phase II of CPEC we are jointly focusing on socio-economic development; job creation; livelihood projects and accelerating cooperation in agriculture and industrial cooperation including Special Economic Zones, he said. Khan said he was strongly committed to further strengthening Pakistan-China relationship and hoped that his will be instrumental in further expanding the scope and depth of bilateral ties. This is Khan's second visit to China since taking office in August last year. He will attend the BRI Forum and hold talks with Chinese leaders. Ahead of Prime Minister Khan's visit, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in China on Wednesday and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and discussed bilateral ties. China is holding the BRF to showcase its trillion-dollar BRI without India's presence for the second consecutive time, while 37 heads of the state and government, including from Pakistan are attending the three-day grand event. The BRI was launched by Chinese President Xi when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Xi's ambitious BRI. India has been boycotting the BRI to protest over the USD 60 billion CPEC being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leaders from across the world converged here on Thursday as China kicked off its 2nd high profile Belt and Road Forum (BRF) to showcase its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as Beijing attempts to allay growing global concerns over the "predatory financing" of its connectivity projects. India has been boycotting the BRI to protest over the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of BRI. This time, the US also joined India in skipping the BRF. The Trump administration has been extremely critical of the BRI and is of the view that China's "predatory financing" is leaving smaller counties under huge debt endangering their sovereignty. President Donald Trump's 2017 national security strategy claimed that China was seeking to pull the region into its orbit through state-led investment and loans. Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping is busy having bilateral meetings with a host of heads of state and governments who have converged in Beijing to attend the three-day event. China on Thursday signalled that it is seeking to address the concerns of debt financing with a promise of "sustainable financing" for smaller countries to ease debt burden. Concerns over BRI financing became vocal after China acquired Sri Lanka's strategic Hambantota port on a 99-year lease as a debt swap in 2017. China's Finance Minister Liu Kun told a BRF meeting that China is working out at a "stable and sustainable financing" system to fund project under BRI. He said Chinese regulators will work with banks and multinational institutions to "build a high-quality, high-standard, sustainable financing system". According to a report in Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, China is working out a joint communique to be released on April 27, the concluding day of the event, which would focus on debt concerns. China is working to address mounting concern that its ambitious infrastructure drive creates debt traps for participating countries, the report quoted officials involved in drafting of the communique as saying. Language related to debt sustainability, transparency and the rule of law would be included in the document, the report said. The BRI was launched by President Xi when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. China is doling out huge sums of money for infrastructure projects in countries from Asia to Africa and Europe, enhancing its global influence. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Myanmar state councillor Aung San Suu Kyi are among the top leaders taking part in the event. Besides, France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Japan, South Korea and the EU will send high-level representatives to the forum. In 2017, Beijing had invited India to take part in six separate forums of the BRF, which India had boycotted. Informed sources said this time China did not extend any invitation to India at the leadership or ministerial level. On April 19 at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, "American diplomats, local government and business leaders have confirmed their participation in the 2nd BRF." However a spokesman of the US Embassy here has been quoted as saying in the media that Washington has no plans to send officials to BRF. "We call upon all countries to ensure that their economic diplomacy initiatives adhere to internationally-accepted norms and standards, promote sustainable, inclusive development, and advance good governance and strong economic institutions," he said. Earlier, India's Ambassador to China Vikram Misri had hinted at India staying away from the 2nd BRF. "No country can participate in an initiative that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," he told officials here last month. According to Wang, 37 heads of state and global bodies, including the UN and the IMF, would attend the BRF. Close to 5,000 participants from over 150 countries and organisations have confirmed their participation. Wang said the total trade volume between China and the BRI participating countries has surpassed USD 6 trillion and investment exceeded USD 80 billion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Central government has decided to fund the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here and the National Research Centre on Meat for research on cell-based meat. "Now, the government has decided to support this clean meat programme through a project. It's a short-term project. It will be implemented jointly by CCMB and NRC which is an ICAR institute," CCMB director Rakesh Mishra told reporters here Thursday. He thanked the department of biotechnology for the funding of about Rs 4.50 crore. The amount is a major funding ever by the government in the cell-based meat field, officials said. Cell-based meat, also called clean meat or cultured meat, is nutritionally equivalent to conventional animal meat, and tastes, smells, looks and feels exactly the same, a press release said. Its only difference lies in the method of production, the release said. Rather than raising and slaughtering animals for meat, cell-based meat is produced through 'cellular agriculture' wherein cells are sourced from an animal and cultivated into meat, it said. In 2018, the Atal Incubation Centre at CCMB partnered with Humane Society International/India (HSI/India), one of the largest animal protection organisations in the country, to promote and develop the clean meat sector. It has also been working with the Good Food Institute, which advances research and commercialisation of the plant-based and clean meat sector, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A government of combined opposition parties, which consider the BJP as a "common enemy", is a "certainty" after Lok Sabha elections, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said Thursday. He said the Congress prospects are "looking up very well" and it's quite evident from "desperate action, mood and statements" particularly from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "his followers". The former Union Minister declined to say how many seats the Congress would get in the Lok Sabha elections but said the BJP-led NDA would not get majority to form the government. "Congress and 'other people', either pre-poll alliance or post-poll alliance, (forming government) will be a certainty," Moily told PTI. "I don't think the BJP has any leeway to launch their comeback," he said. On regional parties such as the TRS, YSRCP, SP, BSP, BJD and Trinamool Congress which are not aligned with the Congress-led UPA or NDA projected in some quarters to do well in the polls, he asked: "Ultimately, question is who is their common enemy?" "All put together, their common enemy is Narendra Modi and BJP", he said and noted for example that YSRCP had announced it would support any party which assures to give special category status to Andhra Pradesh. "These are all the things which will ultimately downsize the NDA," the former Karnataka Chief Minister said. "The Congress will emerge as the party which will secure the highest number of seats. Ultimately, Modi will not be there, BJP will not be there. It's ultimately, the combined opposition which will form the government," he added. Meanwhile, veteran Communist leader Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy said he "doubts very much" if these "neutral" regional parties would get more seats than the UPA. "Quite likely", Reddy, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, said when asked if he expects the UPA and some of the regional parties, who are not in the Congress-led grouping, to come together after the elections. "There is a possibility to form an alternative government to the BJP," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress candidate from the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency G A Mir said Thursday that his party was capable of defeating the communal and fascist forces who were hell bent upon abrogating the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Mir also hit out at the PDP, BJP and other parties for allegedly misleading people on various sensitive issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir for electoral gains. "We are capable enough to fight the communal and divisive forces in the country as well as in the state, who are hell bent to abrogate special status granted to J&K. The Congress is fighting present elections against the divisive forces and communal agenda of the BJP and the RSS," Mir said at various election rallies in Kulgam district. "The policy of falsehood and deceit adopted by these opportunist parties has made the lives of people in Kashmir impossible," he said. He appealed to the people to "remain vigilant about the designs of PDP and other opportunist parties". Mir said the Congress can protect the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and ensure equitable development of all the three regions. He also hit out at BJP president Amit Shah over repeatedly raking up the issue of Article 370 in his election rallies aimed at misleading people. "The fact of the matter remains that BJP cannot even touch Article 370 as it works as a bridge between the state and the Centre," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Thursday expressed support for the 5.85 crore families affected by the Pearls chit fund case and promising that it will ensure payment to them with interest within six months if voted to power. The party said it unequivocally and strongly condemns the injustice done to the families by Pearl Agrotech Corporation Limited (PACL) as well as about 12 crore victims of the various chit fund scams and it is taking a very serious view of this organised fraud. The Congress said in a statement that within six months of government formation, the 5.85 crore families affected by PACL will be ensured payment with interest according to the February 2, 2016, decision of the Supreme Court. The party will also pass stringent laws to curb such scams which attack the right to dignity of each citizen, it said. The statement came after Congress president Rahul Gandhi met with representatives of chit-fund affected groups at New Delhi. The party said it has already commenced work on its pre-state election written undertaking given to the All Investor Safety Organisation (AISO) members in states of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the local Congress governments have opened PACL help centres at the block-level to assist citizens with the online portal of SEBI and address their woes. Further, Chhattisgarh has also decided to withdraw case registered against chit fund agents, the statement said. The Congress also reassured the All Investor Safety Organisation that it will work closely with it to raise this issue at grassroots level as well as in Parliament to get justice for the PACL and other chit fund victims. PACL also known as Pearl Group, which had raised money from the public in the name of agriculture and real estate businesses, was found by SEBI to have collected these funds through illegal collective investment schemes over 18 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Thursday slammed the Modi government over the issue ofminimum support prices, alleging that farmers are getting 20 per cent less than MSP. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, citing a media report, said the promise made in 2014 was to give the farmers anMSP 50 per cent over the cost of production, but they are getting 20 per cent less than the MSP. "This is Modi Ji's injustice," he said. Mandi prices of four major rabi crops were 4-20% below their MSPs since the winter harvesting began from April 1, the report said, citingofficial data. The Congress has been attacking the government, alleging largescale farmer distress, a claim strongly rejected by the government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Thursday fielded Ajay Rai from Varanasi to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ending speculation on a possible blockbuster electoral duel between Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the PM in the Uttar Pradesh temple town. The 'will she, won't she' suspense finally ended in a sort of anticlimax with the party nominating Rai, who unsuccessfully contested against Modi in 2014 and finished third in the contest after the BJP leader and Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal. The Congress also fielded Madhusudan Tiwari from Gorakhpur against BJP's Ravi Kishan, a popular Bhojpuri film star. Speculation on Priyanka Gandhi making her electoral debut from Varanasi had been rife for the past few weeks and was fuelled after Congress president Rahul Gandhi, to a question on whether he planned to field his sister against PM Modi, said last week, "I will leave you in suspense. Suspense is not always a bad thing." Priyanka Gandhi herself added to the buzz by saying on Tuesday that she would abide by her party's decision on the matter. Responding to questions on the decision to not field Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi, Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak said, "We have a process and system for fielding candidates. We believe the whole state (Uttar Pradesh) and the whole country needs Priyanka Gandhi's leadership. She is the general secretary for a large part of the state. We aim to win maximum seats from that region and voters are impacted by her leadership and simplicity." "Her (Priyanka Gandhi's) impact will be on the entire country," she said. Priyanka Gandhi has proved to be the party's star campaigner with her roadshows and rallies evoking tremendous enthusiasm during the poll campaign, Congress leaders said. She is expected to play a key role in garnering support for the Congress and tilting the scales in the party's favour on seats which are in the balance. The Samajwadi Party on Monday declared Shalini Yadav, who joined the party Monday evening, as its candidate from Varanasi. After years of working in Congress backrooms, Priyanka Gandhi joined full-time in February as in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, hoping to change the party's fortunes in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. Varanasi constituency will go to the polls in the last phase on May 19. With the announcement of the two seats, the Congress has named candidates for 424 seats in all. Prime Minister Modi will file his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Friday in the presence of senior NDA leaders, including JD(U) president Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. In 2014, Modi won the seat by a margin of over three lakh votes against Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal. While Modi got over 5,81,000 votes, Rai managed about 75,000 votes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister Giriraj Singh was on Thursday booked for violating model code of conduct by making controversial remarks against the Muslim community at a rally here a day ago where BJP national president Amit Shah, among others, was present. According to District Magistrate, Begusarai, Rahul Kumar, the FIR was lodged at Town police station under relevant sections of the Representation of People Act and the Indian Penal Code taking suo motu cognizance of the "controversial" remarks made by Singh at Wednesdays rally. Besides Shah, the rally was attended by a number of other BJP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. Singh is contesting from Begusarai Lok Sabha as the NDA candidate and he is engaged in a three-cornered fight with CPIs Kanhaiya Kumar and RJDs Tanveer Hassan. Video footage of Singhs brief address at the rally was telecast on channels wherein he can be heard saying, "I would like to say, Giriraj Singh's ancestors died and were cremated. You need a yard of land even after you die, for burial of your mortal remains. If you say you cannot chant Vande Mataram, this nation will never forget you". "There are many people who are trying to spread communal passions. We will not allow that to happen anywhere in Bihar including Begusarai. The RJD candidate in Darbhanga recently said he had problems with reciting Vande Mataram", Singh said referring to Abdul Bari Siddiqui's comments on Sunday last. "In Begusarai too, many can be seen spewing venom wearing bade bhai ka kurta and chhote bhai ka pyjama", he said referring to the long shirts and short trousers that are usually associated with devout muslims. The firebrand BJP leader has courted controversy on a number of occasions on account of his hyper-nationalistic outbursts which also underscore his Hindutva hardline. His comment ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that those opposed to Narendra Modi deserved to be deported to Pakistan has led to much lampooning. His repeated assertions that Hindus are running out of patience because of the delay in the Supreme Court delivering its verdict on Ayodhya dispute has often left his own government embarrassed. A few days ago he said while campaigning in his constituency that political parties in the country should be prohibited from having flags which were green in colour since these resembled the emblem of Pakistan. Opposition parties have targeted Singh over the comment and asked what he thought of Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U), an NDA ally, which had a green flag. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- Momate Rhino (Mometasone Furoate 50 mcg) metered nasal spray as an OTC product is indicated in the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis in patients above 18 years of age Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a research-led, integrated global pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has received approval from the Ministry of Healthcare, Russia to market Momate Rhino (Mometasone Furoate 50 mcg) metered nasal spray as an over-the-counter (OTC) product for the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis in patients above 18 years of age. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/451507/PRNE_Glenmark_Logo.jpg ) "Glenmark has built strong capabilities in the area of respiratory and is among the leading players in this therapy in several markets globally. Russia is an important market for us and we are consistently looking to expand product offerings. We believe OTC is an interesting space and this approval for Momate Rhino nasal spray will help enhance our presence in this segment," said Csaba Kantor, Senior Vice President and Head - Asia, Russia & CIS region, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. "Allergic rhinitis affects a significant number of people in Russia. The approval to market Momate Rhino as an OTC product paves way for the company to widen patient accessibility of this medicine, which is particularly important at the start of the allergy season," said Oxana Pozdnyakova, Vice President and Business Head - Russia, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. According to IQVIA, Glenmark ranked 41st in the retail segment of the Russian pharmaceutical market as of MAT February 2019. In the respiratory space, Glenmark continues to secure a strong position and ranked 4th amongst the companies present in the expectorants market in Russia as of MAT February 2019. The company is ranked 10th in the retail dermatology market in the country. About Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (GPL) is a research-driven, global, integrated pharmaceutical organization. It is ranked among the top 75 Pharma & Biotech companies of the world in terms of revenue (SCRIP 100 Rankings published in the year 2018). Glenmark is a leading player in the discovery of new molecules both NCEs (new chemical entity) and NBEs (new biological entity). Glenmark has several molecules in various stages of clinical development and is focused in the areas of oncology, dermatology and respiratory. The company has a significant presence in the branded generics markets across emerging economies including India. Glenmark has 16 manufacturing facilities across five countries and has six R&D centers. The Generics business of Glenmark services the requirements of the US and Western European markets. The API business sells its products in over 80 countries, including the US, various countries in the EU, South America and India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Thursday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, using the BJP's 2014 poll slogan and saying 'acche din' (good days) will come when Modi leaves. Modi ji jayenge, aache din aayenge,' (Good days will come, once Modi leaves)," Gehlot mocked the prime minister. "Modi imposes his mann ki baat, but Rahul ji says listen to what people say; don't make promises and if you do, fulfil them," he said during a rally in Jalore, which was also addressed by Congress president rahul gandhi among others. Gehlot said the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are for protecting the Constitution and democracy. Gehlot also sought to rebut the prime minister's charge, made at recent rallies that the state government was dilly-dallying in implementing the central schemes related to health insurance for the poor and the pension for farmers. Gehlot said Modi is misleading the country on the issue. "This was unbecoming of the dignity of the prime minister's post," he said. Addressing the rally, state Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said, In the last five years, the Modi government gave just catchy phrases but failed to address the employment problem and doubling farmers' income as per its promise." "The atmosphere across the country is tense and filled with hatred. They wish to get votes in name of caste and religion, he added. Pilot said this election is for the future and to protect the constitutional institutions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government on Thursday to convene a meeting of law enforcement agencies and representatives of social media platforms next month to discuss issues relating to sharing of user data and how cyber crimes could be tackled more effectively. A division bench of justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad gave the direction after the counsel for the state government claimed that online messaging app WhatsApp was less responsive compared to other social networking platforms when it came to cooperation with law enforcement agencies. The bench was hearing a plea moved by Anthony Clement Rubin seeking a direction to the Centre to link Aadhaar with e-mail IDs and other online user accounts, including those on social networking websites, for easier detection of cyber crimes. Earlier, the counsel appearing for WhatsApp informed the court that it could not share the data of its users with the government as it was not available with the company owing to its end-to-end encryption policy. "One of the reasons why WhatsApp is popular is because it respects user privacy. The company is permitted to function as such under Indian law. However, steps are being taken to minimise the abuse of the platform," the counsel said. Countering the submission, additional government pleader E Manoharan submitted that compared to other social media companies, WhatsApp was less responsive. "The end-to-end encryption policy cited by WhatsApp only came about around 2017. Therefore, the company cannot claim it as a core feature," he said. Recording the submissions, the bench directed the Tamil Nadu chief secretary to convene a meeting of law enforcement agencies and representatives of social media companies between May 20 and 27 to discuss ways in which issues relating to sharing of user data could be resolved and cyber crimes could be tackled more effectively. It also impleaded the external affairs ministry and directed it to process the visa and other formalities of the visiting representatives to enable them to attend the meeting. The bench then posted the plea to June 6 for further hearing. In a recent hearing, the state government had informed the court that even in sensational cases like the Pollachi sexual abuse case, WhatsApp did not cooperate with the law enforcement agencies. Taking serious note of the submission, the bench had wondered why the government should not ban such a social media company if it was not adhering to the laws of the land. The strong observation prompted the social media giants to approach the court to submit their version. During the hearing on Thursday, senior counsel R Murari, appearing for Twitter, submitted that the company faced another peculiar problem. "When it comes to Twitter users in the US, they are being operated by Twitter US. However, as far as users from the rest of the world are concerned, they are handled by Twitter International Corporation, which is based in Ireland. "While this is the case, often the government's requests for assistance are directed to the wrong Twitter entity," Murari said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three years after a Thane court awarded death penalty to a man for raping and murdering a 7-year-old girl, the Bombay High Court Thursday remanded the case back to it on account of procedural lapses. A bench of justices B P Dharmadhikari and P D Naik set aside the trial court's order awarding Atul Rama Lote death penalty Thursday. It remanded the case back to the trial court, asking it to reconsider the facts and evidence and decide whether to hold a retrial or proceed anew from the stage of framing of charges -- when procedural lapses were committed. On September 28, 2016, the Thane court awarded Lote death sentence. He was accused of abducting, raping and killing the minor daughter of an acquaintance in 2014. When the state government's petition seeking confirmation of death sentence was taken up by the High Court, Lote's lawyer Yug Chaudhary pointed out certain lapses. In February 2014, the police charge sheeted Lote under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (A) (kidnapping a minor girl with the intent of forcing her to have intercourse), 376 (rape) and 302 (murder), Chaudhary said. Generally, these offences attract life imprisonment or ten years in jail, and death is awarded only in the "rarest of rare cases", he argued. On September 26, 2016, two days before the sentence was passed, the prosecution invoked section 376(2) of the IPC (rape of a victim under 12 years of age) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, making it a case fit for death penalty, the lawyer pointed out. The court should not have permitted amendment of charges just two days before the verdict, Chaudhary said. He also argued that Lote did not get proper legal assistance from his lawyers, appointed through Legal Aid. The high court said it could not overlook these procedural lapses and especially the fact that two key charges were pressed only two days before the verdict. It, however, refused to acquit Lote, and said instead the trial court must consider Lote as an undertrial and reexamine the proceedings. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Free speech and assembly rights in Hong Kong must be "fully respected", Britain said on Thursday, a day after leaders of the city's democracy movement were jailed for organising mass protests in 2014. "It would be deeply concerning if the outcome for these individuals were to deter the people of Hong Kong from participating in peaceful protest in the future," a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May said. "Freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are both guaranteed by the Sino-British Joint Declaration and it is important that these... are fully respected." The 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, which called for free elections to appoint Hong Kong's leader, paralysed the city for months and infuriated Beijing. Four prominent leaders of the movement were jailed on Wednesday for their role. Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen in mainland China, including freedom of speech and the press, which are enshrined in the 1997 Sino-British Joint Declaration when Britain handed the territory back to China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Horticulture Department of Himachal Pradesh has sought a detailed report from its regional officers on the damage caused to the apple crop in the recent hailstorm, an official spokesperson said here Thursday. The apple crop in all development blocks of Shimla district, the Anni development block of Kullu district and the Karsog, Seraj, Gohar and Sundernagar development blocks of Mandi district have suffered heavy losses due to the hailstorm in the last few days, he said. The department has also advised horticulturists covered under the weather-based crop insurance scheme to contact the Agricultural Insurance Company of India on toll-free number 1800-103-0061 to register their complaints or inform about the losses incurred due to the hailstorm, the official said. The Horticulture Department has already directed the insurance company to assess the damage, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Skyroot Aerospace, a city-based startup, is gearing up to test-launch its 'Vikram' series of rockets to send satellites into space by mid-2021. The aerospace company is betting big on the proposed Space Activities Bill-2017 which is under discussion at the Cabinet-level. Once the Bill is passed, it would enable and regulate the activities related to space by the private players. Promoters of Skyroot Aerospace Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, who are former scientists of the Indian Space and Research organisation (ISRO), are in the process of raising the second round of funding from investors. Skyroot has graduated from the design-level to the actual testing stage of the propulsion system, according to the promoters. The early-stage funding was done by Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori. Referring to market reports, Naga Bharath said the space vehicle launch market is expected to see exponential growth in the future with over 7,000 satellites anticipated to be launched in the next ten years. "We will be one of the Indias first private launch vehicle (rocket)-makers. There is an upsurge in launching small satellites globally. The current capacity of launch vehicle capacity is not sufficient to meet the demand as in the next 10 years, around 7,000 small satellites (less than 1,000 kg) are to be launched, Naga Bharath told PTI Wednesday. "We have been following international market trends. There is a need for multiple launch providers around the world. There are other private launch vehicle developers in other countries," he said. India has a good ecosystem in terms of satellite- launching and we want to leverage the ecosystem, he said. Refusing to divulge the investments, the IIT-Chennai alumnus said another round of funding would be looked into and discussion with potential investors was on. "Post-design (of the rocket) to manufacture the solid stage prototype propulsion system and test, we need further investments, he said. Today, space technology and applications are used as enabling tools for national development and governance. Hence, it was considered that introduction of a space-specific legal regime should only enable further growth of space activities in India rather than merely a regulatory or restrictive regime. The country needs to facilitate private sector participation in space activities and authorisation and supervision by the government, says the draft Space Activities Bill. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday launched 'Mission DELHI', an emergency medical service, as part of which a motorbike-borne assistance unit can be quickly summoned for a person suffering heart attack or chest pain. The pilot project has been launched in a radius of three kilometres around the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Under Mission DELHI (Delhi Emergency Life Heart-Attack Initiative), a pair of motorcycle-borne trained paramedic nurses would be the first responders for treating heart attack patients. On getting a call, the pair would rush to the spot, gather basic information on the patient's medical history, conduct a quick medical examination, take the ECG, and establish a virtual connect with the cardiologists at AIIMS and deliver expert medical advice and treatment, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said. While the emergency treatment is being provided, a CATS ambulance will arrive and take the patient for further treatment. Even as the patient is on way to the hospital, doctors at AIIMS control centre will evaluate the data received from the nurses to establish further course of treatment. ICMR has signed a memorandum with CATS for this project, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said. "The idea is to reach with medical help much faster, given the high-density traffic situation in the city where movement of four-wheeler ambulances becomes difficult. Motorcycle ambulances can reach people in narrow lanes in congested areas," Guleria said. The idea has been tried in remote areas of the country but not specifically for reaching those with heart trouble. Guleria said the attempt is to reach patients within 10 minutes. The heart is like a room that pumps blood to the entire body. Before the blood is pumped to the body, it is pumped to the walls of the heart through three pipes (coronary arteries). If any of these pipes are clogged by clot, the tissues in that part of the heart die, Bhargava, a cardiologist, explained. It is important to remove the clot that is stopping the blood flow. If the heart walls are damaged, they cannot be repaired. Clot busters are almost equal to angioplasty. Clot-buster medication is low-cost treatment whereas angioplasty is expensive. Clot busters can be given within a short time after a heart attack. In this project, the clot buster will be given very soon even at home, Bhargava said. The average age of the occurrence of cardiac arrest in the Indian population is 53 to 55 years, about 10 years less than in the United States and Europe where it is 63 or 64. Genetic predisposition is an important cause for this but, the high rates of smoking and chewing tobacco in India also contribute in a large way. Ninety per cent of chewing tobacco incidence in the world is in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Young heart patients that doctors see mostly have problems associated with tobacco use. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a historic first, the Army Thursday began the process to induct women in the military police, nearly two years after Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat said women will be recruited as jawans. The Army started the online registration for recruitment in the Corps of military and the last date for filing application has been fixed as June 8. In an interview to PTI in June 2017, Army Chief Gen. Rawat had said the Army was looking at inducting women jawans and the process would start with the induction of women into military police corps. At present, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war and extending aid to civil police whenever required. The defence ministry had given a go ahead to induct women as military police in January. The Army chalked out induction of approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hajeeb Ali, 70, had to mortgage his wife's jewellery to feed fodder to his beloved cattle in Bandasar, a last village in Barmer Lok Sabha constituency along the international border with Pakistan. Ali is not alone in his village, a Muslim-dominated area. There are many in Bandasar who are facing acute difficulties for a long time to arrange fodder in Barmer, which has no pasture land for cattle. Shortage of fodder is a major poll issue in the Thar district Lok Sabha constituency. Ali says in every election, candidates of political parties come to the village to seek votes, but after winning polls, they never return. A drought is a bad time for cattle as their source of food dries up, even if they are abandoned and allowed to roam freely by farmers. In Bandasar and 150 villages nearby, small and big such as Munabav, Ramsar, Bhigusi, Gagaria, Bhajpar, Derasar and Bikusar, when there is no rain, farmers have to look for other things, including working under MGNREGA and going to Ahmedabad, around 500 kilometers from Bandasar, in search of work to feed both family and cattle. Ali has 28 cows and calves. But, he said, he and his wife, who considered them as a part of their family, worry every two-three days as to how to arrange fodder instead of feeding their children as arrangement of their food cost them much less than what cattle eat. He says he has around 100 acre land in Bandapur, but it is lying useless as he cannot use it because of the drought-situation. "I had to mortgage 170 grams of gold jewellery of my wife to arrange money for fodder for my cattle. I and my wife consider cattle like our family. Our cattle is everything to us. "Government should find a permanent solution to this problem existing across the Thar desert area, Ali said. When there is rain, pasture land is easily available for cattle, Subha Momin, another villager, said. Ramesh Chand, a former sarpanch of the nearby border village of Gatra, said the Rajasthan government used to run fodder camps where cattle food was available at subsidised rates for farmers, but for the last three years, no such camp has been organised. Chand also said that farmers having not more than 12 acres of land would only be covered by the scheme, and because of this, most farmers, who have desert land ranging from 40 to 100 acres, are deprived of state-run programmes. There are around 300 small and big villages in Barmer Lok Sabha constituency, falling within a 50-70 -km radius from the international border. Government has constructed concrete wells to store rain water, but this is only useful when there is good amount of rainfall. Due to water scarcity in the desert area, people have to shell out Rs 2,000 to 3,000 to buy 2,500 litres of water which is used for both family members and cattle. Not only Barmer, the entire Thar desert area of Rajasthan has been facing water scarcity. But government is doing nothing. Being far-reach areas, candidates come only for campaigning, and once elections are over, nobody comes to these villages, says Changa, who goes by his first name. Apart from shortage of fodder and water scarcity, health is also an issue in those villages where no hospital facility has been set up by authorities. Desar village, 50 km from the international border, has a population of 6,000 persons, but it and its nearby areas do not have any health facility. Nawaj Ali, a villager, says when a person has fever, he or his family has to spend around Rs 1,000 on the transportation to reach the city area of Barmer to get medical treatment. "In case of emergency, we have to rush patients to a health facility located at Barmer's city point to get him or her medical treatment, and this situation is a brisk business for transporters," he said. Barmer goes to polls on April 29. Elections will be held in two phases in Rajasthan. Voting in 13 constituencies will be held in the initial phase on April 29. The remaining 12 constituencies will vote on May 6. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A senior Income Tax officer and three others were allegedly abducted by masked gunmen dressed in security forces' uniform in northwest Pakistan. Income Tax Assistant Commissioner Riaz Khan, who had come to his village Miani in Tank District bordering South Waziristan to attend the last rituals of his mother, was abducted from his home along with his uncle, a cousin and another guest on Wednesday night, police said. Police have cordoned off the area and started search operation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday termed Congress president Rahul Gandhi's claim of ending poverty as "misleading" for votes and said India can easily eradicate poverty if it becomes "Congress-Mukt". Singh reminded of grand old party's call for "garibi hatao" which merely remained a slogan as Congress governments during five decades of its rule after Independence did not take any concrete step to eradicate poverty. He claimed the BJP-led NDA government has been able to take 7.5 crore people above poverty line and the status of remaining five crore people will also be elevated in the coming five years. The senior BJP leader was addressing a series of election meetings in Odisha's Jajpur, Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha constituencies where polling is scheduled to be held along with state assembly elctions in the fourth phase on April 29. "Congress has ruled the country for five decades, but India still fights poverty. The 'garibi hatao' call only remained a slogan as Congress governments failed to take any concrete step to eradicate poverty," the Home minister said. Hitting out at Gandhi for promising to make India poverty free, Singh said his tall claims are aimed at "misleading" people for votes. "The fact is... the country can actually overcome poverty if it becomes 'Congress-Mukt'," the BJP stalwart said. Gandhi has announced NYAY scheme under which 20 per cent families in the poorest of the poor category will be given Rs 6000 per month which will total to Rs 72,000 annually as a minimum income. The Congress chief has claimed that five crore families and 25 crore people will directly benefit from the scheme which he termed as a final assault to eradicate poverty in the country. The Union Minister also came down heavily on Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha accusing it of failing to develop the state during its 19 years of rule. Singh alleged that the basic requitrements of the people have not been fulfilled as the BJD govenrment has no intention to develop the state. "The BJD government denied justice to the people of Odisha by not implementing the Ayushman Bharat and several other welfare schemes of the central govenrment," he said. Stating that Ayushman Bharat Yojana has been implemented in other states, Singh said poor people of Odisha are being deprived of the benefits of the National Health Protection Mission because of BJD government's apathy. At the same time, the BJP leader appealed to the people to give five years to BJP for speedy and balanced development of Odisha which, he said will be transformed into the number one state in the country. Singh also drew attention of the people to the importance of national security by mentioning about the air strike carried out by India inside Pakistan after Pulwama terror attack that killed 42 CRPF jawans. "The Modi government has given fitting reply to Pakistan and terrorists. The country is secure under Modi's leadership," the Union Home Minister said. He also highlighted the BJP's manifesto and said all the people in the country will have pucca houses, cooking gas connection and electricity by 2022. While ensuring safety and security of the country, the Modi government has also elevated India's status across the globe by making development in the economic front. "Within just four years, India's economy has grown and the country moved from 9th to 6th place in top order. By 2030-32, India will be among the top three countries in the world," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan on Thursday accused India of delaying the delegation-level talks to finalise the agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur corridor. The Kartarpur corridor links Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Narowal with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in Punjab. Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said, "Pakistan is keen that the Kartarpur Corridor becomes operational as per the schedule. However, the meetings are delayed as the Indian government is not willing to hold the delegation-level meeting at this juncture." On April 16, India and Pakistan held a meeting on technical aspects of the proposed corridor. At the nearly four-hour-long meeting, which took place in makeshift tents at "Zero point" of the proposed corridor, experts and technicians from both the countries discussed timing for completion of bridge, alignment of roads and engineering aspects of the proposed crossing points. After the meeting, Faisal said that work is proceeding rapidly on the Pakistani side on the Kartarpur corridor. "In view of paucity of time, we are keen to hold the meeting to finalise the draft agreement at the earliest. The meeting is specifically to discuss differences related to proposals of both countries for operationalising the corridor and to align positions to build convergence. We hope India will agree to hold a meeting at the earliest," he had said. In November 2018, India and Pakistan agreed to set up the border crossing linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak, to Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district. The corridor is scheduled to operationalise on the occasion of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said Indian authorities shared "actionable" intelligence with Sri Lanka before the serial blasts rocked the neighbouring country. Nearly 360 people were killed in the Easter Sunday bombings in the island nation. "Desired and actionable inputs were shared with the authorities in Sri Lanka prior to the blasts. But unfortunately, they (plotters) succeeded," Singh told PTI. Asked if Sri Lanka failed to act on those inputs, he said it is not a question of blaming that country's government for it. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group named National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the series of blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. According to officials, intelligence inputs about a possible terror attack in Sri Lanka, targeting the Indian High Commission, were shared by Indian agencies with their counterparts in the island nation earlier this month after the National Investigation Agency completed its probe into an ISIS-inspired module planning to kill prominent leaders in south India. The inputs were sent through diplomatic channels to Sri Lanka after a thorough investigation pertaining to the ISIS case in Coimbatore was carried out by the NIA, which has filed a charge sheet against seven people. During investigation, the probe team had stumbled upon videos of NTJ leader Zahran Hashim, which was indicative of a terror attack on the Indian High Commission in Colombo. After further investigation which included cyber trailing of some of the accounts associated with the ISIS, the central security agencies shared an input with their Lankan counterparts about the churches being the likely target of the ISIS module, the officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An India Pavilion has been set up at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, with UAE's Deputy Prime Minister Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahayan inaugurating it, an official release said Thursday. The India Pavilion was opened by Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahayan on Wednesday in the presence of UAE's Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development Noura Bint Mohd Al Kaabi and Indian Ambassador Navdeep Suri. India has been designated as the Guest of Honour for the Book Fair, which is being held from April 24 to 30. The India Pavilion is focused on the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, the statement said. It displays the 100-volume series titled 'Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi', apart from various publications on the freedom struggle. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the Congress has failed to eradicate poverty during its five decades of rule, the country will actually become poverty-free when it will be Congress-free, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said. Claiming that the BJP-led NDA government has been able to take 7.5 crore people above the poverty line, Singh said those still living below it will be elevated in the coming five years. "The Congress has ruled the country for five decades, but India still fights poverty. The garibi hatao call only remained a slogan as Congress governments failed to take any concrete step to eradicate poverty," the BJP stalwart said. Mocking Congress president Rahul Gandhi's promise to make India poverty-free, Singh said Gandhi's tall claims are aimed at misleading the people for votes. "The fact is, the country can actually become poverty-free if it becomes Congress-free," he said. Singh was addressing a series of election meetings in Odisha's Jajpur, Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha constituencies where polling will be held along with state assembly elections in the fourth phase on April 29. The Union minister also accused the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government of failing to develop the state during its 19 years of rule. Singh alleged that the basic requirements of the people have not been fulfilled as the BJD government has no intention to develop the state. "The BJD government denied justice to the people of Odisha by not implementing the Ayushman Bharat and several other welfare schemes of the central government," he said. Stating that Ayushman Bharat Yojana has been implemented in other states, Singh said the poor people of Odisha are being deprived of the benefits of the National Health Protection Mission because of BJD government's apathy. He appealed to the people to give five years to the BJP and allow it to make Odisha the number one state in the country via speedy and balanced development. Mentioning the air strike carried out by India inside Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attack that killed 42 CRPF jawans, Singh said, "The (Narendra) Modi government has given a fitting reply to Pakistan and terrorists. The country is safe under Modi's leadership." The Modi government has also elevated India's status across the globe by making development in the economic front, he said. The BJP's manifesto promises people pucca houses, cooking gas connection and electricity by 2022, Singh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Thursday accused the Indian government of engaging in a "witch-hunt" and putting pressure on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him. In a statement issued here, Naik, who fled India in 2016, said he was aware of the "pressure the Indian government was applying on the Interpol" to issue a red corner notice against him. "It's part of an elaborate witch-hunt. But having verified with a few member countries, I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date," he claimed. "One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government which, as a matter of fact, have been going on for over two years now," he said. Naik said the Interpol had already cancelled a red corner notice against him once. "And it's been one-and-a-half years since the government submitted a charge sheet and started applying pressure on the Interpol. But as things stand, I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure," he said. Naik, said to be in Malaysia at present, has been under investigation since 2016, when the Centre banned his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years. He is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on several charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The preacher, declared a proclaimed offender by a special NIA court here in June 2017, is accused of inciting youth to take up terror activities, giving hate speeches and promoting enmity between communities. The NIA filed a charge sheet against Naik and others before a Mumbai court in October 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The number of Indian companies investing in the UK registered a jump over the previous year despite the ongoing uncertainties around Brexit, according to a new report tracking Indian investments in the UK. The annual 'India Meets Britain Tracker' released in London on Wednesday finds that the number of Indian companies doing business in Britain has increased from 800 in 2018 to 842 in 2019, with a combined turnover of 48 billion pounds. The report, published by business advisory firm Grant Thornton UK LLP and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), revealed a more than doubling of the Corporation Tax paid by these companies to hit 684 million pounds, up from 360 million pounds in the previous year. "The headline figures in the Tracker are startling. They are testament to the strength and entrepreneurialism of the Indian business community, with some companies growing by more than 100 per cent year on year," UK minister for investment Graham Stuart said at the launch. The minister pointed out that the figures are likely to see a further jump from next year, when the UK's Corporation Tax, from the current level of 19 per cent, will drop to 17 per cent. "We will always welcome Indian investments and we recognise India's importance as one of our most critical bilateral investors," he said. Among some of the other highlight figures from the Tracker, 24 per cent of Indian companies in the UK have at least one woman on their board, up from 19 per cent last year, and they employ an estimated 104,783 people in the country. "The report brings out in such graphic terms the contribution that Indian businesses are making to the UK. We all wondered how the Brexit process would have affected the investment sentiment from India and now we have the answer Indian business retains its positive outlook towards the UK," said Ruchi Ghanashyam, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK. The report, now in its sixth year, provides a tracker of the fastest growing Indian companies in the UK with turnover of more than 5 million pounds, year-on-year revenue growth of at least 10 per cent and a minimum two-year track-record in the UK. Among these Accord Healthcare Ltd, Milpharm Ltd and Secure Meters (UK) Ltd have been consistently recorded as fast growing ever since the Tracker was launched in 2014. Anuj Chande, Partner and Head of South Asia Group at Grant Thornton UK LLP, noted: "Given the continuing uncertainty driven by the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), it is encouraging to see that Indian investors continue to invest confidently in the UK and in fact, there are now more Indian businesses active in the UK than ever before." "The fall in the value of sterling has also had a role to play, making UK assets increasingly attractive to overseas investors. Low rates of corporation tax and the ease of doing business in the UK also remain significant draws." Lakshmi Kaul, Head & Representative UK, CII, added: "As India's economy continues to grow, Indian companies will increasingly have greater choice over where to invest and the UK must ensure that, beyond Brexit, it remains a leading investment destination."Three companies in this year's Tracker reported growth of more than 100 per cent, with the fastest growing of these being TMT Metal Holdings Limited, with a growth rate of 649 per cent. This was followed by Route Mobile (UK) Limited, which reported growth of 189 per cent, and BB (UK) Ltd, which achieved turnover growth of almost 129 per cent. At an awards ceremony to coincide with the Tracker launch, TMT bagged the Fastest Growing Company award for the year and Route Mobile won the award in the tech category. Tata Motors Limited was named the Top Employer in the UK, employing over 43,000 people, and Union Bank of India was named the Fastest Growing Financial Services Company. As in the previous years, technology and telecoms companies dominate the Tracker, accounting for 35 per cent of the fastest-growing companies. Engineering and manufacturing companies are the next in line, accounting for 16 per cent, followed by pharmaceutical and chemicals companies at 15 per cent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel on Thursday urged its citizens travelling in Sri Lanka to leave the country, citing an "elevated concrete threat" following deadly Easter bombings there. The recommendation from Israel's counter-terrorism bureau said the travel warning was issued after consultations with security and foreign ministry officials. It said it was issuing the warning "in view of the deterioration in the security situation and the fear that the events have not yet ended or that there is a chance of their recurrence in the near future". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered aid to Sri Lankan authorities in the wake of the attacks which saw suicide bombers blow themselves up in luxury hotels and churches packed with Easter Sunday worshippers, killing nearly 360 people Thousands of Sri Lankan troops have joined the hunt for suspects. Dozens of foreigners were among the victims of the blasts, including three children of a Danish billionaire, eight Britons, 10 Indians and four Americans. Sri Lanka's government has been on the defensive over revelations that specific warnings about an attack went ignored. Sri Lanka's police chief warned on April 11 that suicide bombings against "prominent churches" by the local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) were possible, citing information from a foreign intelligence agency. Experts say the bombings bear many of the hallmarks of attacks by the Islamic State group, and the government has suggested local militants could not have acted alone. But it has not yet officially confirmed any IS role in the blasts despite the group claiming responsibility. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Japanese court granted bail Thursday, meaning the former boss could soon walk out of his detention centre to prepare his defence against multiple charges of financial misconduct. The District Court set bail at 500 million yen ($4.5 million) as the 65-year-old auto sector legend faces four charges ranging from concealing part of his salary from shareholders to syphoning off funds for his personal use. Prosecutors are likely to appeal the court's decision, delaying his immediate release but public broadcaster NHK said he could walk out of his detention centre "as early as Thursday". Ghosn denies all the charges, with a spokesperson for the executive saying on Monday he would "vigorously defend himself against these baseless accusations and fully expects to be vindicated". The spokesperson said Ghosn was being detained "under cruel and unjust conditions, in violation of his human rights, in an effort by prosecutors to coerce a confession from him". On Monday, he was hit with what experts have described as the most serious charges yet as prosecutors accused him of syphoning off $5 million of cash transferred from the company to a dealership in He also faces two charges of deferring some $80 million of his salary and hiding this in official documents to shareholders and seeking to shift personal investment losses to the firm during the 2008 financial crisis. Ghosn has already been granted bail once, posting $9 million and vowing not to leave and to live in a small court-appointed apartment in central -- a far cry from his former luxury suite. Last time he left the detention centre in northern Tokyo, he was dressed in a cap, face mask and workman's uniform in an apparent attempt to evade dozens of journalists from around the world hoping to snap a picture of the fallen tycoon. The bizarre stunt was cooked up by one of his lawyers, Takashi Takano, who later apologised for "tainting" the reputation of his client who usually appears in public in sharp suits. Ghosn was preparing to hold a much-anticipated conference to "tell the truth" about his case but he was re-arrested shortly beforehand to face questioning about the alleged $5 million embezzlement. Clearly aware he was about to return to custody, Ghosn pre-recorded a video in which he attacked "backstabbing" Nissan executives of a "plot" against him, as they feared closer ties with French partner Japanese media reported on Tuesday that the French firm had offered a "management integration proposal" to Nissan, which was poised to reject it as they believe it does not provide equality to the Japanese company. Unless re-arrested over further allegations, Ghosn will be free to organise his defence ahead of a possible trial that is likely to take months to prepare. Ghosn's lead lawyer Junichiro Hironaka has told reporters that a trial as early as the autumn was "not possible for various reasons". His lawyers have demanded he be tried separately from Nissan, which also faces charges for submitting the suspect financial documents, and have voiced fears he will not receive a fair trial. The dramatic case has thrown the international spotlight on the Japanese justice system, derided by critics as "hostage justice" as it allows prolonged detention and relies heavily on suspects' confessions. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday a no-deal Brexit must be avoided "by all means" as Japanese companies have used Britain as the gateway to Europe. Abe was in Brussels following a summit this month in which EU leaders gave Prime Minister Theresa May another six months to get Britain's parliament to endorse the exit terms she struck last year. "A no-deal Brexit is what we have to avoid by all means," Abe told a press conference in Brussels with EU leaders Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker standing at his side. An orderly withdrawal, he said, is necessary because Japanese firms have invested so much in Britain as a European Union member country and they need "legal stability" as well as transparency ahead. "We strongly hope that it will be possible for Japanese companies to continue" doing business in the UK, Abe said, speaking through an interpreter. "For Japan, the UK is the gateway to Europe," he said,recalling he has made the same point to Juncker and Tusk as well as May. "So a smooth Brexit is what we hope for," Abe said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japan has expressed interest to join consultations in a dispute case filed by the EU in the WTO against India's import duties on some information and communications technology products, including mobile phones, according to a communication of the World Trade Organization. Japan is the sixth country which wants to join the consultations sought by the European Union (EU) against India under the aegis of the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism. The other countries which have requested are Canada, Thailand, the US, Singapore and Chinese Taipei. On April 9, the EU dragged India into the World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism over Indian import duties on nine categories of information and communications technology (ICT) products, including mobile phones and components, base stations, integrated circuits and optical instruments. They have alleged that imposition of duties infringes WTO norms as India has committed zero per cent bound tariffs on these products. While bound tariffs or duties refer to the ceiling over which a WTO member country cannot impose import duty, the applied tariff is the duty which is currently in place. The EU has alleged that despite India's legally binding commitment in the WTO that it would not charge any import duty on ICT products, India has been applying duties ranging from 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent. "These import duties are therefore in clear breach by India of WTO rules. The levies affect EU exports worth 600 million euros per year," the EU has said. According to WTO rules, seeking consultation is the first step of dispute settlement process. If the bilateral consultations requested by the EU with India do not result in a satisfactory solution, the EU can request the WTO to set up a dispute panel to pass a ruling on the matter. As per the WTO rules, these countries would have to seek approval from India and the EU to join the consultation process. Japan in communication to the WTO said it exports to India some of the products particularly cellular mobile phones and their parts. "A number of Japanese companies which export the products at issue have continued to express their serious concerns on India's tariff increase on those products," it said. For these reasons, Japan has a substantial trade interest in the consultations and wishes to join in the consultation, it added. "Japan looks forward to receiving confirmation of acceptance of this request as well as being informed of the date and venue of the consultations," the communication said. A WTO member country can file a dispute if it perceive that another country's trade policies or actions are violating global trade norms. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor John Boyega has denied the possibility of him coming back as Finn in the future "Star Wars" films. The 27-year-old actor first portrayed Finn, a stormtrooper turned rebel hero, in JJ Abrams' 2015 blockbuster "The Force Awakens". He later reprised the character in 2017's "The Last Jedi" and is scheduled to appear in this year's "The Rise of Skywalker". In an interview with MTV News, Boyega said he might step aside from the character after the upcoming film. "Honestly, the bottom of my heart, I don't think I am (coming back). I don't think I am. I really do feel that way. This really is that movie, I think everyone doesn't believe it, but this is that war that just ends everything," the actor said. Boyega's Finn, Daisy Ridley's Rey and Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron, were the new characters who played the central part in the franchise's sequel trilogy that started with "Force Awakens" and is set to conclude with "The Rise of Skywalker". Apart from the trio, the new trilogy also featured franchise veterans Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. "The Rise of Skywalker", directed by Abrams, is set to release on December 20 worldwide. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Thursday appointed former apex court judge Justice A K Patnaik to hold an inquiry into the sensational allegations of a lawyer about "larger conspiracy" to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and fixing of benches in the top court. The apex court made it clear that inquiry by Justice (retd) Patnaik shall not be with respect to the "alleged misbehaviour" involving the CJI, against whom allegations of sexual allegations have been levelled by a former top court employee. A three-judge special bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said that outcome of inquiry by Justice (retd) Patnaik "shall not affect the in-house procedure/inquiry which is pending in the administrative side." An in-house inquiry committee, headed by senior most judge Justice S A Bobde, has been constituted to deal with the complaint against the CJI. In its order, the top court asked the Directors of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Delhi Police Commissioner to "co-operate" with Justice (retd) Patnaik as and when required by him during the inquiry. The bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman and Deepak Gupta, left it to Justice (retd) Patnaik to take the assistance of "whosoever else" he desires and requested him to submit a report in the court after the inquiry on allegations mentioned in the affidavits filed by advocate Utsav Singh Bains. The top court did not specify any time frame for Justice (retd) Patnaik to complete the inquiry. "Considering the factual gamut noted in the order quoted above and considering the affidavits filed by Utsav Singh Bains, advocate, we appoint Justice A K Patnaik, retired judge of this court, to hold an inquiry into the allegations made in the affidavits," the bench said in its order. "However, at the same time, we make it clear that this inquiry shall not be with respect to the alleged misbehaviour involving the Chief Justice of India. This is with respect to the contents of the affidavits, whether the affidavits are correct or not," it said. "We again reiterate that the outcome of the inquiry shall not affect the in-house procedure/inquiry which is pending in the administrative side in any manner whatsoever," it said. The bench directed the Secretary General of the apex court to "forthwith" hand over the photocopies of affidavits and documents filed by Bains in a sealed cover to Justice (retd) Patnaik along with the order. "The affidavits and the document (in original), in a sealed cover, shall remain in the custody of the Secretary General until further orders," it said. In its order, the bench said, "As we are appointing Justice A K Patnaik (retd), we request the Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to cooperate with the judge as and when their services are required at any point of time for the purpose of investigation of the matter, especially required by the judge." "We leave it to the judge to take the assistance of whosoever else his Lordship desires," the bench said, adding, "We request Justice A K Patnaik (retd) to submit a report to this court on the basis of the inquiry as to the allegations mentioned in the affidavits."The bench said the matter would be listed for hearing after inquiry report of Justice (retd) Patnaik is received by the court. The bench also dealt with the issue of privilege claimed by Bains over certain communications and said that he was bound to disclose all the information. Referring to an earlier verdict of the apex court, the bench said, "It is apparent from the above decision that without production of the information, the court cannot be deprived of inspecting the document. The ground raised by Utsav Singh Bains as to privilege is wholly unsustainable. He is bound to disclose the information as may be required." The bench referred to section 126 of the Evidence Act, which deal with professional communications and said that its provisos "make it clear that no such privilege can be claimed in respect of such communication". The bench also appreciated the services rendered by senior advocate and President of Supreme Court Bar Association Rakesh Kumar Khanna in assisting the court in the matter. Bains had filed an affidavit following the unprecedented hearing on Saturday during which Justice Gogoi had said some "bigger force" was behind the sexual harassment allegations as they wanted to "deactivate" the CJI's office. The hearing on April 20 in the case, titled as a matter of "great public importance touching upon the independence of judiciary", was held after stories were published on some portals about sexual harassment allegations levelled by a former employee of the apex court against the CJI. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Justice N V Ramana, who recused himself from the in-house inquiry panel set up to examine the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Thursday termed as "baseless and unfounded" the "aspersions" cast by a former woman employee of the apex court on him. Opting himself out of the three-member in-house inquiry committee, Justice Ramana said he has recused only to "avoid any suspicion that this institution will not conduct itself in keeping with the highest standards of judicial propriety and wisdom". In a letter to Justice S A Bobde, who is heading the panel, Justice Ramana said his recusal was a clear message to the nation that there should be no fears about "probity in our institution, and that we will not refrain from going to any extent to protect the trust reposed in us". The woman, in her letter to the panel on Wednesday, expressed objection to the presence of Justice Ramana in the committee on the ground that he is a close friend of the CJI and a regular visitor to his house. She had also raised question over the presence of only one woman apex court judge -- Banerjee -- in the panel to examine her allegations against the CJI which is not in accordance with Vishaka Guidelines. She had said that as per the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the Vishaka judgement, for holding inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment at work place, the committee must have a majority of women. In her letter, she had also alleged that the CJI, by sitting in a bench on Saturday, had made certain statements without even hearing her which has "damaged" her character. "My character was damaged as without any reason and without hearing me. It was said that I have criminal cases against me," the woman had said. In his letter to Justice Bobde, Justice Ramana, however, made clear that his recusal has nothing to do with the "aspersions" cast on him by the complainant woman. "I categorically reject these baseless and unfounded aspersions on my capacity to render impartial judgment in this matter, in consonance with the best traditions of judicial propriety and the integrity of this honourable court," he said. On the issue of his visit to CJI Gogoi's residence, Justice Ramana said, "I am, like any other judge of the honourable Supreme Court, required to attend official meetings at the home office of the Chief Justice of India." "We, the judges of honourable Supreme Court, regularly meet each other - including socially - and also the Chief Justice of India. In fact, we call ourselves a 'family' - to encapsulate that fraternity and collegiality," he said. "The same, inter alia, are essential for an honest appreciation of differences of opinions among fellow judges, which in turn, is vital for the intellectual growth of a judge. It helps us become wiser. The Chief Justice of India is primus inter pares, who allots a variety of administrative duties and responsibilities to the Judges. Thus, the judges often meet Chief Justice of India in connection with the same," he said, adding, the apprehension expressed by the woman in this regard is "wholly misconceived". Justice Ramana said that the situation is "extraordinary" - both in terms of the nature of the complaint and also the events that have transpired subsequently. "The growth of every institution is necessarily based on iterative steps and a re-evaluation of the same with the courage to make changes based on our best sensibilities - intellectual and emotional. Wisdom does not flow from unbending assertion of authority, but recognition of frailty and the need to safeguard institutional integrity," he said. "My decision to recuse is only based on an intent to avoid any suspicion that this institution will not conduct itself in keeping with the highest standards of judicial propriety and wisdom. It is the extraordinary nature of the complaint, and the evolving circumstances and discourse that underly my decision to recuse and not the grounds cited by the complainant per se," he said. "Let me also caution, at this stage, that it is also equally true that no one who approaches the Court should have the power to determine the forum and subvert the processes of justice," he said, adding, "Let not my recusal in the instant matter be taken to mean, even in the slightest of measures, that we have transgressed either of these principles". Justice Ramana also referred to the objections of the woman with regard to his speech on the occasion of Centenary Celebrations of the High Court Building at Hyderabad. "As a part of a broad analytical and factual discussion of the topic, which included discussions about pendency of cases, use of technology and issues relating to the Bar, I also spoke about personal attacks against members of the judiciary seeking to cast aspersions on their ability to render impartial judgements," he said. "If anything, the implicit assumption of that portion of my speech was that our conduct as judges ought to be exemplary so as to protect the dignity of the judicial institution from these frequent attacks. Judges, therefore, ought not to be cowed down in upholding the dignity of the judiciary. The dignity of the judiciary, first and foremost, flows from the capacity of judges to render impartial justice," he said. Justice Ramana said his assertion, on the need to protect the dignity of the judiciary, was now being used to allege bias and it "is a sad reflection of the state of affairs". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CPI's Kanhaiya Kumar is just a "new chap" and BJP's Giriraj Singh is a "kath ki handi" (spent force), says RJD's Tanveer Hassan, who is confident of his victory from Bihar's Begusarai Lok Sabha seat, which goes to polls on April 29. Dismissing the idea of a triangular contest in the constituency, Hassan said the fight is only between him and Singh, while Kumar is just "existing". Begusarai, once known as "Leningrad of Bihar" due to the strong presence of Left parties, converted into "Lalugrad" after the 90s, the RJD leader, who lost to BJP's Bhola Singh from the seat in 2014, told PTI. "The Communist Party (of India) had contested elections in 2014 as well and it had finished third in Begusarai. Kanhaiya is just a new chap and it's not that the party's vote share will double just with his name," Hassan said. "The ground reality is that the CPI is not better than what it was in the last elections and Kanhaiya is just existing in the triangle," he added. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, CPI's Rajendra Singh stood a distant third after the BJP and the RJD with nearly 1.92 lakh votes. Asked about the popularity of Kumar, former Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU) president, in Begusarai, Hassan said, "It's all negative only. I may not be very popular with the media, but the ground reality is different." Kumar shot to fame after his arrest three years ago in a sedition case for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at an event in the JNU campus to commemorate the anniversary of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. "The Communist Party of India used to be popular before the 90s. After the 90's, the 'Leningrad' converted into 'Lalugrad' and they do not hold the same ground as before," Hassan said. The RJD candidate admitted that Singh could pose a challenge to him. "Giriraj Singh is a branded leader; BJP has all branded leaders only. He is famous for his controversial statements. His branding will pose a challenge, but it's not only the branding that can help him sail through. He is now a 'kath ki handi'. This is what happened in Nawada too," Hassan said. The BJP has fielded Singh, the sitting MP from Nawada, from Begusarai this year as the former constituency went to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) as part of the NDA's seat sharing arrangement in Bihar. The firebrand leader was initially unwilling to contest from Begusarai. He agreed only after sulking for days and meeting BJP president Amit Shah. "Begusarai has suddenly become a hot seat in Indian and it feels like the entire country is watching what is happening here. The reality is that the public here is very politically sound, they vote smartly," Hassan said. An alliance between the RJD and the CPI could not be forged in Bihar due to the latter's reluctance to cede Begusarai seat to the Left party. The RJD was not willing to compromise on Hassan, citing his popularity and the work done by him in the constituency. "Even in the so-called Modi wave in 2014 elections, Hassan had got almost four lakh votes and since then he has never left Begusarai. It was impossible for us to set aside his candidature. We have a strong cadre and they wanted Tanveer Hassan and there is nothing we could have done," Rajya Sabha MP and RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha had told PTI last month. The candidature of another person became the "deal-breaker", he had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saying he was hurt by BJP candidate Pragya Singh Thakur's remark against Hemant Karkare, a former colleague of the slain chief of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad is contesting the election against her from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency. Riyazuddin Ghayasuddin Deshmukh (60), who had worked under Karkare, has filed nomination as independent candidate. Deshmukh, who is from Aurangabad, told PTI Thursday that he was "deeply hurt and devastated" by Thakur's remark against his former boss. Thakur, out on bail in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, had said that Karkare died in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack because she had "cursed" him for "torturing" her during the blast probe. She withdrew the statement later. "Seconds after she called Karkare sahab anti-national, I decided to contest the election against her," said Deshmukh, who retired as Assistant Commissioner of Police in 2016. "I had worked as a sub-inspector under Karkare when he was the Superintendent of Police in Akola. He was my boss. He was brave, co-operative, encouraging and a gem of a person. He liked me very much and I respected him immensely," he added. Deshmukh said he filed his nomination on April 23. "I am not going to withdraw it at any cost," he said. The election in Bhopal, where the main contest is between Thakur and Congress veteran Digvijay Singh, will be held on May 12. Thakur is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the Malegaon blast case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal hit out at both the Congress and the BJP at the launch of his party's manifesto Thursday, accusing the ruling party of fulfilling Pakistan's agenda of dividing the country and claiming that Rahul Gandhi would be solely responsible if the BJP came back to power. The AAP, in the manifesto, has promised 85 per cent reservation in colleges and jobs for the people of the national capital. The party also promised to fill up vacancies in the police force to ensure women's safety and a house for all Delhiites in 10 years. Kejriwal said the BJP is fulfilling Pakistan's agenda of dividing India and asserted that his party would do everything to stop the Modi-Shah duo from coming back to power. He also hit out at Gandhi, saying the Congress president would be the only person responsible if the BJP came back to power. He slammed the Gandhi scion days after both the parties failed to form an alliance in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections. "I can say that we tried our best to form an alliance with the Congress and if the BJP comes back to power, only one person would be responsible for it and that would be Rahul Gandhi," he said. "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi which alliance is formed on Twitter. If they were serious about forming an alliance, they should have come to the table for negotiations. Giving statements in public is not going to solve the problem," he said. On Gandhi's comment that he would try till the last moment to form an alliance with the AAP in Delhi, Kejriwal said, "This is posturing. They don't have an intention". The Congress, in response, said Kejriwal was himself confused. "The Congress' top leadership had extended a hand for alliance towards him, but he brushed it aside. Then he says the Congress is responsible if Modi ji wins. In Delhi, now he is mixing and religion," Ragini Nayak, Congress spokesperson, said. "I remember the big dreams that he had shown -- morality in politics, transparency in politics, inclusive and today, he is doing what the BJP does, that if you are Hindu, vote for them, or if you are Muslim, vote for them. I feel this is not good for the strength of democracy," she added. The Delhi BJP Thursday dubbed the Aam Aadmi Party's manifesto as a "document of deceit" and said Kejriwal was "misleading" the people of the national capital over the issue of full statehood. Speaking on the seat-sharing arrangement proposed by the Congress, Kejriwal said giving three seats to the Congress would mean losing on all those seats. Kejriwal went on to say that the Congress was not getting a single Hindu vote, while the Muslims were a little confused as well. The Delhi chief minister said the AAP will support any "secular mahagathbandhan" after the general elections. He said this election could prove to be a "turning point" in the history of the country. "This election is the fight to save the nation, democracy and the Constitution of the country," he said. Kejriwal termed the BJP's manifesto as "a manifesto of jumlas" and said that the saffron party's real poll document was the one line its president Amit Shah tweeted in April. Quoting Shah's alleged tweet that the BJP will remove every single infiltrator from this country except Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs, Kejriwal said it meant that the BJP's plan was to remove all religions except these three from the country. He said even Pakistan wanted to divide India. "The BJP is fulfilling Pakistan's agenda of dividing India..of weakening it," Kejriwal added. The Aam Aadmi Party's manifesto has been divided into two sections -- one about what the party did without the full statehood and what it will do if it is granted. The manifesto, featuring Kejriwal's photograph on the front page, focused on the 12 areas of education, health, women's safety, police reforms, zero corruption, jobs, land and housing, protection from sealing, cleanliness, pollution, transport and Yamuna rejuvenation. "We will secure 85 per cent of the seats of Delhi colleges for residents of the city. Sixty-five per cent jobs of the region similarly will be secured for locals," Kejriwal said. Apart from the chief minister, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, senior party leaders Gopal Rai and Sanjay Singh and all seven candidates were present at the unveiling of the poll document for the Lok Sabha election. Voting will be held in Delhi in a single phase on May 12. It has a chart that compares Delhi with London, Berlin, Moscow, Mexico City, Ottawa and Washington City, and points out that all the other national capitals have power over local police, appointment and transfer of officials, land and city planning, housing, traffic and transport planning and control over local bodies, while Delhi has none of it. The manifesto also highlights the history of the struggle for full statehood. The AAP is fielding Pankaj Gupta from Chandni Chowk, Atishi from East Delhi, Gugan Singh from North West Delhi, Raghav Chadha from South Delhi, Dilip Pandey from North East Delhi, Balbir Singh Jakhar from West Delhi and Brajesh Goel from New Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress blamed AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday for "botching up" the possibility of an alliance of the two parties for the Lok Sabha polls, with the two sides trading barbs on the issue that hogged the headlines for weeks prior to the nomination of candidates in Delhi. All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Delhi PC Chacko told PTI that there is no possibility of an alliance between his party and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) anymore as the last date for withdrawal of nominations in Delhi is Friday. Kejriwal Thursday said Rahul Gandhi would be the only person responsible if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came back to power as he slammed the Congress chief days after both the parties failed to form an alliance in Delhi. Chacko said Kejriwal was to be "squarely blamed" for the failure to arrive at an understanding as the Delhi chief minister went back on his words after a 4-3 seat-sharing formula was worked out for the national capital. "The time is over now. Tomorrow is the last day for withdrawal of names, so that possibility is not there. The alliance is a closed chapter now. They (AAP) have openly taken a stand that they do not want an alliance with the Congress," he said. The idea of an alliance between the two parties, which have been bitter critics of each other, had germinated from the fact that together, they had polled more votes than the BJP, which had won all the seven seats in Delhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Both the Congress and the AAP had drawn a blank in the general election in the national capital five years ago. Gandhi was quoted by a Hindi newspaper as saying that he would wait till the last second for an alliance with the AAP. Earlier, in a tweet, the Congress chief had accused Kejriwal of taking a "U-turn" on the issue. "Withdrawal of names was technically possible after Rahul said he would wait. But the time for that is also over now," Chacko said. It was decided that the AAP would contest four seats in Delhi while the Congress would field candidates in the three remaining seats but later, at a meeting of leaders of the two parties, the AAP said it would not go for a tie-up in the national capital alone and demanded that Haryana be brought within the ambit of the alliance talks, he added. "Kejriwal is squarely responsible for there being no alliance. His attitude is to be blamed for it," the Congress leader said. Kejriwal said the AAP would not have "dreamt" of forming an alliance with the Congress, but had agreed for it to save the country. On Gandhi's comment that he would try for an alliance with the AAP in Delhi till the last moment, he said, "This is posturing. They do not have the intention." On the seat-sharing arrangement proposed by the Congress, the AAP supremo said giving three seats to the grand old party would mean losing all three. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Ken Watanabe is all set to play the lead in the Japanese remake of Harrison Ford's 1993 thriller "The Fugitive". The original, directed by Andrew Davis, was based on the 1960s television series of the same name. It featured Ford as the famed surgeon, Dr. Richard Kimble, who is sentenced to death after he is wrongly convicted of his wife's murder. The Japanese version, to be directed by Seiji Izumi, will be made into a special program for the country's network TV Asahi. It will be set in present-day Tokyo just before the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, reported Variety. The story will follow Kazuki Kakurai (Watanabe), an elite surgeon, whose wife is murdered. Despite Kakurai's insistence that a man with a prosthetic hand is the culprit, Kakurai is arrested, tried and sentenced to death. The program will be produced by TV Asahi production chief Kazuhiko Fujimoto. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's Catholic churches on Thursday suspended all public services until the security situation improves as the head of the church urged politicians to leave aside differences to rebuild the country struck by the Easter Sunday bombings that killed nearly 360 people. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the head of the local Catholic church, said that Easter Sunday's attacks were coordinated by an organised group with powerful nations behind them and also noted that these attackers had no religion. All Catholic churches were asked to stop public mass until the security situation improves, Cardinal Ranjith's office quoted him as saying. "There will be no public mass said until further notice," an official said. He urged the government to leave aside all political differences and work together at this time to rebuild the country again. Sri Lankan media and some ministers have criticised the rift between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after it emerged that authorities had prior intelligence from India and the US about the possible attacks by the National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) jihadist group. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of a local Islamist extremist group NTJ, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches, two of them Catholic, and three luxury hotels packed with Easter worshippers on Sunday. Security has been beefed up in Sri Lanka as the army increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. Also, drone flights were banned and licences issued to commercial operators were suspended with immediate effect. The Sri Lankan authorities Thursday intensified their raids with the help of the army and arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the country's worst terror attack that killed nearly 360 people and left over 500 injured. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka still faced more attacks and authorities were now targeting "sleepers" -- terrorists who could activate to initiate another round of bombings, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned Thursday. Facing public criticism for not acting against Islamist extremist groups in the island nation, Wickremesinghe said some of the suspected attackers responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings were being monitored by the country's intelligence services. But authorities did not have "sufficient" evidence to place the suspected attackers in custody prior to the attacks, he said. Authorities have accused the little-known National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) of carrying out the devastating blasts that tore through three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday, killing over 350 people, including 11 Indians and injuring nearly 500 others. After the country's worst terror attacks, the prime minister has acknowledged that he was not privy to prior intelligence inputs about possible terror attacks in the country. Wickremesinghe told CNN that he did not rule out the possibility of more attacks in the country. He said authorities were now focussing on "sleepers" -- terrorists who could activate to initiate another round of attacks. "Police and security forces are rounding up those involved, but they're also rounding up the sleepers, those used on second and third rounds (of attacks)," he said. "The danger has come down drastically, (but) we do have to pick up some more sleepers, which we will do in the next few days." He said that security services were acting out of an abundance of caution, and that should even one militant slip through the net, the damage could be widespread. "It is a precaution that we are taking, we want to be sure we have everyone in," Wickremesinghe said. "They are worried that one or two could get into a church -- (even) one person can do a lot of damage." The Archdiocese of Colombo Thursday suspended all Catholic church services because of security concerns. The prime minister reiterated that the attackers were middle- and upper-middle class and had been educated abroad. He added that the profile of the suspected bombers was "surprising." A prominent spice trader and father of two suicide bombers, Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, is in custody on suspicion of aiding and abetting suspects, Sri Lankan police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Ibrahim is the founder of Colombo-based Ishana Exports, one of the country's largest exporter of spices. Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim -- one of the two sons of Ibrahim, who blew himself up in Sunday's attacks -- detonated a device at the Cinnamon Grand hotel in Colombo. Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim and his brother Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim were previously identified as two of the suicide bombers in Sunday's attacks, which left at least 359 people dead across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Islamist extremist group behind the deadly Easter Sunday blasts in Sri Lanka would have been planning the suicide attacks for "at least 7 to 8 years" and could be led by someone having the calibre of slain LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakaran, according to Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. Speaking during the emergency debate in Parliament, Fonseka, who led the Sri Lankan military that vanquished the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009, was quoted by the media as saying that the Easter attacks were a long planned one. "It took 12 years for the LTTE to carry out a suicide attack on the then Defence Minister Ranjan Wijeyaratne. Therefore, these people must have planned the recent attack at least seven to eight years ago," he said on Wednesday. "The LTTE's terrorism was markedly different as it was an organisation fighting to divide the country. Its motives were political, whereas this group is pushing a religious agenda," the 68-year-old Field Marshal said, apparently referring to the little-known National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ). Authorities have accused the NTJ of carrying out the devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday, killing over 350 people, including 11 Indians and injuring nearly 500 others. Daily Mirror quoted Fonseka as saying that the group that carried out Sri Lanka's worst terror attack, might have already established a leader of Prabakaran's calibre. Prabhakaran is generally credited with perfecting the recruitment and use of suicide bomber units of Tamil Tigers against the Lankan military and political leaders. On Tuesday, the Islamic State said it had carried out the attacks, and released a propaganda video of men it says were the bombers, pledging allegiance to the group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In the video, all but one of the seven men can be seen with their faces covered. Three of them were holding knives. The bearded man with his face uncovered has been named as the suspected ringleader, Sri Lankan Islamist preacher Zahran Hashim. It is unclear if Hashim was among the suicide bombers. Fonseka also criticised the government for ignoring the advance intelligence on the attack. "I regret that the intelligence reports on the recent attack were ignored," he was quoted as saying by Ceylon Today. Fonseka, described as Sri Lanka's most successful general, also criticised the government for not consulting him earlier in the aftermath of the massive attack. "I was given a chance to meet the Prime Minister 48 hours after the terror attack. I did not earn the title Field Marshal for selling snacks in Galle Face," he said, referring to the ocean-side urban park in Colombo. "There is no member in this Government who has more knowledge than I have with regard to national security related matters. If there is any such person, I will give this title to him. This Government never uses our knowledge. I do not need any positions. Just utilise the knowledge of people like me to ensure national security," he said in Parliament. He also said the Easter Sunday tragedy was the result of a "weak" government and faulted President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and defence officials for the country's worst terror attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Environmental protesters glued themselves together in front of the London Stock Exchange on Thursday, an AFP reporter saw, as they wind up days of demonstrations that have blocked parts of the British capital. Members of Extinction Rebellion, who are demanding urgent action to tackle climate change, also said they staged a protest in the financial district of Canary Wharf by standing on top of trains on the Docklands Light Railway. "Many of the most environmentally destructive companies in the world have their stock market listings at the London Stock Exchange (LSE)," the group said in a statement. "This institution literally trades in the devastation of our planet." Seven protesters could be seen at the building's entrance, as police attempted to separate them. Trading opened as normal on Thursday. It is the latest stunt by the group which had just declared the end of an 11-day campaign of disruption across London, which at points blocked high profile locations including Oxford Street, Parliament Square, Waterloo Bridge. More than 1,000 people have been arrested over the action and dozens have been charged. Extinction Rebellion wants Britain's government to declare a climate and ecological emergency, act to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. Their tactics of sitting down in the middle of busy roads and refusing -- peacefully -- to move have proved remarkably effective, with police struggling to remove them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With polls ending for all 28 LoK Sabha constituencies in Karnataka, Congress and BJP turned their focus Thursday on finalising candidates for Chincholi and Kundgol assembly constituencies for the May 19 by-elections. BJP held its core committee meeting under theleadership of state chief B S Yeddyurappa to finalise itscandidates for both the assembly segments. Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao too held meetings to discuss the preparations for the by-election and selection of candidates. Congress and JD(S) have decided to go to polls together by fielding a consensus candidate from the grand old party, as both seats were held by it. The outcome of by-polls along with Lok Sabha resultsis crucial for the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance as it would have a bearing on the longevity of the coalition government, triggering the number game in the assembly. By-poll to Chincholi was necessitated as Umesh Jadhav quit as Congress MLA and joined the BJP to contest Lok Sabha pollsfrom Gulbarga, while Kundgol seat fell vacant following thedeath of MLA and Minister C S Shivalli. The last date to file nomination is on April 29. Speaking to reporters after the core committee meeting Yeddyurappa said, "We have recommended one name each for boththe constituencies to Delhi (party central leadership) afterdiscussion. It will be finalized tomorrow and from Delhi the candidates will be announced. We will win both the seats andwe are making all preparations." "We also discussed prospects of Lok Sabha polls. According to our leaders and feed back received from various places we will win minimum 22 seats (out of 28). We have thatconfidence. We may win even more," he added. According to top BJP sources, names of former MLA Chikkangoudra Siddangouda Ishwargoud and Ramachandra Jadhav have been recommended by the state BJP to high command for Kundgol and Chincholi assembly constituencies' respectively. While Chikkangoudra Siddangouda Ishwargoud had lostto Shivalli from Kundgol in 2018 assembly polls, RamachandraJadhav is the brother of Umesh Jadhav. Congress too is expected to finalise its candidates for Kundgol and Chincholi seats by Friday. ".. we will decide tomorrow on whom to field, after discussing with our high command, general secretary and Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress leader in Lok Sabha)," KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters after meeting party leaders fromboth the constituencies. "There are many aspirants, there is enthusiasm in both places, which we held, and all are united to retain it. All ofus will fight together and we will strategise accordingly. We will win both seats," he said, adding JD(S) has extendedsupport to Congress in both constituencies. According to Congress sources, several party leaderswere keen on fielding Shivalli's widow Kusuma from Kundgol, while Baburao Chavan and Subash Rathod are front runners in Chincholi. Both seats would go for by-polls on May 19 and results would be declared on May 23 along with Lok Sabha poll results. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lashing out at the BJP, BSP supremo Mayawati Thursday said this Lok Sabha election will see the end of those who chant "Namo, Namo". The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was addressing a joint rally with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Dimple Yadav, the sitting SP MP and wife of Akhilesh Yadav, is seeking re-election from the seat as the joint candidate of the SP-BSP alliance. "This election will see end of those chanting 'Namo, Namo'," she said at the rally. Playing the caste card to the hilt, Mayawati reminded the electorate that the Congress did not implement the Mandal Commission report. She also told the gathering that when the Congress was in power, it did not give Bharat Ratna to BR Ambedkar. Mayawati also hit out at the BJP government at the Centre, charging it paid lip service to the poor, the downtrodden, the youth and farmers by making lofty promises and not fulfilling any. "Chowkidari ki nataak baazi nahin chalegi," she said in reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BSP supremo made a fervent appeal to the voters to re-elect SP candidate Dimple Yadav by pressing the 'Cycle' button. At the same time, she urged voters to ensure transfer of votes to BSP candidates fielded elsewhere as joint nominees of the alliance to ensure a clean sweep by the SP-BSP alliance in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ongoing Lok Sabha election will see the end of those chanting "Namo, Namo", BSP supremo Mayawati said on Thursday, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed confidence that the SP-BSP-RLD alliance will give a new prime minister to the country. Both the former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers were addressing a joint poll rally here, along with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Ajit Singh, in favour of Dimple Yadav, the joint candidate of the opposition alliance from Kannauj. Dimple, the sitting Samajwadi Party (SP) MP and the wife of Akhilesh Yadav, is seeking re-election from this parliamentary seat. "This election will see the end of those chanting 'Namo, Namo' and pave the way for those who shout Jai Bheem. Seeing your response, it appears that you are going to ensure the victory of the alliance candidates," Mayawati told the crowd. Yadav called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "prachar mantri", or minister for publicity, and claimed that the SP-BSP-RLD combine in Uttar Pradesh will give the country a new PM. "Last time he came as a 'chaiwala' (tea seller) and you tasted his tea. This time he has come as a chowkidar (watchman)," he mocked Modi. "This alliance will give a new prime minister to the country and we will make a new Bharat," the SP chief said. He added that the opposition alliance is aimed at ensuring social justice and taking forward the ideals of B R Ambedkar, Ram Manohar Lohia, Kanshi Ram and Mulayam Singh Yadav. Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over demonetisation, Yadav said, "Has demonetisation eradicated corruption? Where is the black money? They have made the country hollow with their policies." Earlier, his wife Dimple claimed that the BJP was conspiring to deprive the backward classes and Dalits of education and employment. Playing the caste card to the hilt, Mayawati reminded the electorate that the Congress did not implement the Mandal Commission report. She also said when the Congress was in power, it did not give Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar. "During its long rule in the country and in UP, the Congress did nothing to eradicate poverty and unemployment. The migration from UP for jobs started during its rule. It also did not fill the Dalit, backward classes and Scheduled Tribe quotas during its rule," the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief said, adding that the grand old party was ousted from power for its "faulty policies". Hitting out at the BJP government at the Centre, she accused it of paying lip service to the poor, downtrodden, youth and farmers by making lofty promises and not honouring any. Taking a dig at Modi, Mayawati said "the drama of being a watchman will not work" and added that due to its "communal and faulty economic policies", the BJP government will be ousted in the ongoing polls. "In the last election, Modi had promised 'achche din', but people including the poor, youth, Dalits, OBCs, Muslims are facing a difficult time. While stray cattle has ruined crops, the casteist approach of the BJP on reservation for the backward classes, like the Congress, has demoralised people," she said, adding that no provision has been made for reservation in private sector jobs. Attacking the saffron party, Mayawati said the borders of the country are not safe in its rule, due to which terrorist attacks are taking place and jawans are being killed. "The government is misusing the CBI, the ED and the IT department for political gains," she alleged. Asking the gathering to remain alert against the BJP's propaganda, the BSP chief said, "The BJP is adamant to return to power by hook or by crook. At the time of election, it is trying to create a wave in its favour through opinions polls and surveys." On Dimple Yadav, Mayawati said, "After the alliance, I consider her as bahu (daughter-in-law) and have a special relation with her that will continue. Akhilesh also respects me."Describe the opposition alliance as a movement for social justice, she said the "BJP and company" will be trying to create differences with their absurd statements, but "we will not get incited by their propaganda". Mayawati made a fervent appeal to the voters to re-elect Dimple Yadav by pressing the "Cycle" button, while urging them to ensure the transfer of votes to BSP candidates fielded elsewhere to ensure a clean sweep by the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Slamming Modi, Yadav asked the crowd whether it wanted a "pradhan mantri" or a "prachar mantri". He said soldiers were being killed every day and promised Rs 1 crore to their families if voted to power. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that he intended to scrap one of the country's most prestigious post-graduate schools, the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, which counts four heads of state among its graduates. "We will need to abolish the ENA, among others, to be able to build something else," he said of the institution in the eastern city of Strasbourg that has educated top French politicians and public officials since 1945. ENA graduates, known as "Enarques" in France, form a network of influence that stretches across the top echelons of politics and business, making it a target for critics of the French establishment for decades. Macron said he was against making other reforms to the institution, which has been criticised for failing to admit a diverse group of students. "If you keep the same structures, then the habits are too strong, the habits remain," Macron said. Macron is the fourth French president to have been schooled at the ENA after Valery Giscard d'Estaing, Jacques Chirac and Francois Hollande. Macron was expected to announce the decision to abolish the ENA last week in a speech that was cancelled because of a fire at the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Cutting the ENA is part of wider efforts announced by Macron to reform the vast French public administration which he believes needs to be leaner and more diverse. The ENA was created in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II when France needed to rebuild its civil service, parts of which had collaborated with France's Nazi occupiers during the conflict. It succeeded initially in opening up the vast public administration to people drawn from different backgrounds, rather than the bourgeoisie and aristocracy which had traditionally dominated the French state. But in recent decades studies have shown its intake narrowing increasingly to the children of wealthy families, often those with past links to the school, despite an entrance exam which is open to everyone and supposedly meritocratic. Patrick Gerard, the school's director, acknowledged on Wednesday that only 19 per cent of current students had a parent from a blue-collar background. "We need to do better," he said in a column for Le Figaro newspaper which pleaded for the school to be spared. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is pretty cut up about Prime Minister Narendra Modi going public with the gift of kurtas and sweets that she sent him, saying he had made a "political issue" of the "courtesy" shown by her. Modi had said in a televised interview on Tuesday that the Trinamool Congress supremo sends him kurtas, which she chooses personally for him, and Bengali sweets, every year. "What is wrong in sending kurtas? We send gifts to many important people during Durga Puja. You are trying to make a political issue by divulging this information. "I show you (Modi) so much courtesy and you come here and abuse me," Banerjee told an election rally here. She said she sends clothings made by famous weavers from her state and sweets to not only Modi but a hundred other people on their birthdays and other occasions but nobody made an issue out of it. She claimed in doing so the prime minister was "trying to build his image, but this is not the way to do it". Banerjee said she does not do the "politics of riots and murder" and asked whether Modi had forgotted the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002 when he was the chief minister. The fiery TMC leader's angry outburst notwithstanding, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh was appreciative of Banerjee's gesture, saying it was the "right thing" to do and even calling her "our guardian". "If Mamata Banerjee sent sweets, I think she did the right thing. If she has shown respect, I think there is no mistake in it. I also believe in the same principle and think that all politicians must do it," Ghosh told a press conference at the Kolkata Press Club. He recalled how Banerjee called him up to inquire about his health when he was unwell. "She is not only our chief minister but also our guardian," he said, apparently trying to use a dash of sweetness to cut through the poll-time acridity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special court for CBI cases here has sentenced a 38-year-old man to life imprisonment for fraudulently obtaining loans of over Rs 2.80 crore from the Andhra Bank in 2008. Then manager of the bank's Ghodbunder branch in neighbouring Thane was awarded 10 years' jail term, while three others were sentenced to three years' imprisonment for conspiracy on Thursday. Besides awarding him life imprisonment, CBI Judge S R Tamboli also imposed a fine of Rs 3.13 crore on prime accused Rajendra Patil. Bandlamudi Mahipal, the former branch manager, was ordered to pay Rs 3.40 lakh. The accused were held guilty under IPC Sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) as well as under the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the prosecution, Patil approached Andhra Bank's Ghodbunder Road branch for a vehicle loan and a loan against property in 2008. Initially, he had applied for a loan of Rs 2.03 crore to purchase 15 high-end luxury cars, claiming that the vehicles were to be given on lease to Kent Cars Private Limited at a monthly rent of Rs 11.25 lakh. Later, probe revealed that Patil had submitted fake documents such as bogus car registration cards, and had not bought cars with the loan he obtained. He was also disbursed a loan of Rs 80 lakh against a flat in Thane. Later it came to light that Patil had tried to obtain another loan using the same flat as collateral from the Abhyudaya Co-operative Bank. Upon verification, the co-operative bank found that the flat ownership documents he had submitted were fake. The probe revealed that Patil obtained loans fraudulently from the Andhra Bank in connivance with Mahipal and others. The prosecution examined 50 witnesses during the trial, said public prosecutor Jitendra Kumar Sharma. Patil has two more similar cases pending against him in the same court, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man was arrested in Tamil Nadu for allegedly killing his former employer's 70-year-old father in suburban Borivali last week, police said on Thursday. The accused, identified as Mahesh Chandra Gouda, who hailed from Karnataka, used to work in the shop of the victim's son earlier, police said. According to police, Waman Malhar Joshi was murdered by an unidentified person while he was alone at his residence on April 18. His son Vilas Joshi, 35, lodged a complaint in this connection and a case under section 302 (murder) of IPC was registered, a police official said. "During the probe, it came to light that the attacker had also looted Rs 10,000 from the house. Accordingly, relevant sections of the IPC were added in the case," he said. Police suspected the role of persons known to the victim and accordingly started keeping a tab on the movement of the victim's relatives as well as the people who worked in Joshi's shop. "It was learnt that Gouda, who used to earlier work in the complainant's shop, had come to Mumbai on April 16. Police informers confirmed that Gouda had returned to his village in Karnataka," the official said. However, he was later nabbed from Tamil Nadu on Wednesday night, the officer added. Further investigation is on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 35-year-old man, who was on the run after allegedly killing his wife in suburban Wadala, was Thursday arrested from Ghaziabad in Uttar Praedsh, police said. The arrest was made by sleuths of Wadala Truck Terminal (WTT) police station. "The accused, Fazhul Rahman Qureshi alias Kaptan Qureshi, had killed his wife Rita Jaiswar (32) by slitting her throat last Saturday over some domestic issue concerning money," a police official said. The incident had taken place at Kamlanagar at Wadala East. "After the murder, he fled from the area. However, police kept an eye on his movement by tracking the location of his mobile. They found that he was moving towards Delhi," Rajendra Sangle, senior inspector of WTT police station, said. Police found that he had travelled via Surat, Vadodara and Meerut. Two teams were sent on his trail- one in railway and another in plane. "Based on a specific information, police nabbed him in Ghaziabad, where he was staying at his relative's residence. He was brought to Mumbai and arrested for the murder of his wife," he said, adding that Qureshi was produced before a court, which remanded him in police custody. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 25-year-old man was sentenced to 20-year rigourous imprisonment by a court here on Thursday for raping a three-and-a-half-year-old girl last year, police said. Ajay Rai alias Taxi, a resident of Bangali Basti of Kota city, was convicted by the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court, special public prosecutor (SPP) Ritesh Mewara said. A fine of Rs 2.10 Lakh was also imposed on the convict, he added. The convict had on September 18, 2018 taken the sleeping minor girl to his home when her family members were at a temple and raped her, the SPP said. A case was registered under sections of the POCSO Act in Dadabari police station. The POCSO court termed the crime as a heinous one. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed the opposition for criticising ruling NDA for raking national security issue in election and asserted that rooting out terror is crucial to alleviation of poverty. The PM underlined national security as an important issue since the money spent on internal security could be better utilized for uplifting the conditions of the poor. He rejected the Congress claims of having waived farmers loans in states ruled by it and promise of doing the same across the country if voted to power and alleged that no poor dalit or adivasi gained from the loan waiver and only their "chela chapaati" (cronies) enjoyed the benefits. Modi mocked at regional satraps nursing prime ministerial ambitions by contesting only 40, 20 or even as in the case of Karnataka a mere eight Lok Sabha seats. They (the opposition) say, why does Modi keep on talking about terrorism? It is not an issue. The voters understand that national security and terrorism is an important issue but these selfish dynasts are unable to realize this simple fact, he told an election rally in this north Bihar town. About 350 lives were lost in the terrorist strikes in Sri Lanka this week. Factories of terror are running in our neighborhood. Yet they have the temerity to say it is not an issue, remarked Modi with regard to opposition parties taking exception to his having sought votes in the name of the Balakot air strikes to avenge Pulwama killing of 40 jawans. The poor of my country have paid the heaviest price for terrorism. Earlier, such elaborate security measures were not seen for the VIPs, police deployment was not made on this scale in front of temples, mosques and gurudwaras nor intensive checking was required at railway stations and bus terminuses, Modi said. But in the last 40 years, we have been forced to spend our resources for upgrading our security apparatus, which could be better spent on building schools and hospitals for the poor, he said. It is the poor who comprise the lower ranks of our security forces. Because of the tense situation they are made to work non-stop for days together, not even getting a chance to sleep a wink. And if some lapse takes place they end up losing their jobs. It is in this way that terrorism has made the poor suffer. The money that could have been spent on improving their lives is being spent by the state on purchasing weapons," he added. Thus, rooting out terror is crucial to alleviation of poverty. National issue may not be an issue for the Mahamilavati (adulterated) gang. But for the new India it is a very big issue. This new India will chase the terrorists to their hideouts and destroy their network, Modi said evoking applause. Referring to the Darbhanga module, often spoken about by agencies involved in counter-terror operations, Modi said it is this type of thinking (national security not being an issue) that brought disrepute to this town. But now you have an alert chowkidar. No militants nor any module is going to survive. The prime minister also claimed those who had been demanding proofs of air strikes have been taken aback by the public mood during the three phases of elections wherein nearly 300 constituencies went to polls. So now they have trained their guns on Modi and EVMs. Rubbishing manifestos brought out by the Congress during polls as dhakosla patra (documents of hypocrisy), Modi said they had promised full electrification in their 2004 manifesto by 2009. That did not happen and you reposed your trust in this chowkidar five years later. I had promised, speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort that 18,000 villages would be electrified within 1,000 days. The promise was fulfilled before that. Rejecting the Congress claims of having waived farmers loans in states ruled by it and promise of doing the same across the country if voted to power, Modi alleged no poor Dalit or Adivasi benefits from their loan waiver. Only their chela chapaati (cronies) enjoy its benefits. Mocking at regional satraps nursing prime ministerial ambitions, Modi said those eyeing the top post in the country included leaders who are contesting only 40, 20 or even as in case of Karnataka a mere eight Lok Sabha seats. Can such people be entrusted with a task like fighting terror, Modi asked evoking a loud Nahin from the crowds and added your chowkidar can do the needful only with the help of your vote. Do remember even when you vote for any of our allies that your vote would be going to your chowkidar. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan were also present at the prime ministers rally. In an apparent reference to local RJD candidate Abdul Bari Siddiqui, who had said a few days ago that he could not recite Vande Mataram because of his monotheistic religious beliefs though he had no problem with saying Bharat Mata Ki Jai, the prime minister quipped should not such people be made to forfeit their deposits. Siddiqui is locked in a straight contest with BJPs Gopal Ji Thakur in Darbhanga. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday defended himself against opposition criticism for raking up the issue of national security during the election campaign, asserting uprooting terrorism is crucial to poverty alleviation. He underlined that national security is an important issue as the money spent on it could be utilised in a better way for the uplift of the poor. The prime minister rejected the Congress's claim of having waived farmers' loans in states ruled by it and the promise of replicating the measure across the country, if voted to power. He alleged that no poor dalit or adivasi gained from the loan waiver and only the opposition party's "chela chapaati" (cronies) enjoyed the benefits. Modi mocked regional satraps for nursing prime ministerial ambitions even while contesting only 20-40 or as little as eight seats in the case of Karnataka. "They (the opposition) ask why does Modi keep on talking about terrorism? It is not an issue. The voters understand that national security and terrorism are important issues but these selfish dynasts are unable to realise this simple fact," he told an election rally in this north Bihar town. He spoke about the killing of over 350 people in terror attacks on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. "Factories of terror are running in our neighborhood. Yet, they have the temerity to say it is not an issue," Modi said, in an apparent reference to opposition parties taking exception to his invoking Balakot air strikes to avenge the Pulwama killing of 40 CRPF troopers during his election speeches. The prime minister said elaborate security was not required for VIPs in the past, nor was police deployed in front of places of worship on a scale that is witnessed today. There was also no need for intensive checking and frisking at railway stations and bus terminuses. In the last 40 years, he said, the country was forced to spend huge resources for upgrading the security apparatus. "That money could have been spent on building schools and hospitals for the poor," he said. Highlighting the hardship faced by low-ranking personnel in security forces, he said, they come from poor background, and because of the tense situation, they are forced to work non-stop for days together without getting even a wink of sleep. He said in the event of any lapse, they end up losing their jobs. "It is in this way that terrorism has made the poor suffer. The money that could have been spent on improving their lives is being spent by the state on purchasing weapons. "Rooting out terrorism is crucial to alleviation of poverty. This national issue may not be an issue for the Mahamilavati (a motley band of disparate parties) gang, but for New India it is a very big issue. This New India will chase terrorists and destroy their network," Modi said, evoking loud cheers. Referring to the 'Darbhanga module', often spoken about by counter-terror agencies, Modi said it is because of the mindset of neglecting national security that has brought disrepute to this town. "But now you have an alert chowkidar (watchman). No militant nor any module is going to survive," he asserted. The prime minister claimed those demanding proof of Balakot air strikes earlier have changed tack after gauging the public mood and are now training their guns on EVMs. "They have seen the public mood after three phases of polling in nearly 300 constituencies. Those who were earlier seeking evidence of the air strikes, are now after EVMs," he said. Rubbishing the election manifestos of the Congress as dhakosla patra (documents of hypocrisy), Modi said the party had in its 2004 manifesto promised full electrification by 2009 which it failed to keep. Modi said, while speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort after becoming the prime minister, he had promised that 18,000 villages would be electrified within 1,000 days. "The promise was fulfilled even before that," he claimed. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan were present at the prime minister's rally. In an apparent reference to RJD candidate for the seat Abdul Bari Siddiqui, who had said a few days ago that he could not recite Vande Mataram because of his monotheistic religious beliefs though he had no problem with chanting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', the prime minister said people should ensure such contestants forfeit their security deposit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government at the Centre of putting up roadblocks to development of mega projects in West Bengal. Modi has in several election rallies accused Banerjee of being the 'speed breaker' in the path of development of the state. Banerjee claimed that the MOU for the Deucha Pachami coal block in Birbhum district said to be the second largest globally, was delayed by the Centre for three years. The Centre had allotted the coal block to the state in 2018. The chief minister, who was addressing poll rallies at Suri in Birbhum district and in the industrial hub of Durgapur, said "It is the Centre which is putting up roadblocks to the path of development of the state. They (the Centre) said they wanted to do the Tajpur port, but when we asked them to construct a bridge over the Ganga to connect Sagar Island to the mainland and offered them our 74 per cent stake in the port in lieu of it, they backed out. She claimed that the development that has taken place in West Bengal during the eight-year rule by TMC "had not taken place in 80 years". She mentioned various projects, including universities, medical colleges and hospitals, bridges and drinking water projects that have come up or are being built in Birbhum district under her government. Banerjee asserted that the Centre's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme is a copy of her 'Kanyashree' programme which had won the UNESCO award. "You are only copying West Bengal's Kanyashree programme, but have not been able to do that properly," she said and alleged that of the Rs 100 crore allotted for project (Beti bachao Beti padhao) "Rs 90 crore go for advertising PM Modi's name". Hitting out at Modi for his statement against TMC stating that 'goondaraj' is prevailing in Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's abode of Shantiniketan, she said "It is not a place for goondas. Modi babu you have not done your homework properly, it is the place of peace." Iterating that Modi is suffering from 'haratanka' (fear of loss), a charge she had made earlier, Banerjee said her party candidates will garner a larger number of votes if he comes more frequently to campaign in the state. Harping on Modi's frequent foreign trips, which has been often criticised by the opposition parties, Banerjee said "He used to say he is a chaiwala but has only toured foreign countries after becoming the prime minister". The prime minister had attacked Banerjee in a rally on Wednesday for her jibes on his foreign trips saying India's might was being acknowledged globally because of his foreign visits. She claimed that she has ensured the development of Tarapith temple complex and facilities for devotees. "But in five years you (Modi) have not been able to make a temple in the name of Ram," she said in an oblique reference to the saffron party's plans to build the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi was aimed at covering up his failure of fulfilling the promises made to the people there and demanded that he should apologise for "betraying" them. Modi held a mega roadshow in Varanasi, in a show of strength, with senior leaders and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath present on the occasion. "Optics are more important than results and that is why the roadshow is being taken out as the resolve of serving the people of Varanasi that Modi ji had taken, the commitment he had shown to purify Ganga Ma, he has been completely unsuccessful in that," Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak. The prime minister wants that people's cries get "drowned in today's noise and show", she alleged. "Ma Ganga ne bulaya hai (Mother Ganga has called me) was just a jumla and self-declared son of Ma Ganga has betrayed her. Neither Ganga was cleaned, nor Kashi was transformed into Kyoto. And because of this the people of Varanasi will give him their democratic rejection," Nayak said. "After the roadshow, Modi ji should also apologise. He will do 'Ganga aarti', but he should also apologise that a son has failed to serve his mother," she said. Modi has "failed" in fulfilling all the promises he made to the people of Varanasi, she claimed. Alleging that the promise to clean Ganga has proved to be a "mahajumla", Nayak said the National Green Tribunal has said not even one drop from the Ganga has been cleansed. "In the name of 'Vishwanath corridor', several houses were brought down. Weavers and handicraft industry has also suffered," the Congress spokesperson said. She also hit out at the prime minister over the condition of farmers in Varanasi. The Congress on Thursday fielded Ajay Rai from Varanasi to take on Modi, ending speculation on a possible blockbuster electoral duel between Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the prime minister. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary chargesheet against former Haryana chief minister O P Chautala in connection with a money-laundering case on Thursday. The agency mentioned in the chargesheet that immovable assets worth Rs 3.68 crore were attached by it on April 13 in relation to four properties in Delhi, Panchkula and Sirsa. It said the investigation conducted so far under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had revealed that Chautala laundered the disproportionate assets by depositing illegal cash in the bank accounts of his and his family members. The ED said this was done to avoid the back trail of money, merge the illegal cash with genuine income and show it as untainted. This laundered money was further used to purchase new properties or carry out construction on the already acquired properties. The chargesheet was filed before special judge Kamini Lau, who posted the matter for consideration on May 16. Referring to Chautala's affidavits filed before the 2005 and 2009 Haryana Assembly polls, the agency said he had disclosed his assets to publicly project the tainted properties as untainted. "During the period between May 24, 1993 and May 5, 2006, O P Chautala, while functioning as a public servant (the CM of Haryana), allegedly acquired assets disproportionate to his income to the tune of Rs 6,09,79,026. The value of the disproportionate assets acquired by O P Chautala is in the form of various movable and immovable properties which constitutes 'proceeds of crime' in this case. "The calculation of these accumulated disproportionate assets of Chautala was based on oral and documentary evidence collected by the CBI during investigation and included all sources of income and expenses. Chautala had invested these disproportionately acquired assets mainly in the following properties, a portion of which was used to purchase new properties and the rest was used to carry out construction activity on the already acquired properties," the chargesheet said. It added that it was suspected that there were more properties involved in money laundering that needed to be unearthed as there were many people who were yet to join the investigation. The ED told the court that the investigation in the case was in progress. "It is established that O P Chautala is involved in activities connected to proceeds of crime, including its concealment, possession, acquisition and projecting the proceeds of crime as untainted property and thus, shall be guilty of the offence of money laundering," it said. The agency had earlier informed the court that disproportionate assets worth Rs 6.09 crore were "illegally generated" by Chautala between May 1993 and May 2006 through corruption and were projected as untainted property by utilising those in the construction and acquisition of movable assets. Chautala is currently serving a jail term for illegally recruiting 3,206 Junior Basic Trained (JBT) teachers in Haryana in 2000. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had on March 26, 2010 named the former Haryana chief minister in a chargesheet, indicting him for allegedly possessing assets worth Rs 6.09 crore. The ED had filed a separate case based on the CBI's FIR. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Mozambican court has sentenced 37 people in prison for their involvement in deadly radical Islamist attacks that have killed about 200 people over the past 18 months, a court official said Thursday. The accused have been jailed for between 12 and 40 years for taking part in attacks in the volatile northern Cabo Delgado province, a gas-rich region near the Tanzania border. Of the 37 convicted, ten were sentenced to a cumulative count of 40 years in prison for crimes including voluntary homicide and possession of prohibited weapons, Judge Geraldo Patricio said during his ruling on Wednesday. Another 24 defendants were jailed for 16 years for crimes against the state and association to commit a crime. Three others, aged under 21, received 12 year sentences. The trial was the first of five criminal proceedings relating to the attacks, involving some 200 defendants. Out of those, the courts have acquitted 143 people and about 20 suspects fled before facing trial. "It was a very complex process, consisting of more than two thousand pages," Zacarias Nhapatima, a court spokesman, told AFP. "The judge of the case has been able to thoroughly study case by case, to the point of giving a solution," he said. Radical Islamist fighters -- reportedly seeking to impose Sharia law in the Muslim-majority province -- have terrorised remote communities, killing some 200 people since October 2017. The extremists belong to a group originally known as Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama -- Arabic for "followers of the prophet" -- but commonly referred to by locals and officials as "Al-Shabaab". It has no known link to the notorious Somali group. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Abdul Gani Turk, a 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict lodged at the Nagpur Central Jail, died here Thursday, an official said. Turk, 68, was lodged in the Nagpur Central Jail since 2012. Convicted for planting a bomb at Century Bazar, one of the 12 sites devastated by serial blasts in the country's financial capital on March 12, 1993, Turk was serving life imprisonment after his death sentence was commuted. At least 257 people died in the blasts. Jail superintendent Rani Bhosle told PTI that Turk was not keeping well for some time and was taken to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here on April 22. Later he was brought back and being treated at the prison hospital. He fell unconscious Thursday morning and rushed to the GMCH where he was declared dead around 12.45 pm, she said. He had suffered paralysis last year. The cause of death will be known after autopsy report is available, the superintendent added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister Smriti Irani Thursday said people of the parliamentary constituency here were deprived of basic facilities even after many years of independence. She is contesting the Lok Sabha polls against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi from Amethi. Addressing an election meeting in Tiloi assembly segment, the Minister of Textiles said, "In the five years, I have gone to various villages of Amethi and seen that people are still deprived of basic facilities even after so many years of independence. "Villages do not have roads and farmers are worried as there is no irrigation facility," she said. Taking a jibe at her political opponent Rahul Gandhi, Irani said "naamdar" (famous) do not want development to reach Amethi. "The 'naamdar' people want that you should remain backward, no development should take place, poverty should remain, the youth should remain unemployed and farmers should continue to languish, so that people of Amethi stand with folded hands before him and do not raise their voices," she said in an apparent reference to the Congress president. "The naamdar people will not even visit Amethi if they do not have to file the nomination papers," the minister said. Irani had lost to Gandhi in the 2014 general elections. "In 2014, Amethi had defeated me, but Modiji never did any discrimination with Amethi," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NASA, along with its international partners, is set to conduct a mock exercise that will play out a realistic -- but fictional -- scenario for an asteroid on an impact trajectory with Earth. The exercise will help the planetary defense community understand the important aspects of a possible disaster and identify issues for accomplishing a successful response. The real work of preparing for the possibility of an impact of near-Earth objects (NEOs) such as asteroids or comets goes on mostly out of the public eye, NASA said in a statement. In the spirit of better communication, next week at the 2019 Planetary Defense Conference, NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), and space science institutions, along with international partners, will participate in a 'tabletop exercise'. A tabletop exercise of a simulated emergency is commonly used in disaster management planning to help inform involved players of important aspects of a possible disaster and identify issues for accomplishing a successful response. Attendees at the conference will play out a fictional NEO impact scenario developed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Center for NEO Studies (CNEOS). "These exercises have really helped us in the planetary defense community to understand what our colleagues on the disaster management side need to know," said Lindley Johnson, NASA's Planetary Defense Officer. "This exercise will help us develop more effective communications with each other and with our governments," said Johnson. These exercises are not tightly scripted. The point is to investigate how NEO observers, space agency officials, emergency managers, decision makers, and citizens might respond to an actual impact prediction and evolving information. The exercise events will occur over the five days of the conference, with exercise leaders briefing participants on the status of the scenario at the end of each day and soliciting response ideas and feedback, based on the latest fictional data. The scenario begins with the fictional premise that on March 26, astronomers 'discovered' a NEO they consider potentially hazardous to Earth. After a 'few months' of tracking, observers predict that this NEO --dubbed 2019 PDC -- poses a 1 in 100 chance of impact with Earth in 2027. Participants in this exercise will discuss potential preparations for asteroid reconnaissance and deflection missions and planning for mitigation of a potential impact's effects. NASA has participated in six NEO impact exercises so far three at Planetary Defense Conferences (2013, 2015, 2017) and three jointly with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The three NASA-FEMA exercises included representatives of several other federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense and State. Each exercise builds on lessons learned in the previous exercise. What NASA has learned from working with FEMA is that emergency management officials are not focused on the scientific details about the asteroid. "What emergency managers want to know is when, where, and how an asteroid would impact and the type and extent of damage that could occur," said Leviticus Lewis, Response Operations Division for FEMA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Navy is working on a mega plan to significantly boost its operational capability by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft besides expand its overall influence in the strategic maritime zones, officials said Thursday. Under the plan, the Navy aims to have 200 ships, 500 aircraft and 24 attack submarines, they said. At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines. The plan was discussed extensively by top naval commanders at a three-day conference which concluded on Thursday. The Indian Navy will also come out with concrete plans to incorporate big data analytics and artificial intelligence for solutions in the domains of naval combat, logistics and several other key areas, the officials said. In his address, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba talked about various key issues pertaining to operational readiness, capability enhancement, operational logistics and infrastructure, Navy Spokesperson Capt. D K Sharma said. "Functional reorganisation of Indian Navy towards improving operational efficiency and optimal manning formed the core of discussions towards finalising the long term road map of the Navy," he said. Officials said the commanders explored ways to significantly bolster the Navy's operational capabilities in the wake of China's growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean region. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the conference on Tuesday during which she complimented the Navy for maintaining high operational readiness. In an indirect reference to Pakistan, Capt Sharma said she lauded the force for coercing an adversary into submission as was evident during the recent standoff. The Navy has been on maximum alert following the Pulwama strike and developments thereafter. "She appreciated the Navy's efforts in the area of indigenisation, self-reliance and support to the 'Make in India' initiative," he said. Sitharaman also reviewed combat readiness, pace of modernisation and progress of various acquisition and infrastructure related issues of the Navy. "She urged the naval commanders to optimally utilise available resources to build a strong Navy that is ready and vigilant to counter any challenge that may emerge in the maritime domain," said Capt. Sharma. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court to allow him to go abroad for medical treatment. Sharif, 69, serving seven-year jail term in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail since December last year, was given six-week bail on medical grounds on March 26 by the apex court to seek treatment within the country. His counsel Khawaja Haris filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, requesting that the bail order be amended to allow the former premier to go abroad for treatment. Haris in the petition maintained that Sharif is suffering from multiple heart-related ailments which could prove life threatening if proper medication was not provided. He said Sharif was recommended by doctors in Pakistan to seek treatment from his regular physicians in the UK. The petitioner also asked the court to rectify an error in the written order of March 26, which omitted verbal order that Sharif should apply for bail extension to the Islamabad High Court if he needed that. The petition also said Sharif has been going through "extreme stressful circumstances in the last two years which multiplied manifold with his wife's terminal illness and untimely demise". Sharif, thrice the prime minister of Pakistan, had been in jail following his conviction in Al-Azizia corruption case in line with the Supreme Court's July 2017 verdict that disqualified him and removed him from premiership. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FMCG major Nestle India said Thursday its shareholders have cleared a proposal for the continuation of royalty payments to its Swiss parent firm Societe des Produits Nestle SA. Shareholders also approved the proposal to seek their mandatory approval every five years for the fixation of royalty payment. All resolutions, including the "one for continuity of royalty payments" were approved with an overwhelming majority at the 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New Delhi, a company statement said. Commenting on the outcome of the AGM, Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestle India said: "I am humbled by the strong show of support from the shareholders. They have appreciated the Company's performance and shown faith in management's ability to deliver long term shareholder value. "The shareholders also appreciated the efforts towards societal initiatives, be it in the area of rural development, nutrition, water or steps taken towards managing plastic waste." The company had proposed for the continuation of payment of royalty to Societe des Produits Nestle S.A and also the approval of members every 5(five) years for that. Earlier, Nestle India had to amend the resolution in its notice dated March 12, 2019, to its shareholders, following suggestions from the group of its shareholders. Nestle India had then said that it would seek approval from its shareholders every five years over the royalty payment. "Respecting the feedback received and the commitment of the company to high standards of corporate governance including shareholder rights, approval of members shall be sought every 5 (five) years in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations," Nestle India informed the bourses in an addendum notice this week. Nestle India, had earlier proposed the payment of general licence fees (royalty) of 4.5 per cent of the net sales to its licensor "during any financial year". According to a media report, it was opposed by several minority shareholders and proxy advisory firms, contending that the move was against good corporate governance norms. In a separate filing, Nestle India said its board in a meeting held Thursday declared an interim dividend of Rs 23 per equity share for the year 2019. It has also approved re-appointment of Shobinder Duggal as Whole-time Director, designated as Executive Director - Finance & Control and CFO with effect from May 10, 2019, till December 31, 2019. Nestle India, which follows January-December fiscal year, had reported a revenue of Rs 11,292.27 crore in 2018. The company which primarily operates in the food and beverage space, has some powerful brands like Maggi, Nescafe, KitKat etc. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new mobile app was Thursday launched here to facilitate voters in the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat access information about the constituency, location of polling booths and facilities provided to the electorate. Called 'Vote Chandni Chowk', the app has been developed by a team of students of the Delhi Technological University (DTU) selected by the District Election Officer of North Delhi through a competition. "The app will allow voters to access information regarding the constituency, the 10 Assembly segments that fall within it, candidates, location of polling stations through Google maps and facilities that they can get there as voters," North Delhi District Electoral Officer Tanvi Garg said. On the polling day, voters will also be able to get updates every 30 minutes on the number of people standing in a queue at a polling station, she said. The app was launched by Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh, who urged Garg and his team to ensure that the facilities listed in the app are made available on the day of polling on May 12. He suggested that the local app for Chandni Chowk could be integrated with the voting percentage app so that people get regular updates on that as well. "It is a very good step towards empowering voters, as information is power. And, we will monitor this app for a while and if it is found to be successful, then it can be scaled up for other six constituencies too," Singh told reporters. Garg said the app, which went live on Google Playstore, can take "80,000 concurrent hits" and if needed, its server capacity can be ramped up later. "And application has already been sent to get the app certified for security," Garg, RO of Chandni Chowk, said, adding that all information shared would be kept on the servers of the NIC. The app will also have information regarding location of pick-up points for disabled and third gender voters, she added. The Chandni Chowk constituency currently has a total of 15,61,828 eligible voters, with 132 of them belonging to the third gender, according to information shared by the Delhi CEO office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says the United States acted in "bad faith" when he met President Donald Trump in Hanoi, and that the situation on the peninsula has reached a "critical point," state media said Friday. Kim made the comments during his first summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Thursday in Vladivostok, the Korean Central Agency reported, describing their talks as "unreserved and friendly". The North Korean leader said "the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point," KCNA said. Kim warned that the situation "may return to its original state as the US took an unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks," the agency added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As protests over the 'goof up' in declaration of results of intermediate exams entered the fourth day Thursday, Opposition parties led by the Congress met Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan and demanded a judicial inquiry into it. State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who led a delegation of leaders from the Congress, TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) met the Governor and demanded that an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh be paid to the families of the deceased. He also sought the suspension of the authorities concerned besides the dismissal of minister G Jagadeesh Reddy for his alleged incompetence and casual approach. The Board of Intermediate (BIE) should take up recounting and revaluation for every student, who applies, without any fee and not just those who failed, he said. The Governor assured to take efforts to ensure that the aggrieved students get justice, Reddy told reporters here. Congress leaders and workers staged demonstrations in front of district Collectors across the state. As many as 13 students had allegedly committed suicide so far, after they were declared 'failed' in the exams. A delegation led by BJP state unit president K Laxman also called on the Governor separately. Among other demands, they sought sacking of the minister and suspension of the board secretary, BJP sources said. Education Secretary B Janardhan Reddy Thursday said those who failed in the examinations need not apply for recounting or re-verification. Those who passed have to apply for recounting and reverification as per normal procedure, he added. In a relief to the students, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had Wednesday directed officials not to charge any fee for recounting and reverification of papers of students who failed in the exams. Rao, who held a meeting with Jagadeesh Reddy and officials on the declaration of results and subsequent developments, had directed expedition of the process of recounting and reverification in the interests of students. The advanced supplementary exam should be conducted and results declared at the earliest as students would have to appear for competitive exams like NEET and JEE, he had said. Also, he had asked officials to evolve a strategy for smooth conduct of exams and evaluation without any problem in future. The state government has constituted a three-member committee to look into the allegations of irregularities in the declaration of the results. The exams were conducted during February-March this year and the results were announced April 18. Many students and parents have been agitating against the alleged goof-up in the paper evaluation. Since Saturday last, they have been demanding a thorough reverification of papers of those who had failed. Some parents said their children were meritorious and expressed shock that they'd failed or scored very less marks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With half of polling for over in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that the leaders of the opposition parties have a long face as they know they will get 'zero battey sannata'. "Opposition leaders have a long face after half of polling is over as they know the outcome," he said at a public meeting here in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. Hitting back at the opposition for their strident criticism of his government, Modi said, "In the first half of campaigning, the opposition kept abusing Modi, but it did not materialise." "So, now in the remaining half, the opposition will keep abusing the EVMs," he said. His remarks came in the backdrop of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav complaining that EVMs were malfunctioning across the country during the third phase of polling on April 23. "The opposition will get 'zero battey sannata'," he said, playing on the name of a Hindi comic movie 'Nil Battey Sannata', which means zero divided by zero equals nothing a slang for good for nothing. Noted Bollywood actor Anupam Kher Thursday said the opposition's agenda was only to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from office and it does not talk about its blueprint or vision for the country. Exuding confidence in Modi's leadership, he said that under the prime minister the country was moving forward. "I have been living in America for the past nine months but I can see from social media and also sense that there is a wave in the prime minister's favour," said the actor, who accompanied his wife Kirron Kher for filing of nomination papers from the Chandigarh constituency. "Unfortunately, there is not much credibility with the other people (the opposition) except that they only talk about removing Mr Modi... They don't talk about what is their blueprint, what is their vision about India. They don't talk about what needs to be done or what they think they will do, rather their agenda is limited to removing Modi," he told PTI. He said there was a difference between a doer and criticiser and everybody wants a doer in this era. "Fine, in a democratic country you have the opposition but they need to give a (vision) of the road ahead," the actor said. About his MP wife, Kher said she has done remarkable work in five years. "She left her family and home in Mumbai and settled here for last four-and-a-half years..the party has given her a second chance on the basis of her work," he said. Kirron Kher has been pitted against former Union minister and Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal and AAP's Harmohan Dhawan. Earlier in the day, the BJP MP held a roadshow, which was attended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Haryana minister Capt Abhimanyu and city BJP president Sanjay Tandon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray said Thursday that Opposition parties, which do not even have a prime ministerial candidate, are making tall promises. He was addressing a rally at Chakan near Pune for Shiv Sena MP and candidate from Shirur Lok Sabha seat Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil. "We have a strong PM candidate in Narendra Modi. But if you ask them (Opposition) who is your PM candidate, they say first give us votes and we will see later. "Today they do not have PM candidate and these people talk about improving the condition of the country....first go and search for a leader," the Sena chief said. "Everyone in Opposition's alliance wants to sit in the PM's chair, but this is not a game of musical chairs," he quipped. Adhalrao Patil has a connection with the people of his constituency and he will win a fourth term with a bigger margin, Thackeray said. In a dig at actor Dr Amol Kolhe, who quit the Sena ahead of the polls and has been fielded by the NCP in Shirur, Thackeray asked people whether they wanted an MP who works for the constituency or someone who works in TV serials. On the bickering between the BJP and Shiv Sena, who are nevertheless contesting the elections together, Thackeray said he formed the alliance with the BJP for the sake of well-being of farmers and other sections of society. "The tiffs between the Sena and BJP were sour and sweet," he said. The Sena chief also said that "one should not make capital out of the valour of our Armed Forces", nor should anyone question the surgical strike and the air strike conducted by the forces after the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Utpal Parrikar, the elder son of late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, is one of the two persons shortlisted by the BJP to contest the upcoming bypoll in the Panaji Assembly seat, a party leader said on Thursday. Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar on Wednesday held discussions with various party units, including the Panaji block committee, to discuss the names of probables, he said. "Two names have been shortlisted, one is Utpal Parrikar and the other is Siddharth Kunkolienkar," the senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity. Both the names would be sent to the party's parliamentary board in New Delhi for a final decision, he added. The Panaji Assembly bypoll, scheduled on May 19, was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP MLA and the then chief minister Manohar Parrikar last month. Utpal Parrikar, 38, who has done a Masters degree course from the US and is presently into business, earlier said he would be ready to take any responsibility given to him by the BJP. Kunkolienkar first won the Panaji seat during the 2015 by-election. He again bagged the seat in the 2017 state Assembly polls, but vacated it later that year to make way for Manohar Parrikar to be inducted into the House. The opposition Congress has already announced former state minister Atanasio Monserratte as its candidate for the Panaji Assembly seat, which comprises around 22,000 voters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP alleged Thursday that there was a tacit understanding between NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray. Thackeray is holding rallies across Maharashtra, 'fact-checking' Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches and his government's claims, and asking people not to vote for the BJP. State minister and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde said it was obvious whose "script" Raj Thackeray's had adopted. "Pawar and Thackeray have addressed public rallies at different places, but their language is same. Pawar said the Modi government and BJP are heading for dictatorship. The same was repeated by Raj Thackeray," Tawde said here. While Pawar said Modi was seeking votes in the name of martyrs, the MNS president made the same allegation, he added. "People now know on whose script Raj Thackeray is working," the BJP leader said. Tawde also slammed the MNS chief for bringing Monica More, a railway accident victim, on stage at his rally in suburban Bhandup. "When Monica met with accident, the Congress was in power. But it didn't do anything for her. BJP MP Kirit Somaiya provided help to Monica," Tawde said. Instead of questioning the Congress and NCP, Thackeray was now posing questions to Somaiya, he said. Tawde also claimed that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was released by Pakistan due to the international pressure created by the Modi government. "If Pawar is claiming Abhinandan was released due to the Geneva convention, why Kulbhushan Jadhav (former Indian Navy officer who is in Pakistan's custody for alleged espionage) was not released? Pawar should admit that Abhinandan was released due to the Modi government's efforts," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police in the world's highest town are investigating the mysterious killing of seven men whose bodies were found with gunshot wounds inside a Peruvian gold mine. The prosecutors' office said in a statement Wednesday that they were "directing the first steps in the investigation to clarify the alleged murder of seven miners" at La Rinconada gold mine. Seven bodies with gunshot wounds to the head were discovered Monday by security guards inside a tunnel, located more than 5,000 meters (16,000 feet) above sea level. The mine's manager Policarpio Calla said none of the dead men were employed at the mine, where work had been suspended for the Easter holidays. Calla said the seven men could have entered the tunnel during the four-day holiday period to steal gold and clashed with another group. La Rinconada is the world's highest permanent settlement, perched atop Mount Ananea in the Peruvian Andes close to the Bolivian border. The population snowballed to around 50,000 during the 2000s when a spike in the price of gold drew tens of thousands of prospectors to brave the often sub-zero conditions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday held a mega roadshow here, taking his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, by storm a day ahead of filing his nomination papers. In a show strength, he was joined by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders. Modi started his seven-kilometer roadshow by first garlanding the statue of Banaras Hindu University founder Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. The prime minister, who was wearing a saffron kurta and scarf, was cheered by a massive crowd as his cavalcade passed through the Lanka and Assi areas of the city. He is scheduled to perform the 'Ganga aarti' at the Dashashwamedh Ghat. Before reaching Varanasi, Modi had tweeted: "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi." "There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!" he had tweeted. The show of strength takes place on a day the Congress ended all speculation about its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra taking on Modi in the city. The Congress has again fielded Ajay Rai from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. He had finished third in 2014. The BJP said JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will accompany Modi as he files his nomination around 11.30 am on Friday. Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will also be in attendance, the party said. On Friday, the prime minister will address booth heads and workers at 9.30 am and then offer his obeisance to Kal Bhairav at 11 am. "In this (nomination) programme, senior SAD leader and former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, central minister and president of the Lok Janshakti Party, Ram Vilas Paswan, will be present," the party had said in a press release. Leaders of the AIADMK, the Apna Dal and the North-East Democratic Alliance will also be present, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister of doing "injustice" to the people of the country in the last five years, saying the 'acche din ayenge' slogan has now been replaced by 'chowkidar chor hai'. Gandhi was addressing an election rally at Jalore in Rajasthan. "Demonetisation and GST were ways to rob poor, labourers, small traders, the Congress' NYAY scheme will benefit them," he said. "Five years ago there was a slogan 'acche din ayenge'. Now people say 'chowkidaar chor hai' everywhere in the country," Gandhi said while addressing the rally here. The president said if his party is voted to power, GST will be simplified, 22 lakh government jobs will be given in one year and no permission will be required for three years for start-ups. "Not a single farmer of the country will be jailed for not paying off bank loans if the voted to power," he said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing "injustice" to the people of the country in the last five years, saying the 'acche din ayenge' slogan has now been replaced by 'chowkidar chor hai'. He said there will be only one 'Hindustan' where justice will be done when the Congress is voted to power. During the day, Gandhi addressed election rallies at Jalore, Ajmer and Kota in Rajasthan. "If rich people are not jailed for not paying off loans then farmers too will not be jailed. If lakhs and crores are given to them then the same will be given to farmers, labourers, tribals, Dalits and small traders. There will be no injustice in Hindustan. The country will not be divided in two Hindustans. There will be one Hindustan where justice will be done," the Congress president said at a rally in Jalore. "PM Narendra Modi did injustice with people of the country in the last five years. Demonetisation and GST were ways to rob poor, labourers, small traders of their money, NYAY scheme will benefit them," he alleged. He said the Congress government will listen to people's 'mann ki baat' and run according to them. "Five years ago, there was a slogan 'acche din ayenge' (good days will come). Now people say 'chowkidar chor hai' (watchman is a thief) everywhere in the country," he said. Addressing a gathering in Ajmer, Gandhi said, "On one side there is Narendra Modi who speaks lies one after the other wherever he goes and on the other side, there is truth. Depositing Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts, two crore jobs every year, reasonable price for farmers' crops were all lies." He said the Congress had done brainstorming with eminent economists for minimum income guarantee 'Nyay' scheme to deposit Rs 72,000 annually in individual bank accounts of 25 crore poor people. The Congress president said that people of the country heard 'Mann ki Baat' in the past five years but the Congress' think-tank has done 'kaam ki Baat' by formulating the NYAY scheme. "I want to thank Modi Ji for opening bank accounts. I am going to deposit money of NYAY scheme in the same accounts. The money will be deposited directly in bank accounts of women of the families," he said at an election rally in Kota. Gandhi stressed that the money deposited through the NYAY scheme will move the wheels of the economy and create job opportunities for the youth. He said the Congress government, if voted to power, will fill 22 lakh government jobs in one year, separate budget for farmers, reservation for women in state assemblies, Parliament and in government jobs. He alleged that the prime minister is "protecting 15 rich people", including Mehul Choksi, Anil Ambani, Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi, who took bank loans worth several crore and did not pay back. Modi waived off loans of Rs 5.55 lakh crore of these people, Gandhi alleged. In Kota, he reiterated his statements that the country cannot be run by a single person or a party. "It is the common citizen's sweat and blood which has led to the development of the country but the prime minister says everything has been done after he assumed the charge," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rebuffing the oppositions criticisms that the ruling NDA is using the national security issue for electoral gains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said rooting out terror is essential so that the money can be used to improve the living conditions of the poor. Addressing a rally in this north Bihar town, Modi also claimed that Congress-led opposition was in jitters after the "favourable response" to the NDA in the first three phases of elections. He alleged, "The Mahamilavati gang has given up seeking proof of Balakot terror strikes and started finding fault with EVMs." In a veiled attack on Lalu Prasads RJD, the prime minister commended Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, for bringing electricity to the remotest village in the state and making the 'lantern' the opposition partys poll symbol redundant in Bihar. Both Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi were present on the dais. Modi also spoke about the "Darbhanga module" of home-grown terror and told the rally "rest assured, your chowkidar is alert" evoking a huge applause from the crowd, who chanted slogans in the prime ministers praise. In an indirect reference to the local RJD candidate Abdul Bari Siddiqui who had recently stoked a controversy saying he could not recite 'Vande Mataram' since it went against his monotheistic religious beliefs, Modi said "should not they be defeated in a manner that they have to forfeit their deposits". Modi also mocked at regional satraps nursing prime ministerial ambitions saying "even those who are contesting a mere 40, 20 or - as we see in Karnataka just eight seats seem to be standing in the queue.""Can these people be entrusted with the task of fighting terror?" Modi asked evoking a deafening 'Nahin' from the crowd, to which he replied "but your chowkidar cannot win this fight on his on. He must get your votes. "Remember whether you vote for the BJP candidate here or elsewhere or any nominee of our alliance partners, your vote would go to the chowkidar," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Thursday said the voters in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections have to choose between the BJP's development agenda and "anarchy" represented by the Congress-led opposition. He said the Congress-led UPA government had no guts to act when Mumbai was attacked by terrorists in 2008. Addressing an election rally in support of BJP-Sena alliance's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhiwandi Kapil Patil, he said the voters should give a second term to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fadnavis came down heavily on the Congress for its string of "failures" during its decades long rule in the country. During his almost half an hour speech, the BJP leader listed the achievements of the Modi government. "What the Congress gave to the common man during its 60-year rule was nothing but 'anachar' (misrule), 'brashtachar' (corruption), he said. Fadnavis said speeches of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders were "entertaining" as they are bereft of substance. The Congress government did not take any action after the 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai, he said, adding the then Prime Minister had no guts to punish Pakistan, from where the attackers had come. Attacking the Congress further, he said only Pakistan and the Rahul Gandhi-led party wanted proof of the causalities in the Balakot air strikes. Seeking support of electors for the BJP, he said these polls offer to the voters a choice between "those who are for development and those who are for anarchy". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Describing Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as a "merchant of lies", senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan Thursday alleged that the Odisha chief minister is misleading the people about the Centre's contribution to the state. The statement of Pradhan, also a Union minister, came hours after Patnaik accused the BJP led central government of contributing only 20 per cent of the cost of setting up two medical colleges in the state. "Patnaik is a merchant of lies. He has been misleading the people. The central government has contributed 60 per cent for the construction of two medical colleges at Balasore and Baripada," Pradhan claimed. Patnaik also alleged that a Union minister from Odisha has put up obstructions in setting up the two medical colleges. "The state government has set up the two medical colleges after obtaining the MCI (Medical Council of India) permission through the Supreme Court's Empowerment Committee," Patnaik said. However, Pradhan denied the allegations. On Patnaik's open invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attending his swearing-in ceremony after May 23, Pradhan said, "We have decided to invite Naveen Babu as a former chief minister to the BJP government's oath taking ceremony after election results are announced. I will ensure that Patnaik gets a seat next to the prime minister." At an election rally on Wednesday, Patnaik had given an open invitation to Modi to attend the BJD government's swearing-in ceremony after the declaration of results. He had claimed that his party has already secured majority to form the next government in the state after completion of the third phase of polling. During his visit to the state on April 23, Modi had said Patnaik's exit was certain in this election. Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha. BJP in-charge of Odisha, Arun Singh, has claimed that the saffron party will win all the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state and secure three-fourth majority in the assembly. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Thursday claimed that Malegaon blast accused and BJP candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat Pragya Singh Thakur stabbed a man in 2001. Thakur's conduct did not become of a 'Sadhvi' (ascetic or holy woman), the Congress leader said, speaking at a press conference here. "Pragya Thakur has a connection with our Chhattisgarh. Her brother-in-law worked at a warehouse in Bilaigarh (in Balodabazar district)," Baghel said, when asked whether the BJP was playing the 'Hindutva card' by fielding her. "She used to carry a knife and stabbed a young man named Shailendra Devagan in the chest with a knife in Bilaigarh in 2001," Baghel said. "Pragya also used to indulge in fights, and from the beginning her conduct was like that of a habitual criminal and not like that of a Sadhvi," the chief minister said. Thakur is currently out on bail. Rubbishing Baghel's claims, a BJP spokesperson said the Chhattisgarh CM should "talk sense". "Baghel ji should talk sense and refrain from making any statement sans proof. He should apologise for his outlandish remarks against Sadhvi ji or be ready to face a defamation suit from us," Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai said. Six people were killed and over 100 injured in a bomb blast at Malegaon, a communally sensitive textile town in north Maharashtra's Nashik district, on September 29, 2008. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Thakur and others in the case, alleging they were part of a Hindu extremist group which carried out the blast. The National Investigation Agency later gave Thakur a clean chit, but the trial court in Mumbai did not discharge her. She is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code sections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's Prince William arrived in New Zealand on Thursday for a two-day visit to commemorate wartime soldiers and visit survivors of last month's mosque attacks. The Duke of Cambridge attended an Anzac Day service in Auckland on Thursday morning alongside New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. During the service, William laid a wreath on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Anzac Day is a national holiday similar to Memorial Day in the US marking the anniversary of New Zealand and Australian soldiers, known as Anzacs, landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. More than 10,000 soldiers from the two countries were killed during that WWI campaign in what's now Turkey. William is scheduled to fly to Christchurch on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, he will visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. He plans to meet with first responders, Muslim leaders and survivors of the attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court Thursday said there was "favouritism and nepotism" in the allotment of residential quarters to police personnel in Tamil Nadu and ordered the launch of a website to facilitate an online application process. It also directed the state police chief to constitute a team to conduct inspections and collect particulars of illegal occupants and issue show-cause notice to them to vacate within 60 days from the date of receipt of notice. Justice S M Subramaniam gave the direction on a petition by M Ragupathy, who is working with the Police Department. The petitioner sought a direction to the Director General of Police to consider his representation for change of quarters. Disposing of the plea, the judge said, "This court is of the considered opinion that there are growing instances in the Police Department that quarters are allotted in violation of the rules in force. Police quarters are allotted based on favouritism and nepotism." ".... in the event of providing allotments by violating the rules, the other employees, who all are waiting to get quarters, will get frustrated and illegal actions of the higher officials would cause great injustice to other employees which is otherwise unconstitutional," he observed. The judge pointed out that it was the duty of the officials to adhere to the rules and regulations in the matter of allotment of accommodation to the police personnel. "Personal staff including P.A's, drivers, etc., of higher-ranked police officials are illegally allotted police quarters over and above their eligibility and in violation of seniority, more specifically, by depriving the rights of all other eligible employees, who all are longing to get quarters in accordance with their application seniority," he added. Observing that the court was acting like a voice for the voiceless police personnel, the judge ordered the DGP to constitute a team of officials to conduct inspections and collect particulars of illegal occupants and issue show-cause notice to them to vacate within 60 days. In the event of occupants failing to vacate the premises in 60 days, suitable action is to be initiated to evict them and take possession of the same for the purpose of allotting it to serving personnel who are awaiting the order of seniority, it added. On receipt of any complaint regarding illegal or irregular allotments or occupations, necessary action is to be initiated within 30 days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Quikr Thursday said it has acquired Zefo for an undisclosed amount, a move that will help the online classifieds major further scale its pre-owned goods business. "This first acquisition in Quikr's pre-owned goods category is in line with its overall strategy of going deeper in key verticals. The addition of Zefo makes Quikr the dominant leader in the market for quality-tested, refurbished products in India," Quikr said in a statement. It added that estimates suggest the quality-tested, pre-owned products market in India is forecast to reach USD 12-15 billion in the year 2020. Zefo is an online marketplace specialising in selling refurbished TVs, mobile phones and furniture. Quikr had launched its Quikr assured products and services -- catering to categories such as furniture, electronics, and appliances -- in the second half of last year. It has also launched franchised stores in Karnataka and Telangana to offer a touch-and-feel experience to consumers, especially in tier II-III cities. "The acquisition of Zefo is in line with the phenomenal consumer acceptance of the Assured products and services on our platform. Generally, a pre-owned product's price can be as low as 30-60 per cent of a new one," Pranay Chulet, founder and CEO of Quikr, said. He added that with Quikr and Zefo as a combined entity, the company will be able to offer a broader selection of products at more competitive prices along with a strong focus on quality. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be the only person responsible if the BJP comes back to power, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday said as he slammed the Gandhi scion days after both the parties failed to form an alliance in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections. He was speaking at the launch of party's manifesto in which the AAP promised 85 per cent reservation in colleges and jobs for the people of the national capital. Kejriwal said the AAP would not have "dreamt" of forming an alliance with the Congress but agreed to save the country. "I can say that we tried our best to form an alliance with Congress and if the BJP comes back to power, only one person would be responsible for it and that would be Rahul Gandhi," he said. Kejriwal hit out at Gandhi, asking him which alliance is formed on Twitter. "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi which alliance is formed on Twitter. If they were serious about forming an alliance they should have come to the table for negotiations. Giving statements in public is not going to solve the problem," he said. On Gandhi's comment that he would try till the last moment that an alliance is formed with the AAP in Delhi, Kejriwal said, "this is posturing. They don't have an intention". On the seat sharing arrangement proposed by the Congress, Kejriwal said giving three seats to Congress would mean losing all those seats. "Congress cannot win in Delhi. If Congress was in a position to win Delhi then I was ready to leave all seven seats for Congress but an alliance of 4:3 with Congress would be with like forming an alliance with BJP. "My conscience does not allow me to give three seats to BJP," Kejriwal said. Kejriwal said the Congress is not getting a single Hindu vote while the Muslims are a little confused. "Congress is trying to weaken the opposition in different states - whether it is Kerala, Haryana, Goa West Bengal or UP, but I hope people from all religions who want to save the country would unite and vote for the AAP," he said. Kejriwal claimed that they agreed to all the seat sharing arrangements put forward by the Congress but at the last moment they (Congress) backtracked and said there could be no alliance anywhere except Delhi. "They used to come out with some conditions on seat sharing, we used to agree to conditions then they would backtrack. "(Senior AAP leader) Sanjay Singh was called last Tuesday by Ghulam Nabi Azad and they agreed on alliance on 18 seats but the next morning we kept waiting, kept calling and in the evening the Congress again changed their conditions in Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi," he said. The Delhi chief minister claimed his party again agreed to a seat sharing arrangement proposed by them but then next day they again said that the alliance can be done only in Delhi. "They put out conditions which were very difficult for me," he said. He said the seven seats of Delhi this time would make a difference in formation of government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oscar winner Rami Malek will play the villain in Bond 25, which will be Daniel Craig's fifth outing as the famed fictional British spy, the producers announced Thursday via a live streaming event from creator Ian Fleming's home in Jamaica. It is expected to be Craig's last appearance as Bond, a role he has previously played in "Casino Royale", "Quantum of Solace", "Skyfall" and "Spectre". The actor said his favourite part about Bond films was that they were like a big event when they came out in theatres. "The movies have been an event at least for me. I remember going to watch them as a kid... the new Bond coming out was just extremely exciting. During my tenure, we have just tried to continue that tradition of making movies that stand out, are different from other movies out there," he said. The yet-untitled film will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, who called Craig his favourite Bond. Fukunaga said he wanted to ensure that the film is "a great next chapter" in the Bond series so that whoever comes next "has a harder job". Besides Craig, who plays the role for a fifth time, Returning cast members include Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q, La Seydoux as Dr Madeleine Swann, Ralph Fiennes as M., Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, and Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner. Malek is leading the pack of newcomers which boasts talented names such as "Maniac" fame Billy Magnussen, Dali Benssalah, "Blade Runner 2049" actor Ana De Armas, David Dencik, and "Captain Marvel" star Lashana Lynch. "Yeah, I am stuck here in New York, in production. But I am very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew very soon. And I promise you all, I will be making sure that Mr Bond does not have an easy ride in his 25th outing," Malek said in a video message. Bond producer Barbara Broccoli revealed that the story is returning to where it all began. The shooting will also take place in Norway, London, and the small Italian town of Matara. Broccoli said, "Bond is not on active service, he's enjoying himself in Jamaica. He starts his journey here." His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond on to the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology, according to official synopsis. Bond25 went through a rough phase after director Danny Boyle bowed out of the production over creative differences and eventually Fukunaga was roped in as his replacement. Fukunaga, known for directing the critically-acclaimed first season of HBO's "True Detective" series, will be the first American director in the history of the franchise. The screenplay is by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns with Cary Joji Fukunaga and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The film is scheduled for release in April 2020. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Consumer electronics major Samsung is aiming to sell around 40 LED cinema screens 'Onyx' in the country by 2022, a company official said on Thursday. The company is expecting a good business opportunity in the segment as the movie exhibition industry is expanding and is getting updated with modern technologies. "The company is looking around 20 screens by 2020 and then we would double it around to 40 around 2022," Samsung India Vice-President (Consumer Electronics Enterprise Business) Puneet Sethi told PTI. According to the company, there are over 10,000 screens in the country that are currently operating through the traditional projector system and this provides an opportunity to it to convert into the modern LED screen system. "We are confident that this business is going to grow many times," he said. Samsung is providing Onyx LED cinema screens in three stock keeping units - in the screen sizes of 5 metre, 10 metre and 14 metre. Normally, it costs around USD 0.8-0.9 million for total solutions of a 14-metre screen along with sound ecosystem, Sethi said. Currently, leading cinema chain operators as PVR, Inox and Cinepolis are operating one 'Onyx' screen at their respective networks. Samsung along with group company Harman Thursday launched the Onyx Cinema LED Screen in Bengaluru at iconic Swagath Cinemas. With the 14-metre screen, it will now be rechristened as Swagath Onyx Theatre, which would have the largest Onyx Cinema LED screen format in the world. Globally, there are only two other 14-metre Onyx Cinema LED screens installed by Samsung to date, in Malaysia and China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Thursday sought report from its registry as to how the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) toll flyway matter which involves "hundreds of crores of rupees gets listed for hearing" contrary to the court's order. The top court said its registry should state as to how the matter was listed despite its earlier order to be listed in last week. "We see this case involving hundred of crores of rupees has been listed today contrary to the orders of the court. Registry should tell us. It seems there is more to it. We know what registry is doing," said a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khann. The bench also refused to hear any arguments in the case saying, "We will not entertain any of the arguments". In its order, it said: "Office to report as to why the present case has been listed for final disposal contrary to the order of this Court." The top court's remark came at a time when another bench, which was hearing a lawyer's claim of "larger conspiracy" to frame Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi in sexual harassment allegations, said that "fixers are at play" in the apex court who try to fix benches in connivance with registry officials. During the last hearing of the case on April 12, the top court had stayed the arbitral proceedings in the matter. "We deem it appropriate to stay the proceedings in the arbitration and fix the matter for final disposal. List the matter for final disposal in the last week of April, 2019," the court had said in its order. It had stayed arbitral proceedings between the Noida authority and private firm NTBCL over issues related to toll collection on Delhi-Noida Direct Flyway. The proceedings were stayed after hearing an interim application filed by the Noida authority which has challenged the arbitral proceedings. The interim application was filed by the authority in a pending appeal filed by Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL), which was running the flyway, in the apex court against the Allahabad High Court's order. In October 2016, the high court had asked NTBCL to stop collecting toll from commuters plying on the DND flyway. The apex court had on March 5 sought reply from NTBCL on Noida authority's interim application. The authority had said that the apex court was seized of NTBCL's appeal and in the meanwhile, simultaneous arbitration proceedings were being conducted which should be stayed. The authority had also said there cannot be simultaneous proceedings when the top court is hearing NTBCL's appeal and moreover, "nothing is due on the Noida authority". The top court had earlier refused to stay the high court's order and had directed the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to conduct the audit to ascertain the claim of NTBCL that it needed to continue collecting the toll to recover the dues. Prior to this, the court had agreed to hear NTBCL's appeal challenging the Allahabad High Court's order. The high court, in October 2016, had ruled that there will be no toll collected henceforth from those using the 9.2 km-long, eight-lane flyway. The order was passed as the high court had allowed a PIL filed in 2012 by the Federation of Noida Residents' Welfare Association. The PIL had challenged the "levy and collection of toll in the name of user fee by Noida Toll Bridge Company". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Security has been stepped up for polio vaccination teams in the troubled province of Balochistan after a female child health worker was killed and another injured in the Chaman area on Thursday. Assistant Commissioner of Chaman, Syed Sami Agha told the media that the polio workers were targeted after unknown men on motorcycles opened fire on an immunisation team in Sultan Zai, a city near the shared border with Afghanistan. He confirmed that one female polio worker was killed, while another was injured. "We have stepped up security for the immunisation teams throughout the province," the health minister for the province said in Quetta. Soon after the targeted killing, the anti-polio campaign in the area was suspended, with levies forces conducting a search operation in the area. The health officials said that around 1,50,000 policemen are escorting around 2,60,000 health workers in the new anti-polio vaccine drive in which over 2.5 million children in the province are to be administered the anti-polio vaccine. Polio workers have been targeted by militants in other parts of the country as well and earlier this week, the police arrested several men in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after they orchestrated a campaign to spread fear and rumours about the anti-polio vaccines causing illness among children. On April 23, a policeman deputed with a immunisation team was also gunned down in Bannu. Polio is endemic in only three countries in the world Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria although a relatively rare strain was also detected in Papua New Guinea at the end of last year. Immunisation efforts have in the past been hampered by militants. They have previously alleged the immunisation campaigns are a cover for Western spies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Gurgaon police has arrested a senior official of a private company for allegedly duping the firm of Rs 6 crore, police said on Thursday. Lakhan Singh, general manager, finance of PLN9 Security Service Pvt Ltd, was arrested from Sohna Chowk in Gurgaon on Wednesday, they added. On Thursday, the accused was produced in a local court, which sent him to a four-day police custody, Gurgaon police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Subhash Bokan said. Besides Singh, Vivek Kumar Chaudhary, the assistant general manager, finance of the company, and chartered accountant Amit Agrawal were also involved in duping the firm, he said, adding that a hunt was on to nab them. "The financial irregularities came into light when the company's director, Sobha Shandilya, asked for a detailed financial report of the firm in 2016. Singh delayed the process on some pretext. When Shandilya asked Chaudhary to submit the report, he also refused to do so. The director of the company then decided to conduct an audit and Agrawal, the company's CA, started the process," Bokan said. As Shandilya was suffering from cancer and had undergone a surgery in September 2016, she was not in a position to attend office on a daily basis. She had asked Chaudhary to submit the audit report at the earliest. "During the audit, both Singh and Chaudhary influence Agrawal in preparing a false report showing the company had incurred losses," Bokan said. When the audit report was submitted to the director, she straightaway realised that it was false. Subsequently, she hired Indore-based auditor Dassani Associates to conduct a financial audit of the company, the police officer said. "The EOW had received a complaint from Shandilya on September 8, 2017. The probe revealed dubious financial transactions and an FIR was lodged in November last year," Bokan added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday slammed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi over his continuous use of "chowkidar chor hai" slogan while targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Rafale deal. Sitharaman also accused Gandhi of disrespecting institutions such the Supreme Court and CAG, whose verdict and report in the Rafale deal, respectively, she added, have showed there was no issue for the Congress to rake up. The BJP leader slammed Gandhi for "brazenly" attributing the "chowkidar chor hai" (the watchman is a thief) slogan to the apex court after it allowed earlier this month leaked documents to be relied upon by petitioners seeking review of its Rafale judgement. On April 22, Gandhi had expressed regret in the Supreme Court over his remark in connection with the Rafale judgement, which the apex court had said, was "incorrectly attributed" to it. The SC had directed Gandhi to give his explanation on April 22 on a petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi seeking criminal contempt action against him for his remark. "It was a limited matter where they (the Supreme Court) wanted the papers to be placed (before it), to which we took a position that they were illegally obtained from the (defence) ministry," Sitharaman said. "Yet, he brazenly put words in the court's mouth, saying it endorsed the 'chowkidar chor hai' slogan," Sitharaman told reporters here. The minister alleged the Congress president had no respect for institutions. "Nothing deters him, he has no respect for any of the institutions. It is shame the president of the opposition party continues with his brazen attempt to bring disrepute to the institutions," Sitharaman added. She replied in the negative when a journalist asked if BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's controversial "curse" remark about slain Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare will boomerang on the saffron outfit politically. "The party has already explained about it...She (Thakur) spoke based on her personal experience. Later, she also retracted it because she respected the martyr who took bullets of terrorists," Sitharaman said. Thakur had last Friday said Karkare died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks because she had "cursed" him for "treating her badly" while she was in custody in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday alleged that the Samajwadi Party had turned Azamgarh, which was once known in the field of education and literature, into a "stronghold of terrorism". The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have crime in their DNA, he said, while addressing an election meeting here in support of BJP's Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat candidate Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua'. "Once Azamgarh was known in the field of education and literature but the Samajwadi Party turned it into a stronghold of terrorism," he said. The SP and the BSP through mischievous means made Azamgarh "a fortress of terror and crime to defame it and we have come to pull it out of it," the chief minister said. They have crime in their DNA and "that is why they support cases like the Batla House (encounter case)", he said "We must link Azamgarh to art and culture and not with terrorism and crime," said Adityanath, who was barred from campaigning for 72 hours by the Election Commission for his 'Ali-Bajrang Bali" remark. He said when he was attacked here, people stood by him. On September 7, 2008, one person was killed and six others were injured in an attack here on the convoy of Adityanath, who was then a BJP MP. The incident took place when he was going to address a rally. "We are trying to link Azamgarh with capital Lucknow through the Purvanchal Expressway so that an atmosphere conducive to business is created here," he said at Thursday's rally. The chief minister said a decision has been taken to set up an university here to encourage education. Referring to the first three phases of polling, he claimed that the BJP is going to form government with a massive majority. Everyone wants Narendra Modi to be prime minister once again, Adityanath said. In 2014, the party had won 73 of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh while this time the target has been fixed to win 74 seats and the 74th seat is Azamgarh, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka has banned the use of drones and unmanned aircraft following the massive Easter Sunday bombings that killed over 350 people and injured more than 500 in the country's worst terror attack. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that the ban will be in effect until further notice. The use of drones and unmanned aircraft has been temporarily banned within the Sri Lankan airspace, Colombo Gazette reported. The CAA said that it was taking the measure "in view of the existing security situation in the country." Meanwhile, authorities continued their search operations with the help of army and arrested many suspects overnight. So far, over 75 people have been arrested in connection with the country's deadliest attack. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of a local Islamist extremist group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels. As many as 359 people have been killed in the attacks while 500 others injured, according to authorities. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts. Authorities have deployed thousands of troops to help police carry out search operations. On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan government admitted that "major" intelligence lapses led to the horrific coordinated attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities in Sri Lanka continued their search operations with the help of army and arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the horrific Easter Sunday blasts in which more than 350 people were killed. The arrested people were being interrogated at length by investigation sleuths in connection with the country's deadliest attack. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of a local Islamist extremist group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels. As many as 359 people have been killed in the attacks while 500 others injured, according to authorities. Officials said that with the arrest of 16 more people on Wednesday, the total number of suspects under police custody has risen to 76. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts. Authorities have deployed thousands of troops to help police carry out search operations. Over 5,000 army personnel have been deployed around the country. "During the last 24 hours, there have been no major incidents. We have deployed over 6,300 troops. This includes 1,000 from the Airforce and 600 from the Navy," military spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said. Meanwhile, a minor explosion happened behind the magistrate's court at Pugoda, the western province town, 40 Kms north of Colombo. There was no immediate report of any casualty. Search operations of suspected properties, arrests and detention of people and to place road blocks for such operations have been facilitated by the newly-enforced emergency regulations. The regulations were adopted without a vote in Parliament on Wednesday. The curfew which was imposed at 10 PM on Wednesday was lifted at 4 AM on Thursday. President Maithripala Sirisena has convened an all-party meeting. He would meet religious leaders. Both parleys are to discuss the attacks dubbed as among the five deadliest terrorist attacks carried out since the 9/11 in the US. Though Sirisena has asked police chief Pujith Jayasundera and defence ministry secretary Hemasiri Fernando to step down, there was no confirmation if they have resigned. The police chief's position is an independent post determined by the Constitutional Council. He cannot be constitutionally removed unless he resigns himself or removed thorough a parliamentary procedure, officials said. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of the local catholic church, has asked all churches to stop masses until the situation improved, his office said. On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan government admitted that "major" intelligence lapses led to the horrific coordinated attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over his failure to prevent the Easter blasts even as the health ministry Thursday night revised the death toll down to 253, from 359, saying the previous figure was due to a calculation error. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said authorities were targeting the "sleepers" who could trigger another round of bombings as police released photos of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the attacks and sought information regarding them from the public. Authorities earlier said that nine bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others. However, Dr Anil Jasinghe, the Director General of the Health Services, said the larger death toll was released as a result of a calculation error. "The approximate total of the dead would be 253 and not 359 as reported in media," he said in a statement. Defence Secretary Fernando handed over his resignation letter to President Maithripala Sirisena Thursday. Sirisena had asked Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara to quit after their failure to prevent the blasts despite having prior intelligence. Facing public criticism for not acting against Islamist extremist groups in the island nation, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said some of the suspected attackers responsible for the Easter bombings were being monitored by the country's intelligence services. But authorities did not have "sufficient" evidence to place the suspected attackers in custody prior to the attacks, he said. Top officials have acknowledged that Sri Lanka received intelligence about possible terror strikes ahead of the attacks, but both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe have said that they did not receive the information. Wickremesinghe told CNN that he did not rule out the possibility of more attacks in the country. He said authorities were now focussing on "sleepers" - terrorists who could activate another round of attacks. "Police and security forces are rounding up those involved, but they're also rounding up the sleepers, those used on second and third rounds (of attacks)," he said. "The danger has come down drastically, (but) we do have to pick up some more sleepers, which we will do in the next few days." He said security services were acting out of an abundance of caution, and that should even one militant slip through the net, the damage could be widespread. "It is a precaution that we are taking, we want to be sure we have everyone in," Wickremesinghe said. "They are worried that one or two could get into a church -- (even) one person can do a lot of damage." The Lankan authorities have intensified their search operations with the help of the army and arrested 16 more suspects. Officials said that with the fresh arrests, the total number of suspects under their custody has risen to 76. President Sirisena has said that 139 people have been identified as suspects in connection with the attacks. Addressing an all-party conference, Sirisena said that a Combine Operation Centre will be established within the defence ministry for the enforcement of the country's security measures from Friday. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up around "a certain category of mosques" after intelligence warning that the Islamist extremist group blamed for the Easter blasts was planning an attack on them during Friday prayers. A letter, signed by DIG Priyantha Jayakody on behalf of Inspector General of Police Jayasundara, warned that the group which had carried out the Easter blasts was planning an attack on mosques on Friday, the Times Online reported. The letter dated April 24, 2018 said a certain category of mosques identified as 'Awliya Mosques' could be possible target for these attacks. "Security has been tightened in the vicinity of all mosques owing to these possible attacks. Therefore, the public need not worry," Jayakodi said. The letter was addressed to the Presidential Security Division, the Special Security Division, and the Prime Minister's Security Division urging that the matter be brought to the immediate attention of the relevant authorities. Chairman of the Dewatagaha Mosque in Colombo said that the State Intelligence Service has informed him of a possible threat by the group, which was involved in the Sunday's carnage. He said that intelligence officers have also informed him that other mosques too would be warned of a possible attack in order for devotees to remain vigilant of possible threats. Minister of Muslim Religious Affairs Abdul Haleem has requested the community members to avoid gathering for congregational prayers this Friday. The Archdiocese of Colombo Thursday suspended all Catholic church services because of security concerns. Sri Lanka has also suspended its plans to grant visas on arrival to citizens of 39 countries. "We have now decided to hold it for the time being in consideration of the current security situation," Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said. The visas on arrival pilot programme was part of a larger initiative to increase tourist arrivals to the country during the six month off-season period from May to October. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned Thursday over his failure to prevent the Easter blasts that killed 359 people even as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said authorities were targeting the "sleepers" who could trigger another round of bombings. Authorities also released photographs of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the attacks and sought information regarding them from the public. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the devastating blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others. Defence Secretary Fernando handed over his resignation letter to President Maithripala Sirisena Thursday. President Sirisena had asked Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara to quit after their failure to prevent the blasts despite having prior intelligence. Facing public criticism for not acting against Islamist extremist groups in the island nation, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said some of the suspected attackers responsible for the Easter bombings were being monitored by the country's intelligence services. But authorities did not have "sufficient" evidence to place the suspected attackers in custody prior to the attacks, he said. Top officials have acknowledged that Sri Lanka received intelligence about possible terror strikes ahead of the attacks, but both President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe have said that they did not receive the information. Wickremesinghe told CNN that he did not rule out the possibility of more attacks in the country. He said authorities were now focussing on "sleepers" - terrorists who could activate another round of attacks. "Police and security forces are rounding up those involved, but they're also rounding up the sleepers, those used on second and third rounds (of attacks)," he said. "The danger has come down drastically, (but) we do have to pick up some more sleepers, which we will do in the next few days." He said that security services were acting out of an abundance of caution, and that should even one militant slip through the net, the damage could be widespread. "It is a precaution that we are taking, we want to be sure we have everyone in," Wickremesinghe said. "They are worried that one or two could get into a church -- (even) one person can do a lot of damage." The Lankan authorities have intensified their search operations with the help of the army and arrested 16 more suspects. Officials said that with the fresh arrests, the total number of suspects under their custody has risen to 76. President Sirisena has said that 139 people have been identified as suspects in connection with the attacks. Addressing an all-party conference, Sirisena said that a Combine Operation Centre will be established within the defence ministry for the enforcement of the country's security measures from Friday. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up around "a certain category of mosques" after intelligence warning that the Islamist extremist group blamed for the Easter blasts was planning an attack on them during Friday prayers. A letter, signed by DIG Priyantha Jayakody on behalf of Inspector General of Police Jayasundara, warned that the group which had carried out the Easter blasts was planning an attack on mosques on Friday, the Times Online reported. The letter dated April 24, 2018 said a certain category of mosques identified as 'Awliya Mosques' could be possible target for these attacks. "Security has been tightened in the vicinity of all mosques owing to these possible attacks. Therefore, the public need not worry," Jayakodi said. The letter was addressed to the Presidential Security Division, the Special Security Division, and the Prime Minister's Security Division urging that the matter be brought to the immediate attention of the relevant authorities. Chairman of the Dewatagaha Mosque in Colombo said that the State Intelligence Service has informed him of a possible threat by the group, which was involved in the Sunday's carnage. He said that intelligence officers have also informed him that other mosques too would be warned of a possible attack in order for devotees to remain vigilant of possible threats. Minister of Muslim Religious Affairs Abdul Haleem has requested the community members to avoid gathering for congregational prayers this Friday. The Archdiocese of Colombo Thursday suspended all Catholic church services because of security concerns. A prominent spice trader and father of two suicide bombers, Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, was taken into custody on suspicion of aiding and abetting suspects, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Sri Lanka has also suspended its plans to grant visas on arrival to citizens of 39 countries. "We have now decided to hold it for the time being in consideration of the current security situation," Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said. "Investigations have revealed foreign links to the attacks and we don't want this facility to be abused," Amaratunga added. The visas on arrival pilot programme was part of a larger initiative to increase tourist arrivals to the country during the six month off-season period from May to October. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned from his post on Thursday, days after a series of devastating suicide attacks that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on Sunday, killing nearly 360 people. had asked Defence Secretary Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara to quit after their failure to prevent the blasts despite having prior intelligence. Fernando handed over his resignation letter Thursday on a request made by Sirisena, Colombo Gazette reported. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the devastating blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others. Sri Lanka on Thursday suspended its plans to grant visas on arrival to citizens of 39 countries after the devastating Easter suicide bombings that killed nearly 360 people. "Although arrangements were in place to issue visas on arrival for citizens of 39 countries, we have now decided to hold it for the time being in consideration of the current security situation," Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said in a statement. "Investigations have revealed foreign links to the attacks and we don't want this facility to be abused," Amaratunga added. The visas on arrival pilot programme was part of a larger initiative to increase tourist arrivals to the country during the six month off-season period from May to October. The island nation received 7,40,600 foreign tourists in the first three months of 2019. Around 450,000 Indians visited Sri Lanka last year and the island nation was expecting the total Indian tourist arrivals to cross one million mark in 2019. Sri Lanka's tourism industry, which accounts for around five per cent of the country's GDP, is likely to suffer due to the Easter blasts. Tourism revenues in Lanka increased to $ 362.7 million in November from $ 284 million in October 2018, according to reports. Meanwhile, the Lankan authorities Thursday intensified their raids with the help of the army and arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the country's worst terror attack that killed 359 people and left over 500 injured. President Maithripala Sirisena has said that 139 people have been identified as suspects in connection with the attacks. Addressing an all-party conference at the Presidential Secretariat here, Sirisena said that a Combine Operation Centre will be established within the defence ministry for the enforcement of the country's security measures from Friday. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said that the police had searched several houses connected with the terrorist group which carried out the Easter blasts. They are located in the Colombo city limits and the immediate suburbs of Dehiwela, Panadura, Wattala and Negombo. The houses have been sealed for further investigations. The government information department in a release urged people not to believe any information other than the verified information issued by the department or the police spokesman. False information led to the closure of the road to the Colombo airport. The police searched suspicious car and found nothing, the police said. Similar inputs were reported from several parts. The main bus terminal at the north western province capital Kurunegala was searched after a bomb alarm which proved to be a hoax. A police internal memo which had warned of attacks by an extremist group on Muslim shrines and mosques was leaked to the media. It calls for the attention of the political leadership to the possible attacks on shrines. Security has been beefed up around mosques in a bid to avert a possible attack during Friday prayers. "The State Intelligence Service has informed me of a possible threat by the same group which was involved in last Sunday's carnage," Chairman of the Dewatagaha Mosque in Colombo was quoted as saying by the Times Online. He said that intelligence officers have also informed him that other mosques too would be warned of a possible attack in order for devotees to remain vigilant of possible threats. Nine Suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified the seven suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts. Huge crowds are expected to join a "million-strong" protest march Thursday in Sudan to turn up the heat on the ruling military council after three of its members resigned following talks on handing over power. The rally outside the army headquarters comes after the military rulers and protest leaders agreed to set up a joint committee, to chart the way forward two weeks since the ouster of veteran president Omar al-Bashir. "We expect huge crowds to come to the protest site, including people from outside of Khartoum," activist Ahmed Najdi told AFP. Demonstrator Ayman Ali Mohamed was among those preparing to march in the capital. "We fear that the military council might steal our revolution, so we have to participate until the transfer to civilian rule is accomplished," he said. "We are standing our ground no matter what." The planned march follows a late-night meeting between the military council and leaders of the umbrella group heading the protest movement. "We have an agreement on most demands presented in the document of the Alliance for Freedom and Change," Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman of the military council, told reporters afterwards. He did not elaborate on the key demand of handing power to a civilian government, but said there "were no big disputes". The Sudanese Professionals Association, which spearheaded months of protests against Bashir, described the meeting as a step towards "confidence-building". "Both sides agreed on the importance of joint cooperation to steer the country toward peace and stability," the SPA said Thursday. Writing on Twitter, the association said a "joint committee" was being set up to "discuss outstanding disputes" as part of efforts to reach a "comprehensive agreement". After returning from the protest site on Thursday, activist Najdi said she was expecting "a joint military-civilian sovereign council, which I think is the middle path and most protesters would agree to that." Wednesday's meeting was followed by the military council announcing three members of the ruling body had stepped down. They were Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Abdin, Lieutenant General Jalaluddin Al-Sheikh and Lieutenant General Al-Tayieb Babikir. The late night developments came as Siddiq Farouk, one of the leaders of the protests, confirmed a "million-strong" march was planned for Thursday. He told reporters that the demonstrators were also preparing for a general strike if the military council refuses to hand power to a civilian administration. The council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since his predecessor quit after barely 24 hours in the post, says it has assumed power for a two-year transitional period. Despite Bashir's fall, demonstrators have kept up their encampment outside the military headquarters to press their demands. For the first time, Sudanese judges said they would join the sit-in on Thursday "to support change and for an independent judiciary". Protesters in Khartoum were joined Wednesday by hundreds of demonstrators from the central town of Madani, the second major batch of new arrivals from outside the capital in as many days. "Revolutionaries from Madani want civilian rule," they chanted, according to witnesses. Crowds of protesters carrying Sudanese flags marched through the protest site late Wednesday, an AFP correspondent reported. The previous day a train laden with demonstrators rolled from Atbara, where protests began on December 19 against a decision by Bashir's government to triple bread prices. They swiftly turned into nationwide rallies against his rule and that of the military council that took his place. The protesters have found support in Washington, which has backed their call for civilian rule. "We support the legitimate demand of the people of Sudan for a civilian-led government, and we are here to urge and to encourage parties to work together to advance that agenda as soon as possible," State Department official Makila James told AFP on Tuesday. Several African leaders gathered Tuesday in Cairo where they insisted on "the need for more time" for a transition, according to the office of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who floated his outfit after quitting the Aam Aadmi Party, resigned from the state Assembly Thursday as Bholath MLA to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Bathinda. Khaira sent his resignation to Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh. "Since, I will be filing my nomination papers as the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) candidate from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat tomorrow, I have decided to relinquish my Bholath seat as an MLA to uphold morality and ethics in politics," Khaira wrote in the resignation letter. The PDA, which is fighting on all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, comprises PEP, Bahujan Samaj Party, Lok Insaaf Party, Nawan Punjab Party, Communist Party of India and Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI). Lashing out at Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Khaira said in the resignation letter, "I was elected as MLA Bholath in 2017 on the AAP symbol. My joining AAP was based on the revolutionary and lofty promises made by its convener Arvind Kejriwal. Unfortunately, he has not only dashed hopes of millions of people of India but stooped to the lowest level of cheap politicking for petty personal gains." Khaira, who had joined the AAP in 2015, quit the party in January this year after he was removed from the post of the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly. The AAP had also been seeking disqualification of Khaira as an MLA after he floated the PEP. The rebel AAP leader will be locked in a contest with sitting MP, Union minister and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Congress' Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and AAP's Talwandi Sabo legislator Baljinder Kaur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran actor Anupam Kher Thursday described his co-star Sunny Deol, who has been fielded by the BJP from the Gurdaspur seat in the Lok Sabha polls, as a credible and a dependable person. Deol, 62, is pitted against sitting Congress MP and party candidate Sunil Jakhar, AAP's nominee Peter Masih and Punjab Democratic Alliance's candidate Lal Chand. "Sunny is a very credible and a very dependable person and I think it (fielding Sunny from Gurdaspur) is a great choice," Anupam Kher said here. "I wish him great luck and I am 100 per cent sure that he is going to win," Anupam Kher told PTI. Deol and Anupam Kher have worked together in many films like "ChaalBaaz", "Salaakhen", "Darr", among many others. After joining the BJP in Delhi on April 23, Deol had said, "Whatever I can do for this family (BJP), I will do it. I won't talk, I will show you through my work." Asked whether Deol would be as successful in politics as he was in Bollywood, Anupam Kher said there was nothing called as successful politician. "The intention of the person, who is elected, should be to serve the people of his constituency. There is nothing called seasoned politician or something like that. The world has changed and youths are very smart," he said. "In fact they do not like clichs they like people who are earnest and honest, and who can deliver. From that point of view, the politics in the last 10 years has changed a lot.It is a completely different ballgame. Dynast is not going to survive," he said. To a question on elections in Chandigarh from where his wife Kirron Kher is seeking re-election, he said, "Rather than thinking of what the opposition is doing, we should strengthen on positive things. We should say what we can do and that should continue. I do not believe in just criticising the opposition. It is not going to help us." "She (Kirron) has shifted her base from Mumbai to Chandigarh five years back and settled down here. She was not a professional politician and she proves that you do not have to be a professional politician. You have to be a good intention person who wants to work for the betterment of people," Anupam Kher added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Anguished over "systematic attack" to malign the judiciary, the Supreme Court Thursday said time has come to send a message to the country that the top court was "not vulnerable" and nobody can "remote control" it either by money or political power. The apex court, during the hearing on a lawyer's affidavit claiming "larger conspiracy" to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on sexual harassment allegations and fixing of benches in the top court, warned that if such attempts were not stopped the institution "will die". Observing that the apex court cannot be run by money or political power, a three-judge special bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said that the day has come for them to rise and tell the country's rich and powerful that they are "playing with fire". The bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman and Deepak Gupta, said people are trying to fix the court registry by money power and when somebody try to improve these things, he is "killed" or "maligned". "Do not think that the Supreme Court can be remote controlled by anything on the earth, whether money power or political power," the bench said. "We are anguished with the way this institution is being treated in the last three-four years and we must say that it will die and it will not survive if this will happen. There is systematic attack, systematic game to malign this great institution," the court said. The bench said letters were being written and books were being printed in matters pending in the court and this practice has to be stopped. "Do the rich and powerful of this country think that they can remote control the Supreme Court," the bench said. The hard hitting observations by the bench came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there should be a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) on the allegations levelled by advocate Utsav Singh Bains in his affidavit as he has claimed a larger conspiracy which concerns the administration of justice. "You (Mehta) are provoking us to speak. We are not inclined to say but now listen. So many things are going on. There are serious allegations that need to be probed. The Supreme Court cannot be run by money power or political power," Justice Mishra said. "It is an institution of you people and not ours. Judges come and go but if these things will happen then it (institution) will die and it will not survive," the bench said. In an apparent reference to the controversies that plagued the top judiciary last year, Justice Mishra observed that truth has not come out yet. "Whether truth has come out about the last year's incident? It has not come out yet. People should know the truth. This has to stop," he said, without elaborating any specific instance. The observation assumes significance as four senior-most judges of the apex court -- Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph -- had held an unprecedented presser on January 12 last year and raised a litany of problems, including assigning of cases in the top court by the then CJI Dipak Misra, and said there were certain issues afflicting the country's highest court. During the hearing on Thursday, the bench said, "We cannot mention several things. People are trying to manage the court registry by money power. When somebody tries to improve things, he is killed and maligned? We have come to this extent of blackmailing." The bench said that noted jurists like Nani Palkhivala, Fali S Nariman and K Parasaran have made this institution great, and now everyday of bench fixing comes to the fore. "Now everyday we hear of bench-fixing. This system of fixing has no place. Everyday, there are wrong practices in this court. Only 4-5 per cent lawyers are bringing a bad name to this institution. Do not provoke us any further," it said. "We are worried. Why we have come to it. We are very concerned," the court said. It added: "The day has come when we have to rise and tell the rich and powerful that you cannot do this. You are playing with fire. We do not want to take names but everybody tries to influence us every time there is a big matter. "A message has to be sent to the country that this court is not vulnerable." At the outset, Bains filed an additional affidavit in a sealed cover in the court in support of his claims. The bench asked Attorney General K K Venugopal about the issue of privilege claimed by Bains over some communications being protected under provisions of the Advocates Act. Venugopal, while referring to provisions of law, said there was no lawyer-client relationship in this case as Bains has filed affidavit in his personal capacity and thus he cannot claim privilege over certain communications. Senior advocate and President of Supreme Court Bar Association Rakesh Khanna also told the bench that the court has the power to summon any document related to the case and Bains cannot claim privilege. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, who is appearing in person in the matter, told the bench that they should clarify there is no connection between the hearing on affidavit of Bains and the separate in-house inquiry committee proceedings on allegations of sexual harassment against the CJI. Bains had filed an affidavit following the hearing on Saturday during which Justice Gogoi had said some "bigger force" was behind the sexual harassment allegations as they wanted to "deactivate" the CJI's office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Telangana government is likely to announce its policy on Electric Vehicles (EV) after the model code of conduct ends, a senior government official Thursday. "The (Centre's) FAME-2 guidelines (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India) offer incentives to all the players who are involved in different aspects of supply demand and infrastructure," Jayesh Ranjan principal secretary IT and Industries Telangana told reporters here. "The state government (Telangana) guidelines (EV policy) which will be issued after the code of conduct is over, will address some of the points which have not been fully and adequately covered in FA ME-2 or items which are actually state subject," he said. According to him, the overall ecosystem for electric vehicles appears to be very promising in the State and also the country. The Centre had in March notified the second phase of the FAME India scheme with a Rs 10,000-crore outlay to encourage adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles. Telangana's EV policy has three components -- for manufacturers, users and support mechanisms, an official had earlier said. Though the policy was scheduled to be unveiled last year, it was indefinitely postponed for unknown reasons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An IndiGo's flight from Delhi to Mumbai was delayed by nearly two hours Thursday evening after it developed a technical fault half an hour before its scheduled departure from the national capital, a source said. The private airline confirmed the incident and said the passengers were accommodated on an alternate flight to facilitate their journey. "After waiting for 25 minutes in the plane, we were informed that the plane had confronted some technical glitch and that was causing the delay. "Later, we were deplaned, saying the engineers were to inspect the plane," said an affected passenger. The flight 6E-755 finally departed for Mumbai at around 6 pm after a delay of nearly two hours, the passenger added. "An IndiGo A320 aircraft (non-neo) operating 6E-755 (DEL- BOM) was delayed by approximately 2 hours due to a minor technical glitch. "The aircraft was held for further inspection. To minimise further delay, passengers were re-accommodated on an alternate flight," the airline said. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) only recently conducted a special safety audit of the low-cost carrier for allegedly several lapses, non reporting/ irregular reporting of incidents besides issuing show-cause notices to its chief operating officer and head of engineering. IndiGo, however, claims that its "operations are run in more stringent ways as prescribed by regulatory framework. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "The things we do for love," is how a Marvel fan reacted when he managed to book a 1.40 am show for "Avengers: Endgame". It seems odd to quote Jaime Lannister from "Game of Thrones" in the "Avengers" context but such is the frenzy that fans will watch any show they can over the weekend -- whether at 1.40 am or at 6 am -- even if it means spending big bucks. And still no tickets are available. To accommodate the demand for the last of the Avenger series, which releases on Friday, some theatres are running shows 24X7. "It is the biggest craze we have seen for a Hollywood film... The demand is ferocious... As far as IMAX is concerned, it is unprecedented. This is the first time a film is sold out all days of the first week even before a single show has played out. Almost the entire week is sold out," said Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures. "We have added shows as early as 6.30-7am, which we typically do for Hindi films and big regional films. Almost 70 per cent of PVR chain across the country is allocated to 'Avengers: Endgame'... The demand is universally good in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu," Gianchandani told PTI. Movie ticket booking site BookMyShow said the film has sold over 2.5 million tickets in advance booking across the country, a record for a Hollywood movie in India. "The frenzy around the film is unprecedented. The cinemas are doing everything possible to match fans' demand for the film, including round-the-clock screenings as also opening up advance bookings for the entire week ahead. "As the craze around the film continues to intensify, we expect a mighty opening on Friday and a record-breaking first week," said Ashish Saksena, COO, Cinemas, BookMyShow. The record for the highest opening for a Hollywood movie in India is held by "Avengers: Infinity War", which earned Rs 40 crore on the opening day. However, the inaugural weekend figures of its follow-up, "Endgame" are being pegged to go beyond Rs 50 crore. The opening weekend figures may hover around Rs 150 crore plus, trade analyst Komal Nahata told PTI. "Endgame", directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, is a culmination of 22 storylines from the Marvel stable. In the film, the remaining superheroes gather to avenge their fallen comrades after super villain Thanos wiped out half of the universe's population with a finger snap in "Infinity War". Nahata said the craze for the movie is unrivalled in India. There was similar euphoria during the opening weekend of Baahubali 2". "This kind of euphoria for advance booking was last seen during 'Baahubali 2' and for 'Dilwale Dhulania Le Jayenge' as far as Indian films are concerned. Otherwise, Hollywood films like 'Fast and Furious' and 'Jungle Book 2' were popular. The film should open at Rs 50.5 crore on the first day and about Rs 150 crore over the weekend," he said. Rajender Singh, chief programming officer, INOX Leisure Ltd, said the response for advance booking has been phenomenal in both metro cities as well as second and three tier cities, where the dubbed version of the film will be screened. "It has broken all records as far as the advance booking of any film is concerned. No Indian film has witnessed this kind of craze. We opened the advance booking last Sunday and the shows are full till Tuesday. We have sold out close to eight lakh tickets, which is huge. The closest Indian film that comes to this is "Baahubali 2", we had sold tickets 4.5-5 lakh tickets," Singh told PTI. He said INOX, which has 578 screens across India, is running shows from Friday as early as 6 am in some theatres. In metro cities, they will be running shows 24x7 for the first two days. Distributor Rajesh Thadani believes the film will open at Rs 50 crore on the first day. "Going by the advance booking for the film and the craze for the film in India especially among youngsters it should open at least at Rs 50 crore. Over the weekend, it should gross close to Rs 200 crore. It is a big franchise so the numbers are also going to be huge." Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 Multiplex in Mumbai, says the film will be screened both in English and Hindi at his popular single-screen theatre Gaiety, Galaxy and Gemini at reasonable prices. "We opened late for advance booking so we have had 70 percent booking so far. This film is meant for every class of audience. Those who can't afford to pay much for tickets at multiplexes have come here. And for them we have priced our tickets at Rs 170 for English version and Rs 160 and Rs 130 for Hindi," he said Rahul Kadbet, vice president, Programming, Carnival Cinemas, said the chain has late night shows at 1.25 am and 2.15 am shows in Pune over the weekend and even a a 3.20 am show in Mumbai. The mad rush for the tickets has already inspired various memes in social media, with one showing a crowd rushing towards a mall to get their hands on tickets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Since the self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim was sentenced to life imprisonment in January for killing a journalist, followers of his Dera Sacha Sauda have been lying low at the sprawling 800-acre campus outside Sirsa in Haryana. The followers say they are also unsure about who to support in this election. The Dera has been an important vote bank for parties for over a decade. In 2007, it had formed a political affairs wing which decided which political party or politician it will support. During the 2007 Punjab Assembly election, it supported the Congress. In 2014 general election, the Dera openly supported the BJP. But after the sentencing of their flamboyant but controversial chief, the Dera and its political affairs wing became dysfunctional, locals and followers said. This, however, has not stopped political parties, including the BJP and the INLD, from saying they will not refrain from seeking support of the once-influential Dera Sacha Sauda. BJP leader and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said he was not averse to Dera support in Lok Sabha election, and defended his stance, saying it is a political party's "right to seek votes in an election". INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala too has said his party will seek the Dera's support. Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar has ruled that option out. Jakhar said, "We shall not compromise with Sirsa Dera for the election after sacrilege (incidents) have been traced to it." That political parties have made their stance clear may not have a bearing on the Dera followers, who say they are clueless. "There used to be public meetings and then a decision was taken. It used to be of course not binding but suggestive in nature. But this time, everyone is clueless about who will the Dera support," said Chinder Kaur, whose family has been the sect's supporter for decades. A Dera functionary, who did not wish to be identified, said, "Guru ji never told us who to vote for." "It was the political affairs wing of the Dera to which political parties used to reach out and then public meetings were held with followers and a decision was taken," the functionary said. Several Dera followers, who did not wish to come on record, said the political affairs wing is almost redundant and hence the followers will have to make their individual choices. "It is not just the political affairs wing but everything about Dera has come to a standstill. The manufacturing plants for aloe vera products, bottled water, car batteries and confectionery items are shut," said Babita Gautam, who lives near the Dera campus. Gautam said many people have been rendered jobless because of the closure of the Dera units. "So whom to vote for is still a question in our neighbourhood." In August 2017, a special CBI court sentenced the 50-year-old Ram Rahim to 20 years of imprisonment for raping two female followers. His conviction in the 2002 case triggered widespread violence, arson and police firing. Thousands of Dera followers rampaged through parts of Haryana. Over 40 people died. Though the Dera has tumbled since then, Ram Rahim's followers and those who had a stake in his business live in large numbers in Sirsa and surrounding districts. It is yet to be seen how they react in the polls. Polling in Haryana, which has 10 Lok Sabha constituencies, will be held on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma feels there should not be any "activism" on what politicians speak during election time or a "censor board" to keep a tab on their speeches and it should left for the voters to judge. His remark comes amid the Election Commission recently banning political leaders like Yogi Adityanath, Mayawati, Maneka Gandhi, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Azam Khan from campaigning for a period of time for their controversial statements. The BJP leader was of the opinion that leaders should be allowed to speak out their minds as this will help voters know them better. Too much control over speeches will result in Indian election losing its "charm", he argues. "People (politicians) should be allowed to speak so that the public can judge them. If you start dictating that this man should speak this, then before every speech he has to consult an advocate whether he should speak this particular line or whether this will attract penal provision," Sarma told PTI in an interview. Claiming that he has not uttered a single provocative statement in this elections, the former Congress leader says the best thing in a democracy is to allow one speak out his or her mind. "I should openly speak to the people. I should not have two faces. Suppose, I am a person with an extreme view on a particular issue. I should be allowed to speak so that voters can judge. "My whole submission is that will there be a censor board to see what a public leader is speaking at a public podium? If this happens, then everybody will start acting. Then people will not know who he (the leader) is actually," says the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the regional platform of the NDA. When asked if he supports the Election Commission's steps to ban different leaders due to their controversial speeches, he says, "I think there should not be activism... What a political leader has spoken or not spoken, should be a matter of public debate. It should be left to the voters to punish a person who use foul language or the language which may not be appropriate. "So within a broad parameter, people should be allowed to espouse their view on issues such as nationalism even if your views are extreme rightist or leftist... Then during the process of debate, let people judge who is the best person... Otherwise, Indian election will lose all its charm." When pointed out to the objectionable remarks by Samajwadi Party's Azam Khan on BJP candidate Jaya Prada, Sarma says character assassination or personal attack and foul language about a woman or the country should not be allowed. Citing the terminology 'We the People of India' from the Preamble of the Constitution, he says nowadays a "super citizen" category has evolved and it believes that people may not punish a leader, hence it should punish. "They think that if a political leader is giving an inflammatory speech, for that people will not punish because people are fools and know nothing. So, we have to punish. That super citizen kind of thing should not be there," he adds. Asked if he meant the ECI was the 'super citizen', the firebrand leader retorts, "I am not directing at anything. I am saying that if I am doing wrong during an election process, then my judge is my people. My people will punish me. But in India, there are certain people who think that people are not capable of punishing me." When asked who those "certain people" are, Sarma shot back saying, "You are asking this question, even you are one of those. You are asking me this question thinking that somebody will not punish me, you have now greater duty to punish me. So, you are also part of that super citizen."He asserts that Indian common people are very intelligent and he considers the masses to be much more intelligent than the "super citizen". "I think in a different way. If tomorrow some intellectuals sit and start interpreting politicians speech whether it has crossed the line or not, it will be very difficult. In democracy, ultimately people will decide... India has its own unique electioneering process. That should not be killed," Sarma says. He also disapproves of the political parties going to police stations to file FIRs or slapping legal cases against leaders for their statements saying all these will "ultimately kill the charm of Indian democracy". This arguments are is in stark contrast to his party colleague and BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, on whose complaint the Supreme Court had issued criminal contempt notice to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for "incorrectly attributing" to it the "chowkidar chor hai" remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi while referring to the Rafale judgment. On the BJP's prospects in the Northeast, the NEDA convenor says while the NDA will win 19-21 seats out of 25 in the region, it will bag 11 seats of 14 in Assam alone. To a query whether the BJP has shifted the narrative of its entire campaign from fulfilment of promises of 2014 elections to nationalism, Sarma disagrees and says his party leaders are making their speeches focussing mainly on four areas. "We speak about the nationalism, which is our core issue. The second component is the good work of the Modi government -- Ujjwala scheme, electrification of villages, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Bogibeel and Dhola-Sadiya bridges etc. "Third component is obviously the number of schemes the state government has launched. We have at least 12 flagship schemes that we need to speak. And finally in the context of Assam, issue of identity is another big topic," he explains. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah Thursday said those who are trying to repeal articles 370 and 35-A of the Constitution, which guarantee special status to Jammu and Kashmir, are playing with fire. "The need of the hour is to douse these flames and not to add fuel to the fire," Abdullah said, addressing a poll campaign rally at Devsar in Kulgam district. The forme chief minister asserted that no one can subdue Kashmiris. History bears the testimony to the fact that no one was able to enslave Kashmiris. We have fought Mughals, Pathans and other despotic regimes and never let anyone subdue us. "New Delhi will have our respect, only if they respect the people of this state. No one should dare tinker with our self esteem for the Kashmiris have always responded to the brickbats thrown at them with determination, he said. Cautioning the people against forces inimical to the state's special status, Abdullah said the forces which have been inimical to the state's special status come in different hues and colors trying to destroy it. "Kashmiris, however, have never allowed such forces to succeed in their nefarious designs; today the situation is no different. Today we see the BJP-RSS cheekily taking vows to destroy the identity and integrity of our state, he said. He added that articles 370 and 35-A protect the state natives rights to jobs, land holdings and scholarships. "Any move to scuttle the articles will have far reaching consequences on the people of the state. So it is imperative for the the people across the state, in particular the people of south Kashmir to vote. Every vote you cast will set the recourse of our state for the next half a decade," he added. The former chief minister said the people of Kashmir can tackle their problems only through ballots and not guns. The problem cannot be resolved by using guns or pelting stones. It is only through the use of vote that the people of Kashmir can find a way forward. "The gun culture has only added to the miseries of the people and made us susceptible to the machinations of those who are inimical to our identity. The people have to forge unity and come in large numbers to vote in order to save the identity, integrity, pluralistic visage and special constitutional status of our state, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hopeful of winning eight of the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies where polling has already been held in West Bengal, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh Tuesday claimed that the TMC will not be able to secure any of them. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has created an atmosphere of terror in the state, but things are changing now and people are attending BJP rallies in hordes ignoring threats from ruling party activists, Ghosh claimed. This has forced TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to go for unscheduled roadshows abandoning her plan to fly across the state in helicopter, he asserted at a Meet the Press organised by the Press Club, Kolkata. "We are in a better position in the 10 seats where polling is over in the first three phases. We are going to win at least seven to eight of them. I believe that Mamata Banerjee will not be able to digest this but the TMC will draw a blank," he said. Claiming that the political situation in West Bengal has been changing in favour of the BJP, Ghosh said, "This has not been the situation even six months ago. Now, if you go to the remotest area of the state you will see BJP there." "Mamata Banerjee saw thin attendance at her rallies and bumper crowd in ours. People are joining our rallies in hordes without any fear. And because of this, she has chosen to go for roadshows leaving the helicopter," he said. Banerjee has been holding unscheduled roadshows at various constituencies of late. "In this situation, we are confident of winning 23 seats," said Ghosh, an MLA who is contesting from Kharagpur Lok Sabha constituency. He claimed that there is an wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the country and the state. Asked whether the "Modi wave" will be able to tackle the claims of development by Banerjee, the BJP leader said, "I cannot say whether or not there has been development. The people will decide on that. But if you (Banerjee) really have given them development, why are you (Mamata) scared of the Modi wave." Denying Banerjee's allegation that the RSS and the BJP are helping former President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit Mukherjee, a Congress candidate, win from Jangipur seat, Ghosh said the TMC chief is talking "nonsense" as she is sensing defeat. "We must remember that the RSS is not into The RSS is in the state for quite sometime. If they would help any party, it would have been the BJP," he said. On the TMC chief's claims that the CPI(M) and the Congress have joined hands with the BJP only to defeat her, Ghosh said, "The Congress and the CPI(M) had an agreement during the last Assembly election but they do not have it now. People are least interested in them. Now, the CPI(M) is claiming that the Congress is with the TMC. What the three will do are upto them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) Thursday said it is partnering with Embassy of the US in the national capital to jointly promote domestic investments during 'Select USA 2019' summit. The summit, dedicated to promote foreign direct investment in America, will be held from June 10-12 in Washington DC. TPCI has signed a partnership agreement with the US Commercial Service, Embassy of the US in New Delhi for the same, it said in a statement. The summit provides opportunity to bring together companies from all over the world and other parties working to facilitate business investment in the US, TPCI Chairman Mohit Singla said in the statement. "TPCI is all geared to work in alliance with the US Commercial Services...The idea is to leverage each other complementarity for strengthening the mutual cooperation," he added. Last year, he said, 95 Indian business delegates attended the summit. TPCI has invited expression of interest from senior management level functionaries who would be nominated by the council as its members for the delegation. The trade between India and the US stood at USD 51.5 billion (about Rs 3.6 lakh crore) in 2018-19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A military tribunal on Thursday gave three weeks to the Defence Ministry to decide on a petition by Vice-Admiral Bimal Verma, challenging the appointment of Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next Navy Chief overlooking his seniority. Vice Admiral Verma, the senior-most naval commander, on Tuesday once again moved the Armed Forces Tribunal here challenging appointment of Vice Admiral Singh to the top post after the defence ministry did not respond to his statutory complaint. Verma, commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, approached the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) on April 8, but withdrew his petition the next day after the tribunal asked him to first explore "internal remedies". "The AFT has directed the government to dispose of Vice Admiral Verma's petition by May 15 and fixed May 20 as the next date of hearing in the case," Verma's lawyer Ankur Chhibber said. He said though the government sought four weeks' time, the AFT granted only three weeks to it. Vice Admiral Verma filed a statutory complaint with the Defence Ministry on April 10, challenging appointment of Vice Admiral Singh as the next navy chief, and asked it to respond within 10 days. However, as there was no response from the ministry, he again approached the AFT on Tuesday. Verma, the senior most naval commander, is contesting appointment of his junior Vice Admiral Singh to the top post. In his petition, Verma wondered why he was overlooked for the top post despite being the senior-most in the line of command, terming as "wrongful" the government's decision to appoint Singh to the post. The government had last month named Singh as the next chief of naval staff, to succeed Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on May 30. The government made the selection following a merit-based approach and did not go with the tradition of appointing the senior-most eligible officer to the post. Verma, senior to Singh, was among the contenders for the top post. While appointing the Army chief in 2016, the government did not follow the long-held tradition of going by seniority. Bipin Rawat was appointed Army chief superseding then Eastern Command Chief Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Command Chief PM Hariz. Besides Verma, the other contenders for the Navy Chief post included Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, FOC-in-C of Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar and FOC-in-C of Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla. Singh, who is at present serving as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, will be the first helicopter pilot to become chief of naval staff. Verma is brother of former Navy chief Nirmal Kumar Verma. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tur dal worth Rs 29 lakh has been found adulterated during an inspection at a warehouse in Gujarat's Junagadh district, prompting the state government to order a probe Thursday, said officials. An FIR has been registered against seven persons in connection with the incident, they said. This tur dal stock was procured by Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd from the farmers of Junagadh on behalf of central government entity National Agriculture Co- operative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), said Managing Director of GSCSCL, Manish Bhardwaj. While the government claimed the guilty will be brought to justice, Congress leaders alleged it was an "insiders job" and people sitting at "high places" were involved in it. The irregularity came to light two days ago when adulterated tur dal was found in 3,241 gunny bags of 50 kg each at a warehouse in Pithadia village of Junagadh district. "That stock was procuredby us in January at APMC market of Keshod town in Junagadh. During our inspection at the warehouse, substandard tur dal was found mixed with good quality tur dal in 3,241 bags. "The stock was worth Rs 29 lakh. We then sent those bags back to Keshod APMC and launched our probe," said Bhardwaj. Meanwhile, Gujarat Civil Supplies Minister Jayesh Radadia said an FIR against seven persons, who were allegedly behind the adulteration during tur dal procurement, has been registered in Keshod. "Our MD Manish Bhardwaj was in Keshod today to conduct an inquiry. I want to say that tur dal procurement was conducted in transparent manner. "Thus, we want to probe how such thing has happened and who were behind it. We will not spare any one found guilty," warned Radadiya. According to Bhardwaj, some persons behind this alleged scam have been already identified. "We have learned that a labour contractor, some merchants, graders and APMC manager might be behind this. We have seized the stock and started a detailed inquiry in it," said the IAS officer. "We have procured tur dal worth Rs 10.62 crore through this (Keshod) APMC. Of that, only 3,241 bags having tur dal worth Rs 29 lakh were found adulterated. The remaining stock is of good quality," he said. Congress MLA from Junagadh, Harshad Ribadiya, and the party's Kisan Cell leader, Pal Ambaliya, visited the Keshod APMC and demanded a thorough probe into the entire episode. "Only lower rung people have been booked while people sitting on high places, who are actually involved in it, have not been touched," claimed Ambaliya. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel assured strict action against the culprits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Experts from the UK and India have concluded that harnessing smartphone technology which could help Indian farmers not only make better business decisions but also tackle the sustainable cooling challenges being faced by the country. The University of Birmingham, working with the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and MP Ensystems to uncover the cooling needs of farmers in the states of Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra and Karnataka, launched a new report on Thursday to highlight the potential of smart tech. The 'Promoting Clean and Energy Efficient Cold-Chains in India' report finds that using mobile apps and data analysis to manage harvesting and logistics could help to reduce the amount of food wasted between farm gate and supermarket shelf, whilst boosting farmers' incomes and reducing the environmental impact of much-needed food cooling. The recommendation is part of a four-point "roadmap" developed by the experts, which includes promoting new business models that involves the communities taking charge of their own cooling needs; establishing "Living Labs" in rural communities where new technology can be tested among many other things. Toby Peters, Professor in Clean Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham, said: "We're proposing a radical new approach to cooling provision with recommendations combined with government of India action to address needs from the first to last mile of the cold-chain as well as those of the broader rural community. "We must build capacity whilst demonstrating the efficiency of new technology that people will be able to use easily and affordably. For example, with increased penetration of mobile-based apps and technologies in rural areas, there is potential for an information-based system to help make informed marketing decisions and boost farmers' incomes." Effective refrigeration is essential to preserve food and medicine. It underpins industries and economic growth, while air conditioning is key to sustainable urbanisation and human productivity and makes much of the world bearable - or even safe - to live in. The problems in India are acute, where up to 50 per cent of food is lost post-harvest because of lack of cold chain. The new report highlights that only 4 per cent of produce that would benefit from a cold-chain actually does so, compared with around 70 per cent in a country like the UK. Pawanexh Kohli, CEO, National Centre for Cold-chain Development and Visiting Professor at the University of Birmingham, noted: "Cold-chains enhance economic wealth, cash flow and security for farmers and improve food quality, safety and value to the customer, but they must achieve this with minimum environmental impact. "While we can reduce the loss of food in the delivery chain through use of technology, existing cold-chain is an energy intensive application, often relying on diesel to provide off-grid and on-vehicle cooling this is not good for the planet." Krishan Dhawan, CEO, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation added: "Cold chains are expected to grow rapidly in the next couple of years. Under a Business-as-Usual scenario, most cold chains will run on diesel and adopt carbon intensive cooling and refrigeration technologies. "The way forward is for India is transition to cleaner and more efficient cold chains, in order to tackle climate change and to achieve wider socioeconomic benefits." The report was launched at the two-day Clean Cooling Congress, which opened in London on Wednesday, hosted by University of Birmingham with the World Bank Group and the UK Department of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Mission Innovation. Mahesh Patankar of MP Ensystems and Senior Advisor with the Regulatory Assistance Project, said: "Cold-chain infrastructure and business models need to be grounded within the communities providing them the solutions to enhance their livelihood while catering to a country's nutritional requirements. "Enhanced IoT and Blockchain techniques proposed by the research team are designed to bring substantial benefits to those who need it the most." The analysis notes that with populations and incomes growing, urbanisation continuing and climate change causing rising temperatures, the world will need to provide far more cooling. Between now and 2050, it is estimated that 19 pieces of cooling equipment (such as room-size AC units, refrigerators and industrial size chillers) will be deployed every second. Despite this massive increase in cooling provision, access to cooling for all people that need it will still not be a reality, and the poorest in many hot countries will feel the impact. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States said Thursday it would bar the entry of Chechnya's prime minister for allegedly orchestrating human rights violations in the Russian republic. Under a US law that requires action against foreign officials over human rights concerns, the United States announced that Chairman Muslim Khuchiyev and his immediate family will be ineligible for US visas if they apply. The State Department said in a statement that it had "credible information that Muslim Khuchiyev was involved in torture." Chechnya's pro-Moscow authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov last year elevated Khuchiyev, previously the mayor of the Chechen capital Grozny which was reduced to rubble when Russia crushed two separatist wars that left tens of thousands dead. While the Muslim-majority republic has largely been pacified, Chechen authorities have still engaged in unlawful arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings, according to a report last year by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The public designation comes amid a slew of rifts between Russia and the United States, which has pressed President Vladimir Putin over Moscow's support for separatists in Ukraine and alleged interference in US elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US envoy to India Kenneth I Juster on Thursday launched a new initiative designed to help India's corporate sector in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). The initiative supports the Indian government's ambitious goal of eliminating TB by 2025, which would be five years ahead of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal. It creates a shared platform for corporations committed to ending TB in India. The event was held in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM India) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the US Embassy said in a statement. "This platform will recognise corporations for their commitment and contributions to ending TB, and link them with the resources they need to better plan and implement TB programs," it said. The Ministry of Labour and Employment, with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is scheduled to sign a new Workplace Policy Framework for TB in the coming weeks, which will create a shared understanding of how companies can contribute to control TB in the workplace. As part of this effort, the USAID is launching a 'TB Pledge' to encourage the private sector to increase resources to combat TB, raise awareness of TB as a curable disease, and ultimately, improve TB health outcomes, the statement read. This pledge will contain several tiers, based on a company's level of commitment to adopt a TB workplace policy, implement TB workplace programs, and fund TB programs through corporate social responsibility resources. "The US is proud to be working with the Indian government to bring the corporate sector and civil society together to eradicate this devastating but curable disease. Indian companies can play a key role in assuring a healthy India. We ask all of you here today to get involved in the fight against TB through the TB pledge," Juster said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protesting against the alleged attack on lawyers at the Howrah district court, the Bar Council of West Bengal Thursday requested bar associations of all courts in the state to observe ceasework from Friday to Monday. The Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court has called for a report on the incident. Lawyers at the high court did not attend work on Thursday in protest against the incident at Howrah court. Alleging high handedness on the part of police in controlling a clash between lawyers and workers of Howrah municipality on Wednesday, Council chairman Ashok Deb has demanded action against those guilty. "We have requested all bar associations to observe a ceasework from April 26 to April 29," he said adding that the Bar Council will review the situation on Monday and decide on further action. Senior counsel Bikash Bhattacharya mentioned Wednesday's clash between the lawyers and municipal workers and police action before the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Justice T B N Radhakrishnan and prayed for suo motu cognisance of the incident. The chief justice said that he has called for a report from the administration on the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rafael Nadal showed no mercy towards an emotional David Ferrer as he eased into the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open on Thursday, describing his compatriot who is winding down his career as a "pleasure to watch". Ferrer is set to retire after the Madrid Open next month and made a tearful exit on what was his 15th and final appearance at this tournament. But there was no room for sentiment for Nadal, who won 6-3 6-3 to take one step closer to a record 12th Barcelona title. Four of those triumphs came after beating Ferrer in the final and, at the end of this latest victory, Nadal's 37-year-old opponent saluted the crowd before placing his pink headband down on the service line. "David is not retiring because of his level but it has been a complicated year and a half for him with injuries," Nadal said. "His level this year has still been very high and for all these years he's been fighting hard and giving us pleasure watching him. We are all grateful to him." Ferrer reached a career-high ranking of number three in the world in 2013, the same year he went closest to winning a Grand Slam too, undone by Nadal again in the French Open final. "I gave everything I had," added Ferrer. "I'm very happy, it's a dream come true to play one of my last matches on this court." Nadal will be gunning for his 12th success at Roland Garros next month and this was more like the sort of form expected of the world number two, who had won 30 consecutive sets in Barcelona before falling one behind to Leonardo Mayer on Wednesday. "I had to majorly improve," Nadal added. "I need to step up, play with more energy and a different attitude." Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff or the talented 20-year-old Greek, Stefanos Tsitsipas, now await in the last eight before a potential semi-final meeting with Dominic Thiem, whom Nadal beat in the French Open final last year. Nadal broke Ferrer for 4-2 in the opening set and was serving for it at 5-3 when rain delayed the match for almost an hour. But the stoppage could not change the momentum, with Nadal quickly wrapping up the frame upon his return before breaking again early in the second. Ferrer offered some brief resistance, a backhand winner restoring parity at 2-2 but Nadal raced ahead as a forehand pass and half-volley put him 5-3 in front. He missed three match points but converted the fourth before finally embracing an emotional Ferrer at the net, around them a standing ovation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If the Indian Air Force possessed high levels of "technological asymmetry", then it would have been able to inflict heavy damage on Pakistan during its unsuccessful aerial raid on February 27, according to an IAF report. The report analysed various aspects of IAF's air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 and the subsequent Pakistani retaliation the next day. India carried out the air strike to avenge the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. In the report, the IAF said Pakistan Air Force has been consistently enhancing its air defence and offensive capabilities since the Kargil war in 1999 and there was a need for India to bolster its "technological asymmetry" for aerial combat, official sources said sharing details from the report. At present, Pakistan has some edge with its fleet of F-16 jets with AMRAAM missile fitted with them, said an official. The sources said the planned induction of Rafale aircraft with deadly Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India a significant advantage over Pakistani Air Force. "We felt we could not punish the adversaries appropriately. So we need to bolster technological asymmetry so that the enemy does not even dare to come close to the border," said a source. On the Balakot strikes, the report said the Israeli Spice 2000 precision guided munitions (PGM) fired from Mirage 2000 jets hit five out of the six designated targets in the JeM training facility. However, one Spice PGM did not leave the aircraft because of a drift in the inertial navigation system. The report said the deception used was successful as Pakistan was caught off guard despite their air force being put on highest alert. Various packages of jets flew in several directions including a fleet of Jaguars went towards Bahawalpur, a key air base of Pakistan Air Force, sources said. In the list of possitives from the strike, the IAF talked about accuracy of intelligence inputs, precise selection of targets, demonstration of its ability to carry out precision strikes and its success in maintaining secrecy of the operation though over 6,000 personnel were involved in it. In its analysis of possible areas for improvement, the IAF sought superior technological asymmetry and air defence system over Pakistan, sources said. It also talked about the need for procuring new weapons and other platforms for enhancing the IAF's overall combat capabilities. Induction of Rafale jets along with Meteor beyond-visual-range missile and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India an edge over Pakistan, according to the report. India is procuring a batch of S-400 air defence system from Russia at a cost of USD 5 billion. India is also buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. During the aerial combat of February 27, IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman had engaged with one of the Pakistani F-16s and shot it down before his Mig-21 Bison was downed. Varthaman was captured by Pakistan and was released after spending nearly 60 hours in Pakistani custody. The Indian Air Force had on February 28 displayed pieces of an AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to prove that Pakistan deployed the US-manufactured fighter jets during the raid. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP candidate from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat Hardeep Singh Puri Thursday said he will share a "vision document" that will focus on education, the youth and the development of the city. The BJP has pitted Puri against sitting MP and Congress candidate Gurjit Singh Aujla, and AAP's Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. "Earlier this year on February 15, when I had visited the city, I was asked by journalists about my future plan to contest the elections from here, but I had declined. Now, the party high command has asked me to contest and the party is supreme, he said. On the Congress party calling him an "outsider", Puri said, "somebody should ask Congress president Rahul Gandhi why he was contesting from Kerala." Besides his stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi is also contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in Kerala. Talking about his election agenda, Puri said, "In the next three days I will share my 'vision document' before the media about a developmental plan for and a special plan for the progress of the youth." He said Amritsar could be turned into a global city in the future. "My main focus would remain on education of the youth and their employment issues, he said. Puri said if he wins the elections from here, he would work like a bridge between masses and government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) will hold its second (BRF) from Thursday to showcase its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) without India's presence for the second consecutive time, while 37 heads of the state and government, including from Pakistan, would attend the three-day grand event. The BRI was launched by when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Xi's ambitious BRI. has been boycotting the BRI to protest over the $60 billion China- Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. For more, listen to this podcast... Iran said on Wednesday that it will continue to defy American sanctions by finding buyers for its oil and use the Strait of Hormuz as a safe transit passage for the sale of the commodity, warning the US that it should "be prepared for the consequences" if it tried to stop Tehran. US President Donald Trump on Monday decided not to grant sanctions exemptions to any oil customers of Iran, further squeezing Tehran's top export commodity. The US' move which is seen as an escalation of its "maximum pressure" on Iran came after it last year gave 180-days waiver to eight countries, including India, China and Japan among others. "We believe that Iran will continue to sell its oil, we will continue to find buyers for our oil and we will continue to use the Strait of Hormuz as a safe transit passage for the sale of our oil. That is our intention and that is what we believe will happen," Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Javad Zarif said at an event at the Asia Society here. Zarif warned that if the US takes the "crazy measure" of trying to prevent Iran from continuing to sell its oil "then it should be prepared for the consequences." The Iranian minister did not further elaborate. He said that it is in Iran's vital national security interest to keep the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz open. "We have done that in the past, we will continue to do it in the future, he said. Zarif asserted that the US should know that when they enter the Strait of Hormuz, they have to talk to "those who are protecting" the Strait - Iran's Revolutionary Guards. British entrepreneur Jason Unsworth takes up offer to buy stake in Jet Airways with lenders Trump had earlier this month designated Iran's elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a terrorist organisation. Zarif said that "B team" wants the US to take crazy measures, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump's national security adviser John Bolton. "It won't be the first time that the US has taken adventurous measures, plotted for it by others," he said. The US had told India and other countries to cut oil imports from the Gulf nation to "zero" by November 4 last year or face sanctions. However, Washington had granted a six-month waiver from sanctions to eight countries - India, China, Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey and South Korea. Trump has now decided not to continue with the exemptions to oil customers of Iran. The temporary waiver ends on May 2. India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, had agreed to restrict its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonne or 15 million tonne in a year (300,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonne (452,000 barrels per day) bought in the 2017-18 financial year. The world's third biggest oil consumer, India meets more than 80 per cent of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10 per cent of its total needs. In Washington, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Monday said that the US will dramatically accelerate its pressure campaign on the Iranian regime until its leaders change their destructive behaviour, respect the rights of the people and return to the negotiating table. India Tuesday said it was adequately prepared to deal with the impact of the US decision to end waivers that allowed it to buy Iranian oil without facing sanctions. Vodafone Idea's rights issue received bids for 1,109 crore shares, says NSE The Supreme Court Thursday constituted a one-man panel of former apex court judge Justice AK Patnaik to hold inquiry into the allegations of larger conspiracy to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and fixing of benches in the top court. The apex court asked the Directors of CBI and IB as also the Delhi Police Commissioner to cooperate with Justice (Retd) Patnaik as and when sought by him during the inquiry. The top court said however that the inquiry by will not deal with the allegations of sexual harassment against the CJI. It said the outcome of the inquiry will not affect the in-house committee which is dealing with the complaint against the CJI. The apex court said that on the completion of inquiry, Justice (Retd) Patnaik will file a report in a sealed cover before the court after which the matter will be heard again. It left it to the panel to take assistance of the people required for the inquiry. In the order, a special bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said: "Considering the factual gamut and the affidavits filed by advocate Utsav Singh Bains, we are appointing Justice A K Patnaik, retired judge of this court, to hold inquiry into the allegations levelled in the affidavit filed by Bains." The bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman and Deepak Gupta, clarified that he "would not deal with the allegations of mis-behaviour by the CJI". It also said that the "outcome of the inquiry and its findings" would not affect the in-house inquiry which has been ordered. The bench further said: "Directors of CBI and IB and Delhi Police Commissioner would render cooperation to Justice (Retd) Patnaik as an when required during his inquiry." The bench ordered that the affidavit filed by advocate Bains be transferred to Justice (Retd) Patnaik in a sealed cover. While dictating the order, the bench at the outset said, "We have decided that no privilege can be claimed on certain communications the advocate is claiming and he has to disclose the information as and when required." The Supreme Court earlier on Thursday expressed anguish over the "systematic attack" on the judiciary and said time has come to tell the rich and powerful of this country that they are "playing with fire". The apex court made this observation while hearing claims made by an advocate that there was a larger conspiracy to frame the CJI on allegations of sexual harassment. Also read: SC Judge Bobde to probe sexual harassment allegations against CJI Ranjan Gogoi The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Siksha Parishad (UPMSP) will declare Class 10 and Class 12 board exam results on April 27. Students can check Class 10 and 12 results on the official website of the UP Education Board, upmsp.edu.in. Since lakhs of students are expected to check their results online, they can also visit and get their result through SMS. Students can also visit upresults.nic.in for more information related to their board exam results. Around 58 lakh students appeared for the Class 10 and 12 exams, which were held from February 7 to March 2. Education experts say Class 10 and 12 board exam results could see improvement this year, with the UP State Education Board taking several initiatives to maintain good results. The government had also deployed a special task force, which kept a check on "cheating" in exams. Due to strict vigilance, a few cases of cheating were reported during these board exams. Prior to 2018, the UP Education Board used to release the results by the end of May or June. However, results were announced on April 29 last year. The declaration of the results is reportedly delayed due to the on-going election process. A total of 58, 06, 922 students registered for the UP Board Class 10 and Class 12 examinations this year. Though the exact number is not known, about 6 lakh didn't appear for the exam. The exams were conducted across 8,354 schools in UP. Here's how you can check the Class 10, 12 exam result Visit the official website of the UP Education Board, upmsp.edu.in Click on Class 12 and 10 results link Enter your roll number, required admit card details and click on submit button You can save your result for future reference Sources to check UPMSP Class 10 and 12 results upmspresults.up.nic.in results.nic.in upmsp.edu.in upresults.nic.in Check your results through SMS SMS - UP10ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 SMS - UP12ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 Also read: TS Inter Result 2019: Here's how you can check your TSBIE intermediate result Also read: TN HSC Result 2019 declared: Here's how you can check result at tnresults.nic.in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha Election 2019, with the party promising full statehood for the National Capital. Releasing the manifesto, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal said his party would do everything to stop the "Modi-Shah duo" from coming to power and that the party would support any "secular mahagathbandhan" after the Lok Sabha Election. Kejriwal said his party would try its best to get full statehood for Delhi. "We will fight our battle on the issue of getting full statehood for Delhi," he said, adding that people of Delhi were being treated as second class by the ruling BJP government at the Centre. He said if Delhi would get full statehood, the UT's police would be accountable to the state government, and people of the state, especially women would feel safe. Lok Sabha Election 2019: Poll dates, full schedule, voting FAQs, election results, constituencies' details He said the government would also ensure 85 per cent of Delhi's children would get admission in its colleges. He also promised to regularise all contractual employees. Promising to make Delhi cleaner, Kejriwal said all MCDs would come under the Delhi government if it got full statehood. He said if Delhi was a state, his government could have easily passed the Jan Lokpal bill by now. "In our manifesto, we have mentioned several examples of how many capitals in the world are separate states, and all the rights are under the elected state governments," Delhi Deputy CM Minister Manish Sisodia said. Targeting BJP Chief Amit Shah over his remarks that the BJP government would remove all "infiltrators" except Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists from the country, Kejriwal said: "This proves that the BJP plans to remove all other religions except these three religions. The election of 2019, electing to save the Democracy of India, is the choice to save the country's constitution." He said today India's culture and unity were under attack and that the country could be saved only if people didn't get divided across religion and caste lines. Hitting out at Congress President Rahul Gandhi over the issue of the alliance in Delhi, Kejriwal said: "(I) want to ask Rahul Gandhi which alliance is formed on Twitter? If Modi and Shah return to power, only Gandhi will be responsible," Kejriwal said. Lok Sabha Election 2019 Phase 4 live updates: Congress party ends speculation on Priyanka, fields Ajay Rai from Varanasi Edited by Manoj Sharma 17 Jun 2019, 12:57 PM India to skip China's BRF meet for second time in a row China will hold its 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) from Thursday to showcase its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) without India's presence for the second consecutive time, while 37 heads of the state and government, including from Pakistan, would attend the three-day grand event. The BRI was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. WeWork India, others offer jobs to Jet Airways employees US-based co-working operator WeWork on Wednesday said it will offer job opportunities to Jet Airways employees, who were affected by the recent suspension of operations. Running into a debt of more than Rs 8,500 crore, Jet Airways has shut down operations temporarily after lenders decided against extending emergency funds for its survival. Tata Tele in talks with ATC to sell entire stake in tower biz for Rs 2,500 crore Tata Teleservices is in talks with American Tower Corporation to sell its entire stake in the mobile tower business for about Rs 2,500 crore at a price of Rs 212 per share. British entrepreneur Jason Unsworth takes up offer to buy stake in Jet Airways with lenders Jason Unsworth, the British entrepreneur who had expressed interest in acquiring a controlling stake in Jet Airways, has been asked by the airline to take up the matter with its consortium of lenders. In a filing to the stock exchanges, Jet Airways said that Unsworth has been asked to interact with SBI Caps Limited that is leading the resolution plan for the embattled carrier. Boeing puts cost of 737 MAX crisis at USD 1 bn Boeing said Wednesday that its 737 MAX crisis had cost USD 1 billion in the first quarter as it withdrew its 2019 profit forecast on continued uncertainty about when the grounded jets will fly again after two deadly crashes. The US aerospace giant also cited spending on the software fix and related training, according to an earnings presentation released that listed the USD 1 billion in 737 program costs. We remain committed to continuously enhancing safety features for users: TikTok TikTok said it remains committed to "continuously enhancing" safety features for its 120 million users in India after the Madras High Court on Wednesday lifted ban on the short-video app. The Madras HC has lifted its earlier ban on the Chinese short-video app with the condition that the content hosted using it should be free from obscene videos of children and women. British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph is reportedly planning to launch its used vehicle programme in India within two-three months. The company runs a used bike service called Approved Triumph Pre-Owned Motorcycle programme in its home market, and the same might be brought to India. Reports suggest that Triumph might also bring financing options for the refurbished superbikes it will sell through this programme. The programme will bring down the entry price point of Triumph Motorcycles in India by about 50 per cent, thus making it affordable, Mint quoted Triumph Motorcycles India's General Manager Shoeb Farooq as saying. The company will also put new warranty on the extended warranty programme for the refurbished models, the daily further reported. Triumph Motorcycles India has also joined hands with HDFC Bank and Pune-based Wheels EMI to provide financing options for the second-hand bikes, Farooq told the newspaper. ALSO READ: 2019 Triumph Speed Twin launched in India: Price, engine, features The Approved Triumph Pre-Owned Motorcycle programme, which is operational in the United Kingdom, offers one-year unlimited mileage warranty, one-year roadside assistance, certified vehicle quality check, vehicle safety testing, full service history of the motorcycle, vehicle history and mileage check, and financing options. Among other superbike players, Ducati and Harley Davidson have used bike programmes in India. The Italian superbike maker launched its Ducati Approved programme in India in mid-December last year. Meanwhile, the American motorcycle major launched its Harley Davidson Originals programme in India in September last year. ALSO READ: British superbike brand Triumph launches new versions of Street Twin, Street Scrambler in India Recently, Triumph Motorcycles launched the new Speed Twin in India at Rs 9.46 lakh. The 2019 Triumph Speed Twin has the same 1200cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine as the Thruxton R, but it weighs 2.5kg less due to use of lightened engine covers, magnesium cam covers and new clutch assembly. The motor is capable of producing 96bhp of max power at 6,750rpm along with a maximum torque output of 112Nm at 4,950rpm. The engine on the new Triumph Speed Twin is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. The motorcycle also gets three riding modes, sport, road and rain. Brent oil rose above $75 per barrel on Thursday for the first time this year as quality concerns forced the suspension of some Russian crude exports to Europe while the United States prepared to tighten sanctions on Iran. Brent crude futures were at $75.22 by 0851 GMT, up 65 cents. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $66.09 per barrel, up 20 cents. Poland and Germany have suspended imports of Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline, citing poor quality. Trading sources said the Czech Republic had also halted purchases. Also Read: Reliance Jio beats Airtel to become India's 2nd largest telecom company The pipeline can ship up to 1 million barrels per day, or 1 per cent of global crude demand, with around 700,000 bpd of flows suspended, according to trading sources and Reuters calculations. US attempts to drive Iranian oil exports down to zero also boosted prices. The United States this week said it would end all exemptions for sanctions against Iran, OPEC's third-largest producer, demanding countries halt oil imports from Tehran from May or face punitive action from Washington. The U.S. decision comes amid supply cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries since the start of the year aimed at propping up prices. Still, Brian Hook, U.S. special representative for Iran and senior policy adviser to the secretary of state, said on Thursday "there is plenty of supply in the market to ease that transition and maintain stable prices". Consultancy Rystad Energy said Saudi Arabia and its main allies could replace lost Iranian oil. "Saudi Arabia and several of its allies have more replacement barrels than what would be lost from Iranian exports," said Rystad's head of oil research, Bjoernar Tonhaugen. "Since October 2018, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the UAE, and Iraq have cut 1.3 million bpd, which is more than enough to compensate for the additional loss," he added. On the supply side, U.S. crude production has risen by more than 2 million bpd since early 2018 to a record of 12.2 million bpd currently, making the United States the world's biggest oil producer ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia. In part because of soaring domestic production, U.S. commercial crude inventories last week soared to 460.63 million barrels, their highest since October 2017, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Also Read: Maruti Suzuki's consolidated profit falls 2.9% to Rs 7,650.60 crore in FY19 Three NBFCs, Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited, Industrial Finance Corporation of India Limited and PNB Housing Finance Limited, have come under the scanner for not adhering to an important provision in the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. As per Section 4(2)(l)(D) of the Act, "70% of the amount realised for the real estate project from the allottees, from time to time, shall be deposited in a separate account to be maintained in a scheduled bank to cover the cost of construction and the land cost and shall be used only for that purpose". It further specifies that any amount withdrawn from this account shall be utilised only to cover project costs and has to be "certified" by an engineer, an architect and a chartered accountant to the effect that the withdrawal "is in proportion to the percentage of completion of the project". The Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HRERA) yesterday directed the Gurugram Police to register a criminal case against the above-mentioned lenders for misappropriation of crores of rupees deposited by the allottees for the completion of the projects namely Araville, Basera, Hues and Hill Town in Gurugram, The Hindu reported. All these projects are being rolled out by Supertech Limited, a leading realty player. HRERA Gurugram Chairman K.K Khandelwal, in a press conference, added that the authority has taken a serious note of the fact that the NBFCs had fraudulently and arbitrarily withdrawn entire amount of the receivable deposited in the RERA Account, which is a flagrant violation of the Act. He reportedly added that this was probably the first-of-its-kind decision since the regulatory authority was constituted, where it had directed the police to initiate action against financiers of realty projects. Separately, on April 3, Uttar Pradesh RERA sent off letters to the zonal heads of several banks public and private sector banks stressing the need for strict compliance with these provisions. "It has come to the notice of UP RERA that some of the promoters are not complying with the statutory provisions of the law and withdrawing the amount from the designated account without submitting the requisite certificate with the bank or sometimes withdrawing amount in excess of the work done in the project," read the letter. It added that some of the banks, particularly the ones that have sanctioned loans to promoters, "arbitrarily adjust the entire amount deposited in the account against the outstanding loan of the promoter", instead of transferring 70% of the money collected towards construction and payment of land cost, as mandated by the law. The letter hence asked the banks to issue necessary instructions to their respective staff to ensure compliance. According to The Times of India, HRERA has made it clear that before builders make a provision for any purpose, 70% of the money collected from allottees must go to another escrow account, which should be called RERA account, to be maintained for the purpose of construction of the project and meet the land cost. Khandelwal also pointed out that the developer "cannot create lien on the project" to raise money for a purpose other than completing construction of a project. A builder can use only 30% of the amount collected from allottees for other purposes, including creating charge in favour of lending institutions to repay loans. He added that the RERA provision was introduced to address the mischief previously being committed by unscrupulous builders to divert funds collected from homebuyers to other projects or for different purposes entirely. Banks and lending institutions typically see their loans serviced through the escrow accounts opened by developers where all the receivables get deposited. If the collection from allottees in a particular month is less than the instalment due to be paid to the lender, the entire amount in the escrow account reportedly goes to lenders. Due to this state of affairs, in the event a realty firm suffers a cash crunch, projects often end up stalled. Section 4(2)(l)(D) of the Act aims to clamp down on such practices. In the meantime, Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited, Industrial Finance Corporation of India Limited and PNB Housing Finance Limited have reportedly been directed to deposit back the excess amount withdrawn by them in violation of this provision and a show cause notice has been issued to Supertech Limited, asking it why penal proceedings should not be initiated against it for non-compliance. Uber Asia Pacific Head Amit Jain has resigned from the company after a four-year stint at the US-based ride-hailing company. Jain, who was elevated to the APAC position in May last year after serving as the India head, will remain with the company till the end of May. "After four great years, Amit Jain will be leaving Uber at the end of May to spend time with his family before taking the next step in his career. Amit has been instrumental in growing our Rides business -- first in India from launch to category leadership, and more recently across the Asia Pacific region," Uber Chief Operating Officer Barney Harford said in a statement. He added that Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty will take responsibility for Uber's Asia Pacific Rides business in addition to his current role leading Rides teams across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "I look forward to seeing Pierre work with our talented APAC teams to unlock opportunity markets such as Japan and South Korea, and continue our strong momentum in markets such as India and Australia," he said. Uber remains deeply committed to the Asia Pacific region and will continue to invest in people, products and partnerships under Pierre's leadership, Harford added. Jain had joined Uber India in May 2015 from rent.com. After his elevation to the APAC role, he was also responsible for markets like Australia, New Zealand, and North Asia, in addition to India and South Asia. The development comes at a time when Uber has filed for a public offering and is expected to raise USD 10 billion (about Rs 69,000 crore), making it one of the biggest tech IPOs. Other large tech IPOs include those of Alibaba (USD 21.8 billion) and Facebook (USD 16 billion). Also Read: State Bank of India gets board nod to raise nearly Rs 17,000 crore via bonds Also Read: Madras High Court lifts interim ban on TikTok in India Also Read: Special court rejects plea seeking to bar Sadhvi Pragya from contesting Lok Sabha election Nokia stood out for the wrong reasons on Thursday as European shares edged lower following a mixed bag of earnings from the region and concerns for the euro zone economy resurfaced after a weak German sentiment survey a day earlier. The Finnish telecom network equipment maker slid nearly 10%, its sharpest decline in 18 months, after it reported a surprise quarterly loss, citing hard competition in its core networks business. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was 0.1% lower at 0920 GMT after an eight-session rally in the benchmark index stalled on Wednesday. Nokia's fall helped knock the tech index 0.9% lower following the previous day's 4% surge. Britain's FTSE lagged, hurt in part by the country's third-largest homebuilder Taylor Wimpey which warned its full-year margins would be slightly lower. That also dragged down its peers. Sainsbury's slipped 5% after Britain's competition regulator blocked the retailer's proposed 7.3 billion pound ($9.4 billion) takeover of Walmart-owned Asda . "Equity markets are very much driven by the earnings season and as there are mixed numbers are coming in, investors are taking a little bit of cautious approach," Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at TF Global Markets (UK) Ltd in London. German heavyweight Bayer rose after the drug and farming supplies company posted a 45% gain in quarterly core earnings on the back of seed maker Monsanto's acquisition. Semiconductor maker ASM soared 7.8% to the top of the regional index after beating first-quarter targets, while Germany's Dialog Semiconductor rose more than 1% after forecasting higher than anticipated profits in the first quarter. Investors sought safety in defensive healthcare and utilities stocks while cyclical sectors, which are more sensitive to economic growth, sold off. Mining and construction and materials fell more than 1%. Germany's benchmark 10-year government bond yield held below zero percent, a day after a disappointing German Ifo sentiment survey that exacerbated concerns about the euro zone's economic outlook. The banking index shed 0.3%, weighed down by Barclays and Swedbank shares. Britain's Barclays slipped after reporting a 10% drop in quarterly profit, as its under-pressure investment bank struggled with tough markets. Swedbank fell over 3% after posting an estimate-beating first-quarter profit as the Swedish lender admitted to previous shortcomings in combating money laundering. "If the corporate earnings do show that balance sheets are strong not just because of corporate buybacks but also because of strong fundamentals, then we many see a very different picture, which will likely boost the equity markets as well," Aslam said. Switzerland's biggest bank UBS advanced after its first-quarter results surpassed analyst expectations, a day after smaller rival Credit Suisse also posted strong results. Focus also remained on the reported failed merger talks between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, a deal that has faced fierce opposition from the workforce, with unions fearing 30,000 job losses. Deutsche shares rose 4.7% while those of Commerzbank slipped 2.5%. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Downward pressure on local economies lessened as 14 out of 19 provinces that have released their first quarter GDP data met or beat the targets. Photo: IC Local governments report upbeat economic data Out of the 23 province-level regions that have released their regional GDP growth data for the first quarter as of Wednesday, 18 met or beat the annual target they had set for 2019, including the municipalities of Tianjin and Chongqing. However, the provinces of Hainan, Qinghai and Shaanxi, and the autonomous regions of Guangxi Zhuang and Inner Mongolia, failed to catch up with their targets in the first quarter. While the economic stabilization signaled by these figures track with national figures released recently, doubts remain about the reliability of regional economic data. Chinas economy grew at a 6.4% annual rate in the first quarter of this year, beating analysts median expectation of a 6.3% rise, according to official data, snapping a slowing streak in the past three consecutive quarters. FINANCE & ECONOMICS The People's Bank of China Central bank offers cash injection after dismissing talk of reserve cut The central bank on Wednesday injected cash into the financial system in what has been seen as a measure to ease short-term liquidity pressure on banks, after it dismissed speculation that it would make a more aggressive move to cut the reserve requirement ratio for some lenders. The cash injection reinforced analysts view that the central bank is backing away from further loosening monetary policy amid positive economic signals. The PBOC provided 267.4 billion yuan ($39.8 billion) to some large and midsize banks through its targeted medium-term lending facility on Wednesday to reward them for enhancing credit support for small and private companies in the first three months of this year, the central bank said. Taxes / Chinas tax cuts total $50 billion in Q1 China lowered the tax burden on individuals and businesses by 341.1 billion yuan ($50.8 billion) in the first quarter of 2019, the State Taxation Administration said Tuesday. Beijing has pledged nearly 2 trillion yuan of tax cuts for this year, aiming to pump more gas into the cooling economy. On an individual level, China amended the personal income tax law last year, raising the exemption threshold to 5,000 yuan a month from the previous 3,500 yuan, and adding special tax deductions for spending on items such as childrens education, mortgage interest, housing rent and elder care. Capital markets / Goldman Sachs settles breach-of-rules case for $22.3 million Chinas top securities regulator settled a case involving violations of regulations on internal controls around the 2015 market meltdown by U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs and its Chinese partner. The firms agreed to pay 150 million yuan ($22.3 million) in fines, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said Tuesday. A 2016 inspection found violations of rules on internal controls at Hong Kong-based Goldman Sachs (Asia) and Beijing Gao Hua Securities, partner of Goldman Sachs China venture, when their traders conducted stock and stock index futures trading between May and July 2015, the CSRC said in a statement. This was the first administrative settlement reached in Chinas capital market, four years after the CSRC initiated a trial of a procedure commonly used in the West. Leadership / Exclusive: China securities regulator gets new top disciplinary official Wang Huimin has been relieved as the discipline inspection team leader of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) as he reached the civil servant retirement age of 60. Fan Dazhi, 54, who was previously the top disciplinary official at Bank of China, one of the big four state-owned commercial banks, will succeed him, we've learned. The top disciplinary officials at large financial institutions and regulators are appointed by the Communist Partys top disciplinary watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The agency has recently announced a series of changes in its appointees to financial institutions. Wang was in the CSRC post since 2014. Quick hits / Utility bills challenge central bank efforts to revamp credit reporting system High-tech board publishes common problems its seen in applications so far Draft revision to securities law adds new section for high-tech board Companies will start selling funds for high-tech board stocks as early as April 26 Opinion: Are Chinese Banks Earning Too Much? BUSINESS & TECH Photo: IC Bioethics / Chinas civil code looks to tighten provisions on gene editing Chinas legislators are set to include tightened provisions on gene editing in its new civil code, whose latest draft stipulates that developing new drugs, medical devices or developing new prevention and treatment methods require approval from an ethics committee as well as the relevant authorities. The second draft of the civil codes personality rights section, which deals with human integrity and dignity, increases regulation on medical and scientific research activity related to human genes and human embryos, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The draft law was discussed by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress Saturday. Daxing / Airlines jostle for popular international routes at Beijings massive new airport As the Chinese capital gears up to open one of the worlds biggest airports by September, carriers are jostling to operate highly popular routes to South Korea and France, with seven airlines applying to fly from the new Beijing Daxing International Airport to Seoul, and four applying to fly between Daxing and Paris. Operators in the race for the Seoul route include China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd., China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd., Xiamen Airlines Co. Ltd. and China United Airlines Co. Ltd., according to China's civil aviation authority. South Korea and France are the most sought-after routes at Daxing, after China inked aviation agreements with both countries to increase flight frequencies amid stronger diplomatic ties. Crude / U.S. oil flowing freely to China again on trade war optimism While refiners in China shunned U.S. oil imports as the nations imposed tit-for-tat tariffs in an escalating trade war, buying interest has resurfaced on optimism that the worlds top two economies are nearing a resolution to their dispute. With geopolitical turmoil disrupting supply from Iran and Venezuela, buyers are feeling more assured the purchases wont break government regulations, according to refinery officials and traders in Asia. China International United Petroleum & Chemicals Co. Ltd. (Unipec), the trading arm of state-owned refining giant China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec), provisionally chartered the ship Coswisdom Lake to pick up crude from the U.S. Gulf Coast on May 20 for delivery to China, shipping fixtures show. The tanker, with capacity of 2 million barrels, is just one of many that are being sought by companies such as Occidental Petroleum Corp., Mercuria Energy Group Ltd. Co. Ltd., and Equinor ASA for the same journey. The great selloff / HNA shelves $1 billion sale of container unit Seaco: sources HNA Group Co. has shelved a sale process for its container-leasing business Seaco after failing to reach an agreement on valuation, people with knowledge of the matter said, adding that Apollo Global Management, China Cinda Asset Management Co., I Squared Capital and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. were shortlisted for bidding. The Chinese conglomerate is no longer in active discussions about a sale and plans to keep the business for now, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. HNA had been seeking more than $1 billion for Seaco, which is controlled by the groups Shenzhen-listed Bohai Leasing Co. unit, the people said. Quick hits / Medical-device giant Mindray posts strong growth in first report after homecoming Chinas state firms report solid performance Power grids face stricter price-setting oversight EV explosions spark safety concerns Avengers fans swarm Chinese cinemas for premiere Electronics giant TCL posts strong revenue growth after reorganization Fosun chairman tells Jack Ma hes been thinking about succession Investors give thumbs down to China Mobile, Unicom earnings Tencent-backed private health-care platform raises $250 million Thanks for reading. If you haven't already, click here to subscribe. Biotech Firm Viva to Raise Up to HK$1.5 Billion in Hong Kong IPO By Liu Yanfei and Han Wei / Apr 26, 2019 02:56 AM / Business & Tech Another China-based biotech company will debut on the Hong Kong market. Leading contract drug researcher Viva Biotech Holdings started its initial public offering share sales in Hong Kong Thursday aiming to raise between HK$1.18 billion and HK$1.52 billion ($150 million to $194 million). Shanghai-based Viva planned to sell 345 million shares at a price range between HK$3.42 and HK$4.41 a share. The offering opened at 9 a.m. Thursday and will close at noon Tuesday in Hong Kong. Established in 2008, Viva provides structure-based drug-discovery services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical customers. Its clients include nine of the worlds top 10 pharmaceutical companies, according to Vivas prospectus. In 2018, Viva said it booked 210 million yuan ($31 million) of revenue, up 41.7% from the previous year, and 90.6 million yuan of net profit, up 18.7%. Three cornerstone investors Sinopharm Capital and two funds controlled by Shenzhen GTJA Investment Group subscribed for a combined 26% of Vivas offering. Vivas stock will debut on the Hong Kong exchange May 9. China International Capital Corp. Hong Kong Securities Ltd. is the sole sponsor of the offering. Related: Hong Kong Smiles on Biotech, Lowballs Club Med in Latest IPOs April 25, 2019 Montreal, Quebec Nature is our most precious resourceyet it is increasingly under threat from climate change, industrial activity, and habitat loss. Since 1970, the world has lost approximately 60 percent of the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. The Government of Canada is working to double the amount of nature protected across Canadas lands and oceans and has launched the $1.3 billion Nature Legacythe single-largest investment to protect nature in Canadian history. Canadas leadership is essential to reverse the drastic loss of animals, plants, and habitat worldwide because it is home to the second-largest remaining wilderness area, one fifth of the worlds fresh water, and the worlds longest coastline. This global biodiversity crisis requires a coordinated and sustained global response. Thats whytoday, in MontrealCanada welcomed global leaders from government, Indigenous organizations, business, foundations, and non-governmental organizations for an inaugural Nature Champions Summit. The meeting, co-hosted by Canadas Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, and Canadas Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Jonathan Wilkinson, kicked off a global year-long push to chart an ambitious, shared path toward protecting the worlds nature. The Summits participants included Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who provided a keynote address to participants; environment ministers from countries leading the way in protecting nature, such as Costa Rica, Norway, and the Seychelles; Indigenous leaders; prominent conservation advocates such as Harrison Ford, filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau, and National Geographic Chief Scientist Jonathan Baillie; businesses including BlackRock, Kering, and Salesforce; and philanthropists including the International Boreal Conservation Campaign, the Schad Foundation, the Metcalf Foundation, the Moore Foundation, and the Wyss Foundation. Summit participants committed to working together as part of a high-ambition coalition to accelerate the protection of nature, promote new solutions, and inspire ambitious action for global nature protection. Minister McKenna concluded the Summit by highlighting three specific outcomes: International call to action The Summit resulted in a global call to action, recognizing that protecting nature has important intrinsic value, supports strong economies and communities, and is a critical tool for fighting climate change and adapting to its impacts. The call to action includes commitments to increase the amount of nature protected worldwide and mobilize new resources to support that goal; address the root causes of biodiversity loss; and ensure global economic, cultural, political, and social decision-making reflect the critical need to protect nature. Canadas leadership Ministers McKenna and Wilkinson committed to continue Canadas leadership on protecting nature at home and abroad and work in partnership with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples to achieve the Government of Canadas goal of doubling the amount of protected nature in Canada by 2020. Through initiatives such as the recently established Edehzhie Protected Area and Scott Islands Marine National Wildlife Area, Canada has already protected 1.66 million km2 of land and oceanan area bigger than Quebec. New global research Minister McKenna announced that Canada will join international partners and the World Economic Forum in supporting new research into the economic opportunity of nature protection. The study will explore the connections between climate change, biodiversity, forests, oceans, and land use; examine the economic value that nature provides; and outline the opportunities for financing conservation globally. Canada continues to make swift progress toward our 2020 goal of protecting a total of 2.3 million km2 of land and ocean. Earlier this week, the federal government announced the intent to establish four new national wildlife areas: one on Isle Haute, Nova Scotia; and three in St. Lawrence islands, in Quebec. Minister McKenna pointed to significant progress being made toward establishing new national park reserves in Thaidene Nene and the South OkanaganSimilkameen, and the intent to establish new protected areas in Eastern James Bay and the Magdalen Islandsin partnership with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples. She also highlighted programs such as the Indigenous Guardians and Indigenous-led conservation areas, such as Edehzhie in the Northwest Territories, which will help preserve Canadas natural places and wildlife for future generations. At the Summit, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Jonathan Wilkinson, reinforced Canadas commitment to protecting our oceans by adopting new protection standards for federal marine protected areas and other effective conservation measures. These new standards will help better protect sensitive and important areas in our oceans from the potentially harmful effects of industrial activities. As part of this commitment, Minister Wilkinson announced the designation of the Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area, off the south coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, as the first federal marine protected area to apply these new standards. The Nature Champions Summit kicked off a series of global meetings focused on building momentum toward 2020, when leaders representing 190 countries will come together for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in China. Next month, G7 environment ministers will gather in France, where nature protection will be a central theme, and highlights from the Nature Champions Summit will be brought forward by Minister McKenna. Our achievements, direction, and plan Protecting Canadas nature supports healthy communities, a strong economy, and a sustainable future. Thats why the Government of Canada has worked with partners across Canada, since 2015, to protect an additional 530,000 km2 of our lands and oceansan area a little bigger than the Yukon. Context In 2010, Canada and 195 other parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for 20112020 and committed to the global Aichi Biodiversity Targets to protect more of the worlds nature and help reverse the dramatic decline in biodiversity. In 2015, Canada developed its own biodiversity goals and nineteen targets that support progress toward our global commitments. These nationwide goals and targets rely on actions by all governments, sectors, and Canadians. Progress Canada is working ambitiously toward protecting and conserving 17 percent of land and fresh water and 10 percent of our marine and coastal areas by 2020, in keeping with our biodiversity target 1 commitments. That means protecting 2.3 million km2 of land, lakes, and oceansan area a little bigger than Nunavut. Meeting that 2020 goal requires doubling the amount of nature that was protected across Canadas lands and oceans in 2015, and we are making significant progress. The Government of Canada has designated new federal protected areas, such as the Edehzhie Protected Area, Scott Islands Marine National Wildlife Area, and Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area. The federal government is also supporting ongoing work to create new provincial, territorial, and Indigenous protected areas, as well as areas protected by land trusts and communities. (For further details on recent success stories and ongoing work, please see the appendix.) Since 2015, Canada has added over 130,000 km2 to the network of protected areas across the country. In other words, 11.8 percent of Canadas land and fresh water are now protected. Canada has also made major progress in marine conservation since 2015. While less than 1 percent of our marine and coastal areas was protected in 2015, Canada exceeded the target to protect 5 percent of Canadas oceans by 2017, conserving 8.27 percent of our marine and coastal areas to date. We will continue to make progress toward our 2020 goals, with support from the Government of Canadas commitment of $1.3 billion in Budget 2018the single-largest investment to protect nature in Canadian history. Ongoing work The new $500 million Canada Nature Fund leverages an additional $500 million from partners to raise at least $1 billion toward the conservation of Canadas nature. The Canada Nature Fund is comprised of a number of funding programs: The Target 1 Challenge will provide up to $175 million over the next four years to help establish new provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous protected and conserved areas. It will also support ecological integrity and the connectivity of Canadas network of protected and conserved areas, identify areas of importance for biodiversity, and help raise Canadians awareness of the value of biodiversity. The Natural Heritage Conservation Program has allocated $100 million over four years to support conservation efforts across the country. This funding will help land trusts across Canada secure private lands and private interests in lands to establish new protected and conserved areas. Earlier this year, the Community-Nominated Priority Places for Species at Risk was launched, providing up to $15.6 million over four years to support projects in communities that are bringing people together to protect species at risk. This funding is part of over $150 million over five years for various funding initiatives to help with the protection and recovery of species at risk. The Canada Nature Fund is beginning to generate results. For example, the Canada Nature Fund funded the creation of the Edehzhie Protected Area, by the Dehcho First Nations in the Northwest Territories. More than 14,000 km2 in size, the Edehzhie Protected Area is an important new addition to Canadas network of protected and conserved areas. Work is also ongoingin partnership with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoplesto establish new national park reserves in Thaidene Nene and the South OkanaganSimilkameen, and on the intent to establish new protected areas in Eastern James Bay and the Magdalen Islands. Protecting these areas and others will help to preserve Canadas natural places and wildlife for future generations. In June 2018, federal, provincial, and territorial governments (with the exception of Quebec) agreed to implement a new Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada, intended to achieve better outcomes for species at risk; improve the return on investment; and increase co-benefits for biodiversity and ecosystems. With advice from the Pathway to Canada Target 1 National Advisory Panel and the Indigenous Circle of Experts, federal, provincial, and territorial conservation departments published One with Nature: A Renewed Approach to Land and Freshwater Conservation in Canada. This report offers guidance and opportunities to support progress toward achieving the terrestrial and inland water components of Canada target 1. Canada continues to protect and conserve nature through partnerships with provinces, territories, municipalities, private landowners, philanthropic foundations, land trusts, and Indigenous communities. Indigenous Peoples are key partners in conserving and protecting nature: they have unique perspectives, knowledge, rights, and responsibilities, which can inspire all and improve conservation outcomes. Appendix 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. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), a joint venture of Govt. of India and Govt. of Karnataka, has invited online applications from eligible and experienced Indian citizens for filling 25 vacancies to the post of Graduate Engineers through direct recruitment based on GATE 2019 Score. Interested candidates can submit their applications on or before May 06, 2019 by 4:00 pm CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Graduate Engineers Organisation Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. (BMRCL) Educational Qualification B.E/B.Tech/Diploma in Civil Engineering Experience 3 to 6 years in infrastructure project execution Job Location Bangalore Salary Scale As per the company standards. Industry Railways Application End Date May 6, 2019 Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for the post of Graduate Engineers through BMRLC Recruitment 2019 must not have exceeded 35 years of age, with relaxation (upper age limit) to reserved categories as applicable. For details regarding application processing fee, refer to detailed advertisement here http://english.bmrc.co.in/FileUploads/5c09a9_CareerFiles.pdf ECIL Recruitment 2019 For Junior Artisans (Contract) Through 'Walk-In' Selection Educational Criteria And Eligibility Desirous candidates applying for the post of Graduate Engineers through BMRLC Recruitment 2019 must possess a B.E/B.Tech/Diploma in Civil Engineering with minimum 60% marks (60% in GATE 2019 in the concerned discipline) from a recognized Institute/University with an experience of three to six years in large infrastructure project execution as specified in the notification. Candidates must have working knowledge of Kannada in all its forms - speak, read, write and understand. Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates as Graduate Engineers through BMRLC Recruitment 2019 will be done based on Shortlisting, GATE 2019 Score (in concerned discipline) and Interview in addition to the candidates' performance in the Kannada Test. Candidates selected as Graduate Engineers will be paid a monthly remuneration as per the company standards. JPSC Recruitment 2019 For 262 Assistant Professors Post; Earn Up To Rs. 39,100 Per Month How To Apply Candidates applying for the post of Graduate Engineers through BMRLC Recruitment 2019 must submit their applications on the official BMRCL website at http://projectrecruit.bmrc.co.in/frmInstructions.aspx through online mode only on or before on May 06, 2019 by 4:00 pm. Candidates must take a print out of the online (submitted) application, and submit it along with copies of relevant supporting testimonials to, "The General Manager(HR), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, III Floor, BMTC Complex, K.H.Road, Shanthinagar, Bengaluru 560027," on or before May 06, 2019 by 4:00 pm. The envelope containing application form and supporting testimonials must be superscribed as "Application For The Post Of..........................." Read the detailed notification about BMRCL Recruitment for Graduate Engineers here http://english.bmrc.co.in/FileUploads/5c09a9_CareerFiles.pdf Director Laura Olson leads a discussion during last years Human Rights Defenders Conference, which brings together activists from around the world to learn and gain strength from each other. (Photos: The Carter Center/M. Schwarz) Laura Olson came to The Carter Center from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2017 because she wanted her work to once again have more of an international focus. Shed started her career at the International Committee of the Red Cross, living in Geneva and Moscow, among other places, before taking a job in 2010 at Homeland Security in the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. There, she worked on immigration policy and human rights, focusing on detention as well as on ways to protect people from human trafficking and to help law enforcement avoid profiling. We stressed to law enforcement that you cant balance security and civil rights; they are integral to one another, said Olson, who now heads the Carter Centers Human Rights Program. Ensuring rights enhances security. Olson grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, with parents who worked in the medical field. She attributes her passion for justice to their influence. To this day, I recall my dad telling me about teaching at a university in Alabama when I was very young, Olson recalled. He invited his students, some of whom were African-American, to our house. Afterwards, some neighbors came over to tell him, We dont invite those type of people to our neighborhood. He was shocked and deeply affected by it. He and my mother instilled in me a respect for all people, regardless of differences. They also instilled a love of the outdoors. My family and I spent much of our time camping, canoeing, and fishing yes, with the loons, moose, bears and mosquitoes, she said. If I hadnt gone into human rights, Id probably have focused on protecting the environment so that we can all enjoy it. Instead she went to law school at the University of Iowa and then got a Master of Laws in international legal studies at New York University. That led to the Red Cross, where she first worked with universities in the former Soviet states, helping them enhance their instruction of international humanitarian law. Later, she worked on the issue of state-sponsored disappearances, serving as the ICRCs representative to the U.N. working group that drafted the treaty to prevent enforced disappearances. Her last few years at the ICRC were spent in Washington, D.C., dealing with issues related to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and making several trips to the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility to assess conditions there. Olson jumped at the chance to work at The Carter Center because of the opportunity to work directly with communities in other countries. What spoke to me was that The Carter Center really listens to people. We are there to facilitate the changes they want to see and not to tell them what they should do. I also like that we help build local capacity so that communities can independently accomplish their goals. Much of the Human Rights Programs work in the last two years has centered on the Mobilizing Faith for Women and Girls Initiative in Nigeria and Ghana. The program partnered with Tostan to offer human rights training with a focus on gender equality to local religious and traditional leaders, who then create projects to address abuse or discrimination against women and girls in their communities. One of those projects sought to address the stigmatization women can face upon the death of their husbands, Olson said. I visited with a widow who had received a small-business loan through the project to help her gain financial independence. She told me that this project wiped the tears from my face. I was humbled by her strength and perseverance. Olson also admires the grit and determination of the human rights defenders she meets during the programs annual forum, which brings together activists from around the world to learn and gain strength from each other. Times are hard for human rights defenders, but Olson remains positive. I will always be optimistic, she said. There will always be work to be done in human rights. It takes time. But human rights are too important to not be optimistic, lest we lose our momentum. Its more challenging now than five or 10 years ago, but that just means we need to reinforce the solidarity of those working on human rights. Ensuring equal enjoyment of human rights matters. Everyone deserves the chance to reach their full potential and live in dignity." Holy Week began with the great fire at Notre dame, and the surprise was that it wasn't arson, a deliberate attack, but an apparent accident. In 2018, French police reported that 875 churches more than two per day were vandalized. Just this year, another prominent church in Paris was set ablaze, and another was smeared with excrement and sacrileges against the holy Eucharist. Holy Week ended with the Islamist bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, killing some 350 people, and wounding many others. On Tuesday, the Islamic State claimed responsibility. This time the surprise is only where the massacre took place Colombo and Negombo. There is no surprise that it took place on Easter Sunday. Christians are killed on Easter Sunday for being Christian. Every year. In 2019 yes, the same day as the bombing in Sri Lanka an off-duty policeman rammed his car into a group of children in an Easter procession in Gombe, Nigeria. he killed nine people and some 30 more children were injured. The motive for the attack has not been established, but it is clear who the victims were Christian children celebrating Easter. On Palm Sunday 2019 a week before the Sri Lanka bombings an Assemblies of God church in uttar Pradesh, India, was attacked by some 200 men who beat the pastor and congregation with sticks. In 2018, a Catholic family was killed in Pakistan at Easter, and in India a pastor was beaten badly when hindu extremists stormed his church. In 2017, Coptic Christians in Egypt cancelled many holy Week services when bombings at two churches on Palm Sunday killed 45 people. In 2016, 75 people were killed and some 300 injured by bombs in a park in Lahore, Pakistan. The park was in a predominantly Christian neighbourhood and was filled with Christian families having Easter lunches after the morning services. It was fitting though to hear the full-throated pain of a shepherd, rather than the usual bromides trotted out in the face of bloodthirsty Islamist terror. In 2015, Islamist terrorists attacked Garissa university in Garissa, Kenya, killing 148 people during holy Week. The university was home to both Christian and Muslim students, but the Christians were targeted for killing. That is just Easter. Terror attacks at Christmas are also not rare in recent years. Indeed, a few years back in Egypt, religious officials moved midnight Mass to the afternoon after Christians had been attacked in successive years when coming to church in the night. In the aftermath of the Sri Lanka bombings, senior security officials have been fired for failing to heed intelligence warnings that attacks were imminent. That is a particular failure, specific to this attack. But the general phenomenon of Christians being massacred in holy Week means that we ought to expect it somewhere, independent of intelligence about a particular locale. I was in Sri Lanka in January 2015 for the visit of Pope Francis, who came to canonize Sri Lankas first saint, Joseph Vaz. Like most Catholic visitors, I made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Anthony, bombed on Sunday. And I visited Negombo, known as a little rome or local Vatican for its many Catholic churches and shrines in a country where Christians are a small minority. St. Sebastians Catholic parish in Negombo was bombed on Sunday. In addition, Zion Church in Batticaloa was bombed, in addition to the three hotels, where many people were enjoying an Easter brunch. But when Christians are massacred, it only matters marginally that I might know the place or the people involved. The dominant reality is that they were killed for doing what I and my parishioners were doing on Easter Sunday morning, what we have a duty and right to do, to worship God in peace. Every year our fellow Christians are in mortal danger for doing that. The Catholic archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, witnessing the carnage, said on Sunday that the perpetrators should be punished without mercy for they were worse than animals. It was the cry of a pastor seeing the massacre of his flock. No doubt upon further reflection, Cardinal ranjith might pray for the conversion of those who are guilty, though the time of conversion is passed for the suicide bombers. But justice must be done first. It was fitting though to hear the full-throated pain of a shepherd, rather than the usual bromides trotted out in the face of bloodthirsty Islamist terror. That first holy Week was a bloody affair. It still is. As it has in recent months, the PS Plus lineup from January 2022 has come online once again. According to... Plans for new mill in Vallejo to face public hearing 25 April 2019 Orcem Americas plan for a new EUR45m cement mill in Vallejo, California, USA, is likely to face a public hearing from local councillors on 30 May. The Ecocem subsidiary and its project partner, Vallejo Marine Terminal (VMT), are looking to appeal a decision by the citys planning commission that rejected the proposal in May 2017, according to the Irish Times. The council will also consider a final environmental report on the project. Last time, following a recommendation by the Vallejo City Hall, the proposal was rejected due to fears that the mill would have a negative effect on nearby neighbourhoods and increase traffic. However, it is not yet known whether Vallejo City Hall will recommend councillors to deny this latest appeal. The scheduling of the new hearing indicates that an earlier threat to declare the project abandoned, as VMT had reportedly not provided information sought by the city, has been lifted. VMT plans to construct a marine terminal where ships delivering slag from Asia can offload material. Published under Vietnam cement sales advance 11% in March ICR Newsroom By 25 April 2019 Domestic sales in Vietnam increased 19 per cent YoY and 147 per cent MoM to 6.797Mt in March 2019, according to the latest data from the Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA). VICEM sales were up 120 per cent YoY to 2.338Mt and sales by its affiliated companies saw a 17 per cent rise to 1.949Mt. Other companies added a further volume of 2.51Mt (+20 per cent YoY) to total domestic sales. Cement and clinker exports from Vietnam slipped two per cent to 3.425Mt in March 2019 when compared with March 2018 but surged 46 per cent MoM. The total includes 1.192Mt of cement, of which exports more than doubled when compared with the year-ago period, and 2.234Mt of clinker, down 24 per cent YoY. As a result, domestic cement producers reported an 11 per cent YoY increase in sales to 10.222Mt in March 2019. Compared with February 2019, total sales doubled. First-quarter 2019 sales Total cement sales in Vietnam advanced three per cent YoY to 22.562Mt. Of this total 14.127Mt were sold in the domestic market, representing a YoY rise of six per cent, while cement exports slipped two per cent to 8.435Mt. VICEMs domestic sales performed above average, reporting a nine per cent YoY increase to 4.84Mt, but its affiliated companies saw sales edge up by one per cent only to 3.798Mt. Vietnams other cement producers sold 5.49Mt, a seven per cent improvement on 1Q18 sales. In terms of exports, cement exports surged 84 per cent in the 1Q19 to 3.143Mt while clinker exports decreased 23 per cent YoY to 5.292Mt. Published under Court services in Loudon County will reopen in a temporary location on Monday after a fire devastated the counties historic courthouse on Tuesday evening. The old courthouse is severely damaged and housed civil circuit court, criminal court, and chancery court for the county. The Loudon County Clerk and Master and Loudon County Circuit Court Clerk will be relocated, and many basic court procedures including motions and hearings will be heard, at the old Loudon City Hall, at 201 Alma Pl., Loudon, starting Monday. Jury trials will be held in the new Loudon City Municipal Building, at 2480 Highway 72 North, Loudon. Child support hearings will be held at the Loudon County Justice Center, at 12680 Highway 11 in Lenoir City, on Fridays until further notice. In addition, criminal court the week of April 29May 3 will also be held in the Loudon County Justice Center. Starting May 6, criminal court will also be held at the old Loudon City Hall building. The loss of our courthouse is devastating for this community, said Judge Michael S. Pemberton, who serves the 9th judicial district as a circuit court judge. But, it is amazing how the courts, law enforcement, county, and city officials have come together over the past 12 hours to make a plan to keep the courtroom doors open. This is going to be a long road, but I am confident we can continue to serve the people of Loudon County. Both the Loudon County Circuit Court Clerk and Loudon County Clerk and Master offices, which are charged with maintaining court records, were located in the historic courthouse. Firefighters made a valiant effort to remove the courts computer servers, which had been backed up. An initial review by the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts shows the servers do not appear to have suffered fire, smoke, or water damage. Records that were maintained electronically, including the circuit court case management system, were saved. However, other records, including paper items submitted as evidence in court or paper records filed in chancery court, may have been damaged by fire, smoke, or water. The process to salvage as many paper records as possible is ongoing. The Loudon County Circuit Court Clerk will continue to receive mail at: P.O. Box 280, Loudon, TN 37774 and the Loudon County Clerk and Master will continue to receive mail at P.O. Box 509, Loudon, TN 37774 General sessions, juvenile, and probate courts are held in a different facility, which was not affected by the fire, in Loudon County. Almost every day were reminded of how divided our nation has become. At least, how divided the mainstream media, educators and politicians seem to think we are. Whether the dividing lines are race, gender, politics, economic status or worldview, these divisions are beyond healing. Or so were told. Several weeks ago, I attended a weekend retreat where such claims were debunked massively. Five men from Minnesota guests speakers for the gathering served as living examples that the supposed divisions our society not only can be transcended, but are in fact being transcended. Through the healing, redemptive power of Jesus Christ. These men included Tom, a trauma and acute care surgeon, accompanied by his son, Jack; Johnny, a former gang leader and drug dealer; Dennis, a longtime drug addict, dealer and member of one of the most notorious motorcycle gangs in the country; and Jesse, a man in his 30s whose life had spiraled from drinking alcohol to using prescription drugs to methamphetamine to selling meth. Johnny, Dennis and Jesse all had spent considerable time in jails and prisons. However, at one time being convicted felons was the only thing they shared in common. Then they each, through very different circumstances, came to know Jesus Christ and began to see their lives transformed. An African-American who has overcome four generations of father absence, Johnny admitted that before Christ he would never have associated with any of the other men. The only way a black gang member would get to know a surgeon, he said, was by being shot and treated in an emergency room. Dennis said the men he once ran with in the motorcycle gang would have had nothing to do with inner city gang members. The same was true for Jesse. For Tom, the only time his life intersected with people like his now-companions was at the trauma center when he typically would be using his medical expertise to make life-and-death decisions. Yet there they were, meeting with 16 other men in a cabin alongside a lake near Dunlap, Tenn. They came as brothers in Jesus Christ and co-laborers in a vital mission field. Drawing not only from skill but also personal experience, they are praying for and receiving many opportunities to show drug addicts, gang members and ex-offenders that theres a path to a better life. A path thats only possible through the life-changing power of Jesus. The stories of how God is working through their lives and ministries to redeem lost souls often border on the unbelievable. Except theyre true. But the way the Lord has taken such diverse individuals and molded them into kindred spirits is just as incredible. How such unity, such brotherly love, is possible in a world that insists that it isnt is described by the apostle Paul in the Scriptures. Its uncomplicated really, no rocket science required: If you have any encouragement from being united in Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:1-4). Since each man had come to faith as an adult, they could boldly attest to the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Watching and hearing from these men, there was no question this had become reality in their lives. These new creations now are united, mutually devoted to serving others and pointing them to the only real solution for escaping the chains of their past, their addictions and wrongdoings: Jesus Christ. Is our world divided? In many respects it is. But it doesnt have to be. Two of these men have even written books to share their stories in detail. As our elected representatives in Washington, D.C. argue and battle over secular answers for societys ills, perhaps Dr. Tom Blees book, How to Save a Surgeon, and Johnny Turnipseeds book, Bloodline, should be required reading for them. Maybe theyd come to realize theyve been looking for answers in all the wrong places. - - - - Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written hundreds of magazine articles, and authored, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly re-published, Business At Its Best, Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. He edits a weekly business meditation, Monday Manna, which is translated into more than 20 languages and distributed via email around the world by CBMC International. To read more of Bob Tamasys writings, you can visit his blog, www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com, or his website (now being completed), www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com. He can be emailed at btamasy@comcast.net. Every day I get over 100 emails. Add what I find in My Morning Readings and I am a good candidate to be Mr. Inspiration. I have tried to figure out a way to pass some of what I believe are The Wonders of Life like I now do on weekends with The Saturday Funnies. You would have no idea how popular those jokes have become and several readers say they are the best thing I write but wait! I dont write them, I just go to the pile and cut-and-paste. I can only wish I were as funny. Todays dilemma is what do I do with something that comes along and knocks me to my knees? As my regular Internet fans know, I try to pass them along ever so often. Today youll hear from a retired piano teacher in Des Moines, Iowa, and an unknown writer who wants to be a bear in the next lifetime. Ive even got a barrister from the Congo who claims he has $23 million headed my way if only Ill send my Social Security information, my bank account numbers and my physical mailing address. I share these in hopes that just as the Saturday Funnies make us laugh, youll join me in relishing The Wonders of Life. * * * MISS HONOR, THE PIANO TEACHER IN DES MOINES At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Honor. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons... something I have done for over 30 years. During those years, I found that children have many levels of musical ability, and even though I have never had the prodigy, I have taught some very talented students. However, I have also had my share of what I call 'Musically Challenged Pupils'. One such pupil being Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him as a student. At the end of each weekly lesson he would always say 'My mom's going to hear me play someday.' But to me, it seemed hopeless, he just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in. Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons. I thought about calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had decided to pursue something else. I was also glad that he had stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching! Several weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the students' homes. To my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify. He told me that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that he had been practicing. 'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to play,' he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night of the recital came and the high school gymnasium was packed with parents, relatives and friends. I put Robby last in the program, just before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he might do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my 'Curtain Closer'. Well, the recital went off without a hitch; the students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked as though he had run an egg beater through it. 'Why wasn't he dressed up like the other students?' I thought. 'Why didn't his Mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?' Robby pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No.21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo, from allegro to virtuoso; his suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age. After six and a half minutes, he ended in a grand crescendo, and everyone was on their feet in wild applause!!! Overcome and in tears, I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. 'I have never heard you play like that Robby, how did you do it? Through the microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Honor, remember I told you that my mom was sick? Well, she actually had cancer and passed away this morning. And well... she was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever heard me play, and I wanted to make it special.' There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed in to foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy. I thought to myself then how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. No, I have never had a prodigy, but that night I became a prodigy ... of Robby. He was the teacher and I was the pupil, for he had taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself, and may be even taking a chance on someone and you didn't know why. POSTSCRIPT: Robby was killed years later in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April, 1995. * * * FROM THE LADY WHO WANTS TO BE A BEAR [note: My special friend Sandy Pohfal sends this one from Texas.] In this life, I'm a woman. In my next life, I'd like to come back as a bear. When you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that. Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that too. When you're a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definitely deal with that. If you're mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that. If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat. Yup, gonna be a bear! ~ Author Unknown ~ * * * "Your success and happiness lie within you. Resolve to keep happy. Your joy will form an invincible host against difficulties." -- Helen Keller. royexum@aol.com Andrew Lustig and Eleanor Tallie Steinberg will be performing at the Jewish Cultural Center to commemorate and celebrate two major Israeli holidays. "Every year these days are mentioned one after another to emphasize the principle that life in Israel would not be possible without sacrifice," officials said. Yom Hazikaron, Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism, will take place on Wednesday, May 8 at 7 p.m.. This event will feature lyrics and songs by Israels fallen soldiers and the spoken word performance of Andrew Lustig. The audience is asked to wear white. There is no cost to attend this event. Yom Haatzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, is celebrated with dinner and live perfomances from Andrew Lustig and community members sharing their experiences of Israel. The evening will feature Israeli music performed by Eleanor Tallie Steinberg. Yom Haatzmaut is on Thursday, May 9 and begins at 6 p.m. The cost to attend is $12 per person and is suitable for people 13 years and older. For more information or to RSVP for one or both events contact 493-0270 or www.jewishchattanooga.com. Both events will take place at the Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road. Andrew Lustig performs Wednesday, May 8 and Friday, May 9. Eleanor Tallie Steinberg performs on Thursday, May 9 Bio on Andrew Lustig Andrew Lustig is a Jewish Spoken Word Artist whose poetry has reached millions, in viral videos and in hundreds of live performances. Andrew has delivered keynote addresses for organizations throughout the United States and in Israel. He was a 2013-14 Dorot Fellow in Israel. From 2013-2017 Andrew has worked as an artist-in-residence at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute in Los Angeles. Andrew is the co-founder of the Muslim Jewish Interfaith Coalition and a 2019 facilitation trainee with Resetting the Table. Bio on Eleanor Steinberg Born and raised in Israel, Eleanor Tallie Steinberg is songwriter, performer, recording artist and multi-instrumentalist. Eleanor has been active both as an artist in the Jewish community, as well as a Neo-Soul artist who writes her original music. In the last five years, Eleanor has toured Europe and the US with over 300 shows in 35 states. Eleanor showcases her dynamic musical abilities while fusing the two sides of her global Jewish identity (Ashkenazi and Sephardic) into one unforgettable experience. The newest way to see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in a PINK Jeep. PINK Jeep Tours unveiled its fleet of customized Jeep Wranglers now based in Pigeon Forge during a VIP Grand Opening celebration on Thursday. For the first time in nearly 60 years, PINK Jeep Tours is expanding from the desert southwest to the Great Smoky Mountains to offer guests of the most visited national park a one-of-a-kind experience. For decades PINK Jeep Tours has been sharing memorable experiences with millions of tourists in Sedona, Arizona; Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon National Park, Billy Johnson, Sr. VP of Marketing, PINK Adventure Tours explained. PINK Jeep Tours is thrilled to bring our established history and reputation for stellar service to this treasured area of the country. Weve been hearing from past PINK Jeep guests that they cant wait to come and ride in the Smoky Mountains. The PINK Jeep Tours Grand Opening event revealed the thrill and birds eye view above Pigeon Forge that awaits guests, after they explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in a whole new way. Guests first pick from four distinct guided tours that leave from Pigeon Forge and explore portions of the Great Smoky Mountains. Routes now available explore the NEW portion of the Foothills Parkway and Newfound Gap. Beginning next month, guests can also choose Roaring Fork Motor Trail and the Ocanaluftee River Trail. All tours end with an exciting off-road 4x4 adventure on private property. Expertly trained guides are driving the whole time, sharing about the splendor of the mountains. With the guides help, guests can let go of the wheel and the GPS, climb in with their families and friends and create memories worth repeating, Mr. Johnson said. At the end, when families talk about their experience, they dont just say they went on a Jeep ride. They remember they went on a PINK Jeep ride. Herschend Enterprises purchased PINK Jeep Tours last year, marking its entry into the adventure travel industry. At the Grand Opening, Andrew Wexler, CEO, Herschend Enterprises, shared that expanding to the Smoky Mountains makes perfect sense. We are dedicated to creating and sustaining welcoming destinations filled with adventure and memory-making fun. And as a family-owned company, its always been our goal to have each and every guest leave with two things: a smile and a deeper connection with each other, Mr. Wexler said. After riding in our iconic PINK Jeeps in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we hope everyone feels that way. Visitors from near and far are already experiencing the unforgettable excursions and up-close encounters with the beauty of the mountains. PINK Jeep Tours now has its local headquarters at 3152 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863. We are proud to be your new home on this side of the country. Together, we will share our communitys hospitality with the millions of guests who visit every year, Pigeon Forge Mayor David Wear shared. Its exciting to have another reason for people to come visit Pigeon Forge! For more information about booking tours this spring, summer, and fall, visit www.SmokyMountainTours.com or call (844) 710-PINK (7465). The Share America Foundation will host an Americana Youth Concert in Ringgold on May 3 at 7:30 p.m. The fundraising event will mark the upcoming release of its new CD "Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia" with performances by Colton Brown, Emerald Butler, Caleb Lewis, Wally O'Donald, Logan Puryear and Ryan Stinson. It will be held at Ringgold's Patriot Hall, 320 Emberson St. Randall Franks from TV's "In the Heat of the Night will emcee. We are excited to move to the next phase in our great recording project, sharing selections from it with listeners, said producer Mr. Franks. This concert begins the process of making the CD available to the public and sharing these wonderful performances by these talented youth with radio stations around the country as we release selections during the coming months. The concert performers will share their selection from the album along with some other favorite tunes. Colton Brown, 16, plays piano, harmonica and drums. He is from Chickamauga and is a 10th grader at Oakwood Christian Academy. He began performing at the age of six. He has performed with District Honor Band for three consecutive years, UGA's Midfest for two years, and JanFest for one year where he was chosen for the Honor Band. Emerald Butler is a Share America Scholar, graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Bachelors of Science in Music Business with a minor in marketing. As a songwriter/entertainer, she performs country roots music as a vocalist, guitarist and fiddler. Caleb Lewis, 14, is a Share America Scholar of Ooltewah who attends ninth grade at Providence Christian Academy in Ringgold. He began playing at age seven. He won first place in the 2017 International Thumbpicking Contest junior division in Muhlenburg County, Ky. Wally O'Donald, 11, attends Ringgold Middle School and he lives in Ringgold. He has played guitar and sang since the age of four. He has performed as a regular at the Ringgold Opry for six years and the 1890s Day Jamboree and has competed at the Great Southern Old Time Fiddler's Convention in the Song category every year since he was five. Ryan Stinson is a Share America Scholar and he graduated from Luther Rice University with a degree in Religion/Ministry and he lives in Ringgold. He has played piano since the age of 10 and began singing about three years ago. His talents have allowed him to perform on WSM and theaters around the south including special appearances at the Texas Troubadour Theater in Nashville, the Tribute Theater, Country Tonite Theater, and Smoky Mountain Opry Theater in Pigeon Forge, Graceland in Memphis, festivals, concerts and churches. Logan Puryear, 17, of Soddy Daisy, is a multi-instrumentalist who shares his talents on guitar and autoharp at events throughout the region. Mr. Franks said some among the other 30 youth performers participating in the project may also attend or appear and advance copies of "Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia," to be released nationwide later in May, will be available. The upcoming distribution of the Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia to radio and portions of the recording process for youth within their service area were underwritten by Roundup grants from the Northwest Georgia Electric Membership Corporation Foundation. The concert is a fundraiser for the Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship Fund helping musicians achieve higher education. Donations for tickets are adults: $12, youth 18 and under free with adult. For more information, visit www.shareamericafoundation.org. Abby Huntsman is best known for her appearances on Fox News and The View. Heres Abby Huntsmans net worth and how she makes her money. How Abby Huntsman became famous Abby Huntsman|Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images Abby Huntsman got her first media experience when she was 16 years old. She worked behind the scenes at Good Morning America. However, her early experience in a television newsroom proved to be tougher than she expected. That rough start caused Huntsman to temporarily give up her dream of a television career, reports Elle: Everyone whos been on a news desk knows that you learn a lot just from the environment, from being around the writers and the producers. And sometimes youre yelled at. I remember, many times, walking to the bathroom and just crying. As an intern, I was just like, I dont know if I can do this. This is tough. But then you get up the next day, and you do it again. Abby Huntsman|Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images Huntsman later changed her mind and decided to give a career in television another try. During her time at the University of Pennsylvania, she had the opportunity to intern for Diane Sawyer. Huntsman told Elle that Sawyer was a source of inspiration: In college, I interned for Diane Sawyer my sophomore summer Shes probably the person I look up to most in this industry I always think of her as someone that I hope I can try to be like, because shes represented herself in such a classy way and brought so many incredible stories into peoples lives. Abby Huntsman was a host on HuffPost Live from 2012 to 2013. Then, from 2013 to 2015, Huntsman was a co-host on The Cycle. The following year, she served as a guest co-host on the show Americas Newsroom. From there, Huntsman moved on to Fox and Friends, where she was a co-host from 2016 to 2018. Huntsman joined The View as a co-host in 2018 during season 22. Controversy Huntsmans television career hasnt been without some controversy. Early in 2019, ABC was criticized for allowing The View host to interview Ivanka Trump. Critics felt the interview was biased because Huntsmans father worked for Donald Trump as the U.S. ambassador to Russia at the time of the interview. During the interview, Ivanka said she and her husband, Jared Kushner, did not get special treatment from her father to get security clearances. The president had no involvement pertaining to my clearance or my husbands clearance, zero, Ivanka told Huntsman. EXCLUSIVE: Ivanka Trump says she and her husband Jared Kushner received no special treatment from her father when obtaining their top security clearances. "The president had no involvement pertaining to my clearance or my husband's clearance, zero. https://t.co/88dUizY8Ht pic.twitter.com/MsanC4qzQC ABC News (@ABC) February 8, 2019 How Abby Huntsman makes money Outside of working in television news, Huntsman is also an author. She published her first book, titled Who Will I Be?, in October 2018. The childrens book addresses the importance of service and giving back. Who Will I Be? is inspired by Huntsmans daughter Isabel. Personal life Huntsman is the daughter of Jon Huntsman Jr., former Utah governor and 2012 presidential candidate. She became involved in her fathers presidential bid after he asked her to be his media adviser. Abby Huntsmans net worth Abby Huntsman has an estimated net worth of $20 million. Read more: Meghan McCain Net Worth and the Source of Her Familys Millions Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! For fans of the Marvel Universe, it seems like just yesterday the first Iron Man hit theaters. It was actually 11 years ago when the franchise started. Now we are facing the Endgame, and that has people wanting more. As the stars are making their promotional rounds from one talk show to the next, it is clear they have built strong professional relationships with each other. Two actors, in particular, seem to be getting a lot of attention for their reported friendship. Over the course of the Marvel franchise, the main characters have spent a lot of time together, and many of them have friendships on and off the set. They even communicate in group text messages like the rest of us. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. might seem like an unlikely pair, but it turns out theyre great friends. They might even be BFFs in real life. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans met over a decade ago BFFs let you share their umbrellas, right @ChrisEvans ? pic.twitter.com/1nJoJrFkZr Robert Downey Jr (@RobertDowneyJr) March 13, 2019 It is hard to imagine any other actor playing Captain America. Evans is the perfect man for the job, and Downey Jr. felt the same way. So much so that he was the one who convinced Evans to take on the role. Evans was reportedly not sure he wanted all the responsibility that Cap would come with, so he turned down the role twice. Downey Jr. ultimately contacted him and convinced him to sign on. When asked, what makes Evans the best Captain America, Downey Jr told Mens Health: At the root of it, he has true humility. I think its the reason he was able to kind of come to the front and be our team leader in the Avengers. I think a lot of his theater experience helped, too. Because it was like, OK, Im going to dress up, Im going to go out, and Im going, to tell the truth. Its very kind of old-school Spencer Tracy. Although I guarantee you Spencer Tracy never wouldve put on that getup. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.s bromance is sealed with Disney memes All the way down to the eye color. pic.twitter.com/bUdp70z7bq Robert Downey Jr (@RobertDowneyJr) September 23, 2018 Their friendship seems to have moved passed professional admiration into a strange yet, wonderful place where they communicate with Disney memes on social media. Downey Jr. started the Disney memes off with an image of Bambi and Faline saying, All the way down to the eye color. meaning they are alike in every way. Next came the Toy Story meme where Downey Jr. and Evans compare their friendship to that of Buzz and Woody. Downey Jr. captioned the Instagram post with Youve got a friend in..oh, wait. #CivilWar Although their characters Captain America and Iron Man took opposing sides in Captain America: Civil War, off-screen their friendship continued to grow. Then there was the post on Twitter that Downey Jr. shared. It compares himself to Snow White and Evans as the prince. This one was captioned with A natural addition @ChrisEvans. Evans replied to the Snow White meme through Twitter saying: Well I dont know how you keep nailing these, but thank you for my new screensaver. And headshot. How do I make this my ringtone? Are Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans friends in real life? Yes, we think it is safe to assume that these two A-list actors are good friends. Not just because of the memes or the kind things they say about each other in interviews, but also because Downey Jr. bought Evans a custom car. Yes, you read that right. Downey Jr. shelled out big bucks on it: The Captain America themed 1967 Chevy Camaro, was also featured on Jay Lenos Garage and cost $275,000, reports CNBC. We dont know if the Avengers franchise is coming to a close, but we are pretty confident that Downey Jr. and Evans are going to be friends for a long time. This is excellent news for those of us looking forward to seeing more Disney memes describing their BFF status. Baby Sussex is set to arrive any second, and there is even speculation that Meghan has already given birth. We wont get a glimpse of the newborn for a few days at least, as Prince Harry and Meghan have decided to break royal tradition and keep the birth private. No matter when we have the honor of first seeing the new arrival, one thing is for sure this is one lucky baby! He or she will be surrounded by love from so many people, including Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Meghans mother, Doria Ragland, and of course, Queen Elizabeth. However, even with all of these wonderful loving people, there is one person, who, unfortunately, wont be there to share in the joy. That person, as everyone knows, is Harrys mother, Princess Diana. How did Harry cope with the loss of his mother? Most royal fans can clearly remember the fateful night when Princess Diana was involved in a fatal car crash in Paris. She was suddenly taken from her two young sons when William was only 15 years old, and Harry only 12. Losing a parent at any age is never easy, but for two young boys who were barely into their teenage years, it was extremely devastating. Harry, who was very close to Diana, struggled greatly with accepting the fact that his mother was gone, and it naturally affected him tremendously. The fact that he was in the public eye didnt make it any easier for him. Will Meghan and Harry name the baby after Diana? It has been rumored for months that if Meghan and Harry should welcome a daughter, they will pay tribute to his mother by naming her Diana. People all around the world would be absolutely ecstatic if that were to happen, as it is a wonderful way to honor the late princess. Some fans are also thinking that if the baby is a boy, that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are considering the name Spencer, which was Dianas last name. Meghan and Harry surely know that Diana would adore her newest grandchild, and would be delighted at the idea of him or her being named for her. Doria will be a wonderful grandmother Doria Ragland is said to be overjoyed at the idea of welcoming her first grandchild. Supposedly, she has already made the trip across the pond to England in order to ensure that she is with her daughter and son-in-law for the big day. Many fans are hoping that Doria spends an extended amount of time with Meghan, Harry, and the new baby at their new home in Windsor, assisting the new parents and getting to know her grandchild. How amazing would that be for Meghan to have her mother right by her side at this important time in her life? How will Meghan and Harry make sure that the new baby knows Diana? Although Diana is not here, that certainly does not mean she is forgotten. Meghan and Harry will make sure that their son or daughter gets to know his or her grandmother extremely well by displaying photographs, telling stories, and doing everything possible to make sure that Dianas legacy lives on. There are plenty of videos to share, documenting the love and compassion that Princess Diana spread all over the world. As Baby Sussex grows up, Meghan and Harry have plenty of ways to share the memory of Diana so that the new royal will know exactly who she was, and get a feeling for all of the wonderful things that she did for so many people. Actress Letitia Wright got her big break when she was cast as Shuri, King TChallas younger sister and tech genius, in Black Panther. Shuri quickly became a beloved member of the MCU, and fans were excited to see her return in Avengers: Infinity War. Wright was in attendance the Avengers: Endgame premiere and was able to speak about what its been like to play Shuri, the future of the MCU, and that one line of hers that everyone loves. Letitia Wright attends the World Premiere of Marvel Studios Avengers: Endgame at the Los Angeles Convention Center on April 23, 2019 | Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney Who is Letitia Wright? British actress Wright got her start as a teenager, appearing in various productions in the U.K. She had roles on TV series such as City 17 Street, Doctor Who, and Humans. In 2017, she starred in the Black Mirror episode Black Museum. In 2018, she was in three blockbuster movies: The aforementioned Marvel films, as well as the Steven Spielberg flick Ready Player One. Wright was happy but surprised to see how people responded to Shuri Shuri is a lot more than just Black Panthers little sis from her first line, she proved herself to be a confident and wise-cracking princess of Wakanda. Wright said it was a major surprise to discover that she was a fan-favorite, especially since she wasnt even top-billed for the movie. I just went to set every day wanting to give my best, wanting to work hard, said Shuri. To see that result and that love I didnt expect it but I thank God for it. Now I feel a part of the family. What is her future in the MCU? When the #AvengetheFallen character posters came out, Wright said, it was surprising. I saw everybody in the colored posters and then I saw myself in gray. I just died out of nowhere! This was obviously echoed in the fan reactions, and Wright noted that, saying, I think the whole of Twitter was really upset. So I kind of logged off and didnt log back on. Im waiting to see how that came together and how that panned out tonight. She was also asked about if shed like to have Shuri hang out with the Science bros of the MCU, seeing as shes has already proven to be more than equipped to keep up in that realm. Wright thought it sounded good, but was careful to avoid insinuating that it could happen, saying, I might not get to continue [playing Shuri], but lets see what happens. This one Marvel cast member is a fan of this line from Black Panther Wright also talked about her line from Black Panther when she sees her brother, TChalla (Chadwick Boseman), wearing sandals and asks incredulously, What are those? The interviewer brought it up, but as it turns out, hes not the only one who loved it. Pom Klementieff, who portrayed Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Infinity War, agreed that that was the best line. During the press interviewer, she spotted Wright and joined her on the stage, going so far as to say that line is her favorite part of the whole movie. Check out the Cheat Sheet on Facebook! We know that some news outlets have reported that Meghan Markle may have already given birth to Baby Sussex but Prince Harry basically just confirmed that the duchess has not even gone into labor yet. Since Oct. 2018 when Kensington Palace announced that Prince Harry and Markle were expecting their first child royal fans have had their eyes peeled staring at Markles baby bump and listening for any word about Baby Sussexs arrival. In Jan. 2019 the Duchess of Sussex confirmed that her due date is in late April or early May so the baby royal could make his or her debut at any moment now. Markle has officially gone on maternity leave, and her mother, Doria Ragland, has flown to the United Kingdom from Los Angeles to be at her daughters side when she gives birth. Though people across the globe are anxiously waiting for Baby Sussex Prince Harry essentially just told us to all calm down. Prince Harry just confirmed that Meghan Markle is not in labor yet. Meghan Markle has stepped away from her royal duties completelywhile Prince Harry has lightened his schedule so that he can be at his wifes side. However, on April 25, 2019 the red-headed prince rolled up to Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London. Accompanied by his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton the prince looked cool, calm and collection which tells us that Baby Sussex is still relaxing in the womb. Meghan Markle low-key confirmed Baby Sussex has not arrived yet On April 23, 2019 Kate Middleton and Prince Williams youngest son, Prince Louis celebrated his very first birthday. To celebrate the special day the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released never-before-seen photos of their cheery little on their Instagram account, @KensingtonRoyal. Commenting under the images from their own IG account @SussexRoyal Markle and Prince Harry wrote, Happy Birthday Louis! Sending lots of love from both of us. Since Markle runs the account and she used the word both were pretty positive that the Sussex trio is not yet in formation but that can literally change at any moment. Are Meghan Markle and Prince Harry keeping Baby Sussexs birth a secret? Though the royal couple understands the public excitement for their bundle of joy, they are also asking for privacy. The Palace has released a statement saying the Sussexes have made personal decision to keep plans surrounding the birth of their baby private. The statement said, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very grateful for the goodwill they have received from people throughout the United Kingdom and around the world as they prepare to welcome their baby. Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Joe Giudice is out of prison, but he still hasnt seen his wife, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice, and their four daughters. Inhumane restrictions are preventing the family from reuniting, Giudices lawyer said in a statement to US Weekly. Giudice completed a 41-month sentence for mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud in March 2019, but instead of being released he was transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. The 46-year-old has been living in the U.S. since his parents brought him to the country from Italy as a small child, but he is not a U.S. citizen. His criminal conviction means he is now subject to deportation. Why Joe hasnt seen his family Joe Giudice and Teresa Giudice leave court in 2013 | Mike Coppola/Getty Images Giudice is currently in an ICE facility in western Pennsylvania, where he is only allowed no-contact visits. The facility where Joe is being held does not allow for contact visits, Giudices attorney James J. Leonard Jr. explained to the magazine. Thats a problem for Giudice. Joe does not want to put Teresa and the girls through the horrific ordeal of driving several hours to visit him and not be able to hug him, Leonard explained. They would be restricted to talking on a phone while separated by Plexiglass. Giudice is currently detained at the Clinton County Correctional Facility in McElhattan, Pennsylvania, according to ICEs online records. Thats over three hours from his familys home in New Jersey. Visits are limited to 1 hour and are no-contact, according to the ICE website. He is one of more than 200 people currently detained at the facility, according to country records. His family is trying to get Joe released Earlier in April, the Board of Immigration Appeals denied Giudices request to stay in the United States. His attorney is appealing that decision, but it now looks even more likely that he will eventually be deported to his native Italy. While Giudices lawyer appeals the deportation decision, his family is also working to keep him in the U.S. Recently, his daughters appealed to Donald Trump to stop the process. His 18-year-old daughter Gia has also started a petition to get her father released. It currently has more than 53,000 signatures. Her mother has also shared the petition on Instagram. Gia writes that her father and her mother (who also spent time in prison for fraud) have served their time and have fought tirelessly to pay back every single penny of restitution to court deemed they owe. She adds that sending her father back to Italy, a country where he has not lived since he was a small child, would be cruel. He knows nothing of Italian culture, laws, societal norms, he has no immediate family and will not be able to secure work in this foreign land, she writes. We request that our President, Donald J Trump review our petition and pardon my father to relieve him of this life sentence the courts are bestowing on him, yes in Italy he will no longer be incarcerated but will he ever be free if kept from his family and be able to be a productive member of society? Will Teresa divorce Joe? If the Giudices cant stop Joes deportation, it could break up the family. Teresa Giudice is reportedly considering divorcing her husband if he is forced to leave the U.S. her brother Joe Gorga has said. If he goes to Italy, theyre not going, he told Good Day New York, adding that his sister was ready to end the marriage if necessary. I mean, she has no choice, he said. She has to be prepared. What is she going to do? Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! If you watch The View, youre aware of the attention Meghan McCain draws to herself on a regular basis. Whether shes feuding with Joy Behar or getting schooled by Stacey Abrams, McCain is frequently the lightning rod of the show. Thats taken some pressure off of Abby Huntsman, the more low-profile conservative at the table. With eight months on The View under her belt, Huntsman has neither wowed with her political commentary nor won over many with her personality. On certain days, her brand of bland centrism can grate on the nerves of her co-hosts (not to mention the shows audience). The situation came to a bit of a head on April 24. With McCain out for the day, Huntsman tried out some more unconvincing talking-points on the Robert Mueller investigation. When she said Donald Trump could use Muellers findings to taunt the media at the White House Correspondents Association dinner (comedy!), Whoopi Goldberg did what she does best she shut down Huntsmans weak bit with a zinger. Whoopi: Huntsmana idea would tank because thats not funny. THE VIEW Thursday, November 8, 2018 on ABC. | Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images Huntsman had a revealing monologue in the run-up to Whoopi taking back the conversation. The daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Russia lamented the fact the press and the White House staff wouldnt have a night to let your hair down and have some drinks together. Moreover, she thought Trump had a great chance to get the medias goat. The presidents got material to use, Huntsman said. All you gotta do is play a 10-minute clip of every commentator that came out saying hes a Russian spy Then walk out on stage and say, Im still here.' TRUMP TELLS AIDES TO SKIP CORRESPONDENTS DINNER? Saturday nights White House Correspondents Dinner will break with the tradition of having a comedian host the annual press gathering the co-hosts discuss the significance of the changes. https://t.co/f8u2wc159S pic.twitter.com/RsqrX4KT18 The View (@TheView) April 24, 2019 Heres why thats not gonna work, Whoopi said. Thats not funny. As Joy and Sunny Hostin started laughing along with the audience, Huntsman tried to dig her way out of pitching a bad bit to comedians. He could make it funny, she said. No, this man has no sense of humor, Whoopi answered, taking the conversation in a new direction. Huntsmans wild claims about the WHCA dinner and how government investigations work THE VIEW 4/3/19 Chelsea Clinton is the guest and The View throws a baby shower for Abby Huntsman today. | Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images Besides being a bad premise for jokes at a roast, Huntsmans line about giving it to the press corps included some major assumptions. First of all, how many of the White House correspondents whod be in that room said Trump was a Russian spy? How many have regretted their verified reporting on Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, and other members of Trumps circle whove pleaded guilt or been convicted of crimes? None would regret any of it. (They have no reason to.) By saying fringe Twitter personalities and other outliers are the same as the journalists who did great work on the Russia investigation, Huntsman does everyone a disservice. Meanwhile, shes proven repeatedly she doesnt understand how investigations into sitting presidents work. Since Mueller followed guidance that you cant indict someone occupying the White House, his investigation was never going to end with Trump dragged out in handcuffs. Youd think a political commentator (and former WHCA dinner attendee) would know this stuff. But thats Abby Huntsmans weakness and one of the weak links of The View. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Important information You are currently not logged in to my.chemeurope.com . Your changes will in fact be stored however can be lost at all times. FLUXANA - XRF Application Solutions Our clients are X-ray fluorescence (XRF) users. This spectroscopic method is employed for elemental analysis as it enables determination of the inorganic components in a substance/product. The method is applied throughout the entire quality assurance industry as well as in institutions and authorities that monitor regulatory compliance. We deliver all types of accessories, such as cups, foils, chemicals and calibration standards, to the users of XRF. Additionally we offer a wide range of sample preparation equipment including fusion ovens, mills and presses. In addition to the use of our products in connection with X-ray fluorescence analysis, our customers require an increasing amount of support in the practical application of these methods. For this reason, we offer customers the opportunity for complete application development including introduction to onsite methodology in the customer laboratory. In the past, these services were mainly requested by the cement and extractive industries. 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In this issue: One article comes from the field of o ... more Validated HPTLC Methods for Identification of Botanicals Identification of medicinal plants is traditionally one of the premier fields of application for TLC. When quality and safety became an issue, methods for identification of herbal drugs by TLC fingerprint were readily implemented into pharmacopoeias all over the world. Recently the USP, the ... more Buchi UK Ltd For over 50 years, BUCHI has been known as the inventor of the Rotavapor, the world's market leading product in evaporation technology, and the innovator of many other laboratory instruments based upon Evaporation and Vacuum technologies. BUCHI UK Ltd came into being on January 1st, 200 ... more BUCHI Italia s.r.l Buchi is a leading world-wide supplier in key technologies such as evaporation and separation for research laboratories as well as near infrared spectroscopy and reference methods for quality control purposes. more The human eye is particularly sensitive to green, but less sensitive to blue and red. Chemists led by Hubert Huppertz at the University of Innsbruck have now developed a new red phosphor whose light is well perceived by the eye. This increases the light yield of white LEDs by around one sixth, which can significantly improve the energy efficiency of lighting systems. Light emitting diodes or LEDs are only able to produce light of a certain colour. However, white light can be created using different colour mixing processes. "In a white LED, red and yellow-green phosphors are excited by the light from a blue diode. The particles emit light in the red and green range, and in combination with the blue light they produce white light," describes Hubert Huppertz from the Department of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He and his team are working on improving the red and green phosphors. In cooperation with OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, his team has now succeeded in synthesizing a new red phosphor that has excellent luminescence properties and can make LED lighting significantly more energy-efficient. Color shift improves luminous efficacy The powerful red phosphor Sr[Li2Al2O2N2]:Eu2+, named SALON by the researchers, meets all the requirements for the optical properties of a phosphor. The development goes back to research carried out by Hubert Huppertz at the University of Bayreuth. As part of his doctoral thesis, he developed nitrides doped with europium that are fluorescent. These were then further optimised by the working group in Munich and are now widely used. These red phosphors are partly responsible for the fact that LEDs no longer only glow cold white, but also warm white. Interestingly, the human eye reacts most sensitively to the colour green. In the blue and red areas, the eye is less sensitive. Although these phosphors emit red light in the visible range, a large part of the energy goes into the infrared range, which the human eye does not perceive. The fluorescent material developed in Innsbruck has now succeeded in slightly shifting the light emission from red towards blue. "Since initially only a few very small particles were available in a very inhomogeneous sample, it was difficult to optimise the synthesis," said doctoral student Gregor Hoerder. The breakthrough came when the researchers were able to isolate a single-crystal from one of the most promising synthesis products and thus determine the structure of the new material. "The substance is synthesised in such a way that it emits more orange than red," says Hubert Huppertz. "With SALON we have less energy loss, it emits exactly in the red range we can see." OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, a strong industrial partner, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructures of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle and Dirk Johrendt's research group at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich were also involved in further characterizing the new material. The development has already been registered for patent. Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing criticism for suggesting that Jesus was Palestinian and not a Jew. According to CBN News, Omar retweeted a tweet from Omar Suleiman, an American Muslim scholar and civil rights activist. Suleiman said in his tweet: "I was once asked by a relative who is a Palestinian Christian why the Christian right in America largely supports their oppression," Suleiman wrote. "Don't they know we're Christian too? Do they even consider us human? Don't they know Jesus was Palestinian?' Suleiman seemed to be responding to a New York Times piece that said: Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was most likely a Palestinian man with dark skin. In response to Omars retweet, Michael Dickson, executive director of StandWithUs-Israel, said Jesus was a Jew. "No, @Ilhan Omar, Jesus was not a 'Palestinian', he was a Jew born in Israel under Roman occupation and your need to misrepresent history and misappropriate his background to further a political cause says more about you than it does about anything else," he said. Said Amir Tsarfati, an Israeli Bible scholar and founder of Behold Israel Ministry: I suggest that she reads the #Bible and see for herself that the Lion from the tribe of #Judah that came from the house of David was definitely a #Jew who taught in #synagogues and not #mosques!" Conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey also criticized Omar. People who call Jesus a 'Palestinian,' despite the fact that the geographical region of Palestine didn't exist until years after his death, are simply projecting modern-day intersectionality onto him in order to make their 'wokeness' seem biblical. This is idolatry," she said. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Alex Wong/Staff I want you to know that Montanans dont discriminate against others based on religious affiliation, Montanas Attorney General Tim Fox wrote in a letter to Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy on Monday. According to Fox News, in the letter posted to Facebook, Fox, who is running for Montana governor for 2020, wrote a letter to Cathy asking him to consider opening more Chick-fil-A stores across the Treasure State. Fox wrote, While we have plenty of wonderful dining options here in the Treasure State, one is particularly hard to find: Chick-fil-A. Fox notes that of the 2,100 Chick-fil-A restaurants across America, Montana is only home to one, and he would like that to change. Fox continued, While your company faces a barrage of unnecessary criticism from places like San Antonio, TX and Buffalo, NY, I want you to know that Montanans dont discriminate against others based on religious affiliation. Thats why Id like to extend Chick-fil-A an invitation to expand its operations in Big Sky Country, Fox added. Fox also pointed out that he finds it inappropriate that other politicians use Chick-fil-A to evoke division and outrage. In recent months Chick-fil-A has been under fire for its legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior. As Christian Headlines previously reported, last month San Antonio City Council agreed to exclude Chick-fil-A from its airports food court. City councilman Roberto Trevino said that the council did not find Chick-fil-A to be compassionate toward the LGBT community saying, we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior. Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York also chose to exclude Chick-fil-A from their food court citing the fast food restaurants donations to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Paul Anderson Youth Home and the Salvation Army organizations deemed to be anti-LGBT as one reason they would not support Chick-fil-A. Related: Chick-fil-A Banned from Airport for Its 'Legacy of Anti-LGBTQ Behavior' Airports Banning Chick-fil-A Are Anti-Christian, Columnist Says A 2nd U.S. Airport Bans Chick-fil-A for Spreading Hate and Discrimination San Jose City Council Unanimously Votes to Fly LGBT Flags Outside of New Chick-fil-A Location Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Tom Pennington/Stringer As the Notre Dame cathedral burned, many mournedsome for the destruction of history and beauty and others because it was one of the worlds most iconic houses of Christian worship, where for centuries, French Catholics lifted up prayer, song, and sacrament to God. As of now, the devastating fire has been ruled an accident, but earlier suspicions that the blaze may have been deliberately set werent unfounded. In the months prior to the Notre Dame fire, historic churches across France were set ablaze, altars and crosses and statues were knocked down, and treasures were looted, all by vandals. Some churches were even fouled with human excrement. By some reports, over 800 churches were hit just last year. In fact, theres been a startling surge in church desecration worldwide. Back in January, the Guardian reported on a new wave of anti-Christian persecution in China. Hundreds of churches have been shut down, defaced, even demolished by the Chinese government. Last year, officials in Shanxi province dynamited the sanctuary of Golden Lampstand Church, one of Chinas largest houses of Christian worship. And thats not all. Here in the States, a Louisiana man was just charged with setting fire to three African American churches in St. Landry Parish. And just last week, in the wake of the Notre Dame fire, New York police arrested a philosophy professor at St. Patricks Cathedral who was carrying cans of gasoline and lighter fluid. Heaven only knows what he had planned. Of course, in addition to hundreds of people tragically killed by Islamic militants in the Sri Lanka terror attacks on Easter Sunday, many church buildings were devastated too. Godless governments, racists, radical Islamists, and common arsonists seem to understand that places matter, especially sacred spaces. But before the smoke had even cleared above Notre Dame last week, well-meaning Christians took to social media to remind us that the Church isnt a building, its a people. Of course, thats true in the same way that a family isnt a house. But that doesnt make it less tragic, painful, or awful when someones house burns down! Why are so many, especially evangelical Christian, so quick to dismiss the importance and value of tangible beauty and creative expression, including sacred space? Since the very first days of the early church, Christians have struggled with the temptation to stray into a Gnostic way of thinking. Gnosticism takes various forms, but believes that the material world is ultimately bad, and therefore only spiritual things matter. Terrorists, racists, and vandals attack sacred space because of what it means, not only to those who worship but to the histories of the communities in which they exist. Sacred space is defined by a purpose, set aside for the worship of God. When the early Christians were finally free to publicly worship, they responded by setting aside space for corporate and individual worship, some that are amazing feats of architecture and design. For two millennia Christians sought to fill these spaces with beautyin art, song, and in reverence. Its an amazing heritage. The fact that so many churches today are seen primarily as functional spaces, and therefore made to look like shopping malls or performance venues, suggests that weve lost something. Charles Taylor called it disenchantment. Thats a fancy way of describing how a sacramental view of reality has been replaced by an efficient, functional view. Of course, true worship often happens in plain, simple buildings. The book of Acts describes a pretty amazing worship service once held in a Philippian jail. Still, the human impulse to beautify spaces, and to mourn the loss of spaces points to a truth about God and ourselves. Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky may have overstated it when he said beauty will save the world, but to downplay the loss of beauty is to miss something very important about ourselves and our world. No, buildings arent the Church. But in a time when attacking church buildings has become a favorite means of attacking God, His people, and even cultural order, we should never forget what even arsonists and vandals know: that beauty matters, and stones can sometimes preach. BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on todays news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions. John Stonestreet, the host of The Point, a daily national radio program, provides thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview. Publication date: April 25, 2019 Photo courtesy: Pixabay Joe Biden formally announced his candidacy for president this morning. He becomes the twentieth Democrat to join the 2020 campaign. And one of the few you had probably heard of before making such an announcement. This is not a criticism or partisan statement. Americas political history shows that notoriety is not essential for success. From 2 percent to the White House Jimmy Carters name recognition was at 2 percent when he launched his presidential campaign. Congressman Gerald Ford was largely unknown outside his Michigan district before he became vice president and then president. Few believed first-term senator Barack Obama stood a chance against Hillary Clinton in 2008. When Donald Trump announced he was running for president in 2015, how many people thought he would win? Notoriety is not always essential to success in other areas of life as well. When Manuel Franco stepped forward Tuesday to claim a $768 million Powerball prize, the twenty-four-year-old Wisconsin resident went from anonymity to national headlines. I had not heard of diver Josh Bratchley before he helped rescue Thai cave schoolboys last summer. I had not heard of Edd Sorenson before he rescued Josh Bratchley from an underwater cave in Tennessee last week. How Americans spend eleven hours each day We may never be household names, but we all want to be special to someone special. God made us social creatures: from Adam to today, it is not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18 NKJV). The human story is a long narrative centered on interaction, from spouses to families to tribes to cities to city-states to nations to multinational alliances. Across our history, we have connected with each other through speaking, art, music, writing, printing, radio, movies, television, and now social media. Our sedentary lives are evidence of the digital nature of contemporary connectivity. Unsurprisingly, researchers have discovered that we are spending more time sitting in front of screens than ever. This is problematic since sitting too long has been linked to numerous chronic diseases that can lead to an early death. But it is also indicative of our need for community. Adult Americans spend more than eleven hours a day watching, reading, listening, or otherwise interacting with media. Nearly 80 percent of the US population has a social media profile. Streaming services have brought Hollywood to our devices (the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided this week that such services should be eligible for the Oscars). We long to be connected with other people, even if we experience them vicariously or digitally. Screens and souls However, a screen cannot replace a soul. A computer cannot hug us when we grieve. Just as we all have a God-shaped emptiness (Pascal), we also have a people-shaped emptiness. The body of Christ is not composed of cell phones but of humans. You and I can make an eternal difference in eternal souls, whether the world knows our names or not. Heres the good news: you and I can make an eternal difference in eternal souls, whether the world knows our names or not. I was invited to church as a teenager by two men whose stories I have never seen in the media. The pastors wife who led me to Christ has never appeared on Netflix. My most significant mentors in college, seminary, and beyond were women and men whose names would probably mean little to you. But they mean everything to me. Who has made the greatest impact on your life? Have they ever made the headlines? Pauls unnamed nephew Reading through the book of Acts, I have been struck by the unnamed individuals who changed the course of history. We know only a few of the 120 who were filled with the Spirit at Pentecost and ignited the Christian movement (Acts 1:15; 2:4). We dont know the name of the man lame from birth whose healing led all the people to hear the gospel (3:2, 11). The missionaries who first took the gospel to Antioch (the future home base for Pauls ministry) are unnamed (11:1921). We dont have the name of the Philippian jailer (16:2534), the leading women who came to faith in Thessalonica (Acts 17:4), or the noble Bereans (17:11). The town clerk who protected Christians from an Ephesian mob is unnamed (19:3541). Pauls unnamed nephew saved the apostle from a plot to assassinate him (23:1622). Imagine a world without the miracle of Pentecost or the missionary work of Paul. As Alfred North Whitehead observed, great people plant trees theyll never sit under. Writing the history of this generation The technological revolution makes it possible for us to get Gods word to more people than ever before. Every Christian who uses his or her digital platform to share biblical truth is continuing the work begun by Paul and his fellow missionaries twenty centuries ago. Our personal relationships are central to fulfilling our Commission. At the same time, our personal relationships are central to fulfilling our Commission (Matthew 28:1820). Our personal interactions bring the compassion of Jesus into the hurts and hearts of people hungry to encounter his grace. Robert Kennedy: Few of us will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. Whose history will you help write today? For more from the Denison Forum, please visit www.denisonforum.org. The Daily Article Podcast is Here! Click to Listen Publication Date: April 25, 2019 Photo Courtesy: Getty Images/Alex Edelman/Stringer Bethany Christian Services, one of the nations largest adoption agencies, says it will begin placing children in LGBT homes in Michigan as part of a new state rule. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, announced in March a settlement with two same-sex couples that requires all adoption agencies that contract with the state to work with gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender couples who want to adopt or foster a child. That includes faith-based agencies like Bethany. That settlement ended a lawsuit by the couples Kristy and Dana Dumont and Erin and Rebecca Busk-Sutton who had tried to adopt through Bethany and St. Vincent Catholic Charities upon referrals from the state Department of Health and Human Services, the Detroit Free Press reported. Both couples were turned away. Bethanys change does not impact private adoptions or the organizations work in other states, although last year Bethany made a similar change to continue its contract with the city of Philadelphia. We are disappointed with how this settlement agreement has been implemented by the state government, Bethany said in a statement. Nonetheless, Bethany will continue operations in Michigan, in compliance with our legal contract requirements. Bethany is located in 36 states and works in other countries, too. The mission and beliefs of Bethany Christian Services have not changed, Bethany told LifeSiteNews. We are focused on demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ by serving children in need, and we intend to continue doing so in Michigan. Nessel, a lesbian, fought to legalize gay marriage as a private attorney. St. Vincent Catholic Charities is challenging the new state rule in federal court, according to the Detroit Free Press. Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com. Photo courtesy: Unsplash A Portland, Oregon church is reaching out to the homeless community in their neighborhood by building 15 tiny homes on their 11-acre property. Central Church of the Nazarene saw a need and are extending a helping hand. The church is in a place in Portland where were moving tents off the front step of the church on a regular basis, Matt Huff, Lead Pastor at Central Church shared with the Christian Post. We've got people camping all over the place. And that's our neighbors. How do we engage them and love them and not just to kick them out? The idea came after Huff visited other churches in the area with similar programs. He hopes to engage other churches in the community with the village by encouraging them to adopt one of the tiny homes. I'm just asking for them to come and be friends with the people in it, said Huff. And then the church can love them and give them socks if they need socks or wish them a happy birthday. The tiny community, called Agape Village, will provide transitional housing for the homeless to get back on their feet. Built entirely by volunteers primarily on Fridays and Saturdays, each insulated sleeping pod will hold a central common area, a kitchen, bathroom, and shower, as well as solar power batteries to allow residents to charge their cellphones. It wont have electricity, plumbing or heating. Agape Village will not require church attendance, but social workers from one of Agapes partner organizations will be assigned to each resident. The idea is that it's transitional and that you're moving and working towards something, Huff said. And so if you're going to come here and not want to do anything, it's going to be pretty uncomfortable for you to be there. The idea [is] that these aren't your forever homes, that they're a place where you can find safety and stability in the relationship that you need to move on to wherever God wants to have you in life. Residents must adhere to five rules: no violence, no theft, no alcohol or drugs, no disruptive behavior, and everyone must volunteer to help make Agape Village better. The ultimate goal is to create a village which involves the entire community in giving our neighbors a hand-up, a statement on Agape Villages website read. We want this village to be a win-win for everyone making our community safer while giving people a chance to find health and stability. Photo courtesy: Geran de Klerk/Unsplash 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. Bethany Christian Services, the largest Christian adoption and foster agency in the United States, will begin placing foster children with same-sex couples for the first time after a legal battle in its home state of Michigan. When Michigans attorney general declared this month that foster agencies contracting with the government can no longer decline to work with LGBT families, Bethany opted to change its longstanding policy rather than lose the opportunity to help find homes for the thousands of vulnerable children who live there. The legal fight in the Great Lakes State, pushed forward by a 2017 lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is one of a string of battles challenging faith-based agencies significant involvement in foster care and adoption nationwideforcing officials to balance the religious convictions of these ministries with the rights of protective parents. We are disappointed with how this settlement agreement has been implemented by the state government. Nonetheless, Bethany will continue operations in Michigan, in compliance with our legal contract requirements, a spokesman for the Grand Rapids-based organization said in a statement. We are focused on demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ by serving children in need, and we intend to continue doing so in Michigan. Bethany, which has been in operation for 75 years, emphasized that its mission and Christian beliefs have not changed. The shift only applies for placement in foster care and foster-to-adopt programs in Michigan, and will not affect policies for infant adoption, international adoption, or foster placements in the 34 other states where Bethany operates. Practicing Christians have been found to be twice as likely as the overall population to adopt and 50 percent more likely to foster, according to Barna Research. Last year, Bethany worked with more than 1,000 children in Michiganabout 8 percent of the foster or foster-to-adopt cases statewide. The year before, the agency provided foster care placements for more than 3,800 children across the US, in addition to 6,000 adoptions. Religious liberty advocates have challenged Michigans decision as discriminatory against faith-based agencies, which Americas foster care system relies on. The Michigan Attorney General and the ACLU are trying to stop the state from working with faith-based adoption agencies, said Lori Windham, senior counsel at Becket, which will continue to fight the decision on behalf of St. Vincent Catholic Charities, a fellow Michigan agency and the target of the ACLU lawsuit. The result of that will be tragic. Thousands of children will be kept from finding the loving homes they deserve. Windham also represents Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia in a similar legal dispute. This week, a federal appeals court ruled against the Catholic agency, which argued that the citys decision to drop its foster care contract violated its religious freedom. By refusing to place children in its careabout 120 at a timewith LGBT couples, the agencys policies violated LGBT protections under Philadelphias Fair Practices Ordinance, the court ruled. In January, faith-based agencies in South Carolina were able to secure a waiver from the US Department of Health and Human Services to keep policies that restrict placement on the basis of religion or sexual identity, so long as prospective parents are referred to other agencies. Last year, Kansas and Oklahoma passed laws protecting faith-based agencies rights to set their own requirements for child placement, and the year before, similar protections went through in Texas, South Dakota, and Alabamain some cases allowing the organizations to keep public funding despite their restrictions. Faith-based adoption and foster agencies provide an apt testing ground for efforts to protect both LGBT protections and religious liberty, as advocated by legal experts like University of Illinois law professor Robin Fretwell Wilson. Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission president Russell Moore has spoken up to defend agencies religious distinctives, and the Southern Baptist agency named a proposed Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act among its federal legislative priorities for the year. About 40 percent of Protestant churchgoers say their congregation supports foster care ministries, and a quarter know someone who has been involved in foster care in the past year, according to a LifeWay Research survey released last year. [Updated May 6 with Pews new analysis of US Jews] When it comes to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict, do American evangelicals favor one side or the other? A new study from the Pew Research Center finds one-third actually feel favorable toward bothwhen it comes to their peoples. And one-third feel unfavorable toward both governments. But of the US government, and President Donald Trumps Israel policies in particular, American evangelicals far outpace American Jews in support. A majority (62%) of evangelicals in the US believe Trump is striking the right balance between Israelis and Palestinians, while less than half (47%) of Jews in the US agree. Politico Magazine recently profiled Telos, an evangelical group dedicated to changing the narrative on Israel. Christian faith communities persistently advocate for one-sided postures towards the conflict, states the group, whose name means purpose in Greek, on its website. Our telos ... 1 In most Sunday schools, the question is an academic exercise. How many of you are willing to die for Christ? asked the teacher on Easter morning. Every one of the children dutifully raised their hands. A few minutes later, the Sri Lankan class descended to Zion Churchs main service, passing through an outside courtyard where a stranger was speaking with church leaders. He had discovered there was no Easter morning Mass at the nearby Catholic church in Batticaloa, and was wondering when the service would begin here. He asked about the healing service. Observers report he was sweating profusely. A pastor invited him to take off his backpack. Then, an explosionmany inside thought it was the generator. Half the children died on the spot. All the children had responded [to their teachers question] by putting their hands up, and signaled their fresh dedication to Jesus by lighting a symbolic candle, recounts a seminary leader [full testimony in sidebar below]. For so many of those children, it would be their final act of worship. In total, at least 26 worshipersincluding 16 childrenwere killed and 100 injured at Zion, a charismatic congregation in the Fellowship of Free Churches in Sri Lanka. Two Catholic churches in and near Colombo on the island nations opposite coast were also attacked by suicide bombers that morning, along with three hotels. The death toll currently stands at 253, revised down from 359. But this is not the only Christian tragedy. Sri Lankan authorities have now arrested 76 local Muslim extremists and one Syrian, placing the blame on the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) movement. ISIS has claimed responsibility, calling it revenge for the massacre at a New Zealand mosque last month. In response, gangs of young Christian men are now marauding Muslim neighborhoods. People have been assaulted. Shops have been destroyed. Hundreds of Pakistani refugeesmostly Ahmadis, a persecuted minority themselveshave fled the area around St. Sebastians, the Catholic church in Negombo where more than 100 worshipers perished. How we process this new reality and respond will determine the character and the witness of the Church of Jesus Christ in Sri Lanka, Ivor Poobalan, principal of evangelical Colombo Theological Seminary, told CT. We are hurt. We are angry also, stated Zions senior pastor, Roshan Mahesen. But stillas the senior pastor..., the whole congregation, and every family affectedwe say to the suicide bomber, and also to the group that sent the suicide bomber, We love you and we forgive you. No matter what you have done to us, we love you, because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ on the cross, he said, Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing, said Mahesen. We also, who follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ, we say, For the Lord, forgive these people. Sri Lanka is an odd place for Muslim-Christian tension, which was virtually unknown before the Easter bombings. An island southeast of India, the population is 70 percent Buddhist and 12 percent Hindu. Muslims constitute roughly 10 percent, and Christians 8 percentpredominantly Catholic but with a sizable Protestant majority. Islam came in the eighth century, spread peacefully by Muslim traders. Christianity came in 1505 with the Portuguese, furthered by later colonial empires. Both religions have increasingly suffered at the hands of nationalists within local Buddhist and Hindu communities, striking at Sri Lankas multi-religious heritage. The Easter Sunday massacre follows on the heels of the islands 1983-2009 civil war, when an ethnic Tamil militia pushed for independence from the state and the Sinhalese majority. Christians fought on both sides, and up to 100,000 people were killed. The Sri Lankan constitution guarantees religious freedom, but gives Buddhism the foremost place. The Supreme Court ruled last August that religious propagation is not protected Open Doors ranks Sri Lanka No. 46 on its World Watch List of the 50 countries where its hardest to be a Christian. Last year, the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka reported 86 violations of religious freedom against Christians, and this year tallied 26 leading up to the Easter attacks. Nationwide, a church service had faced disruption each of the previous 11 Sundays. Most Sri Lankan Buddhists are respectful of their Christian neighbors, said Poobalan, though generally ignorant of their religion. But significant numbers of conversions have irritated some, while others have been affected by propaganda that labels Christianity a foreign religion and a proxy for Western interests. There may be a coming shift. The horrific acts have helped Buddhists see how vulnerable Christians really are, and to empathize with us, he said. This may lead to an improvement of attitudes and a deeper understanding of the non-violent and service-oriented nature of Christians. Unfortunately, there is a growing tension between Muslims and Catholics, said Heshan de Silva, chairman of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka. But there is also an ecumenical outpouring. The local Muslim Council lamented extremist and violent elements, who wish to create divides between religious and ethnic groups. Many Muslims have joined Christians in funerals and protests, de Silva said. Buddhist monks have issued statements in support. And the coming weekend will see a joint Catholic-Protestant prayer vigil in the public square. Please pray for national unity, de Silva, also president of the Sri Lanka Baptist Union, told CT. Church premises should be a ground for healing. But now they may adopt a fortress mentality. Churches by their very nature are open places that invite the stranger to come in, said Poobalan, citing a growing sense of Christian fear. That the stranger might have a sinister motive poses all sorts of challenges. Lal Senanayake, president of Lanka Bible College and Seminary, urged churches to stay calm and forgive, yet to also be vigilant. They should develop plans to check out visitors, assign parking IDs, and monitor CCTV video feeds of the premises. Security is paramount. He stressed that Muslims in Sri Lanka are friendly, and pillars of the business community. But he told CT he is not optimistic. Certainly there will be antagonism against Muslims by all other communities [Christians included], and people might start to look at them suspiciously, said Senanayake. The situation might get worse. He also warned that the Sri Lankan church faces a challenge to not sacrifice truth in favor of harmony as it enters a phase of new social understanding. The church has been the transforming agent of all societies in the world, he said. We must learn to engage not only in evangelistic activities, but in holistic mission. For some, this includes politics. Very serious questions have arisen as to why preventive action was not taken when information was available, said Abraham Sumanthiran, an evangelical member of Sri Lankas parliament, addressing lawmakers. Those responsible for thisfrom the very topmust at the very least resign. The MP echoed frustration about the political crisis gripping Sri Lanka, as President Maithripala Sirisena feuds with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The president unlawfully controls the police force, Sumanthiran stated, and Muslims had previously asked for the arrest of the NTJ leader. The prime minister denied receiving reports of extensive surveillance that intelligence services had performed on the terrorists now arrested. But the politics of Sumanthiran, former vice president of the islands Methodist denomination, did not neglect evangelism. He closed his speech by urging that Muslims not be blamed for the tragedy. But he opened it by defining Easter. We believe in Jesus Christ, who came into this world, suffered as we do and took the worst of evil onto himself and was crucified unjustly, he said. But he defeated all evil through self-sacrificial love, which is what we celebrate on Easter: Resurrection day. We are grieving, but we will not allow hate and revenge to overtake us. The Muslim MP that followed him expressed great appreciation. I bow to the Christian community who have proven their magnanimity in practicing the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, said Rauf Hakeen, the leader of the major Muslim party in parliament, quoting the biblical verse about turning the other cheek. By preaching calm to the bereaved Christian communities at a time of grief, [and] resisting backlash against the Muslim community living in absolute fear. Hakeen also praised the Catholic Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Ranjith, for publicly forgiving the attackers. But in the moment of grief, Ranjith had also lashed out. Only animals can behave like that, he said. He urged the government to punish them mercilessly. Surekha Hulugalle, a Sinhalese expat and national leader of the Foursquare denomination in Great Britain, feared that Ranjiths words could instigate a sense of hatred or revenge. He warned against political use being made of the tragedy, and urged the media to report responsibly. The government acted on such fears. It withheld the identity of the attackers as long as possible, and shut down social media to prevent the spreading of rumors. Already there have been accounts that falsely suggest the attack targeted Tamil Christians rather than Sinhalese, which he and other evangelical leaders rejected. Sentiments such as these will only cause more harm to our nation, Hulugalle said. The entire nation is weeping. This is a national tragedy. As it is in England. Its Sri Lankan immigrant community is substantial, and where one of the attackers came for his education. In Leicester, Zions sister church held a memorial service for their many lost relatives. Hulugalle was sent to the United Kingdom as a missionary by his Sri Lankan denomination, presiding now over a mix of nationalities inclusive of traditional Brits. He hopes a similar unity will prove evident back in his homeland. (Several UK churches will host a memorial service on Monday.) Tragedy brings us closer, and human love and compassion can rise above our differences, he said. But only Christianity brings every ethnic group together. So while Sri Lankan Christian leaders preach calm as their youth are tempted toward radicalization, the hope of transformation hangs in the balance. Poobalan is a witness, and a participant. The surviving Sunday school teacher in the opening anecdote is one of his almost 1,000 seminary students; a martyred pastor was another one. The national situation has dramatically changed, he said, noting how this terrorist act is so out of proportion to even the rising sense of religious tension in Sri Lanka, yet becoming a mega-trend across southeast Asia. These unprecedented attacks have re-emphasized that our discipleship must be lived out in a broken world that lives in rank hostility towards its creator and savior. 4 Countries in Asia Pass Laws Banning Religious Conversions Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Four countries in South and Southeast Asia have laws that ban conversion of their citizens away from the majority religion, and two other countries are considering implementing the legislation, apart from numerous other nations in the region that prohibit blasphemy and apostasy, aimed mostly at Christian missionary work. On Tuesday, Alliance Defending Freedom's international wing will present a white paper on laws regulating conversions at the Policy Briefing on the Global Crisis in Religious Freedom with U.S. Ambassador Samuel Brownback. Commonly known as anti-conversion laws, the legislation regulates the act of converting to another religion through vaguely defined terms of "inducement," "force" or "fraudulent means," according to the paper. These words could be meant to include social work, praying for the sick or even evangelism. These laws are in place in parts of India and throughout Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan, while Sri Lanka and one province in Pakistan have yet to pass a similar bill. Barring the bill in Pakistan, where minority religions are allegedly being protected through the legislation, the legislation is based on the premise that majority religion is under a threat. As a result, it incites violence. "No person or group should live in fear of being killed, tortured, or oppressed because of their religious beliefs. The rise of anti-conversion laws worldwide testifies to a growing crisis in religious freedom," Balakrishnan Baskaran, Legal Consultant to ADF International in India, was quoted as saying. Last month, the North Indian state of Uttarakhand became the eighth state in the country to pass the legislation, which is officially named the "Freedom of Religion Act" in India but has the allegedly hidden intent to punish those who facilitate religious conversions, especially conversions from Hinduism to Christianity. That law carries a jail term of up to two years. "Hindu nationalists' stated rationale for anti-conversion laws is that Christians and Muslims are using coercion to convert vulnerable Hindus in the lowest castes, also known as Dalits or Untouchables," the paper reads. "Nationalists also have cited the need to 'protect the cultural identity of tribal communities of the country.'" Anti-conversion laws first came into existence in the 1930s in the states where Britain did not have direct rule at the time. The Indian parliament considered several anti-conversion bills following independence in 1947, but all were eventually dropped. "However, due to India's federal structure, state legislatures have been able to pass anti-conversion measures." While hardly any Christian worker has been convicted by a court under the law in India, members of the minority community are routinely accused of and charged with "forcible" conversions of Hindus. Christians and rights groups say the law is used as a tool by right-wing Hindu groups to harass and persecute Christians and to restrict Hindus from converting away from their religion. Christian persecution, which includes violent attacks, destruction of Christian property and false accusations, has risen in India since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won the general election in 2014. While many Muslim-majority countries have laws banning apostasy and blasphemy, which too seek to check conversions, Hindu- and Buddhist-majority countries in Asia use anti-conversion laws to maintain the religious demographic status quo. The majority of Nepal's population is Hindu, while Buddhists are in majority in Bhutan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The Pew Research Center reports that in the year ending December 2015, 42 countries restricted conversion from one religion to another, up from 31 countries in June 2007. Nepal arrests 4 Christians over 'false' conversion allegation; US citizen deported Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Four Christians have been arrested in Nepal, including a United States citizen, months after a controversial law criminalizing religious conversion went into effect in the Asian nation. On Tuesday morning, police in the city of Ghorahi arrested a Christian society leader, an Indian national, a citizen of Colorado and a Nepali interpreter at their hotel for their alleged involvement in religious conversion by "allurement," according to the NGO Christian Solidarity Worldwide. The four of them had attended a one-day pastors conference that took place Monday in a local church. The human rights advocacy group reports that authorities searched hotel rooms and took bibles, cash, laptops and also cash belonging to the Christians. According to contacts who spoke with the Christian aid agency Barnabus Fund, police also confiscated a USB device, a vehicle and a nebulizer that aids breathing. The arrested include Nepal Christian Society General Secretary Dilli Ram Paudel, Indian national Gaurav Sreevastab and Nepali interpreter Kusang Tamang. Although CSW did not name the U.S. citizen, Morning Star News identified the American as Oleana Cinquanta, a resident of Colorado. Cinquanta told the persecution news outlet that she was held for more than 10 hours without medication and that she was deported to the U.S. The allegations are completely false, Cinquanta was quoted as writing in a text message. We were not distributing any Bibles or dollars. I was visiting a church program in Dang [district] with my travel agent and some friends, Cinquanta added. No one was engaging in conversion. A source told the Barnabus Fund that the conference was a training course for pastors. In Nepal, a predominantly Hindu country to the north of India where Christians are a tiny minority, a law was implemented last August banning religious conversions and the hurting of religious feelings. At the time, Christian leaders feared the law would be used to persecute Christians for practicing their religion as similar laws have been abused in countries like neighboring India. According to CSW, those arrested on Tuesday had not yet been charged with a crime but were still being detained. Christian leader Pratik Bista told Morning Star News that he and a delegation of other Christian leaders visited the Dang district police headquarters on Tuesday. He said they were told by the superintendent that the detained would be released on Wednesday. The superintendent reportedly reasoned that the Christians were arrested for general inquiry. SWs Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas called on the Nepali authorities to drop all charges against the Christians and release them immediately. We urge Nepal to respect the right of all religious minorities to practice their faith or belief through worship, observation, teaching and practice, Thomas said in a statement. Section 158 of the penal code emboldens both state and non-state actors to harass and prosecute innocent people who are simply exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief. According to Bista, police officers took Bibles as evidence to claim they were carrying out conversions. He added that authorities also took U.S. dollars from Cinquantas to suggest she was using allurement to convert. How is it a crime for a Christian to carry his Bible, and how is it a crime for an American to carry dollars when visiting a foreign country? Bista asked. If a Hindu carrying his holy scriptures is not a crime, then how does it apply on Christians? How could they come to the hotel and detain the Christians without a First Information Report? Nepal ranks as the 32nd worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2019 World Watch List. While Christian persecution in Nepal comes largely from Hindu radicals, Open Doors notes that a new secular constitution adopted in 2015 has limited religious freedom. Nepal has been a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council since 2018 and is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. But CSW argues that Nepal has caused many Christians to live in fear of practicing their faith by issuing laws that limit freedom of religion. Throughout the years, U.S. officials have voiced concern to senior government and political leaders in Nepal over the countrys ban on religious conversion, provisions in the new constitution and restrictions to religious freedom. They continued to highlight the ways in which anticonversion laws could be used to arbitrarily restrict the right to the freedoms of religion and expression, the State Departments annual report on international religious freedom explains. Embassy officers and visiting senior U.S. government officials also raised concerns with government officials about the governments restrictions on Tibetan Buddhists conducting peaceful religious activities. In 2016, seven Christians were arrested in the Dolakha district for handing out Bibles. Nepal: Law Criminalizing Evangelism, Conversions to Christianity Goes Into Effect Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A law criminalizing religious conversions and the "hurting of religious feelings" went into effect in Nepal this week, a year after the bill was passed. As World Watch Monitor reported last year, Nepal's Christian minority fears the new law will be abused by those seeking to settle scores as has happened frequently in neighboring India. After the bill was passed, Nepali MP Lokmani Dhakal asked for the removal of the sections criminalizing conversions, saying: "It seems very clear to me that this country, when preparing the civil code, has forgotten it is a signatory to international treaties that protect the freedom of religion and human rights. ... Please don't let it be possible for the world to say of Nepal that we are the kind of nation that on the one hand signs international treaties, but when making internal laws, and in implementing them, does something else." Hindus account for over 80 percent of Nepal's 26 million people. According to the 2011 census, there are just 364,000 Christians. But many observers believe there are significantly more, but that newly converted Christians would be afraid to state their religion and so remain registered as Hindus, and residents absent when the data was collected were recorded as Hindu. In a recent interview with World Watch Monitor, professor Tanka Subedi, chairperson of Nepal's Religious Liberty Forum, said he was shocked at the comments made by the prime minster earlier this year, when he openly criticized foreign Christians for converting people to other religions. "We have deported many who came to Nepal in the name of observation when they actually were converting people to other religions," the prime minster, K.P. Oli said in March. Subedi said that, "When we heard [these] things from the prime minister, that was not what we expect from a guardian. He is our prime minister. Christians have also voted for him. And many people are following his party who are in the Church." The professor also highlighted the problems caused by a group known as the Mongol National Army, which has published a press release saying it is going to "destroy all the [Hindu] temples and gumbads [tombs] and build churches in their place." The group has also declared that Nepal will be a Christian nation by 2025. "We have objected to that and said that we have no connection with this group," the professor said. "This [group] is not from the Christian community ... But the Home Minister took it as a real matter, done by Christians. And he made public statements against Christians and said, 'I will be very hard on Christians and conversions.' "And then recently, somebody shot a Hindu priest in Virat Nagar, where they also left a leaflet in which they made many accusations against Hindus like becoming pro-Indian and many other things, but it also included [accusations of] destroying Bibles. So because of that one word, 'Bible,' some people are taking [it] as if it was done by the Christians. And rallies and [other] things are happening in different cities in Nepal against Christians, speaking against Christians." Subedi said some pastors have received threats, demanding that they bring "David Tamang," the purported leader of the Mongol National Army, to them. "We don't know who David Tamang is, whether that person exists, or what is [the] Mongol organization," the professor said. "We have no idea. And the Christian community doesn't have any connection with them. ... The Christian community in Nepal is an indigenous religious group. The government should respect that, and look at them with dignity. So now we are feeling a bit side-lined by the government and that's not what the Christian community in Nepal wants, or any other religious group wants." This article was originally published on World Watch Monitor here. Over half of Protestant churchgoers failed to share the Gospel in the last 6 months: LifeWay Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment More than fifty percent of Protestant church attendees have admitted to not engaging in evangelism in the past half a year, according to a recently released report by LifeWay Research. When asked how many times they shared with somehow how to become a Christian, 55 percent of respondents answered zero. 24 percent of respondents said that they had shared how to become a Christian to someone 1-2 times, 12 percent responded 3-5 times, 5 percent said 6-10 times, 1 percent said 11-15 times, and 3 percent reported 16 times or more. Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, said in comments released Tuesday that evangelism does not appear to be the priority of churchgoers. The task of making disciples of all nations has not been fully embraced in the American church especially by the majority culture, stated McConnell. This is in spite of the convenience of having other ethnicities and immigrants from other countries often living in the same neighborhood. Data for the LifeWay report came from an online survey of 2,500 Protestant churchgoers performed Jan. 14-29 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Although the report found less than half had engaged in evangelism in the past six months, it also found that most respondents had invited an unchurched person to worship in the past six months. Among ethnic groups surveyed for the report, Hispanic respondents were the most likely to have talked to someone about how to become a Christian within the past six months, with only 32 percent reporting that they had not done so. Hispanic churchgoers were also the ethnic group most likely to have invited someone to church, with 71 percent of Hispanic respondents saying they had done so. LifeWay also found that respondents aged 65 and over were the least likely to have had no evangelistic conversations within the last half year. Recently, there has been much discussion about young adults participating less in evangelism. Thats not the case, however, noted McConnell. In fact, young adult and middle-aged churchgoers are more likely to have shared with someone how to become a Christian in the past six months than older churchgoing adults. In February, the Barna Group released a report commissioned by Alpha USA indicating that nearly half of Millennial-aged Christians believed evangelizing was wrong. "Almost half of Millennials (47%) agree at least somewhat that it is wrong to share ones personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in hopes that they will one day share the same faith. This is compared to a little over one-quarter of Gen X (27%), and one in five Boomers (19%) and Elders (20%)," read the Barna report. "Younger Christians tend to be more personally aware of the cultural temperature around spiritual conversations. Among practicing Christians, Millennials report an average (median) of four close friends or family members who practice a faith other than Christianity; most of their Boomer parents and grandparents, by comparison, have just one." Craig Springer, executive director of Alpha USA, told The Christian Post in a podcast interview that the issue might be more a methodology issue than an actual opposition to evangelism. Springer pointed out that the same research also found that 94 percent of Millennial Christians believe that the best thing that can happen to a person is for them to know Jesus. The passion for Millennial Christians to see their friends and family come to know Christ is just as strong as any other preceding generation, said Springer, I do believe theres something to look at the methodology. Sri Lanka bombing no longer single deadliest ISIS attack after death toll lowered Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment [UPDATE:Thursday, April 25, 2019, 8:56 p.m.]Officials on Thursday released an updated death toll, lowering the number of deaths to 253. A Colombo police spokesman had previously said that 359 lives were lost, which would have made the bombings the single deadliest attack claimed by the Islamic State. Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene told Reuters that morgues provided inaccurate figures and Anil Jasinghe, the director general of health services, said it was hard to provide accurate numbers due to there being so many body parts. Autopsies were completed on Thursday. Original story below Sundays Easter bombings in Sri Lanka was the single deadliest overseas attack claimed by the Islamic State (also known as IS, ISIL or ISIS), which has released a video showing the bombers pledging their allegiance. Police spokesperson Ruwan Gunasekera said on Wednesday that at least 359 people were killed in the bombings that struck churches and hotels in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo. At 359 deaths and over 500 injured, the Easter bombings represent the deadliest overseas operation claimed by ISIS since the group proclaimed its caliphate in 2014, AFP notes. "Oh heavens. Now the single deadliest attack by ISIS, anywhere," tweeted journalist Mindy Belz, who has extensively covered Christian persecution and is the senior editor of World Magazine and author of the book They Say We Are Infidels: On the Run from ISIS with Persecuted Christians in the Middle East. A similar thought was issued by New York Times correspondent Rukmini Callimachi. Still researching this, but as far as I can tell with this new death toll, the Easter attack in Sri Lanka is now the single deadliest ISIS-linked attack both inside Iraq and Syria and beyond, Callimachi tweeted. Karrada [Baghdad] attack in 2016 was 340 dead; Sufi mosque in Sinai was 311. Paris attack was 130. IS, a radical Sunni Islamic extremist outfit that once controlled large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria and has affiliates in various countries, claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday. Through its Amaq News Agency, IS released a video showing eight militants pledging allegiance to the jihadi death cult and its leader, the so-called caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. We pledge allegiance ... and to obey him on everything either in easy or difficult conditions, the militants are alleged to have said, according to Reuters. AFP reports that IS provided the aliases of the jihadis they claimed carried out the attack on Christians celebrating what the terrorists deemed a "blasphemous holiday." All but one of the militants shown in the video had their faces covered. It is believed that the man who did not cover his face is National Tawheed Jamaath leader Moulvi Zahran Hashim (also known as Mohamed Zaharan). Officials have suspected the little-known Sri Lankan Muslim militant group National Tawheed Jamaath (NTJ) for being behind the bombings but are investigating IS involvement in the bombings. Three fighters reportedly called by the names Abu Obeidah, Abu Baraa and Abu Moukhtar were said to have carried out the bombings at the Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels. Three others Abu Hamza, Abu Khalil and Abu Mohammad carried out attacks on churches in Colombo, Negombo, and Batticaloa. Sri Lankan and U.S. governments had both stated that the sophistication and scale of the bombings suggest the involvement of an external terror group like IS or Al-Qaeda, according to Reuters. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that the Sri Lanka attacks were likely inspired by IS. "Every indication is that this was, at the very least, inspired by ISIS," Pompeo told CBS News analyst and former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell in a podcast interview. "And I think we'll have more information developed about whether there were any actual connections. The scale, the complexity of the attack certainly would be something a good analyst like yourself would stare at and say, 'We need to dig really hard. The capacity for a local group to pull off a relatively complex, simultaneous attack, it could happen.' But it's probably the case that there were others assisting them." Ten days before the attacks occurred, a police official sent out an advisory that the terror group was planning suicide attacks against churches. According to CNN, the information was gleaned from an IS suspect. However, that warning never made it to key officials. And now, President Maithripala Sirisena is demanding the resignation of the defense secretary and police chief. According to a translation of the police memo, Zaharan has since 2016 preached to his followers that the murder of nonbelievers is a most noble religious endeavor and that Islam should be spread through such acts. IS has long called on like-minded extremists worldwide to kill infidels and has even offered advice on how to build bombs and carry out attacks against soft-target locations. As The New York Times notes, Indian officials have been keeping an eye on Zaharan for over a year as a suspected online recruiter for IS. Hilmy Ahamed, vice-president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, told AFP that he had previously gone to local authorities to voice concerns about Zaharan over three years ago. Ahmed stated that Zaharan is around the age of 40 and from the east coast region of Batticaloa. "This person was a loner and he had radicalized young people in the guise of conducting Koran classes," Ahmed said. "Zahran belonged to an average Muslim middle-class family, Ahmed added. He was a drop-out. At a press conference Wednesday, state minister of defense Ruwan Wijewardene explained that nine suicide bombers were a part of the attack and eight of them have been identified. The bombers were said to be well educated individuals. One of the bombers studied in the United Kingdom and Australia. However, Wijewardene stated that they are trying to determine whether the attack was carried out by NTJ or a splinter organization. "There has been a group that has split from the main body [of the NTJ], Wijewardene said. "We believe that the leader of this group has also committed suicide in one of the attacks. Wijewardene did not clarify if he was referring to Zaharan as the leader of the group. Presidential advisor Shiral Lakthilaka was reported to have said Wednesday that he believes the mastermind of the attack was Inshan Seelavan, who he identified as having blown himself up at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo. Two other suicide bombers in the attack have been identified as brothers belonging to one of the wealthiest Muslim families in Colombo, Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim and Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim. Their father is the founder of a company that bills itself as the "largest exporter of spices from Sri Lanka since 2006." According to a source who spoke with AFP, Ibrahims oldest sons have been identified as the bombers who blew themselves up at the Cinnamon Grand and Shangri-La hotels as guests lined up for Easter breakfast. Another bomber has been identified as Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, who a British security source identified as having studied in England from 2006 to 2007. The Telegraph reports that Mohammed studied at Kingston University in Southwest London. In 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron called out Kingston among four universities accused of hosting the most events featuring extremist speakers. At the time, the school claimed that it was unlikely that students were being radicalized. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a number of high-profile attacks and bombings throughout the world in the last several years. On July 3, 2016, IS militants carried out coordinated bombings in the Karrada district of Baghdad, Iraq that took the lives of over 325 people. In 2015, IS claimed responsibility for bombing a flight from Egypt to Russia that killed 224 people. Other attacks claimed by IS that gained international headlines include the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida in 2016; the 2015 shooting in San Bernardino, California; the cargo truck killings on Bastille Day 2016 in Nice, France; the 2016 bombing in Brussels, Belgium; the 2015 attacks in Paris, France; and the 2016 suicide bombings in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thousands have been killed and enslaved by IS as it conquered territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Some were killed in lone attacks, while others were killed during IS reign of terror in areas under its control. In areas under the group's control, IS enforced a hardline Islamic way of life and often executed or harshly punished residents who the group claims broke its law. Additionally, IS aligned militants in places like Egypt and Libya are also responsible for many killings. IS affiliates in the Philippines tried to take over the city of Malawi in May 2017, which led to a battle with Philippine government forces that saw the death of over 1,000 militants and soldiers. 'We Will Blast All Your Churches, Shoot All Leaders': Christian Pastor Told as He's Beaten in Nepal Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Christian pastor in Nepal who was beaten by six to eight men in Kathmandu has now revealed that the gang also delivered a deadly warning to Christians in the country. Pastor Sagar Baizu told Morning Star News that the attack happened in the middle of the day on July 19 when he stopped at a cafe in the capital. The assailants, yet to be identified, jumped him from behind. "They beat me for a minute and a half and suddenly fled the site," said 46-year-old Baizu, who is also spokesperson and co-general secretary of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal. "They said, 'We will blast your church and all the churches with bombs and shoot you and all your leaders.'" The pastor noted that the blows to his head were so severe that he could not see the faces of those who were beating him. "I just could not understand what was happening to me for about 10 minutes after the assault," he said. The Christian, who pastors Anugrah Vijay Church in Budhanilkantha, was treated at a hospital and filed a police report over the incident, which is being classified as an attempted murder. While he does not know who attacked him, Baizu noted that for more than a decade he has been speaking out for Nepali Christians, who are a targeted minority in the Hindu-majority nation. "I am the official spokesperson of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal and have been speaking about the rights of the church for many years now," Baizu said. "This is not the first time that I have received threats." He insisted that the attack resulted from his "Christian activism." "They spoke about bombing the church and killing the Christian leaders. Otherwise they would have never spoken like this," he said. Christian leaders say persecution against believers in Nepal stem from nationalistic attitudes influenced by India, where Christians also face constant attacks. Recent incidents include the arrest of Christian leaders who were accused of forcible conversion, along with the deportation of a foreign couple on similar charges for their work at a church in Kumaripati. Pastor Bharat Giri, a full-time Christian minister of 24 years, told The Christian Post in February that Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists all face oppression due to Hindu-dominated politics. Giri said that Christians are constantly imprisoned for their beliefs, with almost no one to stand up for them in the courts. "The whole justice system, the judges are Hindu," the pastor told CP. "They say this is a secular country, but they are continuously pushing people to jail" for their religious beliefs, he added. Boy thrown from Mall of America balcony making 'miraculous' recovery: 'the power of prayer is amazing' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In a turn of events doctors are describing as truly a miracle, a 5-year-old boy who was thrown from a third-floor balcony at Mall of America has shown no signs of brain damage despite the life-threatening fall. Mac Hammond, pastor of the family's church, revealed on Easter Sunday that the boy, identified as Landen, recently went through a five-hour MRI, which yielded results doctors referred to as "truly a miracle, Fox News reports. There was zero evidence of brain damage...there wasn't even swelling in the brain, Hammond told the congregation. No spinal cord injury, no nerve damage, no internal injuries that were life-threatening. There was some small internal bleeding that had to be addressed. One of his attending physicians said this: This is truly a miracle. Its like he fell off a bicycle instead of off the third floor of the mall, he added. Police say Landen was thrown an estimated 40 feet over the railing to the Minnesota malls first floor while standing with his mother outside the third-floor Rainforest Cafe on April 12. According to authorities, suspect Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, flung the boy over the railing after choosing him at random because he was "looking to kill someone" at the mall. He said he had planned to kill an adult standing near the railing, but picked the young victim instead, according to the criminal complaint. Witnesses said Aranda took off running after throwing the child but was "quickly" found by officers in the mall who then took him into custody. Aranda told police that he began to "lash out" after being frequently rejected by women he tried to talk to at the mall. He has been charged on suspicion of attempted premeditated first-degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years to life in prison. On Sunday, Hammon revealed that before arriving at the mall, Landens mother had a premonition, and the Holy Ghost gave her a warning A dread came over her, but she didnt feel she could just turn around and leave; shes supposed to meet this other mom and son there, and so she prayed, he said. When he got thrown over that rail, she started down the stairs and people were screaming and hollering. And she would say, Just pray. Dont say anything, just pray. Landen remains in intensive care after he endured multiple broken bones in his arms and legs, Noah Hanneman, who launched a GoFundMe page in support of the family, wrote. We have good news to share with you all on this Good Friday! Our miracle child Landen is showing real signs of recovery. New test results have been positive, though he remains in intensive care with a long road ahead, Hanneman wrote as an update on the page. Our faith in God, and our Savior Jesus, is strong and we are gaining more reason for optimism day by day. We continue our request for privacy as we focus on Landen, and thank you for respecting our wishes. Just know that we all feel your overwhelming love, prayers and support. He is answering our prayers and they ARE working. Hannemans GoFundMe page to help cover the boys immense medical and rehabilitation expenses has at press time raised more than $962,000. Hanneman wrote on the page that Landen is making small steps towards the healing process. The power of prayer is simply amazing. We all have been extremely humbled by the outpouring of support and prayers from everyone one. Thank you for showing us there is so much good not only in our community but across the globe, Hanneman wrote. Mom holding baby and gun threatens to blow up church before tackled by congregants Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A former part-time NBC 7 producer, mother of two and Navy veteran threatened to blow up a San Diego church while armed with a handgun and holding a 10-month-old baby during an Easter Sunday service before she was tackled by congregants. San Diego police, told KGTV that the incident happened just after 12 p.m. at 4350 Mt. Everest Blvd. at Tsidkenu Church, a non-denominational church on the property of Mt. Everest Academy. Police said that the woman, identified as Anna Conkey, 31, walked into the church with the handgun and her 10-month-old baby, then made the threat to blow up the church while on the stage. "The female walked up on stage and made threats that she was going to blow up the church while waving the handgun," officials said. "She was saying craziness about the rapture not being real and everyone going to hell," one witness reported. David Michael Miller, another witness and member of the U.S. Army who was part of the team that tackled Conkey and held her until police arrived, told NBC 7 that she pointed the gun at the congregation, herself and at her baby as others tried to approach her. She was being very apprehensive, pointing the gun at them, pointing the gun at her baby, saying 'Don't come closer, don't come any closer,'" Miller said. The news network also reported that minutes before the incident they were sent an email from an account with the name "Anna Conkey with a news tip about what happened. "Theres a woman claiming to be the messiah, saying she was sent to blow up the foundation of the Churchshes got a gun and a child is involved. Address is 4350 Mount Everest Blvd San Diego, CA 92117. Theres about 70 people in the auditorium of the school where the church service is held," the message said. Police later confirmed that the gun Conkey was armed with was not loaded and no one had been hurt. "Because of some quick-thinking parishioners here at the scene she was quickly subdued before anything really bad could happen," SDPD Lt. Christian Sharp told NBC 7. Tsidkenu Church lead pastor Benjamin Wisan said Conkey was removed from the church a week earlier. Conkey explained in a YouTube video on April 14 that God had given her a message for the church. Well I had a message to share with my church today, and God had told me before I even went. He was like Anna, its not gonna be how you imagine it. And I certainly never imagined that Id never even get to speak because He told me I was supposed to give a message, Conkey said in the video. They told me to go. They told me they would call the police if I didnt leave. Yeah. I didnt do anything. I didnt do anything that was hmmm, I guess when I said that I had more authority over the teacher which is true because God told me Im his messenger. Im an apostle and Im a prophet. And according to the Bible, a prophet and apostle has more authority than the teacher so I happened to say that, then they told me to go. See how much they care about their hierarchy in the church. I was sent there for a reason, she continued. And because she wasnt allowed to share her message, Conkey said she pronounced a curse on the church that would make the church reveal their deepest darkest secrets every time they prophesied. Linda Grace, one of Conkey's neighbors, told NBC 7 that she was surprised by the incident. "I don't know why. I saw her this morning. Why didn't she give me the baby or ask me for help or ask me to go with her or something. She just said she was going to church," Grace said. Conkey is now facing five felonies, including child cruelty, possession of a firearm at a school, making false bomb threats, and two counts of assault with a firearm. She was also charged with disturbing a religious meeting and resisting an officer. Her husband was on deployment on the East Coast with the U.S. Navy when the incident happened. Her two children were taken into protective custody at the time of the incident. Over $67,000 raised for Rachel Held Evans; Christian writer still in medically-induced coma Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Over $67,000 has been raised in just under 24 hours to support progressive Christian writer Rachel Held Evans, whos been in a medically induced coma since last week due to complications with an infection. Evans, a 37-year-old blogger and bestselling author, announced on April 14 that she was in the hospital to treat infection and the flu. However, she began later in the week experiencing symptoms that caused her to have constant seizures and was admitted to an intensive care unit. On Monday, feminist writer and friend Sarah Bessey and other colleagues launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding page to help support the Evans family, noting that the medical costs for Evans stay are mounting. According to the page organizers, a long road ahead is anticipated at this time. We want to help with those [medical costs] as well as all the accumulating expenses that even decent medical insurance won't cover, the GoFundMe page reads. So many of us would love to do something tangible, like cook a meal or assist with child care, pay for gas to the hospital or clean their house. This is a way for us to gather around the Evanses, making that happen together from many locations around the world. In just under 23 hours, as of Tuesday morning, over $63,699 was raised through 1,416 different donations. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming, the organizers wrote in an update Monday afternoon. We've upped our goal in response to your generosity. Saying thank you feels inadequate but seriously THANK YOU. #PrayForRHE. According to Evans husband, Daniel Evans, his wifes condition has not changed much from the day before. He told followers in an update on Evans blog Tuesday that she is still in a medically induced coma. Sarah Bessey, Jeff Chu, and Jim Chaffee started a GoFundMe campaign for us. With unknown financial obligations pending this is a great practical encouragement to our family, he wrote. Thank you again to everyone who has donated their time and resources and offered their thoughts and prayers. Rachel would have a really beautiful way to say all of this. Chu and Bessey are co-curators with Evans for the Evolving Faith Conference. Although Evans take on political issues has drawn the ire of many conservative Christians, many across the political spectrum are asking people to pray for Evans recovery through the hashtag #PrayforRHE. Included in the social media call for prayers are Christian leaders and organizations like Russell Moore, Beth Moore, Kay Warren, Jen Hatmaker, John Pavoloitz, and the BioLogos Foundation. Karen Swallow Prior, an English professor at Liberty University, explained on Twitter that students in her English Novel course prayed for Evans on Friday. We are reading Tess of the DUrbervilles, a book I remember that you love, Prior wrote. We are rooting for you as we root for Tess! Thankfully, the God of this world intervenes for us. #PrayForRHE. Evans is a former evangelical who now belongs to an Episcopal church and operates a blog that is popular among progressive Christians. She is the author of A Year of Biblical Womanhood, a New York Times bestselling e-book in 2012. She also authored other titles such as Searching for Sunday, Faith Unraveled and Inspired. Youth pastor fighting for life after fatal crash, family praying for miracle Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Robert Craig, youth pastor of First Baptist Church of Warren in Texas, is still fighting for his life at a local hospital and his family is praying for a miracle nearly a week since he was involved in a crash that left one dead and several injured. "I know that without our faith in God, I don't know how we'd get through this situation," Craigs wife Audrey said in an interview with ABC 12 News on Monday. Texas Department of Public Safety reported a multiple vehicle crash on US 69 in Tyler County just north of Warren, at about 5:30 p.m. last Wednesday. The Warren Baptist Church bus that was being driven by Craig, 38, was traveling southbound on US 69 when, according to witnesses, a passenger vehicle pulled out from a driveway in front of the bus. In a bid to avoid colliding with the vehicle, Craig tried to maneuver around it but lost control and crashed into a tree. Some nine people, including six children ranging in age from 9-14, were aboard the bus at the time of the crash. James Craft Jr., 42, of Woodville, was pronounced dead at the scene while Craig and Doug Sheffield, 62, were transported to hospitals with serious injuries. The children were also treated at separate hospitals but none of them sustained life threatening injuries. Craigs sister, Ruthie Anne , a registered nurse supervisor at St. David's South Austin Medical Center gave a detailed update on Facebook last Thursday about the extent of her brothers injuries while thanking family and friends for the outpouring of support in the wake of the accident. Yall....Robert, his wife Audrey, and our family cannot fully express our gratitude for the thoughts, prayers, and private messages that have been received during the night! Robert and those involved, have hundreds and hundreds of prayer warriors out there, and its a blessing to see, she wrote. Robert is literally alive by mere inches....inches! If he was just over a tad more.... His head is unscathed! How? We literally dont know how! she said considering how mangled the front of the church bus was from the accident. Robert was conscious the entire time, therefore he endured excruciating pain, as his legs were completely mangled. His foot was underneath the engine block, and burning. The only thing that saved his foot probably from more severe injury other than a break, was the fact that he had thick leather boots on. He normally doesnt wear those boots.... were thankful he chose to, she wrote. Craigs wife told ABC 12 that at the time of the accident he was transporting the children to church for Bible study. She is confident however that her husband will recover and continue doing Gods work. "There is nothing that will keep him away from [Gods work] no matter even if it's something extreme as this," Audrey said. "He's going to go right back to doing what he was before." In a Facebook update on her husbands recovery Monday Audrey said: The doctor talked to me this morning and said that Robert has shown some improvements in his lungs again today! GOD IS GOOD! He will still be intubated and sedated for a few days, but they are supposed to try to start decreasing sedation today and start a feeding tube. He still has a very long way to go, but God is answering all of our prayers. Continue to lift him up, and I cannot thank everyone enough for all of the prayers, love, and concern that you have expressed to all of us so far. She is currently seeking to raise $10,000 in a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her husbands medical bills. As of Tuesday morning, more than half of the amount was raised. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Joanna and Chip Gaines made the Time 100 this year. Tim Tebows article about them applauds the genuine passion they have for making a difference in peoples lives. He adds, They are also grounded in a strong faith, which keeps them focused on what truly matters in life. Any time followers of Jesus make the news because of their cultural relevance, the kingdom advances and God is glorified. As we noted yesterday, Christians across history have made an amazing difference in our world. From womens rights to the Scientific Revolution, educational excellence, modern medicine, and the abolition of slavery, believers have played a crucial role in human flourishing. However, it seems that many today see the church as less relevant than Christians. Far less, in fact. How many religious Americans go to church? Last Sunday, most churches experienced their highest attendance of the year. Next Sunday, many of these congregations will see half the numbers they witnessed on Easter. Our culture has already moved past the holiday considered by Christian tradition to be the highest and holiest day of the year. Except for references to Sundays tragedy in Sri Lanka and post-Easter sales in stores, the day seems to be over. Of course, the risen Christ is just as alive and just as relevant today as when he first rose from the dead. But his church seems to be less so. According to Gallup, church membership in America is down from 70 percent in 1999 to 50 percent today. One factor is the rise of the nones: the number of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation has grown from 10 percent in 1998 to 23 percent today. However, the number of self-identified religious Americans with no church membership is surprising. In the year 2000, 73 percent of those with a religious preference belonged to a church, compared with 64 percent today. And church attendance is a significant issue as well. While pollsters report that 40 percent of Americans attend church on an average weekend, recent research puts the number at less than 20 percent. Only 2325 percent of Americans attend church at least three out of eight weeks. We have lost our gods What explains the perceived irrelevance of the church to the culture? One factor is a general decline in institutional trust. Sociologist Laura Hansen: We have lost our gods. We lost [faith] in the media: Remember Walter Cronkite? We lost it in our culture: You cant point to a movie star who might inspire us, because we know too much about them. We lost it in politics, because we know too much about politicians lives. Weve lost itthat basic sense of trust and confidencein everything. A related issue is the clergy abuse crisis and other church scandals. Confidence in the church has plummeted from 68 percent in 1975 to 38 percent today. But a third factor, while often overlooked, is foundational. Freeing the soul from prison Socrates taught us that to know thyself was the key to knowledge. The ancient Greeks were convinced that our souls existed in a preincarnate state before they were imprisoned in our bodies. The point of life was to free our souls at death from the prison house of the physical world. As a result, Western culture focuses on the individual. Our impulse is to be as free and independent as we can. Americans especially favor the frontier goal of personal self-sufficiency and limited government. We depend on institutions and other people only to the degree that we must. Recent decades have made us more self-reliant than ever. Many can work from home using only a computer with an internet connection. We can order nearly anything we want digitally and have it shipped to our front door. We can find a medical diagnosis and treatment online. Three ways the church can change the world However, Gods word is clear: Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25 NLT). Why? What can Christians do together that we cannot do separately? One: Minister to the world. We are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), his hands and feet, eyes and ears. None of us possesses all the spiritual gifts we need to reach our culture. How are you working with fellow believers to change lives? Two: Serve each other. Early Christians gave what they had to each other as any had need (Acts 2:45). Paul pled with Christians in Rome to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf (Romans 15:30). How are you serving your Fathers children? Three: Offer community to the culture. God knew that it is not good that the man should be alone (Genesis 2:18). The proliferation of social media shows our hunger for relationships with others. The community of faith can offer grace as can no other on earth. Whom will you invite to join you in worship next week? Scripture warns that Satan is a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The lost people we know cannot afford for churches to complain about the lions progress when we should be assaulting the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18). Where on the front lines are you? Originally posted at denisonforum.org Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In the debate over social justice and reparations, many claims are being made about slavery. Christians are now debating about how complicit earlier Christians were in slavery. Below, I answer some questions about how Robert W. Fogel (1922-2013) a former communist, a secular Jew, arguably the foremost scholar on American slavery who won a Nobel Prize for his work, concluded that Christians ended slavery. A version of this was originally posted at acton.org. Q: What made you write about Professor Fogel now? A. I recently saw a Christian intellectual scoff at the idea that Christians ended slavery, holding the suggestion up for mockery, suggesting it was a conservatives simplistic caricature of history, embarrassing to other Christians. The Christian scholar apparently had no idea of what Professor Fogel proved. In the recent social justice debate some one-sided information is getting thrown around about how evangelical Christians supported slavery discouraging us. Q: Who was Professor Fogel? A. In his youth, he spent eight years campaigning for communism. Eventually, he rejected it. He pioneered an approach to history that relied on quantifiable data; that is, concrete documentation, like government records, the business ledgers of plantations. He calculated that Southern slavery was 36% more efficient than free Northern farms and that the Southern economy was growing at double the rate as the Norths in the ten years before the Civil War. He also found some facts about how slaves were treated that were controversial, like that they ate more calories and lived longer than Northern city-dwellers. Some people misused his findings to defend slavery but that wasnt at all his intention. In 1993 he won the Nobel Prize in economics on the basis of his work on slavery. Q. If slavery was profitable and provided relatively good material lives for slaves, how did Americans awake to the fact that it was evil? A. Thats the key question, especially for an economist. They usually assume that what is efficient succeeds and spreads. But wasnt ended by economics but by what Christians taught. More and more, especially after the Great Awakening, Christians saw that slavery and racism violate the golden rule. Professor Fogel saw that Christians turned the tide of popular opinion against slavery so that by 1860 the people were willing to vote for an anti-slavery president. Q. Dont you have a personal connection with Professor Fogel? A. Yes. I took his class at the University of Chicago. For that class I wrote a paper in which I argued about the condition of evangelicals. He had written a book in 2000, The Fourth Great Awakening and the Future of Egalitarianism, in which he argued that evangelicals would lead the USA forward to moral progress just as they had lead the end of slavery. I disagreed with him, an evangelical telling a Jew that his positive view of current day evangelicals was too rosy! He invited me to his office and we had a congenial conversation, me trying to show him that Christians have lost some of the Puritan ethic. We didnt change each others minds but the next year he asked me to be his teaching assistant. Imagine a professor asking the student who dared disagree with him to be his teaching assistant! He even gave me the job of giving the lecture about his findings on slavery. Once while chatting after class, he told me that he was astounded to discover that Christians ended slavery. He confessed, that he had been a professor in some of Americas leading universities and yet had no idea that Christians had ended slavery. Q. How did Christians turn the tide of opinion in the USA against slavery? A. The Puritans from New England and the Quakers in Pennsylvania first turned against slavery. In 1700 a New England Puritan, Samuel Sewall, wrote one of the earliest books against slavery, The Selling of Joseph. The abolitionists were motivated by their Christian principles. The Great Awakening was a revival of Puritanism and as the descendants of Puritans spread across the Northern USA, they spread the Puritan ethic, thus spreading opposition to slavery. Northern Protestants coalesced into the new Republican Party. So the Republican Party had a strong evangelical element with the intention of applying Christian principles, especially, as priority number one, the abolition of slavery. Q. But werent some leading Christians, like Jonathan Edwards, slave-holders? A. Yes, sad to say, thats true. Edwards owned a few slaves. But his principles, set on fire by the Great Awakening, helped ignite the abolition movement. Some of his followers, like Samuel Hopkins (1721-1803) and even his own son, Jonathan Edwards the younger, became fierce opponents of slavery. The ministers inspired by Edwards denounced slavery in their evangelistic preaching. Q. What implications does this have for the reparations for slavery debate? A. It doesnt mean that we white-wash slavery, that we down-play it as some Christians have foolishly done; we dont say it wasnt so bad and so doesnt deserve restitution. It was a horrible thing because human beings are not commodities and are each made in the image of God, not to be lorded over by masters who think they can be God to others. But it does mean the material loss to the slaves have often been exaggerated, especially if we compare the current living standards of the descendants of slaves in America to where they came from. Further, some reparations were already paid in the enormous sacrifice the USA paid to free the slaves, including over 350,000 men. Also, I believe the Bible forbids punishing people for the sins of their ancestors (Ez. 18:20). Reparations would necessarily do that as the money would have to come from people who didnt commit the sin being restituted, thus that would be unjust. Finally, as I said, if we go back far enough, all of us probably have a slave and slave-holder in our pedigree. Were all the children of slaves and enslavers. Where will the grievances stop if we try to repair those five generations ago? It should stop with every generation. The secret to racial harmony is truth and forgiveness, not a check. Q. Today some Christian intellectuals scold the church for being complicit in slavery. What are they missing? A. Theyre right, of course. But theyre not telling the whole story. Theres no excuse for complicity with slavery, especially the race-based slavery of the South. But what they fail to see is that slavery was a universal human institution. It had been normal for all of history. If we go back in into anyones family tree of far enough, well almost certainly find a slave owner. Were all descended from slaves and slave-owners. So the question isnt who enabled slavery. The whole world did. The questions is who put an end to it. Christians did. Sure, we have the normal people who defended slavery to be ashamed of. But whats amazing is that we have the courageous saints who read their Bible, were fueled by the Holy Spirit, and saw that they couldnt love their neighbor as themselves and enslave him, or sit back quietly and allow him to be enslaved by others. We have a great heritage to celebrate. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Some in Congress recently attempted to remove so help you God from witness testimony. This is just the latest skirmish in the effort to erase God from the public square and especially the halls of government. Atheists are doing their best to remove God from our nations future, and have even rewritten history to try to erase Him from our past. They maintain that to date the United States has actually had four presidents who were atheists. They cite Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and James Madison. All four are listed on websites such as Positive Atheism and Celebrity Atheist with a collection of quotations designed to make them appear atheistic. However, both of these atheist sites are having trouble with the truth. Since this is the month we observe the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington and the catch-all Presidents Day, lets look at each of these men and consider their own words about God. Thomas Jefferson In an article exploring whether an atheist could ever be president, The Washington Post gets to the truth of the matter about Jefferson, the only candidate in American history charged with being an atheist: Federalists repeatedly attacked him as an infidel who would destroy the nations Christian foundations and staunchly promote secularism. Several factors kept Jefferson from being defeated. Most important, the accusations were falsehe believed in God, repeatedly affirmed Gods providence, and frequently worshiped in Episcopal churches, so many discounted these attacks as mere political partisanship.1 Jefferson, selected to write the original draft of the Declaration of Independence, is credited with being its author. In it, he cites four references to God. After acknowledging God as the Lawgiver (the Laws of Nature and of Natures God), Jefferson then identifies Him as our Creator, Judge, and Protector: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness... We, therefore..., appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions,...declare, that these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States... And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.2 Jefferson later reiterated similar ideas, that God gave us life and will one day be our Judge: God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever.3 In a letter to Benjamin Rush, Jefferson clearly stated that he was no atheist: To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed, opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others.4 Abraham Lincoln Not only was Lincoln not an atheist, but he wouldnt vote for one, either. After his political opponent spread rumors that Lincoln was a religious scoffer, Lincoln wrote in a public statement refuting the charges: I do not think I could myself, be brought to support a man for office, whom I knew to be an open enemy of, and scoffer at, religion.5 As for his beliefs, Honest Abe was honest only because he feared God. He believed that he was ultimately responsible to his Creator. He told Congress that each of us will be held accountable in eternity: In times like the present, men should utter nothing for which they would not willingly be responsible through time and eternity. 6 Abraham Lincoln also directed his thanks to God for his personal political victories: I am thankful to God for this approval of the people...I give thanks to the Almighty for this evidence of the peoples resolution to stand by free government and the rights of humanity. 7 Here Lincoln speaks of his love of the Bible and his thankfulness to God for giving it to humanity: In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for mans welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it. 8 One who recognizes the Bible as a gift from God and the source of morality, believes in eternal life, and acknowledges the Savioras Lincoln does hereis not an atheist. Following are Lincolns thoughts about his prayer-life and his dependence on God: I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day. 9 President Barack Obama quoted these words of Lincoln before inviting the American people to likewise call out to God: NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 5, 2011, as a National Day of Prayer. I invite all citizens of our Nation, as their own faith or conscience directs them, to join me in giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and I ask all people of faith to join me in asking God for guidance, mercy, and protection for our Nation. 10 George Washington Here are just a few of the many thoughts of our first president, the father of his country, in reference to God and prayer: I now make it my earnest prayer that God would...most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of the mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion.11 You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. 12 While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian. 13 In his memorable Farewell Address, our beloved first president reiterated the importance of religion in the life of our nationnot only in the citizens but in all who take the oaths of office: Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens...Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure; reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. 14 James Madison James Madison, the Chief Architect of the Constitution, was, like the others weve looked at, a believer in God and not an atheist. He said, A watchful eye must be kept on ourselves lest, while we are building ideal monuments of renown and bliss here, we neglect to have our names enrolled in the Annals of Heaven. 15 The belief in a God All Powerful wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the World and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources. 16 I have sometimes thought there could not be a stronger testimony in favor of religion or against temporal enjoyments, even the most rational and manly, than for men who occupy the most honorable and gainful departments and are rising in reputation and wealth, publicly to declare their unsatisfactoriness by becoming fervent advocates in the cause of Christ; and I wish you may give in your evidence in this way. 17 Benjamin Franklin Though he was never president, Benjamin Franklin served our country in many other roles, and is another Founding Father who is said to be an atheist. Steven Shaw, who compiled a list of clearly confirmed atheists for AskMen.com, said, One of the most famous men in American history, and regarded as the most intelligent of those who signed the Declaration of Independence, Franklin is a surprise addition to this list. 18 Lets see if he belongs on their list: Forasmuch as ingratitude is one of the most odious of vices, let me not be unmindful gratefully to acknowledge the favors I receive from Heaven...For all Thy innumerable benefits; for life, and reason, and the use of speech; for health; and joy; and every pleasant hourmy Good God, I thank Thee. 19 I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truththat God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that except the Lord build the House, they labour in vain that build it. I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel. 20 In a letter to Ezra Stiles (president of Yale College), written just a month before he died, Franklin cited his beliefs in great detail: Here is my Creed: I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That he governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable Service we can render to him, is doing Good to his other Children. That the Soul of Man is immortal, and will be treated with Justice in another Life respecting its Conduct in this...As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion as he left them to us, the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see. 21 As the atheist website Free Thought rightfully conceded, None of the Founding Fathers were atheists.22 Still, these four atheist presidents are firmly carved in stone on skeptics websites as firmly as the four who are on Mount Rushmore, apparently in an effort to bolster the faith of the faithless. Notes: 1. Gary Scott Smith, Americans are deeply religious, so will we ever see an atheist president? The Washington Post, March 23, 2015 . 2. Declaration of Independence . 3. Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (Trenton: Wilson & Blackwell, 1803), Query XVIII, p. 272. . 4. Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Benjamin Rush, April 21, 1803. 5. Abraham Lincoln, Letter published in the Illinois Gazette, August 15, 1846. 6. Abraham Lincoln, Message to Congress, December 1, 1862. 7. Abraham Lincoln, Response to a Serenade, November 8, 1864. 8. Abraham Lincoln, Reply to Loyal Colored People of Baltimore upon Presentation of a Bible on September 7, 1864. 9. Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Observed: Civil War Dispatches of Noah Brooks, Michael Burlingame, ed. (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998), p. 210. 10. Presidential ProclamationNational Day of Prayer, April 29, 2011 . 11. George Washington, The Last Official Address of His Excellency George Washington to the Legislature of the United States (Hartford: Hudson and Goodwin, 1783), p. 12. 12. George Washington, The Writings of Washington, John C. Fitzpatrick, ed. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1932), Vol. XV, p. 55, from his speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs on May 12, 1779. 13. George Washington, General Orders, May 2, 1778 . 14. George Washington, Farewell Address, September 19, 1796 . 15. James Madison, Letter to William Bradford, November 9, 1772. The Letters and Other Writings of James Madison (New York: R. Worthington, 1884). 16. James Madison, Letter to Frederick Beasley, November 20, 1825. 17. James Madison, Letter to William Bradford, September 25, 1773. The Papers of James Madison, William T. Hutchinson, ed. (Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1962), Vol. I, p. 96. 18. Steven Shaw, Top 10: Unknown Atheists, AskMen.com . 19. Benjamin Franklin, The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 2, Albert Henry Smyth, ed. (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1905), pp. 99100. 20. Benjamin Franklin, Speech to the Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787, Library of Congress . 21. Benjamin Franklin, Works of Benjamin Franklin, John Bigelow, ed. (New York: G. P. Putnams Sons, 1904), p. 185, to Ezra Stiles, March 9, 1790. 22. Our founding fathers were not Christians, July 5, 2011 . Adapted from Fat Chance: Why Pigs Will Fly Before America Has an Atheist President. 5 things to know about the Sri Lanka Easter bombings Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Update appended The world was shocked on Easter Sunday as bombs targeting churches led to the loss of hundreds of innocent lives in the island nation of Sri Lanka. An updated death toll Tuesday morning shows that over 320 lives were lost and over 500 others injured during the suicide bombings that occurred at three churches (two Catholic, one Protestant) and three hotels where celebrating Christians were having their Easter brunches in Colombo, Batticaloa and Kochchikade. Sri Lankas state minister of defense, Ruwan Wijewardene, said on Tuesday that the attacks were carried out in retaliation for last month's shooting at two mosques in New Zealand. Fifty were killed in that massacre. There were a total of nine bomb blasts and seven suicide bombers, according to Sri Lankan authorities, six of which were simultaneous. At least 39 tourists were killed in the attack, including at least four American nationals, who among them was a fifth-grade student at a Washington, D.C., private school. Twenty-eight other foreign nationals were wounded in the bombings. Investigators and security analysts have said that the plan was carefully targeting Christians in church or staying in hotels for the holiday, The Wall Street Journal reports. A state of emergency went into effect Tuesday, giving the military war-time powers. As many as 40 suspects have been arrested in connection with the bombings, according to the Associated Press. Authorities also discovered dozens of more detonators at a bus station in Colombo. Many are left with questions as to why there was no public warning issued as it's been revealed that the Sri Lankan government was presented with the intelligence of possible attacks on Christians many times prior to the bombings. In the following pages are five things to know about Sunday's bombings and the history of violence and political strife in Sri Lanka. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Netanyahu wants to name Golan Heights settlement in honor of Trump Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he intends to propose a resolution to name a new settlement in the Golan Heights after U.S. President Donald Trump to show appreciation for recognizing Israels sovereignty over the area. In a short video, the 69-year-old Netanyahu explained that he intends to introduce a resolution after the Passover holiday calling for a new community on the Golan Heights named after President Donald J. Trump. All Israelis were deeply moved when President Trump made his historic decision to recognize Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Netanyahu explained. Trump issued a proclamation in March recognizing Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a nearly 700-square-mile region in the Levant that shares borders with Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. Since the Six-Day War of 1967, the western two-thirds of the Golan region has been controlled by Israel and gives the country a strategic military vantage point over Syria. The Golan Heights were annexed by Israel in 1981 after an armistice. Today, the area is home to under 50,000 people. About half of the areas population are Jewish settlers. Netanyahu was present for the signing of the proclamation and declared that Israel never had a better friend than Trump. The proclamation stated that aggressive acts by Iran and terrorist groups, including Hizballah, in southern Syria, continue to make the Golan Heights a potential launching ground for attacks on Israel. Any possible future peace agreement in the region must account for Israel's need to protect itself from Syria and other regional threats, reads the document. Based on these unique circumstances, it is therefore appropriate to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Although praised by Israel, Trumps decision was criticized by the Syrian government, other Arab states and opponents of Israels occupation of the region. The Syrian government called the decision a blatant attack on Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity. Syria tried to wrestle the Golan Heights back from Israel in 1973 but was unsuccessful. Syrias foreign ministry said through a state news agency that the declaration makes the United States the main enemy of the Arabs. The New York Times reports that the regional council governing the Golan Heights praised Netanyahus suggestion of naming a community after Trump, saying that it complements the aspiration and the goal we have set to double the number of residents of the Golan within a decade. Reportedly, the Israeli government plans to increase the Golan population to 250,000 people by 2048. Trump gave Israel another gift earlier this month when he made the decision to recognize Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terror organization, which brings with it economic and travel sanctions. The Revolutionary Guards Corps has been accused of financing and promoting international terrorism. Last year, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal agreed to by the Obama administration, also to the delight of the Israeli government. Days after Trump recognized Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Netanyahu won his fifth term in office earlier this month despite facing corruption charges. According to Netanyahus office, the prime minister thanked Trump for his support. After Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017, Transportation Minister Israel Katz proposed naming a train station near Jerusalems Western Wall after Trump. New strategy to reduce gambling harm receives cautious welcome from Christian campaigners Christian advocacy group CARE has welcomed plans to tackle the harm caused by gambling but says the Government still needs to do more. The Gambling Commission launched its new three-year nationwide strategy to reduce gambling harms on Thursday. It is the first time that health bodies, charities, regulators and businesses will work together in a joined up effort to address problem gambling. The strategy will take a two-pronged approach to improve prevention and education about the dangers of gambling on the one hand, while also working to provide "truly national treatment and support options". At present, there is only a single specialist gambling addiction clinic in the country, based in London. William Moyes, chairman of the Gambling Commission, said: "Everyone has a role to play to combat gambling harms and I'm delighted that the health sector, charities and businesses are showing their commitment to get behind the strategy and make it a success. "We all need to better understand the harms that can be caused by gambling, moving away from simply counting problem gamblers and instead build a greater understanding of the harms experienced. Over the lifetime of the strategy we will better understand the full range of harms and how to protect against them." Minister for Sport and Civil Society Mims Davies said it was important that the Gambling Commission keep pace with the technological changes that have revolutionised the way people gamble, making it easier than ever to access. "Protecting people from harm should be at the heart of every gambling business. Addiction can ruin lives and it is vital that those who need help are given the right treatment at the right time," she said. Responding to the strategy, James Mildred, spokesman for Christian advocacy group CARE, told Christian Today that the gambling industry "needs to get its house in order". He welcomed the strategy, including its focus on the harm caused by online gambling as well as the recognition of help available through GAMSTOP, a self-exclusion mechanism that gamblers can use to put controls in place. He said: "While for some, gambling is harmless fun, for a significant minority it causes devastation in their lives and in the lives of their families." He continued: "With smartphones more affordable than ever, gambling is available anytime, anywhere and the last major piece of gambling legislation - the 2005 Gambling Act - was over a decade ago. "As for the levy on gambling firms, we're delighted the new strategy proposes introducing a new mandatory levy but it completely baffling why the sports minister seems to think the current voluntary system is working. Where is her evidence for this? "Richard Graham MP pointed out in his speech yesterday that the gambling industry makes 14 billion in gross profits, as well as 200 million in advertising revenue, but only contributes 9 million towards funding research and addiction support services. "That's just 0.06% of its gross profits and given there is still only one specialist gambling addiction clinic in London, yet 2 million people experience some sort of gambling-related harm and 340,000 are deemed problem gamblers, so clearly this is clearly a major issue. "A mandatory levy is the only way to ensure more money is raised to protect vulnerable problem gamblers." Notre-Dame roofing contractor admits workers broke rules on smoking The company hired to fix the roof of Notre-Dame Cathedral before it went up in flames last week has admitted that some of its workers flouted no-smoking regulations on scaffolding around the building. The spokesman for Le Bras Freres, Marc Eskenazi, admitted that workers had smoked on the scaffolding because it was "a bit tricky" to get down for a cigarette break, but he denied that this was the cause of the fire, The Telegraph reports. He said that the smoking was not a factor in how the fire broke out because the scaffolding was far from the point where it started in the roof below the spire. "There were colleagues who from time to time broke the rules and we regret it," said Mr Eskenazi, who added that they had "admitted to police that they did smoke". "In no way did a poorly extinguished cigarette butt start the fire. Anyone who has tried to start a chimney fire knows that not a lot happens when you put a butt on an oak log," he added. The fire last week damaged large parts of the 850-year-old building, including completely destroying its roof and spire. Firefighters were able to save the twin bell towers and the main stone structure. Philippe de Cuverville, finance officer for the Archdiocese of Paris, said that the building "as a whole remains fragile" and "weakened" as a result of the heat and water used to douse the flames. He said that a detailed analysis of the state of the building would need to take place before they could begin the work of restoration and that it would be several weeks before experts could determine the full impact of the fire on the structure. "Beyond the audit, the emergency is certainly sealing the building through the setting up of an umbrella, a sort of large protective roof, which could allow us in the medium term, after the restoration of the vault, to re-enter the building for certain religious celebrations. But even that can take years," he said. Workers, including mountain climbers, raced against the clock this week to cover the roof in tarpaulins ahead of rain that was forecast for Wednesday. There were fears that rain could further damage the already water-logged building. SNP politicians tell Scottish Government not to 'rush' into gender self-identification A group of SNP politicians has pleaded with the Scottish Government to give proper consideration to proposed changes to gender laws. The Scottish Government is considering changing the Gender Recognition Act so that people can easily change their gender without need for medical evidence. Under the current law, people who wish to change their gender must be diagnosed with gender dysphoria and live in their acquired gender for at least two years. The proposed changes have split opinion in Scotland, with critics fearing that the rights and safety of women and girls will be compromised. However, they have also created a rift within the SNP. In an open letter, 15 senior SNP politicians are urging the Scottish Government not to "rush" ahead with the changes. Signatories include government ministers Kate Forbes, Ash Denham and Ivan McKee, The Scotsman reports. They say that "conflating sex with gender identification affects a wide range of policy and service delivery, including data collection, education, health and social care, justice and sport". "New information about this topic is emerging all the time and deserves to be properly scrutinised," they say, adding, "Changing the definition of male and female is a matter of profound significance. It is not something we should rush." The letter has also been signed by Joan McAlpine, Ruth Maguire, Christine Grahame, Kenneth Gibson, Carol Monaghan, Angus Macneil, Joanna Cherry and Patricia Gibson, Chris McEleny, Caroline McAllister, Shaun Macaulay, and Lynne Anderson. In the letter, they defended the right of parliamentarians to express their concerns without fear of abuse. Parliamentarians should, they said, be able to "discuss questions of law, policy and practice in relation to definitions of sex and gender in good faith, and without being subject to abuse of any kind". They also welcomed comments last week by the Cabinet Secretary for Equalities Shirley-Anne Somerville who said that "people raising genuine concerns about women's rights shouldn't suffer knee jerk accusations of transphobia". Westminster should not interfere with Northern Ireland's abortion laws, say pro-life campaigners Pro-life campaigners are calling upon Westminster to respect devolution after coming under pressure to change Northern Ireland's abortion laws. The call follows the release today of two reports by the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) on abortion rights in Northern Ireland. Abortion laws in Northern Ireland are far stricter than the rest of the UK, permitting terminations only where there is a permanent or serious risk to the mother's mental or physical wellbeing. The Chair's report from the WEC does not support the introduction of abortion on demand that pro-choice campaigners have called for, but does recommend that Westminster change the law to allow abortions in cases where the baby has a "life limiting disability", which is currently illegal. The second 'Alternative Report' by Tory MP Eddie Hughes says the UK Government should not undermine the devolution settlement and states that there is "no legal imperative" for the Northern Ireland Assembly to change its current abortion laws. It also calls for greater support to be made available to women whose unborn babies are deemed to have a life-limiting disability. "The Department [of Health for Northern Ireland] should review whether improvements to the maternal health strategy and the implementation of the regional [specialist mother and baby] centre can be implemented as soon as possible to improve the overall care for women with a diagnosis of a fatal foetal abnormality," he said. Pro-choice campaigners have put pressure on Westminster to interfere in Northern Ireland's abortion laws as its Assembly remains suspended. The Chair's report did not receive unanimous backing, receiving four votes while two members backed the Alternative Report. Polling by Comres last October found that nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of people in Northern Ireland believe the issue of abortion should be decided by their own elected representatives. This figure rose to 70 per cent among 18- to 34-year-olds. Right to Life UK and and CARE have both strongly criticised the Chair's report but welcomed the Alternative Report from Mr Hughes. Clare McCarthy, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, said the Alternative Report "made some very helpful recommendations for improving support for families with children with life-limiting disabilities". "Abortion in Northern Ireland remains a devolved issue and the Government in Westminster must be reminded that they have no mandate from the people of Northern Ireland to make any changes to their pro-life laws on abortion," she said. CARE Chief Executive Nola Leach said it was "unacceptable" for the committee to make recommendations on Northern Ireland's abortion law when none of its members represent Northern Ireland constituencies. She said that the "proper place" for a discussion on the laws surrounding unborn babies with life-limiting conditions was the Northern Ireland Assembly. "The issue of abortion law in Northern Ireland should be decided by the people of Northern Ireland through their elected representatives and not by MPs sitting on a Westminster committee," she said. She continued: "The repercussions of damaging the devolution settlement in the way recommended in the report would be felt across the UK." She further warned that permitting the termination of babies with life-limiting conditions could pave the way for abortion on demand. "The prospect of Westminster imposing change is highly alarming, as any legislation put forward could be amended to allow for widespread access to abortion on request for any reason in Northern Ireland," she said. "We do not believe the hardest of hard cases should be utilised to allow for abortion on request." By contrast, she said Mr Hughes' Alternative Report was to be "warmly welcomed" and made "some realistic and sensible proposals which would uphold devolution and engage with legitimate concerns some people have". She added: "We must not forget that thanks to NI's life-affirming laws there are 100,000 people alive today across the Province." Dawn McAvoy, co-founder of the Northern Ireland-based pro-life campaign group Both Lives Matter, echoed these concerns. Instead of loosening abortion laws, she said Northern Ireland needed to work on improving maternal health services "to enable all pregnant woman to make good decisions for all lives involved". "On the face of it, the recommended changes appear to be limited, but there is no guarantee that any resulting legislation would not be extended to provide abortion access, far beyond these recommendations," she said. "It is important the public are aware that the proposals today are a small part of a wider campaign to radically alter abortion law across the UK to remove any protection for all the lives involved in a pregnancy. "It is unacceptable to take advantage of the political complexities in Northern Ireland to meddle in abortion law when this matter has been the responsibility of Northern Ireland politicians since 1921." by Sumon Corraya The priest was ordained in 1965. He served in the dioceses of Mymensingh and Dhaka. In 54 years of priesthood he has baptized 2,500 Christians. In "a single ceremony, 900 tribals welcomed Christ". His advice to young priests: "Prepare your sermons and visit families more". Dhaka (AsiaNews) - "My mother always told me that I would become a priest. She helped me be, Fr. Abel Ballistine Rozario tells AsiaNews. The 82 year old is the oldest priest of the archdiocese of Dhaka. He was ordained 54 years ago and throughout his pastoral life he has baptized 2,500 Catholics, mostly tribal. "I am happy with my priestly life - he says - and even though I suffered so much, I know that I work for the Lord. Today I can no longer walk without the support of a cane, but this does not stop me and I continue to do my job. I visit the sick, I listen to the confessions with compassion and I celebrate Mass . Fr. Abel comes from a humble peasant family in the parish of Tuital, in the archdiocese of Dhaka. In all, his parents had ten children. He was consecrated in 1965 and worked in the parishes of Bhatikashor and Ranikhong, in the diocese of Mymensingh, until 1986. In 2014, the elderly priest fell ill and retired. Today he resides in the parish of Tejgaon, the largest in Bangladesh. In 1987 he witnessed the creation of the diocese of Mymensingh, as a detachment from the archdiocese of the capital. At that time, he says, "most of the tribal population of Garo ethnic groups followed animist religious traditions, they loved plants and animals. Today 99% of tribals are Christians . The priest recalls "when I baptized 900 people all together, in a single celebration. Before joining Christianity, they had followed [the catechism] for at least six months ". For 17 years "I served in the church of Tejgaon, the longest period for any priest. Here Catholics are educated and no longer have so many children as in the past. Today they have at most two and find it difficult to guarantee them a good education . He wants to give some suggestions to the young priests: "Most do good preaching during mass, but not all of them prepare adequately. You have to prepare by helping yourself with prayer. Then you have to visit the families more, because problems are increasing in the family context. It is very important that priests and nuns give more spiritual support to couples and their children". Why go on pilgrimage? Everyone seems to be going on pilgrimage. The latest statistics from the Santiago Pilgrim Office show that over three hundred thousand pilgrims walked at least 100 km to the Shrine of St James in 2018 and over six thousand were from Britain. In Italy the Via Francigena is increasingly popular. It is now possible to walk from Oslo to Trondheim along St Olav's Way and here in Britain there are many new pilgrim routes including the St Thomas Way from Swansea to Hereford. Motivations are mixed. In Spain about half of pilgrims walk the Camino for non-religious reasons. The Green Pilgrimage Project promotes pilgrimage as an environmentally friendly form of tourism and the NHS promotes walking for health reasons. While Christian Pilgrimage has a decidedly Catholic flavour, other churches are getting involved. St Olav's Way in Norway is supported by the Lutheran Church and Canterbury Cathedral has a program of welcome for walkers along the Pilgrim's Way. Having been a long-distance walker for decades I appreciate above all, the change of perspective that accompanies arriving on foot. In place of the stress of driving, walkers arrive tired but happy, ready to engage with the local community and the local attractions. I have noticed this change through my work on the Augustine Camino, a 70 mile route from Rochester to the Shrine of St Augustine of Canterbury in Ramsgate. The route is full of history and Christian heritage. And nothing opens the mind to other Christian perspectives so much as the discussions one has along the way. For me these have included the different understandings of the Real Presence, the difference between worship and veneration and the purpose of rood screens to name a few (which in case you're wondering, are the ornately carved wooden partitions often seen in medieval churches separating the chancel and nave). In a world where knowledge of Christianity is rapidly retreating, we Christians are finding more in common than we might previously have thought. For this reason I have made the Augustine Camino a "full fat" pilgrimage including visits to shrines and monasteries, churches Catholic and Anglican. The architect of Big Ben, Augustus Pugin who built St Augustine's, thought of Gothic architecture as Catholic architecture. However, after a few days along the route it becomes clear that his influence was much wider than that. In fact one of the special joys of pilgrimage is the discovery of stunning works of art hidden away in sleepy villages, barely visited by the general public. There are two churches that particularly come to mind. One is St Andrew's church in a little village called Wickhambreaux. It contains the most amazing Art Nouveau stained glass window of the Annunciation which was reportedly the first European church commission for Tiffany's of New York. The other is the chapel at St Nicholas Hospital, Harbledown. This was founded by Archbishop Lanfranc as a leper hospital as evidenced by the sloping floor which allowed the church to be easily washed down after Mass. It also has a couple of medieval wall paintings that were discovered under layers of whitewash. Gabriel's wings are coloured with lapis luzuli which would have cost more than gold at the time it was painted. The most important benefit of pilgrimage is of course the opportunity it presents for spiritual encounter. The modern world allows us to fill every minute with distractions. A few days, mostly out of mobile range, with the only concern being what to have for lunch, soon changes that. Walking opens us up to new perspectives. Pilgrimage makes those perspectives Christian. The special delight is that you have no idea what they will be until you take that first step and become a pilgrim. Andrew Kelly is the founder of the Augustine Camino and a keen walker. Find out more about the Augustine Camino at http://augustinecamino.co.uk/ Duke Energy, the North Carolina-based power company, announced a deal to sell a minority interest in its commercial renewable energy portfolio to a Canadian-owned financial services and insurance company. The buyer is John Hancock Infrastructure Fund, a mutual fund with $250 million in assets, and the John Hancock Life Insurance Company, both of which are owned by Toronto-based Manulife Financial Corp. Terms were not disclosed. Building Gold Ribbon Schools: A Blueprint for Success in High-Poverty Schools was unveiled at Field Elementary, a Gold Ribbon School, on April 24. Funded in part by The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, the GRS Blueprint showcases the findings of an in-depth Children At Risk study of high-poverty schools with high student performance. Among the highlights of the report are identifying key characteristics of Gold Ribbon Schools (schools with more than 75% low-income students and receive an A or a B in Children At Risks annual school rankings), according to a news release. In order to be classified as a Gold Ribbon School, Children At Risk identifies hundreds of high performing schools each year that support some of the most at-risk children across Texas. Field Elementary is located in the Heights at 703 E. 17th St. Field Elementary, a school of about 500 students, has also been nominated for national 2019 Blue Ribbon Schools recognition through the Texas Education Agency. There were 26 Texas schools nominated for the national honor with only two from the Houston area. At Wednesdays event, Field Elementary Principal John Hendrickson was joined by Children At Risk President & CEO Dr. Bob Sanborn; HISD Interim Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan; Children At Risk Director of Research-Center for Social Measurement & Evaluation Kellie OQuinn; The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation Director of Community Outreach Dr. Dave Peterson; and HISD Northwest Area Superintendent Jorge Arredondo. In its latest rankings, Field Elementary gets an A-plus ranking from Children At Risk. According to its website, Children At Risk is a non-partisan research and advocacy organization dedicated to addressing the root causes of poor public policies affecting children. The organization began in the fall of 1989 when a group of child advocates met to discuss the lack of data on the status of children and the absence of strong public policy support for Houstons children. Children At Risk has expanded beyond Houston with offices in Houston, Fort Worth and Dallas. For more information, go to https://childrenatrisk.org. For more information on the The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, go to www.mcnairfoundation.org. rkent@hcnonline.com McDonald's franchisees plan to hire 26,500 people in Texas this summer, including 3,000 for jobs in the greater Houston area. McDonald's Houston has partnered with Mayor Sylvester Turner to create and present a series of summer job fairs as part of the city's Hire Houston Youth program. The events will offer interviews, as well as resources for clothing and transportation, and opportunities for students aged 16 to 24 to learn about financial literacy, scholarships and interviewing skills. The mayor's initiative will employ 10,000 youth this summer. San Antonio refining giant Valero Energy saw its profits plunge in the first quarter as its refining segment grappled with gasoline margins falling and relatively higher heavy and medium sour crude prices. Valero Energy reported $141 million in net income in the first quarter, down 70 percent from $469 a year ago, a decline Valero blamed in part on tax credits it received last year and not this year. Revenues fell 8 percent to $24.3 billion from $26.4 billion in the first quarter of 2018. IMO 2020: Huge shift to cleaner fuels a jackpot for Texas energy Despite the decline, Valero beat Wall Street expectations, according to Zacks Investment Research estimates. The company's refining segment saw income slashed by 40 percent in the first quarter, driven by narrower discounts for medium and heavy sour crude oils relative to Brent crude oil and weaker gasoline margins, the refiner said. Valero Energy was one of several Gulf Coast refineries that has had to deal with tighter markets for heavy and medium sour crude as the Venezuelan oil sanctions took effect. EARLIER: U.S. to sanction vessels carrying Venezuelan oil to Cuba in another blow to PDVSA Overall its refineries ran at utilization rate of 91 percent, averaging about 2.9 million barrels a day in the first quarter. Maintenance outages dropped refinery output by 66,000 barrels per a day in the first quarter year-over-year. Valero exported 318,000 barrels of gasoline and distillate in the first quarter. The refiner also updated the status of several capital projects in the region. An akylation unit in Houston and Central Texas pipelines and terminals are scheduled for completion in the second and third quarters, respectively. A marine terminal project in Pasadena and a coker project in Port Arthur are expected to be complete in 2020 and 2022, respectively. The refiner is investing $2.5 billion into capital projects both in 2019 and in 2020, with about 40 percent dedicated to growth projects. "Investments to increase our system's flexibility and the team's relentless focus on safety enabled us to capture good margins in an otherwise weak margin environment," said Joe Gorder, Valero Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer in a statement. "The ability to achieve positive earnings and operating cash flow in a low margin environment is a testament to the earnings capability of our assets across margin cycles." Bonds and three director positions are up for election within several northwest Harris County municipal utility districts. Early voting began April 22 and ends April 30. Election day is May 4. With the Countywide Polling Place Program now in place, voters can vote anywhere in the county for several elections. For voting locations, visit the Harris Votes website. Harris County Emergency Services District No. 13 *Separate ballot, only measure. Prop. A: "Local sales and use tax. The adoption of a local sales and use tax in Harris County Emergency Services District No. 13 at the rate of one percent." Explanation: Voters will decide on a proposed 1% sales tax increase for sections within the Cypress Creek Fire Department service area that do not already implement an 8.25 percent sales tax. The 1 percent increase would only apply to areas not already at the 8.25 percent Simon Vandyk, public information officer for CCFD, said. These areas would see the sales tax increase from 7.25 to 8.25 percent, and no higher. The extra 1 percent sales tax revenue would go to CCFD/HCESD 13. Voters can attend an informational open house on April 30 at the Cypress Creek Fire Department Administration Building, 11900 Cypress N. Houston Road, Cypress or visit the official CCFD/HCESD 13 website. Votes must be submitted at the Administration Building. Related: Cypress Creek Fire Dept. asks voters for 1-cent sales tax increase for new station Harris County Ballot Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, Bond Election Prop. A: "The issuance of $1,762,000,000 of bonds for the construction, acquisition, renovation, and equipment of school buildings in the district, including safety and security infrastructure, for the purchase of the necessary sites for school buildings, and for the purchase of new school buses and levying of the tax in payment thereof." Explanation: The bond election will determine whether or not CFISD will receive $1.76 billion in bond funds for school improvements into 2025, including new schools, a performing arts center, a new instructional support system and an improved bus system. The bond was formed by the Long-Range Planning Committee, a group of students, faculty and community members who designated where funds would be used. For voting locations and more information on the bond, visit the CFISD website. Related: See whats being considered for Cy-Fair ISDs potential bond program Bridgestone Municipal Utility District, Bond Election Prop. A: "The issuance of $75,000,000 bonds and levy of taxes adequate to provide for payment of principal and interest on the bonds for the construction, repair and replacement of water, sanitary sewer and drainage facilities and the refunding of up to $75,000,000 of any outstanding bonds." Explanation: Bridgestone MUD serves neighborhoods in the Klein/Spring area. According to the authorization summary of costs, the Bridgestone MUD will use $7,534,000 of the funds on water plants, $10,283,000 for wastewater treatment plants and $5,000,000 for reimbursing developers. For more information, visit the Bridgestone MUD website. Faulkey Gully Municipal Utility District, Directors Election Position 1 candidates: Michelle Missy Steadman, Ken Kana Position 3 candidates: Lee W Evey, Mark H Szyman Position 5 candidate: Bill F Cheves Explanation: Faulkey Gully MUD serves subdivisions in the southern Tomball and northeast Cy-Fair areas. For more information, visit the Faulkey Gully MUD website. Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 44, Bond Election Prop. A: "The issuance of $10,000,000 in general bonds and the issuance of $10,000,000 in refunding bonds and the levy of ad valorem taxes in payment of the bonds (water, sanitary sewer, drainage, and storm sewer; organization; and administration)." Explanation: Harris County MUD 44 is located in the Champions/Klein area. For more information, visit the MUD website. Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 5, bond elections Prop A: "The issuance of $44,000,000 bonds for water, sanitary sewer, drainage and storm sewer systems and the levy of taxes, without limit as to rate or amount, in payment of the bonds." Prop B: "The issuance of $7,500,000 park and recreational facilities bonds and the levy of taxes, without limit as to rate or amount, in payment of the bonds." Explanation: Harris County MUD 5 serves subdivisions in the southern Spring area. Cypress Klein Utility District, Bond Election Prop. A: "The issuance of $7,000,000 in general bonds and the issuance of $7,000,000 in refunding bonds and the levy of ad valorem taxes in payment of the bonds (water, sanitary sewer, drainage, and storm sewer, organization and administration)." Explanation: The Cypress-Klein Utility District is located at the southeast corner of Louetta Road and Stuebner Airline in the Champions/Klein area. According to the official bond election fact sheet, the Cypress Klein MUD will use funds for renovation of their service facilities over several years. For more information, visit the MUD website. Encanto Real Utility District, Bond Election Prop. A: "The issuance of $75,000,000 bonds for water, sanitary sewer, drainage, and storm sewer systems and the levy of taxes, without limit as to rate or amount, in payment of the bonds." Explanation: Encanto Real Utility District serves the Fox Hollow and Rothwood areas around the Spring Klein Softball Park and Grand Parkway in Spring. For more information, visit the MUD website. chevall.pryce@chron.com The talks are seen as a key test for diplomatic support for Kim. For the North Korean leader, the summit is "very significant". Putin expresses appreciation for the inter-Korean dialogue and the improvement of relations between the North and the USA. Meanwhile in Seoul, President Moon meets the secretary of the Moscow Security Council. Moscow (AsiaNews / Agencies) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un kicked off his first summit this morning with Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, a city in the Russian Far East. The peaceful resolution of Pyongyang's nuclear program and economic cooperation between the two countries are the main items on the agenda of the meeting between the leaders. The expected talks are seen as a key test for diplomatic support for Kim, who tries to break the deadlock in negotiations with the United States by easing the pressure on sanctions and focusing attention on economic development. In his opening speech, Kim stated that the summit with Putin will be "significant" for the joint efforts to address the issues related to the Korean peninsula, where "the world attention is focused". "I believe (the summit) will be very meaningful dialogue to assess peninsula policy together, share each other's views and work together to jointly make adjustments and research going forward". Putin expressed his support for inter-Korean dialogue and the improvement of relations between the North and the United States. "On the occasion of your visit to Russia, I expect that bilateral relations will develop and that we can find a good solution for the situation on the Korean peninsula," said the Russian president. "And I think - he added - that we will be able to continue with this trend, this change that is now manifesting itself in a positive way". After the summit, Kim will return home tomorrow or the following day. Meanwhile, South Korean president Moon Jae-in will meet Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation in Seoul, in the afternoon, the presidential office of the Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae) announced. According to observers, the two will exchange views on the current Kim-Putin summit in Vladivostok. Fred White feels up to the task of directing the all-female cast of Steel Magnolias, which plays April 26-May 11 at Art Park Players. After all, the popular comedy was written by a Southern guy, Alabama native Robert Harling, who based his story on the women who witnessed his sisters death from Type 1 diabetes, setting the action in a beauty parlor in Louisiana. I was raised in East Texas; so the characters talk a lot like people I grew up with, White said. Show dedicated to late director Add to that how, some 20 years ago, White was the assistant director on an Art Park Players production of Steel Magnolias that was directed by local legend Sue Fenley Meyers, who died April 10 in Lakewood, Colorado. We are dedicating this production in her memory, White said. Under the direction of Meyers, Deer Park native Susan Mele, who became the groups artistic managing director in 2004, played Shelby. Its the role that won Julia Roberts her first Academy Award nomination in the 1989 film version of the 1987 off-Broadway hit. Mele recalled one of Shelbys lines that underscores a recurring sentiment of the play: Id rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special. But the script is filled with zingers, which are distributed among the cast of characters. Want to go? What: "Steel Magnolias" Where: Art Park Players, 1302 Center St. When: 8 p.m. April 26-28, May 3-5 and 10-11 with matinee performances at 2 p.m. April 28 and May 5 (Dinner is served an hour before performances) Admission: $15 ($30 dinner and show) Information: 281-794-2448; www.deerparktx.gov See More Collapse Even MLynn, Shelbys fretful mother, gets a laugh with her line, If hes trying to drive me crazy, hes too late. She is played by Shawna Glad of League City. Deer Park actresses include Anne Boyd as Clairee, who says, The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize; Betty Groos as Quiser Boudreaux, who demurs, Im not crazy, Ive just been in a very bad mood for 40 years; and Shelby Mays as Annelle Dupuy Desoto, whose motto as a beautician affirms, I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair. As Truvy, Robin McDougald of Baytown has a strict policy that nobody cries alone in her presence, and she advises, Smile! It increases your face value. Suzi Reuge of Humble portrays Shelby. Mele said that Steel Magnolias is one of the most-requested titles from regulars at Art Park shows. Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net Humble ISD surpassed a major milestone in celebration of its 100-year anniversary. The district unveiled a Texas Historical Marker while celebrating its centennial in the Lake Houston area. Humble ISD and City of Humble officials in addition to community members gathered at the Charles Bender Performing Arts Center, formerly known as Charles Bender High School, on Thursday to take a trip to the past and look at how Humble ISD has evolved over the past 10 decades. Humble ISD Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen started the ceremony by remembering the former educators who made the district to what it is today. We are blessed in Humble ISD to be leaders to serve this community. Today, we take a moment and be reminded as leaders of Humble ISD that we stand on the shoulders of giants many, many teachers, leaders, staff members who came before us. City council members and others who have built this into an incredible community. Fagen followed by saying one of the things that makes her the most proud of serving as Humble ISD superintendent is the Charles Bender Performing Arts Center and its rich history as a former Humble ISD high school; the first Humble ISD high school. A new purpose In Humble we dont forget the past. We dont allow it to become dilapidated or torn down. We celebrate the past. We care about it. We remember it. We preserve it, Fagen said. More Information Humble ISD Facts: Humble ISD started off as one of the original Harris County common school districts back in 1884 as District No. 28. In 1888, District No. 28 was split. The northern portion remained as District No. 28 and the southern portion was named District No. 35. In 1918, Districts 28 and 35 were merged and became District 50. The Texas Legislature then formed District 50 into Humble ISD in 1919. Humble ISD had 1,435 students in 1919; the district now serves almost 44,000 students Humble ISD originally had five schools; the district now holds 43 schools. One of the original schools, the Humble Grammar School burned down in 1929, and Charles Bender High School took its place. By 1949, three of the five original schools had to close due to low enrollment. Humble ISD only had 868 students. Humble ISD opened three new schools in the 1960's. Humble ISD's smallest graduating class was in 1911 with only two students, twin sisters. Humble ISD's largest graduating class was Kingwood High School's Class of 2003 with 943 graduates. Humble ISD has graduated 68,353 students so far. Elizabeth Fagen is the 12th and only female in Humble ISD history to serve as superintendent. See More Collapse The Charles Bender Performing Arts Center is now owned by the City of Humble. Fagen said the city has done a great job maintaining and preserving the historic building. Humble Mayor Merle Aaron said over the years Humble ISD has been a partner in many projects, Charles Bender is just one of them. We always look forward to what happens in Humble ISD because it certainly affects the City of Humble, Aaron said. We have a council that is very conscious of not only the City of Humble but the areas that we are very close to, especially our school district. Today when we look back at these students that have gone through this school district and what theyve accomplished over the years its just staggering. Humble history Humble ISD Historian and Humble Museum President Robert Meaux talked about the history of Humble ISD up to its early days when the district was known as District No. 28. Meaux said the district started planning for its 100 year celebration back in 2016. We put together these three big committees made up of campus people, district people, community members, and they worked hard. They came up with some great ideas and it took us a couple of years on how to implement those ideas, Meaux. As the project kept growing, it kept sucking people into the project. So by the time we get to the point we are now, theres so many people working on it because its impossible to recognize them individually. Moving forward Looking back at all that Humble ISD has gone through over the past 100 years, Meaux said the district has greatly progressed in helping their students graduate and overcome whatever obstacles they faced. Humble ISD is an exciting place to be right now, Meaux said. Dr. Fagen and our leaders, they want innovation from our teachers. They want teachers that care about their students and not just about the test scores. They want teachers that can engage students and get those students to want to learn. Our students are on the verge of creating a world that we couldnt have imagined 100 years ago. Its been an exciting 100 years in Humble ISD. Thousands of people have helped build that legacy but in here, we have a front row seat to the future. kaila.contreras@chron.com Sugar Land Police Department Sugar Land police are searching for a man they say followed a woman into a Michaels store, exposed himself and masturbated in front of her. The incident is said to have occurred just after 6 p.m. on Monday, April 15 at the Michaels crafts store on the 13000 block of University Blvd in Sugar Land. Illegal gambling has taken a hit in the Katy area, with a multi-jurisdictional raid of the Katy Star convenience store on Wednesday evening. Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heaps Office, the Katy Police Department and Fort Bend County District Attorneys Office joined together to raid the store. Once inside, officials seized five illegal eight-liner gambling machines and more than $100,000 in illegal gambling proceeds from a Katy convenience store. Officers, armed with a search warrant, reportedly carried out the raid on Wednesday night at Katy Star in the 5700 block of Highway Boulevard. According to the Constables Office, the illegal gambling devices were located hidden behind beverage coolers in a back corner of the convenience store. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. In Texas, eight-liner machines are legal if they offer only non-cash prizes valued at less than $5. Game rooms are not just illegal in Texas, the Constables Office reported. They and their customers can be targets for other types of crime due to large amounts of cash on hand and patrons who are frequently elderly. In addition, operators of these establishments are often reluctant to report crimes to the proper authorities due to the illegal nature of their businesses. According to Fort Bend County Appraisal District records, the property lists three owners Hiland Encore Enterprise LLC, Star Roj INC and HNC Amusements INC. The identities of anyone arrested have not been announced. rkent@hcnonline.com Get to know your Muslim neighbor. Thats the name and the idea behind an event scheduled for May 11 at the Clear Lake City-County Freeman Library that local Muslims and other residents view as timely in the wake of recent massacres in New Zealand mosques and in Christian churches in Sri Lanka. In an 11 a.m. gathering sponsored by Muslim American Society-Houston and the Friends of the Freeman Library, the community is invited to meet, greet and learn about the local Muslim community. Using a backdrop of interactive stations, posters, speakers and food, the event is an open invitation to learn about the teachings of Islam and the roles Muslim Americans have played in America culture. While the Bay Area has a thriving Muslim American community, for a person to actually meet and have a firsthand experience with a Muslim is still rare, said Dina Abdelrahman, a health-care professional who moved from Egypt to the Houston area when she was 22 years old in 1997. Abdelrahman, now 45 and a Bay Area resident since 2007, is one of the organizers of the Clear Lake-area Know Your Muslim Neighbor sessions, which began five years ago and has been held at various area locations. Turnout has been good, and feedback positive from a wide cross section of faiths, she said. A lot of people are still afraid Know Your Muslim Neighbor is a way, said Abdelrahman, to bridge gaps caused by misunderstandings. More Information Get to Know Your Muslim Neighbor What: An event sponsored by Muslim American Society-Houston and the Friends of the Freeman Library in which residents are invited to meet, greet and learn about the local Muslim community. When: 11 a,m. Saturday May 11 Where: Clear Lake City-County Freeman Library, 16616 Diana Lane, Houston Details: Visit the library's Facebook page. See More Collapse We feel an event like this is essential because a lot of people are still afraid, she said. For instance, Abdelrahman recalls one visitor to one of the first events who was initially skeptical and distrustful, asking Why do you hate us? Throughout the course of that afternoon, the visitor listened and, gradually, his attitude began to change, Abdelrahman said. He told me that his opinion was influenced by what he sees in the media, she said. Similar dialogues and events have occurred in the region to bridge the gap between faith communities. Most people, said Abdelrahman, express common grief after the March 15 shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed 50 people and the Easter bombing attacks on churches in Sri Lanka that killed at least 321 people. When extremist Islamic factions claim credit for something like the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, Abdelrahman said, the true teachings of Islam get lost and distorted to nonMuslims. But we do find kindness and care from people more than anything else, more than the ugly stares and mean words, she said. Bonds forged between a mosque and a church The Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church in Clear Lake is next to the Clear Lake Islamic Center on El Camino Real. The church and the Islamic center, connected by a shared entrance road, have forged a bond over the years. When you sit and have coffee with someone and just talk as people, you see that theyre just like you, church member Christine Rubly said. To Rubly, violence by terrorists claiming to represent Islam is not so different than that committed by white supremacists claiming to be Christian. Listening to people, she said, is key to dismantling misconceptions. While Houston has become known as one of the most diverse and welcoming cities in the nation, Rubly wants to see the surrounding suburbs follow suit. There are still people who dont have personal dealings with others from a different group, whether they are Muslim or people from EL Salvador, she said. So, you become insulated, and all the feedback that you get is from people who think just like you. Exposure (to different groups) helps people see the value of embracing diversity. It adds to your life. Abdelrahman agreed. We are all guilty of holding onto these stereotypes and making judgments (on Facebook) I like the pages that are like me, and I block things I dont like, she said. Thats not going to get us anywhere. Its important to get outside of our bubble. Were not preaching to anyone; were just asking people to explore and learn about our faith firsthand. Know the person before you judge. For more information on the event at the library, which is at 16616 Diana Lane, Houston; visit its Facebook page yorozco@hcnonline.com It has been 40 years since Beth Henleys Crimes of the Heart lit up the Louisville Actors Theatre. It walked off with a shared top prize in that theatres Great American Play contest, and then took it on the lam to New Yorks off-Broadway and then Broadway stages, snatching a Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1981 and then cashing in with a Hollywood film starring Sissy Spacek, Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, and Tess Harperall respectable types, legit. Surely after all this time and mainstream success, a play about a Mississippi housewife who shoots her husband because she didnt like his looks, a play that uses comedy to deal with spousal abuse, thrusts its male characters in the background, and celebrates three sisters finding strength from each other while eating birthday cake for breakfastsurely such a work is now safely passe. Unnecessary. Beyond the statute of limitations. An historical footnote. The Alley Theatres current production suggests otherwise. It reminds audiences that Crimes of the Heart is more than a cliched plundering of Southern Gothic tropes in a feminist format. Its an exploration of what one character calls our human need to talk about our lives but also about the desire not to do so, to keep ourselves private and protected, to bare our souls in only the most indirect ways. In dramatizing this tension, the Alleys production is astonishingly subtle. It takes advantage of Henleys southern drawl-coated dialect to build up stereotypes and launch comic witticisms all the while the characters display various ways they do and dont keep themselves hidden. In a deft bit of physical comedy in the opening scenes, Chick Boyle, played by Bree Welch, changes her pantyhose center stage. Squeezing, pulling, and struggling her ample flesh into just-off-the-shelf stockings, she pretty much shows the audience all shes got even as the audiences peals of laughter mask the indignities women put themselves through to create a public image of femininity. Its this image that her cousin Babe has shattered with a gunshot to her pillar-of-the-community husbands gut. Yet if this early scene sets a satirical stance toward Chicks self-restricting, it is mirrored in the shoes of the three Magrath sisters who are its focus: the eldest Lenny in her sensible flats, the middle sister Meg in her high-rising boots, and the barefoot Babe. Alexander Dodges stage underscores this focus by creating an expansive first-floor kitchen for the plays main action, with a peek at the upstairs: a foot and a half, perhaps, of space that limits the audiences view of the women walking there to little more than their feet, as if to stress how their feet define them. Its a way of telling the audience, Look at what you never look at, the foundations you arent supposed to see. It is those foundations the production reveals. As played with great understatement by Melissa Pritchett, Lenny has surrendered herself to making do: sleeping on a cot in the kitchen, passing up her only lover, even settling for a cookie with a candle for her solitary birthday celebration. Chelsea Ryan McCurdy creates her Meg, the bold sister who has struck out for a show business career, is all about self-defense. Her made for walking boots signal what one character calls her fear of being a weak person. Only Babe, played with all the energy and exuberance of a newborn by Skyler Sinclair, has a found the freedom of letting go, even as she comes to grips with the violence such a move entails. This strategy of hide and reveal winds its way through Henleys script, echoed, mirrored, repeated as all three actresses explore the fine lines between comedy and poignancy, between startling reality and stereotype. It is a delicate if audacious chase that manages never to crash, and it brings the three sisters not so much escape as a revelation of their interconnectedness, their need for each other above all else. Director Theresa Rebeck has found a near perfect balance between the naturalist style into which the play could easily bog down and flights of symbolism: the set, the costumes, even the plays opening lightning storm that not only refers to the plays setting in time as five years after Hurricane Camille but the gender social storm of its eraa whirlwind of change still on our radar. Moreover, Rebeck never forgets the audience, never overwhelms them with ideas or throws away the narrative humor. In doing so, she and her cast make plain that Crimes of the Heart, though firmly middle-aged, is still alive, still cajoling and prodding audiences to think about the world weve built. If the jury is still out about how it will withstand further aging, the verdict on this production is clear: guilty of being thought-provoking and hilarious in the first degree. Crimes of the Heart is on stage at Houstons Alley Theatre through May 5. Robert Donahoo is a professor at Sam Houston State University. Law enforcement officials are advising residents of an ongoing scam where a phone number shows on caller ID as the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office with the caller identifying themselves as actual sheriffs officials and threatening people with arrest. Multiple people have reportedly received phone calls with these threats from a person posing as Montgomery County Sheriffs Office spokesman Lt. Scott Spencer. The caller has also identified themselves as Sgt. Edd West. The caller is telling people they have a warrant for their arrest for either missed jury duty or unpaid warrants and demanding immediate payment over the phone to avoid being jailed, according to a sheriffs office social media post. Sugar Land city officials are challenging residents to get a glimpse of a new pop-up mural before it's gone. The new "Welcome to Sugar Land" sign in Imperial by Constellation Field will be taken down by April 30, officials said in a Facebook post. Suspected burglars caught in the act took extreme steps to not get captured by responding Wharton Police Department officers with the help of officers from other nearby agencies despite coming up well short in their efforts to not get caught. Wharton Police Department officers responded to an alarm call at 6:08 a.m. Wednesday, April 24, at the CVS Pharmacy. Responding officers soon realized it was clearly evident the call was a (burglary in progress), as subjects were observed inside. Officers set up a perimeter around the CVS Pharmacy store to gain control of the scene. by Melani Manel Perera The two little Muslims had gone to mass with their little friends on the feast day in the church of St Sebastian, struck by the terrorist attack at Easter. The Islamic and Catholic communities of Negombo have strong bonds of friendship. The fear of an inter-ethnic and inter-religious division that makes the country go back to the civil war. In the name of security, Islamic women should not wear the burqa. Sheikh Abdul Rahman, social worker, is a collaborator of Caritas Colombo. Katuwapitiya (AsiaNews) - A Muslim girl and a boy died along with their Christian friends in the April 21 explosion that targeted the Church of St. Sebastian in Katuwapitiya (Negombo), a few kilometers from Colombo. Sheikh Abdul Rahman (photo 1) tells AsiaNews that he lives near the church hit by the terrorist attack, where at least 180 people have died. "The little girl - continues Sheikh Abdul - had gone to Mass with her Catholic friend and the little boy had gone to Mass accompanied by his mother, since his mother is Catholic. According to the Islamic rite, their funerals took place as soon as possible, one day before that of the Catholic faithful". The news of these two Muslim children killed together with the dozens of Catholic children in the massacres that took place in the country on Easter Day, is a poignant sign of the friendly coexistence that has existed so far between the two religious communities, which, however, is now put at risk by the gestures of fundamentalist terror, sowing fear and suspicion. Sheikh Abdul Rahman, 56, is a social worker and a member of the group for interreligious dialogue, linked to the Caritas Colombo Center for Human Development. In an interview with AsiaNews, he expresses "the deepest participation" in the suffering of Christians and asks everyone for "the courage to remain together as a family united in our grief". He appeals to his "brothers and sisters of Sri Lanka" not to "carry out vendettas" because otherwise "it will be easy for those extremists to destroy Sri Lanka, destroy our innocent lives, destroy our beautiful coexistence that we have enjoyed so far". Below our interview with Sheikh Abdul. What do you think of this sad situation? As a Muslim, I would like to express the deepest participation for all those who have lost their innocent lives, and I would like to wish their family members the courage to endure this pain and this loss. We profoundly feel this tragedy, as if the dead were part of our own family, given that we live as sisters and brothers in this society, with Buddhists and with Christians. It is really difficult to carry all of this pain. We need to understand what has happened and act wisely. What happened is not a blow to the Christian community, it is a blow to our unity, to our coexistence. In all this I see the project of some people to re-open the path of anger, revenge and fear in the country, to create a terrifying situation in the nation. After 30 years of suffering [for the civil war], we were now beginning to enjoy harmony among the many ethnic groups and religions present. It is also very upsetting that our civil authorities underestimated information about the activities of that self-styled Muslim group. They played with danger, with lives of innocent Christians in three churches and those who were in the three hotels. Why didn't they take that message seriously, acting accordingly? We have so many suspicions now about them. But does the Koran justify these killings? Is it a way of spreading the Islamic faith? No! Never! We condemn [these killings]. It is completely against the Koran and against the words of the Prophet Nabbi. He never approved any violence. In the Koran it is said that if someone kills a person, it is as if he had killed the whole society. Even if they dress like a Muslim, if they have Islamic names, how can they be called true Muslims if they kill and do such horrible things? We cannot call them Muslims. After this tragedy, the other communities, Sinhalese and Tamil began to look suspiciously at Muslims. What are your thoughts on this? Bad and evil things happened. What you describe is the natural reaction of human minds. It will take time to correct this position and return to treating Muslims as in the past, as brothers and sisters. [As in the times of the civil war] not all Tamils were terrorists. Not all Buddhists are extremists. Similarly, not all Muslims are terrorists. Therefore, I, as a Muslim, as a sheikh, ask my dear sisters and brothers in Sri Lanka, to look at us with an open mind. Live with us as you have lived so far. Respect humanity. Do not try to take revenge, to be aggressive towards us. If that happens, it will be very easy for those extremists to destroy our Sri Lanka, destroy our innocent lives, destroy our beautiful coexistence that we have enjoyed so far. What can we do to rebuild coexistence among our people? People respect their leaders a lot. Therefore, our religious leaders should sit together and plan out how they can boost awareness. Without mental limitations, try to make people aware and let them share in the cause of a united Sri Lanka. I would also like to say that in our country there are many, many Christians and Buddhists who look at things wisely and openly. They should help us Muslims. Christian and Buddhist leaders should help us Muslims to correct the false attitudes in some people's minds. Otherwise our country will regress and once again the people of this country will start fighting anew. With this tragedy, we Muslims are more vulnerable, more desperate. Women have some difficulties ... they can't even leave the house ... The criticism grows. The men who have beards have difficulties: everyone looks at us with suspicion. Therefore, stop these unpleasant actions; religious leaders play a better and more important role than government, because the word of a Christian priest, or a nun, or a Buddhist monk is much more powerful. What can the Muslim community do for the victims of Katuwapitiya? We want to help those families. But our habits and people's suspicion are an obstacle to our good intentions. The [Catholic] priests have asked us not to participate for the moment. And we can understand this. Meanwhile we are discussing how we can help affected families. All we can do for the families of Katuwapitiya, we will do it together with the parish priest and the archbishop. We are also preparing a declaration to communicate our condolences and respect. We hope to give this letter to the pastor of our area, to read it after the mass. Yesterday we also held an interfaith prayer for all those who sacrificed their lives in the church. We held this moment in the main mosque in Kamachchode: some flowers, lit candles, prayers, short speeches by Catholic priests and other religious leaders (see photos 2 and 3). Even a Muslim girl and a boy died in the church explosion. The little girl had gone to Mass with her Catholic friend and the little boy had gone with his mother, because his mother is Catholic. According to the Islamic rite, their funerals took place as soon as possible, one day before that of the Catholic faithful. Finally, I would like to say that the media have a great responsibility in giving people correct and useful information to protect our society. Their work should be to unite the people, not to divide it. At this time the burqa, the niqab or the hijab, the dress of Muslim women is becoming a serious problem in Sri Lanka. What do you think? Wearing a burqa, or hijab, is a right for a Muslim woman, but as you point out it has become a serious problem in the country due to the emergency situation. Therefore, we Muslims must think broadly and come to a reasonable conclusion. For the peace and protection of our country and our people, we must abandon some good practices and obey the rules of the nation. Some Islamic scholars say Muslim women should cover their faces, others say it is not necessary. I think the question of the burqa is a personal matter. Some of the most devoted women use the burqa, but it is not an essential subject. For our women, not wearing the burqa is something that disturbs them, they feel like they're naked. But at this point, taking into consideration the dangerous situation of the country, we Muslims have a great responsibility to help the security of the people and the country. For this reason, our Muslim women should not protest, because this [not wearing the burqa - ed] is an aid to ensure national security. A divided Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Tuesday denied Jasper killer John William Kings petition for a stay of execution, moving the last-minute legal maneuverings to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Texas justices ruled 5-4 to allow Kings scheduled execution to go forward on Wednesday. The four judges who voted to grant Kings motion for a delay cited substantial questions, including unresolved ones regarding his potential innocence. King has maintained throughout his appeals over the last two decades that he did not participate in the racially motivated dragging death of James Byrd Jr. along a country road in 1998. He was convicted of capital murder in 1999 and sentenced to die. Attorneys filed their petition for a stay of execution Tuesday afternoon to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Texas appeals court ruling. The James Byrd lynching is obviously one of the most horrific murders in modern American history, said Robert Dunham of the Death Penalty Information Center. But what we need to keep in mind is that, in a fair judicial system, its important that all prisoners, no matter what theyre accused of, have meaningful access to the courts. King, 44, has been at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston since February 1999. He is one of three men convicted of capital murder for chaining 49-year-old Byrd to the back of a pickup and dragging him three miles before leaving his mangled body the roadside. Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011. Shawn Allen Berry is serving a life sentence and will be eligible for parole consideration in 2038. A warrant for Kings death was signed by state District Judge Craig Mixson in December, two months after the Supreme Court denied his last round of appeals. King, a shocking figure with white supremacist tattoos, has maintained in all appeals that he was not present for Byrds death. During a recent interview with The Enterprise, former Jasper County Sheriff Billy Rowles, whose department investigated the crime, called King the ringleader. Rowles will be in Huntsville Wednesday, but will not witness the execution. On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously voted against both a 120-day reprieve and commutation. If his latest motion is denied, King will be the first person executed in the U.S. since February. Five deaths have been stayed and one rescheduled since Texas executed Billie Wayne Coble on Feb. 28. Texas is one of eight states that uses only one drug for lethal injection. Since 2012, the state has administered pentobarbital, which causes respiratory arrest. The drug that Texas uses is not the drug that has been involved in the lethal injection challenges across the country, Dunham said, adding that it has not been implicated in botched executions where people take an enormous amount of time to die or are left conscious while being chemically burned to death. An execution generally takes less than 15 minutes, Dunham said, and death likely occurs in less time than that with a single drug. Brewers 2011 death was brought about with a three-drug protocol that included potassium chloride, pentobarbital and pancuronium bromide. His execution also included a last meal, but he was the last inmate in the state to receive one. The practice that had been in place since the 1920s ended after Kings friend submitted an order that included two chicken-fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, a cheese omelet, a large bowl of fried okra with ketchup, one pound of barbecue , half a loaf of white bread, three fajitas, a meat-lovers pizza, a pint of Blue Bell ice cream and a slab of peanut butter fudge. He didnt eat one bite. Brewer had no final statement before being put to death. In an interview with The Enterprise last week, Byrds sister, who will witness Kings death as she did Brewers, said she expects King to do the same. If he does say something, were not sure what angle he would be coming from die with hate, or show some type of remorse, Louvon Harris said. That remains to be seen. mbatson@beaumonenterprise.com twitter.com/Mo_Bats Sen. Bernie Sanders pledged to thousands of Houstonians on Wednesday that a proposed green energy stimulus package would not burn workers in the region's fossil fuel industry. About 3,000 people, among them industrial workers, flocked to Discovery Green Park to see the Democratic 2020 contender from Vermont speak for the first time in Space City since his 2016 presidential bid. He called for dramatic carbon emission cuts with a sweeping shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy with the Green New Deal that progressive lawmakers, such as himself and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have supported. "I know what city I'm in," Sanders said. "I also know we're not here to blame the workers in the fossil fuel industry," the senator said. "They are not our enemies, but what our enemy is, is climate change." SHE THE PEOPLE: Eight Democrats vying for the White House were in Houston on Wednesday. Heres where they stand in this HoustonChronicle.com report. The proposed policies, as described by Sanders, would allow workers forced out of the job because of the legislation to receive new job training, education and extended unemployment benefits. The gesture was not lost on Dan Carr, who brandished a Sanders campaign sign despite working in the chemical manufacturing industry. He agreed that workers, such as those at the site of the fatal KMCO chemical explosion in Crosby, should be supported. "I think folks at the sites are trying to do well," Carr said. "I think we need to make a change, but we need to be serious about the long term changes." He also felt that Pasadena ISD trustee Mike Floyd, who was among the speakers who opened for Sanders, earlier demonized the industry. Floyd pointed to the blue skies over downtown Houston and said a month ago, those same skies were marred by the "toxic death cloud" from the Intercontinental Terminals Company blaze in Deer Park. Floyd also commended Sanders for standing up for tougher environmental and corporate accountability policies to prevent climate change and future industrial accidents. "It's heart felt for the folks who live close to the plants," Carr said. Pasadena ISD was among several school districts that closed because of possible air contamination from the ITC fire. The proposed bill, renewable energy worker Justin Heller said, would need to protect the workforce in order to come to pass. "I think having a Green New Deal that hurts people makes it impossible," Heller said. "You can't put people out of work." The message was a new one from when Sanders last spoke in Houston a rally that drew 5,000 people at the University of Houston. Terri Tilden missed that campaign event and pledged to not make the same mistake. "If I didn't have a heart attack first," said Tilden, who requested time off from work to see Sanders. She was the first in line at 12:45 p.m., she said. "The last time, I didn't know he was here until two weeks later," she said. STAY IN THE KNOW: Get caught up on what's going on around Houston. From sports to news and entertainment, check out the newsletters we're offering. Google Maps A man's body was pulled from the Buffalo Bayou late Wednesday in downtown Houston, according to police. The body was found in the water at Allen's Landing Park just before 8 p.m. between Main St. and Fannin St., authorities said. A weeks-long feud between two neighbors came to a head Thursday when one of the men was shot to death when he kicked down his rivals door at their Cloverleaf apartment complex. Both men, identified as Elijah Royal, 25, and Tremaine Lee, 28, and their respective girlfriends had been bickering for weeks, Harris County Sheriff's Office Homicide Detective Lt. Robert Minchew said. The four lived in a complex in the 900 block of Nancy Rose Street, a small and normally quiet community filled with young families. The feud escalated early Thursday when Lee and his girlfriend found her car windows smashed out, Minchew said. A neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said Royals girlfriend had thrown bricks at the car from their second-story apartment. Lee tried confronting the brick-chucking woman by kicking down the door, the neighbor said, adding that they saw Lee run inside and heard a gunshot ring out. The girlfriend of the slain man ran into the home and dragged his body outside, which is where deputies found him, the neighbor added. "Anywhere you move to, there's going to be something like this going on," the neighbor said. "I don't feel like it did need to happen." Royal was later arrested but not in Lees death. He faces charges on a separate matter, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a tweet, without elaborating. A grand jury will determine whether Royal will be charged in the shooting incident. 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 water aerobics instructor at 84, the oldest of the 12 finalists is this years Ms. Pasadena Senior after the 19th annual pageant for women ages 50 and over. It was the second year in a row that a woman from Deer Park won the hearts of both the judges and her fellow contestants, as Alice Moore was voted Miss Congeniality and crowned the winner of the competition. About 750 fans attended the April 18 event theme, celebrating The Age of Elegance, at the Pasadena Convention Center. What is broken can be mended What is broken can be mended. What hurts can be healed. No matter how dark it gets, the sun will always rise, Moore told judges. Laugh through the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason, she added. The first runner-up was Melinda Leza, 64, of Pasadena. She is a graduate student at Texas A&M University. The second runner-up was Judy G. Compton, 68, of Liberty, who volunteers at Monday night dances at the Madison Jobe Senior Center in Pasadena. The third runner-up was Sheryl Knight of League City and the pageants youngest contestant at age 53. She is active in the Kemah Volunteer Fire Department, the Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre in Dickinson and the Friendswood Chamber of Commerce. The competition began in mid-April with judges interviews, which narrowed the field to 12 finalists. The finalists competed on stage in talent and evening gown. In the talent portion of the pageant, Moore performed a comedic dance routine to Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She modeled a burgundy dress in the evening gown competition. Leza performed a praise and worship dance. Compton sang. Knight delivered a theatrical monologue. Moore was crowned by last years winner, Betty OBannon of Deer Park, who tickled the 2018 audience with a comedy routine modeled after legendary Grand Ole Opry comedienne Minnie Pearl. Wins diamond necklace Moore was awarded a $500 cash prize, a gold and diamond necklace from Franks and Sons Jewelry in Pasadena and a deluxe gift basket form Walgreens, said pageant director Lou Ann Nolan. The pageants major sponsors are Cigna HealthSpring and the city of Pasadena. Im not impressed by money, followers, degrees or titles, said Moore. Im impressed by kindness, integrity, humility and generosity. I try to remember that yesterday is gone, today is almost over and tomorrow isnt promised. Moore teaches water aerobics at East Harris County Seniors Activity Center in Pasadena and at Providence Town Square Apartments in Deer Park. In addition, she is a eucharistic minister and sings in the choir at St. Peters Episcopal Church in Pasadena. Her hobby is reading. Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net Cash appeared frequently on the list of items stolen last week in Pearland, but thieves also swiped phones, a mailbox and a waste grease container in separate incidents, authorities said. Additionally, shoplifters struck at Victorias Secret and Walmart, according to reports. Theft An unknown suspect stole a plastic waste grease container from the Courtyard by Marriott dumpster area in the 11200 block of Broadway Street, police said. Police arrested an Alvin man, 19, for shoplifting April 15 in the 2500 block of Pearland Parkway. A suspect shoplifted items April 16 from a store in the 11200 block of Broadway Street, police said. Police filed a shoplifting report April 16 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street. Theft of motor vehicle parts was reported April 16 in the 3600 block of Cullen Parkway, police said. A shoplifting report was filed April 16 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street, police said. Theft occurred between Jan. 24 and April 16, according to a police report filed April 16 in the 4100 block of Rice Drier Road. Two female suspects stole clothing April 17 from Victorias Secret, 11200 Broadway St., police said. Theft was reported April 17 in the 1900 block of Main Street, police said. Police filed a shoplifting report April 17 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street. An unknown person took $1,066 from a complainants purse without permission April 17 in the 2300 block of North Galveston Avenue, according to an April 18 police report. Shoplifting was reported April 18 in the 2700 block of Broadway Street, police said. An unknown person took money without consent from a business April 16 in the 5400 block of Broadway Street, according to an April 18 police report. Shoplifting was reported April 18 in the 11600 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said. Theft occurred April 17 in the 3300 block of Broadway Street, according to an April 19 police report. An unknown male suspect took two phones without authorization April 19 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street, police said. A 17-year-old Fresno man received a citation for shoplifting April 19 in the 1900 block of Main Street, police said. Theft was reported April 20 in the 2700 block of Miller Ranch Road, police said. An unknown male suspect stole a mailbox April 18 or April 19 in the 1800 block of Broadway Street, according to an April 20 police report. Two female suspects stole items April 20 from Walmart, 1919 Main St., police said. Money was stolen from a workers locker between April 18 and April 20 in the 11200 block of Broadway Street, police said. Theft was reported April 20 in the 11000 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said. Two male suspects received citations for shoplifting April 20 in the 1900 block of Main Street, police said. A 19-year-old Houston man received a citation for shoplifting April 21 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street, police said. Robbery Robbery was reported April 16 in the 11000 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said. Police filed a robbery report April 17 in the 11200 block of Broadway Street. Burglary Police filed a motor vehicle burglary report April 15 in the 2200 block of Business Center Drive. Motor vehicle burglary was reported April 15 in the 3200 block of McLean Road, police said. Burglary of a habitation was reported April 16 in the 2200 block of Oday Road, police said. Police filed a motor vehicle burglary report April 16 in the 2200 block of Business Center Drive. Motor vehicle burglary was reported April 16 in the 10000 block of Broadway Street, police said. Fraud, forgery A known offender used a victims credit card number to make six unauthorized charges between Nov. 12, 2018, and April 1, according to a police report filed April 15 in the 6800 block of Broadway Street. Forgery occurred between April 10 and April 15, according to a police report filed April 15 in the 1800 block of Oakbrook Circle. Identity fraud was reported April 15 in the 8000 block of Broadway Street, police said. Fraud occurred between March 8 and April 11, according to a police report filed April 16 in the 3500 block of Belmore Lane. Police filed a forgery and criminal mischief report April 16 in the 2800 block of South Sam Houston Parkway East. Identity theft occurred between March 24 and April 17, according to a police report filed April 17 in the 1100 block of Chesterwood Drive. An unknown female suspect used a false statement to obtain property or credit April 16 or April 17 in the 6600 block of Broadway Street, police said. A forged check was reported April 18 in the 2800 block of Harkey Road, police said. Police filed an identity theft report April 18 in the 2700 block of Parkside Valley Lane. A woman was defrauded of $10,000 April 19 in the 1800 block of Oakleaf Circle, police said. Credit card abuse and theft of gas was reported April 19 in the 11100 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said. Credit or debit card abuse occurred March 4, according to a police report filed April 20 in the 2700 block of Sienna Springs Drive. Debit card abuse was reported April 20 in the 6100 block of Patridge Drive, police said. A complainant reported being scammed April 20 in the 3200 block of Broadway Street, police said. Fraudulent use or possession of identifying information occurred between July 30, 2015, and April 12, according to a police report filed April 21 in the 12400 block of Shadow Creek Parkway. Narcotics Police arrested a Houston woman, 35, for possession of a controlled substance and public intoxication April 15 in the 13900 block of Texas 288. A 23-year-old Pearland woman was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia April 16 in the 8600 block of McHard Road, police said. Police arrested a Fresno man, 22, for possession of marijuana, possession of a dangerous drug and possession of a controlled substance April 17 in the 8300 block of Broadway Street. An 18-year-old Stafford woman also was arrested for marijuana possession, police said. Police arrested a 17-year-old Friendswood man for marijuana possession April 17 in the 3300 block of Windcrest Court. A Pearland man, 27, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia April 17 in the 2700 block of Reid Boulevard, police said. Police arrested a Houston woman, 22, for marijuana possession April 17 in the 16600 block of Texas 288. A Cedar Hill man, 23, was taken into custody for marijuana possession and a warrant April 17 in the 8600 block of Hughes Ranch Road, police said. Police arrested a Pearland man, 22, for marijuana possession April 17 in the 6700 block of Broadway Street. A male student was found in possession of a vape vial containing a yellow substance he believed to be THC, according to a police report filed April 18 in the 3700 block of Main Street. A 29-year-old League City man was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia April 19 in the 4500 block of Main Street, police said. A Missouri City woman, 29, was arrested for possession of marijuana and a controlled substance April 19 in the 2300 block of Cullen Parkway, police said. Police arrested a Houston man, 20, for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia April 20 in the 1700 block of Cullen Parkway. A Pearland woman, 42, was taken into custody for possession of a controlled substance and marijuana April 20 in the 3000 block of Oiler Drive, police said. Police arrested a Houston woman, 26, for marijuana possession April 20 in the 8600 block of Hughes Ranch Road. A 27-year-old Houston woman was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and no drivers license April 20 in the 2600 block of Lambeth Drive, police said. Weapons A student was found in possession of a BB gun April 15 on school grounds, according to a police report filed April 16 in the 2300 block of Schlieder Drive. A student brought a weapon to school, according to a teachers statement to police April 17 in the 2300 block of North Galveston Avenue. Assault A woman told police her ex-husband assaulted her, according to a police report filed April 15 in the 5000 block of Camden Lane. The assault reportedly occurred the previous day. Assault occurred April 16, according to a police report filed April 17 in the 1900 block of Main Street. A woman told police she was sexually assaulted by her boyfriend, according to a report filed April 17 in the 6500 block of Broadway Street. Police arrested a Pearland woman, 24, for assault April 18 in the 3600 block of Walden Drive. Assault was reported April 19 in the 8300 block of Broadway Street, police said. Police filed an assault report April 20 in the 2900 block of Piccadilly Circus. Assault, family violence was reported April 21 in the 2100 block of Cullen Parkway, police said. Police filed an assault by threat report April 21 in the 10000 block of Broadway Street. A family violence incident was reported April 21 in the 3300 block of East Orange Street, police said. Disorderly conduct Two boys were involved in a fight April 15 in the 2300 block of North Galveston Avenue, police said. A male student disrupted school activities by kicking and attempting to force his way into a classroom and cursing and using vulgarities toward school administrators, according to a police report filed April 18 in the 3300 block of Manvel Road. Police filed a disorderly conduct report following a verbal disturbance April 18 in the 3600 block of Dorothy Lane. Police took a 50-year-old Pearland woman into custody for disorderly conduct April 21 in the 2400 block of Green Tee Drive. Threats, harassment Police filed a harassment report April 17 in the 2300 block of San Conero Drive. A male student sent a picture of himself holding a gun to another male student, according to a police report filed April 17 in the 3700 block of Main Street. Police filed an information report regarding possible threats made April 17 in the 8000 block of Broadway Street. A known offender threatened a witness with bodily injury April 7, according to a police report filed April 18 in the 4100 block of Bailey Road. Terroristic threat was reported April 18 in the 4700 block of West Orange Street, police said. A disturbance was reported April 19 in the 4700 block of Main Street, police said. Police filed a terroristic threat report April 21 in the 11200 block of Broadway Street. Driving while intoxicated Police arrested a Houston man, 40, for DWI April 19 in the 9400 block of Broadway Street. A Pearland man, 46, was arrested for DWI April 21 in the 3200 block of John Lizer Road, police said. Police took a 25-year-old Houston woman into custody for DWI April 21 in the 13000 block of Broadway Street. Alcohol Four students consumed alcoholic beverages April 12 on school grounds, according to a police report filed April 17 in the 2300 block of Old Alvin Road. Criminal mischief Police filed a criminal mischief report April 15 in the 11700 block of Broadway Street. Criminal mischief was reported April 19 in the 4100 block of South Nolan Drive, police said. A known male damaged property that did not belong to him between April 19 and April 20 in the 1300 block of Broadway Street, police said. Failure to identify A suspicious activity investigation led to the arrest of a Houston man, 21, for failure to identify and warrants and an Humble man, 22, for a traffic offense April 19 in the 14800 block of Texas 288, police said. Resisting arrest Police took a Pearland man, 25, into custody for resisting arrest and public intoxication April 20 in the 10100 block of Broadway Street. A 22-year-old Manvel man was arrested for possession of a prohibited weapon and DWI, police said. Traffic Police arrested a Pearland man, 53, for no drivers license, failure to maintain financial responsibility and a warrant April 15 in the 1300 block of Main Street. A Pearland woman, 38, was arrested for driving while license invalid April 15 in the 8500 block of Hughes Ranch Road, police said. A Houston man, 42, was arrested for driving while license invalid, failure to maintain financial responsibility and a warrant April 16 in the 8500 block of Broadway, police said. Police arrested a 39-year-old Houston woman for driving while license invalid, failure to maintain financial responsibility and operating a vehicle with an expired license plate April 19 in the 1500 block of Cullen Parkway. People wishing to chip in on plans to boost traffic capacity and safety on a three-mile stretch of Mykawa Road have until May 8 to send comments to the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT officials believe the proposed $40 million project would decrease traffic congestion and improve mobility and safety by adding more traffic lanes to a section of the road between Beltway 8 and FM 518. Details of the proposed work include widening the existing two-lane undivided road to four lanes, providing a path for bicycles and pedestrians and constructing a sidewalk along the road from FM 518 to McHard Road. Also planned are a curb-and-gutter storm water system, landscaping and street lighting. Potentially, four residential properties and one business could be will be impacted by the project, TxDOT spokesman Danny Perez said. However, most of the 25 acres needed for additional right of way and drainage detention would come from parking lots, he said. We have a right-of-way program that will help with relocation and real estate costs, Perez said. In addition to payment for the property, if businesses or residents are required to move, they may be entitled to assistance in locating another home or business and financial assistance in the form of moving and related expenses, according to a TxDOTbooklet on state purchase of right of way. All comments about the proposed Mykawa Road improvement project may be submitted by mail, email or online. Perez said TxDOT will consider the comments and could schedule a public hearing for later in the year or early 2020 that would include a presentation and an opportunity for citizens and business owners to speak directly to officials with the state department. Mail comments to the director of project development at the TxDOT Houston District office, P.O. Box 1386 Houston, Texas, 77251. Email comments to HOU-piowebmail@txdot.gov or go online and leave a comment on the TxDOT website. Part of efforts to inform the public about the project included an April 23 public meeting hosted by TxDOT at Pearland ISDs Virgil Gant Education Support Center in Pearland. This is just a chance for people to get details on the project and allow them the opportunity to ask any questions or make a comment or concern, Perez said. Federal money will cover 80 percent of funding, with the rest coming from local funding. Construction is targeted to start in 2021. But before that begins, there are still several steps that still need to be taken. Once TxDOT has received all comments from citizens, an environmental analysis will begin. TxDOT would begin the right-of-way acquisition process in 2020 before starting construction. tyler.johnson@chron.com A man who gained Internet fame as "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" has been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of a New Jersey man almost six years ago. Jurors in Union County convicted 30-year-old Caleb "Kai" McGillvary on Wednesday in the May 2013 death of 73-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy. The Canadian gained online fame after intervening in a 2012 assault on a California utility worker in Fresno. In the year that followed, McGillvary apparently hadn't stopped his hitchhiking lifestyle; authorities said he ended up in New York, where he met Galfy. After a few beers in Times Square, authorities said Galfy offered to let McGillvary stay at Galfy's home in New Jersey. Police found Galfy's body in his home the next day; he had been beaten to death. Messages on the victim's phone linked him to McGillvary. McGillvary was arrested in Philadelphia days later after a Starbucks barista recognized him from a news report. He alleged that he acted in self-defense following an attempted sexual assault, but prosecutors said his statements were inconsistent and also cited the victim's extensive injuries. ALSO: FBI investigating after police say driver 'deliberately' strikes pedestrians After McGillvary intervened in the 2012 assault, he was interviewed by local TV news. He described using a hatchet to fend off a man, who police said was attacking pedestrians. "[The attacker] runs up and he grabs one of them, man. Like a guy that big can snap a woman's neck like a pencil stick! So I [expletive] ran up behind him with a hatchet," McGillvary said. "Smash! Smash! Smash! It was [expletive] gnarly, man. It was like the biggest wave I've ever ridden." A clip on YouTube went viral, and "Kai the Hitchhiker" even landed a guest appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Pennsylvania woman is dead after falling into a meat grinder at a processing plant. WNEP reports it happened Monday at Economy Locker Storage Company in Muncy Township. Officials said that Jill Greninger, 35, fell into the machinery just before noon. Authorities told ABC News Greninger was found by a coworker after workers began hearing strange noises coming from the commercial machine. Firefighters spent about 45 minutes disassembling the large machine in an effort to recover the womans remains. Lycoming County coroner Charles Kiessling Jr. said the woman may have been standing on a set of wheeled stairs before the incident. He told the Williamsport Sun-Gazette it was a "horrible accident." "This is just a tragedy," Kiessling said. "She died inside the moving parts of the machine." Witnesses are not sure exactly how Greninger ended up in the machine. "I don't know if she got caught with the moving parts and they pulled her in, or if she just slipped and fell," Kiessling said, "I don't know and there's no way of determining that." Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators are still looking into what caused Greninger's death. "My heart goes out to everyone who is affected by this. Everyone is shaken and thinks that this is a tragedy that something like this had to happen to such a young lady," one neighbor said. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Hundreds of police officers swept through Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Thursday, shutting down large parts of the capital city and looking urgently for six suspects three men and three women connected to the Easter Sunday attacks who might be planning a new wave of bloodshed. The countrys defense secretary, Hemasiri Fernando, resigned after the president blamed him for failing to act on warnings. At least 10 days before the attack, the Sri Lankan government had detailed intelligence that Islamist extremists were plotting suicide bombings at churches. STAY IN THE KNOW: Get all the news you need to know to start your day, delivered to your inbox On Easter morning, bombers struck three churches and three hotels, killing more than 350 people, in one worlds deadliest terrorist attacks in recent years. Police officials said Thursday that they feared there were at least two people on the loose who had planned to be suicide bombers that day. Police said they had information that another attack was imminent, posted the suspects pictures on social media and urged anyone with information about them to call a hotline. Security services also circulated a memo saying that the group that carried out the Easter attacks could be specifically targeting Sufi shrines. Authorities in Sri Lanka have blamed a local extremist Islamist group, National Towheed Jamaat, for the bombings, and images posted online appear to show members of the group pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group, which has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The local group follows a fundamentalist form of Islam that believes Sufi Muslims, who adhere to a mystical school of Islam, are heretics. TRAVEL WARNINGS: UK warns against travel to Sri Lanka The tragedy Sunday could have been much worse had it not been for a miscalculation by the attackers, officials said. One bomber arrived at the Taj Samudra, another luxury hotel, carrying explosives in a large backpack, but twice failed to trigger the fuse on the device. The bomber then left the hotel for a motel a couple miles away, where he died in an explosion. Officials say he was probably trying to fix the bomb when it detonated. Across Sri Lanka, Friday prayer for Muslims and Sunday services for Roman Catholics have been canceled amid fears of large public gatherings. Tensions are rising and in some areas a violent backlash against the countrys Muslim minority has begun. The countrys devastating 26-year civil war, which ended in 2009, was fought along ethnic lines, not religious ones. Agents from the FBI, the British intelligence service MI6, and Indian, Australian and Swiss security agencies have all joined the investigation into the attacks. Sri Lankan authorities said more than 70 people had been arrested. But one Sri Lankan official grumbled that coordination between Sri Lankas various government agencies was hampering the investigation. Sri Lankan intelligence agencies were still refusing to share foreign intelligence reports with officials in other departments investigating the suicide attacks, the official said. The Sri Lankan government is bitterly divided, which may have contributed to the security failures leading up to the bombings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, a rival of President Maithripala Sirisena, has complained that he was not allowed to attend security meetings before the attacks and was never informed of the warnings. Sirisena has tried to deflect intense criticism for the governments failure to prevent the attacks, and on Wednesday he called for the resignations of Fernando, the defense secretary, and Pujith Jayasundara, the inspector general of the police. Just a few months ago, authorities arrested and then released several of the suicide bombers and in January the police found a large cache of weapons, including explosives, assembled by radical Islamists who they say were probably were linked to National Towheed Jamaat. Indian intelligence officials began warning their Sri Lankan counterparts of a pending attack at least as early as April 4, officials have said. On April 11, a police official sent a memo to Sri Lankan security agencies, based on Indian intelligence reports, outlining in great detail the threat of suicide bombings at churches, with names, addresses and phone numbers of suspects. But many officials did not see the memo. And just hours before the bombs detonated in packed churches and hotel restaurants, India warned that the attacks were imminent. Lawmakers, survivors and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, are among those who have criticized the security services for failing to act. Sri Lankan officials said Thursday that they were having trouble identifying all of the suicide bombers through DNA tests, which would require comparison to samples taken from relatives, because the families of some of the bombers had fled their homes and were nowhere to be found. With warnings of more attacks putting the entire capital on alert, many people stayed home. The Liberty Plaza mall, one of the citys biggest, was deserted. Shop after shop was closed, and the few that were open stood empty. Roadblocks went up around the country. Many people said they felt uneasy. I dont know what to eat, I dont know when to eat, my whole body is trembling, said Indika Manamperi, the owner of two restaurants in the food court. Manamperi said he used to be a major in the Sri Lankan army and felt completely demoralized by the terror attacks. There was enough of a bloodbath for the past 30 years and again our children have to face the same tune? he said. What really distressed him, he said, was Sri Lankas political dysfunction during such a painful crisis. Im stressed because these Sri Lankan politicians dont want to take responsibility, he said. Its a pathetic state of affairs. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. 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. 7:30 p.m. UPDATE Two sisters and a niece of James Byrd Jr. addressed the media after the execution. Here is the text of the statement read by Clara Taylor: "Today we witnessed the peaceful and dignified execution of John King for the savage, brutal and inhumane murder of James on June 7, 1998 -- really a modern-day lynching. King, who was the ringleader of the three, had a deeply ingrained hatred of blacks as evidenced by his actions, tattoos and hate-filled rhetoric. He wanted to make a name for himself and his organization by killing a black man. James was chosen as his target. James was shown no mercy as they dragged him while alive behind a pickup truck using a 25-foot logging chain. His body was slung from side to side like a sack of potatoes until he was decapitated. King showed no remorse then as well as tonight. His execution tonight was just punishment for his actions. "The outcry of support and rage from around the world indicated that James' death did make a difference, not just to us, his family, but to others of various races. We are grateful for the full support of the judicial system on all levels -- local, state and federal -- that led to speedy arrests, trials and convictions of all three perpetrators. Tonight after almost 21 years on death row, the death sentence was finally carried out. "James would have been 70 this year. He was deprived of so many priceless memories, such as watching his three children grow up and become productive citizens. He has four grandchildren and his oldest granddaughter will soon graduate from college. "James' legacy continues to be one of peace and nonviolence. As a result of James' death, laws have been passed to recognize hate crimes and to prosecute accordingly. But laws cannot change the heart of man. We continue to look to God for a permanent solution, but meanwhile encourage everyone to continue to get to know one another on a personal level (especially those of a different race or ethnic group). "We believe that open dialogue is one of the keys to overcoming racial prejudice which if left unchecked often can lead to racial hatred and acts of violence." 7:15 p.m. UPDATE Witnesses have been brought back to the TDCJ administration building, a sign that the execution is over. A cheer went up from a group of about 25 pro-death penalty supporters gathered. Though a smaller group than those advocating for abolition of capital punishment, folks in this group, like Shemeekeiaa Smith of Huntsville, were wondering why it took so long to get John William King into the death chamber. Smith, of Huntsville, recalled being a 23-year-old woman when the hate crime happened in 1998. "We waited 21 years for justice to be served," she said. 6:40 p.m. UPDATE Media and other officials witnesses have been led from the TDCJ administrative building to the Huntsville Unit prison across the street, a sign that the execution of John William King is near. We will hear from them, including our colleague Monique Batson, afterward. 6:26 p.m. UPDATE Just got word from the Enterprise's Monique Batson, who is waiting to be led into the execution chamber with other witnesses, that the Supreme Court has DENIED a stay for John William King's execution. We will continue to update. 6 p.m. UPDATE We are at the scheduled execution time but have yet to hear from the U.S. Supreme Court, which is reviewing a plea for a stay from attorneys for John William King. That's not necessarily unusual, and officials say the execution must go forward by midnight or be postponed. Meanwhile, a group of about 50 protesters have gathered outside the Huntsville Unit to decry the death penalty. They just finished broadcasting an instrumental hymn and are waiting like the rest of us. 5 p.m. UPDATE Newton County Sheriff Billy Rowles, who was the sheriff in Jasper County when James Byrd Jr. was dragged to his death in one of the nation's most shocking hate crimes, has arrived in Huntsville ahead of tonight's scheduled execution of killer John William King. "The closer it gets, the more you realize someone is fixing to die," Rowles said. "As bad as a guy as he is, he's still a human being fixing to take his last breath." Rowles said he used to look forward to this day since King, Lawrence Russell Brewer and Shawn Allen Berry were convicted of capital murder. But now he can't help but have mixed emotions about the situation. He said he didn't attend the execution of Brewer, but he felt he needed to be here to witness King's date with justice. "I've seen people die, and I've had the hollowness in my stomach when you see the life leave someone," Rowles said. "I kind of have that same sentiment right now." Rowles said he has spoken with King in the past, but that the condemned man has never admitted being there the night of the crime. "I hope for his sake and the (Byrd) family that he changes his mind before he is executed," he said. It is not yet known whether King plans any final statement. 4:30 p.m. UPDATE Still no word from the U.S. Supreme Court on the scheduled 6 p.m. execution of Jasper hate killer John William King. His attorneys are continuing to press for a stay before King is to die by injection. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has blocked off the street in front of the Huntsville Unit, an imposing red-brick prison known colloquially as "The Walls," as part of the preparation for the execution. TDCJ chief spokesman Jeremy Desel has been briefing the gathering reporters on King's activities. At this moment, King is being held in a small holding cell about 4 steps (10 feet) from the execution chamber. He has not requested any spiritual advisers, but a pair of chaplains are available to him to facilitate his use of the telephone and, if needed, to talk about other matters. King has had several visitors over the last few days, Desel said. No one will attend the actual execution on his behalf. Two sisters and a niece of James Byrd Jr., the victim of the vicious hate crime 21 years that landed King and another man on death row and sent a friend of theirs to prison for life, will view the execution along with media and official witnesses. At the time of his arrest, King was a shocking figure whose body was adorned with white supremacist and other tattoos. Today, Desel said, he looks like a typical mid-40s man, with close-cropped hair and a slight beard. 3 p.m. UPDATE About four hours before his scheduled execution, John William King was "fairly talkative," and in a "fairly typical mood," according to officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. King, 44, is one of three men convicted of capital murder for chaining 49-year-old James Byrd Jr. to the back of a pickup and dragging him three miles before leaving his mangled body the roadside in 1998. Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011; Shawn Allen Berry was sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for parole in 2038. King's activities since 12:01 a.m. have included cleaning, visiting with friends, showering and reading, according to a log provided by TDCJ. He is currently in a holding cell about 10 feet from the death chamber. He will not have any witnesses in attendance. Three members of the Byrd family, two of his sisters and one niece, will be witnessing on behalf of the victim. A motion to stop his execution was filed with the Supreme Court Tuesday after Texas justices ruled 5-4 in favor of execution. No judgement has been made as of now. > > MORE: King's fate rests with Supreme Court Five employees of a Jiffy Lube in Cypress are wanted for allegedly conducting fraudulent vehicle inspections, according to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman. Precinct 4's Emissions Task Force Unit reportedly conducted an investigation into the Allied Lube, also known as Jiffy Lube #2298, in the 13000 block of Louetta Road, Cypress, Texas. Houston police say a man whose body was found in a northwest Houston ditch Thursday morning was bound and shot. Houston paramedics were called out to check on the man, who was found along W. 12th Street near Hempstead Road around 7 a.m., according to the Houston Police Department. When medics arrived, they called for police officers to come to the scene. The death of 13-year-old Kashala Francis was ruled as being due to natural causes, according an autopsy performed by Harris County Institute of Forensic Science. Kashala Francis, was involved in an off-campus altercation near Attucks Middle School on April 18, according to Houston Police Department spokesperson Victor Senties. She was rushed to Texas Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead nearly a week later, Senties said. MORNING UPDATES: Get all the news you need to know to start your day, delivered to your inbox According to an HCIFS spokesperson, the autopsy found that Kashala died of natural causes, due to "complications of intracranial neoplasm (pilocytic astrocytoma)." According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders website, "Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma (JPA) is a rare childhood brain tumor. In most cases, the tumor is a benign, slow growing tumor that usually does not spread to surrounding brain tissue." HPD homicide detectives initially investigated the girl's death. An HPD Public Information Officer said due to the autopsy's ruling, the investigation will shift to see if any assault charges might be filed against those involved in the off-campus fight. Houston ISD issued the following statement: "The Houston Independent School District is deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our students. We extend our sincere condolences to the student's family, friends, teachers and classmates. Off-campus events that preceded the student's death are being investigated by the Houston Police Department, and HISD is cooperating. We have grief counselors available at Attucks Middle School for all who may need assistance." HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Austin HS student charged with bringing gun to school, HISD says 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 An Austin High School student is in hot water after allegedly bringing a pistol and drugs to school Wednesday. Staff at the east side high school found the drugs and firearm inside 18-year-old Richard Duran's backpack, according to a Houston ISD statement to Chron.com. Staff members alerted officers with the Houston ISD Police Department, who quickly arrested Duran. Elizabeth Warren said the University of Houston cost her $50 per semester in the late 1960s. The U.S. presidential candidate was both a student and a professor at the school, despite criticism that she shies away from using the university's name on the national stage. The execution Wednesday of John William King for the 1998 lynching of James Byrd Jr., who was chained to a pickup truck and dragged to death, wont bring the victim back to life. It wont erase the heartbreak of the loved ones Byrd left behind. Neither will it remove the stain that the atrocity left on the East Texas town of Jasper, where the murder occurred. So, what purpose will Kings execution serve? Kings death by injection occurred less than two weeks after a white man was arrested for setting fire to three black churches in Louisiana. The proximity of those events makes one wonder if race relations have changed since Byrd was lynched. Clearly there have been improvements in the past 21 years, but the FBI says hate crimes in America, most of them motivated by race or ethnicity, have increased. Few compare to what happened to Byrd. While walking home late at night, he accepted a ride from three white guys in a pickup. The driver was Shawn Berry. The other two, King and Lawrence Russell Brewer, had been members of a skinhead prison gang called the Confederate Knights of America. They attacked Byrd, beat him into submission, wrapped one end of a chain around his ankles, the other end to the trucks ball, and dragged him for three miles. Part of Byrds body was found near a cemetery; the rest a mile and a half up the road. It wasnt hard for police to find Byrds assailants. They clumsily left evidence where it was easily found. All three men were convicted of capital murder. Brewer was executed in 2011. Berry, who cooperated with authorities, was sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for parole in 2038. Kings fate was set after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-minute appeal Wednesday evening. King was a walking, talking advertisement for racism. His many body tattoos included a black man hanging from a tree, a robed Ku Klux Klansman, a swastika, and the words Aryan Pride. Prosecutors said King was as an exalted cyclops of the Confederate Knights of America and recruited white troops for an imagined race war. Did Kings execution have a purpose other than vengeance? Executions usually dont. Research has shown them to also be poor deterrents to future crimes. Capital punishment has more to do with retribution than justice. But Kings execution could be different. Thats if his story of unbridled racism could be used to bury the misguided notion that memorials and traditions honoring the Confederate States of America should be treated with reverence. Klan and skinhead groups use emblems that link them to the Confederacy for a specific reason: Like them, the rebel states were united by racism. Failing to preserve slavery, the former Confederate states continued to treat black people as inferior to whites by enacting segregation laws that stayed on the books into the 1960s. Many African-Americans and others view commemorations of the Confederacy as endorsements of the historical subjugation of black people. That doesnt mean other folks cant be proud of their ancestors. They were fighting for a racist cause, but most were soldiers, not murderers like King and two others who killed Byrd. That pride, however, shouldnt be endorsed by state governments whose citizens also include people who arent descendants of Confederate soldiers and sympathizers. The State Preservation Board has finally removed the plaque erected in the Capitol in 1959 by the Children of the Confederacy, which absurdly asserts the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery. The next logical step would be to stop celebrating a Confederate Heroes Day in the same state that celebrates Juneteenth, the worldwide celebration that began in Texas to mark the day slavery finally ended in all of America. State employees can currently take Confederate Heroes Day off at taxpayers expense. Taxpayers who dont want to celebrate defenders of slavery shouldnt have to pay for that holiday. Jacob Hale, who as a 13-year-old urged the Legislature in 2015 to abolish the Texas holiday established in 1973 to honor Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and other Confederate figures, is back at it. Now 17, Hale has written state leaders a letter reminding them that many Texans do not find the actions of Confederates heroic. Maybe this time they will listen to him. Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, has authored a bill that would end Confederate Heroes Day, which has been sitting in the State Affairs Committee since Feb. 26. Passing the legislation might help persuade the eight other states with holidays honoring the Confederacy to follow Texas lead. The Legislature should pass the bill in the name of James Byrd Jr. Let the execution of his murderer serve as the catalyst. That would serve a purpose much more meaningful than vengeance. This Ontario city has Canadas lowest unemployment rate Guelph has 'unlimited number' of manufacturing jobs, local business leader says This Ontario city has Canadas lowest unemployment rate Guelph has 'unlimited number' of manufacturing jobs, local business leader says This Ontario city has Canadas lowest unemployment rate Guelph has 'unlimited number' of manufacturing jobs, local business leader says CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A The unemployment rate in Guelph, Ontario, was the lowest in Canada once again last month, maintaining a trend thats attracting an increasing number of immigrants to the so-called Royal City. Located 100 kilometres west of Toronto, the city of nearly 132,000 people had an unemployment rate of just 2.2 per cent last month the lowest in Canada, according to a monthly labour market report card compiled by BMO Capital Markets. The average unemployment rate for the 33 Canadian cities listed was 5.3 per cent. To get a better sense of the type of job prospects immigrants to the city might find, CIC News spoke with Sohrab Rahmaty, employment coordinator with Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington, a local organization that works with newcomers to the city and surrounding county. Manufacturing Rahmaty said there is a huge need for labour in Guelphs manufacturing sector. Two companies in particular the auto parts maker Linamar and Danby Appliances regularly hire immigrants. General labour, blue-collar jobs machine operators and such immigrants do well getting those jobs, Rahmaty said. Last October, Danby Appliance President and CEO Jim Estill told an immigration-focused conference that there is an unlimited number of blue collar jobs in Guelph enough for both Canadian-born workers and immigrants. Rahmaty said this fact has helped draw many immigrants to the Guelph region who had initially settled in other parts of Canada. They hear through family, friends or contacts, or their own research, that we have a lower unemployment rate and strong manufacturing sector, he said. Thats a pull factor for a lot of newcomers. Local companies are very open to newcomers, he added, and a number have developed language courses and buddy programs to assist newcomers adjust. The need for labour is such, Rahmaty said, that companies are now competing for workers, which is having an impact on salaries. When youre losing X amount of dollars a day because youre short-staffed, theres an incentive there to pay a little more, to provide pathways to skill upgrades and were going to see more of that, he said. Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration Work for skilled professionals The high demand for blue-collar workers in Guelph does not mean there arent opportunities for skilled professionals, Rahmaty said. The city is a hub for agricultural research and is home to Ontarios Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, so you see a lot of people with veterinary backgrounds and biotech backgrounds coming and settling in Guelph, he noted. The University of Guelph is another source of potential employment for professionals, notably academics and researchers. The university placed fourth among Canadas comprehensive universities in last years university rankings by Macleans Magazine. Comprehensive universities are defined as those that conduct some graduate-level research and offer a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. With a growing number of skilled workers coming through Canadas Express Entry system, Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington is developing a connectors program that Rahmaty said will connect internationally trained professionals with a professional currently working in their field locally with the goal of linking them to three other professionals. Rahmaty said professional newcomers coming to Guelph need to keep an open mind when it comes to work and be willing to work outside of their profession or in entry-level jobs to get Canadian experience and sustain themselves financially. Professional newcomers who immigrated through Canadas Express Entry system are typically well-equipped with excellent communication skills, education and work experience, all of which can help them to find employment quickly and work their way up into more senior positions. It also helps to identify professional skills that may be transferable to Guelphs employment market, Rahmaty added. Even Canadian-born, Canadian-educated students rarely go into a job that is exactly what they studied, he said. Youre utilizing those transferable skills. You may have been in the auto industry in India or in the finance industry in Dubai, but how do you take your transferable skills and put them to use here in Guelph? Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration 2019 CICNews All Rights Reserved On this weeks episode, CJR Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope speaks with freelance cartoonist Darrin Bell, who won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning for his beautiful and daring editorial cartoons that took on issues affecting disenfranchised communities, calling out lies, hypocrisy and fraud in the political turmoil surrounding the Trump administration. Bell, who is the first African American artist to win the prize, discusses the importance of editorial cartoons in a political crisis. SHOW NOTES: Pulitzer Prizes reflect a violent year for journalism , Andrew McCormick, CJR Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach. You may not realize it, but youve probably already used machine learning technology in your journalism. Perhaps you used a service like Trint to transcribe your interviews, punched in some text for Google to translate, or converted the Mueller Report into readable text. And if you havent used it yourself, machine learning is probably at work in the bowels of your news organization, tagging text or photos so they can be found more easily, recommending articles on the company website or social media to optimize their reach or stickiness, or trying to predict who to target for subscription discounts. Machine learning has already infiltrated some of the most prosaic tasks in journalism, speeding up and making possible stories that might otherwise have been too onerous to report. Were already living the machine-learning future. But, particularly on the editorial side, weve only begun to scratch the surface. To be clear: Im not here to hype you on a fabulous new technology. Sorry, machine learning is probably not going to save the news industry from its financial woes. But theres nonetheless a lot of utility for journalists to discover within it. What else can machine learning do for the newsroom? How can journalists use it to enhance their editorial work in new ways? And what should they be wary of as they take up these powerful new tools? The phrase machine learning describes a kind of finely crafted and engineered tool. Trint, for example, is able to transcribe an audio clip because its algorithm has learned how patterns of sound correspond to patterns of letters and words. Such algorithms are trained on many hours of manually transcribed audio. The algorithm learns the ways that patterns in audio translate into patterns of text, and can then perform transcription on new samples of audio. More formally, machine learning refers to the use of algorithms that learn patterns from data and are able to perform taskslike transcriptionwithout being explicitly programmed to do so. Machine learning approaches and specific technical algorithms come in several different flavors, and each may be suited to a different use. These approaches are often distinguished by the amount and type of human feedback provided: There are still a few problems of which practitioners should be cognizant as they consider how to use these techniques. Sign up for CJR 's daily email ICYMI: All our righteous scumbags First: bias. Duke Universitys Tech & Check Collaborative uses the ClaimBuster system to monitor text, using a machine-learned model to identify factual claims in so-called check-worthy factual sentences, which are then sent to fact checkers. The model it uses was trained on 20,000 hand-labelled sentences from past US presidential debates. Academic researchers evaluated ClaimBusters analysis of 21 transcripts from the 2016 US presidential debates. The researchers compared the topics of the factual claims identified by the ClaimBuster algorithm to the topics of the claims selected by human fact-checkers at CNN and Politifact. As compared to the human fact-checkers, the ClaimBuster algorithm picked up more claims about the economy and fewer about social issues. If human fact-checkers were to rely solely on the ClaimBuster algorithm, its biases would steer them away from social-issue claimsan outcome that may not be desirable from a public interest standpoint. Another aspect of the evaluation showed that Donald Trump had fewer claims marked as check-worthy by the system than Hillary Clinton did. Trumps rhetorical style may have made his statements less susceptible to being identified by the algorithm. Since the ClaimBuster system heavily weights the presence of numbers in its selection of claims, a lack of specifics from Trump might have something to do with his results. Such machine-learned systems might orient (or divert) attention in characteristic ways. Journalists using these tools ought to be aware of that possibility, and prepare to fill the gaps as needed. Editors in particular should oversee, monitor, and set bounds on how coverage might be shaped by such systems. There is also the problem of uncertainty. Machine-learned models that predict scores or classify categories of documents are rarely 100 percent certain of their outputs. Theyre statistical in nature. That means that journalists need to remain skeptical of them, and verify their outputs rigorously. Various validation methodologies can be used to assess the overall quality of a model, but an individual output could still be an anomaly. If a model effectively accuses an individual or specific organization of wrongdoing and could lead to severe negative consequences for them, then caution is warranted when publishing the outputs of the model. Awareness of uncertainty is key. But if the output of a machine-learning system is only used internally to a newsroom and there will always be a journalist checking it before anything is published, then theres less of a concern. Journalists need to ask what the chance is that a models prediction or categorization could be wrongand whats at stake if it is? Journalists who have used machine learning in their work acknowledge that these algorithms are imperfect. They can miss potentially newsworthy documents, meaning that a given investigation of a trove of records might not be as comprehensive as it could if someone manually checked every document. But sometimes a story doesnt require an exhaustive accounting of cases, and finding most or even some newsworthy documents in a massive pile is all thats needed for a solid journalistic contribution. If the output of a machine-learned model can be corroborated through other sources and still remain newsworthy, thats ideal. At the Los Angeles Times an investigation used machine learning to evaluate the quality of police data. The main result from the modelthat the LAPD had been systematically under-reporting serious assaults in their crime statisticswas corroborated by the department, which had itself just concluded an internal audit of their data, according to the Timess reporting. That triangulation of evidence helped boost the reporters confidence in their machine learning result. READ: Last years headlines are in danger of disappearing forever Finally, because of the wide variety of machine-learning approaches available, part of the challenge for journalism is figuring out which techniques are appropriate (and useful) for particular journalistic tasks. One way to tackle this challenge would be to invite experts in machine learning to take up residence in newsrooms where they could determine which strains of machine learning could be most useful to the journalists there. Another possibility might be to invite editorial thinkers to do fellowships in computing environments. With more collaboration over time, we can flesh out where and when machine learning is most useful in journalism, and thus broaden the capacities of even the largest newsrooms to investigate the secrets hidden in the vastness of digital data. In summary, Im bullish on the capabilities and opportunities that machine learning presents to editorial work, but also cautious enough to remind readers that machine learning is not the answer to every journalistic task. The grand challenge moving forward is to experiment with when and where the different flavors of machine learning truly do bring new editorial value, and when, in fact, we may just want to rely on good ol human learning. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Nicholas Diakopoulos is an assistant professor at the Northwestern University School of Communication, the author of the book Automating the News: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Media, and a regular contributor to CJR. When Joel Birket was a child, his family moved to new cities for a year at a time so his father, William, could install printing presses at the major daily newspapers in Seattle and Minneapolis. I saw all the different trades and effort that was put into making these presses work, Birket says. It was just fascinating. Later, Birketwho entered the same line of work in 1994, and who now oversees his own shop specializing in machinery moving and press installationsopened drawers at printing plants and spotted his dads handwriting on old drawings detailing the operations of a press. Recently, Birket, who is 44, stood in the press room of the Nashville-based Tennessean for a different sort of job than the one his father so often performed. In 1989, Birkets dad had installed the Tennesseans printing press. Nearly three decades later, Birket had returned to take it apart. New at CJR: With Ink, a knowing audience encounters a young Murdoch Unlike his father, who died in 2015, Birket spends more of his time dismantling presses rather than installing them. Faced with declining circulation and advertising revenue, an increasing number of newspapers, most of which used to have a press in a backroom or basement, have outsourced their printing to a central location serving multiple newspapers. In some cases, the newspapers hire companies to simply demolish the presses and haul them away. In others, they locate other publications interested in the equipment. For the latter, they hire Birket, who carefully takes the press apart and then transports parts of it. A typical press, Birket says, is 160 feet long and weighs 1,000 tons, and machinists must align and level it within 3/1000 of an inch in order for images to appear cleanly on newspapers. Successful installation requires meticulous mechanical work as well as electrical and plumbing skills, which many people in the printing-press industry learned on the job, according to Jason Birket, Joels older brother. Its a unique jobthere were only a few people in the world who did it, Jason Birket says. Like his brother and their father, Jason Birket worked for Goss International, one of the largest printing-press manufacturers in the world. His first press installation, as an apprentice machinist, was at the Tennessean in 1989. Combined, the three Birkets installed hundreds of printing presses around the world. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project There is no formal schoolyou cant go to a university or college to learn how to install a printing press, Jason Birket says. Those of us who did it working for Goss always say that we went to the University of Goss. At the Tennessean, engineers designed the printing equipment, which occupied the bottom floors of a 50,000-square-foot building, to flawlessly create thousands of copies of each issuefold them and cut them, 70,000 an hour, spit them out all in one line, right on a conveyor, right into a mailroom, Joel Birket says. Most newspapers no longer need that capacity. The total circulation of daily US newspapers declined from 62.3 million in 1990 to 30.9 million in 2017, according to a Pew Research Center report. News & Tech tracked printing plant closures from 2004 to 2015, but has since stopped. Many news outlets dont publicize the closures of their own presses, which makes tracking such closures an inexact science, Mary Van Meter, publisher and editor-in-chief of News & Tech, says. Every few weeks brings news of another paper closing its printing plant. It was a comforting sensation. I listened for it every day. It was affirming in a way I could not explain. Last year, The Tennessean, part of the Gannett-owned USA Today network, announced the impending closure of its in-house pressroom, timed with the papers move to a new office. Printing operations for the paper would shift 180 miles east, to Knoxvillea move the paper estimated would end the jobs of 30 pressroom workers. Nashvilles loyal pressmen face their final deadline, read one Tennessean headline about the transition. A North Carolina-based real-estate developer bought the Tennessean property for $50.3 million and, according to the Nashville Post, plans to demolish the papers building. In February, the paper hosted The Legacy of 1100 Broadway at its offices. During the event, Leon Alligood, a former Tennessean reporter who now teaches at Middle Tennessee State University, recalled how the life of the printing press assured him during his time at the paper. It was a comforting sensation, he recalled at the event. I listened for it every day. It was affirming in a way I could not explain. Dale Duke Welsh, director of operations for Ultimate Marketing, a company that specializes in asset recovery of newspaper press and electronic part, has in recent months visited six Gannett newspapers, including the Tennessean, to oversee the transfer or sale of printing press parts from one plant to another. He says he keeps his distance from longtime printing plant employees when he enters a job site. The first week is always eerie, says Welsh, whose father and grandfather also worked on printing presses. The Tennessean press printed its final issue in Nashville on Sunday, March 3, and featured pressroom employees on the front of a section. I was here on Monday morning, says Welsh. So when they see me coming, its like, Its real now. Birket must clear the press equipment out of Nashville by May. Later this year, hell install it at The New York Times, whose printing operation in Queens also prints USA Today, Newsday, and AM New York. David Stenstrom, who is the Times pressroom general foreman, says the Times wants to increase its color-printing capacity. Obviously, there is quite a bit of used equipment on the market, so its not a bad deal, Stenstrom, a third-generation pressroom worker who started at the Boston Globe in 1976, says. We are looking at where we need to invest to make ourselves a more profitable printer and provide printing for other products. Jason Birket, who lives in Florida, now works for the Times as a regional production manager. Though the Times gives a new life to the Tennesseans press and saves it from the scrapyard, Jason believes press installers will go the way of watchmakers or typewriter makers. Joel Birket has already started to move his own business into other areas. He offers rigging services and makes and repairs machine parts for manufacturers such as Nissan and Schneider Electric. His work at The Tennessean coincided with spring break for his 15-year-old son, Mason. Birket hired Mason to clean ink pans at the paper, and was happy with his sons work. Since then, his son has asked for more hours in the family business, though of course Birket cant say how long that work will involve printing presses for newspapers. I hate to see these presses go because I knew the people who ran the presses and maintained the presses, and they had families they supported based on this industry, Joel says. You could come into a newspaper and get a job and have it be a career. I hate to see careers go away, but its just evolution and change. The Media Today: Myanmar court confirms Reuters reporters sentence Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Eric Berger is a journalist based in St. Louis. He is an associate editor at the St. Louis Jewish Light and writes for the Riverfront Times, St. Louis Magazine, and the Religion News Service. PARIS A scaffolding firm that has worked on the roof of Notre Dame said some of its workers had smoked on the site, but ruled out that a cigarette butt might have started the fire that destroyed the cathedrals oak-framed roof last week. A spokesman for family-owned Le Bras Freres, confirming a report in French weekly Le Canard Enchaine, told Reuters that some workers of its Europe Echafaudage scaffolding unit had informed police that they had sometimes smoked on the scaffolding, despite a smoking ban on the site. We condemn it. But the fire started inside the building so for company Le Bras this is not a hypothesis, it was not a cigarette butt that set Notre-Dame de Paris on fire, Le Bras Freres spokesman Marc Eskenazi said. The Canard Enchaine reported that police had found the remains of seven cigarette butts in the burnt-out cathedral. This is not wrong, said a source close to the investigation, who declined all other comment. Eskenazi said it was impossible to set a log on fire with a cigarette butt and questioned how cigarette butts could have been found on the site. If cigarette butts have survived the inferno, I do not know what material they were made of, he said. Europe Echaffaudage also ruled out the possibility that the fire might have been started by an electricity incident at one of the two lifts on the site. The lifts electricity was perfectly within specifications and well maintained, he said. He added that the two lifts were on the outside of the building, situated at 71 yards from the base of the spire, where the first smoke and flames had been spotted and that the workers had cut the power to the lifts at 5:50 p.m. when they had left the site for the day. The Canard Enchaine also reported that electrical wiring ran through the roof of the cathedral, but the church administration denied that safety norms had not been respected. Nothing was ever done without the authorization of the stateThere were no wires dangling, everything was properly installed, Notre-Dame spokesman Andre Finot said. In 2012, electrical engines had been installed to sound the bells in the spire. Finot said that when a first smoke alarm rang, security staff had made verifications but had not remarked anything unusual. I dont know whether they might have checked the wrong place, he said. He added that when a second alert rang shortly after, they spotted flames at the base of the fire. The Paris prosecutors office said that it is not ruling out any hypothesis about the origin of the fire and that investigators are considering all possibilities. A U.S. judge on Wednesday denied a request by Puerto Ricos federally created financial oversight board to extend a looming deadline to file claims, the latest hurdle for its plan to recoup billions of dollars paid to bondholders of potentially invalid debt issued by the islands government. Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who is hearing Puerto Ricos bankruptcy cases, declined to extend a two-year statute of limitations that runs out on May 2, saying it was not something Im persuaded this court is allowed to do. Edward Weisfelner, a lawyer for the board, said this could mean the board could be forced to file hundreds of lawsuits by that deadline against bondholders in order to preserve its claims. The board, which filed bankruptcy for the U.S. commonwealth in May 2017 in an effort to restructure about $120 billion of debt and pension obligations, had requested more time, arguing that the judge had to rule first on the validity of certain debt before claims against scores of bondholders could be filed. Extending the deadline would have avoided unnecessary and costly litigation, according to the board. The judge also rejected a request by a creditors committee to pursue claims for fraud and other infractions against advisers, underwriters and public officials involved in potentially illegal Puerto Rico debt sales. The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, which includes labor unions, as well as suppliers and contractors to the Puerto Rican government, argued that the board would not pursue these claims. But Weisfelner told Swain 27 underwriters, nine law firms, and five accounting firms were being targeted for fraud and other claims. In her denial, Swain said that the ability to propose a confirmable plan of adjustment was at stake and that the oversight board had not consented to the committees motion. The court has yet to decide on the boards January motion to void more than $6 billion of general obligation bonds sold in 2012 and 2014 on the basis they were issued in violation of debt limits in Puerto Ricos constitution. Creditor groups involved in the bankruptcy have also sought to invalidate debt issued by the Public Buildings Authority and bonds sold for the islands Employees Retirement System. Several banks were ordered last week to comply with the boards request for customer information that would be used in recovering bond payments. During Wednesdays court hearing, Martin Bienenstock, an attorney for the board, told Swain that negotiations to restructure about $9 billion of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authoritys (PREPA) debt were very promising. He also reported that transmission and distribution contracts with private companies are expected to be finalized in 2020s second quarter. Meanwhile, the oversight board this week filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to overturn a Feb. 15 appeals court ruling that determined its members were unconstitutionally appointed. The board also asked the First Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the 90-day deadline it set to allow President Donald Trump and the Senate to constitutionally validate the appointments or reconstitute the board. OPELIKA, Ala. Witnessing survivors wear the same clothing days after the March 3 tornadoes, Kaitlyn Willing felt spiritually led to convert her mobile boutique business into the Tornado Relief Clothing Bus. Although the storm did not personally affect our home, it affected our family because long-time friends of ours lost their 10-year-old daughter in the tornado, Willing said. It rocked us to our core. In February 2017, Willing and her husband purchased a school bus to renovate into a pink boutique on wheels, stocked with designer goods and equipped with two changing rooms in the back. But with a fourth son on the way, the bus sat unused in their backyard. The Lord put it on my heart to fire it up again and begin bringing clothing to tornado survivors, Willing said. I knew Lee County could do better than donating old T-shirts or out-of-style clothing from the back of their closets. A standard was set. We would not accept just any clothing. We would only accept the best, gently-loved items or brand new items with tags. Each weekend, Willing drove into the disaster zone, offering survivors quality clothing, shoes and accessories, and from the first day of service, she understood the gravity of the situation. Pictures online truly did not do justice to the complete devastation we witnessed as we parked the bus on land where a familys house once stood, Willing said. One of the mothers walked up to me, with tears in her eyes and her children following behind her. Her request was for a pair of jeans for her daughter because she had been wearing the same sweatpants for a week. My heart broke. Willing began to see a fascinating contrast between the rubble outside the bus windows and survivors joyfully searching for free, clean, quality clothing as they conversed and laughed. Normalcy had been brought to their lives, Willing explained. For a moment, they were able to escape the pure tragedy that surrounded them, she said. For a moment, these women could feel normal as they participated in a pampering experience at no cost. Week after week, we continued to set up shop in the very same spot on Lee Road 38, and I began to truly build relationships with the women that had survived the tornadoes. As the Tornado Relief Clothing Bus continues to serve the community, Willing is in need of volunteers like Hannah Whitecotton to sort, hang and distribute clothing to survivors who are rebuilding their homes and restocking their closets. The first time we went out there I got to go and help get the ladies set up with what they wanted, show them around and show them where the sizes were, Whitecotton said. Ive been trying to go over there a few times a week. Something thats so important is time and how we manage our time, and I believe we have the option of using time for ourselves or time to pour out to the community and help others. According to Willing, Whitecotton shares a sentiment prevalent in many Lee County residents, sacrificing their time and money to assist and comfort survivors. The Tornado Relief Clothing Bus would not have been possible without this amazing community, Willing said. Hundreds of people have donated the best items from their closets (and) purchased new items. In fact, multiple people from all over the United States have supported Lee County by shipping us boxes of clothing from their closets. Local organizations such as The Food Bank of East Alabama, Presbyterian Community Ministry, Wetumpka Sisters in Christ and the Auburn Rotary Club have collaborated with Willing to ensure tornado victims receive all their necessities. We have become a stable resource for the area, Willing said. Survivors can confidently know we are coming and can trust us. As they began to trust me, they shared the horrific stories of their experiences during and after the violent tornadoes altered their lives. I can honestly say, I am honored to know these women, and it brings me joy to spend time with them each weekend. As a volunteer serving after a disaster, Whitecotton said there is an observable trend of a quick response without ongoing assistance. Its common when things like this happen to see people just jump on it right away, and as soon as it happens, theres so many donations and things happening, she said. One of the important things to remember is this is going to go on for months and years for these people that are affected by it. They are not just going to recover in the next two months. Willing shared her concern for a steadily growing lack of volunteers and donations, and she stressed the need for aid is great. My greatest fear is that the Beauregard community will be forgotten about, she said. The devastation is real and there is still so much to be done. Although donating a case of waters and a pack of granola bars is a start, its not a quick fix. These people have many more needs. As a community, we need to commit ourselves to walking with them through the recovery process until they are no longer in need. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. South Africa: SAA cancels flights to Blantyre as main runway closes for repairs South African Airways (SAA) on Wednesday cancelled its scheduled flights to Blantyre, Malawi, after the announcement of the closure of the main runway at Chileka International Airport for maintenance. The aircraft size which SAA operates to Blantyre does not fit in the required categories/classes of the secondary runway, which will remain operational. Accordingly, SAAs operations to Blantyre have been cancelled, for Wednesday, 24 April 2019 and Saturday, 27 April 2019, said SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali. However, contingency plans have been put in place for smaller aircraft operated by SA Express to operate this route, with the exception of the Wednesday and Saturday flights. SA Express Q400 turbo prop aircraft will continue with SAAs scheduled operations with the exception of the 24th and 27th April 2019, whereon no scheduled operation will be available to or from Blantyre. We apologise to our valued passengers and customers for the inconvenience caused by these cancellations, said Tlali. SAA operates a three weekly service between Johannesburg and Blantyre on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Airport authorities notified SAA that the main runway will be closed from 24 April to 23 July 2019 for maintenance and rehabilitation. However, the secondary runway will remain operational for the duration of the works and will be used for arrivals and departures of aircraft of appropriate categories/classes. The national carrier will compensate passengers who had purchased tickets to travel in the premium cabin. The nature of the aircraft deployed during the rehabilitation of the runway will be a single cabin aircraft. In the light of this change, SAA has decided to compensate all passengers who had purchased tickets to travel in the premium cabin. The decision was based on the nature of the offering in the single cabin aircraft and in accordance with our compensation policy, said Tlali. Other customers will be re-accommodated to Lilongwe, as these operations are unaffected. These passengers will have an option of reconnecting from Lilongwe for onward travel by air or ground transport. Rebooking Meanwhile, all passengers that have not been ticketed will be rebooked onto the next available flight. There are rebooking conditions for ticketed individual passengers and groups, including that: SAA will rebook affected passengers onto the operation between Johannesburg and Blantyre, where applicable; Re-accommodation of reservations has been made by South African Airways onto the closest available flight between Johannesburg and Blantyre in the same booking class. Change fees will be waivered Tickets must be re-issued on/before 07 May 2019. The booking owner may re-issue the ticket. Tickets to be endorsed INVOL Re-RRT due BLZ RUNWAY Closure/Date. A full refund of the unused portion/ticket will only be considered once the aforementioned options have been considered. Customers can also contact SAAs contact centre in South Africa on (011) 978 1111 or 0861 606 606 and in Blantyre on +265 1820 991 for further information.- SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. AKRON, Ohio Retired Akron engineer Mike Madonio will challenge City Council member Bob Hoch in the May 7 Democratic primary election for Ward 6. Madonio, who spent his entire career with the city of Akrons Bureau of Engineering, told cleveland.com Thursday that his years of experience working with local and regional government agencies would give him an advantage in office. Ive done numerous things with this city and fully understand this city, the lifelong Ellet neighborhood resident said. Ive presented projects to City Council. I have presented projects, information to the administration and held numerous public meetings for these large transportation projects. In addition to Madonio and incumbent Hoch, Brad McKitrick is seeking the Demoratic nomination. Jaclyn Marie Williams is seeking the Republican nomination in the Ward 6 primary. Madonio said led several major design projects, including the reconstruction of the east leg of the expressway in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the rehabilitation of the south leg of the expressway in the mid 1980s and reconstruction of roads including Darrow Road, Gilcrest Road and West Market Street. Throughout my career, I developed professional relationships with the various city departments that include planning, development, public utilities, law, and I also developed professional relationships with the Ohio Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, as well as officials in neighboring communities, Madonio said. One of Madonios first objectives, if elected, would be to get Ward 6 more funding for its roads. Id like to try to get our fair share of funding, he said. I dont think were getting as much of the funding as we deserve. Madonio would focus on funding roadway improvements and parks in Ward 6, as well as addressing abandoned buildings in the area. Since retiring as the engineering departments design division manager in 2008, Madonio has focused on serving his community though St. Matthew Parish. He coordinates the churchs annual Thanksgiving dinner, helps count donations in the collection baskets and assists neighbors in need through outreach ministry, which can provide residents with up to $200 to help with rent, groceries or utility bills. I have hands-on experience based upon my community service, Madonio said. I have been out there and Ive seen a lot of things within this community. Beyond knowledge and experience, Madonio think he has the character to help change the tone of council meetings. Id like to bring back a little bit of civility to council, he said. I would like council to work together as a cohesive body, showing respect for one another and listening to the opinions of each other. Respectfully listening, digesting what they had to say, and then making decisions that are best for the city and best for Ward 6. Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.coms Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. CLEVELAND, Ohio Planners are now firmly in favor of re-routing Shaker Boulevard traffic around Shaker Square so its central green space can be enlarged. At public meetings Wednesday and Thursday, a design team gathered feedback on a plan that calls for removing the boulevard from the center of the 5.5-acre square. After both sessions, planners were optimistic that a consensus is forming in favor of the latest concept, although it was easy to find naysayers. I dont want Shaker Boulevard closed, Tamara Chappell, who lives near the square, said during a small group discussion at Thursdays meeting. During the week, we need that east-west traffic." The proposal, which combines and refines ideas from four concepts unveiled in February, was the newest step in a 10-month, $400,000 project to re-envision the beloved but badly aging 1920s-era shopping center on Clevelands East Side. Goals of the plan include strengthening retail and better connecting the square to surrounding neighborhoods, which range from upscale Shaker Square to Buckeye, a low-income, majority black neighborhood. The planning project, which will include cost estimates and recommended sources of funding, is scheduled for completion in late June. Reconstruction could begin in 2021, if money can be raised, planners said. The plan could still evolve in discussion with working groups this month and next before presentation to the citys planning commission in June, according to the project schedule. Planners also continue to seek responses to the latest ideas through an online survey. The final proposal would continue to develop in discussions with the city, Cuyahoga County and the Ohio Department of Transportation in 2020. As late as last week, designers were hedging on whether theyd show a plan version that would still include Shaker Boulevard. Then they nixed the idea. Removing the boulevard is the only way to really transform the square, Mary Margaret Jones, a senior principal at Hargreaves Associates, a national landscape firm leading the design, said Thursday. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authoritys rapid transit tracks, which also cut across the square, would remain. But removing the east and westbound lanes of Shaker Boulevard from either side of the tracks would create room for more landscaping and outdoor events. The concept is based on extensive public input gathered since November and traffic data showing that the impact of re-routing vehicles around Shaker Square would be minimal. Traffic consultants from the firm of Nelson Nygaard said that driving around the square at rush hour would add only 16 seconds in comparison to driving through it. Removing Shaker Boulevard would make room for a north-south pathway in the center of the square, which would cross the tracks and link to a proposed new trail on North and South Moreland Boulevard. Enlarged public spaces at the square could accommodate an open lawn and a concert stage, a childrens play area and a splash pad, plus new landscaping and plazas. Reactions to the latest version of the plan were mixed among 250 residents and business owners who attended the two meetings. A majority expressed through a show of hands that they thought the plan needed more work. They said it would cram too many functions into too little space. They also pointed out that the plan didnt provide public restrooms. Also at issue is whether the current head-in parking around the squares perimeter should be replaced with parallel parking. Some participants doubted theyd feel comfortable parallel parking on a curve. Despite the criticisms, there was no groundswell against removing Shaker Boulevard from the square. Then again, the planners intentionally didnt ask for a yes-no response to the concept. Well never ask that pointed question because when people vote on something in a meeting they feel like theyve made a decision and it needs to be stuck to, said Wayne Mortensen, director of design and development at Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, which is co-leading planning in collaboration with LAND Studio. Yet Mortensen said he believes a consensus is forming in favor of the idea. Hunter Morrison, former director of city planning for Cleveland, said that the difficulty of improving Shaker Square without altering traffic patterns illustrates the tension between maximizing mobility through the city rather than creating great public space. Youve got conflicting realities, he said. Tensions over traffic could increase in 2021 after completion of Opportunity Corridor, a $300 million boulevard designed to connect I-490 to University Circle, just downhill from Shaker Square, he said. Yet at least one prominent business owner is firmly in favor of the plan. I love it, restaurateur Doug Katz, owner of Fire Food and Drink, an anchor establishment on the square, said about removing Shaker Boulevard. The new plan would beautify Shaker Square and make it this amazing place where people are going to want to come and eat, he said. NOTE: This story has been updated with additional information about how the Shaker Square plan will continue to develop, and that it is based on extensive public input and traffic data. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For a fourth day, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is relying on staff to help travelers find flights and baggage while the airport wrestles with malfunctioning electronic information boards. Flight and baggage information boards and the airports email system have been offline all week. Three sources in a position to know told cleveland.com on Wednesday that the info boards and email went down after a hacker introduced malware into the system. But Mayor Frank Jacksons administration has declined to provide any details on what caused the outages or whether any foul play was suspected. The FBI, meanwhile, confirmed to cleveland.com Tuesday that it was involved, cooperating with Cleveland City Hall in the assessment of the technical problems. The malfunctioning systems have had no impact on flights or airport security, the city reported. Get insider texts about Cleveland City Hall on your phone from Robert Higgs: Cut through the clutter of social media and communicate directly with cleveland.coms City Hall reporter, just like you would with your friends. Its just $3.99 a month, which works out to about 13 cents a day. Learn more and sign up here. PARMA, Ohio -- Parma City Schools Superintendent Charles Smialek is hopeful residents in Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills will pass Issue 3 at the May 7 ballot. The 4.2-mill renewal levy raises $9.2 million annually. Cost to the owner of a home valued at $100,000 is $10.72 a month. Weve worked hard to make cuts and live within our means, and this is absolutely a part of our means, Smialek said. Its not an increase. This pays for day-to-day operating expenses, salaries, energy costs, fuel costs, etc. For the most part, renewals have a positive track record of passing, so we havent been very aggressive in trying to market this, because were really taking what weve been doing in terms of consolidation and making sure people understand we have our fiscal house in order. Were hoping to convince them to at least maintain the funding level, while again were not asking for an increase. The Parma City Schools watched residents vote down two new-money levies in 2018. While the superintendent admitted disappointment regarding the defeated tax increases, he said the district is focused on maintaining a stable funding mechanism for the duration of Issue 3, which is a 10-year operating levy. The Parma City Schools is promoting fiscal responsibility, increased student achievement and improved transparency. You can never take anything for granted. Thats why we mailed the entire district twice, Smialek said. The first was a really pretty comprehensive piece about the state of the district. Secondly, we sent a letter very specifically addressing what had come out from the surveys that we did about why people voted no in November. The two primary reasons for defeating the new-money levies stemmed around the district having too many schools and its recent record of financial management. The former plays right into Parma City Schools current master planning for strategic consolidation efforts, which have included more than half a dozen resident input-gathering meetings. This fall, well have more specific plans for people to react to, based on what weve heard this spring, Smialek said. Were really gearing up to have a consensus plan by the end of 2019, and we hope to be on the ballot in 2020 asking for the cost of new buildings. Were not sure yet what that will be. It could be a multi-phase process. You might see secondary schools first and elementary schools second. There are so just so many variables to navigate, but we do anticipate some type of bond issue in 2020 to build new buildings," he said. Naturally, before the district can move forward with any consolidation plans, the residents must approve a new-money levy, which hasnt happened since 2011. The superintendent said he doesnt see the district returning to the ballot for new operating dollars anytime soon. Currently, were focused on the renewal and looking ahead to the bond issue, Smialek said. We think the messages of both May and November 2018 were pretty clear. We believe at this point we need to be very proactive in addressing those concerns before we would actually again ask for new operating money. In addition, if were talking about building new schools, thats a cost, as well. It does become sort of a balancing of priorities at that point. Read more news from the Parma Sun Post here. SOLON, Ohio -- The owners of Carrington Court Apartments have proposed a new four-story, 36-unit senior apartments building off of Aurora Road that would require multiple variances from the city. The request was introduced at Tuesdays Planning Commission meeting (April 23), with a public hearing set for May 14, after which a recommendation will be made to City Council. Construction would be to the east of the existing apartment building at 34300 Brookemeade Court behind Echo Developments Solon Village shopping center at SOM Center and Aurora roads. With a proposed building height of 63 feet, a variance would be needed for going over the current limit of 35 feet, or only 2 1/2 stories. A building-material variance would also be needed, primarily for the use of vinyl siding on substantial portions of the new apartments, as well as on two detached garages proposed to the north (front) and the east side. Developers noted that the proposed building materials are consistent with the design of the original development, as opposed to brick, stone or solid wood siding. And while the property is already zoned R-3-B for Senior Citizen Residential, the city would also be asked to vacate a portion of a previously approved paper street within the development. It is known on paper as "Madison Lane," and further city action would be needed to reconfigure or eliminate about eight single-family home lots within the development, taking the number available from 48 to 40. It should be noted that as part of this proposal, the developer would install all remaining paper streets that are designated on the Carrington Court development plat, City Planning Director Rob Frankland said. Some other of the half-dozen variances sought would include the elimination of as much as 70 feet of side yard setbacks, which in some cases would be as close as five feet from the property lines of the newly created lot. And rather than the required 75-foot rear yard setback, the apartments and garages could come as close as 17 feet from the property line, if that variance is approved. There is also a proposed reduction in the number of parking spaces from the required 72, of which 36 are supposed to be enclosed, down to 66, with only 34 enclosed, requiring corresponding variances. As part of the plat modification and site plan, council's Public Works Committee and City Engineer John Busch also requested that the developer provide a 10-foot walking path along Clearwater Court for a future connection with Portz Parkway and the Solon Community Center. And in conjunction with the Aurora Road widening project, the city is requesting that additional right-of-way be granted for the addition of a dedicated right-turn lane. The same would apply at the proposed Woodsbrook street, if the citys traffic engineer determines that a dedicated right-turn lane is needed there. City officials have also requested that the sidewalk be extended from Brookmeade Place to the Echo development (Giant Eagle Market District). "The applicant previously agreed to working with Echo to build the sidewalk," Busch noted. City Planning Commissioner William Mazur said he has already received two questions from a neighbor that will be addressed at the May 14 public hearing. This project is separate from the $30 million Omni Senior Living development and headquarters going in along Bainbridge Road and Kruse Drive near Uptown, where 150 units will be built. Also slated for a public hearing on May 14 is the proposal from Hemingway Development to rezone more than 23 acres behind the Marcs-Aldi-Hobby Lobby complex on SOM Center Road from the current C-3 Commercial to I-2 Industrial Manufacturing. Planning Commission Chairman E. Macke Bentley IV described it as the property between Sedlak Interiors and Erico Internationa/Nvent off of Solon Road. In other business on Tuesday night, the Planning Commission approved a minor alteration for Aldis and Hobby Lobby that would allow developers to swap out the current 35-foot-high parking lot lights for new ones. So we would be getting a new facade, a new parking lot and new lighting, Frankland told the Planning Commission, noting that construction is already under way. Read more news from the Chagrin Solon Sun here. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Common Pleas judge did not err when she rejected a recommended sentencing range and imposed the maximum sentence against a man who pleaded guilty to killing 5-year-old Jordan Rodriguez and burying his body, an appeals court has found. A three-judge panel at the 8th District Court of Appeals upheld Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Nancy Margaret Russos decision to sentence Christopher Rodriguez to 28 years in prison. Christopher Rodriguez and the boys mother, Larissa Rodriguez, each pleaded guilty last June to charges of involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, child endangering and gross abuse of a corpse in Jordans death. The plea was part of a deal with prosecutors and allowed the couple to avoid trial for murder, which carries a potential life sentence. Prosecutors and defense lawyers for the couple agreed to a recommended sentence of between 20 and 25 years for both defendants. Russo sentenced Larissa Rodriguez to 25 years in prison but, in a hearing immediately after that sentencing, rejected that recommendation for Christopher Rodriguez. Russo broke down in tears for what she said was the first time in her 22 years on the bench after prosecutors showed her photographs of the boys body. I dont know how you live with yourself, she said to Christopher Rodriguez. Larissa Rodriguez told police that sometime in September 2017, Christopher brought the boy into her bedroom in a semi-conscious state, Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Anna Faraglia said at the sentencing hearing. Instead of seeking help, Larissa Rodriguez said they gave him a cold shower and put him down in her bed for 24 hours. When he died, they decided to bury him in the backyard. They put mothballs in the bags they wrapped him in to keep animals from digging him up, Faraglia said. The boys death went unreported for two months until Cleveland police received a tip from Pakistan. The tipster was Christopher Rodriguez's brother, Scott Rodriguez, a member of the military serving in Pakistan. He said that Christopher Rodriguez called him before he reported to the Medina County Jail to serve an 18-month sentence for failing to pay child support and confessed to burying the child, Faraglia said. Scott Rodriguez told his brother to go to the police and, when he found out he didn't, called police himself, Faraglia said. Investigators went to Larissa Rodriguezs apartment and discovered the boys body Dec. 19 after two days of digging. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office ruled Jordans death a homicide, but they could not determine Jordans exact cause of death. They also found that the boy had previously fractured his wrist and several ribs, which were likely signs of child abuse, she said. To comment on this story, please visit Thursdays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man is accused of using a metal cane to attack a man leaving a child support hearing in the downtown area. Anthony Brache Mercado, 31, is charged with felonious assault in the incident outside the Virgil E. Brown Center on Superior Avenue near East 17th Street, according to court records. He is not in custody, but a warrant was issued Wednesday for his arrest. A 35-year-old man needed nine staples for a laceration on his head that he suffered in the Nov. 19 attack, court records say. The man told Cleveland police officers he, his mother-in-law and an unknown man attended a Cuyahoga Countys Child Support Enforcement Agency hearing that morning. The mother-in-law and the unknown man left the hearing before the 35-year-old man. He was exiting the building when his mother-in-law and the unknown man confronted him. They argued, and the unknown man swung a metal cane that struck the 35-year-old man in the left side of the head, police reports say. Authorities have not said why the three argued after the child support hearing. The mother-in-law and the unknown man ran away after the incident. An ambulance took the 35-year-old man to MetroHealth for treatment. Court records do not specify how Mercado was identified as a suspect in the attack. The mother-in-law has not been charged in the incident, court records show. Brache Mercado is also charged with domestic violence and aggravated menacing in connection with a March 10 incident in Cleveland, according to court records. Details of that incident were not immediately available Thursday morning. To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments page. The Ohio House is considering House Bill 6, the Ohio Clean Air Program (A GOP Green Deal sends the green to power suppliers, Thomas Suddes, April 21). This bill is an attempt to prolong the operation of two aging nuclear power plants on Lake Erie, while eliminating the states current energy-efficiency and renewable-energy-standards portfolio. When these plants were built, a national nuclear waste repository was envisioned. This site never opened, so the radioactive waste remains at the plants. These plants also have a history of safety violations, which call into question their ability to operate safely. We need to phase out the operation of these plants, while phasing in clean alternatives. HB 6 is presented as a clean-energy initiative because nuclear power doesnt generate the air pollution associated with burning fossil fuels. However, cost-effective alternatives, such as energy efficiency, wind and solar are currently available. These far-sighted alternatives reduce pollution, while creating Ohio jobs. The Ohio Sisters Integral Ecology Conference feels we have a moral responsibility to care for our environment. Environmental degradation coming from energy generation has the greatest impact on people who benefit the least, including the financially disadvantaged and our grandchildren. We need to retain the current energy standards portfolio and forget the nuclear bailout proposed in HB 6. Jeanette Nappier, Rocky River Jeanette Nappier serves on the energy subcommittee of the newly formed Ohio Sisters Integral Ecology Conference. BOWLING GREEN, Ohio A Bowling Green State University student was wounded Wednesday evening when he accidentally shot himself in the hip while sitting in his vehicle. A post on the universitys Facebook page says the unidentified student was conscious and alert after the shooting but did not release his condition. The Blade reports the student was taken to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo. The shooting occurred in a parking lot on the campus behind the Bowen-Thompson Student Union, the Blade reports. The university did not put the campus on alert because there was no danger to other students, Dave Kielmeyer, university spokesman, tells the Blade. Kielmeyer says the school prohibits faculty, staff, and students from having firearms on campus, but it is OK if a weapon is secured in a vehicle. The shooting remains under investigation. If youd like to comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed Wednesday in the citys West Boulevard neighborhood. The shooting happened about 8 p.m. on West 97th Street and Loretta Avenue, according to police. The teen was shot multiple times and died at MetroHealth Medical Center, police said. Police have not said if any arrests have been made or what led up to the shooting. Its the second fatal shooting in Cleveland in a four-hour span and the fifth in four days. A 46-year-old man was shot to death about 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood. Police have not said if an arrest has been made in that case. To comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio Surveillance video released by Cuyahoga County on Wednesday shows an officer who choked an inmate who was looking for a place to pray and slamming him to the ground. The video of Officer Christopher Perdue offers a glimpse into one of several use-of-force cases involving officers attacks on inmates during a period at the jail when U.S. marshals and state investigators say inmates civil rights were often violated. Attacks by jail officers have come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks after the Ohio Attorney Generals Office secured indictments against seven corrections officers in three separate attacks on inmates during an on-going probe into civil rights violations at the beleaguered jail, where eight inmates died in 2018. Perdue was not indicted. The county released the video after cleveland.com filed a claim in the Ohio Court of Claims seeking the release of this and several other videos and records related to the use-of-force cases. Nine other videos, including ones that documents say show more violence against inmates, have not yet been released, including those of the officers charged with crimes. The county has resisted releasing documents and videos regarding the use-of-force cases. Cleveland.com obtained some of the documents and reported the contents, including of the Nov. 3 incident involving Perdue. Perdue was suspended five days without pay. He is a member of the jails Special Response Team, known as the Men in Black because of their paramilitary uniforms. The unit was criticized in a Nov. 21 U.S. Marshals Service report that found members of the SRT regularly harassed, intimidated and abused inmates. The inmate, in a letter sent to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, wrote that he believed he was attacked because he had interviewed with the Washington D.C.-based U.S. Marshals team that conducted a review of the jail and found inhumane conditions for inmates. The video released to cleveland.com, however, does not show a 26-second span that would have shown what directly led to the altercation between Perdue and the inmate. Cuyahoga County spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said the county did not redact or alter the video. Investigative records obtained by cleveland.com say that portion of the video was not available to investigators or to the countys human resources department that made the decision on how to discipline Perdue. Madigan has not answered a question as to why the video pauses for 26 seconds. The records say that the inmate was praying between two beds in a cell that wasnt his so he could face east, according to the records. The video shows Perdue walking up to the inmate and the two conversing. The video cuts out for 26 seconds. In that time, Perdue told investigators that the inmate challenged him to a fight and rammed his shoulder into the officer. Several inmates who witnessed the incident gave written statements to investigators saying that the inmate never fought back during the incident. When the video picks back up, Perdue grabs the inmate from behind and puts him in a chokehold. He drags the inmate by the neck about 30 feet to a set of doors. He holds him there for about 16 seconds. The inmate appears to be complying with Perdue and not moving before Perdue slams him to the ground. Investigators reported that the inmate "posed no immediate threat, OFC Perdue should have walked away from the inmate, records say. ELIZABETH, New Jersey A man who gained fame in 2013 as Kai the Hitchhiker after he said he used a hatchet to save two people being attacked is now facing life in prison after being convicted of murder. A jury on Wednesday found Caleb McGillvary, 30, guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the 2013 beating death of Joseph Galfy, 73, a prominent lawyer, at Galfys home, according to nj.com. This was a brutal, vicious, senseless crime and we are pleased that the interests of justice have been served, Union County Prosecutor Michael A. Monahan said in a news release, according to mycentraljersey.com. We sincerely thank the jury for their service and hope that todays verdict brings some measure of solace to Mr. Galfys family, friends and loved ones. McGillvary, who is from Alberta, Canada, told authorities he acted in self-defense, claiming he woke up to find Galfy sexually assaulting him. Reports say lawyers for McGillvary plan to appeal the verdict. McGillvarys unusual interview with a local TV station in February 2013 brought him national fame when he described helping two people while hitchhiking in Fresno, California. He explained how he smashed an attacker in the back of the head with a hatchet. If youd like to comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments section. BEIJING - North Korea issued a $2 million bill for the hospital care of comatose American Otto Warmbier, insisting that a U.S. official sign a pledge to pay it before being allowed to fly the University of Virginia student from Pyongyang in 2017. The presentation of the invoice - not previously disclosed by U.S. or North Korean officials - was extraordinarily brazen even for a regime known for its aggressive tactics. But the main U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from President Donald Trump, according to two people familiar with the situation. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The bill went to the Treasury Department, where it remained - unpaid - throughout 2017, the people said. However, it is unclear whether the Trump administration later paid the bill, or whether it came up during preparations for Trump's two summits with Kim Jong Un. The White House declined to comment. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders wrote in an email. Warmbier, who was a 21 and from Cincinnati, fell into a coma for unknown reasons the night he was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor in March 2016. He was convicted on charges stemming from pulling down a propaganda sign in a Pyongyang hotel in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2016 - an infraction that would be minor in almost any other country, but in North Korea it was considered a "hostile act against the state." Fred Warmbier, Otto's father, said he had never been told about the hospital bill, but said it sounded like a "ransom" for his late son. After his sentencing, the North Koreans held onto the comatose student for another 15 months, not even telling American officials until June of 2017 that he had been unconscious all that time. News of his condition sparked a frantic effort led by Joseph Yun, the State Departments point man on North Korea at the time, to get Warmbier home. Yun and an emergency medicine doctor, Michael Flueckiger, traveled to Pyongyang on a medical evacuation plane. They were taken to the Friendship Hospital in the diplomatic district, a clinic where only foreigners are treated, and found Warmbier lying in a room marked intensive care unit, unresponsive and with a feeding tube in his nose. Flueckiger examined Warmbier and asked the two North Korean doctors, who bore a thick pile of charts, questions about the lab work, scans and X-rays they had done. Afterward, they went to a meeting room where the talks to free Warmbier began. I didnt realize what a negotiation it was going to be to secure his release, said Flueckiger, who is medical director of Phoenix Air Group, an aviation company based in Cartersville, Georgia, that specializes in medical evacuations. North Korean officials asked the doctor to write a report about his findings. "It was my impression that if I did not give them a document that I could sign off on, that would cause problems," Flueckiger said in an interview. But the American said he did not have to lie in his report. Whatever had happened to put Warmbier into that state, it was evident that he had received really good care in the hospital, he said. The doctors had done state-of-the-art resuscitation to revive Warmbier after he suffered a catastrophic cardiovascular collapse, and it was remarkable that he had no bedsores, Flueckiger said. "Would I have lied to get him out of there? Maybe I would have," he said. "But I didn't have to answer that question." Yun, however, was faced with a more difficult predicament. The North Korean officials handed him a bill for $2 million, insisting he sign an agreement to pay it before they would allow him to take Warmbier home, according to the two people familiar with the situation. Yun called the then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and told him about the bill. Tillerson called Trump. They instructed their envoy to sign the piece of paper agreeing that he would pay the $2 million, the two people said. Flueckiger discussed the medical aspects of Warmbier's evacuation, but said he was not authorized to discuss the diplomatic negotiations. A State Department spokesman and Yun, who retired in early 2018, both declined to comment. Tillerson, the Treasury Department and North Korea's envoy responsible for U.S. affairs, based at its U.N. mission in New York, did not respond to a request for comment. Warmbiers brain damage and then death at North Koreas hands caused widespread shock in the United States, but the news that North Korea expected the government to pay for his care has caused further backlash. Ohio U.S. Sen. Rob Portman issued this statement: Otto Warmbier was mistreated by North Korea in so many ways, including his wrongful conviction and harsh sentence, and the fact that for 16 months they refused to tell his family or our country about his dire condition they caused. No, the United States owes them nothing. They owe the Warmbier family everything. This is outrageous. They killed a perfectly healthy and happy college student and then had the audacity to expect the U.S. government to pay for his care, said Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. Having signed the documentation and secured Warmbiers release, Yun and Flueckiger flew to Cincinnati to return the young man to his parents. Otto Warmbier died six days later, but the cause of his severe brain damage has never been ascertained. Fred Warmbier accused North Korea of beating and torturing him in detention, although doctors who examined him at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center said there was no evidence of that. His parents requested that an autopsy not be performed. North Korea has insisted Warmbier became sick after eating pork and spinach, but has also said that he had a severe allergic reaction to the sedatives they gave him. The director of North Koreas Friendship Hospital said the familys accusations that Warmbier died as a result of torture were a total distortion of the truth. "The American doctors who came . . . to help Warmbier's repatriation acknowledged that his health indicators were all normal and submitted a letter of assurance to our hospital that they shared the diagnostic result of the doctors of our hospital," state media quoted the unnamed hospital director as saying in October last year. Fred and Cindy Warmbier sued North Korea over their sons death and in December were awarded $501 million in damages - money that the Kim regime will never pay. But Judge Beryl Howell, of the United States District Court in the District of Columbia, said that it was appropriate to punish and deter North Korea for the torture, hostage taking and extrajudicial killing of Otto Warmbier. The Warmbiers have blamed Kim for their sons death, but Trump has said that he believes the North Korean leader did not know about the students treatment. I dont believe he would have allowed that to happen, Trump said in Hanoi in February after his second summit with Kim. Trump said that he spoke to Kim about the death of Warmbier and that Kim feels badly about it. "He tells me he didn't know about it, and I take him at his word," Trump said in February. North Korea has taken Americans as hostages before, and this is not the first time Pyongyang has threatened huge hospital bills for American citizens it had detained. Kenneth Bae, a Christian missionary and diabetic who was held in North Korea for almost two years, said he was told he would be charged 600 euros a day for his care at the Friendship Hospital. The bill for his first stint in hospital while in detention came to 101,000 euros - about $120,000 at the time, Bae wrote in his memoir, Not Forgotten. By the end of his detention in November 2014, after another spell in hospital, Bae calculated the North Koreans would be charging him $300,000. In the end, he was released without paying any of it. CLEVELAND, Ohio City Hall lawyers, who are the lowest paid compared to their counterparts in the states other large cities, will not see paycheck parity in the next couple of years. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jacksons administration latest budget, approved by City Council, makes no adjustment to the pay scale for his lawyers, though the administration recently asked City Council to add two new assistant city prosecutors to the payroll. The move is not a surprise. The administration and council dismissed an anonymous memo sent to them earlier this year that detailed the pay disparity and pleaded for change as the administration and council prepared to set the latest budget. That memo contained salaries from Ohios eight largest city law departments and showed Cleveland lawyers, when compared to those with similar experience, were the lowest paid. Clevelands salaries trail, sometimes significantly, those of city lawyers in Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown. (Clevelands lawyers will get pay raises equal to those of other city employees, which should amount to 4 percent over the next three years. But this will do little to bring parity to the city lawyers compared to their peers in other cities.) The memo also asserted that the departments low pay has led to poor morale and is affecting the quality of legal work. (The department has seen high turnover in recent years.) City Law Director Barbara Langhenry didnt dispute the figures and told cleveland.com in February the pay scale has no bearing on the quality of her lawyers work. She admonished whomever was behind the memo. Any lawyer who compromises their legal work because they are dissatisfied with their salary should not be a lawyer, she said at the time in a statement emailed to cleveland.com. Cleveland City Council cannot raise the pay of lawyers because it only votes on the budget, which contains pay ranges, or bands, for the departments. But council members, who make more than many of the lawyers in the Law Department, could champion the issues. Sadly, none did so during budget hearings. Council President Kevin Kelley, who is a lawyer, also didnt raise the issue. And, when he met with cleveland.com editors and reporters early last month, he was inexplicably reluctant to even say whether he personally thought the lawyers should be paid more. Here are some examples of the pay disparity that no one seems to want to talk about. A city lawyer in Cleveland with two to five years of experience is paid $49,000 annually. Lawyers with similar experience in Youngstown are paid on average around $73,000. City lawyers in Cleveland with six to 10 years of experience make about $51,000 annually compared to those in Dayton, who are paid around $76,000. Clevelands veteran lawyers with more than 20 years of experience are paid on average about $83,000. Akron pays such lawyers $117,000. (All council members make more than $80,000 per year.) The city told me this week that beyond giving lawyers the basic city raises, it has no plans to adjust the lawyers salaries even within their respective pay bands, which would give the city an opportunity to catch up with other cities. So, as it stands, Cleveland regrettably remains at the bottom of another list. Some colleagues and I are offering a text-message service through which we will offer you more bits of news & personal perspective. For details on how to subscribe to cleveland.coms Project Text (which is not affected by pesky logarithms), go here https://www.cleveland.com/projecttext/ CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Since 1987, when the federal education secretary called Chicago Public Schools the worst in the nation, officials searched for answers. Some came through a partnership between the Chicago Public School District and the University of Chicago. The Consortium on School Research, founded in 1990, identifies the problems facing the urban school district and assesses how well different initiatives are working. The research is wide-ranging, from the importance of a students ninth-grade GPA to how principals influence student achievement. Since then at least 13 school districts replicated the model. Consortium senior fellow John Easton will visit the City Club of Cleveland Thursday to discuss the model. Easton previously served as director of the Institute of Education Sciences, the independent research arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Watch live in the video player above at 12:30 p.m. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A bill introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives this week would allow government entities, including the state government, to adopt blockchain technology. The legislation is the latest step in Ohios move toward building a legal framework for so-called distributed ledger and blockchain technology. Sponsor Ohio Rep. Rick Carfagna did not return calls for comment on the bill Thursday afternoon. Distributed ledger technology creates a decentralized online record for transactions. Blockchain is one form of distributed ledger technology. Government applications could include recording car titles or hunting licenses online, where they would be accessible through multiple agencies. Last spring, entrepreneur Bernie Moreno started a civic effort in Cleveland to make the city a blockchain hub. The city hosted the states first blockchain conference, Solutions, which sold out in December. Gov. John Kasich signed a cybersecurity bill in August 2018 which updated Ohios laws regarding electronic transactions to include blockchain-based transactions. The change provided legal support for businesses to use the technology, reported cleveland.coms Andrew J. Tobias. Ohio also became the first state to allow businesses to use cryptocurrency to pay their taxes in November 2018. That initiative came though then-Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandels office. When asked in November, current Treasurer Robert Sprague was noncommittal as to whether hell continue the program. Both Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish spoke about how start-ups can work with the government to solve problems at an event Thursday, reported cleveland.coms Courtney Astolfi. FastForward Cuyahoga also featured a panel of startups who have used blockchain or other technology in partnership with local governments. About ten other states have passed blockchain-related legislation since 2016, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That includes Wyoming, which so far has passed 13 laws to try and make the state a center for blockchain technology, according to the Casper Star-Tribune. CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland school board approved Tuesday a 0.5 percent raise for teachers next school year as cash dwindles from the last tax increase voters passed. The raise, which comes as part of a two-year contract extension, is a fraction of the 2.75 percent increases teachers have received in each of the last two years. Both district CEO Eric Gordon and Cleveland Teachers Union President David Quolke agreed a tight budget limits any new raises. The district has been operating at a deficit and has had to tap its savings last school year and again this school year. Cash reserves will be depleted in the 2019-20 school year, according to the districts official budget forecast. If we dont have money, we cant give raises, Gordon said after Tuesdays vote. What those financial projections mean for taxpayers is still to be determined. Voters should count on seeing at least a renewal of the 15-mill property tax increase they passed in 2012 and renewed in 2016 on next falls ballot. The tax brings in about $66 million a year, a little less than 10 % of the districts $700 million annual budget. It expires at the end of 2020 without a renewal. The tax costs Cleveland homeowners $459 a year for every $100,000 in house value. But the district is projecting deficits in upcoming years even if the tax is renewed. That would bring major budget cuts, which will likely affect students. Voters could be asked to pass an increase, though Gordon and school board Chair Anne Bingham declined to speculate. How much money the state gives the district will help decide whether the district will seek an increase and how much it will seek. The state legislature is debating school funding across Ohio now, with the leading proposal maintaining current state aid to the district but with no increase for the next two school years. The district is already trimming its budget, Gordon told the school board earlier this month, by limiting travel and not filling a few open positions, including the Chief Academic Officer role, an auditor and some district police. The old three-year contract with the Cleveland Teachers Union expires at the end of June. The boards vote extends it for the 2019-20 school year and for the 2020-21 school year, unless either the union or district seeks to reopen negotiations. Teachers approved the deal last week with 87 percent of teachers and aides backing it, according to the union.The contract extension also reduces testing and the use of student test scores to rate and evaluate teachers, matching changes the state is making. Our members saw that this was a good agreement that focused on working and learning conditions, reducing testing and the districts financial forecast, Quolke said in a press release. CLEVELAND - Long lines at polling places. An aggressive policy of removing inactive voters from its rolls. Elimination of a so-called Golden Week period when Ohio voters could simultaneously register to vote and cast their ballots. As part of an effort to document voter discrimination throughout the United States, Warrensville Heights Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge conducted a House Administration Elections Subcommittee field hearing at Cuyahoga Community College on Thursday, where witnesses described practices that they believed were intended to throw up barriers to discourage voting by groups including African-Americans and the poor. We should be making it easier to vote, Policy Matters Ohio think tank outreach director Daniel Ortiz told the subcommittee. Instead, he described a steady erosion of voting rights in the state, with closure of more than 300 polling locations since 2012. He said fewer polling locations make voting harder for those who dont drive, such as the elderly, people of color, and the disabled. Ohio Conference of the NAACP president Tom Roberts argued the states practice of removing voters from its rolls has resulted in many voters showing up at the polls only to be told their registration was canceled. Failure to cast a ballot for two years triggers Ohios removal process. Notices are sent to voters whose registration is flagged. Registration is canceled if theres no response to the notices, no votes are cast during the next four years and the voters address isnt updated. Cuyahoga County Board of Elections member Inajo Davis Chappell testified that the states policy of allowing a single early voting location in each of Ohios 88 counties hurt more populous jurisdictions like her own, where a far greater number of voters cast ballots than in the states sparsely populated counties. In Cuyahoga County, I personally believe that limited early voting hours, particularly in large scale election cycles, runs counter to basic democratic principles and has excluded urban, poor and older voters from the process, Chappell said. Fudge said that Ohio was transformed from a state that tried to expand ballot access to one that drastically reduced it. She said the field hearings shes conducted in Ohio and states including Texas, North Dakota, Georgia and North Carolina have shown America has a long way to go. Material shes gathered will help Congress examination of what must be done to ensure every eligible voter can exercise his or her constitutional right to vote and can exercise that right in any chosen election and that the vote will be counted as cast. The subcommittees top Republican, Rodney Davis of Illinois, noted that the U.S. Supreme Court approved Ohios procedures for removing inactive voters from its rolls in a 2018 decision. Despite efforts to characterize list maintenance as purging, Davis said the practice cuts election costs, minimizes voter confusion and helps to reduce long lines at polling places. He described partisanship as a greater threat to the system. I am confident we can administer this important voting practice in a nondiscriminatory way to ensure all registered voters can exercise their right to vote, said a statement from Davis. "Voter turnout increased in the state of Ohio by 15% in the last midterm election, and we should continue to build on that increase in voters. Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo and Republican Reps. Dave Joyce of Bainbridge Township and Anthony Gonzalez of Rocky River also attended the hearing. Gonzalez said Ohio policies to encourage voting include one of the longest early voting periods in the nation and allowing voters to cast absentee ballots without stating a reason for not voting on election day. Republicans and Democrats at the hearing praised reforms suggested this week by Ohios new Secretary of State, Republican Frank LaRose, which include automated voter registration and increasing the sharing of information between agencies to avoid voter purges. Material that Fudge gathers at the hearings will be used to update the Voting Rights Act, after a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision tossed out the laws formula to decide which parts of the country would have to clear proposed voting changes with the Department of Justice or federal courts to ensure they didnt harm minority voters. The court invited Congress to enact a new formula, but Congress hasnt acted to revise the law until now. In the meantime, Fudge says states have enacted laws to prevent minorities from voting. She noted that years ago, laws required African-Americans to sit at the back of buses and barred them from voting, and it took courts to change the law. Just because it is the law does not make it right, said Fudge. We are here to fix the Voting Rights Act. I believe we are going to do it." CLEVELAND -- The most appalling ad of Ohios 2018 election campaigns began with a menacing-looking, giant of a man clad in camouflage, walking towards the camera, a long-barreled gun slung over his right shoulder. As the picture zooms to him loading a shell, he makes a sympathy play, describing himself as a pro-gun, pro-life Christian conservative under attack from anti-Trump gun-grabbers. In the distance is a television. On the screen a man is speaking, with the words Lying Larry at the bottom. The gunman slowly takes aim and fires, blowing the television set and, figuratively, the man on its screen, to smithereens. Larry Householder hit the target, won the election and is now speaker of the Ohio House, working hard to be a team player, hoping to lighten the reputational baggage he brought to his second stint as speaker. In and of itself, Householders theoretical murder of that television messenger is no more than a morsel in the growing body of evidence that documents the shrinking gap between Ohio and places like Mississippi and Alabama. But it is difficult to imagine anyone with a conscience harboring at least a whiff of doubt about airing such an advertisement at a time when children continue to be slaughtered in schools and people of all creeds and colors mowed down in cold blood inside their places of worship. History will look back in disbelief at this chapter in our history, at how the sick and twisted gun culture that permeates our national and state governments ignores an avalanche of polling data showing a majority of voters favor tougher gun laws. Most of the elected officials we send to Washington and Columbus seem to care more about appeasing the gun crowd than they do about protecting the lives of our youngest, most precious and vulnerable citizens. Their repulsive response to the slaughters never varies: thoughts and prayers for the dead kids; await orders from the NRA about how to justify their inaction. Twenty years of school gun murders has changed nothing with this crowd. On Apr. 20, 1999, two kids dressed in black mowed down 12 classmates and a teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado. Feb. 27, 2012, three students killed at Chardon High School. Dec. 14, 2012, 20 young children and six adults slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Feb. 14, 2018, 17 killed and 17 others wounded at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. May 19, 2018, 10 killed and 13 wounded at Santa Fe High School near Houston, Texas. On and on and on it goes - at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina; inside a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Donald Trump plays to his base by fanning flames of racial and religious bigotry, conveniently ignoring that every mass killing listed above was carried out by white males. With the blessing of the Republican Party, Trump wants to arm the nation with weapons and hatred. As New Yorker Editor David Remnick warned so perfectly about Trump in the magazines April 22 edition, His reelection would have a catastrophic effect on the rule of law, liberal democracy, the values of tolerance, and the baseline of decency in American life. But thats 18 months off. On the agenda right now in the Ohio Statehouse are legislative proposals to eliminate common-sense gun requirements -- bills opposed by police groups and anyone capable of understanding the difference between right and wrong. Meanwhile, in Washington, Senate Republicans are trying to wish away a bill renewing the Violence Against Women Act, a 1999 law that imposed mandatory sentences for some crimes and made it easier for women to sue their attackers. The renewal contains two gun-related additions. One would close the boyfriend loophole, adding them to the list of people who would lose gun rights for violent offenses against women. The other would ban those convicted of stalking offenses from purchasing guns. House members overwhelmingly approved the renewal, with Republican Reps. David Joyce and Anthony Gonzalez admirably joining Northeast Ohio Democrats in support. Reps. Jim Jordan and Bob Gibbs crawled from their caves long enough to cast no votes. The renewal now awaits a vote in the Senate, where doing whats right on behalf of 53 percent of the electorate will require offending their lords and masters in the gun lobby. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman has championed this issue in the past, voting in favor of its reauthorization in 2013. A spokeswoman said Portman hasnt yet reviewed the House-passed bill. Believe this about Portman: He knows whats in it. And he cherishes his A grade from the NRA. But taking a stand on behalf of battered women isnt about being an anti-Trump gun-grabber. Its about having a soul. Brent Larkin was The Plain Dealers editorial director from 1991 until his retirement in 2009. To reach Brent Larkin: blarkin@cleveland.com Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Follow option at the top of the comments, and look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. Rotunda Rumblings Ballot brainstorming: Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state lawmakers from both parties said Wednesday theyre crafting an election reform bill that, among other things, would register eligible Ohioans to vote when they pay taxes or renew a drivers license (though they could opt out). As cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer writes, LaRose also said that if more state agencies share residents information with his office, Ohio would no longer have to conduct controversial large-scale purges of state voting rolls. Hot topic: The city of Cleveland has agreed to pay a $50,000 settlement to city resident Steven Fridley, who was arrested for burning an American flag at a protest during the 2016 Republican National Convention, reports cleveland.coms Eric Heisig. Fridley, a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, had filed a lawsuit claiming his free-speech rights were violated by the arrest, which came after Fridley lit his own pants on fire. Picket called off: A union picket of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Dinner this weekend has been canceled, clearing the way for California Sen. Kamala Harris to deliver her keynote speech, cleveland.coms Courtney Astolfi reports. Harris presidential campaign had said she would not cross a picket line. Labor leaders on Wednesday announced an agreement in their dispute with the county over the transition away from a fully unionized medical staff at the county jails. Get our texts: Would you like to show your support for Capitol Letter, plus get exclusive insider information on Ohio government and politics? Consider Project Text. For $3.99 a month, you can get behind the scenes insights and observations via text messages from the reporting team who puts together our essential daily newsletter. Talking business: Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish are scheduled Thursday to talk about ways local governments can work with start-up businesses to better solve government problems, writes cleveland.coms Courtney Astolfi. The two leaders will deliver their remarks at FastForward Cuyahoga, a half-day event at the Global Center for Health Innovation. Arndt sails away: State Rep. Steve Arndt, a Port Clinton Republican, will resign from the legislature on July 31 to retire, according to an Ohio House GOP release. Arndt, who chairs the House Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, said in a release that his retirement plans include sailing with his wife around the Great Loop of North America. Protests, vandalism up: Two windows have been shattered since February at Capital Care Network, Toledos remaining abortion provider, reports the Toledo Blades Lauren Lindstrom. The clinic reports an increase in protests in recent weeks, which other clinics across the country are seeing, too. An official for Catholic Charities told the paper that anti-abortion activists have been motivated to increase protests after New York passed a law allowing abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy in some cases. Bottom of the pile: At 47th, Ohio receives among the lowest, per-capita, amount of federal funding from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Columbus Dispatchs JoAnne Viviano reports. The states high population could be one of the reasons Ohio gets less than, for instance, Alaska, which was No. 1. Specialty sales: New research suggests that pharmacy benefit managers the drug-pricing middlemen coming under scrutiny in Ohio and elsewhere are turning to a new way of making money: selling specialty drugs. The Dispatchs Darrel Rowland has the details. Count the stars: A 36-star U.S. flag is returning to the Ohio Statehouse to commemorate the repose of President Abraham Lincoln, whose body lay in state in Columbus after his assassination, according to the Associated Press. The flag most recently has been with the Ohio History Connection. The Party Planning Committee: Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday signed a bill sponsored by Sens. Sandra Williams, a Cleveland Democrat, and Stephanie Kunze, a Columbus-area Republican, to create a commission to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. The Womens Suffrage Centennial Commission will hold statewide events from June 2019 (when Ohio ratified the 19th Amendment) through August 2020 (when the amendment was ratified). Full Disclosure Five things we learned from the April 9, 2018 financial disclosure of state Sen. Hearcel Craig, a Columbus Democrat. 1. Craig is a person of faith. In addition to his 2017 legislative salary of $65,342.93, he reported making up to $999 for pastoral services each at Triumphant Church of God and New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. He earned $1,000 to $9,999 for his pastoral services at Unity Temple Church of God in Christ. 2. He was a board member of the Military Veterans Resource Center, the Honorary Chair of Kids Voting, an advisory board member of Chamberlain University School of Nursing and a member of the Paralegal Studies advisory board at Columbus State Community College. 3. He has a pension from the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, a 457(b) Plan through Ohio Deferred Compensation and a mutual fund from Ivy Asset Strategy Fund. 4. At some point in 2017, he owed at least $1,000 to Wells Fargo, Telhio Credit Union, Lexus Financial, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macys, Citi, Care Credit, Capital One, OneMain Financial, Gap, NTB, Fifth Third Bank and Merrick Bank. 5. He received gifts of at least $25 from the King Arts Complex, Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Experience Columbus, YWCA, Community for New Direction and Columbus Helping Hands. Birthdays Mary Degenaro, ex-Ohio Supreme Court justice/chief legal counsel for state Auditor Keith Faber Ex-state Rep. Alicia Reece Straight From The Source No, I wouldnt I wouldnt bother if I were him. - Former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, speaking on NBC host Chuck Todds podcast about whether ex-Gov. John Kasich should challenge President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. Officials from the FBI and U.S. Attorney's office in Florida have been interviewing customers of JetSmarter about the private jet company's business practices and communications, according to JetSmarter customers. The scope and nature of the inquiries are unclear. In a statement to CNBC from JetSmarter and its new owner Vista Global, the company denied JetSmarter was under investigation, saying that it "has been informed by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida that it is not a 'target' or 'subject' of an investigation." But it did not say how recently it was told this by the U.S. Attorney's office. The company said it assists the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Attorneys with information. Officials from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office in the Southern District of Florida declined comment, saying it does not confirm or deny the existence of any investigation. Legal experts say that if the FBI is not investigating JetSmarter as a company, the interviews with members could be part of an investigation into individuals or executives at the company. JetSmarter's founder and former CEO Sergey Petrossov didn't respond to requests for comment. According to the two JetSmarter members, who both have lawsuits pending against the company, the FBI and a prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney's office in the Southern District of Florida interviewed them for more than two hours last month. The investigators asked about JetSmarter's sales practices, their communications with members, contract details, the names of salespeople and the types of passengers who flew on JetSmarter flights. They also told the members that the interview was part of an "active investigation" that included ongoing interviews with other JetSmarter customers. "They wanted to know all the details about our experience as customers," said one of the JetSmarter members interviewed. "They asked about how much we paid, what our contract said, and what the company told us we were buying and how they suddenly changed the terms." The questions follow a CNBC report in January detailing JetSmarter's financial losses, lawsuits and concerns about security and drugs on JetSmarter flights. The Fort Lauderdale-based company, founded in 2012 with early minority investors that included Jay-Z and the Saudi Royal family, grew to more than 8,000 members and touted a valuation of $1.5 billion in 2016 with the promise of unlimited private jet flights. Customers bought memberships for more than $30,000 a year that included free flights, but last year members were suddenly told they would have to start paying for flights. Customers filed more than a dozen lawsuits accusing the company of being a fraud and "unlawful bait and switch." JetSmarter has said that its membership agreements state that terms are subject to change at any time. JetSmarter announced this month that it was being acquired by Vista Global, the Dubai-based owner of Vista Jet and XOJET. People familiar with the deal said Vista bought JetSmarter mainly for its app technology and will use the company's technology to expand and improve its other private jet brands. In a statement to CNBC, Vista Global said that its "integrity is an established pillar of the group's reputation and it has maintained a trusted relationship with its customers for over 15 years, which will remain solid and unchallenged." The company added that it "carried out an extensive due diligence process and we continue to see JetSmarter as a highly attractive acquisition for the group." CNBC reported this month that JetSmarter had reached an agreement in a class arbitration claim in Florida filed by members. The agreement, which has to be approved by the courts, creates a $3 million fund for JetSmarter members as well as free memberships and flight credits. The deal has been criticized by several attorneys representing JetSmarter members, since it allows the lawyers for plaintiffs to receive more than $3 million in fees. It also prevents members who do not actively opt out of the settlement to forfeit any future claims against the company. An attorney representing members in the class-action arbitration said the Vista deal won't affect JetSmarter's ability to honor the agreement. Tesla CFO Zach Kirkhorn braced investors for another quarter in the red during the company's first quarter earnings call on Wednesday. In response to questions about challenges ahead for Tesla in 2019, Kirkhorn said: "We did make pricing adjustments to our products in Q1 which puts pressure on margins, so that's part of what we will see in Q2. The teams are all working extremely hard and making terrific progress on improving the cost efficiency of the business without sacrificing growth. That, in combination with the efficiencies from 'unwinding the wave,' is where we feel we'll be comfortable returning to a place of profitability in Q3, once all those pieces are in place." At the same time, Tesla's need for capital is growing. CEO Elon Musk and President of Automotive Jerome Guillen talked up its progress and plans to improve logistics, build a new battery and car plant in Shanghai, and start production of a crossover SUV, the Model Y, later this year. Guillen noted that Tesla won't begin production of its all-electric Semi until next year. A senior technology analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, Toni Sacconaghi, asked Musk whether Tesla plans to raise capital to support these and other ambitions. "Given that you used up about $2 billion of cash in a quarter, aren't you potentially trying to go through a very thin space while trying to grow quickly, and be self-funding, which quite frankly, may be unrealistic? Why not raise capital? Why do you view that as something Tesla shouldn't or wouldn't do?" Musk replied, "I don't think raising capital should be a substitute for making the company operate more effectively." He added that he does not believe capital has been a constraint on Tesla's growth so far, before finally acknowledging there may be merit to the idea. "Tesla today is a far more efficiently operating organization than it was a year ago, we have made dramatic improvements across the board ,and so I think there is merit to the idea of raising capital at this point," Musk said. Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas asked Musk how important it is for Tesla to remain a publicly traded company, given all the alternative sources of capital it could tap into beyond the public markets? Musk said, "It may surprise you, but I would prefer we were private. Unfortunately I think that ship has sailed." Musk added, "Being public does feel like the price of the stock is being set in kind of a manic depressive way....It is a bit of a distraction at times, but I'm not sure what to do about it." Musk had to pay a $20 million fine to the SEC last year after he spontaneously tweeted that he was considering taking Tesla private for $420 a share. Shares in Tesla shot up after that tweet, and the financial regulators halted trading. Musk and the SEC are still locked in negotiations over how the Tesla CEO can use social media to disseminate potentially material business information about Tesla. 482148446 to unveil plans for new area infrastructure projects on July 27, 2015 in New York City. "Andrew is all in for Joe. He is pushing his entire network that way political and funding," said a person who has spoken to Cuomo recently. This person declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the conversations. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has raised millions of dollars during his campaigns over the years, has indicated to associates in recent days that he will be opening his vast and powerful fundraising network exclusively to Joe Biden, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. A top party donor who has spoken to Cuomo advisors told CNBC, "Biden is going to have a formidable fundraising operation through, in part, Cuomo." Cuomo's support could be a game changer for Biden. While the former vice president has consistently led Democratic primary polls, he has been aggressively courting donors in a bid to catch up to an already crowded primary field that has a head start in the fundraising game. New York State Board of Elections data show Cuomo has raked in $100 million in campaign contributions since he first ran for governor in 2010. At least 80 percent of his backers have given him $10,000 or more, records show. Cuomo's wealthy donor network spans the country and the business world. Past donors include movie mogul Steven Spielberg, Walmart heiress Alice Walton and hedge fund titan Steve Cohen. Cuomo also has received support from companies such as Cablevision, real estate giant the Durst Organization and Canadian real estate firm Brookfield Asset Management. A Cuomo representative and Biden's campaign both declined to comment. "I think he [Biden] has the best chance of defeating President Trump, which I think is the main goal here," Cuomo said earlier this week. Twitter: Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is also helping Biden and was slated to host a fundraising event for the former vice president Thursday in Philadelphia. Biden's rivals in the Democratic primary already have a quarter of fundraising in the books. Sen. Bernie Sanders led the way with $18 million. Some are amassing the support of party bundlers. South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has at least two dozen Democratic fundraisers for his 2020 campaign, with many of his bundlers formerly being supporters of former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, CNBC first reported. Sen. Kamala Harris reportedly has more than 100 bundlers backing her campaign for president. The Democratic field has a lot of ground to make up compared with President Donald Trump, however. Trump's campaign hauled in $30 million during the first quarter. Trump welcomed Biden to the race Thursday with a snarky tweet that insulted the former vice president's intelligence and mocked him as "Sleepy Joe." Stocks in China tumbled on Thursday amid worries that Beijing could pull back on stimulus measures following recent better-than-expected economic data. The Shanghai composite fell 2.43% to close at 3,123.83 and the Shenzhen component dropped about 3.21% to finish at around 9,907.62. The Shenzhen composite also plunged 3.411% to close at 1,688.25. Stocks on the mainland have been on a general decline throughout the week as concerns over a potential paring back of stimulus measures by the Chinese government weighed on investor sentiment. "I see the paring back as kind of a consolidation rather than a real pullback right now," Kevin Leung, executive director of investment strategy and wealth management at Haitong International Securities, told CNBC's "Street Signs" on Thursday. "People have been a little bit worried about like saying the markets have gone up quite quickly but then I think that's also based on the fact that markets went too low last year," Leung said. Despite Thursday's declines, the Shanghai composite remained more than 25% higher as compared to its final close of 2018. In that same time period, both the Shenzhen component and Shenzhen composite are up more than 30% each. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index also slipped around 0.8%, as of its final hour of trading, with shares of Chinese tech giant Tencent falling beyond 2%. The broad MSCI Asia ex-Japan index declined 0.67% to 537.72, as of 3:25 p.m. HK/SIN. The Nikkei 225 in Japan rose 0.48% to close at 22,307.58. The Topix index also added 0.51% to finish at 1,620.28. The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy steady on Thursday, and said it intends to keep interest rates "extremely low" until at least till 2020. The short-term policy interest rate was left at minus 0.1 percent, along with a pledge to guide 10-year governmental bond yields around 0%, largely in line with market expectations. The traded at 111.77 after seeing an earlier low of 112.23. Over in South Korea, the Kospi declined 0.48% to close at 2,190.50. The moves came after the South Korean economy shrank unexpectedly in the first quarter, seeing its worst performance since the global financial crisis, Reuters reported. Following that data, several economists downgraded their 2019 growth forecasts for South Korea. Shares of chipmaker SK Hynix jumped 2.17% after the company said it expects demand for memory chips to recover later in 2019. Meanwhile, LG Electronics also saw its stock surge 4.48% following a report that said the company was looking to suspend manufacturing of its mobile phones in South Korea. In a statement to CNBC, LG Electronics said the move was part of its "global strategy to make LG phones more competitive," emphasizing that it was not downsizing its smartphone business. Australia's markets were closed on Thursday due to a holiday. VP Joe Biden made remarks, with President Barack Obama by his side, before the signing of the 21st Century Cures Act, in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House in Washington, DC. on December 13, 2016. Former President Barack Obama is waiting to see how things play out before making any 2020 endorsement, including of Joe Biden, his two-time running mate. Obama delivered a supportive statement for his longtime friend Biden on Thursday after the former vice president made his entrance into the race official. But he is unlikely to endorse him or anyone else until the Democratic candidates have a chance to make their cases directly to the voters, a source familiar with the former president's thinking told CNBC. Though Obama's reluctance is not wholly surprising, Republicans are already seizing on it as a talking point to use against the 76-year-old Pennsylvania native who is leading the race in early polling. Read more: Every Democrat wants Barack Obama's 2020 endorsement but Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are likely the top contenders to get it "We don't need eight more years of Biden. Just ask President Obama, who isn't even endorsing his right-hand man," RNC Communications Director Michael Ahrens said in a statement. Despite withholding an endorsement, Obama has said kind words about Biden. In a statement, Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said that the former president "has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made." "He relied on the Vice President's knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today," Hill said. And Obama's former advisor David Axelrod pushed back on those who expected an endorsement right out of the gate, telling Politico that the expectation was "baffling" and contrary to custom. Biden, talking to reporters in Thursday, said he asked Obama not to endorse him. "He wanted to make the case. He is running in this race because he believes we need to restore the soul of this nation, we need to rebuild the backbone of America, and that we need to unify and come together," Biden's communications director Kate Bedingfield said on MSNBC. Still, there is some speculation that Obama could back a candidate whose campaign more closely resembles his own 2008 bid, which was at first seen as a long shot and was predicated on change. In a 2016 interview with The New Yorker, Obama mentioned four up-and-coming Democrats that he suggested could appeal to the party's changing demographics. Two of those Democrats, Sen. Kamala Harris of California and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, are running for president. And Buttigieg, who is 37, has already drawn support from top Obama fundraisers, CNBC has reported. Meanwhile, Obama's former staffers have fanned out among the 20 Democrats running for president. Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke's campaign is being run by Obama's 2012 deputy campaign manager Jennifer O'Malley Dillon. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's national deputy political director is a former Obama campaign advisor, as are officials working for Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Meanwhile, Bill Burton, one of Obama's first campaign advisors, has signed on to work for former Starbucks chief Howard Schultz, who has said he may run as an independent. Barclays first-quarter profit fell 10% over the first three months of the year, amid challenging market conditions and lingering concerns over Brexit. The U.K.-based bank posted pre-tax profit of 1.5 billion ($1.93 billion) for the first three months of the year, down from 1.7 billion over the same period a year earlier. That marked a pre-tax profit fall of 10% amid a plethora of macroeconomic headwinds. Market participants are anxious to understand exactly how the bank plans to navigate weak economic growth projections in the U.K. and the euro zone, ongoing uncertainty over trade and Brexit and a much weaker outlook from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England. Here are some of the key takeaways: First-quarter pre-tax profit came in at 1.5 billion, down from 1.7 billion a year ago. Net profit for the first three months of the year came in at 1.03 billion, vs. 918.7 million expected. The bank's core capital ratio slipped to 13%, down from 13.2% at the end of the previous quarter. Barclays said Thursday that if tough market conditions persist over the coming months, it could be forced to reduce annual costs in 2019 below the 13.6 billion to 13.9 billion range it had previously said it expected to spend. The bank reported 1.03 billion in net income for the first three months of the year. Analysts polled by Reuters had been expecting first-quarter net income to come in at around 918.7 million. Former US vice president Joe Biden arrives at a rally organized by UFCW Union members to support Stop and Shop employees on strike throughout the region at the Stop and Shop in Dorchester, Massachusetts, on April 18, 2019. And with a sprawling field of at least 20 Democrats in the running for the party's nomination, Pennsylvania might even prove to be a major state in the primary fight, where it has historically played a smaller role . While Biden will travel to a slew of other states in his first month on the trail, the extra focus on Pennsylvania shows the Democratic frontrunner trying to shore up his support in a crucial swing state that his party's last presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, narrowly lost in the 2016 election. On Thursday, the 76-year-old former vice president for President Barack Obama officially launched his campaign to challenge President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020. Biden will hold both of his first two major campaign stump speeches in Pennsylvania. Joe Biden is finally out of the gate and he's heading straight for the Keystone State. Other Democratic candidates have already made moves in the state. Former Texas congressman and Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke visited Pennsylvania last month, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who is running in 2020 as a Democrat, held a Fox News town hall in Bethlehem earlier in April. "Democrats and Republicans know that the road to the White House runs through Pennsylvania, so every Democratic presidential candidate will be wise to focus their efforts here," Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesman Brandon Cwalina said in a statement to CNBC. The same day he announced his campaign, Biden traveled toward Pennsylvania, stopping in Delaware before a fundraiser headed by Sen. Bob Casey, D-Penn., and former Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Penn. That fundraiser is reportedly being held at the home of Comcast senior executive vice president David Cohen. Comcast is the parent company of NBC News. Biden will hold his first major campaign event Monday in Pittsburgh, where he is expected to speak about rebuilding an inclusive middle class, according to NBC. Then on May 18, the former vice president will hold a rally in Philadelphia, where he will hash out his vision for closing the divides that are driving Americans apart. Between those two dates, Biden will travel to Iowa, New Hampshire, California, Nevada and South Carolina key states in the Democratic primary. But Biden appears to be taking early steps to lock down Pennsylvania, which holds 20 votes in the electoral college and where he already has some advantages over his opponents. Biden spent the first decade of his life in Scranton, Pennsylvania, before his family moved to Delaware, the neighboring state where he would eventually serve six terms as a U.S. senator. Philadelphia was one of Biden's most important media markets during his decades in the Senate, according to Republican political strategist Ray Zaborney. "He's uniquely built, if you will, for Pennsylvania," Zaborney told CNBC. Even before he made his White House bid official, Biden was by far the top Democratic pick for Pennsylvanians, according to a recent Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll of registered Democratic voters. Of the 405 registered voters who responded in mid-April, 28% said they would choose Biden in the Democratic primary. Sanders came in second with 16%. Trump's last visit to the state was in October, when he and first lady Melania Trump came to support the victims of a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. But Politico reported that senior advisors on Trump's 2020 team traveled to Harrisburg on Wednesday to meet with state GOP officials amid concerns about whether Trump can win in Pennsylvania in the next election. Biden's campaign did not immediately comment about his strategy in Pennsylvania. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel may have hinted at the GOP's own strategy for countering Biden and other Democrats' efforts to shore up support in Pennsylvania. Trump's razor-thin, roughly 44,000-vote victory in the Keystone State helped him to secure the White House. "Biden chose Pennsylvania to launch his campaign a state where the unemployment rate just dropped to the lowest level ever recorded," McDaniel tweeted shortly following Biden's announcement. McDaniel TWEET Zaborney said that he expected Pennsylvania Republicans to follow McDaniel's lead, by touting strong economic numbers during Trump's first three years in office and contrasting Biden's record with the president's. "Is Biden what people are willing to throw away a good economy for?" Republicans might argue, Zaborney said. In statements Thursday, Republicans appeared to be doing just that. "Joe Biden helped President Barack Obama oversee the worst economic recovery following a recession in this country's history," Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Val DiGiorgio said, before listing Obama-era policies often criticized by the GOP, including the Iran nuclear deal and Obamacare. "Joe Biden's record offers nothing to Pennsylvanians and a Biden Presidency would return this country to some of its least promising days," DiGiorgio said. The RNC said in a statement that "Pennsylvania's unemployment rate just hit a record low thanks to President Trump's leadership on policies like the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act." "We will continue to contrast the roaring economy Pennsylvanians have enjoyed under the Trump Administration with the failed policies of the Obama/Biden era." Democrats used Trump's policy priorities to turn the tide in the state last year. They flipped several U.S. House districts and held on to a Senate seat and the governor's office in large part by criticizing Trump's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Pennsylvania holds its primary election on April 28, 2020 more than two months after the Iowa caucuses, which kick off the presidential primary election season. The top candidates for either party have usually cemented their leads by that time, making the Pennsylvania primary day far less consequential than the day of the general election itself. But Philadelphia-area Democratic campaign strategist Aren Platt told the Associated Press in March that "when you have a big field like this and it's possible to win early-voting states with 10, 12 or 15 percent, it really is open to everybody." Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire with a personal worth north of $80 billion, has served as a model for a generation of investors with a frugal, bargain-based buying strategy. That's begotten both a no-frills investing philosophy as well as modest Midwestern lifestyle marked by regular trips to McDonald's, a taste for Coca-Cola and folksy business mantras. "I think the financial result would be very close to the same," Buffett told the Financial Times when asked whether it would be better to put a share of Berkshire or a share of the S&P into a child's investment account. Renowned stock picker Warren Buffett believes investors would be as well off simply buying the stock market as they would owning a stake in Berkshire Hathaway. Though arguably less seductive than short-term tactics that try to time the market, Buffett's method has long served as a blueprint for those looking for steady, reliable return over the long term. Notwithstanding Buffett's value-hunting prowess and dramatic lifetime outperformance, Berkshire has over the last 10 years underperformed the S&P 500 the broad market index that tracks the largest stocks in the American economy. Buffett has long been candid about how difficult it is for Berkshire to keep up with the stock market. He told CNBC in February that "it has been a tough time to beat the S&P." "I think it's the best investment because most people don't know how to pick stocks. And most of the time I don't know how to pick stocks," he told CNBC's Becky Quick earlier this year. "It's it is not an easy game. And by definition people are going to do average," Buffett added. "I mean, if you take everybody in aggregate, and if half of 'em are paying big fees and jumping around and paying brokerage commissions, the other half have to do better." Buffett will join other Berkshire leaders on the first weekend of May at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, where he will discuss the portfolio's performance and investment opportunities. CNBC will provide live coverage of the event. Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill dropped more than 6% Thursday after the company disclosed a new subpoena related to a 2018 foodborne illness outbreak at one of its stores. The Mexican food chain said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it received a subpoena on April 18 for information related to foodborne illness incidents from 2017 and 2018 at restaurants in California, Massachusetts and Virginia locations that were covered by previous subpoenas and a location in Ohio. In August, Chipotle confirmed that bacteria caused an outbreak of illness at a Powell, Ohio store, sickening hundreds of customers. The subpoena is from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in connection with a criminal investigation conducted by the U.S. attorney's office in conjunction with the FDA. The company said in the filing that it intends to cooperate fully with the investigation. "Food safety is our number one priority at Chipotle. We have been cooperating and meeting with the government over the last several years and have been providing them with information regarding our food safety standards," spokeswoman Laurie Schalow said in a statement. Since CEO Brian Niccol joined the company last February, the company has been trying to persuade customers and investors that its food is safe to eat after an E. coli outbreak in 2015 led both sales and its stock price to plunge. "I think we are a leader in these spaces around food safety, and as a result, I think our restaurants are better than ever," Niccol said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street," adding that there is always room for improvement. Before the markets opened Thursday, Chipotle's stock was flat, despite reporting earnings Wednesday that topped estimates and boosting its same-store sales outlook for 2019. Under Niccol, the company has focused on bringing back customers by persuading them to order their burrito bowls digitally. At the end of March, the company's stock price hit $700 per share for the first time since 2015. Prior to Thursday's drop, the stock had gained more than 64% so far in 2019. Merger talks between Germany's top two lenders, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, have ended in failure. The banks cited the need for extra capital, restructuring costs and execution risks as the reasons why the merger would not be in their best interests. "It made sense to evaluate this option for domestic consolidation in Germany. However, we were always clear: We needed to be convinced that any potential combination would generate higher and more sustainable returns," Christian Sewing, chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank, said in a statement Thursday morning. Deutsche Bank shares rose more than 2% on the news, while Commerzbank's stock fell by nearly 3%. Reports and speculation regarding a merger had been rife for months, heightening under the tenure of German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who has spoken out in favor of strong banks for the European nation. But there's been criticism too since it may lead to job losses. An industry source with knowledge of the matter, who preferred to remain anonymous, told CNBC last month that there was not widespread support for the merger within Deutsche Bank. "The general feeling is that the merger is not a great idea since Commerzbank doesn't have the same amount of credibility on the street as Deutsche Bank when it comes to clients and this can impact future trades," the source said. Both banks have struggled to return to profit since the global financial crisis of 2008, and the subsequent euro zone sovereign debt crisis of 2011. In the past few years, Deutsche Bank in particular has made headlines for all the wrong reasons from settlements with the U.S. Department of Justice, to management reshuffles, weak earnings, constant restructuring and steep stock price falls. More recently, there's been reports of the Federal Reserve investigating its role in a money-laundering scandal at Danske Bank and an inquiry from two U.S. House of Representatives committees on the lender's ties to President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, a report in U.K. newspaper The Guardian said the German bank could face legal action over a $20 billion Russian money-laundering scheme. 'Continue to review all alternatives' Deutsche Bank's management said Thursday that it "will continue to review all alternatives to improve long-term profitability and shareholder returns." Stefan Mueller, chief executive officer of financial firm DGWA, told CNBC: "I think it is good for Commerzbank, it's bad for Deutsche Bank." "Commerzbank has shown in the last weeks, since it was everywhere in public, that it was a well-restructured bank and better than just a junior partner for Deutsche Bank," he added. Shares of Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank are both down more than 35% over a 12-month period and more than 80% over a 10-year period. Sewing, who took the helm in April 2018, has been making efforts to turn around the bank's ailing strategy. Various sources have told CNBC that competition from other players in the market is what pushed Sewing to fast-track the merger talks with its domestic rival. Thursday's announcement also comes after media reports had suggested that ING and UniCredit would be interested in acquiring Commerzbank. And that the Swiss bank UBS is looking at the asset management arm of Deutsche Bank, called DWS. "DWS and asset management is a core part of Deutsche Bank's strategy ... we would expect it would be unchanged," James von Moltke, the chief financial officer of Deutsche Bank, told CNBC's Annette Weisbach Thursday. Von Moltke also denied reports that in the proposed deal with Commerzbank it would have needed to raise as much as 10 billion euros. "(That) speculation is way out of line," he said. Early earnings announcement South Korean national flags fly outside the government complex in Sejong, South Korea, on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Images Several economists, including one from U.S. banking giant J.P. Morgan, have downgraded their 2019 growth forecasts for South Korea, after an official estimate showed the north Asian economy unexpectedly shrank in the first quarter. The country's central bank, the Bank of Korea, surprised investors and analysts on Thursday by announcing that the economy contracted by 0.3% on a quarterly basis in the period from January to March this year. None of the economists polled by Reuters had foreseen a contraction. Compared to a year ago, the South Korean economy grew by 1.8% in the first quarter, according to the central bank's advance estimate. That's below the 2.5% expansion that the Reuters poll had projected. The disappointing economic performance in the first quarter led at least three economists to revise downward their annual growth forecasts for South Korea. Any recovery in growth is likely to be very weak Alex Holmes Asia Economist at Capital Economics Seok Gil Park, an economist at J.P. Morgan, said the South Korean economy will likely "rebound strongly" in the following quarters. Still, the disappointing first quarter will drag down the country's 2019 growth, Park wrote in a note after the data release. The economist now expects South Korea to grow by 2.4% for the full year, down from the previous projection of 2.6%. The north Asian economy had grown by 2.7% in 2018. Others have penciled in a more severe slowdown. Economists from Australian bank ANZ wrote in a report on Thursday that South Korean economic growth in 2019 will likely be lackluster. They downgraded the country's growth for this year to 2.2% from their previous estimate of 2.5%. European banks and companies may be interested in participating in China's major globe-spanning investment initiative but first, they need to actually learn more about its details, according to a top European Union official. Speaking with CNBC on Thursday from Beijing, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said his conversations with major companies indicated that China needed to be more transparent if it wants to win European corporate buy-in for its "Belt and Road." That initiative, a cornerstone of Chinese President Xi Jinping's foreign policy, seeks to create a massive web of shipping, rail, road, and digital networks that establishes Beijing as a linchpin for the world. China is reportedly seeking more outside involvement in its bid to invest in and support that infrastructure development, and Sefcovic is part of a lengthy list of global officials attending this week's Belt and Road Forum. European companies, he told CNBC, are first and foremost looking for information. "They would love to be more involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, but we need a little bit more information coming for our companies: how they can participate, how they can bid in the public procurement and of course also the sustainable financing of this project is important because it's raised some concerns also in Europe," he said. The worries about the financing approaches of the initiative come in the wake of several countries canceling or seeking to renegotiate their Belt and Road projects because of concerns about establishing onerous debt to Chinese sources. Notably, Sri Lanka relinquished a strategic port to Beijing in 2017 after it couldn't pay off its debt to Chinese companies. Mayor Catherine Pugh offers background on her "Healthy Holly" book business and the healthy lifestyle baby products she promoted during a City Hall press conference on March 28, 2019. Federal agents raided the homes and offices of Baltimore's embattled mayor on Thursday amid widening probes to determine whether she used sales of her children's books to disguise government kickbacks. The searches pushed the latest political scandal for Maryland's largest city to a crescendo after weeks of uncertainty and mounting pressure for Mayor Catherine Pugh to step down. Maryland's governor joined calls for her resignation shortly after news broke of the raids, as agents with the FBI and the IRS criminal division carried boxes of evidence out of City Hall. Agents also searched her homes, her lawyer's office, the home of an aide and a non-profit organization she was involved with, said Dave Fitz, an FBI spokesman. Before she slipped out of sight more than three weeks ago, Pugh held a hastily organized press conference where she called her book deals a "regrettable mistake." For years, Pugh had been selling her self-published children's books to entities she was involved with as a lawmaker and later as mayor. She sold $500,000 in "Healthy Holly" books to the University of Maryland Medical System, on whose board she sat, while pushing legislation that would have benefited the $4 billion hospital network. She also made $300,000 in bulk sales to health carriers that did business with the city, and to a Maryland financier. The federal case comes amid a criminal investigation by the state prosecutor's office, which began at the request of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, as well as probes by the Baltimore Inspector General, a city ethics board and the state insurance commission. "Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead," Hogan declared in a statement Thursday. "For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign." City Council member Brandon Scott reiterated the council's unanimous demand for her resignation, calling the spectacle "an embarrassment to the city." Pugh remained silent Thursday morning. Her spokesman, James Bentley, said he hadn't spoken with her and doesn't know where she is. Her defense attorney, Steve Silverman, whose office also was searched, did not immediately return calls. City Solicitor Andre Davis said City Hall is cooperating fully with federal investigators. Before Pugh went on paid leave, citing deteriorating health from a pneumonia bout, she said "I never intended to do anything that could not stand up to scrutiny." Six of her staffers joined her on paid leave; three of them were later fired by the acting mayor. Pugh disappeared from public view the same day Hogan asked for the investigation of her "Healthy Holly" book sales, which earned about $800,000 for her limited liability company. Since then, the first-term mayor also has been asked to resign by all the Baltimore lawmakers in Maryland's House of Delegates, the influential Greater Baltimore Committee business group and others. Maryland's chief accountant called Pugh's "self-dealing" book deals "brazen, cartoonish corruption." But only a conviction can trigger a mayor's removal from office according to the state constitution, and Baltimore's mayor-friendly City Charter provides no options for ousting its executive. "The charter is utterly silent on how long the leave can last, exactly what the reasons are for a leave," Davis said. Pugh's communications staff said repeatedly she intends to return to City Hall when she is feeling better, without giving a timetable. At this point, political analysts said, Pugh's biggest bargaining chip is her refusal to resign in a city accustomed to a high-drama, insular political culture. Pugh came to office in late 2016 after edging out ex-Mayor Sheila Dixon, who had spent much of her tenure fighting corruption charges before being forced to depart office in 2010 as part of a plea deal connected to the misappropriation of about $500 in gift cards meant for needy families. While the accusations have certainly cast a shadow over Pugh, she has not been indicted for any crime, and it is unclear how long a criminal investigation will take. Earlier this month, Silverman said the mayor was looking forward to cooperating with the state prosecutor's probe and would provide "as much information as possible to put this matter to rest." Pugh would certainly face a bruising 2020 Democratic primary if she were to return and run for reelection. Many political observers believe she'll never again be able to wield power effectively due to the scandal. Veteran City Council leader Bernard "Jack" Young, who is serving as acting mayor, said as she went on leave that he would merely be a placeholder. But this week, given the groundswell of opinion against her, he said "it could be devastating for her" if she tried to return. Global financial services firm Barings is not looking to invest into Russia anytime soon, its chairman and chief executive officer said Thursday. That's because the country doesn't meet Barings' standards, Thomas Finke told CNBC's Hadley Gamble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. "I can pretty much say we probably won't be going to Russia anytime soon," he said. "When you invest, you have to have a confidence in the leadership, in the political system. And, so, when you make a local investment, the rules of law does matter." Relations between Moscow and Washington have been strained for years, hurt by Russia's military "aggression" and "invasion" in Ukraine and compounded by its meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. President Vladimir Putin's regime has denied any wrongdoing in either event. Former US vice president Joe Biden leaves a rally organized by UFCW Union members to support Stop and Shop employees on strike throughout the region at the Stop and Shop in Dorchester, Massachusetts, April 18, 2019 Former Vice President Joe Biden formally joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday, betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obama's presidency will help him overcome questions about his place in today's increasingly liberal Democratic Party. He made his announcement in a video posted on Twitter. "Everything that has made America America is at stake. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," the 76-year-old Biden said in the 3-minute video. Joe Biden tweet Biden's first major campaign event is set for Monday in Pittsburgh, where he is expected to speak about rebuilding an inclusive middle class, according to NBC News. Biden will then launch a multistate campaign tour with a focus on states with early voting, where he will hash out his vision for closing the divides that are driving Americans apart, NBC reported. His campaign schedule, which begins in Pittsburgh and will culminate in an official kickoff May 18 in Philadelphia, shows the candidate making a clear push for Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton narrowly lost to Trump in 2016. Republicans have taken notice. "Biden chose Pennsylvania to launch his campaign a state where the unemployment rate just dropped to the lowest level ever recorded," GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted. Thursday's announcement marks the unofficial end of the chaotic early phase of the 2020 presidential season. The field now features at least 20 Democrats jockeying for the chance to take on President Donald Trump next year. Several lesser-known candidates may still join the race. Despite being widely viewed as an instant front-runner in the race, Biden faces tough questions about whether his candidacy will be viable amid the crowded and diverse field of candidates. It's yet unclear if Biden will even receive an explicit endorsement from his political partner of nearly a decade President Barack Obama. A statement Monday morning praising Biden was sent by an Obama spokesperson: "President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made. He relied on the Vice President's knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today." A source familiar with Obama's thinking later told CNBC that the former president "believes that a robust primary in 2007 and 2008 not only made him a better general election candidate, but a better president, too. And because of that, it's unlikely that he will throw his support behind a specific candidate this early in the primary process preferring instead to let the candidates make their cases directly to the voters." An aide for Biden said on MSNBC that the candidate "wanted to make the case" to the voters without Obama's endorsement. MSNBC TWEET Biden's decision to run came despite accusations in March and April by several women that he touched them in ways that made them feel uncomfortable. In early April, Biden promised in a two-minute video to be "more mindful and respectful of people's personal space." Despite entering the race later than most of the field, Biden has consistently led polls of Democratic primary voters ahead of Sens. Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. This is Biden's third run for the White House. Biden's announcement ends more than two years of speculation about whether he would launch a White House bid for the 2020 election, dating to President Donald Trump's victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in November 2016. Biden's decision not to run for president in the 2016 contest helped clear the way for Clinton to become the Democratic nominee. Trump did not immediately respond to the announcement video, in which Biden attacked the president for his remark that there were "very fine people on both sides" of a white nationalist rally and counterprotest in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. But the Republican National Committee had choice words for Biden in a statement to CNBC. "Joe Biden has been running for president and losing since the '80s. 2020 won't be any different. Biden's fingerprints are all over foreign policy blunders and the weakest economic recovery since World War II," said RNC Communications Director Michael Ahrens. "We don't need eight more years of Biden. Just ask President Obama, who isn't even endorsing his right-hand man." Some have speculated that that decision, which Biden said was based in part on his enduring grief following the death of his 46-year-old son, Beau, to brain cancer in March 2015, might have cost him his best shot at the presidency. In fact, if he had entered the 2016 fray, Biden would have started off as the most popular candidate, according to a September 2015 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. With a resume boasting 36 years in the Senate representing Delaware and eight more in Obama's White House, Biden's status as an experienced Washington insider serves as just one of many contrasts with Trump. Even before Biden announced his 2020 run, he led early polls of Democratic presidential candidates. His national name recognition and association with Obama, who enjoys high popularity as a White House alumnus, made him a top contender from the earliest stages of the campaign. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif does not believe U.S. President Donald Trump wants war with Iran, but he told Reuters on Wednesday that Trump could be lured into a conflict. "I don't think he wants war," Zarif said in an interview at the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York. "But that doesn't exclude him being basically lured into one." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Zarif's remarks. Zarif said a so-called "B-team," including Trump's national security adviser John Bolton, an ardent Iran hawk, and conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could goad Trump into a conflict with Tehran. "Those who have designed the policies that are being pursued do not simply want a negotiated solution. But let me make it clear that Iran is not seeking confrontation, but will not escape defending itself," he said. In somewhat cryptic remarks, Zarif also warned of the possibility that people could try "to plot an accident" that could trigger a broader crisis. Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since the Trump administration withdrew last year from an international nuclear deal with Iran and began ratcheting up sanctions. Earlier this month, the United States blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions. The U.S. blacklisting of the IRGC, Iran's most powerful security organization with huge stakes in the economy, was the first time any nation has labeled another country's military a terrorist organization. Zarif said Iran would act with "prudence" in response to what he saw as dangerous policies by the United States. In one example, he said Iran would still allow U.S. warships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil artery. The County of Los Angeles' population fell last year, even as other major counties in the state added residents. "Los Angeles is just not growing," said Richard Green, director of the University of Southern California's Lusk Center for Real Estate. "A lot of [the reason] is housing, and not just the cost of housing but the number of houses that are available. Vacancy is incredibly low." Los Angeles ranked fourth in terms of the nation's most populous counties losing people in 2018, according to new estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. It comes as the Los Angeles basin struggles with housing affordability and the lack of new home construction. The government's data, released April 18, shows the population in the County of Los Angeles decreased by 13,241 residents as of July 1, 2018, to 10.104 million people. Counties that lost more people in 2018 were Cook County/Chicago in Illinois as well as Queens and Kings counties in New York. "There are big urban core counties across the country that are either losing population or gaining fewer people than they had 3 or 4 years ago," said William Frey, a demographer for the Brookings Institution. He said that's a reversal from earlier in the 2010 decade when big cities and large metropolitan areas were growing faster than suburbs. According to Census data, just over 26% of the 360 metro areas within the U.S. showed population declines in 2018. It said areas with the fastest decreases were due mostly to negative net domestic migration. Even though Los Angeles County lost residents, the new Census data shows California added 157,696 residents statewide in 2018, reaching a population of 39.557 million. San Diego County California's second-largest county, with a population of 3.34 million people added nearly 17,896 people in 2018, according to new Census data. Also, major counties in the San Francisco Bay region grew slightly in population in 2018, including Alameda (8,622 new residents), Contra Costa (5,352) and San Francisco (4,139). Los Angeles and other California metros increased in population in the 1980s due in part to international immigration from Latin America and Asia. Even though that growth slowed substantially by 2000, new arrivals in the past five years have only added pressure to the state's tight housing market. The housing situation in Southern California is especially tough for lower-income residents. About 7.5 million people live in poverty in California, including about 15% of the population of Los Angeles County. USC's Green said there has been a spillover of Los Angeles residents moving into nearby Inland Empire counties, such as Riverside and San Bernardino. "You have all these people competing for housing, and there's just not enough of it," said Green. Census data shows the Inland Empire region added more than 50,000 residents in 2018. According to Rentcafe, average rents in Los Angeles County are $2,371 a month, up 7% from a year ago. That compares with average rents of $1,229 in San Bernardino County and $1,528 in Riverside County. Also, Riverside and San Bernardino counties have become distribution hubs and locations for large fulfillment centers operated by Amazon and other companies. They have added thousands of new jobs in the past decade to the Inland Empire area and fueled more housing development. "We've seen more jobs move east to Riverside and San Bernardino counties," said Green. "They will become increasingly more important centers of the regional economy." Graphic by CNBC's John Schoen. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a news conference declaring a public health emergency in parts of Brooklyn in response to a measles outbreak, requiring unvaccinated people living in the affected areas to get the vaccine or face fines, in the Orthodox Jewish community of the Williamsburg neighborhood, in Brooklyn, New York City, April 9, 2019. This is the worst year for measles in the U.S. since the disease was declared eradicated from the country in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, 695 cases of measles have been confirmed in 22 states, the agency said, surpassing the previous high of 667 cases for all of 2014. Outbreaks in Washington and New York drove this year's surge, the CDC said. People traveled to countries with large measles outbreaks, and brought them back to communities where some people chose not to be vaccinated, leading to the spread of the highly contagious disease, the CDC said. The longer the outbreaks continue, the greater the chance that measles will "again get a sustained foothold" in the U.S., the agency added. "With a safe and effective vaccine that protects against measles, the suffering we are seeing is avoidable," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. Receiving both recommended doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective in preventing the measles, according to the CDC. Measles is highly contagious, infecting 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the disease, the agency said. For more on investing in health care innovation, click here to join CNBC at our Healthy Returns Summit in New York City on May 21. Rockland County and New York City are home to large Orthodox Jewish populations, where some people have refused to vaccinate their children. New York City issued a mandate on April 9 requiring residents in parts of Brooklyn to get vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella or face a $1,000 fine. It also closed a Jewish school that allegedly refused to provide vaccination records. The CDC said a "significant factor" in the outbreaks affecting these communities are due to misinformation about the safety of the MMR vaccine. "Some organizations are deliberately targeting these communities with inaccurate and misleading information about vaccines," the agency said in a statement. Jewish Orthodox nurses are trying to debunk misinformation they say people who are against vaccinations have spread through these communities. Meantime, health officials are bracing for an uptick in cases after Passover, a Jewish holiday, which ends Saturday. Measles starts with a runny nose, high fever and cough. It spreads to a rash and can lead to complications like pneumonia or brain swelling, which can be especially dangerous for young children. In February of 2018, then-gubernatorial candidate Steve Sisolak made a campaign promise that if elected governor, he'd donate his entire salary to public education. "As governor of Nevada, I will not take a salary until our schools are back on track. Instead, until we get this problem solved, I will donate my salary to nonprofits that help support educators and students in and out of the classroom," he said at a press event at the time. Now, Sisolak is making good on his promise. On Wednesday, the governor announced that he had given his first check, for $24,654.79, to the Nevada Department of Education's Education Gift Fund. He plans to make quarterly donations. "I asked the people of Nevada for the chance to lead this state for many reasons, chief among them being the opportunity to improve educational outcomes for every child in every classroom in the state," said Sisolak in a statement. "To show my commitment to this goal, the First Lady and I are donating my net state salary back to public education. It is my sincere hope that with these donations, I can begin to fulfill my promise to our educators, families, and children and make a positive impact on our public schools." Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg meets Founder and Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group Jack Ma (not pictured), at the China Development Forum in Beijing, China, March 19, 2016. The New York state attorney general's office on Thursday announced plans to open an investigation into Facebook's improper collection of users' contact lists. New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday tweeted that "It's time Facebook be held accountable for how it handles consumers' personal info." The investigation was first reported by the New York Times. tweet Since 2016, Facebook collected the address book data of 1.5 million users whom were asked to enter their email passwords when signing up for new accounts to verify their identities, according to a Business Insider report earlier this month. The company said it had "unintentionally uploaded" that data. The New York attorney general's office's investigation will focus on how this practice occurred and whether more users were impacted, according to the Thursday report. This news comes a day after Facebook took a one-time $3 billion charge in anticipation of a possible fine from the Federal Trade Commission. Facebook warned the actual charge could be as much as $5 billion. The FTC has been probing Facebook since March 2018 following reports that political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica had improperly access the data of 87 million Facebook users. Facebook did not responded to a request for comment. Shares were unchanged after hours, after rising nearly 6%% during the day following a blowout earnings report on Wednesday. WATCH: Here's how to see which apps have access to your Facebook data and cut them off Mo Ibrahim is the billionaire founder of African telecommunications operator Celtel, a business that helped to bring mobile telephony to the continent, and one which he sold in 2005 for $3.4 billion. But when Ibrahim started the company in 1998, he couldn't get funding. Part of the problem was a perception that African countries were corrupt. Ibrahim recalled a time when an American contact said it was unlikely his company's board would invest in Uganda because Idi Amin was running the country. But Amin had left Uganda 15 years previously. "If that was the perception of Africa, nobody's going to invest in Africa," Ibrahim told CNBC's "The Brave Ones." Building a telco in Africa was labor-intensive because of the lack of infrastructure. "We had to build all the infrastructure ourselves. I had to put in the microwave (technology), the fiber myself, to connect the powers to the exchanges," Ibrahim said. It's also costly. "Typically, you get at least 50% funding from the banks (but) we could not get any We in Africa had to build the company with equity, with our money, because the banks (would) not touch us. That was the picture at that time," he added. But Ibrahim who was born in Sudan and grew up in Egypt saw Africa as a continent with huge potential. "I'm an African. I'm not afraid of Africa. I believe there's a big gap between perception and the reality of Africa. Whenever there's a big gap between perception and reality, there's a wonderful business opportunity." The banks wanted all of Celtel's assets as security in return for a loan, which Ibrahim eventually agreed to because the company needed the money, he wrote in the Harvard Business Review in 2012. Ibrahim has since started a foundation that aims to improve political leadership and governance in Africa, as well as a prize for achievement in leadership, most recently won by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia. Workers cross walkways between zones aboard an offshore oil platform in the Persian Gulf's Salman Oil Field, near Lavan island, Iran, on Jan. 5. 2017. U.S. sanctions against Iran have denied its government more than $10 billion in oil revenue, a U.S. official said on Thursday. Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, made the comment during a call with reporters days after Washington said it would end all exemptions to sanctions against Iran, demanding countries halt imports from Tehran from May or face punitive action. The United States re-imposed sanctions against Iran's oil exports last November, but initially allowed its eight biggest buyers limited imports for another half-year. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a welcome ceremony as he arrives at the railway station in the Russian far-eastern city of Vladivostok on April 24, 2019. Shamil Zhumatov | Reuters For Putin, talks with Kim are a "relatively easy way" to demonstrate that "he is a player in the region, that his interests need to be kept in mind by the U.S., North Korea and everyone else as this process moves forward," Seaman said. However, the Eurasia Group expert said Moscow is unlikely to be "prepared to publicly violate sanctions" imposed on Pyongyang at this point even though the border between North Korea and Russia is "always going to be a porous" one. "We already know that there are a lot of exchanges taking place both before and during the process that we're seeing play out now," Seaman said. "That ebbs and flows according to, often, the political situation above it, but I think North Korea still is getting squeezed pretty hard by all these sanctions." "So, I don't think that we're going to see anything dramatic come out of this meeting, but it is an important first step," he added. Royal Bank of Scotland plc said on Thursday that Chief Executive Ross McEwan has resigned from his role. McEwan has a 12 month notice period and will remain in his position until a successor has been appointed and an orderly handover has taken place, the bank said. Thee date of his departure will be confirmed in due course. "After over five and a half very rewarding years, and with the bank in a much stronger financial position it is time for me to step down as CEO," he said in a statement. "It has been a privilege to lead this great bank and to have worked with some really outstanding people in process." RBS is hosting its annual general meeting on Thursday. Reconstruction works underway on the Mozyr - Brest section of the Druzhba pipeline [Friendship Pipeline], the world's longest oil pipeline running from European Russia to the eastern and western Europe. Several European nations have suspended oil imports from Russia after contaminated supplies were found in a major pipeline from the world's second-largest crude exporter. The sudden suspension of imports from the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline has disrupted supplies to European refineries. Germany, Poland and Belarus have all suspended shipments through the Druzhba line, and trading sources say the Czech Republic has also halted imports, according to S&P Global Platts. The firm estimates that 700,000 barrels per day of Russian oil that usually transits through the Druzhba line has been suspended. At least five tankers containing the contaminated oil also sailed from the Baltic port of Ust Luga. Druzhba pipeline, source: S&P Global Platts The incident will cause short-term disruptions to supply, potentially resulting in reduced activity at affected refineries, according to Chris Midgley, global head of analytics at S&P Global Platts. That should boost product prices and refinery margins in northwest Europe, but it's not likely to significantly tighten global oil supplies or disrupt production. Russia currently plans to start pumping clean fuel through Druzhba on April 29. The Druzhba pipeline can ship up to 1 million bpd, according to data sourced by Reuters approximately 1% of global demand. The line supplies branches north to supply Poland and Germany and forks south to deliver Russian crude to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. German plants belonging to Total, Shell, Eni and Rosneft as well as refineries belonging to Poland's PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos were all reportedly at risk. PKN Orlen is receiving seaborne shipments from Gdansk port, but capacity from Gdansk may be limited and cannot completely compensate for the disruption, according to S&P Global Platts. "The first thing to note is that this incident involving contaminated Russian oil is rare occurrence," Stephen Brennock, oil analyst at PVM Oil Associates, told CNBC via email on Thursday. In fact, Brennock said it is the "first time I have seen anything like it." High-level Russian government officials were set to meet on Thursday to discuss how to resolve the contaminated crude. Analysts said these talks were likely to address how to avoid legal procedures against state-owned oil export company Transneft. "Russia has made it clear that it would seek to address the quality concerns related to chlorine levels over the coming days, probably by the end of this week. Given the crucial role of oil in its economy, Russia takes this issue very seriously," Agathe Demarais, global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) told CNBC via email on Thursday. Verizon Communications Inc. 5G wireless signage is displayed at the company's booth during the Mobile World Congress Americas in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Verizon on Thursday announced that it will begin to sell the Galaxy S10 5G on May 16 for $1,300. It's the first phone with 5G included that Verizon will sell. It follows the Motorola Z3, which supports 5G, but requires a separate accessory that adds the functionality to the phone. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is a larger version of the Galaxy S10 that Samsung launched earlier this year. Verizon will sell two models including the $1,300 option as well as a $1,400 version with twice the storage. The phone will also launch on AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile later this year. Verizon also said it will activate 5G in 20 new markets this year including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Des Moines, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Little Rock, Memphis, Phoenix, Providence, San Diego, Salt Lake City and Washington DC. South Korea's SK Hynix posted a 69 percent drop in first-quarter operating profit on Thursday, marking its smallest quarterly profit since late 2016 as memory chip prices remain weak. The company said it expected demand for DRAM chips to recover later this year, with new smartphones adopting high-density chips. The world's second-biggest memory chip maker behind Samsung Electronics said January-March profit was 1.4 trillion won ($1.21 billion). That was in line with a 1.4 trillion won estimate from analysts, according to Refinitiv SmartEstimate. SmartEstimates give more weight to recent estimates by analysts who are more consistently accurate. Samsung reported earlier this month it was heading for its lowest quarterly profit in more than two years, with a glut in memory chips being a key reason for margins being hit. Prices for DRAM chips, which help devices perform multiple tasks, declined over 20 percent in the first quarter from a quarter ago, and are expected to fall by up to 20 percent in the second quarter, according to industry tracker DRAMeXchange. Prices for NAND chips, which provide long-term data storage, have lost 20 percent in the first quarter, RAMeXchange says. SK Hynix's revenue fell 22 percent from a year earlier to 6.8 trillion won. "We will focus on reducing raw material cost and securing competitiveness in the market where memory demand uncertainty and hope for demand recovery co-exists," the company said in a statement. As Slack gears up to hit the markets through an unconventional direct listing, stock activity is increasing on the private markets at a price that values the company at nearly $17 billion, according to Forge Global, a firm that matches private companies and their employees with investors. In Slack's last financing round in August, the company sold shares at $11.91 apiece for a valuation of $7.1 billion. Some early investors and employees have been selling stock at around $28, Kelly Rodriques, CEO of Forge, told CNBC. At that price, they're valuing Slack at close to $17 billion. Slack, whose cloud-based messaging software lets employees communicate and collaborate, is preparing to go public on the New York Stock Exchange, but not through a typical IPO. Rather, Slack is following Spotify's lead and directly listing its shares. This approach means the company doesn't raise money but allows existing investors to convert their private shares to public stock and sell it without the traditional lock-up restrictions. The secondary trades can give Slack some visibility into what investors are willing to pay, because with a direct listing, there's a less formal system for price discovery. In an IPO, the lead underwriters take orders from investors and raise the price for the offering based on demand, while also typically baking in a first-day pop. "Looking back at the last six-month period, we have seen robust demand-side interest in Slack balanced with shareholders ranging from individuals to institutions who are looking at taking some risk off the table," said Rodriques, whose firm is backed by billionaire VC investor Peter Thiel and French bank BNP Paribas. According to a person familiar with the company's plans, Slack is planning to reveal its listing prospectus as soon as Friday. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the timing. Supporters of Spain's far-right Vox party wave Spanish flags during a campaign rally in Burgos, northern Spain on April 14, 2019, ahead of the April 28 general elections. CESAR MANSO | AFP | Getty Images Spain's far-right Vox party is expected to see a significant upswing in a general election on April 28 but unlike other nationalist movements in Europe that have been a response to immigration, Vox's rise is down to a more homegrown crisis. What parties like the National Rally in France (formerly, the National Front), the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Lega party in Italy have in common with their Spanish counterpart Vox is that they are all conservative, nationalist parties that have grown in popularity in recent years. What differentiates Vox, however, is that while the others focus on immigration as a key part of their manifestos, Spanish voters have turned to Vox largely as a response to a pro-independence movement in Catalonia and perceived threat it poses to Spain's unity. Catalonia in northeastern Spain has dominated the political debate in the country since a failed independence bid in 2017 and lack of resolution to the separatist movement. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has come under fire for being open to talks with Catalan separatists. And he could once again need their support to form a viable government should his Spanish Socialist Workers' Party fail to gain a majority of votes, as expected. The failure to deal with Catalan separatists has angered many voters and has drawn many of them to Vox, which says it defends national unity. Vox has gone further than other right-leaning parties in Spain by not only condemning the pro-independence movement in Catalonia but by taking an active role in a trial against separatist leaders; it also wants to ban separatist parties. Vox has said it has been unfairly sidelined by the political establishment after Spain's election board excluded it from a televised debate between party leaders, saying its inclusion would not be "proportionate" to its popularity (as it currently holds no seats in the national parliament). Rather than blaming the elections watchdog, Vox's leader Santiago Abascal blamed separatist parties for the decision, saying "it is clear who still commands in Spain: the separatists." Tweet: Unity 'under attack' In Sunday's forthcoming general election, Vox could gain 11% of the vote that would give it as many as 27 seats in parliament. It is certainly on track to become the first far-right party to sit in parliament since 1982, Reuters noted. That worries a lot of Spaniards who lived through the 36-year nationalist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco who ruled over Spain until his death in 1975. With its pledge to "make Spain great again," Vox's critics say the party has worrying echoes of Francoist ideology. The party has also promised to repeal a 2007 law (the "Law of Historical Memory") that denounced Franco's fascist regime and ordered the removal of Franco-era symbols from public view. "We're a party that relies on two basic ideas," Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros, director of international affairs at Vox, told CNBC Wednesday. "One is the unity of our nation our nation is 500 years old and it's been under attack," he said. "Unity is one of the things that needs to be very strongly defended in Spain. And the other is freedom we defend the free market, we defend the freedom of Spaniards, we defend certain traditions. We defend things that nobody has been defending for the past 50 years," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe." The party was founded in late 2013 and publicly launched in early 2014. Later that year, it elected Abascal, one of its founders, as its president. Vox emerged amid a wider backdrop of populism in Europe. Euroskeptism and anti-immigration sentiment rose following a sharp increase in migration to the continent. In late 2018, the party made waves by gaining 12 seats in an Andalusian regional election. The party is known for its conservative, family values and opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage and feminism and advocates less bureaucracy, less state, less spending and more investment, according to its political manifesto. It is an advocate for the free market, a recentralization of the state (it wants to abolish autonomous regions - like Catalonia - that it says have fomented separatism) and electoral reform. People attend a campaign meeting of Spain's far-right party VOX on November 26, 2018 in Granada. With a tough line on immigration and Catalan separatism, Spain's tiny far-right party VOX is starting to make waves. CRISTINA QUICLER | AFP | Getty Images The party has also taken an anti-immigration stance (it initially wanted to expel 53,000 illegal immigrants from Andalusia) although it has promoted what it called "good immigration" from Latin American countries to help tackle a "population deficit" in the city of Zamora. Vox's Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros denied to CNBC that that party was anti-immigrant or anti-Islam, however, saying those claims are "not true." In Sunday's election, the governing socialist party is expected to increase its number of parliamentary seats, ahead of the People's Party (PP) and Ciudadanos. Vox is vying for fourth place with the left-wing Podemos party. Unpredictable Analysts tend to see the uptick in support for the socialists as a response to Vox and fears of the right-wing party. It's not impossible that the socialists fail to form a coalition government (they are not expected to gain enough seats to govern alone) and it could be left to the PP, Ciudadanos and Vox to form a governing alliance. For its part, the PP has cautiously accepted a potential alliance with Vox. Toni Timoner, U.K. Representative of the PP, told CNBC Monday in emailed comments that the PP would aim to form a standing coalition government with the centrist party Ciudadanos and that "support from the populist right party Vox will be welcome on a case-by-case basis, limited to specific agreements, negotiated and put in writing." Antonio Barroso, deputy head of research at Teneo Intelligence, told CNBC Thursday that Vox could be an unpredictable force in government if such a coalition came to pass. One international hotelier said Tuesday that its plans to enter the Sri Lankan market would be put on hold after Sunday's terrorist attacks on hotels and churches. "We were just about ready to start again, on another hotel ... and now look at what's happened," said Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts. On Easter Sunday, bombings struck three churches and four luxury hotels in the country. Around 500 people were injured and 359 were killed in the attacks, according to current tallies. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the blasts, and at least 60 suspects have been detained for questioning. Emergency law and an overnight curfew have also been declared. Speaking to CNBC's Martin Soong at the Credit Suisse Global Supertrends Conference in Singapore, Ho described the incident as "incredibly tragic." "We've always stayed very close to Sri Lanka and what's happening and so on, always wanting to get back in again," he said. But, he added, the attacks will now delay "everybody's plans." The hospitality company's two prior ventures in the country were halted by the assassination of then-Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa and a tsunami. "If you look at what happened with any major terrorist activity ... tourism is the most, most susceptible to event risk," Ho said. While he said tourism took 10 years to "come back" from bombing incidents in Bali and Morocco, he expressed hope that it will only take three to four years in Sri Lanka. "But it's not going to be ... people bouncing back," he said. "It won't be." Until the tourism industry in the country recovers, businesses must "dig deep" and "brace themselves for a difficult period," Sri Lankan Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake told CNBC's Sri Jagarajah. "You can't gloss over this period, you have to be very tough. The government will support you in any way possible," Dissanayake said Wednesday in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. Tourism is a major contributor to the Sri Lankan economy, accounting for around 11% of gross domestic product, consultancy Capital Economics said in a Tuesday report, citing estimates from the World Travel and Tourism Council. An expected hit to the tourism sector would add pressure to the government's already troubled finances, said Capital Economics. The consultancy has slashed its 2019 GDP growth forecast for Sri Lanka to 1% from 3.2%. CNBC's Yen Nee Lee and Reuters contributed to this report. Traders and financial professionals work ahead of the closing bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The earnings recession is not happening. Despite disappointments from 3M, earnings for the are now expected to be flat for the first quarter after dire predictions in December. Strong reports from Facebook and Microsoft and CNBC parent Comcast were the key to raising S&P 500 earnings estimates from down 2.5% two weeks ago to flat today. S&P 500: Q1 earnings estimates: Today: 0.0% April 24: down 1.1% April 22: down 1.7% April 11: down 2.5% Source: Refinitiv Not out of the woods: Stocks have been rallying on the belief that the economies in China and to a lesser extent Europe have been "bottoming," but comments in the last 24 hours are reminding investors that this is not settled. South Korea's surprise announcement that its GDP was down 0.3%, well below expectations of a gain of 0.3%, was one such warning sign. South Korea is very dependent on China for its exports. MMM, which gets 20% of its revenue in Asia, pointed to slower growth in key markets, including China. Semiconductor companies are particularly reliant on China for growth. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SMH), a basket of semiconductor ETFs, is up 35% this year, largely on a belief that China has bottomed. Taiwan Semiconductor seemed to support that: A week ago, its CEO said, "We believe we may have passed the bottom of cycle of our business." However on Wednesday, Texas Instruments contradicted that assertion, saying the weakness in chip sales may continue, and Lam Research, one of the largest semiconductor manufacturing equipment companies, said the "spending correction" in memory chips will extend through this calendar year. "The weak South Korea GDP was driven by weak semiconductor sales, largely to China," said Brendan Ahern, CIO of Kraneshares, which has a family of China ETFs. "There are plenty of 'green shoots' in China," he said, pointing to improvements in the Chinese Purchasing Managers Index, GDP and industrial production. But Ahern notes that the huge 25% rally in Shanghai this year, among the best of all global markets, leaves China stocks vulnerable: "We are entering earnings season for China names. We need to see all that stimulus trickle down." And, most importantly, he notes that the China data needs to continue to improve: "The fundamentals need to catch up with the market." Shipping containers sit stacked on a cargo ship docked at the Port of Houston Bayport Container Terminal in Pasadena, Texas, U.S., on Friday, April 12, 2019. Robust demand for Texas oil and gas in the first two months of 2019 pushed the state's export activity into high gear: triple the national rate and contrasting with a slight decline by California. The Lone Star State's exports totaled more than $50.9 billion in the January-February period of 2019, increasing 9% from a year earlier, according to WISERTrade, a trade research firm. For California, total international sales dipped 1% to $28.1 billion in the two months compared with national export growth of 2.6% to $260 billion in the period. Texas represented nearly 20% of all U.S. exports in the January-February period while California accounted for about 11%. California has seen its share of total U.S. exports fall in recent years while Texas has been growing its share due mainly to the new oil boom. "Two-thirds of the U.S. increase in exports over these last two months have come from Texas," said Michael Cox, a former chief economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and an executive in residence at Southern Methodist University. "And 99.4% of that is oil and gas." Oil and gas exports from Texas rose 45% in value in the first two months of 2019, and petroleum and coal products grew by 5%. One laggard was agricultural products, which fell about 22%, reflecting a drop in oilseeds, grains and other farm-related products. Mexico, which bought $17.4 billion worth of products from Texas during January and February, remains the leading export sales destination followed by Canada. Texas' agriculture exports to Mexico were up 9% in the first two months of 2019, but there was weakness from sales of meat and dairy products. In response to President Donald Trump's steel and aluminum import duties, Mexico and Canada last year imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on a variety of U.S. food and agricultural products, including pork and some dairy items. As for China, Texas saw its total exports to the world's second-largest economy fall by 52% to $1.6 billion in the first two months of the year, with the agriculture trade portion plunging 85% in value. Similarly, total U.S. agricultural exports to China were sharply lower in January and February, falling by 48% during the two months, according to WISERTrade. It followed Beijing last year imposing retaliatory tariffs on a variety of U.S. farm-related products, including soybeans, grains, meats, cotton, dairy products, fruit and nuts. U.S.-China trade talks are scheduled to resume next week in Beijing led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. There were signs of progress in the previous round of bilateral negotiations but hurdles remain, including forced technology transfer and an enforcement mechanism of any final agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order on implementing an America-first offshore energy strategy in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, April 28, 2017. The Trump administration will not move forward with plans to open virtually all federal waters to offshore drilling, according to recently confirmed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. The administration is putting the expansion on hold after a federal judge shot down its attempt to overturn President Barack Obama's Arctic drilling ban, Bernhardt told The Wall Street Journal. The ruling could lead to a prolonged appeals process that delays the Interior Department's decision on which offshore areas it will put up for auction, Bernhardt said. "By the time the court rules, that may be discombobulating to our plan," Bernhardt said in an interview with the Journal. He said he's not sure it's "a very satisfactory and responsible use of resources" to offer offshore blocks that may get tied up in legal proceedings. Last month, Judge Sharon Gleason for the District Court of Alaska ruled that President Donald Trump's executive order overturning Obama's Arctic drilling ban was unlawful and invalid. In doing so, Gleason ruled in favor of environmental groups, who argued that Congress gave the U.S. president the power to remove federal waters from consideration under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, but not the authority to overturn a previous president's withdrawal. President Donald Trump speaks during a White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council meeting in the Cabinet room at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 4, 2019. President Donald Trump on Thursday denied that he had asked former White House counsel Don McGahn to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, a finding detailed in Mueller's report on Russian election interference and possible obstruction of justice by Trump. "I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so," Trump said in a new series of tweets, claiming that reports that he had were "incorrectly" published by "the Fake News Media." The president added: "If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn't need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself." Trump TWEET The New York Times reported in January 2018 that Trump had ordered McGahn to fire Mueller the previous June, but backed off his demand after the White House counsel had threatened to resign. The Times then reported in April 2018 that in December, Trump had said in definitive terms that the Mueller investigation, which began in May 2017, must be shut down. The Mueller report itself, released last week with redactions, is consistent with both Times' reports. McGahn, who emerged as Mueller's most-cited source in the 448-page report, said in a statement through his lawyer that the incidents described in the document are "accurately described." O'Donnell TWEET McGahn's lawyer, William Burck, did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Trump's tweets. In two follow-up tweets, Trump said "Mueller was NOT fired and was respectfully allowed to finish his work on what I, and many others, say was an illegal investigation." Trump TWEET 2 Trump TWEET 3 The 22-month special counsel probe looked at Russian meddling in the 2016 election, as well as possible collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign and whether Trump obstructed the investigation from continuing. Mueller concluded that there was insufficient evidence to show coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign and made no recommendation to the Justice Department on the question of obstruction by Trump. Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, however, concluded that there was insufficient proof for an obstruction offense based on the Mueller report. President Donald Trump on Thursday tweeted a snarky welcome to Joe Biden, after the former vice president officially joined the 2020 race. "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe," Trump said in a tweet. "It will be nasty," the president said. "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign," Trump added sarcastically. Trump TWEET Less than three hours earlier, Biden announced on Twitter that he was running for president with a video that attacked Trump directly. Biden TWEET That video highlighted Trump's much-criticized remark that there were "very fine people on both sides" of a white nationalist rally and counterprotest in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. One counterprotester was killed in the incident. Before Biden announced his candidacy, Trump had tweeted a video mocking him over a series of reports of women alleging the former vice president made physical contact they felt was inappropriate. In early April, Biden promised in a two-minute video to be "more mindful and respectful of people's personal space." "WELCOME BACK JOE!" Trump tweeted on April 4, accompanied by a doctored parody video. Trump TWEET Joe Video Biden had responded at the time with a tweet of his own: "I see that you are on the job and presidential, as always." Before Trump's tweet Thursday morning, the Republican National Committee responded to Biden's announcement dismissively. "Joe Biden has been running for president and losing since the '80s. 2020 won't be any different," RNC Communications Director Michael Ahrens said in a statement. "We don't need eight more years of Biden. Just ask President Obama, who isn't even endorsing his right-hand man." The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment. WATCH: Biden jokes about inappropriate touching accusations Uber could go public at a stock price that would make it more valuable than some of the best-known names in the S&P 500. The ride-hailing company plans to list shares between $44 and $50 in its upcoming initial public offering, several news outlets reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. That would value the company at as high as $90 billion when it lists on the New York Stock Exchange, according to a Bloomberg report. The eye-popping figure would make it more valuable than S&P juggernauts like DowDuPont, General Electric and Caterpillar, according to data from Finviz.com. It would also top Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, with market capitalizations of $81 billion and $74 billion, respectively. Market capitalization, or "market cap," is the total dollar amount of a company's outstanding shares, which can be calculated by multiplying the firm's outstanding shares by the price of one share. Uber is different from its potential market-cap peers in a key way it's not making money. The San Francisco-based start-up has been mounting billion-dollar losses ahead of its market debut. Its adjusted losses totaled $1.85 billion in 2018, according to its initial IPO prospectus. Those losses slowed from 2017, when Uber lost $2.6 billion. The company increased its revenue to $11.3 billion, up 43 percent year over year. Most tech companies are not known for making money ahead of public offerings. Lyft, which went public in April, had a loss of $911 million on $2.1 billion in revenue last year. Twitter was losing money when it listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2013. Snap, Spotify and SurveyMonkey which all listed in 2018 were also bleeding money. Lyft, Zoom and Pinterest all priced above their marketed range this year. The valuations for these tech unicorns are based on future profits, since almost none of their businesses are profitable yet. Market valuation expert Aswath Damodaran has said the recent totals are far too high or as he put it, "scary." "I'm a little scared of Uber at $100 billion," the NYU Stern professor told CNBC. "I think both Lyft and Uber are struggling with a way to convert revenue growth into profits. So you are paying $100 billion for a company that still doesn't have a viable business model. That's scary." WATCH: Uber's IPO will be five times the size of Pinterest and Zoom's IPOs combined UBS reported a 27% fall in net profit for its first quarter, compared to the same period the year before, with the Swiss bank citing challenging market conditions. Net income for the first quarter came in at $1.1 billion, versus $848 million expected in a Reuters poll of analysts. However, this was lower than the $1.57 billion reported this time last year in what was a strong quarter for the bank. Here are the other key highlights of the first quarter of 2019: Operating income of $7.2 billion, versus $8.2 billion a year ago. Return on tangible equity of 9.8%, versus 13.5% a year ago. Common equity tier 1 capital ratio of 13%, versus 13.1% a year ago. Sergio Ermotti, the group's chief executive officer, told CNBC Thursday that it was a "very challenging quarter" but he was "pleased" with the resilience of the results, nonetheless. The bank's wealth management division and its investment banking unit saw much lower operating profits than in the first quarter of 2018. The former registered an operating profit of $873 million, versus $1.1 billion a year ago. In investment banking, operating income fell to $221 million from $619 million a year ago. UBS said this was caused by the challenging trading environment, mainly in Europe and Asia. The logo for the Vanguard Group is shown on correspondence in Zelienople, Pa. Vanguard Group, the globe's second-largest asset manager, announced Thursday plans to allocate a fraction of its vast voting powers on corporate boards to outside fund supervisors that control more than $470 billion of its holdings. Firms that manage Vanguard's active equity funds will soon receive approval to vote on some of the important decisions in the lives of companies, including management changes, board elections and mergers and acquisitions. Vanguard said that despite relinquishing voting rights over about 9% of its assets, it will continue to leverage its own in-house investment team when voting on its vast index funds and ETFs. Vanguard oversees $5.3 trillion in assets around the world. "We believe proxy voting is a great way to integrate investment stewardship responsibilities with investment management practices," Vanguard Chairman and CEO Tim Buckley said in a news release. "Our external managers are well-positioned to take on proxy voting responsibilities in a manner that supports shareholder value creation over the long term." It will have an outsized effect on Vanguard host of subadvisors like Wellington Management, which earlier this year offered a rare opinion on Bristol-Myers's bid for Celgene. Wellington, which also manages about $1 trillion, has long worked with Vanguard though typically doesn't make its opinions on contests known to the public. "Crucially, Vanguard's philosophy on proxy voting is unchanged," Glenn Booraem, Vanguard Investment Stewardship Officer, added in the release. "This philosophy carries through to each vote on behalf of each fund and is consistent even when the resulting vote is different from fund to fund." Though Vanguard will continue to supervise voting over the vast majority of its assets, the announcement represents the latest in multiyear debate over the ballooning influence the largest money managers have over corporate governance. Some critics say the growing presence of huge passive index fund managers like BlackRock, Vanguard and Fidelity Investments is intrinsically problematic to other investors. Such critics argue that a stakeholder's ability to question and critique a company through ownership is a critical component of the U.S. marketplace. That system of checks is lost, they argue, when huge stakes are managed through a passive vehicle. An illuminated logo sits on the exterior of Wirecard's headquarters in the Aschheim district of Munich, Germany. Michaela Handrek-Rehle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Wirecard confirmed its profit target for 2019 Thursday, a day after the German payments group announced an incoming $1 billion capital injection from SoftBank. The firm's operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose almost 37% year-on-year to 560.5 million euros ($625.2 million) in 2018. Consolidated revenues for the year increased by over 35% to 2.02 billion euros. That's slightly down from preliminary results posted in late January, which had put the company's earnings for the year at 568.3 million euros and revenues at 2.1 billion euros. But Wirecard says it expects to post EBITDA of between 740 million euros and 800 million euros this year. Shares of the company rose 2% in morning trade. "I think we're very enthusiastic, we're looking into a great year and I can also say we started into the year in a very robust and strong way," Wirecard CEO Markus Braun told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe. Latest FT allegations 'not true' Wirecard became the subject of controversy earlier this year after a series of media reports on fraud and false accounting allegations at the firm's Singapore office. Its 2018 report had been delayed by investigations into the allegations. Reporting from the Financial Times led to a sell-off in the company's shares which at one point got so severe the German financial regulator stepped in and halted short selling in Wirecard stock. Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority has since filed a complaint against two of the FT's journalists and a number of short sellers, and recently lifted the ban on Wirecard shorts. Wirecard meanwhile has sued the newspaper over its reporting, while an outside law firm investigating the fraud claims also cleared the firm's head office of any wrongdoing. However, the FT doesn't seem to have held off from its probe into Wirecard's accounting processes. It reported on Wednesday that the accounts of the firm's largest business, CardSystems Middle East, were not audited from 2016 to 2017. The newspaper also claimed, citing documents, that almost all Wirecard's reported profits came from three partner companies and that much of those profits were booked through CardSystems. Braun said the latest allegations from the FT were "not true." "Of course all subsidiaries are audited to present very strong results and these companies that are mentioned do not represent the majority of profits," he said. He added: "I think we want to leave all of that behind, we see it as, a little bit, as market speculation ... We really think that today is a turning point." SoftBank deal Shelley Gillen is pictured on April 11 in her Bellevue, Nebraska, home with her 17-year-old son, Will, who wears a helmet to protect him from damage during debilitating seizures. Gillen advocates the legalization of medical marijuana that could help her son's seizures. Spy chiefs demand investigation after leak from National Security Council Decision risks eroding trust between Five Eyes allies Daily Telegraph Soames demands leak inquiry BBC Politician with leadership ambition blamed Daily Mail An unprecedented leak from highly confidential talks with senior ministers about the Chinese telecoms company Huawei has caused outrage among spy chiefs. There were calls for an inquiry after reports emerged of a meeting at which Theresa May was said to have given Huawei approval to supply technology for the next-generation 5G network despite warnings that it could compromise national security. Sajid Javid, the home secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, and Penny Mordaunt, the aid secretary, all raised concerns during a meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday. The Times More: Hammond seeks UK deals in Chinas Belt and Road FT GCHQ blasts Trump over spying allegation Daily Mail >Yesterday: Ben Roback in International: Trumps state visit. Problems abound. But interests trade, defence, the Special Relationship endure. Tom Tugendhat: Britain should heed our allies fears about Huawei Chinas interest in the possibilities of communications technology is therefore clear. And 5G offers an exponential leap ahead. The next generation wireless network will allow a level of connectivity between internet-enabled devices that is currently inconceivable. Domestically, 5G presents China with a worrying opportunity for near-total surveillance to harness any gadget connected to the web to enable continual, 360-degree appraisal of its subjects. And for firms operating in China, cyber laws require technology companies to cooperate with the state. Thats not their fault but it is a factor we have to consider when one of them wants to help build our own 5G network. To avoid breaking Chinese law, they may be asked to do Beijings bidding, and not just at home. Daily Telegraph We cant trust the tech arm of the Chinese state Bob Seely and John Hemmings, Daily Telegraph Editorial: Britain cannot become reliant on Chinese technology Daily Telegraph UK should think again about long-term security risks The Times We cannot ignore our allies in the race for 5G The Sun Senior Tories demand roadmap from May as 1922 decide not to change the rules A Force her out, Tory historian tells MPs The Times nother Brexiteer coup against Theresa May fizzled out as the partys senior backbenchers decided not to change the partys rules to allow an early leadership challenge against her. However, Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the partys 1922 committee, said that it was time Mrs May set a date for her departure by giving a clear roadmap for her exit from 10 Downing Street. Under the partys rules, Mrs May cannot be challenged until December after winning a no confidence vote last December by 200 votes to 117. Some members the partys ruling 1922 committee had sought to change the rules to allow another vote after just six months. But in a meeting on Wednesday senior members of the executive of the 1922 committee decided not to change the rules to allow an early vote of no confidence in Mrs May. Daily Telegraph More: Johnson brings in Crosby for leadership campaign The Times Stewarts bid to become the next Prime Minister The Sun >Today: Greg Hands MP in Comment: The Party Leader must be far more accountable to Conservative MPs >Yesterday: Prime Minister urged to abandon Labour talks and push vote on Withdrawal Agreement Cabinet ministers are urging Theresa May to abandon Labour talks and force a fourth Commons showdown on her Brexit deal next week instead. Time is running out for the PM to avoid having to hold euro elections, with the poll to elect MEP on May 23 four weeks tomorrow No10 is considering trying to speed up the process by asking Parliament to ratify the Brussels deal anyway by introducing the Withdrawal Agreement Bill that enshrines it in law. Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom were among several senior ministers who lobbied the PM for the emergency move during a meeting of her top table yesterday. The Sun May floats customs arrangement as negotiations resume Daily Express Arch-Remainer Adonis now backs Labours plan Daily Mail Comment: The dangerous allure of a fudged Brexit Philip Stephens, FT Its now no-deal or another vote Martin Kettle, The Guardian >Yesterday: Chris White in Comment: Brexit. What will happen next now that Parliament has returned? Ministers 1) Cox warns that judges might force embassies to handle asylum cases British embassies will be swamped with migrants and refugees if the European Court of Human Rights forces consulates abroad to accept asylum requests for the UK, the Attorney General has warned. Anyone in the world could appear at any contracting states embassy or consulate and claim asylum, Geoffrey Cox QC, representing Britain, Norway and Latvia, told the Grand Chamber of the court on Wednesday. Judges in Strasbourg will rule on whether obligations stemming from the European Convention on Human Rights should apply on embassy and consulate grounds as well as on the national territory of members of the Council of Europe Asylum seekers would make multiple applications to any number of embassies at the same time, he added. Daily Telegraph Ministers 2) Hammond warns that Brexit logjam threatens the economy Philip Hammond has warned the Brexit logjam threatens to slam the brakes on the economy and slash business investment. The Chancellor said that his planned three-year Spending Review, which allocates cash to Government departments, may have to be binned entirely if MPs still havent passed an EU deal by the start of the summer. And he reiterated that an estimated 27 billion Brexit dividend fuelled by the lowest borrowing for 17 years could only be pumped into the economy if No Deal is taken off the table. It came as he told MPs business investment is thought to be 20 per cent lower than forecast at the time of the EU Referendum in 2016. The Sun Fall in public borrowing gives Chancellor breathing space The Times Ministers 3) Norman admits local roads are poor Ministers 4) Hancock calls for overhaul of NHS working culture Local roads are not in great shape because they are seen as the poor relation of Britains transport infrastructure, MPs were told yesterday. Jesse Norman, the transport minister, said the government would need to up its game because the networks condition might hold back the development of self-driving cars, which needed better marked roads to operate. He told the Commons transport committee that the government would have to make further improvements to roads and streets. Autonomous vehicles rely on cameras to monitor road markings to help to navigate the car safely. Markings that are worn away can fail to register on the sensors. Mr Norman admitted that many markings on local roads were inadequate. The Times Matt Hancock has said the NHS must end the gender pay gap and overhaul its working culture to free doctors from punishing shift uncertainty, in a speech that will burnish the Conservative leadership hopefuls liberal credentials. The health secretary called for the NHS to have a more caring and compassionate culture towards its own staff, speaking of his shock at the story of one doctor who worked long shifts while going through a severe and traumatic miscarriage. Writing for the Guardian, he said it was the uncomfortable truth that women are paid less, promoted less and systematically under-represented among the top jobs This has to change and I wont rest until it has. The Guardian I want a diverse, gender-equal, and family-friendly Health Service Matt Hancock MP, The Guardian >Yesterday: Andrew Allum in Think Tanks: New technology can save the NHS and social care system billions and improve patients lives Mercer and Smith clash over dirt hunt allegations A T Ministers accused of inaction over Northern Irish abortion ory MP has accused Government enforcers of conducting a smear campaign against him during an explosive meeting with Theresa Mays Chief Whip, The Daily Telegraph has learned. Johnny Mercer, a former Army captain, is locked in a furious row with the Government Whips Office over allegations that the deputy chief whip secretly contacted former servicemen in order to gather dirt on him. Allies of Mr Mercer have told this newspaper that he confronted Julian Smith, the Chief Whip, over the controversy at a meeting on Tuesday evening, where he was accompanied by a lawyer. He is said to have accused Chris Pincher, Mr Smiths deputy, of attempting to gather intelligence on him which could be used to force him into backing Theresa Mays Brexit deal. Daily Telegraph Ministers must act urgently to address human rights breaches faced by women in Northern Ireland who seek an abortion, according to a damning report from a cross-party committee of MPs. The women and equalities committee accuses the government of failing to tackle challenges identified by a UN committee on womens rights last year, which found systematic violations. Abortion is legal in Northern Ireland only in a narrow set of circumstances, which do not include rape or fatal foetal abnormality. While abortion is a devolved issue, the cross-party assembly at Stormont has been suspended for two years and there are growing calls for the government in Westminster to act. The Guardian Voters support for the Democratic Unionists holds firm FT Comment: Westminster must stop ignoring human rights in Ulster Maria Miller MP, Times Red Box >Yesterday: Video: WATCH: Mays deputy rejects Thornberrys attempt to draw a link between Brexit and New IRA violence Left-wing academics to launch pro-Corbyn think-tank Academics supporting Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will on Thursday launch a think-tank designed to flesh out the bones of the UK opposition partys economic agenda. The new group, Common Wealth, said it wanted to design new ownership models for a more sustainable future economy. This would involve not only the nationalisation of utility companies including water, power distribution and the Royal Mail, but also greater use of co-operatives and more public involvement in ownership models. Ed Miliband, who was leader of the Labour party before Mr Corbyn, will sit on the new groups advisory board. Its founder, Mathew Lawrence, an influential figure in leftwing Labour circles, was the co-author of the inclusive ownership fund idea, which has since been adopted by shadow chancellor John McDonnell. FT Labour leader to snatch 1.3 billion a year from motorists The Sun >Yesterday: Robert Halfon MPs column: Stop calling Corbyn a Marxist Change UK lose a second Euro candidate Change UK has lost its second European elections candidate within a day of the new partys campaign launch. Joseph Russo, who was the lead candidate in Scotland, stood down after offensive tweets he sent about black women and Gary Glitter were uncovered. One message, posted in 2012, said: Black women scare me. I put this down to be[ing] chased through Amsterdam by a crazy black whore. Mr Russos resignation will intensify grumblings among Remainers about the new partys performance after a slightly chaotic launch. At the launch event on Tuesday where the journalist Rachel Johnson, ex-BBC broadcaster Gavin Esler and the former Conservative health secretary Stephen Dorrell were unveiled as candidates Change UK MPs used a variety of names for their party, including The Independent Group, the TIGgers and the Remain alliance. The Times Meet their pro-EU chancers The Sun More: People should be free to watch extreme content online, Brexit Party candidate says Daily Telegraph Farages party could be heading for a landslide Daily Express Comment: Why new parties are always a little off-colour Janice Turner, The Times Farage is using what hes learned to thrash Remainers again Asa Bennett, Daily Telegraph Leave voters feel insulted and ignored James Glancy, The Sun Shadowy past of Farages motley crew David Aaronovitch, The Times Tories must reinvent themselves as the National Party Nick Timothy, Daily Telegraph >Today: ToryDiary: Scruton and the gulf between Conservatives in Parliament and conservatives outside it >Yesterday: ToryDiary: Widdecombe to top the Brexit Partys South-West region list Sturgeon fights shy of committing to an independence vote Downing Street slaps down call for second referendum The Sun Ex-SNP MP embezzled tens of thousands from independence campaign Daily Telegraph Scotlands first minister on Wednesday insisted the country must be ready to hold a second independence referendum by 2021 if Brexit goes ahead, but stopped well short of committing to such a vote. In a statement to the Scottish parliament, Nicola Sturgeon hedged her constitutional bets by also calling for pro-union parties to help push for devolution of more powers from Westminster and by promising the creation of a citizens assembly to consider what kind of country we are seeking to build. The statement came ahead of the spring conference of Ms Sturgeons Scottish National party this weekend and appeared intended to reassure its more impatient members that the drive for independence had not stalled. FT Comment: First Ministers words unlikely to satisfy ultras Alan Cochrane, Daily Telegraph Uncomfortable for Sturgeon to find she doesnt speak for Scotland Jackson Carlaw, Times Red Box News in Brief: Adam Holloway is MP for Gravesham, a former soldier, documentary maker, and ITN reporter. Six or more years ago a friend of mine was considering using Huaweis technology in a network of undersea cables she was planning to lay. She asked me what I knew of the company. I made a few calls, and this is what various friends told me over an afternoon on the phone. I guess I would summarise them as a sort of modern East India Company the exercise of state influence through a private company, See below. Key risks to Western interests from Huawei Shut down of Strategic Infrastructure. Espionage. Massive and borderless theft of Intellectual Property. Possible risks to those partnering with using Huawei equipment Denial of service by US, China or other parties. Possible future US or other government legislation. Loss of customers. Asssement of a former head of technology for a major US intelligence agency Smart people will avoid Huawei their reputation here is tarnished. They have made a number of attempts to partner with US firms, and their reputation stinks on Capitol Hill and with the Committee on Foreign Investment and rightly so. They fill US subsidiaries with smiling American faces, but the senior leadership of the firm comes straight out of the Peoples Liberation Army. They will be increasingly curtailed in the US because of grave concerns of back door opportunities for Chinese intelligence. The Europeans are rather more forgiving but the situation with Huawei in the US will only get worse. This company is 100 per cent a front for Chinese Intelligence. It is beyond vague suspicion that China is using their growing export sector to develop built in spying capabilities in US networks. View of senior figure close to a UK intelligence agency There should be no surprise that these people are offering very competitive prices and payment terms. This is a very aggressive company. We have concerns about their bona fides if you see what I mean. They are more about taking positions to gain access than they are about worrying about profit. They will happily take losses for access, because it gives them the opportunity to spy. You asked me what they would do in ten years time. Remember when Russia invaded Georgia? As a former bit of the Soviet Union, Georgias infrastructure was still controlled by Russia. So the Russians just switched it off. In the same way, in the future the Chinese could just switch off large bits of our infrastructure: even now, we can no longer rely on large chunks of our strategic infrastructure to work. In the US, a lot of people are very wary of them. Huawei have excellent equipment, but the concerns about the companys parentage and who supports them is considerable. In a tidy irony, in the UK, the Governments Chief Information Officer John Suffolk was tasked with carrying out an enquiry into Huawei: he is now Huaweis Global Head of Cyber Security. If that aint a conflict of interest, I dont know what is! A major concern is that when they get sufficient hold of the infrastructure we will have a real problem. When objections were made to their involvement in the UK, Huaweis lobbyists went straight to Cabinet Ministers. Be that as it is, this remains a large Chinese company with strong links with the Chinese government. But what could this mean if future for Western companies who partner with them or use their equipment? Customers could desert them in droves. Companies who do their due diligence would realise that running things through Huawei pipes could mean loss of intellectual property. The risk from this company goes well beyond conventional espionage or shut down of strategic infrastructure. Assessment of a former Huawei employee The points you make about threats to strategic infrastructure, and about espionage and intellectual property are genuine concerns. Indeed, Australia in effect banned them from competing for their National Broadband Network last year! The US is concerned for security and commercial reasons. The UK is a bit more relaxed, and now have a security cell that crawls over Huawei stuff and says it is OK. When the stuff passes it is used by companies like BT. But I say this: if a 16 year old with Aspergers can break into US Department of Defence computers, what is to stop a very clever Chinese company putting in trap doors that they can activate whenever they want? All any tester can ever do is say that we have not found anything: they can never say there is nothing there. In 2010, the Chairman of the [UKs] Joint Intelligence Committee and Head of Intelligence Analysis, Sir Alex Allan, circulated a memo to Ministers. It warned that China was involved in electronic espionage on a grand scale and may have gained the ability to shut-down Britain, halting critical services. So there is real concern. Huawei make a big deal about being a private company. But in reality this is nonsense: if the Chinese government ask them to jump, they will ask How high and how often?. For heavens sake, the Chinese government probably funds them. But even if you take the most benign view if, for some reason the Chinese government, saw it as advantageous for a network to fail for military, political or commercial reason, Huawei would do it. China sees Huawei and all their major companies as vanguards of their political and economic power. Control of communications networks gives them huge power. This is all part of Chinas resurgence on the worlds stage and they are doing what we did 300 years ago. What was good for the East India Company was good for Great Britain. Any service that is important to the US including the commercial, like banking using Huawei equipment could be vulnerable to the edicts of future US governments. If you are in a business critical area using this kit, the US might decide not to allow you to play. Note on Major Ren Zhangfei. Huawei was founded by Ren Zhangfei, a former Peoples Liberation Army Major, in 1988. Ten years earlier, he swore loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, despite his parents connections to the Kuomingtang. In the military, he had worked in the PLAs Research Institute as a military technologist where he had been responsible for a number of unknown technology achievements. As the Congressman Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent and now Chairman of the US House Permanent Committee on Intelligence, said last year of Rens background: Thats what we would call a clue. It is claimed that early Research and Development funding came directly from the Chinese Government. The companys share ownership remains opaque. Ren was qrecently elected a member of the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Greg Hands is MP for Chelsea and Fulham I suspect that the coming leadership election will focus on Brexit, the right balance between cutting taxes, reducing debt and raising spending in a post-Deficit Britain, and on personality and leadership issues. I was a member of the Parliamentary Party in the last two leadership contests: in 2005, the focus was very much on Party modernisation, but in 2016, for very obvious reasons, the focus was on Brexit. David Cameron achieved a great deal in bringing the Party up to date. When I was first elected an MP in 2005, I was joined by only two minority MPs and only around ten per cent were women. Both figures are astonishing in 2019. Party finances, structures and selections have been brought more up to date, with excellent work from Party Chairmen like Francis Maude, Andrew Feldman and Grant Shapps, amongst others. But one crucial aspect of the Conservative Party has not been reformed since, well, probably 1922 itself: the functioning of the Parliamentary Party itself. This is not an attack on the 1922 Committee far from it, I am calling for an increased role for it. The problem is essentially twofold: there is too little sense of common purpose and there is far too little interaction with the Party Leader. Both are linked. In my 14 years as an MP, I still find it incredible that the Party Leader appears before his or her MPs generally only three times a year, typically for an end of term address for 10-15 minutes, with no questions. I dont know of any other mainstream political party that operates on this basis. Angela Merkel appears before her CDU/CSU parliamentary group generally every sitting week to comment on coming business and to answer questions from rank and file MPs. Even Jeremy Corbyn, who has had a difficult relationship with his Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), is there most weeks. Furthermore, no account was made of the new realities of the situation facing the Parliamentary Party as it went into coalition in 2010, or having a wafer-thin majority in 2015, or no majority at all from 2017. The structures remained unchanged. Both David Cameron and Theresa May have suffered from this physical inability to get their message across to their own Party, and the situation has gotten worse, not better. Richard Graham is MP for Gloucester and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary China Group. There are few species as iconic as big cats, and yet nearly half of the wild cat species are considered vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered, and 80 per cent of the species populations are shrinking. There are fewer than 4,000 tigers in the wild, and more than half of these can be found in India, where conservation groups and the Government have worked to protect them. However, Chinas market for big cat parts threatens to thwart this fragile progress. If China is committed to becoming a global environmental leader, and an ecological civilization as President Xi Jinping has pledged, then it must address its record on conservation and its contribution to the decline of vital species. Just as the UK worked with international leaders at the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference last year to further the ban on ivory, so we must work with our friends in China to save the worlds big cats. International trade in the parts and products of tigers and leopards has been banned for decades. However, there are around 6,000 tigers kept in captivity in China, where it is legal to trade in the parts of captive-bred tigers. These farms are used to intensively breed tigers to sell their body parts for traditional medicine, wine, and taxidermy. In 2007, the convention responsible for regulating international trade in wildlife (CITES), adopted a decision that tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts, including domestic trade. However, China has not implemented this decision. Thousands of parts from tigers and other big cats with similar bans have since been seized by authorities showing the difficulty of enforcing such bans internationally, especially without support from the main consumer country for closing the market. Trade in medicines containing leopard bone also continues to be legal in China. This is not only a problem for China and its local tiger population, which is close to extinction. It is also an issue for India, where most of the wild tigers in the world live and are protected. Indian conservationists and government officials work with local people to develop solutions which protect wild tigers while reducing human-wildlife conflicts. We saw this careful balance during Sir David Attenboroughs Dynasties documentary last year, tracking the tigress Raj Bhera and her cubs. However, what we didnt see was the way in which these tigers are at risk of poaching to meet demand for their parts in China, as well as to feed the appetite for purer wild tiger parts, increasing the pressure on these populations. China has a small number of wild tigers in the border region between its north-eastern provinces and the Russian forests, and has recently established a national park to preserve their habitat. Yet despite this positive investment, China continues to be the worlds largest destination for tiger parts and derivatives and the largest farming country. No less than 42 per centof the tigers seized from illegal trade since 2010 are suspected to come from captive sources, with this stimulating consumer demand and driving the market for big cat parts. In 1993, China banned the trade in tiger bone for medicinal purposes, however in October this ban was repealed. Since then, due to careful campaigning and pressure from groups like the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), the repeal has been put on hold but not reversed giving us a vital opportunity to make a difference. Six months ago we hosted the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Conference in London, leading the world to create important new commitments to protect elephants and target the criminal funds generated from the IWT, working with international banks. Im proud of this work, as well as implementing our own ivory ban which China also adopted last year. While I know there is more to do to save these giant mammals, the next focus needs to be to protect tigers and big cats. We should support the work of countries like India to protect their native populations, and utilise our important diplomatic history with China to ensure that they ban tiger farming and the sale of big cat parts. In May, CITES parties will reconvene to consider the next step in international conservation efforts to end the illegal wildlife trade. The Indian Government has put forward a suite of recommendations to protect their tigers, including country-specific measures to tackle tiger farms. Along with 70 colleagues, Ive written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to seek assurances that we will support India and other conservation efforts to protect big cats, using our role in CITES meetings to help influence meaningful change and implement recommendations that stop tiger farming. For a superpower like China, the association with the decimation of the worlds most well-known and loved wild animals, even to their extinction, will not help their re-adoption of a global leadership role. We need the Chinese Governments help to clamp down on activities that give China a bad name, and to take significant steps as they have done with their world leading ivory ban. In our strategic partnership with China, I hope we can use this relationship to encourage our partners to make the right choice and ban the sale of big cat parts and the use of tiger farms. For the sake of these magnificent animals we must act now before its too late and our childrens children grow up in a world without them. First Minister tries to keep her grassroots on board ahead of party conference Nicola Sturgeon is back in the newspapers, with headlines suggesting that she is going to demand a second vote on Scottish independence. But in fact, it isnt as straightforward as that. Whilst the First Minister continues to talk up the need for such a vote, she is fighting shy of either trying to set a date or demanding the authorisation from Westminster required to hold one. This is because, despite all the expectations that Brexit would spark a surge in support for breaking away from the UK, no such surge has arrived in the three years since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016. This has put the SNP in a tricky position. Sturgeon, clearly believing the Remainer line about the fragility of the UK, declared in the aftermath of that vote that it constituted the change in circumstances the SNP felt was required for another independence referendum. When the wave failed to come in, she suddenly found herself trapped between her energised and expectant activist base and the cold reality of electoral arithmetic. The First Minister will doubtless be watching the fate of Theresa May, who likewise spurred her Party towards an outcome she was unable (or at least unprepared) to deliver and is now reaping the whirlwind. Already the SNPs legendary phalanx-like discipline is starting to fracture, with the Nationalist grassroots staging a rebellion against the Scottish Governments ultra-cautious currency proposals, which also came under academic fire this week. She may also have taken on board that it is very difficult to deliver seismic constitutional change on a narrow referendum win. As Alex Massie sets out in the Spectator, Sturgeon still hopes that she can play for enough time to bring forward a winnable vote, perhaps if the separatist parties (the SNP and the Greens) win another combined majority in the next Holyrood elections. In the meantime her goal is to continue to drive forward the fragmentation of the UK within the devolved framework in the manner which has become traditional since 1998: demand ever-more powers, blame all ills on Westminster, and present the preoccupations of the devocracy as the constitutional aspirations of the Scottish people. Will McKees murder shake Ulsters entrenched status quo? Last Thursday night Lyra McKee, a widely-respected young Northern Irish journalist, was shot and killed by a gunman purporting to represent the New IRA, also known as Saoradh. The week since has seen a flood of tributes to her and her work. Heres one, from Stephen Daisley, and another from Ruth Dudley Edwards, but just putting her name into Google will throw up plenty more. But it has also prompted the question: can even this appalling murder force the Northern Irish parties out of their trenches and, possibly, get devolution back on its feet? Hopes were raised after Fr Martin Magill, the presiding priest at McKees funeral, won a standing ovation after challenging politicians from the pulpit. But suggestions that politicians such as Arlene Foster were shamed into applauding Magills criticism have elicited a prickly response, and whilst members of the main parties talk a good game it still seems unlikely that there will be any lasting breakthrough. As I explained recently, the Prime Ministers decision to rule out no deal so long as there is no Northern Ireland Assembly gives Sinn Fein (not to mention several smaller pro-EU parties) very little incentive to get Stormont back on its feet. Meanwhile the DUP will likely return to calling for direct rule if and when this latest spur to get negotiations underway dies down. Karen Bradley, the Northern Irish Secretary, has announced that she will hold talks with local party leaders to see what progress can be made. But she is a figure of near-universal derision in the Province, and this resurgence in republican terrorist violence only highlights once again the extraordinary and inappropriate lengths to which May will go to keep a loyal minister in her Cabinet. Meanwhile Maria Miller, the Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, has accused the Government of failing to uphold the human rights of Ulsterwomen when it comes to abortion. None, the first Conservative MP said. A niche issue, replied a second. Not one, said a third. All were answering the question: how many of your colleagues have spoken to you about the Roger Scruton affair? The discontinuity between the noise about it among Tories outside Parliament and the silence within it among Conservative MPs is striking and worth mulling. To recap: the Tory philosopher was fired as a Government adviser in the wake of a New Statesman interview. It was clearly set up to entrap him; at least one key quote was truncated in print and misrepresented on social media. The volume of the row edges up another notch this morning, with the Spectator having obtained the tape of the original interview. There is an internal New Statesman investigation. The Conservative commentariat, or at least an important slice of it, has been enraged. Scruton himself has written an account in which his own hounding by a mob is described alongside that of Jesus of Nazareths. (One winces at the thought of what Twitter would have had to say in 33 A.D.) But from Tories in the Commons zilch. Other than criticism of Scruton, since retracted, by Tom Tugendhat and Johnny Mercer. James Brokenshire, the Secretary of State who fired Scruton from his job as Chairman of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, hasnt been hauled to the despatch box to explain his reasons for doing so. Conservative MPs havent been beating a path to his door. This site has a good sense of the Housing Secretarys reasoning: he jibbed at Scrutons description in the interview in words that are not disputed of Muslim migration into Hungary: the Hungarians were extremely alarmed by the sudden invasion of huge tribes of Muslims from the Middle East. If such is Brokenshires thinking, he should have set it out in public or been lobbied to do by his colleagues. Instead, silence. Why? What explains the gulf between Tory MPs and Tory thinkers? (If we can put it that way without suggesting that the two never overlap.) There are plausible explanations. One is that no Conservative leader since Margaret Thatcher has been engaged with conservative intellectuals, and that a fish rots from the head down. Another is that that there is no gap at all: that Michael Gove, Liz Truss, David Willetts, Oliver Letwin, Jesse Norman, Chris Skidmore, Nick Herbert, Neil OBrien and others all prove that thinking is alive and well in the modern Conservative Party. And that not all Tory intellectuals sit on the right of the Party. Another still is that the Conservatives are simply reverting to the norm: that they have never been much engaged by abstract ideas; that the Thatcher period was an aberration, and that they are simply returning to their natural condition namely, to be less interested in theory than practice. Or to be, as John Stuart Mill once put it, the stupid party. There is truth in all these claims, but one should look elsewhere for a full answer. It clusters round a single word: specialisation. First, consider MPs themselves. Over the past 25 years or so, they themselves have become specialists fully-pledged professional politicians, paid by the taxpayer, rather than elected representatives, funded by either capital or labour. Fewer have outside interests or were manual workers. The old class demarcations are less clear; MPs have become more like each other. Parliaments hours have changed. So has technology. A lobbyocracy has arisen. Commons debates, Select Committee meetings, Westminster Hall, all-party groups all compete for attention nine to five and later. MPs scurry between them and constituency correspondence, anxiously checking their Twitter accounts and participating on WhatsApp groups. Meanwhile to rewrite Scruton for a moment there has been a sudden invasion of Westminster by huge tribes of lobbyists. In short, MPs have less time and meet fewer people. Next, turn to the Tory thinkers. In Thatchers time, Leon Brittan was dispatched in Opposition as the Partys ambassador to the universities. A Conservative Philosophy Group met at what was then Jonathan Aitkens house in Lord North Street. Thatcher sometimes attended it herself. Brittan has no successor today, or indeed since his time. There is now a fledgling group of Tory academics, but it has yet to take flight. The Conservative Philosophy Group has been revived, under Scrutons chairmanship, but fewer MPs attend than during the Thatcher years. Some others who attend are contemptuous of the Party. That perhaps a consequence of the gap that we are trying to describe. There has been a big expansion of universities; the number of Tory academics has not risen pari passu. If more are there, they are, to use a phrase sometimes applied to fearful minorities, in the closet. Finally, specialisation applies more widely. There is still plenty of to-and-fro between journalism and politics: think Gove; think Boris Johnson; think George Osborne. There is less between both and academia, in a certain sense anyway. The Spectator now requires a Political Editor who can classify Westminsters pond life in microscopic detail, and give an exact account of whats just happened in Cabinet. It has one James Forsyth. His predecessors include Ferdinand Mount, the former editor of the Times Literary Supplement and head of Thatchers Policy Unit, and Noel Malcolm, now a senior research fellow at All Souls, and perhaps the most eminent conservative academic of all. There is a parallel with academic life in the universities themselves, with its own tendency to research specialisation. We apologise if all this sounds a bit remote with Brexit seething, Theresa Mays leadership tottering, and the Conservative Party apparently imploding. But there is a connection. Brexit itself is a sign of a country divided about culture. On the one hand, there is what this site calls a pro-EU ascendancy, which identifies more with other members of its class abroad than with some of its fellow citizens at home. On the other, there is the pro-Brexit movement divided on many things, but united by a passion for national independence. The two talk not to but past each other. They are like the lines in Marvells poem which though infinite, do never meet. Conservative MPs themselves are divided, as are the right-of-centre think tanks. Some belong in that first world, with its attachment to abstract rights, labour mobility, globalisation, plural lifestyles, and the environmental movement. Nick Boles has left the room but the spirit of Notting Hill lives on. Others belong in the second, which prizes law-making by Parliament, not judges; lower immigration; marriage (most Tory MPs are hitched). It is suspicious of trans, say, and assisted dying. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. For example, Scruton himself is a environmentalist. But the general norms hold. There may not be many Conservative intellectuals who are out and proud, but the Party has taken very little care of those that are. Paul Johnson holds the Presidential Medal of Freedom; here, he holds only a CBE. The Cameron Government was tardy in honouring Scruton himself. Imagine how a Corbyn Government would utilise every avenue to promote left-wing thinkers within the apparatus of government. Cameron came late to looking for right-wingers who might be suitable for vacancies. The May Government scarcely does so at all. And now there is a new right-of-centre competitor on the scene. The Conservatives may pay a price for the gap that has opened up between most of its MPs and some of its supporters. 60% Website yahoo.4jok.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 3126 bytes (3.05 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-10-04, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Thursday, April 25, 2019 Following His Lead My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. (Psalm 17:5 NLT) We were just a bunch of kids when what eventually became known as Harvest Christian Fellowship began. We really had no idea what we were doing, but we loved the Lord and wanted to see what He would do. It was around 1972, and we were in the middle of the Jesus Movement, the last great American spiritual awakening. One of the epicenters of this movement was Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California, with Pastor Chuck Smith. Some people from All Saints Episcopal Church in Riverside wanted to see the Jesus Movement come to the Inland Empire, so they asked Calvary Chapel to send someone to preach. A number of pastors went and spoke there for a time. Meanwhile, I had been hanging around the office, sort of like an intern, and eventually someone said, Greg, why dont you do it? So I did it, and I kept at it. This little Bible study of young people began to grow, and pretty soon I could see that it was turning into a church. I hardly felt qualified to be the pastor of a church, so I looked for someone to take the role. No one would. So I accepted the fact that this was what the Lord had for me. We outgrew our location and moved over to a Baptist church, which is now our Sunday school building in Riverside. When we outgrew that building, we took the biggest step of faith ever, way outside our comfort zone: we built a building. Back then, the cost was $1 million. I remember people saying that it wouldnt work; it wouldnt succeed. God will do His work in His way and in His timing. So dont listen to your critics. Listen to the Lord and do what He leads you to do. Copyright 2018 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org and Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com. Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com. SPECIAL OFFER In thanks for your gift, you can receive The Case for Miracles, BOOK Is God still doing miracles today? Is He intervening? Is He still active in the miracle business? Why is God doing miracles? While doing research for his book, The Case for Miracles, Lee Strobel comes across this definition of a miracle: A miracle is an event brought about by the power of God that is a temporary exception to the ordinary course of nature for the purpose of showing that God is active in history. This book is our thank-you gift to you when you donate to Harvest Ministries this month. Positioned outside most Caribbean cruise routes, Trinidad and Tobago will continue to host modest passenger traffic during the 2019-2020 season, but the two-island nation plans a dramatic expansion to attract ships in need of repair. In September, the government signed contracts with China Harbor Engineering Company to construct a 420-meter drydock on the southern end of the Gulf of Paria on Trinidads west coast. The facility will be able to accommodate Oasis-class vessels, said Charles Carvalho Sr., CEO of Carvalhos Agencies. The government is mulling development of a new cruise facility at a former U.S. naval base in Chaguaramas, at the northern end of the Gulf of Paria, Carvalho said. Trinidad and Tobago estimated it will host 101,201 passengers from November 2019 to May 2020. That would be a decline from 2018-2019 when 110,301 arrived and 2017-2018, which saw 168,769 passengers. Getting traffic from Florida remains difficult, Carvalho said. We keep hearing that we are too far south. We are hopeful that this image of being too far south can change and that Trinidad and Tobago can once again re-capture the cruise market it once had. The Amsterdam departed Port Everglades for her 113-day world cruise on January 22 this year, a few weeks later than usual. The simple deployment move meant Simon Douwes, senior director of deployment and itinerary planning, could mix in Northern Europe in an acceptable weather climate at the end of the voyage. That has proved to be a huge success, he said. Next year, the company will extend it further, to 128 days, adding more segments, and so far, the bookings are very encouraging. One of our highlights is our program on the Maasdam, doing explorations in depth, Douwes continued. Among the selections is a World War II history cruise from Yokohama to Sydney, with stops in Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The Maasdam is the only ship in the fleet that has been outfitted with zodiacs, offering an expedition roster of excursions at select ports. Elsewhere, the company will have a large Canada/New England summer program, two ships in the Mediterranean and eight in Alaska. And there is a lot of Iceland, Greenland and Norway in the summer, Douwes said. The lines newest ship, the 2,650-guest Nieuw Statendam, will spend the majority of her summer in the Norwegian fjords. In Alaska, eight ships offer various options. There are Saturday and Sunday departures from Seattle. The Maasdam helps mix it up, with 21-day sailings from San Francisco. Next summer, she returns for two-week cruises from Vancouver. In Europe, two Holland America ships will sail in the Mediterranean during the height of the 2019 and 2020 seasons, with calls expected once again in Turkey. Kusadasi and Istanbul, Douwes noted. That makes the area a lot more attractive. It also makes sense for the bottom line as most passengers opt for a shore excursion. Overall, itinerary planning comes down to the data. Its a lot of analytics. We continuously analyze what sells best, which areas, which deployments and within those deployment areas; which itineraries are received the best. We look at the yields and costs and how the passengers actually rated it. We look at shore excursions, fuel costs, port costs and everything. By doing that we come to the most profitable deployment and itineraries for the year. Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Spring 2019 According to SEC filings, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' President and CEO Frank Del Rio was the highest compensated cruise line executive at the three public companies in 2018. Del Rio, who led NCLH to a record year, saw total compensation of $22.6 million in 2018 as the company noted a robust earnings year with strong performances from Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation, saw total compensation total compensation of $13.5 million in 2018, up from just over $13 million a year prior, according to a SEC filing. Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises, saw total compensation of $12.4 million, down slightly from $13.3 million in 2017. Carnival Corporation: Royal Caribbean Cruises: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: Previous Compensation: 2017: Cruise Executive Compensation: Fain Highest Paid for Second Straight Year 2016: Cruise Executive Compensation Breakdown: Fain Highest Paid 2015: Cruise Executive Compensation Breakdown: Del Rio Takes Home $31.9 Million The new Costa Venezia made her inaugural call to Hong Kong's Kai Tak Cruise Terminal earlier this week. The new Costa ship is on her transit to Shanghai where she will be based year-round serving the domestic Chinese cruise market. While the Venezia docked at the start-of-the-art Kai Tak complex along with the Voyager of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International, both ships were docked in Hong Kong just a few days after a monster cruise call day on April 21. April 21 saw five ships in Hong Kong, with the Viking Orion and Seabourn Sojourn at the Ocean Terminal. The MSC Splendida and World Dream docked at Kai Tak, with the latter leaving in the early afternoon and the Star Pisces taking her place. BRIDGEPORT Just a few months after appointing good friend and political ally Armando Perez police chief, Mayor Joe Ganim is hiring a nationally renowned consultant to try and make Bridgeports Finest better. Former Philadephia Police Commissioner and ex-Washington, D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey, who heads the consulting group 21st Century Policing Solutions, will be paid $25,000 for up to four months of consulting work. The price includes expenses. When he did similar work in Wilmington, Del., reports say, he signed a seven-month $112,000 contract. Ramsey was also co-chair of President Barack Obamas task force on 21st Century policing. I and my team will be looking at the way things are done here and will be making some suggestions here and there, Ramsey said during a press conference Thursday afternoon in the mayors office. Ramsey said it is too soon to say what police procedures need changing. He first wants to meet with focus groups from the community. We look forward to working with him, said Callie Heilmann, president of the civic group Bridgeport Generation Now, which has been highly critical of Perezs leadership and of the Bridgeport Police Department in general. We hope that he does the work to bring together diverse groups of Bridgeport residents and youth without relying on gatekeepers in City Hall to handpick people for him. Perez, who Ganim promoted from captain to acting chief in March 2016, then made permanent chief late last year, said during Thursdays press conference that he is looking forward to working with Ramsey. Perez earns $145,428 in base pay. The department under Perezs leadership has been the focus of multiple controversies: The shooting death of a 15-year-old by a rookie cop; allegations of racism leveled at Perezs right-hand man, Capt. Mark Straubel; the arrest of Lt. Stephen Shuck for allegedly abusing the payroll and overtime system; Perezs involvement in an absentee ballot scandal; an Internal Affairs probe that found 17 officers violated various department policies when breaking up a 2017 party; and a female officer captured on videotape repeatedly punching a handcuffed teenager during a motor vehicle stop. Bridgeport Police Capt. Roderick Porter, who said he only learned about Ramseys hiring Thursday, saw the hiring as a positive step for the department. Porter was a finalist with Perez for the Bridgeport chiefs job late last year and is one of only two black captains. Ive studied Commissioner Ramsey for a number of years both in Washington and Philadelphia, said Porter. Getting Commissioner Ramsey is like getting Michael Jordan to come in to talk to your basketball team. City Council President Aidee Nieves expected Ramsey will look at improving the departments relationship with the community and implementing more modern public safety strategies. I think itll be good for the city, the department, Nieves said, while also anticipating some criticism given Perezs critics have claimed he was not qualified to be named permanent chief. Ganim selected Perez in November after a nationwide search and awarded him a five-year contract. But even that has become mired in controversy. The search has caught the interest of the FBI, though why federal authorities are interested is unclear. Some might see it as, Oh we have to hire a consultant to help him (Perez), admitted Nieves, adding that it is not uncommon for consultants to be brought in to give outside expertise. Heilmann said, In 2018 we had the opportunity to hire a chief with these (Ramseys) qualifications who would've been here on a five-year, six-figure contract to implement this vision. The fact that the city is spending upwards of $25,000 on this consultant is both concerning and raises questions about proper management of our valuable resources. Meanwhile the consulting fee is yet more money for public safety something education advocates have been criticizing since Ganim, for the fourth year, flat-funded the schools in his proposed 2019-20 budget. On Wednesday, Ganim announced a new, five-year contract for the police department which includes three years of retroactive raises at 1 percent, 2.5 percent and 2 percent for officers, and 2 percent raises for this July and July 2020. Theres a seemingly unlimited budget for public safety, said former Board of Education member Kate Rivera, who is running for the seat held by the late state Rep. Ezequiel Santiago, on Thursday. We need to put education over incarceration. Ganim, who was mayor in the 1990s and re-elected in 2015 with help from Perez and the police union, had previously hired former Bridgeport Police Chief Wilbur Chapman as his public safety adviser shortly after returning to the job. Chapmans tenure was controversial and he ultimately left. The Ganim administration continues to battle a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by another outsider who had been hired to help modernize the Bridgeport Police Department: ex-Assistant Chief James Nardozzi. Nardozzi was meant to help modernize the department when hired by Ganims predecessor, Mayor Bill Finch. He was fired in early 2016 as part of the returned mayors strategy to make Perez acting chief and oust then-Chief Joseph Gaudett. Now, Nardozzi is suing for $1 million. Back in 2016, Sgt. Chuck Paris, head of the police union, wanted Nardozzi gone. Asked Thursday if he was surprised Ganim had engaged Ramsey, Paris said, Yeah. Kind of. I dont know what the reasons are, what the citys plan is. Chief Perez has been in the job for quite some time and I think hes doing a good job. With so many ways to consume cannabis these days -- vapes, drinks, gummies, cookies, cakes, sprays, tinctures, toothpicks -- its easy to forget the simple pleasures of smoking a well-rolled joint. Actually, its easy to forget a lot of things, but the point is, Albert Einstones remembers. A brand new name in the all-natural, luxury smoking space, Einstones has just introduced El Blunto: a glass-tipped, hand-rolled, hemp-wrapped, whole flower, 1.75-gram pre-roll thats available in California in seven strains. Looking like a finely rolled mini-cigar right down to the gold-leaf label, El Blunto pushes pre-rolls to a new level, and it even comes in a humidor for those who like just a touch of snob appeal with their smokes. We sat down with the Albert Einstones team -- Derek Maddalena, Q Ladraa, Alan Oliver and Tyrone Gomes -- to learn more about this new venture and the distinctive product theyre bringing to the cannabis space. Related: Is Social-Dosing the New Microdosing? How did Albert Einstones come about? We started it about a year and a half ago with the goal to create a vertically integrated, three-pronged business: cultivation, manufacturing and distribution. We wanted a brand that would be the gold standard, that would go above and beyond; we always wanted to be a step ahead of the competition in terms of products, packaging, quality and consistency. Every time a customer has our product, they should have the same experience they had last time -- just like with liquor. The plan was to cultivate our own products and provide that consistent experience for our consumer. Did you know right away what your product line would be, or has it been evolving? We had an idea of what we wanted to create, but it does evolve, and today we also distribute other peoples products -- if the consumer wants to consume a certain kind of product, we want to be there. We want to be specific with who were targeting, connect in a real way, and have the consumer tell us what they want with their purchases. The nice thing about being a smaller company is that we can be nimble; were small batch, high quality, more like a craft beer than a Bud Light. As a start-up in California, what are the toughest obstacles youve had to deal with? Waiting for the city of LA to finalize and release the application process. Originally, it was going to be in early 2018, but we didnt get our final approval till December. We were paying rent and utilities at our location all that time and laying out cash with nothing to show for it, and for a small business thats difficult. Even now, there are so many unlicensed dispensaries in LA, so our competition includes all those businesses that arent paying excise taxes or licensing fees. All that said, we persevered, paid our fees, staffed up, paid lawyer fees, which have gone up exponentially because of the demand for this kind of business, and weve put out our first products, which have been very well received by the retailers. Were going door to door, asking them to carry our products, and the first couple of dispensaries are sold out now Related: Post Apocolypse Aftermath: How Is California Adapting to New Cannabis Regulations? Are you positioning this as a wellness brand? Some people are using this for medicine. So if they use it for that reason, and they come back to it again and the product is different in any way, theyre not getting what they expected. These products are going into someones body, so we keep a high standard for what we put in it. A good analogy is farm-to-table: People want to know where their food comes from, they want to know their sources and maintain high standards, and we want to bring that same standard to cannabis Any advice for other small entrepreneurs trying to enter the market? Expect it to take longer than you hoped and to cost more than you planned on. Youre a pioneer in a new industry, so theres not a lot of institutional knowledge, and because of all the hurdles it helps to have people with diverse skill sets, like a Swiss Army knife. Everyones wearing many hats, everyones mopped the floor the same day theyve gone to sell to dispensaries; I mean, we have a lawyer, but hes also rolling blunts. There are obstacles everywhere, you just have to be a problem-solver and be resilient. Related: Gary Vaynerchuk Is Very (Long-Term) Bullish on Cannabis Related: For the Cannasieur, Pre-rolls in a Humidor The Executive Selection: Baume & Mercier The Outlook for the Furniture and Home Decor Industry in 2019 Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved LONDON - Remember the giant orange diaper-wearing baby blimp? It's expected to take to the skies once again in June - only this time it could be even bigger. Ahead of President Donald Trump's controversial state visit to Britain, protesters have vowed to make their feelings known once again by launching the inflatable. For thousands, the balloon is so much more than a comedy stunt - it carries a clear message that the President of The United States is not welcome here. "The Trump baby will definitely fly again," organizer Leo Murray told The Guardian. "We have been toying with the idea of a Trump baby hot air balloon, which would be about five times the size. But would cost a huge amount of money - upwards of 70,000." The announcement of Trump's three-day visit, which is due to begin on June 3, has already sparked a fierce debate among politicians and residents across Britain. On Facebook, thousands have already confirmed their attendance of a "Together Against Trump - stop the state visit" rally, planned for June 4. Shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, was one of many who called Trump's invitation into question. Washington Post photo by Karla Adam. "It beggars belief that on the very same day Donald Trump is threatening to veto a U.N. resolution against the use of rape as a weapon of war, Theresa May is pressing ahead with her plans to honour him with a State Visit to the U.K.," she said. "This is a President who has systematically assaulted all the shared values that unite our two countries, and unless Theresa May is finally going to stand up to him and object to that behaviour, she has no business wasting taxpayers' money on all the pomp, ceremony and policing costs that will come with this visit." Labour lawmaker David Lammy, meanwhile, described Trump in a tweet as "deluded, dishonest xenophobic, narcissistic," and accused May of "selling out the UK to a serial liar and a cheat." Fellow Labour member Clive Lewis, for his part, called for organizers to "Dust off the blimp," while Welsh Labour MP Stephen Doughty called the planned state visit "bonkers." Trump's 2018 visit was downgraded from a state visit to a working visit by May. Working visits are generally more low-key - although the visit still triggered widespread protests. During his first trip to the Britain as president, Trump was strategically kept away from the capital of London, where thousands of protesters marched and sang in the street. At the time, posters that read "Trump is a waste man" - British street slang to show disdain - were spotted on bus stops and billboards across the city. This time around, however, Trump will receive a full on state visit with all the bells and whistles. He can expect to meet the queen again and it's likely she will host a banquet for him and the first lady. Trump remains a controversial figure in Britain and has frequently been accused of damaging the "special relationship" between the two nations. In the past, the president has retweeted far-right extremist group Britain First and is also embroiled in a long-standing feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan - who gave permission for the blimp to fly last summer. On his last trip, Trump stunned Brits when he eclipsed Queen Elizabeth II by walking in front of her at Windsor Castle. Many were alarmed to see the 92- (now 93-) year-old monarch disappearing behind him during their walk "together." Trump was also accused of keeping the queen waiting after footage of her checking her watch circulated widely on Twitter. Trump later denied the allegation that he was late, telling people at a rally in Pennsylvania that he was, in fact, early. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met for their first talks on Thursday. It was an opportunity for Russia to demonstrate it can potentially have influence over North Korea's nuclear program - and to show what an excellent host it can be. Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the Primorye region of Russia, remarked the day before the summit that he trusted Kim would feel welcome in Russia's Far East. "People of Primorye have always welcomed their neighbors," he said. Kim was made to feel welcome, and not only by the people of Primorye. Putin is notoriously late in meeting with world leaders and has kept German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Donald Trump, Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis waiting. For Kim, however, he was not just on time - he was 30 minutes early. One observer told South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, "Putin seems to be committed to his role as a host, although the protocol overall appears to have been arranged in a rush." And then there was the lavish-looking meal. As for what was served: "All kinds of specialties of Russian cuisine will be available. They wanted to taste our food. . . . There will be a wide choice. Most likely, they'll be offered our borscht and dumplings. . . . I have no doubt caviar will be on the table, too," Kozhemyako predicted on Wednesday. And, indeed, borscht was on the dinner menu, as was venison, dumplings, crab salad, cod fillet with dill sauce, and Khabarovsk beef with baked eggplant. There were also two types of wine and caramel apple and chocolate cake, but those are somehow less associated with Russia in the public imagination than borscht and dill. Kim was also being treated to caviar and a visit to a bread factory. According to Interfax, a Russian new agency, the two leaders also got to enjoy performances by the Free Kuban Cossack State Song-And-Dance Ensemble and the choir of the Russian National Guard's Academic Song-And-Dance Ensemble, among other groups, and listened to such Russian classics as "Ochi Chyornye" (Dark Eyes) and Swan Lake Ballet's "Dance of the Little Swans." Putin's hospitality also included listening to a performance of the Korean song "Great Commander." - - - The Washington Post's Amie Ferris-Rotman in Moscow contributed to this report. Democrats late Wednesday were able to beat back a surprise Republican attempt to force a special election for a contested state House of Representatives seat in Stratford. But unless a bipartisan deal is made, the controversy is likely to come back in other election-related legislation between now and midnight June 5, when the General Assembly session ends. This issue is relevant to anything having to do with elections, state Rep. Jason Perillo said Thursday morning, 12 hours after majority Democrats defeated the proposal to set a special election for the 120th District seat narrowly won in November by Democratic Rep. Phil Young. This thing is not going away. Perillo said the four-member committee studying the issues around Election Day mishaps at Bunnell High School finished its work in February. Its almost May and the fact we havent addressed this yet is a disgrace, Perillo said in a phone interview. Even if a special election were scheduled soon, it would not be held until well after the current legislative session ends. There have been conversations going on for months. Were ready to move ahead, but at the end of the day we dont control the House. Republicans tried to force the issue with an amendment they attached to a popular piece of legislation on early voting. But the move failed when majority leaders ruled it out of order and Democrats rejected an appeal along party lines, 90-59, with Young voting against the Republicans. Perillo said that the GOP proposal had been mostly drafted by Democrats. I think there definitely needs to be a new election, he said. It cant be one polling place. The case law in Connecticut is very clear that a new election needs to resemble the first election as close as possible. The issue came up at about 9 p.m. when Perillo, R-Shelton, declared that more than five months after Young was declared the winner by 13 votes over Republican Jim Feehan, it was time to finally schedule a special election. That committee agreed largely on the facts, Perillo told House members, before he was interrupted by House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, who charged that the amendment was not appropriate for the underlying legislation: an amendment to the state Constitution to allow the General Assembly to create for early voting opportunities. What is the basis for the ruling that it is not germane? asked Rep. Arthur ONeill, R-Southbury. After a five-minute delay in which Democrats reviewed rules, they declared the GOP proposal irrelevant. ONeill said that since the issue was related to voting, he believed Perillos amendment to give Stratford voters a chance to cast ballot again was the right thing to do. This amendment is not amending the state Constitution, Ritter replied. The resolution before us is about doing whatever we can as a legislature to ensure that the voters are enfranchise, are given that opportunity to vote, Perillo said then on the House floor. In fact, in November, voters waited in long lines and voted with extraordinary turnout because they knew that their vote would make a difference, he said, quoting previous statements from Gov. Ned Lamont when he accepted the oath of office in January. Yet here we had a situation in the 120th District where 76 individuals walked into a polling place and were disenfranchised, Perillo said. Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz then ruled that Perillos remarks were not addressing the issue of the appropriateness of the GOP proposal. Im ruling you out of order, sir, Aresimowicz said. The facts are very clear, Perillo replied. The facts were agreed upon by all four members of the committee. And the amendment thats before us is aimed at ensuring that no voters in this race were disenfranchised. On Election Day, a young poll worker accidentally gave out the wrong ballots to voters who should have been casting their ballots in another section of the school. About 75 voters at Bunnell were inadvertently given the wrong ballots. Aresimowicz on Thursday afternoon said that Democrats still want to negotiate a bipartisan way forward. We believe the standard wasnt met to take the unprecedented step of ordering a new election, but there are ongoing discussions about potential settlements, including a targeted recanvass in the one precinct in question, He said in a statement. There has been a lot of focus on the 75 ballots, but I dont think there has been enough attention on the related problem of invalidating the thousands of votes properly cast throughout the district, and the potential precedent going forward for future elections. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT For Subscribers Employees recall the humble history of Seven Springs Mountain Resort "There were cabins and down through the valley with lakes that were just meant for people to come and unwind, and fish and relax." Dear Editor: In 2016, Ulster County registered 52 opioid deaths. This was the highest overdose fatality rate in New York state. In 2017, another 43 of our neighbors succumbed to this pernicious drug, and last year, 56 more died an opiate-related death. They leave behind thousands of family members and friends who mourn their passing. Most of those 151 people got hooked on opiates because they were in physical pain and their physicians were kept in the dark about how addictive these pain killers are. Early in the crisis, then-legislator John Parete worked to get first responders provided with Narcan, a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of opiates. Had this not been done, the number of fatal overdoses would have been even higher. During this same period, then-County Executive Mike Hein successfully influenced the state to increase the number of treatment slots open for our methadone program, which also helped reduce the number of fatalities. Recently, Steve Kelly, the CEO of Ellenville Hospital, and his staff came up with a plan to treat overdose cases that were admitted to their Emergency Room. The plan was to first stabilize the patients, provide them with anti withdrawal medication, and then promptly and seamlessly transfer them into a drug treatment program. Kelly met with Mike Hein, who agreed to fund the medical training needed to allow his staff to administer the withdrawal medications. The program is currently in operation. Drug abuse in Ulster County is far more prevalent than the average resident seems to be aware of. Besides opiates, the rate of adolescent marijuana use is far above the state and national levels and has been that way for years. If Ulster County had 151 cases of the measles or if 60 percent of its high school seniors hadnt been vaccinated, there would be public health announcements all over the media. So I find it odd that after 151 people have died from opiates and more than half of our high school seniors are smoking dope, there is hardly a whisper. Thomas Kadgen Shokan, N.Y. Most of my adult life has been spent in the Kremlin's shadow. As a young foreign correspondent reporting for British newspapers from behind the Iron Curtain, I was arrested, beaten up and deported. I stayed sceptical even when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. More than ten years ago I published The New Cold War the first book sounding the alarm about the regime of ex-KGB agent turned president Vladimir Putin. Today, I am far more worried by something else China. And I believe Britain is becoming a pushover when it comes to standing up to the bullies of Beijing. Britain is becoming a pushover when it comes to standing up to the bullies of Beijing, writes Edward Lucas (Theresa May pictured with Chinese President Xi Jinping in February 2018) Take, for example, Theresa May's controversial decision on Tuesday to over-rule Cabinet colleagues and accept technological input from the Chinese giant, Huawei, to build parts of our new 5G wireless communication system the heart of the next industrial revolution. Mrs May appeared to ignore warnings from five senior ministers and from U.S. intelligence experts that this poses a risk to national security because of Huawei's alleged ties to a regime that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has previously described as sometimes malign. Bleak Of course, the PM faced a bleak choice. Without access to Chinese high technology, and to that country's vast markets and investment, we risk losing our competitiveness. Yet an ever-closer economic partnership with China comes at a high cost not only to our security, but also to our allies. Indeed, the rising tide of Chinese influence is endangering Britain's 'Special Relationship' with the U.S. the foundation of our country's security, forged during World War II. Theresa May made the controversial decision on Tuesday to over-rule Cabinet colleagues and accept technological input from the Chinese giant, Huawei (CEO Richard YU pictured) to build parts of our new 5G wireless communication system The Trump administration, alarmed by China's aggressive behaviour on many fronts, has warned that if we let Chinese technology into our core communications systems, it will stop sharing top-secret intelligence material. It has banned Huawei from its own government networks and has demanded its partners (Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand) in the 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance do the same. Australia and New Zealand have barred Huawei from supplying key elements of their telecommunications infrastructure, while Canada is reviewing its position. The temptation to ignore the security concerns is huge. Mrs May and Mr Jinping take part in tea ceremony at his official Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on February 1, 2018 in Beijing The much-talked-about 'Internet of Things' devices connected by superfast 5G next-generation technology will transform our lives. Machines will communicate with each other in transport, work and the home. Life will we are told become easier, better and greener, the world is rushing headlong into this revolution and Huawei technology is at the heart of it. The company's founder served in the Chinese military and few doubt its close ties to the all-powerful Communist Party, despite Huawei's denials that it has any connection to the Chinese government. In China's totalitarian system, every company and, indeed, every citizen must by law help the state security authorities on demand, in secret. The Trump administration (US President pictured with Xi Jinping) warned that if we let Chinese technology into our core communications systems, it will stop sharing top-secret intelligence material So should China's spymasters decide at some future date that they want to use technology sold to foreigners for espionage or sabotage, Huawei and other companies will have no choice but to comply. And if Britain's central nervous system runs on technology ultimately controlled by party bosses in Beijing, what price our privacy and our safety? The answer so far has been to set up a special unit staffed by experts from GCHQ, our electronic spy agency, to scrutinise Huawei software and hardware. Its verdict is that the risk can be 'mitigated'. If the bits and bytes flowing across the networks are encrypted, then it hardly matters who makes the switches, radio masts, antennae and other 'non-core' hardware and infrastructure, which is what the Government has agreed to. The boffins of GCHQ have not yet discovered any secret 'flaws' in Huawei products. In fact, their real worry is sloppiness. Like many other tech giants, Huawei has put innovation, low cost and convenience ahead of reliability. But this is not to say we should not be permanently vigilant. For most cyber-security experts, Huawei is not the chief worry. Far greater concerns surround China's state-sponsored hackers, who can steal huge quantities of personal data from badly run commercial and government databases here and elsewhere. Sabotage The scope for sabotage attacks is also huge, and extends way beyond Huawei. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has previously described the Chinese regime as sometimes malign The head of GCHQ, Jeremy Fleming, this week warned of the 'unprecedented' scale of cyber-threats that are threatening the British way of life. Yes, we need to future-proof our telecommunications systems, but we also need to make our critical infrastructure such as banking, energy, health, transport and retail systems far more resilient, regardless of what technology is used. We also need to show that we are willing to stand up to China on other issues, too: such as the regime's desire to curb all foreign criticism of its xenophobic and brutal system. We have been scandalously silent over the inhuman treatment of Muslims in Western China, incarcerated in their millions in re-education camps. No British government politician will meet the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, for fear of offending Beijing. Ministers collude in the diplomatic boycott of Taiwan, a doughty democracy that faces constant, vindictive pressure from mainland China. The shameful betrayal of the people of Hong Kong is another dark stain and another sign of China's growing influence. This week, the law professor Benny Tai was jailed for 16 months for demonstrating for democracy in the former British territory. Predictably, there was not a squeak of protest from our Government. Instead, Chancellor Philip Hammond will be one of many Western leaders in Beijing at a meeting of China's Belt and Road Initiative this week, a multi-trillion-pound scheme unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014 aimed at boosting transport and other connections between Africa, Europe and Asia. The head of GCHQ, Jeremy Fleming, this week warned of the 'unprecedented' scale of cyber-threats that are threatening the British way of life It covers more than 70 countries and the aim is to reshape the way the world trades and travels and to create a system in which all the best roads, railways and shipping lanes lead to Beijing. Greed All this is a stunning example of how, as the Russian state stagnates, China is becoming an economic, diplomatic and technological superpower. It is a world leader in drone technology, in artificial intelligence, in the new space race (China shocked the world when it landed a probe on the Moon in January) and as we now see in computer hardware for the next industrial revolution. China exploits the opportunities presented by open societies such as ours China Global Television Network, the regime's propaganda outlet, operates freely from its offices in London while keeping its system closed to outsiders. Like Russia, China plays games of divide and rule in the West and exploits the same vulnerabilities our greed, complacency, gullibility and slipshod cyber-security. But Russia's aim is only to sow chaos. The reach and clout of Beijing is far greater and its goals far more ambitious. The Chinese leadership has a long-term plan, to win what it sees as the country's rightful place as the world's biggest and most powerful country. Russia is mostly a nuisance. China is a menace and it's time to smell the dragon's breath. Towards the back of our town is a short private road which, until a month or two ago, was really more of a rough track. It used to be charming, in its higgledy-piggledy way, with tufts of grass and weeds sprouting here and there, and a good many potholes. A few months ago it was tar-macked over, presumably because residents disliked navigating the potholes. Overnight, this little road became as smooth as a pancake, with no more tufts or potholes, in fact little to differentiate it from any other stretch in the country. If only we all learned to love our potholes, there would be no need for speed limits, speed cameras, speed cops, speeding fines, speed awareness courses or speed bumps, writes Craig Brown (stock image) There is just one odd thing about it: even though it is a cul-de-sac, and barely 100 yards long, it has speed-bumps. Presumably, having got rid of the potholes the residents were worried that drivers would go too fast, so had to create these artificial potholes instead. Of course, they could have achieved exactly the same effect, and saved themselves a great deal of money, by simply leaving things as they were. If only we all learned to love our potholes, there would be no need for speed limits, speed cameras, speed cops, speeding fines, speed awareness courses or speed bumps. I was all set to unveil my important new Pothole Protection proposal in this column, but, after a little research, it has become clear to me quite how contentious this would be. Many people perhaps even most don't just dislike potholes: they loathe them Many people perhaps even most don't just dislike potholes: they loathe them. On Twitter, that celestial barometer of worldwide irritation, tweeters explode with anger at every fresh sighting of a pothole. Meanwhile, councillors and mayors boast about how much they have done to eradicate them, while their opponents hiss back that the problem is only getting worse, and it's all their fault. It has even become a major issue in next week's local elections. Only this week Chris Grayling, the gormless Transport Secretary, attempted to swing the vote by claiming that, last year, 740,000 potholes were filled in by Conservative councils compared to only 290,000 potholes filled in by Labour. On hearing this, my first thought was one of concern for the poor civil servant at the Department of Transport whose job it is to count the nation's potholes (or former potholes, as they now are) and report back to Mr Grayling. Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, claimed that, last year, 740,000 potholes were filled in by Conservative councils And does the statistic really mean anything? It's perfectly possible that Labour councils allowed fewer potholes to develop, so had fewer to fill. Surely it is the unfilled potholes that should be counted? Throughout the world, people continue to fall out over potholes. I almost feel like starting a Pothole Protection League, and a Woke Pothole Week. Perhaps schoolgirl activist Greta Thunberg might agree to be our spokesperson? There are already one or two signs that a number of people have developed a soft spot for them. In fact, my campaign might just take off because, beneath all the rancour, I detect an underlying affection for potholes, even amounting to pride. Recent tweets from across America reflect this: 'Nothing says spring in Massachusetts like hitting 17 potholes on your way to work'; 'Mississippi drivers are elite due to the potholes we've been trained to dodge'; 'In Philadelphia, our hearts are as big as our potholes.' And my personal favourite: 'When the tornado touch down in Jackson, it's gonna fall into a pothole so we good'. A photograph has been posted of an angler in New York State poised over a puddle in a pothole, proudly sporting a fish on the end of his line. And a pothole on the main road in Plumtree, near Nottingham, has been photographed with a chocolate swiss-roll beside it: a cake for its second birthday, complete with two candles. Throughout the world, people continue to fall out over potholes. I almost feel like starting a Pothole Protection League, and a Woke Pothole Week, writes Craig Brown (stock image) Feelgood stories about potholes have begun to emerge. There was one this week about a 59-year-old man in Nebraska who was being rushed to hospital with an irregular heartbeat. As the ambulance raced along, the man's heart was hitting 200 beats a minute more than twice the average. But then the ambulance hit a pothole, and hallelujah! the sudden jolt caused his heartbeat to return to its normal rhythm. 'It's rare, but it's a well-described phenomenon,' Dr Andrew Goldsweig told reporters. 'Turns out, you can do that with a pothole.' I don't know about you, but I feel that this may well be the start of something big. A mother-of-three has become an online star after calling out the impossible standards working moms feel pressured to meet. Sarah Buckley Friedberg, 35, from Needham, Massachusetts, candidly wrote about the relentless expectations that plague modern moms in a 1,050-word rant that she posted on Facebook on April 18. The post, which has been shared more than 30,000 times, details all of the pressures that society puts on working moms, from excelling at their careers to keeping their romantic relationships with their spouses 'alive and fresh.' Honest: Sarah Buckley Friedberg, 35, from Needham, Massachusetts, wrote about the impossible standards moms are expected to meet in a lengthy viral Facebook rant Family: Sarah stressed that her husband, Michael, is a 'fantastic partner.' She said her goal was not to shame dads but to point out the expectations society puts on mothers in particular Sarah, who has a six-year-old, three-year-old and one-year-old, started her rant by pointing out that women are expected to return to work just six to eight weeks after giving birth. 'Go back to work before you have finished healing or have had time to bond with your baby,' she wrote. 'Keep your mind on work, and not your tiny helpless baby that is being watched and cared for by someone other than you. 'Make sure to break the glass ceiling and excel at your job you can do anything a man can do! It is your job to show society this! Show the world that women can do it all. Rise to the top of your career,' she continued. 'Also breastfeed for at least a year. So take two to three pumping breaks a day at work, but don't let it throw you off your game or let you lose your focus.' Sarah, a full-time microbiology manager at a medical device company, went on to comment on the pressure for new moms to transform their postpartum bodies and take care of their families while somehow managing to get enough sleep. 'Lose that baby weight and get back in shape, as quickly and as gracefully as possible,' she wrote. 'Make sure to get eight hours of sleep a night so you can work out, work, and care for your family. Going viral: Sarah's 1,050-word post has been shared more than 30,000 times and has received thousands of comments since April 18 'But also get up at 5 a.m. to work out, unless you want to do it after your kids go to bed when you also need to clean the house and get life ready for the next day and you know, sleep.' Sarah noted that moms are expected to 'maintain a clean, Pinterest-worthy house' and 'take the Christmas lights down' while also being 'Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy,' and the' birthday planner' for their kids. Pressure: Sarah noted that society tells mothers they must excel at their careers, lose the baby weight, and have date nights with their husbands, among other things Many of the messages are conflicting. Moms are supposed to be both 'fun' and 'firm.' They should 'read books' and 'have dance parties,' but it's also up to them to 'maintain the schedule for the entire family.' The mother-of-three pointed out that moms are also faced with the task of making sure their children learn countless things, from swimming to 'being a good human.' 'In case nobody told you, if you have more than one kid you will need to buy new shoes approximately every other day. See also: winter coats, shorts, pants that aren't four inches too short,' she wrote. 'There will never be matching socks or gloves for any member of the family, ever again.' Then there is the family pet to take care of, the doctors and specialists appointments to schedule, 'healthy' meals to plan, and the school conferences that parents have to attend at least twice a year. In her rant, Sarah said that moms are told to 'date your spouse' because it's important to 'keep your relationship alive and fresh' never mind that babysitters cost $22 an hour or more in some areas. Keeping it real: Her message struck a chord with many moms, and fans took to the comments section of the post to praise her for her honesty Moms are also being advised to have both 'you time' and social time with friends while also prioritizing 'self-care' and looking flawlessly put together. 'Don't wear yoga pants and a mom bun or society is going to mock you in numerous witty blog posts. Never mind that nothing fits,' Sarah wrote. 'Going to have to get up even earlier so you have time to style your hair, wing your eyeliner and search for a pair of pants that fits your new post-baby (or multiple baby) shape.' Sarah ended her post with the reminder that moms should unplug and relish in every moment because their children will be adults before they know it. 'Get off your phone, turn off the TV, and enjoy your life. Enjoy your kids. THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES make sure to love every minute of life because before you know it all of this will be in the past,' she wrote. 'I don't know about you, but I'm ready to lean OUT. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.' Sarah told Good Morning America that her pediatrician husband, Michael, is a 'fantastic partner.' The point of her post was not to shame dads but to highlight the expectations society puts on mothers in particular. 'I was venting but also being humorous that there's not enough hours to do all these things,' she said. 'We have to prioritize and we do prioritize, but sometimes it gets to you.' Sarah clearly struck a chord with many mothers, and her message has received more than 7,000 comments. Although there some who callously argued that she shouldn't have had kids or continued to work, many people praised her for her honesty. 'I am literally in tears!' one woman commented. 'Can't express this enough, we mamas are freakin' superheroes! So much love to you all.' 'I couldn't even read all of that!' another added. 'I'm in the midst of doing so many of those. And here I am being called a lady of leisure as a stay at home mom.' Terminally ill baby girl Amiyah Windross has tragically died after battling an 'undiagnosed' condition since birth A terminally ill baby girl has tragically died just days after a brazen thief stole her parents' mobile phone containing irreplaceable memories of her. Melbourne couple Jay and Dee Windross revealed their 11-month-old daughter Amiyah had been fighting an 'undiagnosed neurological issue from the day she was born'. But in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Amiyah lost her battle just less than one month from her first birthday. In a heartbreaking post on Facebook, the distraught father paid an emotional tribute to his little fighter with an 'infectious smile' after spending her final moments with her. 'It is with utter sadness that Dee and I inform everyone that Amiyah Victoria grew her wings at 2.05am on Wednesday morning. Amiyah's last hours were spent peacefully and calmly, cuddling in Mummy's and Daddy's arms - which is what she loved most,' Mr Windross said. 'Her strength, her courage, and her unrelenting fight was on display from her first breath, all the way till her last. She held on and fought every minute to stay cuddling with her Mummy and Daddy for as long as she could and we can't begin to describe how brave and courageous she was. Melbourne couple Jay and Dee Windross have paid an emotional tribute to their daughter In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Amiyah lost her battle just less than one month from her first birthday 'As incredibly empty as we are feeling right now, we are relieved that Amiyah is no longer in any more pain or distress. Although this came on quite suddenly, Dee and I noticed a regress recently and we've been mentally aware that this day would come at any time. 'Amiyah knew how much we loved her and in return, we knew how much she loved us. We could tell in her gaze whenever she looked at us.' The father said the past 11 months had been 'extremely challenging' for the young family-of-three but they were able to build fond memories together. 'Those 11 months Amiyah inspired many and touched everyone she met. Amiyah taught us so much as people, and as parents, and made Dee and I stronger,' he said. 'Amiyah has given us more courage and strength than we ever knew possible. She pushed us to our limits constantly, but we continuously found ways to push them further. 'Amiyah turned our relationship and home into a family and we will forever be grateful that she chose us as parents.' The grieving father went on to describe his little girl as 'absolutely perfect in our eyes' and she will 'forever be our beautiful little bubba'. The parents described their little girl as 'absolutely perfect in our eyes' and she will 'forever be our beautiful little bubba' 'We will never stop thinking about you and those chubby cheeks,' Mr Windross said. 'That infectious big toothy smile that you would show us when we cuddled with you will stay in our minds forever. 'We know that you were made up of a bit of Mummy and a bit of Daddy, so you will always have us with you where ever you go. That infectious big toothy smile that you would show us when we cuddled with you will stay in our minds forever 'No matter what, you will forever be in our hearts and we are so proud of you. We will never have to see you grow old and frail. 'We love you endlessly bubba. Love Mummy and Daddy. Amiyah Victoria Windross.' His gut-wrenching tribute comes just days after the parents made a desperate social media plea for their stolen mobile phone to be returned. The couple were in Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre on Saturday when Dee accidentally left her Samsung Galaxy S8 with a purple cover in a toilet cubicle. The father said the past 11 months had been 'extremely challenging' for the young family-of-three but they were able to bond fond memories with their loving daughter Amiyah (pictured in the Monash Children's Hospital) was battling an undiagnosed condition The phone contains priceless pictures of little Amiyah, whose condition was 'deteriorating' in the Monash Children's Hospital. 'Someone has picked up Dee's phone from a toilet next door to Target in Chadstone around 5:30pm,' Mr Windross said in a now-viral Facebook post on Saturday night. 'Our 11-month-old daughter is currently deteriorating in ICU and is in her last days with us and this phone holds all our memories of her. 'We understand that you have either found a new phone to use, or you can sell it to make money, but please understand that this means more than money to us.' The devastated couple said the content is worth 'life to us' - as Jay said he would happily offer a cash reward to the thief if they were to return it. 'No questions asked. No grudge held. We beg you as grieving parents not to wipe the phone. This phone holds the memories of what little life our daughter has had,' he said. 'If you want the phone, we're more than happy to arrange to meet, we'll copy the photos off the phone and you can keep the phone. What is on the phone is worth more than anything in our life.' A grandmother has revealed how she fell in love with another woman during a holiday with her partner of 18 years. Retired Sandra Newton, 55, from Ipswich, was visiting Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, with her long term boyfriend Pete, when she spotted Sharon Hughes, 50, from North Somerset, who was staying at the same resort. The grandmother-of-four admitted it was 'love at first sight' as soon as she set eyes on marketing executive Sharon - who had been 'aching' to be someone's 'Prince Charming' since watching Cindarella as a child. After developing a close friendship during the holiday, the pair reunited weeks later and confessed their love to a shocked Pete, and they've been together for the past three years - marrying in a fairytale-themed wedding this year. Retired Sandra Newton, 55, from Ipswich, left, fell in love with marketing exec Sharon Hughes, 50, from North Somerset, right during a holiday with her boyfriend of 18 years, Pete Coincidentally, Pete had met Sharon during a previous trip and remarked on how well she would have got on with Sandra. Speaking about how their romance blossomed as their groups of friends got talking during the fateful holiday, Sandra told The Mirror: 'I'd never looked at a woman before in my life. 'She's a massive charmer. We'd go to the beach and she'd carry my bags she was a real gentleman. My perfect man turned out to be a woman.' Meanwhile Sharon remembered how she found herself drawn to Sandra during the holiday, recalling how they would find excuses to spend time together away from the others. Explaining the first time Sandra made a move on her during the holiday after a night out, Sharon said: 'She said she wanted more from me but I pushed her back into the room where Pete was sleeping and told her it couldn't get out of hand.' After developing a close friendship during the holiday, the pair reunited weeks later and confessed their love to a shocked Pete, and they've been together for the past three years - marrying in a fairytale-themed wedding this year. Pictured: Sandra, left, as Cinderella, and Sharon, right, as her Prince Charming However the duo kept in contact when they returned to the UK, exchanging up to 10 text messages a day and sending each other Elvis songs. Just weeks after the trip Sandra was scheduled for a minor operation and asked whether Sharon would come and look after her. Sharon immediately agreed, and travelled to Ipswich to stay with Sandra and Pete. It was during that stay that the couple realised they needed to confess the truth to Pete. Sharon said: 'When I went to stay, Sandra went up for a bath and I tried to talk to him. He stopped in his and Sandra's room that night, and me and her in the guest bedroom. Then he went off to stay with a friend for the week I was there.' With Pete away from the home, Sandra and Sharon shared a bed for the first time - though they did nothing more than kiss. Soon afterwards Sandra moved out of Pete's home and went to live with Sharon, though she admits with sadness that her children have still not accepted the change, and she only sees her four grandsons - all under the age of six. Last spring Sharon decided to take the plunge and ask Sandra to marry her - knowing that Sandra refused to marry Pete during the 18 years they were together after her first marriage collapsed. Asking Sandra's mother for permission, who admitted Sandra was 'besotted' with Sharon, she got down on one knee in a Cinderella-themed proposal in the Maldives. Despite preparing a heartfelt speech and even purchasing a Cinderella carriage for the ring, Sharon admits she broke down and begged 'please don't say no'. And to her joy, Sandra accepted, with the couple getting married in the UK this year, with Sandra dressed as Cindrella, Sharon as her prince and the guests as Disney characters. The couple plan to return to Sharm el-Sheikh in the future, to mark the special place their romance begun. BBC journalist George Alagiah has opened up about his Stage 4 bowel cancer diagnosis and how it affected his family and mental health in a new podcast. George, 63, from London, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in April 2014 and was given the all clear in November 2015, when he returned to work. However in 2018 he revealed that he was in treatment again. Speaking on the George Alagiah: A Bowel Cancer UK podcast, he said: 'Everybody's got their way of dealing with it, but I had to get to what I now call my place of contentment. 'Because there was so much thrashing about in my mind, some of it negative, some of it dark.' The BBC journalist talks openly about how bowel cancer has affected his family and those around him, in the third episode of In conversation with George Alagiah: A Bowel Cancer UK podcast George, 63, from London, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in April 2014 and was given the all clear in November 2015 The journalist also interviews Stacey Heale, 39, from Southampton, whose husband has stage 4 bowel cancer, along with Bowel Cancer UK chief executive, Deborah Alsina MBE, on what it's like caring for someone with bowel cancer. During the episode, George and Stacey discuss the impact of the bowel cancer diagnosis on their families, caring for a loved one and how both have seen their outlooks on life shift. George admitted: 'I mean I wish I'd never had cancer, I wish I'd never got it. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But now that I've got it, it's made life richer. It's clearer to me what's important and it's clearer to me how to love people.' Going back to the psychological impact of living with bowel cancer he said: 'My terrible thing was thinking of Fran (George's wife) and I realised I can't do that. So I got to this place of contentment and said, you know what I found this, I found my plateau.' In the podcast for Bowel Cancer UK he also interviews Stacey Heale, 39, from Southampton, whose husband has stage 4 bowel cancer, along with Bowel Cancer UK chief executive, Deborah Alsina MBE, on what it's like caring for someone with bowel cancer. George started his journalism career at the BBC in 1989 and became one of the BBC's leading foreign correspondents, reporting on new stories in Iraq and Afghanistan. In January this year George presented News at Six for the first time in more than a year this after taking time off to battle cancer. At the time people took to Twitter to wlecome him back,one social media fan said: '#bb1 Welcome back dear Geroge Alagiah. Hooray for you. #georgealagiah.' George Alagiah with his wife Fran - who he spoke about on the podcast for Bowel Cancer UK Another user was happy to see him back and commented on his new appearance, they said: 'Great to see @georgealagiah back leading BBC news. Love the new look!' And one more said she was thrilled her 'favourite newsreader' was back. While colleagues also took to Twitter to welcome back the presenter in January. BOWEL CANCER: THE FACTS Bowel cancer is also called colorectal cancer. It affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum. The cells in your body normally divide and grow in a controlled way. When cancer develops, the cells change and can grow in an uncontrolled way. Most bowel cancers develop from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps. But not all polyps develop into cancer. If your doctor finds any polyps, he or she can remove them to prevent them becoming cancerous. Cancer cells may stay in the bowel or they might spread to other parts of the body, like the liver or lungs. Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, after breast, prostate and lung cancers. Over 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. Nine in ten cases are over the age of 50. Bowel cancer is treatable and curable, especially if it's diagnosed early. There is only a small chance that bowel cancer will come back after five years. Almost 16,000 people die from bowel cancer in the UK every year. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, behind lung cancer. Source: Bowel Cancer UK Advertisement On the podcast George also spoke to Stacey, who shares her experience of when her husband was diagnosed - she said: 'I remember feeling like all that sound had been turned downand I remembered thinking to myself listen to what they're saying, listen to all the words, and I just couldn't hear any sound at all. 'I thought on the day that Greg was diagnosed that life was over, that my girls lives were going to be ruined foreverand they're not'. The Sri Lanka-born presenter was diagnosed with the disease, which had spread to his liver and lymph nodes, in April 2014. He had noticed blood in his stools and, after a colonoscopy, a tumour was discovered on his bowel. MRI scans later detected eight tumours in his liver. In 2016, Alagiah said he was a 'richer person' for the experience, which saw him undergo several rounds of chemotherapy and three major operations, one of which included the removal of most of his liver. The third episode of the podcast builds on the success of the charity's podcast, which was launched at the start of the April to mark Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Bowel Cancer UK Chief Executive, Deborah Alsina MBE said: 'We're incredibly grateful to both George and Stacey for opening up about their experiences of caring for a loved one. 'Our podcast forms part of our #thisisbowelcancer campaign, which aims to shine a light on the varied and many people affected by the disease. 'We want everyone affected by bowel cancer to come together and take action to help create a future where nobody dies of the disease.' The Countess of Wessex beamed in a floral blouse during a visit to Windsor on Monday, as she attended one of three royal engagements this week. Sophie, 54, was joined by her husband Edward, the Earl of Wessex, 55, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, 59, as they were each appointed vice president of the Royal Windsor Horse Show. The mother-of-two opted for a relaxed look, sporting a navy blazer and khaki trousers as the trio posed for a photo alongside two of The Queen's Highland ponies, Lomond and Jubilee. She completed her casual look by sweeping her hair off her face with a pair of sunglasses. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and her husband Prince Edward (pictured left to right) were appointed vice presidents of the Royal Horse Show earlier this week Sophie, 54, pictured right, attended the annual show last year alongside her daughter Lady Louise Windsor, pictured left The royal opted for her signature natural look, wearing minimal make-up with a light bronzer around her cheeks. Sophie donned a similar outfit to attend last year's Royal Horse Show in Berkshire, alongside her daughter Lady Louise Windsor, 15. The Royal Windsor Horse Show, which takes place in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, runs from May 8 to 12. The symbolic event is the UK's only show which continues to host international competitions in endurance, showjumping and dressage. Last year the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which counts the Queen as Patron and The Duke of Edinburgh as President, celebrated its 75 year anniversary. The Royal Windsor Horse Show, which is held in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, is the UK's only event which hosts international competitions in endurance, showjumping and dressage The prestigious show was established in 1943 to help raise funds for war efforts and has since extended its run to five days The prestigious event was first established in 1943 as part of the 'Wings for Victory' fundraising week, during which people were asked to contribute money for a Spitfire, Wellington or Lancaster bomber. It was called the Windsor Horse and Dog Show and helped the Royal Borough raise 391,197 - enough money to buy 78 Typhoon fighter aircraft. It was attended by all the key members of the Royal Family, including King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) and the two young princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret. It has continued to run every year since. Dogs have not been allowed into the showground since 1944, due to a lurcher stealing a piece of chicken from King George V's lunch plate at the first show in 1943. The Committee found this so mortifying that they have banned dogs from the showground ever since. Sophie has had a busy week with the opening of a park in Peterborough (pictured) and a celebration of Jill Dando's life both taking place on Wednesday Aside from being awarded her new role, Sophie's packed schedule this week also included the opening of a park in Peterborough and attending an event in London celebrating life of late TV presenter Jill Dando. The royal made a seamless transition between both engagements by keeping the same hair and make-up look. Next month she is set to embark on a five-day tour of India for her final overseas duty as vice patron of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. During her visit, the mother-of-two will see the foundation's work towards preventing blindness in babies born prematurely. The cause is close to Sophie's heart as her daughter Lady Louise Windsor was born with a severe squint that affected her vision. Sophie Wessex (pictured centre with Rory Bremner) is set to attend a five-day tour of India as part of her commitments to The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust The Duchess of Cambridge looked radiant and respectful as she arrived at the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey today. Kate, 37, donned a deep teal coat dress which fell just below her knees for the day of remembrance to honour the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces. She completed her stylish look with a coordinated feather hat by designer Rosie Olivia, and a classic pair of green suede stilettos and matching clutch bag by Emily London. The mother-of-three was joined by her brother-in-law Prince Harry, 34 - whose first child with Meghan is due any day now - who was dressed in a dapper navy suit in his regimental colour. Meanwhile, her husband Prince William, 36, is in New Zealand paying tribute at a service in Auckland to those who lost their lives in battle. The Duchess of Cambridge, 37, looked radiant and respectful as she arrived at the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey today wearing a new Catherine Walker coat dress Kate coordinated her teal outfit with a feather hat by Rosie Olivia as she was joined by brother-in-law Prince Harry, 34 for the solemn service The royal accessorised with blue topaz classic earrings by Kiki McDonough and an Eden necklace in white gold - along with a poppy as a mark of respect. Her smart designer coat dress featured three buttons and a high neck collar to keep out the chilly weather conditions, as she clutched a pair of navy gloves in her right hand. Wearing her brown hair loosely scraped back in a chic chignon, Kate opted for minimal makeup to highlight her natural beauty. Anzac Day has been commemorated in London since the first anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli in 1916, when King George V attended a service at Westminster Abbey and more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets. The Duchess of Cambridge shook hands with those attending the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey today The Duke of Sussex - whose first child with Meghan is due any day now - opted for a navy suit in his regimental colour, as it's likely Meghan is at home preparing for the imminent royal arrival Kate looked deep in thought as she attended the Anzac Day service of commemoration and thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey Kate wears a Rosie Olivia hat to the service today which remembers the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces The Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Sussex at the Anzac Day service this afternoon Since then, it has become an important moment to recognise the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who died during the landings, and to honour the sacrifices of men and women in all wars. It is commemorated as a public holiday in both countries with memorial ceremonies held at various locations. The Duchess of Cambridge will join guests including the Australian High Commissioner at the solemn service. The traditional church service in London will incorporate an Act of Remembrance, the Last Post and the words of modern Turkey's founder Kemal Ataturk from Anzac Cove, read by the Turkish ambassador to the UK. Meghan is likely to be at home in the couple's newly renovated Frogmore Cottage in the sanctuary of the Windsor Estate. Harry and Kate will also be joined by the Queen's cousin the Duke of Gloucester. The Duke of Sussex with the Dean of Westminster Dr John Hall pictured leaving the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, London Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attended the remembrance day The Duke of Sussex looked ahead at Westminster Abbey during the Anzac Day commemoration in London today Prince Harry smiled at his sister-in-law as they spoke with others at the Anzac Day service Kate looked elegant in her new Catherine Walker coat dress which she paired with a feather hat by designer Rosie Olivia for the service Kate completed her look with a classic pair of green suede stilettos and matching clutch bag by Emily London The royal pair looked engaged in conversation as they made there way inside, where they will be joined by the Queen's cousin the Duke of Gloucester The stylish royal accessorised with blue topaz classic earrings by Kiki McDonough and an Eden necklace in white gold - along with a poppy as a mark of respect The mother-of-three was joined by her brother-in-law Prince Harry as her husband, Prince William, 36, is in New Zealand paying tribute at a service in Auckland to those who lost their lives in battle The duke's name had not been printed on order of service because of the possibly imminent birth of his first baby The congregation gathered at Westminster Abbey today for the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving The Duchess of Sussex, pictured leaving the Abbey, accessorised with blue topaz classic earrings by Kiki McDonough and wore a poppy as a mark of respect today Kate missed the Anzac Day service last year as it came just two days after she gave birth to her third child, Prince Louis. Prince William attended the day of remembrance alongside parents-to-be Meghan and Harry. The Duchess of Cambridge's last royal engagement was a visit to the Scouts headquarters at Gilwell Park, Essex back on March 28. She dressed down and wore a recycled outfit including a khaki Barbour jacket, a red J.Crew jumper and her trusty brown Chloe boots, and was there to learn more about the organisations new pilot to bring Scouting to younger children, while her visit to Gilwell Park also celebrated the sites 100th anniversary year. She played hide and seek with the scouts and joined them in a den made out of twigs and leaves. Prince Harry and the The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall attended the Anzac Day Service Kate looked chic in a Catherine Walker coat and Rosie Olivia hat as she attended the service at Westminster Abbey today The new designer coat features three buttons and a high-neck collar to keep out the chilly weather conditions Harry's last-minute addition to the royal line-up indicates his wife Meghan is showing no signs so far of giving birth soon Prince Harry stepped out of his car as he arrived for an Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey today Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter (right) arrived for the solemn service The Queen's cousin, the Duke of Gloucester and Baroness Scotland at Westminster Abbey today Prince Harry appeared to be intently listening to the Dean of Westminster John Hall as they prepared to leave the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey in London today Prince Harry points the way with his leaflet as he and the Duchess of Cambridge leave the service at the Westminster Abbey Kate smiled as she left the Anzac Day service and her brother-in-law followed behind her A body language expert has revealed how she believes today's friendly display between Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge could signify that the rumoured rift is between the royal brothers. Harry, 34, attended a service at Westminster Abbey with his sister-in-law Kate, 37, at noon today, to honour the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces. The pair looked animated and relaxed as they arrived together, chatting and joking happily - a far cry from the seemingly frosty display between Harry and brother William, 36, during Sunday's Easter service. Body language expert Judi James told Femail that Prince Harry reverting to the 'cheeky role of younger brother' around Kate, who in turn showed off an open-mouth grin, proves the two royals are comfortable in each other's presence - and any ongoing problems 'don't involve the Duchess'. Scroll down for video A body language expert has revealed how she believes today's friendly display between Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge could signify that the rumoured rift is between the royal brothers. Kate, 37, and Harry, 34, arrive at Westminster Abbey today Addressing the rumours of unrest between the Sussexes and th Cambridges, Judi said: 'The pair have been included in so many rumours of rifts between the fab four. 'However the way Harry leaned over to chat to Kate at Easter - despite appearing to ignore William - and now this congruent and authentic-looking display of ongoing friendship, suggests that if there are any ongoing problems it doesnt involve Harry and his sister-in-law.' Analysing Harry's body language, she said: 'As the pair walk into the service, Harrys wide, apple-cheek smile and display of teeth - plus his dimples visible above the beard - make him look happy and relaxed. Today's warm display was a far cry from the seemingly frosty display between Harry and brother William, 36, during Sunday's Easter service where the brothers were pictured standing feet apart 'Its been a long time since weve seen that naughty smile on Harrys face. 'His dimpled grin as he chats with his sister-in-law shows that, although he might have matured into a serious-looking husband and father-to-be, he can still revert to the role of younger brother now and again.' Speaking about the pair's stance, she continued: 'There is a sizable gap between him and Kate here but the bonding of friendship looks undeniable, and as the pair make eye contact their mirrored, suppressed smiles with some tensing of the muscles around the nose suggests they are both laughing at the same thing.' She added: 'With his eyes narrowed and the V-shaped brow formation Harry looks to be back to his days of joker in the royal pack here.' Harry and Kate looked animated and relaxed as they arrived together, chatting and joking happily, with body language Judi claiming their display proved she was not involved in a rift Harry, 34, attended a service at Westminster Abbey with his sister-in-law Kate, 37, at noon today, to honour the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces Describing Kate's unusually lively display, Judi continued: 'Kate looks especially relaxed and animated here, swapping her normal pitch-perfect smile for an open-mouthed grin of genuinely unforced fun and amusement. 'When they chat, her raised hand gesture and her sustained eye contact suggest shes supplying the humour here just as much as her famously royal joker brother-in-law.' Harry's heavily pregnant wife Meghan did not attend the service, as she awaits the birth of their firstborn at home in Windsor Castle's Frogmore Cottage. And with the birth of his firstborn imminent, Judi suggested Harry is showing signs of anxiety. 'The only change in his body language is the hand gesture', she said. 'This paperclip gesture as he holds his jacket is a signature move he developed when he met Meghan and as a partial barrier could suggest his prime thoughts and possibly worries are still with his pregnant wife at home.' On Sunday Judi said Harry appeared 'desperate to avoid' his brother William at the Easter church service at Windsor's St George's Chapel attended by the Royal family. Pictured: The brothers stand several feet apart outside the chapel entrance as the Queen enters through the door On Sunday, Judi said Harry appeared 'desperate to avoid' his brother William at the Easter church service at Windsor's St George's Chapel, attended by the Royal family. Harry walked ahead of his brother into the service at St George's Chapel in Windsor, before standing several feet away from William, fuelling speculation they are feuding. Body language expert Judi James told MailOnline: 'Watching them at the Easter service was almost like watching strangers. 'He then seemed to dart from a second host and back to the wall, where he appeared to stand with his head down, looking away. 'Watching them together would always make royal fans smile, but it is the current apparent lack of tie-signs and even subtler cues between the two that will sadly only add to rumours of a rift.' Prince Harry arrives at the service at St George's Chapel in Windsor on Sunday (left) followed by William and Kate - fueling rumours of a royal rift between the brothers Last year it was revealed Harry and Meghan would be moving out of their Kensington Palace cottage to the grounds of Windsor, to avoid their first child growing up 'in a goldfish bowl'. Soon behind the scenes reports claimed the move could be due to a rift between the Cambridges and the Sussexes. But royal insiders have insisted that there has been no falling out between the Cambridges and the Sussexes, but admitted the pair are 'very different people'. A source previously told the Daily Mail's Rebecca English: 'While there are some tensions behind the scenes, Kate is pretty unflappable and nothing has become bad enough to make Harry and Meghan want to move out. 'People are genuinely pleased to see them so happy. The truth is that there simply isn't enough room at Kensington Palace for them and I know they have been looking at Windsor as a possibility since before the wedding.' Princess Anne appeared in good spirits despite the rain as she opened the UK's new Hydrographic Office headquarters in Taunton. The Princess Royal, 68, stepped out in a chic navy coat paired with matching accessories for an effortlessly sleek appearance as she met with over 100 staff and guests. The event follows a busy week for Anne who attended a guns salute to commemorate the Queen's 93rd birthday just days earlier. Princess Anne, 68, (pictured) officially opened the UK's new Hydrographic head office today in Taunton, Somerset The Royal held her umbrella high as she attended the engagement which follows her attendance at the Queen's birthday salute on Monday The Princess Royal opted for a sleek look with a tailored navy coat embellished with a crown brooch, teamed with subtle accessories Princess Anne who wore a subtle red lipstick for a burst of colour maintained her usual elegance by wearing her hair pulled back. The Royal's highly anticipated attendance at the opening marks the next chapter of the UKHO as it continues to be an important, data-led geospatial organisation for the UK. The newly opened eco-friendly headquarters is set to provide a creative working environment for its 850 staff, replacing the existing building on the site in Admiralty Way Taunton. A number of staff at the Hydrographic head office were recently acknowledged in this year's Somerset Apprenticeship Awards. Princess Anne (pictured centre) was met by 100 of guests from around the globe in addition to a number of the headquarter's staff The Royal appeared effortlessly elegant wearing minimal make-up with a glossy red lipstick for a burst of colour A number of Mini Mariners nursery children (pictured) greeted Anne with Union Jack flags and offered to give her flowers The new Hydrographic Office headquarters marks the next chapter of being an important, data-led geospatial organisation Princess Anne (pictured) appeared delighted during her attendance of the new eco-friendly premises which replaces the existing building on the site in Admiralty Way Princess Anne appeared engaged as she spoke at length with guests of today's opening including Rear Admiral Tim Lowe who is the Acting Chief Executive of UKHO. She beamed as she met with Mini Mariners nursery children who turned out at the opening waving flags and offering flowers. The Royal held her umbrella high to overcome the showers marking the end of the Bank Holiday weekend. Princess Anne's annual holiday was spent greeting members of the military during the Queen's birthday salute which took place in Hyde Park. She thrived at the annual event in a chic tartan look. A number of esteemed individuals from around the globe turned out to see the symbolic moment the Royal opened the building Rear Admiral Tim Lowe (pictured) who is the Acting Chief Executive of UKHO attracted a crowd during his conversation with the Royal A recovering anorexic has credited an eat-all-you-can-eat buffet with helping her in her fight against the eating disorder. Talia Sinnott, 21, says that visiting the Cosmo World Banqueting restaurant in Wolverhampton city centre gave her a sense of control over the food she was consuming. The university student has battled anorexia for six-and-a-half years and has poured her experience into a blog read by thousands of people on Instagram, where she has more than 10,000 followers. Talia Sinnott, 21, says that visiting the Cosmo World Banqueting restaurant in Wolverhampton city centre gave her a sense of control over the food which she was consuming. Pictured in 2015 after being released from hospital at a healthy weight The UK eating disorder charity Beat's Head of Communications, Rebecca Willgress, says eating disorders are very serious mental illnesses, but recovery is always possible. Pictured: Talia wearing a Beat T-shirt On five occasions as a teenager, Talia was admitted to specialised eating disorder clinics, and in 2016, she was diagnosed with pneumonia and her organs started to fail. Speaking of falling ill, Talia said: 'I was having a difficult time both at home and at school when I was 15 years old. 'I was being bullied and I took it personally; I thought that there must be something wrong with me as a person maybe I was a rubbish friend and daughter? 'I thought that, if I lost a bit of weight, I would be liked more and I turned to food as a control mechanism. Things seemed to happening around me that I couldn't control but food was something that I could. 'The reason Cosmo worked so well for me was that I could put small amounts of food on my plate, and then go back for another and another, rather than being over-faced with a big plateful which would stop me from eating anything.' Talia found some comfort during her darker days by documenting her journey on Instagram. Talia, pictured with her dad at her brother's wedding in 2012 before she became ill. She said she thought losing weight would give her back some control in her life She told how she would sometimes post a picture of a solitary cup of green tea to show her followers what she was consuming that day. 'Looking back, it seems ridiculous,' she admitted. 'I used to document every mere morsel that was passing my mouth I felt like I had to share it with someone. 'As I started to get better though, and my relationship with food began to improve and become more positive, I began posting more exciting pictures of food with lots of pictures of cake! I have a really sweet tooth. 'Cosmo has helped me to conquer my fear of eating out. The fact that I can control how much I can eat is a big plus for me. Talia made this compilation to show herself enjoying her first pizza in six years back in 2016 'I have a routine when I visit Cosmo; I always head to the Indian section first for chickpea curry and Bombay potatoes. And I love the fresh naan bread there. 'Then I'll head to the Chinese section for noodles and oyster mushrooms before finishing off with dessert. I love pudding it's my favourite part of eating out.' Talia's recovery is ongoing and she's in the process of weight restoration as she aims to get back to a healthy BMI. She said she has been overwhelmed by the support from her followers on Instagram, in particular 21-year-old Lottie Hall a fellow recovering anorexic - from Manchester. The pair had an instant bond and, in August, they arranged to meet in person. Talia is taking Lottie to the Cosmo restaurant in Manchester next week to celebrate her 22nd birthday. Talia said during a typical meal at Cosmo (pictured) she always heads to the Indian section first to fill up on curry, then she usually goes for some Chinese and finishes up with random food like chips, breaded mushrooms and mini hash browns 'Lottie has been brilliant for me; she's so encouraging,' said Talia. 'We have both documented our journey on social media and I was excited to meet her last year. 'I'm hoping that Lottie enjoys the Cosmo experience as much as I do. I'm really looking forward to spoiling her for helping me.' Talia is a student at the University of York, although she has taken a break from her studies to concentrate on her health. 'Every so often, I will have a little wobble,' she admitted. 'I ordered a takeaway a few weeks ago and felt overwhelmed when it arrived. I just couldn't eat it. Talia's typical meal at COSMO 'I always head to the Indian section first to fill up on curry; I'll have a bit of Chana Masala, mushroom curry and rice with popadoms, a dollop of mango chutney and lots of naan bread. Then I usually go for Chinese mushroom stir-fry, prawn crackers and prawn toast (one of my favourites). I'll finish that and fill up with random food like chips, breaded mushrooms, mini hash browns but mango chutney is a must; I have a really sweet tooth! 'Finally, I'll have lots of little bits of dessert including marshmallows, which I like to dip in the chocolate fountain. I've really started enjoying pudding since I began my recovery and my Instagram is full of pudding pics.' Advertisement 'But I'm more relaxed than I used to be. In the past, I would study the menu before eating out anywhere. I'm more spontaneous now.' Cosmo director Kan Koo said: 'It is extremely well-known how devastating the effects of anorexia can be and anything that aids the recovery of this terrible condition is most welcome. 'We are pleased for Talia that the way we present our food was useful to her in her recovery and we wish her all the very best.' Rebecca Willgress, head of communications at UK eating disorder charity Beat added: 'Eating disorders are very serious mental illnesses, but recovery is always possible and it is fantastic to hear Talia and Lottie's stories. 'Talia and Lottie have shown great courage in telling their stories and this will help to raise awareness and challenge stigma, so that more people get the help they need and deserve. 'Anyone worried about their own or someone else's health can contact Beat's Helpline free of charge 365 days a year, via phone, email, anonymous one-to-one webchat or social media messaging. For more information and to contact Beat, click here. A 45-year-old man has revealed his emotional response to wearing a band-aid that matches his skin tone for the very first time. Dominique Apollon, from Oakland, California, took to Twitter on Friday, April 19. The researcher for racial justice shared two photos of his hand, on which he wore a bandage that blended almost perfectly with his skin tone. Alongside the photographs, he wrote: 'It's taken me 45 trips around the sun, but for the first time in my life I know what it feels like to have a "band-aid" in my own skin tone. You can barely even spot it in the first image. For real I'm holding back tears.' Emotional: A 45-year-old man shared the emotional experience that came with wearing a band-aid that matched his skin tone for the first time ever on Twitter Difference: Dominique Apollon said wearing the band-aid made him feel like he belonged and that he was valued, in comparison to wearing the traditional light pink-colored band-aids Viral: The researcher for racial justice said he didn't expect to feel so many emotions when he wore the band-aid Dominique continued: 'Not like I didn't know these strips existed. But I definitely didn't expect the complex emotions that would swirl as I watched it just ... blend in. 'A seemingly trivial exercise I've repeated 1000x on my body with "regular" ones since childhood. Self-administered #antiblackness,' he added. Important: Since Dominique (pictured) posted the tweet, it has gone viral, garnering over 500,000 likes and almost 3,000 comments from fellow Twitter users The 45-year-old said the band-aid was a symbol of belonging. He also said having the band-aid in the same shade as his skin tone made him feel like he was valued. Dominique explained: 'This felt like belonging. Like feeling valued. Sadness for my younger self and millions of kids of color, esp black kids. 'Like a reminder of countless spaces where my skin is still not welcomed. Feared. Hated. Like, "Why am I really thinking all this 'bout an effing band-aid?" The band-aid Dominique sported in the photos, he said, was from Tru-Color Bandages - a retailer that specializes in creating and selling band-aids for medium and dark-toned skin. Dominique praised the product and the manufacturer, as he said it made him feel 'valued'. He explained: 'Note: Bought these Tru-Colour bandages almost as an afterthought at the online FSA Store months ago, spending down health care $ my employer thankfully provides. 'Dunno enough about manufacturer to fully vouch for them, but truly appreciate how valued their product made me feel.' Viral: The post caught the attention of Star Wars actor John Boyega, 27, who stated that makeup artists often have to paint band-aids brown for filming purposes 'And I'm glad this thread has sparked some love, introspection, empathy, and conscious actions in others. 'White supremacy is a beast, and defeating it will take all of the above elements and more, applied at all levels of our societies. But the results will be so, so beautiful,' he added. Versatility: The brand of band-aid worn by Dominique in the photo was Tru-Color Bandages - a retailer that specializes in bandages for medium and dark-toned skin Dominique's series of heartfelt tweets have garnered a lot of attention since they were posted last week. His original tweet has racked up over 500,000 likes and almost 3,000 comments from fellow users. His discussion about the lack of color diversity in band-aids was a learning experience for some users, as many revealed they had never really thought about the color of the bandages before. One user commented on the now viral thread, saying: 'I never realized that band-aids were even supposed to blend in to your skin or that people cared if the band-aid did or didn't show. 'I've always just bought the cool ones with the cartoons.... #26YearOldChild. Im honestly glad I know now!' Meanwhile, 27-year-old actor John Boyega chimed in, as responded to the tweet and stressed the importance of such band-aids. He said there have been times when makeup artist have had to 'paint it brown' in order for the band-aid to blend in with his skin tone. Inspired: Many Twitter users said, after seeing Dominique's post, they were inspired to purchase the band-aids to include in their own first aid boxes The Star Wars actor said: 'Yep! On film sets where we get cuts alot, make up artists have to paint it brown to get you picture ready.' 'Lol an average day in an action film like Star Wars comes with jumps, falls, crashes and explosions etc. We patch up and keep it moving,' he added. Dominique's tweet also encouraged many to invest in the darker colored band-aids for friends and family, having previously never realized the importance of them. One user said: 'I can't begin to tell you how amazing that is. Yet so simple and going why in the hell did it take this long to do something so simple that means so much to people. 'I'm stocking these in my house for my neighbors and friends that come over if they should ever need one!' Another said: 'This has inspired me to get some for my first aid kit at work!' and similarly, another added: 'I think I'm gonna have to find some of these for the first aid kit at work.' 'My stomach just flipped Dominique. Ive never given that a second thought as Im white. I will now and would love to buy some for my niece; if I could find them,' added another Twitter user. Amazing: Some others said they hadn't ever thought about the color of band-aids before, but Dominique's post brought their attention to the issue Meanwhile, others said they had been aware of the lack of diversity in the color of band-aids, and were happy to see Dominique's photos. One user wrote: 'This was one of the first things that made me aware of "race" when I was a kid. I remember asking my mom about the bandaid color...Also the "flesh" crayon.' Others made reference to other products that are now available in a wider variety of skin tones, including ballet pointe shoes, which recently became more widely available in a larger range of skin tones tan the typical pink shade. According to the New York Times, British dance company Freed of London is among the few retailers that have begun selling two shades of pointe shoes - one bronze and the other brown. Momager Kris Jenner is one of the first people the Kardashian family members calls when there is any drama or crisis at hand which keeps her busy 24/7 while handling the professional lives of her six children. Although the 63-year-old can be the voice of reason, she admitted these calls can still scare her, especially ones happening late at night involving her grandchildren. 'The first one I ever got was the most alarming,' Kris told Refinery29. 'It was when Mason ate peanut butter and his face started blowing up and his throat started closing.' Terrifying: Kris Jenner, 63, revealed her scariest late-night phone call about her grandkids was when Kourtney Kardashian called her about Mason (pictured together in 2010) Scary: Nine-year-old Mason was younger at the time and had a severe reaction to peanut butter. His mom rushed him to the hospital at the advice of Kris Mason Disick, Kourtney Kardashian's oldest son, is the eldest of Kris' nine grandchildren at nine years old. So with him being the oldest comes a series of firsts, which includes Kris' first late night call from Kourtney, 40, regarding her child. 'They had to rush him to the hospital,' Kris continued. 'He had a peanut butter allergy for the longest time. He's fine now. The scariest is always the first time.' The incident with the peanut allergy could be one reason why Kourtney became stricter as a parent on what her three children consumed daily. Kourtney is known for keeping a strictly organic, gluten-free, non- GMO, vegan, dairy-free and ketogenic household. Although her children are sometimes allowed to eat 'normal' food during different occasions, Kourtney keeps the food in the household relatively clean. 'I feel like once I had Mason, I just became more aware,' she previously told Refinery29 in 2016 about the food choices. 'And then once you learn information, you can't really make it go away.' Always busy: The momager receives calls from her six children, including Kourtney (pictured in October) during any drama or crisis But her children aren't always happy with having to eat dairy and gluten-free at home. 'They, like, hate me,' Kourtney admitted to E! News in 2018. Another recent phone call Kris received about her grandchildren came while the family was in Palm Springs, California. 'The most recent one that comes to mind is a week ago or so when we went to Palm Springs and Saint, my little grandson, we discovered he might be allergic to grass,' she told the online site. 'We ended up in the E.R., but all is well we figured it out.' This interview comes as Kris launches her Momager collection with Kylie Cosmetics ahead of Mother's Day. The collection first launched last year online but will now be available to fans in stores at Ulta. As for celebrating Mother's Day, Kris said the family would probably gather at Kourtney's house for a fun brunch. 'For Mother's Day, we usually gather at Kourtneys house and we make this thing called Beeshee, which is an Armenian breakfast treat,' Kris said. 'We look forward to it all year long, its so much fun.' A woman who says she's been self-conscious about her body since she was a child and never goes out without make-up after being called a man is set to face her ultimate fear - going nude on a beach. Helen, a 35-year-old public sector worker from Manchester, is travelling to a Greek island to stay with eight 'naked hosts' for the Channel 4 reality show Naked Beach. She will be joined by Steven, 28, a hairdresser from Liverpool, and Mike, 27, a project manager from Hampshire, who also struggle with critically low body confidence. The trio will jet off to a sunny Mediterranean retreat to spend four days with a group of unclothed people who have nothing other than elaborate body paint to cover their modesty. At the end of their stay, the guests are asked to strip naked on a beach. Helen, Mike and Steven will jet off to a sunny Mediterranean retreat to spend four days with a group of unclothed people who have nothing other than elaborate body paint to cover their modesty Helen, 35, (pictured) from Manchester, has been struggling with her body image all her life. She was once mistaken for a man, which pushed her to use make-up and hair extensions in order to appear more feminine HELEN, 35, is a public sector worker from Manchester She admits she hides from mirrors and relies on make-up and hair extensions to feel feminine. Helen desperately craves more self-confidence when it comes to her body, but struggles to feel happy about the way she looks. 'I look in the mirror and I just don't like what I see,' she admits during the show, adding that she wants to feel able to say 'thank you' when someone tells her 'you look pretty'. Helen (pictured walking her dog) hides her body under baggy clothes and can't stand looking at herself in the mirror. She hopes to gain more self-confidence after her time on the island After arriving at the resort, she says it's amazing to see 'all the different body shapes' of her fellow guests. But when it comes to stripping off, she has serious reservations. 'I just don't look nice, so I just don't know if I can do that,' she says. 'I've been feeling self-conscious and body conscious practically all my life.' Her self doubt peaked after an embarrassing moment while ordering a drink in a restaurant a few years back, where the waiter called her 'sir' instead of 'madam'. 'I remember it absolutely breaking my heart,' says Helen, who admits she hates waking up make-up free in the mornings. Helen and her fellow Naked Beach guests Steven and Mike (pictured) are asked to play rounders during their stay Since the unfortunate incident, the social care worker has been piling on make-up and wearing hair extensions in order to look more feminine. On the show, Helen is faced with the challenge of spending 20 minutes looking at herself naked in front of a mirror. But her self-consciousness gets the better of her, and she cannot make it to the end of the prescribed time. 'I can't spend any longer looking at this, so I'm going to get dressed,' she concedes. 'Never ever will I ever wear a bikini. I just feel really chunky and all I see is hips and fat arms and I don't like how I look.' In a bid to improve her self-confidence, Helen agrees to put on a bright pink bikini for a relaxing dip in the villa's pool. Felicity (above) challenges Helen to wear a pink bikini on a public beach in order to improve her body image Her biggest challenge comes when host Felicity asks Helen to wear the bikini - and nothing else - on a public beach nearby. 'The thing I worry about the most is the way that other people look at me, and I'm worried about what they think; "Look at her, she's too fat to wear that!" "Who do she think she is?",' Helen explains. After taking a deep breath, Helen peels off and stands on the beach in the bikini. Will she be able to go from bikini to birthday suit by the end of her time with the hosts? STEVEN, 28, is a hairdresser from Liverpool Steven, 28, (pictured) is a hairdresser from Liverpool. He feels very self-conscious about his belly, which he calls a 'spare tyre', and his bum, which he says makes him look like an ice-cream cone 'I constantly think about how I look,' he admits on the show, adding that seeing himself in a mirror is 'soul-destroying'. 'I don't think it's gonna happen,' Steven says. 'I have the weirdest body shape ever.' The embarrassed hairdresser, who compares his backside to something that's been 'smashed up by a car', is particularly paranoid about his bottom. 'It kills me inside because nothing's gonna change it,' he says, describing it as 'flat'. Steven only feels good about himself when he's dressed up as his drag alter ego Tania, whom he takes comfort in when he wants to 'escape' being himself. Steven finds his confidence in his drag alter ego Tiana, who is confident enough to do and get what she wants. He hopes to be as confident as Steven than he is as Tiana (pictured) 'Tania doesn't have any issues and is uber confident,' he explains. 'She does what she wants, when she wants, because she has the confidence to do it - but Steven hasn't. '(He's) a fat lad with a spare tyre on his belly and absolutely no bum.' Steven's goal is to feel as good about himself as he does being Tania. The naked hosts are there to encourage the guests to bare all by the end of their stay in Greece During his challenge to spend 20 minutes looking at himself naked in a mirror, he does not feel confident, and admits: 'I see somebody very unhappy. I feel like I want to put my clothes back on.' He makes it to 17 minutes before he cracks. With the help of hosts Lala and Jsky - real name Jason Warner - Steven learns to be as fierce out of drag as he is when impersonating Tania; but will he pass the final test? MIKE, 27, is a project manager from Hampshire MIKE, 27 (pictured), is a project manager from Hampshire. He says he hates everything about his body and hides from mirrors 'I've always been one of these people who've always been insecure about themselves,' he says. 'To cover up my insecurities and what I don't like, I cover all my body with clothes.' Mike keeps the one mirror in his room hidden from sight so as not to catch a glimpse of his reflection, and refuses to take selfies. He says he 'nearly had a heart attack' when he met the naked hosts in Greece. Mike hides his body under baggy clothes and covers his hair with hats any chance he gets. For him, looking at himself naked is a challenge When they explain to him he'll have to strip off by the end of the experience, he replies: 'I love it! I'm not doing it though.' He adds: 'The prospect of getting naked is making me physically sick. 'My stomach is not a pretty sight; it's got stretch marks everywhere, the hair is just awkward around it, it's just horrible. My hair is grey and stringy - it's just not nice.' The trio make their way to a Greek island where they'll be staying with hosts wearing nothing but body paint in order to gain self-esteem Explaining why he's chosen to take part in the experiment, Mike admits: 'I don't think I can keep on having the same thoughts every morning.' When Mike is challenged to spend 20 minutes looking at his naked reflection, he says he is 'too scared' and bottles it. However, thanks to the encouragement of the hosts, who take him to the gym and show him he's got nothing to fear, Mike begins to feel better about himself during the stay. Will he muster enough self-confidence to bare all - and take off his hat - at the end of the trip? Naked Beach airs on Channel 4 on Thursdays at 8pm. Blake Lively has revealed that she used to wear clothing from Forever 21 to red carpet events and pass it off as vintage. The 31-year-old actor, told InStyle that she wore clothing from the high street retailer on more than one occasion, but refrained from telling people where she got them as she felt 'shamed'. The mother-of-two, best known for her role as stylish Upper East Side native Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, added that she wore the clothing for longer than she admitted to anyone. Hilarious: Blake Lively, as seen in a dress that cost $13 in 2005, has revealed that she used to wear clothing from Forever 21 to big red carpet events and pass it off as 'vintage' Ashamed: The 31-year-old actor, as seen in 2007, said she would say she was wearing vintage clothes, as she was 'so shamed' for wearing cheap clothes from the high street fashion label Although she came across as the most fashionable, up-to-date character in the show, it turns out Blake wasn't quite as glamorous of screen when she began her acting career. And speaking to The Handmaid's Tale star Sydney Sweeney for InStyle, Blake reflected back on what it was like to not be one the most glamorous A-list celebrities when she was younger. Reflecting: Blake, pictured wearing a Christian Dior gown, said she wore clothes from the fast-fashion brand for 'longer than I admitted' 'I wore Forever 21 much longer than I admitted,' she told the publication. 'I just started saying it was vintage because I was so shamed for it,' she added. 'For me, fashion is a form of self-expression. It also really takes me out of my comfort zone. 'One of the reasons I'm an actor is that Im naturally very shy, so it's liberating to dress up and pretend to be someone else,' she added. And it isn't the first time Blake has been open about her decision to wear cheaper clothes to major events when she was younger. She told Glamour UK that she wore a dress that cost $13 to the Teen Choice Awards in 2005, at which time she would have been around 17 years of age. 'This was my second ever premiere. Im wearing a $13 dress from Forever 21,' she said. 'On the red carpet people were like "who are you wearing?" 'But when I told them, they said I shouldnt admit to it, like it was more impressive to have a designer gown thats thousands of dollars. After that I just told people it was vintage,' she added. Fame: As seen on Gossip Girl, Blake rose to fame when she played the role of glamorous and fashion-forward Upper East Sider Serena van der Woodsen on The CW hit series Glam! Pictured on the show, Blake said she got fashion tips from the show's costume designer Eric Daman, and added that she learned what clothes she felt comfortable wearing Despite the fact that Blake wasn't always the most well-dressed on the red carpet, she has since transformed into one of the most glamorous A-list celebrities. The star has featured in a number of fashion campaigns with designers including Gucci and Chanel. Changes: The mother-of-two, as seen wearing a chic black and white Monse dress with husband Ryan Reynolds, 42, said her style has evolved as she has grown older Blake has also gone on to conquer dozens of different styles as she regularly appears at countless award ceremonies and events. In perhaps her most extravagant look to date, Blake stepped out at the 2018 Met Gala wearing a Versace gown that is said to have taken more than 600 hours to make. She accompanied the dress with $2 million worth of jewelry, according to Money. While promoting A Simple Favour, which starred herself and Anna Kendrick, last year, Blake embraced her character's signature style as she donned countless suits, including pieces from Sonia Rykiel, Ralph Lauren and Vivienne Westwood. The mother-of-two told InStyle she picked up a few fashion tips while filming the popular series, as she had the opportunity to network with different designers. 'I started developing relationship with designers, and then Id get their email addresses. It all happened organically,' she said. Blake added that the show's costume designer, Eric Daman, 48, helped her develop her keen interest in fashion, as she said he taught her a lot. She said: 'I learned so much from the incredible costume designer Eric Daman. I also figured out what I was comfortable with. 'For one of my first events, I wore a dress that I was so insecure in, but I was told that I couldnt back out because it was made custom and it would hurt my relationship with the designer. Transformation: Pictured at the 2018 Met Gala wearing a Versace gown that took 600 hours to make, Blake has since gone on to sport countless glamorous looks at events over the years Stylish: As seen last year in a dusty pink Ralph Lauren suit, during the promotional tour for A Simple Favor, Blake donned numerous designer suits as she embraced her character, Emily Chic! 'My style is, hopefully, becoming more elegant over time, but I still like pink and some frills,' Blake, as seen wearing Brunello Cucinelli (L) and Sonia Rykiel (R), said 'It didn't fit right though, and everybody knew it was a mess. 'Whenever I look at a photo from that red carpet, I can see how uncomfortable I was in my own skin. Id never do that again,' she said. And it seems like, since her Gossip Girl days, Blake has really found what suits her and what she is comfortable wearing. However, the actor 'honestly' can't pin down one look that sticks out for her, as she said she has loved so many. 'I used to say my gowns from Cannes and Met Ball because thats when you get to be the most bold and expressive. Its Hollywood glamour in its most grand form,' she said. The actor, who is now married to actor Ryan Reynolds, 42, credits her growing older with a change in her fashion sense. Blake, who has two children with Ryan - Inez , two, and James, four, said her style has evolved over the years, however, she still has some dresses she wore in her twenties in her closet. 'My style is, hopefully, becoming more elegant over time, but I still like pink and some frills,' she said. Blake added that her years of attending major events and donning gorgeous gowns has seen her pick up a few tips for posing on the red carpet. She explained: 'With some outfits you need to do a smolder because if you're wearing a slit up to your hip bone and you're smiling like you're on Space Mountain, it just doesn't go together. 'It took me a few years to learn it too. If you pretend that you're J.Lo, that helps,' she added. More than 1,000 people on Twitter have revealed their most bizarre eating habits in a viral thread. The thread was kicked off by New York-based user Simone de Rochefort on Tuesday, April 23, when she asked her followers what their weirdest eating habits were. The New York based video producer then revealed her own habits, saying she has to have her hair tied up to eat, and that she hates eating in the dark. Since the tweet was posted, it has received over 2,000 likes and more than 1,000 comments as fellow users have revealed their own bizarre habits with food. Yikes! Over 1,000 people on Twitter have revealed their most strange habits when it comes to eating food in a viral thread (stock image) Viral: New York-based Twitter user and video producer Simone de Rochefort asked her followers what their weirdest eating habits are on Tuesday, April 23 Her series of tweets read: 'What are your weird eating habits? I like to have my hair up, clean my fingers after every bite if Im eating Cheetos or w/e, and DISLIKE EATING IN THE DARK. That last one is probably for Survival. 'Wait now Im remembering all the times Ive let Cheeto dust cake my fingers like armor, Cheetos are the exception that proves the rule. 'I just remembered my most controversial vice, Room Temperature Sushi,' she added. And since the tweet was shared on Tuesday, it has become inundated with responses as people share their most bizarre habits with food. One user said she and her sister have to eat 'all' of their fries before eating any other part of their meal. She said: 'I have to eat ALL of my fries before i move on to the rest of my meal.. my sister is exactly the same and we dont know why.' Another french-fries related habit sees one user arranging her fries into a certain order before eating them, as they said: 'French fries must be reorganized to lie parallel to each other.' Woah: Many people responded to the tweet, including one woman who 'mushes' up cheese in her hands, and another who arranges french fries into a line before eating them A different user revealed their own secret, saying they have to eat skittles and M&Ms in a particular pattern. 'If im eating skittles or m&ms, i need to have the same number of all colors at all times. so if i have like 5 red and 3 yellow towards the end, i have to eat 2 red,' they said. Meanwhile, another said: 'I like to put mustard on pizza and uhhh I don't like coffee unless it's 50/50 mixed with OJ,' to which other users were appalled. 'I mush up small pieces of cheese between my fingers, cheese just tastes better when it's warm and smushed up,' another revealed. Others revealed their strange eating habits, which have more to do with how they eat food rather than what they eat. One user said: 'Sadly I cant eat and watch things at the same time, I have to pause whatever it is while I eat.' Another said: 'I have to make sure the last bite is a Perfect Bite, like all the elements together for the ideal note to end the meal on.' Odd: Others revealed the methods they use to eat food, including one user who always uses the smallest spoon they can find to eat food A different user said they 'simply cannot' eat with their hair down, and they hate eating on front of someone who is not eating at the same time. One said they need to leave the best part of their meal until last, as they ensure they have the 'perfect bite' at the end of their meal. They explained: 'I have to make sure the last bite is a perfect bite, like all the elements together for the ideal note to end the meal on??' Meanwhile, another said they bizarrely need to eat food with the smallest spoon they have. They said: 'Anything eaten with a spoon must be eaten with the SMALLEST spoon I can find.' Similarly, another said: 'Desserts and puddings are to be eaten with a small spoon, non of this massive dessert spoon malarkey.' 'These maybe aren't weird but they're weird compared to friends,' another said, 'I have to be fully clothed to eat, I need to sit down, stable, and there can't be a breeze. 'I'm a fancy princess about food. My partner eats salad with his hands, no dressing,' they added. Jenna Bush Hager joked her father, former President George W. Bush, 'can't speak English' when hosting the fourth hour of the Today show this week. The 37-year-old was speaking to co-host Meredith Vieira, who is stepping in for Hoda Kotb while on maternity leave, on Wednesday about how the latest Merriam-Webster dictionary added 640 new words. 'I do like words,' Meredith said at the beginning of the segment. 'I'm one of those kids did your dad, like every night, you learned a new word in the dictionary?' Amazing: Jenna Bush Hager, 37, made a joke about her father's notable gaffes during the fourth hour of the Today show on Wednesday morning. She hosted with Meredith Vieira (pictured) Fair point: Meredith asked if Jenna was taught vocab words by her father, To which, she responded saying, 'My dad can't speak English that well' Never forget: President George W. Bush (pictured in 2008) notably made up words and phrases during his presidency. One prominent one was when he said 'misunderestimate' Jenna jokingly scoffed at the idea of her father teaching her vocabulary words based on his word flubs while president. 'My dad can't speak English that well,' she said. 'Remember him? I'm kidding. He can. He's hilarious.' For those familiar with her father's unique speeches, Jenna's joke will no doubt make perfect sense; the former president was known for making up a number of his own words and phrases when speaking to large crowds. During a campaign speech in South Carolina in 2000, Bush notably said: 'Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?' Another notable 'Bushism', which is what flubs were nicknamed by the public, was when the president told a crowd in Arkansas that his rivals 'misunderestimate me'. These gaffes appeared often during the earlier stages of Bush running for office and being president. In 2002, he also mixed up the famous phrase that says, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.' Instead he said: 'Theres an old saying in TennesseeI know its in Texas, probably in Tennesseethat says, fool me once, shame onshame on you. Fool meyou cant get fooled again.' Master of vocabulary: Bush's flubs in speeches and campaign events became known as 'Bushisms' by the public. Saturday Night Live even created a bit around them All in good fun: Jenna was unafraid to poke some fun at her father during her first month hosting the fourth hour of the Today show Jenna's father probably appreciated the gentle jab from his daughter about his vocabulary, as he has previously spoken about the mistaken phrases and words in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel in 2017. During the interview, Bush brought up how he met with Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels where they discussed how the comedy show portrayed him throughout his presidency. 'I had dinner with Lorne Michaels and he said "I put a good speechwriter on you and he came up with strategerie,"' Bush explained. 'And I said, "Wait a minute, I said strategerie."' This started an argument between the writer and Bush until the president realized, in fact, that strategerie was one made-up word he did not come up with during his time in office. 'I said, "Well let me ask you this, did you come up with misunderestimate?"' Bush said when detailing the last moments of his conversation with Lorne. He also told Jimmy at the time, 'The best humors when you make fun of yourself.' Carl's Jr. will make history by becoming the first major fast-food chain to launch a menu item containing cannabis, in the form of its new CBD-infused burger. On Saturday, the restaurant will debut the Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight at one location in Denver, Colorado, in honor of 4/20 an annual, but unofficial, holiday that celebrates marijuana culture and its devotees. The new CBD-infused burger, which uses a hemp-based version of the oil, will be available for $4.20 at that single location for the day as Carl's Jr. tests interest of the product from its consumers. Fresh off the grill: Carl's Jr. will launch it's CBD-infused burger on 4/20 in Denver, Colorado, as the first major fast-food chain to create a menu item with cannabidiol Gone in a flash: The burger will only be on sale at the one Denver location for the day as the company tests consumer interest in CBD-infused menu items The CheeseBurger Delight features two burger patties placed on top of a pile of fries. They are then covered with pepper jack cheese, pickled jalapenos and the special CBD-infused Santa Fe Sauce, a special version of the mayonnaise and paprika mixture usually used on the Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich. Unfortunately for many CBD and fast food fans however, the launch of the burger will only take place in one city - at least at first. Carl's Jr. made the decision to launch the CheeseBurger Delight in Denver to celebrate the the fact that Colorado was notably one of the first states alongside Washington to legalize weed in 2014. Discussion about creating the 4/20 burger first started in January after the company launched the vegan Beyond Burger for customers, Business Insider reports. Patty Trevino, Carl's Jr.'s senior vice president of brand marketing, explained to the publication how the burger is more of a stunt for the company however, she did note that the team is adopting a 'never say never' attitude with regard to making it more of a permanent addition to the menu. If there is great success from the single-day launch, he said, the company will look into rolling out the dish at other locations across the United States Delicious: Carl's Jr., which is famous for its salcious ads (pictured) started working on the item in January; the burger will not give consumers a marijuana high Interesting: CBD is a different part of the marijuana plant than THC and instead promotes anti-inflammatory and calming effects on the body 'If anyone is going to do it, I would want Carl's Jr. to do it,' Patty said about the idea of launching a CBD-infused burger nationally. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THC AND CBD Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are both derived from the cannabis plant. Together, they are part of the cannabinoid group of compounds found in hashish, hash oil, and most strains of marijuana. THC is the psychoactive compound responsible for the euphoric, 'high' feeling often associated with marijuana. THC interacts with CB1 receptors in the central nervous system and brain and creates the sensations of euphoria and anxiety. CBD does not fit these receptors well, and actually decreases the effects of THC, and is not psychoactive. CBD is thought to help reduce anxiety and inflammation. Advertisement One major challenge the brand will have to face when considering a nation-wide launch of the CBD-infused menu item is following the state-by-state regulations when it comes to the marijuana ingredient. Carl's Jr., which is a predominantly West Coast chain, has options in a number of states where weed is already legal. Using CBD oils in beauty products and other everyday items, as well as ingesting the product, has become popular in recent years as more research about the potential benefits is revealed. CBD, or cannabidiol, is the part of the marijuana plant that is not used in the weed people smoke that's THC. The CBD-infused burger will not give people a high, and neither will any other CBD products. Instead, the product produces as anti-inflammatory, pain-reducing and calming effects for the user. Carl's Jr. is not the first food company to launch CBD-infused menu items as of late. In March, it was announced that Jelly Belly jelly beans inventor David Klein was now infusing the candy with CBD under a different brand. David is selling his new jellies through his company, Spectrum Confections. They are not Jelly Belly brand. Take a chill pill! David Klein, the inventor of Jelly Belly jelly beans recently announced he created a CBD-infused jelly bean with a different company It's everywhere! In September, New York-based vegan bakery By Chloe launched a two-week pop-up cafe called Feelz by Chloe that included CBD-infused snacks and baked goods People can purchase bags of 800 beans on the website, which feature 38 flavors including toasted marshmallow, pina colada, strawberry cheesecake, cinnamon, spicy licorice, and mango. In September, New York-based vegan restaurant By Chloe launched a two-week pop-up cafe called Feelz by Chloe that included CBD-infused snacks. In collaboration with Toast, a CBD brand, and the weed-focused start-up Nice Paper, By Chloe created plant-based treats all infused with varying levels of CBD oil. These included granola, mini pies, push pops, beverages, rice krispies treats, popcorn, and dog treats, all of which followed on from the eatery's popular CBD-infused Daily Hit Brownie, which had been released as a limited edition special months earlier. There are also an endless number of brands selling CBD-infused gummies, such as Green Roads, PureKana, and Premium Jane. CBD-infused food items only continue to gain momentum with companies as more and more consumers express interest for the menu items. Coca-Cola has announced that it is launching its own coffee drink this year but we're not talking a regular cup 'o joe with the Coke label. The company is set to debut a Coke-coffee hybrid, called Coke Coffee, which mixes the cola soft drink with cold brewed coffee. The new drink will be released in 25 markets by the end of the year. Mash-up: Coca-Cola has announced that it is launching its own coffee drink called Coke Coffee, which will be a mix of coffee and soda 'Coke Coffee was designed to reach consumers during specific occasions and channels like the mid-afternoon energy slump at work,' CEO James Quincey said on Tuesday. Coke has actually tried a version of the drink before: The company debuted Coca-Cola BlaK in 2006 but discontinued it in 2008 The drink is a mix of both coffee and Coca-Cola and as such, as less caffeine than the former and more than the latter. It also has less sugar than pure Coke. Since the announcement was made yesterday, fans have had mixed reactions to the idea of the new drink online. 'It better be good, because I'm curious,' wrote one. Another chimed in: 'I have already tried a mix of coffee and coke, it's a good taste and sure wakes one up.' Others were less excited, with one writing: 'I came up with this idea when I was like 8yo. Hint--it doesn't taste good.' 'That's the third most disgusting thing I've heard today,' wrote another. Coke has actually tried a version of the drink before, but it wasn't a success. The company debuted Coca-Cola BlaK in 2006 but discontinued it in 2008. Another one: They company will also launch an energy drink this month in Spain and Hungary A boost: This drink will taste just like coke but have 80 mg of natural caffeine, guarana extracts, and B vitamins But they have been testing this new formula under the name Coca-Cola Plus Coffee in Australia since 2017, and have since expanded to Asian markets, where it seems to be performing better. The company also announced that it will launched a Coca-Cola energy drink this month in Spain and Hungary. This drink will taste just like coke but have 80 mg of natural caffeine, guarana extracts, and B vitamins. 'Coca-Cola Energy includes ingredients from naturally derived sources and a delicious and refreshing taste of Coca-Cola,' Javier Meza, Coke's global chief marketing officer, sparkling business, said. 'We kept these two qualities at the heart of how we developed the recipe and are proud to offer it under the Coca-Cola brand, inviting people to try a new and different energy drink that is designed to complement upbeat and busy lives.' Cancer drugs are not reaching the patients who need them, experts have warned. One in six people diagnosed with cancer have faced problems getting the drugs recommended by their doctors, according to a report by the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London. NHS rationing, red tape and hold-ups mean 16 per cent of patients have either faced delays getting cancer treatments or been denied them altogether, polling by the organisation has found. Cancer specialists - who will today publish a 10-point manifesto calling for action to improve drugs access - say the sky-high price of modern treatments and inflexibility of NHS watchdog NICE are at the heart of the problem. One in six people diagnosed with cancer have faced problems getting the drugs recommended by their doctors, according to a report by the Institute of Cancer Research Professor Paul Workman, chief executive of the ICR, said: 'We will only make step-change advances against cancer by giving patients access to genuinely innovative new drugs, which can attack cancer in brand new ways or as part of innovative combinations to overcome the challenge of drug resistance. 'We need drug regulators and NICE to be faster and more flexible in their assessment of evidence, especially for the most innovative treatments. 'And it's crucial to address the extremely high prices of cancer drugs, which researchers and patients agree are the biggest barrier to getting them to patients.' Scientists are coming up with increasingly advanced ways of tackling cancer - but delays in the drug development and regulatory systems mean it can be years before NHS patients get them. This means people with cancer pay the price - because patients do better when they are given access to the best treatments as early as possible. In many cases the NHS only makes treatments available months or even years after they have been approved in the US and other countries. And even when they are approved, the most innovative drugs are often reserved for patients who have already tried and failed cheaper treatments such as chemotherapy. WHAT IS IN THE NEW MANIFESTO TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO DRUGS? The Institute of Cancer Research's new manifesto said NICE should instead prioritise genuinely innovative cancer treatments that attack cancer in brand new ways. It said drug regulators need to be more flexible in assessing evidence, so that new treatments can reach patients as quickly as possible. And it called for radical action to bring down the high prices of modern cancer drugs - such as tying prices to the benefits that treatments deliver, so that as many patients as possible can benefit from research advances. The manifesto also warned there is very little drug discovery research for children's cancer and that there are far too few clinical trials limiting access to the latest life-saving or life-extending treatments. There needs to be more flexibility on the age limits for clinical trials to avoid denying older children and young adults access to new treatments simply because they are judged too young or old. Advertisement The ICR polled 1,000 cancer patients about their treatment. Some 16 per cent said they had either experienced a delay in receiving the cancer treatment recommended by their doctor or been denied a drug entirely. A fifth of cancer patients had tried to enroll in clinical trials of new treatments but only just over half of these people had been successful in doing so. Patients said they had major concerns about the role of pharmaceutical companies, with only 12 per cent believing they are doing well at delivering new medicines. They said they overwhelmingly believed that the high prices charged by pharmaceutical companies were the biggest barrier to gaining access to new cancer drugs with 70 per cent saying they thought the prices charged by companies were 'much too high'. Professor Raj Chopra, head of cancer therapeutics at the ICR, said: 'We need to see all cancer patients reap the benefits of research through access to innovative treatments, irrespective of what cancer they have, how old they are or where they live in the country. 'It's only by encouraging innovation that we can make big leaps forward in treating those forms of cancer that have so far missed out on major progress.'0 The organisation called for a shake-up in the rigid 'cost-effectiveness' model used by NICE to assess new drugs. That system calculates the cost of giving a patient an extra 'quality' year of life - and if the cost is deemed to be above 30,000, or 50,000 for seriously ill patients, it is not funded. The ICR's new manifesto said NICE should instead prioritise genuinely innovative cancer treatments that attack cancer in brand new ways. It said drug regulators need to be more flexible in assessing evidence, so that new treatments can reach patients as quickly as possible. And it called for radical action to bring down the high prices of modern cancer drugs - such as tying prices to the benefits that treatments deliver, so that as many patients as possible can benefit from research advances. The manifesto also warned there is very little drug discovery research for children's cancer and that there are far too few clinical trials limiting access to the latest life-saving or life-extending treatments. There needs to be more flexibility on the age limits for clinical trials to avoid denying older children and young adults access to new treatments simply because they are judged too young or old. Dr Richard Torbett of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: 'Its not acceptable that cancer patients are facing delays to treatment. 'The pharmaceutical industry has just agreed a scheme with the UK Government to cap the amount the NHS spends on new medicines - including for cancers with any overspend immediately paid back by companies. 'This should mean that more patients can get access to new medicines based on need rather than cost. 'With a new wave of advanced, personalised treatments for cancers in development, its important that companies work closely with the NHS to make sure patients can benefit from them. Meindert Boysen of NICE, said: 'Providing patients with access to innovative cancer treatments that are clinically and cost-effective is NICEs highest priority. 'Since July 2016, we said yes for cancer drugs in 80 per cent of the cases we have looked at compared with 47 per cent in 2012/13. 'There is of course more work to do and we urge pharmaceutical companies to provide up to date regulatory information to allow us to meet our time scales. 'With our processes becoming even more efficient in the last few years, this has resulted in getting cancer drugs which are clinically and cost-effective to those who need them faster than ever before.' Millions of children around the world have not been vaccinated against measles amid a rise in online 'antivaxx' scare stories. A surge in measles outbreaks around the world is being fuelled by plummeting vaccination rates, the charity Unicef has warned. Around 527,000 children in the UK did not receive the potentially life-saving jab between 2010 and 2017, with 'fake news' spread on social media partly to blame. The UK comes third in a global ranking showing the number of unvaccinated children in high-income countries. The US topped the charts, with 2,593,000 youngsters not receiving their first measles dose over the eight-year-period. Around 527,000 children in the UK did not receive the potentially life-saving jab between 2010 and 2017, with 'fake news' spread on social media partly to blame. The UK comes third in a global ranking showing the number of unvaccinated children in high-income countries Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS in England, said: 'With measles cases almost quadrupling in England in just one year, it is grossly irresponsible for anybody to spread scare stories about vaccines. 'And social media firms should have a zero tolerance approach towards this dangerous content.' Mr Stevens described vaccine rejection as a 'growing public health timebomb', warning parents it is essential their children are vaccinated against measles. An estimated 169million children around the world missed out on the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 - an average of 21.1million a year. The antivaxx movement has seen the US hit with more measles cases in the first three months of this year than in the whole of 2018. Some 626 cases have been recorded in the US in the last four months alone - nearly eclipsing the 667 recorded in all of 2014. France came second in the Unicef rankings, with 608,000 unvaccinated children, followed by the UK. Experts believe 95 per cent of children need to be vaccinated to protect the wider population through 'herd immunity'. A surge in measles outbreaks around the world is being fuelled by plummeting vaccination rates, the charity Unicef has warned WHAT IS MEASLES? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing. Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash. The rash appears as red and blotchy marks on the hairline that travel down over several days, turning brown and eventually fading. Some children complain of disliking bright lights or develop white spots with red backgrounds on their tongue. In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis. Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society told MailOnline: 'Measles can be very serious. '[It] can cause encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain. 'Encephalitis can result in death or disability.' Treatment focuses on staying hydrated, resting and taking painkillers, if necessary. Measles can be prevented by receiving two vaccinations, the first at 13 months old and the second at three years and four months to five years old. Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital Advertisement But in the UK uptake dropped to 87 per cent last year. The number of measles cases in England more than trebled from 259 in 2017 to 966 last year. Globally, more than 110,000 measles cases were reported in the first three months of 2019 - up almost 300 per cent on the same period the year before. And an estimated 110,000 people, mostly children, died from measles in 2017, a 22 per cent rise on the previous year. Unicef said the rates reflected 'lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or scepticism about vaccines'. The charity's executive director Henrietta Fore said: 'The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children. 'If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike.' Two doses of MMR vaccine are required to ensure full protection. Figures from October to December 2018 show nine out of 10 children received their first dose by age two, rising to 95 per cent at age five. By age five, 87 per cent had had their second dose, the quarterly figures showed. Mary Ramsay, Public Health England's head of immunisations, said: 'The UK achieved WHO measles elimination status in 2017, so the overall risk of measles to the UK population is low. 'However due to ongoing measles outbreaks in Europe, we will continue to see cases, particularly in unimmunised individuals.' Scepticism over the MMR jab originated in 1998 when London doctor Andrew Wakefield published a paper linked MMR to autism. Dr Wakefield, now dating model Elle McPherson, was later discredited and struck off as a doctor, but the damage was done. Uptake of the MMR vaccine dropped from more than 90 per cent to less than 80 within a few years - and in some areas as few as 65 per cent of children had the jab. Measles cases rose sharply as a result. A father with inoperable lung cancer may sue his former company for giving him thousands of free cigarettes, which he blames for the disease. Simon Neale, 57, said he was given 1,200 cigarettes for free every month while he worked for a company which later merged with British American Tobacco. Mr Neale chose to smoke the freebies and said he became a heavy smoker as a result of his job perk. But last year Mr Neale was diagnosed with lung cancer, which he said 'knocked him for six'. He quit smoking after finding out about the illness. Simon Neale (pictured in the 1980s), 57, said he was given 1,200 cigarettes for free every month while he worked for a company which later merged with British American Tobacco An anti-smoking charity said Mr Neale is not alone in his suffering and called for other potential victims to come forward and 'call Big Tobacco to account'. Mr Neale spent four years working as a salesman for Rothmans, a British cigarette manufacturer, from 1982 to 1986. While he worked there, he said, he was given so many free cigarettes he often had 30,000 of them kept in a safe in his car boot. 'It's staggering looking back on it,' he said. 'But I was told when I joined the company that I'd be getting 1,200 free cigarettes a month. 'Working at Rothmans, I went from being an occasional smoker, a social smoker, to being a heavy smoker because I had so many cigarettes given to me. 'Last autumn, I was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and it knocked me for six. The worst thing was telling the children. 'The lung cancer has all come about from me working for Rothmans.' Law firm Leigh Day is now considering suing British American Tobacco, which absorbed Rothmans in 1999. Lung cancer was once a rare disease and considered peculiar by doctors but a surge in the popularity of cigarettes triggered an 'epidemic' of it BAT is a multinational firm worth almost 70billion and the biggest publicly traded tobacco company in the world. WHEN DID PEOPLE REALISE SMOKING CAUSES LUNG CANCER? Lung cancer was once a rare disease and considered peculiar by doctors but a surge in the popularity of cigarettes triggered an 'epidemic' of it. Cigarettes started to become mass produced and popular towards the end of the 1800s, with lung cancer cases appearing increasingly often years later. One scientist in 1898 suggested tobacco dust, rather than smoke, could be triggering tumours but his theory was corrected in 1912 when another said the smoke was to blame. But this wasn't proven or widely believed. By the 1920s lung cancers were starting to become common and doctors tended to blame smoking, dust from tarred roads, industrial air pollution, and exposure to poisonous gas during World War I. But by the 1940s and 50s experts were beginning to understand it was smoking cigarettes which was driving up cancer rates. A poll in the US in 1954 found about 41 per cent of the public believed in the link. By the mid-50s tobacco companies knew their cigarettes were making people terminally ill but are believed to have tried to quash evidence in a bid to keep sales high. Scientific studies proving the strong link began to surface in that decade and the evidence soon became irrefutable. Cigarette consumption reached its peak in the US in 1982, when 630billion were smoked in a year, before it began to fall. There are now 1.1billion smokers around the world around one in seven people and more than seven million people die every year as a result of the habit. Tobacco companies are believed to make $10,000 profit for every smoker who dies. Source: Tobacco Control and World Health Organization Advertisement Mr Neale's experience could set a precedent for other people who worked for the company and developed cancer after being given free cigarettes. The chief executive of the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Deborah Arnott, said tobacco executives knew at the time that smoking was deadly. ASH will today call on BAT to reveal the full details of its free cigarette policies at an annual general meeting. The firm also gave away cigarettes to members of the public, according to ASH. Ms Arnott said: 'Simon Neale is not the only one. Many thousands of employees were given free cigarettes and free cigarettes were also doled out to the public. 'Big Tobacco promoted its products while hiding from the public and its own employees its own evidence that smoking was heavily addictive. 'We'd encourage anyone now suffering serious smoking-related disease who took up smoking before the 1990s to come forward and tell us their story. 'Big Tobacco must be called to account.' A chief at BAT said the cigarettes were given as an option, suggesting anyone accepting the freebies had to actively ask for them. Simon Cleverly, group head of corporate affairs at the company, said: 'Historically, BAT employees had the option to receive a monthly allowance of cigarettes. 'At all times, these products complied with all applicable laws and regulations, including the relevant health warnings. 'In a small number of markets six out of approximately 200 this allowance continues as a result of collective bargaining agreements with local trade unions, and the products supplied comply with all applicable local regulations, including health warnings.' The link between cigarettes and lung cancer began to be understood by the public around the 1950s. Some doctors and tobacco insiders are believed to have known for years beforehand, but according to a poll in 1954 in the US, around 41 per cent of people believed smoking cigarettes was a cause of the disease. This connection is now widely known and the delay between smoking and developing cancer means deaths will continue to rise even if smoking rates fall. Research by Stanford University published in 2012 claimed cigarette companies make $10,000 for every death caused by smoking. Leigh Day partner Richard Meeran, acting for Mr Neale, said: 'We believe that giving employees huge quantities of highly addictive, powerfully cancer causing cigarettes, free of charge, and placing them in a work environment in which they are encouraged to smoke, is a flagrant breach of an employer's duty of care.' The UK's Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced plans to close the NHS's gender gap. Mr Hancock will today say he wants to promote more flexible working options for women and promote them into better-paid jobs in the health service. He will call gender equality 'mission critical' for the NHS and say it needs to change to accommodate 'how people expect to work and live now'. And he will praise the courage of female NHS staff who have faced huge personal difficulty because of the way their jobs are organised. Matt Hancock will speak today at the Royal College of Physicians' annual conference and call for action to close the gender pay gap in the NHS and make the health service a more compassionate employer Mr Hancock, MP for West Suffolk, will make the comments in a speech at the Royal College of Physicians' annual conference in Manchester this afternoon. 'We need an NHS working culture that reflects Britain 2019 and accommodates how people expect to work and live now,' he will say. 'So it should be deeply troubling to all of us that the NHS gender pay gap is still 23 per cent, that male GPs are, on average, paid a third more than female GPs and that over half of junior doctors are women, but at consultant level it's only a third. 'The gender gap is a good barometer of the health of the NHS, and it's clear we must do better. 'Gender equality is the only way we can hope to build an NHS workforce fit for the future. 'It's the only way we can address the staff shortages, deliver on the ambitions in our NHS Long Term Plan, and get the workforce we need to create a sustainable NHS that will be there for all of us, for generations to come.' Gender pay gap data revealed in April last year that 92 per cent of NHS trusts pay women less than men, on average. NHS Northern, Eastern and Western Devon, which is responsible for providing health services to 880,000 people, was the worst offender. HANCOCK WILL PRAISE COURAGE OF #NHSMETOO STORIES Matt Hancock will tomorrow praise the courage of women who shared their stories as part of an #NHSMeToo campaign. He will call for a more compassionate health service in response to the stories shared by medical staff. Mr Hancock will say: 'There were stories about doctors who couldnt get time off to attend a wedding or a funeral. 'I have doctors in my own family who have often missed important family events because the rota says no. 'And there were stories about doctors who were told they had to work even when they were sick or had gone through a personal trauma.' And the Health Secretary will recall one story he read of an unidentified doctor who wrote: 'I needed early pregnancy scans every 48 hours because of a threatened miscarriage. 'I would go downstairs for my scans, be told they couldnt see a viable baby and then have to return to the ward distraught and work. 'Everyone knew, but no-one asked me how I was. I eventually had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and ended up in emergency theatre. 'I was back at work within a week as we were short-staffed, having lost my baby, still no-one thought to ask how I was. 'I had to see a lady with a miscarriage when I returned to work. And I cried and cried in the toilets.' Advertisement The body paid women 40.7 per cent less than men on average the equivalent of a woman earning 59p to a man's 1. At the other end of the scale, women working at Liverpool Community Health Trust earned 17.3 per cent more than men, on average. The Health Secretary will call for digital rotas to be the norm across the NHS to give people greater freedom to manage their own time and pick up shifts to suit them. Mr Hancock will emphasise that doctors should expect rotas to be fixed a minimum of six weeks in advance. This is in response to stories of doctors missing important personal events because of last minute shift changes. And he wants the NHS to have a 'more inclusive, compassionate and female-friendly working environment'. THis could include promoting roles which are less than full time, term-time only, job-shares and, where possible, enable more home working to bring the health service in line with other sectors. Mr Hancock will also call out recent reports of sexism and discrimination highlighted by female doctors Dr Zoe Norris and Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer as he welcomes the British Medical Association's pledge to conduct a full investigation. 'The NHS: it's a caring organisation,' he will say. 'That's what it does. And yet, sometimes it doesn't care enough about its own workers. 'So yes, we need more staff, more resources, better technology, and on my watch, we will have all of those. 'But more than anything we need to create a more caring, a more compassionate culture.' Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, chair of The Doctors' Association UK, said: 'We are pleased to see the Secretary of State championing gender equality within the NHS. 'The current gender pay gap, arduous rotas and inflexible working patterns are all barriers for female doctors training to become consultants or GPs, or in taking up leadership roles. 'We were particularly pleased to see the stories of doctors who spoke up during our #NHSMeToo campaign highlighted by the Health Secretary.' Doctors who are fighting to save the lives of Ebola sufferers amid the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have threatened to strike. Medics have warned they will walk out indefinitely as early as next week if health workers continue to be attacked in the African nation. This comes after a resident of Cameroon was killed last week while working as a senior epidemiologist for the World Health Organization in Butembo, in the east of the DRC. Armed militiamen reportedly believe Ebola is a conspiracy against them and have repeatedly attacked health workers who are trying to fight the DRC's second deadliest outbreak of the killer virus ever. Doctors in the midst of the outbreak, which has left 885 feared dead and 1,367 infected since it was declared in August, are calling for authorities to do more to protect them. Health workers are pictured marching in the city of Butembo in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) yesterday after attackers shot dead an epidemiologist last week while the medic was working for the World Health Organization to fight Ebola The ongoing outbreak is the second deadliest in the DRC's history since the virus was discovered in 1976. It has left 885 dead and 1,367 infected since it was declared in August Dr Kalima Nzanzu, a medic on the frontline, said: 'If our security is not guaranteed, we will go on strike from the first week of May.' He was delivering a memo to Sylvain Kanyamanda, who is the major of the city of Butembo, which has been most affected by the ongoing outbreak. Dozens of Congolese doctors and nurses marched in Butembo with a banner reading 'Ebola exists' to put an end to the bizarre conspiracy theory, Reuters reported. Mr Kanyamanda has said he understands why health workers are frustrated and the Government will respond to their demands. No further details have been given. The military prosecutor's office in the DRC province of North Kivu said yesterday authorities have captured who they believe was the ringleader of last week's fatality, which also left two people wounded. And around a dozen other suspects are also being investigated, the office added. Prosecutors believe the assailants belong to the armed group Patriotic Union for the Liberation of Congo. The east of the DRC is a highly volatile region, with dozens of active militia. Many distrust the Government's efforts to contain Ebola and falsely believe foreigners have brought the virus to the area. A policeman is pictured guarding a hospital in Butembo on April 20 after militia members attacked an Ebola treatment centre in the city's Katwa district overnight. Armed militiamen reportedly believe Ebola is a conspiracy against them and have hampered efforts to fight it A policeman is seen hiding behind a hospital sign while guarding a hospital in Butembo on April 20. The east of the DRC is a highly volatile region, with dozens of active militia Many militia members distrust the Government's efforts to contain Ebola and falsely believe foreigners have brought the virus to the area, leading to viscous attacks on treatment centres. Policemen are pictured sheltering behind a hospital sign in Butembo on April 20 This comes after politicians warned last week the world needs to do more to stop the DRC's Ebola outbreak. The African nation's president said he wants the epidemic to end in the next three months, but experts warn it could take twice as long. And the UK's International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt added other countries need to 'step up' to tackle the virus. The latest Ebola outbreak is the tenth the DRC has experienced since the virus was discovered in 1976 and is second only in severity to the devastating epidemic in West Africa in 2014. The UN said last week this outbreak is of 'deep concern' but argued it is not a global emergency. However, a top Red Cross official said he was 'more concerned than I have ever been' about the potential of Ebola spreading to other regions. Emanuele Capobianco, head of health and care at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, cited Congolese health ministry data showing 40 new cases occurred over two days this week. He called that rate unprecedented in this outbreak. An Ebola health worker is seen at a treatment center in Beni, eastern Congo, on April 16 Congo's president Felix Tshisekedi (pictured in the striped shirt) is pictured visiting an Ebola treatment centre in Beni, eastern Congo, on April 16. He said he wants to see the deadly outbreak contained in less than three months, but experts warn it could take twice as long After losing weight he had surgery and was able to walk for the first time in years An obese man who was bed-ridden for more than two years because he tipped the scales at 729lbs (330.6kg) has shed half of his body weight. Cillas Givens, 35, lost a whopping 416lbs (188.7kg) when he realised he was at risk of losing his life and not seeing his step-daughters grow up. He traveled from his home in Fairview, Oklahoma, to Houston, Texas to meet Dr Younan Nowzaradan, a weight loss surgeon. The journey was so difficult for Mr Givens that firemen had to assist with lifting him in and out of a van. But with sheer determination, he managed to beat his food addiction and celebrated by proposing to his girlfriend, Jessica, whose surname is unknown. Mr Givens' story was told on what has been dubbed the 'most dramatic' episode ever of the TLC show My 600lb Life. Cillas Givens, 35, of Fairview, Oklahoma, lost a whopping 416lbs (188.7kg) when he realised he was at risk of losing his life. Pictured before weight loss Mr Givens shed half of his 729lb (330.6kg) body weight. Pictured after Mr Givens had the help of Dr Younan Nowzaradan, a weight loss surgeon, on the TLC show My 600lb Life. Pictured with Dr Now and his girlfriend, Jessica Mr Givens celebrated by proposing to his girlfriend, Jessica, whose surname is unknown Mr Givens, thought to have struggled with his weight since he was a child, said his size was affecting his family life. He was missing out on spending time with Jessica and his three step-daughters Brooklyn, Emily and Nevaeh. In a heartbreaking promotion video, one of Mr Givens' step-daughters said: 'My dad needs to lose a lot of weight so he can play with me.' 'I'm extremely determined to make my family proud,' Mr Givens said. In the clip, he struggled to get out bed and needed a walker. He had been confined to the medical bed for two and a half years, struggling to breathe without an oxygen supply or move normally. But he put his faith in Dr Nowzaradan, also known as Dr Now, who, depending on a patient's progress, offers surgery. This is normally a gastric bypass surgery where staples are used to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach, therefore bypassing the rest of the stomach and making the person feel fuller quicker when they eat. During his journey to Houston, Mr Givens had to stop in Denton, Texas, because his oxygen was running low. Old photos show that Mr Givens had struggled with his weight from a young age Mr Givens had been confined to a medical bed for two and a half years, struggling to breathe or move normally. Pictured in the consultation room The journey to Houston, Texas, to meet Dr Now, was so difficult for Mr Givens that he needed to go to hospital immediately for an infection in his legs WHAT IS BARIATRIC SURGERY? Bariatric surgery is a variety of procedures designed to help a patient lose weight. Surgeries include reducing the size of the stomach with a gastric band, or removing part of the stomach through a gastric sleeve. It also includes gastric bypass surgery, in which surgeons reroute the intestine to a small stomach pouch which shrinks the stomach. Advertisement 'We've made it to Denton, Texas, and I'm at my limit right now,' he said in a voiceover. 'My back is really hurting real bad so I just need to get out but this isn't going to be simple for me.' Mr Givens was worried the hotel wouldn't have a bed that could hold his weight, or how he would get to the hotel room in the first place. On leaving the van, Jessica called the fire department who arrived a short time later in a truck. Mr Givens explained to the firefighters that he weighed over 600lbs and needed an extra hand getting out of the van before the camera cut away. Although nervous and anxious about the journey to come, Mr Givens said it was better than being stuck in a van. He met Dr Nowzaradan at the hospital and was admitted immediately as he had an infection in his legs. Mr Givens was missing out on spending time with Jessica and his three stepdaughters Brooklyn, Emily and Nevaeh. Pictured at what is believed to be his home with family Mr Givens has difficulty moving and so needed the help of firefighters to transport him from a van to a hotel room on his journey to see Mr Now. Pictured being pushed in a wheelchair In the first two months Mr Givens shed a whopping 211lbs under the care of Dr Now (pictured) After undergoing the surgery, Mr Givens continued losing weight, didn't need an oxygen supply anymore and was able to walk for the first time in years. Pictured with Jessica Over the following two months, Mr Givens lost a whopping 211lbs under the care of Dr Now. He was then transferred to a physical therapy centre, although it is not clear for how long, before being released home. But at home Mr Givens struggled without the support of a doctor and lost just 5lbs over the next two months. However, he got back on track and was finally approved for weight loss surgery after shedding a total of 271lbs (123kg). After undergoing the surgery, Mr Givens continued losing weight, didn't need an oxygen supply anymore and was up and walking for the first time in years. He began doing things with his family and at the end of 12 months he was down to 313lbs (142kg) after shedding a total of 416lbs (188.7kg). To celebrate he proposed to girlfriend Jessica - who wiped away tears as she said: 'Yes!' After putting a ring on her finger and then going to a trampoline park with his stepdaughters, Mr Givens said: 'I am so close to the having the life I dreamed of.' The popular show sees a number of people in dire situations losing hundreds of pounds. But it's a rarity they are able to lose more than half their body weight. Doctors in the US can now prescribe an electronic device which zaps nerves in the forehead to treat ADHD in children. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first device of its kind for use in managing children's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. About the size of a mobile phone, the Monarch eTNS works by sending signals through a nerve in the face to stimulate parts of the brain which regulate behaviour and emotion. The treatment creates a mild tingling feeling on the skin. It is the first non-medicinal ADHD therapy approved by the US drug regulator and has been hailed as an 'innovative, safe and effective' gadget. The external trigeminal stimulation device (eTNS) works by sending electrical impulses through a patch stuck to the patient's forehead. Although the mechanism is not fully understood, these signals travel through a major nerve and into the brain. Pictured: The device has also been tested on adults suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder One in 20 children in the US are believed to have ADHD more than six million under-17s had a diagnosis in 2016, according to official figures. The behavioural disorder is generally noticed in childhood and affects boys more than girls. Those with ADHD may have trouble concentrating, a short attention span, difficulty sitting still, and often talk or move around an unusual amount. The battery-powered Monarch eTNS (external trigeminal nerve stimulation) device works through a patch which is stuck onto the child's forehead when they sleep. Approved for seven to 12-year-olds, the gadget sends low-level electrical impulses into the trigeminal nerve and into the brain. Exactly how this treats ADHD isn't clear, the FDA said, but it is believed to stimulate the brain's thalamus and cortex, which control attention, behaviour and emotions. NeuroSigma, the company marketing the prescription-only device, claims it can cut ADHD symptoms by 44 per cent in seven to 14-year-olds. However, the gadget will cost $1,000 for now as it isn't currently covered by health insurance providers. 'This new device offers a safe, non-drug option for treatment of ADHD in pediatric patients through the use of mild nerve stimulation, a first of its kind,' said Dr Carlos Pena, an FDA spokesman. The Monarch eTNS device will now be allowed on prescription for seven to 12-year-olds in the US HOW DOES THE ZAPPING DEVICE WORK? The Monarch external trigeminial nerve stimulation device (eTNS) works by sending electrical impulses through a patch stuck to the patient's forehead. These low-level impulses travel into the trigeminal nerve in the face and move deep into the brain. Although exactly how this stimulation reduces ADHD symptoms isn't known, the trigeminal nerve has direct connections with the thalamus and cortex areas of the brain, which influence behaviour, attention and emotion. If ADHD patients have irregular, abnormal activity in that area of the brain, regulated electrical signals may help to restore rhythm to the region. NeuroSigma, which is marketing the eTNS gadget, claims using it for a month can cut ADHD symptoms by as much as 44 per cent. A study found children who used it saw a 72 per cent bigger reduction in symptoms after four weeks than children given a placebo treatment. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the device for prescription to seven to 12-year-old children in the US. Advertisement '[FDA approval] reflects our deep commitment to working with device manufacturers to advance the development of pediatric medical devices so that children have access to innovative, safe and effective medical devices that meet their unique needs.' Children with ADHD are usually treated with drugs designed to boost concentration, such as Ritalin and Adderall. But these medications can have side effects such as nervousness or anxiety, sleep problems, loss of appetite and weight loss. A trial of the eTNS device on 62 children with moderate to severe ADHD found it significantly reduced their symptoms after four weeks. On a sliding scale on which lower means less severe symptoms, device users' ADHD scores dropped from an average of 34.1 to 23.4 (10.7 points) during the study. While children given a placebo only saw a drop from 33.7 to 27.5 (6.2 points). Potential side effects of the device include drowsiness, an increase in appetite, trouble sleeping, teeth clenching, headache and fatigue but there have been no 'serious' negative effects, the FDA said. Dr Jeffrey Borenstein, chief executive of the Brain & Behaviour Research Foundation in the US, told CBS: 'Untreated, these folks can have other psychiatric problems, including depression, chemical dependency, trouble learning in school, and trouble with the law.' The eTNS device has also been tested and shown some success in treating adult patients who suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Health Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to rule out children being kept out of schools if they aren't vaccinated against measles. Speaking on talkRADIO this morning, Mr Hancock said he 'wouldn't rule out anything' when asked if he would consider the drastic step. MMR vaccinations last year dropped for the fourth year in a row in the UK, while measles cases in England more than trebled in a year in 2018. The spread of anti-vaccination 'fake news' online is contributing to the dropping rates, Mr Hancock warned, and he said he would be meeting social media firms next week to discuss tackling it. Children in France are no longer allowed to join state-run schools or nurseries if they haven't had all their vaccinations, and the US has the same rule for MMR. Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman responded to Mr Hancock's comment, saying: 'I haven't seen anyone suggesting that.' And infection experts have said it would be a very drastic solution that 'goes against people's rights' and may even fuel a further rise in the anti-vaxx movement. Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the comments on Julia Hartley-Brewer's breakfast show on talkRADIO this morning Mr Hancock was quizzed on what he's doing about falling vaccination rates on Julia Hartley-Brewer's breakfast show this morning. Speaking about people neglecting to vaccinate their children against measles, he said: 'I'm very very worried about this.' 'It's a responsibility on everybody to get vaccinated,' Mr Hancock added. 'It's good for you and your family, but it's also good for your neighbour.' The Health Secretary's comments come after official figures show just 91.2 per cent of children in the UK had last year received their first MMR jab by the age of one. The NHS offers the jab to all children who are medically able to have it, and the World Health Organization says 95 per cent should be vaccinated for community safety. But more than 500,000 children in the UK missed out on the jab between 2010 and 2017, along with 2.6million Americans, 287,000 Canadians and 138,000 Australians. In France, vaccinating children became a legal requirement last year. CLAIM VACCINES AREN'T SAFE IS 'ABSOLUTELY WRONG' The UK's chief medical officer the top advisor to the Government last year criticised people spreading lies about vaccines being unsafe. Dame Sally Davies, speaking on the 30th anniversary of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab, said people spreading the 'myths' were 'absolutely wrong'. She said in November: 'Over 30 years, we have vaccinated millions of children. It is a safe vaccination, we know that, and we've saved millions of lives across the world. 'People who spread these myths, when children die they will not be there to pick up the pieces or the blame.' One myth is based on research done by Andrew Wakefield in the 1990s which claimed MMR led to autism, but his results were later found to be fake, and the work was called 'fatally flawed', 'fraudulent' and 'dishonest' by experts in the field. Others claim the vaccine doesn't work but after the introduction of MMR in 1963, global measles deaths dropped, on average, from 2.6million to around 100,000, according to the WHO. The vaccine was introduced by the NHS in 1988, a year in which there were 86,001 cases of measles in England within 10 years, in 1998, this had dropped to just 3,728 reported. The figure has fluctuated since, believed to be partly due to the Wakefield scare in the mid-90s, but in 2017 there were reports of only 1,693 measles cases in England. (Note: Figures quoted are cases reported to Public Health England and not lab-confirmed numbers) Advertisement Now, toddlers who haven't had the necessary jabs including measles, mumps and rubella aren't allowed to join state schools or nurseries. There are similar laws in many US states all 50 of them require children to have had MMR vaccines before they can be admitted to kindergarten. These rules apply unless children have a medical or religious reason why they can't have the jab. However, in the UK vaccination is the choice of the parents. Mr Hancock was asked by Ms Hartley-Brewer if he'd consider meeting the Education Secretary, currently Damian Hinds, to discuss 'following in the footsteps' of France and the US. 'I wouldn't rule out anything but I don't think we're there yet,' he said. 'In America they tried to do this and the courts stopped them so it can be complicated, but really it's people's responsibility as a parent to do the right thing the right thing for their own children as well as, of course, the right of the community that everybody lives in.' It is unclear what legal action Mr Hancock was referring to. However, a ban on unvaccinated children in public places in Rockland County, New York, which has experienced a measles outbreak, was put on hold earlier this month after parents challenged the decision. Earlier, Mr Hancock said the rise in people not vaccinating had to be tackled, and that he was 'particularly worried' about the spread of anti-vaccination messages online. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he was meeting social media companies on Monday to 'require that they do more to take down lies that are promoted on social media about the impact of vaccinations'. Theresa May's official spokesman responded to Mr Hancock's comments within hours of the radio broadcast, insisting nobody had suggested a school ban. However, Mr Hancock's Department of Health and Social Care has yet to comment on the matter. A UNICEF report yesterday revealed around 527,000 children in the UK did not receive the potentially life-saving MMR jab between 2010 and 2017, with 'fake news' spreading on social media partly to blame. The UK comes third in a global ranking showing the number of unvaccinated children in high-income countries WHAT IS MEASLES, WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND HOW CAN YOU CATCH IT? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing. Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash. The rash appears as red and blotchy marks on the hairline that travel down over several days, turning brown and eventually fading. Some children complain of disliking bright lights or develop white spots with red backgrounds on their tongue. In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis. Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society told MailOnline: 'Measles can be very serious. '[It] can cause encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain. 'Encephalitis can result in death or disability.' Treatment focuses on staying hydrated, resting and taking painkillers, if necessary. Measles can be prevented by receiving two vaccinations, the first at 13 months old and the second at three years and four months to five years old. Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital Advertisement He said: 'The overall risk of measles to the UK population is very low. 'The World Health Organisation said the UK achieved measles elimination status as recently as 2017. 'Overall vaccine uptake is also very high, at over 90 per cent, but we are continuously working to drive up immunisation rates. 'We are reviewing the slight decline in uptake as part of the long-term plan for the NHS to push coverage even higher and Public Health England are developing new campaigns about the benefits of immunisation.' Falling vaccination rates have been blamed on the spread of anti-vaccination sentiment, much of which was triggered by now-disgraced scientists, Andrew Wakefield, claiming they cause autism. Jane Harris, spokesperson for the National Autistic Society, said: 'There is no link between autism and vaccines. It is irresponsible to suggest otherwise, when research has proved over and over again that this is a myth. 'At the National Autistic Society, we don't want any more funds or resources to be wasted on studies looking into something that has been comprehensively disproved.' Professor Arne Akbar, a professor of immunology at University College London, told MailOnline of his concerns about the possibility of requiring vaccines by law. He said: 'Mandatory vaccines are a very drastic solution, it goes against people's rights. People wouldn't accept it. Professor Helen Bedford, a professor of children's health at UCL agreed. She said: 'The UK wouldn't find mandatory vaccination palatable. 'Anti-vaxx parents would home school their children or pay the fine, if there was one, if this was introduced. You can't pin children down and immunise them. 'And people on the fence about vaccines might become more resistant to them if they are required by law.' Half a million children in the UK have not been vaccinated against measles amid a rise in online 'antivaxx' scare stories, it was revealed today (stock image) Dr Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine, Imperial College London, told MailOnline: 'Trying to mandate vaccines would not be acceptable. 'People don't want to be bullied, they should be educated on the benefits of vaccines not just told 'it's the law'. 'And people could still be excluded from having them over perceived allergies or on religious grounds.' However, Dr Jonathan Kennedy, a lecturer in global health at Queen Mary University of London, said: 'Mandatory vaccines might be a good idea. 'The MMR needs 95 per cent of the public to be vaccinated to ensure outbreaks don't spread. 'This protects very young children and those with a compromised immune system, like chemotherapy patients, who cannot always have vaccines. 'Some people believe the state should intervene to protect the most vulnerable people in our society. Smoking in public spaces is a mandatory ban that is acceptable now.' The number of lab-confirmed measles cases in England shot up from 259 in 2017 to 966 in 2018, according to Public Health England. Globally, measles cases are set to be more than 300 per cent higher this year than in 2018, after more than 112,000 cases were reported between January and March. In the same period last year just 28,124 cases were recorded by the World Health Organization. The head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, yesterday called anti-vaxxers a 'growing public health timebomb'. He said: 'With measles cases almost quadrupling in England in just one year, it is grossly irresponsible for anybody to spread scare stories about vaccines. 'And social media firms should have a zero tolerance approach towards this dangerous content.' The MMR vaccine has been proven to be effective and safe and has saved thousands of lives since being introduced in the UK in 1988. Mr Hancock added today: 'Diseases like measles are horrible and are more or less stamped out in the UK, and we need to keep it that way.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: 'We ask schools to check what immunisations a child has had when they join a school but our guidance clearly states that schools cannot refuse admission or exclude a pupil because they have not been immunised. 'Overall uptake of childhood vaccinations is over 90 per cent. 'While not compulsory, it is important everyone takes up the vaccinations they are entitled to, so we are focused on ensuring parents and children know the facts about their benefits and on working with social media companies to stop the spread of misinformation around vaccinations. 'We are also reviewing how to improve vaccine uptake overall as part of our Long Term Plan for the NHS.' IS ANDREW WAKEFIELD'S DISCREDITED AUTISM RESEARCH TO BLAME FOR LOW MEASLES VACCINATION RATES? Andrew Wakefield's discredited autism research has long been blamed for a drop in measles vaccination rates In 1995, gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield published a study in The Lancet showing children who had been vaccinated against MMR were more likely to have bowel disease and autism. He speculated that being injected with a 'dead' form of the measles virus via vaccination causes disruption to intestinal tissue, leading to both of the disorders. After a 1998 paper further confirmed this finding, Wakefield said: 'The risk of this particular syndrome [what Wakefield termed 'autistic enterocolitis'] developing is related to the combined vaccine, the MMR, rather than the single vaccines.' At the time, Wakefield had a patent for single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, and was therefore accused of having a conflict of interest. Nonetheless, MMR vaccination rates in the US and the UK plummeted, until, in 2004, the editor of The Lancet Dr Richard Horton described Wakefield's research as 'fundamentally flawed', adding he was paid by a group pursuing lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers. The Lancet formally retracted Wakefield's research paper in 2010. Three months later, the General Medical Council banned Wakefield from practising medicine in Britain, stating his research had shown a 'callous disregard' for children's health. On January 6 2011, The British Medical Journal published a report showing that of the 12 children included in Wakefield's 1995 study, at most two had autistic symptoms post vaccination, rather than the eight he claimed. At least two of the children also had developmental delays before they were vaccinated, yet Wakefield's paper claimed they were all 'previously normal'. Further findings revealed none of the children had autism, non-specific colitis or symptoms within days of receiving the MMR vaccine, yet the study claimed six of the participants suffered all three. Advertisement One of the world's biggest tobacco companies has come under fire for moving into the life insurance business. Philip Morris International, which produces more than 800billion cigarettes every year, has been accused of being 'twisted' for offering life insurance as well. One campaigner said the multi-billion dollar company is 'looking to profit any way it can from addicted customers'. The firm has set up a new company called reviti, which offers life insurance and comes with discounts for people who quit smoking. Ex-smokers who switch to PMI's own IQOS brand of heated tobacco devices can get a quarter off their premium, 10 times the discount offered to those using other e-cigarettes. Philip Morris International produces more than 800billion cigarettes a year and is worth almost $130billion (100bn) (stock image) reviti life insurance was launched last week by the tobacco company which makes Marlboro cigarettes, among other brands it was officially set up in July last year. The company's website says it wants to encourage people to live healthier lives and offers discounts to people who kick bad habits. It will offer a 25 per cent life insurance discount to smokers who switch to Philip Morris's own IQOS brand of heated tobacco e-cigarette for three months or more. But this discount only stretches to 2.5 per cent if smokers switch to any other type of electronic cigarette or vaping device. People who quit smoking altogether for a year will get their premium for half-price. 'It doesnt get more twisted than a tobacco company hooking people on its deadly products, then turning around and trying to sell them life insurance,' said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a US-based charity. 'Philip Morris is looking to profit any way it can from its addicted customers. 'Where will Philip Morris diversify next perhaps into funeral homes, with Marlboro-branded coffins?' PMI is one of the biggest tobacco companies in the world and is worth almost $130billion (100bn). It has 46 factories around the world with machines which can produce 20,000 cigarettes every minute. The firm is now moving out of the cigarette industry, mainly through its heated tobacco brand, IQOS, which it claims is a safer alternative to smoking. WHEN DID PEOPLE REALISE SMOKING CAUSES LUNG CANCER? Lung cancer was once a rare disease and considered peculiar by doctors but a surge in the popularity of cigarettes triggered an 'epidemic' of it. Cigarettes started to become mass produced and popular towards the end of the 1800s, with lung cancer cases appearing increasingly often years later. One scientist in 1898 suggested tobacco dust, rather than smoke, could be triggering tumours but his theory was corrected in 1912 when another said the smoke was to blame. But this wasn't proven or widely believed. By the 1920s lung cancers were starting to become common and doctors tended to blame smoking, dust from tarred roads, industrial air pollution, and exposure to poisonous gas during World War I. But by the 1940s and 50s experts were beginning to understand it was smoking cigarettes which was driving up cancer rates. A poll in the US in 1954 found about 41 per cent of the public believed in the link. By the mid-50s tobacco companies knew their cigarettes were making people terminally ill but are believed to have tried to quash evidence in a bid to keep sales high. Scientific studies proving the strong link began to surface in that decade and the evidence soon became irrefutable. Cigarette consumption reached its peak in the US in 1982, when 630billion were smoked in a year, before it began to fall. There are now 1.1billion smokers around the world around one in seven people and more than seven million people die every year as a result of the habit. Tobacco companies are believed to make $10,000 profit for every smoker who dies. Source: Tobacco Control and World Health Organization Advertisement Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said the company is using reviti as a means of keeping the cash coming in when people try to quit. 'Philip Morris International have no interest in helping people save money on life insurance,' Dr Woods told MailOnline. 'The clearly biased discount policy for smokers who use PMI products shows this is just another blatant tactic to push their own tobacco products. 'If PMI really want to encourage people to stop smoking, the solution is simple. They need to agree to a "polluter pays levy" which can be used to fund cash-strapped stop-smoking services.' Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the health charity Action on Smoking and Health, said: 'This is just a new marketing tactic by PMI to promote IQOS, as they cant advertise it directly in the UK because of the complete ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. 'Theyre also using the link with life insurance to try to rebrand PMI as socially responsible, while still promoting smoking in developing countries where the majority of deaths from smoking now occur.' The Royal Society for Public Health, an independent charity in the UK, said: 'Tobacco companies like Philip Morris are being forced into ever more inventive ways of profiting from the lethal habit they have their customers hooked on. 'Meanwhile they continue to ruthlessly pursue the young and growing market in low income countries, pouring their abundant resources into marketing and lobbying all while claiming to work towards a "smoke-free world". 'In truth, all they are offering here is more hot air and diversion.' Mr Myers added that PMI, which says on its website homepage it is 'designing a smoke-free future', is using new products to create a smokescreen. He said: 'Philip Morris claims that theyre incentivizing smokers to quit by offering life insurance discounts for smokers who switch to their other tobacco products or quit completely. But theres little evidence to back up their claims. 'Their alternative products have not been proven effective at helping smokers quit, they carry their own health risks and they are being marketed in ways that appeal to kids. 'In addition, Philip Morris sham incentives for smokers to quit are drowned out by the huge sums the company spends to market cigarettes and keep smokers from quitting.' Smoking has been known to cause cancer for at least 70 years and smokers live, on average, lives 10 years shorter than non-smokers. A marketing analyst told The Times last week the company appears to be trying to future-proof itself against smoking rates falling. A reviti spokesperson said: 'The purpose of reviti is to offer people life insurance cover and to encourage them to make positive changes that we believe will help them improve their lifestyle. 'The greatest reward our customers can receive is for quitting tobacco and nicotine use altogether.' A Florida man nearly lost his arm to flesh-eating bacteria he contracted while on a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico the day before Easter. As his hand and arm continued to swell, Mike was rushed to Tampa Bay General hospital where he was put in the burn unit and treated. A tiny prick in his hand from a fish hook soon turned into a black, blistered mass. As his hand and arm continued to swell and Mike was rushed to Tampa Bay General hospital where he was put in the burn unit and treated. Although doctors considered amputating Mike's arm, they managed to get the infection under control. They told Mike he's lucky to keep the arm, and to be alive at all. A simple prick from a fish hook gave Mike Walton a flesh-eating bacteria infection that gave him black blisters on his hand and almost cost the Florida man his arm A fish hook like this one was the likely source of Mike's flesh-eating bacterial infection An avid fisherman, Mike has stuck himself with countless fish hooks. But this time was different, as quickly became apparent. 'I had like little blisters starting to form on my hand and you could watch like sweat beads coming up on side of the hand, and then they just turned black,' Mike told ABC Action News. His hook had been contaminated with necrotizing fasciitis bacteria. These dangerous infections can be caused by may strains of bacteria, most commonly Group A Step, Staph and Vibrio. Most of these are harmless as long as they stay where they belong. Staph, for example, lives peacefully on the surface of our skin. Doctors thought that they might have to amputate Mike's arm to save his life, but they managed to remove all the bacteria while keeping the arm intact But if an open wound lets it into the moist deeper layers, it can multiply rapidly and start devouring flesh. And Vibrio, one of the more aggressive strains that can become a flesh-eating monster, doesn't cause humans any issues in its normal home, salt water, but can become lethal if it gets into the fascia. Infections can happen in outdoor settings, at hospitals, or even around the house. About 1,000 people contract necrotizing fasciitis every year in the US, and one in four die. The key to treating flesh-eating infections is to do it fast. Infections can kill within the first 21 to 24 house of exposure. Mike was lucky. He got to the hospital quickly, and doctors started him on a course of antibiotics. Bacteria ate away flesh from the back of Mike's hand and part of his left arm, so he had to get skin grafts and will be swollen, bandaged and on antibiotics for some time But then blisters turned to black bubbles on his hand, and his arm continued to balloon. It was a sign that the infection wasn't yet under control. So Mike's arm had to be slit open so the swelling didn't get any more dangerous and the bacteria could be removed. 'When you look down and you can see your own tendons, back of your hand and your bone going up your arm, that makes it real,' Mike told ABC. In the end, they managed to remove all of the bacteria, stop the infection's spread, and save Mike's arm. He had to have a skin graft to replace the tissue bacteria had eaten on the back of his hand and arm and will remain on a course of antibiotics, but Mike will live to fish another day. A well-known addiction rehab nonprofit made money by using its patients as unpaid laborers for companies, including Walmart, Shell and Exxon, an investigation by Reveal claims. Former patients 'treated' at Cenikor's 12 Texas and Louisiana locations described working 80-hour weeks, or for over 40 days straight, without pay and with little time to eat or sleep - much less to have counseling or therapy. Cenikor operates on the model that working helps people recover from addiction and sets them up with employment opportunities after completing the program. Patients pay Cenikor for its services, and Cenikor maintains contracts with companies that need unskilled labor. The rehab in turn puts its patients to work at those companies, unpaid. Some experts say the arrangement may break federal laws regulating labor practices. Cenikor is a nonprofit, but its patients are essentially living in 'work camps for private industry,' Reveal asserts, and doing on sweltering oil fields, in grueling warehouses and in unsafe conditions that have left one dead and several badly injured. In Louisiana and Texas, the drug rehab nonprofit Cenikor sends clients to 'work therapy' at over 300 companies, including Walmart, Shell and Exxon. Patients do hard, unpaid labor in grueling conditions and have been injured and even killed, a Reveal investigation found On the rehab's website, Cenikor president Bill Bailey calls 'work therapy' a 'critical therapeutic and educational activity.' But patients that did that work described horrible and unhealthy conditions to Reveal. Logan Tullier worked 10 hours a day of hard manual labor in 115 degree heat for oil refineries. At Cenikor by court order, Ethan Ewers said he worked for 43 days in a row in a Walmart warehouse. Matthew Oates was sent to trim trees for a Cenikor partner company, but he wasn't given a harness, helmet or rope. He fell 20 feet and broke his back. Larry Hart fell to his death while doing his Cenikor 'work therapy' in 1995. Partners paid Cenikor over $7 million for 'vocational services,' according to the rehab's 2016 tax documents. And patients say they never saw a dime. In the US, almost all employees must be paid a minimum wage (currently $7.25 an hour) and must be paid extra for working overtime. After graduating Cenikor's program in 1994, Loren Simonis lodged a complaint against Cenikor with the Department of Labor, but the agency never moved on his request for an investigation. Simonis filed suit but settled out of court. A 1985 Supreme Court ruling - in a case with eerie similarities to Cenikor's practices - made it explicitly illegal for nonprofits to put members or clients to work without pay, even if that work was supposed to help rehabilitate them. Nonprofits like Cenikor could put wages that its clients would have earned toward their room and board, but it isn't clear that this is Cenikor's practice. Cenikor's use of clients as workers has not been addressed by the courts in any other cases, according to PACER searches. 'Its like the closest thing to slavery,' Tullier told Reveal. 'We were making them all the money.' The nonprofit has been warned multiple times that it must provide better training and safety measures for its clients-turned-workers, but it also is not required to report injuries by state law in Texas. In Louisiana, Cenikor has made no injury reports. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) gives recommendations for treating addiction. Evidence based therapies are broad-ranging in nature, and are fairly open-ended to interpretation. The agency's 'principles of effective treatment' say that treatment 'must address the individuals drug abuse and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems,' and advises behavioral therapies and skill-building. But it does not describe forcing people with misuse disorders to do unpaid work. A 19-year-old who was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor months before giving birth has died after more than a year of battling to find a cure. Dana Scatton, of Pennsylvania, was seven months pregnant in December 2017 when a brain scan revealed she had diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). It is one of the most devastating cancers, which affects 300 children a year, most of whom are under 10 years old. No one has survived with DIPG for longer than 18 months, and it does not respond to any treatment. Despite some recent efforts to test moonshot treatments for DIPG in clinical trials, researchers have long struggled to find any glimmers of progress - and have therefore struggled to get funding to keep trying. Dana delivered her daughter, Aries Marie, a month early on January 4, 2018, before starting radiation treatment, and traveling to a clinic in Mexico, which promotes a 'cure' for DIPG, though they have not succeeded and doctors accuse the clinic of preying on vulnerable families. There were moments of hope and progress, but this week, on Easter Monday, her family told well-wishers Dana had passed away. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Dana Scatton, 18, gave birth to her daughter Aries Marie at 33 weeks (pictured) after undergoing several rounds of radiation The teen (pictured hours after giving birth) from Pennsylvania was diagnosed with a rare and inoperable brain tumor in December while seven months pregnant 'We may never have the right things to say to truly honor the amazing, smart, loving, caring, passionate, incredibly beautiful and free spirited mother, daughter, niece, sister, cousin, friend and independent woman Dana was every day,' the family wrote on Facebook. 'She inspired us all to be better than who we are and to keep God in our focus at every moment. She faced the greatest fear of all, death, and smiled back with a grin only God can instill. She fought harder than the toughest warriors known to man and did it with grace and valor.' DIPG tumors usually start in the brain stem, the part of the organ that's located just above the back of the neck and connected to the spine. It controls breathing, nerves and muscles that help people see, hear, walk, talk and eat. There is no known cure for the disease and scant treatment options due to lack of funding for research. It is a vicious cycle: organizations are reluctant to fund research into something that seems so untreatable; most funding into child cancers goes to leukemia, which is the most researched child cancer. Without funding and research, it will remain mysterious - and in turn, it will remain difficult for researchers to get funding to dispel the mystery. Due to the tumor's location in Dana's brain, it started taking over her motor functions - making it more difficult for her to walk, talk and breathe. At points, MRI scans suggested that the radiation treatments were shrinking the tumor, 'with no signs of blocking her pons,' the part of the brain involved in the control of breathing, communication and balance. WHAT IS DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA (DIPG)? Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a rare type of brain tumor that can't be operated on because of it's location within a crucial part of the brain, called the pons. This area is responsible for a number of critical bodily functions, such as breathing, sleeping and blood pressure. The high-grade brain tumor, which mostly affects children, tends to grow quickly and often spreads to other parts of the brain or spinal cord. Most diagnoses occur in youngsters between the ages of five and 10. The cause of the tumor remains unknown. More than 90 percent of its victims will die within 18 months of diagnosis, according to figures. Each year, there are around 100 to 150 new diagnoses in the US. In the UK, it strikes between 20 and 30 each year. Symptoms include lack of facial control, double vision, headaches, vomiting, weakness, seizures and balance problems. One of the early indicators of the cancer is a child falling, tripping or losing balance. Advertisement According to the National Cancer Institute, clinical trials have shown that traditional chemotherapy aren't effective. As a result, many parents of DIPG patients from all over the world have turned to the controversial Dr Alberto Siller, who has a dubious clinic located in Monterrey, Mexico, as a last resort. The highly controversial treatment, with no evidence of success, involves an untested mix of 11 chemotherapy drugs, injected into an artery in the brainstem that costs $300,000, reported Science Based Medicine. But doctors who run the clinic have not performed any clinical trials, peer-reviewed studies or published survival and recurrence statistics. A family from Rogers, Arkansas flew to Monterrey, Mexico in July 2017 for their daughter Addy Sooter, three, who was diagnosed with DIPG, to receive experimental chemotherapy treatment at Dr Siller's 0-19 Clinic. In September 2017, an Australian family traveled to Monterrey in hopes of a last-ditch treatment for their then-four-year-old daughter Annabelle Nguyen, who was diagnosed with DIPG when she was two years old. A year ago, Annabelle's family said the five-year-old had 'no evidence of disease,' a term used when scans and tests can't find cancer in a person who has been treated for the illness. But that apparent progress did not last. Both girls since passed away, dealing a blow to parents desperate for answers. There are now highly-anticipated clinical trials in Australia, the UK and the US. They have reached out to Clinica 0-19 to collaborate or review their work, but the clinic has refused. Aries Marie was born on January 4 via c-section after Dana's symptoms from the brain tumor began to get worse Dana, pictured with her mother Lenore, shortly after giving birth to Aries in January 2017 Dana, the youngest of nine children, told DailyMail.com in December 2017 that right before she was diagnosed she started to experience difficulty speaking, which had become strenuous. 'I noticed that it took me a little to swallow, then walking got harder and it was even hard to speak,' Dana said. She said things got worse in the beginning of December when she went to catch the bus to take her to school and her legs began to feel limp, leaving her too unable to walk properly. Dana said: 'I just want to be a wonderful mother' At first Dana thought it could just be stress from the pregnancy and school. 'I thought it could be the way the baby was sitting on nerves,' she added. Less than two weeks after her initial symptoms, Dana told her doctor what she was experiencing during a routine visit to check on the baby. She was in the emergency room the next day where she underwent a cat scan and MRI that found a large tumor on the base of her brain. Within hours of the MRI doctors delivered the diagnosis and prognosis. Dana said the first thing that went through her mind when she heard the diagnosis was: 'Is my baby going to be okay?' Both Lenore and Dana's father Robert took time off of their jobs at Amazon and a YMCA to take care of their daughter full-time. The support from family and friends has been overwhelming and Lenore said that since Dana's brother JJ took to Facebook and made a GoFundMe for medical expenses, people from around the world including Ukraine and Germany have reached out to send their prayers and support. Dana said: 'I just want to be a wonderful mother.' Six-year-old Kenzie Musgrove narrowly escaped a December apartment fire with her life, but has now had endure surgery after surgery, including the amputation of half her fingers and toes. While she was staying at her father Jared's apartment in Indiana, downstairs neighbors knocked over a candle and accidentally set fire to their ceiling and the Musgroves' floor. As the apartment filled with smoke, a terrified Kenzie hid between the sofa and patio door, but the spot she went for safety was right about the source of the flames. Her panicked father couldn't find her, and by the time firefighters reached Kenzie, she had burns covering nearly 70 percent of her body. Kenzie finally returned to school this month - but without the fingers and toes of her left hand and foot, she'll have to work harder to keep up with the other children. Kenzie Musgrove, six, was trapped in her father's apartment when it caught fire in December (left). She sustained burns over 68 percent of her body and spent four months in the hospital (right) Kenzie's mother, Jessica (left) is now warning against the dangers of candles Smoke suddenly filled Jared Musgrove's apartment on December 16. He raced through his home, grabbing one daughter, and his son. Jared searched and screamed for Kenzie, but he couldn't find her. The smoke was getting thicker and Jared could hardly breathe or see. Finally he fled the second floor apartment with his other two children, horrified that he hadn't been able to find Kenzie. It wasn't long before emergency responders arrived on the scene and pulled Kenzie from the apartment. She had to be taken by helicopter from Lafayette to Indianapolis, where Riley Children's Hospital was equipped with the burn unit Kenzie needed. Even Kenzie's face and scalp were badly burned, and doctors had to remove her hair After the fire and treatment, Kenzie's hair started to grow back in slowly She was largely confined to he hospital bed in Indianapolis for the last four months Despite her father's desperate search and the firefighters' quick action, Kenzie had burns covering 68 percent of her tiny body. 'I got to the hospital as quickly as I could and as soon as I walked into the ward I knew how serious this was,' Kenzie's mother told The Daily Mirror. 'She was black from head to toe and evidently in so much pain.' In less than a month, Kenzie had to undergo four operations to repair the damage the fire had done to her skin. Even her scalp had been burned, and treating her head meant removing her blonde locks. Then, before the fourth surgery, on January 3, the Musgrove family got 'the most devastating news,' Jessica said. Kenzie's left fingers and toes had taken such heat, that the tissue was completely dead. Surgeons told her parents they would have to amputate them. Burns, frostbite, infection or traumatic injuries can all cause irreversible damage to blood vessels. Without proper blood flow and oxygen, tissue starts to die, and bacteria can infiltrate deep tissues. Some of the tissue on Kenzie's right hand was badly burned in the fire But her left hand couldn't be salvaged and the fingers had to be amputate (pictured) Kenzie is at last on the mend. She got to come home in March, and went back to school on April 4, but she still has to wear dressings and splints over much of her body for 22 hours a day The condition, called gangrene, can spread to other parts of the body and do life-threatening harm. Giving surgeons the go-ahead was heart-wrenching for Jessica and Jared, but Kenzie pulled through the surgery. Wrapping her young mind around life without all 10 fingers and toes was a challenge for their little girl, though. 'This was one of the hardest things for her to understand, as she suddenly woke up and couldnt figure out where her hands and fingers had gone, which completely broke my heart,' Jessica said. But before the end of January, Kenzie was back on her feet, taking her first steps in the hospital. Last month, she got to go home after four months living at the hospital, and on April 4, Kenzie went back to school for the first time since her harrowing ordeal began. She's made remarkable progress so far, but much of Kenzie's body is still wrapped up and splinted for all but two hours a day. Jessica worries for her little girl, and worries over the normalcy she's lost. 'Shes not going to develop like a normal girl, and her amputations will cause difficulty with every day tasks,' Jessica told The Mirror, cautioning families against leaving candles unattended. 'Her life is going to be altered forever,' she added. College students in Los Angeles who cannot prove they've had the measles vaccine will be barred from their campuses, health officials declared. California, which imposed some of the nation's strictest vaccination rules after a short-lived measles outbreak in 2014, is seeing a spike in cases, largely connected to people with measles landing in airports. But the law, banning personal or philosophical reasons to skip a vaccine, came in too late for the state's teenage and young adult population, and will not have touched the millions of out-of-state students who come to LA to study. Now that the state has recorded 38 measles cases this year - up from 11 this time last year - they are cracking down. There is no treatment for measles except the preventative vaccine According to a statement on Thursday from the LA County Department of Public Health, up to 100 students at UCLA have been ordered to stay in their residence for 21 days. They believe some students at Cal State LA may also be ordered to stay in. 'Both universities are assisting with the implementation of quarantine orders and determining how best to support students who must be quarantined and who live on campus,' officials said in the statement. The move comes a day after the CDC revealed the rate of measles this year has hit a record-high since measles was declared eliminated in 2000, with 695 cases in less than four months. According to the latest CDC report, released on Monday, measles has been reported in 22 states this year. This week, officials in Southern California warned they expect more measles cases to come after confirming five in Los Angeles. And officials in Northern California warned of a potentially large outbreak after a man with measles went to the cinema in Redding, just north of Sacramento. MEMOIR THE SUN DOES SHINE by Anthony Ray Hinton (Rider 8.99, 368 pp) At around midnight on July 25-26, 1985, two things happened 15 miles away from each other in Birmingham, Alabama. At 11.57pm, 29-year-old Anthony Ray Hinton clocked in for his night shift at Brunos supermarket warehouse. He worked in the locked warehouse until 4am. At 12.30am in another area of the city, the manager of Quincys steak house, Sidney Smotherman, was driving home when he was bumped from the rear and forced at gunpoint to drive back to the restaurant, where he was shot in the head but not killed. Later shown a selection of photographs of suspects, Smotherman identified Anthony Ray Hinton as the gunman who had shot him. Anthony Ray Hinton, pictured on his release from prison in 2015, spent decades on death row maintaining his innocence in two murders and has now released a memoir about his jail time As it happened, there had been two murders of restaurant managers in Birmingham in similar circumstances in that same year. A week later Hinton was mowing the lawn at home, where he lived with his beloved mother both were keen churchgoers when two policemen came to arrest him. They went into the house and removed his mothers .38 calibre pistol, which they would wrongly identify as the weapon used in all three crimes. Thus the nightmare began. Everything would surely be cleared up in a couple of hours, Hinton thought, as he climbed into the police car, hands cuffed behind his back. Hinton, pictured in his mug shot, was arrested in 1985 and his mothers .38 calibre pistol, was wrongly identify as the weapon used in all three crimes In fact, he would not see freedom again for 30 years. His home, until he was grey-haired, would be a five-by-seven-foot cell on death row in the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. I devoured Hintons astonishingly moving memoir in a state of open-mouthed incredulity mingled with rage. His powerlessness in the face of State-sponsored racism was pitiful. The good old boys had traded in their white robes for black ones, he writes, but it was still a lynching. It was. Black, poor and unable to afford a private attorney, he was given a State attorney called Perhacs, who appointed a ballistics expert who only had one working eye. The expert pronounced that the bullets in the three crimes did not match Hintons mothers gun, but his testimony was torn apart in court, due to his poor eyesight. Hinton, pictured during his trial, was given a State attorney called Perhacs, who appointed a ballistics expert who only had one working eye There was another horrible twist. A few years back, Hinton had made an enemy of a man called Reggie when he dated a girl who had turned Reggie down, so Reggie was jealous and bent on revenge. He happened to work at Quincys steak house, and he helped to frame Hinton, telling Smotherman he knew a man who fitted the description of his attacker. Never mind that it would have been impossible for Hinton to get out of the locked warehouse and drive 15 miles and back to commit the crime. Never mind that he passed the lie-detection polygraph test. Anything that didnt make me look like a killer was left out or plain lied about, Hinton writes. Shackled in court, he had his final say, protesting his innocence to the all-white jury, but to no avail. The death sentence was pronounced on 15 December 1986. Welcome to death row: a hell on earth that smelled of fried human flesh. These were the days before the method of killing changed (in 2002) from electric chair to lethal injection. In the moving memoir Hinton, pictured embracing supporters when he was released, reveals details about his time on death row such as having lunch at 10am, and supper at 2pm The guards who fed the inmates and escorted them to the bathroom six days a week were also the ones who killed them on Thursdays. In his time on death row, Hinton would hear 54 deaths going on down the corridor. When the death-inducing generator was switched on, the lights flickered; all the inmates would then bang their fists against the cell bars to show solidarity with the person being killed, to make them know they were not dying alone. Its the small details of life on death row that really haunt you. It might seem a trivial thing, but because there were so many to feed in the vast prison, the death-row inmates got the worst deal when it came to mealtimes. For 30 years, Hinton was given breakfast at 3am, lunch at 10am, and supper at 2pm. All meals were covered in the dust of death, combined with rat hair and cockroach skin. As Hinton wryly notes, theres no Welcome to your appeal brochure waiting for you when you arrive in your cell. Once youre in, its very hard indeed to get out. The State of Alabama had no intention of admitting it had made a mistake. Hinton, pictured, now lives in his hometown of Praco, near Birminghamand his compensation claim for $1.5 million was denied by the State For the first three years, Hinton was in such a state of rage that he refused to speak, except to his mother and best friend Lester on the monthly visiting day. His mother, bewildered by the events, would dress in her Sunday best for visits: ivory gloves, flowery dress and wide blue hat rimmed with lace. Are you coming home soon, baby? she would ask him, again and again. The steadfastness of those two kept him going through the dark decades. It was a seven-hour round-trip for them to visit. As his mother became older and ill from stress, she could no longer do the journey. But Lester always turned up. One night, after three years of silence, Hinton heard the man in the next-door cell sobbing. He broke his silence. Hey! Are you all right over there? The man told him that his mother had just died. And my heart broke, Hinton writes. From that moment, he began to come back to life and to engage with others. He requested to the warden that he and some other inmates might be allowed to start a book club, and this was granted. They sat round discussing Uncle Toms Cabin: The point, Hinton writes, was to get them thinking about anything but the dark, grimy, hot hell of the row. And by hot, he meant it: it was 110f in the summer in the cells. No fans were allowed for fear of the blades being refashioned into weapons. One by one, members of the club disappeared. Their death-dates were announced, giving them a months notice. In one particularly moving section, Hinton makes friends with a fellow inmate and book club member, a white man called Henry. He finds out a few weeks into their friendship that Henry is in fact the KKK murderer Henry Hays, who was in for kidnapping and stringing up a black boy. When Henry is killed in the normal way bag over his head, generator switched on everyone bangs their fists raw on the bars in solidarity, just as they would for a black man. Death row is a great leveller. Henry was my friend, Hinton writes. I had shown him compassion because that was how Id been raised. THE SUN DOES SHINE by Anthony Ray Hinton (Rider 8.99, 368 pp) After 15 years of hopelessness, with appeals rumbling on but never amounting to a retrial, Hinton at last acquired an attorney called Bryan Stevenson, who meant business. Stevenson turned out to be a sort of Oskar Schindler of death row. For 15 years he fought Hintons case in the courts, refusing to give up. At last, in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the lower court had made an error all those years ago. Youre going home, my friend, Stevenson wrote to him. Youre finally going home. Now living quietly in his original home town of Praco, near Birmingham, Hinton makes sure he has an alibi for every day of his life. He has filed a compensation claim for $1.5 million, but the State has denied it, saying he has not proved his innocence. As for the State prosecutor, Robert McGregor, he died of cancer in 2010. Hinton was just one of scores of people he sent to death row in his career, feel-ing no stain on his conscience. At the end of the book, Hinton lists the 1,200 people currently on death row in the U.S. Statistically, every tenth one of them is innocent. In one of the many cruel injustices of this story, Hintons release came far too late to be reunited with his mother: she had died 13 years earlier. Yet when Hinton walked out into freedom, cameras flashing, he was asked to say a few words. The sun does shine, he said. Thats the title of this unforgettable book. Sainsbury's Energy has joined forces with Big Six supplier, Npower, after ending its partnership with British Gas earlier this year. The provider is currently only offering one tariff, the Sainsbury's Energy Fix and Reward v1 tariff, which it says gives customers 100 per cent renewable electricity. It is matching 100 per cent of a customer's electricity usage with power generated from renewable sources. Sainsbury's Energy has teamed up with Big Six energy supplier Npower & is offering one tariff This means that while each unit of electricity used by a Sainsbury's Energy customer isn't renewable at source, a unit of renewable electricity is purchased and fed back into the grid. However, it did admit that there are currently no additional environmental benefits to this tariff. Sainsbury's Energy customers were previously supplied by British Gas before it announced the partnership was coming to an end in February of this year. All customers who joined the supplier before February have had their account transferred to British Gas and will continue to be supplied by them. Michael Luck, director of business development at Sainsbury's, said: 'We're really excited to launch this new partnership with Npower. 'We want to help our customers live well for less and by collaborating with Npower we're able to give people renewable energy while taking advantage of great savings and rewards.' The small supplier's one year fixed tariff costs 1,040 per year, when based on typical usage. While this is 134 cheaper than the average Big Six fixed rate tariff, which is 1,174, it is still 138 more expensive than the cheapest tariff on the market which is currently Outfox the Market's FIX'D 19X 4.0 that costs on average 902 a year. However, switching to Sainsbury's Energy will earn customers 4,000 Nectar points (2,000 for each fuel they switch) which equates to 20 as well as up to triple points when spending in Sainsbury's stores and at the pumps. Dual fuel customers will receive two additional points for each pound spent in Sainsbury's stores whilst single fuel customers will gain one additional point per pound spent - up to a maximum of 3,500 points per fuel, per year. However, 3,500 points equates to just 17.50, meaning the maximum discount customers can get off their fuel bills is 35. While this is a nice incentive, it is probably not exclusively worth switching supplier for. Customers on Sainsbury's Energy will also have access to a new app that will let them keep an eye on how much energy they're using, their latest bills as well as send regular meter readings. Simon Stacey, managing director for home and business at Npower said: 'Working together with one of the UK's largest supermarkets to provide the power behind Sainsbury's Energy is a really exciting opportunity for Npower. 'We're confident the new deal will bring unique energy offers that Sainsbury's customers will value, along with something extra for savvy shoppers who are looking for ways to save using Nectar rewards.' Those looking to sign up to Sainsbury's Energy must be a new customer and not already an existing Npower customer and any previous customers wanting to switch back will have to follow the same process as someone who has never been a customer before. Anyone looking to switch to either Sainsbury's Energy or another provider is advised to check if there are any exit fees with their current tariff before they make the decision to leave. Chinese demand: Hermes said revenue grew to 1.4bn in the three months to March 31 Chinese shoppers yearning for luxury goods helped drive a 16 per cent rise in sales at Hermes in the first quarter. The high-end French brand said revenue rose to 1.4billionn in the three months to the end of March. This was boosted by a 17 per cent rise in sales in Asia, excluding Japan, and 10 per cent growth in mainland China, which more than made up for a slowdown in its home market. The strong demand from Asian buyers should quell fears of a slowdown in China the worlds biggest luxury market and adds to similar trends reported by Hermes rivals in the sector, LVMH and Kering. Hermes blamed disruption caused by anti-government yellow-vest protests for a 1 per cent rise in sales in France, the slowest growth of any region. Turnover in its leather goods division which makes its famed Birkin handbag and is responsible for around half its sales grew by 17 per cent to 700million. Bayer was told to pay 62m to a pensioner who said Roundup caused his non-Hodgkins lymphoma Bayer is facing legal claims from more than 13,400 people in the US that its weed killers cause cancer. The German chemicals company was last month ordered to pay 62million to a pensioner who said Roundup weed killer caused his non-Hodgkins lymphoma. But it is feared the legal bill could spiral to as much as 5billion as a wave of other victims file lawsuits. The number of plaintiffs has jumped 20 per cent since January, when 11,200 were involved in legal action against Bayer. The company bought Roundup and other glysophate-containing weed killers, such as Ranger Pro, when it took over US seed maker Monsanto in a mammoth 49billion merger last June. It is fighting a third trial in California and expecting another four lawsuits to go to court later this year, but does not believe that its products are a cancer risk. McLaren has reported bumper demand for its super-cars hours after Tesla said sales of its electric models are falling. The British manufacturer, famous for its Formula One racing team, sold 4,829 cars last year, a 45 per cent rise compared to 2017. Strong appetite in China, where sales volumes rocketed by 141 per cent to 354 cars, helped the Woking-based company achieve a 44.3 per cent rise in revenue to 1.3billion. Super-car builder McLaren, famous for its Formula One racing team, sold 4,829 cars last year, a 45 per cent rise compared to 2017 But Tesla, the US electric car maker, revealed it had swung back to a loss of 544million in the first quarter of the year. Elon Musk admitted he may have to tap investors for more cash after burning through more than 1billion over the three-month period. Kames Capitals bonds analyst David McFadyen said he would rather back 56-year-old McLaren than the trendy American newcomer. He said: McLaren is a company delivering a niche, highly desirable product. We know which company wed rather lend to. The Government is being urged to support workers who voluntarily put extra cash into their pensions by forcing employers to pile in matching sums. Millions of people are contributing a minimum of four per cent of their salary after a rise in compulsory auto-enrolment deductions earlier this month. But many might readily pay in extra if that meant more free employer cash, and a far bigger pot at retirement, reckons financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown. Auto enrolment: Millions of people are now contributing a minimum of 4% of their salary A worker on an average salary of around 29,000 a year could end up with a pot worth 330,000-plus at age 68 if the Government incentivised saving in this way, says the firm (see below to find out how you could manage this). It argues giving extra help to workers who are personally committed to putting more aside for retirement would be better than increasing minimum auto-enrolment contributions across the board again. However, such a move would hand an advantage to those who can afford to save more, and might lead to employers shovelling more cash towards higher earners who already benefit from 40 per cent or 45 per cent pension tax relief from the Government. Research into the behaviour of 53,000 staff in workplace pension schemes run by Hargreaves shows they are significantly more likely to up contributions if their employer offers to match an individual's increase with a top-up of its own. Many employers voluntarily pay higher pension contributions than the auto-enrolment minimum to all their staff, and match higher pension contributions of those opting to save more as well. They do this to make their workforce feel rewarded, retain valued staff, and gain a recruitment advantage against competitors. Among Hargreaves' occupational pension scheme members, 22,000 have employers which match extra pension contributions, and 31,000 work for those not offering this incentive. How much can matched employer top-ups boost a pension pot? People auto-enrolled into pensions saw their minimum payments jump from 2.4 per cent to four per cent from 6 April - unless they decided to opt out. Employers' compulsory contribution rose from two per cent to three per cent, and pension tax relief from the Government went up from 0.6 per cent to one per cent. Altogether, this means workers are now putting aside eight per cent of the portion of their wages that falls under the auto enrolment rules - a 'band of earnings' of between 6,136 and 50,000. Hargreaves calculates that someone on average earnings of 28,759 a year, saving from age 22 to 68 and getting investment growth of five per cent growth, would end up with a pot of 150,893. In the same scenario, but with six per cent coming from an individual contributions plus tax relief, and six per cent in compulsory matched contributions from an employer, making 12 per cent in total, someone on average earnings would end up with a pot of 331,187. It found: - Some 49 per cent choose to increase their monthly pension savings based on 'good communications' on the subject from their pension provider. - But the proportion choosing to save more rises to 61 per cent when the employer involved also offers to match an increase in contributions. - Men are more likely to respond to matching offers than women. With no incentive, 49 per cent of women boost contributions compared to 48 per cent of men, but the introduction of matching leads to 58 per cent of women and 64 per cent of men saving more into their pensions - Younger employees are the most likely to respond to an employer cash match - it boosts the likelihood of saving more by 33 per cent among under-30s, but by 18 per cent among over-50s. Hargreaves believes this is because people are more likely to contribute more to their pension as they age anyway. - Savers with pension pots worth less than 5,000 are unaffected by offers of matching contributions, but the likelihood of paying in more is boosted by a third among those with pots of 5,000-plus who are also given a matching incentive - Employers offering workers a face-to face-meeting about their pension, plus a matching contribution, get three quarters of people to save more for retirement. Hargreaves believes the Government should look into compelling employers to match workers' extra contributions, rather than going along with calls to boost the auto-enrolment minimum for everyone from eight per cent to, say, 12 per cent. However, the firm hasn't called for any specific pension matching level that it thinks the Government should force employers to offer staff willing to pay in more themselves. Meanwhile, the Government has not yet declared any intention to increase the auto-enrolment minimum again, following the hike this month. Instead, it has announced two reforms to take effect in the 'mid-2020s' - auto-enrolling people into pensions at 18 instead of 22, and getting rid of the lower 'band of earnings' so that everyone starts saving into a pension straight away rather than when their salary hits 6,136. Hargreaves calculates that someone on average earnings who saved into a pension from age 18 to 68 with the lower 'band' gone would end up with a pot of 220,791. Does your employer offer extra matched contributions? It's worth checking whether your employer will throw in extra free pension cash, and working out if you can afford higher personal contributions to get your hands on it. More than three million workers could be spurning an average 650 a year of free money, according to previous research by Royal London. For example, an employer might automatically match three per cent of your earnings as its minimum contribution to your pension already. But they might be willing to make four per cent, five per cent or six per cent in matching contributions if you opt to save a higher proportion of your income. A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: 'Automatic enrolment has been an extraordinary success, bringing more than 10million workers into workplace pension saving since 2012. A truly revolutionary reform. 'The recent increase to the minimum contribution rate will help people save more and employers are hugely supportive of our phased approach to ensuring workers are on course to financial security in later life.' Hargreaves senior analyst Nathan Long says: 'The optimum level of workplace pensions contributions are like Goldilocks' search for the perfect porridge. 'With pensions, too little going in and people dont have enough to live on in retirement, too much and they wont have enough to live on now; they might even just opt out. 'While debate rages on what the level should be, the Government should look to employers to incentivise higher contributions by offering to match additional contributions made by their employees. 'Its an approach used by some employers already and is particularly effective at incentivising the under 30s to pay more in.' He added: 'Auto-enrolment shouldnt aim to deliver luxurious retirements for people, if they aspire to a more lavish lifestyle in retirement, or indeed early retirement they should be free to choose this. 'Of course, paying more early would boost the chances of both of these, but they may prefer to save for other needs like a first home. 'The Government could explore mandating employers to offer a level of matching on top of the minimum auto-enrolment contributions to incentivise further saving. 'In doing so, the employer would be required to contribute more only for those employees who were committed to personally saving more for their future.' Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin has been found guilty of swindling tens of thousands of dollars from banks, hotels and friends that she used to bankroll her lavish New York lifestyle. The 28-year-old was convicted on Thursday night following a month-long trial in Manhattan on three counts of grand larceny, one count of attempted grand larceny and four counts of theft of services. She was acquitted on one charge of attempted grand larceny for trying to obtain a $22million loan from one bank and one charge of grand larceny for allegedly stealing $62,000 from a friend during a trip to Morocco. Sorokin will be sentenced May 9 and faces up to 15 years behind bars. She also faces deportation to Germany because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Scroll down for video Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin was found guilty on Thursday by a Manhattan jury of swindling tens of thousands of dollars from banks, hotels and friends that she used to bankroll her lavish lifestyle Sorokin reacts on Thursday as the jury found her guilty on three counts of grand larceny, one count of attempted grand larceny and four counts of theft of services Her lawyer Todd Spodek said that Sorokin was 'obviously upset' about the verdict but they planned to file an appeal. He added he was pleased Sorokin had been acquitted of one of the most serious charges in the indictment: attempting to steal more than $1 million from City National Bank. 'Obviously she's upset as anyone would be but she's pleased that we did beat those two top charges,' he said. 'I'm saddened that she was convicted of some of the other charges.' Prosecutors celebrated the victory on Thursday night. 'As proven at trial, Anna Sorokin committed real white-collar felonies over the course of her lengthy masquerade,' said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr in a statement. 'I thank the jury for its service in this complex trial, as well as my office's prosecutors and investigators for their meticulous investigation and resolve to ensure that Sorokin faces real justice for her many thefts and lies.' The verdict followed three days of often tedious deliberations, in which jurors asked for repeated clarification on the law and, in one note to the judge, indicated they had reached a 'stalemate' due to a single uncompromising juror. In another note on Thursday, jurors said they were 'unable to reach a unanimous verdict because we fundamentally disagree'. They reached their verdict less than two hours later. Sorokin was acquitted on one charge of attempted grand larceny for trying to obtain a $22million loan from one bank and one charge of grand larceny for allegedly stealing $62,000 from a friend during a trip to Morocco Sorokin's defense attorney Todd Spodek said that the 28-year-old was 'obviously upset' about the verdict but they planned to file an appeal. They are pictured listening to the jury foreman on Thursday night Sorokin will be sentenced May 9 and faces up to 15 years behind bars During the month-long trial, jurors were told how Sorokin lived in luxury New York hotel rooms that she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses trip to Morocco and then stiffed her with the $62,000 bill and peddled bogus bank statements in her quest for a $22 million loan for a private arts club. In closing arguments on Tuesday, prosecutors portrayed Sorokin as a profligate con artist, while her lawyer insisted she was an aspiring businesswoman taken in by New York's extravagance. Her defense attorney insisted Sorokin had been 'buying time' and planned all along to settle her six-figure debts, portraying her as an entrepreneur who got in over her head. He compared her at one point to Frank Sinatra, saying 'they both created their own opportunities' in New York. 'There's a little bit of Anna in all of us,' Spodek said. 'This is the life she chose to live.' Sorokin had ambitious business plans to build a private arts club in New York and that she was 'persistent and she was determined to make her business a reality', according to her attorney. She may have led an unethical and unorthodox lifestyle, he added, but Sorokin was 'enabled every step of the way by a system that favors people with money.' In trying to prove Sorokin's intent, Assistant District Attorney Catherine McCaw said Sorokin told 'lie after lie' to prolong a life of luxury she couldn't afford, providing forged financial records and identifications to banks. She lived out of ritzy hotels on an overdrawn account, dined at the finest restaurants and even hired a personal trainer who charged $300 a session, McCaw said. Sorokin not only assumed a different identity for herself but created a team of 'imaginary' assistants, McCaw said, a ruse that lent credence to her efforts to expand her credit. There was, for instance, an accountant who didn't exist whom Sorokin blamed for delays in wire transfers. 'All of the defendant's wire transfers are merely a figment of her imagination,' McCaw said. 'These are not white lies. These are lies that help you understand that the defendant, in fact, had criminal intent in this case.' The one-time darling of the Big Apple has been on trial for the past month on grand larceny and theft of services charges after swindling friends, banks and hotels out of $275,000 in a 10-month odyssey. She is pictured in court on Wednesday Sorokin, who adopted the name Anna Delvey, deceived friends and financial institutions alike into believing she had a 60 million euro wealth overseas that would cover her lavish hotel stays and jet-setting lifestyle. Many believed she was the German heiress she claimed to be given she traveled in celebrity circles and tossed around crisp $100 bills. But behind the jet-setting lifestyle and expensive designer clothing, prosecutors said Sorokin was simply a fraudster just trying to get a taste of the high life. There's a little bit of Anna in all of us. This is the life she chose to live. Anna's attorney Todd Spodeck Sorokin was born in Russia in 1991 and moved to Germany in 2007 when she was 16 with her younger brother and parents. Her father had worked as a truck driver and later as an executive at a transport company until it became insolvent in 2013. He then opened a heating-and-cooling business specializing in energy-efficient devices. After moving to London to attend Central Saint Martins fashion school, Sorokin returned to Berlin and interned in the fashion department of a public relations firm. She then relocated to Paris where she secured a coveted internship at the French fashion magazine Purple. It's believed to be around this time that she changed her name from Sorokin to Delvey. Becoming a darling of the New York social scene: How she climbed her way to the top Sorokin was already brushing shoulders with rich people in the years before she came to New York and started dazzling Manhattan's social elite. Acquaintances say Sorokin had spent several years playing the part of an art-obsessed German heiress across the world. Sorokin was already brushing shoulders with rich people in the years before she came to New York and started dazzling Manhattan's social elite She rubbed shoulders with the fashion elite at Paris Fashion Week as early as 2013 and was frequently spotted at London nightspots like the Chiltern Firehouse and Loulou's. Those who knew of her recalled seeing her at a party in Berlin in 2015 during which Sorokin told guests she had just flown in on a private jet. As a result of her internship at Purple in Paris, some noted that she appeared to be close friends with its editor-in-chief Oliver Zahm. By the time Sorokin arrived in New York in early 2016, she seemingly had the social connections to make a name for herself, as well as a designer-clad wardrobe that exuded wealth. At the time, she had 40,000 followers on Instagram and was regularly pictured at events and parties with well-to-do people. She quickly went about proving herself to be an impossibly rich heiress who had plans to shake up New York's art world. She made a show of proving she belonged and would regularly be decked out in her now signature Celine glasses, Gucci sandals and high-end buys from Net-a-Porter and Elyse Walker. Sorokin rented a $400-a-night room for several months at Manhattan's expensive 11 Howard hotel. Concierges at the hotel - including Neff Davis who she would later become friends with - were gobsmacked when Sorokin would pass out $100 tips to them and Uber drivers. She would also splash out on shopping sprees in luxury boutiques, expensive personal training sessions and beautician appointments. The socialite elite were drawn to her and she would regularly host large dinners for celebrities, artists , CEOs and the like at the lavish Le Coucou restaurant in SoHo. By the time Sorokin arrived in New York in early 2016, she seemingly had the social connections to make a name for herself, as well as a designer-clad wardrobe that exuded wealth Sorokin gave varying accounts of where her wealth actually came from, according to her acquaintances. She told some that her father was a Russian oil billionaire. Others were under the impression that her parents were high up in the German solar energy business At one such dinner, Sorokin's concierge friend Neff Davis said she was star struck to find herself sitting next to Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin. She also once hired a PR firm to organize her birthday party at Sadelle's in SoHo. It would later emerged that she never paid the bill. It is unclear what the cost of the party was in the end. During her stay at Howard 11, Sorokin struck up a friendship with Davis when she arrived at the concierge desk asking for recommendations for the best food in SoHo. In an interview with The Cut last year, Davis recalled one instance during their friendship where they went for dinner at SoHo's Sant Ambroeus. Davis said she was forced to pay the $286 bill when Sorokin's 12 credit cards declined. 'The waiter went back to his station and began entering the numbers. There were like 12, and I know the guy tried them all,' she said. 'He was trying it and then shaking his head. And then I started to sweat, because I knew the bill was mine.' She said Sorokin paid her back triple the amount in cash the following day. Another friend, Rachel Deloache Williams, testified during Sorokin's trial that she was under the impression she was a German solar panel heiress. Williams, who also wrote about her ordeal in Vanity Fair where she worked as a photo editor, said they had met in February 2016 and were friends for 18 months. She said Delvey often paid for the pair to go to infared saunas in the East Village and they also dined together and worked out with celebrity trainer Kacy Duke, which Sorokin also paid for. When she arrived in New York in 2016, she quickly went about proving herself to be an impossibly rich heiress who had plans to shake up New York's art world German solar energy heiress or a Russian oil billionaire's daughter: Where did her 'wealth' come from? Sorokin gave varying accounts of where her wealth supposedly came from, according to her acquaintances. She told some that her father was a Russian oil billionaire or a diplomat to Russia. Others were under the impression that her parents were high up in the solar energy business. In reality Sorokin did not have a cent to her name, according to prosecutors. Her father is a former truck driver in Russia who now runs a heating and cooling business. Sorokin managed to avoid suspicion among her wealthy friends in New York for months. People around her say they didn't even think twice when she asked them to put taxi fares and plane tickets on their credit cards. She would often blame her situation on issues with moving her assets across from Europe. Associates recall laughing it off as forgetfulness - because she was so rich - when they had to hound her to pay them back. As she continued to ingratiate herself into the New York socialite scene, Sorokin started talking about her plans to build her dream project a multi-million private arts club that she thought about calling the Anna Delvey Foundation. It would be an arts foundation that would include exhibitions, installations, pop-up shops, bars and restaurants. She compared the project to the SoHo house members' club empire and said she planned to open branches in London, Los Angeles, Dubai and Hong Kong. Bogus bank statements showing a $60m fortune and depositing fake checks: How she managed to scam Sorokin kept up the heiress ruse when she went looking for a $22 million loan to fund her new club in November 2016. She said the loan would be secured by a letter of credit from UBS in Switzerland and showed what prosecutors say were bogus bank statements that purported to substantiate the $67 million in assets she claimed to have. Spencer Garfield, a banker at the private equity fund Fortress, testified during her trial that Sorokin's loan was rejected because she couldn't produce proof of her fortune. Her attorney argued in court that one of the firm's executives had sent Sorokin dozens of proactive 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. People around her say they didn't even think twice when she asked them to put taxi fares and plane tickets on their credit cards. She would often blame her situation on issues with moving her assets across from Europe As she continued to ingratiate herself into the New York socialite scene, Sorokin started talking about her plans to build her dream project a multi-million private arts club that she thought about calling the Anna Delvey Foundation HOW ANNA MANAGED TO SECURE MONEY: Sorokin sought a $22 million loan from Fortress Investment Group in 2017 to fund her arts club after showing the private equity firm fake documents claiming she had a 60 million euro fortune. They said they would consider it if she put up $100,000 for them to do due diligence, which is basically a background check of her financial records. She managed to get a $100,000 from a different bank, City National, by convincing them to give her an overdraft that she promised to repay within days. Sorokin then gave the $100,000 to Fortress. They spent $45,000 of it carrying out their financial review before Sorokin asked for $55,000 back, claiming she no longer needed their services. She never repaid City National. Instead, she managed to spend the entire $55,000 within a month to fund her lavish lifestyle. She also resorted to depositing bad checks and transferring funds out before they bounced - a process called check kiting. This is how she got the $30,000 to pay 11 Howard via a wire transfer. Between April 7 and April 11, she deposited $160,000 in bad checks into her Citibank account and transferred $70,000 out before they bounced. In August, she opened a different account with a different bank, Signature, deposited $15,000 in bad checks and withdrew $8,200 before they bounced. Advertisement Prosecutors said Sorokin ended up bailing on another firm when it pressured her for a meeting with a UBS banker who could verify her assets. Another New York banker testified that Sorokin seemed to 'speak the language' of the financial world during her attempt to obtain a multimillion-dollar loan. Ryan Salem of City National Bank told the court that his bank denied a request to finance the private arts club Sorokin proposed building. Salem said the financial statements she provided in support of the loan just 'didn't add up.' 'We always believed that she had money,' he said. 'She seemed to speak the language. She understood the financial jargon that you need to know to interact and transact in this environment.' Despite a host of red flags, City National still agreed to lend Sorokin $100,000 in an overdraft that she promised to repay within days. Sorokin sought this $100,000 after Fortress agreed to consider her loan request if she provided the funds for them to do due diligence, which is basically a background check of her financial records. She gave the $100,000 to Fortress and they spent $45,000 of it carrying out their financial review. Sorokin then asked for the remaining $55,000 back, claiming she no longer needed their services. She never repaid City National. Instead, she managed to spend the entire $55,000 within a month to fund her lavish lifestyle. Between April 7 and April 11 in 2017, prosecutors said Sorokin deposited $160,000 in bad checks into her Citibank account and transferred $70,000 before the checks could bounce. In August, prosecutors said Sorokin opened a bank account with Signature Bank and deposited $15,000 of bad checks into the account. She withdrew about $8,200 in cash before the checks were returned. Her fall from grace: The $30,000 in hotel charges and a $62,000 Morocco trip she couldn't pay for Sorokin's fall from grace seemingly started to unravel when she was kicked out of the 11 Howard hotel. Her friend Neff, who worked at the hotel, was contacted by a manager at 11 Howard in early 2017 to say they didn't have a credit card on file to pay for Sorokin's lengthy stay. At that point, Sorokin had racked up $30,000 in charges at the hotel. When the hotel pressed her for payment, Sorokin told them a wire transfer was on the way and then proceeded to order a case of 1975 Dom Perignon for the staff. Citibank eventually did send the wire transfer for the full $30,000 amount, which prosecutors said she paid for using money from bad checks. But the hotel still locked Sorokin out of her hotel room in May 2017 while she was away on a trip to Nebraska because she couldn't provide a working credit card. Sorokin had chartered a private plane that cost $35,400 to and from the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska so she could try and meet billionaire Warren Buffet. She boasted to friends that she got into a dinner party and spoke to the billionaire herself. The bill for the charter company, which is popular among New York's elite who use it to fly to and from the Hamptons and Miami, never got paid. A spokesman for Fly Blade said it made an exception for Sorokin because international payments can sometimes take time to come through. In Sorokin's case, she had assured them with doctored confirmation of payment. 'For the flight in question, we received oral confirmation of the funds transfer with routing numbers and all relevant and verifiable account information. This was followed by receipt of a PDF of a Deutsche Bank wire confirmation which Deutsche Bank later determined was doctored,' a spokesman told DailyMail.com. When Sorokin did not pay, they canceled the return leg of her trip. The jet was also already en-route to Los Angeles, they said, so 'the cost of stopping in Omaha was de minimus'. Friend, Rachel Deloache Williams, who wrote about her ordeal with Anna in Vanity Fair, went with Sorokin on the Morocco trip. When Sorokin's credit cards declined, Williams was forced to put the $62,000 trip on her work card During cross examination last week, Sorokin's attorney questioned her former friend Williams about how she didn't see the red flags other had raised about his client's wealth. He suggested that Williams had turned a blind eye because she was a beneficiary of Sorokin's generosity Upon her return to New York, she was evicted by police from the 11 Howard hotel. She moved her luggage to the Mercer hotel just around the corner and then immediately embarked on a $62,000 extravagant trip to Morocco that she had promised two friends that same month. Williams - the Vanity Fair photo editor - was among those invited on the all-expense paid trip, as well as Sorokin's personal trainer Kacy Duke and a videographer to document the trip 'for fun'. Sorokin had told her friends she needed to leave the country to allow her tourist ESTA visa to renew. The flights were paid for by Williams on her work credit card and she assumed Sorokin would reimburse her since she had claimed she would foot the bill for the lavish vacation. They checked into a $7,000-a-night villa at the five star resort La Mamounia. The six-day trip was not without hiccups for several days until the hotel staff insisted on putting a credit card on file because Sorokin had booked their trip without a working one. Many believed Anna was the German heiress she claimed to be given she traveled in celebrity circles and tossed around crisp $100 bills Williams, who said she had $410 in her checking account at the time, was forced to hand her credit card over. The balance was more than she earned in a year. Sorokin had promised to pay her back $70,000 when they returned to New York. But after months of hassling her for the money, Williams said she reported Sorokin to police and then the New York district attorney's office. After returning from Morocco and having been kicked out of the 11 Howard, Sorokin had checked into the Beekman Hotel. She told Williams that the Mercer - where she had dropped her bags before leaving on the trip - had since booked out. She was subsequently locked out of her room at the Beekman after just 20 days when the hotel realized they didn't have a working credit card on file and she had racked up $11,500 in charges. Sorokin then checked into W Hotel downtown for two nights but met a similar fate. She then asked her trainer and Williams if she could sleep on their couches. Sorokin was arrested in October 2017 for stealing $275,000 through multiple scams between November 2016 and August 2017. It emerged last week during the trial that Sorokin's friend Williams had helped set up her arrest. Williams, with the help of the NYPD, had arranged a lunch with Sorokin in Los Angeles so the fake socialite could be taken into custody. Sorokin has always denied the 16 charges filed against her, including grand theft and larceny. Her attorney Todd Spodek has claimed his client never intended to commit a crime and she had always intended to pay back the money she owed. He told jurors during the opening statements of her trial 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 argued that Sorokin was just trying to buy time so she could launch her business and repay the debts. 'Anna had to fake it until she could make it,' her attorney said. Following her arrest in October 2017, Sorokin made several brief court appearances looking a world away from the German heiress she claimed to be. When her trial started on March 27, Sorokin's fashion choices drastically changed During cross examination last week, Sorokin's attorney questioned her former friend Williams about how she didn't see the red flags other had raised about his client's wealth. He suggested that Williams had turned a blind eye because she was a beneficiary of Sorokin's generosity. 'This is the most traumatic thing I've ever been through,' Williams said tearfully during the trial. 'I wish I had never met Anna. If I could go back in time and not be where I am today, you bet I would.' During the trial, Williams told jurors that she was paid $1,300 for the Vanity Fair article and she has sold her story to HBO and publishing company Simon & Schuster. She stands to make about $635,000 if the deals go through. Netflix or HBO? Hollywood's fight for Sorokin's story Almost as quickly as Sorokin was arrested, producers and screenwriters were clambering to secure the rights to her story. There are two productions in the works: a Netflix series produced by Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and a dueling HBO series by Lena Dunham. Sorokin, who has been jailed at Rikers since her arrest, is said to be thrilled about the interest, according to friends. Neff Davis (above), who met Sorokin when she was a concierge at the 11 Howard, said Anna wants Jennifer Lawrence or Margot Robbie to play her in a Netflix or HBO series 'She's like, Okay, as long as Jennifer Lawrence or Margot Robbie play me,' Neff Davis, a former hotel receptionist described as Sorokin's 'only remaining friend', told Paper magazine last year. She was aghast that there were rumors Lindsay Lohan was being considered, Davis said. 'Oh my god, no offense, but isn't she like 30? My hair's not even red anymore, did you tell them that,' Davis claimed Sorokin told her during one conversation about it. 'She really, really wants Margot Robbie. 'She just watched I, Tonya in Rikers and thinks Margot is bada**. I'm sure Margot Robbie would kill it,' Davis added. Neither Robbie nor Lawrence has signed on to any project. During her trial, she was lambasted by Justice Diane Kiesel for seeming to care more about the productions than the trial. 'She seems more concerned about who is going to play her in the movie than what she's done to the people she allegedly took advantage of,' Kiesel said of Sorokin. 'This is not a fashion show': How her trial became a catwalk of designer clothing Sorokin was also scolded by the judge multiple times during the trial for delaying proceedings because she wasn't happy with her outfit choices and treating the trial like a 'fashion show'. She turned heads on each day of her trial thanks to her choice of designer clothing - but the choice infuriated the judge and ended with Sorokin in tears. During one court appearance, Sorokin refused to come out of her holding cell dressed in her prison uniform. The hearing was delayed when her attorney handed the judge a bag with a weeks worth of clothing, which then had to be checked by security. Sorokin (pictured on Tuesday) was also scolded by the judge multiple times during the trial for delaying proceedings because she wasn't happy with her outfit choices and treating the trial like a 'fashion show' On the first day of her trial, Sorokin stepped into the courtroom dressed in her usual Celine glasses, a sleek, low cut black Michael Kors dress and a black choker Sorokin donned this white sheer Zara dress on Wednesday as the jury continued to deliberate in her case 'This is the last day we're playing with clothes,' a furious Judge Diane Kiesel said. Sorokin eventually emerged in a court appointed outfit because she didn't like what the attorney had picked. She wept and had to be consoled by her attorney when the judge scolded her courtroom antics. 'I've had a jury here since 9.30 this morning,' the judge told her. 'This is unacceptable and inappropriate... This is not a fashion show.' The one-time darling of the New York social scene and her attorney Todd Spodek had enlisted the services of a stylist for her courtroom appearances. Stylist Anastasia Walker - who has worked with the likes of Courtney Love, T-Pain and G-Eazy - quickly started dressing her in Yves Saint Laurent, Michael Kors and Victoria Beckham. On the first day of her trial, Sorokin stepped into the courtroom dressed in her usual Celine glasses, a sleek, low cut black Michael Kors dress and a black choker. The following day she stepped out in a sheer black Yves Saint Laurent blouse and Victoria Beckham pants. She opted for two black mini-dresses and black tights last week, as well as black pants with various beige, black and white blouses. Sorokin dared to wear a snakeskin mini-dress on Monday as she declined to testify. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Sorokin opted for a cream lace dress that skimmed her thighs and a white sheer Zara dress. During one court appearance on April 3, Sorokin refused to come out of her holding cell dressed in her prison uniform. She eventually emerged in a court appointed outfit and cried when she sat down Sorokin dared to wear the snakeskin print mini-dress on Monday as she declined to testify and both sides rested their cases in the fraud trial Her attorneys had tried to get her into stilettos for the trial but the Department of Corrections deemed them to be too dangerous. Instead, Sorokin has been wearing the same pair of black ballet flats throughout the trial. An Instagram account was quick to pop up titled AnnaDelveyCourtLooks that has been documenting her daily outfits during the high-profile trial. Her style, while on trial for fraud, has been described by onlookers as 'iconic' and 'mysterious chic'. Sorokin's stylist said it was intentional and each outfit has been well planned. Walker said she opted for monochrome pieces because they are timeless and that needed to be the case because Sorokin's photos were likely to appear in various media outlets. Another factor that weighed on Walker was that Sorokin's courtroom style could affect how she is portrayed in the possible Netflix and HBO series about her. 'I really tried to focus on classic silhouettes and classic pieces in general,' Walker told Elle Magazine. '(The all black) is mysterious chic, and although it's getting a lot of media attention, this is still her real life. People have made comments that she doesn't tale life seriously, but to me black is just a strong and powerful color. It's serious.' Walker said she became connected to Sorokin through a mutual friend, Neff Davis the hotel concierge at the 11 Howard hotel and one of Sorokin's only remaining friends. 'I couldn't show her photographs, but as people interested in fashion, we spoke in references about the themes she wanted to come through. I selected some timeless pieces, given that everything is so public today and (trial) photographs can be saved, potentially forever,' Walker said. The stylist sent Sorokin several pieces of borrowed clothing from designers including Saint Laurent, Victoria Beckham, Michael Kors and Chloe. Anna Sorokin, who was found guilty of fraud on Thursday, cut a glamorous figure when she first arrived in New York and dazzled the high-flying Manhattan social elite with her wealth. Sorokin - then known as her alias Anna Delvey - was often spotted wearing her Celine glasses, Gucci sandals and high-end buys from Net-a-Porter and Elyse Walker. But behind the pricey threads and jet-setting lifestyle, Sorokin was a fraudster who swindled $275,000 from friends, businesses, hotels and banks in a 10-month odyssey for a taste of the high life. So when it came time for her fraud trial to start in Manhattan Supreme Court last month, it was no surprise that Sorokin demanded to wear something other than her Rikers Island prison uniform. She has been turning heads on each day of her trial thanks to her choice of clothing. But her behavior has infuriated the judge on more than one occasion for treating the fraud trial like a 'fashion show'. Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin, 28, has turned heads during her fraud trial in Manhattan due to her unique fashion choices. She wore this cream lace dress on Tuesday to hear closing arguments in her case Following her arrest in October 2017, Sorokin made several brief court appearances looking a world away from the German heiress she claimed to be. When her trial started on March 27, Sorokin's fashion choices drastically changed The one-time darling of the New York social scene and her attorney Todd Spodek had enlisted the services of a stylist for her courtroom appearances. Stylist Anastasia Walker who has worked with the likes of Courtney Love, T-Pain and G-Eazy quickly started dressing her in Yves Saint Laurent, Michael Kors and Victoria Beckham. On the first day of her trial, Sorokin stepped into the courtroom dressed in her usual Celine glasses, a sleek, low cut black Michael Kors dress worth about $175 and a black choker. The following day she stepped out in a sheer black Yves Saint Laurent blouse worth $1,300 and $580 Victoria Beckham pants. She opted for two black mini-dresses and black tights last week, as well as black pants with various beige, black and white blouses. Sorokin dared to wear a snakeskin mini-dress on Monday as she declined to testify. On Tuesday as jurors listened to closing statements, Sorokin opted for a cream lace dress that skimmed her thighs. She donned a white sheer Zara dress on Wednesday as the jury continued to deliberate. MARCH 27: For the first day of her trial, Sorokin wore this black, low cut Michael Kors dress, which she paired a choker she had made herself MARCH 28: She stepped out in a sheer black Yves Saint Laurent blouse and Victoria Beckham pants for the second day of her fraud trial APRIL 1: Sorokin recycled her Victoria Beckham pants during the second week her trial APRIL 3: During one court appearance, Sorokin refused to come out of her holding cell dressed in her prison uniform. She eventually emerged in a court appointed outfit and cried when she sat down While each day of the trial has been a surprise on the fashion front, one thing has remained the same - her now-signature black Celine glasses. Her attorneys had tried to get her into stilettos for the trial but the Department of Corrections deemed them to be too dangerous. Instead, Sorokin has been wearing the same pair of black ballet flats throughout the trial. An Instagram account was quick to pop up titled AnnaDelveyCourtLooks that has been documenting her daily outfits during the high-profile trial. Her style, while on trial for fraud, has been described by onlookers as 'iconic' and 'mysterious chic'. Sorokin's stylist said it was intentional and each outfit has been well planned. Walker said she opted for monochrome pieces because they are timeless and that needed to be the case because Sorokin's photos were likely to appear in various media outlets. Another factor that weighed on Walker was that Sorokin's courtroom style could affect how she is portrayed in the possible Netflix and HBO series about her. 'I really tried to focus on classic silhouettes and classic pieces in general,' Walker told Elle Magazine. APRIL 4: Sorokin recycled her sheer Yves Saint Laurent blouse for this court hearing, which she paired with cigarette-style black pants and ballet flats APRIL 5: Dressed in court appointed attire, Sorokin attempted to put her own twist by tying the shirt at her waist. She also donned a black choker for the hearing APRIL 8: Sorokin dressed in a beige H&M sweater and black pants. She paired the look with her signature Celine glasses and a choker necklace APRIL 10: Sorokin's Saint Laurent blouse made yet another appearance in the third week of the trial, but was paired with a pencil skirt and sheer black tights '(The all black) is mysterious chic, and although it's getting a lot of media attention, this is still her real life. People have made comments that she doesn't tale life seriously, but to me black is just a strong and powerful color. It's serious.' Walker said she became connected to Sorokin through a mutual friend, Neff Davis the hotel concierge at the 11 Howard hotel and one of Sorokin's only remaining friends. '(Sorokin's case) is interesting and unique, but the main reason I decided to help out was because of our mutual friend,' Walker said. 'I'm always happy to help and I love what I do. If it works and I can make it happen, then why not?' Walker spoke with Sorokin over the phone from Rikers and they spoke about her vision and what she was interested in wearing. 'I couldn't show her photographs, but as people interested in fashion, we spoke in references about the themes she wanted to come through. I selected some timeless pieces, given that everything is so public today and (trial) photographs can be saved, potentially forever,' Walker said. The stylist sent Sorokin several pieces of borrowed clothing from designers including Saint Laurent, Victoria Beckham, Michael Kors and Chloe. 'The idea was to give at least looks that could go through this week, but also be versatile, and mixed and matched and worn different ways,' Walker told GQ. APRIL 11: Sorokin recycled her beige H&M sweater and black skinny trousers to round out week three of the trial APRIL 12: Sorokin was all smiles in court when she was dressed in her Saint Laurent blouse, skinny trousers and black ballet flats APRIL 17: Sorokin wore this black long-sleeved, pleated mini dress with black tights and a thin choker APRIL 18: The 28-year-old chose a sheer black Zara dress worth $50 for one court hearing on April 18. She paired it with sheer black tights and a thin choker APRIL 22: Sorokin dared to wear the snakeskin print mini-dress on Monday as she declined to testify and both sides rested their cases in the fraud trial APRIL 23: Her choice of a white lace dress to hear final arguments in the case is in stark contrast to the mostly black fashion choices she was making During the trial, Sorokin was repeatedly scolded by the judge for delaying court hearings and treating her fraud trial like a 'fashion show'. During one court appearance, Sorokin refused to come out of her holding cell dressed in her prison uniform. The hearing was delayed when her attorney handed the judge a bag with a weeks worth of clothing, which then had to be checked by security. 'This is the last day we're playing with clothes,' a furious Judge Diane Kiesel said. She eventually emerged in a court appointed outfit because she didn't like what the attorney had picked. She wept and had to be consoled by her attorney when the judge scolded her courtroom antics. 'Ive had a jury here since 9.30 this morning,' the judge told her. 'This is unacceptable and inappropriate... This is not a fashion show.' It is not clear who is paying the stylist for her services. Neither Walker or Sorokin's attorney would confirm how the stylist was being paid. Walker did say, however, that she would continue working with Sorokin in the future. '(Anna) is very lucky to have a team and people that support her,' she said. 'There are so many people that don't.' APRIL 24: As the jury deliberated on Wednesday, Sorokin walked into the courtroom wearing this white sheer Zara dress that's worth $50 Wealthy stock trader Daniel Beckwitt has been convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the fiery death of Askia Khafra A wealthy stock trader has been found guilty of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter after a young man burned to death while helping him secretly dig tunnels for an underground nuclear bunker beneath his Maryland home. Jurors deliberated for about 12 hours before delivering their verdict on Wednesday in the case of 27-year-old conspiracy theorist Daniel Beckwitt. Beckwitt hired 21-year-old Askia Khafra to dig an elaborate system beneath his house over fears of a nuclear attack from North Korea, officials had said. He was charged with both offenses in the September 2017 death of tragic Askia and faces up to 30 years in prison at sentencing set for June 17. Beckwitt slumped over a table, covered his face with his hands and wept after the verdict was read. He shook his head as court officers handcuffed him. Judge Margaret Schweitzer agreed to revoke Beckwitt's $100,000 bond. The fire erupted as Khafra was digging tunnels under Beckwitt's Bethesda home, which was littered with piles of garbage. A prosecutor accused Beckwitt, said to be worth at least $3.7 million, of recklessly endangering Khafra's life and sacrificing safety for secrecy. Khafra was unable to make it out alive after a fire ignited in the home because he had been kept in the dark about the actual design of the home he was working beneath. Defense attorney Robert Bonsib had told jurors the fire was an accident, not a crime. Beckwitt did not testify at his trial, which lasted nearly two weeks. The fire erupted as Khafra was digging tunnels under Beckwitt's Bethesda home, which was littered with piles of garbage. Montgomery County prosecutor Marybeth Ayres had said Beckwitt created the conditions that prevented Khafra from escaping the fire Jurors heard that he tried to trick Khafra into thinking they were digging the tunnels in Virginia instead of Maryland by having him don 'blackout glasses' before taking him on a long drive Bonsib said afterward that he would appeal. He said he believes the jurors may have been unfairly influenced by photographs they were shown of extreme hoarding conditions at the home in the upscale Maryland suburb of the nation's capital. 'The problem is the pictures of the hoarding conditions did not reveal what the path out of the home looked like before the fire,' Bonsib said. Beckwitt had been charged with both offenses in the September 2017 death of 21-year-old Askia Khafra. He faces up to 30 years in prison at sentencing set for June 17. Dia Khafra, Askia's father, said he was pleased with the verdict and thanked investigators and prosecutors for their work on the case. 'It has restored my faith in the justice system,' he said. Montgomery County prosecutor Marybeth Ayres had said Beckwitt created the conditions that prevented Khafra from escaping the fire. Ayres said Beckwitt engaged in 'extreme risk-taking behavior' and created a 'death trap' in his family's home, with mounds of trash blocking Khafra's escape. Assistant State's Attorney Marybeth Ayres had told jurors: 'He was stuck in a death trap. He could not get out.' 'This was a survivable fire, and we know that because the defendant survived,' she said Tuesday during the trial's closing arguments. Beckwitt went to elaborate lengths to keep the project a secret. Jurors heard that he tried to trick Khafra into thinking they were digging the tunnels in Virginia instead of Maryland by having him don 'blackout glasses' before taking him on a long drive. They also were told Beckwitt also used internet 'spoofing' to make it appear they were digging in Virginia. Until Khafra's death, no one knew anything about Beckwitt's bizarre plan. Hours before the fire broke out in the basement, Khafra texted Beckwitt to warn him it smelled like smoke in the tunnels. The fire erupted in the basement as Khafra was digging tunnels lower down under Beckwitt's home Firefighters found Khafra's naked, charred body in the basement, only a few steps from an exit Bonsib described his client as a 'very strange young man' but urged jurors to look past his idiosyncratic personality. 'Being different, living in a different circumstance, is not a crime,' he said. Hours before the fire broke out in the basement, Khafra texted Beckwitt to warn him it smelled like smoke in the tunnels. Ayres said Beckwitt didn't respond for more than six hours before telling Khafra that there had been a 'major electrical failure.' Instead of getting Khafra out of the tunnels, Beckwitt told him that he 'just switched it all over to another circuit,' according to the prosecutor. Bonsib said Beckwitt screamed for help from neighbors after the fire broke out and risked his own safety in a failed attempt to rescue his friend from the blaze. Khafra posted photos of himself in the tunnels on social media, suggesting he was proud of the work, Bonsib argued. The fire erupted in the basement as Khafra was digging tunnels lower down under Beckwitt's home. Firefighters found his naked, charred body in the basement, only a few steps from an exit. The state medical examiner determined that the cause of death was smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Tribune Askia Khafra's father Dia holds a photo of his son. He said he was pleased with the verdict and thanked investigators and prosecutors for their work on the case Khafra met Beckwitt online. Beckwitt had invested money in a company Khafra was trying to launch as he helped Beckwitt dig the tunnels. A hole in the concrete basement floor led to a shaft that dropped down 20 feet (6 meters) into tunnels that branched out roughly 200 feet (60 meters) in length. Investigators concluded the blaze was ignited by a defective electrical outlet in the basement. Khafra worked in the tunnels for days at a time, eating and sleeping in there. They had lights, an air circulation system and a heater. Bonsib said Khafra was a willing participant in the project. He argued there was no evidence, only speculation, to explain why Khafra died in the fire that day. 'This case is a mystery without an answer,' Bonsib told jurors. Ayres said the evidence clearly shows why Khafra died in the fire. 'Because he couldn't get out,' she said. More than three hours before they reached a verdict, jurors told the judge that they had agreed on a verdict on one count against Beckwitt but didn't have a unanimous decision on the other count. They didn't elaborate, and the judge instructed them to continue deliberating. Imprisoned actor Bill Cosby has renewed attacks on a Pennsylvania trial judge as he again seeks bail while he appeals against his sex-assault conviction. Lawyers for the 81-year-old Cosby filed a bail motion with the state Superior Court. They complain that Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill has not issued a post-trial opinion explaining key trial decisions in the seven months since Cosby's conviction. Scroll down for video Cosby's lawyers have complained that Judge Steven O'Neill has not issued a post-trial opinion explaining key trial decisions since he was conviced seven months The defence needs the opinion to pursue Cosby's appeals. There is no deadline for judges to file their opinions, and some spend many months on them in complex cases. The motion accuses Mr O'Neill of harbouring a personal grudge against a defence witness. Mr O'Neill's office says he will not have a comment on the motion. Cosby is serving a three- to 10-year prison term for drugging and molesting a woman in 2004. A statement posted on Cosby's Instagram feed read: 'Judge Steven T. O'Neill continues to show his disgust and prejudice towards Mr. Cosby. Judge Steven O'Niell has been widely criticized by Cosby's legal team over his handling of the trial Cosby's team hit out at the official on Instagram asking for the 'scandalous judge be removed immediately' 'We're asking that this scandalous judge be removed immediately, and Mr. Cosby be granted bail throughout the appeals process, because the judge's racial hatred towards Mr. Cosby, clouds his better judgement to be a good steward of the bench.' Quoting Mr Cosby, the post also says: 'This judge took an oath. I Believe. To be fair and impartial, which grants him the authority to perform all of the duties detailed in the Constitution.' 'I don't know what Constitutional rock this judge resides, because his refusal to write an opinion, reveals that he's complicit in the corruption against me, and that he's an accessory to the incestuous behavior that resides in Montgomery County. His dishonorable conduct makes me smile, because this judge is being exposed, and it shows that this is bigger than me, [Bill Cosby]. 'O'Neill now has his formula: tried, true and tested to destroy Any Black Man and/or Colored Man In America. I'm just so happy, because this guy is proving my innocence. And guess what else. America is finally getting to witness the truth.' The bodies of a German woman and her 10-year-old son were found Wednesday in a cave on the Canary island of Tenerife. A search for the child and his mother began on Tuesday after hikers discovered his five-year-old brother alone near the town of Adeje. He told police his father - who has since been arrested by Spain's Civil Guard - had taken the family to a cave and attacked them. Members of an emergency team stand on a road leading to a cave at the base of the Teide volcano, where a mother and son were found in Santa Cruz de Tenerife The boy said he escaped after he saw large quantities of blood, Spain's private Europa Press news agency reported. Police arrested the 43-year-old father, who also is German, in an apartment in downtown Adeje. The man had reportedly moved to the island on a permanent basis. The woman and their two sons had arrived on Monday to visit. More than 100 emergency workers and police, aided by helicopters, participated in the search. Members of the Spanish Civil Guard block the road leading to a cave at the base of the Teide volcano Members of the Spanish Civil Guard work on a road leading to a cave at the base of the Teide volcano The bodies of the mother and 10-year-old were located Wednesday afternoon in a cave between two ravines at the base of the Teide volcano, which towers over Tenerife island, the Civil Guard said. There was signs of violence, Spain's El Pais newspaper reported, citing anonymous investigation sources. A local court that specialises in crimes against women has taken charge of the case and sealed the investigation. The volcanic Tenerife island in the Atlantic Ocean is a popular holiday destination. Violence against women is a persistent problem in Spain, where more than 990 women have died at the hands of their partners or former partners since 2003, when official Spanish records on such slayings began. The public defenders for the man accused of carrying out the Parkland school massacre have unexpectedly asked to withdraw from the case after revealing that the 20-year-old will soon inherit nearly half a million dollars and will no longer qualify for free legal representation. The Broward County Public Defender's Office filed the notice late on Wednesday, saying Nikolas Cruz is set to receive more than $432,000 shortly from his late mother's life insurance policy. Under state law, the public defender can only represent defendants who cannot afford private attorneys. Cruz is charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder arising from the February 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The former Stoneman Douglas student faces a possible death sentence. In this April 5, 2019 photo, Parkland school suspect Nikolas Cruz listens during a hearing at the Broward Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and his chief assistant, Gordon Weekes, said their office learned about the insurance policy this week. At a court hearing last year, their office had said the amount was likely to be about $30,000, too little to hire a private attorney. 'By statute, we can only represent the poor and indigent,' Weekes told The Associated Press by phone Wednesday. 'We are asking to withdraw from the case because the defendant is no longer poor.' But Cruz may not get the money. It is likely that the victims' families who are suing Cruz will claim the money should go to them and judges will have to determine who ultimately receives it. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, who is presiding over the criminal case, has not set a hearing on the public defenders' withdrawal motion and she might require them to stay on until that is settled. David Brill, an attorney representing the father of victim Meadow Pollack in a lawsuit against Cruz and others, said Wednesday that he is exploring his options. Other attorneys representing families and victims did not immediately respond to emails seeking their comments. Nikolas Cruz speaks with his attorney in court for a defense motion at the Broward Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, April 18 Weekes said that his office cannot help Cruz hire a private criminal defense attorney nor can it advise him what to do with the money. It is also unclear how Cruz would access the money from jail. Cruz has said that he would prefer any money he received from his mother's estate or insurance go to the victims and their families. Lynda Cruz died of pneumonia in November 2017, three months before the shooting, leaving behind Cruz and his younger brother, Zachary. Their father died when they were young, not long after they were adopted. The mother had a tumultuous relationship with her sons, calling police dozens of times over the years to say they had been verbally abusive or had damaged her property. Zachary and other family members have said Nikolas Cruz sometimes hit his mother and once threatened her with a gun, but she never reported that. She went with him to buy a gun shortly after he turned 18, but with a caveat. Cruz is charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder arising from the February 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School A gun store employee told investigators after the shooting that he had received a call from Linda Cruz the day after the 2017 purchase. She asked him not to release the gun to him after the three-day waiting period if she wasn't there. When he pressed her on why, she hesitated and then said he was young and she wanted him to be safe. Cruz's trial is scheduled to begin early next year. Finkelstein said it is too early to say whether this new development would delay the trial, 'but it certainly won't speed it up.' His office has estimated that more than a million documents have been generated in the case, which would have to be transferred to a new attorney. Cruz has pleaded not guilty though Finkelstein has said he would plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. They declined comment Wednesday. Patients will wait longer for operations and care will get worse in the face of a looming pensions crisis for doctors, the British Medical Association has warned. The doctors union claims new pension rules are forcing consultants to substantially reduce their hours or take early retirement. The BMA has written to Chancellor Philip Hammond warning the regulations are creating a perfect storm for the NHS with serious consequences for patients. Patients will wait longer for operations and care will get worse in the face of a looming pensions crisis for doctors, the British Medical Association has warned (stock image) Doctors say they are being hit with huge tax bills on their pensions as a result of new rules that came into force in 2016. Some have told of being stung with five-figure tax bills after working overtime to help reduce waiting lists. Dr Rob Harwood, chairman of the BMAs consultant committee, said doctors only option was to cut back on their hours, to the detriment of their patients. He added: It cannot be right that doctors working extra hours to reduce waiting lists or cover rota gaps are then hit with additional tax bills greater than the value of the extra hours worked. Unless action is taken, our only option is to reduce the amount of time we work for the NHS, which will be detrimental to our patients and to the countrys health service. Under the rules, if a doctor earns more than 110,000 and uses the full 40,000 pension allowance, a taper kicks in that gradually slashes their tax-free allowance down to 10,000. This means they can be taxed thousands for earning a penny over the threshold. The doctors union claims new pension rules are forcing consultants to substantially reduce their hours or take early retirement. The BMA has written to Chancellor Philip Hammond warning the regulations are creating a perfect storm for the NHS with serious consequences for patients (stock image) Some doctors have been hit with unexpected bills of over 80,000 and some have had to remortgage their homes to pay up. A BMA survey of 4,000 consultants found 30 per cent planned to cut back hours and 60 per cent planned to retire early because of the issue. John Kell, of the Patients Association, said: Theres no doubt patient care will suffer if vastly experienced doctors turn down extra shifts. The impact of this on patients is significant: from longer waiting hours for people in pain and discomfort to delays in cancer diagnosis, people who require care and treatment from doctors will be the ones affected. How their tax bills soar Workers can save 40,000 into a pension every year tax-free but a rule introduced in 2016 means this allowance can start to shrink the moment you earn a penny over 110,000. If your taxable income and pension savings combined rise above 150,000, a taper gradually reduces your 40,000 tax-free allowance down to 10,000 at a rate of 1 for every 2 you go above the threshold. But for those in defined benefit schemes like the NHSs, the growth in the total value of your pension across retirement is counted. NHS Pensions calculates this by multiplying any rise in predicted annual pension income by at least 16, leading to huge tax bills for top earners. Advertisement One NHS cancer treatment specialist said she had not taken on any extra shifts for two years, adding: If nothing changes trusts are going to see spiralling waiting lists. It is just biting now and it is going to get worse. The Department of Health said: We recognise the tax implications of the annual allowance and its impact on high earners in the NHS. 'We keep public sector pay and pensions policy under continuous review and are talking to the Treasury about this issue. The Treasury said: Doctors benefit from one of the best defined benefit occupational pension schemes. 'But we have to get the balance right between encouraging saving and managing government finances, which is why we restrict the tax relief available for the highest earners. Netflix is desperate to retain its top-watched show The Office, with the streaming service's exclusive licensing deal set to expire and rights-holder NBCUniversal planning to launch a competing streaming platform next year. Top executives at NBCUniversal have begun internal discussions about removing The Office from Netflix when the contract expires in 2021, people familiar with the situation told the Wall Street Journal. In response to the report, Netflix rushed to soothe anxious viewers of its top-watched show, writing in a tweet on Wednesday: 'Hello it's me with your regularly scheduled reminder that The Office will be on Netflix until 2021 at least!' Last year, The Office accounted for nearly 3 percent of all U.S. Netflix viewing, or some 52 billion minutes, according to a data analysis that Nielsen performed for the Journal. Top executives at NBCUniversal have begun internal discussions about removing The Office (above) from Netflix when the contract expires in 2021 The sitcom about a wacky boss and his employees at a Pennsylvania paper company aired 201 episode on NBC from 2005 to 2013. Top 10 most viewed shows on Netflix 1. The Office (NBCUniversal) 2. Friends (WarnerMedia) 3. Grey's Anatomy (Disney) 4. NCIS (CBS Corp) 5. Criminal Minds (CBS Corp) 6. Shameless (CBS Corp) 7. Orange Is The New Black (Netflix) 8. Supernatural (CBS Corp/WarnerMedia) 9. Parks And Recreation (NBCUniversal) 10. Ozark (Netflix) Source: WSJ Advertisement Netflix reportedly paid around $100million for the exclusive rights to stream The Office over several years - but when the deal expires in 2021, the beloved sitcom's future on Netflix is in doubt. Within NBCUniversal, some have argued for a non-exclusive deal sharing rights to the show with Netflix for a slightly rate, sources told the Journal. Any continued exclusive deal would be sure to cost Netflix dearly, if NBCUniversal were even willing to consider such an arrangement at all. The Office's future on Netflix is only one part of the problem facing the streaming giant, with WarnerMedia and Disney both rolling out competing services. Along with NBCUniversal, licensed content from the three companies account for about 40 percent of the viewing minutes on Netflix, according to the Nielsen data. Second to The Office is WarnerMedia's sitcom Friends, which Netflix paid $100million for in a deal that runs to the end of 2019. Second only to The Office is WarnerMedia's sitcom Friends (above), which Netflix paid $100 million for one year of exclusive streaming rights through the end of 2019 After that, WarnerMedia can take full control of the show or offer to let Netflix share it and pay 25 percent less, people familiar with the terms of the agreement told the Journal. Through Netflix has touted its original content, including hit shows such as Stranger Things, experts say that licensed content remains crucial to the service. Licensed shows, or 'library programming', makes up 72 per cent of the minutes spent viewing Netflix, according to Nielsen. The data shows that eight of the 10 shows viewers spent the most time watching on Netflix in the U.S. last year were reruns, including old hits such as NBCUniversal's Parks and Recreation, WarnerMedia's Friends and Disney's Grey's Anatomy. The only Netflix originals to crack the top ten list were Orange Is The New Black and Ozark. However, Netflix argues that measuring shows by total minutes viewed, as the Nielsen analysis does, is not the best way to measure the popularity of the series. 'Looking at overall watch time skews towards titles with many seasons. Most Netflix originals have three or fewer seasons at most,' the company said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'It's why we focus on the individual shows or films members watch, as opposed to how much time they spend on one series versus another. And if you look at most watched titles, Netflix originals accounted for 10 out of 10 in the last quarter, or 21 out of the top 25,' Netflix said. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has touched on the Christchurch mosque terror attacks as she paid tribute to the WWII generation. She told the dawn service in Auckland war was a reminder of 'our shared humanity'. That shared humanity was something she said was prominent following the attacks on March 15, that killed 50 people attending Friday prayers at two mosques. 'Recently, our peace was altered dramatically by the terrorist attacks in Christchurch,' Prime Minister Ardern said. 'As we gather together this Anzac Day, we recognise that there is still much division to overcome in the world today.' Last month 50 people were killed and as many were wounded during the Christchurch mosque terror attacks. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has touched on the Christchurch mosque terror attacks as she paid tribute to the World War II generation Anzac Day marks the 1915 landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli on the Turkish peninsula. The ill-fated WWI campaign against the German-backed Ottoman forces cost 10,000 Australian and New Zealand serviceman their lives. 'Each Anzac Day, we take time to reflect and remember,' said Ardern calling for a recommitment 'to the principles of freedom, democracy and peace that the country had fought for'. 'There is more that unites us than divides us.' Similar dawn services were also held in Australia. At least 50 people were killed and almost as many wounded during the Christchurch mosque terror attacks on March 15 Ms Ardern said on Anzac Day, thoughts turned to the sacrifice of all veterans 104 years since the landings at Gallipoli in WWI. But it was the veterans of the next world war that she singled out for mention. 'We pay tribute particularly to those who served in the Second World War, a generation which sadly has almost left us,' she told the Auckland Anzac Day dawn service. The Duke of Cambridge will attend the national service on Thursday as part of his two-day visit to honour the terror attack victims The Duke of Cambridge will attend the national service on Thursday as part of his two-day visit to honour the terror attack victims. Prince William will lay a wreath at New Zealand's national service later on Thursday in Auckland. He will then on Friday meet some of the survivors of the Christchurch mosque terror attacks. Dozens of Anzac events have been called off and consolidated following the Christchurch attacks. Azeem Zafarullah, the leader of a Muslim youth association, said it was even more important for the Muslim community to take part in the Anzac Day services, following the carnage in Christchurch Azeem Zafarullah, the leader of a Muslim youth association, said it was even more important for the Muslim community to take part in the Anzac Day services, following the carnage in Christchurch. 'It's important that we show the public that we're here to represent our country -- we are loyal citizens,' he told reporters. Zafarullah said the Muslim community had received a lot of support after the mosque massacre, noting: 'It's important that we show that support back.' Evangelical Christian leader Franklin Graham said on Wednesday that Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg should repent for the 'sin' of being gay. Presidential candidate & South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is right - God doesnt have a political party, the son of the late evangelical preacher Billy Graham tweeted. But God does have commandments, laws & standards He gives us to live by. God doesnt change. His Word is the same yesterday, today & forever. Mayor Buttigieg says hes a gay Christian. As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. Franklin Graham (left), the evangelical leader, called on South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg (right) to 'repent' for being gay The Bible says marriage is between a man & a woman - not two men, not two women,' Graham tweeted on Wednesday The Bible says marriage is between a man & a womannot two men, not two women. The core of the Christian faith is believing and following Jesus Christ, who God sent to be the Savior of the world - to save us from sin, to save us from hell, to save us from eternal damnation. Graham is the son of the late evangelical Christian preacher Billy Graham (seen above in June 2005) Graham is a controversial figure, particularly over his support for President Trump. When asked about allegations that Trump had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels and then paid her hush money to keep quiet about it, he said last year: President Trump I dont think has admitted to having an affair with this person. And so this is just a news story, and I dont even know if its accurate. Graham told NBC News: 'We certainly don't hold him up as the pastor of this nation and he is not. But I appreciate the fact that the president does have a concern for Christian values, he does have a concern to protect Christians whether it's here at home or around the world and I appreciate the fact that he protects religious liberty and freedom. Graham was reacting to Buttigiegs remarks from a CNN town hall event on Monday in which he spoke about his religious views as well as his sexual orientation. Graham is a controversial figure, particularly over his support for President Trump. When asked about allegations that Trump had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, he said last year: President Trump I dont think has admitted to having an affair with this person.' It can be challenging to be a person of faith who's also part of the LGBTQ community and yet, to me, the core of faith is regard for one another, Buttigieg said. And part of God's love is experienced, according to my faith tradition, is in the way that we support one another and, in particular, support the least among us. Buttigieg was asked during the town hall how he planned to unite Christians who are liberal, conservative, and moderate. He said his devotion to faith is expressed through his humility and his concern for the weaker segments of society. Frankly, it couldn't be more radically different than what I see certainly in this White House, where there is a lot of chest-thumping and self-aggrandizing, not to mention abusive behavior, but also political agenda that seems to always be revolving around that idea that somehow it's too easy for poor people in this country, he said. It's just so different from what I get when I read Scripture. I get that one of the things about Scripture is different people see different things in it, he said. But, at the very least we should be able to establish that God does not have a political party. Buttigieg has emerged from obscurity to become a serious candidate for the Democratic nomination in the early stages of the race. A new Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll shows that while Buttigieg is well liked by Democrats, he still has a ways to go to catch up to frontrunners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Graham on Wednesday was reacting to Buttigiegs remarks from a CNN town hall event on Monday in which he spoke about his religious views as well as his sexual orientation According to the poll, 24 percent would vote for Biden over 19 other declared and potential candidates. Another 15 percent said they would support Sanders, who ran a competitive campaign for the Democratic nomination in 2016. No other candidate received more than 7 percent of public support, and 21 percent said they dont know which candidate they would back in a primary. Sixty-three percent of all Americans say they have a favorable impression of Biden, including 88 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents and 39 percent of Republicans. In comparison, 58 percent of Americans said they have a favorable view of Sanders and Buttigieg, whose upstart campaign has out-raised some of his more established rivals this year. US Army Colonel Gregory S. Townsend died on Tuesday after a car collapsed on him while he was helping a stranded motorist change a flat tire in Virginia A decorated U.S. Army colonel who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan died on Tuesday after helping a stranded motorist. Colonel Gregory S. Townsend was driving in northern Virginia on April 18 when he stopped to help the motorist change a tire. As he finished, the vehicle fell on top of him, according to Fort Lee spokesperson Dani Johnson. Townsend was transported by a life flight helicopter to VCU Critical Care Hospital, Richmond, Virginia, where he died on Tuesday. He was 46 years old. Townsend was the commander of the 23rd Quartermaster Brigade at U.S. Army Quartermaster School at Fort Lee. The Quartermaster School shared a heartfelt post about Townsend on Facebook, calling him a 'servant leader' in the Army and the Quartermaster community. Brigadier General Douglas M. McBride Jr. said in a statement that Townsend's death 'is devastating for his family and the Army'. 'He was a dedicated leader and the most genuine man you could meet,' McBride added. As Townsend (left and right) finished changing the tire, the vehicle fell on top of him, according to Fort Lee spokesperson Dani Johnson 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Greg's family and friends during this very difficult time. His legacy as a servant leader will live on in the hearts and minds of all Soldiers that he has served with and led.' The US Army Fort Lee Facebook page shared their 'deepest condolences to the family and friends of Col. Gregory S. Townsend'. And others remembered him for the work that he did in the community. Just six days before the accident, Townsend shared his military experience with several JROTC cadets at the Manchester High School in Midlothian, Virginia. Townsend joined the Army in 1996 after graduating from Auburn University and was commissioned through ROTC into the Quartermaster Corps. He deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan and arrived at Fort Lee in 2017 and assumed command of the brigade. Townsend received 28 awards during his service in the military. His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Staff Commendation Medal, and Army Commendation Medal. Townsend was then transported by a life flight helicopter to VCU Critical Care Hospital, Richmond, Virginia, where he died on Tuesday. He was 46 years old A G4S driver has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly one million pounds from his armoured security van, as police scramble to find the money he took. Joel March, 36, of Clapham, south west London, pleaded guilty to one count of theft from an employer at Camberwell Magistrates Court today and will remain in custody before sentencing next month. The father-of-three was seen parking his branded blue van on a quiet street in Clapham just before 9am on Tuesday. Guard Joel March left his armoured G4S vehicle on a double-yellow line at 9am it sat abandoned for more than eight hours, with police arriving at 7pm He was seen going back and forth to the van several times before abandoning it and disappearing around 9.40am. Neighbours became suspicious when they noticed the security vehicle was parked the wrong way round on double yellow lines. Police did not arrive until hours later, despite calls to G4s, when they eventually traced March to a house in nearby Brixton where they found him with 60,000 and a new pair of shoes and clothes, the court was told. The other 910,000 reported missing has not been found. The blue van (pictured) was abandoned and had been sitting on double yellow lines for more than eight hours before police were alerted G4S have since launched a probe after experts branded the incident a 'catastrophic security blunder'. His charge in court today read: 'On April 23, 2019 at Larkhall Rise SW8 stole money to the value of 970,000 belonging to G4S.' Prosecuting, Amanda McCabe told the hearing: 'G4S did not record the van [abandoned] until eight hours later. He left behind his body armour, phone and other items in the van. 'He was eventually followed to an address in Brixton and arrested. Police seized 60,000 and some amount of clothing and footwear at the address. The rest remains outstanding. 'He gave an account complaining about G4S and his mental health. There are potentially others involved in this case. We believe enquiries are on going,' the Evening Standard reported. Defending, Bruce Reid said March did not apply for bail ahead of sentencing. The court was told the blue G4S van was abandoned at 8.57am on Tuesday in Larkhill Rise, Clapham. Van arriving at 8:57am Tuesday. Ex-Met-chief superintendent Barry Phillips told The Sun : 'Something has gone seriously wrong' One resident said he thought it was suspicious that the van be parked there, as there were no shops in the area, and it was left on double yellow lines. The concerned resident then called G4S to report the suspicious van at 5.30pm, but he said the firm weren't 'particularly concerned'. Ex-Met-chief superintendent Barry Phillips told The Sun: 'Something has gone seriously wrong. 'The van's movements should have been monitored and the controllers should have been in regular communication with the guard.' The blue van is said to have been left parked up in Larkhill Rise in the Clapham area of London (pictured above) He added that it was 'bewildering' that a parking warden did not call police after ticketing the van. Neighbours said the vehicle was towed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning before being forensically examined. G4S said these sorts of incidents are 'extremely rare' in the UK cash business and added that they are working with police to resolve the matter. March will be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court at a date to be set next month. Jeremy Hunt and Gavin Williamson have both denied leaking details of plans to let Chinese firm Huawei supply technology for Britain's new 5G network. The issue of whether to allow the company, which is said to have links to the Chinese government, into the new mobile data network has been the subject of intense debate in government and intelligence circles in recent months. But it yesterday it was leaked that, in a highly controversial move, the UK is now set to allow Huawei to help build 'non-core' parts of the network, such as antennae. Intelligence bosses in the UK are said to be angry that details of the decision were apparently leaked by a member of the National Security Council, whose discussions are usually considered completely secret. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, one of the cabinet members in the security council, today denounced the leak as 'utterly appalling' and insisted he was not behind it. He said: 'I have never leaked confidential Cabinet discussions and I never will, so I don't want to comment further on it.' Gavin Williamson later made a similar statement, saying: 'Neither I nor any of my team have divulged information from the National Security Council.' Some in the security services fear China could use a new 5G network to spy on Britain. But there is equal anger that details of Britain's National Security Council's discussions on the issue have been leaked, apparently by a government minister Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said today that they were not behind the leak. Mr Hunt branded the leak 'utterly appalling' It has been suggested the information was leaked by a party leadership hopeful, who wants to look 'tough on China' before they audition to replace Theresa May later this year. Intelligence and Security Committee chair Dominic Grieve said: 'People are preparing themselves for leadership bids. The Prime Minister is in post and needs our support. Those who seek to undermine her by leaking are acting outrageously badly'. A Government source said it had to be a minister and the intelligence community was furious. A source said: 'Politics is getting in the way of national security. This is the first time it's happened, it's unprecedented. This would usually get you fired... It has damaged the trust between civil servants and ministers.' Who is on the National Security Council? A government document published earlier this month states that the National Security Council consists of: The Prime Minister Theresa May Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington The Chancellor Philip Hammond Home Secretary Sajid Javid Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson Business Secretary Greg Clark International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt Attorney General Geoffrey Cox The council is chaired by the National Security Adviser, Mark Sedwill. Other Cabinet ministers attend as required, as to the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, and heads of Intelligence Agencies MI5 and MI6 also attend when required. Advertisement Former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon today urged Downing Street to call in the police. 'That would involve a proper Scotland Yard investigation of all those who attended the meetings, all those who have mobile phones - whether they contacted journalists after meeting. All those involved should be investigated now to find out who this leaker is,' he told the BBC. He said that if a minister was found to have been responsible, they could face prosecution under the Official Secrets Act. Yesterday, Tory MP Nicholas Soames also said there should be a criminal inquiry into how details of the meeting were leaked, saying it would 'cause our friends and allies to wonder if we can be considered reliable'. 'Whoever is responsible should be dismissed from the Queen's service,' he said. Last night Labour added to the calls for a probe. The shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said: 'Critical issues of national security should be handled with utmost care, not used as political ammunition in a Tory Party civil war. 'The Government should launch a full investigation to get to the bottom of these leaks, otherwise it risks further extinguishing what little authority it has left.' His statement was followed up by an urgent question in the Commons today, when Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jo Platt said the 'apparent ministerial leak' raised concerns over the 'undermining the integrity of our security agencies'. She added: 'If a minister did leak the information, they are not fit to serve in the Cabinet - and are certainly not fit to be Prime Minister.' The decision to let Huawei help with the 5G network has infuriated many in government, in the security services and in US intelligence circles Tory MP Nicholas Soames (left) has called for a criminal probe into who leaked the information. Labour's Jon Trickett (right) also called for an investigation Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said National Security Council discussions 'should be confidential' before telling MPs: 'Officials, including the security and intelligence agencies, need to feel that they can give advice to ministers which ministers will treat seriously and keep private. 'If they do not feel that, they will not give us that advice and Government will be worse as a result. 'That is why this is serious and that is why the Government intends to treat it seriously.' It is understood that the NSC meeting agreed that Huawei could be given work on 'non-core' elements of the 5G network, despite misgivings voiced by five ministers including Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Gavin Williamson, Liam Fox and Penny Mordaunt. The US has barred Huawei from involvement in official networks and put pressure on its Five Eyes intelligence partners to do the same over security concerns surrounding the company's links with the Chinese government. Huawei could be involved in the masts and base stations, but not 'core' parts of the network which deal with verifying IDs What will Huawei be allowed to supply? 5G mobile connectivity promises much faster downloading speeds as existing 4G networks become clogged with an increased number of mobile users increasing watching video and streaming live footage on their devices. Current networks offer speeds of about 45Mbps (megabits per second), but 5G downloads could be up to 20 times faster, experts say. Information which emerged yesterday suggests controversial Chinese firm Huawei will be allowed to supply 'non-core' elements of the new network, such as the 'multiple output' antennae networks will use to boost signal strength and capacity. These are also expected to be smaller transmitters than the current, stand-alone, masts companies currently use. However, it is suggested the firm will not be involved in 'core parts' of the networks, such as the technology which checks device IDs and routes data. Advertisement Rob Joyce, a senior adviser at the US National Security Agency, said that Washington did not want to hand Beijing a 'loaded gun' and would be looking closely at the UK decision. Yesterday, Mrs May's effective deputy David Lidington told MPs that no decision had been made on Huawei's involvement in 5G. He stressed that 'legally speaking (Huawei) is a private company not a government-owned company'. Today, Mr Lidington spoke about the issue at the CyberUK conference in Glasgow, insisting 'khe government is committed to strengthen significantly this country's framework for telecoms'. Mr Lidington failed to shed any light on whether Huawei would be involved. He said today: 'We will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the secure role out of 5G and full fibre network. We will not countenance high-risk vendors in those parts of the UK's 5G network that perform critical security functions. 'The government approach is not about one company or even one country - it is about ensuring stronger cyber security across telecoms, greater resilience in telecoms networks and more diversity in the supply chain. 'We shall want to work with international partners to develop a common global approach to improving telecoms security standards.' Home Secretary Sajid Javid and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox are said to have raised concerns about the decision David Lidington and Penny Mordaunt are also on the National Security Council Huawei accuses U.S. of using spying claims as a 'smokescreen' for protectionism Jerry Wang, CEO of Huawei in the UK Huawei have accused the American's of protectionism and using claims it is a vassal of Beijing as a 'smokescreen' to keep out competition. The blistering attack comes as a senior US intelligence adviser warned Prime Minister Theresa May's decision to involve Huawei in developing the UK's 5G infrastructure was handing China a 'loaded gun.' Jerry Wang, CEO of Huawei in the UK, wrote to The Times: 'Their accusations are a smokescreen for an attack on our recognised technological innovation. They are not based on security concerns, but a barely concealed protectionist trade agenda.' Advertisement Speaking at the same conference yesterday, theedirector of the GCHQ eavesdropping agency appeared to seek to calm nerves over Chinese involvement in the 5G network, saying that technical issues were more important than 'flag of origin'. Jeremy Fleming told the Cyber UK conference: 'A flag of origin of 5G equipment is important but it is a secondary factor. 'It's a hugely complex strategic challenge, going to span the next few decades. How we deal with it will be crucial for our prosperity and for our security.' Cabinet minister Liz Truss said Huawei involvement should not be ruled out, telling the BBC: 'We need to decide on a case-by-case basis based on the security advice, but that should be led by the UK we shouldn't be deciding on the basis of what the Americans think or what the Australians think.' Ciaran Martin, head of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the review was 'about the fundamentals of how to keep these networks safe from any attacker' and not just Huawei. 'Some of the 5G infrastructure is built over existing networks so it's not as if we are completely reinventing the wheel here,' he added. 'We've set out that objective independent technical assessment of what's needed and I'm confident ministers will reach a decision that will provide for the type of safer 5G networks that we need.' Huawei's new 5G smartphone was unveiled at an event earlier this year. The company, which insists it is independent of the Chinese government, will reportedly be allowed to build 'non-core' elements of Britain's new mobile network A Downing Street spokeswoman said: 'We don't comment on NSC discussions.' The reported decision came after a number of senior security figures warned publicly of the risks involved in allowing a Chinese firm access to the UK's critical communications network. MI6 chief Alex Younger has said Britain needs to decide how 'comfortable' it is in allowing Chinese firms to become involved, while Mr Fleming, has spoken of both 'opportunities and threats'. Some critics have expressed concerns that the Chinese government could require the firm to install technological 'back doors' to enable it to spy on or disable Britain's communications network. Last month, a Government-led committee set up to vet Huawei's products said it had found 'significant technological issues' with its engineering processes posing new risks to the UK network. Huawei has denied having ties to the Chinese government, but critics question how independent any large Chinese company can be, with a legal obligation on firms to co-operate with the state's intelligence agencies. US officials launch bid to change PM's mind over allowing Huawei to build 5G network as the agreement is blasted as 'naive in the extreme' It emerged last night that US officials are considering a late attempt to change the Mrs May's mind over allowing Huawei to set up Britain's 5G network. A source said: 'We have our concerns and we continue to engage with UK government on the issue.' US ambassador Woody Johnson has said his country was sceptical about Huawei and its technology. The US embassy in London. It is thought American diplomats could try to change Theresa May's mind over the Huawei decision Ambassador Johnson said both Washington and London were looking at the technology and Huawei 'with some scepticism'. He added: 'We want to figure whether you can have this technology and accommodate all of the risks that will be part of it.' Tom Bossert, a former US homeland security adviser, said Mrs May appeared to be ignoring advisers. 'I'm not sure what the Prime Minister was thinking but it seems to be against the advice of some of her security professionals,' he told the BBC. 'I think it is a little overly rosy and optimistic to suspect that risks can be mitigated in new 5G infrastructure. Some have concerns that Huawei represents a future espionage risk, that there will be theft of information and some believe a future sabotage risk.' A senior official from the US National Security Agency said the UK and US were 'united' in believing that sensitive networks could not be reliant on technology from states such as China. US ambassador Woody Johnson said his country is sceptical about Huawei and its technology The PM's decision was taken despite pressure from Washington. It is feared that the Chinese government could require Huawei to install technological 'back doors' in the new 5G network to enable it to spy on or disable Britain's communications network. Julian Lewis, chairman of the Commons defence committee, said: 'The idea that an enterprise of that magnitude is anything other than inextricably connected to a communist Chinese government and its hostile intelligence services is naive. 'It is absolutely bizarre we should entertain for one moment allowing an organisation that is part and parcel of a hostile regime to have access in any significant way to our communications infrastructure. 'Our Five Eyes intelligence partners will be aghast at the suggestion and if we proceed in this irresponsible way it can only sow distrust between us and our most important and reliable intelligence partners.' The mobile phone app that helped gain support for Donald Trump to become US president and the Brexit movement in the UK has been launched in Australia during the federal election campaign. The right wing activist group Australian Taxpayers Alliance (ATA) introduced the digital tool designed by US app developer uCampaign to voters when the group unveiled its 'Stop Shorten' campaign this week. The group has stepped up its crusade against federal opposition leader Bill Shorten as the May 18 election draws closer. App users are encouraged to comment and share ATA's social media posts and invite friends to earn points, which can be traded for merchandise such T-shirts. Australian Taxpayers Alliance unveiled its Stop Shorten mobile phone app this week 'If they're interested in coming out and campaigning for us or in sharing our content or inviting their friends they can do that and they get rewarded for it with the point system,' ATA policy director Satya Marar told the ABC. 'They can use the app to spread the message to their own social media channels, to their own texts, their own emails.' The ATA describes itself as a unique grassroots advocacy and activist group dedicated to standing up for Australian taxpayers. 'We oppose the high taxes, wasteful spending, and crippling red tape that is hurting Aussie families and businesses, and provide a voice for everyone who opposes the big-government agenda,' its website states. Australian Taxpayers Alliance policy director Satya Marar (pictured) insists the app would not access personal data without users' consent IT experts have raised privacy fears about personal information being collected from app users, amid claims previous uCampaign apps have made vast use of users' mobile contacts. 'And more to the point, it's not yours in many cases,' IT expert Justin Warren told the ABC. 'The contact information is about your friends, family, people who you know. Speaking purely personally, I wouldn't touch this app with a 12-foot pole.' Mr Marar has since assured the app would not access personal data without users' consent. The Australian Taxpayers Alliance has stepped up its campaign discouraging Australians from voting for Bill Shorten when they go to the polls on May 18 Founded in 2014 in Washington, uCampaign has previously claimed its app played a role in Donald Trump winning the US presidential election against Hilary Clinton in 2016. Its apps were also used in Ireland's anti-abortion campaign in Ireland and by the National Rifle Association in the US. The mobile phone app is in addition to ATA's new Stop Shorten website launched this week. 'We have this week launched our Stop Shorten campaign to oppose Labor's draconian tax hikes which will drive up rents, strip retirees of their savings, devalue Aussie shares and take a wrecking ball to our economy,' the ATA posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday. 'You spoke, and we listened. Hundreds of e-mails from concerned, civic-minded Australian taxpayers made it clear that this is campaign is one of our most important battles yet.' Labor's proposed gender policy could result in unnecessary sex changes among young school children, doctors have warned. The party's national platform has included a clause on gender identity and sexual orientation, including the creation of a National Gender Centre and even appointing a Commissioner for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. The policy aims to make 'gender affirming technology' more affordable and accessible as well as adding more gender identification options on birth certificates. The document states it should 'materialise in a focus on creating fair, equal and affordable access to medical care and treatments relevant to trans and gender-diverse Australians.' Doctors and critics have warned Labor's proposed gender policy could result in an increase of unnecessary sex changes in young school children But medical professionals and critics have warned the policies could be detrimental to children and result in unintended consequences, according to the Daily Telegraph. Dr John Whitehall, a professor of paediatrics at Western Sydney University called the policy 'pernicious,' for promoting a concept which is still unproven, he told the publication. The procedures, he claims, have real effects on patients - including 'castration' - based on a theory that is still being scientifically debated. According to the most recent census in 2016, about 1,260 people identify as transgender in Australia. The doctor also said the Government's involvement with the issue could potentially see medical professionals being punished for refusing to go through with these procedures. 'This party of the working-class has promised to permit no other option for any of its gender-confused children,' Dr Whitehall said. 'The politicians should leave gender-confused children to family and child psychologists and psychiatrists.' Earlier this month, Tasmania became the first Australian jurisdiction to make gender optional on birth certificates after landmark legislation passed Critics say the policies could have unintended consequences on children and interfere with parenting (stock image) Conservative politicians have also criticised the policy saying it can interfere with parents' control over their children and how they are raised. Sydney barrister Sophie York warned that children can be 'susceptible' to the indoctrination, she told the Telegraph. Earlier this month, Tasmania became the first Australian jurisdiction to make gender optional on birth certificates after landmark legislation passed. The legislation allows 16-year-olds to change their registered gender via a statutory declaration without permission of their parents. The laws also remove the requirement for transgender people to have sexual reassignment surgery in order to have their new gender recognised. Prime Minister Scott Morrison last year labelled the push to remove gender from birth certificates as 'ridiculous'. In October last year, Labor leader Bill Shorten said there were no plans to introduce new gender options on passports and birth certificates. 'The platform talks about making sure all Australians are treated equally,' he told Daily Mail Australia at the time. 'Labor has no plans to remove gender from official documents.' A Labor spokesperson called the remarks 'ridiculous' and part of the Liberals' 'scare campaign.' 'Nothing in our National Platform forces parents or children to do anything. Labor's focus, as always, is on the best interests of children,' the spokesman said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Office of Prime Minister and Cabinet for comment. The woman who found Jill Dando's lifeless body after she was shot on her own doorstep has revealed the harrowing memory is still 'burned' into her brain. Helen Doble, 59, was first on the scene after the former Crimewatch presenter was killed by an unknown gunman outside her west London home on April 26, 1999. And has now spoken of the trauma of seeing her friend, who had been hoping to start a family, dead on her Fulham doorstep aged 37. Helen Doble (left), 59, was first on the scene after the former Crimewatch presenter (right) was killed by an unknown gunman outside her west London home on April 26, 1999 Jill Dando and her partner Nick Ross had spent to weekend together at Mr Farthing's house in Chiswick before the shock killing on the Monday She told Mirror Online: 'That image of her body is burned into my brain. I get flashbacks, even 20 years on. 'Her legs were stretched out and awkwardly placed. Her hand with her engagement ring on was stretched out, and the hand was blue. 'That beautiful engagement ring on a very dead hand. That ring was so full of her hopes and dreams, and it was all taken from her.' Ms Doble, who lived just two streets away from Dando, immediately called 999 but struggled through tears to inform authorities what had happened. And in a recording of the call, can be heard telling police 'there's a lot of blood' and 'her arms are blue.' The mother-of-one faced an agonising wait for the emergency services, during which time Dando's phone continued to ring. Jill was killed by an unknown gunman on her Fulham doorstep on April 26, 1999 Police forensic officers at Gowan Avenue, Fulham, where TV presenter Jill Dando was murdered. Ms Dando died from a single gunshot wound to the head She feared the calls were from Alan Farthing, a consultant gynaecologist the television presenter had been due to marry just five months after she was murdered. She said: 'Her phone kept ringing on and off. I wanted to go and pick it up and see if it was Alan. I wanted him to know before the news broke. But I didn't. It's a haunting moment that sticks with me.' Dando and Farthing, a year her junior, had met on a blind date at a dinner party in October 1997. The diamond solitaire ring he used to propose was on her finger when the killer struck. The two had spent to weekend together at Mr Farthing's house in Chiswick before the shock killing on the Monday. And Ms Doble was desperate to get in touch to let him know a friend had found the body. Barry George pictured before his original court appearance in 2001 She said: 'I do feel like it was meant that I found her, regardless of how difficult it has been as a result, because Alan was spared that, in that whole tragedy. 'He was sweet enough to acknowledge that it was meant to be that I found her.' A man named Barry George was convicted of Jill's murder in 2001 - but he was later acquitted after serving seven years in prison. The case remains unsolved and Hamish Campbell, a Detective Chief Inspector in the Metropolitan Police at the time of the killing, recently told an BBC documentary he does not believe anybody else will ever stand trial for her murder. But Miss Dandos family still remain hopeful her killer will be brought to justice one day. Speaking during the documentary, her brother Nigel Dando, 66, said: I would just like to know, why someone would want to kill her. Ms Doble also revealed in her interview with Mirror Online that she lights a candle at 14 minutes past 11.30am on the anniversary of Ms Dando's death every year - the time she found her. She said: 'Jill should never be forgotten. Barely a day goes by where I dont think about her. 'I wish I could let it go. A lot of people would say I should because its 20 years later but I cannot. I just care that somebody decided to take her life when she had everything to live for.' The horrific scene where Crimewatch presenter Jill Dando was gunned down 20 years ago, a crime that shocked the nation Ms Doble's interview comes on the eve of 20th anniversary of the murder. And as friends of the murdered television presenter gathered to mark the death. It also comes just weeks after a shocking photograph showing the blood-splattered doorway where TV presenter Jill was gunned down 20 years ago was released. The horrific photo, which aired on the BBC's The Murder of Jill Dando, shows blood splattered on the door, with a trail over the path leading up to the house. Random items are strewn around the scene and, most chillingly, her handbag sits by the foot of the door. Former Crimewatch co-host Nick Ross among those paying tribute to murdered television presenter Jill Dando as 20th anniversary of death approaches Jill Dando, then one of the BBC's highest-profile stars, was shot outside her home in Fulham, west London, on April 26, 1999 Jill Dando's former Crimewatch co-host Nick Ross has hailed her 'remarkable legacy' as friends of the murdered television presenter gathered to mark almost 20 years since her death. Ms Dando's former fiance Alan Farthing, her cousin Judith Dando and then-colleague Fiona Bruce all paid emotional tributes to the television presenter. They were joined by the Countess of Wessex, a trustee of the Jill Dando Fund, at an event in London in her memory. The 37-year-old, then one of the BBC's highest-profile stars, was shot outside her home in Fulham, west London, on April 26 1999. Following her death, an institute was set up in her name at University College London, said to be the first in the world devoted to crime science. Ross said the Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science is a legacy of which those who knew and loved Ms Dando could all be proud. Speaking at the Royal Society on Wednesday evening, he said: 'We all know there's a blaze of publicity about Jill this month, a BBC documentary, lots of press coverage. 'Sadly most of the attention is about the manner of Jill's death. 'Tonight is about her life, it's to celebrate her life and her remarkable legacy, a major department in a world class university that bears her name.' The Countess of Wessex and Crimewatch presenters Nick Ross (right) and Fiona Bruce (left), joined family, close friends and colleagues of Jill Dando as they gathered at the Royal Society to celebrate her life, her achievements and her legacy He added: 'What we all know is that Jill is still after 20 years hugely admired and greatly missed and she leaves behind a legacy of which all of us can be intensely proud.' Part of the institute's work focuses on new ways to cut crime and increase security, drawing on the university's experience across related disciplines, including architecture, economics, engineering, geography, medicine, psychology, statistics and town planning. It now has more than 30 staff and dozens of researchers. Those who had known Ms Dando recalled fond memories of her and spoke of their pain at her loss. Sir Cliff Richard, a close friend of Ms Dando, paid tribute by video message from Barbados. He described her as a 'beautiful, funny, intelligent but above all a genuinely nice, kind and thoughtful human being'. Mr Farthing said he had initially been reluctant to speak at the event due to the emotion of the occasion. He said: 'Jill was admired by those, many of those who had never met her. She was respected by those who worked with her and she was loved by everyone who knew her.' Mr Farthing, who has since married and fathered two sons, said Ms Dando had been 'denied' having a family of her own, something he said was 'so unfair, so unnecessary and so pointless'. The Countess of Wessex, pictured second right with Crimewatch presenters Nick Ross (right) and Fiona Bruce (second left), gathered last night to celebrate Dando's legacy at the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science at UCL Bruce thanked Ms Dando for helping to show her she could have a varied career, presenting shows she loved, from the serious to the more lighthearted. She said: 'Jill led the way for me, not just in the programmes that I did but also in how I could do them. She showed that you can do the news and you can still show your humanity, your warmth, your sense of fun.' As her voice appeared to break with emotion, she added: 'I think, more often than I suspect you might realise, would I be presenting the programmes that I love, combining just recently Question Time and the news with something like the Antiques Roadshow and other programmes I've made over the years if it wasn't for Jill? 'I don't know for sure but I know that she helped make it possible for me. She broke the mould. And I would love to talk to her about it and get some advice and to thank her but of course I was never able to do that, so in a small way I'm doing that now. So Jill, I owe you. Thank you.' Barry George was arrested on suspicion of murder in 2000, one year after Ms Dando was killed. Mr George was convicted and imprisoned for eight years, then acquitted and released after a retrial. Jeremy Corbyn will outline plans today for a 1.3billion-a-year tax raid on motorists to reverse cuts to 3,000 local bus routes. The Labour leader will say bus services have been 'devastated by nine years of austerity', and he plans to use revenue from car tax earmarked for investment in improving Britain's road network on buses instead. But Transport Secretary Chris Grayling branded the policy a 'never-ending war' and claimed it would lead to the cancellation of two thirds of major road improvements. The Tories also warned that Labour would have to 'clobber motorists with tax hikes and slash funding for road repairs' to pay for their plans. Jeremy Corbyn will announce plans for a 1.3billion-a-year tax raid on motorists to reverse cuts to local bus routes Last night, a Labour spokesman insisted it had no plans to increase vehicle excise duty (VED), which is forecast to raise 7.1billion for the Treasury in 2021/22. Analysis by the Campaign for Better Transport shows that more than 3,000 bus routes have been cut back or withdrawn since 2010 amid a 45 per cent reduction in local authority bus budgets. Nearly half of all bus routes in England receive partial or complete subsidies from councils. The Local Government Association has warned that they are at risk as local authorities will struggle to maintain levels of support unless they are given more funding. Mr Corbyn will say in a speech in Nottingham: 'Local services are a lifeline for many, particularly the elderly and those in rural areas. Cuts have had disastrous consequences for our towns and city centres and for air pollution and the environment. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has branded the policy a 'never-ending war' 'Bus networks are essential for towns and cities and for tackling rural poverty and isolation, which is why Labour is committed to creating thriving bus networks under public ownership.' Mr Grayling poured scorn on the plans. He said: 'This is the umpteenth time Labour have re-spent VED in their never-ending war on Britain's motorists. It's clear the Labour Party don't give a hoot about financial rigour, long-term investment or car and van drivers. 'Britain's motorists can't trust Labour as they plan to slash our road investment programme and hike our taxes.' Mr Grayling made similar accusations against Labour's transport spokesman Andy McDonald last month when he hinted at plans to raise fuel duty, ending the nine-year freeze imposed by the Tories. Mr McDonald indicated taxes on both fuel and flights could be increased under a Labour government as part of wider efforts to tackle pollution. He claimed freezing duty on those types of transport while increasing bus and rail fares was 'not a sensible approach' amid efforts to get more people to switch to public transport. Labour insisted it had not proposed to increase fuel duty. But the interventions by the Labour leader and his transport spokesman have raised concerns that hard-pressed motorists will come in for a rougher ride under a Labour government. A Conservative Party spokesman claimed last night that tax rises for motorists would be inevitable. He said: 'Labour have already spent the pot of money they claim would fund this proposal, meaning they would have to clobber motorists with tax hikes and slash funding for road repairs to pay for it. 'Along with their plans to put politicians in Westminster in charge of running local bus services, their pledge to slash funding for roads and their calls to increase fuel duty, this just proves they are not on the side of hard-working families who rely on their vehicles. 'We already spend a billion pounds every year to provide free bus travel to those who need it most.' A sniper poised and ready to fire while perched on the roof of a shrine was part of the security measures at dawn service commemorations in Melbourne. The sniper was present at the Shrine of Remembrance in the Victorian capital for Anzac Day services early on Thursday morning. About 25,000 people gathered there to remember those who fought and died for Australia in various wars. Victoria Police said there was no increased safety threat for the day, before an alleged ISIS terrorist was arrested over a plot to attack people marking Anzac Day in Gallipoli. Scroll down for video A sniper poised and ready to fire while perched on the roof of a shrine was part of the security measures at dawn service commemorations in Melbourne Addressing the pre-dawn crowd, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews urged them to care for 'the next generation of Anzac'. 'How can we possibly thank so many for giving so much?' he asked. 'Stand here at this hour in this still dark, sacred place and remember them, remember that they came from every corner of Victoria and Australia, every walk of life, every background.' On Wednesday, Victoria Police acting superintendent Craig Peel said there would be a 'zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour'. About 25,000 people gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance to remember those who fought and died for Australia in various wars He said he wasn't concerned that attacks in Sri Lanka which killed more than 300 people would have an impact on security at the dawn service. 'There is no intelligence at all to suggest that any of these events that we're running across the state are a target for any sort of behaviour that would be detrimental to them being run safely,' he said. NSW Police also reassured people there was no increased threat to the safety of those attending dawn services on Anzac Day. John William King was executed on Wednesday. He is seen in an undated photo A white supremacist refused to look at relatives of his murdered victim as he was executed for the fatal truck-dragging of James Byrd Jr. along Texas back roads in 1998. John William King, 44, closed his eyes to Byrd's sisters Clara Taylor and Louvon Harris, and niece Tiffany Taylor, as they arrived to watch his lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas on Wednesday. Clara Taylor called King's death 'peaceful and dignified unlike the savage, brutal, inhumane murder of James.' She said her brother had been 'thrown around like a sack of potatoes' as he was dragged behind the truck. King was the ringleader of three men who shackled Byrd to the back of the vehicle, dragging his body for three miles on rural roads in Jasper, injuring him so badly his genitals were ground down. Asked if he had a final statement before his execution, King responded: 'No.' Earlier he had submitted a nine-word statement: 'Capital Punishment: Them without the capital get the punishment.' As witnesses emerged from the prison, about two dozen people standing down the street began to cheer. James Byrd Jr (left) was dragged 3 miles to his death before his body was dumped in front of an African-American church. His gave is seen right Taylor speaks after witnessing the execution of her brother's killer on Wednesday Witnesses, including Byrd's two sisters and a niece, enter the Huntsville Unit prior to King's execution on Wednesday evening After the execution, Byrd's family members Clara Taylor, Louvon Harris and Tiffany Taylor (pictured) leave the Huntsville Unit Byrd's family members leave the Huntsville Unit after witnessing King's execution The Supreme Court issued its ruling denying a stay of execution for King on Wednesday What appear to be King's final possessions are removed from the Huntsville Unit following his execution by lethal injection on Wednesday King breathed his last in the Texas judicial system's death chamber in Huntsville after the Supreme Court rejected a final appeal. He had tried to claim that his lawyer had admitted guilt in a bid to avoid the death sentence. He was given a lethal injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital for his role as leader in the murder which stunned America 21 years ago. Criminal Justice Department spokesman Jeremy Desel said King was pronounced dead at 7:08 pm and his death was peaceful. 'Apart from him saying the word "No," it was like he was asleep,' he said. King was the second man to be executed for the murder. A third is serving a life sentence and is not due for parole until 2034. Bill King waited out his last hours in a holding cell immediately adjacent to the ground floor death chamber. He was hoping against hope for a stay from the Supreme Court or a grant of clemency from Texas's fervently pro-death penalty governor Greg Abbott. King prisoner number 999295 had some friends visit him as late as 11.28 am, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. But no members of his family were present to witness his death, said Desel. He had earlier taken a shower, according to a timeline of his final days provided by the department. A 'death watch' log distributed by the Texas Department of Public Safety shows how King spent the final two days prior to his execution. He declined counsel from a chaplain Byrd's sister Clara Taylor addresses the media outside the Huntsville Unit after the execution Byrd's family members speak out after witnessing his execution Byrd's sister Clara Taylor addresses the media, flanked by Louvon Harris and Tiffany Taylor Byrd's sister Carla Taylor read from a family statement after she, another of his sisters and his niece witnessed the execution. King's 'execution tonight was just punishment for his actions,' she said, noting that Byrd had three children and four grandchildren. 'James' legacy continues to be of peace and nonviolence,' she said. Louvon Byrd Harris, another of Byrd's sisters, said King's execution sent a 'message to the world that when you do something horrible like that, that you have to pay the high penalty.' Compared to 'all the suffering' her brother suffered before his death, Harris said King and Brewer got 'an easy way out.' Advertisement King did not request a spiritual adviser to be with him at his death, although records show he spoke with a pastor on Tuesday. King's execution attracted only a handful of supporters on either side of the capital punishment debate A few outside the redbrick building asked why the ultimate penalty had taken so long. A young woman who only identified herself as Katie carried a sign saying 'A Hate Crime? Drug Out 20 Years??' And Ricky Jason, who made a documentary called Byrd: The Life and Tragic Death of James Byrd Jr., told DailyMail.com: 'I am against capital punishment, but for what he did I am for it. 'They should burn his ashes and put him in hell with the devil.' On the other side of the argument and at the other end of the street outside the prison Gloria Rubac of the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement said she is opposed to all executions. 'We will still protest this execution even though we despise what happened in Jasper,' she said, adding that Byrd's son was also opposed. And Pastor David Jeremiah admitted King's was a 'heinous crime' but said nothing would be gained by putting him to death. Ricky Jason holds a photo of James Byrd Jr outside the Huntsville Unit. 'I am against capital punishment, but for what he did I am for it,' he said Jason holds a photo of James Byrd Jr outside the Huntsville Unit Protesters opposed to the death penalty also gathered outside the Huntsville Unit Activists with the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement gathered to protest the execution Filmmaker shares death row letter from John William King Filmmaker Ricky Jason shows off a letter from King outside the Huntsville Unit 'Do you and Ross really want to associate with an unrepentant racist supremacist like me?' read the 2008 letter (above) from King Shortly before King's execution, flimmaker Ricky Jason shared for the first time a letter penned by the convicted killer. Jason made a documentary called Byrd: The Life And Tragic Death Of James Byrd Jr. In the 2008 letter, King addressed Jason, and Byrd's son, Ross. 'Do you and Ross really want to associate with an "unrepentant racist" like me?,' read the letter from King. 'If not, speak now, or forever bite your tongues. Because there are no false pretenses about me.' King goes on to write he wasn't there at the time of the murder, and offered no remorse. Advertisement Byrd, a former vacuum cleaner salesman, was killed on June 7, 1998 when he accepted an early-morning lift from Sean Berry whom he knew casually. King and the third man convicted of his murder, Russell Brewer, were with Berry. They told the 49-year-old father-of-three to get into the bed of Berry's 1982 Ford pick-up truck. King got angry that his friend would give a lift to an African-American. Berry drove to a convenience store and then King took the wheel and instead of taking Byrd home, he drove to a remote dirt road, known locally as The Tram Road, outside Jasper. When Berry asked him what he was doing, King replied 'Fixing to scare the s**t out of this n****r.' At trial King who was described as the ringleader was said to have mercilessly beaten Byrd with a bat before he and Brewer urinated and defecated on him. Brewer kicked him so hard he injured his toe. They then sprayed Byrd's face with black paint and chained him by the ankles to the gray truck and dragged him down The Tram Road before turning left on to Huff Creek Road. Autopsy results showed Byrd was still alive for roughly half the trip before his head struck a culvert. The rear of the 1982 pickup truck owned by King's co-defendant Shawn Allen Berry of Jasper, Texas, is shown in 1998. The ball of the hitch was removed by the FBI in their investigation A photo taken in 1998 shows where the victim James Byrd Jr's keys were found in the road after his body was dragged for three miles behind a pickup truck John William King smiles in 1999 on his way to court during his murder trial His elbows, knees and backside were skinned to the bone. His genitals were ground away totally. The three men then dumped his headless body outside a church cemetery and drove off to a barbecue. The body was discovered some eight hours later, missing not only the skull but also its right arm. A woman living on Huff Creek Road discovered the head and arm in a ditch outside her home. Police followed a brown trail of dried blood from the cemetery to the woman's house and then up The Tram Road. They discovered 81 separate pieces of Byrd's body along the road. Where the blood trail ended they discovered items including Byrd's wallet, a Kiss CD, a broken beer bottle, a wrench with the word 'Berry' scrawled on it and a cigarette lighter etched with a triangular Ku Klux Klan symbol and the word 'Possum' King's prison nickname. The three men, who shared an apartment in Jasper, were soon arrested. King and Berry had gone to school together in Jasper, but both dropped out, Berry in eighth grade, King two years later. King is seen in 1999 as he is escorted into the Jasper County Courthouse for the penalty phase of his capital murder trial in Jasper, Texas. He was unemotional as he was sentenced to die Sisters of James Byrd Jr., from left, Mary Verrett, Louvon Harris and Mylinda Washington react after co-defendant Shawn Allen Berry was found guilty Thursday, Nov. 18, 1999 in Jasper, Texas Stella and James Byrd Sr. arrange flowers around a new headstone commemorating their son, James Byrd Jr., Monday, Feb. 1, 1999 in Jasper, Texas They ended up in a prison boot camp together after being nabbed for a burglary. The camp, which used military-type discipline in a bid to turn young offenders' lives away from crime, appeared to work for Berry, who tried to go straight and got a job as manager of Jasper's only movie theater. But King's life went the other way and he was in and out of prison for years. He was eventually sent to the maximum-security George Beto prison where he met career criminal Brewer, who was seven years older than him, and serving a sentence for dealing cocaine. Both joined the Confederate Knights of America, a racist group linked to the Klan, for protection. 'If you don't join you become someone's wife,' Brewer's lawyer Bill Morian said at the time of the men's arrest. King claimed his extreme racist views came from being repeatedly raped by black inmates. King was the first white man ever to be sentenced to death in Texas for killing a black man. Brewer was sentenced to die at a later trial and was executed, aged 44, in 2011. He ordered a last meal of two chicken-fried steaks with gravy and onions, a triple meat bacon cheeseburger, a cheese omelet with half a loaf of white bread, a large bowl of fried okra with ketchup, a pound of barbecue, three fajitas, a meat-lover's pizza, a pint of Blue Bell ice cream and a slab of peanut butter fudge and three root beers. When the massive feast was delivered to him, he told guards he wasn't hungry and didn't eat any of it. Brewer's excessive order led the state to ban the practice of allowing condemned prisoners to choose their own final meal. The day before his execution, he told a Houston radio station: 'As far as any regrets, no, I have no regrets. No, I'd do it all over again, to tell you the truth.' Berry, now 44, was sentenced to life in prison. He will be eligible for parole in 2034. While in prison he married the mother of his child. King's co-defendants: Lawrence Russell Brewer (left) was executed in 2011. The third participant, Shawn Allen Berry (right), was sentenced to life in prison and is still serving his sentence. He is due for parole in 2038 Etchings of hatred: The tattoos sported by self-proclaimed 'avowed racist' John William King and what they symbolize John William King was a member of a white supremacist gang and spoke of starting a race war while in prison for a previous crime. Several of his tattoos were pictured and entered into evidence during his trial for the murder of James Byrd Jr in 1998 One of King's tattoos shows an image of the Virgin Mary holding what looks to be baby Jesus with devil horns out jutting out of his head. He had several tattoos on his arms and body depicting Nazi imagery and White Supremacy Another tattoo on King's torso depicts the lightning-bolt SS of the Nazi Schutzstaffel, with the words 'Aryan Pride' underneath. The SS Bolts are a common white supremacist/neo-Nazi symbol derived from the German Nazi party. A Confederate flag, one of the more common white supremacist symbols, is also displayed. The flag was used at the most appalling scenes of violence and bigotry in the South in the sixties and remains a controversial symbol. An unidentified crest is also displayed in the center, which is linked to Aryan Brotherhood factions in several states and is also used as an affiliation symbol for prison gangs in the U.S. A tattoo on King's arm shows a satanic star on his armpit while other racist imagery is sprawled across his arm. The pentagram is a symbol of the Nazi satanism movement which derived from European fascism in the forties, with subgroups later forming in different parts of the world. These groups practice teachings that are grounded in a Christian interpretation of white supremacy in which they view themselves as the 'superior race' A close-up of the tattoo on King's arm, which was entered into evidence during his capital murder trial, depicts a black man hanging from a tree. King obtained most of his tattoos while he was in prison for a burglary conviction, according to various reports at the time. Prosecutors portrayed King as so hateful he proudly adorned his body with dozens of racist tattoos during the trial. His lawyers had objected to photographs of the tattoos being used in evidence, saying the art was constitutionally protected as freedom of expression. However their objections were overruled by the judge Advertisement Jasper, a city of fewer than 8,000 people 140 miles north-east of Houston near the Louisiana border, has been trying to come to terms with Byrd's grisly murder for two decades. Before it, it had been known as relatively hate-free, compared to other East Texas towns. There are roughly the same number of blacks and whites in Jasper and at the time it had an African-American mayor. But racial tension resurfaced after Jasper's first black police chief was fired in 2012, and two of the three black city council members who hired the chief were ousted in a recall election. The recall effort was marred by racial slurs. Byrd's grave in the Jasper City Cemetery has twice been vandalized and is now protected by a fence for protection. King's execution was marked by a vigil in the James Byrd Jr. Memorial Park in Jasper. It was to be led by the Rev Ron Foshage, a white Roman Catholic priest. 'We don't want King to go to Hell,' Foshage told the local paper, the Jasper Newsboy. 'The Byrd family does not want King to go to Hell. If that happens we lose, God loses.' Advertisement Caelan Ryan, nine, never met his great-grandfather Sergeant Leonard Sylvester Dick, but proudly wore his World War II hat, jacket and replica medals to the dawn service in Adelaide. Sergeant Dick was a Japanese prisoner of war for about three months, before he was freed and eventually returned home. Ryan, who attended the service with his father Damian, said he feels connected to his great-grandfather. He has taken an interest in the family history and its link to the Australian Defence Force. 'It's very special to be here in memory of him and all the other Australians who fought,' the boy said after the service on Thursday. 'One day we did research on him and we found out that he was in the 57th/60th battalion and he fought in New Guinea.' Caelan Ryan, nine, never met his great-grandfather Sergeant Leonard Sylvester Dick, but proudly wore his World War II hat, jacket and replica medals to the dawn service in Adelaide Caelan has taken an interest in the family history and its link to the Australian Defence Force. Damian said his son wears the uniform with a great deal of pride Damian said his son wears the uniform with a great deal of pride. 'This is our first ever dawn service but I'm pretty sure we might be coming to a few more,' he said. As the sun rose on Thursday, thousands gathered at the South Australian National War Memorial and spilled down North Terrace to mark Australia's national day of remembrance. The 2019 service marks the 104th anniversary of the landing of the Anzacs in Gallipoli, where tens of thousands of soldiers died. It also marks 100 years since the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, which ended the state of war between Germany and the allied powers. The meaning of Anzac Day today includes the remembrance of all Australians, who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and military operations. The meaning of Anzac Day today includes the remembrance of all Australians, who served and died in all wars, conflicts and military operations Ian Smith, chair of the RSL SA's Anzac Day committee, highlighted the military service of migrant communities, who sometimes had to overcome the restrictions of the White Australia policy and Defence Act in order to enlist. 'Recent migrants from many nations have a strong record of service in the Australian armed services that continues today,' he told the crowd. 'Some had already served Australia before coming here, like the Afghan interpreters who are now proud South Australians.' Mr Smith warned against using the Anzac tradition to promote 'unthinking nationalism'. 'We must also be wary of those that seek to misuse the service and sacrifice of our men and women to promote their own narrow agendas,' he said. 'Such actions are unwelcome and we must protect ourselves and our ANZAC traditions from them.' With a solid gold front tooth, a glinty eye and streetwise swagger, he looks totally incongruous riding through the streets of Leicester on a horse. He is so handsome that he could pass for a model. He also has an extremely shady criminal past. But for the past 18 months, the exotically named Freedom Tariq Zampaladus has been running a riding school designed to give inner-city children the chance to learn everything about horses. Freedom Tariq Zampaladus rides a horse through the streets of Leicester, where he teaches underprivileged children the joys of equine care Three times a week, twice at weekends, this most unlikely riding instructor buses dozens of excited youngsters aged between six and 12 from some of the most deprived areas of Leicester to Park View riding stables, six miles out of town, with sweeping views of the lush countryside and a ripe smell of horse dung. Here, they learn to ride, jump, race and groom the horses. They muck them out, breathe in their smell and, most of all, just relax and be happy. At weekends, Freedom takes them on field trips to horse trials where they meet Olympic riders, watch cross-country trials and handle birds of prey; to the British Racing School in Newmarket where they meet jockeys; and to Cheltenham racecourse where, later this year, eight of his gutsiest little riders will take part in national pony races. Three years ago, most of these kids had never seen a horse, let alone ridden one. Many were struggling at school with learning difficulties, friendships and bullying. Most are from single-parent families living below the poverty line. Zelina, nine, who lives with her mum and brother on St Matthew's, Leicester's most deprived estate, says she had just one friend before she discovered Freedom and horses. 'I was so shy. I worried a lot. I'd never seen a horse, but riding has made me more confident,' she says. 'The first time I couldn't work out what the feeling was. I'd never felt so calm in my life. It's made me so much calmer I am able to concentrate better at school.' Freedom Tariq Zampaladus shows children how to groom a horse at the Urban Equestrian Academy Mohammed, 12, counts down the days until he's back at the Urban Equestrian Academy. 'I love everything about it. It's changed my life. Everything is better now.' Urban Equestrian was always about far more than learning to ride. Freedom says: 'I wanted to give inner-city kids something to care about and to strive for.' And, in turn, help protect them from the gangs and knife crime sweeping the country. 'This is an early intervention, to give them confidence, role models, a future, a dream before it's too late,' he says. 'I want to show kids caught up in all the knife madness right now that they don't have to be defined by their background. 'They can turn it around. They can change their lives.' Freedom knows what he's talking about. While he has dedicated the last 13 years to community and youth projects, he wasn't always such a pillar of society. A huge chunk of his youth was spent smoking and dealing drugs, intimidating competitors and playing the tough guy, both in Leicester and during a teenage stint in his father's native Antigua. 'I was notorious. Nobody would mess with me. I felt I was the man.' At one point in Antigua, he had 27 pit bull terriers trained to attack on the command 'kill'. 'I was a troubled kid,' he says. Freedom has a lifelong love of horses Born in one of the roughest parts of Leicester, Freedom moved with his family to Antigua aged 14 and became a groom at his uncle's 11-horse racing yard. He'd only seen a horse once before on a school trip when he was seven but discovered an affinity so strong that he could communicate with them and train 'untrainable' horses. Unfortunately, he also quickly discovered that his uncle, who owned a fleet of classic cars and a huge property portfolio, was not just a race trainer but one of the island's biggest drug-dealers. It wasn't long before Freedom was helping to hide hundreds of kilos of Colombian marijuana, keeping look-out for the police, smoking dope and selling drugs himself. 'I went a bit wild.' Meanwhile, his home life unravelled into a trail of domestic violence and divorce. But horses were his saviour, his redemption. 'They were my release. They brought me calm. They saved my life,' he says. After Antigua was struck by Hurricane Iris in 1995 and the stable staff suffered losses, he took over, gaining his professional trainer's licence when he was just 17. 'When I'm with horses I feel totally free. I switch. I change. I can communicate with them. I have a connection,' he says. His big moment came when he rehabilitated a supposedly untrainable colt. Subsequently, he returned to England and enrolled on a course in equine studies at the Brooksby Melton College. Of 900 students, his was the only black face, but he excelled and was picked to work on the largest Arabian Stud Farm in the UK at the time, Umm Qarn Farm, owned by the ruler of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani. 'When I'm with horses I feel totally free. I switch. I change. I can communicate with them. I have a connection.' Freedom has a special bond with horses which he hopes to pass on to the children he works with But the loneliness and isolation he felt was hard to handle. 'I lost the joy. I felt out of place. I loved horses but it wasn't my world.' That's why he wants the Urban Equestrian Academy's 80 young riders to feel included. 'Riding shouldn't just be for rich people. It's about community and cohesion.' The youngsters are of all ethnic backgrounds Afro-Caribbean, Somalian, Polish, French Algerian, Tunisian, Pakistani, mixed race, white. But they mix brilliantly with one another laughing, joking and singing on the bus together. Freedom hopes these early friendships which straddle the city will help prevent so-called postcode knife crime between rival gangs later and give them a sense of purpose. 'A lot of young people particularly black and ethnic minority kids have no long-term plan,' he says. 'They don't think ten years ahead. They think for the moment. They look for the easy route and they're limiting their chances to be something.' He knows this well from personal experience. After falling out of love with the racing world, he dropped back into his bad old ways drug-dealing on street corners and smoking dope. It was only when, in 2005, he fell in love, decided to go straight and was persuaded to organise a community event involving horses, that the spark reignited and everything changed. 'More than 700 people came. I thought, 'Whoa! I'm good at this!' Working with horses saved Freedom from a life of drug dealing on street corners He looks me hard in the eye as he insists that in the 14 years since, he hasn't looked back. He is the father of a 12-year-old daughter and twin boys, aged nine. He spends every spare hour ploughing his energy into good causes. He started Urban Equestrian after a pilot scheme, charging just 7 for an hour's lesson (with youngsters transported in a minibus paid for by crowd-funding). It has been a stunning success. Eleven volunteers help with the lessons and more than 100 parents and community leaders support the project. As well as the 80 kids learning, there are 50 more on the waiting-list no one ever wants to leave. Of course they don't. It's such fun at Park View, with the sun slicing through the April showers and the horses whickering. It's light years from their grey, concrete inner-city homes. Inside the covered menage, the Advanced group are cantering, mastering tight turns like pros and beginning to tackle jumps. Outside, the younger kids are splashing though the puddles, mucking out the ponies, leading them round the yard and hanging on Freedom's every word as he explains the difference between a body brush and curry comb. Freedom started Urban Equestrian after a pilot scheme, and he now has 11 volunteers and more than 100 parents and community leaders supporting the project They glow with joy and pride. 'I am the only person in my class who can ride,' says Zelina. 'And since I've started riding, I've feel like I've got better at everything maths, literacy, everything. It's changed my life.' Azeezah, 12, says riding has helped her concentrate. 'I'm much better at school now.' Eesa, 11, was an early recruit. He has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism and, according to mum Rachel, would have been on medicine for his unmanageable behaviour, but for the horses. Instead, he has flourished at school and at home. 'I don't know what we could do if he couldn't attend,' said Rachel. 'I never knew the value of horses. I wish all children had access to them.' Freedom, meanwhile, is striving for more. Next term, he's adding a 'Rebel Riders' class for 12- to 16-year-olds. He says representatives from across the country have been in touch to see if he can advise on similar schemes a national franchise, maybe. Others have been in touch from the U.S. to see if they can team up on a joint initiative. And that's just the start of it. His dream is to raise 1 million through crowd-funding to buy enough land to include a social hub, stables, fields, two proper classrooms. Ultimately, he wants to turn the Academy into a proper school teaching the national curriculum as well as everything equine. He's already in discussions with the council to identify land. 'I work every hour I have,' he says. 'But it's not work, it's my duty.' It couldn't feel further from his bad old life. 'I would never go back there,' he says. 'I have flashbacks of how I was hiding from the police, looking over my shoulder, getting raided and I tell the kids: 'It's not worth it certainly not all this knife madness.' 'So these kids need to find something in their life riding, school, family, whatever that is worth it.' An 'internet police' was launched last night with gang culture and knife crime on social media in its sights. Home Secretary Sajid Javid vowed to take on the web firms he claimed were 'increasingly' promoting harmful content. Yesterday he announced that he would be launching a 'social media taskforce' staffed by police officers dedicated to removing violent posts and videos. This 17-strong team will be operational from next month and sit within the Metropolitan Police in London, constantly monitoring social media sites. Home Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured in Downing Street) vowed to take on the web firms he claimed were 'increasingly' promoting harmful content Mr Javid, who held a meeting with Facebook and Google yesterday, said: 'Social media is increasingly being used as a platform to incite violence, promote gang culture and legitimise the use of knives. I will not let this continue. 'Tech firms have been making progress in tackling this harmful content, but more needs to be done. 'The national police social media hub will ensure a team of dedicated officers are identifying and taking action against gang-related content.' The move comes after Mr Javid's 'online harms' White Paper, which gave tech firms a legal duty to protect their users. Duncan Ball, deputy assistant commissioner of the Met, said: 'Social media is playing a role in escalating violence between young people and enabling content that glamorises or encourages violence and crime. Labour's Stephen Doughty told the firms their policies 'mean nothing' because the systems they use to catch problem content are failing and Yvette Cooper said she was easily able to find threats against her family on the internet This funding from the Home Office is welcome and enables us to continue developing our capability to tackle violence that originates online. 'We will ensure that material that lures young people into a dangerous, violent life of crime and encourages violence is quickly dealt with.' The announcement came after Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube were savaged by MPs as 'cesspits' of extremist content with a 'don't give a damn' attitude. Labour's Stephen Doughty told the firms their policies 'mean nothing' because the systems they use to catch problem content are failing. Videos of the Christchurch terror attack remain in circulation five weeks on, and threats to MPs have been allowed to stay online. Labour's Yvette Cooper, chairman of the Home Affairs select committee, told how she was easily able to find threats against her family on the internet. Whether you live in the town or the countryside, they are all around us. No one knows quite how many there are some say 12 million, while others estimate as many as 20 million. They can spread disease, destroy crops, cause pollution and, worse still, their population is on the rise. Had they arrived in the country last week, they would have been regarded as a menacing invader, and urgent steps would be being taken to eradicate them. There could be as many as 20 million pigeons in Britain. They can spread disease, destroy crops, cause pollution and, worse still, their population is on the rise You would be forgiven for thinking that I was referring to some form of malevolent insect, but the destructive creature in question is, in fact, the humble pigeon. In Britain, there are two principal types of these winged pests the countrysides wood pigeon, of which are there are around 11 million, and the feral pigeon of our towns and cities, of which there are said to be as few as one million, but in all likelihood a lot more. Although many people have a soft spot for these birds, and like to hear their low cooing or to feed them in parks, pigeons really are a menace. This is particularly so in the countryside, where wood pigeons cause extensive damage to crops. According to a recent report issued by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, wood pigeons can reduce a crop yield by ten per cent to 40 per cent. That costs farmers a lot of money, with an estimated loss of some 125 per hectare for oil seed rape, 250 per hectare for peas, and 330 to a staggering 1,250 per hectare for brassicas such as cabbage and kale. Of course, that destruction makes crops more expensive, and ultimately means that we, the consumers, have to pay more for our food. It is in order to protect their crops that farmers and landowners have been permitted to kill wood pigeons even though they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 under what is known as the general licence. However, on Tuesday, the Government-backed quango Natural England announced out of the blue that it was revoking the general licence at midnight tonight. Which means that farmers in England will have to seek individual licences in order to kill wood pigeons. After being given just 48 hours notice. If this appears to you nothing more than a legal nicety, then you would be wrong. In Britain, there are two principal types of these winged pests the countrysides wood pigeon, of which are there are around 11 million, and the feral pigeon of our towns and cities (pictured), of which there are said to be as few as one million, but in all likelihood a lot more Because the revocation of the general licence on the order of a body endorsed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs makes any farmer who shoots wood pigeons to protect his crops without an individual licence a law-breaker. And yet, given the immediate introduction of this law, farmers have no idea how long they will have to wait before they can get that licence. As many farmers will tell you, the best way to get rid of pigeons is to shoot them. One farmer explained on Twitter yesterday: Growing oilseed rape is near impossible without the control of pigeons. 'Over the years we have tried bird-scarers, scarecrows, kites you name it, weve tried it. The only effective way to save the crop is to shoot the pests. But it gets worse. Because the same revocation also covers 15 other bird species, including rooks, whose flocks can devastate emerging crops as well as strip huge areas of grain from crops just before theyre harvested. It is not just crops that are vulnerable. The general licence also covered crows, which regularly peck out the eyes of lambs. From midnight, a farmer who wishes to shoot a crow that is attacking a lamb cannot do so legally. To make matters more confusing, Natural England states it is planning to issue new general licences next week, but no one knows which birds will be covered, under what circumstances, or indeed whether any new licences will ever come into force. According to a recent report issued by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, wood pigeons can reduce a crop yield by ten per cent to 40 per cent It is hardly surprising that the farming community is absolutely livid with Natural England, especially at such a critical time in the agricultural calendar, with vulnerable infant livestock out in the fields and young crop shoots emerging from the soil. So why on earth has Natural England revoked the general licence, which has been in existence for decades? After all, it is not as if the pigeon population is under threat. In fact, quite the opposite it increased by 123 per cent between 1970 and 2015. The answer lies in the lobbying power of TV naturalist and presenter Chris Packham, who famously loathes shooting. Working in cahoots with a pressure group called Wild Justice, Packham issued a legal challenge to Natural England in February, claiming the way general licences were being issued was unlawful. His argument was that birds should be killed under the licences only if it could be proved that alternative non-lethal means, such as scaring, had been used. And with no way of establishing whether these conditions had been met, Natural England quickly rolled over. At present, the quango has an interim chief executive in the form of Marian Spain, who is the chief executive of a wild plant conservation charity, and a former director of strategy at the Energy Saving Trust, which offers advice on renewable energy such as solar panels and biomass boilers. I may be wrong, but my suspicion is that with her eco-background, she appears more likely to side with Packhams herd and its absurd accusations of casual killing, than with farmers suffering financial losses as a result of this decision. Wild Justices motive was certainly not born out of some legal tidying-up exercise. Its director, Mark Avery formerly of the RSPB explained: Mass killing of wildlife under the general licences has been going on for nearly 40 years its time that this casual killing ended. TV naturalist and presenter Chris Packham, who famously loathes shooting, has lobbied Natural England to revoke the general license. This makes any farmer who shoots wood pigeons to protect his crops without an individual licence a law-breaker The idea that saving crops and livestock is casual killing is absurd, and shows that Packham and his militant cronies have no real respect for the delicate balance that needs to be maintained between the needs of nature and those of agriculture. Rather than fight its corner, or indeed swiftly issue freshly worded general licences, Natural England dithered until it was too late and then, to the shock of the farming community, scrapped them. In essence, Packham has won a battle but he has not yet won the war. Had Natural England the spine to do so, it would do more than issue new general licences and take this opportunity to remove the protection that pigeons enjoy under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. This would mean that anyone could shoot them, and they would not require any kind of licence at all. Although such a move would clearly make Packham choke on his herbal tea, he and his group, as animal and bird lovers, should actually welcome it because it would no longer be illegal to shoot a pigeon in order to eat it. The point is that pigeon is the most ethical meat you can consume. Although feral pigeons are perhaps best left untouched, wood pigeon is plentiful, sustainable, organic and basically free. Furthermore, as anyone who has eaten pigeon will tell you and I eat it regularly it is delicious, and tastes similar to duck or venison. Compared with some poor, wretched chicken that has spent a miserable life in a cage or crammed in a barn without daylight, I know which I would prefer to eat, both on grounds of nutrition and ethics. The more pigeon we eat, the less we need to rely on intensively farmed animals. Why cant Packham and his lot see that? Until the Wildlife and Countryside Act came into being, it was perfectly legal for anyone to kill and eat pigeon, and there was never any severe diminution in population in fact, the population was growing even before the Act came into force. Pigeons can reproduce six times a year, so unless there was a widespread slaughter of millions of them, their numbers would sustain themselves. What Marian Spain should be doing on behalf of Natural England is to send Packham packing. She has a glorious opportunity to both champion a cheap and ethical form of meat, and to help protect crops and livestock. The chances are, however, that she will let the grey menace continue to rule the roost. A man accused of murdering a woman whose body was found in Melbourne's Chinatown is due to face court. The 32-year-old Cowes man is expected to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon after spending the night in police custody. He was charged with one count of murder on Wednesday night. The Highton woman, aged 32, was found about 6.30am on Wednesday at the intersection of Little Bourke Street and Celestial Avenue. The woman is yet to be publicly identified. An autopsy will be undertaken to determine the cause of her 'suspicious' death, police said. The woman is believed to have been dead when a member of the public made the grisly discovery, Acting Superintendent Craig Peel said on Wednesday. The woman's body was found at the intersection of Little Bourke Street and Celestial Avenue, in the city's Chinatown area, about 6.30am on Wednesday The cause of the woman's death has not yet been determined, and police are investigating Part of Celestial Avenue was cordoned off and the woman's body remained on the side of the road at 7.15am, 3AW reported. Her body was lying in a gutter and had been covered by a paramedic's blanket. Paramedics were called to the scene when the woman was found but she couldn't be revived, the Herald Sun reported. Acting Superintendent Craig Peel told reporters earlier in the day he believed the woman was already dead when a member of the public reported her body in the street. Senior Sergeant Trish Duke said the woman was 32 years old. Her body was lying in a gutter and had been covered by a paramedic's blanket Senior Sergeant Trish Duke said the woman was believed to be 32 Vic Roads advised travellers to avoid the area as cordons were raised. Holidaymakers and business owners have been kept within the cordon and are unable to leave, 7 News reported. State Emergency Services volunteers also assisted at the scene. Police have asked anyone with information on the discovery of the woman's body to come forward. Survivors of the 2002 Bali terror attack have been outraged by new plans to develop a five-storey restaurant on the bomb site where more than 200 people were killed. Local vendors, who have been operating out of the empty lot where the Sari Club once stood, have been asked to relocate after Balinese developers were granted a building permit to begin construction next month. A total of 202 people, including 88 Australians, were killed in the blast after a bomb hidden inside a car parked outside the club exploded on October 12, 2002. The new building will reportedly include a 'monument' to commemorate the lives of those who died, but specific details on the project are yet to be released. Survivors of the 2002 Bali car bombings have called plans to develop a restaurant on the bomb site an 'insult to everybody' More than 200 people, including 88 Australians, were killed in the blast after a bomb hidden inside a car parked outside the club exploded on October 12, 2002 Survivor Gary Nash (pictured being treated in hospital) was at Paddy's Bar - opposite Sari Club - when the bomb detonated Angry survivors have called the plans to build a restaurant insulting because the location should be 'sacred' rather than be used for commercial purposes. Mr Nash (pictured ten years after the attack) said the site should be kept sacred Gary Nash, who was at Paddy's Bar - opposite Sari Club - when the bomb detonated, has opposed the new development after years of hoping to turn the site into a memorial. 'That's an insult to everybody. Not only the Australians who were killed there but everybodyall the other nations who had people killed therethat land should be sacred, it should be kept apart,' Mr Nash told ABC. Because information on the project is scant, Mr Nash fears the proposed restaurant could eventually turn into another nightclub. Over the years, efforts have been made to create a memorial park for the victims but have been shot down. Members of the Australian forensic team investigate the site nightclub bombing in Kuta, Bali A single singed shoe sits on a table inside a destroyed bar at the site of a bomb blast in Kuta Beach on Bali in October 2002 David Napoli, the chairman of the Bali Peace Park Association said the organisation has attempted to get in contact with site owners to discuss their proposal, but have failed to receive a response or a proper meeting. The plans also come as a shock to survivors and relatives, who said, for years, the government has assured them that the land will remain as a memorial site. 'They were actually very clear for many, many years in stating that no commercial building would be put on that property. It was reserved for a peace park or a memorial park,' Mr Napoli said. Former 'Miss Hitler' beauty pageant contestant Alice Cutter (right) outside court A woman accused of being a neo-Nazi terrorist claimed she only entered a Miss Hitler beauty pageant because she was pestered into it, a court has heard. Alice Cutter said she was then left 'panicking' when the far-right contest featuring her photograph, wearing a face-mask, under the contestant name 'Buchenwald Princess' ended up making national newspapers. The 22-year-old also described messages she sent about killing Jews as 'just stupid dark humour' and 'distasteful edginess' made in private. Other remarks in which she said 'Kill, kill, kill' while talking about gassing synagogues was just her 'talking shit' and she would never do anything illegal, she told Birmingham Crown Court. Cutter is on trial accused of being a member of banned terrorist group National Action, alongside her boyfriend Mark Jones and two other men. The waitress, who was giving evidence for the first time on Wednesday, told jurors she 'really didn't think' she ever was a member of the organisation, which was banned in December 2016. Cutter told jurors she had filled out her own two-page profile as part of the entry to the National Action-run Miss Hitler competition. She described having a love of 'nature and animals', 'European architecture' and added the 'best gift' life had given her was 'cats'. Previously the court heard Cutter and boyfriend Mark Jones, 24, exchanged text messages about making lethal chlorine gas from household chemicals and 'using it on synagogues' Referring to the gas, Cutter, pictured holding a rifle, also allegedly sent Jones a text saying 'Yes, yes, yes. Kill, kill, kill' Cutter also said on her entry form: 'The only reason I even decided to become active in the far right was National Action.' Cutter, who told jurors she was an animal-lover and a vegan, was asked about an exchange with group member Alexander Deakin, in a chat about killing Jews. Jurors heard Deakin, who Cutter said first introduced her to National Action, has since been convicted of being a regional organiser for the terrorist organisation, after the group was outlawed. Describing her remarks, she said: 'It sounds sad but I was, I guess, just showing off to my own target audience, saying stupid things because I knew it really wasn't that extreme to them I suppose. 'It was just stupid dark humour, distasteful edginess and I knew I could say these sort of things and it wouldn't go anywhere.' Cutter said Deakin had 'very persistently' asked her to enter the Miss Hitler pageant, along with another member she named as Ashley Bell. Asked about entering the competition by her barrister Liam Walker, she replied: 'Because I'd just made some new friends and I thought they might be different to people I'd experienced in the past. 'I didn't want to cock it up so early by not doing that.' Cutter, originally from Bradford, West Yorkshire, claimed it was National Action's co-founder Ben Raymond who selected her entry name 'Buchenwald Princess', which referenced the infamous Nazi-era death camp. The competition made headlines when a national newspaper exposed the pageant in June 2016. Asked how she felt on seeing her face and those of other entrants splashed across the press, Cutter replied: 'I never thought it would get published because I didn't think it would go anywhere and I just thought it would remain where it was, on the website. 'But it did get picked up and I was panicking.' National Action was declared a proscribed group in December 2016 following the groups support of the murder of Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox, above Cutter, who claimed to have a history of anxiety and panic attacks, said she urged Raymond to alter or remove her image from the Miss Hitler website but it remained live. 'I really did regret it as soon as it happened,' she added. She was also asked about other remarks to Deakin in which she said 'why can we not gas the f****** invaders' and, regarding Jews, 'cleanse them with fire'. Cutter, wearing a floral dress, replied: 'I definitely didn't mean that, I'm being stupid on a private chat with Deakin. 'It's tasteless, I know it's tasteless but it's not reality. 'I wouldn't be cleansing anyone with fire, I wouldn't be gassing anybody, it's not real.' Jurors heard that Cutter considered Deakin a 'friend' and 'funny', but she had had to rebuff his attempts to begin a romantic relationship. Deakin had been putting it about to others that he and she were 'potentially going to be an item', which Cutter 'did not appreciate'. Instead, Cutter started dating co-accused Jones, which left Deakin 'mumbling under his breath' at one social gathering where both men were present, she said. Jones, 24, ended up moving in together with Cutter in Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, West Yorkshire, in May 2017. Cutter told jurors she started to worry about her and Jones being part of National Action, and that a series of messages about their relationship was 'just saying can it (National Action) not just be a thing anymore'. She told how the couple got engaged at Fountains Abbey, near Ripon. But Cutter broke down in tears when telling the jury she had removed her ring 'a week-and-a-half ago'. Earlier in the trial, Jones revealed during his evidence how he had cheated on Cutter with a 16-year-old female would-be recruit. Cutter and Jones, who is originally from Highbury, London, are on trial alongside Garry Jack, 23, of Heathland Avenue, Birmingham, and 18-year-old Connor Scothern, of Bagnall Avenue, Nottingham, accused of group membership. All deny any wrongdoing and the trial continues. Pensioners should be stripped of 'outdated' perks such as free TV licences and bus passes to make Britain fairer for younger people, peers said last night. The 'triple lock' on pensions which has seen the state pension soar in recent years should also be scrapped, the House of Lords select committee found. They called on the BBC to phase out free TV licences for the over-75s, with only the poorest households receiving them without payment. A Lords committee called on the BBC to phase out free TV licences for the over-75s, with only the poorest households receiving them without payment (stock image) The Corporation is consulting on whether to get rid of them and the report could make it easier to do so. The peers said free bus passes and the winter fuel payments should only be available five years after a person reaches state pension age. They called for better-off elderly people to continue paying National Insurance if they work beyond the state pension age. The report, compiled by the Lords select committee on intergenerational fairness and provision, said these perks were no longer justified when younger people struggle to even get on the housing ladder. To help younger adults, it called for town halls to be given more power to develop unused land as well as higher funding for vocational training. Lord True, the committee chairman, said: 'We found that intergenerational bonds are still strong. The Corporation is consulting on whether to get rid of them and the report could make it easier to do so 'However, there is a risk that those connections could be undermined if the Government does not get a grip on key issues such as access to housing, secure employment and fairness in tax and benefits. 'We are calling for some of the outdated benefits based purely on age to be removed. Policies such as the state pension triple lock and free TV licences for over 75s were justified when pensioner households were at the bottom of the income scale but that is no longer the case.' The committee said ministers needed to build a fairer society to prepare the country for the coming 100-year lifespan. The report said that while age-based benefits and allowances were justified in the past to tackle pensioner poverty, many pensioner households are now on average better off than many working age households both in terms of income after housing costs and household wealth. The peers also called on the Treasury to publish a breakdown of the effects of each Budget by generation and said ministers should create 'Intergenerational Impact Assessments' for all draft legislation. Lord True said: 'Young people told us they feel short-changed by the housing market, so we are recommending policies to deliver a significant increase in the supply of social and private housing and recommended protections to give renters long-term security. They called for better-off elderly people to continue paying National Insurance if they work beyond the state pension age (stock image) 'We also need to change how we view education and training. Longer working lives mean older workers need support to reskill and continue to contribute in the workplace and younger people, particularly those who do not go to university, need the Government to fund further education and vocational training.' But charities for the aged did not accept all the committee's recommendations. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: 'Young people may need more help but we disagree that this should be at the expense of the older generation. Means-testing, for example, results in significant numbers of very poor older people missing out. 'We reject the notion that helping younger and older people is an 'either/or'; in practice, many at both ends of the age spectrum need our society's support and an advanced economy like the UK is well placed to provide it.' The government's legal battle with Abdel Hakim Belhaj has cost taxpayers 11 million, after he offered to accept a token 1 if the government said sorry A legal battle to silence a Libyan dissident who was handed over to torturers with Britains help cost taxpayers more than 11million. With the aid of MI6 intelligence, Abdel Hakim Belhaj was kidnapped and sent back to Libya in 2004 with his pregnant wife Fatima Boudchar. He was flung into a prison controlled by Libyan despot Colonel Gaddafi, where he endured six years of torture. Since his release in 2011 he has campaigned for an apology and compensation from Britain for its part in his capture. He said he would accept a token 1 if the Government said sorry, but it refused for years. As a result, figures revealed yesterday that the eight-year legal battle has cost the public purse at least 11.4million. This included almost 7million for Mr Belhajs lawyers. A Government spokesman said this fee had been haggled down substantially, meaning his legal team may have asked for millions more. The spokesman also said the cost reflected eight years of work on both sides. Following a change of government and a Supreme Court ruling allowing Mr Belhaj to take the Government to court, Theresa May apologised to Mr Belhaj and his wife last spring and accepted that the UK shared information with Libya that contributed to their rendition. The couple were sent back to Libya in April 2004 after being kidnapped in Thailand by the CIA following a tip-off by MI6. Last year the British ambassador in Turkey, Dominick Chilcott (right), handed over a letter of apology from the UK government for leaking data to MI6 that led to him being kidnapped in Thailand and sent to Colonel Gaddafi's Libya in 2004 He was sent back to Libya with his pregnant wife, Fatime Boudchar, where he was imprisoned and tortured for six years Katie Taylor, of the human rights group Reprieve, which represented the couple, said: Abdel Hakim Belhaj and Fatima Boudchar were willing to settle for an apology all along but, rather than admit Britains role in their rendition, the Government resisted coming clean for years at astronomical cost to the taxpayer. This failed cover-up shows the need for an inquiry into British complicity in torture. Jo Swinson, deputy leader of the Lib Dems, also called for a judge-led inquiry, adding: It is vital that this looks into other questions raised by parliamentary intelligence and security committee reports regarding the scale of UK involvement in US kidnap and torture. Mr and Mrs Belhaj were also represented by the law firm Leigh Day, which declined to comment or specify how much of the 7million it received. Handshakes could be banned in the workplace to avoid confusion about what kind of physical contact is appropriate. Employers may want to ban all touching to avoid expensive sexual harassment claims, according to an HR professional. Kate Palmer, associate director of advisory at HR consultancy Peninsula, told Metro.co.uk: Some employers may put a complete ban on physical contact. 'Whether thats going too far or not is a question I would pose, because its contextual. Does shaking someones hand go too far? A survey of 2,000 adults by jobs website Totaljobs found that three out of four people wanted a blanket ban imposed on physical contact in the workplace They may just say no contact at all because theres no grey area. It makes it simple, but it takes away affection which in some ways is a sad thing. A survey of 2,000 adults by jobs website Totaljobs found that three out of four people wanted a blanket ban on physical contact in the workplace. Palmer said that in the wake of the #MeToo movement employers were seeking to implement more black and white policies to avoid any potentially damaging or embarrassing cases. I havent seen anywhere go as far as banning shaking hands, but there may be an employer who has gone as far as that, she told Metro.co.uk. Palmer said that although workers are 'probably' safe with a handshake, people should be mindful that their perceptions of 'appropriate' physical contact may not be the same as their colleagues. Everyone has different physical boundaries and social norms vary from one employment sector to the next. HR professional Kate Palmer said employers may want to ban all touching to avoid expensive sexual harassment lawsuits in the wake of #MeToo She also added that if a workplace has set down specific rules, these should be strictly adhered to, as they are there for a reason. Companies that do not have set policies in place should think about implementing them, and staff should be fully briefed about what their employer's policy is, according to Palmer. Above all companies should make sure the complaints policy is clear and accessible for all. [A handshake is] the most physical contact I would have with a fellow employee,' Palmer said. 'Even if its a sensitive situation, when someone is upset I would be very mindful of a hug or putting my hand on their hand. Try to separate it from being too personal. Finally, she said that above all workers need reminding that these policies also apply beyond walls of the office, for example at a Christmas party or somebody's leaving drinks. A Brooklyn man who is accused of attacking his girlfriend with an ax and killing her pregnant friend was arraigned via Skype from his cell in a psychiatric facility on Wednesday. Jerry Brown, 34, was arrested and charged early Sunday morning with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in relation to the incident. He was handcuffed to a hospital bed in Brooklyn and kept silent during the court proceeding, according to the New York Post. Brown did not enter a plea. He will reportedly undergo further psychiatric evaluation at Woodhull Hospital before his next court appearance on Friday. He is alleged to have gone on the violent rampage in the early hours of Saturday morning while inside the eighth-floor apartment of Angela Valle, 21. Medics arrived to find Valle outside her East Williamsburg complex shortly after 1.30am, where she was bleeding heavily with lacerations to her head and body. Jerry Brown, 34 (pictured), was charged on Sunday with murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon She told them another female, 20-year-old Savannah Rivera, was dead upstairs. Investigators proceeded into the apartment to find Rivera unconscious and unresponsive on the living room floor. Police sources have reportedly told the New York Daily News that her head was 'almost severed from her body and several of her fingers were severed.' Rivera's distraught family have told the Post that she was two months pregnant with her second child. Savannah Rivera, 20, (left) who had been two months pregnant, was reportedly found with her head nearly severed from her body. A second woman, Angela Valle, 21, (right) survived the gruesome attack and was found bleeding heavily with lacerations to her head and body The violence is said to have unfolded in Valle's apartment in East Williamsburg (pictured) Rivera's sister stated that she was nine weeks pregnant and had only begun telling friends and family about the happy news in recent days. The deceased leaves behind a three-year-old son named Sebastian. Meanwhile social media posts show that the suspect, who has a history of arrests for violence including for assault, robbery, burglary and strangulation, referred to himself online as the 'Grim Creepa.' Just six weeks before the deadly attack his then-girlfriend Valle called him 'Mr. 187' - street slang for murderer. But social media posts show Brown was dating Valle as recently as last month. Meanwhile, Valle's four-year-old daughter was also found inside the apartment. She was unharmed, but was taken to hospital for evaluation and observation. An ax, thought to be the murder weapon, was found in the building's trash compactor. Rivera was a mother to a three-year-old son named Sebastian, and was two months pregnant with her second child, according to her devastated family Valle's four-year-old daughter (pictured) was inside the apartment at the time of the ax attack. She was unharmed, but was taken to hospital for evaluation and observation The person responsible for the attack may have purchased the Mintcraft ax from a hardware store just meters from Valle's apartment According to the New York Post, the person responsible for the attack may have purchased the ax from a hardware store just meters from Valle's apartment. An employee at Florama Hardward in East Williamsburg says he remembers the suspect coming into the store and asking for an ax. 'He asked if we can sharpen it for him,' the employee told the publication after presenting the man with a Mintcraft-brand ax for $39.98. Valle is currently in a critical but stable condition in Elmhurst hospital. She initially tried to escape her blood-soaked apartment by calling an Uber. However, the driver noticed she was bleeding heavily and called 911, The New York Post reported. Medics arrived shortly afterward. 21-year-old Angela Valle (pictured) has been named as the surivor of the attack. She escaped the apartment bleeding heavily and with lacerations all over her body. Valle and Brown (pictured together) were dating and she referred to him on Facebook as Mr. 187, which is street slang for murder Valle (pictured) is the mother of a four-year-old daughter who was inside the apartment at the time of the ax attack, but was left unharmed Advertisement Hundreds of thousands of Australians remembered those who paid the ultimate price while defending their country during the annual Anzac Day commemorations. Held each year on April 25, Anzac Day is a time for those enjoying the freedoms of living in Australia to think about those who fought and died in wars across the world. Powerful pictures from this year's commemorations included a re-enactment of a burial at sea, a traditional Maori greeting shared by Prince William and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and tearful veterans taking a moment to acknowledge the mates they had lost. Elephant Rock on the Gold Coast was illuminated in vivid red hues during dawn service at Currumbin Beach, while the perpetual flame at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance burned as people gathered to pay their respects. Heavily-armed police officers guarded ceremonies throughout Australia and New Zealand, alert for any possible signs of terrorism in the wake of the devastating Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka which killed more than 300 people. Snipers were seen perched on roofs, poised and ready to fire in case of any disturbance. Gypsy O'Dea (left), granddaughter of late Australian second world war veteran and former prisoner of war Neil Macpherson, is consoled by a member of Australia's Defense Forces at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway in Thailand Held each year on April 25, Anzac Day is a time for those enjoying the freedoms of living in Australia to think about those who fought and died in wars across the world Powerful pictures from this year's commemorations included a burial at sea re-enactment (pictured), a traditional Maori greeting shared by Prince William and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and tearful veterans taking a moment to acknowledge the mates they had lost An ex-serviceman takes part in the Anzac Day march in Sydney on Thursday, cheered on by a crowd waving Australian flags Britain's Prince William greets New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Auckland, New Zealand Veteran Novin Stevens, 99, is seen during the Anzac Day march in Adelaide Coogee RSL Vice President Laurie Manning attends the Anzac Day dawn service at Coogee Beach in Sydney A member of the 324 Squadron during the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Coogee Beach Australian Second World War veteran and former prisoner of war, 102-year-old Harold Martin (centre) arrives for the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass In memory of the Australian Army Veterinary Corp (AAVC), Chris Kennedy and his horse Chaos (left) and Damon Hughes and horse Maverick are seen at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast on Tuesday A member of Australia's defense forces pays her respects to those who died at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway in Thailand Veterans, descendants of veterans, members of the Armed Services, military bands and school children take part in the Anzac Day march in Sydney Lauren, from the Parachute Riggers Unit based in Richmond, poses for a photo during marches in Sydney Veterans, descendants of veterans, members of the Armed Services, military bands and school children took part in the Anzac Day march in Sydney A haka is performed during the Anzac Day service at Kings Park in Perth, Western Australia on Thursday A former soldier looks into the Enternal Flame at the Shrine of Remembrance after the Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne isters Tahlia, 5, and Evie Malone, 3, place a poppy on the Roll of Honour following the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra A wreath is laid in memory of those who died at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway, during the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass Chief Cenotaph Attendant Wal Scott-Smith is seen following the Anzac Day Dawn Service at The Cenotaph in Sydney Warplanes fly over the top of the Auckland War Memorial Museum as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attends the Anzac Day Civic Service Gary Hayward of the 324 Squadron reacts during the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Coogee Beach Caelan Ryan, 9, wears his great grandfathers dress uniform from the Second World War during the Anzac day dawn service at the War Memorial on North Terrace in Adelaide A member of the public salutes in front of the cenotaph during the Anzac Day dawn service at Cranmer Square Elephant Rock at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast is illuminated in a vivd red during the dawn service on Thursday morning Crowds gather during the Anzac Day dawn service in front of the perpetual flame at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne A sniper is seen on the roof as part of the security of the Shrine during the Anzac Day dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne A police officer looks on during the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington, New Zealand People are seen laying flowers at the Shrine of Remembrance during the Anzac Day dawn service in Brisbane Police remove a screaming woman before Britain's Prince William lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service in Auckland A former soldier salutes as people enter the Shrine of Remembrance after the Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne A veteran is seen during the dawn service in front of the perpetual flame at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne A strong contingent of Australians travelled to Turkey to attend a moving Anzac Day dawn service at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli The Anzac Day march in Sydney's CBD saw old and young generations unite as one Many head to the dawn service at Gallipoli each year to pay tribute to the ultimate sacrifice young men and women made This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who served with Australian forces in the first world war is estimated to be in the range of 1,000-1,200. But the precise figure will never be known, because a number of those who served changed their names and birthplaces when they enrolled to get around racist enlistment practices. Despite fighting and dying for Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders still werent considered citizens upon their return from the war. Many of these veterans were also denied repatriation benefits, and excluded from returned services clubs. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have long sought to gain recognition for the service and sacrifices of their men and women. Some do this by telling stories in their families and local communities about the military careers of their forebears. These stories often take the form of oral histories. Oral history projects by groups of Aboriginal people have proven valuable for redressing the unrecognised service and racist treatment of their ancestors who served in the Australian Light Horse during the Sinai-Palestine Campaign of 1916-18. On Anzac Day, we remember the Great War but forget our first war Commemorating the Battle of Beersheba Although most Australians know little or nothing about the Battle of Beersheba, the Australian government funded its centennial commemoration at Beersheba (now in southern Israel) in October 2017. One hundred Australian and a few New Zealand military history reenactors attended the joint service as part of a commercial tour, during which they rode in period military outfits along the route of their ancestors. A group of Aboriginal men and women, who were descended from some of the estimated 100 Aboriginal members of the Australian Light Horse, also participated in the tour. Several had ancestors who were in the Queensland Black Watch, a predominantly Aboriginal reinforcement unit. The groups participation was enabled by a transnational network of organisations, but the key driver was Rona Tranby Trust, which funds projects to record and preserve Aboriginal oral histories. In 2017, it a group of Aboriginal men and women to complete 11 histories of their ancestors who fought and died in the Sinai-Palestine Campaign. Like the other reenactors, Aboriginal participants were honouring their ancestors courage and sacrifice. But they also wanted to document the neglected stories of their service, and the racial discrimination their forebears experienced. Here we share, with permission, some of the stories that came from the trip, and from the family history projects the group members continue to work on. Ricky Morris Gunditjmara man and retired Army Sergeant Ricky Morris was officially invited to lay a wreath on behalf of all Indigenous veterans at the service in Beersheba. Morris is the 19th of an astonishing 21 men and women Anzacs in his family. He served in a progeny of the Light Horse unit of his grandfather, Frederick Amos Lovett. Frederick Amos Lovett of the 4th Light Horse Regimen and his grandson Ricky Morris. Rona Tranby Trust At a time when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were neither citizens nor counted in the census, Frederick and his four brothers left the Lake Condah Aboriginal Mission, 300 km west of Melbourne, to sign up. But their service counted for nothing. Gunditjmara people were subjected to a second dispossession when they were forced off Lake Condah under the Soldier Settlement Scheme. The scheme granted land to returning soldiers, but like almost all Aboriginal applicants, the brothers were denied soldier settlement blocks. Morris is a member of the Victorian Indigenous Veterans Association Remembrance Committee and gives talks at schools about Aboriginal culture and his family. He interviewed two elderly aunts for his family history project, which he described as: a unique opportunity to follow in the footsteps of those who fought and died for Australia, and the diversity of Australians who put their hands up to answer the call. In remembering Anzac Day, what do we forget? Mischa Fisher and Elsie Amamoo Mischa Fisher and her daughter, Elsie Amamoo, undertook the tour to obtain information for a website about Mischas grandfather, Frank Fisher. Trooper Frank Fisher was an Aboriginal serviceman who enlisted in Brisbane on 16 August 1917. Australian War Memorial Frank was born into the Wangan and Jagalingou community in the goldmining town of Clermont, 1,000 km north of Brisbane. He was one of 47 men from Barambah Aboriginal Settlement who enlisted in the first world war. While Frank was away, his wife Esme was prevented from accessing his salary. After Frank was discharged, he was again placed under the control of the superintendent at Barambah. Mischa and Elsie have interviewed Franks descendants, and accessed archival footage from the Ration Shed Museum an Aboriginal heritage, educational and cultural centre. Elsie only recently learned that Frank, who is also the great-grandfather of Olympic 400m champion Cathy Freeman, was a member of the Black Watch. While training for a reenactment of the Light Horse charge at Beersheba, she tearfully told a reporter what the project meant to her: To me, it feels like I have got a missing piece of the puzzle of who I am [] Thats what it basically means to me: just being able to have that ability to close the gap in terms of my identity and knowing who I am and where I fit in the Australian history, but also within my family as well. Michelle and Peta Flynn Peta Flynn, great niece of Charles Fitzroy Stafford. Rona Tranby Trust Sisters Michelle and Peta Flynn are descendants of Black Kitty, a Cannemegal/Warmuli girl, who, in 1814, was among the first group of Aboriginal children placed in the Parramatta Native Institution at the age of five. The sisters have been researching their family history for over 20 years. Their ancestors include the three Stafford brothers, who were in the Light Horse. At Beersheba, Peta explained her motivation for writing a book about her great uncle, Charles Stafford: My daughter, niece and nephews will be able to take [the book] into their schools and communities and actually be proud of who we are and where we come from and ensure our familys history will not be lost to future generations Lessons and legacies The experiences of Ricky Morris, Mischa Fisher, Elsie Amamoo, and Michelle and Peta Flynn show how exploring family histories can generate feelings of solidarity, honour and closure. Although group members were on a reenactment tour, their emotions were typical of the inward pilgrimages often experienced by genealogical tourists. Past and present family connections were heightened by being there; feelings of sadness, solidarity and pride arose. At the same time, these stories show the benefits of combining academic, public and vernacular accounts to study silences and absences in the histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The official commemoration at Beersheba will only ever be studied by a handful of specialist scholars, but the family histories of this group will have enduring value for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians alike. Jim McKay, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, The University of Queensland This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Advertisement Children holding banners dedicated to their war-dead relatives were among thousands marching through Sydney on Anzac Day. A girl was seen holding a home-made poster reading: 'We miss you, we will never forget you.' A boy marching at her side held another that read: 'Peter Ward. Our great grandfather would have been 100 this year. We will never forget.' The two children were accompanied by several veterans who walked with them bearing their service medals. Another little girl sat on her father's shoulders while her sister pushed an elderly veteran in a wheelchair. A girl was seen holding a home-made poster reading: 'We miss you, we will never forget you.' A boy marching at her side held another that read: 'Peter Ward. Our great grandfather would have been 100 this year. We will never forget.' Left: A little girl was seen holding a home-made poster reading: 'We miss you, we will never forget you.' Right: Another little girl sat on her father's shoulders while her sister pushed an elderly veteran in a wheelchair A boy marching at her side held another that read: 'Peter Ward. Our great grandfather would have been 100 this year. We will never forget.' Meanwhile in Adelaide, Australia's oldest living Victoria Cross recipient, who risked his life to save 40 men in Vietnam, said young people embrace Anzac Day because they 'appreciate the peace that's been given to them'. Keith Payne VC AM, 85, received Australia's highest military honour for rescuing fellow soldiers while under enemy fire and suffering his own injuries during the Battle of Ben Het in 1969. Mr Payne joined other veterans, serving personnel and descendants on the annual Anzac Day commemorative march in Adelaide on Thursday. He said the occasion continues to draw large crowds of all ages because young people have an appreciation for the sacrifices of service men and women. 'Australia's seeing the younger generation appreciate the peace that's been given to them,' he said during the march. 'I know that they'll look after peace into the future.' Thousands from Sydney crammed into Martin Place for the Anzac Day dawn service this morning. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Governor David Hurley and the Army's second highest official Major General Greg Bilton are among those who addressed the 93rd annual service at The Cenotaph from 4.30am. 'I used to come here years ago and it'd be a couple hundred people but now it's thousands,' Terrance Coffey, the son of a World War II veteran, said. 'It's my way of remembering Dad. Anzac Day was the way he got together with all his mates from the war.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke about his grandfather's service during his speech in Townsville on Thursday. Veterans and members of the Armed Services, military bands and school children take part in the Anzac Day march in Sydney Veterans march through Sydney on Anzac Day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison laid a wreath at the cenotaph in Townsville, accompanied by his wife Jenny Veterans, descendants of veterans, members of the Armed Services, military bands and school children take part in the Anzac Day march in Sydney A military band marches through Sydney during the commemorations for Anzac Day which started with a dawn service NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Governor David Hurley and the Army's second highest official Major General Greg Bilton are among those who addressed the 93rd annual service at The Cenotaph from 4.30am. Pictured: A band in Sydney afterwards 'Pop would wake in the middle of the night but he didn't talk about it. Anzac Day was part of the calendar of his life. His reflections of the war were personal and private,' Mr Morrison said. 'Few remain now of my grandfather's generation. But their successors walk among us. 'You know, whether it be in Afghanistan, or in generations before, the story of Australia's sacrifice in war is also the story of the quiet and deep and personal struggles of the families left behind.' Mr Morrison laid a wreath at the cenotaph in Townsville, and was accompanied by his wife Jenny. 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli was recently moved from a New Jersey prison to a facility in New York, amid allegations the 36-year-old had used a contraband smartphone to run his drug company from behind bars, CNBC reported on Wednesday. Shkreli was being held at the Fort Dix prison in Burlington County, New Jersey, but he was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Brooklyn, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. He will remain at the facility until he is transferred to a federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. It's unclear why Shkreli was moved from the New Jersey prison, but his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said the move was due to a 'formality'. 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli has been moved from a New Jersey prison to a facility in New York amid claims he was using a contraband smartphone to run his drug company from behind bars Last month, the pharmaceutical honcho was placed in solitary confinement amid allegations he was running his drug company from federal prison using a smartphone. Shkreli was moved to solitary confinement at the Fort Dix facility on March 7. At the time, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said that it was investigating whether Shkreli violated prison rules forbidding inmates from conducting business and possessing cellphones. That inquiry hasn't resulted in any charges within the agency's inmate discipline program, a source said at the time, indicating that the matter may have been referred to federal prosecutors for potential criminal prosecution. The Bureau of Prisons said it does not release information on an individual inmate's conditions of confinement. 'The matter you reference is under investigation,' the agency said in a statement last month. 'When there are allegations of misconduct, they are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken if allegations are sustained.' The U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn, which prosecuted Shkreli's securities fraud case, declined to comment. The U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey also declined to comment. Shkreli is serving a seven-year sentence after being convicted in August 2017 of lying to investors in two failed hedge funds and cheating them out of millions. In February, the Wall Street Journal reported that Shkreli had used a cellphone to call the shots at his drug company, Phoenixus AG, posting regularly to social media and even firing the company's chief executive. Shkreli will remain at the Brooklyn facility (pictured) until he is transferred to a federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania The punishment for inmates caught with cellphones depends on how the case is handled. If it's prosecuted in court, a conviction could tack on up to an extra year of prison time. Within the inmate discipline program, having a cellphone is considered a 'greatest severity level' offense and carries sanctions ranging from loss to privileges to up to a year in solitary confinement. In Shkreli's case, he could face more punishment if he's also found to have conducted business while locked up. Other than the alleged cellphone flap, Shkreli has been pretty well behaved. His only other violations were for refusing an order and being absent from an assignment in May 2018, inmate disciplinary records show. Shkreli's securities fraud case stemmed from his role managing MSMB Capital Management and MSMB Healthcare between 2009 and 2014. It was unrelated to the 2015 furor he caused when he raised the price by more than 5,000 percent of a drug used to treat an infection that occurs in some AIDS, malaria and cancer patients. Advertisement Hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders attended a dawn Anzac service at Gallipoli on Thursday despite fears of a terror attack. The annual service went ahead with increased security measures after Turkish police on Wednesday night arrested an alleged ISIS member who was thought to be planning an attack. Turkish forces were conducting security checks every couple of hundred metres in the national park surrounding Anzac Cove. Around 1,300 attending the event were asked to arrive 11 hours early to clear three security zones, as well as an airport-style security checkpoint and a pat down. Selfie sticks, foam mats and water bottles were banned as part of the security measures. Paying their respects: Thousands of Australians and New Zealanders attended a dawn Anzac service at Gallipoli this morning despite fears of a terror attack People walking as part of a 'March to the 57th Infantry Regiment' in the 104th anniversary of Canakkale Land Battles on the Gallipoli Peninsula on Thursday Members of Australia's armed forces perform during a ceremony at the Lone Pine Cemetery, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey Dutiful: The annual service went ahead with increased security measures after Turkish police on Wednesday night arrested an alleged ISIS member who was thought to be planning an attack. People slept in sleeping bags before service began A couple embrace among gravestones after an Australian Memorial service at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula marking the 104th anniversary of the World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) National pride: Selfie sticks, foam mats and water bottles were banned as part of the security measures. Pictured: A woman holds a national flag around herself at the dawn service Australian and New Zealanders at the ANZAC Dawn service at Anzac Cove commemorate of the 104th anniversary of Canakkale Land Battles on Gallipoli Peninsula Moving ceremony: At Gallipoli on Thursday morning, Turkish forces were conducting security checks every couple of hundred metres in the national park surrounding Anzac Cove Visitors from Australia and New Zealand gather during a Dawn Service ceremony at Anzac Cove Beach, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula early on Thursday morning Lest we forget: Those attending the event were asked to arrive 11 hours early to clear three security zones, as well as an airport security checkpoint and a pat down. Pictured: People sleeping before the service The music of memory: During the service, New Zealand's parliamentary speaker Trevor Mallard said Anzac Cove continued to have a special place 'in the hearts of all of us'. Pictured: A bagpiper at Gallipoli Australia's Defence Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell stands in attention during a ceremony at the Lone Pine Cemetery, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, on Wednesday Security: A woman is checked for banned items at the airport-style security checkpoint (pictured) as she is pat down We will remember them: A woman holds a national flag around herself during the Anzac Day dawn service at Anzac Cove Touching tribute: People stand during the Anzac Day dawn service at Anzac Cove in on the Gallipoli peninsula, Canakkale, Turkey The Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine in on Gallipoli Peninsula. Thousands of New Zealanders and Australians travel to Turkey every year for dawn services on April 25 The night before the service, cops swooped on Syrian national Abdulkerim Hilef, 26, in Tekirdag near Gallipoli after reading texts he exchanged with ISIS members. The arrest came as the world is on high terror alert after 359 were killed in suicide bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. The attacks were carried out by Islamic extremists, apparently in revenge for the slaughter of 50 Muslims worshipping at two mosques in New Zealand last month. Suspect: 26-year-old Syrian national Abdulkerim Hilef During the service, New Zealand's parliamentary speaker Trevor Mallard said Anzac Cove continued to have a special place 'in the hearts of all of us'. 'And it informs our rejection of extremism and of terrorism, whether it occurs in Turkey, in Australia, in New Zealand or in Sri Lanka.' Speaking in Australia before the service began in Turkey, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there was no clear link between the arrest by Turkish police and any Anzac Day event at Gallipoli. 'This is more of a routine thing that we've seen happen with Turkish authorities and we could not say at all that there is any link between that arrest and any planned event at Gallipoli,' Mr Morrison told reporters in Townsville. Australia's Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell said the story of Gallipoli left an indelible mark in the nations' collective history. 'It is one of our nation's foundational stories, one that means a great deal to a great many people,' he said. On Thursday morning, Australian War Memorial director Brendan Nelson lamented fundamentalists with 'heinous motives' trying to disrupt Anzac Day services after the potential terror plot was foiled. Dr Nelson praised Turkish authorities for dealing with the issue. Australian and New Zealanders attending the Dawn Service commemorating those who died in the 1915 ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) landings of World War I Australian visitors attend a ceremony to mark the 104th anniversary of the World War I battle of Gallipoli, at the Lone Pine Australian memorial in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale Attendees of the 'March to the 57th Infantry Regiment' of the Ottoman army as part of the 104th anniversary of Canakkale Land Battles in Gallipoli, Turkey Turkish Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu performs a prayer during a 'March to the 57th Infantry Regiment A soldier raises an Australian flag before a ceremony at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula on Thursday During the service, New Zealand's parliamentary speaker Trevor Mallard said Anzac Cove continued to have a special place 'in the hearts of all of us'. Pictured: People at the service Speaking in Australia before the service began in Turkey, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there was no clear link between the arrest by Turkish police and any Anzac Day event at Gallipoli Australia's Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell said the story of Gallipoli left an indelible mark in the nations' collective history. Pictured: People at the service The Ottoman Empire lost an estimated 86,000 soldiers in the Gallipoli Campaign, Australia lost around 8,700 soldiers and New Zealand around 2,700 troops A Turkish soldier stands to attention at the Lone Pine Cemetery, in Gallipoli peninsula on Wednesday for the Gallipoli commemorations Turkish security forces stand guard at the Lone Pine Australian memorial during the ceremony to mark the 104th anniversary of the World War I battle of Gallipoli on Thursday Turkish nationals were banned from attending the dawn service, which Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell is due to be at, amid heightened security fears. Pictured: People at the service Australian and New Zealanders gather during a Dawn Service ceremony at Anzac Cove Beach to remember those who died at Gallipoli A woman sits under a blanket as she waits for the Anzac Day dawn service at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula Turkish Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu attended a 'March to the 57th Infantry Regiment' reenactment as part of the 104th anniversary of Gallipoli 'It's a reflection of the fact that we do have some people who have heinous motives,' he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday. 'The Turkish authorities went to extraordinary lengths to see that the Gallipoli peninsula was secure for the Anzac Day services that are being held there.' Turkish nationals were banned from attending the dawn service, which Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell is due to be at, amid heightened security fears. 'Unfortunately we live in a world where there are people - wherever they live, whatever their background, whatever their beliefs - who are fundamentalists intent on disrupting what we do,' Dr Nelson said. 'The most important thing we can do is go about living our lives.' Also on Thursday morning, Prince William commemorated Anzac Day in New Zealand before meeting Christchurch terror attack survivors. The Duke of Cambridge cut a sombre figure during the ceremony under the morning sun at Auckland's War Memorial Museum. He was joined by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, whom he greeted with a traditional Maori touch of the noses called a hongi, and tens of thousands of New Zealanders paying their respects. William is on a two-day solo visit to the country, having left his wife Kate at home to attend a commemoration service in London. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is greeted with a Hongi, a traditional Maori greeting, by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Prince William laid a wreath to commemorate Anzac Day in New Zealand this morning before he is due to meet Christchurch terror attack survivors Prince William, Duke of Cambridge lays a wreath as he attends the Anzac Day Civic Service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum The Duke of Cambridge cut a sombre figure during the ceremony under the morning sun at Auckland's War Memorial Museum He is on a two-day solo visit to the country, having left his wife Kate at home to attend at commemoration service in London Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attends the Anzac Day Civic Service with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff at the Auckland War Memorial Museum New Zealand's national threat rating was downgraded from high to medium only last week after 50 Muslims were gunned down at two mosques in Christchurch last month. Pictured: Prince William in Auckland on Thursday Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attends the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Prince William and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attend the Anzac Day service at Auckland War Memorial Museum During the service, Catholic Vicar-General of Auckland, Monsignor Bernard Kiely, said a short prayer for the 359 victims of suicide bombing attacks in Sri Lanka over Easter. He asked for a moment's silence 'to pray for our brothers and sisters affected by the atrocities in Christchurch and Sri Lanka. What is the hongi? The traditional Maori greeting is performed by two people pressing their noses together. Through the exchange of this greeting, one is no longer considered manuhiri, a visitor, but rather tangata whenua, one of the people of the land. Several royals have been greeted with the hongi during visits to New Zealand, including Prince Charles, Diana, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan. Former US President Barack Obama exchanged a hongi with Ms Ardern during a visit to the country in March 2018. Advertisement 'We pray for those who have grieved, for those who have died, for the wounded and for those disabled in body and mind,' he said. 'We pray for refugees, those without home, work or country.' Later Prince William laid a wreath on behalf of the Crown and The Last Post was then played before WWI and WWII planes flew over. The service finished with rousing renditions of the Australian and New Zealand anthems, as well as God Save The Queen. Prince William will fly to Christchurch on Thursday afternoon where on Friday morning he will visit Christchurch Hospital and the Al Noor mosque which was targeted in the March 15 terror attack. He will then visit the Linwood mosque and lay a wreath at the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial. New Zealand's national threat rating was downgraded from high to medium only last week after 50 Muslims were gunned down at two mosques in Christchurch last month. Despite no signs of imminent threat, armed police were present in large numbers across the country. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (right) attends the Anzac Day Civic Service with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Mayor Phil Goff and Clarke Gayford at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Anzac Day, held on the 25 April every year, is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand commemorating soldiers who lost their lives in war William will spend most of his time in the South Island city of Christchurch, visiting first responders and survivors and meeting members and leaders of the city's Muslim community after the March 15 shootings that killed 50 Later Prince William laid a wreath on behalf of the Crown and The Last Post was then played before WWI and WWII planes flew over Prince William (pictured on Thursday) visited the city following the 2011 earthquake that killed 185, and last visited with wife Kate in 2014 William (pictured on Thursday) will spend most of his time in the South Island city, visiting first responders and survivors and meeting members and leaders of the city's Muslim community after the March 15 shootings that killed 50 Police remove a screaming woman before Prince William lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service in Auckland Prince William, Duke of Cambridge shake hands with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as they attend the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service William will spend most of his trip in Christchurch, visiting first responders and survivors and meeting members and leaders of the city's Muslim community after the March 15 shootings. It's not the first time tragedy has brought the Duke to the city in the South Island. He visited the city following the 2011 earthquake that killed 185, and last visited with wife Kate in 2014. The Duchess of Cambridge will instead attend a commemoration service in London on Thursday, continuing a 103-year tradition started by King George V and Queen Mary. Crowds gather during the Anzac Day dawn service in front of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne People are seen laying flowers at the Shrine of Remembrance during the Anzac Day dawn service in Anzac Square in Brisbane Crowds gather during the Anzac Day dawn service in front of the perpetual flame at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Thursday Thousands attended the dawn service at Elephant Rock on the Gold Coast in Queensland on Thursday Inside the Hall of Memory following the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial on Anzac Day Sisters Tahlia, 5, and Evie Malone, 3, place a poppy on the Roll of Honour following the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial The last post is played during the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Cranmer Square on April 25 in Christchurch, New Zealand A member of the defence force stands guard during the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Cranmer Square A giant cassowary who killed its elderly owner without leaving the cage will be sold off at an auction in the US. The flightless native Australian bird is thought to have attacked Marvin Hajos through the wire of its pen as he checked on its eggs at his Florida home on April 12. When firemen arrived at the property they found the animal enthusiast fatally injured between two pens while an angry cassowary looked on, the New York Times reported. Mr Hajos, 75, kept numerous exotic animals including kookaburras, emus and emu chicks, on his sprawling Florida property. His collection of exotic animals, including several others cassowaries, will be sold of at auction at midday on Saturday, according to the Gulf Coast Livestock Auction's Facebook page. A post explained that it was one of Mr Hajos' wishes to have his animal collection sold as soon as possible. A giant cassowary who killed its owner without leaving the cage will be auctioned off in the US (stock image) Owner Marvin Hajos (pictured) was attacked by the native Australian bird while it was still in its cage 'One of Marvin's wishes were his animals to be sold at auction as soon as possible,' the post said. 'This is an absolute auction and complete dispersal of his animal collection. 'This is a premier breeding collection of animals and rare opportunity to be offered at public auction.' Capturing, exporting and keeping kookaburras as pets is illegal in Australia. Those who take native birds from the wild can be fined up to $220,000 and/or can receive a two-year prison sentence. A permit is required to keep a kookaburra, which is designed to look after the bird if they are sick of injured, according to the NSW Environment and Heritage. It is unclear how Mr Hajos obtained his collection of exotic pets, including the native Australian birds. In the U.S. it is not illegal to own cassowarys without a permit. Mr Hajos said it was his wish to have his entire animal estate sold as soon as possible The Gulf Coast Livestock Auction page paid tribute to Mr Hajos. 'He was an asset to us all in the animal world. Our animal family is small, I am grateful that we were all together this past weekend,' the post wrote. 'Please keep Cindy, his precious grandchildren, and the rest of his family in your prayers over the coming weeks.' Mr Hajos was laid to rest at the B'Nai Israel Cemetery in Florida on April 15. Capturing, exporting and keeping native Australian birds as pets is illegal under Australian law Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday revealed that one of the suicide bombers involved in the Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka had studied in Australia on a spouse visa. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, one of the nine members of an ISIS death squad that killed 359 people and injured more than 500 on Easter Sunday, was a postgraduate student at a Melbourne university. It is not immediately clear whether he completed his degree in Australia before moving back to Sri Lanka in 2013. Prime Minister Morrison said he can confirm that the suicide bomber had been in Australia. 'They departed in early 2013. That individual had been here on a student and a graduate skilled visa,' he told reporters in Townsville. Australian law enforcement and intelligence agencies are assisting their Sri Lankan counterparts in piecing together the sequence of events. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday revealed that one of the suicide bombers involved in the Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka had studied in Australia on a spouse visa (Pictured Sri Lankan security forces) Before coming to Australia, Mohamed is said to have studied in the UK between between 2006 and 2007. Interpol and British authorities are also assisting the Sri Lankan investigating agencies to unravel the terror plot. Currently, police are investigating whether Mohamed's backpack failed to explode after he tried to leave it at the luxury Taj Samudra hotel, where he had checked in the day before. Before coming to Australia, Mohamed is learnt to have studied in the UK between between 2006 and 2007 (pictured one of the blast sites) Mohamed is thought to have blown himself up by accident at a much smaller guest house - the Tropical Inn in the suburb of Dehiwala - two hours after the co-ordinated blasts across Sri Lanka (pictured blast site) He is thought to have blown himself up by accident at a much smaller guest house - the Tropical Inn in the suburb of Dehiwala - two hours after the co-ordinated blasts across Sri Lanka. Mohamed had reportedly been trying to examine his bombs malfunctioning mechanism. The bomb then exploded, killing him and one other person. Earlier, the country's Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene confirmed one of the bombers studied in the UK, but did not name him or which university or college he attended. But he did say the attackers were all middle or upper class, well educated, from financially stable families, and that many of them had higher education. The middle-class gang included wealthy brothers Ilham Ibrahim, 32, and Inshaf Ibrahim, 35, who caused carnage at the Shangri-La Hotel and the Cinnamon Grand as guests ate breakfast. Their multi-millionaire father once stood for parliament. Advertisement Russian President Vladimir Putin has said North Korea needs 'security guarantees' in exchange for giving up its nuclear program, as he raised a glass to the country's leader Kim Jong-un following their first ever meeting. Putin said that denuclearisation could only be achieved through international law and called for the unspecified guarantees to be underwritten by multiple countries. We need to restore the power of international law, to return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world, he explained, following his one-on-one meeting with Kim in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Thursday. He added that Russia and the US both want North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons and that he will inform President Donald Trump of his discussions with Kim. There are no secrets here, no conspiracies... Chairman Kim himself asked us to inform the American side of our position, Putin said. Kim's first trip to Russia comes two months after his second summit with Trump failed because of disputes over US-led sanctions on the North. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un (left) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a reception following their summit Putin toasts Kim Jong-un as he says North Korea needs 'security guarantees' in exchange for denuclearisation at the reception The two leaders shake hands during the reception on behalf of Putin following Russian - North Korean talks at the Far Eastern Federal University Kim makes a speech at the reception held after 'fruitful talks' between the two leaders regarding North Korea's nuclear program Kim presents Putin with a sword following their first meeting together in which they exchanged opinions about what should be done to improve the situation,' the Russian president said The tea set presented by Putin to Kim after Russian - North Korean talks at the Far Eastern Federal University on Thursday Putin and Kim stand side-by-side as they inspect the various elements of the sword presented to the Russian president by the North Korean leader The Korean sword, which Kim said 'represents power, represents my soul and the soul of our people, who support you.' Putin said he and Kim exchanged opinions about what should be done to improve the situation. Kim noted that they had discussed ways of peaceful settlement and had a very fruitful exchange. Meanwhile, Putin wants to expand his countrys clout in the region and get more leverage with Washington, adding that the Kremlin would like to help support efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff. The pair said they have had 'fruitful talks' about how to defuse Pyongyang's standoff after their one-on-one meeting in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Thursday. Putin told Kim that Russia supports his efforts to normalise North Korea's relations with the United States. He added that the talks should help better understand what Russia could do to support negotiations. Kim congratulated Putin on winning another six-year term in last year's election. He noted that their talks will give a chance to exchange views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Earlier, in brief statements before heading in to the talks in which they sat down for broader negotiations involving top officials from both sides, the leaders expressed their hopes for strengthening historic ties. 'I think it will be a very useful meeting in developing the relationship between the two countries, who have a long friendship and history, into a more stable and sound one,' Kim said. 'As the world is focused on the Korean peninsula, I think we will hold a very meaningful dialogue.' North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands while posing for a photograph during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia on Thursday. Putin and Kim are set to have a one-on-one meeting Putin and Kim shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia. Kim's first trip to Russia comes two months after his second summit with President Donald Trump failed Russia hopes to position itself as an essential player in the North Korean nuclear standoff with the U.S. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrive to pose for a picture prior to their talks Kim congratulated Putin on winning another six-year term in last year's election. He noted that their talks will give a chance to exchange views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula Putin told Kim he supports ongoing efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and wants to boost economic ties. 'I am confident that your visit... will help us to better understand how we can resolve the situation on the Korean peninsula and what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are currently taking place,' Putin said. 'In terms of bilateral relations, we have a lot to do to develop economic relations.' Putin and Kim had a one-on-one meeting at the Far Eastern State University on the Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok. The meeting will be followed by broader talks involving officials from both sides. Among the issues likely to be on the table is the fate of some 10,000 North Korean laborers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Labor is one of North Korea's key exports and sources of cash. Pyongyang has reportedly asked Russia to continue to employ its workers after the deadline. Kim, whose government has told the United Nations it is facing food shortfalls this year, will also be keen to see Moscow continue or boost its aid. Putin and Kim are set to have one-on-one meeting at the Far Eastern State University on the Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok. The meeting will be followed by broader talks involving officials from both nations North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting at the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) on Russky Island Putin, second right, and Kim, second left, sit across from one another as they attend the talks in Vladivostok, Russia North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un (pictured left) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a meeting at the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) on Russky Island Putin and Kim had a one-on-one meeting at the Far Eastern State University on the Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok. The meeting will be followed by broader talks involving officials from both sides Russia has provided some $25 million in food aid to North Korea in recent years, according to the Kremlin. One delivery in March saw more than 2,000 tonnes of wheat supplied to the port of Chongjin, news agency TASS reported. For Putin, the summit is a chance to push Russia's agenda of opposing US international influence. In an interview with China's official People's Daily published on Thursday, Putin lashed out at "countries claiming sole global leadership". "They carelessly trample on the norms and principles of international law, resort to blackmail, sanctions and pressure, and try to force their values and dubious ideals on entire countries and populations," said Putin, who is heading to China after the talks for another summit. Kim arrived Wednesday in Vladivostok on his armored train, saying upon arrival that he's hoping for a 'successful and useful' visit. The North Korean leader had a broad smile as he was greeted by Russian children in traditional garb, who presented him with flowers and the symbolic greeting gift of bread and salt. Kim arrived Wednesday in Vladivostok on his armored train, saying that he's hoping for a 'successful and useful' visit Kim Jong Un receives a bouquet of flowers on his arrival at Khasan train station, Primorsky Krai region, Russia in an image provided by North Korea's state news agency A Russian girl in traditional garb presents Kim with the symbolic greeting gift of bread and salt upon his arrival, in an image provided by North Korea's state news agency Kim's father Kim Jong Il is seen meeting with Putin in 2002 during a prior summit in Vladivostok It is Kim's first visit to Russia as North Korean leader, however his late father, Kim Jong Il, last visited Russia in 2011. The North Korean leader evoked his father's 'great love for Russia' and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian media the summit would focus on North Korea's nuclear program, noting that Russia will seek to 'consolidate the positive trends' stemming from Trump's meetings with Kim. In February, Kim's second summit with President Donald Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions. North Korea security staffs run with a car carrying leader Kim Jong-Un at Vladivostok Station on Thursday in Vladivostok North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reviews the honor guard with Russian Far East Development Minister Alexander Kozlov during the welcome ceremony on arrival at Vladivostok Station on Thursday A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency shows Kim Jong Un reviewing an honor guard after arriving in Vladivostok, Russia on Thursday North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is welcomed by Russian officials on his arrival in Vladivostok, Russia in an image provided by North Korea's state news agency There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the U.S. and North Korea, although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Kim wants the U.S. to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the U.S. maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearization moves. Some experts say Kim could try to bolster his country's ties with Russia and China. Others say it's not clear how big of a role Russia can play in efforts to restart the nuclear negotiations. Still, the summit could allow Putin to try to increase his influence in regional politics and the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program. Transbaikal Territory Acting Governor Alexander Osipov welcomes Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the airport An ex-special forces soldier turned lead ACT Senate candidate for Fraser Anning's new Conservative National Party insists his criminal past is irrelevant to his political aspirations. Shane Van Duren, 45, stood trial in the ACT Supreme Court two years ago after he punched a policeman and choked a female RSPCA officer during a violent confrontation over the seizure of his Belgian Shepherd therapy dog Kalu. He spent 46 days in custody before he later pleaded guilty to assault and strangulation. Mr Van Duren was given a suspended two-and-a half-year prison sentence and ordered to do 200 hours community service, which he says he has already performed. Shane Van Duren, pictured with his beloved dog Kalu is running as the ACT lead candidate in the Senate for controversial Senator Fraser Anning's new party Mr Van Duren said his previous convictions had nothing to do with his Senate aspirations for next month's federal election. 'If no one in the Senate brings a malicious case I probably won't choke anybody there,' he told the Canberra Times. 'I was only charged with assault.' Senate candidate Shana Van Duren (pictured) served in East Timor as a special forces soldier He admitted he was unsure whether his criminal past affected his eligibility to run for the Senate because the form didn't ask about suspended sentences. The ugly confrontation with police and inspectors occurred in late 2015 after he broke into RSCPA headquarters in Canberra to free Kalu after the dog was seized while roaming the streets 'looking thin'. The former soldier punched a policeman in the face and placed him in a headlock before he grabbed a female RSCPA inspector by the throat when they attended his home to retrieve Kalu. Shane Van Duren stood trial in the ACT Supreme Court two years ago in relation to the violent confrontation with police and RSPCA over the seizure of his dog Kalu (pictured) 'You're f****** dead b****, this is only 50 per cent of what I can do,' Van Duren told the inspector, the court heard. Kalu was eventually reunited with Mr Van Duren. The dog is part of his owner's therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder after he faced traumatic experiences while serving in East Timor, including the death of personnel. Shane Van Duren suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after returning home from East Timor Advertisement Prince William shared a touching moment with a five-year-old survivor of the Christchurch mosques terrorist attacks during his two-day solo visit to New Zealand, hours after attending an Anzac Day ceremony in Auckland. The Duke of Cambridge spoke with youngster Alen Alsati, who is recovering in Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland, about his three-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte. Alen woke from a coma earlier this week after suffering critical injuries in the deadly attack on two of Christchurchs mosques last month, which killed 50 people. Lying in a hospital bed with the Prince sitting by her side, inquisitive Alen asked the royal whether he had a daughter, to which he said: 'Yes, shes called Charlotte. Shes about the same age as you.' Earlier, the Prince arrived in Christchurch to meet with the emergency staff who worked through the aftermath of the massacre on March 15. Speaking at the city's Justice and Emergency Services Precinct, which acted as a base of operations for much of the emergency work after the terror attack, he thanked first responders and told them they 'did an incredible job on a very bad day. He was whisked through the South Island city in a police motorcade, helicopters circling overhead, after touching down on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as he got off his plane. The Duke of Cambridge spoke with youngster Alen Alsati, who is recovering in Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland, about his three-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte The Duke of Cambridge speaks with the five-year-old's father Wasseim in Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland The Duke of Cambridge meets with police and St. Johns ambulance staff, who were first responders for the attack on two mosques in March, while visiting the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch Speaking at the city's Justice and Emergency Services Precinct, which acted as a base of operations for much of the emergency work after the terror attack, he thanked first responders and told them they 'did an incredible job on a very bad day High security and a low-key approach by organisers meant a handful of royal watchers gathered at the airport and along streets would have no chance to catch a glimpse during the arrival. The Prince's first port of call was at the city's Justice and Emergency Services Precinct. There he was greeted by New Zealand's top cop, Police Commissioner Mike Bush, and met with officers and ambulance staff who were at the scene of the attacks. The Duke asked about how the response was coordinated and how their training had helped staff deal with the unfolding situation. 'I'm sure the team pulls together,' he said. William began his two-day visit to New Zealand on Thursday morning by paying his respects to Australian and New Zealand soldiers with a wreath-laying at an Anzac ceremony at Auckland's War Memorial Museum. Earlier, the Prince arrived in Christchurch to meet with the emergency staff who worked through the aftermath of the massacre on March 15 Prince William talks to staff at the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, during his two-day solo visit As he talked to staff, the Duke asked about how the response was coordinated and how their training had helped staff deal with the unfolding situation. 'I'm sure the team pulls together,' he said The Prince's first port of call was at the city's Justice and Emergency Services Precinct. There he met with officers and ambulance staff who were at the scene of the attacks The Duke of Cambridge was whisked through the South Island city in a police motorcade with helicopters circling overhead Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is greeted with a Hongi, a traditional Maori greeting, by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern High security and a low-key approach by organisers meant a handful of royal watchers gathered at the airport and along street had no chance to catch a glimpse during the arrival He greeted Prime Minister Ardern with a traditional Maori touch of the noses called a hongi, and tens of thousands of New Zealanders paying their respects. The March 15 terror attack has loomed over this year's commemorations in New Zealand. Dozens of armed police officers stood guard during the hymns and speeches, trucks and buses blocked roads around the site and lookouts kept watch from the museum's roof. Numerous other events were cancelled or consolidated ahead of the day, amid lingering security fears. While William did not speak, Ardern in an emotional speech earlier told those gathered at dawn that the event was a reminder of shared values after the terror attack. Upon disembarking the plane, William was greeted by Her Worship the Honourable Lianne Dalziel, Mayor of Christchurch (far left) at the terminal The Christchurch visit is part of the Prince's two-day solo trip to New Zealand where he is also scheduled to visit the city's hospital to meet with survivors of the terror-struck mosques William's first stop was at the city's Justice and Emergency Services Precinct, where he met Police Commissioner Mike Bush, and officers and ambulance staff who were at the scene of the attacks that killed 50 people At the precinct, the Duke asked about how the response was coordinated and how their training had helped staff deal with the unfolding situation Prince William shakes hands with New Zealand's Commissioner of police Mike Bush during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct On Friday, Prince William is scheduled to visit Christchurch Hospital and the Al Noor mosque (pictured) which was targeted in the March 15 terror attack 'Let us recommit to always remembering our shared humanity, that there is more that unites us than divides us,' she said. 'Our sense of independence is as strong as our sense of responsibility to each other and not just as nation states but as human beings.' Visiting Christchurch's attack survivors will now be the focus for the remainder of the Duke's trip. Apart from a last-minute public walkabout on Friday, events are expected to take a significantly more sombre tone than most royal visits. The Prince will on Friday visit the city's hospital to meet with a handful of those still being cared for, before meeting with the Muslim community at the city's terror-struck mosques. During the service in New Zealand, Catholic Vicar-General of Auckland, Monsignor Bernard Kiely, said a short prayer for the 359 victims of suicide bombing attacks in Sri Lanka over Easter. He asked for a moment's silence 'to pray for our brothers and sisters affected by the atrocities in Christchurch and Sri Lanka. 'We pray for those who have grieved, for those who have died, for the wounded and for those disabled in body and mind,' he said. Prince William laid a wreath to commemorate Anzac Day in New Zealand this morning before he is due to meet Christchurch terror attack survivors Prince William, Duke of Cambridge lays a wreath as he attends the Anzac Day Civic Service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Police remove a screaming woman before Prince William lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service in Auckland What is the hongi? The traditional Maori greeting is performed by two people pressing their noses together. Through the exchange of this greeting, one is no longer considered manuhiri, a visitor, but rather tangata whenua, one of the people of the land. Several royals have been greeted with the hongi during visits to New Zealand, including Prince Charles, Diana, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan. Former US President Barack Obama exchanged a hongi with Ms Ardern during a visit to the country in March 2018. Advertisement 'We pray for refugees, those without home, work or country.' Later Prince William laid a wreath on behalf of the Crown and The Last Post was then played before WWI and WWII planes flew over. The service finished with rousing renditions of the Australian and New Zealand anthems, as well as God Save The Queen. On Friday, Prince William is scheduled to visit Christchurch Hospital and the Al Noor mosque which was targeted in the March 15 terror attack. He will then visit the Linwood mosque and lay a wreath at the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial. New Zealand's national threat rating was downgraded from high to medium only last week after 50 Muslims were gunned down at two mosques in Christchurch last month. Despite no signs of imminent threat, armed police were present in large numbers across the country. William will spend most of his time in the South Island city of Christchurch, visiting first responders and survivors and meeting members and leaders of the city's Muslim community after the March 15 shootings that killed 50 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge shake hands with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as they attend the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service William will spend most of his trip in Christchurch, visiting first responders and survivors and meeting members and leaders of the city's Muslim community after the March 15 shootings. It's not the first time tragedy has brought the Duke to the city in the South Island. He visited the city following the 2011 earthquake that killed 185, and last visited with wife Kate in 2014. The Duchess of Cambridge will instead attend a commemoration service in London on Thursday, continuing a 103-year tradition started by King George V and Queen Mary. The prince's visit comes after Turkish authorities arrested a suspected Islamic State member they believe was planning to attack a WWI commemoration at Gallipoli on Thursday just hours before hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Australia and New Zealand. The suspect, 26-year-old Syrian national Abdulkerim Hilef, has been detained in Tekirdag, a northwestern province close to the Gallipoli peninsula. Turkish authorities said they arrested the man after monitoring his alleged telecommunications with identified ISIS members, believing he had plans to attack the dawn service in 'retribution for the Christchurch terror attack'. Suspect: 26-year-old Syrian national Abdulkerim Hilef More than 1,300 Australians and New Zealanders are registered to attend the commemoration, with several thousand Turkish police expected to patrol the area. Australian War Memorial director Brendan Nelson lamented fundamentalists with 'heinous motives' trying to disrupt Anzac Day services after the potential terror plot was foiled. Dr Nelson praised Turkish authorities for dealing with the issue. 'It's a reflection of the fact that we do have some people who have heinous motives,' he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday. 'The Turkish authorities went to extraordinary lengths to see that the Gallipoli peninsula was secure for the Anzac Day services that are being held there.' Turkish nationals were banned from attending the dawn service, which Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell is due to be at, amid heightened security fears. 'Unfortunately we live in a world where there are people - wherever they live, whatever their background, whatever their beliefs - who are fundamentalists intent on disrupting what we do,' Dr Nelson said. 'The most important thing we can do is go about living our lives.' A bomb search was underway at Gallipolli to ensure the safety of thousands of people scheduled to attend the service. Turkish forces are conducting security checks every couple of hundred metres in the national park surrounding Anzac Cove, The Australian reported. Those attending the event have been asked to arrive 11 hours early so they can clear three security zones, as well as an airport security checkpoint and a pat down. Selfie sticks, foam mats and water bottles are banned at the Gallipoli service as part of the security measures. Inside the Hall of Memory following the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial on Anzac Day An Alabama man was arrested on Monday for attempting to eat a bag of methamphetamine following a police chase. Toney Ray Johnson, 48, was spotted by a Marshall County sheriff's deputy standing beside a motorcycle in the middle of White Elephant Road. 'It appeared the subject was having trouble cranking the motorcycle,' a sheriff's office press statement reads. Alabama man, Toney Ray Johnson (pictured), 48, has been arrested for attempting to eat a bag of methamphetamine following a police chase As Deputy Cagan Ridgeway approached Johnson, he jumped on the motorcycle and 'fled at a high rate of speed'. After a brief chase, Johnson's motorcycle stalled out on Word Mountain Road. The deputy approached Johnson for a second time and saw the man trying to eat what appeared to be a plastic bag. The man struggled with the deputy and the deputy was forced to tase him, authorities said. Johnson was then arrested and booked. He was charged with attempting to elude law enforcement, resisting arrest, tampering with physical evidence, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Johnson is being held at the Marshall County jail with a bail set at $12,500. A Jewish organization criticized Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and The New York Times on Wednesday for promoting the notion that Jesus was Palestinian. Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center reacted angrily to Omars retweet on April 20 of a professor at Southern Methodist University. I was once asked by a relative who is a Palestinian Christian why the Christian right in America largely supports their oppression, tweeted Omar Suleiman, an adjunct professor for Islamic Studies. Dont they know were Christians too? Do they even consider us human? Dont they know Jesus was a Palestinian? Suleiman was referring to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, which it captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. House Rep. Ilhan Omar (left), the Democrat from Minnesota, was criticized by Rabbi Abraham Cooper (right) of the Simon Wiesenthal Center Omar retweeted a Twitter post by a professor, Omar Suleiman of Southern Methodist University, who suggested that 'Jesus was a Palestinian' Cooper also took issue with an op-ed in the Times written by Eric V. Copage. The op-ed, which was printed on Good Friday, bore the headline: As a Black Child in Los Angeles, I Couldnt Understand Why Jesus Had Blue Eyes. The passage by Copage which angered Cooper read: As I grew older, I learned that the fair-skinned, blue-eyed depiction of Jesus has for centuries adorned stained glass windows and altars in churches throughout the United States and Europe. But Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was most likely a Palestinian man with dark skin. Cooper slammed Omar and the Times, telling the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles that it was a grotesque insult to Jesus born in the land of Israel and to Christianity to suggest that he was a Palestinian. Palestine was a name made up by Romans after they crucified thousands, destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and exiled the People of Israel from their homeland, Cooper said. Just three months after she was sworn in as one of two freshman Muslim congresswomen, Omar has been a lightning rod of controversy for comments deemed by some to be anti-Semitic. Last week, it was learned that two Democrats refused to accept donations from Omar because of her controversial remarks about Israel. Dan McCready, who is running for the vacant House seat from North Carolinas Ninth Congressional District, confirmed on Twitter that he returned a $2,000 donation to Omar on March 30. Just three months after she was sworn in, Omar has been a lightning rod of controversy for comments deemed by some to be anti-Semitic. The tweet above from February was interpreted by some as saying moneyed Jews were behind U.S. support for Israel Omar made the donation to McCready on November 6, according to WSOC-TV. McCready tweeted: Some folks are asking why I directed the return of Rep. Omars donation. I did this weeks ago because I vigorously disagree with any anti-semitic comments. Since this time, dangerous and hateful attacks have started against her. I condemn in the strongest terms the hateful rhetoric against her, the Muslim community and people of color. Too many have been hurt by our broken politics. We must end hate speech against all people and groups. McCready is running in a special election later this year for the vacant seat. In November, he ran and lost to Republican Mark Harris, but state officials refused to certify the result because of massive voter fraud. Last week, it was learned that House Rep. Lucy McBath (left) of Georgia and Dan McCready (right), who is running for the vacant House seat from North Carolinas Ninth Congressional District, returned donations made to their campaigns by Omar Another Democrat, House Rep Lucy McBath of Georgia, also refused to accept a $2,000 campaign contribution from the Minnesota congresswoman. The campaign told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that it rejected the donation, though no reason was given. McBath, who represents Georgias Sixth Congressional District, includes areas that have relatively dense Jewish populations. Omar divided Democrats with her claim, later retracted, that moneyed Jews buy the support of U.S. lawmakers with a strategy that's 'all about the Benjamins baby.' Then she reignited the controversy again when she said supporters of Israel were pushing for U.S. politicians to declare 'allegiance' to that nation. A battle broke out between the older, powerful, more moderate Jewish members of Congress who accused Omar of anti-Semitism and the younger, progressive members who have stormed the House floor after the 2018 election and defended Omar's right to speak. But all Omar's controversies have had one thing in common: they have brought the wrath of Republicans on to the Democrats. Her latest controversy involved statements she made which were perceived by Republicans as downplaying the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Omar referred to the 9/11 attacks in passing during a speech before an American Muslim group, saying 'some people did something.' Earlier this month, President Trump said he would not apologize to Omar for the criticism he's heaped on her after her 9/11 comments, saying she's 'been very disrespectful to this country,' as Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused him of using the September 11 terror attacks as a 'political tool.' 'No not at all,' the president said when asked if he had any second thoughts about a video he tweeted that the Minnesota Democrat claimed increased death threats on her life. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he would not apologize to Omar for the criticism he's heaped on her after her 9/11 comments 'Look, she's been very disrespectful to this country. She's been very disrespectful, frankly, to Israel. She is somebody that doesn't really understand life. Real life, what it's all about,' he told KSTP, a Minneapolis TV station, during his visit to Minnesota earlier this month. 'It's unfortunate. She's got a way about her that's very, very bad, I think, for our country. I think she's extremely unpatriotic and extremely disrespectful to our country,' he added. On his Twitter feed, Trump posted a video showing footage of the 9/11 attacks interspersed with clips of Omar's speech. The video in question was pinned to the top of Trump's Twitter page but is now just in its regular spot in his feed. 'WE WILL NEVER FORGET' he tweeted last week, accompanied by a 43 second video that showed Omar's comment during a speech to the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), interspersed with footage from September 11, 2001. In her full speech to CAIR last month - the footage surfaced last week - Omar said: 'Far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and frankly, I'm tired of it and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it. 'CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something, and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.' On April 12, President Trump tweeted 'WE WILL NEVER FORGET' with a video that showed Omar's 'some people did something' 9/11 speech intersected with video of the disaster Since the controversial comments resurfaced, Omar has defended what she said, using an example of George W. Bush making similar remarks in the wake of the tragedy and marking the difference in reaction. Omar has said the furor surrounding the comments - which she believes were taken out of context - stem from the fact that she is Muslim, and not white. 'Was Bush downplaying the terrorist attack? What if he was a Muslim,' she asked on Twitter. Omar, a 36-year-old freshman Democrat and mother of three, said the president's tweets led to an increase of death threats, specifically a video he sent out on April 12. 'Since the president's tweet Friday evening, I have experienced an increase in direct threats on my life many directly referencing or replying to the President's video,' Omar said in a statement from April 14. 'Violent rhetoric and all forms of hate speech have no place in our society, much less from our country's Commander in Chief. We are all Americans. This is endangering lives. It has to stop,' she said. Thousands of Australians have signed a petition to stop a mural of Jacinda Ardern hugging a Muslim woman from being painted on a silo in Melbourne. A plan to paint the 23-metre image at the Tinning Street silo in Brunswick comes after the Christchurch mosque shootings, in which 50 people lost their lives on March 15. But a charge.org petition which has called for something 'Melbourne related instead' has so far attracted more than 1,400 signatures. 'Its [sic] not wanted in Australia. Nothing to do with Australia,' Jenny Davis, who signed the petition wrote.A plan to paint the 23-metre image at the Tinning Street silo in Brunswick comes after the Christchurch mosque shootings. Scroll down for video A plan to paint the 23-metre image at the Tinning Street silo in Brunswick comes after the Christchurch mosque shootings (pictured: an artist's impression) The image of the New Zealand prime minster hugging a Muslim woman became a symbol of tolerance after the attacks A GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the street artist Loretta Lizzio to fly to Melbourne and do the painting received over $11,000. 'Jacinda Ardern led the world after the shootings. Her complete embrace of the Islamic community, and in fact of all New Zealanders as part of a whole that can never be divided by hate, has been both beautiful and powerful to witness,' Tamara Veltre, one of the organisers wrote. 'The image of Jacinda hugging a Muslim woman has become a beacon of tolerance, love and peace in these divisive times.' The fundraising page is no longer accepting donations and extra costs will be sent to the families of victims in the Christchurch attack. Ms Lizzio is expected to complete the mural by May 30, according to the organisers. Her artwork can be found all over the world in cities such as London and Vancouver. The project was approved by The City of Moreland, The Coburg Islamic Centre and the silo owner, who has offered to pay for the power to light up the artwork. The same image of Jacinda hugging the Muslim woman was projected on the world's tallest building in Dubai. An economist who sits on the board of the Westfield shopping mall group has blamed big businesses and ethnic lobby groups for Australia's record high immigration. Judith Sloan said it appeared Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government was too afraid to offend powerful interest groups. 'The Liberal Party or the Coalition government have really dropped the ball on this,' she told Sky News on Thursday. Scroll down for video An economist who sits on the board of the Westfield shopping mall group has blamed big businesses and ethnic lobby groups for Australia's record high immigration (pictured: Sydney's Wynyard train station at peak hour) 'They are clearly beholden to what I'd say are the lobby groups who want a big Australia, bigger Australia. 'We're thinking here about big business, the property developers, universities in particular, some ethnic groups.' Mrs Sloan told former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott's chief-of-staff Peta Credlin that successive Coalition governments had made empty promises to reduce immigration, without offending vested interests. 'They just haven't been prepared to stand up to them so they've fiddle a bit with the permanent numbers but not really,' she said. Judith Sloan said it appeared Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government was too afraid to offend powerful lobby groups including the property developers (pictured: Sydney apartments under construction) In March, Mr Morrison vowed to slash Australia's permanent net annual immigration rate from 190,000 to 160,000. Australia's population growth 1881: 2.3 million 1918: 5 million 1959: 10 million 1981: 15 million 1991: 17.4 million 2004: 20 million 2013: 23 million 2016: 24 million 2018: 25 million Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics; House of Representatives Standing Committee for Long-Term Strategies, December 1994 Advertisement This occurred after Australia's net annual immigration rate, which includes permanent arrivals and international students, stood at a five-year high of 299,190, as of February. 'In the meantime, we've got this completely out-of-control intake of temporary entrants,' Mrs Sloan said. 'When I say temporary, some of them are here for a decade at least and then some, of course, transfer from being temporary to permanents anyway and the biggest growing group has been the international students.' Last year, Australia accepted 876,399 international students, Department of Education and Training data showed. In February, 115,100 people declared Australia as their new home, as the gross annual immigration tally, before departures were factored in, soared by a record 844,800. Mrs Sloan, who is also a columnist with The Australian, said net annual immigration, averaging at more than 250,000 a year, made up two-thirds of Australia's population growth, with the rest coming from births. 'Which is just extraordinary. We're adding the equivalent of Canberra every year.' Mrs Sloan (pictured) said successive Coalition governments had made empty promises to reduce immigration Australia's net annual immigration pace is more than triple the 20th century average of 70,000, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show. It rose above 100,000 in 2002 and surged above 200,000 in 2012, which was followed by five years of double-digit house price growth in Sydney and Melbourne. Australia's 1.6 per cent annual population increase is more than double the average of rich nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In March, a Newspoll of more than 1,000 voters in Sydney and regional New South Wales found 25 per cent of respondents wanted Australia's immigration pace to be slashed. Australia's population surpassed the 25million milestone in August, 22 years earlier than predicted in the federal government's first inter-generational report of 2002. Vladimir Putin told a meeting of defence top brass that Russia has 'every right' to take 'military measures' against what he called 'unfriendly steps' by Western countries around Ukraine, in the clearest sign yet that he is gearing up for war. Washington has been warning for weeks that Russia appears to be readying tens of thousands of troops, tanks and artillery pieces to invade Ukraine in the coming weeks, but Putin has maintained the troops were merely a defence force - until now. Russia has issued a list of demands to NATO, calling for the withdrawal of forces from former Soviet states and guarantees that Ukraine will never join the alliance - saying the matter is 'urgent'. Dmitry Kiselyov, a media mogul known as Putin's mouthpiece, yesterday threatened to 'put a gun to America's head' if NATO forces are stationed in Ukraine and warned the alliance to back off 'otherwise, everyone will be turned into radioactive ash.' The Kremlin said today that high-level talks are now underway, but there is little indication of a quick solution. The mother of a missing girl has revealed she was sent sickening video footage showing her daughter being attacked moments before she disappeared. Imogen Johnson, 13, took a train from Landsborough Station in the Sunshine Coast to catch up with her friends at a Brisbane suburb last Thursday. She said she had planned to meet them in Bowen Hills, but was last seen getting into a car at Woodridge, 30kms south of the meet-up point. As police continue their search, her mother, Chauntelle, has revealed she received terrifying footage of her daughter's last movements, showing the girl in a punch-up. In the video, Imogen is seen struggling to get to her feet at Woodridge train station. Imogen Johnson, 13, took a train from Landsborough Station in the Sunshine Coast to catch up with her friends at a Brisbane suburb last Thursday As police continue their search, her mother, Chauntelle, has revealed she received terrifying footage of her daughter's last movements, showing the girl in a punch-up (pictured) 'Bro, get up, otherwise I'll hit you,' a person can be heard saying. Moments later, a hooded girl takes several swings at Imogen, landing multiple blows to her head. The defenceless 13-year-old manages to stumble to her feet. As she tries to shield herself from the abuse, her attacker pulls her closer, yanking her by the arm. 'You little b****,' the girl says. Imogen tries to walk away from her attacker, who follows her down a ramp and hurls more punches and kicks. 'Stop,' Imogen says. A horrified Ms Johnson said she was sent the sickening footage by a friend, and has shared it with the hope it will help locate her missing daughter. 'I just want her to contact somebody or if anybody knows where she is can tell us where shes at,' she told Gold Coast Bulletin. Moments later, a hooded girl takes several swings at Imogen, landing multiple blows to her head A horrified Ms Johnson said she was sent the sickening footage by a friend, and has shared it with the hope it will help locate her missing daughter Her grandmother Dawn - who lives in New Zealand - said she was concerned for the welfare of the girl. 'Im praying like crazy shes found alive and well. I have deep faith and am holding onto that.' Imogen has dark blonde hair, hazel eyes and was last seen wearing a red crop-top and blue jeans. The identity of the person who took the original footage is still unknown. Police noted the teenager had gone missing before, but returned within a few days. ISIS followers have celebrated the Sri Lanka terror attack with a propaganda poster promising to make the 'enemies of religion' bleed 'rivers of unclean blood'. The image, being circulated on pro-ISIS forums, shows the eight jihadi attackers at the top, with Donald Trump, Pope Francis and Buddha on fire at the bottom. Text across the middle reads: 'We will not make you cry of blood, enemies of religion and the first of the clouds shall fall upon the rivers of your unclean blood.' Pro-ISIS forums have begun circulating an image celebrating the Sri Lanka bombings and threatening to make 'enemies of religion' bleed 'rivers of unclean blood' At least 359 people were killed in coordinated bombings by eight men who had pledged allegiance to ISIS targeting Christians and tourists on Easter Sunday Sri Lankan authorities have said that the bombers were motivated to attack churches in revenge for the New Zealand mosque attack in Christchurch It comes after coordinated bomb attacks targeting Christians and tourists on Easter Sunday killed at least 359 people and left another 500 wounded. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, and released a video showing alleged plot mastermind Zahran Hashim and his co-conspirators pledging allegiance to the group and fugitive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Sri Lankan authorities say the men were part of the National Tawheed Jamaat group but splintered off as their views grew more extreme. They were motivated by the belief that Islam should be the only religious group in Sri Lanka and all other religions should be 'eliminated', ministers have said. Most were middle or upper class, from wealthy backgrounds, and many of them had studied at university. One of them, named by security sources as Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, is believed to have studied engineering at Kingston University in the UK between 2006 and 2007. British intelligence was not believed to have been watching Abdul Lathief during his stay in the country. Investigators say the attackers were motivated by a belief that Islam should be the only religion in Sri Lanka and that all other religions should be eliminated Security forces inspect St Anthony's Church near Negombo after it was struck by a suicide bomber targeting Christians on Easter Sunday Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the man - who he did not name - had been in Australia on a student and a graduate skilled visa with a spouse and child visa as well. The individual left in early 2013. Morrison told reporters Thursday the person's Australian link was part of an ongoing investigation and wouldn't comment further. Elswhere on Thursday, Sri Lanka has banned drones and unmanned aircraft as authorities continue controlled detonations of suspicious items as the security situation in the country remained tense. Sri Lanka's civil aviation authority said Thursday that it was taking the measure 'in view of the existing security situation in the country.' Hobby drones have been used by militants in the past to carry explosives. Iraqi forces learned that they are difficult to shoot down while driving out the Islamic State group from northern Iraq, where the extremists loaded drones with grenades or simple explosives to target their forces. Also Thursday Sri Lankan authorities detonated a suspicious item in a garbage dump in Pugoda, about 22 miles east of Colombo. A schizophrenic man has faced court accused of murdering a woman whose body was found in Melbourne's Chinatown. Christopher Allen Bell, 32, is charged with killing 32-year-old Natalina Angok from Geelong, whose body was found early yesterday at the corner of a dead-end laneway. Bell sat in the dock of Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday with a lowered head as his lawyer Steven Pica said the accused had been un-medicated for a long time. He had been released from a mental inpatient facility 'only a week ago', after staying for a week, the court was told. Christopher Allen Bell, 32, is charged with killing 32-year-old Natalina Angok, whose body was found in Melbourne's Chinatown The court heard Bell was schizophrenic man who had just been released from a mental health facility one week ago Bell sat in the dock of Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday with a lowered head as his lawyer Steven Pica said the accused had been un-medicated for a long time Magistrate Cathy Lamble said he was a 'diagnosed schizophrenic' who needed to take the antipsychotic drug Seroquel. 'His mental health needs should be assessed as soon as possible,' she said. He will be kept in custody to appear in the same court on Friday for a filing hearing. Police are yet to release the results of an overnight autopsy which they'd hoped would confirm Ms Angok's cause of death. She was found at the intersection of Little Bourke Street and Celestial Avenue just after 6.30am on Wednesday. Detectives quickly declared her death suspicious after a passerby found her lifeless. He was charged with one count of murder on Wednesday night. Magistrate Cathy Lamble said he was a 'diagnosed schizophrenic' who needed to take the antipsychotic drug Seroquel The Highton woman was found about 6.30am on Wednesday at the intersection of Little Bourke Street and Celestial Avenue. The woman is believed to have been dead when a member of the public made the grisly discovery, Acting Superintendent Craig Peel said on Wednesday. Her body was lying in a gutter and had been covered by a paramedic's blanket. Paramedics were called to the scene when the woman was found but she couldn't be revived. Bernie Sanders was booed and jeered by the crowd at the She The People Forum on Wednesday as he struggled to answer questions about black voters. The 2020 presidential candidate was subjected to heckling from the fired-up crowd at Houston's Texas Southern University as he was asked about his plans to combat white-supremacist violence. At one point host Aimee Allison asked the 77-year-old Vermont senator what he would do to protect black communities. Scroll down for video Sanders was heckled as he spoke at the She The People Forum in Houston, Texas on Wednesday afternoon Bernie Sanders was asked by a woman of color in the audience what he would do about the rise of white supremacist violence as President. Instead he started talking about minimum wage and Medicare For All. The audience claps when the moderator clocks him. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/alhnwyfoPP chris evans (@notcapnamerica) April 24, 2019 'I know I date myself a little bit here, but I actually was at the March on Washington with Dr. [Martin Luther] King back in 1963,' Sanders said, launching into his familiar anecdote. But before he could continue, loud jeers broke out among the crowd and one person shouted: 'We know!' 'As somebody who actively supported Jesse Jackson's campaign, as one of the few white elected officials to do so in '88, I have dedicated my life to the fight against racism, and sexism, and discrimination of all forms,' Sanders continued. At one point in the discussion when Sanders appeared to dodge another question on white supremacists, host Aimee Allison drew loud applause when she reminded him that the 'core of the question' concerned violence against minorities. The 2020 presidential candidate was subjected to heckling from the fired-up crowd at Houston's Texas Southern University as he was asked about his plans to combat white-supremacist violence (a woman in the unimpressed-looking audience records Sanders) An audience member looks toward the stage during the She the People Presidential Forum in Houston, Texas Sanders got a mixed response from the crowd. Some of whom clapped for him, others booed when he mentioned his well-worn anecdote about being on a march with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Co-host Joy Reid then asked Sanders how he planned to win over Hillary Clinton voters, including black women in particular. Sanders then launched a long rant about Trump and was again heckled by the crowd over his refusal to answer the question, prompting Reid to ask, 'Yeah, and for black women specifically?' 'I'm sorry', Sanders replied as the jeers grew even louder. Reid repeated: 'For black women specifically.' Sanders' response was then cut off as the heckles drowned out his speech: 'Black women will be an integral part of what our campaign, and what our administration is about. Okay? And that means...' After a few seconds waiting for the crowd to quieten down Reid appeared to ask if he was finished with his point, to which he simply replied 'Yeah'. Sanders appeared to dodge the question when asked by host Aimee Allison about his plans for tackling white supremacism Sanders was roundly jeered after launching into a familiar anecdote about marching with Martin Luther King Jr. A 26-year-old man has been arrested for throwing beer cans and shouting abuse during Sydney's Anzac Day dawn service. Police said the man became violent and verbally abused officers as they arrested him during the early-morning service at Martin Place on Thursday morning. The 26-year-old was taken to Sydney City Police Station where he was charged with offensive behaviour, and resist arrest, police said. A 26-year-old man has been arrested for throwing beer cans and shouting abuse during Sydney's Anzac Day dawn service (pictured) Operation Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke (pictured), said the vast majority of people showed respect towards each other and service personnel The man was granted conditional bail and is due to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on May 15. In a separate incident, a 48-year-old man was arrested for disrupting an ANZAC Day Dawn Service in Cowra, in the Central West region of New South Wales. Officers approached the man on Brisbane St and issued him a move-on direction, but he continued to use offensive language as he was leaving, police said. The man was arrested, and during a struggle with officers, his dog then bit one of the officers on his boot, police said. He was issued a court attendance notice for behave in offensive manner, resist police, and assault police. The man is due to appear in Cowra Local Court on June 19, 2019. Although there were a few disturbances, the NSW Police Force has commended the crowds who attended ANZAC Day commemoration ceremonies across Sydney. Operation Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke, said the vast majority of people showed respect towards each other and service personnel. Police said the man became violent and verbally abused officers as they arrested him during the early-morning service at Martin Place (pictured) on Thursday morning Although there were a few disturbances, the NSW Police Force has commended the crowds who attended ANZAC Day commemoration ceremonies across Sydney (pictured) 'ANZAC Day is an opportunity for the community to come together and recognise the courage and sacrifice of our servicemen and women, both past and present, and that is exactly what Sydney did today. 'It was great to see the ANZAC spirit on display with crowds cheering on veterans, their families and members of the community in marches, which have been both safe and successful. 'Police responded to a few isolated incidents but were pleased to see crowds paying their respects appropriately on one of the country's most important national days. 'A reminder to those who are still enjoying the afternoon to act responsibly, know your limits and look out for your friends who may be intoxicated,' Acting Assistant Commissioner Cooke said. The police operation will remain in force throughout the evening. Gemma Race claims her supervisor told her to wait until lunch before she could seek medical attention A grieving mother claims her supervisor made her wait until lunch before she could seek medical attention on the day she lost her daughter. Gemma Race, from Walker, Newcastle, realised she had not felt her daughter move as usual on the morning of November 2, 2017. Frantically dialling the midwife and her father for help, Mrs Race asked to leave the North Shields office of Collingwood Business Solutions Ltd for immediate attention. But the customer service employee claims she was told she had to wait until her lunch hour to leave. The midwife could not find a heartbeat for Mrs Race's daughter, and she and husband Andy were rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle to be told the devastating news their unborn daughter had died. Labour was induced and Fearne Race was born two days later at the same hospital after 25 weeks, weighing only 720 grams. The first day of the employment tribunal was held at North Shields County Court on Wednesday. Mrs Race claims her contract was breached by discrimination against her sciatica disability, her pregnancy and her sex leading to her unfair dismissal. Mrs Race, who worked at the insurance broker since 2015, only returned to the workplace after maternity leave for her son Bobby on November 1. Mrs Race, pictured with husband Andy and son Bobby, claims her contract was breached by discrimination against her sciatica disability, her pregnancy and her sex leading to her unfair dismissal On just her second morning back, Gemma grew concerned about her unborn daughter and dialled the midwife who firstly advised her to drink cold water. She said: 'I spoke to my supervisor just after the midwife to see if I could leave. 'If I had been told it was okay to go, I would have gone straight away.' The court heard Mrs Race's claims that she was told by a supervisor she could not leave for medical assistance until 12pm. Bruce Frew, representing Collingwood Business Solutions Ltd, says the supervisor did not know the full situation when Mrs Race contacted him. Mr Frew said: 'The supervisor asked can you wait till your dinner as they were extremely busy. 'He didn't know what's going on, you don't know what's going on. At this stage, it's not unreasonable to ask.' Mr Frew went on to add if the expectant mother had demanded to leave or requested an ambulance, the supervisor would have 'reacted differently'. When questioned whether she was asked or told to stay until her lunch hour, Mrs Race said: 'No, it was a case of "we're too busy... you are going to have to wait until your dinner hour." 'I had told the midwife I could leave at 12pm. Pictured: Andy Race with his daughter Fearne at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary 'I'm firmly of the belief the stress imposed on me may have been at least a contributory factor to the loss of my baby. 'Had I been able to meet the midwife earlier, this may not have happened,' she said. Judge Tudor Garron presided over the tribunal which heard how Mrs Race had spent two 'keep in touch' days in the office on October 25 and 26 prior to her full-time return. But Mrs Race, who has suffered with long-standing anxiety and depression, felt ignored and 'isolated' from her busy colleagues to the point she burst into tears at her desk. The customer service employee says she came back to find monitors left under her desk which she said caused her sciatic pain - and she claims she was left to answer 3,600 emails. Mrs Race said: 'I just expected or felt like there should have been more interaction from management rather than just being sat in a corner. 'It would have been nice to have my desk ready for my return but there was none of that done. It didn't feel like a warm welcome back.' Mrs Race was granted a half-day on October 26, but her request for flexible working hours on her full-time return had been denied. In response to the expectant mother's criticisms of her 'keep in touch' days, Mr Frew insists it was a 'sensible' rather than 'discriminatory' approach given her struggle with anxiety. He said: 'It's not a return to work, it was for you to assimilate back into the workplace. You were in control. 'To take things really slowly with you is a sensible approach rather than discriminatory.' On November 1 - Mrs Race's first full day back - she had requested to shadow a colleague to regain her confidence handling customer requests and complaints. But staffing issues led to her being asked to handle non-reported claims, which she claims led her to becoming stressed and agitated. Depression followed the sudden loss of her unborn child, and Mrs Race handed in her resignation on June 28 the following year. Explaining her decision to pursue her claim, Mrs Race added: 'I don't want this to happen to anyone else again. 'When other mothers return back from maternity leave, they should feel wanted in a comfortable working environment.' Iran has today backed away from reports that jailed charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be released as part of a prisoner swap. Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif had appeared to suggest the British-Iranian mother could be freed in exchange for an Iranian woman held in Australia on a US extradition request. However, in a later interview, he clarified his earlier comments, saying Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was a 'separate case' from those prisoners held at the behest of the Americans. It comes just hours after her husband, Richard Ratcliffe said the claims she could be freed in an exchange was 'real hope' that she 'could be home very soon.' Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested with her infant daughter Gabriella on April 3 2016 at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport as she prepared to board a plane back to the UK after visiting relatives Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested with her infant daughter Gabriella on April 3 2016 at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport as she prepared to board a plane back to the UK after visiting relatives. Mr Zarif said today: 'The offer that I made was people who have been in prison either in the United States or elsewhere in the world on American request. But the Iranian-British woman is a separate case.' Downing Street confirmed that the Government had not received any approach from Tehran about a possible prisoner exchange. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The treatment of all British-Iranians detained in Iran, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is a priority for the Government. Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif has today backed away from suggestions charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be released as part of a prisoner swap 'We remain concerned about all of our consular cases and raise them at every level and every opportunity.' Earlier, speaking to the Asia Society in New York on Wednesday, Mr Zarif appeared to link the case of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe - who is serving a five year prison sentence for spying, a charge she vehemently denies - with that of the woman held in Australia. 'Now we hear about Nazanin Zaghari and her child, and I feel sorry for them and I have done my best to help, but nobody talks about this lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison whose child is growing up outside prison with mother in prison,' he said. 'So, what can I do as a foreign minister? And I put this offer on the table publicly now. Exchange them.' Richard Ratcliffe, speaking on Good Morning Britain today from central London Mr Ratcliffe said his family were 'very surprised' after the announcement yesterday but said it was 'important not to get our hopes up too high.' Speaking on Good Morning Britain today from central London, Mr Ratcliffe said before the foreign minister's claims, her family were hoping she would get released on medical grounds, after suffering 'multiple health complaints.' He told the ITV programme: 'We were very surprised. We weren't expecting it at all. 'We never had any inclination that there would be anything like a prisoner swap. 'It's important not to get hopes up too high. We've had bumps, genuine hopes that have become false storms. 'There's a potential for real hope, and she could be home very soon.' Mr Ratcliffe, pictured with his wife, told the ITV programme today that: 'We were very surprised. We weren't expecting it at all' before the foreign minister backtracked on the claims He added: 'What we were hoping for behind closed doors was a medical release. 'She's had multiple health complaints, so we were hoping that was going to lead somewhere.' He added: 'We need to speak to the Foreign Office about it. 'It's a much more complicated set of arrangements than we would have expected. 'I need to bluntly have a conversation with UK and state department. 'Without getting carried away, it's a good thing, that's something good for the Foreign Office to work on.' Speaking about how she is coping in prison, he said she 'goes through phases' anbd lives 'milestone to milestone' but fears she could go on hunger strike again if she is not released soon. He said: 'Iranian New Year passed and that was a milestone she wanted to be home by. 'She's been getting very low on the phone. I don't think it'll be much longer until she does something again hunger strike like last time.' Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to five years in jail after being accused of spying by Tehran's Islamist regime, a charge she vehemently denies. The 40-year-old is serving a five-year sentence in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison The 40-year-old is serving a five-year sentence in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. The trial by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran was widely condemned as unfair and she strenuously denies the charges against her. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt granted Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe diplomatic protection last month. But Tehran refuses to acknowledge her dual nationality and said the UK's actions were illegal. Mr Hunt met Mr Zarif last September and wrote on Twitter: 'I pressed for swift resolution on all our dual national consular cases, including Nazanin. NOT acceptable to detain innocent people arbitrarily at the cost of enormous human anguish.' Prime Minister Theresa May has also told Iranian President Hassan Rouhani she had 'serious concerns' about the jailing of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Theresa May's stay of execution is being seized on by enemies of Boris Johnson - but his supporters claim Tory MPs have 'bottled it', it was revealed today. The Prime Minister has been given some breathing space after senior Tories rejected plans that could have seen her forced from office within weeks. In a significant setback for Mrs May's Brexiteer critics, the ruling executive of the 1922 Committee of MPs blocked a bid to change the leadership rules to allow a fresh vote of confidence in her. Rumours are now growing that Mrs May could bring back her deal next week - if passed she would then quit. One 1922 committee member told The Sun: 'Getting rid of Theresa before Brexit is done means getting Boris, Boris would mean No Deal, and No Deal would mean a general election. And that would be the end of Brexit altogether'. Theresa May, pictured in Belfast yesterday, is safe from a Conservative leadership challenge until December after backbenchers rejected a change to party rules - with some saying it is good news because it will 'stop Boris' The chair of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, said last night it would be 'a surprising response' if Mrs May suggested she might stay on as late as December this year - but the backbenchers rejected a rule change to force her out early. Sources on the 1922 committee said the plan, which was championed by Eurosceptics furious at her failure to deliver Brexit, was narrowly defeated by nine votes to seven. Instead, the committee agreed to ask the Prime Minister to set out a 'timetable' for her departure. No10 last night gave no indication of when Mrs May would respond or if she would agree to name a date for departure. One senior Brexiteer said the committee had 'bottled it'. Theresa May's popularity among Tory members hit rock bottom today as she was warned she could face a fresh leadership challenge within weeks unless she sets out a timetable for her departure. The Prime Minister's approval rating has dropped by more than 20 points in a month to minus-73.5. She is now the least popular member of the cabinet, after overtaking previous incumbent Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, who is on 71.1 points. Brexiteer Andrea Leadsom is the most popular - on plus-40.6 - followed by Liz Truss, Jeremy Hunt and Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who also has a seat at Mrs May's ministerial table, a poll of Tory supporters by ConservativeHome has revealed. But Boris Johnson is streets ahead in the race to replace Theresa May as Tory leader and has an 18 point lead over his nearest rival Dominic Raab - and would also win in head to heads Another survey on the influential Conservative Home website shows 33 per cent of people want Mr Johnson to take over as party chief. Sir Graham Brady (pictured left), chairman of the 1922 Committee, said the backbench group had rejected a rule change but demanded a 'roadmap forward' on the PM's future He enjoys twice the support of his nearest rival Dominic Raab on 15 per cent, followed by Michael Gove on eight per cent, Jeremy Hunt on six per cent and Sajid Javid on five per cent. The poll, published today, shows Jacob Rees-Mogg, David Davis, Matt Hancock, Esther McVey and Penny Mordaunt on just two per cent. ConHome chief Paul Goodman said: 'Boris' resignation catapulted him to the front of the queue as the main Conservative opponent of Theresa Mays EU policy. And the worse she does, the more he thrives. 'The postponement of Brexit, the talks with Jeremy Corbyn, the return of Nigel Farage, the looming European elections, the sense of drift and paralysisall these have bumped him up to his highest total since last August'. But the news has kick-started a 'Stop Boris' plot among remainer Tory MPs to orchestrate voting to stop him getting into the final two leadership candidates party members across the country will vote on. Tory rules dictate that MPs whittle down the candidates and moderates hope they can squeeze out hard Brexiteers in favour of more moderate candidates who would pursue a softer Brexit, including second favourite Michael Gove. One plotter said: 'Once we know the numbers of candidates and the names but it will come down to blocks of votes'. Mrs May has promised to step aside when her Brexit deal is approved by Parliament. But with doubts over how long that could take and Brexit now delayed until the end of October her critics are demanding that she names a date for her departure regardless of whether her deal is approved. Sir Graham Brady said Tory MPs wanted a 'clear road-map forward' about Mrs May's future 'in all circumstances'. She faced a vote of no confidence in December after the number of Tory MPs demanding one reached 48 the number required to trigger a contest. A Conservative Home poll has found that Theresa May is now the least popular cabinet member after her rating dropped by 20 points in a month Mrs May won the vote by 200 to 117, and the party's existing rules state that if a leader wins, 'no vote of confidence shall be called for a period of at least 12 months', meaning she cannot be challenged until this December. But Eurosceptic MPs angry over her failure to leave the EU and the decision to open talks with Jeremy Corbyn have led to pressure to change the rules. Under one proposal discussed last night, the 'grace period' would have been cut to six months, allowing a fresh challenge on June 12. The drive for change was led by senior Brexiteers, with the 1922 Committee's executive secretary Nigel Evans saying that the process for selecting a new leader 'can't start soon enough'. Pauline Latham, another committee member, yesterday backed the call, saying: 'I would like Theresa May to go. I would like us to have a new leader who could have another look at this whole process and actually negotiate with Brussels.' But other senior Tories railed at the idea of ripping up the rulebook to give Brexiteer MPs another chance to topple her. Former minister Robert Halfon said: 'We are the Conservative Party not some kind of Stalinist party who change the rules in order to have a show trial. 'Things are difficult at the moment, but we have to get on with the job. We have got council elections next week, we have got Brexit to deliver we need to stop squabbling with each other and concentrate on that.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'Changing the prime minister will not change what we need to do to deliver Brexit.' The decision to reject the rule change was greeted with relief in Downing Street last night. But sources said the PM would have to consider the request for a resignation timetable. Allies insisted she was not trying to cling to office, but believed she had a duty to deliver Brexit. One said: 'There is a great irony in the fact she is facing these calls when she is saying she accepts there must be new leadership for the next phase and is actively trying to bring that about by delivering Brexit.' Last night's decision may only prove to be a stay of execution if the forthcoming local and European elections turn out badly for the Tories. Former leader Iain Duncan Smith said: 'I think it's inconceivable that the Prime Minister would go on beyond the beginning of the summer break, it's just not feasible, because there is a window for a future leader to be elected and that is in the summer.' Downing Street yesterday said Mrs May was still considering bringing back her deal perhaps as soon as next week in the hope of avoiding European elections on May 23. Labour sources indicated they would continue to oppose the legislation. A man has been accused of punching a four-month-old baby to death after finding out that he wasn't the child's father. Jose Avila-Agurcia, 33, from Memphis, Tennessee, is facing a first-degree murder charge following the death of infant Alexander Lizondro-Chacon, Memphis police said. Officers responded on April 12 to a report of an unresponsive child, finding Alexander and rushing him to hospital. He was later pronounced dead from blunt force trauma to the head and he also had pneumonia, as well as a fractured skull and rib. Jose Avila-Agurcia, 33 (left), from Memphis, Tennessee, is accused of a first-degree murder charge following the death of infant Alexander Lizondro-Chacon (right) Both Avila-Agurcia and the child's mother, Mercy Lizondro-Chacon, initially denied knowing why the baby was unresponsive. A week later, an affidavit revealed that Avila-Agurcia became a suspect after the child's mother told investigators that he had struck the baby multiple times in anger after learning he wasn't the father. Memphis police revealed that he punched the baby so hard that he stopped breathing. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan D. Cox said Avila-Agurcia is an alias for Carlos Zuniga-Aviles, a Honduran national who has been deported five times. The agency has filed an immigration detainer pending resolution of the charge. Avila-Agurcia is being held at a county jail. It wasn't immediately clear whether he has an attorney. A woman who entered a sham marriage so that the Indian groom could stay in the UK has been jailed after two years on the run. Marcela Banomova, a Slovakian national, married Lovepreet Singh, 24, in at Stockton Register Office in 2012, but they were exposed after a registrar became suspicious and notified the Home Office. Marcela Banomova, a Slovakian national, 36, has been jailed for two and a half years for marrying Indian 'husband' Lovepreet Singh so he can stay in the UK The 36-year-old and her actual partner, Martin Kovac, 44 - who was in on the scam - fled the UK in November 2016 ahead of their trial for breaking immigration law. Banomova remained in Europe until her arrest in Neu-Isenburg, Stadtwald, Germany and as remanded in custody back in March. Neither Banomova or Kovac could speak English fluently and they sometimes had to use Google Translate to communicate. She was returned to the UK under escort on Thursday, April 18 and faced Teesside Crown Court on the same day where she was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in her absence. Banomova also received a further four months custody for failing to appear at her 2016 trial. Banomova fled the UK for Europe with her partner Martin Kovac, 44 (pictured) - who was in on the scam. He was arrested in Germany back in December and sent back to the UK. He faced Teesside Crown Court and sentenced to two and a half years prison This is to run consecutively to the 30 months jail time she received in her absence on November 18, 2016 for conspiracy to facilitate illegal migration. She is the last of the trio to be brought to justice after her partner was dealt with earlier this month. Kovac was arrested back in Germany back December and was sent back to Britain, Teeside Live reported. He appeared at the Teesside Crown Court hearing, via video link from Durham Prison in April, and was once again sentenced to two and a half years prison, this time with an added four months. Lovepreet Singh was given the same sentence in 2016, but was the only one of the three to attend the sentencing hearing. Banomova's husband Lovepreet Singh, 24, (left) was given the same sentence in 2016, but was the only one of the three to attend the sentencing hearing The Slovakian national, married Singh in at Stockton Register Office in 2012, but they were exposed after a registrar became suspicious and notified the Home Office Dave Magrath from Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) said: 'CFI officers were determined that Banomova should not evade the 30 months jail term she was sentenced to in her absence in 2016. 'The sham marriage she was involved in was a serious offence, designed to turn a profit from abusing the UK's immigration laws. 'The hard work of CFI in returning her to the UK means that she will now rightfully serve her jail time.' Advertisement Victorians are famed for their modesty and restraint but these photographs show how progressive and non-conforming many of them were. The recently unearthed collection shows people from the 19th century swapping clothes with the opposite sex with women wearing male uniforms and men wearing dresses. The collection shows a mixture of people experimenting with their clothing and famous stage performers who amused audiences with their depictions of the opposite sex. Many Victorians enjoyed cross-dressing in the 19th century even though it outraged many of their contemporaries and even led to some being prosecuted Lewis Wingfield (left) and Frederick Robson (right) often performed in women's clothing on stage such as in Robson's burlesque performance of Medea Actor and comedian W. S. Penley (left) often performed in women's clothing on stage and is pictured here as Dona Lucia from Brazil. Many cross-dressed in public (right) where it was considered much more outrageous than when it was performers on stage Even though it was considered acceptable for men to play women on stage, it was frowned upon in public. Homosexuality was a crime and not conforming to gender norms would have aroused suspicion. Some of the people featured in the set include Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton who played Fanny and Stella on-stage. The two men didnt just wear their costumes on stage but would wear their them around town or sometimes wear mens clothing with make-up on. Brave men and women often aroused suspicion because of their cross-dressing at a time when homosexuality was a crime Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton wore women's clothing in public which led to them being arrested and accused of sodomy and dressing as a woman, but both men were acquitted Cross-dressing on the stage had long been a tradition in English theatre with William Shakespeare's plays often using it as a trope such as his comedy Twelfth Night One of them, Boulton, even struck up a relationship with English aristocrat Lord Arthur Pelham Clinton. The police took interest them and attempted to prosecute the pair many times for sodomy and dressing as a woman but could never prove their guilt. Another image shows psychiatrist Richard Freiherr Von Krafft-Ebing dressed as a ballerina. Scientist Richard Freiherr Von Krafft-Ebing often wore women's clothing and wrote a book exploring homosexuality, Psycopathia Sexualis, in 1886 French actress Leonide Leblanc (left) donned a tweed suit in the 1870s while an unidentified woman (right) dressed as a priest Two unknown men in the 1860s were pictured wearing dresses and drinking wine together as featured in the new collection An unidentified man wearing female clothing and a bonnet in the 1870s would have outraged Victorian sensibilities The Austro-German scientist was one of the first scientists to explore homosexuality and its root in psychology. His book Psychopathia Sexualis, published in 1886 was the first to examine what happens in the brain of homosexuals. The book saw the first use of the terms 'sadism' and 'masochism' and concluded that homosexuality was a mental illness. Sri Lanka's Catholic churches have suspended all public services over security fears, as several suspects remain unaccounted for over the Easter terror attacks. 'On the advice of the security forces we are keeping all churches closed,' a senior Catholic priest said. Private services for burials will still be carried out, but no public masses are scheduled until further notice. A view of St. Sebastian's Church, which was damaged in the blast in Negombo, north of Colombo, on Sunday morning Wreckage: Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the damage at St Anthony's Shrine Investigators at the scene of a bombing at St. Sebastian Church in Negombo, on Monday Security forces made fresh arrests overnight over the attacks which killed 359 people, as the government faced pressure over its failure to act on intelligence warnings about possible bombings. Police have so far arrested 75 people but tensions remain high with several suspects still on the loose since suicide bombers blew themselves up in luxury hotels and churches packed with Easter worshippers on Sunday. The president has asked the police chief and top defence ministry bureaucrat to step down, though neither has done so yet. Overnight, security forces using newly granted powers under the country's state of emergency arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the attacks. More than 1,000 mourners gathered at the St. Sebastian church in Negombo, where more than 100 parishioners were killed as they worshipped on Sunday morning Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said the army had increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. Authorities also announced a ban on drone flights and suspended licences issued to commercial operators with immediate effect. Meanwhile, the government has been on the defensive over revelations that specific warnings about an attack went ignored. Sri Lanka's police chief warned on April 11 that suicide bombings against 'prominent churches' by the local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) were possible, citing information from a foreign intelligence agency. CNN reported that Indian intelligence services had passed on 'unusually specific' information in the weeks before the attacks, some of it from an IS suspect in their custody. At least 359 people were killed in coordinated bombings by eight men who had pledged allegiance to ISIS targeting Christians and tourists on Easter Sunday Sri Lankan authorities have said that the bombers were motivated to attack churches in revenge for the New Zealand mosque attack in Christchurch But that information was not shared with the prime minister or other top ministers, the government has said. 'It was a major lapse in the sharing of information,' deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene conceded at a press conference on Wednesday. President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also defence and law and order minister, pledged Tuesday to make 'major changes in the leadership of the security forces in the next 24 hours'. On Thursday, he met the country's political parties to discuss the crisis, and later will meet religious leaders as concerns rise about a potential backlash against Sri Lanka's Muslim minority. An inside view of the St. Anthony's Shrine after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo Investigators are still piecing information together about the attack and those involved, with Wijewardene revealing Wednesday that one attacker had studied in Britain and did post-graduate studies in Australia before returning to Sri Lanka. 'Most of them are well-educated and come from middle, upper-middle class families, so they are financially quite independent and their families are quite stable financially, that is a worrying factor in this,' the minister added. A key suspect, NTJ leader Zahran Hashim, appears to be among eight people seen in a video released Tuesday by IS after it claimed the attacks. Officials said it was still unclear whether Hashim was among the suicide attackers or had escaped after the blasts. Authorities have said they cannot rule out further attacks while suspects remain at large. In all, nine people are believed to have blown themselves up on Sunday, either during attacks or when police attempted to arrest them. Shocking video footage and images have emerged showing the grim conditions inside an Indonesian slaughterhouse where dogs are butchered for humans to eat. Canines arrive on trucks at the meat factory in the city of Surakarta, known as Solo, and are bound up in sacks before being thrown into filthy cages to await their fates. Workers then pummel the animals over the head with large pieces of wood, string them up and slit their throats - with some of them still conscious. Video and pictures captured from inside a slaughterhouse in the Indonesian city of Surakarta, on the island of Java, shows dogs being tied up and butchered for food The animals arrive at the slaughterhouse in hessian sacks with their mouths bound to stop them barking before being beaten unconscious with wood As other dogs watch, the stunned animals are then strung up and have their throats cut before being butchered and sold for human consumption This grisly spectacle occurs in front of other dogs who are forced to watch, knowing that they are next in line. The images and video was captured by campaign group Dog Meat-Free Indonesia, which urged the government to follow up on its pledge to stamp out the trade. Lola Webber, Change For Animals Foundation, said: 'Dogs are captured from the streets and stolen from peoples homes to be taken on long journeys often lasting for days tightly packed in pick-up trucks or in hessian sacks, their mouths bound shut so they can hardly breathe. 'They are then taken to filthy slaughterhouses where they watch others being slaughtered as they wait their turn, trembling in fear. 'The look in their eyes is haunting, the blood-spattered walls unforgettable.' Activist's latest investigations and report reveal that an estimated 13,700 dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status continue to be captured and stolen each month from the streets of cities throughout Java Indonesias most populous island. West Java acts as a 'supply hub' for the region, importing dogs into Solos densely-populated city centre. Campaigners estimate that up to 90 per cent of the animals brought to slaughterhouses like this one are stolen - either off the street or from their owners While Indonesia's Muslim-majority population consider dog meat haram, and therefore do not eat it, the animals are eaten by some of the islands' minority populations Indonesia does have strict laws governing the sale of dog meat, and last year vowed to wipe the trade out altogether, but activists say little action has been taken A dog bound up in a plastic sack arrives on a truck at one slaughterhouse in the city of Surakarta, where it is estimated 1,200 animals are killed every day for their meat Here, the dogs are slaughtered and sold in one of the citys 82 restaurants openly advertising the meat. In Surakatra alone, it is thought 1,200 dogs are slaughtered daily for their meat, though official statistics on the trade are hard to come by. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation, which considers dog meat haram - or forbidden - and therefore most Indonesians do not eat it. However, among some minority groups the dish remains popular and is often linked to festivities or family celebrations such as weddings and baptisms. As in many other parts of Asia, dog meat is also consumed for perceived health properties such as curing skin problems, dengue fever and asthma, as a general boost for the immune system, or improving male stamina. Indonesia has strict laws relating to the sale of dog meat - banning animals from being brought in from outside the state in which they are sold. Animals are also supposed to be fully vaccinated against diseases like rabies and sourced from reliable farms. However, campaigners say such rules are seldom enforced and believe up to 90 per cent of dogs killed for their meat are stolen from owners or off the streets. The Indonesian government pledged to fully eradicate the trade in 2018, but markets and restaurants selling dog meat continue to operate openly. Among the communities who eat dog meat, it is often consumed at special events such as weddings and baptisms, or for its supposed health benefits Campaigners have called on the government to come good on its pledge to eradicate the dog meat trade, which they say is cruel and poses health issues Activists have recorded 82 restaurants in Surakarta which they say are openly advertising dog meat for sale, where it is called 'asu' Dr. Katherine Polak, of the FOUR PAWS group, added: 'We know that rabies control and elimination efforts are futile without addressing the dog meat trade which is the only trade known to encourage the mass unregulated movement of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status. 'This facilitates the spread of the disease and disrupts any attempts to reach the required canine vaccination coverage required to ultimately eliminate the disease from the dog population. 'Pledges for action have been made from the Central governments Ministry of Agriculture. DMFI and the millions of supporters we represent worldwide applaud this position. 'But these words need to result in commitments for change through strong and impactful actions. 'For now, the illegal trades continue, threatening the health and safety of millions of Indonesians, and resulting in the suffering of thousands of animals each day.' The powerful moment an Aboriginal corroboree meets a Maori Haka after an Anzac Day dawn service has been captured on video. The stirring performance took place at Kings Park in Perth on Thursday morning, with about 30,000 attendees. The half hour long ceremony featured both traditional dances, with the two groups interacting with each other. The powerful moment an Aboriginal corroboree meets a Maori Haka after an Anzac Day dawn service has been captured on video The stirring performance took place at Kings Park in Perth on Thursday morning, with about 30,000 attendees The Aboriginal corroboree included a didgeridoo player and dancers wearing traditional body paint. Toward the end of the ceremony, numerous members of the crowd stepped in to join the Maoris in their haka. Haka for Life coordinator Leon Ruri told Maori Television he wrote the new haka specifically for the commemorative day. He also said he named it Te Whakapuakitanga, or The Declaration - in honour of those who served. 'The message we want to get across is to honour the sacrifice of the Anzacs for our life that we're able to have today,' he said. A 63-year-old care home resident has died after smoking a cigarette while using an oxygen tank and accidentally setting himself and his wheelchair on fire. Joseph Konopa, of Cuyahoga County, Ohio died in hospital of his injuries after police had responded to a 911 call from a passerby. The witness told police that the man was down on the ground with his wheelchair on fire behind him. When officers arrived, they found Mr Konopa laying face down. Joseph Konopa, of Cuyahoga County, Ohio died after setting his wheelchair on fire when he smoked a cigarette while using an oxygen tank Oakwood Village Police Department detective Ed Thyret told Fox8: 'There was a wheelchair that was smoldering in front of the building with a male lying on the ground. 'I noticed the male wasn't breathing and noticed that something needed to be done now, so as we got him rolled over I checked his vitals. He had no pulse, he wasn't breathing. So my instinct was to start CPR until our fire department got there.' The detective added that packet of cigarettes and a lighter were discovered at the scene and the death was being treated as an accident. A packet of cigarettes and a lighter were found near the burning wheelchair and the death is being treated as an accident Mr Konopa was in a gazebo area outside just before to his death. He was not being observed because most residents at Grande Oaks Nursing home are free to move about. Nobody else was injured in the incident. Embassy Healthcare, the company that manages Grande Oaks, said in a statement: 'Resident care and safety is the highest priority. Due to the privacy and confidentiality of our resident's information we are unable to discuss specific resident information. 'Embassy healthcare is cooperating fully with state and local governing bodies on this investigation.' A husband has been charged with murdering his wife after she was found stabbed to death in their home over the Bank Holiday weekend. Saima Abid, 33, was pronounced dead when police were called to a house in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, shortly before 3am on Tuesday. Mohammed Abid Choudhry, 36, will appear before Manchester Magistrates Court today charged with killing the mother. Mohammed Chowdhry (pictured with the couple's baby daughter) has been charged with killing his wife The victim had three young children and worked as a nurse at Royal Oldham Hospital. In 2011, her sister Chamman Shan, 21, drowned in Hollingworth Lake and was found on the banking at a well-known beauty spot in Littleborough. The student contacted police less than a week before her death saying she was concerned for her safety. Saima Abid, 33, was stabbed to death in her home in the early hours over Bank Holiday weekend An inquest into Chamman's death heard she feared she might be sent to Pakistan and was admitted to a women's refuge. Speaking this week, Miss Abid's cousin Farhat Abbas said: 'We are all really devastated about the fact she [Saima] has gone. 'She was a lovely person. She had three beautiful kids. She had a lot to look forward to in life, it's just tragic. 'At the minute we're just very confused and upset. The whole family is upset.' A family friend, who asked not to be named, said the victim was a 'really good mother' and 'beautiful inside and out'. They added: 'I've known her all my life. She was a really good friend. I saw just a few days ago and she seemed really happy. She had a beautiful soul. It's just really sad. 'First her sister, now Saima. It's just devastating for the family. It's a big shock for the whole community as well. Saima and her family are really well known. There are just no words.' Rasool Shah, 59, a neighbour and close friend, said: 'Yes I knew them I saw her only yesterday, she came here and was taking a photograph. In 2011, her sister Chamman Shan, 21, drowned in Hollingworth Lake days after saying she feared for her safety 'I knew her as a family friend, she called me uncle. She was very good, I really miss her, I do not believe this. I had known her for about 20 years. 'It was a love marriage so it is a big, big tragedy it is unbelievable. It happened last night, I got the call at about 2.47am. 'They married more than ten years ago and have three kids, one boy and two girls. 'She was working in hospitals. 'They had an argument a couple of days before, she complained to her own mother and father. 'Her parents lost another daughter seven years ago.' Sri Lanka's top defence ministry official has quit, taking responsibility for security failures that led to suicide bombings that killed nearly 360 people. Hemasiri Fernando, the most senior bureaucrat at the ministry, sent a letter of resignation to President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday, a ministry official said. 'He told the president that he was accepting responsibility and resigning so that the president can make a new appointment,' the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Experts confirmed earlier on Thursday that rucial intelligence that could have prevented the Easter attacks went ignored in part because of feuding between the country's leaders. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena tried to sack his prime minster last year as part of an ongoing feud between the pair The Sri Lankan government has admitted 'major' lapses in its failure to act on intelligence warnings, and analysts say a longstanding political crisis is to blame. Bad blood between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena has been blamed for a crucial document warning about the radical Islamist group not being past to the all the relevant officials. The warnings were clear: On April 11, Sri Lanka's police chief issued an alert saying that National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) planned suicide bombings of 'prominent churches', citing alerts from a foreign intelligence agency. The document was addressed to several top officials, but neither the prime minister nor the deputy defence minister were among the recipients. Military leaders refused to attend a meeting called by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe hours after the terror attack on Easter Sunday Military personnel inspect the site after a bomb disposal unit disposed of a van with explosives of in controlled parked near St Anthony's shrine in Colombo That comes as little surprise to experts familiar with Sri Lanka's messy political scene, which has been dominated by wrangling between Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and President Sirisena - who also serves as defence and law and order minister. Alan Keenan, Sri Lanka specialist at the International Crisis Group think tank, said: 'As part of his ongoing war with the prime minister, the president has tried to weaken him in many ways, including taking the police under his control. 'So it's entirely possible that the police wouldn't share information with ministers not aligned with the president', Keenan said. The attempt to shut out Prime Minster Wickremesinghe follows efforts by Sirisena to sack the premier last year. Although the prime minister was eventually reinstated after a court ruling, the bad blood between the two men persists. Hours after the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359 people, Wickremesinghe called an urgent meeting of the armed forces chiefs. But Sirisena was still out of the country on holiday and the military leadership initially refused to attend, saying they answered solely to the president, official sources told AFP. Ilham Ibrahim pictured in a suspected video by radical Islamist group National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) Suicide bomber brothers Inshaf Ibrahim (left) and Ilham Ibrahim (right) calmly walked into the luxury Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels on Easter Sunday morning and detonated their vests, killing guests having their breakfast A man believed to be Inshaf Ibrahim (pictured in baseball cap with a rucksack) captured on CCTV appearing to hesitate before blowing himself up in the restaurant of the Cinnamon Grand hotel They only agreed to the request after Wickremesinghe turned up at their headquarters in the defence ministry, the sources added. The revelations come as the father of two of the suicide bombers was arrested on suspicion of aiding his sons, Sri Lanka's former navy chief said today. Jayanath Colombage, who now is a counter-terrorism expert at the Pathfinder Foundation, confirmed the arrest today. He said millionaire spice trader, Mohamed Yoonus Ibrahim who is the father of Inshaf and Ilham Ibrahim, had been arrested for helping the pair. It emerged the some of the terrorists were under surveillance four months before the attacks, but there was not 'sufficient' evidence to arrest the suspects, Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesingh told CNN. The brothers calmly walked into the luxury Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels in Colombo on Easter Sunday and detonated their suicide vests as guests were eating breakfast. Sri Lanka suicide bomber's father Mohamed Yoonus Ibrahim being arrested today over allegations he helped his sons Former Navy chief Jayanath Colombage (centre) alongside President Mahinda Rajapakse (front) during a Victory Day parade in Colombo in 2013 Their attacks claimed the lives of at least 41 foreigners, including eight British holidaymakers - three of whom were children. Hours later, as police raided their mansion in an exclusive neighbourhood of Colombo, Ilham's pregnant wife Fatima blew herself up, killing her three children and three officers. Is Sri Lanka 'terror mastermind' still alive? The suspected mastermind behind the Easter Sunday bombings may still be alive, according to local media. Radical cleric Zahran Hashmi, the alleged leader of the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) Islamist group suspected of being responsible for the attacks, was earlier reported to have died. Defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene, claimed he had been killed in the Shangri La hotel explosion. But BBC Sinhala reported today that his death has not been confirmed and that he may still be at large as the country went into emergency lockdown. Advertisement Sunday's coordinated suicide bombings targeted three churches and three hotels, killing at least 359 people and wounding 500 more. Authorities have blamed a local group, National Towheed Jamaat, for the attack. Bomber Inshaf was known as a successful businessman and owned a copper factory thought to be where the suicide bombs were made. The 38-year-old lived with his wife and their four children in a 1.5million six-bed mansion on one of the most exclusive streets in Colombo. In an interview with CNN, Wickremesinghe reiterated that the attackers were middle-and upper-middle class and had been educated abroad. He also added that the profile of the suspected bombers was 'surprising'. On Wednesday Sirisena sacked defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando and the chief of police over failures to prevent the bombings. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, head of the Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives, said the political infighting meant security concerns had been relegated to the backburner. 'The national security council has not met with the participation of the prime minister and the deputy minister of defence for four months', he said. 'What on earth were the two of them doing?' he said, accusing both the president and prime minister of allowing personal animosity to overshadow security concerns. 'The leaders are there to protect the people and that they have failed to do and... [people] have paid with their lives. This is criminal negligence.' Ilham, whose wife Fatima blew herself up when police raided their mansion in an exclusive part of Colombo, is pictured alongside an accomplice bomber entering the second-floor restaurant at the Shangri-La hotel before the deadly attack The wealthy brothers - sons of a millionaire spice trader - are two of nine jihadis who carried out the devastating bomb attacks in Sri Lanka. They are believed to be pictured here alongside National Thawheed Jamaath leader Moulvi Zahran Hashim Arrested man found with maps and passes to Sri Lankan parliament A 26-year-old man was arrested with maps of the Sri Lankan parliament and passes to the building, local media reports. He was apprehended last night also in possession of ammunition for a T-56 assault rifle. Police were responding to a tip off when officers found a vehicle which was possibly modified to carry a bomb, although no explosives were discovered in the raid. A tablet device, three mobile phones, a dozen SIM cards and several credit cards were also found. Advertisement But bickering alone does not explain why Sri Lanka's security apparatus - populated by officers with years of experience fighting a decades-long Tamil insurgency - ignored warnings of an attack. Political commentator Kusal Perera said the police were familiar with the NTJ and its potential to carry out attacks, referring to a raid in January at a training camp that turned up explosives and detonators. 'Is it only their responsibility to collect intelligence, not question suspects? During the civil war they never waited for the president and prime minister to instruct them before rounding up suspects and interrogating people', Perera said. 'Agencies responsible for maintaining law and order should not sit back and relax and wait for instructions after finding evidence of possible attacks', he said. President Sirisena has vowed a major shake-up of the military's top brass in the wake of the bombings, and an investigation is underway to establish why police did not share intelligence with Wickremesinghe's office. With elections due this year, the government is under mounting pressure. Sarath Fonseka, a Sri Lankan field marshal and politician, told the Sri Lankan parliament the attack appeared to have been 'seven or eight months in the making' and exposed a 'monumental lapse in intelligence gathering'. He also described how 'security has become a joke' in Sri Lanka, according to the BBC Sinhala. Inshaf was a successful businessman and owned a copper factory (pictured) thought to be where the explosives were made and that was raided by police Former strongman leader Mahinda Rajapakse has wasted no time in blasting its failure to keep Sri Lankans safe, accusing the authorities of 'crippling' the security agencies. ICG analyst Keenan said that 'Sri Lankans have an absolute right to be very angry but the problem is there is no way to hold anyone to account'. 'What you have is a fearful, brokenhearted public who are looking for leadership and not finding it', he added. NJT was previously only known for vandalising Buddhist statues and for the extremist online sermons of its leader, alternately named Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi. On Tuesday, the Islamic State group asserted it carried out the assault, bolstering its claim by publishing images of Zahran and others pledging loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Sri Lankan police could not immediately be reached for comment on the arrest. A rescue dog has proved its not only cats that have nine lives by surviving being shot dozens of times and run over on major motorway. Cola's body was peppered with multiple pellet wounds during his tough start to life as a hunting dog in Cyprus. After being abandoned the four-year-old pointer was rescued by Rebecca Vickers, 30, and Alex McGreal, 29, who flew him to the UK. Cola survived being shot dozens of times before cheating death again when he was run over on major motorway. After being abandoned the four-year-old pointer was rescued by Rebecca Vickers, 30, and Alex McGreal, 29, who flew him to the UK. But shortly arriving on UK soil he escaped from a cargo centre near Manchester Airport and was run over on the M56. He was taken to a vets for life changing surgery. A scan of his injuries is pictured But shortly arriving on UK soil he escaped from a cargo centre near Manchester Airport and was run over on the M56. He was rushed to Oakwood Veterinary Referrals in Hartford, Cheshire, suffering from large soft tissue wounds, a shattered front leg and other open wounds. But after having a live-saving surgery he made a miraculous recovery and is now enjoying his new life in the UK. Cola has proved that not only cats have nine lives. He is pictured at the vets after being run over Cola was minutes from death after being run over but was saved by a mystery motorist who risked his life by running onto the road and pulling him to safety Vet Charlie Sale completed life-saving surgery on Cola which included putting a metal plate and pin in his leg. He said: 'I was shocked when we did the initial x-ray. In every area of his body we x-rayed while assessing him, you could see a huge amount of shot pellets and we realised that he'd obviously experienced something awful back in Cyprus. Civil servant Rebecca, of Nantwich, Cheshire said: 'When we met Cola at a rescue centre in Cyprus, we instantly bonded with him. He was really friendly and he seemed to take to Alex, even though we were told he wasn't very keen on men. 'We were given Cola's back story and discovered he'd been found tied to the fence of the rescue centre. 'When the centre owner took him to the vets, he was X-rayed and his body was peppered with pellet shots. 'They believe he may have been an unwanted gun dog who fled while being shot at. 'We decided we wanted to give him a happy home and went through the process of adopting him and getting him flown over to the UK.' Cola was minutes from death after being run over but was saved by a mystery motorist who risked his life by running onto the road and pulling him to safety. After Cola escaped from the cargo centre, Rebecca and Alex searched for him for hours, enlisting the help of friends and family with word swiftly spreading on social media and reaching 77,000 people. After Cola escaped from the cargo centre, Rebecca and Alex searched for him for hours, enlisting the help of friends and family with word swiftly spreading on social media and reaching 77,000 people They laid food, used a thermal camera and even gained permission from air traffic control to fly a drone over the area in search of Cola, as well as having posters printed off They laid food, used a thermal camera and even gained permission from air traffic control to fly a drone over the area in search of Cola, as well as having posters printed off. They rushed to the vets after concerned people had posted on social media about the pup being run over. Rebecca added: 'When we got to the vets, Cola wasn't in a great way and we were told he would either have to be put down or referred to a specialist. 'We wanted to get him checked over by the specialist to see whether they thought Cola would recover with any real quality of life. 'After everything we'd been through to get him here, we didn't want to give up on him.' Cola's leg was completely shattered but vet Charlie Sale - a specialist in small animal surgery at Oakwood Veterinary Referrals in Hartford, Cheshire - carried out a life-saving three hour surgery inserted a plate and pin into his leg. Cola now enjoys playing and walks with the pair's other pointer, Ronnie Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons expert Charlie said: 'I was shocked when we did the initial x-ray. In every area of his body we x-rayed while assessing him, you could see a huge amount of shot pellets and we realised that he'd obviously experienced something awful back in Cyprus. 'He must have had a horrific time in his previous life, he even had shot pellets in his ear - I've never seen so much shot pellet coverage in my 28-year career. 'And then to escape from the cargo centre and get hit on the M56 - he is so lucky to still be here.' After 12 days of recuperation following his surgery, he made a full recovery. He added: 'My main focus was just to get him better. 'Cola's bones have healed really well and he is back to having a normal quality of life and has now been discharged from our care. 'He's such a lovely, happy and friendly dog, and so trusting, which you wouldn't expect from a dog whose been shot. 'It was a pleasure and a privilege to treat such a brave dog. 'Every day I'm amazed by our patients and Cola added to that list. 'My ethos is to get animals back to having a nice time with their families so it was nice to play a part in that.' When Cola was run over he was saved by a mystery motorist. He is pictured having a cuddle with vet Charlie Sale Pictured, Rebecca and Alex McGreal, their dogs and vet Charlie Sale, who completed life-saving surgery on Cola Grateful to have Cola back safe and sound, Rebecca admitted she and fellow civil servant, Alex, slept on the floor with their poorly pup the night he came home and said they can't thank the Oakwood staff enough. The pooch now enjoys playing with the pair's other pointer, Ronnie. Rebecca said: 'Charlie and all the staff at Oakwood were amazing, we can't thank them enough. 'Cola has made a fantastic recovery. 'He's getting on well with his basic training and loves our other pointer, Ronnie. 'He's doing really well in all aspects, considering he's had such an eventful life in his four years.' A Chinese university claimed to have launched and landed a hypersonic prototype rocket that could travel faster than five times the speed of sound. The success of the experiment means that Chinese engineers are one step closer to building a full-fledged rocket that is capable of flying faster than 6,174kmh (3,836mph) and be recycled. Although the project is reportedly funded by the military, the university says its aim is to help researchers build a hypersonic passenger plane that could reach anywhere in the world within two hours. Researchers at China's Xiamen University claimed to have launched and landed a hypersonic rocket Jia Geng No. 1 (pictured) during a landmark experiment this week over Gobi Desert It took the university just seven months to create the rocket after using the design of another prototype, called Tian Xing No. 1, provided by a private aviation firm based in Beijing Footage shows the rocket being transported to the launch pad before blasting off into the sky It can also lay the foundation for China to take the lead in space tourism, according to the team. The rocket, named Jia Geng No. 1, reached a maximum altitude of 26.2 kilometres (16.3 miles) - about one-third of the way to space - before returning to the ground during the landmark launch on Tuesday over Gobi Desert, said the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Xiamen University. Jia Geng No. 1 measures 8.7 metres (28.5 feet) in length, 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) in width and 3,700 kilograms (8,157 pounds) in weight. It took the university just seven months to create the rocket after using the design of another prototype, called Tian Xing No. 1, provided by a private aviation firm in Beijing. Jia Geng No. 1 is said to have an innovative air-breathing jet engine, or a ramjet, which could propel it to a greater velocity. Jia Geng No. 1 measures 28.5 feet in length, 8.2 feet in width and 8,157 pounds in weight The team behind the project strike a pose in front of the rocket before its launch on Tuesday The rocket (right) is said to have an innovative air-breathing jet engine (left), or a ramjet, near its front to boost its speed. The design enables the rocket to ride on two layers of shock waves The design enables the rocket to ride on two layers of shock waves one under its belly and the other in the air-inlet duct for its ramjet engine, according to South China Morning Post citing members of the team. The university has released footage which shows Jia Geng No. 1 being transported to the launch pad before blasting off into the sky. Different from Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket, which performed a historic vertical landing in 2015, Jia Geng No. 1 was able to return to earth thanks to the wings and a parachute, according to an insider. The university is yet to release footage of the landing, but a spokesperson behind Tian Xing No. 1 told Chinese media previously that their prototype would be able to reduce its speed by gliding through the air and perform the final landing with the help of a parachute. The same spokesperson expected Tian Xing No. 1 to reach a top speed of Mach 8 (9,541kmh / 5,929 mph) while carrying a load up to one tonne at more than 200 kilometres (124.3 miles) above the ground. Jia Geng No. 1 was able to return to earth thanks to the wings and a parachute, said an insider The launch was carried out on Tuesday morning in Gobi Desert in north-western China Xiamen university says the aim of the project is to help researchers build a hypersonic passenger plane in the future that could reach anywhere in the world in two hours China has invested heavily in developing hypersonic aircraft for military and commercial purposes. The country's scientists have claimed to be developing a commercial plane that could connect Beijing and New York in just two hours. Last August, the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics reportedly tested a hypersonic aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons that could evade existing anti-missile defence systems. The next-generation weapon, known as Xingkong-2 or Starry Sky-2, was said to be able to travel at six times the speed of sound, or around 7,344kmph (4,563mph). Chinese engineers have also built a secretive 5 million hypersonic wind tunnel, nicknamed 'Hyper Dragon'. Experts claimed on state television that the equipment could help them 'reveal many facts that Americans have not found out'. Built by Chinese Academy of Science, the 265-metre-long (869-foot-long) tunnel is said to be able to blow gusts of wind as fast as 10 times the speed of sound. Nicola Sturgeon could do a deal with Jeremy Corbyn and Labour if it secures a second referendum on Scottish independence, it was claimed today. Scotland's First Minister said yesterday that Scots should be given the opportunity to vote again before the next Holyrood elections in 2021 - if Brexit goes ahead. Delaying an referendum for two years is a tacit admission that Theresa May will not let her have one while she is in power. But the First Minister has suggested Mrs May will have been replaced by the time indyref2 can be organised, and by then Jeremy Corbyn could be in No 10 and she will be ready if he gives her the powers she needs. A senior Scottish Tory source said: 'She is hoping for a minority Jeremy Corbyn government which she can do a deal with, with the price being a referendum.' And Mrs May's deputy David Lidington said today: 'We don't see any evidence that there's a demand from the people of Scotland for changing the decision they took in 2014. 'That referendum was something that the First Minister and her colleagues said at the time would settle matters for a generation.' Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon could try to convince Jeremy Corbyn to try agree a second referendum - as Theresa May and the Tories stand in her way The SNP leader said she would try to pass plans for a second referendum into law by the end of the year - and dared Theresa May to stop Scotland voting on it again. Speaking in Edinburgh Mrs Sturgeon argued the current Brexit deadlock at Westminster makes indyref2 necessary, five years after she lost the last one. Theresa May believes the matter of Scottish independence has been dealt with in 2014 She said: 'A choice between Brexit and a future for Scotland as an independent European nation should be offered in the lifetime of this Parliament. 'I can confirm that the Scottish Government will act to ensure that the option of giving people a choice on independence later in this term of Parliament is progressed.' Scots voted against independence 55 per cent to 45 per cent in a 2014 referendum billed as a once-in-generation poll, but the SNP say that Brexit has forced them to tear-up up their pledge and try again. Theresa May has said 'now is not the time' for a fresh vote on Scottish independence while last month Jeremy Hunt said she would 'of course' block a new vote via a 'section 30 order' - needed by the Holyrood parliament to call a legally binding referendum. In October 2018, polling found Scots would vote for independence if the UK crashes out of the EU with No Deal - but would vote against breaking up the Union in other circumstances. The First Minister yesterday told MSPs that another vote on Scotland's future 'should be offered in the lifetime of this parliament'. But Scottish Secretary David Mundell said any demand for the power to hold another referendum before the May 2021 Holyrood elections would be rejected by Westminster with Downing Street saying that the result of the 2014 referendum, when 55 per cent of Scots voted to remain as part of the UK, should be respected. His warning came as business leaders raised renewed concerns about fresh constitutional uncertainty further damaging Scotland's ailing economy. Mr Mundell said: 'I'm very disappointed that Nicola Sturgeon continues to obsess about independence. We had a referendum in 2014, we were told that was going to be a once in a generation event, people in Scotland voted decisively to remain in the United Kingdom and as far as I'm concerned that is where the matter rests. 'Clearly, she hasn't made a request for a Section 30 order, which is the power to hold a referendum. Nicola Sturgeon appears to recognise that without the agreement of the UK Government she can't hold a referendum. I'm very clear that agreement won't be forthcoming before 2021. So it's not clear to me what she sought to achieve today other than clogging up Holyrood's time with discussion about independence. 'The people of Scotland would rather it was concentrating on the education system, jobs and the health service.' Asked what would happen if Miss Sturgeon requests a Section 30 order, he said: 'The UK Government will say no.' Miss Sturgeon told MSPs Brexit remained a 'dark cloud' over Scotland despite the UK's exit being put back until October, and claimed a 'choice between Brexit and a future for Scotland as an independent European nation should be offered to people'. She will introduce legislation to set the rules for any referendum, which she intends to progress through Holyrood this year. It came as former SNP MP Natalie McGarry admitted embezzling more than 25,600 from pro-Scottish independence organisations. Recent polling found that Scots would vote for independence if the UK crashes out of the EU with no Brexit deal, but they would back to stay in the UK if a vote was held in other circumstances But Scottish Tory interim leader Jackson Carlaw called the plan 'frankly absurd' and Scottish Labour chief Richard Leonard warned: 'Leaving the UK would lead to unprecedented austerity for Scotland's public services'. Can Nicola Sturgeon hold indyref2 with Theresa May's permission? Nicola Sturgeon's wish to hold a binding second Scottish independence referendum is not entirely in her hands. A Section 30 order, as set out in the Scotland Act 1998, allows Holyrood to legislate on reserved areas - but requires the Westminster Government's says-so. The Scottish Government would be required to request a Section 30 in order to hold a second independence referendum as the power to call a referendum is reserved to Westminster. While the Scottish Government could stage another vote on independence, a section 30 order transferring the powers needed to hold such a ballot from Westminster would be needed for it to be legally binding. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she would not hold a referendum without Westminster's permission. She could choose to hold a non-binding vote, however, to pile pressure on the Government. The SNP may try to launch a legal battle Advertisement The First Minister said Westminster has failed to protect Scotland's interests and so the Scottish Government is taking steps to rectify that. Nicola Sturgeon said: 'Throughout this, the Scottish Government have worked tirelessly to help find the best way forward for all of the UK. 'Whatever Scotland's constitutional status in the future, it will always be in our interests for these islands to have the closest possible relationship with the EU. 'We have done everything possible to help avert the Brexit crisis for the whole UK. And we will continue to do so.' She added: 'The Westminster system of government does not serve Scotland's interests. 'And the devolution settlement, in its current form, is now seen to be utterly inadequate to the task of protecting those interests.' Wednesday's statement was the 'first available opportunity' for the First Minister to update MSPs since the EU granted a six-month extension to the Article 50 Brexit process. A Number 10 spokesman said on Tuesday that Theresa May's stance on the issue of a second Scottish referendum 'has not changed' - with the PM having previously made clear her opposition to such a ballot. Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw said: 'Whatever the First Minister says about being 'inclusive', her statement is inherently divisive. 'Astonishingly, the way Nicola Sturgeon thinks we can come together is for Scotland to be plunged into another divisive referendum within the next 18 months. 'That is frankly absurd. The SNP's plan is clearly to divide families, workplaces and communities all over again, and for the foreseeable future. That is not what the majority of Scotland wants. 'People have had enough of constitutional politics and division. Yet, with the SNP, more of this is now inevitable.' Nigel Farage during a walkabout and rally in Clacton, Essex, for his Brexit Party rally, as MPs continue to fail to agree on a deal to leave the EU Nicola Sturgeon could stage another vote on independence, a section 30 order transferring the powers needed to hold such a ballot from Westminster would be needed for it to be legally binding Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: 'Nicola Sturgeon is using her office as First Minister to put the interests of the SNP before the interests of our country. Scots would back independence if there is a No Deal Brexit - but is unlikely otherwise, polling says Scots would vote for independence if the UK crashes out of the EU with no Brexit deal, recent polling has said - but is unlikely in other circumstances. Voters would oppose the break up of the United Kingdom if the referendum was held tomorrow, according to a Survation survey from last Autumn. And if the UK leaves the EU as planned in March next year then they voters are split 50:50 the poll found. According to the survey, if there is a referendum held now then 54 per cent of Scots would vote 'No' and 46 per cent voted 'Yes'. But if Theresa May does not get a Brexit deal and a vote is held then the result switches, with 'Yes' narrowly winning by 52 percent to 48 per cent. The poll of 1,013 people was carried out between October 3 and 5 this year. Advertisement 'Her statement is not about Brexit, this is about Nicola Sturgeon trying to pacify her party members and backbenchers ahead of the SNP's conference. 'The chaos of Brexit throws into sharp relief the challenges of leaving a political and economic union. 'Leaving the UK would lead to unprecedented austerity for Scotland's public services. 'The political dividing line in Scotland is clear: investment with Labour with a focus on fixing our public services and economy or another decade of austerity with the SNP and the Tories with a focus on divisive and destructive nationalism.' Scottish Tories failed with a bid to block the debate. But last night it emerged that Theresa May is prepared to reject any new demand made by the SNP government for the power to hold another referendum. The Scottish Parliament Bureau confirmed that it has approved a change to Holyrood business to allow a statement by Miss Sturgeon this afternoon, followed by an hour of questions from MSPs. The Scottish Tories had argued that she should instead focus on priorities such as health, education and schools. The party's chief whip Maurice Golden said: 'We want to move on from the SNP's constitutional grandstanding and get back to the things that matter to the people of Scotland.' In 2017, Mrs May rejected the First Minister's demand for a 'Section 30 order' to hold a second independence referendum. Scottish Tory interim leader Jackson Carlaw called the plan 'frankly absurd' and Scottish Labour chief Richard Leonard warned: 'Leaving the UK would lead to unprecedented austerity for Scotland's public services' Asked what her response would be to any new demand, her spokesman said: 'You know the Prime Minister's position on that and it has not changed. 'First and foremost, let's wait and see what the First Minister says.' UK Government sources insisted the Prime Minister and her Cabinet were of the view the matter 'had been dealt with'. One source said: 'We've have been saying for some time now the First Minister should take the threat of another referendum off the table. 'If the First Minister fails do that we will repeat that message loud and clear.' Miss Sturgeon's spokesman said that her cabinet yesterday backed her plan after a 'very full update'. A woman was arrested and her young daughter was placed in protective custody after she complained about vomit on her seat on a passenger jet leaving Las Vegas. Rosetta Swinney, 53, was on a flight with her 14-year-old daughter to Raleigh-Durham when she complained to staff about the state of the seat. Swinney told Frontier Airlines staff that her daughter's seat was covered in vomit. This is the moment Rosetta Swinney, 53, is arrested and removed from a Frontier Airlines aircraft after she complained that her 14-year-old daughter's seat was covered in vomit Swinney, pictured left, was handcuffed and taken from the jet while at the departure gate at Las Vegas McCarran airport The aircraft had already been delayed and Swinney claimed cabin crew wanted to separate her from her daughter and send them to opposite sides of the jet while the seat was cleaned. However, the airline claims they were forced to remove Swinney and her daughter from the aircraft when Swinney became disruptive. Swinney told ABC News: 'What really hurt me is for my child to see me getting handcuffed and taken away from her. Twelve hours I was in jail. Twelve hours.' Swinney and her daughter had spent the Easter holiday in Nevada attending a wedding. She said she only reacted after her daughter saw the vomit-covered seat. She continued: 'She jumped up to say "mom! My hands are wet." She smelled it. She says "this is vomit, mom". So we went to look. It was on the bag, all over her shirt, her hands.' Swinney said she confronted the flight attendant over her failure to clean the seat. The airline denies this and claims Swinney became abusive and this is when the crew called for back up from airport police who arrested the 53-year-old passenger. Rosetta Swinney, 53, was on a flight with her 14-year-old daughter to Raleigh-Durham (pictured when she was younger) Swinney said she confronted the flight attendant over her failure to clean the seat Swinney added: 'I felt humiliated. I felt more bad that my child had to see me be handcuffed and taken away from her.' Following her arrest, Swinney is facing a misdemeanor trespassing charge. She is due to appear in court in Las Vegas in June. According to Frontier Airlines: 'During boarding of flight 2066 from McCarran International Airport (LAS) to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) last week, two passengers told the flight attendants that vomit was present in their seat area. 'The flight attendants apologized and immediately invited the mother and her teenage daughter to move to either end of the plane so that the seat area could be cleaned. The mother and daughter were also told that once boarding was complete they would be provided other seats if available. Frontier Airlines said they tried to assist Swinney and her daughter before the arrest 'The daughter was also offered cleaning products and invited to use the lavatory to wash up. The mother was unsatisfied with the response and became disruptive. As a result, the flight attendants determined that the mother and daughter should be deplaned and accommodated on another flight. 'The mother refused, and following procedure, law enforcement was called. Law enforcement then requested that everyone deplane so that the mother and daughter could be removed allowing the aircraft to be re-boarded and depart. We apologized to our passengers for the inconvenience caused by the departure delay. The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority at Frontier.' Hillary Clinton has warned that the current political climate is among 'the most challenging times the US has ever seen' in a speech at her own charity's event. Speaking at the 18th annual Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards at The Kennedy Center in Washington yesterday, the former presidential candidate urged women to take action to 'reinvigorate democracy'. Clinton said: 'And today in the midst of some of the most challenging times the US has ever seen - it is women doing the hard work of reinvigorating our democracy.' Scroll down for video Hillary Clinton warned at the Vital Voices Global Leadership Award that the US is currently experiencing 'the most challenging times it has ever seen' The former presidential candidate also said women should take the lead to 'reinvigorate democracy' The ceremony drew in famous faces from the world of politics and the private sector, with House speaker Nancy Pelosi also in attendance. Pelosi herself gave a speech at the event in which she said: 'We are at a time of historic progress for women in America and across the globe'. The veteran Democrat gave her impassioned address shortly before she presented an award to Belgian fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg for her advocacy work. Earlier on Wednesday Clinton joined Pelosi in telling Congress to slow down and build on its committee investigations instead of jumping straight to calls for impeaching President Donald Trump. The former presidential candidate penned an op/ed in the Washington Post where she said 'there's a better way' to proceed than immediately calling for impeachment versus not taking any steps against the president. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi was also present at the star-studded ceremony 'The debate about how to respond to Russia's 'sweeping and systemic' attack and how to hold President Trump accountable for obstructing the investigation and possibly breaking the law has been reduced to a false choice: immediate impeachment or nothing,' she wrote. 'History suggests there's a better way to think about the choices ahead,' Clinton added. Pelosi has often called for her colleagues to slow down in their calls for impeachment against Trump. But Pelosi conceded in a conference call with other Democrat members on Monday that if impeachment 'is what we need to do to honor our responsibility to the Constitution - if that's the place the facts take us, that's the place we have to go'. The annual Vital Voices awards ceremony honors female leaders working in the areas of human rights, economic empowerment, or political reform. Clinton established the foundation in 1997 alongside U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The sister of the British-educated Sri Lanka suicide bomber has revealed how he became radicalised abroad and ended up 'really angry and totally crazy' even telling off male relatives for trimming their beards. In an exclusive interview Samsul Hidaya said Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed had been educated to the highest level but became increasingly withdrawn and intense as he descended into extremism. 'My brother became deeply, deeply religious while he was in Australia,' she said. 'He was normal when he went to study in Britain, and normal when he came back. 'But after he did his postgraduate in Australia, he came back to Sri Lanka a different man. The sister of British-educated Sri Lanka suicide bomber Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed (pictured as a school boy) has revealed how he became radicalised abroad and ended up 'really angry and totally crazy' even telling off male relatives off for trimming their beards Mohamed's sister opened the family photo album to show childhood pictures of the future bomber show the practical joker as a teenager, laughing with friends as he posed with a crocodile and other animals before he became radicalised In an exclusive interview, Mohamed's sister said had been educated to the highest level but became increasingly withdrawn and intense as he descended into extremism Mohamed, one of six siblings, was from a wealthy tea trading family based near the central city of Kandy. He lived in this house in an upmarket part of Colombo which was raided on Monday Mohamed's sister said her sibling lost a lot of his childhood innocence, becoming serious and withdrawn - adding 'He would not even smile at anyone he didn't know, let alone laugh.' 'He had a long beard and had lost his sense of humour. He became serious and withdrawn and would not even smile at anyone he didn't know, let alone laugh.' Mohamed tried to blow up the luxury Taj Samudra hotel in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Easter Sunday. But he is believed to have botched his attempt to detonate his bomb at the five-star hotel and is thought to have blown himself up by accident at a much smaller guest house. UK counter-terrorism investigators believe he attended Kingston University in south-west London from 2006-07. British investigators are searching for any associates or signs of extremist activity during his time in the UK. Recalling the shock of his involvement in the atrocity which claimed 359 lives, Mrs Hidaya opened the family photo album to show childhood pictures of the future bomber show the practical joker as a teenager, laughing with friends as he posed with a crocodile and other animals. 'He was a music lover and a funny boy,' his sister said. 'It makes me sad to think what happened to him. Before he died he would not let his children listen to music and he never said a friendly word to anyone.' Even as a child he was always devout, she added, but had 'never taken it too far'. But on his return from Australia, he 'created tension' by berating his family for their religious lapses, she said. Mohamed tried to blow up the luxury Taj Samudra hotel (pictured) in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Easter Sunday But he is believed to have botched his attempt to detonate his bomb at the five-star hotel and is thought to have blown himself up by accident at a much smaller guest house (pictured) 'I had many arguments with him,' his sister recalled. 'At first he started quoting scripture and I would say OK, you're right. 'But then the conversation got deeper and deeper into religion and I couldn't follow what he was saying any longer. 'He told male relatives off for trimming their beards and became angry and totally crazy. So I just stopped speaking to him because it got to the point where it was getting out of hand.' Although Mohamed lived round the corner, the siblings avoided each other. She he came to visit their mother, who lived with Mrs Hidaya, he would ignore her. 'We even started using different roads to go to and from our houses,' she said. But despite his evident fanaticism, the news of the Easter atrocities came as a shock. 'When the police came to tell us it was him, I almost collapsed,' Mrs Hidaya said. 'I just didn't think he would take it this far. I am still in disbelief. Something happened to him in Australia that changed his personality. He became silent and aloof.' Mohamed's wife, who he married in a lavish ceremony before moving to Australia, was a 'silent and anonymous' character, Mrs Hidaya said. She has been taken into police custody and their four children, aged six, four, two and six months, are being cared for by their grandmother in the home where the atrocity was planned. Mohamed's identity came to light after Sri Lanka's defence minister, Ruwan Wijewardene, told a media briefing earlier on Wednesday that one of the bombers had studied in the UK and done postgraduate studies in Australia before returning to settle in Sri Lanka. Mrs Hidaya said her brother, born in 1982 to a family with six siblings, was from a wealthy tea trading family based near the central city of Kandy. He was educated at the nearby Gampola International School before studying for his A Levels at the Royal Institute, a well-known international school in Colombo. Ten years ago, after his father, Abdul Latif, died, his mother, Samsun Nissa, moved the family to Colombo, renting the upper floor of a mansion in a majority Muslim eastern suburb. After returning from studying in Britain, he moved into the property and fell in love with their landlord's daughter, Shifana, who came from an affluent meat-trading family. They married before moving to Australia so he could pursue his postgraduate studies. Mohamed, who had his first child in Australia where he is believed to have become radicalised, moved back to Sri Lanka to live in the mansion (pictured) his family previously rented Mohamed's younger sister married a Sri Lankan New Zealander and emigrated to Auckland with their mother. Her brother, who had his first child in Australia, moved back to Sri Lanka to live in the mansion his family previously rented. His grandfather had left him an extensive property portfolio when he died, including the family home in Kandy. As a result, the trained aeronautical engineer did not need to work. 'Before he died he was selling the family home,' Mrs Hidaya said. 'He obviously needed a sum of money. 'But he never wanted for anything in his life. From time to time he sold or bought a property. He never had to worry about money like ordinary people do.' Photos of British schoolchildren as young as five are being harvested from social media and shared across a Russian 'paedophile website', it has been revealed. Images of pupils from eight primary and secondary schools in Scotland were found on the website described as a global 'meeting place for paedophiles' that attracts 20million visitors each month. The photos were taken from official school social media accounts and posted by anonymous users who bragged about being sexually attracted to children. Photos of British schoolchildren as young as five are being harvested from social media and shared across a Russian 'paedophile website' Pupils from Glasgow Gaelic School, Glasgow's St Mungo's Academy, Our Lady's RC Primary in Perth, Stirling High School and nearby primaries St Ninian's and Gargunnock, featured on the site, an STV News investigation found. The photos were innocent, showing kids' academic and sporting achievements, but they featured alongside extreme images of babies and children from around the world. In many of the images, children were holding certificates with their names on, meaning they could be easily tracked down. Sinister: The photos were uploaded by anonymous users who boasted about being attracted to children. Pictured: A user named Andrea shared a folder titled 'Boys in Socks 03' One user has posted almost 6000 photos and states being sexually attracted to children as young as nine. Another pervert boasted they 'loved girls under 13' and described them as 'beautiful creatures'. The site, run from the city of St Petersburg, was described by US law enforcement as as 'popular for trading child pornography'. The Scottish Government said there were no nationwide rules around schools' use of social media. A spokesman said councils should 'fully exercise responsibility for the care, safety and welfare of all pupils in school'. They added: 'Internet services and their regulation is a reserved matter and the Scottish Government is fully engaged in the UK Government's current consultation on proposals to establish in law, a duty of care for service providers to their users as well as creating an independent regulator that will hold tech companies and providers of online services to account for tackling online harms.' In a statement, the owners of the website told STV News: 'The site policy forbids child pornography being posted and as a result there is none of that on site unless something is uploaded between moderation sessions. 'As there is no child porn on site, the site itself can't be a trading forum nor a paedophiles' meeting place.' Police Scotland said it was not yet investigating as it hadn't received any complaints from the public. But Chief Superintendent John McKenzie, of Safer Communities, said: 'Whenever we receive information to suggest that a child or young person is at risk of abuse we will pursue and target those individuals involved, collaborating with a range of partners across the UK and around the world to bring these criminals to justice. The internet is no hiding place for abusers Children were pictured holding certificates with their names on them, meaning they could be easily tracked down 'I would urge parents and carers to visit the website www.thinkuknow.co.uk which provides good, concise information and advice about online safety.' A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman urged schools to take better safety precautions. 'How very sad and shocking that innocent images used by our schools on public websites and their social channels to celebrate success are being stolen in this way. 'Unfortunately there's nothing that we can do to completely eradicate this risk - but schools can help by pixilating names on certificates that could lead to identification and parents have a role to play to make sure their children are following internet safety guidelines.' Stirling Council said it had set up a group to make sure precautions are taken to protect children. A spokesperson said: 'A working group has been undertaking a review of these protocols to ensure the highest standards are maintained, and updated guidance relating to social media is due to be issued for the start of the next school year.' Perth & Kinross Council said its guidance about the use of pupils' images had not been broken - but added it was 'unfortunate' the images had been used 'entirely inappropriately'. Advertisement The Duke of Sussex sat with the Duchess of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey today as he made a surprise appearance at an Anzac Day service to honour the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces. Prince Harry, whose first child with Meghan is due any day now, arrived with his sister-in-law Kate around noon before joining her in the pews either side of the Queen's cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, for the solemn event. The service of commemoration and thanksgiving this afternoon saw the Dean of Westminster Dr John Hall pray for an 'end to terror and for the triumph of peace' as he remembered the New Zealand mosques terrorist attack. Harry's last-minute addition to the royal line-up indicates American former actress Meghan is showing no signs so far of giving birth soon, with the duke able to leave his wife to attend the hour-long memorial in London. The duke's name had not been printed on order of service because of the possibly imminent birth. His brother Prince William is in New Zealand paying tribute at a service in Auckland to those who lost their lives in battle. Prince Harry smiles at the Duchess of Cambridge as they leave the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey in London today Prince Harry and Kate leave Westminster Abbey in front of the Dean of Westminster Dr John Hall following today's service Kate helps mark Anzac Day - April 25 - which is the anniversary of the start of the First World War Gallipoli landings Prince Harry, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Dean leave today's service of commemoration and thanksgiving Prince Harry and Kate leave Westminster Abbey following the service of commemoration and thanksgiving this afternoon Harry and Kate are pictured with the Dean, who prayed for an 'end to terror and for the triumph of peace' at today's service The Duke of Sussex made a surprise appearance at the event this afternoon, alongside the Duchess of Cambridge The service of commemoration and thanksgiving in Westminster this afternoon was attended by Kate and Harry Kate smiles as Harry speaks to the Dean of Westminster following the Anzac Day service this afternoon In London, Harry and Kate were greeted by the Dean of Westminster who shook hands with them as they entered the Abbey's west door. Kate looked chic in a Catherine Walker coat and Rosie Olivia hat. Harry, who looked smart in a suit, and wore his medals, looked relaxed as they waited for the service of commemoration and thanksgiving to begin - and appeared to show no expectant father nerves. He shared a joke with members of the Chapter of Westminster, the ecclesiastical governing body of Westminster Abbey, as he was introduced to them by the Dean before the service. Harry also chatted animatedly to Australia's High Commissioner George Brandis and New Zealand's deputy High Commissioner David Evans, as did Kate as she followed him. Anzac Day - April 25 - marks the anniversary of the start of the First World War Gallipoli landings, and is a national day of remembrance for Australia and New Zealand. In his bidding, to the congregation of mainly Australian and New Zealand expats, the Dean remembered the New Zealand mosques terrorist attack that claimed 50 lives last month. The Duke of Sussex joins the Duchess of Cambridge at an Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey today Kate sits solemnly (left) as she walks through Westminster Abbey with the Duke of Gloucester before the service today (right) The Duchess of Cambridge shakes hands with those attending the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey today Prince Harry arrived with his sister-in-law Kate around noon to honour the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces The Duke of Sussex and the Dean of Westminster, Dr John Hall, smile as they attend today's Anzac Day service in Westminster Harry's last-minute addition to the royal line-up indicates his wife Meghan is showing no signs so far of giving birth soon The duke's name had not been printed on order of service because of the possibly imminent birth of his first baby Kate looks deep in thought as she attends the Anzac Day service of commemoration and thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey He said: 'We honour today the bravery and determination of the men at Gallipoli. The spirit of national pride encourages us, as we bring to mind in particular the recent terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand. We pray for an end to terror and for the triumph of peace.' The Dean also spoke about the recent 'suffering' in Christchurch. He said: 'A city that when I was a boy seemed to me to epitomise the closeness between New Zealand and England. 'To the destructive earthquakes there eight years ago, ripping the heart out of the centre of the city, has now been added the violent assault on two mosques last month, causing the death of 46 men and four women, and the injury of another 50 or more people. 'This solitary act of aggression, bringing horror and death to a country at peace, must not drive apart the close friendships and associations between those of different religious faiths.' The Dean gave a roll call of the tens of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders killed during the 1914-18 war and other groups. He went on to say: 'It is salutary to remind ourselves that only 20 years after the end of the so-called Great War the British prime minister Neville Chamberlain was in Munich, hoping to negotiate with Adolf Hitler a means of keeping the peace - it was not to be.' Harry joined his sister-in-law at the Anzac Day service as he made a surprise appearance at Westminster Abbey today The Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Sussex at the Anzac Day service this afternoon Kate wears a Rosie Olivia hat to the service today which remembers the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces The Duke of Sussex looks ahead at Westminster Abbey during the Anzac Day commemoration in London today The duke arrives with Kate after leaving his pregnant wife Meghan to attend the hour-long memorial in central London Kate looks chic in a Catherine Walker coat and Rosie Olivia hat as she attends the service at Westminster Abbey today The congregation listened as the last post was sounded and Turkey's Ambassador Umit Yalcin read the famous words of modern Turkey's founder, Kemal Ataturk, from Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula. It begins: 'Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.' Earlier, a royal source told the Daily Mail of Harry: 'The duke is pleased he can attend today's service, as planned. With their baby due, his name was not printed in the programme in case he was unable to do so.' Meghan is likely to be at home in the couple's newly renovated Frogmore Cottage in the sanctuary of the Windsor Estate. While they attended the annual Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving, the Duke of Cambridge is in New Zealand where he paid tribute to those who lost their lives in battle by attending a service in Auckland. Anzac Day April 25 marks the anniversary of the start of the First World War Gallipoli landings, and is a national day of remembrance for Australia and New Zealand. Harry looked relaxed as the royal duo waited for the service of commemoration and thanksgiving to begin today Harry's presence miles from wife Meghan would suggest the duchess is not yet showing any signs of her imminent birth It is understood Harry always planned to attend the service and was pleased to be able to join the congregation With Harry's baby due around this period, his name was not printed in the programme in case he was unable to attend The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry laugh together as the attend the Anzac Day service in London today Prince Harry gets out of his car as he arrives for an Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey today Kate and Harry step out of their car outside Westminster Abbey today for the Anzac Day service this afternoon The Duke of Sussex arrives for the service to remember thousands of Anzac troops who died in 1915 The traditional church service in London incorporated an Act of Remembrance, the Last Post and the words of modern Turkey's founder Kemal Ataturk from Anzac Cove, read by the Turkish ambassador to the UK. Thousands of Anzac troops Australian and New Zealand Army Corps died in the ill-fated 1915 campaign. What is Anzac Day? Anzac Day occurs on April 25 each year, and is the anniversary of the start of the First World War Gallipoli landings. Thousands of Anzac troops - Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - died in the ill-fated 1915 Gallipoli campaign. Waves of Allied forces launched an amphibious attack on the strategically important Turkish peninsula, which was key to controlling the Dardanelles straits, the crucial route to the Black Sea and Russia. But the plan backed by Winston Churchill, then first lord of the admiralty, was flawed and the campaign, which faced a heroic defence by the Turks, led to stalemate and withdrawal eight months later. Today, Anzac Day is treated in Australia and New Zealand with the same reverence as Remembrance Day in the UK, with the annual event now used to honour all of the two nation's war veterans. Advertisement Waves of Allied forces launched an amphibious attack on the strategically important Turkish peninsula, which was key to controlling the Dardanelles straits, the crucial route to the Black Sea and Russia. But the plan backed by Winston Churchill, then first lord of the admiralty, was flawed and the campaign, which faced a heroic defence by the Turks, led to stalemate and withdrawal eight months later. Its legacy is the celebration of the 'Anzac spirit' courage, endurance, initiative, discipline and mateship shown by the Antipodean troops. With Harry leaving heavily pregnant wife the Duchess of Sussex behind at home to carry out the official royal engagement today, bookmakers are now predicting May, rather than April, will be the royal baby's birth month. William Hill has it at 4/5 that the baby will be born in May, while Coral now has May at 1-3, followed by April at 2-1 and June as the outsider at 11-4. The duchess's mother Doria Ragland is said to have flown from Los Angeles to stay the couple as they await the imminent birth of the baby, which will be Doria's first grandchild and an eighth great-grandchild for the Queen. The name Grace is one of the new favourite names at the bookmakers for a girl, in joint first place with Diana at 6-1 at Coral, with Arthur 8-1 favourite for a boy. Punters are still predicting a girl, while Coral has also seen a flurry of bets on Meghan giving birth to twins, with odds of 4-1. The congregation gathers at Westminster Abbey today for the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving The Queen's cousin, the Duke of Gloucester (left), and Baroness Scotland (right) at Westminster Abbey today Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter (right) arrives for the service at Westminster Abbey in London today Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (left) and US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson (right) arrive for today's service Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence (left) and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox (right) at the service today Over in New Zealand today, the Duke of Cambridge lays a memorial wreath during the Auckland Anzac Day civic service The Duke of Cambridge at the Auckland Anzac Day civic service with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today William is in New Zealand today where he paid tribute to those who lost their lives in battle by attending a service in Auckland Prince William walks as he prepares to lay a wreath during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial today William talks with Gabrielle Huria, Representative Ngai Tuahuriri Runanga, after arriving at an airport in Christchurch today William arrives with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the RNZAF Air Movements Terminal in Christchurch today From a burial at sea and a stirring haka to emotional veterans shedding a tear: Stunning pictures capture the most powerful moments of Anzac Day 2019 Held each year on April 25, Anzac Day is a time for those enjoying freedom to remember those who fought Powerful pictures from this year's commemorations included burial at sea, and tearful veterans Elephant Rock on the Gold Coast was illuminated in bright red while perpetual flame burned in Melbourne Heavily-armed police officers and snipers perched on rooves were also seen, alert for any disturbance By BEN HILL FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Hundreds of thousands of Australians remembered those who paid the ultimate price while defending their country during the annual Anzac Day commemorations. Held each year on April 25, Anzac Day is a time for those enjoying the freedoms of living in Australia to think about those who fought and died in wars across the world. Powerful pictures from this year's commemorations included a re-enactment of a burial at sea, a traditional Maori greeting shared by Prince William and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and tearful veterans taking a moment to acknowledge the mates they had lost. Elephant Rock on the Gold Coast was illuminated in vivid red hues during dawn service at Currumbin Beach, while the perpetual flame at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance burned as people gathered to pay their respects. Heavily-armed police officers guarded ceremonies throughout Australia and New Zealand, alert for any possible signs of terrorism in the wake of the devastating Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka which killed more than 300 people. Snipers were seen perched on roofs, poised and ready to fire in case of any disturbance. Gypsy O'Dea (left), granddaughter of late Australian second world war veteran and former prisoner of war Neil Macpherson, is consoled by a member of Australia's Defense Forces at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway in Thailand Held each year on April 25, Anzac Day is a time for those enjoying the freedoms of living in Australia to think about those who fought and died in wars across the world Powerful pictures from this year's commemorations included a burial at sea re-enactment (pictured), a traditional Maori greeting shared by Prince William and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and tearful veterans taking a moment to acknowledge the mates they had lost An ex-serviceman takes part in the Anzac Day march in Sydney on Thursday, cheered on by a crowd waving Australian flags Britain's Prince William greets New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Auckland, New Zealand Veteran Novin Stevens, 99, is seen during the Anzac Day march in Adelaide Coogee RSL Vice President Laurie Manning attends the Anzac Day dawn service at Coogee Beach in Sydney A member of the 324 Squadron during the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Coogee Beach Australian Second World War veteran and former prisoner of war, 102-year-old Harold Martin (centre) arrives for the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass In memory of the Australian Army Veterinary Corp (AAVC), Chris Kennedy and his horse Chaos (left) and Damon Hughes and horse Maverick are seen at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast on Tuesday A member of Australia's defense forces pays her respects to those who died at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway in Thailand Veterans, descendants of veterans, members of the Armed Services, military bands and school children take part in the Anzac Day march in Sydney Lauren, from the Parachute Riggers Unit based in Richmond, poses for a photo during marches in Sydney Veterans, descendants of veterans, members of the Armed Services, military bands and school children took part in the Anzac Day march in Sydney A haka is performed during the Anzac Day service at Kings Park in Perth, Western Australia on Thursday A former soldier looks into the Enternal Flame at the Shrine of Remembrance after the Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne isters Tahlia, 5, and Evie Malone, 3, place a poppy on the Roll of Honour following the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra A wreath is laid in memory of those who died at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway, during the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass Chief Cenotaph Attendant Wal Scott-Smith is seen following the Anzac Day Dawn Service at The Cenotaph in Sydney Warplanes fly over the top of the Auckland War Memorial Museum as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attends the Anzac Day Civic Service Gary Hayward of the 324 Squadron reacts during the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Coogee Beach Caelan Ryan, 9, wears his great grandfathers dress uniform from the Second World War during the Anzac day dawn service at the War Memorial on North Terrace in Adelaide A member of the public salutes in front of the cenotaph during the Anzac Day dawn service at Cranmer Square Elephant Rock at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast is illuminated in a vivd red during the dawn service on Thursday morning Crowds gather during the Anzac Day dawn service in front of the perpetual flame at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne A sniper is seen on the roof as part of the security of the Shrine during the Anzac Day dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne A police officer looks on during the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington, New Zealand People are seen laying flowers at the Shrine of Remembrance during the Anzac Day dawn service in Brisbane Police remove a screaming woman before Britain's Prince William lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service in Auckland A former soldier salutes as people enter the Shrine of Remembrance after the Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne A veteran is seen during the dawn service in front of the perpetual flame at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne A strong contingent of Australians travelled to Turkey to attend a moving Anzac Day dawn service at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli The Anzac Day march in Sydney's CBD saw old and young generations unite as one Many head to the dawn service at Gallipoli each year to pay tribute to the ultimate sacrifice young men and women made A mother was caught 'grinding and thrutching' with an ex-policeman outside a primary school as she waited in a car to collect her son, a court heard on Thursday. Parents were stunned to see Kayley Powell, 27, and John Steward, 62, together in the driver's seat of the vehicle parked outside of Springhead Infant and Nursery School in Oldham. Kayley Powell, 27, (pictured) and John Steward, 62, were seen 'grinding and thrutching' in the driver's seat of a car parked outside Springhead Infant and Nursery School in Oldham The pair were oblivious to other parents during the afternoon school run until the headmistress tapped on the car window to ask what was going on. Steward and Powell, both of Oldham, claim he was leaning over her to release a mechanism for the back seat. But Maureen Garlick, a witness who was collecting her grandchild, told Minshull Street Crown Court: 'The mechanism isn't down her trousers. 'I thought it was incredible that this should be happening outside a primary school at the end of a school day where there would be children around,' she said. School employee Melanie Montgomery, who was also picking up her child, noticed Powell and Steward in the car back in February 2018. Ms Montgomery told headmistress Gillian Kay what she had seen, and she out to question the pair still in the car. Headmistress Gillian Kay approached the car, tapped on the window and asked what was going on. Powell and Steward (pictured) said 'we are doing nothing' Ms Kay told the court: 'I couldn't see anybody's faces but I could see the back of a head and the arms were underneath the body.' Recalling what she saw, she said: 'I can only describe it as rocking there was a little bit of movement, moving backwards and forwards, it was like a sort of movement on top of somebody. 'This person appeared to be horizontal, the seats were reclined so at this point I have no knowledge of these people, there was still the rocking movement - he was grinding and thrutching. Ms Kay said she knocked the window and recognised Kayley Powell after the man moved back into the passenger seat. She recalled: 'I asked them what they were doing and they both in unison said: "we are doing nothing." The headmistress told the jury she asked who the man next to her was, 'she said: "It's my dad", so I turned to him and I said: "Are you Kayley's dad?" And he said: "Yes I am." The headmistress told the jury she asked who the man next to her was, 'she said: "It's my dad", so I turned to him and I said: "Are you Kayley's dad?" And he said: "Yes I am." (Pictured: Kayley Powell, left, and John Steward, right) Ms Kay told the jury: 'the male was visibly shaking and he got a cigarette out' Ms Kay said she noticed the man was 'visibly shaking and he got a cigarette out'. She told the court that she was concerned for Powell and insisted she come into the school's family room, where she then contacted the police. 'I couldn't comment what was going on between the two bodies as I could only see the back not the front,' she said. 'But it looked like they were having sex doing something between both of them using their genitals because that is the area that was moving at the time. 'I saw the male's hands were in the groin area of the other person.' Meanwhile, pastoral care worker Stacey Thomas told the court she pressed Powell on what happened. She told the court that she was concerned for Powell and insisted she come into the school's family room, where she then contacted the police (Springhead Infant and Nursery School pictured) Steward and Powell, both of Oldham claim he was leaning over her to release a mechanism for the back seat. But another witness Maureen Garlick, who was collecting her grandchild, told the jury: 'The mechanism isn't down her trousers' She said the mother insisted she was 'I lying down in the car with my eyes shut' and that she would have known if something was happening. Ms Thomas told the jury: 'I did notice that her underwear was on show over the top of her pants. She was agitated.' Powell, now 28, and Steward, now 63, deny outraging public decency. The trial continues. A cat who has been thrown in jail, faced deportation and even been threatened with euthanasia is at the centre of a legal battle with her owner claiming she has been unfairly targeted by neighbors and city officials. Miska, a ten-year-old tabby, is responsible for 30 of the 50 complaints made about all cats in King County, Washington over the last 10 years. The case between Miska's owner Anna Danieli and a former animal control manager is now being overseen by four prosecutors in Bellevue, Washington. Miska is responsible for 30 of the 50 complaints made about all cats in King County, Washington in the last decade Anna claims that Gene Mueller is unfairly targeting her cat for a range of petty crimes, including trespassing, making her out to be a 'vicious animal at large'. The brown tabby has racked up thousands of dollars in fines while allegedly roaming her Bellevue neighborhood. Miska's legal troubles started in 2014 when Mueller reported the cat for the first time. Another neighbor filed a complaint against Miska in 2017, which was signed by Mueller, and led to the cat being locked up for several months. Although she was eventually reunited with Anna and her family, they were warned that Miska could be deported or even put to sleep in the future. This distressing incident prompted Anna to hire a lawyer, Jon Zimmerman, who filed a lawsuit on her behalf against Regional Animal Services, Mueller, and other city officials. The tabby, 10, has been thrown in jail, faced deportation and even been threatened with euthanasia When he ran the agency, former RASKC Manager Mueller 'pursued Miska like no other cat in Bellevue and King County', just because the cat lived in his neighborhood, the lawsuit alleges. 'The infractions, they just keep piling up,' said Mr Zimmerman. The lawsuit, filed on April 12, said: '. of the approximately 20,000 infractions filed by RASKC over a ten-year period, approximately 50 involved cats, and most of these infractions involved Miska. 'In pursuit of his desire to separate Miska from Danieli and Miska's family, Manager Mueller signed an order to have Miska euthanized or deported from King County. 'While Danieli was fighting for Miska in Superior Court, Manager Mueller was continuing to take official action against Danieli and Miska based on his own personal vendetta by filing his own complaints against Miska as one of Danieli's neighbors. ' to target one individual cat and go: ''Well, that cat has to be removed from the fresh air and being outside and anytime that it might slip off the property that somehow there's some sort of nexus between viciousness and it being outside'', it's just really ridiculous.' Miska was kept in solitary confinement after being locked up in 2017, denying owner Anna the ability to visit Miska was kept in solitary confinement after being locked up in 2017, denying Anna the ability to visit her pet. The lawsuit added: 'Danieli felt she was in a hostage situation because she continued to suffer during RASKC's imposed family separation.' Anna now wants all charges against her cat to be voided, as well as calling on animal control to remove the claim that Miska is vicious. Kathleen Rollock, a neighbor, said Miska is 'friendly with my dog. It's friendly with people.' She added: 'It's just gotten too far and I feel very bad for the family because it's a beloved pet.' According to the Seattle Times, when asked about Miska's demeanor, Mr Zimmerman said: 'Miska is a normal 10-year-old cat. She is very loving. She is social. She is friendly. She is intelligent, and she is really an excellent feline companion.' In one complaint obtained by the lawyer, a neighbor called Miska 'beautiful but predatory' and claimed that she'd been taunting the neighbor's cats at the window. The neighbour also called Miska an 'exotic cat' and a 'cheetah.' In response, Mr Zimmerman said Miska is a domestic brown tabby and that it wouldn't be fair to turn her into an indoor cat. Advertisement Incredible images show youngsters being inspired by everything from racing cars and rockets at a careers fair held between the 1920s and 1950s. Boys and youths aged between 14 and 21 used to flock to The National Schoolboys Own Exhibition which was held at various locations in London including the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster. The army regularly gave demonstrations at the exhibitions, which casted an eye on military equipment, including guided missiles and mine detecting tanks. Images show an eight-year-old having a a hair-raising experience on a static electricity machine in 1961 and schoolboys dressed in spacesuits before a trip to Mars in 1951. They also show boys sitting in racing cars of the time which could travel at speeds of up to 140mph. Other striking shots show John Jefferson and Clive Sheridan sat on the Photon Jet, the most powerful space ship in 1959. Schoolboys are also seen riding go-karts around a miniature indoor track in 1963 and conservative politician Sir Harry Brittain is pictured opening the exhibition on December 28th, 1933. Six intrepid explorers about to travel through 2000 years of time , stand ready clad in their space suits , watched by other boys queuing up for their turn Pictures show boys sitting in racing cars of the time which could travel at speeds of up to 140mph. These boys eagerly shaved balloons painted to represent faces as practice for when they are able to grow facial hair The careers fair was designed to inspire youngsters to take various careen paths Field-Marshal Slim (centre) is seen with boys at a demonstration of the workings of a mine-detecting tank Major F Plester explains the features of a model of the Army's Thunderbird guided missile 8-year-old Nicholson Boyd of Westminster has a hair raising experience on a static electricity machine A boy sits in the Sputnik 3 spacecraft at the Annual Schoolboys' Own Exhibitio Sir Harry Brittain opens Schoolboys' Exhibition December 28th 1933. The events were held in London until the 1960s Boys and youths aged between 14 and 21 used to flock to the The National Schoolboys Own Exhibition which was held at various locations in London including the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster, London. Sergeant K Wilson of the Royal Engineers shows 12-year-old Richard Mountford how to use a mine detector as the Schoolboys' Own Exhibition opened at the Horticultural Halls Derek Martin, 14, shows Ronnie O'Donnell ,12, how he turns a block of elm into a fruit bowl on his lathe Schoolchildren at the opening of the 33rd National Schoolboys' Own Exhibition delighted themselves as they sampled the thrills and spills of motor racing Even though it is stationary this 140mph racing car provides enough thrills for these boys Advertisement Stirring photos reveal the reality of life for the brave RAF pilots who fought off Hitler's Luftwaffe from the skies during the Battle of Britain. Thousands of men who gave their lives to defend their country from the Nazis between July and October 1940 became known as 'The Few' after Winston Churchill's iconic speech. Ever since the wartime leader told his country that 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few', they have been revered the world over for their heroic actions. The planes they flew in, the then newly-released Spitfires, also became a symbol of British determination, innovation and grit as Britain struggled its way to victory in the autumn of 1940. The first men to be given Spitfires were Squadron 19, whose stories are being told in a new book that features fascinating black and white pictures of their gaunt faces as they prepare to do battle. Stirring images featured in a new Second World War book called Spitfire! include one of Brian Lane DFC (centre), of Squadron 19,as he patrols Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire during the Battle of Britain in 1940 This fascinating image shows an RAF briefing taking place at Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire. From left: 19 Squadron's Flying Officer Brinsden, Sergeant Charnock,Flying Officer Haines, Squadron Leader Lane, Pilot Officer Leckrone (616 Squadron),Sergeant Cox, Flight Sergeant Unwin, Pilot Officer Richard Jones, SergeantJennings, Flight Lieutenant Holden (616) Squadron armourers were deployed to Hornchurch, Essex, for Operation Dynamo during the Battle of Britain. Officers Bailey, Roberts, Stanley and Marshall are pictured from left to right as they enjoy the summer sunshine ahead of going to battle Pilot officer Eric Burgoyne of Squadron 19 is pictured next to a badly damaged Spitfire P9391 at Fowlmere in Cambridgeshire. Thousands died and equipment was destroyed as the British fought off the Nazis from the sky during the Battle of Britain One image shows the gruelling fatigue of battle as it sets in on the face of 23-year-old squadron leader Brian Lane DFC as he fought off German forces over the south coast. Another shows the the grace and power of the Spitfire as it flies in formation and a third features a proud pilot showing off the badly damaged tail of his spitfire after he was shot at flying over the Thames Estuary. The striking shots are included in Dilip Sarkar's new book Spitfire! The Full Story of a Unique Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron, a detailed account of the 'The Few' based on personal anecdotes and interviews. Mr Sarkar MBE said: 'I would say that what we have here is the story of an outstanding group of fit, intelligent, confident and courageous young people, bound together during a dreadful war, and without whose collective achievement the outcome would have been very different. 'It was these aerial warriors' great fortune that their chief was demonstrably exceptional, even if his story was sadly and ultimately tragic. 'Arguably, 19 Squadron's motto, 'They Can Because They Think They Can', might more appropriately have been 'They Did Because They Knew They Could'. 'Without question, none involved would have missed, for all the world and, I daresay, whatever their fates, those days when they flew Spitfires and they were, to me, the ultimate band of brothers.' Time for a pint: Members of 19 Squadron are pictured taking a well-earned break at Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire A work in progress: After repeated requests, 19 Squadron's 'useless' cannon Spitfires were replaced by standard machine gun-armed Mk IAs, one of which is seen here being worked on before being sent to the skies again Pilot Officer Hradil, from the Czech Republic, is pictured with a Spitfire before he was shot down and killed over Southend on 5 November 1940, just after the Battle of Britain had been won The book focuses on the history of the squadron and its exceptional Battle of Britain leader Brian Lane, who was killed in action as a minor as he fought over the North Sea. It also follows the development of the UK's finest flying machine and the exploits of their pilots, who answered the call to arms from across the globe. Spitfire! mainly focuses on Squadron 19's efforts to thwart Operation Sea Lion the Nazi plot to invade England in the face of overwhelming odds. The British had only slightly more than 600 frontline fighters to defend the country when the Nazis launched their offensive. The Germans by contrast had 1,300 bombers and dive-bombers and about 900 single-engine and 300 twin-engine fighters. But with the UK's superior equipment and flying skills, Germany lost three planes for every one RAF aircraft. British fighters were shooting down German bombers faster than the German industry could produce them. An aerial photo of the Spitfires is pictured against a cloudy sky in 1940. They became a symbol of British determination, innovation and grit On 3 November 1938, Pilot Officer Gordon Sinclair made his first Spitfire flight, but it crashed due a faulty axle stub. Although the Spitfire K9792 was written-off, the pilot (third from right, in black pre-war flying overalls) was fortunately unhurt A 19 Squadron pilot is seen flying this Spitfire. They were the first men to get their hands on the planes to fight off the Nazis After months of death and destruction, Hitler decided to cancel Operation Sea Lion. The Battle of Britain victory did not win the war, but it ensured the country could keep fighting on. Four years later, the Allies would launch their invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe Operation Overlord - from British shores, which would prove decisive in ultimately bringing the war in Europe to a close. 'I hoped to record and raise awareness of the story of Squadron Leader Brian Lane and 19 Squadron during the early war period, in my first book Spitfire Squadron which was published in 1990,' explained Sarkar. 'During the years ahead, however, I came to enjoy a unique and privileged relationship with both many of the Squadron's survivors from the traumatic days of 1940, and the families of casualties. 'Thirty years later we now have here the completely updated and re-written Spitfire Squadron with the benefit of a vast amount of extra information and infinitely more experience as an author and historian. An aerial snapshot by 19 Squadron's Pilot Officer Scott shows the Spitfires piloted by (clockwise), Squadron Leader Lane (leading), Flight Lieutenant Lawson, Pilot Officers Vokesand Stevens, and Flight Lieutenant Cunningham Air Vice-Marshal Michael Lyne took this picture from his own Spitfire when he was a pilot officer for 19 Squadron This atmospheric black and white photo gives a glimpse of what life was like as part of Squadron 19 - the first men to fly Spitfires to fight off the Nazis Coming back down to earth: Sergeant Charnock and Pilot Officer Milman are seen landing their Spitfires, before Milman was killed in action 'This new version of Spitfire Squadron, incorporating unique first-hand accounts, seeks to locate the whole story within a much wider context, including social, political, aviation and military history. 'In this way, I hope that we can better understand and appreciate the experience of having served on a Spitfire squadron indeed the first Spitfire squadron during the pre- and critical early-Second World War periods. 'Importantly, the wartime photographs have mainly been copied from the personal albums of survivors and their families, providing an authentic and atmospheric glimpse of the ever-distant past.' Dilip Sarkar's Spitfire! The Full Story of a Unique Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron, published by Pen and Sword Books, is due to be released in June. A One Nation candidate has been filmed making derogatory comments about homosexuals and women. Stuart Bonds, who is running for the New South Wales seat of Hunter in the federal election, was filmed making the comments by his Finnish tattoo artist wife, Sini, for her YouTube channel. 'The only thing worse than a gay person with power is a woman,' Mr Bonds says in the video, according to 9 News. 'I don't have a woman boss and I don't have a gay boss and there's a reason for that.' Stuart Bonds, who is running for the New South Wales seat of Hunter in the federal election, was filmed making the comments by his Finnish tattoo artist wife for her YouTube channel (pictured together) The videos were uploaded to Sini's YouTube account, but were deleted shortly after the election was announced. In another videos, Mr Bonds questions whether the Port Arthur shootings were a conspiracy, according to 9 News. 'Why was there no proper trial with a jury done? And why was there a 30 year embargo with the evidence?' Similar comments were made by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson in a documentary by Al Jazeera released earlier this year. In the same documentary, it was revealed that senior One Nation party members travelled to the United States to lobby the National Rifle Association for millions in funding. When previously asked if he regrets making the comments, Mr Bonds said he didn't. The 33-year-old has, however, told Daily Mail Australia the quotes are not reflective of his views and were taken out of context. 'The man who did our ceremony in Finland was a gay man. The best boss I ever had was a woman,' he said. Stuart Bonds, a 'proud' Australian farmer and coal miner, is running for the seat of Hunter, in New South Wales, for the impending federal election A grab of the video in which Mr Bonds makes the derogatory comments 'The comments were taken out of context. It was a bit of a joke done a long time ago. It's not reflective of my views.' 'Was it in poor taste? Probably. If anyone is offended by the comments they have my permission to message and I will apologise.' He denied being a misogynist or a homophobe when directly asked. The heavily tattooed candidate describes himself as a 'proud' Australian farmer and coal miner. One of his many inkings is of an anarchy tattoo etched across his chest, but he said he has no plan to overthrow government. Mr Bonds, who is married to Finnish tattoo artist Sini (right), is unlike his competitors He hopes to bring greater investment into rural areas, pushing for more infrastructure projects like dams, roads and bridges to 'link the city to the bush'. Mr Bonds, who has lived in the Hunter Valley for the past 15 years, met his Finnish tattoo artist wife Sini at a tattoo parlour in Thailand four years ago. They also have an 18-month-old daughter called Penny. The couple's 2016 marriage aired on Channel 7's 'Australia's Cheapest Weddings.' The couple revealed their ceremony cost just $300, while the reception was $400. In Mr Bonds' segment on the show he can jokes that Sini must stay near the sink in their new house. 'I'm not allowed in here, you're not allowed over there, this is your sink,' he says as the couple inspect their house building site. In a previous Facebook post, Mr Bonds shared family pictures of his wife and daughter. 'People ask ''why are you doing this, you'll never change anything?''' he wrote with the pictures. Mr Bonds, who has lived in the Hunter Valley for the past 15 years, met his Finnish tattoo artist wife Sini at a tattoo parlour in Thailand four years ago (pictured) 'My response ''I have to, I'm doing it for them''.' Sini identifies as a international model and runs Singleton tattoo business Anarchy Ink Australia. In an blog post last year, Sini announced a plan to run for Finnish parliament - if she lived in Finland. In a detailed campaign summary, Sini wrote Finland should be removed from EU and called for better salaries in the health care sector. Sini also said the borders should be closed and recommended a trial period for refugees and immigrants. 'Finland belongs to Finns. We are a part of Europe but I don't believe that the EU has anything more to give that we couldn't get by without,' a section of the blog says. The couple (pictured), whose 2016 marriage aired Channel 7's 'Australia's Cheapest Weddings', have one daughter called Penny Sini (pictured) identifies as a international model and runs Singleton tattoo business Anarchy Ink Australia 'Close the borders for a couple years and get our own matters sorted out first.' 'Finland is at the point where we need to take a time out. No more asylum seekers. We have given a helping hand.' Mr Bonds has described himself as a 'walking billboard' for the tattoo business and confirmed 'I'm not an anarchist', Newcastle Herald reported. The One Nation politician also commented on his Twitter cover photo which reads 'RULE NUMBER 1: F*** WHAT THEY THINK'. 'I am a little bit of an in-your-face person,' he said. In an blog post last year, Sini (pictured) announced a plan to run for Finnish parliament - if she lived in Finland Mr Bonds has described himself as a 'walking billboard' for her tattoo business and confirmed 'I'm not an anarchist' 'I'm not the sort of average person who would be running, which is exactly what we need. We need a bit of varying, a bit of difference of opinions down there.' In one Facebook post, Mr Bonds reads his candidacy speech and speaks to Australia's immigration policy. 'We are being demographically replaced by people of the third world,' he said. 'We can shut those borders, we can stem the flow of people coming in.' 'I intend to go to Canberra and attack the heart of the dragon the corrupt corporations and politicians that have sold this nation out,' he said. In one Facebook post, Mr Bonds reads his candidacy speech and speaks to Australia's immigration policy An EasyJet plane was forced to abort take-off at a German airport after accelerating down the runway while another plane was still on it. The incident happened on April 17 at Hamburg Airport, Germany, as the EasyJet plane prepared to head to Basel-Mulhouse airport around 9pm. The plane began accelerating down the runway before air traffic controllers noticed that a Turkish Airlines Airbus A321-200 that had just landed from Istanbul was still sitting on the tarmac. An EasyJet plane taking off from Hamburg airport in Germany was forced to make an emergency stop during take-off because there was another plane on the runway (file image) Controllers ordered the EasyJet pilots to abort their take-off, and the plane was forced to make an emergency stop. The EasyJet plane halted 4,265ft away from its Turkish counterpart. German Air Traffic Control (DFS) confirmed the incident with the EasyJet aeroplane. A DFS spokeswoman said she could not give any more information as 'the incident first has to be internally investigated and reviewed'. An EasyJet spokeswoman confirmed that 'the captain of easyJet flight EZS1028 from Hamburg to Basel-Mulhouse was asked by air traffic control to abort the take-off as a precautionary measure'. The spokeswoman said: 'This was due to another aircraft that had not left the runway according to the rules after air traffic granted clearance for departure. 'At no time was the safety of the passengers or the crew at risk, and the plane later flew on to Basel-Mulhouse.' According to local media, the easyJet aeroplane was ordered by air traffic control to remain for a while on a tarmac waiting area before it was allowed to take off to Basel-Mulhouse a short while later. A doctor has been suspended for six weeks after it was discovered he posted a string of sick and hateful messages to online forums. The Health Practitioners Tribunal found Victorian emergency physician Christopher Kwan Chen Lee guilty of professional misconduct during a trial in March. The 31-year-old was employed by the Tasmanian Health Service in Hobart when he made the offensive comments, but now works Eastern Health in Box Hill, east of Melbourne's CBD, news.com.au reported. Doctor Christopher Kwan Chen Lee (pictured) has been suspended after it was discovered he had posted a string of sick and hateful messages to online forums In the messages, Dr Lee described himself as 'mongrel' and wrote that 'some women deserve to be raped.' He also joked that his hospital had the highest casualty rate because he would not bother to tend to his dying patients. Some of the comments in question were detailed during the hearing. 'What would you rather me say, hmm? That her's was a misguided outburst? That she should be let off the hook? Well that ain't my style, mister. If I don't like you, there won't be any kid gloves. Some women deserve to be raped, and that supercilious little b***h fits the bill in every way,' he wrote in response to another user's comment. The Health Practitioners Tribunal found Dr Lee guilty of professional misconduct (pictured with his wife) He also wrote in support of a lawyer who was jailed in Egypt after he claimed women wearing ripped jeans should be raped, claiming the lawyer deserved a medal instead. Dr Lee said his comments had been prompted by 'a socio-political situation in Singapore and Malaysia'. Dr Lee said his anger 'clouded his judgement' and led him to post the sick comments. He also said his posts did not reflect his treatment and care of patients and that he was in a different state of mind when the comments were first made in 2016. Dr Lee will have to undergo education classes on ethical behaviour and communications, with a focus on social media use, during his exile from the profession. An Edinburgh University gym boss has been fired for suggesting a woman who missed class should be 'raped' as punishment, after students signed an open letter demanding he be given the sack. Senior instructor Ross Brain was dismissed without notice by the top university on Wednesday after the offensive messages were made public. The messages, on a WhatsApp group chat between colleagues at Edinburgh University's Sport and Exercise club, discussed potential punishments for a woman who missed an exercise class. A message that appears to have been sent by Brain stated: 'Lets rape her. Or give her the choice of 600 burpees or rape'. Edinburgh University gym Ross Brain has been sacked after offensive 'rape' messages discussing potential punishments for a woman who missed an exercise class were made public When junior staff in the group, mostly female, ignored the rape jibe, a further message, purportedly send from Brain's account, said: 'No-one up for this then?' Students at the prestigious university have slated the response to Brain's alleged conduct, and said supposed 'zero-tolerance' policies had not been 'translated into action'. More than 800 students signed an open letter to principal and vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson demanding Brain be sacked. Although the university refused to comment at the time, it has since emerged that he was sacked on Wednesday. The open letter stated students and staff across the university felt 'unwelcome, unsafe and unsatisfied' due to the university's disciplinary process following reports of Brain's alleged conduct in January. One of the organisers, Rosie Taylor, 21, a second year Biological Sciences student, criticised the university's lack of transparency and speed of response to the allegations. Ms Taylor said: 'This issue is not limited to one individual, or one message, it is a systemic failure to create, implement and uphold transparent or truly zero-tolerance policies to sexual harassment and violence. More than 800 students signed an open letter to principal and vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson demanding Brain be sacked 'This case, which began in January, should not have required student intervention in order to reach a satisfactory conclusion. 'Whilst the University of Edinburgh is loud and proud in appearing to support the NoExcuse campaign, this has not been translated to action.' Director of Sport and Exercise Jim Aitken, stated: 'The official investigation has concluded and that Ross Brain has been dismissed from his post as Gym Manager with immediate effect.' A spokesman for the University of Edinburgh said: 'We are aware of the letter and are engaging with student representatives on the matter. 'We want to assure our students and staff that we take incidents such as this very seriously - the use of such language is abhorrent and has no place in this university. 'We do not, however, comment on the detail or outcome of individual cases.' A message that appears to have been sent by Mr Brain stated: 'Lets rape her. Or give her the choice of 600 burpees or rape' An investigation was launched but colleagues at the Pleasance centre are understood to feel let down at a perceived lack of action three months on. Mr Brain has been accused of sending the message shortly before Christmas to the staff chat to arrange logistics. The group is understood to have been discussing possible forfeits to be imposed on a woman who signed up to a six week exercise course but failed to show that morning. Concerned staff reported the messages to the university's HR department in January but were left unaware of any action being taken. A source at the gym said: 'It's like they're trying to brush it under the rug. People are feeling let down. The university is loud and proud about its zero tolerance policies but a lot of people want action on this - they feel abandoned.' A spokesman for the University of Edinburgh said: 'We are aware of the letter and are engaging with student representatives on the matter. We want to assure our students and staff that we take incidents such as this very seriously' Staff were left struggling on in a 'toxic' environment with no faith in protocols if they report misogynistic or inappropriate behaviour, the Edinburgh Evening News reported. The gym source added: 'Staff were told there'd be an investigation in January and have heard no more. 'There are off-hand sexist remarks particularly working in the fitness industry that are leftover attitudes that haven't made their way out yet. 'One senior manager apparently told female members of staff they must wear tight leggings because 'it looks more professional'. Arlene Foster today denied Lyra McKee was murdered because of the 'political vacuum' in Northern Ireland - and said her party will not change its mind on gay marriage. The DUP leader looked uncomfortable as a priest delivered a powerful message at the funeral of the murdered journalist in Belfast yesterday when he demanded to know why it had taken the horror of her death to unite politicians. Mrs Foster sat next to Sinn Fein leaders Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald at the Protestant St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, and they were also forced to stand and clap. Father Martin Magill received a spontaneous standing ovation as he called her senseless killing a 'huge injustice' and said he 'dared to hope' something so awful as Lyra's murder could be a 'doorway to a new beginning'. Mrs Foster said today 'I don't accept that the violence that caused Lyra's death was caused by a political vacuum. It was caused by people who wanted to use violence to further their own warped political agenda. That's why Lyra is dead'. Arlene Fosters said journalist Lyra McKee was murdered New IRA dissidents in Londonderry to further 'their own warped political agenda' - not because of a 'political vacuum' The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after the funeral as Lyra McKee's partner Sara Canning (behind, L) follows She also said she sympathised with Lyra McKee's partner, but said the party's stance on gay marriage will not change. Priest Father Martin Magill told mourners: 'I commend our political leaders for standing together. Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her?' She told RTE's Morning Ireland: 'We have a long standing policy which hasn't changed. That remains the position of the party. 'That doesn't mean I cannot sympathise and empathise with Sara and say to her that we feel her love. Her loss was all of our loss because this was a young woman who was doing great things in journalism and living her life in a city that she adopted. 'You shouldn't conflate the two issues of empathy and sympathy and a political issue which is the definition of marriage.' Father Martin Magill said yesterday he 'dared to hope' something so awful as Lyra's murder could be a 'doorway to a new beginning'. He said: 'Since Thursday night we have seen the coming together of many people in various places and the unifying of the community against violence. I commend our political leaders for standing together in Creggan on Good Friday.' He then added: 'I am, however, left with a question: 'Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get us to this point?' Miss McKee was gunned down while observing rioting in Londonderry. She was standing next to a police patrol when she was struck by a bullet. The New IRA terrorist group has confessed that its members killed her. Yesterday's congregation included politicians from across Ireland's political divide, including the heads of Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party, whose power-sharing deal has broken down, leaving Northern Ireland without a working government. Miss McKee's family who are Catholic said they chose the cathedral for the funeral because of its reputation as a 'shared space' in the divided city. Theresa May, who missed Prime Minister's Questions to attend the two-hour service, sat in the front row on one side of the cathedral, flanked by Irish president Michael D Higgins and Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar. Jeremy Corbyn sat a couple of rows behind. Father Magill also called on Miss McKee's murderers to follow her example of 'the pen is mightier than the sword'. He quoted a friend of Miss McKee's who said: 'We have had enough. There is a younger generation coming up in the town and they don't need guns put in their hands. They need jobs, they need a better health service and education. They need a life.' As the 1,000-strong congregation broke into applause, Father Magill addressed her killers, saying: 'I plead with you to take the road of non-violence to achieve your political ends.' DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein's leader Mary Lou McDonald were among those giving a standing ovation to priest Father Martin Magill who questioned why it took a tragedy such as this to bring political leaders together Theresa May, Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (right) and Britain's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley attend the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee Miss McKee's partner Sara Canning, 35, cries at the service of thanksgiving for the life of the 29-year-old journalist. Mrs Foster said the DUP's stance on gay marriage remains unchanged Arlene Foster today repeated her call to get talks on restoring the devolved institutions back up and running again as soon as possible. Her republican counterparts said they needed a 'sustainable' agreement. Mrs Foster said Sinn Fein could not get everything it wanted, 'a 5-0 victory', and her party receive nothing. On Wednesday, Fr Martin Magill challenged politicians as to why it had taken the death of 29-year-old Lyra McKee to unite them, at her funeral. Mrs Foster told Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme: 'We are now a year and a half forward, there is a huge frustration in our society. 'I think it is an eminently reasonable thing to suggest, dealing with the normal day-to-day things in the Assembly whilst dealing in a separate process with the help of our Government to dealing with the issues which Sinn Fein want to raise.' Sinn Fein feels that would be a false start without dealing with the underlying issues first. The DUP leader said: 'That is putting their demands above the demands of the people of Northern Ireland. 'The people of Northern Ireland have demands as well and they are demands for a better healthcare system, they want their schools reformed, they want their infrastructure done.' Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald has said her party is ready to play a full part in a 'serious and meaningful' talks process. Her party is seeking guarantees around the place of the Irish language and changes to the law on same-sex marriage. Sinn Fein negotiator Conor Murphy repeated his assertion that the DUP leadership had previously reached an agreement and was unable to sell it to its grassroots. A map which shows the timings of the riots in Londonderry. Miss McKee was shot in the head by a gunman firing indiscriminately at police 'This is an attempt to get the Executive, recognising the faults and failings of the last Executive, recognising why it collapsed and wishing to put together one which is sustainable and does not collapse again.' He told the BBC that Sinn Fein's conditions were those imposed by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. 'We want a sustainable agreement, one which keeps an Executive in place, not a quick fix which gets us up one week and brings us down the next.' Miss McKee's death on the republican Creggan housing estate came as a mob threw fireworks and petrol bombs as they rioted in the streets on Thursday night. Miss McKee's mother Joan, 68, brothers Gary, 47, and David, 41, sisters Joan Hunter, 46, Nichola Corner, 44, and Mary Crossan, 39, sat in the front row of the other side of the cathedral. They were joined by other relatives including Miss McKee's great-niece Ava, four, and the partner she had hoped to marry Sara Canning, 35. Mrs Corner told the congregation how the death of 'our wee Lyra', the youngest of the six siblings, will leave an 'unfillable hole in our mum's life'. But she hoped her sister's lasting legacy would lead to people trying to create a world where 'labels are meaningless', where 'every single person is valued' and 'where every single child gets the chance to grow up and to make their dreams come true'. Quoting Miss McKee herself, Mrs Corner said: 'We must change our own world one piece at a time. Now let's get to work.' Many friends of Miss McKee, who was a campaigner for LGBT rights, wore Harry Potter-themed T-shirts, scarves and badges to the service in honour of her lifelong love of JK Rowling's books. Outside, a crowd of several hundred people applauded as it was driven away for a private burial in a hearse with rainbow-coloured flowers on its roof which spelled out the words 'Team Lyra'. Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing has re-appeared in public after mysteriously vanishing from the public eye due to a sensational tax-dodging scandal. The 37-year-old actress, who was fined nearly 100 million for dodging taxes late last year, made a return to the spotlight on Monday, walking down the red carpet at a party in Beijing held by a popular Chinese online video platform. Fan posted pictures of herself on Instagram, which is blocked in China. The picture shows her striking a pose while wearing a pink-and-black Alexander McQueen pantsuit and carrying a Louis Vuitton bag. Supporters cheered her return on the photo-sharing platform, writing 'I missed you' and 'The queen is back' - though others complained that she had escaped stricter punishment by tax officials. On China's Twitter-like Weibo, the disgraced celebrity stayed low key. She did not post anything about the party on her account which has more than 62.7 million followers. Instead, Fan who is famous in China for her glowing and wrinkle-free skin has started to promote her own beauty brand 'Fan Beauty Secret' on Weibo as well as YouTube. The 37-year-old actress models for her own skincare brand 'Fan Beauty Secret' on social media After disappearing from the public eye last July, Fan (right, seen last June) broke silence to wish her fans a happy Chinese New Year on Weibo and Instagram with a few selfies (left) Fan encourages her fans to try out her new product 'seagrape deep hydrating water gel mask' in a promotional video that has appeared on YouTube and China's Twitter-like Weibo Posts from yesterday and today on Weibo see the brand's official account introducing its 'seagrape deep hydrating water gel mask' using posters and a video featuring the star. In a promotional video, Fan encourages her fans to try out her new product 'if you wish to have perfect and beautiful skin without makeup like me'. While the star's fans said they couldn't wait to get their hands on the product, which will launch in Hong Kong tomorrow, other net users said they would not support a celebrity that has a 'stain'. The 37-year-old superstar, who is engaged to 40-year-old Chinese actor Li Chen, will reportedly begin filming an all-female James Bond-style spy thriller called '355' late this year. This would be Fan's first film project after she was caught dodging taxes. Chinese actress Fan Bingbing (far left), who went missing last year and then was disgraced by a sensational tax scandal, will reportedly make a comeback to the big screen with all-female spy thriller '355'. The film's cast are pictured posing during last year's Cannes Film Festival She was cast by the film alongside Jessica Chastain, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, and Lupita Nyong'o before the scandal brought her career to a standstill. Fan, best known in the West for her role in the 2014 blockbuster 'X-Men: Days of Future Past', disappeared from the public eye last July after allegations emerged she had evaded taxes on a lucrative movie shoot - charges denied by her studio. She was last seen in public in Shanghai while visiting a hospital during a charity event. In October, authorities ordered her to pay nearly 100 million (883 million yuan) in back taxes, fines and penalties. Authorities added that the star could avoid jail terms should she pay up in time. The authorities have never revealed the actual amount of the taxes the actress had dodged, though the public urged for an answer. The 37-year-old superstar (pictured before the tax scandal) has appeared in numerous romantic comedies and costume dramas and is engaged to 40-year-old Chinese actor Li Chen She tasted Hollywood success with a role in the 2014 blockbuster 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' Fan then took to China's Twitter-like Weibo to acknowledge her wrongs, beg for her supporters' forgiveness, and apologise to 'society, the friends who care about me, the public and the national tax authorities'. 'Without the Party and country's good policies, without the loving attention of the masses, there would be no Fan Bingbing,' she wrote to her followers. Her social media activities have been sparse since. In February, she broke silence to wish her fans a happy Chinese New Year on Weibo and Instagram accompanied by a few selfies. She was spotted by paparazzi for the first time after her tax scandal on October 15 last year. Dressed in black attire and wearing a cap and dark glasses, Fan was seen walking swiftly to a waiting car at the Beijing Capital International Airport. A driver in north China was run over by his own lorry when it started rolling forward after he forgot to put the handbrake on. The hapless driver was filmed frantically trying to stop the large vehicle with his body when it started moving towards the gas dispensers at a petrol station in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province. Miraculously, the driver managed to wriggle out of the undercarriage of the lorry after the accident. He was rushed to hospital with a fracture on his arm. A driver in north China's Hebei province was run over by his own lorry when it started rolling forward after he forgot to put the handbrake on The hapless driver was filmed frantically trying to stop the large vehicle with his body when it started moving towards the gas dispensers at a petrol station in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province Surveillance video capturing the dramatic accident shows the lorry parked on the side of the road near the entrance of the gas station on the morning of April 8. Seconds later, the truck started rolling into the empty fueling station and towards the dispensers. At the same time, the driver, identified by his surname Liu, sprints into view. Miraculously, the driver managed to wriggle out of the undercarriage of the lorry after the accident. He was rushed to hospital with a fracture on his arm The truck started rolling into the empty fueling station and towards the dispensers. At the same time, the driver, identified by his surname Liu, sprints into view and tries to stop it He was pushed about 20 feet across the station before being run over as the lorry crashes into a water tank near the dispensers Liu is seen standing in front of the lorry and trying to stop it from bobbing forward - but to no avail. He was pushed about 20 feet across the station before being run over as the lorry crashes into a water tank near the dispensers. It had narrowly missed a petrol pump by 30 centimetres (less than one foot), according to Hebei Traffic authorities in a statement. 'The driver, Liu, forgot to put the handbrake on after he parked the lorry and left, causing it to roll forward,' it read. It had narrowly missed a petrol pump by 30 centimetres (less than one foot) He had been asking staff at the filling station to remove the battery for inspection but forgot to put the handbrake on, causing the accident Horrified petrol station worker immediately called emergency services and the man was rushed to hospital with a fracture in his right arm Horrified petrol station worker immediately called emergency services and the man was rushed to hospital with a fracture in his right arm. According to police, Liu said he had trouble starting his engine that morning and suspected his battery had died. He had been asking staff at the filling station to remove the battery for inspection but forgot to put the handbrake on, causing the accident. A group of mates have paid tribute to their fallen friend by reserving a beer in his name at a bar every Anzac Day. Every April 25, Lieutenant Michael Fussell's mates head to Club Heathcote, south of Sydney, to buy the soldier a beer, which they leave on the bar with a note. A photo of the icy-cold drink and note was posted to Club Heathcote's Facebook page on Thursday, along with the caption: 'Lest we forget'. A photo of the icy-cold beer and note (pictured) was posted to Club Heathcote's Facebook page on Thursday, along with the caption: 'Lest we forget' Lieutenant Michael Fussell (pictured) was serving with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan, when he was killed in action when a bomb exploded in 2008 The photo shows the beer sitting atop a coaster with the message: 'Reserved for Lieutenant Michael Fussell. Kin Afghanistan. 27 NOV 2008. Aged 25. RIP.' The young commando, who was serving with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan, was killed in action in 2008 when a bomb exploded. The Facebook post has since garnered plenty of reactions, with some people taking to the social platform to share their thoughts of the moving tribute. 'That bought a tear to my eye today thanks to the men & women that served us. Lest we forget!' one person wrote. 'Lest we forget, if only he was there to drink it, so young,' another person stated. A third person added: 'Great man!!! Get him another one from me!!' Lieutenant Fussell, who attended the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 2005, was deployed to Afghanistan after serving in East Timor in 2006 and 2007. At the time of his death, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd paid tribute to the fallen soldier and expressed his condolences to his family. 'On behalf of the Government I wish to extend my condolences to the family of this soldier,' Mr Rudd said at the time. The Facebook post (pictured) has since garnered plenty of reactions, with some people taking to the social platform to share their thoughts of the moving tribute Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant General David Hurley (pictured) previously spoke of the sacrifice made by Lt Fussell 'I've said before that there is no higher call for any person than to wear the uniform of Australia. 'And today we are tragically reminded of the risks that come, the terrible risks that come with that calling.' The 25-year-old's uncle, Les Fussell previously told The Australian the young soldier's parents had been hit hard by the death of their son, 7News reported. 'They're just like any parents, very devastated. He's sorely missed, and we're devastated by what's happened,' Les said. Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant General David Hurley previously spoke of the sacrifice made by Lt Fussell. 'My highest priority right now is to ensure that the soldier's family receives the care and support they need,' Lt Gen Hurley said in a statement at the time. The fallen soldier's younger brother Daniel is also an ADF member with the Royal Australian Artillery. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez returned to Twitter to hit back at Donald Trump after he said he agreed with her on Veterans Affairs on Wednesday. The 29-year-old socialist insisted last week that the Department of Veterans Affairs is functioning well, and doesn't need an expanded program allowing veterans to seek medical care from private doctors and hospitals. The president was aboard Air Force One as news of her comments circulated, and he couldn't resist tweeting a back-handed compliment: 'Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is correct, the VA is not broken, it is doing great. But that is only because of the Trump Administration. We got Veterans Choice & Accountability passed.' Ocasio-Cortez wrote back: 'Just got back from a few (mostly) unplugged days visiting my abuela in PR, and I see the President is tweeting about me. Just another day at the office! (smiley face).' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez prepares to speak at the National Action Network's annual convention on April 5 in New York President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House earlier this month In 2018, Trump broadened the VA's private healthcare options with the MISSION Act, seeking to fulfill a promise of his presidential campaign. But the new law has Ocasio-Cortez upset that pharmaceutical companies, private insurers and nonpublic hospital chains will benefit. She followed up her Tweet on Wednesday, saying: 'I rep one of the strongest concentrations of veterans in NYC. 'The Bronx VA provides excellent care and community for our vets, who sing its praises. The way to improve VA care & reduce wait times (which can be shorter than priv care!) is by fully funding it - not privatizing it.' Last week Ocasio-Cortez said: 'When it comes to the VA, all I can think of is that classic refrain that my parents always told me growing up, that, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".' 'They're trying to fix the VA for pharmaceutical companies, they're trying to fix the VA for insurance corporations, and ultimately they're trying to fix the VA for a for-profit healthcare industry that does not put people or veterans first. 'And so we have the responsibility to protect it.' The VA's chronic woes exploded into the public consciousness early in 2014 with a scandal in which VA employees in many regions purposely hid waiting lists veterans faced when they sought medical care. Some of the lists delayed doctor visits and diagnoses by months. In the Phoenix VA healthcare system alone, 40 veterans died while waiting for appointments. Then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, shocked by the system-wide deception, resigned. It took the VA nearly another six months to fire the Phoenix medical system's chief administrator who presided over the cover-up. Two Saudi sisters who fled their home country over the kingdom's treatment of women have urged Apple and Google to pull an 'inhuman' app allowing men to monitor and control female relatives' travel. Wafa al-Subaie, 25, and Maha al-Subaie, 28, escaped to the former Soviet republic of Georgia earlier this month after fleeing their family. The pair, who claimed they would be killed if taken back to their homeland, pleaded with the companies to remove Absher - a government e-services app which they say supports Saudi Arabia's strict male guardian system. 'It gives men control over women,' said Wafa. 'They have to remove it,' she added, referring to Google and Apple. The sisters (Maha, left, and Wafa, right) escaped to the former Soviet republic of Georgia earlier this month after fleeing their family The headquarters of Google in California. The two sisters have urged Apple and Google to pull an 'inhuman' app allowing men to monitor and control female relatives' travel The pair, who claimed they would be killed if taken back to their homeland, pleaded with the companies to remove Absher (pictured) - a government e-services app which they supports Saudi Arabia's strict male guardian system Absher, which is available in the Saudi version of Google and Apple online stores, allows men to update or withdraw permissions for female relatives to travel abroad and to get SMS updates if their passports are used, according to researchers. Neither company was immediately available to comment. Apple's chief executive Tim Cook said in February that he had not heard of Absher but pledged to 'take a look at it'. A free tool created by the interior ministry, Absher allows Saudis to access a range of government services, such as renewing passports and making appointments. Saudi women must have permission from a male relative to work, marry and travel under the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom's guardianship system. Wafa (left) and Maha (right) al-Subaie spoke to Georgian television about their bid to get away from the oppressive regime in Saudi Arabia The al-Subaie sisters, who stole their father's phone to get themselves passports and authorisation to fly to Istanbul, said they knew of dozens of other young women who were looking to escape abusive families. Tech giants could help bring about change in Saudi Arabia if they pulled Absher or insisted that it allows women to organise travel independently, the pair added. Wafa al-Subaie posted a video on Twitter describing how her father and brothers were in Georgia looking for both sisters 'If (they) remove this application, maybe the government will do something,' Wafa told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview. The sisters appealed for international protection earlier this month saying their lives would be at risk and were offered help from Georgia. They had taken to Twitter on Wednesday saying they had arrived in the country and needed help from the international community to find a new place to call home. Currently under protection in a shelter, the sisters are worried their family are in the country trying to track them down as Saudis do not need visas to enter Georgia. Both sisters said they had become stranded in Georgia after the Saudi government suspended their passports, as members of their family had come looking for them. Now they want to get safe passage to a third country and are appealing to the UN for help. Wafa al-Subaie said in a video posted on Twitter: 'My father and brothers arrived in Georgia and they are looking for us. We fled oppression from our family because the laws in Saudi Arabia are too weak to protect us.' Speaking to local media Wafa described how they were forced to wear face coverings in Saudi Arabia, such as a niqab and were 'treated like slaves'. She told Rustavi 2 TV: 'We have to cover our face, we have to cook...like slaves. We don't want this, we want real life, our life. 'We need your support, we want protection, we want a country that will welcome us and protect our rights. Currently under protection in a shelter, the sisters are worried their family are in the country trying to track them down as Saudis do not need visas to enter Georgia Maha al-Subaie, 28, (left) and Wafa al-Subaie, 25, (right) showed their passport documents online with them wearing Islamic headdress 'Georgia is a small country and anyone from our family can come and track us down, our family threaten us every day in our country.' The sisters' plea added to growing calls from rights groups, diplomats and U.S. and European politicians for the app to be removed from online stores. United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday that she had asked tech companies in Silicon Valley 'tough questions' this month about the 'threats' posed by apps like Absher which allow Saudi men to restrict women's movement. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has introduced reforms, such as lifting the driving ban for women, and indicated last year that he favoured ending the guardianship system. But he has stopped short of backing its annulment. The sister's case is the latest to draw attention to Saudi Arabia's strict social rules on women. Rahaf al-Qunun showed photos of herself barricaded within an airport hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand The 18-year-old, accompanied by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland (right) and Saba Abbas, general counsellor of COSTI refugee service agency (left) arriving in Toronto on January 12 Saudi Arabia has detained at least ten women and seven men in a crackdown against dissidents last May on 'national security' allegations related to their human rights work. In one reported instance, one of the activists was made to hang from the ceiling, and according to another statement, one of the detained women was reportedly subjected to sexual harassment, by interrogators wearing face masks. Those detained in the notorious Dhahban Prison include Loujain al-Hathloul, Iman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Yousef, Samar Badawi, Nassima al-Sada, Mohammad al-Rabe'a and Dr Ibrahim al-Modeimigh. In January, 18-year-old Saudi Rahaf al-Qunun was granted asylum to Canada after posting on Twitter how she had barricaded herself within a Bangkok hotel room. After using Twitter to document her plight she garnered worldwide attention and the sympathy of Canadian authorities. Her family denied any abuse, but Ms al-Qunun refused to meet her father and brother who arrived in Thailand to try and fetch the teen. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters at the airport: 'This is Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun a very brave new Canadian.' But the strategy is extremely risky, as was shown by the case of Dina Ali Lasloom, 24, who tried to board a plane to Australia from Manila in the Philippines. She publicly pleaded for help through a social media video but was ultimately forced back on a plane home by her uncles. The Saudi embassy in Manila issued a statement at the time, calling the case a family matter and saying that Ms Lasloom had returned with her relatives to her homeland. The eldest of two jihadi brothers who blew themselves up inside luxury hotels during the Sri Lanka attacks was radicalised by his younger sibling who had been arrested and then released by police, it has been claimed. Ilham Ibrahim was previously detained before being let go by the authorities, a senior government official told CNN on Thursday. The suicide bomber converted his older brother Inshaf to his hard-line version of Islam starting around three years ago, according to workers at their father's spice empire. Ilham detonated a bomb inside the Cinnamon hotel on Easter Sunday, while his brother was responsible for the blast at the Shangri-La hotel, killing at least 41 foreigners including eight Britons. Inshaf Ibrahim (left) was described by staff at the family's spice firm as 'totally normal' until three years ago when he got close to younger brother Ilham (right) and became more religious Inshaf (right) was known as the business brains of his family after father Mohammed Yoonus Ibrahim (centre), who ran their spice trading firm, and also owned his own copper firm It was the suicide bomber of the Cinnamon Grand bomb attack who was released earlier, the official said. The news emerged as father Mohammed Yoonus Ibrahim was arrested by police on suspicion of helping his sons plan the attack. Indian intelligence sources told the First Post news site that Ijas Ahmed Ibrahim, 30, Mohammed's third son, was also questioned about the attack. Sri Lankas Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the publication that several family members had been under surveillance prior to the attacks, but that the evidence hadnt been sufficient enough to take them into custody. It comes as Sri Lanka police appeal for information about three women and one man suspected of involvement in the Easter bombings. Mohammed Yoonus Ibrahim (pictured), the brothers' millionaire spice merchant father, was arrested on Thursday and accused of helping them Hours after the brothers' attacks, as police raided their mansion in an exclusive neighbourhood of Colombo, Ilham's pregnant wife Fatima blew herself up, killing her three children and three officers. The siblings' attacks was part of a series of coordinated bombings targeting both hotels and Christian churches which killed 359 people and wounded 500. An unnamed source within the family's spice firm told The Telegraph that Inshaf was 'totally normal' until around three years ago when he started getting close to Ilham. The source said: 'Two or three years back he was a different person, but once he got so close to his brother he changed. 'His language became very isolating towards Muslims who lead a normal life. He kept arguing about things. 'Ilham... was the one who brainwashed Inshaf and took him to their group.' Inshaf was known as a successful businessman and owned a copper factory thought to be where the suicide bombs were made. Inshaf is believed to have detonated his bomb inside the Cinnamon Grand hotel during the Sri Lanka terror attacks (pictured left, moments before the blast) Ilham is thought to have blown himself up inside the Shangri-La hotel. Together the brothers killed at least 41 foreigners, eight of them Britons The 38-year-old lived with his wife and their four children in a 1.5million six-bed mansion on one of the most exclusive streets in Colombo. The brothers belonged to one of the wealthiest Muslim families in Sri Lanka, and had connections at the upper echelons of the country's business and political spheres. Father Mohammed runs Colombo-based Ishana Exports, described on its website as the 'largest exporter of spices from Sri Lanka since 2006.' Mohammed was also a leading figure in the JVP party who had unsuccessfully contested elections. Sources close to the family said that Inshaf was the business brains of the family and had worked at Ishana as an export manager. He was married to the wealthy daughter of a western jeweller, drove expensive cars and wore Western fashions. The wealthy brothers - sons of a millionaire spice trader - are two of eight jihadis who carried out the devastating bomb attacks in Sri Lanka. The ninth bomber was Ilham's wife who killed herself, her three children and three police officers as they raided her house A man believed to be Ilham Ibrahim swears allegiance to ISIS before the attacks Inshaf was a successful businessman and owned a copper factory (pictured) thought to be where the explosives were made and that was raided by police Inshaf had spent time travelling and had visited the UK frequently in recent years, sources added. He is not the only attacker to have links to the UK after it was revealed that Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed had studied at Kingston University from 2006-07. Abdul was believed to have studied engineering at the south-west London school. Deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene had previously revealed that most of the bombers came from middle or upper class families and were well-off. He said: 'This group of suicide bombers, most of them are well educated and come from the middle or upper-middle class. 'They are financially quite independent and their families are quite stable financially. 'That is a worrying factor in this. Some of them have studied in various other countries, they hold degrees, LLMs, theyre quite well educated people.' Advertisement China's powerful military is considered to be a master at concealing its intentions. But there is no secret about how it plans to destroy American aircraft carriers if rivalry becomes war. At November's biennial air show in the southern city of Zhuhai, the biggest state-owned missile maker, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Ltd, screened an animation showing a hostile 'blue force,' comprising an aircraft carrier, escort ships and strike aircraft, approaching 'red force' territory. On a giant screen, the animation showed a barrage of the Chinese company's missiles launched from 'red force' warships, submarines, shore batteries and aircraft wreaking havoc on the escort vessels around the carrier. In a final salvo, two missiles plunge onto the flight deck of the carrier and a third slams into the side of the hull near the bow. The fate of the ship is an unmistakable message to an America that has long dominated the globe from its mighty aircraft carriers and sprawling network of hundreds of bases. China's military is now making giant strides toward replacing the United States as the supreme power in Asia. With the Pentagon distracted by almost two decades of costly war in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), has exploited a period of sustained budget increases and rapid technical improvement to build and deploy an arsenal of advanced missiles. This map displays the comparative distances that China's ground-launch missiles can reach. The highest is 4000km. The maximum distance the US's can reach is only 500km Three F/A-18E Super Hornets fly in formation over aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz. The fleet could be destroyed by ground-launch missiles that have a 4,000km range Many of these missiles are specifically designed to attack the aircraft carriers and bases that form the backbone of U.S. military dominance in the region and which for decades have protected allies including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Across almost all categories of these weapons, based on land, loaded on strike aircraft or deployed on warships and submarines, China's missiles rival or outperform their counterparts in the armories of the United States and its allies, according to current and former U.S. military officers with knowledge of PLA test launches, Taiwanese and Chinese military analysts, and technical specifications published in China's state-controlled media. China has also seized a virtual monopoly in one class of conventional missiles - land-based, intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles. Under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a Cold War-era agreement aimed at reducing the threat of nuclear conflict, the United States and Russia are banned from deploying this class of missiles, with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (3,418 miles). But Beijing, unrestrained by the INF Treaty, is deploying them in massive numbers. This includes so-called carrier killer missiles like the DF-21D, which can target aircraft carriers and other warships underway at sea at a range of up to 1,500 kilometers, according to Chinese and Western military analysts. If effective, these missiles would give China a destructive capability no other military can boast. China's advantage in this class of missiles is likely to remain for the foreseeable future, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's decision in February to withdraw from the treaty in six months. China is also making rapid strides in developing so-called hypersonic missiles, which can maneuver sharply and travel at five times the speed of sound (or even faster). Currently, the United States has no defenses against a missile like this, according to Pentagon officials. China's Ministry of National Defense and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation did not respond to questions from Reuters about Beijing's missile capabilities. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the Pentagon had no comment. THE MISSILE GAP China's growing missile arsenal hasn't yet been proven in a real-world clash, and some Chinese officials play down their advances. But under the Trump administration, Washington has come to view China as a rival determined to displace the United States in Asia. This modern-day missile gap, the administration believes, is emerging as one of the biggest dangers to American military supremacy in Asia since the end of the Cold War. The Pentagon is now scrambling for new weapons and strategies to counter the PLA's rocket arsenal. 'We know that China has the most advanced ballistic missile force in the world,' said James Fanell, a retired U.S. Navy captain and former senior intelligence officer with the U.S. Pacific Fleet. 'They have the capacity to overwhelm the defensive systems we are pursuing.' Fanell was sidelined by the Pentagon ahead of his 2015 retirement, after warning about the Chinese build-up at a time when President Barack Obama was seeking cooperation with Beijing. Today, Pentagon policy hews more closely to his views that China intends to displace the United States as Asia's dominant power. Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles, known as carrier killers, drive past Tiananmen Gate in Beijing during a military parade in 2015. Chinese military brass agree they can now keep American carriers at bay. Six people in China interviewed by Reuters, including retired PLA officers and a person with ties to the Beijing leadership, said China's enhanced missile capability was a great leveler and would serve to deter the United States from getting too close to Chinese shores. 'We cannot defeat the United States at sea,' a retired PLA colonel said in an interview. The United States has 11 aircraft carriers and China has just two. 'But we have missiles that specifically target aircraft carriers to stop them from approaching our territorial waters if there were conflict.' A person with ties to the Chinese leadership who once served in the military had a similar message: 'If U.S. aircraft carriers come too close to our coastlines in a conflict, our missiles can destroy them.' Xi Jinping, who has seized direct control of the world's largest fighting force, has played a pivotal role in the ascendancy of Chinese missile forces. This series, 'The China Challenge,' examines how Xi is transforming the PLA and challenging U.S. supremacy in Asia. He has delivered a powerful boost to the prestige and influence of the elite unit responsible for China's nuclear and conventional missiles, the PLA Rocket Force. The Chinese leader has described the missile forces as a 'core of strategic deterrence, a strategic buttress to the country's position as a major power and a cornerstone on which to build national security.' Xi has brought senior missile force veterans into his closest circle of military aides as he has consolidated his grip on the PLA with a sweeping purge of senior officers accused of corruption or disloyalty. The Rocket Force has always enjoyed strong support from the ruling Communist Party. But under Xi, the once secretive unit, formerly known as the Second Artillery Corps, has been thrust into the limelight. Since he took power in 2012 with a pledge to rejuvenate China as a great power, the Rocket Force's latest nuclear and conventional missiles have played a starring role at some of the biggest military parades held in the Communist era. Trucks carrying anti-ship missiles roll to Beijings Tiananmen Square during a military parade in 2015 In one of these displays, in 2015, the designations of new missiles, including the 'carrier killer' DF-21D, were painted on the sides of the projectiles in big white letters. The bold labels were aimed directly at foreign audiences, according to Western military analysts monitoring the parade in Beijing. At a parade Xi presided over to mark the 90th anniversary of the PLA in 2017, missiles were also prominently displayed. SENDING A MESSAGE This elaborate, choreographed showcasing of the newest and most powerful missiles has provided a backdrop for Xi as he burnishes his credentials as China's supreme military leader. Coverage of test launches, new warheads and technical breakthroughs dominate the state-controlled military media. But it's not mere theater. This concerted advertising of China's ability to deliver long-range conventional strikes without risking aircraft, ships or casualties is a key element of PLA strategy under Xi. Foreign military analysts say it sends a signal that China has the capacity to resist interference as it expands control over vast swathes of the South China Sea, intensifies naval and air sorties around Taiwan, and extends operations into territory it disputes with Japan in the East China Sea. To be sure, while China's missile fleet has indisputably grown more formidable, the reliability, accuracy and payloads of its weapons have yet to be tested in battle. China hasn't fought a war since invading Vietnam in 1979. The U.S. arsenal of air and sea-launched missiles, by contrast, has been tried and proven repeatedly in wars over the past two decades. It is also unknown if the PLA missile systems could survive electronic, cyber and physical attacks on launch facilities, guidance systems and command-and-control centers. Military analysts point out that there is still some doubt about whether China has mastered the know-how that would allow a 'carrier killer' ballistic missile to detect, track and hit a moving target far from the Chinese coast. U.S. military commanders and PLA watchers also acknowledge that there could be elements of subterfuge involved in the publicity about Chinese missiles. Deception is traditionally a key element of Chinese military strategy. The PLA is well aware that America and other potential rivals would be closely monitoring their test sites, according to satellite imagery specialists. Some retired PLA officers who spoke to Reuters played down the capability of China's missiles. 'U.S. missiles are superior to ours in terms of quality and quantity,' the former PLA colonel told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic with the foreign media. 'If we were truly more advanced than the United States,' said a Chinese military analyst, 'we would have liberated Taiwan.' Still, current and former U.S. military officials say they are convinced from close monitoring of China's numerous test firings that PLA missiles are a genuine threat. THE RANGE WAR What makes Chinese missiles so dangerous for the United States and its Asian allies is that the PLA is winning the 'range war,' according to Robert Haddick, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and now a visiting senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies based in Arlington, Virginia. While the United States was taking what Haddick describes as a 'long holiday' from missile development in the aftermath of the Cold War, China was shooting for distance, developing missiles that can fly further than those in the armories of the United States and its Asian allies. The Pentagon has begun to publicly acknowledge that in missiles, at least, China has the upper hand. 'We are at a disadvantage with regard to China today in the sense that China has ground-based ballistic missiles that threaten our basing in the Western Pacific and our ships,' the former commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris, said in testimony before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in March last year. At the time, Harris explained that the United States was unable to counter with similar missiles because of the 1987 INF Treaty with Russia, which banned these weapons. The treaty constraints have left the United States with no equivalent to weapons like China's DF-26 ballistic missile, which has a range of up to 4,000 km and can strike at the key U.S. base at Guam. China says the missile has a carrier-killer variant that can hit a moving target at sea. U.S. bases in South Korea and Japan are within range of another PLA projectile, the CJ-10 land attack cruise missile, which has a range of about 1,500 km, according to Pentagon estimates. However, the Trump administration appears to be clearing the way for the United States to compete. On Feb. 1, Trump announced Washington would withdraw from the treaty, accusing Moscow of breaching the agreement. He said in a statement that the U.S. would quit in six months unless Russia returned to compliance. Trump also said that China had more than 1,000 missiles of the range covered by the INF Treaty. He added that the U.S. would now develop a ground-launched conventional missile that would have been banned under the treaty. This could help offset China's advantage, military experts say, but it will take time, probably years, for the U.S. to develop and deploy these weapons. China criticized Trump's announcement, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang saying the treaty was important in 'safeguarding global strategic balance and stability.' Geng, however, didn't mention the PLA's own arsenal of these weapons or that China itself isn't party to the pact. He said China opposed negotiating a new treaty that would cover other nations as well as Russia and America. This missile gap portends a military upheaval. Some powerful PLA anti-ship missiles now far outrange the strike aircraft deployed on U.S. carriers. That means American military planners are grappling with a scenario that until recently didn't exist: U.S. carriers could be obsolete in a conflict near the Chinese mainland. If forced to operate outside the range of their aircraft when approaching China, the nuclear-powered leviathans would be far less effective. Sail too close and they would be vulnerable. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy has been able to use its carriers to bludgeon weaker enemies, approaching close enough to launch air strikes, confident that the giant warships are untouchable. Today, in the event of conflict with China in East Asia, Pentagon planners and other regional militaries say they are wrestling with how to respond to something they haven't seen since World War Two: a return to highly contested warfare at sea. For the U.S. military, one fear is that swarms of cheap, expendable Chinese missiles have the potential to neutralize the most expensive warships ever built. China does not publish the cost of its missiles. A modern version of the subsonic, Cold-war vintage Harpoon, the mainstay anti-ship missile of the United States and its allies, costs $1.2 million, according to the U.S. Navy. Western military officials assume China's lower manufacturing costs would mean it could build similar missiles for less. The latest U.S. carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, cost about $13 billion to build - about 10,000 times the price of the Harpoon. A HESITANT U.S. For more than half a century since China's ruling Communist Party took power in 1949, a vast but technologically backward PLA was largely confined to the Asian mainland and coastal waters. A small force of nuclear warheads aimed at deterring a first strike comprised the only serious long-range weapons in the PLA arsenal. For most of that period, the United States and other foreign navies exercised, patrolled, snooped and routinely sailed in the waters off the Chinese coast, much as they did throughout the colonial period when China was powerless to stop foreign encroachment on its territory. The threat from China's new missiles, along with rapidly increasing numbers of PLA navy submarines, means warships from the United States and other foreign navies now patrol hesitantly and infrequently in some key waterways close to the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, according to serving American officials and veterans of U.S. navy operations in Asia. China's rulers have never made public the number of missiles the PLA possesses. But the Communist Youth League, the youth arm of the Communist Party, disclosed some figures on its official Twitter-like Weibo account in October 2016. China's Rocket Force boasts 100,000 men and possesses about 200 intercontinental ballistic missiles, about 300 medium-range ballistic missiles, 1,150 short-range ballistic missiles and 3,000 cruise missiles, the Youth League said. According to U.S. and other Western estimates, China has about 2,000 conventional missiles that would fall within the terms of the INF missile treaty - enough to launch saturation attacks on air bases, ports or critical infrastructure in Japan, South Korea or Taiwan. Apart from weapons covered by the INF Treaty where China has a monopoly, the PLA has other missiles in its arsenal that outperform their U.S. counterparts. These include two supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, the YJ-12, with a range of 400 km, and the YJ-18, which can hit targets up to 540 km away. To counter these missiles, the United States relies on its subsonic, Harpoon anti-ship missile which has been modified to give it a maximum range of about 240 km. 'That is a very big gap,' said Haddick, who is also an adviser to the U.S. Special Operations Command. 'China's anti-ship missile capability exceeds those of the United States in terms of range, speed and sensor performance.' As part of a sweeping reorganization of the Chinese armed forces, Xi in late 2015 elevated the missile force to the level of a service alongside the army, navy and air force. In a ceremony widely covered in the state-controlled media, the Second Artillery Corps was renamed the PLA Rocket Force. Two veterans of this force, General Wei Fenghe and General Zhang Shengmin, now sit on the Communist Party's Central Military Commission, the supreme military control body that is chaired by Xi. Another Rocket Force veteran, General Gao Jin, is seen as a rising star of the Chinese military. When the missile force was rebadged, Gao was appointed to head a new branch of the PLA, the Strategic Support Force, which is responsible for cyber, electronic and space warfare. Gao has been a key figure in the transition of the Rocket Force from its origins as primarily a nuclear deterrent to its current dual role of both nuclear shield and spearhead of the PLA's conventional strike capability, according to U.S. and Chinese military analysts. PEARL HARBOR-STYLE ATTACK For the United States and its regional allies, a top priority is to wrest back the lead in the range war. Extra performance is being squeezed out of old U.S. air and sea-launched missiles. Boeing is upgrading the Harpoon anti-ship missile. An anti-ship variant of Raytheon's venerable Tomahawk land attack cruise missile - with a range in excess of 1,600 km - is undergoing tests. The U.S. Navy is working to add range to carrier strike aircraft, and new weapons are in the pipeline. Lockheed Martin said in December that it had delivered the first of its new, long-range anti-ship missiles to the U.S. Air Force after a series of successful tests. This stealthy missile could also be deployed on warships. Meanwhile, China continues to improve its firepower. Two sets of satellite images on Google Earth, taken three years apart, show how China's Rocket Force is testing its growing arsenal. U.S. President Ronald Reagan (right) and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in the White House in December 1987. The treaty, meant to limit the threat of nuclear weapons, has handed China an advantage In one, the distinctive shape of a jet fighter is clearly visible on what appears to be a mock airstrip in a remote Chinese desert. The images, captured in mid-2013 over the far west of China, show the outline of a delta-wing aircraft at the southern end of the runway. Images taken in late 2016 tell a different story. The wings and tail section are strewn at odd angles in a pile of wreckage. 'That plane looks like it has been shot at,' said Sean O'Connor, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence analyst who now works as a principal research analyst at Jane's, the defense information company. The replica runway, pockmarked at one end with impact craters, is part of what O'Connor and other satellite imagery analysts have identified as a PLA missile test range. Here and at other remote sites in western China, the PLA has been blasting missiles at what appear to be simulated targets of air bases, fuel depots, ports, ships, communication hubs, radar arrays and buildings. Some of the mock-ups appear to mimic targets in Japan and Taiwan. Satellite images of the test range with the mock airstrip also suggest China is rehearsing strikes on the key U.S. Navy base at Yokosuka in Japan and other important facilities, according to a 2017 report from two U.S. Navy officers, Commander Thomas Shugart and Commander Javier Gonzalez. The two officers identified a mock target that appeared to be a mirror image of the inner harbor at Yokosuka base, home port for the U.S. carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group. In their report for the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based research group, the two officers said the target had outlines of angled piers similar to those at Yokosuka and the shapes of three warships about the same size as the U.S. destroyers based at the port. The scenario Shugart and Gonzalez laid out evokes the darkest moment in American naval history. The mock-up, they wrote, could be interpreted as a rehearsal of a Pearl Harbor-style surprise attack. That paralyzing blow sank or damaged key elements of the American fleet, killed more than 2,300 Americans and plunged the United States into World War Two. But the Japanese failed to sink the American aircraft carriers normally based at Pearl Harbor because they were at sea. In the animation at the recent Chinese airshow in Zhuhai, the 'red force' doesn't make the same mistake. After red force missiles strike the blue force carrier, the animation concludes with the words: 'The defensive counter-attack operation has gotten the expected results.' Security measures will be so tight during Donald Trump's D-Day commemoration visit spectators won't be able to see the actual ceremony, it has emerged. Thousands of people are expected to flood into Portsmouth, Hampshire, to see veterans of the Normandy landings honoured in a poignant ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson, a Liberal Democrat who was left furious with Downing Street for 'going over his head' and inviting the President, said revellers attending the event on June 5 will have to watch on big screens. A double-layered solid steel fence will block all views of the ceremony and anyone who wishes to attend the event must pass security checks before they are shepherded into a fenced-off area. Thousands of people are expected to flood into Portsmouth, Hampshire, to see veterans of the Normandy landings honoured in a poignant ceremony (pictured: President Donald Trump) Cllr Vernon-Jackson has declared that Mr Trump is 'not welcome' in the city, adding that there will be a designated zone for protesters unhappy with his visit. He said: 'Our vision of this being open to the public is not going to happen. 'Around the event itself on the 5th there will be a solid steel fence so that only invited guests can get in and also people won't be able to see into the event either. 'It will be broadcast by the BBC and people will be able to see it on the big screens on the common but it will be like seeing it at home. 'All of the common will be fenced off. 'The ceremony itself will be in an extra secure area. Anybody going into the common will have to go through security.' He also said Portsmouth City Council will be spending cash on the event's infrastructure but will be sending the bill - which is thought to be millions - to the government. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the Ministry of Defence announced a mobilisation of UK Armed Forces which will include more than 4,000 personnel, 11 Royal Navy vessels and multiple aircraft, including Spitfire. Pictured: Gerald Vernon-Jackson Portsmouth, where a large portion of the landing force sailed from in 1944, will be the focal point of the commemorations. The main event on June 5 will include a flypast of 26 RAF aircraft before the city will wave off roughly 300 veterans as they set sail for France, where there will be events along the Normandy beaches. Before sunset on June 5, MV Boudicca, a specially-chartered ship for 300 Normandy landing veterans, procured by funds from The Royal British Legion and a LIBOR grant from the Treasury, will ferry veterans across the channel, escorted by a Royal Navy vessel. The ship will accommodate the veterans for the duration of their visit to Normandy and is being provided to the veterans at no cost. The key events include an inauguration at the site of the Normandy Memorial Trusts British Normandy Memorial and The Royal British Legions services at Bayeux Cathedral and Bayeux Cemetery. After leaving the UK, Donald Trump and Melania will travel to France for anniversary events on June 6. Observers will have to view the event on big screens installed around the fenced-off perimeter on Southsea Common. The historic commemoration, taking place behind the intimidating barrier, is now invitation only and will happen behind a cordon. The water's edge will also be protected by police boats. In June 1994, when then-US president Bill Clinton visited Portsmouth for D-Day commemorations, he waved to hundreds of delighted onlookers standing behind a single hip-height metal barrier. The American woman who was kidnapped during a Uganda safari trip and held for five days before being freed in exchange for $30,000 has spoken out about her ordeal for the first time. Kimberly Endicott, 56, was snatched from her jeep in the Queen Elizabeth National Park along with her driver on April 2. She was held for five days by a group of kidnappers before being dropped off on the border between Uganda and Congo in exchange for a ransom paid by the Ugandan government. Eight people were arrested in connection with her kidnapping in the days that followed. In her first interview about the ordeal, she told CBS's Gayle King how she did not immediately realize that her four kidnappers were there to take her when they emerged from a 'perfectly square bush' during an evening game ride. When their intentions became apparent, she said she felt 'pure fear' and 'terror'. 'All of a sudden, the four men come out of a perfectly square bush in front of us. My first thought was, there must be something happening behind us and these are rangers,' Endicott, who lives in California, said. Scroll down for video Kimberly Endicott spoke for the first time since being freed by her kidnappers in an interview on CBS This Morning on Thursday An American tourist kidnapped in East Africa three weeks ago has opened up about the harrowing ordeal for the first time to @CBSThisMorning co-host @GayleKing. Kimberly Endicott was on a safari vacation in Uganda when four men abducted her and her guide. https://t.co/SyOmbCVgXz pic.twitter.com/4VMDFgZsFj CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) April 25, 2019 She said that because they were armed, her first thought was that they worked for Wild Frontiers, the tour company she was with. It felt like a vortex sucking us in...When I think back about it, it felt like "whoosh" and that's it. We're off. Kimberly Endicott, 56 'They're armed. They have guns. I've been gorilla trekking with rangers that have guns. 'There were [alarm bells] but there were alarm bells of something must be behind us. 'Looking at them it became apparent pretty quickly that no, that's not what this is. 'They were not in uniform, they were rag tag. 'They were a little bit of everything. And then they made us get out of the vehicle,' she said. 'They make us get out of the vehicle, they make us sit on the ground. And that's where things go very um, I don't know how to describe it. 'There's really not a word to describe what that feels like. Pure fear. But that almost doesn't do it justice,' she said. King asked if what she felt was 'terror', to which she replied: 'That's closer maybe. 'But this weird whiteness, brightness, again I don't really have a good word for it but I just sat there and just faced forward and sat there and they went in and ransacked the vehicle and took out anything that was of value to them and then came back. Kim Endicott and her driver Jean Paul Mirenge Remezo were kidnapped on April 2 and released five days later. They are shown before she departed the wilderness lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park for the Ugandan capital after being freed The kidnappers were arrested in the Kanugu district on Tuesday in raids 'The elderly couple I don't believe were sitting down. 'They were like in their later 70s, the gentlemen had a cane and they let them stay and then boom - it felt like a vortex sucking us in. 'When I think back about it, it felt like whoosh and that's it. We're off,' she said. The elderly couple were not taken with Endicott and her driver. So far, details of how they were treated while in captivity have not been shared. Her full interview will air on CBS on Friday morning. Endicott's release came after five days of negotiations and deliberation between the safari company she was staying with, the US government and Ugandan officials. Initially, the kidnappers had requested a $500,000 ransom which all parties flatly rejected. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated unequivocally that the US would not meet the kidnappers' demands as a matter of policy. DailyMail.com obtained footage of the moment Endicott returned to camp, barefoot, on April 9 after being dropped off at the Congolese border. She was helped inside by armed guards Endicott is pictured on April 9, immediately after arriving back at the lodge, following her resce When she was suddenly released on April 9, the resounding question was who paid for her freedom. Wild Frontiers, the company she was with, vehemently denied putting up the money as did Ugandan police officials. Driver Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo, 48, was also freed on Sunday 'It's pretty obvious something happened but there was never $500,000 or any amount paid by us. 'There's a lot of problems in Uganda with this. Everybody's terrified that this is going to make us a target,' a company director, who did not want to be named, told DailyMail.com. However the country's Minister for tourism soon admitted that they paid. In an interview with NBS, a television network in Uganda, he said: 'It had to be taken. The money had to be taken. Money is money. 'Our first priority, number one, was to make sure they were safe. I don't think it should be turned into a very big situation,' he said. President Trump was among those who called for her safe return. He tweeted: 'Uganda must find the kidnappers of the American Tourist and guide before people will feel safe in going there. Bring them to justice openly and quickly!' None of the eight suspects who were arrested in connection with the kidnapping have been named. The Pentagon's watchdog agency said Thursday it has cleared Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan of wrongdoing in connection with allegations that he had used his official position to favor his former employer, Boeing Co. The decision by the Defense Department inspector general opens the door for President Donald Trump to nominate Shanahan and seek his Senate confirmation as defense secretary. The White House, however, has not said whether Trump intends to do so. Shanahan has been serving as the interim Pentagon chief since Jan. 1, after Jim Mattis resigned. In a written statement summarizing the outcome of its probe, which began on March 15, the inspector general's office said it 'did not substantiate any of the allegations and determined that Acting Secretary Shanahan fully complied with his ethical obligations and agreements regarding Boeing and its competitors.' Glenn Fine, the interim inspector general, issued a separate statement saying the probe had been conducted 'fairly, thoroughly and expeditiously.' A spokesman for Shanahan, Army Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, said Shanahan's ethics agreement 'ensures no potential for a conflict of interest with Boeing on any matter.' Cleared: Acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan had faced allegations of favoring his former employer Boeing but is now in the clear after an inspector general investigation He said Shanahan is focused on 'retooling the military for great power competition,' executing the national defense strategy and caring for service members and their families. The allegation of pro-Boeing bias stemmed from Shanahan's time as deputy defense secretary in 2017-18. In its statement, the office of the inspector general characterized the allegations as promoting Boeing, disparaging its competitors and violating ethical obligations. It said it interviewed more than 30 witnesses, including Shanahan and other senior officials, and did not substantiate any of the allegations. After Mattis quit in protest of Trump's policies, the president did not rush to send Shanahan's nomination to Capitol Hill, seemingly content with letting him and a number of other administration officials languish as temporary appointments. 'I like acting. It gives me more flexibility,' Trump said in January. Although Trump has publicly praised Shanahan's job performance, the former Boeing executive's situation became more precarious last month, when a watchdog group filed an ethics complaint with the inspector general. In the complaint, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington alleged that Shanahan has appeared to make statements promoting Boeing and disparaging competitors, such as Lockheed Martin. Shanahan spent more than 30 years at Boeing, leading programs for commercial planes and missile defense systems. The inspector general formally opened an investigation and moved quickly to do interviews. Shanahan publicly welcomed the decision to review the allegations. At the time, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said that scrutiny of Shanahan's Boeing ties is necessary. 'In fact, it's overdue. Boeing is a behemoth 800-pound gorilla - raising possible questions of undue influence at DOD, FAA and elsewhere,' Blumenthal said. Current model: One example raised by the complaint against Patrick Shanahan was the Pentagon's decision to request $1 billion to buy eight of Boeing's F-15EX fighter jets, an updated version of the F-15s like these already in service Shanahan signed an ethics agreement in June 2017, when he was being nominated for the job of deputy defense secretary, a job he held during Mattis' tenure. The agreement outlined the steps he would take to avoid 'any actual or apparent conflict of interest,' and said he would not participate in any matter involving Boeing. The CREW ethics complaint, based to a large part on published reports, including one by Politico in January, said Shanahan has made comments praising Boeing in meetings about government contracts, raising concerns about 'whether Shanahan, intentionally or not, is putting his finger on the scale when it comes to Pentagon priorities.' One example raised by the complaint is the Pentagon's decision to request funding for Boeing's F-15EX fighter jets in the 2020 proposed budget. The Pentagon is requesting about $1 billion to buy eight of the aircraft. Shanahan, 56, joined Boeing in 1986, rose through its ranks and is credited with rescuing a troubled Dreamliner 787 program. He also led the company's missile defense and military helicopter programs. Trump has seemed attracted to Shanahan partially for his work on one of the president's pet projects - creating a Space Force. He also has publicly lauded Boeing, builder of many of the military's most prominent aircraft, including the Apache and Chinook helicopters, the C-17 cargo plane and the B-52 bomber, as well as the iconic presidential aircraft, Air Force One. This is only the third time in history that the Pentagon has been led by an acting chief, and Shanahan has served in that capacity for longer than any of the others. Presidents typically take pains to ensure the Pentagon is being run by a Senate-confirmed official, given the grave responsibilities that include sending young Americans into battle, ensuring the military is ready for extreme emergencies like nuclear war and managing overseas alliances that are central to U.S. security. CCTV footage of the getaway car used by a gang who stole life-savings from a frail pensioner in a terrifying raid at her home has been released by police. Betsy Malpass was tricked into letting four thugs, posing as water company employees, into her home in Kate's Hill, Dudley, back in February. The 83-year-old was forced to sit on a chair while her mobile phone was put under a running tap to stop her from calling the police. The gang, who were all white, ransacked her and stole her entire life savings before leaving in a black Audi S-Line car, as seen in footage released by West Midlands police. Police have released footage of the getaway car that was used by a gang after they robbed pensioner Betsy Malpass (pictured) of entire life savings after tricking their way into her Dudley home. The 83-year-old was taken to hospital and died three days after the ordeal Betsy was taken to hospital, but despite the best efforts she died three days later. One of the robbers is thought to be in his mid-twenties and around 5ft 10ins tall, with a chubby face, wearing a black hat and scarf. The charity Crimestoppers have now put up a 5,000 reward to catch the crooks after police released CCTV of cars seen in the area at the time of the burglary. Spokesperson Gary Murray said: 'Our charity believes everyone has the right to feel safe from crime, whether it's in the workplace, on the street or in your own home. 'This burglary ended with terrible consequences after a wonderful older lady died. CCTV footage, released by West Midlands police, show the Audi S-Line (pictured) used as the getaway car by the gang who tricked their way into frail pensioner's home. Police are appealing for people who may have seen something in the area to come forward 'She had suffered a horrendous ordeal in her own home, where she had lived independently. 'Her last days were dominated by the stress of this robbery and the loss of all of her life savings. He appealed for people in the cars seen in the CCTV, in the area at the time, to come forward. 'These people may have witnessed something significant and we are keen that they come forward and tell us what they know.' Anyone with information on gang of the cars is asked to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A one-time Islamic terrorist convicted of attempting to bomb a bus in Israel was granted US citizenship and has remained in the country for nearly a decade after federal officials uncovered his criminal history. Court documents obtained by CNN have revealed how Vallmoe Shqaire managed to pass through the immigration vetting process without raising any red flags even after that process was bolstered post-9/11. Shqaire was charged with illegally obtaining American citizenship by intentionally withholding his criminal record and past associations in September. Those charges came almost ten years after he became a citizen in 2008, and eight years after federal authorities first learned about his bombing attempt. Vallmoe Shqaire, 51, a one-time Islamic terrorist convicted of attempting to bomb a bus in Israel in 1988, was granted US citizenship in 2008 and has remained in the country for nearly a decade after federal officials learned of criminal record, court documents revealed (file photo) Shqaire, who was born in Jordan, was trained by the Palestinian Liberation Organization in bomb-making and the use of rifles and grenades, the records filed in US District Court in Los Angeles indicate. In 1988, Shqaire and an accomplice tried to blow up a bus 'on the direction' of a cell of the PLO, which was at the time considered a terrorist group by US officials. The pair managed to detonate a pipe bomb within range of the vehicle, but no one was injured. Shqaire, who went by the name Mahmad hadr Mahmad Shakir at the time, was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison in 1991 but was ultimately released after four due to agreements under the Oslo peace accords. He would later claim that he was coerced into confessing by members of the Israel Defense forces who beat him, subjected him to showers that were either scalding or freezing and confined him in a tiny dark cell for weeks. Shqaire also accused Israeli authorities of repeatedly arresting his father to intimidate him, shooting his brother thinking it was him and evicting his family from their home before sealing it shut with cement. US prosecutors concluded that 'such allegations are not supported by the certified court records Israel provided,' according to the filing. Shqaire tried to blow up a bus in Israel 'on the direction' of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which was considered a terrorist group by the US government at the time. PLO leader Yasser Arafat is seen speaking at a meeting of the Palestinian National Council in 1987 That conviction should have barred him from even entering the US, but he entered the country on a visitors visa in 1999 anyway. He married a US citizen that same year to obtain a green card. The woman later told authorities that she met Shqaire on their wedding day and he paid her $500. He didn't manage to get a green card through that marriage because they divorced in 2002. However, he got married a second time later that year and he was able to apply for and receive permanent residency. On his application Shqaire indicated that he had never been arrested and was not a member of any group. It was in November of 2008 that Shqaire's citizenship application was approved. Court records indicate that he came onto the radar of US terrorism investigators two years later in 2010. His arrest and imprisonment for the bombing-related charge came to light that year. During an interview with authorities, Shqaire acknowledged having been 'arrested and incarcerated in Israel on two different occasions', but he claimed that those arrests were for taking part in demonstrations, not terrorism. 'He stated that he was young and stupid at the time but was influenced by seeing innocent Palestinian men, women, and children injured or killed by Israelis,' court documents state. 'Shqaire claimed he would have never participated in events if he knew the consequences.' He remained in the US throughout the drawn-out investigation, which uncovered fingerprint evidence conclusively linking him to the bombing in early 2016. It is unclear why it took so long for the federal government to bring charges against Shqaire, who is currently out on bond and living in Los Angeles. He reached a plea deal in January and is due to be sentenced on Friday. 'By concealing his violent, terrorist conduct, defendant circumvented the procedures our immigration system depends upon,' prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum asking for Shqaire to be put behind bars for 16 months. Shqaire was charged with illegally obtaining American citizenship by intentionally withholding his criminal record and past associations last September. His defense attorney, Mark Werksman (above), has asked a US district judge in Los Angeles to sentence him to probation at a hearing Friday, arguing that being expelled from the US is punishment enough Shqaire's attorney, Mark Werksman, told CNN that the 51-year-old is not a threat to anyone. 'Mr Shqaire wanted nothing more than to be an American and to contribute positively to American society,' Werksman wrote in a sentencing memorandum. The lawyer said that his client, who has worked as a parking valet for years, lied to US immigration officials so he could escape the Middle East for 'the comparative peace and freedom of life in America'. Werksman is pushing for a sentence of probation, arguing that being expelled from the US is punishment enough. He submitted several letters from Shqaire friends testifying that he is not the man he was years ago. Werksman also said that this case is an embarrassment for the government, telling CNN: 'On paper, my client is a very bad guy. So, the question is: How did this happen?' A US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman declined to discuss Shqaire's case because it is ongoing. She told CNN that the agency's current leadership 'has enhanced the screening and vetting of those seeking immigration benefits to ensure they are eligible and do not pose a risk to national security'. Shqaire is at least the second known convicted terrorist to slip through the immigration process since 9/11. In 2017 Rasmieh Odeh pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining her US citizenship by not disclosing a 1970 conviction for her role in a pair of bombings in Israel, one of which killed two people. Odeh was expelled from the country after having been a citizen since 2004. A jury has awarded more than $21million to the family of a Chicago mother-of-five who was killed during a police chase, in one of the most expensive misconduct lawsuits in the city's history. Thirty-seven-year-old Maria Carrion-Adame died and members of her family were injured after a minivan slammed into their vehicle on December 12, 2015 as they traveled to the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe mass and pilgrimage in Des Plaines. The lawsuit named the city of Chicago, two police officers, a sergeant, and Trevante Reed, the then-16-year-old who was allegedly driving the stolen vehicle. A jury has awarded more than $21million to the family of Maria Carrion-Adame (pictured with her husband Arturo Aguirre) who was killed during a police chase, in one of the most expensive misconduct lawsuits in the city's history Wednesday's verdict for the woman's relatives compares to $3.5million being the highest awarded after trial in similar cases. Carrion-Adame is pictured center with flowers, surrounded by her family Members of mother-of-five's family - aged three to 56 - were also injured in the SUV Chicago law department spokesman Bill McCaffrey said city officials were 'disappointed' by the Wednesday verdict. The city has spent $25million on police car chase crash lawsuits in the past decade, according to the Chicago Sun Times. Reed was charged with reckless homicide in 2017 after investigators discovered his DNA on the wheel of the minivan. Three teens arrested near the scene would not admit who was behind the wheel at the time. He spent a year in jail before pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in September 2018. The fatal crash occurred around 5.45pm in the residential neighborhood of Englewood after cops saw the Dodge Caravan that had been reported stolen barrel past a stop sign. As a result of the collision 11 people in the family's Dodge Durango - ages three to 56 - were sent to hospital. Chicago police were chasing a 16-year-old allegedly driving a stolen minivan vehicle The family's vehicle was rammed into a light pole and ended up on the lawn of a home Injuries included a spinal fracture and another person with a broken leg. The vehicle was rammed into a light pole and ended up on the lawn of a home, as pictured by NBC 5. Law enforcement initially said a marked patrol car with activated lights was involved in the chase around 71st and Carpenter Streets. However family attorney Antonio Romanucci contended the officers involved in the chase were in an unmarked car with no sirens engaged and kept going when a sergeant ordered them to stop. Her family alleged in a lawsuit that Chicago police showed indifference and disregard for the safety of others during the chase. Wednesday's verdict of $21million compensation to the woman's relatives compares to $3.5million being the highest awarded after trial in similar cases. Carrion-Adame (pictured) was killed when a reported stolen minivan slammed into her vehicle containing 11 people in 2015 Settlements pre-trial didn't exceed $5million. The family's attorney Antonio Romanucci said: 'They created a narrative that this was a short chase in a residential neighborhood and not high speed, and they felt they could roll the dice with someones life and take the chance that a jury would believe that this was a necessary pursuit. And instead, the exact opposite happened.' Leslie Carrion was 15 when her mother - who was her 'best friend' - passed away as a result of the crash and she says she still cannot run or walk much. Leslie Carrion was 15 when her mother - who was her 'best friend' - passed away as a result of the crash and she says she still cannot run. Her casket at her funeral is pictured 'I feel happy because finally theyre going to do something for my mom and sad because nothing is going to bring her back. But now we can have peace in our hearts,' Carrion said. 'The people who were in the hospital for months, they still have pain. The rest of my family, they have pain because my mom is not here anymore. My siblings, theyre not the same anymore. You can see in their eyes that theyre not happy. Were missing our mom.' Her heartbroken husband Arturo Aguirre was devastated by his wife's death. In December he wrote, in Spanish: 'Today marks 3 years of your departure. 'We remember you with lots of love and affection. God bless you. You were always a good mom and an excellent wife.' In another post he wrote: 'You left for a better life but you left a void in all those who love you. We will never forget. You will always live in our hearts.' Federal agents raided the two homes of embattled Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh early Thursday morning as well as offices in City Hall in the midst of a scandal related to her $800,000 book deal. FBI spokesman Dave Fitz said FBI and IRS agents were 'executing court-authorized search warrants' at 'both residences and City Hall.' The search warrants are sealed, and Fitz said he couldnt immediately release more information. Agents also searched Maryland Center for Adult Training, one of Pughs businesses, her attorney's office and the home of one of her aides, Gary Brown Jr, who was prosecuted for making illegal contributions to her 2016 mayoral campaign. Brown sat on Maryland Center for Adult Training's board along with two other Pugh aides. All three were fired on Wednesday by Acting Mayor Bernard 'Jack' Young. Scroll down for video FBI and IRS agents are seen heading towards Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh's home during early Thursday morning raid One of Pugh's two homes in the Ashburton neighborhood is pictured during Thursday's raid Mayor Pugh (pictured in June 2018) went on indefinite leave on April 1 amid a scandal related to her $700,000 book deal Agents wearing FBI windbreakers were seen walking into Pugh's home on Ellamont Road and removing large boxes from the garage, reported WRAL-TV. The mayors spokesman, James Bentley, said he had no immediate comment. Pugh and five of her staffers are now on paid leave amid a scandal over her sales of Healthy Holly childrens books to entities that do business with the city. Since 2011, Pugh has received $500,000 selling her self-published paperbacks to the University of Maryland Medical System, a $4billion hospital network that's one of the largest private employers in the state. Mayor Pugh went on indefinite leave on April 1, saying she needed time off to recover from pneumonia. Shes also facing intense scrutiny over the sale of her Healthy Holly childrens books to entities that do business with the city. 'She's been advised by her physicians that she needs to take time to recover and focus on her health,' her office's statement said at the time. City Council President Bernard Young has been serving as acting mayor of Baltimore over the past three weeks. The mayor's decision to go on leave came the same day that Maryland's Republican governor called on the state prosecutor to investigate allegations of self-dealing by Pugh and the state's comptroller, a Democrat, urged Pugh to step down immediately. FBI agents enter City Hall in Baltimore on Thursday to carry out a raid connected to Pugh Agents also searched Maryland Center for Adult Training (pictured), which is one of Pughs businesses Pugh is accused of corrupt practices in selling her self-published series of children's books to the University of Maryland Medical System and Kaiser Permanente, entities that do business with the city of Baltimore In a letter to the state prosecutor, Gov. Larry Hogan said recent allegations facing Pugh and her questionable arrangements to sell her illustrated 'Healthy Holly' books are 'deeply disturbing.' Since then, the first-term mayor has been asked to resign by the entire lineup of the current City Council, all Baltimore lawmakers in Maryland's House of Delegates, the influential Greater Baltimore Committee business group and others. Maryland's chief accountant called Pugh's 'self-dealing' arrangements to sell her books as 'brazen, cartoonish corruption.' But only a conviction can trigger a Baltimore mayor's removal from office, according to City Solicitor Andre Davis and the state constitution. Baltimore's mayor-friendly City Charter currently provides no options for ousting its executive. Members of Pugh's communications staff have said repeatedly that she intends to return to City Hall when she is feeling better, but have declined to provide any timetable. The calls for resignation came after Kaiser Permanente disclosed that it paid $114,000, between 2015 and 2018, for roughly 20,000 copies of Pugh's children's books. Pugh became Baltimore's mayor in 2016. The next year, Baltimore's spending board, which is controlled by the mayor, awarded a $48 million contract to the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States Inc. Kaiser previously held that contract. When asked who Kaiser bought the books from, company spokesman Scott Lusk said: 'We purchased the books from Healthy Holly, LLC.' That is Pugh's company, which she has said was meant to encourage healthy lifestyles for youngsters and their families. Additionally, The Baltimore Sun reported that CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, another city health provider, effectively bought Pugh's roughly 20-page illustrated books for $14,500 in 2011 and 2014. In an email, CareFirst said it made contributions to Associated Black Charities, a nonprofit that manages the city's Children and Youth Fund, to fund its purchase and distribution of books. It's not clear whether this tranche of books is from another printing of 'Healthy Holly' books, or from books University of Maryland Medical System had already bought and resold. The firm Pugh identified as her books' printer said it has produced only 60,000 copies and doesn't have any more orders from Pugh. She's only acknowledged sales of her book to UMMS and said they were meant to be distributed to city schools and daycares. City Council President Bernard C. 'Jack' Young, shown, took over Pugh's day-to-day responsibilities during her leave Since the arrangement with Maryland Medical System came to light last month, Pugh has stepped down from the volunteer board and returned her most recent payment of $100,000 for the books. At a press conference, Pugh described the book deal with the university-based health care system as a 'regrettable mistake' and apologized for 'any lack of confidence or disappointment' citizens and colleagues may be feeling. She provided five pages of paperwork, asserting they detail production and various deliveries of her 'Healthy Holly' books to Baltimore's school system. She also provided a copy of a January 2011 letter to the district's chief academic officer describing a donation of 20,000 copies of 'Health Holly: Exercising is Fun!' One of Maryland's largest private employers, the UMMS paid Pugh half-a-million dollars for 100,000 copies of her roughly 20-page books, arguably making her among the world's most successful self-published authors. There was no contract behind the deal and the hospital network described some of the purchases as 'grants' in federal filings. Pugh - who once sat on a state Senate committee that funded the major health network before becoming mayor in 2016 - served on the system's board since 2001. One-third of UMMS board members received compensation through the medical system's arrangements with their businesses, a revelation the governor has called 'appalling.' Legislation is pending in Maryland's capital focusing on board governance. Donald Trump says he never ordered White House lawyer Don McGahn to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump finally addressed the claim, covered in depth in the Mueller report, a week after the special counsel published a volume of testimony and observations that included the directive. 'As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didnt need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself,' Trump contended. The president claimed in Thursday morning tweets that the media was spreading false information about his orders to McGhan, even though the information came from the legal document the Department of Justice published online and sent to Congress. He was suddenly anxious to get his side of the story out, after refusing to respond to the special counsel's questions about the matter, now that Democrats have subpoenaed the former White House attorney for additional testimony. Donald Trump says he never ordered White House lawyer Don McGahn to fire special counsel Robert Mueller Former White House counsel Don McGahn listens in September as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. It's McGahn who's likely to be in the congressional hot seat next -Democrats of have subpoenaed him Trump was suddenly anxious to get his side of the story out, after refusing to respond to the special counsel's questions about the matter, now that Democrats have subpoenaed McGahn McGahn acknowledged that Trump did not order him to fire Mueller. Rather, he says Trump told him 'Mueller has to go' and dispatched him to deliver the message to the deputy attorney general. According to the Mueller report, McGahn believed that Trump was ordering him to fire the special counsel and disobeyed his orders. 'McGahn recalled that the President was more direct, saying something like, ' "Call Rod, tell Rod that Mueller has conflicts and can't be the Special Counsel." McGahn recalled the President telling him "Mueller has to go" and "Call me back when you do it." Mueller writes that 'McGahn understood the President to be saying that the Special Counsel had to be removed by Rosenstein. To end the conversation with the President, McGahn left the President with the impression that McGahn would call Rosenstein. McGahn recalled that he had already said no to the President's request and he was worn down, so he just wanted to get off the phone.' The special counsel said that 'McGahn recalled feeling trapped because he did not plan to follow the President's directive but did not know what he would say the next time the President called.' McGahn contemplated resigning as a result, the report states. That he did not is a point of fact that has been used by Trump's personal attorney to undermine the testimony. Rudy Giuliani claimed Sunday that McGahn was 'confused' and provided the special counsel with bad information. Democrats would like to cross-examine McGahn, and the House Judiciary Committee took steps this week to compel him to do so. Trump said Wednesday the demand that McGahn testify 'is ridiculous' and unnecessary after two years of investigations into his administration. 'Were fighting all the subpoenas,' he told reporters as he left the White House for an opioid summit in Atlanta. He said litigation-happy Democrats should 'go after the DNC, crooked Hillary, the dirty cops' and Robert Mueller's investigators. 'That was a rigged system and Im breaking down I am breaking down the swamp. If you look at whats happening, theyre getting caught, theyre getting fired,' he said. 'If you look at drain the swamp, I am draining the swamp.' Donald Trump said Wednesday that House Democrats' demand that McGahn testify 'is ridiculous' and unnecessary after two years of investigations into his administration Donald Trump says he'll challenge Democrats in a familiar location if they pursue impeachment a court of law Mueller opted not to charge Trump with obstruction of justice while intentionally leaving space for Congress to conduct an investigation of its own. At the heart of the matter is whether Trump intended to obstruct justice when he loudly and repeatedly criticized Mueller and the special counsel prosecutors. McGahn's testimony will be critical to determining whether Trump was 'frustrated' because he thought he was being 'framed,' as Giuliani put it after the release of the Mueller report, or whether he engaged in a willful abuse of power. If lawmakers are able to prove that Trump intended to break the law, they can start impeachment proceedings to remove him from office, even before he's on the ballot in the 2020 presidential election. Trump said Thursday that McGahn's testimony had been misconstrued. 'Mueller was NOT fired and was respectfully allowed to finish his work on what I, and many others, say was an illegal investigation (there was no crime), headed by a Trump hater who was highly conflicted, and a group of 18 VERY ANGRY Democrats. DRAIN THE SWAMP!' he tweeted. He added, a short time later, 'Despite the fact that the Mueller Report was composed by Trump Haters and Angry Democrats, who had unlimited funds and human resources, the end result was No Collusion, No Obstruction. Amazing!' As he opined about the possibility for impeachment on Wednesday morning on Twitter, he said he'd take a case straight to the Supreme Court, if Democrats choose to go that route. He claimed the Mueller report 'didn't lay a glove on me' and predicted Democrats won't find enough evidence to convict him. Trump said: 'The Mueller Report, despite being written by Angry Democrats and Trump Haters, and with unlimited money behind it ($35,000,000), didnt lay a glove on me. I DID NOTHING WRONG. If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. 'Not only are there no High Crimes and Misdemeanors, there are no Crimes by me at all. All of the Crimes were committed by Crooked Hillary, the Dems, the DNC and Dirty Cops - and we caught them in the act! We waited for Mueller and WON, so now the Dems look to Congress as last hope!' Trump told the Washington Post the night before that he would resist Democrats' requests for interviews with ex-officials, including McGahn. 'There is no reason to go any further, and especially in Congress where its very partisan,' he said. He explained in other tweets that he 'allowed everyone to testify' to the Mueller team 'including W.H. counsel.' Trump claimed, 'I didnt have to do this, but now they want more.' 'Congress has no time to legislate, they only want to continue the Witch Hunt, which I have already won. They should start looking at The Criminals who are already very well known to all. This was a Rigged System - WE WILL DRAIN THE SWAMP!' he said. He told reporters waiting for him on the South Lawn later that day that Mueller's prosecutors 'hate President Trump' and wouldn't have said he did not participate in a criminal conspiracy to meddle in the election if he did. 'So you had no collusion, no obstruction. Now were finished with it and I thought after two years wed be finished with it. No. Now the House goes and starts subpoenas. They want to do every deal Ive ever done,' he said. 'Now Mueller, I assume, for 35 million dollars, checked my taxes, checked my financials which are great, by the way. They checked my financials and they checked my taxes, I assume.' House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff accused Trump of stone-walling Congress in a tweet. 'Today, Trump said he is the most transparent president in the history of our nation. If by transparent, he means opposing every request for documents and testimony by Congress, And obstructing Muellers investigation, Then I dont think that word means what he thinks it means, ' he said. Kellyanne Conway told reporters that Trump complied with the Mueller investigation already and that should be enough. The president isnt saying they dont have the right. The president is saying that the Mueller report is the definitive, conclusive, non-partisan investigation, that was funded by taxpayers,' she said of Democrats' pursuit of additional information. So what else is there to know? And what else is there to see?' She claimed, 'What we all know if Director Mueller and his investigators wanted to felt it was right to indict, they would have done that. Conway said that Trump could exert executive privilege to keep McGhan from testifying to Congress. Theres a reason our democracy and our constitutional government allows for that. But we should note that theres been a great deal of executive cooperation and compliance,' she said. Advertisement Austin, Texas, topped the list of the best places to live in America in 2019, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual analysis. It's the second year in a row that Austin ranked first on the list of 125 Best Places to Live in the U.S.A. The city offers a lively music and culture scene, but it's also one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country. It has a young population; the median age is 34.2, and a low 2.9 percent unemployment rate. Austin's average annual salary is $51,840, and the median monthly rent is $1,155. Locals spend an average of 26.8 minutes commuting to work. 'Austin offers the strong job market, (a) reputation as a fun place to live and relative affordability that many people are looking for in a place to live,' Devon Thorsby, Real Estate Editor at U.S. News & World Report, told DailyMail.com. This map illustrates the top 10 best places to live in 2019, according to the annual list by U.S. News & World Reports. It also includes details on the population, average salary and median rent for each of the cities 'Austins population continues to grow rapidly, which has increased the cost of living in the metro area over the last few years,' Thorsby added. 'Still, many people moving to the Austin metro area are coming from the coasts, and are used to higher home prices and higher rents.' Researchers at U.S. News & World Report use U.S. Census and Department of Labor data to compile the list each year based on factors like the strength of the job market, quality of life and the cost of housing. Based on those criteria which include analysis of local crime rates, quality of education and health care Denver, Colorado ranked second on the list. Denver has a population of 2.8 million people and a median age of 36.3. Its low unemployment rate of 3 percent helped place it on the list, though the median home price is a high $393,842. Locals spend an average of 27.5 minutes commuting to work, and $1,203 on rent. Colorado Springs, Colorado ranked third on the list, thanks in part to lower than average costs for groceries, utilities and transportation. It has a population of nearly 700,000 people and a median age of 34.4. The average annual salary is $50,050 and median monthly rent comes in at $1,070. Residents spend an average of 23.3 minutes commuting to work. Fayetteville, Arkansas was fourth on the list of best places to live. In the heart of the Ozark Mountains, the community draws people who crave the outdoors and want to take advantage of its many state parks. It has a population of 514,000 people and a median age of 33.9. Its unemployment rate is a low 2.7 percent and the average annual salary is $45,830, while median rent is a low $778 per month. Locals spend an average of 21.1 minutes commuting to work. In fifth place was Des Moines, Iowa, a city of more than 620,000 people that still maintains a small-town feel. The average salary is $50,600, while median rent is a low $857 a month. Median home prices are also low, at $178,942. Locals spend an average of 20.3 minutes commuting to work. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota came in sixth on the list of best places to live, thanks in part to its mix of big-city amenities and Midwest sensibility. This table lists the top 10 cities on the U.S. News & World Reports list of the best cities to live in America in 2019. It breaks out the population, median age and unemployment levels for each city The region has a population of 3.5 million people and a median age of 36.8. The metro area has a 2.7 percent unemployment rate and an average annual salary of $56,030. The median home price is $237,367, while median rent comes in at $1,001. Locals spend an average of 25.3 minutes commuting to work. San Francisco ranked seventh on the list. Known for its many bohemian residents and as ground zero of the tech industry, the city attracts a mix of people. The cost of living is high, with a median home price of $768,517 and a median monthly rent of $1,673. The average salary is $69,700, and local residents spend an average of 32.8 minutes commuting to work. In eighth place was Portland, Oregon, thanks in part to its offbeat sense of community and unofficial slogan of, 'Keep Portland Weird.' If low-cost living is your main concern, a separate analysis by GoBankingRates breaks out the top 10 best cities to live on a salary of $50,000. Researchers analyzed cost of living along with federal, state and local taxes in cities across the country to pinpoint which ones offered an affordable and fun lifestyle on a low salary The city has a population of 2.4 million people and an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent. The median home price is $375,425 and median rent is $1,118 per month. Portland's average annual salary is $55,330 and locals spend an average 26.6 minutes commuting to work each day. Portland's neighbor to the north, Seattle, came in ninth on the list of best places to live. Despite misconceptions about the rain, Seattle gets less annual downfall than Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Miami. It made the list in part due to its dual big-city and outdoor appeal. Seattle has a population of 3.7 million people and a median age of 37.1. Its unemployment rate is 3.9 percent and the average annual salary is $63,120, while the median home price is $442,333 and median rent is $1,297. Locals spend an average of 30.1 minutes commuting to work each day. Rounding out the top 10 is Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. The area is known for being a research and technology hub and for its major universities. It has a population of 1.8 million and a median age of 36.4. The average annual salary is $53,788 and the region has a 3.4 percent unemployment rate. It has a low median home price of $239,294 and median rent of $991 a month. Locals spend an average of 25.3 minutes in traffic. XZavier Sharif Davis, 26 (picured), of South Carolina, who has been accused of shooting his live-in girlfriend and her son has now been charged with murder after Iven James Caldwell, age seven, died A South Carolina man who has been accused of shooting his live-in girlfriend and her son has now been charged with murder after the seven-year-old boy died from his injuries. XZavier Sharif Davis, 26, is accused of shooting at a vehicle containing his girlfriend, their two children and her son from a previous relationship following an alleged domestic dispute at their home early on Saturday morning, the Newberry County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. Both the mother and Iven James Caldwell were shot, and Caldwell succumbed to his injuries on Monday. 'He was a child that could touch anybodys heart,' Caldwell's grandmother Dinnie Hutner told ABC News. 'To know Iven is to love Iven, and he had a great big smile. Hell truly be missed in our family.' Davis was originally charged with four counts of assault and battery with intent to kill. The count related to the shooting of the child has now been upgraded to murder. Authorities said Davis came home at around 3.15am on Saturday to find the house locked, and when he eventually got in he began verbally abusing the woman, their two children, and Caldwell (pictured), who is the woman's son with a different person Caldwell, who was a student at Gallman Elementary School at the time of his death, was a 'well-liked young man who had a bright future', his relative and Pastor James Boulware said. Gallman Principal Nikki Hunter said of her student: 'Iven Caldwell was funny, loving, had many friends, charismatic, a true people person, and had the most beautiful, infectious smile. He worked hard and never gave up even if the work was difficult. We were blessed to have him be a part of our Gator Family.' Authorities said Davis and Caldwell's mother got into an argument at around 3.15am on Saturday when Davis returned home to their house on Cherry Lane and the doors were locked. Davis was shouting that he needed to be let in to the home but everyone had already gone to bed, and once he was able to gain entry he began verbally assaulting his partner and the children. The women then gathered the children, exited through the backdoor of the home and got into a car in an attempt to flee. Davis then allegedly fired shots from a handgun at the vehicle. Principal Hunter, who lives in the same neighborhood, said she heard the weapon being discharged. 'I just heard some gun shots, like pop pop pop pop pop pop, and I shook my husband and I asked him to get up, I suppose something had happened, somebodys shooting,' Hunter said. 'It was so close, I thought it was outside my bedroom window.' The woman gathered the children to flee in a car, which Davis allegedly began shooting at, hitting the woman and Caldwell (pictured). The woman drove them to Newberry County Memorial Hospital, but Caldwell had to be transferred to a hospital in Columbia due to the severity of his injuries, where he died at around 2pm on Monday As the mother was driving to Newberry County Memorial Hospital she noticed Caldwell had been shot in the head. Due to the severity of his injuries he had to be transferred to another hospital in Columbia, where he died at around 2pm on Monday. 'As a parent, my heart just aches for the mother and children who had to watch this child be shot and eventually die from this senseless act of violence,' Sheriff Lee Foster said. 'It is simply abhorrent to me that this childs life was taken because of the willful, senseless, and reckless actions of this suspect.' The family has said it will hold a memorial service for Caldwell on Saturday. Davis is currently in custody at the Newberry County Detention Center, where he is being held without bail. Martyna Ogonowska faces a life sentence for stabbing her new boyfriend in the heart A teenager who stabbed her new boyfriend in the heart just three days into their relationship has been jailed for life for his murder. Martyna Ogonowska, 18, attacked Filip Jaskiewicz after a row over his driving as they returned from a night out in Peterborough in October last year. She was today convicted of murder today after a court heard she sent a message to her mother shortly after the attack, saying 'the whole knife went into his heart mum, what should I do?'. A judge ordered she serve at least 17 years behind bars before she can apply for parole. Cambridge Crown Court heard Mr Jaskiewicz, Ogonowska and friends had been to a club before he drove the group home around 5am. There was a row about the speed of the car and Mr Jaskiewicz pulled over before Ogonowska unleashed her attack. A court heard Ogonowska and Mr Jaskiewicz argued about his driving before the attack Mr Jaskiewicz put his hand on her leg before she stabbed him in 'a fit of anger', then ran off, the court heard. She later took a taxi to a local police station and handed herself in. Her arrest picture shows the teenager looking teary. Mr Jaskiewicz was found dead by a member of the public around the time his killer arrived at the police station. Ogonowska and Mr Jaskiewicz, who are both Polish by birth, had met through mutual friends and a relationship had begun just days before the attack. Mr Jaskiewicz had come to England a year before and settled in Peterborough where he worked as a van driver. In police interview, she claimed it had been an accident and had punched him in self-defence but forgotten about the knife she was holding. Mr Jaskiewicz was stabbed after pulling over when he drove his girlfriend home in October Speaking after her conviction today, DCI Adam Gallop said: 'This is a tragic case which once again shows the potentially lethal consequences of carrying a knife. Ogonowska had taken the kitchen knife out with her and then into the car where it was eventually used. 'Once she had stabbed Filip she ran and made no attempt to alert emergency services, so leaving him to die. 'Filip's family are devastated by his death but I hope the fact that justice has today been done may help them in some way to live with their loss and grief.' Advertisement Two people have been killed after a tornado ripped through a small Louisiana town, leaving buildings, vehicles and power lines severely damaged. The mother and son were killed when a tree fell on their home after the tornado tore through the northern city of Ruston early Thursday morning. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards confirmed the deaths of the two people and warned that heavy storms would continue throughout the state for the rest of the day. Two people have been killed after a tornado ripped through the small Louisiana town of Ruston early Thursday, leaving buildings, vehicles and power lines severely damaged A damaged pickup truck sits in the parking lot of a strip mall that was destroyed by a deadly tornado that tore through the northern Louisiana city of Ruston The tornado touched down at about 2am. Severe winds caused several dormitory windows at the Louisiana Tech University campus to blow out but no students were reported injured. Louisiana Tech University President Les Guice canceled all classes for Thursday. Locals schools have also closed for the day. Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone told local news outlet Monroe News Star that the two people who died were killed in their home just off Interstate 20. First responders have not yet been able to retrieve the bodies because it has been deemed too dangerous. People survey the damage at a motel that was destroyed when the deadly tornado struck early Thursday Two men walk though the parking lot of a strip mall that was destroyed in the tornado in the northern Louisiana city Several cars were destroyed or severely damaged in the tornado. Several cars had their windows smashed and damaged by flying debris Buildings were wiped out in the small town and debris covered the area just hours after the tornado struck at about 2am Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards confirmed the deaths of the two people from the tornado and warned that heavy storms would continue The roofs of some buildings were completely torn off after the tornado tore through on Thursday THE AFTERMATH - We're live over Ruston as we get our first view of tornado damage seen in the daylight over the region. These storms did kill at least two people as confirmed by the mayor earlier. pic.twitter.com/kAK5vIHcUT WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) April 25, 2019 It is the same location where most of the damage is said to have occurred. 'I've never seen it this bad in my 43 years,' the sheriff said. 'It's tragic, and it's going to be a while before we can get all this cleaned up.' The Governor said he was heading to Ruston to assess the damage caused by the tornado. 'Our hearts and prayers are with the people of Ruston this morning, especially the families of those who were killed in the tornado,' Edwards said. 'We are coordinating state resources to assist local leaders in their needs and I will travel to Ruston later today. 'I encourage all Louisianans not only to pray for and support the people of Ruston in the aftermath of this tragedy, but also to prepare for bad weather as it comes through the state.' The roof of a sporting complex at Louisiana Tech University was damaged by the tornado The tornado touched down near the Louisiana Tech University campus at about 2am and caused damage to the sporting area Debris littered a sporting field at the university on Thursday morning. The university said no students were injured by the tornado Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker says he took a helicopter flight over the town of about 24,000 people Thursday morning and says the damage he saw to houses is 'unbelievable.' Walker said immediately after the tornado swept through about three quarters of the town was without power but it is currently being restored. National Weather Service hydrologist C. S. Ross said it appears the tornado cut a track over 130 miles from eastern Texas to the Louisiana-Arkansas border. The tornado was part of a severe weather system that pounded Texas with rain Wednesday, killing a woman and two children caught in flash flood waters. The storm moved into Mississippi on Thursday morning. Two people have been killed after a tornado ripped through the small Louisiana town of Ruston early Thursday, leaving buildings, vehicles and power lines severely damaged This gas station in Ruston was left severely damaged when the tornado tore through at about 2am on Thursday Bill Cosby is fighting an arbitration award which found he must pay the majority of his outstanding legal fees to his former lawyers who billed him $1million a month in the run-up to his first sex assault trial in 2017. The disgraced actor, who is currently serving prison time for the 2004 drugging and molestation of a woman, is challenging the award that demands he pay $7million of the $9.2million that was billed by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan for their nine months of work. In a petition filed last Friday, the 81-year-old star accused the firm of elder abuse, saying he never knew the scope of their work - in part because of his age and blindness. He has also criticized the firm for 'unconscionable fees', with lawyers said to be making between $500 to $1,075 per hour on his case. Cosby has a net worth of $400million, according to Town & Country, a fortune made from his hit sitcom, bestselling books and endorsement deals with companies including Coca-Cola. Bill Cosby is fighting an arbitration award that demands he pay $7million of the $9.2million billed by his former legal team at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan Coby's legal team at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan was led by Christopher Tayback (pictured) Cosby initially retained Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to represent him in three lawsuits in late 2015, with a team led by high-powered partner, Christopher Tayback. However, as Cosby's legal woes snowballed, Tayback eventually had 28 lawyers working on 10 cases involving 14 accusers across the country. They are alleged to have billed Cosby $300,000 for online searches and $48,000 for a lawyer's work reading two gossip novels and a book about the Playboy Mansion, where one of the alleged Cosby assaults occurred. The disgraced actor has already paid the firm $2million for their work, while his insurer contributed $2.3million. He still owes Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan around $2.4million. His petition seeks a review of that decision and a refund of the money paid. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan withdrew from representing the star in July 2016, before he stood trial for the 2004 sexual assault. Between 2015 and 2018, Cosby hired 12 different law firms and 20 different lawyers to help represent him over sexual assault allegations. In spite of all their best efforts, the actor was sentenced to a three to ten year prison term for drugging and molesting a woman in Pennsylvania in 2004. Cosby hired 12 different law firms and 20 different lawyers to help represent him over sexual assault allegations. Tayback is pictured second from left, flanked by two of Cosby's other lawyers from different firms, during a hearing in 2016 Cosby was sentenced to a three- to 10-year prison term for drugging and molesting a woman in Pennsylvania in 2004. He is pictured being led to jail in September last year Since his conviction in September of last year, Cosby has been serving time in a maximum-security prison outside of Philadelphia. However, his current lawyers are still working on an appeal for the star, and have just filed a bail motion with the state Superior Court. In the motion, Cosby's legal team complain that Steven T. O'Neill, the trial judge who sentenced him to jail, has not issued a post-trial opinion explaining key trial decisions. The defense needs the opinion to pursue Cosby's appeals, but there is no deadline for the judge to file, which can take many months. A statement posted on Cosby's Instagram feed read: 'Judge Steven T. O'Neill continues to show his disgust and prejudice towards Mr. Cosby. Judge Steven O'Niell has been criticized by Cosby's legal team over his handling of the trial Cosby's team hit out at the official on Instagram asking for the 'scandalous judge be removed immediately' 'We're asking that this scandalous judge be removed immediately, and Mr. Cosby be granted bail throughout the appeals process, because the judge's racial hatred towards Mr. Cosby, clouds his better judgement to be a good steward of the bench.' Quoting Mr Cosby, the post also says: 'This judge took an oath. I Believe. To be fair and impartial, which grants him the authority to perform all of the duties detailed in the Constitution.' 'I don't know what Constitutional rock this judge resides, because his refusal to write an opinion, reveals that he's complicit in the corruption against me, and that he's an accessory to the incestuous behavior that resides in Montgomery County. His dishonorable conduct makes me smile, because this judge is being exposed, and it shows that this is bigger than me, [Bill Cosby]. 'O'Neill now has his formula: tried, true and tested to destroy Any Black Man and/or Colored Man In America. I'm just so happy, because this guy is proving my innocence. And guess what else. America is finally getting to witness the truth.' Southern California wildlife officials are on the hunt for the large black bear that attacked an 84-year-old homeless man Tuesday night. Police in the Los Angeles suburb of Sierra Madre, California received a call around 11.30pm Tuesday about an elderly man frantically ringing doorbells and knocking on doors, begging for help in the 1200 block of Arno Drive. They arrived to find the unidentified man with bloody claw marks on his face after being mauled by a bear in a nearby canyon. The victim told police he was sleeping in a sleeping bag on a trail in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountain when the bear, estimated to weigh 200-300 lbs., attacked him. The unidentified victim said the bear attacked him while he was sleeping in a sleeping bag on a trail in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountain Tuesday night, leaving claw marks on his face The victim told police the bear seemed to be playing with him initially, but when he tried to shew the animal away, it took a swipe at him Police in the Los Angeles suburb of Sierra Madre, California received a call around 11.30pm Tuesday about the elderly man frantically ringing doorbells and knocking on doors, begging for help in the 1200 block of Arno Drive 'The bear came up and clawed him on his face and hand,' Sierra Madre Police Department Officer Cadzow told KTLA about the incident. Sgt. Charles Kamchamnan told the LA Times the victim 'believes the bear may have been playing with him, but when he tried to swat it away, it took a swipe at him.' 'He was lucky. It could have been much worse,' Kamchamnan added. The 84-year-old fled down a foothill to a nearby residential area, but the bear followed him. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has recorded 99 bear attack incidents in the wild statewide since 1986 The elderly victim fled on foot to a nearby residential area (pictured), but the bear followed him. The man eluded the animal by hiding behind a fence The man eventually hid behind a fence until the animal walked away, police said. Officials later found a black bear roaming in a nearby neighborhood, but couldn't confirm if it was the same bear that attacked the old man. California's black bear population has steadily increased in recent years, growing to an estimated population of 35,000 bears living in the state in 2018, according the San Diego Tribune. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife did not immediately return calls for comment on the attack. The state has recorded 99 bear attack incidents in the wild statewide since 1986. A Texan couple have been sentenced to 60 years each in federal prison for sexually assaulting at least 25 children and were deemed 'the most wicked criminals in Texas history'. Parents-of-five Christopher Almaguer and Sarah Rashelle Almaguer, both 27, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of production of child pornography, according to a press release from the Western District of Texas. Christopher Almaguer's brother, 25-year-old Paul Perez Jr, was also sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of receipt of child pornography. Scroll down for video Christopher Almaguer and Sarah Rashelle Almaguer, both 27, pleaded guilty to once count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of production of child pornography Video courtesy of FOX44 News United States district judge Alan D Albright also ordered that each of the defendants pay $10,000 restitution to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Fund and be placed on supervised release for the remainder of their lives. 'To me this is the most significant case we've prosecuted since I became U.S. attorney,' stated U.S. attorney John F Bash. Christopher Almaguer's brother, 25-year-old Paul Perez Jr, was also sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of receipt of child pornography. 'The Almaguers were serial child abusers. They abused 25 children that we know about - children from the neighborhood, children from church, children they babysat. 'The youngest victim was an infant. And the nature of the abuse was unimaginable. They also made videos of the children's torture and shared them. These are two of the most wicked criminals in Texas history.' The Almaguers admitted that in December 2017, they uploaded sexually explicit videos of themselves sexually assaulting the children as young as eight months old. Bash described that Christopher raped an infant girl while his wife penetrated an infant girl with a sharpie pen. Perez admitted to receiving the images and videos from the couple that depicted the abuse of the children. He is said to have requested his brother sexually assault a five-year-old girl while telling her to say 'hi, Paul.' According to court records, investigators were able to come up with a list of approximately 25 potential minor child victims, all coming from the Central Texas area. The Waco Tribune reports that 13 of the victims have been identified. The Almaguers admitted that in December 2017, they uploaded sexually explicit videos of themselves sexually assaulting the children as young as eight months old All three defendants have been in police custody since their arrests in February and March 2018. The arrests were part of a joint investigation between the Texas Office of the Attorney General, Criminal Investigations Division, Child Exploitation Unit, the United States Secret Service, KIlleen Police Department and the Temple Police Department. The investigation was launched in February 2018 when Facebook notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user was uploading images and videos depicting child pornography. The couple apologized for their actions and said that they turned their lives over to God, and also offered to be better parents to their five children. A Florida police officer is being investigated after bodycam footage captured him punching a suspect who was handcuffed to a hospital bed. The shocking video shows Broward County Deputy Jorge Sobrino forcing David O'Connell to lay on the bed before punching him and twisting his arm behind his back. O'Connell can be heard screaming in pain during the altercation. He later begs a nurse to stay in the room with him and Sobrino. 'These f*****g cops are beating my a** bro, please have the door open bro,' he pleads. 'You know there's abusive cops out there. Please just have somebody else in here with me. They keep beating my a** bro.' roward County Deputy Jorge Sobrino is being investigated after bodycam footage captured him punching David O'Connell while he was handcuffed to a hospital bed. The video shows the men yelling at each other before the altercation Sobrino confronted O'Connell, 26, at a Walmart in Pompano Beach in January on a report of a domestic disturbance. He arrested O'Connell on a charge of resisting without violence and took him to Broward Health North to be evaluated for injuries he sustained during the arrest. O'Connell can be heard telling Sobrino that he doesn't want to be at the hospital and would rather just go to jail. 'Hey, I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here,' he yells at him. 'I wanna sign out!' Sobrino then closes the door of the hospital room and orders O'Connell to 'shut up and sit down'. 'Now you're going to f*****g close the door and beat my a** again,' O'Connell tells him. 'F**k you! Now you think you're all big now because you're a f*****g cop?' That's when Sobrino throws O'Connell's legs on the bed, punches him in the face, and forcefully twists his arm behind his back. Sobrino then approached O'Connell, who had been begging to leave the hospital, and forced his legs onto the hospital bed Sobrino is seen here raising his arm as he punches O'Connell in the disturbing video Later in the footage Sobrino can be seen pointing to the camera, making it clear he was well aware he was being recorded the entire time. O'Connell's attorneys said he had repeatedly told Sobrino he did not want medical attention but was still placed in an exam room and handcuffed to the hospital bed, according to WPLG. He then told medical staff that he did not want to wait for a doctor, but a nurse continued to collect his vital signs and information. O'Connell then told the nurse he needed to pee, and was forced to do so in the room - with Sobrino present - using a handheld urinal while he was still handcuffed to the bed. Sobrino claimed in his police report that O'Connell had touched him first. '[I] approached O'Connell and once I placed his legs on the bed, he lifted his free hand and pushed me on my chest, in order to keep me away from him,' it reads. Sobrino is then seen punching O'Connell and forcefully twisting his arm behind his back O'Connell can be heard yelping out in pain as Sobrino continues to twist his arm on the bed O'Connell's attorneys said that he is not shown pushing Sobrino in the chest at any point in the bodycam footage. Gordon Weekes, one of O'Connell's public defenders, said the video is proof that Sobrino wanted to 'beat up' O'Connell instead of use 'deescalation techniques'. 'It shows how brazen and how comfortable he is in using this type of force and that he will use it even when he knows the camera is running,' Weekes added. The charges against O'Connell have since been dropped. Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen called for the department to fire Sobrino. 'I'm asking for the Sheriff to take immediate action,' he said in a statement on Wednesday. 'There has to be a zero-tolerance policy for abuse and brutality.' Gordon Weekes, one of O'Connell's public defenders, said the video is proof that Sobrino wanted to 'beat up' O'Connell instead of use 'deescalation techniques' 'This is the second time in less than a week where videotape shows a BSO deputy abusing his power. I am asking the State Attorney's Office to open a criminal investigation into this as well.' BSO said it has since launched a preliminary internal investigation into the incident. The charges against O'Connell (pictured in his mugshot from the same day) have since been dropped The disturbing bodycam video emerged just days after two BSO officers were seen pepper spraying a 15-year-old boy and slamming him to the ground. Prosecutors are examining the actions of Sergeant Greg LaCerra and Deputy Christopher Krickovich after the officers were filmed bringing Delucca Rolle to the ground during a fight. The footage, which has received nationwide condemnation, shows the officers outside a suburban Fort Lauderdale McDonald's where 200 students had gathered. During the cell phone video, LaCerra is seen spraying Delucca after the boy stands up and appears to say something to him. After throwing Delucca to the ground, Krickovich jumps on top of the boy and pounds his head into the ground before punching him. As his head is thrown to the ground, Delucca tries to place his arm underneath his bleeding forehead. Both officers have been suspended and the case is under internal investigation. A mother held a knife to the throat of her three-year-old daughter while having an argument with her boyfriend. The unnamed woman walked near her apartment block with her two little daughters and her partner in the town of Klin in western Russia's Moscow Oblast region. Witnesses said that the woman appeared to be drunk and started quarrelling with her boyfriend. As the argument escalated, she grabbed a knife and put it to her three-year-old daughter's throat. Holding the child at knifepoint, the woman demanded that her partner 'defend the girl' from her, their neighbours said. The woman was seen brandishing a knife and holding it to her three-year-old daughter's throat during an argument with her boyfriend The woman's boyfriend filmed her holding the weapon to her child's throat during the confrontation in the town of Klin, Russia The man started filming what was happening on his smartphone. He later posted the footage on social media showing his partner holding her younger daughter at knifepoint. The shocked man can be heard saying: 'She [the mother] is threatening the child with a knife'. And the woman shouted to the camera: 'Why are you running away? You should defend the child and not run away.' Next footage showed the furious woman turning to a random car and hitting it hard with her right hand while still holding the knife. The little girls, who are apparently scared by their mother's behaviour, were clearly on the verge of bursting into tears. Resident Marina, who witnessed the incident said: 'She [the mother] pulled out a knife from her handbag and took her own daughter at knifepoint. 'The man started filming her on his smartphone. It was obvious that he feared to approach her.' In footage posted on social media, the woman stared at the camera as she held a blade to the youngster's throat The mother could be seen holding what looked like a kitchen knife in her right hand and her daughter's head in her left Neighbour Ekaterina said: 'The mother finally put the knife in her handbag and rushed to her boyfriend striking him with fists.' Olga who knows the family said: 'She [the mother] is drinking a lot and her behaviour is aggressive.' Police already found the woman and were interrogating her on Thursday. She could be held responsible for her actions. Investigative Committee spokeswoman Olga Vradiy said: 'The police are investigating the incident.' Reports say that the boyfriend who witnessed the incident is an illegal labour migrant from Tajikistan. He reportedly escaped moments before the police raided his partner's flat. It is not known so far if he is the father of the children. A woman who was found pinned in the wreckage of her crashed car a staggering five days after she was first reported missing has been pictured smiling in her hospital bed. Robin Joyce Fancher, 49, is said to be 'doing great' and is in good spirits following her remarkable tale of survival. She posed for photos with her son Travis Mattox just two days after she was rescued from the wreck, where she'd been stuck for nearly 120 hours without food or water. The 49-year-old can seen smiling from her bed in the South East Alabama Hospital, where Travis says his mother - who had suffered severe dehydration - has regained her voice. 'My mother is doing great,' Travis told DailyMail.com. 'Thank the lord she's able to talk again.' Travis called Robin's survival an act of 'divine intervention', adding that he's 'very thankful' to be reunited with her. Robin Joyce Fancher, 49, is said to be 'doing great' and recovering well after her remarkable tale of survival 'My mother is doing great,' her son Travis (pictured left) said. 'Thank the lord she's able to talk again' Robin went missing on the morning of April 17 after she left her home in the Greentree Apartments in Headland, Alabama, to drive to the post office. For the next five days her whereabouts remained a complete mystery, until a passer-by in Dothan noticed the back-end of a silver car poking out from a brush-covered ditch on Monday afternoon and dialed 911. Inside, authorities found Robin pinned between the drivers door and the steering column, where she had been stuck for five days. Against all the odds, the mother-of-two was discovered both alive and conscious. Robin Joyce Fancher (pictured) was last seen on April 17 leaving her home in Headland, before being found on Monday First responders from five different different agencies worked tirelessly to free Robin in a rescue operation that took nearly 90 minutes. Speaking to DailyMail.com, Robin's daughter, Magen Heeder, revealed that her mother suffered a number of serious injuries, including a broken femur and damaged kidneys. She underwent hip surgery shortly after being freed. 'I broke down crying for an hour when they told me they'd found her. I'd given up hope by day three,' Magen said. 'I was pretty sure that even if we did find her, there was no chance she would be alive.' According to her daughter, Robin suffers from a number of medical conditions, including liver complications which she has to take medication for every day. 'It's a miracle. She has to take pills three times a day to save her life,' Magen said. 'How she survived without them for so long, we'll never know.' Rescuers worked tirelessly for 90 minutes to free Robin (pictured: Fire workers cutting into the car to safely extract Robin) Five different agencies assisted with the rescue operation on Monday afternoon (pictured: a stretcher being readied as Robin is finally freed) Robin suffered a multitude of injuries, including a broken femur and damaged kidneys (Pictured: Robin at hospital) She was found five days later near Limestone Creek Bridge - both alive and conscious It's believed Robin crashed sometime between 10.30am and 12pm last Thursday. No other cars are believed to have been involved in the accident. As her car plowed into the ditch near Limestone Creek Bridge, the mother-of-two became stuck between the steering column and the driver's-side door. Her cellphone had been thrown from the car on impact. Unable to move or call for help, Robin was forced to sit and wait for five painstaking days in the hope that someone would eventually find her. 'I would've given up before day two,' Magen told DailyMail.com. 'I would've been sat there staring at my reflection saying "This is it. This is how it ends for you." 'But she didn't, and somehow she found the strength to keep going.' Robin was said to be conscious and communicating with officers throughout the rescue operation Dothan Fire Battalion Chief Pete Webb said the nature of the crash posed a series of challenges for rescuers A passer-by in Dothan noticed the back-end of a silver car poking out from a brush-covered ditch near County Road 203 on Monday afternoon and dialed 911 (Pictured: the roof of Robin's vehicle shown submerged in the ditch, having been cut from the car) She was taken to a local hospital to be treated for 'multiple injuries' a family member said. Her condition was also described as stable Megan, who lives four hours away from her mother's home in Headland, said: 'I don't think we'll ever go more than a day without speaking on the phone ever again. 'Near-tragedies like this really help to put things into perspective. Sure we've had our ups-and-downs before, but me, my little brother and my mom are a team. 'We're going to be there for her every step of the way to help her get back on her feet.' She was first reported missing by her son, Travis, after she failed to turn up to meet a friend on the evening of April 18. Her children say they knew something was immediately wrong when they learned their mother hadn't shown. 'She always calls or reaches out on Facebook,' Magen said. 'That's when my mind starting racing and I really started to panic.' Robin was stuck for nearly 120 hours without food or water, until a passerby spotted her vehicle in the ditch from the roadside Robin's son, Travis Mattox, has called his mother's remarkable survival an act of 'divine intervention' Robin Fancher was last seen leaving her home at the Greentree Apartments (shown) in Headland, driving her 2003 Mitsubishi Galant at around 12.30pm, on April 17 Her safe extraction from the crumpled vehicle was said to have presented a number of challenges, according to Dothan Fire Battalion Chief Pete Webb. The main challenges were going to be where the car was and where the victim was pinned against the driver's door, Webb told Dothan First. It was off the road and it was difficult to get the car to pull around her.' According to a release from the Alabama State Troopers, Robin's vehicle was not easily visible to motorists passing County Road 203. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a statement: Alabama State Troopers are investigating a single vehicle crash that was discovered today, April. 22, by a passerby around 12:30 p.m. on County Road 203 at the Limestone Creek Bridge, just south of Dothan. Fancher, who was entrapped in the vehicle, was transported to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries. Nothing further is available as Alabama State Troopers continue to investigate. George Conway, whose wife, Kellyanne Conway, is White House counselor, continued his attack on President Donald Trump by calling him 'demented' and siding with his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, regarding impeachment. 'Deranged Donald is at back at it again,' Conway tweeted Thursday. 'Deranged Donald can do things like this and it's not even the top of the news, because it gets lost beneath all of the other deranged things Deranged Donald does.' Conway tweeted this in response to a Wednesday report from the Washington Post about Trump promoting a claim that the United Kingdom helped former President Barack Obama's administration spy on his 2016 campaign. 'WOW! It is now just a question of time before the truth comes out, and when it does, it will be a beauty!' Trump tweeted Wednesday regarding the accusation. Attorney George Conway, who's married to White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, called President Donald Trump 'deranged Donald' in another attack against his wife's employer Conway said 'deranged Donald' could accuse the United Kingdom assisted Barack Obama's administration of spying on his 2016 campaign and get away with that accusation because it would get buried under other outlandish things he says Conway continued his attack on the president, saying that he has difficulty reading books that don't prop his presidency up and don't have pictures. 'Deranged Donald has this neat job where he's supposed to receive and read books with more accurate, highly valuable, top secret information, but he doesn't like those books unless they have lots of pictures and tell him how great he is,' Conway tweeted. He also said Trump didn't need to read books because he got all of his information from Fox News. Conway has reupped his attacks on Trump after a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report was published last Thursday. Clinton wrote an op/ed in the Washington Post Wednesday where she told Congress to continue their investigations into Trump before rushing to calls for impeachment. She also mentioned how she was someone who could talk extensively about impeachment. Conway is a vocal critic of Trump, and the two have an ongoing feud. Kellyanne has defended the president for lashing out in response to her husband's attacks Conway said Trump doesn't like to read books unless they have pictures or tell him he's great Conway also responded to an op/ed written by Hillary Clinton on Wednesday that said Congress should continue its investigations before calling for Trump's impeachment. 'I'm with her,' Conway said, referencing Clinton's 2016 campaign slogan Clinton was first lady when her husband, Bill Clinton, was going through the impeachment process, and was a staff attorney on the House Judiciary Committee Watergate impeachment inquiry against Richard Nixon in 1974. 'Obviously, this is personal for me, and some may say that I'm not the right messenger,' Clinton wrote. Conway responded on Wednesday: 'Perhaps so. Probably so. But if she's with the Constitution, I'm with her.' 'In with her' was Clinton's campaign slogan when she ran and lost against Trump in 2016. Mueller's report found no evidence that Trump or his campaign and administration had conspired with the Russian government. The report was inconclusive on whether Trump obstructed justice, and Democrats are now calling for his impeachment on those grounds. 'If that's not impeachable, nothing is,' Conway said, referencing what he said was Trump's attempt to interfere in an investigation into whether Russia had interfered in the U.S. political system. A police shooting range instructor could face disciplinary action for playing 'dodge the bullet' on a live firing range. Jawdropping footage shows the brazen man tell training cops to 'start shooting' before he walks straight across their line of fire. A one he begins to jog back and forth across the room, adding in unpredictable movements as bullets whizz past his head. He was training four cops from the civil police homicide investigation unit at the Superior School in Parana, south Brazil. The footage, which lasts for an intense 50 seconds, finishes as one of the officers appears to have a problem with their weapon which brings the shooting to an end. Luiz Moura, director of the police training school, told local media the activity is not part of the training courses offered at the establishment. 'This technique was specifically given to a police unit who are already experienced and who have been working on the streets for many years,' he explained. 'The instructor has done special operations courses in Brazil and abroad and countless successful ventures in real operations. Our standard training courses do not offer this (type of exercise). The unnamed training officer stands at the side of the gun range, before telling the four other officers to start firing at their targets '(This training) has a very important use for stress-testing under intense pressure. 'The (stationary) target may not be real, but the (moving) non-target is,' he said, adding it is evident the exercise involves calculated risk. 'The instructor discerns whether or not to use the technique. The school continues to recommend that this technique is not used, but each instructor-led unit has the freedom to do their own training courses.' Moura revealed that the hazardous session used live and dummy bullets. He appears to have told them to stop when he walks in front of a target, as he begins to pace up and down in the horrifying video However, he refused to confirm whether the officers shown firing off shots in the video were firing live ammunition at the time. The instructor is heard shouting at the beginning of the session: 'Start shooting' before beginning to walk in front of each target as the officer stops shooting. The trainees appear to hold their nerve as they fire and react quickly hugging the weapons to their body when the moving target appears in their line of sight. No one was injured in the exercise however, Parana civil police said the training officer, who is highly qualified with several bravery awards, had breached basic safety rules. At one point he even throws in a curve ball by walking backwards to see if he can catch out of the training officers A spokesperson said the decorated officer conducted the session 'without the knowledge and endorsement of the institution. In the training of professionals, it is the rule that no one surpasses or stands in the firing line, except in rare cases of 'extremely advanced level training.' The technique, known as gun control training, teaches elite students advanced skills of how to react under extreme stress. This involves keeping the barrel of the gun in a safe direction while being aware of a colleague's movements and retaining sensitive reactive finger pressure on the trigger. The four cops keep their nerve however, managing to avoid shooting the instructor as he walks into the path of flying bullets Authorities have criticised the exercise, saying that it is not part of the training routine. They however refused to reveal whether the bullet were live ammunition or dummy rounds Public safety expert, Fernando Veloso, said to G1: 'One of the first basic rules of gun training, especially shooting, with real rounds, is that no one gets in the line of fire between the shooter and the target, and what this instructor does all the time is exactly this. 'This is not training - the risk that the instructor poses is not worthwhile. 'It is far more important that a student and the instructor's safety is preserved than going to all costs to make sure a student qualifies.' The corporation said a meeting will be held with all law enforcement instructors to assess the issue 'fairly calmly and responsibly work to establish standard operating procedures (that will) be followed in shooting instructions'. The conduct of the instructor is currently under internal investigation. A spokesperson said there is the possibility he may be reprimanded and temporarily suspended for his actions. When Joe Biden launched his presidential campaign on Thursday, professional and amateur graphic designers tore his new logo apart on Twitter. And while some criticized the typeface and colors, others snarked that parts of the design looked like parts of the female anatomy. Among the 76-year-old former vice president's campaign hurdles is a series of accusations from women that he improperly touched them during public events. That has earned him the derisive nickname 'Creepy Uncle Joe,' and his antagonists online wasted no time turning his campaign's treatment of his name bold blue letters with three flag-like stripes replacing the letter 'E' into something sexual. 'Is it just me or do the red stripes look like fingers grabbing a boob?' Iowa conservative blogger David Burge asked. Novelist Adam Lane Smith weighed in: 'Its an appropriate logo because the D is being rubbed all over the E, perhaps nonconsensually.' Impossible to un-see: Former VP Joe Biden's presidential campaign logo was pronounced breast-like on Thursday The horizontal version of the new Biden campaign branding includes three red stripes and an overly rounded upper-case 'D,' which made some think of the accusations of improperly touching women that Biden faces Biden launched his campaign Thursday morning with an online video and will give his first TV interview as a third-time presidential candidate on Friday Among Biden's hurdles as a White House contender is a series of women who say his hands-on approach to greeting them at public events made them uncomfortable Referring to a circular version of the logo in which the letter 'O' is slightly above the center, another tweeter saw more of the female form. 'Bidens logo is a boob,' he wrote. An undeclared Photoshop contest ensued, drawing parodies that depicted Biden grabbing female shapes carved out of the logo's letters. Other tweeters mocked the logo designer's decision to change colors in the middle of 'Joe,' making it appear to some that Biden's first name is 'Jo,' and he might be transgender 'The logo needs a rethink unless Biden is transitioning,' a critic wrote, 'In which case, wow, way to one-up Buttigieg.' Pete Buttigieg is an Indiana mayor who would be the first openly gay U.S. president if he were to go the distance and beat Donald Trump. The 'Jo' misidentification problem appears to affect most of Biden's campaign merchandise, including 'Cup o' Jo[e]' coffee mugs and 'Totes for Jo[e]' bags. One tweeter said the new Biden logo looked spot-on because it looked like the 'D' was pawing the fleeing 'E' Non-sexual critiques of the logo included one that likened it to bad 'patriotic toothpaste' and another that drew a comparison with the Puerto Rican flag The most succinct pot-shot at Biden's graphic designer on Thursday was a declaration that the new logo is 'a design hate crime' President Donald Trump had his own problem with sexual innuendo when his campaign introduced its first joint logo with running-mate Mike Pence in mid-2016, with the 'T' and 'P' appearing to be in the middle of a sex act Trump's own 2016 campaign art became a global punchline after his first logo depicted the 'T' of Trump intersecting with the 'P' of Vice President Mike Pence's last name. The apparent alphabetic sex act quickly became known as the 'Pencetration.' But in the first few hours of Biden's official candidacy, his logo was called a riff on a Dunkin' Donuts coffee box, a misappropriation of the Puerto Rican flag and something out of a Crest tube. 'Joe Bidens logo looks like a brand of patriotic toothpaste that is immediately discontinued due to fears it exacerbates gum disease,' musician Stevia Nicks opined. Among the suggested slogans for Biden's campaigns: 'I feel you America' Biden's campaign merchandise uses a reduced form of his branding that tends to make the red-striped letter 'E' in 'Joe' disappear, rendering his first name as the more feminine 'Jo' No fan of the former VP, he later wrote that he had '[d]eleted a tweet in which I expressed a desire to strangle Joe Biden to death. ... just to clarify, I in no way want to strangle American presidential candidate Joe Biden to death, with a bike lock.' Others on Twitter took issue Thursday with the kind of artistic choices graphic designers make every day, including typeface choices and using a capital 'O' instead of zeros in '2020.' 'Sorry to report that regardless of policy I cannot vote for Joe Biden because I f***ing hate the way the 2s look in the font they chose for his campaign logo,' wrote one user who identified herself as an 'extremely queer' social justice activist. 'Those 2s look like they were lifted right out of a kid's menu from a diner. F**k off Joe.' Graphic designers took issue with the upper-case letter 'O' replacing zeroes in '2020' One vicious complainer erupted with 'F**k you Joe' because he didn't like the typeface choice Another faultfinder saw the simplicity of a Dunkin' Donuts coffee box in Biden's logo Journalist Erik Hinton branded the Biden logo 'a tragedy.' 'Weird alignment and anemic "2" letterform aside, I struggle to read this as "Joe", a pretty simple word to parse,' he wrote. 'It's [sic] looks like "Jo" skid-marking out of frame, perhaps a decent metaphor for this run.' Feminist writer Ashley Fairbanks offered the most biting design judgement, just before retweeting a complaint about a Democratic field chock full of 'mediocre men.' 'Joe Biden's logo is a design hate crime,' Fairbanks wrote. Noting that BIden's campaign so far lacks a slogan, a Twitter user suggested one that reignited the sexual harassment scandal. 'I feel you America,' it read. The Navy veteran mother who stormed an Easter Sunday church service in California and threatened to blow up the place has pleaded not guilty to nine charges on Wednesday. Anna Conkey, 31, appeared stone-faced at her arraignment, where she was charged with eight felonies including possession of a firearm in a school zone and making a criminal threat. She was also charged with a misdemeanor count of disturbing a religious meeting. On Sunday she rushed into Tsidkenu Church in the Clairemont area of San Diego waving a gun and holding her 10-month-old son. She claimed she was the messiah, warned of the rapture, and threatened the congregation saying 'everyone is going to die' while pointing the gun at the crowd and at her baby. Anna Conkey, 31, who stormed an Easter church service in California on Sunday threatening to blow up the building, pleaded not guilty to nine charges at her arraignment Wednesday She's currently being jailed at the Las Colinas Detention Facility on $1million bail She is a mother-of-two and Navy veteran. On Wednesday she was charged with eight felonies including possession of a firearm in a school zone and attempting to make a criminal threat, and a misdemeanor count of disturbing a religious meeting Brave churchgoers then tackled Conkey to the ground until police arrived. Photos from the scene showed officers taking Conkey's child to safety following her arrest. Prosecutors say no shots were fired as her gun was not loaded, though ammunition was discovered by police at her Bonita home. The gun was also registered to Conkey under her maiden name. A sweep of the church found no traces of explosives. Her full list of felony charges include three counts of making a criminal threat, attempting to make a criminal threat, child abuse, resisting an executive officer, and making a false report of a bomb threat to an agency or business, and possessing a firearm in a school zone. She faces more than 23 years in prison. A judge issued a protective order saying Conkey could not interact with her two children - a five-year-old daughter and 10-month-old son. She's also not allowed to interact with the pastor of Tsidkenu Church and is not allowed to come near Mount Everest Academy, as per NBC. She's currently being jailed at the Las Colinas Detention Facility on $1million bail and could face 23 years in jail if convicted On Sunday morning she rushed into Tsidkenu Church (above) in the Clairemont area of San Diego waving a gun and holding her 10-month-old son, claiming she was the messiah and saying 'everyone is going to die' Cops carried picturing her baby away from the bomb-threat scene Police pictured above swarming the scene of the attack on Sunday She's currently being jailed at the Las Colinas Detention Facility on $1million bail. Conkey was a former member of the U.S. Navy and a freelance digital journalist for an NBC News affiliate. She worked as a Navy mass communication specialist for six years and served as a photojournalist for the USS Constitution, according to her LinkedIn profile. She also ran a YouTube page where she posted bizarre ranting videos about the rapture. On Facebook recently shared posts saying that Jesus is a 'liar' and the Bible is a 'trap'. On Facebook recently shared posts saying that Jesus is a 'liar' and the Bible is a 'trap' Just hours before storming the church, she posted a passage from The Book of Zechariah 10:2 Last week she wrote that the Bible is a 'trap' alongside a link to a YouTube video Minutes before the incident, she filed her own tip to the NBC 7 newsroom and also called 911 to report a threat. To NBC she wrote: 'Theres a woman claiming to be the messiah, saying she was sent to blow up the foundation of the Church - shes got a gun and a child is involved. Address is 4350 Mount Everest Blvd San Diego, CA 92117. Theres about 70 people in the auditorium of the school where the church service is held.' Cops arrived on the scene within two minutes of the initial call. The church's head pastor Benjamin Wisan said that Conkey was speaking random words to him. Another witness described her words speech as 'delushional'. A 69-year-old Sunday school teacher and nurse from Arkansas has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing her husband after discovering he had reordered a pornography channel. Both the prosecution and defense on Tuesday night agreed on the sentence after Patricia Hill was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 65-year-old Frank Hill at their Pine Bluff home, where he had turned a shed on the property into a 'man cave.' Jurors heard during Hill's trial that the veteran nurse 'flew into a rage' in July 2018 after discovering that her husband of 18 years had added a pornography channel to their Dish Network satellite television subscription. Patricia Hill, 69, (left) was convicted of murder and sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing her husband, Frank, 65 (right), during a dispute over pornography Hill took the stand in her own defense on Tuesday, saying she shot at her husband's feet in July 2018 to get his attention Patricia's daughter, Andrea Cheshier, broke down in tears talking about her mother's case Prosecutors told a Jefferson County courtroom that Patricia had previously cancelled the X-rated channel on two previous occasions, and fatally shot Frank when she walked into his 'man cave' and found him watching pornography. Patricia's defense lawyer Bill James said his client, whom he described as a devout Christian, 'felt like the devil was in that shed,' NBC reported. Two months before the deadly couple's quarrel, Patricia filed for divorce but changed her mind after Frank begged her to reconsider. He reportedly had promised his wife to quit his porn habit multiple times throughout their marriage. On July 28, 2018, Patricia walked into her husband's shed in the back of their property to confront Frank after opening a cable bill and discovering that he had re-ordered the pornography channel. Frank was watching the X-rated channel as his wife entered the 'man cave' and turned off the television. He had been drinking all day. Frank was shot dead in a shed behind his Pine Bluff home (pictured) A satellite photo of the Hills' property in Arkansas shows multiple buildings near the main house, one of them being Frank's 'man cave' According to Patricia's defense lawyer, in that moment his client 'lost her mind.' The wife knocked over a table in the shed, then went back into the house and grabbed a .22-caliber pistol. Patricia returned to the shed and shot at her husband's feet as he bent forward to pick up something from the floor, hitting him once in the right knee and one in the head. The wife then called 911 to summon police and paramedics. Frank was pronounced dead in the hospital. A subscription TV bill was discovered on the the couple's living room floor. Patricia testified on Tuesday that she did know know she had fatally shot her husbad. She told the court she just wanted to get Frank's attention. Her lawyer said a doctor who examined her after the killing found that he had a brief 'disassociative episode' during which she snapped, reported KATV. 'She's got a lot of remorse about what happened,' said James. Prosecutor Kyle Hunter told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette Hill will be eligible for parole in eight years, but with good behavior time, she might go before a parole board in 2022. She has been in jail for the past nine months and will receive credit for time served. Tampa made history by electing its first openly gay mayor on Tuesday. Jane Castor, 59, had been Tampa's first openly gay police chief before her landslide victory in Florida. She defeated 76-year-old retired banker and philanthropist David Stratz, claiming more than 73% of the 53,144 votes cast. She told a jubilant crowd, this sends 'a resounding message that Tampa is a positive community.' Tampa Mayor-elect Jane Castor speaks at The Vault in Tampa, Florida, after her historic election victory on Tuesday night Castor had served as the city's police chief and spent 31 years in the force, making her way up through the ranks It is just four years since Tampa allowed gay couples to get married in the city. According to Out for America Castor joins 37 LGBTQ mayors throughout the US - three of whom are in Florida. Nationwide representation of LGBTQ people across all levels of politics is 0.13%, lagging behind 4.5% of the total population in 2017, according to Gallup. Castor worked for 31 years as a police officer, according to ABC News, and pushed her tough stance on crime as part of her campaign strategy. She had come within 2 percentage points of winning the March 5 general election. Stratz spent nearly $5 million on his campaign. He told his supporters it's now time to rally around the new mayor. Both are Democrats. Castor succeeds outgoing Mayor Bob Buckhorn in the non-partisan office. After last year's midterm elections the number of LGBTQ members of Congress rose to ten. Tampa Mayor-elect Jane Castor stands with her sons Sergei Bevan, right, and Seely Bevan, left, while she waves at her supporters after giving her victory speech in Tampa LGBTQ representation has a chance to flourish further with South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg - who is openly gay - announcing his presidential challenge this month. As she celebrated her victory on Tuesday night, Castor said: 'I have never been more hopeful or more excited about our city's future.' She is the second openly gay woman to become mayor this month, after Chicago elected Lori Lightfoot. The sister of alleged Sri Lankan terror attack mastermind Zahran Hashim has denounced her brother over the blasts which killed 359 people on Easter Sunday. Mohammed Hashim Madaniya, who grew up with Zahran in the small coastal town of Kattankudy, said they were close as children and that he was 'kind to everyone'. But she revealed that she hasn't been in contact with her brother since 2017 when he went into hiding, accused by police of causing violence between Muslim groups. Mohammed Hashim Madaniya, the sister of Zahran Hashim who is accused of masterminding the Sri Lankan terror attacks, has denounced him Madaniya described Zahran (pictured centre) as 'deplorable', said she 'cannot accept this' and 'I don't care about him any more' Speaking to the BBC, she explained that she was the youngest in a family of five children and that Zahran - believed to be around 40 - was the oldest. Madaniya said she was horrified when news of Zahran's involvement in the attacks spread through the media. She said: 'I came to know about his activities only through the media. I never thought, even for a moment, that he would do such a thing. 'I strongly deplore what he has done. Even if he is my brother, I cannot accept this. I don't care about him any more.' Madaniya said she has been quizzed by police but is not being treated as a suspect. She added that she is fearful of what might happen next, as authorities have not yet confirmed whether Zahran is dead. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Thursday that there are still suspects at large and they may have explosives. Police, meanwhile, said they were looking for three women and one man suspected of involvement in the Islamic State group-claimed attack, without naming them. Zahran was last seen among a group of eight jihadis who filmed themselves swearing allegiance to ISIS and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before the attack. Madaniya revealed that she was close with Zahran as a child and that he was kind, but said she has not been in contact with him since 2017 He is the only man's face seen among the group, leading to speculation that he was the ringleader. Zahran is also known for posted fiery speeches online in which he denounces all religions other than Islam and calls for non-Muslims to be 'eradicated'. Two other attackers have been identified as brothers Inshaf and Ilham Ibrahim, sons of one of Sri Lanka's wealthiest families, who blew themselves up inside the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels. A third attacker has been named as Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohammed, who studied at Kingston University in south west London from 2006 until 2007. Mohammed intended to target the Taj Samudra Hotel but had trouble with his explosive device. The bomb detonated as he was examining it inside the Tropical Inn, killing himself, a woman and her boyfriend. Officials say many of the bombing suspects were highly educated and came from well-off families who lived in a wealthy neighborhood in Colombo. Elsewhere, Sri Lankan police continued their search for additional explosives, detonating a suspicious item in a dump in Pugoda, about 22 miles east of the capital. Sri Lanka's civil aviation authority also banned drones and unmanned aircraft 'in view of the existing security situation in the country,' according to a statement. Two of the other suicide attackers have been identified as Inshaf Ibrahim (left) and younger brother Ilham (right), who is believed to have radicalised his older sibling Inshaf was a successful businessman and owned a copper factory (pictured) thought to be where the explosives were made and that was raided by police Hobby drones have been used by militants in the past to carry explosives. Iraqi forces found them difficult to shoot down while driving out the Islamic State group, whose members loaded drones with grenades or simple explosives to target government forces. The attacks Easter Sunday mainly at churches and hotels killed at least 359 people and wounded 500 more, the government said Wednesday. Most were Sri Lankan but the Foreign Ministry has confirmed 36 foreigners died. The remains of 13 have been repatriated. Fourteen foreigners are unaccounted for, and 12 were still being treated for injuries in Colombo hospitals. Sri Lankan government leaders have acknowledged that some intelligence units were aware of possible terror attacks against churches or other targets weeks before the bombings. The president asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief without saying who would replace them. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local extremist group, National Towheed Jamaat, whose leader, alternately named Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi, became known to Muslim leaders three years ago for his incendiary online speeches. On Wednesday, Wijewardene, the junior defense minister, said the attackers had broken away from National Towheed Jamaat and another group, which he identified only as 'JMI.' The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Authorities remain unsure of the group's involvement, though they are investigating whether foreign militants advised, funded or guided the local bombers. Ministers today piled pressure on Theresa May to bring back her Brexit deal within days as it was claimed she could tear out the Irish backstop to swing the vote. The Prime Minister could decide to remove the controversial border clause in the hope MPs vote for it and send a new message to Brussels that it must be axed or changed if Britain is to leave the EU. Downing Street had hoped to bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill next week in the hope of getting a version of Mrs May's deal through Parliament in time to cancel the European Parliament elections on May 23. But it was missing from yesterday's list of legislation to be considered by Parliament next week. And Tory whips have privately told ministers the idea has been put on hold for at least a week while the PM tries to secure enough backing for it to pass. Prime Minster Theresa May is followed from St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar yesterday as rumours swirled about Irish backstop changes yet again Mrs May is being urged to try to renegotiate with the EU from Brexiteers in her own party including former leader Iain Duncan-Smith, the Tory ERG Spartans and the DUP. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Commons leader Andrea Leadsom have voiced frustration at the Government's failure to find a way to break the Brexit deadlock. A source told ITV News Mrs May is 'seriously considering' the move - but a ministerial source added: 'We're still chasing unicorns, and eating up time'. Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom today revealed there are no plans yet to hold the vote next week when detailing Commons business, but cranking up pressure on the PM she said: 'It is absolutely vital that we bring in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to give this House the opportunity to make progress on delivering on the will of the people'. She said it would be 'absolutely unacceptable' to hold European Parliament elections three years after the UK voted to leave. The EU insists Britain's Withdrawal Agreement cannot be reopened and in January ignored MPs when they voted for the so-called Brady amendment demanding the planned Irish backstop to be replaced by 'alternative arrangements'. Responding to suggestions Theresa May's official spokesman insisted the EU will not budge. He said: 'In order to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement - which is what's necessary for us to leave the EU - then obviously the Government would have to secure the whole of the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU.' What is the Irish border backstop and why do Tory MPs hate it? The so-called Irish border backstop is one of the most controversial parts of the PM's Brexit deal. This is what it means: What is the backstop? The backstop was invented to meet promises to keep open the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland even if there is no comprehensive UK-EU trade deal. The divorce deal says it will kick in automatically at the end of the Brexit transition if that deal is not in place. If effectively keeps the UK in a customs union with the EU and Northern Ireland in both the customs union and single market. This means many EU laws will keep being imposed on the UK and there can be no new trade deals. It also means regulatory checks on some goods crossing the Irish Sea. Why have Ireland and the EU demanded it? Because Britain demanded to leave the EU customs union and single market, the EU said it needed guarantees people and goods circulating inside met EU rules. This is covered by the Brexit transition, which effectively maintains current rules, and can in theory be done in the comprehensive EU-UK trade deal. But the EU said there had to be a backstop to cover what happens in any gap between transition and final deal. Why do critics hate it? Because Britain cannot decide when to leave the backstop. Getting out - even if there is a trade deal - can only happen if both sides agree people and goods can freely cross the border. Brexiteers fear the EU will unreasonably demand the backstop continues so EU law continues to apply in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland MPs also hate the regulatory border in the Irish Sea, insisting it unreasonably carves up the United Kingdom. What concessions did Britain get in negotiating it? During the negotiations, Britain persuaded Brussels the backstop should apply to the whole UK and not just Northern Ireland. Importantly, this prevents a customs border down the Irish Sea - even if some goods still need to be checked. The Government said this means Britain gets many of the benefits of EU membership after transition without all of the commitments - meaning Brussels will be eager to end the backstop. It also got promises the EU will act in 'good faith' during the future trade talks and use its 'best endeavours' to finalise a deal - promises it says can be enforced in court. What did the legal advice say about it? Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said even with the EU promises, if a trade deal cannot be reached the backstop could last forever. This would leave Britain stuck in a Brexit limbo, living under EU rules it had no say in writing and no way to unilaterally end it. Advertisement The spokesman added: 'It was set out at the most recent European Council that the EU's established position was that they wouldn't reopen the Withdrawal Agreement.' Reports had suggested the Bill could be moved next week and the Government has shown in recent months it is prepared to change the timetable of the Commons at short notice if required. Mrs Leadsom later confirmed a debate would be held 'in due course' to consider senior Tory Sir Bill Cash's bid to annul a statutory instrument which changed the Brexit date from April 12 to October 31. On Friday the Prime Minister accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of dragging his feet on cross-party Brexit talks, with an agreement looking unlikely. Unless the PM can pass her deal Britain is heading for a second referendum or a general election, with No Deal already ruled out by remainer MPs who passed legislation to block it. Mrs May told the Cabinet that the cross-party talks with Labour had become 'difficult' when ministers tried to force the pace in order to get a deal done in time to avoid next month's European parliament elections. It came amid signs that the PM could try to break the deadlock by bringing forward legislation to enact her Brexit deal as early as next week. Ministers discussed the 'growing possibility' that parliament could vote to revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit if the Government cannot pass a deal. In Cabinet, Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom urged Mrs May to order a fresh vote within days. The move, supported by other Brexiteer ministers, would see the full Withdrawal Agreement Bill allowing the UK to leave the EU debated in the Commons next week. The PM's official spokesman confirmed that sticking points included Labour's demand for a permanent customs union and Mr Corbyn's reluctance to fast-track the process in order to avoid the European elections on May 23. In Cabinet, Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom urged Mrs May to order a fresh vote on Brexit within days. The high-stakes move, which won support from several other Brexiteer ministers, would see the full Withdrawal Agreement Bill - which allows the UK to leave the EU debated in the Commons next week. Under her plan, the Bill would be published within days ahead of two days of debate early next week. Home Secretary Sajid Javid is also understood to have called for legislation to be brought forward. Ministers have been warned they will have to cancel planned foreign engagements next week if the move goes ahead as they will be needed for votes in the Commons. The Mail understands Mrs Leadsom mounted a lobbying operation of her Cabinet colleagues over the Easter break urging them to back the plan. It would avoid the need for a fresh 'meaningful vote' on the deal and - if it passed - would ensure the UK left the EU before the end of June. However, chief whip Julian Smith is thought to have warned that the votes for the deal are 'not there yet'. A senior Tory source last night said the government would need an assurance from Labour that the Bill would not be rejected outright at the first hurdle. Mrs Leadsom wants to amend the Bill to include a legal pledge to secure 'alternative arrangements' to the Northern Ireland backstop by the end of next year. This would appeal to hard line Eurosceptic Tories who have refused to back the deal. But education secretary Damian Hinds dismissed the idea as 'a mirage'. Any move to bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill would be fraught with danger. If the Bill was defeated in the Commons, Mrs May could only bring it back by starting a new session of Parliament, which would require a new Queen's Speech. This is also the danger of amendments Mrs Leadsom has told friends: 'If the Withdrawal Agreement is going to be a dogs' dinner, then at least we need to look like we have fought tooth and nail to make it work.' Mrs May faced criticism over the decision to talk to Labour at yesterday's cabinet meeting, which was the first since she agreed to extend Article 50 until October 31. California couple is begging for the return of their stillborn baby's ashes after learning they were stolen on Sunday. Afghanistan veterans Kelly and Elliot Smith were devastated to find that their daughter's remains, which they kept in an urn, decorated with two small pink footprints, was missing after the Sacramento property was burgled while they were on vacation. Kelly who didn't get to hold her baby girl when she was born said it was the only thing the parents had left of her. Scroll down for video Kelly Smith's daughter Enola was born with a rare genetic condition, five months premature and deceased. She never got to hold her child and was devastated to find her urn missing She is asking a Sacramento community to help get it back after their home was burglarized Kelly and Elliot Smith returned from vacation to see their property had been raided Sunday 'We first noticed that our TV was gone and I told him that, "We've been robbed.' And we looked around and we noticed other things were gone too,' Kelly said about coming back to find a hole in their back window and laptops, virtual reality headsets and textbooks gone. 'Worth six grand. We don't care about any of that. We just want our daughter back.' The couple say they had already named their baby Enola and were devastated when she was stillborn five months early, due to a rare genetic condition. Kelly told Fox 40 that it took a long time to feel better after the tragic experience. Kelly said she didn't hold her daughter when she came out as she 'was in too much pain' Kelly said: 'We first noticed that our TV was gone and I told him that, "We've been robbed." Laptops, virtual reality headsets and textbooks were among the valued $6,000 damage 'Losing a child was the worst experience ever. I went through a deep depression and I just got through that,' Kelly said. 'I didn't hold her when she came out. I didn't want to, I was in too much pain. So, that's all I have.' Now the parents are asking for help finding what Kelly says the thief 'might not have even known that that was an urn'. They have created flyers with details for the local law enforcement in case anyone has any information on its location or can otherwise help. Email dreagovett@gmail.com or contact the Sacramento Police Department if you can help. The couple thinks the thief 'might not have even known that that was an urn' in their home Oxford Assistant Fire Chief Timothy Hora, 30, has been accused of setting a string of fires in Iowa fields after the GPS in his truck put him at the scene of two blazes. Hora is seen above in his mugshot An Iowa fire chief has been accused of arson after the GPS in his truck put him at the scene of two blazes. Authorities say Oxford Assistant Fire Chief Timothy Hora, 30, is responsible for at least seven field fires in the area over the past month. He is now facing five counts of arson and public intoxication. The first fire allegedly started by Hora was reported at around 8.40pm on March 27 in the town of Tiffin, according to a news release from the Johnson County Sheriff's Office. Two weeks later on April 13, a sheriff's deputy came across three fires in a rural area about a mile north of Oxford. The deputy allegedly saw Hora stomping out flames of one of the fires near a parked pickup truck. He was arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated, and a butane torch was recovered from the back of his truck. The following day, Hora told investigators he had been patrolling the area for an arsonist when he found the fires, according to a report. Investigators traced the GPS in Hora's truck, similar to the one seen above, and learned that he had been near the scene of two fires in southwest Oxford on Sunday night Two more fires were reported this past Sunday at around 10.45pm in southwest Oxford. Investigators traced Hora's GPS and learned that his vehicle was near the fires that night. The emergency responder is now facing five counts of third-degree arson for the fires on April 13 and April 21. None of the fires resulted in injuries or property damage. He was also charged with one count of public intoxication for an unrelated incident on Tuesday, according to officials. He is being held at the Johnson County Jail on $50,000 bond. Johnson County Sheriff's Office Sgt Brad Kunkel said the investigation is ongoing and Hora could be linked to other fires going forward. A Sri Lankan suicide bomber who was radicalised in Australia was once under investigation for possible links to Islamic State recruiter Neil Prakash. Abdul Latheif Jameel Mohamed was one of nine suicide bombers responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks in Colombo - which left hundreds of people dead. The terrorist's sister exclusively told MailOnline this week her brother 'went totally crazy' while studying in Melbourne between 2008 and 2013. Just over five years after he left Australia, Mohamed tried detonate a bomb at the luxury Taj Samudra hotel in the Sri Lankan capital. But instead, he blew himself up by accident near a much smaller guest house, the New Tropical Inn, killing two people. Years prior to the devastating attack, Mohamed was investigated by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team in 2014, The Australian reported. Abdul Latheif Jameel Mohamed (pictured as a school boy) was one of nine suicide bombers responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks, which claimed the lives of 359 people Intelligence pointed to links between Mohamed and several counter-terrorism targets, such as Neil Prakash (pictured) Intelligence pointed to links between Mohamed and several counter-terrorism targets, such as Prakash. Prakash - who was once the most wanted Australian member of ISIS - is currently sitting in a Turkish jail. The 27-year-old was raised in Melbourne, though converted to Islam before he fled to Syria to live with Islamic State in 2013. The ISIS recruiter made use of the internet to spread his radicalism and encourage young Muslims to attack their home towns. Mohamed - who was living in Australia for a time - is believed to have communicated with Prakash once he returned to Sri Lanka. He wrapped up a postgraduate degree in technology at Melbourne's Swinburne University in 2013. Around the same time, Prakash was still living in Melbourne, but no evidence suggests the pair knew each other then. Mohamed later traveled to Syria to join Islamic State before he returned to his home country. While the full length of Mohamed and Prakash's relationship is still being investigated, one source said there was an 'online' link between the pair. At the time of the initial investigations, Mohamed was not considered a threat. Nor did any evidence suggest he had associated with Islamist extremists. In light of the recent attack, Mohamed's time in Australia is being re-examined. Australian Federal Police and ASIO are looking into the possible connection he may have shared with a small community of Islamic State radicals around the time of the start of the Syrian civil war. Mohamed tried to blow up the luxury Taj Samudra hotel (pictured) in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Easter Sunday But he is believed to have botched his attempt to detonate his bomb at the five-star hotel and is thought to have blown himself up by accident at a much smaller guest house (pictured) In an exclusive interview, Mohamed's sister Samsul Hidaya said her brother had come back a changed man after studying his postgraduate in Australia. 'He had a long beard and had lost his sense of humour. He became serious and withdrawn and would not even smile at anyone he didn't know, let alone laugh.' She also claimed that he 'created tension' by berating his family for their religious lapses. 'I had many arguments with him,' his sister recalled. 'At first he started quoting scripture and I would say OK, you're right. 'But then the conversation got deeper and deeper into religion and I couldn't follow what he was saying any longer. 'He told male relatives off for trimming their beards and became angry and totally crazy. So I just stopped speaking to him because it got to the point where it was getting out of hand.' Although Mohamed lived round the corner, the siblings avoided each other. She he came to visit their mother, who lived with Mrs Hidaya, he would ignore her. 'We even started using different roads to go to and from our houses,' she said. But despite his evident fanaticism, the news of the Easter atrocities came as a shock. 'When the police came to tell us it was him, I almost collapsed,' Mrs Hidaya said. 'I just didn't think he would take it this far. I am still in disbelief. Something happened to him in Australia that changed his personality. He became silent and aloof.' At the time of the initial investigations, Mohamed was not considered a threat when he lived in Melbourne Southern California police released body camera footage on Wednesday showing the fatal December shooting of Christopher DeAndre Mitchell, 22 (pictured) Southern California police have released body camera footage showing the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man after a public outcry calling for transparency. The Torrance Police Department shared the footage on Wednesday, which was edited to highlight key moments in the officers' interaction with Christopher DeAndre Mitchell, who died after being shot three times by police on December 9. The 'critical incident community briefing' included a timeline of the events leading up to Mitchell being shot as well as photos of the altered long gun police said he had on him at the scene and 9-1-1 call audio from a man reporting that Mitchell was driving a vehicle that had been stolen from him. Following Mitchell's shooting nearly five months ago Black Lives Matter leaders have been present every single Torrance City Council meeting since January demanding the footage be released. An internal investigation into the shooting is ongoing, Torrance Police Chief Eve R. Irvine said in the video. The names of the officers involved have not been released 'because of credible death threats made at the sight of the shooting', Irvine said. Mitchell's mother, Sherlyn Haynes, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Torrance as well as the police department over her son's killing. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT The officer identified as 'Officer #1' approached the driver side of the Civic and opened the door to reveal Mitchell seated, with his hands on the steering wheel and something between his legs Mitchell's mother, Sherlyn Haynes (pictured), has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Torrance as well as the police department over her son's killing 'Christopher Deandre Mitchell was in a stolen car in a supermarket parking lot with an altered long-gun between his legs when officers first approached him,' Irvine said. 'The shooting occurred a short time later after Mitchell did not follow the officers' directions and reached for the weapon.' Audio of a 9-1-1 call which police say came in at 7.40pm on December 9 reveals a man reported that he was behind his own car, a black 200 Honda Civic, which he said was stolen from him, in traffic near the intersection of Denker Avenue and Carson Street. 'Christopher Deandre Mitchell (pictured in a September 2018 booking photo) was in a stolen car in a supermarket parking lot with an altered long-gun between his legs when officers first approached him,' Torrance Police Chief Eve R. Irvine said. 'The shooting occurred a short time later after Mitchell did not follow the officers' directions and reached for the weapon' The names of the officers involved have not been released 'because of credible death threats made at the sight of the shooting,' Irvine said Audio of a 9-1-1 call which police say came in at 7.40pm Pacific on December 9 reveals a man reported that he was behind his own car, a black 200 Honda Civic, which he said was stolen from him, in traffic near the intersection of Denker Avenue and Carson Street 'This is an emergency. My car was stolen Friday,' a man's voice can be heard saying to the dispatcher. 'And Im right behind the person thats in my car right now' At 7.53pm Torrance police officers were stopped by a person claiming to be the owner of the stolen Civic who said he had just seen it drive by 'This is an emergency. My car was stolen Friday,' a man's voice can be heard saying to the dispatcher. 'And Im right behind the person thats in my car right now.' At 7.53pm Torrance police officers were stopped by a person claiming to be the owner of the stolen Civic who said he had just seen it drive by. Video captured from a supermarket surveillance camera showed a vehicle matching the stolen car's description pulling into the parking lot at 1770 Carson Street at 7.54pm. Video captured from a supermarket surveillance camera showed a vehicle matching the stolen car's description pulling into the parking lot at 1770 Carson Street at 7.54pm At 7.57pm two other officers arrived, as shown on the surveillance footage, and spotted the Civic parked in a spot along the east edge of the lot At 7.57pm two other officers arrived, as shown on the surveillance footage, and spotted the Civic parked in a spot along the east edge of the lot. From the surveillance video, it appears the officers arrived in one patrol car together, which was parked behind the Civic. The officer identified as 'Officer #1' approached the driver side of the Civic and opened the door to reveal Mitchell seated, with his hands on the steering wheel and something between his legs. Police said at this time 'Officer #2' had approached the passenger side of the car. Police said Officer #1 saw the altered butt stock of a long gun between Mitchell's legs, and very quickly after that Mitchell can be seen dropping his hands from the steering wheel. At some point, Officer #2 joins Officer #1 at the driver's side, providing a second angle of what the officers saw when initially confronting Mitchell. However, the footage of the officers' interaction with Mitchell is dark, so it's difficult to clearly make out what the officers said was a long gun with an altered butt stock between Mitchell's legs and a garment bag over his lap. Officers said they saw a long gun with an altered butt stock between Mitchell's legs and a garment bag over his lap Irvine said that 'due to the lack of light in this case the body camera footage does not clearly show what the officers saw'. Police said investigators determined the weapon was a Crossman Phantom 1000x air rifle which had been altered much like a sawed-off shotgun, with a shortened butt stock. 'Individuals who alter butt stocks generally do so to make a long gun easier to conceal,' police said. Police said investigators determined the weapon was a Crossman Phantom 1000x air rifle (the weapon recovered from scene is shown) 'Individuals who alter butt stocks generally do so to make a long gun easier to conceal,' police said. An unaltered Crossman rifle is shown Police said the air rifle which had been altered much like a sawed off shotgun, with a shortened butt stock. The recovered evidence is shown next to a sawed off shotgun The audio of the exchange reveals the officer asked, 'What are you doing here, man?' to which Mitchell replied, 'I'm just resting.' Within a moment an officer can be heard saying, 'Don't move! Don't move!' and Mitchell replies, 'Uh, Im sorry. I didnt mean to.' Police said Mitchell dropped his hands towards the weapon a total of two times and leaned forward before officers opened fire on him. The audio of the exchange reveals the officer asked, 'What are you doing here, man?' to which Mitchell replied, 'I'm just resting.' Within a moment an officer can be heard saying, 'Don't move! Don't move!' and Mitchell replies, 'Uh, Im sorry. I didnt mean to' The officer then says, 'Get out of the car!' and Mitchell says, 'My bad, I didn't mean to...' before his voice trails off and the officer says again, 'Get out of the car!' A second or so later at least two gun shots can be heard, fired by the officer at Mitchell The officer then says, 'Get out of the car!' and Mitchell says, 'My bad, I didn't mean to...' before his voice trails off and the officer says again, 'Get out of the car!' A second or so later at least two gun shots can be heard, fired by the officer at Mitchell. The video shows police talking to Mitchell after the shooting, telling him, 'Let us see your hands. We need to help you.' The video shows police talking to Mitchell after the shooting, telling him, 'Let us see your hands. We need to help you' Officer #1 then can be heard telling another officer, 'We got a gun in his lap. He's still talking.' This is the last piece of footage shared from officer body camera, after which police said the officers on the scene developed an 'extraction and aid plan that would include the use of a BearCat armored vehicle' Timeline of events on the night Christopher DeAndre Mitchell was shot and killed by Torrance police December 9, 2018 7.40pm: 9-1-1 call reports driving behind his own stolen 2000 black Honda Civic 7.53pm: Torrance police officers stopped by a person claiming to be the owner of the stolen Civic 7.54pm: Supermarket surveillance footage shows a vehicle matching the stolen car description pulling into the parking lot 7.57pm: Two other officers arrived and spotted the Civic parked in a spot along the east edge of the lot Between 7.57pm and 8.26pm: Officers engaged with Mitchell and shot him three times, after which he died 8.26pm: A vehicle can be seen pulling into the supermarket parking lot, which is presumable the BearCat amored vehicle police said was required to safely extricate Mitchell from the Civic Source: Torrance Police Department Advertisement Officer #1 then can be heard telling another officer, 'We got a gun in his lap. He's still talking.' This is the last piece of footage shared from officer body camera, after which police said the officers on the scene developed an 'extraction and aid plan that would include the use of a BearCat armored vehicle.' 'It took 37 minutes to safely removed Mitchell from the vehicle,' police said. 'Afterwards officers applied first aid. Tragically they were unsuccessful in reviving him.' The video did not address why it took over half an hour to get Mitchell out of the vehicle and to attempt life-saving measure. His fatal shooting is still under investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the LA County Coroner's Office, Torrance Police Department (TPD) Criminal Investigation and TPD Administration Investigation. 'Our understanding of the incident may change as additional evidence may surface or as existing evidence is analyzed and reviewed,' Irvine said. Mitchell's past convictions include possession of a firearm and operating a chop shop in 2014, vehicle theft in 2015 and 2016, and trespassing, possessing burglary tools, possessing a controlled substance and a third instance of vehicle theft in 2018. Police said Mitchell is a documented gang member who went by moniker, 'Cowboy.' The body of a crucified criminal was put on public display in Saudi Arabia after the execution of 37 nationals in one day, according to local media reports. State-run media carried statements on Tuesday to say those executed had adopted extremist ideologies and formed terrorist cells with the aim of spreading chaos and provoking sectarian strife. Saudi authorities said that one person was crucified after his execution, with the Middle East Eye reporting that the body was then publicly displayed. The U.N. human rights chief condemned the beheadings, saying most were minority Shi'ite Muslims who may not have had fair trials and at least three were minors when sentenced. Saudi Arabia's interior ministry announced on Tuesday that 37 Saudi nationals had been executed [file photo] The name of the person who was crucified has not been released by authorities. The sentences were carried out in Riyadh, the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, central Qassim province and Eastern Province, home to the country's Shiite minority. Elsewhere, two people beheaded in Saudi Arabia were arrested when they were just 16 and 17 - including one teenager set to start a new life in the US at Western Michigan University. Mujtaba al-Sweikat, then 17, was severely beaten all over his body, including on the soles of his feet, before 'confessing' to crimes including attending protests. In 2017, staff at the university said the English language and pre-finance studies student showed 'great promise' and called for him to be released. Abdulkarim al-Hawaj, 21, was also beheaded in public four years after being arrested in the country's Shia-majority Eastern province for spreading information about protests on WhatsApp. Under international law, putting to death anyone who was under 18 at the time of the crime is strictly prohibited. Abdulkarim al-Hawaj (left) was beheaded in Saudi Arabia after being arrested at age 16 for spreading details about peaceful protests on WhatsApp. Mujtaba al-Sweikat (right) was also executed. He was set to attend Western Michigan University At the time of his arrest, staff at Western Michigan University said the English language and pre-finance studies student, Mujtaba al-Sweikat, showed 'great promise' and called for him to be released Human rights charity Reprieve said al-Hawaj was beaten, tortured with electricity and chained with his hands above his head until he 'confessed' to his crimes. Reprieve said both men were sentenced to death at the end of 'sham trials' when they were denied access to lawyers. It claimed they were held for months in solitary confinement and their convictions were solely based on their 'confessions' which were extracted under torture. At his trial, al-Hawaj was convicted on cyber crime charges including spreading information on WhatsApp 'as proscribed by the cyber crime bill' and sentenced to death. Reprieve Deputy Director Harriet McCulloch said: 'Many things can be used to justify a death sentence in Mohammed Bin Salman's Saudi Arabia, including "disobedience against the King", "preparing banners with anti-state slogans" and "incitement via social media". 'Mujtaba al-Sweikat and Abdulkarim al-Hawaj were teenagers sharing information about peaceful protests on their mobile phones. 'Saudi Arabia's western allies must act now, to prevent any more young people being killed for exercising their right to freedom of expression.' Ali al-Nimr has been sentenced to 'death by Crucifixion' for taking part in a demonstration, inviting others to it and explaining how to give first aid to protesters. He is currently on death row Abdullah al-Zaher (left) and Dawood al-Marhoon (right) were also sentenced to death for crimes they allegedly committed under the age of 18. Under international law, this is strictly prohibited A third man among the 37 executed, Munir al-Adam, was just 23 when arrested at a government checkpoint in April 2012. He was beaten on the soles of his feet and had to crawl on his hands and knees for days. As a five-year-old boy he had lost his hearing in one ear following an accident, but after torture he lost hearing in the other and was left totally deaf. He told a judge he had signed a confession because he was exhausted by the torture. Three other prisoners who were under 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher, remain on death row. Th executions were carried out just days after terrorists targeted a building in Riyadh in a foiled plot [file photo] Al-Marhoon told Reprieve he was tortured and made to sign a blank document, to which Saudi officials then added his 'confession'. The men were executed 'for adopting terrorist and extremist thinking and for forming terrorist cells to corrupt and destabilise security', a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. Executions in the ultra-conservative kingdom are usually carried out by beheading. At least 100 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the year, according to a count based on official data released by SPA. Last year, the oil-rich Gulf state carried out the death sentences of 149 people, according to Amnesty International, which said only Iran was known to have executed more people. Rights experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the fairness of trials in Saudi Arabia, governed under a strict form of Islamic law. People convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking face the death penalty, which the government says is a deterrent for further crime. Tragic five-year-old AJ Freund died from blunt force trauma to the head, an autopsy has revealed, as his parents faced court charged with his murder. JoAnn Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr, 60, allegedly forced the little boy to stand in a cold shower and beat him knowing that their actions would kill him, prosecutors claim. The parents appeared front of a judge at the McHenry County jail on Thursday morning, one day after they were hit with a slew of charges related to AJ's death and disappearance. Prosecutors alleged the parents forced their son 'to remain in a cold shower for an extended period of time' and struck him repeatedly on April 15 'knowing said acts would cause the death of [AJ]'. Freund Sr allegedly buried the boy the same day, and three days later on April 18 the parents told police their son had vanished from his bed at their home in Crystal Lake, Illinois. They each issued desperate pleas for their son's return as local law enforcement and the FBI carried out a sweeping six-day search. Cunningham, who is seven months pregnant, shook her head from side to side and choked back tears while the charges against her were read, the Chicago Tribune reported. Freund Sr appeared after her and showed no emotion as he gripped the podium. Judge Mark Gerhardt set their bail at $5million each, telling both parents: 'These are serious allegations.' They would have to post a 10 percent bond, or $500,000, to be released. JoAnn Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr, 60, appeared in front of a judge on Thursday morning at the McHenry County jail to face charges in the death and disappearance of their five-year-old son AJ. They are each being held in lieu of $5million bail Prosecutors alleged that AJ was beaten to death but did not specify by which parent. An official cause of death has not been determined as an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday AJ, whose given name was Andrew, was found early Wednesday wrapped in plastic and buried in a rural area of Woodstock about 10 miles from the family's home. The McHenry County Coronoer's Office confirmed Thursday that the body had been identified as AJ. A statement from the coroner's office said: 'An autopsy conducted Thursday resulted in a finding of the cause of death as craniocerebral trauma as a consequence of multiple blunt force injuries.' Harrowing pictures of a body bag containing AJ's remains emerged hours after police announced the arrest of his parents. Cunningham is facing five counts of first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated domestic battery and one count of failure to report a missing or child death. Freund Sr is facing five counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated domestic battery, two counts of concealment of a homicidal death and one count of failure to report a missing child or child death. Investigators with the McHenry County Coroner's office were seen loading AJ's body into a minivan after he was found wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave on Wednesday, in a rural area of Woodstock, Illinois, a few miles from the family's home in Crystal Lake This map shows AJ's Crystal Lake home in relation to where his body was found in Woodstock Authorities had focused the investigation on the home early on after no evidence was found indicating that AJ was abducted or that he wandered off on his own. Earlier on Wednesday investigators were seen carrying items including a dirt-caked shovel, two brown bags, a plastic storage bin and a small mattress out of the house. The family dog, a brown Boxer named Lucy, was taken into custody by Animal Control officials. Investigators were seen collecting evidence from AJ's home in Crystal Lake on Wednesday The items removed from the house included a dirt-caked shovel, two brown bags, a plastic storage bin and a small mattress Information provided by both parents as well as forensic cellphone data were used to locate AJ's body in Woodstock's Hennen Conservation Area, where investigators are seen above There is growing anger over why AJ was allowed to remain with his parents despite child services visiting the family home 17 times before his death. The home was known to be filthy, while his lawyer father had his license revoked for a cocaine abuse conviction and sought therapy for an opioid problem. Police reports relating to a separate matter obtained by the DailyMail.com reveal that officers attending the home noted an 'overwhelming smell of dog feces and urine' - and that the house was in 'disrepair' with living conditions 'unacceptable.' The heavily redacted reports also stated bruises were noticed on one of the young boys in December but that the children appeared to be 'healthy and happy' and were not removed from the house. Despite all this, no attempt was made in five years to remove AJ and his three-year-old brother, who was removed from the home last Friday. The Illinois Department of Child Services released the following statement after AJ's death was announced: 'After a nearly week-long search for missing Andrew "A.J." Freund, law enforcement officials today confirmed his death. This news is heartbreaking. 'Protecting vulnerable children who come to our attention is at the core of our mission at DCFS. All of us feel this loss. Our priority is the care and safety of Andrew's younger sibling. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation. 'The Department is committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the entirety of our work with Andrew's family to understand our shortcomings and to be fully transparent with the public on any steps we are taking to address the issues.' Mourners gather outside AJ's home for a vigil after his body was discovered on Wednesday Cunningham is comforted by her attorney on Friday as she pleaded for her son's return Cunningham's lawyer George Kililis spoke to reporters on her behalf on Friday, saying the mother is 'worried sick' about her son and 'had nothing to do with' the boy's disappearance Police visited AJ's home 17 times before he went missing and found it was covered in dog feces Cunningham was arrested on the night AJ was reported missing for failure to appear in court on a charge of driving with a suspended license stemming from an incident in December. According to police reports obtained by DailyMail.com, officers were dispatched to the home where Cunningham lived with AJ and his three-year-old brother on December 18 after the mother claimed that her prescription medication had been stolen. Officer Nickolaus Trimpe wrote in a report that the living conditions at house were not 'up to an acceptable standard' and said there was 'dog feces and urine scattered about'. Trimpe also observed several broken or open windows letting in frigid winter air. He said the fireplace, the home's sole source of heat, appeared to be in disrepair. Another responding officer, Kimberly Shipbaugh, wrote in her report: 'While in the residence I observed it to be cluttered, dirty and in disrepair. 'The floor in the kitchen had portions that were jagged and broken off. The ceiling in the kitchen appeared to have water damage and was peeling and open in one portion. 'The door appeared to be covered in a brown substance. The living room had a couch that was completely covered in piles of clothing. The dining room was covered in clothes and boxes and bags. 'Upstairs in the room where the boys slept the window was open and the smell of feces was overwhelming. Officer Shipbaugh wrote that during the burglary investigation she spotted a suspicious bruise on one of the boy's legs. 'The boys were running around the residence playing and I noticed [name redacted], who was wearing a pull-up [diaper], to have a large bruise on his right hip. I asked [Cunningham] about the bruise and she advised that she hadn't noticed it before. 'After looking at it she stated that it must have been from the dog, Lucy.' The officers contacted the Department of Children and Family Services, which did not find any evidence of abuse. The December incident was one of an alleged 17 times DCFS visited the home since his birth in 2013. Spokesman Jassen Strokosch said the boy went into foster care for two years after he was born with opiates in his system and 'neglect was indicated on part of the mom', Strokosch said. Authorities were called to the home in September of last year after a concerned citizen reported that the power hadn't been on at the residence for weeks. 'Upon our arrival I could see the grass at the residence was about two feet long and the paint was peeling off the house,' a responding officer wrote in a police report. 'The windows also seemed to be falling apart.' The officer observed that the electricity meter was not running, and when he spoke to Cunningham she admitted that the power had been off for a while but could not specify how long. The mother would not allow the officers to enter the home and check the living conditions. When informed about the situation, DCFS said they would not perform a utility check because 'a residence without power alone does not warrant a DCFS investigation,' the report claimed. Records show that child protective services had visited AJ's home (above) on 17 occasions since his birth in 2013 In yet another incident one month earlier, officers responding to a call about a theft of prescription drugs reported that two adults at the home, believed to be Cunningham and Freund Sr, appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. Freund Sr is a divorce attorney who met Cunningham in 2012 while handling her divorce. According to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, the father had his license suspended from October 13, 2015 until January 11, 2016, due to offenses related to when he represented her in the marriage dissolution case. After a court issued an injunction prohibiting Cunningham from taking any property from the marital home, she and Freund Sr allegedly went there anyway and took several items including televisions and silverware. They were both subsequently convicted of indirect criminal contempt, according to disciplinary records. Freund Sr was later diagnosed with opioid and cocaine use disorders and was ordered to attend a 12-step program as part of his probation. HAPPENING NOW: @CrystalLakePD, McHenry Co. Animal Control remove dog from home where 5-year-old Andrew AJ Freund went missing last Wednesday. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/iXkoqvAE4w Eric Tyler (@EricTylerTV) April 24, 2019 The family's Boxer named Lucy was removed from the house by Animal Control on Wednesday AJ's mother 'refused to cooperate with investigators' after he went missing Authorities claimed in a Monday press release that Cunningham hadn't spoken to police since she first reported AJ missing on Thursday morning. Cunningham's lawyer George Kililis told reporters that she had 'cooperated extensively with police until at some point we got the impression that she may be considered a suspect', the Chicago Sun-Times reported. 'I don't know whether she is or not and I don't know how serious that consideration is,' Kililis said of his client. Cunningham's attorney said the mother 'doesn't know what happened to AJ and had nothing to do with the disappearance of AJ'. 'Ms Cunningham is worried sick,' he added. 'She is devastated.' Kililis stopped representing Cunningham the day after she was charged. AJ's father sent a direct message to his son, telling him to 'please come home.' 'We love you very much,' he said. 'You're not in any trouble. We're just worried to death. Please, please come home.' Investigators initially searched nearly 1,000 acres surrounding the family's home using drones and scanned Crystal Lake with sonar and underwater cameras. They brought in a canine team which picked up AJ's scent at the house, indicating that he hadn't walked away on foot. Law enforcement said they did not send out an Amber Alert when AJ was first reported missing as there was no evidence to suggest he had been kidnapped from the home. A woman in east China stabbed her husband to death after he forgot to bring home some chicken legs. The couple got into a heated argument in their flat in Lujiang county, Anhui province on April 13 after the husband came home empty-handed, according to Chinese media. The woman then grabbed a fruit knife from the kitchen and slashed her husband to death. The couple got into a heated argument in their flat in Lujiang county, Anhui province on April 13 after the husband came home empty-handed, according to Chinese media The couple, who have a son and daughter, often argued about the caretaking responsibilities of Wu's elderly mother. The woman, Luo, became upset after Wu forgot to bring her dinner Relatives of the victim, who was named as Wu Shouchun, said that the woman, surnamed Luo, became very spoiled and bad tempered after getting married. 'She would hit her husband, but he would never retaliate,' Wu's cousin told Anhui Broadcasting Station. Neighbours also said that arguments between the couple were a daily occurrence. During the argument, the furious wife rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a knife and slashed Wu Relatives of the victim, who was named as Wu Shouchun, said that the woman, surnamed Luo, became very spoiled and bad tempered after getting married Wu's mother, He Changying, told reporters that her son was attending a business dinner when her daughter-in-law asked him to bring her some chicken legs. However, after the meal, Wu forgot about the errand and returned home without the food she had asked for. During the argument, the furious wife rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a knife and slashed Wu. Wu's mother was in bathroom at the time and said she heard her granddaughter screaming. When she came out, she saw her son lying in a pool of blood. Wu's mother was in bathroom at the time and said she heard her granddaughter screaming. When she came out, she saw her son lying in a pool of blood Lujiang County police declined to reveal any details amid ongoing investigations Emergency services rushed him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The couple, who have a son and daughter, often argued about the caretaking responsibilities of Wu's elderly mother. The wife insisted that her mother-in-law move into a storage room with no windows - which Wu adamantly refused. From then on, their relationship deteriorated, He said. Lujiang County police declined to reveal any details amid ongoing investigations, the report added. A Georgia mother who stabbed her husband and four of her children to death two years ago because she felt like a devil spirit, pleaded guilty on Tuesday - receiving five life sentences from a Gwinnett County judge. Isabel Martinez, 35, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to the five counts of murder, one count of aggravated assault and one charge of cruelty to children for her heinous crimes on July 6, 2017. She admitted to the court that she butchered her husband, Martin Romero, 33, and four of their children: Isabela Martinez, 10; Dacota Romero, 7; Dillan Romero, 4; and 2-year-old Axel Romero, with a knife in the middle of the night. She also injured another of her children in the attack, then nine-year-old Diana Romero, who later recalled to police how she watched on in horror as her mother killed her family one-by-one. Romero said Martinez told each of the children they were going to the sky to see Jesus before turning the blade on them in their suburban Atlanta mobile home. Isabel Martinez, 35, pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Tuesday to five counts of murder, one count of aggravated assault and one charge of cruelty to children (pictured in 2017) She admitted to the court that she killed her husband, Martin Romero (left) and four of their kids, Isabela (middle), Dacoto (in stroller), Dillan (right), and Axel (bottom), on July 6, 2017 Martinez told each of the children they were going to the sky to see Jesus before turning the blade on them in their suburban Atlanta home Martinez, who suffers from schizophrenia, is said to have long struggled with mental health problems such as depression and erratic mood swings. But after the death of her father two years before the murders, her mental temperament drastically declined, the court heard. Several family members were present in the court room to witness the 35-year-olds plea, none of whom spoke. Martinez will now be detained in a state facility where shell receive treatment for her various mental health issues. Prosecutors say its the severity of her mental state that stopped them from pursuing the death sentence. There was no way she wasnt going to be found guilty of these murders, Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter told AJC on Wednesday. I believe guilty but mentally ill was the best outcome we could get. Martinez wont be eligible for parole for 30 years, but its unlikely shell ever be released because of the nature of her crimes, prosecutors said. Then just nine, Diana Romero narrowly survived the attack and later recalled the horrific ordeal to police The frightening extent of Martinezs mental health problems were laid bare in court the day after her arrest where she exhibited an array of bizarre behavior towards the cameras As her family slept in their beds on July 6, 2017, Martinez awoke in the middle of the night and - taking a knife from the kitchen - killed four of her children one after another. Their father, Martin, woke up and tried to stop Martinezs vicious onslaught but he too was killed in the struggle. Martinez then placed her slain family members' bodies in the same room so they could be together, she later told investigators. She then starting cutting herself before dialing 911 to report their deaths. Police arrested her at the scene. Martinez told a caseworker the killings were the work of a 'family friend' and maintained her innocence. Her only surviving child Diana spent weeks in hospital recovering from her stab wounds and is now under the care of other relatives. Martinez then placed her slain family members' bodies in the same room so they could be together She then starting cutting herself before dialing 911 to report their deaths Family members mourn in front of the caskets of Martin Romero and the four children on July 13, 2017 The frightening extent of Martinezs mental health problems were laid bare in court the day after her arrest where she exhibited an array of bizarre behavior, which included posing with a double thumbs-up, putting her hands in a prayer position and spreading her arms out wide. She also shook her head 'no' and wagged her finger at Gwinnett County Magistrate Judge Michael Thorpe, who advised her sharply not to perform for the cameras. Some neighbors in the small, largely Hispanic neighborhood where the family lived said they had no clue anything was amiss in the home until police mobbed the scene. The neighbors said the Spanish-speaking family had moved to the community recently, and their children seemed happy playing with other neighborhood kids. 'What prompts a person to take the life of such innocent children and her spouse is something we may never understand,' Gwinnett County police said in a statement at the time. 'This is a horrendous crime not only for the victims but for the extended family, neighborhood and community.' A young father charged with repeatedly stabbing a man over a social media dispute has told a Melbourne court he made a 'stupid mistake' as his alleged victim fights for life in hospital. Steven Phillips, 24, allegedly used a 10cm fishing knife to stab a 23-year-old man during a fight at a Roxburgh Park 7-Eleven store. Melbourne Magistrates Court was told on Thursday the victim was stabbed in the back, stomach, shoulder, left arm and right wrist. He suffered a punctured lung and the stab wound to his wrist may have caused tendon damage and required surgery. Steven Phillips, 24, allegedly used a 10cm fishing knife to stab a 23-year-old man during a fight at a Roxburgh Park 7-Eleven store (pictured) Phillips and his brother allegedly got into the fight with two other men on Wednesday after a fallout from a Facebook post 10 months ago. 'Either ... the accused or his brother took offence,' police prosecutor Igor Chernyega said. Both parties exchanged words before Phillips allegedly punched the male victim in the head. He subsequently stabbed the victim five times, police said, before the latter man got a 'small metal pole'. The stand-off forced 'multiple members of the public and staff members to witness an extremely violent event with substantial amounts of blood spread across the store,' Detective Senior Constable Cameron Curlis told the court. Phillips was arrested in the store where CCTV captured 'extremely violent and confronting' footage. Both parties exchanged words before Phillips allegedly punched the male victim in the head Phillips sought forgiveness when he faced court. 'I have a family and a girlfriend and a baby to look after. This should not have happened,' he said. 'I do not know what went through my brain. I plead for people's forgiveness. It was just a stupid mistake and I am so sorry.' His girlfriend, baby and dad joined him as he unsuccessfully sought bail, before putting his head in his hands and crying. Phillips has been remanded to appear via video link in the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court on May 1. A 22-year-old Craigieburn man has also been charged with affray and bailed to appear at the same court on September 9. Margaret Fleming, who would now be 38, was reported missing in October 2016 from her remote home in Inverkip which lies on the Scottish coast A man and a woman have gone on trial accused of abducting and murdering a teenager who has not been seen for nearly 20 years. Margaret Fleming was reported missing in October 2016 from her home in Inverclyde but has allegedly not been seen since December 1999. Edward Cairney, 77, and Avril Jones, 59, are accused of assaulting and murdering Ms Fleming and fraudulently claiming 182,000 in benefits by pretending she was alive. The pair, who deny all charges against them, went on trial at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday. It is alleged Cairney and Jones abducted Ms Fleming at her home in Inverkip on various occasions between November 1, 1997 and January 5, 2000, and that they locked her in a room, cut her hair and bound her arms and wrists with tape and other material. The pair are accused of assaulting and murdering Ms Fleming, who would now be 38, at the property in Inverkip or elsewhere in Scotland at some point between December 18, 1999 and January 5, 2000. It is also alleged they pretended to officials from the Department for Work and Pensions that Ms Fleming was alive between December 18 1999 and October 28 2016 and claimed 182,000 by fraud. They also face two charges of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. It is alleged they disposed of, destroyed or concealed the remains and personal effects of Ms Fleming between December 18 1999 and October 26 2017. Aerial view of the police search at the home of Margaret Fleming in Inverkip, Inverclyde They are also accused of trying to board a train to London on October 25 2017 while carrying 3,500 and the keys to a safe deposit box in London that contained 27,000. Cairney is also accused of assaulting another woman at a property in Inverkip on November 26 1997. The trial is expected to last for up to six weeks. The case, before Lord Matthews, was adjourned until Friday. A never-before-seen 'sequel' to the controversial dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange has been discovered in the author's archives. The unfinished manuscript was found in the home of Anthony Burgess in Bracciano, near Rome, among stacks of papers and was never published. Titled The Clockwork Condition, the non-fiction work features 200 pages of Burgess' thoughts on the human condition and develops the themes from his controversial book published in 1962. The novel A Clockwork Orange told the story of teenage delinquent Alex and his proclivities for 'ultra-violence' as the state tried to cure him through re-education. It was then adapted into a cult film starring Malcolm McDowell in 1971, but was banned for nearly 30 years as many local authorities accused the movie was inspiring copycat crimes. In the lost 'sequel' Burgess discussed the controversy surrounding the Oscar-nominated film directed by Stanley Kubrick. The 1971 film of A Clockwork Orange was banned from 1973 to 1999 after many local councils feared it was causing copycat crimes The Clockwork Condition was discovered in the home of author Anthony Burgess in Bracciano, near Rome, among his paper The 200-page manuscript was unpublished and a work of non-fiction and designed as a follow up to the themes in the film (pictured Malcolm McDowell as Alex) and 1962 book Burgess writes about modern men and women as 'searching for an escape from the bland neutrality of the condition in which they find themselves'. He tells where the origins of the title come from and how the work expressed fears humans were just 'cogs in the machine, and 'no longer much like a natural growth, not humanly organic'. Burgess heard the term 'as queer as a clockwork orange' used by an 80-year-old Cockney in a pub in 1945 to describe someone who was 'mad'. The author described The Clockwork Condition as his 'major philosophical statement on the contemporary human condition' and described the 1970s as a 'clockwork inferno'. He wrote in one extract: 'For nearly twenty years I wanted to use it as the title of something. During those 20 years I heard it several times more, in Underground stations, in pubs, in television plays, but always from aged Cockneys, never from the young. 'It was a traditional trope, and it asked to entitle a work which combined a concern with tradition and a bizarre technique. In the unpublished manuscript Burgess writes about modern men and women 'searching for an escape from the bland neutrality of the condition in which they find themselves' Burgess describes how the origins of the book's title come from an old Cockney term used in the 1940s to describe someone who was 'mad' 'The opportunity to use it came when I conceived the notion of writing a novel about brainwashing.' Given the controversial themes which included a rape scene and shifting attitudes to film censorship in the 1970s, it was not until after Kubrick's death in 1999 that the film was re-released in UK cinemas and available for home viewing. The 1962 novel was adapted into a cult film starring Malcolm McDowell in 1971 When Burgess's Italian villa was sold after death in 1993, his archive of papers was transferred to the Burgess Foundation in Manchester, where it is now being catalogued. Professor Biswell, professor of Modern Literature at Manchester Metropolitan University and director of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, said: 'This remarkable unpublished sequel to A Clockwork Orange sheds new light on Burgess, Kubrick and the controversy surrounding the notorious novel. 'This is a very exciting discovery. Burgess's only public reference to The Clockwork Condition was in a 1975 interview where he suggested that it had not developed beyond the idea stage. 'Part philosophical reflection and part autobiography, The Clockwork Condition provides a context for Burgess's most famous work, and amplifies his views on crime, punishment and the possible corrupting effects of visual culture. 'It also casts fresh light on Burgess's complicated relationship with his own Clockwork Orange novel, a work that he went on revisiting until the end of his life. 'As the film is re-released in UK cinemas and the Design Museum launches a major Stanley Kubrick exhibition in April, now is the right moment to re-examine Burgess's complex and celebrated book.' The Stanley Kubrick Oscar-nominated adaption of A Clockwork Orange was banned for nearly 30 years until after the director's death A Clockwork Orange told the story of teenage delinquent Alex and his gang of 'droogs' and their obsession with 'ultra-violence' as the state tried to cure him through re-education Correspondence discovered alongside the manuscript shows that the concept for The Clockwork Condition was agreed between Burgess and his collaborator, Thomas Collins, in January 1972, when the Manchester-born author was in New York on a promotional tour for the Clockwork Orange film. The text of The Clockwork Condition was intended to be supplemented by surreal photographs and quotations from a variety of writers on the subject of freedom and the individual. Envisaged as a philosophical work structured around Dante's Inferno, one of Burgess's favourite poems, the book was planned in sections using titles including 'Infernal Man', who was trapped in a world of machines, and 'Purgatorial Man' who was seeking to break out of the mechanical inferno. As the book project grew in scale and ambition, Burgess's increased popularity following the Clockwork Orange film led him to take on a large number of other writing commitments. It was abandoned and instead he wrote a short autobiographical novel, which also features 'clockwork' in the title - The Clockwork Testament which was published as an illustrated novel in 1974. The Foreign Office has advised against 'all but essential travel' to Sri Lanka in the wake of the deadly bomb blasts which killed 360 people last week. In a statement, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt revealed the FCO had updated its travel advice in light of ongoing security operations in the country and said his priority was 'keeping Britons safe'. 'Following the horrific attacks on Easter Sunday, and the ongoing Sri Lankan security operation, I have received updated advice from the Foreign Office and decided to update the travel advice to British nationals to Sri Lanka to advise against all but essential travel,' Mr Hunt said in a statement. Scroll down for video Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement that the FCO had updated its travel advice in light of 'ongoing security operations' Security personnel inspect the interior of St Sebastian's Church in Negombo on April 22 'Our hope is that it will be possible to change this when the current security operation has concluded. My first priority will always be the security of British citizens living and travelling abroad. 'We all hope the situation will return to normal very soon, and that the Sri Lankan tourism industry is able to get back on its feet following the terrorist attacks. We will do all we can to help the Sri Lankan authorities in the meantime.' The Foreign Office says Brits still in Sri Lanka should remain vigilant and keep up to dates with developments. Brits have also been warned to keep a low profile and avoid crowded public places - including religious gatherings and places of worship. The FCO also recommends they avoid travelling during periods of curfew and keep in touch with family and friends. Sunday's coordinated suicide bombings targeted three churches and three hotels, killing at least 359 people and wounding 500 more. IT director Lorraine Campbell, 55, from Manchester, was one of the eight Britons killed in the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka From left to right Daniel and Amelie Linsey who died in the second blast, with father Matthew Linsey, older brother David and mother Angeline - at the Borobudur Indonesia Temple Alex Nicholson (pictured with his family) revealed his family were dining inside the Table One restaurant in the Shangri-La hotel, Colombo, when the bomb hit and killed his two children Authorities have blamed a local group, National Towheed Jamaat, for the attack. A total of eight British nationals were killed in the bombings. Anita Nicolson, her 14-year-old son Alex and 11-year-old daughter Annabel were killed in the restaurant of the Shangri-La Hotel. Brother and sister Daniel and Amelie Linsey, 19 and 15, who were at college and school in London, also died while on holiday. Two other Britons who have been named include former firefighter Bill Harrop and his wife, Dr Sally Bradley, from Manchester, who had been living in Australia and were also on holiday. IT director Lorraine Campbell, 55, was staying at Colombo's Cinnamon Grand Hotel on a business trip when she also was killed in an explosion. It comes as the US Embassy in Sri Lanka warned Thursday that places of worship could be targeted for militant attacks over the coming weekend, as police searched for more suspects in the Islamic State-claimed Easter suicide bombings that killed over 350 people. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he believed militants, likely with access to explosives, remained on the loose in the island nation off the southern tip of India. He said they 'may go out for a suicide attack.' 'We have rounded up a lot of suspects but there are still active people on the run,' Wickremesinghe said in an interview. 'They may be having explosives with them, so we have to find them.' Police, meanwhile, issued an appeal for information about three women and two men suspected of involvement in the Easter bombings. The U.S. Embassy's warning, issued on Twitter, was strikingly specific compared to ones often issued by American diplomatic posts around the world. 'Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship,' the tweet said. 'Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow.' George Leech stole 116,807 from Turners Ltd in Soham, Cambridgeshire and spent it on gambling, holidays, tattoos and designer clothes An assistant account manager who blew nearly 100,000 of his employer's money on a luxury lifestyle has been jailed for two years. George Leech stole 116,807 from Turners Ltd in Soham, Cambridgeshire and spent it on gambling, holidays, tattoos and designer clothes. Leech's deception was uncovered after he began registering fake companies on Turners Ltd's invoice system on July 17 last year. He then linked them to four of his own bank accounts and over the next 15 days he transferred 214,032 into them, spread across 16 transactions. The company's account manager was contacted by several banks who had seized a total of 116,807 after questioning the legitimacy of some transactions. Police were alerted and he was arrested on August 7 at Luton Airport, where he was due to board a flight. Leech's deception was uncovered after he began registering fake companies on Turners Ltd's invoice system on July 17 last year. He is pictured skydiving Leech (left), of Ely, Cambridgeshire was sentenced to two years in a young offenders institution at Cambridge Crown Court today after pleading guilty to fraud by abuse of position (he is also pictured, right, drinking with a friend) He confessed to officers that he had made the transactions. He also admitted that he had already spent 97,225 stolen from the firm, which is based in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on his life of luxury. George Leech (far right) blew nearly 100,000 of his employer's money on a luxury lifestyle When he was being arrested Leech told police: 'I'm glad I got caught. It was driving me insane.' When he was being interviewed Leech admitted he had lost 30,000 gambling, spent 10,000 paying off debt, 14,000 on holidays for his family, 5,000 on a travel card, 2,500 on tattoos and the rest on designer clothing and food. Leech, of Ely, Cambridgeshire was sentenced to two years in a young offenders institution at Cambridge Crown Court today after pleading guilty to fraud by abuse of position. DC Martyn Willis said: 'Leech had been in his role for three years and abused his position to fund his gambling addiction and a luxurious lifestyle. 'He took advantage of his employer's trust in order to line his own pockets.' Three business owners from the same family have been charged with an alleged hate crime hoax after police say they staged the 'most violent and vicious' Anti-Semitic attack on their own cafe. Alexander Berent, 56, Oxana Berent, 48, and Maxim Berent, 29, have all been charged with public mischief after telling Canadian officers swastikas had been drawn on the walls of their restaurant. The incident was dubbed 'the most brazen' Winnipeg had ever seen after the three BerMax Caffe owners said one of them was assaulted during the incident. Police called it one of the 'worst' hate crimes after it reported last Thursday, the night before the start of Passover. A motive for staging the incident has not been disclosed by police but The Winnipeg Sun reports that the owners had tried to sell the business. And it is understood the family reported a similar hate crime the previous month but law enforcement would not confirm whether they believe that too was staged. But the family strongly deny staging the attack last week. Oxana told CBC: 'We didn't, because we don't joke about swastikas on our walls.' She added: 'My grandmother's family, they died in the Holocaust. Just her and her little brother survived, the whole family. We don't joke about that.' Maxim Berent said: 'We didn't do it. We had no reason to do it. This is not good for our Jewish community, this is not good for us.' BerMax Caffe owner Maxim Berent, 29, has been charged with public mischief in Canada along with his parents Alexander and Oxana Alexander and Oxana Berent deny staging the attack along with their son Maxim .'We don't joke about swastikas on our walls', Oxana said The family told Winnipeg cops swastikas had been drawn on the walls of their cafe, pictured The incident was dubbed 'the most brazen' Winnipeg had ever seen and police called it one of the 'worst' hate crimes after it reported last Thursday, the night before the start of Passover Oxana had said she was alone in the cafe when she was assaulted. She said somebody grabbed her and she fainted before waking up in hospital. Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth said the attack was staged a week after it was reported. He said: 'We found evidence of a crime. It just wasn't a hate crime.' He added: 'I am hugely disappointed and, frankly, angry that this family has used hate and racism in such a disingenuous way. 'In doing so, they have allowed cynicism to creep into this discussion. Cynicism that trivializes genuine victims of hate. 'Cynicism that risks reinforcing stereotypes that the Jewish community here locally, and throughout the world, have fought hard to dispel. 'Over 25 officers have invested nearly 1,000 hours through a busy holiday weekend trying to bring this investigation to a close.' He said surveillance footage, forensic evidence and interviews led to the arrests. After reports of the alleged hate crime surfaced Belle Jarniewski, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada said: 'I think that the attack on the BerMax Caffe is the most violent and vicious anti-Semitic attack [in Winnipeg] and certainly in recent memory.' The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg had called it 'the most brazen act of anti-Semitism that we've seen in our community, and perhaps ever'. Following the Berent's arrest they said: 'We are shocked and deeply disturbed by today's news. It is deplorable that anyone would make false allegations of anti-Semitism, especially claims of such a serious nature, for any kind of gain. 'False complaints of criminal acts of anti-Semitism are not only illegal, they undermine the important work necessary to counter anti-Semitism and hate in all forms. 'We reiterate our appreciation of the work of the Winnipeg Police Service and their continued support for the Jewish community.' Maxim Berent, pictured with his dad, said: 'We didn't do it. We had no reason to do it. This is not good for our Jewish community, this is not good for us' It is understood the family reported a similar hate crime the previous month but law enforcement would not confirm whether they believe that too was staged A planned vigil by a local church to support the family has since been cancelled. The incident comes in the wake of the case against actor Jussie Smollet in Chicago. Police say he paid Abel and Ola Osundairo to beat him in what he then described as a racist, homophobic attack by two Trump-loving perpetrators. He has always maintained his innocence and insisted he was attacked. That case was suddenly and unexpectedly dropped last month by the State's Attorney's Office. Authorities are hunting for three thieves who stole $450,000 worth of colonoscopes from a Philadelphia hospital over the weekend. The robbery took place on Saturday at 7.30am at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood where one robber made sure the coast was clear as they walked through the hospital halls to steal the medical equipment. Together the trio - two men and a woman - stole several Olympus colonscopes worth approximately $450,000. It's too early to tell if the incident was an inside job, authorities say. Three thieves - two men and a woman - are wanted for stealing $450,000 worth of colonoscopes from a Philadelphia hospital on Saturday at 7.30am Together the trio stole several Olympus colonscopes worth approximately $450,000 from Lankenau Medical Center. One of the suspects pictured above They stole several Olympus colonscopes, which are tube-like instruments used to examine the colon during colonscopies. The female in the back was seen looking around to make sure the coast was clear The tube-like instruments are used to examine colons during a colonoscopy procedure. 'This is the first time we have encountered this type of theft, so we don't have all the answers,' Lower Merion Police Detective Sergeant Michael Vice said to NBC. Lower Merion Police described the suspects as a white male in his early 20s possibly wearing a wig with curly hair and glasses, a white male in his late 40s wearing a fedora hat and a dark colored jacket, and a white female in her late 20s wearing a pink winter ski cap and a black jacket. The suspects include a white male in his early 20s who could have been wearing a curly hair wig, a white female in her late 20s (together left) and a white male in his late 40s (right) The robbers used a dark colored Jeep Wrangler with four doors and a hard top They used a dark colored Jeep Wrangler with four doors and a hard top in the robbery. In the video the men and women are seen entering the hospital with black backpacks. Once inside, they pried open two doors to gain access to a secure area and remove the colonoscopes. 'This is not something that a typical pawn shop might accept. My feeling would be that it was some type of black market sales,' Vice said. Anyone who can identify the suspects is asked to contact Detective John Mick at (610) 645-6229. The group stole several Olympus colonoscopes worth approximately $450,000. Such equipment is used to conduct colonoscopy procedures. A file image of a colonoscope pictured left and the Olympus colonoscope pictured right Advertisement Comedian John Belushi did cocaine with his Hollywood friends Robert De Niro and Robin Williams just hours before he suffered a fatal overdose in a private bungalow at the famed Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles three decades ago. The details about the night Belushi died in March 1982 are among the stories included in Hollywood historian Shawn Levy's new book, 'The Castle on Sunset', about the iconic and scandalous hotel. In excerpts of the book, obtained by the Hollywood Reporter, Levy details the tragic final days and hours of the comic's life. Belushi, an original Saturday Night Live cast member, had checked into his usual private bungalow at the hotel on February 28, 1982 - almost a week before he suffered the fatal overdose on March 5 at the age of 33. Details about the night John Belushi died in March 1982 are included in a new book by Hollywood historian Shawn Levy about the famed hotel Belushi suffered a fatal overdose on cocaine and heroin in his private bungalow at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles in March 1982. Pictured is his body being removed by the coroner The body of comedian John Belushi is removed from a bungalow at the Chateau Marmont Hotel after his living room was found in 'shambles - not sloppy, but actually trashed, as if in a rage' The Animal House star was visited by Robert De Niro on the evening of March 4 1982 because he wanted to go partying - but De Niro left after being freaked out by the state of the suite. Cocaine was piled on the living room table, there was dirty laundry everywhere and the place was littered with discarded pizza boxes and wine bottles. According to a new book the living room was a 'shambles - not sloppy, but actually trashed, as if in a rage'. De Niro returned 3am to do some cocaine, as did Robin Williams but both left Belushi in the squalor of the $250 a night bungalow because the found the scene so disturbing. 'The Castle on Sunset: Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood's Chateau' by Shawn Levy, which is out next month on Doubleday, says that at noon the next day Belushi was found unconscious by his bodyguard Bill Wallace. Wallace called Belushi's manager Bernie Brillstein and screamed: 'There's something really wrong with John!' Paramedics arrived but Belushi was already gone from an overdose, the book reveals. When De Niro head the news he called the hotel frantically demanding to know: 'Where's John?' General manager Suzanne Jierjian told him: 'There's a problem'. De Niro said: 'What'. She replied: 'It's bad'. De Niro demanded: 'Is he sick' and was told: 'It's really bad'. Levy writes: 'De Niro suddenly understood. He dropped the phone, crying'. Levy writes that in the hours before his death, Belushi did cocaine separately with Robert De Niro and Robin Williams Cathy Smith, the last person to see him alive, was eventually charged and served time for injecting Belushi with the fatal dose of heroin and cocaine Members of the Belushi family leave the West Tisbury Congregational Church following funeral services for the comedian 'He was a wreck, and he was spinning beyond the reach of anyone who could help him,' the author writes of Belushi ahead of his overdose death. The casket is pictured being carried out of funeral services Actor Bill Murray places a flower on Belushi's coffin at Abel's Hill Cemetery on Martha's Vineyard days after his death The dramatic account puts new light on the tragic end of Belushi, who was one of the the greatest comedians of his generation but died at the age of 33. His contemporaries and friends included Dan Aykroyd who was planning to include Belushi in Ghostbusters which would have made him a huge star. Levy writes that when Belushi checked into the Chateau Marmont in February 1982 he was a 'bomb, a waste site, a mess, sweaty, flabby, edgy, pale, disheveled'. It had been four years since Animal House came out and his only modest success since then was The Blues Brothers. He had well established alcohol, pot and cocaine problems and had begun to dabble in heroin, telling people it was research for a movie about the punk scene. When Aykroyd visited Belushi they staged a mock sword fight in the lobby lounge using 2ft candles as weapons, but as February rolled into March Belushi became more reclusive. Levy writes: 'He darted around erratically from nightclubs to people's homes to restaurants to guitar shops to his favorite bathhouse to assignations with drug dealers, sometimes abandoning limousines he hired and driving off with some new acquaintance. 'When he was in the bungalow, he was often too addled to talk or answer the phone, or he was surrounded by clutches of sycophants and drug-world people and hangers-on and unable to have a serious conversation. He was a wreck, and he was spinning beyond the reach of anyone who could help him'. De Niro had become good friends with Belushi as they were both from New York and the Raging Bull star had an upper floor penthouse at the Chateau Marmont. Levy writes that on one visit to Belushi with his young son and adolescent daughter he found Belushi 'snorting such quantities of cocaine and heroin that he had to excuse himself to go find a place to vomit'. Not that it put De Niro off as he was 'using cocaine himself in those days' writes Levy and they would run into each other at VIP rooms of various Sunset Strip clubs. Levy writes that when The Blues Brothers star checked into the Chateau Marmont a month before his death, he was a 'bomb, a waste site, a mess, sweaty, flabby, edgy, pale, disheveled' Writer Alan Zweibel and comedian Dan Aykroyd are pictured with Belushi. Aykroyd was planning to include Belushi in Ghostbusters, which would have made him a huge star Belushi died four years after Animal House came out and his only success since then had been The Blues Brother According to Levy on March 4, Belushi's last night alive, De Niro and his friend the actor Harry Dean Stanton kept calling Belushi to try and get him to come out with them but he wouldn't pick up. At that point they drove to his bungalow at the Chateau Marmont and found it in an 'awful state'. Levy describes how a 'flinty, hard-eyed woman named Cathy' was there and De Niro and Stanton left because they felt so uncomfortable. They went to a club called On the Rox and came back at past 3am where he 'had a few words and a few lines and took some of the cocaine that was piled on the living room' and went back to his suite. Williams also stopped by and was 'creeped out by the scene' and left after a quick chat and some cocaine. At 8am the next day a room service waiter delivered wheat toast, jam and a pot of coffee to Belushi's bungalow and Cathy signed for it - Belushi was in bed, snoring loudly. Shortly after that music producer Derek Power knocked loudly because he was looking for a friend but did not get an answer and then realized he had the wrong bungalow. At noon Wallace, Belushi's bodyguard, went to see him and found him unconscious so tried to give him CPR. He called Brillstein, Belushi's agent and told him: 'I'm having trouble waking John up' Minutes later he called again: 'There's something really wrong with John!' Brillstein got his secretary to call 911 and ordered his assistant, Joel Briskin, to go the bungalow. When he arrived Wallace told him: 'Get out of here! John's dead!' After the paramedics arrived pandemonium set in at the Chateau Marmont and journalists arrived en masse - one banged on De Niro's door until he shouted: 'Go away!' This is the infamous Chateau Marmont Hotel where Belushi overdosed after a wild night with Hollywood elite Cathy Smith is pictured sitting in New York City's Plaza Hotel with her lawyer in March 1982, just week's after Belushi's death A gardener was reassigned to another hotel after telling reporters that Belushi appeared to have choked on his tongue. Eventually Belushi's body was strapped to a gurney and wheeled out in front of the waiting news media, turning his death into a bizarre and grim circus. The next day Brillstein was allowed into the bungalow after the police had done a sweep, and was horrified of what he saw. As well as the half finished beers, coffees and plates of food there were piles of trash and piles of phone messages. Brillstein told Levy: 'The scene was not only depressing, it was depraved. I couldn't believe John had lived there'. The Chateau Marmont management decided to completely remodel Belushi's room and changed the furniture and the decor because they didn't want it to become a 'cult symbol', but they did not succeed. Levy writes: 'More than three decades after Belushi's death, the tragedy was still synonymous with Chateau Marmont. 'Almost every article about the hotel would mention the connection, and even for many in the Hollywood community, the comedian's overdose was considered a feature of the hotel and not a sad fact from its past.' Andrew Whiddett MBE leaves Croydon Crown Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to six child sex abuse charges An ex-British Army officer is facing jail after spending thousands of pounds live-streaming children being sexually abused in the Philippines on Skype from his laptop in London. Andrew Whiddett, of Portsmouth, Hampshire, also discussed flying out to the country to commit abuse himself, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. The 70-year-old ex-lieutenant colonel, who was awarded an MBE for service in Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty to six charges relating to the sexual abuse of children at Croydon Crown Court on Wednesday. The NCA said his offending was committed in the UK after he had left the Army and finished private contractor work as head of security at the British Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. Following his guilty pleas, the NCA said Whiddett had directed the live-streamed abuse over Skype with 'known Filipino child sex abuse facilitators'. Whiddett had conversations with a woman between September and October 2016, in which he made clear he 'wanted to sexually abuse a child when he visited the Philippines that October', the NCA said. Investigators were able to prove that he made 49 payments to the woman totalling 8,584 between January 2015 and July 2017. On November 21, 2015, Whiddett paid 31.41 to watch a nine-year-old girl abused, the NCA said. The 70-year-old ex-lieutenant colonel, who was awarded an MBE for service in Northern Ireland, spent thousands of pounds watching children being sexually abused in images streamed live from the Philippines Travel records show Whiddett flew to the Philippines capital Manila on October 21, 2016, and other messages between Whiddett and abuse facilitators were also discovered by officers. The NCA said it had passed intelligence to Filipino counterparts who made one arrest and safeguarded six children aged between three and 14. After Whiddett was arrested in October 2017 at Heathrow Airport he admitted in interview to sending 158 payments to the Philippines but said these were for live adult sex shows. He declined to answer questions in another interview in March 2018. In court on Wednesday he admitted one charge of attempting to cause or incite a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity in November 2015. Whiddett also pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally causing or inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity in September 2016. Under a further charge he admitted that in September 2016 he intentionally arranged or facilitated the commission of a child sex offence. He will also be sentenced over guilty pleas to three charges of making indecent photographs of a child, involving a total of eight category C and three category B images. His offending was committed in the UK after he had left the Army and finished private contractor work as head of security at the British Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq Following the guilty pleas Judge Nicholas Ainley warned Whiddett: 'You should prepare yourself for a period of imprisonment.' Judge Ainley had issued a temporary order banning the publication of photos of the defendant because his lawyers claimed it would place him in 'particular peril'. But legal representations from the press made in court on Thursday saw this restriction lifted by the judge, who admitted the order was made 'in error'. Whiddett, who has no previous convictions and is on bail, will be sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on May 22. NCA senior investigating officer Gary Fennelly said: 'Andrew Whiddett was directly responsible for the soul-destroying abuse of children thousands of miles away from him. 'He thought he could get away with abusing Filipino children from the comfort of his own home. 'Anyone like him should realise the NCA and UK police will never give up our pursuit of offenders who commit these horrific crimes. 'The NCA does important work with international law enforcement partners in the Philippines to combat these sorts of crimes.' An ex-felon has been arrested after raping his elderly neighbor in the basement of her apartment block in Brooklyn, New York. Selwyn Worrell, 24, was charged with the sickening attack, which occurred in the Brownsville neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon. The 88-year-old woman, who the suspect and his family fondly referred to as 'granny', was inside her first-floor apartment when authorities allege Worrell knocked on the door around 1 pm. Recognizing him as her neighbor, the lady opened the door to Worrell before he forced his way inside. He allegedly grabbed the grandmother by the throat before punching her in the face, tying up her hands with an electrical cord and pulling her into the basement of the building. Cops say she used her Life Alert button to call for help after the horrific attack was over and Worrell had fled the scene. The shocking incident occurred Wednesday afternoon on this street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Brownsville Police are pictured at the crime scene on Wednesday afternoon The victim used her Life Alert button to call for help, and the device may have saved her life Police and medics arrived to find her partially clothed with injuries to her face. She was rushed to hospital for treatment and has now been released. Authorities claim that the Life Alert button may have saved her life. As Worrell tried to flee the scene, he was chased down by his own father and sisters according to The New York Post. The family feared he had done something wrong when they saw police cars pull up outside their home with sirens blaring. 'He came in here and we knew something was wrong,' Worrell's older brother, who declined to be named, told The Post. 'So my father and my sisters chased him down and they grabbed him,' he continued. 'They got him and they brought him back.' Worrell was apprehended just blocks away, and he has now been charged with rape, sexually motivated assault and burglary. He was taken to a nearby hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. He had known his victim for almost 20 years, and his family had referred to her as 'granny'. 'That's wrong,' his brother added. 'That's granny, we have mad love for granny.' Court records reveal Worrell has previously spent two years in prison for an attempted burglary. He was released from jail in 2017, and his parole only ended on February 23 of this year. One of Worrell's uncles spoke with ABC 7 on Thursday saying that his nephew has a history of mental illness. He stated: 'People with mental disorders need help. I'm not saying it's right for anything to happen to anybody in any way. He's my nephew. I love my nephew.' Worrell is currently undergoing psychiatric evaluation at a Brownsville hospital, a short distance from where his attack occurred. Meanwhile, the victim's daughter says her mother in good spirits in spite of her horrific experience. She told The New York Post that she 'thanks God' her mother managed to survive the ordeal. California's State Senate voted to prevent schools from suspending students for 'willful defiance' towards staff. The bill now moves to the Assembly following a similar proposal being vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown last year. The new bill would stop students in grades four to eight from being suspended for defiance to school authorities. It would also prevent students in grades nine to twelve from being suspended for the same disruption until January 2025, CBS reported. Democrat Senator Nancy Skinner authored the bill (pictured in this file photo from May, 2018) Democrat Senator Nancy Skinner, who authored the bill, told the broadcaster: 'Under this highly subjective category, students are sent to an empty home, with no supervision, and denied valuable instructional time for anything from failing to turn in homework, not paying attention, or refusing to follow directions, taking off a coat or hat, or swearing in class.' Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill last year (pictured in this file photo from November 2018) The law would still allow for suspension for threatening violence, possession of weapons or drugs. Senate Bill 419 states: 'A superintendent of the school district or principal is encouraged to provide alternatives to suspension or expulsion, using a research-based framework with strategies that improve behavioral and academic outcomes, that are age appropriate.' According to CBS, researchers say suspensions for 'willful defiance' have disproportionately impacted minority students, especially African-Americans. In the 2017-18 academic year, the broadcaster reported African-American students made up 5.6% of those enrolled in California schools and accounted for 15.6% of the 'willful defiance' suspensions. Governor Brown's veto last year said teachers and principals were on the 'front lines' of education and were in the 'best position' to decide on how to keep classroom order. A number of schools in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland have already banned suspensions and expulsions for 'willful defiance,' CBS said. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders held her first press briefing in 45 days on Thursday morning - but only children who came to work with their parents could ask questions. The entire event, save for the fact that it happened and the vice president made a surprise appearance, was deemed non-reportable by the White House. Repeated requests to put it on the record were denied by White House officials. Vice President Mike Pence had not been expected to be there but popped into the event mid-way through and stayed long enough to take questions from a pint-sized crowd. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders held her first press briefing in 45 days on Thursday morning - but only children who came to work with their parents could ask questions Sanders holds one of her sons as her daughter grips the podium during the briefing for children of journalists and White House staff in the Brady press briefing room at the White House Children raise their hands in an attempt to get a question from the vice president Sanders and Pence stand at the podium with the press secretary's three children. Her husband, Bryan, and her father, Mike Huckabee, look on from seats on the far-left side of the room Sanders also took questions from the children, but did not stay to take questions from the press. She did not respond to a query as she left from a working journalist about an on-the-record briefing for the press. Trump's administration has kept with the tradition they inherited from the previous administration of having journalists' and staffers' children come to the White House for a joint Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day event. Typically, it involves a press briefing, a luncheon and a meet-and-greet with the president. Reporters will be allowed to cover Thursday afternoon's event on the South Lawn of the White House. The press briefing itself had been billed, however, as strictly off the record. It wasn't easy for the White House to keep a lid on the event for long, as attendees and journalists shared photos of the children and the vice president. Sanders also took questions from the children, but did not stay to take questions from the press She did not respond to a query as she left from a working journalist about an on-the-record briefing for the media The White House gave out special edition Hershey's kisses to youngsters who participated in the briefing Pence was making his debut in the briefing room, adding to the intrigue. He has never spoken to working press in the room that Sanders rarely uses for briefings now Pence was making his debut in the briefing room, adding to the intrigue. He has never spoken to working press in the room that Sanders rarely uses for briefings now. He has held several pen and pad briefings for journalists, however, in other areas of the White House complex. The VP wasn't the only surprise guest at the briefing. Sanders' husband, Bryan, attended along with the couple's three children. Sanders' father, Mike Huckabee, a two-time presidential candidate and the former governor of Arkansas, also sat in a seat in the briefing room typically reserved for White House staff when the cameras are on. Trump's spokeswoman had some help during her portion of the briefing from her own kids, who climbed on the podium and scampered around near her legs. The White House gave out special edition Hershey's kisses to youngsters who participated in the briefing. The first lady also gave a photography lesson on the South Lawn, a tweet from her spokeswoman revealed. That event was open to administration staff only. Lawyer Michael Avenatti, who once considered running for president in 2020 and may spend the rest of his life in prison, issued a glowing endorsement on Thursday for former Vice President Joe Biden. I am extremely happy that @JoeBiden has decided to enter the race, Avenatti tweeted just hours after Biden released his official announcement video on Thursday morning. He offers Dems the very best chance in 2020, especially in key states. He has the fight, intelligence and fortitude to beat Trump and begin to make America, America again. He has my enthusiastic support. Earlier this month, Avenatti was hit with 36 federal charges alleging he stole millions of dollars from clients and failed to pay taxes, among other charges. If convicted on the charges, Avenatti would face 335 years in federal prison. The three-dozen count indictment includes 10 counts of wire fraud, 19 counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud and four counts of bankruptcy fraud, the oldest of which stems from 2010. Attorney Michael Avenatti issued a glowing endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden in his 2020 bid for president Avenatti, who once considered a presidential run, is facing 335 years behind bars in the three-dozen count indictment levied against him earlier this month, which includes allegations that he stole millions of dollars from clients Biden released his announcement video on Thursday, formalizing his campaign to run for the Democratic Party's 2020 nomination Avenatti is scheduled to be arraigned on April 29 in United States District Court in Santa Ana, California. In New York Avenatti is also facing four charges in an alleged extortion attempt against Nike. Prosecutors say he contacted Nike threatening to expose a college pay-for-play scandal which Avenatti said would prove the company had been breaking the law by bribing young players to play for selected colleges and teams. He allegedly told the company that instead of exposing it, he would conduct an 'internal investigation' for a $25 million fee. Nike reported him to the authorities instead. Avenatti is best known for representing porn star Stormy Daniels in multiple legal cases involving President Donald Trump, especially in allegations of hush-money payments issued for her silence ahead of the 2016 elections regard her alleged affair with Trump. Avenatti is best known for his role representing porn star Stormy Daniels (right) in her cases against President Donald Trump, including alleged hush-money payments Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said he sort of expected Avenatti to support Biden, but also figured a good choice for him would be Sen. Bernie Sanders because he says convicted felons should be able to vote Avenatti, after rising to prominence over his involvement in Danielss cases against Trump, once floated running for president, but in December 2018 said he would not run for president out of respect for my family. Donald Trump Jr., the presidents eldest son, said that he half expected Avenatti to endorse Creepy Uncle Joe, but was a bit surprised he didnt put his support behind Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders considering the recent charges against him. Part of me isn't surprised to see Creepy Porn Lawyer endorse Creepy Uncle Joe for President, Don Jr., tweeted Thursday. I kind of assumed he would be supporting @BernieSanders, since Bernie wants to give incarcerated criminals the right to voteUnless maybe @JoeBiden secretly supports that too??? During a round of CNN town halls on Monday, some of the Democratic contenders weighed in on whether they thought incarcerated felons should be granted voting rights they were stripped of when convicted. Sanders said he felt convicted felons should be granted the right to vote in U.S. elections. "The right to vote is inherent to our democracy, yes, even for terrible people, because once you start chipping away and you say, Well, that guy committed a terrible crime, not going to let him vote. Oh, that person did that, not going to let that person vote.' You're running down a slippery slope," Sanders said during the town hall earlier this week. Simon Halabi (pictured above) at Southwark Crown Court A property magnate who was once one of the UK's richest men worth 3billion has launched a legal aid bid to overturn strict notification requirements after his rape conviction in France 21 years ago. Simon Halabi had previously owned a stake in the Shard in London, as well as owning the City headquarters of financial institutions such as JP Morgan, Old Mutual and Aviva. The 60-year-old also boasted a French chateau, a property in Mayfair and Buckinghamshire. However, Syrian-born Halabi's empire collapsed during the financial crisis and he was declared bankrupt in 2010. In 2018 it emerged that he had been convicted of raping a woman in her early twenties in France, back in 1995. He was sentenced to three years in jail, the sentence was suspended years at the assizes court in Alpes-Maritimes, south-east France, in 1998 and put on the French sex offenders' register. He was convicted in France under the name Mohammed, but reverted to his birth name of Simon on his passport in 2003. The conviction was disclosed to UK authorities in 2012 under data sharing protocols, but investigators did not know Mohammed Halabi was a name used by Halabi. Picture shows Simon Halabi and his ex wife Urte Halabi at Southwark Crown Court The French authorities notified UK authorities that Mohammed Halabi was also known as Simon Halabi on October 19, 2017. Last September he was made subject to a sexual offence notification order by District Judge Michael Snow at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Halabi is now appealing against the decision at Southwark Crown Court. His case is that the notification order was at the discretion of the Met Police Commissioner and that he should not have been given it due to the lapse of time between the rape and the making of the application, and due to his not posing a significant risk to the public. Halabi had previously owned a stake in the Shard (pictured above) in London Judge Christopher Hehir summarised a key point of Halabi's case, put by his barrister Chris Daws, QC: 'The Commissioner does enjoy a discretion. 'Mr Daws' beef is not so much with the decision of the court, but the decision to seek the order. The police are not obliged as such to seek the order.' Jason Beer, QC, representing the Met Police, disagreed that the rape conviction was too long ago to be subject to a notification order. He said: 'The notification period that would have applied had the conviction been in this country has not expired.' Last September he was made subject to a sexual offence notification order by District Judge Michael Snow at Westminster Magistrates' Court (pictured above) Mr Beer argued that if the court were to have discretion in a foreign sexual offence conviction case like Mr Halabi's it follows that it would have discretion in domestic cases. Judge Hehir replied: 'It puts people like Mr Halabi in a privileged position.' The judge said 'hypothetically' that if Mr Halabi was being sentenced in England today he would have been subject to a more significant sentence than the one he received in France. 'If convicted in England today of that conduct he would have received a sentence in double figures.' Halabi is now appealing against the decision at Southwark Crown Court (pictured above) Earlier detailing the background to the case Mr Beer said: 'Mr Halabi was born in Damascus, Syria, on August 2 1958. 'He states that his name at birth was Simon Halabi and that on leaving Syria his name is changed to Mohammed Halabi. 'He says that at the age of 15 he was in the UK studying and was from then on known as Simon.' Halabi is currently living in the Berkley Square area of Mayfair (pictured above) Mr Beer told the court the events that led to Halabi's rape conviction. 'On September 19, 1995 he raped a woman at his house in France. The victim was 22 years old, Mr Halabi was 37. 'Mr Halabi took the victim to his bedroom. 'He asked the victim to fellate him, she resisted so he grabbed her by the arm, dragged her to the bed and attempted to strangle her.' He then detailed the sex act Halabi carried out. Halabi, of Berkeley Square, Mayfair, still maintains that he is innocent. Notification Orders are intended to protect the public in the UK from the risks posed by sex offenders who have been convicted or cautioned for sexual offences committed overseas. The order makes the offender become subject to the notification requirements as if they had been convicted in the UK. Summarising Halabi's position Judge Hehir said: 'What Mr Halabi says is that I am a 60-year-old man and I am going to to be 75 before I get a review.' Mr Beer replied: 'That is what Parliament has decided, if the sentence is 30 months or more the court must make an order requiring notification.' Mr Daw then claimed DC Morgan, the officer who applied to bring the notification order, earlier lied to the court about whether or not the tycoon was at risk of reoffending. He said DC Morgan initially accepted Halabi was not at risk of reoffending and then 'perjured' himself by saying the opposite at a later hearing. The QC told the court: 'He was convicted in his 30s and has never been convicted, let alone accused of a sexual offence since. 'The officer accepted on oath that there is no risk of the appellant reoffending.' Judge Hehir replied: 'Assuming he said it so what?' Mr Daw replied: 'The fact that the applicant officer himself conceded on oath is relevant. 'It is also relevant that the applicant officer committed perjury and lied on oath.' Mr Daw told the court that his client was the victim of a gross miscarriage of justice in France. 'He was the victim of gross misconduct of justice in France. 'The complainant did not even attend the trial. 'She was never cross-examined. 'He had no right to appeal against the verdict. 'The conviction was not maintained in a process that would never stand up in an English court. 'At the time of this conviction there was no right of appeal in French law.' He said that the right to appeal was only introduced in France on June 15, 2000. Judge Hehir said: 'Are you saying that before 2000 there was no right of appeal in French law? Mr Daw replied: 'That is in the evidence.' Judge Hehir replied: 'I think we need to move on - all that needs to be shown is that there is a conviction.' Mr Daw said notification requirements in England and Wales were much more stringent than in France. Here Halabi is required to notify police of a change of address, whether he is residing in a house with someone under 18, and that the police have the right to make 'spot checks' at his address. 'None of this was required in France where all he has to do is tell them his address once a year,' said Mr Daw. 'You are now being asked to submit him to the most intensive supervision.' The appeal continues. A police negotiator battling depression and 'issues' with his marriage hanged himself near his local Cenotaph just weeks after getting a promotion, an inquest has heard. Detective Inspector Terry Hopkins, 40, who had also served in the British Army, was found dead by fellow officers near the war memorial in Pontypridd, South Wales on Christmas Eve last year. He was said to have been 'excited' about an upcoming promotion and neither colleagues nor his family said he had shown any indications of wanting to self-harm. Detective Inspector Terry Hopkins (left and right), 40, who had also served in the British Army, was found dead by fellow officers near the war memorial in Pontypridd, South Wales on Christmas Eve last year Mr Hopkins (pictured) served in the British Army for the 9/12th Royal Lancers between 1996 and 2002. During his time in the army, he also went on a tour of Bosnia But an inquest into his death heard he had been prescribed medication for depression and anxiety after joining the force in 2004. And was experiencing 'issues' with his eight-year marriage in the days leading to his death. Pontypridd Coroner's Court heard the father of three, who had previously served 'with distinction' in the 9/12th Royal Lancers between 1996 and 2002 including a tour of Bosnia, had been struggling with his relationship. He met his wife, police constable Leanne Hopkins, after he joined South Wales Police to become a negotiator, two years after leaving the British Army. Ms Hopkins told the inquest they had been having problems with their marriage, which saw him sleeping in a spare room in their home in Pontypridd. She said she was woken on the morning of Christmas Eve last year by the sound of Mr Hopkins driving off in his car. Having become concerned for his welfare, she began searching the Pontypridd Common walking trail for him. But she then realised he had left his work phone at their home despite being scheduled to work a shift at Barry CID. Several police officers said in statements they also did not witness indications Mr Hopkins (left and right) wanted to end his own life, and confirmed he was not subject to any internal investigation before his death She dialled 999 after finding his abandoned car parked in the area and saw that his wedding ring and handwritten notes were in the back. She was then joined by colleagues who informed her her husband had been found dead by the common's Cenotaph. Mrs Hopkins said: 'During our whole relationship he had never once expressed any suicidal thoughts. 'His death has come as a great shock to me, friends, and colleagues. I don't think anyone could have seen this coming.' Several police officers said in statements they also did not witness indications Mr Hopkins wanted to end his own life, and confirmed he was not subject to any internal investigation before his death. Detective Constable Dean Taylor said he had met him three days before, and described him being 'excited' about his upcoming promotion as an intelligence commander. Mr Hopkins is pictured alongside his brother at the Somme. Both have served in the armed forces Detective Inspector Terry Hopkins, of South Wales Police, died on Christmas Eve. A fundraising page following his death has raised 15,596 for PTSD Resolution A toxicology report found Mr Hopkins had drunk alcohol before his death, but coroner Ian Boyce said he did not believe it altered Mr Hopkins' 'specific intention to take his own life', which was supported by a handwritten note he had left in his car. Mr Boyce recorded the cause of death as suicide by hanging. A fundraising page in memory of Mr Hopkins launched by his son, Oliver, following his death has raised 15,596 for PTSD charity PTSD Resolution. In a post on JustGiving, the police officer's son wrote: 'My dad loved his job, but behind the smiles he was carrying a burden of the sights he had seen and the events he witnessed, and became very unwell, suffering with PTSD, and we lost him on Christmas Eve 2018. 'The recent loss of him has affected us all and has put into perspective what someone goes through mentally after leaving or being in any Armed Forces. After his death Chief Superintendent Stuart Parfitt, divisional commander for Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan, said: 'Terry was a fantastic detective, hard working and enthusiastic and a great ambassador for the communities of South Wales that he served. 'Terry was a hugely respected member of my team and everyone is totally shocked and devastated to hear of his death. 'Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.' For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details A Jeremy Corbyn aide who is facing a libel case from Countdown's Rachel Riley has been appointed Labour's new head of complaints. Laura Murray will be responsible for dealing with anti-Semitism allegations in the party in her new 51,000-a-year post. According to a job advert Ms Murray 'will be responsible for a modern, efficient and effective complaints procedure and managing staff working on this.' A Labour source insisted the recruitment process had been 'open, fair and designed to find the best person for the job, and that's what happened in this case'. Laura Murray, pictured left with Jeremy Corbyn, has been appointed as Labour's new head of complaints despite a row between her and Rachel Riley Ms Murray is at the centre of a libel case brought by Countdown presenter Ms Riley earlier this year. The row followed an incident where Mr Corbyn was egged by a Brexit supporter in North London. Ms Murray is said to have accused the TV host, 33, who is Jewish, of saying the Labour leader deserved to be attacked because he was a 'Nazi'. Ms Riley called the comments, which were later deleted from Twitter, an 'appalling distortion of the truth'. In a separate row, Ms Murray was accused of intervening to stop a Labour member being suspended over anti-Semitism claims after leaked emails emerged last year. It was claimed she had defended Patricia Sheerin, 72, over the party member's comments on an anti-Semitic mural. Rachel Riley (pictured in London last month) accused Ms Murray of 'distorting' her words about an attack on Mr Corbyn Ms Murray's allies have said the emails did not represent her view. Mr Corbyn himself came under fire over a 2012 message in which he questioned whether the mural showing hook-nosed bankers oppressing mankind should be removed. He later apologised and said he had not looked closely enough at the anti-Semitic image. A Labour spokesman said: 'We don't comment on staffing matters'.' But a spokesman for the Jewish Labour Movement said: 'This is the last thing that will restore confidence in a broken and corrupt system. 'If Labour was really interested in building trust with its Jewish members and voters and tackling anti-Jewish racism, it wouldn't have gone for this shoddy quick-fix. 'Without taking such a clean break from the current failed system, it is hard to see how Labour and Jeremy Corbyn will tackle the institutionalised crisis of antisemitism in the Party.' According to Ms Murray's online profile she was previously 'Stakeholder Manager to Leader of the Opposition'. Before that she worked at the Greater London Authority and University College London. The Jewish Labour Movement earlier this month said it has no confidence in Mr Corbyn's leadership amid the ongoing anti-Semitism crisis. In February seven Labour MPs quit the party to form The Independent Group in fury at Mr Corbyn's handling of anti-Semitism and Brexit. They included Luciana Berger, a Jewish member who had suffered fierce anti-Semitic abuse online. Mr Corbyn has previously acknowledged that the party had been 'too slow' in dealing with cases of abuse'. This is the horrifying moment Australian holidaymakers in Sri Lanka realise the hotel they have been staying at has been hit by a terrorist attack. Kim Wright had been staying at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Sri Lanka with her family during the Easter period. The family had planned on using the pool on Easter Sunday and Mrs Wright said there had been a good atmosphere in the hotel, due to a wedding ceremony which had been taking place. Footage taken by Mrs Wright shows the family walking through the hotel lobby, before walking outside, where they are then confronted with blood-soaked victims being hauled into emergency vehicles. Footage taken by Kim Wright shows the destruction caused by the blast at the hotel (left) and how hotel staff dealt with the situation (right) Since the attacks which took place across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, the UK Foreign Office has advised all but essential travel to the country. Sunday's coordinated suicide bombings targeted three churches and three hotels, killing at least 250 people and wounding 500 more. Speaking to the MailOnline, Mrs Wright, who has previously both lived and travelled to Sri Lanka said it was 'impossible' to describe the feeling in the country at the moment. 'We are still in Sri Lanka and as crazy as it sounds, we feel like this is the safest place for us to be at the moment. There had been wedding party taking place at the hotel and tables were left in the middle of pathways (left) while staff members tried to get those who had been injured to safety (right) Maps of Sri Lanka and its capital Colombo, marking the locations of a series of suicide bombings on April 21, 2019 'We are devastated, I cant find the words. I have been coming here since I was born, coming here on and off and lived here for a short period. We were here when the civil war happened and that wasnt great but this is completely different different to the fear that was here previously and we have really struggled. 'A lot of people dont understand why we dont just come home, but my family is here.' Mrs Wright, her husband and her son had travelled over from Australia to visit her Aunt, to celebrate her recent book launch. She says her family have stayed at the Cinnamon Grand many times before and class a lot of the staff as 'close friends'. Workers at the hotel were seen bloodied and carrying bodies out (left) of the building where glass walls had been left shattered (right) Security remained tight at the churches targeted in Sri Lanka following the attacks as well as in and around the hotels Speaking of the moment they walked into the hotel lobby, she said they had been about to go down and enjoy a day at the pool when the explosion happened. 'We were just about to go to the pool which is on the ground level and just last minute we decided to get off the elevator the level above and because of that we just missed the explosion we were in the lift when it happened . 'There was a wedding happening and when we walked we out of our room we could here the drummers playing and we thought when we were in the lift that something had happened with that or something had fallen. 'There was smoke so we got off the lift and we saw someone had come up the stairs. I had asked him if he was ok and he said the roof had collapsed just as he was coming up.' The Islamic State group published a picture of eight men it said were behind the attacks in Sri Lanka Palm trees had fallen down (left) as well as walls throughout the hotel (right) leading the the outside area After 30 minutes wandering around the hotel, the family were finally informed of what had happened as staff started running around. She added: 'It just didnt seem like it could happen. Thats when we stood at the top of the stairs and it unfolded around us staff members were running around every where and the bodies were coming and it was chaos. 'There were two little boys in matching outfits and they were in tears, they were just being passed from one to to the other and screaming. 'I was sitting with a girl in the lobby when hotel staff then put a body behind us and were trying to resuscitate people, other bodies were coming in too.' The bombers blew themselves up as guests queued for breakfast at the Shangri-La (pictured) and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the capital However, it's not the first time Mrs Wright has been caught up in terror, in 2017 she was in Paris when extremist struck, leaving 130 dead and more than 600 wounded. She also highlighted that during the aftermath of the Sri Lanka attacks over Easter, that she had spoken to a man who had been in London when attackers crashed into pedestrians in the London Bridge area. Once the whole hotel had been evacuated on Sunday, Mrs Wright said they had spoken to the pool boy, who had promised to put two towels down for them that morning. 'He told us he had been waiting for us at 9am and he was covered in flesh and blood and everything. 'The hotel manager told us that the suicide bomber had checked into the hotel and told us he was on the floor underneath us. 'We understand it was room 425 and found out he checked in on Friday night and didnt stay at the hotel. He only appeared on the Sunday with a big bag.' At the hotel, Mrs Wright said they are now marking deaths off the guest list as soon as they are confirmed. 'There are still about 20 people at the hotel but we haven't seen anyone coming or going and we have been back inside the hotel since 4pm today. 'It's very quite and there is security everywhere every entrance is guarded and there are checks now. Management did ask us the first night as soon as it all happened what we would like to do and explained security was changing.' Mrs Wright says she plans on returning back to Australia next week. It has been claimed that two sons of a wealthy spice trader carried out the suicide blasts. The Muslim brothers, Ilham Ibrahim and Inshaf , blew themselves up as guests queued for breakfast at the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the capital. They were in their late twenties and operated their own 'family cell', an investigation officer said yesterday as Sri Lankan police continue to probe the bombings. The brothers had been involved in their father, Yoonus Ibrahim's lucrative Colombo spice export business, investigators said. A focus of the inquiry will be to find out whether there was a foreign influence in their radicalisation and how the children of such a wealthy family had become involved, an official source said. The pair were key members of the Islamist National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) group, the official added. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the government has blamed the NTJ. A minister said Tuesday the bombers may have struck in revenge for attacks on two New Zealand mosques last month which left 50 dead. Investigators said it was not known whether the brothers were in contact with the other bombers. The first wave of attacks struck during busy Easter services at churches in the cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa. More bombs ripped through three luxury hotels in the capital city of Colombo: the Kingsbury, the Shangri La, and the Cinnamon Grand. The group also planned another attack at a fourth hotel, but the suicide bomber either failed to detonate his device or decided against doing so, official sources said. North Korea surprised an American envoy with a $2 million invoice that it presented the State Department hours before Otto Warmbier was flown from Pyongyang to Ohio in June 2017 The Trump administration agreed to reimburse North Korea for Otto Warmbier's care, then stiffed the rogue nation on the bill after it released the comatose student into U.S. officials' care. North Korea surprised an American envoy with a $2 million invoice that it presented the State Department hours before Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was flown from Pyongyang to Ohio in June 2017, two people familiar with the matter told the Washington Post. Warmbier died shortly after returning to his home state. He fell ill while he was in a detention center in North Korea. There are conflicting reports as to whether the bill was ever paid, with the White House declining comment, and President Donald Trump saying as recently as September 30 that his administration paid 'nothing' to get American 'hostages' out of North Korea. There are conflicting reports as to whether the bill was paid, with the White House declining comment and President Donald Trump saying as recently as September 30 that his administration paid 'nothing' to get American 'hostages' out of North Korea. Warmbier was returned to the US in a vegetative state (pictured) which North Korean authorities blamed on botulism, a rare bacterial infection that can be fatal Warmbier mysteriously fell into a coma on the day that he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea in following a 2016 sightseeing trip gone wrong. He died days after he was released into U.S. custody. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain. Pyongyang blamed botulism and ingestion of a sleeping pill and dismissed torture claims. Barack Obama was president at the time of Otto Warmbier's incarceration and his State Department was not successful in freeing him. Months after Obama left office, North Korea agreed to release the student, who arrived home in a vegetative state, to the Trump administrative. Fred Warmbier told the Washington Post that he had not been informed about a hospital bill and said it sounded like a 'ransom' request for his late son. Warmbier mysteriously fell int o a coma on the day that he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea during a 2016 sightseeing trip gone wrong, and died days after he was released into US custody in 2017. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain. Pyongyang blamed botulism and ingestion of a sleeping pill and dismissed torture claims. Warmbier is shown in custody in North Korea The invoice was reportedly handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. White House officials would not comment on Thursday, after the Post article revealing the payment. 'We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. Yun told Reuters he could not comment on diplomatic exchanges, either. But in an interview with CNN on Thursday, he said he was given broad orders to secure Warmbier's release and that he understood the instructions to come directly from Trump. 'Yes, my orders were completely: do whatever you can to get Otto back,' he told CNN, adding that he worked closely with then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Yun said that it was his understanding that in previous releases of U.S. prisoners, money had been exchanged and was justified as 'hospital costs,' but he gave no further details. Scans of Warmbier's brain before his death revealed extensive damage associated with an unexplained trauma that American neurosurgeons were not able to pinpoint. Warmbier died on June 19, 2017, in Cincinnati at the age of 22 after his parents made the decision to remove his feeding tube. Ottos father, Fred Warmbier, said that he had not been informed about any hospital bill and that it sounded like a 'ransom' for his late son. The Parents of Otto Warmbier, Fred and Cindy Warmbier are acknowledged during the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives January 30, 2018 Warmbier traveled to North Korea from China while completing a study abroad program in Hong Kong at the end of 2015, as part of a tour group that included ten other Americans. The group celebrated New Year's Eve in Pyongyang, and at some point during the stay, Warmbier took down a propaganda poster from the wall of his hotel that he planned to take home as a souvenir. He was arrested at Pyongyang airport shortly after, before tearfully confessing on North Korean television six weeks into his detention that he had taken the poster. A court sentenced Warmbier to 15 years in prison with hard labor for his confessed crime. The U.S. State Department said at the time that it was evident that North Korea arrested Warmbier to make a political statement. It wasn't until Trump took office that the U.S. secured Warmbier's release, in June of 2017. North Korean officials claimed several days prior to his return that he'd come down with food-borne botulism that he fought off with a sleeping pill. Experts in the U.S. could find no such evidence, although they said they could not rule it out, and determined that he'd most likely experienced a trauma that led to oxygen deprivation in his brain. After his death, Pyongyang claimed that it had been wrongly accused in a 'smear campaign' and Warmbier's treatment in prison had been nothing but 'humanitarian.' 'Although we had no reason at all to show mercy to such a criminal of the enemy state, we provided him with medical treatments and care with all sincerity on humanitarian basis until his return to the US, considering that his health got worse,' a regime spokesperson said. Trump claimed in 2017, after Warmbier's release, that the boy had been 'tortured beyond belief' and belittled North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as Little Rocket Man. The U.S. passed legislation barring Americans from traveling to North Korea after the student's death, and led a United Nations charge to introduce hefty sanctions on Pyongyang for its illicit nuclear program. In early 2018, the relationship between the U.S. and North Korea began to change when Kim extended an olive branch to the South when the neighboring democracy hosted that year's Winter Olympics. They walked into the Opening Ceremony under one flag. By that summer Trump and Kim were exchanging private letters. They met in person for the first time in Singapore in June of 2018 after Trump hosted a North Korean delegation at the White House for talks on nuclear disarmament. The leaders have continued to converse through letters that Trump says turned he and Kim into great friends. 'We had probably the toughest language in the history of diplomacy ... At the beginning, and yet, we became very friendly,' he recalled in Vietnam at the conclusion of their second summit. Prior to the talks in Vietnam, the president called Kim a 'friend' in a tweet. Asked in Hanoi about the message, in the context of Warmbier's death, Trump said, 'I know the Warmbier family very well. I think they're an incredible family. What happened is horrible. I really believe something very bad happened to him, and I don't think that the top leadership knew about it.' North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un expressed remorse for Warmbier's death, President Donald Trump said after meeting with him in Hanoi Trump noted that while other American hostages came home 'extremely healthy,' it was true that 'Otto came back in a condition that was just, just terrible.' He told the reporter, who'd asked if he confronted Kim about the matter, 'I did speak about it, and I dont believe that he would've allowed that to happen. Just wasnt to his advantage to allow that to happen. 'Those prisons are rough. They're rough places. And bad things happened. But I really dont believe that he was -- I dont believe he knew about it,' the president asserted. Kim expressed remorse for Warmbier's death, Trump revealed. 'He felt badly about it. I did speak to him. He felt very badly.' 'But he knew the case very well, but he knew it later,' the American president explained. 'And, you know, you got a lot of people. A big country. A lot of people. And in those prisons and those camps, you have a lot of people. And some really bad things happened to Otto. Some really, really bad things.' Trump cut the reporter off as he tried to ask a follow-up question about the president's belief that Kim was in the dark. He stated flatly before moving on: 'He tells me that he didnt know about it, and I will take him at his word.' The Warmbier family broke with Trump over his suggestion that Kim didn't know that their son had been mistreated. 'Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto,' Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in March. 'Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that.' Trump later said his comments on Warmbier's death were 'misinterpreted,' and he holds North Korea responsible 'of course' for the young man's death. A U.S. court in December ordered North Korea to pay $501 million in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. This is the moment a black cab hurtles through the wall of a Spar petrol station, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake and missing customers by inches. The vehicle was parked on the forecourt on Tuesday night when it suddenly shot forward around 25ft and then smashed through the shop. Easter eggs and packets of crisps were strewn across the floor of the store in Burnley, Lancashire as the cab careered through it, before coming to rest in the sweet aisle. The trail of destruction caused by a taxi driver who ploughed into a petrol station shop Witnesses said the driver claimed his foot 'accidentally slipped onto the accelerator'. Chloe Egan, 26, was at the counter when the crash happened and only missed being hit by the cab by 'a matter of inches'. Police and firefighters attended the scene at 11pm Tuesday night, to deal with the devastation. A force spokesman said the driver, who is believed to be in his 60s, may have had a 'medical episode' at the wheel and wasn't arrested. Rumors on Facebook suggest he may even have had a stroke. Ms Egan said: 'I was stood at the counter paying when all of a sudden I heard a smash and shelves started collapsing. 'I jumped out of the way just as the taxi came past my feet and into the shop, it was really close. 'If I had been a few inches the other way I would definitely have got hit. 'It's such a crazy and shocking thing to happen. 'I couldn't stop shaking.' Easter eggs, chocolate biscuits and packets of crisps were strewn across the floor of the store in Burnley, Lancashire She added: 'I spoke to the driver and he said he had accidentally put his foot on the accelerator. 'He seemed quite shaken up.' Luckily Ms Egan was the only customer in the shop and staff there were behind the counter at the time of the smash so no one was injured. She said store workers seemed shaken up over the incident and that some of them were crying. The shop was closed for several hours after the crash while the car was removed and reopened today but only for customers buying fuel A wooden board has been put in place to replace the glass panel destroyed by the cab The shop was closed for several hours after the crash while the car was removed and reopened soon after - but only for customers buying fuel The shop was closed for several hours after the crash while the car was removed and reopened soon after - but only for customers buying fuel. A wooden board has been put in place to replace the glass panel destroyed in the smash. A Lancashire Police spokesman said: 'No one has been arrested as this is not a criminal matter. 'It is believed the driver may have had a medical episode and the crash was an accident.' A Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: 'An elderly gentleman drove into the shop front. 'He did not suffer any physical injuries but was in a state of shock. 'He did not require cutting out of his car. 'The damage to the shop front is significant.' The Kay Group Ltd, which runs the petrol station, have been contacted for a comment. Nigel Farage's new Brexit Party will run candidates at the next general election to unseat MPs who have 'not delivered Brexit', the Leave campaigner has said. Mr Farage said he would use next month's European Parliament elections as a 'springboard' to challenge for seats at Westminster. His newly founded party - established after his break with UKIP - has come first ahead of Labour and the Conservatives in some opinion polls. The next general election is not due until 2022 but the fragility of Theresa May's government has led to ongoing speculation of an earlier poll. Nigel Farage 's new Brexit Party will run candidates at the next general election, the Leave campaigner (pictured with Ann Widdecombe in London yesterday) has said Speaking to The Sun, Mr Farage said: 'We want the European election to be the first step of a massive change that resteps entirely British politics and actually makes it look more like the country. 'MPs will realise that if they carry on trying to stop Brexit, they'll lose their seats at the next General Election. I think they will be very fearful of what the Brexit Party can do to them. 'That'll give them two choices - either they change and start to deliver Brexit, or we'll replace them at that General Election.' He said he 'did not believe' that Parliament would deliver Brexit unless MPs faced pressure from his new party. Mr Farage left as leader of his former party, UKIP, criticising its closer association with ex-English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson. Robinson announced today he is standing as an Independent MEP in the North West, pledging to represent 'the working class of England'. Many Conservatives fear the Tories will suffer heavy losses to Mr Farage's Brexit Party if - as now seems likely - the UK is forced to go ahead with voting in the European elections on May 23. The Brexit Party has surged into the lead in the race for the European Elections after a top pollster predicted Nigel Farage's new party could win its first election Among the candidates for Mr Farage's new outfit will be former shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe, who is to stand for the chance to be MEP for the South-West of England. Miss Widdecombe, who was Tory MP for Maidstone from 1987 to 2010 and served as a minister under John Major from 1990-97, was expelled from the party as a result. Welcoming her to the Brexit Party, Mr Farage said: 'I think she's doing a brave thing, and she's doing the right thing. 'She's doing it for, I think, the most important principle in terms of what we are as a country, certainly in our lifetimes and probably for centuries in many ways. 'This is about how the world views us. Are we a democracy? Do we have a bond of trust between the people and Parliament? So, this really matters.' Miss Widdecombe said: 'I believe that we will certainly be huge winners in the Euro elections. We will grow from there if Parliament doesn't listen, doesn't deliver, we will then grow.' Brexit Party candidate James Wells (pictured) said he has resigned as a civil servant at the Office for National Statistics to pursue his political goals Brexit party candidate James Wells, who is standing in Wales, told a press conference in Manchester that as a civil servant banned from political involvement, he resigned from his job as head of UK trade at the Office for National Statistics only on Tuesday. He left work for the last time on Tuesday at 4pm and was now embarking on a campaign to become an MEP. 'It's been a bit of a whirlwind,' he said, but he could no longer go on 'shouting at the TV' as he believed 'democratic values' were being 'trampled over'. Scotland region candidate, entrepreneur Louis Stedman Bryce, 44, said democracy was being 'betrayed' and he was 'tired' of the way Brexit voters were portrayed. Mr Stedman Bryce said: 'The perception is we are white, homophobic, racists, and don't know what we voted for. Mr Farage (pictured in Clacton-on-sea yesterday) said he wanted a 'massive change that resteps entirely British politics and actually makes it look more like the country' 'So I stand before you today as a gay black man. And I definitely know what I was voting for. I voted for Brexit.' Martin Daubney, now a regular TV pundit but the former editor of 90s 'lads' mag' Loaded, said his former job strayed into 'politically incorrect' territory but was better than the current 'joyless Twitter-sphere'. He said that as the son of a Nottinghamshire coal miner, he believed the current Westminster politicians were 'clueless' about the 'real world' of ordinary people's lives and 'don't know what a day's work is'. The West Midlands Brexit Party candidate added: 'Why don't we replace these people? Why don't we kick them out? 'Do you believe in democracy, or do you want to deny it?' An unsuspecting Whataburger cashier in Texas was shocked to find Matthew McConaughey visiting the eatery's drive thru on Monday. The Oscar-winning actor stopped by a San Angelo Whataburger, located at North Bryant Boulevard and 19th Street, and made his visit for staff rather memorable as he delivered one of his iconic lines for them. 'Met Matthew McConaughey today in our drive through,' said cashier Brooklyn Oden. 'He was super cool even tho all of us were freaking out lol . I even got him too say "alright alright alright."' The Oscar winning actor stopped by a San Angelo Whataburger, located at North Bryant Boulevard and 19th Street, on Monday None of the staff recognized the 'Dazed and Confused' star until someone noticed his last name on his credit card. 'His credit card said a different [first] name, but it said his last name,' Whataburger employee Elizabeth Hernandez explained to San Angelo Live. Hernandez and her coworkers then tried getting the star to reveal his identity. None of the staff recognized the 'Dazed and Confused' star until someone noticed his last name on his credit card 'Met Matthew McConaughey today in our drive through,' said cashier Brooklyn Oden. 'He was super cool even tho all of us were freaking out lol. I even got him too say "alright alright alright"' 'One of my other friends opened the window and asked, "Are you related to him?"' Hernandez added. 'He joked and said "I'm his twin brother." I was like, "He doesn't have a twin." He was like "you really think I'm his twin brother" I said, you're actually him.' The 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' star then told the staff that he would say his patented catchphrase from 'Dazed and Confused' if the crew working on his food got the order right. The employees checked over the food three times before handing it to McConaughey. The 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' star then told the staff that he would say his patented catchphrase from 'Dazed and Confused' if the crew working on his food got the order right 'Alright, alright, alright,' the 49-year-old said as he looked over his food and the staff squealed. 'We were all excited because nobody famous really comes to San Angelo like that,' Hernandez said. 'We were just in shock. We kept talking about it when we left work.' The actor appeared to be with his wife Camila Alves. A father has described in gruesome detail how he kept his young daughter's decomposing body in the computer room of his home for days after her stepmother starved her to death then stuffed her into a trash can, 'cracking' her bones to make her fit, to set her on fire. Eman Moss is the father of 10-year-old Emani Moss who was starved to death in 2013. She weighed just 32lbs when she died. Her stepmother, Tiffany, is on trial for her murder. She is representing herself at trial in Georgia and thinks that 'God' will get her through the case, offering up no other defense. Eman Moss testifies against his wife on Thursday about how they set their daughter's emaciated body on fire after she starved her to death in 2013 Tiffany Moss, left, said nothing on Thursday as she listened to her husband testify against her. She is facing execution for killing 10-year-old Emani (right) who weighed just 32lbs when she died On Thursday, Eman, who is in prison for his role in the girl's death and trying to cover it up, testified against Tiffany. He is serving life without parole in exchange for pleading guilty and avoiding the death penalty. He told how she called him on October 24, 2013, to tell him Emani was dead and that when he got home, he felt her cold, limp body. 'She was dead. She was cold. Her essence wasnt there. She was gone,' he told the court, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Instead of reporting her death, Eman hid his daughter's body in the family computer room. For several days, he continued going to work and returning home to spend time with her corpse and 'grieve', he said. When he and his wife decided to dispose of it days later, Emani's body was too stiff to be folded over because rigor mortis had set in. He had gone to Home Depot to buy galvanized trash can, trash bags, charcoal and lighter fluid already. His wife wanted them to bury her but he decided setting her on fire would be more effective, he said. At midnight on November 1, they decided to dispose of her body, they drove to a rural area with her in the back of the truck then stopped and unloaded the equipment. Eman's testimony was at times so graphic that jurors covered their mouths in horror Tiffany is representing herself but has offered no defense other than that she hoped 'God' would get her through the trial They stuffed her into a trash can, breaking her bones to make her body fit, then threw in charcoal briquettes into the can, sprinkled lighter fluid inside and lit it on fire. The jury previously heard how Emani's stepmother picked on her because she was not her biological child Their two other children, whose ages have not been revealed, were with them. For five minutes, he and Tiffany watched Emani's body burn but when he realized she would not be reduced to ash, he decided to put the fire out. They loaded the trash can, with Emani's charred remains still inside it, back onto the truck then drove home. Eman went to work the next day and confided in a friend about he and his wife had done. When he returned home that night, he told his wife he was calling 911. She reacted by taking their two other children to her mother's. Police arrived to find Emani's body in the trash can and her father inside on November 2. Throughout Thursday's testimony, Tiffany showed no reaction as her husband described their gruesome deeds. He said that he tried to help her cover up her child's death because at the time, she was not allowed to be looking after the 10-year-old. She had already been caught beating her severely with a belt. 'I was trying to fix the problem I couldnt fix. I was trying to fix the problem I couldnt fix. 'I cant explain it,' he said. Tiffany has asked no questions throughout the trial. On Thursday, the public defenders who used to represent her filed a motion with the court asking to be reappointed during the sentencing phase to try to save her life. They say otherwise she will be sentenced to lethal injection. Prosecutors have previously told how Tiffany singled out Emani and bullied her while treating her own children well. She routinely made sure her kids had enough to eat but starved Emani. Her father initially told police last Saturday that Emani died after swallowing some chemicals. The man later changed his story, accusing his wife of poisoning the 10-year-old. He eventually admitted that he returned home from work to find little Emani lying in the bathtub and unable to move. 'I'm guilty, I killed my baby,' he told police at the time. Matthew Haviland, 30, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with cyber-stalking and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce A man from Rhode Island has been arrested after he allegedly sent a litany of disturbing emails to a Massachusetts college professor, in which he said he wanted to rape her, rip her face off and eat her alive. Matthew Haviland, 30, was taken into custody by police in North Kingstown on Wednesday and later charged with cyber-stalking and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, in relation to messages received by a college Professor. Prosecutors say Haviland sent a chain of 28 unsettling emails to the Harvard weprofessor, who has not been named, over the span of a three hours on the evening of March 10. In which, police say Haviland told the professor: I will rip your limb from your body and eat it, piece by piece, and I will bite through your eyeballs while you're still alive, and I will laugh while you scream. The anonymous Harvard academic has previously published and spoken in favor of abortion rights. Haviland, on the other hand, has a YouTube channel dedicated to voicing his anti-abortion and anti-Democrat views. Prosecutors say Haviland sent a chain of 28 unsettling emails to the unnamed professor over the span of a three hours on the evening of March 10 The anonymous Harvard academic has previously published and spoken in favor of abortion rights. Haviland, on the other hand, has a YouTube channel dedicated to voicing his anti-abortion and anti-Democrat views (pictured: stock image of Harvard University's main campus) On his channel, titled Democrats DeHumanize Developing Humans, one of the 30-year-olds vlogs is titled Let's Vote to Have the Freedom to Kill an Abortion Doctor. Police say many of his reported emails to the professor are said to reference her pro-choice stance. Haviland's said to have also sent 11 similar emails detailing violent sentiments to the admissions department of the Ivy League school You will be held accountable for every f****** baby you murdered through your horrible deception of they are not humans, one message reads. You will have your face ripped off and eaten by me, personally. I will enjoy raping your body after youre dead. And that will only be the start. Haviland is said to have ended the erratic message chain with: I will torture you relentlessly until the end of time And I will enjoy your screams like fine wine while I pet myself. I will eat your f****** face off and throat [sic] in the garbage.' Five days later, hes then said to have sent 11 similar emails detailing violent sentiments to the admissions department of the Ivy League school. Police officers conducted a search of Haviland's home in Rhode Island on Thursday, a day after he was apprehended Prosecutors then say that on April 5 he left 114 voicemails at womens medical center, speaking of babies being murdered and drew comparisons between Nazis and a doctor who worked at the clinic. Haviland reportedly admitted to police he left the messages but said he had no intention of acting on his anger towards the clinic. However, Haviland is said to have later text a friend: [Abortion] was a Womans rights issue, the message began Its literally killing babies. Thats all it is, and we want you to stop it. Or we will kill you to do it. Its that Serious. Its not a Joke. A vocal supporter of President Trump, Haviland attended Emerson College in Massachusetts in 2012. He worked as a journalist until 2016, before he started advocating online that the media is the enemy of the people. I will kill every Democrat in the world so we never more have to have our babies brutally murdered by you absolute terrorists, Haviland is said to have wrote. Prosecutors say he also ordered for all participants of the Womens March to be slaughtered. On his anti-abortion and anti-democrat YouTube page, the 30-year-old has a vlog titled Let's Vote to Have the Freedom to Kill an Abortion Doctor He worked as a journalist until 2016, before he started advocating online that the media is the enemy of the people As detailed in an affidavit, the suspects social media behavior has raised serious concern among those who know him. A long-time friend, who has known the defendant for 11 years but wished to remain anonymous, told investigators that Havilands views on abortion and politics have become more extreme over the past year. The friend believes his views have been radicalized at least in part because of the way the news media portrays President Trump. Haviland remains in Federal custody, with no bail set. He faces up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000 if convicted of all charges. As I have said before, this office will take a hard line on threats of violence motivated by politicized issues, regardless of whether those issues arise on the right or the left, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling told Heavy in a statement. Americans are responsible for what they say, and if they put others in fear for their lives, we will prosecute. Simply put: words matter, and todays arrest of Matthew Haviland should serve as a warning to others who think they can use the internet to terrorize people. Dont do it. The death toll following the Sri Lanka terror attacks has dropped by 100, as the country's health chief admits 'there are so many body parts it is difficult to give a precise figure.' An original figure of 359 had been given following the Easter Day attack, but now Anil Jasinghe, the director general of Sri Lanka's health services, has revealed that number is correct. He said: 'It could be 250 or 260. I can't exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure.' He was not the only top government official to revise the death toll, with Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lanka's deputy defence minister, also confirming a revised death toll. He said that it had been revised down to 253 due to inaccurate figures provided by the country's morgues. 'Unfortunately the health ministry provided the earlier number to us,' he said. A coffin is carried to a grave during the funeral of a person killed in the Easter Sunday attack. The death toll was today revised down by two top government officials Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lanka's deputy defence minister,said the death toll had been revised down to 253 due to inaccurate figures provided by the country's morgues. Pictured is a funeral of a blast victim Anil Jasinghe (pictured), the director general of Sri Lanka's health services, today revealed the original death toll was incorrect and that it needed to be revised down by 100 It comes soon after it was claimed that the eldest of two jihadi brothers who blew themselves up inside luxury hotels during the Sri Lanka attacks was radicalised by his younger sibling who had been arrested and then released by police. Ilham Ibrahim was previously detained before being let go by the authorities, a senior government official told CNN on Thursday. The suicide bomber converted his older brother Inshaf to his hard-line version of Islam starting around three years ago, according to workers at their father's spice empire. Ilham detonated a bomb inside the Cinnamon hotel on Easter Sunday, while his brother was responsible for the blast at the Shangri-La hotel, killing at least 41 foreigners including eight Britons. Inshaf Ibrahim (left) was described by staff at the family's spice firm as 'totally normal' until three years ago when he got close to younger brother Ilham (right) and became more religious Inshaf (right) was known as the business brains of his family after father Mohammed Yoonus Ibrahim (centre), who ran their spice trading firm, and also owned his own copper firm 'It was the suicide bomber of the Cinnamon Grand bomb attack who was released earlier,' the official said. The news emerged as father Mohammed Yoonus Ibrahim was arrested by police on suspicion of helping his sons plan the attack. Indian intelligence sources told the First Post news site that Ijas Ahmed Ibrahim, 30, Mohammed's third son, was also questioned about the attack. Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the publication that several family members had been under surveillance prior to the attacks, but that the evidence hadn't been 'sufficient' enough to take them into custody. It comes as Sri Lanka police appeal for information about three women and one man suspected of involvement in the Easter bombings. Mohammed Yoonus Ibrahim (pictured), the brothers' millionaire spice merchant father, was arrested on Thursday and accused of helping them Hours after the brothers' attacks, as police raided their mansion in an exclusive neighbourhood of Colombo, Ilham's pregnant wife Fatima blew herself up, killing her three children and three officers. The siblings' attacks was part of a series of coordinated bombings targeting both hotels and Christian churches which killed 359 people and wounded 500. An unnamed source within the family's spice firm told The Telegraph that Inshaf was 'totally normal' until around three years ago when he started getting close to Ilham. The source said: 'Two or three years back he was a different person, but once he got so close to his brother he changed. 'His language became very isolating towards Muslims who lead a normal life. He kept arguing about things. 'Ilham... was the one who brainwashed Inshaf and took him to their group.' Inshaf was known as a successful businessman and owned a copper factory thought to be where the suicide bombs were made. Inshaf is believed to have detonated his bomb inside the Cinnamon Grand hotel during the Sri Lanka terror attacks (pictured left, moments before the blast) Ilham is thought to have blown himself up inside the Shangri-La hotel. Together the brothers killed at least 41 foreigners, eight of them Britons The 38-year-old lived with his wife and their four children in a 1.5million six-bed mansion on one of the most exclusive streets in Colombo. The brothers belonged to one of the wealthiest Muslim families in Sri Lanka, and had connections at the upper echelons of the country's business and political spheres. Father Mohammed runs Colombo-based Ishana Exports, described on its website as the 'largest exporter of spices from Sri Lanka since 2006.' Mohammed was also a leading figure in the JVP party who had unsuccessfully contested elections. Sources close to the family said that Inshaf was the business brains of the family and had worked at Ishana as an export manager. He was married to the wealthy daughter of a western jeweller, drove expensive cars and wore Western fashions. The wealthy brothers - sons of a millionaire spice trader - are two of eight jihadis who carried out the devastating bomb attacks in Sri Lanka. The ninth bomber was Ilham's wife who killed herself, her three children and three police officers as they raided her house A man believed to be Ilham Ibrahim swears allegiance to ISIS before the attacks Inshaf was a successful businessman and owned a copper factory (pictured) thought to be where the explosives were made and that was raided by police Inshaf had spent time travelling and had visited the UK frequently in recent years, sources added. He is not the only attacker to have links to the UK after it was revealed that Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed had studied at Kingston University from 2006-07. Abdul was believed to have studied engineering at the south-west London school. Deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene had previously revealed that most of the bombers came from middle or upper class families and were well-off. He said: 'This group of suicide bombers, most of them are well educated and come from the middle or upper-middle class. 'They are financially quite independent and their families are quite stable financially. 'That is a worrying factor in this. Some of them have studied in various other countries, they hold degrees, LLMs, they're quite well educated people.' A man from Long Island, New York, has been charged with running a prostitution ring involving nearly two dozen women out of his parents' basement for more than four years, apparently without the homeowners' knowledge. Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini said Raymond Rodio III, 47, operated his criminal enterprise out of his family's home on Lower Rocky Point Road in Sound Beach from December 2014 until February of this year. Sini said Rodio used social media to lure some 22 women in their 20s, got them addicted to heroin and crack cocaine, and forced them to have sex for money. If the women refused to comply, Rodio allegedly withheld drugs from them, or threatened them with violence. Scroll down for video Raymond Rodio lll, 47, is arraigned in Central Islip, New York, Thursday for allegedly running a prostitution ring out of his parents' basement for four years Rodio was arrested following a months-long investigation that was sparked by a routine traffic stop in August 2018 'It is a common tactic used by traffickers,' Sini said. 'Use their illness to keep them under control.' Rodio allegedly kept much of the women's earnings for himself and used the money to support his own crack cocaine habit. Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini called Rodio a 'dangerous and depraved individual' According to officials, the women were locked for extended periods of time in the basement, which did not have a shower or a toilet, and forced to relieve themselves in a bucket. This is a dangerous and depraved individual,' Sini said in a prepared statement. He preyed on women using their vulnerabilities and their drug dependencies to maintain his control over them.' Prosecutors say Rodio's parents, both in their 70s, were not aware of what was going on in their home. According to a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, in August 2018, the Suffolk County Police Department identified a suspected victim of human trafficking during a routine traffic stop. A subsequent investigation uncovered that the woman had allegedly been forced into prostitution by Rodio in the spring of 2018. Further investigation by the Suffolk Police Human Trafficking Investigations Unit and the District Attorneys Offices Human Trafficking Team revealed that Rodio was allegedly trafficking women out of the basement of his parents home since 2014. Police say Rodio (pictured left and right) got more than 20 young women addicted to drugs and then forced them to have sex for money The door to the basement has an exterior lock to which Rodio had the only key, the press release stated. In addition to the house, Rodio also allegedly forced the victims to perform prostitution at various motels throughout Suffolk County. Rodio appeared in court for his arraignment on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to eight counts of sex trafficking and six counts of promoting prostitution. The 47-year-old, who has a son and daughter of his own, remains jailed because he has not posted $1million cash bail or $2million bond. In November 2015, Rodio's name appeared on Suffolk County's Non-Paying Parents List, revealing that he owed more than $50,000 in child support payments. Newton District Court Judge Shelley M Richmond Joseph was indicted Thursday on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly helping a man in the country illegally to evade immigration officials A Massachusetts judge has been indicted on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly helping a man who is in the country illegally to evade immigration officials. Judge Shelley M Richmond Joseph and trial court officer Wesley MacGregor are accused of conspiring to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from taking an undocumented immigrant into custody at Newton District Court on April 2, 2018. Jose Medina-Perez, who had been deported on two prior occasions, was arrested four days earlier for drug possession and being a fugitive from justice in Pennsylvania. ICE became aware of his arrest after his fingerprints were processed and an order was issued for a federal immigration detainer. Joseph and trial court officer Wesley McGregor allegedly conspired to sneak undocumented immigrant Jose Medina-Perez out of the Newton County courthouse (above) on April 2, 2018 Joseph allegedly ordered the courtroom recording device to be turned off for 52 seconds while she and the Medina-Perez's lawyer had a conversation about getting him out of the courthouse instead of handing him over to an ICE officer, according to the indictment. MacGregor allegedly used his access badge to release Medina-Perez through a rear door. Prosecutors say Joseph participated by creating a pretext for the defendant to be brought downstairs for 'further interview' so he could be released through that door, the indictment said. Massachusetts US Attorney Andrew Lelling announced the charges against Joseph and MacGregor on Thursday. 'The allegations in today's indictment involve obstruction by a sitting judge, that is intentional interference with the enforcement of federal law, and that is a crime,' Lelling said. 'We cannot pick and choose the federal laws we follow, or use our personal views to justify violating the law.' Joseph and MacGregor face charges of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of a federal proceeding, according to the indictment. MacGregor is also charged with perjury on suspicion of giving false testimony to a federal grand jury that was reviewing the case. Professor Paulo Stanga, vitreoretinal surgeon at the London Vision Clinic, warned half a million Brits at risk of blindness More than half a million people in the UK are at risk of losing their sight because of undiagnosed diabetes, according to one of the world's top retina experts. Professor Paulo Stanga, vitreoretinal surgeon at the London Vision Clinic, issued the warning in the wake of new population data on the disease. 'Diabetes UK has stated that 549,000 people in the UK have undiagnosed diabetes,' said Professor Stanga. 'These individuals are at risk of losing their sight. All people with diabetes, whether type 1 or type 2, are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy and should have scheduled dilated eye examinations to get an early diagnosis and to ensure best chances of response to treatment.' NHS figures show that diabetes is responsible for 5 per cent of all sight loss in the UK. Nationally, more than 1,700 people have their sight seriously affected by diabetes every year, according to the latest figures from Diabetes UK. Disease prevalence is spiralling at an alarming rate - diabetes now accounts for 10 per cent of the entire NHS budget. People may be unknowingly at risk of losing their sight because diabetes can damage the blood vessels in the retina, impairing its oxygenation and nutrition. NHS figures show that diabetes is responsible for 5 per cent of all sight loss in the UK More than half of people with type 1 diabetes already have some form of diabetic retinopathy. "People may be putting their sight at risk by not having regular eye checks" said Professor Stanga. "Diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy are the two key risk areas. Conditions can be treatable but the success rate is much higher when diagnosed at earlier stages. "Diabetic retinopathy damages the blood vessels in the retina impairing its oxygenation and nutrition. "When it enters its advanced or proliferative stage, new and abnormal blood vessels grow along the retina and use the gel-like vitreous that fills the inside of the eye as scaffolding. "This can lead to intraocular bleeds and retinal detachment, with need of surgery. "Other patients develop a condition called macular oedema which occurs when the damaged blood vessels leak fluid onto the macula. "In the initial stages, diabetic patients can suffer from them even in the presence of excellent vision and without any symptoms. "It is simple, if you have diabetes then periodic retinal examinations must be foremost in your mind." A typical examination should include an assessment of vision, intraocular pressure, cataract check, retinal examination through a dilated pupil and OCT scans. Patients can opt for NHS or private testing - decisions can be influenced by waiting times, the choice of a retinal specialist and technologically-advanced tailored testing in some clinics. However, both routes equally enable patients with diabetes to safeguard the risk of losing their sight. Professor Stanga urges those suffering from diabetes to prioritise checks. Some patients may be required to undergo a test called fundus fluorescein angiography. "During this procedure a dye is injected into a vein in the patient's arm and special photographs are taken of the retinal arteries and veins to study the blood flow and assist in deciding the best therapeutic approach," said Professor Stanga. "Nowadays, ultra-widefield fundus fluorescein technology is the preferred technique as it allows for the visualisation of a larger area of the retina and earlier diagnosis. "Diabetic retinopathy is treatable through injections, laser and surgery. "Not all lasers are the same, not all treatment techniques are the same, combination tailor-made treatment can be the most effective. One solution does not fit all. Treatments can include one or more of the following; improved Diabetic Control, improved control of Systemic Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, if needed, retinal laser, intraocular injections and vitrectomy surgery." Diabetic patients should monitor their vision one eye at a time and immediately report any loss of vision, distortion of central vision, floaters or loss of visual field. James 'Whitey' Bulger's death certificate was released on Thursday revealing his cause of death was 'blunt force injuries to the head' The death certificate of notorious mob boss James 'Whitey' Bulger reveals that he died from blunt force injuries to the head in a gruesome prison attack. Bulger's death certificate was released on Thursday. He was pronounced dead at 8.21am on October 30 and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. The document, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, lists the cause of death as 'blunt force injuries to the head' and shows he died within minutes of being attacked by inmates. The 89-year-old was brutally beaten to death by inmates in his cell at U.S. Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia less than 24 hours after he was transferred to the facility. They brutally attacked the wheelchair-bound Bulger, beat him with a lock in a sock, tried to gouge out the mobster's eyes with a shiv and attempted to cut out his tongue. Scroll down for video The notorious mob boss died minutes after he was attacked by inmates at USP Hazelton in West Virginia and was pronounced dead at 8.21am on October 30 His body was found wrapped in a sheet 12 hours later by prison officers, who said the gangster was hardly recognizable. He was killed less than 24 hours after he was transferred to USP Hazelton from a Florida prison. Although an official motive has not been released, prison officials believe mob retaliation was behind the attack because Bulger turned into an informant and ratted out other mobsters, as per TMZ. Six months after Bulger's murder, no one has been charged in connection with his death. He was killed less than 24 hours after he was transferred to USP Hazelton from a Florida prison. Pictured above being transferred to Hazelton Six months after Bulger's murder, no one has been charged in connection with his death at USP Hazelton (above) in West Virginia A potential suspect is Fotios 'Freddy' Geas, a Massachusetts hitman who hates 'rats'. Bulger was the notorious head of the Irish mob who led a decades-long reign of terror in south Boston from the 70s to 90s. He on American's Most Wanted fugitive for years as he was on the run, until he was finally captured in 2011 living in Santa Monica. In 2013 he was convicted for a slew of crimes including at least 11 murders and was sentenced to life behind bars. His attorney J.W. Carney Jr blamed his death on prison officials. He said Bulger 'was sentenced to life in prison, but as a result of decisions by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, that sentence has been changed to the death penalty.' In November 2018 he was buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Boston. Bulger was the notorious head of the Irish mob who led a decades-long reign of terror in south Boston from the 70s to 90s Bulger was buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery in the West Roxbury area of Boston A Tennessee husband remained in jail Thursday morning after police say he intentionally crashed his car into another person's vehicle so he could go to court and discuss problems he was having with his wife. Joel Amaya, 37, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after the Wednesday night incident, county records show. Nashville Metro Police responded to the crash on Harding Place near South Permiter Hill less than 24 hours ago. Amaya told the officers he intentionally rear-ended the victim's automobile so authorities would take him to court, according to the incident report obtained by WKRN. Joel Amaya, 37, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after the Wednesday night intentional crash on Harding Place near South Perimiter Park Drive less than 24 hours ago in Nashville, Tennessee He said he was having problems with his wife and needed 'a way to go to court to discuss problems', the report states. The officers told the suspect there were other ways to resolve issues. The driver who Amaya crashed into told police the accident caused them some back pain, but the victim refused medical attention at the scene. Damage to both cars was said to be minor. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a class C felony in Tennessee. Amaya's bond was set at $10,000. A bungling PCSO was ridiculed after footage recently re-emerged on social media of her stopping a pizza delivery man for no apparent reason then requesting police backup after he got his phone out to film the exchange. The female PCSO, Tracy Widdowfield from Cleveland Police, collared the man after she spotted him 'carrying a green bag' in a residential street and asked him what he was doing in the area. He told her he was delivering pizzas and declined to identify himself when asked, insisting he had been 'stopped for no reason' and was not required to. A row then broke out as the camera-shy PSCO told the man to stop filming and called for police assistance when he refused, saying: 'He's got me on record.' But her Sergeant said there were no grounds to detain him and she had to let him go. Footage of the confrontation - which happened in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, was shared online yesterday and attracted more than 50,000 views. It shows the PCSO sitting on a bicycle as the delivery man tells her she is being filmed. The female PCSO, Tracy Widdowfield from Cleveland Police, stopped a pizza delivery man She reacts badly to seeing the camera and warns: 'Stop recording me or I'll get an officer.' He tells her there is 'no law' against him filming and urges her to contact her supervisor. He complains: 'You've just pulled me over for no reason.' The flustered PCSO claims she has already explained her reasons, but the man challenges her authority and asks: 'Am I free to go?' She does not answer this directly and simply repeats: 'I would like you to stop recording.' She tells a colleague over the radio: 'I've got somebody who's trying to record me here. I've stopped him because he's in Hartburn area and I was just asking who he was and what he was delivering and he's now recording me.' PCSO Tracy Widdowfield from Cleveland Police radioing for back up and showing her ID She repeats this to her Sergeant and says: 'Is it possible to have an officer down here? He's refusing to give me any details.' The man cuts in: 'There's no reason I need to give any details, Sergeant. I've told her what I'm delivering. She stopped me for no reason.' The Sergeant asks the PCSO if the man has committed any offences or displayed any antisocial behaviour. She replies: 'No, no, no, he's just walking along but because of recent events and everything I just wanted to speak with him just to see what he was delivering just to know who was in the area.' PCSO Widdowfield repeatedly said she didn't want to be recorded as she asked for back up Her Sergeant tells her if no offences have been committed then no further action is necessary, to which she says: 'Yeah, received.' The man then accuses the PCSO of 'harassment' and says: 'I told you I was just delivering pizzas.' She puts her hand out to block the camera and says she does not like being filmed in her 'area', before finally letting him go. A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said the PCSO stopped a man on an estate where there had been a number of recent burglaries. `The man was carrying a bag with unknown items in it. It turned out that he was delivering leaflets in the local area. `Public expectation would be that PCSOs and officers patrolling that area after a spate of burglaries would be speaking to people in the local area and knowing who is out and about in that area. The spokesperson said the incident happened about five years ago. Under UK law, PCSOs have the power to detain somebody for up to 30 minutes - until a police officer arrives at the scene - but only if there are reasonable grounds for suspecting them of having committed an offence. Conversely, it is not illegal for members of the public to film police officers or PCSOs in a public place. Social media viewers called the stop 'a waste of taxpayers' money'. One wrote: 'She's not beat ready at all. Back to the training camp.' A second said: 'Waste of taxpayers' money, might as well put more actual police officers out.' A third added: 'Fancy ringing your Sergeant because someone is recording you.' A British businessman is accused of punching a Singaporean security guard before telling him to 'f*** off' because he could not find his way out of a building. The 47-year-old Brit allegedly hit the guard after midnight on April 4 at 50 East Coast Road near Roxy Square in the island city-state of Singapore. Stuart Mills, a Singaporean resident, has been charged with voluntarily causing hurt and intentionally harassing a security guard, according to local media. This footage shows British businessman Stuart Boyd Mills appearing to punch a Singaporean security guard and telling him to 'f*ck off' leading to two court charges as the trial gets underway The Brit, who is represented by lawyer Ramesh Tiwary, could reportedly face up to two years in prison as well as a maximum fine of 5,000 SGD (2,845) if found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt. If he is convicted of harassing the guard, identified as Regal Security and Fire Management Services supervisor Andrew Lim, local media said that he could be sentenced to six months in jail with another fine of 5,000 SGD (2,845). Footage of the incident has been widely circulated on social media with a Facebook video shared by 'All Singapore Stuff' viewed 431,000 times. In the two-minute clip, the victim is seen telling Mills where the exit is located, but a row over security protocol develops and the defendant is seen filming the exchange with his phone. Mills (left) filmed the encounter with Regal Security and Fire Management Services supervisor Andrew Lim (right) on his phone As a colleague of Lim's also films the conversation, Mills is seen laughing as he accuses the guard of 'walking into' his arm before threatening to 'report' him. Lim tells the defendant that he can show him where the exit doors are located, asking: 'Can we talk nicely?' As they walk towards the exit and turn a corner, Lim appears to accidentally walk into the British man. Seconds later, Mills responds by seemingly tripping the guard before switching his phone to his other hand. Lim appears to accidentally walk into Mills, who then trips him up and apparently punches him in the face, knocking off his glasses The Brit then appears to punch the guard in the face with his right hand, sending his spectacles flying as he crashes to the floor. Mills is then heard saying 'f*** off' to either Lim or his filming colleague, who reportedly called the police moments afterwards. The victim was place on medical leave following the incident, according to reports. Meanwhile, Mills returned to Roxy Square the following day to say sorry to the victim, but colleagues refused the apology and instead called the police who arrived to take a statement, according to local media. The businessman's next court date is on 15th May. Spectacular images of plans to build fairytale style tree houses at a spectacular wedding venue have been released. Liverpool-based heritage developer, Signature Living, is behind proposals to enhance the natural environment within the grounds of Rainhill Hall in Merseyside. The company, who is giving the Hall a new lease of life as a prestigious wedding and events venue, plans to bring the woodland alive with treehouses and summer wedding facilities. The proposals for the woodland will see the tree houses fitted with king size beds, jacuzzi baths, indoor and outdoor lounge area and even a private bar. Spectacular images of plans to build fairytale style tree houses at a spectacular wedding venue have been released Signature Living is giving the Hall a new lease of life as a prestigious wedding and events venue, plans to bring the woodland alive with treehouses and summer wedding facilities The images also reveal night-time LED lighting, which will be entrenched within existing trees surrounding the Grade II listed building. In June 2018, Signature Living was granted planning permission to transform Rainhill Hall into a luxury wedding and hotel venue, meaning plans to restore the building to its former glory moved a step closer. It will open next summer. The building has a rich history stretching back to 1824 when it was built by landowner Bartholomew Bretherton. However, its long-term future was put in doubt four years ago after its closure, with residents setting up a campaign group to ensure the hall was retained and put to some sort of public use. The proposals for the woodland will see the tree houses fitted with king size beds, jacuzzi baths, indoor and outdoor lounge area and even a private bar The building has since been used in partnership with Camelot for residential use by people who agreed to act as guardians of the property. First floor plans comprise of 19 hotel rooms, including the bridal suite for wedding events. The second floor will have four hotel rooms, with two staircases for access from below. There will also be 14 rooms on the lower ground floor and a function room and area designated to a spa and gymnasium. The upper ground floor will contain 10 rooms with more space for a function room area and restaurant and dining facilities, kitchen, bar and a reception area. Signature Living founder, Katie Kenwright (right) is looking to transform Rainhill Hall wedding venue for years to come And the tree houses scheme - if given the go ahead by St Helens Council planners - is expected to enhance and preserve the future of Rainhill Hall for years to come. Signature Living says it will become Merseyside's most talked-about wedding venue and events space. Signature Living founder, Katie Kenwright, said: 'Hosting woodland weddings in the stunning grounds of Rainhill Hall will be a first for the North of England. Our proposals - transforming the venue into a magical wedding and events space, helping to create a show-stopping experience - are aimed at putting this historic site firmly back on the map. 'The hall itself, which has been left empty for five years, will be lovingly restored not only to give the building a new lease of life, but to provide luxury accommodation which will help bring in much needed tourism. 'I believe a living wall, together with Hansel and Gretel style log cabins, will ensure Rainhill becomes one of the UK's top destinations to tie the knot.' Ten children at a Georgia elementary school suffered injuries after being shot by a BB or pellet gun while on the playground on Thursday. A statement from the DeKalb County School District says the shots fired 'appear to have come from a position away from the school grounds'. The children were hit when a gunman in a wooded area started shooting at the playground, Channel 2 Action News reports. Police are now said to be hunting the gunman. Ten students at Wynbrooke Elementary Theme School in Stone Mountain suffered non-life threatening injuries after being shot by a BB or pellet gun while on the playground A statement from the DeKalb County School District says the shots fired 'appear to have come from a position away from the school grounds' The students from Wynbrooke Elementary Theme School in Stone Mountain suffered non-life threatening injuries and were brought to a hospital to be treated or picked up by their parents. County and district law enforcement are said to be investigating after nine of those shot were rushed to Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Hospital. Images from the scene show a heavy police presence at the school. The school district says there was never a threat of anyone getting into the school building. But it's posting additional staff and law enforcement at the school Friday to ensure students' safety. The school district says there was never a threat of anyone getting into the school building. But it's posting additional staff and law enforcement at the school Friday to ensure students' safety Kevin Johnson showed a photo of his son, Kai Johnson (left), that he said he took while riding in the back of an ambulance from the school. Kai was shot by a BB or pellet gun while playing outside. Authorities used a helicopter (right) to search for the culprit following the incident In a statement they said: 'Police are investigating an event at Wynbrooke Elementary Theme School where ten students suffered non-life threatening injuries from what appears to be a BB or pellet gun. 'The students were transported to Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Hospital to be treated or picked up by their parents.' The statement went on: 'The shots appear to have come from a position away from the school grounds. There was never a threat of anyone getting into the school building and the remaining students were not injured. 'The health and safety of our students is, and always will be, the number one priority at The DeKalb County School District. 'DeKalb Police officers are assisting DCSD Police in the investigation. Additional staff and DCSD police will be on-site tomorrow to ensure the safety of our students.' Advertisement Americans are among the most stressed populations in the world - on par with many countries in the developing world, according to a new survey on global well-being. Some 55 percent of Americans reported feeling 'a lot' of stress within the past 24 hours, according to the Gallup poll of roughly 150,000 people around the globe - including more than 1,000 U.S. adults. That puts Americans well above the global average of 39 percent. It also means America is tied for fourth-place with Sri Lanka, Iran and Albania on the list of the worlds most stressed out nations. This graph illustrates how stressed (blue), worried (red), and angry (green) Americans felt, on average, from 2006-2018. Source: Gallup Greece ranks first (59 percent) for stress, followed by the Philippines (58 percent) and Tanzania (57 percent). Notably, Americans are more stressed out than people in Uganda (53 percent), Venezuela (52 percent) and Rwanda (52 percent). Gallup researchers have been polling internationally on stress and other emotions since 2005, focusing on negative and positive feelings that residents have experienced in the day leading up to the interview. Their work also revealed that 22 percent of Americans felt 'a lot' of anger and 45 percent felt worried in the 24 hours prior to the survey. Experts at Gallup analyzed survey data to find that several factors contributed to those negative feelings, including: being under age 50, making low wages, and disapproval of President Trump's job performance. However, there wasn't enough data to say with certainty that those factors were the overall cause of stress, worry and anger among Americans. Despite the gloomy outlook, Americans were still more likely than the rest of the world to report positive experiences. For example, 64 percent of U.S. adults said they had learned or done something interesting in the prior 24 hours. By comparison, just 49 percent of all global respondents could say the same. However, feelings and experiences are nuanced, and survey respondents could express both negative and positive emotions about the same 24 hour period. This graph lists the 12 most stressed out nations in the world, according to a new Gallup survey. America tied for fourth place with Sri Lanka, Iran and Albania - all nations where 55 percent of respondents reported a lot of stress Researchers structured the poll to focus questions about negative feelings on physical pain, worry, sadness, stress and anger. Positive feelings, on the other hand, were measured based on questions about well-rested, respected respondents felt, as well as if they had smiled, laughed, learned or did something interesting and felt some form of enjoyment in the prior 24 hours. Overall, the survey found that people across the world are generally sadder, more scared and angrier than ever before. The world's most negative country is central African nation Chad, followed by Niger, Sierra Leone and Iraq. Latin America was the most positive part of the world, with Paraguay beating Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras for the happiest country. A woman with a very distinctive facial tattoo has been arrested for the third time in just six months. Alyssa Zebrasky, 27, was pictured in her third mugshot on Tuesday after she was arrested in Montgomery County, Ohio. She was booked on a charge out of nearby Mahoning County. Her mugshot clearly shows off her spider web tattoo across her forehead and a skull design across her eyes, cheeks, nose and lips. Alyssa Zebrasky, 27, was pictured in her third mugshot on Tuesday after she was arrested in Montgomery County, Ohio. She was booked on a charge out of nearby Mahoning County Her most recent arrest before this week was back in December on charges of theft and drug abuse. She was taken into custody after trying to steal a bag from a Walmart in Boardman Township. During a search, police said they found a hypodermic needle, a 'whitish rock like substance' and an 'orange pill' in containers inside her purse. Zebrasky admitted to police the drugs were Methamphetamine and a suboxone pill. She was arrested in December on charges of theft and drug abuse and in November following a police pursuit She was also arrested in November following a police pursuit in Austintown. After being stopped by police, Zebrasky allegedly walked towards officers saying: 'I have a knife on me, what are you going to do about that?' In that incident she was charged with obstructing official business. Photos posted on Zebrasky's Facebook date back until 2012 and show her prior to the facial tattoos. Former Vice President Joe Biden left Brandeis University professor Anita Hill unsatisfied by a half-hearted apology for how he treated her during Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's tense 1991 nomination hearings. Biden chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time, a panel of 14 white men tasked with evaluating the he-said, she-said battle between two African-Americans. Thomas and Hill came with dramatically different recollections of their time as colleagues at the U.S. Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Biden re-convened the hearings to hear Hill's allegations of sexual harassment from years earlier. As the hearings became must-see TV, Thomas complained that the proceedings were 'a high-tech lynching.' Now Hill tells The New York Times that when Biden called her this month to express his regret over 'what she endured' 28 years ago, his speech left her cold and, she says, didn't rise to the level of an apology. Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced his entry into the 2020 race on Thursday, but Democratic analysts are watching carefully to see how he neutralizes the potential impact of his role at the helm of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's 1991 confirmation hearings Anita Hill, now a Brandeis University professor, acknowledged Thursday that Biden had reached out to her to express regret for how the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he then chaired, dismissed her sexual harassment claims against Justice Thomas; but she said he hasn't done enough to personally take responsibility for railroading her along with 13 other white men who made up the committee at the time 'I cannot be satisfied by simply saying Im sorry for what happened to you,' she said Thursday. 'I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose.' Biden ended months of speculation Thursday when he formally entered the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in an announcement that struck directly at President Donald Trump and laid out the former vice president's vision to lead the nation. 'We are in the battle for the soul of this nation,' Biden declared in his announcement video. 'The core values are standing in the world. Everything that has made America America is at stake. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States.' As Biden launched his third presidential campaign, the ringmaster role he played in the 1991 hearings remained among the most persistent hurdles in the minds of political operatives watching from the sidelines. 'He simply has to fix this,' a veteran adviser to Democratic campaigns told DailyMail.com. 'If he's going to be the standard-bearer, he really must. Biden is our best shot at taking Trump out, so we can't have Anita Hill counter-programming him by bring back all this old stuff. Hill suggested Thursday that Biden's failure to support her claim Thomas sexually harassed her as a boss harmed countless other women. The case today holds distant echoes of the more recent high court confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh who, like Thomas, weathered the storm of explicit sexual allegations aired in a harsh public spotlight. And Biden himself is contending with the thorny reality of being a target of so-called #MeToo claims, as a series of women have come forward to describe his hands-on approach to public greetings as a form of unwanted intimate touching. Hill told the Times that those accounts trouble her, and said that until Biden takes responsibility for railroading her, she can't support his presidential candidacy. 'The focus on apology to me is one thing,' she said. 'But he needs to give an apology to the other women and to the American public because we know now how deeply disappointed Americans around the country were about what they saw.' Biden, pictured as Judiciary Committee chairman in 1991, grilled Hill, who was then an Oklahoma law professor, about her charges against Thomas Hill told senators and a national TV audience in the hearings 28 years ago that she was 'embarrassed and humiliated' by unwanted, sexually explicit comments made by Thomas when she worked for him a decade earlier The Thomas-Hill hearings riveted Americans and became an instant political litmus test, even before Thomas (pictured at the 1991 hearings) declared the proceedings 'a high-tech lynching' Biden, in an apparent bid to soften the ground before he entered the White House race, spoke of 'regret' last month for how Hill was treated. He did not acknowledge his own role as chairman of the committee. '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 in the hearing. She was taken advantage of. Her reputation was attacked. I wish I could have done something,' Biden said during a 'Courage Awards' gala hosted by his family foundation. He said then that 'a bunch of white guys ... didnt fully understand what the hell it was all about. And to this day I regret I couldnt come up with a way to get her the kind of hearing she deserved given the courage she showed by reaching out to us.' Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said Thursday that the former vice president had 'had a private discussion' with Hill 'where he shared with her directly his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country.' Bedingfield, too, did not mention an apology. Biden, who served in Congress from 1973 to 2009, said Thursday he asked former President Barack Obama not to endorse his presidential campaign, saying whoever won the Democratic nomination should do so 'on their own merits.' 'I asked President Obama not to endorse. Whoever wins the nomination should win it on their own merits,' the former vice president told reporters in the Wilmington, Delaware Amtrak train station, which bears his name: The Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station Former Vice President Joe Biden said he asked former President Obama not to endorse his campaign Biden stopped at Gianni's pizza in Wilmington Obama released a statement Thursday that praised Biden but stopped short of endorsing his presidential bid, raising questions about how much the former president would be willing to do to help his former running mate win the Democratic nomination. A person familiar with Obama's thinking said Thursday that the 44th president is 'excited by the extraordinary and diverse talent exhibited in the growing lineup of Democratic primary candidates.' But 'it's unlikely that he will throw his support behind a specific candidate this early in the primary process preferring instead to let the candidates make their cases directly to the voters,' the source said. The Republican National Committee leaped to mock Biden for failing to lock his former boss into a Day One endorsement. 'We don't need eight more years of Biden. Just ask President Obama, who isn't even endorsing his right-hand man.' RNC Communications Director Michael Ahrens said. Biden also declined to answer a question on why he's the best choice for Democrats in 2020, saying: 'That will be for the Democrats to decide.' Biden was casually dressed in a blue-button down shirt and made small talk with people in the Giannis pizza parlor, where he stopped for lunch. 'America is coming back to like we used to be, ethical, straight, telling the truth, supporting our allies, all those good things,' he told reporters outside the restaurant. Trump wasted no time hitting back and dubbed Biden with the moniker 'Sleepy Joe,' mocking him with a nickname as he has done with other political rivals in the past. 'Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!,' Trump wrote on Twitter Thursday morning. Former Vice President Joe Biden formally announced his presidential bid in a video released Thursday The poll of 1,992 registered voters was conducted between April 19 and 21 Biden will share the primary field with at least 20 other candidates, a record for a major U.S. political party. His entry comes as new poll shows he would defeat President Trump if the general election were held today. In the Morning Consult/Politico survey, released on Wednesday, Biden polled eight points ahead of Trump with 42 per cent to Trumps 34 per cent, and was leading the pack overall in the Democratic primary field. Biden Campaign Schedule April 26: Appears on ABC's 'The View' April 29: Speech to union members in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania April 30: Biden and Jill Biden appear on ABC's 'Good Morning America' May 18: Rally in Philadelphia Advertisement The poll of 1,992 registered voters was conducted between April 19 and 21. It showed Biden with a strong lead over Trump among women, whom he led by 17 points, millennials with a 22-point lead and independents, up 10 points. Biden struck hard and direct at Trump in his three-and-a-half minute announcement video. 'If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. Who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen,' he said. The former vice president cited the white supremacist march through Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, and President Trump's response to it as the reason behind his decision to make a third bid for the White House. 'I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had seen in my lifetime,' he noted. He particularly pointed to Trump's line that there are 'very fine people on both sides.' Biden, seen here with wife Jill at the 2013 inaugural ball, will appear with her on ABC's 'Good Morning America' next week Former President Barack Obama praised Biden in a statement Thursday but did not formally endorse his presidential bid, and Biden says he asked Obama not to weigh in on his run for the White House 'Some very fine people on both sides, very fine people on both sides? With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalency between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. And in that moment I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime,' Biden said. Trump, notably, has not struck out at Biden for being a socialist or liberal. The former vice president has a long, strong legislative record as a moderate but he will face more progressive rivals in the battle for the nomination. And that is the internecine battle Democrats are facing among themselves: the more moderate, blue-collar voters (who swung to Trump in 2016 and put him in the White House) versus the younger, more progressive and diverse generation. The president labeled those liberal left candidates as people with 'some very sick & demented ideas,' in his tweet Thursday. A prominent liberal group has already disavowed the former vice president. Justice Democrats, the group that helped progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez take office, slammed Biden in a statement Thursday. 'The old guard of the Democratic Party failed to stop Trump, and they cant be counted on to lead the fight against his divide-and-conquer politics today. The party needs new leadership with a bold vision capable of energizing voters in the Democratic base who stayed home in 2016,' the group said. Biden Campaign Staff Greg Schultz, Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield, Deputy Campaign Manager and Communications Director Pete Kavanaugh, Deputy Campaign Manager Anthony Bernal, Deputy Campaign Manager and Chief of Staff to Dr. Jill Biden Symone Sanders, Senior Advisor Cristobal Alex, Senior Advisor Brandon English, Senior Advisor Daniel McCarthy, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer Dana Remus, General Counsel Erin Wilson, National Political Director Vanessa Cardenas, National Coalitions Director Michelle Kwan, Surrogates Director Kurt Bagley, National Organizing Director Katie Petrelius, National Finance Director PJ Alampi, Director of Digital Content Becca Siegel, Chief Analytics Officer Ashley Williams, Trip Director Kate Berner, Deputy Communications Director for Messaging Meghan Hays, Deputy Communications Director for Strategic Planning Bill Russo, Deputy Communications Director for Press Jamal Brown, National Press Secretary TJ Ducklo, National Press Secretary Remi Yamamoto, Traveling National Press Secretary Sherice Perry, Communications Director for Dr. Jill Biden Andrew Bates, Director of Rapid Response Kamau Marshall, Director of Strategic Communications Advertisement Greg Schultz will serve as Bidens campaign manager, the former vice president said in announcing his staff on Thursday. Schultz ran Biden's PAC American Possibilities and served as his political director in the White House. He also announced Symone Sanders, a prominent African American political strategist who served as Bernie Sanders press secretary for his 2016 campaign, would be joining the team as a senior adviser. Michelle Kwan, a two-Olympic medal winning figure skater, will serve as his surrogates director. The former vice president enters the race as the pejorative front runner. Even before he pulled the trigger on his campaign, his strong national name recognition has made him the odds-on favorite to square off against President Trump next year. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the only declared candidate who is older than Biden, is running in second place with 23 per cent average backing. No other potential Democratic nominee is polling in double digits. Pennsylvania is getting a heavy focus from Biden from the start. He'll hold rally with Teamsters in Pittsburgh on Monday and then, on May 18, he'll hold a rally in Philadelphia. Trump won the state in 2018, the first time in over 20 years a Republican captured it, helping hand him the Oval Office. Biden's first high-profile endorsements on Thursday came from Democratic U.S. senators who hail from his native Pennsylvania and his childhood state of Delaware. Chris Coons, who holds the Delaware seat Biden once occupied, called the former vice president 'better prepared than anyone to lead America on the world stage at a time when our commitments to our allies and our values are being questioned like never before.' 'Joe knows what it means to strengthen our alliances, stare down our adversaries, and represent the best of America abroad,' Coons said in a statement. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania said America is at a 'make-or-break moment for the middle class, our children and our workers,' and that 'America needs Vice President Joe Biden to be its next President.' Meanwhile, Biden's team worries about his fundraising ability and his tendency to commit gaffes. Money is said to be one of the campaign's biggest worries. Although Biden has long standing ties to the party's elders and a long list of wealthy supporters he can call at a moment's notice, he'll face questions if he can harness the social media and small donor power that Beto O'Rourke and Bernie Sanders have used to fuel their candidacy. Highlighting his campaign's concern about cash, his first post-presidential stop will be a fundraiser. On Thursday, a group of Philadelphia-based Democratic insiders with ties to Obama and Hillary Clinton are planning a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast. The former vice president will attend, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, and is aiming to raise $500,000 at the event. On Friday, Biden will appear on ABC's 'The View,' followed by a rally in Pittsburgh on Monday. He and wife Jill will sit down with ABC's Robin Roberts for Tuesday's 'Good Morning America.' Four years Trump's senior, Biden would be the oldest person ever elected president should he win. With a public record that stretches back a half a century, Biden's challenges are easy to find. First and foremost were the recent allegations stemmed from years of Biden's hugs and kisses to women, some of whom said the touching was inappropriate and unwelcome. Biden is known for demonstrating affection in public. It was often the subject of jokes while others labeled him 'Creepy Uncle Joe.' The recent scandal, however, found the former vice president staring down a wave of allegations from women, whose fury against Trump's election and leadership in the #MeToo movement have made them a force in the 2020 contest. Biden's first accuser, former Nevada politician Lucy Flores, said she was 'mortified' when Biden planted a 'big, slow kiss' on the back of her head as she waited to take the stage at a campaign rally five years ago Biden, trying to stem the tide ahead of his expected announcement, broke his silence on the scandal in early April, saying he 'tried to make a human connection' with his actions but 'will be more mindful and respectful of people's personal space' in the future. 'I always try to be in my career, always tried to make a human connection. That's my responsibility, I think. I shake hands, I hug people. I grab men and women by the shoulders and say you can do this, whether they're women, men, young, old. It's the way I've always been and tried to show that I care about them and I'm listening,' he said in a video posted to his Twitter account. The scandal began when former Nevada politician Lucy Flores accused him of making her uncomfortable during a 2014 campaign appearance when he kissed the back of her head. Since she spoke, three additional women have come forward. But other women defended the former vice president, saying they found comfort in his hugs. Additionally, Biden's willingness to work with Republicans has caused him political headaches. He was forced to walk back a comment last month that Vice President Mike Pence is 'a decent guy' after intense blowback from liberal activists upset with Pence's opposition to gay rights. Biden was also a close friend of the late Sen. John McCain and spoke at one of of his memorial services. The former vice president also has a compelling personal story to back up his professional experience. A a son of Scranton, Pa., his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi were killed in a car crash in December 1972, shortly after he was first elected to the Senate. Sons Beau and Hunter survived. Biden went on to marry Jill Jacobs in 1977 and have another daughter. But Beau died in May 2015 of brain cancer. Biden opted not to run in 2016, in part because of Beau's death, despite his dying son asking him go for it. Biden reflected on that in a book he wrote about his conversations with Beau. 'He was worried that what I'd worked on my whole life, the things that mattered to me the most since I was a kid, that I'd walk away,' Biden said. London's new Crossrail route may not open until the spring of 2021, rail bosses have admitted. Trains were meant to start running through the central tunnels from Paddington to Abbey Wood last December but the project has faced a series of delays. Rail chiefs say they have a 'robust and realistic plan' to open the tunnels, which will form the heart of a 73-mile east-west railway, between October 2020 and March 2021. But even then Bond Street station will not be open as work there is delayed because of 'design and delivery challenges', they said. London's new Crossrail route may not open until March 2021, managers of the delayed project have admitted (pictured, a Crossrail train at Ealing Broadway) Once the central, 13-mile section has opened, full services across the line will begin 'as soon as possible', Crossrail Ltd said. When fully open, Crossrail will run from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. Crossrail chiefs had initially put the line's opening back from December 2018 until autumn 2019 but it has now been delayed again. It is hoped that Crossrail, which will be known as the Elizabeth Line when the whole route is open, will relieve pressure on the London Underground. The latest delay comes as engineers struggle to link up the trains' software with the networks' signalling systems. Engineers also fallen behind on installing the communications systems at the stations, including 30 miles cables, 200 CCTV cameras and 200 radio antennas. Crossrail engineers inspect the track in tunnel under central London. The middle section of the route will not be open until late 2020 at the earliest Sadiq Khan (pictured earlier this month), the Mayor of London, insisted the new plan for Crossrail was 'realistic' as rail bosses admitted it may not open until 2021 London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was infuriated by last year's delay but insisted the new plan was 'realistic and deliverable'. 'I was deeply angry and frustrated when we found out about the delay to Crossrail last year. The information we had been given by the former chair was clearly wrong,' he said. 'We now have a new Crossrail leadership team who have worked hard over recent months to establish a realistic and deliverable schedule for the opening of the project, which TfL and the Department for Transport will now review.' Liberal Democrat Caroline Pidgeon said the project should have been completed by now. She said: 'We welcome this announcement with cautionary relief. A map of the new Elizabeth line which will take commuters from Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east Unused Crossrail rolling stock is pictured at a multi-million-pound depot in Old Oak Common in north-west London 'The question has to be asked - is the six-month window a hedge-betting exercise to avoid disappointing passengers once more? 'Londoners are forking out 30 million a week to bring Crossrail to completion. Further delays and doubtful dates are simply not an option.' An initial budget of around 15billion for the project has risen to 17.6billion. David Frost, chief executive of London Chamber of Commerce, said: 'I am glad to see a firm commitment to a date for the opening of the central section of Crossrail. 'Many businesses have already made investment decisions based upon the route and will want to see these starting to pay off. 'I am concerned though that no timetable is set to open the full line, including the link to Heathrow. 'It is of huge importance to London that this happens as soon as possible.' The announcement of the new timetable came as Transport for London's (TfL) commissioner refused to resign over the delayed project. Mike Brown declared that he is 'fit to be in position' and has the 'full support' of Mr Khan. A report published by the London Assembly Transport Committee on Tuesday stated that Mr Brown, who has held the role at TfL since September 2015, 'altered key messages of risk' on deadlines on the project which were sent to Mr Khan's office. The report recommended that Mr Brown, appointed by Boris Johnson and paid at least 350,000 in 2017/18, 'reflect on whether he is fit to continue to fulfil his role'. A 2billion Government bailout of loans and cash was announced in December due to the cost of the delayed opening. Dozens of Crossrail's new 1billion fleet of Class 345 trains are sitting idle at a depot in west London. Just 15 of 70 new trains are being used for existing, limited services running eastbound from Stratford, and between Paddington and Heathrow. Construction began on the route in 2009. An earlier plan for the line was rejected by Parliament in 1994. Democratic lawmakers on Thursday sought documents on Trump administration firings of top officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), saying they were concerned the dismissals were prompted by the officials' refusal to break the law. Three U.S. House of Representatives committee chairmen sent a letter to DHS asking for documents related to actions by Republican President Donald Trump and top aide Stephen Miller to remove senior leaders at the agency. They expressed concern that the firings and forced resignations earlier this month put U.S. national security at risk. In the spotlight: Trump's immigration aide Stephen Miller is now at the center of demands from three Congressional committee chairs for documents on his role in the firing of top Homeland Security officials 'We are also concerned that the president may have removed DHS officials because they refused his demands to violate federal immigration law and judicial orders,' the lawmakers said in a statement. They said they were troubled by reports that Trump wants to put Miller, who has spearheaded many of his hard-line immigration policies, in charge of all immigration and border affairs. They cited reports that Miller called several DHS officials to exert pressure on them to follow on 'extreme immigration policy decisions,' according to the statement from U.S. Representatives Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thomson. All three are Democrats. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned under pressure this month, followed by several other leaders at the sprawling department that includes Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The White House has already blocked Miller from testifying before congressional committees on immigration and a staff shakeup at the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter dated Wednesday, the White House counsel said Miller and other members of President Donald Trump's executive staff could refuse the request. You've been fired: Kirstjen Nielsen 'resigned' after a meeting with Trump 'The precedent for members of the White House staff to decline invitations to testify before congressional committees has been consistently adhered to by administrations of both political parties,' counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in his letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md. Trump has said he is opposed to aides testifying. Miller is Trump's top immigration policy adviser, and several people familiar with the matter say he orchestrated the effort to replace top leaders at Homeland Security when Trump's frustrations boiled over again recently on border security. The people were not allowed to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The shakeup started with the withdrawal of Ron Vitiello to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen then resigned, and so did Undersecretary for Management Claire Grady. Some, like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services head Lee Francis Cissna, were rumored to be on the chopping block but have not yet left. The decision not to allow Miller to testify comes as Trump contests Democrats' efforts to ramp up investigations following the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. 'We're fighting all the subpoenas,' Trump declared on Wednesday. Advertisement A series of never-before-seen photos taken inside an Arkansas couples shed show the room where the devout 69-year-old wife shot and killed her husband for re-ordering a pornography channel and watching x-rated shows in his makeshift man cave. Patricia Hill, a long-time nurse and Sunday school teacher, on Tuesday was sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing her husband, Frank Hill, in July 2018 after discovering that the 65-year-old man had added the adult channel to their Dish Network satellite television subscription against her wishes. Both the prosecution and defense agreed on the sentence after Patricia was convicted of second-degree murder for her husband's shooting death inside the shed on their Pine Bluff property. DailyMail.com on Thursday obtained exclusive photos that show Franks cluttered and filthy man cave,' including a tall metal garbage bin filled to the brim with empty cans of Old Milwaukee beer. Crime scene revealed: This photo shows Frank Hill's shed-turned-man cave where his wife, Patricia, shot and killed him in July 2018 during an argument over a pornography channel. All images were taken as evidence after the killing and provided by defense attorney Bill James who represented Patricia at trial Patricia, 69, (left) was convicted of murder and sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing her husband, Frank, 65 (right) Details: Photos taken inside the shed on the Hills' Pine Bluff, Arkansas, property depict Frank's stained recliner chair and a box of cigarette rolling paper resting on a small table A tall metal garbage bin is seen filled to the brim with empty cans of Old Milwaukee beer, which supports the claim that Frank had been drinking all day before Patricia shot him Frank Hill's dark and dirty abode is cluttered with various miscellaneous items, including plastic containers and mugs The shed (pictured) stands behind the main home on the property in Arkansas where Patrica and Frank Hill had lived as a married couple for 17 years The images show that the deceased man had set up two televisions for his viewing pleasure, including a small, old-fashioned TV set with a DVD player built in, and a newer model large flat-screen TV next to it. The photos taken after the killing also show a white refrigerator and a stained recliner chair standing on a dirt floor littered with trash. Also visible at the crime scene is a hodgepodge of miscellaneous items and household detritus, including various plastic spray bottles and gallon jugs, tools, a box of cigarette rolling paper and a bright-yellow flyswatter. It is in those surroundings, according to testimony presented during Patrica's trial, that the elderly wife and mother 'flew into a rage' over her husband's porn habit and shot him twice, killing him. Hill took the stand in her own defense on Tuesday, saying she shot at her husband's feet in July 2018 to get his attention Patricia's daughter, Andrea Cheshier, broke down in tears talking about her mother's case Prosecutors told a Jefferson County courtroom that Patricia had previously cancelled the X-rated channel on two previous occasions, and fatally shot Frank when she walked into his 'man cave' and found him watching pornography. Patricia's defense lawyer Bill James said his client, whom he described as a devout Christian, 'felt like the devil was in that shed,' NBC reported. Two months before the couple's quarrel, Patricia filed for divorce but changed her mind after Frank begged her to reconsider. He reportedly had promised his wife to stop watching pornography multiple times throughout their marriage. On July 28, 2018, Patricia walked into her husband's shed in the back of their property to confront Frank after opening a cable bill and discovering that he had re-ordered the pornography channel. Frank reportedly was watching the X-rated channel as his wife entered the 'man cave' and turned off the television. He had been drinking all day. Frank was shot dead in a shed behind his Pine Bluff home (pictured) A satellite photo of the Hills' property in Arkansas shows multiple buildings near the main house, one of them being Frank's 'man cave' According to Patricia's defense lawyer, in that moment his client 'lost her mind.' The wife knocked over a table in the shed, then went back into the house and grabbed a .22-caliber pistol. Patricia returned to the shed and shot at her husband's feet as he bent forward to pick up something from the dirt floor, hitting him once in the right knee and one in the head. The wife then called 911 to summon police and paramedics. Frank was pronounced dead in the hospital. A subscription TV bill was discovered on the the couple's living room floor. Patricia testified on Tuesday that she did know she had fatally shot her husband. She told the court she just wanted to get Frank's attention. Her lawyer said a doctor who examined her after the killing found that he had a brief 'disassociative episode' during which she snapped, reported KATV. 'She's got a lot of remorse about what happened,' said James. Prosecutor Kyle Hunter told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette Hill will be eligible for parole in eight years, but with good behavior time, she might go before a parole board in 2022. She has been in jail for the past nine months and will receive credit for time served. An Oregon woman is facing felony charges after she led police on a slow-speed chase in her mobility scooter. Jennifer Gayman told responding officers from the Brookings Police department that she was driving home from a karaoke bar on November 18. She was stopped by police who instructed her that she was being cited for driving a scooter on a sidewalk and not wearing a helmet. Scroll down for video Jennifer Gayman told responding officers from the Brookings Police department that she was driving home from a karaoke bar on November 18 Body camera footage shows the officers speaking with Gayman, who asserts that they are taking advantage of her and the American Disability Act. 'You're taking my disability act and throwing it in the garbage,' she can be heard screaming in the video. She was stopped by police who instructed her that she was being cited for driving a scooter on a sidewalk and not wearing a helmet The officers can even be seen searching on google and looking up laws about scooters, before they eventually cite her. 'They had me there for 25 minutes, and the laws they looked up don't even match the description of my mobility scooter,' Gayman explained to KATU. Gayman said that she is handicapped due to Best's disease with macular degeneration of both eyes, COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and peripheral neuropathy. She also has others that were not listed. The woman was warned by police that she could not drive her scooter home and would need to leave it behind. Instead, Gayman darted off on the scooter and led police on a chase that included sirens and lights. 'You're going to go to jail if you continue driving,' an officer can be heard informing the woman. Gayman would later assert: 'They chased me home with their lights and sirens. The fastest I was going was about 20mph on that little scooter.' The woman was arrested at her home once she parked the scooter there. She was given a total of five charges, including eluding officers. The woman was warned by police that she could not drive her scooter home and would need to leave it behind. Instead, Gayman darted off on the scooter and led police on a chase that included sirens and lights. Her next court appearance is slated for May 6 and she plans on suing the city of Brookings and the Brookings Police Department. 'I literally have to bring my prescription with me wherever I go,' said Gayman. 'I'm locked in my house a lot not wanting to leave on my mobility scooter because I feel like I'm going to get stopped all the time.' According to article 35.137 of the Americans With Disabilities Act, wheelchairs are allowed anywhere that is public that a person with mobile handicaps may need to go. 508(2) of the ADA list a mobility scooter as being a type of wheelchair. A devoted film fan found an ingenious way to get tickets to the Los Angeles premiere of Avengers: Endgame on Monday night. The comic book aficionado, known on Twitter as @GuyInAChair, hatched the plan back in April of last year, when Disney revealed that the name of the forthcoming installment in the Avengers franchise would be titled Endgame. So @GuyInAChair promptly went and purchased web domains related to the title, including avengersendgame.com and avengersendgamemovie.com'. He then offered to give the URL names to Disney in exchange for tickets to the premiere. Twitter user @AGuyInAChair is pictured at the Avengers: Endgame premiere on Monday night in Los Angeles In December last year, the fan posted on Twitter: I own avengersendgame.com and avengersendgamemovie.com. But I don't want them. I want to trade them for tickets to the #AvengersEndgame premiere in LA. A guy can dream, can't he?' The clever tactic caught the attention of actor Ryan Reynolds, who stars in Fox's rival comic book franchise, Deadpool. A tickled Ryan sent the fan a pair of expensive Master & Dynamic headphones and a bottle of Aviation American Gin. Ryan Reynolds sent he fan a pair of expensive Master & Dynamic headphones and a bottle of Aviation American Gin Ryan stars in rival franchise Deadpool, and appeared chuffed by @GuyInAChair's clever plan 'This isnt to say Im proud of what you did. Just that I happen to love you,' Reynolds wrote to the fan on Twitter. After courting the attention of the A-list star, and directly tweeting to the film's directors, the Russo Brothers, @GuyInAChair's wishes were finally granted. On April 2, he received an email from Disney granting him two tickets to the premiere. 'HOLY S**T PICKLES', @GuyInAChair wrote on Twitter beneath a screenshot of the invitation. On Monday night, the fan was seen front and center at the premiere, bringing along a female companion to the glitzy event. The pair proudly posed for photos on the red carpet, and no doubt got to mingle with Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson. And true to his word, @GuyInAChair handed over ownership of his to URL names to Disney. Advertisement Prince William has reflected on the loss of his mother Diana in a visit with survivors of the Christchurch mosque shootings today, saying grief 'will reveal depths you did not know you had.' He made the emotional speech on the second day of his trip to New Zealand which included a visit to the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch, where 42 people lost their lives on March 15. While there he reflected on his own grief and loss following the death of his mother in 1997, saying: 'I've had reason myself to reflect on grief, sudden pain and loss in my own life. 'What I've realised is that of course grief can change your outlook, you don't forget the shock and sadness or pain, but I do not believe grief changes who you are.' The Duke of Cambridge, who rarely speaks about his mother's death, revealed just how much of an impact the loss had on him, occurring when he was just 15 years of age. He said: 'Grief, if you let it, will reveal who you are. It can reveal depths you did not know you had. 'This is what happened here. An act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead the grief of a nation revealed just how deep your wells of empathy, compassion, warmth and love truly run.' Prince William spoke of the loss of his mother Diana during a visit to the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand today The Duke of Cambridge meets a young Muslim community member and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (second-right), during a visit to the Al Noor mosque today Prince William (pictured with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern) has met with survivors of the Christchurch mosque shootings ahead of speaking with the city's Muslim community Britain's Prince William is greeted by Imam Gamal Fouda at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch The Duke of Cambridge gave a moving speech inside the mosque, saying 'we must unite' to combat extremism Canterbury District Commander John Price holds hands with Mushabab Saad Aiban as they wait for Britain's Prince William to arrive at the Al Noor mosque William was greeted by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as he arrived at the mosque, who was wearing a cream headscarf. He gave a moving speech inside the mosque, saying 'we must unite' to combat extremism. 'You showed the way we must respond to hate - with love,' he said. 'I stand with you in gratitude to what you have taught the world in these past weeks. 'I stand with you in optimism... I stand with you in grief. I will support those who survive. 'May the forces of love always prevail over the forces of hate. 'In a moment of acute pain you stood up and you stood together and in reaction to tragedy you achieved something remarkable. 'I do not believe grief changes who you are. Grief - if you let it - will reveal who you are.' The Duke also praised Ms Ardern's response, saying she had led by example and shown sympathy to those affected by the shootings. A pile of tributes and flowers that have been building up since the attack adorned the mosque's gates, while heavily-armed police stand guard and a crowd of a few dozen gathered across the road. Farid Ahmed's wife Husna died in the attacks, and he spoke before William. Prince William met with survivors of the Christchurch mosque shootings ahead of speaking with the city's Muslim community He gave a moving speech inside the Al Noor mosque, saying 'we must unite' to combat extremism William was greeted by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (right), who was wearing a cream headscarf, outside the Al Noor mosque He said those present needed to 'keep up hope and not surrender to hatred'. A man in the crowd at the mosque greeted William with a cry of 'kia ora', which is 'hello' in the Maori language, the New Zealand Herald reported. Al Noor mosque Imam Gamel Fouda, Ms Ardern, MP Megan Woods and Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel welcomed the Duke at the mosque. He shook hands with senior members of the city's Muslim community and spoke briefly with a young boy wearing a poppy. Prince William waved to the crowd as he left the mosque following his speech. A group of Mongrel Mob bikie gang members were seen talking with police near the mosque during Prince William's visit. Earlier, the Duke was also greeted by cheers from about 30 members of the public waiting outside the hospital's emergency department, Stuff reported. Prince William has met with survivors of the Christchurch mosque shootings and spoken to the city's Muslim community The second day of the Duke of Cambridge's trip to New Zealand included a visit to Christchurch Hospital He will also travel to the Al Noor and Linwood mosques - the sites of the terror attacks He was met outside by Canterbury Health Board chairman Dr John Wood, the hospital's director of surgery Greg Robertson, general manager Pauline Clark and nursing director Lynne Johnson. About 10 police officers were present on William's arrival at the hospital, and a police helicopter circled overhead. Members of the bomb squad checked the outside area of the hospital for explosives before William arrived. William also made a hospital visit on Thursday, meeting a five-year-old girl in Auckland who was injured in the terrorist attack and recently woke from a coma. With New Zealand still on alert, security during the visit has been tight, with little of the fanfare that usually accompanies royal visits. However, organisers have promised Christchurch residents a chance to meet William during a public walkabout on Friday afternoon. Members of the bomb squad checked the outside area of the hospital for explosives before William's arrival About 10 police officers were present on William's arrival at the hospital, and a police helicopter circled overhead The Duke's first day in New Zealand began with a tribute to Australian and New Zealand soldiers at an Anzac Day service in Auckland, alongside Ms Ardern. He also met police and ambulance staff in Christchurch, some of whom were the first on the scene after the shootings. Police Commissioner Mike Bush told reporters William had left staff 'overwhelmed' with his messages of support. The Prince previously visited Christchurch following the deadly 2011 earthquake and last visited with wife Catherine, who hasn't joined him this week, in 2014. A large crowd gathered outside the Al Noor mosque ahead of William's visit. A large crowd has gathered outside the Al Noor mosque ahead of William's visit About 10 heavily armed police officers are standing at the entrance to the building At the mosque, William and the crowd of about 160 people will be addressed by Fahid Ahmed, a survivor of the March 15 attacks About 10 heavily armed police officers are standing at the entrance to the building. At the mosque, William and the crowd of about 160 people will be addressed by Fahid Ahmed, a survivor of the March 15 attacks. William is then expected to give a 10-minute speech. Ms Ardern arrived at the Al Noor Mosque on Friday morning wearing a cream headscarf. The Duke waved to a crowd of about 60 people as he left Christchurch Hospital. William also made a hospital visit on Thursday, meeting a five-year-old girl in Auckland who was injured in the terrorist attack and recently woke from a coma Sathar Khan (pictured above) was stopped as he tried to fly to Dubai with the ill-gotten gains concealed in four suitcases last year A money launderer who tried to fly from Stansted to Dubai with four cases of cash has been jailed for three years. Sathar Khan was caught flying with 1.5million in cash concealed in four suitcases, weighing more than 80kg. The 35-year-old was jailed for three years and nine months at Chelmsford Crown Court in 2018 after admitting two counts of money laundering - and now a judge has agreed he will never get the money back. The forfeiture order was signed off by Canterbury Magistrates' Court this week after an investigation by the National Crime Agency. The court heard Khan, from Ilford, east London, checked four suitcases in at Stansted Airport on August 29. Each weighed 20kg and were rammed with 10 and 20 notes, Border Force officers found. Matt Rivers from the NCA said: 'The forfeiture order demonstrates our determination to remove the proceeds of crime from organised criminals. A bag of cash (pictured above) that Khan had in one of his suitcases on the flight to Dubai Khan attempted to fly from Stansted (pictured above) with the bags of cash 'Over the past year we have investigated cash seizures at UK borders totalling more than 8 million. 'In this case, with the help of our partners, we were able to intercept the cash during the money laundering process. Our investigation continues in relation to the wider criminal network behind this seizure.' At the time, assistant director of the Border Force at Stansted Airport, Taylor Wilson, said: 'By making this detection, Border Force officers have taken a substantial quantity of criminal cash out of circulation and ensured it will be returned to the public purse. 'Depriving criminals of their wealth disrupts organised crime and we will continue to work with law enforcement partners like the NCA to both bring offenders to justice and to hit them in the pocket.' Betty Boothroyd tore into John Bercow yesterday over his refusal to allow Donald Trump to address the Commons. The respected former Speaker said the US President should be welcomed into Parliament in June and said it was not up to her successor to block him. In her most strongly-worded criticism of the present Speaker yet, she told the Daily Mail: No Speaker should indulge himself in personalities and whom he approves or disapproves. Speakers must always remember they are the servant of the House and not its master. Baroness Boothroyd said the US President should be welcomed into Parliament in June and said it was not up to her successor to block him. She is pictured at a 'People's Vote' rally earlier this month The 89-year-old peer said it was Parliaments duty to stand with the President as he visits the country to commemorate the US and British forces who fought alongside each other on D-Day. The state visit has been timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion of France in June. Mr Bercow said in 2017 that he would be unwilling to allow Mr Trump to make a formal address in Westminster Hall, as Barack Obama did during his state visit in 2011. It is extremely rare for a former Speaker to criticise a successor. However in January Baroness Boothroyd accused Mr Bercow, pictured above in a file photo, of acting dishonestly in his Brexit row with the Government He said he was strongly opposed to a presidential address, citing opposition to racism and sexism and described it as an earned honour, not an automatic right. This week Lord Fowler, Mr Bercows counterpart in the Lords, said there was a strong case for allowing the President to speak. And Baroness Boothroyd said: The Speaker has no authority as to whom should address Parliament. President Trump may not be flavour of the month with many, but he is coming to this country as head of a major player in the free world to commemorate with us the D-Day landings. He should be welcomed as a representative of the American people who sent their sons to fight alongside us. She added: The Speaker has responsibility he also has duty. Those in authority often have to carry out duties they may find unsavoury but responsibility also brings with it duty. Trump is pictured at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, with Prime Minister Theresa May in July 2018 It is extremely rare for a former Speaker to criticise a successor. However in January Baroness Boothroyd accused Mr Bercow of acting dishonestly in his Brexit row with the Government. Baroness Boothroyd was respected on both sides of the House during her tenure between 1992 and 2000. The Dewsbury-born former Labour MP was the first woman to be elected to the role of Commons Speaker. She now sits in the Lords as a crossbench peer. Speeches in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, need the agreement of the Speakers of the Commons and the Lords and the Queens representative, the Lord Great Chamberlain. Officials could get round Mr Bercows objections by inviting Mr Trump to speak in the Royal Gallery, part of the Lords, where Ronald Reagan in 1982 and Bill Clinton in 1995 spoke. Several Cabinet ministers want the President to speak in the Lords. One said: Were not inviting the person, were inviting the office. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: His visit is about more than Trumps policies. It is about the alliance between the US and the UK. At an age when Sherry Johnsons biggest concern should have been the sixth grade, she was already married and had a daughter. She was 11. Johnson was forced to marry the man, the deacon of her church, who had been raping her since she was nine. I was in a lot of pain. It was pain of being raped. It was pain of getting pregnant at nine. It was pain of giving birth to my daughter at 10. And then it was pain again, being forced to marry my rapist at 11, Johnson recalled in an upcoming episode, I Was A Child Bride, airing Thursday, April 25, as part of a new A&E Network series, The Untold Story. By the time Johnson got a divorce, she was a legal adult who had six children but still wasnt old enough to drink alcohol. She is one of four women who shared with the show what it was like to be coerced into marriage. At aged 13, Dawn Tyree was pushed to marry the man who raped her and got her pregnant. Lyndsy Duet was promised college tuition if she married her foster brother at aged 17, who she had been having unwanted sexual relations with since she was 14. Donna Pollard met the man she would marry at a mental health facility where she was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. He was a counselor and 29. She was 14. They got married when she was 16-years-old. Sherry Johnson, above, was forced to marry the man who raped her starting when she was nine. By the time she was 11, she was married and had one daughter Lyndsy Duet, above, was promised college tuition if she married her foster brother at 17. She had unwanted sexual relations with him since she was aged 14 At aged 13, Dawn Tyree, above, was pushed to marry the man who raped her and got her pregnant Donna Pollard, above, met the man she would marry at a mental health facility where she was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. He was a counselor and 29. She was 14. They got married when she was 16-years-old There were an estimated 248,000 child marriages in the United States between 2000 and 2010, according to Unchained At Last, a nonprofit seeking to end child marriage in the U.S. Fraidy Reiss, the founder and director of Unchained At Last, explained to the shows Elizabeth Vargas that loopholes in some states laws allows child marriage to happen. Im a forced marriage survivor, she said. I grew up in an insular religious community where thats just how it works. Your family arranges a marriage for you when youre young and you have very little say in about getting into the marriage, and then once youre in it, very little say about leaving of the marriage. Sherry Johnson grew up in Tampa, Florida. Her family lived in the back of the church, which the deacon had a key to, and her mother and stepfather were ministers. All you had to do is walk down the steps from the church, you walk into our kitchen. And thats where he raped me, she said. I woke up with him on top of me many of times. Her mother didnt believe her when she tried to explain what was happening, and she was so young she didnt even know what words to use. Her mother blamed Johnson for what happened, and went as far to tell people the nine-year-old was fast. I was a sacrifice to cover up what he did, Johnson said. I thought about running away, but I didnt know where to go. Had no idea where can I go. I thought about maybe if I die but I didnt know nothing about suicide, how can I do it. I dont know what to do so I continue to let the deacon continue to rape me, which he does over and over and over again. Johnson also didnt really understand when she got pregnant at aged 10. I couldnt wrap my mind around, how do I have a baby. I didnt know, she recalled. When she went into labor, Johnson was dropped off at the hospital and gave birth to her daughter alone. She was then told she had to marry the deacon. Johnson was 11. He was 20. One judge initially denied the marriage license but they went to another county in Florida and got it. Sherry Johnson is pictured above when she was young. By the time she divorced her husband, the deacon of her church who raped her starting when she nine, she had six children. Johnson has gone on to write a book called Forgiving the Unforgivable, and advocating for marriage to be banned before the age of 18 Lyndsy Duet is pictured above on her wedding day when she was 17 and pushed by her family to marry her foster brother. She had two children with him, and after getting divorced, she has gone on to get two degrees At aged 13, Dawn Tyree was forced to marry the man who raped her and got her pregnant. She said on a new A&E Network show, I Was A Child Bride: The Untold Story, that she spent many years feeling like its been my fault, and my voice doesnt matter and have been shamed and ostracized Donna Pollard, pictured above when she was young, got married when she was 16. She eventually got divorced, and has gone to work on changing laws in her home state of Kentucky The state of Florida failed me, she said in the show. Nobody protected me. Statutory rape laws, which prohibit sex with a minor, would have abusers facing legal ramifications, charges and jail time. Reiss, of Unchained At Last, explained that it is considered rape unless you are married, and Vargas called the marriages license a get-out-of-jail-free card. Like Johnson, Lyndsy Duet grew up in a conservative Christian family. At 17, I married my foster brother because that is what my family wanted me to do, she said in the show. Raised in Houston, Texas, Duet said that when she was 14-years-old, her family took in a boy from their church. Duet said he was cruel and harsh toward her and her siblings, and that he tried coercing her into sex. She told him to leave her alone but one night he came into her room while her sister was sleeping. I was 14 and I was a virgin. I had to protect my siblings, she said, I didnt have any options other than being with him. It was difficult to speak with her parents about the abuse because they didnt have conversations about sex due to their religion, and her mother repeatedly told Duet that she was not praying enough. I definitely always felt that I was at fault, she said. When he was 18, her foster brother went to her mother and asked to marry Duet, then 16. Her mom, who thought this was a good idea, told Duet she would pay for college if she got married. I didnt feel like I had any option or choice, she recalled. They got married when she was 17, and Duet had her son the next year, and her daughter when she was 23. He just kept getting more and more abusive, she said. After several years of marriage, she divorced him, and went on to get two degrees. I had the fear that one day Im going to be killed and no ones going to know who killed me, she said, adding that she filed a police report detailing the abuse. The police did not take me seriously at all. They acted like I was making it up or something. 'The Untold Story' attempted to reach all ex-husbands for comment, some of which declined to give or to be interviewed. Child brides are 31 percent more likely to live in poverty and 50 percent more likely to drop out of high school, Vargas said. Reiss, of Unchained At Last, said there was a 23 percent greater risk for some diseases, such as diabetes, as well as psychiatric disorders, and studies show it is due to a forfeited education and additional stress. These are devastating and lifelong repercussions, she said. Reiss has been advocating to change the laws so that marriage is banned under the age of 18. As of January this year, only two states, Delaware and New Jersey, have completely banned child marriage, according to the show. After her divorce and having nine children, Sherry Johnson said: I just felt strength inside that this will change, this will not stay this way always. She wrote a book about her experience called, Forgiving the Unforgivable, and also pushed for a new law in Florida. Donna Pollard, who also shared her what happened to her in the show along with Dawn Tyree, also advocated for a new law in Kentucky as well. Both passed, but loopholes remain, according to the show. Johnson said she has 34 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and one on the way. She told Vargas: I dont want any child ever to have experience what I have experienced in life. Actor Rainn Wilson of The Office has accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of failing to give him proper credit for the idea for a quiet leaf blower. Wilson, who portrayed Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom, demanded credit for the idea in a tweet to the Telsa CEO on Wednesday, after Musk announced his company would be making the product. The unusual drama began last Friday, when Wilson tweeted at Musk: 'can u make a quiet electric leaf blower?' Wilson, who most recently returned to the small screen as villain Harry Mudd on Star Trek: Discovery, did not receive a direct reply from Musk. Actor Rainn Wilson (left) demanded credit for the idea for a quiet electric leaf blower in a tweet on Wednesday, after Musk (right) announced Telsa would be making the product Wilson is best known for playing Dwight Schrute (above) on the NBC sitcom The Office However, some noticed that about an hour after Wilson's tweet, Musk tweeted without explanation: 'Back to work...' Then on Tuesday, Musk tweeted: 'Tesla is going to develop a quiet, electric leafblower'. When someone responded noting that Wilson had recently suggested the very same idea, Musk was dismissive. 'It's been suggested by many, externally & internally,' Musk wrote. Wilson, however, was not convinced. 'C'mon Musk, give me some credit,' the actor wrote on Wednesday. 'Nope,' Musk quickly replied, adding a winking face emoji. It is unclear whether Tesla will actually produce an electric leaf blower, or whether the exchange was a joke. However, Musk has previously announced unusual products on Twitter with seeming spontaneity, and gone on to produce them. Most notably, his Boring Company offered 'flamethrowers' last year for $500, which quickly sold out. On Wednesday, a few hours after Musk's leaf blower tweet, Tesla announced its first-quarter results, posting a heavy loss as car deliveries sputtered overseas and a US tax credit that made its prices more attractive was reduced. The California-based company reported a loss of $702 million in the first three months of this year after two consecutive quarters of profit. Tesla produced about 63,000 Model 3 vehicles in the period, an increase of three percent from the same quarter a year earlier but fewer than had been anticipated. The company attributed its disappointing financial results to Model 3 shipping delays, particularly in Europe and China. Overall company revenue in the period rose 33 percent to $4.5 billion in a year-over-year comparison, but fell far short of Wall Street forecasts. Guyana has extradited a criminal for the very first time ever and the suspect is now back in the U.S. and awaiting trial for a shooting. Troy Thomas, 33, fled to the South American country eight years ago to escape a murder charge but is now behind bars in Queens after being extradited to New York City. Thomas is accused of shooting to death Keith Frank in 2011 outside a house party in South Ozone Park, police said. He later died at a hospital in Queens. Guyana police received a request from U.S. authorities to arrest Thomas but he didn't exhaust his extradition appeals until this week, according to embassy officials. Guyana Police Force officers apprehended Thomas in 2018, and he has remained in Lusignan prison since then. His transfer to the US marks the first time anyone has been removed from the country and sent back to the U.S., setting a new precedent for Guyana, which has not previously extradited to the USA according to the New York Post. Keith Frank who moved to Queens from Guyana when he was 12, died exactly two months before his 21st birthday. His mom, Carol Kyte, held up his photo in 2012 in the search for justice Troy Thomas, 33, had been on the run since 2011 but he has finally been brought back to the U.S. to face justice for the killing After the alleged December 2011 killing, Thomas, who is a native of Guyana fled back to is homeland in the hope that he could hide away and escape justice 'The defendant has been on the run for eight years, but today he is in our custody and will answer for the senseless killing of a 20-year-old man in South Richmond Hill, Queens, just before Christmas in 2011,' said Chief Assistant District Attorney John M. Ryan. 'The family of the victim deserves justice for their deceased loved one. The defendant now faces a lengthy term of incarceration for his alleged actions.' It took a full year of negotiations between Guyanese government and the U.S., Embassy before the transfer could finally take place. 'Corruption and criminal activity rob the Government and citizens of Guyana of money that could have been spent on education, health care, and important infrastructure work. Extraditions are an important law enforcement tool in fighting transnational criminal organizations. Today, a fugitive from justice is being extradited to the United States to stand trial, creating a new precedent,' Ambassador Sarah Lynch said in a statement. 'The Government of Guyana's actions over the past year clearly indicate its dedication to law and order and established norms of international criminal justice Guyana is moving in the right direction. Establishing a roadmap for future extraditions, bringing a fugitive to justice, making Guyana a safer place for Guyanese citizens this is the best example of rule of law existing in Guyana.' Thomas, who is a native of Guyana and covered in tattoos, was hauled in front of a judge on Thursday afternoon but said nothing. The tiny country, which is about the size of Oregon and borders Venezuela and Brazil, has a population of less than 800,000. Cabinet ministers were last night scrambling to deny leaking details of a secret meeting on Chinese telecoms firm Huawei as calls for a police inquiry grew. Five ministers who were said to have been at a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) insisted yesterday that they were not to blame for the damaging leak. In the meeting, on Tuesday, the Prime Minister reportedly approved Huaweis bid to help build Britains new 5G mobile network, despite some security concerns. Details of the move triggered a row when they were leaked that evening. However, attention has since turned to who leaked details of the discussions, which involved senior intelligence officials. Government sources said they believed it had to have been a minister. Last night five ministers said to have been present at the Huawei meeting with Theresa May (bottom right) each insisted it was not them. Tory leadership hopefuls Gavin Williamson (centre right), Sajid Javid (bottom left), Jeremy Hunt (top left), and Penny Mordaunt (centre left), as well as Liam Fox (top right), denied they were to blame Dominic Grieve, chairman of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, suggested yesterday that it was someone on leadership manoeuvres. Former Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon even said the police should be called in to investigate, saying the leak was a threat to our security. Theresa Mays national security adviser is understood to have begun an inquiry which could lead to whoever was responsible being sacked. But last night five ministers said to have been present at the meeting each insisted it was not them. Tory leadership hopefuls Gavin Williamson, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt and Penny Mordaunt, as well as Liam Fox, denied they were to blame. Three others believed to have been at the meeting declined to comment. Mr Hunt was first to flatly deny being the source of the Huawei revelations. Asked about the leak at a lunch for Westminster journalists, he said: I think it is utterly appalling that that should happen. I have never leaked confidential Cabinet discussions and I never will. Cabinet Office minister David Lidington (left) said the matter was being taken 'very seriously', while Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright (right), who was also in the meeting, said the Government could not exclude the possibility of a criminal investigation Mr Williamson said: Neither I nor any of my team have divulged information from the National Security Council. Miss Mordaunt welcomed the inquiry. Asked if she or her officials had leaked any information, she said No. Sources close to Mr Javid denied he had leaked any information. Asked if there would be a criminal investigation into the Huawei leak, Mr Javid said: If there are leaks from government, whether they are being reported or alleged leaks reported in the papers, its right the Government looks to see where that has come from and how it happened. For any Cabinet minister or any minister in the Government to share sensitive information in the public domain is completely unacceptable and it should be looked at. Sources close to Liam Fox categorically denied he was involved in the leak. Sources close to three other ministers Chancellor Philip Hammond, Cabinet Office minister David Lidington and Business Secretary Greg Clark declined to comment. However, earlier in the day, Mr Lidington told a cyber-security conference in Glasgow: All I can say is that we dont normally comment on leak inquiries, this matter is being taken very seriously. Sources close to Business Secretary Greg Clark (left) and Chancellor Philip Hammond (right) declined to comment Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright, who was also in the meeting, said the Government could not exclude the possibility of a criminal investigation. Responding to an urgent question in the Commons, Mr Wright said members of the intelligence services need to know ministers will treat seriously and keep private any advice they give. That is why this is serious, and that is why the Government intends to treat it seriously, he added. This was unacceptable and corrosive to the ability to deliver good governance. Sir Michael Fallon called for a police investigation, raising the prospect of a minister being charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act. Such breaches carry a maximum jail term of two years. Sir Michael told the BBC: This is completely shocking. Any leak from the National Security Council can only help our adversaries, whether they are terrorists, whether they are rogue states, and is a threat to our security. Asked if that could result in a jail sentence, he said: Ministers are subject to the Official Secrets Act just like anybody else. Former minister Andrew Mitchell said Mrs May should order MI5 to conduct a full investigation and question Cabinet Ministers if necessary. Mr Grieve said the leak was deeply worrying, adding: I cant pretend that there arent people who appear to be preparing themselves for leadership bids. Labour demanded a full investigation. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jo Platt said: If a minister did leak the information, they are not fit to serve in the Cabinet and are certainly not fit to be prime minister. The Prime Ministers official spokesman declined to say if an inquiry had been launched but added: The Prime Minister is clear that protection of information on matters of national security is of the highest importance. President Donald Trump gave life advice to the children of the White House staff and the reporters who cover him on Thursday afternoon, telling them: 'Never take drugs, don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, enjoy your life.' He also took a swipe at the media as he entertained White House reporters' children on the South Lawn on Thursday afternoon. Trump told the kids that 'often times they report correctly,' laughing and adding 'most of the time.' He conceded that press want 'to get the word out fairly and honestly' and they're 'serving the entire nation' to make a better future for their children. 'I even love the media today, I see these beautiful children, products of the media, and I actually like you much more than your parents,' he told the kids. Trump told the children about the pfresidential limousine, known as 'The Beast' for the custom-made vehicle's bullet-proof windows and the heavy-duty material that makes up its body. 'I guess it's one of the worlds most expensive cars unfortunately. It's like riding around in an army tank,' he revealed. President Donald Trump took a swipe at the media as he entertained White House reporters' children on the South Lawn on Thursday afternoon Trump told the kids that 'often times they report correctly,' laughing and adding 'most of the time' He conceded that press want 'to get the word out fairly and honestly' and they're 'serving the entire nation' to make a better future for their children Trump indicated to the children that he likes living at the White House, which he exchanged when he became president for a New York City penthouse Trump indicated to the children that he likes living at the White House, which he exchanged when he became president for a New York City penthouse. He said, 'Sometimes I walk up these paths and I look around and I say wow, there's no place like this anywhere on earth.' 'The White House is a place of history., 1799,' he told them. 'That's a long time.' The U.S. president told them that Chinese President Xi Jinping considers the White House to be a modern structure. 'He thinks that's a modern house because their culture is very old. 5,000 years. But this is really something that no matter where you go, no matter the time no matter the date, there is nothing like our great White House,' he contended. Trump revealed that Xi will be visiting the White House soon as he spoke about the children's parents helping him make sure the White House 'puts its best foot forward when we welcome foreign leaders' to the government building. 'We have Prime Minister Abe of Japan coming tomorrow for a very important meeting. We will soon be having President Xi from China coming,' he revealed. Trump did not say when Xi would be coming or where in the U.S. the meeting would take place. Usually, U.S. presidents and Chinese leaders meet somewhere other than the White House. Earlier in the week in Washington the president honored award-winning White House photographers at a private ceremony. He razzed them during the children's event for taking unflattering photos of him. 'Sometimes I wish they could make me look a little bit better,' he said. 'Sometimes I think they do it on purpose actually. Always my chin is pulled in, I look terrible, but that's ok,' he teased. Trump did not take questions from working journalists at the event, who were there to observe the interaction. His regular press pool attended but the children' parents were not allowed to join in. They sent their kids off with White House staff for the annual event. Reporters' kids were mixed in with White House staffers' children. Trump told staffers' children, 'Your moms and dads are working very hard to keep our country safe from danger and to keep America prosperous, thriving and strong,' he told them. He also gave the kids life advice. 'Never take drugs, don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, enjoy your life. You don't need it. It causes a lot of problems,' he said. 'If you learn one thing, I didn't come up here to say that but I say it all the time to my kids,' he told the visiting children. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders also held an event for the children. It came in the form of her first press briefing in 45 days on Thursday morning - but only children who came to work with their parents could ask questions. The entire event, save for the fact that it happened and the vice president made a surprise appearance, was deemed non-reportable by the White House. Repeated requests to put it on the record were denied by White House officials. Vice President Mike Pence had not been expected to be there but popped into the event mid-way through and stayed long enough to take questions from a pint-sized crowd. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders held her first press briefing in 45 days on Thursday morning - but only children who came to work with their parents could ask questions Sanders holds one of her sons as her daughter grips the podium during the briefing for children of journalists and White House staff in the Brady press briefing room at the White House Children raise their hands in an attempt to get a question from the vice president Sanders and Pence stand at the podium with the press secretary's three children. Her husband, Bryan, and her father, Mike Huckabee, look on from seats on the far-left side of the room Sanders also took questions from the children, but did not stay to take questions from the press. She did not respond to a query as she left from a working journalist about an on-the-record briefing for the press. Trump's administration has kept with the tradition they inherited from the previous administration of having journalists' and staffers' children come to the White House for a joint Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day event. Typically, it involves a press briefing, a luncheon and a meet-and-greet with the president. Reporters will be allowed to cover Thursday afternoon's event on the South Lawn of the White House. The press briefing itself had been billed, however, as strictly off the record. It wasn't easy for the White House to keep a lid on the event for long, as attendees and journalists shared photos of the children and the vice president. Sanders also took questions from the children, but did not stay to take questions from the press She did not respond to a query as she left from a working journalist about an on-the-record briefing for the media The White House gave out special edition Hershey's kisses to youngsters who participated in the briefing Pence was making his debut in the briefing room, adding to the intrigue. He has never spoken to working press in the room that Sanders rarely uses for briefings now Pence was making his debut in the briefing room, adding to the intrigue. He has never spoken to working press in the room that Sanders rarely uses for briefings now. He has held several pen and pad briefings for journalists, however, in other areas of the White House complex. The VP wasn't the only surprise guest at the briefing. Sanders' husband, Bryan, attended along with the couple's three children. Sanders' father, Mike Huckabee, a two-time presidential candidate and the former governor of Arkansas, also sat in a seat in the briefing room typically reserved for White House staff when the cameras are on. Trump's spokeswoman had some help during her portion of the briefing from her own kids, who climbed on the podium and scampered around near her legs. The White House gave out special edition Hershey's kisses to youngsters who participated in the briefing. The first lady also gave a photography lesson on the South Lawn, a tweet from her spokeswoman revealed. That event was open to administration staff only. Some 86 per cent of Britons described the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century and now on display in the Louvre in Paris - as a let down It may be the best known painting in the world, but the Mona Lisa is the most disappointing tourist destination in Europe, a poll found. Some 86 per cent of Britons said the portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century was a let down. The masterpiece, pictured below, hangs in the Louvre in Paris. Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin a crossing between the east and west during the Cold War was the second most disappointing site, disliked by 84 per cent of 2,000 Britons polled. The Manneken Pis in Brussels came third, with 80 per cent unimpressed by the small statue of a naked boy. The research by easyJet found that the Northern Lights are the most desirable experience in Europe, liked by 75 per cent of travellers. Italys Lake Como was second most popular, with Greeces Santorini third. A California English teacher could lose her job after overseeing a high school newspaper story about a senior who is working in the porn industry. Kathi Duffel has come under pressure from Bear Creek High School to allow administrators to review the story about 18-year-old Caitlin Fink, which is set to run in the award-winning student newspaper, the Bruin Voice, on May 3. Duffel, who has taught English for 33 years in the Lodi School District, believes that Fink should be able to tell her own story. 'This young woman has quite a story to tell,' Duffel told The Washington Post. 'She has every right to tell her story, and we have every right to report it.' California English teacher, Kathi Duffel (pictured), could lose her job after overseeing a high school newspaper story about senior, Caitlin Fink, 18, who is working in the porn industry The editorial team of the Bruin Voice and the writer of the story, Bailey Kirkeby (right), said the piece humanizes Fink (left) and tells the story of the challenges she has faced Officials from Bear Creek High School believe the Bruin Voice (file image) story violates the state education code that prohibits publication of material that is 'obscene, libelous or slanderous' because the story focuses on 'the production of adult videos' Video courtesy KTXL But officials from Bear Creek High School disagree. They believe the story violates the state education code that prohibits publication of material that is 'obscene, libelous or slanderous' because the story focuses on 'the production of adult videos'. School officials are demanding to see the story before it is published. Duffel doesn't believe the school should see the copy before it is published and is refusing to allow administrators to take a look. According to the Post, the story is a profile piece about the Stockton student that focuses on her journey into the porn industry and explains a fallout she had with her parents the previous year that forced her to leave home. The editorial team and the writer of the story, Bailey Kirkeby, said the piece humanizes Fink. Duffel contacted an attorney after the district warned (letter picture) her that she would be personally liable for any legal claims that could result from the article and if she failed to provide a copy of the story, she could face 'dismissal' Duffel said she's 'never buckled and provided the administration with a copy of a story in advance' and doesn't have plans to do so now. Pictured is the Bear Creek High School But as soon as the school district found out about the story, a threatening letter was reportedly sent to Duffel asking her to show them the article before it's published or risk losing her job. 'I tell the kids, "Free speech isn't free, is it?"' Duffel told the Post. Duffel said the article details the challenges Fink has faced while working in the porn industry, including a contract she signed with adult website Pornhub. According to the Post, Duffel contacted an attorney after the district warned her that she would be personally liable for any legal claims that could result from the article. Duffel said she's 'never buckled and provided the administration with a copy of a story in advance' and doesn't have plans to do so now. An attorney with the Student Press Law Center will review the story to resolve any legal concerns. Joe Biden's top-tier 2020 campaign staff will include a former Olympic figure skating medalist, a PR guru who has faced condemnation for meeting with the disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein and a CNN pundit who objects to the Democratic Party being run by 'white men.' Anita Dunn, an White House communications director who served during Barack Obama's first year as president, will be a campaign adviser to the former vice president. Dunn met with Weinstein around the time he was planning a damage control strategy before the first bombshell rape accusations against him hit newspapers, according to Buzzfeed. She has been offering direction to Biden as he considered his options in recent weeks. Her Democratic-aligned firm, SKD Knickerbocker, has denied she did any substantive work for Weinstein, and has said it was not linked to the filmmaker in any way. Weinstein is facing allegations of rape from at least 14 women. His pending criminal charges include one of predatory sexual assault, which carries the possibility of life in prison. Anita Dunn, a former Obama White House communicatiosn director, reportdely counseled Harvey Weinstein as his sex-assault accusers began to come forward; she has joined Joe Biden's circle of campaign advisers Weinstein, a legendary Hollywood film producer, faces criminal rape charges that could land him in prison for life Former vice president Joe Biden declared his candidacy for the White House on Thursday Reached Thursday, Dunn denied 'working' for Weinstein. 'I met with him at the request of a friend and did not work for him. Period. There is actually nothing to report,' she said in an email. A day later, SKD Knickerbocker Managing Director Doug Thornell sent DailyMail.com a company statement saying that Dunn 'was asked to speak to Harvey Weinstein by a friend on an unrelated case. Harvey Weinstein and Miramax are not now and have never been clients of our firm or of Anitas, nor have we ever received money from them. Of course our commitment to defending womens rights is unwavering.' In a follow-up email, Thornell said Dunn met with Weinstein 'on an unrelated issue' that he later said was connected to amFAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. 'It was prior to stories about his conduct being published and any of these issues were publicly known. She did not counsel him in her personal capacity,' Thornell said. At the time, Weinstein was facing a scandal related to allegations that he bullied amFAR's board into allowing him to funnel part of a $2 million donation back to his own pockets. Biden is facing a crisis less acute than Weinstein's, but still politically toxic. Eight different women have accused him of taking a hands-on approach to greeting them at public events, crossing the line into unwanted touching and harassment. Symone Sanders, 29, will be a Biden campaign senior adviser. she famously told a national TV audience after Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 that 'we dont need white people leading the Democratic Party right now.' 'The Democratic Party is diverse, and it should be reflected as so in our leadership and throughout the staff at the highest levels from the vice chairs to the secretaries all the way down to the people working in the offices at the DNC,' the African-American spin doctor said. Biden and Bernie Sanders, the two oldest white men in the Democratic field, were leading the primary contest by a wide margin. Symone Sanders made headlines last year when police detained her after she objected to a random TSA screening at new York's LaGuardia Airport. She suggested the police were called only because she is black. Symone Sanders, a former Bernie Sanders (no relation) spokeswoman who donated to Pete Buttigieg and said in 2016 that the Democratic Party shouldn't be run by white men Olympic figure skating legeend Michelle Kwan also joined Team Biden on Thursday Kwan, a silver and bronze medalist, will wrangle Biden's high-profile surrogates Despite hopping on Team Biden, Ms. Sanders previously donated to Pete Buttigeig's campaign. According to Federal Election Commission filings, she contributed $250 to support the South Bend, Indiana mayor in March. The Buttigieg donation came about a month before Biden announced his candidacy. Michelle Kwan, a two-time Olympic medalist in figure skating, is also joining Biden's campaign as a surrogates director. Kwan, 38, won a silver medal in women's singles figure skating in 1998 and a bronze in 2002. She held a similar job in Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful 2016 campaign, wrangling the Democratic nominee's high-profile backers including Katy Perry, Lena Dunham and Meryl Streep. ''I believe that the Vice President [Biden] is the ideal candidate to unify our country with his experience, knowledge and track record of fighting for Americans,' Kwan wrote Thursday on Instagram. A horrific late-night attack saw two women rushed to hospital after they had acid thrown at their faces at a crisis accommodation centre. Emergency services rushed to the Mossgiel Accommodation Home in Endeavor Hills, in Melbourne's south-east, shortly before midnight on Thursday. The two women, aged 29 and 44, were inside the building when they were approached by another two women. A horrific late-night attack saw two women rushed to hospital after they had acid thrown at their faces at a crisis accommodation centre The victims were physically assaulted and had a 'substance' thrown at at them, hitting them in the face. The offenders fled the scene on foot and it's believed the four women were known to each other. A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the incident occurred inside the property, believed to be a crisis accommodation centre. The victims were physically assaulted and had a 'substance' thrown at at them, hitting them in the face 'The offenders, two women believed to be known to the victims, fled the scene on foot,' she said. Both women suffered non-life threatening injuries and were treated at the scene before they were taken to Dandenong Hospital for treatment. An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman confirmed the women suffered injuries to their upper and lower bodies, The Age reported. However, she did not clarify whether the victims also suffered from chemical burns. Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident and urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. Panic erupted on a flight from Australia when the pilot suddenly became incapacitated and passengers were called on to help. The Cathay Pacific plane, which was flying from Perth to Hong Kong, was over an hour away from its destination on February 21 when the call was made. The captain had been having trouble breathing and his eyesight was becoming blurry when the co-pilot had to take command, according to a report by the Air Accident Investigation Authority. A Boeing Co. 777 aircraft operated by Cathay Pacific Airways. Two Cathay Pacific airline captains suffered loss of eyesight on separate flights this year, sparking an investigation by Hong Kong's aviation incident authority A desperate call to passengers was made for anyone with medical experience to help as the Airbus A350, just was flying over Manila. The flight had 270 passengers and 13 crew members on board. A passenger who was a medical professional assisted and the captain was given oxygen while a company doctor gave advice from Hong Kong. Hong Kong air traffic control were called and a pan-pan the emergency call below mayday was declared. The plane then dropped to a lower altitude to decrease cabin pressure to help with the captain's breathing, the report said. Just after 7am local time the plane landed at Hong Kong airport where paramedics were waiting to treat the captain. The pilot has 25,000 hours flying experience and 97 hours command time for the aircraft model, the report said. His medical certificate was class 1. A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said the airline would be cooperating with the investigations fully A desperate call to passengers on board the Cathay Pacific plane was made for anyone with medical experience to help as the Airbus A350 was flying over Manila A similar incident involving another Cathay Pacific airline captain happened on January 26 on a flight between Sapporo and Hong Kong. The captain on flight CX583, carrying 348 passengers and 16 crew suffered a sudden loss of vision. This lasted for around half an hour and the co-pilot had to take control of the Boeing 777 west of Taiwan, according to the preliminary report . What is a Pan-Pan? Pan-Pan is the international call signal declaring there is an urgent situation on board an aircraft but there is no immediate danger to life or to the vehicle. It is referred to as a state of urgency requiring priority from the air navigation service provider. It requires an investigation by the air navigation service provider, which in these two cases is Hong Kongs Civil Aviation Department. Advertisement The authority, which declared both 'flight crew incapacitation' events as 'serious incidents', said an investigation team was trying to determine the cause. 'The [authority] will continue to collect and study all relevant information in order to determine the circumstances and causes of the serious incidents,' a spokesman said. 'More in-depth investigation and analysis have to be conducted before any conclusion can be drawn.' A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman told The Star Online: 'Safety is in the consideration of everything we do and in each case, the operating crew acted in accordance with Cathay Pacific's standard operating procedures regarding pilot incapacitation.' She added that the airline would be cooperating with the investigations fully. While Samsung may recently be more famous for creating fires (exploding phones, anyone?) one of the company's newer inventions is looking to put them out. At first glance, the Firevase, as the company has aptly dubbed the device, looks just like any other -- a translucent red tube of PVC with a hollow center compartment to house flowers or other plants. What separates the vase from other decorative containers according to Samsung, is its ability to save lives. In the throwable PVC vase's outer chamber is a fire-killing mixture of potassium carbonate that is able to both cool and compress oxygen upon impact. Scroll down for video With a new product by Samsung, extinguishing a fire just got a lot more stylish -- if your aim is up to par, that is To activate the extinguisher/vase one need only follow a simple task: point and throw. In a video demonstrating the Firevase, wielders are shown hurling the eye-pleasing vase directly at a blaze and then, in a mist of glass and water, the fire is extinguished. According to Samsung, the Firevase looks to tackle issues with more traditional metal extinguishers that has relegated many to closets and other inaccessible locations: aesthetics. By making the life-safety device more appealing to the eye, the company hopes that people will be more likely to leave the vase in a convenient location -- this benefit, they hope, could mean the difference between between catastrophe and close-call. The vase, which was developed by Cheil Worlwide, a subsidiary of Samsung, is being offered to customers of Samsung's Fire and Marine insurance in South Korea. As reported by London architecture and design magazine, Dezeen, despite a law passed in the country in 2017 that requires each household to have a fire extinguisher, nearly less than 60 percent of households actually own one found one poll by Samsung. In the PVC vase's outer chamber is a fire-killing mixture of potassium carbonate that is able to both cool and compress oxygen upon impact. To activate the extinguisher/vase one need only follow a simple task: point and throw SAMSUNG'S GALAXY NOTE 7 DISASTER Battery fires prompted Samsung to withdraw its Galaxy Note 7 device in October 2016 - just two months into sales. The fires briefly lost Samsung its number one rank, showed data from researcher Counterpoint at the time. Samsung blamed two separate battery issues for the fires that hit the device. The fiasco cost the South Korean company $5.3 billion (4.2 billion) in lost profit and reputational damage. Advertisement Last year, the fire safety of some of the county's low-cost communal housing called 'gosiwons' was called into question when a fire broke out that killed seven people and injured 11. A report from the Korea Herald states most of the gosiwon facilities are outdated and lack proper fire safety features like sprinklers, making fire extinguishers an even more crucial tool. Between 2013 to 2018 alone, there were 252 fires in the dormitory-style buildings, a government inspection found. Originally as part of its campaign for Firevase, Cheil Worldwide produced and distributed 100,000 devices to homes in South Korea, but due to the success of the initiative, the company has doubled the amount to 200,000. The company's efforts appear to be working as the amount of homes with a fire extinguisher have increased by 8 percent since the Firevase's launch. Who's minding the store? In the not-too-distant future it could be cameras and sensors that can tell almost instantly when bruised bananas need to be swapped for fresh ones and more cash registers need to open before lines get too long. Walmart, which faces fierce competition from Amazon and other online retailers, is experimenting with digitizing its physical stores to manage them more efficiently, keep costs under control and make the shopping experience more pleasant. On Thursday, the retail giant will open its Intelligent Retail Lab inside a 50,000-square-foot Neighborhood Market grocery store on Long Island. Thousands of cameras suspended from the ceiling, combined with other technology like sensors on shelves, will monitor the store in real time so its workers can quickly replenish products or fix other problems. Scroll down for video A customer pulls her shopping cart past an information kiosk at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. Kiosks and signs throughout the store keep customers informed that they are shopping in an artificial intelligence factory The technology, shown first to The Associated Press, will also be able to spot spills, track when shelves need to be restocked and known when shopping carts are running low. Walmart's deep dive into artificial intelligence in its physical store comes as Amazon raised the stakes in the grocery business with its purchase of Whole Foods Market nearly two years ago. That's put more pressure on Walmart and other traditional retailers like Kroger and Albertsons to pour money into technology in their stores. At the same time, they're trying to keep food prices down and manage expenses. Amazon has been rolling out cashier-less Amazon Go stores , which have shelf sensors that track the 1,000 products on their shelves. Walmart's online U.S. sales are still a fraction of Amazon's online global merchandise empire, which reached $122.98 billion last year. Walmart hopes to start scaling some of the new technology at other stores in the next six months, with an eye toward lower costs and thus lower prices. Dozens of cameras hang above an aisle at a Walmart Neighborhood Market, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Levittown, N.Y. This living lab, dubbed Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab, is Walmart's biggest attempt to digitize the physical store As the shopping experience improves, the retailer expects to see higher sales. 'We really like to think of this store as an artificial intelligence factory, a place where we are building these products, experiences, where we are testing and learning,' said Mike Hanrahan, CEO of Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab and co-founder of Jet.com, purchased by Walmart three years ago. Hanrahan says the cameras are programmed to focus primarily on the products and shelves right now. They do not recognize faces, determine the ethnicity of a person picking up a product or track the movement of shoppers, he says. Some other companies have recently started experimenting with store shelf cameras that try to guess shoppers' ages, genders and moods. There are signs throughout the Neighborhood Market educating shoppers about how it is being used as a lab. Still, the cameras could raise privacy concerns. 'Machine learning fundamentally finds and matches patterns,' says Steven M. Bellovin, a computer science professor at Columbia University and a privacy expert, who hasn't seen the new Walmart AI Lab. But he says companies run into trouble when they start to match behavior to a specific customer. High resolution cameras suspended from the ceiling point to the table of bananas and determine from the color of the bananas how ripe they are. When a banana starts to bruise, that would send an alert to an associate to replenish Walmart can rely on thousands of cameras hanging from the ceiling that track when products are running low or when produce or meat start to lose their freshness Hanrahan says Walmart has made sure to protect shoppers' privacy and emphasized that there are no cameras at the pharmacy, in front of the rest rooms or in employee breakrooms. The lab is Walmart's second in a physical store. A glass enclosed data center at the back of the store houses nine cooling towers, 100 servers and other computer equipment that processes all the data. Last year, Walmart's Sam's Club opened a 32,000 square foot lab store, a quarter of the size of a typical Sam's Club. The lab is testing new features surrounding the Scan & Go App, which lets customers scan items as they shop and then buy from their phones, skipping the checkout line. The retail lab is the third project from Walmart's new incubation arm, created after the Jet.com acquisition as a way for the discounter to shape the future of retail. It follows the launch of Jetblack, a shopping by text service aimed at affluent shoppers in New York. 'If we know in real time everything that's happening in the store from an inventory and in stock perspective, that really helps us rethink about how we can potentially manage the store,' said Hanrahan Walmart says this AI Lab in a store is the first of its kind in the industry Walmart's second incubation project was Spatial&, a VR tech company. As part of the launch, it's bringing tractor-trailers to some of Walmart parking lots so customers can experience DreamWorks Animation's 'How to Train Your Dragon' through virtual reality. Hanrahan says the company is embracing the labs in stores to better understand the real ways that technology affects customers and workers. It also wants to educate shoppers. Walmart has made a point to not hide the technology, and small educational kiosks are set up throughout the Neighborhood Market. Despite the signs and visible cameras, many shoppers, including Marcy Seinberg from Wantagh, New York, didn't seem to notice or care. 'I am not bothered by it,' Seinberg said. 'If technology saves me money, I would be interested.' Advertisement Stunning images taken by an amphibian and reptile expert reveal the mysterious hidden world of some of Earth's most dangerous cold-blooded animals. The incredible photographs showcase a range of animals found on all continents - except Antarctica - and include the bright eyes of an albino alligator, the well camouflaged Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko and the luminous underbelly of the Purple Harlequin toad. Other shots show the omnivore Western Blue-Tongued Skink lizard, the plant-like Vietnamese mossy frog and a two-headed corn-snake. The remarkable photographs are showcased in photographer Matthijs Kuijpers' new book, Cold Instinct. Mr Kuijpers childhood passion for photography and wild animals saw him leave school to go to Madagascar and work with reptiles and amphibians and up to 30 of the creatures in the book are considered as vulnerable or endangered. The pictured Masobe gecko (Paroedura masobe) is a small animal that is endangered and found in Madagascar The photo shows an Albino alligator (Alligator missippienssis) photographed in captivity in the Everglades, North America and featured in the book, Cold Instinct. Also known as the white alligator, it is native to the Louisiana swamps and is one of the rarest animals in the world, with only 12 known to exist Mr Kuijpers says he has had some near-death experiences, including being bitten by a venous snake. Pictured is an Atheris hispida, a venomous viper species found only in Central Africa with distinct upturned scales and a bristly appearance. The venom is mainly neurotoxic and a bite can be fatal to humans. There have been reports of bites that have led to severe haemorrhaging of internal organs The book features 72 creatures in total and the image above shows an Azure dart frog, which is found in Suriname in South America. Its black spots are unique to each animal and can be used for identification. Some regard it as its own species but others consider it to be a variant of the dyeing dart frog which is classed as 'least concern' by the IUCN He has spent the last 30 years travelling in search of these species and a total of 72 animals are included. 'Amphibians might look scary at first, but they are much more vulnerable than they appear,' states the info on the Kickstarter page. 'Their survival is challenged daily by threats of climate change, pollution and poaching. Habitat loss is the greatest threat to cold species in Europe. 'Some reptiles and amphibians have cleverly adapted to the threatening conditions, but they are in constant need of protection. Photographer Matthijs Kuijpers spent the last 30 years travelling the world in search of bizarre species. The image above shows one of the species in his book, a western blue-tongued skink lizard that is native to Australia but can also be found in nearby New Guinea and Indonesia. They give birth to approximately 5 live young immediately eat their own placental membrane Many of the photos show bizarre looking creatures such as this Satanic leaf-tailed gecko (pictured), a species from Madagascar. It is classed as 'least concern' by the IUCN and population numbers are stable. It has a tail mimicking a leaf with large eyes that allow them to hunt at night Mr Kuijpers (pictured, left) says that he always photographs in the local region where the animals are found. He said: I photograph everywhere in the same style, rain forest with a mobile flash installation or mobile studio in the western world' Mr Kuijpers wants his photos to focus on the animal and remove stereotypical ideas. The image above shows a Vietnamese mossy frog (Theloderma corticale), found in its native home of Vietnam. Its unique appearance helps the 3.5-inch long animal camouflage and avoid predation According to the book's page on kickstarter, the photos featured showcase some of the most peculiar animals the author has witnessed. The image above is of a purple harlequin toad or 'pink toad' which the photographer lists as one of his favourite animals 'Habitat loss is the greatest threat to cold species in Europe,' writes the author on the Cold Instinct's Kickstarter page. The image above shows a picture of the Guiana Shield Leaf toad, found in Suriname and French Guiana in South America which is recognised as being stable and of 'least concern', according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 'Our hope is to create awareness of just how much these little guys need our attention. We need to know how we can help protect them; but for that, we must learn more about them. 'Did you know that about 86 per cent of species on Earth are still waiting to be found? Most of those creatures could become extinct before we get a chance to spot them. 'Every year, approximately 18,000 new species are discovered and classified. We believe that about 20,000 species go extinct annually.' The photographic project, Mr Kuijpers claims, is intended to counteract stereotypes associated with the animals. He hopes by photographing their beauty in candid shots people will abandon the fear and negative thoughts that often surround them. He left school to go to Madagascar and work with reptiles and amphibians and spent most of the last three decades working on the project. The picture shows a rock monitor (Varanus albigularis), also commonly called the black-throated monitor. It is commonly found in Central, East, and southern Africa. Large males can reach 40lbs in weight and stretch to 6 feet 7 inches in total length, including the tail The photo shows a Siamese Peninsula Pitviper featured in the book found in Malaysia. It has a distinct red and white stripe that runs along the side of its body and a reddish brown tail and survives on a carnivore diet of lizards, amphibians, birds, rodents and other small mammals The image shows a Bitis nasicornis, a venomous viper snake also known as a river jack that is featured in Cold Instict. It is brightly coloured and lives in the rainforests and swamps of West and Central Africa. The reptile has a large body that averages 2835 inches (7090 cm) in length and prefers wet or damp environments. Their scales are rough and strongly defined. It produces a significant amount of venom but it rarely bites or causes death in humans The image above shows a Plumed Basilisk, found in lower Central America in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama along foliage areas by waterways. It has a mixed diet of insects, small mammals (such as rodents), smaller species of lizards, fruits and flowers The image shows a Beauty rat snake (orthriophis taeniurus) that has a long and thin body and is native to eastern and southeastern areas of Asia such as Taiwan. Living about 1525 years, the average length of the beauty rat snake (including the tail) is about 46 feet 'Our hope is to create awareness of just how much these little guys need our attention', said the book's creator. The image above shows a page in the book of a Jackson's chameleon, a colourful creature native to East Africa. The creature has since been introduced to Hawaii and other parts of North America. it is considered to be of least concern by the IUCN and lives in woodland at altitudes of up to 8,000 feet The book Cold Instinct has already exceeded the 9,300 pledge goal that would allow it to be put into print. There are 37 days to go until the end of the pledge. The photo shows the map of all the locations where the 72 creatures featured are found in the world Cold Instinct (pictured) is described as 'a photographic book of unparalleled quality with shots of shockingly beautiful snakes, iguanas, geckos, toads & more' on its Kickstarter page. The book is 152 pages long and features 72 different species A mummified mother and child along with 28 other preserved bodies have been discovered in an Ancient Egyptian tomb, authorities have announced. The discovery was made by the Egyptian-Italian archaeological mission, which has discovered around 300 tombs in the Aswan West Bank area in the south of the country. The tomb contained various artefacts, including a statuette of a bird, various vases, and a stretcher that was probably used to bring mummies into the tomb. Writing found on parts of a coffin in the tomb revealed both a series of prayers to different gods as well as the name of the tomb's owner Tjt. Scroll down for video Archaeological mission head Patrizia Piacentini of the University of Milan said that among the mummies were two that were 'superimposed' and thought to be that of a mother and child The team found many other vividly coloured and gilded cartonnages, parts of gold-painted funeral masks and a well-preserved statuette of a Ba-bird The newly revealed tomb has a main room that contained 30 mummies, including young children who were lying together in a long, sideways alcove. Archaeological mission head Patrizia Piacentini of the University of Milan said that among the mummies were two that were 'superimposed' and thought to be that of a mother and child. The pair were extracted still covered in painted cartonnage, a type of mummy covering which is formed from chunks of linen or papyrus which have been glued together. According to Mostafa Waziri, the General Secretary of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities who announced the find, the tomb also contained parts of two painted wooden coffins. One of the fragmented coffins presented a complete text, detailing the name of the tomb's owner, Tjt, and prayers to the gods of the Nile's First Cataract Anuket, Khnum and Satet along with Hapi, the god of the annual Nile floods. Leaning up against the north wall of the tomb's interior was an intact stretcher which, archaeologists believe, may have been used to bring the mummies into the tomb in the first place. It was was made of palm wood connected by linen strips. According to archaeologist Ayman Ashmawy, the tomb comprised a staircase, partially flanked by sculpted blocks, which led down into the burial chambers. The entrance to the tomb, at the top of the staircase, had been found closed by a stone wall. The mission also recovered many amphora-shaped jugs, ritual offering vases and some vessels which still contained food. The mission also recovered many amphora-shaped jugs, ritual offering vases and some vessels which still contained food Near the entrance to the burial chambers, the archaeologists found vessels containing bitumen that was used in the mummification process, a lamp, and white cartonnage Vessels containing bitumen that was used in the mummification process, a lamp, and white cartonnage that was ready to be painted were all found near the entrance to the burial chambers. In addition, the team found many other vividly coloured and gilded cartonnages, parts of gold-painted funeral masks and a well-preserved statuette of a Ba-bird. In Ancient Egyptian mythology, the Ba-bird represents the soul of a deceased individual, which was believed to fly out the person's tomb to join their vital essence in the afterlife. Authorities have dated the tomb back to the Graeco-Roman period, which began when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt out from under Persian rule in 332 BC. The team found a well-preserved statuette of a Ba-bird (pictured). In Ancient Egyptian mythology, the Ba-bird represents the soul of a deceased individual, which was believed to fly out the person's tomb to join their vital essence in the afterlife The tomb was also found to contain parts of two painted wooden coffins (pictured). One of the fragmented coffins presented a complete text, detailing the name of the tomb's owner, Tjt, and prayers to the gods The tomb is located near one of Aswan's major landmarks, the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan III, Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah. This religious leader lobbied for Muslim rights in India, and was buried in Egypt near the sight of his former winter-time villa two years after his death in 1957. To date, the mission has mapped around 300 individual tombs in the area around the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan. The tombs all date between the 6th Century BC and the 4th Century AD. 25 tombs have been excavated by the archaeologists in the previous three years alone. The entrance to the tomb, at the top of the staircase, had been found closed by a stone wall The discovery was made by the Egyptian-Italian archaeological mission, which has discovered around 300 tombs in the Aswan West Bank area in the south of the country. The tomb is located near one of Aswan's major landmarks, the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan Facebook Inc broke Canadian privacy laws when it collected the information of some 600,000 citizens, a top watchdog said on Thursday, pledging to seek a court order to force the social media giant to change its practices. Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien made his comments while releasing the results of an investigation, opened a year ago, into a data sharing scandal involving Facebook and the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Though Facebook has acknowledged a 'major breach of trust' in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the company disputed the results of the Canadian probe, Therrien said. 'Facebook's refusal to act responsibly is deeply troubling given the vast amount of sensitive personal information users have entrusted to this company,' said Therrien. Facebook Inc broke Canadian privacy laws when it collected the information of some 600,000 citizens, a top watchdog said on Thursday, pledging to seek a court order to force the social media giant to change its practices Specifically, the company refused to voluntarily submit to audits of its privacy policies and practices over the next five years, he said. 'The stark contradiction between Facebook's public promises to mend its ways on privacy and its refusal to address the serious problems we've identified - or even acknowledge that it broke the law - is extremely concerning,' he added. Facebook was not immediately available for comment. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner does not have the power to levy financial penalties, but it can seek court orders to force an entity to follow its recommendations. It could take a year to obtain a court order, Therrien said. The investigation revealed there was an 'overall lack of responsibility' with people's personal information that means 'there is a high risk that' their data 'could be used in ways that they do not know or suspect, exposing them to potential harms.' Apart from privacy violations by Facebook, the investigation also highlighted problems with regulating social media. Facebook's rejection of the watchdog's recommendations revealed 'critical weaknesses' in the current legislation, Therrien added, urging lawmakers to give his office more sanctioning power. 'We should not count on all companies to act responsibility and therefore a new law should ensure a third party, a regulator, holds companies responsible,' Therrien said. Canadian Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould, who this month said the government might have to regulate Facebook and other social media companies unless they did more to help combat foreign meddling in this October's election, will react later on Thursday, a spokeswoman said. Facebook said on Wednesday it had set aside $3 billion to cover a settlement with U.S. regulators probing revelations that the company had inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million of its users with Cambridge Analytica. The number of people who fear artificial intelligence is on the rise. A new poll of 1,004 registered voters in the U.S. found that 57 percent of them believe AI is a 'threat to the human race.' The findings demonstrate the increasing skepticism around AI, which has made its way into many of the devices we use today, from cars to cellphones. Scroll down for video The number of people who fear AI is on the rise. A new poll of 1,004 registered voters in the U.S. found that 57 percent of them believe AI is a 'threat to the human race' The survey was conducted from April 17th to 18th by political analyst and pollster Scott Rasmussen and market research firm HarrisX. In addition to the 57 percent who believe AI is a threat, approximately 43 percent disagree and believe it's not something to be worried about. Of the 57 percent who consider it a threat, some 16 percent of them doubled down even further and indicated they believe it's a 'very serious threat.' Rasmussen noted that the number of respondents who consider AI a threat has risen three percentage points since November. 'Younger voters are a bit more concerned about A.I. than voters over 50,' Rasmussen claims. 'Republicans are a bit more concerned than Democrats and Independent voters.' The study also showed that voters are unsure about the effects of AI on the economy, with 47 percent of respondents indicating they didn't know if its impact would be good or bad. Of the 57 percent who consider AI a threat to humanity, some 16 percent of them doubled down even further and indicated they believe it's a 'very serious threat,' Rasmussen found The results come as Americans remain fearful of what roles AI will take on in the home and the workplace. A 2017 Pew Research study revealed that 70 percent of Americans are unsure or have concerns about the rise of robots and AI. Tech giants have repeatedly highlighted the potential for these technologies to make our lives easier and improve efficiency among corporations, among other benefits. But that optimism doesn't appear to have trickled down to average Americans. 'Ordinary Americans are very wary and concerned about the growing trend in automation and place a lot of value in human decision-making,' Aaron Smith, who led the survey of over 4,000 adult Americans. 'They are not incredibly excited about machines taking over those responsibilities.' Not everyone in Silicon Valley is especially welcoming toward AI's advancements. Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has emerged as one of AI's most vocal critics, repeatedly warning that AI could hurt humans in the future. 'I have exposure to the most cutting-edge AI and I think people should be really concerned about it,' Musk said in 2017. 'I keep sounding the alarm bell but until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don't know how to react because it seems so ethereal.' While criticism around AI abounds, many experts caution that we are extremely far off from developing AI that's more powerful than the human brain, meaning the technology isn't a threat to humans as it exists currently. Facebook is cracking down on third-party apps that slurp up massive amounts of user data in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The company said in a blog post that it will no longer allow apps with 'minimal utility,' like personality quizzes, to operate on the platform. It comes more than a year after the Cambridge Analytica row first erupted last March, wherein some 87 million users' data was harvested and shared with the Trump-affiliated campaign research firm without their consent. Scroll down for video Facebook is cracking down on third-party apps. The company said in a blog post that it will no longer allow apps with 'minimal utility,' like personality quizzes, to operate on the platform 'As part of our ongoing commitments to privacy and security, we are making updates to our platform,' Eddie O'Neil, head of platform at Facebook, said in the post. '...Our Facebook Platform Policies are being updated to include provisions that apps with minimal utility, such as personality quizzes, may not be permitted on the platform. 'The update also clarifies that apps may not ask for data that doesn't enrich the in-app, user experience,' he added. Tens of millions of users' data was harvested by the quiz app 'thisisyourdigitallife,' then purchased by Cambridge Analytica, so that it could create psychological profiles of American voters for political campaigns. However, as The Verge pointed out, the problem didn't entirely stem from quiz apps, but rather Facebook's lax policies around user data management and how developers were able to harvest information from friends of friends. As part of Thursday's update, Facebook is also starting to enforce previously announced developer controls. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Capitol Hill in April 2018. He appeared in front of legislators following the eruption of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which 87 million users' data was exploited Now, Facebook will prevent developers from accessing user data if it detects that a user hasn't opened the app in the past 90 days. 'Going forward, we will periodically review, audit and remove permissions that your app has not sued,' O'Neill stated. 'Developers can submit for App Review to re-gain access to expired permissions.' It comes as Facebook on Wednesday disclosed that it expects to take on a one-time charge between $3 billion and $5 billion related to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. Last March, the FTC opened an investigation into Facebook's data dealings after the Cambridge Analytica scandal first erupted. Easyjet has banned the sale of nuts on planes to protect passengers with allergies. The change came into force last month, as the airline removed peanuts from its menu. This follows a recent edict from the former aviation minister Baroness Liz Sugg. Easyjet has banned the sale of nuts on planes to protect passengers with allergies In December she outlined plans to crack down on the sale of nuts on flights in the wake of the death of a 15-year-old girl on a British Airways flight. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse fell ill after eating a baguette she bought from a branch of Pret A Manger at Heathrow Terminal 5 before a flight to Nice in July 2016. The case highlighted how it is almost impossible for airlines to stop passengers eating nuts or food contaminated with nuts that they have brought with them on board. EasyJet said it is also stopping the sale of all products containing nuts, and is introducing a new nut-free recipe for Baklava in the coming months. But it said it would not be able to prevent passengers from bringing nuts on board and eating them during a flight. Like other airlines - it will continue to advise passengers to notify it in advance if they have a nut allergy. Easyjet said it's introducing a new nut free recipe for Baklava in the coming months. Above, stock image Cabin crew will then make an announcement at the start of the flight that nuts will not be sold. Passengers will be urged not to eat nuts or products containing nuts they have brought with them. There are no rules relating to the consumption of nuts onboard aircraft and airline policies and practices around the world differ. Some airlines, such as BA, have stopped selling peanuts as snacks on all flights, or as ingredients in meals. It still sells 'tree nuts' such as walnuts and cashews. Others such as Ryanair continue to sell them unless they are informed that a passenger has a severe nut allergy. An EasyJet spokeswoman said: 'The safety and welfare of all of our customers and crew is our highest priority so we have a number of procedures in place to assist customers travelling with a nut allergy.' Old Wife, New Wife Rating: The Customer Is Always Right Rating: More than ever before in broadcasting history, some shows are just nasty. That's the point of them. Tedious Left-wing ranter Frankie Boyle's puerile panel show New World Order is a poisonous example. Each week, after churning out a couple of minutes of monologue, mostly obscene sneers at people in showbiz whom he doesn't like, Boyle hands over to a pack of media pundits who behave like bored students in a pub spouting Karl Marx and swearing. It's like watching the real-life Young Ones... without the satire, the scripted wit, the talent, the originality or the anarchy. Meaghan Fisher moved in with her boyfriend Cyren Hatton and his ex-wife in new C5 reality show Old Wife, New Wife Other shows have a different sort of nastiness. It's hard to imagine who could want to watch, let alone appear in, Old Wife, New Wife (C5) a reality documentary that sent a feckless dad and his teenage girlfriend to live with his ex and their three-year-old son, Leo, for a week. Struggling single mum Laura, 33, wanted Leo's father Cyren to help with childcare and finances, but she was terrified of losing her little boy. She told the camera that Cyren had been taunting her by text, saying that new girlfriend Meaghan, 19, would be the perfect stepmum, 'a million times better than you'. It's necessary to be cautious around formats like this, both because these are real people's lives and because we can't always tell how much is set up or exaggerated for the screen. Both of the women sounded painfully stilted at times, as if they were reciting lines. But some of the dialogue seemed very raw and revealing. Laura told Cyren: 'You've called me fat, you've called me ugly, you've destroyed my self-esteem.' He admitted to being 'tactless' and then implied the comments were her own fault, because she hadn't warned him how she would react. Cyren Hatton, his ex-wife Laura, and new girlfriend Meaghan Fisher make up a strange menage a trois on the new reality show The only possible value in the series is as a teaching aid. Show this episode to GCSE pupils and get them asking questions. Is it acceptable for a father to avoid paying maintenance because he says he has no money? Is it alarming to see a grown man walk into a room where two women are sitting and immediately accuse them of talking about him? And most glaring of all, should we shrug and say nothing when a man, apparently in his 30s, leaves his family to live with a 19-year-old? If this programme has any worth at all, it will be in helping other young people to wake up before making the same mistakes. The constant mistake on The Customer Is Always Right (BBC1) is a basic one. This product-testing show keeps giving gadgets to people who have no use for them whatever, and then wonders why they can't be bothered to review them properly. Of the five couples who opened a box with a GPS tracking collar for cats, only one actually owned a moggie... and he was a tubby fluffball who never strayed beyond the conservatory door. Sky spy of the night: The satellites on Earth From Space (BBC1) looked down on hairy-nosed wombats in Australia, Amazonian manatees in Brazil, and otters herding fish into nets in Bangladesh. What bizarre things an astronaut can see. Advertisement The other consumer judges tried wearing the collar as a wristband or a dog-walking accessory. One didn't even take the trouble to charge it up first. Other innovations included wooden camping cutlery, and gel pads for ill-fitting high heels. None of the testers had the least use for any of them. This daytime series is based on Gogglebox, but that's successful because everyone watches telly. Most people don't have cats that perform a regular disappearing act but, if you do, a GPS collar might be worth the tenner a month its inventor was charging. Does it work? The show failed to find out. Guests at Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant's engagement party over the weekend were reportedly forced to put their hands in their pockets, with only 'one free drink' on offer. But on Wednesday, the Married At First Sight couple both took to Instagram to thank Moet & Chandon champagne for 'celebrating' with them. The posts come after Jules revealed they had declined any offers for brand partnerships at the event - and it had 'cost them a lot of money'. Thanks! MAFS' Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant thanked champagne brand Moet for 'celebrating' with them at their engagement party on Thursday They both shared near identical posts, naming the brand to their collective 456,000 followers on Wednesday. The uploads from the couple tagged the brand directly, included the company's hashtag and also a close up product shot. Jules gushed about how their 'stunning glasses' matched her dress, while also sharing an image of staff inside the event holding trays of the drink. Thirsty work! The couple shared near identical posts promoting the brand to their collective 456,000 followers on Wednesday Shameless promotion? Jules gushed how their 'stunning glasses' matched her dress, while also sharing an image of staff inside the event holding trays of the drink It is unclear if they were paid for these posts or are simply enthusiastic paying customers of Moet & Chandon. Meanwhile, at the engagement party, guests inside the bash 'were only permitted one free drink per person.' Jules revealed that the party had 'cost them a lot of money' by declining any offers for brand partnerships. Hands in your own pockets! At the event, guests inside the bash 'were only permitted one free drink per person'' Speaking to the The Daily Telegraph on Monday, Jules said: 'There were a lot of people who wanted to be involved, a lot of people reached out. 'But it was our day and we had full control over how we put it together.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jules and Cameron's rep for comment. The L.A. Coroner's Office determined his cause of death to have been caused by heart disease and triggered by an alcohol binge. And now The Young And The Restless viewers have learnt how the show has chosen to say goodbye to Kristoff St. John's character, Neil Winters. In a scene on Tuesday, Dr. Nate Hastings (played by Sean Dominic) revealed Neil had suffered from a stroke. All come to an end: Young And The Restless unveiled on Tuesday how the late actor Kristoff St. John's character would die on the show (Shemar Moore portraying Kristoff character Neil Winters' brother in the episode) 'From everything I've seen and heard, it sounds like a massive stroke,' Dr. Hastings said to Neil's daughter, Lili (played by Christel Khalil). 'It's possible he had high blood pressure and never even knew. That's why they call it the silent killer.' Tuesday's episode saw Neil's son Devon Hamilton (played by Bryton James) find him dead. The silent killer: The show has revealed Kristoff's character passes away from a stroke; (pictured 2016) Father and son: Tuesday's episode saw Neil's son Devon Hamilton (above) (played by Bryton James) find him dead People reports: 'Toward the end of the episode, Devon revealed the sad news to his sister, Lili but fans weren't able to hear the dialogue between them,' they said. 'As somber music began to play, more cast members were notified and hugged one another in solace.' It has also been reported that actor Shemar Moore will reprise his role as Malcolm Winters - Neil's brother - for Thursday and Friday's episodes. Monday will see the Young And Restless air a special tribute episode for Kristoff that will see cast the cast members recall stories and memories of the star while they play some of his best moments from his 27 year run on the series. Paying their respects: Monday will see the Young And Restless air a special tribute episode for Kristoff that will see cast the cast members recall stories and memories of the star while they play some of his best moments from his 27 year run on the series The actor died at his home in Los Angeles on February 3, 2019. On Tuesday 19th February, the coroner's report detailed the cause of death was hypertrophic heart disease and was categorized as 'accidental' as he was reportedly on an alcohol binge at the time of death. Two days prior to his death, Kristoff had been discharged from a mental health facility where he'd been admitted after threatneing to harm himself. The much loved Hollywood star also battled severe depression back in 2014 following the suicide of his son Julian, age 24 at the time. Kristoff was also the father to daughters Paris, 26, and Lola, 16. Teresa Giudice is coming under fire for a seemingly innocuous comment on Instagram, thanks to a missing comma. The 46-year-old Real Housewives of New Jersey star shared a photo of her family, asking fans to sign a Change.org petition to stop the deportation of her husband, Joe Giudice. One Instagram user, sadie.w.212, asked where this 'energy' was when President Trump, who Giudice has supported, was deporting Mexican families, adding, 'Not only your family matters, Teresa,' which lead to Giudice's social media misstep. Under fire: Teresa Giudice accidentally made a racist comment on Instagram while advocating for President Trump to stop her husband Joe Giudice from being deported Giudice responded, 'I never said that all families matter,' with a heart emoji, which seemed to indicate her statement wasn't as harsh as it came off to be. As is, her statement implies that she doesn't think all families matter, but, as others have suggested, she mistakenly didn't put a comma after that. If she had, it would have read, 'I never said that, all families matter,' which, along with the heart emoji, seems to be the proper context. Instagram comment: One Instagram user, sadie.w.212, asked where this 'energy' was when President Trump, who Giudice has supported, was deporting Mexican families, adding, 'Not only your family matters, Teresa,' which lead to Giudice's social media misstep Teresa and her daughters Gia, 18, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 14 and Audriana, 10, set up a petition on Change.org, to stop the deportation of Joe, which has over 42,000 supporters. Both Joe and Teresa Giudice spent time in prison on fraud charges, with Teresa serving 15 months and Joe recently finishing his 41-month sentence, which they served separately so their kids would have at least one parent in the house. It was revealed that Joe was born in Italy and moved to the U.S. as an infant with his parents, but he never attained American citizenship and stayed in the country on a green card after marrying Teresa in 1999. Giudice's gaffe: Giudice responded, 'I never said that all families matter,' with a heart emoji, which seemed to indicate her statement wasn't as harsh as it came off to be After serving his sentence, Giudice was ordered to be transported into Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in March. He filed appeals against being deported back to Italy, but those appeals were denied on Sunday, which lead to the reality star and her children setting up this petition. Their petition opened by stating that Joe Giudice came to America when he was an infant, and he has 'resided in New Jersey his entire life.' Deportation: After serving his sentence, Giudice was ordered to be transported into Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in March 'My mother and father have fought tirelessly to pay back every single penny of restitution to court deemed they owe,' the petition said. 'They have made a mistake but rectified it through serving time and by financially satisfying all that was owed. 'He is currently still in a detention center while fighting the deportation; that's right he's still incarcerated months after completing his prison sentence in an effort to stand by his family,' the petition continued. 'After completing his sentence he could've left the country and gone to Italy but he chose to stay in prison, hire additional counsel and make several more appeals to try to stay in the United States because he knows how much his family needs him.' They had a messy break-up last year after being paired on Married At First Sight. So it was likely an awkward reunion for Telv Williams and Sarah Roza on Wednesday night when they attended the same celebrity event in Melbourne. The bitter exes kept their distance at the Mr World Australia national final and they were not pictured together at any stage. That's awkward! Married At First Sight exes Sarah Roza (left) and Telv Williams (right) attended the SAME celebrity event in Melbourne on Wednesday night Sarah flaunted her voluptuous figure in a skintight blue dress, wore heavy makeup and styled her red hair in loose waves. The 39-year-old spent most of the night with her friend, Today Extra psychic Harry T. Meanwhile, Telv opted for a smart casual ensemble consisting of a long coat, beige trousers and a white button-up shirt. Pals: Sarah, who flaunted her voluptuous figure in a skintight blue dress, spent most of the night with her friend, Today Extra psychic Harry T A source told Daily Mail Australia that a reunion would no doubt have been rather awkward for them both. 'Telv and Sarah are no longer on speaking terms and haven't seen each other in many months,' said the insider. Despite being dubbed the 'golden couple' on last year's season of Married At First Sight, things ended badly for Telv and Sarah. Dapper chap: Meanwhile, Telv opted for a smart casual ensemble consisting of a long coat, beige trousers and a white button-up shirt Fancy seeing you here! Sarah was also pictured with MAFS 2019 star Jessika Power (right) Following their break-up in early 2018, they got involved in a bitter feud before eventually reaching a mutual agreement not to speak publicly about each other. Afterwards the split, Sarah claimed to be in a relationship with a man named James Stephens - however he later insisted they never actually dated. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Telv Williams and Sarah Roza for comment. Bachelor in Paradise star Jules Bourne reflected on his military service in a thoughtful Anzac Day tribute on Thursday. Taking to Instagram, the 24-year-old shared several throwback photos from his time as an infantry corporal on duty in the Middle East. Alongside the photos, which were taken in Afghanistan, Jules penned a caption about his past experiences. 'It seems like a lifetime ago': Bachelor in Paradise star Jules Bourne reflected on his military service in a thoughtful Anzac Day tribute on Thursday. Pictured on duty in Afghanistan 'Afghanistan seems like a lifetime ago but I'm grateful for it shaping me into the man I am today,' he wrote. 'If you told 20-year-old me I would go from the sands of Afghan to the sands of Fiji in the time I did, I would have called you mad.' 'Life is beautiful, unique and ever-changing,' Jules continued. From a war zone to Paradise: 'Afghanistan seems like a lifetime ago but I'm grateful for it shaping me into the man I am today,' Jules wrote. 'If you told 20-year-old me I would go from the sands of Afghan to the sands of Fiji in the time I did, I would have called you mad' 'Enjoy your Anzac day and use it to reflect and enjoy a few beers and cheers with mates.' Before appearing on Ali Oetjen's season of The Bachelorette last year, Jules was an infantry corporal on duty in the Middle East. The Gerringong native spent five years deployed in Afghanistan before leaving the military and trying his luck on reality TV. 'What is it that she has?' Jules is currently appearing on Bachelor in Paradise, which was filmed in Fiji last year. On Tuesday's episode, he left Alisha Aitken-Radburn (left) heartbroken after revealing his feelings for newcomer Tenille Favios Jules is currently appearing on Bachelor in Paradise, which was filmed in Fiji last year. On Tuesday night's episode, he left Alisha Aitken-Radburn heartbroken after revealing his feelings for newcomer Tenille Favios. He told producers before their break-up: 'This for me is essentially a goodbye chat. I feel something could be there with Tenille.' However, things did not work out in Jules' favour when Tenille, 25, 'friend zoned' him. Bachelor in Paradise continues Thursday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 She gave birth to her first child less than a year ago. But Eva Longoria is showing off her trim post-baby figure during her Caribbean vacation to St. Barts. The 44-year-old actress posted a stunning poolside photo from a hillside villa on Wednesday. Lovely: Eva Longoria, 44, is showing off her trim post-baby figure during her Caribbean vacation to St. Barts The 5ft2in star can be seen flashing dual peace signs in the air while standing on one foot and highlighting her toned gams. She had on a crimson bikini that revealed her flat tummy, and her dark tresses were tied up in a bun. 'Sunsets.....,' she caption the photo. She posted a similar version to her Instagram Stories, this time writing, 'Thank you for another beautiful day.....' Yoga baby: Earlier on Wednesday the Dora And The Lost City Of Gold actress posted a cute photo of her young son looking like he was about to attempt a headstand Cutie pie: 'Baby at the beach!' Eva wrote with a photo of herself beaming from a beach chair while holding Santiago Eva's vacation to the French Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy has given her plenty of time with her husband Jose Antonio Baston, whom she married in 2016, and their 10-month-old son Santiago. Earlier on Wednesday the Dora And The Lost City Of Gold actress posted a cute photo of her young son looking like he was about to attempt a headstand. 'Yoga baby!! Where did he learn this?' she wrote. A picture from the previous day showed Eva beaming from a beach chair while holding Santiago, who had his sparse hair flipped up into a mini-mohawk and a serious look on his face. 'Baby at the beach!' she wrote. Yum! The Devious Maids producer shared a sweet video to her Insta Stories of the little tyke ravenously munching on his first ever crepe The Devious Maids producer shared a sweet video to her Insta Stories of the little tyke ravenously munching on his first ever crepe. Overcome by the natural beauty of their tropical getaway, Eva posted a photo of the invitingly blue water and the lush hillside vegetation above the town. 'Morning in paradise......' she wrote over the lovely setting. Though Eva and her husband seem to be having a great time, they almost didn't connect when they first met back in 2015. Gorgeous: Overcome by the natural beauty of their tropical getaway, Eva posted a photo of the invitingly blue water and the lush hillside vegetation above the town Jose, who was the president of Televisa, the largest Latin American Media company, didn't know who the TV actress was when they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. He almost turned down the date due to his busy schedule, but the future couple found time to meet up and hit things off. They tied the knot in May of 2016, and Eva's pregnancy was announced in December 2017, with little Santiago entering the world in June 2018. She is always made up to the nines in her glamorous heavily-filtered Instagram photos. But on Wednesday, Married At First Sight star Jessika Power showed off her natural look by stepping out makeup free. The social media model, 27, was spotted leaving a dental studio in Melbourne. Instagram vs reality! Makeup free MAFS star Jessika Power looks VERY different in real life candid photos, right, compared to her heavily-filtered social media images, left, as she steped out to the dentist in Melbourne this week Jessika, who is known for her long, luscious blonde locks on Instagram, pulled back her tresses in a low ponytail. The reality TV star appeared to have ditched her glamorous eye makeup, layers of foundation and lengthy lashes for a barefaced look. While strutting outside of Vogue Dental Studios in Blackburn North, Jessika slipped on a pair of stylish sunglasses. Is that really you? The social media model, 27, was spotted leaving a dental studio in Melbourne Hair: Jessika, who is known for her long, luscious blonde locks on Instagram, pulled back her tresses in a low ponytail. Pictured: On Instagram (L) and in candid photo (R) Going incognito? Jessika kept a low profile by putting on a pair of sunglasses Visage: The reality TV star appeared to ditched her glamorous eye makeup, layers of foundation and lengthy lashes for a makeup free look. Pictured on Instagram (L) and in candid photo (R) The blonde beauty flaunted her trim pins in a casual mini dress in a light grey colour. Adding an edge to her look, she also wore an oversized denim jacket. Jessika also rocked a pair of statement thigh-high boots in a suede fabric, to dress up her attire. Legs for days! For the occasion, the blonde beauty flaunted her pins in a casual mini dress in a light grey colour Chic: Adding an edge to her look, she also wore this oversized denim jacket Sky-high! Jessika also rocked a pair of statement thigh-high boots in a suede fabric to dress up her attire Texting someone? As she strutted down the quiet street, Jessika whipped out her smart phone Capture! Flashing her pearly whites, she struck a playful pose while taking selfies As she strutted down the quiet street, she quickly pulled out her smart phone. Flashing her pearly whites, Jessika struck a playful pose while taking selfies. She then appeared to talk to her phone - possibly giving followers a video update on her trip to the dentist. Video: Jessika then appeared to talk at her phone - possibly giving followers a video update on her trip to the dentist Say, what?! It comes after Jessika revealed she has had her lip fillers dissolved Going, going... gone! After being mocked by trolls over her enhanced pout, Jessika had the cosmetic procedure reversed on Wednesday It comes after Jessika revealed she has had her lip fillers dissolved. After being mocked by trolls over her enhanced pout, Jessika had the cosmetic procedure reversed on Wednesday. In an Instagram video before the procedure, Jessika told fans she was nervous, saying: 'I'm really excited, but also really scared, where are my lips going to go?' Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend have been wondering what happened to daughter Luna's missing Wonder Woman doll. Well mystery solved: the mother-of-two played detective and cracked the case while looking through a bunch of photos. 'Luna has been freaking because we lost Wonder Woman somewhere,' Teigen captioned an Instagram photo that has the definitive evidence. 'It was driving me crazy. Now I know its at Whole Foods Santa Barbara.' Mystery: Chrissy Teigen cracked the case of her daughter's missing Wonder Woman doll Adorable: The model and TV personality shared this picture on Instagram showing her son Miles and daughter Luna, with the doll on the ground between the two The adorable photo shows three-year old Luna and her younger brother, Miles, sitting in Whole Foods shopping carts. The Wonder Woman doll can be seen on the floor just behind them. None other than Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, whom the doll is modeled after, has since come to the rescue. 'Let me know if you need a new one,' she commented on Instagram. 'And give Luna a kiss for me.' The evidence: Apparently the doll fell to the ground at a Whole Foods in Santa Barbara Sweet gesture: Wonder Woman's Gal Gadot offered to replace Luna's missing doll Some other celebrity moms thought the incident was funny and clever. Melissa Joan Hart commented, 'Great detective skills mama,' while Olivia Wilde just laughed out loud. It appears the doll went missing during their family vacation to Santa Barbara, California last weekend. So far Teigen has not yet confirmed whether Wonder Woman and Luna have been reunited. Classic gesture: Teigen also revealed that she was sent a framed picture of Heat star Dwyane Wade falling into her and her husband's lap during his final home game of his career in Miami two weeks ago Also on Wednesday, the model and TV personality revealed that she was sent a framed picture of Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade falling into her and her husband's lap at the final final home game of his career in Miami two weeks ago. 'Oh my god someone sent us this giant work of art,' she caption the Instagram snap. The image, which was taken by a photographer with the Miami Herald Sports, instantly made waves as part of Wade's retirement serenade. She wore a gorgeous lavender gown to the Avengers: Endgame premiere on Monday. But Brie Larson tried out a more androgynous look when she attended a Broadway play in New York City on Wednesday. The 29-year-old actress showed off her sense of style in a chic black suit. New look: Brie Larson, 29, tried out an androgynous look when she attended a Broadway play in New York City on Wednesday Brie opted for a double-breasted jacket, with textured trim on the edges and lapels. The 5ft7in Captain Marvel star wore a white dress shirt under the jacket, and showed off a pair of open-toe black heels studded with pearls. She had a black handbag with a gold chain latch slung across her shoulder, and her golden hair was tied back. Classy: She opted for a double-breasted jacket, with textured trim on the edges and lapels, and pearl-studded heels Honored: The night out at the theater was the first reprieve in a while for the Oscar winner, who was one of the honorees Tuesday night at the Time 100 gala in New York The night out at the theater was the first reprieve in a while for the Oscar-winning actress from her busy schedule. She was named one of the 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine, and she showed off her glamorous style Tuesday night at the Time 100 gala in New York City. In her brief magazine profile, fellow Avengers: Endgame star Tessa Thompson praised Brie for her commitment to equal pay for women. 'Her activism is an extension of who she is,' wrote Thompson. 'She sits at a table and wants to make sure everyone has access to it. She is constantly investigating how to be a better ally.' In a January 2017 Instagram post, Brie spun her role as a photographer in Kong: Skull Island as a representative of the press, writing, 'I make movies as a form of activism.' Quick change: She was on the other side of the country the day before the gala, when she helped lead the Avengers: Endgame premiere in Los Angeles; pictured Monday She was on the other side of the country the day before the gala, when she helped lead the Avengers: Endgame premiere in Los Angeles. The Room star began her association with the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her solo film, Captain Marvel, which was set in the 1990s and became Marvel Studios' first woman-led film. Her character, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, was briefly referenced in the mid-credits scene following Avengers: Infinity War, and the character is a major addition to the superhero team in the upcoming Endgame. Coming soon: Her character, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, was briefly referenced in the mid-credits scene following Avengers: Infinity War, and the character is a major addition to the superhero team in the upcoming Endgame; still from Avengers: Endgame The upcoming film currently boasts a 95 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from top critics and was the beneficiary of gushing praise following the Monday premiere. The end of Avengers: Infinity War left half the universe's population (and half of the Avengers) disintegrated thanks to the seemingly all-powerful Thanos. Audiences will find out Thursday, April 25 if Captain Marvel and her fellow Avengers are able to restore balance to the universe. Cyrell Paule is currently Married At First Sight's most in-demand star. And after it was revealed she's tipped to make '$27,000 for nine club appearances', the star ensured a Sydney venue got their money's worth on Wednesday night. During a trivia night at the Bella Vista hotel, which was hosted by the fiery Filipina, the 30-year-old performed a raunchy dance move on a fan at one stage. Cyclone gets mobbed! MAFS' Cyrell Paule performed a raunchy dance move on a fan at a wild meet and greet in Sydney on Wednesday night In footage shared to her Instagram Story on the night, the packed out crowd went wild as Cyrell walked into the room. She then waved to her audience, before taking to the stage to address them directly and host the quiz based on the Nine reality show. Afterwards, fans lined around the venue to personally meet the fiery bride. A star is born! In footage shared to her Instagram Story on the night, the packed out crowd went wild as Cyrell walked into the room Thirsty work! She then waved to her audience, before taking to the stage to address them directly and host the quiz based on the Nine reality show In the slightly chaotic scenes, people desperately waited to snap a selfie with the newfound star while clutching their phones. Once she'd successfully met her masses, Cyrell then strutted back into the venue's main room and performed the raunchy dance move. While dropping to the floor, she pushed her bottom out towards an amused female fan, who giggled at her up close and personal encounter. A-lister in the house! In the slightly chaotic scenes, people desperately waited to snap a selfie with the newfound star while clutching their phones Taking it in her stride! On Wednesday, an industry insider told Daily Mail Australia that Cyrell is tipped to make an estimated '$27,000 to attend nine events' she has booked On Wednesday, an industry insider told Daily Mail Australia that Cyrell is tipped to make an estimated '$27,000 to attend nine events' she has booked. Although the source states that reality stars Down Under tend to charge 'an average of $3,000 per single appearance' - they can ask for more. 'This price can vary depending on their relevance, the type of club night and if it's a solo appearance or with some of their co-stars,' adds the insider. While it is unknown exactly how much Cyrell is invoicing for her confirmed bookings, the star is currently in demand in both big cities and regional towns. Anzac Day is arguably Australia's most sacred day. And as the nation reflects on the sacrifices made by servicemen and women across generations, Bill Goldsmith seemingly has other things on his mind. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the 31-year-old tradesman shared a photo of himself cuddling Alex Nation on Bachelor in Paradise. 'Is this dude serious?' Bachelor in Paradise's Bill Goldsmith faced a backlash Anzac Day for using the hashtag #LestWeForget in an Instagram post about 'happier times' with Alex Nation In the caption, Bill reflected on his 'happier times' with Alex after he faced criticism this week for playing her and Florence Moerenhout against one another. 'Happier times @alexandranation... This part didn't make the edit,' he wrote, before adding the hashtag '#LestWeForget'. 'Lest we forget' is a phrase commonly used in war remembrance ceremonies, such as Anzac Day on April 25 and Remembrance Day on November 11. Reality TV star: Bill Goldsmith, who rose to fame on Ali Oetjen's season of The Bachelorette last year, is currently starring on Bachelor in Paradise 'Disrespectful wording': Bill angered fans on Instagram by using the hashtag #LestWeForget in a post that did not otherwise reference Anzac Day or war veterans While the #LestWeForget hashtag was widely shared on social media on Thursday, Bill raised eyebrows due to the fact his post did not otherwise reference Anzac Day or war veterans. One person commented: 'What does lest we forget have anything to do with this picture? Did you both fight for our country? I think it's a great photo but disrespectful wording.' Within an hour, Bill deleted the '#' symbol to remove his post from hashtag searches but kept 'LestWeForget' in the caption. 'Thank you': Despite this faux pas, Bill did pay his respects appropriately by attending a dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance war memorial in Melbourne. He shared photos (above) from the service to his Instagram Story at around 6am The questionable post was also shared to the popular BachieFunny Instagram fan account, where it attracted further backlash. 'F**k, is this dude serious?' read a furious comment, before another person added: 'Seriously? What a dipstick!' Despite this faux pas, Bill did pay his respects appropriately by attending a dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance war memorial in Melbourne. He shared photos from the service to his Instagram Story at around 6am. Playboy: Bill has been the centre of controversy on Bachelor in Paradise this week after he was caught two-timing Alex Nation and Florence Moerenhout Daily Mail Australia has contacted Bill Goldsmith's representatives at Neon Model Management and Brazen Models for comment. Bill has been the centre of controversy on Bachelor in Paradise this week after he was caught two-timing Alex Nation and Florence Moerenhout. Fans labelled him 'a dog', 'disgraceful' and a 'disgusting idiot', prompting him to issue a public apology on Wednesday afternoon. Lil Xan said he's suspicious of girlfriend Annie Smith's claims she was pregnant and had a miscarriage. The 22-year-old rap artist told No Jumper on Tuesday that he and his girlfriend are 'in limbo or some s***' amid their 'very complicated' relationship. 'Don't get me wrong, I love Annie to death,' he said, 'but like it's complicated as f*** right now.' Scroll below for video The latest: Lil Xan, 22, said he's suspicious of girlfriend Annie Smith's claims she was pregnant and had a miscarriage in an interview with No Jumper on Tuesday When asked if he thought her claims in February of being pregnant - and a subsequent miscarriage that occurred this month - were a hoax, the Betrayed artist said there were 'definitely things that [were] questionable' about the pregnancy, but he 'did really start seeing a belly.' Controversy surrounded the pregnancy from the outset after they announced they were expecting: Social media users suggested she had pulled an image of their ultrasound from Google Images, which Smith denied. The Redlands, California native, whose full name is Nicholas Diego Leanos, said he asked her for 'some documentation' to back up her claims, and that 'another suspicious thing' was that she hemmed and hawed when he pressed her for it. He said: 'I hope ... we're supposed to be getting some documentation from Kaiser Permanente ... but I was like, "I need the paperwork of the miscarriage that you had" ... this is another suspicious thing - I was like, "Go down to the hospital because it's on our street and get the paperwork ... saying you had a miscarriage." WARNING: Video contains explicit language Follow-thru: The musical artist, whose full name is Nicholas Diego Leanos, said he asked Smith for 'some documentation' to back up her claims of a miscarriage Unclear: The rapper said he and his girlfriend are 'in limbo or some s***' amid their 'very complicated' relationship On again: Lil Xan later took to Instagram Wednesday with a shot of himself and Smith in an embrace outdoors, writing, 'I can be an a**hole sometimes, but im really a nice guy' 'But she came back saying, 'Oh I have to do this process and s***.' The artist, who said he wants 'to give her the benefit of the doubt' over the sensitive issue, admitted, 'It really gets you thinking, you know what I mean?' Lil Xan said that he was 'super-stoked' at the news of his impending parenthood for multiple reasons: 'Number one to have a kid and just the impact it would have on my life.' He later admitted to 'the biggest double standard' in having other lovers, but not being okay with her doing the same. Lil Xan later took to Instagram Wednesday with a shot of himself and Smith in an embrace outdoors. 'I can be an a**hole sometimes, but im really a nice guy,' wrote the artist, who dated Noah Cyrus last year. Smith later said via her Instagram Stories, 'All I can say is love is hard. True, passionate, unconditional, eternal love will never be easy. Ever. Love sucks and it is the most beautiful, magical feeling in this world. She added that: 'Judging people via the internet about who they fall in love with and what they choose to do in their relationship is so sad because you can NEVER understand another couples relationship.' The late Luke Perry's final episode of Riverdale aired on Wednesday night, and fans have already taken to social media to share their reactions. Perry passed away suddenly in March, after suffering a massive ischemic stroke, and then a second stroke, at just 52 year of age. While The CW and Riverdale producers have not yet stated how they write off Perry's character, Fred Andrews, but there are just three episodes left in Riverdale Season 3. Reactions: The late Luke Perry's final episode of Riverdale aired on Wednesday night, and fans have already taken to social media to share their reactions Preparing: One fan, @TheRealDashelle, was already preparing herself for the episode before it aired, stating, 'I know I'm gonna completely lose my mind tonight with #Riverdale' One fan, @TheRealDashelle, was already preparing herself for the episode before it aired, stating, 'I know I'm gonna completely lose my mind tonight with #Riverdale.' 'The last episode #LukePerry is in. I finally got over crying last week... but tonight. Is gonna be horrendously long,' she added, with the hashtag #RIPLukePerry. Another fan, Israel Leon, commented, 'Archie and Fred had a sweet, small scene together and it was bittersweet, wished their scene was longer.' RIP: While The CW and Riverdale producers have not yet stated how they write off Perry's character, Fred Andrews, but there are just three episodes left in Riverdale Season 3 Longer scene: Another fan, Israel Leon, commented, 'Archie and Fred had a sweet, small scene together and it was bittersweet, wished their scene was longer' Perry only appeared in two scenes of Wednesday night's episode, Fear the Reaper, both of which happened early on in the episode. The first scene was at the hospital, when Fred, Archie and many others are informed that fighter Archie boxed in last week's episode, was killed. The second scene, the one Israel Leon referred to, featured Fred at home with Archie, with Fred telling Archie that the boxer's death was not his fault. Home with Archie: The second scene, the one Israel Leon referred to, featured Fred at home with Archie, with Fred telling Archie that the boxer's death was not his fault Hyped: One fan, KimmyLizzie, was somewhat disappointed, though, stating, '#LukePerry's last scene on #Riverdale was hyped up more than he was screen One fan, KimmyLizzie, was somewhat disappointed, though, stating, '#LukePerry's last scene on #Riverdale was hyped up more than he was screen.' 'They said it was sweet father son moment, and it wasn't. It was Archie complaining and storming off. I needed more. I know they didn't know, but it still feels like the man deserved better,' KimmyLizzie added. Another distraught fan, elvis_f319, said, 'That hurt to watch #Riverdale #RIPLukePerry Never forgotten. Father son: 'They said it was sweet father son moment, and it wasn't. It was Archie complaining and storming off. I needed more. I know they didn't know, but it still feels like the man deserved better,' KimmyLizzie added Tribute: Another distraught fan, elvis_f319, said, 'That hurt to watch #Riverdale #RIPLukePerry Never forgotten One fan, AlesiaChristina, had never watched Riverdale before, but was tuning in tonight because his breakthrough series, Beverly Hills 90210, 'is a huge part of the best part of my life.' Another, LittleLostBoy19, theorized how Perry might be written off the show, stating, 'What if the car accident was between the inmate vehicle and Fred, and that's how he leaves the show.' There are just three episodes left of Riverdale Season 3, airing May 1, May 8 and May 15, at 8 PM ET on The CW. Last episodes: There are just three episodes left of Riverdale Season 3, airing May 1, May 8 and May 15, at 8 PM ET on The CW Big fan: One fan, AlesiaChristina, had never watched Riverdale before, but was tuning in tonight because his breakthrough series, Beverly Hills 90210, 'is a huge part of the best part of my life. Theory: Another, LittleLostBoy19, theorized how Perry might be written off the show, stating, 'What if the car accident was between the inmate vehicle and Fred, and that's how he leaves the show' Farewell: Fans shared their farewell messages to Luke Perry after his final episode of Riverdale on Wednesday Ratings: One fan itzmeerind asked everyone to tune in for record ratings Heartbreaking: One fan was heartbroken over Perry's final scene What a Guy: Steph B shares her thoughts on Luke Perry's final episode Suspiria star Dakota Johnson was spotted carrying a shopping bag out of Book Soup in West Hollywood on Wednesday. The Texas-born 29-year-old wore a cleavage-baring white tank top beneath a black cardigan, matching pleated pants, a brown suede bag, and Gucci sneakers. Meanwhile, Dakota's elusive British beau since 2017 - Coldplay frontman Chris Martin - faced his alleged stalker Ariana Joyce in a Los Angeles courthouse downtown. Bookworm: Suspiria star Dakota Johnson was spotted carrying a shopping bag out of Book Soup in West Hollywood on Wednesday Retail therapy: The Texas-born 29-year-old wore a cleavage-baring white tank top beneath a black cardigan, matching pleated pants, a brown suede bag, and Gucci sneakers The 42-year-old Golden Globe nominee took the stand and testified for 30 minutes about Joyce who's 'showed up at his LA home multiple times' since last year. 'Chris was there to try and make the temporary restraining order a permanent one,' a source told The Blast on Wednesday. 'He was worried about the safety of his family. The judge did not rule yet on a permanent order and the case was continued until next week.' Martin and his seven-time Grammy-winning band will reunite in Brazil this Friday to perform at Groove Bar in Salvador. Making the temporary restraining order permanent: Meanwhile, Dakota's elusive British beau since 2017 - Coldplay frontman Chris Martin - faced his alleged stalker Ariana Joyce in a Los Angeles courthouse downtown (pictured July 29) 'He was worried about the safety of his family': The 42-year-old Golden Globe nominee took the stand and testified for 30 minutes about Joyce who's 'showed up at his LA home multiple times' since last year (pictured September 29) Versus Bruno Mars: Martin and his seven-time Grammy-winning band will reunite in Brazil this Friday to perform at Groove Bar in Salvador Coldplay rarely performs these days and they released a studio album since A Head Full of Dreams in 2015. Johnson will soon fly to the Cannes Film Festival where Babak Anvari's film Wounds is screening during the Directors Fortnight section running May 15-25. The daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson plays Armie Hammer's onscreen girlfriend Carrie in the Netflix-acquired psychological horror film set in New Orleans. 'Cannes here we come!' Johnson will soon fly to the Cannes Film Festival where Babak Anvari's film Wounds is screening during the Directors Fortnight section running May 15-25 She just returned from a beach holiday with Scott Disick in Mexico. And Sofia Richie looked rested and relaxed as she was spotted running errands in Beverly Hills on Wednesday. The 20-year-old natural stunner flashed her toned tummy in a skimpy crop top and black cargo pants enjoying the sunny day in the tony Los Angeles neighborhood. Stunner: Sofia Richie, 20, was spotted running errands in Beverly Hills on Wednesday Her trademark platinum tresses were left long and loose until she swept them off her face with her sunglasses alongside her brother Miles Richie. Not pictured was Sofia's main squeeze Scott with whom she recently enjoyed a sun-soaked holiday in Cabo San Lucas. Their relationship took flight nearly two years ago after they were spotted canoodling on a yacht in Cannes. A romance was later confirmed while the pair vacationed in Miami in September 2017. Toned: The natural stunner flashed her toned tummy in a skimpy crop top and black cargo pants enjoying the sunny day in the tony Los Angeles neighborhood Family affair: Her trademark platinum tresses were left long and loose until she swept them off her face with her sunglasses alongside her brother Miles Richie Scott shares three children with Kourtney Kardashian - nine-year-old son, Mason, six-year-old daughter, Penelope, and four-year-old son, Reign. The couple split in the summer of 2015. 'Sofia is beginning to fight feelings of jealousy as Scott and Kourtney continue to spend more time together,' a source told Hollywood Life. 'Sofia did her best to be cool with Scotts relationship with Kourtney for a while She wanted to be the cool girlfriend, which was easier to do when Kourt had a boyfriend,' the insider added. 'But now that Kourtney is single and dating again, Sofia struggles with the time Kourtney spends alone with Scott and the kids.' 'Scott is looking really good lately and it stings when Sofia wants to see her sexy man him but cant because he is busy with Kourtney,' the source dished. They star together in the biographical drama JT Leroy. And on Wednesday night, Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart headlined the film's Los Angeles premiere. Each opted for a black ensemble showcasing their individual styles with their choices. New movie: They star together in the biographical drama JT Leroy. And on Wednesday night, Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart headlined the film's Los Angeles premiere Stewart, 29, chose a tailored suit with detailing on the shoulders of the jacket and hipster trousers. She wore the pants rolled up over white socks and shiny shoes. The Twilight star had on a white top and accessorized with a couple of pendant chain necklaces. Her short hair was slicked back from her forehead and she added dramatic eye makeup. Fashionista: Stewart, 29, chose a tailored suit with detailing on the shoulders of the jacket and hipster trousers. She wore the pants rolled up over white socks and shiny shoes Suited and booted: The Twilight star had on a white top and accessorized with pendant chain necklaces. Her short hair was slicked back from her forehead Edgy: Dern, 52, opted for a leather dress that was tucked at the waist. It had half sleeves and fell to mid-calf, and the actress went bare'legged in stiletto-heeled ankle boots Dern, 52, opted for a leather dress that was tucked at the waist. It had half sleeves and fell to mid-calf, and the actress went bare'legged in stiletto-heeled ankle boots. She wore her hair in a tousled style with an off-center parting. In the film, Dern stars as Laura Albert, who published three books purporting to be semi-biographical accounts by a teenage boy of his life growing up amid poverty and abuse. Stewart plays Savannah Knoop, Albert's sister-in-law who began making public appearances as the fictional persona JT Leroy. The movie is based on Knoop's memoir Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT Leroy and Knoop was a guest at the screening. Meaty roles: In the film, Dern stars as Laura Albert, who published three books purporting to be semi-biographical accounts by a teenage boy of his life growing up amid poverty and abuse Based on true story: Stewart plays Savannah Knoop, Albert's sister-in-law who began making public appearances as the fictional persona JT Leroy Big night: Dern and Stewart seemed to be having a good time as they walked the red carpet Also on hand was the film's director Justin Kelly, 38, who posed for photos with Bella Thorne, 21, on his arm. Thorne went bra-less in a tight black mini dress that was also slit to the hip on one side. She stepped out in gladiator-style black heels and accessorized with lots of diamonds. JT Leroy was first shown at the Toronto International Film Festival last September and opens in a limited release in theatres on Friday Date night? Also on hand was the film's director Justin Kelly, 38, who posed for photos with Bella Thorne, 21, on his arm Revealing: Thorne went bra-less in a tight black mini dress that was also slit to the hip on one side. She stepped out in gladiator-style black heels and accessorized with lots of diamonds Co-star: British actor Jim Sturgess, 40, also has a role in the film Group shot: Stewart and Dern posed for a photo with Sturgess and Kelvin Harrison Jr., who is also in the film She's been focusing on herself since acrimoniously ending her relationship with rapper Mod Sun. And on Wednesday, Bella Thorne hit the red carpet for the upcoming biopic J.T. LeRoy in Hollywood. The 5ft8in actress, 21, arrived to the premiere in a classic little black dress from Dsquared2 which hugged her slender figure. Glamour: Bella Thorne, 21, hit the red carpet for the upcoming biopic J.T. LeRoy in Hollywood on Wednesday She put her bust on display with the braless outfit, and decked herself out in jewelry, including two watches, multiple bracelets, rings and necklaces, and a septum piercing. Bella often favors an au naturel look when it comes to shaving, and this was no exception. Her short dress highlighted her toned and unshaven legs. Her hair was done in an ombre style, half dark brown and half chestnut. Back in black: The 5ft8in actress arrived to the premiere in a classic little black dress with hugged her slender figure No fuss: Bella often favors an au naturel look when it comes to shaving, and this was no exception. Her short dress highlighted her toned and unshaven legs Accessorized: She decked herself out in jewelry, including two watches, multiple bracelets, rings and necklaces, and a septum piercing. Showing it off: Bella put her bust on display in the braless outfit Bella announced on April 15 that she had split from the rapper Mod Sun, whom she'd dated for two years. She was seen outside the Arclight theater in Hollywood with her manager Thor Bradwell. He had on an untucked white dress shirt, navy blue trousers and a pair of black shoes. The end: Bella announced on April 15 that she had split from the rapper Mod Sun, whom she'd dated for two years; pictured with her manager Thor Bradwell Change up: She was seen outside the Arclight theater in Hollywood with her manager Having some fun: Bella and her manager seen on their way to the premiere Handsy: He grasped her from behind the waist outside the theater. She also appeared to embrace him The actress's relationship with rapper Mod Sun ended on a sour note, as police were called when she entered his home while he was out. According to TMZ, she was looking for her some of her items, though she refused to stop rummaging through the house when ordered to by Mod's people. Bella, who came out as polyamorous, was also in a relationship with YouTuber Tana Mongeau during part of her relationship with the rapper, though they ended their relationship in February. Beaming: Once inside the lobby, Bella wrapped her arms around him from behind while flashing a playful grin It's over: The actress ended her relationship with rapper Mod Sun on a sour note, as police had to be called when she entered his home while he was out Famous friends: Bella also made time to get up close with Kristen Stewart, one of the film's leads True life: Kristen stars as the real-life Savannah Knoop, who posed as the made-up teenage author J.T. LeRoy, a pseudonym of Laura Albert (played by Laura Dern in the film) Showing off: Kristen seemed to be having a great time as she posed with Bella, who flashed some tongue Bella also made time to get up close with Kristen Stewart, one of the film's leads. J.T. LeRoy stars Laura Dern as real-life writer Laura Albert, who adopted the LeRoy name and the persona of a teenage boy struggling with drug abuse. Realizing that she needed a stand-in for the fake author, she had her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop (played by Kristen) stand-in for the teenage boy at publicity events. Guest of honor: The Assassination Nation actress also gave a hearty hug to the real life Knoop, who pretended to be LeRoy in public Striking look: She rocked an androgynous outfit for the premiere, featuring a black tuxedo jacket with a long skirt Head honcho: Bella posed alongside Justin Kelly, the director of the film Albert was able to keep up the deception throughout the 1990s, but public appearances in the early 2000s eventually revealed the ruse. In addition to Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern, the film also stars Diane Kruger, Jim Sturgess and Courtney Love. Kristen seemed to be having a great time as she posed with Bella, who flashed some tongue. End of a night: She was joined by a series of bodyguards as she left Kristen's afterparty following the premiere Off she goes: The former child star attempted to keep a low profile as she headed to a car Home time: Bella hopped into a Volkswagen vehicle as she headed to her next destination Low profile: The screen star covered her face with her hair as she made a worse-for-wear exit The Assassination Nation actress also gave a hearty hug to the real life Knoop, who pretended to be LeRoy in public. She rocked an androgynous outfit for the premiere, featuring a black tuxedo jacket with a long skirt. Bella posed alongside Justin Kelly, the director of the film. It was a retro themed day for Hilary Duff. The mom, 31, was spotted wearing two different pairs of bell bottomed pants while filming for Younger in New York City on Wednesday. First, she sported light blue as she sat across her co-star Sutton Foster for lunch, before changing into a darker blue set with flowers on it. Floral: Hilary Duff, 31, was spotted wearing two different pairs of bell bottomed pants while filming for Younger in New York City on Wednesday Her second outfit of the day featured Hawaiian patterned pants with white hibiscus flowers spotted all over them. A white stripe also ran up the leg of the fun bottoms. Matching the flowers, Duff rocked a tight white, long sleeve shirt. Serving up looks: Lizzie McGuire's beloved actress mixed things up with a middle part and her hair curled in loose ringlets Not letting the flared pants touch the ground, the mother of Luca, 7, and Banks, 6 months, kept her balance in white platform heels. Lizzie McGuire's beloved actress mixed things up with a middle part and her hair curled in loose ringlets. Her makeup was left natural as she pumped her body full of caffeine carrying a clear cup. Happy girl! Sitting in the same outdoor restaurant area she sat earlier with Foster, Hilary ate from a take out box and opened her mouth wide for an excited reaction Get to work: The actress also got down to business, talking with members of her team who followed her closely around the city streets Sitting in the same outdoor restaurant area she sat earlier with Foster, Hilary ate from a take out box and opened her mouth wide for an excited reaction. The actress also got down to business, talking with members of her team who followed her closely around the city streets. Duff was seen wearing similar pants as she dined with Sutton previously in the day. Ready for business: Hilary Duff was back to work on set filming an episode of Younger in New York on Wednesday afternoon Jacqueline Demeterio is credited with creating the looks for the TV Land show and the costume designer has worked with the Younger crew for its entire run, beginning in 2015. The show premiered in March 2015 and is based on the Pamela Redmond Satran novel of the same name, with Darren Star serving as creator and executive producer. Premiering in June, the hit series' sixth season is sure to make a splash. Bachelor In Paradise finished filming months ago, but the feud between Florence Alexandra and Bill Goldsmith is far from over. The pair memorably clashed in Fiji after Bill blatantly denied sexually propositioning Florence during their overnight date, sending the blonde into rage. Now their fight has spilled over into social media, with the Dutch-born bombshell slamming the Melbourne-based plumber on Thursday after he publicly apologised to her on Instagram. War of words: Bill Goldsmith (L) and Florence Alexandra (R) clashed on social media on Thursday, trading insults and accusations 'Yeah, nah, you had a long time between filming and airing,' she wrote beneath his apology post. 'You're not sorry for what you did to me - you're sorry that you're now the most hated man in the country. Made your bed, pal, sleep well.' Not holding back, Bill responded: 'Are you angling for a Daily Mail article?' 'You're not sorry for what you did to me - you're sorry that you're the most hated man in the country!' The drama started when Flo commented on a public apology that Bill had posted He continued: 'Haha, or have you been too busy editing the s**t out of all your Instagram pics to not notice this post for two days?' The plumber was then flooded with negative comments from Bachelor viewers, the majority of whom were Team Florence. In a lengthy response to one naysayer, Bill claimed that Florence's public feud was all a ploy for her to gain sympathy so she could become the next Bachelorette. A furious Bill shot back: 'Have you been too busy editing the s**t out of all your Instagram pics to not notice this post for two days?' (Pictured: Florence Alexandra) 'I've owned my bad name calling and have said sorry sorry and reached out to her multiple times but nothing,' he wrote. 'I think it's in her best interests to keep the hate towards me so the general public feel sorry for her so she can be cast as the next Bachelorette.' He added: 'That is an actual fact, from the horse's mouth, as they say.' 'I think it's in her best interests to keep the hate towards me so the general public feel sorry for her so she can be cast as the next Bachelorette,' Bill wrote to a fan on Instagram Where it all started: Bill and Florence hooked up during a steamy overnight date on Bachelor In Paradise last week (pictured) Bill and Florence hooked up during a steamy overnight date on Bachelor In Paradise last week. However, their relationship quickly fell to pieces when Florence told Alex Nation, who Bill was also seeing, that he tried to sleep with her - something that Bill denied. Despite Florence's anger over the situation, Alex eventually forgave Bill and the pair rekindled their romance - leaving Florence on the outs. She left her job as a registered nurse in the aged-care sector to embark on a new career as a cosmetic nurse. Now, Married At First Sight star Susie Bradley has revealed her plans to host a 'Botox party' in the near future. In a post shared to her Instagram story on Thursday, Susie, 26, invited her 69, 100 followers to sign-up for an anti-wrinkle jab at her upcoming cosmetic injectables gathering. Scroll down for video 'Exciting times!' Married At First Sight star Susie Bradley (pictured) has revealed her plans to host a 'Botox party' after quitting her job as an aged care worker to become a cosmetic nurse 'Botox party. Exciting times! Send me a DM (direct message) to find out more,' she captioned a screenshot of her Instagram profile. The Queensland nurse hinted she may administer the Botox injections to her guests at the party as she circled her new business venture, 'Injectables by Susie Pearl.' Daily Mail Australia contacted Susie Bradley for comment. Would you attend? In a post shared to her Instagram story on Thursday, Susie, 26, (pictured) invited her 69, 100 followers to sign-up for an anti-wrinkle jab at her upcoming cosmetic injectables gathering 'Botox party. Exciting times! Send me a DM (direct message) to find out more,' Susie captioned a screenshot of her Instagram profile Earlier this month, Susie explained that she felt like it was time for a change after working in the aged-care sector since the age of 14. 'I worked in aged care because there's not enough aged care nurses,' she said during an Instagram Q&A session with her fans in early April. What a transformation! MAFS Susie is completely unrecognisable in old photos (L) thanks to a plastic surgery makeover after the birth of her daughter 'Come December last year, I felt I was ready for a change, so I started looking at how to get into cosmetics and here I am.' She added: 'But I do miss my elderly people all the time and I often think of going back to it, I just can't help it.' Last year, the former reality star admitted to getting a breast augmentation, lip fillers, and anti-wrinkle injections (Botox) as part of a plastic surgery mummy makeover. What a change! Susie looked like your average girl next door before her bombshell makeover 'I've had my lips done,' she told Yahoo Lifestyle in February. 'I had no top lip back in the day so that's perfected my smile. 'I've had anti-wrinkle [Botox] but that obviously doesn't really change how you look, and I've had my boobs done. I had them done after I had [daughter] Baby because breastfeeding annihilated what I had.' The Queensland-based beauty had her breast augmentation done in Phuket through CosMediTour, a medical tourism company. 'I've had my boobs done!' The reality star got breast implants overseas in Phuket, Thailand She's making her mark on women in tech fields. Rosario Dawson made an appearance Wednesday in Los Angeles for the premiere of Power On, a series of short films encouraging young girls to learn to code and be involved in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The 39-year-old actress was one five directors to shoot films for the series, which was produced by Straight Up Films with support from YouTube. Glowing: Rosario Dawson, 39, made an appearance Wednesday in Los Angeles for the premiere of Power On, a series of empowering short films The 5ft7in actress arrived in a playfully casual outfit for the premiere. She wore a festive denim skirt with scarlet buttons and a silky black top with a large hanging bow that highlighted her fit arms. The Trance star let her long dark hair fall messily down her front, and she flashed a winning smile from ear to ear. Vivacious: The 5ft7in actress arrived in a playfully casual outfit, with a festive denim skirt and a silky black top with a large hanging bow that highlighted her fit arms Relaxed look: The Trance star let her long dark hair fall messily down her front, and she flashed a winning smile from ear to ear; pictured with Nikki Reed Good company: The Trance actress was one of five directors to make short films, including Lisa Edelstein (L) Pumped up: Rosario showed off her impressive muscles along with her star, Jordan Delgado Along with Julie Bowen, Ana Brenda Contreras, Lisa Edelstein and Nikki Reed, Rosario directed one of the short films encouraging young women to be involved in STEM fields. Her film, titled Boundless, follows three friends who come up with a revolutionary invention, only to see it stolen just before a tech competition. The friends then have to prevent their new technology from falling into the wrong hands. Rosario was joined on the red carpet by the stars of her film. The Sin City actress doesn't have any other directorial credits to her name, suggesting the socially conscious short film marks her directorial debut. Making a statement: Along with Julie Bowen, Ana Brenda Contreras, Lisa Edelstein and Nikki Reed, Rosario directed one of the short films encouraging young women to be involved in STEM fields; pictured with Reed (L) and Bella Bracken (M) Discovery: Her film, titled Boundless, follows three friends who come up with a revolutionary invention, only to see it stolen just before a tech competition; pictured with three of the film's actors, (L-R) Riley Lio, Jordan Delgado and Simone Baker Recovery: The friends then have to prevent their new technology from falling into the wrong hands First time: The Sin City actress doesn't have any other directorial credits to her name, suggesting the socially conscious short film marks her directorial debut; pictured (L-R) Producer Marisa Polvino, Reed, Julie Bowen, Edelstein, Rosario, Ana Brenda Contreras and Producer Ngoc Nguyen In addition to showing their films, Rosario and the other celebrity directors had a conversation about the important subject matter. She even snapped a selfie of the group of filmmakers at the end of the event. Though she was focused on her own social goals that evening, it was recently revealed that the Alexander actress has been dating New Jersey Senator and Democratic Presidential hopeful Cory Booker, 49. She confirmed her relationship with the former Newark Mayor in March. Big names: Though she was focused on her own social goals that evening, it was recently revealed that the Alexander actress has been dating New Jersey Senator and Democratic Presidential hopeful Cory Booker, 49 It's official: She confirmed her relationship with the former Newark Mayor in March Speaking their mind: In addition to showing their films, Rosario and the other celebrity directors had a conversation about the important subject matter Amber Heard looked sensational as she attended the 18th annual Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening. Highlighting her enviable figure, the Alpha Dog actress, 33, commanded attention as she slipped into a slinky bardot dress, embellished with floral printing throughout. The screen star's appearance at the event comes amid her ongoing $50million defamation lawsuit battle against her former husband Johnny Depp, who she was married to from 2015 till 2017. Wow-factor! Amber Heard looked sensational as she attended the 18th annual Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards at The John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday Accentuating her slender physique, the Texan beauty stunned in the form-fitting ensemble, which featured quirky structured sleeves. The Hidden Palms star ensured all eyes were on her as she boosted her physique in a pair of pointed metallic heels at the event. Amber decorated her decolletage in a dainty silver choker necklace, which she teamed with a selection of edgy rings and bracelets. The blonde bombshell swept her locks into a messy updo to reveal her striking features, enhanced with shimmery brown eyeshadow, rose-tinted blush and dark red lipstick. She's got it! Highlighting her enviable figure, the Alpha Dog actress, 33, commanded attention as she slipped into a slinky bardot dress, embellished with floral printing throughout Ongoing battle: The screen star's appearance at the event comes amid her ongoing $50million defamation lawsuit battle against her former husband Johnny Depp, who she was married to from 2015 till 2017 (pictured together in January 2016) The event celebrated women in the industry who serve as catalysts for 'change, building and amplifying local solutions to some of the worlds most intractable problems to incite global change'. Diane von Furstenberg was honoured as this year's Global Trailblazer for using her platform to 'elevate women's voices and advance the global women's movement' with her fashion empire, DVF Studio. Amber's outing comes amid news she is being called to give even more evidence on her messy divorce from actor Johnny, 55, according to the latest filing in one of the Pirate of the Caribbean star's ongoing legal battles, exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com. Striking: Accentuating her slender physique, the Texan beauty stunned in the form-fitting ensemble, which featured quirky structured sleeves Radiant: The blonde bombshell swept her locks into a messy updo to reveal her striking features, enhanced with shimmery brown eyeshadow, rose-tinted blush and dark red lipstick There were 10 more videos released from her August 2016 deposition in which she detailed her now-ex's alleged abuse. According to the DailyMail.com report, the award-winning actor is suing his former law firm for $30million over claims of negligence. The firm - Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman - says Johnny has recently accused them of malpractice in connection with his divorce from Amber and therefore will need to depose the actress in order to build a defense in the case. Looking good: Hamilton star Jasmine Cephas Jones dazzled in a satin kimono-inspired pleated dress Success: The event celebrated women in the industry who serve as catalysts for 'change, building and amplifying local solutions to some of the worlds most intractable problems to incite global change' (pictured Nancy Pelosi, left, and Diane von Furstenberg, right) Impressive: Diane, 72, was honoured as this year's Global Trailblazer for using her platform to 'elevate women's voices and advance the global women's movement' with her fashion empire, DVF Studio Pleased: The fashion designer appeared in high spirits as she took to the podium to collect her award The firm asks that the plaintiffs - named as Depp and his film companies Scaramanga Bros and Infinitum Nihil, respond in writing to their questions and demand the ability to ask Depp more questions over his 'newly articulated theories'. Magic Mike XXL star Amber filed for divorce from the Kentucky native in May 2016 stating that he had been 'verbally and physically' abusive towards her. Their divorce was finalized in January 2017, with the actress receiving a $7million settlement. It was recently revealed that Johnny's new girlfriend is a Russian go-go dancer who he wants to marry, DailyMail.com has learned exclusively. Star-studded: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also in attendance at the prestigious annual event Honour: Jasmine beamed with delight as she presented Rouba Mhaissen with the Human Rights Award Businesswoman Bozoma Saint John (L) joined Leadership in Public Life Award recipient Saskia Nino De Rivera (R) on stage Great spirits: Tina Brown (L) grinned from ear-to-ear as she honoured Habiba Ali (R) with the Economic Empowerment Award Girl power: Donna Langley (L) appeared delighted as she posed with the Light of Freedom Award recipient Amanda N. Nguyen (R) Polina Glen, who is believed to be in her mid-twenties, met the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory star at a party in LA last year, a source close to her told DailyMail.com. Polina, who is originally from St. Petersburg, is a trained dancer and choreographer. She has been living with the multimillionaire actor at his Sunset Boulevard mansion. Meanwhile, Amber has embarked on a romance with film director Andy Muschietti, 45, following the demise of her two-year relationship with technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, 47. New partner: It was recently revealed that actor Johnny's new girlfriend Polina Glen (pictured) is a Russian go-go dancer who he wants to marry, DailyMail.com has learned exclusively Gary Lineker has reflected on the heartbreaking moment he was told oldest son George might only have hours to live after he was struck down with a rare form of leukemia as a baby. George, now 27, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia as a baby after Gary, then in his early thirties, and ex-wife Michelle Cockayne noticed a lump on their young son's head. The youngster was treated at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, and former Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Gary, 58, admits they were given the sobering news that his chances of survival were minimal. Moving: Gary Lineker has reflected on the heartbreaking moment he was told oldest son George might only have hours to live after he was struck down with a rare form of leukemia as a baby 'I could cope with it while he was ill,' he told the BLANK podcast. 'I could cope with it while I felt there was hope. There were a couple of times where we were told he might not make it through the night. 'But again that was a different feeling, it wasnt a depressing feeling, it was more of a fear, and I used to have these awful dreams occasionally of carrying him in a little white coffin.' Despite the devastating diagnosis, Gary said he refused to give up hope that his son, the oldest of four children with Michelle, might overcome the condition. Concern: George, now 27, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia as a baby after Gary, then in his early thirties, and ex-wife Michelle Cockayne noticed a lump on their young son's head 'While he was still alive, while he was being treated, while there was still hope I was alright,' he explained. 'But I always looked, there were other people in there that werent as fortunate as us, whose kids didnt make it. Because we were in there about seven months solid and there are kids that didnt make it in that time and youre in that environment when they dont, and that was always my fear. I do not know whether I would have been able to cope with that. I dont know how any parent can cope with that. 'But whilst it was always, there were up and downs and difficult times, but there was always hope. Fear: The youngster was treated at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, and former Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Gary, 58, admits they were given the sobering news that his chances of survival were minimal What are the symptoms of leukaemia in children? Fatigue and pale skin - this is because leukaemia can cause anaemia which makes a child feel weak, tired and light-headed. Infections and fever - children with leukaemia lack normal white blood cells which would normally help fight infection. Rash - children may have small, dark spots that look like common rashes if the leukemia cells spread to the skin Easy bruising or bleeding - this includes frequent nosebleeds, bleeding gums and bleeding a lot from small cuts. Bone or joint pain - this is caused by a build up of leukaemia cells near the surface of the bone or inside the joint. Swelling of the abdomen - leukaemia cells may collect in the liver and spleen causing them to enlarge. Loss of appetite and weight loss - if the spleen and liver swell, they can press against the stomach causing loss of appetite. Swollen lymph nodes - some leukaemias spread to the lymph nodes causing them to swell. Source: American Cancer Society Advertisement He added: 'We didnt lose him so I dont feel we were dreadfully unfortunate. I think were unbelievably fortunate because the odds of him not making it were very low. ' Gary has since supported children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent and Channel 4's Stand Up To Cancer campaign in a bid to raise awareness and much need funds. In 2018 he appeared in a short film in which he spoke about his childhood battle with blood cancer. He told viewers: 'It was devastating. The doctors were very honest with us - they gave us between a ten and 20 per cent chance of survival. It was tough, really, really tough.' Josephine Skriver cut a casual figure in relaxed green overalls on Wednesday, as she posed for her latest Maybelline campaign in New York City. The Victoria's Secret Angel, 26, took inspiration from the 1970s as she sported the low-key dungarees for the new cosmetics shoot. Josephine also added to the laid-back feel of her look with barely-there makeup, and her brunette tresses styled into effortless waves. Low-key: Josephine Skriver cut a casual figure in relaxed green overalls on Wednesday, as she posed for her latest Maybelline campaign in New York City Josephine looked right at home in the relaxed khaki overalls as she posed on the New York streets, and finished her look with black and white trainers. The Danish beauty teamed the ensemble with a simple white t-shirt and styled her glossy brunette tresses into loose waves. Josephine highlighted her trim physique in the relaxed ensemble as she posed for the latest Maybelline campaign. Comfy: The Victoria's Secret Angel, 26, took inspiration from the 1970s as she sported the low-key dungarees for the new cosmetics shoot Looking good: The Danish beauty teamed the ensemble with a simple white t-shirt and styled her glossy brunette tresses into loose waves After the shoot Josephine spoke to delighted fans about her illustrious career, as she took to Instagram for a low-key Q&A. It was back to work for Josephine after she enjoyed a romantic break with fiance Alexander DeLeon in Costa Rica, which saw them celebrate the hunk's 30th birthday. The lovebirds got engaged in November last year during a romantic break in Finland where they ticked off Josephine's bucket list wish to see the Northern Lights. Chatty: After the shoot Josephine spoke to delighted fans about her illustrious career, as she took to Instagram for a low-key Q&A Working girl: The fashion star took a moment to check her phone in between posing for snaps in the campaign Their star-studded paths first crossed when they fell in love while dating back in 2013 as long as six years ago now. Recently, Josephine also revealed sunscreen is the only beauty product she will never leave the house without lathering on her skin. She told Harper's Bazaar: 'Sunscreen is number one, it's so important. I wear it all day every day. Early prevention, and you won't regret it.' Sydney PR queen Roxy Jacenko has spoken out about the vicious act of Vandalism on Sweaty Betty's Paddington offices. Police were called after vandals defaced the white Elizabeth Street building on Tuesday, egging the office and spray-painting the words, 'Roxy is a c**t.' Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, Roxy revealed she has a 'good idea' who the identity of the senseless vandals. Speaking out: Roxy Jacenko (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that she 'has a good idea who both vandals are' who attacked her Sweaty Betty office on Tuesday 'Yes, I do have a good idea of who both of the perpetrators are,' the PR maven said in a written statement. Vandals also sprayed 'Roxy Jacenko is a crook' on the traffic barrier near Syd Einfeld Drive in Bondi Junction, as well as on a barrier near Oatley Road. Roxy went on to say she would be offering $5,000 to anyone who could give information that could lead to a criminal conviction. Reward: 'I am personally offering a $5K reward for information provided to the police or myself that leads to a successful conviction of them,' Roxy said of the attack. Pictured: CCTV footage 'I am personally offering a $5K reward for information provided to the police or myself that leads to a successful conviction of them.' On Thursday, Roxy was defiant following the vandalism with the PR maven hitting out at those responsible on her Instagram account. 'Clearly [it] was in the hope of causing me some kind of humiliation or embarrassment,' she said, characterising the actions of the vandals. Standing strong: Roxy said she was neither embarrassed nor humiliated by the cowardly act: 'If they knew me they would know it did neither,' Roxy (pictured) said. Roxy, however, went out of her way to said the senseless act was not intimating in the slightest. 'If they knew me they would know it did neither,' Roxy said. She then hit out at the perpetrators of the act, calling them 'cowards'. Senseless: Roxy said of the senseless act: 'Only cowards conduct themselves like this hiding behind hoodies at 1.30am' saying she won't be intimated by it. Pictured: some of the vandalism 'I've always been of the mindset that if you've got something to say - be confident to be able to say it to a person's face,' she said. 'Only cowards conduct themselves like this hiding behind hoodies at 1.30am.' Following the incident, a police spokesman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia an investigation in underway after graffiti targeting Roxy was found in Paddington, Bondi and Malabar. Second attack: In 2017, police were called to investigate after the building was vandalised at least three times with 'foul-smelling sludge' and ink-injected eggs In 2017, the Sweaty Betty PR head office underwent a $1.4million renovation, complete with 27 workstations, three showrooms and a 12-person meeting room. The vile graffiti this week is just the latest in a string of attacks that have occurred since Roxy moved into 7-13 Elizabeth Street two years ago. In 2017, police were called to investigate after the building was vandalised at least three times with 'foul-smelling sludge' and ink-injected eggs. Roxy previously said she suspected the culprit was likely 'someone close to home'. Work commitments took a back seat as Corey Feldman enjoyed a romantic night out with his wife on Wednesday evening. The actor was in characteristically high spirits after joining pretty blonde Courtney Anne Mitchell for dinner at popular West Hollywood restaurant Craig's. Sporting a patterned shirt and white jeans, Corey, 47, caught the eye as the couple made their way inside hand in hand. Here they come: Work commitments took a back seat as Corey Feldman enjoyed a romantic night out with wife Courtney Anne Mitchell on Wednesday evening. The actor added to his look with a white leather jacket, while black trainers and heavily tinted sunglasses - worn despite his appearance coming late in the evening - rounded things off. Accompanying her husband, Courtney, 29, looked stylish in a breezy black evening dress and matching leather boots. The Canadian actress, Corey's third wife, added to her look with a tasteful cream blazer, while a distinctive trilby hat proved to be her only notable accessory. Upbeat: The actor was in characteristically high spirits after joining pretty blonde Courtney Anne Mitchell for dinner at popular West Hollywood restaurant Craig's Corey exchanged vows with Courtney after four-years of dating at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas in November 2016. The eighties legend, best known for his roles in era defining films The Lost Boys, The Goonies, Gremlins and Stand By Me, later admitted he proposed over fears that she risked deportation to her native Canada. He told People magazine: 'She was very surprised, excited and started crying. She was surprised because we had both been so anti-marriage since we met. Bold look: Sporting a patterned shirt and white jeans, Corey, 47, caught the eye as the couple made their way inside 'But seeing as she's Canadian and with (US President Donald) Trump coming in, we didn't want to risk being separated by new immigration laws. 'We both know that we make a good team, and don't want to be separated for any reason. So this is the best decision to protect our relationship.' The actor previously admitted he was too nervous to pop the question in person, opting instead to give her a handwritten note. 'I was of course a bit nervous, as any man will admit, you never truly know what a woman is thinking,' he told toofab. 'So as much as I assumed she would be happy and say "yes," there's always that insecure part of my brain that regresses immediately to my childhood and thought maybe not.' 'So I kinda chickened out and did a written proposal by writing a note with two check boxes, one for yes and the other for no.' 'Of course there was a ring in there with the note. Luckily she said "yes!" ' She often cuts a glamorous figure on many a red carpet. But Isla Fisher proved she can nail off-duty chic just as well as headed out for coffee with her two daughters Olive and Elula at Alfred's coffee shop in West Hollywood, California on Wednesday. The Now You See Me actress, 43, looked effortlessly stylish in a white T-shirt and a long denim skirt which featured a daring split at the front. Stylish: Isla Fisher nailed off-duty chic just as well as headed out for coffee with her two daughters Olive and Elula at Alfred's coffee shop in West Hollywood, California on Wednesday The star casually tied a leopard print cardigan around her shoulders and slipped her feet into a pair of red, leather mules. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she added a pair of dark sunglasses as she made her way from the eatery clutching a large coffee cup. The Australian beauty left her auburn tresses to flow loosely down her back, while she let her natural beauty shine through by going make-up free for the low-key outing. Isla looked happy and relaxed as she was accompanied by her two daughters - Olive, 10 and seven-year-old Elula - whom she shares with partner and fellow film star Sacha Baron Cohen, 47. Coffee date: The Now You See Me actress, 43, looked effortlessly stylish in a white T-shirt and a long denim skirt which featured a daring split at the front The pair also have a third child, son Montgomery, three. While Elula shied away, Olive rocked a white denim jacket, pink rainbow T-shirt, white leggings and a white skirt, which she teamed with red lace-up trainers. Isla and Borat star Sacha became engaged in 2004 and tied the knot in a Jewish ceremony in 2010 after Isla converted to Judaism. The Confessions Of A Shopaholic actress recently admitted she still finds him attractive when he's dressed up as Ali G, Borat and Bruno. Couple goals: Isla and Borat star Sacha became engaged in 2004 and tied the knot in a Jewish ceremony in 2010 after the actress converted to Judaism (pictured in January) Isla appeared on Busy Tonight in March to answer questions about which character of Sacha's she would sleep with. When host Busy Philipps held up a picture of Ali G, Isla answered without hesitation: 'I've got the biggest b*ner. I've got a b*ner. That's my hall pass right there.' In 2013, the Wedding Crashers star revealed how she stays so trim after three pregnancies. 'Well, I do watch my food. But I've been blessed in that I never had any body issues during pregnancy,' she told Women's Health UK. 'I loved being able to eat whatever I wanted and the whole experience of giving life. And I never worried about losing the weight afterwards, because breastfeeding burns all the calories up so fast. 'Breastfeeding that's my big slimming secret! That and Spanx. Anytime anyone compliments me on my figure, I'm wearing my Spanx undies.' He's currently trying to dance his way into Tenille Favios' heart on Bachelor In Paradise. But dancing Lothario Ivan Krslovic, 29, seemed to have had a certain blonde beauty on his mind before entering the Fijian resort. In a resurfaced interview in OK Magazine from January, Ivan had expressed he had a secret hope of a 'summer fling' with the new Bachelorette Angie Kent. Scroll down for video Is he heading back to The Bachelorette? Bachelor In Paradise's Ivan Krslovic (pictured) reportedly has a secret crush on Angie Kent and attempted to get on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! to woo her And he was ready to pursue any means necessary to go on a date with her, even if that meant attempting to get on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! In January, Ivan hinted of a possible appearance on the show to the magazine, saying he hoped he could woo the former Gogglebox star, as he found her to be 'an attractive woman'. A source also claimed to the publication: 'He's had his eyes on Angie... He thinks she's really cute!' 'I think she's an attractive woman!' Bachelorette reject Ivan hinted he was going on I'm A Celebrity to woo Angie Kent back in January, but that appearance never eventuated Ivan's failed attempt at finding love on reality television clearly hasn't deterred him from continuing his pursuit. The news comes after it was revealed earlier this month that producers were still looking for ideal candidates to join Angie's upcoming season. It is set to start filming later this year, giving plenty of time for Ivan to get off the paradise island and into The Bachelorette. Bachelorette: Now that Angie is the new Bacheloerette, Ivan may have a second shot at wooing the stunning blonde However, after Angie revealed that she was 'generally attracted to mixed-race guys' to TV Week earlier this month. And as controversy around Ivan's possessive behaviour towards Tenille continues to mount, it is unclear whether the feeling will be reciprocated by Angie. Ivan rose to fame on The Bachelorette earlier this year after he tried to dance his way into Ali Oetjen's heart. A new trailer for Men In Black: International was released on Thursday. The hotly-anticipated fourth film in the sci-fi franchise saw leads Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth join forces to defeat an array of creatures to save the world. Opening with Emma Thompson's character Agent O speaking with Tessa's Agent M, she says of the organisation: 'We are a rumour, recognisable only as Deja-vu and dismissed just as quickly. Were the best kept secret in the galaxy.' Go, team! Men In Black International's new trailer, which was released on Thursday, saw Tessa Thompson join forces with Chris Hemsworth to save the world Determined to get herself a spot on the team, Agent M responds: 'I want in. 20 years ago you erased my parents memories but you didnt get mine.' As Tessa's character, unlike Will Smith's Agent J, has found her way to the agency rather than get headhunted, she goes on: 'Id like to be recruited, I want to know the truth of the universe.' Emma's Agent O eventually relents, and as Tessa dons one of the agency's trademark suits she tells her: 'Suit up, welcome to the Men In Black.' Sign me up: Determined to get herself a spot on the team, Agent M responds: 'I want in. 20 years ago you erased my parents memories but you didnt get mine' Secretive: The trailer opens with Emma Thompson's character Agent O saying: 'We are a rumour, recognisable only as Deja-vu and dismissed just as quickly' Legends: The trailer showed a quick glimpse at gorgeous artwork that depicted the action-packed fight against Edgar The Bug in the finale of the original Men In Black And when Agent M questions the gender-specific title of the agency, she hits back: 'Dont, dont start. Im working on it.' The trailer showed a quick glimpse at gorgeous artwork that depicted the action-packed fight against Edgar The Bug in the finale of the original Men In Black. Another nod to the original trilogy saw the welcome return of Frank the Pug, who has the appearance of a canine but is in fact an alien in disguise, and tells Agent M to 'move it' when she tries to pet him, as he's a 'top dog'. Agent M is then paired up with Chris' Agent H, who tells her they need to hurry and get on the job as 'the worlds not going to save itself.' Raring to go: Agent M is then paired up with Chris' Agent H, who tells her they need to hurry and get on the job as 'the worlds not going to save itself' Top dog: Another nod to the original trilogy saw the welcome return of Frank the Pug, who has the appearance of a canine but is in fact an alien in disguise Uh oh: The pair go up against a deadly new threat known as The Hive, which Liam Neeson's agent High T says is a 'species that can take the form of anyone' The pair go up against a deadly new threat known as The Hive, which Liam Neeson's agent High T says is a 'species that can take the form of anyone, even our own agents.' They're then forced to fight off a number of ominous looking creatures, who may look like their friends but have glowing eyes and supernatural powers which they are determined to use to kill them. Showing off some of their awesome new gadgets, Agent H tells Agent M that they need more firepower to fight off the aliens as he tells her to check their car's 'side-view mirror'. With a comic flair that was a staple of the franchise as a whole, Tessa's character tells him: 'What do you want me to do, throw it at them?' before an armoury opens up. Friend or foe: The Hive can also make themselves look like Men In Black agents Different team: Chris is seen on a mission in Paris with Liam's High T Come prepared: Showing off some of their awesome new gadgets, Agent H tells Agent M they need more firepower to fight off the aliens as he tells her to check their car's 'side-view mirror' Prepared for the fight, Agent H tells her to 'just point it at the bad guys and pull the trigger,' as they stood their ground in a part of London that was in disarray. But that's not all, as the pair are seen facing off against a number of different aliens, friendly or otherwise. During on of their missions, Agent H tells an enemy: 'You dont know who youre dealing with, we protect the earth and everyone and everything on it.' Dream team: During on of their missions, Agent H tells an enemy: 'You dont know who youre dealing with, we protect the earth and everyone and everything on it' Amusing: The trailer ends in a comedic way, as the pair and an alien pal head to the desert to try out a new weapon Go for it: Disbelieving, Tessa's character says: 'Are you suggesting we try out the most powerful weapon in the galaxy just for fun?' The trailer ends in a comedic way, as the pair and an alien pal head to the desert to try out a new weapon. Disbelieving, Tessa's character says: 'Are you suggesting we try out the most powerful weapon in the galaxy just for fun?' But the weapon fails to start, and as Chris' Agent H suggests they 'turn it up a few notches' it fires up, almost completely destroying their surroundings. Iconic: Another nod to the original Men In Black film came when Tessa's Agent M saw a group of Worms walking around the agency Hiding in unexpected places: One scene saw an alien using a man's beard as a hiding place Her link: Tessa's character previously encountered the Men In Black as a child, when her parents' memories were erased after an alien (pictured) appeared, but hers were not Will's Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones' Agent K from the original MIB trilogy will not return, with this movie to focus on new, original characters like Thompsons' Agent M and Hemsworth's Agent H. The only connection to the previous movies will be Emma Thompson, who reprises her role from 2012's Men in Black 3 as Agent O, the head of the Men in Black organization. The spin off is directed by Straight Outta Compton filmmaker F. Gary Gray, and also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Liam Neeson, Rafe Spall and Kumail Nanjiani. Men In Black: International arrives nationwide June 14, 2019. Blac Chyna has revealed she has been accepted on a Harvard business course. The television personality will partake in an online course called Business Analytics at the university's Business School, working 40 hours over eight weeks. It comes just days after the 30-year-old posted an impassioned Instagram post about how she was looking forward to 'new beginnings' after feeling 'bullied, humiliated and manipulated as mother'. Blac Chyna has revealed she has been accepted on a Harvard business course Chyna, real name Angela Renee White, told TMZ: 'Where I'm at now is a stage of realization and growth, I want to be great for myself and my kids. 'School is going to help me take things up a couple of notches. 'People are always talking about me, might as well talk about the good, I'm excited for the next chapter.' The television personality will partake in an online course at University's Business School, working 40 hours over eight weeks In a letter obtained by the publication it read: 'Dear Angela, 'Congratulations! On behalf of Harvard Business School Online, I am pleased to inform you that your application has been approved for the Business Analytics cohort beginning May 29, 2019. 'We are excited to welcome you to the HBS Online community and are eager to engage with you in the coming months. 'The HBS Online team is confident that your participation throughout the course will be invaluable to your fellow cohort members. We look for to having you join us!' Chyna issued a passionate statement on Instagram on Monday, revealing she's been 'bullied, humiliated and manipulated' as a mother. Perspective: Chyna issued a passionate statement on Instagram on Monday, revealing she's been 'bullied, humiliated and manipulated' as a mother The model and mother-of-two promised her fans she'd be more open, hinting the 'perspective' of her from the media and people closest to her hasn't been accurate. 'Growth is painful. Change is painful. But, nothing is as painful as being where you do not belong! #newbeginnings,' she said in the caption of her Instagram post. 'Over the last couple of years, you guys have been given a perspective of who I am from the media and people closest to me,' she began. 'I've been Bullied, Humiliated, Manipulated and Discredit(ed) as a mom!' she continued, though she didn't mention who specifically did those things. 'Looking back at a lot of my actions, I'm reflecting and realizing that confusion is a serious thing,' she added. Statement: The model and mother-of-two promised her fans she'd be more open, hinting the 'perspective' of her from the media and people closest to her hasn't been accurate 'Of course, I'm not proud of some of the pain I have caused, and I'm working to be the best me,' she added. 'Blac Chyna doesn't define Angela White as a person,' she continued. 'At 30, I am overwhelmed by the blessings I have. Being a mother of two amazing children.' She added that she's planning on opening up, adding, 'I don't talk on things often but I promise to give you guys more of me. Angela White perspective.' 'Thank you for years of endless love. Your support for me is a blessing,' Blac Chyna concluded. Chyna spent her Easter Sunday hunting for Easter Eggs with her two children, two year old Dream Kardashian, who she had with Rob Kardashian, and six year old King Cairo, who she had with Tyga. While Blac Chyna didn't specifically address any incidents of bullying, manipulating or humiliation, she has had a rather tumultuous year. Earlier this month, Blac Chyna was sued for $48,000 for five months of unpaid rent for a rental property she left in Studio City, California. She also recently resolved a custody dispute with Rob Kardashian, where they agreed he will stop paying her over $20,000 a month in maintenance. She did wish her ex a happy birthday in March, as their daughter Dream threw him a St. Patrick's Day themed party. He is most famous for his role in the James Bond movie franchise. And Pierce Brosnan, 65, returned to his roots as he was seen sporting silver locks and a bushy beard while filming for his new movie False Positive in New York on Wednesday. The Irish actor finally decided to embrace his natural mane as he was seen walking down the street in the Big Apple sporting super cool shades with his ear plugs in. Dye Another Day: Pierce Brosnan, 65, returned to his roots as he was seen sporting silver locks and a bushy beard while filming for his new movie False Positive in New York on Wednesday Pierce cut a typically handsome figure in his casually cool ensemble which consisted of a suede navy bomber over a simple white top. He teamed the look with a pair of cream-coloured chinos and brown shoes as he sauntered along on his own. Ditching the dye which he sported at the end of last year, Pierce certainly sported a different look. Pierce is currently in the midst of filming for upcoming thriller film, False Positive. Silver lining: Ditching the dye which he sported at the end of last year (L -November 2018), Pierce certainly looked every inch the silver fox Handsome: The Irish actor finally decided to embrace his natural mane as he was seen walking down the street in the Big Apple sporting super cool shades with his ear plugs in Known for playing James Bond, Pierce starred in films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. With Daniel Craig set to commence filming on the as-yet unnamed Bond 25 film, Pierce recently spoke about the latest generation of the franchise. The actor said Daniel's brooding portrayal had to be more serious because the franchise was forced to reinvent the character as 'more muscular' and solemn. However, in the process, Pierce claimed the series has lost its sense of humour while he spoke about the developments of the franchise over the years. Big role: Known for playing James Bond, Pierce starred in films GoldenEye (pictured), Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day 'It's different now': With Daniel Craig set to commence filming on the as-yet unnamed Bond 25 film, Pierce recently spoke about the latest generation of the franchise He told The Rake magazine: 'There had to be humour, I felt. It is different now. They had strong competition and they haven't reinvented it but given it a much more muscular, dynamic twist. 'When I played him you have to let the audience in that this is a fantastic joke this man, jumping off a motorcycle and catching up a plane, is completely preposterous. But for me you had to let them in. 'That's what I was brought up with. Sean (Connery) did it, Roger (Moore) did it par excellence.' Final outing: Meanwhile, the cast of the hotly-anticipated James Bond 25, due for release in 2020, will be announced on Thursday from an 'iconic 007 location' Meanwhile, the rest of the cast for hotly-anticipated 25th Bond film, due for release in 2020, will be announced on Thursday from an 'iconic 007 location.' Bond 25 - the official title of which has not yet been revealed, will be Daniel Craig's fifth outing as 007 and will be released five years after the 24th Bond film, Spectre. The film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, is expected to be 51-year-old Craig's final appearance as Bond, having previously starred in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). She is set to stand in for Holly Willoughby on Celeb Juice. And Amanda Holden proved she is throwing herself wholeheartedly into her role on the raucous show as she shared a teaser of one of the scenes, in which she dressed up as Scarlett Johansson's Avengers character Black Widow. The 48-year-old Britain's Got Talent judge displaying her age-defying figure in a skin-tight black catsuit while rocking an auburn wig to help replicate the superhero. Lookalike: Amanda Holden proved she is throwing herself wholeheartedly into her role on the raucous show as she shared a teaser of one of the scenes, in which she dressed up as Scarlett Johansson's Avengers character Black Widow Amanda was displaying her incredible figure in the skin-tight catsuit which she paired with over-the-knee suede black boots. She sported a red-hued wig to help perfect her lookalike ensemble yet pulled a silly face for the snap - shunning the scowling glare of Scarlett's character. The blonde beauty was clearly excited about her first appearance on the show, as she filled in for absent team captain, Holly Willoughby. She captioned the snap: 'Finally caved and did @celebrityjuiceofficial #teamcaptain in @hollywilloughby absence.' Who's who? The 48-year-old Britain's Got Talent judge displaying her age-defying figure in a skin-tight black catsuit while rocking an auburn wig to help replicate the superhero Success story: The launch episode debuted with an average of 8.3million people tuning in, a 45 per cent share of the TV audience at the time It is a busy time of the year for Amanda, as she returned to the Britain's Got Talent panel alongside Simon Cowell, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon Amanda recently starting when she celebrated BGT being the highest rated show of the year so far. The launch episode debuted with an average of 8.3million people tuning in, a 45 per cent share of the TV audience at the time. The episode peaked with a massive 9.7million people tuning with a 50 per cent share of the audience. Alongside the snap, Amanda wrote: 'Thankyou for making @BGT the highest rated show of 2019 #cheers'. Sizzle: It is a busy time of the year for Amanda, as she returned to the Britain's Got Talent panel alongside Simon Cowell, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon The launch was ahead of BBC procedural drama Line of Duty which drew an average audience of 7.8million. The show was an emotional one for judge David who broke down in tears after watching a group of school children aged 5-11 and their teacher audition. The comedian, 47, who watched the performance with his fellow judges hit the sought after Golden Buzzer on the first episode Dani Dyer's new boyfriend is a serial cheat who will betray her in a 'heartbeat', says his ex-girlfriend who claims she was left distraught after he two-timed her with the Love Island star last year. Olivia Labadie, 23, dated stockbroker Sammy Kimmence for five years until last summer when she told friends that he allegedly cheated on her with the daughter of TV hardman Danny Dyer, MailOnline can reveal. Dani and Sammy were pictured in a passionate clinch over Easter, finally bringing to an end weeks of speculation about 'Jani' - her on-off relationship with Jack Fincham, her Love Island beau. Dani has said she didn't know that Sammy had a girlfriend when they first started a relationship before going on the hit reality show. Now they have rekindled their romance, OIivia has wished her ex and the reality star 'good luck' and warned he won't stay faithful 'because he just can't help himself'. A friend of hers told Mail Online: 'Olivia put up with his lying and cheating for five years before she was left devastated when she finally rumbled him last summer for sleeping with Dani behind her back. 'Then he spent the next eight months trying to get her back. She won't go near another man, she's so traumatised by the whole experience. Dani Dyer's new boyfriend (Sammy Kimmence, pictured with the star last weekend) is a serial cheat who will betray her in a 'heartbeat', says his ex-girlfriend who claims she was left distraught after he two-timed her with the Love Island star last year Olivia Labadie (above), 23, dated stockbroker Sammy Kimmence for five years until last summer when she claims he cheated on her with the daughter of TV hardman Danny Dyer, MailOnline can reveal Dani and Sammy were pictured in a passionate clinch over Easter, finally bringing to an end weeks of speculation about 'Jani' - her on-off relationship with Jack Fincham, her Love Island beau. Pictured: Olivia and Sammy in happier times 'She cannot believe that Dani has now let the love rat back into her life again when she also knows what he's like - but she wishes her the best of luck. 'He'll be cheating on her too in a heartbeat because he just can't help himself.' The friend said Olivia's family treated Sammy 'like one of their own', and understand why Dani's family reportedly aren't happy about her choice of man. 'Everyone but Dani can see him for what he really is now. Olivia knows that he'll revert back to being a player all over again.' Mac make-up store assistant manger Olivia and Sammy were both 17 and at Seevic College in Benfleet, Essex, when Sammy started pursuing shy stunner Olivia. They officially became a couple two months later in June 2013. The source said: 'Olivia said that he was a lovely boy at first, thoughtful and generous. Her family loved him and treated him like one of their own. 'Her mum would cook for him and her dad got him his first City job but after four years he started messaging other girls publicly on social media. 'She'd ask him what he was doing because he was also so controlling that he wouldn't even let her talk to other men. Now they have rekindled their romance OIivia has wished her ex and the reality star (picture last weekend) 'good luck' and warned he won't stay faithful 'because he just can't help himself' 'She cannot believe that Dani has now let the love rat back into her life again when she also knows what he's like - but she wishes her the best of luck.' Mac make-up store assistant manager Olivia (above) and Sammy were both 17 and at Seevic College in Benfleet, Essex They officially became a couple two months later in June 2013. The source said: 'Olivia said that he was a lovely boy at first, thoughtful and generous. Her family loved him and treated him like one of their own. Her mum would cook for him and her dad got him his first City job' 'He'd apologise and say that he'd never do it again and of course she believed him. He was her first boyfriend.' The friend says Olivia's dad helped Sammy to get a City job and he changed overnight, choosing to eat in trendy restaurants like Roka in Canary Wharf. 'He'd see Olivia in the evening, then say that he was going home as he was tired. 'Yet the next day she'd see Instagram pictures showing that he'd been out clubbing in Faces in Ilford, Essex, all night. Dani Dyer was one of the crowd he'd party with there. 'She admits that she should have ended things then but she kept letting him get away with it. She loved him. He did exactly what he wanted.' Olivia, confronted Sammy about how Dani Dyer had been following him on social media and then suddenly stopped last summer. He claimed he'd blocked Dani to stop his girlfriend 'going on about it', but she 'didn't believe him'. Her friend continued: 'She finally ended their relationship when a friend told her that Dani had been seeing him all along, despite him saying how "gobby" she was while they'd watched Love Island together. After five years she was devastated.' The friend says Olivia's dad helped Sammy to get City job and he changed overnight. 'He'd see Olivia in the evening, then say that he was going home as he was tired. Yet the next day she'd see Instagram pictures showing that he'd been out clubbing in Faces in Ilford, Essex, all night' Dani Dyer was one of the crowd he'd party with there. 'She admits that she should have ended things then but she kept letting him get away with it. She loved him. He did exactly what he wanted' The friend said Olivia finally ended their relationship when another friend told her Dani had been seeing him last summer. She claims Sammy spent eight months trying to get her back In February this year he briefly met someone else and finally left her in peace until this week when Olivia was inundated on social media with pictures of him dating Dani again The pair met up and Sammy denied sleeping with Dani and tried to do everything he could to woo Olivia back. 'He wouldn't leave Olivia alone. He'd constantly call, turn up at her Canary Wharf shop and ring nightclub staff trying to find out where she was at night.' In February this year he briefly met someone else and finally left her in peace until this week when Olivia was inundated on social media with pictures of him dating Dani again. Mutual friends that she thought that she could trust have been gushing over their reunion. The source said: 'As far as Olivia is concerned, she's well rid of him and Dani is welcome to him.' Dani's steamy clinch with Sammy in London last weekend seemed to be a very public statement that her relationship with Jack Fincham - which ended just under a month ago - was well and truly over. Dani recently hit out at a furious social media follower who'd claimed she'd been in touch with Sammy while still officially dating Jack. Dani and Jack, 27, suffered a rocky romance over the last few months, moving in together, then living apart, before splitting temporarily and then getting back together again. But there was no mistaking the fact that Dani now only has eyes for Sammy. Dani's steamy clinch with Sammy in London last weekend seemed a very public statement that her relationship with Jack Fincham was well and truly over. Dani recently hit out at a furious social media follower who'd claimed she'd been in touch with Sammy while still dating Jack Dani and Jack, 27, suffered a rocky romance over the last few months, moving in together, then living apart, before splitting temporarily and then getting back together again After kissing him in the street the couple were shown walking with a group before being seen later that night, laughing with their pals. At one point, Dani removed her heels. She was seen putting Sammy's socks on and walking along the pavement in them, so as not to hurt her feet. Referring to the pictures, Olivia's friend said: 'If Dani thinks that she's always going to have this perfect gent who'll always be there for her to put his socks on her tired feet at the end of a night out, she's mistaken. 'He's a womaniser and he'll move on. Her family have every right to be concerned. Just like Olivia's family have been.' The comments come after former pen seller Jack ruled out a reunion with Dani but he admitted he still 'fancied' her two weeks on from their second split. Jack was then asked during the TV interview with Good Morning Britain whether his first reunion with Dani had been for publicity. He said: 'I can honestly [say], never ever ever ever would I do that for show. I haven't got the heart for it. I honestly wish her to be happy.' MailOnline has approached Olivia and Sammy for comment. Advertisement Details on the hotly anticipated Bond 25 have been revealed for the first time- with Oscar winner Rami Malek taking on the role of the suave Secret Service agent's latest nemesis. Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami, 37, promised he 'won't give Mr Bond an easy ride' in the explosive next chapter of the franchise, as he appeared live via videolink during a cast Q&A at Goldeneye - Ian Fleming's estate on Oracabessa bay on the northern coastline of Jamaica. Clara Amfo also sat down for a chat with Bond 25 director Cary Joji Fukunaga and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Shaken, not stirred: Details on the hotly anticipated Bond 25 have been revealed for the first time.- with Oscar winner Rami Malek taking on the role of the suave Secret Service agent's latest nemesis Ladies man: James Bond actor Daniel Craig, 51, was joined by (L-R) returning cast member Lea Seydoux (Dr Madeleine Swann), and new Bond Girl Ana de Armas who will play Paloma, Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny) and second new Bond Girl Lashana Lynch) Speaking via videolink from New York City, Rami, 37, said: 'Hi everyone, this is Rami Malek and Im not jealous one bit that youre all in the absolutely stunning setting of Ian Flemings iconic Caribbean home Goldeneye, on the island of Jamaica. 'No, not at all. Im stuck here in New York in production, but I am very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew so very soon. I promise you all I will be making sure Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it in this, his 25th outing. I cant wait to see you all soon. Cheers.' Also joining the cast are Dali Benssalah, Lashana Lynch, Ana De Armas, David Dencik and Billy Magnussen. Newest Bond Girl Ana, 30, first made her Hollywood debut in 2015's Knock Knock alongside Keanu Reeves, and a quick look at her Instagram platform shows her love for uploading bikini and nearly nude snaps from idyllic locations around the world. Final chapter: The untitled next chapter in the Bond franchise will see Daniel Craig, 51, play the suave agent for the fifth and final time Evil : Speaking via videolink from New York City, Rami, 37, said: 'I'm stuck here in New York City , I am very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew. I will be making sure Mr Bond doesn't have an easy ride on this' Acclaimed: Newest Bond villain Rami won an Oscar in 2019 (L) for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (R New role: Mr Robot star Rami was seen in New York City on Thursday after his role in the flick was announced Born in Santa Cruz del Norte, Ana attended the National Theatre School of Cuba at the age of 12, and made her acting debut in 2006's Spanish film, Una rosa de Francia. Ana made the successful crossover to Hollywood in 2015 alongside Keanu in Knock Knock and then went on to work with Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright in 2017's Blade Runner 2049. This will mark Ana's breakthrough Hollywood role and interestingly enough, she has already worked with Daniel Craig on the crime drama Knives Out, which is set for release in November of this year. Plot: In Bond 25, the agent has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica but his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix from the CIA turns up asking for help (above in 2015's Spectre) New guard: Some of the cast and crew sat down for a candid Q&A - with Dali Benssalah, Lashana Lynch, Ana De Armas, David Dencik and Billy Magnussen joining the cast for Bond 25 Farewell: Daniel, 51, revealed his favourite Bond gadget is the classic Aston Martin DB5, seen in 1964's Goldfinger Winning team: Lea, Daniel, Ana, Naomie and Lashana joined Michael G Wilson, Cary Fukunaga and Barbara Broccoli at the photocall Dapper: James Bond actor Daniel opted for an English gentleman look for the launch Characters: On-screen lovers Lea Seydoux (Dr Madeleine Swann) and James Bond actor Daniel Craig posed up on the lawn Who are the seductive new Bond Girls Ana de Armas and Lashana Lynch? Ana de Armas - 30 007 heaven: Newest Bond Girl Ana, 30,is a rising star in Hollywood Newest Bond Girl Ana, 30, made her Hollywood debut in 2015's Knock Knock alongside Keanu Reeves - and a quick look at her Instagram platform shows her love for uploading bikini and nearly nude snaps from idyllic locations around the world. Born in Santa Cruz del Norte, Ana attended the National Theatre School of Cuba at the age of 12, and made her acting debut in 2006's Spanish film, Una rosa de Francia. Ana made the successful crossover to Hollywood in 2015 alongside Keanu Reeves in Knock Knock and then went on to work with Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright in 2017's Blade Runner 2049. Talented: She made her Hollywood debut in 2015's Knock Knock alongside Keanu Reeves This will mark Ana's breakthrough Hollywood role and interestingly enough, she has already worked with Daniel Craig on the crime drama Knives Out, which is set for release in November of this year. Her brand new role as a Bond Girl proved to be a complete change of luck for her, as she previously told Harper's Bazaar that Hollywood roles were difficult to come by. She is starring alongside Lily James, Ed Sheeran and Kate McKinnon in the Danny Boyle comedy Yesterday (June 2019 release). Ana is also working with Penelope Cruz in the thriller Wasp Network, set for release next year. Rising star:She worked with Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright in 2017's Blade Runner 2049 Lashana Lynch - 31 Licence to thrill: British actress Lashana Lynch is the second new Bond Girl Captain Marvel star Lashana, 31, hails from Hammersmith and gushed about her happiness to 'coincide [her] heritage and [her] work' for the spy thriller. The actress first appeared on screens with a role as Precious Miller in The Bill, and she went on to play in an array of other iconic British dramas including Silent Witness, Death In Paradise and Doctors. She made her film debut in Fast Girls opposite Lily James, before going on to make an appearance in 2016 crime drama Brotherhood as Ashanti. Star: She played Maria Rambeau in 2019's Captain Marvel Following these, Lashana landed a lead role in the American period drama Still Star-Crossed as Rosaline Capulet, while she also had a recurring role in Bulletproof as the wife of detective Ronnie Pike Jr (Ashley Walters). Lashana has been enjoying an exhilirating 2019, as she appeared in Captain Marvel as fighter pilot Maria Rambeau, who is the best friend of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers who comes to her aid when she needs it most. Actress: She starred alongside Lily James in 2012 film Fast Girls The actress had replaced DeWanda Wise in the role, and she delighted viewers with her chemistry with Brie, as well as her loving bond to her on-screen daughter Monica, played by Akira Akbar. Advertisement Licence to thrill: Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas will join the cast for Bond 25 Beauty: Newest Bond Girl Ana de Armas, 30, recently starred in 2017's Blade Runner 2049, with her first Hollywood role in 2015, when she appeared in Knock Knock alongside Keanu Reeves Beauty: The Cuban-Spanish actress has been dating Cuban visual artist Alejandro Pineiro Bell since 2018. She was previously married to actor Marc Clotet from 2011 to 2013 She is starring alongside Lily James, Ed Sheeran and Kate McKinnon in the Danny Boyle comedy Yesterday (June 2019 release). Ana is also working with Penelope Cruz in the thriller Wasp Network, set for release next year. Second new Bond Girl Lashana, 31, is a British actress who this year appeared in blockbuster, Captain Marvel. Speaking about being of Jamaican descent during the cast Q&A at Goldeneye from the Caribbean island, the Hammersmith-born star gushed about her happiness to 'coincide [her] heritage and [her] work' for the spy thriller. Lashana explained: 'I feel really happy because my family are from here so it feels really nice to coincide your heritage and your work at the same time and also work with an amazing cast.' Sexy! A quick look at Ana's Instagram platform shows her love for travel, with the beauty regularly uploading sizzling bikini and nearly-nude snaps from idyllic destinations The actress first appeared on screens with a role as Precious Miller in The Bill, and she went on to play in an array of other iconic British dramas including Silent Witness, Death In Paradise and Doctors. She made her film debut in Fast Girls opposite Lily James, before going on to make an appearance in 2016 crime drama Brotherhood as Ashanti. Following these, Lashana landed a lead role in the American period drama Still Star-Crossed as Rosaline Capulet, while she also had a recurring role in Bulletproof as the wife of detective Ronnie Pike Jr (Ashley Walters). Lashana has been enjoying an exhilirating 2019, as she appeared in Captain Marvel as fighter pilot Maria Rambeau, who is the best friend of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers who comes to her aid when she needs it most. The actress had replaced DeWanda Wise in the role, and she delighted viewers with her chemistry with Brie, as well as her loving bond to her on-screen daughter Monica, played by Akira Akbar. Ralph Fiennes (M), Lea Seydoux (Dr Madeleine Swann), Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), Rory Kinnear (Bill Tanner) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) will all return for Bond 25, Leading ladies: Naomie Harris, who plays Eve Moneypenny, said it 'felt right' to have Bond return to Jamaica, as they were joined by newest Bond Girl Ana Setting pulses racing: Daniel kicked off his Bond journey with a bang back in 2006, with the release of Casino Royale She's back: Miss Moneypenny actress Naomie dazzled in a gorgeous yellow dress Stunning: The actresses looked delighted as work on Bond 25 officially began Playful: Cary, Daniel and Ana larked about for the cameras at the launch event In Bond 25, the agent has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica but his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Some of the leading cast members sat down for a candid Q&A where they opened up about their hopes for the explosive new drama. Five time Bond Daniel, 51, said: 'The movies have been an event for myself and it feels right that we coming home here.' Genius line-up: Clara Amfo also sat down for a chat with Bond 25 director Cary Joji Fukunaga and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson Moneypenny actress Naomie admitted during the live Q&A announcement that her family 'went crazy' when she told them she would returning to the franchise, adding that their pride stemmed from her mother growing up on the Caribbean island before emigrating to London. Naomie delightedly revealed: 'All I thought about was my family actually I just thought, "Oh they're gonna go crazy." 'And they did go crazy, they threw a massive party and it's been like a whole celebration. It's not like I just got the job it's like the whole family got the job and they're so excited about it, they're all huge Bond fans, it means so much to all of us. 'They're all so excited because it's happening here [Jamaica]. I'm Jamaican, that's where my roots are from, so it's amazing that it's being launched here, so amazing!' Dapper duo: Cary and Daniel looked dapper in navy suits at the launch Daniel also revealed his favourite Bond gadget is the classic Aston Martin DB5, seen in 1964's Goldfinger. Director Cary said: 'Daniel is my favourite Bond. I want to make sure that we make a great next chapter in the next film. I want to make sure whoever's next has a hard job.' Barbara said: 'It feels incredible to be here. This is where James Bond was created.' Cary Joji Fukunaga added : 'It's definitely an honour, I am now chomping at the bit to get started.' True Detective director Cary is the first American director in the series history The screenplay is by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns with Cary and Phoebe Waller-Bridge Barbara added: 'It's very inspiring, this is where Fleming created Bond. Down there is where Ursula Andress came out of the sea.' Teasing the details of the film, she added: 'Bond is not on active service when we start the film, he is enjoying himself in Jamaica, we consider Jamaica Bond's spiritual home. We have built an extraordinary house for him, he starts his journey here. There is quite a ride in store for Mr Bond.' Rami Malek IS Bond 25's villain: Delighted fans compare him to Blofeld and Freddie Mercury in hilarious memes The internet was awash with fans gushing over Rami Malek being cast as Bond's nemesis in the hotly-anticipated new film, Excited Twitter users took to the social media platform in their droves to discuss their joy at the announcement, with some even taking the opportunity to make a few memes of Rami in his potential costume. One meme saw Rami look like Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Bond's longstanding arch-nemesis who first appeared in You Only Live Twice, as well as a number of later films and portrayed by a variety of actors. You only live twice, Mr. Bond: One meme saw Rami look like Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who was first played by Donald Pleasence (R) and who Christoph Waltz portrayed in Spectre Another Twitter user shared an image of the actor in his Oscar-winning turn as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, and joked that Rami looked 'absolutely dastardly' as the Bond villain. While another shared Rami's meme-worthy 'I'm a fan' promotional video for Mandarin Oriental Hotels that was released in January, as they wrote: 'LEAKED: Rami Malek audition tape for role of Bond Villain' While other fans of the actor went on to express their excitement over the news, as one wrote: 'Rami Malek in #Bond25. I'm sold.' Another user wrote: 'Rami Malek is a PERFECT fit for a Bond villain' And one gushed: 'RAMI MALEK IS IN #BOND25 AND OH SWEET JESUS I'M EXCITED' Sharing their excitement over the news, another said: 'rami malek is the new bond villain can YOU ALL HEAR ME SCREAMIN??' One wrote: 'Yes!! The cast of #Bond25 is looking great! Especially Rami Malek' Delighted: While other fans of the actor went on to express their excitement over the news Advertisement New guard: Dali Benssalah and Jeffrey Wright are confirmed for the newest chapter in the Bond franchise, with Wright returning as Felix Leiter Coming soon: Spanish-Cuban actress Ana De Armas is the newest Bond girl Line-up: Into The Woods actor Billy Magnussen, 34, and British actress and Captain Marvel star Lashana Lynch, 31, will star Newcomer: Danish-Swedish actor David Dencik also joins the cast As well as Jamaica, filming will take place in Norway, Pinewood Studios, locations around London along with Matera, Italy. Just down from GoldenEye is the Laughing Waters beach in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, where Ursula Andress memorably rose from the waves in the first James Bond film, 1962's Dr No, starring Sean Connery. The official 007 Twitter account teased the reveal with a post that read: 'Coming tomorrow at 13:10 GMT, the #BOND25 Live Reveal from an iconic 007 location. Ask the cast a question using #BOND25.' Returning: Ben Whishaw (Q) and Ralph Fiennes (M) will return for Bond 25 Bond's true love? Lea Seydoux returns as Dr Madeleine Swann for the film Bond 25 will be Daniel's fifth outing as 007 and will be released five years after the 24th Bond film, Spectre. The film will be Craig's final appearance as Bond, having previously starred in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). Lea Seydoux's reprisal of Dr Madeleine Swann was confirmed by Cary in December, along with the return of British stars Ralph Fiennes (M), Ben Whishaw (Q) and Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny). Glimpse: A glimpse was also given of one of the sets for Bond 25, showing a tranquil cabin by a lake Filming: The set looked ready for some drama during the YouTube live Idyllic: Goldeneye was the home of Bond creator Ian Fleming, where he wrote all of the novels Perfect setting: The home is where the iconic Secret Service agent was created The director praised the Bond Brit pack and British thespians in general earlier this year noting that he has worked with many on past projects, including Beasts Of No Nation and Jane Eyre. 'You have some of the best actors in the world here,' he told the Daily Mail. 'Why wouldn't I have the best coming back?!' Iconic: Goldeneye encompasses the Laughing Waters beach in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, where Ursula Andress memorably rose from the waves in the first James Bond film, 1962's Dr No Legendary: Dr No saw Sean Connery play the handsome and ruthless Bond Teaser: The official 007 Twitter account shared a snap of the tropical beach made famous in the 1962 Bond Film, Dr No before the big reveal Anticipation: A tweet from the official 007 account on Wednesday read: 'Coming tomorrow at 13:10 GMT, the #BOND25 Live Reveal from an iconic 007 location' Cary stepped in as director when original director Danny Boyle dropped out over 'creative differences'. It was reported that Oscar-winning director Danny wanted to kill off the iconic agent. Bond 25 has reportedly been operating under the working title Shatterhand, a reference to the original Ian Fleming novels where Bond and his nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, first appeared. Blofeld used the alias Dr Guntram Shatterhand in the 1964 novel You Only Live Twice, which follows Bond to Japan where he finds his arch- enemy living under that name, hinting at the setting and basis of the new film. Last month filming got underway on Bond 25 in Nittedal, Norway, where a mysterious, theatrically masked gunman was seen stumbling in pursuit of a terrified young girl as she fled across the ice. Cameramen tracked the pair during what appeared to be a dramatic scene, filmed in a large clearing surrounded by pine trees. In Spectre, Bond was last seen driving into the sunset with sultry psychologist Swann after apprehending perennial nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Eerie: Last month filming got underway on Bond 25 in Nittedal, Norway, where a mysterious, theatrically masked gunman was seen stumbling in pursuit of a terrified young girl as she fled across the ice The film, which divided critics, delved into his past as he traced the origins of a mysterious ring, only to discover it belongs to a global terrorist organisation led by childhood friend Franz Oberhauser - the son of Bond's legal guardian. Originally thought dead, Oberhauser, played by Christoph Waltz, had instead masterminded the criminal group under the alias of Blofeld - his mother's maiden name - with the objective of killing Bond. Earlier this month Layer Cake star Daniel became the longest-serving Bond in history. On April 10, the actor celebrated a record-breaking 4,527 days in the role. Daniel, who took to our screens with his debut Bond film Casino Royale in November 2016, beat former Bond actor Roger Moore, who lasted 4,526 days in the role and Sean Connery, who spent nine years as Bond, to be the longest-serving actor. Suave: He beat former Bond actor Roger Moore, who lasted 4,526 days in the role Pierce Brosnan, who made his first appearance in the Bond movies with Goldeneye in 1995, spent seven years in the iconic role before handing it over in 2002. While Timothy Dalton, who took to our screen with The Living Daylights in 1987, spent three years in the role and George Lazenby only one with his Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. Daniel's record-breaking achievement comes after he said 'I would rather slash my wrists than play James Bond again' in 2015. The comments, which came after the release of the movie Spectre, were later cleared up in an interview with American talk show host Stephen Colbert in 2017. While speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Daniel said: 'It was two days after I finished shooting the last movie. I went straight to an interview and someone said would you do another one? License to kill: Sean Connery spent nine years as Bond, to be the longest-serving actor (pictured in 1964's Goldfinger) Dashing: Pierce Brosnan, who made his first appearance in the Bond movies with Goldeneye in 1995, spent seven years in the iconic role before handing it over in 2002 (pictured in 2002's Die Another Day) 'And I went 'no' and instead of saying something with style and grace I gave a really stupid answer.' During the show, Daniel also confirmed that he would be reprising his role as the British Secret Service agent for the 25th Bond film. While Daniel will now hold the title of the longest-serving Bond, the late Roger Moore will still keep his title for the most amount of Bond films with a staggering seven movies under his belt. Richard Madden, Cillian Murphy, Idris Elba, James Norton, Tom Hiddleston and Tom Hardy have all been touted as possible replacements for Craig when he leaves the role after 14 years. Iconic: While Timothy Dalton, who took to our screen with The Living Daylights in 1987, spent three years in the role Brief; George Lazenby only starred in one Bond film - On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969 (above, with Diana Rigg) 'Mrs Hinch' Sophie Hinchliffe has revealed that she's been forced to cancel her remaining book tour dates in Glasgow, London and Southampton. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the 29-year-old cleaning guru, who is currently six months pregnant, admitted that she is devastated over the decision and to let her fans down. Sophie, who has 2.4million Instagram followers, revealed on Wednesday night that she had been rushed to hospital 'until further notice' but insisted to her worried fans that her unborn baby, who she calls mini Hinch, is 'doing fine'. Cancelled: 'Mrs Hinch' Sophie Hinchliffe has revealed that she's been forced to cancel her remaining book tour dates in Glasgow, London and Southampton (pictured earlier this month) Sharing a heartfelt statement about her book tour, she penned: 'My Hinchers, I am absolutely devastated to say that the very difficult decision has been made to cancel my remaining book tour dates in Glasgow, London and Southampton. 'I am so sorry to let you all down [unhappy emoji]. This has been the hardest decision for me to make, and this is the hardest message I've ever had to type and I can't deny how scared I'm feeling inside right now. 'Penguin, through WHSmiths and Waterstones, will be in contact via email with you all my Hinchers to organise your full refunds. 'I really hope you all understand I need to look after my mini Hinch and put his health first but I'll be back with you all hinching as soon as I can. Upset: Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the 29-year-old cleaning guru, who is currently six months pregnant, admitted that she is devastated over the decision and to let her fans down 'I miss you all so much! As I promised, I'll keep you all updated as much as I can and please continue to hinch for me guys... 'One of the things keeping me going in here is seeing all of your posts and your stories. You're all just amazing. I apologise from the bottom of my heart. Love Soph X.' The update comes after she revealed just hours earlier that her unborn baby son's heart is beating normally as she shared an update on her health after being rushed to hospital 'until further notice'. Taking to Instagram, she reassured fans that 'Baby Hinch is doing fine' as she praised nurses for their hard work just hours after her admission. Statement: Sophie, who has 2.4million Instagram followers, revealed on Wednesday night that she had been rushed to hospital 'until further notice' but insisted to her unborn baby is 'doing fine' The Essex cleaning queen wrote alongside a snap of a foetal heart monitor: 'Baby Hinch is doing fine... I love hearing his heart...I hope you're all OK my Hinchers xx.' Detailing her hospital stay to her 2.4million Instagram followers, the mummy-to-be gushed: 'I'm settled for the night Hinchers, nurses are simply amazing..' Sophie went on to reveal she's overwhelmed with the support she's received from her fans after her hospitalisation. The blonde beauty added: 'I cannot explain how overwhelmed I am with the pure love I have received. Tonight just in messages alone from you all. So emotional but beautiful. My little family and I just love you all. My best friends.. Goodnight.' On Wednesday, the author shared she was rushed to hospital 'until further notice', but insisted that her unborn baby, who she calls mini Hinch, is 'doing fine'. 'So emotional but beautiful': The update comes after she revealed just hours earlier that her unborn baby son's heart is beating normally as she shared an update on her health Update: On Wednesday, the author shared she was rushed to hospital 'until further notice', but insisted that her unborn baby, who she calls mini Hinch, is 'doing fine' She shared a heartfelt statement about her absence from the social media platform as she gave her fans a candid update about her current situation. The former hairdresser penned: 'My Hinchers [heart emoji], as you know, I am always so honest with you all, throughout the good and the bad in my life. 'Unfortunately, I have been rushed to hospital. While our mini Hinch is being fully monitored and doing fine, unfortunately I am not well myself and I am in hospital now until further notice. 'I have wonderful doctors and nurses looking after me around the clock (& Jamie is here being amazing bless him). Candid: Sophie shared a heartfelt statement about her absence from the social media platform as she gave her fans a candid update 'But for now, I have been told I need to focus on getting myself better and keeping healthy in order to carry on growing our mini Hinch and I must listen to professional medical advice. 'I know how amazing you all are and how much you care about me, and the last thing I would want is you all worrying about me without me saying anything at all. 'I promise to keep you all updated as much as I can and please continue to Hinch for me guys, Mrs Hinch needs her Hinchers now more than ever [heart emoji]. I love you all, Soph x.' Sophie has taken the cleaning world by storm, sharing household tips to keep her followers' homes sparkling. The lovable Instagram star revealed on Christmas Day that she was expecting her first child with husband Jamie, she shared a sweet picture of them holding a baby scan while her beloved pet dog Henry wore a bib which said 'big brother' on it. She penned alongside the image: 'My Hinchers [heart emoji] Mr Hinch and I have been keeping a little secret .. All of our Christmas wishes have come true, our mini Hinch will soon be due .. 'Henry is going to be the best big brother ever! I Hope youve all had the most magical Christmas Day .' Just weeks later, in January, Sophie announced that they were expecting a baby boy as she shared a collection of 'baby boy' branded goodies, she captioned the snap with: 'Our Mini Hinch .. Our Darling Boy.' Despite not revealing her baby's exact due date, it is believed that the Instagram sensation is due to give birth in June or July. Speaking recently during an interview on This Morning about how she'll find the time to clean and look after a newborn baby, Sophie said: 'Im a first-time mum so its all new. 'I know my Hinchers will help me because theyve said "dont worry I still have time to clean and Ive got three or four kids". 'And Im like "I can do this". Maybe Ill whack the broom out when baby is asleep and well see how we go. Im just going to have fun with it and just give it my everything I can.' Sophie has spoken about her health in the past and during her first major interview with The Mail on Sunday's You magazine in March, she revealed she underwent a disastrous gastric band operation to lose weight when she was 21. She admitted she underwent a 6,000 procedure to have a gastric band fitted - but was left in agony after it slipped two years later and became wedged in her oesophagus. Surgeons were able to move the band during an emergency operation. It no longer works but has not actually been removed. Speaking out: The blonde candidly spoke about her health in the past and revealed she underwent a disastrous gastric band operation to lose weight when she was 21 (pictured at her book signing earlier this month) 'The surgery works for some people but for me, if I had known the complications and risks, I wouldn't have done it,' she told You magazine. But in addition to the slipped band, her dramatic eight-stone weight loss left excess skin on her arms. An operation to remove it in 2016 led to a serious infection and for a time she feared her left arm would have to be amputated. She added that the ordeal has left her angry at anyone who engages in 'body shaming', adding: 'Even if you lose the weight you never forget the comments.' Inspirational: The former hairdresser started creating an inspiring social media phenomenon two years ago after offering cleaning tips and posting stylish pictures of her home The former hairdresser started creating an inspiring social media phenomenon two years ago after offering cleaning tips and posting stylish pictures of her home. Her fans are known as the 'Hinch Army' and refer to cleaning as 'Hinching'. The so-called 'Mrs Hinch effect' sees supermarkets selling out of her favourite cleaning products which she gives affectionate nicknames calling her duster Dave, her Minky antibacterial cloth Minkeh and her glass-cleaning cloth Kermit. Sophie also spoke about her battle with anxiety and how cleaning helps control her panic attacks. Wow: Only recently, the Essex star released her new book, Hinch Yourself Happy: All The Best Cleaning Tips To Shine Your Sink And Soothe Your Soul, it became the second fastest-selling title ever on the Bookseller's non-fiction chart (pictured in September 2018) 'When I'm at home, and I start to feel a bit of panic in my chest, I will grab a mop or a cloth and put on some good music,' she said to You Magazine. 'It really helps me relax.' Only recently, Sophie released her new book, Hinch Yourself Happy: All The Best Cleaning Tips To Shine Your Sink And Soothe Your Soul, packed with ingenious tips and tricks on how to make cleaning easy, funand even glamorous. The cleaning book became the second fastest-selling title ever on the Bookseller's non-fiction chart, even beating Michelle Obama and Alex Ferguson. This month, Sophie has been on a book singing tour visiting several destinations across the UK, including her beloved hometown Essex and Dublin, Ireland. Busy bee: This month, Sophie has been on a book singing tour (pictured) visiting several destinations across the UK, including her beloved hometown Essex and Dublin, Ireland Married At First Sight's much-loved Jules Robinson has become a target for vicious online trolls. The 37-year-old stunning redhead was called 'fat' and 'desperate' on her Instagram last week in the lead up to her engagement party with fiance Cameron Merchant. 'It is insane for people to think that is acceptable behaviour to treat other people like that. It is not okay,' she told Confidential on Thursday. 'It is scary and not a nice feeling': Married At First Sight's Jules Robinson (pictured) revealed online trolls have called her 'fat' and 'desperate' in an interview published Thursday 'When you are on the receiving end of that, it is scary and not a nice feeling. 'I am OK with some people not liking me but I don't understand why people write such horrible things,' she added. But despite noticing the hateful comments, Jules said she is trying her best to ignore them. Can't ignore it: 'I am okay with some people not liking me but I don't understand why people write such horrible things,' the redhead said 'I don't think you can win against trolling and bullies because that is their thing, so I try to ignore it.' Cameron also said he's received some unsavory comments on his platforms but says he instead tries to turn it around on the bully and ask them if they're okay. The couple then warned any one thinking of applying to be on a reality television show that you need to have a thick skin to deal with the trolls. Engaged! It comes after a happy time for the pair, who celebrated their real-life engagement party on Sunday night. Pictured: Cameron Merchant (left) and Jules Robinson (right) It comes after a happy time for the pair, who celebrated their real-life engagement party on Sunday night. The Sydney venue playing host to the occasion, Acre Eatery, was suitably glamorous - featuring elaborate installations and extravagant floral arrangements. The Married At First Sight golden couple also created a fun-filled atmosphere for the event, installing a photo booth for their bevy of guests including Heidi Latcham and Melissa Lucarelli. With summer just around the corner Kimberley Garner worked on her beach body during a trip to Battersea Park on Wednesday. The former Made In Chelsea star showed off her lithe physique while putting herself through a series of free exercise routines. Accompanied by pet cocker spaniel Sasha, a constant companion whenever she is in London, Kimberley looked typically stunning in a form-fitting crop top and matching grey leggings. Looking good: With summer just around the corner Kimberley Garner worked on her beach body during a trip to Battersea Park on Wednesday With her slender waist on full display, the former TV personality caught the eye as she performed a series of stretches, planks and push-ups. Kimberley is back in London following her recent house-hunting trip to Miami, but insists the British capital will always be her home. In a chat with MailOnline, the blonde admitted she flew to Florida after purchasing a dream home in the coastal city. Hard to miss: Accompanied by pet dog Sasha, a constant companion whenever she is in London, Kimberley looked typically stunning in a form-fitting crop top and matching grey leggings In good company: Pet dog Sasha frolicked with another boisterous dog as they made their way through the park Playful: Kimberley stroked the inquisitive dog on the ear as she watched them play 'I worked very hard last year and had even moved home for a few months to save money,' she explained. 'I really had my head down working to concentrate on goals, but achieved it on New Years Eve, praise God, and flew over here. Completing the sale on the plane over.' Reflecting on her new home, the swimwear designer confessed it is a world away from her former busy life in London. Here we go: Its owner eventually retrieved her pet as it frolicked with Sasha Plenty to talk about: The pair chatted as they watched their dogs interact on Wednesday Looking good: Kimberley was clearly in fantastic shape during her ,latest outing in London Home soil: The former TV personality was back in the United Kingdom following a house-hunting trip to Miami, Florida Toned and trim: With her slender waist on full display, she caught the eye as she prepared for an outdoor exercise session Girl's best friend: Kimberley couldn't resist lavishing Sasha with attention ahead of her workout Who's a good girl? The pretty blonde playfully ruffled her dog's ears 'Its right on the beach, and really is a dream come true,' she explained. 'I am over doing the interior design, going for a beachy chilled vibe for the place. 'I wont be moving here, as London is one hundred percent home, but really overjoyed and proud to have achieved it.' Getting ready: Kimberley pinned her hair back before working out in Battersea Park Here we go: She positioned herself on all fours as Sasha looked on Limbering up: The London based swimwear designer stretched a leg after kicking off her outdoor routine You've done that before: Kimberley's movement was perfect as she performed a series of repetitions Although the reality personality is a swimwear designer, she is now following in her familys footsteps and venturing into high-end property development. After extensive renovations, the former reality star is said to have increased the value of a house which she bought in 2013 for 1.2 million, by over 1 million. The starlet's choice to go into property has resulted in her London pad doubling in value over a five-year period. No wooden acting here: She also worked on her abs by performing a plank Hello you: But exercise soon took a back seat as Sasha once again got some special attention Working up a sweat: Kimberley worked on her push ups, another exercise tailored to home the abdominal muscles He made a name for himself starring in hit TV series Baywatch and Knight Rider. But David Hasselhoff is set to swap Hollywood for Great Britain as he prepares to star as Ebenezer Scrooge in new Christmas musical comedy Scrooge The Funny Family Spectacular. The actor, 66, will transform into Charles Dickens' famous cold-hearted character from December 6th this year, with the star handing one lucky audience member 3k in each show. New role: David Hasselhoff is set to swap Hollywood for Great Britain as he prepares to star as Ebenezer Scrooge in new Christmas musical comedy Scrooge The Funny Family Spectacular Speaking about his exciting new role, David said: 'Ive dreamt of playing Scrooge for a long time. 'The great thing about this production is that its not a panto, its a fully-fledged Christmas show. Its the Dickens classic with great music on a spectacular scale in huge arenas.' He added: 'But just imagine coming to see the show and then walking away with 3,000 in cash! Thats pretty incredible.' The show will also feature Birds of a Feather favourite Pauline Quirke, who will make an appearance as the Ghost of Christmas past via a life-sized hologram. Big change: The actor will transform into Charles Dickens' famous cold-hearted character from December 6th this year handing one audience member 3k in each show (pictured in 1995) Generous: 'Just imagine coming to see the show and then walking away with 3,000 in cash! Thats pretty incredible' As if Pauline and David aren't enough, fans will also be treated to exciting features including a real horse-drawn carriage, a flying four-poster bed, a fluorescent Ghost Train and a magnificent performance of 12 Days of Christmas. The production will also see famous musical clown Charlie Cairoli Jr join in the fun alongside a plethora of West End actors, live musicians, dancers and acrobats - sending the cast to over 100 members strong. The tour will kick off at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena between 6-8 December, before moving on top Birmingham Resorts World Arena between 20-23 December. It concludes at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena, with a show on December 28th. Honest: 'Its very similar to my life, in a way. Ive gone through ups and downs and Im coming back strong, with a beautiful wife and a lot of fantastic opportunities like this' Speaking further about his new role, David added: 'Even though Scrooge is a mean baddie, hes a fun guy, you know? You like him and at the end when he realises his heart was broken he turns into someone who wants to live the rest of his life in a positive way. 'Its very similar to my life, in a way. Ive gone through ups and downs and Im coming back strong, with a beautiful wife and a lot of fantastic opportunities like this.' David married Hayley Roberts, 38, in an intimate ceremony in Puglia, Italy after dating since 2011. The couple met after a chance meeting in a hotel while he was staying in the UK, during his judging stint on Britain's Got Talent. Their romance blossomed after David promised to give her a signature if she went on a date with him in return. The couple announced their engagement in May 2016 via Hello! magazine, with Hayley gushing of the Malibu proposal: 'We were both in tears. I genuinely had no idea he was going to do that. I'm still so overwhelmed.' The actor added: 'I had a saying: 'You don't get married because you want to live with someone, you get married because you can't live without them.' 'I felt that way. I knew that I was really unhappy without her. I waited to propose because I thought I was too old for her.' Ana de Armas has been confirmed as the brand new Bond Girl. The Cuban-Spanish actress, 30, will be starring alongside Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, as well as a new line-up of Rami Malek, Dali Benssalah and Lashana Lynch in the hotly anticipated untitled Bond 25 film, which will be released on 8 April 2020. Ana first made her Hollywood debut in 2015's Knock Knock alongside Keanu Reeves, and a quick look at her Instagram platform shows her love for uploading bikini and nearly nude snaps from idyllic locations around the world. One to watch! Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas, 30, has been confirmed as the brand new Bond Girl Born in Santa Cruz del Norte, Ana attended the National Theatre School of Cuba at the age of 12, and made her acting debut in 2006's Spanish film, Una rosa de Francia. Ana made the successful crossover to Hollywood in 2015 alongside Keanu in Knock Knock and then went on to work with Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright in 2017's Blade Runner 2049. This will mark Ana's breakthrough Hollywood role and interestingly enough, she has already worked with Daniel Craig on the crime drama Knives Out, which is set for release in November of this year. Ana's exciting casting announcement, alongside the rest of the line-up, was made on Thursday, via a live videolink during a cast Q&A at Goldeneye - Ian Fleming's estate on Oracabessa bay on the northern coastline of Jamaica. Major: Ana will be starring alongside Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, as well as a new line-up of Rami Malek, Dali Benssalah and Lashana Lynch in the hotly anticipated Bond 25 Sexy! A quick look at Ana's Instagram platform shows her love for travel, with the beauty regularly uploading sizzling bikini and nearly-nude snaps from idyllic destinations Interestingly enough: Ana has already worked with Daniel Craig on the crime drama Knives Out, which is set for release in November of this year Big moment: Ana's casting announcement, alongside the rest of the line-up, was made on Thursday, via a live videolink during a cast Q&A at Goldeneye - Ian Fleming's estate on Oracabessa bay on the northern coastline of Jamaica L-R: Michael G Wilson, Lea Seydoux, Cary Fukunaga, Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris, Lashana Lynch and Barbara Broccoli at the Bond 25 photocall on Thursday Her brand new role as a Bond Girl proves to be a complete change of luck for her, as she previously told Harper's Bazaar that Hollywood roles were difficult to come by. 'These roles are definitely rare. Thats my fight and I always try to go for them when they come up. As a woman and a Latina, its pretty challenging. 'I have two separate labels to fight against, but I know I just have to stay strong and true to what I believe in,' she revealed. Meanwhile, Ana's Instagram platform, which boasts 1.2 million followers, shows her passion for travel, and she isn't shy in showcasing her sensational physique in an array of saucy snaps. Incredible: Ana looked breathtaking for the photocall and announcement in a figure-hugging nude lace mini dress 'My fight': Her brand new role as a Bond Girl proved to be a complete change of luck for her, as she previously told Harper's Bazaar that Hollywood roles were difficult to come by Rising star: Ana made the successful crossover to Hollywood in 2015 alongside Keanu in Knock Knock and then went on to work with Ryan Gosling (pictured) in 2017's Blade Runner 2049 Racy: Ana has also stripped off in the 2016 movie Hands of Stone for a raunchy scene Smokin' hot: Ana was seen getting extremely hot and heavy with her hunky co-star It's no doubt Ana squeezes in her getaways when she can as she is also busy filming a slew of other high-profile films. She is starring alongside Lily James, Ed Sheeran and Kate McKinnon in the Danny Boyle comedy Yesterday (June 2019 release). Ana is also working with Penelope Cruz in the thriller Wasp Network, set for release next year. She has been dating Cuban visual artist Alejandro Pineiro Bell since 2018. Ana was previously married to actor Marc Clotet from 2011 to 2013. Social media savvy: Her Instagram platform, which boasts 1.2 million followers, shows her passion for travel Wow: Ana isn't shy in showcasing her sensational physique in an array of saucy snaps Meanwhile, Oscar winner Rami Malek has been announced as taking on the role of the suave Secret Service agent's latest nemesis. Ralph Fiennes (M), Lea Seydoux (Dr Madeleine Swann), Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), Rory Kinnear (Bill Tanner) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) will all return for Bond 25, In Bond 25, the agent has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica but his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix from the CIA turns up asking for help. Personal life: She has been dating Cuban visual artist Alejandro Pineiro Bell since 2018. Ana was previously married to actor Marc Clotet from 2011 to 2013 Busy: It's no doubt Ana squeezes in her getaways when she can as she's also busy filming other high-profile films, including the new Danny Boyle movie, set for release later this year The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Bond 25 - the official title of which has not yet been revealed, will be Daniel Craig's fifth outing as 007 and will be released five years after the 24th Bond film, Spectre. Cary Joji Fukunaga will helm the eagerly-anticipated venture, with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson serving as producers. It was revealed on Thursday that Oscar winner Rami Malek would be taking on the role of the suave Secret Service agent's latest nemesis in Bond 25. And the internet was awash with fans gushing over the 37-year-old actor being cast in the hotly-anticipated new film, which marks the final time Daniel Craig will take on the role of 007. Excited Twitter users took to the social media platform in their droves to discuss their joy at the announcement, with some even taking the opportunity to make a few memes of Rami in his potential costume. Joking around: Rami Malek's Bond 25 casting spawned hilarious memes as delighted fans compare him to Blofeld and Freddie Mercury amid his villainous role was revealed on Thursday One meme saw Rami look like Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Bond's longstanding arch-nemesis who first appeared in You Only Live Twice, as well as a number of later films and portrayed by a variety of actors. Another Twitter user shared an image of the actor in his Oscar-winning turn as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, and joked that Rami looked 'absolutely dastardly' as the Bond villain. While another shared Rami's meme-worthy 'I'm a fan' promotional video for Mandarin Oriental Hotels that was released in January, as they wrote: 'LEAKED: Rami Malek audition tape for role of Bond Villain' You only live twice, Mr. Bond: One meme saw Rami look like Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who was first played by Donald Pleasence (R) and who Christoph Waltz portrayed in Spectre Amused: Twitter users joked around about the reveal, with one meme showing him as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody to joke he looked 'absolutely dastardly' as the Bond villain While other fans of the actor went on to express their excitement over the news, as one wrote: 'Rami Malek in #Bond25. I'm sold.' Another user wrote: 'Rami Malek is a PERFECT fit for a Bond villain' And one gushed: 'RAMI MALEK IS IN #BOND25 AND OH SWEET JESUS I'M EXCITED' Sharing their excitement over the news, another said: 'rami malek is the new bond villain can YOU ALL HEAR ME SCREAMIN??' One wrote: 'Yes!! The cast of #Bond25 is looking great! Especially Rami Malek' Delighted: While other fans of the actor went on to express their excitement over the news During the live announcement, Rami promised he 'won't give Mr Bond an easy ride' in the explosive next chapter of the franchise, as he appeared live via videolink during a cast Q&A at Goldeneye - Ian Fleming's estate on Oracabessa bay on the northern coastline of Jamaica. Just down from GoldenEye is the Laughing Waters beach in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, where Ursula Andress memorably rose from the waves in the first James Bond film, 1962's Dr No, starring Sean Connery. He said: 'Hi everyone, this is Rami Malek and Im not jealous one bit that youre all in the absolutely stunning setting of Ian Flemings iconic Caribbean home Goldeneye, on the island of Jamaica.' No, not at all. Im stuck here in New York in production, but I am very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew so very soon. I promise you all I will be making sure Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it in this, his 25th outing. I cant wait to see you all soon. Cheers.' Ominous: During the live announcement, Rami promised he 'won't give Mr Bond an easy ride' in the explosive next chapter of the franchise New guard: The cast sat down for a candid Q&A, as it was also announced that Dali Benssalah, Lashana Lynch, Ana De Armas, David Dencik and Billy Magnussen joining the cast for Bond 25 Joining the cast for the film are Dali Benssalah, Lashana Lynch, Ana De Armas, David Dencik and Billy Magnussen. While Ralph Fiennes, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear and Jeffrey Wright will all return for Bond 25. The film will be Craig's final appearance as Bond, having previously starred in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). In Bond 25, the agent has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica but his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix from the CIA turns up asking for help. Newcomer: Amongst the new additions to the cast was Blade Runner 2049 star Ana De Armas Bond girl: While Captain Marvel star Lashana Lynch will also be part of the film Promotion: Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris, Lea Seydoux, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch and Cary Fukunaga took part in the live q + a from Goldeneye, Jamaica The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. True Detective director Cary Joji Fukunaga is at the helm of Bond 25 and is the first American director in the series history, while the screenplay is by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns, Cary and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. As well as Jamaica, filming will take place in Norway, Pinewood Studios, locations around London along with Matera, Italy. Bond 25 is expected to be released on April 8, 2020. He's tried his luck twice already on the Bachelor In Paradise series. But luck just seems to be in Davey Lloyd's favour as it's teased he will be heading back to the Mango Bay resort in Fiji for the third time. In a teaser for next Tuesday night's episode, which aired on Thursday, Davey is seen running into the resort once again as cast members leap up in shock. Scroll down for video Third time's a charm! Bachelor In Paradise's Davey Lloyd is set to return to the reality show AGAIN, a new preview revealed on Thursday He's baaack, again! The girls all jump to greet the funnyman as he enters the house for the third time since the series began last year in the preview As the girls, including Alex Nation and Alisha Aitken-Radburn, run up to hug him, Davey immediately says: 'Where is she?' appearing to ask for ex-girlfriend Florence Alexandra. But his hopes are quickly diminished when Alex tells him she's on a date. 'I knew it!' he yelps as he bends over in exasperation. 'Where is she?' However, things quickly hit a sour note after Davey discovers his main interest Florence is on a date 'She could be in love with this guy and here we go again, love triangle,' Davey then says in a piece-to-camera. Davey had already been eliminated from the show after love-interest Shannon Baff failed to give him a rose in episode five. But it appears he's been brought back to have another shot at rekindling a relationship with his former flame Florence Alexandra. Here we go again: 'She could be in love with this guy and here we go again, love triangle,' Davey then says in a piece-to-camera in the teaser trailer The pair have been linked ever since the first season, after both Davey and Jake Ellis formed a bond with Florence. However, Davey chose to take Leah Costa on a date and Florence sent Davey packing at the following rose ceremony. The duo then sent tongues wagging after confirming they had been hanging out in real life - yet never confirmed a serious relationship. Linked: Florence (left) and Davey have been linked ever since the first season, after both Davey and Jake Ellis formed a bond with Florence Davey first shot to fame in Sam Frost's season of The Bachelorette where he won legions of fans for his baby-blue eyes and Aussie larrikin sense of humour. Earlier this month, Davey also revealed that he narrowly missed out on being the Bachelor to Nick 'Honey Badger' Cummins. 'I cant say too much but the Honey Badger got it over me,' he reportedly told The Daily Telegraph. Bachelor In Paradise airs next Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten. Her star power is on the rise with a slate of projects scheduled for the year. And Blanca Blanco enjoyed some time away from set as she indulged in retail therapy on Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles. The 38-year-old stunner rocked a pair of velour slacks and a sparkling shirt while chatting with celebrity stylist and creative director of LaPalme Magazine, Derek Warburton, and visiting the local shops in Hollywood. Out and about: Blanca Blanco enjoyed some time away from set as she indulged in retail therapy on Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles Blanca rocked an edgy ensemble complete with dark blue joggers with a black drawstring to match thick stripes running vertically down each thigh. Her slender waistline was on display with a tight black shirt with shimmering gold flakes hugging her torso. She added a cut-off denim jacket to her outfit and pounded the pavement wearing black patent leather heels with white straps. Shop til you drop! The 38-year-old stunner rocked a pair of velour slacks and a sparkling shirt while chatting with celebrity stylist and creative director of LaPalme Magazine, Derek Warburton, and visiting the local shops in Hollywood Walk it out: Blanca rocked an edgy ensemble complete with dark blue joggers with a black drawstring to match thick stripes running vertically down each thigh Blanca's luscious brown hair was blown out into loose waves and she wore a pair of thick black frames over her eyes. She carried a small leopard print purse across her shoulder and an iridescent pink iPhone in one hand. Derek looked stylish wearing a silky navy blue palm frond ensemble complete with a flowing shirt and matching shorts. Beauty: Her slender waistline was on display with a tight black shirt with shimmering gold flakes hugging her torso Style: She added a cut-off denim jacket to her outfit and pounded the pavement wearing black patent leather heels with white straps She was spotted earlier in the week wearing a Girls Bite Back T-shirt with grey sweats as she left the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park. Her year is stacked with projects as she's currently filming The Dog of Christmas and Star Trek Equinox: The Night of Time, according to IMDb. Blanca will work with Jamie Lee Curtis in the recently announced flick Spychosis, which was written by Tom Arnold, and with boyfriend John Savage in the drama Harnessing the Rain. Katie Price has flown to Turkey to undergo cosmetic surgery, after she was left feeling 'insecure' about her two stone weight gain. The television personality, 40, flew out to Instabul on Wednesday night and has booked in for a tummy tuck. It comes after Katie vowed to be a 'MILF' and get her beach body back in My Crazy Life finale, after branding her recent weight gain 'disgusting'. Under the knife: Katie Price has flown to Turkey to undergo cosmetic surgery, after she was left feeling 'insecure' about her two stone weight gain A source told MailOnline: 'Katies gone to Turkey for a procedure because she wants to sort her recent weight gain. 'Shes been insecure since putting on weight so is planning some work to help regain her confidence. ' Katie's representatives declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Glamour model: Katie had a boob job in her early years of modelling increasing her bra size 32 B to 32 44, she has since had many other cosmetic surgeries in recent years (pictured in 1997) On My Crazy Life, the former glamour model, 40, hinted at her unhappiness with her figure. In the series finale, Katie told her friend Dionne she will get her beach body back, after flashing her bloated stomach. Katie has spoken openly about her recent weight struggles after a turbulent year, and recently admitted she feels 'disgusting' when she looks in the mirror. Unconfident: On My Crazy Life, the former glamour model, 40, hinted at her unhappiness with her figure Wanting to make a change: In the series finale, Katie told her friend Dionne she will get her beach body back, after flashing her bloated stomach She said: 'I've had five children, so yeah, I have put on weight and yeah it is affecting me because I find other people in the industry my size and they say yeah look at my nice curvy figure, but with me oh no if I put on weight I'm pregnant and I'm fat. I've always put on two dress sizes so what?' Despite lamenting her recent body woes, Katie vowed to get in shape for the summer, telling Dionne: 'I've always been a pin up I've always had ''the body'' and now I haven't got ''the body.'' 'I'm going to change my whole outlook, I want to go blonde I want the sun-kissed look I want my beach body and I want to turn it around. I want to be a MILF.' Katie has spoken openly about her weight loss struggles in recent months after a turbulent year, and recently confessed she feels 'disgusting' when she looks in the mirror. Change: The businesswoman has undergone rhinoplasty, teeth veneers, bottom lifts, boob jobs and liposuction over the years (left pictured in 2004 after her appearance on I'm A Celebrity, right pictured earlier this month) She said on Loose Women earlier this month: 'My body, I am normally 52kg, I am now 63 I have never had to worry, I just eat what I want. 'Everyone used to say, ''You wait 'til you get to 40''...I've changed...I have put on weight and I look disgusting. [When I look in the mirror] I see my mum! I've got a mum bod. 'It's because I've never worked outI am going to do something about it, I've joined a gym but all I keep going on about is the spa there. I keep going, lying on the day bed and eating' Pining for her older figure: Katie regularly flaunted her bikini body during her glamour modelling days (pictured in 2005) The star was also branded a 'tramp' by her personal trainer Kris Boyson in a recent live-stream, where he also insisted she needed to 'lose weight.' Back in November, Katie discussed her cosmetic surgery hell on Loose Women which she claimed left her 'ill for days'. She said: 'I realised it was because I hadn't read the box, I'm allergic to penicillin and that's what I was taking. 'I was ill for days. I was crying and saying I couldn't go on air. Anyone who has any surgery - you don't just have the surgery and look great, it's always the in-between.' The businesswoman has undergone rhinoplasty, teeth veneers, bottom lifts, boob jobs and liposuction. The glamorous reality television star also has regular Botox and dermal filler regime. Candid: Katie is no stranger to sharing pictures from her plastic surgery, and has even shared videos of herself under the knife Blac Chyna shared some very alluring images to her 15.3m Instagram followers on Wednesday evening. The ex-fiancee of Rob Kardashian showed off her toned legs while in a pair of over-the-knee boots, often referred to as 'kinky boots,' while wearing a blazer as a dress. 'You can overcome whatever is going on around you if you believe in the light that lives within you! Blessing to all ... Love, Angela,' the mother-of-two wrote in the caption. Haute stuff: Blac Chyna shared some very alluring images to her 15.3m Instagram followers on Wednesday evening The Rob & Chyna star wore her long pink tinted hair down and had on heavy makeup for the shoot taken at home. The blue blazer had a white and black belt that cinched her tiny waist. And in all of the photos, her intricate leg tattoo could be seen as well. Her evening look: The ex-fiancee of Rob Kardashian showed off her toned legs while in a pair of over-the-knee boots, often referred to as 'kinky boots,' while wearing a blazer as a dress Inspiring: 'You can overcome whatever is going on around you if you believe in the light that lives within you! Blessing to all ... Love, Angela,' the mother-of-two wrote in the caption This comes after she revealed she has been accepted on a Harvard business course. The television personality will partake in an online course called Business Analytics at the university's Business School, working 40 hours over eight weeks. Chyna, real name Angela Renee White, told TMZ: 'Where I'm at now is a stage of realization and growth, I want to be great for myself and my kids. The school in Cambridge: The television personality will partake in an online course at University's Business School, working 40 hours over eight weeks 'School is going to help me take things up a couple of notches. 'People are always talking about me, might as well talk about the good, I'm excited for the next chapter.' In a letter obtained by the publication it read: 'Dear Angela, 'Congratulations! On behalf of Harvard Business School Online, I am pleased to inform you that your application has been approved for the Business Analytics cohort beginning May 29, 2019. Perspective: Chyna issued a passionate statement on Instagram on Monday, revealing she's been 'bullied, humiliated and manipulated' as a mother. Here she is seen on Easter with daughter Dream and son King Cairo What a cutie! Dream is being co-parented by Chyna and Rob 'We are excited to welcome you to the HBS Online community and are eager to engage with you in the coming months. 'The HBS Online team is confident that your participation throughout the course will be invaluable to your fellow cohort members. We look for to having you join us!' It comes just days after the 30-year-old posted an impassioned Instagram post about how she was looking forward to 'new beginnings' after feeling 'bullied, humiliated and manipulated as mother'. Chyna issued a passionate statement on Instagram on Monday, revealing she's been 'bullied, humiliated and manipulated' as a mother. The model and mother-of-two promised her fans she'd be more open, hinting the 'perspective' of her from the media and people closest to her hasn't been accurate. 'Growth is painful. Change is painful. But, nothing is as painful as being where you do not belong! #newbeginnings,' she said in the caption of her Instagram post. 'Over the last couple of years, you guys have been given a perspective of who I am from the media and people closest to me,' she began. 'I've been Bullied, Humiliated, Manipulated and Discredit(ed) as a mom!' she continued, though she didn't mention who specifically did those things. 'Looking back at a lot of my actions, I'm reflecting and realizing that confusion is a serious thing,' she added. Statement: The model and mother-of-two promised her fans she'd be more open, hinting the 'perspective' of her from the media and people closest to her hasn't been accurate 'Of course, I'm not proud of some of the pain I have caused, and I'm working to be the best me,' she added. 'Blac Chyna doesn't define Angela White as a person,' she continued. 'At 30, I am overwhelmed by the blessings I have. Being a mother of two amazing children.' She added that she's planning on opening up, adding, 'I don't talk on things often but I promise to give you guys more of me. Angela White perspective.' 'Thank you for years of endless love. Your support for me is a blessing,' Blac Chyna concluded. On better terms: She recently resolved a custody dispute with Rob Kardashian, where they agreed he will stop paying her over $20,000 a month in maintenance; seen in 2016 Chyna spent her Easter Sunday hunting for Easter Eggs with her two children, two year old Dream Kardashian, who she had with Rob Kardashian, and six year old King Cairo, who she had with Tyga. While Blac Chyna didn't specifically address any incidents of bullying, manipulating or humiliation, she has had a rather tumultuous year. Earlier this month, Blac Chyna was sued for $48,000 for five months of unpaid rent for a rental property she left in Studio City, California. She also recently resolved a custody dispute with Rob Kardashian, where they agreed he will stop paying her over $20,000 a month in maintenance. She did wish her ex a happy birthday in March, as their daughter Dream threw him a St. Patrick's Day themed party. Georgia Toffolo had good company on Thursday afternoon as she stepped out in London. The Made In Chelsea star was joined by a handsome male companion during a shopping trip in the city, and the pair looked close as they exited a local Gucci store. Touching his cheek with the palm of her hand, Georgia, 24, appeared to be in high spirits during their brief outing. Don't mind us: Georgia Toffolo had good company on Thursday afternoon as she stepped out in London with a handsome male friend The TV personality, who was previously linked with YouTube star Jack Maynard, looked gym ready in a grey T-shirt, matching leggings and trainers as the pair set off down the street. But the smouldering cigarette she frequently puffed on completely undermined her otherwise healthy demeanour. Joining Georgia, her male friend smiled appreciatively as she stroked his face while holding a bag from the upmarket designer store. Close: Touching his cheek with the palm of her hand, Georgia, 24, appeared to be in high spirits during their brief outing The previous day Georgia cut a sporty figure as she left a Chelsea beauty salon after enjoying a luxurious pampering session. The I'm A Celebrity winner nailed off-duty chic in a plain white T-shirt, which she teamed with grey leggings and grey and white trainers. The star tied a red hoodie around her waist and placed all her essentials in a black rucksack. Letting her natural beauty radiate, Georgia - affectionately known as Toff - ditched the make-up for the day, while her blonde locks were left to flow loosely in the wind. Contrast: The TV personality looked gym ready as the pair set off down the street, but the smouldering cigarette she frequently puffed on completely undermined her otherwise healthy demeanour Her outing comes after Georgia revealed she's single as she lifted the lid on her love life in HELLO! magazine. In the interview, she insisted she's not 'fazed' by the reports swirling about her relationship with vlogger Jack Maynard, also 24, as she compared dates to 'social experiments'. Georgia and YouTuber Jack first bonded during their appearance on I'm A Celebrity in 2017, and have since gone on to form a close friendship. And while the pair's relationship garnered attention from fans, she has shut down rumours of a blossoming romance. Stepping out: The previous day Georgia cut a sporty figure as she left a Chelsea beauty salon after enjoying a luxurious pampering session Low-key style: The I'm A Celebrity winner nailed off-duty chic in a plain white T-shirt, which she teamed with grey leggings and grey and white trainers More than friends? Georgia insisted she's not 'fazed' by the reports swirling about her relationship with vlogger Jack Maynard, also 24, as she compared dates to 'social experiments' (pictured in August 2018) Talking exclusively to MailOnline about her love life and Jack, Georgia, otherwise known as Toff, said: 'We weren't really ever together, we just went on a date. I think on social media it looked like we were really, really together, so yeah. 'We're so close, I DM him most days, I adore him, but it's just not, you know, in the romantic sense. 'Nothing has changed, he still comes over most days, everything is really good. It's really nice for me to set the record straight, I am single and so is he.' The former Queen Of The Jungle previously dated Survival Of The Fittest star James Middleton, 25, in 2017 and enjoyed a brief romance with MIC co-star Richard Dinan in 2016. Georgia recently opened up on the aftercare she received after coming out of the jungle as the winner. Speaking to Metro.co.uk about she 'struggled with the adjustment', she explained: 'I was in there a month and really happy in there and came out to this amazing world where everyone wanted a bit of me, but my friends and family had had that month to adjust to it and I hadn't.' She continued: 'The psychologist came over and took me to a room and closed the door can you imagine what was going on outside? and then it was really quiet and she looked at me and said, "Are you ok?" 'I said I was overwhelmed and shocked, and she told me it would be a hectic period of my life but "We're here, I'll be with you, we're here".' Mischa Barton has come to an agreement in the lawsuit against her stemming from her infamous U-Haul crash in February 2017. The 33-year-old actress reached a settlement deal with the homeowners association of an apartment building that she crashed into. The Blast reports that court documents show the building has filed a notice confirming the conditional settlement. No details of the agreement have been revealed but Mischa has until June 25 to fulfill the terms of the deal, at which point the company will drop the lawsuit. Closing the case: Mischa Barton (pictured in October) has come to a settlement agreement in the lawsuit stemming from her infamous U-Haul crash in February 2017 The Blast reports that a settlement hearing is scheduled for next week. It comes after the website reported that the homeowners' association for the Park Wellington in West Hollywood had been demanding to question the actress about her 'level of intoxication and mental health at the time of the accident as impacted by her hospitalization for an apparent breakdown two weeks prior to the accident'. Mischa was hospitalized for a mental evaluation in January 2017 after neighbors found her in her backyard in a distressed state rambling and screaming incoherently. 'On the evening of the 25th, I went out with a group of friends to celebrate my birthday. While having drinks, I realized that something was not right as my behavior was becoming erratic and continued to intensify over the next several hours,' Mischa later said in the statement to People. Getting personal: As part of the ongoing lawsuit the homeowners' association for the Park Wellington in West Hollywood had been demanding to question the actress (seen in 2017) about her 'level of intoxication and mental health at the time of the accident' 'I voluntarily went to get professional help, and I was informed by their staff that I had been given GHB. After an overnight stay, I am home and doing well...This is a lesson to all young women out there, be aware of your surroundings.' Some weeks later Mischa rented a U-Haul truck with her then-boyfriend, Adam Spaw, and crashed it causing damage to the Park Wellington building. They drove the truck into plaster covered support beams in a carport, causing severe structural damages that required repairs. Park Wellington homeowners' association sued the London-born, Manhattan-raised actress for $26,991.55 of damages in October 2017 after the insurance claim against Mischa's ex-boyfriend, who rented the U-Haul, was denied. In February 2017 Mischa rented a U-Haul truck with her then-boyfriend, Adam Spaw, and crashed it into a carport causing damage to the Park Wellington building. She is pictured June 2017 Rough time: The crash happened a couple of weeks after Mischa was hospitalized for a mental evaluation in January 2017 after neighbors found her in her backyard rambling and screaming incoherently. She is pictured in 2012 At the Mischa denied all wrongdoing and blamed the building for the accident despite there being video of the accident. Mischa was filmed stepping in front of the truck and exclaiming: 'The whole things looks like it's going to fall.' 'Oh my god, this is really bad,' she admitted. 'Oh wait, and everything I own is in that U-Haul. Wait a second. What are we even going to do about this?' U-Haul also sued the actress, claiming she abandoned the rented truck and the contents where it was jammed. When she allegedly came to collect her possessions, staff refused to give them back until she paid them an outstanding bill of $5,828 for the truck rental, as well as the storage. Captain Marvel star Lashana Lynch is one of the new Bond Girls to appear in the hotly-anticipated new 007 film. The British actress, 31, will be starring alongside Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, as well as newcomers Rami Malek and Ana de Armas in the untitled Bond 25 film, which will be released on 8 April 2020. Speaking about being of Jamaican descent during the cast Q&A at Goldeneye from the Caribbean island, the Hammersmith-born star gushed about her happiness to 'coincide [her] heritage and [her] work' for the spy thriller. Rising star: Lashana Lynch was revealed on Thursday as the second 'Bond Girl' to appear alongside Daniel Craig in new 007 film Lashana explained: 'I feel really happy because my family are from here so it feels really nice to coincide your heritage and your work at the same time and also work with an amazing cast.' The actress first appeared on screens with a role as Precious Miller in The Bill, and she went on to play in an array of other iconic British dramas including Silent Witness, Death In Paradise and Doctors. She made her film debut in Fast Girls opposite Lily James, before going on to make an appearance in 2016 crime drama Brotherhood as Ashanti. Following these, Lashana landed a lead role in the American period drama Still Star-Crossed as Rosaline Capulet which is set in the after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Impressive talent: Lashana wowed fans this year with her portrayal as fighter pilot Maria Rambeau, best friend of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers Stylish: Lashana looked dazzling in a powder blue puffy shirt and trousers which she paired with matching heels Great choices: Lashana will be starring alongside Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, as well as newcomers Rami Malek and Ana de Armas, in the untitled Bond 25 film Power to women: Lashana has had an exhilarating 2019 after appearing in the Marvel film as Maria, best friend of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers who comes to her aid when she needs it most While the actress also had a recurring role in Bulletproof as the wife of detective Ronnie Pike Jr (Ashley Walters). Lashana has been enjoying an exhilarating 2019, as she appeared in Captain Marvel as fighter pilot Maria Rambeau, who is the best friend of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers who comes to her aid when she needs it most. The actress had replaced DeWanda Wise in the role, and she delighted viewers with her chemistry with Brie, as well as her loving bond to her on-screen daughter Monica, played by Akira Akbar. Lashana's exciting casting announcement, alongside the rest of the line-up, was revealed via a live videolink during a cast Q&A at Goldeneye - Ian Fleming's estate on Oracabessa bay on the northern coastline of Jamaica. Fan favourite: The actress had replaced DeWanda Wise in the role, and she delighted viewers with her chemistry with Brie Making her mark: Lashana first appeared on screens with a role in The Bill, and she went on to play in other iconic British dramas including Silent Witness, Death In Paradise and Doctors Enjoying herself: Lashana posed for a snap from her hotel room in Jamaica ahead of the news Great food: The actress also gave fans a glimpse at the wonderful food she had Meanwhile, Oscar winner Rami Malek has been announced as taking on the role of the suave Secret Service agent's latest nemesis. Ralph Fiennes (M), Lea Seydoux (Dr Madeleine Swann), Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), Rory Kinnear (Bill Tanner) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) will all return for Bond 25, In Bond 25, the agent has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica but his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix from the CIA turns up asking for help. Great start: Lashana made her film debut in Fast Girls opposite Lily James, before going on to make an appearance in 2016 crime drama Brotherhood as Ashanti Big break: Lashana landed a lead role in the American period drama Still Star-Crossed as Rosaline Capulet, who is betrothed to Benvolio Montague (Wade Briggs) Excited: The actress was so pleased about filming in the series she shared a snap on Instagram, and it is set in the after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet Working hard: The actress also had a recurring role in Bulletproof as the wife of detective Ronnie Pike Jr (Ashley Walters, right) The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Bond 25 - the official title of which has not yet been revealed, will be Daniel Craig's fifth outing as 007 and will be released five years after the 24th Bond film, Spectre. Cary Joji Fukunaga will helm the eagerly-anticipated venture, with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson serving as producers. Bond 25 is expected to be released on April 8, 2020. He impressed the judges with his rugged good looks and rippling physique that he landed the very first Mr World Australia title on Wednesday night. But since images of Love Island Australia's Eden Dally's 'runway' looks have begun to circulate, he's swiftly apologised for his 'horrendous' fake tan. The 26-year-old prisoner guard, whose currently dating MAFS' Cyrell Paule, spoke to Confidential on Friday, apologising for his particularly golden hue. 'It looked like I was dipped in mud!' Newly crowned Mr World Australia Eden Dally (pictured) apologised on Thursday for his extreme fake tan at the pageant in Melbourne 'Sorry, it looked horrendous, hey?' he admitted. The former reality star explained that he was asked to change shades for the competition but overdid it. He told the paper: 'So I went to this lady and she just sprayed it on like there was no tomorrow. 'Get a tan,' they said: Eden's particularly golden hue has led the former Love Island star 'cop flak' for it 'It looked like I was dipped in mud. I tried to wash it off, but it was just orange. I've copped some flak about it, and so I should. It doesn't look good,' he concluded. Eden beat out fierce competition to take home the prestigious title, which included The Voice winner Harrison Craig and Bachelor In Paradise Paddy Colliar. He will now move onto the final stage which will take place in the Philippines in July. 'It looked horrendous': The reality star, whose currently dating Cyrell Paule from MAFS, admits the tan 'doesn't look good' Talking to Daily Mail Australia after his win on Wednesday night, the heartthrob said he was 'over the moon'. 'I can't wait to get over to the Philippines and represent my country against the world and help with many different charities,' he said. As part of the competition, the men had to endure a 'army assault course' before participating in an 'explosive fashion show'. Emmerdale ex-star Shila Iqbal has broken her silence two weeks after being sacked from the soap. Taking to Instagram to post her interview from This Morning, the actress insisted there was 'no malice' in her racist and homophobic tweets and said she's 'more mature and wiser' since the scandal. It came after Shila claimed she 'didn't know the true meaning' of her offensive posts during her TV appearance earlier this week, and admitted it was 'unfair' that she had been judged on the posts which she shared as a teenager. Speaking out: Emmerdale ex-star Shila Iqbal has broken her silence two weeks after being sacked from the soap Shila wrote: 'I want to say I am truly sorry to anyone who I have hurt or offended with the tweets I sent as a silly, uneducated teenager. 'Please know I do not condone the language I used 6/7 years ago. Even if I was having a conversation with friends and had no malice behind the tweets, the now mature and wiser me knows that it was utterly wrong of me to do so. 'Also, thank you so much to everyone who has supported me through this difficult time. 'Thank you to all you wonderful strangers who have reached out and sent messages of support, it means so much Thank you This Morning and thank you Phil & Holly.' Horrific: Taking to Instagram to post her interview on Tuesday's This Morning, the actress insisted there was 'no malice' in her racist and homophobic tweets It comes after Shila made a remorseful appearance on This Morning earlier this week, when she relayed the sequence of events which led her to being fired: 'It was the first day I'd come back as I'd been off for a few weeks. 'I went into work and I got called in by the producers and shown some tweets I'd shared 6/7 years ago, I was shocked to see I sent those words. Half an hour later I got called back and told I wouldn't be renewing my contract.' 'I felt like I was dreaming. I do not condone the use of those words. I wouldnt dream of using them anymore, so for them to be in front of me, I couldn't believe it.' Shocking: Shila was sacked from Emmerdale earlier this month, after tweets resurfaced from her teenage years with featured racist and homophobic language Breaking her silence: In her post, Shila also thanked fans for their support, describing herself as a 'silly, uneducated teenager' when she made the posts Speaking of the tweets in question, she then explained: 'There was no malicious intent behind the tweets. It was conversation banter between me and my friends. It was influenced by the hip hop music we were listening to. 'It did determine the language we used. I didnt understand the true meanings behind them, the implications and the hurt those words could cause.' Shila was keen to express that she was a completely different person she was now to when she shared those tweets. 'To be honest, if the person has changed and shown remorse and your attitudes have changed, then no you should judge the person you are today. 'I know I have made a terrible mistake, but I want to use my negative situation to bring about positives from it. I want to show people how the words we use have a huge impact on other people and I think we have to take a moral responsibility and use language appropriately and think about our actions.' 'It's all been so surreal. I obviously at that time didn't realise what I was doing. I wasnt aware of the implications behind the words, but now I have matured and become educated.' Hard time: It comes after Shila made a remorseful appearance on This Morning earlier this week, when she relayed the sequence of events which led her to being fired Controversial: During the interview, the star implied that it was 'unfair' that she was being judged in such a way for her behaviour as a teenager Speaking of her dream job being left in tatters, Shila stated: 'I'm a professional and I didnt have the responsibility I do. I do own up to the fact that I used inappropriate language and I don't speak like that anymore. 'This is a blow, I was at such a high point in my life when it all came crashing down, but I will move on from this. I'm hoping to remain positive.' Phillip Schofield then asked her if she thought she had been treated fairly, to which she responded: 'It's a tricky one. I think ITV have a moral obligation to do what's right by the public and the fact that we take a stand and we don't tolerate this language in society. 'But I do question "is it fair that I'm being judged on something I did as a teenager?" There was no negative intention. I wasn't hurling abuse at anyone. I made a mistake definitely, but that's not who I am.' Shocker: Shila also previously told The Sun that producers took the easy option by firing her and believes she should have been given another chance This comes a few days after Shila claimed ITV should not have fired her over historic racist and homophobic tweets because she showed 'remorse' for her actions. But Shila said producers took the easy option by firing her and believes she should have been given another chance. In an emotional interview with The Sun, Shila said: 'It was easy for them to let go of me and I suppose make an example of me. 'I was remorseful, and I think that should have been taken into account with my young age and the fact that I wasn't a professional actor at that age.' Not the cast: But a spokesperson for Emmerdale hit back at the claims, and insisted that support was offered to Shila when her contract was terminated A spokesperson for Emmerdale hit back at the claims, saying in a statement to MailOnline: 'We offered Shila Iqbal support when this situation happened. 'We asked her if there was anyone we could contact who could come in and support her, a relative or friend. We also said she could call any of us at any time. She repeatedly said she was fine and didn't want any help. 'We also immediately contacted her agent who offered her advice and support.' The tweets revealed by Mail Online are part of a series of messages posted by the actress and passed to ITV. Revealed: The shocking racist and homophobic content of tweets sent by Emmerdale actress Shila Iqbal which led to her sacking, were revealed by Mail Online earlier this month Controversial: The actress, who sent the messages when she was 19 and attending college in Rochdale, apologised for her remarks and deleted her entire Twitter account In one Twitter posting, she wrote: Do not tweet me you gay,' while another stated: 'I know too many noisy n****s' and followed it with a sad face emoji. The actress, who sent the messages when she was 19 and attending college in Rochdale, apologised for her remarks and deleted her entire Twitter account. But Shila says she should have been suspended over the Tweets and not fired on the spot. The actress also hit back at ITV producers for poor aftercare after she was axed, claiming she was only offered a session with a counsellor two or three days after the show. The star says she has been inundated with trolls branding her a racist and homophobe and has suffered from panic attacks since being sacked. She said: 'I can't tell you how many panic attacks I've had and the constant feeling of anxiety and fear within you. I'm being branded as a homophobe and a racist and that's very, very far from who I am as a person. That's difficult to cope with.' She's reportedly an heiress to an estimated 800million, as the granddaughter of the late property tycoon Jack Dellal. But that doesn't mean model and photographer Alice Dellal is any sort of diva. The 31-year-old headed to the Verve London Pet Boutique & Cafe in Notting Hill on Thursday, and had a plastic bag poking out of her pocket, so she could pick up after her animals. Edgy: Model Alice Dellal was pictured walking her dogs to a pet cafe in Notting Hill on Thursday... (and the 800m heiress isn't too posh to pick up after them) Alice was sporting a low-key look in a cropped sweater, which she teamed with a low-slung pair of black skinny jeans which were cropped and frayed at the ankle. The Brazilian-British stunner wore her hood up and over a beanie hat and wore a comfortable pair of Asics trainers for the walk. Alice is famously an animal lover and had her Rottweiler/Staffie cross, Penny with her to the right, and another unknown animal to the left. Always prepared: She had a bag in her pocket to pick up after her pooches and also flashed the 'CALL MUM' tato she had inked on her hand two years ago The creative star has always danced to her own tune and during the walk, she flashed several hand tattoos. One of them, 'CALL MUM' looked like it had possibly be done with a biro, but Alice had it tattooed back in 2017, to remind her to keep in touch with mother Andrea. Alice, who has modelled for the likes of Chanel, Agent Provocateur and Marc Jacobs, is no stranger to tattoos. She has a shark on her palm, a skeleton on her upper arm, triangles up one of her fingers and the initials DC on another. As the granddaughter of 'Black' Jack Dellal, the Brazilian property tycoon, Alice stands to inherit a fortune of 800 million. Despite this, Alice has always been hardworking and famed photographer Mario Testino once called her his 'muse'. The well-connected socialite is the sister is shoe designer Charlotte Olympia. Love is in the air. And John Cena gave a sweet send-off to his new girlfriend to Shay Shariatzadeh at the Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday afternoon. The 42-year-old wrestler put on an amorous display and kissed Shariatzadeh outside of the Air Canada terminal before she boarded a flight back to Vancouver. Taking flight: John Cena gave a sweet send-off to his new girlfriend to Shay Shariatzadeh at the Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday afternoon Cena's bulging biceps were noticeably on display in a tight black T-shirt paired with black slacks. Shay showed off peeks of her midriff wearing a pink crop top and black, high-wasted leggings with a matching sweater. He made sure to help his new lady love with her bags before sending her on her way with a sweet kiss. Love: The 42-year-old wrestler put on an amorous display and kissed Shariatzadeh outside of the Air Canada terminal before she boarded a flight back to Vancouver The Avigilon product manager was likely heading back to work after a long weekend with her beau. An eyewitness told E! News that the couple were pretty 'casual' while on a date at the Tower23 Hotel's restaurant in San Diego last weekend. John and Shay sat side-by-side for the sunset dinner and reportedly would 'touch each other's legs' throughout the meal. Techy: The Avigilon product manager was likely heading back to work after a long weekend with her beau You can't see me! Cena most recently guest hosted The Ellen DeGeneres Show His former fiancee Nikki Bella revealed on The Bellas Podcast that her stomach was initially 'in knots' when she saw headlines that he was dating Shay, but she ultimately just wants what is best for Cena. 'I'm very happy for him,' Nikki said. 'As long as John is happy, I'm happy, but let me tell you, she breaks his heart, wow ... I will Rack Attack her in a heartbeat. Still protective of that man.' John dropped to one knee and proposed to Nikki during Wrestlemania 33 in 2017 after dating for nearly five years. The couple's relationship played out on her reality show Total Divas and then on Total Bellas, with the pair going their separate ways and calling off their wedding in April. Camille Grammer has won her legal battle against ex-boyfriend Dimitri Charalambopoulos, according to TMZ. The former wife of TV star Kelsey Grammer claimed that the Dallas bankruptcy lawyer physically assaulted her in a swanky Houston hotel room in October of 2013, leading to him suing her for defamation. However, on Wednesday a jury ruled that the 50-year-old reality TV star 'did not defame [Dimitri] by reporting' the assault, according to documents obtained by the gossip site. Happier times: Camille Grammer has won her legal battle against ex-boyfriend Dimitri Charalambopoulos, according to TMZ. The pair seen here in 2012 The former dancer 'was awarded $36,000 in damages for the assault' say TMZ. Meanwhile, she was also awarded $25 in her counter-suit for defamation against Charalambopoulos. That was in response to an Access Hollywood interview the lawyer gave in which he claimed the TV personality fabricated her story. In 2014, a grand jury declined to charge Dimitri criminally for the assault, determining there was 'not enough evidence to proceed with the case,' per TMZ. Ex: The former wife of TV star Kelsey Grammer [pictured 2000] claimed that the Dallas bankruptcy lawyer physically assaulted her in a swanky Houston hotel room in October of 2013 Grammer claims Charalambopoulos assaulted her in the early morning hours of October 16, 2013, after she had an operation done in Houston. She said she awoke to text messages on Charalambopoulos' phone from a woman, which she questioned Charalambopoulos about. According to her declaration filed in a Los Angeles court, Grammer claims that Charalambopoulos 'became verbally abusive toward me, shouting expletives and insulting me with misogynic epithets. 'He grabbed me by the hair, twisted it around his hand, and repeatedly pulled my head into the bed and its headboard.' RHOBH: The former dancer 'was awarded $36,000 in damages for the assault' say TMZ She continued in her statement: 'In so doing, Mr. Charalambopoulos succeeded in pulling out swaths of my hair and gave me a large, painful contusion on the side of my head. 'All the while, I was screaming for help. Mr. Charalambopoulos squeezed my nose between his fingers and pushed upward forcefully, meanwhile covering my mouth in an attempt to silence me and to prevent me from breathing. 'I experienced great pain in my nose and became afraid for my life as a consequence.' Director and screenwriter John Singleton is reportedly in a coma after suffering a major stroke. The 51-year-old director's stroke is much more serious than the family first revealed over the weekend according to a Thursday report from TMZ. The medical emergency occurred last week after returning from a trip in Costa Rica as the filmmaker experienced problems with his legs as family members previously characterized the stroke as 'mild'. Tough times: Director and screenwriter John Singleton (pictured in February) is in a coma after suffering a major stroke according to a Thursday report from TMZ Legal documents obtained by TMZ state that John's mother, Shiela Ward, is requesting that a judge appoint her as temporary conservator because he is 'unable to properly provide for his personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.' Ward stated that her son was engaged in several business projects and was also prepared to sign a lucrative settlement agreement before the medical emergency and she would like to handle those affairs while Singleton is unable to. His family had issued a statement on Saturday afternoon giving a status on his condition. Sad: The medical emergency occurred last week after returning from a trip in Costa Rica as the filmmaker experienced problems with his legs as family members previously characterized the stroke as 'mild' 'On Wednesday, April 17th our beloved son/father, John Singleton, suffered a stroke while at the hospital. John is currently in the ICU and under great medical care,' their statement read according to THR. 'We ask that privacy be given to him and our family at this time and appreciate all of the prayers that have been pouring in from his fans, friends and colleagues.' Columnist B. Scott broke the news on her blog on Saturday morning, writing: 'According to our sources, the legendary John Singleton is in the hospital after suffering a stroke,' 'His condition is unknown at this time, but were sending prayers his way. Well keep you updated with any significant developments.' Scott wrote. TMZ reports that Singleton checked himself into a medical center after suffering weakness in his leg. A family member told the site he had just flown back from Costa Rica, which may have triggered the health issue. The stroke was described as 'mild' by sources. Prayers: Singleton's pal Snoop Dogg posted a message on social media after the news was reported on Saturday Singleton's pal Snoop Dogg posted a message on social media after the news was reported on Saturday. 'Pray [for] my brother John Singleton.' the rapper wrote next to a photo of himself with the director. Actor Omar Epps wrote: 'Prayers up for [John Singleton,]. Pull thru brother! The world needs your voice and vision. Prayers up for your family as well. Hip hop star P.M. Dawn tweeted: 'Prayers up Yall. I just woke up & heard director John Singleton had a stroke. We still need you Sir, please fight it & bounce back.' Singleton is best known for directing 1991 film Boyz n the Hood starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube. He also wrote and directed Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, Baby Boy and the 2000 version of Shaft. Singleton is divorced and has four adult children. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator and star of the acclaimed BBC comedy Fleabag and also the writer of Killing Eve, has been officially confirmed as one of the scribes of the latest James Bond film. It was reported that she had flown to New York earlier this year to meet 007 star Daniel Craig before agreeing to work on the script for the 25th movie in the spy franchise. And on Thursday, at a press event announcing details of the next film, it was revealed that the screenplay will be penned by Waller-Bridge, 33, as well as Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns with [the film's director] Cary Joji Fukunaga also contributing. It's official: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator and star of the acclaimed BBC comedy Fleabag and also the writer of Killing Eve, has been officially confirmed as one of the scribes of the latest James Bond film A source previously said: Phoebe is the hottest young writer in the UK and Hollywood at the moment. Everyone wants her. Shes a natural choice for Bond. She flew to New York and met Daniel and they immediately hit it off. He thinks shes a genius. Her dialogue is sharp and brilliant. Its young, its fun and it is all about female empowerment. This will be a very modern Bond for the MeToo era. Fans of the writer were thrilled by the news, flocking to Twitter to hail the decision to enlist her on the project. 'Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Cary Joji Funaga being involved in the next Bond make it potentially the best one,' one person tweeted. Impressed: It was reported that she had flown to New York earlier this year to meet 007 star Daniel Craig before agreeing to work on the script for the 25th movie in the spy franchise A second wrote: 'Huh. Phoebe Waller-Bridge writing the new James Bond. Does this mean I'll finally have to watch a James Bond film?' 'Here's hoping, with Phoebe Waller Bridge on the writing team the new Bond is deliciously dark and funny like her other programmes. I'd actually watch it then,' someone else tweeted. A fourth penned: 'Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the most exciting part of this announcement!' The best is yet to come? It was a resounding thumbs up across Twitter '#Phoebewallerbridge you Queen,' another fan gushed. Another called for a Killing Eve crossing: 'With Phoebe Waller-Bridge writing for #Bond25 I'm going to be really disappointed if Villanelle doesn't make an appearance!' Waller-Bridge already boasts a BAFTA for her performance in Fleabag, the second series of which recently finished to universal acclaim. Her adaptation of Killing Eve helped to make the thriller a huge hit both in Britain and the US last year. She has also had a part in the Star Wars series, as an android in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Oscar winner Rami Malek is taking on the role of the suave Secret Service agent's latest nemesis, as announced by producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson on Thursday. Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami, 37, promised he 'won't give Mr Bond an easy ride' in the explosive next chapter of the franchise, as he appeared live via videolink during a cast Q&A at Goldeneye - Ian Fleming's estate on Oracabessa bay on the northern coastline of Jamaica. Swan song: Daniel Craig has played James Bond since 2005, first appearing in Casino Royale. He has since appeared in Quantum of Sollace, Skyfall and Spectre. The latest Bond film will be his last film in the series. Meanwhile, fans are thrilled to learn of Waller-Bridge's appointment as co-writer, claiming it will be 'the best Bond yet' Speaking via videolink from New York City, Rami, 37, said: 'Hi everyone, this is Rami Malek and Im not jealous one bit that youre all in the absolutely stunning setting of Ian Flemings iconic Caribbean home Goldeneye, on the island of Jamaica. 'No, not at all. Im stuck here in New York in production, but I am very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew so very soon. I promise you all I will be making sure Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it in this, his 25th outing. I cant wait to see you all soon. Cheers.' Also joining the cast are Dali Benssalah, Lashana Lynch, Ana De Armas, David Dencik and Billy Magnussen. Newest Bond Girl Ana, 30, first made her Hollywood debut in 2015's Knock Knock alongside Keanu Reeves, and a quick look at her Instagram platform shows her love for uploading bikini and nearly nude snaps from idyllic locations around the world. Final chapter: The untitled next chapter in the Bond franchise will see Daniel Craig, 51, play the suave agent for the fifth and final time Evil : Speaking via videolink from New York City, Rami, 37, said: 'I'm stuck here in New York City , I am very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew. I will be making sure Mr Bond doesn't have an easy ride on this' Acclaimed: Newest Bond villain Rami won an Oscar in 2019 (L) for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (R New role: Mr Robot star Rami was seen in New York City on Thursday after his role in the flick was announced Born in Santa Cruz del Norte, Ana attended the National Theatre School of Cuba at the age of 12, and made her acting debut in 2006's Spanish film, Una rosa de Francia. Ana made the successful crossover to Hollywood in 2015 alongside Keanu in Knock Knock and then went on to work with Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright in 2017's Blade Runner 2049. This will mark Ana's breakthrough Hollywood role and interestingly enough, she has already worked with Daniel Craig on the crime drama Knives Out, which is set for release in November of this year. Plot: In Bond 25, the agent has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica but his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix from the CIA turns up asking for help (above in 2015's Spectre) New guard: Some of the cast and crew sat down for a candid Q&A - with Dali Benssalah, Lashana Lynch, Ana De Armas, David Dencik and Billy Magnussen joining the cast for Bond 25 Farewell: Daniel, 51, revealed his favourite Bond gadget is the classic Aston Martin DB5, seen in 1964's Goldfinger Winning team: Lea, Daniel, Ana, Naomie and Lashana joined Michael G Wilson, Cary Fukunaga and Barbara Broccoli at the photocall Dapper: James Bond actor Daniel opted for an English gentleman look for the launch Characters: On-screen lovers Lea Seydoux (Dr Madeleine Swann) and James Bond actor Daniel Craig posed up on the lawn Who are the seductive new Bond Girls Ana de Armas and Lashana Lynch? Ana de Armas - 30 007 heaven: Newest Bond Girl Ana, 30,is a rising star in Hollywood Newest Bond Girl Ana, 30, made her Hollywood debut in 2015's Knock Knock alongside Keanu Reeves - and a quick look at her Instagram platform shows her love for uploading bikini and nearly nude snaps from idyllic locations around the world. Born in Santa Cruz del Norte, Ana attended the National Theatre School of Cuba at the age of 12, and made her acting debut in 2006's Spanish film, Una rosa de Francia. Ana made the successful crossover to Hollywood in 2015 alongside Keanu Reeves in Knock Knock and then went on to work with Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright in 2017's Blade Runner 2049. Talented: She made her Hollywood debut in 2015's Knock Knock alongside Keanu Reeves This will mark Ana's breakthrough Hollywood role and interestingly enough, she has already worked with Daniel Craig on the crime drama Knives Out, which is set for release in November of this year. Her brand new role as a Bond Girl proved to be a complete change of luck for her, as she previously told Harper's Bazaar that Hollywood roles were difficult to come by. She is starring alongside Lily James, Ed Sheeran and Kate McKinnon in the Danny Boyle comedy Yesterday (June 2019 release). Ana is also working with Penelope Cruz in the thriller Wasp Network, set for release next year. Rising star:She worked with Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright in 2017's Blade Runner 2049 Lashana Lynch - 31 Licence to thrill: British actress Lashana Lynch is the second new Bond Girl Captain Marvel star Lashana, 31, hails from Hammersmith and gushed about her happiness to 'coincide [her] heritage and [her] work' for the spy thriller. The actress first appeared on screens with a role as Precious Miller in The Bill, and she went on to play in an array of other iconic British dramas including Silent Witness, Death In Paradise and Doctors. She made her film debut in Fast Girls opposite Lily James, before going on to make an appearance in 2016 crime drama Brotherhood as Ashanti. Star: She played Maria Rambeau in 2019's Captain Marvel Following these, Lashana landed a lead role in the American period drama Still Star-Crossed as Rosaline Capulet, while she also had a recurring role in Bulletproof as the wife of detective Ronnie Pike Jr (Ashley Walters). Lashana has been enjoying an exhilirating 2019, as she appeared in Captain Marvel as fighter pilot Maria Rambeau, who is the best friend of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers who comes to her aid when she needs it most. Actress: She starred alongside Lily James in 2012 film Fast Girls The actress had replaced DeWanda Wise in the role, and she delighted viewers with her chemistry with Brie, as well as her loving bond to her on-screen daughter Monica, played by Akira Akbar. Advertisement Licence to thrill: Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas will join the cast for Bond 25 Beauty: Newest Bond Girl Ana de Armas, 30, recently starred in 2017's Blade Runner 2049, with her first Hollywood role in 2015, when she appeared in Knock Knock alongside Keanu Reeves Beauty: The Cuban-Spanish actress has been dating Cuban visual artist Alejandro Pineiro Bell since 2018. She was previously married to actor Marc Clotet from 2011 to 2013 She is starring alongside Lily James, Ed Sheeran and Kate McKinnon in the Danny Boyle comedy Yesterday (June 2019 release). Ana is also working with Penelope Cruz in the thriller Wasp Network, set for release next year. Second new Bond Girl Lashana, 31, is a British actress who this year appeared in blockbuster, Captain Marvel. Speaking about being of Jamaican descent during the cast Q&A at Goldeneye from the Caribbean island, the Hammersmith-born star gushed about her happiness to 'coincide [her] heritage and [her] work' for the spy thriller. Lashana explained: 'I feel really happy because my family are from here so it feels really nice to coincide your heritage and your work at the same time and also work with an amazing cast.' Sexy! A quick look at Ana's Instagram platform shows her love for travel, with the beauty regularly uploading sizzling bikini and nearly-nude snaps from idyllic destinations The actress first appeared on screens with a role as Precious Miller in The Bill, and she went on to play in an array of other iconic British dramas including Silent Witness, Death In Paradise and Doctors. She made her film debut in Fast Girls opposite Lily James, before going on to make an appearance in 2016 crime drama Brotherhood as Ashanti. Following these, Lashana landed a lead role in the American period drama Still Star-Crossed as Rosaline Capulet, while she also had a recurring role in Bulletproof as the wife of detective Ronnie Pike Jr (Ashley Walters). Lashana has been enjoying an exhilirating 2019, as she appeared in Captain Marvel as fighter pilot Maria Rambeau, who is the best friend of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers who comes to her aid when she needs it most. The actress had replaced DeWanda Wise in the role, and she delighted viewers with her chemistry with Brie, as well as her loving bond to her on-screen daughter Monica, played by Akira Akbar. Ralph Fiennes (M), Lea Seydoux (Dr Madeleine Swann), Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), Rory Kinnear (Bill Tanner) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) will all return for Bond 25, Leading ladies: Naomie Harris, who plays Eve Moneypenny, said it 'felt right' to have Bond return to Jamaica, as they were joined by newest Bond Girl Ana She's back: Miss Moneypenny actress Naomie dazzled in a gorgeous yellow dress Stunning: The actresses looked delighted as work on Bond 25 officially began Playful: Cary, Daniel and Ana larked about for the cameras at the launch event In Bond 25, the agent has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica but his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Some of the leading cast members sat down for a candid Q&A where they opened up about their hopes for the explosive new drama. Five time Bond Daniel, 51, said: 'The movies have been an event for myself and it feels right that we coming home here.' Genius line-up: Clara Amfo also sat down for a chat with Bond 25 director Cary Joji Fukunaga and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson Moneypenny actress Naomie admitted during the live Q&A announcement that her family 'went crazy' when she told them she would returning to the franchise, adding that their pride stemmed from her mother growing up on the Caribbean island before emigrating to London. Naomie delightedly revealed: 'All I thought about was my family actually I just thought, "Oh they're gonna go crazy." 'And they did go crazy, they threw a massive party and it's been like a whole celebration. It's not like I just got the job it's like the whole family got the job and they're so excited about it, they're all huge Bond fans, it means so much to all of us. 'They're all so excited because it's happening here [Jamaica]. I'm Jamaican, that's where my roots are from, so it's amazing that it's being launched here, so amazing!' Dapper duo: Cary and Daniel looked dapper in navy suits at the launch Daniel also revealed his favourite Bond gadget is the classic Aston Martin DB5, seen in 1964's Goldfinger. Director Cary said: 'Daniel is my favourite Bond. I want to make sure that we make a great next chapter in the next film. I want to make sure whoever's next has a hard job.' Barbara said: 'It feels incredible to be here. This is where James Bond was created.' Cary Joji Fukunaga added : 'It's definitely an honour, I am now chomping at the bit to get started.' True Detective director Cary is the first American director in the series history. Barbara added: 'It's very inspiring, this is where Fleming created Bond. Down there is where Ursula Andress came out of the sea.' Teasing the details of the film, she added: 'Bond is not on active service when we start the film, he is enjoying himself in Jamaica, we consider Jamaica Bond's spiritual home. We have built an extraordinary house for him, he starts his journey here. There is quite a ride in store for Mr Bond.' Rami Malek IS Bond 25's villain: Delighted fans compare him to Blofeld and Freddie Mercury in hilarious memes The internet was awash with fans gushing over Rami Malek being cast as Bond's nemesis in the hotly-anticipated new film, Excited Twitter users took to the social media platform in their droves to discuss their joy at the announcement, with some even taking the opportunity to make a few memes of Rami in his potential costume. One meme saw Rami look like Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Bond's longstanding arch-nemesis who first appeared in You Only Live Twice, as well as a number of later films and portrayed by a variety of actors. You only live twice, Mr. Bond: One meme saw Rami look like Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who was first played by Donald Pleasence (R) and who Christoph Waltz portrayed in Spectre Another Twitter user shared an image of the actor in his Oscar-winning turn as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, and joked that Rami looked 'absolutely dastardly' as the Bond villain. While another shared Rami's meme-worthy 'I'm a fan' promotional video for Mandarin Oriental Hotels that was released in January, as they wrote: 'LEAKED: Rami Malek audition tape for role of Bond Villain' While other fans of the actor went on to express their excitement over the news, as one wrote: 'Rami Malek in #Bond25. I'm sold.' Another user wrote: 'Rami Malek is a PERFECT fit for a Bond villain' And one gushed: 'RAMI MALEK IS IN #BOND25 AND OH SWEET JESUS I'M EXCITED' Sharing their excitement over the news, another said: 'rami malek is the new bond villain can YOU ALL HEAR ME SCREAMIN??' One wrote: 'Yes!! The cast of #Bond25 is looking great! Especially Rami Malek' Delighted: While other fans of the actor went on to express their excitement over the news Advertisement New guard: Dali Benssalah and Jeffrey Wright are confirmed for the newest chapter in the Bond franchise, with Wright returning as Felix Leiter Coming soon: Spanish-Cuban actress Ana De Armas is the newest Bond girl Line-up: Into The Woods actor Billy Magnussen, 34, and British actress and Captain Marvel star Lashana Lynch, 31, will star Newcomer: Danish-Swedish actor David Dencik also joins the cast As well as Jamaica, filming will take place in Norway, Pinewood Studios, locations around London along with Matera, Italy. Just down from GoldenEye is the Laughing Waters beach in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, where Ursula Andress memorably rose from the waves in the first James Bond film, 1962's Dr No, starring Sean Connery. The official 007 Twitter account teased the reveal with a post that read: 'Coming tomorrow at 13:10 GMT, the #BOND25 Live Reveal from an iconic 007 location. Ask the cast a question using #BOND25.' Returning: Ben Whishaw (Q) and Ralph Fiennes (M) will return for Bond 25 Bond's true love? Lea Seydoux returns as Dr Madeleine Swann for the film Bond 25 will be Daniel's fifth outing as 007 and will be released five years after the 24th Bond film, Spectre. The film will be Craig's final appearance as Bond, having previously starred in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). Lea Seydoux's reprisal of Dr Madeleine Swann was confirmed by Cary in December, along with the return of British stars Ralph Fiennes (M), Ben Whishaw (Q) and Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny). Glimpse: A glimpse was also given of one of the sets for Bond 25, showing a tranquil cabin by a lake Filming: The set looked ready for some drama during the YouTube live Idyllic: Goldeneye was the home of Bond creator Ian Fleming, where he wrote all of the novels Perfect setting: The home is where the iconic Secret Service agent was created The director praised the Bond Brit pack and British thespians in general earlier this year noting that he has worked with many on past projects, including Beasts Of No Nation and Jane Eyre. 'You have some of the best actors in the world here,' he told the Daily Mail. 'Why wouldn't I have the best coming back?!' Iconic: Goldeneye encompasses the Laughing Waters beach in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, where Ursula Andress memorably rose from the waves in the first James Bond film, 1962's Dr No Legendary: Dr No saw Sean Connery play the handsome and ruthless Bond Teaser: The official 007 Twitter account shared a snap of the tropical beach made famous in the 1962 Bond Film, Dr No before the big reveal Anticipation: A tweet from the official 007 account on Wednesday read: 'Coming tomorrow at 13:10 GMT, the #BOND25 Live Reveal from an iconic 007 location' Cary stepped in as director when original director Danny Boyle dropped out over 'creative differences'. It was reported that Oscar-winning director Danny wanted to kill off the iconic agent. Bond 25 has reportedly been operating under the working title Shatterhand, a reference to the original Ian Fleming novels where Bond and his nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, first appeared. Blofeld used the alias Dr Guntram Shatterhand in the 1964 novel You Only Live Twice, which follows Bond to Japan where he finds his arch- enemy living under that name, hinting at the setting and basis of the new film. Last month filming got underway on Bond 25 in Nittedal, Norway, where a mysterious, theatrically masked gunman was seen stumbling in pursuit of a terrified young girl as she fled across the ice. Cameramen tracked the pair during what appeared to be a dramatic scene, filmed in a large clearing surrounded by pine trees. In Spectre, Bond was last seen driving into the sunset with sultry psychologist Swann after apprehending perennial nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Eerie: Last month filming got underway on Bond 25 in Nittedal, Norway, where a mysterious, theatrically masked gunman was seen stumbling in pursuit of a terrified young girl as she fled across the ice The film, which divided critics, delved into his past as he traced the origins of a mysterious ring, only to discover it belongs to a global terrorist organisation led by childhood friend Franz Oberhauser - the son of Bond's legal guardian. Originally thought dead, Oberhauser, played by Christoph Waltz, had instead masterminded the criminal group under the alias of Blofeld - his mother's maiden name - with the objective of killing Bond. Earlier this month Layer Cake star Daniel became the longest-serving Bond in history. On April 10, the actor celebrated a record-breaking 4,527 days in the role. Daniel, who took to our screens with his debut Bond film Casino Royale in November 2016, beat former Bond actor Roger Moore, who lasted 4,526 days in the role and Sean Connery, who spent nine years as Bond, to be the longest-serving actor. Suave: He beat former Bond actor Roger Moore, who lasted 4,526 days in the role Pierce Brosnan, who made his first appearance in the Bond movies with Goldeneye in 1995, spent seven years in the iconic role before handing it over in 2002. While Timothy Dalton, who took to our screen with The Living Daylights in 1987, spent three years in the role and George Lazenby only one with his Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. Daniel's record-breaking achievement comes after he said 'I would rather slash my wrists than play James Bond again' in 2015. The comments, which came after the release of the movie Spectre, were later cleared up in an interview with American talk show host Stephen Colbert in 2017. While speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Daniel said: 'It was two days after I finished shooting the last movie. I went straight to an interview and someone said would you do another one? License to kill: Sean Connery spent nine years as Bond, to be the longest-serving actor (pictured in 1964's Goldfinger) Dashing: Pierce Brosnan, who made his first appearance in the Bond movies with Goldeneye in 1995, spent seven years in the iconic role before handing it over in 2002 (pictured in 2002's Die Another Day) Iconic: While Timothy Dalton, who took to our screen with The Living Daylights in 1987, spent three years in the role Brief: George Lazenby only starred in one Bond film - On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969 (above, with Diana Rigg) 'And I went 'no' and instead of saying something with style and grace I gave a really stupid answer.' During the show, Daniel also confirmed that he would be reprising his role as the British Secret Service agent for the 25th Bond film. While Daniel will now hold the title of the longest-serving Bond, the late Roger Moore will still keep his title for the most amount of Bond films with a staggering seven movies under his belt. Richard Madden, Cillian Murphy, Idris Elba, James Norton, Tom Hiddleston and Tom Hardy have all been touted as possible replacements for Craig when he leaves the role after 14 years. Harvard Business School has reportedly denied offering Blac Chyna a place on one of it's online courses, hours after the former model took to Instagram boast of her achievements Harvard Business School has reportedly denied offering Blac Chyna a place on one of it's online courses, hours after the former model boasted of her enrollment. The 30-year-old former stripper announced she had been offered a place on the Business Analytics course, which requires 40 hours study over eight weeks, telling her 15 million Instagram followers that now was the time to 'take things up a couple of notches.' However, a Harvard representative said afterwards that the school 'has not admitted nor provided an acceptance letter to a person named Angela White [Blac Chyna],' making her acceptance letter fake, according to TMZ. Chyna's announcement was controversial from the outset, after it emerged a company offering academic services propositioned her, telling the mother-of-two that they would complete all of her at-home study sessions for a fee of $3,250. But the subsequent revelation that Chyna may never have been admitted to the school in the first place appears to have made the offer moot. Self-proclaimed Social Media Renaissance Man, Emiliano is understood to be behind the offer of academic aid, telling Chyna in an email that his company would complete the work, and would provide her with a comprehensive study guide for the one on-campus exam included in the syllabus. Emiliano's pitch claimed that for $3,250: 'Our team will complete all the course work for you, all you have to do is take one test (we will provide you the study guide) and then take credit for the program.' The way the fees are dispersed according to the document are that it is $2,250 for the actual course while $1,000 goes to the firm for them to complete it. Hallowed halls: According to the publication part of the pitch included taking a photo of the client in a Harvard hoodie and posts on social media from the campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts (pictured) This comes days after news that the television personality revealed she got accepted to the program Elsewhere in the email, Emiliano brazenly suggested: 'You can go on the Harvard campus and take a picture with a Harvard hoodie on / you can post updates on your Snapchat and Instagram Story.' The apparent acceptance letter, seen by the DailyMail.com, stated: 'Dear Angela, 'Congratulations! On behalf of Harvard Business School Online, I am pleased to inform you that your application has been approved for the Business Analytics cohort beginning May 29, 2019. 'We are excited to welcome you to the HBS Online community and are eager to engage with you in the coming months. 'The HBS Online team is confident that your participation throughout the course will be invaluable to your fellow cohort members. We look for to having you join us!' The television personality will partake in an online course at University's Business School, working 40 hours over eight weeks Statement: The model and mother-of-two promised her fans she'd be more open, hinting the 'perspective' of her from the media and people closest to her hasn't been accurate A day ago, Chyna wrote an impassioned Instagram post about how she was looking forward to 'new beginnings' after feeling 'bullied, humiliated and manipulated as mother'. Chyna, real name Angela Renee White, told TMZ: 'Where I'm at now is a stage of realization and growth, I want to be great for myself and my kids. 'School is going to help me take things up a couple of notches. 'People are always talking about me, might as well talk about the good, I'm excited for the next chapter.' Things are heating up in Fiji, but is it time for the female stars of Bachelor in Paradise to cover up? After several contestants wore revealing G-string bikinis on Thursday's episode, some viewers suggested that they should dress more conservatively. 'Are bikini wedgies considered hot now?' one outraged fan wrote on Twitter, while another wrote: 'Do women no longer wear bikinis that actually cover their bottom?' 'Are bikini wedgies considered hot now?' Bachelor in Paradise fans went in a frenzy over the stars' VERY revealing swimwear on Thursday's episode. Pictured: Tenille Favios 'They look extremely uncomfortable': After several contestants wore revealing G-string bikinis, viewers suggested that they should dress more conservatively A similar tweet read: 'When did wearing one's bikini bottoms literally up one's butt crack become a thing?' 'All these dental floss bikinis look extremely uncomfortable,' commented another disappointed viewer. One fan wondered if the bikinis were getting 'smaller and smaller as the episodes go on', while another tweeted: 'Next we will see them just wearing a leaf!' Too far? On Thursday's episode, several of the women wore tiny bikini bottoms that exposed their bare buttocks. Pictured left: Tenille Favios, and right: Alisha Aitken-Radburn Bottoms up! The skimpy swimwear was particularly obvious when the women lined up to greet Canadian intruder Daniel Maguire (far left) upon his arrival at the resort Strip show: One viewer wondered if the bikinis were getting 'smaller and smaller as the episodes go on', while another tweeted: 'Next we will see them just wearing a leaf!' What will Bill Shorten say? Alisha, who works for the NSW Labor Party, flaunted her pert derriere in white G-string bottoms as she greeted Daniel However, there were also plenty of viewers who defended the Bachelor contestants' right to wear cheeky swimwear. One supportive fan tweeted: 'Not sure why women are... snarkily judging the women's bikini bottoms? I think anyone can wear what they like.' Another wrote: 'I am jealous of Tenille's body confidence because I can't wear bikini bottoms like that'. No judgement here! However, there were also plenty of viewers who defended the Bachelor contestants' right to wear cheeky swimwear. Pictured: Alisha and Daniel Inspirational: One fan tweeted, 'I am jealous of Tenille's body confidence because I can't wear bikini bottoms like that'. Pictured: Tenille Favios Fashion police: 'Not sure why women are... snarkily judging the women's bikini bottoms? I think anyone can wear what they like,' wrote a supportive viewer Even Bachelor in Paradise host Osher Gunsberg weighed in on the controversy, saying that he doesn't know what all the fuss is about. He tweeted: 'I don't understand why so many people are so confronted by bikinis on this show. If that's what they want to wear, isn't that okay?' On Thursday's episode of Bachelor in Paradise, several female contestants wore tiny bikini bottoms that exposed their bare buttocks. This was particularly obvious when Tenille Favios and Alisha Aitken-Radburn greeted intruder Daniel Maguire upon his arrival at the resort. Osh's take: Even Bachelor in Paradise host Osher Gunsberg (pictured) weighed in on the controversy, saying that he doesn't know what all the fuss is about She usually favours a more flirty and feminine look. And Kelly Brook was breaking with convention when she left the Global Radio studios in London on Thursday following her daily presenting gig, rocking a pink shellsuit. The brunette beauty, 39, sported a casual look for her outing, dressing down in the blush pink number with gold and white panels. Dressed down: Kelly Brook was breaking with convention when she left the Global Radio studios in London on Thursday following her daily presenting gig, rocking a pink shellsuit Kelly favoured comfort in her off-duty rags, setting off her look with a pair of pale pink trainers. She slung a white handbag across her shoulders and shielded her eyes with large shades, wearing her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The stunning model blended in with the crowd as she made her way back home to her country abode in Kent. Keeping it casual: Kelly favoured comfort in her off-duty rags, setting off her look with a pair of pale pink trainers Low-key: She slung a white handbag across her shoulders and shielded her eyes with large shades, wearing her hair pulled back in a ponytail Heading off: The stunning model blended in with the crowd as she made her way back home to her country abode in Kent Earlier in the week, Kelly was sharing behind-the-scenes snaps and videos as she got to work on her upcoming 2020 edition in Portugal. The model certainly looked like she'd got her confidence back, posing for a very busty selfie in a teal bikini top. Sporting a full face of make-up and wearing her hair down in tousled waves, Kelly struck a sultry pose as she hung out in between takes. Stunning: Earlier in the week, Kelly was sharing behind-the-scenes snaps and videos as she got to work on her upcoming 2020 edition in Portugal The gorgeous brunette captioned the sizzling selfie: 'Full Glam for this Weekends Shoot #Calendar2020'. Her fans were delighted with the post, enthusing, 'wow', 'stunning' and 'roll on 2020. Kelly also shared a number of behind-the-scenes snaps as she messed around with the photographer and waited around in hair and make-up. Selfie time: Sporting a full face of make-up and wearing her hair down in touseled waves, Kelly struck a sultry pose as she hung out in between takes Living it up: Kelly also shared a number of behind-the-scenes snaps as she messed around with the photographer and waited around in hair and make-up Last year, Kelly confessed she didn't feel at her most confident while shooting for her 2019 calendar as she had gained a little bit of weight. Kelly said: 'You can kind of get away with carrying the extra weight when you're on telly because you can put a baggy dress on but when I did my calendar shoot I really felt it. 'And I don't like feeling that way because I've always loved shooting my calendar but I just thought, "Oh maybe I should hang up my bra and not do it anymore".' Bouncing back: Kelly confessed she didn't feel at her most confident while shooting for her 2019 calendar as she had gained a little bit of weight. Kelly shocked fans when she confessed her boyfriend Jeremy Parisi and her own mother had told her candidly she needed to lose weight. She told The Sun the time: 'My boyfriend said I looked like a little balloon, it wasnt just trolls it was him as well. 'I told my mum she should stop drinking once and she said "you should stop eating". 'My family are quite real with me, Im not living in some dream world. It was pretty apparent everyone was like "what are you going to do about it?"'. Kelly has since dropped two dress sizes and feels back to her best again. She started her career in front of the camera at a young age after being discovered in Colombia. And Sofia Vergara looked effortlessly chic in an emerald green dress as she made her way to the Alevi Milano brunch at the swanky Spring Place in Beverly Hills on Thursday afternoon. The 46-year-old actress flaunted her hourglass figure in the tight gown to celebrate Alevi's first season on Forward by Elyse Walker. Positively stunning! Sofia Vergara looked effortlessly chic in an emerald green dress as she made her way to the Alevi Milano brunch at the swanky Spring Place in Beverly Hills on Thursday afternoon The Modern Family star looked sensational in the figure-hugging dress which featured an abstract neckline and peplum waist. Her tanned and toned legs peered out from below the knee-length garment as she walked into the exclusive event. Sofia added inches to her already statuesque frame with a pair of black Alessia sandals, which seemed to be custom made to include even taller heels than the original design. Beauty: The 46-year-old actress flaunted her hourglass figure in the tight gown to celebrate Alevi's first season on Forward by Elyse Walker Vergara carried a creamy beige leather satchel in one hand and opted to keep her accessories to a minimum aside from her sparkling diamond wedding ring and a pair of emerald drop earrings. Her caramel-colored hair was freshly blown out and worn straight past her shoulders, and she added a pale plum lipstick to her classic glam. Once inside the stylish event, Sofia made her way through to chat with co-founder Valentina Micchetti, who looked lovely in a floaty white dress and red Kate heels from her collection. Fashionable friends: Once inside the stylish event, Sofia made her way through to chat with co-founder Valentina Micchetti, who looked lovely in a floaty white dress and red Kate heels from her collection Designer! Earlier in the week, Vergara posted a series of Instagram shots to reveal a few of the 32 pieces in her exclusive summer line with Walmart Earlier in the week, Vergara posted a series of Instagram shots to reveal a few of the 32 pieces in her exclusive summer line with Walmart. Sofia has climbed the acting ranks to become the highest-paid actress in television according to Forbes, mainly in part to her role on ABC's Modern Family. She'll celebrate four years of marital bliss with husband Joe Manganiello in November. A guru just revealed to Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick that they were connected in a past life... and after Scott sees his ex's latest photo, it's likely he'll wish they still were. The mother of three, 40, shared a steamy bikini picture of herself on Instagram Thursday. Telling her nearly 77 million followers to 'come find' her, Kourtney is not holding back in making her former lover jealous. Ow ow: Kourtney Kardashian, 40, shared a steamy bikini picture of herself on Instagram Thursday The reality star laid back on the edge of a stunning pool filled with glistening water. She wore a light lavender colored bikini with sparkle gemstones encrusted on the front of both the top and high cut bottoms. Kardashian threw her arms back, running her hands through her hair as she closed her eyes in the shining light. Even after having three children, the brunette still looked fit and tiny in the shot. Behind her floated a large pink blow up toy and a row of lounge chairs on the patio. No surprise: Kourtney and Scott Disick may have been connected a long time ago as a guru revealed her past life during a teaser trailer for the upcoming episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians Her steamy shot follows a unique episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashian's where a Bali guru told the eldest of the Kardashian sisters that her and Disick were connected in a prior lifetime. The Poosh founder seemed somewhat nonchalant at the idea of a deeper connection with her ex, a shocking sentiment which was not lost on her sisters Kim and Khloe. The sisters each sat down with local guru Mas Joko on their visit to the tropical Indonesian island. 'Scott came in and the guy was basically saying that in a past life ... that we were together and that we're soulmates,' Kourtney revealed to her sisters. Khloe and Kim were visibly shocked at hearing the news as each sister screamed 'what' at Kourtney. Casual: The 40-year-old Poosh founder seemed somewhat nonchalant at the idea of a deeper connection with her ex, a shocking sentiment which was not lost on her sisters Kim and Khloe 'You have to decide if you want to be together or not be together,' the eldest Kardashian revealed of her time with the guru. Kourtney and Scott dated for nearly a decade before calling it quits in 2015, but remain friendly due largely in part to their three children: Mason, nine, Penelope, six, and Reign, four. He's now with Lionel Richie's youngest daughter, Sofia, 20, who he's been spotted out on a yacht in Mexico with as of late. A new episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians premieres on Sunday at 9 p.m. on the E! network. She's the former soap star who has found success Stateside as a comedic actress. And on Thursday, Isla Fisher took time out for a spot of shopping at trendy Melrose Ave in Los Angeles. Joined by a friend, the 43-year-old perfected off-duty chic in a white T-shirt, cropped jeans and a green jacket. Retail therapy: Isla Fisher, 43, enjoyed a spot of shopping at trendy Melrose Ave in Los Angeles on Thursday Isla kept light on her feet in a pair of blue suede sneakers and accessorised further with retro frammed sunglasses and a blue tote bag. The mother-of-three let her auburn locks flow freely and she opted for natural look makeup. Isla appeared relaxed as she strolled the streets of LA with a female friend, who was also casually dressed. Casual chic: The Australian actress wore a white T-shirt, cropped jeans and a green jacket Style: Joined by a friend, the Confessions of a Shopaholic star added blue suede sneakers, a blue tote bag and retro frammed sunglasses to the look Isla wed Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen, 47, in 2010 after she converted to Judaism. The couple are based in Los Angeles and share three children - daughters Olive, 10, Elula, seven, and son Montgomery, three. In May last year, the Perth-raised star spoke about the challenges of bringing up children in Los Angeles. Power couple: Isla wed Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen in 2010 after she converted to Judaism 'Juggling a family in LA isn't easy,' Isla told Australian Marie Claire. 'There's not really a culture of bringing your kids to dinner parties or to restaurants past 6pm.' 'I tend to entertain at home because I want to be with my family - it's easier to put your kids to bed and have a wine with friends,' she added. Isla went on to reveal a shared sense of humour as one of the secrets behind her successful marriage. Family: The couple share three children and are based in Los Angeles Their love story captivated viewers on this year's season of Married At First Sight. But in the weeks since their televised engagement, some viewers have turned their backs on Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant. After Jules, 37, shared a video to Instagram of the couple at a glamorous photo shoot on Thursday, one fan remarked that fame had 'changed' them. Behind the scenes: Married At First Sight's Jules Robinson shared a video to Instagram (above) of herself and fiance Cameron Merchant at a photo shoot on Thursday 'I loved and supported you guys because you were different and not like the rest,' commented a fan below the behind-the-scenes video. 'But now with a bit of fame and you're worse than the rest. Sad, sad. Why couldn't you both just stay unique?' The criticism clearly upset Jules, who offered a dignified response. 'Why couldn't you both just stay unique?' Not all of Jules' Instagram followers were impressed, however, with one person claiming that fame had 'changed' the couple Upset: The disappointed fan wrote, 'I loved and supported you guys because you were different and not like the rest... But now with a bit of fame and you're worse than the rest. Sad, sad. Why couldn't you both just stay unique?' 'Sorry you think and feel that way. It is so far from the truth. But hey... you can't please everyone!' she wrote. Jules and Cameron, 35, looked like Hollywood superstars at their fashion shoot, with the pair smouldering in designer outfits. In the caption, the salon owner downplayed rumours they are launching modelling careers, telling fans it was just a bit of 'fun dress up'. Standing her ground: The criticism clearly upset Jules, who offered a dignified response Hitting back: 'Sorry you think and feel that way. It is so far from the truth. But hey... you can't please everyone!' wrote Jules The couple's relationship has come under scrutiny recently amid reports they may be taking themselves a little too seriously. They apparently 'banned' guests from sharing any photos to social media at their engagement party in Sydney on Sunday night. Furthermore, it was claimed the pair had 'withheld information' about the venue until the last minute, possibly to protect their deal with Channel Nine's Today show. The new Posh and Becks? Cameron and Jules' relationship has come under scrutiny recently amid reports they may be taking themselves a little too seriously 'You'd think Kim and Kanye were getting married,' a source told Woman's Day earlier this week. Jules and Cameron are one of just two successful pairings from this year's season Married At First Sight. They even got engaged during their final vows ceremony, which was filmed in December 2018 and aired late last month. The Chateau Marmont has been a hideaway and gathering spot for A-list for 90 years. And Sofia Richie sunned herself in Old Hollywood spirit on Tuesday, stepping out of her SUV into the hotel's famed digs to attend the TVF for DVF event. The 20-year-old model flaunted her toned abs underneath a billowing blue and white crop top. Glamorous: Sofia Richie sunned herself in Old Hollywood spirit on Tuesday, stepping out of her SUV into the hotel's famed digs to attend the TVF for DVF event Over the years, the Chateau has been the scene of a variety of nerve-racking shenanigans and fabled parties. Sofia, however, looked like she was in for a more relaxed day, opting for a dressed down ensemble. Her high-waisted, washed blue jeans with a rip over the knee, spoke more of Westside beach days than classic movie star glamour. Beauty: The 20-year-old model flaunted her toned abs underneath a billowing blue and white crop top Next generation: She joined Talita von Furstenberg to celebrate her first collection for DVF Ambition: The 19-year-old designer and Lionel Richie's daughter took some photo in the lush setting of the hotel But she juxtaposed the casual bottoms with grey, open-toe stilettos and carried a small hot pink purse in her right hand. She left her long blonde tresses unencumbered and they tumbled across her shoulders in thick waves. Keeping accessories to a minimum, she sported a gold cross necklace and a singular bracelet. Heading in: Sofia was seen exiting her SUV by herself as she headed into the event Stylish: As usual, the model looked stylish as she walked down the driveway and into the hotel Chllin': Sofia looked like she was in for a more relaxed day, opting for a dressed down ensemble Mixing it up: She juxtaposed the casual bottoms with grey, open-toe stilettos and carried a small hot pink purse in her right hand Stunning: She left her long blonde tresses unencumbered and they tumbled across her shoulders in thick waves Heading out: Later, she was spotted heading out of the elegant hotel with her phone to her ear Sofia has just returned from a beach holiday with Scott Disick in Mexico, where the couple were spotted catching some rays in Cabo San Lucas, Their relationship took flight nearly two years ago after they were spotted canoodling on a yacht in Cannes. A romance was later confirmed while the pair vacationed in Miami in September 2017. A defiant Roxy Jacenko says she's not scared after vandals attacked her Sweaty Betty's Paddington offices this week. The 39-year-old was personally targeted on Tuesday, when the words 'Roxy is a c**t' was spray-painted across her white Elizabeth Street building. The blonde businesswoman told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that 'she can 'handle herself in a situation' and people should not underestimate her just because she has 'blonde hair and big boobs'. Scroll down for video 'I may have blonde hair and big boobs, but don't be fooled by my appearance': Roxy Jacenko says she's not scared after vandals personally target her in attack on her PR offices and that she 'can herself in a situation' Don't be fooled! Roxy is known for her doll like looks, but is also a whip smart businesswoman 'I may have blonde hair and big boobs, but believe me Ive weathered a hell of a lot worse and I can handle myself in a situation - just call Me Jenny from the Block!! Dont be fooled by the appearance!' she said. Police were called to Roxy's offices after vandals egged the building and spray-painted obscenities across it and around other areas in the Eastern Suburbs area. Roxy has said she has a 'good idea' who the identity of the senseless vandals. 'Yes, I do have a good idea of who both of the perpetrators are,' the PR maven told Daily Mail Australia. Vandals also sprayed 'Roxy Jacenko is a crook' on the traffic barrier near Syd Einfeld Drive in Bondi Junction, as well as on a barrier near Oatley Road. Roxy went on to say she would be offering $5,000 to anyone who could give information that could lead to a criminal conviction. 'I am personally offering a $5K reward for information provided to the police or myself that leads to a successful conviction of them.' On Thursday, Roxy was defiant following the vandalism with the PR maven hitting out at those responsible on her Instagram account. 'Clearly [it] was in the hope of causing me some kind of humiliation or embarrassment,' she said, characterising the actions of the vandals. Standing strong: Roxy said she was neither embarrassed nor humiliated by the cowardly act: 'If they knew me they would know it did neither,' Roxy (pictured) said. Roxy, however, went out of her way to said the senseless act was not intimating in the slightest. 'If they knew me they would know it did neither,' Roxy said. She then hit out at the perpetrators of the act, calling them 'cowards'. Senseless: Roxy said of the senseless act: 'Only cowards conduct themselves like this hiding behind hoodies at 1.30am' saying she won't be intimated by it. Pictured: some of the vandalism 'I've always been of the mindset that if you've got something to say - be confident to be able to say it to a person's face,' she said. 'Only cowards conduct themselves like this hiding behind hoodies at 1.30am.' Following the incident, a police spokesman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia an investigation in underway after graffiti targeting Roxy was found in Paddington, Bondi and Malabar. Second attack: In 2017, police were called to investigate after the building was vandalised at least three times with 'foul-smelling sludge' and ink-injected eggs In 2017, the Sweaty Betty PR head office underwent a $1.4million renovation, complete with 27 workstations, three showrooms and a 12-person meeting room. The graffiti this week is just the latest in a string of attacks that have occurred since Roxy moved into 7-13 Elizabeth Street two years ago. In 2017, police were called to investigate after the building was vandalised at least three times with 'foul-smelling sludge' and ink-injected eggs. Roxy previously said she suspected the culprit was likely 'someone close to home'. New generations of Australians serving in the military are continuing to uphold the Anzac legacy, a commemorative ceremony in France has heard. Defence Minister Christopher Pyne said the story of the landing at Gallipoli in 1915 was etched in Australia's military history, but was not the only story. "Generation after generation of Australian service personnel have put their lives on hold and placed themselves in harm's way in the service of our nation," Mr Pyne told the Anzac Day service at Villers-Bretonneux. "While much has changed, the character of our service people has not. "Like their forebears, they have earned Australia's respect and always upheld the Anzac legacy." France's Armed Services Minister Florence Parly said the mateship between French and Australian soldiers forged an enduring bond between the two nations. "Together we must fight threats, overcome challenges and always protect our values," she said in French. "Today, to the Australian soldiers who sailed across the oceans, who fought and died so that we could live freely, we pay tribute. "France does not forget. France will forever be grateful." Australia's Navy chief Vice Admiral Michael Noonan paid tribute to the soldiers who survived World War I but still died far too young. "Today, we remember not only the fallen. We remember men who are not counted among the dead of the Great War but whose remaining years were lived in its shadow. "The men and women who serve in our militaries today honour those who have gone before us and we pay our respects to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, both in the war and in the years that followed." The dawn service was held at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, where Australian troops helped recapture the French village from the Germans on April 25, 1918. One of Asia's most impoverished nations, Papua New Guinea is rich in natural resources including large gas fields. Papua New Guinea's finance minister resigned on Thursday, days after the country signed a multi-billion dollar gas contract with energy majors Total and ExxonMobil. James Marape, who also leads the government in parliament, resigned citing the failure of the government to ensure national firms and locals benefit from the contract. On Tuesday Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced the $13 billion project that includes the extraction, pipelines and an upgraded LNG facility to ship the gas overseas. The leading companies involved are France's Total, US firm ExxonMobil and Oil Search, a firm partially owned by the Papua New Guinea government. "This decision is not easy to make," Marape said in a statement obtained by AFP, adding that trust between him and the prime minister was at its "lowest." "Whilst we don't have any personal differences, we do differ on some work and policy related matters," he said, citing the need for more local "participation in our gas, oil sector" and mining industry. Marape's departure could prompt further cabinet resignations that are problematic for the government and may spur local protests against the gas projects. He represents a district in Hela Province that an oil pipeline traverses. The project would almost double Papua New Guinea's gas exports, but local communities have complained bitterly about not getting benefit from similar deals in the past. One of Asia's most impoverished nations, Papua New Guinea is rich in natural resources including large gas fields. North Korea's embassy in Madrid, which was raided by a shadowy dissident group in February A former US Marine who allegedly took part in an attack on North Korea's embassy in Spain has been ordered by a judge to be held without bail pending extradition. Documents filed in federal court in Los Angeles late Tuesday said Christopher Ahn was wanted by Spain for breaking into Pyongyang's embassy in Madrid, stealing items and causing injuries in the February 22 raid by a group of anti-North Korea activists. Ahn, 37, from Chino, California, was arrested in California on April 18 on an extradition request from Spain. He allegedly belonged to a group calling itself "Cheollima Civil Defense" which undertook the commando-style assault on the embassy compound. Wielding knives and fake guns, the attackers tied up embassy occupants and stole computers and other materials. The group, which seeks the ouster of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was led by Mexican national Adrian Hong Chang. Hong, who spent much of his life in the United States as a consultant and activist, fled to the US after the raid where he met with FBI officials in New York and Los Angeles. Since then his whereabouts have been unknown. Lee Wolosky, a lawyer associated with the group, suggested to CNN that he had gone into hiding after authorities tried to arrest him. The Easter suicide attacks have been condemned by leaders of the country's Muslim minority, but the community has been left in fear of a backlash Hundreds of Muslim refugees in western Sri Lanka have taken refuge in mosques and a police station after facing intimidation following the deadly Easter bombings, activists said Thursday. At least 359 people died in Sunday's coordinated suicide blasts, including more than 100 Christians attending mass at St Sebastian's church in Negombo on the island's west coast. The attacks have been condemned by leaders of the country's Muslim minority who have said mosques will not bury the bombers, and the community has been left in fear of a backlash. Scores of Ahmadi Muslims who settled in Negombo after fleeing persecution in their home countries have been thrown out of their accommodation by landlords, according to officials. "Today these refugees have become refugees again in Sri Lanka. They have been displaced for a second time," Ruki Fernando of Inform, a Sri Lankan human rights group, told reporters. The refugees are from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iran. Ahmadis have faced repeated attacks in these countries by hardline Islamist groups who do not consider them to be Muslim. Relations between Ahmadis and native Sri Lankans have long been tense with many locals in Negombo accusing the refugees of driving up rent prices. Ahmadis complain of harassment while rights groups accuse Sri Lanka's government of not doing enough to protect the community. Fernando said homeowners had evicted the refugees because they feared their properties would be targeted by groups seeking revenge for the bomb blasts which were carried out by Islamist extremists. Many others have fled of their own accord, fearing for their safety. "Some unknown people broke into their houses in Negombo and beat them," Fernando told reporters. He said numbers had yet to be verified but around 700 refugees were believed to have sought shelter in one Negombo mosque. Around 120 were at a police station while several hundred more were at another mosque in Pasyala, in Gampaha, 25 kilometres (15 miles) from Negombo. - 'Won't accept their bodies' - He said that dozens got on buses to leave Negombo on Wednesday but turned back after they were advised against heading to the capital Colombo over security fears. "People are scared. They are in a vulnerable position and don't have basic facilities," said Herman Kumar from Unity of Negombo Citizens, a group trying to foster communal harmony in the city. The comments came at a press conference in Colombo where community leaders from Sri Lanka's different religions urged unity and calm as tensions simmer on the island. "We appeal to all communities to come together and protect each and every person," Kumar said. Sri Lankan Muslims account for 10 percent of the island's population of 21 million, which is dominated by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Muslims have been on the receiving end of sporadic violence and hate attacks since the civil war ended in 2009 and the bombings have left many feeling vulnerable. Sri Lankan authorities say local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath carried out the blasts with the help of militants from abroad. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility without providing evidence. The leader of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, the main umbrella body for Sri Lanka's Islamic clerics, told journalists Thursday that funerals would not be held for the attackers. "Those who committed this barbaric attack on innocent civilians do not belong to us and hence we categorically state that we will not accept their bodies," said Rizwe Mufti, the group's president. The country's Minister for Muslim Affairs Abdul Haleem meanwhile called Thursday for mosques to cancel Friday prayers in a show of solidarity "against the barbaric acts of the ruthless terrorists". He said Muslims should instead pray at home that "almighty Allah destroys the activities of those inhuman terrorist murderers". The president's communications director didn't sugarcoat it: The emails, Hope Hicks told Donald Trump, were 'really bad.' They concerned an as-yet unpublicized meeting in Trump Tower a year earlier involving Donald Trump Jr., his brother-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. The emails showed how the president's oldest son had accepted a meeting with a Russian lawyer with the promise of receiving dirt on his father's opponent, Hillary Clinton. Not only that, he'd been told the dirt was part of the Russian government's ongoing support for his father. 'I love it,' Trump Jr. had replied. When Kushner tried to bring the documents to Trump's attention, on June 22, 2017, his father-in-law didn't want to discuss them, and shut the conversation down, Hicks said. In this March 29, 2018 file photo, President Donald Trump points to outgoing White House Communications Director Hope Hicks on her last day before he boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington But she looked them over on her own the next week, and went to see the president. She warned him that when a story about these messages broke, it would be 'massive.' She was right. The June 9, 2016, meeting had been brief and, by the accounts of participants on both sides, fairly uneventful - even boring. It brought together an unlikely cast of characters, including a gregarious music promoter, a Russian-American lobbyist with a background in Soviet military counterintelligence and a Russian lawyer with links to the Kremlin. The gathering was initiated by Emin Agalarov, a pop star in Russia whose real estate developer father Aras had worked with Trump on a Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013. The younger Agalarov's publicist, a British music promoter named Rob Goldstone, emailed Trump Jr. on June 3 with an enticing offer. 'The Crown prosecutor of Russia' had met with Aras Agalarov and was offering documents that would incriminate Clinton and her dealings with Russia. This was part of efforts by Russia and its government to help his father, Goldstone wrote. Hicks testified behind closed doors to the House Intelligence Committee, while also meeting with Mueller's investigators Hicks quickly grasped that a meeting involving Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Trump campaign members looked bad Donald Trump Jr. tweeted out text messages that led to the Trump Tower meeting Minutes later, Trump Jr. memorably responded: 'Seems we have some time and if it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer.' The meeting occurred as scheduled, though it is disputed who knew what in advance. Trump's deputy campaign chairman, Rick Gates, said Trump Jr. had told other campaign officials that he had a lead on negative information, originating from a group in Kyrgyzstan, on the Clinton Foundation. But others said they had no memory of Trump being told in advance about the meeting. Trump said in written answers supplied to Mueller's office that he had no recollection that he knew about it ahead of time. At the center of the meeting was the lawyer thought to be delivering dirt on Clinton - Natalia Veselnitskaya, a former prosecutor who'd aggressively lobbied against a U.S. law known as the Magnitsky Act that imposed sanctions on Russian officials. Russia had retaliated by banning U.S. adoptions of its children. At the meeting, Veselnitskaya raised allegations that Clinton and the Democratic National Committee benefited from dirty Russian money. The conversation pivoted to sanctions and adoptions. Sitting in was Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, who is now living in a federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner also attended The Trump campaign representatives were not impressed. An impatient Trump Jr. insisted there was nothing his father, a private citizen, could do about sanctions. Kushner texted 'waste of time' to Manafort, and asked his assistants to give him an excuse to leave. That was that - at least until a year later, when emails about the meeting were discovered as Trump associates complied with congressional requests for documents relating to contacts with Russians during the 2016 campaign. Trump was attending the G20 summit in Germany in July when he learned The New York Times was preparing a story about the meeting. He told Hicks - who'd earlier advised making the emails public to get ahead of negative publicity - not to comment. It was an unusual reaction, she said, for a loquacious president who considered not responding to the media to be the 'ultimate sin,' according to Mueller's report. When he asked her later that day what the meeting was about, she said she'd been told the purpose was to discuss Russian adoptions. 'Then just say that,' he insisted. As they flew home, she presented Trump with a draft statement on his son's behalf that said simply he'd been asked by someone he knew from the Miss Universe pageant to meet someone who might have information helpful to the campaign. Too much information, Trump told her. Just say the meeting was brief and about adoption. Hicks wasn't so sure, and neither was Trump Jr. He insisted that the statement be amended to say they'd 'primarily' discussed adoptions. After all, he conceded to Hicks, the meeting had opened with 'some Hillary thing.' It wasn't entirely about adoptions. Hicks agreed, but 'boss man worried it involves a lot of questions,' according to text messages reviewed by Mueller's team. Trump Jr. stood firm: 'If I don't have it in there it appears as though I'm lying later when they inevitably leak something.' The statement that was ultimately produced did include the word 'primarily,' leaving open the possibility other topics were discussed. But, importantly, there was no mention of Hillary Clinton, nothing about the dangled promise of dirt, no hint that the president's son had embraced aid he was told was coming from Russia. As the story unspooled for days, the Trump team fumbled the response. One of the president's personal lawyers asserted incorrectly that Trump had had no role in the statement, only to admit months later that he had personally dictated 'a short but accurate response.' Three days after the meeting was disclosed, Trump Jr. published his own emails on Twitter to pre-empt their disclosure by the Times. As Trump Jr. did his own form of damage control, he tweeted after news of the meeting surfaced that he just 'had to listen' to the lawyer's information and told Sean Hannity of Fox News that he considered it ordinary 'opposition research.' 'In retrospect,' he said on Fox, 'I probably would have done things a little differently.' ____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP WASHINGTON (AP) - Declaring the "soul of this nation" at stake, former Vice President Joe Biden pushed into the crowded 2020 presidential contest and quickly sparked a fierce debate over the direction of the modern-day Democratic Party. Ignoring the political noise in his own party, Biden aimed directly at Donald Trump in an announcement video seizing on the Republican president's response to the deadly clash between white supremacists and counter protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, two years ago. That was the spur for him to launch a third presidential bid , Biden said, noting Trump's comments that there were some "very fine people" on both sides of the violent encounter, which left one woman dead. "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," Biden declared on Thursday. "If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation - who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen." Yet Biden will get a chance to take on Trump only if he survives a Democratic field that now spans at least 20 contenders. And his party's more liberal wing was far from welcoming in the hours immediately after he declared his candidacy. Justice Democrats, a group created from the remnants of Bernie Sanders' failed 2016 campaign, came out against Biden on Thursday and spent much of the day assailing him on social media. As an older white man with often centrist views, Biden must now prove he's not out of step with Democrats trying to push the party to the left. He's been taking steps in recent weeks to clean up perceived missteps from his long record in elected office, including his role as a senator in allowing sexual harassment accuser Anita Hill to be grilled by an all-male committee during Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks outside of Gianni's Pizza, in Wilmington Del., Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) A campaign aide said Biden has privately contacted Hill to share "his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country." But The New York Times reported Thursday that Hill said in an interview she was deeply unsatisfied and unconvinced by his apology. Biden has also highlighted his role in authoring the Violence Against Women Act nearly three decades ago, legislation that is credited with reducing domestic violence nationwide. Still, the 76-year-old Scranton, Pennsylvania, native's political liabilities are many. He would be the oldest person ever elected president - Trump was 70 in 2016 - even as his party embraces a new generation of diversity. He has yet to outline his positions on issues defining the 2020 Democratic primary, most notably "Medicare for All ," the universal health care plan authored by Sanders that has been embraced in one form or another by virtually the entire Democratic field. Biden is betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obama's presidency will help him win over skeptics. He quickly racked up endorsements Thursday morning, becoming the first Democrat running for president with the backing of more than one U.S. senator. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., who previously served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he had urged the former vice president to run and highlighted Biden's potential electability when asked to assess African Americans' feelings. "Black voters are saying the same thing that white Democrats are saying: We can't afford to lose. That is a big message. That's a big motivator," Richmond said. Obama has so far declined to endorse Biden, however, and several former Obama aides are now working for other candidates. Biden addressed Obama's position as he briefly faced reporters in Delaware on Thursday. "I asked President Obama not to endorse," Biden said. "Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits." While he didn't endorse, Obama took the unusual step of weighing in on Thursday's announcement. "President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made," Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said. "He relied on the vice president's knowledge, insight and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today." Trump was quick to pounce on Biden, who he has nicknamed "Sleepy Joe." "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign," Trump said. "It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate." Privately, Trump allies have warned that Biden might be the biggest re-election threat given the former vice president's potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Trump a path to the presidency. Biden is paying special attention to Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. While Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years, he was often referred to as Pennsylvania's third senator. The former vice president will be in the state three times within the opening weeks of his campaign. He was in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast. Biden was aiming to raise $500,000 at the event. In remarks during the fundraiser via a video obtained from attendees, Biden said of the Trump era: "I'm hoping that in a couple years, we'll look back and say - whether it is me or anybody else replacing him - that this is an aberration in American history, this four years, because it's not who we are." Biden will hold his first public event as a 2020 presidential candidate in Pittsburgh on Monday. Then it's off to Iowa, home of the leadoff nominating caucuses, on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by two days in South Carolina. He'll visit the other two early-voting states, Nevada and New Hampshire, in early May before holding a major rally in Philadelphia. Biden's first media appearance is set for Friday morning on ABC's "The View," a move that may help him make an appeal to women whose support will be crucial to winning the primary. He also hired Symone Sanders to serve as a senior strategist, tapping a prominent African American who previously worked for Biden's chief competitor, Bernie Sanders, in the 2016 presidential contest. As Biden neared his campaign launch, his challenges came into greater focus. He struggled last month to respond to claims that he touched 2014 Nevada lieutenant governor nominee Lucy Flores' shoulders and kissed the back of her head before a fall campaign event. A handful of other women have made similar claims, though none has alleged sexual misconduct. Biden, a former U.S. senator from Delaware, pledged in an online video to be "much more mindful" of respecting personal space but joked two days later that he "had permission" to hug a male union leader before addressing the group's national conference. On another issue he'll have to address throughout the campaign, Biden once played a key role in anti-crime legislation that had a disproportionately negative impact on African Americans. And last month he struggled to explain comments he made as a freshman senator in 1975 about the school busing debate. Despite the challenges, his high-profile status in the race may make it difficult for his competitors. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker cast Biden's announcement as a direct threat to his own campaign in a fundraising appeal. "The truth is this poses a real challenge for an underdog campaign like ours," Booker said. ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writers Julie Pace in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden greets people at Gianni's Pizza, in Wilmington Del., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden waves goodbye after stopping at Gianni's Pizza, in Wilmington Del., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden greets a few Amtrak employees as he arrives at 30th St. Station after attending a fundraiser in Philadelphia Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden greets people at Gianni's Pizza, in Wilmington Del., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden greets people at Gianni's Pizza, in Wilmington Del., Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden arrives at the Wilmington train station Thursday April 25, 2019 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden announced his candidacy for president via video on Thursday morning. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden arrives at the Wilmington train station Thursday April 25, 2019 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden announced his candidacy for president via video on Thursday morning. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden arrives at the Wilmington train station Thursday April 25, 2019 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden announced his candidacy for president via video on Thursday morning. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) By Bate Felix PARIS, April 25 (Reuters) - National decisions to shut down power generation capacity without wider co-ordination with other European states could put the continent's electricity system at risk, the president of France's RTE grid operator said on Thursday. Since 2012, several countries have announced plans to close some coal, nuclear, or oil generators to curb carbon emissions, reduce the share of nuclear in the energy mix like in France, or phase out atomic energy like Germany and Belgium. Francois Brottes said energy policy decisions made at a national level were having a continent-wide impact as countries increasingly depend on electricity imports from elsewhere in Europe to meet shortfalls, particularly during peak demand periods. "Countries are making decisions about their electricity production capacity, such as closing down coal or nuclear, without always talking to one another," Brottes told Reuters. "We are warning decision-makers that they are making decisions without consulting each other on the evolution of their energy mix," he said. Counting on power interconnectors to import from other countries is no longer enough, Brottes said, citing the example of Belgium, which faced an unprecedented shortfall last winter. Brottes said 15 European power network operators have signed a joint declaration to alert policymakers and highlight the risks ahead of European elections in May. During a parliamentary hearing on April 9, Brottes told lawmakers that French electricity production has been hurt by its aging power plants, and the closure of around 13 gigawatts (GW) of thermal generation since 2012. He said the margin of manoeuvre for transmission system operators was fast reducing. France has 11 GW of interconnection with other European neighbours, but the capacity is never at a hundred percent because neighbours may need to use their generation capacity to meet their own needs during peak demand periods. The planned closure of France's oldest nuclear plant in Fessenheim and its remaining coal power plants by 2022 mean 18 GW of generation will be gone, Brottes said during the hearing. New generation capacity was not being added at the same pace. "Our neighbours are facing the same problem," he said during the hearing. Britain has cut its power generation by 13 GW since 2012, while Germany plans to reduce its Lignite power generation by 15 GW by 2025. Italy plans to curb oil-fired generators by 15 GW by 2025, and Spain recently announced plans to close 10 coal-fired plants by 2020. "It is easier to make decisions over capacity shutdown than to start up more generation capacity," added Brottes. France, which plans to cut the share of nuclear generation in the electricity mix to 50 percent by 2035 from 75 percent today, was still lagging its European peers in developing renewables, although it was growing, he said. Offshore wind projects that were announced in 2012 are still being held back by court appeals against the projects. Utility EDF's Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor, currently under construction, could face new delays, while a gas power plant is also facing opposition, he said. Brottes said the power system operators were calling for prudence and pragmatism. (Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Jan Harvey) Canopy Growth Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in growing, possession, and sale of medical cannabis in Canada. Its products include dried flowers, oils and concentrates, softgel capsules, and hemps. The company offers its products under the Tweed, Black Label, Spectrum Cannabis, DNA Genetics, Leafs By Snoop, CraftGrow, and Foria brand names. It also offers its products through Tweed Main Street, a single online platform that enables registered patients to purchase medicinal cannabis from various producers across various brands. Canopy Growth Corporation has a clinical research partnership with NEEKA Health Canada to investigate the efficacy of cannabinoids for the treatment of post-concussion neurological diseases in former NHL players; and partnership with Parent Action on Drugs. The company was formerly known as Tweed Marijuana Inc. and changed its name to Canopy Growth Corporation in September 2015. Canopy Growth Corporation is headquartered in Smiths Falls, Canada. Read More American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. 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View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. John Wood Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides consulting, project management, and engineering solutions to energy and built environment worldwide. It operates through four segments: Asset Solutions Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia; Assets Solutions Americas; Technical Consulting Solutions; and Investment Services. The company offers operations solutions, including maintenance, modifications, commissioning and decommissioning, and aftermarket services, as well as industrial services, such as painting, insulation, scaffolding, rope access, E&I, asbestos removal, and civil and earthworks services; engineering, procurement, and construction management; plant operations and life extension; technology solutions; supervision and management services; fabrication and inspection services; and construction and field services. It also provides environment and infrastructure solutions comprising environmental studies and compliance, environmental remediation, public infrastructure, and geotechnical and materials services; clean energy solutions; mine planning and design, mineral processing and metallurgy, mineral resources and project assessment services; and automation and control solutions, such as asset protection and facility and process automation solutions, as well as simulation, learning, and virtual systems. In addition, the company offers subsea and export systems, including subsea, umbilical, riser, and flowline design, as well as planning, design, and development of marine terminals and pipelines; and hull and marine services. It serves oil and gas, infrastructure, industrial and manufacturing, mining, power, and government sectors. John Wood Group PLC was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Aberdeen, the United Kingdom. Read More Premier Gold Mines Limited explores for, develops, and produces gold and silver deposits in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It principally holds a 100% interest in the Mercedes Mine property located in Sonora, Mexico; a 40% interest in the South Arturo Mine situated in Elko County, Nevada; a 50% interest in the Greenstone Gold Property located in Ontario; a 100% interest in the McCoy-Cove project situated in Nevada; a 44% interest in the Rahil Bonaza project located in Northwestern Ontario; and a 100% interest in the Hasaga Gold project situated in Red Lake Mining District, Ontario. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Thunder Bay, Canada. As of April 7, 2021, Premier Gold Mines Limited operates as a subsidiary of Equinox Gold Corp. Read More AFC Energy plc engages in the development of alkaline fuel cell systems for the generation of clean energy in the United Kingdom and Germany. The company offers HydroX-Cell(L), an alkaline fuel cell module; HydroX-Cell(S); and AlkaMem, an anion exchange membrane technology for alkaline water electrolysis, alkaline fuel cells, fuel synthesis, electrodialysis, desalination, acid remediation, salt water batteries, and REDOX flow batteries applications. It also provides auxiliary equipment, such as ammonia crackers, water electrolyzes, inverters, battery and fuel storage products, and battery management systems. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Cranleigh, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Ecolab: AO Ecolab, Abednego Environmental Services, Abednego Environmental Services LLC, Abednego Mexico Holdings LLC, Abednego de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alcide Corp., Anios America S.A., Anios Diffusion SAS, Anios Manufacturing SAS, Bioquell, Bioquell Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Bioquell Global Logistics (Ireland) Ltd., Bioquell Holding SAS, Bioquell Inc., Bioquell Limited, Bioquell SAS, Bioquell Technology (Shenzhen) Ltd., Bioquell Technology Canada Ltd., Bioquell UK Limited, Bioxyquell Limited, CALGON EUROPE LIMITED, CALGON LLC, CID LINES HOLDING NV, CID LINES INVEST NV, CID LINES NV, CID Lines, CID Lines Beijing Animal Hygiene Co Ltd., CID Lines France Sarl, CID Lines Iberica SL, CID Lines LLC, CID Lines Mexico S.A. DE C.V., CID Lines R&D NV, CID Lines Sp. z o. o., CORPAK MedSystems, Cascade Water Services, Champion Technologies, Chamtech L.L.C., Chemlawn, Chemstaff Inc., Chemstar Corporation, Cirlam BVBA, Copal Holding NV, Copal Invest NV, DERYPOL SA, DMD, E&M Bio-Chemicals LLC, ECOLAB NL 10 B.V., ECOLAB PEST FRANCE SAS, Ecolab (Antigua) Ltd., Ecolab (Aruba) N.V., Ecolab (Barbados) Limited, Ecolab (China) Investment Co. Ltd, Ecolab (Fiji) Pty Limited, Ecolab (GZ) Chemicals Limited, Ecolab (Guam) LLC, Ecolab (Proprietary) Limited, Ecolab (Schweiz) GmbH, Ecolab (St. Lucia) Limited, Ecolab (Taicang) Technology Co. Ltd., Ecolab (Trinidad and Tobago) Unlimited, Ecolab (U.K.) Holdings Limited, Ecolab A.E.B.E., Ecolab AB, Ecolab AP Holdings LLC, Ecolab AT 2 GmbH, Ecolab AU2 Pty Ltd, Ecolab Acquisition LLC, Ecolab ApS, Ecolab Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Ecolab B.V., Ecolab B.V.B.A./S.P.R.L., Ecolab Bahrain S.P.C., Ecolab CDN 2 Co., Ecolab CDN 4 ULC, Ecolab CH 1 GmbH, Ecolab CH 2 GmbH, Ecolab CH 3 GmbH, Ecolab CH 5 GmbH, Ecolab CH 6 GmbH, Ecolab Chemicals Limited, Ecolab Co., Ecolab Colombia S. A., Ecolab DE 1 GmbH, Ecolab Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab EOOD, Ecolab East Africa (Kenya) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Tanzania) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Uganda) Limited, Ecolab Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Ecolab Engineering GmbH, Ecolab Europe GmbH, Ecolab Export GmbH, Ecolab FR 1 SAS, Ecolab FR 4 SAS, Ecolab Finance Company Designated Activity Company, Ecolab Food Safety & Hygiene Solutions Private Limited, Ecolab G.K., Ecolab Global Business Services LLC, Ecolab GmbH, Ecolab Gulf FZE, Ecolab HK 1 Limited, Ecolab HK 2 Limited, Ecolab Hispano-Portuguesa S.L., Ecolab Holding Italy S.r.l., Ecolab Holdings (Europe) LLC, Ecolab Holdings Inc., Ecolab Holdings Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Ecolab Hygiene Kft., Ecolab Hygiene d.o.o., Ecolab Israel Holdings LLC, Ecolab JVZ Limited, Ecolab Korea Ltd., Ecolab LLC, Ecolab LUX & Co Holdings S.C.A., Ecolab LUX 1 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 2 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 4 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 7 Sarl, Ecolab LUX Sarl, Ecolab Limited, Ecolab Ltd., Ecolab Lux 10 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 12 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 13 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 14 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 15 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 9 S.a.r.l., Ecolab Lux Partner LLC, Ecolab MT Holdings LLC, Ecolab MT Limited, Ecolab Malta 1 Limited, Ecolab Malta 2 Limited, Ecolab Malta GPS, Ecolab Manufacturing IE Limited, Ecolab Manufacturing Inc., Ecolab Manufacturing UK Limited, Ecolab Maroc Societe a Responsabilite Limitee, Ecolab NL 11 B.V., Ecolab NL 15 BV, Ecolab NL 16 B.V., Ecolab NL 23 B.V., Ecolab NL 3 BV, Ecolab NL 4 BV, Ecolab Name Holding Limited, Ecolab New Zealand, Ecolab Peru Holdings S.R.L., Ecolab Pest Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab Philippines Inc., Ecolab Production Belgium B.V.B.A., Ecolab Production France SAS, Ecolab Production Italy Srl, Ecolab Production LLC, Ecolab Production Netherlands B.V., Ecolab Production Poland sp. z o.o., Ecolab Pte. Ltd., Ecolab Pty Ltd., Ecolab Quimica Ltda., Ecolab S. de R.L. de C.V., Ecolab S.A., Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Ecolab SAS, Ecolab SIA, Ecolab SNC, Ecolab SRL, Ecolab Sdn Bhd, Ecolab Services Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Services Poland Sp. z o o, Ecolab Sociedad Anonima, Ecolab Sp. z o o, Ecolab Spain Services S.L.U., Ecolab Temizleme Sistemleri Limited Sirketi, Ecolab U.S. 2 Inc., Ecolab U.S. 6 LLC, Ecolab U.S. 7 LLC, Ecolab US 1 GP, Ecolab USA Inc., Ecolab Viet Nam Company Limited, Ecolab Water Holding LImited, Ecolab a.s., Ecolab d.o.o., Ecolab s.r.l., Ecolab s.r.o., Ecolab y Compania Colectiva de Responsabilidad Limitada, Ecolab-Importacao E. Exportacao Limitada, Ecolabone B.V., Ecolabtwo B.V., Endoclear Equipamentos Medicos Hospitalares Ltda., Enviroflo Engineering Limited, Food Protection Services, GCS Service, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd., GallayTrac Pty. Ltd., Georgia-Pacific - Paper Chemicals Business, Gibson Chemical Industries, Green Harbour Mainland Holdings Ltd, Guangzhou Green Harbour Environmental Operation Ltd., HYDROSAN LIMITED, Henkel-Ecolab, Hicopla SL, Holchem Laboratories, Huntington Laboratories, Hydenet SAS, INDUSTRIAL) UNIPESSOAL LDA, INTERNATIONAL WATER CONSULTANT B.V., Immobiliare R.E.O.P.A. SRL, Instrunet Hospital SLU, Jianghai Environmental Protection Co., Jianghai Environmental Protection Co. Ltd., KATAYAMA NALCO INC., Kay BVBA, Kay Chemical Company, LHS (UK) Limited, Laboratoires Anios, Laboratoires Anios-Distribution SAS, Les Produits Chimiques ERPAC Inc., Lobster Ink, Lobster Ink Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Lobster International S.A., London & General Packaging Ltd, MALAYSIA SDN. BHD, MANUFACTURING S.R.L., MOBOTEC AB LLC, Master Chemicals OOO, Meratech Rus Group LLC, Microtek Dominicana S.A., Microtek Italy S.R.L., Microtek Medical B.V., Microtek Medical Europe Limited, Microtek Medical Holdings, Microtek Medical Holdings Inc., Microtek Medical Inc., Microtek Medical Malta Holding Limited, Microtek Medical Malta Limited, Midland Research Laboratories, Midland Research Laboratories UK Limited, NALCO (SHANGHAI) TRADING CO. LTD., NALCO AB, NALCO ACQUISITION ONE, NALCO ACQUISITION TWO LIMITED, NALCO AFRICA (PTY.) LTD., NALCO ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., NALCO BELGIUM BVBA, NALCO CHINA HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO COMPANY OOO, NALCO DANMARK APS, NALCO DE MEXICO S. de R. L. de C.V., NALCO DELAWARE COMPANY, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND MANUFACTURING GMBH UND CO. KG, NALCO DUTCH HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO EGYPT LTD., NALCO EGYPT TRADING, NALCO ESPANOLA MANUFACTURING S.L.U., NALCO ESPANOLA S.L., NALCO EUROPE B.V., NALCO FINLAND MANUFACTURING OY, NALCO FINLAND OY, NALCO FRANCE, NALCO FRANCE SNC, NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO HOLDING B.V., NALCO HOLDING COMPANY, NALCO HOLDINGS G.m.b.H., NALCO HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, NALCO HONG KONG LIMITED, NALCO INDUSTRIAL OUTSOURCING COMPANY, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (NANJING) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (SUZHOU) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (THAILAND) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES CHILE LIMITADA, NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO INVESTMENTS U.K. LIMITED, NALCO ISRAEL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LTD, NALCO ITALIANA, NALCO ITALIANA HOLDINGS S.R.L., NALCO ITALIANA SrL, NALCO KOREA LIMITED, NALCO LIMITED, NALCO LUXEMBOURG HOLDINGS SARL, NALCO MANUFACTURING BETEILIGUNGS GMBH, NALCO MANUFACTURING LTD., NALCO NETHERLANDS B.V., NALCO NORTH AFRICA LIMITED, NALCO OSTERREICH Ges m.b.H., NALCO OVERSEAS HOLDING B.V., NALCO PAKISTAN (PRIVATE) LIMITED, NALCO PHILIPPINES INC., NALCO PORTUGUESA (QUIMICA, NALCO PWS INC., NALCO SAUDI CO. LTD., NALCO TAIWAN CO. LTD., NALCO TWO INC., NALCO U.S. HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO UNIVERSAL HOLDINGS BV, NALCO WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO ZAO, NALFLOC LIMITED, NALTECH INC., NANOSPECIALTIES LLC, NLC PROCESS AND WATER SERVICES SARL, Nalco (BN) SDN BHD, Nalco (China) Environmental Solution Co. Ltd., Nalco Anadolu Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Nalco Canada ULC, Nalco Company LLC, Nalco Contract Operations LLC, Nalco Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Nalco Gulf Response Corp., Nalco Japan G.K., Nalco Libya, Nalco Middle East FZE, Nalco Polska Sp. z o. o., Nalco Production LLC, Nalco Real Estate GmbH, Nalco Schweiz GmbH, Nalco US 1 LLC, Nalco Wastewater Contract Operations Inc., Nalco Water India Limited, Nalco Water Pretreatment Solutions LLC, Nalco Worldwide Holdings S.a.r.l./B.V., Nigiko, Nuova Farmec S.r.l., Oksa Kimya Sanayi A.S., Oy Ecolab AB, PT Ecolab International Indonesia, PT Ecolab Technologies and Services, Purate business - AkzoNobel, Quantum Technical Services LLC, Quimicas Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Quimiproductos S.A. de C.V, RP Adam Ltd, Research Fumigation Co., Royal Pest Solutions, Shield Holdings Limited, Shield Medicare Limited, Shield Salvage Associates Limited, Soluscope International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Soluscope SAS, Swisher Hygiene, Technical Textile Services Limited, Techtex Holdings Limited, Terminix, Ultrafab, Wabasha Leasing LLC, and vanBaerle Hygiene AG. The following companies are subsidiares of Lear: AccuMED Corp., AccuMED Holdings Corp., Arada Systems, Autotech Fund II L.P.(Delaware) (5.56%, Beijing BAI Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Beijing BHAP Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd.(China) (50%, Beijing Lear Dymos Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., CelLink Corporation, Changchun Lear FAWSN Automotive Electrical and Electronics Co. Ltd., Changchun Lear FAWSN Automotive Seat Systems Co. Ltd., Chihuahua Electrical Wiring Systems S. de R.L. de C.V., China New Trend Group Co. Ltd, Consorcio Industrial Mexicano de Autopartes S. de R.L. de C.V., Cordelia Autoparts Sweden AB, Dunlop Cox Limited, Durango Automotive Wiring Systems S. de R.L. de C.V., EXO Technologies Ltd., Eagle Ottawa (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Eagle Ottawa China Ltd., Eagle Ottawa Fonseca S.A., Eagle Ottawa Foreign Holdings ApS, Eagle Ottawa Holdings Ltd., Eagle Ottawa Hungary Kft., Eagle Ottawa LLC, Eagle Ottawa North America LLC, Eagle Ottawa Warrington Ltd., Evolved by Nature Inc., Foshan Lear FAWSN Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Grote & Hartmann, Guangzhou Lear Automotive Components Co. Ltd, Guilford Europe Limited, Guilford Europe Pension Trustees Limited, Guilford Mills, Guilford Mills Europe Limited, Guilford Mills Limited, HB Polymer Company LLC, Honduras Electrical Distribution Systems S. de R.L. de C.V., Hyundai Transys Lear Automotive India Private Limited, Industrias Cousin Freres S.L., Industrias Lear de Argentina SrL, Insys - Interior Systems SA, Jiangxi Jiangling Lear Interior Systems Co. Ltd., Kyungshin-Lear Sales and Engineering LLC, Lear (China) Holding Limited, Lear (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Lear (Shanghai) Auto Parts Technology Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Lear Automotive (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive EEDS Honduras S.A., Lear Automotive Electronics and Electrical Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Fabrics (RuiAn) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive India Private Limited, Lear Automotive Interior Materials (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Manufacturing L.L.C., Lear Automotive Metals (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Morocco SAS, Lear Automotive Operations Netherlands B.V., Lear Automotive Services (Netherlands) B.V., Lear Automotive Systems (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Shenyang) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd., Lear Canada, Lear Canada Holding S.a.r.l., Lear Canada Investments ULC, Lear Changan (Chongqing) Automotive System Co. Ltd., Lear Changan (Hangzhou) Automotive Seating Co. Ltd., Lear China Engineering LLC, Lear Corporation (Mauritius) Limited, Lear Corporation (Nottingham) Limited, Lear Corporation (UK) Limited, Lear Corporation (Vietnam) Limited, Lear Corporation Ara S.L., Lear Corporation Ardasa S.L., Lear Corporation Asientos S.L., Lear Corporation Belgium CVA, Lear Corporation Beteiligungs GmbH, Lear Corporation Canada ULC, Lear Corporation Changchun Automotive Interior Systems Co. Ltd., Lear Corporation China Ltd., Lear Corporation Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering (UK) Limited, Lear Corporation Engineering Belgium B.V.B.A., Lear Corporation Engineering Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH, Lear Corporation Engineering Hungary Kft., Lear Corporation Engineering II GmbH, Lear Corporation Engineering Italy S.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Morocco S.a.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Poland Sp. z.o.o., Lear Corporation Engineering Slovakia s.r.o., Lear Corporation d.o.o. Novi Sad, and United Technologies Automotive. Bayhorse Silver Inc., a junior natural resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of natural resource properties. It explores for silver, gold, zinc, copper, antimony, and other metals. The company holds a 100% interest in the Bayhorse Silver Mine Property located in Baker County, Oregon. It also holds an option agreement to acquire an 80% interest in the Brandywine project located in British Colombia. The company was formerly known as Kent Exploration Inc. and changed its name to Bayhorse Silver Inc. in December 2013. Bayhorse Silver Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Burnaby, Canada. Read More 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. boohoo group plc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an online fashion retailer in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the United States, and internationally. The company designs, sources, markets, and sells clothing, shoes, accessories, and beauty products for 16 to 40 year old customers. It provides its products under the boohoo, boohooMAN, PrettyLittleThing, Nasty Gal, MissPap, Karen Millen, Coast, Oasis, Warehouse, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Burton, and Debenhams brands. The company was formerly known as boohoo.com plc and changed its name to boohoo group plc in July 2018. boohoo group plc was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Manchester, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Boston Scientific: 34 Biomedical Merger Corp., 9357-1867 Quebec Inc., Acurate Industria e Comercio Ltda., Advanced Bionics, Advanced Stent Technologies, American Medical Systems, American Medical Systems Europe B.V., Apama Medical, Apama Medical Inc., Asthmatx, Atritech, Augmenix, Augmenix Inc., Augmenix K.K., BSC International Medical Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BSC Medical Device Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BTG, BTG Australasia Pty Ltd, BTG Europe B.V., BTG IM Holdings Ltd., BTG International (Holdings) Limited, BTG International Asia Limited, BTG International Canada Inc., BTG International Germany GmbH, BTG International Healthcare Inc., BTG International Healthcare LLC, BTG International Healthcare Limited, BTG International Inc., BTG International Limited, BTG Limited, BTG Management Services Limited, BTG Medikal Limited Sirketi, Bard Electrophysiology, Barosense, Biocompatibles Inc., Biocompatibles International Limited, Biocompatibles UK Limited, Boston Scientific (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Boston Scientific (South Africa) Proprietary Limited, Boston Scientific (Thailand) Ltd., Boston Scientific (UK) Limited, Boston Scientific AG, Boston Scientific Argentina S.A., Boston Scientific Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Boston Scientific Benelux NV, Boston Scientific Canada Limited, Boston Scientific Ceska republika s.r.o., Boston Scientific Chile SpA, Boston Scientific Colombia Limitada, Boston Scientific Comercial de Costa Rica BSCR S.R.L., Boston Scientific Far East B.V., Boston Scientific Gesellschaft m.b.H., Boston Scientific Group plc, Boston Scientific Hellas S.A., Boston Scientific Hong Kong Limited, Boston Scientific Iberica S.A., Boston Scientific India Private Limited, Boston Scientific International B.V., Boston Scientific International Finance Limited, Boston Scientific International S.A., Boston Scientific Israel Ltd., Boston Scientific Japan K.K., Boston Scientific Korea Co. Ltd., Boston Scientific Lebanon SAL, Boston Scientific Limited, Boston Scientific Ltd., Boston Scientific Medical Device, Boston Scientific Medical Device Limited, Boston Scientific Medizintechnik GmbH, Boston Scientific Middle East FZ-LLC, Boston Scientific Middle East SAL, Boston Scientific Nederland B.V., Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation, Boston Scientific New Zealand Limited, Boston Scientific Nordic AB, Boston Scientific Peru S.A.C., Boston Scientific Philippines Inc., Boston Scientific Polska Sp. z o.o., Boston Scientific Portugal - Dispositivos Medicos Lda, Boston Scientific Pty Ltd, Boston Scientific Romania S.R.L., Boston Scientific S.A.S., Boston Scientific S.p.A., Boston Scientific Scimed, Boston Scientific Scimed Inc., Boston Scientific Services Private Limited, Boston Scientific TIP Gerecleri Limited Sirketi, Boston Scientific Technology & Engineering Services Private Limited, Boston Scientific Uruguay S.A., Boston Scientific Vietnam Company Limited, Boston Scientific de Costa Rica S.R.L., Boston Scientific de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Boston Scientific del Caribe Inc., Boston Scientific do Brasil Ltda., Bravo Bidco Limited, BridgePoint Medical, Cameron Health, Cardiac Pacemakers Inc., Cardiac Pathways Corp, Catheter Innovations, Claret Medical, Claret Medical Inc., Cosman Medical, Cosman Medical LLC, CryoCor, Cryterion Medical, Cryterion Medical Inc., Cryterion Medical Ireland Limited, EKOS LLC, EMcision, EMcision International Inc., EP Technologies, EP Technologies Inc., Electron Acquisition Corporation, EndoChoice, EndoChoice Holdings Inc., EndoChoice Inc., EndoChoice Innovation Center Ltd., EndoChoice Israel Ltd., Endotex, Enteric Medical Technologies, Galil Medical Inc., Galil Medical Ltd., Galil Medical UK Limited, Guidant, Guidant Delaware Holding Corporation, Guidant Europe NV, Guidant Puerto Rico B.V., Hong Kong Medtech Trading Limited, Intelect Medical, Millipede, Millipede Inc., NXT Merger Corp., Notebook Merger Sub Ltd., Novate Medical Limited, NxThera, NxThera Inc., PT Boston Scientific Indonesia, PneumRx GmbH, PneumRx LLC, PneumRx Liimited, Protherics Medicines Development B.V., Protherics Medicines Development Limited, Protherics UK Limited, Provensis Limited, RMI Acquisition Corp., Remon Medical Technologies, Rhythmia Medical, Robert S. Smith M.D. Inc., Roxwood Medical Inc., SNS Merger Corp, Sadra Medical, Sadra Medical Inc., Securus Medical Group, Securus Medical Group Inc., Special K Merger Corp., StarMedTec, Stream Enterprises LLC, Symetis, Symetis SA, Target Therapeutics, Target Therapeutics Inc., The LumenR Tissue Retractor System, Veniti, Veniti Inc., VertiFlex, Vertiflex Inc., Vessix Vascular, Xlumena, Zuma Investment Pty Ltd, iogyn, nVision Medical, and nVision Medical Corporation. Atlantic Gold Corporation engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties in Canada. It holds 63.2% effective ownership interests in the Touquoy gold project covering approximately 1,760 hectares; and 100% interest in the Beaver Dam gold, Cochrane Hill, and Fifteen Mile Stream projects located in Nova Scotia. The company was formerly known as Spur Ventures Inc. and changed its name to Atlantic Gold Corporation in August 2014. Atlantic Gold Corporation is based in Vancouver, Canada. Read More iShares MSCI Brazil ETF's stock was trading at $29.68 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWZ shares have decreased by 7.2% and is now trading at $27.54. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Nuveen Connecticut Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc. The fund is managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of Connecticut. The fund invests into undervalued municipal securities and other related investments the income from which is exempt from regular federal and Connecticut income taxes. It seeks to invest in investment grade securities with an average maturity of around 17 years. The fund employs fundamental analysis with a focus on bottom-up stock picking approach to create its portfolio. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against Standard & Poor's (S&P) Connecticut Municipal Bond Index and Standard & Poor's (S&P) National Municipal Bond Index. The fund was formerly known as Nuveen Connecticut Premium Income Municipal Fund. Nuveen Connecticut Quality Municipal Income Fund was formed on January 12, 1993 and is domiciled in the United States. Read More Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury ETF's stock was trading at $163.38 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EDV shares have decreased by 13.1% and is now trading at $141.98. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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.. RICHMOND Rodney Robinson was driving to the Whole Foods in Short Pump six weeks ago when he got a call hed been waiting for. The 19-year teaching veteran had won National Teacher of the Year, besting the more than 3.6 million other teachers in the U.S. for the honor. He pulled to the side of the road, laughing, crying and experiencing every type of emotion as he reached the pinnacle of a profession his mother his inspiration desperately wanted to get into. Robinson, who works in the citys juvenile detention center, had to keep it a secret, much like he did earlier this school year when he found out that he was one of four finalists for the highest honor a teacher can receive. His family found out on Easter, and on Wednesday, on CBS This Morning, the world discovered that Richmond is officially home to the countrys best teacher. It means my students have an advocate who is going to tell their stories and fight for the resources they need to be successful, Robinson said about winning the award. I didnt get into [teaching] for this. I just got into it to help students and fight for them. Winning this award means I now have a big stage to fight for my students and what they need. RICHMOND Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is blasting his own political party for not letting him sponsor a table at major fundraising event. The Democratic Party of Virginia recently rejected Fairfaxs bid to donate $2,500 to pay for a table at the partys annual Blue Commonwealth dinner. DPV spokesman Jake Rubenstein said the party does not feel comfortable accepting money from Fairfax after two women came forward accusing him of sexual assault. Fairfax has denied the allegations and his spokesman Lauren Burke said the party is denying Fairfax due process. Rubenstein said neither Gov. Ralph Northam nor Attorney General Mark Herring, who have both admitted to wearing blackface while young men, have sought to sponsor a table. Rubenstein said all three men are welcome to attend the June fundraiser. On Monday, Fairfaxs political fundraising arm reported a $50,000 donation, the first contribution over $100 it has reported since the accusations. Heinecke was part of the scrum around the Thomas Jefferson statue on Aug. 11, 2017, and organized counter-demonstrations for the next day. He said he invited the White House to participate in the counter-demonstrations but received no response. Joe could have come and spoken that day, he said. I think many folks on the ground that weekend and working for justice since feel offended by the video. Where were these politicians when we were in the streets and since when we have been addressing affordable housing and discriminatory policing? Jalane Schmidt, a UVa associate professor who has been an active anti-racist voice in Charlottesville before and after rally, tweeted that Bidens video positioned counter-protesters as a political prop. Leslie Copeley, an insurance underwriter who said she has lived in the area for 20 years, said she remains open to all political candidates running in 2020, but saw Bidens video as a further attempt to divide people. While primaries typically have low turnout, Rebecca Simmons, chairwoman of the Augusta County Republican Committee, is optimistic the three-way race will excite voters. Well, I think in this day and age, people are focused on elections more than ever. Theyre trying to do better to stay informed, stay engaged, said Simmons. We have three really great candidates and I expect it will be a great turnout. Simmons suggests voters come early. The doors will close at 4 p.m. We want to make sure everybody gets a chance to cast a vote, she said. Simmons said that although the party is in charge of the days polling, the firehouse primary essentially will be run as a state primary. The party will use a list of registered voters supplied by the state Department of Elections to ensure they are in the correct district, she said. As with state-run elections, voters will be asked for government-approved photo identification. We put it side by side with one of its closest rivals, the Tata Nexon, to find out how different they are from each other. Korean carmaker Hyundai has revealed the Venue, its sub-4 metre offering that will be launched next month on 21 May. We put it side by side with one of its closest rivals, the Tata Nexon, to find out how different they are from each other. Front The Venue and the Nexon both have a smooth design at the front with no sharp lines jutting out. But while the Venue utilises Hyundais cascading grille with a twist, the Nexons front end is shaped by Tatas Humanity line design philosophy. The Venues grille features a mesh pattern while the Nexons has a honeycomb pattern, and is not quite as big as the Venues. Also, the Nexons headlamps are located in the conventional position while the Venue offers a split headlamps setup, wherein the main lamps are placed on the bumper. Front Quarter The Venue looks a bit futuristic from this angle and the split headlamps along with the huge cascading chrome grille lend it an aura of premiumness. Nexon on the other hand has more rounded curves from this angle, but the design looks fresh despite being in the market for 2 years now. The Tata is wider than the Hyundai, measuring 1811mm, compared to the 1770mm width of the Venue. Side Looking from the side, the Nexons roofline swoops steeply in comparison with the Venue, which has a boxy silhouette much like the Creta. Both the SUVs get 16-inch alloy wheels. The Venues wheels are a treat to look at and the Nexons wheels look a bit plain Jane compared to them. Compared to the Venue, the Nexon is just 1mm shorter in length, measuring 3994mm. Its wheelbase is also 2mm shorter than the Venues, measuring 2498mm. Surprisingly, the Nexon is taller (1607mm) than the Venue (1590mm), despite its coupe-like roof line. Rear Quarter With a boxy silhouette, the Venue looks more like a traditional SUV from this angle. Nexon, on the other hand, looks more like a crossover courtesy of its swooping roofline that also makes it look less taller, than it actually is. The Nexon is also available with a dual tone paint scheme that makes it look trendy. Hyundai is yet to disclose if the Venue sold in India will get this option. Rear The Nexons rear design is funky. The Venue on the other hand has a more sober and sophisticated rear end. Also, the Venues reverse lights have been integrated in the rear bumper, rather than the tail lamp cluster itself. Both SUVs get LED elements in the tail lights. However, the Venues tail lights feature a more premium diffused crystalline effect. Dashboard The Venues dashboard is done up in all black, while the Nexons has a dual tone scheme to it. The Nexons dashboard and centre console looks cluttered when compared side to side with the Venues. Rear Seat The Hyundai Venue offers leatherette+fabric upholstery compared to fabric on the Nexon. Both the SUVs offer adjustable twin rear headrests and centre arm rest. Both the SUVs offer rear AC vents. Theres a sunroof on offer in the Hyundai, which should make the cabin feel airier. Disclaimer: This article has not been edited by Deccan Chronicle and is taken from a syndicated feed. Photos: CarDekho. Pune: Maruti Suzuki, Indias largest car maker, in a biggest announcement on Thursday said it would stop making diesel cars beginning April next year and forecast a weak rate of growth for the current fiscal year, blaming uncertain fuel prices and the onset of stricter BS VI emission norms. The company will need to invest in upgrading its technology, including for diesel cars, to meet the countrys stricter emission norms that come into effect next year. In fact, from April 1, 2020 when the new BS VI emission norms kick in, Maruti Suzukis diesel engines will not be ready to meet the more stringent emission norms. Also, the high cost of upgrading existing diesel engines to the BS VI norms forced the company, which sells one car out of two bought in the country, to take such a decision. At present, more than half of Maruti Suzuki passenger vehicle range has a diesel engine option. Models that had a diesel engine include the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Dzire, Baleno, Ertiga, Ciaz, S-Cross and the best selling Vitara Brezza. Diesel cars constitute about 25 to 30 per cent of all Maruti Suzuki sales. But the company will try to focus on compressed natural gas (CNG) and hybrid technology driven vehicles to compensate the vacuum created by the phasing-out of diesel vehicles. From April 1, 2020 we will not be selling diesel cars in the country, RC Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki, told reporters at a press conference in New Delhi. He said the company will phase out all diesel cars from its portfolio with effect from April 1, 2020. Bhargava said substantially higher development cost will make diesel car a non-viable option for price-conscious consumers. We have taken this decision so that in 2022 we are able to meet the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency norms, and higher share of CNG vehicles will help us comply with the norms. I hope the Union governments policies will help grow the market for CNG vehicles, he said. Bhargava also said he expected production and sales to grow between 4 and 8 per cent for the ongoing financial year. Last year, it sales grew by just 6.1 per cent. While Maruti Suzukis growth forecast is in sync with the broader industry outlook, high levels of discounting by Maruti had resulted in disappointing quarterly margins. The company also said it has earmarked a capex of Rs 4,500 crore for the current fiscal. On Thursday the company reported a 5 per cent year-on-year de-growth in March quarter profit, dented by weak operating performance and muted sales volume. The New Delhi-based firms net profit during the quarter fell to Rs 1,795.6 crore, down from Rs 1,882.1 crore clocked in same period last year. Standalone revenue from operations grew by 1.4 per cent year-on-year to Rs 21,459.4 crore in Q4 with sales volume de-growth of 0.7 per cent year-on-year. The company sold 4,58,479 vehicles during the quarter. The senate of IIT-KGP has given its go ahead to introduce this as an elective course.(Photo: File) Kolkata: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), one of the premier technology institutes in the country, has now teamed up with Jindal Stainless, the largest stainless steel manufacturer in India, to introduce a 3-credit course on stainless steel and advanced ferrous alloys as a part of the former's undergraduate and post-graduate curriculum for the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. The senate of IIT-KGP has given its go ahead to introduce this as an elective course. "The curriculum shall focus on detailed study of different aspects of stainless steel and ferrous alloys. We thank Jindal Stainless for their efforts and look forward to a healthy industry-academia relationship," said Rahul Mitra, Head, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and School of Nano-Science and Technology, IIT Kharagpur. The RBI moved the review petition on March 19 and a decision is pending now as the tribunal had sought corporate affairs ministry's views to the RBI demand. Mumbai: Even as its petition is pending at the NCLAT seeking a reivew of the ban on banks classifying the IL&Fs accounts as NPAs, the Reserve Bank on Wednesday directed lenders to disclose their exposure to the bankrupt infra lender in their forthcoming earnings announcements. The city-headquartered infra lender and its 348 group companies owe over Rs 94,000 crore, of which over Rs 54,000 crore are owed to banks. It began defaulting on repayment commitments from last August, and in October the government superseded its board and appointed a new board under banker Uday Kotak. In a notification, the central bank said the new directions are as per a February 25 order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which asked banks not to declare their loans to the company and group as NPAs. "No financial institution will declare the accounts of IL&FS or its entities as non-performing assets without its prior permission," NCLAT had said. The RBI moved the review petition on March 19 and a decision is pending now as the tribunal had sought corporate affairs ministry's views to the RBI demand. Earlier this month, reacting to the NCLAT order, governor Shaktikanta Das had said apex bank had filed a review petition seeking a modification of the previous NCLAT order. In the notification, RBI has asked banks to disclose the IL&FS and group entities exposure in the notes to accounts in a standard proforma. The lenders will have to mention the outstanding position on a particular date and give details including overall outstanding and amount which is NPA as per the income recognition and asset classification norms but not classified as NPAs, it said. They will also have to specify the total provisions which are required to be made as per these norms for the assets and the provisions actually held. A majority of lenders are yet to report their quarterly and full-year accounts for FY19. A slew of banks have hinted that exposures to IL&FS have impacted their profits in the past quarter as they made provisions towards this account. Group entity IL&FS Financial Services had reported last month that its NPAs touched 90 percent. Media reports on RBI's decision to challenge the NCLAT order had said the insolvency court's decision was "tantamount to judicial overreach". "The bankruptcy tribunal's order encroaches into RBI's regulatory domain and this could set a precedent if left unchallenged. These issues fall under the ambit of RBI as the regulator of the banking sector," a senior RBI official had said. The SFIO is also said to have sought an explanation from Sen, who had left Deloitte in 2015, on allegations made against the Deloitte senior officials. New Delhi: In a fresh case related to fraudulent representation in the books of IL&FS and its key subsidiaries, Deloittes former chief executive officer Udayan Sen and two other top officials are under the scanner of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). The CEO and co-officials are being questioned for alleged audit lapses in the books of the infrastructure giant. Doubting Deloittes fraudulent role in auditing its books and misrepresentation of the financials, we have sought some factual auditing data concerning IL&FS. We think some top officials, including the CEO, had been involved in this matter. So, we are in the process of examining the role of the auditors in this, a top SFIO source close to the development told Financial Chronicle on Thursday. Sen and the two others were reportedly questioned on Wednesday over the alleged fraud at Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS). Deloitte officials were unavailable to comment on this matter. According to the source, the probe agency under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs had recently received a communique from a Deloitte Haskins & Sells whistle-blower, raising several audit shortcomings in the companys books. The letter alleged that the audit firm had recommended a complex structure to the infrastructure firm and that it got a hefty amount as fee from IL&FS, the source said. The SFIO is also said to have sought an explanation from Sen, who had left Deloitte in 2015, on allegations made against the Deloitte senior officials. In the complaint, the whistle-blower is learnt to have alleged that Deloittes senior leadership was involved in the financial irregularities of the IL&FS and its group entities. For the past 10-12 years, Deloitte had benefitted in several ways as a preferred advisor, enjoying substantially high fees in a mutually beneficial arrangement, said the source. Two persons in the know said the whistle-blower, having lost faith in the current leadership of the auditing firm, had sent the letter to the regulators. The letter has been sent to several financial regulators like Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, they said. The letter has been shared with Grant Thornton, which is conducting a special audit of the IL&FS group, said the SFIO source. The NSE Nifty too dropped below the 11,650 mark as April futures and options (F&O) contracts expired, ending 84.35 points, or 0.72 per cent, down at 11,641.80. Mumbai: Equity benchmark BSE Sensex cracked 324 points on Thursday on heavy selloff in auto, metal, energy and financial stocks as boiling crude prices and depreciating rupee weighed on investor sentiment. Maruti Suzuki tumbled 2.23 per cent after the country's largest car maker reported a 4.6 per cent decline in net profit to Rs 1,795.6 crore for the March quarter. After starting on a positive note, the indices succumbed to a sudden selloff in the last half-hour of trade. The Sensex finished at 38,730.86, down by 323.82 points, or 0.83 per cent. The NSE Nifty too dropped below the 11,650 mark as April futures and options (F&O) contracts expired, ending 84.35 points, or 0.72 per cent, down at 11,641.80. Top losers in the Sensex pack included Tata Steel, Vedanta, Maruti, SBI, Coal India, Tata Motors, Sun Pharma, HUL, RIL, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC duo, ICICI Bank, M&M, Kotak Bank, and Infosys, falling up to 2.89 per cent. On the other hand, Bharti Airtel, TCS and Bajaj Auto gained up to 2.08 per cent. According to Rahul Mishra, AVP (Derivatives), Emkay Global Financial Services, market made new highs during the month but could not sustain there due to profit-booking at higher levels. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 1.25 per cent, surging past the USD 75 per barrel mark. The rupee depreciated 37 paise to 70.23 against the US dollar intra-day. Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) purchased equity worth Rs 974.88 crore on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold shares to the tune of Rs 657.06 crore, provisional data available with stock exchanges showed. Elsewhere in Asia, benchmark equity indices in Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul ended on a mixed note. European equites too started weak. Actor Nicolas Cage seems to have grown fond of a particular karaoke bar in Los Angeles. The actor has been videotaped visiting the Purple Rain twice in three nights to sing. According to Tmz.com, Nicolas drank and sang two emotional renditions of Princs classic hits. The actor poured his heart into singing which is not a usual scene for his fans. The 55-year-old actor is going through a tough time ever since he tried to annul his four-day-long marriage. According to Nicolas, he and his wife Erika Koike were drunk when they got married. However, Erika claims that she wants to make the marriage work and need spousal support. Sri Lanka has temporarily banned social media and messaging apps in the wake of the coordinated Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels across the country, which killed at least 290 people. The ban is ostensibly to stop the spread of misinformation and the move feeds into the wider debate about how Facebook and other platforms are used to incite violence and spread hate speech. In Myanmar, for example, Facebook was heavily criticised for allowing groups to use its pages to incite violence against the Rohingya community. In New Zealand, it came under fire after it was used to live-stream the Christchurch massacre. But in Sri Lanka, as in many other countries, Facebook and social media platforms generally have created a positive space for public conversation that did not exist before. The country has a long history of censoring the press, by killing journalists, blocking websites and using draconian laws to fine and imprison reporters. The media that remained was divided by language and geography, there were no outlets used and trusted equally by the Sinhala-speaking majority in the south and west of the country and the Tamil speaking minority in the north and east. Social media, therefore, became a way to share stories and comment on current affairs. This hasnt always been positive, it has also been used to spread ethnic and religious chauvinism, echoing the language used by politicians and mainstream media over the decades. Nevertheless, it has been crucial for promoting intra-ethnic dialogue in Sri Lanka. During, and indeed after, the countrys long civil war there have been few opportunities for young adults from different communities to talk to one other and exchange views. Facebook and Twitter were beginning to provide a space for this. Websites such as Groundviews also publish citizen journalism from across the island and have used social media to reach audiences within Sri Lanka and overseas. In October 2018, for example, president Maithripala Sirisena sparked a constitutional crisis when he effectively tried to overturn the results of a recent election and replace the sitting prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, with former president Mahinda Rajapakse. As Rajapakses supporters seized control of the countrys state media, journalists instead took to Twitter to document what was going on. This attempted constitutional coup only ended after street protests by citizens and strong opposition from parliamentarians. Both groups used Facebook to organise and mobilise themselves and a parliamentary brawl, during which Rajapaksas supporters attacked the speaker, was broadcast on YouTube. Sirisena re-instituted Wickremasinghe as prime minister after a seven week standoff but the two men have an uneasy and often dysfunctional political relationship. Easter Sundays terror attacks have raised a whole new set of questions, about intelligence failures and party politics. In particular, the prime minister told reporters that his cabinet did not receive intelligence reports almost two weeks ago about a possible attack, mainly because the prime minister and his cabinet were not invited to national security council meetings that are led by the president. Wickremsinghe has now ordered an inquiry into this. This is the second time the government has shut down social media. It first did so earlier this year after a wave of anti-Muslim riots but has done little since to improve relations between the countrys various groups. There is also little evidence that the shutdown was effective, not least because determined groups can set up virtual private networks (VPNs), which allow them to bypass the restrictions, and find other ways to spread their message. A study on the impact of internet shutdowns in India also showed that information blackouts can even lead to a spike in violent protests, as those who would otherwise organise non-violent protests find themselves unable to mobilise peacefully. Sri Lanka is also about to pass a new anti-terror bill the Counter Terrorism Act. It is meant to replace the current draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act, which was used during the civil war, with one more that is more in line with international norms. But civil rights groups, including Amnesty International, point out that the new act still allows for the bulk interception and decryption of electronic communication and permits senior police officers to place arbitrary restrictions on free movement. The biggest division in the country is a linguistic one between the Sinhalese, who are mainly Buddhist and the Tamils, who are mainly Hindu. Muslims and Christians can speak either or both languages. The various groups have a long history of conflict and it is difficult to create a simple narrative of villains and victims. Nevertheless, social media offered a way for the various communities to build bridges between one another. By shutting down social media, leaving its citizens reliant on state messaging and a weak and beaten down form of journalism, the government now risks preventing Sri Lankans from finding out the truth about what is happening in their fragile and delicately balanced country. And that can only lead to suspicion and division, presumably the very thing the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday atrocity wanted. *The article was originally published by The Conversation Global Perspectives. Leaving behind their lucrative careers to pursue their passion, two friends interior designer Jamila Kapasi and electronics engineer Reetu Yadav realised their love for the outdoors and adventure and started The Great Escape, a start-up to organise group outdoor trips. Our mission is to promote outdoor activities among women, they profess. Jamila Kapsi during an expedition Narrating how their adventures started, Jamila says, We met on the Har Ki Dun trek in Uttarakhand around three years ago. Both of us were trekking on our own with a few friends, carrying our own tents and equipment. We immediately connected and started trekking to the valley together. And although we lost contact with each other, an year later, the idea of an adventure travel startup popped up in Reetus head. She approached me with her idea at a time when I myself was looking for an opportunity to make a mark in the outdoors. Having a clear objective and a plan with which to pull it off, Jamila, feels that every travel outing should involve research and exploration. We travel to experience the unknown, explore a place, know its culture and history, to interact with people and be part of their festivals and stay at their homes, she explains. Having grown up watching Discovery, Animal Planet and Steve Irwins Crocodile Hunter, Jamila shares that she has always been extremely fascinated with wildlife and adventure. As I kid, I thought that Id have to travel abroad to get into activities like camping and trekking. But now, I know India is one of the best places for adventure, says Jamila, who admits that for a woman, it is extremely challenging to create a niche in the outdoor adventure market and be taken seriously. Mountaineering is considered a mans domain and we have to put in a lot of added effort to prove our mettle. The surprise on peoples faces when they see us scale mountains with ease as we carry a heavy backpack while leading a group speaks a lot about the mindset of the people, says Jamila, co-founder of The Great Escape travel. Recalling one of their toughest and scariest experiences, she says, I was stuck in Manali during the North India riots of August 25, 2017. I had come back to Manali after completing the Hampta pass and the Spiti Valley homestay trek and was about to leave for Dehradun the same day to take a team for the Valley of Flowers trek in Uttarakhand. I was absolutely unaware of the riots taking place in most of North India, and only realised when I went to the bus stop that all buses were cancelled for the next three days due to the riots. Memorable experience For both of us, our favorite trip would be to Bhutan which we did last year in May. The only thing we booked in advance was our to and fro transport while we figured out the rest along the way. Keeping the true essence of backpacking in mind, we covered more than 100 kilometres on foot during our entire travel, exploring new valleys along the way. We met a lot of locals, stayed with them and learnt about Bhutan culture from them Jamila A way of life Travel is not just a vacation but a way of life for us. It gives the right perspective to life. It makes us more aware socially and responsible towards people and places around us. Traveling is all about being at home in new locations, meeting strangers who become friends Reetu Yadav They also handed over a purported appointment letter to one of the victims. (Photo: Representational) Machilipatnam: The Krishna Police Wednesday said it has arrested five journalists, working with a regional news channel, for allegedly cheating a group of tribal youths by promising them jobs in the Office of Capital Region Development Authority. Mylavaram Circle Inspector K Nageswara Rao said the five accused, who allegedly collected Rs 21 lakh from three tribal youths in 2014, were arrested Wednesday from a hotel under A Konduru police station limits. The accused allegedly promised them employment as Village Assistant and Land Executive in the CRDA. They also handed over a purported appointment letter to one of the victims, Bukhya Swamy of Deeplanagar in A Konduru Mandal, Krishna district, the CI said. Cheating cases have been registered against the accused earlier under the police limits of Nandigama and Kanchikacharla for similar offences, police said. The police have registered fresh cases against them and investigation is going on. Water gushes out after the butterfly valve was opened for the the wet run conducted at Nandi Medaram in Peddapalli district on Wednesday. Peddapalli: The Telangana state governments prestigious Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) reached another milestone on Wednesday, when having completed the project in record time, a wet run between Sripada Yellampali reservoir and mid-Manair was successful. Secretary in the Chief Ministers Office (CMO), Smitha Sabharwal, and government advisory member Penta Reddy offered prayers before the wet run was conducted at Nandi Medaram in Peddapalli district. The Telangana state government wants to supply water to farmers for irrigation purposes before the rainy season begins. A trial run was conducted on April 17. Water was released from Sripada Yellampalli reservoir to facilitate the wet run from the pumping stations through package-6 of the project. On Tuesday night, water was released from Sripada Yellampalli reservoir to the Surge pool of Nandi Medaram pump house and filled up to 142.3 metres. Earlier, on Monday night, the Draft tube gate of the first motor was lifted and on Tuesday night the Draft tube gate of the second motor was lifted. On Wednesday, after switching on the first motor as part of the wet run, officials observed whether the water was flowing at the required rpm (revolution per minute) as designed. Later, the Butterfly valve which will open after attaining the required speed will allow the water into the impeller of the pump in the form of spiral casing and from here water is lifted. The water which is lifted from the Surge pool of Nandi Medaram will reach the Nandi Medaram reservoir and from there the Godavari water will reach Laxmipur Surge pool and by the process of lift irrigation the water will finally reach mid-Manair. All the technical work related to KLIS was completed successfully. As many as 82 massive mega heavy duty motors have been installed for supplying around 151 tmcs of water from the Godavari River to all the reservoirs in various districts across the state along with Medigadda Barrage. The water will be supplied through package-6 and package-7 of KLIS to package-8 and from there, through an approach channel, the water will be supplied to mid-Manair and then to SRSP canal. Later, from SRSP water will be supplied to the fields for irrigation. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekar Rao has congratulated engineers, technicians and workers who successfully completed the first pump wet run of KLIS package-6. Mr Rao also called Chief Engineer of the project, Nalla Venkateshwar Rao on the phone and conveyed his wishes to him. The speaker of the Telangana State Legislative Assembly, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Endowment Minister A Indrakaran Reddy and former Irrigation Minister and Siddipet MLA, T Harish Rao also congratulated the engineering staff for successfully conducting the wet run. The European Association of National Builders Merchants Associations and Manufacturers has announced that BMF member TECHNONICOL will be Platinum sponsors of this years UFEMAT Congress in Montreux. The Congress will be held on 17-19 October at the Five Star Luxury Hotel Lake Geneva - Fairmont Montreux Palace. Home to the famous Montreux Jazz Festival and the celebrated Christmas Market. Fairmont Le Montreux Palace is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, overlooking the Alps. Built in 1906, this is a Jewel of Belle-Epoque architecture. TECHNONICOL Corporation is one of the largest European manufacturers and suppliers of roofing, waterproofing and thermal insulation materials. The company was founded in 1992 and since then has accumulated considerable experience in the building materials market. It offers up-to-date materials and technologies that combine global expertise and elaboration of their own R&D centers. UFEMAT President and BMF CEO, John Newcomb, said: We are delighted to welcome TECHNONICOL as our key sponsor of this important annual UFEMAT event. Merchants can download a Congress booking form at www.bmf.org.uk/events. Or for more information about the Congress please visit www.ufemat.eu or contact John Newcomb, UFEMAT President and BMF CEO, at john.newcomb@bmf.org.uk or Marnix Van Hoe UFEMAT General Secretary at marnix@ufemat.eu. Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday lifted its ban, ordered earlier this month, on the download and use of the popular mobile app for video-sharing, TikTok. The case was taken up by the Bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar following the Supreme Court order of Tuesday directing the High Court to decide on grant of interim relief to TikTok. The Apex Court had said the interim order (ban on TikTok) would stand vacated if the HC fails to decide on the issue on Wednesday. The HC Bench at Madurai accordingly lifted the ban on TikTok after hearing the submissions from Senior Advocate Isaac Mohanlal appearing for the Chinese company and also the amicus curie, Senior Advocate Arvind Datar. The TikTok counsel Mohanlal told the court there was adequate precautions and technology in place to ensure that nude/ obscene content does not get uploaded through the app. Besides, TikTok also made written submissions on the steps taken to address the apprehensions raised by the court following its April 3 ban. While lifting the ban on TikTok, the Madurai Bench warned that if any controversial video violating its conditions is found uploaded using the app, that would be considered as contempt of court. Mumbai: Ending speculation on Priyanka Gandhi fighting the elections from Varanasi, the Congress on Thursday announced that Ajay Rai would take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress had fielded Ajay Rai against PM Modi in 2014 as well. Rai had finished third in the contest, after Modi and Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal. Correspondent: What are the issues on which you will challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Ajay Rai: PM Modi had come to Varanasi in 2014 and promised to make Varanasi another Kyoto. He had said that jobs would be created, factories would be set up. But unfortunately, nothing has happened. Some Chinese lights have been put up on roads and government hospitals. On the other hand, the citys heritage has been destroyed by demolishing houses along the Kashi Vishwanath corridor. The people of Varanasi have been overlooked in its own development story. Correspondent: But people of Varanasi seem satisfied. Rai: The people are scared. They are scared of false cases being filed against them... about their children and that is why they are not speaking. On May 19, the people of Varanasi will give their decision. Correspondent: It is speculation that there was rife about Priyanka Gandhi contesting from Varanasi. Rai: If Priyanka Gandhi had come to Varanasi, it would have been good and PM Modi would have lost. Correspondent: How do you think the Gatbandhan would fare? Rai: The Gathbandhan is supporting the BJP. Why did they not wait for Congress to announce its candidate before fielding their own candidate? Correspondent: Which communities would come out in favour of the Congress? Rai: We will get the votes of Brahmins, Bhumihars, Muslims and poor people across board. Apoorva was questioned for three days before her arrest. She was later sent to two-day police custody on Wednesday. (Photo: ANI) Mumbai: Her hopes and dreams were dashed, murdered Rohit Tiwaris wife Apoorva has confessed to the police after taking the extreme step. Practising apex court advocate Apoorva, who has been arrested a week after she killed her husband and son of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister N D Tiwari, has told the police that her marriage was "a turbulent and unhappy. "She confessed that she has murdered her husband, senior police officer Rajiv Ranjan has said. The police said Apoorva strangled her husband and choked him with a pillow after a huge fight. "He had been drinking, and was in no position to resist," the police officer added. Apoorva was questioned for three days before her arrest. She was later sent to two-day police custody on Wednesday. The body of the 40-year-old was found under mysterious circumstances on April 16 and it was earlier believed he had died of a cardiac arrest. Advocate Apoorva Shukla, who is from Indore, met Rohit through a matrimonial website in March 2017. A year later, in April, the couple got engaged in Delhi and married within a month. Day by day, their married life was getting worse. The situation turned so bad that Shekhar and Apoorva were living separately in the same house'' a police officer told news agency IANS. "They also discussed mutual divorce several times and later decided to end their marriage in June, Rohit's mother Ujjwala Sharma said. Sharma said Apoorva had an affair before her marriage and that her family was very money-minded. They had an eye on our Defence Colony property, Sharma was quoted by NDTV. Sharma said she would disclose everything after the condolence meet. She said Apoorva was cut-up with the fact that her other son Siddharth wanted to give a a share of his property to an old aides son. On April 15, Rohit, his mother Ujjwala and a relative drove back from Kathgodam in Uttarakhand, where they had gone to vote. The next day, a domestic help went in around 4 pm and saw Rohit in an unconscious state and his nose bleeding. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared him brought dead. With the arrival of mangoes remaining poor, workers and their families take rest in the shops at Nunna market yard in Vijayawada on Wednesday. (DC) Vijayawada: Sky high prices leave mango lovers with a sour taste in the mouth this summer. The famous mango market in the state, located at Nunna on the outskirts of Vijayawada city, is witnessing poor trading activity due to low yield of the fruit. The Banginapalli and Chinna Rasalu varieties, grown in Nuzvid and other areas in Krishna district, are famous across the world for their unique taste. Mangoes from Nuzvid, Agiripalli, Reddygudem, Kanchikacharla, Mylavaram, Adavinekkalam, Gampalagudem, A Konduru and nearby areas are brought to the Nunna mango market for sale. These mangoes are exported to other states and even abroad. Mango is cultivated in 1.60 lakh hectares in Krishna district but the untimely rains during December and January hit the crop in the flowering stage and this led to a dip in the yield. The dry conditions further decreased the yield leading to spiralling of the price to Rs 600 per dozen and beyond, based on the quality and variety. A private employee, J. Sankar, said that Banginapalli and Chinna Rasalu usually cost Rs 150 to Rs 300 a dozen. This year, the price has risen to Rs 600 to Rs 800 a dozen, he said. There are 80 shops in the Nunna wholesale mango market but half of them are witnessing no activity due to poor arrival of mangoes. Sk. Karimulla, a mango trader, said that usually mangoes start coming to market by the end of March and the sale would continue till June. Untimely rains damaged the mango crop. This has led to a rise in the price, he explained. Another trader, P. Nageswara Rao, said usually, mangoes are exported to Maharashtra, Haryana, Assam, New Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh but due to elections in those states, buyers have not come to the market this season. He said they are hoping more mangoes would be brought to the market in the first week of May and exports would pick pace after the elections. Nunna Mango Market Association secretary S. Venkateswara Rao said that only 100 to 150 tonnes of mangoes per day were reaching the market against the 300 tonnes that came last year. Police identified the woman as R. Sriranjani, 40, from Seethanagaram village in Anakapalle mandal. Visakhapatnam: A woman was arrested by at Anakapalle in Visakhapatnam district on Wednesday for sending messages to the Chief Minister, a minister and some police officers that a bomb was planted in a bank and EVM strong rooms. Police identified the woman as R. Sriranjani, 40, from Seethanagaram village in Anakapalle mandal. Sriranjani is a community activist in Velugu and handles about 35 clusters that implement government welfare schemes. The funds to implement these schemes are credited in the Grameena Vikas Bank. Police said that the bank manager Kiran Kumar withheld the funds in her account due to pending loans. She was told that the funds would only be released if the loans were cleared. Following this, Sriranjani threatened him that she would make a scene unless the money was released. When the banker refused to yield to her threats, Sriranjani stole a SIM card from her friends mobile. On April 19, she has purchased a mobile phone with a fake signature and a fictitious name. Sriranjani then collected the mobile phone numbers of the Chief Minister, ministers and top police officers from the Internet and sent messages to these numbers that bombs were planted in the said bank and various EVM strong rooms across the state. In the backdrop of serial bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, the police swung into action and traced the origins of the messages. The police registered a case on Tuesday and arrested Sriranjani on Wednesday after a thorough investigation. Anakapalle DSP S.V.V. Prasad Rao said, We registered a case under 67 (C), 67 (D) and 67 (F) of the Information Technology Act along with IPC Sections 380, 420 and 467. She messaged Chief Minister and ministers along with some of the police officers in the state. Chandigarh: Putting the blame squarely on the Akalis for the spate of desecrations and the police firing incidents of Bargari and Kotkapura that rocked the state during their regime, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday accused the Badals of trying to divide the people and polarise communities in Punjab. They did nothing to control the situation and allowed it to get out of hand, which clearly indicated their involvement in the Behbal Kalan incident and others, said the chief minister, addressing a public rally in support of the Congress candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib, Dr Amar Singh, who filed his nomination papers on Thursday. Just one more month for you to enjoy, and then you will meet your fate, he warned the Badals, adding that they should remember they cannot e-scape their sins forever. The Sikhs will never forget or forgive them for the defilement of their holy scriptures, said Captain Amarinder, adding that the Badals and others claiming to be Akalis were playing a farce on the people of Punjab. The original Ak-ali Dal, formed during the Gurdwara Movement, was committed to sacrificing itself to safeguard Sikhi, unlike the present Akali Dal, which had looted the state for 10 years. Asserting that the Akal Takth was the jaan and shaan (life and pride) of Sikhs, Captain Amarinder called upon the people to teach the Badals a lesson for eroding the dignity of the highest temporal seat of the community. Bhopal: Congress on Thursday announced it would move the Election Commission (EC) demanding action against the BJPs nominee for Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, for calling the decade-long-rule of Digvijay Singh in Madhya Pradesh (1993-2003) a terrorist regime. A Congress spokesman here said the party was peeved at the portrayal of the erstwhile government as a terrorist regime and decided to take the matter to the EC for action against her. She hurls wild allegations against Mr Singh. She needs to restrain herself. We are going to lodge a complaint against her with EC seeking strong action against her. Her terrorism jibe violated the model code of conduct, the spokesman said. Thakur while addressing an election meeting in the district headquarters of Sehore on Thursday described the former government as a callous and an insensitive one since the shifting of factories from the region arbitrarily during the period had rendered thousands of employees jobless. Sixteen years ago, a sadhvi (saint) Uma Bharti had ousted Digvijay Singh from power. Now, another sadhvi (referring to herself) is going to end his political career, she had said. Ms Bharti, now a Union minister, had led BJP to power in MP in 2003. Assembly elections in MP by dislodging the Digvijay Singh government. Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar, however, defended Thakur saying that Mr Singh had addressed terrorists like Osama Bin Laden as Laden ji and Masood Azhar as Masood ji to pursue vote-bank politics. Bengaluru: Know your neighbour and community and maintain a strict vigil on strangers and their suspicious movements in times of heightened perceived threat. Following the Sri Lanka serial terrorist attacks on churches and hotels on Easter Sunday, which claimed the lives of 359 people, the City police and State Intelligence have asked religious heads of all communities, owners and security staff of malls and hotels to inform the police immediately if they see a stranger entering their premises. Churches, temples and mosques have regular worshippers from their surrounding areas. They are known to the priests/ clerics and other worshippers in the area as well. The police have sensitised the clerics and priests to watch out for strangers. All prominent religious places, which draw huge crowds have been asked to install CCTV cameras at strategic places to keep a watch and keep the beat constables, police patrols informed, said a senior police officer. City Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar along with his officers held a meeting on Thursday. One has to be vigilant at all times. Its difficult to prevent a fidayeen attack, but if people are vigilant they can sound the timely alarm and perhaps help prevent the damage to life and property, the officer added. On the other hand there was strong consolidation of minorities - Muslims and Christians compared to previous elections. It would be difficult to conclusively say which front gained because of this consolidation, he said. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ruling CPM has expressed doubt about the BJP transferring votes to the UDF in at least eight constituencies including Kannur, Kasargod and Kollam in the Lok Sabha polls. The CPM believes that the BJP had put up a strong fight in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta and Palakkad, but in rest of the constituencies the Left suspects cross-voting. The left alleged the BJP's lackluster campaigning in some of the Assembly segments of Kannur, Vadakara, Kasargod and Kollam indicated the tacit understanding with the UDF. In these constituencies the LDF candidates were the common enemy of the UDF-BJP combine. But despite cross-voting, the CPM is hopeful of wining many of these constituencies. Political observers say the cross voting phenomena is yet to be ascertained conclusively in many constituencies. "We cannot read much about poll percentage in terms of winnability. I think the extremely high poll percentage in Malabar is an indication of minority consolidation. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the seats go to the UDF," said political analyst Joseph C Mathew. He said the LDF was expected to garner seats in central and south Kerala . "I think LDF might win six to seven seats. BJP is unlikely to open account this time," he added. Mr Mathew said Mr. Surendran was likely to go to third position in Pathanamthitta. "The BJP campaign in Pathanamthitta was focused mainly on Hindus. They openly said they required only Hindu votes as their candidate represented the Sabarimala struggle. The BJP calculation was that of the 62 per cent Hindus, about 60 per cent votes would come to them. In that case they should secure 3.5 lakh votes. But even if BJP manages to get 50 per cent votes then it would come to around 3 lakh which will not be enough to win," he added. Prof J. Prabhash, political expert, said both UDF and BJP might have gained from the Sabarimala issue. But BJP cannot claim to be the sole beneficiary. On the other hand there was strong consolidation of minorities - Muslims and Christians compared to previous elections. It would be difficult to conclusively say which front gained because of this consolidation, he said. Mr Prabhash said the LDF could win about 8 to 10 seats. The BJP, however, will find it difficult to open account. CPM state secretariat to review polls today The CPM state secretariat will meet at the AKG Centre on Friday to review the Lok Sabha poll outcome. The party had earlier directed all parliamentary constituency committees to prepare detailed reports on the voting pattern in each booth. The party polling agents have submitted the registers on which they had marked the positive votes during the polling. The observers have been asked to list votes which are hundred per cent sure while tallying the party votes in each booth. This was to avoid big margin of error in evaluation. The consolidated reports submitted by each parliamentary constituency would be examined by the secretariat at the meeting on Saturday. The party would also make a preliminary assessment on suspected transfer of votes from BJP to the UDF and vice versa. Varanasi: The battle for Varanasi is over. Always heavily loaded in favour of the BJP and its star candidate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress decision not to field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has ended any kind of contest for the seat. The Congress party has fielded local strongman Ajai Rai who had fougt against Mr Modi in 2014 also and had come third after Arvind Kejriwal securing 75,000 votes. Mr Kejriwal had got approximately 2,09,000 votes and Mr Modi 5,86,000 votes. The Samajwadi Party, which is fighting the polls in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the BSP, has this time fielded Congress turncoat Shalini Yadav from the seat. Sources said the effort was aimed at keeping Yadav votes intact. Sources in the Congress indicated that it had hoped that the SP would withdraw its candidate if Ms Gandhi was fielded and she would contest as a joint Opposition candidate, but there was no such assurance from the other side. Another reason was that the party realised Ms Gandhi would be bogged down campaigning in Varanasi and would not be able to tour other constituencies in Uttar Pradesh where tough contests are in the offing like Amethi from where Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fighting the BJPs Smriti Irani. Anyway, the aim to fight for the 2022 Assembly polls in the state, a senior leader said. However, what might have clinched the decision could have been a veto by the Congress president, whom sources said is against any form of personality-based showdowns. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. Varanasi: A day before filing his nomination from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday led a mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency with thousands lining the streets of the city of temples and chanting Modi, Modi. The roadshow ended at the Dashashwamedh Ghat where the Prime Minister performed Ganga Aarti along with BJP president Amit Shah to seek blessing for winning Varanasi again and recapturing power at the Centre. The Prime Minister, wearing a saffron kurta and scarf, was cheered by a massive crowd along the seven-km route of the roadshow, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders joined his cavalcade. Raising the issue of global terrorism in his address to a group of intellectuals, Mr Modi said that India held the mega Kumbh Mela but no terrorist dared to attack holy sites in five years. If you permit, I will file my nomination from here tomorrow. And will return to thank you all after winning, said Mr Modi. I want to assure you all that this Chowkidar will never let Kashis dignity get harmed at any cost, he said, targeting rivals for questioning what he had done for Varanasi. I want to tell you all what Kashi has changed in me. I am glad that I was able to get associated with the Vedic knowledge of the city and was able to take it forward. It not only helped in my social life, but also in political one, Mr Modi said. He said Tulsidas, Sant Ravidas, Kabir and Ramanand drew inspiration from Kashis religious beliefs and that he is indebted to the city forever as the inspiration of trust, justice non-violence and knowledge enabled him to stand up to these values globally. He said while the past five years were about his government making sincere efforts, the next five will be about results. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. Varanasi: A day before filing his nomination from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday led a mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency with thousands lining the streets of the city of temples and chanting Modi, Modi. Mr Modi started his roadshow from the campus of the Benaras Hindu University by paying respects at the statue of Madan Mohan Malviya at a stage of the varsity. After Varanasi, Mr Modi is scheduled to visit is Ayodhya on May 1. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed a retired top court judge, Justice A.K. Patnaik, to probe allegations that disgruntled employees had ganged up to frame Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on the false charge of sexual harassment after their dismissal from service. A special bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Rohinton Nariman and Deepak Gupta passed this order in the suo motu proceedings relating to the matter of great public importance touching upon the independence of the judiciary after the charges levelled by a former woman employee of the court against the CJI. In its order, the bench said considering the affidavits filed by Utsav Singh Bains, an advocate, that there was an attempt to fix the CJI, we appoint Justice A.K. Patnaik, a retired judge of this court, to hold an inquiry into the allegations made in the affidavits. However, at the same time, we make it clear that this inquiry shall not be with respect to the alleged misbehaviour involving the Chief Justice of India. This is with respect to the content of the affidavits, whether the affidavits are correct or not. Bhopal: Old war horses in Madhya Pradesh politics seem to prefer their sons to daughters as inheritors of their political legacy. Many veterans in MP politics have chosen to keep their daughters away from politics and encouraged their sons to step into their shoes. Interestingly, some of them have admitted in pubic that their daughters are more deserving than their sons to inherit their political legacy. Former chief minister and Congress candidate for Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency Digvijay Singh has initiated his only son Jaivardhan Singh into politics and chose to keep his three daughters, who are married in royal families, away from politics. The two-time MLA Jaivardhan is currently a cabinet minister in the Kamal Nath government. Mr Singh has often said his daughters are more deserving and responsible than his son to inherit his political legacy. Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar who is contesting from Morena LS seat as a BJP candidate in the forthcoming polls in MP has encouraged his son Devendra to enter politics and perhaps preferred his daughter Nivedita to stay away from politics. While Devendra is a leader of BJPs youth wing in MP, Nivedita is doing her LLM now. Former MP Anup Mishra, kin of former prime minister later Atal Behari Vajapyee has also decided to initiate his son Ashwin into politics instead of his daughter Asmita. AICC general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindias son Maharyaman was seen accompanying his father and mother in political functions of late. Mr Scindias daughter Annaya has been sent abroad to pursue her higher studies. Former state BJP president Nand Kumar Chouhan who is contesting from Khandwa LS seat also did not encourage his two daughters, who are married now, to join politics. Instead, he has allowed his son Harsa to join BJP. Former Union minister and BJPs nominee for Mandla Fagan Singh Kulaste has also kept his three daughters away from politics and allowed his son Bed Prakash to join BJP. Aravan's pre-battle self sacrifice to the Goddess Kali, whose support he sought to ensure victory for the Pandavas in the war, is commonly retold in koothu, or Tamil folk-theatre. The story of Iravan, a minor character of the Mahabharata (he was a son of Arjuna), appears first in Parata Venpa, the earliest surviving Tamil version of the Mahabharata. Iravan died in the 18-day war of Kurukshetra and before he did, asked Krishna for one last boon. This was to be married before his death, a wish Krishna fulfilled by transforming into his female form, Mohini. The Tamil version sof the epic also describe Iravan, or Aravan, as completing a ritual self-sacrifice to the Goddess Kali before the war. Now a deity, the head of Aravan, sheltered by a cobra hood, is found in temples across South Asia. The Thirunangai community of transgenders in Tamil Nadu sees him as a patron God. Aravan's pre-battle self sacrifice to the Goddess Kali, whose support he sought to ensure victory for the Pandavas in the war, is commonly retold in koothu, or Tamil folk-theatre. Several centuries later, in Kenya, theatre artist Sundanda Raghunath grew up reading the Indian epics. She found heself drawn greatly to the "flawed, grey and amoral politics' of the Mahabharata. Now, Bad Hindu, her 70-minute storytelling performance, which draws from Kattai Koothu and folk theatre forms, revisits the tale of this largely-overlooked warrior-saint. Sunanda moved to London to do a Masters in Theatre, her second stint in the city. During this time, she had many conversations with people about her own background, beliefs and the traditios with which she identifies. "I found that everything I identify with and identify as, stands in contention to something else. When I had to develop a show for my final presentation in class, I decided on the Bad Hindu. I wanted to dissect the constructed nature of identity and the performative aspect of identity," she says. Bad Hindu is her artistic attempt to blast open identity politics and intersectionality, blending a contemporary narrative with mythology. Still new to theatre as a medium - Sunandha got on stage 'by chance' in 2005, when a friend directed a play, she is focussing now on "honing her artistic voice." Retelling the Aravan Kalabali (Aravan's Sacrifice) in a way that it fit seamlessly into her own, required what she calls 'dramaturgical surgery'. "That involved working with Thilagavathi Palani," she says. Palani, a Kattai Koothu artist, helped her identify the songs that needed to be in the show. "I traveled to India from the UK and worked with Thilaga in person and through whatsapp or emails when I was back in London." The 40-minute performance, as it was when she presented it in class, was shaped by her mentor in the UK. It was through conversations with him that she identified points in the narrative at which her story could intersperse with that of Aravan. "The response it received inclass inspired me to extend it to a 70-minute performance," she says. Bad Hindu opened at London's The Hampstead Theatre and received a glowing four-star review. Sunandha also likes to have 'talk-backs' at the end of her shows. "In every single show, something from the talk-back takes me back tot he script, to rework it in order to clarify what I want to say. Simplify and simplify - that should be every theatre-person's mantra," she remarks. Does she get people commenting on the title, Bad Hindu? Definitely. "I just tell them to come to the show. It is a traditional form of tehatre and tells the story of Aravan from the Mahabharata. Of course, my play isd not right-wing propaganda, I draw parallels to the Aravan of that time to the Aravans of today. Of people sacrificing their own for the sake of a greater cause." What: Bad Hindu When: April 27, 7.30 pm at Atta Galatta, Koramangala April 28, 7.30 pm at The Courtyard Hyderabad: City resident Tabassum Begum of Kurmaguda has sought the help of the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to rescue her daughter Syeda Maryam who is stranded in Doha, Qatar. Ms Tabassum Begum complained that one Fatima alias Tolichowki Fatima and another woman of the same name, said to be working as a journalist in Doha, had offered Ms Maryam the job of a nurse with a monthly salary of Rs 40,000, food and accommodation facilities. Her daughter went to Doha along with the journalist Fatima on March 10. On reaching Doha airport, Fatima handed over Maryam to one Gopal, but both of them were arrested by the local police. She alleged that two days later journalist Fatima came to the police station, and took her daughter and sold her to a recruitment agent office for a payment of Rs 2 lakh. Maryam was being asked to work as a domestic help and not being given food and accommodation. Ms Tabasum Begum said her daughter had fallen ill and wanted to return, but the employer was demanding repayment of the money he had paid to Fatima. Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists have been killed by police during an encounter in Bagender Mohalla of Bijbehara in South Kashmir's Anantnag district on Thursday. (Photo: ANI) Anantnag: Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists have been killed by police during an encounter in Bagender Mohalla of Bijbehara in South Kashmir's Anantnag district on Thursday. Talking to ANI here, Jammu and Kashmir DGP, Dilbag Singh said, "Based on inputs, the search operation began during late night and the encounter with terrorists took place early in the morning on Thursday." Singh said, "The two terrorists killed have been identified as Safder Amin Bhat and Burhan Ahmad Ganie. Bhat was 25-years-old and belonged to Zirpara Bijbehara. He was a class ninth pass... The other terrorist Ganie was 12th pass and belonged to Kulgam. He was now settled in Anantnag and was undergoing physiotherapy in Srinagar." "Both the terrorists belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen. One was active since 2017 the other one in June 2018," he added. The DGP further said, "There was no collateral damage at all during the entire operation as the inputs were very specific. There was very minor stone pelting at the spot." "Arms including a Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition besides incriminating material were found from the encounter site. The dead bodies have been handed over to their legal heirs for last rites" he added. Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Thursday accused the Election Commission of ignoring the alleged model code violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: File) Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Thursday accused the Election Commission of ignoring the alleged model code violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "PM Modi is moving about freely despite facing numerous serious allegations of the model code of conduct violation, thanks to the ECI. That's why he has started crossing the limit as far as respect for women is concerned. Hasn't the BJP/RSS imposed a lajawab neta upon the country?" Mayawati asked. PM Modi is moving freely without care despite facing numerous serious allegations of Model Code of Conduct violation, thanks to the ECI. That's why he has started crossing the limit so far as respect for women is concerned. Haven't BJP/RSS imposed a lajawab neta upon the country. Mayawati (@Mayawati) April 25, 2019 In another tweet, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party for asking who is the prime ministerial face of the Opposition. "Why is the BJP & co. repeatedly insulting masses by claiming that the Opposition lacked leadership for the post of the Prime Minister? Who after Nehru was the arrogant question asked earlier too. But people gave a befitting reply to all this nonsense and will surely give another one shortly," the BSP chief added. Why is BJP & co. repeatedly insulting masses by claiming that the Oppositions lack leadership for post of Prime Minister? 'Who after Nehru' was the arrogant question asked earlier too. But people gave a befitting reply to all this nonsense & will surely give another one shortly. Mayawati (@Mayawati) April 25, 2019 Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Thursday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, using the BJP's 2014 poll slogan and saying 'acche din' (good days) will come when Modi leaves. (Photo: File) Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Thursday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, using the BJP's 2014 poll slogan and saying 'acche din' (good days) will come when Modi leaves. Modi ji jayenge, aache din aayenge,' (Good days will come, once Modi leaves)," Gehlot mocked the prime minister. "Modi imposes his mann ki baat, but Rahul ji says listen to what people say; don't make promises and if you do, fulfil them," he said during a rally in Jalore, which was also addressed by Congress president rahul gandhi among others. Gehlot said the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are for protecting the Constitution and democracy. Gehlot also sought to rebut the prime minister's charge, made at recent rallies that the state government was dilly-dallying in implementing the central schemes related to health insurance for the poor and the pension for farmers. Gehlot said Modi is misleading the country on the issue. "This was unbecoming of the dignity of the prime minister's post," he said. Addressing the rally, state Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said, In the last five years, the Modi government gave just catchy phrases but failed to address the employment problem and doubling farmers' income as per its promise." "The atmosphere across the country is tense and filled with hatred. They wish to get votes in name of caste and religion, he added. Pilot said this election is for the future and to protect the constitutional institutions. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. The Congress party has fielded local strongman Ajay Rai who had fought against Modi in 2014. (Photo: PTI) Varanasi: Always heavily loaded in favour of BJP and its star candidate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress decision of not fielding Priyanka Gandhi has ended any kind of contest for the seat. The Congress party has fielded local strongman Ajay Rai who had fought against Modi in 2014 also and had come third after Arvind Kejriwal securing 75,000 votes. Kejriwal had got approximately 2,09,000 votes and Modi 5,86,000 votes. The Samajwadi Party which is fighting the polls in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the BSP, has this time fielded Congress turncoat Shalini Yadav from the seat. Sources said the effort was aimed at keeping Yadav votes intact. Sources in the Congress Party indicated that it had hoped that the SP would withdraw its candidate if Priyanka was fielded and she would contest as a joint Opposition candidate, but there was no such assurance from the other side. Another reason was that the party realised Priyanka would be bogged down campaigning in Varanasi and would not be able to tour other constituencies in Uttar Pradesh where tough contests are in the offing like Amethi from where Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fighting BJPs Smriti Irani. Anyways, the aim to fight for 2022 Assembly polls in the state, a senior leader said. However, what might have clinched the decision could have been a veto by the Congress President who sources said is against any kind of personality based showdowns. While most local residents here concede and the PM does have an edge, many also feel that Gandhis candidature would have at least ensured a contest. It is true that Modi is a strong candidate and Varanasi has benefitted by virtue of being the PMs constituency. But in democracy there should always be a contest and Priyanka Gandhi would have ensured that, said Abdullah Ansari, who heads a weaving unit here. Another resident of the city, Ashish Agrawal whose shop near Vishwanath Temple is facing demolition agrees. Not all are in favour of Modi. But lack of a credible opposition candidate will push most to vote for him. Maqsood Ali, who works as a hotel staff, said Modi would have faced a tough contest if Priyanka Gandhi contested. However, an equal number differ with this view. Anup Pathak, who runs a Sari shop on Godhuliya Chowka says Varanasi has seen tremendous development under Modi. There never was any contest, he says when asked about rumours of Priyanka Gandhi contesting from the temple city. On similar lines, chief priest of Sankat Mochan Temple and professor at IIT BHU Vishambar Nath Mishra says the decision not to field Priyanka was wise as it was a one-sided game. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Nizamabad: About 50 turmeric farmers of Nizamabad district have left for Varanasi to file their nomination papers to contest in the Lok Sabha elections. where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the BJP candidate. They were led by the farmers association president, a TRS leader. This is the second LS constituency they are contesting to draw attention to their plight; about 180 farmers had contested from Nizamabad where the prime contestant was TRS MP K. Kavitha. Turmeric farmers, who contested as independent candidates from Nizamabad made it clear that those going to Varanasi were not connected to their agitation. They neither contested in Nizamabad nor participated in the agitation, they said. Farmers from Nizamabad Rural, Balkonda and Armoor Assembly constituencies have decided to file mass nominations in Varanasi. The last date for filing of nominations at the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency is April 29. The farmers tried to book train tickets but could not do so. They engaged a tourist bus to take them to Varanasi by April 26. They intend to use the opportunity to get national attention for their plight. Speaking to newsmen in Armoor on Thursday, the farmers said that they were not against any party or leader. We will contest as independent candidates from Varanasi to highlight the problems of turmeric farmers they said. Independent candidates require the support of 10 local voters to file their nomination papers, and the Nizamabad farmers have got in touch with their counterparts in Varanasi. In addition, turmeric farmers from Erode in Tamil Nadu are also filing mass nominations in Varanasi. Telangana Turmeric Farmers Association president and TRS leader Kotapati Narasimha Naidu said they will support the farmers to contest in Varanasi. We will extend moral support to the farmers in their demand to set up turmeric board and ensure remunerative price, Mr Narasimha Naidu said. Replying to a question, he said the farmers may come under pressure not to contest as Varanasi is the Prime Minister's constituency. Alcohol consumption is posing a threat to public health, and many residents have complained of increasing incidents of crimes in their neighbourhood. Mexico City: A proposal to ban the sale of cold beer in the convenience stores in Mexico City has sparked outrage on the social media. Reports said lawmaker Lourdes Paz Reyes introduced the motion in the parliament on Wednesday saying it would reduce public and underage drinking. The brilliant deputies of the Morena party are worried about cold beers for immediate consumption instead of worrying about the insecurity in our country, one user tweeted. I don't even stop drinking beer when I have gout, added another. Alcohol consumption is posing a threat to public health, and many residents have complained of increasing incidents of crimes in their neighbourhood. Residents may now have to slake their thirst with warm beer, said The Guardian. The motion would modify Mexico Citys commerce laws to ban selling beer or beverages of 7% or less alcohol content, which are refrigerated or in different conditions than the ambient temperature. Stores would also be required to post signs warning patrons of stiff penalties for public drinking, the paper said. Mexico Citys ubiquitous mom-and-pop stores often sell cold beer in big bottles previously promoted as family-sized and provide plastic cups, which people use to consume the product on-site, it said. This came at a time of high tension in Sri Lanka following the Easter bombings. (Photo: Representational) Colombo: A blast was heard on Thursday from vacant land behind the magistrates court in the town of Pugoda, 40 km (25 miles) east of the capital Colombo, police and local residents said. There were no casualties, the police said. Police said they were investigating the explosion, which came at a time of high tension in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday suicide bomber attacks on the island state that killed 359 people and wounded about 500. When Tobi Ajisegbede of Lagos, Nigeria, flew his mother to Bengaluru for spinal surgery at Manipal Hospital, he was under the impression that he was getting a good deal. For $10,000 (Rs 6,98,000), the hospital offered quick and effective results. But what ensued, according to Ajisegbede was five months of prolonged treatment which not only cost him and his family over $20,000 (Rs 13,96,000) but also his mothers life on April 14, to what he claims was persistent negligence by Manipal. Juliet Mojirayo Ajisegbede, 58, had been complaining of persistent back pain for five years until June 2018, when Ajisegbede, a 23-year-old network engineer, finally took her to Vedic Lifecare, an Indian hospital in Lagos which is affiliated with Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru. When Juliet was diagnosed with Lumbar Canal Stenosis, which indicated a reduction of water in the spine, attending doctors administered steroid shots. When this failed to fix the problem, a Vedic interface recommended transferring Juliet to Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru. Following extensive tests and scanning, the family was presented with the medical quote of $10,000. According to Ajisegbede, the family saved up for two months to raise the money, flying into India on December 1, 2018. To our shock, Manipal subsequently hiked the cost of treatment to $20,000 just before surgery, he said, describing the move as unethical, considering that they already knew her condition because all testing had been done by Vedic in Nigeria before issuing the price quote. Medical records show that while Manipal staff successfully carried out the surgery on December 4, 2018, the hospital, fearing the risk of infection, discharged the patient four days later. Ajisegbede said that he fiercely contested the decision, allegedly telling hospital staff that it would be dangerous to move his mother so soon after surgery. A hospital death summary given to Ajisegbede months later would state that the patient had been discharged as per protocol. Unable to return home until his mother had recovered, Ajisegbede rented an apartment in Indiranagar for Rs 8,500 a day and hired a nurse and a physiotherapist. But when Juliets condition worsened six days later, Ajisegbede rushed her back to Manipal. What then followed, Ajisegbede said, was a pattern of extortion by the hospital. The charges for the ICU alone cost Rs 1 lakh per day, he claimed. Faced with mounting bills, the family said they were forced to sell properties in Nigeria for ridiculous prices. When the money from this ran out, the hospital stopped administering medicine, Ajisegbede claimed. Dr Deepak Venugopal, regional chief operating officer of Manipal Hospitals, rejected this assertion: The hospital offered the best possible treatment to the patient, fully participating with the family members in the treatment process and understanding the challenges of foreign nationals on Indian soil. The patients financial constraints never came in the way of providing all necessary treatment... all possible support was extended to the patient/family without any financial consideration during the second admission. On April 14, another infection entered her bloodstream. She died of multiple organ failure. Asked if he could recommend medical care in India, Ajisegbede said, Its better to go to China or Korea. Indians are heartless. They are using Africans as lab rats. Purushotham Reddy, who survived Sundays serial blast in Sri Lanka, was brought to the Manipal Hospital here after being airlifted from the island nation. Reddy (45) is the brother-in-law of S R Nagaraj, who was among the dead at the Shangri-La Hotel attacked on Easter day. Reddy was brought to the city with injuries to his head, chest and spine. Dr Sudarshan Ballal, medical director of Manipal Hospitals, said Reddy is receiving treatment at the hospitals multidisciplinary critical care unit. He already underwent a surgery for his chest injuries at a hospital in Colombo. Serious, but stable Right now, hes in a serious condition, but stable. He is being treated by a neurologist, spine surgeon, cardiovascular surgeon and surgical gastroenterologist. Hes on ventilator, but is being evaluated, stabilised and is undergoing appropriate treatment, Dr Ballal said. Reddy, Nagaraj and a couple of others from Bengaluru were vacationing in Sri Lanka. They were hit while having breakfast at the hotel. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday summoned Telugu Desam Party leader and former Union minister of state for science and technology, Y S Chowdary, also known as Sujana Chowdary, to appear before its Bengaluru office on Friday in connection with the Rs 71-crore bank fraud case against Best & Crompton Engineering Projects Limited. The CBI had registered a case in 2017 against the Chennai-headquartered electrical equipment manufacturer for allegedly cheating Andhra Bank for Rs 71 crore. Company managing director K Srinivas Kalyan Rao and four other directors were named as accused. They were charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery among others. In November 2018, the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax sleuths conducted searches at Chowdarys offices and residence. His assets were also attached. Sujana Chowdary, however, denied connections with the company. In a media release, he said that he would take appropriate action. The CBI investigation revealed that the money borrowed from the bank was transferred through bogus invoices and shell companies to Mahal Hotels which exists only on papers. Both Best & Crompton Engineering and Mahal Hotel are said to be subsidiaries of Sujana Group of Companies promoted by Chowdary. (MEDIA, PA) Local kindergarteners from the YMCA of Eastern Delaware County visit Riddle Village once a week to learn with our Personal Care residents. Lessons for the children include songs, crafts, and games with their new friends in our Monticello building. The Intergenerational Kindergarten program is a unique learning experience that takes place once a week and is a fun way for kids to learn. Teachers pack up the classroom and bring the lesson to Riddle Village, where kindergarteners and seniors engage with one another, as well as, challenge and entertain. Not only does this make learning an exciting experience, but it also brings a lot of joy to residents and kids and has created some memorable friendships. Some of the benefits our residents receive with this program is socialization. They also look forward to seeing their smiles and being around their energy. Some of our residents may not have grandchildren, or they may live a distance, and they look forward to the weekly visits, said Maria Smith, Activities Supervisor. If you would like more information about this program, please contact Brooke Byrne at 484-621-1102 or bbyrne@riddlevillage.com. About Riddle Village: Riddle Village was developed to meet the retirement and health care needs of residents age 62 and older. Through a comprehensive program of superior amenities, centered around a philosophy of genuine caring, Riddle Village strives to afford its residents the highest quality lifestyle possible. It is further the goal of Riddle Village to attract a work force of people oriented individuals, dedicated to the delivery of quality services. Riddle Village shall strive to provide its employees with fair treatment, fair salaries, and an excellent benefits program, as it is our goal to become the employer of choice in the retirement industry in Delaware County. As we continue to respond to the needs of our residents, our employees, and the ever-changing demands of the retirement industry, Riddle Village will move forward as a leader in the industry. You dont have to remind the folks in the Andover development out in Thornbury that the pipeline people are back in town. All you have to do is stop at the red light at the intersection of Routes 926 and 352 and roll down the window. Brace yourself. Were not talking about noise here. This is more like a din. And it is right in their backyard. Were not talking yards; were talking feet. Construction on the massive Mariner East 2 project restarted a few weeks ago. While the majority of the 20-inch pipe that will carry hundreds of thousands of barrels of highly volatile liquid gas across the 350-mile width of Pennsylvania to a facility in Marcus Hook is nearly complete, several sections in this area remain to be completed. The noise is ungodly, to say nothing of having your backyard turned into a construction site. Its a safe guess that most of the people in this development never realized the easements on the property would result in what they have today, their bucolic community and landscapes scarred by pipeline construction. They talk about the noise, and their homes literally shaking when drilling is taking place, glasses and dishes in cupboards literally rattling. Then there is their concerns about their property values, what would happen if they were to try to sell their expensive homes at some point in the future. Forget about trying to sell them now. But all of that pales next to the fear of what will be moving through those pipelines, and what could happen in the event of a spill or other incident. The butane, ethane and propane being ferried from the Marcellus Shale regions is a far cry from the old petroleum materials that at one time coursed through the vast network of pipelines that crisscross the region. Residents have questions about what might happen, first responders have questions, local officials have questions. What they dont have are a lot of answers. Specifically, they dont have a question to the one unspoken question that remains on everyones mind: What if? The multi-billion dollar enterprise being built by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners and their local affiliates, Sunoco Pipeline LP and Sunoco Logistics, has it boosters, including the chamber of commerce and labor unions who like the solid jobs it brings with them. They dont have to live with it in their backyard. This week residents concerns ticked up again with word that Mariner East 1, an older, smaller pipeline that was retrofitted to handle the liquid gases, was going back on line. It had been shut down for three months since sinkholes appeared in a West Whiteland neighborhood for the second time. State regulators signed off on the restart, but not before slapping several conditions on ETP, including closer monitoring of Mariner East 1 operations and more soil and ground testing in the area to determine the cause of the sinkholes. The legions of pipeline foes are not thrilled at the aspect of the old pipeline Mariner East 1 first went into service in 1931, handling these volatile materials at high pressure. Both state regulators and ETP officials stress the 8-inch pipeline is safe and has been adequately tested. Mariner East 2, a 20-inch pipe that will greatly increase the amount of materials moving through the line, was put online the last week of December, but not in the form originally proposed. Because of a series of spills, runoffs and work shutdowns, the company had to resort to filling in the gaps with older, smaller pipes. The complete Mariner East 2 now is not expected to be completed until 2020. A third pipeline, Mariner East 2X, also is being constructed. Its just part of the problems that have plagued the project, something even ETP officials admit has been a problem in Pennsylvania, though they stop well short of what is being suggested by district attorneys in the region. Chester County D.A. Tom Hogan has initiated a criminal investigation of the construction of Mariner East and is impaneling an investigative grand jury to hear testimony and consider the possibility of charges. Delaware County D.A. Katayoun Copeland and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro are conducting a joint investigation of the project. In the case of the now restarted Mariner East 1, ETP said it worked closely with state Public Utility Commission investigators, who confirmed the safety of the project. The investigation also confirmed that at no time was Mariner East 1 ever destabilized in this area, ETP said of the area affected by the sinkholes. That in general seems to be the tenor of state oversight of this project. They are always getting involved after an incident. Residents are left to wonder who thought this was a good idea pushing 675,000 barrels of volatile liquid gases through densely populated schools, right next to homes, schools and senior centers, was a good idea. Dont believe it? Just ask the folks out in Andover. Editor's note: This article is part of the Deseret News' annual Ten Today series, which explores the relevance of the Ten Commandments in modern life. SALT LAKE CITY When a Minnesota father found Target mail ads for maternity clothing and nursery furniture addressed to his teenage daughter in the early 2000s, he angrily stormed into a local store to confront the manager, The New York Times reported. It turns out, Target knew the young woman was pregnant before her father did. Based on items she bought, an algorithm assigned her a "pregnancy prediction" score and estimated her due date within a small window, according to the Times. That was more than 10 years ago. Since then, marketers have become even more sophisticated. Today, bits of code embedded across the web track the online activity of everyone from kids to senior citizens. Myriad companies collect that data, creating detailed profiles of individual users and selling them to advertisers so they can serve up digital ads with a personal touch so personal that many are surprised, even creeped out, by how well the internet seems to know intimate details of their lives, which might include their financial history, sexual orientation, health status, political views and religious beliefs. The constant bombardment of targeted advertising designed to be manipulative, along with the increasing convenience of online shopping, can leave some people feeling jealous and dissatisfied, experts say, constantly aware of all the possibilities just a click away. Each year around Passover and Easter, the Deseret News takes a closer look at how the Ten Commandments are relevant to the modern world, especially when it comes to technology. This year, we focused on the last commandment, "Thou shalt not covet" an age-old charge to avoid jealousy and pining for things you don't own. A new, national Deseret News poll finds that a strong majority of Americans 62 percent say they are not OK with targeted advertising because they don't like having their online behavior tracked or analyzed. However, this number is down from 2012, when the Pew Research Center asked the same question, and the percentage who say they are OK with targeted advertising because it means they see ads for things they're really interested in has risen from 28 percent to 38 percent. Young people between the ages of 18 and 29 are the most likely to say they are OK with targeted advertising because it helps them get information about things they are interested in, according the survey, which was conducted online by YouGov April 4-5 among 1,000 Americans. But 50 percent of young people also worry about spending too much time on their phones a higher percentage than any other age group. According to Ronald Hill, professor of marketing at American University, advertising can enhance a person's well-being by connecting them to products that are useful. At the same time, advertising continuously presents consumers with messages that they are not good enough and will not be fulfilled until they buy a certain product. "We already have a generation that is distracted by so many things," said Hill. "From a Buddhist mindfulness perspective, (online advertising) takes us away from living in a particular moment. It distracts us from the things we should be spending time on that provide greater fulfillment. It creates a time sink that causes more stress than its probably worth." As smartphones and internet access have become ineliminable fixtures of modern life, data on what we buy, read, watch and talk about has become valuable currency. In many cases, users opt to give up data in exchange for convenience. But in doing so, they may also be surrendering not just their anonymity, but also their autonomy to act without being emotionally swayed by marketers. There is still a sense that, I choose to be influenced by ads. I can say no, said Jennifer King, director of consumer privacy at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School. In some ways, thats still true. But at the same time, I think its harder than ever to be online and to be in a world where you are immune to ads and they dont influence your behavior at all. In 2017, an internal report crafted by Facebook executives revealed that the social network told advertisers that by monitoring posts, interactions and photos, it could track when teens feel insecure, worthless, stressed, useless and a failure in order to micro-target ads down to moments when young people need a confidence boost, The Guardian reported. Businesses not only learn what you buy but also attempt to understand what triggers you to buy, said Andres Arrieta, director of consumer privacy engineering at the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco, who added that triggering a purchase might involve exploiting insecurities and negative emotions. Marketing tries to tap into our emotions, but the traditional way has to rely on generalities about populations, said Arrieta. Targeted ads allow them to do it for you and only you, knowing you deeply, and immediately having feedback on what the result is. Influence can happen in an instant. It takes people just 1.7 seconds to consume mobile content on Facebook, and people can recall content after just a quarter of a second, according to Facebook. But that influence could be causing people to spend more time coveting things they don't have, with potential implications for satisfaction in other areas of life. For example, a 2017 study from Brigham Young University found that higher levels of materialism were associated with decreased marriage satisfaction and a decreased sense that marriage is important. "Materialism is rampant in the developed world anyway," said Hill. "Now, you think about material things more than you have in the past because you are confronted with it more regularly when you allow media to be part of virtually every waking moment of your life." Tracking Allie Hill, 22, a senior majoring in accounting at the University of Utah, was surprised to see an advertisement on Twitter for the beverage Pedialyte shortly after texting a friend about it and posting photos with an off-brand version of the drink on Snapchat and Instagram on her way to a workout class. I was shocked. That is so creepy! said Hill (no relation to Ronald Hill). I understand, if my search engine had it stored in there, but I never searched for it. She added that she bought the beverage from Sams Club several weeks prior to seeing the ad. It makes me feel like my information isn't nearly as private as I would hope it would be," she said. Experts say there are a plethora of ways companies can learn what products youre interested in, including search engine inquiries, store loyalty cards, credit card purchasing history, location tracking, photos and the online habits of your friends. Suggestions can be so on point, many have wondered if their phones or personal devices like Amazon's Alexa or Google Home are listening to their conversations. Companies like Amazon, Apple and Google have repeatedly denied those theories. Feedback for real time location tracking is almost instantaneous," said King. "If you are in a Nordstrom, they know you are there. If youre with a friend and you both have the Facebook app running on your phone, Facebook will know youre in Nordstrom and youre with your friend. They know a lot about your relationship with that person. "You never notice ads that dont matter, but you definitely notice when theyre spot on, she added. The largest culprits of tracking online behavior are Google (by a lot), Facebook, Twitter and AppNexus, according to research from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Princeton. In addition to tracking people who use their services directly, these companies act as third-party trackers on a large percentage of other websites. Google Analytics, a product that tracks and reports website traffic to the companys ad-targeting systems, was found on almost 70 percent of sites, according to the Princeton study published in 2016. DoubleClick, a dedicated ad-serving system from Google, was found on close to 50 percent of sites. That means Google knows nearly every website you've visited, what you've looked at and clicked on, and is putting that info together to serve you ads on every corner of the web. In comparison, Facebook has trackers in around 30 percent of the top 10,000 sites on the web and 32 percent of the top 500 android apps, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. A new Vermont law, the first of its kind, requires companies that buy and sell third-party personal data to register with the Secretary of State in an effort to create more transparency. Fast Company published a list of more than 120 data brokers that registered with the state, ranging from from organizations that help landlords research potential tenants or deliver marketing leads to insurance companies, to sites that allow users to search people's names, addresses and phone numbers like Spokeo, ZoomInfo and White Pages. The law, however, doesnt require data brokers to disclose whos in their databases, what data they collect, or who buys it. Nor does it require the companies to give consumers access to their own data or let them opt out of data collection. "A law like this could be helpful, or a way of frustrating consumers who look at the list and realize, 'wow, I have a lot of work to do to actually protect my information,'" said King, who hopes that as people realize the risks, more regulations will be created to protect consumers. At least 75 companies receive anonymous, precise location data from apps whose users enable location services for local news and weather or other information and might not know their data is being shared with others, The New York Times found. The Times reviewed an unnamed database of location data from more than a million phones in the New York area and easily identified a number of individuals, even though personal information like names, phone numbers and addresses were not included in the data. Cuebiq is one company, based in New York City, that analyzes anonymous location data to help retailers, researchers and other clients. What we have now are many more touch points that are driving the purchase decision. Gaining a fuller understanding of that and the offline behavior of consumers at scale is essential for marketers to know how marketing stimuli are working and when they are most effective, said Valentina Marastoni-Bieser executive vice president of marketing, who said Cuebiq has no interest in personal details. We do not assess data on individual mobility patterns. We are interested in big data traffic patterns. Ethics Log in to your Google account and visit location history to see a timeline and map of everywhere youve ever taken your phone if youve allowed Google to save your location. (You can still use Google Maps even if you have turned off this setting.) Log in to Facebook and you can browse, for free, the extensive list of categories that may be used to target people when posting an ad. These include zip code, income, educational level, Internet browser and operating system used, the age of a persons kids and any number of interests from meditation to aviation. According to King, there are few legal controls that dictate what data companies can collect and how they can use that data. There are steps individuals can take to protect their personal information, but many are unaware of how to adjust privacy settings on their favorite apps, not to mention take additional steps like downloading anti-tracking software, using ad-blockers and accessing the Internet through a virtual private network. The Deseret News poll conducted April 4-5 also found that close to half 46 percent of Americans dont know how to limit the personal information websites collect about them, though the figure is down from 60 percent in 2012 when the Pew Research Center asked the same question. Opt-outs are not effective. They are purposely hard and hidden. We also know from years of research that the vast majority of users never change the defaults, said Arrieta. When users are pulled in by the convenience of these apps and the 'zero cost' of them, they are being hooked-and-baited into handing over data about themselves, Dylan Curran, a tech consultant based in Waterford, Ireland. It's the difference between a CCTV camera in a store, and somebody fixing your plumbing for free then secretly planting a camera in your bedroom so they can sell the videos. And while users may be able to make some adjustments and stop seeing annoying ads, its almost impossible to prevent websites from collecting their personal information altogether, even if they are doing things like clearing their search history and employing do not track settings on their web browser, King said. Journalist Julia Angwin writes in her book Dragnet Nation about her efforts to get off the grid, including quitting Google and carrying a "burner" phone. Her experiment showed it is virtually impossible for an average citizen to escape tracking. I have to nod to the fact that it is useful when you are able to discover and find things you want and need. Its not all evil, said King. What is difficult is opting out and drawing clear boundaries that I want to be in a space that is ad free. You should not be in a world where every aspect is commercialized. According to professor Ronald Hill, radio was the first invention that brought advertising into the home. "Now imagine everywhere you go, marketers are going with you," Hill said. "We have moved from having it rarely in our lives, to having it in our pockets." He recommends people spend less time on their phones and more time engaging with people and things in the world around them. Today, the stream of advertisements that promise to bring fulfillment with material items is endless, he said. "The iPhone 7 leads to iPhone 8, which leads to iPhone 11 and then to iPhone 24," said Hill. "You can never get off this treadmill." Targeted advertising could be used to discriminate against people, if different products, prices, job opportunities or apartment listings are offered to different people based on their race, gender or zip code, said King. Targeted ads can also affect how people feel about themselves, according to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. Participants in the experiment saw themselves as more "sophisticated" or "environmentally conscious" after seeing what they thought were targeted ads using similar language. I hate that advertisers are trying to map my choices for me, said Allie Hill. "At times, I have been a victim of impulse buying." I would rather use my own judgement and make my own buying decisions. Note: The Deseret News uses a variety of industry-standard tracking and analytics products to help us better understand the way people use our digital products, including Facebook and Twitter tags. SALT LAKE CITY Nearly 30 percent of the bills discussed this year by the Utah Legislature were health care related, and 63 percent of those bills passed. The biggest issue, aside from tax reform, said Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Murray, was Medicaid expansion. Yet, lawmakers essentially overturned the will of the people, who had voted for full Medicaid expansion, opting to increase taxes to pay for it. "Medicaid expansion has a long and sordid history in Utah and this was frustrating," Rep. Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, said Wednesday during a panel discussion as part of the 2019 Utah State of Reform Health Policy Conference at the downtown Marriott. He said the Legislature's replacement effort is "a worthy endeavor," but he's not optimistic that all the waivers needed to implement it will be approved by the federal government. Policymakers met to discuss not only access to health care, which could be increasing in Utah, but the rising costs and other issues that plague Utahns. "Our state suffers diseases of despair," Dr. Joseph Miner, executive director of the Utah Department of Health said during his keynote address. He said Utah ranks high in opioid overdoses, as well as suicide. Recent improvements in those categories have to do with other states getting worse, not necessarily Utah getting better, though the state is seeing some progress with various implemented life-saving measures. Miner told the more than 200 Utah leaders in health care in attendance that people's behavioral patterns including drug and tobacco use, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, violence and injury make up the majority of their overall health determinants. He said a solution could be more public money spent on social support systems, as is the case in countries that ultimately have better health outcomes. "Many of the poor outcomes we're experiencing in the United States, compared to other nations doing it differently, is that they provide more social support to help people not be in despair and not be hopeless and really think about the other aspects of health care beyond clinical care and access to clinical care, which are also critical," Miner said. "Our primary goal is to be the healthiest people we can be," he said, pointing to the mission of public health. Lawmakers who participated in various panels on Wednesday discussed mostly Medicaid expansion getting people access to the care that they might need and how it changes things in Utah. "I see it as a generational change as to how we think about health care in our state," said Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful, a physician who has long been a proponent of expansion. "We have a plan in place it might be insufficient, but we have a plan in place for everyone to get some basic coverage," he said. Should the waivers not be approved by the federal government, Ward championed a fallback to make expansion "fiscally sustainable to the state." He said lawmakers will continue working on health care-related issues, including medical marijuana, health care cost transparency and affordability. Others said health care for inmates will continue to be a big issue in the coming years, as well as mental health and balanced billing. "For the next year, implementing that big thing (Medicaid expansion) is the most important thing we'll be doing," Ward said, adding that a lot of people who have been turned down for Medicaid in the past might not know that they are again eligible. The daylong conference, hosted by State of Reform, aims to keep the dialogue on health care reform going to bridge the gap between health care and health policy. In addition to the Salt Lake conference, the nonpartisan group is hosting similar events in 13 markets this year. "Health care, as we all know, is complicated," said Utah Rep. Ben McAdams, who also spoke at the conference. "It is also a big part of our economy." "U.S. health spending is growing faster than the broader economy, which means more money is being taken out of peoples paychecks to pay for a system that both worries and frustrates patients," McAdams said, adding that the majority of payments go to Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance. He said that while the Affordable Care Act is not perfect, it is helping. McAdams also outlined bills he is backing to further address health care issues facing the American people, but particularly Utahns. "I am committed to working for bipartisan solutions that will move the debate forward and will result in meaningful action toward making affordable, quality health care available to everyone in our country," he said. SALT LAKE CITY This is perhaps the most Idahoan thing to ever exist. Thanks to the ingenuity of one Boise Airbnb host, you can now spend the night in a 6-ton Big Idaho Potato Hotel that looks exactly how it sounds: like one big Idaho potato. The Big Idaho Potato Hotel, which was listed on Airbnbs website this week, was originally a giant prop that made its way around the country for six years for the Idaho Potato Commission. After the potato was retired, Boise resident Kristie Wolfe had the idea to turn it into a hotel, according to Insider. The potato, which measures 28 feet long, 12 feet wide and 11.5 feet tall, according to Insider, has now made its resting place in Boise, surrounded by 400 acres of farmland and a railroad. For $200 a night (plus a $31 service fee and $16 in occupancy tax), you can stay in the Big Idaho Potato Hotel during your next trip to Idaho. The Potato Hotel contains one queen-size bed, a small bathroom, a kitchenette, a fireplace and air conditioning. Just dont expect to have Wi-Fi if you book a night, and dont try licking or eating the walls this babys full of concrete and steel. For more information about the Big Idaho Potato Hotel, visit the Airbnb listing. CENTERVILLE Police on Wednesday arrested a teenager who they say strangled a 71-year-old woman who was practicing the organ in a church meetinghouse last November. They say they found the 17-year-old boy using DNA evidence found at the scene. On Nov. 17, the woman was alone in a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 270 N. 300 East in Centerville late on a Saturday night, police said. All doors to the building were locked. "The woman reported she was practicing at the organ about 9 p.m. when she heard loud pounding for several minutes on the locked door of the chapel," Centerville Police Lt. Zan Robison said in November. She was then "suddenly attacked from behind while playing the organ and was (choked) into unconsciousness multiple times," Centerville police said in a statement Wednesday. The boy got into the building by breaking a window, according to police. The Centerville teen was arrested without incident in Kaysville and booked into a juvenile detention center for investigation of aggravated burglary and aggravated assault, police said. His name was not released. "Centerville detectives have been working diligently on this case since it occurred and developed a person of interest. Detectives were able to collect DNA evidence left behind on discarded objects by the person of interest which were sent to the state lab for processing. This investigation took several months, but it remained a priority for us," police said. According to Centerville Police Chief Paul Child, there is no known connection between the boy and the woman. "We have informed the victim of this incident of the arrest, and she expressed relief," police said. ST. GEORGE A southern Utah teenager who left a smoldering backpack containing shotgun powder and BB pellets in a school cafeteria last year has been ordered to four years of probation. Martin Farnsworth, 17, admitted last month to placing a backpack next to a vending machine on March 5, 2018, while 75 to 150 students were in the cafeteria. In a bargain with prosecutors, Farnsworth admitted that he told police "I would have been fine with it" if someone had been killed, court documents show. The teenager declined to give a statement before he was sentenced Wednesday afternoon in 5th District Court in St. George. He pleaded guilty in March to attempting to cause injury or commit a felony with an incendiary device, a first-degree felony. Originally, he faced charges of attempted murder and using a weapon of mass destruction, both first-degree felonies. Ahead of the hearing, a psychologist confirmed the teen is high-functioning on the autism spectrum and has depression, according to his attorney Ed Flint. The teen's mental health plummeted last year after months of bullying at school, Flint said, but he can be treated with medication and therapy. "He has shown remorse and regret, but they're not the same as a person who's not on the autism spectrum," Flint added. He said the case shows just how hard the state comes down on those who put children and schools at risk. St. George's Pine View High School was evacuated March 5, 2018, when investigators say students found the smoking backpack. Moments earlier, Farnsworth struck a match and lit a fuse on the device containing gasoline, shotgun powder, BB shots and matches, court documents show. Earlier in the case, a bomb expert testified the device could have sparked a fire but had a faulty fuse and would not have exploded. No injuries were reported. In a letter to the judge, volunteers at a Washington County detention facility where Farnsworth has spent more than a year asked the judge to spare him prison time. One set of volunteers wrote in a letter that he is a spiritual teen who was raised in a home that values faith and love, and his social skills have improved. Two more volunteers with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wrote a letter to the court saying Farnsworth has attended every Sunday service over more than a year in detention and has a good attitude. "I have never seen him show any anger or unkindness," their letter says. In addition to probation, 5th District Judge Michael Westfall sentenced Farnsworth to complete 250 hours of community service and write an apology. Westfall also ordered a new psychological evaluation, restricted Farnsworth's internet access for six months, and barred him from having guns or explosives at home. The judge suspended a prison sentence of five years and up to life, meaning it will not take effect if he successfully completes probation. Prosecutor Angela Adams said the resolution will protect the community and minimize the chances of the same thing happening again. Last July, a juvenile judge ordered him to face the charges as an adult. In a separate juvenile proceeding, the teen was ordered to probation and to pay restitution after he admitted to painting "ISIS is comi--" on a Hurricane High School wall in April 2018. SALT LAKE CITY The Utah Inland Port Authority was supposed to discuss a full agenda Wednesday but then Ethan Petersen stood up with a bullhorn, followed by a small crowd of protestors. "Board members," Petersen said. "You haven't been listening, you haven't been responding, and engaging in anti-scientific and environmentally destructive behavior, so we are going to have a people's port meeting." Board chairman Derek Miller, who was conducting the meeting in a gym at North Star Elementary School in west-side Salt Lake City, tried to speak over the protestors to continue the meeting, but he was drowned out by Petersen's booming voice. "Abort the port, abort the port, abort the port," Petersen and the protesters chanted as port authority board members exchanged confused looks. BREAKING: A group of protestors just interrupted and forced the Utah Inland Port Authority to postpone its business after crashing its meeting with a megaphone #utpol pic.twitter.com/LVzSN7eHei Katie McKellar (@KatieMcKellar1) April 24, 2019 "You have shown blatant disregard for the planet, for future generations," Petersen said. "We're going to speak for those that are voiceless." Miller, speaking into a microphone, tried to interject, saying: "We ask you to make public comment during the public comment period." But Petersen, who leads the protest group Civil Riot, kept going. "We're going to have a people's port meeting," Petersen said before continuing the chant "abort the port." Petersen and the group of protestors fighting against the proposed Utah Inland Port envisioned to be a global trade hub in Salt Lake City's northwest quadrant to maximize the state's imports and exports then successfully hijacked the board meeting when Miller decided to postpone it. As Miller and other board members walked out, he told the Deseret News because the protest was "in violation of our public decorum policy, we just apologize to the public who come to participate and give public comment in an appropriate way." "Since we weren't able to do that, and since we weren't able to conduct any business, we just decided to conclude the meeting and reschedule it," he said. The port authority board was supposed to discuss a draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year, receive a briefing from a representative from the Audubon Society about an environmental buffer zone in the project area, and a public outreach update, among other issues. Board members packed up and left. Derek Miller said they decided to cancel the meeting. Protestors cheer, say theyre going to keep interrupting meetings until they abort the port #utpol #utleg https://t.co/Esc4JTL33b Katie McKellar (@KatieMcKellar1) April 24, 2019 Miller said the interruption was "only frustrating to the extent that we have a public input process and when people do that it doesn't give the rest of the public an opportunity who have come, who've prepared, who wanted to give public comment and it usurps their right to do so." "It was meant to be disruptive and it was, and so we've concluded the meeting," he said. Environmentalists, concerned residents and others worried about the impact of the port on Salt Lake City's air quality and wetland environment have consistently shown up at port authority meetings to ask state and city leaders to stop the port, even as the port authority proceeds with its public engagement process to shape the project as it moves forward. But Petersen said the port board has ignored their comments thus far, proceeding with a project he and his group believe shouldn't be built, period. He said the port authority and its leaders have not expressed an intent to move away from fossil fuels because of indications it will be used to export coal and other natural resources, so his group's goal is to "get the port shut down." "Nobody has expressed really much support for this port except people who already have interests in it: Utah's elite, the trucking industry, and the fossil fuel industry," Petersen said in an interview. The protestors cheered when Petersen announced the meeting had been shut down and he pledged to do it again at the port authority's next meeting. "We're going to keep shutting down meetings until they cancel this project because it's unscientific, it's unjust, and it's a continuation of policies that have dispossessed people," Petersen said. "And we're done with it." "We're through!" another protestor shouted. John Wilkes, who joined in on the protest, said, "We're ready to do it again." "No one wants this port, and the board just doesn't listen because it's all about money," Wilkes said. Asked how the port authority will proceed at future meetings if more protests occur, board officials issued a prepared statement: "It is regrettable when an individual obstructs the opportunity and rights of the general public to be heard. The Utah Inland Port Authority Board remains committed to working collaboratively with all interested parties to address growth and challenges in a productive and safe environment." Asked what his group plans to do at future meetings if they're asked to leave, Petersen said, "I guess we'll have to see." SALT LAKE CITY By the time today's preschoolers have grandchildren of their own, Utah's classrooms and workplaces will be significantly more diverse. In 2065, the Beehive State will look more like the nation as a whole does today, a new state report projects. Slightly more than 1 in 3 Utahns will be racial and ethnic minorities, up from 1 in 5 in 2015, show the figures out Wednesday from the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. The projections create the most detailed forecast to date of Utah's changing face over the longterm, said Pamela Perlich, director of demographic research at the Gardner Institute. They also illustrate an "irreversible" trend, Perlich said. "We've built institutions and policies and practices surrounding a demographic that really no longer exists. It is slowly changing into something else." The report says minority groups, and mostly Hispanic Utahns, will fuel about half the growth over the half-century. Multiracial Utahns will play a big role, too, as the fastest-growing slice of the minority population. The nation as a whole will still remain more diverse than the Beehive State, growing to about 56 percent minorities by 2060, up from a little more than 1/3 in 2010, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. The numbers comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a potential question on the 2020 survey about whether a person is an American citizen, a query that Perlich said would harm response rates in Utah, potentially throwing off the count. If the question ultimately appears on the questionnaire next year, "we will have an underrepresentation of not just people who are undocumented, but the people who are in their communities," Perlich said. "Here you have the federal government asking you about you, the people in your house, the kids, grandma and grandpa, whoever else, and if you throw in the legal question your status the whole effort can be perceived in a completely different way." Perlich, the state's top demographer, said the question would have an especially significant effect on the count in West Valley City now home to more minorities than white people plus other communities home to larger shares of new immigrants and people of color, like Ogden, Kearns and Copperton. The Supreme Court's ruling is expected before a June printing deadline for the forms, and the court's majority of conservative justices signaled Tuesday they would uphold the Trump Administration's plan to include the question. The report released Wednesday finds that over the half-century, Utah's current population of 3.1 million will almost double, adding a new 2.8 million people by 2065, according to the estimates. Those moving from out of state will contribute more and more to the growth. Like in the national picture, Utah's minority populations trend younger. For example, racial and ethnic minorities will make up 45 percent of Utah's preschool-age population in 2065, the analysis found, but just 23 percent of the share of retirement age Utahns. Following the 2020 census count, Perlich and her team of demographers plan to pinpoint the diversity in greater detail, down to the county level. The projections draw on previous census data and existing population estimates from Perlich's team. SOUTH SALT LAKE The family and comrades of a fallen Utah police officer hope to find healing next month when they see him honored in Washington, D.C. For Liz Romrell, "This whole year has been about honoring my husband." The widow of South Salt Lake police officer David Romrell who was killed in the line of duty last November spoke publicly about her husband's legacy for the first time Wednesday. "He paid the ultimate sacrifice, and it's something that you don't always prepare for," Romrell told the Deseret News. "He did not die in vain. I refuse to let that happen. I will make sure that people know who he was and know what an honorable man he was." Romrell said her biggest challenge is to make sure her son, just 4 months old when his father was killed, remembers who his dad was. "His dad was a Marine, his dad was an officer, his dad was a strong, incredible man who would do anything for his community, for his country, for those he loved," she explained. Romrells legacy continues to live on in the South Salt Lake police station where not only is a plaque honoring him front and center in the lobby, but his fellow officers also memorialized his locker retiring number 15. They created a memorial for him inside it, with his photograph, a plaque bearing his name and a badge. "It's cherrywood lined, and then they laser cut the door so you can actually see inside," Chief Jack Carruth said, displaying the locker. On Nov. 24, 2018, Romrell was hit by a fleeing vehicle and killed. He is the first South Salt Lake officer killed in the line of duty. The driver, Felix Anthony Calata, 32, of West Valley City, was shot and killed. A passenger, Jeffrey Don Black, 43, of Taylorsville, is charged with murder. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 30. "Even though time has passed pretty quickly it still feels very much like yesterday, like it just happened," Carruth said. Romrell remains "in the hearts and minds of all of our officers." Twenty-two officers will go with Romrell's family to Washington, D.C., for the annual memorial service for fallen officers, held during National Police Week. "It means a lot to them to be there to see that, see that happening and to hear his name read as his name is placed on the national memorial wall," Carruth said. Liz Romrell said the memorial service will be difficult but will bring more healing. "Going to the monument itself and seeing his name for the first time is going to be really hard, to know that his name is there because he died in the line of duty," Romrell said. "I also know that because his name is there he will never be forgotten." The community is holding a benefit dinner and concert featuring the band Royal Bliss at Pat's BBQ, 155 W. Commonwealth Ave. in South Salt Lake, to help raise money for the trip. It will take place on Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $20. SALT LAKE CITY A registered sex offender has been arrested and accused of abusing a disabled woman he was staying with. Garrett Otto, 23, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday for investigation of burglary, sexual battery and intentional abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult. The incident allegedly happened in January. Otto was staying with a couple that included a 62-year-old woman who "had several disabilities which required her to use a wheelchair, cane and is completely disabled on the left side of her body," a jail report states. While the woman was lying on her bed, Otto entered her room without permission, climbed on top of her, and "licked her forehead, nibbled her ear, and groped her breast," according to the report. When officers arrested Otto, they learned he was a sex offender but did not register on the Utah Sex Offender Registry "because he did not want the title of sex offender," the report states. In July 2018, Otto was convicted of two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. In that case, Otto, when he was 21, met a 15-year-old girl twice outside her Cottonwood Heights Middle School to have sex in a wooded area, according to charging documents. In August, Otto was convicted of assault for a fight with another man at Pioneer Park, court records indicate. PROVO, Utah There is no room for political tribalism or contempt in a BYU graduate, or even in a briefcase bearing the school's Y logo on it, speakers told the largest number of Brigham Young University grads in history on Thursday morning. "If we are going to beat the problem of contempt, were going to need something more radical than civility something that speaks to our hearts' desire," said Arthur Brooks, a Catholic who is a longtime friend of the school and president of the American Enterprise Institute, a nonpartisan public policy think tank in Washington, D.C. "We need love," said Brooks, on whom BYU bestowed an honorary doctorate. "We need a new generation ready to model lives of love in the midst of the culture of contempt." The keynote speaker joined Brooks' call. "Avoid the political tribalism which has become so destructive across countries and continents," said Elder Patrick Kearon of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU's sponsoring institution. "You can become an advocate for fairness in all corners of society." Brooks told the record 6,960 graduates that a previous gift from the school, a briefcase with the Y logo, motivated him to help others more often as he "impersonated" a member of the BYU community by trying "to live up to the high standards of kindness of your church and your university." He cited Arthur Schopenhauer's definition of contempt "the unsullied conviction of the worthlessness of another" and asked graduates to counter the growing contempt in the world by living up to their reputation and dusting off their church's missionary tradition to use it in a different way infiltrating the culture of contempt and modeling better values and ways to disagree better. "Your greatest witness to the world as members of this community is the conduct of your life," he said. "Our nation and world need this they need you more than ever today." "Missionaries," he added, "have the training and experience to participate in society without getting sucked into its pathologies. They have the courage and fortitude necessary to face resistance, and go forth with the joy that comes from sharing the truth." BYU changed its graduation tradition this year, eliminating August commencement exercises and combining all the school year's graduates into one event. Today's ceremonies was for all who graduated at the end of terms in December and this week with those who will complete their degrees in June and August. The Marriott Center was filled to capacity, with more than 19,000 friends and family filling the arena. Elder Kearon applauded Brooks for declaring love the antidote to the poison of contempt. "If a briefcase can change us, imagine what you can do," he said, suggesting they spread light, hope, peace, joy and love, "helping to make this a more wonderful world for more of Gods children. There is a clear need for you to engage in public service." BYU President Kevin Worthen said the massive Y on Y Mountain above the school's campus was the result of a fight over what to put on the mountain and ultimately a failure to install the full acronym BYU. "There will be times when you will feel overwhelmed by events," he said, "times when despite your best efforts you will fall short of your goal, when you feel that you have utterly failed, just like the exhausted students must have felt when the B and U were left off the mountain. But, as it turns out, having only a Y on the mountain may have been the optimum result, even though few, if any, might have thought so at the time." He said the lessons are that symbols gain personal meaning by what a person chooses to make of them and how he or she responds to them and that when graduates feel they have failed and nothing can be done, they can trust God's promise to make all things work together for the good of those who love him. "You may not see it immediately, but God can make all things work together for your good," he said. "He can turn an altercation between rival classes and a failed attempt to stamp a mountain with three letters into a symbol of unity and success. More importantly, he can make good come from all our efforts not just from our successes, but also from our failures and the failures of others that cause us pain. God is that good and that powerful. We just need to trust him." Elder Kearon spoke of the pain that followed the car accident that claimed his father's life when Elder Kearon was 29 and expressed gratitude for the refrain of the song "Gratus Animus" performed by the BYU Women's Chorus: "I dream, I feel, I hurt, I heal." Elder Kearon said one of his father's favorite songs was "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. "You may not be in a position to make a global impact," he said, "though some of you will, but all of you will be able to do your part in spreading light, hope, peace, joy and love in your circles of influence, helping to make this a more wonderful world for more of Gods children." Graduates come from 49 states (no Delaware), 2 territories (Guam + American Samoa) and 66 foreign countries (listed below). Graduation exercises will continue throughout the day. WEST JORDAN The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has determined that the fatal shooting of a knife-wielding man by a West Jordan police officer in October was legally justified. But during a press conference on Thursday to announce his decision, District Attorney Sim Gill said questions and "observational facts" being raised by the public about police tactics and how officers respond to critical situations can no longer be ignored. Diamonte Riviore, 22, was shot and killed by officer Brian White on Oct. 11 while White was responding to a domestic violence call. Riviore had gone to the West Jordan home of his ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of Riviore's child, according to police. At some point after Riviore arrived, the woman sent a text to a family member with the code word "fish," signifying that she needed help, said West Jordan Police Sgt. JC Holt. Three West Jordan police officers responded. The woman was able to answer the door and let the officers in. As they were entering the apartment, White said that the woman whispered to him, "He still has the knife," according to Gill's final report. The officers went through a bedroom and made contact with Riviore who was in an adjoining bathroom. He was holding a knife with a 10- to 12-inch blade. After refusing to put the knife down, two officers deployed their Tasers, which were ineffective. At that point, White said he saw Riviore "stick his hand out (of the bathroom door) with a knife in his hand, slashing out in, like, a stabbing motion outside the door frame," according to the report. Riviore opened the door a second and third time and started "advancing out towards us from inside the bathroom and at that point, I felt if I don't engage the threat, you know I feared he was going to stab and kill myself or (the other officers)," White said. "I fired two rounds and he moves back into the bathroom, closes it and he locks it and then after that I don't hear anything." A still image taken from the body camera video shows Riviore had the knife raised above his head in a striking motion just as White shot. White fired two rounds that struck Riviore in the chest and torso from about 5 feet away. From the time the officers entered the bedroom to when shots were fired was less than 30 seconds, according to Gill. While the shooting was ruled to be legally justified, Gill acknowledged in his report that there are questions the public would likely have, such as why the officers confronted Riviore in such a tight space if the woman was no longer in immediate danger, and whether the decisions made by the officers increased the likelihood that deadly force would occur. "We invite law enforcement professionals to carefully consider the facts as we now understand them to determine whether there were other possible effective options, and to consider how the officers' actions may have narrowed the range of possible effective options to resolve the situation before them," Gill wrote in his report. While Gill said he offered no judgment about the officers' actions, he does believe important questions are being raised by the public. "Those are broader questions. And I think those are certainly questions we have been asked," he said. "And I think we have an opportunity and a responsibility to continue to learn from what happens." West Jordan Police Chief Ken Wallentine, who also attended the press briefing, said he welcomes the questions, noting that many of them are the same ones officers ask themselves. "They are the kind of questions that, frankly, we constantly raise in public safety. We are always looking to do things in different ways and better, he said. "We look at whether we can change tactics, at whether we can change or improve our procedures, whether theres equipment available to us." In this situation, Wallentine said White had dealt with Riviore previously and was able to resolve those previous situations peacefully. White believed he could do it again, the chief said, but had no idea he'd find himself in a tight space in a cluttered room. "We didnt have Superman X-ray vision. We couldnt see into the room before they went in. The officers didnt know the circumstances they were going into, Wallentine said. "Officer White sincerely believed and we have every reason to understand that his belief was well-founded that hed be able to dialogue with this individual. Hed done it before, and he had a better outcome before, and thats frankly what he hoped for. "In hindsight, could there have been other alternatives? Yeah, I suppose we could speculate all day long about what would have happened if Mr. Riviore had made some different decisions that particular day and not violated the (protective) order in the first place, the chief continued. He called the incident "not a happy situation. This is not a happy outcome." Both Wallentine and Gill reached out to Riviore's family prior to the start of Thursday's briefing. A week prior to the shooting, Riviore was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and accused of assaulting the same woman and her child and threatening to stab her. Riviore "allegedly grabbed a lamp and threw it at the victims, hitting the primary victim in the face. The lamp also hit the child victim in the face," according to the police affidavit. Riviore then grabbed a knife and told the girlfriend, "See this? I will (expletive) stab you with it if you don't stop," the affidavit states. In February 2018, Riviore was arrested for aggravated assault and domestic violence at the same address against the same victims. At that time, Riviore held a "knife to the victim's throat while he held the victim against the wall," according to a police report. He then choked the woman with his hands, police say. In 2017, Riviore was charged with 911 abuse and with not appearing in court. It was during that time that Riviore sent a letter to the judge in the case explaining that he was back in California. "I've been homeless since before my charges. When I was charged it was due to an attempt of suicide by cop which I decided not to go through with. When I was arrested I was sent to a mental hospital," his letter states. Riviore further went on to write that he "was desperate to kill myself" at that time. A judge eventually sentenced Riviore to suspended jail time and ordered him to receive mental health treatment. But in a letter to the court on May 24 from Valley Behavioral Health when the court was checking up on Riviore's progress, the facility responded, "We dont have anyone in our system under that name." Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting the YWCA's Women in Jeopardy program at 801-537-8600, or the confidential statewide Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online at udvc.org. Correction: Photo captions in a previous version incorrectly stated Diamonte Riviore was shot on Oct. 11, 2019. The shooting occurred on Oct. 11, 2018. SALT LAKE CITY Former Vice President Joe Biden may have been mum about his presidential plans when he spoke at the University of Utah last December, but his entry into the race Thursday is sparking interest among the state's Democrats. "Of all the 20 (announced Democratic presidential candidates), he's going to excite a lot of Utah Democrats," said Utah Democratic Party Chairwoman Daisy Thomas. "He has developed an audience here. He is known as Uncle Joe." Biden, a U.S. senator representing Delaware for decades, served with former Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, and later encouraged now-Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, to run for Hatch's seat. The two-term vice president under President Barack Obama filled the U.'s Kingsbury Hall to capacity for a speech last year about what led him to a life in politics but stopped short of addressing speculation about a White House run. Thomas, a leader of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign in Utah, said the state's Democrats are looking for a nominee who can beat the Republican bidding for another term in the White House, President Donald Trump. "Democrats across the board understand this is the election that's going to make or break our future," Thomas said. "We want someone able to focus on the healing of our country because our country is so deeply divided. It's completely polarized." That division was the theme of Biden's campaign launch video, which cited Trump's declaration that there were "very fine people" among the white supremacists whose 2017 march in Charlottesville, Virginia, resulted in the death of a protester. "I knew the threat to our nation was unlike any Id ever seen in my lifetime," Biden, 76, says in the video released Thursday. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation. Utahns' familiarity with Biden does give him a signficant advantage over the rest of the Democratic field, said Chris Karpowitz, co-director of BYU's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. Add in the president's relative unpopularity in a GOP-dominated state, Karpowitz said, and a Biden-Trump matchup in the 2020 general election could turn into a real race in Utah. "My initial expectation is that he could be competitive in a general election, especially if he runs a sort of moderate general election campaign," the political science professor said. Still, Utah hasn't elected a Democrat for president since 1964, a statistic that's not likely to change anytime soon given the political makeup of the state and the pressure in a primary election to shift away from the political center. "If he can get through the primary, perhaps he can make Utah interesting," Karpowitz said of Biden. "It could be fun, though the Republican nominee will always have an advantage in the state." Don Peay, who helped lead Trump's campaign in Utah in 2016 and remains close to the president's family, said Biden would be the strongest Democratic candidate in Utah. "But Trump still wins significantly. He is accomplishing too many good things," Peay said, adding he doesn't expect to see Biden's name on the general election ballot because Democrats "are hellbent on a far-left, progressive" agenda. Biden is "more of a moderate and centrist" who holds appeal for Utahns, Peay said. Trump, though, has come through for the state's majority conservatives, especially with his U.S. Supreme Court appointments, he said. "People don't like the tweets and the harsh tone," Peay said of Utahns' reaction to the president. "But for the things that matter in their lives, Trump is delivering results." Utah is holding a presidential primary election next year on Super Tuesday, March 3. Democratic candidates are already starting to make appearances in the state, with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren holding a rally in Salt Lake City last week. Trump leads the 2020 presidential contenders in raising campaign cash from Utahns, with nearly $111,000 from the state, according to the most recent information on the Federal Election Commission website, which does not include Biden. Sanders is next, with more than $16,000 from Utahns, followed by South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, with $8,400; California Sen. Kamala Harris, with more than $6,900; and Warren, with more than $6,300. In 2016, Sanders scored a big victory in Utah over the party's eventual nominee that year, former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in what was a Democratic presidential preference caucus vote. Trump, however, finished a distant third among Utah Republicans, trailing Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. While Trump won Utah in November 2016, it was with 45 percent of the vote, his lowest margin of victory nationwide. Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz, a former Utah Republican congressman, said Sanders "excites those who believe in socialism. There's a small faction of Utahns who will show up at a rally and cheer for that. But it's a radical left." Biden may not fit that description, but Chaffetz said Utahns aren't clamoring for his extensive experience in Washington, D.C. Instead, he said, the state's Democratic voters may prefer a fresh face. "I don't know what excitement he brings to that," Chaffetz said of Biden. "He's doing his presidential announcement and not even having a rally. I think he's going to have a hard time getting crowds to show up for him." The Democrat best able to take on Trump in Utah and the rest of the country is "to be determined," he said, suggesting it may not matter much who the Democrats ultimately choose. "If Donald Trump plays his A game, he will win going away," Chaffetz said. "The economy's thriving, the world's a safer place and he's done exactly what he said he would do on the Supreme Court." Another example of how mobile networks in many countries are able to overcome problems of accessibility to banks comes from Zimbabwe, where WhatsApp is now an enabler for banking services. Steward Bank in Zimbabwe is the latest in a series of major banks across Africa to successfully integrate and offer chat banking services on WhatsApp. The bank launched the service in partnership with Clickatell, an authorized global WhatsApp business solution provider. According to Steward Bank, just over 37,000 customer profiles were registered in the first three weeks following the launch. WhatsApp is a popular chat application in Zimbabwe, making Steward Banks presence on WhatsApp a potential driver for financial inclusion in the country. Steward Bank is expecting a positive uptake for its WhatsApp-based chat banking service, Sosholoza. With Sosholoza, customers can initiate frequently used banking capabilities including balance checks, money transfers and airtime purchases. The bank hopes to extend the reach of the service to WhatsApp users across the country, eliminating the need for these users to download a banking app that could use costly data bundles. There would also be less complexity. Users simply save the Steward Bank WhatsApp number and begin the conversation with a Hi message. Security and privacy for banking chats are ensured by the bank grade Clickatell platforms. And this system makes Steward Bank's services available to non-Steward Bank customers regardless of geographical location, bank affiliation and even mobile money operator affiliation. Clickatell says the WhatsApp Business solution is being rapidly extended to other verticals including retail, e-commerce, and travel. Chris Anu Twitter Chris Anu, Secretary of State for Communication of the Ambazonia Separatist Movement of Cameroon has said Ambazonia forces were not trained to abduct, kidnap or take ransom from civilians in Ambazonia. He alleges that it is the Cameroonian military that is arresting civilians in Anglophone Cameroon or Ambazonia. Anu was answering questions from the BBC on April 24, 2019 days after the abduction of the junior brother and two employees of opposition leader, Ni John Fru Ndi. Ambazonian Restoration Forces have not been trained to abduct or kidnap or take ransom from any civilian on the ground in Ambazonia. What I will say to you is that there are forces on the ground in Ambazonia. In fact, the invading French Cameroon terrorist army in Ambazonia go around in civilian attire. They shoot to kill, they arrest individuals and I wouldnt be surprised these abductions that Fru Ndi is referring to were conducted by French Cameroon Forces, Anu said in a thundering voice. In what may be his non-mastery of the administrative structures of Cameroon, Anu made allegations without providing empirical evidence. His words: It will also interest you to know that the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation [maybe he meant Minister of Territorial Administration], Paul Atanga Nji of French Cameroon, the Government Delegate to the Bamenda Urban Council [apparently referring to the Bamenda City Council], the Mayor of Buea Council and other individuals who are loyal to the French Cameroon regime have also recruited and equipped fighters on the ground to harass and intimidate and bully, abduct and take ransoms from Ambazonians. And you may ask what is the reason for that? The reason for that is to demoralise our people to surrender and give up on resisting the war they declared on us. But Cameroon's Communication Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi said on Monday that soldiers are not involved in the burning of houses in the restive regions. Our republican forces, whose vocation is placed under the sign of honor and loyalty, cannot, at the same time, come to the rescue of the populations and be their executioners, Sadi said at Monday's press conference, adding that, Contrary to widespread allegations, the Cameroonian Defence and Security Forces carry out their mission with a high sense of responsibility, professionalism, discernment, bravery and dedication. Quizzed on the case of the children of one Mrs Esther Omam abducted by separatists, Anu dismissed the allegations but was told that the allegation is that the abductions are taking place whenever people do not support the movement. Anu again insisted that theirs is a struggle funded from abroad and they need not get financial support from locals through abductions and ransom taking. That is not true! People do not support the movement from ground zero. The movement is supported from the diaspora. Tell me, how do you pick up kids and expect kids to support the movement? No! It doesnt happen. Support for the movement comes from the diaspora. Whoever has abducted those students, I can assure you, those are French Cameroon terrorist soldiers and our Ambazonian restoration fighters are not in the character of taking up children for any reason, Anu, the movements spokesman said. With this new position of Anu, many wonder those behind the kidnapping of the Divisional Officer (DO) for Batibo, Marcel Namata Diteng on February 11, 2018 if not separatists. Even as Anu is trying to present a saintly picture of their fighters, several other kidnappings cast doubts on the honesty of his assertion. The abduction of students at Sasse College, PSS Nkwen, St Augustine's College Kumbo, Athletes at the University of Buea, Priests in Muyuka, Animbom Aaron Akiabom, Regional Delegate for Social Affairs for the North West Region, Prof. Ivo Leke Tambo, Board Chair of the GCE Board among many others have been attributed to separatists. TikTok is no longer banned in India. The interim order to stop TikTok downloads in India has been vacated. The app is once again available to download from the Google and Apple app stores Update 2:52PM: Sources tell Digit that the written court order vacating the ban on TikTok is expected to reach the Ministry of Electronics and i nformation Technology (MeitY) soon. Post this, MeitY will issue an order to Google and Apple to reinstate the app. This could take a couple of weeks. The app is currently not showing up on both iOS App Store and Google Play Store. Update 12PM: After checking for the TikTok app on the App Store and Play Store across different devices, we found the app on iOS, but its Play Store listing has disappeared yet again. We have contacted TikTok for clarification on the same. Origininal Story: The popular video sharing app TikTok is no longer banned in India. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court vacated the ban it imposed on the app and TikTok is now back up on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The interim order banning downloads of the TikTok app was given by the Madras High Court on April 3. The app was subsequently removed from Google and Apples app stores in accordance with the High Courts order. The ban on the app has now been lifted contingent to steps taken by the app makers to introduce content moderation and regulation of obscene content on the platform. Appearing on behalf of TikTok, Senior Advocate Isaac Mohanlal told the Madras High Court that the app has moderation technology in place to evict nude and obscene content, the reason why the app was banned in the first place. Petitioners had alleged that TikTok promotes pornography, child abuse and suicide. When the appeal against the ban reached the Supreme Court, the apex court directed the Madras High Court to consider a plea by the app developers on April 24. After the hearing on Wednesday, a Bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and SS Sundar lifted the ban on TikTok. However, the court said that the company could be charged with contempt of court if it was found that obscene content on the platform is still not being moderated. Commenting on the matter, TikTok shared an official statement saying, We are glad about this decision and we believe it is also greatly welcomed by our thriving community in India, who use TikTok as a platform to showcase their creativity. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our users better. While were pleased that our efforts to fight against the misuse of the platform has been recognised, the work is never done on our end. We are committed to continuously enhancing our safety features as a testament to our ongoing commitment to our users in India. Governor warns of more operations to seize illegal drugs Whatsapp The committee for the fight against the importations and sale of illicit drugs in the North West region, on Wednesday April 24, destroyed drugs worth FCFA 5 Million, from business persons in markets around that locality. The exercise led by North West governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique, involved an operation to stop the spread of a network of distributors of fake products, existing in the markets. Most of these drugs had expired, and of poor quality. They are often sold at cheaper rates, as compared to drugs bought from authorised pharmacies. The North West Special Fund for Health Promotion, an institution which checked the validity and quality of these drugs in the region, confirmed it wasnt good for consumption. The drugs mainly composed of Tramol, Tetanus Antitoxin, Sympeni, Phosphalugel, amongst others, were presented to the Press on Monday the 22nd of April, by North West governor. He reiterated the engagement of government towards the protection of its citizens, and to punish defaulters. He further announced that more measures will be put in place to check the flow of illicit drugs in local markets. These drugs were later destroyed through the regions newly installed incinerator, around the Regional Delegation of Public Health in the presence of committee members. Recently, the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Manaouda Malachie, raised an alarm against a possible influx of fake meningitis vaccines, along the Cameroonian borders. This alarm kept many authorities on a red alert, as Cameroon continues to battle fake medications, which has led to the death of several persons. Authorities in the North West recently revealed that two persons were killed after consuming a banned drug, Hydrochlorothiazide(HCT) 50mg, a medication often used to control high blood. Reports say the drug contained an active ingredient(Glibenclamide 5mg), meant for diabetes type II patients, which caused some side effects, influencing their deaths. Tramol is also known to have caused deaths amongst youths these days. Subscriber content preview BOISE, Idaho (AP) Boise State University has a woman president for the first time in the institution's history. The Idaho State Board of Education announced Tuesday at a special meeting that Marlene Tromp has been named the university's seventh president. . . . Subscriber content preview SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) Online retail giant Amazon is planning a delivery center in northern Indiana. Amazon Logistics announced Tuesday that it plans to speed up deliveries in the South Bend area by working with small businesses and independent contractors through the center. . . . Humanitarian Response In Anglophone Cameroon NRC Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council says they are alarmed by the soaring humanitarian needs in Cameroon's North West and South West Regions. He was speaking at the end of a visit to the restive South West region this week. Hear him: When brutal fighting displaces hundreds of thousands of civilians, it usually sets international alarm bells ringing. But this does not seem to apply to Cameroon. There is no mediation, no large relief programme, no media interest and little pressure on the parties to stop attacking civilians. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) observes that the crisis in the English-speaking parts of Cameroon started with peaceful protests in late 2016, but has escalated to a violent conflict between the government military and non-state armed groups. More than half a million people have fled their homes, according to figures from the UN. Hundreds of villages have been burnt, close to a million children are out of school, and tens of thousands are hiding in the bushes without any support. The international silence surrounding atrocities is as shocking as the untold stories are heart-breaking, said Egeland. A group of displaced and disillusioned women told me that they felt abandoned by the UN and international organizations. They asked me, what is Europe doing? Given that the country was first colonized by the Germans, then divided by Britain and France, they expect their former colonial masters to take some responsibility for the conflicts that the imported language and political barriers had caused. Large rural communities have fled their fertile lands and now depend on urban relatives or humanitarian relief. But there is so far only a handful of aid organisations undertaking sizable relief programmes. We need to scale up the humanitarian response, and there is a need for independent reporting from the international media. But most of all, we urgently need stronger international diplomatic engagement to help solve the conflict. This could start with the parties sitting down to agree on how schools can reopen, so that a generation of children will no longer be deprived of education, Egeland said. NRC says they are reaching out to conflict parties to better protect civilians and allow humanitarian organisations full and safe access to people in need. And now, PepsiCo takes farmers to court over potato IPR Beverages and fast food multinational PepsiCo is reported to have filed lawsuits against four potato growers in Gujarat alleging infringement of patent rights to a plant variety, on which it claims to have intellectual property rights. PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt Ltd (PIH) reportedly filed the lawsuits against four farmers from Sabarkantha district with a land holding of less than 2 hectares for allegedly growing a variety of potato, FL 2027 (also called FC5), claiming estimated damages of Rs1 crore each. The potato variety at stake, according to PepsiCo is the one it uses for its popular Lays chips. PepsiCo claims exclusive rights to the potato variety by virtue of a Plant Variety Certificate (PVC) under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001. The cases were filed in the Commercial Court at the City Civil Court in Ahmedabad last month, and the next hearing is scheduled for 26 April. The court had, however, stayed the farmers from growing and selling the potatoes till 26 April and had sought replies from them on the allegations levelled by the company. At this stage, it appears the plaintiff (PepsiCo) has prima facie case in its favour the court said while admitting the companys claim that if the farmers are not temporarily stayed from growing and selling these potatoes, it would suffer irreparable loss and it would defeat the justice. Plant Variety Rights (PVR) or Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR) are rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant that give the breeder exclusive control over the propagating material (including seed, cuttings, divisions, tissue culture) and harvested material (cut flowers, fruit, foliage) of a new variety for a certain period Farmer organisations and civil society representatives have opposed PepsiCos move against the four potato growers from Sabarkantha district for allegedly growing a variety of potato on which PepsiCo claimed exclusive rights. Farmers say the MNCs move is a violation of farmers rights as protected under the same PPV&FR Act. Farmers groups, including the RSS-affiliate Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), Gujarat Khedut Samaj, Jatan Trust and civil society representatives have demanded immediate intervention of the central and state governments to protect farmers rights as already enshrined in the law. The PepsiCos claims are untenable. This is an attempt to intimidate farmers and wipe out competition in the chips market. We demand that the company immediately and unconditionally withdraw all the cases that it initiated in various courts against farmers, reports quoted Ambubhai Patel, National Vice-President, BKS, as saying. PepsiCo is also alleged to have wrongfully used private detective agencies to entrap farmers by creating secret video to implicate them. PepsiCo had alleged that farmers were illegally growing, producing, selling without permission the said variety in violation of Sections 64 and 65, of the said Act. Sri Lanka bombings open path for return of Mahinda Rajapaksa The Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka that left 359 people dead and several hundred wounded has lead to a leadership crisis in the island nation with President Maithripala Sirisena taking charge and opening the chances of Mahinda Rajpaksha usurping the office of the prime minister once again. Mahinda Rajapaksa, a former president of Sri Lanka and his brother, the then defence secretary, had crushed Tamil Tiger separatists ruthlessly ten years ago that led to his election loss and demands by Western powers for was crime trials against the two. President Maithripala Sirisena last year tried to reinstate him through the backdoor after sacking the government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. It was the judiciarys intervention that helped bring Wickremesinghe back to power despite the Presidents opposition. Amidst allegations of intelligence failures and ISIL claims of responsibility for deadly Easter Sunday blasts, President Sirisena said he would oversee a 'complete restructure' of police and security forces in 'coming weeks' Sri Lanka's president has vowed to conduct a major shake-up of the country's security establishment after its failure to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 320 people, despite some officials apparently having prior information about the attacks. In a televised address to the nation today, President Maithripala Sirisena said he would make "major changes in the leadership of the security forces in the next 24 hours". He also pledged a "complete restructure" of police and security forces in the "coming weeks", and alleged intelligence officials had failed to inform him of prior information concerning possible attacks. "The security officials who got the intelligence report from a foreign nation did not share it with me," Sirisena said. Indian intelligence agencies are reported to have tipped off Sri Lankan intelligence officials twice earlier about a possible attack and about the imminent attack hours before Sunday's blasts. Earlier on Tuesday, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also said he received no information regarding a possible attack from security officials, but confirmed authorities had received intelligence about the blasts that struck churches and luxury hotels. Speaking at a press conference, Wickremesinghe also cautioned that more explosives and would-be attackers remain "out there" after Sunday's bombings. Madras HC lifts ban on TikTok video app on SC direction The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday lifted the ban on mobile video app TikTok but with conditions that the video sharing platform should ensure that nude or obscene content is not uploaded through the app. A bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and SS Sundar lifted the ban after hearing submissions made by TikTok and Amicus Curiae, senior advocate Arvind Datar. Appearing for TikTok, senior advocate Isaac Mohanlal informed the court that there is technology in place to ensure that nude/obscene content is not uploaded through the app. TikTok also filed a counter affidavit to this effect. Further, TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, also made submissions on the steps taken to counter the apprehensions raised by the High Court following its 3 April ban. On April 3, the High Court had passed an interim order asking the Central government to ban the downloading of the app in India. The court had also ordered the media to not telecast videos taken using the app. In its interim order, the court had also said that TikTok encourages pornography, making child users vulnerable to sexual predators. During the hearing, Amicus Curiae Datar also submitted that online speech is protected under Article 19 (1) of the Constitution. But, he said, there cannot be a system where something which is statutorily permissible becomes judicially impermissible. He also said banning the app may not be the solution and that the rights of legitimate users must be protected. A petitioner in the case submitted that the ban must remain in place because TikTok is a Chinese app and it can pose threat to India. The court, however, said that it is only concerned with the protection of online users, particularly children, against cybercrime. The court, however, said any failure on the part of TikTok to follow the condition that it will not upload any pornographic videos on its platform will amount to contempt of court. Reacting to HC's verdict, ByteDance said in a statement, "We are glad about this decision and we believe it is also greatly welcomed by our thriving community in India, who use TikTok as a platform to showcase their creativity. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our users better. While were pleased that our efforts to fight against misuse of the platform has been recognised, the work is never done on our end. We are committed to continuously enhancing our safety features as a testament to our ongoing commitment to our users in India." The Madras HC heard the case on Wednesday after the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed it to pass an order extending interim relief for TikTok, latest by 24 April, or lift the ban altogether. In its plea before the SC, ByteDance had said that the High Court had passed the order without hearing its argument and the company is suffering losses worth crores of rupees each day due to the ban. Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn granted bail on $4.5 mn security A Japanese court has granted Carlos Ghosn bail, temporarily freeing the former boss of Nissan Motors from his Tokyo detention centre, and allowing him to live in a small court-appointed apartment in central Tokyo. The Tokyo District Court granted the 65-year-old Ghosn bail on a security of 500 million yen ($4.5 million). Ghosn, who is facing multiple charges of financial misconduct, cannot, however, leave Japan. The former CEO of Nissan faces four charges varying from concealing part of his salary from shareholders to syphoning off Nissan funds for his personal use. Ghosn denies all the charges and has vowed to vigorously defend himself against these baseless accusations and fully expects to be vindicated. A spokesperson for Ghosn said the former Nissan boss was being detained by prosecutors under cruel and unjust conditions, in violation of all human rights, in an effort to coerce a confession from him. They say the latest charge of syphoning off $5 million of Nissan cash from the company to a dealership in Oman, with which Gohsn was hit on Monday, is the most serious charges yet that prosecutors have accused him of. The earlier charges include deferring some $80 million of his salary and hiding this in official documents to shareholders and seeking to shift personal investment losses to the firm during the 2008 financial crisis. Ghosn has earlier been granted bail once on a $9 million security and vow not to leave Japan as well as to live in a small court-appointed apartment in central Tokyo. But the prosecutors re-arrested Ghosn for further questioning about the alleged $5 million embezzlement while he was preparing to hold a much-anticipated news conference to tell the truth about his case. Ghosn pre-recorded a video in which he attacked backstabbing Nissan executives of a plot against him, as they feared closer ties with French partner Renault. Japanese media reported on Tuesday that the French firm had offered a management integration proposal to Nissan, which was poised to reject it as they believe it does not provide equality to the Japanese company. Unless re-arrested over further allegations, Ghosn will be free to organise his defence ahead of a possible trial that is likely to take months to prepare. Ghosns lead lawyer Junichiro Hironaka told reporters that a trial as early as the autumn was not possible for various reasons. Meanwhile, Nissan itself is facing charges for submitting suspect financial documents, and Ghosns lawyers have voiced fears that he will not receive a fair trial if the trials are clubbed. A district court judge has told a Kerry motorist that he was welcome to Donegal, but you need to drive safely and observe the rules of the road when you are up here. Judge Paul Kelly told 25-year-old father-of-two Stephen Relihan, The Cross, Brosna, Co Kerry who works in a breakers-yard, and who was caught doing doughnuts at Meenmore, Fintown on June 17 last year, that carrying on like that could be a short cut to breaking up your car in a way you would not like it to be breaking up. The defendant had been faced with a charge of dangerous driving. Sergeant Oliver Devaney told Glenties District Court that Garda Coyne observed the defendant doing doughnutsat the crossroads at Meenmore, Fintown at 1.30 am on the date in question. The defendant was co-operative and told the garda he had been a clown. He was up in Donegal for a rally and the exuberance of the occasion got the better of him and he was deeply apologetic. In response to a question from Judge Kelly, the defendant said if he was banned from driving, he would lose his job. Judge Kelly reduced the charge to one of careless driving so the defendant would keep his licence. He imposed a fine of 500 and gave the defendant four months to pay. The private papers of War of Independence brigadier Joseph Murray which were donated by his son Patrick to Donegal County Archives, Donegal County Council in 2010, are now available online on www.donegalcoco.ie Joseph Murray was born on 15 March 1893 in Monaghan. He moved to Bundoran to teach in 1916. From 1917 to 1922 he played a prominent part in the War of Independence, attaining the rank of Brigadier in command of the Fourth Brigade, South East Donegal, First Northern Division. He later became a Garda Superintendent. The papers of Joseph Murray consist of original documents of national significance which disclose the high level of IRA activity in south Donegal during the War of Independence and early Civil War. Included in the collection are Army letters, manuals and reports on activities from the Fourth Brigade. There are letters from men in prison camps. Notable documents include memoranda from Republican Sean MacCumhaill and Eoin ODuffy. The onset of the Civil War is flagged in documents referring to the increased actions of the Anti-Treaty IRA and the battle of Pettigo in June 1922. His War of Independence Service Medal form part of the collection. A letter from Sean McCool to Joseph Murray The original papers are available to view at Donegal County Archives, Lifford, Co. Donegal by appointment. This collection has now been fully digitised and placed online to view at no cost, along with the catalogue on www.donegalcoco.ie . The entire collection has been digitized and placed online with the assistance of a Creative Ireland European Year of Cultural Heritage Grants Scheme grant. This funding is provided through the Creative Ireland programme which is supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht and Donegal County Council. Thanking Patrick Murray for donating this important collection to the Donegal County Archives, Niamh Brennan, County Archivist explains that providing access to collections on the Decade of Centenaries is hugely important in increasing our knowledge and understanding of the past. Beneficiaries include students, historians, academics and the public who wish to research the past through exploring the raw history of archival documents and to understand and learn from it. We are delighted that this collection has now been fully digitised and is available for public viewing on our website free of charge. Do you or your parents, relations, friends have any stories about Donegal Railway in its heyday? If you do, then you might be interested in attending a social gathering at the Donegal Railway Heritage Centre in Donegal town on Saturday, May 4 between 10.30am and 12.30pm where it is planned to bring local people together to share their memories of the railways in Donegal. As this is the 60th anniversary year of the station/main railway lines closing down in Donegal, it's important that this important milestone is marked. At the May 4 gathering, over a cup of tea, the Heritage Centre wish to bring local people together to explore our unique railway heritage through the retelling, sharing and exploration of memories of the Railways in Donegal and the North West of Ireland (and record these stories) for future generations before they are lost forever. The event, supported by Donegal LCDC, will start with a short presentation by George Haire from the North West of Ireland Railway Association about the Donegal Railway. For more information contact Tel: (074) 9722655 or check out www.donegalrailway.com Camair-Co - Avion chinois - MA-60 Andrei Makul The National Union of Air Transport Workers has announced a strike action at Cameroon's defunct air company, CAMAIR-Co, on the 2nd of May 2019. In a notice to the General Manager signed on Wednesday 24th April, these workers declared that they would go on strike eight days later, if within the period indicated, the management fails to upgrade their working conditions, they would begin strike at 6 am. "We, Air Transport Union of Workers, represented at CAMAIR-Co, hereby commit ourselves, after this notice, within the period indicated above that in the absence of actions and strong decisions, we would manifest our disapproval by an agreed strike action on 02 May 2019 at 06 am, the notice read. These workers want the company to pay three months of salary arrears owed them, rehabilitate the company fleet, payment of health and social insurance, amongst other grievances.They condemned the impoverishment of workers who have not been paid for the months of February, March and the current month of April, thereby asking management to pay these salaries before May 2. Apart from salary arrears, these workers lamented over poor safety and security measures at the place of work, where the moral, mental and psychological capacities of the personnel are affected by the precariousness and uncertainties of tomorrow. To them, the company has shown no sign it has a vision or definite projects for the benefit of workers. They also drew the attention to the management for its laxity towards concerns and inadequacies of the company raised by clients, which has sent some of these clients away.Recently, clients using the company, have attacked CAMAIR-Co, for cancelling flights without informing them. CAMAIR-Co recently had a forced landing in Garoua, North region, which placed the company at the centre of nationwide criticism. The National Union of Air Transport Workers, regrets that despite countless meetings with the management, it all resulted to no concrete actions. Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida has been awarded an additional $5.8 million in federal funding through the National Dislocated Worker Grant to provide temporary employment to Floridians affected by Hurricane Michael. The federal National Dislocated Worker Grant provides disaster relief employment in the form of temporary jobs that support clean-up and recovery efforts in a declared disaster area. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) will administer the grant. Im pleased to announce Florida has been awarded $5.8 million in federal funds to provide employment opportunities for the resilient men and women of Northwest Florida, DeSantis said. The communities and businesses devastated by Hurricane Michael are home to some of the strongest and hardest working people Ive ever met. We will continue to fight for Northwest Florida as they work to rebuild their communities and reemerge even stronger than before. Paul et Chantal Biya PRC Chantal Biya and Paul Biya clocked 25 years in marriage yesterday Tuesday, April 23, 2019. The duo got married on April 23, 1994 at Mont- Febe in Yaounde. Cameroons First Lady, Chantal Biya announced their anniversary in two twits: 25th wedding Anniversary. #ChantalBiya #Cameroon, and in French, Noces dArgent. #ChantalBiya #Cameroon. Both tweets were each accompanied by a photo of Chantal Biya and her husband, Paul Biya. With Biya in a somewhat dark blue suit, white shirt and dark blue tie, Chantal had on a cream white top, red trousers and a red lipstick as could be seen in the pictures on twitter. Both look so much in love as they turned silver in holy matrimony. Though President Biyas official Facebook and Twitter accounts are yet to carry photos of the anniversary, his posture in the photos published by the first lady tells that President Biya is still as romantic as 25 years ago and proud to celebrate his wife and their love. Paul Biya is the president of Cameroon who has been in office since 6 November 1982. On April 23, he and his lovely wife, Chantal Biya celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary. They are such a wonderful couple despite their 38-year age gap. Mrs. Biya is his second wife. He and his first wife, Jeanne-Irene Biya, were married for 32 years until her unfortunate death in 1992. The president and his wife were all smiles and many comments on social media have since shown that most people are looking for a love as strong and as beautiful as this. This years anniversary was celebrated in low key. It is not known if it is because of the pain some Cameroonians are going through. The socio-political crisis in Cameroons North West and South West Regions, the security needs in the East and Far North Regions, coupled with issues of unemployment among the youth will certainly not afford the countrys sovereign a lavished celebration. President Biya and his lovely wife, Chantal are blessed with two children, Junior Biya and Brenda Biya. Chantal has for the last 25 years concerned herself with being a humanitarian, giving her all to the suffering lot. Obala - 25/04/2019 Facebook Violent clashes have erupted between indigenes and settlers from the Northern Regions in Obala, Lekie Division of Cameroons Centre Region Thursday, April 25, 2019. Authorities say one person died in the unfortunate incident, while 12 others sustained injuries of varied degrees. Patrick Simou Kamsu, Senior Divisional Officer for Lekie Division tells Cameroon-Info.net that the situation has been brought under control and calm now reigns in the town of Obala. He was speaking at the end of a visit to Obala after news of the violent confrontations reached him. A local told Cameroon-Info.net that two teenagers one from Obala and the other from the Northern regions had on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 engaged in a discussion concerning a young girl in the neighbourhood. The discussions would later turn into a quarrel, with the young Northerner knifing his Obala companion. The relatives of the seriously injured Obala resident are said to have gone in search of the author of the attack, unfortunately killing him (the Northerner) in the process. Today, men from the Northern part of the country went out to bury the young man killed yesterday. On their way back from the cemetery, some of them headed towards a village. They moved from door-to-door beating up old women. This angered the natives (Obala indigenes) who went out and erected barricades, obstructed traffic and beat up the intruders, a local told Cameroon-Info.net. The Chief Executive Officer of Lekie insists that calm has been restored. Peace has returned to the town of Obala. The clashes have stopped, he reassures. It all started following the murder of a young man after a conflict. His community unfortunately stood up and proceeded to destroy the property of the other community. As a result, the Divisional Officer (DO) led his collaborators and law enforcement officers to the area to restore calm. Unfortunately, some extremists of the other group resumed provocative activities towards the indigenes. This again led to fresh confrontations today. Their actions were limited to a few areas and groups of individuals. It was not a generalized situation per se, Patrick Simou Kamsu said. He went on to confirm that one person died (the young man from the Northern part of the country) and 12 others were wounded in the clashes. Despite the calm that now reigns, locals complain of increasing attacks from Northerners. Many hope measures will be taken by the competent authorities to guarantee lasting peace. In what can only be described as some of the best news I have heard this year, particularly regarding Michigan, a three-judge federal panel declared many of Michigans Congressional, State House, and State Senate districts to be unconstitutional. Their decision (which you can read HERE) was unanimous: The predominate purpose of the redistricting plan approved by the GOP-led Legislature in 2011 was to subordinate the interests of Democratic voters and entrench Republicans in power, said the unanimous decision written by U.S. Circuit Court Judge Eric Clay, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton. Therefore, the enacted plan constitutes a durable partisan gerrymander. Heres the very direct and clear language Judge Clay used in his decision: The Court concludes that the following Challenged Districts constitute unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders, in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments, because they dilute the votes of Democratic voters: Congressional Districts 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12; Senate Districts 8, 11, 12, 14, 18, 27, and 36; and House Districts 24, 32, 51, 55, 60, 63, 75, 83, 91, 94, and 95. The Court finds that Plaintiffs have failed to establish that Senate Districts 10, 22, and 32, and House Districts 52, 62, 76, and 92 are unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders under a vote dilution theory. You may be thinking to yourself, Wait. Why is this a big deal? Michigan voters just passed a law creating a non-partisan redistricting committee so we wont be gerrymandered any more. While its true that we successful struck a blow for democracy in November last year with the passage of Proposal 2, the redistricting commission wont be seated until after the next census. Thats in 2020. So the earliest we would see its impact would be in the 2022 midterm elections. THIS decision, on the other hand, takes place immediately. That means that it will take place before the 2020 presidential year election. Todays ruling gives the Republican-led House and Senate until August to redraw the maps so they can be signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: [W]e hereby enjoin the use of the Challenged Districts in future elections. Further, we hereby order Secretary of State Benson to conduct special elections in 2020 for the Senate districts that are included in the Challenged Districts, and for any Senate district affected by any remedial map approved by this Court. After a federal court finds that a state legislative apportionment scheme violates the Constitution, it should, when practicable, afford a reasonable opportunity for the legislature to meet constitutional requirements by adopting a substitute measure rather than for the federal court to devise and order into effect its own plan. Accordingly, the Court will provide the Michigan legislature the opportunity to devise remedial maps that are consistent with this opinion, that remedy the constitutional violations discussed above, and that otherwise comply with the United States Constitution. We will only consider any remedial plan passed by both chambers of the Michigan legislature, and signed into law by the Governor of Michigan, on or before August 1, 2019. The Court will not entertain any redistricting plans enacted after that date. Many of the seats impacted are State Senate seats that typically wouldnt be up for election until after 2020 because they are 6-year 4-year terms. Many State Senators will have to run for their newly drawn district seats sooner than six four years. Its easy to see why the judges were unanimous in this decision. Take a look at the 7th Congressional District where I live: After the census in 2010, Republicans redrew the 7th District in such a way that Mark Schauer, who defeated Tim Walberg in 2008, could not run against him again. It also wraps around the Democratic strongholds in Lansing and Ann Arbor. If you start in Eaton Rapids in the northwest corner of the district and drive to the southeast corner on Lake Erie, it would take you over two hours. Heres what Judge Clay wrote about the 7th District: [D]uring the 2011 redistricting cycle, the map-makers removed Calhoun County, a Democratic-leaning county that was the home of the incumbent Democratic Congressman Mark Schauer, and moved it to Congressional District 3, a more Republican district. (Id. at PageID #9009:199010:5.) These changes caused Congressional District 7 to become much more Republican. In fact, a Democrat has not won Congressional District 7 since the Enacted Plan went into effect. Based on this district-specific evidence and the statewide evidence discussed in Parts II and V.A.1.a. supra, the Court finds (1) that the map-makers and legislators designed Congressional District 7 with the predominant purpose of diluting the weight of Democratic voters votes through cracking; (2) that the cracking of Democratic voters in Congressional District 7 had the effect of diluting the weight of such voters votes; and (3) that no legitimate state interest or other neutral factor justified cracking Democratic voters in Congressional District 7. Therefore, Congressional District 7 violates the Fourteenth Amendments Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment. But, as bad as the 7th District is, the 11th is the most absurd: See how it wraps around Pontiac? Its so absurdly drawn that you can almost imagine that they drew it around specific houses in the area. Three others are nearly as bad, too. Heres the 12th District: The 13th District: And the 14th District: My hardy congratulations to super-attorney Mark Brewer who handled this lawsuit for the ACLU League of Women Voters of Michigan. We couldnt have wished for a better outcome. Its a great day for democracy in Michigan. UPDATE: Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on two gerrymandering cases. Some observers seem to think they are inclined to strike down lower court decisions that ruled that district maps were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. If thats the case (and dont forget the two of the judges on the SCOTUS are Trump appointees), this good news may not be long lived. As Stephen Wolf from Daily Kos put it: [T]heres a strong chance that this ruling will be overturned thanks to the partisan Republican majority on the Supreme Court. The high court will soon rule in two key cases over gerrymandering in Maryland and North Carolina, and it has never before ruled in favor of plaintiffs seeking to overturn maps on the basis of unfair partisan advantage. Whether or not this Michigan ruling survives will hinge on the outcome of those two cases, which are expected to see rulings issued in June. [CC image credit: 123hamda | Flickr] During the last year, longstanding brick-and-mortar retailer chains such as Toys R Us, Payless, and Diesel USA have filed for bankruptcy. Failures like these happen despite the fact that U.S. consumer spending currently is high, and the unemployment rate is low. Why is that? The Amazon Factor We cannot address this topic without first taking a good look at Amazon and the massive power it represents in the online commerce hemisphere. With US$258 billion in sales in 2018, Amazon accounted for a staggering 49 percent of all U.S. online spend, according to Forbes. On top of that, Amazons sales were up 29 percent, compared to 2017. Needless to say, Amazon is a growth rocket. Two especially interesting Amazon trends: Much of its growth stems from its Marketplace, where Amazon connects third-party sellers with Amazon shoppers. It now accounts for approximately 70 percent of the companys retail sales. Amazon has been expanding its ecosystem to include more brick-and-mortar stores. Based on tests of different store concepts, it has gathered a large amount of data about how shoppers shop offline, in brick-and-mortar stores. Amazon seems to be preparing a new omnichannel strategy, expanding its Prime concept to work seamlessly across both its online and offline stores. Amazon thus has embraced the fact that customers today do not consider if they shop online or offline they simply shop! Most often, customers research online to shop offline less vice versa. If Amazon remains an online retailer only, it will miss out on a major revenue stream. Furthermore, it can lower its massive shipping costs by buying and building physical stores to enhance its omnichannel strategy. Brick-and-mortar retailers have to prepare for Amazons unfolding strategy now, to avoid joining the current line of U.S. retail bankruptcies, when Amazon decides to push its broad-scale omnichannel launch button. The Root Cause Whereas Amazon is the king of e-commerce with a 49 percent market share, the company only represents 5 percent of all U.S. retail sales. With that in mind, Amazon is actually not the tipping point that causes the many unfortunate U.S. brick-and-mortar bankruptcies. Overloaded debts are. Many brick-and-mortar chains are overloaded with debts, often as result of buyouts led by private equity firms. Even healthy brick-and-mortar chains have borrowed billions, and with this debt coming due, combined with the fact that many U.S. suburbs are overrun with stores, things most likely will get even worse in the coming years possibly even lead to a disaster. On top of this, many of these brick-and-mortar chains have invested in an online e-commerce strategy much too late, without creating a seamless online and offline shopping experience. They have had separate online and offline sales strategies and have not understood that integrating the online store along with online marketing strategies is a very effective way of attracting offline customers. Seamless Online/Offline Shopping Experience So, how does a brick-and-mortar operation act intelligently in a marketplace where U.S. retail stores are closing, and Amazon is pushing hard soon to launch a new major offline and omnichannel strategy? First of all, it is important to understand how retail has become digital at a pace never seen before. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Today the customer journey begins with the smartphone, as 76 percent of all Americans use their smartphone to look up a local store, according to OuterBox. Brick-and-mortar stores that do not have a good online and mobile optimized e-commerce store will miss out on these very important local sales leads. Furthermore, many brick-and-mortars wrongly assume that e-commerce has been taking away orders from their retail stores, which is not at all the truth. In general, 67 percent of all Americans actually research online across all devices computer, tablet and smartphone to buy offline, whereas 31 percent visit an offline store, later to buy online, according to a Google survey. It is therefore essential that brick-and-mortars create a seamless shopping experience across social media, smartphones, personal computers, etc., and brick-and-mortar stores, also referred to as an omnichannel strategy. The bottom line result of such a strategy is immense, since businesses with omnichannel strategies achieve an impressive 91 percent greater annual customer retention rate, which means that 91 percent more customers return to shop, compared to companies without an omnichannel strategy, according to V12. Roughly 55 percent of all U.S. companies do not have an omnichannel strategy in place, which is a major business issue, since 90 percent of all U.S. consumers expect a consistent interaction, service and delivery model across all sales channels both online and offline. Todays consumers furthermore expect that they will be able to make a purchase online and pick it up in a local store. Top 10 Tips for Creating an Omnichannel Business Having made the case for the absolute necessity of designing a seamless customer experience across all sales channels, Ill now address the practicalities of how to implement this knowledge in a brick-and-mortar companys strategy. The following tips are based on my experiences consulting with customers on these topics, benchmarked against some of the best omnichannel companies. 1. Stop considering yourself a brick-and-mortar company. If in 2019 you still consider and refer to your company as a brick-and-mortar, the road ahead will be tough if not close to impossible. The entire company from management down through all business levels must understand that you are or are becoming a full-blown omnichannel company. Sales, marketing, product management, delivery, etc., have to work hand-in-hand. A D V E R T I S E M E N T As Lao Tzu famously said, The journey of a thousand miles beings with one step. This is that first critical step. Without it, your company will not move forward as an optimal omnichannel company. 2. Create an omnichannel strategy, based on a seamless online/offline shopping experience. With a focused and realistic omnichannel strategy, doors to many business opportunities will open, which makes this second step business-critical. It is not an easy step to complete, and you really have to think through and plan all elements of your strategy carefully, as they have to interact intelligently many years ahead. I suggest that as a minimum you incorporate the following key elements into your omnichannel strategy, and that you base your strategy on the associated essential questions: PRODUCT STRATEGY Why do customers want to buy our products? BUSINESS CONCEPT How does our business concept create happy and returning customers? ONLINE AND RETAIL STRATEGY How do we make our sales channels interact and support each other to maximize sales? MARKETING STRATEGY How do we create a marketing strategy that supports our product, business and sales strategy to maximize sales? STAFF STRATEGY How do we train our staff to make sure they deliver a state-of-the-art and consistent customer experience across all sales channels? DELIVERY STRATEGY How do we make sure that we offer the methods of delivery our customers expect? 3. Why do customers want to buy your products? As simple as this question may sound, it may be difficult to answer, as it has to do with the core of your business model. Many retail companies compete against each other, trying to sell the same or very similar mass-market consumer products and sometimes even next to each other in suburbs overloaded with stores. This is doomed to fail, and it is already failing all over the U.S., since this is equivalent to fishing for customers in an ocean with many competing sharks (competitors), which turns the ocean bloody red. Its referred to as the red ocean strategy. In the long run, Amazons Marketplace just might be one of those red oceans where you compete against many sharks, based on low prices. Instead you would rather like to fish in a blue ocean of your own, without competing sharks. This you can achieve by selling niche products. You can even create a new demand with high profitable growth, also known as the blue ocean strategy. Consider which niche products you can sell, either as part of your current product portfolio or as entirely new product lines. 4. How does your business concept create happy returning customers? Once you are swimming in that wide-open blue ocean, I recommend that you next consider how you can support your product strategy, based on a strong business concept that creates happy returning customers. Some of the most successful retail companies right now, both online and omnichannel, are based on a strong membership core. Amazons Prime customer base is a good example. If you are able to offer a membership model that lets your members get discounts and free delivery, save up membership points, etc., I strongly recommend that you do so. You do not want to copy other companies membership models, though, as that will lead you back into the red ocean. Instead, consider if you can offer your members discounts and other benefits if they subscribe to your products on a regular basis. This is an excellent way to give your customers rewards every time they shop with you, which will make it easier for you to retain them. 5. How do your sales channels interact and support each other? Most online customer journeys today begin with the smartphone both when the customer looks up local retail stores and when the customer researches for products to buy online. To begin with, you therefore should make your mobile website best-of-breed, as this is your main lead channel. Once you have accomplished this, a simple trick is to make it easy for your customers to save a product on the smartphone, later to buy it either online or offline. Not many are aware of this; however, the second-largest reason customers do not shop is because they are not ready to buy. By making it easy for a customer to save a product for later, you thus get that first and very important lead, which you later can convert into a transaction. Since one of the main reasons U.S. brick-and-mortars are going out of business is debt-based, you can try to reduce costs by testing different kinds of retail store concepts. Some large department stores have had great success in minimizing store rental costs, by turning otherwise large and expensive locations into smaller showrooms, where the customer can try out, see and feel products, but they cant take them out of the store as they checkout. They can, however, try on a pair of jeans, for example, and then have them delivered the same day free of charge. Based on this store concept, the customer gets the shopping endorphin rush, and you save money by minimizing rental costs. 6. How do you create a marketing strategy that supports your product, business and sales strategy? I recommend that you support both your online and offline sales strategy with personalization. About 20 years ago, Amazon was one of the first companies to personalize the online shopping experience when you visited its website. Today, personalization is one of the most essential marketing strategies for e-commerce companies; however, many companies only personalize their website and not the e-mail and store communication, which is a big mistake. Personalization tools have become so intelligent that you actually can predict what the customer will buy next and when, which can be turned into a very profitable selling-machine. This is one of Amazons secrets it makes most of its money by sending targeted emails that are tailored individually to each of its customers, especially based on each customers purchase history. Targeted emails often perform with amazing customer conversion rates in the range of 10-15 percent and sometimes even up to 25-30 percent. Website-only customer conversion rates typically are in the range of 3-5 percent. A personalized communication model also can help bring customers to your local stores, as you can alert them to relevant offers, events, news and much more when they take place in a store close to the customer. The options are many when you combine your online and offline marketing strategy in this way. 7. How do you ensure that your staff deliver a state-of-the art shopping experience? Staff training and staff sales tools often are the missing link in many omnichannel strategies. You may have created the best possible omnichannel strategy; however, if your staff members are not in sync with it on a day-to-day and operational basis, it will fail. It is therefore imperative that the in-store counters are synchronized with the online sales channel and vice versa. This allows the sales staff to look up both online and offline stock availability and delivery status, to set up subscription programs with customers in retail stores, and much more. The next missing staff member link often is the sales incentive model, where the online and offline sales commissions compete against each other. To get the full support from your staff members, it is essential to encourage cooperation. Offline staff members should get sales commissions for setting up online subscription programs, for example. By thinking this through, you make sure to maximize sales through all sales channels. 8. How do you make sure that you offer the methods of delivery your customers expect? The methods of delivery most suitable for your omnichannel company are very much based on your business, sales and marketing setup. Some of the most successful omnichannel companies consider shipping a marketing cost. Offering free, fast delivery is one of the most effective ways to convert and retain customers. You can offer free delivery to all customers who make a purchase exceeding a certain amount of money, and free delivery to customers who have joined your membership program, for example. If your retail stores have enough products in stock, you should always offer same-day and free pick up in stores for orders placed before noon, for example. This is an excellent setup, as many reports reveal that customers tend to buy more products in retail stores when they pick up their online orders. 9. What is your customer omnichannel lifecycle shopping experience? Once your omnichannel business has been up and running for three to four months, it is time to stop and analyze: a) where you get your leads; b) how the online/offline customer journey looks in your company; and c) why customers return to shop more. I recommend that you set up some key performance indicators, and that you communicate them on a regular basis at staff meetings, etc., to create a shared organizational understanding of how you are performing, and which areas of your omnichannel business you can optimize further. 10. How do you refine and optimize your omnichannel strategy? Based on this newfound understanding of your omnichannel key performance indicators, you can make specific plans for how to revitalize all elements of your omnichannel strategy and implementation model, which includes your product, business, online, retail, marketing, staff and delivery strategy. By following the steps in this article and by analyzing and continuously optimizing your omnichannel strategy, you will be able to transform your current brick-and-mortar business into a state-of-the-art, commercially successful omnichannel company. 8M awarded to local groups on Isle of Man Figures have revealed that more than 8 million has been awarded to Isle of Man-based community projects over the last 30 years by Manx Lottery Trust. Each year the charity supports as many as 60 schemes on the island, awarding financial grants for the benefit of local people in the community. The Trustees meet several times a year to consider funding applications, with the aim of supporting as many deserving causes throughout the Island as possible. Communal tensions flare in Sri Lanka As mourners buried the remains of Christian worshippers killed by the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, hundreds of Muslim refugees fled. At least 359 people perished in the coordinated series of blasts targeting churches and hotels. Church leaders believe the final toll from the attack on St Sebastians Church in Negombo could be close to 200, almost certainly making Negombo the deadliest of the six near-simultaneous attacks. MUSLIM REFUGEES FLEE THE REGION On Wednesday, hundreds of Pakistani Muslims fled the multi-ethnic port an hour north of the capital, Colombo. Crammed into buses organized by community leaders and police, they left fearing for their safety after threats of revenge from locals. Because of the bomb blasts and explosions that have taken place here, the local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses, Adnan Ali, a Pakistani Muslim, told Reuters as he prepared to board a bus. Right now we dont know where we will go. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks, yet despite Islamic State being a Sunni jihadist group, many of the Muslims fleeing Negombo belong to the Ahmadi community, who had been hounded out of Pakistan years ago after their sect was declared non-Muslim. The fallout from Sundays attacks appears set to render them homeless once more. Farah Jameel, a Pakistani Ahmadi, said she had been thrown out of her house by her landlord. She said get out of here and go wherever you want to go, but dont live here, she told Reuters, gathered with many others at the Ahmadiyya Mosque, waiting for buses to take them to a safe location. Iranian FM warns US against politicians promoting conflict Trump may not want war, Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has said, but that won't stop the hawks in his administration luring him into one. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Wednesday warned Donald Trump against what he described as the infamous B-Team, members of which, he said, sought to promote conflict between the US and Iran. "YOU CAMPAIGNED AGAINST COSTLY AND STUPID INTERVENTIONS" In a Wednesday tweet, Zarif told Trump to be careful, adding: You campaigned against costly and stupid [foreign military] interventions. The conniving cabal of warmongers & butchers, the infamous #B_Team, are plotting for way more than what you bargained for, he said. Zarif went on to identify B-Team members as US National Security Adviser John Bolton; Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Iranian FM also addressed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who previously served as director of the CIA, saying: You [Pompeo] continue to do the same at State [the US State Department]. Zarifs remarks appear to come in response to comments made by Pompeo last week, in which he said of his time as CIA director: We lied, we cheated, we stole. Recent days have seen mounting tension between Washington and Tehran, with the latter threatening to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to US sanctions on Irans energy sector. Israel issues travel warning to Sri Lanka Israel warned of the 'high possibility' of fresh terrorist attacks in the South Asian island nation. Israel on Thursday warned its citizens against travelling to Sri Lanka following the recent spate of terrorist attacks in that country. THE TRAVEL WARNING In a level-two travel advisory, Israel's Counter-terrorism Bureau warned of the high possibility of fresh terrorist attacks in the South Asian island nation. According to a statement released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office, the travel advisory will be reevaluated in line with security-related developments. On Easter Sunday, 359 people were killed when eight separate locations both inside and outside Sri Lankan capital Colombo were rocked by explosions. The bombings targeted Christian churches in the cities of Kochchikade, Negombo and Batticaloa, along with three upscale hotels in the capital. Joe Biden announces 2020 presidential run The announcement from the 76-year-old former vice president comes three years after he declined to seek the country's highest political office. Former Vice President Joe Biden, a moderate who has made his appeal to working-class voters that deserted the Democrats in 2016 a key part of his political identity, launched a bid for the White House on Thursday as the partys instant frontrunner. "TRUMP IS A TRAGEDY" Biden announced the third presidential bid of his career by video on YouTube and other social media. He is expected to make his first public appearance as a candidate on Monday at an event in Pittsburgh featuring union members, a key constituency. Biden, 76, had been wrestling for months over whether to run. His candidacy will face numerous questions, including whether he is too old and too centrist for a Democratic Party yearning for fresh faces and increasingly propelled by its more vocal liberal wing. In a speech to union members in April, Biden called Trump a tragedy in two acts. This country cant afford more years of a president looking to settle personal scores, he said. "AMTRAK JOE" Biden is a noted train enthusiast and advocated for improvements to America's railway system during his time as vice president. In 2016, he facilitated a $2.45 billion federal loan to Amtrak to buy new trains and fix up tracks and stations. Best of all, he announced the loan in August from a station named for him, the Joseph R. Biden Jr., Train Station in Wilmington, Delaware. Ministers discuss security and foreign relations in Turkey Ministers of defense, foreign affairs treat last developments in the Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, a safe zone in Syria. Turkeys defense chief and top diplomat met on Wednesday to discuss the regional security and foreign relations in the capital Ankara, the Defense Ministry said. IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED In an evaluation meeting between the delegations, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu addressed the latest developments in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as the proposed safe zone in Syria, in particular, a ministry statement said. In December, Donald Trump suddenly announced the withdrawal of American troops from Syria, however, since then Washington has backtracked and said in February a few hundred troops would remain for peacekeeping efforts and to create the safe zone. The US has also mentioned that the safe zone would not include the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist organization. Also attended by senior Turkish officials, including Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler, Land Forces Commander Umit Dundar, Naval Forces Commander Adnan Ozbal, Air Forces Commander Hasan Kucukakyuz and Deputy Foreign Ministers Sedat Onal and Yavuz Selim Kran, the meeting reiterated firm stance in defending Turkeys rights and interests. Poland halts oil imports via Russian pipeline The suspension cuts off a major supply route for Polish refineries owned by Polands PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos, as well as plants in Germany owned by Total, Shell, Eni and Rosneft. Poland and Germany have suspended imports of Russian oil via a major pipeline, citing poor quality and triggering a rare crisis oversupply from the worlds second-largest crude exporter. POLAND CUT OFF THE SUPPLY ROUTE Halting imports from the Druzhba pipeline could trigger legal claims by Western buyers against Russian suppliers, who would in turn seek compensation from Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft, three traders with Western buyers said. Halting supplies of tainted oil, which can corrode refining units, has pushed some refiners to find other supplies. But alternative routes cannot fully fill the shortfall. The quality issue helped drive oil prices above $75 a barrel for the first time this year on Thursday. Russia said it planned to start pumping clean fuel to Europe through the pipeline on April 29. Polish pipeline company Pern told Transneft on Wednesday it was suspending purchases, a letter seen by Reuters showed. Russia: We are ready to give aircrafts to Turkey President of Rosoboronexport, Aleksandr Mikheyev, said that all issues pertaining to the contact have been settled and Russia and Turkey are now working on the deal's execution. Aleksandr Mikheyev of Russian Rosoboronexport stated on Wednesday that Russia will start shipping its S-400 air defense missile systems to Turkey this summer. The chief of Russias state arms trade agency also stated that the deal is going through as Ankara ignores pressure from its ally, the US. TURKEY STICKS THE DEAL Earlier this month, President Vladimir Putin ordered shipment of the S-400s to Ankara to be accelerated. Turkey sticks with the contract despite intensive pressure from its ally US to scrap the deal. The Pentagon suspended delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying that the country will not get the promised planes, unless it refuses to take the S-400s. Turkish officials rebuffed all attempts to derail the deal with Russia and insisted that they are free to buy arms from whoever it wants. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu argued that Turkey may order more S-400s if the Pentagon refuses to sell US-made Patriot air defense missile systems to the country. Scotland prepares leaving UK Scotland will start preparing for an independence referendum before May 2021 without permission from London, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday. Scotland, Englands political partner for more than 300 years and part of the United Kingdom, rejected independence by 10 percentage points in a 2014 referendum. But differences over Brexit have strained relations with the government in London. SCOTS ARE UNHAPPY AT BREXIT A choice between Brexit and a future for Scotland as an independent European nation should be offered in the lifetime of this parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told Scotlands devolved parliament. She said a devolved parliament bill would be drawn up before the end of 2019 and that Scotland, which has 8 percent of Britains electorate, did not need permission at this stage from London. The United Kingdom voted 52-48 to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, but while Wales and England vote to leave, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay. In the campaign for the 2014 independence referendum, unionists said that the only way for Scotland to stay in the EU was to stick with the United Kingdom. The Scottish National Party (SNP), which runs the devolved government in Edinburgh, says that a second referendum is justified as Scotland is now being dragged out of the bloc against its will. With most Scots unhappy at Brexit, Sturgeon is under pressure from independence supporters to offer a clear way forward in the quest to break from the United Kingdom. Tsipras complains about Turkey to US senator Greek Prime Minister, who couldnt handle Turkey by himself, has decided to lie his back to the US Senator. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with US Senator Robert Menendez at Maximos Mansion on Tuesday. The Greek premier thanked Menendez for his crucial involvement in promoting Greek-American relations, and for the many legislative initiatives he has undertaken in favour of Greece and Cyprus in recent years. PROTECT US IN THE MEDITERRANEAN According to the Greek news agency APE-MPE, Tsipras gave a list to the US Senator which contains Turkeys so-called air space violations against Greece in the Mediterranean. US Senator Robert Menendez promised to Greek PM that Turkey wont be able to buy US-made F-35 fighter jets that could be used against Greece, if it goes ahead with plans to buy a Russian S-400 missile defense system. With relations between the US and Greece ironically under the former anti-American leader Alexis Tsipras said to be their best ever. Turkish jets hit PKK terror targets in N. Iraq Airstrikes pound terrorist targets in Hakurk, Zap, Avasin-Basyan, Gara, Qandil regions. Turkish jets destroyed weapon emplacements, ammunition depots and shelters of the PKK terror group in northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The airstrikes targeted PKK positions in the Hakurk, Zap, Avasin-Basyan, Gara and Qandil regions, the ministry said on Twitter. Four Turkish soldiers were martyred and six others injured on Friday during operations against terrorists in the Turkey-Iraq border area. In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women and children. Bottom Line: Six factors were associated with invasive recurrence of breast cancer after a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), according to data from a meta-analysis. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Author: Jelle Wesseling, MD, PhD, professor of breast pathology in the divisions of diagnostic oncology and molecular pathology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and Leiden University Medical Center. Background: Current guidelines recommend surgical excision of DCIS, often followed by radiotherapy and sometimes endocrine therapy, yet most cases will likely not progress or become life-threatening. As a result, many women are overtreated. "There is a large unmet need to distinguish harmless from potentially hazardous DCIS," said senior author of the study Wesseling. "We hope our work will help reduce the burden of intensive treatment that thousands of women with low-risk DCIS undergo annually." How the Study Was Conducted: Wesseling, lead author and PhD student Lindy Visser, and colleagues performed a systematic review of 1,781 studies from the PubMed database from 1970 to June 2018 to assess the risk of ipsilateral (same side) invasive breast cancer recurrence in women primarily diagnosed and treated for DCIS. Forty studies met the eligibility criteria of including at least ten invasive breast cancer events and at least one year of follow-up. Next, the researchers used the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool to assess the studies for risk of bias and identified 17 studies for inclusion in this study. Finally, the researchers performed meta-analyses on all factors associated with the recurrence of invasive breast cancer reported by more than one of these 17 high-quality studies and calculated the average effect size for each factor. The number of patients in the included studies ranged from 52 to 37,692, and mean follow-up time ranged from 3.2 to 15.8 years. Results: Among 26 prognostic factors, Wesseling and colleagues identified six that were associated with a 36 to 84 percent increase in the relative risk of recurrence of invasive disease after DCIS diagnosis: African-American race, premenopausal status, detection by palpation, involved margins, high histological grade, and high p16 protein expression. Wesseling noted that data obtained using histological grade as a factor needs careful interpretation because of potential differences in evaluation between observers. The investigators found that insufficient handling of confounding factors, especially treatment for DCIS, and poorly described study groups were the two most frequently occurring biases identified using QUIPS. Authors' Comments: "We were aware of the high frequency of biases among previous studies. Some biases are inevitable, as it can be difficult to establish fully annotated cohorts, but others are easy to prevent," said co-senior author of the study Marjanka Schmidt, PhD, genetic epidemiologist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. "Our goal was to increase awareness and help the research community avoid these biases in the future. "New studies need to capture information about whether the cancer recurrence was DCIS or a subsequent invasive cancer and whether these are true recurrences or new, primary lesions," Wesseling added. Study Limitations: The main limitation of the study was that it was not possible to assess all prognostic factors since they were not reported uniformly in all studies. As a result, future research may identify more prognostic factors that help guide treatment decisions for women diagnosed with DCIS, Wesseling said. ### Funding & Disclosures: The study was funded by Cancer Research UK and the Dutch Cancer Society. The authors declare no conflict of interest. An innovative wearable sensor to monitor new-born babies in poor areas is being developed by Anglia Ruskin University, in collaboration with experts in Jordan. Academics will create wearable technology to accurately measure the respiratory rate in new-born babies, specifically for areas where access to healthcare is poor. Researchers were alerted to the scale of the issue through their work in the Zaatri refugee camp in Jordan, where they saw the effect that limited access to respiratory monitoring impacted access to appropriate healthcare. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 60% of neo-natal deaths in the camp were associated with preterm birth and its associated complication of respiratory stress syndrome. This international collaborative project will develop a wearable sensor that makes use of wireless communication to provide continuous remote monitoring of an infant's breathing. This in turn will support faster, more accurate identification of health conditions in new-borns. Inkjet-printing technology will create stretchable and biocompatible sensors for the monitor, and the project team will work closely with industry to ensure the designs conform to medical standards and can be easily commercialised. Professor Dingchang Zheng, of Anglia Ruskin University, said: "The first week of life is crucial for new-born babies, and in low income areas, access to appropriate healthcare is often limited. If a baby develops a problem, it can sometimes be too late before the issue is diagnosed. "As a result, there is an increasing need for remote, low-cost, reliable, and comfortable respiratory rate sensors that provide physicians with accurate readings and to assess the health condition of new-borns. "We are developing a sensor which will be made of flexible and biocompatible materials with an attachment mechanism that avoids skin infection caused by traditional adhesive electrodes. "We're delighted to be working with our partners in Jordan to create this vital piece of technology. We believe it will have a real tangible benefit which can save the lives of vulnerable babies." ### Professor Zheng of Anglia Ruskin is working with Professor Ala'aldeen Al-Halhouli of the German Jordanian University as part of the UK-Jordan Industry-Academia Partnership Programme being funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, through the Newton Fund. Emperor penguins at the Halley Bay colony in the Weddell Sea have failed to raise chicks for the last three years, scientists have discovered. Researchers from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) studied very high resolution satellite imagery to reveal the unusual findings, published today (25 April 2019) in the journal Antarctic Science. Until recently, the Halley Bay colony was the second largest in the world, with the number of breeding pairs varying each year between 14,000 - 25,000; around 5-9% of the global emperor penguin population. The failure to raise chicks for three consecutive years is associated with changes in the local sea-ice conditions. Emperor penguins need stable sea-ice on which to breed, and this icy platform must last from April when the birds arrive, until December when their chicks fledge. For the last 60 years the sea-ice conditions in the Halley Bay site have been stable and reliable. But in 2016, after a period of abnormally stormy weather, the sea-ice broke up in October, well before any emperor chicks would have fledged. This pattern was repeated in 2017 and again in 2018 and led to the death of almost all the chicks at the site each season. The colony at Halley Bay colony has now all but disappeared, whilst the nearby Dawson Lambton colony has markedly increased in size, indicating that many of the adult emperors have moved there, seeking better breeding grounds as environmental conditions have changed. The re-location of many of the birds to a more stable breeding ground is encouraging, as until now it was not known whether the penguins would seek alternative sites in response to significant changes in their local environment. Lead author and BAS remote sensing specialist Dr Peter Fretwell said: "We have been tracking the population of this, and other colonies in the region, for the last decade using very high resolution satellite imagery. "These images have clearly shown the catastrophic breeding failure at this site over the last three years. Our specialised satellite image analysis can detect individuals and penguin huddles, so we can estimate the population based on the known density of the groups to give reliable estimate of colony size." BAS penguin expert and co-author Dr Phil Trathan, said: "It is impossible to say whether the changes in sea-ice conditions at Halley Bay are specifically related to climate change, but such a complete failure to breed successfully is unprecedented at this site. "Even taking into account levels of ecological uncertainty, published models suggest that emperor penguins numbers are set to fall dramatically, losing 50-70% of their numbers before the end of this century as sea-ice conditions change as a result of climate change." By using satellite imagery to study the behaviour of this colony and its response to catastrophic sea-ice loss scientists will gain vital information about how this iconic species might cope with future environmental change. ### BC's Institute for Scientific Research has been studying space conditions and their interplay with Earth since 1954 Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Boston College's Institute for Scientific Research, one of the world's foremost centers for space research, has been awarded a five-year, $10.6-million contract by the U.S. Air Force to study the space environment and improve capacities to understand and respond to a range of space phenomena. The institute will address a number of topics relevant to Air Force interests in the specification and forecasting of the space environment and the mitigation of risks to space assets under adverse conditions, according to ISR Director Patricia Doherty. Specifically, the areas of study include solar emissions analysis and research, radio frequency (RF) wave propagation, ionospheric remote sensing, ionospheric irregularities, and multiple approaches for modeling ionospheric conditions, including empirical, data-driven and physics-based algorithms applicable to both natural and artificial plasma environments. "Our principal goals are to exploit and extend existing assets and knowledge to maximize near-term benefits to the government, while simultaneously generating new ideas, innovations and basic research that are beneficial to our modern society - one that has become significantly dependent on space based assets and technologies," said Doherty. The contract will involve a number of the ISR team members in Boston and Albuquerque. Keith Groves lead the effort as the project's principal investigator. He will be assisted by Doherty and ISR staff scientists, including Charles Carrano, Vadym Paznukhov, John Retterer, Charles Rino, Bill McNeil, Dwight Decker, Chris Bridgwood and Shaun Ard. Doherty said the project will require ISR to add two new research scientists and a post-doctoral researcher to the ISR team. Under this contract, ISR will be also award subcontract agreements with scientists from other universities with complementary expertise. These universities include Catholic University, Cornell University, Georgia Tech, the Universities of Colorado at Boulder and Denver, the University of Florida and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. The ISR was formed in 1954 with a government grant to study signals from the earliest artificial satellites. Historically, the Institute's programs adapted to sponsors' and societal interests in theoretical and experimental studies in space physics, space chemistry, solar-terrestrial research, space weather, and astrophysical investigations. These studies have been supported by government, industry and academic sponsors. Although the ISR continues to work on those issues, its program has changed over the years in response to the advancement in the use of space-based technologies for communication and navigation systems. Systems that society depends on greatly - but can be negatively affected by space weather and irregularities of the space environment. Most recently, Institute programs have addressed the space environment, space weather phenomena and mitigation of their effects on systems of societal interest. Finally, in support of global social justice, ISR has international partnerships that address capacity building for space science research in developing countries. The Institute also provides workshops that foster the intellectual development of young scientists from around the world. ### BOSTON - Every year, nearly 11,000 Americans die of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a blood cancer that affects mainly older adults. While most patients initially respond to chemotherapy, more than half of those who respond will eventually relapse as the cancer cells develop resistance to treatment. In a new paper published today in Cell Research, a team of scientists led by Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, Director of the Cancer Center and Cancer Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, reveal vulnerabilities in a subset of AML that could serve as the foothold researchers need to overcome resistance to therapy. "There is an acute need to develop rational combinations to treat disease and overcome resistance that arises in response to therapy," said Pandolfi. "By providing a critical understanding of the mechanisms underlying the disease, we identified a therapeutic strategy for treatment of this type of AML." About 20 percent of AML cases involve a mutation in a key metabolic enzyme called IDH. Using a previously published genetically engineered mouse model as well as human cell line in vitro and in vivo models for AML with this mutation, Pandolfi and colleagues identified key processes these cancer cells use to develop - or evolve - drug resistance in response to therapies. By following the pathway to resistance in a step-by-step manner, the scientists - including first author Vera Mugoni, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Pandolfi lab - identified critical vulnerabilities that researchers can potentially exploit for therapeutic benefit in all stages of the disease's evolution. Moreover, the team demonstrated that a combination of drugs already in use for treatment of another type of leukemia worked equally as well against this form of AML in both an in vitro and in vivo setting. "The molecular processes that are frequently required to promote resistance to therapy leave tumors vulnerable in other areas," said Mugoni. "In the case of AML with mutation to IDH enzymes, both metabolism and differentiation pathways were altered, exposing vulnerabilities that become exacerbated as the leukemia evolves, and for which we already have approved agents that can be utilized." Another form of leukemia known as acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) was once a fatal diagnosis. It is now considered a curable disease, thanks to researchers including Pandolfi, who demonstrated that arsenic trioxide (ATO) was effective against APL in combination with another drug called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). In the current study, Pandolfi and colleagues tested the combination in both the mouse model of AML with IDH mutation and in human AML cells. They determined that, while the drugs target different vulnerabilities in the different forms of leukemia, the combination proved "powerfully and exquisitely effective" against this subset of AML. "With my lab's previous discovery that all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide is curative in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), witnessing the translation of this same therapy to possible therapeutic approaches for other forms of AML is extremely rewarding," said Pandolfi. Pandolfi adds his team is currently working to develop clinical trials to evaluate the ATRA and ATO combination for treatment of AML with mutation in IDH enzymes at multiple centers throughout the United States and beyond. ### In addition to Pandolfi and Mugoni, authors include Riccardo Panella, Giulia Cheloni, Ming Chen, Dina Stroopinsky, Jlenia Guarino, Emanuele Monteleone, Jonathan David Lee, Lourdes Mendez, Archita Venugopal Menon, David Avigan, Letizia Longo and John Gerard Clohessy, of the Cancer Research Institute at BIDMC; Olga Pozdnyakova and Andrew A. Lane of Brigham and Women's Hospital; Jon Christopher Aster, Richard Maury Stone and Ilene Galinsky of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Jose Cervera Zamora of Biobanco La Fe - Instituto de Investigation Sanitaria La Fe (IIS-LA FE); Francesco Lo-Coco of the University of Rome; and Manoj Kumar Bhasin, of the Division of IMBIO, Department of Medicine, BIDMC Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Center at Harvard Medical School and BIDMC. This work was supported by EMBO Long Term post-doctoral fellowship (ALTF 1011-2014); European Commission (LTFCOFUND2013, GA-20130609409); the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (career Development Program, Grant number: 5437-16); the Marie Curie Action Fellowship "Mobility Program for post graduated scientists in the Life Sciences" (C.I. 130011240012025124540); the Societa Italiana di Biofisica e Biologia Molecolare (SIBBM); the Ludwig Center at Harvard; and National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute grants R35CA197529 and R01CA142874. Disclosures: Pandolfi is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Agios Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA. Pandolfi, Mugoni, Clohessy and Chen have filed U.S. Patent Application No. 62/593,761, entitled "ARSENIC TRIOXIDE AND RETINOIC ACID COMPOUNDS FOR TREATMENT OF IDH-ASSOCIATED DISORDERS," filed December 1, 2017. This application is still pending. The remaining authors declare no competing interests. About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding. BIDMC is in the community with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Anna Jaques Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, Signature Healthcare, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance and Atrius Health. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Jackson Laboratory. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit http://www.bidmc.org. CONTACTS: Teresa Herbert or Jacqueline Mitchell * 617-667-7305 * therbert@bidmc.harvard.edu CABI scientists have revealed the massive ecological and economic impacts that the invasive alien tree Prosopis juliflora has had across the Afar region of north eastern Ethiopia CABI scientists have revealed the massive ecological and economic impacts that the invasive alien tree Prosopis juliflora has had across the Afar Region of north eastern Ethiopia. Dr Urs Schaffner, who is supervising lead author Mr Hailu Shiferaw for his PhD studies, contributed to the Science of the Total Environment published research which shows that the devastating Prosopis was a major reason for losses in annual ecosystem service values in Afar Region estimated at US $602 million in just 31 years. Mr Shiferaw, in the paper entitled 'Implications of land use/land cover dynamics and Prosopis invasion on ecosystem service values in Afar Region, Ethiopia', highlighted that between 1986 and 2017 the weed spread at a rate of 31,127 ha/year while grassland and bush-shrub-woodland declined at a rate of 19,312 ha and 10,543 ha/year respectively. Hailu Mr Shiferaw, from the Water and Land Resource Centre of Addis Ababa University, Dr Schaffner and colleagues from Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the School of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness, Haramaya University in Ethiopia, and the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, in Switzerland, said local communities perceive that climate change, frequent droughts and invasive species are the main drivers of land use/land cover changes. During the 19th and 20th centuries, various species and hybrids of Prosopis - native to South and Central America - were planted in areas outside of their native range including Australia, southern Asia and eastern Africa. The aim was to provide firewood, charcoal, fodder and timber to stabilize soil in degraded ecosystems and prevent desertification. While the first introductions in Ethiopia were made during the 1970s and 1980s, problems soon arose in the early 1990s when the tree started invading croplands, grasslands, riverbanks and roadsides - causing significant environmental impacts and a source of conflict among pastoralist groups due to the effect on dwindling grazing land. Mr Shiferaw said, "Our study provides evidence that land use and land cover changes in the Afar Region have led to a significant loss in ecosystem service values, with serious consequences for the livelihoods of the rural people. "Negative net changes were found for grassland, bareland, bush-shrub-woodland, and natural forests as a result of the Prosopis spreading so rapidly." About 50% of the lost grassland is now dominated by Prosopis. Hence, Prosopis causes serious negative effects on pastoralism, the traditional livelihood form in the region. In a previous paper 'Modelling the current fractional cover of an invasive alien plant and drivers of its invasion in a dryland ecosystem', published in Scientific Reports, Mr Shiferaw and his team of international scientists suggested that the migration of livestock and wildlife could have contributed to the distribution of the woody weed but state this claim requires further investigation. The scientist also believe that river courses, particularly during flooding events, are known to serve as modes of transportation of Prosopis pods and seeds to downstream areas - a process otherwise known as corridor dispersal. In respect of the paper in Scientific Reports, Mr Shiferaw said, "In particular, our findings revealed that the invasion of riparian habitats along the Awash River will continue downstream, thereby, quickening the loss of drought-season grazing areas which may aggravate conflict among pastoralist communities." The researchers say that despite the potential benefits of Prosopis, by way of firewood and charcoal, Ethiopia has declared it a noxious weed and has recently published a Prosopis management strategy to try and manage it. ### Notes to editors Additional information Full paper reference Shiferaw, H., Bewket, W., Alamirew, T., Zeleke, G., Teketay,D., Bekele, B., Schaffner, U., and Eckert, S. 2019. Implications of land use/land cover dynamics and Prosopis invasion on ecosystem service values in Afar Region, Ethiopia. Accepted on 13 April 2019 Vol 675, Science of the Total Environment. Article reference: STOTEN31928.DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.220 The paper is available as an Open Access document and can be viewed here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719317498 Funding Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (r4d), funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), for the project "Woody invasive alien species in East Africa: Assessing and mitigating their negative impact on ecosystem services and rural livelihood." Urs Schaffner was supported by CABI with core financial support from its member countries. Photograph A photograph of Prosopis is available. Media enquiries Wayne Coles, Communications Manager, CABI, email: w.coles@cabi.org Tel: +44 (0) 1491 829395 About CABI CABI is an international not-for-profit organization that improves people's lives by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. Through knowledge sharing and science, CABI helps address issues of global concern such as improving global food security and safeguarding the environment. We do this by helping farmers grow more and lose less of what they produce, combating threats to agriculture and the environment from pests and diseases, protecting biodiversity from invasive species, and improving access to agricultural and environmental scientific knowledge. Our 49 member countries guide and influence our core areas of work, which include development and research projects, scientific publishing and microbial services. We gratefully acknowledge the core financial support from our member countries (and lead agencies) including the United Kingdom (Department for International Development), China (Chinese Ministry of Agriculture), Australia (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research), Canada (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), Netherlands (Directorate-General for International Cooperation, and Switzerland (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation). Other sources of funding include the fees paid by our member countries and profits from our publishing activities which enable CABI to support rural development and scientific research around the world. The longevity of Earth's continents in the face of destructive tectonic activity is an essential geologic backdrop for the emergence of life on our planet Washington, DC-- The longevity of Earth's continents in the face of destructive tectonic activity is an essential geologic backdrop for the emergence of life on our planet. This stability depends on the underlying mantle attached to the landmasses. New research by a group of geoscientists from Carnegie, the Gemological Institute of America, and the University of Alberta demonstrates that diamonds can be used to reveal how a buoyant section of mantle beneath some of the continents became thick enough to provide long-term stability. "We've found a way to use traces of sulfur from ancient volcanoes that made its way into the mantle and eventually into diamonds to provide evidence for one particular process of continent building," explained Karen Smit of the Gemological Institute of America, lead author on the group's paper, which appears this week in Science. "Our technique shows that the geologic activity that formed the West African continent was due to plate tectonic movement of ocean crust sinking into the mantle." Diamonds may be beloved by jewelry collectors, but they are truly a geologist's best friend. Because they originate deep inside the Earth, tiny mineral grains trapped inside of a diamond, often considered undesirable in the gem trade, can reveal details about the conditions under which it formed. "In this way, diamonds act as mineralogical emissaries from the Earth's depths," explained Carnegie co-author Steve Shirey. About 150 to 200 kilometers, 93 to 124 miles, beneath the surface, geologic formations called mantle keels act as stabilizers for the continental crust. The material that comprises them must thicken, stabilize, and cool under the continent to form a strong, buoyant, keel that is fundamental for preserving the surface landmass against the relentless destructive forces of Earth's tectonic activity. But how this is accomplished has been a matter of debate in the scientific community. "Solving this mystery is key to understanding how the continents came to exist in their current incarnations and how they survive on an active planet," Shirey explained. "Since this is the only tectonically active, rocky planet that we know, understanding the geology of how our continents formed is a crucial part of discerning what makes Earth habitable." Some scientists think mantle keels form by a process called subduction, by which oceanic plates sink from the Earth's surface into its depths when one tectonic plate slides beneath another. Others think keels are created by a vertical process in which plumes of hot magma rise from much deeper in the Earth. A geochemical tool that can detect whether the source of a mantle keel's makeup originated from surface plates or from upwelling of deeper mantle material was needed to help resolve this debate. Luckily, mantle keels have the ideal conditions for diamond formation. This means scientists can reveal a mantle keel's origin by studying inclusions from diamonds that formed in it. The research group's analysis of sulfur-rich minerals, called sulfides, in diamonds mined in Sierra Leone indicate that the region experienced two subduction events during its history. They were able to make this determination because the chemistry of the sulfide mineral grains is only seen in samples from Earth's surface more than 2.5 billion years ago--before oxygen became so abundant in our planet's atmosphere. This means that the sulfur in these mineral inclusions must have once existed on the Earth's surface and was then drawn down into the mantle by subduction. The team's comparison to diamonds from Botswana showed similar evidence of keel-creation through subduction. But comparison to diamonds mined from northern Canada does not show the same sulfur chemistry, meaning that the mantle keel in this region originated in some way that did not incorporate surface material. The group's findings suggest that thickening and stabilization of the mantle keel beneath the West African continent happened when this section of mantle was squeezed by collision with the sinking ocean floor material. This method of keel thickening and continent stabilization is not responsible for forming the keel under a portion of northern Canada. The sulfide minerals inside Canadian diamonds do not tell the researchers how this keel formed, only how it didn't. "Our work shows that sulfide inclusions in diamonds are a powerful tool to investigate continent construction processes," Smit concluded. ### This work was supported by the GIA, the University of Alberta, the NSF, and Carnegie. It is a contribution to the Deep Carbon Observatory. HANOVER, N.H. - April 25, 2019 - A team from Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering that designed a greenhouse for Mars was announced the winner of the 2019 NASA BIG Idea Challenge Wednesday at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Dartmouth team, comprised of undergraduate students, was honored for their design of a multi-use greenhouse that allows astronauts to grow their own food on the red planet. "The BIG Idea Challenge has been an amazing experience and I'm thrilled that we won," said Zoe Rivas, co-manager of the Dartmouth team. "I'm so excited to see what happens next with our greenhouse design and what NASA will do with all of the great ideas we saw in this competition." The winning Dartmouth design, named DEMETER after the ancient Greek goddess of harvest, growth and nourishment, was judged for innovation on food production and crop cultivation as well as mechanical and aerospace engineering elements of the design. The Dartmouth greenhouse can grow eight food crops--kale, soy, sweet potato, potato, broccoli, strawberry, wheat, and chufa--in a rotating, nutrient-filled, hydroponic system that provides enough nourishment for a four-person crew on a 600-day surface mission to Mars. "I can't begin to explain how exciting this is," said Alexa Escalona, the team's co-manager. "This validates all of the late nights and hard work. It was an amazing experience in general, and coming in first place still feels surreal. We had tons of people supporting us, and we couldn't have done it without all of them." In addition to growing food in the hostile Mars environment, Dartmouth's DEMETER (Deployable Enclosed Martian Environment for Technology, Eating, and Recreation) greenhouse proved that it could be transported millions of miles from Earth, deployed, and then sustained with limited technology and resources. To support the emotional health and well-being of astronauts, the greenhouse also features an exercise area and relaxation space designed to help astronauts who will live in early Martian outposts composed mostly of red dust and little scenic variety. "I am thrilled with the outcome," said Laura Ray, interim dean of Thayer School of Engineering. "The NASA challenge demanded a systems-thinking approach, and that's precisely what a Thayer education provides. The team was methodical and dedicated and they ended up winning the day against fantastic competition." NASA's 2019 Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge searched across the country for innovative ideas for the design, installation and sustainable operation of a habitat-sized Mars greenhouse. Dartmouth was one of five finalists selected earlier this year by NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA). Members of the winning team will now have a shot at landing internships at NASA this summer. The BIG Idea Challenge is meant to support NASA's Game Changing Development program to rapidly bring to fruition high-impact technologies. The challenge, organized jointly by NASA and NIA, was open to teams of undergraduate and graduate students studying in fields applicable to human space exploration. "The Dartmouth team used top-notch systems engineering throughout their design," said Kevin Kempton, Game Changing Development program element manager, and a 2019 BIG Idea Challenge judge. "It was all laid out in a very credible way. The design looked very effective for what it needed to do and they also had some nice potential for recreation. I thought it was well done, overall." The Dartmouth team co-managed by Zoe Rivas and Alexa Escalona was comprised of David Dick, Grace Genszler, Thomas Hodsden, Peter Mahoney, Morgan McGonagle and Christopher Yu. ### Editor's Notes: Videos featuring DEMETER and the project team: - https://youtu.be/R526kxDOf0E - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpZZP5eXq4I&feature=youtu. For further reference, here is the NASA story: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/nasa-s-2019-big-idea-challenge-winner-designs-best-planetary-greenhouse For more information on Thayer School of Engineering: https://engineering.dartmouth.edu For more information about the 2019 BIG Idea Challenge, visit: http://bigidea.nianet.org/ About Dartmouth Founded in 1769, Dartmouth is a member of the Ivy League and offers the world's premier liberal arts education, combining its deep commitment to outstanding undergraduate and graduate teaching with distinguished research and scholarship in the arts and sciences and its three leading professional schools: the Geisel School of Medicine, Thayer School of Engineering and Tuck School of Business. About Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth prepares leaders for a technology-driven world while solving pressing, real-world problems through research and entrepreneurship. One of the first professional engineering schools in the country, Thayer offers undergraduate and graduate programs under a unified department of engineering sciences. Graduate programs at Thayer include the Master of Engineering Management (MEM), MS, PhD, and the nation's first PhD Innovation Program. Consistently ranked among the top colleges and universities for its commitment to teaching, Dartmouth is the first national research university to graduate a majority-female class of undergraduate engineers. For more information, visit engineering.dartmouth.edu Boulder, Colo., USA: The caldera-forming eruption of Campi Flegrei (Italy) 40,000 years ago is the largest known eruption in Europe during the last 200,000 years, but little is known about other large eruptions at the volcano prior to a more recent caldera-forming event 15,000 years ago. A new Geology article by Paul Albert and colleagues discusses a 29,000-year-old eruption, here verified as coming from Campi Flegrei, that spread a volcanic ash layer more than 150,000 square kilometers of the Mediterranean. Knowledge of large explosive eruptions is mostly established from geological investigations of the exposed deposits found around the source volcano, with the deposits of large eruptions forming thick sequences. However, since the late 1970s, a widespread volcanic ash layer, dated at about 29,000 years ago, was commonly identified in marine and lake sediment cores from across the Mediterranean, documenting the occurrence of a large-magnitude eruption. Despite this widespread distribution and relatively young age, no clear evidence of such an event was identified at any of the main active volcanoes in the region. In this study, the team's detailed chemical analysis (volcanic glass) of an eruption deposit found five kilometers northeast of Campi Flegrei caldera in Naples, Italy, are entirely consistent with the distinctive composition of this ash layer. This, combined with new dating of the near-source eruption deposit, verifies that Campi Flegrei was responsible for this widespread ash layer. Constraints on the size of the eruption were determined by the team using a computational ash dispersal model which integrated the thicknesses of the near-source eruption deposits, named here the Masseria del Monte Tuff, with those of the related ash fall across the Mediterranean. The results indicate that this eruption at Campi Flegrei caldera was similar in scale to the younger of two known large-magnitude, caldera-forming eruptions at the volcano, the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (about 15,000 years ago). The Masseria del Monte Tuff eruption was smaller than the older caldera-forming eruption, the enormous Campanian Ignimbrite (about 40,000 years old), which dispersed ash as far as Russia (more than 2,500 km from the volcano). The 29,000 year old Masseria del Monte Tuff eruption positioned between known caldera-forming events significantly reduces the recurrence interval of large magnitude events in the eruptive history of Campi Flegrei caldera. In contrast to other large magnitude events at Campi Flegrei, the lack of thick, traceable, deposits for this eruption appear to be the result of the eruption dynamics and their destruction and burial by more recent activities. This research highlights the benefits of investigating explosive eruption records preserved as ash fall in sedimentary records when attempting to accurately reconstruct the tempo and magnitude of past activity at highly productive volcanoes such as Campi Flegrei. ### FEATURED ARTICLE Evidence for a large magnitude eruption from Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy) at 29 ka Paul Albert (paul.albert@rlaha.ox.ac.uk), Richard Brown; Paul Renne; Biagio Giaccio; Antonio Costa; Roberto Isaia; Darren Mark; Victoria Smith; Elizabeth Niespolo; Sebastien Nomade; Alison Pereira; Antony Hinchliffe. URL: https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/570173/evidence-for-a-large-magnitude-eruption-from-campi GEOLOGY articles are online at http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/content/early/recent. Representatives of the media may obtain complimentary articles by contacting Kea Giles at the e-mail address above. Please discuss articles of interest with the authors before publishing stories on their work, and please make reference to GEOLOGY in articles published. Non-media requests for articles may be directed to GSA Sales and Service, gsaservice@geosociety.org. http://www.geosociety.org Since 2012, Stefan Freunberger of the Institute for Chemistry and Technology of Materials at TU Graz has been working on development of a new generation of batteries with enhanced performance and longer useful lives, and which are also cheaper to produce than current models. He believes that lithium-oxygen batteries have significant potential. In 2017, in the course of his work, Freunberger uncovered parallels between cell ageing in living organisms and in batteries. In both cases, highly reactive singlet oxygen is responsible for the ageing process. This form of oxygen, which has been the focus of Freunberger's research over the past few years, is produced when lithium-oxygen batteries are charged or discharged. The Graz-based researcher has now found ways to minimise the negative effects of singlet oxygen, and his findings have been published in renowned journals Nature Communications and Angewandte Chemie. Stable redox mediators the key to energy efficiency In his paper in Nature Communications, Freunberger describes the effect of singlet oxygen on what are called redox mediators, which can be reversibly reduced or oxidised. The work was carried out in collaboration with researchers from South Korea and the USA. Redox mediators play a vital role in the flow of electrons between the exterior circuit and the charge storage material in oxygen batteries, and also have a considerable impact on their performance. The principle behind mediators is borrowed from nature, where they are responsible for a host of different functions in living cells, including transmitting nerve impulses and producing energy. "Until now it was assumed that redox mediators are deactivated by superoxides and peroxides. But our experiments have shown that this is due to the action of singlet oxygen," said Freunberger. The researchers used density functional theory calculations to demonstrate why certain classes of mediators are more resistant to singlet oxygen than others. They also identified its most likely avenues of attack. These insights are driving forward the development of new, more stable redox mediators. "The more stable the mediators, the more efficient, reversible and long-lasting the batteries become," Freunberger explained. DABCOnium provides effective protection against singlet oxygen Besides deactivating redox mediators, singlet oxygen also triggers parasitic reactions, which compromise battery life and rechargeability. So, Freunberger tried to identify a suitable quencher that transforms the singlet oxygen produced into harmless triplet oxygen, which occurs in air - biology pointed him in the right direction: "An enzyme called superoxide dismutase blocks the formation of singlet oxygen in living cells. In its place, I used DABCOnium - which is a salt of the organic nitrogen compound DABCO - in my experiments." DABCOnium is an electrolyte additive which is much more resistant to oxidation than previously identified quenchers, and is compatible with a lithium-metal anode. In this way, for the first time Freunberger created conditions for charging lithium oxygen cells that were largely free of side reactions - in other words, without parasitic reactions. However, as Freunberger showed last year, singlet oxygen also causes problems in latest-generation lithium-ion batteries, as well as in oxygen batteries. This means that quenchers are also significant for the former. Freunberger published details of this singlet oxygen quencher in the journal Angewandte Chemie. Ideal case: combined mediator and quencher The next step in Freunberger's research will involve amalgamating his findings and developing a new class of mediators. These should be particularly resistant to attack from singlet oxygen and also combat it effectively by performing a quenching function. This would dramatically extend the lifetimes of lithium-oxygen batteries and maximise energy efficiency. The project is part of the university's Field of Expertise 'Advanced Materials Science', one of five strategic research focuses at TU Graz. The project is funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and the European Research Council (ERC). Stefan Freunberger is a member of NAWI Graz Chemistry. ### LONDON, ON - New studies from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University have found for the first time that HIV can be transmitted through the sharing of equipment used to prepare drugs before injection and that a simple intervention - heating the equipment with a cigarette lighter for 10 seconds - can destroy the HIV virus, preventing that transmission. The findings, used to inform a public health campaign called 'Cook Your Wash,' have helped reduce rates of HIV transmission in London, Ontario. The two studies published in Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (JAIDS) were initiated in 2016 to address a public health emergency in London, Ontario when HIV rates amongst injection drug users more than doubled. "This outbreak occurred despite London having Canada's largest per capita sterile needle and syringe distribution program, a strong opiate substitution therapy program and a multidisciplinary HIV clinic," says Dr. Michael Silverman, Lawson Associate Scientist and Chair/Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London. "We knew there must be a novel method of HIV transmission at play." From August 2016 to June 2017, the research team interviewed 119 injection drug users to understand their injection behaviours and risk for HIV. They discovered that those who shared equipment used to prepare drugs for injection were 22 times more likely to contract HIV than those who did not, despite not sharing needles or syringes. The equipment includes a metal 'cooker' used to dissolve drugs in water and a filter used to draw the mixture, known as 'the wash,' into the syringe. Injection drug users reported reusing the equipment when consuming controlled-release hydromorphone, one of the most commonly injected opioids. "Controlled-release hydromorphone is expensive and difficult to dissolve. After the first wash, large amounts of the drug remain in the equipment which is then saved, shared or sold for future use," explains Dr. Sharon Koivu, Associate Scientist at Lawson and Associate Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "While people know not to share needles, some use their own needle multiple times allowing for contamination of the equipment." The team took their findings back to the research laboratory. They confirmed that, on average, 45 per cent of the drug remains in the equipment after the first wash. They not only confirmed the HIV virus can be transmitted between needles, cookers and filters, but also discovered that controlled-release hydromorphone has properties that promote survival of the virus. "The slow release properties in the drug can unfortunately stabilize the HIV virus," says Eric Arts, PhD, Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "For the first time, we were able to demonstrate that sharing equipment could lead to the type of HIV outbreak we observed in the community." The team discovered that when the cooker is heated with a cigarette lighter for approximately 10 seconds, or until the wash bubbles, the virus is destroyed. They termed the technique 'cook your wash.' They also confirmed that heating the cooker did not impact drug concentration. "We had to make sure that cooking your wash would not change the amount of drug being drawn into the syringe," notes Dr. Silverman. "If too much drug was released, it could lead to overdoses. If any drug was burnt off or lost, the intervention would not be accepted by persons who inject drugs." Partnering with local community organizations like the Middlesex-London Health Unit and Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, 'Cook Your Wash' was launched as a public health campaign. "The 'Cook Your Wash' campaign is one of the most exciting things to happen in our community," says Dr. Koivu. "We learned from persons who inject drugs, took that information to the lab to develop a solution and then brought that solution back to the community in record time." Dr. Silverman adds that local rates of new HIV cases fell dramatically after the introduction of the campaign. "It wasn't the sole reason for the reduction in HIV rates as other interventions were also introduced, but the timing suggests it was part of the solution." The studies build on previous research that shows sharing equipment can lead to the transmission of hepatitis C and controlled-release hydromorphone can promote the survival of bacteria that can cause endocarditis, which is an infection of the heart valves. The team hopes this research can be used to inform understanding and interventions in other centres facing HIV epidemics amongst persons who inject drugs. "We hope our findings can be used to reduce the incidence of HIV transmissions even further and that, one day, society will be HIV free," says Dr. Silverman. ### Video of the researchers discussing their work can be found here: https://youtu.be/VQK3SQFzxTQ. MEDIA CONTACT: Robert DeLaet, Communications and External Relations, Lawson Health Research Institute, t. 519.685.8500 ext. 75664, c. 519.619.3872, robert.delaet@lawsonresearch.com ABOUT LAWSON HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London, and working in partnership with Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world. ABOUT WESTERN Western University delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community. ABOUT THE SCHULICH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University is one of Canada's preeminent medical and dental schools. Established in 1881, it was one of the founding schools of Western University and is known for being the birthplace of family medicine in Canada. For more than 130 years, the School has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and a passion for scientific discovery. A new animal model developed by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators promises to be less expensive, easier to use and to improve personalized therapies for cancers and potentially other diseases. In their paper published online in Cell, the investigators describe using their immunodeficient zebrafish model to visualize drug responses at single-cell resolution in live animals. They also identify a promising new treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma, a muscle cancer that primarily develops in children. "We have created the first immune-compromised zebrafish model that can robustly engraft and grow human cancers", says David Langenau, PhD, of the MGH Molecular Pathology Unit and the MGH Cancer Center, senior author of the report. Chuan Yan, PhD, of Langenau's team, first author of the report, adds, "These immune-compromised zebrafish are optically clear, allowing us to visualize cellular characteristics and therapeutic responses of single cancer cells over time. The model has the potential to transform the scale of personalized therapy and for the first time provides unprecedented ability to image a variety of cancer processes at single-cell resolution." Although transplantation of human cancer cells into animal models has helped to define mechanisms that drive tumor growth, metastasis and response to therapy, traditional mouse models have significant limitations, including the cost and space required to maintain them and the difficulty visualizing tumor cells implanted beneath the animals' fur-covered skin. Doing so requires the creation of pre-implanted "windows," which do not allow following the dissemination of cancer cells throughout an animal's body. Previous studies have implanted human tumor cells into two-day-old zebrafish larvae that had not yet developed immune systems. But such implants are eventually rejected by the immune system, preventing the assessment of long-term therapeutic responses. In addition, two-day-old zebrafish cannot grow at the same temperature as human cells, which prevents the accurate recapitulation of tumor development in these models. The mutant zebrafish strain developed by Langenau's team is transparent into adulthood and is deficient in two genes, resulting in a lack of T cells, B cells and NK (natural killer) cells. The researchers were able to engraft several types of cancer cells - both solid and blood system tumors - into their model, where they developed into tumors similar to those found in humans. Cells taken directly from patients with tumors such as melanoma, glioblastoma, breast cancer and rhabdomyosarcoma were also successfully grown in adult fish for more than 28 days, with many animals dying from cancer progression. The team used their model to investigate whether a combination of two drugs - olaparib and temozolomide, which are currently in a clinical trial for Ewing's sarcoma - could inhibit rhabdomyosarcoma growth. Their experiments using both the new zebrafish model and mouse models showed that, while treatment with either drug alone had limited effectiveness against either cancer, the combination treatment eliminated rhabdomyosarcoma cells from both types of animal models, with the zebrafish model allowing single-cell visualization of treatment response. "The work is particularly exciting for two reasons," says Langenau, an associate professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and faculty member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. "First, we identified a potential new therapy for a devastating childhood cancer. Second, we now show that a wide variety of human tumors can grow in immune-deficient zebrafish. The model has the potential to change how we assess drugs prior to moving into the clinical setting - reducing the cost and time required, allowing rapid assessment of combination therapies, and directly visualizing drug responses at single-cell resolution. The model will be truly transformative for cancer biology." The investigators now are working with clinical trial teams at the MGH and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, along with the involved pharmaceutical companies, to refine the existing clinical trial to include rhabdomyosarcoma, which would be the first phase 2 cancer drug trial based on studies in zebrafish. Langenau's team is also exploring potential uses for the model in immunotherapy, stem-cell biology and regenerative medicine. ### Dalton Brunson, Qin Tang, PhD, and Daniel Do - also of the MGH Cancer Center and Molecular Pathology are co-second authors of the Cell paper. Additional co-authors of the paper include Shyamala Maheswaran, PhD, Nick Dyson, PhD, and Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, MGH Cancer Center; and John Rawls, PhD, Duke University School of Medicine. The work was facilitated by close collaboration with the laboratories of Michael Dyer, PhD, and Elizabeth Stewart, MD, St. Jude Research Hospital and the Childhood Solid Tumor Network. Support for the study includes National Institutes of Health grants R24 OD016761, R01 CA154923, R01 CA215118, R01 CA211734, and R01 CA226926; and grants from the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative, and the MGH Research Scholars Program. The Massachusetts General Hospital has a patent pending for the work described in this paper. Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with an annual research budget of more than $925 million and major research centers in HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, genomic medicine, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, photomedicine and transplantation biology. The MGH topped the 2015 Nature Index list of health care organizations publishing in leading scientific journals and earned the prestigious 2015 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service. In August 2017 the MGH was once again named to the Honor Roll in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals." ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Why are people afraid to use the term "disability"? "Attempts to avoid the use of the word 'disability' and couch discussions in positive terminology or euphemisms can have unintended consequences," says Carrie Pilarski, Ph.D., an assistant professor of clinical psychology in the Michigan Medicine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. "Avoiding the term reinforces the idea that disability is a negative or undesired state." Pilarski says that while the term disability is widely used and universally accepted, often there are other terms substituted, such as "differently abled," "special needs," and "physically challenged." "People use these terms because they see them as accentuating the strengths of people with disabilities," she says. "But despite the good intention, these terms are euphemisms that deny recognition of disability as a valued aspect of diversity and identity." In a recent commentary piece, published in Rehabilitation Psychology, Pilarski and colleagues challenge a trend toward erasure of the term disability in hopes to improve disability cultural competency. "The commentary was a natural discussion among female psychologists with disabilities who recognize the importance of supporting disability culture both personally and professionally," Pilarski says. "The contributing group of authors have connected through various groups and advocacy efforts within the American Psychological Association and the APA Division of Rehabilitation Psychology." #SayTheWord In the piece, Pilarski and her co-authors analyze the history of disability language, attitudes around disability language and disability as an identity, to demonstrate why the term "disability" is an important part of disability culture. While Pilarski notes that avoiding the term disability has the unintended consequence of reinforcing ideas that disability is negative, the authors also explain the harmful effects of focusing on individuals with disabilities as inspirational. "We want readers to understand that there is such a thing as 'inspiration porn' and this serves to objectify individuals with disabilities for inspiration," she says. "We also discuss balancing using person-first and identity-first language to help support the recognition that disability is an aspect of identity." In addition, the authors discuss the role of social media in disability identity and social justices. "Social media has truly invigorated the disability justice movement," Pilarski says. "There have been many viral hashtags for disability issues, such as #cripthevote, #iamapreexistingcondition and #thisiswhatdisabilitylookslike, that have helped not only with personal identity, but with highlighting the culture and recognizing the history of oppression, especially at a time when disability rights and services are being rolled back on a national level." Perhaps one of the most important campaigns is still happening: #SayTheWord. "#SayTheWord was created by people with disabilities to claim the term disability as a valued aspect of diversity, support solidarity within the disability community, and encourage those without a disability to stop tiptoeing around the term and use it," Pilarski says. "This campaign is very much encouraging disabled people to reclaim our identities, our community and our pride." The authors also discuss how the #SayTheWord movement is helping to highlight social injustices in the disability community. "We also discuss in the commentary the role of psychology in supporting the understanding of disability as an aspect of diversity with social justice implications similar to other marginalized groups, such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the Me Too movement," Pilarski says. "We're not trying to make comparisons or to equate experiences when we reference these other groups," she says. "We're saying that failure to recognize disability as an aspect of diversity, similar to other marginalized groups, also has unintended consequences of reducing supports available for individuals with disabilities and their formation of a positive disability identity." Future implications The authors hope their commentary sparks more conversation between the disability community and mainstream media and improves cultural competency. "Being reflective and understanding the sociopolitical implications of language on disability serves as a call to action for clinicians, educators and all disability allies to normalize the word disability and challenge the stigma associated with it. We should speak out against offensive language and the tendency to replace the word disability with euphemisms or using disability for inspiration," Pilarski says. "Psychologists and other providers or mentors should honor others' language preference while opening up a dialogue about the underlying attitudes and beliefs that shape their preferred selection of terminology." She adds, "We hope that future research can center on disabled voices in order to support solidarity in the disability community, pride in disability identity and activism for social justice with reclaiming equal access and rights in legislation and policies." ### Additional contributing authors include: Erin E. Andrews, University of Texas at Austin; Anjali J. Forber-Pratt, Vanderbilt University; Linda R. Mona, VA Long Beach Healthcare System California; Emily M. Lund, Mississippi State University; and Rochelle Balter, The City University of New York. WILMINGTON, Del. (April 25, 2019) - Researchers at Nemours Children's Health System have developed a new low-cost genetic test that accurately identified more than 200 known disease-causing gene variations in two high-risk populations, the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonites of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The findings, published today in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, could help reduce morbidity and mortality from these rare genetic disorders, and dramatically reduce costs of care through early diagnosis of newborns. "These are genetically isolated communities with a higher incidence of certain disorders," said Erin Crowgey, PhD, lead author of the study and associate director for bioinformatics at Nemours. "Robust, expanded screening and diagnostic testing in these populations for people who may carry these gene variants could potentially improve patient outcomes and reduce medical costs, through a single low-cost procedure." The research team developed a next-generation sequencing test capable of identifying 202 known gene variants, or alleles, associated with 162 conditions found in these Amish and Mennonite communities, also known as Plain communities, to identify carriers of these variants in a simple blood test. To do so, the Clinic for Special Children (CSC), a medical home for uninsured Plain community children with genetic disorders, selected 63 patients to participate by providing blood samples for the DNA analysis. The research team created a targeted gene panel using a custom configuration of the ArcherDX Anchored Multiplexed PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology. In total, 309 different gene variants were detected. To assess the test's accuracy, they used an alternate method to validate all genetic variants. For instance, they compared 48 samples with prior whole exome sequencing results, and found 100 percent agreement between the two methods. "Due to their small number of community founders, the Plain populations over time have come to exhibit relatively high carrier rates for a small set of genetic diseases," said Erik Puffenberger, PhD, a study author and laboratory director at CSC. "We needed a methodology for a single procedure to test individuals for all known genetic variations related to those conditions." The researchers note that population-wide carrier screening may help decrease morbidity and mortality, as well as treatment costs associated with genetic conditions in these high-risk groups by helping to identify asymptomatic newborns when many of these conditions are most treatable. "For many disorders that disproportionately occur in the Plain communities, detection of asymptomatic infants is critical to prevent the devastating effects of these diseases," said Crowgey. "Without rapid diagnosis and treatment of newborns, children can have shorter lifespans or lasting disabilities, even after intensive, lengthy, and costly medical care." The study authors estimate that use of this low-cost screening tool (approx. $165 per person) by Plain communities could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars health care costs savings annually. Other members of the study team include Michael Washburn, PhD, of ArcherDX, Inc., and E. Anders Kolb, MD, of Nemours Children's Health System. Matthew Demczko, MD, a pediatrician who cares for Amish children at Nemours Kinder Clinic in Dover, Delaware, and was not involved in this research, said: "In our ongoing study of the Delaware Amish, we've found that the community is aware of their increased risk for inherited disorders and knowledgeable about carrier screening. They generally perceive screening to be useful to avoid surprises and guide care decisions for their children. We hope that data from this study will help promote larger screening efforts throughout Plain communities in North America." ### About Nemours Children's Health System Nemours is an internationally recognized children's health system that owns and operates the two free-standing children's hospitals: the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Fla., along with outpatient facilities in five states, delivering pediatric primary, specialty and urgent care. Nemours also powers the world's most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, KidsHealth.org, and offers on-demand, online video patient visits through Nemours CareConnect. Nemours ReadingBrightstart.org is a program dedicated to preventing reading failure in young children, grounded in Nemours' understanding that child health and learning are inextricably linked, and that reading level is a strong predictor of adult health. Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, Nemours provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to families in the communities it serves. About the Clinic for Special Children The Clinic for Special Children is a non-profit organization located in Strasburg, Penn., which provides primary pediatric care and advanced laboratory services to those who suffer from genetic or other complex medical disorders. Founded in 1989, the organization provides services to over 1,050 active patients and is recognized as a world leader in translational and precision medicine. The organization is primarily supported through community fundraising events and donations. About ArcherDX, Inc. ArcherDX, Inc., 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. The company is headquartered in Boulder, Colo. Much has changed technologically since NASA's Galileo mission dropped a probe into Jupiter's atmosphere to investigate, among other things, the heat engine driving the gas giant's atmospheric circulation. A NASA scientist and his team at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, are taking advantage of those advances to mature a smaller, more capable net flux radiometer. This type of instrument tells scientists where heating and cooling occurs in a planet's atmosphere and defines the roles of solar and internal heat sources that contribute to atmospheric motions. The next-generation radiometer is specifically being developed to study the atmospheres of Uranus or Neptune, but could be used on any target with an atmosphere. Of all the planets in the solar system, only Uranus and Neptune -- called the ice giants because they are composed mostly of ices -- remain relatively unexplored. While Voyager 2 snapped photos of the seventh and eighth planets, it did not obtain the breathtaking details that the Galileo and Cassini missions gathered about Jupiter and Saturn. Even far-flung Pluto scored a close-up look with the New Horizons mission in 2015. A lot remains to be discovered, said Shahid Aslam, who is leading the team developing the next-generation instrument, an effort funded by NASA's Planetary Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations, or PICASSO, program. Scientists do know that both Uranus and Neptune host a slushy mantle of water, ammonia, and methane ices, while their atmospheres consist of molecular hydrogen, helium, and methane gas. However, differences exist in these cold outer Jovian worlds. As temperatures fall below -333.7 degrees Fahrenheit, ammonia gas freezes into ice crystals and drops out of the atmospheres of both planets. Methane -- a blue-colored gas -- becomes dominant. While atmospheric-methane content is similar in both planets, they look different. Uranus appears as a hazy blue-green, while Neptune takes on a much deeper color blue. Some unknown atmospheric constituent is thought to contribute to Neptune's deeper blue color, Aslam said. Also, Uranus lacks internal heat. Consequently, its clouds are cold and don't billow above the top haze layer. Neptune, on the other hand, radiates as much energy as it receives from the Sun. This internal energy gives Neptune an active, dynamic atmosphere, distinguished by dark belts and bright clouds of methane ice and cyclonic storms. Because NASA has never flown a dedicated mission to the ice giants, details of the physics driving these atmospheric conditions remain elusive, Aslam said. He believes the new instrument could provide answers. It's a successor to a similar type instrument that gathered data about Jupiter's atmospheric conditions before being crushed by Jupiter's atmospheric pressure in December 1995. During that perilous, 58-minute ride deep into the planet's atmosphere, Galileo's net flux radiometer -- one of several mounted inside the probe -- measured radiation that reached the planet from the Sun above as well as the thermal radiation or heat generated by the planet itself below. These top and bottom measurements helped scientists calculate the difference between the two -- a measurement called net flux. In addition to providing details about atmospheric heating and cooling, net flux data reveal information about cloud layers and their chemical composition. "Actually, you can learn a lot from net flux data, especially sources and sinks of planetary radiation," Aslam said. Like its predecessor, Aslam's instrument would take a suicidal plunge through the atmospheres of either Uranus or Neptune. But as it made its descent, it would gather information about these poorly understood regions with greater accuracy and efficiency, Aslam said. "Available materials, filters, electronic detectors, flight computing, and data management and processing have all improved. Frankly, we have better technology all the way around. It's clear that the time is now to develop the next generation of this instrument for future atmospheric entry probes," he said. Instead of using pyroelectric detectors employed on Galileo, for example, Aslam is eyeing the use of thermopile sensors, which convert heat or infrared wavelengths or heat into electrical signals. The advantage is that thermopile circuitry is less susceptible to disturbances and electrical noise. Aslam's team is also adding two additional infrared channels to measure heat, bringing the total to seven, and two additional viewing angles with which to gather these wavelengths and help model light scattering. When light scatters in one field of view due to interactions with aerosols and ice particles, the scattering can contaminate measurements in another field of view. This gives scientists a skewed picture of what's happening when they analyze the data. Furthermore, the instrument's tighter field of view will reveal greater detail about the planet's cloud decks and atmospheric layers as the instrument makes it descent. Just as important, the instrument is smaller and its sensors employ modern application-specific integrated circuits that support fast data sampling, Aslam said. ### For more Goddard technology news, go to: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/spring_2019_final_web_version.pdf By Lori Keesey NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Gestures and visual animations can help reveal the cognitive origins of meaning, indicating that our minds can assign a linguistic structure to new informational content "on the fly"--even if it is not linguistic in nature. These conclusions stem from two studies, one in linguistics and the other in experimental psychology, appearing in Natural Language & Linguistic Theory and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "These results suggest that far less is encoded in words than was originally thought," explains Philippe Schlenker, a senior researcher at Institut Jean-Nicod within France's National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a Global Distinguished Professor at New York University, who wrote the first study and co-authored the second. "Rather, our mind has a 'meaning engine' that can apply to linguistic and non-linguistic material alike. "Taken together, these findings provide new insights into the cognitive origins of linguistic meaning." Contemporary linguistics has established that language conveys information through a highly articulated typology of inferences. For instance, I have a dog asserts that I own a dog, but it also suggests (or "implicates") that I have no more than one: the hearer assumes that if I had two dogs, I would have said so (as I have two dogs is more informative). Unlike asserted content, implicated content isn't targeted by negation. I don't have a dog thus means that I don't have any dog, not that I don't have exactly one dog. There are further inferential types characterized by further properties: the sentence I spoil my dog still conveys that I have a dog, but now this is neither asserted nor implicated; rather, it is "presupposed"--i.e. taken for granted in the conversation. Unlike asserted and implicated information, presuppositions are preserved in negative statements, and thus I don't spoil my dog still presupposes that I have a dog. A fundamental question of contemporary linguistics is: Which of these inferences come from arbitrary properties of words stored in our mental dictionary and which result from general, productive processes? In the Natural Language & Linguistic Theory work and the PNAS study, written by Lyn Tieu of Australia's Western Sydney University, Schlenker, and CNRS's Emmanuel Chemla, the authors argue that nearly all inferential types result from general, and possibly non-linguistic, processes. Their conclusion is based on an understudied type of sentence containing gestures that replace normal words. For instance, in the sentence You should UNSCREW-BULB, the capitalized expression encodes a gesture of unscrewing a bulb from the ceiling. While the gesture may be seen for the first time (and thus couldn't be stored in our mental dictionary), it is understood due to its visual content. This makes it possible to test how its informational content (i.e. unscrewing a bulb that's on the ceiling) is divided on the fly among the typology of inferences. In this case, the unscrewing action is asserted, but the presence of a bulb on the ceiling is presupposed, as shown by the fact that the negation (You shouldn't UNSCREW-BULB) preserves this information. By systematically investigating such gestures, the Natural Language & Linguistic Theory study reaches a ground-breaking conclusion: nearly all inferential types (eight in total) can be generated on the fly, suggesting that all are due to productive processes. The PNAS study investigates four of these inferential types with experimental methods, confirming the results of the linguistic study. But it also goes one step further by replacing the gestures with visual animations embedded in written texts, thus answering two new questions: First, can the results be reproduced for visual stimuli that subjects cannot possibly have seen in a linguistic context, given that people routinely speak with gestures but not with visual animations? Second, can entirely non-linguistic material be structured by the same processes? Both answers are positive. In a series of experiments, approximately 100 subjects watched videos of sentences in which some words were replaced either by gestures or by visual animations. They were asked how strongly they derived various inferences that are the hallmarks of different inferential types (for instance, inferences derived in the presence of negation). The subjects' judgments displayed the characteristic signature of four classic inferential types (including presuppositions and implicated content) in gestures but also in visual animations: the informational content of these non-standard expressions was, as expected, divided on the fly by the experiments' subjects among well-established slots of the inferential typology. ### Natural Language & Linguistic Theory paper: https://rdcu.be/bb7yF PNAS paper: https://www.pnas.org/lookup/doi/10.1073/pnas.1821018116 A spring surge of meltwater, seeping through vertically tilted layers of rock, caused a seismic swarm near California's Long Valley Caldera in 2017, according to research presented at the 2019 SSA Annual Meeting. The unusual event prompted U.S. Geological Survey researcher Emily Montgomery-Brown and her colleagues to look back through 33 years of seismic and water records for the region. They found that rates of shallow seismicity were about 37 times higher during very wet periods versus dry periods. Although scientists have linked earthquakes to heavy rainfall or heavy runoff before this, the evidence connecting the two has been relatively weak or ambiguous, says Montgomery-Brown. In the Long Valley Caldera case, she says, "we're seeing phenomenal correlation between the seismicity and the stream discharge, and we are seeing about 37 times the number of earthquakes during the wet season as during the dry season." As the meltwater recharged the groundwater in the drought-stricken area, it changed the pore pressure in the rocks lying one to three kilometers below the ground surface, triggering the small earthquakes of the 2017 swarm. The shallow nature of the earthquakes, along with their unusual propagation, helped Montgomery-Brown and her colleagues determine that they were caused by seeping water and not volcanic processes related to Long Valley Caldera. In locating the earthquakes, Montgomery-Brown's USGS colleague Dave Shelly found that the quakes "were actually propagating deeper, down from the surface," she says. In other swarms around volcanic areas, such as Yellowstone National Park, the earthquakes tend to start in a deeper seismic zone, about six to eight kilometers deep, and often move upward toward the surface. Detailed geologic maps of the swarm area, to the south of Long Valley Caldera, show steeply dipping, nearly vertical rock layers that act like a fast conduit for meltwater. The runoff may not be reactivating a particular fault, Montgomery-Brown says, but instead may be infiltrating these rock layers and triggering small earthquakes there. The researchers didn't see the same strong correlation between meltwater runoff and seismic rates in other areas around Long Valley Caldera. "It's only in these areas where we see the highly dipping strata," she says. As far as she and her colleagues can tell, these shallow earthquakes stay shallow, and do not propagate deep enough to trigger activity on deeper faults in the area. Montgomery-Brown has been studying seismic signals and monitoring ground deformation at Long Valley Caldera to keep track of volcanic activity and the movement of magma and gas beneath the caldera. Deformation caused by heavy snowfall (and then snowmelt) in the mountains creates seasonal signals in her data. "Usually I'm trying to get rid of that signal so I can see the actual volcanic deformation that is happening." When the 2017 earthquake swarm--one of the biggest in a long time in the area-- occurred on the edge of the caldera, she and her colleagues had been discussing whether it was caused by volcanic activity. "People were starting to feel the earthquakes, and we were wondering if we needed to issue some kind of statement regarding how the volcano was behaving." But as she was giving a new manager a tour of a router closet at their offices, she ended up talking with Mammoth Community Water District managers who share the office space. As they talked about the spring runoff flooding, "it just kind of clicked in our understanding" how the runoff and the swarm might be linked, she says. ### PHOENIX - The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix and Midwestern University have published an article to bring to light the important role dentists can play in identifying domestic violence victims. Published April 11 in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, the article reports that as much as 75 percent of head and neck trauma associated with domestic violence occurs with oral injury. Researchers concluded that dentists are in the unique position to be the first line of defense in identifying evidence of assault, and then reporting potential cases of domestic violence. "The overall purpose of the paper is to bring dentistry and its subspecialties into the conversation about traumatic brain injury (TBI), specifically in cases of domestic violence," said Midwestern University dental student Timothy Ellis, lead author of the study. "In our society, and others around the world, domestic violence is more common than many would suspect. Survivors recount 'too many times to remember' that they were abused and blacked out or were struck in the head. Thus, oral and facial trauma may be treated or identified by dentists and dental sub-specialists, opening another avenue for patients to gain access to proper care or needed assistance." Ellis and Jonathan Lifshitz, PhD, director of the Translational Neurotrauma Research Program at the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix, reported an estimated 41.5 million individuals who will experience some type of domestic violence during their lifetime, and 20.75 million will sustain a TBI. Of the victims that sustain a TBI, 8.3 million will live with some form of long-term physiological or psychological consequences of the injury, they said. "This is a societal need and we have to call on all health care providers and mandatory reporters to join the fight," Dr. Lifshitz said. "This paper is creating additional touchpoints between victims and the health-care delivery system. It is an opportunity for dentists to be early detectors who can refer those individuals for follow-up care." The oral biomarkers that could help dentists potentially identify domestic violence victims include tears, fractures, breaks and chips in the teeth and mouth that would be inconsistent with personal history and, therefore, raise the index of suspicion. Obvious signs of violence that may indicate brain injury include jaw or tooth fractures, trauma to nerves in the mouth and jaw, as well as damage to the nasal bone. Tooth discoloration, blunted roots and pulpal necrosis, which is the death of cells and tissues in the center of a tooth, also may be signs of a previous dental trauma warranting further investigation. According to the publication, dentists receive little to no education about identifying and discussing domestic violence with potential victims, yet they may be the first and only health professional to evaluate a domestic violence victim. "I have spoken with several dentists regarding the topic," Ellis said. "Many find it interesting, however, they have little experience. The most common answer I receive is that they had just never thought about it or believed that such a case would be more likely to present in a medical facility and thus, it does not cross their mind when interacting with patients on a daily basis. That said, many dentists are intrigued by the topic and the response has been positive. It is interesting that very stringent protocols exist in pediatric dentistry, but a large gap exists when dealing with teens, young adults and adults in general." Sheri Brownstein, DMD, director of preclinical faculty at the Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine - Arizona and a co-author of the study, said that as a dentist, she always is sensitive to head and neck injuries and behaviors and how these may be a sign of domestic violence, but never thought of the oral biomarkers as they relate to traumatic brain injury and domestic violence. "All dentists should be educated on the identification of potential injuries sustained as a result of domestic violence," she said. "As health-care providers, we are already obligated to report suspected abuse. I do not feel that this will add an undue burden to dentists." Ellis said next steps may include collecting data from dentists to document oral biomarkers of injury. He continues these queries with the objective to help at least one patient and their situation. ### The publication is one in a series on "Traumatic Brain Injury in Domestic Violence" to be published in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, for which Dr. Lifshitz is a guest editor. About the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to optimize health and health care in Arizona and beyond. By cultivating collaborative research locally and globally, the college accelerates discovery in a number of critical areas -- including cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury and cardiovascular disease. Championed as a student-centric campus, the college has graduated 433 physicians, all of whom received exceptional training from nine clinical partners and 1,800 diverse faculty members. As the anchor to the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, which is projected to have an economic impact of $3.1 billion by 2025, the college prides itself on engaging with the community, fostering education, inclusion, access and advocacy. For more information, please visit phoenixmed.arizona.edu. Midwestern University is a private, not-for-profit graduate and postgraduate educational institution specializing in the health sciences with 12 colleges located on two campuses. The Illinois campus, located on a 105-acre site in Downers Grove, is home to over 3,000 students and the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Chicago College of Pharmacy, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Dental Medicine-Illinois, the Chicago College of Optometry, and the College of Graduate Studies. The Arizona campus, located on a 156-acre site in Glendale, is home to over 3,800 students and the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, the College of Pharmacy-Glendale, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Dental Medicine-Arizona, the Arizona College of Optometry, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Graduate Studies. The University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit http://www.midwestern.edu or call 623/572-3215. Months before you were born, your genetic machinery was hard at work, producing the tools you would need to live and move and think and pursue that thing you were meant to do. Your eyes, for example, were produced in an intricate series of genetic interactions meant to ensure the formation of an eye, produce the wiring it needs to communicate with your brain and clarify the lens to ensure proper vision. University of Delaware biologist Salil Lachke has a growing portfolio of research focused on eye development and the genetic disorders that obstruct healthy eye development. His cataract studies have advanced efforts to address the molecular and pathological basis of the world's leading cause of blindness. Now the National Institutes of Health has announced $1.7 million in support for his work to understand the developmental disorders that cause anophthalmia (no eye) and microphthalmia (small eye) at birth. The new grant provides five years of support. Compared to cataract disease, these are rare disorders. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says about 780 babies (1 in every 5,300) are born with one of these disorders each year in the United States. But the problems in the genetic circuitry that cause these disorders are not well understood. Lachke has hypotheses about the genetic mechanics of eye development that may shed light on other problems as well. Already, Lachke and his team have identified a key suspect -- the gene called Rbm24, an RNA-binding, protein-coding gene that plays an important role in controlling gene expression and the development of various cells and how they are differentiated. They came upon this suspect by using the bioinformatics approach developed by Lachke known as iSyTE (integrated Systems Tool for Eye gene discovery), which predicts the genes associated with eye development. The interactive tool is available to all clinicians, scientists and anyone who is interested in studying eye development. Lachke's team found that when Rbm24 is deficient or absent, eye defects occur. They also found that Rbm24 has direct control of a gene called SOX2, which alone is implicated in 20 percent of these developmental eye disorders and is critical to development of other tissues and organs. The role of SOX2 in cell development was part of the 2012 Nobel Prize won by Japan's Shinya Yamanaka, who showed that SOX2 and three other factors could reprogram mature cells into pluripotent stem cells, a sort of reverse engineering that allows these cells to develop into any other type of cell. Now, the question is how this process works and what other things Rbm24 controls. How does it figure in early eye development processes, including the development of the retina and the lens? What happens at different stages of development, in specific tissues, even in specific cells? "What we'd like to do -- and have the capacity to do at UD -- is to get rid of Rbm24 in early, mid- and late stages of eye development," Lachke said. "Then we can tease out what it is doing at different times." That knowledge will point the way to understanding other processes and disorders that Rbm24 and SOX2 are implicated in, including the potential of cellular reprogramming. Specifically, Lachke will look at Rbm24's critical role in early development of eye structures known as the "optic vesicle" and the "lens ectoderm," which are important to creation of the retina and the lens. He will test the hypothesis that Rbm24 governs expression of genes such as SOX2 in the post-transcriptional stage -- that is, after their genetic data has been transcribed from DNA to RNA and before the data is translated into protein production. He will also show how that process works on the molecular level. "This study will lead to uncovering the mechanism of how one of the most important DNA-binding proteins encoded by the human genome, SOX2, is controlled by the actions of a conserved RNA-binding protein, Rbm24, in our cells," Lachke said. "Defining the basic molecular and cellular processes of eye development will lead to greater understanding of the pathology of human development defects that result in small eye or the complete absence of the eye at birth." ### About the researcher Salil Lachke is an associate professor and associate chair of biological sciences at the University of Delaware, focusing on genetic research related to organ development and disease, especially in the eye. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Pune, India, his doctorate at the University of Iowa and did postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School, where he also served as an instructor. He joined the UD faculty in 2011. His innovative research has won many awards and he is a Gerard J. Mangone Scholar and a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences. Research carried out by the University of Kent and Kings College London into a common postal vote recruitment tactic found it to be ineffective in persuading people to change from visiting polling stations to vote Research carried out by the University of Kent and Kings College London (KCL) into a common postal vote recruitment tactic found it to be ineffective in persuading people to change from visiting polling stations to vote. Traditionally the tactic involves writing to party supporters to suggest that using a postal vote would be more convenient and aid their participation and to urge them to apply either online or via an enclosed application form. Postal votes are increasingly popular. In the 1997 UK general election, 937,205 postal ballots were issued. By the 2017 general election, that figure had risen to more than eight million. The rise in postal voting has implications for the planning of electoral campaigns because of votes cast early. However, in what is believed to be the first field experiment outside the USA into postal voter recruitment, Joshua Townsley of Kent's School of Politics and International Relations and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte (KCL) discovered that although political parties are increasingly looking for people to sign up to use postal votes in local elections, they need to consider the most effective ways of persuading people to do so. Their experiment was conducted during the UK local elections in London in May 2018. A list of 3340 registered voters that the Liberal Democrat party identified as being likely supporters were randomly assigned to either a control or treatment group. The responses to the approach about postal voting were compared using the official voter register and they found there was no substantive difference between the groups, with a near identical proportion registered to vote by post (16.87% in the control group and 16.84% in the treatment group). Joshua Townsley said: 'Easily accessible postal voting is rising in many countries, but the implications for electoral campaigns are under-researched. We tested whether letters and application forms sent to supporters worked, and despite them being widely used, we found they weren't effective.' ### https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261379418305304?via%3Dihub 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. ANN ARBOR--A new class of coatings that sheds ice effortlessly from even large surfaces has moved researchers closer to their decades-long goal of ice-proofing cargo ships, airplanes, power lines and other large structures. The spray-on coatings, developed at the University of Michigan, cause ice to fall away from structures--regardless of their size--with just the force of a light breeze, or often the weight of the ice itself. A paper on the research is published in Science. In a test on a mock power line, the coating shed ice immediately. The researchers overcame a major limitation of previous ice-repellent coatings--while they worked well on small areas, researchers found in field testing that they didn't shed ice on very large surfaces as effectively as they had hoped. That's an issue, since ice tends to cause the biggest problems on the biggest surfaces--sapping efficiency, jeopardizing safety and necessitating costly removal. They cleared this hurdle with a "beautiful demonstration of mechanics." Anish Tuteja, an associate professor of materials science and engineering, described how he and his colleagues turned to a property that isn't well-known in icing research. "For decades, coating research has focused on lowering adhesion strength--the force per unit area required to tear a sheet of ice from a surface," Tuteja said. "The problem with this strategy is that the larger the sheet of ice, the more force is required. We found that we were bumping up against the limits of low adhesion strength, and our coatings became ineffective once the surface area got large enough." The new coatings solve the problem by introducing a second strategy: low interfacial toughness, abbreviated LIT. Surfaces with low interfacial toughness encourage cracks to form between ice and the surface. And unlike breaking an ice sheet's surface adhesion, which requires tearing the entire sheet free, a crack only breaks the surface free along its leading edge. Once that crack starts, it can quickly spread across the entire iced surface, regardless of its size. "Imagine pulling a rug across a floor," said Michael Thouless, the Janine Johnson Weins Professor of Engineering in mechanical engineering. "The larger the rug, the harder it is to move. You are resisted by the strength of the entire interface between the rug and floor. The frictional force is analogous to the interfacial strength. "But now imagine there's a wrinkle in that rug. It's easy to keep pushing that wrinkle across the rug, regardless of how big the rug is. The resistance to propagating the wrinkle is analogous to the interfacial toughness that resists the propagation of a crack." Thouless said the concept of interfacial toughness is well known in the field of fracture mechanics, where it underpins products like laminated surfaces and adhesive-based aircraft joints. But until now, it hadn't been applied in ice mitigation. The advance came when Thouless learned of Tuteja's previous work and saw an opportunity. "Traditionally, fracture mechanics researchers only care about interfacial toughness, and ice mitigation researchers often only care about interfacial strength," Thouless said. "But both parameters are important for understanding adhesion. "I pointed out to Anish that if he were to test increasing lengths of ice, he would find the failure load would rise while interfacial strength was important, but then plateau once toughness became important. Anish and his students tried the experiments and ended up with a really beautiful demonstration of the mechanics, and a new concept for ice adhesion." To test the idea, Tuteja's team used a technique he honed during previous coating research. By mapping out the properties of a vast library of substances and adding interfacial toughness as well as adhesion strength to the equation, they were able to mathematically predict the properties of a coating without the need to physically test each one. This enabled them to concoct a wide variety of combinations, each with a specifically tailored balance between interfacial toughness and adhesion strength. They tested a variety of coatings on large surfaces--a rigid aluminum sheet approximately 3 feet square, and a flexible aluminum piece approximately 1 inch wide and 3 feet long, to mimic a power line. On every surface, ice fell off immediately due to its own weight. It stuck fast, however, to the control surfaces, which were identical in size--one was uncoated and another was coated with an earlier icephobic coating. The team's next step is to improve its durability of the LIT coatings. ### The paper is titled "Low Interfacial Toughness Materials for Effective large-Scale De-Icing." In addition to Tuteja and Thouless, the team included U-M macromolecular science and engineering graduate researcher Abhishek Dhyani and former U-M materials science and engineering Ph.D. student Kevin Golovin. The research was funded by the Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the National Science Foundation and the Nanomanufacturing program (grant #1351412). Anish Tuteja Michael Thouless Successful replications of UMBC's Meyerhoff Scholars Program at Pennsylvania State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill prove the Meyerhoff model's extraordinary impact can be reproduced at a broad range of institutions UMBC's Meyerhoff Scholars Program has been lauded as a national model for supporting diverse students in STEM fields. Other institutions across the United States have begun to ask if UMBC's approach could work for them. A new paper published in Science on April 26 answers that question with a resounding "yes." Since its inception in 1989, UMBC's Meyerhoff Scholars Program has graduated 739 students with undergraduate degrees in science and engineering, with 76 percent continuing on to graduate or professional programs in STEM. Meyerhoff alumni have earned 300 Ph.D. degrees, 130 M.D. degrees, 54 M.D.-Ph.D. degrees, and 253 master's degrees to date, and hundreds more are currently pursuing graduate degrees. Culture shift While these high achieving, research-focused students are more likely than the average student to go on to a graduate degree, research has shown that their UMBC experience has had a major impact on their trajectories. Highly qualified students who were offered admission to the program but opted to attend other universities were half as likely to graduate with a STEM undergraduate degree and about five times less likely to pursue a graduate degree in STEM than those who accepted the offer to join the Meyerhoff Scholars Program. The program has also resulted in a culture shift that supports the success of underrepresented students in STEM who are not Meyerhoff Scholars, and has informed the creation of similar scholars programs at UMBC focused on other fields. With all these positive results, the major question became: Is the Meyerhoff Scholars Program inherently unique to UMBC, with its charismatic African American president, status as a historically diverse institution that has welcomed students of all races from its founding, and location in a region rich in diversity? Or could similar programs be implemented at very different institutions with similar success? Shared commitment The new paper in Science reveals, for the first time, findings from the first four years of a five-year initiative to adapt the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at Pennsylvania State University at University Park and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. While strikingly different in some ways, these three institutions now share a commitment to all components of Meyerhoff-style programs. These include intensive advising, immersive transition activities the summer before the students' first semester of college, institutional leadership that makes the program a priority, training for faculty and staff, and other components. Findings from Penn State's Millennium Scholars program and UNC's Chancellor's Science Scholars program show exciting success at an accelerated pace, with students achieving the project's goals at a level on par with the success of recent Meyerhoff cohorts. For example, retention in STEM among the Penn State and UNC cohorts was similar to that of current Meyerhoff Scholars. Additionally, the average GPAs and four-year graduation rates of the first Penn State and UNC cohorts exceeded that of the first four Meyerhoff cohorts, in the early 1990s. These findings are especially encouraging, because the locations, historical leadership, and student bodies at these institutions look very different than they do at UMBC. Findings also suggest benefits for students of all backgrounds--including, but not limited to, the 65 to 80 percent of program participants who are from underrepresented groups in STEM. At all three institutions, students in the program had higher GPAs and were more likely to stay in STEM majors than classmates who did not participate in the program, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or gender. Laying the groundwork "These findings confirm that Meyerhoff-like programs and student outcomes can be achieved elsewhere, even at institutions very different from UMBC," says Michael Summers, Robert E. Meyerhoff Chair for Excellence in Research and Mentoring and Distinguished University Professor at UMBC. Based on the promise of this adaptation, other universities have begun exploring Meyerhoff-like programs, with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative recently announcing a massive replication effort in the University of California system. "It is my hope that this initial effort has laid the groundwork for partnership expansion with an even broader range of institutions," Summers says. With the impressive results just published in Science, Summers notes, "The high level of success achieved at UNC Chapel Hill and Penn State should now show all institutions that inclusive excellence is an achievable priority, regardless of the institution's size, location, and history. Success was dependent on the willingness of institutions to partner together and learn from each other." ### Learn more about the Meyerhoff Scholars Program. College men who frequently attend parties or go to bars are more likely to be sexually aggressive compared to those who don't, Washington State University researchers have found. "We found that it wasn't alcohol use, per se, that leads to sexual aggression," said Michael Cleveland, an associate professor in WSU's Department of Human Development. "But the combination of alcohol and the setting that the drinking takes place in had a major impact on the number of reported aggressive tactics used." The study, which surveyed a group of over 1,000 college males repeatedly for five semesters at a large Northeastern university, asked participants if they had used sexually aggressive tactics, Cleveland said. "We asked them how often they drank and if and how often they went to bars or parties," Cleveland said. "Then we asked if they used any specific tactics to convince, or even pressure, women to have them sex with them." Those tactics ranged from threatening to break up with her to getting her drunk and harming her physically. The results were published April 25 in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Personality traits The study questions looked at the personality traits of each participant. The researchers found that the men who went to bars and parties more often tended to have higher levels of Impersonal Sexual Orientation, characterized by a preference for sex without commitment and a greater number of sexual partners. "Men with that orientation have a proclivity towards more casual sex," Cleveland said. "And it's been associated with a higher level of sexual aggression. So this study shows that men with those personality traits are going to parties - perhaps in order to find sex partners --and acting more sexually aggressive." Study timeline The researchers started the survey by contacting every male in the freshman class at a large university in the northeastern U.S. in 2012. Over 1,000 took part through their first five semesters. The survey was conducted by email or online, with participants compensated with money deposited in their student accounts. Participants were guaranteed confidentiality in the hopes of getting more truthful results. The study states that the more the students reported drinking as freshmen, the more likely they were to commit a sexually aggressive act by the end of the survey period, Cleveland said. "The results are very cumulative," Cleveland said. "If a student reported drinking as a freshman, then he would be more likely to report going to parties or bars the next year as a sophomore. And then the men who were most likely to drink at these types of settings were the ones that most likely were sexually aggressive during their junior year." Preventing aggression The study showed how much room there is to educate men on their role in reducing and eventually eliminating aggressive sexual behaviors. "Prevention of sexual assault should target men's behaviors and attitudes," Cleveland said. "There are hot spots, like bars and parties, where aggressive behavior happens more often. Having bystander intervention, where someone intervenes on behalf of the victim, is really important in these situations." ### Funding support comes from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health, Award Number R01AA019478. MORGANTOWN, W.Va.--Acute hepatitis C infections rose 98 percent between 2010 and 2015 nationwide, largely because more people were injecting drugs. Using a new needle for every injection can slow the spread of hepatitis C, but getting those new needles isn't always as simple as buying glucose-meter lancets at the pharmacy. And safely disposing of old needles presents a whole other set of problems. A team of West Virginia University researchers wanted to pinpoint what makes obtaining clean needles--and responsibly getting rid of used ones--difficult. To find out, they surveyed 100 people who attend needle exchange programs. Respondents cited one obstacle more than any other: fear of arrest. "I believe the biggest barrier to needle exchange is paraphernalia laws and policing behaviors," said Steve Davis, an associate professor in the School of Public Health, who led the study. The team's findings, which appear in Harm Reduction Journal, bear that out. Nearly three-fourths of the study's participants (72 percent) said they "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they could "get in trouble from the police" for carrying needles around. "When I talked to people attending needle exchange programs, what I heard was, they don't want to discard needles," Davis said. "In fact, they would get upset at other attendees who perhaps would do that. They would say, 'If I had a child, I wouldn't want them to get stuck with a dirty needle.' But they also don't want to go to prison. So what do they do? Use them real quick and get rid of them--or share them." As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, sharing needles is the number one reason people get hepatitis C today. The problem is pernicious in rural Appalachia. Davis' research project is the first to quantify the barriers to using new needles obtained from needle exchange programs in Appalachian locations. The survey respondents were selected from two programs in West Virginia: one in Cabell County and one in Monongalia County. Previous studies focused on large metropolitan populations. West Virginia is one of few states that doesn't outlaw the purchase or possession of drug paraphernalia, including syringes and hypodermic needles. "But some local laws are being passed that criminalize possession of a new syringe unless a person has a prescription," Davis said, "and some of the people who inject drugs that I interviewed mentioned being cited for possession of new needles. It is my belief that this confusion over conflicting state and local laws contributes to fear of possessing new needles." Davis suggested that unambiguously decriminalizing syringes and hypodermic needles could make needle exchange easier and curtail hepatitis C infections. He also recommended reframing needle exchange as a method to keep police officers and their families healthy, rather than as a means of enabling addiction or condoning illegal activity. If a police officer were to accidentally get stuck with a needle while searching a suspect, Davis reasoned, he or she might be less likely to contract hepatitis C if a needle exchange program were flourishing in the community. More opportunities for needle exchange could mean fewer contaminated needles out in the world. "In talking to law enforcement, we saw this real struggle with, 'If something is illegal, how am I supposed to let that go?'" he said. "But if you can conceptualize needle exchange as being protective, then you can--perhaps--get law enforcement buy-in. One of the police officers I talked to mentioned this." Needle exchange programs are associated with a reduction in new hepatitis C cases across Europe, Davis explained, but in North America, this association doesn't hold. "The hypothesis," he said, "is that there's this criminal approach--paraphernalia laws and policing behaviors--that doesn't match up with needle exchange, a public health approach." ### this news is not available Timex Group has announced Manoj Joshi as its new Head Sales to strengthen the sales network and business in India and SAARC countries. With the brand planning to grow its product portfolio across these markets, Joshis role becomes crucial as he will be focusing on strategic business planning and growing distribution network. Being a part of Timex family for over two decades now, he has already made notable development in creating a strong sales team and a robust distribution channel. Speaking about Joshis new role, Sharmila Sahai, Managing Director, Timex Group said, We are very happy to have Manoj Joshi with us in his new role. Over these years, Manojs contribution to the company has been exemplary. He always attempts to implement interesting methods and strategies to maintain retail visibility and we have full faith that our business will deeply benefit from his insights. Under his leadership, we look forward to a strong growth story in India and SAARC countries. Commenting on his new role, Joshi said, I have been with Timex for more than two decades now. I joined in as a customer service executive, then moved to the sales team after two years and since then I have worked in different geographies, explored different markets, and got a taste of every platform. It gives me immense pleasure to take up new responsibilities and we together aim to sustain the momentum for the brand across the markets. Joshi joined Timex in 1997 and since then he has been an intrinsic part in building the brand in India. In the last 21 years, he has served as the key resource to accentuate the successful journey of the company. A science graduate and an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, Joshi is one of the industry mavericks who has worked at a different clock speed to build the brand Timex in the market. Joshi is known for being a savvy leader with his forte lying in engineering business processes, driving continuous improvements, building consensus, recognising talent and accelerating business. His current role also involves driving business through effectively managing sales, retail and distribution networks for the brand. Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) Having fallen to a 22-month low against the US Dollar following an underwhelming German IfO Business Climate release, the Euro continued to shed value to major peers into Thursday's session in the wake of a Spanish unemployment miss. While forecast to remain steady at an albeit high 14.5%, the rate of unemployment rose unexpectedly to 14.7%. Above: Quarterly Variation in New Employment (Thousands) Key Points: - The number of employed persons decreased by 93,400 people in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the previous quarter (-0.48%) and stands at 19,471,100. In terms seasonally adjusted, the quarterly variation is 0.76%. Employment has grown by 596,900 people (3.16%) in the last 12 months - Occupational increases this quarter reflected a rise of 2,600 new entrants to employment in the public sector and decreases in 96,100 in the private. In the last 12 months, employment has increased by 489,100 people in the private sector and 107,900 in the public. - Employment decreased this quarter by 95,800. Those who have an indefinite contract increased by 89,900, while those of temporary contract fell by 185,800 - The number of unemployed rose this quarter by 49,900 people (1.51%) and stands at 3,354,200. In seasonally adjusted terms, the quarterly variation is -2.92%. Over the last 12 months unemployment has decreased by 441,900 people (-11.64%). The Spanish unemployment rate is subject to distinct seasonal effects and tends to rise in Q1 with the end of the holiday season and shopping season traditionally prompting broad (but temporary) layoffs across the service sector, which account for around 50% of Spain's economic output overall. Despite these seasonal effects, the unemployment rate in Spain remains the second highest in Europe with the latest release snapping a three month downtrend in the unemployment rate. Omicron Surge, Further Lockdowns: What are the Currency Effects? Posted by James Elliot on 21 Dec, 2021 A weekend of bad news sent markets sharply lower at Mondays open. The Netherlands has imposed a strict lockdown and many other countries are considering further restrictions. The Euro has shown relative strength again, but is far from putting in a full reversal as EURUSD remains in a consolidation pattern. Mondays session is off to a bearish start with heavy selling in Asia and stock market futures in Europe and the US. The Dax is down 3% with the FTSE close behind with a 2% drop from Fridays close. News out... Omicron Surge, Further Lockdowns: What are the Currency Effects? The Pound Sterling () exchange rates continued to drift lower versus a basket of peers through Thursday's session amid overarching Brexit uncertainty despite evidence to suggest a strong rebound in sales volumes for UK retail and wholesale businesses. UK #retail sales volumes rose for the first time in five months in the year to April, in part likely impacted by the later timing of Easter compared to last year #DTS https://t.co/SpocbrEi1E pic.twitter.com/1Fv5TGf2du CBI Economics (@CBI_Economics) 25 April 2019 Having printed at -18 in March, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) realised sales release came in at +13, well above both the prior print and consensus forecasts for a 0 print (unchanged sales volumes) and reflecting the first rise in sales volumes in five months. Wholesalers sales grew at their slowest pace in ten months, with a contraction expected next month #DTS https://t.co/SpocbrEi1E pic.twitter.com/3JzZ6lhCFW CBI Economics (@CBI_Economics) 25 April 2019 Key Points: - 49% of retailers said that sales volumes were up in April on a year ago, whilst 36% said they were down, giving a balance of +13%. This was broadly in line with expectations (+15%) - 38% of respondents expect sales volumes to increase next month, whilst 15% expect a decrease, giving a balance of +23% - 46% of retailers placed more orders with suppliers than they did a year ago, whilst 33% placed fewer orders, giving a balance of +13%. This exceeded expectations (+6%) - 35% of retailers reported that their volume of sales for the time of year were good, whilst 25% said they were poor, giving a balance of +10% - Internet sales growth picked up slightly (+28%) on the previous month (+21), but remained well below the long-run average (+47%). Internet sales growth is expected to pick up only marginally further in the year to May (+32) - 30% of wholesalers reported sales volumes to be up on last year, and 27% said they were down, giving a rounded balance of +4%. Volumes are expected to fall next month (-22%) - Orders placed upon suppliers fell (-10%), and a faster decline is expected in the year to May (-28%) - 33% of motor traders reported sales volumes were up on a year ago, whilst 22% said they were down, giving a balance of +11%. Volumes are expected to fall slightly next month (-5%). - Motor traders stocks rose much further relative to expected demand (+61), and are now at their highest since December 2008. Key Quotes: Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Economist: Its encouraging to see retailers with more of a spring in their step than in recent months. The recent pick up in real wages is a welcome support to the sector, making the pound in peoples pockets stretch that bit further. However, this months sales growth will have been distorted by the later timing of Easter, and falling sales in clothing and department stores underline how challenging underlying conditions remain. The Brexit extension means an economic crisis has been avoided, for now. However, uncertainty continues to drag on consumer confidence, and many retailers report an impact on their sales. Politicians now owe it to the country its businesses and people to come together in a total spirit of compromise, setting aside all party political lines, and agree a way forward to avoid a no deal Brexit. Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel. Instant News Wire San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp.s first-quarter earnings plunged nearly 70 percent from the same period in 2018 in part because of the U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan crude, the independent refiner reported Thursday. Nevertheless, earnings beat Wall Street analysts estimates and sent the stock price upward. The refiner posted net income of $141 million, or 34 cents a share, beating the analysts average consensus of 23 cents a share. The drop in earnings came as Valero wrestled with weaker margins. Refining margins the difference between what Valero pays for crude and its refined products average selling price dropped around 10 percent in the first quarter to $2 billion. Also, Valero paid higher prices for heavy crude because of U.S. sanctions that prevented the refiner from buying supplies from Venezuela. The company partly filled the gap with crude oil from the Canadian providence of Alberta, but the government limited production, causing Canadian crude prices to spike. While (first-quarter) results were better than expected, they were still fairly lackluster, said Blake Fernandez, an equity analyst at Simmons Energy, in a research note. We suspect investors have shifted their focus ahead for improving (the second quarter) and potential benefits of IMO (international maritime organization) in (the fourth quarter). Company officials expect new IMO regulations to go into effect next year, limiting the amount of sulfur in marine fuels, which could boost sales of Valeros fuel refined from lighter, sweet U. S. crude. "As we look beyond the first quarter, we are encouraged by improving product fundamentals, with gasoline and distillate inventories below five-year averages and continued global economic growth, which should support healthy product demand," Valero Chairman and CEO Joe Gorder said Thursday during a conference call with analysts. The summer driving season is also expected to increase the demand for gasoline, and the company sees particular opportunity on the West Coast. Several key refineries in California have been closed, including Valeros facility in Benicia in the San Francisco Bay Area. Valero shut down the facility in late March for maintenance following a malfunction earlier in the month in one of the refinerys units. That led to the release of petroleum coke dust, complaints from residents about unhealthy air and citations against Valero from local air pollution regulators. During Thursdays earnings call, officials said the facility is scheduled to re-open in mid-May. They said a leak in the facilitys furnace caused the initial problem. They didnt disclose losses stemming from the facilitys shutdown, but said it could lead to an upside. The West Coast has had an oversupply of refining capacity, Gary Simmons, Valeros senior vice president of supply, international operations and systems optimization, told analysts. But when you have maintenance activities, it tightens up the market, he said. And we've seen maintenance activities on the West Coast, and inventories are low heading into (the summer driving) season, which I think bodes well to a fairly strong gasoline season on the West Coast. The Benicia shutdown, along with problems at a Phillips 66 refinery in Carson in the Los Angeles area, have caused gas prices to spike to more than $4.00 a gallon at some gas stations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Valero officials also said they shut down the McKee refinery in the Texas Panhandle because of a problem with an air blower in the first quarter, resulting in a $90 million hit to the companys gross margins. The refinery has since reopened. Valeros stock closed Thursday at $90.83 a share, up $3.10, its biggest high since Nov. 2. Randy.diamond@express-news.net San Antonio investor Sardar Biglari, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc.s largest shareholder, said hes prepared to wage a proxy fight if the company doesnt pay a special dividend this year. In a letter to Cracker Barrels board today, Biglari demanded the company pay a special dividend of at least $3.75 a share this year. He stands to pocket more than $13.2 million if the company paid such a dividend. If Biglari doesnt get his way, he said hes prepared to launch a proxy contest to elect a director who would serve as a steward for the boards capital allocation decisions. Biglari, chairman and CEO of Biglari Holdings Inc., the parent company of the Steak n Shake restaurant chain and mens magazine Maxim, doesnt have a successful track record in proxy fights with Cracker Barrel. On ExpressNews.com: Biglari looks to reverse slide at Steak n Shake Since first acquiring shares in 2011, he has failed three times to win seats on Cracker Barrels board. In 2014, shareholders defeated a proposal that could have allowed him to engage in an acquisition of the company based in Lebanon, Tenn. Biglari owns about 3.5 million Cracker Barrel shares, or 14.7 percent of the company. Thats down from about 4.7 million shares, or 19.7 percent, late last year. His current holdings are worth about $571.3 million based on Wednesdays closing price of $163.23 a share. A call to Biglari was not immediately returned, but he generally doesnt speak to the media. Cracker Barrel didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month, Biglari called on Cracker Barrel CEO Sandra Cochran to sell the fledgling Holler & Dash Biscuit House, a fast-casual restaurant chain that serves Southern food. It has seven locations. On ExpressNews.com: Biglari once again blasting Cracker Barrel Holler & Dash is an ill-conceived project destined to fail, Biglari said in a letter. In todays letter, Biglari grumbled about the companys response to his push for a meeting to discuss Holler & Dash and a potential transaction that would benefit shareholders. Biglari didnt elaborate on the nature of the transaction, but said he wants the meeting to include his and Cracker Barrels legal and tax advisers. Cracker Barrels response to the letters demonstrates a lack of urgency at its best and outright dismissiveness at its worst, Biglari said. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD The Texas wine industry has come into its own so much so that there's a battle raging over who should be able to boast having a Texas terroir. On one side are vintners such as William Chris Vineyards co-owner Chris Brundrett, who says it's misleading to consumers if something that's not made from 100-percent Texas grapes is marketed as a Texas wine. This is about being honest with ourselves and with our consumers, and trying to build an industry around quality, Brundrett said. Ive been all over South America and all over Europe, and nobody ever says youre from the United States. You say, Im from Texas. Texas is one of the most incredible brands on the planet, and its very much worth being protected. He and other members of the trade group Texas Wine Growers are pushing for a law that would make anything labeled as Texas wine be made entirely from Texas grapes. Under current standards, 25 percent of the grapes that go into a Texas wine can come from out of state. "The biggest barrier for us to grow is authenticity," the Hye-based winemaker said. For the past 20 years, Texas has made some not-so-great wine, and whats crazy about it is a lot of its not even grown in the state... Im constantly battling this negative persona of inauthenticity. On the other side are some of the larger, more established wineries such as Llano Estacado in the High Plains, the founders of which went through the legal quagmire of establishing the first Texas winery after prohibition in 1976. Being able to blend less expensive, usually Californian, grapes with Texas grapes allows them to produce wines at a price that can compete on store shelves with wines from western states and South America producers. "We were the first Texas winery to open our doors after prohibition and now you take away our right to classify ourselves as Texas?" Llano Estacado CEO Mark Hyman asked lawmakers during an April 16 hearing before the Texas House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures. "If were not Texas, who are we? You just took away our whole identity." The 80 or so supporting wineries say the bill, introduced by Rep. John Kuempel, R-Seguin, has some important compromises. It calls for a five-year phase-in period and has a bad weather provision that allows the Texas agriculture commissioner to waive the requirement in years in which Texas crops are wiped out by heavy rains or freezes. The legislation comes as wine regions around the world, including California, Washington and Oregon, are defending their appellations with similar crackdowns. Theres no two ways about it every major wine-producing region on the planet has taken a hard-line approach at making sure their labels are actually representing what they say they are, said Doug Lewis of Lewis Wines in Johnson City. Until we kind of elevate to that standard, were going to be scrutinized for not being at that standard. But the opposition, or two-thirds of the industrys other producers, say Texas is nowhere near those West Coast states, which together make up 90 percent of the nations wine production. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas has about 4,500 acres of wine vineyards, compared to 880,000 in California, 55,000 in Washington and 30,000 in Oregon. Californias volume allows the state to produce grapes averaging $831 per ton compared with Texas $1,625 per ton about half the price. On ExpressNews.com: Read about the growth of the Texas wine industry Still, Texas ranks fifth in U.S. wine production, compared to 48th in 1980, and the Texas Hill Country is now second in wine tourism after Napa Valley, Calif. The yearly wine festival in Grapevine draws more people than the Sonoma County Fair. Yet Texas wines command only about 4 percent of the U.S. market. On ExpressNews.com: Read about the Express-News' top rated Hill Country wineries Its taken four decades of trial and error with different grape varieties while battling crop diseases, hail storms, freezes, droughts and flooding to get to whats now about a $13-billion industry with element-fighting infrastructure such as wind machines, heaters and hail nets. Opponents say the Texas industry isnt yet ready to go beyond the 75-percent standard thats being used here and 45 other states. Any type of artistic craft, we all have our personalities. And those personalities over the last 40 years have been what has established our industry, said Paul Bonarrigo, president of Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and CEO of Bryan-based Messina Hof Wineries, which was started by his parents in the late 1970s. I think when it crosses over into legislation that would limit people and hurt business is when we start running into issues. Other states, he added, also have helped prop up their wine industries. Washington for a long time had a rule requiring its state-owned liquor stores to sell Washington wines. Virginia has a large marketing budget to promote Virginia wines. So thats on the other end, he said. Instead of regulating, they are helping, they are pushing, they are growing. The association has developed a 100 percent Texas Wine emblem for wineries that want to tout their distinction. But theres nothing now to prevent a winery from putting it on their label now. So thats my big question, Hyman said. Why is this a legislative issue when it can easily be done with simple marketing? While Brundett says his buyers care about authenticity, Hyman says his care more about moving product. About three years ago, his distributor negotiated a deal with Idaho-based Albertsons, which also operates Randalls and Tom Thumb stores, to get a Texas wine set with 13 varieties onto store shelves. About a year later, the only ones the grocer hadnt removed for lack of sales were from larger wineries with more competitive pricing: Becker, Llano and a little bit of Messina Hof. The buyer told us point-blank he wasnt prepared to understand the pricing scenarios, and the consumer wasnt prepared to pay for Texas wines at prices that went into their high teens and $20 a bottle, Hyman said. The average consumer wasnt ready to spend that much for Texas wines. Another dispute is whether Texas can grow enough grapes to meet its winemakers demands. Andy Timmons, a fifth-generation farmer who turned some 400 acres of his High Plains cotton and peanut acreage over to vineyards and helped establish a grape-crushing facility to turn excess grapes into wine that can be customized, told lawmakers that growers will plant grapes if they know they can sell them. I have growers that... would be willing to plant any grape that they can get a contract on, he said. But Lewis, the Johnson City winemaker, wondered if theyd be planting the varieties most likely to produce the best wines. I feel like we have a lot of growers who have been incentivized by big wineries to plant the wrong varieties because those big wineries have grocery store programs that they prop up with 25-percent juice from out of state, he said. Over the long term, were kind of shooting ourselves in the foot. Brundrett, who routinely sells wines retail for $20 to $50 a bottle, said he found the opposition to the bill ironic. Those guys unfortunately want their cake and want to eat it, too, he said. Lynn Brezosky is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering trade, agriculture and the economy. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | lbrezosky@express-news.net | Twitter: @lbrezosky Note: This is a full Taste Test review, with a star rating based on multiple visits. Ro-Ho Pork & Bread. Simple, right? Pork butt cooked down and chopped into carnitas. Crusty birote loaves baked fresh every day. Put one in the other. Pork and bread. Done. But like the best of the simple things, the real beauty of Ro-Ho Pork & Bread lies in the elegant complexity behind the simple thing, everything that goes into creating not just one of the very best sandwiches in the city, but the full Mexican sandwich shop experience that goes with it. The sandwich is a torta ahogada, built on a torpedo roll with carnitas, then drowned in a sauce somewhere between salsa and marinara. Every element pulled its weight. The bread started crunchy outside with a dense fluff inside, and the textures transformed as the sauce worked its way through them, moving through phases like rippled velvet and French toast and finally something like tres leches cake, the sweetness replaced by tomato and chiles. On ExpressNews.com: The best tacos in San Antonio Ro-Ho Pork & Bread ** 8617 N. New Braunfels Ave. 210, 800-3487, Facebook: @rohoporkandbread Quick bite: Colorful sandwich shop specializing in Mexican tortas ahogadas Hit: Torta ahogada, Taco Chilango, crispy tacos Miss: Nachos Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday Price range: Tortas, $8; tacos, $2.50; nachos and chilaquiles, $9.50 Alcohol: None **** Superior. Can compete nationally. *** Excellent. One of the best restaurants in the city. ** Very good. A standout restaurant of its kind. * Good. A restaurant that we recommend. (no stars) We cannot recommend this restaurant at this time. Express-News dining critics pay for all meals. See More Collapse The carnitas started as full pork butts, broken down and boiled in fat in a cookpot that looks like the wok of the gods. The meat got pulled and shredded, with a good balance of rangy lean, buttery fat and crispy edges of bark. The tomato sauce slapped awake the seductive sleepiness of the pork fat, and the whole sandwich got a shaggy blanket of feather-fine cabbage, pickled onions, full-moon radish slices for custom crunch. Thats a lot of words to describe one sandwich. Its worth every word. The words behind that sandwich tell a good story, too. Ro-Ho chef and owner Jorge Rojo, a Guadalajara native, started making tortas in Mexico in 2001. By 2015, he had come to San Antonio and started Ro-Ho Pork & Bread inside the Sanitary Tortilla factory downtown. In March, Rojo moved into a space on the North Side that hed been working on for two years, a labor of love that transformed a former dog kennel in a light industrial park into a sandwich shop radiating the energy of a street fair. Papel picado banners wave in the breeze of a covered patio flanked by a wall painted in broad panels of green, white and red that evoke the Mexican flag. Polished concrete floors, red barstools and a lacquered wooden counter pull the eye through a long main dining room flanked by painted scenes from Mexican folklore. Rojo crafted every element of the space himself. At the shop, hes cooking, building sandwiches, busing tables, shaking hands and emanating an entrepreneurial joy that makes a small business feel like a big deal. Theres more to Ro-Ho than tortas ahogadas. Chilakillers, for example, turned chilaquiles sideways with a layered menagerie of chips, bean puree, carnitas, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, pickled onions and a big drench of that tomato salsa. Id pick them over nachos at Ro-Ho, an off-balance pile of cabbage and chips with beans but no cheese, dressed like a torta with carnitas and tomato sauce but without the sandwichs composed sense of style. The chips come from Sanitary Tortilla, as do the corn tortillas that were folded and fried for tacos dorados, finished ahogada-style with the same carnitas, tomato sauce and cabbage dress for a cool interplay of crunch and twang. For a softer touch, a Taco Chilango took a warm tortilla stuffed with carnitas and put it in a classic taqueria dress of cilantro and lime. All that stuff I said about carnitas? Substitute the word buche, and youd get the same satisfying results with a different kind of texture and a funkier flavor. Buche is pigs stomach, cut in small, shiny ribbons. Its not as full-on funky as menudo, but Ro-Hos buche let a little of that trash-can character come through, a description I offer with love in the same way that blue cheese tastes great despite its landfill bouquet. On ExpressNews.com: Review: Carnitas Lonja puts pork on a pedestal My enduring affection for organ meats notwithstanding, Ro-Hos an empire built on carnitas. And with carnitas this good, Ro-Ho stands in the same league as the South Side favorite Carnitas Lonja, a standard-bearer for carnitas in San Antonio with strong local and even national accolades to show for it. Ro-Hos power comes not just from carnitas. Its the bootstrap spirit of Jorge Rojo, with a singular devotion to doing a few small things really well. Even if Ro-Ho Pork & Bread would never be confused with a high-tone restaurant, it deserves the same two-star rating as any place that stands among the best of its kind in the city. A nationally renowned, locally based masters literary workshop will be housed at Texas A&M University San Antonio for the next three years. University officials signed off on a partnership this week to host the retreat-style Macondo Writers Workshop. We are hopeful this agreement lays a strong foundation for building a permanent home for Macondo, University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson said in a prepared statement. The program has drawn writers from all over the country, members of its board said Wednesday. Now in its 24th year, it has been held in a number of places since it was founded informally in the San Antonio home of writer Sandra Cisneros, the award-winning author of The House on Mango Street. On ExpressNews.com: A new chapter for the Macondo Writers Workshop The University of Texas at San Antonio, Our Lady of the Lake University and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center have hosted it. Last year, it was held at A&M San Antonio for the first time. The university signed a memorandum of understanding with the workshops umbrella program, Houston-based Nuestra Palabra, which will work with the Macondo Ad Hoc Advisory Board to organize and sponsor the workshops seminars and faculty. The university will provide space and lodge its out-of-town participants. The advisory panel is in the beginning stages of working toward its own nonprofit 501c3 status, member Natalia Trevino said. On ExpressNews.com: Losing Sandra Cisneros: Say it aint so We all agreed that a three-year partnership would be a good way to see how well we work together while were growing into a nonprofit organization, she said. This years Macondo workshop boasts faculty including Cisneros; author and Institute of American Indian Arts instructor Sherwin Bitsui; novelist and Cornell University professor Helena Maria Viramontes; writer, editor and University of Nebraska-Lincoln teacher Joy Castro and MacArthur Fellow and University of Michigan professor Ruth Behar. Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva Call them what you like quixotic dreamers, citizen activists or the whoopee cushions of democracy but every two years, the lesser-known mayoral candidates with at best only a remote chance of winning do much to enliven San Antonio politics. Compared to the front-runners, theyre usually underfunded, some barely more than neighborhood candidates. But theyre always in the race: civic crusaders, single-issue gadflies, professors, business owners, retirees. Listed as they appear on the May 4 ballot, here are this years uphill fighters: John Velasquez, 61, a licensed clinical psychologist, says his career has exposed him to the mental health crisis in San Antonio that is not being properly addressed by city, state or federal agencies. He would like to institute a network of city-run mental health clinics that would be funded with our tax money, just as Pre-K 4 SA is funded. Velasquez said improved mental health often leads to improved physical health, and with it, reduced crime, reduced medical costs and better academic scores. Mayoral Candidates John Velasquez Age: 61 Occupation: Licensed clinical psychologist Family: Married 37 years; two sons, 26 and 20 Education: Bachelor's in psychology, University of Texas at Austin; master's and doctorate in clinical psychology, Texas A&M University In his own words: "Mental health is neglected in San Antonio. We need a leader who can improve overall health through improving mental health." Matthew Pina Age: 32 Occupation: Business-to-business sales of maintenance repair and operations supplies Family: Single Education: Bachelor's and master's in political science, University of Texas at San Antonio In his own words: "People, transparency and legacy. The people need to be heard." Michael "Commander" Idrogo Age: 82 Occupation: Retired Family: Cited privacy concerns Education: Bachelor's, University of Utah; Naval War College; Naval aviation schools In his own words: "Michael Idrogo will bring prosperity to San Antonio!" Tim Atwood Age: 65 Occupation: Middle school Spanish teacher Family: Divorced, no children Education: Bachelor's in biblical studies, Taylor University (Upland, Indiana), and a master's in Christian education from Indiana's Huntington University. In his own words: "I don't owe any favors to city hall. I've not solicited donations. There are no under-the-table deals." Carlos Castanuela Age: 45 Occupation: Quality inspector, Toyota, San Antonio Family: Married, two step-children Education: Community college In his own words: "I'm going to hold people accountable on spending." Bert Cecconi Age: 83 Occupation: Retired Air Force colonel Family: Married 57 years, three children, five grandchildren Education: Bachelor's, University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry; Master's, University of Michigan In his own words: "Progressive ideas for a unique city." Antonio 'Tony' Diaz Age: 65 Occupation: Self-employed Family: Married 25 years, divorced for 20. Four children, ages 19 to 43. Education: St. Philip's College, vocational nursing license, 1975; certification in electronic technology from Texas A&M University Extension Service, 1994. In his own words: "I don't think there is any representation of the working class in this city, nor has there ever been." See More Collapse To improve the citys traffic woes, Velasquez wants not just better infrastructure but behavioral strategies that would reduce road rage and help residents simply choose not to drive on certain days. Hed like the city to encourage area school districts to delay their start times so that academic performance would improve some research suggests this and parent drivers wouldnt have to compete so much with early commuters. Velasquez, married for 37 years and the father of two grown sons, wants a city-run campaign to reduce the use of chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides for our general health and to help alleviate the regions notorious allergy seasons. He advocates that San Antonio become more like Seattle, where at almost any time of day, you look either direction and you will see a bus. Matthew Pina, 33, who lost two years ago in a bid to become District 9s councilman, said the citys government is out of touch with residents because each district is run like a fiefdom, and said Mayor Ron Nirenbergs lack of leadership has caused many to become disengaged with politics. I believe in participatory budgeting, Pina said. That means people should have more of a say in how money is spent in their district. One in five people here lack health care, he said, and major companies should be given incentives to help provide more preventative care. Pina said he had supported all three of the charter amendments pushed by the firefighters union. Of the mayoral races two front runners, Pina said, Greg Brockhouse and Nirenberg have voted together 90 percent of the time. Theres not much difference. Michael Commander Idrogo is a perennial candidate. On his official application for a place on the ballot, he listed his residential address as: One tiny European nation took over 1 billion population in China - they did it with opium. The same thing is happening now to the U.S. China built walls and closed its borders to stop it. Idrogos application for mayor describes him as a decorated Navy commander, and by email he added that he is a private pilot who attended or taught at the Naval War College and received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Utah after going to high school in San Antonio. In the email, he said he was the victim of nine false arrests as a candidate for Congress in retaliation for his revealing the crimes of other candidates and seeking the removal of corrupt judges. Tim Atwood, 65, is a part-time Lutheran middle school Spanish teacher. He said he had solicited no campaign contributions, was not bound by the status quo, and would not, if elected, owe favors to anyone at city hall. A native of Indiana who has lived in Dallas and San Antonio for seven years, Atwood said he thought the Green New Deal proposed by two U.S. House Democrats goes too far and though he does not doubt the reality of climate change, he believes it has not progressed as fast as weve been led to believe. Atwood said he would support an increase in the gasoline tax to help build a better mass transit system for the region, but said that while dedicated bus lanes sound good, he had read that 31 of 35 major U.S. cities now had declining rates of bus ridership. (Hes right, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The four gainers were Seattle, Phoenix, New Orleans and Houston.) Atwood has never run for elective office before and said, My voting record in the past has been abysmal. Im not proud of that and need to take (politics) more seriously. Juan Carlos Castanuela, 45, a quality inspector at Toyota, said he grew up on the West Side and attended two years of community college. Hed like to see the city offer incentives for stores to offer permanent shopping bags, rather than the single-use plastic variety, and for Bexar County corporations outside Loop 1604 to move downtown. Castanuela, also a first-time candidate, was vague about the police and fire union contracts, transportation strategies and San Antonios preparation for climate change. He supported the recent passage of a city charter amendment that would cap the pay of the city manager. On climate change, he said, I think it is a real deal and the best we can hope to do is to delay it. Bert Cecconi, 83, a retired Air Force dentist, is committed to having free tuition for San Antonios community college students, and he proposes paying for this with a CPS Energy solar energy program that would allow the city-owned utility to sell its excess kilowatts on the open market. Hes not wild about building more roads. Theyll just attract more cars, he said. What we should do is have VIA give free bus passes to active and retired military, seniors, the handicapped and students. Then well see if anyone will ride VIA. If they dont, then we need to adjust our thinking. The ConnectSA plan doesnt strike me as good at all, Cecconi said, referring to a recently proposed transportation strategy for the city. Its like saying, `Its vague, but trust us. Cecconi supports large employers in San Antonio leading the car-pooling or ride-sharing revolution he sees as vital to reducing traffic. He wants the city to be the catalyst in getting big employers to use more flex time to reduce rush hour freeway jams. Cecconi voted against all three charter amendments last November. Two amendments - one capping the city managers salary and another granting the firefighters union sole authority to declare an impasse in contract talks - passed, while one making it easier to bring such amendments before the voters was rejected. But we should have never let it get so personal and acrimonious, he said of the bitter fight over the amendments. Antonio Tony Diaz, 65, a community activist who heads the Texas Indigenous Council, ran for mayor in 2017 and said from that experience he learned primarily that money rules. I was block walking in District 8, he said of his 2017 campaign, and a man came to me and said, I believe in you. Youve got good goals. But you shouldnt run. You have no chance. You dont have (financial) backing. And that is a shame, but its true. Diaz said he believes city hall is unresponsive to the working class, apparent from the handling of such issues as affordable housing, the most recent bond issue and in Nirenbergs opposition to last years city charter amendments. Diaz supported all three. On transportation, Diaz, the son of migrant laborers who later became a licensed vocational nurse, said he opposed investing in light rail and supports greater funding for VIA, especially for bus rapid transit and expansion of VIA services to outlying suburbs, which he believes would expand job chances for inner-city residents. Though very pro-union, pro fire and police, Diaz said he has been troubled for years by what he sees as a lack of transparency and accountability in the police union contract. bselcraig@express-news.net A South Texas mayor and his wife have been arrested on voter fraud charges, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday. City of Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina and his wife, Dalia, are charged with illegal voting, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in jail and an up to $10,000 fine, related to his 2017 mayoral election. Molina unseated the incumbent Mayor Richard Garcia after winning by more than 1,200 votes in that election. Voter fraud is an affront to democracy and places the decision-making authority of the Texas electorate in the hands of those who have no right to make those choices, Paxton said in a press release. My office will always do everything it can to protect the integrity of Texas elections and the rights of every legal voter to cast a ballot and have it counted accurately. The couple is accused of asking voters to change their addresses to places they didnt live, including an apartment complex Molina owns, so they could vote for him in the November 2017 city election as part of what Paxton described as an organized illegal voting scheme. "Obviously we deny the allegations and look forward to our day in court," said Molinas lawyer, Carlos A. Garcia of Mission, Tx., who declined to comment further until he'd seen the complaint. City spokeswoman Cary Zayas said Molina will address the criminal charges sometime early next week. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox In a May 2018 video posted to Molina's Facebook page, the mayor claimed the investigation was politically motivated and urged investigators to look into his opponent's supporters. "I won that race by more than 1,240 votes," Molina said in the video. "A handful of weak accusations will not change the outcome." The Hidalgo County District Attorneys Office will prosecute both cases with the help of the attorney generals election fraud unit. According to the Attorney Generals office, 18 people who also took part in the scheme have been arrested since last year. Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez said in a statement Thursday that his office is appreciative of witnesses who came forward and cooperated with the investigation and encouraged anyone else with information to do the same. Were prepared to present a full array of charges against Molina and his co-conspirators to the grand jury for a thorough evaluation of the evidence to ensure justice is served. Texans who hate daylight saving time may never have to turn back their clocks again under a plan passed Wednesday by the Texas House that would put the decades-old practice to a statewide vote. The Legislature has failed to act, and so we continue this arcane approach to chronicling time, said state Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, whose two-pronged plan for eliminating clock changes passed the House on Wednesday. Let voters make a choice on how they want to chronicle time. Lawmakers have tried in previous years to nix the twice-a-year time changes, but they often disagree on what the states permanent time should be: daylight saving time or standard time. Supporters of year-round daylight saving time say the extra hour of evening sunlight allows more time for recreation. But critics say an extra hour of morning daylight, provided by yearlong standard time, is important for public safety and productivity. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox The first part of Larsons plan, which proposes an amendment to the Texas Constitution authorizing a referendum on daylight saving time, passed the House 133-9 on Tuesday. Because changes to the Constitution must be approved by a majority of Texas voters, Novembers ballot question would first ask voters whether the referendum may take place. The second part of Larsons plan, House Bill 3784, would add another question to ballots: Should Texas use daylight saving time year-round or standard time? Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, proposed an amendment to Larsons bill that would add a third option for voters: Leave things as they are, clock changes included. Smithees amendment was narrowly defeated 72-70. This is a true indication of how people feel about (daylight saving time), Larson said of the amendments failure to pass. Its a 50/50 split. Youre gonna see that when the referendum goes forward in November. House Joint Resolution 117 and HB 3784 now head to the Senate for approval, assuming that HB 3784 is again approved in a final vote of the House. KRISTI NIX /The Citizen In January, the city of San Antonio announced a sweeping initiative called the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, or CAAP, to eliminate fossil fuels. While the Texas Pipeline Association and the Texas midstream industry greatly respect community-driven efforts, we encourage San Antonio not to risk one of the states most vital industries and to avoid imposing excessive costs on residents. CAAP mandates switching to a renewable-dependent energy model, undermining an existing stable and affordable energy portfolio, which will lead to rate hikes that will hit low-income residents the hardest. Currently, through the use of state-of-the-art emissions-reducing technologies, the oil and gas industry continues to deliver clean, reliable energy at the lowest cost possible. Politics is an odd profession. Usually it involves the posturing inherent to partisanship and the self-abasement of endless fundraising. But occasionally it entails the most solemn duties of self-government decisions that echo across the decades. Members of the House of Representatives now face this kind of resonant choice. The Mueller report details a criminal plot by a hostile foreign government to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in Donald Trumps favor by encouraging racial and social division and releasing stolen emails. When Trump and his team learned about a major element of this operation the part involving hacked emails they did not take this information to the FBI. Instead, they publicly and privately welcomed Russian efforts. While this did not rise legally to the level of a conspiracy, the report shows that Trump and members of his campaign team were willing actually, eager to cooperate with Russian attempts to subvert a presidential election. The Mueller report also reveals that Trump repeatedly ordered subordinates to lie about their ties to the Russians and to interfere with the investigation of those contacts. After making a strong case that the president obstructed justice, the report refuses to assign criminal responsibility. But it is careful to say: If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. In the face of all this, the president has both dismissed the report as a partisan hit job and claimed to be completely vindicated by it. Both are lies. But Trump has successfully enlisted the attorney general of the United States to provide cover for those deceptions, which has given the president clear advantages while emptying William Barrs store of professional reputation. So how have the institutions of our public life responded to this attack on the integrity of the electoral process? They have engaged in a great chain of punting. The Mueller report places primary responsibility on Congress to deal with issues such as this. And the leadership of the House has put primary emphasis on the role of voters in the 2020 election to deliver a public repudiation to the president. Everyone in government conveniently escapes direct duties. This attitude is rooted in political realism. The president could probably polarize an impeachment battle in ways favorable to his reelection by convincing his supporters that an actual coup was under way. Trump was clearly prepared in the 2016 election to claim that any unfavorable outcome was the result of voter fraud. He would have no problem arguing that any unfavorable outcome on impeachment would constitute a putsch. No matter the cost to American democracy. Recognizing this reality should also depress us. If true, this constitutes a concession that the designated authorities of our federal government have lost the ability to play their proper role in balancing abuses of power by the president. In this case, political realism is also institutional surrender. Or at least the admission of impotence. The failure of the House of Representatives to play its proper role would effectively be an invitation to foreign governments to meddle in future American elections. If these outside forces succeed getting the outcome they desire there are not likely to be any consequences from the government they helped install. The failure of American institutions to prevent electoral subversion sends a dramatically destructive moral message. Trump lawyer and spokesman Rudy Giuliani has claimed that theres nothing wrong with taking information from Russians. When challenged about the unethical nature of getting help from nations that wish our country harm, he answered, Were going to get into morality? So far, Trump and his team have successfully avoided a moral reckoning. But the main reason this surrender is so damaging relates to our form of constitutional government. Americas founders feared outside influence in American elections for the most practical of reasons: because open, democratic electoral systems are particularly vulnerable to the manipulation of outside forces. And the failure to punish such intrusion undermines democratic legitimacy. It is indeed likely that elected Republicans would fail to defend constitutional values if tested by an impeachment vote. But they should be tested nonetheless. The honor of the presidency now depends on the actions of Congress. Beginning with a thorough series of coordinated hearings, House leaders should lay the groundwork for impeachment and at least delay the surrender of our institutions to cynicism. michaelgerson@washpost.com Recently Ive been playing a game in my head called There should be a ritual for For example, there should be a ritual for when a felon has finished his sentence and is welcomed back whole into the community. There should be a ritual for when a family moves onto a street and the whole block throws a barbecue of welcome and membership. There should be a ritual for the kids in modern blended families, when they move in and join their lives together. There should be a ritual for when you move out of your house and everybody shares memories from the different rooms there. Dozens of rituals pop into mind once you start playing this game. Religious societies are dense with rituals Jewish men lay on tefillin, Catholics pray the rosary but we live in a secular society where rituals are thin on the ground. So great is our hunger for rituals that when we come upon one of the few remaining ones weddings, bar mitzvahs, quinceaneras we tend to overload them and turn them into expensive bloated versions of themselves. Between these lavish exceptions, daily life goes unstructured, a passing flow of moments. This means we dont do transitions well. Rituals often mark doorway moments, when we pass from one stage of life to another. They acknowledge that these passages are not just external changes but involve internal transformation. A lot of rituals involve burying something (confronting the loss of the old) or burning something (sacrifice), passing something around (creating a new community), anointing something (purification), putting something on (embracing a new life and a new role). Rituals provide comfort because they remind us were not alone. Billions of people have done this before as part of the timeless passages of life. Rituals also comfort because they concretize spiritual experiences. Philosopher Abraham Kaplan calculated that more than 60 percent of Judaisms 613 commandments involve physical ritual: lighting candles, ritual baths, etc. These deeds are a kind of language, a way of expressing things that are too deep for words. Rituals also force a pause. Many wise people self-consciously divide their life into chapters, and they focus on the big question of what this chapter is for. Rituals encourage you to be more intentional about life. People can understand their lives meaning only if they step out of their immediate moment and see what came before them and what they will leave behind when they are gone. There should be a ritual for returning soldiers, in which the community assumes responsibility for the things the soldier had to do to defend the nation. There should be a ritual for that moment, often around 27 or 28, when the young adult leaves the wandering post-school phase and begins to get a sense for the shape and direction of his or her life. That ritual could embody the elements that psychologists Daniel Levinson and Murray Stein say are often involved in life transitions: naming your limitations, befriending your inner life, realigning your central focus. So far, Ive been talking about personal rituals. But maybe the greatest need is for collective rituals. In 1620, early European colonists formed the Mayflower Compact, in which they publicly vowed to combine ourselves into a civil body politic. Maybe neighborhoods and towns could come together to make town compacts. They would vow to be a community together and lay out the specific projects they are going to do together to address a challenge they face. A public civic compact, publicly sworn to, involving all, would allow towns to do a lot of things. It would be an occasion to redraw the boundary of the community and thereby include those who have been marginalized. It could be done on a spot that would become sacred, becoming the beating heart of the community. Most of all, it would be an occasion for people to make promises toward one another specific ways they are going to use their gifts to solve the common challenge. Towns are built when people make promises to one another, hold one another accountable and sacrifice together through repeated interaction toward a common end. Weve become pretty casual over the years. Weve become reasonably present-oriented. As a result, weve shed old rituals without coming up with new ones. Weve unwittingly robbed ourselves of a social architecture that marks and defines lifes phases. Weve robbed ourselves of opportunities to celebrate. Why do we willingly throw away chances to throw fun parties about important things? One cannot read the Mueller report and not feel the need to hold the president accountable. The report describes the president lying to the American public, attempting to get others to lie for him, and attempting to obstruct justice and compel others to do so, as well. It is a thoroughly damning report that cannot be glossed over. The allegations point to the kind of conduct that demands some sanction even if the special counsel did not seek criminal prosecution. But, of course, special counsel Robert Mueller did not go there because Department of Justice rules prevented him from seeking an indictment of a sitting president. Moreover, the special counsels inability to get the president to be interviewed under oath also handicapped the investigation. Without it he could not determine intent, generally also necessary when seeking criminal charges. Congress, however, operates under different rules. The question, then, is how to hold the president accountable there. One argument is that given the severity of the offenses described in the report the severity a matter of some dispute among the electorate the House has a moral and constitutional imperative to seek impeachment proceedings immediately. The Mueller report is correctly described as providing a road map to do just that. Another route is more investigation by the Houses oversight committees, expanded as they have been to include scrutiny of the presidents business and tax dealings. This could ultimately lead to impeachment but delays that step or avoids it altogether. And yet another route simply lets voters decide at the ballot box in 2020. This seems to be the route favored by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was the first presidential hopeful to call for immediate impeachment proceedings. We opt for the ballot box. Heres partly why: Even if the Democratic-controlled House impeaches, the GOP-led Senate likely will not convict. Even in the criminal justice system, the state avoids prosecution if there is no chance of conviction. Yes, this will be unsatisfying to many. As others have noted, the Constitution confers upon Congress these powers of impeachment and acquittal or dismissal specifically to safeguard our democracy from the kinds of assaults the Mueller report describes. The Constitution doesnt say hold off if there is an election right around the corner. And, of course, without impeachment, there is the possibility that President Donald Trump is reelected, the Mueller report notwithstanding. And this would make Trumps assertion that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and get elected more than apocryphal. If that happens, a continuing House investigation is still there to achieve accountability, up to and including impeachment in a second term, particularly if these add high crimes and misdemeanors beyond the list provided by Muellers team. That Trump did not succeed at thwarting the investigation is attributable mostly to the unwillingness of aides to break the law for him. And yet the attempts arguably still represent obstruction. Trumps attempts to fire Mueller, pressure Attorney General Jeff Sessions to intervene (and then sacking him) and firing FBI Director James Comey point to outright corruption. And while no active coordination between the Russians and the Trump campaign was proven, we still have the unsavory spectacle of a presidential campaign agreeing to contacts with Russians in clear hopes of gaining dirt on an opponent and cheering them on as they hijack a U.S. election. Firing subordinates is a right guaranteed the president? Yes, but as Mueller noted, if this is done for corrupt purposes, this could still be obstruction with Congress correctly left to decide if these are impeachable offenses. But our motivation here in preferring the ballot box is mostly to spare an already divided nation the trauma of impeachment in the House and then what amounts to a trial in the Senate. Our motivation is not political you know, that oft-declared theory that impeachment helps Trump get reelected as it allegedly did for Bill Clinton after the Monica Lewinsky controversy. No, our concern is simply that the voters should have the opportunity of deciding. This doesnt totally satisfy us either, but it seems the best course to allow for accountability at the polls while sparing the nation additional trauma over and above what Trump has already inflicted. Congress must take its oversight responsibilities seriously investigating the allegations in the Mueller report, as well as scrutinizing the presidents business and tax dealings. There is plenty there that cries for scrutiny. But, for now, no to impeachment. A veteran and civilian in the Department of Defense for nearly 40 years, I have continued with a focus on military affairs. I believe Russia is a national security risk for the U.S. Russia annexed territory in the nation of Georgia (2008), and annexed Crimea and pursued a war in eastern Ukraine (2014), challenging democratic governance in that country. Russian fighting in Syria, allied with Iran, has supported the dictatorship of Bashar Assad. Both Assad and Iran are inimical to Israel, a U.S. ally. Russia is viewed as a threat to the Baltic States Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which are part of NATO and Russia has taken provocative actions by massing troops on their border, and overflights over the Baltic Sea area violating international law. Russia is interacting in a manner that assists the Taliban in Afghanistan. Russia has used cyberwarfare to stimulate ethnic, economic and other polarities in Western democracies (France, England and the U.S.) and has interfered in electoral processes. To me, it made good sense that the FBI would follow up the unusual number of contacts between the Trump presidential campaign and Russians. I believe, from my experience, that such cyber efforts can change behaviors, such as voting, by as much as 5% to 15% in targeted areas. I believe that President Donald Trumps failure to secure our electoral system against cyberattacks is perhaps the gravest error of omission or commission that has occurred in his administration. Immediate action to protect our voting system must be taken across a broad front: stopping foreign interference in media and cyberattacks on polling processes. Richard Albanese Demand invalid Re: Brockhouse threatened to bolt debate, Page One, Tuesday: I was appalled to read about the mayoral debate held last week at the Spire in St. Paul Square and sponsored by the Rivard Report. At the debate, mayoral candidate Greg Brockhouse threatened to walk out if he was asked about spousal abuse allegations. What really upset me is that this so-called news organization agreed to this concession. Since when can a political candidate dictate to a news organization what it can or cannot report? As far as I am concerned, the Rivard Report has lost all credibility as a news organization and should be relegated to the status of a supermarket tabloid. Andres Luevano Majority rules Apparently Mayor Ron Nirenberg doesnt want to seek reelection along with his buddies, or they are inept. Candidates win by the majority vote. The majority love Christian values and Chick-fil-A. Mike Mendiola Serbia's Civil Aviation Directorate has blocked several Egyptian carriers from launching new flights to the country. The regulator has refused to issue Air Cairo permits to increase its five weekly service from Hurghada to Belgrade by a further two weekly frequencies and introduce new services from Sharm el Sheikh. In addition, AlMasria Universal Airlines' request to up its frequencies from Hurghada to the Serbian capital from two weekly to up to nine weekly flights has also been rejected, while the "Aviatica" portal reports that leisure carrier FlyEgypt has been blocked from introducing two weekly services from the Egyptian resort town to Nis. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, Almasria is now threatening to completely pull out of the Serbian market. The Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate has not given a formal explanation as to why it has taken such a hard line towards Egyptian leisure carriers this year, although similar measures were enforced in 2015 when Nesma Airlines was blocked from operating flights between Hurghada and Belgrade, while Air Cairo was denied approval to increase frequencies on the same route. The Directorate usually forwards flight requests made by airlines from certain countries to the Ministry for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure. It is believed that the Ministry then sends these requests to Air Serbia for an "advisory opinion". The Serbian carrier will increase its operations to Hurghada this summer and will resume summer charters to Sharm El Sheikh after four years. This summer, Air Serbia will also resume year-round operations between Belgrade and Cairo, linking the two cities with a scheduled air service for the first time in fourteen years. Air Cairo's CEO noted the airline was seeking to cooperate closely with the Serbian carrier on the new two weekly service, which is set to launch on June 4. This may include a codeshare agreement between the two airlines. Air Cairo's parent company, Egypt Air, currently codeshares on Aegean Airlines' service between Athens and Belgrade. The number of Serbian tourists visiting Egypt increased 144% in 2018 compared to the year before, according to the Egyptian Embassy in Belgrade. Air Cairo, Air Serbia and AlMasria Universal Airlines maintained flights between the two countries last summer, the latter with a widebody Airbus A330 aircraft. The next decade of development in Bridgeport has gotten its final go-ahead from city officials. Earlier this week, the citys 10-year master plan was adopted by the Planning and Zoning commission. Now future growth has a game plan to follow. Were very happy that Plan Bridgeport, with the submitted amendments, was adopted, said Lynn Haig, director of Bridgeports planning and zoning commission. The approval of the Master Plan of Conservation and Development includes changes to several original proposals after residents and city officials added their input. One change focused on Remington Woods, which has long been targeted for redevelopment by site owners DuPont Corp, which wanted to turn it into a corporate park. The original draft of the plan had leaned more toward aiding development on the 422-acre green space straddling Bridgeport and Stratford. That didnt sit well with city council members back in March when the draft was first presented at an Economic and Community Development and Environment committee meeting. Several changes were drafted by council members and the writers of the plan to put more focus on conservation and preservation instead of redevelopment. The changes were submitted as amendments during Mondays meeting and adopted. The plan now states the city will work in partnership with the owner of the Remington Woods/Lake Success Property, together with interested conservation groups such as the Trust for Public Land, to advance the environmental clean-up and reuse of this site in ways that may advance the preservation of, and public access to, the urban forest in this area. State Rep. Joe Gresko of Stratford, Bridgeports Director of Sustainability, spoke favorably of the changes. When do we have a chance to save something like this? he said of Remington Woods. Im not anti-development, but the idea of a corporate parks time has passed. Having something that is more likely to be used by residents but still able to generate revenue for the city is something that I feel we should be looking at. He said the proposed corporate park was not modern thinking, referring to past woes of General Electrics redevelopment for its former headquarters in Fairfield, which was vacant for years before it was purchased by Sacred Heart University. This approval allows us to begin implementing the plan, Haig said. The city will launch an updated website for Plan Bridgeport in May that will keep viewers informed as the implementation processes are completed. We heard loud and clear last year during our outreach that folks had no idea that the City actually implements the Master Plan, so were building that feature into the website as a way to keep the community aware, Haig said. Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com BRIDGEPORT This week city voters learned the school boards Maria Pereira will urinate in a plastic cup to make a political point. Now, just days after competing in a drug specimen test with a City Council member that received national media coverage, Pereira revealed she will also send an opponent a cake to prove they do not live in Bridgeport and are breaking the law. Pereira recently filed a detailed complaint with the state Elections Enforcement Commission alleging another Board of Education member, Christopher Taylor, lives with his mother in Southport rather than in Bridgeport. The SEEC is investigating Pereiras claims. Hearst Connecticut Media interviewed Taylor at the 155 Davenport St. apartment he calls his primary residence on Tuesday night. Taylor gave a reporter and photographer a tour to prove he does, in fact, live there, showing off a small, stove-less kitchen on the first floor, and a television room, bedroom and bathroom, all with plain furniture and no decorations, on the second floor. Pereira frequently posts comments on the Only in Bridgeport political website, which sometimes provides links to Hearsts online stories. It was on Only in Bridgeport where Pereira challenged another rival, Councilman Ernie Newton, to a drug test after each accused the other of substance abuse. Both passed. Responding Wednesday to Hearsts visit to 155 Davenport St., Pereira wrote on Only in Bridgeport that she had previously sought and allegedly obtained clandestine video proof that Taylor had put on a show for Hearst. And she ordered a cake to get that information. Silly Chris Taylor. ... I planned for this. Therefore, I had a large cake delivered to Chris Taylor at 155 Davenport St. two weeks ago, Pereira wrote. My guys gained access to the second floor and videotaped their visit. There was no bedroom, no television in the lounge area, nothing decorative on the second floor. The bathroom did not have any personal hygiene items in the sink area. More for you State probes Bridgeport school officials residency For anyone who might doubt Pereira, Taylor mentioned her cake order Tuesday to Hearst, only he thought at that time that the sweet baked good came from a different source the state of Connecticut. Taylor during Tuesdays tour claimed that investigators with the SEEC had already been to his apartment a week or two earlier ... disguised as a cake delivery service. Taylor told Hearst Tuesday that because the delivery persons insisted on walking up to his second floor and asked to use the bathroom, he, having heard about Pereiras SEEC complaint, concluded they were with the state, working under cover. Taylor, who threw the suspicious cake away, said in a brief interview Wednesday night following Pereiras online admission that he had initially suspected her. Id like to see the videotape. The place (his apartment) hasnt changed, Taylor said, adding he may file a complaint with the police. I feel violated. I dont know if thats against the law. ... Its a little unethical, dont you think? And Michael Brandi, the SEECs executive director, in a statement for this story emphasized that his agency doesnt engage in those sort of investigatory tactics. Bridgeport, where you can have your cake and get spied on, too! GREENWICH The Greenwich Daffodil Society hosted its Sixty First Annual Connecticut Daffodil Show at Christ Church on Wednesday and Thursday. The show featured several daffodil categories in the horticulture division with dozens of varieties of daffodils represented. In addition, there were flower arrangement and daffodil photography categories as well as special sections for youth entries. State Rep. Christopher Rosario, D-128, of Bridgeport denies any wrongdoing after learning of a criminal complaint against him has been filed with Shelton Police by his challenger in the past three state representative races. Ethan Book a Bridgeport resident and a Republican who ran unsuccessfully against Rosario alleges that the state representative, who is a civilian employee with the Shelton Police Department, did not properly file time cards, which led to the city paying him for hours he did not work. Book filed the complaint with the Shelton Police Department last week and was told that a formal investigation was opened. No charges have been filed in this case. Rosario denied the allegations, saying that this only the latest in what he termed Books attempt to assassinate his character. "I will let this process go forward, Rosario said. "I will cooperate in every way I can, and I am confident I will be cleared of any wrong doing. Rosario said Book has accused him of everything under the sun since the pair began facing off for the state representative seat that Rosario has easily won the last three elections. Mr. Book continues to be a nuisance, and if this continues, I may have to take legal action myself, said Rosario. Shelton Police Chief Shawn Sequeira, contacted Wednesday, April 24, had no comment on whether an investigation was ongoing or Books statements in general. Shelton Police Lt. Robert Kozlowsky said that Book filed a complaint April 19, but would not comment against whom the complaint was filed. The potential issues include theft of public funds, an offense of larceny, said Book in a statement Wednesday. I feel that moving forward, this is a city of Shelton matter, so I am dealing with the Shelton Police Department, added Book. But, as this moves forward, there could be a conflict of interest for the Shelton Police Department here, so I have at least alerted the State Police about what I have filed with the Shelton Police Department. Book said, if he is ultimately dissatisfied with the results of the Shelton Police Department investigation, he will file a complaint with the states attorney office. I have not done that yet, said Book about contacting the states attorney office. I want to give the city of Shelton the chance here. This complaint stems from a situation last August. According to Book, on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, Rosario was observed at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Harding High School in Bridgeport. Book stated that Rosario would have been there in his combined roles as state representative for the 128th District and as the Democrat incumbent candidate for re-election to the same office. He was observed there from about 3 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. After seeing Rosario at this function, Book said he was curious and made a formal request for public information with the city of Shelton. Book said he was aware that Rosario had a part-time position as a clerk in the Shelton Police Departments records department and he sought Rosarios time records with the city for that same day. Book said that, in early October, he received the requested information, which showed that Rosario had clocked in for his city position on that day at 10:44 a.m. and clocked out (or was clocked out) at 5:32 p.m. Considering the time that Mr. Rosario was observed at the ribbon cutting coupled with the drive time between the Shelton Police Department (on Wheeler Street) and the new school, a reasonable estimate is that Mr. Rosarios city time record was doctored by at least four hours, or for nearly $100 of public funds, said Book, adding that public information shows that Rosario earns $24.60 an hour with the city. Book said, on Oct. 13, 2018, he submitted an administrative complaint to Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti concerning this matter. Despite a follow-up, Book said he never received a response, which led him to file a criminal complaint with the Shelton Police Department. Lauretti said that Book made an FOI request, which was forwarded to the city attorney. This is not only an issue for Rosario, said Book. Someone with authority had to punch him out, and likely did so knowing that he was not working those hours. I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg. My suspicion is that when this is investigated, there might be broader issues. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Join the Fairfield Public Library for a convivial evening as it celebrates Fairfields fabulous readers. The library welcomes back special guest Carol Fitzgerald, founder and president of The Book Report Network. She will share some of the hottest new titles that are musts for you or for your book club's what-to-read-next-list. She will also take participants on a tour of the website readinggroupguides.com. Come on your own or bring your book club. This program takes place on Tuesday, April 30, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Room at the Main Library, 1080 Old Post Road. Registration is requested. All programs at the Fairfield Public Library are free. To register, or for more information about this and other programs, visit us online at: fairfieldpubliclibrary.org, or call 203-256-3160. Child psychiatrist to speak Child psychiatrist Ilano Karpenos, MD, will speak at the next meeting of NAMI Fairfield on Wednesday, May 1 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at First Church Congregational, 148 Beach Road, Fairfield. In this discussion you will learn answers to the following questions: What is anxiety? How prevalent is it, and how does it affect functioning? Is it a personality trait or a biochemical disorder? How do I recognize it in my child and how should I deal with it? How are anxious children treated? and Will my child always be anxious? Karpenos will leave plenty of time for questions and audience participation. Arts Association to meet The Fairfield County Arts Association will meet Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in the Roger Ludlowe Middle School Team Room 292, Fairfield. The featured presenter will be Stratford resident Christina Blais, an art quilter whose subject matter includes the physical, spiritual and social worlds as she knows them. In her work reflecting nature, she seeks to convey divine creation in all of its beauty, simplicity and complexity. She takes on prejudice, civil rights, and her favorite subject is her dog. Non-members are welcome to attend. For more information visit www.fairfieldcountyartists.com or call Alice Katz at 203-259-8026. Jazz, ragtime pianist to perform Music lovers from Fairfield, Bridgeport, Westport, Southport and the surrounding area are invited to enjoy a special jazz and ragtime piano performance at Trinity Episcopal Church, 651 Pequot Avenue at the Corner of Center Street, Southport, CT (Exit 19 off of i-95) on Saturday, May 18 at 4 p.m. Renowned pianist Tony Caramia will lead the program, called Piano Potpourri, in which he will play works in multiple styles, including ragtime (early 1900s), novelty piano (from the 20s), and contemporary jazz arrangements and improvisations on well-known tunes. His program will include 16 composers (eight men, eight women), including Joplin, Boulanger, Gershwin, and Marian McPartland. The performance is the latest in Trinitys Music Under the Stars series. It is open to all members of the community. No affiliation with the church is required. Tickets are $15 per senior or student; $20 general admission; and $65 for a family package. Call the church at 203-255-0454. Happiness Club The next presentation is Cultivating Resilience For Peace, Health & Happiness! by Paul Epstein on Thursday, May 16, at 7 p.m. at the Fairfield Public Library, 1080 Old Post Road. Admission is free. Epstein is a naturopathic physician, mind-body therapist, meditation teacher and speaker. He specializes in mind-body integrative medicine and the clinical and therapeutic application and integration of mindfulness practice and Buddhist perspectives in health and healing, transforming stress, pain and illness into a journey of self-healing and awakening. For further info, email PrintLRK@aol.com, call 203-258-7777 or visit www.HappinessClub.com. Matter of Balance program Falls are the leading cause of injury death for individuals who are over the age of 65 years. Falls also contribute to hospitalizations and emergency department visits among older adults. Falls are preventable, however still rates of fatal falls continue to rise in Connecticut. To help older adults reduce their fear of falling the Fairfield Health Department is offering its Matter of Balance program. Matter of Balance is an evidence-based program that was developed by the Partnership for Healthy Aging. This program is designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. Matter of Balance is an eight-week program. Sessions will meet once a week, on Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. to noon from May 8 to June 26 at the Fairfield Main Public Library in the Memorial Room. There is no fee for this program. Registration is required and space is limited. For more information on the Matter of Balance program, please visit: www.mainehealth.org/mob. For questions about the program or to register, please contact Santina Jaronko, Fairfield Health Department at 203-256-3150 or sjaronko@fairfieldct.org. Contributed photo / Hearst Connecticut Media FAIRFIELD A Bridgeport woman is facing larceny charges after allegedly stealing energy drinks from a local BJs Wholesale Club. At around 3:30 p.m. April 17, the manager at the BJs store at on 40 Black Rock Turnpike reported a shoplifting incident to police. The store manager, according to police, observed Norma Melendez, 39, take what amounted to $42.99 worth of 5-Hour Energy drinks without paying for them. FAIRFIELD As the fiscal year 2020 budget nears the finish line, certain departments could still see changes to their bottom line as the Representative Town Meeting approaches its May 6 vote. Outstanding departments in this years budget process include the Board of Education and the Department of Public Works, both of which have seen cuts at the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance level. In early April, the Board of Finance approved a budget that saw nearly $1 million in adjustments, decreasing the Board of Selectmen-approved budget to $316.9 million and resulitng in a proposed 1.9 percent tax hike. As part of that approval, the Department of Public Works which originally had $2.7 million toward paving in First Selectman Mike Tetreaus proposed budget now faces a $200,000 cut with $500,000 placed in contingency pending a presentation from town officials. When asked by RTM members about the potential effects of the impending cuts at an April 9 meeting, Director of Public Works Joe Michelangelo said items would be red-lined and could see a quarter of work eliminated. Obviously, we would like to see the whole paving budget restored, Michelangelo said. We have a plan for (the original $2.7 million allocated toward paving) ... but unfortunately it was reduced. According to Tetreau, an appeal to the RTM has been filed to restore the full $700,000 to the Public Works budget. If two-thirds of the RTM in attendance at the budget vote meeting approve the resolution to restore the funds, the monies would be put back into the Public Works budget. The Board of Education, which approved its $182.3 million budget earlier this year, has yet to accommodate a $700,000 cut from Tetreaus proposed budget, subsequently approved by the Board of Finance. Jay Wold, of District 5, asked school officials how the cuts would affect schools at the April 10 RTM meeting. Unfortunately, I cannot give you a detailed answer to that question right now, Board of Education Chairman Christine Vitale said. Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones, who heads off to lead Greenwich schools this summer, has consistently emphasized her budget focuses on contract increases, utilities and necessary maintenance projects. The education board is hosting a town hall event April 30 at 501 Kings Highway E.; residents are encouraged to attend. After this body votes, well see where the budget comes in at that time, and ask Dr. Jones and staff to give us a recommendation for where she thinks the best place for that money to come from, Vitale said. humberto.juarez@ hearstmediact.com For livestock producers and grazers in Noble, Guernsey, Monroe and Belmont counties, there is a new grazing alliance coming your way. The Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Ohio State University Extension, in the previously mentioned counties, with the help of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, have organized pasture walks to show a variety of grazing operations and to highlight the management practices that bring these operations success. The goal of this grazing alliance is to educate producers on best management practices of natural resources within a grazing operation. We know that many livestock producers are wary of investing in a more intensive grazing system for a variety of reasons that often include: water availability, fencing requirements and time demands on the farmer. Because of concerns like these, and with the success weve all witnessed through a variety of management changes, the grazing alliance wants to bring to light some practical, and fruitful, changes that may influence local producers to positive changes. East Central Gazing Alliance meetings will take place on the fourth Tuesday of each month, beginning in May and stretching through to August. Meetings The East Central Gazing Alliance will begin meeting in May, in Monroe County, May 28, and will discuss the importance of soil health, different styles of feeding systems and renovating pastures after the muddy year weve all been through. The June 25 meeting will be in Belmont County to discuss hay quality, forage identification and grazing technology. On July 23, Noble County will host the East Central Gazing Alliance, to cover warm-season grass plantings, dealing with the summer slump and forage stockpiling. And, Aug. 27, Guernsey County will host the meeting, and cover topics such as heavy use pads, rotational grazing and watering systems. Details concerning each event location will be announced via postcard, at the beginning of each month. Information Contact your countys soil and water conservation district to be on the mailing list to get details and updates: Noble, 740-732-4318; Guernsey, 740-489-5276; Monroe, 740-472 -5477; and Belmont, 740-526-0027. As the East Central Grazing Alliance comes together, the future is up to the producers involved. We want to discuss topics that are important to our producers, and to give advice on the issues you see on your farm. When a producer attends one of these events, tell the SWCD staff, or any of the organization committee what youd like to learn more about, and we will do our best to accommodate your interests. We look forward to seeing producers come together with a common goal learning about agriculture and loving it all the more. Commentary by Susan Crowell / editor@farmanddairy.com Big agriculture is apparently getting bigger in Ohio. And with the fate of Lake Erie hanging in the balance, it is time for Ohios elected leaders to start paying more attention. Thats the opening salvo in an April 20 editorial in The Toledo Blade, which pointed the finger at Ohios largest farms for the excessive pollution in Lake Erie that triggers the lakes toxic algae blooms. Theyre not totally wrong. Farms are getting larger. The 2017 Census of Agriculture that was released earlier this month shows there are 781 Ohio farms with 2,000 or more acres, an increase of 129 farms, or nearly 20%, from 10 years ago. The size of the farm, however, doesnt automatically mean that it is a greater polluter. I dont care where you live, or what size or type operation you run. I dont care if youre large or small, Amish or English, organic or conventional, if you have an 800-cow dairy or run six 4-H market goats. If you farm, you need to pay attention to how you manage your farm to minimize its impact on the environment. Period. And some of you need to do a better job. On my way to Easter Sunday dinner, I drove by a field on a good farm with eroding gullies where a grassed waterway wouldve been an easy solution. Now is not the time to assume this is someone elses problem, or that it affects only the Lake Erie watershed. Now is the time to be proactive, to figure out how you can prevent runoff on your farm. Do you manage your whole farm the same way, or do you manage by soil type or slope or crops grown in individual fields? Do you till, or do you practice no-till? Do you have any buffers, or contour strips or cover crops? Are you spreading nutrients on top of the ground, or are you injecting? Are you using any precision application methods? Are you looking at the timing or the placement of your applications? There is no single answer for every farm. You have to figure out what minimizes erosion and runoff on your farm, and in each field. If youre a livestock owner, now is the time to take a harsh look at your manure storage and application. There was a lot of manure that went on the ground locally on Saturday, April 13. The next day, as forecasted, we had torrential rain and hail and wind. Where do you think a lot of that manure ended up? The headline on that Blade editorial was this: Big ag needs a closer look. I read that to mean agriculture needs a closer look. At a time when its very difficult to pencil anything out on the farm and stay in black ink, you have to consider what investments you need to make, or what changes you need to implement in order to earn perhaps re-earn the publics trust. Because they are looking (although many consumers still do support you as farmers). Next week, I want to peel back the curtain on the organization behind the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR). Trust me, it will scare you into action if my words today arent sufficient. Public perception of agriculture is the key to its future. This is not the first time Ive shared this quote from OSUs retired ag economist Luther Tweeten, but it bears repeating: The future of the industry and farm policy will not be decided by just the facts about farm structure and problems, but also by how the public views agriculture. If what were seeing now is the Trump trade strategy cram trade talks between the U.S. and China, the U.S. and Japan, and the U.S. and European Union (E.U.) into an ever-tightening window export-dependent American farmers and ranchers are in serious trouble for several reasons. The first reason is the relentless calendar. Trade talks require years to negotiate. The updated NAFTA 2.0, for example, missed its U.S.-imposed deadline and, in fact, remains in limbo because its hasty negotiation left unanswered questions. A second troublesome reason is more consequential; Election Day 2020 is just 18 months away. Can you think of any circumstance, short of Divine Intervention, where House-controlling Democrats will pass any legislation including any trade deal that gives Donald J. Trump a political victory in an election year? Me either. On a purely tactical level, though, it may not matter because the Trump Administration appears to be working hard to deliver trade deals no Capitol Hill majority, Democratic or Republican, could approve. For example, White House officials are currently suggesting any trade deal with China may be just a memorandum of understanding, or MOA, not a treaty. This difference isnt semantic. To take effect, trade treaties must be ratified by Congress. An MOA, however, is a deal between negotiators, not nations, so Congress cant vote on it. Theres no way Congress, nor you, would accept a diminished or, in this case, no role on a vitally important deal sight unseen before it becomes law. But thats not all. The Trump Administration, with Chinas consent, may drop the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the arbiter of disputes that might arise after a deal is struck. Undermining the WTO, an oft-stated Trump goal, is a terrible idea because it wipes out the strongest force American farmers and ranchers have to level any trading inequity. And thats just the China talks. The U.S.-E.U. talks began under a cloud as the Trump Administration insisted talks include agriculture and the E.U. repeatedly reminded the U.S. it only agreed to talks if they excluded ag. Then there are the U.S.-Japan talks that began (before they actually began) with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue telling reporters April 12 that after a meeting with [U.S. Trade Representative Robert] Lighthizer, he is hoping for a quick, ag-only deal ahead of a broader free trade agreement with Japan, according to Agri-Pulse. There was a small problem, though: one government official tells Agri-Pulse that USDA is not scheduled to play a role in the talks next week. Golly, why would Secretary Sonny sandbag reporters on U.S.-Japanese trade talks before they even started? Three days later, the Wall Street Journal offered a big clue. In January and February, it reported, Japanese beef imports rose 25% driven by a 51% surge in frozen beef imports. The particular beneficiaries are Canada and New Zealand, which logged 345% and 133% growth in total beef exports. The reason Americas chief beef competitors are doing so well in Japan is simple: Much of the U.S. interest in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) dried up after the U.S. backed out in 2016. Recall that President Trump nailed the TPP door shut only days after taking office. Worse, the flood of competitor beef into Japan is about to trigger import tariffs on all imported beef, explained the Journal. That will boost tariffs on U.S. beef from 38.5% to 50% for a year TPP signees not us will be unaffected, placing the burden on the U.S. practically alone and hitting American agricultural competitiveness hard. That emerging hard hit means the U.S. all but handed the Japanese beef market to competitors last year as, equally likely, were handing the Chinese soybean and pork markets to competitors this year. It also confirms what White House trade critics have long maintained: the White House has no clear trade strategy. Other than more snow and perhaps even ice, that is. HARRISBURG, Pa. The Commonwealth Financing Authority March 26 awarded $200,000 in Pennsylvania Dairy Investment Program grants to help dairy farmers. This year marked the first time grants were awarded under the new Dairy Investment Program, which Senate Republican leadership developed as part of last years budget process. The Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association received a $100,000 grant to expand the Choose PA Dairy campaign by implementing the Retail Dairy Aisle Reinvention Program at targeted retailers across Pennsylvania to promote local dairy products. The program will use dairy case advertising, sales materials and features local dairy farmers. The Pennsylvania Dairymens Association received $100,000 for Phase 2 of the Choose PA dairy, Goodness that Matters campaign that will target central Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The program will promote Pa. dairy products at a variety of key venues and events. COLUMBUS The Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) selected its 2019 award recipients during the organizations annual meeting and banquet held April 12 in Columbus. This year there were four awards that honored individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to Ohios egg, chicken and turkey farming communities. Awards and recipients Golden Egg Award: Tom Stoller, Van Wert, Ohio The Golden Egg Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated their commitment to advancing the mission and values of the poultry community. Stoller grew up on his familys fourth-generation commercial layer operation that has transformed since the 1920s from a small hatchery into one of the nations leading table egg farms. He served as a past president of OPA and member of the American Egg Board. His commitment to the advancement of the poultry and agriculture communities has been recognized numerous times during his career by acting as a leader in addressing environmental issues in Ohio. Good Egg Award: Cindy Kirkland, Dublin, Ohio This award is presented to a person who has the best interest of the Ohio poultry industry in mind every day. Kirkland has played a role in culinary projects and campaigns including OPAs most recent initiative, Dish on Eggs, in which she leveraged her extensive culinary expertise to create, test and photograph numerous recipes. In addition to her role with Dish on Eggs, Kirkland has assisted with the planning and preparation behind the Ohio Agricultural Councils Hall of Fame Breakfast that takes place each year during the Ohio State Fair. She has also been a judge for OPAs culinary competitions at the Ohio State Fair and often works behind the scenes to prepare all materials for TV cooking demonstrations and other OPA culinary initiatives. Meritorious Service Award: Dr. Keith Honegger, Bluffton, Indiana The Meritorious Service Award is given each year to someone in the academic field who has made a significant impact on the regional egg and poultry community. Honegger has served as a veterinarian in the poultry industry for more than four decades. For the last five years, Honegger has worked with Elanco as a poultry technical consultant. In this role, he develops effective vaccination schedules and provides veterinary support to commercial layer and broiler companies in disease diagnosis, serological testing and vaccine application training. During his 43 years serving as a poultry veterinarian, Honegger has remained focused on addressing the needs of his customers, no matter the company he represents, and advancing and supporting the OPA community. Industry Partner Award: Ohio Pork Council The Industry Partner Award honors an organization that supports the mission of OPA and its members. The Ohio Pork Council has worked side-by-side with OPA on an array of projects throughout the years. Most recently, OPA has worked with the Ohio Pork Council, along with other Ohio livestock commodity organizations, to lead statewide efforts on water quality. COLUMBUS The Ohio Wildlife Council approved Ohios 2019-2020 hunting season dates and bag limits, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. In addition, the council approved to increase the bag limit for walleye in Lake Erie and the Maumee River in March 2020. Dates Overview of white-tailed deer hunting seasons for 2019-2020: Deer archery: Sept. 28-Feb. 2, 2020 Youth deer gun: Nov. 23-24 Deer gun: Dec. 2-8 and Dec. 21-22 Deer muzzleloader: Jan. 4-7, 2020 Deer bag limits remain the same for all counties. The statewide bag limit remains at six deer, only one of which may be antlered, and a hunter cannot exceed a county bag limit. Changes Additional changes approved by the Ohio Wildlife Council April 10: Hunters can transport a white-tailed deer or wild turkey to a residence or temporary lodging without a tag being attached to the animal, if the permit is properly filled out and the hunter remains with the animal. The name of the antlerless deer permit was changed to deer management permit. Hunters who harvest a deer within a disease surveillance area (DSA) are required to deliver the head to an inspection station only during the seven-day gun season, rather than all firearm seasons. Brant and pintail daily bag limits were reduced to one. The annual shooting range permit fee is reduced when purchased at the same time as an annual resident hunting license. Youth hunting seasons are open to hunters 17 or younger. This provides for more uniform and consistent regulations for all youth hunting seasons. The walleye bag limit will increase from four fish to six fish daily from March 1 to April 30 in Lake Erie, excluding the Sandusky River, when Ohios total allowable catch exceeds 3 million fish. In the Sandusky River, the four fish daily bag limit remains in place. Nonresident anglers under 16 are exempted from obtaining a nonresident Lake Erie fishing permit. For a complete list of all proposed changes, visit the Proposed Rule Summary at wildohio.gov. The Ohio Wildlife Council is an eight-member board that approves all the Division of Wildlife rule and regulation changes. By Other News ROCK SPRINGS, Pa. Beef producers earned $261,400 for top bulls at the 46th Pennsylvania Performance Tested Bull Sale March 29. Producers from across Pennsylvania and neighboring states sold 88 Angus, Hereford, Red Angus, Simmental, Black Hereford and SimAngus bulls. Bulls averaged $2,970 per head. The bulls completed a 112-day test at the Pennsylvania Livestock Evaluation Center in Pennsylvania Furnace that evaluated average daily gain, carcass traits and feed efficiency. After the testing period, the bulls were ultrasonically scanned to determine ribeye area, marbling and fat thickness. They were also examined for breeding soundness. Prospective buyers can review this data, which often includes expected progeny differences enhanced with results of genetic marker testing. The high-selling bull was an Angus consignment from Rains Angus of Mercer, which sold for $5,300 to Denver Cramer of Shade Gap. The top-indexing Hereford, consigned by Slaytons Beardance Farm of Bedford, sold for $5,000 to Brian Beitzel of Accident, Maryland. For more information about the Pennsylvania Department of Agricultures Performance Bull Testing Program, contact Greg Hubbard at 814-238-2527 or ghubbard@pa.gov, or visit www.livestockevaluationcenter.com. CHARLESTON, W.Va. The West Virginia Agriculture Advisory Board released its five-year strategic plan for West Virginia agriculture April 15. The final report includes input from over 850 participants who either took an online survey or attended one of 14 regional meetings over the last eight months. The agriculture advisory board is comprised of Gov. Jim Justice, Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt and WVU Extension Service Dean Steven Bonanno. We have found there are a lot of folks doing great things to improve agriculture in West Virginia. What we were missing was a road map on how to work together, said Leonhardt. The plan has helped identify and prioritize agricultural issues which will have the greatest impact on our agricultural economy over the next five years. A Shared Agenda for Growing West Virginias Agricultural Economy, the plan focuses on several areas including connecting producers to market opportunities, creating the infrastructure needed to grow the agriculture economy, developing the next generation of agricultural industry leaders and enhancing access to land. The full report and strategic actions are available at wvagadvisory.com. By Other News COLUMBUS During Ohios 2019 youth spring wild turkey season, 1,318 birds were harvested, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Hunters age 17 and under were eligible to participate in the two-day season, April 13-14. All participants were required to possess a valid Ohio youth hunting license and a spring turkey permit and be accompanied by a non-hunting adult. The youth turkey season was open statewide, with the exception of Lake La Su An State Wildlife Area in Williams County, which required a special hunting permit. The youth spring turkey season is one of four special youth-only hunting seasons designed by the Division of Wildlife to offer a safe and productive early hunting experience. Special hunting seasons are also available for upland game, white-tailed deer and waterfowl. The state has two zones for spring turkey hunting. For 2019, south zone hunting dates began April 22 and will last through May 19. The northeast zone dates are April 29 to May 26. The spring turkey season is open statewide except for Lake La Su An Wildlife Area. Hunters can view the 2019 spring turkey season zone map and harvest regulations at wildohio.gov. A 26-year-old sheep farmer from Wales is set to tackle a gruelling climbing challenge to raise funds for a farming charity which raises mental health awareness. Matt Launder, a sheep farmer from Llanerfyl in Montgomeryshire, will climb nine of the UKs highest mountains in just 72 hours to raise funds for a mental health charity supporting people in rural communities. Himself, his brother Dan and his brother-in-law George Collins aim to walk around 76 miles of ascents and descents to support the work of DPJ Foundation. The was charity set-up by Emma Picton-Jones in memory of her late husband, Daniel, who took his own life after a prolonged battle with his mental health. While agriculture is an exciting and dynamic industry to be a part of, its also a career that can bring enormous pressure and accentuate isolation factors that can adversely affect mental wellbeing. Agriculture remains one of the sectors with the highest rate of suicide amongst its workers figures suggest one farm worker a week takes their life. The DPJ Foundation aims to breakdown the stigma that surrounds mental health and provides support services for people in rural communities affected by mental health, especially those working in agriculture. 'Farming isnt just a job; its a way of life' The trio will be supported by Matts other brother-in-law, Gareth Owen, who will be driving the group some 1,300 miles between peaks over the course of the challenge. Matt explained: Farming isnt just a job; its a way of life. While there are so many aspects of it that are enjoyable, like knowing youre helping to feed people while also caring for your local environment, farming does also bring significant challenges. There are times when it can be a lonely venture, while the pressures of running a business when there are so many external factors that can impact on your farming enterprise that are out of your control can also add to stress levels. He added: Despite the challenges and difficulties we experience, many farmers do not open up about the effect that it has on their mental health, bottling up those anxieties and concerns. As an industry we need to stop this being a taboo subject and instead encourage one another to open up about the things that can affect our wellbeing. Starting at Ben Nevis Matts challenge will begin on Thursday 13th June when he begins climbing Ben Nevis, the UKs highest peak, at 6pm and walking through the night. From Ben Nevis hell travel on to Ben Macdui and Ben Braeriach in Scotland, Scafell Pike, Helvellyn and The Old Man of Coniston in England, before scaling Snowdon and Cader Idris in Wales. Matt hopes to finish his intrepid charity challenge by climbing Pen y Fan at around 4pm on Sunday 16th June, where he hopes supporters will join him for the final leg of his mammoth journey. Matt added: Im just about to approach lambing, which is one of the busiest times of the year in the farming calendar, but Im also squeezing in as much training as I can. In order to walk all nine mountains within 72 hours were going to be walking for over 20 hours every day the only rest we will get is in the car as were driven between peaks so Im under no illusions about how physically demanding this is going to be, but its for an extremely important cause so Im sure the pain and blisters will be worth it! Every 37 we raise will help fund a session so that a farmer can receive support from the DPJ Foundation, so were hoping to raise as much as possible and fund as many sessions as we can, he said. To sponsor Matts mountain climbing efforts please visit his online fundraising page. Natural England has temporarily revoked three general licences for controlling certain wild birds in a move farmers have called 'irresponsible'. The ability to control several species of wild birds through licensing to prevent damage or disease, to preserve public health or public safety, and to conserve flora and fauna under open licences will all be revoked in an unprecedented move by the statutory agency. The revocation will come into force on Thursday 25 April and will cover 16 species of birds including several members of the crow family, Canada goose, some gulls and pigeons. Natural England is due to start issuing new licences from 29 April 2019, but farmers fear there will be 'huge uncertainty' as this has yet to be consulted on. It comes at a particularly sensitive time when new-born lambs need protecting from crows, crops need protecting from pigeons, and dozens of red-listed species need protection from corvids. The NFU has raised 'significant concerns' about the 'abrupt withdrawal' of these general licenses. NFU Deputy President Guy Smith said: They are absolutely necessary at this time of year when crops are particularly vulnerable to pests. For example, a flock of pigeons could decimate a farmers field of crops. We understand Natural England will be reissuing the licenses from 29 April and for the NFU it is a matter of priority that they do that. It is incredibly disappointing that farmers and growers find themselves in this position, particularly at this time of year. The Countryside Alliance said the move is 'completely impractical and irresponsible' and will result in 'thousands of people unknowingly breaking the law.' Tim Bonner, chief executive of the rural group, said: To withdraw the historic ability to manage these species without individual licences at 36 hours notice is a recipe for disaster. Many of those involved in pest control will be unaware of the changes, and this decision will only serve to bring the law into disrepute. The decision to bring in a new set of licences without consulting stakeholders or the public is even more bizarre, he said. The group has contacted Natural England for an urgent meeting. A landowner has said his fields are a 'write off' after 1,500 people used his farmland as the location for an illegal rave. The unauthorised gathering of people took place across two fields at Wytch in Corfe Castle, near Wareham in Dorset on the Easter weekend. Police were first called just passed midnight on Sunday 21 April with reports that in excess of 1,500 people had attended. There were also a large number of vehicles travelling through the area. Police remained on scene throughout Sunday into Monday morning. The landowner, Doug Ryder, told the BBC that the farmer who uses the fields is 'most distressed and upset'. He said the farmland was covered in 'broken glass and human excrement' after the rave. Not much sleep all night after loud thumping noise from an illegal rave at Wytch Farm, near Corfe Castle! Looks like the 90s are back. Natasha Tobin (@Commsgal) 21 April 2019 Mr Ryder said: It was a grass crop for winter forage for cows - the grass is so trampled it won't recover. Myself and the farmer have now got to clear up the rubbish - it's a burden and a bit of a nightmare. 'Selfish behaviour' Residents and holidaymakers staying up to 10 miles (16km) away reported hearing loud music from the site. Dorset Police's Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Kessell, said the force received more than 100 concerned calls from the public demonstrating how 'selfish' the rave was. We have liaised with the landowner and now put containment around the site to prevent further people from attending, he said. @dorsetpolice @BBCNews Any chance of an update on the illegal rave at corfe castle. Am I expecting another night of thumping ? Gary Crean (@_Pliers_) 21 April 2019 Due to the large scale of the initial event this process has taken some time, and it is unfortunate that a core group of those involved continued to cause a disturbance into Sunday night. By the early hours of this morning only a small proportion of individuals remained on site. Sound equipment was seized, allowing us to minimise any further disruption to local residents. Why does nobody care there is an illegal rave going in for a second night near #corfecastle @dorsetpolice @PurbeckPolice @BBCNews Jamie Wiltshire (@jamiewiltshire) 21 April 2019 After initially refusing to comply with our efforts to move them on, this final group eventually left the site shortly after 12pm on Monday. Superintendent Kessell also said that the rave caused 'distress' to livestock on the farmland. Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org. A Shropshire dairy farmer has highlighted how his new slurry pump now works wonders at his anaerobic digestion plant. The farmer remembers the day when his sorrow turned to joy over what he thought was a faulty flowmeter only to later discover that it was the output created by a new slurry pump that had sent readings soaring to numbers previously not recorded by the sites instrumentation. He didnt believe it at first, said Paul Davies from pump manufacturers Landia, he wasnt happy to begin with but didnt mind admitting later that he thought it had been his flowmeter playing up. The reason for his welcome surprise was that a new pump from the Danish manufacturer had produced an unprecedented throughput. Some had told the farmer that it wouldnt work for the very tough anaerobic digestion (AD) or feedstock application and initially he agreed with them but they were all proved wrong. Maximum Output Davies added: Prior to the installation, he couldnt run at maximum output, which was very frustrating, but now all of a sudden, what was previously taking an hour to process has been reduced to just 25 minutes enough to make any farmer happy. Designed for a very specific application, directly on from the digestate feeder, the farm and its AD operation were almost immediately able to reduce the cost of its energy-rich feedstock. Established over a century ago, the 2,000-acre farm first invested in Landia slurry pump - a submersible 7.5kW - in 2003, which is still in operation. It continuously mixes what has now become a valuable feedstock, rather than a waste that must be dealt with. Investing in its own AD plant four years ago, the farms annual electricity bill was around 55,000 but the 1.5MW of power now produced easily covers that now historic outlay, with a healthy surplus sold on to the National Grid and excess heat put to good use for drying the farms bedding. The feedstock of cow slurry, maize, rye and sugar beet is topped up with fruit and vegetable food waste from local wholesalers which after being held in a 500m3 buffer tank, is pumped to a heat treatment tank, before it is sent to the primary digester. The resulting digestate is pumped to two storage tanks of 240m3 and 500m3 before the final liquor is sent to the farms slurry lagoon. Benefits the entire process The high pressure 22kW Landia Chopper Pumps are designed with an external knife system that stops any solids from entering the pumps casing. Throughout the operation, the Landia pumps at the farm - which all run on variable speed drives to maximise the life of the impellers - and continuously reduces particle sizes, which benefits the entire process. In total, there is now one mixer and nine pumps from Landia, including three longshaft designs and four dry-installed pumps. Paul Davies added: Weve worked with the farm for a long time and wanted to help them optimise their new AD process. We were faced with several challenges, but weve put our heads together and were determined to achieve the required result. In the end, we found a way of boosting the pumps with an extra loop in the pipework. Live digestate can cause problems for many pumps and pipework, with so much extra gas being released, but our design and the robustness of the pumps means that nothing has tripped out, he said. A competition which aims to celebrate the contribution of women in the Welsh farming industry has begun its search for this year's winner. In what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, Wales farming heroines often dont get the full recognition they deserve. But the NFU Cymru/NFU Mutual Wales Woman Farmer of the Year competition, now in its 23rd year, aims to change that by celebrating the contribution of women in the farming industry. The closing date for the competition is Monday 17th June, and the award will be presented on Thursday 25th July at the Royal Welsh Show. It follows NFU Cymru launching the She Who DaresFarms conference which aims to further highlight the role of women in the agricultural industry. Aled Jones, NFU Cymru Deputy President said: The Wales Woman Farmer of the Year Award is there to champion the role that women make to farming businesses and wider rural life. Over the years we have seen some exceptional winners of this award and we look forward to receiving applications for the 2019 title. Maria Norejko of NFU Mutual added: Weve seen a fantastic rise in the number of women farmers in the industry, many running farms themselves and leading diversification enterprises to increase farm income. We are proud to recognise the critical role these women play in Welsh agriculture and hope that this award will inspire other women in Wales to take centre stage and influence farming in the future. 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Bhd., Wescon International B.V., Williams Brothers Engineering Company, Williams Brothers Engineering Limited, Williams Brothers Process Services Inc., Wilmore/Fluor Modesto LLC, Windsor Essex Mobility Group GP, WorleyParsons Arabia Limited Fluor Arabia Limited Joint Venture, Wright Engineers (Chile) Limitada, Wright Engineers Limitada Peru, and ZuidPlus V.O.F.. There is not enough analysis data for Bahamas Petroleum. 4.0 Community Rank Outperform Votes Bahamas Petroleum has received 157 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Bahamas Petroleum has received 103 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Bahamas Petroleum has received 60.38% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Bahamas Petroleum and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BPC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BPC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Twinkle Khanna's cousin Karan Kapadia is all set to make his Bollywood debut with Behzad Khambata's upcoming thriller 'Blank' where he essays the role of a suicide bomber who is interrogated by Sunny Deol who plays an ATS officer. Recently it was reported that Akshay Kumar will be appearing in a special song for this film. Well folks, the track is finally out online. The Khiladi Kumar took to his Twitter handle to share the video and wrote, "The message is loud, and clear to the supreme being who will save us from all evil in the end. #AliAliFromBlank Song OUT NOW!" Check out the song here- The film which gives a Sufi vibe has been composed by Arko and crooned by B Praak. Earlier while speaking with Mumbai Mirror, Akshay revealed that this special song is his way to wish Karan luck for his new beginnings. The superstar was quoted as saying, "Karan has chosen an unconventional route for his debut and I am extremely proud of him. Doing this song is my way of wishing him all the best." He further shared, "The boy had genuine acting skills. I first saw the spark in a short film that he did, which even went to the Cannes Film Festival. With Blank, Karan has gone several notches up in terms of acting and performance." Blank also stars Ishita Dutta and is slated to hit the theatrical screens on May 3, 2019. Kareena Kapoor's Cop Role In Irrfan Khan's Angrezi Medium: These New Details Will Leave You Excited! Radhika's World Is Yash's Mother How often do you hear a celebrity praise their in-laws? But, Radhika and Yash say they are blessed to have each other's family. In an interview with First News Kannada, when Radhika was asked to describe Yash's mother in a word, she responded saying, "My world". But, Says This About Sister-in-law Praising her mother-in-law, Radhika said that Yash's mother is an amazing cook.Even a simple rice and dal prepared by her is delicious. Apparently, Yash's sister also cooks for Radhika. When asked about this, Radhika said, "I have never tasted her food" Life After Marriage Talking about balancing personal and professional life after marriage, Radhika said she is able to achieve peace of mind only because of family's support. She said she's blessed to have such people in her life. Thanks In-laws For Yash Recently, on the occasion of her parents-in-law's wedding anniversary, Radhika shared an adorable picture on her Instagram handle and thanked them for Yash, whom she called the best present of her life. Vivek Dahiya Never Dreamt Of Becoming An Actor Vivek revealed to the leading daily that he never really dreamt of becoming an actor, but destiny played its part! He used to do modelling on and off as he wasn't happy with his corporate job in Chandigarh. The Actor Opens Up About His Struggle He revealed, "A friend of mine suggested that I should take up acting and asked me to try auditioning. Further, I came to Mumbai with six months in hand and Rs 50,000 in my account. I had decided whenever and whatever exhausts first, I will be packing my bags and going back to pavilion." I Must Have Auditioned Around 300-400 Times The actor says, "I literally managed to overcome a lot of issues in the beginning while auditioning, especially with scripts. Before landing my first job I must have auditioned around 300-400 times. I then got shortlisted and then was on board for a project. I was really happy and on cloud nine." It Was Just The Beginning "I immediately called up my father who was skeptical because till then as I wasn't shortlisted anywhere. The amount was not major but bagging a project after so long in itself was a big thing for me. That was just the beginning." Vivek Faced Casting Couch Regarding casting couch, the actor told TOI, "This prevails everywhere but then it's up to you. I just chose to ignore it all and move on with my principles. So when you enter the glam world, you are given a list of coordinators to meet. Then they call you in person and accordingly projects are pitched based on your personality." It Was Difficult For Him To Survive As He Had No Godfather & Nepotism Was At Its Peak! "One of the coordinators called me to the office and told me that it would be difficult for me to sustain in the industry as I had no godfather and nepotism was at its peak. He told me that it would be difficult to survive. So, he initially suggested I should rather pay money to people to get myself a full-fledged role in a show." Vivek Says "I have studied business and I know it works. I did not buy any of his words as I knew had it been true, a lot of people would have paid in lakhs and got themselves a lead role so easily." Vivek Was Suggested To Please People In A Certain Way As He Refused To Pay Money! "When I refused to oblige to the monetary way out, he suggested me of the next alternative that was the casting couch where I would have to please people in a certain way." Tumhare Joote Ghiss Jayenge "I simply asked him if there were any other better way out rather than these shady things. He told me that "tumhare joote ghiss jayenge lekin tumhe kaam nahi milega. Kuch nahi hoga. I told him mere paas bohot saare joote hai and ek nahi toh dusra pehen loonga but I will go by the fair and right means and nothing shady. I was clear in my thoughts." Revenue at 2,818 million[*] +0.4% organic growth Book to bill ratio at 86% Strong pipeline for Q2 signatures Syntel integration moving fast with first synergies materializing Atos recognized as the Google Cloud Global Breakthrough Partner of the Year All 2019 objectives confirmed Paris, April 25, 2019 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announces the revenue of its first quarter of 2019. Thierry Breton, Chairman and CEO said: "Our leadership in technology and services delivering orchestrated hybrid cloud, Big Data & Cybersecurity, as well as digital and automation projects supported Group sales in the first quarter. They form the foundations of our three year plan to provide our customers the innovation they need to develop technology powered strategies in a disruptive environment. In this context, the integration of Syntel is moving fast with first synergies already materializing. For the first anniversary of the preferred partnership, Atos has been recognized as the Google Cloud Global Breakthrough Partner of the Year, which confirms the relevance of our strategy. During the first quarter, the Group excluding Worldline performed a positive 0.4% revenue organic growth. The sales dynamic continued with a 86% book to bill ratio reflecting a high level of new signatures and the fact only a few contracts are up for renewal this year. In addition, the pipeline is strong with large signatures expected in Q2. After a good start to the year, we confirm all our objectives for 2019. At the next Annual General Meeting to be held on April 30, 2019, our shareholders will vote on the distribution of c. 23.5% of Worldline share capital to Atos shareholders. A favorable vote would mark an important new step in the development of the Group with the creation of two listed pure player leaders in their respective market, Atos and Worldline." Q1 2019 revenue was 2,818 million, up +0.4% organically. The Group strategy focused on digital projects and on data management and security drove organic growth in Business & Platform Solutions at +3.5% and in Big Data & Cybersecurity at +11.4%. Alongside, Infrastructure & Data Management showed signs of improvement thanks to North America starting its recovery. The Group pursued its good commercial dynamism with order entry at 2,428 million leading to a book to bill ratio of 86%. Q1 2019 revenue performance by Division In million Q1 2019 Q1 2018* Organic evolution Infrastructure & Data Management 1,537 1,585 -3.0% Business & Platform Solutions 1,065 1,029 +3.5% Big Data & Cybersecurity 215 193 +11.4% Total Group 2,818 2,808 +0.4% * At constant scope and exchange rates In Infrastructure & Data Management (IDM), revenue was 1,537 million, -3.0% organically. Most of the decrease came from the Manufacturing, Retail & Transportation market, impacted by the Marriott International contract terminated last year due to the merger of the customer with another player, as well as Unified Communication & Collaboration activities which were down in North America and in Germany. In Financial Services last quarter, the base effect on the Standard and Poor's contract in North America was offset by the ramp-up of the CNA contract signed in Q2 last year in North America and to a lesser extent by the Aviva contract in the United Kingdom & Ireland. Finally, Public & Health recorded higher volumes with governmental institutions in Germany and in Central & Eastern Europe, however revenue evolution was impacted by Transition & Transformation phases completed last year and less volumes in the United Kingdom & Ireland. The Division continued to roll-out its transformation model by extending Hybrid Cloud Orchestration as well as increasing Digital Workplace implementation and Transformation projects. As part of its GOAL program, the Division also pursued through automation and robotization the digital transformation of its main clients. In Business & Platform Solutions (B&PS) revenue was 1,065 million, up +3.5% organically. Growth was fueled by Manufacturing, Retail & Transportation market that benefitted from good performance in most of the geographies and particularly in Germany due to the ramp-up of the application management contract with Siemens as well as revenue growth generated by Syntel in North America. Financial Services also posted a solid growth coming from Syntel in North America and in the United Kingdom & Ireland in the banking sector. In Public and Health, Germany generated a solid growth which has more than compensated lower revenue in Healthcare in North America. Globally, the Division benefited from an increasing number of digitalization projects. The business in Big Data & Cybersecurity (BDS) remained strong with revenue up +11.4% organically at 215 million in the first quarter of 2019. The growth was primarily led by Public & Health market both in Big Data and in High Performance Computing in France and in the Benelux & The Nordics as well as the ramp-up of a National Police contract in Mission Critical Systems in Central & Eastern Europe. In Manufacturing, Retail & Transportation, growth was led by new Codex projects in Cybersecurity in Germany, High Performance Computer sales in Asia Pacific, as well as a stronger demand for High Performance Computing and Cybersecurity services in Central & Eastern Europe, while the United Kingdom & Ireland did not reiterate the sale of Cybersecurity licenses performed in Q1 last year. Q1 2019 revenue performance by Business Unit In million Q1 2019 Q1 2018* Organic evolution North America 662 698 -5.2% Germany 511 503 +1.6% France 438 422 +3.7% United Kingdom & Ireland 423 430 -1.8% Benelux & The Nordics 264 262 +0.5% Other Business Units 520 491 +6.0% Total Group 2,818 2,808 +0.4% * At constant scope and exchange rates During the first quarter of 2019, revenue grew in most Business Units: France grew by +3.7% fueled in particular by the strong performance in Big Data & Cybersecurity more particularly in Public & Health; Germany up +1.6% thanks to a strong activity in Business & Platform Solutions led by both digital projects and the new application management contract with Siemens; Benelux & The Nordics recorded a slight growth, mainly driven by its good performance in Big Data & Cybersecurity; "Other Business Units" grew by +6.0% organically thanks to a strong performance in the three Divisions. Central & Eastern Europe contributed for half of the growth thanks in particular to a solid activity in all the Divisions; In the United Kingdom, a strong activity in Business & Platform Solutions did not compensate lower sales of licenses in Cybersecurity and less volumes on contracts renewed last year in Infrastructure & Data Management; this revenue organic growth in this geography should improve along the year, thanks to contracts signed last year and ramping-up for example in Business Process Services, as well as the additional contribution of the ramp-up of the contracts signed during the first part of this year; North America was still impacted by Infrastructure & Data Management due to the ramp-down of two contracts terminated end of H1 last year but showed first signs of recovery thanks to the ramp-up of contracts signed last year, in particular CNA; North America is on track to the objective to return to positive organic growth in H2 (excluding Syntel); finally, this geography has now a much more balanced mix of activities thanks to the contribution of Syntel. Commercial activity During the first quarter of 2019, the Group order entry reached 2,428 million representing a book to bill ratio of 86%, including a high level of new contracts. During the first quarter, large Infrastructure & Data Management contracts were signed with new clients, like an integrated energy company active in North America and also in the United Kingdom & Ireland, an IT service provider and service integrator for a large insurance company in Germany, and National Health Service Trust in the Public sector in the United Kingdom & Ireland. The Division also recorded several renewals such as a UK postal service company in the United Kingdom & Ireland and a healthcare services provider in North America. New Business & Platform Solutions contracts were signed in the United Kingdom & Ireland with the Ministry of Defence, and in France with a major European airline, while a contract with a social services public agency in France was renewed. Finally, Big Data & Cybersecurity achieved additional sales with GENCI in France. In line with the dynamic commercial activity, the full backlog amounted to 20.8 billion at the end of March 2019, representing 1.8 year of revenue. The full qualified pipeline reached 6.9 billion, representing 7.2 months of revenue. Human resources Excluding Worldline, the total headcount of the Group was 110,075 at the end of March 2019, decreasing by-0.4% at constant scope compared to end of December 2018 in line with the continuous progress in automation and robotization programs. In the first quarter, the Group hired 4,639 staff mainly in offshore countries. 2019 objectives The Group confirms all its objectives for 2019: Revenue organic growth : +1% to +2%. : +1% to +2%. Operating margin : c. 10.5% of revenue. : c. 10.5% of revenue. Free cash flow: between 0.6 and 0.7 billion. Appendix Revenue and operating margin at constant scope and exchange rates reconciliation In million Q1 2019 Q1 2018 % change Statutory revenue 2,818 2,945 -4.3% Exchange rates effect 38 Revenue at constant exchange rates 2,818 2,983 -5.5% Scope effect -187 Exchange rates effect on acquired/disposed perimeters 12 Revenue at constant scope and exchange rates 2,818 2,808 +0.4% Scope effects amounted to -187 million for revenue, of which -384 million related to the restatement of the contribution of Worldline to the Group revenue in Q1 2018, and +17 million of revenue performed by Atos entities with Worldline in Q1 2018 which is no more neutralized in the Group consolidation but recognized as Group revenue. The remaining net positive amount of 180 million was mostly related to Syntel acquisition (3 months for 200 million), the disposal of some specific Unified Communication & Collaboration activities, and the disposal and decommissioning of non-strategic activities within CVC. Internal transfers mostly referred to Healthcare contracts in North America transferred to Syntel, previously reported within Infrastructure & Data Management and now reported within Business & Platform Solutions as of January 1st, 2019. Currency exchange rates effects mostly came from the American dollar and positively contributed to revenue for +49 million. Q1 2019 revenue performance by Market In million Q1 2019 Q1 2018* Organic evolution Manufacturing, Retail & Transportation 992 1,000 -0.7% Public & Health 851 852 -0.1% Telcos, Media & Utilities 472 459 +2.7% Financial Services 503 497 +1.3% Total Group 2,818 2,808 +0.4% * At constant scope and exchange rates Conference call Today, Thursday, April 25, 2019, Thierry Breton and Elie Girard will comment on Atos' first quarter of 2019 revenue and answer questions from the financial community during a conference call in English starting at 08:00 am (CET - Paris). You can join the webcast of the conference: on atos.net (http://www.atos.net), in the Investors section by smartphones or tablets through the scan of: by telephone with the dial-in, 5-10 minutes prior the starting time: France +33 1 76 70 07 94 code 8143346 Germany +49 69 2443 7351 code 8143346 UK +44 844 571 8892 code 8143346 US +1 631 510 7495 code 8143346 Other countries +44 2071 928000 code 8143346 After the conference, a replay of the webcast will be available on atos.net , in the Investors section. Forthcoming events April 30, 2019 Annual General Meeting July 25, 2019 First half 2019 results October 24, 2019 Third quarter 2019 revenue Contacts Media: Sylvie Raybaud - +33 6 95 91 96 71 - sylvie.raybaud@atos.net Terence Zakka - +33 1 73 26 40 76 - terence.zakka@atos.net Investor Relations: Gilles Arditti - +33 1 73 26 00 66 - gilles.arditti@atos.net About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 120,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of over 11 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions through its Digital Transformation Factory, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across all business sectors. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Syntel, Unify and Worldline. Atos is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. Disclaimers This document contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including references, concerning the Group's expected growth and profitability in the future which may significantly impact the expected performance indicated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are linked to factors out of the control of the Company and not precisely estimated, such as market conditions or competitors behaviors. Any forward-looking statements made in this document are statements about Atos' beliefs and expectations and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include statements that may relate to Atos' plans, objectives, strategies, goals, future events, future revenues or synergies, or performance, and other information that is not historical information. Actual events or results may differ from those described in this document due to a number of risks and uncertainties that are described within the 2018 Registration Document filed with the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) on February 22, 2019 under the registration number: D.19-0072. Atos does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation or responsibility to update or amend any of the information above except as otherwise required by law. This document does not contain or constitute an offer of Atos' shares for sale or an invitation or inducement to invest in Atos' shares in France, the United States of America or any other jurisdiction. All figures presented in this release exclude Worldline unless stated otherwise. Revenue organic growth is presented at constant scope and exchange rates. Business Units include North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), Germany, France, United Kingdom & Ireland, Benelux & The Nordics (Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and Sweden), and Other Business Units including Central & Eastern Europe (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Switzerland), Iberia (Spain and Portugal), Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay), Middle East & Africa (Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Qatar, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey and UAE), Major Events, Global Cloud hub, and Global Delivery Centers. [*] All figures in this release exclude Worldline, which is recorded as a discontinued operation since January 1st, 2019 Attachment OSLO, Norway, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MPC Container Ships ASA (the "Company", together with its subsidiaries the "Group") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a USD 40 million three-year revolving credit facility agreement with CIT Group at attractive terms. Drawdowns under the facility may be used toward investments, vessel upgrades or general corporate purposes. CEO Constantin Baack comments in relation to the announcement: "We are very satisfied with the cooperation demonstrated by CIT's Maritime Finance team and their support in further positioning MPC Container Ships as a leading tonnage provider within the feeder container space. With the new credit facility, we add a highly flexible instrument to our capital structure whilst adhering to the company's strategy of moderate leverage. Moreover, the facility ensures additional financial strength for MPC Container Ships in anticipation of improved market conditions." The above information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. About MPC Container Ships ASA: MPC Container Ships ASA (ticker code "MPCC") was formed in April 2017. Its main activity is to own and operate a portfolio of container ships with a focus on the feeder segment between 1,000 and 3,000 TEU. The Company is registered and has its business office in Oslo, Norway. For more information, please see our webpage: www.mpc-container.com Further information and contact: ir@mpc-container.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/mpc-container-ships-asa/r/mpc-container-ships-asa-secures-usd-40-million-revolving-credit-facility,c2796312 STOCKHOLM, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This report includes audited consolidated financial information of Corral Petroleum Holdings AB (publ) ("Corral Petroleum Holdings") and its consolidated subsidiaries, for year ended December 2018 and for the comparative periods in 2017 and 2016. Note that due to the rounding of figures in the tables to the nearest SEK million, the sum is not always exactly equal to the sum of all components. An international conference call for investors and analysts will be held on May 3, 2019 at 3:00 pm CET. The dial-in number is: Standard International Access +44(0)20-3003-2666 Stockholm +46(0)8-50520424 New York +1-212-999-6659 Berlin+49(0)30-3001-90612 Copenhagen+45-3271-4573 Helsinki +358-9-2319-5437 Norway Local Oslo +47-2-156-3318 Paris +33(0)1-7099-4740 The meeting code is Corral FY2018 The report for the first quarter of 2019 will be released on May 29, 2019 and investors call is rescheduled to be held on Monday June 3, 2019. For further information, please contact: Magdalena Patron Investor Relations Manager Tel: + 46(0)10-450 10-00 Email: magdalena.patron@preem.se This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/corral-petroleum-holdings-ab/r/release-of-2018-annual-report-and-accounts-of-corral-petroleum-holdings-ab,c2795225 The following files are available for download: Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - STILLCANNA INC. (CSE: STIL) ("StillCanna" or the "Company") the Company is pleased to announce that further to the Company's press release on March 18, 2019, it closed its oversubscribed private placement (the "Offering") offering of subscription receipts ("Subscription Receipts") for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $24,365,000. The Offering was led by Canaccord Genuity Corp. (the "Agent"). "Investors in today's cannabis landscape have many options available to them," stated Jason Dussault, Chief Executive Officer of Stillcanna. "Their confidence and support of our Company through this financing is an attribute to the Company's business model and vision. This financing gives the Company the financial means to meet the exciting opportunities it has fostered." The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to expand its CBD processing capacity at the Company's facility in Romania, to build out Olimax's CBD extraction facility and agricultural capabilities in Poland along with working capital and general corporate expenditures. The Company issued 16,409,591 Subscription Receipts pursuant to the brokered portion of the Offering and 4,125,822 Subscription Receipts pursuant to the non-brokered portion of the Offering being an aggregate 21,187,587 Subscription Receipts at a price of $1.15 per Subscription Receipt (the "Issue Price"). Each Subscription Receipt entitles the holder thereof to receive, upon satisfaction of certain escrow release conditions (including the completion of the Olimax transaction previously announced on March 18, 2019) and without payment of any additional consideration or any further action on the part of each holder thereof, one unit of StillCanna (each a "Unit"). StillCanna anticipates closing the Olimax transaction within the first half of May, 2019. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company ("Common Share") and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable to acquire one Common Share for a period of 12 months from the date the escrow release conditions are satisfied at an exercise price of $1.73. If the escrow release conditions are not satisfied by June 30, 2019, the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled, and all proceeds from the brokered financing will be returned to subscribers. All securities issued pursuant to the Financing will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day hold period from the closing date, in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. As consideration for their services in connection with the Offering, the Agent was paid a commission equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds of the brokered portion of the Offering and also received warrants (the "Compensation Warrants") to acquire that number of Units which is equal to 7.0% of the aggregate number of Subscription Receipts sold under the brokered portion of the Offering. Each Compensation Warrant is exercisable at the Issue Price for a period of 12-months following the date the escrow release conditions are satisfied. The Agent also received an advisory fee of $384,628.68 and 334,460 advisory warrants (the "Advisory Warrants") in connection with the Offering. Each Advisory Warrant is exercisable at the Issue Price for a period of 12-months following the date the escrow release conditions are satisfied. 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 will be one of the leading processors and providers of market-ready CBD in Europe. On Behalf of the Board, Joel Leonard, Chief Financial Officer and Director E-mail: joel@stillcanna.com 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 the statement that the Olimax transaction is expected to closing within the first half of May, 2019. 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 Olimax transaction will close as anticipated by management within the first half of May, 2019. 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 Olimax transaction will not close as anticipated by management within the first half of May, 2019 or at all. 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/44310 CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2019 / Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE, LSE:VLU) ("Valeura" or the "Company"), the upstream natural gas producer focused on appraising and developing an unconventional gas accumulation in the Thrace Basin of Turkey in partnership with Equinor, is pleased to announce that, following the publication of its Prospectus on April 17, 2019, the Company's 86,584,989 common shares (the "Common Shares") have been admitted to the Standard Segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on the London Stock Exchange's Main Market at 08:00 BST today under the ticker "VLU." Dual listing and fungibility Valeura maintains its Toronto Stock Exchange listing in addition to this new listing on the London Stock Exchange. The Common Shares are now fully fungible between the two exchanges and can be readily transferred. See the Investors section of the Company's corporate website for directions on how to transfer shares: www.valeuraenergy.com/investor-information/share-details. Disclosure of substantial holdings Under Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule 5 (Vote Holder and Issuer Notification Rules) (" DGTR5"), a person must notify the Company and the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") of the percentage of the Company's voting rights he or she holds as a shareholder (or holds or is deemed to hold through his or her direct or indirect holding of financial instruments) if, as a result of an acquisition or disposal of Common Shares or financial instruments, or as a result of any event changing the breakdown of voting rights of the Company (for example, a buy-back of Common Shares by the Company), the percentage of those voting rights in which he is interested reaches, exceeds or falls below 5 per cent., 10 per cent., 15 per cent., 20 per cent., 25 per cent., 30 per cent., 50 per cent. and 75 per cent. The form in which such notification must be made is provided by the FCA on its website at:https://www.fca.org.uk/markets/ukla/regulatory-disclosures/submit-investor-notification. Such notification must be made no later than four trading days after the date upon which the person making the notification (1) learns of the acquisition or disposal or of the possibility of exercising voting rights, or on which, having regards to the circumstances, should have learned of it, regardless of the date on which the acquisition, disposal or possibility of exercising voting rights takes effect, or (2) is informed about the event changing the breakdown of voting rights of the Company. Any person who is in breach of their obligations under DGTR5 is liable to a fine and/or public censure by the FCA and the FCA may apply to court to have such person's voting rights suspended. About Valeura Energy Valeura Energy Inc. is a Canada-based public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas in Turkey. Since Valeura was established in 2010, the Company has executed a number of transactions and currently holds interests in 20 production leases and exploration licences in the Thrace Basin of Turkey totalling 0.46 MM acres (gross) or on a net basis 0.37 MM acres of shallow rights and 0.26 MM net acres of deep rights. Valeura is appraising an unconventional basin-centered gas accumulation play in the Thrace Basin on its deep rights, which has been evaluated by DeGolyer and MacNaughton to hold, effective December 31, 2018, 10.1 Tcfe of estimated working interest unrisked mean prospective resources of natural gas, which includes 236 MMbbl of condensate. By applying 3D seismic, modern reservoir stimulation technology and horizontal and deeper vertical well drilling, Valeura is aiming to achieve commercial scale operations from this tight gas resource. In addition, the Company owns an extensive network of gas gathering and sales infrastructure to support direct marketing of natural gas to end users, and in 2018, produced an average of 4.3 MMcf/d of natural gas from conventional gas accumulations in its shallower rights. Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's corporate website at www.valeuraenergy.com. For further information please contact: Valeura Energy Inc. (General and Investor Enquiries)+1 403 237 7102 Sean Guest, President and CEO Steve Bjornson, CFO Robin Martin, Investor Relations Manager Contact@valeuraenergy.com, IR@valeuraenergy.com GMP First Energy (Financial Adviser and Corporate Broker) +44 (0) 20 7448 0200 Jonathan Wright, Hugh Sanderson CAMARCO (Public Relations, Media Adviser) +44 (0) 20 3757 4980 Owen Roberts, Billy Clegg, Monique Perks, Thayson Pinedo Valeura@camarco.co.uk Oil and Gas Advisories & Definitions Prospective resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from undiscovered accumulations by application of future development projects. Prospective resources have both an associated chance of discovery and a chance of development. There is no certainty that any portion of the prospective resources will be discovered. If a discovery is made, there is no certainty that it will be developed or, if it is developed, there is no certainty as to the timing of such development or that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the prospective resources. Please see the Company's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2018, which is available under Valeura's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, for more information with respect to the Company's prospective resources, including details regarding risked estimates. Forward-Looking Statements and Cautionary Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information (collectively referred to herein as " forward-looking information") including, but not limited to: the Company's intention to retain a dual-listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange, the potential of the Company's unconventional basin-centered gas accumulation play in the Thrace Basin; and the Company's intention to achieve commercial scale operations. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", estimate", "expect", "target", "potential", "could", "should", "would" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. The Company cautions readers and prospective investors in the Company's securities to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, as by its nature, it is based on current expectations regarding future events that involve a number of assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company. Statements related to "prospective resources" are deemed forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the prospective resources can be profitably produced in the future. Specifically, forward-looking information contained herein regarding "prospective resources" include volumes of prospective resources and the ability to finance future development and, the conversion of a portion of prospective resources into reserves. Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding, among other things: continued political stability of the areas in which the Company is operating; continued safety of operations and ability to proceed in a timely manner; continued operations of and approvals forthcoming from the Turkish government and regulators in a manner consistent with past conduct; future seismic and drilling activity on the expected timelines; the continued favourable pricing and operating netbacks in Turkey; future production rates and associated operating netbacks and cash flow; decline rates; future sources of funding; future economic conditions; future currency exchange rates; the ability to meet drilling deadlines and other requirements under licenses and leases; and the Company's continued ability to obtain and retain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost efficient manner. In addition, the Company's work programmes and budgets are in part based upon expected agreement among joint venture partners and associated exploration, development and marketing plans and anticipated costs and sales prices, which are subject to change based on, among other things, the actual results of drilling and related activity, availability of drilling, fracking and other specialised oilfield equipment and service providers, changes in partners' plans and unexpected delays and changes in market conditions. Although the Company believes the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information involves significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Exploration, appraisal, and development of oil and natural gas reserves are speculative activities and involve a degree of risk. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company including, but not limited to: the risks of currency fluctuations; changes in gas prices and netbacks in Turkey; uncertainty regarding the contemplated timelines and costs for the deep evaluation; the risks of disruption to operations and access to worksites, threats to security and safety of personnel and potential property damage related to political issues or civil unrest in Turkey; potential changes in laws and regulations, the uncertainty regarding government and other approvals; counterparty risk; risks associated with weather delays and natural disasters; and the risk associated with international activity. The forward-looking information included in this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information included herein is made as of the date hereof and Valeura assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. See the Company's April 17, 2019 Prospectus and March 13, 2019 Annual Information Form for a detailed discussion of the risk factors. Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, including where such offer would be unlawful. This announcement is not for distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Ireland, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which its publication or distribution would be unlawful. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Valeura Energy Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/542998/Valeura-Energy-Inc-Announces-Admission-to-trading-on-the-London-Stock-exchange The Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 LONDON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Forecasts by Submarket End-User Industry (Mineral & Mining, Upstream Oil & Gas, Agriculture, Water Exploration and Others), and by Services (Magnetic, Gravity, Electromagnetic and Others). Plus, Forecasts and Analysis of Leading Countries and Companies in the Sector The airborne geophysical services market entails high capital investments along with high risk. The risk involved is comparatively high owing to unpredictable environmental conditions. Experience and skills about geophysics are required to operate in the geophysical services market. Thus, the threat of new players entering the geophysical services market is low. This trend is projected to continue during the forecast period also. There exists a limited threat of forwarding integration by suppliers. Ability to provide cost-effective and affordable components positively impacts the market share of suppliers. Thus, the bargaining power of suppliers is anticipated to remain low during the forecast period. Furthermore, there is a low threat of substitution for geophysical services equipment manufacturers from external technologies. New technologies and systems may pose a challenge to geophysical service/equipment providers. However, currently, no other services or technologies are as viable and feasible as the present technologies such as a seismic survey. Thus, the threat of substitutes is estimated to remain low during the forecast period. To request sample pages from this report please contact Sara Peerun at sara.peerun@visiongain.com or refer to our website: https://www.visiongain.com/report/the-airborne-geophysical-services-market-forecast-2019-2029/download_sampe_div The report will answer questions such as: Who are the leading companies in the airborne geophysical services industry? - What is their strategy? - What is their existing processing capacity and where is it based? - What are their core strengths and weaknesses? What is driving and restraining the involvement of each leading company within the market? What political, economic, environmental and technological factors affect the airborne geophysical services market? How will you benefit from this report? This Visiongain report you will keep your knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind This report will allow you to reinforce strategic decision-making based upon definitive and reliable market data You will learn how to exploit new technological trends You will be able to realise your company's full potential within the market You will better understand the competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities and partnerships Five reasons why you must order and read this report today: 1) The report provides Analysis and Forecasts for the Airborne Geophysical Services Markets by Revenue for the Following Industries: - Mineral and Mining - Upstream Oil & Gas - Agriculture - Water Exploration - Other 2) The report provides Analysis and Forecasts for the Airborne Geophysical Services Market by Revenue for the Following Services: - Magnetic - Gravity - Electromagnetic - Other 3) The report provides forecasts for the Airborne Geophysical Services Market by Region and Country for the period 2019-2029 - US Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Canada Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Russia Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - UK Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Rest of Europe Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - China Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Australia Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Rest of Asia Pacific Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Saudi Arabia Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Qatar Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Rest of Middle East Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Brazil Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 - Mexico Airborne Geophysical Services Market Forecast 2019-2029 4) The Report contains an exclusive interview with an industry leader - Aerial equipment/ services Manager at Fugro (wishes to remain anonymous) 5) The report provides detailed profiles of the leading companies operating within the airborne geophysical services market: - TGS - Fugro - PGS - Terrex Seismic - CGG - Xcalibur Airborne Geophysics - Sander Geophysics - Spectrum Offshore Competitive advantage This independent, 193-page report guarantees you will remain better informed than your competitors. With 200+ tables and figures examining the countries and companies within the Airborne geophysical services market space, the report gives you an immediate, one-stop breakdown of the leading regions and countries for this market plus analysis and future outlooks, keeping your knowledge one step ahead of your rivals. Who should read this report? Anyone within the geophysical services value chain CEOs COOs CIOs Business development managers Marketing managers Technologists Suppliers Investors Banks Government agencies Contractors To request a report overview of this report please contact Sara Peerun at sara.peerun@visiongain.com or refer to our website: https://www.visiongain.com/report/the-airborne-geophysical-services-market-forecast-2019-2029/ Did you know that we also offer a report add-on service? Email sara.peerun@visiongain.com to discuss any customized research needs you may have. Companies covered in the report include: Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry (ALB) Allegro Funds Group Arabian Geophysical and Surveying Company (ARGAS) Azumah Resources BGP Bryah Resources Compagnie Generale de Geophysique (CGG) Dawson Geophysical Dong Energy Emmerson Resources FIFA Fugro Geoscience Australia (GA) ION Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation (IMIDRO) London Array McPhar International NASA Orsted Partrac PGS Polarcus Sander Geophysical Limited (SGL) Shearwater Geoservices Spectrum Offshore Terrex Seismic TGS Vattenfall VBMS B.V. Western Australia Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) Xcalibur Airborne Geophysics To see a report overview please e-mail Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongain.com Related reports: Onshore Oil & Gas Pipelines Market Report 2019-2029 Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) Market Forecast 2019-2029 Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Installation Market Forecast 2019-2029 Offshore Wind Power Market Report 2018-2028 Marine Seismic Equipment & Acquisition Market Forecast 2018-2028 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/523989/Visiongain_Logo.jpg MOSCOW, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A fundamentally new refrigerator has been developed by researchers from the National University of Science and Technology MISIS and Tver State University - it is based on a solid-state magnetic system that gives 30-40% odds to the gas-compressor cycle of a conventional refrigerator in terms of energy efficiency. One of the main objects of our apartments - the refrigerator - consumes up to 20-40% of all electricity. On a global scale, technology to create cold, meaning industrial and domestic refrigerators, home air conditioners and automotive air conditioners is a very expensive pleasure. According to expert estimates, all these devices spend up to 10% of the world's power consumption as a whole. The scientific team of physicists and engineers of the NUST MISIS Department for Functional Nanosystems & High-Temperature Materials and Tver State University solved the problem of efficient cold generation by proposing a new cooling system - a magnetic one. In a conventional refrigerator, cooling occurs due to the sudden evaporation of freon (or other refrigerants), which passes into a gaseous state. A different principle works in the invention of young Russian scientists - the so-called magnetocaloric effect. In simple terms, it means the change of the magnetic material temperature during its magnetization or demagnetization. Technically, it looks quite simple - the metal bar is introduced into the magnetic field and heats up, and when taken out of the field - cools down. However, this must be done quickly and cyclically so that the temperature difference was maintained. A team of scientists designed a device prototype, which is small in size, but capable of cooling an entire refrigerator. "Since the density of the metal alloy is much greater than that of the gas, the stored entropy value (measure of disorder), and therefore its cooling capacity, is greater," explains one of the project developers, senior researcher at the NUST MISIS Department for Functional Nanosystems & High Temperature Materials Dmitriy Karpenkov, "this explains the 30-40% higher energy efficiency of new solid-state devices compared to gas-compression analogues. "While small in sizes these devices can provide the maximum span between the temperatures of hot and cold heat exchangers - 9 degrees Celsius. The main difference of the developed prototype from all predecessors is that the working bodies simultaneously perform as the refrigerant and the pressure pump. This technical solution excludes the pumps, which are an additional thermal load for the refrigerator, from the scheme." The second unique technical solution was to separate the flows of heat transfer fluid from the cold and hot heat exchangers, while allowing the working bodies, being in a magnetized (demagnetized) state, to sequentially move from one flow to another. "The results of our tests show that the use of cascade magnetic cooling cycles leads to an 80% increase in the temperature span," Dmitriy Karpenkov added. During the experiment to estimation the effectiveness of the prototype, the researchers have found that the maximum amount of heat that a heat pump can take during a cycle is about 405 J, which corresponds to a maximum cooling power of 45 watts. Currently, the research team has assembled a laboratory prototype of the cooling mechanism and is conducting a series of laboratory tests. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876669/NUST_MISIS_Logo.jpg) PORTLAND, Oregon, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Laboratory Equipment and Disposables Market by Product Type (Equipment [Incubator, Laminar Flow Hood, Micro Manipulation Systems, Centrifuges, Lab Air Filtration System, Scopes, Sonicators & Homogenizers, Autoclaves & Sterilizers, Spectrophotometers & Microarray Equipment, and Others] and Disposables [Pipettes, Tips, Tubes, Cuvettes, Dishes, Gloves, Masks, Cell Imaging Consumables, Cell Culture Consumables]): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018 - 2025." The report provides a detailed analysis of the key strategies, top investment pockets, drivers & opportunities, market share, key segments, and competitive scenario. According to the report, the global laboratory equipment and disposables market was estimated at $24.2 billion in 2017 and is expected to hit $37.8 billion in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period. High-end technological advancements in laboratory equipment, rise in private as well as public healthcare investments, favorable insurance policies related to laboratory equipment, and urge in research related to life science and biotechnology fuel the growth of the global laboratory equipment and disposables market. On the other hand, high costs of technologically advanced laboratory equipment and dearth of clinical laboratories in certain regions curb the market growth to some extent. Nevertheless, high market potential in emerging economies and growth in adoption of clinical diagnostic testing worldwide create multiple opportunities in the market. Request Sample Report at:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5240 Disposables segment to be dominant till 2025 Based on product, the disposables segment accounted for nearly two-third of the total market in 2017 and is expected to remain dominant throughout 2018-2025. The fact that they play a crucial role in every laboratory process has spurred the growth. In addition, increase in number of lab procedures, rise in number of R&D activities, and surge in number of diagnostic procedures boost the market. Simultaneously, the equipment segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.1% during the study period. Factors that drive the segment include technological advancement, growth in awareness about advanced equipment among the developing countries and rise in number of laboratories. North America to be dominant during the estimate period Based on region, North America contributed to nearly two-fifth of the total market and is expected to retain its top status till 2025. Well-established healthcare infrastructure and rise in the prevalence of infectious diseases that require laboratory testing spur the market growth in the region. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific is assumed to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.4% throughout the forecast period, 2018-2025. Factors such as rise in healthcare expenditure in countries such as China, Japan, and India and increase in government healthcare investments are anticipated to act as growth drivers for the market during the study period. For Purchase Enquiry at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/5240 Market frontrunners The key market players analyzed in the report include Bio-Rad Laboratories, Agilent Technologies, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Sartorius AG, and others. These ventures have adopted a number of strategies including expansions, mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations, and others to gain a strong stand in the industry. Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas. Similar Reports: Disposable Gloves Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023 Sterilization Technologies Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014-2022 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg Niagara Falls, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) -EHT Ag Tech (TSXV: EHT) ("EHTAg") which is the sales and marketing division of EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp (TSXV:EHT) ("EHT") and Growratio are pleased to announce they are in the final stages of completing an application for a federal cultivation licence for a state of the art medical cannabis production facility. The license will allow for the cultivation of up to 15,000kg of cannabis per year, which will be rolled out in 3 phases of 5000kg each. EHTAg, has signed a contract with a local partner to facilitate relationships with academic intuitions, industry, government and municipal partners to ensure the process is completed as smoothly as possible. With the superior technology and industry knowledge available to EHTAg through its partners, the facility will be the first of its kind globally. The patented design of the cultivation units will ensure that cross-contamination is eliminated, reducing the need for pesticides and other chemicals, which is critical to meet the stringent standards required for downstream medical and wellness product manufacturers both in Canada and abroad. Growratio's proprietary lighting, control, and cloud AI systems will ensure the delivery of the precise environments and processes required for optimizing production, reducing costs, and maximizing quality. Furthermore, the facility will eliminate exorbitant energy costs by operating completely off-grid, allowing for the preservation of attractive profit margins. EHTAg, once licenced with all units operational, will expect gross revenues of up to $75M per year at a price of $5000 per kg of premium medical cannabis. "We are excited to be ushering in the future of cannabis cultivation in Canada. "said Paolo Pincente, CEO of Growratio. "We are now beginning to see the problems inherent with traditional methods of cultivation - massive crop losses, contamination, low quality product, runaway costs - the solution is our integrated technologies." John Gamble, CEO of EHT, commented "We are very pleased to announce this milestone using our ENERTEC products and working with Growratio to give our shareholders value." About EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies EHT delivers proprietary, turn-key energy solutions which are intelligent, bankable and sustainable. EHT's expertise includes the development of its ENERTEC module structures with full integration of smart energy solutions. Using a proprietary skin and foam core that is stronger than traditional wood or steel structural insulated panels, EHT provides exceptional thermal energy efficiency in modular homes, cold storage facilities, residential/commercial out buildings and emergency/temporary shelters. EHT works with its partners worldwide to erect the buildings on-site utilizing EHT staff and local crews. In addition to traditional support to established electrical networks, ENERTEC buildings excel where no electrical grid exists. About ENERTEC The EHT advanced ENERTEC Modular Wall and Roof System uses a proprietary skin and foam core that is stronger and more energy efficient than traditional wood or steel structures providing the highest ratings for energy efficiency. EHT works with its partners worldwide to erect the buildings on-site utilizing EHT staff and local crews. After installation, each structure can be furnished and finished to meet the customer's requirements including siding, tile, kitchens and bathrooms or segregated commercial rooms. The finished wall product can be shipped on pallets and delivered via rail, truck or water in standard formats. At the core of the ENERTEC product line is the ENERTEC Embedded Solar Roof Module. Solar cells can be embedded in a proprietary fire proof skin resulting in substantial cost savings by eliminating heavy glass panels and aluminum racking required for traditional solar panels. Two barriers to greater adoption of solar energy are weight limitations of the roof on which solar panels could be deployed and onerous shipping and labour costs. A lighter product at a better price point will open a larger market for solar due to the faster return of capital investment especially for rural and remote users looking to go off-grid. Furthermore, the entire EHT embedded solar roof becomes a massive solar panel capable of producing significantly more energy than the home requires, allowing the structure to then become an important source of power for the local micro grid or large battery storage systems. About Growratio Inc. Growratio develops technology-focused solutions for vertically integrated cultivation operations, utilizing patented hardware and software, proprietary processes, and innovative business models to deliver significant advancements in controlled environment agriculture. Growratio is situated in the heart of the MaRS Discovery District in downtown Toronto, where it operates the first laboratory in the MaRS complex authorized by Health Canada to perform activities with medical cannabis. 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. The statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information relating to sales of the products (the "Opportunities") involves risk, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, for the Opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although EHT believes that the assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking information on the Opportunities outlined in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. EHT disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: John Gamble Director (289) 488-1699 jgamble@ehthybrid.com info@ehthybrid.com Website: www.ehthybrid.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44313 Forter PSD2 Solution for Merchants ensures compliance with EU regulation, while reducing friction within the customer experience Forter, the leading e-commerce fraud prevention company, today launches its PSD2-compliant merchant offering, Forter PSD2 Solution for Merchants. The comprehensive, payment processor-agnostic solution enables merchants to dynamically route customers to the path of least friction required, prevent all types of fraud and violations of business policies, and optimise the customer's payment experience all while meeting full PSD2 compliance. As of 14 September 2019, the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) introduces the requirement for merchants to authenticate online transactions within the European Economic Area using Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). Under SCA, merchants have to introduce additional friction into the purchasing process for customers, which will lead to increased drop-off rates, reduce overall conversion rates, and provide a poor customer experience. These changes could ultimately hurt revenue, so merchants must mitigate these challenges and minimise the impact of SCA to protect as much of their revenue as possible, all while maintaining compliance with PSD2. In addition, merchants who use multiple payment processors will require separate integrations for each to ensure total PSD2 compliance adding additional layers of complexity for merchants to tackle. Forter PSD2 Solution for Merchants simplifies PSD2 compliance to provide merchants with accurate fraud prevention and the ability to deliver a great customer experience across different payment service providers and geographical regions, via a processor-agnostic integration. Forter assesses the trustworthiness and risk associated with each transaction in real time and routes customers to the path of least friction such as Total Risk Assessment (TRA) exemptions when applicable. The solution identifies and provides SCA when authentication is required and can block suspicious actors or transactions before authentication is needed. In addition, Forter's fraud prevention platform protects merchants from threats not covered by PSD2 authentication requirements, such as account takeover and retailer policy abuse. "There is confusion around the complex requirements of PSD2 compliance, but what is clear is the resulting impact on customer relationships with merchants," said Michael Reitblat, CEO and Co-Founder of Forter. "The requirement of multi-factor authentication introduces friction into the transaction journey, potentially leading to purchase abandonment, reduced conversion rates, and decreased revenues. Having the ability to assess and route each transaction in real-time, no matter the processor or gateway used, allows merchants to be fully PSD2 compliant while delivering the best possible user experience increasing customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, revenue." Reitblat continues, "Another consideration is the evolution of fraud above and beyond the scope of PSD2. As we approach PSD2's implementation deadline, we'll likely see fraudsters focus on other types of fraud such as account takeover, loyalty programme fraud, and voucher abuse as well as non-EU transactions. Merchants should ensure they are prepared by integrating a real-time fraud prevention solution that guarantees PSD2 compliance, while protecting from all imminent threats." "Fraud is a constant concern, and we can't afford to take risks," said Juraj Striezenec, CFO at Kiwi.com. "We knew we wanted to work with the best fraud-prevention partner available, and Forter's suite of capabilities has been a game-changer for us. Knowing we can meet the requirements of PSD2, while also mitigating the friction introduced by SCA requirements, means we can focus on our core business objectives and drive overall engagement with consumers." About Forter Forter's End-to-End identity-based fraud prevention solution protects e-commerce merchants and marketplaces during every stage of the customer lifecycle with real-time notifications of fraud instances at both account level and the point of transaction. Companies are protected from account abuses such as account takeover, coupon abuse, loyalty point abuse etc. well before checkout, protecting precious customer trust. At checkout, Forter immediately approves or declines all online transactions while providing full chargeback coverage. Forter's solutions are powered by a unique blend of artificial intelligence and ongoing human research and analysis. This results in exceptional accuracy, an in-depth understanding of customers and their relationships, increased approvals, and the near elimination of false positives meaning a smoother and safer shopping experience, more sales and happier customers at a much lower cost. Forter processes more than 1 billion transactions each year and has raised more than $100 million in VC funding from companies like Sequoia Capital, Scale Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures March Capital, and NEA. About Kiwi.com Kiwi.com (formally known as SkyPicker) was founded in 2012 by Oliver Dlouhy and Jozef Kepesi. Powered by its proprietary algorithm that allows users to combine flights from over 750+ carriers (virtual interlining), including many that do not normally cooperate, and its industry-leading Kiwi.com Guarantee, it is one of the fastest growing technology companies in Central Europe. It entered the 2017 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA list in 7th place, becoming the highest ever ranked Czech company. Today, the company sees more than 100 million flight searches every day and employs over 2,600 people worldwide. For the second consecutive year, Kiwi.com was named the best Start-up of the Czech Republic by the Czech Forbes Magazine. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005496/en/ Contacts: James Fahy forter@gingermaypr.com +44 (0)203 642 1124 BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2019 / Kore Alliance, a nonprofit member organization of ultra-high net worth family offices from around the world, announced today its flagship program, Kore Venture, for high-net-worth inheritors is underway in the woods of upstate New York. It begins a unique 5-month journey preparing an exclusive group for the responsibilities and challenges of wealth. Kore Venture is specifically designed for the fast-growing group of millennials from ultra-high net worth families who will soon take responsibility for trillions of dollars in family wealth. Kore Venture co-founder, Andrew Doust commented, "While many inheritors attend the best schools and colleges, few are prepared for the complexities of ultra-high net worth inheritance the result of which is often the loss of wealth and more concerning the breakdown of family relationships." Doust continued stating, "Our vision is to help participants become their best self and grow in wisdom to steward wealth wisely." Kore Venture boasts an exceptional line-up of teachers including faculty from Stanford and Oxford Universities and leading family experts from around the world. Program presenter Dave Evans, co-author of Designing Your Life, and co-founder of the Stanford Life Design Lab added, "I'm delighted to be part of Kore Venture helping young people from families with abundance from around the world find purpose and meaning and most importantly to become wise stewards of their resources, opportunity, and potential to influence." The Kore Venture program begins with an outdoor survival experience led by the Bear Grylls Survival Academy which is designed to test limits and to develop the endurance and tenacity of participants. Following their experience in upstate New York (April), participants continue their learning at Oxford University (June) and complete the journey in Salzburg, Austria (August). Daryl Heald, Managing Director and co-founder of Kore Alliance, speaking from experience as part of the 3rd generation of Maclellan family based in Chattanooga, Tennessee added, "Kore Venture is unique in its focus on the individual rather than their wealth. We've seen in our own family, and with countless peers, that the key to preparing young inheritors is not solely financial competence, but growth in character and wisdom. When family wealth is passed on without the values and wisdom to properly steward it, it can be deeply destructive for everyone involved." About Kore Venture Kore Venture is the flagship program of Kore Alliance, a nonprofit member organization of ultra-wealthy families from around the world that come together as families to share knowledge, opportunities, relationships and experiences. Kore Venture is a nonprofit initiative. There is no marketing to participants at any point during or following the program. Applications for the current cohort are closed; applications for the next intake can be made online at www.koreventure.org or by calling, +1 617 466 6428. About Kore Alliance From New York to Cairo, London to Sydney, Budapest to Hong Kong, no two Kore families are alike. But we're all here for the same reasons: seeking connections with like-minded peers, and together, searching for answers to the questions we share. Our three founding members - Daryl Heald, James Dilworth, and David Beatty have spent their personal and professional lives creating deep relationships with families around the world who wish to make meaningful connections with peers: people who share their financial position, and whose lives are guided by the same values and principles. If you're on a similar journey, searching for something more, we invite you to become a part of our story at www.korealliance.org. For media inquiries contact: Bill Conboy, BC Capital Partners bill@bccapitalpartners.com 303-415-2290 SOURCE: Kore Alliance View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/542974/Kore-Venture-Program-Commences-Preparing-Millennial-Ultra-High-Net-Worth-Inheritors 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. Seattle, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - CFN Media Group ("CFN Media"), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, announces publication of an article discussing the importance of cannabis genetics and The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc.'s (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FSE: 53S1) recent move to focus on cannabis genetics as a key differentiator in the space. Cannabis cultivators and budtenders love to talk about genetics. While everyone has an opinion on the effects of specific strains, recent research suggests that the effects of cannabis aren't necessarily consistent with strains, and the generally accepted classifications of indiva, sativa and hybrid varieties may be flawed. Very few companies are investing in truly understanding cannabis genetics, creating new strains, and patenting them. Cannabis Genetics Decoded The biggest problem with cannabis genetics is basic quality control. According to one study, 35 percent of more than 80 strains tested had genetics that didn't match the strain that was being sold. Consumers were buying Sativa strains that were advertised as Indica and Indica strains being advertised as Sativa. Consumers have gravitated towards brands that they can trust to deliver a consistent experience by properly labeling strains. In addition to accurate labeling, cannabis genetics is important for creating the desired effects in consumers and patients. Medical cannabis patients have very different requirements than recreational cannabis users, and understanding and fine-tuning the genetics can help cater products to both of these end markets. With more than 25,000 different genes in the cannabis plant, research in this area is only starting to scratch the surface of what's possible. Cannabis genetics are important for cultivators looking to create proprietary products. With a detailed understanding of the underlying genetics, cultivators can file for patents and license strains to other growers. These dynamics could pave the way for pharmaceutical-grade cannabis products, as well as innovative new licensing-based business models. Companies involved early on in these trends could benefit the most from the long-term potential. Supreme Focuses on Genetics There are several companies focused on understanding and leveraging cannabis genetics to their advantage, but few have the experience necessary to truly drive significant value. Supreme Cannabis is a Canadian licensed producer that recently formed a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Cambium Plant Sciences, to lead the agricultural revolution of cannabis genetics, redefine consumer experiences, and improve cultivation economics worldwide. "Our proprietary genetics selection methodology and ability to cultivate high-end cannabis at scale at 7ACRES has created strong industry demand for our proprietary genetics and cultivation techniques," said Supreme Cannabis CEO Navdeep Dhaliwal. "It was as a result of the demand that we saw a global opportunity to create a company whose sole focus is innovating plant genetics and cultivation IP for the global cannabis market. We believe genetics are the foundation of proprietary cannabis products in the long term." Cambium Plant Sciences will develop cultivars that benefit the company's in-house brands, as well as their domestic and global cultivation and manufacturing partners. Using 7ACRES' established genetics, existing infrastructure, and experienced team, the company will enjoy a significant advantage in scaling up its understanding of plant genetics and gain long-term access to the technologies needed to scale up production. Looking Ahead The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FSE: 53S1) will invest approximately $14 million in developing a leading research and innovation facility to house the new subsidiary. The facility will include proprietary grow rooms, breeding rooms, and supporting infrastructure in an existing 34,000 sq. ft. facility. Management has already commenced the licensing process and will begin retrofitting the facility early this summer. Investors may want to take a closer look at the company given these efforts. In addition to supporting the improvement of its existing award-winning products, the move could pave the way toward lucrative new business models and licensing agreements. For more information, visit the company's website at www.supreme.ca. Please follow the link to read the full article on CFN: https://www.cannabisfn.com/why-cannabis-genetics-matter-how-to-invest-in-innovations/ About CFN Media CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed. Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8 Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com Disclaimer CannabisFN.com is not an independent financial investment advisor or broker-dealer. You should always consult with your own independent legal, tax, and/or investment professionals before making any investment decisions. The information provided on http://www.cannabisfn.com (the 'Site') is either original financial news or paid advertisements drafted by our in-house team or provided by an affiliate. CannabisFN.com, a financial news media and marketing firm enters into media buys or service agreements with the companies that are the subject of the articles posted on the Site or other editorials for advertising such companies. We are not an independent news media provider. We make no warranty or representation about the information including its completeness, accuracy, truthfulness or reliability and we disclaim, expressly and implicitly, all warranties of any kind, including whether the Information is complete, accurate, truthful, or reliable. As such, your use of the information is at your own risk. Nor do we undertake any obligation to update the items posted. CannabisFN.com received compensation for producing and presenting high quality and sophisticated content on CannabisFN.com along with financial and corporate news. The above article is sponsored content. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, has been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/ Frank Lane 206-369-7050 Flane@cannabisfn.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44302 April 25, 2019 Key technology of the multi-component solution is the VitalSky personalized light therapy system, now with CE Mark as a medical device VitalSky improves sleep quality in intensive care patients to help reduce delirium Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Royal Philips an integrated multi-component solution focused on supporting hospitals with a non-pharmacological approach to reducing delirium. A unique, key component of the approach is VitalSky, a personalized light therapy system, designed for clinical use in the intensive care unit (ICU). The innovative system recently received CE Mark and is now commercially available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland and Sweden, with market launches planned in other European countries over the next two years. Delirium challenge in Intensive Care Medicine Delirium, a serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment, occurs in 30% to 80% of all ICU patients, making it the most common form of cognitive dysfunction in intensive care medicine [1]. The occurrence of this cerebral impairment during intensive care treatment has far-reaching consequences, doubling the mortality risk of patients in ICUs and even tripling mortality in the first six months following discharge from the hospital [1,2]. In view of these statistics, guidelines recommend systematic delirium screening for all patients in ICUs and the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions to prevent delirium, such as mobilizing patients during the day and introducing measures to promote sleep at night [3]. "With VitalMinds, we have developed a new concept that combines light and sound management, circadian-effective light therapy, staff training and consulting services, to help hospitals reduce delirium and improve patient recovery in the ICU," said Felix Baader, Business Leader, Monitoring Analytics at Philips. "This integrated approach is based on international ICU guidelines and supports hospitals in achieving the quadruple aim to improve patient and staff experience, deliver better health outcomes, and drive lower costs in intensive care medicine." VitalSky for Personalized Light Therapy The VitalSky light therapy system provides a circadian-effective program to support the sleep-wake rhythm of patients. This program simulates the natural progression of daylight using a spectrum of glare-free white light provided by a large luminous LED ceiling. The light conditions can be personalized to the needs of the individual patient. The system also provides premium-quality workplace lighting to support favorable treatment conditions. Advanced features include the additional option of playing calming nature scenes in full-color, soft-focus video, and the future enablement of cognitive training is also planned. The various programs and settings can be selected and adjusted quickly and easily via a portable user interface. "In the framework of a multi-component approach at Marien Hospital in Wesel, Germany, we aim to prevent delirium in the ICU. For this purpose, the light therapy technology of the VitalSky system is an essential environmental element which will help us to support the circadian rhythm of patients," said Dr. Marc Achilles, Chief Physician of anesthesiology and intensive care medicine, Marien Hospital. "We are proud to be the first hospital worldwide where this system is installed." Improved Patient Environment Supports the Reduction of Delirium Recent results from the VITALITY study of the Charite University Hospital in Berlin demonstrate the important role of an improved patient environment, including circadian-effective light therapy for the recovery process and the prevention of delirium in the ICU. The preliminary results of the VITALITY study show a statistically significant reduction of 39% in the incidence of delirium for patients treated in modified ICU rooms compared to patients treated in standard rooms [4]. More information on the VITALITY study results is available here . For further information on how Philips is supporting delirium prevention, visit VitalMinds .* [1]] Ouimet S. et al., Intensive Care Med, 2007, 33 [4] Luetz A. et al., Intensive Care Medicine Experimental, 2018, 6 (Suppl 2):40 *VitalMinds and VitalSky are not available for sale outside of the European market. For further information, please contact: Kathy O'Reilly? Philips Group Press Office Mobile: +1 978-221-8919 E-mail: kathy.oreilly@philips.com Anke Ellingen Philips Germany Mobile: +49 1522 2814645 Email: Anke.Ellingen@Philips.com About Royal Philips Royal Philips. Attachments New feature helps reduce caregivers' walking time; enables more streamlined workflows in elderly care facilities BAAR, Switzerland, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascom (SWX:ASCN.SW), a global solutions provider focused on healthcare ICT and mobile workflow solutions, has added wireless speech functionality to its latest version of the Ascom teleCARE IP emergency call system. The new feature promises to help reduce the time spent by staff walking to investigate calls from residents in continuing and elderly care facilities. Ascom teleCARE IP has always had hardwired speech functionality. But by making it wireless, residents can simply use their normal mobile phones to communicate directly with caregivers via Ascom teleCARE IP. Caregivers can communicate with residents while on the go, and can deal with residents' calls before walking to investigate. The newly released (Ascom teleCARE IP 12) is available globally. The latest version also features several technical enhancements including a new system configuration application. "The new release," comments Ascom CTO Andre Neu, "illustrates how Ascom innovation delivers real, tangible benefits to residents, caregivers and care facilities. By adding wireless speech, we've made it even easier for residents to contact caregivers-which can help reassure residents and their families. For caregivers, wireless speech helps to streamline workflows, and to simultaneously improve efficiency and residents' safety and comfort." About Ascom Ascom is a global solutions provider focused on healthcare ICT and mobile workflow solutions. The vision of Ascom is to close digital information gaps allowing for the best possible decisions - anytime and anywhere. Ascom's mission is to provide mission-critical, real-time solutions for highly mobile, ad hoc, and time-sensitive environments. Ascom uses its unique product and solutions portfolio and software architecture capabilities to devise integration and mobilization solutions that provide truly smooth, complete, and efficient workflows for healthcare as well as for industry and retail sectors. Ascom is headquartered in Baar (Switzerland), has operating businesses in 18 countries and employs around 1,300 people worldwide. Ascom registered shares (ASCN) are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich. MONTREAL, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LGC Capital Ltd. (TSXV: LG) (OTCQB: LGGCF) ("LGC") is pleased to announce that it has obtained conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange for its previously announced financing with Arlington Capital (please refer to LGC's press release dated January 24, 2019). Since that announcement, both parties have agreed to increase the financing to $10.4 million from the previously announced $8 million. Pursuant to the private placement, Arlington Capital will subscribe for a total of 104,000,000 common shares of LGC at a price of $0.10 per share. As a result of this private placement, Arlington Capital will, on closing, become LGC's largest shareholder holding 19.97% of LGC's issued and outstanding common shares. There are no warrants with this financing. Use of proceeds are to accelerate LGC's group of companies' business plan for the current calendar year. As previously announced, on closing of the private placement, LGC will pay a 3% finder's fee to an arms-length third party, and Arlington Capital will be entitled to appoint a representative to LGC's board of directors. Closing of this transaction is expected within the next week. About LGC Capital: Through its partners and assuming pending transactions under review by the TSXV are approved, LGC presently will have interests in over 450,000 square feet of planted cannabis in Jamaica, Switzerland, Italy, and Australia. That is expected to increase to over 2,100,000 square feet by 2021, as its portfolio companies execute their expansion plans, in addition to the anticipated licensing of Tricho-Med's operations in Quebec, Canada. LGC partners currently sell cannabis products across Switzerland and Italy under the ONE Premium Cannabis and EasyJoint brands as well as medical cannabis oils in Australia under the Little Green Pharma brand. LGC's partners' branded products are available in a variety of formats including dry cannabis flower, tinctures, oils, seeds, and beverages. For further information please contact: President, John McMullen, +1-416-803-0698, john@lgc-capital.com Chief Financial Officer, Mark Shinners, mark@lgc-capital.com Investor Relations, Dave Burwell, +1-403-221-0915, dave@howardgroupinc.com Caution Regarding Press Releases Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - Next Green Wave Holdings Inc. (CSE: NGW) (OTCQB: NXGWF) ("Next Green Wave", "NGW" or the "Company") announces that it intends to conduct a non-brokered private placement of 6,000 unsecured convertible notes at the price of $1,000 per convertible note (the "Notes") totaling $6,000,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering will be issuable in two tranches ("Tranche 1" and "Tranche 2"). The purpose and structure of the Offerings is to provide the Company with the financial flexibility to execute its rapid growth strategy model while continuing to maintain and protect shareholder value. "The closing of this Offering will allow Next Green Wave the financial flexibility to be aggressive in rapidly expanding its operations and distribution of its brands and products in California," said CEO, Leigh Hughes. "These funding partners have selectively invested in cannabis companies and this commitment ensures we protect our shareholder value moving forward." Terms of the Notes: Tranche 1 will consist of 3,000 Notes and Tranche 2 will consist of 3,000 Notes issuable upon an irrevocable draw down notice delivered by the Company to the subscribers and the issuance of a press release announcing Tranche 2 not later than 45 days following the closing date of Tranche 1. The Notes will mature and be repayable on a date that is 24 months from the relevant Tranche 1 or Tranche 2 closing date and will accrue interest at the rate of 8.5 per cent per annum payable in arrears semi-annually on June 30 and December 30 of each year. The principal amount is convertible, for no additional consideration, into common shares of NGW (the "Shares") at the option of the holder at any time prior to the close of business on the maturity date, at a conversion price equal to the 5 trading day VWAP immediately preceding the closing date of the relevant Tranche 1 or Tranche 2 (each a "Conversion Price"). In connection with the issuance of each relevant tranche, the subscribers of the Notes will be issued non-transferable common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants") entitling the purchase of 100% of the number of Shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes. Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issue. Warrants issued pursuant to each tranche will have an exercise price equal to a 25% premium to the Conversion Price of the relevant tranche (the "Exercise Price"). The Company may force the conversion of the Notes and exercise of the Warrants if the Conversion Price or Exercise Price, as the case may be, is greater than a 100% premium to the applicable Conversion Price or Exercise Price as the case may be. Closing of the Offering remains subject to the Company's filing requirements with the CSE. M Partners Inc. acted as an advisor to the Company in respect of the Offering. The Company will pay an advisory fee to M Partners Inc. in connection with their role in the issuance of Notes under the Offering. The Notes, the Warrants, and the Shares issuable on conversion or exercise thereof will be subject to a statutory hold period expiring on the date that is four months and one day after the relevant Tranche 1 or Tranche 2 closing. About Next Green Wave Next Green Wave is a vertically integrated seed-to-consumer premium medicinal and recreational cannabis company operating in California. The Company's first state-of-the-art indoor facility (35,000 ft.2) is now entering production with future plans to expand the 15 acres of cannabis zoned land it is situated on. NGW has acquired a seed library of over 120 strains which include several award-winning genetics and cultivars. Recent acquisition of SDC Ventures will complement NGW's branded products and accelerate the company to revenue through SDC' existing partnerships and labels. The investment in OMG will provide NGW access to distribution through the licensing of our brands through Colombia. To find out more visit us at www.nextgreenwave.com or follow us on Twitter at @nextgreenwave, on Instagram, and LinkedIn. On behalf of the board, Leigh Hughes, CEO and Executive Chairman Next Green Wave Holdings Inc. 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, including closing of Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 of the Notes; 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 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 (778) 589-2848 IR@nextgreenwave.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44305 Photo: File photo UPDATE: 6:30 p.m. More than $1 million was raised for the KGH Foundation Thursday, during the charitable organization's third-annual Day of Giving. The record-breaking day of donations will go towards the foundation's $7 million goal for cardiac care at the hospital. Quite frankly, Im still in shock, said Doug Rankmore, CEO of the KGH Foundation. Its clear the need is real, and felt by so many across the valley. The money will go towards bringing heart rhythm services to KGH. Currently, patients with cardiac arrhythmias must travel Vancouver or Victoria, often waiting weeks for treatment. Darrell and Margaret Porubanec matched donations up to $250,000. "We couldnt be more proud to live in Kelowna and be surrounded by so many giving individuals," Margaret said. "This is a cause thats very close to our hearts. Our son required and will continue to require heart rhythm services, and soon it will be available here. How amazing to witness such true acts of community philanthropy today. Additionally, an anonymous donor matched all donations above the Porubanec's $250,000, bringing the final total to $1,042,761. ORIGINAL: 5 a.m. Darrell and Margaret Porubanec know first hand the importance of the heart services. The Kelowna couple witnessed their 22-year-old son, Trevor, fall to the floor unresponsive, later to be diagnosed with a life-threatening heart rhythm condition. Its called Brugada Syndrome, and it causes the heart to race beyond its ability to pump blood, said Margaret. As a parent you want to keep your children safe and protected, so when Trevor collapsed, I called 911 and started to administer CPR, but felt utterly helpless. Medical staff at Kelowna General Hospital saved Trevors life, but he required immediate diagnostic attention to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest and treat future episodes. Heart rhythm services are not currently available at KGH, so Trevor had to be airlifted to Victoria. It was a long journey into this world we knew nothing about, and one that was made equally more challenging by being away from home, recalls Darrell. When your child is leaving in a medevac jet and you dont know what the future holds, youd do anything to create one small element of normal. If we can help families at least not have to worry about travel and being away from home, I feel like were doing our part to help an already very difficult situation. To show their appreciation, Darrell and Margaret, with the support of their sons Trevor and Murray, will be matching all donations today the KGH Foundation's Day of Giving. Funds will go towards the KGH Foundations campaign to complete the cardiac program with the addition of Advanced Heart Rhythm Services. Were amazed at the support in this community, especially when a family makes it their purpose to inspire others, said Doug Rankmore, CEO of the KGH Foundation. And now people who are thinking of giving, can know that whatever they donate will be doubled its pretty powerful. The cardiac program at KGH rivals any in the country. Now serving as the largest referral hospital for specialized care in the BC interior, Kelowna General is no longer just a community hospital. Of the hospitals 400 beds, an estimated 100 are occupied by patients from out of town, many of them receiving care for cardiac conditions. Trevor required an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) to be placed inside his body, so that should another episode occur, the ICD could restart his heart instantly. And soon, with the addition of an Electrophysiology Lab, patients like Trevor can receive the specialized care they require, right here at KGH. To donate, click here. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - International Zeolite Corp. (TSXV: IZ) (OTCQB: IZCFF) (FSE: ZEON) (the "Company") an international marketer and supplier of natural zeolite and zeolite products is pleased to provide a Company update. Over the past several months, International Zeolite has achieved a number of milestones which have both strengthened our company and enhanced our future prospects. Our goal is to further enable commercialization in several segments of the zeolite market where International Zeolite's Bromley Creek zeolite has notable performance advantages. These large opportunities are the main focus of the Company's latest months of efforts. Quarterly Update: Management has been actively progressing the development of new products for the agricultural sector including the completion of the second phase of testing of the Company's poultry feed additive, meetings with new commercial and industrial clients in eastern Canada and exhibiting at the upcoming National Hardware Show in Las Vegas in May. The confirmation of the significant economic and health benefits of the Bromley Creek Poultry Additive for use in both organic and antibiotic free farming operations opens the door to new agricultural markets across Canada. Having already received Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) certification for soil amendment and feed additives for Bromley Creek Zeolite, the Company has embarked on the same certification process for its other sources of zeolite in an aim to meet the Company's mission to be the most cost effective and tractable source of zeolite products in Canada. Earth Innovations Inc., the Company's sales and marketing division continued to see a positive year over year growth in sales in the first quarter. Sales of ecoTraction and ecoTractionPRO performed well over this 2018-2019 winter season. Larger scale pilot projects with municipalities in Ontario are anticipated for the coming 2019-2020 season. Full first quarter financial results will be released in late May. 2019 Work programs Bromley Creek Deposit: Data from the September 10, 2018 Ground Penetrating Radar Survey and the September 17, 2018 NI-43-101 within the Mine Lease will be implemented this year with regard to defining the upslope limit of the zeolite horizon and clearing off the overburden from the ground above the quarry for further quarrying in 2019. Sun Group Deposit: 2019 Notice of Work has been filed with the Ministry of Energy and Mines as recommended in the Company's June 30, 2018 NI 43-101. The proposed exploration program consists of 30 diamond drill holes of 30 metres each, totaling 900 metres, broken into Phase I and Phase II programs. Further to the Company's news release dated April 9, 2019 the Company confirms that, in accordance with TSX Venture Exchange policies, no options will be granted to the named market maker, Venture Liquidity Partners Inc. On Behalf of the Board "Ray Paquette" President & CEO For further information, please visit www.internationalzeolite.com For Investor Inquiries: info@internationalzeolite.com For Sales and Commercial Inquiries: sales@earthinnovations.ca Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future expenditures. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others, the ability to complete contemplated work programs and the timing and amount of expenditures. International Zeolite does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. 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/44307 CannabisNewsWire Editorial Coverage DENVER, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The explosive growth recently seen in the cannabis industry presents a rare chance for savvy companies to profit in a virtually untapped market. Legal marijuana market projected to reach $146.4 billion . . United States and Canada current epicenter of cannabis growth. and current epicenter of cannabis growth. Brand recognition and retail reach imperative for market share. The cannabis bonanza has created a rare window of opportunity for companies that are able to capture market share and create long-term success. Brand recognition and retail reach look to be key to obtaining these lucrative rewards. Shortly after posting its tenth consecutive quarter of increased revenues, Wildflower Brands Inc. (OTC:WLDFF) (CSE:SUN) ( WLDFF Profile ) announced intentions to further expand its footprint with the acquisition of premier licensed cannabis retailer, City Cannabis Corp. A finalized accretive acquisition will add significant revenues to Wildflower, providing access to several valuable cannabis licenses in lucrative premium locations. Other companies in the sector are also looking to grow in the market through a variety of promising ways. Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE:ACB) (TSX:ACB) announced it has entered into a binding letter agreement with Hempco Food and Fiber Inc. to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Hempco not already owned by Aurora. Green Thumb Industries Inc. (OTC:GTBIF) (CSE:GTII) has closed on the acquisition of Los Angeles-based For Success Holding Company, the creator of Beboe branded cannabis products. Acreage Holdings Inc. (OTC:ACRGF) (CSE:ACRG) announced that it has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement that grants Canopy Growth the right to acquire 100% of its shares. And as part of its strategy to become a multistate operator, Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE:CHOO) (OTC:CHOOF) (Profile) has signed a letter of intent to purchase a 95% equity interest in a Florida-based vertically integrated cannabis applicant. To view an infographic of this editorial, click here. Extraordinary Market Development The extraordinary development of the cannabis industry can be tied at least in part to a wave of public support that has turned into overwhelming acceptance. Fifteen years ago, only a third of Americans were in favor of federal legalization of marijuana. Today, an estimated two-thirds of Americans support legalization, up from only 54% two years ago. Among adults under age 35, a whopping 85% favor federal legalization. Public acceptance gained so much momentum so fast that the cannabis industry is struggling to meet the demand. As the cannabis industry and markets mature, acquisition and consolidation announcements have become almost daily occurrences. The global legal marijuana market, valued at $9.3 billion in 2016, is expected to reach $146.4 billion by the end of 2025, an incredible 16-fold increase over nine years. Legal cannabis markets are still relatively new, and the market is nowhere near its total sales potential. An estimated 272 million global consumers use cannabis, equivalent to only about 4% of the world's population. Staggering increases in those numbers appear to be all but certain. Perhaps nowhere is this hyper-growth more spectacular than North America. Wall Street's top cannabis analyst forecasts the U.S. market to grow to $80 billion by 2030 assuming national availability. Center for Growth Cannabis demand is even greater north of the border. The industry has been facing cannabis supply shortages ever since recreational cannabis was legalized across Canada. For example, the cannabis market in country's westernmost province, British Columbia, registered slightly over CA$19 million in legal cannabis sales in 2018, but that number is projected expected to explode to CA$722 million in annual sales in the next five years by - a mind-boggling 37-fold increase over six years. Pegged to soar nearly 3,700% by 2024, British Columbia is an ideal center for cannabis growth. Headquartered in the heart of this upsurge, Wildflower Brands Inc. (OTCQB:WLDFF) (CSE:SUN) has already staked out an enviable market position and is further expanding its retail footprint and product distribution in the province. The company announced that it intends to acquire City Cannabis Corp. in an all-stock deal. Holding two of the three City of Vancouver licenses to sell cannabis, City Cannabis is a premier cannabis retailer and the only company with multiple licenses in British Columbia. The Letter of Intent looks to solidify Wildflower's position as a high-profile retail outlet of premium brands generating millions in revenues right in the heart of the B.C. cannabis boom. "City Cannabis and Wildflower are the perfect combination of premier products and a premier consumer retail experience," said Wildflower CEO William MacLean. "City Cannabis' retail consumer data and insight will help shape development of Wildflower's product line-up while the retail expertise of City Cannabis will aid Wildflower in its retail expansion. The combination of Wildflower and City Cannabis will form a truly global cannabis company." First established in British Columbia in 2012, Wildflower now has a retail reach that extends from Vancouver to New York. Wildflower Brands is constantly expanding development, design, marketing and retail distribution of its branded products in the cannabis sector. The company launched into Washington State in 2016 and has seen consistent growth ever since. Creating a Global Brand Today Wildflower markets its distinctive CBD+ products to more than 300 retailers in the health and wellness sector and operates in regulated cannabis markets throughout North America in accordance with jurisdictional regulations for THC and CBD+ products. Wildflower's unique and holistic products are developed and manufactured at the company's U.S.-based GMP facilities, tested by a third-party lab and backed by a 100%-satisfaction guarantee. Each Wildflower product is synergistically formulated to create a unified global wellness brand. For example, Wildflower's highly recognized Wildflower Wellness brand offers a broad array of hemp-based, full-spectrum, CBD-infused products from vaporizers and capsules to tinctures, soaps and topicals. The company's King Recharge is on the cutting edge of cannabis technology and delivery systems with its King Extracts, a sleek, rechargeable vaporizer offering five popular CBD strains and a unique pocket-sized charging and storage case. Closely associated with select hospital oncology departments, Exclusive is Wildflower's Los Angeles-based dispensary of premium cannabis products. Wildflower already owns 14 cannabis licenses in California for recreational and medical cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, retail and delivery. Activating all these licenses could be a jackpot for the company, driving revenues while minimizing risk. Expansion into Canada with the acquisition of City Cannabis is the next step in Wildflower's global strategy. The thriving retail outlet, with licenses for several more locations, provides Wildflower with a high-profile presence in what may be one of the greatest growth markets in the world. Wildflower plans to market its enormously successful products through the outlet and launch into the over-the-counter market with its CBD formulations and accessories. An Expanding Footprint Wildflower's U.S. presence now encompasses more than 200 retailers in Washington state and more than 20 retailers in New York City. The company partnered with Retail Worx to establish shop-in-shop retail locations in the nucleus of New York and open its first Wildflower by Bridges General store. A clear next move for Wildflower in this partnership is a rollout into other Bridges General's stores in New York City and San Francisco. Retail distribution in other major U.S. markets includes over 80 wellness and healthcare practitioners and an army of retail stores nationwide numbering in the hundreds. Wildflower is aggressively expanding both brand recognition and retail reach. Wildflower continues to capture increasing market share with innovation, retail expansion and a growing family of popular brands. The company's strategic partnerships, acquisitions and organic growth are all strengthened by the company's focus on creating loyal consumers. Grabbing national and celebrity attention, Wildflower used ingenious product placement during the 2019 Oscars by including its CBD+ Healing Stick in each of the gift bags of the stars, and Hollywood is embracing the product. But Wildflower didn't just aim for the stars. Wildflower launched an infomercial campaign in Phoenix promoting the company's Wellness' Cool Stick. And across the country, the company has employed an innovative pop-up store technique in SoHo, New York, to introduce its Wildflower Wellness products. To make this happen, Wildflower identified a compatible high-profile retail venue and struck a deal with the outlet, then marketed its products with fanfare in the upscale establishment for a limited time period, raising market uptake and visibility. Clearly Wildflower seems to be on a mission to create a global cannabis enterprise. With such rapid expansion of brand recognition and retail distribution, Wildflower is firmly establishing its hold on the cannabis bonanza. Buying Up Cannabis And Wildflower isn't alone in focusing on the booming cannabis business. Several market leaders have announced recent moves designed to strengthen their positions in the sector. With its acquisition of the remaining common shares of Hempco, Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE:ACB) (TSX:ACB) gains low-cost, high-volume access to hemp for the extraction of CBD, a component that has been recognized for its therapeutic benefits across a wide range of medical indications and wellness applications. Aurora recognized this potential early, investing in Hempco as early as 2017. The company subsequently expanded its hemp-based infrastructure through the acquisitions of Agropro, Borela and ICC Labs. By acquiring the Beboe product line, Green Thumb Industries Inc. (OTCQX:GTBIF) (CSE:GTII) reinforces its commitment to provide nationwide access to safe and effective cannabis. "The meticulously crafted suite of Beboe products supports the premium segment within GTI's brand portfolio and is firmly aligned with our long-term growth strategy," said GTI founder and CEO Ben Kovler. "Beboe has an extremely talented team, a robust innovation pipeline, an aligned vision on the future of cannabis and a ground-breaking partnership with Barneys New York. We are thrilled to have the visionary Beboe team officially on board with GTI." Acreage Holdings Inc.'s (OTCQX:ACRGF) (CSE:ACRG) agreement with Canopy Growth gives CGC the right to acquire 100% of the shares of Acreage, with a requirement to do so when cannabis production and sale becomes federally legal in the United States. "From the first day we created our company, providing exceptional customer care and delivering shareholder value have been our top priorities," said Acreage Holdings chairman, CEO and president Kevin Murphy. "This transaction will help accomplish both. When the right is exercised, having access to Canopy Growth's deep resources will enable us to innovate, develop and distribute quality cannabis brands across the U.S. and continue expanding our U.S. footprint. At the same time, a confluence of factors is making it much more difficult for a multi-state operator to achieve its full potential, including the enormous amount of cash required to scale. Our Board of Directors, management team and I are pleased to deliver significantly increased liquidity to our shareholders and put ourselves in an even stronger position to deliver continued and significant upside." An emerging adult and medical use cannabis company that has secured one of the largest national retail networks in Canada, Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) is looking to expand into Florida. The cannabis applicant at the heart of the company's equity interest agreement is progressing on its master license application to operate up to 25 retail locations as well as a microprocessing and cultivation facility for medical purposes. Upon completion of the transaction, Choom will use its medical brand, Clarity Medical Centres, to create a network of branded medical marijuana treatment centers. Some have called what is happening now in the cannabis sector a once-in-a-generation opportunity and predict that this is the start of a decade-long cannabis bull market. 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Please feel free to visit the Investor Brand Network (IBN) http://www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com Corporate Communications Contact: CannabisNewsWire (CNW) Denver, Colorado www.CannabisNewsWire.com 303-498-7722 Office Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com Media Contact: FN Media Group, LLC NNW@FinancialNewsMedia.com +1-(954)345-0611 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MYM Nutraceuticals Inc., (CSE: MYM) (CSE: MYM.CN) (OTCBB: MYMMF) ("MYM" or "The Company") is pleased to announce the formation of a Nevada Company, MYM One World LLC, to facilitate the joint multi-year co-operative agreement between MYM and Aqueous Sciences, a subsidiary of One World Ventures Inc (OWVI). The company's mandate is to cultivate, extract & distribute 3,000 acres of hemp on Navajo Nation land located near the four corners area of Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, USA. The purpose of organizing a new company to cultivate, extract, and distribute hemp is so each corporation will own 50%. MYM and Aqueous also plan to extend their activities to include the extraction, manufacture and distribution of hemp based products that will comply with Navajo Nation, USDA, FDA and FTC regulations and requirements. "Our partnership with Aqueous to cultivate 3,000 acres of CBD-rich hemp has taken another step forward today with the formation of MYM One World LLC," said Howard Steinberg, CEO of MYM. "Our team is currently preparing the fields for the 2019 growing season. We're looking forward to exceeding the results of last year's test crop that was successful in growing an abundance of CBD-rich hemp." MYM and Aqueous are funding the venture with up to an initial amount of $2,000,000 USD for operating and capital costs. Aqueous is providing all labour, site management, and other resources as necessary to operate the business. Aqueous will ensure all regulatory approvals and compliance necessary to successfully cultivate legal hemp plants upon the Navajo Nation. MYM is providing expertise and support in growing procedure, import/export facilitation, access to its research and development team, and distribution. "We are very excited about the formation of MYM One World LLC and preparing the fields to plant lab tested, CBD-rich hemp seeds as we speak," said DaMu Lin, CEO of OWVI. "As legal production of cannabis is rapidly increasing worldwide, so has the demand for hemp derived products and these experienced farmers along with their 200,000 acres of irrigated, ready to grow fields, are ready to jump in." "This is a step forward for our Navajo farmers and Native America in revitalizing our traditional culture within an agricultural context and to be part of this emerging industry," added Dineh Benally, President of the Navajo Nation San Juan River Farm Board. "Exercising Sovereignty, Traditional and Fundamental Law with a legal, compliant hemp framework in place that also considers their traditional crops and growing season, the Navajo and all Native people around the world can be in a better position to improve their economy of their communities by participating in this global business venture." For more information visit www.oneworldventuresinc.com www.mym.ca www.nativeamericanagriculture.com www.aqueousic.com About MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. is an innovative company focused on the global growth of Cannabis and hemp. To ensure a strong presence and growth potential within the industry, MYM is actively looking to acquire complementary businesses and assets in the technology, nutraceuticals and CBD sectors. MYM shares trade in Canada, Germany and the USA under the following symbols: (CSE:MYM) (OTC:MYMMF) (FRA:0MY) (DEU:0MY) (MUN:0MY) (STU:0MY). ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Howard Steinberg, CEO MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. www.mym.ca This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results. Such statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise or update such statements. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedar.com. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE or CNSX Markets), nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the CSE), accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities law and may not be offered or sold in the "United States", as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. Keep up to date with MYM on our social media channels: Twitter: @mymnutra Facebook: @mymnutra Instagram: @mymnutra Investor Relations Billy Casselman +1-778-522-2261 investors@mym.ca CALGARY, AB, and SAN ANTONIO, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2019 / Emerald Bay Energy Inc. (TSX Venture: EBY, OTC: EMBYF) (the "Company" or "Emerald Bay") is pleased to announce that the electrical upgrades have been completed on the Kuhn lease at the Company's Wooden Horse project in South Texas. The upgrades will allow the Company to pump the Kuhn 4 and Kuhn A5 wells simultaneously, as well as the Kuhn 3 well when it is brought on production. Shelby Beattie, President and CEO of the Company commented, "We are very pleased to have the electrical upgrades completed. Without this electrical infrastructure we have not been able to consistently, and simultaneously, pump the Kuhn wells with the high fluid volumes that they now produce. The Kuhn 4 and Kuhn A5 wells are now online and producing approximately 2,100 bbls/day of total fluid with an oil cut between 1-2%. As we move forward we will increase the rates of these two wells and bring the Kuhn 3 well on production. Additionally, it is likely that we will increase the fluid volume produced from Kuhn A5 by fracking it at some point in the near future. It is our experience that when these wells are consistently produced there is a corresponding increase in the oil cut percentage. The Company's production target for the three Kuhn wells is a collective total fluid volume of approximately 5,000 barrels per day with an oil cut of 3-4%. We are confident that with the electrical upgrades completed, we will be able to realize the full potential of the Kuhn wells." About Emerald Bay Emerald Bay Energy Inc. (TSX Venture: EBY, OTC: EMBYF) is an energy company with oil producing properties in Southwest Texas as well as non-operated oil and natural gas interests in Central Alberta, Canada. EBY is the operator of the Wooden Horse and Nash Creek Projects in Guadeloupe, Texas, where the Company currently now owns a 50.00% working interest those projects. Additionally, the Company owns and operates various working interests in the HugoCellR, Cotulla, and MarPat partnerships. The Company also owns 75% of Production Resources Inc., a South Texas oil company. For all upcoming news releases, articles, comments and questions, to stay updated and speak with management about Emerald Bay Energy. Please JOIN our Investor Information Group at: http://bit.ly/8020EBY For further information, please contact: Emerald Bay President, Shelby D. Beattie, by telephone at (403) 262-6000 Email: info@ebyinc.com www.ebyinc.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: Emerald Bay Energy Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/542982/Emerald-Bay-Energy-Completes-Electrical-Upgrades-on-Kuhn-Lease Voluntary Recall and Exchange Program Apple today announced a voluntary recall of AC wall plug adapters designed for use primarily in Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Kingdom. In very rare cases, affected Apple three-prong wall plug adapters may break and create a risk of electrical shock if touched. These wall plug adapters shipped with Mac and certain iOS devices between 2003 and 2010 and were also included in the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit. Apple is aware of six incidents worldwide. The recall does not affect any Apple USB power adapters. Because customer safety is a top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using affected plug adapters. Customers should visit www.apple.com/support/three-prong-ac-wall-plug-adapter/ for details about how to exchange them for new adapters. An affected three-prong plug adapter is white, with no letters on the inside slot where it attaches to the main Apple power adapter. See website for more details and images to identify an affected adapter. Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple's four software platforms iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple's more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it. NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom (www.apple.com/newsroom), or call Apple's Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042. 2019 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo and Mac are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005301/en/ Contacts: Apple Todd Wilder, (408) 974-8335 wilder@apple.com Apple Media Helpline, (408) 974-2042 media.help@apple.com HARVIA PLC PRESS RELEASE APRIL 25 2019 AT 3:30 P.M. EET Harvia will publish its interim report for the period of January-March 2019, on Tuesday, 7 May 2019 at around 09:00 a.m. Finnish time. The stock exchange release and the presentation material in Finnish and English will be available at https://www.harvia.fi/en/investors/ . Analyst, investor and press briefing Harvia will hold an analyst, investor and press conference on the same day at 11:00 a.m. Finnish time, at Klaus K's Wintti meeting room (address Bulevardi 2-4, 00100 Helsinki, Finland). The conference will be held in English. The conference will be hosted by Harvia's CEO Tapio Pajuharju and CFO Ari Vesterinen. The conference can be followed as a webcast, accessible at: https://harvia.videosync.fi/2019-q1-results/ . You can also participate by calling: FI: +358 981 710 310 SE: +46 8 5664 2651 UK: +44 333 300 08 04 US: +1 631 913 14 22 PIN: 92568850# After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions in Finnish and English. A recording of the webcast will be available later at the company's website. HARVIA PLC For further information, please contact: CFO Ari Vesterinen, ari.vesterinen@harvia.fi , tel. +358 40 505 0440 Harvia is one of the leading companies operating in the sauna and spa market globally, as measured by revenue. Harvia's brands and product portfolio are well-known in the market and the company's comprehensive product portfolio strives to meet the needs of the international sauna and spa market of both private and professional customers. Harvia's revenue totaled EUR 61.9 million in 2018, its operating profit was EUR 9.4 million and adjusted operating profit EUR 10.9 million during the same period. The company employs some 400 professionals in Finland, China and Hong Kong, Romania, Austria, United States, Germany and Estonia. The company is headquartered in Muurame, Finland, adjacent to its largest sauna and sauna component manufacturing facility. Seattle, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - CFN Media Group ("CFN Media"), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, announces publication of an article discussing MediPharm Labs and its plans for global expansion. Canadian companies have a bit of a head start on those from other countries where the legal cannabis framework is not as comprehensive or advanced. In many ways, countries around the globe look to Canada as a model. In fact, Australia has basically adopted Canadian medical regulations and is a few years behind Canada in terms of the development of the industry. With Europe and South America quickly developing, Thailand and New Zealand recently approving medical marijuana, and the Philippines looking like it might, the global cannabis market is coming into focus. MediPharm Labs (TSXV: LABS) (OTCQB: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ) is a Canadian company that sees the opportunity clearly and is executing on a comprehensive global strategy. Positioned as a cannabis extracts expert in Canada, the company is building out Australian operations while recently inking its first sale of cannabis oil to an Australian company. Its Canadian production facility is pursuing European Union GMP certification, which are the world's highest standards. Once certified, the company will have export access to not only the European countries but to many other jurisdictions that rely on EU GMP certification to ensure quality. Please click here to see MediPharm's corporate presentation and stay up to date with developments. Australia the First International Step MediPharm Labs is a company of firsts. It was the first Canadian Licensed Producer to focus solely on extracts, bypassing the customary first step of attaining a cultivation license and moving straight to the oils and extracts. It won first place as the Cannabis Start-Up of the Year at the 2018 Canadian Cannabis Awards. MediPharm Labs' deal to ship oils to Australia makes it the first Canadian extracts-only producer to export products there. The two-year deal has MediPharm Labs selling cannabis resin to AusCann, an Australian medical marijuana company. AusCann will utilize the resin as the basis for its cannabinoid pharmaceutical product development, associated clinical trials, and for its introduction of hard-shell cannabinoid capsules to the country's medical marijuana patients. AusCann also has a supply agreement with Canopy Growth, which has its own extraction capabilities. Importantly, Canopy Growth also has a major oil sales agreement whereby it has committed to purchase up to 900kg of cannabis concentrate from MediPharm Labs. Both companies recognize the value MediPharm Labs brings to the extract market. AusCann CEO Dr. Paul MacLeman stated, "MediPharm Labs' significant market share combined with proprietary methodology ensures reliable supply of pharma-grade cannabinoid extracts and AusCann's continued ability to develop and deliver quality cannabinoid medicines for distribution in Australia. Critical to our process is repeatability in manufacturing, reliable dosing, and purity assurance. MediPharm Labs' concentrates will form an important foundation to our products that will allow delivery of effective, trusted and safe medicines for the treatment of chronic pain." The Australian medical market is just getting off the ground. The government agency overseeing the medical cannabis applications, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), reports that it has approved over 3000 personal medical marijuana applications in the last year or so. The pace has picked up substantially, with the 37 approved applications from last February steadily increasing to 672 in January of this year. The TGA instituted an online system to accommodate the increasing demand in July 2018. In 2010, a survey of Australians regarding cannabis use showed that around 750,000 people used the drug weekly, while about 300,000 smoked every day. So there is definitely a black market in the country ready for further legalization. Please click here to see MediPharm Labs' corporate presentation and stay up to date with developments. The Bigger Picture MediPharm Labs is laying the groundwork in the emerging Australian market, not only with its export program but with construction of a production facility modeled after its Canadian operations. The company anticipates serving both the Australian domestic market and the broader Asia-Pacific export market from the new facility. That export opportunity is quickly expanding. New Zealand recently broadened its medical program, with the new government allowing more chronic pain sufferers and terminally ill patients access to the drug. The government also pledged to put full legalization on the ballot in 2020. In December 2018, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize medical marijuana. The Malaysian health ministry opened up the possibility of allowing medical use, saying it would consider legalization for certain health conditions if the treatment could be proven safe and effective. Even Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, known for running ruthless and bloody anti-drug campaigns, has stated he would sign a medical marijuana bill currently under consideration in the country's legislature. By transferring its institutional expertise from Canadian operations into its fledgling Australian operations, MediPharm is positioning to capitalize on the cannabis awakening across the region. Its extracts form the basis for a myriad of cannabis products, both recreational and medicinal. Medical patients often shy away from smoking flower for the obvious health concerns, and recreational users in maturing markets demonstrate the same tendency. With capsules, oils, edibles, tinctures, creams, and other delivery mechanisms becoming ever more popular and practical, MediPharm Labs' focus on the underlying active ingredients could prove prescient. The company bears watching over the coming quarters with several potential catalysts on the horizon. The completion of construction and licensing in Australia, the expansion of capacity in Canada, the EU GMP certification of those facilities, the signing of more concentrate deals both domestically and internationally, the penetration of new international markets all of these events appear likely in the near future, and bode very well for the implementation of MediPharm Labs' comprehensive global strategy. Please click here to see MediPharm's corporate presentation and stay up to date with developments. Click here to read the full article: https://www.cannabisfn.com/?p=2416462&preview_id=2416462&preview_nonce=7e36121ca3&_thumbnail_id=2380893&preview=true About CFN Media CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the global cannabis industry, helps companies operating in the space attract investors, capital, and publicity. Since 2013, private and public cannabis companies in the US and Canada have relied on CFN Media to grow and succeed. Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8 Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com Disclaimer CannabisFN.com is not an independent financial investment advisor or broker-dealer. You should always consult with your own independent legal, tax, and/or investment professionals before making any investment decisions. The information provided on http://www.cannabisfn.com (the 'Site') is either original financial news or paid advertisements drafted by our in-house team or provided by an affiliate. CannabisFN.com, a financial news media and marketing firm enters into media buys or service agreements with the companies that are the subject of the articles posted on the Site or other editorials for advertising such companies. We are not an independent news media provider. We make no warranty or representation about the information including its completeness, accuracy, truthfulness or reliability and we disclaim, expressly and implicitly, all warranties of any kind, including whether the Information is complete, accurate, truthful, or reliable. As such, your use of the information is at your own risk. Nor do we undertake any obligation to update the items posted. CannabisFN.com received compensation for producing and presenting high quality and sophisticated content on CannabisFN.com along with financial and corporate news. The above article is sponsored content. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, has been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/ Frank Lane 206-369-7050 flane@cannabisfn.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44299 Series E led by SEEK Group, joined by Future Fund and New Enterprise Associates (NEA) Coursera, the world's leading online learning platform, today announced closing a $103 million investment in a Series E equity round. SEEK Group (ASX: SEK), a global leader in investing, scaling and operating online employment and education businesses, led the round while existing investors Future Fund and NEA also participated in the funding. "The Fourth Industrial Revolution, marked by advancements in automation and artificial intelligence, is dramatically reshaping our lives, businesses, and jobs. Coursera is at the forefront of preparing individuals, companies, and governments to meet that challenge head-on and turn this disruption into opportunity," said Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera's CEO. "The additional funding gives us the resources and flexibility to further expand internationally and to accelerate the development of a learning platform that currently serves 40 million learners, 1,800 businesses, and over 150 top universities." Commenting on the investment, SEEK Co-Founder and CEO Andrew Bassat said "This investment reflects our commitment to online education, which is enabling the up-skilling and re-skilling of people and is aligned to our purpose of helping people live fulfilling working lives. We have been watching Coursera for many years; they have a great team of people doing terrific work. We are pleased to come on board to partner with them in their next phase of growth." Since raising a Series D in June 2017, Coursera's learner base has grown from 26 million to 40 million. The 3,200 courses and 310 Specializations available on the platform are increasingly stackable, enabling learners to acquire new skills and earn valuable credentials while also building a pathway towards a full degree. The portfolio of degrees on Coursera has also grown to 14 world-class degrees from the top universities in high-demand areas of business administration, data science, computer science, and public health. In January of this year, the company -- along with top-ranked partners like Columbia University, Johns Hopkins and the University of Michigan -- announced the launch of a health content vertical to address the acute shortage of skilled workers in the industry. And Coursera's enterprise offering, Coursera for Business, continues to grow rapidly around the world with more than 1,800 customers including its largest enterprise partnership to date with the Abu Dhabi School of Government to upskill 60,000 government employees. Coursera understands that collaboration between learners, educators and employers is critical to creating an education ecosystem that aligns with the needs of the new economy. As Coursera continues to grow, the company remains committed to building a platform that brings these stakeholders together to deliver a future where anyone, anywhere can transform their lives through learning. About Coursera: Coursera was founded by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng with a vision of providing life-transforming learning experiences to anyone, anywhere. It is now the world's largest online learning platform for higher education. 190 of the world's top universities and industry educators partner with Coursera to offer courses, Specializations, and degrees that empower over 40 million learners around the world to achieve their career goals. Over 1,800 companies trust the company's enterprise platform Coursera for Business to transform their talent. Coursera is backed by leading venture capital firms such as Kleiner Perkins, New Enterprise Associates, GSV Capital and Learn Capital. About SEEK: SEEK's purpose is to help people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and help organisations succeed. SEEK operates world-leading online employment and education businesses across the globe. SEEK has a relationship with over 190 million people and 900,000 organisations. SEEK is recognised by Forbes as a 'Most Innovative' company and provides a culture of excellence and acceptance celebrating the diversity of employees that contribute to the success of the organisation. SEEK is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX:SEK) and has a market capitalisation of ~AUD$6 billion. SEEK is an active investor in organisations that are aligned to its purpose. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005147/en/ Contacts: Coursera Arunav Sinha arunav@coursera.org The Leading Pet Care Network Broadly Launches Cat Care After Three-Month Pilot Test Grows 8x Faster than its Dog Sitting Business Rover.com, the world's largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers, today announced it has officially launched new cat services to make it easier for pet parents to book trusted care for their cats across North America and the U.K. Pet parents are projected to spend close to $500 million on Rover this year, and cat services will be a key growth opportunity for the company. "Our customer research is loud and clear: the cat market is underserved," stated Alison Rutty, Rover's director of new business lines. "Most cat owners don't want to leave their pets alone while they travel. We also know that cats often experience stress and anxiety when leaving their home environment, and traditional commercial care facilities fall short, underscoring Rover's role in better serving the cat community." Rover found that 68% of cat owners wouldn't feel comfortable leaving their cat alone for more than two days without care when they travel. For those who do book care, 80% of cat owners expect their sitter to visit their home at least once a day to check on their cat. Seeing the need for more cat care options, Rover tested the expanded cat offering over a three-month beta period, from December 2018 to February 2019. During that time, the platform saw nearly $4 million in cat specific billings-a number that originally took Rover two years to reach as a business overall. Since launching the beta, more than 15,000 cat sitters have provided cat services across North America and the U.K. The new cat care booking experience enables owners to create a profile for their cat, choosing from 100+ breed specifications, and search for local sitters who offer cat services within their community. With Rover, cat owners are now able to find affordable, local pet care from providers who offer in-home services, which accommodates cats' preference of staying within their home environment. Services include 30-minute drop-in visits, which are scheduled as needed, for feeding, cleaning the litter box, playtime, or administering medication. For cats who crave more human attention, overnight sitting in the cat's home is available. "Our modern, digital lives and relationships will never replace the simple pleasure of cuddling with our furry family members, and we want to make it possible for more people to experience the joy of pet companionship," said Aaron Easterly, CEO of Rover. "By officially welcoming cats into the family, we expect more pet parents to embrace an option that makes it easier to leave their pet in the care of trusted sitters who will treat their pets like family." Today 47.1 million households in the U.S. have a cat, sparking a demand for cat care and pet-tech innovations.1 Moreover, the global pet market is forecasted to grow to more than $200 billion by 2025.2 With this launch, Rover is the market leader in cat services with tens of thousands of cat sitters in cities across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. To learn more about Rover cat sitting, please visit www.rover.com/cat-sitting/. 1American Pet Products Association's National Pet Owners Survey, 2017-2018 2Grand View Research's Pet Care Market Size, Share Trends Analysis Report By Pet Type, 2018-2025 About Rover.com Founded in 2011 and based in Seattle, Rover.com is the world's largest and most trusted network of five-star pet sitters and dog walkers. Rover connects dog and cat owners with pet care whenever they need it. Millions of services have been booked on Rover, including pet sitting, dog walking, in-home boarding, drop-in visits and doggy day care. As The Dog People, Rover makes it easier for people to have pet love in their lives through the Rover Guarantee, 24/7 support, vet consultations, and GPS walk tracking. And by sharing expertise on TheDogPeople.com-one of the world's top pet blogs-Rover provides tips and articles that delight, inform, and enhance the bond between people and their pets. To learn more about Rover, please visit http://www.rover.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005208/en/ Contacts: Rover.com Kristin Sandberg 360-510-6365 pr@rover.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2018 / GGX GOLD CORP. (TSX.V: GGX) (OTCQB: GGXXF) (the "Company" or "GGX") announces the appointment of George Sookochoff as President of GGX Gold. George has over 35 years of experience in the junior mining sector providing consulting services in the area of project development, data analysis and management and digital marketing. He holds a Commerce Degree (Marketing-Computer Sciences) from the University of British Columbia. He has served as a director for several junior mining companies and as past President and CEO of International PBX Ventures Ltd., a TSX venture company developing several copper porphyry and gold skarn projects in Chile. George also served as Executive Vice President of Golden Dawn Minerals where one of his duties was data acquisition and analysis of exploration data in the Greenwood mining camp. George was born and raised in Grand Forks and is quite familiar with the region and its rich mining history along with the importance that mining has played for the families of Grand Forks, Greenwood and area over the last one hundred years. George commented "Throughout my long career in the junior mining sector and having worked on numerous exploration projects around the world it has always been my strong belief that the Greenwood mining camp, with its rich history in mining, still remains to be the one of the best exploration areas in the world. I am both excited and honored to return to the Greenwood camp as President of GGX Gold Corp and to further advance and develop the very significant high grade COD vein system along with the numerous other vein systems on the Gold Drop property. I invite all GGX shareholders as well as all prospective investors to join me in our exciting journey as we continue to develop the full potential of the rich Gold Drop property." Barry Brown current President and CEO will remain as CEO and has been appointed Chairman of the Board. The Company also announces it has granted 500,000 options at an exercise price of $0.10. The options are exercisable for five years and will be cancelled 30 days after cessation of acting as director, officer, employee or consultant of the Company. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Barry Brown, CEO 604-488-3900 office@GGXgold.com Investor Relations: Mr. Jack Singh, 604-488-3900, ir@GGXgold.com "We don't have to do this, we get to do this" ~The Crew Forward Looking Statement This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the acquisition of certain mineral claims. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and Revolver undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the industry and markets in which the Company operates, including that: the current price of and demand for minerals being targeted by the Company will be sustained or will improve; the Company will be able to obtain required exploration licences and other permits; general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; financing will be available if and when needed on reasonable terms; the Company will not experience any material accident; and the Company will be able to identify and acquire additional mineral interests on reasonable terms or at all. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: that resource exploration and development is a speculative business; that environmental laws and regulations may become more onerous; that the Company may not be able to raise additional funds when necessary; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; fluctuating prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition; potential inability to find suitable acquisition opportunities and/or complete the same; and other risks and uncertainties listed in the Company's public filings. These risks, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities 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 SOURCE: GGX Gold Corp View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/542981/GGX-Gold-Corp-Announces-George-Sookochoff-as-President Photo: Contributed Two of the best-known tribute acts will share the stage at the Kelowna Community Theatre in the fall to raise awareness and funds for a live-in treatment centre for youth. Billed as "Tributes for Teens: Arrival and Dreams," the event brings together Arrival, Canada's tribute to ABBA and Dreams, the ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute. Other special guests will also perform at the event Friday, Oct. 25. The fundraiser for The Bridge Youth & Family Services Youth Recovery House campaign, is being hosted by Coun. Ryan Donn and sponsored by Valley First Insurance. The Bridge is raising funds for a 16-bed live-in treatment centre for youth 18 and under to heal and recover from addictions. Ive been inspired by my fellow councilors as Ive seen them raise funds for great causes in our community," said Donn. "Im excited to produce an entertaining night out at the Kelowna Community Theatre, raising funds for a great local charity filling a gap in our community." Officials with The Bridge say there are fewer than 50 publicly funded treatment beds for youth in the province, and none in the interior. "They are helping us to change the story in the Okanagan for young people and their families struggling with addiction," said Bridge executive director Celine Thompson. "A night of music that pays tribute to this communitys youth is a perfect way to celebrate them and to raise funds and awareness for the Youth Recovery House. Click here for tickets. 4AutoInsuranceQuote Recently Posted a New Article that Takes an In-Depth Look at the Best Roadside Assistance Companies and Programs NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2019 / The founders of 4AutoInsuranceQuote, an auto insurance quote comparison engine based in New York City, are pleased to announce that they have just posted a new article that reviews many of the roadside assistance programs and companies. To read the new article, which is titled "What Are the Best Roadside Assistance Programs and Companies?" in its entirety, please check out https://www.4autoinsurancequote.com/blog/best-roadside-assistance-companies/. As a company spokesperson noted, in addition to striving to save drivers money on their car insurance, the founders of 4AutoInsuranceQuote are also determined to help people find the best programs and services that are related to owning a vehicle. This inspired them to spend hours researching the new article, and taking a thorough look at 10 roadside assistance programs. After compiling the research and taking an in-depth look at the 10 companies, the founders of 4AutoInsuranceQuote have determined that AAA is the best roadside assistance program that is currently available. "The American Automobile Association, or AAA, is one of the best-known roadside assistance programs in the country," the article notes, adding that AAA was founded in 1902 and now has 58 million members across the United States and Canada. "The company offers roadside assistance, automotive repair, travel assistance, and other services to members. AAA's Classic plan is priced at just $66 per year, with a Premier plan starting at $127." Whether a driver is locked out of his or her vehicle, is dealing with a dead battery or requires a long tow, a AAA roadside assistance subscription can quickly pay for itself, the article notes. Other roadside assistance companies and programs that received high marks from 4AutoInsuranceQuote include Allstate Motor Club, which is priced at $7 to $12 per month for the first year. Drivers do not have to be an Allstate insurance company customer to sign up for this program, and the Motor Club provides 24/7 roadside assistance for services like towing and tire changes. Good Sam Roadside Assistance, National Motor Club and Paragon Motor Club were also reviewed in the article, along with several other companies. About 4AutoInsuranceQuote: 4AutoInsuranceQuote is a car insurance quote comparison engine based in New York City. In business since 2008, 4AutoInsuranceQuote has helped millions of Americans save money on their monthly insurance bill. Please visit https://www.4autoinsurancequote.com today for a free quote to see how much 4AutoInsuranceQuote can help drivers save. Contact: John Smith webmaster@4autoinsurancequote.com 4015807272 SOURCE: 4AutoInsuranceQuote View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/543005/AAA-Named-The-Best-Roadside-Assistance-Program-By-4AutoInsuranceQuote Declining pay TV subscriptions in the UK suggest that cord-cutting, which is well established in the US, is now beginning to affect the European market. The report, European Pay TV Index, found that the UK saw a net decline in pay TV households of 424,000 in 2018, the largest decline of any European country. Other countries with falling subscriptions include Denmark, Switzerland and Germany, although the rates of decline are less significant. Pay TV is still growing in some countries such as Russia, France, Poland and Spain, where the pay TV market is generally less mature. According to this research from Strategy Analytics' TV & Media Strategies service, the number of pay TV subscriptions across Europe as whole rose slightly in 2018, reaching 128.5 million. But the growth rate of 1.3% declined from the previous year's 2.2% and this trend suggests subscriptions across the continent will begin to decline within the next year or two. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005557/en/ Annual Pay TV Subscriptions Increase/Decrease: Selected European Markets (Graphic: Business Wire) Other key findings from the report include: Telco operators like Orange and Deutsche Telekom are faring better than traditional cable and satellite players like Comcast (which owns Sky) and Liberty Global (which includes Virgin Media). Telco TV subscriptions rose 5.4% in 2018, compared to a decline for their rivals of 1.3% In spite of this, Comcast and Liberty Global remain the leading pay TV providers in Europe, with subscriber market shares of 14.9% and 13.8% respectively Europe's pay TV market remains highly fragmented, with the top five players accounting for less than half of all subscribers Note: This analysis includes only traditional pay TV services delivered via cable, satellite, telco TV (IPTV) and terrestrial broadcasts. It excludes online video services such as Netflix and NowTV. Michael Goodman, Director, TV Media Strategies, said: "We have seen the cord-cutting trend for several years in the US, where the pay TV business is more mature. Now it is starting to hit major markets in Europe, and this spells trouble for pay TV operators which cannot adapt to the needs of today's viewers. The threat of falling subscriber revenues and stronger OTT rivals will also increase pressure from investors for further consolidation across the industry." About Strategy Analytics Strategy Analytics, Inc. provides the competitive edge with advisory services, consulting and actionable market intelligence for emerging technology, mobile and wireless, digital consumer and automotive electronics companies. With offices in North America, Europe and Asia, Strategy Analytics delivers insights for enterprise success. www.StrategyAnalytics.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005557/en/ Contacts: Michael Goodman, +1 617 614 0769, mgoodman@strategyanalytics.com David Mercer, +44 1908 423610, dmercer@strategyanalytics.com Radisson Hospitality AB (publ) will release its Financial Report Q1-2019 on Tuesday, 30 April 2019 at 7:30am CEST. Federico J. Gonzalez-Tejera, President & CEO, and Knut Kleiven, Deputy President & CFO, will also host an audio webcast on the same day, at 10:00am CEST. To access the telephone conference, please dial one of the following numbers: LOCATION PHONE NUMBER Belgium National free phone 0800 48740 Belgium +32 (0)2 400 9874 France National free phone 0805 103 028 France +33 (0)1 76 70 07 94 Norway National free phone 800 51874 Norway +47 2396 0264 Sweden National free phone 0200 125 581 Sweden +46 (0)8 5069 2180 Spain National free phone 800 098826 Spain +34 914 146 280 United Kingdom National free phone 0800 376 7922 United Kingdom +44 (0)844 571 8892 USA National free phone 1 866 966 1396 USA +1 631 510 7495 Standard international dial-in +44 (0)207 192 8000 Confirmation Code: 5991377 To follow the webcast, please visit: https://www.radissonhospitalityab.com/investors/financial-information (https://www.radissonhospitalityab.com/investors/financial-information) For further information, contact: Lucie Cardona, Director, Corporate Communications, PR & Reputation Management lucie.cardona@radissonhotels.com (mailto:lucie.cardona@radissonhotels.com) Press release (PDF) (http://hugin.info/142138/R/2242561/885080.pdf) This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Radisson Hospitality AB via Globenewswire Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - Argentum Silver Corporation (TSXV: ASL) ("Argentum" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a non-binding letter of intent ("LOI") with Norsemont II Resources Corp. ("Norsemont"), a private Ontario company. Norsemont owns a 100% interest in the Cochavara Silver-Lead-Zinc Project ("Cochavara") in Northern Peru. The transaction contemplated by the LOI is a related party transaction. Cochavara consists of six concessions totalling 1979 hectares located in the Department of La Libertad in Northern Peru, approximately 70 kilometres east of the city of Trujillo. The historic Quiruvilca silver/lead/zinc mine ("Quiruvilca") is located 3.5 kilometres northeast of the northern boundary of the Cochavara Project area. Quiruvilca is a large polymetallic vein deposit with over 130 different mineralized structures hosted in the Mid-Miocene Calipuy volcanic complex. The mineralization at Quiruvilca is contained in a series of narrow veins filling fractures and faults. Although narrow, the veins tend to have an extensive lateral and vertical continuity. Production from the Quiruvilca mine was first recorded in 1789, and has been mined on an industrial scale since 1924. More recently, Pan American Silver acquired the Quiruvilca mine in 1995 and sold the mine to a private company in 2012. Cochavara currently has a valid exploitation permit to extract mineral for processing at third-party plants. Terms of the LOI Subject to regulatory and all other necessary approvals, Argentum will acquire all the issued and outstanding securities of Norsemont in exchange for $500,000 worth of common shares in the capital of Argentum at a price per share equal to the five-day volume-weighted average trading price of the Argentum shares prior to signing a definitive agreement with respect to the proposed acquisition. In addition, holders of convertible securities of Norsemont will receive replacement securities having similar economic terms. Following completion of the acquisition, Argentum will provide the ongoing management team for the Company and the shareholders of Norsemont will be entitled to have one nominee appointed to the board of directors of Argentum. Completion of the acquisition is subject to several conditions, including TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") final acceptance, completion of due diligence, entering into of a definitive acquisition agreement, board and minority shareholder approval, if necessary. There can be no assurance that the acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all. Trading in the securities of Argentum should be considered speculative. Pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders ("MI 61-101"), which is incorporated by reference into the policies of the TSXV under Policy 5.9, the LOI constitutes a "related party transaction" as a result of Sprott Mining Inc. ("Sprott Mining"), a corporation controlled by Eric Sprott, being a control person of Argentum and a control person of Norsemont. Argentum intends to rely on the exemptions from the valuations and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and Sections 5.7(a). Management believes these exemptions will be available because, at the time of entering into the LOI, neither the fair market value of the subject matter, nor the fair market value of the consideration for the transaction, in so far as it involves the interested party, exceeds 25% of Argentum's capitalization. About Argentum Silver Corp. Argentum Silver is a junior mineral exploration company listed of the TSXV under the stock symbol ASL. Argentum hold 80% interest in the Vanadium Ridge Property located at the southern end of the Quesnel Trough 50 km north of Kamloops, British Columbia. The property consists of 20 mining claims covering 2,151 hectares near the town of Barriere. The project hosts vanadium-rich magnetite mineralization in seams and pods in altered ultramafic to intermediate intrusive rocks which form a portion of a large Late Triassic Poison Creek diorite intrusion complex. The near-surface exposure of vanadiferous magnetite is an attractive exploration target that may not require chemical processing for the liberation of a magnetite concentrate. Argentum feels it is a good entry into what is becoming one of the most sought-after commodities in the battery-metal sector. The technical aspects of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Gary Nassif, M.Sc., P.Geo., President and CEO of Argentum. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable laws. For more information contact: Gary Nassif, President & CEO 416-855-9304 gnassif@argentumsilvercorp.com Argentum Silver Corporation Suite 400 - 365 Bay Street Toronto, ON, M5H 2V1 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44320 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2019 / Bitribe, a cryptocurrency trading platform, has attracted the participation of world's well-known institutions, media and KOLs. Dozens of famous institutions such as Tron, Consensus Lab, Mars Finance, Block Times and etc. are on the super-nodes list. Among them, Tron and its founder Justin Sun are world-famous. The price of BTT token, acquired by Tron, increased 5 times in the first public sale on crypto exchange Binance's own token launch platform, which is called "Binance Launchpad". The investment vision and performance of Tron have already been proved and recognized by the market. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitribe is the world's first super-node-based exchange, backed by strong support from Singapore government agencies and financial institutions. The core team is from JPMorgan, international investment bank, first-tier exchanges and other institutions. The team, led by ex-JP Morgan investor, has sophisticated exchange operation experience. "We are delighted to receive intentions from such trusted partners, institutions and super nodes. We look forward to progressing our plans to become a leading player in the crypto currency trading market," Michael Lewis, global director of Bitribe said. Bitribe is innovative and unique in its form of organization in that it is not simply a trading platform or a company but a new community that its users, namely the community members, can use to execute their rights and interests by holding Bitribe Tokens (BRT), issued by Bitribe. Bitribe is scheduled to launch its IEO on BRT on 20:00 on April 28, Hong Kong time. BRT is issued in the form of IEO. In order to benefit the community and the super nodes, Bitribe will host dozens of IEOs on BRT all year around, which is similar to China's "Double Eleven" shopping carnival. Bitribe has two major characteristics. Firstly, it ensures the fairness of quality projects. In the selection of projects, exchanges are subject to short-term interest, which are prone to unfair practice. In order to avoid such situation, Bitribe decided to hand over the most important rights of project listing to the super nodes. The project was selected by the top-notch investment institution and the media elites. In the long run, it can guarantee the long-term stability and ecological sustainability of the exchange. In addition, 1000 super nodes selected by Bitribe in the future are distributed around the world, which can avoid the situation where the current exchanges are affected by geographical differences. For example, most of the projects on OKex and Huobi are from the Chinese background. Secondly, such a mechanism is conducive to attract the rapid growth of community traffic and global branding. On one hand, Bitribe itself is based on Roarkfund's global community resources and super nodes all over the world. In the future, Bitribe will expand its nodes globally. In order to ensure maximum revenue, Bitribe nodes will use the industry influence to actively expand the community of the exchange and promote its brand. On the other hand, the exchange and the listed projects are interdependent. Bitribe has a strict review mechanism for projects. After the projects are listed, Bitribe will provide the projects with the introduction of community resources and users, bringing liquidity. Zero tolerance for security incidents Bitribe applies the world's most stringent security measures to ensure the safety of users' digital assets. In the financial industry, regulation is not just about the regulation of business and rules, but also the risk management of information technology. Technology risks are also reflected in operational risk as in Basel III. In the event of frequent downtime accidents and security incidents, exchanges will face penalties such as huge fines, license revocation, and internal rectification. For instance, veterans pointed out that some exchanges were forced to leave Japan due to the high pressure of technical system supervision. In terms of security design, Bitribe implements zero tolerance for security incidents. In the technical architecture, an advanced multi-tier, multi-cluster system architecture is adopted. The design of the multi-layer architecture greatly improves the performance, security, stability and scalability of the system. In terms of system architecture, Bitribe adopts dual redundant and multi-active architecture design, which is one of the few exchanges in the world to complete the version upgrade without downtime maintenance. BRT: Long-term holding, with high investment value BRT is a platform currency, which is essentially a proof of equity that guarantees the custody of secure assets through decentralized node equal rights. The total amount of issuance is constant at 1 billion, with a guarantee of never increases. The multiple mechanisms generally look at the deflationary trend of the token economy model. In the future, Bitribe's pioneering super-node affirmative mechanism will start a wave of development in the digital currency exchange and even the blockchain world. Let us look forward to it together. Jannews@hotmail.com SOURCE: Bitribe View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/543011/Bitribe-the-Worlds-First-Super-Node-Based-Exchange-Announces-IEO-of-its-Platform-Token-on-April-28th LONDON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wirex, one of the first UK FCA regulated providers of digital money solutions, has embarked on a ground-breaking new collaboration with Stellar to release 26 fiat-backed stablecoins for its 2 million+ users and 5000+ business clients. Stablecoins represent the future of tokenized payments. They mitigate the inherent volatility in the crypto market because their value is pegged to a stable asset. This means that stablecoins can be stored, transferred and exchanged without any significant change in value. Because Wirex stablecoins are fiat-pegged cryptocurrencies, they can be used to perform low-cost, near-instantaneous international remittance. Integrating Stellar-based stablecoins onto the Wirex platform represents the point at which stablecoins transition from novel to practical - as well as several industry firsts: The first stablecoins that can be spent seamlessly in day-to-day life using the multi-currency Wirex Visa card The first stablecoins pegged to a wide variety of major fiat currencies, including USD, EUR, GBP, HKD and SGD with exchange at interbank rates The first stablecoins that can be instantly converted to other stable digital currencies at OTC rates The first stablecoins released by an FCA-regulated fiat and crypto payments company Wirex stablecoins are built directly on Stellar, which was designed expressly for tokenizing assets and making payments. In addition to greater security and scalability, Stellar offers real-time transactions at a fraction of the cost of other blockchain networks. Fraudulent, suspicious or erroneous transactions can easily be frozen and retracted, ensuring that no one is left out-of-pocket - and giving consumers more confidence in their payments. Stellar-based Wirex stablecoins have myriad use-cases for retail and business clients, including: International remittance A cheaper and quicker alternative to Visa and Mastercard infrastructure Instant token issue and redemption Cryptocurrency hedging Instant merchant settlements The first stage of collaboration between Wirex and Stellar sees the launch of Stellar's native asset, Lumens (XLM) to the Wirex platform - where it joins 19 other digital and traditional currencies that can be seamlessly converted and spent using the Wirex Visa card. "Joining forces with Stellar makes perfect sense for us," said Pavel Mateev, Wirex co-founder. "Both companies share a greater goal - encouraging the mass adoption of digital currencies and transforming the way people make payments. We are thrilled to add XLM to the Wirex platform and even more excited to release our industry-first Wirex stablecoins." "Stablecoins have the potential to transform the payments space," said Jed McCaleb, Stellar cofounder. "We're excited to be working with Wirex to launch its first stablecoins to help make money more fluid and open to everyone." About Wirex Wirex Limited is a UK-based, FCA-regulated borderless payment platform. It offers consumers and businesses crypto and traditional currencies accounts for domestic and international payments. Wirex launched the world's first Visa card that allows users to convert and spend cryptocurrencies wherever Visa is accepted. The company now supports 9 cryptocurrencies and 10 traditional currencies, boasts over 2 million users and has processed more than US$ 2bn of transactions. About The Stellar Development Foundation The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 to support the development and growth of the open-source Stellar network. SDF and Stellar seek to unlock the world's economic potential by making money more fluid, markets more open, and people more empowered. The Foundation maintains Stellar's codebase, manages grant programs, and supports the technical and business communities around Stellar. SDF is also a speaking partner to regulators, developers, and the community at large. About Stellar Stellar is a fast, scalable, and uniquely sustainable platform for decentralized financial products and services. It is both a cross-currency transaction system, designed specifically for international settlement, and a decentralized global marketplace. Dozens of financial institutions and tens of thousands of individuals worldwide issue assets and settle payments on Stellar. AB "Klaipedos Nafta". The Company performs the allocation of capacities according to the publicly announced Regulations for Use of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal, which were verified and approved by the National Commission for Energy Control and Prices and the Board of the Company. During the allocation procedure of the LNG terminal capacities the LNG regasification capacities and LNG reloading capacities shall be allocated. The total volume of the LNG terminal capacity being allocated is 3.75 bcm per annum, which is equivalent to 6.5 mln.m3 of LNG per annum applying a relative coefficient of expansion of 1:578. On its website the Company constantly announces and updates the information regarding the unallocated capacities of the LNG terminal, which shall be available for acquisition during the Gas Year as well. The Company shall accept the requests of potential LNG terminal users until 27th of May, 2019, 3:30 p.m. Lithuanian time. Annex No. 1 - Invitation to provide LNG terminal capacity allocation requests. Jonas Lenksas, Chief Financial Officer, +370 694 80594 Attachment NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury artisan jeweler John Hardy today announced the advancement of three key executives as part of the company's continuing, successful transformation. In line with the Board and Management's structured succession plan, current CEO Robert Hanson will assume the role of Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors; Kareem Gahed, who currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer, will assume the role of CEO, and Audrey Finci, who is currently COO/CFO, will take on the role of President - COO/CFO. These changes will occur over the next three quarters, with Mr. Gahed assuming immediate oversight for Merchandising and Marketing along with his current accountabilities for Commercial Operations. Mr. Hanson will continue to oversee Product Creative, Operations and Finance through a transition period, after which Mr. Gahed will assume full accountability for company operations. Under Mr. Hanson's leadership, John Hardy has developed a robust and strongly growing direct-to-consumer retail and e-commerce business while improving its overall global operations. Driven by the elevation of its women's collections, the expansion of the men's collection, its 'Made For Legends' marketing platform dedicated to inspiring women to boldly express their personal power and individuality through jewelry, and the rapid growth of the company's e-commerce, boutiques and international businesses to compliment NA wholesale, John Hardy is well positioned in its trajectory to be the world's leading sustainable, artisanal jewelry brand. Mr. Hanson said, "John Hardy has been executing a transformation plan focused on elevating our authentic, sustainable, hand-crafted, Bali-originated contemporary luxury jewelry brand, and we have emerged as a distinctive, global, omni-channel jeweler driving double digit revenue and earnings growth. I am proud of all that we have accomplished together in the last five years, and I look forward to working closely with Kareem and Audrey in my new role to build on this foundation to continue delivering extraordinary products and service to our customers, while driving long-term growth for John Hardy." With more than 20 years of specialty retail experience, Mr. Gahed has held executive leadership roles comprising operations, business development and licensing functions with leading global companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters. In his current role at John Hardy, he oversees global eCom, boutiques, wholesale and international business partnerships. Ms. Finci, who has extensive operational, financial and business transformation experience at leading global apparel, retail and consumer goods companies such as Levi's, GAP and Disney, will continue to partner closely with Mr. Hanson and Mr. Gahed on the further transformation of John Hardy's business. "It is an honor to become the next CEO of John Hardy, and I am excited for the opportunity to continue to work closely with Robert, Audrey and the entire board and management team as we continue to build momentum," said Mr. Gahed. "We have significant opportunities ahead to continue to grow our business, and I am confident that we will further elevate our unique and meaningful brand and have a lasting impact on our customers, artisans and communities globally." About Robert Hanson Mr. Hanson has been CEO of John Hardy since 2014, and is a Director of the Company, as well as a Director of Constellation Brands, Urban Outfitters and Canopy Growth Corporation. Prior to John Hardy, Mr. Hanson served as CEO of American Eagle Outfitters and was Global Brand President of Levi's. About Kareem Gahed Mr. Gahed has served as John Hardy's Chief Revenue Officer since January 2019 and has been with John Hardy for three years. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President of Wholesale Commercial Operations and Vice President of International after joining from American Eagle Outfitters, where he served as Vice President of Asia Pacific and Global Licensing, implementing strategic initiatives to create long term profitability. About Audrey Finci Ms. Finci, an experienced retail executive, joined John Hardy in 2014 and assumed the role of COO in 2017 before also taking on the role of CFO in 2019. She began her career in finance at The Walt Disney Company, where she increasingly took on additional financial and operational responsibilities throughout her 11-year tenure, rising to Executive Vice President for Disney's consumer products division. Before joining John Hardy, Ms. Finci served in corporate strategy and operations roles at leading global brands, including Levi Strauss & Co. and GAP Inc. About John Hardy Inspired by Bali and its time-honored jewelry-making traditions, Canadian artist John Hardy established an artisan collective in 1975 dedicated to creating one-of-a-kind jewelry and preserving the rich heritage of Bali. For over 40 years, our artisans have committed to making handcrafted jewelry with techniques passed down for generations, using vetted suppliers to ensure both diamonds and gemstones conform to our high ethical standards, as well as reclaimed silver and gold. Our passion for creating distinctive and meaningful jewelry is echoed by our dedication to building a sustainable future for our artisans and clients worldwide. For additional information on John Hardy, please visit www.JohnHardy.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876974/John_Hardy_Audrey_Finci.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876975/John_Hardy_Kareem_Gahed.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876976/John_Hardy_Robert_Hanson.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/744601/John_Hardy_Logo.jpg CHELMSFORD, United Kingdom, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This year's European Search Awards shortlist has been released and Absolute Digital Media have been named as finalists for not just one, but four different awards. Nominated for Best Use Of Search Finance and Best Use Of Search B2C for their work with short-term loan lender Uncle Buck, Best Use Of Search Health for their work with Longevita Hair Transplant and Best Small SEO Agency. This isn't the first time Absolute Digital Media's partnership with Uncle Buck has been celebrated. In fact, they have recently secured a win at The Drum Search Awards for Best Use Of Search in Finance and previously secured the same award at The UK Search Awards in November 2018. These awards and accolades have come as a result of the innovative and proactive strategy that Absolute Digital Media have built alongside Uncle Buck. The payday loan lender has seen an 143.06% rise in 'Loan Completed' conversions, a 119% rise in users and even reached position one for the industry's most competitive keyword - Payday Loans. Their success doesn't just rest in finance, however. Their position as a finalist in the Best Use Of Search Health category is a show of their expertise in the health industry, in this case with Longevita Hair Transplant. Despite being a relatively new website, Absolute Digital Media helped rise Longevita Hair Transplant to page one in the SERPs, and secured an 90% rise in overall search visibility. When asked about being shortlisted, CEO Ben Austin commented: "Being listed as finalists for not just one, but four different categories is something to be proud of and we're looking forward to celebrating alongside Uncle Buck and Longevita Hair Transplant at the awards. The teams here have worked incredibly hard on the strategies for our clients and we're keen to see just what the future will bring for our partnerships with them both." The European Search Awards celebrate the best in the search industry across SEO, PPC, content marketing and digital marketing, with a meticulous two-step judging process. The judging panel is made up of a number of leading individuals and influencers in the search industry, who each score entries across set questions. These scores are then calculated into a larger score, through which the shortlist is decided. The final judging stage consists of all judges coming together to discuss entries in more detail in order to determine the winners. This year's winners will be announced at an award ceremony hosted at the Vigado Concert Hall in Budapest, on the 20th June. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - MLI Marble Lending Inc. (CSE: MRBL) ("Marble" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced implementing its 'Fresh Start" program by partnering with Loans Canada, (the largest loan search platform in Canada). The partnership will allow Loans Canada to offer clients access to Marble's proprietary credit rebuilding dashboard and Marble's flagship unsecured consumer proposal discharge loan product. "Now that we have completed our IPO, Marble is keen to commence implementing the programs outlined in the Company's prospectus. Specifically, we have started rolling out our "Fresh Start' program by partnering with well-known industry brands that provide access and information to Canadians seeking to rebuild their credit. This nationwide industry referral website will allow Marble to gain substantial exposure to Canadians searching for a proactive approach to rebuild their credit," says Mike Marrandino, Marble's CEO. "Our flagship product, Marble's unsecured consumer proposal discharge loan is unique to Canadians in that it allows them to accelerate the credit rebuilding process in less than half the time relative to the typical consumer proposal process." "We are very excited about our partnership with Marble Financial. We are well aware of the challenges that credit constrained Canadians face when it comes to locating financing options or to building credit and we think that Marble Financials' unique product offering is a perfect fit for many of our customers." - Cris Ravazzano, Chief Technology Officer at Loans Canada ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Mike Marrandino, President & CEO About Loans Canada Launched in 2012, Loans Canada is a financial technology company that matches Canadian borrowers to lenders and alternative solution providers. When a borrower submits an application on LoansCanada.ca, the request is processed through Loans Canada's proprietary lender matching technology and the borrower is matched with multiple, alternative solutions for their request. Home to one of Canada's largest lender networks, Loans Canada is the best online destination for loans, debt relief, credit improvement and related services. For further information, please visit www.loanscanada.ca About MLI Marble Lending Inc. MLI Marble Lending Inc., dba Marble Financial (CSE: MRBL) provides Canadians with a second chance to rebuild their credit and to fast track their way back to mainstream lending using with socially responsible lending and fintech solutions. Since 2016, the Company's flagship product has funded in excess of $10 million in loans and helped over 1,100 Canadians rebuild their credit scores. Marble's proven consumer credit rebuilding strategy accelerates the timeline for its consumers by 50% relative to the current traditional methods available through Consumer Proposals. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.marblefinancial.ca Mike Marrandino, CEO, Director Email: ir@marblefinancial.ca NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT 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/44321 Photo: RCMP Simon Rypiak A man who ran a prostitution ring in Kelowna was sentenced to four years in jail but most of the charges against him were dropped. After pleading guilty to five of 14 charges he faced in February, Simon Rypiak, 35, was sentenced Wednesday. Justice Allan Betton agreed with a joint Crown and defence submission for a four-year sentence as part of Rypiak's plea deal. The four counts of procuring a person to provide sexual services and one count of benefitting from sexual services are related to four women who worked as prostitutes for him in Kelowna in 2015. Following sentencing Wednesday, the Crown dropped the remaining nine charges. Two of those were procuring a person under the age of 18 to provide sexual services. Following his arrest in 2016, police said they had identified nine alleged victims, as young as 15 years old, but the charges he pleaded guilty to only related to four women who were 18 and 19. Procuring a person under the age of 18 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, while procuring an adult carries no minimum sentence. Additionally, the Crown also stayed two assault charges, a sexual assault charge and a charge of assault causing bodily harm. An agreed statement of facts referred to a physical altercation in a Calgary hotel room between Rypiak and a 19-year-old woman who worked for him in September 2015. The incident was her final straw, and as a result, she reported him to police. While the statement did not include details of the physical altercation, she testified about it during a preliminary inquiry in November 2017. A publication ban on that hearing has now been lifted following sentencing. I had decided that I was fed up with his abuse, so I had packed up my things, the woman testified in 2017. He came into the room and saw that my things were packed and he got very angry. He had pushed me over, he was smacking my face, he eventually took his foot and was stomping on my face and my body. The woman spent almost a week in a Calgary safehouse following the incident before she reported Rypiak to Kelowna RCMP on Sept. 27, 2015. He was arrested and charged two days later in Kelowna. The Crown then dropped those charges in December, but he was arrested and charged again the following summer. The woman who reported him to police told the court the seven months she spent working for Rypiak left her extremely unstable, and as a result, she has tried to take her own life on several occasions. Rypiak was granted 12 days of credit for the time he spent in pre-sentence custody. Most offenders are eligible for full parole after serving one-third of their sentence. As a result, Rypiak should be eligible for full parole by August 2020. Producer of lowest-carbon, highest-value, lowest-cost aluminum to generate $1.5 billion for Eastern Kentucky by 2021 Will add more than $35 million of tax revenue to Eastern Kentucky and over $75 million to the Commonwealth of Kentucky through 2021 Estimated to create over 31,000 incremental job years in the Commonwealth and add additional employee earnings of $371.6 million in Eastern Kentucky and $793.7 million in the Commonwealth by 2021 Report author James V. Koch, Professor Emeritus of Economics and President Emeritus of Old Dominion University, has conducted nearly 50 economic impact studies, including Virginia's Annual State of the Commonwealth Report Today, a report assessing Braidy Industries' ("Braidy") estimated economic impact on the Commonwealth of Kentucky was released by Dr. James V. Koch, Board of Visitors Professor Emeritus of Economics and President Emeritus of Old Dominion University. Dr. Koch and his team modeled the regional effects produced by the introduction of Braidy Atlas into the economy, from construction through the first year of production in 2021, and found that Braidy will catalyze $2.8 billion in economic growth in Kentucky and $1.54 billion within the six-county Eastern Kentucky region. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005592/en/ The Economic Impact of Braidy Industries (Graphic: Business Wire) The report also details 1,500 construction jobs and 650 new permanent, advanced manufacturing jobs, creating approximately 3,600 additional jobs in the surrounding communities. Dr. Koch stated, "Braidy is delivering on its vision to revitalize Appalachia through the production of low-carbon, high-quality aluminum." Utilizing the U.S. Department of Commerce's RIMS-II economic impact model, the study forecasts substantial economic prosperity generated by Braidy through 2021, including: Braidy will offset the traditionally high costs of production and operation by harnessing the advantages of greenfield construction and technological advancements associated with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment. With 13 automotive OEMs based within 250 miles of Braidy's headquarters and immediate access to major rail, highway and the Ohio River, Braidy can significantly reduce its logistical costs. Braidy will capitalize on the robust reservoir of experienced, compatible and skilled labor in the local region, that has been displaced by economic changes that have led to the decline in the coal mining industry and steel industries. Braidy will contribute 3.7% of the gross regional product of the Huntington-Ashland metropolitan statistical area. The Commonwealth of Kentucky, outside of the six-county Eastern Kentucky region, will receive in excess of 70% of the economic impact associated with Braidy's planning and construction activities. "The findings of this study reinforce Braidy's vision to not only be a disruptor in materials science and sustainable manufacturing the short term, but more importantly drive prosperity in Eastern Kentucky and the Commonwealth for generations," said Braidy Industries CEO and Chairman Craig Bouchard. "The direct and indirect economic benefits created by Braidy will help rebuild Appalachia as we spearhead a shift in the metals industry toward low-carbon, high-value, low-cost aluminum." "Braidy has already supercharged the economy of Eastern Kentucky and soon it will be a major economic engine for all of Kentucky," said Dr. Koch. "Braidy is easily one of the most important economic developments in Eastern Kentucky in the past three decades and when fully developed, it will rank at the very top of that list in Kentucky." Dr. Koch currently serves as the Board of Visitors Professor Emeritus of Economics and President Emeritus of Old Dominion University. He has completed nearly 50 economic impact studies, in addition to authoring 12 books, 120 journal articles and features in top-tier publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post About the Braidy Atlas Mill: Braidy Atlas is the first new U.S. greenfield rolling plant in 37 years. This new plant is totally dependent on long-term supplies of high-quality, low-carbon aluminum. Braidy Atlas will become the first rolled products aluminum sheet producer to use 100% low-carbon inputs on an ongoing basis from its inception. Braidy Atlas, the first company to secure a "minor contributing source" air permit from the Federal EPA, targets 20% lower carbon emissions than next lowest competitor. About Braidy Industries, Inc.: Braidy Industries, Inc. was formed to lead a national transformation in the manufacture and use of efficient, eco-friendly metal alloys that are lighter and stronger than metals currently in commercial use. There is a lightweighting revolution occurring in material science, and we intend to disrupt the metal manufacturing industry with transformative economics and technology. We believe we are well positioned to lead this transformation by building infrastructure to enable rapid adoption and scaling of next-generation metal lightweighting technologies. The company's first project, the construction of a greenfield aluminum rolling mill at EastPark Industrial Center in Ashland, Kentucky, will position the company as the low-cost provider of 300,000 annual tons of production-ready series 3000, 5000 and 6000 aluminum sheet for the automotive industry. Braidy's subsidiary, Veloxint, is an MIT-incubated lightweighting solutions company that is manufacturing parts with a novel nanocrystalline technology. Braidy's newest subsidiary, NanoAL is a world leader in the science of nanocrystaline technology applied to sheet aluminum. For more information, visit www.braidy.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005592/en/ Contacts: Media: Jaunique Sealey Tel: 606-420-4645 jsealey@braidyindustries.com LONDON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashley Wilde Group, a leading specialist in home decor has acquired Voyage Decoration, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of premium fabric, soft furnishings and furniture based in Cambuslang, Glasgow. Voyage creates beautiful products for the home including fabric, wallpaper and ceramics with a fresh, artistic feel that represents a unique contemporary, country lifestyle. With an aspiration to be colourful and bring a fresh, airy feel to the home; soft watercolour painting and drawing is brought to life using British woven cotton, linen and wools to translate artwork into fabrics and home accessories. All textile designs are layered with the finest weaves, velvets, silks, embroidery and sheers from around the world. Their commitment to innovation, which is illustrated in the use of new mediums such as hand-blown glassware and carved wooden sculpture, results in a collection that continually evolves, stimulates and excites. Founded in 1998, Voyage has established a loyal blue-chip customer base. Ashley Wilde, a family business based in Hertfordshire, will continue to trade Voyage from Glasgow. Ashley Brodin, Group Chief Executive comments: "We're thrilled to be launching a brand-new partnership with Voyage. With the resources of such a stable and renowned parent company, the Voyage brand will be able to develop to it's full potential like never before. We plan to radically enhance our customer offering and bring exciting new products to market. The new development will strengthen our position in the industry." Blair Nimmo and Alistair McAlinden of KPMG LLP were appointed Joint Administrators of Voyage Decoration Limited on 22 March 2019. Blair Nimmo, Joint Administrator and UK Head of Restructuring at KPMG, said: "We are delighted to have been able to successfully conclude a sale to Ashley Wilde, allowing the business to go on to the next stage of its development. The strength of the Voyage brand and the level of its ongoing orderbook will give the new owners a fantastic base from which to develop the business further. I wish them every success for the future." ABOUT ASHLEY WILDE GROUP Ashley Wilde Group is proud to be a family business with three generations of expertise, innovation, design, service and style have always been the company's guiding principles. This has enabled Ashley Wilde to secure a reputation for exceptional quality and unparalleled customer service. The group is renowned for going above and beyond to always exceed customer expectations. Today the brand is internationally regarded as the 'Ultimate home interiors haven'. For further PR enquiries contact: Natalie Nartey, natalien@ashleywildegroup.com, +44(0)1707-635201 LONDON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TokenMarket is thrilled to announce that Townsend Lansing has joined the team as Chief Commercial Officer. With over 17 years of experience in financial services, Lansing will work closely with TokenMarket senior management to scale the TokenMarket platform and increase adoption of tokenised securities across the investor landscape. Lansing recently served as Chief Commercial Officer of Arkera.ai, a fintech startup focused on connecting self-directed investors with investment ideas and products. Previously, he spent almost a decade at ETF Securities, an ETP provider focussed on commodities and other alternative assets. Across several leadership positions, he held direct responsibility for the firm's ETC offering with combined assets under management (AUM) of $18bn, while also serving as a strategic advisor to the CEO and Chairman. Prior to ETF Securities, Lansing was Vice President of New Product Development at Bank of America. Upon the announcement of his appointment as Chief Commercial Officer, Lansing stated that: "Digital Assets and associated technology are transforming capital markets and financial services, and TokenMarket, with its innovative tokenisation platform and well-respected brand, is very much at the forefront of that disruption. I look forward to working with the team to build out a first-rate platform for technology start-ups looking to raise capital through security tokens." On the appointment of Lansing, Ransu Salovaara, TokenMarket CEO and Co-Founder stated that: "Having someone of Townsend's calibre join the TokenMarket team is a fantastic step for us. His extensive experience in both traditional capital markets, as well as asset management, will drive growth and help us continue our goal to disrupt capital formation for technology startups. I am excited to see the impact Towsend will have on our growing business." About TokenMarket TokenMarket is a global investment platform that brings together cutting-edge startups with a diverse investor base. TokenMarket is pioneering the use of tokenised securities by offering innovative capital raising opportunities, allowing investors to research, invest and trade the next potential unicorn. Learn more about the next generation of fundraising at https://tokenmarket.net/ Media Contact: Lawrence Chiu, lawrence@tokenmarket.net Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877382/TokenMarket.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/823769/TokenMarket_Logo.jpg Regulatory Release no. 06/2019 Today on 25 April 2019, the annual general meeting of Better Collective was held at Toldbodgade 12, 1253 Copenhagen K At the meeting, the shareholders approved the audited annual report and the consolidated financial statements for the financial year 2018 the appropriation of profits as recorded in the approved annual report discharge of liability to members of the board of directors and the executive management The shareholders approved the proposals from the nomination committee regarding re-election of Jens Bager as chairman of the board of directors and Klaus Holse, Leif Nrgaard, Sren Jrgensen and Petra von Rohr as members of the board of directors remuneration to the board of directors for the current financial year re-appointment of Ernst & Young Godkendt Revisionspartnersselskab and to approve the remuneration to Ernst & Young Godkendt Revisionspartnersselskab The shareholders further approved the proposals from the board of directors to authorise the board of directors to increase the company's share capital without pre-emption rights for the existing shareholders authorize the board of directors to acquire treasury shares amend terms of previously issued warrants The proposal to establish an incentive program for the company's key employees and executive management (item 9 a. of the agenda) was withdrawn from the agenda by the board of directors. Although the board has received support from a large majority of Danish and foreign investors to its proposal, as well as a simple and large majority was present at the AGM to pass the proposal, the board wants to acknowledge the opposing view of minority shareholders. For these reasons, and to apply good governance measures, the board decided to withdraw the proposal. The Board of Directors intends to prepare a revised proposal for a long term incentive program that will be presented for adoption at a subsequent extraordinary general meeting. Copenhagen, 25 April 2019 Board of directors of Better Collective A/S Contacts Investor Relations: Christina Bastius Thomsen +45 2363 8844 e-mail: investor@bettercollective.com This information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 17:15 p.m. CET on April 25, 2019. About Better Collective Better Collective'svision is to empower iGamers through transparency and technology - this is what has made them the world's leading developer of digital platforms for betting tips, bookmaker information and iGaming communities. Better Collective's portfolio includes more than 2,000+ websites and products. This includes bettingexpert.com, the trusted home of tips from expert tipsters and in depth betting theory, and SmartBets, the odds comparison platform made personal. Attachment The MOU marks an expansion in Shanghai Electric's operations in Belt and Road Initiative countries. Represents a further step towards ACWA Power's goal of generating electricity capacity of 150GW of Power by 2030. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd. ("Shanghai Electric" or "the Group"), a leading multinational power generation and electrical equipment manufacturing conglomerate, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate with Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power on global clean energy projects, continuing the group's expansion into Belt and Road initiative countries (initiative countries). The two clean-energy providers signed the strategic partnership during a visit by Shanghai Electric's Chairman and CEO Zheng Jianhua to Saudi Arabia on April 16. The scope of the cooperation covers a range of energy projects, including gas turbines construction, desalination development, thermal, photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind and combined cycle power generation. As part of the "2030 Vision" reform plan, the Saudi government aims to expand renewable energy generation to represent 30% of the country's energy supply by 2030. Shanghai Electric has worked alongside ACWA Power to construct solar facilities since April 2018 in contribution towards this target. "This win-win partnership will allow us to work more closely with ACWA Power to develop clean-energy projects globally and to build our brand internationally as we continue to expand operations along initiative countries." said Zheng, adding that the Group plans to invest more in the region over the next several years. Shanghai Electric has made efforts to grow overseas. In 2018, the Group's overseas business income exceeded RMB 11.2 billion (about US$1.67 billion). Approximately 11% of this growth is attributable to global investment enterprise income, international engineering income and export business income. To support the brand's expansion, Shanghai Electric follows methods for global development. The first method has seen the company establish new enterprises in nine Belt and Road countries, including Vietnam, India, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Malaysia. The second concurrent phase of development sees the brand expand its project footprint in initiative countries. Recent wins include the coal-electricity integration project in Pakistan Thar; the solar-thermal power project in Dubai; the power projects in Pakistan Qasim and Sahiwal; and constructions of the Panamanian and Serbian gas turbine projects. About Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd. Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Electric), listed in Shanghai and Hong Kong, is a large integrated equipment manufacturing enterprise specialized in energy equipment, industrial equipment and integration services. Since the 1990s, Shanghai Electric's sales revenues have ranked in the top 3 Chinese equipment manufactures. In 2017, Shanghai Electric was selected as one of the Top 500 Global Manufacturing Companies, entering into the Fortune China Top 500 in the same year. The Group is ranked within the top 100 of ENR's 2018 Top 250 International Contractors and has a brand value of 70.6 billion yuan. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877235/Shanghai_Electric.jpg The global travel and business bags market 2019-2023 is expected to post a CAGR of close to 7% during the forecast period, according to the latest market research report by Technavio This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005558/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global travel and business bags market from 2019-2023. (Graphic: Business Wire) One of the key factors driving the growth of the market is the rising demand for lightweight travel bags. Owing to the strict weight regulations and increasing luggage fares by airline industry, lightweight travel and business bags are being adopted by travelers. Lightweight travel bags are convenient to carry during travel and also save excess baggage charges. Moreover, these bags also allow customers to do care-free shopping within their stipulated luggage allowance. These factors highly encourage customers to purchase lightweight travel and business bags, which will drive market growth. As per Technavio, the increase in demand for bags made from eco-friendly materials will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This global travel and business bags market 2019-2023research report also analyzes other important trends and market drivers that will affect market growth over the forecast period. Global travel and business bags market: Increased demand for bags made of eco-friendly materials The demand for travel and business bags made out of leather is growing rapidly which leads to the use of tanning agents. However, these agents are not properly disposed off, which results in increased environmental pollution. Moreover, the procurement of leather involves hunting of animals, which leads to an ecological imbalance. These factors have led to high demand for travel and business bags made of eco-friendly materials. The vendors of travel and business bags industry are also introducing products that are made of recycled fabrics and plastic bottles. The bags made of eco-friendly materials are highly favored by customers across the globe, which is positively impacting the growth of the market. "The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Organic Program ensure that the leather used for making travel and business bags should be obtained from animals raised on organic feed. Also, the skin of animals should be tanned in certified organic tanneries wherein only plant-based materials and smoke are used. Moreover, vendors such as, Kering are using organic leather and phasing out PVC from their finished products," says a senior analyst at Technavio. Global travel and business bags market: Segmentation analysis This market research report segments the global travel and business bags market by distribution channel (offline and online), product (travel bags and business bags), and geographical regions (Europe, APAC, North America, South America, and MEA). Europe led the market in 2018, followed by APAC, North America, MEA, and South America respectively. The dominance of Europe can be attributed to the presence of well-known brands and huge availability of personal goods such as travel and business bags. Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Market Landscape Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market size and forecast Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation Geographical Segmentation Regional comparison Key leading countries Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005558/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com CHICAGO and TOKYO, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Relo Group, Inc. ("Relo Group") and BGRS ("BGRS" or the "Company") announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which an affiliate of Relo Group will acquire BGRS, a leading global talent mobility management firm from Brookfield Business Partners. Leading the global mobility industry with innovative outsourcing and fully integrated solutions, BGRS provides a full spectrum of talent mobility and advisory services to Global Fortune 500 companies. Supported by a team of over 1,300 globally, BGRS manages over 60,000 employee relocations annually with locations throughout Asia, the Americas and EMEA. BGRS Chief Executive Officer, Traci Morris, and the management team will remain in place and work with Relo Group to advance the Company into its next phase. "BGRS has developed into a world class talent mobility management firm by always putting the interests of our clients first, constantly innovating and searching for new opportunities to create value for all stakeholders, and implementing sustainable operating practices. We are excited to become part of Relo Group's portfolio of companies to continue to build BGRS," said Morris. Relo Group, based in Tokyo, Japan, has a 30+ year history of offering premier relocation services to support the global expansion of Japanese companies. Relo Group also provides comprehensive fringe benefit programs, ranging from housing to leisure and lifestyle improvement. BGRS is the fourth investment in North America for Relo Group and will expand its global network and service offerings. "BGRS represents a significant expansion of Relo Group's global mobility management capabilities and represents a significant strategic move toward achieving our vision of becoming a world-class relocation company," commented Yasuji Shimizu, Director, Global Business Development. "Our two firms already partner together. This complementary transaction to combine our capabilities increases our collective global footprint and ability to provide leading relocation capabilities to clients around the world." Advisors CIBC Capital Markets and BFIN Securities LP are acting as financial advisors to Brookfield Business Partners and Robert W. Baird & Co. is acting as financial advisor to Relo Group. About BGRS BGRS develops and implements comprehensive talent mobility solutions for corporate and government clients worldwide. By combining deep industry experience and unparalleled insights on the future of talent mobility, we enable our clients to design mobility programs that empower them to attract, retain and develop top performers. With more than 1,300 people across six continents, we blend global perspective with local market strength. About Relo Group Provider of leased corporate housing solutions, corporate fringe benefits and a wide range of outsourcing services supporting client companies and their employees. Relo Group's mission is to support the global expansion of companies by supporting their non-core operations and allowing their client companies to perform to their full potential. BGRS John Arcario SVP, Global Strategy | CMO | Talent Solutions Tel: +1 475 323 7004 Email: john.arcario@bgrs.com (mailto:john.arcario@bgrs.com) Relo Group, Inc. Ayumu Kuniya General Manager, Corporate Planning Department Tel: +81-3-5312-8704 Email: a.kuniya@relo.jp (mailto:a.kuniya@relo.jp) Farfetch Limited (NYSE: FTCH), the leading global technology platform for the luxury fashion industry, announced that the company's first quarter 2019 financial results will be released after the U.S. market close on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Farfetch will host a conference call to discuss its results at 4:30 p.m. ET the same day. The live webcast of the call, along with the company's earnings press release, can be accessed at the Farfetch Investor Relations website at www.farfetchinvestors.com. Following the call, a replay will be available at the same website. About Farfetch Farfetch Limited is the leading global technology platform for the luxury fashion industry. Founded in 2007 by Jose Neves for the love of fashion, and launched in 2008, Farfetch began as an e-commerce marketplace for luxury boutiques around the world. Today the Farfetch.com Marketplace connects customers in over 190 countries with items from more than 50 countries and over 1,000 of the world's best brands, boutiques and department stores, delivering a truly unique shopping experience and access to the most extensive selection of luxury on a single platform. Through its business units, which also include Store of The Future, Farfetch Black White Solutions, Browns, and Stadium Goods, Farfetch continues to invest in innovation and develop key technologies, business solutions, and services for the luxury fashion industry. For more information, please visit www.farfetch.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005719/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations: Alice Ryder VP Investor Relations IR@farfetch.com Media Contacts: Susannah Clark VP Communications, Global susannah.clark@farfetch.com +44 7788 405224 Brunswick Group farfetch@brunswickgroup.com US: +1 (212) 333 3810 UK: +44 (0) 207 404 5959 Xcision to Highlight Short, Noninvasive and Patient Friendly Treatment Option at ESTRO 38 in Milan, Italy from April 26-30 COLUMBIA, Maryland, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Xcision Medical Systems, LLC announced that the GammaPod stereotactic radiotherapy system has received CE marking, paving the way for new sales in Europe and offering patients the latest option in noninvasive breast cancer treatment. "We are excited to bring GammaPod to the European market, where the need for more efficient, precise breast cancer radiotherapy treatments is increasing," said Cedric Yu, DSc, Xcision founder and chief executive officer. "CE marking represents an important milestone that allows Xcision to access one of the world's most important markets." With GammaPod, patients can receive partial breast radiation in conjunction with breast conserving treatment in five sessions or less. Patients receiving whole breast irradiation with a tumor bed "boost" may be eligible to reduce the boost from several treatments to one. Members of the GammaPod Consortium plan to activate clinical trials later this year investigating the use of preoperative radiosurgery delivered in one to three treatments for patients with localized disease. Researchers intend to investigate the efficacy of preoperative radiation and identify the population of patients who may be able to receive radiation alone to destroy the tumor, thereby obviating the need for surgery. As technology continues to become more targeted, oncologists are actively considering the safety and benefits of treatment de-escalation, or reducing the volume of therapy to which patients are exposed. "The ability of GammaPod to noninvasively deliver conformal radiation doses to only the affected area of the breast with the precision of stereotactic radiotherapy could certainly de-escalate care and reduce the burden of today's protracted treatments on patients," Yu said. Stereotactic radiotherapy treatments differ from conventional techniques in that they deliver higher doses of more focused radiation in fewer treatments. GammaPod uses a first-of-its-kind breast cup immobilization system to minimize motion and provide high levels of accuracy for treatment planning and delivery. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in European women with an estimated incidence of more than 522,000 in 2018.Europe accounts for 25% of newly diagnosed cases worldwide each year. Azienda Universitaria Integrata di Udine (ASUIUD) in Italy announced last year that it would acquire GammaPod following CE marking. "We selected GammaPod because of its practice-changing potential," said Marco Trovo, MD, head of the Radiotherapy Department at ASUIUD. "In Italy and throughout Europe, our field is moving to treat early stage breast cancer patients with shorter courses of radiation. The GammaPod is completely noninvasive and could potentially allow our patients to receive a full course of treatment in only one to five fractions." Xcision is represented in Europe by Tema Sinergie S.p.A. in Italy and OncoMed Solutions LLC in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The company's innovative technology will be on display at the ESTRO 38 meeting in Milan, Italy from April 26 - 30 at booth 2975. About Xcision Medical Systems Xcision Medical Systems, LLC is a medical technology company developing advanced stereotactic radiotherapy solutions with the potential to dramatically raise the quality of treatments and improve the lives of patients and their loved ones. The company's solutions are designed to extend the benefits of radiation oncology to more patients and enable noninvasive treatments that allow patients to return to living fuller lives more quickly and less painfully after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Media Contact Steve Rubenstein Vice President of Marketing Xcision Medical Systems +1(443) 681-7463 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877505/Xcision_Medical_Systems_GammaPod.jpg Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - Danacore Industries Inc. (TSXV: DANA.P) ("Danacore" or the "Company"), a capital pool company, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent dated April 22, 2019 (the "Letter of Intent") with Bay Talent Group Inc. ("BTG"), which outlines the general terms and conditions of a proposed transaction that will result in Danacore acquiring all of the issued and outstanding shares of BTG, in exchange for shares of Danacore (the "Proposed Transaction"). If completed, the Proposed Transaction will constitute Danacore's qualifying transaction for the purposes of Policy 2.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V"). The specific terms of the Proposed Transaction and the Offering will be disclosed in a future comprehensive news release after execution of a definitive agreement in respect of the Proposed Transaction (the "Definitive Agreement"). Danacore's common shares are currently halted from trading, and trading such shares is expected to remain halted pending completion of the Proposed Transaction. About the Proposed Transaction It is currently anticipated that the Proposed Transaction will be completed by way of a three-cornered amalgamation whereby BTG will amalgamate with a newly-incorporated subsidiary of Danacore, following which the amalgamated entity will continue as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Danacore. Upon completion of the Proposed Transaction, the name of Danacore will be changed to a name requested by BTG. The resulting entity (the "Resulting Issuer") will carry on the business of BTG as currently constituted and planned. The Proposed Transaction does not constitute a Non-Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction, for the purposes of the TSX-V. In connection with the completion of the Proposed Transaction, it is anticipated that BTG will undertake a majority arm's length subscription receipt financing, led or co-led by Gravitas Securities Inc., for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $5 million (the "Offering") at a price and on terms to be mutually acceptable to the parties. The proceeds of the Offering will be held in escrow pending completion of the Proposed Transaction. Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, completion of satisfactory due diligence, the execution of the Definitive Agreement, regulatory approvals, closing of the Offering, the approvals of the shareholders of either or both Danacore and BTG of the Proposed Transaction (if necessary), filing of a sponsorship report (unless waived) and satisfaction of other closing conditions as are customary in transactions of this nature. The Proposed Transaction cannot close until the required approvals are obtained, and the outstanding conditions are satisfied. There can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. About BTG BTG was formed under the laws of the Province of Ontario on June 2, 2017. BTG has two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, Provision IT Resources Ltd. and PTC Accounting and Finance Inc., which are corporations existing under the laws of Ontario and Canada, respectively. BTG operates boutique executive search, staffing, office administration and consulting firms in Southwestern Ontario that offer a range of professional staffing services for industries including Accounting, Finance, Information Technology, and Human Resources. In the last year, BTG clients have included companies in the financial, government, insurance, and pension fund industries, as well as, small and medium sized businesses across a broad range of industry sectors. BTG's strategy is to complete disciplined acquisitions of executive staffing and consulting firms that meet BTG's acquisition valuation, geographic, strategic and operational standards. BTG proposes to create value by both providing diversified verticals and cross-selling opportunities to target staffing and recruiting companies, and realizing SG&A savings from consolidating back-end operations of portfolio companies. The management of BTG, led by Allan Hartley, brings decades of experience in the staffing industry. Mr. Hartley, the proposed CEO of the Resulting Issuer, first began in the staffing industry in 1983 and, prior to joining BTG, was engaged in the formation and operations of public and private staffing companies in the United States. "We are very excited about entering into this tremendous opportunity with Danacore. BTG is committed to identifying growth opportunities, and I look forward to applying my experience and passion for the staffing industry to drive the future success of our business," said Allan Hartley, CEO, Bay Talent Group Inc. Sponsorship of Qualifying Transaction Sponsorship of a qualifying transaction of a capital pool company is required by the TSX-V unless waived in accordance with TSX-V polices. Danacore intends to apply for a waiver from the sponsorship requirements. There is no assurance that Danacore will ultimately obtain a waiver from sponsorship. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. For further information, please contact: Mark Orsmond Phone: (604) 377-0014 Email: mark@orsmond.net Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of Danacore and BTG with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and includes information regarding: (i) expectations regarding whether the Proposed Transaction will be consummated, including whether conditions to the consummation of the Proposed Transaction will be satisfied including, but not limited to, the necessary board, shareholder and regulatory approvals and the timing associated with obtaining such approvals, if at all; (ii) the timing for completing the Proposed Transaction, if at all; (iii) the timing associated with entering into the Definitive Agreement and the terms and conditions therein; (iv) the size and timing associated with completing the Offering; (v) the business plans and expectations of Danacore and BTG; (vi) trading in Danacore shares and when such trading will resume, if at all; (vii) the issuance of and timing associated with issuing a further comprehensive news release or news releases; and (viii) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect Danacore and BTG's respective management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Resulting Issuer. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the ability to consummate the Proposed Transaction; the ability to obtain requisite regulatory and shareholder approvals and the satisfaction of other conditions to the consummation of the Proposed Transaction on the proposed terms and schedule; the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the Proposed Transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; and the diversion of management time on the Proposed Transaction. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of BTG and the Company and market conditions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although BTG and the Company have attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material. BTG and the Company do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to TSX-V acceptance and, if applicable pursuant to TSX-V requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Proposed Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Proposed Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Investment and trading in securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative. The TSX-V has in no way passed upon the merits of the Proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44329 Photo: Contributed Dr. Paul Cobbin and his family including his mother Marguerite (centre) and partner Kimberly Pflieger have made a major donation to the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundations campaign to provide medical equipment for the Penticton Regional Hospital expansion. A Penticton doctor who has been practicing medicine in the community for 30 years decided to give back to the community with a generous donation to the Penticton Regional Hospital expansion. Dr. Paul Cobbin did not wish to disclose the amount of his donation, but South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation communications director John Moorhouse called it "sizeable." Cobbin opened his general practice in Penticton in 1988. He delivered hundreds of babies and became head of the PRH Emergency Department for several years. In the early 1990s, Cobbin helped establish the city's first walk-in medical clinic. His older brother Dave Cobbin found success in the business world, owning Greenline Hose and Fittings until his untimely death at the age of 50 in 2005. The Cobbin family's donation to the PRH is partially in memory of Dave. Cobbin, along with his wife Kimberly, a cardiology technologist at PRH, his son Andrew and his mother Marguerite Cobbin have made a significant donation to provide medical equipment for the PRH expansion. "Penticton has been good to us, especially me," he said. "I wanted to do emergency medicine, and I got to do as much emergency as I wanted. It was my passion." The foundation is now around $1 million away from their $20 million goal, and the new David E. Kampe PRH tower is due to open Monday. Companies celebrate partnership on behalf of innovation in personal care products SAO PAULO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives from Suzano attended Ontex Partner Day held on 25th April at the Steigenberger Wiltcher's Hotel in Brussels, Belgium, sealing the partnership with the company and presenting Eucafluff differentials to the present associates. The event was focused on driving innovation to the market and promoted debates regarding future developments. The meeting, which celebrated the company's 40th anniversary, brought together Ontex largest suppliers, as well as clients. Ontex is one of the five largest global players in personal care solutions, operating in the baby care, adult care and feminine hygiene segments. Eucafluff is the first bleached kraft pulp of eucalyptus, fluff type in the world and it is used in the composition of personal hygiene products such as diapers and sanitary pads. After 11 years of research in partnership with the consumer goods industry, Suzano has reached a product result that guarantees more flexibility, softness and discretion to the final product, with greater potential for absorption and fluids retention. The product has been constantly improved to allow even more possibilities of application, bringing innovation and differentiation to the final products. According to Dominique Tytgat, Vice-President Direct Spend of Ontex, Eucafluff's attributes bring relevant differentials to products such as incontinence diapers, as well as environmental benefits aligned with Ontex's strategy. "We are building an strategic partnership with Suzano and we are already applying Eucafluff in baby's and incontinence products manufactured in France, Italy, Brazil and Mexico." About Suzano Suzano, the company resulting from the merger of Suzano Pulp & Paper and Fibria, is committed to being a global reference in the sustainable use of natural resources. The world's leading producer of eucalyptus pulp and one of Latin America's largest paper producers, Suzano exports to more than 80 countries and, through its products, plays a part in the lives of over two billion people. The company adopts the highest standards of corporate governance on the exchanges where its stock is traded, namely the B3 in Brazil and the NYSE in the United States. PLANIN - Suzano's PR Agency Angelica Consiglio, Beatriz Imenes and team - www.planin.com E-mail: suzano@planin.com - Phone: +55 (11) 2138-8940 EDMONTON, AB / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2019 / Rocky Mountain Liquor Inc. (TSX-V: RUM) (the "Company" or "Rocky Mountain"), listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), today reported its financial results for the year ending December 31, 2018. At the end of December 31, 2018 the Company operated 29 stores. This resulted in average sales per store of $391,835 for the three month period ending December 31, 2018. This is an increase of over 28% in average sales per store when compared to the same period in 2017, where we ended the period with 35 stores and an average of $307,050 sales per store. This is a further significant increase in the over 22% rise in average sales per store we reported last quarter. 2018 saw us continue with our focus on cost reduction strategies that have resulted in a decrease in operating and administrative expense of over $1.2 million, a reduction to 19.7% from 22.8% as a percentage of sales for the twelve months ending December 31. To date, the Company has rebranded 15 stores to its Great Canadian Liquor "GCL" brand. Three locations in the first quarter, two locations in the second quarter, and a further two stores in the third quarter of 2018. The GCL brand provides customers with lower pricing on all product offerings, resulting in a reduction in margin when compared to the same period in the prior year. The Company has altered its marketing, pricing and promotional strategies to grow market share through its rebranding strategy. Since December 31, 2017, the Company has sold three stores and closed three stores. As a result of the success of the GCL stores, where each transitioned store has experienced an increase in revenue, and through Management's strategy to sell or close underperforming stores, the Company has increased its operating margin (EBITDA) by $738,782, or 375% over the same twelve month period from 2017. Management continues to focus on its competitive pricing strategies, the balancing of costs and customer experience, and providing a consistent brand message that appeals to both existing and new customers. KEY OPERATING AND FINANCIAL METRICS Key operational and financial highlights, year over year 3 month comparison: Sales increased to $11.4M (2017 - $10.7M) Operating margin increased to $288,938 (2017 - $79,666) EBITDA increased to $285,772 (2017 - $80,459) Net loss reduced to $276,817 (2017 - $566,528) Gross margin percentage is 21.1% (2017 - 22.4%) Key operational and financial highlights, year over year 12 month comparison: Sales increased to $44.1M (2017 - $43.6M) Operating margin increased to $937,076 (2017 - $198,749) EBITDA increased to $936,020 (2017 - $197,238) Net loss reduced to $1.2M (2017 - $1.9M) Gross margin is 21.8% (2017 - 23.2%) Management plans to continue to sell stores in markets that are not compatible with our current business plans, ensuring the most effective use of our capital. Proceeds from any sales will be applied to reduce debt. We are pleased to announce the appointment of Allison Radford to the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Former CEO Peter Byrne has been promoted to role of Executive Chairman of Rocky Mountain Liquor. Frank Coleman, previous Chairman of the Board is remaining as Lead Director. Mrs. Radford has nearly 11 years of experience with the Company as COO, and was key in implementing and managing the Company's recent successful rebranding strategy. Mrs. Radford will continue to provide the Company with the expertise and energy necessary to continue this successful strategy. Mr. Byrne commented, "I am very pleased the Board has appointed Allison to the role of CEO. This promotion affirms the Board's confidence in her outstanding commitment, professionalism and valuable leadership in the successful development of the Great Canadian Liquor rebranding. The Board's decision to appoint me Executive Chairman will ensure Allison experiences a smooth, rapid and effective transition in her role as Chief Executive Officer." Detailed information in the form of the Company's audited consolidated financial statements and Management Discussion and Analysis are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and also on the Company's website at www.ruminvestor.com. After accessing the website, please choose the "Investor Relations" tab to view Annual Reports. About Rocky Mountain Rocky Mountain owns 100% of Andersons Liquor Inc. ("Andersons"), headquartered in Edmonton Alberta, which now own and operate 29 private liquor stores in that province, up from 18 stores since the Common Shares began trading in December 2008. It is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V:RUM). Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the future growth of the Company, and the ability to execute its business strategy. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and in particular results achieved in 2017 and previous periods. Past results might not be a certain indication of future performance, which is subject to other risks, including but not limited to changes in operational policies, changes in management, changes in strategic focus, market conditions and customer preferences. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risks that these events may not materialize as well as those additional factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in RUM's Management Discussion and Analysis, which can be obtained at www.sedar.com. If they do materialize, there remains a risk of non-execution for any reason. 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 further information: Peter J. Byrne Chief Executive Officer (780) 686-7383 Sarah Stelmack Chief Financial Officer (780) 863-2326 SOURCE: Rocky Mountain Liquor Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/543061/RUM-Reports-2018-Annual-Consolidated-Financial-Results Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - Raise Production Inc. (TSXV: RPC) ("Raise" or the "Company") has released its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018. HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR The Company continues to grow its foot print with the HARP TM technology in Canada. technology in Canada. The Generation 2 HARP TM installs in the USA continue to perform well. installs in the USA continue to perform well. Further Intellectual Property awards have been granted. For the year ended December 31, 2018, total revenue earned on the sales of the Company's HARP TM increased 27%. increased 27%. The Company anticipates additional revenue growth and increased gross margins over the remainder of 2019 and into 2020. PRESIDENT'S UPDATE The Company is pleased to provide an update to its shareholders on its financial results and recent activities related to its operations. The Company has three systems that can be used independently or in combination in horizontal wellbores: the High Angle Reciprocating Pump ("HARPTM"); the Raise Efficient Artificial Lift ("REALTM") formerly known as the High Angle Lift Solution ("HALS"); and the Horizontal Artificial Recovery Technology ("HARTTM"). As part of the Company's commercialization effort, the decision was made to rebrand the HALS system as the Raise Efficient Artificial Lift ("REAL") system. During the last year the Company has advanced in many areas. The intrinsic value of the Company has been enhanced by additional Intellectual Property awards from international patent authorities that protect our products and methods. This includes the USA patent for the HARPTM system which validates the Company's ability to evolve decades old technology into a product suited for today's production in horizontal wellbores. Additional highlights over the past year include: the Company added a highly experienced VP, Commercial Development in October 2018. Mr. Clint Booth has a proven track record to guide and execute the Company's sales and marketing initiatives; the Company added two new board members during the year, Mr. Dan Newman and Mr. Tom Kehoe. Mr. Newman represents our USA partner and shareholder, Endurance Lift Solutions. Mr. Kehoe brings the Company a much-needed level of experience with investor relations and investment banking; and the Company successfully passed its external safety audit of the Certificate of Recognition ("COR") program as recognized by the Alberta Association of Safety Partnerships with a 95% grade. HARPTM (High Angle Reciprocating Pump) The Company has graduated to its Generation 2 version of the HARPTM technology with improvements based upon experience in various operating conditions across North America. This new version permits a wider net cast for applications in terms of the well depths and various well fluid conditions. Although Raise has experienced industry cost cuts and risk aversion to new technology from operators in Canada it continues to see excellent results from Generation 2 installs over the last six months. With increased productivity, reduced operating costs, mitigation of gas locking and more consistent run times we are confident that these initial installs will facilitate growth in sales with repeat and new customers in the coming months. Canada The Company continues to grow its foot print with the HARPTM technology. Recent installs in northern Alberta have shown that the technology is proving valuable in newly drilled and fracked wellbores. Of three installs, two were new wells and the third an existing well experiencing severe gas lock issues which the HARPTM technology has eliminated. A fourth well for this customer has already been ordered for install at the end of the break-up season. The Company is data mining to identify operators in the same geographic area who are probably experiencing similar issues and are high potential sales targets. The installation in the Cardium new wellbore, almost seven months ago has shown (from public production data based on an initial five months of production) that the decline curve has been flattened and that oil production is stabilized. Based on these results to date, Raise will be installing additional HARPs in the Northern (Montney) area and will continue to work with the Cardium producers to secure continuing growth in that area as primary targets. USA The installs in the USA continue to perform well. Based on these results, the Company has recently shipped a total of 18 Generation 2 HARPTM systems to the Endurance distribution facility in Texas. The first eight HARPTM systems were shipped at the end of March 2019 and the remaining ten HARPTM systems were shipped the first week of April 2019. The Company is currently preparing proposals and well designs in conjunction with Endurance Lift Solutions ("ELS") for potential installations. REALTM (Raise Efficient Artificial Lift) The Company is seeking early adopters and is confident that it will have an operator installing the REALTM system over the next few months in Canada after break-up is finished. The Company believes the REALTM system is ideal for Cardium, Montney and South-East Saskatchewan type reservoirs. The Company has engaged many operators and it has defined the install criteria and design for the REALTM to ensure "life of the well" options for these operators. Risk aversion and costs are significant factors in the delay getting this technology to commercialization in the Canadian landscape. ELS in the USA has also been in discussions with operators for installs in Texas and Oklahoma and the Company is confident that this market may be the lead in the deployment of the REALTM technology. HARTTM (Horizontal Artificial Recovery Technology) The Company has also been working diligently to define a partner for its HARTTM technology throughout the last year and believes it will be able to continue its pursuit of the "stranded reserves" in the coming year. The Company is confident that it can secure a partner to re-commence commercialization testing of the HARTTM system within the next few months. All critical paths to the commercial product are identified and the Company will be ready with the new modified wellbore equipment within 6-7 months of project start to install into a Canadian wellbore. New and Upcoming The Company was showcased in the EnergyNow daily news in Canada and the USA on April 22, 2019. Please use the link below to view the article on the Company's LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/raise-production-inc/?viewAsMember=true The Company will also be updating its investor package and will have it available after the Q1 2019 report in early June 2019. The Company is excited for the coming months and it looks forward to increasing its sales and customer base throughout North America and continuing to commercialize its other products. The Company would like to thank all of its shareholders for their continued support and encouragement. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Statements of Loss and Comprehensive Loss 2018 2017 Revenue $ 335,091 $ 333,824 Cost of sales 270,037 258,838 Gross margin 65,054 74,986 Other income 26,649 22,381 Expenses: General and administration 1,960,083 1,576,892 Stock-based compensation 352,130 330,786 Research expenses 156,742 98,790 Depreciation and amortization 91,634 100,703 Inventory impairment 74,574 - Finance costs 4,306 7,840 2,639,469 2,115,011 Net loss and comprehensive loss $(2,547,766) $(2,017,644) Net loss per share - basic and diluted $ (0.02) $ (0.02) About Raise Production Inc. The Company is an innovative oilfield service company that focuses its efforts on the production service sector, utilizing its proprietary products to enhance and increase ultimate production in both conventional and unconventional oil and gas wells. For further information please contact: Tom Kehoe, Investor Relations E-mail: tkehoe@raiseproduction.com Eric Laing, President and Chief Executive Officer E-mail: elaing@raiseproduction.com Susan Scullion, Chief Financial Officer E-mail: sscullion@raiseproduction.com Raise Production Inc. 2620-58th Avenue S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2C 1G5 Tel: (403) 699-7675 Web site at: www.raiseproduction.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Certain information included in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements or information typically contain or can be identified by statements that include words such as "anticipate", "assume", "based", "believe", "can", "continue", "depend", "estimate", "expect", "forecast", "if", "intend", "may", "plan", "project", "propose", "result", "upon", "will", "within" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions that may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the ability to obtain financing to provide working capital to fund operations, the availability of credit, the ability to commercialize products and operations, the potential to increase recoverable reserves for customers by utilization of the HARPTM, REALTM and HARTTM systems, estimates regarding current and projected cash resources and cash flow anticipated sales, the ability to adequately protect proprietary information and technology from its competitors; the ability to obtain partnering opportunities; the ability to attract and retain key personnel and key collaborators; the availability of skilled labour, services and equipment, general economic and financial market conditions, the legislative and regulatory environment of the jurisdictions where the Company carries on business and the ability to successfully compete in targeted markets. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the included forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable Canadian securities law. Forward-looking statements are based upon the current opinions, estimates, projections, assumptions and expectations of management of the Company as at the effective date of such statements and, in some cases, information supplied by third parties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions and that information received from third parties is reliable, it can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. By its nature, forward-looking information involves numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statement will not occur. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: deployment and commercialization of the Company's products and regulatory changes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance upon the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and such forward-looking statements should not be interpreted or regarded as guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44339 Carlos Ghosn has denied all four charges against him, which include understating his income and temporarily transferring personal financial losses onto Nissans books. As former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn is all set to walk out of Tokyo detention centre after a Japanese court granted him bail on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the country would remain 'very vigilant' on the treatment of the 65-year-old during his detention, said media reports. AFP news agency: Japan court grants $4.5m bail to former Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn who was arrested in Tokyo on 19 November for allegedly violating financial laws. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/JHho7JxpMK ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2019 Ghosn was set to walk out of the detention centre for a second time since his arrest last year on financial misconduct charges, after posting the $4.5 million bail set by the Tokyo court, said a Reuters report. Meanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron said that Ghosn is entitled to the presumption of innocence and consular protection, like all French nationals, Bloomberg reported citing Macron's statement on Tuesday. He said it after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Earlier, Ghosn's wife Carole had appraised Macron of the nature of treatment that her husband faced during his detention in Japan and termed it as shameful, said the report. The bail will enable the former titan of the global auto industry to better prepare for his criminal trial expected later this year, when he will fight his latest charge of aggravated breach of trust along with three other accusations of financial misdoing during his time at the helm of Japans Number Two automaker. Ghosn has denied all four charges against him, which include understating his income and temporarily transferring personal financial losses onto Nissans books. The Tokyo District Court said in a statement that it had approved a bail request from Ghosns defence team and set bail at 500 million yen ($4.5 million), roughly half his previous bail of 1 billion yen. The once-feted executive will be free to leave the detention centre where he has been in custody since his 4 April re-arrest, but his movements and communications will be strictly monitored and restricted to prevent fleeing the country and tampering with evidence, the court said. Ghosns lawyers filed the bail request on Monday after the former executive was indicted for allegedly enriching himself at a cost of $5 million to Nissan from July 2017 through July 2018. The courts decision marks the second time Ghosn has been given bail and is the latest turn in a scandal which has rocked the global auto industry and exposed tensions in the auto-making partnership between Nissan and Frances Renault SA. He was initially released last month, but then re-arrested earlier this month on the new charges, returning to the Tokyo detention centre where he had previously spent 108 days following his first arrest in November. Ghosn has said he is the victim of a boardroom coup, accusing former Nissan colleagues of backstabbing, describing them as selfish rivals bent on derailing a closer alliance between the Japanese automaker and Renault, its top shareholder. When he was last released, the former executive traded in his usual tailored suit and chauffeured sedan for a disguise of workmans uniform, glasses and a mask to slip past reporters before being whisked away in a modest compact van. With inputs from agencies The full-service carrier temporarily suspended operations on 17 April as it ran out of cash after lenders decided against extending any emergency funds New Delhi: Jet Airways has advised British entrepreneur Jason Unsworth, who had sent an unsolicited offer for the airline, to formally engage with SBI Caps Ltd, which is running the bidding process, according to a filing. The full-service carrier temporarily suspended operations on 17 April as it ran out of cash after lenders decided against extending any emergency funds. Jet Airways had received an unsolicited e-mail communication from the British entrepreneur, it said in a filing to the BSE. "... the sender has been advised to formally engage with SBI Caps Limited, who is leading the bidding process under resolution plan initiated by a consortium of domestic lenders led by State Bank of India," it noted. The filing came in response to a clarification sought from the airline on reports that the British entrepreneur has offered to take control of Jet Airways. Jason Unsworth said he has contacted SBI on Wednesday. "I can confirm @jetairways have given me two further contacts at @TheOfficialSBI to get in touch with regarding @atmosphereairuk's bid to take a controlling share of the airline," he said in a series of tweets. Unsworth is the founder and CEO of Atmosphere Intercontinental Airlines, which would establish a new premium airline group in four different countries, according to his Twitter profile. "Just had a meeting with an Indian #Entrepreneur investors will put up 1,500 crore/$215.702 Million USD for @atmosphereairuk @jetairways bid... with more interested parties still to meet with and take calls from over the coming 2 weeks...," he said in another tweet. Separately, the airline informed the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday that its website was under "heavy maintenance" due to which certain details were not accessible and that necessary changes have been done. Under Sebi norms, a listed entity is required to maintain a functional website containing the information as prescribed. On Tuesday, the NSE sought clarification from the airline about certain information being not available on its website. "Since the company has temporary suspended its operation due to which the website of the company was under heavy maintenance to carry out changes related to operation of the company. "Due to said maintenance activity other section was not accessible for some time. The company has carried out necessary changes on website and details can be accessed on the website," the airline said in a communication to the exchange on Wednesday. So much so, even if IndiGo, for example, agrees to take Jet Airways in its wide wings on merger, it would not be enough because the cash crunch would spread from Jet Airways to Indigo. It is believed with a huge sliver of naivete that the Satyam-style rescue is the template or panacea for putting back every ailing company on its legs especially if it happens to be of the too-big-to-fall genre. The truth is Satyam rescue was a one-off phenomenon. The Narendra Modi government naively believed that it would successfully enact an encore for the beleaguered IL&FS by once again superseding the board of directors of the company in the dock and dire straits. Uday Kotak, the founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank, was anointed its chairman to preside over its rehabilitation but soon found that IL&FS was a different kettle of fish with as many as 349 subsidiaries and associates, many of them Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), cast in a manner of wheel within wheels. IL&FS as a group owes a mind-boggling Rs 91,000 crore to banks, non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), PF trust, mutual funds and who have you! Kotak believes IL&FS may require hundreds of suitors for each vertical or SPV. Be that as it may. Satyam Computers Ltd, on the other hand, brought a lot to the table. So much so, Tech Mahindra happily lapped it up at a bargain price of just one share for every 8.5 of Satyam on merger with it. Indeed, Tech Mahindra laughed all the way to the bank with the merger catapulting it to the fifth spot among the IT-enabled services companies (ITeS) in India. Thanks to the formidable skills of 50,000-strong Satyam workforce coupled with its rich order book, Tech Mahindra lost no time in scaling up its operations. Yes, it did have to pay up $212 million to the American Depository Receipts (ADR) investors of Satyam in the US to settle their class action suit. They, in fact, had earlier triggered the collapse of Satyam by voting with their feet in the US market in 2008 on getting a whiff of Ramalinga Rajus accounting shenanigans in Satyam that consisted of booking fictitious sales and matching them with fictitious fixed deposits with banks and auditors blinking at it! Tech Mahindra has taken this in its stride just as it had the Enforcement Directorate (ED) freezing more than Rs 800 crore of fixed deposits as being proceeds of crime built by Satyam promoter Raju. Therefore, Satyam simply cannot be the template or quick-fix for every corporate failure in this country. Tech Mahindra would not have touched it with a barge pole had it not got a sound company on a platter. Contrast this with Jet Airways, which owes upwards of Rs 8,500 crore to banks, 6 months salary to about 20,000 staff, lease rentals to aircraft lessors, etc. With virtually nothing brought to the table, potential suitors, small wonder, are looking askance at it. State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) may be left holding the can. They naively assumed the honor of being the major shareholder of Jet Airways little realising that such an honor was a grand self-deception bordering on delusion. Once smitten twice shy. But SBI didnt seem to have learnt any lessons from the Kingfisher Airline fiasco where too it blithely converted a part of its loan with interest into shares. Remember Tech Mahindra did not pay any cash to Satyam. It was a case of amalgamation whereas Jet Airways creditors are thirsting for cash. So much so, even if IndiGo, for example, agrees to take Jet Airways on its wide wings upon merger, it would not be enough because the cash crunch would spread from Jet Airways to Indigo. So let us not make a clamor for a Satyam-type rescue for every corporate crisis. Nobody covets a dud or wants to buy trouble with jet speed. Etihad alone may relent and pump in money enticed by the promise of flying Jet Airways passengers to international destinations via Abu Dhabi. (The writer is a senior columnist and tweets @smurlidharan) In April 2018, Jaypee Group had also submitted a Rs 10,000 crore plan before lenders to revive Jaypee Infratech, but the same was not accepted. New Delhi: State-owned NBCC Ltd on Wednesday submitted its revised bid to acquire debt-ridden Jaypee Infratech and complete over 20,000 delayed apartments in Noida, sources said. NBCC and Suraksha group, which are in the race to acquire the Jaypee Group firm, were asked to sweeten their offers by the lenders. Suraksha had earlier submitted its revised bid. However, details of the revised offers by NBCC and Suraksha were not immediately available. A meeting of the Committee of Creditors (CoC) is scheduled to be held on 26 April, Jaypee Infratech's Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) Anuj Jain had said in a regulatory filing. Sources said the lenders would discuss the revised bids of both the potential buyers. In their earlier bids, both NBCC and Suraksha group had offered lenders parcels of Jaypee Group's land to settle debt as well as monetisation of Yamuna Expressway that connects Noida and Agra in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, business conglomerate Adani Group had also expressed interest to bid for Jaypee Infratech. However, lenders are unlikely to seek Adani's offer until this round of insolvency proceedings gets completed. Last week, Jaypee Group promoters made a fresh attempt to retain control over its arm Jaypee Infratech by seeking the support of homebuyers for its debt resolution plan submitted under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Jaypee Group Chairman Manoj Gaur had apologised to thousands of distressed homebuyers and promised to infuse Rs 2,000 crore to complete pending apartments over the next four years. Jaypee Group in April 2018 had also submitted a Rs 10,000 crore plan before lenders to revive Jaypee Infratech, but the same was not accepted. In 2017, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted the application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium seeking resolution of Jaypee Infratech. In the first round of insolvency proceedings, the Rs 7,350 crore bid of Lakshdweep, part of Suraksha group, was rejected by lenders as it was found to be substantially lower than the company's net worth and assets. In October 2018, the IRP started a fresh initiative to revive Jaypee Infratech on NCLT's direction. The realty firm has an outstanding debt of nearly Rs 9,800 crore. Jaypee Group flagship firm Jaiprakash Associates Ltd had submitted Rs 750 crore in the registry of the Supreme Court for the refund to buyers and the amount is lying with the NCLT. A slew of banks have hinted that exposures to IL&FS have impacted their profits in the past quarter as they made provisions towards this account. Mumbai: Even as its petition is pending at the NCLAT seeking a review of the ban on banks classifying the IL&Fs accounts as NPAs, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday directed lenders to disclose their exposure to the bankrupt infra lender in their forthcoming earnings announcements. The city-headquartered infra lender and its 348 group companies owe over Rs 94,000 crore, of which over Rs 54,000 crore is owed to banks. It began defaulting on repayment commitments from last August, and in October the government superseded its board and appointed a new board under banker Uday Kotak. In a notification, the central bank said the new directions are as per a 25 February order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which asked banks not to declare their loans to the company and group as NPAs. "No financial institution will declare the accounts of IL&FS or its entities as non-performing assets (NPAs) without its prior permission," NCLAT had said. The RBI moved the review petition on 19 March and a decision is pending now as the tribunal had sought corporate affairs ministry's views to the RBI demand. Earlier this month, reacting to the NCLAT order, governor Shaktikanta Das had said apex bank had filed a review petition seeking a modification of the previous NCLAT order. In the notification, RBI has asked banks to disclose the IL&FS and group entities exposure in the notes to accounts in a standard proforma. The lenders will have to mention the outstanding position on a particular date and give details including overall outstanding and amount which is NPA as per the income recognition and asset classification norms but not classified as NPAs, it said. They will also have to specify the total provisions which are required to be made as per these norms for the assets and the provisions actually held. A majority of lenders are yet to report their quarterly and full-year accounts for FY19. A slew of banks have hinted that exposures to IL&FS have impacted their profits in the past quarter as they made provisions towards this account. Group entity IL&FS Financial Services had reported last month that its NPAs touched 90 percent. Media reports on RBI's decision to challenge the NCLAT order had said the insolvency court's decision was "tantamount to judicial overreach". "The bankruptcy tribunal's order encroaches into RBI's regulatory domain and this could set a precedent if left unchallenged. These issues fall under the ambit of RBI as the regulator of the banking sector," a senior RBI official had said. Based on the second Narasimham committee recommendations, the Reserve Bank of India had proposed to transfer its ownership in SBI, NHB and Nabard to the government in October 2001. Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has exited the National Housing Bank (NHB) and the National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (Nabard), by selling its entire stake to government for Rs 1,450 crore and Rs 20 crore, respectively, making them fully government-owned. The central bank has sold its stake in NHB on 19 March, while it sold the stake in Nabard on 26 February, the bank said in a statement Wednesday. "With this divestment, the government now holds 100 percent stake in both these financial institutions," RBI said in a statement. The move is part of ending the cross-holding in regulatory institutions and follows the recommendation of second Narasimham committee report of October 2001 and the RBI's own discussion paper on the same entitled 'Harmonising the role and operations of development financial institutions and banks.' The Narasimham panel had said RBI could not own those entities which are regulated by it. The RBI said divestment of its shareholding in Nabard was done in two phases. The central bank held 72.5 percent equity in Nabard worth Rs 1,450 crore, of which 71.5 percent amounting to Rs 1,430 crore were divested way back in October 2010 and the residual shareholding was divested on 26 February, 2019. The RBI held 100 percent shareholding in NHB, which was divested on 19 March, 2019. Earlier, based on the second Narasimham committee recommendations, the RBI had proposed to transfer its ownership in SBI, NHB and Nabard to the government in October 2001. Accordingly, on 29 June, the government had bought out the entire 59.7 percent stake in SBI from the Reserve Bank. The current change in the capital structure of both these financial institutions was brought in by the government through amendments to the Nabard Act of 1981 and the NHB Act of 1987 which were notified on 19 January, 2018 and 29 March, 2018, respectively. The Nabard came into existence on 12 July, 1982 by transferring the agricultural credit functions of RBI and refinance functions of the then Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation. Set up with an initial capital of Rs 100 crore, the development finance institution's paid up capital stood at Rs 10,580 crore as of March 2018. The decision to establish NHB was announced in the 1987-88 Budget. Following that, the National Housing Bank Bill, providing a legislative framework for the NHB, was passed by Parliament in the Winter session of 1987 and it became an Act on 23 December, 1987. The National Housing Policy of 1988 envisaged setting up of NHB as the apex level institution for promoting the housing sector. Photo: fortunedotcom Fall out from the SNC-Lavalin scandal is still rocking the PMO and the federal government. One of the many collateral repercussions that have occurred with the ongoing SNC-Lavalin controversy within the Prime Minister's Office has been the leaking of confidential information related to the judicial appointment process for the Supreme Court of Canada. For what appears as purely partisan political purposes, personal information was revealed about a judge from Manitoba who had been considered for a potential Supreme Court appointment. The intent of the leak was to suggest there was prior conflict between the Prime Minister and the now former Justice Minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould. As a result of this serious leak both Ms. Wilson-Raybould and the opposition parties asked for an investigation to identify the source of the leak. Although Mr. Trudeau has condemned the leak and denied his office was responsible, the Liberals have also blocked a motion to allow for this investigation to occur. Fortunately, federal Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien confirmed that his office will be investigating this leak of confidential information related to a candidate for the Supreme Court of Canada. Despite calls from the opposition to suspend any further nominations to the Supreme Court pending the outcome of this investigation, Mr. Trudeau has refused and publicly stated "We have the merit-based independent process to choose judges." I mention all of this as the Globe and Mail just reported that: "The Prime Minister's Office is using a private party database called Liberalist in its background checks on candidates for judicial appointments, a tool that allows them to see whether would-be judges have supported the Liberal Party in recent years..." My question this week: Do you believe it is appropriate for the Prime Minister's office to use a Liberal party database to vet potential judges? I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711. Patanjali had last month increased its bid value by around Rs 200 crore to Rs 4,350 crore for bankruptcy-bound Ruchi Soya New Delhi: Lenders of debt-ridden Ruchi Soya will meet Friday to consider the revised bid of Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved to acquire Madhya Pradesh-based edible oil firm, according to sources. Patanjali had last month increased its bid value by around Rs 200 crore to Rs 4,350 crore for bankruptcy-bound Ruchi Soya. Adani Wilmar, which emerged as the highest bidder in August last year after a long drawn battle with Patanjali, had withdrawn from the race citing delay in completion of the insolvency process. In December 2017, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had referred Ruchi Soya for insolvency proceedings on the application of creditors Standard Chartered Bank and DBS Bank. Shailendra Ajmera was appointed as resolution professional (RP) to manage the affairs of the company and undertake the insolvency process. According to sources, a meeting of Committee of Creditors (CoC) is scheduled on Friday to discuss the revised bid of Patanjali. Ruchi Soya has a total debt of about Rs 12,000 crore. The debt-ridden firm has many manufacturing plants and its leading brands include Nutrela, Mahakosh, Sunrich, Ruchi Star and Ruchi Gold. "We have revised our bid to Rs 4,350 crore from an earlier offer of Rs 4,160 crore. We are ready to bail out Ruchi Soya which has the biggest infrastructure for soyabean. It's a national asset," Patanjali spokesperson SK Tijarawala had said last month. The decision to increase the bid was taken in the interest of all stakeholders including farmers and consumers, he had said. Before withdrawing from the race, Adani Wilmar had in December last year written to the RP regarding significant delays in a resolution process that led to the deterioration of Ruchi Soya's assets. Adani Wilmar had said the process was getting delayed as Patanjali moved the NCLT Mumbai. Patanjali Ayurved had approached NCLT challenging the decision of Ruchi Soya's lenders to approve Adani Wilmar's Rs 6,000 crore takeover bid. Patanjali group came second with around Rs 5,700 crore bid, including the infusion of about Rs 1,700 crore in the edible oil company. Sharekhan was allegedly 'indulged in front-running activity through its proprietary trading account thereby making personal gains', a Sebi order said. New Delhi: Stock broker Sharekhan has settled two cases with market regulator Sebi by paying nearly Rs 3 crore. The regulator had initiated two adjudication proceedings against the broker for alleged violations of PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) norms as well as code of conduct of stock brokers and sub-brokers. In one case, Sebi had sent a notice in February 2017, while it is yet to issue a notice in the second case. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) conducted a probe and found that certain entities were front-running the trades of Sterling group. It was also alleged that Sharekhan facilitated certain entities to carry out the front-running activity disregarding the alerts received from the stock exchange. The market watchdog also said that Sharekhan allowed improper use of information of confidential nature of clients by the dealers. While both the proceedings were pending with Sebi, Sharekhan filed two settlement applications without denying or admitting the charges and proposed to pay Rs 2.93 crore towards settlement. The settlement proposed was approved by a panel of Sebi's whole-time members and the amount was remitted on April 8, 2019. Thereby, the proceedings initiated against Sharekhan are settled, the regulator said. "Sharekhan had filed a settlement application with Sebi in relation to a matter of alleged front-running between March 2009 and March 2011 by a former employee," a company spokesperson said. The regulator has accepted Sharekhan's application and has passed a settlement order dated 23 April disposing of the proceedings against Sharekhan. "Under the settlement regulations of Sebi, such settlements are made without admission or denial of any wrongdoing," the spokesperson added. PTI VHP Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court quashing Reserve Bank circular, issued on 12 February, 2018, a revised set of rules is under works and would be released soon New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is working on revising the framework for resolution of stressed assets, including providing additional 60 days to borrowers to repay dues, as part of efforts to mitigate hardships faced by genuine businesses, sources said. Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court quashing an RBI circular, issued on 12 February, 2018, a revised set of rules is under works and would be released soon, they added. Under the RBI norms, an account is classified as a Non Performing Asset (NPA) if it is not serviced for 90 days. The 12 February circular had mandated banks to refer an NPA account for insolvency proceedings in case a resolution is not found within 180 days. This was for accounts where the outstanding dues were at least Rs 2,000 crore. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court quashed the circular and termed it as ultra vires. Sources said various options are being explored for rejigging the NPA framework. One of the options is giving 30-60 days more time in addition to existing 90 days before initiating resolution process for stressed accounts, they added. While the 90-day period for recognising an account as NPA would remain, the central bank would be looking at providing more leeway for the entities concerned to repay the loans, they said. Sources said that providing additional time for repayment would help in mitigating hardships faced by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to some extent. In a report last year, the government had favoured an additional 180 days to be provided for resolution of 34 stressed power projects with a view to avoiding potential value erosion of operating plants. The Supreme Court quashed the circular following a petition filed by around 70 stressed companies from the power, shipping and textiles sectors. A Parliamentary panel was among the critics of the now impugned circular. "Although the new guidelines have been termed as harmonised and simplified generic framework, yet they are far from being so," the Standing Committee on Energy said in its report tabled in Parliament last year. "The committee is of the opinion that the coinage of restructuring in resolution plans is hollow without having any serious meaning or business which only reflects the blurred vision of the RBI in understanding and appreciating the problems. "The committee expects that clarity of thought and transparency in approach should be the guiding factor to streamline and strengthen the sector squirming under ineluctable hardships," it had said. Vodafone Idea, the country's largest telecom operator through the rights issue which ran between 10-24 April, offered 2,000 crore new shares at Rs 12.50 apiece. New Delhi: Vodafone Idea's rights issue entailing 2,000 crore shares received bids for 1,109 crore shares, according to data available on the NSE on Wednesday. The country's largest telecom operator through the rights issue, which ran between 10-24 April, offered 2,000 crore new shares at Rs 12.50 apiece. As per the data, the rights issue had received bids for 11,09,28,57,339 shares at 2000 hours and showed the status as "active". When contacted, the company remained tight-lipped about the final numbers saying it is bound by applicable compliance norms and guidelines. To a separate query, the company said its interactions with investors suggest there is a "strong demand for the rights issue". "Axiata's renunciation has been fully taken up with a strong demand. Hence, we have good reason to believe that the issue will be fully subscribed," Vodafone Idea said in an e-mail response. The company added that it expects allotment to be made on or around 6 May, 2019, as mentioned in the offer document. Data on the BSE showed that 492 crore bids were received as on 2000 hours. The company had earlier said its rights issue entitlement worth about Rs 2,000 crore renounced by Malaysia-based Axiata Group was fully subscribed on strong demand. Promoter shareholdersVodafone Group and Aditya Birla Grouphave reiterated to the board that they intend to contribute up to Rs 11,000 crore and up to Rs 7,250 crore, respectively, amounting to a total of Rs 18,250 crore, as part of the Rs 25,000-crore rights issue. In a true marketing-savvy style that has come to be associated with the regime, the backward districts were to be henceforth called aspirational districts In January 2018, building upon his declared intent of sabka saath sabka vikaas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Transformation of Aspirational Districts programme. It was meant to bring quick and effective development to the most backward districts of India. An elaborate ranking system identified over 100 such districts. Through a convergence of central and state schemes and collaboration between different levels of bureaucracy, the program would identify low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement. This would be tracked through an online dashboard measuring real-time progress for each district. In a true marketing-savvy style that has come to be associated with the regime, the backward districts were to be henceforth called aspirational districts. A neat re-branding exercise to ostensibly remove the stigma associated with a district deemed backwards. However, one year in, the Aspirational Districts Programme has not delivered the sort of mass movement that the government envisaged, wherein not just the administration but common folks as well come together in the spirit of nation-building and lift their aspirational districts towards greater heights. This is not surprising given that a closer examination of the programme reveals several gaps and unanswered questions. At the first level, the aspirational districts were identified as such because of low scores on certain social parameters. However, the indices which have been created to measure their progress, dont map back to the earlier set. In other words, the districts are progressing on parameters which were not necessarily the ones they were weak as mapped during the identification process. For instance, one of the areas wherein an aspirational district must improve in is agriculture and water resources. This accounts for 20 percent weight of the real-time ranking that a district will be reporting. Yet there is no index which measured if the aspirational districts in question were weak in this respect, to begin with. Secondly, at its core, the Aspirational Districts Programme is a contest. The administrative machinery of these backward districts is to engage in positive competition. The Niti Aayog policy document states, the approach of name-and-applaud or name-and-shame is quite effective, and this underlying philosophy marks the foundation of the program. Thus at a philosophical level, the government assumes the lack of recognition and applause is what is holding the districts back, and not macrostructural challenges. A little nudge is all that is needed to inspire the local administrations. This is problematic because when development is indexed, measured and reported in the form of dynamic rankings where fast-movers are applauded issues of geography, climate, historical and cultural background are not considered. Quite simply put, there are deeper issues beyond administrative will and resourcefulness that are at the core of the slow pace of growth in some regions. In this schematic, however, there is no room for such nuance. A contest flattens context. There is an incentive for administrators to show great leaps in the rankings. Because no one wants to do badly at a contest. A cursory glance through the performances of the districts shows incredible rating jumps. For instance, Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir was languishing at the 108th position in June 2018, but in four months it had reached the 7th position. Siddharthnagar in UP had a similar rise, jumping from the 103rd to the 3rd position in the same period. These along with many others have been applauded by the Niti Aayog as the fastest movers in its second Delta ranking. Whether these numbers are the result of a radical transformation on the ground or reminiscent of the widespread exaggerated reports during Maos Great Leap Forward, should be the subject of an unbiased social audit. Which brings up the third major issue with the programme, the lack of credible data verification procedure. Currently, the scores are either self-reported by the district administrators themselves or come from household surveys conducted by Niti Aayogs knowledge partners namely TATA Trusts and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (IDInsight). It is unsure what the terms of engagement for these partners are, and hence it is unclear in the case of data lapses, exactly what the accountability framework is. Additionally, the self-congratulatory tone of the policy literature leaves no space for reflection or course correction. Instead of voluminous data sets which can be audited or researched, there are instead selected cases that are presented as success-stories. For instance, there is the reported story of Sunita Yadav, from Uttar Pradesh, whose life dramatically changed after opening her bank account under PMJDY and subsequently accessing her RuPay card. While it sounds like the script of a Bollywood film, there is no credible way of statistically ascertaining how many lives have been similarly transformed. Most of the reported data issued by Niti Aayog has been reported in a similar fashion, where the focus is not so much as to report the actual policy performance but to insist on its success. While this is not the first regime to oversee such reports, but in the context of widespread data falsification and suppressionsuch editorial choices appear more dramatic on closer scrutiny. For a regime often accused of cosying up to big businesses, a program to bring progress to the most underdeveloped areas would have been a boost for its political credibility. However, on the face of it, the Aspirational Districts Programme seems to be falling short of delivering that. (The author is Assistant Professor, Literary & Culture Studies, FLAME University) Students and parents in Telangana squarely blamed the firm for the blunders that found their way into tabulation and preparation of marks memos. Hyderabad: Maithili, a second-year intermediate student from Bommalaramaram on the outskirts of Telanganas state capital of Hyderabad, dreamed of building her career in the field of medicine, but ended up killing herself in her house early Wednesday. The student, who fared extremely well in her first-year exams failed to get even the passing marks in subjects like Physics and Zoology as per the results published by the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (BOIE) on 18 April. Blaming the board, her parents said she was a bright girl hoping to get into the medical stream with a decent score in her intermediate exams. In the last 24 hours, three students have taken their lives, taking the toll to 19 in Telangana in the span of one week. According to the parents, what has caused this tragedy is an error on the part of the software solutions firm, Globarena Technologies Private Limited, which had been engaged by the intermediate board in September 2017 for development of software to process admissions, pre-examination, post-examination results, including OMR (optical mark recognition) scanning. Students and parents squarely blamed the firm for the blunders that found their way into tabulation and preparation of marks memos after evaluating the answer sheets. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) general secretary Manava Roy alleged that the government failed to initiate action against the software firm due to the clout it enjoys with TRS working president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos son KT Rama Rao. Former TRS MLC Pathuru Sudhakar Reddy said the allegations linking KTR with the software firm were baseless. The agency with the lowest bidding was shortlisted by the intermediate board for the project through a proper tender process, he said. The Telangana government constituted a three-member expert committee to probe the allegations of goof-ups in results. Students backed by Opposition parties, youth, women and rights groups resorted to forcing themselves into Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister, and the office of the Board of Intermediate Education, and have courted arrests in the last few days. Under the shadow of police The BOIE office at Nampally is flocked with hordes of students seeking to question goof-ups that have caused a state-wide furore, but it continues to have a presence of gun-toting police. Rajani, mother of a Class-12 student, complains, My daughter scored 85 percent in all the subjects in the second year, but failed in Mathematics. The rules will not permit her to seek improvement by appearing for supplementary exams as she has failed in a subject. Her pleas for revaluation, which will enable her to take the national level entrance tests for admission, go unheard in the BOIE office. Rajani said there are instances of awarding marks for students who were absent in the exams. A student identified as Naveena, who topped in her first-year exam, failed in Telugu in the final year. After re-verification, she got 93 per cent in the particular subject, said S Ramesh, a student leader. Telangana had registered eight suicides in 2018. In the year 2017, both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana witnessed more than 50 suicides by students in a span of two months (September-October). M Madhusudan Reddy, president of Telangana Government Junior Lecturers Association, sees a marked difference in the nature of suicides being reported now when compared to those in the previous years. The rank war and subsequent stress induced by college managements and parents led students to commit suicides in the past. This time, it is the blunders of the software firm that left a trail of suicides, says Reddy. What is the trigger? The score in the plus two exams give the students seeking to take admissions in engineering and medical streams through Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test (EAMCET) due on 4 May, an additional weightage of 20 percent. Time is running out for the other entrance tests such as national eligibility cum entrance test (NEET), Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the other national-level screening tests. But the goof-ups seem to be upending the apple cart for many dream-chasing students. The website of the intermediate board inviting applications online for revaluation of papers crashed, heightening worries of the students. Around 10 lakh students took the Class 12 exam in February 2018, and nearly 3.5 lakh failed, making it a gigantic task for the board to conduct supplementary exams for such a large number of students. Who is to blame? Education minister Jagadeeswar Reddy criticised the Opposition parties for trying to gain political mileage out of a sensitive issue pertained to the lives of scores of students. Globarena, currently under the scanner, is facing a cheating case in Andhra Pradesh following a complaint lodged by its client Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Kakinada for allegedly delivering substandard services and the case is pending investigation in Sarpavaram police station in East Godavari district. Up to the academic year-2017-18 (March, 2018 examination) the BOIE used to engage the Centre of Good Government (CGG), a state-run agency, for data processing and the result processing was entrusted to private agencies with a good standing. Later, Globarena became a sole software provider for the board. (The author is a Vijayawada - based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com) Two militants were killed in an encounter early on Thursday in in Bagender Mohalla of Bijbehara in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. The duo was killed after a gunfight broke out between them and a joint team of the Indian Army's 3 Rashtriya Rifles unit and a Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Two militants were killed in an encounter early on Thursday in in Bagender Mohalla of Bijbehara in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. The duo was killed after a gunfight broke out between them and a joint team of the Indian Army's 3 Rashtriya Rifles unit and a Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. #UPDATE: Two terrorists have been neutralised in the exchange of fire with security forces in Bagender Mohalla of Bijbehara in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. Search operation is underway. https://t.co/Yl41By46fM ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2019 The exchange of fire began while security forces had been carrying out cordon and search operations after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area. An official said that the militants opened fire on the troopers when they were closing in on their hiding spot. A search operation is underway as the forces believe there were three militants in hiding in Bagender Mohalla. The troopers have recovered the bodies of the two militants, along with the ammunition, the official added. The militants were identified as Safder Amin Bhat and Burhan Ahmad Ganie. One AK rifle and an SLR were found. The cordon began around 2 am and went on for around three hours, according to a report, which quoted sources as saying that the two militants killed in the encounter were both local residents of Bijbehara. Mobile internet services have been snapped in Anantnag, reports said. The contrast between the two hearings cant have been starker and offers a startling view into the structural sexism at play here, and the absurd differences in how both parties are being treated in the highest court of the land. Today, a Supreme Court bench heard lawyer Utsav Bains' allegations of how the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi is being targeted by "a conspiracy". Also today, a Supreme Court panel committee of three judges junior to the CJI, justices SA Bobde, NV Ramana and Indira Banerjee, met on the matter of inquiring into the sexual harassment allegations against the CJI. The committee issued a notice to the accuser requiring her to attend the first hearing on 26 April. The contrast between the two hearings cant have been starker and offers a startling view into the structural sexism at play here, and the absurd differences in how both parties are being treated in the highest court of the land. The bench of justices Arun Mishra, RF Nariman and Deepak Gupta took Bains allegations with utmost seriousness, to the extent of summoning the chiefs of the CBI, Delhi Police and the Intelligence Bureau for an in-chamber meeting to discuss the contents of his affidavit. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta suggested that it all be investigated thoroughly by a Special Investigative Team (SIT) under the SC's supervision. Bains has been given permission to file yet another affidavit tomorrow. In contrast, Justice Bobde of the SC panel inquiring into the sexual harassment allegations told the media that theirs would be an "in-house procedure" but not a "formal judicial proceeding" and so wouldn't allow the female accuser to be represented by a lawyer. There is no time limit to the inquiry and in any case, the inquiry will remain confidential. The judges expressed grave concern for Bains' security and asked multiple times for police protection for him since "he has to be protected from all sources, from everything," given how "this is a very serious issue". Meanwhile, in the third related court hearing today in this saga, the female complainant against the CJI is still being pursued by the Delhi Police in an unrelated case that she claims to be fabricated: the police are seeking cancellation of her bail and have retained her mobile phone and computer (an FIR was originally filed in the case against her on 3 March and the police promptly fetched her from her Rajasthan village on 8 March. She was formally kept in police custody on 10 March, sent to judicial custody on 11 March and released on bail the next day. The Delhi Court adjourned the matter today to 23 May). Bains, a man who inserted himself willy-nilly into a case that is of larger consequences, was allowed prima donna antics and statements in court. He was not only handled with kid gloves, he was coddled to an astonishing degree. At one point, he had an outburst against sexual harassment claims: "These claims could be made against me, you, them! My maid could say I raped her... I feel disgusted to be a lawyer!" He apparently started to walk out of the proceedings since he was annoyed by Justice Nariman, with Justice Mishra having to call him back. And Bains point blank refused when the solicitor general asked for an apology for his earlier conduct, resulting in Justice Mishra again intervening and actually apologising on Bains behalf: "With full authority, we say 'sorry'," he reportedly concluded. Imagine the female complainant getting a fraction of this kind of solicitous attention from the court. All of this rope has been given to someone who is happily weaving one conspiracy theory after another, as pointed out by lawyer Manu Sebastian: First, Bains alleged in his Facebook post that a lobby of judges, fixers, corporate scamsters and corrupt politicians was behind the sexual harassment allegations against the CJI. Then today he claimed in his affidavit that it was actually some corporate bosses and fixers. And now he intends to file another affidavit tomorrow alleging that it was actually some disgruntled ex-SC employees who hatched the conspiracy. (Murali Krishnan, associate editor at Bar & Bench, pointed out that back in July 2017, a Supreme Court bench presided by Justice Ranjan Gogoi had also ordered police protection for Utsav Bains). All Bains had to do was write a post on Facebook to be taken so seriously by the senior judges of the Supreme Court. But the same court has dragged its feet over Gogois accusers allegations, which she couriered to 22 SC judges in a notarised 28-page affidavit with 108 pages of annexures. All of this follows the dismal, bizarre and illegal special SC hearing last Saturday when CJI Gogoi presided over a bench and projected the idea of the allegations being a larger conspiracy against the judiciary and himself. That day saw all the various powerful men of our legal system closing ranks around the CJI without any call for due process or investigation, including the attorney general, the solicitor general and the Supreme Court secretary general. This is again in sharp contrast to 259 women lawyers, scholars and activists who have written a stern letter today to all Supreme Court judges questioning the constitution of the three-judge committee headed by Justice Bobde that has no external members, since it is "complete violation of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act 2013. Instead, they seek the forming of a Special Enquiry Committee that will probe the allegations within the legally-mandated 90-day period. These women have also demanded that the CJI step down from official duties till the inquiry is complete, and that the female complainant be allowed legal representation from a lawyer of her choice. The letter further condemned the actions, thus far, of their male peers: We are both shocked and saddened that the Chief Justice of India as well as the Special Bench have responded as most men, in public office or in positions of authority and power do, when accused of sexual misconduct. Denial of the allegations, maligning the complainant, citing past histories, imputing ulterior motives to the complainant are familiar and regular devices deployed by accused men. Equally common is the undertaking of vindictive measures including administrative harassment and suits of defamation against complainants. The complainant raised her own concerns and apprehensions today about the inquiry committee of three judges who intend to hear her allegations and requested that she be informed of the committees procedure in advance, be allowed a lawyer and support person, and be provided a video recording of the proceedings. She has also declared that the 20 April special hearing damaged her character and that various mens assault on her allegations and character including other SC judges, the AG, SG and finance minister Arun Jaitley left her frightened and helpless and feeling isolated and depressed. She also pointed to how Justice NV Ramana of the committee who later recused himself made dismissive public remarks about her and is extremely close to the CJI. She reiterated the request from her affidavit for a special inquiry committee of six retired SC justices to investigate the matter. In the hectic activity of the day, perhaps the most unexpected question to surface was from senior advocate Indira Jaising. Bains had claimed in court today that just to file the affidavit, I took an auto at 4 am, whereas Jaising tweeted asking why a white Jaguar Taxi carrying Utsav Babis [sic] with a Harayana Number plate and no pass allowed to enter the Supreme Court on Monday 22 April and park in the High Security area where the Attorney General and ASGs park their cars ? Whos guest was he? We dont know whose guest Babis might have been, but while Bains has been the courts esteemed mehmaan, the complainant is being treated like a marauder. Gaurav Jain is the co-founder of The Ladies Finger (TLF), Indias leading online womens magazine. The programmes of the Sangh relied heavily on evoking a homogenising religious pride while appropriating local cultural symbols. Editor's note: This is the sixteenth reported piece in an 18-part series on the contemporary history of Hindutva in coastal Karnataka. The series features interviews, videos, archival material and oral histories gathered over a period of four months. Read other articles of the series here *** It would take quite an effort to understand Suresh Shettys political inclinations. Here is a man who was part of the children's wing of the Seva Dal, a front organisation for the Indian National Congress, from since he was a child. He progressed to the Youth Congress and eventually to the INC. But when Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) was trying to strengthen itself in Dakshin Kannada with Amir Hassan, a professor from St Anns as president, he joined them. This seemed to be a trait of many during these times, when the political lines werent clearly defined. And the Sangh, politically, was just emerging. When Shetty was asked to be a part of the organising committee of the first Hindu Samaja Utsav organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) in 1980, he agreed. In the same vein, he pledges he is secular and is opposed to the politics of the Sangh, which he terms communal. His loyalty to the party didnt take him to the heights that other leaders have reached, but he is content being part of the district leadership. See, when ABVP started to build its cadre, they would tell everybody that they have nothing to do with politics. So even I joined. When they asked me why I was in the Congress, I asked them how it was their business! Their pitch for membership was that they want to focus on student activities, not politics. Even for Hindu Samaja Utsav they said the same thing. Only later did I realise what they were really doing by calling themselves apolitical, Shetty said. Many leaders of the Sangh Parivar, be it ABVP or VHP continue to say their work isnt political. Shetty continued his lament about the confusion prevalent in the late 1970s and the 1980s. Every move of the Congress would be called minority appeasement or rajakiya (political) stunt, but these groups called themselves apolitical and it worked. Everybody clapped for them while they called themselves the protectors of Hindu culture. Shetty recollected how during the subsequent Hindu Samaja Utsavs , if Congress leaders participated, they were reprimanded by then Union minister Janardhana Poojary. Poojary, who had been Cabinet minister from 1982 to 1987, tried many methods to tend to the cultural aspirations of his people. He attempted to reinforce the ideology of Narayana Guru, a reformist from Kerala, in Dakshin Kannada. The story of this temple dates back to early 20th Century. Shudras and Dalits were not allowed into many temples in coastal Karnataka, which was under the control of Brahmins. Even if they were, there were explicit methods through which they were segregated. Upset with this, Adhyaksha H Koragappa, a Billava businessman, led a delegation to meet Guru, whose "one caste, one religion, one God" created ripples against the brahmanical order in Kerala in the late 19th Century. Guru visited Mangalore in 1908 and selected a spot to build a temple, which he said should be accessible to all. It was inaugurated by him in 1912 and since then, has been considered an important place of worship for non-Brahmins of the region. In 1989, Poojary suggested raising money to renovate the temple. We organised more than 30 mass meetings and rallies across the district. Everybody contributed to this cause and within 13 months, we were able to complete the renovation of the shrine, said Poojary. The new structure was inaugurated by Rajiv Gandhi on 8 February, 1991. While the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign was at its peak nationally led by Advani and leaders like Pejavara Swamy in Dakshin Kannada, Poojary was trying to countermobilise the non-Brahmin masses by driving an alternate Hindu politics. But we know who ultimately succeeded, said Vidya Dinker, an activist and professor. It didnt work. Most castes, including Poojarys own community, still joined the Sangh Parivar en masse, Suresh said. Even we didnt dare open our mouth against their activities. We already had a pretty strong 'anti-Hindu' tag. Truth be told, we didnt even think about a counter to this. Suresh grudgingly accepted that the thought of doing something never came to mind. Congress, unlike the Sangh, had always been a leader centric-party, not a cadre-based organisation. When it was announced that Poojary will be contesting, people of my caste were taken aback, said Suresh. "Many asked 'what about us?'" Poojary also recalled opposition from within his caste when Indira Gandhi declared him as the MP candidate from Mangalore. Infighting didnt help. Energy was spent in keeping caste alliance formulas right, there was little time for strategy, Suresh opined. This was probably one of the reasons that can be attributed to the failure of the Congress brand of Hinduness. The programmes of the Sangh relied heavily on evoking a homogenising religious pride while appropriating local cultural symbols. It has been thirty years since we went house to house to interact with the masses. But look at them. Starting from ittiga pooja to collecting money for festivals to election campaigns, they have made their place inside the home of every Hindu. Even our people have started attending Hindu functions now. We have no other place to go, said Suresh. UT Khader, the only MLA to win from the Congress in the 2018 elections, is a regular at various religious events of all faiths. In April 2018, he was publicly insulted by senior RSS leader Prabhakar Bhat for taking part in a kola (traditional worship of Deiva). Bhat went to the extent of questioning the sanctity of the Deiva for engaging with a beef eating Muslim. He called for immediate brahmakalasha (a purification ceremony) of the Deiva Sana. But Khader said such incidents dont bother him. People of Mangaluru are not communal, they wont fall for such political stunts, said Khader, dismissing Bhats insults. If Bhat is arrested, the entire state will go up in flames. This was the statement made by former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa when cases were filed against Bhat by the police. Bhat was accused of instigating violence through "inflammatory speeches" after the murder of RSS worker Deepak Rao. Bhat doesnt just enjoy the favour of the top BJP leadership of Karnataka, he has been dubbed as the maker of game plans for the party in the coast. I am not a politician, I am an RSS karyakarta. We dont take part in electoral politics, but we take part in deciding how politics should be, a smiling Bhat said. Bhat rose to prominence after he was arrested during the Emergency in 1975. I was arrested along with my wife. Dakshin Kannada was a hotbed of anti-Emergency activities. This was the period when people starting losing faith in the Congress. Until then, this region was a Congress stronghold, Bhat recollected. Bhat believes the real support for BJP started pouring in after the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign. In the next Lok Sabha elections, Poojary lost. Hindus woke up. They realised that Congress doesnt represent them, the BJP does. This marked the beginning of our success in the coastal region, said Bhat. He remains appreciative of Poojary for renovating the Kudroli Gokarnatheswara temple. But who did he invite to inaugurate the temple? Rajiv Gandhi. Poojary initiated many reforms, no doubt, but he indulged in the same gimmicks Ramanath Rai is doing. Congress culture is like that only. They want to show their allegiance to Muslims, no matter what they do. That is why their downfall started, because of them behaving like a Muslim party. During the campaigning leading up to the same elections, Rai, the former Bantwal MLA, at a public function thanked the Muslim community for helping him win six times and added that this victory was possible with the mercy of Allah. This statement went viral with everyone targeting him for being a Muslim appeaser. Bhat is convinced this is the reason why Rai lost the election. He is not the only one. Every one of them does this. They support Muslims, majority of whom are anti-Hindu. The state of our mother, the cow, is appalling. Parents are scared whether their girls will return back home as Hindus. But what do these Congress leaders do? Even Shakuntala Shetty lost because she never supported Hindus. She always took the side of Muslims. Their losses are all repercussions of their anti-Hindu behaviour, Bhat alleged. While Bhat labels the Congress 'anti-Hindu', in the coast the Grand Old Party is, for the most part, made up of Hindu leaders. Most, like Poojary, organise around religion, albeit in different ways. Rai tried to float Ganesh Utsavs to counter the ones of RSS. I call it secular Ganesha, he said, adding that people from all religions participate in the five-day celebrations. Ganesh Utsavs in Mangaluru follow the formula of the original, which was started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in Maharashtra. We need to provide alternatives to the people if we want them to move away from the communal traps being set by the Sangh, said Rai. Bhat believes that the Hinduness of Congress leaders are gimmicks. Being Hindu is connected with having national feeling. Hindutva is the aatma of this nation, said Bhat, ridiculing leaders like Rai for not being loud enough about their Hindu identity. If you remember Balraj Madhok spoke about Indianisation of Muslims and Christians. When that happens, even they will feel that pride. All of them are not bad, only some are terrorists, the rest want peace. But the main problem are the Congress leaders, they dont do anything other than dance to the tune of Muslims. Congress leaders have also tried pretty hard to project that they are Hindu enough, said Dinker. While vote banks may go back and forth, it is evident that when it comes to religion, peoples allegiances remain with the Sangh. People will buy anything the Sangh sells them. But Poojary doesnt think this is the case: Can anybody question my devotion or my contribution to this religion? Still, they claim they are more Hindu than me. Who is the real Hindu? Women will be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20 percent of total corps of military police in Indian Army New Delhi: Opening up a new avenue for women, the Indian Army on Thursday kicked off the process of inducting them as jawans by starting their online registration for recruitment in the corps of military police. This is being seen as a major breakthrough for women in armed forces as so far, they were being inducted only as officers and this is the first time they would be taken in as soldiers. Online registration will start today for the recruitment of women as jawans and the last date for it is 8 June. The project was first mooted by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat soon after he took charge of the force, Army officials said. The decks for the induction were cleared in January, 2019 after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government has taken a "historic" decision to induct women in the military police with an aim to enhance their representation in the three services. Women will be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20 percent of total corps of military police and their role would range from probing crime cases to assisting the Army in field operations wherever required. In 2018, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said the process to allow women in a combat role, currently, an exclusive domain of men was moving fast and initially, women will be recruited for positions in military police. Accordingly, the Army chalked out induction of approximately 800 women in military Police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and Army establishments, preventing the breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police. As per government data, the Army has 3.80 percent of its workforce as women, the Air Force has 13.09 percent and the Navy six percent. Photo: Contributed How many pot shops in the downtown core are too many? Vernon city council has decided six is the magic number. City leaders said half a dozen recreational marijuana dispensaries in the downtown core is enough. Coun. Akbal Mund raised the issue of how many is too many. The city has received and approved 10 applications for pot shops, at least four of which are confirmed to be in the downtown area. Mund said that does not mean there will only be six shops in all of Vernon, just six downtown. Mund said there were concerns among downtown businesses about the number of medical marijuana dispensaries that opened downtown before legalization in October, 2018. Businesses did not want a repeat of what some felt were too many. It's not a permanent limit and it does not limit for the rest of the city as well, said Mund, adding shops can still be approved for other parts of town as long as proper zoning is met. If there are no complaints or challenges, the number of downtown shops could increase. Once the applications currently in the pipeline are processed, the city plans on putting a one-year moratorium on applications for shops downtown. Coun. Dalvir Nahal said four downtown locations have been approved, one more application for a shop downtown is already in the works so that leaves room for one additional shop. Nahal voted against the resolution because people are paying thousands of dollars to apply and by suddenly capping the number downtown applicants they could be out a lot of time and money. Nahal said she believes a cap in the downtown is needed, but is concerned for those who made the effort and expense to officially apply only to have the cap dash their plans. I don't know if they are going to get their money back, but we did it backwards. We should have limited it and then took applications, she said. We don't know how many people have put applications, but now they will find out their application is useless. I just think the people who have already done the work, their applications should go through. While it is up to the city to approve an application based on zoning and other criteria, only the province can issue a license. Mayor Victor Cumming did not respond to calls seeking comment on the issue. Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra was Thursday appointed as a new member of the in-house inquiry panel set up to examine the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, following the recusal of Justice NV Ramana. New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra was Thursday appointed as a new member of the in-house inquiry panel set up to examine the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, following the recusal of Justice NV Ramana. Justice SA Bobde, who is heading the inquiry panel and is the senior-most judge after the CJI, has appointed Justice Malhotra to the committee. Justice Indira Banerjee is also part of the panel. "I have been given the power to constitute or re-constitute the panel and conduct the inquiry," Justice Bobde told PTI. "I have inducted a new member and this will be sent to the full court for approval," he said. Justice Bobde said that first sitting of the panel will be held on Friday as per schedule. "We are going to have our first sitting as scheduled on Friday. The notice which was sent to the woman employee on Tuesday remains and there is no need to issue a fresh notice," he said. The development assumes significance as the former woman employee of the apex court had written a letter Wednesday to the panel expressing reservation over the inclusion of Justice Ramana on the ground that he is a close friend of the CJI and a regular visitor to his house. In a letter to Justice Bobde, she had also raised question over the presence of only one woman apex court judge Banerjee in the panel to examine her allegations against the CJI which according to her is not in accordance with the Vishaka Guidelines. During the day, Justice Ramana recused himself from the panel by writing a letter to Justice Bobde. "Let me at the outset state that I recuse myself from the above referenced matter. I was asked to be a part of the said committee by your Lordship which was duly approved by the Full court. This involves an extraordinary obligation which ought not to be avoided unless there are extreme circumstances. I set forth, in brief, a broad outline of my reasons for recusing from this committee," Justice Ramana said in his letter to Justice Bobde. In his letter, Justice Ramana rejected the "baseless and unfounded aspersions" cast on him by the woman who had said that he was a close friend on the CJI and like a family member to him. "I categorically reject these baseless and unfounded aspersions on my capacity to render impartial judgment in this matter, in consonance with the best traditions of judicial propriety and the integrity of this honourable court," he said. "Let my recusal be a clear message to the nation that there should be no fears about probity in our institution, and that we will not refrain from going to any extent to protect the trust reposed in us. That is, after all, our final source of moral strength," he wrote in his letter. To ensure a free and fair election, the Election Commission of India on Thursday expressed that it is of the view that the Vivek Oberoi-starrer PM Narendra Modi should not be released till 19 May. New Delhi: To ensure a free and fair election, the Election Commission of India on Thursday expressed that it is of the view that the Vivek Oberoi-starrer PM Narendra Modi should not be released till 19 May. "The commission is of the view that the film should not be released till 19 May," sources in the Election Commission told ANI. The poll body said that delaying the release will be in the interest of free and fair Lok Sabha elections. On Monday, the Election Commission submitted its report in a sealed cover before the Supreme Court over the film, after which a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi posted the matter for hearing on 26 April and had directed that report be served to the petitioner, the producers of the movie. On 17 April, officials of the Election Commission watched the movie in a special screening on the directions of the Supreme Court. A committee with a total of seven officials set up for the purpose was present for the screening of the PM Narendra Modi. The top court had asked the Election Commission to watch the Narendra Modi biopic and submit its view to the court by 22 April in a sealed cover. On 12 April, the makers of the Oberoi-starrer had moved the apex court, challenging the stay on the film's release. The producer of the film, Sandip Singh, had said that the poll panel had banned the movie without watching it. The film was scheduled to release on 11 April, coinciding with the commencement of the Lok Sabha election in the country. However, on 10 April, the Election Commission stayed the release of the biopic till the national elections ended, stating that the film disturbs the level-playing field. Protests have continued as students and parents demanded a re-evaluation of all intermediate answer sheets and suspension of Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) Secretary A Ashok over what they are calling are error-ridden results. Hyderabad: Protests have continued as students and parents demanded a re-evaluation of all intermediate answer sheets and suspension of Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) Secretary A Ashok over what they are calling are error-ridden results. Student and parent organisations have been demanding justice for students who failed in one or two subjects, despite securing high marks in other subjects. Mohamed Abdul Mohsin, a parent, told ANI, "My child is a brilliant student but he failed in two subjects. There are some errors in the evaluation process. We want justice for our children." Many students alleged that they did well in their first years of exams but their marks dipped in the final year. "In the intermediate first year, I got 90 percent but got only 60 percent marks in the second year. I did not get admission to any other college due to my low marks. I demand the government to re-check my papers free of cost," Nazima, a student, said. Some students reportedly committed suicide after the publication of error-ridden results by the TSBIE. Congress on Monday wrote to Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao demanding suspension of the TSBIE secretary over "callous and corrupt practices" in the final results. The Congress had also demanded KCR to announce ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh to the families of deceased students who reportedly committed suicide. The government has constituted a three-member team to probe the alleged fiasco. On 23 April, advocate Bains filed an affidavit alleging that the sexual harassment allegations against CJI Ranjan Gogoi were a part of a larger conspiracy by fixers and plotters to frame him. The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed Justice Retired AK Patnaik to head the inquiry into allegations raised by advocate Utsav Bains that there is a 'corporate' conspiracy to frame the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi on charges of sexual misconduct. The apex court also said that Patnaik would only hold a fact finding inquiry and not a judicial inquiry. It has directed the chiefs of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Delhi Police to cooperate with Justice AK Patnaik in the probe. He would submit his report in a sealed envelope. The probe was ordered after Bains alleged that the CJI was being targeted by "bench fixers" and disgruntled employees. The bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, Rohinton F Nariman and Deepak Gupta is hearing the matter. It said the outcome of the inquiry will not affect the in-house committee which is dealing with the complaint against the CJI. The top court has also rejected the claim of privilege under Section 126 raised by Bains and has directed him to disclose all documents to the inquiry panel. Attorney General (AG) KK Venugopal said the claim of privilege under Section 126 of the Indian Evidence Act is not applicable to any communication between Bains and the alleged fixers. Venugopal said that a court can ask for any document relevant to a case. Supporting the Attorney General's argument, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Rakesh Khanna submitted that there is "no sacrosanct right" to withhold any document. The court has the power to seek production of documents over which privilege is claimed, Khanna said. "Whatever he (Bains) divulged to us, in any case, our power to inspect the documents is there," Justice Nariman observed. Asserting that powerful people will not be allowed to run the top court, a three-judge bench led by Justice Arun Mishra said that time has come to act against them. "The day has come to tell the rich and mighty that they cannot run the SC. They are playing with fire," the court said. Bains had alleged on Wednesday that two former court masters, sacked for tampering an order in a case related to Anil Ambani, were involved in the plot to frame the CJI together with the female court staffer. On 23 April, advocate Bains filed an affidavit alleging that the sexual harassment allegations against CJI Gogoi were a part of a larger conspiracy by fixers and plotters to frame him. Earlier on Thursday, he handed over to the SC bench hearing the case a sealed envelope, apparently containing an affidavit to corroborate his charges. Senior advocate Indira Jaising told the court that the inquiry headed by Justice SA Bobde into the sexual harassment charge and the case before the court should be conducted together. "We again clarify that the outcome of this inquiry (into the conspiracy charge) will not affect that inquiry (into the sexual harassment charge)," Justice Mishra said. On Tuesday, a three-member committee of the apex court led by Justice Bobde, the senior-most judge after the Chief Justice, was formed to look into the allegation of sexual harassment made by a dismissed employee against Justice Gogoi. The other two members of the committee are Justices NV Ramana and Indira Banerjee. Justice Ramana is the third in the seniority list in the apex court and will the Chief Justice after the retirement of Justice Bobde. The number of Indians killed in the massive Sri Lanka Easter Sunday bombings rose to 11 on Thursday, as one more person succumbed to injuries Colombo: The number of Indians killed in the massive Easter Sunday bombings rose to 11 on Thursday, as one more person succumbed to injuries, taking the total number of foreigners who died in the attack to 36, according to the Lankan Sri foreign ministry. Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said that as of Wednesday, 24 April, the number of foreign nationals who have been killed in the attack rose to 36. "It includes, one from Bangladesh, two from China, eleven from India, three from Denmark, one from Japan, one from the Netherlands, one from Portugal, two from Saudi Arabia, one from Spain, two from Turkey, six from the UK, one from USA, two holding US and UK nationalities, and two holding Australian and Sri Lankan nationalities," the statement said. The ministry further added that 14 foreign nationals are unaccounted for at present, and could be among the unidentified victims at the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer's mortuary. The mortal remains of 13 foreign nationals have been repatriated to date, the statement said. The ministry said that 12 foreign nationals injured in the attacks are receiving treatment at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital and private hospitals in Colombo while others have been discharged following treatment. Nine Suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing at 359 people and injuring over 500. So far over 75 people, all Sri Lankan nationals, have been arrested in connection with the attacks. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified the seven suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts. The Uttar Pradesh board is expected to declare the 2019 results of the Class 12 exams on Saturday, 27 April. Candidates can check out alternative websites like examresults.net and SMS services to check. UP Board 12th Result 2019: The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) is expected to announce the results for Class 12 examination on Saturday, 27 April. Candidates who appeared for the UPMSP Class 12 exam can check their scores on the official website upmsp.edu.in. Given the large volume of candidates likely to check their results on the official website, it faces the risk of functioning slowly or crashing. But candidates must not panic. While the temporary glitch on the official website is fixed, candidates can opt for alternative methods to check their Class 12 results. Let's take a look at alternative ways to check UP board Class 12 results of 2019: Alternate websites: 1. upresults.nic.in 2. upmspresults.up.nic 3. results.gov.in 2. examresults.net SMS services: Apart from the alternative websites, students can also check their results via SMS services. To check your UP board Class 12 score, type "UP12Roll Number" and send it to 56263. Over 30 lakh students had registered for the 2019 intermediate examination, which were held from 7 February to 2 March. Follow LIVE updates on UP Board Result 2019 for Class 10 and Class 12 here UP Board Result 2019 LIVE Updates: The links to check the Class 10 and Class 12 results of the UP board exams are now live on upresults.nic.in. You can also check your results directly on Firstpost. Auto refresh feeds The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) will declare the results of the Class 10 and Class 12 board exams today (Saturday, 27 April) at 12.30 pm. Step 5: Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Step 2: Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and 10 results Students can check the results for both on the official website upmsp.edu.in. As the official website faces the risk of crashing, students can opt to visit alternative websites and use SMS services to check their UP board results. Students can also receive their results via SMS Just bookmark this link , or click on it once results are out to check Uttar Pradesh board result 2019 for Class 10 or Class 12 online. This year, around 58 lakh students appeared for the Class 12 and Class 10 board exams. Reports said the performance of students in the Uttar Pradesh board exams is expected to improve this year, as several measures were taken to ensure good results. A Special Task Force team was also reportedly deployed to ensure that there were no instances of cheating and to curb the activities of the "copying mafia". As many as 58.6 lakh students registered for the Uttar Pradesh (UPMSP) board exams, but around 6.52 lakh students failed to appear for the examinations. As many as 403 students were caught cheating, according to The Indian Express. The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) is the primary body entrusted with the job to manage, monitor and develop school-level education in the state. It conducts annual high school exam for Class 10 students and the intermediate exam for Class 12 students of Uttar Pradesh. For the first time during UP board exams, this year was the first time that CCTV cameras were installed at all the 8,549 exam centres. Of the total, 2,087 centres were categorised as sensitive, of which 566 centres were identified as very sensitive and 1,521 sensitive with regard to the activities of the "copying mafia" there. In 1992, the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh had implemented similar security measures to curb cheating during the UP board exams. The state government had issued an ordinance on anti-copying called Nakal Adhyadesh. This reduced the pass percentage in the state to 14.7 percent for Class 10 and 30.4 percent in Class 12, the lowest pass percentage ever in the state. The Uttar Pradesh board has announced that the results have been delayed by an hour. UPMSP has confirmed that the Class 12 result will be announced at 1 pm and Class 10 result at 1:30 pm. On upresults.nic.in, the Uttar Pradesh board has confirmed a delay in the announcement of the results. The Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education has raised the fee for re-evaluation of exams by five times. To get one paper of a subject reevaluated, candidates will now have to pay Rs 500 instead of the earlier Rs 100 fee, making this the most expensive reevaluation procedure in India, according to The Indian Express. Step 5 Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Step 2 Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and 10 results The UP board has declared the 10th and 12th board exam results. Gautam Raghuvanshi has topped the Class 10 exams and Tanu Tomar has topped Class 12. UP Class 10 students secured a pass percentage of 80.07 percent in the board exams, while 70.02 percent cleared the intermediate Class 12 examination. Gautam Raghuvanshi has emerged the topper of the Uttar Pradesh Board High School exam with 97.17 percent. Shivam came in second with 97 percent and Tanuja Vishwakarma secures the third spot with 96.83 percent marks. Tanu Tomar has emerged the topper of the UP Board Class 12 exams with 97.83 percent. Bhagyashree got the second rank with 97.2 percent and Akanksha came in third with 94.80 percent. Girls performed better than boys, according to reports. In 2018, the pass percentage was 75.16 percent and in 2017, it was 81.60 percent. In the Class 12 UP board exams, girls secured the top three ranks. Their pass percentage is also higher than that of boys. This year, 70.06 percent of the students who appeared for the Class 12 board exams in Uttar Pradesh passed. Class 12 students have secured a pass percentage of 70.02 percent this year, a drop from the overall pass percentage of 72.43 percent in 2018. While boys secured a pass percentage of 72.27, girls outperformed them with 78.81 percent. Step 5 Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Step 2 Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and Class 10 results How to check the UP board exam result 2019: Gautam Raghuvanshi topped the Uttar Pradesh Board High School exam, securing 97.17 percent. The second spot was bagged by Shivam who got a score of 97 percent. Tanu Tomar has topped the Class 12 exam. Here are the toppers for Class 10, Class 12 examinations Class 10 and Class 12 students can check their UP board scores right here on Firstpost: https://www.firstpost.com/up-board-result-2019-live In the Class 12 UP board exams, girls secured the top three ranks. Their pass percentage is also higher than that of boys. This year, 70.06 percent of the students who appeared for the Class 12 board exams in Uttar Pradesh passed. Class 12 students have secured a pass percentage of 70.02 percent this year, a drop from the overall pass percentage of 72.43 percent in 2018. While boys secured a pass percentage of 72.27, girls outperformed them with 78.81 percent. Step 5 Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Step 2 Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and Class 10 results How to check the UP board exam result 2019: Visuals of celebrations from the school of Tanu Tomar who has topped the Class 12 UP Board Exam. pic.twitter.com/D9RqvZGwA3 Gautam Raghuvanshi topped the Uttar Pradesh Board High School exam, securing 97.17 percent. The second spot was bagged by Shivam who got a score of 97 percent. Tanu Tomar has topped the Class 12 exam. Here are the toppers for Class 10, Class 12 examinations If students are not satisfied with their results, they can approach grivance cells at Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Meerut and Bareilly, as per an article in News18 Hindi . Class 10 and Class 12 students can check their UP board scores right here on Firstpost: https://www.firstpost.com/up-board-result-2019-live UP Board result 2019 date and time LATEST updates, Class 10 and Class 12: The Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education has declared the results of the Class 10 (high school) and Class 12 (inter) board exams. Once again, girls outperformed boys in both grades. The links to check the Class 10 and Class 12 results of the UP board exams are now live on upresults.nic.in. You can also check your results directly on Firstpost. Gautam Raghuvanshi has topped the Class 10 Uttar Pradesh board exams and Tanu Tomar came first in the Class 12 exams. Class 10 students secured an 80.07 percent pass percentage, while Class 12 students got 70.02 percent. As the official website faces the risk of crashing, students can opt to visit alternative websites and use SMS services to check their UP board results. You can also check your result with Firstpost. Just bookmark this link, or click on it once results are out to check UP board result 2019 for Class 10 or Class 12 online. This year, around 58 lakh students appeared for the two board exams. The Uttar Pradesh board held the Class 10 exams from 7 to 28 February and the Class 12 exams from 7 February to 2 March. Reports said the performance of students in the Uttar Pradesh board exams is expected to improve this year, in comparison to last year. Several measures have been taken to ensure good results, The Times of India reported. A team of the Special Task Force was reportedly deployed to ensure that there were no instances of cheating and to curb the activities of the "copying mafia". How to check the UP board exam result 2019: Step 1 Visit the official website Step 2 Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and 10 results Step 3 Enter the required details Step 4 Click on the 'Submit' button Step 5 Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Alternative websites to check results and details: Students can check results also on upmspresults.up.nic.in, upresults.nic.in, results.nic.in, upmsp.edu.in. Candidates can also receive their results via SMS. Send 'UP12Roll Number' to 56263. For Class 10 results, Send 'UP10Roll Number' to 56263. Read more on alternative ways to check Class 10 results here Read more on alternative ways to check Class 12 results here Check UP Board Result 2019 Class 10, Class 12 Lawyer Utsav Bains has been at the centre of a controversy since he claimed that the sexual harassment allegations against CJI Ranjan Gogoi was part of a conspiracy against the judiciary. After Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi was accused of sexual harassment by a former staffer of the Supreme Court, a young lawyer, in a Facebook post, claimed that it was a "conspiracy against the CJI by a lobby of disgruntled judges, SC fixers, corporate scamsters and a few corrupt politicians all who have meticulously planned the conspiracy to force the CJI to resign as their 'corrupt works were not going through" in the Supreme Court. On 22 April, Utsav Bains, the lawyer, filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court with details of the supposed conspiracy. In the affidavit, Bains claimed that a conspirator had offered him a "bribe of Rs 50 lakh to represent the said complainant and also to organise a press conference", and when he refused to do so, the bribe was increased to Rs 1.5 crore. While the allegations of sexual harassment against the incumbent CJI are significant and can cause irreparable damage to the institution, it was Bains' claims that left the fraternity more shocked. Bains, a lawyer who began his legal career from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, is known to represent the "underprivileged" pro bono in cases. He was the counsel of the victim in the Asaram Bapu rape case, though his most prominent case was in the Rohtak shelter home scandal, wherein the sexual and physical assault of more than 100 women and children came to light after a raid in 2012. While this is not the first case where Bains is "fighting for a cause", it is also not the first time he has claimed to have been offered a bribe. According to a post he shared on Facebook on 13 February, he was offered Rs 45 crore in the Asaram case. The post read, "Just a few minutes back, I got offer of 35 cr in Asaram's case. To not put important evidence in the application to make Asaram an accused the video recording of gangster Kartik Haldar where he says Asaram asked him to kill Akhil Gupta. When I refused, he said 45 cr. That's when I blocked him. He's a member of the bar and his father, a person known for his honesty. What an ashamed person his father would be if I disclose his name to the media. 45 cr so Asaram is not hanged to death for rape of scores of children. Morality at its lowest. I'll be at the Muzaffarnagar court tomorrow demanding his death sentence. Good Night!." Bains is a third-generation lawyer. His grandfather AS Bains was a judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and his father RS Bains is a respected human rights lawyer based in Chandigarh. He graduated with a degree in law from Panjab University and was involved in activism since his university days. Bains was vocal on child rights issues, and his role in the Apna Ghar case was important as he was appointed a member of the committee, comprising four advocates, constituted to look into the conditions of the inmates at the shelter home. In 2014, he attended a research programme on child rights advocacy at Harvard Law School. Bains, who has also been vocal on the problem of drug abuse in Punjab and a host of other issues, is well versed with ways to remain in news. In April, British Deputy High Commissioner in the Chandigarh organised a party to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Apart from VP Singh Badnore, the Chief Administrator of Chandigarh who declined the invitation, Bains was the other invitee who refused to be part of the celebration. Why? "A study on the complicity of the British Empire in the deaths of 30 lakh Indians during the Bengal famine of 1943." He claimed credit for the snub to the royal invite and wrote on Facebook: "The spark has begun a fire: after my refusal, the Governor of Punjab also decided to give the Queen's birthday party a miss. Hope others follow suit. High time the British royal family and prime minister apologise for the horrifying human rights violations committed in India!" Bains has been at the centre of a debate since he came out with this "conspiracy theory" against the judiciary. He is set to file another affidavit in the Supreme Court on Thursday, detailing evidence to support his allegations. On Wednesday, Bains was at the receiving end of Justice Rohinton Nariman's ire after he countered Attorney General KK Venugopal for making a "personal attack". He had claimed "privilege" over some of the documents and claims made in the affidavit, after which Justice Arun Mishra said he wanted clarified whether privilege can count in the wake of his allegations and claims of a conspiracy against the judiciary. To this Venugopal, said, "I really don't understand that a person says there is a conspiracy but only produces half the evidence." At this point in the hearing, Bains countered the attorney general, claiming that Venugopal had made been making personal attacks since the case began to be heard, for which he received a stern warning from Justice Nariman to not malign the attorney general. Earlier during the hearing, when Venugopal highlighted some departure in Bains's affidavit from his Facebook post, the lawyer had reacted sharply by saying that "the bench is divided" and he is disgusted by this. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta did not take well to this reaction and sought an apology from Bains, who refused to do so. While in his Facebook post, Bains claimed he has "never associated with any kin or kith of SC judges as a principle of having a clean legal practice and refusing to be institutionalised in nepotism or be a member of the uncle judges young lawyer club", senior advocate Indira Jaising questioned his credentials and sought an affidavit from him to prove his qualifications. Bains has often tried to prove that he is on the right side of the "cause" by claiming that in the Supreme Court, he had only been associated with the likes of "Prashant Bhushan and Kamini Jaiswal and with Anupam Gupta in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, who are all known for standing against financially corrupt and morally corrupt judges and against judicial nepotism, fearlessly". However, the most important and crucial test of Bains will be whether he succeeds in proving the veracity of his claims made in the affidavit. Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is facing NIA probe over charges of committing unlawful activities in India, termed the reports claiming Interpol taking up India's request to issue Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him, a political witch-hunt. New Delhi: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is facing NIA probe over charges of committing unlawful activities in India, termed the reports claiming Interpol taking up India's request to issue Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him, a political witch-hunt. "I'm aware of the pressure the Indian government has been applying on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against me. It's part of an elaborate witch hunt," Naik said in a statement. The statement from the Islamic preacher comes Interpol reportedly accepted India's request to issue an RCN against him. "I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure," he contended. "I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date. One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government, which as a matter of fact, has been going on for over two years now, he added. Naik is facing probe both in India and Bangladesh after two suspects in the terror attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in July 2016 claimed that they were inspired by Naik's radical preaching. The two were staunch followers of Naik on Facebook and on the Peace Television Channel. The terror attack had left 22 people dead. He also said that the Interpol has already cancelled a red corner notice against him earlier. "...It's been one-and-a-half years since the government submitted a charge sheet and started applying pressure on the Interpol," Naik added. The 52-year-old currently holds a permanent residence status in Malaysia, which was confirmed last year by then-Malaysian deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. In March, Enforcement Directorate arrested Zakir Naiks trusted aide Abdul Kadir Najmudin Sathak for allegedly actively assisting him in money laundering. According to ED, the money laundering was done through "dubious" origins from UAE to facilitate production and broadcasting of incriminating videos for spreading communal hatred and radicalisation of a particular community. Photo: BC Wildfire Service A First Nation in British Columbia whose members refused to leave when its territory was encircled by wildfires is calling for an Indigenous-led emergency response centre and recognition of Aboriginal Peoples' inherent jurisdiction in emergency response and recovery. The Tsilqhot'in National Government issued 33 recommendations as part of its report on the record-breaking 2017 wildfire season today in Vancouver alongside provincial and federal representatives. Chief Joe Alphonse has been a vocal critic of the wildfire response by the federal and provincial governments, saying their failure to recognize Indigenous knowledge and firefighting skills posed a greater threat to the First Nation than the fires themselves. He told a crowd at the University of British Columbia that the six communities that comprise the Tsilqhot'in have lived in fire country for time immemorial but lack some basic infrastructure and resources that would better equip them to protect themselves. The report, called The Fires Awakened Us, does not propose a specific budget for implementing its recommendations, which also includes more fire halls, geotechnical work to stabilize banks and a one-stop reimbursement process for First Nations. B.C.'s minister of forests, Doug Donaldson, says the government has begun acting on feedback it received from the First Nation, as well as 108 recommendations made in an independent report last May to overhaul disaster response practices after the 2017 wildfire and flood seasons. He says the province believes it has already addressed 18 per cent of the recommendations in the Tsilqhot'in report, including incorporating local knowledge in emergency responses and providing firefighting training. The report says adopting emergency response rooted in local traditions and values is an opportunity for reconciliation in an area that is complex but critical and could be applied to resolving "many First Nation jurisdictional battles." The change should be Indigenous-led but supported by the provincial and federal governments, it says. "Recognizing First Nation values and decision making require courage and leadership by all governments." The 2017 wildfires burned more than 1.2 million hectares of land, cost $600 million and forced 65,000 people from their homes. Romi Konkani's roots in Goa are deeper than one may expect. Even though it is a widely used, standardised Latin-based writing system, used by tens of thousands of Goans, it is not recognised by the law or the Sahitya Academi. This has resulted in the exclusion of those Goans who write using the Romi script 'Hi mhoji kudd'. This is the Konkani phrase that greets visitors to Old Goas majestic Basilica of Bom Jesus. It is a phrase written on the altar in bold Latin characters, and it means 'this is my body', a phrase from the Catholic Eucharist (a translation of the Latin 'hoc est corpus meum'). Its religious significance aside, the inscription is marker of another prominent facet of Goan culture Romi Konkani, a widely used, standardised Latin-based writing system, used by tens of thousands of Goans to write in their mother tongue. The word 'standardised' is significant here. Unlike the ad-hoc transliteration widely used for most other major Indian languages (especially online), Romi Konkani isnt a placeholder for a traditional script (read: a Brahmic script, like Devanagari or Eastern Nagari). It is a traditional script, one complete with its own set of spelling conventions and literary history in print. Romi is the only such Latin-based writing system used by an Indo-Aryan language in India. This written tradition developed as a result of Goas sustained cultural interaction with the Portuguese State, and the Portuguese language, and although it has a history of many centuries, its place in modern Goa is somewhat shaky a victim of linguistic nationalisms homogenising tendencies. Drawing from Portuguese convention In fact, Romi Konkani takes numerous cues from the spelling system of Portuguese itself. It differs significantly from the ad-hoc transliteration used by speakers of literary Indo-Aryan languages on a number of points. One of these is the way Romi Konkani deals with nasal vowels. Unlike English, (but like Konkani and many other Indo-Aryan languages) Portuguese features nasal vowels, denoted at the end of words with a 'vowel + m/n' sequence, like in 'homem' (where the final -em is a nasal E). Romi Konkani uses the same formula: The M at the end of the names of world-famous coastal Goan villages like Benaulim, Candolim, and Mandrem actually indicates that the vowel preceding it is nasalised. Another distinctive feature is the usage of the letter X to denote the sh sound, as in xacuti, pronounced sha-coo-ti. This too is directly lifted from Portuguese convention, like in Portuguese, peixe (fish) pronounced pei-shi. An interesting feature of Romi Konkani that isnt found in English, the ad-hoc transliteration of other Indo-Aryan languages, or Portuguese, is the usage of doubled consonants to represent retroflex sounds. Moratthi is Marathi, while Bharot is Bharat. While minor, this feature is crucial in ensuring the consistency of written Konkani by removing the possibility of confusion between dental and retroflex sounds. It also helps strengthen its nature as a standardised script by making Romi markedly less ambiguous than, lets say, popular ad-hoc Hindi romanisation, which is unable to distinguish between the d in daal (lentils) and the d in daal (to put). The birth of Romi Konkani Romis roots go deeper than one might expect, leading all the way back to the early Portuguese colonial period in the mid 1500s, centuries before the British had consolidated their control over India. When European missionaries first arrived in Goa in the early 16th century, they observed that Konkani was written using the old Kannada-Telugu script, in a local variant called Goykanadi (Kanadi means Kannada in Konkani and Marathi). Sanskrit and Marathi, languages used by local Brahmins for religious purposes and scholarship, were written in Devanagari. The Catholic Churchs Fourth Provincial Council of Goa in 1592 decreed that the Christian doctrine be translated in local languages, so as to reach the common person. As a result, Konkani began being used a vehicle for the dissemination of the teachings of Christianity on a much larger scale. This tradition, however, took on an entirely new avatar with the work of Thomas Stephens, an English-born Jesuit (and contemporary of Shakespeares) whose fascinating story is recounted in Jonathan Gil Harris book The First Firangis. Stevens would end up wholeheartedly imbibing Goas literary traditions, and combined it with religious zeal to produce some of the finest Christian literature India has ever seen. Although he began with a Marathi-language epic, the Krista Purana, he later turned his effort towards Konkani, a language he had become fluent in. While at the Seminary of Rachol, he wrote the Arte da lingoa Canarim, the first grammar of an Indian language, and the Doutrina Christam, which were also the first books printed in Konkani. Stevens wanted to print his works in Devanagari, but typefaces in the script were not usable. He had to resort to employing the Roman script instead, devising a spelling system to represent Konkani sounds using the script. In a sense, Stevens can be seen as the father of Romi Konkani; modern Romi Konkani still uses many of the conventions Stevens himself devised in the early 1600s, like the doubling of consonants to represent retroflex sounds. However, just a few decades later, the Portuguese would go on to greatly restrict the public usage of Konkani, a move that would virtually expel the language from the written sphere. The script's place in the revival of Konkani Following the pioneering effort by Stevens when he wrote Arte da lingoa Canarim and Doutrina Christam in Romanised Konkani, Romi would go on to play a key role in another phase of the languages written history. It facilitated the Konkani revival of the late 1800s and early 1900, aided by the proliferation of mass reading, widespread literacy, and a growing reader base. These publications took the forms of journalism and creative writing. Goas Catholics were educated in Portuguese (and increasingly, English); it was only natural that they would choose to write their own language in the very same script they already read and written in. Rochelle Pintos book Between Empires notes that by the beginning of the 1860s, Konkani publications produced by and directed at a readership quite distinct from the Goan elite [who used Portuguese, English, and Marathi] emerged. As a rule, these publications were printed in Romi. Devanagari, when used by Goans, was solely for Marathi. In fact, the anthropologist Kyoko Matsukawa writes that the Konkani literary sphere was dominated by the Roman script before 1961. However, in the beginning, Konkani journalism was always an add-on to publications already using both Portuguese and Marathi. Interestingly enough, this tradition emerged not in Goa itself, but in British Bombay and Pune, by and for a steadily growing community of migrant, mostly working class Goans. According to the Goan linguist Madhavi Sardessai, the first Roman Konkani monthly titled Udentechem Salok (Lotus of The East) was launched by the Catholic priest Eduardo Bruno de Souza in 1889, in Pune. This marked the dawn of creative writing in Konkani, and de Souza would also write the first Konkani novel, Kristanv Ghorabo (Christian Home). Incidentally, de Souza was attached to Rachol Seminary, just like Thomas Stephens two centuries before him. One of the founding fathers of modern Konkani literature and a key figure in the British Bombay-based Konkani revival of the early 1900s, Shenoi Goembab (1877-1946), used Romi at the beginning of his career, before switching to Devanagari. Language woes, and the preference for Devanagari In the decades following Goas integration with the Indian Union in 1961, debates over which script and written language should come to represent the states identity have raged on, even briefly taking a violent turn in the 80s. The usage of Romi Konkani was seen as representative of the Goan Catholic identity, traditionally Lusophile. Meanwhile, increased knowledge of English ate into Romi Konkanis readership, coinciding with the Second Vatican Councils (1962-1965) directive to translate worship materials into local languages. This meant Romi Konkanis association with the Church was reinforced just as English took over large parts of its secular function, particularly in journalism. Since Romi isnt a Brahmic script, its usage is seen as somewhat suspect by those in the Nagari camp, less legitimate even ironic given that Konkani in Devanagari has less than 150 years of history. In addition, the question of which Konkani script to use was also tied to question of which dialect to pick as the standard. Konkani written in Romi generally represents the Bardez dialect (northwest Goa, where Catholics were historically dominant), while Konkani in Devanagari represents the Antruz dialect (spoken in the New Conquests, where Hindus form a majority). Eventually, Konkani was made Goas official language in 1987, followed by its addition to the list of Indias Scheduled Languages in 1992. However, the Goa Official Language Act only recognises Konkani in the Devanagari script, leaving Goans who use Romi unable to communicate with the state government in their own language. They are forced to use English instead, something that obviously does not do Konkani any favors. In addition, the Sahitya Akademi only recognises Konkani literature written in Devanagari, and ignores works in Romi. Exclusion in modern Goa What this essentially means is that a large section of Goans with an active stake in Konkanis growth, development and usage, have had their own literary traditions in Konkani ignored, excluding them from participation. The Konkani speaker communitys efforts to build a stronger written tradition have been impeded by the languages fragmentation along community and regional lines. As it is, written Konkani exists in a precarious position, with a fixed written standard yet to emerge, its speakers preferring other languages for written purposes. Written Konkani can scarcely afford such a debilitating schism in its own homeland of Goa; a compromise, or ideally, recognition of both traditions must be agreed upon by Konkani speakers. Thankfully, cultural groups in Goa and even citizens have taken an active role in opposing this marginalisation of Romi Konkani, especially the Dalgado Konknni Akademi, set up for the development and promotion of Romi. Technology is helping their cause there is even a Wiki in Romi Konkani. With Romi Konkanis exclusion comes the exclusion of a large corpus of written material in the language, and the history and traditions this corpus embodies. Indian linguistic nationalism with its ideals of one nation, one language, one script has served to obscure traditions of script diversity in other linguistic regions. A similar erasure should not befall Konkani. * Karthik Malli is a freelance journalist who writes on the intersection between language, history, and culture South Asian Symphony Orchestra's debut performance, which is set to take place in Mumbai, will demonstrate that the eight South Asian nations share more commonalities than differences. Its an entirely India-funded initiative. I think the world needs to know that India has taken a step forward. Its an attempt by us to tell the world that we in India stand for this kind of reconciliation of dialogue, we dont stand for separation and isolation, says Nirupama Rao. The former Foreign Secretary of India, Nirupama and her husband Sudhakar Rao founded the Bengaluru-based South Asian Symphony Foundation (SASF), whose orchestra is all set for its forthcoming debut performance, Chiragh: A Concert Beyond Borders. The South Asian Symphony Orchestra (SASO) was set up with the goal Lets sweat in peace, not bleed in war. The upcoming concert, which is set to take place in Mumbai on 26 April, will demonstrate that the eight South Asian nations share more commonalities than differences. "Through an intelligent use of music, we can really bring alive this concept of harmony," Rao says, explaining the reason why the concert is being organised. It will be dedicated to the memory of an Indian violinist, Sanya Cotta, who was supposed to be part of the performance but fell ill and has passed away, and to those who have lost their lives in Sri Lanka. Speaking of the orchestral tradition in particular, Rao adds, I think in an orchestra, walls crumble." The musicians from across the region sit close together, and everyone has to play in unity. You develop empathy, the capacity to listen," she says. Only through working together in harmony does the beauty of the sound manifest itself. Tharanga Goonetilleke, a critically acclaimed Sri Lankan soprano, will be the vocal soloist at the concert. She is the first Sri Lankan woman to be admitted into the prestigious Juilliard School. Goonetilleke is hopeful about the message of the concert. As a Sri Lankan, I am glad that I can bring a little light to the world during this dark time in my country. Every light matters, no matter its size. And together with my colleagues, the concert on Friday, I hope, will shine bright, as a symbol and a plea for peace not just in South Asia, but all over the world. Chiragh will be conducted by the co-founder of Opera Vista and artistic director of Skylight Music Theatre, Viswa Subbaraman. This orchestra represents the best of what South Asia can be: Diverse cultures and nationalities working together to build something of sublime beauty, explains Subbaraman. He also strongly believes in the power of music, especially the orchestra, to foster peace. The beauty of musicians is that we share a common language, he says, By putting musicians of South Asia together to form a team and create music, they are developing understandings and friendships with each other, which they will take home to their countries. We start building bridges between people and countries. That lessens those fears of the 'other' and hopefully reduces nationalism to patriotism. I really do believe music can be part of the solution. This orchestra marks the first time that musicians from Afghanistan and Kashmir are playing together. We have actually transcended borders, gone beyond politics, says Rao. The concert will be a window between the West and South Asia, said Subbaraman. It will open with Maithreem Bhajata, a Sanskrit invocation, which has been arranged for the orchestra. Two South Asian compositions commissioned specially for the concert will also be premiered. The first is Hamsafar: A Journey through South Asia, which is an amalgamation of eight songs from the region. It is arranged by the Afghan National Institute of Musics Lauren Braithwaite, and commissioned by the Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program, of Classical Movements, for SASO. The track will also have six traditional instruments Afghani rubab and tanpur, and Kashmiri rubab, santoor, tumbaknari, and matka playing alongside the orchestra. The other track is Indian-American composer and instrumentalist Kamala Sankarams Bhadke, an orchestral rendition of the 1951 Bollywood track 'Shola Jo Bhadke' from the film Albela. The rest of the programme includes Beethovens Egmont Overture, which thematically explores fighting oppression and standing for freedom, Dvoraks 'Song to the Moon' from Rusalka, Feliciens 'Sous le feuillage somber' from Lalla Roukh, which is an opera set in India, Mozarts 'In quali...Mi tradi quell'alma ingrate' from Don Giovanni and Bizets LArlessiene Suites Nos 1 and 2. * Chiragh: A Concert Beyond Borders will be held in Mumbai at the Tata Theatre in the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) on 26 April, Friday, from 7 pm. More details here Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said that the party's South Delhi Lok Sabha candidate, Raghav Chadha, will challenge the Returning Officer's (RO) decision to accept nomination papers of BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri. The party said that it will move the High Court since the Returning Officer has erred by 'overlooking glaring discrepancies in Bidhuri's nomination. New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said that the party's South Delhi Lok Sabha candidate, Raghav Chadha, will challenge the Returning Officer's (RO) decision to accept nomination papers of BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri. The party said that it will move the High Court since the Returning Officer has erred by "overlooking glaring discrepancies in Bidhuri's nomination. The BJP candidate has failed to declare in paragraph 5(ii) particulars of pending criminal proceedings, particularly CC No. 303/2018 filed in P.S. Kazimahammadpur, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, under Sections 504, 506, 153 and 153(a) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the AAP release said. The BJP candidate has failed to disclose particulars of LIC Policy No. 112747965 for sum assured of Rs 1,00,000 with a premium of Rs 2829 half yearly, though the same was disclosed in the Form 26 Declaration in the year 2014, it further read. The party also stated that Bidhuri has disclosed a false total income of Rs 8,79,150 for the year 2013-14 as opposed to the amount of Rs 6,16,995 demonstrated by his Form 26 Declaration for the year 2014. The matter is sub-judice and is before the Returning Officer. So, it would be improper on my part to comment on the merits of the matter. Today the nomination got concluded and the scrutiny period has begun, Chadha said. In the scrutiny, AAP has raised certain concerns about the nomination of BJP candidate as there are some glaring infirmities and false disclosures made him. The facts are such that it makes a clear case for rejection of the nomination, he added. Responding to allegations, Bidhuri said: We all know what kind of conspiracies they have hatched in Delhi. The Returning Officer has said that it is a matter of election petition. My nomination is clear. India will be run by the Constitution, not by Kejriwal's anarchy. In his reply to the RO on the objection, Bidhuri stated: The deponent had no knowledge about the registration of the FIR earing No.303/2018 PS Kazimahammadpur, Muzaffarpur, Bihar under section 504, 506, 153 and 153(a) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. It is further submitted that the deponent has neither been called by the police nor has he been summoned by the concerned court at any point of time in the above-noted case. That the deponent has learnt about the alleged FIR today itself during the scrutiny." With 7 Lok Sabha seats at stake, Delhi will go to polls on 12 May. In 2014, Rai had finished a third with a little over 75,600 votes as Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had taken the second position securing around two lakh votes. On the other hand, Modi had won over 5.81 lakh votes registering-in a landslide victory. Prior to the polls, Rai had claimed confidently that he will cause the 'biggest upset of the year' and promised to defeat Modi. The Congress on Thursday fielded five-time MLA from Varanasi Ajai Rai to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Uttar Pradesh constituency in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. Rai, beat new Congress general secretary from east Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to retain candidature from the star seat. In 2014, Rai had finished a third with a little over 75,600 votes as Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had taken the second position securing around two lakh votes. On the other hand, Modi had won over 5.81 lakh votes registering-in a landslide victory. Prior to the polls, Rai had claimed confidently that he will cause the 'biggest upset of the year' and promised to defeat Modi. Rai belongs to the Bhumihar community and has a considerable following among Brahmins and Bhumihars of the region. Interestingly, he began his political career in the BJPs student wing and, was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from the Kolasla constituency three times in a row between 1996 and 2007 on a BJP ticket. In his first election, Rai had defeated nine-time CPI MLA Udal by a narrow margin of 484 votes. He went on to retain the seat defeating Awadhesh Singh of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) by much larger margins. However, after being denied a ticket by the party in the 2007 Vidhan Sabha polls, he joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) (which he has earlier called the party responsible for "all the ills plaguing the state") and fought the 2009 Lok Sabha elections coming third behind BJPs Murli Manohar Joshi and BSPs Mukhtar Ansari. Rai's supporters had allegedly campaigned for Joshi to ensure the defeat of his arch-rival Ansari in a communally-polarised environment, a Hindustan Times report had suggested. Though, Rai denied any attempt to polarise votes. The same year itself, he contested by-polls from the Kolasla constituency as an Independent candidate and was nominated to the state Assembly once again. Rai, however, alleged that BSP had pressurised him to join the party, and when he refused, his security cover was reduced, against which he had also moved court. During his campaign, he accused some police officers of pressurising his supporters to work for the candidate of the ruling BSP. And alleged that when he protested against the harassment, he and seven of his supporters were arrested. In 2010, Rai staged a sit-in to protest the arrest of the local corporator Sanjay Singh and his associate Jitin Jha. The two had been arrested for assaulting and robbing a hotel owner. After Rai refused to end his protest, he and his supporters were also arrested for creating a ruckus. Later, the Kolasla constituency was delimitated and, thereafter, Rai joined Congress and, contested and won the 2012 Assembly elections from Pindra a constituency that falls in the Varanasi district and which comprises a sizeable portion of the Kolasla seat. He routed the BJP candidate, who received just 3,000 votes. During this election, Rai was an accused in 16 criminal cases and was booked under the Gangster Act and Goonda Act. Thereby, in the subsequent 2017 Assembly polls, he lost the seat to BJPs Avadhesh Singh. On 5 October 2015, Rai was arrested for his alleged role in the violence and arson in Varanasi during a march by seers and other local leaders against police action on protesters opposing a ban on immersion of Ganesha idols in the Ganga river. Twenty-five people, including eight policemen, were injured as protesters went on a rampage, pelting stones and setting afire at least four police vehicles, booths, nearly half-a-dozen motorcycles and some shops. They also, reportedly, hurled a crude bomb. Rai was arrested from the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport and sent to the Fatehgarh jail. He was charged with unlawful assembly, dacoity, obstruction of official work and also for the destruction of public property. Subsequently, on 13 October, 2015, he was detained under the National Security Act (NSA). The Allahabad High Court on 29 March, 2016 set aside his detention under the NSA. He was released seven months later when the high court granted him bail. Rai has been reported to be a member of notorious criminal Brijesh Singh's gang and is a history-sheeter of the Chetganj police station. He joined Brijesh after his elder brother Awadhesh Rai was shot dead in Varanasi's Lahurabir area in 1994, allegedly by Ansari and his men. Rai's name also figured in the attack on former deputy mayor Anil Singh in 1990, The Indian Express had reported. In his FIR, Anil had stated that Rai and others had fired at his jeep in the Cantonment area on 20 August 1991. Rai, however, was later acquited in the case. Rai has also been termed to have a bahubali' (strongman) background and identified as someone who moves around with his 'gun-toting private army'. Earlier, he had been associated with Brijesh and Tribhuvan Singh in several criminal cases since 1989. The Indian Express also reported that, according to police records, there were seven cases against Rai in 2009 two each at the Cantonment and Chetganj police stations of Varanasi and three at the Mughalsarai police station of Chandauli district. Investigations in two murder cases lodged in Chetganj and Cantonment police stations against Tribhuvan had found Rai as a co-accused. In 2017, Rai lost the Assembly election from Pindra as a Congress candidate. Since then, he has participated in various protests against Modi in Varanasi. Meanwhile, among the candidates in the fray from Varanasi is Shalini Yadav, who is contesting from Varanasi for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance. Shalini is the daughter-in-law of late Shyamlal Yadav, former Congress MP from Varanasi and an ex-Union minister. Varanasi votes on 19 May in the last and seventh phase of the general election. The result of Lok Sabha polls will be declared on 23 May. Taking a jibe at the Narendra Modi government, Kejriwal said that the BJP in 2014 polls had promised statehood for Delhi but they did not fulfill it. He further alleged that the Delhi residents are being treated like 'second class citizens'. Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal Thursday released party's election manifesto, a document which prioritises Delhi residents, with calls for reservations on sectors such as education and government jobs and focuses on statehood for the national capital. "We will secure 85 percent of the seats of Delhi colleges for residents of the city. Sixty-five percent of the jobs of the region will be secured for residents, similarly," Kejriwal said. Apart from Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and other senior leaders were also present at the unveiling of the poll document for the 2019 General Election, which will be held in a single phase on 12 May in Delhi. Stressing that it is the goal of the party to ensure that like other countries, India's capital too is given the status of a state, Kejriwal went on to announce a slew of Delhi-specific promises in the manifesto unveiling. The AAP manifesto raised different issues such as employment, higher education and women's safety. Launching the AAP manifesto, Kejriwal that the 2019 election is about saving the nation and the Constitution. "We are Indians first, then Hindu or Muslim. Our unity being challenged. Country can be saved only if we don't get divided across religion and caste lines," said the AAP chief. Sisodia also said that had Delhi been accorded status of a state, then the Jan Lokpal Bill would have been passed by its elected government. Taking a jibe at the Narendra Modi government, Kejriwal said that the BJP in 2014 polls had promised statehood for Delhi but they did not fulfill it. He further alleged that the Delhi residents are being treated like "second class citizens". Kejriwal did not spare Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He said if the Modi-Shah duo return to power, the Gandhi scion will be held responsible. "We will do anything to stop Modi-Shah duo. Will support any 'mahagathbandhan' government," Kejriwal said. Demanding modernisation of Delhi police, the AAP convener said: "If Delhi gets statehood, the police will be accountable to the people, so that women will be protected." The AAP is fielding Chandni Chowk candidate Pankaj Gupta, East Delhi candidate Atishi, North West Delhi candidate Gugan Singh, South Delhi candidate Raghav Chadha, North East Delhi candidate Dilip Pandey, West Delhi candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar and New Delhi candidate Brajesh Goel. Delhi goes to the polls on 12 May and the results will be announced on 23 May. Follow LIVE updates on Lok Sabha Election 2019 here Giriraj Singh, trying his hand for the first time from Begusarai, has urged the Election Commission to ban all sorts of green flags in his constituency because that reminds him of Pakistan When Giriraj Singh sees anything green, he sees red. The controversial firebrand BJP leader, trying his hand for the first time from Begusarai, has urged the Election Commission to ban all sorts of green flags in his constituency because that reminds him of Pakistan and that gives him a whiff of Muslim organisations. Singh was last elected from the Nawada seat, but much to his chagrin, the BJP leadership moved him out from there. It is another matter that the person challenging him, former JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, is the candidate of the CPI, a party with a red flag. Staying on the topic of flags and their colours, it's ironic that a third of the BJP's flag is green in colour. The BJP's ally and NDA partner Janata Dal (United)'s flag also has two green strips. Kanhaiya calls his opponent a "visa minister for Pakistan" because of the Union minister's favourite pastime of threatening to dispatch anyone and everyone to Pakistan if he or she, in his view, is 'anti-national' or anti-Narendra Modi. So allergic is Singh to the colour green that he requested the poll panel to ban green flags that he claims are associated with political and religious organisations linked with Muslims. "This (green flags) spreads hatred and creates the perception of being used in Pakistan," said Singh whose provocative statements aimed at several top Opposition politicians have invited condemnation. When Congress president Rahul Gandhi went to file his nomination papers from Wayanad in Kerala, Singh was equally angry at the sight of the green flags of the Indian Union Muslim League, an ally of the Congress in Kerala, and said, "Congress flags were missing and only Pakistani flags were fluttering there." Pakistan was his favourite topic in the 2014 Lok Sabha election too when Modi was the prime ministerial face of the BJP and Singh was contesting for a Lok Sabha seat for the first time. He had then said, "Those opposing Modi should be prepared to go to Pakistan after the election as they will have no place in India." The BJP had dissociated itself from this controversial statement and Bihar BJP leader Sushil Modi had tweeted, "The BJP doesn't approve of the irresponsible statement by Singh." At the time, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was also against Narendra Modi as he had broken off from the NDA. However, no leader from the BJP or NDA has so far dissociated themselves from the "green" statement of Singh and his demand from the poll panel to ban this colour, even as all eyes from across the country are fixed on Begusarai going to vote on 29 April. The constituency, once known as Leningrad of Bihar for an impressive presence of Communists, is in grip of a triangular contest between Singh, Kanhaiya and Tanveer Hasan of the RJD. The CPI was not accommodated in the grand alliance as the RJD leadership was dead against the candidature of the outspoken students' leader. But support for Kanhaiya is trickling from various quarters. Film lyricist Javed Akhtar, who is camping in the constituency, retaliated against the charge of 'tukre-tukre gang' membership on Kanhaiya by saying "Dilon ke tukre tukre karne wale" (forces making hearts bleed) were against him. Shabana Azmi too will address rallies in favour of Kanhaiya at Balia and Barauni on Thursday. Film actors Swara Bhaskar, Prakash Raj, civil rights activist Teesta Setalwad, former JNUSU president Shehla Rashid, Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mewani and missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmad's mother Fatima Nafees were among others who campaigned for and blessed Kanhaiya who is from Begusarai. The fierce clash between Kanhaiya, who is on bail, and Singh, who is facing half a dozen cases including those relating to land-grabbing, has made this electoral battle highly sensitive and interesting simply because Singh is a prominent extreme Hindutva face and Kumar faces sedition charges and has raised his voice against Hindu nationalism and the prime minister. Follow all the latest updates from the Lok Sabha election here Terming the attack a premeditated plan to harm and grievously injure BJP workers, Bose said, More than a thousand TMC goons had assembled at chief ministers residence to attack us. While they were attacking us the police were silent spectators. Kolkata: BJP Lok Sabha candidate from South Kolkata constituency CK Bose was attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers when he was on his way to file nomination papers on Wednesday. Terming the attack a premeditated plan to harm and grievously injure BJP workers, Bose said, More than a thousand TMC goons had assembled at chief ministers residence to attack us. While they were attacking us the police were silent spectators. The sheer strength of more than 6,000 BJP workers made them retreat otherwise we would have been killed. Bose said he saw no difference between the TMC and a terrorist organisation. Democracy has failed in this state; our candidates and voters are being killed and terrorized. There is no point in having elections under these circumstances. Election Commission should play a more active role, he added. Three phases of polling in West Bengal have been completed and there are four more phases left in the state. Counting of votes will take place on 23 May. Congress made a wrong move by keeping Purvanchali leader Mahabal Mishra out of campaigning in Delhi, and relying solely on Sheila Dikshits Uttar Pradesh connect "These people from the villages of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are ruining the pride and aesthetic beauty of Delhi. They should be made to board the next train back." The above statement was made by former Delhi mayor Yogdhyan Ahuja in 1999. Back then, the image of migrants from the Indian heartland was that of the outsiders who had arrived to inhabit and expand the capitals unauthorized colonies. Since then, the Bihari street swagger had eclipsed Punjabi stories of the Partition leading to the Bihar-isation of Delhi. The Purvanchalis a term used to collectively identify people from the eastern end of Uttar Pradesh and the western end of Bihar now comprise two-thirds of the total voters in Delhi. They determine everything from the mannerisms of candidates to the appointment of party presidents. Ahuja wouldnt dare make the same statement today. Back then, Mahabal Mishra, the then first-time MLA from Dwarka assembly constituency, who demanded not just an apology from the former Delhi mayor but also reminded him that he should focus on providing electricity connections, clean and consistent water supply, and the laying down of sewer lines in migrant colonies. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Mahabal, originally from Siriyapur in Madhubani district of Bihar, is Congress' candidate from West Delhi. In his constituency, there are roughly 8 lakh Purvanchali voters, which is a good 40 percent of total electors. In North East Delhi, the influence of purvanchali voters is 5 percent higher. All the three main parties AAP, Congres and BJP have fielded their strongest candidates for the North East Delhi constituency, keeping this regional vote bank in mind. While BJP has fielded party's state president and Bhojpuri star Manoj Tiwari, Congress picked former chief minister Sheila Dikshit who hails from Uttar Pradesh, and AAP named party's national spokesperson Dilip Pandey, also from Uttar Pradesh, from the seat. Tiwari was appointed BJP state president before the MCD elections but his impact needs to be analysed independently of the Modi wave. In East Delhi, his campaign is a fairly negative one and frequently features AAP rebel Kapil Mishra. Given the migratory pattern among the Purvanchali vote bank, women used to sing the birah (seperation) song that has a long history in Bhojpuri folklore. Tiwari mobilises workers by singing this song time and again. Pandey had spearheaded the 'Uttar Bharatiya Swabhiman Yatra' campaign in October 2018 to highlight rising incidents of violence against Hindi speaking migrants in Gujarat. Pandey had been scaling up his campaign with a couple of thousand volunteers working on issues like unemployment, water and electricity in 40 wards. The contest, however, tightened when Sheila Dikshit entered the fray. The former Delhi chief minister is not only an upper caste face but comes from Uttar Pradesh. But she has an inconsistent track record in Delhi, especially in attracting Purvanchali voters. In 1998, Dikshit had, in fact, lost to the late Lal Bihari Tiwari, BJPs biggest Purvanchali leader back then, from the East Delhi seat. In 2007, the former chief minister's derogatory remarks against migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar dented her own Purvanchali image. Congress' West Delhi candidate Mahabal is amused with new dynamics of Purvanchali politics in the national capital. He says that unlike AAP and BJP, who are busy setting up Chhath ghats keeping the Purvanchali voters in mind, Congress has been working to ensure their fundamental needs were addressed. " "We have worked for the rights of the people who were considered unnecessary without wanting to gain political currency. Our main concerns were helping them find jobs, and to ensure their fundamental needs were addressed, he adds. Surprisingly, in 2002, Mahabal had brought Manoj Tiwari to perform at one such ghat. The ghats facilitated by the Delhi government in 2018 was 1,055, nearly double from the previous year. The number of ghats set up for Chhath Puja was 72 in 2014. The Congress camp, which was till some days ago, deciding names of its candidates, hasnt played up Mahabals role in public service. In what seems like a poor campaign move, Mahabal isnt being projected as the partys front-line campaigner. Amid reports that Mahabal is being denied a Lok Sabha ticket, his supporters held protests in Delhi on Sunday. Several Congress workers, carrying placards in support of Mahabal, raised slogans outside the AICC headquarters on Sunday. One such slogan was: "Purvanchal ka samman nahin toh Congress ko vote nahin (If Purvanchal isnt given its due respect, Congress wont get votes)". When the election campaign is at its peak, such speculations and outbursts from within the party can influence perceptions of the decisive vote bank about the partys intent. A day after Mahabal filed his nomination, a long line of supporters, from Sikhs to Jats to Muslims, have been flooding the large drawing room of Mahabals multi-storeyed home in Vaishali Colony, Dabri, which separates the sub-city of Dwarka from the rest of West Delhi. Mahabal, who has served in the Indian army and fought the 1971 War, first came to Delhi in the 1980s and lived in a tiny house that he shared with others in an unauthorised colony of Vijay Enclave. Mahabal would paddle around town in a bicycle and often faced the unwelcome attitude towards Biharis. The word Bihari, he says, was akin to a cuss word back then. Mahabal is responsible for the construction of a big maternal health hospital Dada Dev Hospital, aided the construction of the underground metro through the densely populated Janak Puri without displacing residents and has repeatedly argued the cause of authorising colonies in the Delhi Assembly, asserting that Delhi belongs as much to the gaon-dehaat as it does to the elites of Central and South Delhi. Mahabal isnt just a face for Purvanchalis. Having worked in the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for 12 years, he was instrumental in getting the Master Plan 2020 approved and moved no less than 80 amendments to make it more relevant. There are 1,797 unauthorised colonies in the national capital and their authorisation is a big poll issue each election. Couldnt somebody like Mahabal have been deployed by the Congress to help build voter confidence? Why was his ticket undecided till the very last moment? The BJP's candidate from West Delhi is Parvesh Verma. Mahabal says that Verma is still arrogant and behaves like the son of a powerful father, former chief minister Sahib Singh Verma. Verma won from Delhi in 2014 during the Modi wave. The other candidate i fray is Balbir Jhakar from AAP, whose seat would have most likely been given away to the Congress had the alliance materialised. Mahabal says that if the party asks him to, he will go and campaign in East and North East Delhi as well. But the question is, why hasnt the Congress already taken Mahabals help to build a statewide campaign around the issue of authorisation of migrant colonies? More so, when the BJP is playing up Tiwaris star power and AAP has been aiding Pandey's ground work. Mahabals absence from the Congress Purvanchali outreach, which now aims to rely solely on Dikshits Uttar Pradesh connect, isnt exactly a smart move. In the PDP's strongholds of the Anantnag and Bijebehara Assembly segments, the voting percentage was only 3.4 percent and 2.04 percent percent. The National Conference (NC) and Congress are heavily banking on the near-boycott in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) strongholds in southern Kashmir and the vote split between the regional parties, Peoples Conference (PC) and the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), to romp home in the parliamentary elections here. The fate of the Lok Sabha seats of Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla will be decided in the election. In the PDP's strongholds of the Anantnag and Bijebehara Assembly segments, the voting percentage was only 3.4 percent and 2.04 percent percent respectively. Bijebehara is the hometown of Mehbooba Mufti, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP president. On the other hand, at Congress state president GA Mir's hometown of Dooru, 17.2 percent polling was seen. In the Shangus Assembly segment which was represented by the Congress in the recently-dissolved Assembly, the voting percentage was 15.01. In the Kokernag and Pahalgam segments, 19.5 percent and 20.3 percent voting respectively was recorded. The NC has fielded retired judge Hasnain Masoodi against Mir and Mehbooba in Anantnag. PDP spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir admitted that the Congress state president may have an edge in the Dooru segment as he is from the town, but said that the PDP is leading in the seat as a whole. He said that people are turning up in strength at Muftis rallies in the constituency. Mir said that Mufti held a road campaign at Pulwama on Wednesday and a public meeting at Kulgam on Thursday. Omar Abdullah, former chief minister and NC vice-president, said on Wednesday that due to the near-boycott in some areas, the contest in Anantnag is between the NC and Congress. He also said that the low voter turnout should be a wake-up call for both the Narendra Modi-led Centre as well as the PDP. At Baramulla in north Kashmir, the NC hopes to secure an edge due to a split in votes between the Peoples Conference (PC) led by former minister Sajad Gani Lone, and the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) headed by Er Rashid. Rashid is one of the candidates in Baramulla. The Congress has fielded a lesser-known candidate, Farooq Ahmad Mir, from the constituency. The Congress has decided to support NC president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. Congress vice-president GN Monga, however, said, that the partys vote share will be higher than that of the others at both Anantnag and Baramulla. The policies of the PDP and BJP have resulted in a groundswell of resentment against them, he said. Sources said that the Congress was earlier considering fielding either former Union minister Saifuddin Soz or his son Salman Soz from Baramulla, but decided to field Farooq Mir at the last hour. The Congress has promised in its manifesto that it will not allow the erosion of Jammu and Kashmirs special status, will cut down on the number of troops in Kashmir, and review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to balance the need for security and human rights in the state. Human rights activists say that the AFSPA is being misused by the army, whose officials cannot be brought to trial in a civilian court in criminal cases filed by the police. In Baramulla, NC candidate Mohammad Akbar Lone said that he is winning hands down." In the constituency's Handwara and Kupwara Assembly segments, where the PC has a sizeable vote share, the polling percentage was 60 percent and 58 percent respectively, while in Langate, which was represented by Er Rashid in the Assembly, the polling percentage was 35.5 percent. A large number of people also turned up to vote in Tangmarg, which is the hometown of PDP candidate Abdul Qayoom Wani. IAS topper-turned politician Shah Faesal has also extended his support to Rashid. In Baramulla, Tangmarg witnessed the third highest-polling percentage of 33.5 percent after Uri and Pattan. The PC hopes to have an edge over other candidates from Pattan, where former minister Imran Ansari joined the party after leaving the PDP. It also hopes to do well in Uri, where its candidate and former inspector general of police, Raja Aijaz Ali, had cornered a sizeable vote share in the last Assembly election. Mohammad Abbas Wani, former MLA and senior PC leader, said that the party is not only leading in north Kashmir, but also in Srinagar and Anantnag. At Anantnag, however, the PC has fielded a lesser-known candidate, Zafar Ali. In Srinagar, the party fielded Shia leader Irfan Ansari, who may have eaten into the vote base of PDP candidate Aga Syed Mohsin. The voting percentage in Zadibal and Budgam, segments with a sizeable Shia population, was 8.3 percent and 18.8 percent respectively. The Lok Sabha elections also also seen to be preparing the ground for political alliances and agendas for the Assembly elections, which may be held after the Lok Sabha election. BJP state spokesperson Altaf Thakur said that the party has gained in vote share in all the three constituencies of Lok Sabha in Kashmir and we will give a strong fight in the Assembly polls. On Saturday, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav will address a rally in militancy-affected Kulgam on Saturday to canvas for party candidate Sofi Yusuf, who is contesting from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. The party has fielded its senior leaders Mohammad Maqbool War and Khalid Jehangir from Baramulla and Srinagar respectively. Addressing a meeting in Varanasi that capped a day which included a massive roadshow and a Ganga 'aarti', Modi also laid stress on national security. Varanasi: A day before filing his nomination papers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that while the past five years were about his government making sincere efforts, the next five will be about results. Addressing a meeting in Varanasi that capped a day which included a massive roadshow and a Ganga 'aarti', Modi also laid stress on national security. He said a new India has given a befitting reply to terror. In a reference to the attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy, the prime minister said, They killed 40 jawans in Pulwama, we have killed 42 terrorists in that area. He said this is the way his government functions. Modi added that the world backed India in its fight against terror. He also referred to the recent bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, saying innocent people observing Easter had lost their lives. The prime minister will file his nomination papers Friday, seeking a second term in the Lok Sabha from the constituency. Modi said he will not claim that whatever he wished for the constituency had come true during the last five years. "But the pace and the direction of its development are right," he said, and outlined the work done by his government in the constituency. He said while he is giving details about his government's work during the last five years, there are some who are not ready to give an account for the 70 years they were in power. He said while the last five years of his government were about making sincere effort, the next five years will be about results. He sought permission from the gathering for filing his nomination again from Varanasi, and said it is because of Lord Vishwanath's blessings that he got to serve Kashi. Earlier, the prime minister's roadshow drew a massive crowd. Modi was joined by BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders in the temple town, on a day the Congress announced its own Varanasi candidate, ending speculation over its leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting against him. South Africa: Arts and Culture to give update on Madikizela-Mandela's Brandfort house Government is expected to provide an update on the renovations to the house of late struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa will visit the house in Brandfort, Free State, as part of governments commitment to restore the historically significant House Number 802. Madikizela-Mandela was banished to the house, which has been declared a national heritage site, in 1977 by the apartheid government. The renovation project plan includes the restoration of the dwelling house and bombed clinic, and converting them to interpretive spaces; and the construction of a multipurpose centre with Wi-Fi facilities as well as parking space. Border patrol Meanwhile, the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster Ministers will be at Manguzi border post in Umhlabuyalingana Local Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal today. The visit is a follow-up to a prior visit, which took place in 2017, where community members complained about cross-border crime, particularly stock and vehicle theft. The area lies between the border of Mozambique and South Africa. Government, through the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Cross-border Crime, has been hard at work trying to curb these crimes and address the concerns of the community. During the visit, JCPS Ministers will inspect the border post for its readiness to house the one-stop border between South Africa and Mozambique and the construction of the police station. They will visit Gate 6, which is a site for a community crossing point. This visit reiterates the JCPS Clusters commitment to serve and protect communities in the borderline areas and urge community members to work together with all law enforcement agencies in ensuring that South Africa is crime-free and safe for all who live in it. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Photo: CTV News A Surrey man has been arrested after allegedly sucker-punching a bus driver in Vancouver. CTV News reports the attack happened around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night near Cambie St. and 45th Ave. Sgt. Clint Hampton of the Transit Police says the 49-year-old Surrey man walked down the aisle and started attacking the driver. "He punched him in the side of the face with a closed fist," Hampton told CTV. "The bus operator and a bystander jumped in and had a bit of a struggle with the suspect." The attacker was arrested about an hour later at Metrotown Station. The driver sustained only minor injuries, while the attacker was briefly hospitalized after being arrested for injuries sustained during the melee. "It's very odd for somebody to approach a bus operator out of the blue without any acknowledgement and punch them," said Hampton. with files from CTV Vancouver Narendra Modi in Varanasi; Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: Addressing a rally in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, 'In the past 5 years, there have been no terrorist attacks on an Indian city, holy place or temple. The country also witnessed the Kumbh mela peacefully. Terrorists are now only limited to certain areas in Jammu and Kashmir now. They killed 40 of our CRPF personnel. After that incident, till date 42 terrorist have been killed in that area. This is how we work.' Auto refresh feeds Security was heightened in the city ahead of Modi's visit with troops and security personnel deployed strategically. Small drones have also been deployed to keep an eye on activities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a major roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Thursday before he sets out to file his nomination paper on Friday, 26 April. The prime minister's roadshow will pass through the main areas of the temple town before culminating at Dashashwamedh Ghat where he will participate in Ganga Aarti, the BJP said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is first expected to address public meetings at Darbhanga in Bihar (10.15 am) and at Banda in Uttar Pradesh (1.35 pm). He will then travel to Varanasi, where he will file his nomination papers on Friday. Congress' star siblings Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will campaign across Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. Party president Rahul is scheduled to address rallies at Jalore, Ajmer and Kota in Rajasthan, while Congress general secretary Priyanka will hold a roadshow in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi, before addressing meetings at Ghursarai and Jalaun. At Darbhanga, Modi did not waste time before harnessing the terrorism issue once again, unleashing a tried and tested set of phrases to suggest that while national security was not an election issue for the gathbandhan it was one for him. "This is new India, here we enter terrorists' houses and kill them" he said to loud cheers. He listed out the efforts made by his government at the centre and the Nitish government in Bihar and promised that everyone would get water in India in the next five years. Modi hit out at the Congress over its manifesto, calling it a dhakoslapatra once again. "Congress, in its 2004 dhakoslapatra had promised that it would electrify all villages in India. Did it do that by 2009?" he asked. At Dharbhanga, Modi urged people in Bihar to vote for NDA candidates across the state. He then took a jibe at Opposition leaders nursing prime ministerial ambitions even though they are fighting from few seats. "Those who are fighting from as few as 20 seats are in line to become prime minister. In Karnataka, a party which is fighting only eight seats is also ready to give a prime minister. Tell us...don't feel pressured to satisfy the media...but tell us if you feel that any one of them will be able to safeguard your interests well," he asked, as the audience broke into applause. Unlike other parties where women's wing, youth wing and other types of fronts exist, I feel that TMC has only syndicate morcha and Didi (Mamata Banerjee) runs a tolabaji here through this syndicate morcha. That is why police cannot do anything in West Bengal. There is Narada-Saradha here, Sitharaman said. She said that TMC stands only for tushtikaran (appeasement), mafia and corruption. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit out at the Trinamool Congress stating that ruling party in the state is a "syndicate morcha" and is unlike other parties that have women, youth and various other wings and fronts. He also warned "Rahul baba" and his "tukde, tukde gang" that for as long as BJP was in power, the country will remain secure and Kashmir will be a part of India. At his first rally of the day at Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, BJP chief Amit Shah repeated many of his usual campaign speech refrains and asked why leaders of Opposition sported ashen faces even though the terrorists who were struck in the Balakot air strikes were Pakistani. Shah also hit out at what he called was "55 years of misrule" by the Congress and said the situation Congress had left the country in had brought tears to his eyes. Aam Aadmi Party has released its election manifesto, a document where Delhi's residents were heavily prioritised with calls for domicile reservations in several sectors spanning education and government jobs. "We will secure 85 percent of the seats of Delhi colleges for residents of the city. Sixty five percent of the jobs of the region will be secured for residents, similarly," Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said. Speaking to News18, Rai said he has just come to know that he has been chosen for the seat. Bringing an end to speculation on Priyanka Gandhi entering the poll fray, Congress announced on Thursday that it would be Ajay Rai and not the Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) who would contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. Along with naming Ajay Rai for the Varanasi seat, Congress also named Madhusudan Tiwari to fight against Ravi Kishan of the BJP from Yogi Adityanath's Gorakhpur seat. After winning the 2009 Assembly byelection from Kolasla constituency as an Independent, Rai joined the Congress. Rai is famous as a local strongman who moves around with a gun-toting private army, DNA had reported. Congress leader Ajay Rai is five-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh who incidentally began his political career in the BJP's student wing. He won Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha elections from Kolasla thrice between 1996 and 2007 on BJP tickets. In 2009, he contested the Lok Sabha election on a Samajwadi Party ticket and lost. "This election is not to make someone prime minister but to make Delhi a complete state," AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said while releasing the party's election manifesto on Thursday. Stressing that it is the goal of the party to ensure that like other countries, India's capital too is given the status of a state, Kejriwal went on to announce a slew of Delhi-specific promises in the manifesto unveiling. Party leader Manish Sisodia also said that had Delhi been accorded status of a state, then the Jan Lokpal Bill would have been passed by its elected government. At the centre of the conversation regarding why she was not made to contest from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East, Priyanka Gandhi, is leading a roadshow across Jhansi. Speaking at his second rally of the day at Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, BJP chief Amit Shah predicted a victory for the Lok Sabha candidate for the eponymous constituency, Sakshi Maharaj. "One would think that Sakshi Maharaj is a sanyasi, what else can he give other than blessings. Yet he has built toilets, given houses to people. This time he will win not with three lakh votes, but with five lakh votes," Shah said. Modi also called out to first time voters, saying that they would vote for the BJP because they had the whole 21st century before them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his final rally of the day before the Varanasi roadshow at Uttar Pradesh's Banda. He began by training the verbal gun at Congress and saying that the party had abused him and is always concerned with caste, class and communalism. "Can you tell us which caste Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rani Jhansi belonged to? The brave have no caste," he said. Speaking in his final rally of the day before joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi at this roadshow in Varanasi, BJP chief Amit Shah spoke in full praise of Modi, asserting that the prime minister's name was the one chant that was uniformly being heard across India. "I have toured 258 Lok Sabha constituencies and come here, all I can hear is Modi, Modi, Modi," he said, before listing out several of the efforts allegedly undertaken by the BJP government. When Modi government comes back to power, apart from Assam and West Bengal, the infiltrators will be identified from all corners of the country." Addressing a rally in Auraiya, Amit shah said, "When we came up with NRC, then Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati began siding with the infiltrators and asked where would they go and what will they eat? "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is set to hold a mega road show from BHU gate to Ganga ghats in Varanasi on Thursday. On Friday, Modi will file his nomination from the constituency. Top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Nirmala Sitharaman, as well as BJP president Amit Shah and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states are expected to accompany Narendra Modi during the roadshow. The roadshow will stretch over six kilometres, going from the Lanka area to Dashashwamedh Ghat via Godoliya. Addressing a rally in Kota, Congress president Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Narendra Modi and said, "In one of his speeches, Modi said, 'Before I came, this country was sleeping.' You think about it, the prime minister of the country insults your parents, and claims that armed forces, small businessmen and others never worked. This country is a product of your sweat and blood. It is yours. You are our power. For five years, he only conveyed his 'Mann ki Baat'. I want to listen to you." Narendra Modi's cavalcade will shortly be arriving at the Dashashwamedh Ghat where he will participate in the Ganga aarti. At 8 pm, he is scheduled to have a conversation with eminent personalities of Varanasi at Hotel De Paris. Covering the 6-kilometre stretch between BHU campus gate and Dashashwamedh Ghat, Narendra Modi's roadshow has come to end. The prime minister will take part in the Ganga aarti. Addressing a rally in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Kashi blessed me for becoming an MP only PM. It gave me the strength of faith of 130 million Indians. It gave me the courage to answer terrorists in their own language." "In the past 5 years, there have been no terrorist attacks on an Indian city, holy place or temple. The country also witnessed the Kumbh mela peacefully. Terrorists are now only limited to certain areas in Jammu and Kashmir now. They killed 40 of our CRPF personnel. After that incident, till date 42 terrorist have been killed in that area. This is how we work," Narendra Modi said in Varanasi. On the Sri Lanka attacks, Narendra Modi said, "The challenges have become so serious now. In Sri Lanka, there were serial bomb blasts on Easter. People had travelled to the churches with their families. But they couldn't return home alive. They had everything, but it was all gone in a second, because of terrrorism. Overlooking terrorism as a challenge will be injustice to the country." In a dig at Congress, he said, "It is my duty to give you an account of what I've done in five years before asking to serve you for the next five years, If some people are not giving account of 70 years, it's their willl." "Every opportunity to worship all of you is like a privilege for me. Today, while taking blessings of Kashi people, mother went to take blessings of Ganga and once again I have come to take your blessings. If you have permission, I will file nomination tomorrow," Narendra Modi said at a rally in Varanasi. Covering the 6-kilometre stretch between BHU campus gate and Dashashwamedh Ghat, Narendra Modi's roadshow has come to end. The prime minister will take part in the Ganga aarti. Accompanied by BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at the Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the Ganga aarti is being performed. Vikhe Patil had sent his resignation letter to the top party leadership, offering to quit the post of LoP, after his son Sujay Vikhe Patil left Congress and joined the BJP. Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, whose son joined the BJP in March, has resigned as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Addressing a rally in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Kashi blessed me for becoming an MP only PM. It gave me the strength of faith of 130 million Indians. It gave me the courage to answer terrorists in their own language." "In the past 5 years, there have been no terrorist attacks on an Indian city, holy place or temple. The country also witnessed the Kumbh mela peacefully. Terrorists are now only limited to certain areas in Jammu and Kashmir now. They killed 40 of our CRPF personnel. After that incident, till date 42 terrorist have been killed in that area. This is how we work," Narendra Modi said in Varanasi. On the Sri Lanka attacks, Narendra Modi said, "The challenges have become so serious now. In Sri Lanka, there were serial bomb blasts on Easter. People had travelled to the churches with their families. But they couldn't return home alive. They had everything, but it was all gone in a second, because of terrrorism. Overlooking terrorism as a challenge will be injustice to the country." In a dig at Congress, he said, "It is my duty to give you an account of what I've done in five years before asking to serve you for the next five years, If some people are not giving account of 70 years, it's their willl." "Every opportunity to worship all of you is like a privilege for me. Today, while taking blessings of Kashi people, mother went to take blessings of Ganga and once again I have come to take your blessings. If you have permission, I will file nomination tomorrow," Narendra Modi said at a rally in Varanasi. Lok Sabha Election 2019 LATEST updates: Addressing a rally in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "In the past 5 years, there have been no terrorist attacks on an Indian city, holy place or temple. The country also witnessed the Kumbh mela peacefully. Terrorists are now only limited to certain areas in Jammu and Kashmir now. They killed 40 of our CRPF personnel. After that incident, till date 42 terrorist have been killed in that area. This is how we work." Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in the 'Ganga aarti', a day before his is expected to file his nomination. BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also accompanied him at Dashashwamedh Ghat for the 'aarti'. Earlier, Modi held a roadshow, covering the 6-kilometre stretch between BHU campus gate and Dashashwamedh Ghat. Thousand joined the streets of Varanasi during the mega road show in NDA's show of strength. Modi kicked started his roadshow in Varanasi after paying tribute to Madan Malviya on arriving at the BHU campus. Earlier, he tweeted, "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi." Speaking in his final rally of the day before joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi at this roadshow in Varanasi, BJP chief Amit Shah spoke in full praise of Modi, asserting that the prime minister's name was the one chant that was uniformly being heard across India. "I have toured 258 Lok Sabha constituencies and come here, all I can hear is Modi, Modi, Modi," he said, before listing out several of the efforts allegedly undertaken by the BJP government. He also hit out at the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress governments that Uttar Pradesh has had, saying the BJP has reversed the lack of development in the state. At his Banda rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said those sitting in AC rooms in Delhi have no idea how India will vote. "The faces of some people have fallen since the first three phases of the election. The anger that they were feeling towards Modi, they took out on EVMs," he said. In his rally, Modi also spoke on development for Uttar Pradesh and the several steps the BJP governments at the Centre and state have allegedly taken to that end. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, speaking at a rally in Rajasthan's Ajmer, joked with crowd, mostly at the expense of the Modi government, drawing loud laughs. Rahul repeated his NYAY promise of delivering Rs 72,000 to accounts. "Don't get angry with me but the money will go to the accounts of women," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his final rally of the day before the Varanasi roadshow at Uttar Pradesh's Banda. He began by training the verbal gun at Congress and saying that the party had abused him and is always concerned with caste, class and communalism. "Can you tell us which caste Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rani Jhansi belonged to? The brave have no caste," he said. Speaking at his second rally of the day at Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, BJP chief Amit Shah predicted a victory for the Lok Sabha candidate for the eponymous constituency, Sakshi Maharaj. "One would think that Sakshi Maharaj is a sanyasi, what else can he give other than blessings. Yet he has built toilets, given houses to people. This time he will win not with three lakh votes, but with five lakh votes," Shah said. Congress leader Ajay Rai is five-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh who incidentally began his political career in the BJP's student wing. He won Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha elections from Kolasla thrice between 1996 and 2007 on BJP tickets. In 2009, he contested the Lok Sabha election on a Samajwadi Party ticket and lost. After winning the 2009 Assembly byelection from Kolasla constituency as an Independent, Rai joined the Congress. Rai is famous as a local strongman who moves around with a gun-toting private army, reports had said. Bringing an end to speculation on Priyanka Gandhi entering the poll fray, Congress announced on Thursday that it would be Ajay Rai and not the Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) who would contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. Aam Aadmi Party has released its election manifesto, a document where Delhi's residents were heavily prioritised with calls for domicile reservations in several sectors spanning education and government jobs. "We will secure 85 percent of the seats of Delhi colleges for residents of the city. Sixty five percent of the jobs of the region will be secured for residents, similarly," Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said. At his first rally of the day at Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, BJP chief Amit Shah repeated many of his usual campaign speech refrains and asked why leaders of Opposition sported ashen faces even though the terrorists who were struck in the Balakot air strikes were Pakistani. Shah also hit out at what he called was "55 years of misrule" by the Congress and said the situation Congress had left the country in had brought tears to his eyes. At Dharbhanga, Narendra Modi urged people in Bihar to vote for NDA candidates across the state. He then took a jibe at Opposition leaders nursing prime ministerial ambitions even though they are fighting from few seats. "Those who are fighting from as few as 20 seats are in line to become prime minister. In Karnataka, a party which is fighting only eight seats is also ready to give a prime minister. Tell us...don't feel pressured to satisfy the media...but tell us if you feel that any one of them will be able to safeguard your interests well," he asked, as the audience broke into applause. Speaking at his first rally of the day, at Bihar's Darbhanga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi (in yet another one of his famous headgears) spoke directly to first time voters, and called for a 'new India.' He thanked Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan and Sushil Modi, saying it is because of them that the country's young believe in the NDA. He turned the rhetoric firmly to military violence, stressing that while national security was allegedly not an election issue for the Opposition's 'mahamilavat' alliance, it was one for 'new India'. All eyes will be on Varanasi on Thursday, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a mega roadshow, culminating in a puja. Modi is first expected to address public meetings at Darbhanga in Bihar (10.15 am) and at Banda in Uttar Pradesh (1.35 pm). He will then travel to Varanasi, where he will file his nomination papers on Friday. The show is scheduled to begin at 3 pm at the statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya at Benaras Hindu University. It will chart a route spanning Lanka, Assi, Sonarpura, Madanpura, Godauliya and ultimately end at Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the prime minister will perform a Ganga aarti around 7 pm. Modi is scheduled to interact with intellectuals at Varanasi Hotel after the roadshow. The campaign is set to be a definite show of strength for the National Democratic Alliance, with leaders from across India converging for it. Expected in the list are Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Shiromani Akali Dal head Parkash Singh Badal and many more leaders. Congress' star siblings Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will campaign across Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. Party president Rahul is scheduled to address rallies at Jalore, Ajmer and Kota in Rajasthan, while Congress general secretary Priyanka will hold a roadshow in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi, before addressing meetings at Ghursarai and Jalaun. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party is scheduled to release its election manifesto on Thursday. The manifesto was prepared by a seven-member team headed by Manish Sisodia. Reports say it is likely to focus on full statehood for Delhi and the achievements of the AAP government, among other issues. Moreover, the Bahujan Samaj Party-Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance will hold a joint rally at Kannauj. Speculation was rife that the Congress would field its general secretary for east Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, from the prestigious Varanasi constituency. Lucknow: The suspense around the Congress candidate from Varanasi fizzled with the party renominating Ajai Rai against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi, a superstar campaigner for the Bharatiya Janata Party, won the seat in 2014 by nabbing 5,81,022 votes. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal came in second with 2,09,238 votes. Rai, with 75,614 votes, was a distant third. Until the Congress announced its candidate for Varanasi, speculation was rife that the party may field its general secretary for east Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, from the prestigious constituency. The Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party (SP-BSP) alliance fielded Shalini Yadav, daughter-in-law of former Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson Shyam Lal Yadav who recently switched sides from Congress to Samajwadi Party. With no strong Opposition candidate, Varanasi seems like a walkover for Modi, who received a fight from Kejriwal in 2014. That fight, and the Delhi chief ministers aspirations for rapid progress at the national stage in 2014 have, however, limited his partys part in these general elections. Claiming that the partys focus this election is on Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, AAP Uttar Pradesh spokesperson Vaibhav Maheswari said, We didn't get (an) appropriate candidate for Varanasi... We didn't want to just cut the anti-Modi vote and give him benefits. AAP has fielded candidates in six seats in Uttar Pradesh. The announcement of Rais candidature came from the Congress camp at a time when the prime minister was on a roadshow in Varanasi Thursday. He is to file his nomination in the constituency on Friday. Rumours around Priyankas candidature from Varanasi, coupled with her response that the partys word would be supreme in this regard, gave the story plausibility. Some local editions of newspapers went a step ahead and declared that Priyanka is coming to Varanasi to give a tough fight to Modi. Rai, a senior Congressman from the Bhumihar community, has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) five times, and has a strong hold on the Brahmin and the Bhumihar communities. He was a BJP MLA from Koalsala Assembly constituency between 1996 and 2007. Ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Rai, when denied a ticket from Varanasi, moved to the Samajwadi Party. In a closely-fought contest, Rai ended third runner-up, behind BSP candidate Mukhtar Ansari, who allegedly ordered the killing of Rais elder brother Awadhesh. Political commentator Vinod Kapoor believes Priyanka is a trump card of the Congress, which the party will not use so soon: They have brought her into politics at a time when regional parties of Uttar Pradesh, like SP and the BSP, are not giving importance to the Congress. By giving her the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh east, a crucial region, the Congress has definitely activated its cadre. Kapoor said fielding Priyanka from Varanasi, a tough seat, would have been the wrong decision. He added that the party would not wish to waste one of its promising candidates in a contest where chances of victory are bleak. RR Jha, a senior professor of Political Science at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), said the prime minister has an open field in Varanasi in the absence of any strong opponent. It is being said that Rai has a firm grip on his people, but the ground reality is that the Bhumihar vote is split between Modi and Rai. Watching the number of votes Rai got in 2014 elections, it seems that even Bhumihars do not vote for him. Jha said the SP-BSP candidate Shalini will have little impact on this contest, citing her unsuccessful run in the 2017 mayoral polls. He said Opposition parties this time do not seem interested in a direct contest with Modi in Varanasi. R P Dubey, a political commentator, opined that Rais Banarasi connection and local leadership may get him some votes, but the contest remains one-sided: in favour of the prime minister. Voting in Varanasi is scheduled on 19 May in the seventh and final phase of elections. The author is Lucknow-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com By the time the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign entered its final lap, most of the real issues economic reform, farm crisis and unemployment had clearly taken a backseat In an interview with Firstpost in December last year, former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha had a word of caution for the Congress-led grouping of Opposition parties. "The BJP is hoping to convert the 2019 General Election into a presidential-style poll making Narendra Modi the central issue but Opposition parties need to be careful not to fall prey to this plan," warned Sinha. Towards the end of the campaign, it turns out that this is precisely the trap into which the Opposition, particularly, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, has walked. By the time the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign entered its final lap, most of the real issues economic reform, farm crisis and unemployment had clearly taken a backseat, promptly replaced by a promise of populist doles, personal accusations and corruption allegations against one another. This quite clearly showed that Indian political parties are yet to wake up from a deep slumber to talk about real problems in the economy that actually mattered to the poor. More than anyone else, the real opportunity loss was for Rahul who is in desperate need of a victory. For the BJP, economy was never the key issue in this election, but national security and later, a high dose of the Hindutva narrative. This presented a window of opportunity to Rahul to focus on more important economic issues and cash in on the anger among the middle class and informal sector after the massively disruptive demonetisation exercise. Right now, unemployment is the central issue in the economy. Going by the indicators available so far, the situation is likely to worsen going forward with no serious attention, except for freebies and attention-diverting tactics, to address the problem. Instead, atop the Congress president's priority list sat a campaign centred on Rafale allegations against Modi. On the ground, Rahul's allegations against Modi in connection with Rafale allegations won't find many takers. Modi still enjoys the image of a corruption-free politician and a prime minister who led a government for five years with no major proven corruption cases. Diverting attention from the job crisis, or pretending that the problem doesn't exist at all, will be a mistake. Rahul's main poll plank presented in the Congress manifesto the NYAY scheme wasn't a weapon worth using in a crucial battle. Had freebies worked for Rahul, the many farm loan waivers he promised would have done the job already. The simple reason for this is that India's poor are no longer tempted by free money, because they already have it in many forms. The low-income group, already, is the beneficiary of around 950 schemes sponsored both by the Centre and states. What Rahul promises by way of NYAY will only be incremental assistance. Also, the idea lacked conviction for a few reasons. It is next to impossible for any government to identify the actual beneficiaries on account of lack of proper income data. Also, it instantly disincentivises skill-development and the quest for jobs among the youth in the poorest layer of the society because a minimum income is assured by the State. Further, the resultant fiscal burden will be significant. And finally, chances of corruption and fudging of documents will be rampant to avail of free money. In this context, what could have worked well for Rahul was to centre his campaign solely on the problem of unemployment, presenting it as a failure of the Modi government and then, to lay out a roadmap as to what his government could do to address the problem if it comes to power. Filling vacant government jobs alone won't solve the problem of a lack of jobs. A recent report by Azim Premji University's Centre for Sustainable Employment State of Working India Report 2019 conclusively states that India's unemployment problem is no work of fiction. Notably, the report revealed that almost 50 lakh people lost jobs between 2016 and 2018 this, most notably, is the period after demonetisation. The rate of participation of the labour force participation in 2018 was 42.9 percent and 52.8 percent in 2016-17. Even more worryingly, the low labour force participation of women was recorded at 11 percent compared to a participation by males at 71.8 percent in 2018. Female work participation rate was 26.9 percent in 2016-17 compared to males at 76.8 percent. The trend of rising unemployment continues. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) found through its surveys that unemployment in the first three weeks of April averaged 8.1 percent. In February this year, CMIE had said that at 7.2 percent, unemployment was the worst in at least 29 months when the labour force dwindled by 25.7 million since September 2016. Another study conducted by S&P said that around 83 percent women in India and 87 percent of men are worried about their financial future, presumably because of the lack of employment. Obviously, there is no quick solution for India's unemployment crisis especially when the only element that has been pushing overall growth presently is government spending. For well-known reasons, private sector investors remain on the sidelines. But, unemployment is an issue that connected with all segments of the population more directly than any other poll issue. Rahul could have presented an alternative economic agenda detailing to the voters on his employment-generation plan. Instead, he chose to stick to the anti-Modi narrative that could cost him dearly in this elections. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister approached the EC after permission was denied to land his chopper in the region on Wednesday. Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday wrote a letter to the Election Commission urging it to take an action against Chhindwara district collector for allegedly stopping him from conducting a political campaign in the region. "I have come to election commission office to file a complaint against the collector of Chhindwara. Yesterday, I went to for election campaigning in the region. I was scheduled to reach the place at 5.30 but they denied permission to the land chopper. I urged them to take action against Collector in the matter," he said while speaking to media in Bhopal. "Earlier, in West Bengal didi (Mamata Banerjee) stopped me and now Dada (Kamal Nath) is stopping me to enter Chhindwara. In a democracy, everyone is allowed to do campaigns. But these people (District Election Officer and Chhindwara district collector) are deliberately trying to spoil my rallies," he added. "It is unfortunate that the collector is not allowing star campaigners of the BJP for electioneering," he added. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister approached the EC after permission was denied to land his chopper in the region on Wednesday. "If you will stop my helicopter, I will go by car. If you will stop my car, I will cover the distance on foot. No one can stop me from going." The election in Chhindwara will take place on 29 April and the counting of the votes will take place on 23 May. The main candidates are Nakul Kamal Nath (Congress), Nathansaha Kawreti (BJP) and Gyaneshwar Gajbhiye (BSP). Preparations are underway in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he is expected to file his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha election on Friday. The preparations in the city suggest that Modi will hold a massive roadshow in Varanasi on Thursday evening. Preparations are underway in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he is expected to file his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha election on Friday. Preparations have been made in the city ahead of Modi's massive roadshow in Varanasi on Thursday evening. The prime minister, who addressed rallies in West Bengal and Jharkhand on Wednesday, will campaign in Darbhanga in Bihar and Banda in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. He is scheduled to arrive at Varanasi around 4 pm, after which he is expected to hold the roadshow. Modi filing his nomination papers in Varanasi is expected to be the biggest spectacle of his Lok Sabha campaign as NDA allies, along with the BJP top brass, are expected to converge in Varanasi for the event. Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi will hold public meetings at Jalore, Ajmer and Kota in Rajasthan on Thursday, while his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold a roadshow in Jhansi. She will also address a public meeting at Ghursarai in Jhansi and another public meeting at Orai in Jalaun. On Wednesday, both Rahul and Priyanka had mounted fresh attacks on the prime minister. Both campaigned in different parts of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka carried out roadshows in Khaga, Ghazipur, and Hamirpur, while Rahul addressed rallies in Lakhimpur, Kheri, Unnao and Kanpur. Launching a fresh salvo at Modi in Kheri, Rahul accused the prime minister of shielding the interests of "15 selected people" while leaving the farmers and the poor "high and dry". While Congress leaders targeted Modi at their political campaigns, it was the prime minister's interview with actor Akshay Kumar that became the highlight of the day. The interview, which was clearly crafted to appeal to the common man, became a Twitter trend and was widely discussed on social media platforms. As pointed out in an article by Firstpost, the "non-political interview" touched upon the unknown personal aspects of Modi's life, and "coming ahead of the remaining four phases of polling, (it) could be taken as a new campaign experiment by the leader who is at the center of formal and informal public discourse these parliamentary elections". This interview was the most discussed event of the day, and even on Thursday and Friday, Modi's roadshow and nomination filing are expected to be grand affairs that will dominate the news and social media space. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said on Thursday that Opposition parties, which do not even have a prime ministerial candidate, are making tall promises. Pune: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said on Thursday that Opposition parties, which do not even have a prime ministerial candidate, are making tall promises. He was addressing a rally at Chakan near Pune for Shiv Sena MP and candidate from Shirur Lok Sabha seat Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil. "We have a strong PM candidate in Narendra Modi. But if you ask them (Opposition) who is your PM candidate, they say first give us votes and we will see later." "Today, they do not have PM candidate and these people talk about improving the condition of the country....first go and search for a leader," the Sena chief said. "Everyone in Opposition's alliance wants to sit in the PM's chair, but this is not a game of musical chairs," he quipped. Adhalrao Patil has a connection with the people of his constituency and he will win a fourth term with a bigger margin, Thackeray said. In a dig at actor Dr Amol Kolhe, who quit the Sena ahead of the polls and has been fielded by the NCP in Shirur, Thackeray asked people whether they wanted an MP who works for the constituency or someone who works in TV serials. On the bickering between the BJP and Shiv Sena, who are nevertheless contesting the elections together, Thackeray said he formed the alliance with the BJP for the sake of well-being of farmers and other sections of society. "The tiffs between the Sena and BJP were sour and sweet," he said. The Sena chief also said that "one should not make capital out of the valour of our Armed Forces", nor should anyone question the surgical strike and the air strike conducted by the forces after the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks. Procurement could never become a reality, which is evident from the fact that farmers dumped their produce in front of the chief ministers residence. Editor's Note: As UP heads into Lok Sabha Election 2019, Firstpost surveys one of its most influential vote blocs: the farming community; the focus of this multi-article series of reported pieces is the agrarian crisis that has struck India's most populous state. *** Agra: Farmers in Barauli Ahir and Barauli Gujjar blocks of Agra in Uttar Pradeshs supposedly prosperous potato belt have never heard of a soil health card. They dont know that land-owning farmers are eligible for a partial interest waiver on prompt repayment of farm loans. They were amazed when Firstpost asked them about the minor irrigation scheme, under which the state government bears 50 percent of the cost of boring a tube well. That something called Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sinchayi Yojna exists and has been around for at least three years was news for them. This is despite the fact that the region is facing acute water shortage. Farmers with large land holdings are forced to keep a section of their farms parched, while small farmers incur the backbreaking cost of renting a diesel generator and the nearest private tube well for irrigation. And that is just the tip of the iceberg: in the potato belt of Uttar Pradesh, cultivators are crippled by the weight of a bumper produce while an appropriate market remains inaccessible to them. A spike in costs associated with agriculture and middlemen, who control the market, only add to their woes. This is the story of how even the most well-intentioned schemes devised in New Delhi fail due to the trickle-down approach of implementation. Potato, this election, was a political crop, much like issues of sugarcane farmers that grabbed headlines in recent by-elections and Assembly elections in 2017. A precursory google search on the issue also reveals some hastily announced quick fixes to ease the crisis-like situation potato farmers face. Saga of failed government schemes: Market Intervention Scheme, MSP One such announcement was by the Centre in 2017 to procure one lakh ton potatoes directly from Uttar Pradesh farmers to ease the crisis and break the monopoly of middlemen; the state government, on the other hand, had, in a first, announced a minimum support price to address the plummeting market prices the same year. The Uttar Pradesh government had also said that it would procure at least two lakh metric ton in 2018, when the prices remained low for the second consecutive year. However, on ground, farmers claim that neither of the initiatives reached even one percent of cultivators facing distress. Procurement could never become a reality, which is evident from the fact that farmers dumped their produce in front of the chief ministers residence as a mark of protest. And the supposed MSP too, appears to be another mithi goli (placebo), as farmer Vijay Bahadur Singh calls it. Farmers in five villages of Agra that Firstpost visited claimed that not even a single procurement centre was set up in Agra villages after the Centre and states announcement. Ek bhi kaanta (local term for government measurement and procurement centre) nahi laga yaha to. Jab sarkar kharidegi hi nahi to samarthan mulya ka kya mol reh gaya, sab mithi goli hai sarkar ki chunav se pehle. Do do sau rupai quintal me beche hain humne aaloo bichauliyo ko abhi 17-18 mein. (There was not even a single procurement centre here. The MSP is a useless electoral promise, a placebo offered right before elections. We had to sell our crops at Rs 200 per quintal to middlemen in 2017 and 2018), Singh says. Deputy Director of Horticulture, Kaushal Kumar Neeraj, concedes that the farmers' claims arent baseless. The thing is that horticulture crops like potato do not qualify for regular MSP. The scheme is meant for food grain crops primarily. What Yogi ji announced should be looked at as a government intervention to stabilise market prices. But in truth, the market price is usually at par with, or higher than what has been announced. Mostly, the prices were at par, or even slightly higher than the government MSP. Ten kilometres away from his office, a trolley of potatoes can be spotted being carried to the mandi. The driver reveals he procured it from a farmer in his village at just Rs 300 per quintal, which comes out to Rs 3 per kilogram. The Yogi Adityanath government had announced that it will procure at least one metric ton of potato at a price of Rs 487 per quintal in 2017 right after Assembly polls. Later, the price was revised to Rs 600 per quintal after massive protests by the farmers. In view of this, the explanation offered by the horticulture department on the failure of the market intervention scheme makes little sense. Neerajs argument about market prices being higher than support price loses sheen due to the way the political class marketed it. In all public statements and dialogues herewith, the scheme was touted as MSP for all purpose and intent, and not market intervention as claimed by Neeraj. And MSP, by definition, is a cushion offered by the government to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce even when market prices fall. MSP as defined on Food Corporation of India website states, Whatever stocks which are brought to the purchase centers falling within the Government of Indias specifications are purchased at the fixed support price. If the farmers get prices better than the support price from other buyers such as traders/millers etc, the farmers are free to sell their produce to them. This should mean that the market price should not have had an effect on availability of procurement centres as the intent of the scheme remains to ensure that the farmers are not compelled to sell their produce below support price. Yet, market data suggests that is the reality. When asked whether this means the scheme was inadequate, Neeraj veers off to speak about other schemes. What is left unsaid is that against the target of 1,00,000 ton, the government only procured 13,000 ton because it failed to open procurement centres on ground. Sources in the Agra administration tell us that the higher authorities had insisted that the infrastructure already in place to procure Rabi and Kharif crops can be used to procure potato too as the crop is steadily released in market throughout the year. But this was not done for some unexplained reasons. However, public policy expert and member of Uttar Pradesh Planning Commission Professor Sudhindra Panwar takes an informed guess on the reasons behind the failure of the scheme. According to him, putting the blame on government servants tasked to implement the scheme is pointless. He said the schemes were announced sans budget and intention. The government merely announced the procurement of the crop without making sufficient budgetary allocation to cover cost of storage of the perishable crop. The mechanism for procurement of wheat and paddy is marginally better because those farmers account for a larger vote bank, and the produce does not need preservation; it can be dumped in various government and/or privately-owned godowns. In the case of potato, the government does not own any cold storage. Cold storage, again, is another industry with completely different dynamics. Furthermore, cartelisation by middlemen and traders prevents price discovery mechanisms from functioning in mandis. This is the reason why declared MSP is often removed from reality. Income support means little for farmers It is not just the potato-specific policy interventions that failed to deliver on ground. Most of the agricultural schemes designed to achieve the BJPs promised goal of doubling farmers income failed to kick off on ground, which will be discussed in greater depth in the next part of the series. However, Agra farmers do know about Modi ji ki 2,000 vali scheme. But even the much-touted Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna is a fable for farmers in the region, that has traditionally supported Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party. Each person who was spoken to has heard that someone in the vicinity has received a few installments of the prime minister's income support scheme, but nobody quite knows who the beneficiary is. Only in the much more developed Khandauli region of Agra district were people who said they have received two installments of the scheme money. Here, people have received their soil health cards as well. I am sustaining losses worth tens of thousands of rupees in my one-acre farm, what good is Rs 2,000 going to be? Rakesh Sharma of Khedia village in Khandauli block asks in mock amusement. Ye milat hai 2,000 me itte me chauthai khet bhi na puro hogo (This is what Rs 2,000 is worth, it wont even cover one fourth of my farm), another farmer Mahendra Singh says, pointing to a few millilitres of a pesticide and a five kilogram bag of potash soil. Mohan Singh Chahar, leader of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, the farmers wing of the RSS, concedes that the support offered under the scheme is grossly inadequate. He claims that the organisation has been opposing regular doles and the tendency to announce loan waivers before every election. The government is not able to correctly gauge the cost incurred by farmers. For example, no scheme takes into account the cost of land and labour, Chahar said. We have been asking honourable prime minister to roll back other doles and announce a yearly payment of at least Rs 25,000 per year to help the farmers with the cultivation cost. Aap kisan ki laagat kam karo vo aapse kuch aur nahi mangega, Chahar said. He claimed that the Yogi Adityanath government announced a minimum support price for potato in a first following Kisan Sanghs demand. The initial announcement was of Rs 449 per quintal, it was raised to Rs 600 per quital after our demand to reconsider the amount. But sadly, even that is inadequate as the farmer is spending over Rs 900 in growing one quintal of potato. At least that much should be ensured to create a no-profit no-loss situation. Anything under that is a loss. A mention of PMKSNY inadvertently brings the discussion to Congress promised NYAY scheme which claims to increase income support price to Rs 72,000 per year. However, a majority of the farmers we spoke to are reluctant to pin their hopes on the electoral promise. Chunaav ke baad ye 2,000 bhi aate rahein vo badi baat hai. Kisan ko koi 72,000 ni utha ke dene vala (Nobody is going to spend Rs 72,000 on a farmer. I doubt if even these Rs 2,000 will be paid after the elections), Mahendra Singh says. But Panwar believes that both parties resorting to income support schemes are a tacit acknowledgment that they have failed to make farming remunerative. All they can do is compensate the farmer on their investments and losses. It points towards a total policy failure between both parties who took turn to rule. Forget doubling farm incomes, they are struggling to find ways to compensate the farmers, Panwar said. Kavita Khanna asserted that she along with Vinod Khanna had worked for the people of the Gurdaspur constituency for 20 years Chandigarh: With the BJP fielding Bollywood actor Sunny Deol from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, ticket aspirant Kavita Khanna, wife of late Union minister and four-time MP Vinod Khanna, Wednesday said she felt "betrayed" and was weighing all her options, including contesting as an Independent. The party Tuesday evening named Deol as its candidate from Gurdaspur, a decision which is being seen as a setback to Kavita who was hopeful of getting nominated from the seat. "I feel betrayed. I also feel that the wishes of people who wanted me as their MP were ignored," Kavita told PTI on Wednesday. Asked if she would contest as an Independent from the Gurdaspur seat, Kavita said, "I am weighing all my options. I have not decided anything (yet). I have not taken any decision on any issue. She asserted that she along with Vinod Khanna had worked for the people of the Gurdaspur constituency for 20 years. I have faith in God. Life is a journey. I have worked here for 20 years. When Vinod ji was unwell, I used to meet people of the constituency. People wanted me as their MP, she said. Hopeful of getting a BJP ticket for Lok Sabha polls, Kavita had been meeting public and party workers in Gurdaspur for the past several weeks. At a rally in Gurdaspur in January this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recalled the efforts of Vinod Khanna for developing the area. "Vinod Khanna made efforts for the progress of this place. He wanted to see modern and prosperous Gurdaspur, we have to realise his dream," PM Modi had said. Currently, the Gurdaspur constituency is represented by Congress MP Sunil Jakhar who won the seat in the 2017 bypoll, which was necessitated after the death of Vinod Khanna in April that year. Jakhar had defeated BJP candidate Swaran Salaria by a whopping margin of 1,93,219 votes. Kavita was among the frontrunners for the BJP ticket during the 2017 by-poll, but the party chose businessman Salaria over her. Vinod Khanna had won the seat in 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2014. He was popularly known as "sardar of bridges" for connecting remote villages in his constituency. Overdrive Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, is popular for two reasons. His outrageous tweets that have sometime landed him in trouble and secondly, his claims. At the recently held autonomy day event for investors in Palo Alto, California, Musk announced that his company is working on launching a fleet of autonomous Robotaxis that will be on road next year. Musk confirmed that his company will being a million Robotaxis next year. He also announced that present owners of Tesla cars can add their vehicles to the company's ride-sharing app that will take on the likes of Lyft and Uber. These cars will be sent in autonomous mode to pick up riders. Also, the owners will have to share the revenue with Tesla, 23 to 30 percent to be precise. Elon Musk mentioned that the Tesla owners could earn up to $30,000 (Rs 20.95 lakh) a year by sharing their vehicles in the ride-sharing app. Musk also added that Robotaxis will be introduced in the regions where there is lack of Tesla cars which could be made a part of the ride-share app. At the event, Musk did not reveal much details about the launch of Robotaxis in terms of the regulations and approvals that the company would need to roll out this program. He commented that the company might not have regulatory approval in all places but seemed sure to be working on it. He also told his investors, "Sometimes I am not on time. But I get it done and the Tesla team gets it done," The Robotaxis that will be introduced next year will be equipped with a new microchip, which according to Elon Musk, will give them full self-driving capability. Presently, the Tesla models that are sold in all countries do come with autonomous features which includes a sophisticated onboard computer, eight cameras that cover 360 degrees, front-facing radar, and short-range ultrasonic sensors. All Tesla needs to do is a share a sofware update on the cloud for the owners to download, converting an estimated 400,000 vehicles into full self-driving cars. Other ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft too are believed to be working on introducing a fleet of self-driving cars, the timelines for which have not been announced yet. Photo: CTV News A B.C.-based internet privacy group is calling foul after Vancouvers airport rejected ads about privacy rights at border crossings. The ads point out border agents have the power to ask to look through your phone, with the ads designed for the end of the Skytrain line as people enter YVR Our most personal, sensitive information is contained on our phones, but our information is given no more rights at the border than a bag of clothes, OpenMedia privacy campaigner Victoria Henry told CTV News. "The information we are providing has been legally vetted by trustworthy sources, and is in alignment with recommendations put forward by Canadas Ethics committee, she said, adding most people do not know their rights when dealing with border agents. A spokesperson with the Airport Authority told CTV News it determined the ads do "not serve all of our stakeholders. It also has potential to add undue stress to the travel experience, it added. with files from CTV Vancouver Reuters Facebook Inc on Wednesday blew away Wall Street profit estimates in the first quarter as it kept a lid on the costs of making its social networks safer, and set aside $3 billion to cover a settlement with US regulators, calming investors who had worried about the outcome of a months-long federal probe. Shares of the world's biggest online social network jumped more than 10 percent after hours. The US Federal Trade Commission has been investigating revelations that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million of its users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The probe has focussed on whether the sharing of data and other disputes violated a 2011 agreement with the FTC to safeguard user privacy. Facebook set aside $3 billion to cover anticipated costs associated with the settlement but said the charges could reach as high as $5 billion. If the settlement is in that range, it would be the largest civil penalty paid to the agency, said David Vladeck, a former FTC official now at Georgetown Law School. "Everyone expected there would be a substantial civil penalty in this case," said Vladeck. "There's no question that Facebook is going to have to settle this matter. Investors want this behind them." The accrual cut the company's net income in the first quarter to $2.43 billion, or $0.85 per share. Excluding the $3 billion it set aside, Facebook would have earned $1.89 a share, up from $1.69 the year prior and easily beating analysts' average estimate of $1.63 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Total first-quarter revenue rose 26 percent to $14.9 billion from $12.0 billion last year, compared to analysts' average estimate of $15.0 billion. Shares of Facebook rose 10 percent to $200.50 in after-hours trade, demonstrating the company's resilience despite a series of scandals over improperly shared user data and propaganda that made it the target of political scrutiny across the globe. The company's shares lost a third of their value last year, after executives first warned about costs associated with its drive to improve safety and slowing growth in revenue and operating margin. Total expenses in the first quarter were $11.8 billion, up 80 percent compared with a year ago. The operating margin fell to 22 percent from 46 percent a year ago, but would have been 42 percent without the one-time expense. "This is a strong report suggesting that advertisers still see value in Facebook's platform, as they did before the controversies and scandals erupted," said Haris Anwar, senior analyst at financial markets platform Investing.com. Executives have forecast that expenses will grow 40 to 50 percent in 2019, but say they expect the downward trend to taper off after this year as revenue from new ways of pushing ads and facilitating transactions offset the security spending. Monthly and daily users of the main Facebook app compared to last quarter were both up 8 percent to 2.38 billion and 1.56 billion, respectively. Estimates were for 2.4 billion monthly users and 1.6 billion daily users, according to Refinitiv averages. (Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru and Katie Paul in San Francisco; additional reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington; editing by Patrick Graham and Bill Rigby) Reuters Facebook Incs struggles with hate speech and other types of problematic content are being hampered by the companys inability to keep up with a flood of new languages as mobile phones bring social media to every corner of the globe. The company offers its 2.3 billion users features such as menus and prompts in 111 different languages, deemed to be officially supported. Reuters has found another 31 widely spoken languages on Facebook that do not have official support. Detailed rules known as community standards, which bar users from posting offensive material including hate speech and celebrations of violence, were translated in only 41 languages out of the 111 supported as of early March, Reuters found. Facebooks 15,000-strong content moderation workforce speaks about 50 tongues, though the company said it hires professional translators when needed. Automated tools for identifying hate speech work in about 30. The language deficit complicates Facebooks battle to rein in harmful content and the damage it can cause, including the company itself. Countries including Australia, Singapore, and the UK are now threatening harsh new regulations, punishable by steep fines or jail time for executives if it fails to promptly remove objectionable posts. The community standards are updated monthly and run to about 9,400 words in English. Monika Bickert, the Facebook vice president in charge of the standards, has previously told Reuters that they were a heavy lift to translate into all those different languages. A Facebook spokeswoman said this week the rules are translated case by case depending on whether a language has a critical mass of usage and whether Facebook is a primary information source for speakers. The spokeswoman said there was no specific number for critical mass. She said among priorities for translations are Khmer, the official language in Cambodia, and Sinhala, the dominant language in Sri Lanka, where the government blocked Facebook this week to stem rumors about devastating Easter Sunday bombings. A Reuters report found last year that hate speech on Facebook that helped foster ethnic cleansing in Myanmar went unchecked in part because the company was slow to add moderation tools and staff for the local language. Facebook says it now offers the rules in Burmese and has more than 100 speakers of the language among its workforce. The spokeswoman said Facebooks efforts to protect people from harmful content had a level of language investment that surpasses most any technology company. But human rights officials say Facebook is in jeopardy of a repeat of the Myanmar problems in other strife-torn nations where its language capabilities have not kept up with the impact of social media. These are supposed to be the rules of the road and both customers and regulators should insist social media platforms make the rules known and effectively police them, said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watchs Asia Division. Failure to do so opens the door to serious abuses. Abuse in Fijian Mohammed Saneem, the supervisor of elections in Fiji, said he felt the impact of the language gap during elections in the South Pacific nation in November last year. Racist comments proliferated on Facebook in Fijian, which the social network does not support. Saneem said he dedicated a staffer to emailing posts and translations to a Facebook employee in Singapore to seek removals. Facebook said it did not request translations, and it gave Reuters a post-election letter from Saneem praising its timely and effective assistance. Saneem told Reuters that he valued the help but had expected pro-active measures from Facebook. If they are allowing users to post in their language, there should be guidelines available in the same language, he said. Similar issues abound in African nations such as Ethiopia, where deadly ethnic clashes among a population of 107 million have been accompanied by ugly Facebook content. Much of it is in Amharic, a language supported by Facebook. But Amharic users looking up rules get them in English. At least 652 million people worldwide speak languages supported by Facebook but where rules are not translated, according to data from language encyclopedia Ethnologue. Another 230 million or more speak one of the 31 languages that do not have official support. Facebook uses automated software as a key defense against prohibited content. Developed using a type of artificial intelligence known as machine learning, these tools identify hate speech in about 30 languages and terrorist propaganda in 19, the company said. Machine learning requires massive volumes of data to train computers, and a scarcity of text in other languages presents a challenge in rapidly growing the tools, Guy Rosen, the Facebook vice president who oversees automated policy enforcement, has told Reuters. Growth Regions Beyond the automation and a few official fact-checkers, Facebook relies on users to report problematic content. That creates a major issue where community standards are not understood or even known to exist. Ebele Okobi, Facebooks director of public policy for Africa, told Reuters in March that the continent had the worlds lowest rates of user reporting. A lot of people dont even know that there are community standards, Okobi said. Facebook has bought radio advertisements in Nigeria and worked with local organizations to change that, she said. It also has held talks with African education officials to introduce social media etiquette into the curriculum, she said. Simultaneously, Facebook is partnering with wireless carriers and other groups to expand internet access in countries including Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo where it has yet to officially support widely-used languages such as Luganda and Kituba. Asked this week about the expansions without language support, Facebook declined to comment. The company announced in February it would soon have its first 100 sub-Saharan Africa-based content moderators at an outsourcing facility in Nairobi. They will join existing teams in reviewing content in Somali, Oromo and other languages. But the community standards are not translated into Somali or Oromo. Posts in Somali from last year celebrating the al-Shabaab militant group remained on Facebook for months despite a ban on glorifying organizations or acts that Facebook designates as terrorist. Disbelievers and apostates, die with your anger, read one post seen by Reuters this month that praised the killing of a Sufi cleric. After Reuters inquired about the post, Facebook said it took down the authors account because it violated policies. Ability to derail Posts in Amharic reviewed by Reuters this month attacked the Oromo and Tigray ethnic populations in vicious terms that clearly violated Facebooks ban on discussing ethnic groups using violent or dehumanizing speech, statements of inferiority, or calls for exclusion. Facebook removed the two posts Reuters inquired about. The company added that it had erred in allowing one of them, from December 2017, to remain online following an earlier user report. For officials such as Saneem in Fiji, Facebooks efforts to improve content moderation and language support are painfully slow. Saneem said he warned Facebook months in advance of the election in the archipelago of 900,000 people. Most of them use Facebook, with half writing in English and half in Fijian, he estimated. Social media has the ability to completely derail an election, Saneem said. Other social media companies face the same problem to varying degrees. Facebook-owned Instagram said its 1,179-word community guidelines are in 30 out of 51 languages offered to users. WhatsApp, owned by Facebook as well, has terms in nine of 58 supported languages, Reuters found. Alphabet Incs YouTube presents community guidelines in 40 of 80 available languages, Reuters found. Twitter Incs rules are in 37 of 47 supported languages, and Snap Incs in 13 out of 21. A lot of misinformation gets spread around and the problem with the content publishers is the reluctance to deal with it, Saneem said. They do owe a duty of care. tech2 News Staff Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg must be happy today after his company, yet again, beat Wall Street estimates and earned a revenue of $14.9 bn in Q1 2019. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg had promised that one of his resolution this year would be to publicly tackle questions around the intersection of technology and society. "Every few weeks I'll talk with leaders, experts, and people in our community from different fields and I'll try different formats to keep it interesting. These will all be public, either on my Facebook or Instagram pages or on other media," Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post. Zuckerberg has done two video interviews so far, where he has been the interviewer. The first of these interviews was with Harvard Law professor Jonathan Zittrain and the second one was with German publisher Axel Springer's CEO Mathias Doepfner. These hour-long interviews will now be available in the podcast form on Zuckerberg's newly announced podcast, Tech & Society with Mark Zuckerberg. This podcast is available only on Spotify at the moment. Facebook even tweeted the link of the podcast. There is no clarity as to how often the podcast will be updated, but if it's going to be only an audio version of the interviews Zuckerberg conducts, it could be quite randomly updated. The first interview with Zittrain took place on 20 February and he made some controversial statement such as Facebook was an 'innovator in privacy'. New podcast alert This year Mark Zuckerberg is hosting discussions on the future of tech and society. Listen along: https://t.co/5rIBdrbsb5 Facebook (@facebook) April 24, 2019 In this conversation on privacy and encryption, Zuckerberg unwittingly conceded the key criticism of Facebook's new video calling device. He said, "I basically think that if you want to talk in metaphors, messaging is like people's living room, and we definitely don't want a society where there's a camera in everyone's living room." Yeah! What does Facebook Portal do again? And when Harvard Law professor Jonathan Zittrain, who hosted the discussion, pointed out that Facebook's Portal is quite literally a camera in people's living rooms. Laughing, Zuckerberg said, "That is I guess yeah. Although that would be encrypted." The second interview with Doepfner Zuckerberg hinted at Facebook's new plans to deal with news publishers. In an hour-long video posted on Facebook, Zuckerberg also said that Facebook is considering to pay news publishers for sending curated content on a new news section so as to reward, high-quality, trustworthy content. This product has said to be in development for some time and it should be ready to use by the end of this year. This news feature will have a separate section of Facebook and is said to run parallel alongside its long-established news feed feature. "Were coming to this from a very different perspective than I think some of the other players in the space who view news as a way that they want to maximize their revenue. Thats not necessarily the way that were thinking about this, said Zuckerberg. Let us know if you will subscribe to this podcast. Press Trust of India The Madras High Court bench Wednesday lifted its ban on Chinese social media app TikTok with the condition that the platform should not be used to host obscene videos. A bench of justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar, which heard the matter as per the orders of the Supreme Court, warned if any controversial video violating its condition was found uploaded using the app, it would be considered a contempt of court. The high court on 3 April directed the Centre to ban the app "TikTok", used to create and share short videos, as it voiced concern over "pornographic and inappropriate content" being made available through such platforms. It had passed an interim order on a public interest litigation which sought a ban on the app on the ground that it allegedly carried contents that "degraded culture and encouraged pornography". Hearing a plea by the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, challenging the ban, the Supreme Court refused to stay the high court order but asked it to raise its grievances before the high court. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna on Monday directed the high court to decide the plea for vacating its ban order. It also said if the Madurai bench does not decide the plea for interim relief on Wednesday, its ban order will stand vacated. When the matter came up before the high court, the bench passed the order lifting its ban after hearing submissions by central government advocate, counsel for TikTok and amicus curiae Arvind Datar. The counsel for the Centre submitted that a committee had been formed to recommend ways to regulate apps like TikTok. Once the panel submits its recommendation, a bill will be passed in Parliament. The company's counsel said they were only an intermediary under the Information Technology Act. The platform users generate content and upload. TikTok has no role in the selection and creation of content. However, there was a mechanism by which in-built security had been provided on the Tiktok platform for automatic deletion of obscene videos within 15 minutes of upload. He also said that after the high court imposed the ban, six million controversial videos have been removed from TikTok. The counsel said the ban would affect the company's 250 employees and 5,000 others indirectly employed. Claiming that there were no complaints against TikTok from anywhere in the country, he said the company was appointing a nodal officer to deal with any issues. Datar told the court that online speech was protected under Article 19 (1) of the Constitution (freedom of speech and expression). Banning the app was not the solution and rights of legitimate users must be protected. On 3 April, the high court said people were making cruel humour against innocent third parties. A majority of teenagers were playing pranks, gaffing around with duet videos sharing split screen to strangers. Even TV channels were telecasting such TikTok videos which should be prohibited. It observed that even after the havoc caused by Blue Whale online game, which reportedly led to suicides, officials had not learned that they should be alert to these problems. Only when the officials and policymakers were able to act on the problems of society, a decision could be taken to prevent these kinds of apps, the high court said. The court said it was evident from media reports that pornography and inappropriate content were made available through such applications. Petitioner Muthukumar has alleged that TikTok encouraged paedophiles and the contents were very disturbing. Stating that Indonesia and Bangladesh have already banned the app, the PIL said children who used the mobile application were vulnerable and may get exposed to sexual predators. tech2 News Staff Three weeks after the Madras High Court ordered a ban on downloads of TikTok app, in an interim order on 24 April, the court reversed that ban, with the condition that the platform should not be used to host obscene videos. Now, in a new turn of events, the petitioner advocate S Muthukumar reportedly claims that the court had asked TikTok to ensure that only those above the age of 18 are allowed to download the app. According to a report by The Economic Times, Muthukumar says that the court has directed TikTok to file an affidavit that those under the age of 18 years cannot download the app, and that there is no inappropriate content on the app. While TikTok is happy with overturn of the ban on the app, the lawyer representing the company, senior advocate Isaac Mohanlal, rejected Muthukumars claim about the age limit. There was no such condition imposed by the court that the app should only be available to those who are above the age of 18, Mohanlal told ET. We have reached out to TikTok to confirm the same. We will update this space as soon as we hear from them. On 3 April, the Madras High Court directed the Centre to ban the download of TikTok as it voiced concern over "pornographic and inappropriate content" being made available through such platforms. It had passed an interim order on a public interest litigation which sought a ban on the app on the ground that it allegedly carried contents that "degraded culture and encouraged pornography". (Also read: TikTok ban in India highlights: Everything that happened at the TikTok hearing at the Madras HC) In Wednesday's verdict, a bench of justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar, which heard the matter as per the orders of the Supreme Court, warned if any controversial video violating its condition was found uploaded using the app, it would be considered a contempt of court. tech2 News Staff TikTok, the very popular video-sharing app, which was banned on 18 April, got a ruling in favour of lifting the ban on 24 April. Post the ban lifting, TikTok put out a post on its app "TikTok is back!!! Keep on discover, share and make tons of good videos together with hundreds of millions of our users in India!". However, when we checked the Google Play Store and Apple App Store the app is nowhere to be seen. What does this mean? When will TikTok be back? The more important question is do we want the app back? To answer the question of when will it be back, it seems that it's all up to how quickly the Madras High Court acts on the lifting of the ban. As per a report by IANS, the Madras High Court still hasn't sent the directive to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Once communicated officially, the government will be able to ask Apple and Google to officially list TikTok on its respective app stores. The high court on 3 April directed the Centre to ban the app "TikTok", used to create and share short videos, as it voiced concern over "pornographic and inappropriate content" being made available through such platforms. Hearing a plea by the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, challenging the ban, the Supreme Court refused to stay the high court order but asked it to raise its grievances before the high court. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna on Monday directed the high court to decide the plea for vacating its ban order. TikTok had a record 41.7 mn app downloads in Q1 2019 and has 119.3 million active users in India before a ban was placed removing the app from Play Store and Apple App Store. tech2 News Staff Mother of pearl or nacre is one of nature's hardest and stiffest materials. It is the hard iridescent coating found on the outside of pearls and the inside of certain mollusc's shells. Scientists have always looked for a way to recreate it and they have succeeded. Teams from the University of Cambridge, the CNRS lab, and ETH Zurich have, previously, recreated nacre. However, the manufacturing processes have either been too energy intensive or have used harsh chemicals. Anne Meyer, a biologist from the University of Rochester, New York has developed a way to produce nacre which is safer for the environment and inexpensive using bacteria. The synthetic nacre has the toughness of natural nacre, while also being stiff and bendable. In a study published in the SMALL journal, Meyer has described the method used. The technique involves mixing urea with Sporosarcina pasteurii bacteria and a calcium source, then dipping a glass slide into the solution. A reaction between the urea and bacteria causes a thin layer of calcium carbonate to crystallize onto the slide. That slide is then placed in a beaker containing a solution of the bacteria Bacillus licheniformis. After that beaker has been left in an incubator for a period of time, the bacteria forms a layer of sticky polymer on top of the existing calcium carbonate layer. The method used to create the novel material could lead to new applications in medicine, engineering and even constructing buildings on the moon. Addressing the blame game that has ensued since the day the attacks took place, MP Kumara Welgama noted that all 225 ministers should take responsibility. Colombo: Sri Lankan Parliament convened on Thursday to debate new Emergency Regulations that had been drafted to respond to the bomb blasts that took place on Easter Sunday. The sessions highlight appeared to be an impassioned speech by MP and Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. In any other country, the entire government would have had to resign for making a mess of things like this, but it wont happen here," Fonseka said, claiming that security has become a joke and the military intelligence apparatus has failed this country. At this session, the newly-drafted Emergency Regulations were passed without a vote. Experts warn that it is an extremely draconian set of regulations; that in expanding the National Security State, adversely affect protected fundamental rights. Human rights activists and lawyers also claim that the regulations mirror the problematic draft Counter-Terrorism Bill, that has been met with widespread opposition. Addressing the blame game that has ensued since the day the attacks took place, MP Kumara Welgama noted that all 225 ministers should take responsibility. "We all come here and we fight each other, we only think about ourselves and not about the country, he stated at the session. At a press conference on Thursday, State Minister for Defence Ruwan Wijewardene claimed that the bomb blasts on Easter Sunday were not carried out by the National Thowheed Jamath, but a splinter group. This follows Wijewardenes statement on Wednesday that the attacks were carried out in retaliation for the Christchurch shooting. New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arderns office has since claimed that they do not have adequate information to link the two attacks. Wijewardene continues to make claims without providing any factual basis for them. With several reports of controlled explosions being carried out on suspicious vehicles, and in a situation where citizens feel increasingly concerned about their security, this does not inspire confidence. Shortly after this press conference, Lakshman Kiriella noted to the media that senior officials deliberately withheld intelligence about the potential for attacks. For this statement to come from the leader of the Parliament, and a government minister is a continued highlight of the division between State officials and intelligence personnel. Given the ongoing situation, this division is problematic and will likely impact response and future protection measures. The Prime Minister and the State Minister of Defence claimed that the prior information on the attacks had not reached them as they have not been part of National Security Council meetings for a long time. Fonseka raised a pertinent question; why did it take a terrorist attack, and a tragedy of this magnitude for them to reveal this? Given their duties, it is blatantly negligent for them to allow this to continue for as long as it has, and use it to attempt to evade blame in the face of a crisis. Wijewardenes claim that the attack was in retaliation to the Christchurch mosque shootings was also called into question. According to Fonseka, the Easter Sunday attacks were at least seven or eight years in the making and didnt happen overnight. Politician and heads of the armed forces must not wait until terrorists strikes to protect the country. That responsibility lies with them whether we are at war or not. Fonsekas speech appears to have struck a chord as it is the first instance where a representative has unequivocally stated that the countrys leaders are answerable for what happened. 'We as the government are at fault; excuses are not acceptable, we are accountable for this tragedy'; he has accepted blame in a way that no other politician has, but it is likely his speech may have been politically or self-motivated. MP of the Tamil National Alliance MA Sumanthiran stated that those responsible for withholding the information on the attack should resign, at a minimum. By unlawfully having control over the police department in his charge, he claims President Maithripala Sirisena has now become the first person who should take responsibility for attacks that could have been prevented. He raises the continued attention that the Muslim community, especially those residing in the East, have drawn to the extremist activities of the perpetrators of these attacks. These warnings, compounded with the reported three warnings issued for Sundays attacks, calls into question Sirisenas ability and accountability to retain his duties as Minister of Defence. Sirisena has also since kept to his deadline to affect changes in the heads of the security forces. He has asked IGP Pujith Jayasundera and Defense Secretary Hemasiri to resign from their posts. Soon after, he appointed former army commander Major General Daya Ratnayake to the post of defence secretary, to replace Fernando. There is little actual accountability with the removal of these two individuals from their posts. The issues that have emerged, such as the apparent divide between intelligence and government, indicates that the existing structure itself is questionable. Sirisena remains Minister of Defence, and his inaction thus far must be taken into consideration even as he makes moves to indicate that change is taking place. The irresponsible and almost callous response to Sundays devastation raises issues of the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of measures that will be put in place to address the security situation, given that individuals are either unresponsive to authority, or wield enough authority to remain unanswerable for their failures. KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's opposition late on Wednesday accepted an invitation to talks with the ruling Transitional Military Council amid rising tension over how long it will take to move to civilian rule after the overthrow of autocrat Omar al-Bashir. The TMC and the opposition umbrella group Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change have appeared on a collision course in recent days over popular demands for democratisation under civilian government. KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's opposition late on Wednesday accepted an invitation to talks with the ruling Transitional Military Council amid rising tension over how long it will take to move to civilian rule after the overthrow of autocrat Omar al-Bashir. The TMC and the opposition umbrella group Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change have appeared on a collision course in recent days over popular demands for democratisation under civilian government. "The Transitional Military Council declares that the doors of dialogue and negotiation are open," the TMC said in a statement on Wednesday. The opposition movement, which includes protest organisers the Sudanese Professionals' Association (SPA), said it would come to talks with the TMC. "The Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change decided to respond to the invitation and listen with an open mind to what the president of the military council will propose, asserting that our desire is the peaceful transfer to a transitional civilian authority that reflects the forces of the revolution," the SPA said in a statement. The SPA had declared on Sunday it would suspend talks with the military council. While the opposition has insisted on a swift handover of power to civilians, the TMC has said the process could take up to two years. Bashir ruled for 30 years after taking power in a military coup. On Tuesday, the SPA and witnesses said security forces tried to break up a protester sit-in outside Khartoum's Defence Ministry. The group instead encouraged protesters to put up more barriers and continue their demonstration. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum and Nayera Abdallah in Cairo; Writing by Lena Masri; Editing by Mark Heinrich) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The development comes in the backdrop of Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Wednesday that would grant individuals residing in certain districts of eastern Ukraine the right to apply for Russian citizenship using a simplified procedure. Geneva: The United Nations Security Council has scheduled an urgent meeting for Thursday to address the situation in Eastern Ukraine. The development comes in the backdrop of Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Wednesday that would grant individuals residing in certain districts of eastern Ukraine the right to apply for Russian citizenship using a simplified procedure. Following the announcement, Ukraines ambassador to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko had said that he would ask the UN Security Council to halt Russia from enacting the decree, according to DW news agency. The decree was signed 24 hours after Ukraines election commission officially declared Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the winner of the countrys recently held presidential elections. Photo: DEA British Columbia's provincial health officer is urging the provincial government to consider the decriminalization of people caught with illegal drugs as another step to stem the overdose crisis. Dr. Bonnie Henry says it wouldn't be the same as legalization, like Canada did with marijuana, but would be an alternative to criminal charges for drug users. In a new report, Henry says the drug laws contribute to a deep-rooted shame by people with addictions and that shame stops people from getting treatment. Read more By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - A white supremacist convicted of killing James Byrd Jr. in 1998 by dragging the 49-year-old black man behind a truck in one of the most notorious hate crimes of modern times was executed in Texas on Wednesday By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - A white supremacist convicted of killing James Byrd Jr. in 1998 by dragging the 49-year-old black man behind a truck in one of the most notorious hate crimes of modern times was executed in Texas on Wednesday. John William "Bill" King, 44, was put to death by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 7:08 p.m. (0008 GMT Thursday) at the states death chamber in Huntsville. King and two other men were accused of kidnapping Byrd as he hitchhiked in Jasper, Texas, on June 7, 1998, before dragging him behind their pickup truck and dumping his body in front of an African-American church, court documents showed. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Bill Tarrant, Cynthia Osterman and Peter Cooney) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - In this April 5, 2019, file photo, Parkland school suspect Nikolas Cruz listens during a hearing at the Broward Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The public defenders representing Cruz have made an unexpected request to withdraw from the case, saying the man will soon receive nearly a half million dollars from his late mother's life insurance policy. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool, File) The public defenders for the Parkland school massacre defendant unexpectedly asked to withdraw from the case Wednesday, saying the 20-year-old man will soon inherit nearly a half-million dollars and no longer qualify for free legal representation. The Broward County Public Defender's Office filed the unexpected notice late Wednesday, saying Nikolas Cruz is set to receive more than $432,000 shortly from his late mother's life insurance policy. Under state law, the public defender can only represent defendants who cannot afford private attorneys. Cruz is charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder arising from the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The former Stoneman Douglas student faces a possible death sentence. Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and his chief assistant, Gordon Weekes, said their office learned about the insurance policy this week. At a court hearing last year, their office had said the amount was likely to be about $30,000, too little to hire a private attorney. "By statute, we can only represent the poor and indigent," Weekes told The Associated Press by phone Wednesday. "We are asking to withdraw from the case because the defendant is no longer poor." But Cruz may not get the money. It is likely that the victims' families who are suing Cruz will claim the money should go to them and judges will have to determine who ultimately receives it. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, who is presiding over the criminal case, has not set a hearing on the public defenders' withdrawal motion and she might require them to stay on until that is settled. David Brill, an attorney representing the father of victim Meadow Pollack in a lawsuit against Cruz and others, said Wednesday that he is exploring his options. Other attorneys representing families and victims did not immediately respond to emails seeking their comments. Weekes said that his office cannot help Cruz hire a private criminal defence attorney nor can it advise him what to do with the money. It is also unclear how Cruz would access the money from jail. Cruz has said that he would prefer any money he received from his mother's estate or insurance go to the victims and their families. Lynda Cruz died of pneumonia in November 2017, three months before the shooting, leaving behind Cruz and his younger brother, Zachary. Their father died when they were young, not long after they were adopted. The mother had a tumultuous relationship with her sons, calling police dozens of times over the years to say they had been verbally abusive or had damaged her property. Zachary and other family members have said Nikolas Cruz sometimes hit his mother and once threatened her with a gun, but she never reported that. She went with him to buy a gun shortly after he turned 18, but with a caveat. A gun store employee told investigators after the shooting that he had received a call from Linda Cruz the day after the 2017 purchase. She asked him not to release the gun to him after the three-day waiting period if she wasn't there. When he pressed her on why, she hesitated and then said he was young and she wanted him to be safe. Cruz's trial is scheduled to begin early next year. Finkelstein said it is too early to say whether this new development would delay the trial, "but it certainly won't speed it up." His office has estimated that more than a million documents have been generated in the case, which would have to be transferred to a new attorney. Cruz has pleaded not guilty though Finkelstein has said he would plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. They declined comment Wednesday. Photo: Google Street View Buyer beware. The B.C. Court of Appeal has overturned a ruling against the seller of a Vancouver mansion that did not tell a prospective buyer about an unsolved targeted murder that had taken place in the property. CTV News reports the B.C. Supreme Court ruled in March 2018 that Feng Yun Shao was the victim of "fraudulent misrepresentation" when she agreed to buy a $6.1M Shaughnessy home without being told that Raymond Huang was shot at the front gate in 2007. The seller, Mei Zhen Wang, was told by the lower court to repay a $300,000 deposit to Shao after she backed out of the sale when she learned of the murder in 2009. Shao then counter sued, claiming she had been deceived during the original transaction. In the original trial the seller testified her son-in-laws murder did not motivate the sale, but said they moved because a grandchild was changing private schools. Court documents, however, indicate the grand daughter had been asked to leave for the safety of the other students. The seller nor her realtors ever mentioned the shooting to Shao and the judge in the original trial ruled in her favour. But Appeals Court Justices Mary Newbury, Daphne Smith and Peter Willcock did not agree, and found there was no misrepresentation by omission." The appeals ruling puts the onus on the buyer to ask specific questions about a property, rather than a seller voluntarily disclosing sensitive info. "There was no evidence (the seller) knew or should have expected that Ms. Shao would have a particular sensitivity to an event that had occurred two years earlier and that did not affect the quality of the house or its usefulness," Newbury wrote. with files from CTV Vancouver Photo: The Canadian Press In this Wednesday, April 24, 2019, photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, foreground right, attends a welcoming ceremony in Vladivostok, Russia. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Vladivostok for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Thursday's summit reflects Russia's effort to position itself as an essential player in the North Korean nuclear standoff. Kim's first trip to Russia comes about two months after his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, which failed because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on the North. Putin and Kim are set to have one-on-one meeting at the Far Eastern State University on the Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok. The meeting will be followed by broader talks involving officials from both sides. Kim arrived Wednesday in Vladivostok on his armoured train, saying upon arrival that he's hoping for a "successful and useful" visit. It is Kim's first visit to Russia as North Korean leader; his late father, Kim Jong Il, visited Russia in 2011. The North Korean leader evoked his father's "great love for Russia" and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian media the summit would focus on North Korea's nuclear program, noting that Russia will seek to "consolidate the positive trends" stemming from Trump's meetings with Kim. In February, Kim's second summit with President Donald Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the U.S. and North Korea, although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Kim wants the U.S. to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the U.S. maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearization moves. Some experts say Kim could try to bolster his country's ties with Russia and China. Others say it's not clear how big of a role Russia can play in efforts to restart the nuclear negotiations. Still, the summit could allow Putin to try to increase his influence in regional politics and the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program. First Bancorp (NYSE:FBP) Q1 2019 Earnings Call , 10:00 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good day and welcome to the First BanCorp. First Quarter 2019 Earnings Conference Call. All participants will be in listen-only mode. (Operator Instructions) After today's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. (Operator Instructions) Please note this event is being recorded. At this time, I'd like to turn the conference over to John Pelling, Investor Relations Officer. Please go ahead. John Pelling -- Investor Relations Officer Thank you, Allison. Good morning everyone and thank you for joining First BanCorp's conference call and webcast to discuss the company's financial results for the first quarter of 2019. Joining today from the company are Aurelio Aleman, President and Chief Executive Officer; and Orlando Berges, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Before we begin today's call, it is my responsibility to inform you that this call may involve certain forward-looking statements, such as projections of revenue, earnings and capital structure, as well as statements on the plans and objectives of the Company's business. The Company's actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements made due to important factors described in the Company's latest SEC filings. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made during the call. If anyone does not already have a copy of the webcast presentation or the press release issued by First BanCorp., you can access them at our website at 1firstbank.com. At this time, I'd like to turn the call over to our CEO, Aurelio Aleman. Aurelio? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, John, and good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us to discuss our first quarter results. Please, let's begin with the highlights for the quarter on the Slide five of the presentation. This was another strong quarter for us, and also, we have to say purely clean, driven by core results. We reported net income of $43.3 million, or $0.20 per share. And I think importantly, the pre-tax pre-provision income reached $70.4 million, which is the highest that we have seen in almost 10 years. Once again, every key franchise metric that we monitor continued to move in a positive direction. We basically hit all our goal for the quarter. Our loan portfolio grew $128 million to now over $9 billion this quarter. This represents our third consecutive quarter of loan growth. We have achieved growth in the loan portfolio even with the meaningful derisking of NPAs and some strategic reductions that we're executing in the residential mortgage portfolio. Net of non-performing loan reductions, the performing loan book grew $180 million. Originations renewal were healthy at $971 million. I think importantly, commercial and construction loans were an important segment of it in all the three regions and the consumer portfolio in Puerto Rico. While there is some seasonality on the large deals, which are sometimes difficult to predict from a closing timing. We believe the year should continue at similar pace impacted by the timing of the large deals, but the pipeline remains very strong right now across the three regions to continue supporting similar levels. Importantly, we achieved meaningful progress in the organic reduction of non-performing assets, down $52 million this quarter or 11%. Now, down to -- NPA is down to 3.35% of assets and NPL is down to 3.10%. On the funding side, we also hit a good goal, we grew our core deposit, net of brokered CDs and government by $124 million. But important to note, when you look at the overall corporation, we grew the non-interest-bearing deposits by $99 million during the quarter. Now, capital reached $2.1 billion and tangible book reached $9.32 per share and CET1 20.4%, which is a very strong capital position. Before turning the call to Orlando, I just want to make some comments, some highlights on the franchise initiatives that we continue to do to improve results. Wanted to share with you that the recent independent third-party market perception study that was conducted during late 2018 revealed really good scores, actually top scores for our quality of service and overall satisfaction when we compare those two to local peers. We believe these qualitative indicators are truly supporting our growth in deposits, our increased lending activity, our services activity. I think I also want to comment that we continue to make very important investments in technology that are there to support growth and also support efficiencies. Just as an example, we just rolled out during the first quarter our new mobile and desktop application, our new online banking application for mobile and desktop with more deposit capabilities. That is planned to be rolled out in Puerto Rico now in the second quarter. First quarter was the Virgin Islands first. Some other investments that we have made, that we are seeing continued progress that we monitor, the investments that we made on ATMs, RDC capabilities last year are now processing about 17% of the teller transaction volumes with only 30% of the ATMs being enabled. That will grow during 2019, which we continue to add another 50 machines to the RDC capability. So, those are continue to contribute even though the technology expenses are increasing, and investments that we're making, though we're seeing some efficiencies offsetting this on our expense lines. Just to touch slightly on the Puerto Rico economy. We have been very pleased with the level of economic activity and the strength of the consumer, the consumer demand for loans and the behaviors of the portfolios in terms of payments. So, it's important to note also that the private sector employment during March 2019 reached its highest level since 2015, growing year-over-year by 4%. So there is a small pieces that continue -- evidence that continue to show that the economy is recovering at a pace, which is probably slow compared to other economies, but it's in the positive direction, which will make us feel very optimistic about continue growing. So now, I will turn the call over to Orlando to cover the financials, I will come back later for questions. Thank you. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Good morning, everyone. The press release details most of the components of the results, Aurelio mentioned, was fairly core, but I'll touch on some of the key items. As he mentioned, net income for the quarter was $43.3 million, or $0.20 a share, that -- which compares to $101 million, or $0.46 a share for the fourth quarter of 2018. Remember though that the fourth quarter results included a $53 million net tax benefit related to the partial reversal of the Corporation's deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which increased the result at that time. Looking at the provision for the quarter, was $4.2 million higher, it stood at $11.8 million, which compares with a $7.6 million for the fourth quarter. This quarter's provision includes $6.4 million of hurricane-related reserve releases. That was fairly much in line with the $5.7 million that was released in the fourth quarter. However, the fourth quarter did have a $7.4 million recovery from the prepayment in full of commercial mortgage CDR that was, obviously, reduced provisioning needs in the quarter. While when we look at the -- this quarter, we recorded a provision of $3.2 million to increase specific reserves on a commercial mortgage loan in the Florida region, which is part of our resolution -- non-performing resolution strategies. And we also took a $2.1 million charge under restructuring for commercial mortgage loan in Puerto Rico. Net interest income for the quarter grew $2.5 million, which is driven by $2.7 million increase in interest income in commercial and construction loans. That reflects higher balances based on the originations -- higher level of originations we've had over the last few quarters, including this quarter. Obviously, some benefits from the upward repricing of variable rate loans, which clearly is changing a bit as LIBOR has come down. And we also achieved higher collections of interest payments on non-accrual loans. On the consumer side, net interest income -- interest income, sorry, increased $1.4 million, primarily driven by the $86 million increase in the average balance. These increases were offset by $1.6 million increase in interest expense, out of which $1.1 million represent increases in the cost of retail CDs and savings deposits. The total cost of deposits, excluding broker deposits, increased 5 basis points to 71 basis points. As we had mentioned in prior quarters, we were expecting some increases, still increases are at a very manageable pace. The quarter also showed some increases of $800,000 in interest expense on FHLB, Federal Home Loan Bank advances and repo balances. This quarter net interest income, it's important to mention that was impacted by two less days in the quarter as compared to last quarter. And, obviously, the -- some of the items are affected by number of days outstanding. Margin increased 15 basis points to 4.92%, pretty strong margin, primarily resulting from the repricing of the variable rate loans and the higher balances, as well as the funding mix, as Aurelio mentioned, with non-interest-bearing deposits did grow about $99 million this quarter. If we think about margin, its benefit from the higher loan levels, obviously, we've had in the last few quarters, especially on the consumer side, which carry higher yields. Clearly, the lower level of NPAs and disposition strategies have significantly helped the mix of assets and obviously, the funding mix. We do feel some margin pressures will come from recent reductions in LIBOR, and obviously, the deposit pricing adjustments that we will continue to see some of it clearly with lower pressures as LIBOR comes down. The other income items. Basically, there is one large item, this quarter, we had a $2.7 million seasonal contingent insurance commissions, which is recorded in the first quarter of this year. We've had that over the last few quarters, as a function of insurance production over the year, which was from -- slightly offset by a decrease of $500,000 in fee-based income on ATM, POS and credit cards and so related to the lower -- seasonally lower level of transactions. Expenses for the quarter were $90 million, slightly down, $700,000 down from last quarter. Compensation was down $700,000, but we have to look at components there. We did have -- we received a $2.3 million recovery of -- out of an employee retention benefit that was available to employers affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, by virtue of the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport Extension Act of 2017. And we also had a $900,000 reduction on number of payroll days. On the other hand, as you know, payroll taxes are -- start higher in the year and they decrease throughout the year, as employees reached salaries limit and they were $2.4 million higher this quarter, as compared to last quarter. On professional fees, we had a reduction of $1.4 million, basically consulting fees on all the projects supporting implementation of accounting standards, such as CCEL and so -- as well as all the technology implementation projects that Aurelio made reference to. These reductions were offset by $1.6 million increase in occupancy and equipment costs, due basically the full quarter amortization of cost of certain of the projects that were placed in production, late in the fourth quarter or early this quarter, relating to the technology infrastructure that includes the ones that Aurelio mentioned on online banking, data security, ERP and so. Also, we had a $500,000 expense in this quarter, which is considered non-recurring in nature, which is related to the adoption of new lease accounting standards. We had provided you some guidance of expenses between $87 million and $88 million, and this quarter was slightly higher, just over $88 million, if we take out the benefit and the OREO expenses. But including the -- we consider the payroll tax variability, in reality we were going to be on that same range of $87 million to $88 million. As you can see on this slide, the NPA reductions reflect the process we've taken to address the areas where we feel we can achieve asset quality improvements. NPAs declined $52 million for the quarter to $415 million. And we have been extremely successful in completing sales of some of the loans that were held for sale, collecting some of the non-performing loans and achieving some restructuring of others. If we look over the last 12 months, NPAs have been reduced by $222 million. And a positive thing is that, we continue to see inflow reduction for the quarter. Inflows were down $4 million from $28 million in non-performing loan inflows to $24 million this quarter. And adversely classified assets also came down by almost $34 million. So there have been pretty good results on this front. Charge-offs for the quarter were $24 million or 1.1% annualized that's compared to $12 million or 54 basis points annualized last quarter. This increase is driven by basically two components. One is the $7.4 million recovery, I had mentioned before, that we achieved in the fourth quarter on the full repayment of the commercial mortgage loan. And the other component was a $5.7 million charge-off we took on commercial and industrial loan in Puerto Rico in this quarter that had -- that was fully reserved in prior quarters. The ratio of the allowance continues to be high. We stand at 2.04% of loans as of March, compared to 2.22% at December. However, if you look at the ratio to non-performing loans, it's now at 67%. The allowance is 67% as compared to 62% in December. And we have always showed you commercial NPLs continue to be carried at low amounts. They're now at 51% of unpaid principal balance, net of charge-offs and reserves. With this, I'd like to open the call for questions. Questions and Answers: Operator Thank you. We will now begin the question-and-answer session. (Operator Instructions) Our first question today will come from Ebrahim Poonawala of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Please go ahead. Ebrahim Poonawala -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Good morning, guys. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Good morning, Ebby. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Good morning. Ebrahim Poonawala -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Sorry, if I missed this in your comments, I was just hopping on other call. But can you talk about just outlook in terms of deposit growth as we think about the rest of the year both in terms of the mix of deposit non-interest-bearing versus interest-bearing? And your expectation just around increases in deposit cost? I know you mentioned margin pressures a little bit of pressure. So if you could quantify that in terms of what all of that leads to the margin outlook for the rest of the year? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Well, I'm going to give you -- there is a lot of moving parts here. And, obviously, we execute toward maximizing the core deposit growth. It will depend on money flow in the market. So far, so good. Not necessarily means that federal funds that are assigned to the island are coming on an accelerated manner. They're taking longer than we all expected. But we continue to see enough and plenty activity, and it's also showing in some of the growth. So, our goal to continue growing it's -- at the level that we are achieving now. If -- in the deposit side, if more funds come in an accelerated manner, then we might improve that. So -- but really, I have to say, Ebrahim, that is sometimes a little bit unpredictable, because there are so many factors and moving parts. I think the important part, it's -- we're really focused on it. And the more we can do on a core basis, the better mitigation we have to any impact on the NIM. You do mention the NIM, and the NIM also have a lot of moving parts. Obviously, we -- the contribution of reducing NPAs is helping us every quarter, if we look at how much we have reduced over the last years, it's over $200 million. If you -- then you add to that how we will position in the loan portfolio and the balance sheet that we started also about a year ago, we're reducing the mortgage portfolio, having more conforming originations, but we're also growing the consumer book, which is higher yielding. And we have been able to grow the commercial book over the last three quarters. So that -- how that mix of loan continue to move ahead, that is the goal. The goal is to continue to achieve the trend. The offset of that is how the markets is moving on the repricing side. I think that the Fed positioning on the rates, it's important to continue to monitor, obviously. And we see kind of a break over the last couple of months on that trend of increase. But we cannot really predict, renewals are still coming higher than the baseline. So, so far, I have to say, we're working toward again maximizing NIM also. And as long as we continue reducing NPAs, increasing the commercial and consumer book and the betas of the deposit continues in level, we should be able to either sustain or stay close to where we are on the NIM, yes. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Well, last quarter I had mentioned that the margin was sustainable in the near-term and I still feel that way. We had a pretty good pick up this quarter. I think that, obviously, with LIBOR coming down again a bit, three-month LIBOR and having a portfolio, which is -- on a commercial side, which has significant license to LIBOR, the LIBOR will definitely put a little bit of pressure there. I -- honestly, I did not expect margin to go up that much this quarter. So we'll take it. But as Aurelio mentioned, we're going to be in a range, but it's -- we have to recognize that there are some components. Still it's going to be very healthy margin, I don't think margin is going to come down dramatically. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yes. Ebrahim Poonawala -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Got it. And just part of what you mentioned around relief funds, like I get that they've been slower to comp (ph) than expected. Do you see there are some -- do you have any visibility on whether that picks up by the middle of the back half of the year, or it's just hard to say even from your standpoint? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer We monitor that very closely, and there is $1.5 billion that are moving around. As projects are being designed and approved toward those $1.5 billion, so that's kind of the first trench. But that's really the CDBG component. There is -- FEMA still investing out there. And also there is also some private capital coming in from some of the -- that should come in over the next quarters in some of the private -- public-private partnership. So, it's difficult to predict the exact timing on this, Ebrahim. Yeah. Ebrahim Poonawala -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Understood. And just separately on capital. One, I think if you can just talk to your expectations around non-performing assets at 3.35% two assets at the end of the quarter. How quickly can that number move lower? And just if you can comment in terms of capital deployment, either buybacks or either from inorganic growth standpoint kind of where we stand? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. I think we shared last, I think, in a few calls ago on the NPA side, we wanted to be below 3% by the half of 2019. We're still working toward that. I think the good thing, we've been able to execute the strategy organically, with less capital impact. It's been a long road on the NPAs and we're pleased with the results. I -- we -- the goal is to be below 3% by next -- by the end of next quarter. But it's a deal-by-deal execution. Pipeline looks good on the deals that we have on the table. So hopefully, we're there. Regarding capital, I think first priority is continue to use the capital to leverage the balance sheet and try to grow as much as we can, either on a sound manner with a risk appetite that we have, either organically or non-organically. I think we have -- we don't have any capital announcements to make today, but we have -- we're working toward being able to make some announcements -- some capital action announcements during the year, so that is the goal of 2019. I cannot give you any more information on that. But it continues to be in our priority list. But you, obviously -- the focus continues to be how we can grow the balance sheet and continue to improve our numbers, yeah. Ebrahim Poonawala -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Got it. And just one last to confirm, we still expect tax rate to be 28% to 29% for the rest of the year? Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yes. Taxes? Yeah, that is correct. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. Ebrahim Poonawala -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Got it. Thanks for taking my questions. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. Thank you. Operator And the next question will come from Brett Rabatin of Piper Jaffray. Please go ahead. Brett Rabatin -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Hi, guys. Good morning. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Good morning, Brett. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Good morning, Brett. How are you? Brett Rabatin -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst I'm good. Thanks. I wanted to ask about credit first. I mean, you continue to have a decrease in classified criticized and commercial, but as we're seeing with some of your peers early stage delinquencies are just a little bit higher. Can you talk about what you're seeing in terms of -- I know you're working through some non-performers and have some charge-offs this quarter. But what the outlook is relative to maybe a quarter ago in terms of just can criticized classified go down? Or is the pipeline kind of filling back up with new delinquencies? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer What we have on hand to date, we don't see the pipeline filling with new delinquencies that concern us. I think we have to consider also that when you close a quarter with 29, and which was a Friday instead of 31, that do have an impact -- small impact on delinquencies of payments that are received over the weekend that are not reflected. So in -- we have some noise in the commercial specifically, but when you look at resi and the others, the impact is really related to the timing. So we don't have -- right now we don't have -- we don't see signs of deterioration on an early stage or a new path. Yeah. Brett Rabatin -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Okay. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer The delinquency went up like $7 million, Brett, at 30, 29 meaning. And part of it was, as Aurelio mentioned, related to collections that typically come in at the end of the month. Brett Rabatin -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Okay. And then just want to ask about loan growth and your originations or lower linked quarter, but they're quite a bit higher year-over-year. I mean, can you guys give us some thoughts on growth for the year. I mean, can mid-single-digit possibly be achievable? And how are you guys thinking about the portfolio this year? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Our goal is continue to repeat what we achieved this quarter or better. I think the timing of some of the deals sometimes could make some noise. If you have a transaction that don't close this quarter, close the other. Remember the way we report also, it's a mix of renewals of deals that we retain and we renew and deals that are new. So that timing is mostly on the renewals. If you look at the first quarter, usually on the consumer and mortgage, seasonality is lower. So, we continue to see good pipelines to moving into the second quarter. So the goal is we'd like to continue to achieve what we did this quarter, and grow the share for some of the products. We are growing share in auto and we're growing share in the consumer loans. In terms of origination, we have continued to grow share in mortgage, even though they don't show -- they don't grow the portfolio because it's primarily conforming. But numbers similar to this quarter is what we are looking to achieve. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yeah. Keep in mind that we did come down $47 million or so in residential mortgages. So, obviously, that's going to affect when you compare percentage wise total portfolio period-to-period. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. But I think they also that -- the important number is also the portfolio -- the performing book because we still have a goal of reducing NPAs, so really the performing book grew $180 million during the quarter, and -- which also that contributes to the margin, yeah. Brett Rabatin -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Is there a level you want to get the mortgage portfolio to? Or is there a point where atrophy and -- I know that it doesn't look great from a seasonal perspective, so I understand kind of the desire to deemphasize that portfolio. But is there a point where that becomes less of a headwind? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer I think -- we can share with you, probably we don't have it right here. I don't want to say a number from the top of my head. But if you keep the originations, the market originations that we're achieving and around 20% being conforming, so that would level down the portfolio probably -- it's going to continue decreasing for the next couple of years and then will level. Yeah. Brett Rabatin -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Okay. And then one last quick one. Just I joined a little bit late, but the margin from here, the margin was obviously up, but you had increases in both ones or both on yields and the cost of funds just the margin atrophy a little bit from here relative to 1Q? Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Well, the -- I was mentioning that, obviously, we did have a larger pickup that I expected in the quarter, driven by the fact that we did grow the non-interest-bearing deposits in the quarter and yields went up as the consumer portfolio continues to come up. We benefit from the average LIBOR being higher than it was last quarter and having a portfolio mortgage -- a commercial portfolio, which is around two-thirds that are floating. The -- we do expect margin to hold at the levels we had seen in the prior quarter. The reality is that, LIBOR did come down a bit toward the end of this quarter, so we'll have some impact going forward. And as we had mentioned, the rate increase on the deposit side hasn't shown as, as you will know, as aggressively as in the states. But we have seen some increases. So, we feel some of those will compensate. Margins will stay up. Can it be at 4.92%? I don't know. But it's going to be at levels in between these two quarters. For the next two or three quarters, I think it's sustainable. Brett Rabatin -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Okay. I appreciate all the color. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Brett. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Brett. Operator The next question will come from Arren Cyganovich of Citi. Please go ahead. Arren Cyganovich -- Citigroup -- Analyst Thanks. I was wondering if you could just give us an update on what the M&A environment's like in Puerto Rico, and if there's anything that you can comment on that side? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer There is really no news on that front that we can -- that we have to share, really, nothing. Arren Cyganovich -- Citigroup -- Analyst Okay. And then, you addressed capital return a little bit. Is the reduction of NPAs down below 3%, is that something you have to achieve before you can start to return a higher level of capital being above 20% CET1? It definitely seems like an outlier relative to most banks you see out there. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. It's more the LIBOR, not necessarily it's a limitation. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yeah. We've had that guidance of -- internal guidance of below those levels. You have a really manageable portfolio, which -- non-performing portfolio which up to now it was a bit high. So it's clearly one component of the whole formula. But it's not a -- the defined driver. Arren Cyganovich -- Citigroup -- Analyst Okay. All right. Thank you. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Arren. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator The next question will come from Alex Twerdahl of Sandler O'Neill. Please go ahead. Alexander Twerdahl -- Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P. -- Analyst Hey, good morning. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Good morning, Alex. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Good morning, Alex. Alexander Twerdahl -- Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P. -- Analyst So, I'm just wondering, if we can put the puzzle pieces together and the margin sustainable and we get a little bit of loan growth from here and the expense guidance is really unchanged, does that all imply that the $70-plus million of pre-tax pre-provision should be sustainable over the next several quarters? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. That's the goal. That's the goal. We believe we still have levers to make that number better, and that's the goal. Yeah. Alexander Twerdahl -- Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P. -- Analyst Great. And then just in the near-term as we think about all this FEMA money and CBDG (ph) money that is expected to flow down to the Island and some of it which has already been allocated and much of it is not, does that create more or fewer lending opportunities in the near-term? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer If you -- I think we have to go back to -- we have a recession baseline. So I think don't forget about the baseline. I think the baseline was low. So, any growth is good in terms of how the economy is moving. And there is a lot happening in the reconstruction in both Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. And still some private money moving around on insurance. And there is FEMA money and there is CDBG money that is coming. So, I'd say, it's difficult to predict, but the flow is going to be more positive than it's been for years. So that should lead to additional lending and activities. We're already looking at projects that are related to reconstruction of housing, just an example, or other type of infrastructure. So, the answer is yes, we believe that, yes, the timing is unpredictable, but lending -- demand for lending should pick up. Alexander Twerdahl -- Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P. -- Analyst Great. And then just finally, we saw the dividend was turned on I think in November, the common dividend. Is there a time of year specifically that you guys would be analyzing specific capital actions like dividend increases or buyback announcements? Or is it a much more fluid process throughout the year? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. It's an ongoing process, it's an ongoing process. And as we speak, we're working on actions that we would like to execute. And hopefully, we can give news to the market this year, although it's an ongoing process. Yeah. And it's a priority. Alexander Twerdahl -- Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P. -- Analyst Okay. Great. Thanks for taking my questions. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Alex. Operator (Operator Instructions) Our next question will come from Glen Manna of KBW. Please go ahead. Glen Manna -- KBW -- Analyst Hi. Good morning, guys. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Good morning, Glen. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Good morning, Glen. Glen Manna -- KBW -- Analyst Hey, when we talk about the possibility of a recovery in Puerto Rico and what's going on, I put your Puerto Rico loans into my model just on a segment basis and this is the third quarter of sequential growth in Puerto Rico loans and it's been growing at a sequentially higher rate. I look back in my model and that hasn't happened in all the data I've had in my model. So, can you give us some color on what industries, especially on the C&I side you are seeing growth in? And maybe give us some anecdotal evidence of where it's been? And in terms of -- because yields were up and given LIBOR and what Orlando said, can you tell us what competitive is like in the market? And what you're seeing on pricing? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer I think the market -- let's talk first about pricing, I think the risk is fairly priced. I think bankers learned from experience. And we have to say that in Puerto Rico, the risk is fairly priced, also in the Virgin Islands. I think when you look at Florida, it's challenging. It's more competitive and more aggressive on pricing. But it's been like that for some time also. That's on the pricing side. On the -- what industries? I think when you look at it -- first of all, when you look at commercial, we do lend in small, middle market and large corporations and we have -- we are focused on the three segments. So, there is a small business activity and there is middle market activity and there is large deals. When you look at asset class, there is no -- nothing specific that highlights specifically as an asset class, just activities related to construction, warehouses, distributors, demand for materials, distribution companies. And also -- that's one segment. Also, auto, even though it's shown as a commercial, we have increased our exposure in the inventory of autos on the wholesale side, because we finance that inventory. So, I don't say we're not creating a concentration in any asset that we'll see -- for example, construction, we haven't seen yet the heavy activity in Puerto Rico starting to come, deals are starting to flow. Glen Manna -- KBW -- Analyst So, with -- what has come in? Are you happy that FBP is getting its share? Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer We're happy that we are getting our good share. And we're very active on the street. And you saw the PPNR of 70 and it's linked to that growth. It's linked to that portfolio growth. And we have to continue -- that's our goal to continue getting that share -- the fair share in the market. We still have some buckets of share on the consumer that we have opportunity for increase. And we have it also in the commercial and CRE side -- the C&I and the CRE side. Glen Manna -- KBW -- Analyst Okay. And Orlando, maybe you could help me out. On the yields in the commercial, were there any credit-driven interest rate recoveries this quarter in that number? Or were they pretty much flat quarter-over-quarter? Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer No, there was nothing significant. There is always a little bit of collections of non-performing that you get every quarter and it could be a little bit higher or lower. Never -- typically not a significant amount like a couple of large cases we had at the end -- second half of last year. But not this quarter. It was more of the normal kind of thing. Glen Manna -- KBW -- Analyst Okay. Thank you, guys. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Glen. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thanks. Operator Ladies and gentlemen, this will conclude our question-and-answer session. At this time, I'd like to turn the conference back over to John Pelling for any closing remarks. John Pelling -- Investor Relations Officer Thank you, Allison. On the IR front, we have the Sandler Puerto Rico Investor Tour scheduled for May 23. We also plan to attend the Morgan Stanley 10th Annual Financial Conference in New York on June 11 and 12. We greatly appreciate your continued support. And at this point, we will end the call. Thank you. Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, all. Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thanks. Operator The conference has now concluded. We thank you for attending today's presentation. You may now disconnect your lines. Duration: 41 minutes Call participants: John Pelling -- Investor Relations Officer Aurelio Aleman-Bermudez -- President and Chief Executive Officer Orlando Berges-Gonzalez -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Ebrahim Poonawala -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Brett Rabatin -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Arren Cyganovich -- Citigroup -- Analyst Alexander Twerdahl -- Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P. -- Analyst Glen Manna -- KBW -- Analyst More FBP analysis Transcript powered by AlphaStreet This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. SJW Corp (NYSE:SJW) Q1 2019 Earnings Call , 1:00 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good day ladies and gentlemen. And welcome to the SJW Group First Quarter 2019 Financial Results Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Later, there will be a question-and-answer session and instructions will follow at that time. (Operator Instructions) As a reminder, this conference call is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Suzy Papazian, General Counsel. Ma'am, you may begin. Suzy Papazian -- General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Thank you, operator. Welcome to the first quarter 2019 financial results conference call for SJW Group. Presenting today are Eric Thornburg, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer; James Lynch, Chief Financial Officer; and Andrew Gere, President and Chief Operating Officer of San Jose Water. For those who would like to follow along the slides accompanying the remarks are available on our website at www.sjwgroup.com. Before we begin today's presentation, I would like to remind you that this presentation and related materials posted on our website, may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the company in light of its experience, historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the company believes are appropriate under the circumstances. Many factors could cause the company's actual results and performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. For a description of some of the factors that would cause actual results to be different from statements in this presentation, we refer you to the financial results, press release and our more recent Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which may be obtained on our website. All forward-looking statements are made as of today and SJW Group disclaims any duty to update or revise such statements. You will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the presentation. As a reminder, this webcast is being recorded and an archive of the webcast will be available until July 22, 2019. You can access the press release and the webcast on our corporate website. I will now turn the call over to Eric. Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Suzy. Welcome everyone, and thank you for joining us. I'm Eric Thornburg, Chairman, President and CEO of SJW Group. Along with Suzy, I'm very pleased to be with Jim Lynch, Chief Financial Officer of SJW Group; Andy Gere, President and Chief Operating Officer of San Jose Water; and Palle Jensen, Executive Vice President of San Jose Water. SJW delivered solid first quarter results that reflect our strong fundamentals, constructive regulatory environments and sound management. Our emphasis remains on key, tactical and strategic aspects of our business. The most important of those being our ability to enhance system reliability, improve customer service and deliver growth in rate base, as we make infrastructure investments pursuant to a carefully designed and prudently administered capital investment program. As previously reported, SJW Group and Connecticut Water filed a new merger approval application with the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or PURA on April of 3rd, 2019. The new jointly filed application offers a set of commitments and additional supporting evidence that we believe are responsive to PURA's previous concerns and demonstrate that our combination is in the public interest. The combination will result in a leading pure play water utility that we believe will have the financial strength, scale, resources and sharing of best practices to ensure families and communities who will continue to receive safe and reliable water service across all of our operations. We look forward to working with PURA to demonstrate how our application will provide immediate benefits to customers, employees and the local communities. I'll now turn the call over to Jim for a review and analysis of the Q1 financial results. After Jim's remarks, I will provide additional information on water supply and other key business matters. Jim? James P. Lynch -- Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Thank you, Eric. Our first quarter operating results reflect the positive impact about our general rate case or GRC, increase in California and the increased use of our California surface water supplies, partially offset by a decrease in customer usage. First quarter revenue was $77.7 million or 4% increase over the first quarter of 2018. Net income for the quarter was $5.9 million or $0.21 diluted earnings per share. This compares with $1.3 million or $0.06 diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2018. The increase in revenue was driven by $3.1 million increase in rating rates, a $2.6 million change in balancing and memorandum accounts and $800,000 from new customers, primarily in our Texas service area. These increases were partially offset by a $3.9 million decrease in customer usage. San Jose Water implemented a 4.5% general rate increase on January 1, 2019 as authorized in our 2019 California GRC. The rate increase was driven primarily by the cost of infrastructure improvements and a reduction in 2019 authorized usage levels that more closely aligned with actual post drought customer water use activity. San Jose Water also implemented a 3.61% rate increase effective July 1, 2018 to recover a 9% increase in purchased water cost and a 10% increase in groundwater extraction charges implemented by the Santa Clara Valley Water District or The District in July of 2018. The increase in balancing memorandum account was primarily due to customer benefits related to our 2018 cost of capital proceeding and adoption of the 2017 Jobs and Tax Act. In the first quarter of 2018 these customer benefits were captured in company balancing accounts. By the first quarter of 2019, the benefits were reflected in lower customer rates. There was no impact on net revenue as a result of this change in 2019. Total 2019 first quarter water production costs were 5% lower than the first quarter of 2018. The lower water production expenses were primarily due to a $4.2 million benefit from the increased use of lower cost surface water produced from our recently renovated Montevina Water Treatment Plant and $2.4 million from decrease customer usage. The decreased water usage was primarily due to above average rainfall we experienced in our California service area. The water production cost decreases were partially offset by a $2.7 million of higher unit cost for purchased water and groundwater extraction charges and power. Other operating expenses increased $1.2 million or 1% for the quarter, primarily due to a $1.6 million increase in higher depreciation related to utility plant additions and $723,000 increase in administrative and general expenses due to higher personnel costs. These increases were partially offset by a decrease of $1.2 million in merger expenses related to our proposed Connecticut Water transaction. Other income and expense in 2019 included $1.8 million of money market fund interest, I'm sorry, in 2019 included $1.8 million of money market fund interest earned on $412 million of invested proceeds we received from our December 2018 equity offering. In addition in 2018, other income included an unrealized loss on our investment in California Water Service Group stock. The stock was subsequently sold in the second and third quarters of 2018. The net increase of $0.15 in diluted earnings per share for the quarter was primarily attributable to availability of surface water of $0.11 per share, $0.08 per share in rate increases, $0.06 per share in net balancing the memorandum accounts, $0.05 per share in interest earned on funds from the equity issuance and $0.03 per share due to the decrease of merger related cost. These increases were partially offset by $0.10 per share decrease in customer usage, $0.04 per share in increased depreciation expense and $0.04 per share of other expenses. Turning to our capital expenditure program. We added $29.6 million in company-funded utility plant during the quarter. This represents 23% of our total 2019 planned capital expenditures. From a financing perspective, first quarter 2019 cash flows from operations increased 12% over first quarter of 2018. The increase was primarily the result of $6.2 million in net income adjusted -- net income adjusted for noncash items, and an increase in net taxes payable of $2.4 million, partially offset by a decrease in accrued water production expenses of $4 million, and a decrease in other changes of $3.6 million, including $2.2 million related to a service charge refund to our California customers. On March 28, 2019, San Jose Water issued $80 million in unsecured senior notes with a 30 year life at 4.29%. Proceeds from the note issuance were used to refinance outstanding balances on our bank lines of credit. At the end of the quarter, we had $113 million available on our bank lines of credit for short-term financing of utility plant additions and operating activities. The average borrowing rate on lines of credit advances during the quarter averaged 3.46%. With that, I will stop and turn the call back over to Eric. Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Jim. Our California service areas water supply outlook remains very favorable owing to a wet February and March that further increased local precipitation levels and the Sierra snowpack. Deliveries from the state and federal water projects have been set at a robust 70% and 80% of normal allocations respectively, reflecting the improved water supply conditions. Locally groundwater levels in the Santa Clara Valley remain in their normal range signifying that a full water bank is also available. Our Lake Elsman has also benefited from the wet winter. We have a full reservoir of our low-cost, high quality surface water supply source ready for processing throughout the remainder of the year. Operationally, we are preparing for peak usage months ahead anticipating full availability of water supplies. Tuning to taxes. I'm happy to report that SJWTX' net utility plant totaled over $100 million for the first time. This milestone reflects the successful execution of our growth initiatives, which has added a 11 water systems over the last 11 years, including the Deer Creek Ranch water system last year, as well as our sensible capital program that ensures continued investments in our Texas system to deliver high quality safe and reliable water service. Customer growth continues to be driven by a booming economy in one of the fastest growing regions of the country. In fact, Comal County was the second fastest growing county in the United States in the period 2017 to 2018. Last year, organic growth in Texas helped increase our customer base by 8%, with more than 12,000 lots, where our water mains stand ready to serve new businesses and residential customers in what we hope will be the near future. We remain optimistic about SJWTX' growth potential and its future contributions to consolidated earnings. I'm extremely proud of SJW's long-standing commitment to protecting and preserving our environment and our recent reaffirmation to that commitment through the creation of a bold sustainability committee and the preparation of our inaugural corporate sustainability report in 2018. Sustainability has always been a critical part of the company's culture. And I'd like to turn the call over to Andy Gere to detail some key initiatives. Andy? Andrew Gere -- President and Chief Operating Officer Thank you, Eric. Water conservation sits at the nexus of our environmental and sustainability activities. The most recent droughts in our Texas and California service areas appear to be behind us. However, hardships endured as result of water use restrictions and reductions imposed by state and local water agencies serve to remind us how important this vital resource is to our communities. Over the last ten years, SJW Group has made significant investments to reduce water loss through sustained water main replacement programs. In our most recent California general rate case for San Jose Water, we received authorization to replace annually 1% of our 2,400 miles of water mains at a cost of more than $60 million per year. We've also expanded our use of technology to find and repair non-surfacing leaks in our distribution systems. San Jose Water is in the third year of a program to deploy acoustic leaks sensors throughout the distribution system, which help us find and repair leaks when they are still small. Finding leaks before they surface, helps to minimize water loss and reduces periods of service interruption as well as the cost of repairs. On the operational side, we know that cleaning water mains through a unit directional flushing program is essential to maintain water quality. Traditional flushing programs clean mains by discharging water at a high velocity to a storm drain. However, San Jose Water has found a better way to do this using new water main flushing technology. Our closed-loop water main flushing truck utilizes a portable treatment plant that filter sediments flushed from the distribution system, monitors and tracks water quality parameters, provides treatment if needed and then injects the water back into the distribution system in a sanitary closed loop with minimal water loss. This technology has allowed us to increase productivity to over 20 miles of pipe flush per month, while saving 5 million to 6 million gallons of water per year. In each of these initiatives, we are leveraging capital investments in new technologies to drive down water loss and operational costs, while providing enhanced service to our customers. Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Andy. SJW continues to make prudent investments in our water systems, employee efficient and sustainable business practices, and provide exceptional customer service. Additionally, our regional business model facilitates efficient design, construction, maintenance and operation of our water systems, while providing high quality service at about $0.01 a gallon. Our investments are smart and enduring, and we're confident over the long haul that the investments we have made will contribute to the long-term sustainability and resiliency of our water systems and growth and profitability and dividends. With that I will turn the call back to the operator for questions. Questions and Answers: Operator Thank you. (Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from Durgesh Chopra with Evercore ISI. Your line is open. Durgesh Chopra -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Hello team. Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Yes. Hi, Durgesh. James P. Lynch -- Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Good morning. Durgesh Chopra -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Good morning. Just can you -- like on the timeline for the Connecticut Water merger petition, I just wanted to understand -- if you could just walk through like, obviously the you've filed the petition with the Connecticut Commission, is the California review when and if that happens, is that basically going to happen once the Connecticut decision comes out or the commission could start that review again? Just -- if you could just give a little bit more clarity on what your understanding of the process is? Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Sure, Durgesh. Absolutely. So just to remind you and other listeners, the Connecticut Public Utility Regulatory Authority has a 120 day statutory period in which to review a change in control filing. So that's a hard schedule and we expect a final decision on that matter on July 31st of 2019. And so I'm going to ask Palle Jensen, our Executive Vice President, at San Jose Water to comment on the California component. Palle Jensen -- Executive Vice President, Yes. Durgesh, this is Palle Jensen. The California Commission suspended the OII proceeding that was looking into the -- any merger related rate impact on California customers, that was suspended by the Commission on March 3rd of this year. The commissions intend in that ruling is to wait out the proceeding in Connecticut to see what determinations are rendered by the PURA in Connecticut, and then subsequent to that, if it's a favorable decision for the transaction, then the commission in California will take a look at any impact that might be on the customers in the San Jose service area. So that review is currently scheduled to take place after the decision by PURA in Connecticut. Durgesh Chopra -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Excellent. Thank you. And just a quick follow-up on that. Is that the California review, assuming that -- once, assuming that we get a sort of a decision from Connecticut and if California decides to review it, is that 90-day review period? Am I right about that? Or what's the like, the last time I think the timeline was pretty tight as to when the OIl would conclude? Palle Jensen -- Executive Vice President, Yes. We have -- as you may have recall from the early part of that proceeding in California we have already submitted responses to the commission. The commission has taken comments by other parties as well. So, a large portion of the California review stands currently has already been completed. We also had a public participation hearing which is part of the process in early January. So, our expectation is that the California review can be somewhat truncated, it's hard to tell you an exact time frame for that, but we believe most of the review has already been completed and we will just be awaiting a California determination and California decision. And there is a administrative process for that, but we think it can be done in the fairly timely manner after the review -- after the completion in Connecticut. Durgesh Chopra -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst And that decision -- sorry, one last follow-up for clarity. That decision is going to be whether they have jurisdiction to rule on the deal or not, correct? Palle Jensen -- Executive Vice President, Well, there are a couple of pieces to that. One is that whether they're going to determine whether they have any jurisdiction and then secondly, they are going to determine if the transaction will have any rate impact on customers in the San Jose service area. Durgesh Chopra -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Okay, perfect. Thank you. I appreciate all the clarity there. Thanks. Operator Thank you. (Operator Instructions) Our next question comes from Jonathan Reeder with Wells Fargo. Your line is open. Jonathan Reeder -- Wells Fargo. -- Analyst Hey. Just a follow-up on Durgesh's question there. Palle, would you expect the California Commission to anticipate or want to see some sort of onetime rate credit to the San Jose customers like you're offering Connecticut Water customers which in theory, I guess, isn't tied to merger savings upfront? Palle Jensen -- Executive Vice President, Jonathan, yes, Palle, here. It's really hard to say what the Commissions action may be, but historically the process for such reviews have taken place in the companies, in the transacting companies next rate case, which we are currently scheduled to file in January of 2021. So the time for the commissions review would be most appropriate to be done in the general rate case because it would give us about a year to take a look at the impacts of the transaction here in California. So, that would be my expectation is that the commission would probably wait to take a look in the general rate case. Jonathan Reeder -- Wells Fargo. -- Analyst Okay. To see if there are any savings that transfer over to California? Palle Jensen -- Executive Vice President, Correct. Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Yes, Jonathan. This is Eric. The savings that are coming off of kind of primarily public company costs for Connecticut Water Service is the source of the rate credit in Connecticut. So, that's kind of the linkage we have there. So, we don't have that savings in California, obviously, because the company continues so -- so that's the linkage, that's why we would expect that there would be more dealt with in a future rate case any savings that come to California after the close of the transaction. Jonathan Reeder -- Wells Fargo. -- Analyst Okay. And then, Eric, has there been any response locally? Have you got any feedback from the revised filing, not necessarily from PURA but other influential parties within the state? Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Yes. We have a -- our first hearing on Monday in Connecticut. That would be the first opportunity to have any discussions with PURA. We're making some opening statements and finalizing the calendar. But at this point there's been nothing official coming from PURA, regards to the conditions we put forth, et cetera. So, but we feel very confident with them. We think they address the concerns expressed and the previous draft decision. And then some, so we remain very optimistic that we've addressed those concerns. Jonathan Reeder -- Wells Fargo. -- Analyst Is it safe to say a consumer advocate you believe would still be on board, given they are on board back in December? Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer I think the tone and tenor of the commitments we put forth are very consistent with what the consumer advocate had endorsed in the prior case. But this is a new case in a new time. So we'll work to earn their trust and their commitment to this as well after the proceedings begin. Jonathan Reeder -- Wells Fargo. -- Analyst Okay. And then last question. I know it's pretty fresh, but any thoughts on the new PURA Commissioner appointment? Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Well, we certainly welcome the new Commissioner. We look forward to making our presentation to her. Sounds like she has a real good experience down in Baltimore, I guess Commissioner Gillett, I think that's how she pronounces her name. So, we'll look forward to meeting her and it sounds like they've had some mergers and acquisitions in Maryland as well. So sounds like she comes with a lot of experience that should inform the commission in Connecticut. Jonathan Reeder -- Wells Fargo. -- Analyst Okay. Look forward to updates along the way as you try to get approval. Thanks. Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Absolutely. Thank you Jonathan. Palle Jensen -- Executive Vice President, Thanks Jonathan. Operator Our next question comes from Anand Rao with KOR Capital. Your line is open. Anand Rao -- KOR Capital Partners -- Analyst Hi guys. Was wondering -- it looks like things are optimistic on the new merger, refiled merger update. But I was wondering, in the event that you guys were unable to get this done. Obviously, you guys are optimistic, but if it didn't get done, what would you guys do with the the cash that you're now sitting on the excess cash? I guess it's like $420 million or so. James P. Lynch -- Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Yes. So it's about $412 million. This is Jim Lynch. And our Board has not had any conversations about what we would do with the cash in the event that the transaction doesn't proceed forward. In fact, the Board right now is very supportive of the actions we've taken to move the transaction forward and we're very optimistic in that regard. Clearly, if the transaction were not to go forward, as we've disclosed in the offering prospectus, we would take a look at other alternative uses for that and those uses as we've described include possible stock buyback, a possible dividend or in the event that there is a near term other acquisition that we could pursue, we would take a look at whether or not that would make sense. But certainly, and as I have said on pre -- prior calls, it's not our intention to retain an inefficient capital structure. And right now as we currently stand without an alternative use for the funds, I would think that the -- that we were -- we are in an efficient structure. Anand Rao -- KOR Capital Partners -- Analyst Great. That's helpful. And then also just finally, I noticed -- back in August, I guess, California Water had put forward a proposal, just onto your Board in the amount of about $70 per share. I mean is that something that you guys would with the stock, it's been about a year since then the stocks right around $60 a share. Is that something that you guys would consider. I mean the letter looks pretty detailed and they talk about how they would even provide a ticking fee in the event that deals not consummated within a pre-arranged time frame. Is that something you guys would consider or you guys sort of gung-ho on the current trajectory with California -- sorry with Connecticut Water? Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer We are absolutely committed to our transaction with Connecticut Water. We're optimistic about that. We recognize, it won't be easy. We still have work to do with the commission in Connecticut. But we believe that's the right course for our shareholders and that's the path we're moving forward on. Anand Rao -- KOR Capital Partners -- Analyst Great. Okay. All right. Well, I appreciate your time. Thanks. Thanks for the answers and look forward to monitoring how the transaction goes. Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. We appreciate it. Thank you. Operator Thank you. I'm showing no further questions at this time. I'd like to turn the call back over to Eric Thornburg for closing remarks. Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you again. We appreciate your interest in our company. We are really proud of what we've accomplished and what we've got in front of us to take on. Just to remind you, this company has been in existence for over 150 years and has just an outstanding dividend track record, and we're excited about our growth prospects in both California and Texas and of course, with our transformative merger before us in Connecticut and Maine. We look forward to keeping you posted on our results and we appreciate your support. Thank you very much. Operator Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's conference. Thank you for your participation. Have a wonderful day. Duration: 29 minutes Call participants: Suzy Papazian -- General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Eric W. Thornburg -- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer James P. Lynch -- Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Andrew Gere -- President and Chief Operating Officer Durgesh Chopra -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Palle Jensen -- Executive Vice President Jonathan Reeder -- Wells Fargo -- Analyst Anand Rao -- KOR Capital Partners -- Analyst More SJW analysis Transcript powered by AlphaStreet This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) entered the first quarter expecting to post strong profit growth, driven by a 4% to 5% increase in revenue per available seat mile (RASM). However, during the quarter, the carrier was forced to cut its forecast twice, due to the lingering impact of the federal government shutdown and a spike in flight cancellations. Sure enough, Southwest's first-quarter earnings report -- released on Thursday morning -- showed that unit revenue missed management's initial expectations while unit costs came in far above the original guidance. Furthermore, the grounding of the Boeing (NYSE:BA) 737 MAX will continue to weigh on Southwest Airlines' profitability for at least the next quarter or two. Southwest Airlines results: The raw numbers Metric Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Year-Over-Year Change Revenue $5.15 billion $4.94 billion 4.1% Total unit revenue 13.59 cents 13.23 cents 2.7% Adjusted cost per available seat mile excluding fuel 9.58 cents 8.92 cents 7.4% Adjusted net income $387 million $438 million (11.6%) Adjusted operating margin 9.8% 11.8% N/A Adjusted EPS $0.70 $0.75 (6.7%) What happened with Southwest Airlines this quarter? The first quarter was an action-packed period for Southwest Airlines. For the first several weeks of the quarter, the government shutdown hurt travel demand, while also delaying the "ETOPS" approval Southwest needed to begin flying to Hawaii. In mid-February, a new headwind appeared. Longstanding tensions between Southwest and its mechanics -- who have been working under a contract that became amendable in 2012 -- spilled out into the open, as the number of maintenance-related flight cancellations spiked. This exacerbated the impact of winter storms on Southwest's reliability. (Fortunately, the airline and its mechanics' union recently reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. Union members will vote over the next several weeks on whether to ratify the tentative agreement.) The biggest disruption of all began in mid-March, with the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX. Southwest Airlines is the No. 1 737 MAX operator in the world. Its 34 Boeing 737 MAX 8s account for more than 4% of its fleet, and it is scheduled to add another 41 737 MAX jets to its fleet by the end of 2019. Thus, the grounding led to yet more flight cancellations. Together, these disruptions caused Southwest's first-quarter capacity to come in more than 2% below its initial plan. As a result, adjusted nonfuel unit costs jumped 7.4% (or 8.1%, excluding profit-sharing expense), far exceeding the carrier's 2.7% RASM increase. Still, Southwest Airlines posted a respectable 9.8% operating margin in the quarter, and adjusted EPS fell just 6.7% year over year. One positive highlight of the quarter was that Southwest finally gained its ETOPS approval, allowing it to launch flights to Hawaii in mid-March. By the end of next month, it will operate six daily roundtrips between the West Coast and Hawaii, as well as eight daily roundtrips within the state of Hawaii. The airline plans to add a lot more flights to and within Hawaii once it can get its Boeing 737 MAX fleet back in the air. What management had to say CEO Gary Kelly noted that the surge in flight cancellations last quarter strained Southwest's operations and had a severe negative impact on its profitability. However, he pointed out that Southwest Airlines posted solid results in the first quarter despite those headwinds: Our People were tasked with minimizing disruptions for our Customers due to more than 10,000 flight cancellations arising from the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft (MAX), unscheduled maintenance disruptions in connection with efforts to reach a Tentative Agreement (TA) with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), and severe winter weather. We estimate the impact of these flight cancellations, combined with the impact of the U.S. government shutdown and softness in leisure revenue trends, reduced our first quarter 2019 net income by approximately $150 million. While our strong momentum coming into the year slowed, we drove record revenues, strong margins and cash flows, a healthy profitsharing accrual for our Employees, and significant returns for our Shareholders. Looking forward Southwest Airlines recently removed the Boeing 737 MAX from its schedule through early August. As a result, it expects capacity to fall 2% to 3% year over year this quarter. The capacity reduction -- along with an easy year-over-year comparison -- will allow Southwest to post a stellar 5.5% to 7.5% RASM increase in the second quarter. Unfortunately, it will also drive up unit costs. The carrier expects adjusted nonfuel unit costs to surge 10.5% to 12.5% year over year, excluding profit-sharing expense. Fuel costs are on track to decline modestly year over year. This guidance implies that Southwest's profitability this quarter will be roughly in line with its year-ago performance. On the bright side, the Boeing 737 MAX has a good chance of returning to service later this summer or in the fall. As a result, the headwinds that Southwest Airlines is experiencing in the first half of 2019 should disappear by the end of the year. In the long run, Southwest could even benefit from the 737 MAX grounding. If other 737 MAX customers defer or cancel orders due to the model's bad reputation, Southwest Airlines may opt to build up its 737 MAX fleet even faster, while accelerating the retirement of older, less efficient 737-700s. In short, the Q1 profit decline shouldn't shake investors' faith in Southwest's long-term competitive advantages. What happened Shares of Finnish telecom technology veteran Nokia (NYSE:NOK) fell as much as 10% on Thursday following the release of unimpressive first-quarter results. By 1:50 p.m. EDT, the stock has climbed back to a 9% loss for the day. So what Wall Street's consensus estimates had been calling for earnings near $0.02 per share on sales in the neighborhood of $5.06 billion. Nokia's adjusted bottom line stopped at a loss of $0.02 per share alongside top-line sales of $4.49 billion. Now what Nokia's management kept a stiff upper lip regarding these disappointing results, holding full-year projections steady and arguing that business should pick up in the second half of 2019. In particular, 5G network orders should start rolling in as the year moves on. The company could even pick up more orders than expected in that arena as telecoms around the world back away from Chinese suppliers due to security concerns. Nokia's leaders summarized the report this way: "In short, an expectedly weak Q1, but continued reason for optimism as the year progresses." Photo: The Canadian Press Britain's Prince William lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service in Auckland, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Britain's Prince William on Thursday met with some of the police officers and medics who were the first to respond to last month's mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Duke of Cambridge arrived in Christchurch in the afternoon after earlier attending an Anzac Day service in Auckland alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. At the service, the prince laid a wreath of red and white flowers on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. William is on a two-day trip to New Zealand and plans to meet later with survivors of the mosque attacks in which 50 people were killed and 50 others wounded. New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush told reporters after the meeting with first responders that the prince had been very supportive and had wanted to make sure the officers and medics were looking after themselves. Bush said the prince told staff that "A good friend doesn't pick up the phone when people are in need. You travel to their place and you put your arms around them." Anzac Day is a memorial holiday on the anniversary of New Zealand and Australian soldiers, known as Anzacs, landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. More than 10,000 soldiers from the two countries were killed during that World War I campaign in what is now Turkey. On Friday, William will visit the two mosques where the massacres took place March 15. Photo: The Canadian Press Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister responds to questions during a news conference at the first ministers meeting in Montreal. The Manitoba government has filed its own court challenge of the federal government's carbon tax, following similar moves by Ontario and Saskatchewan. In documents filed in Federal Court on Wednesday, the Manitoba government seeks a judicial review to quash the federal tax on the grounds it exceeds Ottawa's constitutional authority. "The (federal carbon-tax law) falls outside of Parliament's jurisdiction," says the notice of application. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick all provinces led by conservative governments have refused federal Liberal demands to enact their own carbon levies. That prompted Ottawa to impose its own tax in those provinces, which started April 1 at $20 per tonne and will rise to $50 per tonne by 2022. "The conduct by the federal government is unfair to Manitobans. It threatens jobs and economic growth throughout our province," Manitoba Justice Minister Cliff Cullen said in a statement Wednesday. A date has not been set for the hearing. Decisions are already pending in the court challenges by Ontario and Saskatchewan, but Manitoba says its case has some unique characteristics. Unlike the other holdout provinces, Manitoba planned to enact a carbon tax of its own a price of $25 per tonne that would not rise. Premier Brian Pallister said the flat tax would recognize the billions of dollars Manitoba has already invested in clean hydroelectric developments. When the federal government said the Manitoba proposal was not enough, Pallister withdrew the lower provincial tax and promised to fight the higher federal one. Manitoba argues that Ottawa had no right to rebuff the province's initial plan to charge a lower carbon tax that might have been equally effective in reducing emissions. The document also alleges the federal government has made side deals with some provinces that are more lenient than what has been forced on Manitoba and the other holdouts. Two years ago, the Manitoba government obtained a legal opinion from constitutional expert Bryan Schwartz. Schwartz said the federal government generally has the right to impose a carbon tax, but might be rebuffed if a province developed its own plan that would be equally effective in reducing emissions. Caroline Theriault, a spokeswoman for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, said carbon pollution should not be a partisan issue. "Premier Pallister flip-flopped, choosing to tear up his own climate plan," she said in an email. "If some Conservative politicians choose to not do what's right for our climate and our kids, we will. Just like Andrew Scheer, Brian Pallister is taking direction from Doug Ford and fighting climate action instead of fighting climate change. His decision comes weeks after scientists made it clear Canada is warming at double the global rate. The time to act is now." Theriault said the federal plan is a practical and affordable way to cut pollution. She noted that under the plan a family of four in Manitoba will receive $339 through the Climate Action Incentive this year. "Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars in court fighting climate action, we would have hoped to see the premier fight climate change," she said. In the Saskatchewan court case, federal lawyers argued in February that Ottawa has the authority to enact a backstop carbon tax because climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are a matter of a national concern. Photo: CTV News Russian President Vladimir Putin said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed during their first summit Thursday he is willing to give up his nuclear weapons but only if he gets an ironclad guarantee of security beforehand. The Russian president stressed that Moscow and Washington both want North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. But he said the security guarantees should be underwritten by multiple countries, hinting at an arrangement like the six-nation talks Russia participated in until their collapse in 2009. Putin added that Kim encouraged him to explain the nuances of Pyongyang's position to President Donald Trump. He said he's willing to share details of the summit with the American president. "I will talk about it tomorrow with the leadership of China," Putin said before heading to Beijing on a two-day visit after meeting Kim. "And we will just as openly discuss this issue with the U.S. leadership. There are no secrets. Russia's position always has been transparent. There are no plots of any kind." Putin's remarks after the one-day summit just off the Pacific port city of Vladivostok reflect Kim's growing frustration with Washington's efforts to maintain "maximum pressure" until the North commits to denuclearization. But his characterization of Kim's comments also suggests there have been no major changes in North Korea's basic position. North Korea has all along contended that it needs its nuclear arsenal to defend itself against what it sees as U.S. hostility and wants concrete reassurances of its safety including the removal of the American nuclear threat as an integral part of the denuclearization of the entire Korean Peninsula. It wasn't immediately clear what other agreements the leaders might have struck. Along with a statement of political support, Kim was believed to be looking for some kind of economic support and possibly even a workaround to sanctions that will force more than 10,000 North Korean labourers in Russia to leave by the end of the year. The labourers are a major source of income for Pyongyang. On the economic front, both sides share an interest in enhanced co-operation if sanctions are eased. Russia would like to gain broader access to North Korea's mineral resources, including rare metals. Pyongyang, for its part, covets Russia's electricity supplies and investment to modernize its dilapidated Soviet-built industrial plants, railways and other infrastructure. For Putin, the summit was also seen an opportunity for Russia to emerge as an essential player in the North Korean nuclear standoff. Moscow has kept a relatively low profile as Kim embarked on what has been an audacious diplomatic journey over the past year. The Putin summit follows four summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and two with Trump. Despite the current stalemate, Trump has said he would like to meet Kim again. Moon said Thursday he'll try to hold a fourth summit with Kim and facilitate the resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks. Photo: Jon Manchester An intoxicated male assaulted paramedics at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops Wednesday night. Staff Sgt. Edward Preto says RCMP responded to the hospital just before 7:30 p.m., when RIH staff reported the intoxicated 54 year old was assaulting three BC Ambulance paramedics. BC Ambulance Service had brought the man to the hospital from a location on the North Shore for medical treatment. At the hospital, the subject became angry and began kicking and punching the paramedics. The man was restrained by hospital security until multiple RCMP units arrived. He has since been released from hospital and is in police custody. McDonald's Restaurants in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware Anticipate Hiring More Than 15,860 this Summer Signature education program and new industry-leading collaboration with AARP and AARP Foundation to connect candidates from multiple generations with more opportunities PHILADELPHIA, April 24, 2019 // PRNewswire // - McDonald's and its independent franchisees across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware are expecting to hire thousands of restaurant employees to better serve customers this busy summer season. McDonald's and its independent franchisees are looking to hire 10,650 employees in Pennsylvania; 4,480 in New Jersey; and 730 in Delaware. The hiring initiative will kick off with a Summer Hiring Event on Tuesday, May 7 at local McDonald's restaurants throughout the region. On this day, job seekers can submit applications and speak with hiring managers about available positions including crew members, shift and department managers, along with other restaurant leadership roles in more than 250 locations throughout southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. McDonald's provides a signature education and career advising program, Archways to Opportunity. Eligible after 90 days and 15 hours a week, restaurant employees have the chance to earn a high school diploma, receive $2,500 in upfront college tuition assistance, access to free education and career advising services and the opportunity to learn English as a second language. Through a summer job at McDonald's, restaurant employees will not only learn transferable soft skills on the job, such as teamwork, customer service and responsibility, they will also get the chance to further their education once eligible. "By offering restaurant employees the option to further their education paired with skills they learn on the job, we're supporting their full potential to succeed whether that's at McDonald's or beyond," said Marcia Graham Local McDonald's franchise Owner/Operator and President of the Greater Philadelphia McDonald's Owner/Operators Association. In addition, McDonald's is supporting a multi-generational hiring push this summer through a first-of-its-kind collaboration in the quick service industry (QSR) with AARP and AARP Foundation. From morning shifts to management roles, AARP and AARP Foundation will help connect McDonald's to a growing, yet underutilized workforce. The partnership with AARP and AARP Foundation includes current McDonald's U.S. restaurant job postings being featured on AARP's job board, which only includes employers who are committed to an age-diverse workforce and looking for experienced talent. McDonald's USA will also work with AARP Foundation on a pilot program that aligns employer and candidate job needs and interests leveraging AARP Foundation's Senior Community Service Employment Program and BACK TO WORK 50+ workforce development programs. The pilot will start in five states: Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and North Carolina, before rolling out nationwide later this summer. "For the first time ever, five generations are now working together under the Arches. Together with our franchisees we have a responsibility to each generation to provide opportunity, flexibility and resources for wherever they are on their career journey," said Melissa Kersey, McDonald's U.S. Chief People Officer. "Thanks, in part, to our new partnership with AARP and AARP Foundation we're looking to position McDonald's as place where people at every stage of working life can see themselves." McDonald's also continues to invest in the communities in which it serves through two major scholarships: HACER National Scholarship : Expanded the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship from five to 30 winners, providing more Hispanic students the opportunity to obtain a college degree. Scholarship applicants have the opportunity to directly receive up to $100,000 to help finance their tuition. : Expanded the McDonald's HACER National Scholarship from five to 30 winners, providing more Hispanic students the opportunity to obtain a college degree. Scholarship applicants have the opportunity to directly receive up to $100,000 to help finance their tuition. Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund: Partnered with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund to support students attending one of the 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) within the TMCF member-school network offer six merit scholarships of $10,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year, which can be applied to verifiable costs associated with average tuition and usual fees. Job seekers can visit McDonalds.com/careers to learn more and apply to a restaurant near them. About McDonald's USA McDonald's serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. About AARP AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP on social media. About AARP Foundation AARP Foundation works to end senior poverty by helping vulnerable older adults build economic opportunity and social connectedness. As AARP's charitable affiliate, we serve AARP members and nonmembers alike. Bolstered by vigorous legal advocacy, we spark bold, innovative solutions that foster resilience, strengthen communities and restore hope. AARP Foundation. For a future without senior poverty Press Contact: Kate Rogers On behalf of McDonald's (215) 790-4314 krogers@tierneyagency.com SOURCE McDonald's ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Home Instead Senior Care Names Barb Hoffmann 2019 North American CAREGiver of the Year OMAHA, Neb., April 25, 2019 // PRNewswire // - Home Instead Senior Care, the leading provider of in-home care for seniors, has named Barb Hoffmann its 2019 North American CAREGiverSM of the Year. Since its inception in 1997, the award is the highest accolade for the organization's more than 65,000 CAREGivers throughout North America. Hoffmann, who was given the prestigious title last night in Omaha, was recognized for the extraordinary energy, talent, spirit and hard work she brings to serving others. Hoffmann, of Waite Park, MN, has been a Home Instead CAREGiver for eight years, and, after working for more than 30 years in retail, felt that she was called to care for older adults. "I believe there are two really important days in our lives: the day we are born and the day we realize why God put us on Earth," said Hoffmann. "I'm thankful to God for guiding me to become a CAREGiver for seniors, as I've learned so much from everyone I have cared for over the years." In her eight years of service, Barb remembers every client she has cared for. From those who have only needed basic care, such as light housekeeping and meal preparation, to those nearing the end of life and on hospice, Barb's dedication and passion for caregiving has meant each client has made an impression on her. And the feeling is mutual. One family nicknamed her "Saint Barb" after she cared for their mother. "What impresses me most about Barb is her bold zest for life, which comes through in everything she does," said Jason Crane, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Waite Park and Andover, MN. "She is truly at her best when she is spreading love to her clients and their families." Hoffmann was selected for the network's top honor among eight regional finalists, all nominated for demonstrating compassion and exceptional care to the seniors and families they serve. Home Instead CAREGivers help seniors remain independent as long as possible in the comfort of their own homes or in care communities as they age, providing services and companionship, from meal preparation and medication reminders, to personal care and Alzheimer's care. "Home Instead CAREGivers are at the heart of our mission," said Lori Hogan, co-founder of Home Instead Senior Care. "This annual award is such an important opportunity for us to take a moment to celebrate Barb and the tens of thousands of others like her within our network who serve as an example of how we all hope to be treated as we age: with dignity, respect and kindness." "My favorite part about being a CAREGiver is getting to know the clients and their accomplishments," said Hoffmann. "I love learning from my clients and even picking up new skills from them." To learn about becoming a CAREGiver and joining the Home Instead family, visit www.homeinstead.com/jobs. To learn more about Home Instead Senior Care or to find an office near you, visit www.homeinstead.com/state. About Home Instead Senior Care Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, the Home Instead Senior Care franchise network provides personalized care, support and education to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, the network is the world's leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide more than 70 million hours of care annually throughout the United States and 11 other countries. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ approximately 80,000 CAREGiversSM worldwide who provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. Home Instead Senior Care franchise owners partner with clients and their family members to help meet varied individual needs. Services span the care continuum - from providing personal care to specialized Alzheimer's care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. Visit HomeInstead.com. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. SOURCE Home Instead Senior Care ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus IHG extends Holiday Inn Presence in Malaysia with Kuala Lumpur Development Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Bangsar to open in fashionable district April 25, 2019 // Franchising.com // IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the worlds largest hotel companies, has signed a management agreement with City Motors Group for a new-built Holiday Inn in the affluent creative hub of Kuala Lumpur Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Bangsar will be the fourth IHG property in the Malaysian capital. Slated to open in 2023, the hotel will feature 220 rooms and six meeting rooms, the largest of which will hold approximately 400 people. The hotels plans to incorporate the Holiday Inn Open Lobby concept, which will combine public facilities within a single, open cohesive space, creating flexibility for guests, whether theyre looking to eat, relax, work, or have fun. The hotel will also feature an outdoor swimming pool and gym. Centrally located at Jalan Maarof and Jalan Bangsar, the hotel is but a 350m stones throw to the Bangsar LRT station. Close to key destinations within Kuala Lumpur, including KLCC, Chinatown and Bukit Bintang, the hotel meets the needs of both business travellers and tourists. The highly fashionable Bangsar area is popular for its dining and night life experiences, cultural attractions, and for its retail outlets. Bangsar is becoming a strong foothold for professional services, creative, and technology-focused firms are locating to the area due to competitive office spaces, a wealth of amenities, and easy access via the public transport. Bangsar is a stones throw away from KL Sentral, connecting visitors to Kuala Lumpur International Airport and beyond through the citys Express Rail Line (ERL). The Hotel is well-positioned to capitalise on the areas interconnectivity, including to locations such as Bangsar Village, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Mid Valley Megamall, and Bangsar South. Commenting on this landmark signing, Serena Lim, Vice President, Development South East Asia and Korea (SEAK), IHG, said: Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Bangsar will allow visitors to witness first-hand the vibrancy and unique atmosphere the area holds. Whether staying for business or for leisure, the hotel will offer guests an unparalleled experience at the centre of one of Malaysias most fashionable districts, just minutes from key transportation hubs. Underscoring our brand ambition, the Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Bangsar will truly champion enjoyable travel for everyone. The hotel will become a flagship for the Holiday Inn brand in Malaysia. With state-of-the-art facilities, the hotel will provide a genuine hospitality, where guests can relax and enjoy themselves in the surroundings of hip and vibrant Bangsar. Dato Dr. Foo Wan Kien, Chairman, City Motors Group said: We saw that there were few if not no branded hotels in the Bangsar area despite it being an affluent location, and felt it was important to introduce a proper internationally branded hotel to the location. We chose Holiday Inn because of its commitment to deliver enjoyable travel for everyone a value that we too treasure. Combined with IHGs track-record at successfully managing developments globally, we will provide guests with a memorable stay in Bangsar, and an experience visitors to the area have yet to undergo. IHG has 5 hotels operating across four brands in Malaysia, including: InterContinental, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn Express, with a further 10 in the development pipeline. Across South East Asia, there are 76 IHG properties open and an additional 75 properties due to open within the next five years. 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: Angela Gray angela.gray@ihg.com +65 9018 6005 SOURCE InterContinental Hotels Group ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Photo: CTV News A new Coast Guard search and rescue station will be built on Victoria's Ogden Point. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced the $3.4-million project Wednesday, to be built on the site of the current Coast Guard base. Construction will begin this month and is expected to be complete by 2020, CTV News reports. Garneau also announced delivery of new emergency tow kits for 25 larger Coast Guard vessels across Canada, including two in Victoria. The Victoria base also received two new sweep systems that can be used to help clean up oil spills. with files from CTV Vancouver Island When Emily Grace and Lacy Miller were 8 and 10 years old, they saw the Broadway show Annie on the Goldenrod Showboat in St. Charles, Mo., and were inspired. The inspiration led them to produce a show on their parents driveway with 15 neighborhood kids under 12, and Broadway on the Driveway was born. Things took off after that first show in 1995. We would hang bed sheets across the garage door and all of the neighbors would come see the show, and every summer it would just grow and grow. More and more people would come, and the news crews would come out too, Lacy said. Eventually the show got so big that the sisters got a visit from the police, who suggested that they move to other venues. They were nice, but they said it was time for us to move out of the driveway, Lacy said. The St. Louis police officers came to visit their home after a call about a traffic jam. In 1997, Gracie and Lacy formed a touring sister act, but continued the summer shows for another 18 years and packed local venues. STAFFORD County held public meetings this week designed to help county officials determine how best to manage future growth. This discussion is really about density: how many and where new commercial buildings, and especially residential units, should be built. For cosmopolitans, high-density urban areas are the best places to live. They gladly eschew what suburbanites consider essentiallarger homes, green backyards, relatively low crime and better schoolsfor the gastronomic and cultural amenities of big city life. And people who live in rural areas have no idea how either of them can stand to live so close to the neighbors. None of them is wrong. People move to the city, to the suburbs or beyond to find the sweet spot that fits their current needs and where they feel most comfortable. But they often expect that the area they pick will stay the same over time. Growth patterns challenge those assumptions. Unlike some communities in Virginia that are losing population, Staffordalong with the rest of the Fredericksburg regionis still growing. This is a much better problem to have than decline, but it does come with challenges, chief among them how to pay for the public infrastructure needed to accommodate a growing population. Tobacco-free policies will protect Virginia students Soon all Virginia youth will be able to breathe easier because of a bill Gov. Ralph Northam signed in February to keep schools 100 percent free from tobacco and e-cigarettes. The bill requires school divisions to adopt comprehensive tobacco-free policies. This new law adds language about use and distribution of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, at all times on school property and tackles what the U.S. Surgeon General calls an epidemic of youth using electronic smoking devices. The increase of products like JUUL threatens a new generation of youth with nicotine addiction, and comprehensive tobacco-free policies are key to keeping Virginias youth healthy. The bill was championed by Y Street, the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youths teen volunteer program, as part of the 24/7 campaign. This year, I attended a subcommittee hearing along with another Y Street member. At the hearing, we were prepared to speak about the various ways in which we have reached the goals of our campaign. It was with pride that we were able to represent the voices of all Y Street students across Virginia who support this bill. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Photo: The Canadian Press Britain's Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, left, shakes hands with unidentified guests druing the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, in London, Thursday April 25, 2019. Prince Harry has attended a service commemorating war dead from Australia and New Zealand as he and his wife Meghan await the birth of their first child. Meghan is due to give birth soon, though the couple hasn't revealed the due date or their birth plans. Harry was a last-minute addition to Thursday's Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey, attending alongside his sister-in-law Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William is visiting New Zealand, where he has met survivors of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Harry's attendance led bookies to shorten the odds on the baby being born in May. Rupert Adams of William Hill said bookmakers "were as surprised as everyone else that Harry decided to attend a public event as we assumed the baby was imminent." Photo: Flickr-myfoxdfw If you've travelled to the coast lately you know gas prices are verging on $1.80 a litre at many gas stations. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is pointing the finger squarely at the new federal carbon-tax as the leading culprit behind the rising gas prices. A release by the CTF points to the number of people crossing the border into Washington State to purchase gas among other goods. British Columbians can save as much as 50 cents per litre across the border. The savings add up pretty quickly for the average driver. The CTF release indicates on average, "for a vehicle with a 70-litre fuel tank, that works out to saving $35 per fill up. Multiply that by two fill ups a week for the average commuter family in Langley (not a lot of people can afford to live downtown with outrageously high housing costs) and suddenly youre looking at either spending in Canada or saving in the States $70 extra per week or $3,600 per year." The report indicates gas prices in Seattle are even cheaper coming in at about $1.15 (Canadian) per litre. The release says that price in Seattle, "proving that a major city in the Pacific Northwest can indeed exist without prohibitively high fuel costs." The CTF indicates Conservative leader Andrew Scheer highlights B.C.'s high gas prices as a glimpse into the future. With these record prices coming just weeks after the introduction of the new federal carbon tax the CTF points out that taxes are not the only factor that determines gas prices, but they are among the biggest. "In B.C., different types of taxes accounted for about a third of the entire price, including the provincial carbon tax that works out to 9.8 cents per litre with GST." The Albany City Council finalized plans Wednesday to complete an engineers report and financial investigation into the establishment of a Local Improvement District (LID) to construct a bridge at Burkhart Creek. On March 25, the council directed staff to prepare a resolution to explore the option of creating a Local Improvement District with Transportation Analyst Ron Irish, explaining that the move could provide incentive for the two immediately adjacent property owners to come to an agreement to construct the bridge privately. A bridge is needed, city staff said, as part of a planned project to extend Timber Ridge Street from Knox Butte Road south to Highway 20. A bridge similar to the one needed at Burkhart Creek, Irish said, could cost approximately $500,000. The property to the south side of the creek is a planned subdivision, Brandis Meadows, which currently consists of 169 residential lots. The property to the north is zoned for mixed-use commercial and was recently divided. Both phases of Brandis Meadows can be completed without the construction of a bridge. City staff said there was little incentive for the developer to shoulder the cost of the construction or participate in construction with the property owner to the north of the creek. Because it would cost less for private construction of a creek crossing, the formation of a Local Improvement District would encourage the developers on both sides of the creek to reach an agreement for private construction of the creek crossing, a memo to Council from city staff read. The motion to approve the resolution passed unanimously. Also during Wednesdays meeting: Mayor Sharon Konopa issued three declarations recognizing Mental Health Month, Global Love Day and Drinking Water Week. The council approved a request for the mayor to execute an amendment to a cooperative improvement agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation. The Council authorized the mayor to enter into an agreement to facilitate the construction of improvements on Lyon and Ellsworth streets on May 8, 2017. That agreement specified that all improvements would be completed by March of this year. However, the traffic signal located at Lyon and Ellsworth was not installed until April. The vote adjusted the agreement to reflect a completion date of December 2019 instead of March. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Go online to find the complete version of the Movie Scene and reviews of new films. NEW AVENGERS: ENDGAME 3 stars (Superhero action, PG-13, 182 minutes, playing at the Albany Regal 7, the Corvallis Regal 4 and the AMC Corvallis 12) The remaining Avengers, with some new faces (such as Brie Larsons Captain Marvel), go after Thanos in this sequel to Infinity War and apparent capstone to the first wave of Marvel movies. Its a stirring and satisfying finish that achieves and earns its climactic surge of feeling, even as it falls just short of real catharsis. (Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times) BREAKING HABITS (Documentary, no MPAA rating, 87 minutes, playing at the Darkside in Corvallis) Documentary about a nun who started a medical marijuana operation. Written and directed by Robert Ryan. FAMILY (Comedy, R, 85 minutes, playing at the Darkside in Corvallis) A socially inept businesswoman is tasked with looking after her rebellious young niece. With Taylor Schilling, Brian Tyree Henry, Matt Walsh, Allison Tolman, Kate McKinnon. Written and directed by Laura Steinel. CONTINUING BREAKTHROUGH 2 stars (Drama, PG, 116 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) Chrissy Metz of This is Us delivers a powerful, realistic performance in this faith-based feature, based on a true story, about a mother whose adopted son suffers a catastrophic accident. Josh Lucas and Topher Grace also star. (Katie Walsh, Tribune Media Service) THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA 1 stars (Horror, R, 93 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany, the Regal 4 in Corvallis and the AMC Corvallis 12) A hissing, pasty-faced zombie-ghost targets the children of a social worker (Linda Cardellini) in the latest addition to the Conjuring Universe. But any hopes of a creepy horror gem are dashed by the overacting, clumsy plot machinations and cliche-riddled "Gotcha!" moments. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times) PENGUINS 3 stars (Documentary, G, 76 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) The latest Disneynature effort follows a 5-year-old Adelie penguin (Steve, the movie calls him) as he finds a mate, raises the chicks and deals with life in Antarctica. Its quite good for its type, with some beautiful photography. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) HELLBOY (Fantasy, R, 120 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) The demonic superhero from the graphic novels battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge. With David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim. Written by Andrew Cosby; based on the comic by Mike Mignola. LITTLE 3 stars (Comedy, PG-13, 109 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) Marsai Martin, the 14-year-old black-ish star helped create this charming reverse version of Big, in which a ruthless businesswomen finds herself transformed into a middle-school version. Martin fills up the entire screen through the sheer force of her charisma. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) MISSING LINK (Animated comedy, PG, 95 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) A Bigfoot-like creature joins others on a quest to find his long-lost relatives in this animated tale from Portlands Laika. With the voices of Zach Galifianakis, Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Timothy Olyphant. Written and directed by Chris Butler. THE MUSTANG 2 stars (Drama, R, 96 minutes, playing at the Darkside Cinema in Corvallis) A tight-lipped new arrival (Matthias Schoenaerts) at a Western prison is assigned to a program in which inmates work to tame wild mustands. It's solid if dramatically predictable work, part prison picture, part horse story. Bruce Dern and Connie Britton co-star. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) SHAZAM! 3 stars (Superhero action, PG-13, 132 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany, the Regal 4 in Corvallis and the AMC Corvallis 12) A streetwise 14-year-old can magically transform into an adult superhero simply by shouting out one word in this big-screen version of a long-running DC comic book. Zachary Levi brings a jolt of good humor and energy to this good-natured and endearing flick, which has a bit of a dark side as well. Mark Strong is the villain. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) WOMAN AT WAR 3 stars (Comic thriller, no MPAA rating, 100 minutes) Icelandic actress Halldora Geirharsdottir is sensational in a dual role in this off-kilter offering; she plays a choir director living on her own in Reykjavik, as well as Halla's identical twin sister Asa, a yoga instructor. Halla has launched a campaign of industrial sabotage against a new aluminum smelting plant that threatens to despoil the landscape and the fresh Icelandic air. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) APOLLO 11 4 stars (Documentary, G, 93 minutes, playing at the Pix in Albany) Todd Douglas Millers riveting documentary uses newly discovered footage to give audiences a close-up look at the mission that put men on the moon. You end up with new appreciation for the sheer audacity of the mission. (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) DUMBO 2 stars (Fantasy, PG, 112 minutes, playing at the Pix and the Regal 7 in Albany) Director Tim Burton tries his hand with a live-action remake of the 1941 Disney animated flick, about the little elephant with the big ears who can fly, but even though this dramatically inert film tries, it never quite takes off. The cast includes Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton, Colin Farrell and Eva Green. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) US 3 stars (Horror, R, 116 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) Writer-director Jordan Peele proves that Get Out was no fluke with this whip-smart new horror classic. Its about a picture-perfect American family (Winston Duke) and Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) arriving at their family summer home, only to confront an identical version of the family (clad in red jumpsuits and wielding sharp scissors) in their driveway. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) CAPTAIN MARVEL 3 stars (Superhero action, PG-13, 124 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) Brie Larson, as the Captain, and Samuel L. Jackson, as young Nick Fury, share great chemistry in a superhero origins story set to '90s hits and filled with fun cultural references. This isn't the greatest Marvel movie ever made, but it's definitely one of the funniest, and one of the sweetest. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Japanese guitarist Ikuo Inoue will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, at Oregon State University in Corvallis. The performance is part of OSUs new Guitar en Route Series, which is presented by instructor Cameron OConnor and the OSU guitar program. Inoue will be joined by OConnor and printmaker Yuji Hiratsuka, a professor of art at OSU, in a celebration of the music and art of Japan. The program includes works by Toru Takemitsu, Shingo Fujii, Joe Hisaishi and more. Inoue is an award-winning guitarist who has performed as a guest artist at the Nagano Guitar Seminar, and in recital at the Ohno Studio in Osaka and the Gendai Guitar Salon in Tokyo. OConnor, who joined the OSU music faculty in fall 2017, is a prizewinner in 10 international competitions, including the Frances Walton in Seattle and Tokyo International Competition in Japan. He has appeared as a guest artist at festivals throughout the country, including the Northwest Guitar Festival, Corvallis Guitar Festival, la Siempre Guitarra and others. Hiratsukas work is included in public collections throughout the world, including The British Museum in the United Kingdom and Japans Tokyo Central Museum. He has been a faculty member at OSU since 1992. The event is free. It will be held in Room 303 of Community Hall, 1650 SW Pioneer Place. Seating is limited. To reserve a free ticket visit: bit.ly/guitarenroute1819. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Alsea Sportsmans Association will join forces with other conservation-minded individuals Sunday, April 28 to clean up the Alsea River. This event is also sponsored by SOLVE and Dahl Disposal Service. The cleanup is set to begin at 9 a.m. at the U.S. Forest Services Blackberry Campground (day use area), located about 19 miles east of Waldport on Highway 34. The department is seeking volunteers to assist by boat and from shore. We need volunteers to work from the river and others to work from the road, picking up trash along the Alsea River corridor and at popular boat ramps and bank access sites along the river, said the department's Christine Clapp, a biologist in Newport. The event will focus on the river downstream from Campbell Park. Free Northwest Forest day passes will be provided to volunteers, and a shuttle service will also be available. Both drift boats and motor boats are welcome. There will be coffee and donuts in the morning and a barbecue hosted by the Alsea Sportsmans Association in the afternoon. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An Albany-area man was convicted of second-degree online sexual corruption of a child and attempted compelling prostitution on Wednesday morning in Linn County Circuit Court. Darren Lee McCormick, 30, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years of supervised probation. He also must register as a sex offender. Per terms of the negotiated settlement, three other charges were dismissed. In October, McCormick started online communications with a teenage minor he knew, and directed the conversation to sexual topics, said prosecutor Julia Baker. McCormick offered to pay the girl $400 for nude photos and asked her to meet him at Bryant Park, where she could earn money for a sexual act, Baker added. The victim showed the text messages to an older family member, and that led to the Linn County Sheriffs Office investigation. According to a probable cause affidavit in the case, McCormick told a deputy that he never intended to meet the girl at the Albany park. He is embarrassed by this and I would venture to say ashamed at what he has done, defense attorney Tyler Reid said. His cooperation with law enforcement evidences that sorrow and shame. The fact that he didnt follow through is really important, he added. McCormick, who has no prior criminal history, declined comment to the court. Under the terms of his probation, any and all electronic devices accessible by McCormick are subject to search on reasonable suspicion by his probation officer. He also cannot have contact with minor females. McCormick was allowed to report to the Linn County Jail on Thursday morning due to an important medical appointment. If you dont show up tomorrow, were going to have a different discussion, Judge Thomas McHill said. Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net, 541-812-6077 or via Twitter @KyleOdegard. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Lebanon woman faces homicide charges for a crash that killed a female motorcyclist at Seven Mile Lane and Tangent Drive in May. Miranda Rebecca Carnes, 20, was arraigned on an indictment and charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide on Thursday afternoon in Linn County Circuit Court. She is accused of recklessly causing the death of Sarah Watson on the afternoon of May 14. Watson, 21, of Albany, was a 2014 graduate of West Albany High School and a 2017 graduate of Linn-Benton Community College. Witnesses told Linn County Sheriffs Office deputies in the aftermath of the crash that a 2007 Toyota Prius headed eastbound on Tangent Drive didnt come to a complete stop at a stop sign and continued east through the intersection. The automobile collided with Watsons 2006 Yamaha XV2 motorcycle, which was northbound. Carnes was not injured in the crash. She was lodged in the Linn County Jail on Thursday. During Thursdays brief teleconference hearing, Judge Michael Wynhausen set Carnes bail at $50,000, as requested by prosecutor Douglas Prince. That amount of security is the minimum required by statute for a Measure 11 crime such as manslaughter. Second-degree manslaughter carries a mandatory minimum sentence of more than six years in prison. Defense attorney Michael Lowry, handling the afternoon session of in-custody arraignments at the jail, said Carnes had no criminal history and worked as a caregiver. Carnes, through Lowry, declined comment to the court. Wynhausen appointed Arnold Poole as Carnes defense attorney, and scheduled the next hearing in the case for May 13. Watson worked as a professional horse trainer and rider. At LBCC, she earned an associates degree in applied science animal technology and horse management. Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net, 541-812-6077 or via Twitter @KyleOdegard. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Photo: CTV News UPDATE: 4 p.m. Police say a boy who had been the subject of an Amber Alert has been found safe near Windsor, Ont. Peel Regional Police say the five-year-old was found with his mother in Tilbury. They say they are in the process of cancelling the Amber Alert that had been issued for him on Thursday evening. Investigators previously said the boy was last seen with his mother in Mississauga on Wednesday afternoon. His father reported him missing on Thursday morning. ORIGINAL: 2:30 p.m. An Amber Alert has been issued for a five-year-old boy last seen with his mother in Mississauga, Ont. Peel Regional Police said they are trying to locate Ethan Montes, who is believed to be with 47-year-old Juliet Mohammed. Police said Mohammed is believed to be driving a 2003 grey Toyota Matrix with the licence plate 379 WTM. Ethan was last seen with his mother in Mississauga on Wednesday afternoon between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., police said. The boy was reported missing at 9:20 a.m. Thursday morning by his father and police said they issued an Amber Alert just after 5 p.m. Police said Mohammed has a pre-existing medical condition that makes her act out of character if not treated. They did not know if she had her medication with her. "We have information to believe this is out of character for them to go missing for this amount of time," said Const. Iryna Yashnyk. Police said they have information that the pair may have travelled to the London, Ont., area but authorities didn't know the pair's current whereabouts. They said Ethan was last seen wearing Batman pyjamas, while Mohammed was wearing a blue shirt, black leggings, a brown coat and black boots. Anyone who sees the pair is being asked to call 911. Oregon State University students are holding their 64th annual luau from 5 to 8 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at the LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St., Corvallis. The luau, Ku'u Home Aloha, will feature 17 dances showcasing Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures. The dances will be performed by members of Oregon States Hui O Hawaii Club and other Oregon State students. Doors open at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The show will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. A traditional Hawaiian dinner of Kalua pig and cabbage with rice, garlic shrimp, macaroni salad, Lomi tomato, Okinawan sweet potatoes and pineapples and butter mocha will be served. Tickets are $10 for the general public and can be purchased online here: http://tinyurl.com/OSULuau2019. Tickets will not be available at the event. Student tickets are $5, nonrefundable, and can be purchased at the Student Experience Center welcome desk. Organizers are also seeking volunteers for the event. Volunteers will get a free ticket, including dinner. Those interested in volunteering can sign up online: https://volunteersignup.org/7YJF9. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 It doesnt raise taxes, regulate industry or control guns, but in some ways a proposal to remove nonmedical exemptions for vaccines is the most controversial piece of legislation in the 2019 session. House Bill 3063 has reliably turned up throngs of opposition in a way no others have. The $100,000 the bill would cost to implement is its least controversial aspect. Its created tense moments between constituents and lawmakers. In every public hearing since the bill was introduced, mothers opposing the bill have broken into tears. If passed, HB 3063 would require children in public and private school to be fully vaccinated. Parents who dont want to vaccinate their child could homeschool them or enroll them in an online school. On Tuesday, April 23, the controversial bill pulled between 1,000 and 2,000 people, depending on who you ask, to a rally on the Capitol steps. I have not seen that at this Capitol, said three-term Rep. Cedrick Hayden, R-Roseburg. I have seen groups that are of one party affiliation, but the melting pot of the people there, politically, I havent seen. The bill is oddly bipartisan. There are bipartisan sponsors, and lawmakers from both parties have testified against it. Last week, Sen. Chuck Thomsen, R-Hood River, spoke on the Senate floor on consecutive days in support of the legislation. In an interview, Thomsen said his wife and daughter are passionately in favor of HB 3063. He is a sponsor of the bill. Thomsen said anti-vaxxers pay advertising firms thousands of dollars to flood his and others email inboxes. Opponents show up at the Capitol demanding to be heard. He has spoken out on the Senate floor to keep the issue on peoples minds and let other lawmakers know there are two sides to this debate. Established science For decades, Americans put faith in vaccines as they eradicated horrific diseases like polio and smallpox. But a 1998 study in the medical journal The Lancet, claimed to link childhood vaccinations with a host of maladies, including autism. Even though that study fueled the rise of vaccination skepticism, a January 2011 article in the British Medical Journal called the 1998 study an elaborate fraud. The Lancet retracted the article after British medical officials accused the authors of unethical behavior. In todays political climate, rife with government distrust and flush with conspiracy theories, vaccines have become a target of vigorous dissent and grassroots anger. State Sen. Rob Wagner, D-Tualatin, said issues dealing with constitutional interpretation or perceived government overreach are always controversial, but aside from some gun-control legislation, he hasnt seen an issue stir this much public emotion and fervor this session. He called the debate exceedingly emotionally charged. Its established science, Wagner said. The medical provider community is solidly behind it and I do think that I am very proud to be a sponsor of the legislation. On Wednesday, the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health and Human Services passed HB 3063 out of committee on a party line vote. The hearing room was packed. Witnesses spilled into the hallways and overflow rooms. They again talked about how important it is to pass or not pass the bill. After repeatedly being told to not clap or cheer in past hearings, the crowd this time expressed agreement with testifiers by raising and fluttering their hand. A school district administrator said the bill was asinine. A mother told the committee her child isnt a guinea pig for them to inject with toxic chemicals. Doctors testified about the rise infant patients they care for because they have contracted vaccine-preventable diseases due to the declining rate of vaccinations in Oregon, limiting the effectiveness of herd immunity where enough people are vaccinated that it protects immunocompromised people from vaccine-preventable diseases. On Friday, it goes before the full Ways and Means committee, where co-chair Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward is one of its largest supporters. Heated debates It appears poised to find its way to the House floor. Witnesses testifying in a handful of hearings during the past couple of months have said they felt this is an example of a tyrannical government and that lawmakers were being bought off by pharmaceutical companies. They have talked about injuries they believe their children have sustained from vaccines, and that the government would forcibly inject their children with toxic chemicals. Doctors and public health officials have countered that, though in far lesser numbers, by saying vaccines are rigorously tested and the science behind them is strong. Hours of debate, the rallies and the uncomfortable confrontations between lawmakers and constituents doesnt appear to have moved the conversation. Before Wednesdays vote, Sen. Dallas Heard, R-Roseburg, said the legislation was being driven by the most corrupt people in the county the pharmaceutical industry and shows the lack of respect government has for its citizens. This is probably the toughest bill Ive had to speak on in terms of keeping my emotions under control, Heard said before voting against the bill. After the gavel hit, signaling another hurdle cleared for the controversial bill, people attending the hearing started to lash out. Some sat and cried, others shouted at committee members. One group circled Heard to tell them how appreciative they were while others taunted lawmakers as they walked out, singing election year and lawsuit. Reporter Aubrey Wieber: aubrey@salemreporter.com or 503-575-1251. Wieber is a reporter for Salem Reporter who works for the Oregon Capital Bureau, a collaboration of EO Media Group, the Pamplin Media Group, and Salem Reporter. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The state of Oregon's woebegone foster care system has been back in the news lately, with some remarkable stories generating headlines. But only one of these stories likely will make a dramatic difference in how the state takes care of its most vulnerable citizens, and chances are that story will be playing out for years. Consider these headlines: At a remarkably tense legislative hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Sara Gelser of Corvallis, who has been active for years on these issues, told Fariborz Pakseresht, the director of the Department of Human Services, that she had lost confidence in the agency, and she said so in so many words. In response, Pakseresht fumed that these legislative hearings should not be what he called "shaming sessions." He added: "I did not come to this agency to basically put children at harm and I do not appreciate being accused of that." Among the details that recently had grabbed Gelser's attention were reports that the state has been sending children with intellectual and developmental disabilities to out-of-state residential programs, including a 9-year-old who was sent to a Montana program where she was drugged with Benadryl to control her behavior. Last week, Gov. Kate Brown announced the formation of the Child Welfare Oversight Board, a panel charged with developing solutions to challenges within the foster care system. In a somewhat unfortunate turn of phrase, the governor compared this board to a "SWAT team." She said she would issue directives based on the board's recommendations and that a crisis management team would ensure that those changes are implemented. This might have been an approach that could have had some results if Brown had tried it a few years ago. As it turns out, though, there is an entity that almost certainly will be tracking and enforcing needed reforms in the foster-care system, and it likely won't be the governor. Which brings us to the third headline of note: A national nonprofit organization, A Better Childhood, filed a federal lawsuit early last week against the state alleging mismanagement of its 7,500 foster children, particularly minorities and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Lawyers said that the state's caseworkers are overburdened and that for lack of better placement options, children are sent to homeless shelters, refurbished jail cells or out-of-state institutions. The lawsuit was filed a couple of days before Brown announced plans for her SWAT team. She denied that the lawsuit had anything to do with her announcement, saying that plans for the team had been bubbling along for months. You can be the judge of that. But it probably doesn't matter, because here's what's likely will happen next, based on the experiences in other states where similar lawsuits have been filed: Lawyers for the state quickly will realize (if they haven't already) that they don't have a strong legal defense in part because the problems with the Department of Human Services have been so well-documented by entities (including other state agencies) over the years. Lawyers for A Better Childhood will reject the argument that Brown's SWAT team will be able to fix the problems as just another empty promise; they will not be willing to dismiss the suit. Settlement talks, perhaps presided over by the judge or another neutral party, will be launched. That settlement, when it's reached, will be enforced and monitored by a federal judge. It likely will take Oregon years to finally satisfy the terms of the settlement. (According to a fascinating interview aired Wednesday on Oregon Public Broadcasting's "Think Out Loud," Tennessee needed nearly 20 years to develop and sustain the reforms called for in that state's settlement.) It's a shame that it required a federal lawsuit to jump-start this process. But at least there's finally a path that could lead to real reform. (mm) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Azerbaijanis do not allow clergymen to enter David Gareji Monastery, Archimandrite says - GeorgianJournal Apple AirPods 3 with niose cancellation might launch by end of 2019 News oi-Vishal Kawadkar Apple might be working on new AirPods. Apple recently launched the second iteration of its popular AirPods. However, the latest report from DigiTimes suggests that the third generation of the wireless earphones will drop as soon as the end of 2019. If the rumors are to be believed, the AirPods 3 will come with support for noise cancellation, a feature seen on the Sony WF-SP700N. The device is said to be manufactured by Inventec and Luxshare. Before getting too excited, please note these are just reports and aren't confirmed by Apple. Earlier it was reported that the company will be launching the AirPower, however, the company canceled the wireless charging mat altogether. That said, 9to5Mac reported that known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF Industries expects the Cupertino-based company will launch two more AirPods models by the end of 2019 and the first half of 2020. One of two will have similar stemmed aesthetics, while the 2020 version will come with a totally new design. While Kuo did not share any more details, it is likely that noise canceling and water-resistance are in the works. Also, the new iterations are expected to carry the same pricing as the AirPods 2. The Q4 2019 AirPods will be $159 and the overhauled 2020 model will be $199, Kuo hints. As for the latest AirPods 2, the new version offers a better battery life, smart Siri integration, and an optical wireless charging case. Also, they support "Hey Siri" smart assistant which allows users to command the voice assistant to make calls, switch songs, and more. For Indian consumers, the AirPods 2 with the standard case comes at Rs 14,900. While the ones with wireless charging case will cost Rs 18,900. The company will also be selling the standalone Wireless Charging Case for Rs 7,500. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Samsung introduces world's Largest Onyx Cinema LED Screen in India News oi-Karan Sharma Samsung brings the World's Largest Onyx Cinema LED Screen today in India. All you need to know about the latest technology. Samsung along with group company HARMAN today launched the World's Largest Onyx Cinema LED Screen in India's tech capital Bengaluru at the Swagath Cinemas, which will now be rechristened Swagath Onyx Theatre. AR Rahman inaugurated the new theatre today. I have also joined the launch event and experienced the future of the Indian cinema. With a 14 metre screen, the largest Onyx Cinema LED screen format in the world, Swagath Onyx Theatre on Bengaluru will offer powerful, captivating and larger-than-life visuals, transforming the cinema viewing experience for movie lovers. Globally, there are only two other 14-metre Onyx Cinema LED screens installed by Samsung to date, in Malaysia and China. With the installation in Bengaluru India become the third country globally to have the 14 meters Onyx Cinema LED screen. With 618 seats, Swagath Onyx Theatre is also the world's largest theatre that is equipped with an Onyx Cinema LED screen. Acoustics in the theatre have been dramatically upgraded with JBL Professional cinema loudspeakers from HARMAN. During the demonstration of the screen, I was very much flabbergasted with the quality of sound and picture. The pixels were perfect with the help of HDR support. If you are thinking this screen will be made by assembling smalls displays together, then you are wrong it was a whole stand-alone single panel screen. The Onyx screen is 3D applicable with active 3D technology for all 618 seats in the theatre. The 14 metre Onyx Cinema LED Screen in Bengaluru was unveiled in the presence of Moon Goo Chin, Corporate Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India, Puneet Sethi, Vice President, Consumer Electronics Enterprise Business, Samsung India; Prashant Govindan, Head - Professional Solutions, HARMAN India and SAARC; Kishore P, Director, Swagath Group of Cinemas and AR Rahman. The screen is capable of delivering true colors with HDR support with greater vibrancy and accuracy along with sharp contrast, higher levels of brightness and great viewing angles. The most important thing you can also enjoy your movie with the lights on because of its eliminating optical distortion and interference. The Onyx Cinema LED screen comes equipped with an array of solutions including Onyx VIEW, Onyx 3D and Onyx SOUND, providing a uniquely immersive experience. The sound system at Swagath Onyx Theatre is comprised of Onyx Sound, an innovative audio solution that incorporates industry-leading products from the HARMAN family of brands including Crown amplifiers, BSS signal processing, and JBL Professional's loudspeakers and exclusive Sculpted Surround technology. The Onyx Sound reproduces today's dynamic soundtracks with stunning clarity and detail. The system includes six JBL AM 7315 screen array loudspeakers, four JBL 9300 cinema surround loudspeakers, eighteen JBL 9350 + four JBL SCS 12 high impact cinema surround loudspeakers, six JBL AC28/26 used as underfills for the balcony area and nine JBL 5628 dual 18" cinema subwoofers. Processing is provided by a BSS networked audio system, and the entire system is powered by 31 Crown DSi amplifiers. Apart from the new Onyx Cinema LED Screen, Swagath Onyx Theatre in Bengaluru has also upgraded its overall look and feel inside the theatre with refurbished interiors and comfortable seats, even as it retains its heritage look on the outside. Verdict The overall experience of viewing the new Onyx Cinema LED Screen was more whooping than what I have expected. The screen resolution and quality clubbed with the Harman sound system makes this theatre out of the box in all aspects. Though we got the chance of watching some trailer of the new and old movie, I will make sure to catch an entire movie in this theatre for the extraordinary experience. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Pictured is one of three private treatment rooms within FMDH's Emergency Room. With lots of storage and a nurses call button available to patients, everything is centrally located allowing hospital staff to treat the patient as quickly as possible. After a few months of construction, Francis Mahon Deaconess Hospital recently completed construction in the emergency room portion of the hospital and patients as well as ER staff were able to utilize the new space starting on April 18. Due to the completed construction, patients will see changes in the location of the ER as well as a different process for checking in. The former entrance to the Medical Arts Building will be for ambulance use only while the current emergency room entrance, on the backside of the building, will continue to be for walk-in patients. No one will be occupying the check-in desk as you walk into the ER entrance as that space will soon be under construction. When arriving into the ER as a walk-in patient, check-in procedures must be started at the hospital's nurses station, which is down the hallway from the walk-in patient ER entrance. "We are working really hard to have signage in order to direct patients to where they need to go," stated ER/ICU Area Coordinator Cassie Mitchell. After checking-into the nurses station as a walk-in patient or if a person has to be admitted by an ambulance, they will see a huge difference in the layout of the ER. Comprised of three private treatment rooms, instead of two open bed bays, a triage room, a decontamination room, a procedure room and a trauma room, everything is more centrally located than before. There is also an ER nurses station, a provider's office, a ward clerk desk, a small nutrition center, as well as storage room. "In the past, if a patient had chemicals on them, they would have to go outside from the ambulance, into a trailer to get washed down, then go back outside to go into the hospital. Now the decontamination room has outdoor access so an ambulance can pull right in, get the patient washed down in the room, and then get them into a room for treatment," said Mitchell. "The private rooms will allow more privacy when getting admitted. There will be a call button in every room so even without the openness of the previous ER a nurse is always nearby. The previous ER was great for the health standards of 30 years ago however not for today's standards. We have been wanting a new ER for a very long time and are very excited to finally be getting one." Michelle Bigelbach / The Courier Pictured is the brand new FMDH trauma room, which was formerly occupied by the general surgery department and the orthopedic and Hi-Line Med Spa departments in the Medical Arts Building. Trauma patients brought in via ambulance will be wheeled right into the room, allowing for quick treatment. The triage room will be utilized for patients who need outpatient administration of antibiotics for the time being, with future plans to utilize it as a triage room. "We hope we never have to use it for triage, however now we have a room if the need arises," said Mitchell. The procedure room will allow emergency doctors to do simple procedures such as casting and sutures, and be an overflow space for trauma patients. The new trauma room, bigger in size than it was previously, is located right inside the doors of the former Medical Arts Building, so if an emergency arises, the ambulance will be able to bring the patient right into the room and allow the medical staff to do what they need to quickly. "There is a private film on the doors so there is complete privacy for the patient when they get brought in," assured Mitchell. After construction was complete, the next task was to move all of the necessary equipment into the new space "The equipment is still well within health standards and relatively new. For example, the defibrillators for the crash carts we got just last year," said Mitchell. The next phase of construction for the hospital includes remodeling where the emergency room was in order to build a new hospital nurses station and an inpatient pharmacy. Mitchell recognizes the change for patients, especially when in an emergency situation, might be overwhelming however signs will be available to direct patients to where they need to go. "Please make sure to watch out for the signs," stressed Mitchell. Sen. Mike Lang Votes No HB 658, likely the most contested bill in the 2019 Montana Legislative Session referred to commonly as the Medicaid Expansion Bill - passed the Senate on a vote of 26-24. The Senate bill included a number of amendments that were then sent back to the House, who confirmed it by the same 61-35 vote tally. The primary difference between the House and Senate versions was the addition of a sunset clause. Originally, HB 658, carried by Rep. Ed Buttrey (R) of Great Falls, was titled An act generally revising healthcare laws and permanently expanding Medicaid. That however was not the case. In the Senate version the bill was amended to include a sunset clause of June 30, 2025. Setting the program which provides one in every 10 Montanans with health insurance up for another legislative showdown in six years. Also added to the Senate bill was a fee on outpatient services provided at hospitals. The fee would be used to offset the costs associated with the bill which will be 90 percent funded by the Federal Government and 10 percent funded by the state. Originally, Medicaid expansion in Montana passed under the HELP Act in 2015. At that time, the program was 100 percent funded by the Federal Government and has been tapered off to the 90 percent margin over the years. Under the Affordable Care Act the U.S. government will continue to fund the program at 90 percent indefinitely or until the law changes. Responding to questions from The Glasgow Courier and reported in the April 3 edition, Sen. Mike Lang (R Malta) had initially indicated he would support the measure pending certain amendments. He never actually stated which amendments he needed to see in the bill, but he had stated the bill would have winners and losers referring to a fear for long-term care funding. At press time, Lang had not responded to an email asking for comment on his vote. He did say in a video on social media that he was opposed to the bill due to its large fiscal requirements and the people it purports to help. We are making this thing available to people that are able bodied to work, said Lang, but they are not working. According to a study commissioned by the Montana Healthcare Association, 70 percent of enrollees covered under Medicaid expansion are employed and another 12 percent are disabled. A separate study by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research showed that labor force participation for enrollees increased since the passage of Medicaid expansion in 2015, increasing by 8.5 percent. The bill that passed the Montana Senate does include work requirements for people able to work between 19 and 55. Those on the program who are unemployed but able bodied must complete 80 hours of community engagement and job-related training a month to maintain benefits. Lang said later in the video, The best healthcare plan is to have a good job. When youre working youll feel good about yourself and youll find a way to take care of yourself. Lang also pointed out, that 65 percent of his district voted against Medicaid expansion in the last election. That vote, however, was to establish a tobacco tax to fund Medicaid expansion in the state, and did not address Medicaid expansion as a whole. Measure I-185 was bitterly fought by tobacco companies in Montana and many local representatives actively wrote letters and campaigned against the measure citing concerns over a new tax. The initiative would have increased the tobacco tax to two dollars a pack and add a tax on vaping to fund Medicaid expansion. The tobacco companies saw to it that the measure was the most expensive campaign in Montana history, spending over $26 million to defeat it. With the passage of Medicaid Expansion anyway, the funding for the measure will come from the general fund and the newly imposed hospital utilization fee. The bill will now head to Gov. Steve Bullocks (D) desk where it is expected to be signed into law. The key to my success as a superintendent is my staff, my community, my teachers and my board. I am only as successful as the people I work with, from teachers, bus drivers, aides, substitute teachers, janitorial staff, the entire building is dedicated to the students. I am grateful for them, thankful for what they do each and every day. I am excited to be a part of it all. This was the first thing that Nashua School superintendent James Russell said when sitting down with The Glasgow Courier on April 18 to discuss the successes of Nashua students and future plans for the school. It is clear Mr. Russell credits everyone around him and who are involved in Nashua school students lives for the success of the students. Without them, Nashua students would not have the ability to go above and beyond in their role as students. For example, on April 8, Kaitlyn Miller brought awareness to childhood hunger by hosting a silent auction that brought in a little over $1,500 to fund the Nashua school snack pack program. The entire student body dressed in orange on April 10 to bring awareness to childhood hunger. The Nashua Jobs for Montana Graduates (JMG) students are currently in the process of cleaning up and refurbishing the visitors locker room. One student has even designed a mural that will be put up. They brought the idea to the school board with a presentation because they had school pride. They wanted to make the school their own, said Russell regarding their motivation to taking on the project. Older students read to younger students during I Love to Read Week and students came together during the week of the famous Cat/Griz game, bringing in over 400 pounds of food, which was donated to the Valley County Food Bank. Juniors and seniors are also going above and beyond by taking dual credit classes at Miles Community College in order to earn college credit while in high school. My staff is always looking for ways to improve. They are willing to listen and share ideas. My school board is constantly looking for ways to support our teachers and students by giving them experiences and broadening their horizons, said Russell. This show of support of one another was apparent when the idea of installing and implementing a greenhouse on school grounds was first brought up. The lunch ladies recently received a grant to update their salad bar and I was looking for ways to get the students involved. Building a greenhouse came about because so many programs and classes can implement it into their curriculum, stated Russell. The greenhouse is still in the developing stages, however teachers, the community and the school board are excited to see it come into fruition. There will be community plots around it, and the goal is to use it year-round, though in Northeast Montana, that might not always be possible. The goal is to also produce enough to stock the salad bar two to three days a week, continued Russell. There are so many opportunities with a greenhouse. There are so many different programs that can be tied into it. The maintenance of the greenhouse will be up to the students and tied into the various classes. It really gives them the opportunity to be a part of the process. Another improvement down the road is to add additional classes to the dual-credit classes offered through Miles Community College. Currently only psychology and statistic classes are available, however the hope is to be able to broaden to include science and English classes as well. It gives the students the opportunity to earn college credit and helps us give them experience for college, while also saving money in the long run, said Russell. The teachers of the students who take advantage of the program put in extra work to make sure there is clear communication between the students professor and the teacher. At the beginning of the school year, Russell presented the elementary school students with the saying, Have Fun, Work Hard, and Be Kind. Unknown to him at the time, that saying would stay with the students through winter break and even while the school year is winding down. After visiting with each elementary class on April 18, he decided to turn the saying into the mantra Porcupines are kind; Porcupines have fun; and Porcupines work hard. With the assistance of students and staff, signs will be made and hung throughout the school. We have great junior and high students who are supportive of each other and the younger students. The school is a family. We are able to do things because the students help the school grow, stated Russell. Our teachers care about the students. I have a fantastic staff who are dedicated and passionate about their students. We have such fantastic schools in our area, and their [the teachers] hard work shines a spotlight in our area of how great our teachers are. I am excited to see where we go in the future, and I am truly driven by fantastic teachers, students and the community, continued Russell. There is a saying It takes a village to raise a child. Nashua is taking that saying seriously for every student in the school, not only by going the extra mile but also working together as a staff, as community members and as school board members to make a difference in their lives. Glasgow resident Betty Stone was awarded the Tourism Ambassador of the Year award on April 15 by Lt. Governor Mike Cooney at the Governor's Conference on Tourism and Recreation in Butte. Stone was one of five people nominated for the award from throughout the state and upon hearing her name called to receive the award, "I have been told I screeched out loud, but I don't remember doing that!" laughed Stone. The award is a lifetime achievement award, encompassing all of the projects she has worked on over the years. Fellow members and organizations within the tourism sector including the Glasgow Chamber, Missouri River Country and Two Rivers Economic Growth nominated Stone for this prestigious award. "I have been told lots of letters were submitted on my behalf. It's a real humbling recognition as really the whole community comes together for a project," stated Stone. Stone first got involved in the tourism sector 30 years ago when she started working as a general manager of the Cottonwood Inn. "My involvement in tourism just grew from being in the business." Her philosophy in life, 'To make a difference,' motivated her to stay involved even after retiring from the Cottonwood. "Tourism is such a great industry and great to be involved in. People are so energetic and proactive. There are so many people with creative ideas and projects," said Stone. Tourism is funded through a four percent lodging facility use tax, commonly known as the Bed Tax. According to Stone, it was started in 1988, and at that time collection was $40,264 in Valley County. In 2018, it was $174,559 and between 2017 and 2018, Valley County was up 19 percent. Currently, Stone volunteers on the board of directors of the Missouri River Country Tourism Region and is a part of Two Rivers Economic Growth, Glasgow Downtown Association, Glasgow Tourism Business Improvement District, Montana State Parks and the Montana Lodging and Hospitality Association. She also facilitates the development of the Glasgow Tourism Business Improvement District and has been instrumental in Glasgow's new brand and wayfinding projects. To say Stone wears lots of hats is an understatement however because of those various roles, she has been able to assist in increasing tourism to Glasgow and the surrounding areas. One project that she is most proud of being a part of is the first tourism project she was involved in. The Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Project included putting up interpretive signage along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in the state, where one currently resides on the overlook out at Fort Peck Lake. Other projects Stone has had a hand in include the Milk River Observation Point, Homerun Pond at Sullivan Park and getting signage created pointing tourists to the must-sees of the area as well as setting up information kiosks throughout the city. Current projects Stone is working on include putting up the signage that was created in order to direct those passing through, and even those who live here and not know about the hidden gems, to local attractions and local places of the area. "People don't know there is a downtown when on the highway. The signs will get people into town to see Glasgow," stated Stone. In addition to the signs, there will also be information kiosks at the high school, the Valley Event Center and at the corner of the addition of Busted Knuckle Brewery. "Those kiosks will show locations to go to, and even mileage to nearby attractions such as the Fort Peck Summer Theatre and the lake. It will also have vinyl covers, so when new places come into the area or if a place moves, we can easily update the information," explained Stone. Another project is working on getting a trail from Highway 2 to the Smith Park bicycle camp, across from the Cottonwood Inn. "We are currently working on getting the trail and the hope is to have it done this summer," explained Stone. Stone does not take all of the credit for the successes and accomplishments of the projects she has worked on and seen into fruition. "The great thing about Glasgow is the community works together. The Chamber, TBID, Two Rivers Economic Growth, the City of Glasgow, Valley County schools, everyone works well together and mesh together." Valley County schools are holding regular elections on Tuesday, May 7, and a large number of the schools in the county are asking for voters to cast their vote to fill trustee term positions with some schools also asking to pass a fund levy reques... Jerry Lee Jacobson, 82, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in Great Falls, Mont., on Sunday, April 7, 2019. A celebration of life will be held at First Baptist Church in Glasgow, Mont., on Saturday, May 25, at 2 p.m., with a private burial at a later date. Jerry was born in Glasgow to Charles and Loetta (Christenson) Jacobson on May 27, 1936. He attended school in Glasgow and following graduation joined the Navy in 1955. After returning home, he met Dora Lou Scanson and married her on Jan. 21, 1961. They were blessed with 58 wonderful years together and two children, Brett and Sonda. After marriage, they both attended Northern Montana College where Jerry received his teaching degree. He taught school in Terry, Mont., and Miles City, Mont., for several years then became an FBI agent in 1969. In 1974 he transferred to the US Forest Service as a special agent, which took the family to Idaho through 1979, Colorado through 1985, and teaching at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Ga., through 1987. They returned to Montana where Jerry retired out of Missoula in 1994, after which he and Dora Lou relocated for the final time back home to their property north of Glasgow. In the fall of 1998, Jerry was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome which kept him hospitalized for almost two years. Dora Lou stayed in a recliner next to his bed the entire time. He miraculously survived and later wrote a book "My Wake-Up Call" which tells the battle of his recovery. Jerry loved spending time with family and was always ready to help anyone in need. He was very active in Valley County with law enforcement training and was very knowledgeable in installing audio equipment for the museum and his church. He enjoyed hunting and was an avid reader and photographer. While traveling to many areas in Montana, Jerry created an extensive display of scenic photos, the majority of which have since been published in books. He was honored by the Montana Historical Society for some of his work. He was preceded in death by his parents; cousin and best friend Charles McVee, who was like a brother to him; brother-in-law Esten Scanson; and several very special aunts, uncles and cousins. He is survived by his wife Dora Lou; son Brett; daughter Sonda; five grandchildren, Lenny, Britni, Seth, Chelsea and Nicole; four great-grandchildren, Adam, Eileen, Tucker and Dulcie; the McVee, Myhre and Scanson families; and many dear friends and extended family across the nation. In lieu of flowers, family requests memorial donations in Jerry's name be made to the Valley County Historical Society, Pioneer Museum, in Glasgow. Melvin J. Dyrland, 83, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, at his home north of Glentana, Mont. A vigil will be held 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Glentana. A mass of Christian burial will be 11 a.m., Saturday, April 27, at Holy Family Catholic Church with celebrant Father Jose Valliparambil with burial following in the Glentana Cemetery. A reception will follow burial at the Glentana Hall. Melvin was born May 12, 1935, in Rockglen, Saskatchewan, to Elmer and Christina (Martens) Dyrland. In 1939 he moved with his parents to the old Mikkelson Farm where he resided until his death. Melvin had many dogs over his lifetime but was especially attached as a young boy to a dog named Bob. He attended school for three years in Glentana, then went to the Hopper Country School, located just half a mile east of the Dyrland Farm. After finishing eighth-grade, Melvin attended high school in Opheim, Mont., from where he graduated in 1954. After graduating, he helped his parents on the farm until 1958 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Melvin went to training in Colorado and Texas, then on to Darmstadt, Germany, where he was stationed for 20 months. While there he met the love of his life, Ursula Hinkel, and married in August of 1959. Ursula arrived in the United States in January and Melvin arrived in February of 1960. The young Dyrlands lived for some time with his parents. In July of 1960, daughter Gloria was born and then in 1962 son Norman joined the family. Melvin, being an excellent carpenter, remodeled the old farm house and it was moved to its current location. In April of 1964 another son, Melvin M. arrived. Melvin was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church and held many offices, including being one of the first Eucharistic Ministers. Melvin served on many board of directors: Northern Electric (Noval) for a number of years, original board for getting Highway 248 paved, and Farmers Union Station in Richland, Mont. He was a member of the American Legion and a 4-H leader. Some of Melvin's hobbies were woodworking, creating things out of iron, and picking special rocks on the farm. He enjoyed numerous travels to Germany with his wife. Melvin enjoyed and loved all his grandchildren and was awaiting the fourth great-grandchild. He is survived by his wife Ursula; daughter Gloria (Roger), of Rapid City, S.D.; two sons, Norman (Twila), of Kremlin, Mont., and Melvin M. (Jacky), of Glentana; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Dear Editor, On April 2, 2019, Montana Senators Jon Tester (D) and Steve Daines (R) announced their bipartisan support of the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act to fund research, training, and servi... Former State Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Foreign Agents FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Defendant Admitted Receiving Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Benefits From Two Chinese Agents in Exchange for Internal State Department Documents Candace Marie Claiborne, a former employee of the U.S. Department of State, pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States, by lying to law enforcement and background investigators, and hiding her extensive contacts with, and gifts from, agents of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in exchange for providing them with internal documents from the U.S. State Department. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI's Washington Field Office and Deputy Assistant Secretary Ricardo Colon, Domestic Operations, U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. The plea took place before the Honorable Randolph D. Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. "Candace Marie Claiborne traded her integrity and non-public information of the United States government in exchange for cash and other gifts from foreign agents she knew worked for the Chinese intelligence service," said Assistant Attorney General Demers. "She withheld information and lied repeatedly about these contacts. Violations of the public's trust are an affront to our citizens and to all those who honor their oaths. With this guilty plea we are one step closer to imposing justice for these dishonorable criminal acts." "Candace Claiborne broke the public trust when she accepted gifts and money from foreign officials, and then lied about it to State Department background investigators," said U.S. Attorney Liu. "The United States will continue to seek to hold accountable those who abuse their positions of trust." "Candace Claiborne was entrusted with Top Secret information when she purposefully misled federal investigators about her repeated interactions with foreign contacts which violated her oath of office as a State Department employee," said Assistant Director McNamara. "The FBI will continue to investigate individuals who fail to report foreign contacts, which is a key indicator of potential insider threats posed by those in positions of public trust." "Our close working relationship with the FBI and the Department of Justice resulted in the conviction of Candace Claiborne who violated the public trust and damaged our national security," said Deputy Assistant Secretary Colon. "Diplomatic Security will continue working with our law enforcement partners to vigorously defend the interests and security of the United States of America." According to the plea documents, Claiborne, 63, began working as an Office Management Specialist for the Department of State in 1999. She served overseas at a number of posts, including embassies and consulates in Baghdad, Iraq, Khartoum, Sudan, and Beijing and Shanghai, China. As a condition of her employment, Claiborne maintained a TOP SECRET security clearance. Claiborne also was required to report any contacts with persons suspected of affiliation with a foreign intelligence agency as well as any gifts she received from foreign sources over a certain amount. Despite such a requirement, Claiborne failed to report repeated contacts with two agents of the People's Republic of China Intelligence Service, even though these agents provided tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and benefits to Claiborne and her family over five years. The gifts and benefits included cash wired to Claiborne's USAA account, Chinese New Year's gifts, international travel and vacations, tuition at a Chinese fashion school, a fully furnished apartment, a monthly stipend and numerous cash payments. Some of these gifts and benefits were provided directly to Claiborne, while others were provided to a close family member of Claiborne's. In exchange for these gifts and benefits, as stated in the plea documents, Claiborne provided copies of internal documents from the State Department on topics ranging from U.S. economic strategies to visits by dignitaries between the two countries. Claiborne noted in her journal that she could "Generate 20k in 1 year" working with one of the PRC agents. That same agent at one point tasked her with providing internal U.S. Government analyses on a U.S.-Sino Strategic Economic Dialogue that had just concluded. Claiborne, who confided to a co-conspirator that the PRC agents were "spies," willfully misled State Department background investigators and FBI investigators about her contacts with those agents, the plea documents state. After the State Department and FBI investigators contacted her, Claiborne also instructed her co-conspirators to delete evidence connecting her to the PRC agents. She was arrested on March 28, 2017, following a law enforcement investigation. Judge Moss scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2019. Claiborne, of Washington, D.C., was ordered detained pending sentencing, but will self-surrender for said detention on June 5, 2019. The statutory maximum penalty for a person convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States is five years in prison. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court after considering the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI's Washington Field Office is leading the investigation into this matter. The case was prosecuted by Thomas A. Gillice and investigated by John L. Hill, both Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, and Deputy Chief Julie A. Edelstein and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Attachment(s): Download Claiborne Plea Agreement Topic(s): National Security Component(s): Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Security Division (NSD) USAO - District of Columbia Press Release Number: 19-415 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli spies may infiltrate into Lebanon under tourism guise, intel agency warns Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 04:29PM The Lebanese intelligence agency has warned that people affiliated to Israel's Mossad spy agency and in close collaboration with the Tel Aviv regime's authorities could infiltrate into the Arab country arranging tourism trips. "The Israeli enemy is trying to enter Lebanon by recruiting its agents in delegations under the cover of "tourist trips", in order to use them for security purposes inside Lebanon," the General Security Directorate announced in a statement released on Wednesday. "The Directorate urges citizens, travel and tourism offices not to fall victim to individuals or companies claiming to organize various tourist trips to Lebanon, or promote them by email or through social networking sites, unless they have official representatives," it added. On March 19, Lebanese intelligence forces arrested a Lebanese-Canadian man on charges of spying for Mossad through gathering intelligence about the Hezbollah resistance movement and missing Israeli pilot Ron Arad. The suspect, identified only by his initials as F.G., admitted during interrogation that he was recruited by fugitive Lebanese spy N.G. in 2013. N.G. currently chairs a division in the 504 Unit of the Israeli intelligence service. F.G. also confessed that he had been assigned to recruit Lebanese people to infiltrate Hezbollah's support zone and collect security information for Israel, including hints about the missing pilot. The 41-year-old suspect was referred to related judiciary officials, and efforts are underway to arrest those who worked with him. The Lebanese Army's intelligence branch stated on November 12 last year that it had arrested a man suspected of spying for Mossad as he was attempting to cross the southern border into occupied Palestinian territories. The army said the man, identified as Mohammad Hussein Fakih, was captured in the village of Meiss Ej Jabal, situated some 78 kilometers (49 miles) south of the capital Beirut. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address GCHQ rejects claims that it was asked by Obama admin. to spy on Trump Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:34PM The British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) has rejected claims that it was asked by the administration of former President Barrack Obama to spy on then-President Elect Donald Trump after the 2016 presidential election. A GCHQ spokesman made the comments Wednesday after President Trump tweeted that a former CIA analyst, Larry Johnson, had made the allegation against London. "As we have previously stated, the allegations that GCHQ was asked to conduct 'wire tapping' against the then President Elect are nonsense. They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored," Reuters quoted the spokesman as saying. Trump himself sounded alarming on Twitter, referencing an indefinite time of "beauty" when the allegations are allegedly confirmed. "It is now just a question of time before the truth comes out, and when it does, it will be a beauty!" The Buckingham Palace had confirmed hours earlier that President Trump would visit the UK in June. After his working visit last year, Trump is scheduled to visit the UK from June 3-5 for an official state visit as a guest of Queen Elizabeth II. The right wing news channel One America News Network, which Trump quoted, is apparently known for reporting false stories and fake news. Johnson, who left the CIA more than 26 years ago, was previously known for spreading a hoax in 2008 that Michelle Obama had used a slur against white Americans. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CJTF-OIR Strike Summary April 7- 20, 2019 U.S. Central Command Release No: 19-024 April 24, 2019 April 24, 2019 Release # 20190424-01 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners continue to target and pursue the enduring defeat of Daesh. CJTF-OIR and partner forces have liberated nearly 110,000 square kilometers (42,471 square miles) from Daesh; as a result, 7.7 million people no longer live under Daesh oppression. CJTF-OIR remains committed to the enduring defeat of Daesh to improve conditions for peace and stability in the region, and to protect all our homelands from Daesh's terrorist threat. Strike Summary Between April 7 - 20, 2019, CJTF-OIR conducted 18 strikes consisting of 36 engagements against Daesh targets in Iraq, there were no strikes conducted in Syria. In Iraq, CJTF-OIR conducted 18 strikes consisting of 36 engagements, engaged 10 Daesh tactical units, and destroyed eight buildings, three tunnels, and two caves. Between April 7 - 20, 2019, CJTF-OIR detected 42 strikes from other actors that crossed the Euphrates River Valley. CJTF-OIR is committed to avoiding and in every case minimizing civilian casualties; CJTF-OIR calls on all other actors in the area to observe the same precautions. This Coalition strike release contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing, or remotely piloted aircraft, rocket propelled artillery and ground-based tactical artillery. A strike, as defined in the Coalition release, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative effect in that location. For example, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone Daesh vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of Daesh-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined. CJTF-OIR does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. The information used to compile the daily strike releases is based on 'Z' or Greenwich Mean Time. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 24, 2019 News Release Press Operations Release No. NR-101-19 Navy to Christen Expeditionary Fast Transport Guam The Navy will christen its newest high-speed transport vessel, the future USNS Guam (T-HST 1), during a 10 a.m. Japan Standard Time ceremony Saturday, April 27, in Okinawa, Japan. USNS Guam is named to honor the long-standing historical and military relationship between Guam and the United States. She will be the fourth ship to bear the name Guam. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Korea Harry B. Harris Jr. will be the principal speaker, and Mrs. Bruni Bradley, a 25-year Navy veteran and wife of Harris, will serve as the ship's sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. "This ship honors the island of Guam and the important contributions Guamanians have made to our nation and our Navy and Marine Corps team," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. "For decades to come, USNS Guam and its crew will carry on the Guamanian tradition of service by providing our commanders with much needed high-speed sealift mobility and agility." Long before Guam joined the U.S. as a territory, the island had a military relationship with the United States. The long-standing historical and military relationship between Guam and the U.S. began in 1898 when the U.S. acquired the island from Spain as a result of the Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American War. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese captured Guam, and they occupied it until U.S. troops retook the island July 21, 1944, commemorated in Guam every year as "Liberation Day." Guam continues to host many critical U.S. military installations. USNS Guam is an aluminum catamaran designed to be fast, flexible and maneuverable, even in austere port conditions, making the vessel ideal for transporting troops and equipment quickly. USNS Guam's 25,000-square-foot mission-bay areas can be quickly reconfigured for any cargo requirement, from supporting disaster relief to transporting troops and equipment. The ship is preceded in service by the patrol gunboat USS Guam (PG 43), which was renamed Wake in 1941 and captured by the Japanese later that year, the Alaska-class large cruiser USS Guam (CB 2) in service 1944-1947, and the Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship USS Guam (LPH 9) in service 1965-1998. Media members may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342. https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1823175/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address April 24, 2019 News Release Press Operations Release No. NR-102-19 Navy to Christen Guided-Missile Destroyer Lyndon B. Johnson The Navy will christen its newest Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer, the future USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002), during a 10 a.m. EST ceremony Saturday, April 27, at General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine. The third ship in the Zumwalt-class, DDG 1002 is named in honor of President Lyndon B. Johnson, who served in office from 1963-1969, and will be the first ship to bear his name. Lynda Johnson Robb and Luci Johnson, the two daughters of the former president, will serve as the ship's sponsors. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the sisters will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. Robb will also serve as the principal speaker. "The future USS Lyndon B. Johnson will serve for decades as a reminder of President Johnson's service to our nation and support of a strong Navy and Marine Corps team," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. "This ship honors not only President Johnson's service, but also the service of our industry partners who are vital in making the Navy the nation needs." Johnson served as a U.S. Navy Reserve officer before being called to active duty after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He requested a combat assignment and served in the Pacific theater. After returning from active duty, Johnson reported to Navy leaders and Congress what he believed were deplorable living conditions for the warfighters. He continued to fight for better standards for all military members. Johnson's time as president was marked by the passage of programs that greatly influenced and affected education, healthcare and civil rights for generations to come. He signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, enacting comprehensive provisions protecting the right to vote and prohibiting racial discrimination by employers. His work on civil rights continued with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed voting rights for all people, regardless of race. The multi-mission Zumwalt-class destroyers will be capable of performing a range of deterrence, power projection, sea control, and command and control missions while allowing the Navy to evolve with new systems and missions. Zumwalt ships are 610 feet long, have a beam of 80.7 feet, displace almost 16,000 tons, and are capable of making 30 knots speed. Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342. For more information on this class of ship, visit the Navy fact file at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=900&ct=4 https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1823182/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Polar Security Cutter Contract Awarded to Recapitalize Nation's Arctic Capabilities Navy News Service Story Number: NNS190424-15 Release Date: 4/24/2019 2:57:00 PM From NAVSEA and Coast Guard Public Affairs WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Today, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, through an Integrated Program Office (IPO), awarded VT Halter Marine Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi, a fixed price incentive (firm) contract for the Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) of the Coast Guard's lead Polar Security Cutter (PSC). The initial award is valued at $745.9 million and supports non-recurring engineering and detail design of the PSC class as well as procurement of long lead-time materials and construction of the first ship. The contract also includes options for the construction of two additional PSCs. If all options are exercised, the total contract value is $1.9 billion. PSCs support a wide range of Coast Guard missions including search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, environmental response, and national defense missions. The U.S. Coast Guard is the nation's lead agency responsible for providing assured surface access in the polar regions. This contract award supports the United States' ability to recapitalize heavy polar icebreaker capabilities that are vital to our nation's ability to conduct national missions, respond to critical events, and project presence in the polar regions. "Against the backdrop of great power competition, the Polar Security Cutter is key to our nation's presence in the polar regions," said Admiral Karl L. Schultz, Commandant of the Coast Guard. "With the strong support of both the Trump Administration and the United States Congress, this contract award marks an important step towards building the nation's full complement of six polar icebreakers to meet the unique mission demands that have emerged from increased commerce, tourism, research, and international activities in the Arctic and Antarctic." The acquisition of Polar Security Cutters is being jointly managed across the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard through an IPO that leverages the expertise and utilizes best practices across each enterprise to deliver a fleet of highly capable, multi-mission ships in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible. NAVSEA is the lead contracting authority. "This contract award reflects the great benefit achieved by integrating the incredible talents of U.S. Coast Guard and Navy acquisition and shipbuilding professionals to deliver best value at speed," said James Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. "Working with our industry partners, the team identified approximately $300 million in cost avoidances and accelerated the schedule for delivery of this capability to the nation by almost three years. This reflects the urgency in which we are operating to ensure we deliver capabilities necessary to support the U.S. Coast Guard and the nation's missions in the polar regions." Construction on the first PSC is planned to begin in 2021 with delivery planned for 2024; however, the contract includes financial incentives for earlier delivery. The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy are committed to working together to ensure the success of this program and to deliver the capabilities necessary to meet national defense and homeland security mission demands in the polar regions. For information regarding contract award details, contact NAVSEA Public Affairs (202-781-4123 or 202-781-0693). For information regarding the Polar Security Cutter, contact Coast Guard Public Affairs (202-372-4630 or 202-603-3281). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fire in Southern Guam Contained by HSC-25 Navy News Service Story Number: NNS190424-07 Release Date: 4/24/2019 12:25:00 PM From Commander, Amphibious Force 7th Fleet Public Affairs ANDERSEN AIR BASE, Guam (NNS) -- The Guam-based "Island Knights" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 provided aerial firefighting for southern Guam, along the northeastern edge of the Naval Magazine, when a brush fire quickly began to spread and threaten local homes of Santa Rita. U.S. Navy Fire and Joint Regions Marianas notified HSC-25 Sunday evening the fire was out of control and HSC-25's assistance was required. The HSC-25 aerial firefighting was led by Aircraft Commander Lt. Nicklaus Gfeller and successfully contained the fire using 4200 gallons of water. "The maintenance duty section did a fantastic job of quickly modifying the aircraft configuration to support fire bucket operations," Gfeller said. "The flight crew quickly found our rhythm to effectively drop water on the fire to contain it." The incident was the 2nd firefighting request to HSC-25 in 2019 to date. "Our sailors work diligently day-in and day-out to ensure our aircraft are capable of 24/7 support anywhere in the CNMI [Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands].," HSC-25 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Frank Loforti said. "Yesterday's aerial firefighting was one of the many examples of how rewarding their hard work can be. I could not be more proud of the Island Knight maintainers and flight crew this Easter evening." HSC-25 provides a multi-mission rotary wing capability for units in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations and maintains a Guam-based 24-hour search and rescue, and medical evacuation capability, directly supporting U.S. Coast Guard and Joint Region Marianas. HSC-25 is the Navy's only forward-deployed MH-60S expeditionary squadron. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Newport Arctic Scholars Initiative Symposium Held in Norway Navy News Service Story Number: NNS190424-11 Release Date: 4/24/2019 2:54:00 PM From U.S. Naval War College Public Affairs BERGEN, Norway (NNS) -- Seventeen Newport Arctic Scholars Initiative (NASI) researchers and their co-lead scholars from seven Arctic nations met for their capstone meeting at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in Bergen, Norway, April 8-9, 2019. "The nations assembled here have kept the Arctic peaceful and stable and still the only one of our world's oceans that remains free of conflict and war," said Walter Berbrick, U.S. Naval War College (NWC) associate professor and co-lead scholar for NASI. "The strength of the initiative is that despite our differences, we're able to unite around our common goals." The scholars participated in meetings and discussion groups during the symposium. Some also participated in NWC's Regional Alumni Symposium, where NASI's results over the preceding 12 months were presented to senior Navy leadership. The focus of the past year has been research on principles for seapower in the Arctic region. They first met in April 2018 and also again in October 2018. "Our goal this week is to finalize the work you accomplished at our previous meetings. We have agreed on confidence-building measures; sharing awareness and capabilities; exploring rapid regional response and readiness; and building regional partnerships," Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harley, president, Naval War College, wrote in welcome remarks. "These steps, and more, will be necessary to address the future challenges of operating in the changing Arctic environment." Professor Lars Saunes, co-lead scholar for NASI and retired chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy, who now teaches at the Naval War College, explained how other nations have approached the Arctic. "China and Russia are adapting to a maritime strategy of promoting soft economic and diplomatic power of influence, combined with development of hard military power to command regional seas," said Saunes. "In many ways the 'Mahan naval strategy' is renewed and redesigned in the Arctic as well as in the South China Sea." As nations take concrete steps to work together to address shared security and defense challenges, NASI offers a collaborative model for scholarly exchange to help translate theory into practice, officials said. "Through our initiative, our nations and navies have developed new friendships and partnerships, including the recognition of bringing Russia into future multinational, collaborative research efforts looking at Arctic security issues. This has made all of us smarter, stronger and more secure," said Berbrick. The Newport Arctic Scholars Initiative is a U.S. Naval War College program that brings together scholars and sailors from Arctic nations to address seapower-related research questions concerning the collective defense and security of the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan military rulers urge talks ahead of 'million-man' march Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 02:39PM There is expected to be a million-man march in Sudan on Thursday, according to protest leaders who demand a peaceful transition to civilian rule; and at the same time the military council has called for talks with the Alliance for Freedom and Change. "We are calling for a million (people to) march on Thursday," said Ahmed al-Rabia, a senior leader of the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which led the protests against deposed President Omar al-Bashir. The SPA said in a separate statement that the march calls for "civilian rule" in the country. Sudan has been the scene of demonstrations since December 19, when the government decided to triple the price of bread. The public display of anger escalated into calls for Bashir to step down. He was toppled by the military on April 11. Protesters, however, have continued to stage a sit-in, demanding the Transitional Military Council (TMC) hand over power to civilians. The council has said it would rule Sudan for a two-year transition period. The very military authority, however, invited the protest leaders for talks later on Wednesday. "The military council invites the leaders of the Alliance for Freedom and Change to a meeting at the presidential palace this evening," the TMC said a statement. Similar talks were suspended on Sunday over the military rulers' refusal to immediately cede power. The protest leaders on Wednesday also threatened to stage a "general strike" unless their demand is met. Answering a journalist's question on what steps would be taken if the TMC fails to transfer power, protest leader Siddiq Farouk threatened "escalatory measures." "We will launch a million-strong march, and we are preparing for a general strike." On April 15, the African Union threatened to suspend Sudan's membership unless the council carried out the transition within 15 days. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China complains about undue foreign navigation in maritime space Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 08:02AM China has urged countries to refrain from using the freedom of navigation practice as a pretext to infringe upon the rights of others. "Freedom of navigation is a concept widely recognized by the international community. However, it should not be used as an excuse to infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of littoral states," China's Navy chief Shen Jinlong said on Wednesday. Shen was speaking at a forum in the eastern city of Qingdao, following a major naval parade that marked 70 years since the founding of the Chinese Navy. While he did not name any country, his remark was clearly addressed to the United States, which routinely sails warships and flies warplanes close to territory claimed by China but disputed by other regional countries. "We adhere to non-conflict and non-confrontation and strive to be a stabilizer for maritime peace," Shen said. "[But] respect for the rules is the cornerstone of maritime good order." China regards the US military patrols near its territories as a provocation. Those patrols often take place in the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the South China Sea as its territory. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and others, however, dispute that territorial claim. The two-million-strong Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army, is the world's largest fighting force, and the Chinese Navy is the world's biggest maritime force. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghan Civilian Casualties Down; Coalition Forces Killed More Than Taliban By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan April 24, 2019 KABUL -- A report by the United Nations says U.S. and Afghan government forces killed more civilians than the number killed by Taliban fighters and other militants for the first time during a three-month period since the UN began keeping records on civilian casualties in 2009. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) noted that civilian casualties from the war in Afghanistan fell by almost 25 percent during the first three months of 2019 compared to the same period a year earlier with a total of 581 civilians killed and 1,192 wounded. When the number of civilians killed and wounded were combined, the UNAMA report says attacks by Taliban and other militants still caused more casualties than pro-government forces. "A shocking number of civilians continue to be killed and maimed each day," UNAMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto said in a statement calling on all sides to do more to protect civilians. Yamamoto said militants should stop deliberately targeting civilians and using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) such as roadside bombs, while pro-government forces should reduce the civilian death toll from air strikes and search operations. The UNAMA report said a total of 145 civilians were killed during the first three months of 2019 by U.S. and Afghan government air strikes. It said 140 of those deaths were caused by U.S. air strikes. The report documented four suicide attacks by militants during the first three months of the year that killed or wounded 178 civilians. During the same period in 2018, the report says, a total of 19 militant attacks resulted in 751 civilian casualties. On April 23, Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission put out its own report on civilian casualties from the war in Afghanistan. It said a total of 11,212 civilians were killed or wounded between the end of March 2018 and the end of March this year. The Afghan commission's report also said a total of 75,316 Afghan civilians have been killed in the conflict since the war began just over 17 years ago. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/un-says-afghan-civilian-casualties -down-by-23-percent-in-2019/29900293.html Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Outdated, Unimaginative: US Pilots Training With Old Tech, Irrelevant Foes Sputnik News 22:07 24.04.2019 US military air training ranges aren't up to snuff, a new report finds, noting that pilots have to train against outdated systems and are hampered by other archaic practices and situations that "did not replicate the threats pilots would face in combat." The US Defense Department (DOD) Inspector General (IG) blasted the US Indo-Pacific Command's air training ranges in an April 17 report, saying pilots at the drilling grounds "could not train as they would fight." "Training ranges and airspace did not have the capability or capacity to support aviation readiness for units assigned to USINDOPACOM," says the report. "The training land, airspace, impact areas and electronic warfare systems were more limited than what was required for training with ordnance and the aircrafts' capabilities." The report noted ranges in the US states of Hawaii, Alaska, Nevada and Arizona, as well as ranges in Japan and South Korea, all had serious problems with outdated equipment and unimaginative drills. For example, the US Navy's premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training facility, Fallon Range Training Complex in Nevada, "had electronic warfare systems ranging from a 1970 surface-to-air simulator to a 2006 mobile threat emitter simulator," according to investigators. "These electronic warfare systems did not represent current threats." At the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex south of Fairbanks, investigators found that advanced F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II jets couldn't detect the 1980s-era Soviet missile systems. "The aircraft technology is more advanced than the range electronic warfare systems," the report states, and those range systems "do not replicate near-peer threats." Meanwhile, at Arizona's Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, pilots of the F-35B lamented they didn't have adequate space to fly or shoot weapons. "As a result of the lack of airspace, the pilot stated that F-35 pilots trained in simulators, which could be linked so that the pilots could fly in their four aircraft fighting formation," the IG reported, noting that the range's electronic warfare systems were also outdated. Pilots at Yuma and Alaska complained that targets were uninventive, too, many not even moving, which limited their ability to train with laser-guided weapons. Things across the Pacific were no better. At the Draughon Range on Misawa Air Base in northern Japan, where Japan's F-35s are based, pilots found themselves pitted against surface-to-air threats "from the 1960s and 1970s," and the firing range on the island of Tori Shima was "a piece of land that was exposed only during low tide," according to the report. Altogether, the IG said the situation has "negatively impacted the DoD's ability to adequately fund range modernization," and the Pentagon "has not developed a comprehensive plan to address the range capability and capacity gaps across the DoD," something it's required to do by the 2018 National Defense Strategy. However, it's not just in the air that US servicemember training is chafing: US Army officials lamented to Military.com earlier this week that young, non-commissioned officers struggle to navigate their squads through terrain both urban and rural. The US Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG) has filed a series of damning reports since March 2018 showing small-unit leaders "lack proficiency in key skills required for any type of combat," according to Military.com, and the Army's Noncommissioned Officer Academy reports it's routine for sergeants to fail basic tests with a map and compass. "This is a perennial problem that we in the task force have been dealing with," retired Maj. Gen. Robert Scales, a key adviser to the Defense Department's Close Combat Lethality Task Force (CCLTF), told Military.com. "Small-unit training opportunities, often even in the best of units, are fairly limited for many reasons." Both the IG report and CCLTF place the blame for these training and readiness deficits on financial back-and-forth of recent years as well as the US military's preoccupation with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001. "In that time, small-unit readiness has atrophied, partly because of the lack of resources and tools available for infantry squads and platoons to get the repetitive, intense training needed to develop finely honed fighting skills," Military.com wrote. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Flightless Bird No Longer: US B-1B Bomber Fleet Cleared to Resume Flights Sputnik News 22:00 24.04.2019 The first of the US Air Force's B-1B Lancer bombers were cleared to resume flights recently after the entire fleet had its wings clipped over concerns regarding the aircraft's drogue chute, part of the system that ejects airmen's seats in the event of an emergency. The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) announced Tuesday that the first bombers of the fleet were allowed to resume flights earlier this week following the completion of the safety inspection stand-down that was initially ordered on March 28. According to a statement from the AFGSC, maintainers and Aircrew Flight Equipment technicians conducted a "holistic inspection of the entire egress system" before the go-ahead was handed down. Part of that egress system is the drogue chute system, which corrects the angle at which a seat is ejected from an aircraft. "We are proud of the tremendous efforts of our maintainers and Aircrew Flight Equipment technicians in identifying, inspecting, and remediating any potential issues with the B-1B egress system," Maj. Gen. James Dawkins Jr., 8th Air Force commander, who is responsible for the branch's bomber force, said in a release. "The aircraft are still safe to fly and we are confident that this stand-down has resulted in increased safety within the B-1B fleet." The halt in operations was ordered by Gen. Timothy Ray, commander of the AFGSC, after airmen discovered during a routine inspection that a bomber's drogue chute system was incorrectly installed. Prior to the announcement, Ray told reporters last week that he was shocked by the misconfigurations in the seat ejection system. "My immediate concern was for the safety of the crews," Ray said. "I reached out to them directly through command channels and emails and said basically, 'I don't care how bad the readiness is, your personal safeties are more important.'" He added that inspections took between seven and 10 days. It's presently unclear what day the bombers returned to the skies or how many were cleared. This, however, is not the first time that the bomber has experienced some setbacks. The service previously issued a fleet-wide grounding after problems related to the seat ejection system arose on May 1, 2018. At the time, a bomber with Texas' Dyess Air Force Base was forced to make an emergency landing after the seat failed to eject for the pilot during an earlier in-flight issue. According to Military.com, the service has a total of 62 Lancer bombers in its fleet, all of which are set to retire some time in 2036. The supersonic heavy bombers are assigned to the Dyess AFB and South Dakota's Ellsworth AFB, according to the Air Force Times, which reported that depot maintenance is conducted at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Official: Afghan Peace Deal Could Trigger Internal Woes By Jeff Seldin April 24, 2019 A peace treaty to end more than 17 years of war in Afghanistan could usher in a new era of instability and erase many of the gains made by international reconstruction efforts, a key U.S. official cautioned Wednesday. John Sopko, U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, told reporters in Washington that while "we all want peace," there are concerns that the push for a deal will overshadow critical planning needed for any agreement to have a lasting impact. "We've spent close to $1 trillion in Afghanistan," he said. "All of that is at risk if we screw up on the day after a peace agreement." Sopko pointed to the Afghan government's dire financial situation, and its dependence on U.S. assistance to pay the salaries of the country's security forces, as a leading worry. Recipe for 'collapse' "A dramatic decrease in not only [U.S. and coalition] troops but a dramatic decrease in financial support for the Afghan government will mean the collapse of the government," Sopko said. "If the economy collapses or if they are not paid, if we withdraw the funding, you have 500,000-some troops and police who are trained and have weapons," he added. "You have 60,000 Taliban who are trained killers. They want to be reintegrated. Plan for that." Inadequate planning could also affect some of the leading success stories from the reconstruction effort. "There has been success with clinics, with education, women's issues," Sopko said. "All of that is at risk if we don't protect them in the peace negotiations." Sopko's warning came as efforts to get peace talks back on track are ramping up. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, is traveling to the region this week, hoping to make progress on resolving differences between various Afghan groups and the Taliban, as well as to push ahead with direct U.S. negotiations with the Taliban. Following a meeting Wednesday with European allies in London, Zalmay tweeted: Khalilzad is expected to be in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian and Chinese diplomats, likewise aimed at accelerating the pace of talks with the Taliban. Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's Doha-based political spokesman, told VOA earlier this week that the group was eager to resume talks with the U.S. But despite progress in two key areas a potential withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign forces from Afghanistan and a Taliban promise that the country will not be used as a base for terror attacks fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Kabul has continued. Yet the push for a settlement also seems to have exacerbated tensions between Kabul and Washington. During a visit to Washington last month, Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib slammed U.S. officials for pushing Kabul toward what he described as a glorified surrender for failing to protect some of the key gains. "If this is a recipe for peace, we don't know what is a recipe for war," Mohib told reporters, adding that Khalilzad's efforts were "ostracizing and alienating" the Afghan people. U.S. officials have since told the Afghan government they will no longer deal with Mohib. Ayaz Gul in Islamabad contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan Protesters Call for 'Million March' for Civilian Rule By Naba Mohiedeen April 24, 2019 Sudan's protest leaders have called for a million people to march on Thursday to demand the military give power to a civilian council. The call came after the head of Sudan's transitional military council said it would hand over power "within days" if civilian groups can agree on who will be in a new government. Sudan's main protest group, the Sudanese Professionals Association, has called for a million people to take to the streets on Thursday. Omer Eldigair, the head of Sudan's Congress Party, which has backed the SPA in the recent protests, says the demonstrators will not accept military rule. He said yes they have escalatory measures, they are ready for a million-person march, and preparing for a nationwide political strike. They will not give up the people's demand for a civilian government. On Tuesday, Sudan's army chief and head of the transitional military council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan, said the military would turn over power to civilians within days if the protest groups agree on the composition of a new government. Burhan made the comments during an interview with the BBC's Hardtalk program, when he underscored that Sudan's troops would not attack protesters who have been camped around military headquarters since April 6. protesters dispute Burhan's characterization that a consensus has not been reached. Waddah Salih said it could be done within one month if the opposition parties create a united government. The list of civilian members of government has been submitted, he said, so the ball is in the military council's court and they should accept it within a month. The military ousted president Omar al-Bashir on April 11 after three decades in power and four months of anti-government protests. But protesters have continued their sit-in, demanding civilian rule and not the military's announced two-year transition. Protester Amjad Nimir said the transition period is too long and they consider it stalling by the military council to not hand over power to a civilian government immediately. Sudan's military is under international pressure to move more quickly to civilian rule. On Tuesday, the African Union gave the military a new three-month deadline to hand over power or have Sudan's membership suspended. The bloc had earlier given the military 15 days. Visiting U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of African Affairs Makila James met separately Tuesday with members of the military council and protest leaders. They discussed what the State Department has called the Sudanese people's legitimate demands for an inclusive, civilian-led transition. The U.S. has said there will be no talks on lifting U.S. sanctions on Sudan for sponsoring terrorism until the military hands over power to a civilian administration. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Space Force Aimed at Reviving Reagan-Era Star Wars Insanity Russian MoD Sputnik News 21:52 24.04.2019(updated 22:06 24.04.2019) The Trump administration has committed considerable resources to expanding the scope of the US' modernisation of its nuclear forces, proposing a new 'Space Force' branch for the armed forces and withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), a key arms agreement signed at the twilight of the Cold War to secure peace in Europe. US efforts to create a global missile defence system are aimed at reaching "strategic superiority" and neutralising the strategic deterrents of possible US adversaries like Russia and China, Lieut. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir, Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff's Main Operations Department, has said. Speaking at a security conference in Moscow on Wednesday, Poznikhir warned that "the deployment of missile defence systems near our borders creates a powerful strike potential for the US, enabling it to carry out a surprise nuclear missile strike on Russia." According to the general, US plans "to create a space-based layer of anti-missile systems to hit ballistic missiles at early flight stages" were "of particular concern, basically reviving the 1980s concept of 'Star Wars'," a missile defence program unveiled during the Reagan era. In its own time, Star Wars, or Strategic Defence Initiative, was decried as a dangerous program designed to provide the United States with a first-strike capability and to deny Soviet strategic forces their retaliatory potential, thereby increasing the danger of war. Poznikhir warned that "the deployment of a global [US] missile defence system is leading not only to the destruction of strategic stability, but to the further destabilisation of the security situation in various parts of the world." Specifically, the general noted that "a negative factor for regional security is the heightened threat to states where US missile defence components have been deployed or are set to be deployed. These countries must understand that missile defence systems' information and interceptor components are the primary targets for destruction" in the event of war, he said. Poznikhir added that the use of missile defence systems was associated with the threats of prolonged radioactive contamination, not only of the territories where the systems are deployed, but of neighbouring countries which have nothing to do with these systems. Ultimately, the senior officer suggested with the Pentagon's plans to develop low-yield nuclear warheads for use by its Tomahawk cruise missiles, the US threatened to thrust the world into a new nuclear arms race. "The possibility of using such nuclear warheads by the Pentagon stimulates the desire of other countries to acquire similar weapons. As a result, a new arms race is being whipped up," Poznikhir warned. The US formally began the six-month procedure to suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty in February. The arms agreement, which bans ground-based missile systems in the 500-5,500 km range, was signed in 1987, and committed Moscow and Washington not to develop, manufacture or field such weapons. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the US withdrawal from the INF was a "direct step toward the destruction of the entire system of agreements in the field of international security." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Missing Ex-Interpol President Formally Detained in China, Faces Graft Charges Sputnik News 13:49 24.04.2019 The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the ruling Chinese Communist Party said late last month that former president of Interpol Meng Hongwei had been removed from all of his official positions and is expected to face legal prosecution for corruption-related violations. Chinese prosecutors have announced that the missing former president of Interpol Meng Hongwei had been formally arrested in China on suspicion of taking bribes. The announcement of a formal arrest typically means that an investigation by the anti-corruption watchdog of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been wrapped up and that a prosecution is imminent. This comes after the CCP's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in the statement in late March that "Meng Hongwei has zero awareness of the party's principles and organisational mentality". The CCDI also accused Meng of abusing the power of his position to seek special rights and private interests for his wife "to satisfy a lavish family lifestyle". On 27 March, Meng was expelled from the CCP and stripped of all his positions for "serious violation of the law and discipline". Last October, his wife, Grace Meng, reported to French authorities that her husband, who was serving as the president of Interpol at the time, had gone missing after travelling to China. Interpol, the French-based global police coordination body, said in a subsequent statement that Meng had resigned as the president of the organisation. Meng was last seen on 25 September after departing his home in the French city of Lyon for China. The French Interior Ministry stated at the time that the wife and children of Meng Hongwei had been placed under special protection by French police after she received threats via phone and social media. In a separate development in October 2018, Interpol officially requested clarification from China on the whereabouts of its former President Meng Hongwei, adding that " Interpol's General Secretariat is looking forward to an official response from China's authorities to address concerns over the president's well-being." Meng assumed the Interpol office in November 2016. He has held various positions within China's Ministry of Public Security in his decades-long career. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong Democracy Activists Get Up to 16 Months in Prison By Erin Hale April 24, 2019 Eight of the top leaders of Hong Kong's 2014 Umbrella Movement democracy protests were sentenced to up to sixteen months in prison on Wednesday after they were found guilty of public nuisance charges earlier this month. The trial is the last major prosecution of the Umbrella Movement leadership, which began three years ago with the prosecution of student leaders Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow. Those sentenced on Wednesday included law professor Benny Tai, sociology professor Chan Kin-man and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, the original founders of the Occupy Movement. Tai and Chan received sixteen months in prison while Chu received a suspended sentence due to his advanced age and lifetime of humanitarian work including to help Tiananmen Square activists escape China in 1989 according to Judge Johnny Chan. The trio were singled out for conspiracy charges among the group as they were the first to call for an occupation of Hong Kong's government district in 2013 if Beijing failed to grant the autonomous Chinese city universal suffrage in its leadership elections. On Wednesday, Judge Chan also ruled that legislator Shiu Ka-chun and activist Raphael Wong serve eight months after they were found guilty on two public nuisance charges. Former student activist Eason Chung and former legislator Lee Wing-tat received suspended sentences due to Chung's age at the time of protest and Lee's lengthy public service. Another student activist Tommy Cheung received 200 hours in community service. A ninth defendant, pro-democracy legislator Tanya Chan, will be sentenced in six weeks after her lawyer told the court she is facing surgery for a life threatening condition. During the sentencing, Judge Chan said the defendants failed to show regret for their actions and said the public "deserves an apology for the inconvenience caused" by the 79 day protest. The group "failed to notice the ordinary folks who needed to use the carriageways in question, who needed to travel to work in order to make a living," he said, when they called for protestors to occupy major roadways in Hong Kong's busiest business and government districts. The sentencing was attended by more than a hundred supporters, many of whom wore yellow or carried umbrellas in recognition of the protest movement. Democracy activist and former Umbrella Movement leader Agnes Chow, who attended court, told VOA she thought the sentencing showed "Hong Kong the cost of getting involved in civil disobedience movement and social movement is higher and higher." "I hope that people will not only remember these nine people who are going to jail or who are having their judgment today but remember the whole Umbrella Movement that has changed the political atmosphere in Hong Kong," she said,"[It] has made more and more Hong Kong people understand the importance of democracy." Chow's comments were echoed by others on Hong Kong social media who criticized the outcome of the trial. While sentencing concluded by Wednesday afternoon with four of the group immediately headed to prison, it may not be the end of their legal battle as some are expected to appeal. It is also possible that the justice department could appeal the sentencing, as it did in the case of activists Wong, Law and Chow. The three student leaders were initially given community service sentences. But in an extraordinary move the justice department appealed the verdict and they were handed jail time. The students later won on appeal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China welcomes Russian input on Peninsula Global Times By Sun Haoran Source:Global Times Published: 2019/4/24 21:58:40 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia is a "win win" opportunity as it will help Pyongyang seek political and economical assistance, as well as offering Russia an opportunity to increase its input on the Peninsula issue, said Chinese analysts. Kim arrived in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Wednesday afternoon, Reuters reported. It said that at a stop on the border, Kim told Russian state television he was hoping for useful and successful discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I hope that we can discuss concrete questions about peace negotiations on the Korean Peninsula, and our bilateral relations," he was quoted by Reuters as saying. It will be the first summit between the leaders of North Korea and Russia since Kim Jong-il, father of Kim Jong-un, met with Dmitry Medvedev in 2011. Kim is expected to sit down for talks with Putin on Thursday at a university campus on an island just off Vladivostok, media reported. The agenda includes North Korea's nuclear weapons and bilateral relations, Russian media Sputnik News reported on Wednesday. China is happy to see Russia and North Korea enhancing high-level bilateral communications. The summit could boost ties and help stabilize the situation in Korean Peninsula, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing on Wednesday. "Kim chose this time to meet Putin mainly because he wants to diversify North Korea's diplomacy policies after the fruitless US-North Korea [Hanoi] summit, so he gains more leverage in future talks with the US," Yang Danzhi, an expert on Asia-Pacific strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday. He noted that Kim also needs Russia's help to ease international sanctions on North Korea. Kim's meeting with Putin comes less than two months after talks in Hanoi in February between Kim and US President Donald Trump, their second summit, ended without agreement. Yang noted that by initiating this meeting with Kim, the Russian side is aiming to increase its presence and influence in Northeast Asia. In October 2018, the foreign ministers of China, Russia and North Korea met in Moscow. The three sides welcomed the positive changes on the peninsula, said they supported communications between North Korea and the US, and the improvement of ties between the two Koreas as well as all parties' efforts to solve the issue through political channels, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. China is happy to see a stronger Russian presence in the region, and welcomes a closer Russia-North Korea relations, Lu Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "Because China and Russia have almost the same interests regarding the Korean Peninsula, Russia's active participation will foster the process of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Lu said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address N Korea Dismisses Main Interlocutor in Denuclearisation Talks With US - Reports Sputnik News 16:17 24.04.2019 TOKYO (Sputnik) - Pyongyang has dismissed North Korea's main interlocutor in denuclearisation talks with the United States Kim Yong Chol as head of United Front Department of the North Korean Workers' Party, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday. According to Yonhap news agency citing a South Korean parliamentary official, Kim Yong Chol has been recently replaced by Jang Kum Chol, a barely known politician in his late 50s who has a career of working for civilian exchanges between the two Koreas. Earlier in the day, Kim Yong Chol did not accompany Kim Jong-un in his visit to Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, the agency stressed. It was the first time Kim was absent in the leader's entourage during an overseas trip. Kim Yong Chol was Pyongyang's top negotiator in denuclearisation talks with Washington. His US counterpart was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea came to deadlock after the second summit in Hanoi when Pyongyang said it wanted Washington to lift all sanctions on the country before it started denuclearising and then faced US refusal. On Wednesday, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would meet at about 1 p.m. Vladivostok time (03:00 GMT) on Thursday. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea's Kim in Russia for Meeting With Putin By William Gallo April 24, 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in the far eastern region of Russia for his first ever meeting with Vladimir Putin, which Kim says is the initial step toward closer ties with Moscow. Wearing a black fedora hat and matching dark overcoat, the smiling Kim was greeted by Russian officials and a military band Wednesday in the port city of Vladivostok. The North Korean leader made the short trip to Vladivostok via his signature armored green and yellow train. During an earlier stop in the border city of Khasan, Kim said this "will not be the last" trip to Russia, adding it is the first step toward improved Russia-North Korea relations, according to a readout issued by local Russian authorities. At the Thursday summit, Kim is expected to push Putin for economic aid specifically relief from international sanctions that remain in place after nuclear talks with the United States broke down. Kim no longer a pariah? It is the latest high-profile summit for Kim, who until last year hadn't left North Korea since taking power in 2011. Over the past year Kim has met twice with U.S. President Donald Trump, three times with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, four times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and once with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong. "What this has mainly done is give Kim some international credibility. I mean, he was a pariah a year ago. And now he's everybody's prom date, everyone wants to be seen with him on their arm," said Ralph Cossa of the Pacific Forum, a non-profit foreign policy research institute based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Although the meetings have raised Kim's global stature, they have failed to reduce the sanctions pressure hurting his economy. After a February Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi ended in no deal, the United States has insisted it will not relax sanctions until North Korea commits to abolishing its nuclear weapons program. Putin: not much of a help? With Putin's own economy hurting, it isn't clear that North Korea is a priority. And without buy-in from the United States, it is not clear how much he could do anyway. Russia-North Korea trade fell dramatically last year, by more than 56 percent to $34 million, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, who was quoted in Russian state media. "This is primarily due to the fact that Russia is forced to follow international sanctions that were imposed on the DPRK," said Ushakov, using the acronym for North Korea's official name. By contrast, North Korea was earning about $100 million a year in hard currency from the Kaesong Industrial complex before it closed, points out Troy Stangarone of the Washington DC-based Korea Economic Institute. Kaesong, located just north of the inter-Korean border, used South Korean capital and North Korean labor to produce goods, before being closed after a North Korean nuclear test in 2016. South Korea has expressed an interest in reopening the complex, but appears unable to do so unless the United States relaxes sanctions. Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, signed onto tougher sanctions amid North Korea's nuclear and missile tests in 2016 and 2017. However, Moscow later called for sanctions against Pyongyang to be eased. Putin as spoiler? Under Putin, Russia has attempted to disrupt U.S. interests around the world, in countries including Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela. During a visit to Seoul Wednesday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons said it would be a "great disappointment for Mr. Putin to again insert himself in a way that's unhelpful." "But it wouldn't be the first time," added Coons, who along with Senator Maggie Hassan met South Korea's defense and foreign ministers. But Putin is not likely to play the role of spoiler in the North Korea-U.S. talks, in part because he doesn't have much leverage over Pyongyang, said Andrei Lankov, a professor at Seoul's Kookmin University. "And in this case, Russia's interests are not that different from that of the United States. Both sides want to preserve the status quo and want denuclearization," Lankov said. The Soviet Union was once one of North Korea's main financial backers. But after the Soviet Union broke up, Moscow prioritized relations with the South, before later adopting a policy of "equidistance" between the two Koreas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Arrives at Vladivostok, Russian Federation Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Date: 25/04/2019 Pyongyang, April 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, arrived at Vladivostok, the Russian Federation on Wednesday. At 18:00 local time, a private train with Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un aboard pulled in at the railway station. He was greeted at the railway station by Minister of Development of the Far East and Arctic of Russia Alexandr Kozlov, Vice Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, Governor of Maritime Territory Oleg Kozhemyako and Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Alexandr Matsegora. There was a ceremony for welcoming the visit to the Russian Federation by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. When he came forward to the square of the railway station, the chief of the guard of honor of the three services of the armed forces of the Russian Federation made a welcome report. The national anthems of the DPRK and the Russian Federation were solemnly played. The Supreme Leader reviewed the guard of honor of the three services of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. Then there took place a march-past of the guard of honor of the three services. The Supreme Leader exchanged greetings with senior officials of the capital and local areas and headed for the lodging place. He passed the Russia's border railway station in Khasan on Wednesday morning on his way to the Russian Federation. He was kindly greeted at Khasan Railway Station by Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Development of the Far East and Arctic of Russia, and other senior officials who came to the railway station from the capital and local areas to greet him. He was also greeted at the railway station by Kim Hyong Jun, DPRK ambassador to the Russian Federation, and Jo Sok Chol, DPRK consul general in Vladivostok. After getting off the train, he exchanged greetings with the senior officials of the capital and local areas who came to greet him. He was presented with a bread and salt and then floral greetings by Russian women according to a Russian custom. Then, he was guided into the VIP room at the railway station. The senior officials warmly welcomed Kim Jong Un's visit to the Russian Federation, saying that President Putin dispatched them to the border railway station with particular attention given to his current visit. Kim Jong Un expressed thanks for it and had an amicable talk with them. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China steps up criticism of US sanctions on Iran oil IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, April 24, IRNA/ Global Times -- China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday stepped up its response to a decision by the US to stop exempting several countries, including China, from its sanctions on Iran. At a news briefing on Tuesday, Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for the ministry, used harsher words in criticizing the US decision than a day earlier and suggested that China had already taken actions against the move. 'The Chinese side urges the US to seriously respect China's interests and concerns and refrain from taking wrong actions that damage China's interests,' Geng said. 'China has already made representations to the US side.' Those comments reflect an escalation from Geng's comments on Monday, when he spoke in more general terms, saying China has always opposed the US' unilateral sanctions and so-called 'long-arm jurisdiction' and argued that cooperation between China and Iran 'should be respected.' On Tuesday, however, Geng said China 'firmly opposed' the US actions and cooperation between Iran and the international community, including China, 'must be respected and protected.' The US government announced on Monday that it would stop exempting five countries - China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey - from its sanctions on Iran oil starting on May 2. 'This threatens China's energy security as well as China's independent foreign policy, so China will not back down easily,' a senior foreign affairs expert in Beijing, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times. China is one of the major buyers of Iranian oil. In 2018, China imported nearly 30 million tons of oil from Iran, although that was down 6 percent year-on-year, according to Chinese customs data. Chinese oil companies also have deals with Iranian companies in the oil business, analysts said. More directly, China's response was mostly prompted by serious economic ramifications from the US decision, according to Han Xiaoping, chief analyst at energy industry website china5e.com. Han pointed out that the US move could further drive up oil prices and in turn increase the cost of importing oil for China, which relies on foreign crude to meet 70 percent of its domestic demand. Chinese companies would also be subject to US sanctions, he told the Global Times on Tuesday. Oil prices soared on Tuesday after the US announcement, with Brent crude price increasing 0.8 percent to around $74 a barrel, the highest level since November 2018, according to Bloomberg. 9376**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's 'friendship' flotilla docks at Kazakh port Aktau IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, April 24, IRNA -- An Iranian Navy flotilla comprised of two guided-missile destroyers docked at Aktau port in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. The Iranian flotilla dubbed peace and friendship is comprised of two guided-missile destroyers of Separ and Joshan. It was received officially by military and government officials of Kazakhstan. A ceremony to welcome the flottila was held in presence of Iran's Ambassador to Khazakhstan Majid Saber, the governor of Mangystau province, Iran's consul general in Aktau and Iranian military attache in Kazakhstan. A three-day stay at the Kazakh port of Aktau is the second mission for the Iranian flotilla after the first one which took place some two years ago. A Kazakh flotilla made a reciprocal journey to Iranian port, Anzali, in October 2017. Capitan of the flotilla Mohammad Mehdi Ahmadi and Ambassador Saber said in interviews with local media that the flotilla carries the message of peace and friendship of Iranian people and government to their Kazakh counterparts. 9156**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zarif: US no credible negotiating partner IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency New York, April 24, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US is not a trustable negotiating partner because Americans devalue international regulations and even their own previously made decisions. Upon his arrival in New York, he elaborated on his current visit's plans saying he is to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting on multilateralism, hold talks with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and President of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa. He added that he is also scheduled to deliver speeches in a number of research centers in the US. The Foreign Minister further noted that he will hold meetings with American scholars and political activists. 'The United States has not shown that is a credible negotiating partner, it has shown its contempt for the international law and for its own agreements and its own decisions in the past,' Zarif said. 'So it is not up to Iran to re-enter the negotiations, it is up to the United States,' he reiterated. He went on to stress that 'we never left the negotiating table; we continue to have meetings with the remaining members of the nuclear deal.' 'It was the United States which abruptly decided to end the table so it is up to them to remedy their own behavior and to rectify their own mistakes and decide what they want to do in the future with the United States and the standing of the United States in the world,' he said. It seems that President Trump and the current people in the White House [are] concerned and consider more importantly the interests of Israel than the interests of the United States and have become in fact pound in a very dangerous Israeli game, in fact Netanyahu game, in our region and this is unfortunate and extremely dangerous, he added. Zarif noted that the mentioned programs are aimed to portray the US hostile policies which have caused danger to regional and international security. Iran's plans to confront US policies and to maintain constructive relations in the region and in the world will be discussed during the trip, he reiterated. Elsewhere in his interview, Zarif said 'the United States has been the source of instability in this region and has been cooperating and supporting other sources of instability in the region, those who have continued to support extremism and terrorism in our region. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate are countries that have violated every principle of international humanitarian law in Yemen, Bahrain and elsewhere in the region.' Zarif urged the US officials to re-assess their policies and return to a normal behavior in the international scene. 'The United States is currently an out-law state that has violated almost any agreement that it agreed to,' he said. In response to a question whether Iran has put closing the Strait of Hormuz on the table, Zarif said 'I don't talk about military options as it's up to military people to decide but we have said that Iran will protect its interests and one of our interests is stability in the region but stability should be for everybody, economic prosperity should be for everybody.' He reiterated 'Iran's utmost interest is to keep a stable region provided that the stability is for everyone.' Referring to the US recent act to end waivers on Iran oil imports , Zarif said the US is not the world police and is in no position to grant or end exemption. Tehran attaches no importance to waivers and ending, Zarif reiterated. He went on to say that US act is even worse than a highwayman. The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo once again in a unilateral and hostile act on Monday declared anti-Iran measure to lift sanctions waivers on buyers of Iran oil. According to Western media, Pompeo claimed that the US had gained assurances from oil producers - namely Saudi Arabia and the UAE - to ensure a sufficient supply to minimize impact on pricing. He added that sanctions waiver permission will be expired on May 1 and as a result this decision will be implemented on May 2 meaning that no permission will exist to extend these waivers. Regarding the importance of standing against US unilateralism, he said Iran had earlier made its decision in this regard and it is now up to other countries whether they want to compromise or resist. Zarif added that both sanctions and all those acts related to US sanctions are illegal. It is important to see whether these actors are ready to tolerate unilateral policy and ideas of a minority group for their own interests or not. Alluding to Trump's confession that the US' spending of $7 trillion in the region has brought nothing but instability and expenses to US, Zarif said it is time for US to see whether their policies has had any results. Iranian foreign minister is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly annual Conference on 'Remarking and Promoting International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace'. According to the UN official website, 'the International Day was officially approved on 12 December, 2018 through resolution A/RES/73/127. 24 April of every year is designated as the day for the international observance.' 'As emphasized in the resolution, the International Day is a reaffirmation of the UN Charter and its principles of resolving disputes among countries through peaceful means. It acknowledges the use of multilateral decision-making and diplomacy in achieving peaceful resolutions to conflicts among nations,' it added. 9376**1424 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We will export oil as much as we intend: Ayatollah Khamenei ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 24 April 2019 / 15:48 Tehran (ISNA) - On the occasion of the National Week of Labor and Laborers, a group of laborers from across the country met with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei at the Hussayniyeh of Imam Khomeini (r.a) on Wednesday. At the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei slammed U.S. recent wave of sanctions of Iran's oil exports and asserted, "Firstly, their efforts won't get them anywhere. We will export our oil as much as we need to and we intend to. They have wishfully blocked the way for us, but the vigorous nation and vigilant officialsif they work hard and determinedlywill open many blockades". The Supreme Leader warned the U.S. that their hostile measure will be countered, stressing, "Secondly, they should know that this hostile measure will not be left without a reaction; they will receive the response to their animosity. The Iranian nation is not a nation that would sit idle in the face of hostilities". The Leader of the Islamic Revolution regarded the sanctions as yet another opportunity for Iran to reform its oil sales policies and stated, "Thirdly, the less we rely on this form of selling our oil, the more will we be appreciative [of our oil reserves], and it is better for us". Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the many failures the enemies of the Islamic Republic have faced in their hostile measures against the Iranian nation, saying, "The enemy has repeatedly taken measuresall in vainagainst our great nation, Revolution and the Islamic Republic that have voiced support for justice across the world, thus fascinating other nations. Now the enemy engages in different hostile measures regarding economic issues and they say they seek to bring the Iranian nation to their knees. However, they must know that the Iranian nation won't give in and be brought to their knees before enemies". Praising the community of laborers in Iran for their sincere adherence to the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei urged officials to address issues that affect laborers and confront abuse of power against laborers by saying, "The community of laborers represents one of the most loyal social groups to the Revolution. Some, with abusive intentions, buy factories from the government and build towers in their place. All the branches of power should confront this [manipulation]. The enemy has insisted in all the possible areas of distress, and more than anything else, on the issues concerning laborers". His Eminence went on to say, "In all cases, the laborers have disappointed the enemy. It has been the case for forty years. The community of laborers was among the most loyal to the revolution". The Supreme Leader once again urged government officials to appreciate the laborers and make efforts to prevent the obliteration of factories for the sake of corporate interests, adding, "Government officials, policymakers, and the executives should be watchful and appreciate the value of it. I address this to all the officials of the country, and not just the Labor Ministry: there exist people who only seek to fulfill their own interests. They buy a working factory from the government and destroy it, sell its machinery in order to rise up skyscrapers to replace them. All the branches of power should counter and prevent it". End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We're ready to both defend, negotiate: Iranian President ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 24 April 2019 / 13:32 Tehran (ISNA) - Stressing that today, resistance and standing up to the aggressor is the only way, Iranian President said, "The Americans have designed a new plot against the Iranian nation every day during the past 40 years; yet they have failed every time and these failures will continue". Speaking in a cabinet session on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, "Of course, the Americans had started their serious actions against the Iranian nation since May 2019". The Americans have failed in their international, regional, political and advertising campaigns, he said, adding, "They have not reached their goals in the economic matter either. Of course, they can make problems for the people through their pressures, but the Iranian nation know well that there is no way other than resistance against illegal acts of the aggressors". "We always favour negotiation and diplomacy, as we are ready for war and defence, if they lift all pressures and apologize for their illegal acts, showing mutual respect," added Rouhani. He continued, "Without a doubt, accepting the demands of a bully who lies about being after negotiation will never lead anywhere and we will never negotiate with a bully; accepting such a negotiation means being humiliated". The President added, "The United States is not ready for negotiation at all, and what it is doing is to defeat the Iranian nation with the aim of coming back to Iran". "We need to prove in action that Americans and their calculations are wrong, and any time they realize they have been miscalculating, and announce readiness to negotiate through reason and logic, we are ready to do so," said Rouhani. Referring to Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, he said, "In that historic day, the Almighty proved the Americans that the Iranian nation is not alone". President Rouhani added, "The Tabas incident was a great miracle from God and foiled the Americans' complicated plan, which was a rare kind of failure for the US". Today, we have good relations with most of our neighbours, said the President, adding, "There is only one or two countries that need to know what they are doing. Saudi Arabia and Emirates should know that their existence depends on the Islamic Republic of Iran's wise decision". "If the leaders of Iran, the Supreme Leader and Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani did not make precise decisions during the time when Saddam attacked Kuwait, today there would be no trace of these countries," added Rouhani. Addressing Saudi Arabia and UAE, he also said, "Saddam kept sending many messages and requests at that time to persuade us join him in occupying Persian Gulf states. So, do not forget the great job that the wise government of the Islamic Republic of Iran did at that time". Dr. Rouhani added, "It was the Islamic Republic of Iran that saved Saudi Arabia, and if we made a different decision at that time, there would be no Saudi Arabia and UAE today". "We were the first country that condemned Saddam's attack on Kuwait at the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, even before Saudi Arabia and Emirates, issuing an explicit statement against it," he continued. The President said, "It was us who defeated the terrorists in the region, but if it were not for the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran, defeating terrorists would be impossible". "Your existence is indebted to the Islamic Republic of Iran, why do you tell Trump that if you reduce Iran's oil exports to zero, will we compensate it? Are you aware of the consequences of this statement and do you know that this means an outright hostility towards the Iranian people? Do you not know that Trump's tenure will end, and we are going to still be here together as neighbours for many years? It's better to think of a permanent friendship in the region". End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US's behavior worse than bandits: Iran FM ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 24 April 2019 / 12:35 Tehran (ISNA) Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif says US is in no position to grant or cancel waivers to countries buying oil from Iran. His remarks came upon his arrival in New York where he is going to attend a UN General Assembly meeting on multilateralism and peace. Zarif said on Wednesday the behaviour of the United States is even worse than bandits. The top Iranian diplomat stressed the US is in no position to grant or cancel waivers to countries buying oil from Iran. He went on to say that Washington violates the UN Security Council resolutions and threatens other countries to follow its lead or face punishment adding that Washington's policy in the Middle East has led to both regional and global instability. The US administration had granted waivers for its oil sanctions on Iran to eight importers when it reinstated sanctions on Iran after Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear agreement. The US claimed that the waivers were granted in part to give those countries more time to find alternate energy sources. Washington on Monday announced it would stop issuing waivers to eight countries importing oil from Iran, as part of measures to exert pressure on Iran. Elsewhere in his remarks, Iranian foreign minister stressed that the country's military will make the final decision on the option of closing the Strait of Hormuz, a highly important strategic location for global energy trade, in reaction to the US' ban on the country's oil exports. "We have said that Iran is protecting its interests, and one of which is to protect stability in the region. Stability in the region should be for everyone, economic prosperity must be for everyone, the ultimate advantage of Iran is to maintain regional stability for all," he told reporters early Wednesday. "If we are banned from using it, we will close it," he said. Meanwhile, Zarif said the Trump administration's officials are "pawns in Netanyahu's game", warning the US officials against the consequences of the "extremely dangerous" Israeli game they are playing. "With the US, with the standing of the US in the world, it seems that President Trump and the current people in the White House concern and consider more importantly the interests of Israel than those of the US," he told reporters. "[They] have become in fact pawns in a very dangerous Israeli game, in fact Netanyahu's game in our region. And this is extremely unfortunate and extremely dangerous," he reiterated. Regarding Iran's return to negotiation table, FM Zarif said Iran has never left the table, and it is Washington which should remedy its mistake of withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal if it seeks to return to negotiations with Tehran, according to IFP. "They need to reassess their policies and return to a normal behaviour in the international scene. The US is currently an outlaw state that has violated almost any agreement that it had agreed," Zarif pointed out. "The US has not shown that it's a credible negotiating partner; it has shown its contempt for international law and its own agreements and decisions in the past." End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address France, EU, UK vow to remain committed to JCPOA ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 24 April 2019 / 11:54 Tehran (ISNA) Following Washington's decision to end sanctions waivers on Iran oil imports, France, EU and UK vowed to remain committed to Iran nuclear deal. France reiterated its commitment to the Iran nuclear deal, despite United States' decision to end sanction waivers on the import of Iranian oil, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Expressing determination to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), France with its European partners intends to continue its efforts to ensure that Iran reaps the economic benefits associated with the lifting of sanctions as long as it continues to honor all of its nuclear obligations," said Agnes Von der Muhll, the spokesperson. "To that end, France, Germany and the United Kingdom established the INSTEX financial compensation mechanism, which will facilitate financial transactions for European firms that wish to maintain trade relations with Iran, in accordance with European and international law," she added at a press briefing. Announced on Jan. 31, the Instrument for Supporting Trade Exchanges, or INSTEX, is not operational yet. According to Von der Muhll, "the work initiated is progressing in a positive manner with a view toward ensuring its successful conclusion in the near future." Meanwhile, the European Union expressed regret over the US act by saying it will comply with its commitments under the nuclear deal. "We regret recent announcement by the US not to renew all waivers," spokesperson for the EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Maja Kocijancic told reporters. She added, "This further risks undermining the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action". "We, as the European Union, will continue to abide by the JCPOA as long as Iran continues the full and effective implementation of its nuclear-related commitments." Furthermore, the United Kingdom Foreign Office has also expressed regrets over the US decision to halt waivers on sanctions against importers of Iranian oil, vowing to remain committed to JCPOA. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Iran to fight US economic terror with defensive might' Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 08:55PM Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says the country reserves the right to fight America's "economic terrorism" with its defensive military might, after Washington announced that it won't renew sanctions waivers for oil purchases from the Islamic Republic. "In order to safeguard the prosperity of our nation and counter America's economic terrorism, we reserve our right to use defensive measures," Hatami told the Conference on International Security in Moscow on Wednesday. "We believe that the West's inaction against the US is encouraging the audacity of the White House leaders." The administration of US President Donald Trump has said it seeks to stop Iranian oil sales by imposing sanctions on countries that continue purchasing Iranian crude after May 1. In May 2018, Trump quit the multilateral nuclear deal with Iran that guaranteed the Islamic Republic's oil sales and the lifting of US sanctions on the country in return for a number of voluntary limitations on parts of its peaceful nuclear energy program. Previously, the US had issued waivers to its sanctions for eight major buyers of Iranian crude. Hatami said he did not think that Washington's "inhumane intentions" in targeting the interests and the prosperity of the Iranian nation would bear fruit. "I hereby declare as the defense minister of Iran that we will never back down for even a moment from protecting Iran's security and sovereignty despite the hot air that comes from the American regime and some European governments that cannot stand Iran's ability to defend itself, and we will continue on our righteous path to boost our defensive prowess based on a doctrine of deterrence," he asserted. 'US move against IRGC can lead to world war; Trump a new Hitler' Th Iranian defense minister also blasted Trump's recent move to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, and condemned some government's indifference to the decision. "I warn those countries and governments that not only will this silence affect the people of Western Asia, but it will lead the world towards much more serious consequences like the Second World War," he warned. The senior Iranian defense official argued that "sanctions and intimidation" are products of an inaccurate understanding of security, an issue that he said has been trying to force itself upon the world after the Second World War. "The West has already experienced the lethal consequences of non-intervention in the face of racism and selfishness, and [witnessed] the death of millions of European citizens in the Second World War," he said. "And now, a new type of Nazism has emerged in the shape of Trumpism." "The continuation of this trend can lead the world to an ill-omened conflict," Hatami further warned. "Thus, it is time to prevent the emergence of another Hitler on the global stage." 'Daesh result of security commercialization' Hatami described Daesh as a product of commercialization of security and said the US has been doing its utmost to keep the group alive for "another two or three decades" but failed thanks to a years-long fight by Iran, Iraq, Syria and Russia. Hatami noted that while Trump was forced to declare the end of Daesh last year, "the factors that gave way to radicalized ideologies and terrorism are still at work." He said the US was still trying to help Daesh thrive by allowing the group to grow in Afghanistan. According to the Defense Minister, the same players who hindered the full return of peace to Iraq and Syria also encouraged the onslaught of Yemeni people and stirred more insecurity in Afghanistan. 'Persian Gulf regimes turning into weapons depot' Hatami said certain Western "exploitative powers" had turned the Persian Gulf region into a vast weapons depot. "With the end of Daesh's presence in Iraq and having purged terrorists from most of Syria, reconstruction work has already begun in these countries and the Iranian nation and government will stand with them in this stage as well," Hatami added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zarif warns US against preventing Iran from using Hormuz Strait to sell oil Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 05:56PM Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned the US against any measure to prevent Tehran from using the Strait of Hormuz as a safe transit passage for the sale of its oil. The "Persian Gulf is our lifeline so stability of [the] Persian Gulf, freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, [and] free flow of oil in the Persian Gulf [are] in our vital national security interest," Zarif said at an event at the Asia Society in New York on Wednesday. "We guarantee [the security and stability of the Persian Gulf] as long as it is in our national security interest. If we are prevented from using [the] Persian Gulf for our national security, then why should we guarantee it?" he added, noting, "If the United States takes the crazy measure of trying to prevent us from doing that, then it should be prepared for the consequences." The top Iranian diplomat reiterated that Iran will continue to find buyers for its oil despite the US declared bid to cut Iranian oil imports to zero. "We believe that Iran will continue to sell its oil. We will continue to find buyers for oil and we will continue to use the Strait of Hormuz as a safe transit passage for the sale of our oil. That is our intention and that is what we believe will happen," he said. Elsewhere in his remarks, Zarif pointed to US's obstructionist acts to hinder Iran's business with other countries in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which Zarif said its purpose is to "normalize Iran's business relations" and which "calls on all states to implement the resolution." He slammed Washington for violating the resolution, which supports a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, and threatening other states with punishment if they engage in trade with Tehran. "The United States is not only not complying [with the deal] itself but it is saying that the rest of the world should not comply and it is going a step further saying that we will punish you if you comply," he said. "This is the first time that this is happening at the UN that a permanent member of the Security Council is openly calling on other countries to violate a Security Council resolution and threatening them with punishment if they didn't," Zarif added. He said it is not for Iran to make a change in its policies, stressing that current world relations brook no coercion from the US. "We know that the Unites States is a big economic power. We know that the Unites States is huge market. We know that nobody wants to lose the US market but the American government should understand that people are doing this out of desperation because they have no other choice; this is coercion, pure and simple. Do we want to build international relations in coercion? Do you think it is sustainable," he said, adding, "Power has to be moderated by some sort of rules, otherwise we will be living in a jungle." Touching on US sanctions reimposed on Iran following Washington's withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Zarif said sanctions hurt the ordinary Iranians but stressed they will fail to force Iran to change its policies. "Sanctions certainly impact our economy. Sanctions target ordinary people . They are targeting Iranian people Sanctions will hurt, no doubt about it, but will sanctions change policies? They won't. Never have, never will," he said. The administration of US President Donald Trump has said it seeks to stop Iranian oil sales by imposing sanctions on countries that continue purchasing Iranian crude after May 1. In May last year, Washington unilaterally withdrew from a multilateral deal with Iran that mainly guarantees Iran's oil sales in return for a number of concessions by Iran and the lifting of US sanctions on the country. Previously, the US had issued waivers to its sanctions for eight major buyers of Iranian crude but on Monday, the White House said in a statement that Trump has decided not to renew the waivers that allow eight countries to buy Iranian oil without facing Washington's sanctions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zarif: Iran to continue selling its oil IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency New York, April 25, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned the US not to threaten Iranians by exerting pressures, saying Iran will continue selling its oil. "Well we said very clearly that we will continue to sell our oil and we will continue to survive and our people will show to the United States that they cannot deal with Iran through pressure," Zarif told reporters in New York answering a question regarding recent US act to end waivers to Iran oil exports. He added "what is important for the international community is to determine for itself whether they want to accept a permanent member of the Security Council telling the international community that they have to violate the resolution of the Security Council otherwise they will be punished because of observing the law." "People are threatened openly that they will be punished for observing the rules of law," he reiterated. He went to say "this is something that the international community needs to react and we will make our decision based on the reaction of the international community." "We have abandoned irrationality coming to this administration at least so we will see how the international community deals with this irrationality," Zarif noted. Elaborating on his participation in the United Nations General Assembly annual Conference on 'Remarking and Promoting International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace', he said "I think the international community these days what requires more is to push more multilateralism to try to defeat the rising unilateralism, particularly exercised by the United States so I had to make that point to the General Assembly." "I also used this opportunity to meet with both the secretary general and the president of the General Assembly as well as with various think tanks here in New York to discuss exactly the need for multilateralism and avoiding the rule of jungle that some people in Washington want to push," he added. "We see many examples of unilateral, unlawful policies that are being pursued by the United States and it is important for the international community not for the sake of Iran not for the sake of our region but for the sake of global order to confront," Zarif said while he had earlier presented a list of US unilateral acts addressing the event. He stressed "the United States does not like many international conventions and agreements that are in place right now let see for people for instance in the Arab World the Resolution 2231 is the resolution of the Security Council." "The resolution rejecting the annexation of the Golan [Heights] or the annexation of Quds are also resolutions of the Security Council," he noted by raising some examples of the US hostile choices. In response another question as regard next round of US presidential elections, Zarif said "It is none of my business that is for the American people to decide but I wish rationality to go back to the White House." According to the UN official website, 'the International Day was officially approved on December 12, 2018 through resolution A/RES/73/127. 24 April of every year is designated as the day for the international observance.' 'As emphasized in the resolution, the International Day is a reaffirmation of the UN Charter and its principles of resolving disputes among countries through peaceful means. It acknowledges the use of multilateral decision-making and diplomacy in achieving peaceful resolutions to conflicts among nations,' it added. 9376**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraq Defence Official Says US Troops Not Involved in Any Military Operations Sputnik News 20:16 24.04.2019(updated 21:24 24.04.2019) MOSCOW (Sputnik) The US troops in Iraq only assist the country's army in fighting Daesh* and do not carry out any military operations, Muhammad Abadi, general secretary of the Iraqi Defense Ministry, told Sputnik on Wednesday. "Actually when the military mission is completed and finished sure, the US military units will leave Iraq. But now there are some people from the US army in Iraq, and they work advising us, training and like this, but there is no fighting The Daesh is not finished forever. There are some groups of Daesh working and both [Iraqi and Syrian] armies are fighting them. And inside Iraq mission of the US army is to assist and support Iraqi army, but not fighting," Abadi said on the sidelines of the Conference on International Security (MCIS) in Moscow. Iraq has long been suffering from activities of various terrorist groups. In 2014, vast territories of the Middle Eastern state were occupied by Daesh. The Iraqi army has successfully fought back against Daesh over the past year. In December, then Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi declared an end to the country's fight against Daesh, as Iraqi troops re-established complete control over the country's Syrian border. *Daesh (also known as IS, ISIS, ISIL) is a terrorist group banned in numerous countries, including Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LNA Plans to Take Tripoli in 2-3 Weeks - Head of LNA General Commander's Office Sputnik News 14:13 24.04.2019 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar is planning to take Tripoli in two or three weeks, believes that the operation will not take long, Khairi Tamimi, the head of the LNA General Commander's Office, told Sputnik on Wednesday. "Two, three weeks but it won't take long. We are working on it, that this operation doesn't take long. If [it] takes time, it won't be a long time," Tamimi said, when asked how long it would take the LNA to gain control of Tripoli. The government in eastern Libya is eager to broaden defence cooperation with Russia once international embargo is lifted, Khairi Tamimi added. "In reality after we finish this work [liberation of Tripoli] I hope we will have large military cooperation. Now Russia can not provide us with anything because of the arms embargo. After the embargo is lifted we are aiming at broadening this cooperation. Now we cooperate in the sphere of intelligence and in fight against terrorism," he said. Khalifa Haftar ordered an offensive to take control of Tripoli from GNA forces in early April, prompting a mobilisation of forces loyal to the GNA. In response, armed forces loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) started a military operation against the LNA. Since the overthrow and killing of Libya's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 Libya is currently divided into two parts the internationally recognised GNA headed by Fayez Sarraj in Tripoli and a parallel administration allied to Haftar in the east of the country. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Evacuates Refugees From Tripoli Detention Center By VOA News April 24, 2019 The United Nations has evacuated about 325 refugees from a government-run detention center in Tripoli after some were allegedly attacked for protesting bad conditions. Fighting between rival governments in Libya has made living in and near the capital extremely hazardous for civilians. "The dangers for refugees and migrants in Tripoli have never been greater than they are at present," Matthew Brook, deputy head of the U.N. mission, said Wednesday. "It is vital that refugees in danger can be released and evacuated to safety." The U.N. refugee agency said its decision to urgently move the refugees out of the Qaser Ben Gasheer detention center was triggered by reports that some had been beaten and threatened with gunshots for complaining about crowded conditions and the lack of food. Twelve people were sent to a hospital. U.N. officials say they are deeply concerned for the safety of about 3,000 migrants inside various detention centers in Tripoli. They say the fighting is making it hard to provide lifesaving help to the migrants, and that it is vital the civilians are freed from the centers and given a chance to get away from the fighting. Thousands of migrants from Libya and elsewhere try to make the dangerous journey to Europe across the Mediterranean Sea from Libyan shores every year. 'Dangerous and unsuitable' U.N. refugee officials said Wednesday that Libya is a "dangerous and unsuitable place" for refugees and migrants, and that "no effort should be spared to prevent those rescued at sea from being returned to Libya." Along with a call for an immediate cease-fire, U.N. humanitarian officials said they urgently need more than $10 million to continue helping beleaguered civilians in Libya. The officials said they have received just 6% of pledges so far. Forces loyal to Gen. Khalifa Haftar and his rival government in the east have launched a military offensive against Tripoli and the internationally recognized administration of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. The fighting has been primarily centered in the suburbs south of the capital. Libya has been in chaos since longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi was toppled and killed in 2011. Numerous armed factions and militias have been jockeying for power and control of Libya's oil wealth. The U.N. fears not only that the fighting will create a new refugee crisis in North Africa, but that terrorist groups such as Islamic State will take advantage of the chaos to dig in deeper inside Libya. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Started Assembling Su-30SM Fighters for Naypyitaw - Myanmar Army Chief Sputnik News 09:01 24.04.2019(updated 09:02 24.04.2019) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has started assembling the six Su-30SM fighters that will be delivered to Myanmar under a 2018 bilateral contract, Myanmar Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing told Sputnik. "[The aircraft] are currently at the production facilities. The contract will be implemented," the official said during visit to Moscow. Russia and Myanmar signed a contract for the supply of six Su-30SM fighter jets in 2018. The Su-30SM is a 4+ generation fighter jet, developed by Russia's Sukhoi Company. It is a two-seat derivative of the earlier Su-27UB (NATO reporting name: Flanker) capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions with a wide variety of precision-guided munitions. The aircraft features thrust-vectoring engines to enhance maneuverability. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan Test Fires Its Own Anti-Ship Cruise Missile in North Arabian Sea Sputnik News 09:44 24.04.2019(updated 09:54 24.04.2019) Pakistan's navy has been developing multiple types of missiles designed to target naval and other hostile marine vessels and had conducted live weapons tests on numerous occasions since 2016. New Delhi (Sputnik): The Pakistan Navy has successfully test fired a domestically-developed anti-ship cruise missile from a fast attack craft in the North Arabian Sea on Tuesday. This was revealed by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces in a press release. "The missile accurately hit its target on land, signifying the impressive capabilities of the indigenous missile system. The successful live weapon firing has once again demonstrated the credible firepower of Pakistan Navy and the impeccable level of indigenisation in high-tech weaponry achieved by Pakistan's defence industry," the statement read. The Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice-admiral Kaleem Shaukat, witnessed the live firing on board a Pakistan Navy ship. Amid tensions with India, Vice-admiral Shaukat reaffirmed Pakistan Navy's resolve to ensure credible naval defence and to safeguard national maritime interests at all costs. The Pakistan Navy did not specify the fast attack craft used for anti-ship land attack cruise missile testing. Pakistan has been developing an anti-ship missile based on Babur 1B (also designated as Hatf VII), which was last test fired in April 2018. Since 2016, Pakistan has test-fired a number of new long-range anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM), most notably the Zarb coastal/land-based ASCM, Harba dual-ASCM and land-attack cruise missile (LACM), and the Babur 1B and Babur Version 2 dual ASCM/LACM. Babur Weapon System-1 (B) incorporates advanced aerodynamics and avionics that can strike targets both at land and sea with a high degree of accuracy and has a range of 700 kilometres. It is a low-flying, terrain-hugging missile, which also has certain stealth features and is capable of carrying various types of warheads. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zarif slams US for keeping silent on Saudi 37 executions IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency New York, April 24, IRNA -- Iranian foreign minister on Wednesday criticized US for keeping silent toward Saudi execution of 37 men, saying being a member of Bolton, Bin Salman, Bin Zayed and Netanyahu team gives immunity for atrocity crimes. 'After a wink at the dismembering of a journalist, not a whisper from the Trump administration when Saudi Arabia beheads 37 men in one dayeven crucifying one two days after Easter,' Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote in his Twitter account on Wednesday. He added 'Membership in the #B_team Bolton, Bin Salman, Bin Zayed & 'Bibi' gives immunity for any crime.' Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that 37 Saudis were executed for the alleged link with terrorism. The recent executions happened in Mecca, Medina, Riyadh, Al Qassim and Shia residential area Eastern Province. As per 'Amnesty International' report, some 149 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia in 2018. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world which accomplish execution by beheading. Users of social media in Saudi Arabia said that 32 Shia Muslims from Al Qatif and Eastern province were among those who were executed. The Saudi government convicted a large number of the opposition of heavy punishment and execution to fight freedom of expression and under the pretext of combating terrorism. Meanwhile, Khashoggi, the Saudi veteran writer and journalist entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to collect paperwork for his forthcoming marriage but disappeared there. After 18 days of silence and rejecting claims that Khashoggi was killed, the Saudi government finally bowed down to international pressure on October 20th and claimed in a statement the prominent journalist was killed in a fist-fight inside Istanbul consulate. All evidence suggests 15 Saudi agents with close ties to the crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman who were deployed to Istanbul are in charge of killing Khashoggi and dismembering his body. 9376**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mass beheadings by Saudi draw global condemnation Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 04:08PM World leaders and several human rights organizations have expressed shock and condemnation over Saudi Arabia's recent mass execution of nearly 40 people in a single day, as a crackdown led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman against dissidents widens in the kingdom. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement issued in Geneva on Wednesday that most of those beheaded were minority Shia Muslims. She also voiced concern about a lack of due process and fair trial in the kingdom amid allegations that confessions were obtained through torture. "It is particularly abhorrent that at least three of those killed were minors at the time of their sentencing," Bachelet said. Elsewhere in the statement, she called on Saudi authorities to review counterterrorism legislation and halt pending executions. Earlier on Tuesday, the Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by state-run media that it had put 37 citizens to death for their alleged "adoption of extremist, terrorist ideology and forming terrorist cells to corrupt and disturb security, spread chaos and cause sectarian discord." Reports said the beheaded body of one of the victims, Khaled bin Abdel Karim al-Tuwaijri, was attached to a pole for several hours. Adam Coogle, who monitors Saudi Arabia for Human Rights Watch, said at least 33 of those executed were Saudi Shias, noting that some of the victims had been convicted based on confessions made under torture. Also on Tuesday, Amnesty International slammed the executions, saying that the victims had been convicted "after sham trials," which relied on "confessions extracted through torture." The rights body stated that 14 of those executed had participated in anti-government protests in the kingdom's oil-rich Eastern Province in 2011-2012. It also said one of them, Abdulkareem al-Hawaj, was arrested when he was 16, making his execution a "flagrant violation of international law." The European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the executions heightened doubts about respect for the right to a fair trial in Saudi Arabia and could fuel sectarian violence. Britain also condemned the beheadings and described the move as "repulsive" and "utterly unacceptable in the modern world." "Any country needs to realize that when it uses methods like this they will eventually backfire. The practical benefit is entirely negative," the Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said on Wednesday. The mass execution is the largest in Saudi Arabia since January 2016, when 47 men were executed in a single day, including outspoken Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr. Saudi Arabia has come under increasing global scrutiny over its human rights record since the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate and the detention of women's rights activists. Bin Salman's international reputation has been badly tarnished by his role in Khashoggi's murder. Figures show the kingdom has stepped up the rate of executions in 2019, with at least 104 people put to death since the start of the year compared to 149 for the entire 2018. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN rights chief 'strongly' condemns 'shocking' mass executions in Saudi Arabia 24 April 2019 - Despite repeated appeals by the United Nations human rights system, Saudi Arabia's decision to go ahead with the beheading of 37 men, drew strong condemnation on Wednesday from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. "I strongly condemn these shocking mass executions across six cities in Saudi Arabia yesterday in spite of grave concerns raised about these cases by numerous UN Special Rapporteurs, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and others," she said in a statement. Amid allegations that confessions were obtained through torture, she voiced concern over a lack of due process and fair trial guarantees, and said it was "particularly abhorrent" that at the time of their sentencing, at least three of those executed were minors found guilty of taking part in protests against the Saudi authorities. "I urge the Government of Saudi Arabia to immediately launch a review of its counter-terrorism legislation and amend the law to expressly prohibit the imposition of the death penalty against minors", underscored Ms. Bachelet. According to news reports quoting the Saudi State-run news agency, the 37 had been charged with adopting "extremist, terrorist ideology" and forming terrorist cells "to corrupt and disturb security, spread chaos and cause sectarian discord." They were reportedly accused of "cooperating with hostile parties in a way that damaged the high interests of the homeland." Most of the men belonged to the Shi'a Muslim minority and one of their bodies was subsequently put on public display. In several of the cases, various UN human rights experts had raised serious concerns over their treatment, with the authorities. Beginning in 2013, 11 of the executed had reportedly been arrested for spying for Iran, some of whose lawyers boycotted the proceedings because they had been denied access to their clients and case files. Others were detained for anti-Government protests. Ms. Bachelet also expressed deep concern for the fate of those who remain on death row, including Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdulla al-Zaher, whose cases have also been taken up by the UN human rights system. "I appeal to the authorities to halt the pending executions and to engage constructively with the UN Human Rights Office and independent experts on the many concerns related to the imposition of the death penalty in the country," she stated. The High Commissioner reminded Saudi Arabia of its obligations to respect international human rights law, particularly as a State party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention Against Torture. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Blast in Syria's militant-held Jisr al-Shughour leaves 17 dead Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 02:45PM More than a dozen people have lost their lives and dozens of others sustained injured when a powerful explosion ripped through the center of a city controlled by foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in Syria's northwestern city of Idlib. The so-called White Helmets civil defense group and residents said the blast took place in Jisr al-Shughour, located about 330 kilometers (200 miles) north of the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday as several residential buildings collapsed as a result of the act of terror. Ahmad Yaziji, a member of Western-backed White Helmets, who have been accused of cooperating with Takfiri militants and staging false flag gas attacks, said at least 17 people were killed and at least 27 people, mostly civilians, were injured. He noted that the number of casualties is expected to rise as some of the injured are in a critical condition, and rescue workers are recovering bodies from under the rubble. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the cause of the blast in Jisr al-Shughour was not immediately clear. "It is not known until now whether it was a car bomb, or the explosion of a car carrying explosives," head of the Britain-based monitor group Rami Abdel Rahman noted. Under a deal reached following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on September 17, 2018, all militants in a demilitarized zone, which surrounds Idlib and also parts of the adjacent provinces of Aleppo and Hama, were supposed to pull out heavy arms by October 17 that year, and Takfiri groups had to withdraw by October 15. The National Front for the Liberation of Syria is the main Turkish-backed militant alliance in the Idlib region, but the Takfiri Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist group, which is a coalition of different factions of terror outfits, largely composed of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist group, holds a large part of the province and the zone. The HTS, which is said to be in control of some 60 percent of Idlib province, has yet to announce its stance on the buffer zone deal. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 members of different factions of armed groups, which Syria, Russia and Turkey consider terrorists, are active in the volatile province, which is home to around three million inhabitants. Russia believes that a buffer zone would help stop attacks from Idlib-based militants on Syrian army positions and Russia's military bases in the flashpoint region. Car bomb hits Syria capital, killing civilian Separately, one civilian was killed and five others were injured as a car rigged with explosives blew up in the Syrian capital. "One civilian was killed and five others injured in an explosion in the area of Nahr Aisha in Damascus," Syria's official news agency SANA said. "Investigations showed that terrorists planted an explosive device inside a Peugeot car, killing the driver," it added. Five people in the vicinity were wounded and taken to Damascus Hospital to receive medical treatment, it said. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia to start deliveries of S-400 to Turkey in July Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 09:04PM Russia says it will start delivering its S-400 anti-missile system to Turkey in July, despite US warnings against the move. "Everything has been already discussed and agreed," the head of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheev told Interfax on Wednesday. This comes as Washington has repeatedly warned that it would suspend all deliveries and activities related to Turkey's procurement of F-35 stealth fighter jets and Patriot surface-to-air missile systems, if Ankara seals its S-400 deal with Russia. The Turkish government, however, has so far refused to back down from its purchase. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu emphasized that his country would look for "the best technology" elsewhere, if the US fails to transfer the F-35 fighters. Turkey has ordered 30 F-35s and plans to buy over 100 in total. It has, at the same time, signed a $2.5 billion deal with Russia for the purchase of the S-400 missile defense systems. The Pentagon has recently halted the delivery of equipment related to the F-35 to Turkey. Leaders of the US Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees have also warned Turkey that it risks tough sanctions if it pursues plans to acquire the S-400 system. The missile defense system, whose full name is the Triumph Mobile Multiple Anti-Aircraft Missile System (AAMS), is an advanced Russian missile system designed to detect, track, and destroy planes, drones, or missiles as far as 402 kilometers away. It has previously been sold only to China and India. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey says will satisfy need for advanced warplanes in 'another place' if US blocks transfer of F-35s Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 08:18AM Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Turkey will look elsewhere for an alternative to American F-35 fighter jets if Washington blocks the delivery of its advanced stealth warplanes to Ankara. Speaking to reporters after the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Parliament on Tuesday, Cavusoglu emphasized that Turkey would look for "the best technology" elsewhere if the US fails to transfer the F-35 fighters. "We are already partners in the F-35 manufacturing program, we participate in this project, we have paid the necessary amount. There are currently no problems with this," he said. "But in the worst case scenario, we will have to satisfy our need in another place, where the best technologies will be offered." Turkey has ordered 30 F-35s and plans to buy over 100 in total. It has, at the same time, signed a $2.5 billion deal with Russia for the purchase of the S-400 missile defense systems with the delivery set to begin in July. But Ankara's military deal with Moscow has angered Washington, which has issued an ultimatum to Turkey to stop buying the Russian batteries or risk losing its NATO membership. The Pentagon has recently halted the delivery of equipment related to the F-35 to Turkey. Leaders of the US Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees have also warned Turkey that it risks tough sanctions if it pursues plans to acquire S-400. Elsewhere in his remarks, the top Turkish diplomat said that Ankara had no intention to hand over its Russian S-400 systems to Qatar and Azerbaijan. "Why do we buy S-400? Because we have an urgent need for an air defense system," Cavusoglu added. Ankara has 'plan B' Separately on Tuesday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar stressed that his country was unfazed by the US threats and would put a "plan B" into action should the US terminate the F-35 deal. "We have short-term, medium-term and long-term plans," he said. Akar further pointed out that four Turkish pilots were currently receiving training on the F-35 fighter jets and that two more were preparing to join the program. In total, he added, 35 to 40 personnel were in training. Earlier this month, Cavusoglu said Ankara would look to Russia and others to fill its fighter jet requirements if the US scrapped the planned sale of the F-35s. "There are also aircraft manufactured in Russia," he told Turkish news outlet NTV. "If we are not able to purchase [the] F-35, Turkey will buy similar aircraft from other countries." Ankara has long argued that Turkey, as a sovereign state, is entitled to choose its trade partners and arms suppliers free from foreign intervention. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Scottish first minister calls for independence referendum by 2021 Iran Press TV Wed Apr 24, 2019 04:45PM Scotland's' first minister Nicola Sturgeon says the region should hold a new referendum on independence from the United Kingdom in the next two years. Sturgeon said on Wednesday that she and her colleagues in the Scottish National Party (SNP) will do their best to bring forward the required legislation for holding a fresh vote on the region's separation from the UK. The call comes nearly five years after nationalists in Scotland failed to go through an independence referendum. However, the SNP and others insist that a UK-wide referendum in 2016 on leaving the European Union, in which Scots voted to remain part of the EU, has changed the situation. Sturgeon said that one such referendum should take place before the current term of the Scottish parliament ends in May 2021. "A choice between Brexit and a future for Scotland as an independent European nation should be offered in the lifetime of this parliament," Sturgeon said, adding, "I can confirm that the Scottish government will act to ensure that the option of giving people a choice on independence later in this term of parliament is progressed." This comes as British government has strongly resisted calls for a fresh referendum on Scottish independence, saying the 2014 referendum settled the issue for a generation. However, Sturgeon said that the government and parliament in London had failed Scotland and were not caring about demands in the region for remaining part of the EE. "The Westminster system of government does not serve Scotland's interests," she said, adding, "Whatever Scotland's constitutional status in the future, it will always be in our interests for these islands to have the closest possible relationship with the EU." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Condemns Russian Move To Ease Citizenship For Those In Separatist-Held Areas By RFE/RL April 24, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree simplifying the procedure for people living in parts of eastern Ukraine held by Russia-backed separatists to obtain Russian citizenship, drawing a swift and angry response from Kyiv and criticism from the West. Shortly after Putin's decree was published on the Kremlin website on April 24, Ukraine's foreign minister called it "aggression and interference" in Kyiv's affairs and a Western diplomat told RFE/RL it was a "highly provocative step" that would undermine the situation in the war-ravaged region known as the Donbas. President Petro Poroshenko said that, with this decree, "Russia is torpedoing the peace process in the Donbas." The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv posted on Twitter that the decree was "absurd and destabilizing" and reaffirmed "our strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Ukraine's mission to the United Nations posted on Facebook that Kyiv had "asked that the UN Security Council call a session to discuss Russia's brazen decision to issue Russian passports in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory." Putin's order and its timing seemed designed to put pressure on Kyiv just three days after Ukraine elected a new president, opening the door to potential changes in a relationship severely damaged for the past five years by Russia's seizure of Crimea and support for the forces who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine's President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued a statement condemning Russia as an "occupying state" and an "aggressor country that is waging war against Ukraine." He called for "increased diplomatic and sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation." The decree says its goal is "to protect human and civil rights" and that the move was "based on universal principles and norms of the international law." Putin aide Vladislav Surkov called it "extremely important" and said that Russia was carrying out its "duty to Russian-speaking and Russian-thinking people who have found themselves in a very grave situation" due to what he called "the repressive actions of the Kyiv regime." Denis Pushilin, the self-proclaimed head of the Moscow-backed separatist formation in Donetsk, called Putin's decree "a milestone in the history of our young states." "We have been waiting for this step for a long time and are immensely glad that this day has come," he was quoted as saying by the press agency of the de facto authorities in Donetsk. Speaking hours after the decree was published, Putin said that Moscow has "no desire to create problems for the new Ukrainian authorities" and called it "a purely humanitarian matter," contending that people in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions "are deprived of all possible civil rights." But Kyiv rejects such claims, blaming Russia for the problems faced by residents of the war-ravaged regions. Oleksandr Turchynov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security Council, issued a statement saying that "Putin is creating legal conditions for an official application of armed forces against Ukraine." "This is related to Russian legislation allowing the use of armed forces for protecting Russian citizens outside of Russia," he added. Turchnyov called for "increasing sanctions pressure on the aggressor state." Poroshenko's statement made the same argument, saying Putin's decree "is actually about the Kremlin's preparations for the next step of aggression against our state the annexation of the Ukrainian Donbas or the creation of a Russian enclave in Ukraine." He said Ukraine had initiated a discussion of the matter in the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the European Union. Shortly after the decree was published, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin tweeted that "Russia's decision to issue passports in the occupied Ukrainian territories is the continuation of aggression and interference in our internal affairs," adding: "This is a new 'passport' stage of the occupation of the Donbas." Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, a Western diplomat involved in negotiations related to the conflict in eastern Ukraine told RFE/RL that Putin's decree is "a highly provocative step that undermines efforts to deescalate the situation" in the Donbas. According to the decree, permanent residents of "certain districts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions" -- wording apparently referring to territory held by the Russia-backed separatists, which includes the two provincial capitals -- "have the right to apply for citizenship of the Russian Federation [and obtain it] in a simplified way." The decree states that decisions on citizenship for people from the areas in question must be made by Russian authorities within three months after their applications are filed and all necessary documents are collected, and that citizenship must be granted immediately after the decision to do so is made. Only holders of identification documents issued by the separatist authorities will be eligible for the expedited citizenship. The de facto separatist formations have said about 300,000 such identification cards have been issued. Putin's order came after amendments to the Russian law on citizenship allowing the president to grant citizenship to foreigners "in a simplified way" were approved by lawmakers in both houses of the Russian parliament in December and came into force on March 29. Russia's moves to grant citizenship to residents of other former Soviet republics, and especially breakaway regions that are supported by Moscow, have often been described by critics as a way to increase the size of Moscow's footprint and gain additional levers of influence in those countries. In 2002, during Putin's first term, Moscow began issuing Russian passports to residents of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia -- first laying groundwork for the move by adopting a law allowing Russian citizenship to be granted to people who did not receive citizenship of any country after the 1991 Soviet collapse. When Russian troops rolled into Georgia in August 2008, at the start of a five-day war that strengthened Moscow's grip over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the number of Russian passport holders in the two separatist regions was 85 and 90 percent, respectively. Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent countries after the war, leaving large numbers of troops in both regions. Pro-Kremlin analysts and other defenders of Moscow's actions say that Russia was protecting its citizens when it launched the military operation. Meanwhile, Russian media reports have said that almost half the residents of Moldova's Moscow-backed breakaway region of Transdniester are Russian passport holders. Putin's decree came three days after Zelenskiy, a comedian and political novice who critics doubt will be able to stand up to Putin, defeated Poroshenko by a massive margin in a presidential runoff. He is to be inaugurated in early June. Putin and other Russian officials had repeatedly denounced Poroshenko, who made a stronger army and resistance to Russian interference major parts of his policy and his reelection campaign. Poroshenko was elected in May 2014, after Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych was pushed from power that February by a protest movement known as the Maidan after he scrapped plans for closer ties with the European Union and vowed to boost trade with Russia. Shortly after Yanukovych stepped down and fled to Russia, Moscow seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and fomented unrest in the Donbas, where it has backed separatist forces in a war that has killed some 13,000 people and continues despite a cease-fire and peace deal known as the Minsk Accords. Russia denies involvement in the conflict despite evidence Kyiv and Western governments say is incontrovertible that it has provided weapons, troops, and other support. With reporting by RFE/RL correspondent Christopher Miller in Kyiv, Reuters, TASS, and RBK Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-signs-decree- simplifying-russian-citizenship-for-ukraine- separatists-luhansk-donetsk/29901043.html Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine's President-Elect Calls For Talks With IMF To Lower Natural Gas Price By RFE/RL April 24, 2019 Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on the government and the state energy company Naftogaz Ukrainy to hold talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to lower the household price for natural gas as of May 1. Ukraine raised household gas prices sharply ahead of the winter in October and secured a new $3.9 billion standby aid agreement with the IMF, whose support has been crucial for Kyiv amid economic struggles and a war with Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of eastern Ukraine. In a statement on Facebook on April 24, Zelenskiy's transition team said that lower prices in Europe in recent months should enable Ukraine to set lower prices for its citizens. Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman's cabinet and Naftogaz have already agreed between themselves on a small decrease starting May 1 -- instead of the 15 percent increase that had been planned. The Facebook statement suggested that Zelenskiy -- who is to be inaugurated in early June after easily beating incumbent President Petro Poroshenko in an April 21 runoff -- supports a price cut but wants to ensure it is agreed with the IMF. "Let's show -- not just in words but in deeds that we can take decisions in people's interests. For the past four months, gas prices in Europe have been decreasing and now the price of gas for the population in Ukraine is higher than the price of gas on the European market," the statement said. It urged Naftogaz and the cabinet "to hold the appropriate consultations with the IMF" and agree on a price decrease to take effect on May 1. The statement warned that neighboring Russia could limit energy supplies to Ukraine from June 1 and might take steps to halt gas transit through Ukraine altogether at the start of 2020. Such moves by Moscow would result in significant financial losses and gas supply risks, it said, adding: "These challenges require us to take effective and fast action." An IMF spokesman was not immediately available to comment. Sensitive Issue Gas prices have been a sensitive issue for years in Ukraine, and just one of many that Zelenskiy -- a comedian who plays a president on TV but has never held office and had no political experience before the election campaign -- will face as president of the country of some 44 million. There was additional political context to the Facebook statement: It came less than 48 hours after Hroysman, who has been prime minister for three years, said he will take part in parliamentary elections due in October with a party other than Poroshenko's political grouping. The elections will be an important test for Zelenskiy, whose weeks-old political party does not have seats in parliament. Hroysman said in March that he would urge the Finance Ministry and Naftogaz to start talks with the IMF to try to prevent any future rise in gas prices. He told a cabinet meeting on April 24 that the planned decrease on May 1 - a cut of about 3.5 percent, to 8,247 hryvnyas ($309) per 1,000 cubic meters -- would not be the last. With reporting by RFE/RL Correspondent Christopher Miller in Kyiv, Reuters, and Interfax-Ukraine Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine- zelenskiy-imf-talks-lower- gas-price/29900501.html Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address First and only non-coated sirolimus-eluting angioplasty balloon system to show promising clinical results Potential to offer significant advantages for treatment of coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR), a condition that represents over 10% of total interventional procedures1 NEW HOPE, Pa., April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orchestra BioMed, Inc. (Orchestra BioMed or the Company), a biomedical innovation company developing advanced therapeutic solutions to address major unmet healthcare needs, announced today that it has secured Breakthrough Device designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Virtue Sirolimus-Eluting Balloon for the treatment of coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR). Breakthrough Designation is granted to certain medical devices and device-led combination products that provide for a more effective treatment of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases. It enables manufacturers to provide patients and health care providers with timely access to medical devices by expediting their development, assessment, and review. Benefits of this designation include frequent interactions and feedback from FDA during the premarket review phase. Through this program, Orchestra BioMed can expect prioritized review of its submission for Virtue SEB. In Virtue SEB, we finally have a therapeutic innovation that truly warrants breakthrough designation for the treatment of coronary ISR, a particularly challenging condition for which available treatment options are limited, commented Dean Kereiakes, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, medical director of The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Center and professor of Clinical Medicine at The Ohio State University. The unique design of Virtue SEB provides a reliable way to apply the proven anti-proliferative, anti-restenotic benefits of sirolimus during balloon angioplasty without the potential hazards of a permanent metal implant or a balloon coating that may produce downstream particulates and micro-emboli. Clinical results at three-year follow-up with Virtue SEB in ISR are very promising and I am very much looking forward to utilizing this exciting new technology in clinical trials in the U.S. We believe Virtue SEB addresses an important unmet clinical need and provides an improved treatment alternative for a patient population with limited options. It is the first and only non-coated angioplasty balloon that provides arterial delivery of sirolimus, the proven gold standard drug used on drug-eluting stents for preventing restenosis of treated arteries. commented Darren R. Sherman, president, chief operating officer and founder of Orchestra BioMed. We plan to fully leverage the benefits of FDA Breakthrough Device designation as we seek to accelerate the U.S. clinical and regulatory development of Virtue SEB with the goal of providing physicians and patients with the benefits of our novel therapeutic device. About Virtue SEB and Coronary ISR Virtue SEB is a novel, first-in-class drug/device combination product that delivers sustained-release bioabsorbable nanoparticle-encapsulated Sirolimus, the proven gold-standard drug for preventing restenosis, directly to the artery during balloon angioplasty without the need for a coating. Virtue SEBs ability to reliably deliver sirolimus via bioabsorbable particles directly to the artery with an elution profile comparable to commercially available drug-eluting stents has been demonstrated in extensive non-clinical studies published in a peer-reviewed journal . Virtue SEB is the first and only non-coated sirolimus-eluting angioplasty balloon system to show promising clinical results in patients with coronary ISR. Coronary ISR, the reclogging of an artery following the implant of a drug-eluting or bare metal stent, represents over 10% of total interventional cardiology procedures according the American College of Cardiologys National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR)2. FDA approved treatment options, such as plain balloon angioplasty and brachytherapy, are limited and offer subpar clinical outcomes. Juan Granada, M.D., associate professor of Medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and president and CEO of Cardiovascular Research Foundation, presented three-year clinical results with Virtue SEB from the Sirolimus Angioplasty Balloon for In-Stent Restenosis (SABRE) Trial at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2018 in San Diego, CA . In the SABRE trial, Virtue SEB demonstrated excellent efficacy and safety performance in a very challenging ISR patient population with predominantly long, diffuse lesions within stents that had been implanted, on average, nearly four years prior to the study enrollment. The per protocol primary safety and efficacy endpoint results of the study were as follows: 0.0% Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE) in hospital and at 30-day follow-up 0.12 mm Late Lumen Loss (LLL) at 6-month angiographic assessment 5.6% Target Lesion Failure (TLF) at 3 years About Orchestra BioMed Orchestra BioMed, Inc. is a biomedical innovation company focused on developing high impact therapeutic solutions to address significant unmet needs in healthcare. The Company advances promising therapies through clinical development and aims to leverage strategic partnerships with established global leaders to optimize commercialization. This strategy positions Orchestra BioMed to generate long-term, high-margin cash flow from revenue sharing, royalty, licensing and product development agreements. With a primary focus on the treatment of cardiovascular health issues that affect tens of millions of people worldwide, the Orchestra BioMed pipeline includes BackBeat Cardiac Neuromodulation Therapy, a patented implantable cardiac stimulation-based treatment for hypertension, and Virtue Sirolimus-Eluting Balloon, a novel, first-in-class drug/device combination product that delivers programmed-release bioabsorbable nanoparticle encapsulated Sirolimus to the artery during balloon angioplasty for treatment of atherosclerosis. Orchestra BioMed also has significant strategic ownership in other therapeutic device companies, including FreeHold Surgical (a wholly-owned subsidiary), Motus GI and Vivasure Medical. Forward Looking Statements Some of the statements made herein constitute forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future financial and other performance or anticipated plans and are identified by words such as may, will, should, expect, could, scheduled, plan, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, potential, propose and continue or negative variants of such terms. These and similar forward-looking statements discuss the Companys future expectations and plans. The Company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, the Company cautions against placing undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements are only estimates of future performance. Actual performance or events may not meet such expectations or estimates and may, in fact, differ materially. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements made herein are reasonable, the Company cannot and does not guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, the Company does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of such forward-looking statements in the future. The Company does not plan and, subject to applicable law, undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements made herein after the date hereof in order to conform such statements to actual results. Investor Contact: Bob Yedid LifeSci Advisors 646-597-6989 Bob@lifesciadvisors.com Media Contact: Gloria Gasaatura LifeSci Public Relations GGasaatura@lifescipublicrelations.com ____________________________ 1 Journal of the American College of Cardiology Sep 2018, 72 (13 Supplement) B50-B51; DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.1220 2 Journal of the American College of Cardiology Sep 2018, 72 (13 Supplement) B50-B51; DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.1220 ST. LOUIS, April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) have formed a joint venture called Monarch Bioenergy to produce renewable natural gas (RNG) across Smithfields hog farms in Missouri. This partnership converts manure collected from Smithfield farms into RNG, while simultaneously delivering ecological services and developing wildlife habitat. Once complete, all Smithfield company-owned finishing farms in Missouri will have the infrastructure to produce RNG, resulting in approximately 1.3 million dekatherms of RNG annually, which is the equivalent to eliminating 130,000 gasoline vehicles. This joint venture represents our continued commitment to doing business in a way that is good for our planet and its people, said Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer for Smithfield Foods. This innovative collaboration creates value for our company and our partners, and benefits the environment as we work to feed the worlds growing population. Monarch Bioenergy builds upon the successful first phase of Smithfield and RAEs groundbreaking manure-to-energy project across nine Smithfield farms in northern Missouri, which is the largest project of its kind. This joint venture will install and utilize infrastructure on Smithfield farms in Missouri to capture methane emissions from hog farms and convert them into pipeline-quality natural gas, which will be distributed to RNG markets across the county. The biogas created by Monarch Bioenergy is transported through a gas gathering network and purified in a centrally located gas cleaning system designed and installed by RAE. This project produces biogas that has received the lowest carbon intensity score ever recorded. Biogas with low carbon intensity, such as that created by Monarch Bioenergy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and achieves air quality benefits. Monarch Bioenergy will also sustainably harvest native prairie plants and cover crops that have been restored on highly-erodible lands. The biomass will be digested to produce additional RNG in Missouri. This project leverages harvested prairie plants to create biomass for RNG production while also providing wildlife habitat for monarch butterflies . These are critical components of Smithfield and RAEs holistic vision for creating renewable energy in a way that wisely utilizes land resources, prevents fertilizer runoff into watersheds, improves soil organic matter, and cools the atmosphere through natural transpiration while creating critical new wildlife and pollinator habitat. From their leadership in creating renewable energy and in conservation, Smithfield is changing what it means to be a food company, said Rudi Roeslein, president of RAE. Smithfields willingness to embrace the power of prairie proves the industry can play a meaningful role in seizing the economic benefits of conservation. Commitment to Sustainability This joint venture helps both Smithfield and RAE meet their companywide sustainability goals. Monarch Bioenergy is supporting RAEs goal to restore 30 million acres of land to native prairie plants strategically located around waterways, streams, rivers and highly erodible lands. Sustainable prairie plants have a valuable ecological, economic, social and environmental impact on our environment. We are extremely grateful that Smithfield is committed to this vision. It begins with converting methane from hog manure to renewable natural gas. But thats the tip of the iceberg. We hope to show the agriculture community, with the help of our joint venture partner Smithfield, how to take all these steps and make an enormous impact for energy, the environment, and wildlife, Roeslein said. This project is implementing technologies to allow smaller-scale operations to implement manure-to-energy projects, supplemented with cover crop and native prairie biomass, to reap economic and environmental benefits. The standardized gas purification systems will be scalable, able to accommodate small to medium-sized finishing farms, and allow for incremental increases as farms grow or harvest more biomass to supplement manure. Monarch Bioenergy is also part of Smithfield Renewables , Smithfields platform to unify and accelerate its carbon reduction and renewable energy efforts. Launched in 2016, Smithfield Renewables helps the company meet its industry-leading goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025. In addition to renewable energy projects, Smithfield is implementing a variety of projects across its supply chain to support its carbon reduction efforts. To learn more about Smithfields carbon reduction efforts, please visit smithfieldfoods.com/environment . 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 Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) is the owner, operator and developer of renewable energy production facilities that convert agricultural and industrial wastes, along with renewable biomass feedstocks to renewable natural gas and sustainable co-products. RAE engages in these business operations with a focus on incorporating native prairie restoration. RAE is a limited liability company with its principal offices located in St. Louis, Missouri. RAE was launched in 2012 by Rudi Roeslein, co-founder and CEO of St. Louis-based Roeslein and Associates, Inc. (a global leader in engineering, modular fabrication, and construction of industrial plant facilities). Contact: Roeslein Alternative Energy (314) 729-0055 info@roesleinae.com English French Revenue at 2,818 million[*] +0.4% organic growth Book to bill ratio at 86% Strong pipeline for Q2 signatures Syntel integration moving fast with first synergies materializing Atos recognized as the Google Cloud Global Breakthrough Partner of the Year All 2019 objectives confirmed Paris, April 25, 2019 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announces the revenue of its first quarter of 2019. Thierry Breton, Chairman and CEO said: Our leadership in technology and services delivering orchestrated hybrid cloud, Big Data & Cybersecurity, as well as digital and automation projects supported Group sales in the first quarter. They form the foundations of our three year plan to provide our customers the innovation they need to develop technology powered strategies in a disruptive environment. In this context, the integration of Syntel is moving fast with first synergies already materializing. For the first anniversary of the preferred partnership, Atos has been recognized as the Google Cloud Global Breakthrough Partner of the Year, which confirms the relevance of our strategy. During the first quarter, the Group excluding Worldline performed a positive 0.4% revenue organic growth. The sales dynamic continued with a 86% book to bill ratio reflecting a high level of new signatures and the fact only a few contracts are up for renewal this year. In addition, the pipeline is strong with large signatures expected in Q2. After a good start to the year, we confirm all our objectives for 2019. At the next Annual General Meeting to be held on April 30, 2019, our shareholders will vote on the distribution of c. 23.5% of Worldline share capital to Atos shareholders. A favorable vote would mark an important new step in the development of the Group with the creation of two listed pure player leaders in their respective market, Atos and Worldline. Q1 2019 revenue was 2,818 million, up +0.4% organically. The Group strategy focused on digital projects and on data management and security drove organic growth in Business & Platform Solutions at +3.5% and in Big Data & Cybersecurity at +11.4%. Alongside, Infrastructure & Data Management showed signs of improvement thanks to North America starting its recovery. The Group pursued its good commercial dynamism with order entry at 2,428 million leading to a book to bill ratio of 86%. Q1 2019 revenue performance by Division In million Q1 2019 Q1 2018* Organic evolution Infrastructure & Data Management 1,537 1,585 -3.0% Business & Platform Solutions 1,065 1,029 +3.5% Big Data & Cybersecurity 215 193 +11.4% Total Group 2,818 2,808 +0.4% * At constant scope and exchange rates In Infrastructure & Data Management (IDM), revenue was 1,537 million, -3.0% organically. Most of the decrease came from the Manufacturing, Retail & Transportation market, impacted by the Marriott International contract terminated last year due to the merger of the customer with another player, as well as Unified Communication & Collaboration activities which were down in North America and in Germany. In Financial Services last quarter, the base effect on the Standard and Poors contract in North America was offset by the ramp-up of the CNA contract signed in Q2 last year in North America and to a lesser extent by the Aviva contract in the United Kingdom & Ireland. Finally, Public & Health recorded higher volumes with governmental institutions in Germany and in Central & Eastern Europe, however revenue evolution was impacted by Transition & Transformation phases completed last year and less volumes in the United Kingdom & Ireland. The Division continued to roll-out its transformation model by extending Hybrid Cloud Orchestration as well as increasing Digital Workplace implementation and Transformation projects. As part of its GOAL program, the Division also pursued through automation and robotization the digital transformation of its main clients. In Business & Platform Solutions (B&PS) revenue was 1,065 million, up +3.5% organically. Growth was fueled by Manufacturing, Retail & Transportation market that benefitted from good performance in most of the geographies and particularly in Germany due to the ramp-up of the application management contract with Siemens as well as revenue growth generated by Syntel in North America. Financial Services also posted a solid growth coming from Syntel in North America and in the United Kingdom & Ireland in the banking sector. In Public and Health, Germany generated a solid growth which has more than compensated lower revenue in Healthcare in North America. Globally, the Division benefited from an increasing number of digitalization projects. The business in Big Data & Cybersecurity (BDS) remained strong with revenue up +11.4% organically at 215 million in the first quarter of 2019. The growth was primarily led by Public & Health market both in Big Data and in High Performance Computing in France and in the Benelux & The Nordics as well as the ramp-up of a National Police contract in Mission Critical Systems in Central & Eastern Europe. In Manufacturing, Retail & Transportation, growth was led by new Codex projects in Cybersecurity in Germany, High Performance Computer sales in Asia Pacific, as well as a stronger demand for High Performance Computing and Cybersecurity services in Central & Eastern Europe, while the United Kingdom & Ireland did not reiterate the sale of Cybersecurity licenses performed in Q1 last year. Q1 2019 revenue performance by Business Unit In million Q1 2019 Q1 2018* Organic evolution North America 662 698 -5.2% Germany 511 503 +1.6% France 438 422 +3.7% United Kingdom & Ireland 423 430 -1.8% Benelux & The Nordics 264 262 +0.5% Other Business Units 520 491 +6.0% Total Group 2,818 2,808 +0.4% * At constant scope and exchange rates During the first quarter of 2019, revenue grew in most Business Units: France grew by +3.7% fueled in particular by the strong performance in Big Data & Cybersecurity more particularly in Public & Health; Germany up +1.6% thanks to a strong activity in Business & Platform Solutions led by both digital projects and the new application management contract with Siemens; Benelux & The Nordics recorded a slight growth, mainly driven by its good performance in Big Data & Cybersecurity; Other Business Units grew by +6.0% organically thanks to a strong performance in the three Divisions. Central & Eastern Europe contributed for half of the growth thanks in particular to a solid activity in all the Divisions; In the United Kingdom, a strong activity in Business & Platform Solutions did not compensate lower sales of licenses in Cybersecurity and less volumes on contracts renewed last year in Infrastructure & Data Management; this revenue organic growth in this geography should improve along the year, thanks to contracts signed last year and ramping-up for example in Business Process Services, as well as the additional contribution of the ramp-up of the contracts signed during the first part of this year; North America was still impacted by Infrastructure & Data Management due to the ramp-down of two contracts terminated end of H1 last year but showed first signs of recovery thanks to the ramp-up of contracts signed last year, in particular CNA; North America is on track to the objective to return to positive organic growth in H2 (excluding Syntel); finally, this geography has now a much more balanced mix of activities thanks to the contribution of Syntel. Commercial activity During the first quarter of 2019, the Group order entry reached 2,428 million representing a book to bill ratio of 86%, including a high level of new contracts. During the first quarter, large Infrastructure & Data Management contracts were signed with new clients, like an integrated energy company active in North America and also in the United Kingdom & Ireland, an IT service provider and service integrator for a large insurance company in Germany, and National Health Service Trust in the Public sector in the United Kingdom & Ireland. The Division also recorded several renewals such as a UK postal service company in the United Kingdom & Ireland and a healthcare services provider in North America. New Business & Platform Solutions contracts were signed in the United Kingdom & Ireland with the Ministry of Defence, and in France with a major European airline, while a contract with a social services public agency in France was renewed. Finally, Big Data & Cybersecurity achieved additional sales with GENCI in France. In line with the dynamic commercial activity, the full backlog amounted to 20.8 billion at the end of March 2019, representing 1.8 year of revenue. The full qualified pipeline reached 6.9 billion, representing 7.2 months of revenue. Human resources Excluding Worldline, the total headcount of the Group was 110,075 at the end of March 2019, decreasing by -0.4% at constant scope compared to end of December 2018 in line with the continuous progress in automation and robotization programs. In the first quarter, the Group hired 4,639 staff mainly in offshore countries. 2019 objectives The Group confirms all its objectives for 2019: Revenue organic growth : +1% to +2%. : +1% to +2%. Operating margin : c. 10.5% of revenue. : c. 10.5% of revenue. Free cash flow: between 0.6 and 0.7 billion. Appendix Revenue and operating margin at constant scope and exchange rates reconciliation In million Q1 2019 Q1 2018 % change Statutory revenue 2,818 2,945 -4.3% Exchange rates effect 38 Revenue at constant exchange rates 2,818 2,983 -5.5% Scope effect -187 Exchange rates effect on acquired/disposed perimeters 12 Revenue at constant scope and exchange rates 2,818 2,808 +0.4% Scope effects amounted to -187 million for revenue, of which -384 million related to the restatement of the contribution of Worldline to the Group revenue in Q1 2018, and +17 million of revenue performed by Atos entities with Worldline in Q1 2018 which is no more neutralized in the Group consolidation but recognized as Group revenue. The remaining net positive amount of 180 million was mostly related to Syntel acquisition (3 months for 200 million), the disposal of some specific Unified Communication & Collaboration activities, and the disposal and decommissioning of non-strategic activities within CVC. Internal transfers mostly referred to Healthcare contracts in North America transferred to Syntel, previously reported within Infrastructure & Data Management and now reported within Business & Platform Solutions as of January 1st, 2019. Currency exchange rates effects mostly came from the American dollar and positively contributed to revenue for +49 million. Q1 2019 revenue performance by Market In million Q1 2019 Q1 2018* Organic evolution Manufacturing, Retail & Transportation 992 1,000 -0.7% Public & Health 851 852 -0.1% Telcos, Media & Utilities 472 459 +2.7% Financial Services 503 497 +1.3% Total Group 2,818 2,808 +0.4% * At constant scope and exchange rates Conference call Today, Thursday, April 25, 2019, Thierry Breton and Elie Girard will comment on Atos first quarter of 2019 revenue and answer questions from the financial community during a conference call in English starting at 08:00 am (CET - Paris). You can join the webcast of the conference: on atos.net, in the Investors section by smartphones or tablets through the scan of: by telephone with the dial-in, 5-10 minutes prior the starting time: France +33 1 76 70 07 94 code 8143346 Germany +49 69 2443 7351 code 8143346 UK +44 844 571 8892 code 8143346 US +1 631 510 7495 code 8143346 Other countries +44 2071 928000 code 8143346 After the conference, a replay of the webcast will be available on atos.net , in the Investors section. Forthcoming events April 30, 2019 Annual General Meeting July 25, 2019 First half 2019 results October 24, 2019 Third quarter 2019 revenue Contacts Media: Sylvie Raybaud - +33 6 95 91 96 71 sylvie.raybaud@atos.net Terence Zakka - +33 1 73 26 40 76 - terence.zakka@atos.net Investor Relations: Gilles Arditti - +33 1 73 26 00 66 - gilles.arditti@atos.net About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 120,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of over 11 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions through its Digital Transformation Factory, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across all business sectors. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Syntel, Unify and Worldline. Atos is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. Disclaimers This document contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including references, concerning the Group's expected growth and profitability in the future which may significantly impact the expected performance indicated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are linked to factors out of the control of the Company and not precisely estimated, such as market conditions or competitors behaviors. Any forward-looking statements made in this document are statements about Atos beliefs and expectations and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include statements that may relate to Atos plans, objectives, strategies, goals, future events, future revenues or synergies, or performance, and other information that is not historical information. Actual events or results may differ from those described in this document due to a number of risks and uncertainties that are described within the 2018 Registration Document filed with the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) on February 22, 2019 under the registration number: D.19-0072. Atos does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation or responsibility to update or amend any of the information above except as otherwise required by law. This document does not contain or constitute an offer of Atos shares for sale or an invitation or inducement to invest in Atos shares in France, the United States of America or any other jurisdiction. All figures presented in this release exclude Worldline unless stated otherwise. Revenue organic growth is presented at constant scope and exchange rates. Business Units include North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), Germany, France, United Kingdom & Ireland, Benelux & The Nordics (Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and Sweden), and Other Business Units including Central & Eastern Europe (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Switzerland), Iberia (Spain and Portugal), Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay), Middle East & Africa (Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Qatar, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey and UAE), Major Events, Global Cloud hub, and Global Delivery Centers. [*] All figures in this release exclude Worldline, which is recorded as a discontinued operation since January 1st, 2019 Attachment Swedish English Continued healthy growth and increased profit First quarter of 2019 Net sales rose by 15 percent to SEK 1,091 million (945). Organic growth was 6 percent Order intake was in line with net sales Operating profit (EBITA) rose to SEK 119 million (106) and the operating margin was 10.9 percent (11.2) Earnings per share rose to SEK 2.23 (1.98) THE GROUP IN BRIEF Quarter 1 12-months rolling Full year SEK million 2019 2018 % 2019/18 2018 Order intake 1,084 944 15 3,938 3,798 Net sales 1,091 945 15 3,932 3,786 Gross profit 304 277 10 1,114 1,088 % 27.9 29.3 28.3 28.6 Operating expenses -184 -171 6 -734 -721 % 16.9 18.1 18.7 19.0 Operating profit (EBITA) 119 106 13 380 367 % 10.9 11.2 9.7 9.7 Operating profit 117 104 12 371 358 % 10.7 11.0 9.7 9.7 Profit after tax 84 75 12 262 255 Earnings per share, SEK 2.23 1.98 12 6.96 6.71 CEOs OVERVIEW Bufab started off in 2019 with a strong result. Growth was 15 percent, driven by acquisitions, increased market share and stable demand. Our largest operating segment, International, enjoyed a particularly strong performance. We continued to take market share, just as previously by capturing many new contracts with many customers. For several consecutive years, we have continuously increased our market share in most countries where we operate. Even so, we see many business opportunities going forward. Increased market share and a somewhat higher demand created organic growth of 8 percent. Growth was particularly strong in Central Europe, strong in the UK, Northern Europe and Southern Europe, but somewhat weaker in Eastern Europe. Price increases secured a stable gross margin. Through an effective cost control and increased efficiency, it was possible to translate this into an operating margin that was the segments best ever. Accordingly, operating profit rose by a full 20 percent. Unfortunately, the result in Sweden was poorer than last year. This was fully attributable to a significant weakening of the segments gross margin. The main reason is that the price increases we implemented during 2018 and the beginning of 2019 were insufficient in light of the continued weakening of the Swedish krona. In addition, we had limited organic growth for the second consecutive quarter. Despite effective cost control, both operating profit and operating margin were therefore considerably lower than in 2018. This development is entirely unsatisfactory. Accordingly, we will undertake further price increases for end customers which, in combination with purchasing savings, aim to restore the segments gross margin during the year. Overall, we are nonetheless satisfied with the Groups earnings for the quarter. We are creating healthy growth and strengthening our customer relations. At the same time, we are continuing our long-term investment programme within the scope of our Leadership 2020 strategy. For example, we have strengthened our sourcing function, invested in the digitalisation of key processes, and further strengthened our organisation and competence in key areas. Our newly acquired companies are contributing to increased sales and profits, while also significantly strengthening our customer offering, something we see concrete evidence of in our daily sales. It is part of our strategy to make additional value-adding acquisitions also in the future. Despite these costly activities, we improved our operating profit and achieved Bufabs best quarterly result to date. We are satisfied with the start to the year. The macroeconomic uncertainty has not diminished, but we are optimistic about the remainder of 2019. Jorgen Rosengren President and CEO CONFERENCE CALL A conference call will be held on 25 April 2019 at 10:00 a.m. CET. Jorgen Rosengren, President and CEO, and Marcus Andersson, CFO, will present the results. The conference call will be held in English. To participate in the conference, use any of the following dial-in numbers: +44 (0) 2071 928000, UK 08445718892, Sweden 08 0850692180 or the US 16315107495. Conference code: 3992056. Please dial in 510 minutes ahead in order to complete the short registration process. CONTACT Jorgen Rosengren CEO +46 370 69 69 00 jorgen.rosengren@bufab.com Marcus Andersson CFO +46 370 69 69 66 marcus.andersson@bufab.com This information is such that Bufab AB (publ) is obliged to disclose in accordance with the EUs Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication by the aforementioned contacts on 25 April 2019 at 7:30 a.m. CET. Bufab AB (publ) Box 2266 SE-331 02 Varnamo, Corp. Reg. No. 556685-6240 Tel: +46 370 69 69 00 Fax +46 370 69 69 10 www.bufab.com Attachment Polarcus Limited ("Polarcus" or the "Company") (OSE: PLCS) will be releasing its first quarter 2019 report on Tuesday, 30 April 2019 at 07:00 CEST (09:00 UAE). The Company will host a webcast and conference call commencing at 08:00 CEST (10:00 UAE). Access details are included below: Webcast The presentation and Q&A session will be webcast at www.polarcus.com. The webcast will comprise of a synchronized presentation and audio from the below conference call. A replay of the webcast will be available after the event at www.polarcus.com under Investor Relations. Conference Call Please use the following numbers and Confirmation Code to dial-in to the conference call and to participate in the Q&A: Participant Confirmation Code: 4157386 Participant Telephone Numbers: Norway +47 2396 0264 UK +44 (0) 844 571 8892 USA +1 631 510 7495 A replay of the conference call will also be available after the event until 07 May 2019. Replay Access Code: 4157386 Participant Telephone Numbers: Norway +47 2103 4235 UK +44 (0) 844 571 8951 USA +1 917 677 7532 Contacts Hans-Peter Burlid, CFO +971 50 559 8175 hp.burlid@polarcus.com About Polarcus Polarcus (OSE: PLCS) is an innovative marine geophysical company with a pioneering environmental agenda, delivering high-end towed streamer data acquisition and imaging services from Pole to Pole. Polarcus operates a fleet of high performance 3D seismic vessels incorporating leading-edge maritime technologies for improved safety and efficiency. Polarcus offers contract seismic surveys and multi-client projects with advanced onboard processing solutions and employs approximately 325 professionals worldwide. The Company's principal office is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. For more information, visit www.polarcus.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FinCanna Capital Corp. (FinCanna) (CSE: CALI) (OTCQB: FNNZF) a royalty company for the U.S. licensed cannabis industry is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Goggin, a Senior Attorney at Hoban Law Group (HLG) to its Board of Advisors. HLG is the nations premier cannabusiness law firm, serving clients across the country with medical and adult use marijuana businesses as well as those operating in the industrial hemp sector. Patrick has waged battle on the legal front lines of industrial hemp and general cannabis reform for over two decades. He is based in San Francisco where he served as co-counsel in the seminal HIA v. DEA 2000s cases. In 2005, Patrick helped lead industry efforts for passage of San Francisco's inaugural ordinance regulating medical cannabis and later served on the citys Medical Cannabis Task Force. Patrick also led the industry effort with Senator Mark Leno in 2013 to pass California's Industrial Hemp Farming Act. He sits on Vote Hemp's board, serves as general counsel for the newly formed California Hemp Council, and is a leader in industry efforts to implement hemp farming and processing in California. Patrick was admitted to the California Bar in 1996 after receiving his J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. We are delighted to have Patrick join our Advisory Board, said Andriyko Herchak, CEO of Fincanna Capital. He is a highly regarded professional, practicing with Hoban Law Group, the foremost full service business-oriented law firm serving the cannabis industry. We are fortunate to have an individual with his depth of knowledge and experience in the legal cannabis industry, join our team. We will, most certainly be drawing on Patricks expertise as we continue to build our diversified investment portfolio in creating long term sustainable value for our shareholders. Patrick joins FinCannas other US Advisory Board members Gaynell Rogers, an authoritative voice in the US medical cannabis sector and a highly regarded media and publicity consultant and Dani Walton, a ten-year veteran at Harborside, whos expertise includes, changing consumer trends, new brands and products and the evolving science of cannabis medicine. FinCannas Canadian based Advisory Board members include, John Campbell, Chairman and CFO of TriView Capital, one of Canadas largest Exempt Market Dealers and Rosy Mondin, CEO of Quadron Cannatech, is the worlds first woman founder and CEO of a publicly traded company in the cannabis sector. About Hoban Law Group Hoban Law Group was the nations first, since 2008, full time, full service business-oriented law firm serving the cannabis industry exclusively. Additionally, Hoban Law Group was the first U.S. based law firm to expand its cannabis industry services around the globe. Providing legal counsel in numerous countries to international businesses, governments, and ancillary service providers, Hoban Law Group, created the worlds largest and most sophisticated cannabis industry network. The firms current network of strategic global partners includes professional consultants and service providers with expertise in the global hemp marketplace and the regulated marijuana industry. Headquartered in Denver Colorado the firm has offices in a number of US cities. For more information about Hoban Law Group visit https://hoban.law About FinCanna Capital Corp. FinCanna is a royalty company that provides growth capital to rapidly emerging private companies operating in the licensed U.S cannabis industry. The Company earns its revenue from royalties paid by its investee companies that are calculated based on a percentage of their total revenues. FinCannas scalable royalty model provides an attractive alternative or complement to debt or equity financing for its investee companies. FinCanna is focused on delivering high-impact returns to its shareholders by way of a strategically diversified investment portfolio. For additional information visit www.fincannacapital.com and FinCannas profile at www.sedar.com. FinCanna Capital Corp. Andriyko Herchak, CEO & Director Investor Relations: Arlen Hansen Kin Communications 1-866-684-6730 CALI@kincommunications.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements about how the developing U.S. legal regime will impact the cannabis industry. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the risks identified in the CSE listing statement and other reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the respective companies undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by applicable law. April 25, 2019 Intelligent patient management solutions on display at ESTRO 2019 to complement latest radiotherapy imaging and treatment planning innovations Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Milan, Italy Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced IntelliSpace Radiation Oncology [1], an intelligent patient management solution to manage complexity, improve efficiency and enable operational excellence in radiotherapy departments. IntelliSpace Radiation Oncology provides a harmonized way of working, integrating applications and automating workflow to help reduce the amount of time it takes from receiving a patient referral to the start of their treatment. The solution is being unveiled at the European Society for Radiation Oncologys (ESTRO) 38th Annual Meeting in Milan, Italy on Friday April 26, 2019. Radiotherapy is an important and cost-effective part of cancer treatment and control. More than half of all cancer types can be treated with radiotherapy [2], often in combination with other types of therapy such as surgery and chemotherapy. However, radiotherapy is often perceived as a complex treatment option due to the number of clinical specialists and advanced technologies required to deliver effective care. IntelliSpace Radiation Oncology is designed to manage this complexity by providing an integrated platform that connects all the steps from the patients referral to the start of their treatment. By integrating all of the steps in the radiotherapy departments workflow into one platform, IntelliSpace Radiation Oncology is designed to improve communication and harmonize ways of working across clinical teams, improving the consistency of care they provide, said Ardie Ermers, General Manager Radiation Oncology, Philips. Each step of the patients journey is captured, providing a strong basis for automating workflows, enhancing efficiency and operational excellence. IntelliSpace Radiation Oncology is flexible and can be customized to the specific needs of a department and each clinician. It is an open, vendor-agnostic platform designed to provide comprehensive interoperability across the hospital IT environment. To support healthcare providers in capitalizing on the insights and workflow improvement opportunities presented by the platform, Philips is also launching Radiation Oncology Practice Management [1]. This consultancy service will support radiotherapy departments in identifying and acting on data-driven insights to achieve operational excellence. IntelliSpace Radiation Oncology is the latest addition to Philips renewed suite of radiation oncology systems and software. On show for the first time at ESTRO, the new portfolio includes Pinnacle Evolution treatment planning software, Big Bore RT, a dedicated oncology CT simulator, and the Ingenia Elition 3.0T MR-RT and Ambition 1.5T MR-RT systems. At the show Philips also announced that it plans to expand its leading MR-only radiotherapy simulation portfolio with MRCAT brain [3]. Based on a single, fast MR scan and leveraging AI, Philips MRCAT brain will be designed to automatically generate CT-like density information on the MR console. Philips MR-only simulation technology, which also includes MRCAT pelvis and prostate, enables clinicians to rely on a single imaging modality by providing both MRs superior soft-tissue contrast for delineation and density information for dose calculations. Partnering for integrated imaging, planning and treatment Philips strong partnerships across imaging, planning and treatment support increased precision and clinical confidence to help clinicians deliver the best possible care. In January 2019, Philips announced a collaboration with imaging solutions provider MIM Software Inc. (Cleveland, US), a company that provides practical imaging, automation, and data analysis solutions to radiation therapy clinics worldwide. Philips also has an ongoing collaboration with Sun Nuclear to integrate its suite of PlanIQ software into Pinnacle Evolution. Philips collaboration with Elekta (Stockholm, Sweden), a leader in precision radiation medicine has resulted in the introduction of the Elekta Unity , the world's first high-field MR-linac (linear accelerator). Philips also has a long-standing partnership with IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium), a leading provider of proton beam therapy systems. Visit Philips at booth #4000 at ESTRO 38. For more information about Philips presence at the show, including the full suite of Philips radiation oncology technology and integrated solutions, visit Philips ESTRO event website and follow @PhilipsLiveFrom for updates throughout #ESTRO38. [1] IntelliSpace Radiation Oncology and Radiation Oncology Practice Management are considered works in progress and not available for sale. [2] https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/radiation/basics.html . [3] MRCAT brain is considered work in progress, is not CE marked and is not available for sale or distribution. For further information, please contact: Mark Groves Philips Group Press Office Tel: +31 631 639 916 Email: mark.groves@philips.com Twitter: mark_groves About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2018 sales of EUR 18.1 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter. Attachments CHICAGO and SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OneSpan, a global leader in software for trusted identities, e-signatures and secure transactions, today announced that United Bulgarian Bank (UBB) has deployed OneSpans Mobile Security Suite and Cronto technology to securely sign transactions and to protect the banks mobile banking application. This integration will help UBB meet PSD2 requirements related to strong customer authentication that come into effect September 2019. As part of UBBs innovations strategy, the bank launched its mobile banking app UBB Mobile. To protect this mobile application from malware, the bank integrated OneSpans Mobile Security Suite, a one-stop mobile software development kit for integrating application security, biometric authentication and Cronto technology. In the six months since its launch, more than 60,000 of the banks customers have begun using the app. The bank implemented Cronto to meet the PSD2 dynamic linking requirements and help mitigate human risk in banking transactions. Cronto uses a graphical cryptogram made of colored dots to encrypt transaction details, which can then only be read by a trusted device. This patented visual transaction signing solution helps banks counter social engineering attacks as well as banking Trojans such as man-in-the-browser by establishing a secure connection between the device and the bank. Innovation is key for United Bulgarian Bank. We want to improve and expand the use of our digital channels, especially mobile, said UBB Head of Digital Channels Development and Support, Iliyana Voynova. A reliable partner that brings the knowledge and expertise in both security and regulations is fundamental. Thanks to OneSpan, our users can benefit from easy-to-use security, while the bank meets regulatory compliance requirements. As the banking environment continues to evolve, so too do the ways customers interact with their banks, said OneSpan Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Dan Dica. As a result, banks are prioritizing the mobile channel, which requires a different approach to security. Using OneSpans Mobile Security Suite, banks can address these requirements, including meeting compliance, preventing fraud and securing the application, through a single vendor. About United Bulgarian Bank United Bulgarian Bank (UBB) is part of the Belgian KBC Group, which is the biggest bank-insurance group in Bulgaria offering full scope of financial services. It was established in 1992 through the merger of 22 Bulgarian regional commercial banks. After the acquisition by KBC Group in 2018, UBBs credit rating was increased by Fitch Rating Agency to the highest level in Bulgaria A-, which is higher than the rating of Bulgaria. Learn more at www.ubb.bg/eng . About OneSpan OneSpan enables financial institutions and other organizations to succeed by making bold advances in their digital transformation. We do this by establishing trust in peoples identities, the devices they use, and the transactions that shape their lives. We believe that this is the foundation of enhanced business enablement and growth. More than 10,000 customers, including over half of the top 100 global banks, rely on OneSpan solutions to protect their most important relationships and business processes. From digital onboarding to fraud mitigation to workflow management, OneSpans unified, open platform reduces costs, accelerates customer acquisition, and increases customer satisfaction. Learn more about OneSpan at OneSpan.com and on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . Copyright 2019 OneSpan North America Inc., all rights reserved. OneSpan and CRONTO are registered or unregistered trademarks of OneSpan North America Inc. or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks cited herein are the property of their respective owners. Media contacts: Frauke De Graeve Public Relations Manager OneSpan +32 497 14 80 47 frauke.degraeve@onespan.com Sarah Hanel Global Director of Corporate Communications OneSpan +1-312-871-1729 sarah.hanel@onespan.com Source: OneSpan Inc. TORONTO, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As Canadians file their personal income tax returns before next weeks deadline, they face a significantly more complicated tax system than existed just a few decades ago, finds a new study from the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. A growing web of complicated rules and changes has made the tax system more difficult for Canadians to understand, which affects the costin time and moneyof compliance, said Finn Poschmann, resident scholar at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Tax Complexity in 2019: Can It be Tamed? The study relies on several measures to illustrate the systems growing complexity. For example, from 1990 and 2018, the text area of the actual Income Tax Act and related regulations increased by 72 per cent, from 974,050 cm to 1,673,802 cm. The number of pages increased by two per cent, and page size increased by 69 per cent (from 354 cm to 598 cm). Moreover, from 1996 to 2016, the number of federal personal income tax expenditures (exemptions, deductions, credits and exclusions) increased from 111 to 146, an increase of 32 per cent. Over the same period, the number of federal corporate income tax expenditures increased from 66 to 76, up 15 per cent. And from 2001 to 2016, the length of the federal personal income tax guide (for Ontario), increased from 48 pages to 78 pages, an increase of 63 per cent. Finally, the growing use of tax-filing software underscores how complicated the system has becomemany Canadians can no longer file their taxes without assistance. Clearly, our tax system has grown more complex for Canadian families, businesses and even governments, so if policymakers want to make it easier and less expensive to comply with the system, they should pursue simplification, Poschmann said. MEDIA CONTACT: Finn Poschmann, Resident Scholar, Fraser Institute To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Mark Hasiuk, 604-688-0221 ext. 517, mark.hasiuk@fraserinstitute.org Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Like us on Facebook English French The agreement extends their current active mobile network sharing (RAN Sharing) from towns between 1,000 and 25,000 inhabitants to municipalities with fewer than 175,000. The mobile network sharing agreement includes 2G, 3G and 4G technologies and will be extendable to 5G in the future. Regarding fixed networks, both companies agree to increase their fiber footprint through new wholesale access and co-investment agreements. Orange and Vodafone have reached an agreement to strengthen their existing mobile and fixed network partnership in Spain. Aiming at promoting a sustainable investment model, this agreement will result in a faster and more efficient deployment of NGA networks (including new technologies, such as 5G) over a wider geographic area, delivering significant benefits to their respective business and residential customers. Mobile broadband network agreement The new agreement expands the one signed by both companies in 2006 and renewed in 2016. The new conditions will bring network sharing from towns between 1,000 and 25,000 inhabitants to municipalities with fewer than 175,000. The agreement includes active sharing for 2G, 3G and 4G technologies of both companies. The expected number of sites shared will amount to 14.800. The active sharing initiative will be extendable to the future 5G rollout. Thus, more customers will benefit from 5Gs new features, such as low latency and high speed; achieving also a more efficient deployment. The agreement would still allow both companies to own independent strategies in large cities, where efficiencies from shared deployment are limited, and to have their own services and Core functionality in 100% of their networks as well as separate spectrum management and network performance. Fixed broadband network agreement The agreement also expands previous fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) co-investment agreements to new geographic areas through new wholesale access or co-investment agreements. This new wholesale agreement will enable Vodafone to offer its fibre and convergent services to 1 million additional households over Oranges network. Furthermore, both companies will have access to the future fixed broadband deployments of the other party Laurent Paillassot, CEO of Orange Spain said, "we have always promoted infrastructure sharing as a key lever to reach more customers faster and more efficiently both in fixed and mobile networks. The extension of the agreement with Vodafone allows Orange to further extend mobile coverage in Spain, and accelerate its future deployment of 5G at more efficient costs". About Orange Orange is one of the worlds leading telecommunications operators with sales of 41 billion euros in 2018 and 151,000 employees worldwide at 31 December 2018, including 92,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 264 million customers worldwide at 31 December 2018, including 204 million mobile customers and 20 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 27 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services. In March 2015, the Group presented its new strategic plan Essentials2020 which places customer experience at the heart of its strategy with the aim of allowing them to benefit fully from the digital universe and the power of its new generation networks. Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN). For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com , www.orange-business.com or to follow us on Twitter: @orangegrouppr. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. Contacts presse: 01 44 44 93 93 Tom Wright; tom.wright@orange.com About Orange Orange is one of the worlds leading telecommunications operators with sales of 41 billion euros in 2018 and 151,000 employees worldwide at 31 December 2018, including 92,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 264 million customers worldwide at 31 December 2018, including 204 million mobile customers and 20 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 27 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services. In March 2015, the Group presented its new strategic plan Essentials2020 which places customer experience at the heart of its strategy with the aim of allowing them to benefit fully from the digital universe and the power of its new generation networks. Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN). For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com , www.orange-business.com or to follow us on Twitter: @orangegrouppr. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. Contacts presse: 01 44 44 93 93 Tom Wright; tom.wright@orange.com Attachment English Finnish Swedish Viking Line Abp DECISIONS OF GENERAL MEETING 25.4.2019, 2:00 PM Decisions of Viking Line's Annual General Meeting 2019 The Annual General Meeting of Viking Line Abp was held at 12 noon today, April 25, 2019 in Mariehamn, Aland, Finland. The Meeting adopted the parent company financial statements and the consolidated financial statements and approved the proposal of the Board of Directors that a dividend of 0.20 per share be paid for the financial year January 1December 31, 2018. The record date for dividend payment is Monday, April 29, 2019 and the payment date is Tuesday, May 7, 2019. The Meeting discharged the Board of Directors and the President from liability for the financial year. The fees payable to the members of the Board of Directors remain unchanged. The Company's Board members and deputy Board members were re-elected, and the Board of Directors thus has the following composition until the end of the next Annual General Meeting: Ben Lundqvist (Chairman), Nils-Erik Eklund, Erik Gronberg, Agneta Karlsson, Dick Lundqvist, Lars G Nordstrom and Peter Wiklof plus deputy members Ulrica Danielsson, Stefan Lundqvist and Johnny Rosenholm. Ylva Eriksson, Authorized Public Accountant (CGR) and Petter Lindeman, Authorized Public Accountant (CGR) were re-elected as auditors, and PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy, Authorized Public Accountants, was re-elected as deputy auditor. VIKING LINE ABP Jan Hanses President and CEO jan.hanses@vikingline.com +358-(0)18-27 000 TORONTO, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crystal Peak Minerals Inc. (Crystal Peak or the Company) (TSXV: CPM, OTCQX: CPMMF) is pleased to provide an update on a mix of project finance activities. Crystal Peak has entered into an agreement (the Subscription Agreement) with EMR Capital Resources Fund 1, LP (EMR) pursuant to which Crystal Peak will issue to EMR 39,215,686 units of Crystal Peak (the Units) at a price of C$0.17 per Unit for gross proceeds of approximately US$5 million. Each Unit will be composed of one common share of Crystal Peak (a Common Share) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (a Warrant) for an aggregate of 39,215,686 Common Shares and 19,607,843 Warrants (together, the Offering). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to subscribe for one Common Share at a price of C$0.21 per Common Share for a period of 18 months following the closing of the Offering. In addition, the Company has engaged BNP Paribas, a global provider of financial solutions to corporate and institutional clients, to act as its exclusive debt advisor in connection with the Companys efforts to finance and construct its Sevier Playa Potash Project (the Project) in west central Utah. BNP Paribas is the worlds eighth largest bank by total assets and currently operates in more than 72 countries, including a significant presence in Canada, the United States, and Latin America. We are very pleased to have secured the services of BNP Paribas as our debt advisor, said John Mansanti, Chief Executive Officer of Crystal Peak. Their depth of expertise coupled with their broad international reach and experience in the fertilizer and mining sectors will serve our project well. This represents the next logical step as we transition our efforts from permitting towards financing and construction. Regarding the transaction with EMR, Mr. Mansanti added; EMRs continued support speaks volumes about the value of this project. Their support, coupled with BNPs expertise, puts us in a great position to secure project financing. Crystal Peak intends to use the funds received from the Offering for expenses required to reach the construction phase of its Sevier Lake Project and for other general working capital purposes. The closing of the Offering is subject to certain customary closing conditions set out in the Subscription Agreement, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All of the securities issued pursuant to the Subscription Agreement will be subject to a four month and one day hold period from the date of issuance. Following the closing of the Offering, EMR will increase its holdings in Crystal Peak to approximately 183.1 million Common Shares representing approximately 63.1% of Crystal Peaks issued and outstanding Common Shares. Crystal Peak has previously released a timeline indicating that Notice to Proceed, the written notification from the Bureau of Land Management authorizing Crystal Peak to move forward subject to the limitations set forth in a final environmental impact statement, is expected in Q4 2019. Pending receipt of funding, the Company expects that Project construction would commence shortly thereafter. The engagement of BNP Paribas will assist the Company as it identifies, negotiates, and contracts with bank and other debt financing sources as part of a broader financing solution for the development of the Project. In support of the debt financing strategy, the Company has engaged with several parties in an effort to secure offtake arrangements. In addition, Crystal Peak closed a transaction with Emerald Peak Minerals, LLC that secured the transfer of the Utah School and Institutional Trust Land Administration (SITLA) leases to the Company. With this, the approximately 6,410 acres of SITLA leases are now owned directly by the Company. Any additional acreage necessary for Project execution is already controlled by the Crystal Peak. EMRs participation in the Offering constitutes a related party transaction as such term is defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements set out in subsection 5.5(a) and (b) and subsection 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 because the Company is not listed on a specified market and the fair market value of the consideration for the securities of the Company to be issued to EMR does not exceed 25% of its market capitalization. Messrs. Curtis, Carroll, and Lyle, who are directors of the Company, disclosed their interest in the Offering and abstained from voting on the board resolutions approving the Offering as a result of being EMRs non-independent nominees to the board of directors of the Company. A material change report including the details with respect to the related party transaction will be filed less than 21 days prior to the closing of the Offering. The Company deems this timing reasonable in the circumstances to be able to complete the Offering in an expeditious manner. About Crystal Peak Minerals Inc. Crystal Peak is focused on the production of premium-priced specialty fertilizers such as Sulfate of Potash (SOP). The Company controls, directly, or through agreement, mineral leases on more than 124,000 acres on the Sevier Playa in Millard County, Utah. With a brine mineral resource known to contain potassium, magnesium, sulfate, and other beneficial minerals, Crystal Peak is targeting the production of SOP, specialty fertilizers and associated products through the use of brine extraction and a cost-effective solar evaporation process. SOP and other specialty fertilizers are used in the production of high value, chloride-sensitive crops such as tree nuts, fruits, and vegetables. For further information, please contact: Woods Silleroy Corporate Secretary (801) 485-0223 woods@crystalpeakminerals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the future financings with BNP Paribas, the Offering and the approval thereof from the TSX Venture Exchange, the permitting and construction of the Project, the targeting of the development and production of specialty fertilizers and associated minerals, including SOP, through the use of a cost-effective solar evaporation process; and Crystal Peaks future business. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, is expected, expects or does not expect, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, believes, or variations of such words and phrases; or terms that state that certain actions, events, or results may, could, would, might, or will be taken, could occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is made, and is based on, a number of assumptions and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including but not limited to the timing of obtaining the necessary funding and permits to proceed with the Project, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Crystal Peak to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although Crystal Peak has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Crystal Peak does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. CALGARY, Alberta, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian Utilities Limited (TSX: CU, CU.X) Canadian Utilities today announced first quarter 2019 adjusted earnings of $200 million, or $0.73 per share, compared to $181 million, or $0.67 per share, in the first quarter of 2018. Higher first quarter earnings were recorded in the electricity distribution and transmission utilities divisions, independent power plants division, and the natural gas distribution utility. Stronger earnings were mainly due to increased Alberta power market prices, ongoing growth in the regulated rate base, and cost efficiencies in the natural gas and electricity distribution utilities. Canadian Utilities invested $315 million in capital growth projects in the first quarter of 2019, of which $213 million was invested in regulated utilities and $96 million was invested in long-term contracted assets including Alberta PowerLine. In the period 2019 to 2021, Canadian Utilities plans to invest $3.5 billion in regulated utilities in Canada and Australia which will continue to strengthen our high-quality earnings base. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS In March, the Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project was energized three months ahead of schedule, on-budget, and with an impeccable safety record. This 508-km transmission line, running from just west of Edmonton to Fort McMurray, will provide essential electricity, greater reliability and enhance the transmission system to meet growing demands in northern Alberta. Strategic reviews are ongoing for Canadian Utilities' ownership positions in Alberta PowerLine and Canadian electricity generation assets. On April 4, Canadian Utilities declared a second quarter dividend for 2019 of 42.27 cents per Class A non-voting and Class B common share. Canadian Utilities has increased its dividend per share for 47 consecutive years, the longest track record of annual dividend increases of any publicly traded Canadian company. FINANCIAL SUMMARY AND RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED EARNINGS A financial summary and reconciliation of adjusted earnings to earnings attributable to equity owners of the company is provided below: For the Three Months Ended March 31 ($ millions except share data) 2019 2018 Adjusted earnings (1) 200 181 Unrealized gains (losses) on mark-to-market forward commodity contracts (2) 6 (18) Rate-regulated activities (2) (7) (3) Dividends on equity preferred shares 17 17 Other (2) (3) 1 2 Earnings attributable to equity owners of the Company 217 179 Weighted average shares outstanding (millions of shares) 272.6 270.7 (1) Adjusted earnings are defined as earnings attributable to equity owners of the Company after adjusting for the timing of revenues and expenses associated with rate-regulated activities, dividends on equity preferred shares of the Company, and unrealized gains or losses on mark-to-market forward commodity contracts. Adjusted earnings also exclude one-time gains and losses, significant impairments, and items that are not in the normal course of business or a result of day-to-day operations. Adjusted earnings present earnings on the same basis as was used prior to adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) - that basis being the U.S. accounting principles for rate-regulated entities - and they are a key measure used to assess segment performance, to reflect the economics of rate regulation and to facilitate comparability of Canadian Utilities earnings with other Canadian rate-regulated companies. (2) Refer to Note 4 of the consolidated financial statements for detailed descriptions of the adjustments. (3) The Company adjusted for the deferred tax asset which was recognized as a result of the Tula Pipeline Project impairment. The adjustment is due to a difference between the tax base currency, which is the Mexican peso, and the U.S. dollar functional currency. TELECONFERENCE AND WEBCAST Canadian Utilities will hold a live teleconference and webcast to discuss our first quarter 2019 financial results. Dennis DeChamplain, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, will discuss first quarter 2019 financial results and recent developments at 8:00 am Mountain Time (10:00 am Eastern Time) on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at 1-800-319-4610. No pass code is required. Opening remarks will be followed by a question and answer period with investment analysts. Participants are asked to please dial-in 10 minutes prior to the start and request to join the Canadian Utilities teleconference. Management invites interested parties to listen via live webcast at: http://www.canadianutilities.com/Investors/Events-and-Presentations/ A replay of the teleconference will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call until May 25, 2019. Please call 1-800-319-6413 and enter pass code 3124. An archive of the webcast will be available on April 25, 2019 and a transcript of the call will be posted on http://www.canadianutilities.com/Investors/Events-and-Presentations/ within a few business days. This news release should be used as preparation for reading the full disclosure documents. Canadian Utilities unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and managements discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 will be available on the Canadian Utilities website (www.canadianutilities.com), via SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or can be requested from the Company. With approximately 5,000 employees and assets of $22 billion, Canadian Utilities Limited is an ATCO company. Canadian Utilities 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 . Investor Inquiries: D.A. (Dennis) DeChamplain Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer 403 292 7502 Media Inquiries: Donna Pincott Director, Corporate Communications 587 224 7684 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/54771df0-2ba0-4402-81b6-daceb72820c2 WILMERDING, Pa., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB) today announced Rafael Santana will become president and CEO of the company, effective July 1, 2019. Santana, who will also become a Wabtec board member, will succeed Ray Betler, who will retire as a Wabtec executive and board member. Santana, 47, joined Wabtec earlier this year as president and CEO of the companys Freight segment following the merger of Wabtec and GE Transportation, where he served as president and CEO of the General Electric unit. Wabtec Executive Chairman Al Neupaver said: This transition comes at a time of strength at Wabtec given our diverse portfolio, excellent management team, and strong backlog and balance sheet. The selection of Rafael to succeed Ray is the culmination of a thorough CEO succession planning process that evaluated both internal and external candidates. Rafael is the right leader for this role bringing to Wabtec a passion for operational excellence and technology, and a strong track record of growth and performance. A native of Brazil, Santana brings roughly 25 years of commercial, product management and executive leadership experience to this post, including more than 10 years in the transportation industry. He has a proven track record of transforming businesses, while delivering top- and bottom-line growth. While leading GE Transportation, he significantly expanded the companys regional footprint, and built strong overhaul and modernization capabilities and backlog through multi-year programs. Prior to that role, he was president & CEO of GE in Latin America, where he helped transform the market into one of GEs largest and fastest-growing regions. A respected global and business executive, Santana also served as president and CEO of the Turbomachinery Solutions Business of GE Oil & Gas, where he drove significant margin improvement and growth in a contracting marketplace. Santana has a degree in engineering from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil and will be based at Wabtecs new headquarters in Pittsburgh, starting this fall. A Pittsburgh native, Betler began his career in 1979 as a design engineer with the former Westinghouse Transportation Division. In 1994, he was named president of the unit, which later became ADtranz and now Bombardier Transportation. He joined Wabtec in 2008 and was named president and CEO in 2014. Neupaver said: Rays leadership over the last 11 years at Wabtec has been extraordinary. Since joining the company, he has been an integral part of Wabtecs growth story increasing revenues five-fold, from $1.5 billion in 2008 to more than $8 billion in 2019. Ray also has been instrumental in reshaping our global footprint, strengthening our technology leadership position, and diversifying our portfolio through the acquisition of Faiveley Transport and merger with GE Transportation. The board is confident that Wabtec investors, customers and employees will benefit from these achievements for years to come. We wish Ray all the best in his retirement. Betler said: After 40 years in the transportation industry and a career that started with Westinghouse Transportation and culminated with Wabtec, the time is right to transition leadership of this great company to Rafael, who will build on our success and ensure a strong future for the new Wabtec. Throughout my career, I have been humbled by the commitment and hard work of our people and their passion to create a purpose-driven company. Together, we have raised the bar on safety, quality, talent and value. Santana added: I am deeply honored that the board has selected me to succeed Ray as Wabtecs next president and CEO, and to build on this companys solid foundation of growth. Wabtec has a rich history of meeting the needs and expectations of our investors, customers and employees. Since merging GE Transportation and Wabtec, we have been hard at work ensuring we hit our operational, financial and synergy commitments. I am committed to delivering on these efforts. Based on our first quarter results, we are off to a solid start and excited about our future. About Wabtec Corporation Wabtec Corporation is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions and value-added services for freight and transit rail. Drawing on nearly four centuries of collective experience across Wabtec, GE Transportation and Faiveley Transport, the company has unmatched digital expertise, technological innovation, and world-class manufacturing and services, enabling the digital-rail-and-transit ecosystems. Wabtec is focused on performance that drives progress, creating transportation solutions that move and improve the world. The freight portfolio features a comprehensive line of locomotives, software applications and a broad selection of mission-critical controls systems, including Positive Train Control (PTC). The transit portfolio provides highly-engineered systems and services to virtually every major rail transit system around the world, supplying an integrated series of components for buses and all train-related market segments that deliver safety, efficiency and passenger comfort. Along with its industry-leading portfolio of products and solutions for the rail and transit industries, Wabtec is a leader in mining, marine and industrial solutions. Wabtec has approximately 27,000 employees in facilities throughout the world. Visit the companys new website at: www.WabtecCorp.com . Wabtec Media Contact Deia Campanelli / Deia.Campanelli@Wabtec.com / 773-297-0482 April 25, 2019 Key technology of the multi-component solution is the VitalSky personalized light therapy system, now with CE Mark as a medical device VitalSky improves sleep quality in intensive care patients to help reduce delirium Amsterdam, The Netherlands Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology today introduced VitalMinds, an integrated multi-component solution focused on supporting hospitals with a non-pharmacological approach to reducing delirium. A unique, key component of the approach is VitalSky, a personalized light therapy system, designed for clinical use in the intensive care unit (ICU). The innovative system recently received CE Mark and is now commercially available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland and Sweden, with market launches planned in other European countries over the next two years. Delirium challenge in Intensive Care Medicine Delirium, a serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment, occurs in 30% to 80% of all ICU patients, making it the most common form of cognitive dysfunction in intensive care medicine [1]. The occurrence of this cerebral impairment during intensive care treatment has far-reaching consequences, doubling the mortality risk of patients in ICUs and even tripling mortality in the first six months following discharge from the hospital [1,2]. In view of these statistics, guidelines recommend systematic delirium screening for all patients in ICUs and the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions to prevent delirium, such as mobilizing patients during the day and introducing measures to promote sleep at night [3]. With VitalMinds, we have developed a new concept that combines light and sound management, circadian-effective light therapy, staff training and consulting services, to help hospitals reduce delirium and improve patient recovery in the ICU, said Felix Baader, Business Leader, Monitoring Analytics at Philips. This integrated approach is based on international ICU guidelines and supports hospitals in achieving the quadruple aim to improve patient and staff experience, deliver better health outcomes, and drive lower costs in intensive care medicine. VitalSky for Personalized Light Therapy The VitalSky light therapy system provides a circadian-effective program to support the sleep-wake rhythm of patients. This program simulates the natural progression of daylight using a spectrum of glare-free white light provided by a large luminous LED ceiling. The light conditions can be personalized to the needs of the individual patient. The system also provides premium-quality workplace lighting to support favorable treatment conditions. Advanced features include the additional option of playing calming nature scenes in full-color, soft-focus video, and the future enablement of cognitive training is also planned. The various programs and settings can be selected and adjusted quickly and easily via a portable user interface. In the framework of a multi-component approach at Marien Hospital in Wesel, Germany, we aim to prevent delirium in the ICU. For this purpose, the light therapy technology of the VitalSky system is an essential environmental element which will help us to support the circadian rhythm of patients, said Dr. Marc Achilles, Chief Physician of anesthesiology and intensive care medicine, Marien Hospital. We are proud to be the first hospital worldwide where this system is installed. Improved Patient Environment Supports the Reduction of Delirium Recent results from the VITALITY study of the Charite University Hospital in Berlin demonstrate the important role of an improved patient environment, including circadian-effective light therapy for the recovery process and the prevention of delirium in the ICU. The preliminary results of the VITALITY study show a statistically significant reduction of 39% in the incidence of delirium for patients treated in modified ICU rooms compared to patients treated in standard rooms [4]. More information on the VITALITY study results is available here . For further information on how Philips is supporting delirium prevention, visit VitalMinds .* [1]] Ouimet S. et al., Intensive Care Med, 2007, 33(1): 66-73 [2] Ely E.W. et al., JAMA, 2004, 291(14): 1753-62 [3] S3 guideline for the management of delirium, analgesia and sedation in intensive care medicine (DAS guideline 2015), http://www.awmf.org/leitlinien/detail/ll/001-012.html [4] Luetz A. et al., Intensive Care Medicine Experimental, 2018, 6 (Suppl 2):40 *VitalMinds and VitalSky are not available for sale outside of the European market. For further information, please contact: Kathy OReilly Philips Group Press Office Mobile: +1 978-221-8919 E-mail: kathy.oreilly@philips.com Anke Ellingen Philips Germany Mobile: +49 1522 2814645 Email: Anke.Ellingen@Philips.com About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2018 sales of EUR 18.1 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter . Attachments English French Shareholders are encouraged to vote the BLUE Proxy in advance of the voting deadline of Friday, May 3, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (EST) Questions? Need help? Contact Kingsdale Advisors at 1-888-518-1552 or at contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com MONTREAL, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Knight Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: GUD) ("Knight"), a Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company, today mailed and filed on SEDAR a letter to shareholders ahead of the upcoming 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) on May 7, 2019. The letter, included below, clearly outlines the choice that shareholders have ahead of the upcoming Meeting: A Knight Therapeutics that benefits from the leadership of Jonathan Goodman and his experienced and qualified director nominees who have track records of building successful pharmaceutical companies, or a Knight controlled by disgruntled activist director Meir Jakobsohn, his nominees who have no entrepreneurial pharma experience, and his risky scheme to gamble with Knights cash. The full letter is also available on Knights website . PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT - VOTE YOUR BLUE PROXY TODAY Dont risk your Knight investment to Meir Jakobsohn, his risky scheme and inexperienced director nominees. We encourage shareholders vote the BLUE Proxy or Voting Instruction Form (VIF) FOR the Knight board nominees who are aligned with their interests and the original vision of Knight. The deadline to vote is Friday, May 3, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (EST). Shareholders with questions regarding voting the BLUE Proxy or VIF should visit Knights website or contact Knight's strategic shareholder advisor and proxy solicitation agent, Kingsdale Advisors, who can be reached by toll-free telephone in North America at 1-888-518-1552, by collect call outside North America at 416-867-2272, or by email at contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com . Letter to Shareholders: Dear Fellow Shareholder, You have an important choice to make ahead of our annual meeting of shareholders on May 7, 2019. A choice between a Knight Therapeutics that benefits from the leadership of Jonathan Goodman. Or a Knight controlled by Meir Jakobsohn. Thats it. There is no in between. Mr. Jakobsohns campaign is strictly focused on removing Jonathan so he can take Knight in a different direction. The wrong direction. Jonathan is a leader in the Canadian pharmaceutical industry having built Paladin Labs from scratch into a $3.2 billion international specialty pharmaceutical company, and in the process creating significant wealth for Paladin shareholders. Now, with the same proven model, Jonathan and his team of highly qualified and experienced directors and executives, are building Knight into a company we can all be proud of and creating value for all of Knights shareholders. By comparison, Mr. Jakobsohn, a disgruntled director and activist shareholder, is head of Medison, a private Israeli company that has experienced declining profits and diminishing margins since 2015. He has nominated six individuals including himself none of whom have experience building pharma companies in Canada to stand for election to your board of directors. Why? Because Mr. Jakobsohn wants access to Knights cash to pursue a risky path that will disproportionately benefit him through Medison, at your expense. Mr. Jakobsohn has talked a lot about independence but doesnt want you to focus on the fact he is trying to use his 7% stake in Knight, to take 100% control of your board, to invest in his venture capital fund and to benefit his controlling interest in Medison. He wants Jonathan Goodman out as CEO but has not said who will replace him. We are very worried Mr. Jakobsohn plans to anoint himself or another Medison executive whom he directs, as CEO. There is Jonathan Goodmans path which would see your investment grow into a modified Paladin 2.0 or Mr. Jakobsohns path which would see your investment squandered or unnecessarily risked for the benefit of Medison. A path that utilizes a diligent and calculated approach that is currently seeking a number of strategic opportunities, including in-licensing and M&A, or a path that makes binary bets on high-risk early-stage biotech products. We believe that your decision is as clear as Knight and day. Choose An independent board that will oversee Jonathan and his: Track record of success Demonstrated leadership A proven strategy Not A handpicked and inexperienced board that will facilitate Mr. Jakobsohn and his: Record of declining profits High-risk tactics Scheme to transfer wealth to his private company, Medison The vast majority of shareholders understand and appreciate Jonathans calculated, consistent, and disciplined approach to capital allocation and are dramatically more comfortable with a company run by Jonathan as opposed to Mr. Jakobsohn. Knights shareholders invested in Jonathan and his management team, not in Mr. Jakobsohn. HAVE A GUD-KNIGHT WITH A BOARD ALIGNED WITH JONATHANS STRATEGY, YOU GET The experience needed to build a successful company. Our corporate governance framework has ensured strategic oversight, effective monitoring of management by the board, and the boards accountability to shareholders. The nominees put forward by Knight, other than Mr. Jakobsohn who the company is contractually obligated to include, possess the qualifications, independence and refreshed perspectives the company needs to successfully execute its strategy. If the boards recommendation to elect Ms. Harrison and Mr. Tremblay is adopted, over 70% of the board will be composed of directors who have been appointed over the last four years. This refreshment gives Knight the right mix of directors, balancing appropriate skills and the need for new, independent perspectives. Our incumbent directors including Jonathan, Mr. Gale, Ms. Sakhia, and Mr. Lande were all involved in building Paladin into a global success with over $300 million in annual sales and, more importantly, generating over $50 million of annual net income. This is the success shareholders want for Knight and is only made possible by directors who bring new, good ideas and opportunities to the table and constructively challenge and stress test the ideas that Jonathan continues to bring forward to ensure the company delivers on its strategic plan. This positive, professional tension to identify and de-risk ideas and opportunities is exactly what Knight needs, hence the reason why each management nominee is so valuable to Knights continued success. For example, Mr. Lande has significant international experience having worked in Latin America and is critical in developing our rest-of-world strategy and Ms. Tendler is a leading pharmaceutical market research specialist. In addition, our new director nominees each bring unique and indispensable skills to Knight. Mr. Tremblay has over 40 years of sales and marketing experience in the Canadian pharma industry including building Astellas Pharma Canada Inc. into a company generating $300 million in sales and Ms. Harrison was a co-founder of MSI Methylation Sciences and is one of the most experienced life sciences investors in the Canadian venture capital industry. Each of our director nominees has actual experience building pharma companies (as opposed to simply managing them) and have a wide network of contacts in Canada and abroad. Mr. Jakobsohn draws fancy charts to try to paint these networks in a negative light, as conflicts, when in reality they are a reflection of successful, rich careers that facilitate new and growing opportunities for Knight. A TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS. Jonathan is widely regarded as one of the best specialty pharma investors in Canada. He founded Paladin in 1995 as a public company valued at $1.50 per share and, with a disciplined growth strategy, built significant value for shareholders. In 2014, after 19 consecutive years of record revenues, U.S. drug maker Endo Health Solutions Inc. bought Paladin for $3.2 billion or $151.60 per share, representing a compound annual return of 27.5%. If Mr. Jakobsohn gains control of the company Jonathan will no longer be part of Knight. MODIFIED PALADIN 2.0. Shareholders believed in Jonathan and his strategy at Paladin and thats why they invested in Knight. And, like he did at Paladin, Jonathan has built significant value for shareholders recognizing that market conditions have evolved since the sale of Paladin. As part of the sale of Paladin, Jonathan carved out Knight as a spin-off and many shareholders followed. Knight has the same business model as Paladin: acquiring and in-licensing a diversified portfolio of specialty pharma products with varying degrees of innovation and risk for Canada and rest-of-world markets. And, just like at Paladin, where investors patience was rewarded with robust returns, at Knight Jonathan offers a consistent and disciplined investment strategy that is building significant long-term value. That is exactly what is happening. Successes include: Raising $685 million at increasing valuations from $3.50 to up to $10.00 per share; Generating almost $220 million in net income since inception one of the highest among specialty pharmaceutical companies in Canada; Acquiring a portfolio of 17 innovative prescription products; and Developing a rest-of-world infrastructure via a diligent licensing strategy. Since its public listing, Knight has outperformed its peers. Notably, Paladin shareholders that rolled-over to Knight in 2014 have earned a shareholder return of 1,259% in just five years. A DISCIPLINED AND ACTIVE APPROACH TO DEAL MAKING AND CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT. Over the past five years, Jonathan and our team at Knight have evaluated over 1000 product opportunities and are actively seeking a number of strategic opportunities, including in-licensing and M&A. Weve deployed or committed over $350 million of capital since founding and over the past 12 months have been the most active licensee in Canada in our field. While we have generated $219 million in net income from those investments, we only make deals if they make sense; acquisition price is the key determinant of return on investment and we need to get that right. The success of Paladin has led to a lot of Paladin wannabees, so there are more companies competing in this space. They are looking for quick, short-term wins and willing to overpay for licenses. For competitors who have taken this approach, some are now in a debt or a capital crunch. Their illiquidity is Knights opportunity. We continue to remain disciplined and execute on deals that make sense for the long-term. We understand there are other options available for our cash, including returning it to our shareholders, such as via a share buyback. As was done at Paladin, the board would consider a share buyback at a price that makes sense. ALIGNMENT WITH SHAREHOLDERS. As Knights largest shareholder, Jonathan's interests are completely aligned with yours. Jonathan decided decades ago to chart his own course in the pharmaceutical business, one that is separate from his family, and that decision has served shareholders well. For Jonathan it is Knight first, a sentiment he has backed up with his own money having participated in all five of Knight's equity financings, at increasing valuations, personally investing over $70 million. He has also purchased an additional $1 million worth of Knight shares after the record date of our upcoming annual meeting of shareholders. SUPPORT FROM THIRD PARTIES INCLUDING ANALYSTS AND SHAREHOLDERS. Jonathan and managements director nominees have received overwhelming support from the analyst community and shareholders. In fact, all equity analysts covering Knight have expressed unanimous support for the current management team, board, and strategy, and encourage shareholders to vote their BLUE proxies. AVOID A KNIGHT-MEIR WITH MR. JAKOBSOHN AND HIS PERSONALLY SELECTED NOMINEES YOU GET NO EXPERIENCE BUILDING PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. Mr. Jakobsohns nominees are not additive and not qualified to sit on the board of a leading pharmaceutical company in Canada. None of them have built companies; they may have management experience as caretakers but thats not what Knights board needs. Mr. Jakobsohns slate has: No entrepreneurial pharma experience No product acquisition or in-licensing experience in the pharma industry No CEO candidate No capital markets or M&A experience No experience in public company accounting and thus no capability of sitting on the boards audit committee Little diversity only one female compared to three on Knight Weak total shareholder return track records NO CEO, MANAGEMENT TEAM NAMED. Its clear that Mr. Jakobsohns intent is to remove Jonathan from his role as CEO. But Mr. Jakobsohn has not named a CEO candidate and none of his directors have the experience to handle the very complex job. Shareholders should be worried that Mr. Jakobsohn plans to do it himself or utilize Medison executives at his direction and bring to Knight the same poor performance we have seen at Medison. At the very least, shareholders should ask themselves who will be running the company if Mr. Jakobsohn gets his way. A RISKY SCHEME THAT BENEFITS ONLY MR. JAKOBSOHN. Mr. Jakobsohn wants Knight to deviate from its successful strategy of acquiring and in-licensing a diversified portfolio of specialty pharma products with varying degrees of innovation and risk a strategy that was successful at Paladin and one that is in-line with other successful pharma companies. Instead, Mr. Jakobsohn wants Knight to pursue high-risk products. Why? Mr. Jakobsohn wants to use your cash to gamble on high-risk products. If his bets pay off, Medison Mr. Jakobsohns private company in Israel will disproportionately benefit as a partner to Knight. If his bets dont pay off, its us, Knights shareholders, who will suffer with a weaker balance sheet and diminished cash reserves. In other words, you will bear all the risk while Mr. Jakobsohn will enjoy most of the reward. AN UNIMPRESSIVE TRACK RECORD. Medison, Mr. Jakobsohns own private company in Israel has experienced consecutive years of declining profits and diminishing margins since 2015. A DEMONSTRATED LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF CANADIAN MARKET DYNAMICS AND THE PHARMA INDUSTRY IN GENERAL. Mr. Jakobsohn has limited pharmaceutical experience outside Israel and Romania. This explains why his mistake-ridden plan just doesnt add up. For example: Mr. Jakobsohn says he can deliver $500 million of revenue with 20% EBITDA margins by 2025. If he can do that at Knight, why hasnt he been able to do that at Medison? And why has Medisons net income dropped each year since 2015? And why didnt he share any of his ideas as a Knight board member over the last three years? Mr. Jakobsohn estimates 20% EBITDA margins in 2025 but his pro-forma financial statements don't account for any SG&A/OPEX spending. Mr. Jakobsohn wants Knight to pursue in-licensing agreements with terms of eight years but an eight-year term wont give Knight the sufficient period of time needed to make a healthy return considering the Canadian regulatory and reimbursement process. Specifically, it takes ~6-10 months to prepare a regulatory submission, ~1 year for regulatory review and approval, and 12-24 months to get reimbursement. It then takes 3-5 years to build the product to its full potential. Essentially, under Mr. Jakobsohns plan, just as Knights shareholders start to receive returns from investing in a product, Knight will have to return the product to the licensor. Mr. Jakobsohn says he can in-license five products per year that will generate over $500 million in sales. This demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of the Canadian pharmaceutical market: of the just over 4,000 prescription products sold in Canada, there are only 98 prescription products with sales over $50 million, of which only two are sold by non-big pharma or generic companies. Further, Mr. Jakobsohn has not recognized the time that it is needed to submit a product for regulatory approval, obtain regulatory approval, and, obtain product reimbursement. Mr. Jakobsohns plan is not feasible. CLEAR MISALIGNMENT WITH SHAREHOLDERS. Mr. Jakobsohn has demonstrated over and over again, that hell put his interests ahead of the interests of Knight shareholders. Last September, after Knight rejected Medison's separation terms which would have had Knight shareholders suffer a significant financial loss and Mr. Jakobsohn enjoy a significant gain, Medison's board of directors passed a resolution introduced by Mr. Jakobsohn authorizing Medison to fund up to US$1,000,000 of expenses related to Mr. Jakobsohn's activist campaign against Knight. Subsequently, on March 4, 2019, Mr. Jakobsohn informed the Medison board that he was likely going to request that they approve an additional US$1 million of activist expenses. Essentially, Mr. Jakobsohn is forcing Knight shareholders through your 28% stake in Medison to fund his proxy contest against Knight. Why isnt he funding this campaign personally? His ongoing actions illustrate that his interests arent aligned with yours. A SHAREHOLDER ASKS: Mr. Jakobsohns side has told me that Jonathan has a conflict of interest, but the fact he has invested $70 million of his own money beside mine makes me believe we are aligned. What is the truth? Mr. Jakobsohn has talked a lot about a conflict of interest he has manufactured. It is important you know why and have the facts. First, Mr. Jakobsohn wanted Knight to sell him back its stake in Medison on terms that would disproportionately benefit him to your detriment. When this separation didnt happen, Mr. Jakobsohn called for Jonathans resignation. When this attempt was rejected, Mr. Jakobsohn created a public campaign related to Jonathans indirect and passive interest in Pharmascience based on alleged concerns he had never mentioned before. While at the same time Mr. Jakobsohns public circular says he wants Jonathan to stay as a director of Knight (even though his proxy card does not recommend a vote for Jonathan), he has proposed conditions on Jonathan as it relates to Pharmascience that he knows cannot be fulfilled thereby making it clear his real agenda is to remove Jonathan as CEO. Jonathan does not have the power to sell his interest in Pharmascience: He is a non-voting minority shareholder of a holding company that has restrictions on transfers. Even if it didnt, there is no market for these shares. And, because Jonathan has no information, power or input in respect of Pharmascience or its holding company, he cannot compel it to do anything, including sell, compete or not compete. Despite the fact that Knight does not view Jonathan's indirect passive interest in Pharmascience as a conflict, the company, as well as Jonathan, value the views of shareholders. For this reason, the mere suggestion that a conflict could exist has been a call to action for Jonathan. On April 4, 2019, Jonathan entered into a blind voting trust agreement in respect of the shares that he holds in his family holding company. As part of this agreement, Jonathan has relinquished all right to vote his shares in the family holding company. Moreover, the blind voting trust agreement establishes a firewall whereby any information concerning Pharmascience to which he may otherwise have access, is not accessible to Jonathan. Despite the facts, Mr. Jakobsohn continues to mislead shareholders as evidenced by his recent stunt which included a bought and paid for governance report to mimic his disproven ideas that he refuses to share with shareholders. Jonathan's interests are completely aligned with yours. For Jonathan it is Knight first, a sentiment he has backed up with money having participated in all five of Knight's equity financings at increasing valuations, personally investing over $70 million. On the other hand, Mr. Jakobsohn has actually sold some of his shares in Knight. Mr. Jakobsohn is the one who is truly conflicted: In January of this year, Mr. Jakobsohn asked Jonathan to allocate $300 million to an undefined venture capital fund that Mr. Jakobsohn would manage in exchange for stopping his activist campaign. Why doesnt he believe this is a conflict? Mr. Jakobsohn benefits 72 cents for every dollar Medison earns but only 7 cents for every dollar Knight earns and he wants control of both. Shareholders should ask: Where do his real interests lie? IT IS IMPORTANT YOU ARE A VOTER AT THIS MEETING Choose to have your investment follow the successful path of Paladin with Jonathan, not watch it squandered by Mr. Jakobsohn and Medison. Many of your fellow shareholders have already voted their BLUE proxy. It is important you vote today to ensure your vote is counted. The deadline to vote is Friday, May 3, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (EST). Becoming a voter is fast and easy. Shareholders with questions regarding voting the BLUE Proxy or VIF should visit Knight's website or contact Knight's strategic shareholder advisor and proxy solicitation agent, Kingsdale Advisors, who can be reached by toll-free telephone in North America at 1-888-518-1552, by collect call outside North America at 416-867-2272, or by email at contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com. Sincerely, James C. Gale, Chairman Jonathan Ross Goodman, Director Samira Sakhia Robert N. Lande Sylvie Tendler Nancy Harrison Advisors Knight has retained Kingsdale Advisors as its strategic shareholder and communications advisor, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP as its legal advisor, and RBC Capital Markets as its financial advisor. About Knight Therapeutics Inc. Knight Therapeutics Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring or in-licensing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products for the Canadian and select international markets. Knight Therapeutics Inc.s shares trade on TSX under the symbol GUD. For more information about Knight Therapeutics Inc., please visit the companys web site at www.gud-knight.com or www.sedar.com. Forward-Looking Statement This document contains forward-looking statements for Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries. These forward-looking statements, by their nature, necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Knight Therapeutics Inc. considers the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based to be reasonable at the time they were prepared, but cautions the reader that these assumptions regarding future events, many of which are beyond the control of Knight Therapeutics Inc. and its subsidiaries, may ultimately prove to be incorrect. Factors and risks, which could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations are discussed in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Report and in Knight Therapeutics Inc.'s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2018. Knight Therapeutics Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events, except as required by law. CONTACT INFORMATION: Investor Contact: Knight Therapeutics Inc. Samira Sakhia President & Chief Financial Officer T: 514-678-8930 F: 514-481-4116 info@gudknight.com www.gud-knight.com Media Contact: Kingsdale Advisors Ian Robertson Executive Vice President, Communication Strategy Direct: 416-867-2333 Cell: 647-621-2646 irobertson@kingsdaleadvisors.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Group Ten Metals Inc. (TSX.V: PGE; US OTC: PGEZF; FSE: 5D32) (the Company or Group Ten) announces that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Mount Cairnes Resources Corp. (Mount Cairnes) for an earn-in by Mount Cairnes of a 51% interest in Group Tens 93-square-kilometer Ultra PGE-Ni-Cu property in Canadas Yukon Territory by completion of the following requirements over a four-year period: Cash payments totaling $750,000 to Group Ten; Issuance of three million shares to Group Ten; and Completion of $3.75 million in exploration work on the Ultra property, with Group Ten as operator. Group Ten and Mount Cairnes have 90 days from the signing date of the LOI to complete and execute a definitive agreement, which will be subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and Group Tens Board of Directors. Group Tens President and CEO, Michael Rowley stated, We are very pleased to have completed this LOI with Mount Cairnes. The Ultra property is a large claim block within our Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu Project and is highly prospective with multiple historic showings plus additional targets developed by our Yukon exploration team. Group Ten has worked strategically to acquire and consolidate high-quality projects through the low part of the metal price cycle, culminating in the acquisition of our flagship Stillwater West PGE-Ni-Cu Project in 2017. As a result, the Company holds a portfolio of high-potential exploration properties in proven mining districts, adjacent to producing mines and advanced stage deposits. We are now in a position to undertake partnerships or other value-creating arrangements on these secondary assets while we focus our efforts and resources on advancing the Stillwater West Project. The Company continues to receive and evaluate expressions of interest in our Ontario, Yukon, and Alaska properties. We look forward to providing continued updates on these properties as well as reporting continuing advancements at Stillwater West. About the Ultra Property and the Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu Project The 93-square-kilometer Ultra PGE-Ni-Cu property is part of Group Tens Kluane Project and is located in the Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu belt that extends through the Yukon from northern British Columbia to central Alaska. Group Tens Kluane Project properties are each within 15 km of the Alaska Highway and situated on trend with the Nickel Shaw (formerly Wellgreen) deposit, one of the worlds largest undeveloped PGE-Ni-Cu projects. Among other results, trenches from the Ultra Project yielded up to 19.5 g/t 3E (5.5 g/t Pt, 13.5 g/t Pd, 0.5 g/t Au), with 4.1% Cu and 1.7% Ni from an ultramafic sill1. Group Ten owns a 100% interest in the Ultra PGE-Ni-Cu property, subject to a royalty interest with buy-down provision on portions of the claim block. About Group Ten Metals Group Ten Metals Inc. is a TSX.V-listed Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the development of high-quality platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, cobalt, and gold exploration assets in top North American mining jurisdictions. The Companys core asset is the Stillwater West PGE-Ni-Cu Project adjacent to Sibanye-Stillwaters high-grade PGE mines in Montana, USA. Group Ten also holds the high-grade Black LakeDrayton Gold Project in the Rainy River district of Ontario and the highly-prospective Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu Project on trend with Nickel Creek Platinums Wellgreen deposit in Canadas Yukon Territory. About the Metallic Group of Companies The Metallic Group is a collaboration of leading precious and base metals exploration companies, with a portfolio of large, brownfields assets in established mining districts adjacent to some of the industrys highest-grade producers of silver, platinum, palladium, and copper. Member companies include Metallic Minerals (TSX.V: MMG) in the Yukons Keno Hill Silver District, Group Ten Metals in the Stillwater PGE-Ni-Cu District of Montana, and Granite Creek Copper (TSX.V: GCX) in the Yukons Carmacks Copper District. The founders and team members of the Metallic Group include highly successful explorationists formerly with some of the industrys leading explorers/developers and major producers. Each member company is undertaking a systematic approach to exploration using new models and technologies to facilitate discoveries in these proven historic mining districts. The Metallic Group is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada and its member companies are listed on the Toronto Venture, US OTC, and Frankfurt stock exchanges. References 1 - Casselman, S., 2005. Geological mapping and airborne surveying program on the Ultra property, Haines Junction area, Yukon Territory. Yukon Assessment Report 094485. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Michael Rowley, President, CEO & Director Email: info@grouptenmetals.com Phone: (604) 357 4790 Web: http://grouptenmetals.com Toll Free: (888) 432 0075 Quality Control and Quality Assurance Ms. Debbie James, P.Geo., is the qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, and she has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release. Historic samples were collected by reputable operators, using standard QAQC procedures and practices current at the time of collection. They are considered reliable. Samples are not necessarily representative of all the mineralization hosted in the area. Forward-Looking Statements Forward Looking Statements: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Group Ten 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. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameter as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Group Ten and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedar.com . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. PHOENIX, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uptick Newswire Stock Day Podcast welcomed ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. (IPATF) (the Company), a full-service, therapeutic antibody discovery company focused on the next generation of antibody discovery, to deliver the most therapeutically-relevant antibodies, in a shorter period of time, with the highest probability of succeeding to clinical trials. President and CEO, Dr. Jennifer Bath, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. Jolly began the interview by asking Dr. Bath to provide some background information on herself and the Company. Dr. Bath explained that she has been with the Company for about fifteen months since she was brought on for her extensive experience in the antibody discovery space. The Company first began out of British Columbia and since has made multiple acquisitions to establish a global presence. The Company has consistently experienced back-to-back years of revenue growth and is continuing on a steep growth trajectory. Jolly then asked what the Company specializes in. Dr. Bath explained that the Company discovers complex, therapeutic antibody drugs for large pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We bring the most innovative technologies all under one roof and design specifically toward human therapeutic drug discovery, she explained. This increases the pharmaceutical companies chances of success. We provide everything from the time the client has an idea to the time they have a final product, she added. Dr. Bath also explained that the Company is able to complete these projects in a much faster time frame than their competitors. Jolly followed by asking why companies choose to outsource these types of programs. Dr. Bath explained that it is very expensive and logistically challenging for the pharmaceutical companies to run these programs in-house. However, the Company is able to provide flexible and efficient technical solutions. Jolly then noted the recently announced collaboration between the Company and the Massachusetts-based company, TetraGenetics. Dr. Bath explained that the Company was intrigued by TetraGenetics' technology for producing complex membrane proteins and the idea of pairing it with their own platform. This was really just an ideal partnership, stated Dr. Bath. She also explained that the Company has agreements with numerous other pharma and biotech companies. Over the years these contracts have amounted to hundreds of pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Bath then shared that during the process of these programs, the Company handles the discovery of the desired drug and the client takes on the drug prior to the phase one clinical trial. This removes the risk of clinical trials on the side of the Company. To close the interview, Dr. Bath shared that 2019 is a very exciting year for the Company and she expects rapid growth to continue. Were very aggressively poised to arise a leader, closed Dr. Bath. To hear Dr Baths entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://upticknewswire.com/featured-interview-ceo-dr-jennifer-bath-of-immunoprecise-antibodies-ltd-otcqb-ipatf/ Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of Stock Day, and Uptick Newswire encourages listeners to visit the companys message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. ImmunoPrecise is a full-service, therapeutic antibody discovery company focused on the next generation of antibody discovery, to deliver the most therapeutically-relevant antibodies, in a shorter period of time, with the highest probability of succeeding to clinical trials. ImmunoPrecise operates from state-of-the-art laboratory facilities located at the Vancouver Island Technology Park in Victoria, British Columbia, in collaboration with its wholly-owned subsidiary operations at U-Protein Express B.V., in the Life Science Incubator, Utrecht, and ModiQuest Research, Oss, both in the Netherlands. The Company operates globally to offer antibody services from target analysis to pre-clinical studies. The services offered to clients include antibody discovery against a broad spectrum of antigens, including challenging targets. Amongst these services, the Company offers hybridoma production, B-cell services, and a variety of phage display platforms. The Company also provides a broad range of supporting services including immunologically-based assays, recombinant protein manufacturing, humanization, optimization, stable cell line development, and advanced solutions to challenges faced by clients in antibody-related research and development. The antibodies produced by ImmunoPrecise target a wide variety of therapeutic, diagnostic and research applications. Forward Looking Information This news release contains statements that, to the extent they are not recitations of historical fact, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. The Company uses words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "expect", "believe", "intend" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by ImmunoPrecise in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. However, whether actual results and developments will conform to ImmunoPrecise's expectations and predictions is subject to any number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Many factors could cause ImmunoPrecise's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Such factors include, among other things, actual revenues and earnings for IPA being lower than anticipated, and those risks and uncertainties described in ImmunoPrecise's annual management discussion and analysis for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2018 which can be accessed at www.sedar.com . The "forward-looking statements" contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release and, unless required by applicable law, ImmunoPrecise undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise such information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 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. 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: Uptick Newswire 602-441-3474 https://upticknewswire.com/ MONTREAL, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (http://pyrogenesis.com) (TSX-V: PYR) (OTCQB: PYRNF) (FRA: 8PY), a high-tech company, (the "Company", the Corporation or "PyroGenesis") that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma atomized metal powder, plasma waste-to-energy systems and plasma torch products, today announced that it has provided an interim progress report to HPQ Silicon Resources (HPQ), highlighting GEN2s significantly higher silicon metal production yield. PyroGenesis informed HPQ that (i) the technical team identified a new operational parameter that increases the Pure Silicon Metal (Silicon Nugget) Production Yield1 of the PUREVAP Quartz Reduction Reactor and (ii) a test using the GEN2 PUREVAP was completed which together provided the following information: The PUREVAP reactor can be modified from a stationary reactant2 mixtures load to a dynamic one, without affecting other key operational parameters of the reactor which, as a result, improves production yield significantly; That changing the reactant mixture load to a dynamic flow positively affects Production Yield; That it is feasible to modify the GEN3 PUREVAP Pilot Plant to integrate these advantages into the new design. IMPROVING REACTANT FLOW IN THE REACTOR SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES PRODUCTION YIELD The scope of the potential of the new parameter became apparent when the test produced the largest single individual silicon nuggets of all tests to date; weighing ~ 6.5 grams. REACTOR MODIFICATION MORE THAN DOUBLES SILICON METAL NUGGET (PURE SILICON) PRODUCTION YIELD Comparing3 the 3.3% pure silicon nugget production yield of test #14 to the 7.0% pure silicon nugget production yield obtained by test M-001 validated the modification potential. Further tests will be needed to optimize the process and its operation, but the results clearly indicate that pure silicon production yield more than doubled with the modification. Producing 4N+ silicon with the PUREVAP assumes a 90%+ production yield at commercial scale. These results are part of our trendline that indicate that we are on the right track to reach that goal with our GEN3 PUREVAP Pilot Plant. It has always been important to maintain or improve production yield while scaling up to a commercial system, said Mr. Pierre Carabin, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Strategist of PyroGenesis. Being able to improve it, with results such as todays, and thereby further mitigating the risk of the project, is a significant achievement in itself, and it validates the decision to proceed with the GEN2 middle step. We have ticked off another box in our goal to create both a low cost and green metallurgical approach to producing solar grade silicon metal. GEN2 PUREVAP QRR CONTINUES TO BE AN INVALUABLE BENCH TEST PLATFORM These latest results confirm the strategic decision to incorporate the GEN2 as a middle step towards the GEN3 pilot plant. It provides us the ability to immediately test new concepts and design modifications using the GEN2 PUREVAP platform while the GEN3 PUREVAP pilot plant is being assembled. This unique proposition not only reduces the risk profile of the project, but it also reduces the project commercial validation timeline. It is also extremely cost effective since tests done using the GEN2 R&D platform are substantially less expansive then they would be if the tests were done using the GEN3 PUREVAP pilot plant. About PyroGenesis Canada Inc. PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a high-tech company, is the world leader in the design, development, manufacture and commercialization of advanced plasma processes and products. We provide engineering and manufacturing expertise, cutting-edge contract research, as well as turnkey process equipment packages to the defense, metallurgical, mining, advanced materials (including 3D printing), oil & gas, and environmental industries. With a team of experienced engineers, scientists and technicians working out of our Montreal office and our 3,800 m2 manufacturing facility, PyroGenesis maintains its competitive advantage by remaining at the forefront of technology development and commercialization. Our core competencies allow PyroGenesis to lead the way in providing innovative plasma torches, plasma waste processes, high-temperature metallurgical processes, and engineering services to the global marketplace. Our operations are ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified, and have been since 1997. PyroGenesis is a publicly-traded Canadian Corporation on the TSX Venture Exchange (Ticker Symbol: PYR) and on the OTCQB Marketplace. For more information, please visit www.pyrogenesis.com This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward- looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Corporation's current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the Corporation with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Corporation's ongoing filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com, or at www.otcmarkets.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the OTCQB accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. SOURCE PyroGenesis Canada Inc. For further information please contact: Clemence Bertrand-Bourlaud, Marketing Manager/Investor Relations, Phone: (514) 937-0002, E-mail: ir@pyrogenesis.com RELATED LINKS: http://www.pyrogenesis.com/ 1 Production Yield is the conversion efficiency of Quartz into Silicon Metal of the process 2 Quartz (SiO2) and carbon 3 Both tests used for the comparison were done under similar operational conditions A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ddf8d1e4-076e-4c7f-80fe-41e8824ea166 Gulf Breeze, Florida, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than half (55 percent) of executives at small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) said they would pay hackers in order to recover their stolen data in ransomware attacks, according to the second quarterly AppRiver Cyberthreat Index for Business Survey. That number jumps to 74 percent among larger SMBs that employ 150-250 employees, with nearly 4 in 10 (39 percent) going as far as saying they definitely would pay ransom at almost any price to prevent their data from being leaked or lost. On the flip side, 45 percent of SMB leaders refuse to give in to cybercriminals, regardless of the ransom amount. Legal services and nonprofit SMBs are least willing to pay a ransom in exchange for hacked data, with 67 and 60 percent respectively saying they will not engage with cybercriminals regardless of the ransom amount or value of the stolen data. Social media viewed as a threat Eighty-four percent of all SMB executives and IT decision makers surveyed say the use of social media apps and websites at the workplace or on a business device concerns them as a potential source of cyberthreats. According to these respondents, Facebook by far poses the most significant liability, with 77 percent saying they are most concerned about Facebook as a security risk at the workplace. Telecom SMBs, in particular, are cautious about their employees use of Facebook in the workplace or on a business device, with 83 percent of all telecom SMB leaders saying they are most concerned about the social media platform as a potential security threat. In contrast, only about one fifth of these SMB leaders say they are concerned about the risks introduced by Twitter (21 percent) or YouTube (20 percent), followed by Instagram (19 percent), WhatsApp (18 percent), Snapchat (15 percent), LinkedIn (13 percent) and Pinterest (3 percent). David Wagner, CEO of Zix Corp, the parent company of AppRiver, presented the Q2 data this morning during the 2019 Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Executive Leadership Forum in Pensacola Beach, Fla. The event was created in cooperation with the NSA/DHS Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Program and hosted by the Center for Cybersecurity at the University of West Florida. Cybersecurity is no longer just a technology issue; it amounts to an off-balance sheet liability being carried by every company that isnt adequately protected. Ransom scenarios, whether initiated through social media apps or any attack vector, have the potential to disrupt or destroy a business overnight, Wagner said. The Q2 AppRiver Cyberthreat Index for Business Survey shows clearly that too many companies are willing to take a significant financial hit to possibly recover their data. Our challenge as cybersecurity leaders is to help them understand how to properly invest fewer dollars on the front end and avoid the problem to start with. Compromised data management Dispersed files and varying security levels may be another reason why businesses are constantly at risk of cyberattacks. Nearly half (48 percent) of AppRiver Index respondents say their confidential business data is scattered across multiple locations, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, as well as on network drives. Financial services and insurance, healthcare and pharmaceutical, and government SMBs appear to be the sectors that take secure data storage most seriously, with 67 percent, 63 percent and 62 percent respectively saying their business data is located on their secured network and nowhere else. 24 percent of all transportation SMBs and 23 percent of retail SMBs say their confidential data is not on a secured network at all, or they do not know where their most vital data is stored. While 81 percent of all small-to-medium-sized business decision makers say they use cloud-based solutions to store their confidential data, 44 percent of respondents are concerned about the clouds security, and another 19 percent say they dont believe it offers convenience as a benefit. SMBs in the legal sector, and in the transportation and logistics sector, in particular, appear skeptical, where over half of decision makers in each say they dont trust the cloud as a secure storage option. Conversely, leaders in technology, telecom, marketing and financial services sectors report higher confidence in the clouds security and convenience. The quarterly AppRiver Cyberthreat Index for Business Survey provides the opportunity to analyze trends over time. The fact that the Q2 Index registered slightly lower than in Q1, currently at 58.1 on a 100-point scale, demonstrates an ongoing complacency toward cybersecurity risks, said Troy Gill, a senior security analyst at AppRiver. Significant attacks in 2018 such as the Marriott breach of 500 million identities have yet to affect most consumers and businesses, luring respondents into an unrealistic feeling of safety. "The Q2 AppRiver Cyberthreat Index for Business Survey provides deep insights into the attitudes and concerns of decision-makers at small- and medium-sized businesses. This is the lifeblood of the American business community, as census data shows that firms with fewer than 100 workers represent 98.2 percent of all businesses, said Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, Director of the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity. The high willingness to pay ransom demonstrates the importance of business data to these organizations, however, the growing apathy of threat fatigue could prove to be dangerous. The time is now to institute cyber readiness training, tools and policies. The AppRiver Q2 Cyberthreat Index for Business surveyed 1,035 cybersecurity decision makers in SMBs (fewer than 250 employees) in April 2019, covering diverse industry sectors and company sizes. The national study had a strong SMB leadership involvement with 80 percent of those surveyed holding titles of CEO, president, owner, CTO or head of IT. About AppRiver AppRiver, a Zix company, is a channel-first provider of cloud-enabled security and productivity services, with a 4,500-strong reseller community that protects 60,000 companies worldwide against a growing list of dangerous online threats. Among the worlds top Office 365 and Secure Hosted Exchange providers, the companys brand is built on highly effective security services backed by 24/7 white-glove Phenomenal Care customer service. AppRiver is headquartered in Gulf Breeze, Florida and maintains offices in Georgia, Texas, New York, Canada, Switzerland, and the U.K. For more information, please visit www.appriver.com. Attachment CHELMSFORD, United Kingdom, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This years European Search Awards shortlist has been released and Absolute Digital Media have been named as finalists for not just one, but four different awards. Nominated for Best Use Of Search Finance and Best Use Of Search B2C for their work with short-term loan lender Uncle Buck, Best Use Of Search Health for their work with Longevita Hair Transplant and Best Small SEO Agency. This isnt the first time Absolute Digital Medias partnership with Uncle Buck has been celebrated. In fact, they have recently secured a win at The Drum Search Awards for Best Use Of Search in Finance and previously secured the same award at The UK Search Awards in November 2018. These awards and accolades have come as a result of the innovative and proactive strategy that Absolute Digital Media have built alongside Uncle Buck. The payday loan lender has seen an 143.06% rise in Loan Completed conversions, a 119% rise in users and even reached position one for the industrys most competitive keyword Payday Loans. Their success doesnt just rest in finance, however. Their position as a finalist in the Best Use Of Search Health category is a show of their expertise in the health industry, in this case with Longevita Hair Transplant. Despite being a relatively new website, Absolute Digital Media helped rise Longevita Hair Transplant to page one in the SERPs, and secured an 90% rise in overall search visibility. When asked about being shortlisted, CEO Ben Austin commented: Being listed as finalists for not just one, but four different categories is something to be proud of and were looking forward to celebrating alongside Uncle Buck and Longevita Hair Transplant at the awards. The teams here have worked incredibly hard on the strategies for our clients and were keen to see just what the future will bring for our partnerships with them both. The European Search Awards celebrate the best in the search industry across SEO, PPC, content marketing and digital marketing, with a meticulous two-step judging process. The judging panel is made up of a number of leading individuals and influencers in the search industry, who each score entries across set questions. These scores are then calculated into a larger score, through which the shortlist is decided. The final judging stage consists of all judges coming together to discuss entries in more detail in order to determine the winners. This years winners will be announced at an award ceremony hosted at the Vigado Concert Hall in Budapest, on the 20th June. MONTREAL, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Wildlife Fund Canada commends the governments move to ban oil and gas exploration, mining, dumping and bottom trawling in federal marine protected areas (MPAs), including in the newly designated Laurentian Channel. Todays announcement at the Nature Champions Summit will ensure critical habitats remain uncompromised by damaging human activities. In June 2017, the federal government proposed regulations that would allow oil and gas development in 80 per cent of the Laurentian Channel MPA, which is used by Endangered North Atlantic right whales and porbeagle sharks, Threatened Northern wolfish and black dogfish. In response, WWF-Canada launched a public campaign urging Canadians to demand stronger protections for the over 11,600 sq. km site. Wildlife lovers responded, sending thousands of emails to the government asking to exclude these activities within the boundaries. Last summer, Canadians mobilized again, this time to tell the government that oil and gas doesnt mix with conservation and should not be permitted in any marine protected area. These new measures clearly indicate the government listened. Canada has a goal of protecting 10 per cent of its ocean and coastal territories by 2020, and todays announcement brings it to 8.27 per cent. WWF-Canada believes the quality of the protection is just as, if not more important, than the quantity. Megan Leslie, WWF-Canada president and CEO, said: Were celebrating the good news with Canadians across the country who helped us urge the government to keep oil and gas out of marine protected areas. Over the last couple of years, concerned citizens sent thousands of emails to the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which is now resulting in stronger protections for Canadas wildlife. This is proof that when we speak up for wildlife, we can make a difference. This important first step in protecting critical habitats will give marine species safe havens that are free of seismic blasting and drilling. Sigrid Kuehnemund, WWF-Canada vice-president of ocean conservation, said: We are delighted by the governments move to protect our most fragile marine ecosystems, due largely in part to the combined efforts of thousands of Canadians across the country who voiced their concerns. Banning oil and gas activities in sensitive marine areas such as the Laurentian Channel is the right thing to do for our oceans but our work isnt over yet. Now that we have strong protections for federal MPAs, we remain committed to fighting for increased measures for all provincially protected sites and marine refuges created under the Fisheries Act. As climate change continues to alter our oceans, it will be critically important that Canada applies minimum standards for all protected ocean areas. Why we need MPAs with high standards MPAs give at-risk species a better chance of recovery from human activities. MPAs provide additional protections against overfishing, shipping and development. MPAs take a holistic approach to conservation by shielding an entire ecosystem from high-impact human activities instead of a single at-risk species. What protected areas remain exposed to oil and gas Marine refuges, also known as Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), are created under the Fisheries Act and only guard against high-impact commercial fishing. Oil and gas development may still be permitted in provincial MPAs. The risk of oil and gas development to marine ecosystems Seismic blasts cause physical injuries to whales and impede their ability to communicate, which can increase stress and hinder feeding and reproduction. It can also force wildlife out of their preferred habitats to other areas that have less value. Oil spills can damage and disrupt marine ecosystems beyond repair. About World Wildlife Fund Canada WWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that nature, wildlife and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. For more information, visit wwf.ca. For further information Antonella Lombardi, communications specialist, alombardi@wwfcanada.org, +1 647-668-4613 Attachment Albany, NY, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global hydroponics market is witnessing a high degree of competition on account of increasing competition among the top players, states a new market report by Transparency Market Research. Some of the key players in the hydroponics market across the globe are Thanet Earth Ltd., Bright Farms Inc., Soave Enterprises LLC., AMCO Produce Inc., and Village Farms International, Inc. These players are focusing on expanding their presence in emerging economies with abundant untapped potential. Apart from this, they are ramping up their investments in product innovations to concretize their foothold in the market. In the coming years, the competition within this hydroponics market is expected to heat up further with the entry of several new players. Moreover, the increasing number of mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, ventures are further estimated to offers lucrative opportunities to the markets growth in the next few years. According to TMR, the global hydroponics market presented an opportunity worth US$6.9 bn in 2016. Further expanding at a healthy 6.50% CAGR during the period from 2017 to 2025, the hydroponics market is expected to touch a valuation of US$12.1bn by the end of forecast period. Request a Sample of Global Hydroponics Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=24662 In terms of geography, Europe surfaced as a dominant regional market for hydroponics and is projected to remain so, thanks to the rising demand from countries like Netherlands, Spain, and France for several hydroponic vegetables. On the basis of the vegetable segments, lettuce is prognosticated to lead the global hydroponics market in the next few years owing to rising consumer inclination. Farming Irrespective of Climatic Condition to Boost Prospect The global hydroponics market is expected to rise at a significant pace in the coming years. This is mainly because of the prevailing adversity such as depletion of food & water resource. With the increasing integration of technology with agricultural practices there have been significant improvements in conventional farming practices. However, there has been a constant degradation of natural resources such as land and water in past few years. This has created a need to switch from conventional farming techniques to advanced techniques such as hydroponics. This is because use of the devices does not depend on soil, fertile land, and climatic condition for cultivation. Request For Multiple Chapters: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=MC&rep_id=24662 The hydroponics market is likely to rise on the back of its advantages over traditional farming such as zero use of pesticides and chemicals. Furthermore, there are various other factors which are anticipated to play a major role in driving the hydroponics market across the globe. One of them is the ability it offers to farmers to grow crops in areas that cannot support crops in soil. High Costs of Infrastructural Investment to Obstruct Growth On the flip side, requirement of high base speculation for hydroponics framework is one of the major factors expected to impede the growth of the global hydroponics market in the next few years. Request For Discount On This Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=24662 Nevertheless, decreasing land area across the globe for cultivation and rising population are expand to propel the global hydroponics market and generate promising growth opportunities for the market players in the next few years. Along with this, growing number of health-conscious consumers with increasingly sophisticated tastes are prompting more farmers to consider hydroponics. This is expected to boost the growth of the global hydroponics market. This information is based on the findings of a research report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled Hydroponics Market (Vegetable - Cucumber, Lettuce, Spinach, Peppers, and Tomatoes; Distribution Channel - Modern Trade (Hypermarket and Supermarket), Grocery Stores, Unorganized Small Stores, Whole Food and Specialty Stores, and Bulk Suppliers and Distributors; Origin - Natural and Organic and Conventional; Farming - Indoor Farming and Outdoor Farming) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025. The global hydroponics market has been segmented as below: Vegetable Type Cucumber Lettuce Spinach Peppers Tomatoes Others Distribution Channel Modern Trade (hypermarket/supermarket) Grocery Stores Unorganized Small Stores Whole Food and Specialty Stores Bulk Suppliers and Distributors Others Origin Natural & Organic Conventional Farming Type Indoor Farming Outdoor Farming By Region North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific (APAC) Middle East & Africa (MEA) Browse Food & Beverages Market Research Reports Popular Research Reports by TMR: Agricultural and Forestry Machinery Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/agricultural-forestry-machinery-market.html Energy Efficient Agricultural Technologies Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/energy-efficient-agricultural-technologies.html Vertical Farming Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/vertical-farming-market.html About Us Transparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals. Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories. TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision. Contact RONKONKOMA, N.Y., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sigma Corporation of America , a leading still photo and cinema lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, today announced its Lens Workshops lineup for the month of May, featuring six engaging and instructional workshops led by seasoned Sigma pros and technical representatives. Photographers nationwide are invited to attend to improve their existing skillsets or try a new genre altogether! Sigma Lens Workshops May Lineup: Macro Photography Workshop San Jose Camera & Video will host a hands-on macro photography workshop on May 4th, 2019 in Campbell, CA. Sigma representative Lew Held will be on hand to answer any questions. Agenda: Saturday, May 4th 10:00AM-4:00PM Lecture & Hands-on Shoot The workshop will begin with a one-hour lecture covering all essential close-up photography techniques. The lecture will be followed by a two-and-a-half hour shooting session where attendees will have the opportunity to take stunning photos of live reptiles, amphibians, insects and flowers. Sigma macro lenses will be available on loan. Cost: $49.00; Register Here (Morning Session) or Register Here (Afternoon Session) San Jose Camera & Video 1600 Winchester Boulevard, Campbell, CA 95008 Sacramento Zoo Day Mikes Camera of California will host an interactive demo day at the Sacramento Zoo on May 5th, 2019 in Sacramento, CA. Agenda: Sunday, May 5th 9:00AM-5:00PM Demo Day Attendees are invited to the Sacramento Zoo on May 5th for a chance to try out some of Sigmas hottest lenses for free (no registration required!). Mikes Camera and Sigma staff will be on hand to help with any photography questions. FREE; No Registration Needed Sacramento Zoo 3930 W Land Park Drive, Sacramento, CA 95822 Wildlife/Macro Photography Workshop Milford Photo will host a workshop focusing on wildlife & macro photography taught by Sigma Pro Roman Kurywczak from May 18-19th, 2019 in Milford, CT. The two-day workshop will include an engaging lecture series followed by two hands-on workshops. Lecture Series Agenda: Saturday, May 18 th 9:00-10:00AM A Paradigm Shift in the World of Bird Photography Roman will cover everything from gear to settings and techniques while also covering some of the most common mistakes photographers make in this exciting field. 9:00-10:00AM Roman will cover everything from gear to settings and techniques while also covering some of the most common mistakes photographers make in this exciting field. Saturday, May 18 th 10:30-11:30AM Fast Glass for Night Photography Whether it is the natural landscape with the star filled sky as a backdrop or even venturing out to photograph the landscapes or city lights from a helicopter, Roman will touch upon the best techniques so participants can create stunning night images of their own. 10:30-11:30AM Whether it is the natural landscape with the star filled sky as a backdrop or even venturing out to photograph the landscapes or city lights from a helicopter, Roman will touch upon the best techniques so participants can create stunning night images of their own. Saturday, May 18 th 1:00-2:00PM Macro Photography Without a Tripod During the lecture Roman will provide attendees with the settings and secrets to creating their own tack sharp macro images whether you are out in the field or inside a facility that doesnt allow the use of tripods. 1:00-2:00PM During the lecture Roman will provide attendees with the settings and secrets to creating their own tack sharp macro images whether you are out in the field or inside a facility that doesnt allow the use of tripods. Saturday, May 18th 2:30-3:30PM For the Love of Landscapes Attendees will join Roman on this inspirational journey showcasing the magic of the landscapes near and far. In this engaging lecture, he will provide instruction on how to capture stunning images day and night. Hands-on Workshop Agenda: Saturday, May 18 th 6:00-8:00PM Hands-on Bird Photography Workshop Roman will lead a field shoot at the Connecticut Audubon Society Milford Point Coastal Center . Attendees can put all of the tips they learned at the earlier lecture to action. Sigma telephoto lenses will be available on loan. Separate registration required here ; $29.95. 6:00-8:00PM Roman will lead a field shoot at the . Attendees can put all of the tips they learned at the earlier lecture to action. Sigma telephoto lenses will be available on loan. Separate registration required ; $29.95. Sunday, May 19th 9:30-11:30AM and 1:00-3:30PM Hands-on Macro Workshop Attendees can leave their tripods at home for this workshop, where Roman will assist with the proper settings to help capture stunning images using multiple flower setups and other macro subjects. Separate registration required here ; $29.95. Cost: $49.95 (Hands-on shoots not included); Register Here Masonic Lodge 63 Broad Street, Milford, CT 06460 Sigma Demo Days & Wildlife Photography Workshop Murphys Camera in Lexington, KY and Louisville, KY will be hosting two Sigma Demo Days on May 17th and May 18th led by Sigma technical representative Brett Wells. The Louisville location will also be hosting a wildlife photography workshop on May 18th. Brett will be on hand to discuss the current lineup of lenses and answer all things Sigma. Agenda: Friday, May 17th 9:00AM-5:30PM Demo Day Sigma rep Brett Wells will be on hand to demo the current lineup and answer any questions. Also, there will be an exclusive Sigma sales promo during the event. Sigma rep Brett Wells will be on hand to demo the current lineup and answer any questions. Also, there will be an exclusive Sigma sales promo during the event. Saturday, May 18th 9:00AM-4:00PM Demo Day & Wildlife Photography Workshop Nature photographers wont want to miss this event, where Brett will host a one-hour lecture in addition to showing the best gear and techniques for wildlife photography. FREE; No Registration Needed Murphys Camera Louisville 1440 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40204 Murphys Camera Lexington 1100 Winchester Road, Lexington, KY 40505 Macro Photography Workshop Cameta Camera will host a hands-on macro photography workshop led by Sigma technical representative Marc Farb at The Warehouse on Saturday, May 18th, 2019 in Amityville, NY. Agenda: Saturday, May 18th 10:00AM-1:00PM Class & Shooting Session Attendees will join Marc Farb and reps from Cameta Camera for tips to getting great images, followed by a two-hour shoot of a variety of macro subjects in a well-lit setting. Sigma lenses will be available on loan. Cost: $10; Register Here The Warehouse 203 Broadway, Amityville, NY 11701 Judy Host Portrait Photography Workshop Shutterbug Camera Shops will host a two-part workshop on portrait and lifestyle photography led by Sigma pro Judy Host on Friday, May 31st, 2019 in Santa Rosa, CA. Agenda Friday, May 31st 4:00PM Portrait Presentation & Lighting Techniques Workshop Judy will cover the basics of portrait photography with topics including lighting, lens perspective, movement and creating art with the camera. The instructional presentation will be followed by a live model shoot with hands-on instruction. Sigma lenses will be available on loan. Cost: $99; Register Here Shutterbug Camera Shops 3011c Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95407 About Sigma Dealer Workshops Designed in collaboration with Sigma dealers around the country, the program engages photographers eager to learn new techniques and refine their photography skills through a series of classroom lectures and hands-on workshops. Led by Sigma technical representatives and photography experts, each workshop session hones in on a specific genre of photography such as portraiture, landscape, astrophotography and more. Normally a two-day workshop event, day one will focus on theory and educational best practices such as lighting, gear setup, camera settings, lens focal length and more. On day two, attendees put their newly acquired knowledge to the test with immersive hands-on, real world photo shoots and photo walks. Photographers of all skill levels, from novice to professional, are welcome to join in. The upcoming workshops schedule and details, including registration, cost, special promotions and agenda, can be found on the Sigma Events webpage. About Sigma Corporation Craftsmanship. Precision. Dedication. Since 1961, Sigma has been devoted to the pursuit of advancing photographic technology. Unique to the industry, the family-owned business produces its high-quality, award-winning still photo and cinema camera lenses, DSLR and mirrorless cameras, flashes, filters and accessories from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Aizu, Japan. In 2012, the company introduced the Sigma Global Vision with three distinct lens lines: Art, Contemporary and Sport. Designed for industry camera mount systems including Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony and Sigma, each lens is handcrafted and tested in Japan to ensure a high-performance, premium product that is purpose-built to last. In 2016, Sigma entered into the world of cinematography lens production. Embodying the core optical DNA that has defined the Sigma benchmark of excellence, the cine lenses meet the needs of advanced 6k and 8k cinema production. Sigma continues its tradition of imaging excellence with the mirrorless sd Quattro, sd Quattro H and the compact dp Quattro camera line. Leveraging the ultra-high resolution Foveon sensor, the Sigma Quattro cameras are designed to produce the highest quality image with every shot. For information about Sigma, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com or follow the company on Sigma Blog, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d468f2a-44b8-4a52-b5ea-4562560abc6b New York, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Open Society Foundations today announced the 2019 cohort of the Soros Arts Fellowship, including 11 artists, curators, researchers, and filmmakers working at the intersection of migration, public space, and the arts. From the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Lebanon, Morocco, the United States, Zimbabwe, and their respective diasporas, the individuals and collaboratives selected each receive an $80,000 stipend to realize an ambitious project over the next 18 months. We are proud to support visionary artists and cultural producers exploring the aesthetic and political realities of migration from personal, familial, historical, and conceptual perspectives, said Rashida Bumbray, senior program manager of Open Societys Arts Exchange. Across the globe, the political environment is increasingly characterized by polarizing and reductive notions about people who migrate. Thats why this work to broaden understandings of migration, share self-determined narratives, stimulate critical discourse, and create momentum for change is so urgent. Working in diverse artistic forms and global contexts, the fellows will pursue projects of their own design, including a theatrical version of the film The Infiltrators to raise awareness around for-profit detention centers, the politics of deportation, and strategies of resistance developed by undocumented immigrants in the United States; a series of healing workshops, mental health resources, and performance classes for young immigrant communities dealing with traumas of migration; and an installation along Lebanons northern border with Syria that will broach essential questions of love, refuge, and survival. Now in its second year, the Soros Arts Fellowship builds on the Open Society Foundations and its founder George Soross long-term commitment to arts and culture in closing societies. Beyond supporting specific projects, the fellowship advances the broader practice of socially engaged artists and cultural producers through opportunities for personalized professional development and mentorship with Ruby Lerner, founder of Creative Capital. This cohort joins 2018s inaugural group of eight fellows, whose work focuses on diverse issues in the arena of public space. The 2019 fellowship selection committee included Lisa Dent, Powerhouse Workshop; Cynthia Eyakuze, Consultant; Carmen Hermo; Brooklyn Museum; Jon-Sesrie Goff, The Flaherty; Quito Ziegler, School of Visual Arts; Arts Exchange staff Rashida Bumbray, Tatiana Mouarbes, and Lauren Agosta; and colleagues from the Open Society Foundations. 2019 Soros Arts Fellows Amanda Abi Khalil (Beirut, Lebanon) will organize a curatorial project on the theme of hospitality and the complex histories of migrationsvoluntary and forcedbetween the Arab world and Brazil. will organize a curatorial project on the theme of hospitality and the complex histories of migrationsvoluntary and forcedbetween the Arab world and Brazil. Firelei Baez (New York, NY, United States) will create a series of paintings, sculptures, and architectural objects engaging with the story of Marie Louise Coidavid, the first Queen of Haiti, and her exile. will create a series of paintings, sculptures, and architectural objects engaging with the story of Marie Louise Coidavid, the first Queen of Haiti, and her exile. Tania El Khoury (Beirut, Lebanon) will create a site-specific interactive installation along Lebanons northern border with Syria (Akkar) that explores the militarization of natural borders, relationships across rivers, and the daily practices of border resistance. will create a site-specific interactive installation along Lebanons northern border with Syria (Akkar) that explores the militarization of natural borders, relationships across rivers, and the daily practices of border resistance. Regina Jose Galindo (Guatemala City, Guatemala) will collaborate with deportees in Guatemala to create platforms that tell their stories, provide mental health resources, and create avenues for social and economic empowerment in the country. will collaborate with deportees in Guatemala to create platforms that tell their stories, provide mental health resources, and create avenues for social and economic empowerment in the country. Bouchra Khalili (Berlin, Germany) will work on a video installation that takes as its starting point a forgotten part of the struggle for equal rights for immigrants in France. will work on a video installation that takes as its starting point a forgotten part of the struggle for equal rights for immigrants in France. Guadalupe Maravilla (New York, NY, United States) will organize a series of healing workshops, mental health resources, and performance classes for young Central American and Latinx immigrants in New York to help heal traumas of migration. will organize a series of healing workshops, mental health resources, and performance classes for young Central American and Latinx immigrants in New York to help heal traumas of migration. Tinashe Mushakavanhu and Nontsikelelo Mutiti (Harare, Zimbabwe and Richmond, VA, United States) will explore African hair braiding practices as subject and as a metaphor for the braiding together of multiple streams of content through field work, archiving, design, and publishing. will explore African hair braiding practices as subject and as a metaphor for the braiding together of multiple streams of content through field work, archiving, design, and publishing. Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera (Pasadena, CA, United States) will produce and tour a theatrical version of their film The Infiltrators, a documentary thriller that tells the true story of a group of young immigrants who intentionally got themselves detained. will produce and tour a theatrical version of their film a documentary thriller that tells the true story of a group of young immigrants who intentionally got themselves detained. Kaneza Schaal (Brooklyn, NY, United States) will stage a theatre production in Kigali, Rwanda, centered on stories of internal displacement and organize performance workshops throughout the country for youth living in housing for refugees and internally displaced people. Attachment English French Press Release Paris, Thursday April 25, 2019 17:40 CEST 2018 results: confirming the benefits of transformation Gross margin: 63.8m EBITDAr: 3.7m Q1 2019 gross margin: 16.6m Target for 2019: Proforma gross margin growth > 15% Artefact (FR0000079683 - ALATF - eligible for PEA-PME, i.e. personal equity plans investing in SMEs) releases its consolidated results for the 2018 financial year. The Board of Directors met on 23 April 2019 to approve the Group's financial statements for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2018. An audit on the consolidated financial statement has been performed. A certification report is about to be issued. in M - Audited data 2018 2017 Var. Revenue 67.6 49.9 +36% Gross margin 63.8 47.1 +35% Personnel expenses (46.8) (34.1) External expenses, other operating income and expenses (13.3) (11.4) EBITDAr1 3.7 1.7 +123% Personnel expenses - IFRS2 share-based payment (2.2) (0.6) Personnel expenses - Remuneration for post-combination services under IFRS 3R (0.1) - EBITDA 1.4 1.1 +33% Depreciation, amortisation and provisions (1.4) (0.9) Other non-current income and expenses (0.9) (2.8) Operating income (0.8) (2.5) +1.7 Net financial income (expense) (0.2) (1.9) +1.7 Income before tax (1.0) (4.4) +3.4 GROUP NET INCOME (1.2) (4.8) +3.7 The business grew by 16% proforma, in 2018 Gross margin for 2018 was 63.8m, up 16% on a proforma basis (+35% reported). This good performance was driven by the strong momentum in France (+47% compared to 2017 proforma) and the upswing of Other Markets (+29% compared to 2017 proforma). The Group's activities in the Rest of Europe decreased slightly over the year (-2% compared to 2017), impacted mainly by the loss of two media contracts in Germany and continued uneven performance in the Nordic countries. A further stage in the results growth and the improvement of the profit margins Along with the growth in gross margin was a significant increase in earnings. In spite of major investments (in particular the recruiting of senior partners and Data experts), Artefact's EBITDAr rose sharply, going from 1,673k in 2017 to 3,738k. The EBITDAr margin for fiscal 2018 was 5.9%, an increase of 2.3 percentage points over 2017. This profitability trend represents a milestone towards the Group's normative profitability target (EBITDAr between 10% and 15% of gross margin). France posted a robust increase in profitability over the year, with an EBITDAr of 3,216k, representing a margin of 13.1% (versus 246k in 2017, an 11 point increase in EBITDA margin over the year). This performance is fully consistent with the Group's overall ambitions for long-term profitability; The Rest of Europe generated an EBITDAr of 774k, representing a margin of 2.4% (versus 1,397k in 2017). Beyond the slight decline of the business, the smaller contribution of this area reflects the significant recruitment efforts made in the second half of 2018 to roll out the Consulting/Data/Media offer; Lastly, EBITDAr for Other Markets fell to -252k (versus +30k). This change is attributable to the major investments planned in the roadmap for the second half of 2018, which will allow Artefact to take full advantage of the market opportunities in this area. Operating income has improved significantly, at (848k) compared to (2,543k) in fiscal 2017. This trend benefited from the sharp drop in other non-current income and expenses, which went from (2,758k) in 2017 to (898k) in 2018. After taking into account financial charges and taxes, Group net income has also substantially improved: it stands at (1,158k) for fiscal 2018, compared to a loss of (4,843k) in 2017. A solid financial situation At 31 December 2018, the group share shareholders' equity had increased sharply by 56.0m versus 36.0m at end-2017. It includes the proceeds of the capital increase carried out in January 2018 amounting to 15.5m. At the end of the year, Artefact's financial situation was solid, with a cash position of 16.5m. The Group had a net cash position of 1.3m at 31 December 2018, versus the net debt of 8.8m at 31 December 2017. Proforma gross margin up 12% in the first quarter (+11% published) Artefact reported a gross margin of 16.6m in the first quarter of 2019. On a proforma basis, the business grew by 12% compared to the same period the previous year (+11% published). This sustained growth remains driven by the momentum of the Data Consulting business in France and Other Markets. In France (45% of the activity for the period), gross margin for Q1 2019 reached almost 7.5m, representing a 39% increase in growth over 2018. The Other Markets activity (now 15% of the Group's gross margin), came out at 2.5m, up 65%. In the Rest of Europe, business was below expectations for Q1 2019. Proforma gross profit amounted to 6.6m, versus 7.9m in the same period of 2018. Lost media contracts in Germany in the second half of 2018 continued to weigh on the activity in this area during the quarter. The Consulting/Data/Media commercial offers deployment will soon be completed across all of the Group's European sites, with the upcoming arrival in Germany of an experienced partner and his team. The step-up of the local Partners recruited in the second half of 2018 (China, Brazil, the Netherlands) will be fundamental to speed up the transformation of the European sites as an extension of the success in France. Published Proforma Gross margin (m) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Variation Q1 2018 Variation France 7.5 5.4 +39% 5.4 +39% Rest of Europe 6.6 8.1 -18% 7.9 -17% Other Markets* 2.5 1.5 +65% 1.5 +65% TOTAL 16.6 15.0 +11% 14.9 +12% Unaudited data * "Other markets" include Asia Pacific - MENA and Brazil following the opening of the country Outlook for 2019: Proforma gross margin up 15% Given the favourable outlook, Artefact is confident in its ability to deliver more than 15% growth in proforma gross margin in 2019. This increase should be accompanied by a significant improvement in results again this year. Financial calendar (after market): July 24th, 2019 H1 Gross Margin 2019 October 24th, 2019 H1 Results 2019 and Q3 Gross Margin 2019 - END - About Artefact I artefact.com Created from the merger of the startup Artefact founded in Paris in 2015 and the media agency NetBooster founded in 1998, Artefact has emerged in 4 years as a leading player in Data et Artificial Intelligence (AI). Listed on Euronext Growth Paris Stock Exchange and operating in 19 countries on 4 continents with close to 1,000 employees, Artefact is a data native company provides four complementary offers - Data Consulting, Digital Marketing Expertise, Technology Deployment (AI and Big Data) and Creative Studio - to more than 600 customers including many world leaders. Artefact has created in January 2019 its own AI R&D center and has been serving international groups in creating their own AI Lab. For more information: Financial Communications Press Contact ARTEFACT Benjamin HARTMANN Tel. 00 33 (0)1 40 40 27 00 investor-relations@artefact.com ACTIFIN Stephane Ruiz / Victoire Demeestere Tel. 00 33 (0)1 56 88 11 11 vdemeestere@actifin.fr CHICAGO and TOKYO, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Relo Group, Inc. (Relo Group) and BGRS (BGRS or the Company) announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which an affiliate of Relo Group will acquire BGRS, a leading global talent mobility management firm from Brookfield Business Partners. Leading the global mobility industry with innovative outsourcing and fully integrated solutions, BGRS provides a full spectrum of talent mobility and advisory services to Global Fortune 500 companies. Supported by a team of over 1,300 globally, BGRS manages over 60,000 employee relocations annually with locations throughout Asia, the Americas and EMEA. BGRS Chief Executive Officer, Traci Morris, and the management team will remain in place and work with Relo Group to advance the Company into its next phase. BGRS has developed into a world class talent mobility management firm by always putting the interests of our clients first, constantly innovating and searching for new opportunities to create value for all stakeholders, and implementing sustainable operating practices. We are excited to become part of Relo Groups portfolio of companies to continue to build BGRS, said Morris. Relo Group, based in Tokyo, Japan, has a 30+ year history of offering premier relocation services to support the global expansion of Japanese companies. Relo Group also provides comprehensive fringe benefit programs, ranging from housing to leisure and lifestyle improvement. BGRS is the fourth investment in North America for Relo Group and will expand its global network and service offerings. BGRS represents a significant expansion of Relo Groups global mobility management capabilities and represents a significant strategic move toward achieving our vision of becoming a world-class relocation company, commented Yasuji Shimizu, Director, Global Business Development. Our two firms already partner together. This complementary transaction to combine our capabilities increases our collective global footprint and ability to provide leading relocation capabilities to clients around the world. Advisors CIBC Capital Markets and BFIN Securities LP are acting as financial advisors to Brookfield Business Partners and Robert W. Baird & Co. is acting as financial advisor to Relo Group. About BGRS BGRS develops and implements comprehensive talent mobility solutions for corporate and government clients worldwide. By combining deep industry experience and unparalleled insights on the future of talent mobility, we enable our clients to design mobility programs that empower them to attract, retain and develop top performers. With more than 1,300 people across six continents, we blend global perspective with local market strength. About Relo Group Provider of leased corporate housing solutions, corporate fringe benefits and a wide range of outsourcing services supporting client companies and their employees. Relo Groups mission is to support the global expansion of companies by supporting their non-core operations and allowing their client companies to perform to their full potential. BGRS John Arcario SVP, Global Strategy | CMO | Talent Solutions Tel: +1 475 323 7004 Email: john.arcario@bgrs.com Relo Group, Inc. Ayumu Kuniya General Manager, Corporate Planning Department Tel: +81-3-5312-8704 Email: a.kuniya@relo.jp English French A ride on the Gautrain system in Johannesburg and a visit to the very first CRJ900 aircraft fitted with the ATMOSPHERE cabin in Africa, operated by Uganda Airlines, was arranged for the local learners JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Note to editors: To view the photos associated with this press release, please visit the following links: A group of Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust students took a ride on the Gautrain commuter rail system with the Bombardier team A group of Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust students toured the new Uganda Airlines CRJ900 aircraft, the first Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft equipped with the ATMOSPHERE cabin in Africa. Today Bombardier, a global leader in the transportation industry, hosted a group of Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust learners to its state-of-the-art rail equipment factory in Johannesburg. Thereafter, the learners were offered a ride on the Gautrain commuter rail system and were then taken on a tour of a Uganda Airlines CRJ900 aircraft, notably the first Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft equipped with the ATMOSPHERE cabin in Africa. Speaking about the visit, Oscar Vazquez, Head of Africa, Nordics, Iberia & Italy, Latin America, India, Middle East, Bombardier Transportation, said, Investing in South Africa for over 25 years, I am delighted to be here with the learners from various schools in Alexandra Township to celebrate this important milestone. This Ride and Flight of Dreams is keeping with Bombardiers focus on supporting child development and education in the communities where we operate. We take immense pride in being able to contribute and shape their dreams of riding and flying via this unique initiative, together with our long-term partner in South Africa, the Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust. We value our relationship within the communities where we evolve and we were very pleased to be able to participate in this unique opportunity to show this beautiful aircraft, wearing the Uganda Airlines colours, to the local learners from Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust. The CRJ900 aircraft that is on display today is participating on a demo tour showing the new ATMOSPHERE interior in a number of African countries, said Colin Bole, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. Operating successfully from 2012, the Gautrain system, a prestigious South African rail project, involved Bombardier to deliver 96 state-of-the-art BOMBARDIER ELECTROSTAR vehicles along with maintaining the fleet for 15 years. Bombardier has been supporting youth groups in Gauteng; Limpopo and Kwazulu-Natal contributing for education to over 70 graduates. In the region, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft with South African Airways in 2018 sponsored a computer lab in Lusaka, Zambia. Till date, Bombardier has invested R 5.1 million in South Africa in social investment causes. Bombardier Commercial Aircraft has been supporting South African Express Airways, which has an all-Bombardier fleet composed of CRJ200, CRJ700 and Q400 aircraft. Bombardier Transportation has a well-established manufacturing operation, engineering capabilities, around 200 employees and local supplier base delivering rail solutions for South Africa. About Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation is a global mobility solution provider leading the way with the rail industrys broadest portfolio. It covers the full spectrum of solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling to complete turnkey transport systems, e-mobility technology and data-driven maintenance services. Combining technology and performance with empathy, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility by providing integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 40,650 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries. About Bombardier With over 68,000 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries across the segments of Transportation, Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion US. The company is recognized on the 2019 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Index. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier . Notes to editors For news, related material and photos, visit our newsroom at www.rail.bombardier.com/en/newsroom.html . Please subscribe to our RSS Feed to receive press releases or follow Bombardier Transportation on Twitter @BombardierRail and @BBD_Aircraf t on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. Images of a CRJ900 aircraft in Uganda Airlines livery and photos from the delivery ceremony are posted with this press release at www.bombardier.com . The CRJ900 aircraft backgrounder is available in the BCA Media Hub Bombardier, CRJ Series, CRJ200, CRJ700, CRJ900, Q400, TRAXX, ELECTROSTAR and CITYFLO are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. For information Media relations, Transportation, South Africa Harsh Mehta +91 9820802228 harsh.mehta@rail.bombardier.com Media relations, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft Nathalie Scott +1-416-375-3030 nathalie.scott@aero.bombardier.com Washington, DC, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yesterday, Vital Voices Global Partnership brought together leaders affecting change around the world at their 18th Annual Global Leadership Awards. Vital Voices honored fashion icon and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg, renewable energy social entrepreneur Habiba Ali, justice reform advocate Saskia Nino de Rivera, refugee advocate Rouba Mhaissen and activist and advocate Amanda Nguyen for their work fixing problems in their communities to incite change on a worldwide scale. The impactful evening showcased the 2019 Honorees wide range of impressive work from working to reform the Mexican prison system, to bringing renewable energy solutions to rural Nigeria, to empowering Syrian refugees, to driving new legislation to protect sexual assault survivors, to creating a household brand name and elevating women along the way. This years incredible Honorees were acknowledged with the following awards: Diane von Furstenberg, Global Trailblazer Award Habiba Ali, Economic Empowerment Award Saskia Nino de Rivera, Leadership in Public Life Award Rouba Mhaissen, Human Rights Award Amanda Nguyen, Light of Freedom Award What weve realized over 22 years, working across 181 countries with thousands of women leaders, is that womens path to leadership is unconventional, their motivation is personal and their mission is collective progress, said Vital Voices President and CEO Alyse Nelson. Women lead differently and that difference is needed in our world today. Womens leadership is resonating around the world because it comes from an authentic place from a place of empowerment, empathy and instinct. Throughout the evening, Vital Voices welcomed special guests including: Nancy Pelosi, 52 nd Speaker of the House of Representatives Speaker of the House of Representatives Hillary Clinton, Former Secretary of State Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security Tina Brown, President and CEO, Tina Brown Live Media Jasmine Cephas Jones, Actor and Activist Amanda Gorman, First-Ever Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, Vital Voices HERlead Fellow David Jaffe, Chairman and CEO, ascena retail group, inc. Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Pictures Lauren Moore, Vice President of Global Community Impact, Johnson & Johnson Deborah Rutter, President, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Bozoma Saint John, Chief Marketing Officer, Endeavor We gather at a time of historic progress for women in America and across the globe. In Congress, we are so proud to be serving with more than 100 women, in the same Congress that marks 100 years since American women won right to vote, said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, presenting the Global Trailblazer award to fashion icon and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg. And we are moved by the countless women who are standing up, speaking out and using their power to demand their full and equal rights. I salute all of the Vital Voices women tonight with respect and admiration, and I share this award with them. Vital Voices women are fearless they are resilient, said von Furstenberg upon receiving her award. They find the tiniest bit of light in the darkness, and build around that light. Together, we can make the world a better world. The powerful evening concluded with an address from Secretary Hillary Clinton, one of the founders of Vital Voices. Today, in the midst of some of the most challenging times the United States have ever seen, its women who are doing the hard, essential work of reinvigorating our democracy, said Secretary Clinton during her closing address. Today more than ever before, women in the United States and around the world are raising their own vital voices, coming forward to tell their stories and demand equality. The annual event honors and celebrates women leaders around the world working to strengthen democracy, increase economic opportunity and protect human rights. This years Global Leadership Awards was hosted at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. For select photos from the event, please visit the photo gallery here. About Vital Voices Global Partnership Vital Voices Global Partnership is an international non-profit organization that identifies and partners with creative and fearless women leaders around the world. Vital Voices searches the world for women leaders with daring vision for change, then partners with them to make that vision a reality. We provide them with capacity building, skills training, grants, access to a network of their peers, mentorship, visibility, credibility, recognition of their efforts and guidance to accelerate change on a global scale. For more than 20 years, Vital Voices has invested in women leaders from over 180 countries and territories. We are venture catalysts, supporting women who advance economic opportunity, increase political and public engagement, end gender-based violence and promote human rights. Vital Voices connects women already solving problems in their communities and equips them with the tools they need to incite global, positive change and accelerate shared progress for all. Visit www.vitalvoices.org to learn more. # # # Attachments PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acrow Bridge , a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, has announced the shipment of more than 130 bridges to the Road Development Agency of the Republic of Zambia. Installation of the structures will be carried out exclusively by Zambian engineers, technicians and contractors, who will be trained in the field by Acrow on the assembly, installation and maintenance of this critical bridge infrastructure. The bridges will contribute to the integration of remote rural communities into the broader domestic and regional economy and will enhance access to basic services. The bridges supplied are comprised of single and multi-span structures of one- and two-lane widths, ranging from 12 meters to more than 100 meters in length. The structures will be installed throughout the country by the local Zambian workforce. For over 60 years, Acrow has provided infrastructure solutions to more than 80 countries. During the past two decades, it has supplied more than 20 African nations with more than 1,000 bridges. Through its Comprehensive Bridge Development Program model, Acrow has implemented a number of large financed infrastructure development projects in Africa, including the supply of more than 150 bridges to the Government of Angola, 100 bridges to the Department of Feeder Roads in Ghana and most recently, 44 bridges to the Government of Cameroon. An important part of these projects has been the extensive skills transfer to local trainees. Acrow Bridge is an ideal partner for large-scale financed infrastructure development projects. Leveraging a global network of financial institutions and other sources of capital, Acrow can arrange financing for qualified bridge projects and facilitate the process of securing export credit guarantees and other development finance arrangements. Acrows project in Zambia drew upon export credit guarantees issued by Export-Import Bank of the United States. The modular design of the structures allows for the easy customization of each bridge to meet specific requirements as well as fast installation performed in days to weeks utilizing the local workforce and minimal heavy equipment, enabling bridges to be erected in challenging, remote locations. Fabricated in the U.S. from high-strength, high-quality U.S. steel and hot-dip zinc galvanized to protect against corrosion, Acrow bridges are durable and permanent infrastructure solutions designed to withstand even the most rugged of conditions with a service life of 75 years or more. Bridging is an important infrastructure asset in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly for the support and development of agriculture as well as the integration of remote rural communities into the broader domestic and regional economy, said Paul Sullivan, Senior Vice President International at Acrow Bridge. This important project demonstrates Acrow's commitment to providing high-quality bridge infrastructure solutions with a special focus on local skills development. Bill Killeen, CEO of Acrow Bridge, added, Our partnership with the Zambian Government will provide the countrys citizens and businesses with strong and durable bridges, made of American steel and manufactured in the United States to the finest international quality standards. We are eager to continue to partner with Sub-Saharan African nations to support sustainable infrastructure development, a cornerstone of trade competitiveness locally and globally. About Acrow Bridge Acrow Bridge has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 60 years with a full line of modular steel bridging solutions for vehicle, rail, military and pedestrian use. Acrows extensive international presence includes its leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 80 countries, covering Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com. INDIANAPOLIS, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis ("FHLBank Indianapolis" or "Bank") declared its first quarter 2019 dividends on Class B-1 and Class B-2 capital stock at annualized rates of 5.50% and 4.40%, respectively. The dividends will be paid in cash on April 26, 2019. Earnings Highlights Net income for the first quarter of 2019 was $33 million, a decrease of $15 million compared to the same quarter in the prior year, primarily due to hedging losses resulting from derivatives in a fair value relationship.1 In accordance with an amendment to accounting guidance effective January 1, 2019, hedging gains (losses) on qualifying fair value hedging relationships are reported prospectively in net interest income instead of other income. As a result, net interest income2 after provision for credit losses for the first quarter of 2019 was reduced by $14 million. In general, we hold the derivatives and associated hedged items to the maturity, call, or put date. As a result, we expect to recover nearly all of the net losses on these financial instruments over the remaining contractual terms of the hedged items. Affordable Housing Program Allocation 3 As a direct result of the earnings for the first quarter of 2019, FHLBank Indianapolis allocated $4 million to its Affordable Housing Program ("AHP"), which provides grant funding to support housing for low- and moderate-income families in Michigan and Indiana. Full year 2019 AHP allocations will be available to the Bank's members in 2020 to help address their communities' affordable housing needs, including construction, rehabilitation, accessibility improvements and homebuyer down-payment assistance. 1 FHLBank Indianapolis uses interest-rate swaps to hedge the risk of changes in the fair value of certain of its advances, available-for-sale securities and consolidated obligations. These derivatives are designated as fair value hedges. Changes in the estimated fair value of the derivative and, to the extent these relationships qualify for hedge accounting, changes in the fair value of the hedged item that are attributable to the hedged risk are recorded in earnings. 2 FHLBank Indianapolis earns interest income on advances to and mortgage loans purchased from its Michigan and Indiana member financial institutions, as well as on long- and short-term investments. Net interest income is primarily determined by the spread between the interest earned on those assets and the interest cost of funding with consolidated obligations. 3 Each year FHLBanks allocate to the AHP 10% of earnings, which is defined as income before assessments, plus interest expense on mandatorily redeemable capital stock. Balance Sheet Highlights Total assets at March 31, 2019 were $66.4 billion, an increase of $1.0 billion, or 1%, from December 31, 2018, primarily driven by purchases of investment securities. Advances 4 Advances outstanding at March 31, 2019 totaled $32.8 billion, a net increase of $102 million, or less than 1%, from December 31, 2018. Advances to depository members - comprising commercial banks, savings institutions and credit unions - decreased by 3%. Advances to insurance company members increased by 4%. Advances to depository institutions, as a percent of total advances outstanding, were 51% at March 31, 2019, while advances to insurance companies were 49%. Mortgage Loans Held for Portfolio 5 Mortgage loan purchases from members for the first quarter of 2019 totaled $258 million. Mortgage loans held for portfolio at March 31, 2019 totaled $11.4 billion, a net increase of $13 million, or less than 1%, from December 31, 2018. Liquidity Portfolio 6 The liquidity portfolio at March 31, 2019 totaled $7.9 billion, an increase of $299 million, or 4%, from December 31, 2018. However, the mix of the portfolio has changed. During the first quarter of 2019, the Bank began purchasing trading securities, consisting solely of U.S. Treasury securities, which totaled $1.1 billion at March 31, 2019. Accordingly, cash and short-term investments decreased by $823 million, or 11%, to $6.8 billion. Consolidated Obligations 7 FHLBank Indianapolis' consolidated obligations outstanding at March 31, 2019 totaled $61.6 billion, a net increase of $469 million, or 1%, from December 31, 2018. The increase in consolidated obligations supported the Bank's growth in assets. Capital 8 Total capital at March 31, 2019 was $3.1 billion, a net increase of $88 million, or 3%, from December 31, 2018, primarily due to additional capital stock issued and comprehensive income, partially offset by dividends to shareholders. The Bank's regulatory capital9-to-assets ratio at March 31, 2019 was 4.89%, which exceeds all applicable regulatory capital requirements. 4 Advances are secured loans that FHLBank Indianapolis provides to its member institutions. 5 FHLBank Indianapolis purchases mortgage loans from its members to support its housing mission, provide an additional source of liquidity to its members, and diversify its investments. 6 The Bank's liquidity portfolio consists of cash, interest-bearing deposits, securities purchased under agreements to resell, federal funds sold and trading securities. 7 The primary source of funds for FHLBank Indianapolis, and for the other Federal Home Loan Banks ("FHLBanks"), is the sale of FHLBanks' consolidated obligations in the capital markets. FHLBank Indianapolis is the primary obligor for the payment of the principal and interest on the consolidated obligations issued on its behalf; additionally, it is jointly and severally liable with each of the other FHLBanks for all of the FHLBanks' consolidated obligations outstanding. 8 FHLBank Indianapolis is a cooperative whose member financial institutions and former members own all of its capital stock as a condition of membership and to support outstanding credit products. 9 Total regulatory capital consists of capital stock, mandatorily redeemable capital stock and retained earnings. All amounts referenced above and in the following table are unaudited. More detailed information about FHLBank Indianapolis' financial results for the first quarter will be included in the Bank's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which we intend to file by mid-May. Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis Financial Highlights (unaudited) ($ amounts in millions, as rounded) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Condensed Statements of Income 2019 2018 Net interest income after provision for credit losses $ 57 $ 70 Other income (loss) 3 6 Other expenses 23 22 AHP assessments 4 6 Net income $ 33 $ 48 Condensed Statements of Condition March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Advances $ 32,830 $ 32,728 Mortgage loans held for portfolio, net 11,398 11,385 Cash and short-term investments 6,787 7,610 Investment securities and other assets (1) 15,368 13,689 Total assets $ 66,383 $ 65,412 Consolidated obligations $ 61,630 $ 61,161 Mandatorily redeemable capital stock 174 169 Other liabilities 1,440 1,031 Total liabilities 63,244 62,361 Capital stock (2) 1,985 1,931 Retained earnings (3) 1,084 1,078 Accumulated other comprehensive income 70 42 Total capital 3,139 3,051 Total liabilities and capital $ 66,383 $ 65,412 Total regulatory capital (4) $ 3,243 $ 3,178 Regulatory capital-to-assets ratio 4.89 % 4.86 % (1) Includes trading, held-to-maturity and available-for-sale securities. (2) Putable by members at par value. (3) Includes restricted retained earnings at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 of $229 million and $222 million, respectively. (4) Consists of total capital less accumulated other comprehensive income plus mandatorily redeemable capital stock. Safe Harbor Statement This document may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "believes," "estimates," "expects" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. Any forward-looking statement contained in this document reflects FHLBank Indianapolis' current beliefs and expectations. Actual results or performance may differ materially from what is expressed in any forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement contained in this document speaks only as of the date on which it was made. FHLBank Indianapolis undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Readers are referred to the documents filed by the Bank with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, which include factors that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements. These reports are available at www.sec.gov . Building Partnerships. Serving Communities. FHLBank Indianapolis is a regional bank included in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to ensure access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with particular attention paid to providing solutions that support the housing and small business needs of members' customers. FHLBanks are privately capitalized and funded, and receive no Congressional appropriations. FHLBank Indianapolis is owned by its Indiana and Michigan financial institution members, which include commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. For more information about FHLBank Indianapolis, visit www.fhlbi.com. LOS ANGELES, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Los Angeles based Bliss Car Wash today announced the second Orange County installation of its Bliss car wash brand, an eco-friendly chain of car washes sensitive to water usage and environmental factors. In a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday with local Aliso Viejo officials , CEO and Founder David Delrahim pledged his second fresh-water well to the nonprofit, Wells Bring Hope . Delrahim has promised a like donation each time he opens a new car wash. The Aliso Viejo car wash, 26871 Aliso Creek Road Aliso Viejo, 92626, is the second in a line of many car washes expected to open under the Bliss brand name in California. The brand is founded by Delrahim, a California businessman and philanthropist . Delrahim and the Bliss company are working with the Wells Bring Hope nonprofit organization because of its mission of providing safe water to rural villages in Niger, West Africa. We are happily increasing mindful water-usage practices in California with our eco-friendly car washes, said Delrahim. And Im also fortunate to donate a second fresh-water well to an important organization. David Delrahims generous pledge to donate a well each time he opens a new car wash will truly make a difference in the lives of people in West Africa, said Barbara Goldberg, Founder and President of Wells Bring Hope. The Bliss car wash model uses technology that constantly monitors fresh water usage, keeping it down to approximately 24 gallons per car wash, and using over 70 percent reclaimed water. The company also only uses cleaning products that are biodegradable and utilizes low-energy consuming machinery. Delrahim is committed to helping communities in Niger, West Africa gain economic opportunities by connecting them to clean potable water, recognizing water's crucial role in accomplishing the worlds development goals. Africa faces endemic poverty, food insecurity and pervasive underdevelopment, with almost all countries lacking the human, economic and institutional capacities to effectively develop and manage their water resources sustainably. Vahid David Delrahim is a Los Angles based businessman and philanthropist and has nearly three decades of experience in the car wash industry. About Bliss Car Wash Bliss Car Wash offers premium unlimited wash memberships at a great value. We are a refreshing car wash experience because we ensure that your car is cleaned responsibly, using cleaning products that are biodegradable and safe for the environment. We are water warriors, so we fight to protect it at every turn and closely monitor our usage. About Wells Bring Hope Wells Bring Hope is a 501(c)3 that was founded in March 2008 by Barbara Goldberg. To date, it has funded 573 wells and transformed the lives of over million people with safe water in Niger, West Africa, the poorest country in the world. Wells Bring Hope partners with World Vision (WV), one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world for its well drilling and maintenance. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Pacific Metal Corp. (New Pacific or the Company) (TSXV: NUAG) (OTCQX: NUPMF) is pleased to announce the commencement of the 2019 drill programs at the Silver Sand Project in the Department of Potosi, Bolivia. The total budgeted metreage for 2019 drilling campaign is about 55,000 metres of diamond coring drilling. The Silver Sand Project consists of three 100% owned concessions of approximately 7 square kilometres plus an area of approximately 57 square kilometres (includes 29 Special Temporary Authorizations and 201 mining grids) covered by the Mining Production Contract (MPC). As previously announced in the Companys January 11, 2019 news release, New Pacific signed the MPC with COMIBOL which is subject to ratification by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia. Grab samples of hundreds of surface dump sites and chip-samples from many artisanal mining tunnels reveal that the silver mineralized fracture zones could extend up to 6 kilometres long in the North-North-West direction and up to 2 kilometres wide in the North-East-East direction. The targets for the 2019 drilling program include: 1) infill drilling to a point where an initial NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource estimate can be made for the Silver Sand area by the end of 2019; 2) drill prospects with good silver grades from historical artisanal mining dumps to expand the mineralization zones at the Silver Sand; 3) drill prospects surrounding Silver Sand showing similar silver mineralization as revealed by historical artisanal mining, and 4) drilling for samples for further metallurgical test work. The Company currently has three drill rigs on site. The Company has also received the environmental permits from the relevant Bolivian government authorities to conduct mineral exploration activities in the MPC areas surrounding the Silver Sand area. The Company has acquired land located approximately 16 kilometres south of the Silver Sand Project sufficient to build an exploration camp which will include offices, accommodation, and drill core processing and storage facilities. This location is approximately 10 kilometres East of the Potosi airport at an elevation of 3,620 metres above sea level. Quality Assurance and Quality Control Core from the 2019 drilling program will be HQ in size. Core samples from drill holes will be split by diamond saw at the camp site. To minimize costs and to expedite the sample preparation process, the Company will set up its own sample preparation facilities at the camp site including crushing and pulverizing in 2019. Pulp samples will be shipped to internationally accredited commercial labs for geochemical analysis. As was the case in 2018 drilling campaign, a thorough quality assurance and quality control protocol will be employed in 2019 to monitor the quality of sample preparation and analysis. Standards of certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates will be inserted in normal core sample sequences prior to shipment to the lab at a ratio of twenty to one, i.e., every twenty samples contain at least one standard sample, one blank sample and one duplicate sample. Alex Zhang, P. Geo., VP Exploration of the Company and Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release. About New Pacific New Pacific is a Canadian exploration and development company which owns the Silver Sand Project in the Potosi Department of Bolivia, the Tagish Lake gold project in Yukon, Canada, and the RZY Project in Qinghai Province, China. Its largest shareholders are Silvercorp Metals Inc., and Pan American Silver Corp., one of the world's largest primary silver producers, which operates six mines, including the San Vicente mine located in the Potosi Department of Bolivia. For further information, contact: New Pacific Metals Corp. Gordon Neal President Phone: (604) 633-1368 Fax: (604) 669-9387 info@newpacificmetals.ca www.newpacificmetals.ca 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. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute 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 provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as expects, is expected, anticipates, believes, plans, projects, estimates, assumes, intends, strategies, targets, goals, forecasts, objectives, budgets, schedules, potential or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the timing and receipt of stock exchange approvals; and the closing of the Transaction. Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, risks relating to: satisfaction or waiver of all applicable conditions to closing of the Transaction including, without limitation, receipt of all stock exchange approvals. The Companys forward-looking statements or information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this news release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements or information if circumstances or managements assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States TORONTO, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Compass Gold Corporation (TSX-V: CVB) (Compass or the Company) announced today that has issued, on a non-brokered private placement basis, a total of 9,094,335 common shares of the Company, at a price of $0.30 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $2,728,300, pursuant to the closing of the previously announced private placement (see Compass news releases dated April 8th and 15th, 2019) (the Offering). In connection with the closing of the Offering, the Company issued an aggregate of 359,543 broker warrants (the "Broker Warrants") and paid an aggregate of $107,863 in cash to certain finders. Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company for a period of 12 months from date of closing at an exercise price of $0.30 per share. Closing of the Offering is subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. All the shares issuable pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day after the date of issuance. Larry Phillips, Compass Golds President and CEO, said, The successful completion of this offering represents another positive milestone in the progress of our company, one which will enable us to continue with our vigorous exploration of our highly prospective Sikasso gold property in southern Mali. I would like to thank the many existing shareholders as well as the key new strategic investors who have participated in this offering for their support. Thank you as well to our CFO, Lou Nagy for coordinating this rather complex process, as well as to Beacon Securities and INFOR Financial for their advisory services with this offering. The funds received from the Offering will enable the Companys technical team to follow the current drilling program with an aggressive drill campaign of up to 10,000 metres across the Ouassada, Faraba-Coura, Sankarani permits and the Yanfolila South permit block, which is targeted for completion before the end of 2019. This drilling is predicated on the results of the ongoing induced polarization (IP) geophysical survey, geochemical sampling of extensive artisanal areas, and geological mapping. Certain insiders of the Company have participated in the Offering and the Company has paid finders fees on a portion of the Offering, subject to compliance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable securities legislation. Beacon Securities Limited and INFOR Financial Inc. have acted as advisors to the Company regarding the Offering. Insiders of the Company purchased an aggregate of 686,667 shares under the Offering, for aggregate consideration of $220,000. Such participation is considered a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Participation by insiders in the Offering was exempt from: (i) the valuation requirements of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption contained in Section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101, as the Company is listed only on the TSX Venture Exchange; and (ii) the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption contained in Section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as at the time the Offering was agreed to, neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the Offering, insofar as it involved interested parties, exceeded 25 per cent of the market capitalization of the Company. The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities in the United States. About Compass Gold Corporation Compass, a public company having been incorporated into Ontario, is a Tier 2 issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange. Through the 2017 acquisition of MGE and Malian subsidiaries, Compass holds gold exploration permits located 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 located 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 new exploration program. They are examining the first of numerous anomalies noted for further investigation in Dr. Archibalds August 2017 National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Sikasso Property, Southern Mali. 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. BOISE, Idaho, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mountain America Credit Union earned honors among the top ten Best Places to Work in Idaho for 2019. This year, Mountain America ranked seventh in the Large Employer category. The ranking is determined by the results of an employee satisfaction survey conducted by POPULUS, a marketing and research firm. As the Idaho economy and population continue to grow in leaps and bounds, it becomes even more important to us to stand out as a great place to work, said Sterling Nielsen, chief executive officer of Mountain America. Mountain America is proud that our employees continue to rate us as a preferred workplace. Mountain America currently has 14 Idaho branches, with over 175 employees. The Best Places to Work in Idaho is a community of organizations working together to identify, recognize and inform Idaho employers about Idahos best employment practices, using a data-driven process. This community is composed of Idaho universities, chambers of commerce, Idaho chapters of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and is organized by POPULUS. About Mountain America Credit Union With more than 810,000 members and $8.5 billion in assets, Mountain America Credit Union assists members on the right path to help them identify and achieve their financial dreams. Mountain America provides consumers and businesses with a variety of convenient, flexible products and services, as well as sound, timely advice. Members enjoy access to secure, cutting-edge mobile banking technology, over 90 branches across five states, thousands of shared-branching locations nationwide and more than 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Mountain Americasafely guiding you forward along your financial journey. Learn more at macu.com. Media Contact: Angie Nelson 208-493-0131 anelson@macu.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea748101-10f0-4cb7-be21-ad0335a4fe92 PERTH, Western Australia, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perseus Mining Limited (Perseus or the Company) (TSX & ASX: PRU) is pleased to report that the government of Cote dIvoire has granted an Exploitation Permit (EP) to Perseuss Ivorian subsidiary, Perseus Yaoure SARL, to develop and operate the Companys third gold mine, the Yaoure Gold Mine in Cote dIvoire. Located near the Ivorian capital of Yamoussoukro adjacent to the Koussou hydro-electric power station, the Yaoure Gold Mine is expected to become a large scale, low-cost gold mining operation that will form a core asset within Perseuss asset portfolio for many years to come. Receipt of the EP is the final permit that Perseus requires to start developing the Yaoure mine and follows Perseuss recent announcements that it has accepted an offer of debt financing from a syndicate of international banks and confirmed its financing plans for the mine development. With all major prerequisites for the development of the Yaoure gold mine now in place, the Board of Perseus will convene in the very near future to resolve to commence full scale project development. Perseuss Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Mr Jeff Quartermaine said: The granting of the Exploitation Permit to enable development of the Yaoure Gold Mine is a major milestone for Perseus that firmly places us on the path to achieving our stated goal of producing more than 500,000 ounces of gold at an all-in cost of less than US$850 per ounce from multiple mines in several jurisdictions in West Africa. When developed, Yaoure is expected to be a large scale, low cost mining operation capable of generating substantial benefits for all of Perseuss stakeholders, including not only our shareholders who have been keenly awaiting this milestone, but also our host government and local communities, employees and providers of a range of goods and services. On behalf of the Board and the entire team at Perseus, I thank the government of Cote dIvoire for granting us the exploitation licence and in doing so, recognising Perseuss credentials as a capable, reliable and responsible participant in the Ivorian gold mining industry. To discuss any aspect of this announcement, please contact: Managing Director: Jeff Quartermaine at telephone +61 8 6144 1700 or email jeff.quartermaine@perseusmining.com; General Manager BD & IR: Andrew Grove at telephone +61 8 6144 1700 or email andrew.grove@perseusmining.com Media Relations: Nathan Ryan at telephone +61 4 20 582 887 or email nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au (Melbourne) Competent Person Statement: All production targets for Edikan, Sissingue and Yaoure referred to in this report are underpinned by estimated Ore Reserves which have been prepared by competent persons in accordance with the requirements of the JORC Code. The information in this report that relates to the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates for the EGM deposits was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement released on 29 August 2018. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affect the information in that market release and that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Central Ashanti Gold Project, Ghana dated 30 May 2011 continue to apply. The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources for Sissingue was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement released on 15 December 2016 and includes an update for depletion as at 30 June 2018 as well as an adjustment of the model constrained to a US$1,800/oz pit shell which were reported in a market announcement on 29 August 2018. The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resources for Fimbiasso was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement released on 20 February 2017 and includes an adjustment of the model constrained to a US$1,800/oz pit shell which was reported in a market announcement on 29 August 2018. The information in this report that relates to Ore Reserves for Sissingue and Fimbiasso was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement released on 31 March 2017 and includes an update for depletion as at 30 June 2018 which was reported in a market announcement on 29 August 2018. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affect the information in these market releases and that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Sissingue Gold Project, Cote dIvoire dated 29 May 2015 continue to apply. The information in this report in relation to Yaoure Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates was first reported by the Company in compliance with the JORC Code 2012 and NI43-101 in a market announcement on 3 November 2017. The Company confirms that all material assumptions underpinning those estimates and the production targets, or the forecast financial information derived therefrom, in that market release continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company further confirms that material assumptions underpinning the estimates of Ore Reserves described in Technical Report Yaoure Gold Project, Cote dIvoire dated 18 December 2017 continue to apply. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information: This report contains forward-looking information which is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made by the Company regarding, among other things: the price of gold, continuing commercial production at the Edikan Gold Mine and the Sissingue Gold Mine without any major disruption, development of a mine at Yaoure, the receipt of required governmental approvals, the accuracy of capital and operating cost estimates, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used by the Company. Although management believes that the assumptions made by the Company and the expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the actual market price of gold, the actual results of current exploration, the actual results of future exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. The Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Companys ability to carry on its exploration and development activities, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Perseus does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Kenya Carter is looking for an advantage in her job search when she enters the workforce in the next few years. The 18-year-old George Washington High School senior learned interview skills during a mock interview day held at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research on Thursday morning. I want to build confidence in going to different job interviews in the future, she said during an interview following a session on communication led by Cassie Jones, director of marketing and communications at Averett University. About 175 high school students from Danville and Pittsylvania County attended AspHIRE: Mock Interview Day, where volunteers from local employers conducted 20-minute individual mock job interviews with each student to replicate a real-world hiring experience. Students also attended work readiness sessions on time management, presentation and personal brand, resume writing, online job searches and effective communication. They also participated in a business lunch to learn and reinforce etiquette and practice conversation skills. We have different sessions for people to perfect their skills, said Joyce Culley, coordinator for career and technical education for Danville Public Schools. The event was put on by the Institute, the Dan River Region Collaborative, Danville and Pittsylvania County public schools, Southside Virginia Society for Human Resource Management and the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. Scott Brann, who teaches 11th- and 12th-grade auto mechanics at GW, said the mock interviews also expose students to a variety of careers available in the Dan River Region. The kids need to see a lot of opportunities they have here in Southside, Brann said. Hopefully, the mock interview day will help students achieve their goals in the future, he said. There are some fantastic success stories in this building we dont know about yet, Brann said. The event also provides a glimpse for businesses of how schools are preparing students for the workforce, Culley said. Events like this give employers the opportunity to see what were doing in our classrooms, Culley said. Justin Owen, precision machining instructor at the Pittsylvania Career and Technical Center, said of the mock interview day: It prepares the students for the future jobs that were training students for at PCTC. This is the other piece of the puzzle that increases their employability. The students are learning how to dress and the importance of eye contact and handshakes during interviews, he added. Blair Foster, human resources manager at Riverside Health and Rehab, said she volunteered to conduct the 20-minute interviews because she knows how vital they are. I want to teach them the importance of conducting a good interview, Foster said. Im glad to help the high school students prepare for the importance of interviews for future positions and to be more professional. Allison Moore, spokeswoman for the Institute, said this was the Institutes first such event, but it most likely wont be the last. We hope to make it annual, Moore said. A second mock interview day is scheduled for Monday. John Crane reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact him at jcrane@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7987. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Tears flowed in Danville Circuit Courts gallery on Thursday as Diairion Marqui Davis pleaded guilty to killing another man in May 2018. Davis, 31 of Reidsville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and possessing a gun as a felon connected to Arthur OBrian Andersons shooting death. A woman in the courtroom pressed her hands to her face and started crying as Danville Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Petra Haskins described how Davis shot Anderson, 31 of Semora, North Carolina, in the back as he tried to run away. Davis was initially charged with first-degree murder in addition to the gun charges, but that charge was downgraded to second-degree murder because he entered into a plea agreement. According to the commonwealths summary of evidence, Danville police responded to the 200 block of Rocklawn Avenue at 2:30 a.m. on May 14 to find Anderson unresponsive with several gunshot wounds to his back. Anderson was transported to Sovah Health-Danville where he died, and that same day, Danville police contacted law enforcement in Greensboro, North Carolina, for assistance finding Davis, who they believed was in North Carolina. Greensboro police found him, but Davis, according to the court document, did not come quietly. The defendant pulled a handgun out and fired a round at the officers, it states. He was then shot by the Greensboro Police and taken into custody. Davis was treated at a hospital and told police he had shot at them because he did not want to go back to jail. The defendant then told Danville police multiple stories. He said that he shot Anderson after an argument developed and he saw Anderson reaching for a gun. No gun was found at the crime scene and no evidence that any other weapon had been used, the document states. Davis also claimed he had shot Anderson in the front, but all the gunshots were all to his back, according to the document. Had the case gone to trial, the commonwealth contended witnesses would have testified that Davis shot Anderson as he ran away after the two had an argument over the treatment of the defendants wife, the document states. Davis, large in stature and sporting a beard, stayed quiet throughout the hearing except when he responded to Judge James J. Reynolds, who told him what his sentence could be. If the court imposes the maximum sentence, Reynolds said, you could receive 48 years on these charges. Reynolds also noted that the court does not have to follow the sentencing guidelines. Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27. James Whitlow reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact him at jwhitlow@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7983. A bailiff placed a box of tissues at Brenda Ann Gomez-Lazarskis table Thursday as she pleaded guilty to neglecting her 71-year-old grandmother. That neglect led to her death, prosecutors averred. The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and abuse or neglect of an incapacitated adult. Gomez-Lazarski was originally charged with felony homicide, but it was reduced to involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement. Police responded to a house at 116 Park Ave. at 9:50 p.m. on Aug. 11, Danville Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Petra Haskins said, and found Dorothy Jean George Gomez-Lazarskis grandmother dead in a hospital-style bed and suffering from visible sores. George was stiff and cold when police found her, Haskins said, and the bed she occupied was soaked through with urine. A tarp had been placed under the bed, and flies were all around the room, according to the commonwealths summary of evidence. The commonwealth claimed that Gomez-Lazarskis neglect caused Georges death. The neglect resulted in the ulcers found which led to sepsis which then exacerbated her underlying cardiac disease, the summary states. George had a host of medical issues for which she required medication, surgery and regular care. She had also taken a fall and been confined to a bed with Gomez-Lazarski as her primary caretaker. But some of Georges machines and medications had not been used or refilled in the months before her death, Haskins said. George was a longtime diabetic. Found in the house was a set of barely-used insulin pens and an incomplete lot of Georges blood sugar, which had not been used since May. [Gomez-Lazarski] admitted she knew about the bedsores for weeks, Haskins said. She died earlier than she would have if she had been cared for. Judge James J. Reynolds went through the list of questions accompanying a guilty plea, and Gomez-Lazarski answered without hesitation until the judge asked if she was pleading because she was guilty. Are you entering pleas freely and voluntarily he asked. Yes sir, she answered. And because you are guilty? Gomez-Lazarski paused and turned to look at her lawyer, who whispered rapidly into her ear. Yes sir, she said. After Gomez-Lazarski pleaded guilty, her attorney, Jason Eisner, said that Georges condition deteriorated after she lost Medicaid coverage, which he said Gomez-Lazarski tried to renew. Ms. Gomez-Lazarski made repeated efforts [to get] Medicaid reinstated, Eisner said. Reynolds said the maximum penalty Gomez-Lazarski could face would be 20 years in prison and a fine in excess of $100,000. Gomez-Lazarski is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27. James Whitlow reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact him at jwhitlow@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7983. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring and the Department of Motor Vehicles are seeking to have a class action law lawsuit regarding driver's license suspensions tossed out or delayed because of recent action taken by the governor and General Assembly. Earlier this month, the legislature approved a budget amendment Gov. Ralph Northam put forth that would stop the practice of suspending driver's licenses because of unpaid court fines and fees. As a result, the attorney general and DMV Commissioner Richard Holcomb argue that the lawsuit is now moot, according to a motion filed in the U.S. District Court in Charlottesville on Tuesday. The lawsuit, filed in 2016 by the Legal Aid Justice Center and law firm McGuireWoods, is scheduled for a trial in August. When the budget amendment goes into effect July 1, 627,000 Virginians will have their licenses reinstated. Because the change in the policy was done through the biennial budget, lawmakers will have to return to Richmond in January and find a permanent solution. If the General Assembly fails to do so, drivers who still have unpaid court fines and fees will have their licenses suspended again in July 2020. Alternatively, Northam could once again use the budget to continue to halt the practice. The DMV commissioner is asking the court to either dismiss the case or delay it until April 2020 once it's known if the General Assembly passes legislation. In the motion, Holcomb argues, "At the very least, there is likely to be ample support for the continued suspension of enforcement through the 2020-2022 budget cycle." He said resumed enforcement of suspending licenses is "speculative," and so the lawsuit should be dismissed. "Attorney General Herring has publicly supported and worked to repeal the practice of suspending drivers licenses and has supported Governor Northams efforts to do so legislatively, including through the budget amendment that passed this year," Charlotte Gomer, a spokeswoman for Herring, said in an email Wednesday. "As Legal Aid said themselves, the passage of the budget amendment has made this a moot case and there is no point in further costly litigation." If the case went to trial, the court might rule the statute that suspends driver's licenses is unconstitutional, which would end the practice. "The actions of the Commissioner and Attorney General are deeply disappointing. They would rather hold people hostage to delay and dithering, instead of letting long-suffering Virginians have their day in court," Angela Ciolfi, executive director for the Legal Aid Justice Center, said in a statement. "The Attorney General seeks to play legislative roulette with nearly one million families, abdicating his responsibility to stop unconstitutional practices within the Commonwealth, in the chance that the General Assembly does the right thing to make the relief permanent." Supporters of ending the practice which is used as an incentive to get people to pay their court debt say it unfairly affects poor people who struggle to promptly pay their court costs. When they lose their driving privileges, they risk losing their jobs, creating a further challenge in paying off court fines. Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, has said he will sponsor legislation again next year to repeal the statute that suspends driver's licenses. Stanley's bill, one of three proposed this past session, passed the Senate by an overwhelming margin of 36-4. When the legislation reached the House of Delegates, four Republicans on a House Courts of Justice subcommittee killed it. After the legislative session ended in February, Stanley approached Northam about including language in the budget to end the practice. Northam had proposed $9 million in the budget for the Virginia Trauma Center Fund to make up for the money lost from the proposed elimination of reinstatement fees. The House voted 70-29 and the Senate voted 30-8 to approve the amendment. Due to an inadvertent error, the amendment that passed the General Assembly is broader than what Stanley originally proposed in his bill. The amendment eliminated the reinstatement fee for everyone, including those suspended for serious offenses such as vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. The reinstatement fee for unpaid court fines and fees is $145, $100 of which goes to the trauma center fund and the other $45 to the DMV. The total reinstatement fee ranges up to $220 for serious offenses, but the budget amendment will eliminate the trauma center fee for everyone. The General Assembly will have to address this next year by restoring the $100 fee for the trauma center. If people with a suspended license for unpaid court fines and fees still have a physical driver's license, that's all that is needed for them to drive again starting July 1. Anyone without a license or an expired license will need to go to the DMV and apply for a replacement or renewal, but they won't have to pay the reinstatement fee. Toronto, April 25, 2019 - Argentum Silver Corp. (TSXV: ASL) ("Argentum" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a non-binding letter of intent ("LOI") with Norsemont II Resources Corp. ("Norsemont"), a private Ontario company. Norsemont owns a 100% interest in the Cochavara Silver-Lead-Zinc Project ("Cochavara") in Northern Peru. The transaction contemplated by the LOI is a related party transaction. Cochavara consists of six concessions totalling 1979 hectares located in the Department of La Libertad in Northern Peru, approximately 70 kilometres east of the city of Trujillo. The historic Quiruvilca silver/lead/zinc mine ("Quiruvilca") is located 3.5 kilometres northeast of the northern boundary of the Cochavara Project area. Quiruvilca is a large polymetallic vein deposit with over 130 different mineralized structures hosted in the Mid-Miocene Calipuy volcanic complex. The mineralization at Quiruvilca is contained in a series of narrow veins filling fractures and faults. Although narrow, the veins tend to have an extensive lateral and vertical continuity. Production from the Quiruvilca mine was first recorded in 1789, and has been mined on an industrial scale since 1924. More recently, Pan American Silver acquired the Quiruvilca mine in 1995 and sold the mine to a private company in 2012. Cochavara currently has a valid exploitation permit to extract mineral for processing at third-party plants. Terms of the LOI Subject to regulatory and all other necessary approvals, Argentum will acquire all the issued and outstanding securities of Norsemont in exchange for $500,000 worth of common shares in the capital of Argentum at a price per share equal to the five-day volume-weighted average trading price of the Argentum shares prior to signing a definitive agreement with respect to the proposed acquisition. In addition, holders of convertible securities of Norsemont will receive replacement securities having similar economic terms. Following completion of the acquisition, Argentum will provide the ongoing management team for the Company and the shareholders of Norsemont will be entitled to have one nominee appointed to the board of directors of Argentum. Completion of the acquisition is subject to several conditions, including TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") final acceptance, completion of due diligence, entering into of a definitive acquisition agreement, board and minority shareholder approval, if necessary. There can be no assurance that the acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all. Trading in the securities of Argentum should be considered speculative. Pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders ("MI 61-101"), which is incorporated by reference into the policies of the TSXV under Policy 5.9, the LOI constitutes a "related party transaction" as a result of Sprott Mining Inc. ("Sprott Mining"), a corporation controlled by Eric Sprott, being a control person of Argentum and a control person of Norsemont. Argentum intends to rely on the exemptions from the valuations and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and Sections 5.7(a). Management believes these exemptions will be available because, at the time of entering into the LOI, neither the fair market value of the subject matter, nor the fair market value of the consideration for the transaction, in so far as it involves the interested party, exceeds 25% of Argentum's capitalization. About Argentum Silver Corp. Argentum Silver is a junior mineral exploration company listed of the TSXV under the stock symbol ASL. Argentum hold 80% interest in the Vanadium Ridge Property located at the southern end of the Quesnel Trough 50 km north of Kamloops, British Columbia. The property consists of 20 mining claims covering 2,151 hectares near the town of Barriere. The project hosts vanadium-rich magnetite mineralization in seams and pods in altered ultramafic to intermediate intrusive rocks which form a portion of a large Late Triassic Poison Creek diorite intrusion complex. The near-surface exposure of vanadiferous magnetite is an attractive exploration target that may not require chemical processing for the liberation of a magnetite concentrate. Argentum feels it is a good entry into what is becoming one of the most sought-after commodities in the battery-metal sector. The technical aspects of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Gary Nassif, M.Sc., P.Geo., President and CEO of Argentum. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable laws. For more information contact: Gary Nassif, President & CEO 416-855-9304 gnassif@argentumsilvercorp.com Argentum Silver Corp. Suite 400 - 365 Bay Street Toronto, ON, M5H 2V1 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44320 Gov. Steve Sisolak has donated his first-quarter salary to state K-12 schools, fulfilling a pledge he made on the campaign trail."I asked the people of Nevada for the chance to lead this state for many reasons, chief among them being the opportunity to improve educational outcomes for every child in every classroom in the state," Sisolak said in a statement."To show my commitment to this goal, the first lady and I are donating my net state salary back to public education," Sisolak said. "It is my sincere hope that with these donations, I can begin to fulfill my promise to our educators, families and children and make a positive impact on our public schools."The governor makes about $149,000 a year. He has pledged to donate his entire salary for his first four years in office toward education.Sisolak has made education funding one of his signature issues, pushing a 3 percent pay increase for teachers and other education employees in his first State of the State address.The money Sisolak donated went to the Department of Education's Education Gift Fund. During Sisolak's tenure, the department will ensure donations will be split among the state's 416 Title I schools -- $1,000 for each school, with any remaining funds split evenly between all schools.Title 1 funding is given to schools with a high percentage of low-income students. 'There's More Out There' Federal Changes LGBT Representation Only 1 to 8 percent of Americans, depending on the age group, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Yet around 40 percent of the young people living on the streets or in shelters identify as LGBT, according to research by the Williams Institute at UCLAs Law School. The primary reason they end up without stable housing is family abuse or rejection.While LGBT youth have been more likely to experience homelessness for quite some time, cities are just starting to focus on this vulnerable population's needs.Sacramento, Calif., is slated to open its firsthomeless shelter specifically for LGBT youth this summer. It will host 12 beds and allow people to stay for 90 days."We have a couple of homeless youth providers, but its not a perfect fit," says Sacramento City Councilmember Steve Hansen. "Homelessness at large is a diverse population of people. As a government, we have largely used a one-size-fits-all [approach]. We need to tailor these interventions to the populations were serving."Pixie Pearl, assistant director of housing for the Sacramento LGBT Community Center, explained to an ABC affiliate why custom shelters are necessary.We have services that address different things for homelessness, but not necessarily, Is this affirming to who I am? Am I going to be called she? Am I going to be called by my name?'"Some see the rise in LGBT-specific shelters as evidence of a problem."My one concern is its happened because existing resources havent been safe [for LGBT youth]. So its a mixed blessing, I think we've started to have them because everyplace else has been awful," says Currey Cook of Lambda Legal, a legal advocacy organization for LGBT populations.In Central Florida, there are only eight shelter beds right now for LGBT homeless youth, according to Heather Wilkie, executive director of the Zebra Coalition,which provides housing and support services to LGBT people in the region. Of the 268 homeless youth they counted on a recent night, 93 of them identified as LGBT."And thats just the number we counted. We know theres more out there. Theyre couch surfing. Theyre hard to find," says Wilkie.City officials in Orlando, Fla., are meeting with social services providers to brainstorm ways to better accommodate this population. They're expected to add two more shelterbeds for LGBT youth this month. Still, Wilkie admits, thats not enough.She's hoping to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this fall to help expand that capacity. Her five-year plan is to open a group home, and three other residential sites, for LGBT homeless youth.The Obama administration made LGBT youth homelessness a bigger priority than any administration before it. The same isn't true for the White House under President Trump.In 2014, Obamas HUD launched the LGBTQ Youth Homelessness Prevention Initiative to inform "national strategies for preventing homelessness among LGBTQ youth." The Trump administration has not continued to fund it.The Obama administration also rolled out the LGBT Equal Access rule, which prevents discrimination in public housing on the basis of sexual orientation, marital status or gender identity. In testimony last month, HUD Secretary Ben Carson told Congress that the rule is still in effect, but critics say the department has taken down or discredited the Obama-era guidance.The Obama-era efforts made it possible, Wilkie says, for cities to begin making blueprints of their own for their LGBT populations. Last year, New York City announced plans to open its first shelter for LGBT youth . It's projected to open at the end of this year."These new beds would be available once renovations, permitting and certifications have been completed by state and city agencies," said Mark Zustovich, spokesman for New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, in an emailed statement.In the meantime, the city has drop-in shelters catered to the LGBT population in each borough. But advocates worry that they turn away young people."Its really important to diversify housing. Emergency shelter gets brought up a lot, but not every youth is going to adapt to emergency. If youre 19, are you going to be able to adapt to shelter rules? It doesnt work as well," says Orlando's Wilkie.Curfews and bans on guests and pets are cited as reasons why youth don't like traditional shelters.Councilmember Hansen, an openly gay man, credits the opening of these LGBT-specific shelters for homeless youth to the increased visibility of LGBT people in government and politics.In November, for instance, the number of LGBT state lawmakers rose to 129 -- at least three of them won in states that had never elected an openly gay or transgender legislator before. And this year, a record number of big cities could elect a lesbian for mayor. "Now that weve gained seats at the table, were better able to address the needs [of these populations]," he says. "Our representation means something, and thats why we run." SPEED READ: In the last month, Republican state lawmakers Brian Maienschein of California, Dawn Marie Addiego of New Jersey, and Dinah Sykes, Stephanie Clayton and Barbara Bollier of Kansas announced that they were switching to the Democratic Party. They all represent suburban districts that have become increasingly Democratic. Where the GOP Is Struggling The Motivations and Consequences of Switching Parties Dawn Marie Addiego has had a long career in Republican politics, serving on the Evesham Township City Council, the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the New Jersey Assembly and, since 2010, the state Senate.On Monday, Addiego switched to the Democratic Party."My core values that originally drew me to the Republican Party have not changed," Addiego wrote on a social media post announcing her switch, "but the party which once echoed the vision of Ronald Reagan no longer exists."Addiego isn't alone. Last week, California Assemblyman Brian Maienschein left the GOP and became a Democrat. Last month, three Kansas legislators made the same move.All these switchers represent suburban districts that have become increasingly Democratic, particularly since the election of Donald Trump as president."There's enough discontent among Republicans, particularly women in the suburbs, that makes a switch to the Democratic Party plausible among Republican legislators," says Timothy Nokken, a Texas Tech University political scientist who has studied party switching.Patrick Miller, a University of Kansas political scientist, echoes that sentiment."In the districts that they occupy, they're going to be electorally safer as Democrats," he says, referring to the switchers in his state. "They're all in districts that have trended hard to the Democratic Party."Maienschein's switch means San Diego's entire delegation in the state Assembly is now Democratic. Republicans lost their last Assembly seat in the San Francisco Bay area during the midterm elections. With Maienschein's defection, Republicans now hold just 19 of the 80 seats in the California Assembly.The party suffered similar wipeouts in suburban districts from Austin to Seattle to Charlotte, N.C. In New Jersey, Addiego's move leaves the GOP with 14 of the 40 seats in the New Jersey Senate -- its lowest total since 1981.Blaming the party for morphing into something they could no longer support -- as Addiego did -- is typical for party switchers. "He didn't leave the Republican Party, the party left him," Chad Mayes, a former GOP leader in the California Assembly, said in defense of Maienschein.Miller, the Kansas professor, says Trump's presidency has accelerated trends that were already taking place, including the movement of college-educated white voters away from the GOP.It's an effect that has already taken place, in reverse, in the South. What was once a solidly Democratic region has turned overwhelmingly Republican in recent decades. Under Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, it became increasingly difficult for conservative Democrats to win in the South. They were unable to separate their own political fortunes from perceptions of their national party."What happens at the top of the ticket has a downstream effect on what it means to be a Democrat or a Republican," says Antoine Yoshinaka, author of. "We can't underestimate the effect of the president on the party brand and what it means to be a Republican or a Democrat."Twenty years ago, it was a common occurrence for the Republican National Committee (RNC) to issue news releases bragging about the latest Southern Democrat to join the GOP."I remember vividly, when I was working at the RNC, we were very alert to every Democrat who came over to the Republican side," says Jack Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College in California.But just as Democrats now have little hope in most of the South, the GOP's chances are weak in certain coastal states, big cities, college towns and, to an increasing extent, affluent suburbs around the country.Until just the other day, California Republicans had pointed to Maienshein's midterm success as an example of how the state party could rebuild. He was able to build a "brand" that was seen as separate from Trump. The reality, however, is that he won in November by just 607 votes, out of nearly 200,000 cast."He is switching parties for self-preservation and political games," says Tony Krvaric, who chairs the San Diego County GOP. Similar complaints have been lodged against the other recent switchers.Politicians willing to switch parties are often welcomed and even wooed by their prospective new party, offered plum committee assignments and financial resources. But it's a risky bet.They are certain to be derided by members of their old party, while often viewed with suspicion by voters, who question their fealty. Already, a Facebook page has been set up in hopes of recalling Sen. Addiego for switching."A lot of switchers do get punished by voters who aren't particularly fond of politicians who switch sides," says Yoshinaka, who is also a political scientist at the University at Buffalo. "As an act of self-preservation, it's not always the most effective one."But if you're an elected official in coastal California, or one of the many other areas that have come under single-party dominance, there may be no other realistic choice if you want to keep winning elections. Republicans not only lost every statewide race last year in California, but they failed to break the 40 percent mark in any of those contests. The GOP held onto just eight of the state's 53 U.S. House seats. The party now occupies zero of the seven House seats from Orange County, a bastion of the conservative movement in Reagan's day."In California, I won't say the Republican Party is dead, but clearly it's a diminished party," Nokken says. "Any hope for Republicans outside of solid GOP constituencies is really tenuous."In New Jersey, Republicans now hold just one of the state's dozen U.S. House seats.Although the Kansas electorate remains solidly Republican, Democrats won 10 of the state House seats from Johnson County, outside of Kansas City, up from just two as recently as 2014. The legislators who defected in Kansas are all from Johnson County."Just as we saw more conservative Democrats die out in rural areas, we're seeing moderate Republicans die out in suburban areas," says Miller, the Kansas professor.Moderate Republicans who represent districts where voters are dubious about Trump have to wonder about the president's potential negative coattails in 2020."I don't think there will be huge numbers of party switchers, if only because there aren't that many moderate Trump skeptics in office," says Pitney, who left the GOP in response to Trump's election. "Some will switch, some will leave office, some will be defeated." Oral arguments have been scheduled for the week of June 10 by a three judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the lawsuit over whether the 102-mile Mississippi Senate District 22 should be redrawn to strengthen black voting power before elections later this year.The oral arguments were scheduled after Gov. Phil Bryant and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann appealed a ruling by U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves of the Southern District of Mississippi and affirmed by a three judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals saying District 22 should be redrawn.Bryant and Hosemann are asking the full 5th Circuit to hear the case. The oral arguments will be before another three judge panel. Whether the full court of appeals could or would take the case before the scheduled oral arguments is not clear.Hosemann and Bryant argue that the District 22 lawsuit, which was brought in 2018, was filed too late.There is no question that if the suit had been brought in 2015 when all the facts necessary to plaintiffs were known, orderly review and orderly deliberation could have taken place, they argue in court filings.The only election under the current legislative redistricting plan, which was approved by the Legislature in 2012, took place in 2015. The second election will take place later this year and then the Legislature will be mandated by federal law to redistrict again, based on the 2020 U.S. Census, before the 2023 elections. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order to create a commission to encourage participation in the 2020 census.Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, warned that even a 1% undercount would cost the state $780 million in federal funds over 10 years. Almost half the states 2.1 million residents live in areas considered hard to count, according to a City University of New York study.U.S. Census Bureau workers will do the actual counting next year, but states can help locate residents with new addresses, and encourage people who might be reluctant to participate.About 300 federal programs use census data to distribute more than $800 billion a year, according to a 2018 report by the Institute of Public Policy at George Washington University. Medicaid, food stamps, highway construction money and school lunches all depend on the count.New Mexicos 40-member Complete Count Commission will have $3.5 million to encourage participation. As in other states, the commission will mostly be contracting with advocates and other trusted messengers to reach hard-to-count populations like Native Americans and Hispanic residents in rural areas.Hard-to-count areas in New Mexico include Navajo reservations and shantytowns on the Mexican border known as colonias.The commission, which includes Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, will make quarterly progress reports starting in August. Bridget Anne Kelly, who was a top aide to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, denounced him as a "coward" and vowed to keep a spotlight on him as she was sentenced on Wednesday to 13 months in prison for her role in the Bridgegate scandal."Mr. Christie, you are a bully, and the days of you calling me a liar and destroying my life are over," Kelly, 46, said outside the federal courthouse in Newark, N.J."The truth will be heard -- and for the former governor, that truth will be unescapable, regardless of lucrative television deals or even future campaigns," she continued, adding that Christie was responsible for the infamous 2013 traffic jams at the George Washington Bridge. "I plan to make sure of that."That Kelly was sentenced to prison came as little surprise -- she'd already been sentenced once, but an appeals court ruling necessitated a new hearing. Yet her remarks to reporters on Wednesday were striking, given how little she has said publicly in the nearly four years since she was indicted.A federal jury in 2016 found Kelly, once the governor's deputy chief of staff, and another former Christie aide guilty of conspiracy and other crimes in connection to the September 2013 plot to cause days of massive traffic jams near the bridge to New York City. Emails, text messages, and witness testimony showed that Christie allies wanted to punish the mayor of Fort Lee, Bergen County, because he had refused to endorse Christie's reelection campaign."Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Kelly wrote in an August 2013 email to David Wildstein, who was a Christie ally and top official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey."Got it," he replied.Prosecutors said Kelly, Wildstein, and Port Authority official Bill Baroni conspired to reduce the number of local access lanes available to commuters approaching the bridge from Fort Lee from three to one. They covered up the scheme by promoting it as a "traffic study," prosecutors said.At trial, Kelly testified that she believed that the lane closings were part of a legitimate traffic study. Kelly told jurors that she had informed Christie weeks ahead of time that the study could create "tremendous traffic problems" for commuters, but he approved it anyway.Her defense team hardly had kind words for Christie at trial. But on Wednesday, she unloaded on the former governor and questioned how he and his closest associates "escape[d] justice.""Chris Christie was allowed -- without rebuttal from anyone -- to say out of one side of his mouth that I was a low-level staffer, a woman only good enough to plan menus and invite people to events, then say out of the other side of his mouth that I was somehow powerful [enough] to shut down the George Washington Bridge," Kelly said, reading from a statement."There is only one person," she said. "Only one. And he was powerful enough to approve this act."Christie, a Republican who served two terms, has maintained that he neither knew about nor authorized the plot. In his 2019 book, Let Me Finish, Christie muses that then-U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman pursued the case as a kind of audition for a prospective Hillary Clinton administration.Kelly was initially sentenced to 18 months in prison. An appeals court panel tossed a couple of the convictions, leading to her resentencing on Wednesday before District Judge Susan D. Wigenton. Kelly is appealing her case to the U.S. Supreme Court.Her codefendant at trial, Baroni, was resentenced in February to 18 months in prison.Kelly, a divorced mother of four, mentioned each of her children in her statement. She also said the case had "shaken my faith in our system of justice" and called it a "miscarriage of justice," pointing again to the former governor."The fact that I am on these steps in place of others from the Christie administration -- and the governor himself -- does not prove my guilt. It only proves that justice is not blind," she said. "It has favorites. It misses the mark. It misses the truth. And it picks winners and losers that are sometimes beyond anyone's control."Kelly's lawyer, Michael Critchley Sr., said she would seek to remain free on bail pending appeal.The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Kelly said "family and friends" had discussed with Washington contacts the prospect of a pardon from President Donald Trump, but she did not elaborate."While I would accept a pardon, no question, it's not something that I am orchestrating the efforts for," she told the newspaper. Gov. Larry Hogan is calling on Baltimore's embattled Mayor Catherine Pugh to resign Thursday, a few hours after federal investigators raided her home and other locations including City Hall.Pugh, 69, is under investigation by the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor for sales of her self-published "Healthy Holly" children's books. Thursday's raids marked the first time it was publicly known that federal law enforcement was investigating Pugh, as well."Now more than ever, Baltimore City needs strong and responsible leadership," Hogan said in a statement. "Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead."Hogan said Pugh must resign for the good of the city.Agents from the Baltimore FBI office and the Washington IRS office executed search warrants on at least six locations Thursday, including at the location of the Maryland Center for Adult Training. Pugh once led the nonprofit job training program, which has listed online as board members three former Pugh staffers: Gary Brown Jr., Poetri Deal and Afra Vance-White. Those three staffers were fired by acting Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young.A search warrant was also executed at the downtown office of her attorney Steven Silverman and Brown's home.The raids mark the latest development in the scandal over the sales of Pugh's children's books. The Baltimore Sun reported last month that Pugh was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the books by the University of Maryland Medical System in a no-bid arrangement while she sat on the system's board of directors.Pugh also sold copies of the books to city health provider Kaiser Permanente during a time when the company was seeking a lucrative city contract. Others with business before the city, including Columbia businessman J.P. Grant, also wrote checks for the book.In all, Pugh's Healthy Holly LLC took in at least $800,000 from local entities since 2011, The Sun has reported.Pugh has been on paid leave since April 1, citing a case of pneumonia. Young took over as acting mayor shortly after Pugh stepped aside. SPEED READ: 18 states have bills to make presidential candidates release tax returns. Only some states set that requirement for candidates for governor. A few bills would extend the rule to all statewide elections. In Other Public Finance News: Ubers Plan to Steal Public Transits Customers As the 2020 election approaches, states are ramping up efforts to require presidential candidates -- including Donald Trump -- to disclose their tax returns.A total of 18 states this year, including Trumps home state of New York, have considered bills that would require such a disclosure in order to appear on the ballot, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The push comes as the administration fights a Democrat-controlled House committees subpoena for Trumps tax and financial records The president has repeatedly refused to release his tax returns -- something every major nominee for the White House has done since 1976. This week, Trump's personal lawyers sued House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings to stop the subpoenas.But state legislators' calls for financial transparency stand in contrast to their rules for state elections: Only one state, Vermont, requirescandidates for governor and other statewide offices to disclose at least part of their tax returns.Some of the bills in question, including Pennsylvania's, would extend the tax disclosure requirement to the gubernatorial election. Legislation in Hawaii would extend it to every executive office down to mayoral elections. But some bills, such as one in New Hampshire, would only apply to federal candidates. And others, like Illinois', would only apply to people running for president and vice president.The debate raises questions about where the line should be drawn between privacy and politicians.Democratic New York state Assemblyman David Buchwald is the author of the NY Truth Act , which would require the state's tax department torelease the returns of state and federal officials after they're elected.He says it's a needed change because state and federal officials are most likely to be in positions where they could propose significant tax changes. Therefore, he says, voters should know how those officials may or may not benefit from the legislation -- or whether there are any conflicts of interest.He points to the 2017 federal tax reform as a prime example.Although people can rightly speculate on what that law meant for the president or for those of similar wealth, Buchwald says, knowing more specifically how it implicates him is something that I think is valuable.Still, others say adding more requirements for candidates is a slippery slope.In Illinois, Republican state Sen. Dale Righter opposes the measure there, noting that the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that states cannot alter ballot qualifications described in the U.S. Constitution.Even some Democrats have qualms. Two years ago in California, then-Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a tax disclosure bill, saying, Today we require tax returns, but what would be next? Five years of health records? A certified birth certificate? High school report cards? And will these requirements vary depending on which political party is in power?Looking ahead, its unclear whether this years round of legislation will go any further than last years. In 2018, a total of 27 states considered some form of tax disclosure requirement for politicians -- none of them passed. This year, bills in Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey and Washington have so far made it through their senates andare now before their respective House chambers.What is clear is that this movement is driven by Trump's unconventional presidency.It is fair to say that none of this would have come up had not the president broken a 40-year norm and volunteered his tax returns, says Buchwald. I personally would have preferred the traditions of this county continue. But in the face of new circumstances, I think states need to take those circumstances into account.The ride-sharing company Uber is planning to go public and its initial financial filings contain some worrisome statements for public transit agencies.The companys offering document says it aims to bill itself to customers as an alternative to public transportation, which it identifies as a $1 trillion market that it could cut into over time. The filing indicates that Ubers business model depends on limiting transit as a competitor, says municipal analyst Joseph Krist.Thats a problem, especially considering that rail ridership -- and therefore revenues -- in some cities is on the decline. It means that local governments need to consider managing the role of ride-sharing services in an overall transportation scheme, Krist writes in his weekly commentary for Court Street Group.New York, for example, is implementing congestion pricing in Manhattan to offset issues arising from the now more than 100,000 ride-share vehicles in operation there. The new revenue will go mainly toward subway maintenance and improvements. E-scooters cluttering walkways, parks and other high-traffic areas have become a common site in many cities, and officials are aware of the problem. Some have taken steps to address it by requiring data from scooter companies, passing ordinances , or geofencing to deactivate scooters when they move into the wrong space.Mobility companies have also moved to crowdsource parking enforcement by giving people ways to report wayward vehicles. One example, an app feature from Bird called Community Mode, is reporting some success after five months in effect.Launched in November 2018, Community Mode sends a users feedback about an improperly parked or damaged scooter directly to Bird, which then sends local staff to move the scooter. If the equipment is reported damaged or non-functional, Bird automatically removes it from the apps map of available vehicles and makes it unrideable in the app. The company also follows up with the person who made the report via email once the issue has been resolved.In an email, communications manager Debbie Bass said Community Mode averaged more than 700 reports per day during the past five months, half of which came from people who dont use the scooters but keep the app for reporting purposes. Bird has scooters in more than 100 cities worldwide.In an emailed statement, Bird's GovTech Product Manager Ben Handzo said Community Mode has improved Birds operations at the local level.Over the last several months, weve heard from nearly 70,000 members of the Bird community through these reports, and as a result, Birds in need of repair are now removed from neighborhoods four times faster, the statement said.The impact of Community Mode is difficult to quantify in detail, as not all cities keep a precise count of complaints. Transportation Planning Manager Diana Chang of Culver City, Calif., said the city received very few complaints before Bird implemented the feature, so they didnt know if it made a difference.Santa Monica, Calif., Councilman Ted Winterer attested in an emailed statement that he had personally used Community Mode and found Bird very responsive. But in another emailed statement, Santa Monica spokeswoman Constance Farrell said while scooter parking was an issue in the past, she had no information on the impact of Community Mode. She also said its not the only feature of its kind.Community Mode is the name of the reporting tool Bird has that other operators also have, the statement read. This is something our administrative regulations for the pilot program that started in September 2018 encourage operators to have available.Besides Bird, Santa Monicas pilot program for scooters involves three other companies Lime, Jump (Uber) and Lyft and a set of regulations to address parking, public right-of-way and other challenges for pedestrians and shared-mobility devices to coexist. Farrell toldthat in addition to educating the public, some of these administrative regulations also asked scooter companies to play a role. She said Santa Monica also had success with docking drop zones.Theyre essentially just a stencil on the sidewalk or in a parking space that encourage smart organization of the shared-mobility spaces, she said. We have seen improvement. Users can park the devices anywhere, but we have seen that when you do offer the locations, and because theres more than 100 of them throughout the city and theyre very visible, we find that people do want to be good stewards and put the devices in a designated area. Philly Smart City Leader Named Knight Foundation Local Director Syracuse, N.Y., Celebrates Inaugural Tech Week What Works Cities, a Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative that supports the use of data and evidence-based management within local government, has bestowed another round of certifications on cities across the country.This year, the group gave gold-level certification which is the highest that has so far been granted to Kansas City, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.; and Washington, D.C. All three of the cities were silver-level certified last year, making the jump now to the higher tier. Meanwhile, the group placed Arlington, Texas; Memphis, Tenn.; Philadelphia; and Scottsdale, Ariz., on the silver tier. No city in the country is yet to achieve platinum-level certification, which is the highest possible.These certifications were first launched by What Works Cities last year, when the group named Los Angeles as the lone gold-level city, while also giving the silver accolade to Boston, New Orleans, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle.What Works Cities grades localities based on 45 criteria related to data- and evidence-based governance , including whether they use data to set goals and track progress, as well as their proficiency at engaging the public about their use of data and evidence. Other key factors for evaluation are whether there is dedicated staff for this work, whether contracts are being rewarded based on past performance, and whether meetings are focused on numbers, among other things.A motivating factor for this system is to create benchmarks for this work, which for many years has been somewhat undefined. The end goal is to motivate and guide local government to make progress when it comes to driving results for their residents. Essentially, this is a structural program that gives awards when this type of governance is used to improve quality of life citywide. The certification program is open to any city in the U.S. with more than 30,000 residents.Simply applying for certification can also have benefits for cities. After a city completes its certification bid, it gets access to pro bono tools provided by the organization, including online training resources via the What Works Cities Academy . To date, almost 200 local governments have applied for certification and subsequently been granted access to those resources.Data-driven governance as a whole has really blossomed across the country as of late, with an increasing number of cities not only acknowledging its relevance but also codifying it or creating chief data officer positions aimed at leading related efforts. A central tenet of the practice is that by relying on data and evidence to guide work, government can save time and money, more effectively identifying and serving residents' needs. Much of this work has been made possible in recent years by the advancement of technologies, both in terms of their availability and cost. The prevalence of this work as well as the number of What Works Cities-certified jurisdictions seems likely to increase significantly in the years to come.This years certification recipients were culled from a pool of 90 assessments. More information about certification recipients and their accomplishments can be found here Ellen Hwang, who has been instrumental in the leadership and development of Philadelphias SmartCityPHL initiative , is the Knight Foundations Philadelphia-based local program director.Hwang, who started in that role on April 22, is tasked with making grant decisions, among other things. Shell also work with Philadelphias leadership and its community to help guide other investment opportunities.While with the city, Hwang was part of its Office of Innovation and Technology. She was the assistant director there for strategic initiatives, a job in which she led the creation of SmartCityPHL. To put into context the importance of that role, local media noted that between 2014 and 2018, the Knight Foundation has invested more than $36 million in Philadelphia.Earlier this year, SmartCityPHL also released a Smart City Roadmap , the creation of which was helped by a grant from the Knight Foundation. That document serves in part as a foundation for evaluating the ways technology can improve life for residents. Hwang noted at that time that there had long been a lot happening in Philadelphia around smart city work, and that the citys role could be helping to foster more collaboration and coordination.In her new role with the Knight Foundation, Hwang will now be in a position to help decide which of the many smart cities projects in town get support from one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the civic tech, smart cities and local government space.Bostons Digital Team recently made some updates to the citys website aimed at making it more accessible for all users.Detailed in a blog post , these updates were motivated by an email from a constituent that informed them of issues related to the site's use of colors. The main issue was that the color contrast issues on the site did not meet the minimum standard, which made some links in a newsletter difficult to read. As developers detail in the post, they worked with the citys Disabilities Commission to look into and ultimately rectify the issue.Thanks to some minor tweaks to our pattern library , we were able to create a more accessible experience for our users, developers wrote in the post.This speaks to a larger issue. As municipal websites continue to move toward the customer service-heavy 24-hour city hall model, it means that residents of a city are often able to do more of their important business with the local government online ranging from getting news about upcoming meetings to paying their property taxes. With this in mind, there is a corresponding increase in the importance of insuring that Web platforms and newsletters are accessible for all users.Boston happens to house the design specifications for its website in a central location, which enable developers to quickly and easily make necessary changes to the text and colors. Taking it a step further, they also revisited the overall use of colors in the citys branding guidelines to ensure they were maximized in a way that helped foster digital accessibility for all users.You can read more about these and future accessibility changes here Syracuse, N.Y., is currently in the midst of the citys inaugural Tech Week event.Running from April 22 to 27 at a Marriott hotel in the citys downtown, the week is aimed at celebrating tech and innovation in the city by bringing together hundreds of people interested in the subject. The venue, the events website notes , is also in the middle of Syracuses burgeoning technology corridor.The weeks programming features a range of events related to things like drones, robotics, cybersecurity and more. There will also be networking and a job fair. (TNS) The classroom in Northeast Middle School in Reading once was a wood shop, where students hammered together wood projects with tools.Now it's a different kind of shop, a STEM lab where children design devices out of cardboard, tape and rubber bands with critical thinking.Examples were laid on tabletops Wednesday for Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera, who toured the school: Catapults crafted from plastic spoons, Popsicle sticks and rubber bands, able to toss pingpong balls at a bull's-eye; watercraft fashioned from a paper cup, 10 straws, 15 washers, a foot of duct tape, a foot of plastic wrap and a pair of scissors, vessels that can float in a basin for at least 15 seconds.Next year, Rachelle Sheidy, a gifted program teacher at the school, hopes to introduce computer design in an unrenovated section of the room. Developing critical-thinking skills through design is a valuable lesson."It's how manufacturing works, and it's how real life works," said Sheidy.For Rivera, the visit to Northeast is part of his ongoing attempt to see what's happening in classrooms and school districts "to inform our decision making" in Harrisburg. The critical-thinking exercises at Northeast, given to all 950 sixth- and seventh-graders, fits the desire by federal and state education officials to stress STEM education science, technology, engineering and math."High-end manufacturing is one of the biggest job needs in the country," said Rivera. "It's exactly the type of thing we want to see in Pennsylvania."In the school library, Rivera met with Dr. Khalid Mumin, superintendent of the Reading School District, four Northeast students, school teachers, administrators and community leaders, touting education proposals by the Wolf administration and asking for suggestions as to what more the state could do.Wolf is seeking increases in basic education funding and raising the minimum salary for Pennsylvania teachers from $18,500 to $45,000. No district hires a teacher at an $18,500 salary nowadays, he said.Rivera's visit should serve as an inspiration to Reading students, noted Dr. Yamil Sanchez Rivera, a senior vice president for community impact for the United Way of Berks County. Reading's student body is 80 percent Latino and 9 percent black; here were two leaders in education, one Latino Pedro Rivera, and one black Mumin. Pedro Rivera and Mumin grew up within blocks of each other in Philadelphia."You really are an inspiration and you're someone these young people can look up to because they see themselves in you," said Yamil Sanchez Rivera.For student Bennyli Suero, 12, a sixth-grader who participated in the roundtable discussion, seeing the secretary and superintendent left an impression. She believes that "you shouldn't be afraid to stand out," and is considering a career in education, or art, or whatever moves her when she reaches high school."It shows me I can do what I want," said Suero. (TNS) Rather than let FEMA trailers sit empty at the Bay County Fairgrounds group site and the staging area in Marianna, Panama City, Fla., is asking to be given the opportunity to put people in them.City Manager Mark McQueen said the city is negotiating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to try to acquire the surplus trailers. As of last week, there were more than 50 empty trailers at the fairgrounds campsite, according to FEMA reports, in addition to the ones that were staged in Marianna and never rolled out for use."Those have gone unclaimed because FEMA has been unable to make contact with those survivors," McQueen said at the recent City Commission meeting. "Knowing that there are some already established in our group sites and that there are another 70 up in Marianna that are not yet placed, we are striving to get those donated to the city."The hope, according to McQueen, is to get 100 trailers that city officials can offer as interim housing to people who have fallen through the cracks.Leading the city's effort is Community Development Director Michael Johnson, whose department often helps place people in homes. He said he already has started a list of names for the trailers, if the city is successful.Qualifying will be "first come, first served, first qualify," Johnson said. "We are taking applications. We are taking names now. We have a waiting list, let's just say that."A FEMA spokesman, asked about the historical precedent and the likelihood of the donation from the agency's perspective, said he needed more time to research before commenting for this story.As of April 18, FEMA had placed 875 households in travel trailers, mobile homes and direct lease properties in Bay, Calhoun, Gadsden, Gulf and Jackson counties, the agency said.Local officials estimate that hundreds of families who didn't qualify for direct housing assistance are currently couch surfing in the area.If the donation is approved, Johnson said the city will "be able to situate those trailers at privately owned property so that people can watch their homes being reconstructed or if we need to take them to a commercial site we will do that as well so that people can be housed fairly quickly."2019 The News Herald (Panama City, Fla.)Visit The News Herald (Panama City, Fla.) at www.newsherald.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Government TechnologyIn this months installment of the Innovation of the Month series, we learn how researchers in Houston are developing resiliency plans around the areas Greens Bayou region, with the support of and feedback from the communities directly impacted during Hurricane Harvey in late 2017.MetroLabs Executive Director Ben Levine spoke with Philip Bedient, director of the Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center at Rice University and Susan Rogers, associate professor and director of the Community Design Resource Center at the Hines College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston, to learn more.Harvey was the largest rainfall and most damaging flood event in United States history. By all measures its widespread impact was a devastating blow to Harris and surrounding counties. It dropped between 36 and 44 inches within the Houston area over five days, exceeding all rainfall records, with up to 20 inches in a single day. Most bayous during Harvey were upward of 10 feet over their banks and flooded an estimated 205,000 homes in Harris County alone, and especially in Greens Bayou.The Greens Bayou Watershed Resiliency Planning Study is carefully looking at four flood-prone neighborhoods that lie within the floodplain of Greens Bayou. The study methodology consists of four main components: (1) hydrologic and hydraulic modeling; (2) transportation network analysis, including flow obstruction from railroad lines; (3) community-based planning; and (4) policy and best practices recommendations.The Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium has provided the funding for this effort. Researchers include Susan Rogers, associate professor and director of the Community Design Resource Center at the Hines College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston; Dr. Jamie Padgett, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University; Dr. Sam Brody, director of the Center for Texas Beaches and Shores at Texas A&M University, Galveston; and me. We propose to look at all possible combinations of local and regional mitigation including detention, levee and pump storage, selected buyouts and relocations, and selected channelization. We are using sophisticated hydrologic and hydraulic models for the Harvey event that devastated the area.For those living in Greens, major flooding has occurred too frequently, and compared to other watersheds, there has not been substantial investment in flood mitigation projects. Compounding the challenges, the watershed is home to a large population near or below the poverty line, with many multi-family properties deep in the floodplain. Few federal projects have been suggested for the Greens since the traditional benefit-cost ratio is not as high as it is for other areas of Houston. This project aims to be a model for comprehensive flood management by incorporating state-of-the-art methodologies for flood hazard modeling, investigating green infrastructure mitigation options, evaluating flood impacts on infrastructure (in the form of roadways and railroads), and by prioritizing equity, community engagement and collaboration. This analysis will focus on addressing neighborhood-scale flood issues in four different neighborhoods in the Greens Bayou Watershed.One of the primary goals of the project is to develop resiliency plans for each of our four partner communities engaged in the study. In order to do this well and develop comprehensive strategies for resiliency across scales from the lot, to the block, to the neighborhood, it is imperative to engage local leaders in the process from the beginning to the end.In January of 2019, the researchers held our first workshop. The goal was to bring together researchers from the Community Design Resource Center, SSPEED Center, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, neighborhood stakeholders, community-based organizations, designers, planners, government representatives and others to explore the opportunities, challenges and potential flood mitigation strategies in each of the four partner communities: East Aldine, East Houston, Eastex-Jensen and Greenspoint.During the workshop, neighborhood leaders and stakeholders worked alongside designers, engineers, philanthropic leaders and representatives from key governing bodies. Briefing books, developed by the Community Design Resource Center for each community, provided a comprehensive summary of the demographic and built-environment conditions, as well as the impact of Harvey, to guide the discussions. In addition, preliminary flood models provided insight into the current flood challenges. Workshop participants collaborated on identifying the flooding risks and challenges in each community, while also developing new ideas and strategies to mitigate future flood risks, including strategies to prepare for, react to and recover from a disaster in the future. The strategies identified in the workshop were summarized and distributed to our partners.The input from the workshop will focus and inform the development of specific flood mitigation projects in each community. The projects will be tested as a set of scenarios utilizing the flood models, and other neighborhood-based impact tools. The models will allow researchers and community leaders to evaluate the impact of the proposed projects and the potential to mitigate future flood risks.As Susan stated, we are fully engaging with community leaders to assist us and provide input as we proceed with the study. We have already discovered that auto and bus mobility and available food and shelters are most important during an extreme disaster like Harvey. We are using all available rainfall, topography, land use, demographic and policy data for the region. Additionally, our plan is to work closely with city and county leaders as we develop our plan for the watershed, and will consider many additional options, not just the traditional FEMA-style effort.We have been surprised and pleased to see how excited community leaders were to be asked for their input at the beginning of the project versus at the end when all the decisions have been made by drainage engineers that may only have limited contact with the community.The feedback we received at the workshop is shaping the flood mitigation strategies in each community and a summary of the workshop can be found here In the coming months we will be hosting a second workshop to review and discuss formally with government agencies, researchers and stakeholders the flood mitigation and resiliency projects and make final revisions. At the conclusion of the project, each community will be armed with a resiliency plan that we hope will shape public investment and flood mitigation projects in the Greens Bayou watershed moving forward.We also hope to expand out this one-year community flood planning effort to a second phase that includes a real-time flood warning system and an associated model that predicts access to critical care facilities. As we await structural and non-structural projects, these warning systems can help engage the community in terms of educating them all about the flood risk in their community.This article was first published in (TNS) Blue Earth County is set to look into its rural broadband needs after receiving a $25,000 grant from the Blandin Foundation.The Blue Earth County Board signed off on the grant Tuesday morning. The money will be used for a feasibility study that will identify where broadband access is lacking throughout the county and recommend potential solutions to get rural areas up to speed with other cities."We really are trying to get input from the broader community to say, 'What is the need? How can that need best be met?'" County Administrator Bob Meyer said.County officials plan to hire telecommunication consultants with Finley Engineering using the grant and county funding to conduct the study later this year. The county also is meeting with local Internet companies to see what they would need to expand broadband across the area.Almost all of Blue Earth County's Internet options meet the state's immediate high-speed goals at least 25 mbps downloads and 3 mbps uploads by 2022. Yet only about 14 percent of the county was equipped to handle at least 100 mpbs download speeds and 20 mbps upload speeds.Commissioners have looked at broadband issues in recent years but stepped up their concern last year in response to area economic development issues.In recent years, the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development has given tens of millions of dollars in grants to smaller communities and counties to install broadband infrastructure, which includes fiber networks. Lawmakers allocated $35 million in 2017 toward high-speed Internet grants.Larger communities and rural areas haven't received as much attention from the state. Larger cities generally have more than one Internet provider and thus more competition to improve high-speed infrastructure. In rural areas, homes and farms aren't close enough together to install fiber networks in a cost-efficient manner."It levels the playing field," Commissioner Colleen Landkamer said concerning the county's broadband efforts. "It's critical to our businesses, kids can do homework, all of those things that really enhance the quality of life across the county."Board Chair Will Purvis noted many area farmers are more reliant on technology, including GPS, automated farm equipment to plant crops and Internet-controlled buildings to feed and care for livestock."The farmers talk about the No. 1 thing they're worried about when they're getting ready for planting season is how their GPS is working," he said. Wuhan Grove Hydrogen Automobile Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Shanghai with Hofer Powertrain GmbH, a German powertrain R&D supplier. Under the agreement, both parties will endeavor to come up with electronic drive solutions for Grove to seize opportunities in Chinas hydrogen vehicle market and enhance global competitiveness. Grove is a hydrogen passenger car company founded on the basis of international automotive innovation and strategic resources. Grove is committed to building hydrogen cars with independent IP rights to refresh customers on their driving experiences. Hofer is an international powertrain R&D supplier, providing customers across the world with professional engineering support for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, racing cars, motorcycles and off-road vehicles from conceptual design to mass production. Grove expects Hofer to boost the development of Grove hydrogen vehicles. As one of the core components in new-energy automobile industry, motor drive control system determines the main performance of a car. Hofer from Germany, with a history of more than 30 years, has accumulated technical experience in traditional transmission and new energy powertrain. Its highly-integrated electric drive system, as well as the electric vehicle control system, will contribute to lighter-weight, higher efficiency and better performance of new energy vehicles. Process may begin in 2022 An updated analysis conducted by Rocky Mountain Power suggests it would lower costs for customers if it sped up the retirement of four power-generating units in Southwest Wyoming, including two units at the Jim Bridger Power Plant. The other two units are at the Naughton Plant in Lincoln County. However, while the companys Integrated Resource Plan recommends early closure for the four units, RMP doesnt have a plan in place. We dont know the plan of what were going to do, RMP President and CEO Gary Hoogeveen told a group of officials representing Rock Springs, Sweetwater County and the state Wednesday. The company will produce a plan to handle the possible closures Aug. 1. The IRP looked at RMPs 22 coal-fired plants to determine if savings could be found if units could be closed as early as 2022. It also analyzed the difference between specific coal units and newer resources and energy conservation. The plan is updated every two years, studying the best resource mix to provide customers with reliable access to electricity for a 20-year period. According to Hoogeveen, customers would save approximately $248 million if the company sped up retirement plans for the four units. RMP plans to study other factors related to the retirements, including how employees and the communities would be impacted. Hoogeveen said the retirements would likely be staggered, with the first occurring in 2022, but said other unit closures could take place between 2022 and 2028 potentially. According to Senior Vice-President of Thermal Generation and Mining, Dana Ralston, the company is not sure how many employees the closures would impact. If the unit retirements were staggered out, he believes RMP could avoid layoffs by adjusting staffing levels at Jim Bridger and eliminating positions through attrition. He admits that goal would be much more difficult if the units were retired at the same time. However, with only two units planned for operation into the 2030s, Ralson also said it would be difficult to maintain both the mine at Bridger and Black Butte. The Jim Bridger surface mine is tentatively scheduled to close operations in 2028. For the Jim Bridger Power Plant, the plant is expected to reach the end of its lifespan in 2037, while the Noughton Plants lifespan anticipated to end in 2027. While many would blame politics as the reason RMP is looking to retire the units early, Hoogeveen said the decision comes purely at an economic level. He said the public service commissions RMP answers to mandates the company provide electricity at the lowest cost, while being reliable to customers. More focus in wind and solar generation, including RMPs investment in wind turbines, have made renewable sources of power cheaper to produce. Hoogeveen also claimed the savings the company receives through renewable energy tax credits or through cutting units in Wyoming dont go to RMPs shareholders or its parent company, Berkshire Hathaway. The cost of retrofitting coal plants with the latest emissions technology have made coal power generation more expensive. The two units reviewed in the IRP are the older units at Jim Bridger. The cost to retrofit the units with current emissions technology would not be economical, according to company officials. The cost to convert the units to using natural gas would also be costly, especially as infrastructure tying the plant to natural gas lines would be needed. However, with units three and four at Jim Bridger being what Hoogeveen described as the most technologically advanced in the nation in regards to emissions controls, he said he sees a long life for the Jim Bridger Power Plant. The company plans to host monthly meetings updating residents on their progress until Aug. 1, when it releases its unit retirement plan. Rick Link, Pacificorp vice-president of resource planning and acquisitions said residents can submit public comments on its IRP through the RMP website. While he admits this isn't the greatest news for the community, Hoogeveen said the recommendation does not mean everything is finalized in regards to the four units. "Were going to continue to talk about it, Hoogeveen said, This is not done. We have some concerns about the proposal to form a Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition board. Last week, Sweetwater County Commissioner Randy Wendling spoke about an idea to form an SEDC board to separate the organizations activities from of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce. As was noted by Sweetwater County Commissioner Wally Johnson, this is essentially what the Sweetwater Economic Development Agency (SWEDA) was. That organization no longer exists. SWEDA was a county-wide organization geared toward economic development during 2000s and was instrumental in bringing workers from Michigan to the area during the oil and gas boom in southwestern Wyoming. After a change in leadership, the organization slowly fell apart and became defunct. Its end was punctuated by a lawsuit. For Green River, one of greatest criticisms that could be levied against SWEDA was its apparent focus on Rock Springs over anything else. A grocery store study conducted by the organization claimed the city has multiple grocery stores within its limits and several more than anyone would have guessed within the county. This study was used as proof for why Green River could not support a second grocery store. However, the study considered convenience stores the same as a full grocery store. For some, the idea that SWEDA focused more on Rock Springs is shown in how much Rock Springs grew in during the 2000s compared to Green River, despite the county seat only being 15 miles from Rock Springs. Of course, Green River being landlocked is offered as part of the reason for this, but there were several areas where development could occur. Were not too concerned with the SEDCs current form and we understand the current philosophy of any economic development in Sweetwater County is development everyone will benefit from. We also realize economic development isnt a simple activity, but a long-term idea needing to be continually addressed and supported. However, vacant spaces along Flaming Gorge Way and other areas of Green River need to be filled. Should this idea come to fruition, we hope the SEDC avoids SWEDAs fate. Part of SWEDAs downfall was due to its leadership at the end and we believe the SEDC has leadership committed to the cause and to supporting economic development throughout the county, including Green River. But, that always can change and a changed focus for SEDC could negatively impact Green River in the future. It was his first time visiting Wyoming. For American Legion National Commander Brett P. Reistad, it may be a year of firsts. Since his election on Aug. 30, 2018, at the American Legion National Convention, Reistad has been traveling. Reistad said he will travel 350 days out of the year as National Commander and he only had one break, which already took place around Christmas. I will visit hopefully every state, Reistad said. My family accepts what I am doing. My wife is my greatest advocate and supporter. Over the Easter weekend, Reistad was busy seeing all Southwest Wyoming had to offer, including touring a trona mine and seeing first hand how cattle branding takes place. When he wasnt busy on tours, he was attending events the American Legion Posts were hosting, conducting interviews will local media representatives and attending meetings. Each day is jam-packed with scheduled events Reistad will attend. Reistad said he usually visits most states for two to three days and then he leaves for the next one. In order to do all of this traveling, Reistad requested a leave of absence from the Regional Organized Crime Information Center of the Regional Information Sharing Systems Program, which is a congressionally funded law enforcement investigative assistance program of the U.S. Department of Justice. This is Reistads second law-enforcement career after he retired as Lt. from the Fairfax County Police Department. Reistad described Wyoming as a beautiful landscape. Its very different from what Ive seen so far, he said. His aide Ken Knight makes sure Reistad poses for pictures and stays on the schedule for each state and community he visits. All the while, Reistad is promoting the American Legions Centennial and the theme of Celebrating Our Legacy. Our members need to know where weve been to know where we are going, Reistad said. Doug Uhrig, American Legion Commissioner for District 3, said prior to being elected Reistad campaigned for two years, which included him traveling to numerous states. All of this campaigning was a way for Reistad to find out what local American Legion members want. For Reistad, serving as the National Commander was never something he planned on doing. This was not something that was ever on my radar screen, Reistad said. Even though Reistad has served at every level of the American Legion and is the past president and honorary life member of the National American Legion Press Association, he didnt expect this to happen. Reistad recently completed a six-year appointment as chairman of the Department Legislative Committee and two three-year terms as a gubernatorial appointee to the Commonwealth of Virginias Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, where he helped coordinate the input of 23 VSOs in crafting veteran friendly legislation and advocating the proposed legislation before the governor and General Assembly. It was under this capacity that his name was discussed as a possible candidate for the National Commander. Reistad said when he was asked if he would consider running, he was honored. Even though he was unopposed, he made sure to campaign as much as he could so he could personally here what American Legion Clubs across the country wanted. Each post has its own flavor, he said. They have their own priorities. The local posts of the American Legion is where the work gets done. Richard Dansereau, Wyomings American Legion Commander, said the members drive what the organization does. Its a real from the bottom up organization. Dansereau said Reistad acts as the American Legions representative in Congress. Uhrig said he testifies to Congress about whats important to the 2 million plus American Legion members. One area he was successful in wan ensuring Coast Guard members received $800,000 from the temporary assistance program when the federal government shut down. Reistad said he also visited with members of Congress to make sure the Coast Guard isnt left out of funding should another federal government shut down occur again. About Reistad Reistad is a resident of Manassas, Va., and is life member and past commander of Post 270 in McLean. The Department of Virginia reached an all-time high in membership, while he served as department (state) commander from 2005 to 2006. Reistads Legion membership eligibility is through his honorable Vietnam War-era service (1974-78) as an active-duty U.S. Army infantryman, where he served with the Presidential Salute Battery of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, at historic Fort Myer, Va. He participated in the Inaugural ceremony for President Carter and other high-profile ceremonies. He has since been honored as a Distinguished Member of the Regiment. In accordance with the Constitution, the Young WyoDem Executive Committee are holding officer elections at 10 a.m. April 27 at the University of Wyoming Extension Agricultural Learning Center, 2011 Fairgrounds Road, in Casper. Young WyoDems, between the ages of 14-35 can vote in-person or by phone. Any Young WyoDems interested in running for executive committee positions or introducing resolutions or amendments to the bylaws must declare so by 10 a.m. April 26. The Young Democrats of Wyoming will host its elections at the Wyoming Democratic Party State Reorganization Meeting. Not only is this a great chance to hear from some of the most prominent, influential and progressive voices in the state, its a wonderful opportunity to connect with other Young WyoDems, gain new skills and ideas through informative training and, most importantly, get fired up and ready to go for the elections in 2020. Young WyoDems believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division, empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are better than walls. Join us to form a progressive movement and make a declaration of how plans to move Wyoming forward should be made. Learn more about the Young WyoDems and register to participate in our elections at: http://www.youngwyodems.org/2019-elections The City of Green River will seek damages related to opiate addiction after a vote by the city council last week. The Green River City Council approved an agreement with attorneys Charles Barnum and Rick Koehmstedt to represent the city in a class-action lawsuit against multiple pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies for the alleged over prescription of opium-based pain relievers. The city joins Rock Springs and Sweetwater County in the lawsuit. According to Council documents, the city will pay the attorneys 20 percent of the gross amount received, plus incurred costs, which would only be paid if the companies involved are forced to pay damages. The city doesnt have to advance any cost or pay any costs, city attorney Galen West said. For Green Rivers Chief of Police, Tom Jarvie, the first time he saw heroin was in the mid 2000s. Since then, the citys police officers have dealt with numerous opioid-based overdoses, some of which have resulted in death. Our community has been affected by this, Jarvie told the Council. According to Council documents, Wyoming averages 16.9 opiate deaths per 100,000 residents, or nearly 100 opiate-related deaths per year. The number is more stark when those losses are sustained from three of the (23) counties Laramie, Natrona and Sweetwater, Council documents state. The Council documents also note that in 2015, 383,000 prescriptions for opiate drugs were written by providers, equating to roughly 65 percent of the states population. According to Sweetwater County Attorney Dan Erramouspe, his office is seeing more and more cases of opioid possession and use. We have also seen an increase in driving while under the influence of opiates, Erramouspe said. This is a form of DUI that is very troublesome due to the specific effects opioids have on ones ability to drive safely. Erramouspe said people addicted to opioids obtain them through prescriptions, which sometimes leads to prescription fraud when the supply runs out. Erramouspe also said it isnt uncommon for opiate users to switch to using heroin, also derived from opium, when prescription opiates becomes more difficult to obtain. Of course, with heroin use, comes the increased danger of death by overdose, he said. The demand for opiate-based drugs has also opened the door for more dangerous substances to come into the area as well, Erramouspe said. One drug Erramouspe mentioned, fentanyl, has become a major problem in the U.S. and is the cause for many overdose deaths. According to the DEA, the drug is 80-100 times more powerful than morphine and was originally intended to help cancer patients with pain management. However, the DEA also notes the drug is abused and is added to heroin to increase its potency or disguised as a highly potent form of heroin. Many users believe that they are purchasing heroin and actually dont know that they are purchasing fentanyl, which often results in overdose deaths, the DEA notes on its website. April 27-28 visit cancelled UPDATE: This weekend's event has been cancelled. The following was posted on U.P.'s website, "To ensure the Big Boy is ready for its big debut, No. 844's whistle-stop tour that was scheduled for April 27-28 has been cancelled. Instead, No. 844 will double-head with No. 4014 from Cheyenne to Ogden on May 4." For up-to-date information directly from U.P., visit the website https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm In celebrating its 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroads Completion, the Union Pacific is having a couple of steam locomotives travel through Wyoming. Union Pacifics historic steam locomotives, Big Boy No. 4014 and the Living Legend No. 844, are touring the Union Pacific system throughout 2019 to commemorate the transcontinental railroads 150th anniversary. The Big Boys return to the rails is the product of more than two years of meticulous restoration work by the Union Pacific Steam Team. No. 4014 is the worlds only operating Big Boy locomotive. Due to the dynamic nature of these operations, running times and scheduled stops are subject to change. Tentative local schedule Saturday Union Pacific Steam Engine No. 844 visits Rock Springs Arrival time: 4:45 p.m., Rock Springs, 501 N. Front St. Sunday Union Pacific Steam Engine No. 844 visits Green River Arrival time: 8:45 a.m. Green River Depot, 200 E. Railroad Ave. Departure time: 9:15 a.m. Green River Depot May 5 Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 visits Rock Springs Arrival Time: 11:15 a.m., Rock Springs, 501 N. Front St. May 6 Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 visits Rock Springs Departure time: 4 a.m., Rock Springs Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 visits Green River Arrival time: 4:55 a.m., Green River Depot, 200 E. Railroad Ave. Departure time: 5:10 a.m. Green River Depot For now, the Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition will remain at the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, however a board to oversee the operations may still be formed. During a recent Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Randy Wendling said the SEDC coalition, which consists of a representative from the city of Rock Springs, a representative from the city of Green River and himself, met with the SEDC to discuss the possibility of moving out of the chamber and the formation of a board to oversee the SEDC. We were a little bit surprised that announcement was made, Rock Springs Chamber Director Rick Lee said. It kind of sounded like the chamber was kicking it out. Lee said thats not the case at all. He said when the SEDC was formed and placed into the chamber, it was with the understanding that eventually it would move out into its own space. However, Lee said the chamber will always support and be involved with economic development. Kayla McDonald, SEDC business development manager, said even though this was the intention when the SEDC was formed, it wont happen at this time. She said at least two other Wyoming chambers of commerce share offices with local economic development organizations. They are starting to blend, McDonald said. She said a conversation took place on where the SEDC should be housed in the future. Should it remain with the Rock Springs Chamber, have a spot at the Green River Chamber of Commerce or locate somewhere in the county? This was the discussion a conversation focused around. She said this discussion took place between the Rock Springs, Green River and county liaisons. Those liaisons are Green River City Administrator Reed Clevenger, Rock Springs Councilwoman Jeannie Demas and Wendling. Were trying to accommodate everyones needs, Lee said. The goal is to make sure the coalition is working cohesively, which is why they are in no hurry to move the SEDC out of the chamber, Lee said. We want to make sure the timing is right, Lee said. As for the formation of a board, McDonald said she and Lee were told by the funding agencies, which are Rock Springs, Green River and Sweetwater County that they would like to form a board to oversee the SEDC. This board would include two representatives from Green River, two from Rock Springs and three from Sweetwater County. These names were supposed to be given to the SEDC by April 5, however, the SEDC hasnt received any names yet, McDonald said. The intention was to have the names by that date, so when the SEDC and its liaisons meet on May 1 they can review them and have appointments made by May 7. A Green River woman who has volunteered a half-century of her time towards helping the community was named Green River's 2019 Distinguished Citizen of the Year. During the Green River Chamber of Commerce's April luncheon, Gayle Bacila received the honor. Bacila, who thought she was at the luncheon to learn more about the chamber's flag committee she volunteered for, was surprised when her named was called for such a prestigious award. "I was floored," Bacila said. "I thought I was just going to a Lunch and Learn. They surprised me with that." Bacila soon discovered she had been nominated by Cheryl Jensen. She had gathered information about Bacila from her husband, Nick Bacila and her children. Jensen had written a nomination letter encouraging the committee to select Bacila as the next distinguished citizen. "I have known and admired Gayle for 19 years," Jensen's letter stated. "This lady has a true love for our Green River community and all the folks that reside here." "I was involved even as a child," Bacila said. Bacila said she remembers how active she was in 4-H and the Girl Scouts when she was younger. Bacila was born and raised in Green River and only moved away for a short time. In 1972, Bacila married Thomas Brewer and they had two children Eva and Edmin. He died in 1991. Bacila said her husband suffered from the effects of Agent Orange he was subjected to in the Vietnam War. While he was dying, Tom encouraged Bacila to obtain a degree in whatever she wanted from Western Wyoming Community College so she would be able to support the family after he died. She took an aptitude test and it showed she would be good at skilled technology, nursing, a librarian or travel agent. Bacila pursued and obtained an Industrial Mechanics degree. Bacila said it was the degree she was interested in and could get the most grants to obtain. Even though Tom was in and out of the hospital 17 times while she worked on her degree, Bacila graduated on time. Tom didn't live to see his wife graduate. He died when Bacila still had one semester left of college. Bacila continued to pursue her degree and found a part-time job at Chevron. She also volunteered at the Castle Rock Rehabilitation Center until she received a part-time activities job with them. It was through this volunteer work that Bacila would choose her next career path. "Gayle always had the need to comfort and support the less fortunate so once again she furthered her education and entered into the demanding profession of a CNA," Jensen's letter states. Bacila said she worked to obtain her CNA and once she obtained it, Castle Rock Hospital District reimbursed her for her college fees and she started working the graveyard shift at The Villa, where she remained for 21 years. "So, I've been doing that ever since," Bacila said. During this time, Bacila would often have part-time, day-time jobs, including working at the Krazy Moose and Rocky Mountain Health Care. "I'm very adaptable," she said. "As long as I can get some sleep in there sometime I'm fine." When The Villa closed, Bacila found employment at Hospice and Home Health Aide, which is where she still works now. When she's not busy at that job, she helps the Hampton Inn out with special events, such as graduations and weddings. Her volunteer work While Bacila excelled at her jobs, she also continued to volunteer for various organizations. She was involved in the YWCA Y-Teen program as a youth leader. She accompanied 12 teens and one other leader to Clairmont, Calif., for a Drug Free Youth Conference. Bacila also was involved in the D.A.R.E program. She ensured the youth knew about the hazards of drug use and safe sanctuaries in the event of dangerous situations. She was also involved in the Green River Lion's Club and served as the club's president for four years. Bacila said she needed to ask if she could be a member of the Lions' Club because there were no female members. She wrote a letter requesting the club allow her to join and included a membership fee. Her request was granted and in less than four months were was nominated and unanimously approved to be the president of that club. She was the first female president for that group. Bacila has also served as a Golden Hour Senior Center board member for 10 years and was a member of the VFW Auxiliary for six years, an Eagles member for 26 years, an American Legion Auxiliary member for three years and a Green River Chamber of Commerce member for two years. Bacila was also involved in her children's church youth groups and any other groups they were involved in. When Girl in a Country Song hit in 2014, the airwaves were awash in bro country tropes about women as objects of desire. Marlow, from Sugar Land, Texas, and Dye, from Ada, Okla., were lauded by critics for their beautiful harmonies and songs that earned them comparisons to the Dixie Chicks. Their subsequent singles, Fly and Shut Up and Fish, made it to the Top 10 and the Top 25, respectively, on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. But they also were conscious that people might pigeonhole them before they even got a chance at a second record. A lot of people named it novelty or a one-hit wonder, said Dye, also 23. But we just knew that was just a side of us that we were going to show first and there was going to be multiple sides to follow after that. So we never really let it get to us in a standpoint of making us doubt who we are and what we do. GREENSBORO A Saturday morning shooting involving gang associates left three people recovering in a local hospital. Greensboro police spokesman Ron Glenn said someone fired multiple shots around 12:30 a.m. into an occupied house in the 3200 block of Creek Ridge Road. Bullets struck three people inside the house, Glenn said. He added that one of the three victims was taken to the hospital in critical condition. All three victims are now in stable condition, Glenn said. Glenn said some of the people involved are known gang associates but a motive for the shooting has not yet been determined by investigators. Glenn said police have not made an arrest in the case. Contact Danielle Battaglia at 336-373-4476 and follow @dbattagliaNR on Twitter. JAMESTOWN A top administrator at GTCC will be the next president of a Virginia community college. GTCC said Thursday that Quentin Johnson will leave the college to lead Southside Virginia Community College in Alberta, Va., about 70 miles southwest of Richmond. He'll start that new job in July. Johnson came to GTCC in 2012 as vice president of student support services. He previously held administrative positions at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the University of Virginia's nursing school and two West Virginia institutions, Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community & Technical College. He holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Johnson will succeed Al Roberts, who will retire in June after five years as president. Johnson will be the sixth president of the college that serves 10 counties in southern Virginia. According to the lawsuit and the settlement agreement, Hatfield made unwanted sexual advances and comments to women and groped womens breasts and other parts of their bodies. He also offered to reduce or eliminate down payments and ignore late rent and loan payments in exchange for sexual favors from female tenants, the lawsuit alleged. The Justice Department also said Hatfield retaliated or threatened to retaliate against women who objected to the sexual harassment or refused to provide sexual favors. Hatfield has denied the allegations, and he does not admit any liability in the settlement agreement. Through his attorney, Ryan Bolick, Hatfield released a statement denying ever engaging in any transaction in which sexual contact of any kind or the promise of sexual contact was a condition. I am greatly saddened by the fact that my years of providing the opportunity to persons who otherwise would not have been able to achieve their dream of owning a home has been marred by these allegations, Hatfield said in the statement. Cos Cob students sang This Land Is Your Land as a tree was planted behind the school Thursday in celebration of Arbor Day. Greenwich Tree Conservancy Executive Director JoAnn Messina, Greenwich Environmental Affairs Director Patricia Sesto, DEEP Urban Forestry Coordinator Chris Donnelly and Cos Cob School Principal Gene Schmidt spoke about the importantance of trees at the event. GREENWICH The towns aggressive pursuit of owed back taxes has brought in more than $1 million, as 16 delinquent taxpayers have paid in full. But that is only the tip of a deep iceberg as Tax Collector Howard Richman said more than 100 delinquent payments still have to be collected, a sum of $6 million to $7 million. Richman said if those payments are not made, properties will be put up for a tax sale by the town in either August or September. The tax collector sent notice to delinquent taxpayers early last month, giving them a March 15 deadline to pay what they owe. The result was $1.14 million received as of Friday, Richman said. Thats money that was owed to the town and wouldnt have come in otherwise, Richman said. If delinquent notices had not gone out, it would not have been paid. We have heard from people who just forgot to pay and have now paid and settled the accounts and we have heard from people whose parents were supposed to pay and there were oversights that have now been corrected by being paid. That was not done out of malice. Sometimes they just forgot. Properties still in arrears range from small homes to large backcountry manors. Some of the delinquent notices sent out last month were returned as undeliverable, Richman said. For those taxpayers, his office will do additional research into how to reach the property owners. Of the 120 identified delinquent taxpayers, there have been approximately 80 cases with no response of any kind. An attorney specializing in tax sales will be retained to work with the town over the next months to research the titles for delinquent properties. If those properties have not been paid in full, they will be part of the tax sale, which will occur sometime in the summer, Richman said. But we dont want to do this. The plan is not to sell anyones houses. We want people to pay the taxes that they owe. These are people who owe anywhere from one year all the way to 15 years. The tax collector said he hopes the threat of a sale will get owners to act. The money is going to come to the town either way, whether its from them paying their taxes or from the tax sale taking place, he said. Property owners who still owe will next get a demand for payment from the hired attorney. Richman said once those demand notices go out, it will take about four to six weeks to determine whether the tax sale will be necessary. The delinquent taxpayers will have an April 30 deadline after the demand letters are received. Richman said payment instructions will be posted online at www.greenwichct.gov. There also will be information posted about tax sales. Years ago former Tax Collector Lou Caravella took a similar step to collect unpaid taxes. Pictures and descriptions of delinquent properties were displayed in the lobby of Town Hall letting people know what they had a chance to bid on. Ultimately the public pressure worked and no properties ended up being sold. But even if bills are not paid and the properties are put up for sale, Richman said the owners will still have the chance to get them back. Theyll just have to pay more. If a tax sale takes place, the original owners will have six months to reclaim their property by paying the tax and paying the winning bidder one and a half percent per month interest on the winning bid. No one is being thrown out of their house fast, Richman said. There is ample notice. Everybody is being treated fairly here. Anyone who has a tax bill should have paid that tax bill. We just want what is owed to the town. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com GREENWICH Data collection for the 2020 census is still close to a year away. But Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz was in Greenwich Tuesday to drum up enthusiasm for participation in the national count, part of a statewide tour. A lot is at stake. This is a mammoth effort to count over three and a half million people in our state and we need a very strong local foundation in order to do this well, Bysiewicz said during a kick-off event at Greenwich Library. Its important because $11 billion in federal funding is riding on this effort. For each person we undercount, that means we lose $2,900 ... We are looking at federal dollars for transportation, highway projects, community block grants, Medicaid, Head Start, federal school lunch program, SNAP and many more. Connecticut ranks 48th among states in terms of tax dollars returned from Washington, Bysiewicz said, making the count even more important. She was joined by First Selectman Peter Tesei, state Sen. Alexandra Bergstein, D-36, and other local officials. Bergstein said an accurate census also allows Greenwich to present its true face to the rest of the state and beyond. We know we have a diverse community but its really important that we all recognize that and that we have data to back that up, she said. Selectman John Toner, Town Clerk Carmella Budkins, Tax Collector Howard Richman and Commissioner of Human Services Alan Barry were also on hand to represent the town. Additionally, Mary Lee Kiernan, president and CEO of YWCA Greenwich, and Gabby Ratner, executive director of Community Centers Inc., were there to stress the importance of a correct census count for their work. David Rabin, CEO of the Greenwich United Way, and Bergstein mentioned the 28 percent of town residents, roughly 17,000 people, who are either below the federal poverty line or classified as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed). They are one missed paycheck away from financial catastrophe, Rabin said. For the benefit of our town and the benefit of our state, lets count them all. The 2020 census will be the first people will be able to fill out online. Greenwich Library Director Barbara Ormerod-Glynn pledged there would be training for library staff to ensure anyone who needs to can participate in the census at the library, regardless of language. One issue left to be settled is the presence of the controversial citizenship question on the census. Efforts by the administration of President Donald Trump to include the question of whether a respondent is a citizen on the full census form have met with pushback. The matter is expected to appear before the United States Supreme Court on April 23 following a federal district court ruling that the question could not be included. The citizenship question, which has not been on the long form since 1950 has sparked concerns that it could cause low participation. Bysiewicz said federal law protects personal data so no law enforcement agency can use it against respondents. Whether that question is on the census or not, it is important that everyone fill out the census because its not about your citizenship status its about counting the number of people we have in our state and our country, Bysiewicz said, adding that they will be relying on trusted partners in the community to get the message out. According to Mark Plumley from the United States Census, which is hiring people for its Connecticut offices for $25 an hour at www.2020census.gov/jobs, the questionnaires will start going out in March 2020 to all homes. People can respond by mail, phone or online. Follow-up emails and door to door visits will take place in May and June. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Who owns the rain? Who owns the water? Long Island Soundkeeper Bill Lucey asked those questions in February at a public hearing over the Aquarion water companys plan to pump as much as a million gallons a day from a well in the Cannondale section of Wilton. After facing strong opposition to the plan, Aquarion withdrew it in March. There is a fairly straightforward answer to that question the people do. According to a law the General Assembly passed in 1971, the states air, water and natural resources are a public trust. Given that, the law says each person is entitled to the protection, preservation and enhancement of the same. And yet For the second straight legislative session, the same General Assembly has blinked when it comes to approving the state water plan a comprehensive document that took three years and innumerable, exhausting meetings among many parties to produce. Why? Because the plan commits to nearly a half-century of law and calls water in the state drinking water, rivers and streams alike a public trust. Water utilities fear that phrase might stymie their future for drinking water development. So when the plan came before the legislature in 2018, it went nowhere. That inaction forced then-Gov. Dannel Malloy to implement the plan by executive order. But Malloy also asked lawmakers to consider the plan again, without changes. And again, those two little word public trust have hung things up again. Gov. Ned Lamont, who campaigned on his commitment to the states environment, may have to step in to decide on the plans future. Margaret Miner, the executive director of the Rivers Alliance of Connecticut and a person who took part in many of the long meetings that produced the plan, said that contrary to Malloys order, factions in the General Assembly wanted to rewrite parts of the plan before it even got there. People were saying, We can change it, Miner said. Supporters of the plan have resisted renegotiating wording that took three years and several public hearings to finish. The phrase public trust still is the major sticking point. It seems their issue isnt with the plan itself, said Dave Bjerklie, the executive director of the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition. Its a fear the idea of a public trust will be misconstrued. But, Bjerklie said, it isnt a new concept. Its there in the General Statutes, he said. And for people who spoke against the Aquarion plan to pump millions of gallons from a wellfield near the Norwalk River, the concept of water being a public trust became very real. We felt it at a very visceral level, said Louise Washer, president of the Norwalk River Watershed Association. All the work weve been doing to restore the watershed could have gone away. And while the plan is now in effect thanks to Malloys order its still lacking legislative approval. That is both typical of politics these days and disconcerting. Given the droughts and downpours climate change may bring to the state, it might seem everyone could agree planning for the future is a good idea. Which is what the plan does. It takes the scientific data available and studies the water resources throughout the state. It reaffirms the states goal of keeping its drinking water standards the highest in the nation. But it also looks at the states insufficient water conservation efforts and addresses how some streams and rivers now face the stress of running low, or even dry, when droughts hit. Its a huge step forward, said Lynn Werner, executive director of the Housatonic Valley Association, of the plan. Werner said that when the rain falls that public trust from the skies it feeds reservoirs and aquifers. But it also feeds rivers and lakes, creating habitat for fish, frogs, and salamanders. It creates the world we live in. The public water supply is paramount, she said. Its the first resource we depend upon. Washer, of the Norwalk River Watershed Association, also said this concept of water being a public trust has to extend into the thinking of town leaders and individuals as well. It means passing drought preparedness plans at the local level. It means teaching a water conservation ethic to make people see that daily lawn watering to achieve supreme green is not necessarily the way forward in a dry season. You dont think about it, she said. But its all connected. Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com Nokia lost money in Q1 as 5G investment is yet to start paying off It appears that Nokia is having a rocky 2019 start as results from the Q1 2019 show a significant loss in contrast to last year's Q1. The company posted a surprising 254 million loss in Q1 2019 compared to the 46 million profit in Q1 2018. That's a result of Nokia's investments in 5G, which are yet to start paying off. Sweden's Ericsson and China's Huawei are considered to be Nokia's main 5G rivals and since the Chinese firm is under fire on all fronts over security concerns, it could be a big opportunity for Nokia. It's under significant pressure to deliver in the second half of this year. Many customers are now looking for other 5G equipment suppliers with Huawei out of the picture, so Nokia needs to seize the moment. However, the Finnish tech company has to invest a significant amount of money and reap the benefits in the long term. So in reality, the whole Huawei situation puts a lot of stress on Nokia in the short term, but should be beneficial in the months to come. Also, Nokia outlines the failure to secure a 200 million deal of net sales related to 5G equipment in North America to be one of the culprits for the quarterly loss. Source The Honor View 20 arrived on the global scene back in January, and the company CEO George Zhao announced a partnership with the fashion brand Moschino. Today we received the company confirmed that the partnership will continue with the upcoming 20 series. The new Honor 20 (and perhasp Honor 20 Pro) will have not only a fancy case and a dedicated theme, but will arrive with a new design of the back panel, and new retail package, including a phone bag. Honor 20 Moschino Edition in its designated phone bag Although we have images of the phone bag with the Honor 20 in it, we can hardly make out anything about the phone. For what it looks like, we expect a variant in Red, probably with some horizontal lines as design elements. Last month some rumored specs of the Honor 20 appeared, later followed by another sheet, this time of the Honor 20 Pro. The vanilla variant is expected to have a triple 48 MP + 20 MP + 8 MP camera, while the Pro variant is likely to have either a different zoom lens or a depth sensor. The official launch of the 20 series is on May 21 in London and well be there to keep you updated about what pops on stage. LG plans to suspend manufacturing smartphones in its South Korea plant, according to a report by Reuters. The report further states that LG will be moving the manufacturing to its plant in Vietnam. The information original comes from an unknown source of the Yonhap News Agency and alleges that the move is to help reduce the cost of manufacturing and turn around the company's smartphone division, which has been bleeding money since the past several quarters. The information is not completely unexpected. LG has been receiving an increasingly lukewarm response for its smartphone launches. At the lower-end of the market, the cheaper Chinese competitors have been eating LG's lunch for the past few years and at the other end of the market, LG never quite managed to make a splash. The company's latest LG G8 has been one of the most underwhelming launches of the year despite its technical proficiencies. It seems unlikely that LG will exit the smartphone market entirely any time soon but it may choose to exit some markets in the near future. Source The TikTok app is no longer banned in India, after a court in Tamil Nadu reversed its order of prohibiting downloads of the app on App Store and Google Play. Initially, it stated the platform was encouraging the spread of explicit content and cultural degradation after concerns of pornographic purposes and exploiting children. Following a plea from the TikTok developers Bytedance Technology, the ban was lifted and you can once again download the app. Technically, the platform was always available for Indian users, as long as they had the app on their phones - the state court only prohibited downloads from the app stores. Currently, the app has been downloaded nearly 300 million times in India, with over a billion downloads across the globe. Basically, all the app does is offer some special effects for users and their short recorded videos, but some Indian politicians and parents said the content is inappropriate. The company said a very minuscule part of the submissions were obscene and is now suing for $500,000/day in financial losses. A bigger problem, however, is that apparently any social media can be banned in a whim, deteriorating even further the freedoms of the people, living in the biggest democracy in the world. Source OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Ocean Springs aldermen recently voted to replace longtime City engineering firm Compton Engineering in what they say was a cost-cutting measure. One problem: They replaced Compton with two firms -- at twice the cost. The move began March 6, when four aldermen -- John Gill, Rickey Authement, Joey Bellman and Ken Papania voted to dump Compton and hire in its place Overstreet & Associates, a firm founded last June. They did so despite the objections of two members of the board who work in the engineering field -- Rob Blackman and Mike Impey -- and despite an informal vote of the board which ranked Overstreet dead last among six firms which had submitted proposals for the job. (Note: Because of Blackman and Impeys positions on the board, the firms for which they work were ineligible to bid on the contract). Bellman would later accuse other members of the board of sabotaging the voting process by deliberately giving Overstreet a low ranking. In any event, it was the first time in recent memory the board did not hire or appoint the candidate who received the most votes in the informal poll. A few days later, a special call meeting was held during which Mayor Shea Dobson asked the four aldermen who voted to hire Overstreet to reconsider and rescind the March 6 vote. They refused. So, on March 15, Dobson issued the first mayoral veto of his tenure. The reason for this veto is that I feel it is in the best interest of the citizens of Ocean Springs to negotiate with multiple engineering firms to ensure the City is receiving the highest quality services at the best price for those services, Dobson wrote in his letter to the board announcing his veto. A few days later, the board met again and this time voted to reopen negotiations with three firms -- Overstreet; Brown, Mitchell & Alexander (BMA); and Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc. (BKI). Tuesday night, the board voted 5-2 to approve contracts with Overstreet and BMA and a rate of $10,000 per month, each. Blackman and Impey were the two dissenting votes. Throughout the discussions, the aldermen supporting a change in firms claimed the $273,000 the City spent on engineering during the past fiscal year was too much and that savings could be found with other firms. But the combined $20,000 rate at which the two new firms were hired is double the $10,000 a month Compton was receiving under its contract. In addition, Compton would annually give three percent of its yearly engineering fees to the City, a measure not matched by the two new firms. Im not familiar with that type of math, Impey said. "With the math Im familiar with, that doesnt add up. I think with (the new firms') lack of knowledge of our systems, our infrastructure, what we need -- I dont see us saving anything and it will likely delay projects while they get up to speed. I dont see it saving anything. I really dont. Its baffling. Unsurprisingly, Blackman agreed. We had zero issues with Compton, he said, other than a handful of aldermen balking at their fees, which are really no different than any other firms fees. We were still being charged 2014 rates. Both Blackman and Impey said the saving money theory doesnt hold water and Blackman suggested there was more at play than just cost saving. This is purely speculation on my part, he said, "but it almost seemed personal with them. I dont know why or what their reasoning was. They kept trying to say it was all about saving money, but the contracts they approved were for double the monthly rate we were paying Compton. Right now, theyve got an open checkbook to spend $10,000 a month, each, without board approval. Much of the Citys engineering costs, however, come from work considered outside the scope of the contract, which generally covers day-to-day operations. When engineering work is needed for projects outside the contract, additional fees apply, thus Comptons base contract cost of $120,000 last year became a total cost by years end of $273,000. The aldermen who supported the change say thats where the City can save some money. The contracts dont mean were going to spend $20,000 a month, Gill said. We have a way that we have talked about -- before a (City) department head uses an engineer, it should be looked at by the mayor, to stop department heads from calling the engineers at random. Blackman noted, however, that all outside the contract work already requires board approval, meaning all of the outside the contract work performed by Compton last year was approved by the board. Gill noted the current administration has not been shy about making personnel changes, particularly in the area of annual appointments. He mentioned the recent replacement of longtime Municipal Court Judge Matthew Mestayer as an example. He even suggested the City Attorney might have been replaced were he not entangled in multiple lawsuits. In the instance of Mestayers ouster, however, Gill was vehemently opposed to the move. I thought Mestayer was doing a great job, he said. He had the experience. I just didnt think it was necessary to replace the judge. Changing the engineer to try and save money was why I voted for it. Dobson, for his part, is optimistic the new firms will work out well for the City. He was asked if he believed the decision was in the best interests of Ocean Springs. That remains to be seen, he said. Im all about good-faith efforts. Im going to try my best to make it work. I think our staff will do their best to make it work. It is a little unorthodox, but were all about trying new things. Dobson was also asked, if the engineering hire had been his decision alone, would he have made the change. Thats hard to say, he said. "I would have definitely brought Compton to the table to talk about ways to reduce our engineering costs. Would I have gotten rid of Compton? Possibly. I think there could have been some conversations which would have left me better informed. But there was a lot of anti-Compton sentiment on the board, so from my perspective it was best to work on what I could to more easily transition to the new firms. But if it were up to me, I would have definitely brought Compton to the table." Impey echoed that sentiment, saying little effort was made to negotiate with Compton to lower their fees and keep them on board. To be honest, I dont think we did as much as we could to work with Compton and work on getting the costs down. There seemed to be a rush to get them out of there and I disagreed with it. Indeed, included in Comptons proposal to the City, a copy of which was obtained by The Mississippi Press, along with those from Overstreet and BMA, was an open offer to negotiate fees. As your current City engineer, we are aware and understand the challenges the City has before them in working to adjust the Citys annual engineering services budget, wrote Compton Senior Vice President G. Joey Duggan III. Balancing those services which are required annually and daily versus the fully/partially funded services can be complex. Compton Engineering is on your team and available to meet with the City upon request to help adjust the value of these services to within your budget. Impey brought this to the boards attention during one of the discussions. Were not going to discuss? Were just going to leave Compton completely out of the discussion? he asked. His query was met with silence from the aldermen supporting the change. But Authement, one of those who supported the change from the outset, had no qualms about losing Comptons experience -- which covered the past 16 years, including the post-Katrina rebuild and some 800 City projects. There was another engineer that did the City and Comptons fit in, Authement said, so I dont know why another firm couldnt. Like Gill, Authement said his support of the change was for cost reasons and that the City is going to get better control of the situation. Comptons got paid more than $240,000 last year, so even if we spend $20,000 a month trying to get our costs down, wed still be within the same thing we spent with Comptons, he said. And were going to keep our people from just picking up the phone and calling the engineers to task them to do things." GULFPORT, Miss. -- A Moss Point man was sentenced to 120 months in prison, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Ronreco Lashawn Broughton, 38, of Moss Point was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, from December 2017 through February 2018, Broughton sold small quantities of drugs, including methamphetamine, Xanax bars and marijuana, along with eight firearms to the Jackson County Metro Enforcement Team and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Broughton has prior convictions for felony possession of a controlled substance in Pearl River County and felony possession of a controlled substance in Jackson County. June 13, 2018, Broughton was charged in a federal indictment, and on Jan. 23, 2019, he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Jackson County Metro Enforcement Team and the ATF and Explosives investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams. Haiti - FLASH : CONATEL denies providing a phone record of Delva to the Senate While on Tuesday, Senator Jean Renel Senatus https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27541-haiti-flash-senatus-reveals-the-existence-of-relations-between-the-senator-delva-and-the-head-of-gang-arnel.html claimed to have obtained from the National Council of Telecommunication (CONATEL) a phone record of Senator Garcia Delva confirming confirming the existence of calls between the Senator and the Chief of Gang Arnel; Wednesday David Rodney, the Executive Director of CONATEL, said that his institution has never submitted such a document to the Senate. It was on the sidelines of a forum organized by CONATEL that Jean David Rodney made this statement stating that the Council did not have a direct relationship with the Senate. He assumes that Senator Senatus may have wanted to give credibility to his statements by saying that it was CONATEL who had given him Senator Senator Garcia Delva's phone record. If the phone record of Delva, in the hands of Senatus is true, remains to know where the record comes from and who has provided... On Wednesday, Senator Gracia Delva went to the invitation of the Justice and Public Safety Commission to answer questions about his phone conversations with Arnel. At the end of this hearing Senator Delva addressing the media did not deny having spoken on the phone with Arnel "I spoke with Arnel as I speak with everyone [...] but I am not there to hurt the society" while refusing to reveal the content of his conversations "Why I can not talk to Arnel Joseph, while other private sector figures clearly show their collaboration with gang leaders [...] it is too easy in Haiti to destroy the personality of people through statements in the press [...]" Delva denied colluding or having any close connection to the Village-de-Dieu gang leader and stated that if the Commission could prove with the content of his conversations that he had contributed to Arnel's criminal activities he says he will not hesitate to put himself in the hands of the judicial authorities to set an example. In addition, Delva qualified as theater the official declarations that affirm that Arnel is actively sought by the police, pointing out that "everyone knows where Arnel is." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27541-haiti-flash-senatus-reveals-the-existence-of-relations-between-the-senator-delva-and-the-head-of-gang-arnel.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Economy : 46% of the population of Haiti, completely excluded from the financial system Wednesday, the third day of the International Finance Summit, began with a session on public finance, introduced by Jean Soukar, Project Manager of the United States Agency for International Enveloppement (USAID / Finance Inclusive). Subsequently Mrs Georgette Jean-Louis, Director General of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) presented the survey "Finscope Haiti" an USAID project led by "Finance Inclusive" and implemented by the DAI. A steering committee chaired by Georgette Jean-Louis, comprising representatives of the Haitian financial sector and other national and international bodies, ensured the quality of the information collected during the survey. According to the survey results 46% of the country's adult population is completely excluded from the financial system. "This data will enable service providers to understand the financial needs of the population in order to provide an adequate response," said Georgette Jean-Louis. In his speech, the economist Kesner Pharel, CEO of the Group Croissance who carried out this research in collaboration with the "Finmark Trust" showed the relevance of such work by presenting the financial situation of the adult population by department according to bank deposits and cooperatives on the one hand and the amount of the national budget allocated to these departments on the other. Stressing "Of the 115 billion gourdes returning to all ten departments of the country, 110 billion remain in the department of the West and nine other departments share the remaining 5 billion" adding "If we want to eliminate financial exclusion you have to start with the poorest departments, namely NordEast, Grand'Anse and Nippes." Abel Matsomi, expert of the "Finmark Trust" presented the results of the survey that was conducted on 4,200 families in the 10 departments of Haiti. For Abel Matsomi, financial inclusion is about empowering each individual to generate the income they need to meet their needs. "The idea of financial inclusion is to eradicate poverty. the problem of financial exclusion, we should begin by assessing why people are turning to informal financial services and see how to redirect them to formal financial services." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27543-haiti-economy-2nd-day-of-the-international-finance-summit-devoted-to-agri-tourism.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27537-haiti-economy-first-day-of-the-international-finance-summit-devoted-to-municipal-finance.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - NOTICE : Bac 2nd session, registration open for those that failed The Ministry of National Education informs the educational community and the students concerned that the second session of the examinations of the permanent bac exams for the academic year 2018-2019 will be held at the beginning of July 2019. Registrations of unsuccessful candidates are open from April 22nd until Friday May 3rd, 2019 in all the Departmental Directorates of Education (DDE). Only candidates who have failed in the final (Philo) are allowed to take part in the tests. Document to be handed at the time of registration : 1. Participation form for the last tests or attestation of the Ministry; 2. 2 ID photos. The participation fee is 1500 gourdes per candidate. The Directorate General of the Ministry asks the DDEs to take all necessary measures for the full implementation of this provision. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : Massacre at Carrefour-Feuilles, at least 14 victims Wednesday around 9:00 pm, at Carrefour-Feuilles, at the impasse Eddy, henchmen, heavily armed of the "Tije" Gang Leader of Savane-Pistache, were looking for a police officer according to witnesses. Not finding him, they began to fire without reason on all the passers-by, causing an indescribable panic while several innocents fell under the murderous bullets. After this unleashing of unexplained violence, the criminals fled without being disturbed. Provisional assessment of this savage killing 4 dead (1 woman and 3 men) and at least ten wounded. TB/ HaitiLibre By William Schwartz | Published on 2019/04/24 Yoon Ji-oh was spotted leaving South Korea at the Incheon International Airport on April 24th. This news comes soon after Yoon Ji-oh sent an apologetic message to supporters about canceling this week's physical campaign to raise awareness for the Jang Ja-yeon investigation, instead compromising for a mere online one. Advertisement Yoon Ji-oh blamed the cancellation on malicious forces who she said might deal harm to those involved. The more immediate impetus may have been a lawsuit filed against Yoon Ji-oh by a writer who helped with her book, 'The Thirteenth Witness'. The writer claims that some of the events written in the book were fabrications. That same writer also requested an injunction against Yoon Ji-oh leaving the country, for fear that she was trying to evade the lawsuit. When asked about this, Yoon Ji-oh said she didn't need to explain her movements to anyone and was incredulous at the idea that she was a criminal. Written by William Schwartz Hartmann is leading IBM Germany since January 2018. Before that, he membered the digital board at Postbank, was Senior advisor for digital transformation at mkh assets and CEO of GfK. Hier gehts zur deutschen Version des Essays. The world was still a different place when the German Federal Government and the most important German industrial associations jointly agreed the National Pact for Training and Skilled Manpower Development in June 2004. There were no cell phones, it was still too soon to talk about complete digital networking of value-added chains, far fewer data were available and there were hardly any unfilled training places. The challenges in 2019 have not diminished. Whereas the objective around 15 years ago was to ensure that as many young people as possible entered vocational education and training, i.e. offer them career prospects and enable them to participate in society, we are faced with an equally large task in 2019: Many people regard the possibility of automating work areas coupled with digitalization as a potential threat to their career prospects. As a result of ongoing demographic change and the lengthy procrastination over a modern Immigration Act, we also increasingly have a lack in Europe of qualified specialists who can personally make use of this development. A nascent crisis of confidence is therefore coinciding with a worsening qualification crisis, as aptly stated by Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM, at World Economic Form in Davos. Top-Jobs des Tages Jetzt die besten Jobs finden und per E-Mail benachrichtigt werden. Standort erkennen Crisis of confidence and a qualification crisis And just like in 2004, we should not point the finger at one another. We here means political decision-makers and responsible leaders in companies and industrial associations. There is a need for joint efforts to ensure that the crisis of confidence does not become an institutional crisis and that the qualification crisis does not become a labor market crisis. With this common objective, politicians and industry leaders must take their joint responsibility more seriously and recognize each other as equal partners. Because this partnership has not just suffered since the results of the Training Pact in 2004. Industry often lacks an understanding of political processes and does not realize that political decisions do not follow the laws of the market very often. Conversely, it is becoming increasingly obvious that some political decisions blatantly show a lack of understanding of the roots of our economic and social prosperity: Prosperity is created through growth and growth through company profit. In this case it is necessary to create the right general conditions, for example for investments, taxes or in training and advanced training. As an entrepreneur, we do not invest in training and advanced training out of a sense of altruism. The labor market for specialists, e.g. in the areas of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other new technologies, is almost totally empty. Training as the centerpiece of a new partnership We have therefore been training our own young people for decades. However, in order to remain competitive in the long term, another great challenge is reskilling of our current workforce. We are doing this based on state-of-the-art learning platforms which ensure continuous advanced training which is geared towards rapidly changing market conditions. However, if only around one third of surveyed CEOs currently believe that their workforce possesses the right skills for technological change, this is the last warning shot to formulate new concepts for reskilling of broad employee classes together with social partners. We are not just focusing here on qualifications e.g. coding in the narrower sense, we are also changing the entire working life by arousing and increasing curiosity and a desire for change through continuous learning methods. Nowadays, the best way to achieve this is in areas where multidisciplinary teams cooperate in tasks and where every team member possesses and uses specific skills, but is also prepared to evolve in the project and undergo advanced training. This article is an extract from the book: Sven Afhuppe, Thomas Sigmund (Hg.): Europa kann es besser Wie unser Kontinent zu neuer Starke findet. Ein Weckruf der Wirtschaft Herder publishing house 2019, 240 pages, 20 euros ISBN 978-3-451-39360-0 Published on 15. April 2019 Order the book on amazon. Learning is increasingly taking part in a process, i.e. within the company. Unfortunately, the Grand Coalition's Act on Qualification Opportunities is following an entirely different path because financial incentives were created for advanced training as long as possible by external service providers. Advanced training in the company still has a considerable advantage in our case: It can remove female employees' fear of losing their job due to artificial intelligence (AI) since IBM uses AI both in its internal processes and in services and products for customers. We regard artificial intelligence as a tool for employees to increase their skills, for example when looking for internal training courses and job vacancies or in skill matching. In order to comprehensively support this process, we are cooperating with the ver.di trade union in a scientific study to record the impacts of AI on our future work. The objective of the application study is to examine the effect of AI on jobs, e.g. by using field experiments, and record differences here in the use and the consequences of the use of AI between occupations, activities and qualification levels. Cultural change requires perseverance This is a real change in culture: Working in small agile teams, on-the-job training, learning and using new methods and techniques such as design thinking. In order words, continuous learning throughout working life? This may make some people dizzy. Change means that people must leave their comfort zone and overcome their inner fears. However, social partners and politicians should also share responsibility here. Within the framework of collective agreements we are strengthening flexible working hours models and time sovereignty, are facilitating mobile working and are improving the work-life balance. IBM is not only enabling young up-and-coming talents to study part-time for a Master's degree, but also selected professionals looking for a change. We are investing in 'mid-career development and are enabling mothers to individually restart their career through internal programs. However, the focal point is advanced individual training of every IBM employee. Here at IBM Germany we therefore invested an average of 6.5 training days in personal development for each employee last year. This is well above the average of companies which, according to the latest BITKOM study, is 2.3 advanced training days. They include new scrum masters who previously worked in marketing or agile experts who formerly worked in sales. This showed us that it is becoming increasingly more important to focus on the promotion of motivation and curiosity among individuals rather on the individual formal educational background. This must also be recognized by politicians. Seven suggestions for eliminating barriers and grasping opportunities The European Union provided important impetus with the "New Skills Agenda for Europe in 2016. IBM is not only supporting the 10-point program, it is also taking part itself in initiatives such as the "Pact for Youth, the "EU Vocational Skills Week" or the "Bratislava Declaration on e-skills. However, one thing is also clear: Education is a matter for EU member states. In Ireland we have therefore developed training courses based on the German vocational school together with strong partners and the government: P-TECH acts at the interface between training and academic studies, and allows students to gain practical experience in companies. The focal points are digital skills and new cooperation methods. We must therefore also jointly dismantle barriers in Germany and seize the opportunities which digitalization affords us: Firstly, advanced training in companies must be strengthened and placed on an equal footing with advanced training outside companies. The Act on Qualification Opportunities must therefore be changed to do justice to its name. Secondly, we must develop within the framework of the National Advanced Training Strategy a modern advanced training regime which promotes digital services in order to improve employees' digital and AI skills. Modern advanced training must be used in this case. Concepts such as "blended learning combine online and classroom formats, the acquisition of empirical knowledge, traditional learning units and independent learning by means of digital educational programs. The idea to develop corresponding digital advanced training platforms represents a step in the right direction. Advanced (vocational) training courses at universities must be strengthened and designed in a modular way with eligibility for funding. Thirdly, freedom of movement for workers must be increased substantially in Europe and elsewhere. Companies live from the exchange and creativity of their female employees, irrespective of whether they are now in Berlin, Warsaw or Bangalore. Fourthly, we should jointly adapt existing dual and university training courses to the requirements of the digital revolution. IBM is helping to design courses at different universities in this respect. Fifthly, to put it in provocative terms: The Girls Day must become unnecessary. Instead, we must change our learning culture for everyone. Not every school student must be able to code or carry out programming. It is much more important to make them curious, arouse their spirit of discovery, encourage them to explore things and challenge prevailing circumstances. Sixthly: Yes, we need more digital media in schools, but they are not enough: Good German lessons can benefit from the use of media, but a poor maths lesson does not become better if I use a tablet. Digital media are a communication aid, they should not become the mainstay of teaching. On the contrary, the nature of learning must also be considered so that school students learn more self-reliantly and are therefore prepared for the future working world. This also applies to university training. Seventhly: Lifelong learning must be regarded as an opportunity. Just like everyone of us eagerly looks forward to a new book, an exciting series or an entertaining film, we should also look forward to new occupational phases. Whetting this appetite is a joint social task for companies, social partners and politicians. You will find all published texts, by following this link. From Humanities Montana Humanities Montanas newest program is Gather Round, a free, limited-edition DIY humanities toolkit designed to inspire discussions centered on the themes raised in Hearth: A Global Conversation on Community, Identity and Place, an anthology edited by Missoula authors Annick Smith and Susan OConnor. The toolkit contains everything needed to create a do-it-yourself conversation with friends or family. Contents include: The anthology Hearth, a humanities card deck, a portable hearth, Montana Gold tea, collectible pins, a bookmark and easy instructions for hosting. A hearth is many things: a place for solitude; a source of identity; something we make and share with others; a history of ourselves and our homes, writes authors Smith and OConnor. It is the fixed center we return to. It is just as intrinsically portable. It is, in short, the perfect metaphor for what we seek in these complex and contradictory times set in flux by climate change, mass immigration, the refugee crisis, and the dislocating effects of technology. Internationally renowned authors Debra Magpie Earling, Chigozie Obioma and Carl Safina headlined the sold-out program launch at Chico Hot Springs Saturday, April 20. People can learn more about Gather Round and order a toolkit at http://www.humanitiesmontana.org/gatherround. Toolkits will be available starting April 20. Humanities Montana is the states independent, non-profit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Since 1972, Humanities Montana has provided services and grants to hundreds of Montana organizations in support of public programs in history, literature, civil conversations, and public issues. Among its many programs are its grants, Montana Conversations, Speakers in the Schools, Hometown Humanities, Community Conversations, Letters About Literature, and the Governors Humanities Awards. St. Jude Thaddeus School students Mackenzie Kuhn, from left, Catharina Kaftan and Dylan Kuhn load up the bed of principal Mike Haugen's truck before heading to the Havre Animal Shelter Wednesday. St. Jude's students chose collecting material for the animal shelter as their Lenten project. To observe Lent this year, students at St. Jude Thaddeus School decided to help out some animals. For the Lenten period, the students collected and donated approximately $150 and a number of items and food for the Havre Animal Shelter. "I've been amazed with our students and our teachers and what (first grade teacher Jessie Kuhn) has done with this," Principle Mike Haugen said. Haugen and three student council members, Dylan Kuhn, Mackenzie Kuhn and council president Kat Kaftan, hauled the food and other items to the animal shelter Wednesday afternoon. Jessie Kuhn said that, twice a year, for Lent and Advent, the school holds service projects for the community. The service projects are lead and organized by the school, but it is the students who participate and make the projects a success. She added that she may have organized the service project, but all the donations are brought by the students. "It's the kids," she said. "They get really excited and they like helping." She said that this is the second year that they have done a service project for the animal shelter. Throughout the Lenten period, Kuhn said, she put up pictures of the dogs and cats which were in the shelter, adding pictures if a new one came in and putting stamps over the ones which have been adopted. Every day when the students came in and walked by the poster and saw which dog or cat that has been adopted recently, they got pretty excited, she said. Donations could be made by any student from preschool to eighth grade, and every week Haugen would update the students during morning announcements how much money had been collected, she added. Haugen said that he would announce it during the morning and end of the day prayers. "It's amazing. Once you get the snowball rolling then they motivate themselves," he said. Kuhn said that to create friendly competition for the students they had separate jars, one for cats and one for dogs into which the students could donate money. Popularity went back and forth every week on which one had more money, but in the end cats won by $2. She added that dogs won last year. All the money will go toward the yearly spay and neuter clinic held by the animal shelter. She added that they raised more money than last year. Students also brought in dog and cat food, treats, toys, blankets, towels, animal beds and pee pads, Kuhn said. "We kind of got a good assortment of everything," she added. This was the second year that the school donated to the animal shelter, she said. Originally she got the idea after speaking with a co-worker, fourth grade teacher Linda Ferguson, who brought up the idea because Kuhn had adopted a couple cats that year from the shelter. After speaking with Ferguson she spoke with Havre Animal Control Officer Peter Federspiel who told her that the animal shelter was always looking for help. She also spoke with his wife, Kimberly, president of the Friends of the Havre Animal Shelter. She added that the children really liked that the school was doing the service project again. Haugen said that the service projects are meant to inspire community service in the students and that by the time the students leave St. Jude's they have an understanding of service. "I loved it," he said. "The school just does such a good job with our kids and this is a part of it as far as understanding service to your community. This world is much larger than ourselves, we are all God's children." Kuhn said that the school does a number of other community service projects. Last year for advent Haugen and Deacon Tim Maroney worked with the student council to collect food for families. Haugen said that they worked with the Salvation Army to give four families food baskets for the Advent period. He added that they raised so much food they also donated more than 100 pounds of food to the Havre Food Bank. Havre Daily News/Ryan Berry St. Jude's also participates as partners with Recycle Hi-Line and have previously partnered with the Havre Jaycees for their Community Toy Chest and Coats for Kids programs. They have also had students make care packages to send to military members overseas. Kuhn said that they try to help with organizations and the community every opportunity they get. "That feeling of, we are all here to take care of one another, we are all here to love one another and help one another," she said. "I always talk a lot in first grade that there is no too big or too small, every little bit helps ... that sense of community and family." She said that when a student sees their classmate or teacher donating, setting a good example, it inspires them to want to get involved as well. When women and girls go missing in our state, its not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem its a Montana problem. And its an urgent one. Not much research exists on the epidemic of Indigenous women and girls going missing or being murdered. But we do know that in Montana, where human trafficking is on the rise and there are serious flaws in our missing persons reporting system, hundreds of people have gone missing and their families are still left wondering what happened to them. Thats why this legislative session, we refused to back down. We fought relentlessly to pass bills that will save lives in Montana and deliver justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women. Two of these bills will eliminate delays and require all law enforcement agencies in the state to submit a missing persons report immediately if someone is reported missing. HB 20 was signed into law back in February, and the other, HB 54, has passed overwhelmingly and should be headed to the governors desk soon. We also championed SB 40, which will require the Office of Public Instruction to create and maintain electronic directory photograph repository of studentsonly to be used if that child is identified as missing. This, too, is headed to the governors desk for signing. And we introduced Hannas Act. Hannas Act, HB 21, will create and fund a new missing persons specialist position at the Department of Justice dedicated to assisting all law enforcement agencies in the state pursue missing persons cases. Law enforcement agencies in Montana need the tools to find our loved ones when they go missing, and it is imperative that the Department of Justice hires someone to make these cases a top priority. Since we introduced Hannas Act in January, it has taken on a life of its own. Hundreds of Montanans have reached out to share their own stories of their missing loved ones, or cases gone cold because of delayed investigations. Folks are realizing this epidemic isnt only a tribal one it affects all Montanans. But although we saw a powerful groundswell of support for Hannas Act, we didnt see the support this issue deserves from all Montana lawmakers. For some, politics got in the way. We are deeply disappointed that several Republican lawmakers tried to gut the bill by removing its funding and making it optional for the Department of Justice to create the position. Contingency language was added into Hannas Act to tie its fate to another Republican bill, which would have killed Hannas Act if the other bill had not passed as well. A final vote on Hannas Act was delayed, causing the bill to miss a legislative deadline and putting its passage in jeopardy. And to our great dismay, Deputy Attorney General Jon Bennion even tried to take Hannas Act hostage and use it as leverage to pass an unrelated bill about DUI laws. We dont know why a bill to give law enforcement better tools to investigate murders and missing persons cases, especially in a state with a widespread human trafficking problem, got hung up on partisan politics. But it did. Fortunately, common sense and bipartisanship ultimately prevailed and to our great joy, on Legislative Day 85, Hannas Act headed to the governors desk for signing. Without the Montanans who came forward to tell their stories, the support of countless agencies and Gov. Steve Bullock, the Democratic caucus that made this a priority since Day One, and the bipartisan support of legislators across the aisle, we could never have gotten this Montana solution passed. No matter what your political stripes, no family should have to experience the pain of having their loved one disappear and never knowing what happened to them. Were proud to let Montanans know that these four bills are going to make women and girls safer across our state. Rep. Rae Peppers, D-Lame Deer, represents House District 41 and Rep. Sharon Stewart-Peregoy, D-Crow Agency, represents House District 42 in the state Legislature. Athena award nominees announced Six women who have contributed to their community while mentoring girls and young women have been nominated for the 2019 Athena Award, the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce and the ATHENA Committee announced Thursday. The nominees are Peggy Frisbee Allen, Jackie Dula, Julia Hockenberry, Patsy Farmer Jones and Barbara Morgan. Sponsored by Pardee UNC Health Care, with support from Morris Broad Band and Judy Stroud State Farm Insurance,the award is presented in memory of Vanessa W. Mintz. The nominees will be honored at a reception presented by Judy Stroud State Farm Insurance, on Thursday, May 9th. The recipient of the 12th Annual ATHENA Award presented in memory of Vanessa Y. Mintz will be announced at the Business and Professional Womens Luncheon on Thursday, May 16th at Kenmure Country Club. The ATHENA Award honors individuals who strive toward the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishments, who excel in their chosen field, devote time and energy to their community in a meaningful way, and forge paths of leadership for other women to follow. The award is co-sponsored by the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce. The Business and Professional Womens Luncheon is hosted as part of the Henderson County Chambers Small Business Week celebration to honor the work that women are doing in area businesses and the community. This years luncheon will feature a keynote from former Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy, current director of Economic Development of Madison County. The ATHENA program is a way to honor and celebrate the contributions individuals in our community have made to the cause of womens leadership, says committee chair and 2018 recipient Lee Henderson-Hill. When you look at the history of Henderson County, you see how much of how our community is shaped today as a result of female leadership. We want to celebrate and continue that work. The ATHENA of Henderson County programming will continue throughout the year with the Leadership Breakfast hosted in the fall of 2019, Leadership Dinner hosted in the late winter of 2020 and quarterly women-centric networking events, Empower Hours, hosted throughout the year. The next Empower Hour will be held on June 4 at Appalachian Ridge Artisan Hard Cider from 4 to 5:30 p.m. For more information on the ATHENA Award or to make reservations to the Business and Professional Womens Luncheon, call the Chamber at 828-692-1413. Business group endorses four-lane NC 191 project While homeowners along N.C. 191 continue to implore the Henderson County Board of Commissioners to help them stop the roads widening, the leader of a county business organization urged the board to support the proposed four-lane divided highway. The business community is behind the project, Larry Rogers, president of the Partnership for Economic Progress, an organization of 75 business and property owners, told commissioners last week. We urge you to go forward with the project as it is designed two lanes in each direction with a medium and a walking trail. I lived on 191 for quite a few years and Ive watched the traffic build up to the point now where I believe Id rather go over on 25 to get to Mills River.Residents have formed an alliance urging the county to oppose the project and asking the NCDOT to drop it, saying traffic counts dont support the need.Two residents spoke against the project on Wednesday. Homeowners have urged state transportation engineers to re-evaluate the need now that the state at the countys request has killed the Balfour Parkway, a bypass connecting I-26 and N.C. 191. Theyve also said they believe a four-lane road serving Rugby Middle School and West Henderson High School will make traffic more hazardous, not less.The negative reaction to the 191 widening is no less than 95 percent, said Howard Bakken, a Triple Creek homeowner. I taught public middle school and high school in suburban Chicago for 34 years and I can assure you the emotional development and skill level of beginning teen-age drivers are not to be trusted to a busy four-lane state highway. Sting is heading to Las Vegas to launch a residency next year Grammy-winner Sting is heading to Las Vegas for a residency next year. Sixteen performances of Sting: My Songs will take place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace beginning on May 22. Shows are also planned for June, August and September. "Visually, sound-wise, dancing - it's going to be a Vegas show. I'm committed to that," Sting said. "I'm a little frightened and a little excited at the same time." Tickets starting at $59 (53) go on sale on May 3. ready Sting said he has been offered a residency in Vegas in the past, but felt it was not the right time. "I always thought, 'I'm not ready for that. I'm still a touring animal.' Now I'm ready." Residencies in Vegas once were meant for acts in the final stretch of their careers, but that has changed, with contemporary artists going to the city to perform, from Jennifer Lopez to Lady Gaga. "Being in one place is actually a different, spiritual vibe," Sting said. "Welcoming people into your house - that's what it's going to be. I'll be telling the story of my life through songs. I've had a long, interesting life and I can't wait." Before he heads to Vegas, Sting has a string of projects in the works. He will tour the UK with Shaggy (they won best reggae album Grammy this year for their album 44/876); has a number of solo shows in the US and around the world; and will release a new album. Atalanta reached their first Coppa Italia final since 1996 as Josip Ilicic and Alejandro Gomez scored in a 2-1 victory over six-time winners Fiorentina on Thursday. Their three away goals in the first leg which finished 3-3 in Florence, as well as the two efforts at home, were enough to qualify for the May 15 final where they will face Lazio. They defeated champions for the past four years Juventus 3-0 in the previous round. "It's an enormous feeling. It was our idea, our objective, and when we eliminated Juve, the trophy was all we were thinking of. We want to bring all of Bergamo to Rome," captain Gomez told television channel Rai Sport. The visitors were quickest out of the blocks, however, at a sold-out Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia in Bergamo as Colombian forward Luis Muriel found the net after three minutes. Atalanta responded 10 minutes later as skipper Gomez was tripped inside the box by center back Federico Ceccherini. Ilicic stepped up from the spot and drove his penalty home to the right of keeper Alban Lafont. The Slovenian had a chance to double his tally and extend his side's advantage in the tie three minutes before the break. Atalanta counter-attacked, the club top-scorer Duvan Zapata found Ilicic just inside the box but the winger's effort flew over the crossbar. Gomez found himself in a threatening position with little more than 20 minutes to play with a chance to seal their place in the final. The Argentinian shot hard and low from the edge of box across the face of goal and Lafont's attempted save deflected the ball into the bottom corner in greasy conditions. The home side closed out the tie continuing with their attacking intent which has seen them score 66 goals in Serie A but Ilicic left the field with a knee injury with five minutes to play. Gardai have carried out a major search for firearms in a field near the fortified home of soon-to-be freed gang boss Cornelius Price. The Herald can reveal that officers from Ashbourne Garda Station carried out the search yesterday afternoon after receiving "reliable intelligence" that associates of feuding gangster Owen Maguire had hidden at least one deadly weapon at the location. Our exclusive photos show gardai conducting a search at farmland not connected to Price, but near his compound in Gormanston, Co Meath. Up to 20 members of the force, aided by sniffer dogs, searched the freshly ploughed area throughout the afternoon in search for a gun linked to the ongoing Drogheda feud. Hooks The search party trawled through ditches and cut back vegetation using slash hooks at the field, while a number of armed gardai kept watch at the site's entrance. Expand Close Soon-to-be freed gang boss Cornelius Price / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Soon-to-be freed gang boss Cornelius Price A senior source confirmed that yesterday's search operation is one of several planned in the coming weeks ahead of Price's release from Wheatfield Prison in under a month. It has emerged that the gangland brute is currently in isolation in the west Dublin prison after being disciplined in relation to drug activities there. "This means that his privileges and access to other prisoners have been severely curtailed. He's very unhappy about this," a source said. This is Price's latest scrape with jail authorities since he was locked up in 2017. Sources said the 37-year-old had been using an illegal mobile phone to "issue threats left, right and centre" in the weeks before jail bosses decided to clamp down on his behaviour. "He's coming out of jail in the middle of May and was letting it be known that he intends to be the top dog in north Co Dublin again once he is freed," a source said. "He was issuing threats to other criminals in the Balbriggan area and in Drogheda." Price's close association with the Maguire faction in the deadly Co Louth feud is causing gardai their biggest headache, and it is this link that led to yesterday's searches, although no weapon was found. Tensions remain high in Drogheda after paralysed Owen Maguire (35) was discharged from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital over the weekend. He has been receiving medical treatment there since surviving a feud-related shooting outside his home last July. In the latest tit-for-tat incident linked to the gang warfare, a brick was thrown through the window of the home of a violent criminal's innocent grandmother in the early hours of yesterday morning. That criminal is the leader of the anti-Maguire faction. The elderly woman is the latest innocent victim of the Drogheda feud, which is expected to get worse when Price is released. Gardai continue to carry out almost daily operations against the feuding mobs, including one on Easter Monday when they seized a handgun and components to make up to nine pipe bombs, which are linked to the Maguire faction. Following an alert, gardai carried out a search of wasteland on the Moneymore Estate, where they found the gun and bomb parts. The feud has been spiralling out of control since Owen Maguire was shot multiple times at Cement Road, Drogheda, in an attempted murder. He was shot in the stomach and shoulder and suffered injuries to both legs and wrists in the botched hit attempt shortly after midnight on July 5, which left a bullet lodged in his spine. In February, his brother, Brendan Maguire (39), was targeted in a separate shooting at the M1 retail park linked to the feud. He was shot several times as he sat in his car, but survived. Earlier this month, the suspected gunman and getaway driver for the botched shooting on Brendan Maguire were among four arrested by gardai but later released without charge. A file has been sent to the DPP. Reckless Detectives expect that all these anti-Maguire criminals will be in the sights of Price and his associates when he is released. Price is in the closing stages of a three-year jail sentence for reckless endangerment of a garda at Balbriggan Garda Station in 2014 following a trial at Dublin Circuit Court. His mob is suspected of involvement in three gangland murders, and while not a suspect himself for any of those, Price's associates are chief suspects for the murder of Benny Whitehouse (36), who was shot dead in September, 2014. The gang members are also the chief suspects for the murders of Tallaght man Willie Maughan (34) and his partner Anna Varslavane (21), who were last seen near Price's house in the Gormanston area of Co Meath on April 14, 2015. Aidan Gillen with Camille OSullivan at the Rock Against Homelessness concert at the Olympia Aidan Gillen has said "no one could have predicted" the success that is fantasy series Game of Thrones. The Dublin actor, who played Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish in the hit HBO show, told the Herald that the programme, now in its final series, was a "one-off". He added that its makers had invested passion and money into the series. The 50-year-old said he had been tuning in since the show returned to the small screen two weeks ago. Expand Close Aidan Gillen as Petyr Littlefinger Baelish with Sophie Turner who plays Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aidan Gillen as Petyr Littlefinger Baelish with Sophie Turner who plays Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO "I watched episode one and a bit of two. It's all good so far," he said. "It's a one-off for sure. These things come along every 10 years but no one could've predicted it'd be a fantasy epic. "It is done in a different way with passion and a big production behind it. They put their money on the table with that one." The Drumcondra star has previously admitted he doesn't know how the series will end, although some fans are speculating that Littlefinger might make a return from the dead by the final episode. "I'm clueless," Gillen said when asked who would claim the Iron Throne. "There's 10/1 on Paddy Power or William Hill on Petyr Baelish being the ultimate victor in Game of Thrones. What's that about? "To be able to finish this off at all is going to be quite a task. I don't doubt they can do it in some style and some surprising and stunning fashion, so let's hope that's what happens." Game of Thrones has had a triumphant return, with the opening episode watched legally by 17.4 million people in the US and many more across the globe. Juicy The second instalment of the final season aired earlier this week, as the characters prepared to fight the Night King. It wasn't without its juicy moments though, as 18-year-old Arya Stark - who finished off Gillen's character in season seven - had a raunchy sex scene with Gendry, played by Skins actor Joe Dempsie. Many viewers found the scene "uncomfortable" but Maisie Williams, who plays Arya, had the last word: "If you feel uncomfortable just know that my mother and my stepdad and my two sisters and my four brothers have all probably watched this too." Detectives have raided solicitors' offices and private homes in a major probe into a Dublin family suspected of more than 20 bogus insurance scams. The family are being investigated by several garda units after thousands of euro were paid out in claims. It is suspected they have been involved in highly organised fraud going back several years - mainly personal-injury claims from slips and falls. Yesterday detectives with the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB), assisted by the Cab and Armed Support Unit, carried out searches in west Dublin. Six high-end cars and jewellery valued at more than 300,000 were seized, along with documentation and financial records. Payment has already been made in some of more than 20 cases involving the family, who have submitted multiple claims using false identities. Det Chief Supt Pat Lordan, head of the GNECB, told the Herald that individuals as well as criminal gangs were being investigated for fraud. "We treat it as a serious crime and over the last number of years have been carrying out investigations into a number of organised crime groups. "That culminated in the operation - four houses and solicitors' offices were searched under warrant. There is a lot of money being falsely claimed by way of insurance fraud. In some cases money has been paid out - but that doesn't stop us investigating the claim." Det Chief Supt Lordan added that Operation Coatee was a joint initiative involving various garda agencies working with district and divisional units to stop insurance fraud. Bogus The national units involved in yesterday's searches were also helped by officers attached to Lucan Garda Station. Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll, of Special Crime Operations, said efforts were ongoing to target assets where bogus insurance claims had been paid out. "An Garda Siochana is determined to identify those making bogus claims and to maximise its potential to initiate prosecution," he said. "Where financial gain has already been achieved, An Garda Siochana will utilise legislation to identify relevant assets and target them for seizure." A local community has rallied around the grief-stricken family of 13-year-old Ryan Nagle following his tragic death after a quad-bike accident. His death has rocked the close-knit community of Castlemaine, Co Kerry, where Ryan and his family are well-known and well-liked. Ryan was the son of Brian and Irene Nagle, from the Ballygamboon area of Castlemaine. Touched Tributes have been pouring in for the teen who died on Monday. He was described as a wonderful young boy who had "touched many hearts" in the local community. Friends and family spoke about him as a character who achieved a huge amount in his tragically short life. Ryan was formerly a pupil of Firies National School and had almost completed his first year at Killorglin Community College. The principal of Killorglin Community College Donal O'Reilly led tributes on Tuesday to the popular first-year student. "This is a terrible tragedy for his family, our school and our community," Mr O'Reilly said. "We are deeply saddened at these events, and our thoughts and sympathies are with the Nagle family and friends at this time." Ryan had been in the community's thoughts and prayers over the past week as he battled for his life in Dublin following the bike accident over a week ago. The devastating news that he had died filtered through on Tuesday morning. He was one of four children. His older brother, Jack, and sister, Chloe, also attend the Community College. He also has a younger brother, Gearoid. Psychologists The school quickly moved to implement its critical-incident management plan, involving psychologists from the National Educational Psychologists Service (NEPS), South West Counselling, and Killorglin Neighbour Youth Project, who are on hand to help the students face the terrible tragedy. Mr O'Reilly said the community has rallied around the family and school at this most distressing time for everyone who knew Ryan. The issue is hitting the bottom line. The airlines that rely on the Max are seeing its grounding hit their bottom line. Empty seats that airlines typically hold back to sell at higher, last-minute fares are instead being used to rebook travelers on canceled flights. Some airlines are also seeing the effects of flying aircraft that are less fuel-efficient on routes typically covered by the Max. While those issues affected first-quarter earnings, the airlines have noted that the brunt of the hit will come in the three months ended in June, because it will be the first quarter without any Max in operation. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the aircraft in mid-March. MCCLURE, Va. A coal miners arm had to be amputated following an accident at Deep Mine 41 in Dickenson County early Wednesday. Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy spokeswoman Tarah Kesterson said DMME received a call around 5:30 a.m. that a miner severely injured his arm while using a roof bolting machine at the Contura-owned facility. The man, Ray Robinette, whose age and place of residence werent known Wednesday night, was flown via MedFlight to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Kesterson said Robinette was awake and alert Wednesday afternoon, although his arm was amputated as a result of the accident. DMME mine safety inspectors and the Mine Safety and Health Administration are investigating the cause of the accident. Contura Energy said in a statement that the company is working with state and federal regulators. Kesterson said it will likely be several days before more information is released. ABINGDON, Va. Virginia Highlands Community College's Board of Directors and Virginia Community College System officials are requesting input from the community to assist in the national search for the college's next president, according to a news release. All information obtained from the survey will be used to form guidelines for VHCC and its next president, the release states. Responses will be anonymous. In October 2018, former VHCC President Gene Couch was asked to "vacate" the campus and was reassigned as special assistant to DuBois to help lead VCCS efforts to better serve students from Virginias Rural Horseshoe. The reassignment was made because the results of a campus climate survey, conversations DuBois had with campus leaders, and the findings of an independent consultant he sent to VHCC raised important questions about the workings of the institution, according to an email DuBois sent to VHCC faculty and staff in October. How many new COVID-19 cases in Washington County? We don't know Coronavirus case numbers and positivity rate data were available again Monday, showing a jump in cases and the testing positivity rate. Participating restaurants include Anteprima, Cherry Circle Room, Crio, Ella Elli, Farmhouse Evanston, Marchesa, Mia Francesca, Peninsula hotels The Lobby, Rogers Park Social, Space 519 and more, so there are plenty of locations located throughout the city where you can dine in order to donate. Most restaurants are donating 15 to 33 percent of their profits, while others have committed to set dollar amounts between $150 and $1,000. This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services, to personalize ads and to analyze traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. Learn more here Grand Prize Winner: Donna Rickey Blog Winners: A Song for her Enemies by Sherri Stewart: Mary Ann Hake Spies & Sweethearts by Linda Shenton Matchett: Connie Ruggles Sword of Trust by DebbieLynn Costello: Brenda Walters Justice for Julia by Donna Schlachter: Natalya Lakhno Party Prize winners: Sherri Stewarts Winners A Song for her Enemies: Angie Pool Bottle of Dutch Syrup: Carol Koch Alscheff Corrie ten Boom book: Deb Gramie Burgess Linda Shenton Matchetts winners: $5.00 gift card to online retailer or choice (Kobo, B&N, AppleBooks, Amazon): Karen Hadley A Bride for Seamus: Carol Osterhouse Wotring DebbieLynn Costellos winners: Sword of the Matchmaker: Melissa Planas Sword of Forgiveness: Paty Hinojosa Gomez Shattered Memories: Charlene Zall Capodice Sword of the Perfect Bride: Licha Haney Donna Schlachters winner: Leather Journal: Lisa Turley GIVEAWAY RULES Winners must leave their email address and will be notified by email and the winners name will be announced in the days comments. No one under 18 can enter our giveaways. No purchase is necessary. All winners have one week to claim their prize. USA shipping only. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. As the culinary capital of the world, the Taste of Chicago will give residents and visitors alike the opportunity to sample some of the greatest foods this city has to offer," said Emanuel in a release. "Since its inception, the Taste of Chicago has become a summertime staple and this years lineup of world-renowned restaurants, food trucks and pop-ups will be even more vibrant and diverse than ever before." New Delhi : Sixty-nine terrorists have been killed and 12 have been apprehended in Jammu and Kashmir by the security forces, this year, according to KJS Dhillon, GOC 15 Corps. DG Jammu and Kashmir Dilbagh Singh, IG Kashmir SP Pani, GOC KJS Dhillon, IG CRPF Zulfikar Hasan held a joint press conference in Srinagar on Wednesday and said that the law and order situation has improved in the state. Dhillon said that post the Pulwama terror attack, 41 terrorists have been killed, out of which 25 belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and 13 of them were Pakistanis. He added that the operations against the terrorists will continue with full vigour and that they will not let terrorism rise. We have targeted the JeM leadership. The situation now is that no one is coming forward to take over the leadership of JeM in the valley. Even after Pakistans best efforts, we will continue to suppress JeM, specially after Pulwama, he said. KJS Dhillon, GOC 15 Corps: We have targeted Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leadership, the situation now is that no one is coming forward to take over the leadership of JeM in the valley. Even after Pakistans best efforts, we will continue to suppress JeM, specially after Pulwama. https://t.co/vlU4faK0W2 ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2019 The Jammu and Kashmir DGP said that the recruitment of local youth continues to be low which is a healthy sign. 272 terrorists were eliminated in the state during 2018 and a large number were apprehended, he said. During the press conference, the SSP Baramulla said one terrorist Mohammad Waqar, a Pakistani was arrested from Sopore. He came to India in July 2017 by crossing the border and was operating in Srinagar for over a year. His plan was to resurrect terrorism in Baramulla, he added. SSP Baramulla, Abdul Qayoom: His name is Mohammad Waqar, a resident of Mohalla Miana, Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan. He came here in July 2017 by crossing the border, he was operating in Srinagar for over a year. His plan was to resurrect militancy in Baramulla. pic.twitter.com/BWUEkdQj50 ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2019 On February 14 this year, 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a JeM-orchestrated terror attack in South Kashmirs Pulwama district. The incident took place when a CRPF convoy, consisting of around 2,500 personnel, was attacked by a suicide bomber who rammed a car laden with explosives into one of the buses on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Source : TOI In the recent India-Pakistan crisis, two major claims of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been called into question. One, did the IAF hit the terrorist infrastructure in Balakot with precision on February 26? Two, did an Indian Mig-21 Bison shoot down a Pakistani F-16 in the skirmish that followed the next day? There have been a lot of claims and counterclaims, so there is no point revisiting the same debate. I aim to investigate how much the truth behind both claims matter in the bigger picture. Which one of the two claims is more important to the future of the deterrence equation in South Asia? And why? Lets begin with an answer. The claim of an F-16 kill is more important than the efficacy of Indian airstrikes in Balakot. The airstrikes in Balakot were about redrawing a line, which India did successfully. Till now, the Pakistani assumption had been that it can sponsor terrorist attacks on Indian soil with impunity because it could threaten the first use of nuclear weapons to prevent a conventional Indian response. If at all India would respond, its choices would be circumscribed by the threat of Pakistani nuclear weapons, especially the low-yield battlefield variants. One particular manifestation of this thinking was the perceived inviolability of the international border. Indias response, if any, would never go beyond Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, it was assumed. But with Balakot in Khyber Pankhtunkhwa undisputed Pakistani territory having been targeted, the conventional wisdom has been overturned and the Pakistans full-spectrum deterrence significantly dented. The political objective of the Balakot operation was, therefore, met, even if we go by the theory that the IAF did not hit its targets. This was the reason why Pakistan hastily chose to respond with its own air force the next day in an attempt to restore deterrence. Pakistani air force chose to limit its operation to Kashmir, but it did manage to shoot down a Mig-21 Bison and capture its pilot. But more important, according to New Delhis own version, Pakistan targeted military installations as opposed to India striking non-military targets in Balakot. So this in itself represented an escalation from Pakistan. And here the truth about F-16 becomes important. If the IAF did indeed kill an F-16, the scorecard gets settled in Indias favour an F-16 is a far bigger prize than a Mig-21 Bison. Pakistans escalation then actually backfired. However, if no F-16 went down, Pakistan actually managed to escalate and end the air skirmish in its favour. This talk of a scorecard with 1-1 or 0-1 kill may sound a bit juvenile but is important once we factor in the political objective of the Balakot operation. Certainly, the idea was to reset the threshold for nuclear conflict by using air power to hit undisputed Pakistani territory. But the objective could not have been said to be successfully achieved if Pakistan managed to mount heavy damages on India on the next day. Therefore, the political objective had to be twofold: 1) expanding the space for conventional response after a terrorist attack by openly challenging the vague nuclear red lines; and 2) dominating the escalatory ladder thereafter. If the leadership in New Delhi decided not to escalate despite Pakistan escalating and capturing an IAF pilot, then clearly India is nowhere close to dominating the escalatory ladder. The events of February 27, therefore, show that though the space for conventional warfare has expanded post-Balakot, that window is still limited. If the nuclear bluff had been entirely called as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been claiming on the campaign trail India could have brought to bear sufficient firepower in order to achieve an unambiguous victory. While India has established space for a first response to terrorist attacks, nuclear deterrence continues to play a role in subsequent rounds of combat. The Indian forces will have to figure out how to make the best use of this new conventional space to achieve maximum dominance over their Pakistani counterparts. The other area of improvement is communications key to projecting advantage/victory in limited warfare. A couple of US-based scholars have suggested that the failure to decisively win the February 27 dogfight is indicative of Indias lack of utility as Americas Indo-Pacific partner against China. Now, this is a quite a stretch. The US doesnt want India to have an overwhelming advantage over Pakistan it would complicate Americas withdrawal from Afghanistan, and would reduce its leverage over New Delhi. Moreover, it cannot be realistically expected that the US would have wanted the IAF to shoot down a few American-made F-16s at a time when Washington was itself counselling restraint, just because it would have proven Indias worth as a potent balancer to China. The IAFs success against Pakistan would have hardly counted as a preparation for China. Equally, a setback in a minor skirmish under a nuclear shadow against Pakistan is no prophecy for doom on the China front. The US is too smart to start selling Indian stocks based on the results of the February 27 dogfight. kunal.singh@htlive.com Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar has said that he is still in contact with actor Priyanka Chopra and doesnt hold any grudges against her for quitting his film, Bharat. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Ali said he talks to Priyanka regularly. Priyanka had quit the film just a few weeks before she was to shoot for the film. Ali tweeted about her exit from the film, wishing her good luck and also hinting that she had quit the film due to her upcoming wedding with Nick Jonas. He was the first one to partially confirm the wedding to the world. Priyanka was doing the film but things happened. As a friend, she shared it with me and I told that her life is most important. Shes still a close friend. We laugh and talk twice a month. Im very happy for her, he said. Priyanka was replaced by Alis friend and actor Katrina Kaif, who has worked with him before as well. Yes Priyanka Chopra is no more part of @Bharat_TheFilm & and the reason is very very special , she told us in the Nick of time about her decision and we are very happy for her ... Team Bharat wishes @priyankachopra loads of love & happiness for life ali abbas zafar (@aliabbaszafar) July 27, 2018 Also read: Bharat song Slow Motion: Salman Khan sings Phir shadi hogi babies honge, badlenge hum napkin to Disha Patani Im grateful to Katrina for stepping in. I was honest with her and told her I was sending her a script. If she liked it, wed discuss it further. Shes my closest friend in Mumbai. But on the work front, were very transparent with each other. If she doesnt like something Im doing, she lets me know and vice versa, he said. In August last year, Ali has talked about getting Katrina on board. He revealed in an interview to The Times of India that Katrina told him something that eventually came true. Its bizarre, but let me share this. When we finished Tiger Zinda Hai, Katrina smiled and told me that I am going to miss her on my next film. At that time, I was quite clear that Priyanka is going to do Bharat. Katrina laughed and told me that she will find some way to be a part of the film. Now she is a part of Bharat, so maybe it was destiny, he told the daily. Bharat stars Salman Khan in the lead role. He plays a man who ages with the nation after its independence. Katrina plays Kumud Raina and introduced fans to her character through a picture on Tuesday. Kumud Raina 1975 .... I had the most incredible time working on this character, the whole journey has been the most exciting for me yet, after working with Ali Abbas Zafar in three films. Cant wait for everyone to see the film, she captioned the picture. The film also features Sunil Grover, Disha Patani, Nora Fatehi in pivotal roles. Jackie Shroff, will be essaying the role of Salmans father in the film. It is slated to hit the theatres on Eid, June 5. Follow @htshowbiz for more Janhvi Kapoor is definitely among the best talents to have made a debut in Bollywood in 2018. Her many appearances including one on Karan Johars Koffee With Karan has revealed the sassy side of her personality. In a recent interaction on Vogue BFFs television show she said she would like to kiss actor Vicky Kaushal. According to a report in Bollywood Hungama, she was asked to pick between Kartik Aaryan and Vicky Kaushal to kiss. The Dhadak actor chose the Uri actor. The actor also spoke about being part of Karans directorial project Takht and said that she was eternally grateful to him for giving her such a project so early in her career. She was quoted as saying: What can I say? I am still in shock. It hasnt sunk in yet. Its a big deal for me and I am so eternally grateful and feel so blessed that Karan (Johar) has allowed me to be part of this journey. Also read: Kareena Kapoor on how Saif Ali Khan asked her mothers permission to let them move in together The curtains up! Here is our first BFF pair, #JanhviKapoor and #KhushiKapoor. Catch them all real and all candid on the latest season of @JeepIndia presents #BFFsWithVogue, powered by https://t.co/WA6Dp5E5VR, premiering Saturday at 9 PM. #condenastvideoindia #CNVoriginals pic.twitter.com/Vs95TGyCBi Colors Infinity (@colors_infinity) April 21, 2019 Janhvi is yet to begin shooting for Takht. However, the shoot of her Gunjan Saxena biopic has been going on in full steam. The actor was in Lucknow for an extended schedule in March. On the eve of her birthday (March 6), she had visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and had also shared pictures from her visit. Janhvi has also been roped in to feature in Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma starrer horror comedy, Rooh-Afza. The film will be directed by Hardik Mehta and co-produced by Dinesh Vijan and Mrighdeep Sing Lamba. For the female lead, we needed someone who could portray two contrasting personalities with ease and Janhvi stood out, she really connected with the script. Her talent is still raw, but she is excited about being moulded. The script is young, refreshing and totally crazy, and she is exactly that, Vijan had said in a statement. (With PTI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more Reality show judge Malaika Arora shared a rare look inside her stunning home in Mumbai on Wednesday. She shared three new pictures of her bedroom and living room, all looking pristine in cool white linen. Malaika was promoting the linen collection on her app with the pictures on her Instagram stories. Two pictures showed her bedroom adorned in crisp white bedsheets. One picture of the living room showed a white couch next to a tall lamp and banana plant and some sunflowers next to it. She wrote Mi casa (my home) with one of the picture. Check out the pictures here: Malaika Aroras home. Malaika was recently in Maldives for a holiday with rumoured boyfriend Arjun Kapoor. While they did not share any pictures with each other on social media, they were spotted together at the Mumbai airport after the holiday. Several reports suggested that Arjun and Malaika would tie the knot on April 19 but Arjun has now said that he has no intention to get married just yet. Also read: Kareena Kapoor on how Saif Ali Khan asked her mothers permission to let them move in together Arjun told DNA in an interview, No, I am not. Im 33 and you have to take my word when I say, Im in no hurry to get married. Asked about the constant speculation, he said, The subject of my wedding is not something that I would like to talk about. Frankly, if I was tying the knot, people would know about it. Today, nothing stays or needs to be hidden beyond a point. He continued, Speculation is harmless. But I admit, I dont like to respond to it all the time. Also, it gets tiring for the people involved to constantly react. There has been so much gossip on this subject that even the people who earlier tended to believe it are no longer doing so. I dont have anything against anyone. Malaika, ex-wife of actor-producer Arbaaz Khan, had denied the marriage rumours in one of the interviews saying it is all media made. She never said that she was dating Arjun, but often spoke about the concept of finding love after divorce. Everyone wants to be in love again, to be in a relationship. Nobody wants to be alone and single for the rest of their life. Irrespective of what everyone said around me, I am glad that I made this choice on my own, Malaika had said. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Priyanka Chopra is back in India and is spending quality time with her brother and cousins including actor Parineeti Chopra. The actor has reportedly come home for her brother Siddharth Chopras wedding with fiance Ishita Kumar at the end of month. Announcing their union, Parineeti shared a boomerang video with Priyanka in her Instagram stories and captioned it, Nights like these along with a heart emoji. The latter too replied to her saying Love you baby. As the two sisters went on having a blast together, they also named their dog Bailey Chopra. Priyanka Chopra with Parineeti Chopra in Mumbai. Parineeti also shared a picture on her Instagram with Priyanka holding the puppy and captioned it, Meet #BaileyChopra! And like in any other punjabi family I (his aunt) named him!! Hahaha @priyankachopra @siddharthchopra89. Both the sisters can be seen having a laugh as they pose indoors in comfortable pyjamas. Priyanka also shared some pictures on her Instagram stories. Priyanka was spotted at the Mumbai airport upon her arrival in a lemon yellow top and trousers. She was also seen wearing her mangalsutra which was visible in her selfie which she shared on her Instagram stories. Priyanka Chopra at the Mumbai airport and the actor on her flight. Priyanka and Nick had earlier flown down to Delhi to attend Siddharth and Ishitas roka ceremony in February. She had also welcomed Ishita to the family with a picture from the ceremony along with the caption, So proud of my baby brother. Ishita welcome to the family...you are so beautiful together...I wish you both the best for the future! Happy Roka!! @ishittaakumar @siddharthchopra89. On the work front, Priyanka has wrapped up the shooting of her Bollywood film The Sky Is Pink. Directed by Shonali Bose, the film also stars Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim. It is scheduled to release on October 11. Follow @htshowbiz for more Filmmaker Sajid Khan, who was accused of sexual harassment by three women, has rubbished reports that he will teaming up with actor John Abraham for a film. The Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA) had banned Sajid for a year after multiple women alleged the director of sexually inappropriate behaviour during Indias #MeToo movement. There were reports, however, that John had shown interest in a script which Sajid pitched to the actor and the duo will soon start working on the same. They have previously collaborated on 2012 comedy Housefull 2. Also read: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh bless couple at Mumbai wedding. See new pics When asked if he is working with John, Sajid told PTI, Not true... Im under suspension from the directors association and am not working since the last 6 months. I will finish off my suspension period for the next few months and only then consider work, he added. John, who last featured in spy thriller Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW), is currently filming for Anees Bazmees multi-starrer comedy Pagalpanti. Follow @htshowbiz for more Growing up in a middle-class neighbourhood in Kolkata in the 1980s, a para dadu (an elderly man in the neighbourhood) used to remark every so often that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) was second only to God when it came to probity. A generation on, and as unseemly allegations cloud the office of the CJI for a second time in two years across two Chief Justices, this cherished belief appears to be unravelling. The sexual misconduct allegations against Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi are unprecedented. If the allegations are true, the actions complained of are shocking and unquestioningly constitute conduct unbecoming of a judge. If false, they are a slanderous expression of vendetta politics. Either way, there is so much detail provided in the affidavit sent by the staffer concerned to the judges of the Supreme Court that an impartial inquiry can quickly ascertain the credibility of the statements and the bona fides of its maker. This is why the setting up of an inquiry committee of the Supreme Court led by Justice SA Bobde and including Justice Indira Banerjee is both timely and appropriate. In the same breath, the establishment of a separate inquiry headed by a retired judge, Justice AK Patnaik, to look into allegations of a conspiracy against the CJI is befuddling. The possibility of a conspiracy can only arise pursuant to the first committee finding the sexual misconduct allegations to be vexatious. Without waiting for such a determination, to order a judicial probe appears premature. At this time, with unverified rumours impinging the credibility of the staffer concerned on the one hand and the fairness of the judicial process on the other, institutional credibility can only be restored by a free, fair and impartial inquiry to get to the bottom of the allegations made by the staffer. Such an inquiry, according to the Restatement of Values of Judicial Life, accepted by the full court of the Supreme Court, can only be done by an in-house committee of judges. Many commentators have pointed out that this in-house committee does not strictly contemplate proceedings against the Chief Justice of India. That is true. Equally true is the fact that the Vishakha guidelines for protection of women from sexual harassment at workplaces, laid down by the Supreme Court itself, cannot be used if the aggrieved person is a court employee. These are serious deficiencies in the internal rules of the Supreme Court that require calm introspection by the judges. If the Supreme Court can lay down one law for the country and another one for itself, there could scarcely be a worse advertisement for the rule of law. But this is not the time to offer knee-jerk reactions to undo past follies. Correcting them, while critical, is time-consuming and requires careful deliberation. At this time, of prime importance is to determine the veracity of the allegations made. Only a fair and expeditious inquiry can achieve that. Several persons, including the complainant, have voiced misgivings about the fairness of the inquiry headed by Justice Bobde: it comprises judges alone; is headed by a man; and its report will have to be submitted to the full Court which, according to newspaper reports, has already rallied behind the Chief Justice. When the actions of powerful men are subject to inquiry, such misgivings are natural. But consider for a moment the extraordinary nature of the allegation against perhaps the most respected holder of a public office in India. The reverence with which the office of the CJI is held can tilt the scales before any inquiry panel. It is precisely in such extraordinary situations that applying the in-house committee procedure, applicable to all judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, its faults notwithstanding, rather than inventing an ad hoc procedure is important. If the basic integrity of sitting judges of the Supreme Court to undertake and decide on a fair inquiry into the purported misconduct of one of their own cannot be trusted, one needs to ask more serious questions of the constitutional role of the Supreme Court itself. It ultimately falls on the Justice Bobde-led inquiry committee to fairly determine whether the allegation that the CJI sexually harassed his staffer has merit. In its process, as much as its result, rests not only the institutional credibility of the judiciary to do justice without fear or favour but also the unshakeable belief of many like my para dadu who still view an allegation against a judge as blasphemous. Its ramifications, one way or another, will be felt for a long time to come. Arghya Sengupta is research director, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy The views expressed are personal Theres an American with a big gun! bank employee Bianca says over the phone early in Stockholm, and the minute we see Hawkes character, toting a machine gun and hollering like an entire male chorus of Paint Your Wagon, its clear Budreaus movie owes a large debt to Sidney Lumets Dog Day Afternoon. The robbery attempt showcases a miscreant with a heart, a few insecurities and a very short fuse. Lars negotiates for a Mustang as a getaway vehicle, like the one Steve McQueen drove in Bullitt. In one sequence the hostages and their captors discuss the heartless coolness of another McQueen vehicle, The Getaway. The movies movie-ness permeates the telling, for better or worse. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a severe weather warning for several parts of the country on Wednesday. Officials said dust storms are likely to affect Delhi and other parts of northwest India on Thursday and Friday. A feeble Western Disturbance is affecting northwest India, but there is no moisture in this region. So, we are only expecting thunderstorms in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh. The dust storm is a result of heat. There may be thunderstorms in Jammu and Kashmir as well, said director general of meteorology at IMD, M Mohapatra. In Delhi, the maximum temperature is likely to drop by 2-3C on days the storm hits. On Thursday, wind speed in several parts of northwest India could touch 40-50 kmph. The maximum temperature on Wednesday was 41.7C, said officials. The meteorological department has also warned that a cyclone is developing to the southeast of Sri Lanka, which will impact parts of Tamil Nadu on April 29 and 30. A trough of low pressure lies over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of BengalThe low pressure area is very likely to intensify into a depression during subsequent 36 hours, IMD said in a bulletin. Heatwave conditions will continue over Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha in Maharashtra for the next three to four days. Eminent educationists and top policymakers, including Niti Aayog chief executive officer Amitabh Kant, on Wednesday discussed ways to attract the best teaching talent and students from across the globe, as part of governments Study in India initiative. How to attract the best of teachers who are of Indian origin but now teaching abroad. An idea that was floated during the discussions by the group headed by Kant was that a special package could be created to attract the best of teachers. Another aspect was granting of more autonomy in areas like hiring foreign faculty in institutions that are engaged in governments Study in India programme, said an official who participated in the discussions. Around 70 top academicians took part in the three-day event organised by the HRD ministry. Former Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman K Kasturirangan, scientific advisor to the PM Vijaya Raghavan, National Testing Agency chairman MS Ananth and others were among those who participated in the discussions. Priyanka Chopra is in India for her brothers marriage and while we cannot wait to see the festivities, we continue to be majorly inspired by PeeCees airport fashion. The Isnt It Romantic actor was recently featured in People magazines beautiful issue where she was celebrated as one of the beauties of the year and received the peoples choice award. Priyanka is now working on a project with Mindy Kaling related to Indian weddings and will be seen next in The Sky is Pink with Farhan Akhtar. Priyanka Chopra was spotted at the Mumbai airport dressed from head to toe in a lemon yellow mesh top and pants. The desi girl accessorised with a pair of gold hoop earrings and a gold watch. She also wore dark sunglasses and a pair of white heels to complete her look. Priyanka Chopra has been seen in a number of monochrome looks recently. Bold colours like pink, orange, blue and red have been a common part of her style recently and serve as a great inspiration on how to wear monochrome outfits. If you want to delve into the monochrome trend this season, take a cue from these PeeCee looks and wear the head to toe look like a pro. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Children unvaccinated against measles are fuelling global outbreaks, with more than 110,000 measles cases being reported worldwide in the first three months of 2019, up nearly 300% over the same period last year, Unicef said on Thursday. This has led to a 30% spike in measles cases worldwide since 2016, taking cases to 6.7 million and deaths to 110,000 in 2017. India confirmed 55,399 measles cases in 2018. Globally, each year around 21.1 million children on average dont get the first dose of the measles vaccine, which has led to around 169 million children remaining unvaccinated between 2010 and 2017, according to Unicef. Measles is a highly infectious virus that causes death and debilitating complications, including encephalitis (swelling of the brain membranes), severe diarrhoea, pneumonia, ear infections and permanent vision loss. India has 2.9 million children unvaccinated against measles, the second highest number after Nigeria, which is home to 4 million children not vaccinated against the disease, said Unicef. The measles-rubella vaccine is safe and has saved at least 21 million lives since 2000, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), but fake news campaigns spread by anti-vaxxers those who oppose vaccination have led to people saying no to vaccination even in countries that have eliminated the disease. Immunisation coverage must be at least 95% to achieve herd immunity, the threshold over which unvaccinated people in a community are protected, according to WHO. It is critical not only to increase coverage but also to sustain vaccination rates at the right doses to create an umbrella of immunity for everyone. The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children. If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike, said Henrietta Fore, Unicef executive director, in a statement. The US, which eliminated measles in 2000, tops the list of high-income countries with the most children not receiving the first dose of the vaccine between 2010 and 2017, which prompted the American Medical Association last month to urge big social media and technology companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube, to stop anti-vaccine groups from spreading misinformation on their platforms. Since launch of the Measles Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in India in February 2017, 305 million children in 32 states/ UTs using the Serum Institute of India vaccine is WHO pre-qualified for its quality and safety and used the world over, but the campaign has been stalled by misinformed parents in some parts of India, including Delhi, said a health ministry official who did not want to be identified. The MR vaccine being used in the campaign as well as for Routine Immunization, is very safe and effective against measles. It is made in India and is exported for use world over. Two doses of this vaccine provides more than 95% protection against the disease that has been eliminated in four countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, DPR Korea and Timor Leste) in WHOs South Asia region and transmission of the virus is likely to have been interrupted in Sri Lanka, said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South East Asia Region, which is holding a meeting of the Regional Verification Commission for Measles Elimination and Rubella Control to review progress in the battle against measles. The global coverage of the first dose of the measles vaccine was reported at 85% in 2017, with the coverage for the second dose being at a lower 67%. In high income countries, while coverage with the first dose is 94%, coverage for the second dose drops to 91%, according to the latest data. Two militants were killed in Bijbehara in south Kashmirs Anantnag district after a gun battle with security forces on Thursday morning, officials said. Police and security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Bagender Mohalla in Bijbehara area on a credible input. The team was fired upon by the militants during the searches. The fire was retaliated by the security forces leading to an encounter. The bodies of the two militants have been retrieved from the site of encounter. Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of encounter. Their identities and affiliations are being ascertained. Further search is going on in the area. Police have registered a case. Central agencies have identified 10 Pakistan-based terrorists, who had crossed over from India, set up businesses across the border with active support from the Pakistani spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, and were involved in funneling weapons, narcotics and fake currency through cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) official with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday. These terrorists were also sending funds to separatists in Jammu and Kashmir using the cross-LoC trade route in order to fuel unrest in the Valley, the official claimed. Last week, India had suspended the cross-LoC trade at two points for an indefinite period, following reports that it was being misused by elements from across the border to smuggle weapons, narcotics and fake currency. The LoC trade across ChakanDa-Bagh and Salamabad was intended as a confidence-building measure for the people living in J&K and in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Originally hailing from Kashmir valley, the terrorists have been identified as Basharat Ahmed Bhat, Shabbir Illahi, Showkat Ahmad Bhat, Noor Mohammad Ganai, Khurshid, Imtiyaz Ahmed Khan, Amir, Sayeed Ajay Ahmed Shah alias Aizaz Rehmani, Mehrajuddin Bhat and Nazir Ahmed Bhat. They operate from Islamabad and Rawalpindi in Pakistan or Muzaffarabad in PoK and run businesses ranging from almonds, dry fruits to mangoes as part of their modus operandi to send money to the Valley on behalf of ISI, the NIA officer cited above added. The anti-terror probe agency found out that these terrorists have set up firms in Pakistan and their relatives or associates on the Indian side allegedly run the business through LoC trade routes. A second official said, Mehrajuddin Bhat, a resident of Tral, had crossed over to Pakistan to train as a militant about a decade ago. He stays in Rawalpindi and has set up Mehrajuddin Traders to get involved in the cross-LoC trade, the official said. His brother is a registered LoC trader at the Trade Facilitation Centre at Uri, he added. Nazir Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Pampore, stays in Islamabad and runs a business through his firms New Kashmir Traders and New Kashmir Firm, the second official said. Basharat Ahmed Bhat and Showkat Ahmad Bhat, residents of Budgam, had gone to Pakistan during the 1990s and joined militancy, the NIA officials claimed. They both stay in Rawalpindi. The officials said Basharat runs his business through the Al Nasir Trading Company, while Showkats trading firm is called Taha Enterprises. The channel of LoC trade, meant to facilitate exchange of goods of common use between local populations across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, was being exploited to fund illegal and anti-national activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Money was being transferred to terrorist organisations and anti-India elements by these traders, said a home ministry official, who asked not to be named. The Indian Meteorological Department on Thursday issued a red alert for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on April 30 and May 1 saying heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in the southern state and the union territory. The IMD and other private weather forecasters have predicted that a low pressure formed in the Bay of Bengal is likely to develop into a cyclone which would be named Fani. According to the IMD, if the low pressure transforms into a cyclone, it will move in a western and north-westerly direction where Tamil Nadu lies. A well low-pressure area lies over East Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal. It is very likely to intensify into a depression during the next 24 hours over East Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal and into a Cyclonic Storm during the subsequent 24 hours over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean. It is very likely to move northwestwards along the east coast of Sri Lanka near north Tamil Nadu coast on April 30, 2019, the IMD alert reads. IMDs Chennai regional director, S Balachandran said, We are monitoring the system. Only on April 27 can we predict when and where the cyclone will make landfall. He also advised fishermen not to venture into the sea for the next week. Though the IMD has not predicted the exact place where Cyclone Fani would make landfall, Nagapattinam-based private weather analyst Selva Kumar, who had correctly predicted that Cyclone Gaja will cross the shores between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam coasts in November last, has claimed that Cyclone Fani will cross the shore between Manamelkudi (Pudukottai district) and Adhirampattinam (Thanjavur district) coastal areas. The weather tracking website Skymetweather.com has observed that the system may strengthen as a tropical storm on the evening of April 27 or on the morning of April 28. It is to be named Cyclone Fani. By this time, it would have reached Southwest Bay of Bengal, close to Sri Lanka. Gradually, it will arrive in close proximity of the North Tamil Nadu coast in the Southwest Bay of Bengal. Weather models are showing the tendency of the system to move north-northwestwards and re-curve thereafter, the skymetweather.com said in its blog. The weather forecast website has also predicted that it is already a slow-moving system. If the system re-curves, it is likely to further make it slower. This means that the system may become more intense and spend more time in the proximity of the Tamil Nadu coast, resulting in good rains over the state, including Chennai for a prolonged period, the prediction reads. If the cyclone makes landfall, it will be the second one in the state within six months. Cyclone Gaja hit the state in November. In the cyclonic devastation, 63 people died and thousands of houses were damaged in Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Pudukkottai districts. With the IMD sending out a red alert, district administrations of Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Thiruvarur have advised fishermen not to venture into the sea for the next few days. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed unhappiness over the solid waste that has accumulated in Prayagraj after the 49-day Kumbh Mela, bringing the city to the verge of an epidemic. The Kumbh Mela began on January 15 and concluded on March 4. Pulling up the UP chief secretary for the severe lapse, the NGT has instructed him to appear before it on April 26 and take urgent steps to dispose of the solid waste and fix accountability of officers in this regard. The tribunal had appointed a committee to see to it that the Ganga did not get polluted further during the Kumbh Mela. The present order of the NGT is based on this committees report. According to the report filed by the committee headed by Justice Arun Tandon, the NGT mentioned the situation in the area was alarming and it needed to be dealt with on an urgent basis to avoid the spread of epidemics. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said accountability must be fixed at the ground level and personal supervision by senior level officers ensured. Quoting the UP chief secretary, the NGT report said 60,000 metric tonnes (mt) of untreated solid waste got collected at the Baswar solid waste treatment plant. Out of this, 18,000 mt waste was generated at the Kumbh Mela even as the plant was not operational since September 2018. The NGT report predicted a rise in cases of acute diarrhoea, enteric fever, viral hepatitis and cholera. The tribunal said groundwater too had been polluted. Dirty water from toilets was being collected in kutcha pits. The base of the soak pits had not been lined and the dirty water could percolate underground, the report said. NGT said the Ganga was left in the lurch. The committee found that a large number of toilets were constructed in camps on the Arail side, very close to the river. The Rajapur Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) received excess sewage than the installed capacity. Only 50% of the Rajapur drain was being treated through geo tube (it extracts solid waste from the waste going in the drain so that only water enters it) and the remaining 50 per cent was being permitted to enter the Ganga without treatment, NGT said. Additional municipal commissioner, Prayagraj, Amrendra Verma, said the private firm Hari Bhari was entrusted with the task of processing of solid waste at the Baswar plant and a notice had already been served on the corporation. The municipal corporation is not directly responsible for disposal of solid waste as the private firm has been allotted a tender for the job. Since the firm failed to do its work efficiently, a notice has been issued for completing the task at the earliest. Municipal Commissioner Ujjawal Kumar was directly monitoring waste disposal of the Kumbh Mela but he is on leave and will be back after a couple of days, he added. Divisional Commissioner, Prayagraj, Ashish Kumar Goel, who is also the chairman of the Kumbh Mela Authoritythe main organizing body of the fair said that facts regarding disposal of solid waste would be placed before the tribunal. We have done our best. Responsibility will be fixed on officials for the laxity. By any means, this mela was better than any of the previous ones, he said. The tribunal said the sewage treatment plant at Salori too was not working satisfactorily. It had more sewage than it could treat. The geo tube was not working satisfactorily and 50 per cent of the sewage from the drain was trapped and the rest was going into the Ganga, the tribunal said. Coming down hard on the much talked-about geo-tube technology, NGT dubbed it a failure. NGT said, The Mawaiya Nala, where the technology has been adopted, had a bypass because of which untreated water from the drain entered the Ganga. The committee also found that there existed a big, dirty water pond at Parmarth Niketan Arail and human excreta was seen floating in it. Similarly, the report stated Mansuthia, another drain, also had a bypass, due to which untreated waste met treated waste just before it was allowed to enter into the Ganga. Creation of bypass at places where geo-tube technology had been adopted has let dirty water enter the river, NGT mentioned. According to AK Gupta, the amicus curie in the Re-Ganga Pollution case, he had submitted an application in the Allahabad High Court carrying a list of 83 drains in the city. Forty-six of these drains remained untapped during the Kumbh Mela, dumping untreated sewage water in the Ganga and the Yamuna. I had apprised Divisional Commissioner Ashish Goel several times about untapped drains but he not only chose to ignore the same, but also kept me out of every committee supervising the same, he added. However, Ingio Contractors Private Ltd, the firm that implemented the geo-tube technology for filtering sewage waste before letting it enter the river, has decided to challenge the NGT report. We completely disagree with the findings of the NGT committee as far as geo-tube technology for filtering the sewage water is concerned. We will contest the findings tooth and nail and justify our working before the tribunal, said Rajnish Mehra, director of the firm. Further, the committee found several other violations of NGT orders for preserving any river. For instance, 36 temporary ponds dug up on the bank of the Ganga had no lining and some of them still contained dirty water. The order also hit out at the Mela administration for being non-cooperative with the supervisory committee on several issues, including non-installation of public toilets built right on the banks of the Ganga. Pucca constructions were being raised on the Yamuna bank and despite notices, the authorities did not disclose as to who had sanctioned the maps/building plans. The administration was trying to hoodwink the cleaning of waste from the soak pits and septic tanks and ponds, NGT said. Advocate Utsav Bains, who has stirred the nation with his affidavit in the Supreme Court that sexual harassment complaint against the chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, was a conspiracy to make him resign, is known for his work on child rights in Chandigarh, the city where he was born and brought up in. The 32-year-old lawyer is the son of human rights lawyer RS Bains and grandson of former judge of Punjab and Haryana high court Ajit Singh Bains. Utsav graduated from Panjab University and has briefly practised at Punjab and Haryana high court. For two years now, he has been in Delhi. Utsav has to his credit a documentary on child rights and in 2012, he had filed a plea for probe into sexual exploitation of children at a shelter in Rohtak, Haryana. Known as Apna Ghar sexual exploitation case, the matter was later probed by the CBI. It was this case, which got him associated with Harsh Mander, then a member of national advisory council, headed by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, during the Congress rule. After this, he attended a programme at Harvard Law School on child rights advocacy. Also Read | Seize evidence on conspiracy against top judge: SC orders CBI, Intel Bureau For nearly two years now, he has been representing various witnesses in the sexual exploitation cases against self-styled godman, Asaram. In Punjab and Haryana high court, he had brought one Bobby Joshi to court in 2016, who had claimed that rapes took place during the 2016 February Jat quota violence in Murthal, Haryana. Earlier this month, Utsav had hit the headlines by refusing to be a part of guests on Queen Elizabeths birthday celebrations, organised by British High Commission in Delhi. At high court in Chandigarh, he has appeared only in few cases, but even senior lawyers agree that he is a sharp and energetic lawyer, who wont succumb to any kind of pressure. Also Read | Will enquire, enquire and enquire: SC on alleged conspiracy against CJI A three-judge bench of justice Arun Mishra, justice RF Nariman and justice Deepak Gupta on Thursday ordered a probe by retired Supreme Court judge AK Patnaik into allegations by an advocate that there is a larger conspiracy to frame Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, against whom a former staffer has levelled charges of sexual harassment. Separately, Supreme Court justice NV Ramana recused himself from the three-member committee formed to inquire into the allegations. Justice Indu Malhotra replaced justice Ramana on the committee. Justice Malhotra is also a member of the Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee at the Supreme Court. Justice Ramanas exit came a day after the former SC staffer wrote a letter to the committee raising concerns over his presence on it. In her letter dated 24 April, she wrote: I would humbly submit that since I was posted in the CJIs residence office, I know that justice N V Ramana is a close friend of the CJI and is like a family member to him. Justice Ramana is a frequent visitor to the residence of the CJI. Because of this I fear that my affidavit and evidence will not receive an objective and fair hearing. The three-member panel is headed by justice SA Bobde and also has justice Indira Banerjee on it. It was constituted by the Supreme Court on Tuesday after a full court resolution to the effect was passed. Justice Bobde confirmed that he had received a recusal letter from justice Ramana. In his letter to justice Bobde, justice Ramana wrote: My decision to recuse is only based on an intent to avoid any suspicion that this institution will not conduct itself in keeping with the highest standards of judicial propriety and wisdom. It is the extraordinary nature of the complaint, and the evolving circumstances and discourse that underly my decision to recuse and not the grounds cited by the complainant per se. Let my recusal be a clear message to the nation that there should be no fears about probity in our institution, and that we will not refrain from going to any extent to protect the trust reposed in us. That is, after all, our final source of moral strength. The former staffer, on April 19, wrote a letter to 22 judges of the top court seeking an inquiry into an alleged incident of sexual harassment by the CJI. The three-member committee is to begin its inquiry into the matter from Friday. According to a notice served on the former staffer by the Supreme Court registry, the inquiry will begin at 12.30 pm at the Supreme Court and the proceedings will be held in camera. Earlier, the bench looking into the allegations by lawyer Utsav Bains, claiming that the allegations against Chief Justice Gogoi were part of a conspiracy involving the former staffer, two recently fired Supreme Court clerks, and corporate fixers, ordered the directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Intelligence Bureau, and the Delhi Police commissioner to cooperate with justice Patnaik. Drawing a distinction between the probe being conducted by a three-member committee and the one being ordered by it, the bench said, We make it clear that this inquiry shall not be with respect to the alleged misbehaviour involving the Chief Justice of India. This is with respect to the contents of the affidavits, whether the affidavits are correct or not. The outcome of the inquiry shall not affect the in-house procedure/inquiry which is pending in the administrative side in any manner whatsoever, added the court order. The bench also delivered a sharp warning to people who were attempting to use money or political power to manipulate the judicial system. Dont play with fire We want to send a message to people of the country, the rich and powerful that they cannot control or run this court. Time has come to tell the world that the Supreme Court cannot be run by money power or political power. The powerful think they can run this country. When somebody tries to clean up the system, or take action, he is killed or maligned, justice Arun Mishra said. The observation was directed at people, who a lawyer claimed, were also involved in influencing the decision to refer a case to a particular judge, or as the court put it, bench fixing. We are not commenting on any issue. We dont want to take names but everybody tries to influence every time there is a big matter! Letters are written in pending matters! Books are printed! And these are people for whom senior advocates are appearing! Whenever big persons are involved, this happens in this court, said justice Mishra. After Bains detailed his allegations in a secret affidavit, the Supreme Court judges said there was a systematic attack or game to run the court. We are anguished at the way this institution has been treated for the last three, four years This institution will die, the court said at Thursdays hearing. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde welcomed the investigation by a retired judge. It is good that the allegations are being probed by somebody and the Supreme Court has reposed a lot of trust in justice Patnaik in the past as well. Justice Patnaik helped out the court when he looked into allegations against former CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] director Alok Verma, he said. The report is the latest conflict in the hotly debated proposal that would mandate hospitals have a certain number of nurses in each unit, depending on patient load. The proposed law would set a maximum number of patients per nurse, between one and four, depending on the type of unit. Supporters say the ratios are needed to improve patient safety, as well as the working conditions and safety of nurses, some of whom describe 12-hour shifts with no bathroom breaks because theyre so overloaded with patients. Jailed Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shahs wife has accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of harassing her family by sending summons to her daughter. ED issued a fresh summons to Shahs daughter, Sama, 19, asking her to appear for questioning on Thursday in Delhi. This was the second time she was asked to appear before the agency this month. The notices have been issued as part of a money laundering case Delhi Polices special cell registered against Shah in 2005. Shah has been in jail since July 2017. In March, Shahs family was served a house attachment notice. My daughter was only five when the case was registered. She is in Manchester, UK, pursuing a degree in law and cannot travel to Delhi, said Shahs wife, Bilquies. After ED found no evidence against Shabir Shah, it is now harassing our family. Bilquies said she has written to the ED, seeking Samas exemption from personal appearance. Former army chief General Dalbir Singh was on Thursday named as the Indian high commissioner India to Seychelles, an Indian Ocean island nation. A ministry of external affairs statement said Gen Singh is expected to take up the assignment shortly. Gen Singh was the army chief when India carried out surgical strikes against terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in September 2016. The strikes were carried in response to the Uri terror attack in which 19 soldiers were killed. His appointment is being seen as recognition of his achievements when he was the army chief from 2014 to 2016. It was also during Singhs tenure that Indias Special Forces carried out a cross-border raid into Myanmar in 2015 to destroy militant camps to avenge the killing of 18 Indian soldiers in an ambush in Manipurs Chandel district. Defence and security form an important pillar of the bilateral relationship between Indian and Seychelles and Singhs appointment could help cement the ties further. In June 2018, India and Seychelles said they would work together on developing a naval base on Assumption Island while keeping each others interests in mind, days after reports suggested the Indian Ocean nation had scrapped an agreement on the project. Experts said the base would help India counter growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region, although no progress has been made on the project. The PM had then also announced a $100-million line of credit for Seychelles to buy Indian defence equipment to boost its maritime capacity. Former navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma was appointed as high commissioner of India to Canada in 2012. He held the post for the next three years. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday released its Delhi manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, promising free schooling, jobs and housing for residents if it wins all seven seats in the national capital. The party, which reiterated that its talks for an alliance with the Congress had failed, retained its demand for full statehood to Delhi as the central theme of its manifesto. Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said grant of full statehood would accelerate development of Delhi and enable the city administration to carry out reforms in Delhi Police and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) agencies that are currently under the Centres control through the Lieutenant Governor. When asked how the AAP will win full statehood for Delhi even if it wins all seven parliamentary seats in the capital, Kejriwal said its MPs would work towards the goal in the Lok Sabha. I have spoken to many parties. They will support our demand for full statehood for Delhi in Parliament, he said. Delhi goes to the polls on May 12, the sixth and penultimate phase of voting, and the results will be declared on May 23. So far, the AAP has fielded 34 candidates across the country in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. It has fielded candidates from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. AAPs manifesto promised 85% reservation in college admissions and Delhi government jobs for residents of the city. The party said it would fill up two-thirds of vacancies in Delhi police and reserve 33% of the posts for women, stop a sealing drive targeting unauthorised constructions that traders say is hurting their business, regularise unauthorised colonies and provide a house through cheap loans to every voters family. The party did not specify how it would keep each of its promises if Delhi is granted full statehood. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won all seven seats in Delhi in the 2014 general elections, called the AAPs manifesto unrealistic. Kejriwal is a dream merchant and he is selling new dreams every day. There is no need for full statehood to provide basic amenities to the people of Delhi. Continuous power and water supply, reducing pollution, maintaining sewers and roads and providing a reliable transport system do not need full statehood, said Shyam Jaju, BJPs national vice president. Delhi Congress chief and three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit said full statehood for the city is not achievable. I feel that the AAP does not understand that this wont be done just because they are asking for it. Parliament needs to take a decision on this. Till the time, Parliament wont do anything, nothing can be done. So, do you place the publics fate on Parliament with only seven seats with you, that too, if they get it? Kejriwal criticised the Congress for doing only political posturing in the name of forging an alliance with the AAP. For two months, the Congress kept going back and forth on new formulas for the alliance. If Modi-Shah (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah) win in this election, then (Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi will be responsible for it. Alliances do not happen through Twitter or through headlines, the Delhi CM said. The Congress said Kejriwal had no intention to tie up with the Congress, which had offered to contest three of the seven seats, leaving the rest for the AAP, which, however, wanted the alliance to be extended to other states as well. ...without any reason, he (Kejriwal) stepped back that is why we still have doubt about him being serious in defeating the BJP. The alliance chapter is now closed for us, said the Congresss Delhi in-charge PC Chacko. Opening up a new avenue for females, the Indian Army on Thursday kicked off the process of inducting women as jawans by starting their online registration for recruitment in the corps of military police. This is being seen as a major breakthrough for women in armed forces as so far, they were being inducted only as officers and this is the first time they would be taken in as soldiers. Online registration will start today for the recruitment of women as jawans and the last date for it is June 8. The project was first mooted by Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat soon after he took charge of the force, Army officials said. The decks for the induction were cleared in January this year after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government has taken a historic decision to induct women in the military police with an aim to enhance their representation in the three services. Women will be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20 per cent of total Corps of Military Police and their role would range from probing crime cases to assisting the Army in field operations wherever required. Last year, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said the process to allow women in a combat role, currently, an exclusive domain of men was moving fast and initially, women will be recruited for positions in Military Police. Accordingly, the Army chalked out induction of approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and Army establishments, preventing the breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police. As per government data, the Army has 3.80 per cent of its workforce as women, the Air Force has 13.09 per cent and the Navy six per cent. Justice Indu Malhotra has been inducted as the second woman member of the committee set up to look into allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. Justice Malhotra replaces Justice NV Ramana who had, hours earlier, withdrawn from the panel after the complainant questioned his presence in the committee. In a letter to the judges, the former court staffer had described Justice NV Ramana as a close friend and a frequent visitor to Chief Justice Gogois residence. Because of this, I fear that my affidavit and evidence will not receive an objective and fair hearing, she wrote. Justice Ramana, in his letter conveying his decision to exit the committee, rejected the charge that he wouldnt have been impartial. But he underlined, according to PTI, that he wanted to exit the committee because justice must not only be done but also appear to have been done. The former court staffer had also pointed to the Supreme Court guidelines in the Vishaka judgment that requires a committee inquiring into sexual harassment allegations to have a majority of women. Justice Indu Malhotras induction will also help meet this condition imposed by the Supreme Court in the Vishaka verdict. The three-member panel, headed by Justice SA Bobde, already has Justice Indira Banerjee as a member. Justice Indu Malhotra was the countrys first woman lawyer to be directly elevated as a Supreme Court judge last year. She would be the second woman member of the 3-judge committee. The change comes hours before the three committee members are slated to meet a little after Friday noon. This would be their first meeting to look into the allegations that have triggered concerns Chief Justice Gogoi has denied the allegations and insisted that this appeared to be part of an effort to deactivate the office of Chief Justice. After a lawyer claimed that there was a conspiracy against the Chief Justice to force him to resign and to threaten every judge of the Supreme Court, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday appointed retired Supreme Court judge AK Patnaik to inquire into this claim. The intelligence bureau, CBI and Delhi Police have been ordered to assist Justice Patnaik to get to the root of the alleged conspiracy. While the outcome of this election remains unpredictable, it is becoming quite clear that the fate of the Bharatiya Janata Party will be determined in a few large states, where it is challenged either by the Congress or regional parties. In the Hindi belt, the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan count for 134 seats, of which the BJP currently holds 118. In order to maintain its position, the BJP must gain seats in other large states such as West Bengal (42 seats) and Maharashtra (48). Karnataka, with its 28 seats, is likely to be split more or less evenly between the BJP and the INC-JD(S) alliance, thus offering little scope for expansion. In Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the Congress is feeling confident that it can repeat its good performance of last December, when it defeated the BJP in assembly elections. Conventional wisdom has it that a party that wins a state election within a year of a general election repeats the performance in the following election, usually with even higher vote shares. In this article, I look at 23 pairs of elections that have taken places since 1998 in six major states where the assembly election closely preceded the general election: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Karnataka). In 80% of the cases (18 of 23 GE races), the party that won the state election went on to win the state in the following general elections. Only in five cases did the winner differ and no particular state is affected by it. It happened twice in Uttar Pradesh and once in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. What is interesting is the party variation. The BJP is the winner in 15 of those 18 cases of symmetric victory. It hasnt lost a single state that it previously won in an assembly election, among those six states. The Congress, on the other hand, has lost in a general election after having won in the preceding assembly election on three occasions: Madhya Pradesh in 1998, Rajasthan in 1998 and Karnataka in 2013. The two other cases happened in Uttar Pradesh and concerned the SP and the BSP. In other terms, there is a greater spill-over effect when the BJP wins the preceding state. Besides, the data suggests that the BJP tends to increase its vote share in the following general election, boosted by its previous recent performances. Over the past four election cycles, the BJP in Madhya Pradesh has gained on average 7% of vote share in the following general election. What might explain this variation between the Congress and the BJP? Generally speaking, there are three major factors that affect the spill-over effect. In a 2016 paper, Gareth Nellis finds that the spill-over effect is stronger when there are no visible rifts within parties (he looks at the reverse relation, from general to assembly elections). Parties that appear cohesive and that have a firmer grasp on their organization tend to benefit more from a spill-over effect than parties that suffer from apparent factionalism. Across states, the BJP appears to be more cohesive than the Congress, which has visible factions and tends to take its internal disputes to the public. States with a bipartisan party system seem to see greater spill-over effect. The absence of triangular or quadrangular fights help parties to consolidate their gains. And similarly, states with regular alternation of majorities also have strong spill-over effect, as the swing effect that benefits the challenger usually continues for a short while after the state election has taken place. By contrast, party factionalism, or internal divisions, tends to reduce the spill-over effect. The presence of a large number of close contests (defined as less than 5% of victory margin) can also reduce spill-over, as small number variations can have large effects in terms of seat distribution. States where the main competing parties have similar vote share, and states with multipartisan party systems, also have lesser spill-over effect. In this election, the Congress is clearly located in the second configuration. Its organisation at state level remains weak and marked by divisions, between the Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Digvijaya Singhs factions. The Congress in Rajasthan also has a visible rift between the current chief ministers faction and Sachin Pilots followers. Many in the party are also bystanders. More importantly, the vote shares of the Congress and the BJP in these two states were almost identical. Both parties won many seats with razor thin margins; 32% of the seats in Madhya Pradesh were won with a margin inferior to 5% (73 out of 220), against 35% of the seats (69/199) in Rajasthan. In both cases, the BJP won more of these close races than the Congress (37 in Madhya Pradesh and 28 in Rajasthan, against 32 and 22 for the Congress). In the last five state elections, the Congress and the BJP have been neck-to-neck in terms of vote share in three states. Other factors play a role too. Who is the chief minister, for instance, or the length of a governments incumbency. National factors also intervene more in a general election. The Prime Minister for instance, is far more involved in general elections than he is in state elections. Who the candidates are also matters and complicates this spill-over logic. Does this mean that the Congress is unlikely to win in the three states it won last December? No. Doesnt having won those states help boost the Congress campaign and prospects in those states and beyond? It certainly does. In fact, the Congress could very well win those three states again but given the configurations of those preceding victories and on account of past experience, it is not obvious that the spill-over effect will be strong. All depends from what parties do now and on their ability to mobilize voters during the last stretch of the campaign. The Yamuna pollution monitoring committee a panel formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to submit a report at the earliest on the dumping of construction waste into the Yamuna and obstructing the rivers flow below Signature Bridge. Letters have also been sent to the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation Ltd (DTTDC), the government agency that built the bridge connecting north and northeast Delhi inaugurated in November, and the Public Works Department (PWD), which is managing it now, to submit similar reports. We have sent letters to DPCC, DTTDC and PWD seeking their responses. Necessary actions would be taken after the agencies file their responses, said BS Sajwan one of the members of the two-member committee. The other member is former chief secretary of Delhi, Shailaja Chandra. Hindustan Times reported on April 17 about how debris generated during the construction of the bridge had choked almost the entire stretch of the river, leaving only a few metres gap for the water to flow. On April 19, in another report, Hindustan Times highlighted how conditions for environmental clearance of the bridge, essential for any project costing more than 50 crores, had been violated. A senior official of DTTDC, however, said the debris belonged to an old temporary structure, now being demolished and removed. He had also said the rivers flow hadnt been obstructed. We have received the letter. The response would be filed soon, said Shishir Bansal, chief project manager of the Wazirabad Bridge Project. The letter sent by the NGT committee, a copy of which has been reviewed by Hindustan Times, observed that prima facie, not only have the directions given by the NGT, of not dumping debris into the river, been violated but even the conditions stipulated in the environmental clearance granted by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority have not been complied with. DTTDC and PWD have been asked to inform the committee within a weeks time about the authenticity of the HT reports about the dumping of debris into the Yamuna and the choking of the river; if the facts bear out the reports, they were asked to explain why the NGT order and environment clearance norms had been violated. The agencies have also been asked to include in their report information on what actions had been taken against those responsible for violating the green norms. The committee has warned that if the reports were found to be true, penalties could be imposed on those responsible for causing environmental damage. The NGT committees action is a welcome move. The agencies concerned should be asked to remove the debris and restore the floodplains, said CR Babu, professor emeritus and head of the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) at Delhi University. The 675-metre Signature Bridge, built at a cost of 1,518 crore, is an eight-lane carriageway that was thrown open in November 2018 to connect north and northeast Delhi and reduce the traffic burden on the Old Wazirabad Bridge. It connects the Outer Ring Road on the western bank of the Yamuna river with Wazirabad Road on the eastern side. A group of 50 farmers cultivating turmeric in Telanganas Nizamabad district on Thursday left for Uttar Pradesh to contest the ongoing Lok Sabha elections from the Varanasi parliamentary constituency as independents to highlight their demand for constitution of a turmeric board to ensure remunerative prices for their crop. Varanasi is being represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is contesting from the same seat for a second term. The Congress announced the candidature of Ajay Rai for the seat, ending speculations over the candidature of party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. The farmers belonging to Armoor, Balkonda and Nizamabad (rural) areas left for Nagpur in Maharashtra by a private bus and from Nagpur, they would be travelling up to Varanasi by train. They will be joined by another 50 turmeric farmers from Erode in Tamil Nadu, who would also file their nominations in Varanasi. The holy town is going to polls on May 19. We have chosen Varanasi obviously because the Prime Minister is contesting from there. Our intention is to draw nation-wide attention to the problems of turmeric farmers. We dont want to campaign against Modi or any other candidate. We shall make an appeal to the people to support our legitimate demand, Nizamabad district turmeric farmers association president P Tirupati Reddy, one of the contestants in Varanasi, said. Another contestant, Mittapalli Ganga Reddy, said the turmeric farmers had been agitating for the last 12 years, seeking formation of a turmeric board and remunerative prices for the crop. Telangana turmeric farmers association president, Kotapati Narasimham Naidu, who is the brain behind the idea of the Nizamabad farmers plan to contest from Varanasi, said they would file their papers on April 29, the last day for filing of nominations. Arrangements are being made to mobilise the signatures of local farmers as proposers for the Nizamabad farmers to contest the elections. We have also managed to collect money towards election deposit, he said. Apparently, the farmers have drawn inspiration from the April 11 elections to Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat for which 178 farmers contested to highlight their demand for remunerative prices for their turmeric and red jowar crops. Nizamabad parliamentary constituency is represented by Kalvakuntla Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. The strategic-surprise of the Balakot airstrikes by the Indian Air Force in the Khyber Phaktunwa region of Pakistan on February 26 was complete and total despite Pakistan being on high alert, according to a report on the lessons learnt from the operation, which also mentions that five of the six designated targets were hit, the first official acknowledgement of the number of targets. The report, a detailed assessment of the positives and negatives of the operation, to be used as a reference for future operations, was discussed at a high-level meeting of IAF recently. On February 26, in response to a suicide bombing attack by a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 40 troopers, and to pre-empt more such attacks, IAF struck a training camp of the Pakistan-based JeM in Balakot. Theres been a lot of discussion and debate on the attack, including on the damage inflicted, but the report marks the first time IAF discussed the operations effectiveness. Also Watch | They want to be Paks heroes: Modis jibe at Balakot air strike doubters The assessment has revealed several positives, but because no battle plan ever survives the first contact with the enemy, there were also deviations from the plan, and some outright negatives too. The mission was accomplished because of redundancies built into the plan, the report, a copy of which has been reviewed by HT, says. The Positives The strategic surprise was so complete that only after IAFs Mirage-2000s delivered the weapons package and turned back did Pakistan scramble jets from as many as eight fighter bases. These included the Pakistan Air Force base Mushaf in Sargoda, Rafiqui in Shorkot, Minhas in Kamra Attock, and Murid in Chakwal. But the distance between PAF and IAF fighters was at least 10 minutes, a senior officer in the security establishment said on condition of anonymity. Pakistan was expecting a response, but from the PAF response it appears it did not expect us to take the aerial route, the officer added. The accuracy of intelligence and the subsequent target selection is one of the positives the report talks about. With this quality of intelligence, we can hit any target inside Pakistan within three hours, a second senior security establishment official said, asking not to be named. Among the other positives, the report lists the proficiency and skills of pilots who flew the mission, and describes them as top class. Keeping in the tradition of IAF, the Commanding Officers (CO) of the respective squadrons flew the mission. All pilots who flew the mission are likely to be awarded for their skill and ability. Importantly, although nearly 6,000 men and officers of IAF were involved in the execution aircraft flew from different airbases spread across India there were no leakages. Deception at the strategic and tactical level deceived Pakistan, the report says. While Chief of Air Staff BS Dhanoa and the top echelon of IAF went about normal duties including attending conferences, banquets, and addressing Defence Attaches, so-called Combat Air Patrols along the border areas before the strike lulled Pakistan to some extent. Importantly, during the attack, a strike-element of Russian made Su-30s flying towards Bahawalpur, Pakistan, where the JeM is based, forced the neighbouring country to divert its energies and air defence capabilities in a separate sector. Finally, the accuracy of the weapons have also come in for praise in the report. IAF used Spice 2000 precision guided munitions (PGM) to hit the target, among others. Five of the six designated targets inside the Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) training camp in Balakot were hit directly, the assessment report has concluded. The Negatives Cloud cover and weather conditions did create problems for the fighter fleet, the report says. Importantly, the entire weapons package apart from the Spice 2000 carried by the IAF fleet wasnt delivered, leading to questions about to weapon to target matching. Changes in the software made to integrate new weapon systems with vintage Mirage aircraft didnt completely work. IAF use indigenous skills to integrate the new weapons systems. The Balakot experience underlines integration of new weapons with platforms should be done by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) despite the cost involved, said a senior official aware of the assessment, who did not want to be named. The other negative listed in the report is in the politico-strategic domain. IAF, when planning the attack, gave priority to eliminating the maximum number of terrorists at the JeM facility. It chose Spice 2000 a penetration smart bomb over a fragmentation weapon. The former penetrates structures killing everyone inside whereas the latter flattens and demolishes structures. When questions were raised about the strike, especially internationally, IAF didnt have much by way of pictures to show as evidence making it easy for Pakistan to deny the attack itself, a third senior officer in the security establishment said, asking not to be identified. Recommendations Looking ahead and taking the lessons from the Balakot strike, IAF wants more technological asymmetry to be able to penetrate the enemy airspace at will, according to the report. It will be looking at better air defence capabilities. The induction of new platforms such as the Russian made S-400 surface to air anti-aircraft missile systems will fill part of the gap. According to a former senior air force official, India should concentrate on absorbing more defence technology. Technological asymmetry will always give you an edge over the enemy. However, if the OEM [original equipment manufacturer, or the supplier] is the same on either, it could create difficulties, said former Air Vice Marshal Sunil Jayant Nanodkar. We achieved complete surprise and the mission was successful. It highlights the need to give forces the freedom to execute a political decision. The execution of a political decision should be at choosing of the forces, he added. Allahabad University (AU) has expelled five students, including four accused in the murder of former Allahabad University student Rohit Shukla, who was shot dead at PC Banerjee hostel on April 15. AU proctor Prof Ram Sewak Dubey and dean student welfare (DSW) Prof Harsh Kumar have sent notices to all the five students, giving them a deadline of 15 days to be present in the proctors office and submit a written explanation, failing which the college will cancel their graduation degrees, said an official. The notices have been issued to MA final year (Hindi) student Saurabh Vishwakarma, BSc first year student Prashant Upadhyay, MA final year (Hindi) student Adarsh Kumar, MA Ancient History final year student Abhishek Yadav along with PC Banerjee hostels room number 235s occupant and a third year LLB student Ashutosh Kumar Shahi. Ashutosh was allotted room number 235 of PC Banerjee hostel, in which the bomb making materials like gun powder etc were found in police raids after the murder. The notice said these students violated the hostel rules and also marred the image of Allahabad University. While Prashant has been arrested, the other four are still at large. City Solicitor Andre Davis said the search at City Hall was in the mayor's office on the second floor. Davis said he received an inventory of what agents seized, but doesn't intend to release it publicly for now because that could harm the investigation. He said a search warrant affidavit, which would lay out the reason for the City Hall search, is under seal. A former nurse at a government hospital and her husband were arrested in Tamil Nadus Rasipuram on Thursday for their alleged involvement in illegal adoption of babies. Amuthavalli was arrested along with Ravichandran after she was caught on a purported audio tape discussing rates of babies with a prospective buyer. The rate depends upon colour and complexion as well as sharp features of a baby as well as whether it is a male or female. If it is male, the rate would be as high as Rs 4.25 lakh, and for a female, Rs 2.70 lakh, Amuthavalli is purportedly heard saying. If the baby has sharp features, the rate might even go up. But, first, you should pay an advance of not less than Rs 30,000 so that I can begin the process. You can pay the remainder when you come here to take the baby. She is heard asking the buyer, Sathish, who had contacted her through a relative, to visit her and see for himself how she operates. Amuthavalli opted for voluntary retirement though she had nearly 10 years of service left and turned to the illegal adoption business, which she describes as a service. Tamil Nadu health secretary, Beela Rajesh, ordered an inquiry when the purported audio went viral on the social media. Amuthavalli and Ravichandran were arrested on Namakkal district social welfare joint director Ushas complaint. According to police officers aware of the probe into the case, Amuthavalli initially maintained she was facilitating adoption through legal means. But on sustained questioning, she admitted to doing it illegally, they added. Amuthavalli had come across deliveries of unplanned babies, which she used for illegal adoption with the help some hospital staffers. She would traffic such babies in the guise of taking them to childcare homes, the officers said. Namakkal police superintendent R Arularasu said the inquiry is still on. Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in Bijbehara in south Kashmirs Anantnag district after a gun battle with security forces on Thursday morning, officials said. The police and security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation at Bagender Mohalla in Bijbehara following intelligence inputs on Thursday morning. The team was fired upon by militants who were hiding in a house. In the retaliatory fire, two militants were killed. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, one of the police officials said. Police identified the slain militants as Safdar Amin of Bijbehara and Burhan Ahmad Ganaie alias Saifullah of Anantnag. Burhan, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Physiotherapy course, joined militant ranks in June last year. Safder became a militant in May 2017. The killed terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. Several terror crime cases were registered against them, the police official cited above said. Funeral processions were taken out in the native places of both the militants and burials were held amid pro-freedom slogans. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-led coalition will put up a good show in Maharashtra, as there is a strong undercurrent against the Modi government. There is widespread discontent and people will vote the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power, he said. Chavan, however, sought to downplay the issue of indiscipline in the Congress, including rebellion of Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. Excerpts: How has the feedback been so far? Is it a tough contest? I see a strong undercurrent against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments at the Centre and in the state. Their non-performance is a major issue. People have started comparing the performance of the Congress and NDA governments. They have realised there is a vast difference between what the BJP says and what it does. The Congress did whatever it said foreign investment, waiving farmers loans, providing jobs and maintaining a peaceful environment in the country. There was a fearless atmosphere during our tenure. Today, it is full of fear. Academicians, authors, thinkers and minorities fear the government, its agencies and political supporters. Right-wing outfits such as Sanatan Sanstha are getting a free hand to do what they want. Businessmen are under the fear of enforcement directorate and other authorities. Farmers suicides are on the rise and Maharashtra tops the list. The government has not tried to resolve the issue of minimum support price yet. Farmers are throwing away their produce, as rates are falling. Unemployment is at an all-time high. This has never happened. Wherever I go, people are telling me that the previous Congress governments were much better than this regime. You say the situation is bad, but is your party in a position to take political advantage of it? It is in bad shape, with senior leaders deserting it.There is no Opposition unity. Our house is in order. As long as the Opposition unity is concerned, we have managed well. We always had good relations with the NCP. I headed a coalition government with the NCP. We worked out an alliance amicably. The Congress is contesting 27 seats and the NCP 21. We tried to rope in (Dalit leader) Prakash Ambedkar, but he kept us hanging for five months. We offered him six-eight seats because we did not want division of votes. He decided to contest separately without giving us any reason. We realised the BJP set his agenda division of our votes. He was closer to the BJP than the Congress. However, other opposition partiesfarmers leader Raju Shettys Swabhimani Paksh, Peasants and Workers Party, Republican Party of India led by Rajendra Gavai, Bahujan Vikas Aghadhi, outfit led by Dalit leader Jogendra Kawade are with us. Several of your leaders have quit. Son of a leader like Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, has joined the BJP. Comment I wont say things were smooth. Yes, there were some problems, but they were just a couple of cases. Vikhe Patils son [Sujay] was trying to contest from Ahmednagar as a Congress candidate. We tried, but the NCP [which has the seat according to the alliance agreement] did not part with it. As it was an alliance, one seat did not matter. We were looking at the big picture. He [Sujay] went to the BJP. We expelled Aurangabad MLA Abdul Sattar, who rebelled against the party. During elections, these things happen. There are a lot of aspirants and everybody cant get tickets. Once the nominations were filed, these issues settled down. The Congress-NCP led opposition coalition has posed a formidable challenge to the BJP-Sena in Maharashtra. CM Devendra Fadnavis has called the Congress the B team of NCP. What is your reaction? Why should we react to him? What is wrong in being on good terms with your alliance partner? Fadnavis should look at their alliance. He is seeking votes for the people who have been criticising Modi and the BJP in bitter tone. We have seen the language used by [Sena chief] Uddhav Thackeray against [BJP chief] Amit Shah. Still, they forged an unholy alliance. The CM is unhappy because the Congress-NCP worked out alliance without any bickering. An alliance can work well if there is a win-win for both the sides. Where is the question of Congress being the B team of the NCP? If we were bickering, these people would have made fun of us. There is a controversy surrounding the candidature given by the BJP to Malegaon bomb blast case accused Pragya Singh Thakur. Most of the investigation in the case was conducted during the Congress-NCP regime in Maharashtra. How does your party react to this? How can terrorism be Hindu or Muslim? Terrorism is terrorism. Whoever works against the interests of the nation and its people and whoever is resorting to terror activities cant be called a Hindu or Muslim terrorist. Pragya Singh Thakur is the main accused in the Malegaon case. The BJP talks about nationalism, patriotism, and on the other hand, fields someone accused of bomb blast and anti-national activities. This is highly objectionable. We want the Election Commission to disqualify her [Thakur] and the BJP to remove her from the party. The BJP says she is out on bail like Rahul Gandhi. CM Fadnavis has drawn a parallel between the two cases saying crime is a crime.. What sort of crime? The issues are different. Thakur was involved in a bomb blast that killed people. She is involved in an anti-national activity. How can you compare that with the Gandhi case? The BJP is doing it because they just want to put forth an argument. There is no logic to it. The BJP says they have a strong PM and you dont have a face. Is Rahul Gandhi your PM candidate? We are working with like-minded parties in a coalition. We have decided that post election, we will come together and decide our prime minister. The idea is to ensure there is no division of votes and gains for the BJP. Their PM candidate Modi is in a weak position. What he promised earlier and what he is talking about now raise serious questions on his credibility. The whole country is suffering because of his policies. He is now using air strike in Pakistan for political purpose. He is asking for votes in the name of soldiers. The Election Commission asked political parties not to use the defence forces for political purpose, but the PM is doing it on a daily basis and violating the code of conduct. MNS chief Raj Thackeray is addressing rallies and criticising Modi and the BJP. Are you reconsidering your stand of not allowing him in the UPA? Raj Thackeray has a strong opinion about Modi. He has been pointing out how the government failed. He has his agenda. He is not supporting us. People in our party, especially the Mumbai unit, had a different opinion, so there is no question of allowing him. The BJP has fielded 437 candidates in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the highest number of seats the party has contested so far and perhaps for the first time more than its principal rival Congress. The Congress has announced candidates for 423 seats and is likely to announce a few more candidates in the next few days, but it is unlikely that its number of candidates will surpass that of the BJP. The BJP had contested 427 seats in 2014 and won 282 of them, while the Congress had fielded candidates in 450 seats and bagged just 44. Political observers say the BJP contesting on more seats than the Congress as a result of its expansion across the country post 2014. A higher number of BJP candidates are contesting since the BJP has no alliances in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The BJP had allied with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party for the 2014 national polls. The BJP is contesting all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It contested just 12 in 2014. The BJP is, however, contesting fewer seats in Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam because of alliances. Similarly, the Congress is contesting on less number of seats than the BJP this time because it has allied with more parties as compared to 2014. In Karnataka, where the party had contested on all seats in 2014, is now in alliance in with the JD(S). The party has expanded its alliance in Bihar with the entry of new partners. The Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ram Swaroop Sharma on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for Mandi Lok Sabha constituency at an elaborate ceremony attended by top leaders of the party, who addressed around three to four thousand people, at Seri Manch here. BJP leaders including chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, veteran leader Shanta Kumar, former chief minister PK Dhumal and BJP state president Satpal Satti, in what is being seen as a show of strength, spoke about Prime Minster Narendra Modis courage to conduct surgical strikes on land, air and in space. If Congress party had been in power at the time of recent terrorist attacks at Uri and Pulwama, they would only have written a letter to Pakistan condemning the attack but PM Modi, despite a Nuclear threat, attacked terrorists and destroyed their hide outs, said CM Thakur. He said, We need a strong leadership at the Centre to strengthen our army and secure our borders. If Ram Swaroop Sharma will win, Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister and only then can you sleep in peace knowing that a strong chowkidar is on duty. BJP candidates have honest image Jai Ram Thakur said BJP high command has given tickets to leaders with honest image for all the four Lok Sabha seats of the state and that is why the BJP is getting huge support from the public. Satpal Satti targeted former Union minister Pandit Sukh Ram and called him a corrupt and opportunist politician. He used threatening language and said if anyone abused Modi, he will break their legs and will go up to any extent in revenge. Prem Kumar Dhumal said the Opposition raised a finger over surgical and air strikes and this demoralises the spirit of our soldiers. Poonam Mahajan,38, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth wing, and sitting Member of Parliament from Mumbai North-Central seat, spoke to Kumar Uttam. The daughter of the late Pramod Mahajan, a BJP leader, is pitted against Congress candidate Priya Dutt (daughter of late Congress leader Sunil Dutt) in the upcoming poll on April 29. Read edited excerpts: Your government has faced a lot of criticism for its perceived failure to create jobs. What is the impact on young voters? We were among the fragile five nations before 2014, and now we are the sixth largest economy in the world. The strength of the economy lies in the youth and their aspirations. And that is what we looked at. A skill development ministry was created for people who do not connect with paramparik (traditional) jobs. Just being [a] job seeker is not enough; we need to be [a] job creator [as well]. That is why we have a start-up policy. We are aiming for Rs 20,000 crore seed money for start-ups.[It will be collateral free, as per the party manifesto]... We have a situation where a youth living in a slum can take Mudra loan [to start a small business] even without talking to a bank manager. The number of ESIC [Employees State Insurance Corporation] subscribers has increased by 1.8 crore in the past 1.5 years. Will young Opposition leaders like Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party chief) and Tejashwi Yadav (of Rashtriya Janata Dal) have an impact on your youth outreach? All yuvraj (princes) have come together to save their raj [dynasty] and their princely states. Does the leadership want to serve it own interest, or it is like Prime Minister Modi, who is making people the beneficiaries of his schemes? This is an important factor that needs to be looked at. The BJP is also under the scanner for the treatment of Muslims and Dalits. Parties always treated them [minorities] as a vote bank. Why does Modi talk about Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas [collective effort, inclusive development]? This [trend of] differential treatment should stop... I am a youth, and can tell you that the aspiration of the younger generation is not divided along caste or religious lines. Why did BJP bring up the Balakot air strike in its campaigns? Being a nationalist is not a crime. In fact, it is the Congress manifesto which says being an-anti national is not a crime. If you say Bharat ke tukde honge hazar (India would be divided into a thousand pieces) there wont be a case against you... I call it a mockery of the democracy. We are talking about our achievements; 22 crore people have become beneficiaries of different schemes of the government of India. Using surgical strike or air strike (for poll benefits) is not our agenda. We have to give our full respect to army. Is the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance a marriage of convenience? At least there is a marriage... It is not like Mahagathbandhan [grand alliance of opposition parties], which is a relationship of convenience. We [BJP and Sena] have been together for more than 25 years...When you are in an alliance for so long, things are bound to happen. There were several farmers protests in Maharashtra in recent months. Will that benefit the Opposition electorally? The crisis in Maharashtra is because of the 15 years of the misrule of the previous [Congress-Nationalist Congress Party] government. The issues which we saw in northern Maharashtra were related to land of tribal farmers. The CM [Devendra Fadnavis] has assured a solution. It will take time to clear up the mess created in 15 years. The BJP has been ahead of its rivals in all corporation, zilla panchayat, gram panchayat, and nagar palika elections since 2014. Farmers, women and youth are voting for us. How do you compare 2014 with 2019? There are about 10-15% young voters in every seat they believe in the decisive leadership of Narendra Modi. People say there was a Modi wave in 2014. Its a tsunami this time, which will destroy all Opposition. What started as a triangular contest in Uttar Pradesh is fast turning into a fierce two-way battle between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the gathbandhan (the SP-BSP-RLD alliance) in a majority of the 80 constituencies in the state. This is a closely- and intensely fought election between sentiment (Modi) and arithmetic (the alliance). Polling in 26 constituencies is over, but candidates have literally disappeared from the scene. This could be a masterstroke on the part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to kill dissent against the sitting MPs. Unlike Chhattisgarh, where the party dropped all 10 sitting MPs, the BJP high command faced the compulsion of retaining around 64 of them in UP; many were elected in a Modi wave in 2014. The remaining four phases will see 54 seats going to the polls in Uttar Pradesh, including high-profile seats such as Varanasi, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Azamgarh, Kanpur, Kannauj, Lucknow and Faizabad. The focus on Modi is a part of the BJPs design which is clearly reflected in its slogan, Ek naam, ek nishan, naam Modi, kamal nishan, which translates as One name, one symbol; the name is Modi, the symbol is the lotus. The partys banners and posters, put up at vantage positions across the state, have only the picture of Modi along with the party symbol. Other star campaigners figure in posters put up at rally grounds, but nowhere else. The fact is, none of the prime ministers, including the popular ones such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Rajiv Gandhi, could ever become a rallying point like Modi has. Or, like Indira Gandhi did before him. The late Vishwanath Pratap Singh, who implemented the controversial recommendations of the Mandal Commission, polarised society but could not become a rallying point himself. Interestingly, both Indira Gandhi and Modi were proponents of social engineering, rallying points, and also the driving force behind campaigns. If Indira formed a rainbow coalition of Brahmins, Muslims and Dalits, Modis popularity spreads to various castes Brahmins, Thakurs, most backward castes and non-Jatav Dalits. Even at the state level, leaders such as Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad, Bal Thackeray and Mamata Bannerjee were and are polarising figures but their influence remains restricted primarily to their own castes or states. Prof Rajesh Singh, a political analyst from Gorakhpur, says, This election is all about Modi versus gathbandhan. I have been watching parliamentary elections since 1977. Its the first time when even the candidates are becoming irrelevant. People are voting for Modi or gathbandhan. It may sound bizarre but many voters are walking to the polling booth oblivious of the candidate they will vote for. A farmer in Hathras, when asked about the candidates, pleaded ignorance and said: I dont know, I am voting for Modi. It isnt just Modi and the BJP which has adopted the look-beyond-the-candidates strategy. So has the alliance. The catchphrase among the supporters of Mayawati and Akhilesh is our vote is for gathbandhan, which seems to have caught the imagination of voters even in remotest areas. The two parties sealed the alliance on January 12 this year. Interestingly, even the banners and posters of the SP and BSP have pictures of only Akhilesh and Mayawati along with their party symbols. This is a clear shift from earlier elections when pictures of candidates featured prominently. Thus, the two popular words heard throughout the state are Modi and gathbandhan. In Konch town of Jalaun district, some young people complain about the non-performance of their four-time MP Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma. We did not see him once in the last five years. We are angry but this election is about Modi who deserves a second chance to fulfil his promises, says Mukesh Sikarwar. Others nod in agreement. On the other side of the equation, the Ahirwars (Jatavs) and Yadavs have always been at loggerheads in Jhansi Lok Sabha constituency. The seat has been given to the SP candidate but the Ahirwars in Mirchpur village have decided to support him, forgetting their age-old enmity. Why? Mayawati is our leader and she has asked us to vote for him. Otherwise our vote would have gone to Modi, who gave us gas and electricity, they say. Barring a few constituencies where the Congress is in the race, any query about the party is met with indifference. Yahan Congress nahin hai, yahan to bas Modi aur gathbandhan hai ( Its Modi or Alliance here, there is no Congress). The Congress is in the race only in those constituencies where it has fielded high-profile candidates. Political expert Gyanendra Sharma says, Campaigning does help in getting the support of indecisive voters who sometimes play a crucial role in deciding victories. But this time, elections are being fought more on television channels than in the field. Sharma says its unfortunate that even the party manifestoes are taken flippantly by voters, who otherwise have lots of complaints of non-performance against the government in power and the sitting MPs. Yes, 2019 polls will be remembered as an election that created noise on issues, but voted for personalities. Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh courted yet another controversy on Tuesday when he called for a ban on green flags, which he said tend to create hatred in the society and gives one a feeling of being in Pakistan. Talking to media persons in Begusarai on Tuesday, Singh demanded that the Election Commission ban green flag, claiming it gave an impression of Muslim-related political or religious institutions. These type of flags tend to create hatred in the society and gives one a feeling of being in Pakistan, he said. While the RJD and Congress were quick to hit back, NDA constituents dismissed his remarks as personal. The RJD, which incidentally has a green flag, demanded a ban on Singh, who is contesting from Begusarai against RJDs Tanveer Hassan and CPIs Kanhaiya Kumar, besides others. RJD national spokesman Manoj Jha said Giriraj spat venom whenever he spoke. He should be named Vishraj (the venom king) Singh instead of Giriraj Singh, said Jha, wondering how the national flag would look if green was removed from it. Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) spokesman Harkhu Jha said Singhs demand demonstrated his distorted mentality aimed at polarising voters on the basis of religion in his constituency. He wanted to link religion with politics. The ECI must take note of it and act against him forthwith, said the Congress leader. JD(U) national spokesman KC Tyagi refused to comment. However, JD(U)s state spokesman Neeraj Kumar said his party was disassociating itself from his statement, which seemed to have been made in an individual capacity. JD(U)s flag is also predominantly green, which denotes environment and prosperity, said Kumar. LJP spokesman Arshad Ansari said his party would have definitely reacted had the remark come from Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP chief Amit Shah. LJPs national flag also carried green colour, he said. Chief electoral officer, Bihar, H R Srinivas, said he had not received any petition from Singh either in individual capacity or as the BJP candidate. We will see if any such demand is formally made to the ECI, said the Bihar poll panel chief. Also Read | Lok Sabha elections 2019: I cannot arrange visas for Pakistan, Sidhu can, says Giriraj Singh If the BJP comes back to power, only one person would be responsible for it and that would be Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday, attacking the Congress president for the failure of the two parties to forge and alliance in Delhi. The Delhi chief minister also hit out at the BJP, accusing the ruling party of fulfilling Pakistans agenda of dividing the country. Talking to reporters at the launch of AAPs Delhi manifesto, Kejriwal said the AAP would not have dreamt of forming an alliance with the Congress but had agreed to do so only to save the country. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi which alliance is formed on Twitter. If they were serious about forming an alliance, they should have come to the table for negotiations. Giving statements in public is not going to solve the problem, he said. On Gandhis comment that he would try till the last moment to form an alliance with the AAP in Delhi, Kejriwal said, This is posturing. They dont have an intention. The Congress, in response, said Kejriwal was himself confused. The Congress top leadership had extended a hand for alliance towards him, but he did not reciprocate. Then, he says the Congress is responsible if Modiji wins. In Delhi, now he is mixing politics and religion, said Ragini Nayak, Congress spokesperson,. I remember the big dreams that he had shown -- morality in politics, transparency in politics, inclusive politics and today, he is doing what the BJP does, that if you are Hindu, vote for them, or if you are Muslim, vote for them. I feel this is not good for the democracy, Nayak said. Speaking on the seat-sharing arrangement proposed by the Congress, Kejriwal said giving three seats to the Congress would mean losing on all those seats. Kejriwal went on to say that the Congress was not getting a single Hindu vote, while the Muslims were a little confused as well. The AAP will support any secular mahagathbandhan after the general elections. This election is the fight to save the nation, democracy and the Constitution of the country, he said. Congress leader PC Chako said his party will have a direct fight with the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi and asserted that the possibility of a triangular contest is slowly disappearing in the national capital. Kejriwal also attacked BJP president Amit Shah for an alleged tweet that the BJP will remove every single infiltrator from this country except Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs, Kejriwal said it meant that the BJPs plan was to remove all religions except these three from the country. Even Pakistan wanted to divide India. The BJP is fulfilling Pakistans agenda of dividing Indiaof weakening it, Kejriwal added. The AAP has already announced its candidates for the seven seats in Delhi Pankaj Gupta from Chandni Chowk, Atishi from East Delhi, Gugan Singh from North West Delhi, Raghav Chadha from South Delhi, Dilip Pandey from North East Delhi, Balbir Singh Jakhar from West Delhi and Brajesh Goel from New Delhi. with agency inputs Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal trained his guns on BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launch of Aam Aadmi Partys manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. The AAP chief said the 2019 polls could be a turning point for India. The 2019 election is to save nation, save Constitution. We are Indians first, then Hindu or Muslim, said Kejriwal. He said the key promise of his party is to defeat the BJP and to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah from power. We will do everything to stop the Modi-Shah duo. We will support any grand alliance government. The BJP is against minorities. We are Indians first, then Hindu or Muslim, he added. Watch | AAP releases manifesto, Kejriwal vows fight for full statehood for Delhi Arvind Kejriwal also took a swipe at Congress chief at Rahul Gandhi and blamed him for failing to forge an alliance. Want to ask Rahul Gandhi which alliance is formed on Twitter. If Modi, Shah return to power, only he (Rahul Gandhi) will be responsible, said the Delhi CM. Kejriwal said the AAP tries its best to forge an alliance but it seemed the Congress wasnt serious about it. Congress and AAP were in discussions for weeks but at the last minute the talks failed over AAPs demand for alliance outside Delhi. The AAP manifesto promised statehood for Delhi, a long-standing demand of the ruling party. Kejriwal said Delhi can be on a par with other capital cities only when it gets statehood. We will continue this fight, he added. Cunningham is seven months pregnant. If shes incarcerated at the time of the birth, DCFS would be contacted by either the hospital where she delivers or the jail or prison where shes housed, said Jassen Strokosch, spokesman for the states child welfare agency. Will not let Varanasi down, says PM Modi at rally after roadshow Asking permission from the public of Varanasi to file his nomination, PM Modi promised the citizens of Varanasi to never let Varanasi down. He claimed to have given an account of works in the last 5 years, while congress didnot. Last five years were for preparations, upcoming years are to yield results: PM Modi Last five years were for the preparations, but the upcoming five years will be there to yield results. Five years that went were to prepare honestly for the future but now the five years are for better life: PM Modi in Varanasi On track to achieve targets: PM Modi Whole country is seeing the positive change in the nation, I cannot claim that every target has been achieved, but we are on the right track to achieve them very soon: PM Modi in Varanasi Prime Minister Modi mentions terror attacks in Sri Lanka Prime Minister Modi mentions terror attacks in Sri Lanka while addressing public meeting in Varanasi, says fight against Terrorism getting stronger. He claimed that Pakistan has been cornered by BJPs foreign policy especially after the Pulwama attacks. Kashi blessed me to be PM, not just MP, says Modi after mega roadshow After a mega roadshow and Ganga Aarti in Varanasi, PM claimed that Kashi has blessed him to be Prime Minister, not just Member of Parliament. PM Modi addresses public meeting in Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses public meeting in Varanasi. Addressing citizens of Kashi. Watch. https://t.co/hS61JQLiRy Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2019 PM Modi performs Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat PM Modi performs Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, he is accompanied by BJP president Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Earlier in the evening PM held a mega roadshow from BHU gate to Dashashwamedh Ghat, he will be filling in his nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat tommorrow. PM Modi performs Ganga aarti Live: Blessed to do the Ganga Arti in Kashi! Live: Blessed to do the Ganga Arti in Kashi! https://t.co/2kplWXlH80 Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2019 Ganga aarti begins at Dashashwamedh Ghat, PM Modi to offer prayers later Ganga aarti begins at Varanasis Dashashwamedh Ghat, but PM Narendra Modi to offer prayers later as he has not reached the Ghat. PM Modi to arrive shortly at Dashashwamedh Ghat Varanasi: Visuals from Dashashwamedh Ghat. PM Narendra Modi to arrive shortly, reports news agency ANI. Varanasi: Visuals from Dashashwamedh Ghat. PM Narendra Modi to arrive shortly. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/K2c1BUjBnp ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 25, 2019 PMs nominations likely to be NDA show of strength The prime minister is scheduled to file his nomination papers on April 26, Friday. NDA leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and AIADMK leaders will be present during the nomination. Politicians, sports stars, artistes attend PM Modis roadshow Padma awardees, noted industrialists, musicians and artistes participates in PM Narendra Modis road show in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Thursday. Thousands line up on streets as PM Modi begins Varanasi roadshow People lined up the narrow streets of Varanasi to get a glimpse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his mega roadshow on Thursday evening. Many were seen on rooftops waving at the PM and other BJP leaders. Modi is seeking re-election from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. In 2014, he won by over 3 lakh votes. PM Modi eyes second term from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat On Friday, the PM will file his nomination papers for the seat he won by bagging more than half the votes polled, 56 per cent, and won with a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes in 2014. PMs roadshow to end at Dashashwamedh Ghat The road show that began from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) gate will culminate at Dashashwamedh Ghat after passing through Assi, Bhadaini, Madanpura, Sonarpura and Godaulia. At Dashashwamedh Ghat, Modi will participate in Ganga Arti. Ajay Rai to contest from Varanasi against PM Modi The Congress ended weeks of speculation about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting the national elections within months of her political plunge and named Ajay Rai as its candidate against a Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. PM Modi holds roadshow in Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds roadshow in his constituency Varanasi. Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a roadshow #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/YR7C1qucvm ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 25, 2019 Grateful for warmth, tweets PM Modi Live from Kashi...Grateful for the warmth and affection! Live from Kashi...Grateful for the warmth and affection! https://t.co/792e4aX6Sa Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2019 PM Modi to garlands Madan Mohan Malviyas statue Prime Minister Narendra Modi garlands Pt. Madan Mohan Malviyas statue at Banaras Hindu University gate. #WATCH Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya, outside Banaras Hindu University (BHU) pic.twitter.com/1ivDSQ5vhw ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 25, 2019 PM Modi arrives in Varanasi PM Modi arrives in Varanasi, will begin the roadshow shortly PM Narendra Modi to perform Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to perform Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat later today, reports news agency ANI. Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to perform Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat later today. pic.twitter.com/ObLNDWAM4N ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 25, 2019 PM Modi tweets before arriving in Varanasi Before arriving in Varanasi, PM Modi tweets, After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi. There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi. There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev! Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2019 PM Modi to hold a roadshow in Varanasi shortly Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a roadshow in Varanasi shortly. Visuals from outside Banaras Hindu University (BHU), reports news agency ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a roadshow in Varanasi shortly. Visuals from outside Banaras Hindu University (BHU). pic.twitter.com/qdZWqfsYRf ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 25, 2019 Preparations underway for PM Modis roadshow Even those fighting 20 seats think theyll become PM: Modi Even those fighting 8 seats, 20 seats, or even 40 seats think theyll become PM, said PM Narendra Modi while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradeshs Banda. Opposition has a long face after 3 phases of polling: PM Modi Opposition has a long face after three phases of polling; they know the outcome: PM Narendra Modi in Uttar Pradeshs Banda. Rahul Gandhi to shortly address rally in Ajmer Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is set to address a public rally in Rajasthans Ajmer. He is accompanied by Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and deputy CM Sachin Pilot. BJP chief Amit Shah addresses rally in UPs Unnao BJP chief Amit Shah is currently addressing a rally in Uttar Pradeshs Unnao. Priyanka Gandhi holds roadshow in Jhansi Priyanka Gandhi is currently holding a roadshow in Uttar Pradeshs Jhansi. PM sanctioned one lakh crore for bullet train, but not for your trains: Rahul Gandhi PM has sanctioned one lakh crore rupees for bullet train, which may be used by say 500 or 1000 people, but he isnt ready to give 80 crore for your trains, said Rahul Gandhi while addressing a public rally in Rajasthan. Proposed Nyay after 5 years of injustice: Rahul Gandhi I came upo with the name Nyay for Congress proposed mimimum income support scheme, because for five years the people of the country have been denied justice and its now time to give them Nyay (justice), said Rahul gandhi while addressing a public rally in Rajasthan. Not Priyanka Gandhi, Ajay Rai is Congress candidate against Modi in Varanasi Not Priyanka Gandhi, Ajay Rai is Congress candidate against Modi in Varanasi AAP manifesto promises full statehood to Delhi As he released the AAPs manifesto, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal promised full statehood to Delhi and added that the Key poll promise is to defeat BJP: AAPs Kejriwal at manifesto event Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal today released AAP manifesto and said that their key poll promise is to defeat BJP. 2019 election about saving democracy: AAP releases manifesto 2019 election about saving democracy: AAP releases manifesto Even those fighting 20 seats want to be PM: Modi People who are contesting only 40, 20 or even eight seats are standing in the queue waiting for their turn to become the prime minister, saidModi at Bihar rally. Only a stable govt can protect the nation: PM Modi Only a stable government can protect the nation, traditions and interest of people, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bihars Darbhanga. Those seeking IAF strike proof vanished after 3 phases of voting: PM Those asking for proof of IAF strike have vanished after the three phases of voting, they have now begun questioning the EVMs, said PM Narendra Modi in Bihar. Mahamilavat asks why Modi talks about terrorism: PM Some people have problems with Bharat Mata ki jai and Vande Mataram, should such lose their deposits in elections. These are the people who ask why Modi talks about terrorism. I want to ask the mahamilavat, is terrorism not a real issue, even when terrorists killed over 350 people in the neighbouring country Sri Lanka, said PM Modi in Bihar. PM Modi addresses rally in Bihar Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently addressing a public meeting in Bihars Darbhanga. He is accompanied by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan. Oppn has no understanding of farmer issues: Nitish Kumar The Opposition talks about farm distress but they have no understanding of what the farmer really needs. they say they will waive off farm loans but I want to ask them do all famers in the country take loans. Instead, farmers must be provided with financial support so that the cost they incur can be reduced, said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar addresses rally Bihar chief minister along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a public meeting in Bihars Darbhanga. PM Modi set to address rally in Bihar Prime Minister Narendra Modi will shortly address a public meeting in Bihars Darbhanga. Fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the high-profile Lok Sabha seat Gorakhpur, Bhojpuri actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan is getting wide media attention. Though the actor faces criticism for being an outsider, he is quick to brush aside the tag, referring to his roots in Moomkhar village in Gorakhpur. In an interview to Abdul Jadid, Ravi Kishan said he was lucky to have been selected as chowkidar (guard) of the holy seat of Gorakshpeeth. Excerpts: You are being labelled as an outsider by your political opponents. What do you have to say? Many leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh have contested on seats from where they do not hail. I have to serve my country no matter from where do I contest. Such issue should have been raised if I had come from another country to contest elections. I am an Indian and belong to a village in Gorakhpur. This connection brought me here. People know I belong to the same soil. They know how I stood by development of Bhojpuri language and they are giving their love to me. Their excitement and energy is clearly evident in my rallies and road shows. Many Bhojpuri artistes like Manoj Tiwari and Kajal Nishad have unsuccessfully tried their luck in polls from Gorakhpur. Where do you see yourself? The situation is different this time. I have the blessings of chief minister Yogi Adityanath who is the head priest of Gorakshpeeth. Besides, I have the blessings of my parents and Bhole Nath (Lord Shiva). I am lucky to have been declared the candidate or chowkidar of Gorakshpeeth which is the centre of devotion and faith for lakhs of Hindu devotees of east UP. Your candidature from the chief ministers seat came as a surprise. Have you been handpicked by the CM or party president Amit Shah? I am a choice of the entire organisation but I have special blessings of Maharaj ji (Yogi Adityanath). Without his permission, no one can contest from this seat as it belongs to Gorakspeeth. However, my name was proposed and cleared by the entire organisation with the consent of the PM as well as the CM. People of Gorakhpur are seeing a different Ravi Kishan who dons saffron attire and offers prayers in temples. Are you trying to push the partys Hindutva agenda? This has been my identity since long. Even during the Kumbh Mela, I performed Shiv Tandav. If you search the Internet, you will find pictures of my home where I can be seen blowing conch shell and worshipping deities. We are very religious people. Whenever I visit the sacred land of Baba Gorakhnath, how can I forget to attend religious discourses? You have already spoken about setting up a film industry in Gorakhpur and inclusion of Bhojpuri in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. Any other plan if you get elected? The film industry in Gorakhpur will benefit the people a lot. Problems of everyday life will be sorted out once I get elected. I will live here and die here. I have already set up my office and residence here. I will serve people because service is the only dharm (religion) I know. When you were asked about gathbandhan (alliance), you had said that it would be swaha (lose existence by burning up in yajna fire). How do you see your opponent, especially in Gorakhpur where you have direct fight with Nishad candidate of the alliance? Let the result come. There is a fight of ideology but when you meet your opponent, you should respect them. Also Read | Bhojpuri film city in Gorakhpur if BJP voted to power again: Ravi Kishan Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Wednesday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Pradhan Prachar Mantri and accused the BJP of wasting drinking water to clean roads in Banda, an arid town in Uttar Pradeshs Budelkhand region. Priyanka Gandhis comments drew a sharp reaction from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who said her statements show that the fear of defeat has gripped the Congress. The Congresss attack on Modi and the BJP came a day ahead of the prime ministers visit here. Water from tankers were being used to clean roads to welcome our Pradhan Prachar Mantri (chief publicity minister), she claimed. This is happening at a time when the entire Bundelkhand, the men and women living there, school going children, crops, birds and animals are facing the spectre of drought, the Congress general secretary said. In a tweet, Priyanka Gandhi said, Is he a chowkidar (watchman) or a shahnshah (emperor) coming from Delhi. The prime minister is schedule to address an election rally here on Thursday. Rebutting allegations, Adityanath said, The fear of defeat has gripped the Congress so much that it can be proved from the fact that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has termed an 11 seconds of washing of keechad (mud), as the washing of an entire road. In a tweet, he said, The Congress is a factory of lies. Even after tendering an apology in the Supreme Court, these Congressmen are not mending their ways. His reference was to Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressing regret in the Supreme Court on Monday over his remark chowkidar (watchman) Narendra Modi chor hain in connection with the Rafale judgment. Footwear politics played out in Amethi over the last couple of days. On Monday, it was Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who had criticised Union minister Smriti Irani for distributing footwear in Amethi, describing it as an insult to the people of the Congress bastion, who, she said, had never begged before anyone. Smriti Irani responded promptly, claiming Priyanka was engaging in drama and urged her to visit Hariharpur village to know the reality. Both the Congress and BJP are locked in a fierce contest for Amethi, which goes to polls in the sixth phase on May 6. Watch | Amethi insulted: Priyanka Gandhi slams Smriti Irani for distributing shoes During all this, no resident in Hariharpur appeared to be clear as to who got the footwear over which Priyanka and Smriti sparred. First, Congress MLC from Amethi Deepak Singh shared a video of Hariharpur residents slamming Irani for naming the village as a recipient of the footwear largesse. Singling out our village is an insult to us. Are we dying without footwear? the villagers could be heard saying in the video which local RSS leaders claimed was made by influencing the villagers. Smritiji you have insulted the people of Hariharpur, said Deepak Singh, the Congress MLC. On Wednesday, residents of the village were seen targeting the Congress, saying their village along with Baraulia, the other village, developed only after it was adopted by the then defence minister late Manohar Parrikar. After becoming a Rajya Sabha MP from UP, Parrikar had adopted two villages in Amethi Baraulia in 2015 followed by Hariharpur in 2017. Hariharpur residents are unanimous that while their village benefitted immensely from their association with Parrikar, no footwear consignment ever landed here. I dont think if we ever had any footwear being gifted to us by anyone ever, said Pankaj Kumar Pandey, a social worker with RSS link from Hariharpur said on phone. Probably it was sent to Baraulia after it was devastated by a fire in 2014, said Rama Shankar Tiwari, another resident. In Baraulia, Surendra Singh, former gram pradhan (village head), admitting that footwear indeed had come to the village though he was unable to pinpoint any specific date or time when the consignment came. After Parrikars demise, Irani had in a TV programme first referred to the footwear thing. During 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign Manohar Parrikar, who was then the chief minister of Goa, had come to Amethi and travelled the constituency in a simple vehicle. When he returned by evening he asked me what kind of a constituency is this where people didnt even have footwear? I said sir, this is the reality of Amethi, Irani had said. The union minister said Parrikar had then returned back to Goa, got 25000 footwear collected through donations and sent them after elections to each of the villages he had visited. On March 12, 1993, between 1:30pm and 3:40 pm, 12 coordinated blasts exploded through Mumbai, killing 257 and injuring 713 others. At Century Bazaar, where a jeep loaded with RDX had been parked, more than 200 people were injured and 113 were killed. The man who drove the explosive-laden jeep was Abdul Ghani Ismail Turk. After parking it, Turk hailed a cab and went home to Dongri, from where he would later be arrested. Turk died on Thursday in a Nagpur hospital. He was 68. In 2007, he had been sentenced to death by a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court. Later, this was commuted to a life sentence. When he had been arrested by Worli Police in 1993, Turk was 35, a resident of Dongri, father of five, and an aide of gangster Tiger Memon. Black Friday, as the 1993 blasts came to be known, was Memons brainchild and allegedly the gangsters way of retaliating against the riots that erupted in Mumbai after the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, in 1992. Before working with Memon, Turk had worked as a driver in Saudi Arabia between 1980 and 1985, and then as a taxi driver in Mumbai. Around 1987, he started smuggling goods from Dubai and Bangkok to sell in Mumbai, and was sent to Nashik jail for eight months after being arrested under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA). When he came out, Turk was hired as a driver by Memons office. His job was to bring and deliver money laundered through hawala channels and he was paid a salary of 5,000. Turk soon became a trusted member of Memons team. During the planning of the 1993 blasts, Turk helped transport RDX and arms from the Shekadi coast of Raigad district. He also helped assemble some of the vehicle bombs and was entrusted with planting the jeep outside Century Bazaar. The trial for the 1993 blasts was conducted over 15 years. Turk would first admit to parking the RDX-laden jeep and later retract his confession. However, the judge accepted the confession as voluntary and consistent with other evidence. While pleading for leniency in 2006, Turk had said, I am not a terrorist and was misguided and dragged into the conspiracy by co-accused. Thirty-five people, including Memon, Dawood Ibrahim, Mohammed Ahmed Umar Dosa and Javed Chikna, are still wanted in the case. Milind Deora, contesting from Mumbai South as Congress candidate and challenging incumbent MP Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-BJP), released a video last week as part of his election campaign. The video has since travelled far and wide, and raised a number of questions. The brouhaha over it says something about the dichotomy in the business-politics relationship. In the video, Mukesh Ambani and Uday Kotak are among those who endorse Deora to represent the constituency. Ambani says to the camera, Milind is the man for South Bombay. Having represented South Bombay for 10 years, I believe Milind has in-depth knowledge of the social, economic and cultural ecosystem of the constituency. This must be the first such public endorsement by the nations most wealthy and powerful industrialist. It is certainly a departure from the past in which industrialists were shy to proclaim their political preferences. Commentators saw in it the portents of changes, the shifting of political winds as it were, against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If only a change of government and party in power were as simple as a video endorsement, politicians would not be juggling electoral arithmetic and there wouldnt be a booming electoral economy. The 2019 general election will cost an unprecedented 50,000 crore or $7 billion, according to New Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies. That business and industry share a symbiotic relationship with politics is an open secret. For a number of historical reasons, both sides were content to keep it away from public glare. In a nation with deep poverty till recently, politicians aligned themselves with their majority voters but they simultaneously conducted the business of politics behind closed doors. The 1991 economic liberalisation and subsequent impacts have allowed this relationship to be aired. Ambanis and Kotaks endorsement should be seen in this light but thats part of the story. The other part is in the relationship between Indias wealthiest and its political class. Ambani, as Raj Thackeray told a Mumbai audience this week, is a powerful businessman and knows which direction the wind is blowing. Ambani is Indias richest and the worlds 13th richest man with a net worth of more than $50 billion, according to Forbes this year. He is unlikely to put all his weight behind one political party or a candidate. The family is known to keep warm relations across the political spectrum. The dissonance comes from Congress president Rahul Gandhis repeated references to Prime Minister Modis government as suit-boot ki sarkar and Gandhis decision to keep industrialists at arms length. But the Congress party, especially Deora, is a realist. Thats why he had Ambani endorse him; it could help swing a close election. Besides, Deoras family through his late father Murli Deora and the Ambanis go back a long way in the business-politics relationship, and are also part of south Mumbais swish set where business and politics seamlessly merge. The video is the tip of the berg. What should concern us is how big businesses have managed to game the political system and how industrialists wear both hats at the same time. The book Indias Porous State: Blurred Boundaries and the Evolving Business-State Relationship in India by Christophe Jaffrelot, Atul Kohli, and Kanta Murali, identified three ways in which business plays a role in Indias politics. It states, first, with business leaders as MPs, the representative power of business in the institution increases. According to the book, second, it enables business to make policy and influence how policies are implemented. Third, many of these business leader-MPs sit on parliamentary committees which have jurisdiction over their businesses thereby creating conflicts of interests. They cite dozens of examples including that of Vijay Mallya who sat on three Parliamentary Committees when he had business interests in all three sectors. From barely 14% in 1991, businessmen and industrialists formed 26% of the Lok Sabha, the book stated. Now that is cause for reflection. Two unidentified men have been booked by Pimpri-Chinchwad police for sexual harassment of a woman and physically assaulting her brother for raising his voice against the incident. The complaint in the matter was lodged by the 29-year-old woman. The incident took place at Somatane Phata, old Pune-Mumbai highway on April 23, 2019. The woman has claimed that while travelling in a car with her brother, two unidentified men in another car made sexual gestures at her. Her brother stopped the car and asked them the reason behind such behaviour. The two accused got into a physical fight with him. The complainant does not know the two men. We are yet to track them down and ascertain their identity, said police sub-inspector Vijay Sapkal of Talegaon Dabhade police station who is investigating the case. A case under Sections 354(a) (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (insult with an intention of porvoking breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code was registered at Talegaon Dabhade police station against the motorist. I truly believe there are pets that have been released that the owners couldnt take care of, said Mendoza, who has had more than 150 cats spayed or neutered over the last four years. They didnt have them fixed, so theyre out in the street trying to fend for themselves. And they, of course, will reproduce. An explosion occurred in a town east of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, on Thursday but there were no casualties, a police spokesman said. Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said police were investigating the blast on empty land behind the magistrates court in Pugoda, 40 km (25 miles). There was an explosion behind the court, we are investigating, he said, adding it was not a controlled explosion like other blasts in recent days. The blast came at a time of high tension in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday suicide bomber attacks on the island state that killed 359 people and wounded about 500. Chinas defence ministry on Thursday remained silent on the reason behind the absence of any Pakistani warship at this weeks high-profile maritime parade to mark Chinese navys 70th anniversary. It also clubbed New Delhis decision to send two warships to the event with the broad support of the international community for it, and said the Peoples Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) was keen to strengthen ties with both India and Pakistan. India had dispatched its largest destroyer, INS Kolkata and the largest supply ship, INS Shakti for the international fleet review -- inspected by President Xi Jinping to mark PLANs founding day on April 23 on the Yellow Sea off the eastern Chinese port city, Qingdao. India sent to frontline battleships despite the Indian navys heavy deployment in the Arabian Sea. It followed heightened tension with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack in February and the skirmish between the two air forces in March-end. As reported by HT on April 7, thats apparently why Islamabad wasnt able to dispatch any warship and instead send Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Chief of the Naval Staff of Pakistan to take part in the PLAN event. Beijing appeared to take no notice of iron brother Pakistans inability to send ships to sail at the maritime parade. The multinational activities were widely echoed and supported by the international community. More than 60 counties sent their naval delegations and 13 countries sent their ships which were 18 in total including Indian ships, senior colonel Ren Guoqiang said at the monthly ministry briefing in Beijing on Thursday. We believe the activities will undoubtedly contribute to the friendship and mutual ships between the PLA Navy and its world counterparts, Ren said, responding to specific questions on the Indian navys participation at the parade and the Pakistan navys absence. Ren then talked about Chinas military ties with Pakistan, and, for some reason, clubbed it with India. At the same time, China always attaches great importance to the military-to-military relations between China and India and also China and Pakistan, he said. We are ready to make more efforts with the two nations to push forward the military relations and exchanges, he said. The India dispatched the indigenously built, INS Kolkata, to the event showed that New Delhi attached importance to the prestigious event. Its also true that the two navies have been sizing up each other in international waters for reach and influence. Overall, the China-India maritime dynamic is an increasingly frigid one with Delhi wary about what it perceives to be Beijings creeping encroachments in its traditional sphere of influence, the Indian Ocean, Ben Ho, a naval analyst with the Military Studies Programme at Singapores S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said. Indias recent fortifying of its military position in the strategically located Andaman and Nicobar Islands is arguably a response to the Chinese navys Indian Ocean forays. In public, China reacted guardedly to this development, but it is likely that PLAN chieftains will regard the new base in Andaman and Nicobar with caution, Ho said. It is, therefore, telling that Beijing recently deployed two of its most-capable warships including a Type 052C missile destroyer with Aegis-like capabilities for low-intensity anti-piracy patrols off Somalia. This is likely to be strategic messaging on the part of the Chinese, and it evinces yet the increasingly competitive nature of the China-India maritime dynamic, which is unlikely to take a turn for the better in the near future, he argued. London-based lawyers acting on behalf of Christian Michel, currently in jail in India for his alleged role in corruption in the sale of AgustaWestland helicopters in 2010, have filed an urgent communication with UN bodies, seeking their intervention to secure his release. The communication was filed in Geneva on Tuesday by Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The communication alleges Michel, a British national, was unlawfully handed over to India by authorities in Dubai in a move reminiscent of rendition. It adds that the Italian high court had reportedly earlier rejected his involvement in the scandal due to lack of evidence. The process by which Mr Michel was extradited to India did not follow due process and further, is a clear attempt to override international protocols relating to the process. The process that led to his removal from the UAE can only be described as a flagrant denial of justice that circumvented due process and seriously undermines any purported commitment to the rule of law, it states. It is quite clear that the level of political interference with the case was such that it is devoid of an independent judicial process and can only be characterised an unlawful transfer from one state to another that is reminiscent of rendition, a statement from the law firm said. There was no immediate response from Indian officials to the development. A person familiar with developments said Indian authorities were waiting for the response of the UN bodies to the communication. The communication alleges Michel was handcuffed, blindfolded and transported by private jet, clearly being taken in a hurried and unlawful manner without the ability to challenge any decision, and raises questions about whether he will receive a fair trial. According to the law firm, on arriving in India, Michel was interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation for two weeks, with sessions lasting 14 hours or more without any breaks. He was then moved to a cell in Delhis Tihar Jail. In filing this petition of complaint, Guernica requests that the UN Special Procedures Branch examine the circumstances of Mr Michels rendition, detention, and ongoing ill-treatment with a view to his release and exoneration being secured, the law firm said. Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. He is currently in judicial custody. The Enforcement Directorate, which is probing the case with the CBI, filed a charge-sheet against Michel in 2016 that alleged he received 30 million euros (about 225 crore) from AgustaWestland, which was nothing but kickbacks to execute the 12-helicopter deal in favour of the firm. Under the now-scrapped deal with AugustaWestland, a subsidiary of the Italian defence group Leonardo, which was formerly known as Finmeccanica, India agreed to buy the helicopters for ferrying VVIPs. The deal was inked in February 2010 and scrapped four years later over allegations that bribes had exchanged hands. Consul general of China in Kolkata, Zha Liyou on Thursday called for more bonhomie between Indian states and Chinese provinces, which he said would augur well for bilateral ties between the two countries. Both Kolkata and Kunming are twin sister cities. But the relation between the two is not active. The potential is not fully utilised. There is a need for greater collaboration between them, he said at an interactive session organised by the MCCI here. Citing an instance, the envoy said such ties among twin cities between China and other countries are much higher -- Japan (250), US (over 200), Russia (140) and Germany (40). Talking about eastern India, he said the region occupies an important place in the context of China, as it is the land of Lord Buddha. Zha said there was also need to create awareness about Bengali culture among the Chinese, particularly films and personalities like Satyajit Ray. Sri Lankas defence secretary resigns Sri Lankas defence secretary resigns after being blamed for not acting on intel inputs on suicide bombers Police arrest 3 people, seize grenades in Colombo Sri Lankan police arrest three people, seize grenades and other weapons in Colombo raid, said a police spokesman, reported news agency Reuters. Israel warns of high concrete threat in Sri Lanka Israels Counter-Terrorism Bureau on Thursday issued a travel warning for Sri Lanka, raising the threat level to indicate a high concrete threat, advising travellers to leave the country and avoid visiting the country in the near future. The elevated alert level comes after consultations with security and Foreign Ministry officials, CNN quoted a statement from the Counter-Terrorism Bureau as saying. Level 2 is the second-highest threat level. A threat level of 1 indicates a very high concrete threat in which travellers are urged to leave the country immediately. The warning follows the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday which killed 359 people and injured hundreds. The Islamic State claimed responsibility though Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local Muslim group for the carnage. Father of 2 bombers arrested on suspicion of aiding his sons: Former navy chief Sri Lankas former navy chief says father of 2 Easter suicide bombers arrested on suspicion of aiding his sons, reported news agency Associated Press. Australia says Sri Lanka bomber studied there Australias prime minister said one of the suicide bombers in the Sri Lanka Easter attacks had been in Australia years earlier. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the person had been in Australia on a student and a graduate skilled visa with a spouse and child visa as well. The individual left in early 2013. Morrison told reporters Thursday the persons Australian link was part of an ongoing investigation and wouldnt comment further. Separately, a British security official has confirmed one of the bombers was believed to have studied in the U.K. between 2006 and 2007. Bomb scare, suspicious vehicle rattle nervous Sri Lanka amid attack probe Sri Lankan authorities locked down the central bank and the road leading to the jittery capitals airport was shut briefly by a bomb scare on Thursday as more people were swept up in the search for those behind Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359. Two bank officials told Reuters the street outside the building near the World Trade Center in the capital, Colombo, was blocked to traffic before the security alert was lifted. Underscoring the nervous atmosphere in the Indian Ocean nation, authorities also shut the entry road to Colombos main airport after a suspicious vehicle was identified at a nearby carpark. The road was reopened when the alert was declared a false alarm. Catholic church services suspended All of Sri Lankas Catholic churches have been ordered to stay closed and suspend services until security improves after deadly Easter bombings, a senior priest told AFP Thursday. On the advice of the security forces we are keeping all churches closed, the priest said. There will be no public mass said until further notice. Central agencies responsible for countering the influence of Islamic State in India have found that Sri Lanka-based National Towheed Jamaat (NTJ), a Tamil Nadu-based outfit and some people from Kerala were in regular touch for over a year to create a separate Islamic confederation in the region, a counterterrorism official claimed. The official, however, said the Tamil Nadu-based organisation doesnt seem to be involved in Sri Lanka attacks but it was in touch with radical elements, an angle which needs to be probed further. The IS on Tuesday owned up the Easter Sunday bombing in the island nation that killed more than 350 people. The NTJ was led by Maulvi Zahran Bin Hashim, the alleged mastermind of Sunday attacks. He blew himself up at Shangri La hotel in Colombo, primary investigations have revealed. The Indian agencies are also working on a Bangladeshi link to the-IS inspired modules that have tried or are trying to establish a base in south India. The National Investigation Agency had claimed last year that over a dozen IS recruits from Tamil Nadu and Kerala had either travelled to Sri Lanka to get radical Islamic lessons before moving to Islamic State-held territory in Nangarhar province (Afghanistan) or were in touch with Hashim for Jehadi activities, as first reported by HT. Those who travelled to Sri Lanka include Ashfak Majeed from Kasargod (went to Sri Lanka in February 2016 along with his wife and daughter), Abdul Rashid Abdulla from Kozhikode (went to SL with his wife and daughter in 2016) and Palakkad resident Bestin Vincent who left with his wife in December 2015. They all were investigated by NIA following a first information report (FIR) number 04/2016 was registered in Mumbai. Similarly, the Sri Lanka link was found by NIA in its 33/2016 FIR lodged in Coimbatore. In this case, six IS suspects Mohammed Ashiq A, Ismail S, Samsudeen, Mohammed Salauddin S, Jafar Shadik Ali and Shahul Hameed have been named. They were in touch with Hashim and videos recovered from them gave a hint to agencies about a big terror plan in Sri Lanka, investigators claimed. The NIA is now is re-examining documents and evidence collected by it while probing IS modules in the southern states to see if Hashim had radicalised other Indian IS members as well. The central agency has so far arrested over 70 IS members since 2014 from different states but maximum number of youngsters influenced by IS ideology are from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A CCTV footage reportedly shows two of the suspected suicide bombers inside an elevator of the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankas Colombo moments before they blew themselves up on Easter Sunday. The latest footage comes after another suspected suicide bomber was seen entering St Sebastians church in Negombo, where 200 people were killed in the deadliest of the six near-simultaneous attacks. Also read | Exact moment suicide bomber enters Sri Lankas St Sebastians church Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, killed nearly 360 people in coordinated attacks on three churches and four luxury hotels in the island country. National Thowheed Jamath, a local Islamist group, is suspected of being involved in planning the attacks, for which the Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility. The suspected terrorists can be seen in the 65-second footage walking down a corridor and then inside the elevator talking to each other as they head to the third floor of the Shangri-La Hotel. The men are seen wearing similar backpacks and caps and getting out of the elevator. They are then seen walking into a third-floor restaurant, Table One, which was serving a brunch service. A number of people are also seen in the footage inside the restaurant. The CCTV footage was shared by news agency ANI and aired by a local Sri Lankan television channel. The ISIS released a video late on Tuesday through its AMAQ news agency, showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag, declaring loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The one man in the video with his face uncovered was Mohamed Zahran Bin Hashim, a Sri Lankan preacher known for militant views. He blew himself up at Shangri La hotel in Colombo, primary investigations have revealed. News agency Reuters reported that two of the bombers were brothers, sons of a wealthy spice trader. Inshaf Ibrahim, a 33-year-old copper factory owner, detonated his explosive device at the busy breakfast buffet of the luxury Shangri-La hotel, it reported. A senior Sri Lankan official has said that most of the bombers were well-educated and came from economically strong families and some of them went abroad to study. Ten Indians were among those killed in the serial blasts in Sri Lanka on Sunday. The Sri Lankan government has invoked emergency powers after the devastating bomb attacks. The emergency law, which gives police and the military extensive powers to detain and interrogate suspects without court orders, came into effect at midnight on Monday. Unlike typical lake waves that roll by every three to five seconds, meteotsunamis can last for two minutes to up to two hours, dramatically raising localized lake levels and spawning dangerous rip currents that can carry swimmers offshore. Although many of these weather-generated waves are often modest in height sometimes only standing 1 or 2 feet tall their longevity can be formidable. But the 1954 wave, set in motion by a dramatic rise in atmospheric pressure and straight-line winds, was colossal, roiling the shoreline for 15 minutes, scientists say. "The government is conducting a diligent and thorough investigation into this case, but certain factors have led to this request for an extension," Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet Bhachu and Sarah Streicker wrote in the four-page motion. "These factors include the complex nature of this public corruption case, and the fact that the investigation is ongoing." Anhydrous ammonia also is used in the production of meth, and as such a license is needed to purchase the substance legally, according to the CDC. Those who may need the chemical for illegal purposes often will steal it from places where it is stored and used, such as farms, industrial refrigeration systems and railroad tanker cars. Renovation 25 April 2019 Following a multimillion-dollar asset enhancement programme spanning nine months across key facilities within the hotel, Orchard Hotel Singapore is now ready to unveil an enhanced 360 guest experiencewith reimagined dining, events and lodging offerings. Since July 2018, various public, living and event spaces within Orchard Hotel Singapore have undergone refurbishment progressively - all while never turning away a single guest. Today, the hotel's 260 Grand Deluxe Rooms, Grand Ballroom, Conference Centre, Lobby, The Orchard Cafe and Bar Intermezzohave each been given a fresh new look, and for the iconic twin-tower address overlooking Singapore's Orchard Road since 1980 - a new lease of life led by recently appointed General Manager Jean-Philippe Jacopin. POLISHED PUBLIC SPACES A brand new arrival experience welcomes guests through an enlivened lobby interior, where the hotel's iconic clock tower is now brought to the modern age with a contemporary chandelier-inspired art sculpture, flanked by two upgraded dining and drinking destinations. The Orchard Cafe renews its legacy as a local dining icon with a vibrant new style and Signature Class buffet; Bar Intermezzo reinvents the classic lobby bar with inviting interiors and cocktails that toast to Orchard Road's past. EXCLUSIVE EVENTS New and improved event solutions for every occasion come on the back of 11 refurbished conference and function rooms and spaces - now each more versatile than ever. A key highlight includes one of Singapore's largest pillar-free grand ballroomsoccupying over 10,000 square feet and six metres highrefitted with a luxurious fresh new look, two floor-to-ceiling LED walls (a first in Singapore), an impressive foyer lined with floating Orchid-inspired chandeliers, and more. THE NEW GRAND DELUXE 260 Grand Deluxe guest rooms in the hotel's Orchard Wing have been given a long-awaited facelift, with modern amenities such as updated for today's sophisticated traveller at heart. Each well-appointed room has been elegantly designed to provide maximum comfort and the best of living styles at every turn. Rebranding 25 April 2019 PPHE Hotel Group ("PPHE" or the "Group"), an international hospitality real estate group which owns and develops hotels and resorts, operates the Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand in EMEA and owns the art'otel brand, is delighted to announce the opening of its debut premium boutique hotel product, Holmes Hotel London. Late spring 2019 sees the official opening of the Group's first premium boutique hotel, Holmes Hotel London. Formerly Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes London, the repositioned hotel situated on Chiltern Street Marylebone, has seen a multi-million-pound refurbishment of the original site which includes all guest rooms and public areas and expresses a new luxurious identity synonymous with an up-market boutique aesthetic. Reacting to the ever-evolving market trends, the new hotel will offer the required flexibility to facilitate guest's on and off-site demands and provide a personalised, service for all guests in one of London's most sought-after neighborhood, Marylebone Village. The 5,499m property comprises of four classic Georgian buildings housed over four floors. Holmes Hotel will encapsulate a new identity as a premium boutique hotel with a renewed sense of heritage, immersive playfulness and approachability - a stylish home away from home for the contemporary traveller looking for a unique stay. The main entrance of the hotel has been moved from Baker Street to Chiltern Street, allowing guests easier access to Marylebone's stylish boutiques, galleries and eateries, Holmes Hotel London's interiors and ambience have been designed to reflect the chic, personality driven Marylebone Village and to encompass the luxurious feel of the local area. Elegant, modern facilities will include 118 sophisticated guest rooms, three meeting spaces, a gym and an all-day dining destination, Kitchen at Holmes, which offers a seasonally inspired menu in celebration of Londoners and the sensational cultural melting pot of the city. With an expert eye for contemporary design, the award-winning Digital Space created the vision and interior design for the modern, classic hotel whilst award-winning European design agency Zopsigog continued the story-telling through subtle flavoured intriguing touch points adding hidden depth to the mystery that runs throughout the historic and modern Sherlock Holmes culture. Do (charters) think they dont need to be reporting this, do they think theyre doing their own investigations? We want to make sure that theyre reporting these and theyre being investigated by us. I dont have answers to those questions, I think those are questions that need to be asked as we pay attention to this. Appointment 25 April 2019 The Peninsula Chicago is pleased to announce the appointment of Executive Chef Baasim Zafar, a native of England with more than 25 years of experience in restaurants and luxury hotels in the United States, London and Saudi Arabia. Chef Zafar will oversee all Peninsula restaurant kitchens for The Lobby, Shanghai Terrace, Pierrot Gourmet and Z Bar, as well as banquets, in-room dining and pastry kitchen operations. Classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and schooled at the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, Chef Zafar draws culinary inspiration as much from his guests and his world travels as from the fundamentals of seasonality and freshness that ground his work. Most recently, he led culinary operations at The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago that included the launch of Italian steakhouse Torali and accompanying bar, rooftop lounge and cafe. Chef Zafar was born in Burton-upon-Trent, England and reared in London, where he spent much of his time in the company of his grandmother, watching and helping her cook traditional Indian food. By 7, he knew he wanted to be a chef. At 14, he took his first job as a dishwasher at the Grosvenor House Suites in London. Following undergraduate studies, culinary school and a Four Seasons apprenticeship in London, Chef Zafar took his first head chef position at London's Cafe Lazeez. In his first year, the progressive Indian restaurant was named Restaurant of the Year by the Carlton London Restaurant Awards. His career then took him across the pond to Trader Vic's in Chicago's Palmer House Hilton and eventually to leading the kitchens at such storied hotels as The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, The Drake in Chicago and The St. Regis New York. In 2015, he joined The Ritz-Carlton to help open The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah in Saudia Arabia before moving back to Chicago as executive chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago. Joining The Peninsula Chicago brings to the fore Chef Zafar's long-held admiration for the brand and its global mystique. He recalls visiting Hong Kong with his family as a boy and standing, awestruck, in front of The Peninsula Hong Kong and its fleet of Rolls-Royces for the first timea scene he would repeat every time he returned to the city. Someday, Chef Zafar told his father, he would go inside. Appointment 25 April 2019 sbe , a leading international hospitality group that develops, manages and operates award-winning global hospitality brands, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Kevin Rohani as Vice President of Development for sbe. Rohani will be responsible for sourcing new hotel and branded residence deals in targeted global markets while leveraging his extensive owner, investor and developer relationships. Rohani will be key in expanding sbe's footprint at a time when the Company's brand demand is at an all-time high. This important announcement builds on sbe's recent leadership growth as the company continues to make ongoing investment in hiring the best talent to join the executive team. Rohani started his career in hospitality with sbe back in 2010, where he focused on hotel operations and development aiding in the opening of SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino and SLS Hotel South Beach among other projects. He has experience in portfolio expansion, hotel operations, development, design and architecture. Rohani most recently served as Vice President of Development at Dream Hotel Group focusing on global hotel opportunities in Europe, Central America, Canada and the USA. Rohani resides in LA and will work closely with the sbe and Accor teams internationally. Press Release 25 April 2019 In 1919, Conrad N. Hilton, then a 31-year-old World War I Veteran, entered the hotel business somewhat accidentally. He had traveled to Cisco, Texas during the oil boom to buy a bank, but instead purchased the 42-room Mobley Hotel when the original deal fell through. This decision forever changed the face of travel. Today, hotels all over the world proudly carry his name - as does the world-renowned Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston. Advertisements It didn't happen overnight. It took decades of innovation, risks, creative marketing and a relatability to travelers across the country and eventually, across the seas. Whether Conrad Hilton was introducing air conditioning to hotels, encouraging staff to think outside the box or relishing watching people mingle in his lobbies, he did it with the belief that if you can expertly provide needed hospitality and bring people of different cultures together, it will only improve the world. In a rare sit-down interview at his memorabilia-filled office, Dr. Mark Young, historian and archivist at the University's Hospitality Industry Archives, shares stories and insights about the company and hotel magnate he has studied more than anyone else. Q: What should people know about Conrad that they probably don't realize? I think Conrad is a bit of a mystery to a lot of people. I think they think of him as being very powerful and famous, often times described as a hotel magnate, and to be perfectly honest, he was still the simple guy from territorial New Mexico. Despite all the wealth and fame he had, he was very much a down-to-earth person and could relate to people of all walks of life. Q: What would travelers today be surprised to learn Conrad was responsible for? Well, think of the Dallas Hilton, his first namesake hotel. This is pre-air conditioning era, and Dallas can get very hot in the summertime, so it was designed so that no guest rooms would face the western sun, and every room had a ceiling fan which was the cutting-edge technology for the time period. Jump forward to the 1950s. In the mid-50s, committing millions of dollars to air condition these hotels, Hilton didn't realize it, but they were creating the 12-month convention business for the hotels in Chicago and New York. Today, you expect every hotel to have air conditioning, but that was not the case back then. Q: Tell us about Conrad the leader. What kind of advice would he give to others who were trying to follow his path? People would write him, whether it be on hotel operation or just things about life, and he would almost always reply to them. People would often ask him for advice - "How do I become a successful person? What classes in college did you find useful?" His letters were genuine replies. And this is pre-email, pre-computer. These are typewritten letters and people received very thoughtful answers. I recently read a letter where Conrad saw a really smart young person in one of his hotels, and he encouraged them to run with their unique ideas, and you see this time and time again. I've interviewed retired Hilton people and they talk about how they were given the opportunity to grow and learn, following Conrad's edicts. Q: It wasn't until a few years and several hotels after Conrad purchased his first hotel that he began including his name in the hotel's name. Tell us about that. Conrad built his first hotel in Dallas in 1925, and that's the first hotel that he puts his name on. The Dallas Hilton wasn't a hotel that he had bought from someone else, this was his first baby. No matter how old he was, he was always learning things and he would apply it to the company. You go back to the 1920s, and there are very few hotel chains that have the same name across their hotels in different cities. There might be a hotel owner operator who has a hotel in Philadelphia, New York and Chicago or Pittsburgh, but they all have different names and you would never know they were part of the same company. Conrad realized that, and that led to keeping the name "Hilton" on the properties in different locations for reasons of familiarity. Q: Conrad really harnessed the power of celebrity and pop culture in his business, why do you think that was? Well, Conrad, in my belief, was a marketing genius. He realized the value of having the celebrity culture nearby in some respect. They often had celebrities at the hotel openings he would have chartered planes and would fly them in, whether it be the Istanbul Hilton or what was then the Dallas Statler Hilton in the mid-50s. This is a time period where opening a brand new hotel was a novel event and he would always have celebrities there, and then the cameras would be there, so he was very smart about adapting pop culture to the hotel opening. He understood public relations before other people really knew what that was. Q: Conrad was quoted quite often talking about the importance of world peace. How was that evident in his leadership? My belief is that Conrad always had an international outlook. He was bilingual, grew up in territorial New Mexico and he went overseas in World War I. He really did believe that if you can bring people of different cultures together, it will only improve the world. In an old internal Hilton employee magazine, a lady wrote in Spanish about what was going on - I think it was at the El Paso Hilton - and she was apologizing for writing in Spanish. Conrad wrote back and said, no, Spanish is spoken a lot in the southwest of the United States, that's your native language, we should try and learn this we will only be a better people. So he had this mindset of always reaching out to other people and bringing them in. He lived it, he didn't just talk it. That's what he loved about these hotels, is seeing the restaurants or the meeting rooms or just the lobby full of people from different cultures and backgrounds interacting. Q: Over decades, Conrad began to open hotels in destinations around the world. How did they individually embrace the local culture and environment? Interestingly, Conrad didn't insist on his hotels all looking the same. Cities in different locales, he believed, whether domestic or international, all needed to have a certain feel for the environment that they were in, and so he was willing to try different types of architecture. The interior designer David Williams who Conrad hired for many of his hotels, would go and live in the city prior to the groundbreaking to kind of get the flavor, to understand the culture. For instance, before building in Turkey, David lived in Istanbul, and went around taking pictures of the local architecture that would help him kind of come up with his design plan. And because of this, his interior designs didn't become dated within a matter of years, they lasted a long time. And this is someone who Conrad had enabled, once again, with this freedom and ability. He kind of saw in this man a certain quality, and said, "I want you to be our company interior designer," and let him run with it. Q: You've mentioned these small touches that can have a big impact and continue to be important to the organization. Could you give an example? One of the things DoubleTree is most noted for is the cookie, and the cookie story is fascinating because as DoubleTree continued to grow, it did not have the marketing budget to run television commercials. By this time, we're talking the 1970s into the early 80s. So, no marketing, but what they could do was solidify name recognition and make a memorable experience for guests. They tried different things, and someone hit upon a cookie, a really good cookie. They tried different recipes and had contests among chefs at their hotels for the best recipe. Eventually, they would have a cookie in the guest room, and it's now kept warm at the front desk to welcome guests. Over the years since it was introduced, more than 443,000,000 cookies have been served at DoubleTree hotels around the world, and many people associate the hotel with the cookie. Q: Can you imagine the hotel industry without Conrad? No, I really can't. In some ways, Hilton is always the benchmark that other people go against. From all different angles, they're always judging themselves against Hilton. He had such a presence and a "let's bring everyone in" attitude. And not having that joy, that positive influence, I'm not saying that the industry would be bad or horrible, but it wouldn't be the same. Q: As we conclude, can you tell us more about Hilton's growth in recent years. How does Conrad's legacy continue to influence the company's decisions today? Starting in the 2000s, Hilton was digesting the acquisition of Promus Hotel Corporation, expanding its family of brands to include DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites. What is key, is each brand was allowed to continue doing what they do best, growing and innovating whilst under a new corporate structure. Then in 2007, Barron Hilton sold Hilton to The Blackstone Group, which installed Chris Nassetta as head of Hilton Hotels. You look at what Chris has done from that time period to the present - it's a remarkable success. He led Hilton through the Great Recession, and then began to grow this company, adding new brands and new technology, but always keeping that personal touch. I would say part of Chris' success is that he studied what Conrad did and took Conrad's principles and applied them to today, and that has been, I think, a huge success for Chris and Hilton. Total Revenues were $717.0 million, a 4.5% increase over the same quarter in 2018, due mainly to an increase in the number of Installed Room Nights at the Chain level. Hoteles City Express S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: HCITY), released its results for the first quarter of 2019 ("1Q19"). All figures have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and are presented in Mexican pesos ("$"), unless otherwise noted. Summary of Relevant Operating and Financial Information (1Q19) At the Chain level, the Average Daily Rate ("ADR") increased 3.8% and Revenue per Available Room ("RevPar") decreased 4.9% versus 1Q18, to $1,014 and $541 , respectively. The Chain's occupancy in 1Q19 was 53.4%. Total Revenues were $717.0 million , a 4.5% increase over the same quarter in 2018, due mainly to an increase in the number of Installed Room Nights at the Chain level. Operating Income was $108.2 million in 1Q19, a 24.1% decrease compared to the same quarter of the prior year. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA were $216.1 million and $219.5 million , respectively. EBITDA and Adjusted EBIDTA margins during the period were 30.1% and 30.6%, respectively. Net Income for the period was $0.4 million . At quarter end, the Chain operated 150 hotels, an increase of 13 new units versus the 137 hotels that were opened at the close of the same period in 2018. The number of rooms in operation in 1Q19 reached 17,002, an increase of 10.0% over the 15,461 rooms operating at the close of 1Q18. Operating and Financial Highlights 1Q19 1Q18 1Q19 vs 1Q18 % Change Operating Statistics for the Chain Number of Hotels at the End of the Period 150 137 9.5% Number of Rooms at the End of the Period 17,002 15,461 10.0% Number of Installed Room Nights 1,520,702 1,378,826 10.3% Number of Occupied Room Nights 811,916 803,802 1.0% Average Occupancy Rate (%) 53.4% 58.3% -491 bps ADR($) 1,014 977 3.8% RevPAR($) 541 569 -4.9% Consolidated Financial Information (Thousands of Pesos) Total Revenues 717,034 686,122 4.5% Operating Income 108,157 142,456 -24.1% Operating Income Margin 15.1% 20.8% -568 bps Adjusted EBITDA 219,491 240,996 -8.9% Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%) 30.6% 35.1% -451 bps EBITDA 216,113 236,853 -8.8% EBITDA Margin (%) 30.1% 34.5% -438 bps Net Income 388 50,287 -99.2% Net Income Margin (%) 0.1% 7.3% -728 bps Adjusted EBITDA = Operating income + depreciation + amortization + non-recurring expenses (pre-opening expenses for new hotels). Comments from Mr. Luis Barrios, CEO of Hoteles City Express: "In an environment in which we observed a delay in the beginning of the business cycle in Mexico, we present our results for the first quarter of 2019, which are the product of a solid operation linked to the economic and geopolitical volatility and uncertainty of the country. During the quarter, we experienced two different moments that, on average, reflected a sub-optimal performance in the quarter but with positive trends on the last weeks of it. On one side, in January and the first fifteen days of February, our portfolio was negatively impacted by events such as the fuel shortage, the deferment in government travel, the number of layoffs at the end of 2018 and the pause in local investments, which are the main sources of business in the markets where we are present. On the other side, in the last 45 days of the quarter we observed recovery dynamics to the point that during the last days of March our portfolio had double digit growth in RevPAR, a trend that continues to date. Regionally, our portfolio is favored by its geographical diversification. The good performance of the North region of the country stands out, with attractive market dynamics in markets such as Tijuana, Mexicali, Monterrey and Tampico. Likewise, places like Mexico City and Guadalajara demonstrate the strength of our product to penetrate urban markets and obtain above-average returns, mainly through the City Express Plus brand. As a counterbalance, the Bajio region presents operational weakness, which we consider is primarily due to short-term temporary effects such as the aforementioned fight against fuel theft and certain isolated events of insecurity. That being said, Total Income registered a growth of 5%, while we reached an Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $ 220 million. With the beginning of operation of more than 1,500 rooms in the last 12 months, we consider that our inventory - mainly composed by recently opened hotels - is capable of absorbing incremental demand more than in a proportional way to the slowdown experienced at the start of 2019. Based on this, we continue focused on the fulfillment of our budget for effective rate growth announced in February 2019. With respect to our expansion plans, we continue to progress steadily but cautiously to our 2019 Development Plan targets. To date we have reached 151 hotels by opening 3 hotels out of the 17 projects we announced in February and staying in line with the development program. We expect the opening of 14 more hotels in the coming months. Considering a risk-return discrimination criteria, our objective of openings in 2019 remains firm due to the strength of the markets in which we plan these openings. Despite this, we remain cautious about the economic development in the coming months and we have an action plan in case of requiring cash preservation mechanisms. For more than 16 years, Hoteles City Express has profitably sailed several episodes of economic and political stress in Mexico. From the deep economic and the hospitality industry slowdown in 2008-2009 to the period of volatility derived from the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2015, to mention a few, our company has experienced uncertain economic and geopolitical situations and has been able to capitalize on them. We consider that although we are in a challenging but highly different reality from that of those moments, the strength of our team, our operational flexibility and the power of our product to penetrate new and current markets will be key elements to achieve our goals throughout the year. Goals that we are keeping intact. Thank you for your trust." Hoteles City Express is the leading and fastest-growing, limited-service hotel chain in Mexico in terms of number of hotels, number of rooms, geographic presence, market share and revenues. Created in 2002, Hoteles City Express specializes in offering high-quality, comfortable and safe lodging at affordable prices via a limited-service hotel chain geared mainly towards domestic business travelers. With 151 hotels located in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile, Hoteles City Express operates five distinct brands: City Express, City Express Plus, City Express Suites, City Express Junior and City Centro, to serve different segments of its target market. In June 2013, Hoteles City Express completed its IPO and began trading on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "HCITY," and in October 2014, Hoteles City Express completed a follow-on share issuance with the aim of accelerating its growth in new hotels in the coming years. HCITY has formal coverage, notes and analytical assessment by the following financial institutions and analysts: Actinver (Pablo Duarte), Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Carlos Peyrelongue), Citigroup (Dan McGoey), GBM (Eugenio Saldana), ITAU BBA (Enrico Trotta), J.P. Morgan (Adrian Huerta), Morgan Stanley (Nikolaj Lippman), Santander (Cecilia Jimenez), Signum Research (Armando Rodriguez) and UBS (Marimar Torreblanca). SOURCE Hoteles City Express S.A.B. de C.V. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Formerly Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes London, the repositioned hotel situated on Chiltern Street Marylebone, has seen a multi-million-pound refurbishment of the original site which includes all guest rooms and public areas PPHE Hotel Group announced the opening of its debut premium boutique hotel product, Holmes Hotel London. Late spring 2019 sees the official opening of the Group's first premium boutique hotel, Holmes Hotel London. Formerly Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes London, the repositioned hotel situated on Chiltern Street Marylebone, has seen a multi-million-pound refurbishment of the original site which includes all guest rooms and public areas. Reacting to the ever-evolving market trends, the new hotel will offer the required flexibility to facilitate guest's on and off- site demands and provide a personalised, service for all guests in one of London's most sought-after neighborhood, Marylebone Village. The 5,499m property comprises of four classic Georgian buildings housed over four floors. Holmes Hotel will encapsulate a new identity as a premium boutique hotel with a renewed sense of heritage, immersive playfulness and approachability a stylish home away from home for the contemporary traveller looking for a unique stay. The main entrance of the hotel has been moved from Baker Street to Chiltern Street, allowing guests easier access to Marylebone's stylish boutiques, galleries and eateries, Holmes Hotel London's interiors and ambience have been designed to reflect the chic, personality driven Marylebone Village and to encompass the luxurious feel of the local area. Elegant, modern facilities will include 118 sophisticated guest rooms, three meeting spaces, a gym and an all-day dining destination, Kitchen at Holmes, which offers a seasonally inspired menu in celebration of Londoners and the sensational cultural melting pot of the city. With an expert eye for contemporary design, the award-winning Digital Space created the vision and interior design for the modern, classic hotel whilst award-winning European design agency Zopsigog continued the story-telling through subtle flavoured intriguing touch points adding hidden depth to the mystery that runs throughout the historic and modern Sherlock Holmes culture. Boris Ivesha, President & Chief Executive Officer, PPHE Hotel Group added, "We are excited to open the doors of our first major repositioning project in 2019, the Marylebone located Holmes Hotel London. We look forward to welcoming our local neighbours and international guests this spring to showcase our new premium boutique hotel which is reflective of the iconic personality and ambience of Marylebone. This opening will be the first of several repositioning projects to be completed this year, with similarly exciting projects in their final stages in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Croatia." Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource DoubleTree by Hilton has further expanded its global presence after opening seven new hotels in the first quarter of 2019. DoubleTree by Hilton has further expanded its global presence after opening seven new hotels in the first quarter of 2019. The brand has seen substantial international growth in the last decade, and with these newly opened properties, DoubleTree by Hilton now boasts more than 560 unique upscale hotels in key destinations around the world. In 2008, the brand began its global expansion with simultaneous openings of two properties in Costa Rica, and at the time operated 160 hotels. Ten years later, DoubleTree operates in 45 countries across six continents, providing upscale solutions to those in or traveling to key hubs around the world, with hotels such as the recently opened DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral in Florida and DoubleTree by Hilton Kocaeli in Turkey. Were thrilled that DoubleTree by Hilton continues to thrive as one of Hiltons fastest-growing brands in the portfolio, said Shawn McAteer, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton. Although guests can expect award-winning hospitality at every DoubleTree by Hilton, each property provides unique experiences for all types of travel, from access to natural hot springs at DoubleTree by Hilton Eskisehir to sustainable dining that helps rebuild the honey bee population at DoubleTree by Hilton Fairfield Hotel & Suites. This year also marks 50 years since the first DoubleTree by Hilton hotel opened in Phoenix, Arizona in 1969. Today, as the brand celebrates its 50th anniversary and continues to unveil new hotels in important business and tourism markets around the world, DoubleTree by Hilton maintains its philosophy that its the little things that make a big difference, whether welcoming guests with a signature, warm DoubleTree Cookie or serving the local community. Between January and March 2019, DoubleTree by Hilton welcomed the following hotels to its growing global portfolio: DoubleTree by Hilton Fairfield Hotel & Suites: The ideal location for corporate and leisure guests visiting New Jersey, this newly renovated hotel boasts 204 guest rooms and more than 16,000 square feet of meetings and events space. With inspiration stemming from a honey bee, the hotels Nectar Kitchen + Bar features locally sourced seasonal menu items and gives back to the farming community to help with honey bee recovery with select food and drink purchases. DoubleTree by Hilton Eskisehir: Known for its natural hot springs, travelers visiting the northwestern city of Eskisehir, Turkey can enjoy this hotels whirlpool spa, indoor pool, rejuvenating salt and clay therapies and more. Guests can also take in the magnificent forest views while enjoying global cuisine at the hotels Vital Restaurant or enjoy Turkish tea or light refreshments in the Lobby Lounge. DoubleTree by Hilton Richmond Airport: Just minutes from Richmond International Airport and its historic downtown, this hotel welcomes leisure and business travelers alike to Virginias capital. Beyond its heated indoor pool, 24-hour business center and 4,300 square feet of meetings and events space, guests can enjoy all-day dining at Bistro and grab-and-go options from Made Market. DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle Naperville: This eight-story, 309-room Illinois hotel is just minutes from historic downtown Naperville with many area businesses and popular attractions. For on-property dining, guests can dine at Thirty 0 Three, which specializes in contemporary cuisines. With 19,000 square feet of meetings and events space, this hotel is the perfect venue for weddings, business meetings and more. DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral: Located in the heart of Dorals bustling business district an area known for its cultural activities and adventurous dining this modern and vibrant Florida hotel features 150 guest rooms and is the only branded full-service hotel in the area. After a morning of exploring surrounding areas or to conclude a day of meetings, guests can relax at the outdoor pool and terrace with bar and savor an array of dining options. DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown: Guests can enjoy great service and convenience to local hotspots while staying in the heart of Jamestown, New York at this newly renovated hotel. After a relaxing afternoon at the indoor pool or workout in the fitness center, guests can enjoy tasty cuisine and crafted cocktails at the hotels gastropub, Pearl City Hops Restaurant and Tavern. DoubleTree by Hilton Kocaeli: An urban oasis in the heart of Kocaeli, this hotel is a prime destination for travelers to immerse themselves in Turkeys rich culture and historic charm. Guests looking to relax and indulge can visit the spa with its private treatment rooms, sauna and steam room before dining at Lage Dor Restaurant or enjoying cocktails at Chez Lui Gastro Pub. In addition to new openings, several hotels recently completed multimillion-dollar renovations to enhance guest experiences and further meet the needs of business and leisure travelers, including: DoubleTree by Hilton Nashville Downtown: This hotel is the largest full-service Hilton property in downtown Nashville, Tennessee and boasts modern elegance and contemporary decor, with interior upgrades in all meetings and events space, guest rooms and suites. Specifically, the hotel converted 192 double and double-double guest rooms into queen and double-queen guest rooms, in addition to transforming 20,000 square feet of flexible meetings and events space to reflect downtown Nashvilles country-chic ambiance. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando: This Central Florida hotel, a partner of Universal Orlando, offers modern guest rooms and comforting amenities close to popular local attractions. The hotel features recently renovated spaces, including Starbucks, the lobby, all guest rooms and 63,000 square feet of flexible meetings space, in addition to its new gelato shop and splash pad for kids. Guests can also enjoy access to a Jr. Olympic-sized outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness center, gift shop and more. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando Airport: This hotel welcomes guests to Orlando, Florida with a location less than 20 minutes from popular attractions and 1.5 miles from Orlando International Airport. As part of the $10 million renovations, guests can enjoy access to various renovated spaces, including the open lobby concept, restaurant, lounge, conference center and event space, state-of-the-art fitness center and all guest rooms. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource 50 Cent accumulated several hats in the last decade. Precisely, he went from a successful rap artist to an executive producer and co-creator to one of our favorite television series, Power. Moreover, we have certainly noticed that the jack-of-all-trades enjoys roasting people and engaging in petty behaviors from time to time, as seen with the chronicled back and forth with Love & Hip Hop star Teairra Marie. However, we would be foolish to ignore 50 does not toy around when it comes to making big, business moves. As such, the actor and producer teased the formulation of a previously discussed TV pilot in collaboration with ABC via his Instagram. 50 Cent shared a post, confirming he will be working on bringing the story of former inmate Isaac Wright Jr to screens. The ex-con was wrongfully incarcerated as a drug kingpin to one of the largest distribution networks in New Jersey. In the remarkable case, the same man managed to overturn his own conviction by thoroughly studying the law while behind bars. Wright also wrote proxies, briefs, and motions which overturned the convictions of 20 other inmates in similar circumstances. Today, Isaac Wright Jr. works as a practicing lawyer within the same courts who previously incarcerated him. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwr8264n1Iy Ferrari F-50 put dibs on quite the story and we cannot wait to see what he's going to do with it. He chimes in with a caption, true to his personality: "ABC show based on Isaac Wright jr has tested higher than any other show Sony has produced period. Boom. Im kinda, a big deal." The post finishes with a shout out to the rapper's champagne brand (in true hustler spirits) called Le Chemin Du Roi. Alan Foster, the Big Baller Brand co-founder who reportedly stole at least $1.5 million from Lonzo Ball, is now being investigated by the FBI for fraud. According to the Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli and Richard Winton, "the investigation is focused on allegations included in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court this month by Lonzo Ball and Big Baller Brand." Foster, who LaVar Ball previously called his "brother," allegedly made at least $1.5M in unexplained cash withdrawals between 2016 and 2018. The lawsuit is seeking more than $2 million in damages. https://twitter.com/_/status/1121220946113642496 The LA Times also reports that Foster previously served over five years in prison for taking money from investors. The Ball's reportedly had no idea of his criminal history. Per Tania Ganguli and Richard Winton "Foster was convicted of running a fraudulent stock scheme in 2002 and served more than five years in prison for taking money from 75 investors. He and a business partner, Steven Woods, pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering, according to court records." Lonzo Ball cut ties with Foster in March. According to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne Ball revealed that the decision was made because Foster "used his access to my business and personal finances to enrich himself. As a result, I have decided to sever all ties with Alan, effective immediately." We are reporting very sad and concerning news today. Tyrique "TJ" Hudson, a brilliant and promising computer scientist of African American descent was murdered by his neighbor. The computer science degree recipient graduated from the historically black college North California A&T State University, completing his program within 2 1/2 years instead of the usual 4. His impressive academic track record, as well as his ambition, landed him an immediate job interview with the reputable aerospace and technology company, Northrop Grumman. The recruiters were so impressed with Hudson that they offered him the job on the spot. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images On Monday, April 22nd, TJ's lifeless body was found after being shot by his 53-year old white neighbor, James Verombeck. According to the Capital Gazette, the alleged perpetrator was standing over the young black man's body when the police found them. The murder occurred two months after 22-year old Hudson applied for legal protection against Verombeck who allegedly aimed a throat-slicing gesture at Tyrique. The request was denied by a District Court Judge due to a lack of proof. Considering the unfortunate series of events which ensued, we can only feel for TJ and his family. TJ was this humble little spirit, said Candice Winstead-Holden, a close family friend who practically raised Hudson. TJ would never go back and forth with somebody. He was the type that gets away from trouble, gets away from that type of thing. James Verombeck has since been charged with first-degree murder. Rest in peace Tyrique Hudson. [Via] The 25th James Bond film is revealing itself bit by bit. Before today, the film's producers have kept a tight lip about the film's major plotlines, shoot location, and most importantly, the cast of characters who've signed on to compliment Daniel Craig in the titular role. This morning to be precise, the JB Twitter leaked a few details regarding the film's inevitable release without playing itself out of position. Here's what we know about the 25th iteration thus far. Where? The Jamaican locale depicted in the post isn't necessarily where the story will unfold. As you know, JB is a globetrotter with the passport privileges only bestowed to members of the intelligentsia. So, a fixed locale seems out of the question, based on the history of the franchise. https://twitter.com/_/status/1121388962529062913 The Jamaican villa depicted in the post is where Ian Flemming penned the archetypal character before it was adapted to fit the silver screen. The film's production will be hosting an information session at the iconic villa in the coming days - at which point, additional information regarding the franchises' 25th film will certainly be discussed in fuller detail. The Plot The major plotline in Bond 25 starts up on a perturbing note for 007 in particular. as his vacation plans in Jamaica get interrupted by a persistent friend from the CIA who tracks him down via helicopter. Bond is no fool. Airplane mode only works on civilians for minutes at a time. True to form, James Bond doesn't recede into his beach chair when issued a challenge. https://twitter.com/_/status/1121409319319298049 "The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology," the film's synopsis reads. Cast It was widely known that Daniel Craig would return as "James Bond." Otherwise, the other big question mark going into the film's production run was centered around the appointment of Oscar-winner Rami Malek as the film's main villain. As of this morning, Malek has been added to the cast, made official by a video memo issued by the actor himself. https://twitter.com/_/status/1121391113502433282 Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw will reprise their roles as M and Q respectively. Naomie Harris is also returning to the fold as Moneypenny, while Rory Kinnear rejoins the regular cast as MI6 chief of staff "Bill Tanner." The film is slated to hit theaters on April 8, 2020. https://twitter.com/_/status/1121424651148832768 [Via] The lawsuit alleged police failed to follow protocol, authorized a pursuit when the risk of injury or death to the general public exceeded the benefit of apprehending the suspects, authorized an improper pursuit when it was not safe to do so, failed to terminate the pursuit in compliance with department rules, and failed to use their lights and sirens during the pursuit. A few days back it was reported that the man behind films like Boyz N Da Hood, Baby Boy, 2Fast 2Furious, Poetic Justice, Four Brothers, and Shaft was in the hospital after suffering a "mild" stroke. John Singleton reportedly checked himself into the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after he was suffering from pains in his legs after returning from Costa Rica. His admittance then resulted in him having a stroke in his hospital bed and TMZ now reports that John is in in a coma. The publication details how John's family is in the process of establishing a conservatorship for him. His mother, Shelia Ward, is asking a judge to appoint her temporary conservator since John is "unable to properly provide for his personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter." Matthew Eisman/Getty Images John reportedly had several important business deals in the works and was ready to sign a lucrative settlement agreement. Shelia is looking to gain the conservator position so she can settle the deals for her son in hopes of him waking up soon. We can only hope John's rest is short-lived and he wakes up in due time and gets back to a healthier version of himself. Earlier this month, we reported that Remy Ma was being investigated by the New York police department for allegedly assaulting Love & Hip Hop: New York star, Brittney Taylor. The female rapper made headlines after the accusation surfaced. The reality television star blasted the "Terror Squad" member via social media with shots of her black eye and directly addressed Remy Ma with the following words: "I tried my best to cover it up with makeup and move on but that still didnt work. My Question is @remyma why did you really do this?" Taylor's lawyer, Marc Battipaglia, surfaced thereafter to publicly show his client support. On his official Instagram account, the attorney added "If people continue to attack victims then we will all deter future victims from coming forward to hold wrongdoers accountable. I stand with Brittney." Since then, the alleged victim of the attack has shared greater details on the incident. She told The New York Daily News that the "All The Way Up" artiste socked her in the eye in response to another incident involving both Remy's daughter, Dej and Taylor. According to Bossip, the Brittney Taylor now calls onto any witnesses to the alleged attack to step forward. As such, she feels the request is fair and wants Papoose's wife to face the consequences for her supposed actions. Considering the ordeal, should any charges against Remy Ma ensue, the rapper's probationary status may be jeopardized which then could lead to her returning to jail. [Via] Last we heard, Teairra Mari was going around telling anyone who'd listen that 50 Cent was nothing more than a "washed up old school rapper" while boasting that her lawyers are zoomed up to the fullest. At this point, it's nearly impossible to make out who's on the defensive, or offensive at any given time, without a clear line of conduct to fix our attention over. The G-Unit mogul is insistent that Mari was never in his bad books before she pulled him into the revenge porn scandal. But If my memory serves me right, wasn't it 50 Cent who uploaded thumbnails of leaked sex tape before they ever came to blows, in and around the courtroom. With that said, The Blast is reporting that Teairra Mari is blaming her rival 50 Cent for a miscue which landed her a bench warrant in their ongoing legal tussle. For added context, it was 50 Cent who filed the motion which saw their legal case re-opened, in the hopes of securing the $30,000 he was awarded during when the revenge porn suit lawsuit reached a stalemate in court. Chelsea Lauren/Wireimage/Getty Images According to The Blast, both parties were scheduled to appear in court on Monday, but Teairra failed to show up, due to a rare clerical error. The court issued the following explanation for the discordance: "through inadvertence and/or clerical error, the minute order of 04/22/2019 in the above-entitled action does not properly reflect the Courts order." While Teairra Mari's legal team scrambled to make sense of the mix-up, 50 Cent again, raised his hand in victory. Once the "bench warrant" was annulled, Mari took a couple of days of rest to regain her composure. By Wednesday she was back on the counteroffensive, condemning 50 Cent's unlawful business practices. "Here is the real news: My Lawyers are all the way on point (the best), I never had an arrest warrant and Spare Change never TRADEMARKED S**T.. hes just trying to steal drip.. he needs it bad.. you see how this boy dress, she remarked in the following Instagram posting. Neither side is any closer to reaching a moment of closure. Part of me believes both 50 Cent and Mari would much rather prolong this nightmare than seek a resolution. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwn7M-_BZ5P [Via] Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill recently learned that he and his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, will not be charged following an investigation into an alleged battery involving their three-year old son. Hill was never listed in the report but Espinal, was listed under "others involved." On Wednesday, the Johnson County (Kansas) District Attorney's office held a press conference in which they announced that no charges will be filed. Today, Hill spoke on the matter for the first time since the child abuse investigation began last month. https://twitter.com/_/status/1121432770444693505 Hill issued the following statement today: "I love and support my family above anything. My sons health and happiness is my #1 priority." "I want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs, my attorneys, my agent and my union for supporting me through this." "My focus remains on working hard to be the best person for my family and our community I can be, and the best player to help our team win. According to ESPN, District Attorney Stephen M. Howe explained that although he believes a crime occurred, the evidence in the case didn't clearly establish who committed the crime. DirecTV Now, AT&T's streaming video app, has seen sharp customer declines in recent months that all but wiped out a year's worth of subscriber growth, according to the company's latest earnings report. On Wednesday, the company said DirecTV Now had lost 83,000 subscribers since January, leaving the service with roughly 1.5 million customers - almost precisely the number it had this time last year. Company filings show that as many as 350,000 subscribers have abandoned DirecTV Now since October, when the service hit a peak of 1.85 million customers. The steep losses highlight the obstacles facing AT&T as it seeks to build a viable successor to its legacy TV products, DirectTV and U-verse, which also have continued to suffer as Americans cancel traditional cable subscriptions. But, some analysts say, the slump at DirecTV Now is another sign that the holy grail of cheap, a la carte television remains as elusive as ever, and that the promise of cord-cutting has yet to materialize for consumers. "Those expectations from day one were set wrong," said Dan Rayburn, an independent streaming media analyst. AT&T blamed the DirecTV Now losses on the end of promotions that had encouraged many consumers to sign up for the app in the first place. Also last month, DirecTV Now announced that existing customers would pay $10 more per month, the second time in nine months that prices had risen. On AT&T's earnings call, chief executive Randall Stephenson told investors that DirecTV Now might continue shedding customers over the next several months but that he expects conditions to stabilize in the second half of the year. In a statement, AT&T said DirecTV Now's price changes meant the company was, on average, making more money from each subscriber. "Video volumes - both traditional and DIRECTV NOW - were affected by our focus on long-term profitability," the company said. "Our goal is to drive strong lifetime values across multiple products, so we're increasing our focus on higher-quality customers." Analysts say AT&T's focus on profits at the expense of subscriber growth - and customers' wallets - underscores the pressure from investors to pay down company debt more quickly. The company owed as much as $180 billion after acquiring Time Warner last year; by the end of this year, AT&T aims to reduce its debt to $150 billion. But the "aggressive" price hikes mean customers are headed for the exits, said Craig Moffett, an industry analyst at research firm MoffettNathanson. "They are suffering horrific losses at DirecTV - and as bad as those already were . . . what they've delivered is even worse, and that's why the stock is reacting," said Moffett. Shares of AT&T opened more than 3 percent lower on Wednesday and continued to fall through midday. Houston liquefied natural gas company NextDecade has entered into an agreement to deepen nearly half of Brownsville Ship Channel. During a Wednesday morning event, NextDecade CEO Matt Schatzman signed an agreement to privately fund deepening the South Texas waterway from its entrance at the Gulf of Mexico to company's proposed export terminal. The Port of Brownsville has held a permit to deepen the ship channel from 42 feet to 52 feet for years but lacked local, state and federal funding. Under the deal, NextDecade will fund the dredging project as well as widening a bend near the channel's entrance to improve navigational safety. If approved, the company's proposed Rio Grande LNG export terminal will be located near the halfway point of the 17-mile channel. Costs for the dredging project will be determined through a bidding process that will begin later this year. Construction is expected to start in the first half of 2020 and be complete by 2023. "The improvements we are funding are necessary for the continued growth of the Port of Brownsville including the safe transiting of LNG vessels from the Rio Grande LNG terminal to the Gulf of Mexico," the company said in a statement. Ocelots or LNG?: Proposed LNG plants could undo ocelot conservation efforts NextDecade is one of three companies seeking permission from state and federal regulators to build LNG export terminals at the Port of Brownsville. A critical environmental report is expected to be released on Friday and a final federal permit decision is not expected until July but the Houston company's Rio Grande LNG and Rio Bravo Pipeline have taken several steps forward over the past few months. In addition to securing a state permit and a 20-year supply deal with Dutch oil giant Shell, NextDecade has signed a long-term lease and an electricity deal for its 984-acre site. Designed to produce up to 27 million metric tons of LNG per year, the project is expected to bring in $15 billion of private investment and generate 6,000 construction jobs. Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox Rio Grande LNG and two other similar projects face stiff opposition from a coalition of shrimpers, fishermen, environmentalists, Native Americans, neighbors and communities working under the banner Save RGV From LNG. In their reviews of the other projects, officials with the Federal Energy Regulator Commission wrote that the combined traffic, noise and habitat fragmentation from all three projects would have "permanent and significant" impacts on the movements of the ocelot and jaguarundi between the United States and Mexico as well as a "significant" impact on the aplomado falcon. Lightyear Entertainment Prison-escape movies come with their fair share of expected plot devices, but the restrained and quietly effective Irish film Maze doesnt indulge in them. Based on the real-life 1983 jailbreak by 38 IRA members from Northern Irelands sprawling HM Prison Maze which was the largest prison escape from a European prison since World War II Maze has little in the way of flash but doesnt need it to sustain interest. Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Avengers: Infinity War) plays imprisoned IRA loyalist Larry Marley, who decides to give up on the dirty protest wearing blankets instead of clothes, not showering or cutting hair and the hunger protest in which many of his brethren are engaged. Hes taken to a separate part of the facility and housed with other IRA inmates whove bailed on the action, which had been initially instigated because they wanted to be categorized as political prisoners, not common criminals as the British government considered them. Federal grand juries are the mechanism used by prosecutors to bring an indictment against a defendant. The grand jury which consists of 23 members of the public who convene over a period of months or even years operates in secret, issuing subpoenas for records through federal prosecutors and hearing testimony from witnesses before deciding if probable cause exists to believe a crime was committed. Stabbing a defenseless teenage captive to death. Picking off a school-age girl and an old man from a snipers roost. Indiscriminately spraying neighborhoods with rockets and machine-gun fire. Navy SEAL commandos from Team 7s Alpha Platoon said they had seen their highly decorated platoon chief commit shocking acts in Iraq. And they had spoken up, repeatedly. But their frustration grew as months passed and they saw no sign of official action. Tired of being brushed off, seven members of the platoon called a private meeting with their troop commander in March 2018 at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego. According to a confidential Navy criminal investigation report obtained by The New York Times, they gave him the bloody details and asked for a formal investigation. More for you Navy charges elite operators with murder in death of fellow soldier in Mali But instead of launching an investigation that day, the troop commander and his senior enlisted aide both longtime comrades of the accused platoon leader, Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher warned the seven platoon members that speaking out could cost them and others their careers, according to the report. The clear message, one of the seven told investigators, was Stop talking about it. The platoon members eventually forced the referral of their concerns to authorities outside the SEALs, and Gallagher now faces a court-martial, with his trial set to begin May 28. But the account of the March 2018 meeting and myriad other details in the 439-page report paint a disturbing picture of a subculture within the SEALs that prized aggression, even when it crossed the line, and that protected wrongdoers. According to the investigation report, the troop commander, Lt. Cmdr. Robert Breisch, said in the meeting that while the SEALs were free to report the killings, the Navy might not look kindly on rank-and-file team members making allegations against a chief. Their careers could be sidetracked, he said, and their elite status revoked; referring to the eagle-and-trident badges worn by SEALs, he said the Navy will pull your birds. The enlisted aide, Master Chief Petty Officer Brian Alazzawi, warned them that the frag radius the area damaged by an explosion from a war-crime investigation of Gallagher could be wide enough to take down a lot of other SEALs as well, the report said. Navy SEALs are regarded as the most elite commando force in the U.S. military. But that reputation has been blotted repeatedly in recent years by investigations of illegal beatings, killings and theft, and reports of drug use in the ranks. In January, the top commander of the SEALs, Rear Adm. Collin Green, ordered a 90-day review of the forces culture and training; the results have not yet been made public. As Gallaghers men were sounding an alarm about killings in Iraq, his superiors were lavishing praise on him. An evaluation quoted in the investigation report called Gallagher the best chief of the 12 in the team, and said, This is the man I want leading SEALs in combat. A few days after the March 2018 meeting, the chief was awarded a Bronze Star for valor under fire in Iraq. A month later, the seven platoon members finally succeeded in spurring their commanders to formally report the killings of the three Iraqis to the Navy Criminal Investigation Service, by threatening to go directly to top Navy brass and to the media. Gallagher was arrested in September on more than a dozen charges, including premeditated murder and attempted murder. If convicted, he could face life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty and denies all the charges. The chiefs lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said the Navy investigation report, which was first reported by Navy Times, does not offer an accurate account of what happened in Iraq. He said that hundreds of additional pages of evidence, sealed by the court, included interviews with platoon members who said the chief never murdered anyone. At the same time, some conservatives have rallied to Gallaghers defense, raising money and pressing publicly for his release. Gallagher, through Parlatore, declined to be interviewed for this article. The Navy has charged Gallaghers immediate superior, Lt. Jacob Portier, with failing to report the chiefs possibly criminal actions and with destroying evidence. Portier has pleaded not guilty. Through his lawyer, he, too, declined to be interviewed. The investigation report indicates that a number of other high-ranking SEALs also knew of the allegations against the chief, and did not report them. But no one else has been charged in the case. Gallagher learned of the March 2018 meeting soon after it happened, the report indicates, and he began working to turn other SEALs against the accusers. I just got word these guys went crying to the wrong person, Gallagher wrote to a fellow chief in one of hundreds of text messages included in the report. To another, he wrote: The only thing we can do as good team guys is pass the word on those traitors. They are not brothers at all. Citing his texts, the Navy kept the chief in the brig to await trial, saying it believed he had been trying to intimidate witnesses and undermine the investigation. He denies that accusation as well. The chiefs wife, Andrea Gallagher, and his brother, Sean Gallagher, have appeared repeatedly on Fox News and other news outlets, calling the chief a hero and demanding his release. They say the allegations against Edward Gallagher were concocted by disgruntled subordinates who could not meet his demanding standards and wanted to get rid of him. A website soliciting donations for his defense says it has raised $375,000, and a prominent veterans apparel maker is selling Free Eddie T shirts. Spurred by the Gallagher family, 40 Republican members of Congress signed a letter in March calling for the Navy to free the chief pending trial, and soon after, President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he would be moved to less restrictive confinement. Gallagher was released from the brig and is now restricted to the Navy Medical Center in San Diego, according to a Navy spokeswoman. Andrea Gallagher did not respond to requests for comment. Edward Gallagher, who is 39 and goes by the nickname Blade, is known as a standout even among the elite SEALs. Over the course of five deployments with the SEALs, he was repeatedly recognized for valor and coolheaded leadership under fire. He is qualified as a medic, a sniper and an explosives expert, and has been an instructor at BUDS, the forces grueling training program. To hundreds of sailors he trained, he was a battle-tested veteran who fed them war stories while pushing them through punishing workouts in the surf. Investigators interviews with more than a dozen members of Alpha Platoon, included in the Navys criminal investigation report, as well as other interviews with SEALs, offer a more troubling portrait of the chief. When Gallagher took over leadership of the platoon in 2015, SEALs said, he already had a reputation as a pirate an operator more interested in fighting terrorists than in adhering to the rules and making rank. A number of platoon members told investigators that at first they were excited to be led by a battle-hardened legend, but their opinion quickly shifted after they were deployed to Iraq in February 2017 to help retake Mosul from Islamic State fighters. The SEALs in the platoon did not respond to requests for interviews for this article. Their names and those of others who have not been identified publicly in court have been withheld from this article at the request of the Navy, because of the covert nature of their work. A spokeswoman for Naval Special Warfare, Cmdr. Tamara Lawrence, said that while they are commandos, SEALs are still expected to follow the same laws as all other troops, adding, Its called special operations, not different operations. The investigation report said several members of the platoon told investigators that Gallagher showed little regard for the safety of team members or the lives of civilians. Their mission was to advise Iraqi forces and provide assistance with snipers and drones, but they said the chief wanted instead to clear houses and start firefights. He would order them to take what seemed to be needless risks, and to fire rockets at houses for no apparent reason, they said. He routinely parked an armored truck on a Tigris River bridge and emptied the trucks heavy machine gun into neighborhoods on the other side with no discernible targets, according to one senior SEAL. Gallaghers job was to plan and oversee missions for the platoon, but platoon members said he spent much of his time in a hidden perch with a sniper rifle, firing three or four times as often as other platoon snipers. They said he boasted about the number of people he had killed, including women. Photos from the deployment that were stored on a hard drive seized by the Navy show the chief aiming sniper rifles and rocket launchers from rooftops in the city. Two SEAL snipers told investigators that one day, from his sniper nest, Gallagher shot a girl in a flower-print hijab who was walking with other girls on the riverbank. One of those snipers said he watched through his scope as she dropped, clutching her stomach, and the other girls dragged her away. Another day, two other snipers said, the chief shot an unarmed man in a white robe with a wispy white beard. They said the man fell, a red blotch spreading on his back. Before the 2017 deployment, Gallagher ordered a hatchet and a hunting knife, both handmade by a SEAL veteran named Andrew Arrabito with whom he had served, text messages show. Hatchets have become an unofficial SEAL symbol, and some operators carry and use them on deployments. Gallagher told Arrabito in a text message shortly after arriving in Iraq, Ill try and dig that knife or hatchet on someones skull! On the morning of May 4, 2017, Iraqi troops brought in an Islamic State fighter who had been wounded in the leg in battle, SEALs told investigators, and Gallagher responded over the radio with words to the effect of hes mine. The SEALs estimated that the captive was about 15 years old. A video clip shows the youth struggling to speak, but SEAL medics told investigators that his wounds had not appeared life-threatening. A medic was treating the youth on the ground when Gallagher walked up without a word and stabbed the wounded teenager several times in the neck and once in the chest with his hunting knife, killing him, two SEAL witnesses said. Iraqi officers who were at the scene told Navy investigators that they did not see the captive die, but disputed the stabbing account, saying it seemed out of character for the chief. Minutes after the death, Gallagher and his commanding officer, Portier, gathered some nearby SEALs for a re-enlistment ceremony, snapping photos of the platoon standing over the body. In recent years, photos of re-enlistment ceremonies in unusual circumstances while scuba diving or sky diving, for instance have gone viral on social media. The chiefs variation would have reinforced his image as a hard-charging pirate, one SEAL said. A week later, records show, Gallagher texted a picture of the dead captive to a fellow SEAL in California, saying, Good story behind this, got him with my hunting knife. But his platoon did not see it as a good story, according to the investigation report: The SEALs called a platoon meeting and discussed how to keep the chief away from anyone he could harm. When senior platoon members confronted Gallagher about the captives death, they said, he told them, Stop worrying about it, they do a lot worse to us. The SEALs told investigators they reported the killing to Portier that night and at other times during the deployment, but the lieutenant took no action. They said the lieutenant had trained under Gallagher at BUDS and idolized him. Members of the platoon hoped the chief would be reprimanded when they returned home from Iraq in August 2017, according to the report. It didnt happen. The report said they spoke repeatedly to the lieutenants superior, Breisch, and to Alazzawi and another Team 7 master chief, but were told to decompress and let it go. Breisch and Alazzawi disputed that account. They told investigators that they had no knowledge of the alleged war crimes until the March 2018 meeting, and that they had encouraged anyone in the platoon who had witnessed anything criminal to report it to Navy investigators. The Navy declined to make Breisch or Alazzawi available for interviews, citing the continuing investigation. Each member of the SEAL team had a duty to report wrongdoing as soon as possible, said Lawrence Brennan, a retired Navy captain and military lawyer who now teaches law at Fordham University. But he added, The willingness of an institution to turn a blind eye is common. Its especially true in warfare communities, he said. And in the SEALs, you dont just keep it in the family, you keep it in the immediate family. Gallagher had been accused of serious misconduct before. According to the investigation report, Army Special Forces troops serving with him in Afghanistan in 2010 reported that, as a sniper, he had shot through an Afghan girl to hit the man who was carrying her, killing them both. Breisch told investigators in 2018 that the 2010 report had been investigated and no wrongdoing had been found. In 2014, the report says, Gallagher was detained at a traffic stop, where he allegedly tried to run over a Navy police officer; he was released to his commander, and there is no record of punishment in the report. Soon after, he was promoted to chief. Among the text messages included in the investigation report are some between Gallagher and another SEAL chief, David Swarts, who is being prosecuted for the beating of detainees in a separate case dating from 2012. Gallagher told Swarts about his looming investigation and said he felt he could not trust anyone any more. When Swarts responded that he never thought SEALs would report one another, Gallagher replied, Me either, those days are gone. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Mexican troops who drew guns on U.S. soldiers at the border last week were "probably" a diversion for drug smugglers, a theory at odds with the U.S. military's assessment of what happened. Trump's tweeted thoughts included a warning to Mexico. "Mexico's Soldiers recently pulled guns on our National Guard Soldiers, probably as a diversionary tactic for drug smugglers on the Border," the president wrote, erroneously calling the soldiers National Guardsmen. "Better not happen again! We are now sending ARMED SOLDIERS to the Border. Mexico is not doing nearly enough in apprehending & returning!" The tweet comes after an afternoon incident April 13 in which two active-duty U.S. soldiers involved in the Defense Department's mission of providing camera surveillance at the border were briefly detained and disarmed on U.S. soil, U.S. military officials said. Navy Capt. Pamela Kunze, a U.S. military spokesman, said in an email that five to six Mexican military members approached and questioned the American soldiers, who were conducting border support operations near Clint, Texas, in an unmarked vehicle owned by Customs and Border Protection. "An inquiry by CBP and DOD revealed that the Mexican military members mistakenly believed the U.S. Army soldiers were south of the border with Mexico," Kunze wrote. "However, the U.S. soldiers were appropriately in U.S. territory. Though they were south of the border fence, U.S. soldiers remained in U.S. territory, north of the actual border." The Mexican military departed the area after "a brief discussion between the soldiers from the two nations," Kunze said. "We believe this brief exchange was a misunderstanding concerning the location of the unmarked U.S. surveillance vehicle and an honest mistake by the Mexican soldiers," Kunze said. "The Mexican military has been and continues to be a great partner with the United States military." The incident was first reported Friday night by Newsweek, which cited a U.S. military report that Mexican soldier told one of the American soldiers to put his M9 pistol inside the CBP vehicle. The Mexican Foreign Ministry released a statement Wednesday, downplaying the incident. Officials said a group of Mexican military officers in Ciudad Juarez encountered two U.S. soldiers on April 13 "doing support work in a vehicle with no identification that was south of the border fence, within U.S. territory, in an area in which the border demarcation isn't clear because of geography." "After an investigation, a decision was reached to move the U.S. military vehicle north of the border fence to avoid confusion," the statement said. "This type of incident is common, as it involved verification of an ordinary patrol, and there were no consequences for either of the two governments, which maintain constant, fluid communication. In this particular incident, they were in direct, efficient contact." The incident highlights the possible confusion in an evolving and growing mission in which about 3,000 active-duty service members and 2,000 National Guardsmen are assisting CBP officers at the border at Trump's direction. The confrontation also draws attention to the actions of Mexican authorities at the border. U.S. officials have reported instances in which Mexican soldiers have come over the U.S. border for years. In some cases, they are characterized as accidents, but there are instances in which smugglers have been discovered wearing Mexican Army uniforms. The Los Angeles Times, citing internal documents it obtained, reported in 2014 that U.S. officials had documented nearly two dozen border incursions by Mexican troops in the previous four years. Some U.S. officials have questioned whether some of them have provided security to drug smugglers. Brandon Judd, the national president of a union for Border Patrol agents, said in an interview on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" on Sunday that he questioned the explanation U.S. officials provided about the most recent incident. "I don't know one Border Patrol agent that will accept that story that the Mexican military thought these National Guardsmen were in Mexico," said Judd, also erroneously stating that the Americans were members of the National Guard. "We have case after case after case where it is believed that Mexican military is performing diversion tactics for criminal cartels in order for them to smuggle drugs or high-value contraband into the United States." Judd, who leads the National Border Patrol Council, said that "there were many crimes committed by the Mexican military," and said that the evidence in "all of the different incursions" by the Mexican military "clearly points" to the Mexican soldiers being involved with drug traffickers. "It's amazing," said the Fox host, Pete Hegseth, in response. "And I absolutely believe it, based on covering this, as you said, for the last couple of years." The incident also has prompted some prominent conservatives to question whether the U.S. soldiers did anything wrong. "Have these soldiers been court-martialed yet?" Ann Coulter tweeted on Sunday night. But Kunze, the U.S. military spokeswoman, indicated the soldiers did nothing wrong. "Throughout the incident, the U.S. soldiers followed all established procedures and protocols and, through communication, successfully de-escalated the situation," she said in her email. Trump's tweet Tuesday threatened to send armed U.S. soldiers to the border, but some American forces there already are. In most circumstances, a soldier in a military police role is armed and watches out for fellow soldiers nearby. It was not immediately clear if the Pentagon is arming more or all U.S. troops at the border. "We are continually reviewing and adapting our processes, training and procedures as we support CBP in the southwest border security mission," Kunze wrote. "The U.S. soldiers involved in this incident responded appropriately in de-escalating the situation and notifying their Border Patrol counterparts as they have been specifically trained to do." Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday that he had seen Trump's tweet on the military confrontation and was looking into the issue. "We are going to look into this case, taking into account what's been said, and providing assurances that we will always act responsibly with the people and government of the United States," Lopez Obrador told a morning news conference. Trump also tweeted erroneously on Wednesday that a caravan of 20,000 migrants had arrived in Mexico, and he urged Mexican authorities to detain the group. While Mexican officials had worried in recent weeks about reports that the "mother of all caravans" was forming in Central America, a group of that size never arrived in the country. Lopez Obrador is a leftist who has vowed what he calls a more humane policy toward irregular migration. But he has also sought to avoid getting into fights with Trump. "The most important thing is to tell him (Trump) that we are not going to fight with the government of the United States, we want a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation in development, and that's what we have sought in these months, we are going to continue acting to maintain relations that are cordial and neighborly," said the Mexican president. "We are not going to be tripped up by any provocation; I say to President Donald Trump that we want to maintain a respectful, friendly relationship with his government, that we will investigate this incident (regarding the military on the border), that we will take into account what he is saying, and we will act according to our laws, and respecting our sovereignty." - - - Sheridan reported from Mexico City. Not featured in Millers report was a key moment from the trial when, on cross-examination by prosecutors, the psychologist recounted that shortly before arriving at the scene Van Dyke told his partner, Oh my God, we are going to have to shoot the guy. That was the first public indication that Van Dyke mulled over shooting the teen even before arriving and perhaps explained why he opened fire within just six seconds of exiting his squad car as McDonald walked away from police. University investigators spoke with two witnesses who Bianca said she had confided in about the request for oral sex, the letter said. Both witnesses told investigators that Bianca did tell them Williams requested oral sex from her, according to the letter. When he first learned Spring Branch ISD Superintendent Scott Muri was interested in becoming the leader of Ector County ISD in Odessa, Doyle Woodall said he wondered whether Muri had lost his mind. I thought, Why is this guy leaving Spring Branch, with all of the work and effort hes put into it, for basically what amounts to a lateral move? said Woodall, the president of Ector Countys board of trustees. I believe, with all my heart, its his dedication to kids and the challenge. Muri maintained his interest throughout the interview process, and Ector County officials made the stunning announcement Tuesday that Spring Branchs fourth-year leader would leave his high-performing west Houston district for the Permian Basin. In an interview Wednesday, Muri said the challenge of turning around a long-struggling school district and working with Odessas close-knit community appealed to him even as observers in both districts were puzzled by the move. Its the opportunity that was the draw, Muri said. Its going to be a monumental challenge, but Im up for it, the board is up for it and the community is up for it. Im 100% confident were going to get it done. Spring Branch trustees are expected to meet Monday to discuss their next steps for replacing Muri, who will remain on the job until the end of the school year. The districts board president, Rev. Josef Klam, said some community members have asked for the real story behind Muris departure, but he believes in Muris desire to reform Ector County. One of his greatest strengths is his integrity and character, Klam said. I think he has a deep, deep love for students, particularly those with significant challenges. From what Ive gathered, he really does view this as an opportunity thats about a unique moment in time, for his unique set of gifts. The quizzical response to Muris move reflects the sharp differences between Ector County and Spring Branch. Odessa sits about 250 miles from the nearest major metropolitan area in the oil-rich Permian Basin, a far cry from cosmopolitan Houston. Ector County and Spring Branch are roughly the same size both enroll about 34,000 students and Muri likely will not receive a significant pay raise. Ector County ranks among the lowest-performing districts in the state, while Spring Branch routinely posts some of the regions top academic outcomes. Muri said Ector County is ripe for reform, particularly given its academic standing and staffing situation. The district received a D rating last year under the states academic accountability system, one of the lowest scores for a large district. Nearly one-quarter of the districts 41 schools were rated improvement required, a label designated for the bottom 5% of campuses. About 265 teaching positions are vacant, equivalent to roughly one-of-out-eight teaching jobs in the district. Part of what drew me here is the opportunity to analyze personnel, staffing teachers and people, Muri said. Its an opportunity to kind of dive deeply into whats happening, how students are being served and what this community wants to excel. Muri arrived in Spring Branch in 2015 after serving three years as deputy superintendent of academics for Fulton County Schools, home to about 95,000 students in the Atlanta area. He previously held three administrative roles in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, as well as campus leadership and teaching jobs in smaller North Carolina and Florida school districts. Muri inherited a district with a strong academic and financial track record, serving students from a wide range of ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Many of Spring Branchs performance metrics held steady during Muris tenure, including the districts graduation and college enrollment rates. Other measures ticked higher, such as college entrance exam participation and SAT scores. One of Muris signature accomplishments involved shepherding a massive $898 million school bond to passage in 2017, with about 80 percent of voters approving the package. At the time, it ranked as the sixth-largest school bond in Texas history, particularly notable given that Spring Branch had the states 36th-largest student enrollment. Muri also guided Spring Branch through Hurricane Harvey, which primarily devastated homes on the districts southern border near Buffalo Bayou. The district remained closed for two weeks following extensive flooding. Klam said Muri positioned Spring Branch to maintain its reputation during his tenure. Weve got great people from senior-staff level all the way down to our teachers, Klam said. I think weve worked hard as an entire system on how we do certain things, why we do certain things, and having a path forward. Woodall said Muri impressed Ector Countys trustees with his strong communication skills, calm demeanor and lengthy track record of innovation. I believe he is the only person in the United States for this job, Woodall said. This is the best fit we could have ever found. jacob.carpenter@chron.com A bill to make transferring from a community college to a university easier and less costly passed in the Texas Senate Wednesday, marking a victory for Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, who introduced the first version of the legislation two sessions ago. I think were closer now than weve ever been, West said. SB 25 aims to save taxpayers, students and parents money by ensuring that courses at technical institutes or community and junior colleges can easily transfer and count toward a degree at a four-year university. Its a partnership that should have been a long ago, West said. The current system of transferring from one public university or college to another is complicated and costly, and students often accumulate an average of seven more credit hours than needed, according to a report by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. We have a lot of students that are taking college courses that are not applied or they dont get credit, West said, which costs students and parents about $45 million and the state about $15 million. That comes to $60 million of money wasted on untransferable credits each year, he said. The bill intends to better organize prerequisites, core and lower-level courses, making it easier for students to identify which courses will transfer and how they can rely on fields of study in order to graduate in a timely manner without losing credits. It further details and encourages articulation agreements between community colleges and four-year colleges, and would require students to consult with academic advisers and file degree plans within 30 to 60 credit hours that would map out their course load. Universities will also be held accountable and will be required to provide the coordinating board with an annual report, detailing which courses were not transferable that year and why, West said. The road to getting the bill passed hasnt been easy. West said not all of the Senate Higher Education Committee liked every aspect of the bill, but the group came together to address their concerns. The bill still has to pass in the House before its sent for the governors approval, West said. But he said he remains hopeful. The senator has the support of major institutions, including University of Texas at Austin President Gregory L. Fenves, who called SB 25 one of this years most important bills during a Wednesday meeting with the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board. And Higher Education Commissioner Raymund A. Paredes, who also supports the bill, said he hopes this is the year lawmakers will take the necessary steps to improve the transfer process for students at colleges across the state. On a quarterly conference call with media Tuesday, Paredes said that the topic of transferring has been the most vexing issue for the past several legislative sessions. We keep hearing over and over again that [transferring] is the issue that constituents complain about most, Paredes said. RELATED: Texas higher education official says colleges need more funding from state Other legislation Paredes highlighted Tuesday included SB 1504, a bill by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, that would reallocate $127 million in unappropriated funds for Texas B-On Time account to a graduation supplement program. Texas B-On Time is a zero-interest loan program for students set to be abolished in 2020. The proposed graduation supplement would provide performance-based funding to public universities based on their number of graduates. The supplement aims to encourage institutions to raise completion rates of low-income and low-performing students, and to expand advising, tutoring and other academic services. Paredes also emphasized the importance of HB 3042, which passed Tuesday. The bill, introduced by Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, aims to expand work-study in Texas and create paid internships for college students. The initiative will offer financial aid for students a major goal for the coordinating board but also the opportunity for students to gain experience and marketable skills at large companies, all of which align with the boards goal of helping 60 percent of people between the ages of 25 and 34 complete post-secondary education by 2030. Paredes also noted the correlation between quality public education and the success of higher education. He emphasized that the typical kindergarten through 12th-grade (K-12) strategy, should be reformed to extend into the final years of an undergraduate education, ensuring that students complete college. Focusing more on quality pre-K and kindergarten education, and ensuring students are reading by grade level in the third grade are essential steps in getting students on the right trajectory, Paredes said. We think that leads to a natural handoff to higher education, Paredes said. Paredes said the board is also discussing policies that will give the board more authority to handle unnecessary duplication of educational programs throughout the state. For example, he said, nursing programs are in high demand and needed across the state, but library science programs are not and dont need as much duplication. Where institutions are located and whether the programs are available online should be taken into consideration. brittany.britto@chron.com twitter.com/brittanybritto The Texas Legislature has passed a bill to recognize a University of Houston medical school in state statute, another step in the institutions plan to create the citys first new training ground for doctors in nearly half a century. The legislation, which passed in the House early this month and in the Senate Tuesday, now goes to Gov. Greg Abbott for final approval. Upon receipt of the bill, Abbott has 10 days to sign it, veto it or allow it to become statute without a signature. Passing both houses of the Legislature is a significant milestone for the College of Medicine, Dr. Stephen Spann, founding dean of the planned school, said in a statement. Im extremely grateful for the strong show of support and belief in our mission by state leaders. The statute authorizes public university systems in Texas to approve curricula and operational protocols for medical schools and makes the college eligible for related state funding. UH is hoping to begin enrolling students in the school in fall 2020. Plans call for it focus on primary care for underserved areas, a huge need in Houston and the state, given projected doctor shortfalls. UH also is asking state lawmakers for $20 million for the college this session, an allocation included in the House budget. There is no such allocation in the Senate budget, but UH officials this week said theyre confident the amount will be part of the final budget worked out in conference committee. The legislative funding and formal recognition are two of four key steps needed to create the school, which would be the citys first since the University of Texas System opened what is now known as McGovern Medical School in 1972, the largest component of the UT Health Science Center at Houston. UH cleared the first hurdle in October, approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The biggest hurdle is accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a nearly year-long process that requires on-site visits and progress reports and without which a medical school cannot open. UH submitted its initial application materials for such accreditation in March. Crucial to the application are a safety-net health clinic for low-income people UH opened in March and an agreement with HCA Houston Healthcare, finalized in 2018, that is expected to create nearly 400 residency slots over the next seven years. UHs pursuit of a medical school is one of two in the area. Sam Houston State University hopes to create a college of osteopathic medicine in Conroe, also targeting a fall 2020 opening. In December, the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation granted it candidate status, an early step in the process. On Wednesday, Spann hailed the Legislatures passage of the bill recognizing UHs plans for a medical school as evidence of its awareness of Texas crisis in primary care. They clearly recognize the need for more primary care physicians in underserved urban and rural communities and the University of Houston remains laser-focused on creating a new kind of medical school with an innovative curriculum to address the shortage, said Spann. todd.ackerman@chron.com twitter.com/chronmed City Council voted Wednesday to send 60-day layoff notices to 220 Houston firefighters, the latest round of pink slips intended to help offset the cost of implementing raises required by Proposition B. The 10-6 vote came as Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association continue their attempts to come to an agreement on a schedule for implementing the voter-approved pay parity measure. The two sides, along with the Houston Police Officers Union, have been ordered into mediation by a state district judge who said they must continue to negotiate until a deal is reached or the mediator declares an impasse. Though the council could reverse its Wednesday decision if a deal is struck in mediation, neither side seemed optimistic about that prospect. Theres nothing certain about this mediation, Turner said. But what is certain is that we have to balance our budget. How they voted For the layoffs: Jerry Davis, Ellen Cohen, David Martin, Karla Cisneros, Robert Gallegos, Martha Castex-Tatum, David Robinson, Amanda Edwards, Jack Christie and Mayor Turner Against: Dwight Boykins, Mike Laster, Mike Knox, Michael Kubosh, Steve Le and Brenda Stardig Not present: Greg Travis See More Collapse HPFFA President Marty Lancton declined to comment on the mediation, citing a confidentiality agreement. In a statement after the vote, however, the firefighters union excoriated Turner and members of council who it said gutlessly voted for the layoffs. Having manufactured a city fiscal crisis in a tantrum (over) Proposition B, the mayor has become an out-of-control, unaccountable political fraud, Lancton said in the statement. His failed leadership and relentless political and legal attacks on firefighter families will now put the communities we serve at risk. At the core of the Wednesday vote and ongoing mediation is the time frame for phasing in the Prop B raises, which Turners administration estimates will cost about $80 million annually. The raises are mandated under the voter-approved Prop B, which requires the city to pay firefighters the same as police officers of corresponding rank and seniority. Turner has said the city will have to lay off hundreds of employees, including firefighters, unless the fire union agrees to phase in the raises over five years. The union has said it would put a three-and-a-half-year implementation to a vote of its members, but only if the city assures that no firefighters will be laid off. The mayor said that is impossible. The city already has issued layoff notices to 67 Houston Fire Department cadets and 47 municipal employees. Much of Wednesdays two-hour discussion revolved around the idea of delaying the layoff vote while mediation continues. Turner pushed back on the idea, pointing out that the council is required to pass a balanced budget by the start of the next fiscal year on July 1. Even without the cost of firefighter raises, the city already must close a $117 million budget deficit for the next fiscal year. Council members Mike Knox and Brenda Stardig were among those who requested more time before voting on the layoff notices. They and others said that, regardless of the outcome, the Wednesday vote could derail negotiations at a crucial period. Now that the court has intervened and done a mediation, the facts have changed and it is now premature for us to vote on this issue, Knox said. Turner rejected that idea, saying it would only create more pandemonium and uncertainty. Its just not practical and does not stop the problems that we are experiencing, he said. The best way, whether you like it or not, is to move forward. Sending pink slips to firefighters requires council approval, whereas reducing municipal positions does not. Because of that, Turner said, any delay in the Wednesday vote would force the city to immediately start sending layoff notices to hundreds of municipal employees to shore up next years budget. Knox called that an attempt by Turner to hold the civilian employees at gunpoint. Councilman Dwight Boykins, a onetime Turner ally who in recent months has increasingly advocated on behalf of the firefighters, voiced similar concerns. Boykins earlier this year floated the idea of a monthly garbage collection fee on homeowners that he said would raise revenue to finance the raises for firefighters. Council overwhelmingly rejected it. Boykins has been increasingly critical of the mayor since, accusing Turner of using the layoffs to get revenge on his critics in HFD. (Turners) ultimate goal, he told reporters after the Wednesday vote, was to pay back the firefighters for beating him on Prop B. Its not right. So, now you have communities that will be suffering due to this layoff. Councilman Greg Travis was absent and thus did not vote. Turner and Fire Chief Samuel Pena have said the layoffs would not significantly impact public safety because of a change in the the departments shift schedule that was approved Wednesday. By switching from a four-shift to three-shift model, firefighters will be able to work the same 20 24-hour shifts every 72 days. In some weeks, though, they will work more shifts; in others, they will get regular shifts off. Some of the staff reductions at HFD will come through attrition, Pena has said. Pena said he had considered the new shift schedule as a cost-saving move even before Prop B was passed overwhelmingly by voters last November. He said earlier this month that HFD would need to implement the changes simply to maintain public safety at its current levels, though the fire union maintains that any staff reductions would have negative impacts on operations. A previous version of this story incorrectly reported a councilmans vote on layoffs. Councilman Greg Travis was absent and did not vote. robert.downen@chron.com The main takeaway from a town hall about the Deer Park chemical plant fire that sent a toxic cloud over Houston for several days in March is that officials must learn from the incident to prevent it from happening again and be better prepared if it does. More than 100 residents gathered Wednesday night at Milby High School, about a dozen miles from the Intercontinental Terminals Co. plant, to demand answers about what the plant fire would mean for their health and communities. We are making sure that the agencies involved really do the work here on the ground to make sure we can hold those responsible, responsible, said U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, who organized the gathering. Its not just about the federal, state, county or city (governments needing) to do something, she added. Its about all of us together, with input from you, making sure it doesnt happen again. Representatives from Harris County and from state and federal agencies involved in the investigation or response to the fire gave short updates on the status of their efforts. While the full cost to the various government agencies is not known, Toby Baker, executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, said the state agency has had 300 personnel responding to the fire who collectively, along with contractors, have put in about 20,000 hours at a total cost of $1.7 million so far. The agency is seeking to recover the cost as part of legal action that its taken against ITC. Harris County has also sued the company, as have several individuals. A petition for a class-action status is now in federal court. TCEQ will do what Baker called a 360-degree review on our actions to inform the Legislature on gaps identified. At this point, he said, the agency is transitioning from response to working with ITC on remediation so the company cleans up the site to how it was before the fire. The blaze started on March 17 in a farm holding 15 tanks, many containing components that make gasoline. It burned for more than 60 hours, with several flare-ups as firefighters worked to extinguish it. During the course of the week, there were several shelter-in-place orders covering Deer Park and the surrounding area. Air-quality concerns prompted the suspension of classes at some schools, and the Houston Ship Channel was temporarily closed after a containment wall was breached. The plume of smoke was visible more than 30 miles away. State Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, is working on providing TCEQ with funds for mobile air monitoring, which it lacked during the ITC fire. The state agency instead had to rely on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and additional handheld monitors, a staff member said on her behalf. She has also urged TCEQ to pursue the maximum penalties for the damage caused by the incident and to look at ways to give the county fire marshal more authority to proactively review other facilities. No stone unturned Investigators with the Harris County Fire Marshals Office were able to enter the tank farm for the first time on April 9. Investigators are sitting down trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out how it started, said Assistant Chief Bob Royall. We will leave no stone unturned. He also said his office is working with Alvarado to enact legislation to prevent similar incidents from happening. So far, the 15 tanks in the farm have been secured and most have been cleaned as much as possible, said the EPAs Gary Moore. And 144,244 barrels of oily water mix have been removed from the waterways and 240,767 barrels of product mixed with water and firefighting foam have been removed from the tank farms. As for wildlife, more than 100 animals have died, including nine red-eared slider turtles, six opossums, 35 birds and 59 fish. Moore was interrupted by Norma Mottu, who has a lawsuit pending against ITC claiming her familys exposure to the chemicals after the fire made them sick. She asked why there werent more air monitoring systems and was concerned about water safety. The Houston Ship Channel is streets away from my neighborhood, she said, and air has no borders. Moore apologized. Mottu responded: I know you are sorry, but I need you to understand this is what we live with. Garcia stepped in to let Moore finish his presentation, telling Mottu they had talked before the town hall and would get an opportunity to continue the conversation afterwards. The public was concerned about elevated benzene levels. Benzene, a carcinogenic, is made mostly from petroleum and is used to make Styrofoam, synthetic fibers, rubbers and pesticides. Parents worry that schools were not properly cleaned up after the fire and about the potential long-term impact of the class of chemicals perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, or PFAS, in the firefighting foam that got into the water. Officials couldnt provide definitive answers. The Harris County Health Department gave recommendations to schools based on information that it was receiving from TCEQ, said Sherri Onyiego, a chronic-disease prevention doctor with the county, but it didnt include any protocols for chemical cleanup of the actual facility. As to the long-term effect, I cant tell you what that looks like, she told a distraught mother. The county will be studying the long-term effects of the incident. We will get the answer Others wanted to know how residents were going to be compensated. Ebunoluwa Akinola, with the Texas Organizing Project, said that his house sits directly in front of the ship channel and that he was diagnosed with bronchitis on March 22. You are talking about birds, fish and everything else, but havent heard you talk about the residents. How are we going to be helped? he asked. We need solutions, he added. What do they intend to do for residents who have been affected? What concerns Bryan Parras, an environmental advocate and area resident, is that he feels the government is treating the incident as if its over. This is not over. Its ongoing continuously, he told them. The numbers will not give you a full picture, he said of the monitoring data. And not knowing what some of the long-term impacts of the incident will be, he said, are not good answers. It leaves the public feeling nervous, distrustful of government agencies and public officials. After more than two hours and with more people still lined up for questions, Garcia encouraged attendees to send her any additional questions. She committed to getting them answers. It might not be the answers that you want to hear, she said, but we will get the answer. perla.trevizo@chron.com AUSTIN Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller sent legislators a religious print laden with yellow roses and a Bible verse Wednesday, but at least one lawmaker is questioning Millers use of taxpayer resources to send a religious message. Also, the word Psalm is misspelled Pslam. Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, said a staffer from the department hand-delivered the Bible verse to his office. The print makes no mention of the Department of Agriculture or its duties, nor does it include Millers name or the Department of Agricultures logo. The document is a reading from Psalm 137 about being in exile. Other members received Bible verses corresponding to the number of their district. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Its a gift to boost the profile of Sid Miller in the eyes of the legislative members, said Wu. He needs to reimburse the state for all costs, including staff time. The Department of Agriculture did not respond to repeated requests for comment Thursday morning, but the Republican sent an email to members Wednesday explaining the certificate is a post-Easter gift for reflection. In these days following Easter, the most holy day in the Christian calendar, we have an opportunity to reflect on new blessings and renew our faith, he wrote. May this reflection bring you comfort and inspiration this Easter season. Lawmakers routinely give each other gifts, said Wu, but they must do so with their own money or campaign funds. The Texas Constitution bans state officials from spending taxpayer dollars for non-state purposes, said Buck Wood, a longtime ethics lawyer who has sued numerous officials for misusing state resources. Though the cost of producing or delivering Millers message are negligible, Wood said: The problem is, if you can spend $10, you can spend $1,000. And if you bought New Testaments for (all the members in) the House and Senate, you probably could spend that much, he said. The print was delivered to lawmakers as they prepare to vote on a bill that would strip Miller and the department of its power to oversee motor fuel quality and gas pumps. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to shift those duties to the Department of Licensing and Regulation. The House is expected to take up the measure in the coming weeks. For subscribers: Lawmakers move to rein in Agriculture Commissioner Sid Millers power at the pump Miller has a tenuous relationship with the Legislature. Although he once served in the House, lawmakers refused to fill Millers budget request 2015, leading him to raise fees the next year. In 2017, they trimmed his power to regulate barbecue restaurants, but he rewrote agency rules to continue requiring barbecue restaurants to place their meat scales in places where customers can read them. The agriculture commissioner is charged with regulating products like eggs, seeds, pesticides, gasoline-pumps and grocery store weights. But Miller, a Republican and former rodeo cowboy in his second term, is better known for his social media persona. He has more than 800,000 followers on Facebook, where he often posts about the Bible, conservative causes, and Texas. He has in the past been faulted for using taxpayer money to take trips to Oklahoma where he got a so-called Jesus Shot to cure pain, and to Mississippi to participate in a rodeo. Miller agreed to pay back more than $2,400 in state funds amid an investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety, but prosecutors declined to press charges, saying criminal intent would be difficult to prove. Miller told investigators that his personal activities during the trip were incidental to official travel, state records show. WASHINGTON - Amid the growing power struggle between Congress and the White House, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, intends to press for legislation that could land a candidate or staff member in jail for five years for working with a foreign agent. Democrats in Texas are debating how to proceed when Congress reconvenes next week after Easter recess, the first session since release of the Mueller report exonerating President Donald Trump of crimes in the Russian meddling in U.S. elections, but also raising red flags regarding Trumps attempts to protect himself from the special counsels investigation. Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, is heeding the call by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for her committee and several others to pursue investigations rather than move to impeachment proceedings. as some in her party want. The White House refusal thus far to comply with subpoenas from Democratic-run House committees suggests the likelihood of a stormy spring on Capitol Hill. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox As of now, Jackson Lee and most Texas Democrats appear in sync with plans for a deliberate approach. I believe that we have no reason to politically rush toward any action and we have no reason not to pursue an action if the evidence is there, she said. Jackson Lees newly drafted Foreign Interference in American Elections Act of 2019 would require candidates or campaign aides to refuse assistance from any foreign government and to tell the FBI about such offers within 72 hours of being contacted. It would apply even to volunteers. Isnt it interesting that the only crime that the special counsel had to address was the idea of criminal conspiracy, she said. If there was a law that says that if you did not report those contacts it was an act that warranted criminal penalties, he would have had a multitude of opportunities. Related: Trump sours on Mueller report after initial upbeat view Jackson Lees approach differs from that of Houston Democrat Al Green, one of the early proponents in Congress for impeaching the president. Green asserted in an interview that impeachment is all but inevitable now given the Mueller reports outline of efforts by Trump to influence the investigation into Russian meddling. If we dont act, history will show that we allowed a president to be above the law. And only God knows what hes going to do when hes clearly convinced hes above the law, Green said. Green said he sees consequences in waiting too long before taking up impeachment proceedings. I do think we can (investigate) to the extent that we will engage in what Dr. King called paralysis by analysis, he said. There were people who said, Its too early to impeach, lets wait on the Mueller report. At some point there will be people saying, Its too late to impeach, lets wait for the election. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, will be part of the panels ongoing effort to delve into foreign influence on the White House, including the question of whether the Russian government might have financial leverage over Trump or his family businesses. Castro noted that in a conference call for Democrats hosted by Pelosi earlier this week stretching for nearly 90 minutes, Democrats offered opinions on how to proceed. Everyone takes the responsibility of investigating the presidents action very seriously. Everyone is sobered by the moment we are in and by the duty of this Congress to investigate and follow up on Bob Muellers report, Castro said. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a senior Democrat whose district stretches from San Antonio to Austin, has been a leader in pressing for release of Trumps tax returns, an effort that shows no signs of success so far. Doggett accused Trump of more obstruction after the White House this week missed the Ways and Means Committees Tuesday deadline for turning over the tax information. President Trump and his enablers are simply engaged in obstructing the performance of a ministerial duty that the requested returns shall be provided. They dont get to pick and choose the laws with which they will comply, Doggett said in a statement. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a first-term Democrat from Houston, said she has been on conference calls this week with other members of the House Judiciary Committee to discuss demands being made of administration employees and Trump allies. She noted her committees subpoena this week of former White House lawyer Donald McGahn, whose name appeared dozens of times in Muellers report, and the hope that Robert Mueller will testify in May. We need to continue with our subpoenas and we need to continue with our investigations and establish the facts using the Mueller report as a roadmap, if you will, and see where it takes it, Garcia said. I have not decided (on impeachment) one way or the other. Im one of those who wants to look at the whole enchilada and see where it takes us, she said. Houston Democrat Lizzie Fletcher referred to Muellers findings about possible obstruction of justice as deeply, deeply troubling. And frankly, what weve seen in terms of the presidents response to the report and his instructions about not cooperating with congressional investigations is also deeply troubling. Fletcher, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, noted that impeachment proceedings might take up all the oxygen at a time when matters significant to Houston, including Hurricane Harvey recovery and widening the Houston Ship Channel, could get attention in Congress. Referring to impeachment, she said: That question is on the table; that is part of the remedies available to Congress, and I dont think we should rule out any remedies. I dont think we have all the information we need to make a final decision. After a shocking decrease in voter turnout among black voters overall in the last presidential election, it was hardly a surprise that eight of the top Democratic candidates for the White House spent hours in Houston on Wednesday talking to two different groups of mostly minority voters. While U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro talked up their experiences growing up with powerful women of color in their homes and neighborhoods, others such as U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar and Kamala Harris pointed to their voting records on some of the biggest issues facing black and Hispanic voters. But perhaps the biggest ovation at Wednesdays forum organized by a group called She The People came for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Moderators asked Warren if she thought some people of color might be leery of picking a woman for the 2020 presidential nomination because of what happened with Hillary Clinton in 2016, and whether they might feel safer with a white male at the top of the ticket. Warren produced a roar just by looking out incredulously at the crowd at Texas Southern University without saying a word. We got a room full of people here who werent given anything, Warren finally said. We got a room full of people here who had to fight for what they believe in. We have a room full of people here who had to reach down deep, no matter how hard it was, no matter how scary it looked. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox It was a homecoming of sorts for Warren. While she represents Massachusetts in the Senate, Warren graduated from the University of Houston and later taught at its law school. After speaking to thousands at the She The People forum, most of the same candidates traveled a few miles to downtown where they took turns speaking to a conference of the African American Mayors Association. The focus on black voters particularly women will be a consistent theme for Democrats after 2016, when turnout among that group dropped for the first time in 20 years a 7-percentage-point decline from 2012, according to data from the Pew Research Center. And while turnout among white women overall rose slightly in 2016, turnout for Hispanic women was flat. For organizers of the She The People forum, the mission is clear: make Democratic candidates for the White House address women of color directly and earn their support. Women of color are the voting bloc to win in 2020, said Aimee Allison, groups founder. Women of color are one of the largest and most influential Democratic constituencies and no candidate can win the nomination or the White House without us. Allison said the San Francisco-based group picked Texas Southern University for its first-ever forum because of civil rights legend Barbara Jordan, a Houston Democrat who became a national figure as the first black woman from the South to win a seat in Congress. Not all candidates bidding for 2020 were there. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who is expected to announce his candidacy on Thursday, was not part of the event because he is not an announced candidate. Also left off the stage was South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has surged in the polls in recent weeks. Event organizers said they made the invites weeks ago and could only have eight candidates due to time constraints. Allison, one of two moderators, asked all the candidates directly why women of color should vote for them. It turned into one of Castros biggest moments. I am only here because of two very strong women of color, Castro said, recounting the story of his grandmother crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in 1922, and how his single mother raised himself and his twin brother. So I grew up seeing both the struggles and the promise of two strong women of color. Castro said those two women were the inspiration for his push to expand pre-kindergarten in San Antonio while he was mayor using sales tax revenue, and policies he enacted to fight housing discrimination when he was the U.S Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Booker took a similar route, stressing that he was raised by a strong black woman while growing up in New Jersey. No matter where his career has taken him, Booker said hes been rooted in the community and still lives in the neighborhood where he grew up. During his presentation, Booker emphasized his commitment to choosing a woman for vice president if he wins the nomination. When his turn came, Congressman Beto ORourke pledged not to take the support of women of color for granted like too many Democratic candidates have done in the past. Not something that Im owed, not something that I expect something that I fully hope to earn by the work that I do on the campaign trail by showing up and listening to the people that I want to serve," ORourke said, who named a handful of black women who he said have influenced him, including Houston Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Its an approach that served ORourke well in his close race against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. Exit polling data showed ORourke carried 94 percent of black voters. For Harris, a first-term Senator from California and the only black woman in the race, the answer to the why-vote-for-me question meant stressing her career as an attorney before getting to the U.S. Senate. Because of my track record, my entire life of focusing on women of color, Harris said, pointing to her focus on maternal mortality rates that are significantly higher for black women, as well as her stands on education and criminal justice reform. It was Harriss second trip to the Texas Southern campus in two months. She held a rally there in March. Sanders, making his first campaign stop in Texas in the 2020 race, reminded the crowd that he was at the March on Washington in 1963 with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Sanders also backed the Rev. Jesse Jacksons presidential campaign in 1988. I have dedicated my life to the fight against racism and sexism and discrimination of all forms, Sanders said. Sanders later said the audience could be assured that if hes elected, his administration would reflect the demographics of the country. It would be representative of the people of America, Sander said. It will be representative of the people who understand the pain and the struggle that working people and minorities are feeling. Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, said her struggle as a woman has been hard enough and that she cant imagine what women of color must have to go through. I cant pretend to be in your shoes, Klobuchar said. What I can tell you is that my entire life I have fought for justice. But it was Warren who may have helped her candidacy the most at the event. While Warren is well known, she has trailed Biden and Sanders in early polling. On addressing the maternal mortality rate, Warren said shed have a program that would give hospitals bonus funding if they improve, and take money away if they dont. On housing issues, Warren told the crowd that shed have a program to reverse decades of banking discrimination that kept black families from owning homes. Even though she spoke for just under 20 minutes like the other candidates, Warren developed a regular line that drew applause throughout her speech: Ive got a plan. The She The People forum is the first of many, Allison said. The group is planning to hold another on May 18 in Virginia. On the same page: From the outside, it seems that Obama and Biden ironed out the message here. At least one person familiar with the presidents thinking but didnt want to go on the record said the former president is enthusiastic about the diverse talent in the Democratic field of candidates. Obama also believes that a vigorous primary in 2007 and 2008 not only made him a better candidate but also a better president. So hes going to sit back and let the candidates make their cases to the voting public. And then later in the day, the former vice president told reporters in Delaware, "I asked President Obama not to endorse. Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits." Where they stand Almost half of the Democratic field for president descended on Houston for Wednesdays She The People forum. Here are some of their positions on climate change, immigration, health care and social justice. Cory Booker Booker has made criminal justice reform a central tenet of his political career, introducing bills to legalize marijuana, reduce mandatory minimum sentences, and reinstate the voting rights of felons. In 2017, he co-sponsored Sen. Bernie Sanders Medicare-for-All bill that would do away with private insurance. Last year, he helped introduce a bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security to stop separating migrant families at the border and refused to vote for a funding bill that didnt include protections for Dreamers, immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Julian Castro Castro, of San Antonio, was the first 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to unveil a plan on immigration, calling for border crossings to be treated as a civil offense rather than a crime, and creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Castro supports a Medicare-for-All system, free tuition for the first two years of college, and rejoining the Paris climate change accord. Tulsi Gabbard In one of the more aggressive takes on climate change, Gabbard introduced a bill in Congress that would mandate an end to the use of fossil fuels for electricity by 2050 and ban hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques known as fracking. She supports Medicare for All and Sanders plan to eliminate higher education tuition for most Americans. Gabbard has introduced bills to end family separation and protect Dreamers. Kamala Harris Harris was a co-sponsor of Sanders Medicare-for-All bill and is a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal to address climate change. Harris has voiced support for making illegal immigration a civil penalty rather than a crime. In her presidential announcement speech, Harris supported universal pre-kindergarten education and debt-free college education. Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar doesnt support Medicare for All, but has called for reducing the Medicare eligibility age to 55. Klobuchar has supported the Green New Deal as a framework to jump-start a discussion on climate change. She favors creating a pathway to citizenship for most immigrants in the country illegally and reforming ICE but not abolishing the agency. Klobuchar supports tuition-free community college but not four-year college for all. Beto ORourke ORourke, of El Paso, has made immigration a centerpiece of his campaign. He supports the Dream Act and a path to citizenship for immigrants who stay in the country illegally. ORourke doesnt support Medicare for All but has backed an expansion of Medicare that would not eliminate private insurance. ORourke has voiced support for the Green New Deal. Like Klobuchar, ORourke supports free community college, and has called for colleges and universities to become more affordable, but not tuition-free. Bernie Sanders Sanders introduced the Medicare-for-All bill in 2017 that was co-sponsored by several other Democratic candidates. He also co-sponsored the Green New Deal and introduced the College for All Act that would eliminate undergraduate tuition and fees at all public colleges and universities. Sanders hasnt released an immigration plan yet, but he previously voiced support for creating a path to citizenship for Dreamers. Elizabeth Warren Warren has made news in recent days with the announcement of her plan to eliminate undergraduate tuition and cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt for every person with a household income of less than $100,000. She also supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. Warren called for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished last year and has voiced support for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. Marsha Jones, 58, drove to Houston from her Dallas home Wednesday to hear about womens reproductive health. Majeedah Wesley, 23, wanted to hear about gentrification, noticing the influx of wealthy residents in Houstons Third Ward where she attends school. Kanithea Powell, 46, listened as candidates explained how their policies would affect African Americans and not just surface-level stuff, she said. The three black women were among hundreds at a 2020 Democratic primary forum Wednesday focused on women of color, the third presidential event in 32 days held at Texas Southern University. As candidates vied for their support here, black voters said they are approaching the field with skepticism. It is not merely enough, they say, for candidates to take all the right stances on flashpoint issues, such as reparations and prisoner voting rights, that have begun to function as a sort of social justice pop quiz. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox So often have candidates just come through town and say, Oh we love you people, and then move on, and none of their policies affect our community, Powell said. During the forum, Powell said, U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., explained with substance and detail how their policy visions would affect black people, instead of asking audience members to take their word for it. At one point, Warren drew loud applause when explaining why she believes black women die in child birth at higher rates than white women. The best studies that I see put it down to just one thing: prejudice, Warren said. Doctors and nurses dont hear African-American womens medical issues the same way that they hear the same things from white women. Warren went on to say she had a plan to fix the problem, drawing loud cheers before she could even begin to lay out her idea for giving hospitals financial incentives to bring down maternal mortality rates and penalties if they do not. They knew who their audience was, and they spoke to those issues, Powell said, noting that she is concerned about affordable housing and criminal justice policy. Organized by She the People, a political network of advocacy groups, the forum drew a range of candidates, from those polling atop the field, such as U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, to those scraping a few percentage points, such as U.S. Sen. Cory Booker. For subscribers: Democrats look to maintain their Texas momentum "Our hope is to advance a national conversation to help voters distinguish which candidates stand with and for women of color in our communities," said Aimee Allison, founder of She the People. "The candidate that does that best and most consistently will win the nomination and the White House in 2020." Black voters typically vote in blocks, with a high percentage supporting a single candidate, according to an analysis earlier this month by CNNs Harry Enten. In the 2008 and 2016 primaries, for instance, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton won about 80 percent of the black vote, respectively. Other groups of the Democratic primary electorate, such as college-educated white voters or very liberal voters, were far more prone to splitting their vote among a range of candidates, Enten found. I agree that the candidate that wins this primary is going to be the person that can speak to the diverse coalition that makes up the Democratic Party, and that coalition is powered a lot by women of color, especially black women, Julian Castro, the former San Antonio mayor and U.S. housing secretary, told reporters Wednesday. The forum marked a key opportunity for candidates to make an impression on Texas largest county, where some voters still had yet to hear candidates signal they would focus on issues most important to women of color. I haven't seen any yet, Jones, the Dallas resident, said before the forum. I'm looking to hear somebody say that they are intentional about ending poverty among marginalized folks, especially women. Though candidates have made ample overtures to minority voters, several people attending the forum said they want to see more. Powell, for instance, noted that reparations have been proposed for awhile now. Though she supports the idea, Powell said she wants to see candidates concrete proposals, not lofty rhetoric about backing a study of the matter, as several pledged Wednesday. "It's an interesting concept. I'd like to hear the plan, she said. "I want to see the paperwork. Still, with the most diverse presidential primary field in history, white male candidates have led in early polls, sucked up media attention and posted the most robust fundraising numbers yet, overshadowing female and minority candidates who have struggled to break through. Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., has jockeyed with former El Paso Congressman Beto ORourke for voters who are seeking fresh-faced candidates, while older candidates, such as Sanders and former vice president Joe Biden, have led in the polls. Wesley, the 23-year-old student, said that while a female or minority candidate would be awesome, the nominees identity is not her chief concern. I think it's definitely important because I do think we need that representation, she said. But I think often what we see is the people of color who we've seen today, a lot of them come from areas of privilege. So I don't think we can just automatically say we're voting for that person. With such a wide range of options, though, some black voters are already crossing a chunk of the options off their list. I will not vote for a white man, Jones said. I don't care who he is. jasper.scherer@chron.com twitter.com/jaspscherer She should get rid of the money. She said she was going to get rid of the money, she said that repeatedly, Lightfoot said in an interview. I remember I called her out at some candidate forum and said she hadnt given the money back, and she leaped out of her chair and basically called me a liar. But the truth is she hadnt given it back. I knew she hadnt given it back. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. PledgeMusics Noisetrade Acquired By Paste Media Group [OFFICIAL] UPDATED: Paste has acquired music and book discovery platform Noisetrade from PledgeMusic. Paste Media Group controls Paste magazine and live music sessions site Daytrotter. Update + Free Music This story has been updated to reflect the official announcement and Paste Media Group's status as an independent company. Also, from the announcement: "We recently combined forces with Daytrotter to become the largest collection of live music performances on the internet, and well be adding that library to NoiseTrade in the coming weeks, offering thousands of sessions to NoiseTrades already abundant offering" "To celebrate this joining of forces, were offering free downloads of some of our favorite Daytrotter sessions to fans of NoiseTrade. Download exclusive recording sessions from Bon Iver, The Avett Brothers, Lizzo, Mumford & Sons (and Friends), Wilco, Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr., Haim, The National, Tunde Olaniran, Brandi Carlile and Kamasi Washington." What's Next For PledgeMusic Artists? PledgeMusic is not part of the acquisition, according to sources with direct knowledge of the Noisetrade deal. In early February, PledgeMusic suspended all crowdfunding campaigns, leaving hundreds of artists and thousands of fans owed an estimated $1 million to $3 million. Since then, the company has been relatively silent at it sought to find a buyer. Despite PledgeMusic's problems, which also include it's biggest investor being charged for $25 million in fraud by the US Securities & Exchange Commission , staffers at the Noisetrade told Hypebot that they had been able to continue operations over the last two months relatively unaffected. But prior to today, Noisetrade's founders were still owed hundreds of thousands of dollars from PledgeMusic's 2016 acquisition. "Some of that is late by 9 months now," he wrote, "and more than a couple hundred thousand is due in a few more months. I doubt any of that, including the $100,00 owed to me personally will be seen outside of a miracle," Noisetrade co-founder Brannon McAllister said last month. Now it's likely that McAllister and his co-founders will recieve at least some of their money. But the many artists affected by PledgeMusic are still left waiting for theirs. Share on: Campaign finance reports filed with the state last week, however, showed Preckwinkles campaign returned more than 30 contributions originally logged on Feb. 27, 2018, a date the campaign has previously not disputed as being connected to the fundraiser held at Burkes home. In the filing, $43,750 was listed as returned among contributions identified by the Tribune as being linked to the Burke fundraiser, but that left about $72,000 still to be officially accounted for. At Thursday's summit in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the North Korean border, Kim criticized Washington for taking "unilateral attitude in bad faith" at the Trump-Kim meeting that has caused a diplomatic standstill, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said Friday. Kim told Putin that the situation on the Korean Peninsula has reached a "critical point" where it could return to tensions and that peace and security will "entirely depend on the U.S. future attitude," the agency said. During the campaign, she inflated her felony trial experience and sidestepped questions about her once-lapsed law license. And since taking office she has not cited conflicts of interest in large personal injury cases brought against the county by the same law firm that paid her consulting fees and whose partners contributed tens of thousands of dollars to her campaign. Until now, President Trump has been unwilling to acknowledge the Russian role, fearing that doing so would somehow undermine the legitimacy of his victory. He has never condemned Putin or Russia for their interference in our elections. He opposed legislation imposing sanctions on Russia for these actions. And he has continued to put greater stock in Putins false denials than in the unanimous assessment of the U.S. intelligence community that Russia was behind the attack. You might start an auto-body shop because you like cars. Or maybe you want to sell pies because baking has always been a favorite activity. But sticking to a given passion is not necessarily how you create a business that will stand for generations. Diana Nelson learned that lesson early and often from her grandfather, Curtis L. Carlson, the founder of Carlson, a massive Minnetonka, Minnesota-based enterprise that runs businesses, mostly in travel and hospitality, across 150 countries. As part of the third generation in charge at Carlson, Nelson keeps her grandfather's wise words--ifplaceholder not his methods--close to her heart as she not only runs the family business but also helps mentor its fourth generation, which is just starting to graduate from college. "Carlson is an 80-year-old privately held company. Part of celebrating our 80th is that we are now pointing toward 100," Nelson, the company's current board chair, told the Inc. Uncensored podcast in December. Successfully hitting this 100-year milestone seems likely; however, if history is any indication, the company in the future will look far different than it does today. The Foundation It all started in 1938, when Curtis L. Carlson turned a $55 loan into the Gold Bond Stamp Company, which gave local stores a precursor to customer-loyalty points. Customers would collect the stamps in booklets to earn gift rewards, such as a set of patio furniture or a mink coat. The company grew so nicely that by the 1950s it was the largest distributor of mink coats in the United States. Meanwhile, its leader diversified--purchasing a hotel in Minneapolis he was fond of called Radisson. The company changed its name to Carlson Companies Inc. in 1973, and later in the '70s bought two tiny restaurant chains, T.G.I. Friday's and Country Kitchen. These all grew well enough to become household names, and Carlson for its part did various things with them, such as taking T.G.I. Friday's public twice. In 1994, the company's travel business, Carlson Travel Group, merged with Paris-based Wagonlit Travel, and formed Carlson Wagonlit Travel, which is a top global corporate-travel management company, and which rebranded earlier this year to CWT. The company, which accounts for Carlson's largest business unit, had a reported $4.4 billion in revenue in 2016. (Carlson declined to provide more recent revenue figures for CWT and its overall business.) And even though Carlson sold off most of its hotel holdings in 2016, the company still sees itself as stable, if not the dominant force, in the global business-travel industry. It fills 100,000 hotel rooms a night, according to CWT chief executive Kurt Ekert, and has more than one million users for its mobile app for business travel. Today, the business is no longer just one of the largest family-owned private companies in the United States. It also employs tens of thousands of people around the globe, and it operates an investment portfolio and family foundation. Sunday Brunch While the modern version of the company may not be recognizable to Curtis L. Carlson, the tenets upon which he built the business are indeed intact--the result of many hours of deliberate indoctrination in the form of weekly family brunches over the years, says Nelson. Grandpa Curt was unwavering in his belief that the business should stay private, and stay in the family, for as long as could be envisioned--and he made sure his children and grandchildren understood that. "We learned a lot at family brunches every Sunday about the businesses that stayed and that were sustained over time, and the many, many more that did not sustain and last to the third generation," added Nelson. What else did she learn? Don't be nostalgic; don't be precious; don't fall in love. In other words, if consumer demands shift, you can't be nostalgic and stay in business. "We've tried to be strategic about moments when we've needed capital," said Nelson, specifically referring to taking T.G.I. Friday's public in both 1983 and 1999. "We've also had to have the view that we're in business for the long term, not necessarily in one particular business." That lesson should be particularly instructive for entrepreneurs, as falling in love with what you do is often part in parcel with starting up in the first place. But as Nelson points out, that's short-term thinking. You don't get to be a three-generation business that's lasted for 80 years -- and fixing to make it to 100 -- by falling in love. What's more, you'll often be asked to make difficult decisions. Nelson pointed to the 2016 sale of Radisson Hotels, which her grandfather grew from a single, stand-alone location in Minneapolis to 1,400 locations across the globe. Curtis L. Carlson was fond of the hotels business; you might even call it is his passion, says Nelson. So the sale was tough. "We looked at what was happening in that market with consolidation. We realized that as a private business we weren't going to be able to buy some of the extremely large platforms that were ahead of us," said Nelson. "Sometimes you have to make hard decisions... to be in business over the long term." Nelson herself once had mixed feelings about making her career in the family business, where her mother, father, brother, and uncle all worked. She wanted to build her own career and body of expertise, and after attending Harvard and Northwestern, she worked at Oglivy and Mather Advertising and American Express Travel Related Services. But in 2003, she decided to formally return to Carlson, when she joined the board. placeholder "I saw it as an exciting opportunity to help sustain a platform that had grown and sustained our family, and to play a role in keeping that legacy alive," she said. That future won't be straightforward, however. The travel-planning and -booking space has become crowded with upstarts over the past decade--and some of them, such as Palo Alto-based TripActions, which raised more than $200 million in venture capital, are gaining footholds. It will be important that Carlson continues its push to move its technology into the future, as airlines compete to manage more of their business from companies and travelers themselves, says Norman Rose, a senior technology and corporate travel analyst at Phocuswright, a travel and hospitality market research firm. He says the travel giants like Carlson are "being nibbled at by these mid-market entries... There's pressure on them and under them to develop technologies to improve efficiencies." Lasting Traditions To that end, Nelson is taking planning for the future seriously. There's a fourth-generation of the Carlson family, and every one of them, including six who have already graduated from college,placeholderplaceholderplaceholder are expected to learn about the business, even if they don't end up running it. These days, there's a subtler form of acculturating them to the family business than grandpa Curt's brunch-time lectures. "We try to make their early exposure to the business as much fun as comic books, if possible," Nelson said. That includes the kids making travel bookings to comprehend the complexity of moving people around the planet, or taking a gig as a cook in a restaurant. Once the heirs are 18, they start to sit in on family shareholder meetings. That said, there's no pressure. "They have a number of different talents and interests, and our goal is not to mandate that everyone work in the business or create their life and career to be part of the business," Nelson said. Yesterday was a very bad day for aircraft manufacturer Boeing. According to the company, first quarter sales in 2019 declined 2 percent compared to the first quarter of 2018, and earnings were down 18 percent during the same period. The problem? A sharp decline in deliveries of Boeing commercial (non-military) aircraft in the wake of the 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. While Boeing delivered 184 commercial airplanes in the first quarter of 2018, the company delivered only 149 in the first quarter of 2019. This drop was in great part the result of Boeing's suspension of 737 MAX deliveries in March. According to Greg Smith, Boeing's CFO, the grounding of the 737 MAX cost the company $1 billion in the first quarter of 2019. Boeing lost $1 billion after grounding 737 Max planes https://t.co/A15AN1bNFO pic.twitter.com/4M7Jm1h4DQ -- The Hill (@thehill) April 24, 2019 Of course, as the FAA's grounding of the 737 MAX aircraft--the company's best-selling plane--drags on with no fix in sight, costs may increase even further. And this doesn't count the likely financial hit from lawsuits filed by families of crash victims, and potential claims by airlines that have had to keep their planes on the ground for more than a month now. Southwest Airlines has 34 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes. American has 24 and United 14. In a statement, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said, Across the company, we are focused on safety, returning the 737 MAX to service and earning and re-earning the trust and confidence of customers, regulators and the flying public. As we work through this challenging time for our customers, stakeholders and the company, our attention remains on driving excellence in quality and performance and running a healthy sustained growth business built on strong, long-term fundamentals. Lion Air Flight 610--a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft--crashed on October 29, 2018, shortly after takeoff from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. All 189 passengers and crew died in the disaster. Then, on March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302--another Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft--crashed soon after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia. All 157 passengers and crew died in this latest disaster involving Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. After initially resisting calls to ground the Boeing 737 MAX, on March 13, 2019, the FAA did just that. And, a day later, Boeing suspended deliveries of the aircraft while it focused on determining the cause of the crashes and coming up with a fix. The Banksy artwork painted on the side of a steelworker's garage in Port Talbot, Wales, is set to move to a museum next month with the help of a team of specialists. Titled Seasons Greetings, the graffiti mural depicts a child playing in what appears to be snow. However, the second half of the mural, around the corner of the wall, shows that the snow is in fact falling ash from a fire. The piece, in the Taibach area, appears to be a comment on the towns industrial heritage. See the best of Banksy's artwork in the gallery, below: Best of Banksy Show all 68 1 /68 Best of Banksy Best of Banksy Westwood, California A Banksy piece in California depicting a child wielding a machine gun, in black and white surrounded by colored flowers AFP/Getty Best of Banksy Manhattan, New York A rat on the clock of an old bank building Getty Best of Banksy Camden Town, north London Near the Oval Bridge PA Best of Banksy 'Sweeping It Under The Carpet' The piece, commissioned by this newspaper, is intended to represent a metaphor for the west's reluctance to tackle issues such as Aids in Africa Getty Images Best of Banksy 'Di Faced Tenners' In 2004, Banksy printed one million pounds worth of his 'Tenners' PA Best of Banksy 'Love is in the Bin' During Sotheby's Contemporary Art Sale on 5th October the Banksy artwork 'Girl with Balloon' shredded through the bottom of the frame as it was sold. Getty Images Best of Banksy 'Urban decay' Seen on the side of building on Wilder Street in Bristol PA Best of Banksy 'Glory' Previously on view at Sotheby's New Bond Street, London PA Best of Banksy 'Balloon Debate' Banksy headed to Palestinian territories and created images on Israel's highly controversial West Bank barrier Getty Best of Banksy 'Kissing Coppers' Pictured on display in Lazinc Gallery in London in 2018 AFP/Getty Images Best of Banksy 'Spy Booth' On the side of a house in Cheltenham. PA Best of Banksy 'Escape' A Banksy artwork piece on Israel's highly controversial West Bank barrier in Abu Dis Getty Images Best of Banksy 'The Son of a Migrant from Syria' Artwork representing Steve Jobs, founder and late CEO of Apple, at the migrant camp known as the "Jungle" in Calais, northern France AFP/Getty Images Best of Banksy Artwork in 'Walled Off Hotel' Banksy launched a hotel in Bethlehem. The rooms of the hotel were filled with the artist's work, much of which being about the conflict Getty Images Best of Banksy 'One Nation Under CCTV' In the yard of a Royal Mail depot in Newman Street, central London PA Archive/PA Images Best of Banksy 'Brexit' A painted mural depicting a workman chipping away at one of the stars on a European Union flag in Dover Getty Best of Banksy 'Art Attack' Seen on Israel's highly controversial West Bank barrier Getty Best of Banksy Artwork in 'Walled Off Hotel' A piece of artwork in Banksy's 'Walled Off Hote'l in the Israeli occupied West Bank town of Bethlehem Getty Best of Banksy 'Let Them Eat Crack' A large mural of a rat wearing a tie and carrying a briefcase on a wall on Howard St and Broadway in New York PA Best of Banksy Artwork in 'Walled Off Hotel' An installation hanging inside one of the rooms Banksy's 'Walled Off hotel' AFP/Getty Best of Banksy Paris Napoleon Bonaparte wearing a headscarf inspired by the original painting by Jacques-Louis David AFP/Getty Best of Banksy 'Burning Tyre' A Banksy mural which was painted on the side of one of the classrooms at Bridge Farm Primary in Bristol during a half-term PA Best of Banksy 'Les Miserables' Artwork depicting the girl from Les Miserables affected by tear gas, opposite the French embassy in Knightsbridge, London PA Best of Banksy Zehra Dogan Banksy's 70-foot-long mural in New York, made to draw attention to the imprisonment of Zehra Dogan, a Kurdish painter from Turkey AFP/Getty Images Best of Banksy Paris A girl painting over a swastika cross AFP/Getty Best of Banksy 'Girl with Balloon' Originally on the stairs to Waterloo Bridge on the South Bank, London AFP/Getty Images Best of Banksy 'Cardinal Sin' On display at the Walker Art Gallery in 2012 Getty Best of Banksy Rage, Flower Thrower Painted on a wall of a gas station in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Best of Banksy "Madonna with a pistol" In Naples AFP/Getty Best of Banksy 'No Ball Games' In Tottenham, North London PA Archive/PA Images Best of Banksy 'Cash Machine Girl' In Finsbury, North London PA Best of Banksy 'Peckham Rock' Installation of Banksy's at the British Museum in London. The artist secretly placed the mock historical piece in a gallery at the museum in 2005 and it went unnoticed for three days PA Best of Banksy Stained Window' A collaboration between Banksy and the City of Angels public school in Los Angeles AFP/Getty Best of Banksy Barbican Centre, London One of two murals near the Barbican Centre in London PA Best of Banksy Clerkenwell Green, London Described by its creator as "a monument to liars, thieves and bullies" Getty Images Best of Banksy 'Civilian Drone Strike' Capstan House in East London PA Best of Banksy 'Armoured Dove' In West Bank town of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Best of Banksy 'The Painter' Portobello Road, West London PA Best of Banksy 'Yellow Lines Flower Painter' Pollard Street, London Getty Best of Banksy "Kids on Guns" AFP/Getty Best of Banksy Barbican Centre, London The second of the two murals painted by on the Barbican Centre, London PA Best of Banksy "Cans" London AFP/Getty Best of Banksy 'Sorry' East London AFP/Getty Best of Banksy 'Napalm, (Can't Beat That Feeling)' Displayed in an unauthorised 2006 retrospective in London Getty Images Best of Banksy Calais, France A child with a suitcase looking through a telescope with a vulture perched on it, in tribute to migrants and refugees on a beach in Calais AFP/Getty Best of Banksy 'Banksus Militus Vandalus' Displayed in an unauthorised 2006 retrospective in London Getty Images Best of Banksy London Artwork depicting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill AFP/Getty Best of Banksy 'Donkey Documents' Moved from Jerusalem PA Best of Banksy 'A Girl with a Pierced Eardrum' A defaced piece of art on a wall in the city of Bristol, at Hanover Place PA Best of Banksy 'Sperm Alarm' Banksy's name is reflected in the glass covering his piece. One of seven initially stolen works by the artist. Getty Best of Banksy 'Art Buff' In Folkestone, Kent PA Best of Banksy 'The Mild, Mild West' Stokes Croft, Bristol PA Best of Banksy Paris A man holding a handsaw behind his back and offering a bone to a dog which leg has been cut off AFP/Getty Best of Banksy Peeing Dog Los Angeles PA Best of Banksy Bethlehem Painting on a wall in Bethlehem in the West Bank Getty Best of Banksy 'Slave Labout' A poor child making Union Jack flags on a sewing machine, located on the wall of a Poundland discount shop in the Wood Green area of north London Getty Best of Banksy Lower East Side, New York Painted during Banksy's month in New York Getty Images Best of Banksy 'Jay Zeavis' Glastonbury, Somerset PA Best of Banksy Paris Banksy said that he "blitzed" Paris with up to a dozen murals as a tribute to the May 1968 uprising and even took aim at the French government's hard line on migrants AFP/Getty Best of Banksy "I Love New York" A large mural of a rat wearing on Wooster and Grand Street in New York PA Best of Banksy Camden Town, north London A piece under Camden Street Bridge, almost directly behind the British Transport Police building in Camden Town PA Best of Banksy 'Very Little Helps' A child raising a Tesco's plastic bag as a flag in London Getty Best of Banksy 'I Don't Believe in Global Warming' Camden Town, north London PA Best of Banksy Camden Town, north London PA Best of Banksy Bataclan concert hall, Paris Artwork on a side street to the Bataclan concert hall where a terrorist attack killed 90 people in 2015 AFP/Getty Best of Banksy New Orleans, Louisiana Getty Best of Banksy 'Christ with Shopping Bags' Lazinc Gallery in London AFP/Getty Images Best of Banksy "Stop and Search" Shown at Artcurial French auction house sale in Paris AFP/Getty Images The secretive street artist believed to be based in Bristol confirmed on social media he was behind the piece after it was spotted. Art dealer John Brandler, who paid a six-figure sum for Seasons Greetings, said the work will be displayed in a new gallery in the Tyr Orsaf building after being moved on 29 May. The wall featuring the art weighs about 4.5 tonnes and needs to be covered in resin first. It is currently protected by plastic sheeting and 24-hour security, after appearing on the site of Ian Lewiss garage just before Christmas. They're putting the resin on the back, Mr Brandler said. Then fixing bits of chipboard to the back of that. Then they're putting a special crate around it, a bit like a sandwich. Mr Brandler invited members of the public to come and witness the move, calling it an ''historic event.'' Avengers: Endgame has leaked onto piracy sites a whole day before its set to be released in the US. A copy of the film is reportedly circulating online after being recorded in Chinese cinema. TorrentFreak reported that site users in China started to share a file of the three-hour long film on piracy networks on Wednesday. Its believed the file has since surfaced on torrent sites in the UK. The final chapter in the Avengers franchise and a film thats being billed as the conclusion of all 22 films to have been released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2008 debuted in China on Wednesday, one day before its release in the UK. The downloadable copy is said to be terrible quality. According to TorrentFreaks report, Its semi-rotated and is littered throughout with watermarks for a gambling site that spin around the screen. Avengers characters - ranked Show all 27 1 /27 Avengers characters - ranked Avengers characters - ranked 27. War Machine Played by: Don Cheadle Don Cheadle Imagine Iron Man but without a backstory or humour. That's War Machine. Terrence Howard saw that the character would be underwritten and dropped out after filming the first Iron Man. Still, it's hard to dislike Don Cheadle, even when he's shortchanged. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 26. Mantis Played by: Pom Klementieff Pom Klementieff The forgettable Mantis is purely there to make up the numbers. It doesn't help that she was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, one of the MCU's weakest films to date, as the servant to Kurt Russell's tedious villain, Ego. In a crowded ensemble, Mantis is drowned out by the larger personalities. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 25. Hawkeye Played by: Jeremy Renner Jeremy Renner "Oh no! It's a man with no superpowers and a bow and arrow! I, an alien with futuristic technology who has travelled through the galaxy to invade Earth, am terrified!" Thanos's army of Outriders, probably. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 24. Doctor Strange Played by: Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch Oh, Doctor Strange. Perhaps there's a good character there, but Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't the man to play him. He's probably the least likeable presence in the MCU, even if a few kick-ass moments in Avengers: Endgame almost pull him back from the brink. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 23. Gamora Played by: Zoe Saldana Zoe Saldana Although the father-daughter relationship between Gamora and Thanos is interesting, it's completely overshadowed by the dynamic between her half-sister Nebula and the Mad Titan. And now she's AWOL. Perhaps. No one really knows. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 22. Star-Lord Played by: Chris Pratt Chris Pratt Star-Lord the half-man, half-Celestial remains one of the funniest Marvel characters to date. Yet, the Avengers would have saved the universe the first time around if it weren't for his (quite understandable) temper tantrum over the death of Gamora in Infinity War. For that, the leader of Guardian of the Galaxy falls many places. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 21. Nebula Played by: Karen Gillan Karen Gillan Nebula has all the makings of being a vintage Marvel character, but the feeling that she's been slightly short-changed by her appearances to date cannot be escaped. Going forward, she'll undoubtedly have an elevated role in the MCU, so here's hoping she's handed the justice she deserves. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 20. The Winter Soldier Played by: Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan's Bucky was a bit of a non-entity in the otherwise underrated Captain America: The First Avenger, which is why his do-over as the villainous Winter Soldier in the sequel three years later injected the character with some much-needed intrigue. His shift back to being a good guy, though, has dampened the interest around him once again. Still, that teased romance with Shuri (Letitia Wright) is sure to do him some favours. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 19. Vision Played by: Paul Bettany Paul Bettany Vision is the purple embodiment of Tony Stark's AI butler JARVIS, brought to life by the Mind Stone. One of the only other characters capable of wielding Thor's hammer (oi oi, Cap!), Vision is overpowered to the point of being boring. Still, he doesn't know his paprika from his cayenne. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 18. The Wasp Played by: Evangeline Lilly Evangeline Lilly Sidelined during the first Ant-Man, The Wasp finally became a headline name in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not only is she smarter, quicker and a better fighter than Ant-Man, she can also fly thanks to a set of wings. Fingers crossed we'll be getting more Wasp post-Endgame. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 17. Falcon Played by: Anthony Mackie Anthony Mackie There's no two ways about it: if Falcon wasn't played by Anthony Mackie, he'd be far lower down this list. His character remains memorable solely due to the vibrancy the ever-entertaining actor brings to the role. Falcon might be a lesser Avenger, but no appearance since his debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier has left fans wanting more. For that, Falcon should be celebrated. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 16. Captain Marvel Played by: Brie Larson Brie Larson There's no doubt that Captain Marvel could become one of the best characters in the MCU. Fresh off her billion dollar-grossing debut the series's first female-led superhero film the character returned to save the day (well, help the crew out) in Avengers: Endgame. Now her origin story is out of the way, the sky's the limit for her; it'll be exciting to see which planets her story scales next. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 15. Groot Played by: Vin Diesel Vin Diesel To be quite honest, it's hard to screw up a character who is literally a tree that's able to speak just one word (his name). There's no denying that Vin Diesel's Groot was one of the best things about the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and his camaraderie with Rocket Raccoon a highlight. Sadly, being turned into a baby for the entirety of the sequel made his character slightly more annoying. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 14. Valkyrie Played by: Tessa Thompson Tessa Thompson Introduced in Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie has the swagger of Han Solo and the powers of Wonder Woman. The result is probably the coolest and smoothest Avenger yet, and someone we very much look forward to seeing again in Thor: Love and Thunder. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 13. Hulk Played by: Mark Ruffalo Mark Ruffalo The Hulk was originally played by Edward Norton, but Mark Ruffalo took over for the Avengers films. The actor brought out a manic unpredictability to the character, who remains a skittish presence in every film. Since the first Avengers outing, though, Bruce Banner/Hulk has been less integral to the team. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 12. Black Widow Played by: Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Johansson Black Widow has had a rough ride. Introduced during Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's agent was a fierce fighter with an intriguing back story. However, this has rarely been explored since, with the Avengers films focusing on the lads rather than the one female character in the team. Almost 20 Marvel films on and the character is finally getting a solo film but it's a prequel film arriving after her death in Endgame that's been delayed because of coronavirus. Ouch. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 11. Shuri Played by: Letitia Wright Letitia Wright One of Black Panther's biggest revelations was Shuri, T'Challa's kid sister who might just be the cleverest character in the entire MCU. She's brought to life by British actor Letitia Wright, who capitalised on the several opportunities she had to steal the film from under her co-stars' noses. Great, another broken white boy for us to fix," she says as Martin Freeman's Everett Ross is carted into her workshop and thus, a star was born. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 10. Scarlet Witch Played by: Elizabeth Olsen Elizabeth Olsen Scarlet Witch doesn't really do much save for wave her hands around while looking concerned about the well-being of her love, Vision (Paul Bettany) but it doesn't matter considered she's played by the the extremely talented Elizabeth Olsen who, as ever, gives it an admirable stab. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 9. Captain America Played by: Chris Evans Chris Evans On paper, Captain America should be the most boring Avenger. Yet, with Chris Evans at the wheel, the patriotic super-strong OAP who fought in the Second World War has been enjoyable company in every film he's been in, his righteous values never being too overbearing. Captain America, with his pure heart, really is one of the ultimate superheroes. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 8. Iron Man Played by: Robert Downey Jr Robert Downey Jr The leader of the MCU used to be its greatest character. But with the influx of newer additions, Tony Stark has been pushed down that list which isn't to say he isn't still a reason why the series has been such a success. No Marvel actor has thrown themselves into a role more than Robert Downey Jr, whose larger-than-life personality made him the only candidate to have brought the billionaire industrialist and former playboy to screen. Among the big-budget explosions, he's a breath of fresh air and without him, the MCU would have run out of steam long ago. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 7. Ant-Man Played by: Paul Rudd Paul Rudd A man who presses a button and takes on the powers of an ant: not exactly a thrilling premise for a superhero. Thankfully, Marvel accepted that Ant-Man's power are a bit of a joke and cast the ever-delightful comic actor Paul Rudd as the mini-hero. And despite his stature, Ant-Man stole the show in Captain America: Civil War when he reversed his powers and became Giant Man. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 6. Rocket Played by: Bradley Cooper Bradley Cooper In many ways, the success of Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel's first true move away from the cleaner cut Avengers (see: Captan America, Thor) rested on the shoulders of Rocket Raccoon. Many questioned whether it'd work, but thanks to impressive effects, Bradley Cooper's terrific voice work and not to mention James Gunn's knockout screenplay Rocket found himself with more range than most characters on this list. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 5. Black Panther Played by: Chadwick Boseman Chadwick Boseman Few characters have had the cultural impact of Boseman's Black Panther. First appearing in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa's measured demeanour was a counter to the quip-making norm of the other Avengers. Come the character's solo film, the noble leader finally accepted his role as King of Wakanda and, in the process, unleashed the inner Panther. It's no wonder that the film became a box-office sensation, even out-grossing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in the United States. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 4. Drax Played by: Dave Bautista Dave Bautista Drax is proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. His burly appearance suggests he should be fighting for the bad guys, but the opposite couldn't be truer thanks to Dave Bautista, the character is given a cuddly sheen that belies his full name (Drax the Destroyer). The only thing Drax, who first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy, truly destroys is your rib cage he's one of the MCU's funniest characters. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 3. Spider-Man Played by: Tom Holland Tom Holland Spider-Man's back. Again again. Where Tobey Maguire's webslinger was an out-and-out dork, and Andrew Garfield's version was arguably too slick to really be Peter Parker, Tom Holland has found the perfect middle ground: still obsessed with making Star Wars references yet also capable of talking coherently with members of the opposite sex. It's a miracle that Marvel Studios managed to bring Spider-Man into their cinematic universe and a miracle they managed to make him feel this fresh third time around. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 2. Okoye Played by: Danai Gurira Danai Gurira Black Panther was a landmark moment for cinema, let alone Marvel. It was a film filled with selling points the lustrous visuals of Wakanda; a villain you actually cared about but sitting at the top of the heap was Okoye. The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira swapped the katana for a vibranium spear and showed audiences that not only was she more than just television character Michonne, she could translate a comic book character into one of the very best characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 1. Thor Played by: Chris Hemsworth Chris Hemsworth Thor was not a great film. Thor: The Dark World was even worse. Yet, against all odds, the God of Thunder has established himself as the greatest Avenger. How? It's namely thanks to Taika Waititi's revisioning of the character in Thor: Ragnarok. Rather than making Hemsworth deliver sub-par Shakespearean prose, the filmmaker enthused Thor with a sense of humour something that played to Hemsworth's strength as an actor. The result was a charismatic, short-haired, smouldering superhero who was finally able to charm Marvel fans. If only Thor had been this way all along. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Just last week, Marvel fans were urged to leave social media as a mobile phone-filmed sizzle reel filled with spoilers made its way onto the internet. Considering the films many twists and turns, its unofficial tagline pushed by directors Joe and Anthony Russo has become: #DontSpoilTheEndgame. Endgame is shrouded in so much secrecy that journalists werent permitted to see the film ahead of interviewing its many cast members, including Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans, in the run-up to its release. This didnt stop Karen Gillan from revealing a bit too much about Nebulas storyline in the new film. I just got really nervous and gave something away, she said in front of a crowded audience. You can find our extensive ranking of every MCU film here. Avengers: Endgame is in UK cinemas now. The worlds second largest emperor penguin colony is believed to have been effectively wiped out overnight, with thousands of chicks drowning after an ice shelf in Antarctica collapsed. Since the catastrophic collapse of the ice sheet at Halley Bay in 2016, no breeding has been detected in the area, scientists say. Usually 15,000 to 24,000 breeding pairs of emperor penguins flock each year to the breeding site around 5-9 per cent of the entire global emperor penguin population. The bay in the Weddell Sea was previously considered a refuge for penguins in one of the coldest parts of the continent, and was expected to remain suitable for penguins this century despite climate change affecting Antarctic sea ice. Yet almost no emperor penguins have been there since, according to a team from the British Antarctic Survey, who used high-resolution satellite photographs of the birds guano over time, to reveal the findings. We havent seen a breeding failure on a scale like this in 60 years, says one of the studys authors Phil Trathan, who is head of conservation biology at the British Antarctic Survey. Emperor penguins need stable sea ice on which to breed, and this icy platform must last from April, when the birds arrive, until December, when their chicks fledge. They are the largest penguin species, weighing up to 40kg and living for roughly 20 years. They incubate their eggs and tend to their chicks one per pair on the sea ice. After breeding and tending to the chicks, they move to the open sea. Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Show all 9 1 /9 Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins on Ardley Island, Antarctic, where global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins on Ardley Island, Antarctic, where global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins in Cuverville Island, designated as an Important Bird Island. These penguins feed on krill but krill is growing scarcer due to climate change AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Penguins on Ardley Island, Antarctic, where global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins in Cuverville Island, designated as an Important Bird Island. These penguins feed on krill but krill is growing scarcer due to climate change AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Chinstrap penguins on King George Island. Global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins in Cuverville Island, designated as an Important Bird Island. These penguins feed on krill but krill is growing scarcer due to climate change AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change A penguin and a seal. Global warming has affected the glaciers that these animals live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins on Ardley Island, Antarctic, where global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty For the last 60 years, the sea ice conditions in the Halley Bay site have been stable and reliable. But in 2016, after a period of abnormally stormy weather, the ice broke up in October, well before any emperor chicks would have fledged. The impact and subsequent state of the ice means the colony has been almost entirely wiped out. While the Halley Bay colony has now all but disappeared, the nearby Dawson-Lambton colony has markedly increased in size, indicating that many of the adult emperors have moved there, seeking better breeding grounds as environmental conditions continue to change. The birds rapid relocation to a more stable breeding ground is significant and is encouraging, the scientists say, as until now it was not known whether the penguins would seek alternative sites in response to significant changes in their local environment. But the rise in numbers at Dawson-Lambton does not account for all the numbers lost at Halley Bay, Dr Trathan says. Not everybody has gone to Dawson-Lambton yet, he says. Lead author and BAS remote sensing specialist, Dr Peter Fretwell, says: We have been tracking the population of this, and other colonies in the region, for the last decade using very high resolution satellite imagery. These images have clearly shown the catastrophic breeding failure at this site over the last three years. Our specialised satellite image analysis can detect individuals and penguin huddles, so we can estimate the population based on the known density of the groups to give reliable estimate of colony size. Dr Trathan says: It is impossible to say whether the changes in sea-ice conditions at Halley Bay are specifically related to climate change, but such a complete failure to breed successfully is unprecedented at this site. Even taking into account levels of ecological uncertainty, published models suggest that emperor penguins numbers are set to fall dramatically, losing 50-70 per cent of their numbers before the end of this century as sea-ice conditions change as a result of climate change. The teams findings are published in the journal Antarctic Science. To bring more transparency and predictability to the process, Kaegi also is pushing a bill in Springfield that would require certain income-generating properties to disclose their income and expenses to the assessors office. That way, he can better assign an accurate value. Smaller properties would be exempt, including commercial properties valued at less than $400,000, and residential properties with six or fewer units or those valued at less than $1 million. Property owners who dont comply would be subject to fines. Traditional, small-scale, and truly craft, armagnac may not have the bling factor of cognac, but this characterful and French brandy is as rich in flavour as it is in history. Cognac has long since stolen the spotlight, but armagnac, which dates back at least 700 years and is known for being Frances first brandy, can rightly claim to be one of the most flavoursome drinks of its type. Depending on the age and quality, profiles range from the fruity with prunes, pears and quince to the decadent. For older liquids, expect to find a buttery softness alongside chocolates and caramels. What makes armagnac unique? It's made in the Gascony region of France, typically by small producers. There are 10 different grape varieties that can be used in armagnac production, though four ugni blanc, baco, folle blanche, and colombard are most common. And, distinctly, the vast majority of producers remain independent or family-owned. While both cognac and armagnac are French brandies, distilled from white wine grapes and aged in oak, armagnac is crucially distilled just once, keeping the idiosyncrasies of the wines rather than smoothing them out. Cognac, on the other hand, must be distilled twice. Read more: What should you be looking for when you buy? And why is there such a vast difference in price? As a general rule, the longer the ageing, the higher the price and the more complex the flavour. Classifications include VS (a mix of several armagnacs aged for a minimum of one year), VSOP (aged at least four years), and XO (aged for at least 10 years). In short, a flavoursome armagnac neednt break the bank; weve focused on the best-value options as well as the best-tasting in our round-up. You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent. Best armagnac 2021 Best overall Chateau de Laubade bas armagnac vintage 1990, 40%, 70cl: 82.20, Amathusdrinks.com Chateau de Laubade bas armagnac vintage 1990, 40%, 70cl: 82.20, Amathusdrinks.com Best value for money Castarede XO 20 year old bas armagnac, 40%, 70cl: 59.49, Virginwines Castarede XO 20 year old bas armagnac, 40%, 70cl: 59.49, Virginwines Best for savouring Chateau de Lacquy 7 year old VSOP, 40%, 70cl: 50.45, Masterofmalt.com Chateau de Lacquy 7 year old VSOP, 40%, 70cl: 50.45, Masterofmalt.com Best richness of flavour Chateau Pellehaut XO la fleur de lage armagnac, 40%, 70cl: 56, Drinkfinder.co.uk Chateau Pellehaut XO la fleur de lage armagnac, 40%, 70cl: 56, Drinkfinder.co.uk Best for decadence Darroze les grands assemblages 20 year old armagnac, 43%, 70cl: 80.75, Thewhiskyexchange.com Darroze les grands assemblages 20 year old armagnac, 43%, 70cl: 80.75, Thewhiskyexchange.com Best for brandy fans Delord bas-armagnac lauthentique, 45.9%, 70cl: 97.50, Amazon.co.uk Delord bas-armagnac lauthentique, 45.9%, 70cl: 97.50, Amazon.co.uk Best for grape variety Domaine dAurensan armagnac carre des fantomes, 46%, 70cl: 73.30, Lescaves.co.uk Domaine dAurensan armagnac carre des fantomes, 46%, 70cl: 73.30, Lescaves.co.uk Best for softness and balance of flavour Chateau De Pellehaut reserve le bel age, 40%, 70cl: 38.99, Cambridgewine.com Chateau De Pellehaut reserve le bel age, 40%, 70cl: 38.99, Cambridgewine.com Best for scotch drinkers Baron de Sigognac 10 year old, 40%, 70cl: 42.75, Thewhiskyexchange.com Baron de Sigognac 10 year old, 40%, 70cl: 42.75, Thewhiskyexchange.com Best for accessible taste Janneau XO blend armagnac, 40%, 70cl: 73.33, Amazon.co.uk Janneau XO blend armagnac, 40%, 70cl: 73.33, Amazon.co.uk Best younger armagnac Domainc Tariquet armagnac XO, 40%, 70cl: 34, Waitrose.com Domainc Tariquet armagnac XO, 40%, 70cl: 34, Waitrose.com Best entry-level armagnac Comte de Lauvia fine armagnac, 40%, 70cl: 29.83, Masterofmalt.com Chateau de Laubade bas armagnac vintage 1990, 40%, 70cl Best: Overall Like a beautiful slice of Christmas cake, this rich vintage armagnac is worth taking your time over. The historic Chateau de Laubade stands out for a few reasons. Firstly, the brands wines come from its own 260 acres of single vineyard. And secondly, it is the only armagnac house coopering its own casks. Made with a blend of baco, ugni blanc and colombard grapes, theres stewed fruit, plum, almond, raisin, a little nutmeg, and a beautifully bold but also soft mouthfeel. This delivers a nuanced jolt of flavour that mellows and just sits there, before softly fading. Pull up a chair on a rainy day and just sit with it. Buy now 82.20 , Amathusdrinks.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Castarede XO 20 year old bas armagnac, 40%, 70cl Best: Value for money This smooth but lightly spicy slow sipper was named the worlds best armagnac at the 2020 World Armagnac Awards quite the recommendation. Castarede is reputed to be the oldest house of armagnac, with almost 190 years of producing spirits, so its safe to say they know a thing or two about fine tipples. Its certainly not cheap, but in what will become a common theme in this list for the age and quality of this liquid, we think youd struggle to find better value for money from many other spirit categories. To sip, theres a moody woodiness first, followed by plum, honey, stewed apple, ginger, Christmas cake, and just a hint of something tropical. If that list of attributes hasnt made you salivate, then frankly, we dont trust you. If you enjoy this, seek out the 1979 vintage, which, again, is outstanding value at around 75. Buy now 59.49 , Virginwines.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Chateau de Lacquy 7 year old VSOP, 40%, 70cl Best: For savouring Having been run by the same family since 1711, traditional producer Chateau de Lacquy does things its own way. In fact, it proclaims to be the oldest family-owned estate still producing armagnac. Every step of the process, from the growing of the grapes to the ageing and bottling, is performed on the estate. Even its woodfire dates back to 1939. This VSOP is made from a blend of armagnacs from five different years, consisting of 35 per cent baco, 35 per cent colombard, 15 per cent folle blanche and 15 per cent ugni blanc, giving it a full burst of flavour. Theres pear, some plummy notes, a slick of butterscotch and marzipan, and a hint of chocolate. Still bright and summery, this is one to savour. Buy now 50.45 , Masterofmalt.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Chateau Pellehaut XO la fleur de lage armagnac, 40%, 70cl Best: For richness of flavour This beautiful brandy has spent 20 years in cask, slowly developing its rich flavour. Produced by the Beraut family, who have over 300 years of history at the Chateau Pellehaut at the heart of the armagnac appellation, this blend of ugni blanc is nutty, with a tangy sweetness upfront. Rich, thick and complex, theres dried fruit, vanilla of course, and a lingering peppery finish. Buy now 56 , Drinkfinder.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Darroze les grands assemblages 20 year old armagnac, 43%, 70cl Best: For decadence Fruity yet beautifully mellow, this long-aged liquid from Darroze is like sipping velvet. Founded by restauranteur Francis Darroze, the company sources its armagnac from small estates and producers, before ageing it in its own cellars. And frankly, for a liquid this good thats been sat in the barrel for two decades, it feels like a bargain. From the grands assemblage range, which combines liquids of different ages and provenances, this one sits mid-way in the age statements, which start at eight and go up to 60 years. Though were also fans of the 12-year-old for fresh notes of sultana, grass and honey, weve chosen the 20-year-old for the sheer smoothness and wonderful richness. With all the fresh, fruitiness of the 12, theres also toffee up front, giving way to fresh apple, a little almond and chocolate, and warming spices of ginger and cinnamon. Moreish, decadent and great value too. Buy now 80.75 , Thewhiskyexchange.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Delord bas-armagnac lauthentique, 45.9%, 70cl Best: For brandy fans Something truly special, of course, comes with a special price tag, and we have to say, this one is getting increasingly hard to find. Were not suggesting this is the armagnac for you if youre new to the spirit. But if youre already a brandy fan and are looking for something thats a real treat, then look no further. This brandy is a blend of very old armagnacs that have been aged an average of 30 years in oak barrels selected to represent the most typical flavour notes from Delord. Theres something almost grassy about the nose, followed by a heavy waft of vanilla and a smidge of coffee. To sip, you get creamy fudge, a little banana, prunes and roasted notes, all with an exceptionally long, smooth but chewy finish. Yum. Buy now 97.50 , Amazon.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Domaine dAurensan armagnac carre des fantomes, 46%, 70cl Best: For grape variety For fans of armagnac or specialist spirits in general here is a treat youll have never tried before. This special release from Domaine dAurensan is made entirely from six rare grape varieties, known by the family as the phantom grapes. Though 10 varieties are permitted for armagnac production, most use just four. This one? Well, it uses the other forgotten six. Plant de graisse, mauzac blanc, meslier st francois, jurancon blanc, mauzac rose and clairette de gascogne are all grown on the same plot, and without pesticides. The result is very fruity on the nose, and theres just a hint of a cider-like sourness and a little pear, alongside a farmy funkiness. To sip, youll get again, a little pear, apricot and a distinct chalky minerality, followed by a little honey and something close to elderflower. With a thick, chewy mouthfeel, it finishes with a bit of heat. Its rare and delicious. Buy now 73.30 , Lescaves.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Chateau De Pellehaut reserve le bel age, 40%, 70cl Best: For softness and balance of flavour Another one from Pellehaut named brandy producer of the year in 2020 by the IWSC this house still makes its brandies on wood-fired alembic stills. This medal-winning liquid is made from 100 per cent folle blanche and is a blend of several vintages, with the youngest being 10 years old. Its not as fruit-forward as some of the other liquids on our list, but has some bright and delicate cinnamon, vanilla and a little oak, a little chocolate and some toasted nuts. Its wonderfully soft and balanced. Buy now 38.99 , Cambridgewine.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Baron de Sigognac 10 year old, 40%, 70cl Best: For scotch drinkers This delectable armagnac from esteemed producer Sigognac stands out as representing particularly great value for money for such a quality brandy. In fact, we think this armagnac is complex and interesting enough to tempt even the staunchest of scotch drinkers. Produced on a short column thats almost 100 years old, theres a lovely balance of fruit and spice, with cinnamon, a little nuttiness and just a hint of orange. You cant go wrong. Buy now 42.75 , Thewhiskyexchange.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Janneau XO blend armagnac, 40%, 70cl Best: For accessible taste This much-lauded tipple comes from what is claimed to be the world's most awarded armagnac house. Though Janneau has many drinks in its arsenal, weve chosen this one for its accessible taste. No, this brandy, deservedly, doesnt come cheap. The flagship blend marries eau de vie aged in French limousin oak casks for at least 12 years, resulting in beautiful lemon notes with a hint of caramel. Buy now 75.33 , Amazon.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Domainc Tariquet armagnac XO, 40%, 70cl Best: Younger brandy Made only from the grapes grown on its own estate, this offering from Tariquet is distilled from 60 per cent ugni blanc and 40 per cent baco that is aged for a minimum of 15 years before bottling. One of the younger entries on our list, this one is a little pushy at first. Theres citrus, apple and marzipan on the nose and plenty of toasted bread with a hint of wood, a touch of allspice and a satisfyingly long finish. Buy now 34 , Waitrose.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Comte de Lauvia fine armagnac, 40%, 70cl Best: Entry-level armagnac You cant argue with the price of this entry-level armagnac from the award-winning producer Comte de Lauvia. It's made from a blend of eaux de vie from ugni blanc, baco blanc and folle blanche grapes and is aged for four to seven years. This is a lively brandy, with notes of caramel, toffee and burned sugar upfront, with some smooth vanilla notes and a hint of acidity with a touch of lemon and a little spice. Buy now 29.83 , Masterofmalt.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} The verdict: Armagnacs From entry-level liquids to long slow sippers, youre spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a great armagnac. However, you do get what you pay for. Of all the long-aged products on our list, our pick is Chateau de Laubade bas armagnac vintage 1990, both for the depth of its flavours and the smooth and well-rounded way it delivers them. Put simply, its scrumptious. Voucher codes For the latest discounts and offers on alcoholic drink buys, try the links below: Beer Hawk discount codes BrewDog discount codes For more luxurious tipples, check out our best calvados brandies from the orchards of Normandy IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing. After weeks of rain, unpredictable weather, and even flooding in parts of the country, July is finally bringing some much-needed sunshine. For dog owners especially, who may be travelling with their pets in the heat, proper care is essential, with the RSPCA noting that the majority of calls it receives in the summer months are about dogs left in hot, stationary cars. If you come across a dog thats been left alone in a car on a hot day, most animal organisations recommend taking action if you suspect that its health could be in danger. According to the RSPCA, when its 71.6F (22C) outside, a cars temperature can drastically increase to 116F (47C) in as little as an hour. Heres what to do if you see a dog thats been trapped in a hot car this summer, as outlined by animal welfare charities. Check for signs of heatstroke First, you must check if the dog is displaying signs of heatstroke, which is when theyre unable to reduce their body temperature, according to the RSPCA. The most apparent signs of heatstroke in a dog are heavy panting, excessive drooling, if the dog appears drowsy or out of sorts, if its collapsed or if its being sick. If you believe that the dog is in danger, Peta advises taking down the cars colour, model, make, and license plate number, and attempting to have the owner contacted. Seek professional help If a dog is visibly suffering from inside a locked hot car, individuals are advised to contact authorities or their local humane society, with Peta urging individuals to not leave the scene until the situation has been resolved. If you do call the police, you'll be asked to explain the details of the situation thoroughly, including the condition of the dog and the registration number of the car. Make sure that you take photos of the dog or take videos at the scene, also making a note of the names of witnesses. Break into the car According to Peta, another possibility if authorities are unable to arrive in time is to break into the car, after first finding a witness (or several) who will back up your assessment that the animal is in danger. In several states, good Samaritans can legally remove animals from cars under certain circumstances, so be sure to know the laws in your area and follow any steps required, the Humane Society notes. Once the dog has been taken out of the car, it is important to get the animal out of the heat and into an air-conditioned car and then to a vet immediately. If you are unable to transport the dog yourself, take him or her into an air-conditioned building if possible and call animal control: Tell them it is an emergency, the organisation advises. Perform emergency first aid If the animal needs immediate help, individuals may perform first-aid on the dog, after it has first been placed in a cool and shaded area. Next, pour water onto the dog, according to the RSPCA. However, you must make sure that the water is cool, not cold, as cold water can cause the dog to go into shock. Recommended The most important facts about sunscreen during a heatwave You could also use wet towels and a fan to cool them down further. Give the dog small amounts of cool water to drink and continue to douse it with cool water until its breathing has slowed down. If the dog begins to shiver, then they have been cooled too much. Once the dog is sufficiently cool and their breathing has returned to a steadier pace, then you're advised to take it to the nearest vet straight away. What to do if a dog in a hot car isnt showing signs of heatstroke If youve come across a dog in a hot car that isnt showing signs of heatstroke, there are still several steps that you can take in order to ensure its wellbeing. First, try to figure out how long the dogs been left in the car for, perhaps by searching for a pay and display ticket on the dashboard. Even if the owner returns to their car soon thereafter, the situation could still warrant a police report. With that in mind, it could be worth taking note of the cars registration number. If youve found the dog in a parked car by a shop or event, the Humane Society suggests notifying their managers or security guards and asking them to make an announcement to find the cars owner. However, its unwise to leave a dog that's been left in a hot car alone, even if its not suffering from heatstroke. You should be prepared to dial the the police departments non-emergency number if needs be or have someone else stay by the dog to keep an eye on it. The same is also true even if the windows are open, as the Humane Society notes that rolling down the windows has been shown to have little effect on the temperature inside a car. The organisation also encourages individuals to do what they can to raise public awareness of the potential dangers of leaving animals in hot cars, adding: Ask local store managers, shopping malls, restaurants and other businesses to post signs asking customers not to leave their pets in their cars while shopping or dining. A huge part of the solution to this problem is raising awareness. Individuals are also encouraged to contact their local representatives or attend a town hall meeting if their town or state doesnt have a law prohibiting leaving pets in parked cars. You can learn more about what to do if you find a dog in a hot car on Petas website or the Humane Societys website. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has launched a new podcast aimed at looking to the future and figuring out technology's place in society. The first episode is on the future of the internet and journalism, which involved Mr Zuckerberg travelling to Berlin to talk with Mathias Dopfner, the CEO of media giant Axel Springer. Tech and Society with Mark Zuckerberg follows Mr Zuckerberg's New Year's resolution to publicly discuss the key technology issues with "leaders, experts, and people... from different fields". The 34-year-old entrepreneur first started hosting video debates at the beginning of the year, so far posting two episodes. In the latest episode earlier this month, Mr Zuckerberg revealed that he wants to create a new section on Facebook dedicated to high-quality and trusted news that could offer new ways to support funding for journalism. Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Show all 15 1 /15 Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Facebook is born On 4 Feb, 2004, 19-year-old Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched a website called 'TheFacebook' from his dorm. Within 24 hours the college social network had more than 1,000 users Wikimedia Commons Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Winklevoss twins sue Zuckerberg Within one week of launching, fellow Harvard students Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss and Divya Narendra accused Zuckerberg of stealing their idea. It would be four years later when the resulting lawsuit was finally settled Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Open for business The social network finally opened it platform to everyone on 26 September, 2006. The move proved the catalyst in supercharging the site's already explosive growth PA Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Billion-dollar bid Yahoo offered $1 billion to buy Facebook in September 2006 but Zuckerberg turned it down. 'I dont know what I could do with the money,' Zuckerberg reportedly said. 'Id just start another social networking site' Reuters Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network In the money In September 2009, almost five years since the site launched, Facebook turned a profit for the first time Getty Images/iStockphoto Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Taking the lead Facebook overtook MySpace in 2010 to become the worlds most popular social network Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Taking on the tech giants In 2011, Google launched its own social network that it hoped would knock Facebook from its perch. Despite its initial success, Google+ ultimately failed and will be shut down completely in 2019 Getty Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Facebook goes public On 18 May, 2012, Facebook went public. The initial public offering raised $16 billion the third largest in US history Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Gobbling up the competition Facebook acquired Instagram in April 2012 for $1 billion, consolidating its position as the world's leading social network Reuters Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network One billion users On 4 October, 2012, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook had hit 1 billion users. 'If youre reading this: thank you for giving me and my little team the honour of serving you,' he wrote in a blog post Getty Images Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Expanding its empire In February 2014 Facebook acquired the messaging app WhatsApp for $19.3 billion REUTERS/Dado Ruvic Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Two billion users In June 2017, Facebook passed the 2 billion user milestone REUTERS/Dado Ruvic Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Privacy scandal On 17 March 2018, news broke that UK firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested data from around 87 million Facebook users for the purpose of political profiling in the build up to the 2016 US presidential elections Shutterstock Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Record profits Despite the scandals and subsequent #DeleteFacebook campaign, Facebook posted record profits just before its 15th anniversary, the equivalent of $7.37 from each of its 2.32 billions users iStock/Independent Facebook birthday: 15 defining moments for the social network Unhappy users A study found that people are happier when they dont use Facebook, adding to mounting evidence surrounding the impact social media has on mental health Rex Features Audio versions are now being published as a podcast titled Tech and Society With Mark Zuckerberg, which appear to be exclusive to Spotify for the moment. "Follow along as Mark Zuckerberg hosts a series of conversations on the future of technology and society," the podcast description reads. "He and his guests take on the biggest questions about tech's place in the world - along with the opportunities, challenges, hopes and anxieties that come with it." When launching the video series, Mr Zuckerberg described it as a "personal challenge" and pledged to put himself "out there more than I've been comfortable with and engage more". To date, the Facebook chief executive has held debates with Harvard law professor Jonathan Zittrain and Mr Dopfner. The move comes amid mounting pressure for Facebook to be more transparent about its practices in light of data privacy concerns and scrutiny about the influence of fake news and other content circulated on its platform. Additional reporting from agencies. The universe is expanding considerably faster than it should be, Nasa has confirmed. The space agencys Hubble Space Telescope shows that it is growing about 9 per cent faster than had been expected, based on the trajectory it started with shortly after the Big Bang, according to astronomers. While such a discrepancy had already been suggested, the new measurements reduce the chance this is a mistake to just one in 100,000. Such a confirmation could require astronomers to find new physics theories to explain the universes strange behaviour. This mismatch has been growing and has now reached a point that is really impossible to dismiss as a fluke. This is not what we expected, says Adam Riess, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, Nobel laureate and the projects leader. 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 speed of the universes expansion, known as the Hubble constant, is a central part of physics and our understanding of the universe. But it has repeatedly been observed to behave unexpectedly the more astronomers find out about it, the more wrong it appears in ways that have forced scientists to wonder whether our assumptions about it had been wrong. Recommended Most distant star ever seen spotted 9 billion light years away The new study confirms that speculation, and requires further work to explain how exactly the universe is growing. The research saw Professor Riess and his team analyse light from 70 stars in a galaxy near ours, known as the Large Magellanic Cloud, using a new method that allowed them to capture the stars quickly. The stars they observed are called Cepheid variables, and change brightness predictably, allowing them to be used to measure intergalactic distances. The new method allowed the researchers to measure many more of those stars far more quickly. Normally, Hubble can only look at one star each time it takes one of its 90-minute orbits around Earth, but the new method allowed it to see dozens in that same time. Using that data, the researchers were able to confirm our understanding of the cosmic distance ladder, which allows us to determine distances throughout the universe. And they were able to use the information to calculate the Hubble constant, and see how fast the cosmos is expanding. The more precise that understanding became, the clearer it was that the speed was not in line with what they expected. Scientists have made predictions of the Hubble constant based on data from the European Space Agencys Planck satellite, which can observe the conditions of the early universe just 380,000 years after it came into existence. The two numbers did not match up. That led scientists to think that there must be something missing in their understanding of how the beginning and current universe match up. This is not just two experiments disagreeing, Riess explained. We are measuring something fundamentally different. One is a measurement of how fast the universe is expanding today, as we see it. The other is a prediction based on the physics of the early universe and on measurements of how fast it ought to be expanding. If these values dont agree, there becomes a very strong likelihood that were missing something in the cosmological model that connects the two eras. Professor Riess and his team are not able to say why such a difference exists. They hope to work to refine it even more, allowing them to get rid of any further uncertainty about the Hubble constant. If youve been feeling a little less positive than usual, youre not alone. According to new figures, people are sadder, angrier and more fearful than ever before. Analytics firm Gallup released its annual Global State of Emotions report, which revealed that these emotions were at record levels throughout 2018, for the second year in a row. Overall, the world is just as miserable as it was in 2017, which was the saddest year on record since they started collecting this data in 2006. Gallup interviewed more than 150,000 people in 140 countries, and found that a quarter of respondents said they experienced a lot of worry the day before the interview, while a third said they were stressed. A further 25 per cent experienced sadness, and 22 per cent were angry. The country with the most miserable results was Chad in north central Africa, which has been in economic crisis since 2014 with 40 per cent of the population living in poverty. More than seven in 10 Chadians told the researchers that they struggled to afford food at some point in the past year. Top 10 world travel destinations Show all 10 1 /10 Top 10 world travel destinations Top 10 world travel destinations 10. Dubai, UAE Results from the TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice awards 2019 Getty Top 10 world travel destinations 9. Marrakech, Morocco Getty Top 10 world travel destinations 8. Istanbul, Turkey Getty Top 10 world travel destinations 7. Barcelona, Spain Getty Top 10 world travel destinations 6. Phuket, Thailand Getty Top 10 world travel destinations 5. Bali, Indonesia Getty Top 10 world travel destinations 4. Crete, Greece Getty Top 10 world travel destinations 3. Rome, Italy Getty Top 10 world travel destinations 2. Paris, France Getty Top 10 world travel destinations 1. London, England Getty The report says: The countrys overall score at least partly reflects the violence, displacement and the collapse of basic services in parts of Chad that have affected thousands of families. Other countries which are have the most negative outlooks include Niger, Sierra Leon, Benin and Liberia. By contrast, Latin America is home to some of the most positive countries, with Paraguay the happiest, closely followed by Panama, Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador. The single country outside this region that made the most positive list was Indonesia, which has appeared in the top group since 2017. Recommended Finding the secret to Danish happiness on a Copenhagen city break The high percentages reporting positive emotions in Latin America at least partly reflect the cultural tendency in the region to focus on lifes positives, the report explains. According to the World Happiness Report, Finland is the happiest country, but that report is based on objective factors such as life expectancy, freedom, GDP and corruption, while the Gallup poll asked people questions like Did you smile or laugh a lot yesterday?, Did you learn or do something interesting yesterday? or Did you experience the following feelings during a lot of the day yesterday? How about anger? Less than half of people worldwide said they learned or did something interesting the day before the interview in 2018. This is up from the 46 per cent measured in 2017, and helped propel the overall index higher in 2018. From 2013 to 2015, the percentage who learned or did something interesting was as high as 51 per cent TV presenter Richard Bacon has commended Piers Morgan for reaching out to his wife while he was facing a severe lung infection that made him stare death in the face. The former Blue Peter host fell ill on a flight from Los Angeles to London in July 2018 and was subsequently put in an induced coma while doctors battled to save his life. Speaking ahead of a guest presenting role on Good Morning Britain on Thursday, Bacon explained how the illness gave him a new perspective on life, allowing him to see the best in people such as Morgan, who he has previously argued with on Twitter. When you face the stark reality of death, you also see the best side of strangers and also people you know, including Piers [Morgan], who reached out to my wife and offered support. The 43-year-old TV star went on to praise the NHS for their services during that time, explaining that the system is designed to offer help to everyone, which is not the same in America, where I live. My outcome would have been very different if this had happened to me in the States. NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday Show all 18 1 /18 NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday Nurses test the hearing of a newborn child Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday The waiting room is busy in Milton Keynes University Hospital Reuters NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday On Ward 24, two nurses work at the nurses station Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday In A&E, a porter rushes a patient through the corridor Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday A surgical team prepares a patient for their operation Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday In the physiotherapy department, patients are treated in the hydrotherapy pool Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday On Ward 8, an inpatient awaits visitors Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday In the physiotherapy department, amputees take a class Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday A junior doctor is at work in the staff room Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday A surgical team prepares a patient for their operation Reuters NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday An inpatient has her hair washed by the staff hairdressers Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday In the audiology department, a mother watches on as her son is given a hearing test Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday On Ward 8, staff serve lunch to the patients Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday On Ward 24, a patient waits on their bed Reuters NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday On Ward 8, a cleaner is at work Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday A nurse takes blood from a patient Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday On Ward 8, an inpatient receives a visitor Reuters/Hannah McKay NHS at 70: Pride and worry as free health service celebrates birthday Inpatient Donald Ritson lies in bed in Ward 24 in Milton Keynes University Hospital Reuters Bacon added that had he been treated in the US, he would have been bankrupt by now due to the ludicrously expensive prices for medical aid. So, if you dont have proper insurance, and you get the sort of lung infection I had, you would have been on the hook for hundreds of thousands, he continued. Yet in Britain, you just walk out and say bye, thanks for saving my life. I thanked the doctor and he said, You dont have to thank me. Im just doing my job. Thats the difference. Bacon said the whole experience has changed his outlook quite significantly. On the one hand Im more impatient to get things done, he explained. You are faced with the reality of things actually being finite; you stare death in the face, it makes you get on with a lot of things in life in a much faster way. Death goes from something very distant to being something very real. I want to get things done I want to get done. Actor Sam Claflin has said he thinks men should get more paternity leave. In the UK, fathers are currently entitled to one or two weeks leave following the birth of their child. Speaking on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio on Wednesday, the Me Before You star, who has two children with wife Laura Haddock, discussed the difficulties of juggling parenting duties while he was filming his latest project, a thriller titled The Corrupted. I was a new dad and was trying to chase around gangsters in London, the 32-year-old told Evans, who then asked him which one he found more difficult. Definitely the former, having the baby, being the daddy, Claflin responded. Its definitely a trying time being a new father and trying to go back to work. 'Becoming a Father' photo series by Tom Oldham Show all 6 1 /6 'Becoming a Father' photo series by Tom Oldham 'Becoming a Father' photo series by Tom Oldham Tom Chappell, 35 from Hindley Green Tom, who named his daughter Robyn, said of the experience: "I think my priorities will change significantly now that I'm a dad. We only had ourselves to think about before but now everything will be considered with my daughter in mind... and rightly so." Tom Oldham, 'Becoming a Father' 'Becoming a Father' photo series by Tom Oldham Toan Lam, 34 from New Cross Toan, who named his son Jace, said of the experience: "When my son was born, my outlook on life changed instantly and I knew that I would need to be there every step of the way to see him grow. Becoming responsible for another human being is the most surreal experience; I can't quite put it into words but I hope the portraits convey the magnitude of this feeling." Tom Oldham, 'Becoming a Father' 'Becoming a Father' photo series by Tom Oldham Pedro Diego Fernandez, 34 from Sydenham Hill Pedro, who had a son, said of the experience: "The birth was much more overwhelming than I expected but I felt amazing as soon as I held my healthy son and saw him open his eyes. I just want to be the best man for my partner and baby." Tom Oldham, 'Becoming a Father' 'Becoming a Father' photo series by Tom Oldham Hector Adebambo, 32 from Bromley Hector, who named his son Zion, said of the experience: "For me, becoming a dad just kicked in naturally, it feels right. I've been speaking to my son for nine months and he's finally here." Tom Oldham, 'Becoming a Father' 'Becoming a Father' photo series by Tom Oldham Federico Grillo, 34 from Greenwich Federico, who named his son Ludovico, said of the experience: "After the birth, as the adrenalin was wearing off, I felt like time had slowed down. I was holding my son and it just felt very peaceful. I know that fatherhood will motivate me to get the best for my family." Tom Oldham, 'Becoming a Father' 'Becoming a Father' photo series by Tom Oldham Andy West, 36 from Forest Hill Andy, who had a daughter, said of the experience: "I've instantly realised that having a child is going to have such a profound effect because I'm always going to be responsible for another person." Tom Oldham, 'Becoming a Father' I definitely feel, and here I am saying this on air, I feel like men should get more paternity leave. Evans, who has seven-month-old twins with wife Natasha Shishmanian, concurred, saying hashtag us too. Claflin went on to gush about his two children, Pip, three, and Margot, one. Recommended Mother shares photos of baby girl with measles to educate on virus I love being a father, I love having two, I genuinely embrace the challenge, he told the radio host. I think every guy should be as hands-on as much as they can be. I think thats whats wonderful about our society as it is now, I feel men are willing and wanting to be more involved than they used to be. Claflin's comments come after Bim Afolami MP became the "first father in British parliamentary history" to vote by proxy while he was on paternity leave. In February, the Conservative MP, who represents Hitchin and Harpenden, announced on social media that he would be taking time off from work following the birth of his third child to help support his wife throughout the tough, tough nights and to take their sons to school and nursery. "You can be busy and ambitious and take paternity leave, he later told Sky News in an interview. The Corrupted arrives in UK cinemas on 10 May. Detained ex-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has posted 500 million yen (3.5m) bail to secure his release from jail for the second time, a Tokyo court said on Thursday. Under his bail conditions, the deposed car industry titan must live at a registered domestic address, not leave the country and adhere to requirements aimed at preventing the destruction of evidence. Prosecutors had appealed a decision to release Mr Ghosn on bail, saying that he may tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. The decision will allow Mr Ghosn more time with his legal team to prepare his defence against charges that he funnelled millions of dollars of company money for his own purposes, including $600,000 (466,000) of tuition at an Ivy League university for four of his children and $18m on luxury homes in Rio de Janeiro, Beirut and Paris. He has also been charged with under-reporting his pension payments. Mr Ghosn issued an eight-minute video statement alleging that he had been set up by a conspiracy (EPA) Mr Ghosn denies all charges. The latest bail agreement follows 1 billion yen in bail that Ghosn posted for his earlier release. Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn accompanied by his wife Carole Ghosn (Reuters) The only justification for keeping him in detention are that he will flee or destroy evidence, Stephen Givens, a professor of law at Sophia University in Tokyo, told Bloomberg News before Mr Ghosns latest bail decision. After the first two indictments, he was able to put together a set of conditions that told the court he wasnt likely to flee. Earlier this month, Mr Ghosn lashed out at Nissans top executives for playing a very dirty game and orchestrating a conspiracy that led to his arrest and detention. Carlos Ghosn previously left a detention centre on bail disguised in workmens clothes (AP) In an eight-minute video, the former Nissan chair said that executives behind the conspiracy were motivated by selfish fears, and had mistaken his leadership for greed and dictatorship. This is about backstabbing, Mr Ghosn said in the video. Im talking here about a few executives who, obviously for their own interests and for their own selfish fears, are creating a lot of value destruction. Names? You know them. Press gather to witness Ghosn leaving a Tokyo Detention House in March (Reuters) (Kyodo/Reuters) Mr Ghosn added: Were talking about people who really played a very dirty game into whats happening. But hopefully the truth will happen, and the facts will happen. His lawyer, Junichiro Hironaka, said the video was prepared in case Mr Ghosn was not able to speak at a press conference. Royal Bank of Scotland boss Ross McEwan has resigned after five years at the helm of the part-nationalised bank. He will work his 12-month notice period until a replacement has been found, RBS announced on Thursday ahead of its annual general meeting in Edinburgh. Mr McEwan helped to refocus the slimmed-down bank on UK high street lending after a period of massive global expansion that ultimately led to RBSs demise during the financial crisis. His strategy helped to turnaround the bank, which turned its first annual profit in a decade last year. He also faced a number of scandals, including the banks systematic poor treatment of thousands of struggling small businesses. Mr McEwan said: After over five-and-a-half very rewarding years, and with the bank in a much stronger financial position, it is time for me to step down as CEO. 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. He added: It is never easy to leave somewhere like RBS. However, with much of the restructuring done and the bank on a strong and profitable footing, I have delivered the strategy that I set out in 2013 and now feels like the right time for me to step aside and for a new CEO to lead the bank. Chairman Howard Davies said in a statement: For the past five-and-a-half years, Ross has worked tirelessly to make the bank stronger and safer, and played the central role in delivering a return to profitability and dividend payments to shareholders. Mr Davies said the search for Mr McEwans successor will start immediately. The board and I are grateful for the huge contribution Ross has made in one of the toughest jobs in banking, he added. His successful execution of the strategy to refocus the bank back on its core markets here in the UK and Ireland has helped to deliver one of the biggest UK corporate turnarounds in history. RBS is expected to face a shareholder rebellion on Thursday over Mr McEwans 350,000 annual pension contributions. The payments amount to 35 per cent of his basic salary compared with the 10 per cent typically paid by RBS into its staff pension pots. Taxpayers still own 62.4 per cent of RBS, more than a decade after the government stepped in to save the lender from collapse. The government has faced criticism for pressing ahead with plans to sell off its stake at a multibillion-pound loss for the public purse. RBS has only now begun to benefit taxpayers, having delivered a second straight year of profitability. The lender saw bottom-line profits more than double from 752m last year to 1.6bn, resulting in a near 1bn windfall for the taxpayer. Health crises rarely emerge overnight. As with smoking and lung cancer, or the obesity epidemic putting pressure on NHS resources, so the current global measles outbreak can be traced back decades. Last week the World Health Organisation warned that there had been 110,000 measles cases diagnosed in in the first three months of 2019 so far, a 300 per cent rise on the same point the previous year. On Thursday, the childrens charity Unicef released its own analysis showing more than half a million children in the UK are potentially unprotected against measles after missing routine vaccinations since 2010. By informed source here I mean Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor. There is no doubt in my mind that we're going to see a series of indictments from my former colleagues at the U.S. attorney's office," Lightfoot said during a March 12 endorsement session before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board. "And it is going to center around this issue of aldermanic prerogative." The number of measles cases has hit a 25-year high in the US, where health experts are blaming the spread of misinformation for turning parents against vaccines. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 695 cases had been reported in 22 states so far this year, as of Wednesday. That makes 2019 the countrys worst year for measles since 1994 when there were 963 cases with eight months still to go. The virus can lead to deadly complications, but no measles deaths have been reported in the latest outbreaks. It comes after new figures revealed more than half a million children in the UK are at risk of the virus because they have missed their recommended immunisations in the last eight years. The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Show all 7 1 /7 The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Charlie Sheen Sheen fought a legal battle against ex-wife Denise Richards to try and block her from vaccinating their children. Richards of course won and Sheen was reportedly so bitter that he paid the paediatrician bill entirely in nickels Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Gwyneth Paltrow Paltrow's "health and wellness" company Goop hosted a notorious anti-vaccine speaker at their 2018 Goop Summit Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Rob Schneider Schneider demanded the freedom to decline vaccination Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Jenny McCarthy McCarthy has claimed that "people are dying from vaccinations", believes that her son caught autism from a vaccine and has pushed her opinions on the topic publicly for many years AFP/Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Bill Maher Maher has long spoken against vaccines sating on Larry King live that "a flu shot is the worst thing you can do." His stance appears to stem from a distrust of government AFP/Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Alicia Silverstone In Silverstone's book The Kind Mama, she wrote that "there is increasing anecdotal evidence from doctors who have gotten distressed phone calls from parents claiming their child was never the same after receiving a vaccine." Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Andrew Wakefield Godfather of the anti-vax movement, disgraced doctor Andrew Wakefield famously published a report in the medical journal Lancet claiming a link between the MMR vaccine and autism in 1998. The Lancet retracted the report in 2010 and Wakefield was struck off the medical register PA Analysis by childrens charity Unicef warned that a rising number of infants worldwide were missing out on the measles jab, with 21 million a year needlessly put at risk of infection since 2010. Measles is a highly contagious virus and can be spread through the air by coughing and sneezing. Public health officials claim the outbreak in the US has been fuelled in part by misinformation being spread about the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which some parents believe can cause autism. The largest outbreak has been in New York City where at least 390 cases have been recorded since October, mostly among children in Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn, making it the citys worst outbreak since 1991. That total included 61 cases recorded in the last six days, of which two were pregnant women, the citys health department said on Wednesday. Nationwide, the number of children getting vaccinated has remained high and stable for several years, the CDC said. The New York City health department took the unusual step earlier this month of issuing an emergency order requiring unvaccinated people in affected neighbourhoods to get the MMR vaccine unless they could otherwise prove they had immunity. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events It has issued civil summonses to 12 people it said defied the order. They will each face a fine of up to $1,000 if found to be noncompliant at a hearing. The CDC recommends the vaccine for everyone over a year old, except for people who had the disease as children since they will be immune. Dr Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert with the Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security, called the resurgence a completely preventable occurrence. He said: We are fighting a disease now in 2019 that should have been off the table in the 1960s with the development of the vaccine. It should be viewed as an embarrassment that so many Americans have turned away from vaccines that we are having a record year for measles. US health secretary Alex Azar urged greater vaccination, saying that the vaccines safety has been firmly established over many years. He added: The United States is seeing a resurgence of measles, a disease that had once been effectively eliminated from our country. Additional reporting by Reuters More than half a million children in the UK are at risk from the potentially deadly measles virus because they missed their recommended immunisations in the last eight years, new figures show. Analysis by the childrens charity Unicef warns that a rising number of infants worldwide are missing out on the measles jab, with 21 million a year needlessly put at risk of infection since 2010. Among high income nations, the UK has the third highest number of children who missed their first round of immunisations, with a total of 527,000 put at risk over the past eight years. Only the US and France had more affected children, with 2.6 million and 608,000 respectively missing their first dose between 2010 and 2017, according to the data from Unicef and World Health Organisation (WHO). While ineffective health systems in low income nations are a major factor, the charity said measles emerging as a threat in wealthier nations is down to complacency, fear or scepticism about vaccine safety. The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Show all 7 1 /7 The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Charlie Sheen Sheen fought a legal battle against ex-wife Denise Richards to try and block her from vaccinating their children. Richards of course won and Sheen was reportedly so bitter that he paid the paediatrician bill entirely in nickels Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Gwyneth Paltrow Paltrow's "health and wellness" company Goop hosted a notorious anti-vaccine speaker at their 2018 Goop Summit Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Rob Schneider Schneider demanded the freedom to decline vaccination Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Jenny McCarthy McCarthy has claimed that "people are dying from vaccinations", believes that her son caught autism from a vaccine and has pushed her opinions on the topic publicly for many years AFP/Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Bill Maher Maher has long spoken against vaccines sating on Larry King live that "a flu shot is the worst thing you can do." His stance appears to stem from a distrust of government AFP/Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Alicia Silverstone In Silverstone's book The Kind Mama, she wrote that "there is increasing anecdotal evidence from doctors who have gotten distressed phone calls from parents claiming their child was never the same after receiving a vaccine." Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Andrew Wakefield Godfather of the anti-vax movement, disgraced doctor Andrew Wakefield famously published a report in the medical journal Lancet claiming a link between the MMR vaccine and autism in 1998. The Lancet retracted the report in 2010 and Wakefield was struck off the medical register PA More recently this has been amplified on social media with fringe anti-vaccine sceptics able to reach large audiences and endorsed by prominent politicians like Donald Trump and Italys Matteo Salvini. Other countries in the top 10 wealthy nations include Japan and Germany which both have a larger population than the UK as well as Argentina, Italy, Canada and Australia. The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children, Unicef executive director Henrietta Fore said. If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike. Last week the WHO warned that its preliminary data from the first three months of 2019 showed that the number of measles cases reported worldwide was 300 per cent higher than the same period in 2018. While vaccination prevents it spreading, this is only effective when 95 per cent of the population are immunised. In 2017, only 85 per cent of children had their first jab globally, and only 67 per cent received the second dose required to give full immunity. Low vaccination rates two decades ago have contributed to major outbreaks in the UK last year, with cases in England alone four times higher than in 2017. NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said this was a growing public health time-bomb and hit out at myths being spread on social media. It is grossly irresponsible for anybody to spread scare stories about vaccines, and social media firms should have a zero tolerance approach towards this dangerous content, Mr Stevens added. Public Health England said the overall risk of measles was low with cases mainly sparked from visitors to Europe where an outbreak affecting Romania, Italy, Greece and Germany has seen cases hit a decade high. But NHS data shows that the number of children receiving the first dose of the MMR jab before the their second birthday fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2018 as more patients delay vaccinating. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events While 95 per cent of children received the first dose by their fifth birthday in 2016/17 this fell in 2017/18 (to 94.9 per cent) and fewer than 88% received the second dose required for complete protection. Measles is highly contagious and killed 110,000 people mostly children in 2017, a rise of 22 per cent on the year before. But low and middle income nations are disproportionately affected. The Unicef analysis shows Nigeria had the highest number of children under the age of one who missed out on the first dose of measles vaccine, at nearly 4 million. It was followed by India (2.9 million), Pakistan and Indonesia (1.2 million each), and Ethiopia (1.1 million). In Madagascar there have been 1,200 measles deaths since September, many of them children, and the 117,000 cases have occurred because just 58 per cent of people are vaccinated. The camera panned across dozens of faces, exhausted migrants crouched in the New Mexico night, fenced in by armed civilians. The woman filming issued a stern warning. "Don't aim the gun," she called out to a member of the group off-screen, before she commented about how many children were in the group being "detained". The 16 April video of armed civilians holding migrants tore across social media and news outlets amid concerns by the American Civil Liberties Union that the actions of the United Constitutional Patriots amounted to armed kidnapping and coercion. The video and the stories that followed prompted stern denunciation from the state's governor and rights groups. The elements of that video and others are fuelling inquiry over the legal grey areas in which self-described militias can operate. That activity has placed armed civilians within feet of federal immigration agents at night in wild shrub land, with migrants caught in the middle, confused about who has actual authority on the border and what their rights are on US soil. Life on the US-Mexican border Show all 12 1 /12 Life on the US-Mexican border Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico A house stands next to a section of the border fence separating Mexico and the US Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico The border fence in Tijuana stretches all the way to beach Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico Migrants can often be spotted trying to cross the rusty barrier Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico Joaquin, 36, a chef from Guatemala who says he was deported from the US Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico A shack stands next to a section of the border fence Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico Tourists pose for a picture at the border Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico A family burns rubbish near the fence Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico Joaquin makes a living by selling rubbish Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico Neither Trump nor the wall is going to stop anyone, says Pedro Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico Mexicans have built homes right next to the fence Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico Mexican Carlos, 27, who says that he was deported from the United States, heats up tortillas at his house near the double fence that separates Mexico and the US Reuters Life on the US-Mexican border Tijuana, Mexico A girl climbs stairs near a section of the fence "Menacing or threatening migrant families and asylum seekers is absolutely unacceptable and must cease," New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said after the ACLU brought the video to light, calling the group's activities "completely unacceptable". The men in these videos wear military-style uniforms, surround migrants with rifles and issue commands to stop and sit. One member can be seen walking in front of the camera with an AR-15 rifle. In at least one video that has since been restricted, the group yells "Policia, alto!" Police, stop! at migrants, BuzzFeed News reported. In another, "a member of the militia is heard yelling in Spanish, 'Pistola, pistola' gun, gun at a group of people moments after they crossed the border at night," Buzzfeed wrote. Photos show the men wearing police-style star badges. In the April 16 video, Customs and Border Protection agents arrive and collect migrants but do not ask the group with guns to disperse or take their weapons elsewhere. Armed vigilantes 'illegally' detain hundreds of migrants on US border "Border Patrol has never asked us to stand down," Jim Benvie, a group spokesman, told the New York Times in a story published on 18 April. Benvie did not reply to multiple requests for an interview for this story, but he has been active on Facebook, and described his group's motivation for their actions in two videos on Tuesday night. "We are simply there because President [Donald] Trump declared a national emergency on the border we came down to find out what that emergency is," Benvie says. "We are sitting here right now and we're doing what we need to do." Experts say the legal world these groups exist in is murky. What is the status of this group? Is it a militia? Is its actions protected by the constitution, or does the conduct rise to the level of kidnapping or impersonating law enforcement? "Militia is a term used in a rather fluid manner," said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University. "It's loosely defined as an armed group engaged in some paramilitary operation." The Supreme Court has ruled it is an individual right to bear arms, Turley said, and if the members lawfully assemble without trespassing, they can exist in the ways neighbourhood patrols do albeit armed with AR-15 rifles. "In some ways these groups are George Zimmerman on steroids," Turley said, referring to the man who followed and killed Trayvon Martin and was exonerated on Florida's stand-your-ground, self-defence law. According to the group's Facebook page, its objective is to "uphold the Constitution of the United States of America" and to protect citizens' rights "against all enemies both foreign and domestic" phrasing that mimics the oath taken by US service members. Dave Kopel, an adjunct professor constitutional law at Denver University, explained that in the American Revolution, militias were auxiliary forces that supplemented Continental troops across swaths of territory where an army presence was not always possible. Militias were crucial in raids and harassment campaigns against British soldiers. Now, organised militias are National Guard units and some state guard groups, he said. All able-bodied men between 17 and 45 years old are members of an organised militia subject to mobilisation, according to US law. The difference between those groups and the organisation at the border, Kopel explained, is a matter of oversight. Governors command National Guard troops. Presidents can activate them for federal service. It is legal to carry firearms openly in New Mexico, and there is not a law banning the use of military-style uniforms, although Turley said some behaviour could catch the eye of prosecutors. Most attorneys rely on explicit statements of misrepresenting oneself as law enforcement, but wearing police-style badges may get group members "dangerously close to the line of impersonating an officer." The group has sought to distance itself from the appearance of coercion, with Benvie calling their activities "a verbal citizen's arrest" and suggesting that their activity is not actual detainment. "We can't make them stay if they don't want to," Benvie told the New York Times. Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Show all 20 1 /20 Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The prototypes for President Trumps border wall are being demolished. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The US Customs and Border protection had built the eight 30-foot tall steel and concrete models near San Diego on the US-Mexico border. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A 2018 report from the Government Accountability Office found that the construction challenges presented by the four concrete models would be extensive and those presented by two of the other models would be substantial. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California It was intended that Mr Trump would choose his favourite of the designs after testing had been completed. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The President is yet to comment. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Each prototype cost $300,000 to $500,000 to build and they are being knocked down in order to make way for the San Diego Secondary Wall project which will see up to 14 miles of barrier being built to support the existing steel border fence. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new barrier will not employ the design of any of the prototypes, instead being built of the favoured steel bollards which make up the current section of the wall at San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new secondary barrier being built near San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The rubble of one of the demolished prototypes. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A digger approaches the prototype wall AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Aerial view of the wall prototypes at the US-Mexico border after they were torn down AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California An aerial view showing Tijuana, Mexico on the left and the demolished wall prototypes on the right AFP/Getty Still, Turley said, confusion may reign on the border when militiamen emerge from the dark with weapons drawn. "It's very likely they view these militia members to be law enforcement," he said. Benvie told the paper the members were instructed not to point weapons and that military-style rifles were no longer permitted on patrols, though handguns were permissible. The 16 April video shows rifles in the hands of group members. New Mexico has no statute on citizen's arrest, Alan Malott, a since-retired judge of the 2nd Judicial District Court in New Mexico, wrote in 2011, saying people can arrest private citizens who they believe "committed a felony-level crime or a breach of the peace in his presence". In a statement on Twitter, CBP said it "does not endorse or condone private groups or organisations taking enforcement matters into their own hands. Interference by civilians in law enforcement matters could have public safety and legal consequences for all parties involved." It followed that tweet with phone numbers to call "if a member of the community witnesses or suspects illegal activity". Carlos Diaz, CBP spokesman, declined to comment on what was shown in the videos, which appear to have shown armed civilians alongside Border Patrol agents. Recommended Judge blocks Trump refusing asylum to immigrants on southern border Benvie did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, but he has shared several videos on his Facebook page over the past week, explaining the group's actions and their motivations. "We have repeated time and time and time again this is not a militia," Benvie said onTuesday. "This is not an armed vigilante group. This is not the KKK. This is not a terrorist organisation. "If we did anything wrong, if there had ever been anything wrong, not only would those videos have not been done live but the Border Patrol would have immediately acted," Benvie said. "They don't want civilians to enforce the law." "However," he continues, "if you read the second part of their statement they do encourage citizens to observe and report illegal activity relating to immigration, and they do welcome that they they've even posted the phone number, OK? So the point I'm trying to tell you is, is that 'observing and reporting' more or less is what we've been doing." The United Constitutional Patriots' leader, Larry Mitchell Hopkins, appeared in court Monday on charges from 2017 of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The FBI also contends his group was training for assassinations against liberal politicians and donors. Hopkins, who goes by the pseudonym Johnny Horton and is referred to within the group as "Striker," was arrested and accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer in 2006. "This is a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families," Hector Balderas, the state attorney general, said in a statement after Hopkins's arrest. Balderas said the arrest "indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not vigilantes." A letter sent by the New Mexico chapter of the ACLU asked Balderas to investigate the group. "We cannot allow racist and armed vigilantes to kidnap and detain people seeking asylum," it said. Benvie has said his group was welcomed by local law enforcement and said police were "happy we were there." However, the group's outpost in New Mexico was abandoned amid pressure from law enforcement, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. Sunland Police Chief Javier Guerra said it would take action if group members pointed weapons at migrants. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events "We can arrest them for assault," Guerra said, AP reported. But in the 16 April video, the woman narrating the incident sought more a more influential audience. "Donald Trump needs to see this," she said. Washington Post A robot equipped with artificial intelligence has navigated its way through a model of a blood filled heart and repaired a leaky valve - proving that it could do a similar thing in a human body. The catheter was programmed by scientists at Boston Children's Hospital to find its way to the problem and fix it. A bioengineer involved in the operation likened the robot to a self-driving car navigating to a desired destination inside a human body. Surgeons currently use manually-controlled robots to carry out such procedures, either using joysticks or magnetic systems. The proof-of-concept procedure, known as a paravalvular aortic leak closure, is highly technical and usually demanding on the surgeons involved. Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care Show all 15 1 /15 Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care Residents follow moves made by humanoid robot 'Pepper' during an afternoon exercise routine at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care Funabashi Hiroshi from A Fun, repairs broken'AIBO's, pet dog robots, at his office in Kasama. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care A caretaker wearing a 'HAL for care support' robot suit pushes a wheelchair at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care Residents follow moves made by humanoid robot 'Pepper' during an afternoon exercise routine at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care Yoichi Suzuki spends time with 'AIBO', a pet dog robot, which his father used for his rehabilitation at his house in Takahag.i Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care A resident approaches humanoid robot 'Pepper' to pat its head during an afternoon exercise routine at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care A caretaker, wearing walking rehabilitation equipment 'Tree', helps a resident with his walking training at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care Yoichi Suzuki shows 'AIBO', a pet dog robot, to his bed-ridden mother at his house. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care A broken'AIBO', a pet dog robot, waits for repair in A Fun's office in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care A resident touches 'AIBO', a pet dog robot, at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care A resident touches robot seal 'PARO' at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care Yoichi Suzuki and his wife take care of his bed-ridden mother as 'AIBO', a pet dog robot walks around at his house in Takahagi. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care A caretaker wearing a motion assist equipment 'Muscle Suit' carries a resident from a bed to a wheelchair at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care 'AIBO', a pet dog robot, which Yoichi Suzuki's father used for his rehabilitation, is seen at Suzuki's house in Takahagi. Reuters Ageing Japan: Robots' role in future of elderly care A resident claps to call 'AIBO', a pet dog robot at Shin-tomi nursing home in Tokyo. Reuters Using autonomous robots to carry out these types of operations will free up surgeon's time to focus on more complex parts of the procedure, the researchers say. "The right way to think about this is through the analogy of a fighter pilot and a fighter plane," said senior investigator Pierre Dupont, chief of Pediatric Cardiac Bioengineering at Boston Children's Hospital after the findings were published in the journal Science Robotics. "The fighter plane take on the routine tasks like flying the plane, so the pilot can focus on the higher-level tasks of the mission." Once the robot reached the leaky valve, a cardiac surgeon took control and completed the operation. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Several trials of the technique saw the robot take roughly the same amount of time as a human surgeon to navigate to the heart valve. "The navigation time was statistically equivalent for all, which we think is pretty impressive given that you're inside the blood-filled beating heart and trying to reach a millimetre-scale target on a specific valve," Dr Dupont said. It is not clear if or when this type of robot will be used in real-world surgery, with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yet to develop regulatory frameworks for AI-enabled devices. The Home Office has spent more than 78,000 in public money on legal costs to appeal against a High Court ruling that one of its hostile environment policies violates human rights laws, new figures show. A judge ruled in March that the governments Right to Rent scheme, which requires private landlords to check the immigration status of potential tenants, was causing landlords to discriminate against potential tenants on grounds of nationality and ethnicity. Ministers chose to appeal the decision and figures released in response to a freedom of information request show that up to 27 March 2019, the department had spent 78,449 on the case in legal costs. Campaigners and lawyers said the government was using public funds to defend a clearly discriminatory scheme, and accused home secretary Sajid Javid of failing to learn lessons from the Windrush scandal. The Right to Rent scheme, which came into force in 2016 and constitutes a key branch of the governments hostile environment, has previously come under fire from cross-party MPs, landlords and immigration lawyers who warned it could be putting people at risk of homelessness and exploitation. The Independent recently highlighted the case of a British man who, along with his family, was made homeless after being told they could not rent a property in the UK because his wife was not eligible to rent under the policy despite the fact that she has the right to live in Britain. Responding to the figures, Chai Patel, legal director at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), which launched the legal challenge against the policy, said: The High Court confirmed what we have been telling the government for years: Right to Rent checks cause racist discrimination in the housing market. Instead of wasting yet more taxpayer money pursuing an appeal arguing that racism can be justified in the context of immigration control, Sajid Javid should act now to scrap the scheme. Our government should be stamping out racism, not encouraging it. Immigration lawyer Shoaib Khan, who obtained the figures through freedom of information law, said: The government was warned time and again that Right to Rent would breach human rights and lead to racial discrimination, and now the High Court has confirmed this. The High Court judgment is damning for the government, and rightly so. It is therefore even more disappointing that the government is continuing to pursue this discriminatory policy and spending yet more money on challenging the judgment. Recommended British man and family made homeless due to Home Office policy Mr Khan said the tens of thousands of pounds spent on legal costs were just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the financial costs of this discriminatory scheme. He added: No doubt the costs of devising the scheme, implementing it, drafting guidance, providing training and then enforcing it would have greatly exceeded this. It is unacceptable that, in these times of austerity, home secretary Theresa May and her successors have spent these public funds on a clearly discriminatory scheme. If there is to be any difference between Theresa Mays hostile environment and Sajid Javids compliant environment, the first step must be to put an immediate stop to schemes such as this. Right to Rent is a divisive, discriminatory scheme which leads to racism. A Home Office spokesperson said: The Right to Rent scheme plays an important role in ensuring only those with a legal right to be in the UK are able to access benefits and services. We are disappointed by the High Court judgment and are appealing on every ground. We only defend cases where we believe that it is in the public interest to do so. Britain should leave the EU without a deal if the only alternative is remaining in the bloc, Jeremy Hunt has said. The foreign secretary said he would be willing to deliver a no-deal Brexit if he is prime minister because the "democratic risk" of not leaving the EU is greater than the economic damage of leaving without an agreement. He insisted the UK would "make a success" of a no-deal outcome despite the "very significant" disruption it would cause. Mr Hunt is tipped as a frontrunner to succeed Theresa May as prime minister. He backed Remain in 2016 but has since emphasised the need to deliver Brexit and often sided with Eurosceptic colleagues in cabinet. Asked if he would be willing as prime minister to take Britain out of the EU without a deal, the foreign secretary told a Westminster lunch: "If there was a binary choice between no deal or no Brexit I would choose no deal because I think the democratic risk of no Brexit ultimately is higher than the economic risk of no deal." He said he did not believe parliament would allow a no-deal exit, however, and added: "I would always prefer to leave with a deal because I think there would be disruption without a deal and it's very difficult to predict exactly what that disruption would be, but it would potentially be very significant." He added: "But I've never thought that in the end we couldn't make a success as a country of whatever circumstances we're in." Mr Hunt said the UK's international allies believed the UK would succeed after Brexit but were worried about the "destruction of not being able to make a decision". He said: "As far as Brexit's concerned, my view is very straightforward: we have to leave, we have to leave quickly, we have to leave cleanly. "I see Brexit as the biggest democratic challenge that we've had in our lifetimes because the political establishment, myself included, didn't want Brexit or vote for Brexit. "We've always been telling people that we are one of the oldest and greatest democracies in the world and it's as if people have been looking at us and saying we will test that by asking you guys to do something that you don't want to do. "It's absolutely essential that we pass that test and then make a success of Brexit at the other side." 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 Mr Hunt said the true test of the success of Brexit would be "if in ten years' time we're able to say that the British economy has grown faster than European economies". The foreign secretary also condemned the leak of National Security Council discussions on the involvement of Chinese company Huawei in providing 5G data services in the UK. The leak has infuriated government ministers and security officials and prompted calls for a formal inquiry into who was responsible. Mr Hunt said: "I think it is utterly appalling that that should happen, a really, really bad thing for decision-making in government. "I have never leaked confidential cabinet discussions and I never will, so I don't want to comment further on it. "But I do think it is a very, very bad day for our democratic processes when that kind of thing happens." Asked directly if he or his team were responsible for the leak, he said simply: "No." Close Sir Graham Brady says rules will not be changed to allowed second no-confidence vote in Theresa May Theresa May is said to be considering forcing MPs to vote on her Brexit deal for a fourth time next week after she saw off the latest attempt to oust her from office. The prime minister is planning to bring forward a law to enact her withdrawal agreement, even though it has been rejected by MPs three times, reports suggest. The law is expected to include new guarantees that the government hopes will entice both Tory Eurosceptics and wavering Labour MPs to vote for the deal. A Brexiteer attempt to force a second vote of no confidence in Ms May was scuppered on Wednesday after senior Tories decided not to change party rules to allow another ballot to be held. Here's how we covered the day's developments: The government is facing a legal challenge over its preparations for the upcoming European parliament elections amid fears that millions of EU citizens in the UK could be deprived of their vote. Under current rules, EU citizens must register to vote and also sign a special form stating that they are not also voting in any other EU country, known as a UC1, by 7 May. But chaos surrounding the date of the UKs departure from the EU means the form was only sent to 2 million European nationals on the electoral register a few weeks before the deadline instead of the usual four-month period. A leading organisation, representing EU citizens in the UK, has urged ministers to take immediate action to remedy the situation or face potential legal action. Roger Casale, secretary general of the New Europeans, said: Because of the very tight timetable, we would urge the government to allow those EU citizens on the electoral roll, who miss the current 7 May deadline, to fill in the required UC1 declaration forms when they arrive at their local polling stations on 23 May. Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Show all 30 1 /30 Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporters attend a rally in Parliament Square after the final leg of the "March to Leave" in London AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The protest march which started on March 16 in Sunderland, north east England, finished on what was the original date for Brexit to happen before the recent extension Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter sips a can of Stella in protests outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Dedicated anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray and likewise pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane go head to head near the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit marching band in Parliament Square Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Remain supporters wave EU flags from a bus in Parliament Square PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter shouts slogans outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside of the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside of the Houses of Parliament REUTERS Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit flag is waved in Parliament Square AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The March to Leave nears the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit protester holds a sign outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters carry the coffin of democracy AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters march outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters take part in the March to Leave protest in London PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter holds a sign outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A man holds satirical paintings of politicians Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit An pro-Brexit float on the March to Leave march in London Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Far-right activist Tommy Robinson addresses protesters outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Tommy Robinson supporter arrives at the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A jogger gestures rudely at a Brexit supporter outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament PA He said: We hope that the government will rapidly see the wisdom of taking these actions and that it will not be necessary for us to consider seeking judicial review to ensure that people are able to fully participate in the democratic process. But if the government does not take rapid remedial action, we will of course have to consider taking legal action. Maike Bohn, a co-founder of EU citizens group the3million, said they were being treated as an afterthought by the government. She told The Independent: I find it really disappointing that the UK makes it so hard for EU citizens to register and to kind of blame Brexit. I just think it is an afterthought and I think its very problematic that so many millions of people still have no voice in their home country. Ms Bohn, a German citizen who has lived in the UK for 25 years, added: We do become voiceless. In a country where we pay taxes, I do think thats really problematic. It also is very telling about how removed the EU is from the mind of British politicians. The issue was raised in the Commons by Labour MP Catherine West who expressed concern the rule will disenfranchise EU citizens as the majority of EU registers are now closed, meaning people will be unable to vote if they dont register in the UK in time. She said: These unusual circumstances and the governments complete lack of action have helped create an artificial barrier to the enfranchisement of EU citizens. We are already hearing reports of a formal legal challenge to the government. Yet another Brexit mistake. Ms West called for an end to government-sanctioned barriers to voting and demanded EU citizens be automatically registered if they had signed up to vote in local government elections on 2 May. Cabinet office minister Brandon Lewis defended the plan in the Commons, saying: It is important that we ensure that everyone is aware of what they can do to make sure they are able to exercise their right to vote, should that opportunity arise. He added: It is to ensure EU citizens do not vote twice, both here and in their EU state of origin. Obviously it is illegal to vote twice in the same election. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The row stems from Theresa Mays insistence that Brexit would be delivered on time, which would have seen the UK leave the bloc on 29 March and removed the need for the UK to send MEPs to Brussels. But parliament repeatedly rejected her Brexit deal, forcing the prime minister to seek a delay to the UKs departure until October. In reality, UK participation has been a distinct possibility since December when it became increasingly clear that Ms May might not win parliamentary approval for her deal. But the government insisted on denying that there was any possibility of UK participation and even went as far as refusing to help with contingency planning, according to the organisation representing local authority electoral officials. We approached civil servants on a number of occasions to discuss key potential European parliament election registration and organisational challenges, but they were unwilling to engage with us on the subject as, in their view, there was not going to be an election in the UK, said Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA). The Electoral Commission gave assurances to a Commons committee in 2014 that there would be changes to the system but plans were scrapped after the Brexit vote in 2016. It told the Political and Constitutional Affairs committee (PACAC) that it would continue to work with the UK government, electoral registration officers and organisations representing citizens of other EU member states in the UK to identify what can be done to simplify the system and remove unnecessary administrative barriers to participation so that this problem does not affect electors at the next European parliament elections in 2019. If the government now fails to take remedial action (by substantially extending the UC1 form completion deadline, potentially till polling day), it could lay itself open to legal challenge. David Howarth, professor of law and public policy at the University of Cambridge, believes that the government might face legal action for not having given enough time for EU nationals to complete their UC1 declaration forms. Any challenge would presumably be based on Article 12 of the 1993 Directive, which requires member states to inform EU nationals of the conditions and detailed arrangements for the exercise of their right to vote in good time, which the government has plainly failed to do, he said. Doing nothing about the situation serves no legitimate purpose or, if it does serve a legitimate purpose, the interference with the right to vote is so serious that it will be argued that it outweighs that purpose, said Professor Howarth. Ministers say they cannot rule out a criminal investigation into the leak from the National Security Council of Theresa Mays decision to allow Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, access to the nations 5G network. The chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat MP, on Thursday wrote to Sir Mark Sedwill, cabinet secretary and national security adviser, to request an immediate inquiry into the apparent leak from this weeks National Security Council meeting. Such leaks not only potentially threaten our national security, but they also damage our relationship with key allies and undermine their trust in us, the letter said. It follows demands from both Conservative and Labour MPs for a full-blown inquiry into reports that Huaweis work had been approved at this weeks NSC despite opposition from some cabinet ministers. Senior officers in Britains intelligence and security agencies said they are bemused and concerned at the leak but officials from the agencies stressed that it was up to the government to decide what to do about the revelation of sensitive information. More than one source, however, said they would not be surprised if Sir Mark ordered an investigation or if one is held under the Official Secrets Act. Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Show all 20 1 /20 Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An employee enters a train in the Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A worker cleans a waterway as office buildings are seen at Huawei's new Ox Horn Research and Development campus in Dongguan, near shenzen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's Ox Horn campus modelled after Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The real Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees sleep in their cubicle in the research and development area after lunch at the Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's Ox Horn campus modelled after Heidelberg in Germany Getty Images Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees play basketball on a court within the staff housing complex at the end of the workday at the Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A replica of the Karl Theodor Bridge in Huawei's Ox Horn campus Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The real Karl Theodor Bridge in Heidelberg, Germany Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees ride the bus home at the end of the workday from the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Huawei workers eat their subsidised lunch in one of many large cafeterias at the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Reception staff walk in front of a large screen showcasing different technologies in the foyer of a building used for high profile customer visits at the campus in Shenzen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An employee reads in the staff library on a break at the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's new Ox Horn campus modelled after a European City Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Servers are seen inside Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The conductor waits for a train in the Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A general view shows the research and development centre at Huawei's Ox Horn campus AFP/Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees works on a mobile phone production line at Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An office building on the Huawei campus in Dongguan AFP/Getty Jeremy Wright, the culture secretary, said he could not rule out a criminal investigation under the Official Secrets Act, telling the Commons it was a matter for investigating and prosecuting authorities to consider. Any decision to prosecute would have to be taken by Geoffrey Cox, the attorney general. The mood at the NSC meeting where the decision was made was said to have been tense and fraught with most of those attending leaving grim-faced when it ended at about 4pm. The leak, the first one on a major issue since the NSC was formed, came in the next three hours, and is being viewed in Whitehall as designed to show the toughness of a cabinet minister with aspirations to the leadership after Theresa May goes. Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, Sajid Javid, the home secretary, Liam Fox, the international trade secretary and Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, are all said to have objected strongly to the participation of Huawei in a key sector of the UKs communications network. The multinational, which was founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei (a former member of the Peoples Liberation Army technical division with connections to the military hierarchy and the ruling Communist Party), has been repeatedly accused of being an intelligence arm of the Beijing government. An investigation under the Official Secrets Act would involve Scotland Yards Special Branch and, possibly, GCHQ if a ministers communications and those of his staff are tracked. As well as the possibility of a Cabinet Office inquiry there are also suggestions that the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) can carry out its own inquiry, but the mechanics for this remains unclear. Dominic Grieve, the ISC chair, said the leak was deeply worrying and that if any minister was found to be responsible they should be sacked. He told the BBC: The principle that what is discussed at the NSC is kept totally confidential is really important. The problem that we have at the moment is that collective cabinet responsibility has been breaking down and we have seen plenty of leaks come out of cabinet meetings. There has certainly been some posturing around on a whole range of issues. I cant pretend that there arent people who appear to be preparing themselves for leadership bids. Huawei has been banned from the networks of a number of countries, many of them allies of the UK. Rob Joyce, a senior adviser at the US National Security Agency, who was attending a cybersecurity conference in Glasgow said: We have got to understand all the details of that and decide what that means. What we will be insistent on is UK decisions cant put our information at risk but the good news is that the UK already understands that. GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming, who was also at the Glasgow conference, stated technical factors were more important than flag of origin. He continued: A flag of origin of 5G equipment is important but it is a secondary factor. Its a hugely complex strategic challenge, going to span the next few decades. How we deal with it will be crucial for our prosperity and for our security. Tommy Robinson has announced that he is standing in the European parliamentary elections, despite facing a prison sentence of up to two years in an ongoing court case. The English Defence League co-founder says he will stand in the North West region of England. Put me right inside the EU and they wont know what hit them, he told supporters, claiming that he would fight to preserve our national identity against Islamification and cut immigration. Robinson appeared to be standing as an independent candidate, despite being appointed as Ukips adviser on grooming gangs by leader Gerard Batten last year. The anti-Islam activist, who has served prison sentences for crimes including fraud, was prevented from becoming a Ukip member by rules barring former members of the EDL and British National Party. Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Show all 16 1 /16 Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey A Tommy Robinson supporter in London after former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson left the Old Bailey where his contempt of court case was adjourned PA Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey A Tommy Robinson supporter outside the Old Bailey in London where the former English Defence League (EDL) leader is accused of contempt of court PA Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Tommy Robinson supporters outside the Old Bailey in London before former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson arrives accused of contempt of court PA Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Supporters of far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson demonstrate outside the Old Bailey Getty Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Supporters of far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson demonstrate outside the Old Bailey Getty Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Supporters of former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson protest at the Old Bailey Courthouse EPA Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Supporters of former English Defence League leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, or 'Tommy Robinson', who was jailed for contempt of court in May and later released, wait for him to arrive at the Old Bailey to attend a court hearing Reuters Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Supporters of far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson demonstrate outside the Old Bailey Getty Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Tommy Robinson arrives for his hearing at the Old Bailey Reuters Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Supporters of far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson demonstrate outside the Old Bailey Getty Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Supporters of far-right spokeseman Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, AKA Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the right-wing EDL (English Defence League) wave flags as they demonstrate outsise The Old Bailey AFP/Getty Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Supporters of far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson demonstrate outside the Old Bailey EPA Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey EPA Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey Robinson gestures to supporters from inside the Old Bailey AFP/Getty Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey AFP/Getty Tommy Robinson supporters protest outside the Old Bailey EPA He announced his candidacy to followers on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, after being banned from mainstream social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. It coincided with the deadline for nominating candidates for the European elections, which are being unexpectedly fought by all mainstream UK parties after Britains departure from the EU was delayed until October at the earliest. Robinson originally said he would make the biggest announcement to date at a barbecue in Wythenshawe, Manchester, on Thursday evening. A housing trust that owns the estate where the event was to be held said it had explicitly declined the use of any of our land or assets for this event but Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, told his supporters to ignore the statement. We have communicated this to Mr Robinson via Greater Manchester Police, to advise he has no permission to use our land, the Wythenshawe Community Housing Group added. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: We are aware of an event linked to a European elections campaign that is taking place in the Broadoak Green area of Wythenshawe this evening. There is a community policing operation in place and officers will respond proportionately to any incidents that require their attention. Mike Kane, the Labour MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, said Robinsons far-right political views are not welcome in our town and our great city. He signed a joint letter with local Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders speaking out against the event. Tommy Robinson lost his case of police harassment after he claimed police 'humiliated' him We are firm in our beliefs that violence and racism have no place in our political discourse, said the letter. Wythenshawe is a proud community. It is our community. It is a community that rejects hate and works tirelessly for the common good. A community with a bright future. Our community has a history of welcoming people, we have thriving Chagossian and Keralan communities, among others, living and working here. If we were to welcome this man wed be dismissing the valued contribution these people have made to the area. Recommended Tommy Robinson boasts about scoring drugs in newly emerged video As community leaders we call upon our communities to reject the politics of division and hate. Campaigners from Stand Up to Racism and Unite Against Fascism said Robinson and other anti-Islam politicians were not welcome. [Robinson] is not welcome in Wythenshawe, nor anywhere in the north west, said Nahella Ashraf, from Manchester Stand Up To Racism. It comes as he awaits a new court hearing over alleged contempt of court at a grooming gang trial in Leeds. Robinson was jailed over a Facebook Live stream that violated reporting restrictions last May, but the Court of Appeal freed him in August over procedural failings. Tommy Robinson, former leader of the English Defence League (EDL), was freed over procedural failings (AFP/Getty) He has since launched his own news service and has been banned from social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. The firms said they were enforcing their terms of service but Robinson said the bans amounted to censorship and is appealing for donations to buy a bus where he can display his messages from a screen. He had previously appealed for donations for a harassment case against Cambridgeshire Constabulary, which resulted in him losing and being ordered to pay 20,000 in costs. There was further embarrassment in February, when footage emerged of Robinson boasting about scoring drugs and using a racial slur. In a campaign video, Robinson said he had never voted and going into politics wasnt part of his plan. Britain will go to the polls on 23 May, the same date Robinson was scheduled to be in Adelaide on the first stage of a speaking tour of Australia. Fans had paid up to A$995 (532) for tickets to see the anti-Islam activist, alongside Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes and former editor for Breitbart News Network Milo Yiannopoulos, in five cities. The tour was originally supposed to take place in December and has so far been postponed several times and it was unclear whether Australian visa rules would allow Robinson entry with his criminal convictions and extremist background. Organisers did not immediately respond to The Independents request for comment. Mozambique is facing a looming humanitarian catastrophe as another tropical cyclone is expected to hit the countrys coast, just over a month after Cyclone Idai devastated the country. Cyclone Kenneth is expected to bring torrential rainfall, strong winds, and waves of several metres to the southern African nation, which is one of the worlds poorest countries. It comes soon after Cyclone Idai struck the southern port city of Beira in March, killing hundreds and leaving thousands homeless. Mozambiques National Institute of Disaster Management said around 682,500 people could be at risk from the cyclone in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Niassa. More than 1,000 people were reportedly killed by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, with an estimated $1bn (778m) in damage caused by the storm. Aftermath of Cyclone Idai Show all 19 1 /19 Aftermath of Cyclone Idai Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-3-0.JPG Josh Estey/Care Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-12-0.jpg Karel Prinsloo/Disasters Emergency Committee Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-2-0.jpg Karel Prinsloo/Disasters Emergency Committee Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-10-0.jpg Karel Prinsloo/Disasters Emergency Committee Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-15-0.jpg Josh Estey/Care Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-14-0.jpg Josh Estey/Care Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-19-0.jpg Karel Prinsloo/Disasters Emergency Committee Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-9-0.jpg Karel Prinsloo/Disasters Emergency Committee Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-11-0.jpg KB Mpofu/Christian Aid Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-16-0.jpg Josh Estey/Care Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-1-0.jpg Josh Estey/Care Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-4-0.jpg Corrie Butler/British Red Cross Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-6-0.jpg Karel Prinsloo/Disasters Emergency Committee Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-5-0.jpg Corrie Butler/British Red Cross Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-13-0.jpg Karel Prinsloo/Disasters Emergency Committee Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-7-0.jpg Richard Nyoni/Christian Aid Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-18-0.jpg Karel Prinsloo/Disasters Emergency Committee Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-8-0.jpg Karel Prinsloo/Disasters Emergency Committee Aftermath of Cyclone Idai dec-Cyclone-Idai-17-0.jpg Josh Estey/Care "It's going to make landfall tomorrow afternoon in Cabo Delgado (province), on the northeastern coast of Mozambique, and it is going to be a cyclone with wind speeds which could be 140 km per hour (87 miles per hour)," said Jan Vermeulen, from the South African Weather Service. The cyclone is also predicted to hit Tanzania, where authorities have warned people to evacuate from southern coastal regions. "We've decided to evacuate all residents of valleys and other low-lying areas, and we advise them to seek refuge at public spaces," Mtwara regional commissioner Gelasius Byakanwa told reporters. Meteorologist Eric Holthaus warned that Kenneth is still rapidly strengthening before it makes landfall. This is a looming humanitarian catastrophe, he said. Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique just 5 weeks ago. More than 1,000 people died, and nearly 3,000,000 people affected Back-to-back storms this bad [are] unimaginable. Cyclone Kenneth is expected to hit further north than the last storm but it will spread the damage around Mozambique and complicate work for health officials and international aid agencies who have been battling cholera in the wake of Idai. The International Federation of the Red Cross said its volunteers in the north of the country were alerting communities in areas where the risk of flooding, erosion and landslides is high. The World Food Programme said it was working with other agencies and the Mozambican government on an emergency plan. The National Directorate for the Management of Water Resources has recommended that people living in areas at risk of flooding should immediately move to higher ground. Cyclones of the strength of Idai and Kenneth are rare in close succession, as only three of equivalent strength have hit Mozambique since 1950. The strongest cyclone to hit Mozambique was Cyclone Leon-Eline in 2000. Agencies contributed to this report Parents of a missing five-year-old boy have been charged with his murder. Andrew Freund reported his son AJ missing on Thursday morning from their home in Crystal Lake, Illinois, prompting a near week-long investigation by the police and the FBI. On Wednesday, police announced that Freund and AJs mother Joann Cunningham have been charged with AJ's murder. They are both facing five counts of first degree murder, as well as aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, concealment of a homicide, and failure to report a missing child. Police said they found what they believe is AJ's body "buried in a shallow grave wrapped in plastic" in Woodstock, Illinois. In a press conference on Wednesday, Crystal Lake police chief Jim Black said the cause of death has not yet been determined. In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign A campaigner holds a banner at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, during an event organised by the White Flowers Campaign Group, in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign Pictures, messages and floral tributes left at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign Jenny Tomlin, the mother of Martine McCutcheon, attends a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the White Flowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign Child abuse campaigner Bill Maloney speaks to relatives, supporters, victims and survivors of abuse as they gather at Old Palace Yard in Westminster to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign Rotherham MP Sarah Champion speaks during a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign Simon Danczuk MP speaks during a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign John Mann MP attends a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign A woman leaves a floral tribute at Old Palace Yard in Westminster In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign Relatives, supporters and survivors of abuse hold a minutes silence during a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims White Flowers Campaign Jenny Tomlin, the mother of Martine McCutcheon (left) supports Esther Grace of Cardiff, a victim and survivor of abuse, during a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse The police confirmed in the same conference that information provided by Freund and Cunningham ultimately led to the recovery of the deceased subject. CNN reports that officials had previously visited the home of Freund and Cunningham and found it to be in unliveable conditions. One report from 2018 reveals that officers recalled going upstairs to where Cunninghams two boys slept only to smell a strong smell of faeces with the windows open. Freund and Cunningam are currently being held in McHenry County Jail. If convicted, both could face life in prison. It was previously reported that AJs younger sibling is currently living with another family. Elizabeth Warren has detailed a plan to incentivise hospitals to make childbirth safer for African American women. The candidate, who has unveiled a number of comprehensive platforms for her possible presidency, is being met with praise for the proposed policy, which she revealed at the She the People conference in Texas. Black moms in our country are dying from childbirth-related causes 3-4 times more often than white moms, Warren said in a tweet accompanying video of her talk on the policy. Any meaningful solution to our maternal mortality crisis must address structural racism as a root cause of this problem. The US is one of only two developed nations whose maternal mortality rate has worsened in the last two decades (the other is Serbia), and in fact has the highest maternal mortality rate in that metric. For African American women, the risk of death from complications in childbirth is particularly high, with an average of 40 per 10,000 women dying. MS Warrens plan addresses the problem with what she refers to as the language hospitals speak in America: money. I want to see the hospitals see it as their responsibility to address this problem head-on and make it a first priority, Warren said at the event on Wednesday evening. The best way to do that is to use money to make it happen, because we gotta have change and we gotta have change now." Warrens plan would essentially follow practices already in place, she explained, citing hospitals common approach to knee surgery as an example. Essentially, hospitals would be paid for successful child births - and fined for failures resulting in deaths. Online, African American women in particular expressed their approval of the policy. Elizabeth Warren rolls out plan to reward hospitals that make childbirth safer for Black Women, wrote activist April Reign in a tweet sharing the video of Warren describing the plan. Literally financial incentives for them to do right and penalties if they do wrong. Ill be damned. Making childbirth safer for women - picture story Show all 11 1 /11 Making childbirth safer for women - picture story Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590662.bin Image credit: Lindsay Mgbor/DFID Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590667.bin Image credit: Lindsay Mgbor/DFID Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590670.bin Image credit: Lindsay Mgbor/DFID Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590671.bin Image credit: Lindsay Mgbor/DFID Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590672.bin DFID/Lindsay Mgbor Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590673.bin Image credit: Lindsay Mgbor/DFID Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590674.bin Image credit: Lindsay Mgbor/DFID Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590675.bin Lindsay Mgbor/DFID Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590676.bin Image credit: Lindsay Mgbor/DFID Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590677.bin Image credit: Lindsay Mgbor/DFID Making childbirth safer for women - picture story 590678.bin Image credit: Lindsay Mgbor/DFID This is major, Bitch Media Editor-in-Chief Evette Dionne tweeted. Elizabeth Warren is doing something that few candidates seemingly do: listen to scholars and read their scholarship. I think her willingness to rely on experts to guide policy positions has a whole lot to do with her background in academia. The issue of African American womens risk in live births has been addressed by a number of prominent African American women lately, including Serena Williams and Beyonce, who shared in her newly-released Homecoming documentary that she suffered from high blood pressure and preeclampsia during her last pregnancy. Both womens stories have stirred up conversation around the treatment of African American women by healthcare professionals. A judge has been charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly helping a man in the country illegally to evade immigration officials - after he was allowed to leave the building through a back door. Newton District Court Judge Shelley M Richmond Joseph has also been charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of a federal proceeding, NBC reports. Former court officer Wesley MacGregor was also indicted on the charges, as well as perjury. The defendant in question had been deported twice before and was identified by Immigration and Customs Enforcement by his fingerprints after being arrested for narcotics possession four days prior to his court appearance in April last year. ICE then issued a federal immigration order and sent an officer to the courthouse, where the immigrants defence lawyer alerted Judge Joseph of the officers presence. "ICE is going to pick him up if he walks out the front door," the defence lawyer told the judge in a sidebar that was recorded. Recommended ICE deports husband of solider killed in Afghanistan Still being recorded, Judge Joseph suggested they detain him, and then requested the courtroom recorder to be turned off. It was off for 52 seconds. When the recording continued, the prosecutor agreed with the defence lawyer that the case should be dismissed, saying it was likely a case of mistaken identity. 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 Judge Joseph requested he be taken downstairs for further questioning, which allowed him to be released through a back door by MacGregor. "The allegations in todays indictment involve obstruction by a sitting judge, that is intentional interference with the enforcement of federal law, and that is a crime," Lelling said. "We cannot pick and choose the federal laws we follow, or use our personal views to justify violating the law." Judge Joseph has been suspended without pay. A mayor in New Jersey has been forced to apologise after he responded to antisemitic tweet by telling the man to just call police. John G Ducey was asked to do something about the parks and beaches in Brick Township by a tweeter using the handle @simms10471. The user, who has since deleted the account, complained that they were being invaded by the hasidic and orthodox jews". They added: "Our tax paying residents are being forced out while politicians sit and do nothing. Mayor Ducey replied: Our parks security has started already. Just call police with any problems and they will send them out. Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Show all 8 1 /8 Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Charles Wasko/Facebook Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Charles Wasko/Facebook Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Charles Wasko/Facebook Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Charles Wasko/Facebook Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Charles Wasko/Facebook Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Charles Wasko/Facebook Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Charles Wasko/Facebook Pennsylvania mayor posts racists memes on Facebook Charles Wasko/Facebook The Democrat who was elected in 2014, was criticised by fellow Twitter users for his seemingly flippant response. Hey mayor seems like youve got a bigotry problem in town, wrote wrote in a reply to the mayors tweet. Address that first. Another added: "The Mayor of Brick township clearly has not yet figured out that as a public official you should confront & condemn blatant antisemitism & bigotry & not respond to it like a traffic light is out. A bigoted & unacceptable mischaracterisation of any community claims repudiation." A third said: ""Too late, you showed us yesterday who you really are, an good old fashioned antisemite". Mr Ducey subsequently apologised for his original response. He wrote: This twitter feed (and the world in general) is no place for bigotry or hateful comments. They are hurtful and divisive. They are condemned by me and all who are trying to make a difference in the world. Look for the good in you and others and the world will be a bettter [sic] place. In a separate statement to the NJ.com website, Mr Ducey acknowledged an uptick in antisemitic social media in the county, but maintained his belief that these sentiments arent widely shared by his constituents. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The way Twitter interacts, its very quick. It doesnt read well when you read it," he said. I come from good intentions, so to see it take off in this way is hurtful to me but I can empathise why it did take off based on how its worded." Earlier this month, the Attorney Generals Offices Division on Civil Rights of Ocean County, where Mr Brick lives, wrote an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg condemning Facebook's lack of response to a white supremacist group called Rise Up Ocean County. Donald Trump has praised China for its policy of executing drug dealers. In a speech at the Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta on Wednesday, the president turned to China while talking about the countrys plans to upgrade the criminal status of fentanyl saying: Theyre gonna make it a major crime. Its not a crime now. Its down as an industrial drug, and theyre gonna make it a crime. He then added that he appreciates the countrys policy of executing the dealers of drugs. Theyre going to charge people with the highest level of crime, he told the audience at the summit. And in China, unlike in our country, the highest level of crime is very, very high. Its the ultimate. You pay the ultimate price. So I appreciate that very much. Recommended One dead and 14 in hospital after mass fentanyl overdose in California China is one of at least four countries Amnesty International listed as executing criminals for drug-related offences in a 2017 report. Amnesty International estimates the number of drug-related executions in the country to be in the thousands, but cannot confirm that number, as Chinas executions are considered a state secret. In the same speech, the president made an unsupported claim that the number of deaths in the current drug crisis is higher than the figure being reported. Each year, more than 70,000 precious American lives are lost to the opioid and drug crisis, he said, referring to an oft-reported statistic from 2017. In my opinion, the number is much higher than that. The president did not elaborate on this opinion. The 'suburban smuggler' facing death penalty in Indonesia Show all 2 1 /2 The 'suburban smuggler' facing death penalty in Indonesia The 'suburban smuggler' facing death penalty in Indonesia IA29-6-MSuggler-main.jpg EPA The 'suburban smuggler' facing death penalty in Indonesia Ia29-6-Smuggler.jpg EPA The Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit calls itself the largest annual gathering of stakeholders from federal to family to discuss whats working in prevention and treatment. Its website encouraged people in recovery, people affected by family members drug use, and law enforcement officials to attend. The president also introduced his wife Melania, who spoke about her work with children affected by the opioid crisis. Also on Wednesday, Mr Trump pledged to continue fighting the addiction crisis until our job is done. An estimated 2 million people are addicted to the drugs, which include both legal prescription pain medications and illegal drugs such as heroin. Mr Trump said his administration had committed $6bn (4.6bn) to combatting the problem, set aside money to prevent youth substance abuse, and increased the distribution of overdose-reversing drug naloxone. Additional reporting by AP Border Patrol agents found a three-year-old boy alone in a field in Texas after likely being abandoned by smugglers at the southern border, authorities said. US Customs and Border Protection said that the boys name and a phone number were written on his shoes when agents found him on Tuesday morning. The agency said it is trying to reach the boys family and that the boy does not speak well enough to communicate. The boy was crying and in distress when the agents found him near Brownsville, according to NBC. Brownsville is at the eastern edge of the US-Mexico border in South Texas. The child will likely be sent to a facility for unaccompanied minors operated by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Border Patrol apprehended nearly 9,000 unaccompanied minors in March and more than 20,000 since January, as border crossings surged compared to recent levels. Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Show all 20 1 /20 Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The prototypes for President Trumps border wall are being demolished. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The US Customs and Border protection had built the eight 30-foot tall steel and concrete models near San Diego on the US-Mexico border. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A 2018 report from the Government Accountability Office found that the construction challenges presented by the four concrete models would be extensive and those presented by two of the other models would be substantial. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California It was intended that Mr Trump would choose his favourite of the designs after testing had been completed. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The President is yet to comment. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Each prototype cost $300,000 to $500,000 to build and they are being knocked down in order to make way for the San Diego Secondary Wall project which will see up to 14 miles of barrier being built to support the existing steel border fence. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new barrier will not employ the design of any of the prototypes, instead being built of the favoured steel bollards which make up the current section of the wall at San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new secondary barrier being built near San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The rubble of one of the demolished prototypes. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A digger approaches the prototype wall AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Aerial view of the wall prototypes at the US-Mexico border after they were torn down AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California An aerial view showing Tijuana, Mexico on the left and the demolished wall prototypes on the right AFP/Getty Most minors are usually teenagers from Central America who travel north on their own, but some are young children who arrived with an adult relative or a human smuggler. And parents carrying infants or holding the hands of young children arrive daily . That surge of families has put pressure on the Border Patrol, which says it doesnt have the staff or facilities to care for hundreds of children at a time. While US authorities have ended the large-scale family separations that spurred outrage last year, the Border Patrol says it still must take children from adults who are not biological parents or legal guardians or when it suspects fraud or neglect. Agency officials said this month that from April 2018 through most of March, the Border Patrol identified more than 3,100 parents and children whom it accused of making fraudulent claims. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events During a March visit to the Border Patrols main processing centre in McAllen, reporters from The Associated Press saw a 4-year-old boy sitting with adult staff watching cartoons. Authorities said the adult who brought the boy wasnt his parent and had a criminal record. AP A progressive group aligned with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has blasted Joe Biden as the old guard of Democratic politics, just hours after the former vice president announced his candidacy for president. Justice Democrats, a PAC that supported candidates like Ms Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, declared on Thursday morning it would support whoever becomes the Democratic nominee but claimed candidates such as Mr Biden had divided America and led to the election of Donald Trump. The old guard of the Democratic Party failed to stop Trump, and they cant be counted on to lead the fight against his divide-and-conquer politics today. The party needs new leadership with a bold vision capable of energizing voters in the Democratic base who stayed home in 2016, the statement read. But, the group went on to blast Mr Biden specifically, and used the former campaign slogan of Barack Obama Yes We Can against the former vice president. While were going to support the Democrat nominee, we cant let a so-called centrist like Joe Biden divide the Democratic Party and turn it into the party of No, we cant, the group wrote. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was 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 AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty The early attack highlights the broad ideological spectrum represented in the 2020 Democratic field, which now has 20 candidates with Mr Biden in the race. While Mr Biden has led in many early polls of Democratic voters, voters have also shown strong support for Bernie Sanders a candidate largely written off during his 2016 run against Hillary Clinton, only to aggressively compete in that primary. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Candidates like Mr Sanders have sworn off support from big moneyed interests, drawing a clear line between their candidacies and those of candidates like Mr Biden, who is supported by big money interests and whose campaign announcement was expected to be followed hours later by a fundraiser hosted by an executive for Comcast one of Americas largest telecommunication companies. Former US vice president Joe Biden has officially joined the Democratic presidential contest to replace Donald Trump in 2020. The 76-year-old lifelong politician becomes an instant front-runner alongside Bernie Sanders, who is leading many polls. In his campaign video, released on Thursday morning, Mr Biden warned that handing Mr Trump a further four years in the White House would "forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation". He also attacked the president for his response to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, accusing Mr Trump of having "assigned moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it". In that moment, I knew that the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime, he added. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was 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 AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty We are in the battle for the soul of this nation. "I believe history will look back on four years of this president, and all he embraces, as an abhorrent moment in time, but if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen. "The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy; everything that has made America America is at stake." Joe Biden: 'Our leadership is giving license to this prejudice' The announcement, made in a video posted on Twitter, marks the unofficial end of the chaotic early phase of the 2020 presidential season. At least 20 Democrats have put their names in the hat for the chance to take on the incumbent Republican president next year, while several lesser-known candidates may still join the race. Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Show all 15 1 /15 Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden watch Barack Obama's farewell speech on 11 January. Obama called Biden his 'brother' Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years US President Barack Obama speaks alongside US Vice President Joe Biden about the Affordable Care Act AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Obama listens to Joe Biden speak of his work on defeating cancer on 18 October in the White House Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama is applauded by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden while delivering his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. Vice President Joe Biden interjects as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a reception for the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the White House in Washington REUTERS Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Obama and Vice President Joe Biden react after a heckler was removed for their extended interruption (Reuters) Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) as Vice President Joe Biden looks on Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack and Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden observing a moment of silence outside the White House to mark the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack Obama and Joe Biden putt on the White House putting green Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama and Joe Biden in April 2013 AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years January 1, 2013: U.S. President Barack Obama winks as he arrives with Vice President Joe Biden (L) in the briefing room Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011 in Washington, DC Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice-President Joe Biden, right, confirmed that the US was looking at ways of taking legal action against Julian Assange - back in December 2010 GETTY IMAGES Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden, left, and retired military officers watch President Barack Obama sign orders to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2009 GETTY IMAGES "Amtrak Joe" a moniker he earned for commuting daily to the US capital by rail during his time as senator will hope to capitalise on his down-to-earth manner and blue-collar upbringing if he is to win the Democrat nomination. Recommended Joe Biden releases video responding to sexual misconduct allegations He remains one of the most recognisable names in US politics, but as an older white man who spent a half-century in Washington, it is unclear if he will be embraced by an increasingly liberal Democratic Party. He has also been dogged by questions about his past, including recent claims he touched women in an overly familiar manner without their consent. Mr Biden has pledged to be "much more mindful" of respecting personal space. Four years Mr Trump's senior, Mr Biden who has said he would campaign as an "Obama-Biden Democrat" would be the oldest person ever elected president should he win. Joe Biden had the best reaction when Obama awarded him the Presidential medal of freedom The former vice president will be in the Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Mr Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades, three times within the opening weeks of his campaign, the Associated Press reported. He will be in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast, where he hopes to raise $500,000 (388,000), and will return to the city in the next two weeks for a major rally. The Republican Party responded to rumours of an imminent announcement by Mr Biden with a video released on Wednesday questioning economic growth during the Obama presidency and resurrecting arguments against the former president's health care law. The video ends with the words, "Joe Biden: Backwards, not forwards." Joe Biden might appear the most likely Democrat to win the primaries and take on Donald Trump in 2020 but the 76-year-old politician may be facing his greatest uphill battle yet as he tries to reconcile his past with voters calling for a progressive future. For each of his political flaws, there seems to be a younger, fresher Democrat lacking similar baggage. Whereas Mr Biden voted to support legislation the National Rifle Association (NRA) hailed in 1986 as the law that saved gun rights in America, Kamala Harris proposed this week a slate of aggressive executive actions on gun control reform that she would take if congress fails to act within her first 100 days in the Oval Office. Mr Bidens record also includes longstanding support, dating back to 1999, for the Bankruptcy Reform Act, a bill critics said made it more difficult for students to release college-related debts. Elizabeth Warren, by comparison, recently called for debt-free college and massive student loan cancellations. A 39-year-old Mr Biden also voted in favour of an amendment allowing individual states to overturn Roe v Wade in 1982, while the 46-year-old Beto ORourke speaks eloquently and unabashedly about his support for pro-choice abortion policies, even in his deeply red home state where the issue remains taboo. Theres plenty of fodder for all of [Mr Bidens] opponents to jump on, Tobe Berkovitz, a professor at Boston University who has spent 30 years as a Democratic political media consultant, told The Independent. He is somewhat the frontrunner and he also has perhaps the most amorphous record because he was in the Senate so long, he was the vice president so there are going to be plenty of things these campaigns can find as a weakness at the current time in his record. Yet as one of the highest-polling Democrats to throw his hat in the ring this season, Mr Biden still remains popular across the country for his brand of centrist politics, and reports indicate he will run on a message of unity and moving the country forward. Mr Biden says hes changed his stance on a range of issues and in many ways he has. Former president Barack Obama tasked him with spearheading the former administrations efforts surrounding gun control, and he earned an F from the NRA. He also was one of the highest-profile Democrats to support marriage equality, before the Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage in 2015. Hes previously rebuked his own past in some cases, acknowledging his regret over his handling of the Anita Hill hearings in 1991 as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I wish I could have done something I opposed Clarence Thomass nomination, and I voted against him, he said in a recent statement. But I also realised that there was a real and perceived problem the committee faced: there were a bunch of white guys. Mr Biden seemingly foreshadowed how he might address the controversies from his past in a March speech. Im told I get criticised by the New Left, he said. I have the most progressive record of anybody running for the anybody who would run. Other facets of his past could also seriously diminish his shot in 2020, after multiple women accused Mr Biden in recent months of inappropriate touching along the campaign trail in past years. He has not been accused of sexual assault. In an op-ed, HuffPosts Washington bureau chief Amanda Terkel wrote: Biden is the wrong guy to bear the standard of any party purporting to speak for victims of unaccountable power. The newly energised women under the Democratic tent may not want a relic from the pre-woke era to be their standard-bearer. Mr Biden also faces a bounty of criticism over his handling of racial issues, including his support for desegregating schools while previously referring to integration as the most racist concept you can come up with. Support free-thinking journalism and subscribe to Independent Minds When announcing the end of his first presidential candidacy in September 1987, Mr Biden blamed the exaggerated shadow of his past mistakes for obscuring the essence of his campaign. He also expressed frustration with the environment of presidential politics that makes it so difficult for the American people to measure the whole of Joe Biden and not just the misstatements that I have made. There will be many opportunities for me to run for president again, he said at the time. Whether that opportunity has already come and gone for Mr Biden, however, will soon be far more evident. What he has to do is what Obama did very effectively multiple times, Mr Berkovitz said. Go to the thesaurus, look up five synonyms for evolved, and sprinkle them through all of his presentations. Strop had reported his 2018 Hyundai Genesis stolen earlier Wednesday, telling police it was taken from his garage in the 300 block of East Ohio Street around 6:30 a.m., based on surveillance footage. Around 2:30 p.m., officers tried to pull the car over in the 7100 block of South State Street, but it took off. Lara Trump has denounced Germanys acceptance of refugees, claiming Chancellor Angela Merkels immigration policies have led to the European nations downfall". Ms Trump, who serves as the face of Donald Trumps 2020 re-election campaign, joined Fox Business to discuss the presidents immigration agenda when she made the controversial remarks about the influx of people in 2015. It was the downfall of Germany, she said about refugees and migrants being accepted into the country. It was one of the worst things that ever happened to Germany. This president knows that, she continued, hes trying to prevent that from happening here, but Congress has got to get their act together and do the right thing here for the American people. Her comments immediately sparked backlash online from critics, who pointed to the rise of the Nazi regime, the Holocaust and World War Two as several examples of other historic afflictions to beset Germany. Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily. The presidents 2020 spokesperson also failed to note research indicating the influx of migrants has benefited the German economy. The countrys GDP grew steadily by an average of 0.2 per cent each year from 2011 to 2016 due to EU immigration, according to research conducted by the German Institute for Economic Research. Ms Trump was echoing the presidents hard-line stance on migration on Thursday when she suggested the German chancellor should not have allowed an increase of refugees to enter the country. Ms Merkel, meanwhile, has defended the countrys decision to open its doors to migrants, saying in a 2016 speech: A rejection of the humanitarian stance we took could have led to even worse consequences. Under Mr Trump, the federal government has sought to sharply reduce the number of refugees and migrants seeking asylum at the US-Mexico border. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The president has threatened to close the southern border outright, as his administration seeks to include a citizenship question on the upcoming US census. A state senator who suggested that nurses probably play cards for a considerable amount of the day has now said she would shadow a nurse for 12 hours. Maureen Walsh, a Republican senator for Washington, made the remarks on the Senate floor on 16 April while denouncing a bill that would allow nurses to get mandatory, uninterrupted meal and rest breaks. She said she opposed the legislation because it does not apply to districts like hers with many critical access hospitals, which have fewer than 25 beds. I understand helping with employees and making sure we have rest breaks, said Ms Walsh, who voted against the bill, House Bill 1155. We need to care for patients first and foremost. Ms Walshs comments were met with backlash by nurses around the country. A nurse in Chicago, Juliana Bindas, 27, started a petition on Change.org asking Ms Walsh to spend a day shadowing a nurse so she could gain a deeper understanding of what a nurses basic shift is like. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was 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 AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty The senator has since indicated that she will accept the invitation. Nurses dont really have time to even take a bathroom break, let alone play a deck of cards, Ms Bindas said on Tuesday. It is completely false. We are busy taking care of your family members; we are making sure our patients are comfortable. Ms Walsh apologised on Monday to those I offended with my comments". I really dont believe nurses at our critical access hospitals spend their days playing cards, but I did say it, and I wish I could reel it back, she said in a statement. The senator could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. Ms Walsh who mentioned in her apology that her mother was a registered nurse said she was trying to point out that the staffing needs of smaller, rural hospitals were different from those of the larger hospitals with hundreds of patients. The executive director of the Washington state Nurses Association, Sally Watkins, said she did not think that a hospitals size, location or number of beds ought to make a difference. It should not matter where a nurse works: All nurses should have a break, Ms Watkins said. Ms Walsh argues that critical access hospitals should be exempted for cost reasons, but, Ms Watkins said, in many ways hospitals are already spending that money. According to a 2018 Gallup poll about Americans perceptions of various professions, nurses received the highest rating for honesty and ethics for the 17th consecutive year, with 84 per cent of Americans indicating high or very high levels of trust in them. But to take the job means to be prepared to be worn out. Nurses get frustrated and oftentimes leave the profession because they cant work without breaks, Ms Watkins said. It becomes a fatigue issue. In Washington state, nurses can take breaks, but those breaks can be interrupted. Recommended Nurse kidnapped five years ago by Isis may still be alive Nurses can be called back to their unit, Watkins said. Some hospitals call a bathroom visit a break. Ms Bindas spoke about the need for personal time. If there was a way we could have an uninterrupted lunch break it would be important not only for the physical but mental and emotional as well, she said. So you can also take care of yourself. Ms Walsh offered an amendment to the bill on 16 April limiting nurses to eight-hour shifts. But in her statement she said she was abandoning the amendment after hearing from nurses in her district that they prefer to work 12-hour shifts to spend more time with their families. In recognition of that, I support the removal of the amendment and am confident it will be stripped off, Walsh said. But 12-hour shifts are rarely just 12 hours. In Ms Bindas experience, a 12-hour shift can easily run more than two hours over because nurses usually stay to hand off to other nurses, check on their patients and write reports. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Nurses go into this career because its a selfless career, Ms Bindas said. At the end of the day every nurse deserves respect and to be appreciated. In her statement, Ms Walsh left the door open for a learning experience. I understand from news accounts that a petition is being circulated urging me to spend a day shadowing a nurse at a local hospital for 12 hours, and walk a mile in her shoes, she said. I look forward to receiving it and am happy to accept. New York Times Donald Trump has responded to Joe Biden's announcement he will run for the Democratic presidential nomination by mocking the veteran politician's intelligence and claiming he will compete against "very sick" rivals with "demented ideas". "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign," Mr Trump tweeted on Thursday morning. "It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!" The president's jibe followed a series of tweets in which he raged against findings in the explosive Mueller report, and came just hours after the former vice-president officially announced his candidacy. Mr Biden, who has become the instant Democratic frontrunner alongside Bernie Sanders, launched his campaign with an explicit focus on countering Mr Trump's presidency. The 76-year-old lifelong politician warned in a three-minute announcement video handing Mr Trump a further four years in the White House would "forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation". He also attacked the president for his response to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, accusing Mr Trump of having "assigned moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it". In that moment, I knew that the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime, he added. At least 20 Democrats have put their names in the hat for the chance to take on Mr Trump next year, while several lesser-known candidates may still join the race. Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Show all 15 1 /15 Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden watch Barack Obama's farewell speech on 11 January. Obama called Biden his 'brother' Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years US President Barack Obama speaks alongside US Vice President Joe Biden about the Affordable Care Act AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Obama listens to Joe Biden speak of his work on defeating cancer on 18 October in the White House Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama is applauded by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden while delivering his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. Vice President Joe Biden interjects as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a reception for the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the White House in Washington REUTERS Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Obama and Vice President Joe Biden react after a heckler was removed for their extended interruption (Reuters) Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) as Vice President Joe Biden looks on Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack and Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden observing a moment of silence outside the White House to mark the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack Obama and Joe Biden putt on the White House putting green Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama and Joe Biden in April 2013 AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years January 1, 2013: U.S. President Barack Obama winks as he arrives with Vice President Joe Biden (L) in the briefing room Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011 in Washington, DC Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice-President Joe Biden, right, confirmed that the US was looking at ways of taking legal action against Julian Assange - back in December 2010 GETTY IMAGES Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden, left, and retired military officers watch President Barack Obama sign orders to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2009 GETTY IMAGES But Mr Biden is considered by many Republican activists to be the biggest threat to Mr Trump. The former vice-president is set to take a more centrist position to that of his Democratic rivals, who Mr Trump has long sought to cast as members of the "radical left". "Amtrak Joe" a moniker he earned for commuting daily to the US capital by rail during his time as senator will hope to capitalise on his down-to-earth manner and blue-collar upbringing if he is to win the Democrat nomination. He remains one of the most recognisable names in US politics, but as an older white man who spent a half-century in Washington, it is unclear if he will be embraced by an increasingly liberal Democratic Party. Donald Trump taunts Biden amid sexual misconduct accusations as two more women come forward to accuse the democrat He has also been dogged by questions about his past, including recent claims he touched women in an overly familiar manner without their consent. The controversy sparked one of the most bizarre tweets of Mr Trump's presidency, when he posted a doctored video of Mr Biden sneaking up on himself. Mr Biden, who would be the oldest person ever elected president should he win, has pledged to be "much more mindful" of respecting personal space. Donald Trump has denied ordering a former White House lawyer to fire Robert Mueller the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election despite his report into alleged Kremlin meddling suggesting the president had done just that. Mr Trump said he had the "legal right" to sack Mr Mueller, whose report concluded last week that there was not enough evidence to establish that the president's election campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow, but chose not to. The president was referring to a claim in the 448-page, partially redacted Mueller report that he had instructed his former counsel, Don McGahn, to remove the man heading the investigation. "As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so," Mr Trump wrote on Twitter. "If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn't need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself. "Nevertheless, Mueller was NOT fired and was respectfully allowed to finish his work on what I, and many others, say was an illegal investigation (there was no crime), headed by a Trump hater who was highly conflicted, and a group of 18 VERY ANGRY Democrats." 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 An account in the Mueller report suggests that in June 2017, Mr Trump called Mr McGahn to say he should tell Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to remove the special counsel because he had conflicts of interest. Mr Trump also failed to get Mr McGahn to dispute media reports circulating at the time that the president tried to fire Mr Mueller, the report said. Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said those actions could constitute obstruction of justice, as Mr McGahn "would be able to testify that he was asked to do it and then asked not to tell anyone what he had been asked to do". The Democratic chairman of the House judiciary panel has also issued a subpoena for Mr McGahn to testify and provide documents to the committee. It is unclear whether the White House will comply with the request. Mr Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Moscow or obstructing those tasked with investigating it. He has also has vowed to fight every subpoena from House Democrats probing his administration. The Mueller report uncovered numerous links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and described how Mr Trump tried to impede the investigation. The probe built a case indicating Mr Trump had committed obstruction of justice. While it stopped short of concluding the president had committed a crime, it also did not exonerate him. Close Joe Biden launches his 2020 presidential campaign Donald Trump has hit out at Joe Biden after the Democratic veteran announced his intention to run against him in 2020, questioning his intelligence and branding him Sleepy Joe while lashing out over the Mueller report and attempting to fend off further congressional investigations into his affairs. Barack Obamas former vice-president, a man with almost half a century of experience in US politics, is widely tipped to be Mr Trumps most serious challenger at the polls, joining a crowded field of 20 Democratic candidates already confirmed for the race. Privately, Trump allies have warned that Mr Biden might be the biggest re-election threat given the former vice presidents potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Mr Trump a path to the presidency. The former vice president is paying special attention to his native Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Mr Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. While Mr Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years, he was often referred to as Pennsylvanias third senator. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was 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 AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty Despite digging in his heels in Washington, the president meanwhile faces a new threat in his old stomping ground of New York City, where Deutsche Bank is beginning the process of handing over records of its dealings with Mr Trump to the state attorney-general, who is investigating allegations made by his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, that he inflated his assets to secure loans in order to bankroll his hotel business. Two House committees have also subpoenaed Deutsche Bank and several other financial institutions earlier this month as part of investigations into the president's finances. It was unclear exactly what the committees asked for. The investigations are among several House Democrats are conducting into aspects of the presidents personal and political life, and top Democrat Adam Schiff has said he is investigating whether foreign actors, including Russia, have sought to hold leverage over Mr Trump or his family and associates. Deutsche Bank is a German asset management firm that has lent Mr Trumps real estate organization millions of dollars over time. The two committees have been working with the bank for several weeks, and both chairs have said officials have been cooperative. Mr Schiff said in his statement that the subpoena to Deutsche Bank is a friendly subpoena, meaning he expects them to continue working with the committees. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The request comes as a third committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, is sparring with the White House over Mr Trumps tax returns. Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load Vladimir Putin has offered Russias help in breaking the deadlock over North Koreas nuclear weapons programme during his first meeting with Kim Jong-un. The Russian president said he was confident the two leaders summit would help us better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together. Mr Putin and Mr Kim greeted each other warmly, smiling and shaking hands on Russky Island near the far-east Russian port city of Vladivostok on Thursday morning. The North Korean leader arrived in a limousine for the two-day summit at a university campus after travelling to Russia on his armoured train a day earlier. They stood side-by-side on an escalator, chatting with help from interpreters, as they made their way to an upper floor to begin talks. Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Show all 10 1 /10 Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for the media prior to talks in Vladivostok, Russia EPA Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for the media prior to talks in Vladivostok, Russia AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim walk on campus of the Far Eastern Federal University prior to talks AFP/Getty Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Kim Jong Un presents Putin with a traditional Korean sword as a gift AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim Jong Un share a toast AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim prior to talks in Vladivostok Reuters Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Journalists watch a live as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold talks AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim prior to talks in Vladivostok AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Who did it better? Getty Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin earlier met with Kim Jong Un's father and former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in 2002 AP In brief opening remarks in front of the media, Mr Putin said he hoped his North Korean counterpart's visit would help to establish "what Russia can do to support the positive processes now underway". "Without question we welcome your efforts to develop dialogue between the Koreas, and to normalise North Korean-US relations," he told Mr Kim. Later, following their first face-to-face meeting at the start of broader talks involving officials from both sides, Mr Putin said the leaders had shared a "substantial discussion" and exchanged views on how to resolve the stand-off. The meeting provides Pyongyang with an opportunity to seek support from a new quarter and possible relief from the sanctions hurting its economy. The summit has been seen as an attempt to show Washington is not the only power able to set the agenda on North Korea's nuclear programme, after talks between Mr Kim and Donald Trump broke down. "As world attention is focused on the Korean Peninsula, there will be very meaningful dialogue for us to jointly assess the Korean peninsula policies and share, coordinate and study our views," Mr Kim said. For the Kremlin, the talks are a chance to show Russia remains a global diplomatic player despite efforts by the US and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding sanctions until North Korea dismantles its nuclear programme, analysts have predicted the summit is unlikely to have any real benefit for Pyongyang beyond a show of camaraderie. Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin greeted other warmly in Vladivostok (EPA) Mr Kim's second round of talks with Mr Trump, held in Hanoi in February, ended without an agreement due to a dispute over US-led sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between Washington and Pyongyang, although both sides say they are open to a third summit. North Korea has expressed increasing frustration at the deadlocked negotiations. Last week, it test-fired what it said was a "new type of tactical guided weapon" and demanded that "immature" US secretary of state Mike Pompeo be removed from the nuclear talks. The death toll for the Sri Lanka Easter bombing has been revised down from 359 to around 250. Authorities said chaotic bombing scenes had caused the discrepancy. It could be 250 or 260, I cant exactly say, said Anil Jasinghe, director general of Sri Lankas health services. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure. Deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene, whose ministry is responsible for the islands police force, said the death toll had been revised down to 253 due to inaccurate figures provided by the countrys morgues. Unfortunately the health ministry provided the earlier number to us, he said. Sri Lankas top defence official meanwhile announced his resignation, amid allegations of a lapse in security that could have prevented Sundays massacre. Security was beefed up around the country, particularly in Colombo, and streets remained nearly empty. Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Show all 38 1 /38 Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Special Task Force officers raid a house following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A blood-spattered statue of Jesus Christ while crime scene officials inspect the site of a bomb blast, as the sun shines through the blown-out roof, inside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A police officer inspects the damage after a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan soldiers look on inside the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo following a bomb blast during the Easter service AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman cries next to a coffin of a bomb blast victim. A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on April 21, killing more than 300 people AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People who live near the church that was attacked the day before, leave their houses as the military try to defuse a suspected van before it exploded in Colombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Shoes and belongings of victims are collected as evidence at St Sebastian's Church AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police were forded to clear an area while Special Task Force Bomb Squad officers inspected the site of an exploded van near a church the day after it was attacked Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Queues at the National Blood Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a request for blood to aid in recovery efforts Mr Lavasquabble/Twitter Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Medical response team work to remove dead bodies from the scene of bombings in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the debris of a car after it exploded when police tried to defuse a bomb AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personnel work at the scene of a bombing at a church in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman is helped near St Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019. At least 130 people were killed and more than 500 hospitalised after near-simultaneous explosions hit three hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday. AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured of church blasts in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan soldier stands guard near a car explosion AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman prays at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests stand inside St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church on the outskirts of Colombo after a bombing Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan woman living near St. Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her infant after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People react during a mass for victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personal react as a device was detonated in a controled explosion in a van near the St Anthony's Church EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security forces inspect the scene of a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a bombing attack Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The damaged interior of a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing attack Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo following a bombing attack EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Debris is seen at St Anthony's Church in this still image from video footage after explosions hit churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Derana TV/via Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Damage inside a church following a bombing attack AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan Special Task Force officer scales a house during a raid following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A general interior view showing damage after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests walk into St Anthony's Shrine Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan police officer stands outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a blast on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A shoe of a victim is seen in front of the St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade Church Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Local and security officials gather at the scene at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath An ambulance is seen outside the church premises with gathered security personnel following a blast at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Armed policemen patrol the area after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel keep watch outside the church premises following a blast at the St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police officers inspect the scene after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Education minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told The Independent that government schools would reopen on Monday as scheduled. The forces have assured us that they will provide security for schools, said Mr Kariyawasam, adding that steps will be taken to search schools and the surrounding areas before Monday. Some parents, however, told The Independent that it was too early to send children back to school because public places remained targets. I dont think Ill be sending my daughter to school for at least a few weeks. I just dont feel safe any more, said Ronali Diasz, a mother of a 10-year-old attending a Christian school in Colombo. My childs life is more important than education, she added. For some Tamil Christians, Sundays attacks were a bitter reminder of the past. Recommended Sri Lankan Muslims fear retaliation following Easter massacre Its de ja vu. Living through the fear of not knowing if you or your children will come back home, said Nirupa Fernandez, a Tamil Roman Catholic with three children. This bloodshed has taken me back so many years, she added. Sri Lankas three-decade ethnic war between government forces and the Tamil Tigers cost over 100,000 lives. Public schools have been sending out messages to parents detailing stringent security measures that will be taken, reminiscent of actions taking during wartime. From Monday, students will have to carry identification provided by schools, bags will be checked for explosives, and vehicles will not be allowed to be parked close to schools. It is a sad moment for our country and we need to safeguard our students, the future of our nation at any cost, said school principal B A Abeyrathne. As the country continued to grapple with Sundays bombing, isolated incidents continued to cause panic amongst the public. A minor explosion was reported in a garbage dump on a vacant plot of land behind the magistrates court in Pugoda around 40km east of Colombo. The police reported no casualties. Security forces also shut the entry road to Colombos main airport after a suspicious vehicle was identified at a nearby carpark, later confirmed as false alarm the fourth in two days. With additional reporting by agencies A first-ever summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un began with firm handshakes and ended, apparently after a few drinks, with a swashbuckling press conference from the Russian president. In between, Mr Putin tried to present himself as an international arbiter with more than a capacity for mischief. Mr Kims decision to take up a long-standing Russian invitation to visit has come during an impasse in sanctions negotiations with the US. The Korean pivot to Moscow has been widely interpreted as a signal to Washington; a gesture from Mr Kim that President Trump is not the only player in town. At a press conference, held after several bottles of champagne were seen being wheeled into the meeting, a shiny-faced and often slurring Mr Putin was happy to emphasise the point. The leader of North Korea personally asked us to inform the American side of his position, he said. There are no secrets here. Following two hours of conversation an hour over what was planned Mr Putin declared his opposite number to be an open quite interesting and substantive interlocutor. Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Show all 10 1 /10 Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for the media prior to talks in Vladivostok, Russia EPA Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for the media prior to talks in Vladivostok, Russia AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim walk on campus of the Far Eastern Federal University prior to talks AFP/Getty Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Kim Jong Un presents Putin with a traditional Korean sword as a gift AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim Jong Un share a toast AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim prior to talks in Vladivostok Reuters Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Journalists watch a live as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold talks AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim prior to talks in Vladivostok AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Who did it better? Getty Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin earlier met with Kim Jong Un's father and former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in 2002 AP The discussions touched on de-nuclearisation, UN sanctions, the prospect of North Korean workers being expelled from Russia under the restrictions, and bilateral trade ties, Mr Putin said. There was, he concluded, a way to bring North Korea back from the brink. Denuclearisation means decommissioning of weapons, but North Korea needs guarantees for that to happen, he said. In comments that seemed directed at Washington, the Russian president then called for the return of international law, contrasting it with the law of fists. Mr Putin took the press conference alone, with Mr Kim only making limited statements earlier in the day. That modesty with the press stood in stark contrast to the opulence that accompanied the North Korean leader on the way from Pyongyang. Mr Kims famous white-gloved entourage pictured polishing windows and testing ramps as the leaders armoured train pulled into Vladivostok station appeared again at the summit, and seen frantically dusting chairs in preparation for the VIPs. In over-dinner comments reported by Russian state media, Mr Kim said he hoped Russia prospered as a strong, honourable, great country, and that North Korea was proud to be a neighbour. Later, he presented Mr Putin with a sword. The blade represents strength, my soul and the soul of our people who stand in support of you, he said. The Korean leader received a commemorative coin in return. In an earlier exchange of diplomatic protocol, both leaders agreed a substantial exchange of opinions had taken place. As expected, no communique nor new agreements emerged from the talks. Instead, Mr Putin declared that the two sides had chatted about the history and future of the two countries diplomatic relations. Here, there was certainly much to reflect on. Soviet Russia was once the pre-eminent player on the Korean Peninsula, and the first to recognise the new country in 1948. But its influence has waned since the Soviet collapse, cooling as a new post-Soviet Russia courted Pyongyangs southern rivals in Seoul. Russian influence, with miniscule trading links, is now dwarfed by that of the US and China. North Korea's foreign minister disputes President Trump's explanation for summit collapse While maintaining friendly relations with North Korea, Moscow mostly outsources the serious matters of North Korean policy to Beijing. And todays largely symbolic encounter is unlikely to change that. But the value of such a meeting lies elsewhere, said Vasily Kashin, senior researcher at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Russia will, of course, continue to coordinate the nuclear issue with Beijing, but what is new is the contact between the leaders, an extended meeting and a positive atmosphere, he said. It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of communication channels and personal relations when you are dealing with North Korea. North Korea is willing to abandon its nuclear programme providing it receives international security guarantees, Vladimir Putin has said following his first meeting with Kim Jong-un. The Russian president said he was satisified with the results of talks with his North Korean counterpart, which he said spanned denuclearisation, sanctions, and the United States. The two leaders met at a university campus near the far-east Russian port city of Vladivostok on Thursday morning. Mr Putin indicated he would share details of the summit with Donald Trump. There are no secrets, he said, adding Mr Kim had encouraged him to explain the nuances of Pyongyangs stance to the US president. Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Show all 10 1 /10 Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for the media prior to talks in Vladivostok, Russia EPA Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for the media prior to talks in Vladivostok, Russia AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim walk on campus of the Far Eastern Federal University prior to talks AFP/Getty Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Kim Jong Un presents Putin with a traditional Korean sword as a gift AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim Jong Un share a toast AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim prior to talks in Vladivostok Reuters Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Journalists watch a live as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold talks AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim prior to talks in Vladivostok AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Who did it better? Getty Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin earlier met with Kim Jong Un's father and former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in 2002 AP Pyongyang was ready to dismantle its nuclear programme but wants strong security guarantees backed by multiple countries in return, the Russian president said. He did not say what the guarantees should be. We - me and my colleagues - are satisfied with the results of the talks, Mr Putin told reporters following the first of a two-day summit. South Koreas president, Moon Jae-in, said he believed the talks in Russia would play a constructive role in efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Korean peninsula. In a statement, his office said it hoped the summit would lay a foundation for the resumption of North Korea-US talks and the promotion of denuclearisation. The Kremlin has long sought a meeting with the North Korean leader, with analysts saying Mr Putin is desperate to be considered a person of significance on the Korean peninsula, and to use that in diplomatic games with Washington. Mr Kim accepted an invitation to visit Russia after talks with Mr Trump broke down in February without an agreement on sanctions or denuclearisation. At the start of Thursday's talks, Mr Putin said he hoped the meeting would help us better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together. Two runaway Saudi sisters have urged Apple and Google to pull an inhuman app that allows men to monitor and control female relatives travel as it helps trap girls in abusive families. Maha and Wafa al-Subaie, who are seeking asylum in Georgia after fleeing their family, said Absher a government e-services app was bad for women as it supported Saudi Arabias strict male guardian system. It gives men control over women, said Wafa, 25. They have to remove it, she added, referring to Google and Apple. Absher, which is available in the Saudi version of Google and Apple online stores, allows men to update or withdraw permissions for female relatives to travel abroad and to get SMS updates if their passports are used, according to researchers. Neither company was immediately available to comment. Apples chief executive Tim Cook said in February that he had not heard of Absher but pledged to take a look at it. Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive Show all 8 1 /8 Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman gestures while driving in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman drives at night in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive Saudi women embrace as they celebrate the lift of the female driving ban in Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman straps in Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman drives to work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive Fadya Fahad is one of the first female drivers for Careem, a ride sharing company in Saudi Arabia Getty Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman stops at a petrol station while driving to work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters Saudi Women celebrate their freedom to drive A Saudi woman waits for coffee on the commute in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Reuters A free tool created by the interior ministry, Absher allows Saudis to access a wide range of government services. People can use it to renew their passports, make appointments and view traffic violations. Saudi women must have permission from a male relative to work, marry and travel under the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdoms guardianship system, which has faced scrutiny following recent cases of Saudi women seeking refuge overseas. The Subaie sisters, who stole their fathers phone to get themselves passports and authorisation to fly to Istanbul, said they knew of dozens of other young women who were looking to escape abusive families. Recommended Google refuses to remove Saudi govt app that lets men track women Tech giants could help bring about change in Saudi Arabia if they pulled Absher or insisted that it allows women to organise travel independently which would significantly hamper the guardianship system they said. If [they] remove this application, maybe the government will do something, Wafa said. The sisters plea added to growing calls from rights groups, diplomats and US and European politicians for the app to be removed from online stores. United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday that she had asked tech companies in Silicon Valley tough questions this month about the threats posed by apps like Absher which allow Saudi men to restrict womens movement. Technology can, and should, be all about progress. But the hugely invasive powers that are being unleashed may do incalculable damage if there are not sufficient checks in place to respect human rights, she said in a statement. A Saudi teenager won global attention and asylum in Canada when she holed up in a Thai airport hotel in January to escape her family. Two other Saudi sisters who hid in Hong Kong for six months were granted visas in March to travel to a third country. Increasing cases of women fleeing the country are indicative of the situation of women in Saudi Arabia, said Lynn Maalouf, Middle East research director for Amnesty International. Despite some limited reforms, [they] are inadequately protected against domestic violence and abuse and, more generally, are discriminated against. Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has introduced reforms, such as lifting the driving ban for women, and indicated last year that he favoured ending the guardianship system. But he has stopped short of backing its annulment. Western criticism of the kingdom has sharpened with the trial of 11 women activists who said last month that they had been tortured while in detention on charges related to human rights work and contacts with foreign journalists and diplomats. The public prosecutor has denied the torture allegations and said the women had been arrested on suspicion of harming Saudi interests and offering support to hostile elements abroad. Reuters As another year marked by the global pandemic comes to an end, our photojournalists remain challenged and, frequently, awed - by the constant state of change. We documented our ever-evolving world in ways few photo staffs could as we all worked to regain normalcy amid COVID-19s seemingly unbreakable hold on our communities. We showed the relieved faces of people receiving a coveted vaccine, telling the story of a scientific breakthrough with images of those benefitting from it. We covered new workplace policies, school protocols and policing practices. We traveled half-way across the world to an Olympics where the athletes couldnt hug each other, masked medalists step atop the podium and no one came to watch. The Chicago Tribune faced its own series of changes, too. We have new owners. New bosses. Endured another move. Gained new talented journalists and lost many others from the newsroom ranks. The one constant has been our dedication to providing photography on a daily basis that is relevant to the communities we cover: The joy of picnicking at the lakefront on a summer afternoon, the pain of children, police officers and neighbors all falling victims to violent crime. Documenting whos in and whos out in the political landscape, escaping to your favorite cultural event or sports competition. We hope this installment of the annual Photos of the Year project reminds us of the moments that shaped our lives and the thoughtful way we portray them. Its also a platform for acknowledging the talent and dedication of Tribune photographers, and all photojournalists, who make change a way of life. The Chicago Tribune staff photographers for 2021: Brian Cassella, Erin Hooley, Terrence Antonio James, Vashon Jordan Jr., John J. Kim, Youngrae Kim, Jose M. Osorio, Antonio Perez, Armando L. Sanchez, Chris Sweda, Abel Uribe, E. Jason Wambsgans, Stacey Wescott and Raquel Zaldivar. Tribune visual editors: Mark Hume, Andrew Johnston, Marianne Mather, Steve Rosenberg and Peter Tsai. - Todd Panagopoulos, Director of Content/Visuals Yazidi leaders have ruled that the children of Yazidi mothers who were born as the result of rape by Isis fighters can now return home, reversing a controversial policy that sought to isolate them from their community. Thousands of Yazidi women and children were taken captive by Isis in the summer of 2014, when the terror group carried out a murderous rampage against the small religious minority in their traditional homeland in northern Iraq. During years of captivity, many women gave birth to children after being raped by their captors. Due to the ancient religions strict adherence to its genealogical identity, those women were faced with an impossible choice when they finally escaped the clutches of Isis: abandon their child and return home, or live in exile and keep their children. Many chose to stay away. The new ruling, issued by the Yazidi Supreme Spiritual Council, called on members of the faith to accept all survivors and consider what they have been subjected to beyond their control, including their children. The decision was welcomed by Yazidi rights groups, many of which have been campaigning for reform on the issue. This decision is very important. We believe those women deserve to be returned back, including their children. They need our support, our respect and our help, said Ahmed Khudida Burjus, the deputy executive director of Yazda, a Yazidi advocacy group. Mr Burjus said there are potentially dozens of women who gave birth to the children of Isis fighters still in Syrian camps, too afraid to return to their historic home in northern Iraq because they may be forced to give up their child. Many others who returned have given up their children to orphanages due to societal pressure or the because of the trauma of their experience. But although the ruling could ease some of those fears, the communitys traditions and historic norms mean Yazidi women returning home with their children may still find resistance from within their own families. It is a closed religion. Traditionally, a Yazidi has to be from Yazidi mother and father, said Mr Burjus. He added that although the decree may be a sign that things are changing, there will be a difficult road ahead. Wadha, a 24-year-old Yazidi woman who was held captive by Isis for a year and a half, told The Independent that her feelings were mixed. I do not know what to say, it is very difficult to comment about this topic, because the Yazidi blood cannot be mixed. But the mother who is a victim and suffered a lot, she is free to decide if she wants to keep her children or not. She said that her own family has struggled with the issue. Her niece was 14 years old when she was captured by Isis, and had two children by Isis fathers. When she was freed, she wanted to bring her children with her, she said they are her responsibility. But her father said no, because the community will not accept them. My niece cannot recover from her trauma, she says that half of me is missing, my children, she said. The ruling is not the first time that the unique circumstances presented by the Isis genocide has forced the long-persecuted Yazidi minority to update its religious teachings. The council had previously adapted its rules to allow Yazidis who had been forced to convert to Islam, and women who had been forced to marry their Isis captors, to return to the faith. Those earlier rulings represented a massive change, according to Dr Zeynep Kaya, research fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre and researcher on the impact of genocide on the Yazidi community, but the most recent one on children was historical, it was immense. The Yazidi religion and genealogical identity are directly connected. This has been a very long-term tradition. They had a history of dispersal, and being marginalised, and so wanted to maintain their identity, she said. Young Yazidi girl gives powerful speech at UN This led to some families taking measures to hide the true identity of the children, according to Dr Kaya. Some religious leaders had proposed sending mothers with children of Isis fighters abroad if they did not want to be separated. She added that the ruling on accepting these children is likely to be even more divisive. In the meantime, the Yazidi community in Iraq is still struggling to recover in the aftermath of the genocide. More than 3,000 Yazidis are still unaccounted for, even after Isiss territorial caliphate has been destroyed. Yazidi advocacy groups have called on the international community to do more to help find those still missing. Last month, Iraqi authorities opened the first mass grave containing Yazidi victims in the town of Sinjar. A UN team investigating the massacres that took place when Isis overran the area said it had discovered 73 mass graves in Sinjar alone. Bibi Andersson, the acclaimed Swedish actor who has died aged 83, appeared in more than 100 film and television productions but it is for her work with filmmaker Ingmar Bergman on arthouse classics The Seventh Seal, Persona and Wild Strawberries that she is best known. From chaste schoolgirls to beguiling young women and tortured wives, she tended to play luminous characters whose warm demeanour masked traumas and intense self-doubt. Andersson, who won a record four Guldbagge awards Swedens Baftas for acting, got her first job with Bergman was when she was 15. In 1951, he cast her in an advert for a soap called Bris, as a princess thanking the pig farmer who introduced her to it with 100 kisses. In 1957 she became romantically involved with the director who was then in his third marriage. The relationship lasted a couple of years, during which she appeared in 1958s Brink of Life, picking up a joint best actress prize at Cannes with her co-stars Eva Dahlbeck, Ingrid Thulin and Barbro Hiort af Ornas. Her most acclaimed work was Persona, Bergmans 1966 masterpiece exploring identity. She played the loquacious nurse who cares for a troubled stage actress, played by Liv Ullmann, another of Bergmans muses. Both looked somewhat alike, and by the end of the film their identities blended together, with their faces at one point overlapping in one of cinemas most famous montages. In Oslo receiving an Ibsen Centennial award in 2005 (Getty) The film marked the beginning of a long creative partnership between Bergman and Ullmann, who supplanted Andersson as the directors leading female collaborator. Ullmann later had a daughter with Bergman. Andersson appeared in Swedish films such as The Mistress (1962), for which she was named best actress at the Berlin International Film Festival, and The Girls (1968), a feminist reimagining of Lysistrata, directed by Mai Zetterling and also featuring Harriet Andersson and Gunnel Lindblom. She was often asked about her relationship with Bergman, whom she described as very tender and very nice on set, and temperamental away from the camera. From right: Andersson with Bergman, Jeanne Moreaou and Gunnel Lindblom in 1959 (Getty) Im not as much a medium for him as Liv, she said in 1977, referring to Ullmann. Andersson was born Berit Elisabeth in Stockholm in 1935, to a social worker and her husband, a deliveryman. She was encouragement by her older sister, Gerd, a ballet dancer, and studied acting at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. Andersson was in acting school when she was discovered by Bergman. He invited her to Malmo where she joined his theatre company. He cast her in his 1955 comedy film Smiles of a Summer Night. In total Andersson starred in ten films and three television films directed by Bergman; among them are some of the directors best and most influential work, including The Seventh Seal (1957) and Wild Strawberries (1957). Other films on which the pair collaborated include The Passion of Anna (1969), The Touch (1971) and Scenes From a Marriage, which aired in 1973 as a six-part television series and was adapted into a feature film one year later. Andersson also starred in productions of Peer Gynt and The Winters Tale that Bergman staged at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in the 1990s. She made her Broadway debut in a 1973 production of Full Circle, a Second World War drama by Erich Maria Remarque, and three years later made headlines over a Swedish tax inquiry into her film earnings. Critical reception: People didnt forgive me if I did inferior stuff (Harry Pot/Anefo) By then, she had come to view her critical success with Bergman as a mixed blessing. It was complicated when I needed to make money, because I had too good a name but not for being commercial, she later told the Los Angeles Times. People didnt forgive me if I did inferior stuff. Her marriages to Kjell Grede, a director, and Per Ahlmark, a politician and writer, ended in divorce. She had a daughter from her first marriage, Jenny Grede Dahlstrand, and was married to Gabriel Mora Baeza. In an interview to mark her 40th birthday in 1977, she told The New York Times that before Persona, she had long sought to play meatier roles for Bergman, and resented being called a professional innocent in the Swedish media. But she never asked the director for a change in parts, she said. I was too proud. And later I realised that there werent that many young actresses who could project this light quality. She added: He once said to me: I need a young you. I said: What do you mean a young me? You never told me I was anything. Bibi Andersson, actor, born 11 November 1935, died 14 April 2019 Washington Post Virgin Trains has called for an end to standing passengers on long-distance rail services, with compulsory reservations for all. The rail guru Mark Smith, known as the Man in Seat Sixty-One, explains how it works abroad. Long-distance trains in France, Italy and Spain already operate on an all-reserved basis, where every ticket comes with a reserved seat on a specific train. Whereas those in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, and so on work the same way ours do with seat reservations optional. Flexible tickets are always available they can never sell out. Both approaches work, and both have their pros and cons. Its important to realise that with a reservation compulsory system, standing passengers dont magically disappear, or get given seats. First look inside the new Caledonian Sleeper train Show all 6 1 /6 First look inside the new Caledonian Sleeper train First look inside the new Caledonian Sleeper train Double room on the new Caledonian Sleeper Caledonian Sleeper First look inside the new Caledonian Sleeper train Club car on the new Caledonian Sleeper Caledonian Sleeper First look inside the new Caledonian Sleeper train Classic room on the new Caledonian Sleeper Caledonian Sleeper First look inside the new Caledonian Sleeper train Club room on the new Caledonian Sleeper Caledonian Sleeper First look inside the new Caledonian Sleeper train One of the first trips from Scotland to England on the new Caledonian Sleeper PA First look inside the new Caledonian Sleeper train Exterior of the new Caledonian Sleeper Caledonian Sleeper Instead of being able to travel standing and get home (though no doubt complaining about having to stand) they are left behind, and have to find another train perhaps an hour or more later, or potentially find a hotel and see if seats are available next morning. The crux of this issue is mobility. If it were just filling a metal tube full of seats in the most efficient way, Virgins proposal would win hands down. Indeed I seem to remember SNCF of France achieves 80 per cent occupancy on compulsory-reservation TGVs, while Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) only 65 per cent on its reservation-optional ICEs. However, its not about efficiently moving people but about providing a service that meets peoples needs. Human beings need to make short journeys far more frequently, at shorter notice and with greater flexibility, than they make long journeys. At one extreme, the London Underground could never be run as an airline, with compulsory reservation on specific trains and no-one would suggest such a thing. At the other extreme, a long-haul flight is typically booked well in advance. It could well be a once-a-year event, and people may well fit their holiday around those flights. The problem for intercity domestic rail is that it straddles the dividing line between those extremes. To make long-distance trains all reservation-compulsory would involve potentially significant financial barriers to changing your reservation: typically a fee plus a potentially large difference in fare between what you paid four weeks ago for your train and the much higher on-the-day fare for a preceding or following train. In effect it removes flexibility from the typical traveller and therefore strips mobility from all but the most wealthy customers. When the competitor is not a flight but the car, is this a step too far for intercity rail? I think it may be. For the passenger, it can be much more of a strait jacket than were used to. I certainly find travelling in Germany, Austria, Switzerland easier and freer for this reason, compared with the countries with compulsory reservation such as France, Italy and Spain. The budget airline Norwegian lost 16.40 for every passenger it flew in the first three months of 2019, partly as a result of the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max following two fatal accidents. But the carriers chief executive, Bjrn Kjos, said: Booking figures, and overall demand for the coming months look promising. Revenue rose from NOK7bn (630m) to NOK8bn (720m) compared with the first quarter of 2019. The net loss was NOK1.45bn (130m), partly blamed on Easter falling in April 2019; in 2018 it was in March. Passenger numbers increased from 7.48 million to 8.12 million, most strongly in the US and Argentina. Kjos said: Im pleased with the positive developments this quarter, despite the 737 Max issues. 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 We have taken a series of initiatives to improve profitability by reducing costs and increasing revenue. We are optimising our base structure and route network to streamline the operation as well as divesting aircraft, postponing aircraft deliveries and not least implementing our internal cost reduction programme. Norwegian is the European airline likely to be worst affected by a protracted prohibition on the plane, whose anti-stall system has been implicated in crashes involving Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines that claimed a total of 346 lives. The company has 18 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. In the first two months of 2019, about 30 per cent of all 737 Max flights from European airports were operated by Norwegian. Plans are in place to uphold the scheduled production and minimise effects on passengers, the airline said. On Wednesday, Norwegian announced that it had agreed with Boeing to postpone the delivery of 14 Boeing 737 Max aircraft originally due for delivery in 2020 and 2021. In early trading in Oslo, Norwegians share price was down 3 per cent. Separately, in its overnight financial results, Boeing said it hoped the grounding of the 737 Max would end in July. The planemakers president and chief executive Dennis Muilenberg said: Across the company, we are focused on safety, returning the 737 Max to service, and earning and re-earning the trust and confidence of customers, regulators and the flying public. The firm added: The previously issued 2019 financial guidance does not reflect 737 Max impacts. Due to the uncertainty of the timing and conditions surrounding return to service of the 737 Max fleet, new guidance will be issued at a future date. Two of Europes most popular city-centre airports are closing for weeks or months this summer for runway resurfacing. Salzburg, which is the second-busiest airport in Austria after Vienna, is now closed until 29 May 2019. The 60-year-old concrete runway at the city's W A Mozart airport is to be rebuilt. The airport authorities say: The complete closure of the airport allows a higher quality of execution and a longer use of the new runway. Salzburg airport is popular with winter-sports travellers from the UK. Up to Easter, there were regular flights from Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, Luton and Manchester. The airport is two miles southwest of the city centre, and is one of very few served by trolleybus. The world's healthiest and happiest airports Show all 8 1 /8 The world's healthiest and happiest airports The world's healthiest and happiest airports Therapy dogs at Vancouver International Airport Vancouver International Airport employs therapy dogs to assist with anxious and stressed passengers Vancouver International Airport The world's healthiest and happiest airports The rooftop swimming pool at Changi Airport, Singapore This airport also includes its own cinema Changi Airport, Singapore The world's healthiest and happiest airports Green space at Vancouver International Airport Vancouver International Airport scored top marks for outdoor and green space Vancouver International Airport The world's healthiest and happiest airports The outdoor terrace at San Francisco International Airport San Francisco International Airport is the seventh busiest airport in the US San Francisco International Airport The world's healthiest and happiest airports Fancy a dip? A pool at Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest airport and number three in the ranking Dubai International Airport The world's healthiest and happiest airports Frankfurt Airport With an open-air roof terrace, dedicated silent chairs, a quiet room and peaceful leisure facilities, Frankfurt International Airport came top in the ranking Frankfurt Airport The world's healthiest and happiest airports Work out The transit lounge gym facilities at Changi Airport's Terminal 2 Changi Airport, Singapore The world's healthiest and happiest airports The spa at Vancouver International Airport Vancouver International Airport came seventh in the ranking Vancouver International Airport It is also one of the few Category C airports in Europe, requiring extra training for pilots. While the runway is closed other works will take place. But the restaurant on the first floor will remain open despite the sound of building work. The first flight out is scheduled to be Lufthansa's 7am departure to Frankfurt on 29 May, followed by British Airways to Gatwick and Ryanair to Stansted. In July, Milans most convenient airport will close for three months, affecting an estimated 2.5 million passengers. Linate, just six miles east of the city centre, will close from 27 July to 27 October 2019 due to runway repairs and airport restyling. It is normally the fifth-busiest airport in Italy. British Airways and easyJet fly to Linate frequently from Heathrow and Gatwick respectively. The biggest airline at Linate is Alitalia, which has chronic financial problems. The Alitalia link from Linate to Rome Fiumicino is a money spinner for the Italian carrier, with nine flights each morning before 9am alone. The temporary loss of the Milan hub is likely to accelerate the move by business travellers to rail. Trains between Italy's two largest cities have dramatically improved, with some taking less than three hours for the 360-mile rail journey. Some flights will switch to Milan Malpensa, 30 miles northwest of the city. But this airport is already the second-busiest in Italy after Rome Fiumicino and is under pressure. Others will be diverted to Bergamo, 30 miles north, currently third-busiest airport in Italy. British Airways has announced a new departure from Gatwick to the airport, which is also known as Orio al Serio. Flights will begin on 1 September. Turin airport could potentially benefit from the closure of Linate; the city has excellent rail links to Milan and many other Italian cities. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Further afield, one of the two runways at Dubai airport has closed for resurfacing, in a project due to finish on 30 May. The work is intended to boost safety, service and capacity levels. A number of flights from the UK to the airport, on British Airways as well as Emirates, have been cancelled during the work. Dubai handles far more Airbus A380 SuperJumbo aircraft than any other airport. The British government has added Sri Lanka to its no-go list, alongside countries such as North Korea, Iraq and Venezuela. These are the key questions and answers. What is the Foreign Office saying, and how has that changed? The FCO has warned since the horrific attacks on Easter Sunday: Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. The Sri Lankan authorities have made a number of arrests in relation to the attacks, and security operations are ongoing, including controlled explosions of suspicious packages and vehicles, and temporary evacuations of buildings. Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Show all 38 1 /38 Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Special Task Force officers raid a house following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A blood-spattered statue of Jesus Christ while crime scene officials inspect the site of a bomb blast, as the sun shines through the blown-out roof, inside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A police officer inspects the damage after a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan soldiers look on inside the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo following a bomb blast during the Easter service AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman cries next to a coffin of a bomb blast victim. A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on April 21, killing more than 300 people AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People who live near the church that was attacked the day before, leave their houses as the military try to defuse a suspected van before it exploded in Colombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Shoes and belongings of victims are collected as evidence at St Sebastian's Church AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police were forded to clear an area while Special Task Force Bomb Squad officers inspected the site of an exploded van near a church the day after it was attacked Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Queues at the National Blood Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a request for blood to aid in recovery efforts Mr Lavasquabble/Twitter Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Medical response team work to remove dead bodies from the scene of bombings in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the debris of a car after it exploded when police tried to defuse a bomb AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personnel work at the scene of a bombing at a church in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman is helped near St Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019. At least 130 people were killed and more than 500 hospitalised after near-simultaneous explosions hit three hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday. AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured of church blasts in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan soldier stands guard near a car explosion AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman prays at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests stand inside St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church on the outskirts of Colombo after a bombing Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan woman living near St. Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her infant after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People react during a mass for victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personal react as a device was detonated in a controled explosion in a van near the St Anthony's Church EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security forces inspect the scene of a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a bombing attack Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The damaged interior of a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing attack Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo following a bombing attack EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Debris is seen at St Anthony's Church in this still image from video footage after explosions hit churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Derana TV/via Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Damage inside a church following a bombing attack AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan Special Task Force officer scales a house during a raid following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A general interior view showing damage after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests walk into St Anthony's Shrine Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan police officer stands outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a blast on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A shoe of a victim is seen in front of the St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade Church Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Local and security officials gather at the scene at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath An ambulance is seen outside the church premises with gathered security personnel following a blast at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Armed policemen patrol the area after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel keep watch outside the church premises following a blast at the St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police officers inspect the scene after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA On Thursday 25 April, the Foreign Office changed the official travel advice to warn against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka, due to the current evolving security situation. The FCO says: The extent of any continued threat following the 21 April attacks remains unclear. What are the implications for British holidaymakers in Sri Lanka? An estimated 8,000 UK citizens are on holiday on the island, and the advice indicates that they should leave in a timely fashion by commercial means in other words, flying from Colombo on a scheduled flight. Unlike the last two events in which British tourists were told to leave both in 2015, in Tunisia and the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh no airlift is to be established. Tui flew an empty aircraft to Sri Lankas international airport outside Colombo to bring back up to 200 holidaymakers. Travellers who are still on the island and who are not booked on imminent departures are being advised: Keep a low profile, avoid crowded public places, large gatherings (including religious gatherings and places of worship) and any demonstrations. All of the attacks on 21 April were carried out either in places of worship or in places where foreign visitors were affected. Any further attacks may be targeted against similar locations. So how are they expected to get home? Those who are booked to return at the weekend will be expected to travel back as planned. Newly arrived travellers are asked to make arrangements to leave in conjunction with their travel company. There is only one direct flight a day from Colombo to the UK the SriLankan Airlines departure to Heathrow, which is usually heavily booked. The situation is made more complicated by the collapse earlier this month of Jet Airways, which previously carried a significant number of British travellers between the UK and Sri Lanka via Mumbai. Emirates and Qatar Airways have seats available from Colombo over the next few days for travel via their respective hubs in Dubai and Doha to various UK airports. But fares are extremely high typically 800-plus for a one-way flight. Airlines are advising arriving at Colombo airport four hours before departure, because of increased security checks. Will travel insurance pay for an emergency flight? A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers said: Travel insurance is designed to cover unforeseen events like this. Cancellation cover under your travel insurance should cover additional costs that cannot be refunded by your travel provider. If you are currently in Sri Lanka and want to curtail your visit and return early, your travel insurance should cover any extra costs associated with rearranging return flights. Check if you have the necessary cover in place or speak to your travel insurer. What if I decide to remain in, or travel to, Sri Lanka? If you are likely to depart from the island in a timely fashion then your cover should remain in place. But for new arrivals, travelling to a country that is on the no-ho list is likely to invalidate your travel insurance. What are the options for travellers with advance bookings for Sri Lanka? It all depends when you are booked to travel. A spokesperson for Abta, the travel association, said: Customers who are due to travel imminently to the island on package holidays will be offered options of deferring their date of travel, transferring to another destination or a full refund. The customer, not the travel company, has the choice of accepting a different holiday or claiming a full refund. Abta also points out: Customers who have booked independently will need to discuss their options with their airline and accommodation provider. But if you are due to travel in months to come, the tour operator will not necessarily offer you any options at this stage. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events I have a connecting flight via Colombo. Can or should I cancel? No. After The Independent contacted the Foreign Office to ask about the status of connections on SriLankan Airlines to the Maldives, southeast Asia and Australia, the FCO said: The guidance advising against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka does not apply to flights transiting Colombo airport, providing that passengers remain airside in the airport. How long is the ban likely to last? When he announced the ban, the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said: Our hope is that it will be possible to change this when the current security operation has concluded. But the evidence from history suggests that the ban could last for months or years. The Tunisia no-go advice was lifted after two years, while the ban on UK airlines flying to Sharm el Sheikh has now been in force for three-and-a-half years. For every day that it continues, the damage caused to the Sri Lankan economy and the hundreds of thousands of people involved in tourism will intensify. After the Easter Sunday bombings that killed hundreds of people in Sri Lanka, the Foreign Office has placed the island on the no-go list, warning: We advise against all but essential travel. At least 359 people were killed in the attacks last weekend, including eight Britons. An estimated 8,000 British holidaymakers are in Sri Lanka. In addition there are up to 10,000 UK citizens who are long-term residents. The last major tourist nation to be placed on the no-go list was Tunisia, following two terrorist attacks in March and June 2015. On that occasion, and after the ban on flights to Sharm el Sheikh in November 2015, an airlift was organised by travel firms. But The Independent understands that British tourists and their travel companies will be left to make their own arrangements. There is only one direct flight a day from Colombo to the UK the Sri Lankan Airlines departure to Heathrow. Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Show all 38 1 /38 Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Special Task Force officers raid a house following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A blood-spattered statue of Jesus Christ while crime scene officials inspect the site of a bomb blast, as the sun shines through the blown-out roof, inside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A police officer inspects the damage after a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan soldiers look on inside the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo following a bomb blast during the Easter service AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman cries next to a coffin of a bomb blast victim. A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on April 21, killing more than 300 people AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People who live near the church that was attacked the day before, leave their houses as the military try to defuse a suspected van before it exploded in Colombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Shoes and belongings of victims are collected as evidence at St Sebastian's Church AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police were forded to clear an area while Special Task Force Bomb Squad officers inspected the site of an exploded van near a church the day after it was attacked Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Queues at the National Blood Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a request for blood to aid in recovery efforts Mr Lavasquabble/Twitter Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Medical response team work to remove dead bodies from the scene of bombings in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the debris of a car after it exploded when police tried to defuse a bomb AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personnel work at the scene of a bombing at a church in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman is helped near St Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019. At least 130 people were killed and more than 500 hospitalised after near-simultaneous explosions hit three hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday. AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured of church blasts in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan soldier stands guard near a car explosion AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman prays at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests stand inside St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church on the outskirts of Colombo after a bombing Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan woman living near St. Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her infant after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People react during a mass for victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personal react as a device was detonated in a controled explosion in a van near the St Anthony's Church EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security forces inspect the scene of a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a bombing attack Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The damaged interior of a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing attack Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo following a bombing attack EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Debris is seen at St Anthony's Church in this still image from video footage after explosions hit churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Derana TV/via Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Damage inside a church following a bombing attack AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan Special Task Force officer scales a house during a raid following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A general interior view showing damage after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests walk into St Anthony's Shrine Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan police officer stands outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a blast on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A shoe of a victim is seen in front of the St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade Church Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Local and security officials gather at the scene at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath An ambulance is seen outside the church premises with gathered security personnel following a blast at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Armed policemen patrol the area after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel keep watch outside the church premises following a blast at the St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police officers inspect the scene after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Many British travellers fly on Emirates and Qatar Airways, but flights from Colombo are extremely busy as visitors of many nationalities try to leave Sri Lanka. Those who were booked to return at the weekend, for example, will be expected to travel back as planned. The new travel advice invalidates the travel insurance of any UK traveller who decides to ignore the warning by not leaving in a timely fashion. The foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said: Our hope is that it will be possible to change this when the current security operation has concluded. The Tunisia ban was lifted after two years. Abta, the travel association, said in a statement: Customers who are due to travel imminently to the island on package holidays will be offered options of deferring their date of travel, transferring to another destination or a full refund. Customers who have booked independently will need to discuss their options with their airline and accommodation provider. Q I have recently booked a 5,000 holiday to Sri Lanka, departing in October. With the news that the island is off-limits according to the Foreign Office, surely we can cancel and get a full refund? But the travel company says no. What are our rights? A Yesterday afternoon, five days after the murderous attacks in Sri Lanka, the Foreign Office added the Indian Ocean nation to its no-go list. It joins North Korea, Venezuela and much of Iraq as somewhere where the FCO advises against all but essential travel. Your right to cancel depends on when you are due to travel. Abta, the travel association, says: Customers who are due to travel imminently to the island on package holidays will be offered options of deferring their date of travel, transferring to another destination or a full refund. Theres an old saying that a country gets the politicians it deserves. If so, then I wonder about the Change UK candidates having to resign after a matter of hours on the party slate due to various past misdeeds and mistweets. This, after all, is supposed to be the group that will fix our broken politics, but which seems to have quite a few broken reputations of its own littering the scene. Indeed, the candidates for the European parliament generally have an eccentric air to them. I also ask myself what the good people of the southwest of England (plus Gibraltar) have done to deserve the most, shall we say, diverse group of candidates ever assembled for a democratic election. According to the party candidate lists so far published for the European elections, some of them will be on their way to Brussels and Strasbourg to represent British interests. The names read like the dinner party from hell: Rachel Johnson, Sargon of Akkad, Andrew Adonis, Molly Scott Cato, Ann Widdecombe. Imagine that lot trying to make small talk together on the Eurostar to Brussels or finding themselves, through some diabolical error, plonked on the only free table in the European parliament in-house brasserie. They are an intriguing bunch. In a sense, it is a joy to see Ann Widdecombe back on the public stage. As an older woman in politics she suffers the same kind of routine discrimination that older actresses face in Hollywood. When she was in the Commons, her Tory colleagues called her Doris Karloff, which was unkind. She got her own back when she scuppered Michael Howards first attempt to become Tory leader with her famous remark that he had something of the night about him. She was his prisons minister, during which tenure she declared herself quite content that female prisoners should be shackled while giving birth, in case they tried to escape, something that tarnished her feminist credentials. Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Nigel Farage speaks at the launch of his new Brexit Party's campaign for the European elections Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Brexit Party candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister of Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, speaks at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A supporter waits for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters wait for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage's socks Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage and prospective candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg wait at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters listen as Farage speaks AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Free T-shirts for all attendees AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Posters on the seats for supporters of the Brexit Party AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A safety sign is pictured AFP/Getty Since leaving the Commons shes galumphed her way through the gamut of sleb TV and theatrical work Strictly Come Dancing, The Widdecombe Project (as an unlikely agony aunt not inflicting the agony this time), Celebrity Fit Club, Have I Got News for You, Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, all of it culminating in her appearance as the Empress of China in Aladdin at the Marina Theatre, Lowestoft. An ideal candidate, then, for Nigel Farages am-dram troupe in the European parliament. The big time still awaits. Lord Adonis is not, like Sargon of Akkad, some self-regarding made-up title. It is not an ironically devised nickname to be hung around the neck of the decidedly un-Adonis-like frame of a weedy public intellectual by his enemies. Andrew Adonis is (as they say in the booming Hollywood trailers) Lord Adonis because he is a full-on, balls-out New Labour member of the House of Lords, dispatched there by Tony Blair. The rationale there was that Adonis decision to educate his offspring privately would be unacceptable to every constituency Labour Party and, thus, the usual safe seat in the Commons would be denied him. A refugee from the Liberal Democrats, and before that the SDP, New Labours Europhilia nourished and comforted him. Corbyns Labour and Brexit Britain is not so congenial, and his anguish at the consequences of the 2016 referendum is all too palpable. The only thing that could be said for his candidature is that it might help to salve the pain; the worst thing is if his European parliamentary career was cut short by some unexpected breakthrough on Brexit. Then he might just flip. His tireless dedication to the cause of a second referendum is almost saintly, it has to be said. Sargon of Akkad, though, is not a real name. His real name is Carl Benjamin, and he is a foot soldier in Gerard Battens Ukip. So Private Benjamin might be a better name. He is not an obviously likeable man. His is the one who, in response to Labour MP Jess Phillips statement that rape threats are commonplace for her, responded I wouldnt even rape you in a YouTube video and repeated this on Twitter. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Like Count Dankula, the bloke who trained his dog to do a Nazi salute on the command words gas the Jews and sieg heil, he is what Batten describes as a free speech merchant. People of Devon, Somerset and Cornwall... Sargon is all yours. Varied as they might be, almost all of these big some might say oversized personalities, including radical Green Molly Scott Cato and journalist Rachel Johnson have one thing in common; they all attended the University of Oxford (with the exception of Sargon, that is, whose educational attainments are not known). What was that phrase of David Camerons about Ukip? Oh yes, fruitcakes and loonies and closet racists mostly. Seems about right. Ladies and gentlemen, the next European parliament. Could it be, could it actually be, that we had a Brexit masterplan all along, and at the impossible hour, its going to come good? Consider this: the UK has never known what it wants from Brexit other than whatever it wants has to be something it cant have. First up, to demand the impossible, we sent them David Davis. They laughed and sent him back. Then we sent them Dominic Raab. Dominic got as far as the White Cliffs of Dover before making a mindblowing geographical discovery and everyone laughed so hard that nothing else could be heard. Then we sent them Stephen Barclay and they said, Sorry, feel free to start the meter but Im going to be a couple more hours yet. And so now, were going to send them... deep breath... wait for it... Ann Widdecombe, Andrew Adonis, Boris Johnsons sister, Jacob Rees-Moggs sister, the ex-editor of Loaded mag, Tommy Robinson and a professional misogynist youtuber whose real name is Carl Benjamin, but who calls himself Sargon of Akkad in an attempt to put some distance between his actual self and his own rancid opinions. Yes, it is less than a month until the European parliamentary elections, which means it is also less than a month till the morning after the European parliamentary elections, when the UKs fresh crop of MEPs will come roaring into Brussels like that Mad Max biker gang that crashes the house party in Weird Science. You can almost picture it now. The British freak show rolls into the EU parliament building, only to find the doors padlocked, and at the fourth storey window, there will be Juncker and Tusk screaming in blind panic: You can have anything you want, just leave us alone! The backstop? We binned it already! Gone. Finito alternative arrangements? You can have any alternative arrangements you like. Hard border, soft border, no border, Allan Border, whatever you want, pas de probleme. Canada plus! Norway minus! Quadruple Switzerland with a front tuck somersault, for Grande Bretagne, anything at all. Anything. Please. Please. Just get back on the Eurostar and aller a St Pancras International! The tragedy, of course, is that David Davis will be entirely vindicated. It was always about who blinks first, hell say. And when Sargon of Akkad is coming at you with his webcam and his edgy banter about which members of parliament he would and wouldn't rape, well, youll blink then all right. Big time. And they will. It will be a relief no doubt to all concerned that these are likely to be the shortest, most glorious political careers in history. On Thursday morning, Nigel Farage announced his latest tranche of Brexit party candidates. Among them was former Loaded mag editor turned mens rights activist Martin Daubney. I happen to vaguely know Martin. We have occasionally appeared on the news channels together. And theres also the time I spent six and a half days sitting at a desk outside his office, following instructions to scour group sex websites in the hunt for content for Loaded mags Pornalikes page. This was a fairly standard task for people on work experience placements. I uncovered a passable Simon Mayo and Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs, if memory serves, having been expressly told, No Viallis. Weve had too many Viallis. Just because someones got a goatee, doesnt make them Gianluca Vialli. In fact, I only did six and a half days, not the full two weeks, because I was happy to come in at short notice to replace the previous intern, a female, who had, for some bizarre reason, taken against the task on day three, vanished and never returned. Though she was not to be confused with the young lady who had gone awol the previous week. Nah, she wasnt a workie, I was told by one of the team. She was writing a thesis, Are lads mags misogynistic? She asked if she could shadow me for a week. I f**ked her on the Wednesday and she never came back. I should say that I have always liked Martin, hes more than entitled to his opinions on Brexit, which are widely shared. He's a talented man from an ordinary background, and the more people from ordinary backgrounds who get involved in politics the better. But one does get the sense it may prove shrewd to be embarking on a political career that is not intended to be lengthy. One suspects there could be a few skeletons there. Though of course, the real tragedy is that right at the moment the EU will yield to whatever we ask, our demands will have narrowed to nothing. By the time theyre ready to give us anything, what we will have decided we want is no deal at all. That said, there is, of course, a chance, that Sargon and co will work out what their seniors cottoned on to long ago. Its a five-star establishment, the Hotel Brussels. Relentlessly complaining about the service is a lot more fun than actually checking out and leaving. Robert Muellers report dealt a series of blows to Donald Trumps presidency, even if no indictments were made. A growing number of senior Democrats are calling for impeachment proceedings to begin. Embarrassing revelations for the presidents inner circle came to light, such as Sarah Sanders allegedly lying to the public. And of course at least 10 instances of possible obstruction were examined in the 400-page document. Yet no matter what storm comes his way, Donald Trumps Twitter always weathers it. His infamous social media account has just shy of 60 million followers, so nearly the population of Britain. The Mueller report dropped on 18 April. Within 24 hours he had gained another 20,100 followers or the entirety of Newquay if you prefer. There is a wonderful progressive fantasy where we wake woke, naturally to discover Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez occupies the Oval Office. America has rejoined the Paris accord, Bernie Sanders is secretary for renewable energy, Elizabeth Warren oversees an economy based on social justice, and Ilhan Omar is UN ambassador, speaking truth to power on a global stage. Donald Trump, convicted on multiple counts of obstructing justice, resides in a Colorado supermax jail, where the hue of his prison jumpsuit matches that of his hair. This all may come to pass, but not yet. For now, Democrats have as their frontrunner for president Joe Biden, a 76-year-old white man, who is launching his third bid for the White House, driven by a strange, oil-water emulsion of arrogance and good intention. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Biden said in a video message today. I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. The man Biden wants to take on quickly hit back, tweeting: Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was 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 AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: 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 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty Many Biden admirers hoped he would sit this one out. Over the course of a long, if imperfect, career, he has emerged as someone who largely kept their dignity intact. In particular, his eight years as vice president to Barack Obama were judged favourably by almost everyone. Why risk that for a contest that will rapidly turn dirty, in which all your baggage and history such as your support for a racist crime bill, your inappropriate touching of women, and your appalling questioning on Capitol Hill of an African American woman witness will be intensely and repeatedly scrutinised? Hey, Joe, dont you know when to quit? Long before Biden delivered his announcement, he headed the list of likely Democratic candidates, with clear space between him and Sanders and even more space between Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Liz Warren and Beto ORourke. Being the frontrunner has its advantages, but also its downsides. Mike Fraioli, a political strategist advising the 2020 campaign of Ohio congressman Tim Ryan, said whereas all the other candidates can move up, Biden unless he scorches far ahead in a fashion similar to Trump in 2015 and 2016 can only go down. Biden will have to answer several difficult questions. Does he intend to be a one-term president? If not, how does he see himself coping with the demands of the job in his second term, when he is in his 80s? Also, what does Biden have to say that is new? He has twice run previously before dropping out, being forced to do so in 1988 after being exposed for plagiarising a speech by Neil Kinnock, leader of the British Labour Party. Joe Biden appears to plagiarise a speech given by former Labour leader Neil Kinnock Furthermore, for a party whose progressive wing is ascendant, whose most recent intake of House representatives contained more women and people of colour than other before, does the Democratic Party really want an elderly white man to be its face for 2020? The answer is that it might. The number one priority for Democrats now ought not to be ideological purity, or questions of gender or colour, but nominating someone who can defeat Trump. Biden is not the only candidate capable of doing that. Harris, Warren, Sanders, Buttigieg and ORourke have all signalled that theyre ready for a fight. But he is certainly one of them. He may not energise grassroots supporters, he may not excite supporters of the Green New Deal or universal healthcare. But as much as progressives might wish otherwise, America especially large portions of that swathe in the middle is for now a largely conservative place. In a two-party system, a successful candidate has to be as acceptable to as many voters as possible. Biden might seem like yesterdays man, but at this moment, he is the man many could vote for. Pallbearers carry the coffin of Lyra McKee at her funeral at St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne DUP leader Arlene Foster (right) speaks with Sara Canning (left), the partner of 29-year-old journalist Lyra McKee, at a vigil in Derry, following her death last night after guns were fired and petrol bombs were thrown in what police are treating as a "terrorist incident". Brian Lawless/PA Wire DUP leader Arlene Foster says that while she sympathised with the partner of murdered journalist Lyra McKee, the party's stance on gay marriage hasn't changed. Ms Foster said "you cannot conflate sympathy and empathy with the political definition of marriage" when asked about the warm words of Father Martin McGill at Ms McKee's funeral yesterday. Fr McGill said he willingly acknowledged the love between Lyra and her partner Sara Canning from a pastoral point of view, saying there is a variety of views in the Church on homosexuality. Ms Foster was asked on RTE's Morning Ireland about how her party refused Ms McKee equality in her lifetime and whether the DUP would change that view. "We have a long standing policy which hasn't changed. That remains the position of the party," she said. "That doesn't mean I cannot sympathise and empathise with Sara and say to her that we feel her love. Her loss was all of our loss because this was a young woman who was doing great things in journalism and living her life in a city that she adopted. "You shouldn't conflate the two issues of empathy and sympathy and a political issue which is the definition of marriage." While the party is running an openly gay candidate in the local council elections, the DUP opposes same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, the DUP leader said she didn't accept the collapse of Stormont contributed to Ms McKee's death, but she said the party shares responsibility for not having an assembly. "It [the violence] was fueled by people who wanted to use violence to further their own warped political agenda. That's why Lyra is dead and I think most people objectively think that is right. "That's not to say say we don't share responsibility for not having an assembly, of course we do. It's wrong. That's why I believe we need to get it up and running as quickly as possible. "We need to have an agreement that works for nationalism and unionism. We want to see a balanced deal for all the people of Northern Ireland." She said she would like to see the assembly back up and running now and a parallel talks process to deal with all the other issues. Meanwhile, a 10,000 reward has been offered for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of Ms McKee. Ms McKee (29) was shot dead as she observed rioting in Derry's Creggan estate last Thursday. Police said they believe dissident republican group the New IRA was behind the attack and, on Monday night, the group accepted responsibility for the murder. The 10,000 reward is being offered by the charity Crimestoppers. Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, who is leading the investigation into Lyra McKee's murder, said he hopes the reward will help bring those responsible to justice. Lyra tragically lost her life when bullets were fired indiscriminately into the community in Creggan. It was a senseless murder of a gifted young woman and Lyras family and loved ones have been left devastated by their loss," he said. I want to find the people who murdered Lyra and the information that can help us bring Lyras killer to justice lies within the local community. People saw the gunman people know who is responsible. Im asking them to come forward and help us. We have received widespread public support to date and if this reward further encourages some individuals to come forward, this may help assist us in our efforts to get some justice for Lyra and her loved ones. On the up: Rents in the Pavilions shopping centre are trending upwards at 2,500 per sq m, according to Cushman & Wakefields Retail Shopping Centre Market Snapshot Fitness and gym operators, part of a sector which previously opted for secondary or industrial space, are now competing with retailers. The start of 2019 has seen modest levels of retail leasing activity around the country's main shopping centres following on from a steady 2018. Among the 11 fitness chains actively seeking space are Snap Fitness, Fit4Less, FLYEFit, 9Round kick box fitness, Anytime Fitness, Jump Zone and Oslo. "Much of the activity in the first quarter of the year has been Dublin-centric, with a number of new brands and openings planned across the major centres in the coming months," says the latest edition of Cushman & Wakefield's Retail Shopping Centre Market Snapshot. It shows that prime Zone A rents are tending upwards at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre at 3,400 per sq m, The Square, Tallaght at 1,600 per sq m and The Pavilions, Swords at 2,500 per sq m. Those in Liffey Valley and Dundrum are flat at 3,100 and 4,700 per sq m respectively. Among the retailers actively seeking new outlets are fashion chains Zara, Fat Face, Pull & Bear and American Eagle. In the cinema business five chains are active: Stella, The Light, Everyman, The Arc and Empire. In the food and beverage sector there are at least 25 chains with outstanding or active requirements for outlets. As well as some of the well known names, they also include Mad Egg, PF Changs, Press Up, Las Guanas, Vapiano, Five Guys, Gourmet Food Parlour and the latest newcomer Leon. Karl Stewart of Cushman & Wakefield says that while Brexit continues to have an adverse effect through the uncertainty it has created, those retailers who have opened new stores have seen robust positive trading. "There's no doubt the retail market is going through a seismic change and the challenge for the market is adapting to this change," he adds. Newcomers at Dundrum Town Centre include Kurt Geiger, which is taking the former Coast unit, while Stella Bowl will open an eight-lane bowling alley, a cocktail bar and diner next year in Dundrum's Pembroke District where PF Changs and Leon will also join the dining line-up. Demand is helped by the economic recovery as shown by Irish retail sales, which continue to trend upwards with an annual increase of 3.8pc and 5.2pc by value and volume respectively in February 2019. There was an increase in core retail sales excluding motor trades by 1.4pc when compared to January 2019 and an annual increase of 5.3pc. However the consumer confidence index dropped in quarter one, finishing at 93.1 in March. Retail property activity was also slower in the regions during the first quarter. Nevertheless a number of fitness and food and beverage operators are believed to be at the legal stage of taking regional outlets. There has been some nonsensical comment recently about the so-called 'cuckoo funds', and one gets the scent of a traditional Irish, anti-landlord and anti-developer prejudice. 'Cuckoo funds' is the term being applied to institutional purchasers (or funds) buying residential properties for renting into the private rented sector (PRS). Last year, 11pc of all homes sold in Dublin were bought by funds, but a fifth of the homes bought by funds were outside the capital. I see those proportions increasing in the medium-term. One of the big reasons for all this, is that Ireland never had the institutional market for residential property investment that was commonplace around the world. For decades, market commentators moaned - "If we only had proper long-term landlords like they do in Germany/Scandinavia/wherever". So there is a large element of catch-up going-on, in creating this professional landlord market. Chief among the criticisms has been the accusation that these funds are responsible for raising rents. No they are not! They are responsible for reducing rents. At the heart of this accusation is the notion that landlords can "make-up" the rents they charge. They can't. It's tenants bidding against each other that sets the levels of rent. Rents are set by the balance between supply and demand. Institutional purchasers have significantly increased the supply of units. Any agent will tell you that many schemes they are handling would not have been built at all under the old model of bank borrowings and selling individual units over years. And just because one fund owns all of the apartments in a block, instead of many of them being owned by individual landlords, doesn't change the rental value. Much of the carping in the rental sector is about tenants' lack of security, but this class of institutional landlord is exactly what we need. They want long-term tenants. Tenants of funds don't have to worry about their home being sold because the owner wants it back. They are also professional landlords and they operate to higher standards than most of the market, which is made-up of private, amateur, landlords with only one property. Another misconception is that they pay no tax. They do. In the Finance Act 2016, the Government (belatedly) introduced a 20pc tax on all income and gains in these funds. There are a few exceptions, but the majority of the funds active here pay tax. They are paying 20pc tax on income and gains, stamp duty on purchases, VAT and local property tax on every unit they own. That's a lot better than us having less apartments, and less tax. These funds have become significant taxpayers in the State and pay multiples of what the other 'multinational' sectors pay. The more of these large, institutionally-funded schemes we get the better, and the sooner rents will decrease. The real reason that people who want to buy houses can't get them is the lack of supply, which has been caused by this, and previous, governments. The fatally flawed ideology that the private sector would provide 'social housing' has meant that very little social housing has been built. But trying to create social housing by taxing the private sector into non-viability, with social housing levies and VAT, has meant that too few private sector houses have been built either. That's the real cuckoo. Peter Cosgrave R.I.P The property world has been saddened by the death of Peter Cosgrave, whose funeral takes place today. Peter spearheaded the expansion of the Cosgrave Property dynasty into the commercial arena, becoming a major player in office and retail development and investment, and adding to a reputation as a top residential developer. He was one of the nicest people you could meet in the business. He was quietly spoken, and was never changed by his great business success. In property development, the Cosgrave name is synonymous with quality. Peter Cosgrave was exactly that. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam. Pressure: Becoming a long-distance landlord can leave buyers exposed to fraud and unruly tenants, as many UK buy-to-let investors have learned to their cost For landlords in London and the south-east of the UK who have seen their returns hammered in recent years, buying a property elsewhere in the country can seem like an attractive prospect. But becoming a long-distance landlord can leave investors vulnerable to fraud and unruly tenants, or facing large property management fees. High purchase prices and unfavourable tax changes implemented by the UK government have caused activity in the buy-to-let markets of the south of England to slump. Lower house prices and higher returns in northern regions, Scotland and Wales have tempted many to look further afield for their next investment opportunity. Likewise for expats and retirees abroad, owning and letting a UK property is often seen as a safe way to earn a strong return. Data published by Your Move, the UK letting agent, shows that the average annual yield for a property in London has fallen to 3.2pc. By contrast, landlords in the north-east typically earn 5pc a year on their investment. The north-west (4.8pc), Scotland and Wales (both 4.6pc) are also home to much higher yields than average. Matthew Hillyer of largemortgageloans.com, a mortgage broker, said: "Since the changes to stamp duty and removal of mortgage interest relief, many professional landlords based in the south-east have focused on high-yielding properties in the midlands and the north." But living far away from a property can have disastrous consequences. Chris Yates is a 30-year-old accountant who struggled to manage his properties in Kent and Norwich while living in Abu Dhabi. Mr Yates tried to let his property through friends of friends, but was left nursing a 6,000 loss when a tenant illegally sublet one of his homes and stopped paying rent. "I heard through someone else that the tenant had left the property," he said. "I had to ask a friend to go around and then somebody else answered the door. It was just by chance we found out." The illegal tenants had caused significant damage to Mr Yates's property, meaning he had to foot the repair bill and try to restore the house from afar. "I lost quite a bit given the damage in the house and I didn't get any money back," he said. "I realised I was reliant on others to vet new tenants and use their judgment." After this episode he was forced to enlist a management company to keep tabs on the property and tenants, although such a service cost between eight and 10pc of the monthly rent, plus other fees. He added: "It was a nightmare, I learned my lesson the hard way." While Mr Yates was living thousands of miles away at the time, there are also issues domestic landlords buying in unfamiliar parts of Britain must contend with. For instance, landlords in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales must apply for a licence, but in England there are no such requirements. Rental properties in England and Wales must meet minimum energy efficiency standards, but these do not apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Scottish rules require regular electrical checks, while this is not required in other areas. Smoke detectors are mandatory on all rented properties located in England and Scotland but are not always needed in Wales and Northern Ireland. David Cox of the Association of Residential Letting Agents, a UK trade body, warned that many landlords were caught out by the disparity in the rules. "Landlords who are considering buying and renting out a property away from their local area are unlikely to be familiar with the market," he said, adding: "It's vital they research the area and familiarise themselves with local rents and whether there are any special licensing conditions in place." Mr Cox criticised the "piecemeal legislation" applied by local and national authorities and encouraged the use of UK-wide polices. "It makes it extremely difficult for landlords operating in the sector to grasp the ever-changing legislative differences," he added. Mr Yates has now returned to Britain and uses a letting agent to find tenants, collect rent and draw up contracts, while managing matters himself on a day-to-day basis. Based in Norwich, he can monitor his properties in the city and is selling his properties in Kent rather than manage them from a distance. Living abroad created further complications, as many banks were unwilling to offer him a mortgage when he tried to expand his portfolio. Mr Hillyer said such problems were common: "The biggest issue most expats face is providing satisfactory documentation. Proof of address is a great example. "In most Middle Eastern countries, post is sent to PO boxes rather than home addresses, meaning it can be very hard to provide evidence of where you live." Long-distance landlords may also be required to declare buy-to-let income to local tax authorities as well as HM Revenue & Customs, he added. (Daily Telegraph London) Farmers protesting against loan sales at AIB's annual meeting scored a coup when they managed to get CEO Colin Hunt to agree to meet them. Led by the IFA's Farm Business chairman Martin Stapleton, 30-plus protesters made their way into the foyer of the Ballsbridge Hotel where yesterday's meeting was being held and delivered a statement condemning the actions of Ireland's largest bank in selling farm loans to vulture funds. "It is wrong that AIB would sell these loans to a vulture fund that is not interested in resolving issues by entering into long-term arrangements with farmers," Mr Stapleton said. The IFA official told the Irish Independent that loans against up to 130 farming families were being sold by AIB to vulture funds and said the bank had not been willing to consult. "Many of those are making every effort to try and pay, on an informal or restructured basis," he told this newspaper as protesters circled outside the hotel carrying placard that read 'Backing Brave, Really?', a parody of AIB's latest advertising campaign. Inside the meeting, Mr Hunt, who took up the role of CEO in December, defended the bank's approach. He said that unless the issue of non-performing loans was addressed, AIB would not have the financial capacity to work with customers and as a result it would press ahead with reductions. However, he also made a concession to the farmers who have threatened to take their protest to every AIB branch in the country. "A meeting has been arranged for me with leadership of the IFA in the next couple of days, I understand," he said in response to questions from the Irish Independent and after insisting that the bank needed to "retain the right" to use a variety of options to deal with non-performing exposures. Even so, Dr Hunt, a former economist who had been a special adviser to then Finance Minister Brian Cowen until mid-2007, said that the figure of an NPL book that was no larger than 5pc of loans that was the target for the end of this year should now be viewed as a "milestone" and not as an end point. The bad loan book has been cut to around 6bn from more than 30bn in 2013. He pressed the case for a lifting of government-imposed pay caps on Irish banks, noting that 100 financial institutions who were not covered by the caps had either set up or expanded operations here in preparation for Brexit which meant AIB was "finding it challenging to attract and retain the sort of skills that we need". Dr Hunt and his fellow executives refused to give ground in a complaint over 6,000 AIB mortgage-holders who campaigners say were unfairly denied the opportunity to shift to a tracker mortgage in 2008. They said the bank would vigorously defend its position. He also criticised legislative attempts by Sinn Fein to introduce a "no consent-no sale" that would prevent mortgages from being sold on without the agreement of the loan holder. "Our view is that it would lead to a more inefficient mortgage market, it would lead to less competition and it would lead to higher mortgages," Dr Hunt said. The world of business and media has begun to pay tribute to Feargal Quinn, who passed away following a short illness. Among the first to comment on Mr Quinns passing was Fairtrade Ireland, who twitted that without him fair trade in Ireland would not exist. The organisation said: There aren't many people or companies of whom you can say - something important wouldn't have happened without them, without Feargal Quinn and Superquinn fair trade wouldnt have happened in Ireland Thanks Feargal! The Musgrave Group called Mr Quinn a visionary in Irish food and a retail pioneer". Chris Martin, CEO of the Musgrave Group, said: We are saddened to hear of the passing of Feargal Quinn. As the founder of Superquinn, Feargal was a visionary in Irish food and a retail pioneer. Beyond the world of retail, Feargal made a significant and lasting contribution to Irish society and to political life as a member of Seanad Eireann. He was a leader who will be deeply missed. Feargal was also a good friend to Musgrave and on behalf of everyone here, I would like to share our condolences with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time. Patrick Coveney, chief executive of Greencore, tweeted that Mr Quinn was a giant of the Irish retail and food industries, while also giving so much back to society. It was a privilege to know him. I hope his family are very proud! Elsewhere and Fionnan Sheahan, editor of the Irish Independent, described Mr Quinn as a true advocate for the consumer. Feargal Quinn's legacy will be his emphasis on putting the needs of the customer front and centre in business decisions. He was a true advocate for the consumer, Mr Sheahan said. His personal approach raised the bar which other retailers followed. He also ensured the voice of family and small businesses was heard clearly within the political system. Mr Quinn was the first Chairman of An Post and the organisation reflected on his legacy. An Post Chairman Dermot Divilly said: He worked tirelessly over a decade from 1979 to set the postal service and post office network on a sound, forward-looking, modern footing. He showed exemplary dedication and vision during these formative years and he remained a loyal supporter of An Post throughout his life. He is remembered with the greatest respect and fondness. Read More Also reacting to the news of Mr Quinns passing was CEO of business lobby group Ibec Danny McCoy, who said Mr Quinn would be remembered as a pioneer of Irish retail, a dedicated Senator and strong advocate of Irish business at home and internationally. He left a very significant and positive mark on Irish life. In his role as President of EuroCommerce he was the voice of European retail, commanding the respect and support of the sector right across Europe. His tenacity and skill in business was matched by a sense of duty and dedication in his public roles, Mr McCoy said. Meanwhile, Retail Excellence said the country had lost a giant of the world of retail. Feargals family can be justly proud of his achievements and his lasting legacy," David Fitzsimons, CEO of Retail Excellence, said. State broadcaster Rte described Mr Quinn as a popular contributor. Walker had a gun while in Aurora on Oct. 5, 2016, authorities said during the two-day trial. While Walker was interviewed by police, he acknowledged he had recently purchased the gun and knew he was prohibited from possessing a gun, according to the release. As it gears up for its annual general meeting this morning under the watchful eye of activist investor Cevian Capital, CRH is to buy back an additional 350m of its own shares. It has also agreed to sell its European shutters and awnings business for more than 300m. Additional buybacks remain "under active consideration", it said. The building materials giant, Ireland's biggest company, said yesterday that its first quarter got off to a strong start, with group sales up 7pc. It said that like-for-like sales at its Americas Material unit were up 4pc in the first three months of the year, boosted by underlying demand and "pricing progress". In Europe, sales at its materials division were 12pc higher, with what CRH said were positive trends in a number of key markets including Germany, Switzerland and Poland. It said that milder weather conditions also aided the division. CRH, whose chief executive is Albert Manifold, said that it's continuing to review its European distribution business and that all options remain under consideration in order to maximise shareholder value. Shares in Glanbia tumbled over 6pc yesterday amid disappointment at a trading update and as more than a fifth of shareholders voted to oppose a 22pc hike for managing director Siobhan Talbot under a new three-year multimillion-euro pay package. The shareholder revolt at yesterday's annual general meeting (AGM) in relation to pay marked a dramatic swing from last year, when fewer than 1pc of shareholders voted against the executive pay deal recommended by the board's Remuneration Committee. Ahead of the AGM, two prominent investor advisor groups - Glass Lewis and ISS - had recommended that shareholders vote against the proposal, which sees Ms Talbot receive a pay rise of 22pc and finance director Mark Garvey's pay increase 14.9pc. Yesterday's sharp share price drop came ahead of the vote, triggered by disappointment at results for Glanbia's Global Performance Nutrition (GPN) The GPN division reported its first quarterly fall in two years, when the impact of buying SlimFast was excluded. The GPN division grew by 4.9pc overall, but declined 16.5pc when SlimFast is stripped out. Investors had expected the decline to be in the low double digits. The SlimFast acquisition performed strongly, with especially strong consumer demand for recent innovations in the UK and United States, according to the global nutrition group. Ms Talbot said the group's strategy "remains on track" as it reported an 8.4pc increase in revenue overall in the three-month period. "Our strategy remains on track and we reiterate our full year guidance of 5pc to 8pc growth in adjusted earnings per share, constant currency, in 2019, with growth to be delivered in the second half of the year," she said. Glanbia reiterated its full-year guidance of 5pc to 8pc growth in adjusted earnings per share, with growth to be delivered in the second half of the year. Analysts at Davy Stockbrokers said they envisaged "no material changes" to Glanbia's financial year 2019 earnings forecast. The Kilkenny-headquartered company added that it is looking at growing online sales of its nutritional products, especially in Asia. Ms Talbot told shareholders that health and wellness is one of the biggest global trends among consumers and governments. Health and wellness, she said, is a growing global trend driven by health conscious consumers and cost conscious governments. "It is a big market, worth over a trillion dollars and is growing globally." Glanbia is looking to meet consumer demand with a convenient offering for time-poor consumers. she said. The group is also looking to increase its presence in what she called a "digital connectivity trend" by tapping into online sales platforms such as Amazon and the Asian-based ecommerce giant Alibaba. Glanbia's acquisition of Body & Fit, a Dutch-based performance nutrition brand that is only available online was playing into this trend with the Irish business now looking to leverage that capability, she said. "Consumers are very connected and people want to do everything on their smart phone. Consumers have real power through their ability and technology. They can damage or endorse brands," Ms Talbot added. Falcon Oil & Gas has reported a loss of $1.3m (1.1m) for 2018. This is down from a loss of almost $4m (3.5m) the previous year, according to a trading update from the group. Falcon, which is concentrated in Northern Australia, had net cash of $6.9m (6.2m) at the end of the year. The Dublin-headquartered company has a joint venture with Origin Energy, operator of the Beetaloo licences, in the Northern Territory of Australia. The programme involves the drilling and hydraulic testing of two horizontal wells. Along with Australia, Falcon's current portfolio includes South Africa and Hungary. Earlier this year the group said Origin Energy had signed a rig contract with Ensign Australia to cover the stage two of its 2019 drilling campaign. These will allow assessment of the liquid rich gas fairway targets in the Kyalla and Velkerri formations. Together with the Velkerri B dry gas play discovered in 2016, this allows for the assessment of three plays, enabling the most commercially prospective play to be targeted for stage three drilling during 2020, Falcon said in January. More than a fifth of shareholders voted to oppose a 22pc hike for Glanbia managing director Siobhan Talbot under a new three-year multimillion-euro pay package. It marked a dramatic swing from last year, when fewer than 1pc of shareholders voted against the executive pay deal. Farmer shareholders of Glanbia were also told questions over milk prices would be addressed at the co-op AGM in May. Two investor groups, Glass Lewis and ISS, had recommended that shareholders vote against the pay proposal, which would give Ms Talbot receive a 22pc pay rise and Glanbia's finance director Mark Garvey a 14.9pc rise. Ultimately just over 20pc of shareholders voted against the proposal at the AGM in Kilkenny yesterday. Ms Talbot told shareholders that Glanbia is looking at growing online sales of its nutritional products, especially in Asia. Health and wellness, she said, is a growing global trend with consumers and governments recognising that prevention is much better than medication. "It is a big market, worth over a trillion dollars and is growing globally," she said. Glanbia, she said, was looking to combine the consumer desire for nutrition in a convenient offering for time-poor consumers. The group was looking to increase its presence in what she called a "digital connectivity trend" through online sales platforms. Businessman and former senator Feargal Quinn has died following a short illness. Mr Quinn was aged 82 and is survived by his wife Denise Quinn, their five children and 19 grandchildren. In a short statement, the Quinn family said he had passed away peacefully at home in Howth, Co Dublin. First and foremost Feargal was a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and brother. Expand Close Superquinn founder Feargal Quinn in one of his stores. Photo: RollingNews.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Superquinn founder Feargal Quinn in one of his stores. Photo: RollingNews.ie To everyone else who knew him, he was an ebullient businessman, entrepreneur, innovator and former Senator, the family said. He is best known for founding the Superquinn chain which pioneered new levels of customer service and innovation in the Irish retail sector and which he successfully sold to a consortium of investor for 420m in 2005. Superquinn was subsequently bought by the Musgrave familys Supervalu chain. As well as work in the private sector, Feargal Quinn was active in the public sector on numerous boards including as chairman of An Post until 1989. Feargal Quinn was elected to the Senate on the National University of Ireland panel and served as an Independent Senator from 1993 to 2016, where he was recognised as a strong voice for the national business community. Expand Close Family business: Feargal Quinn with his son Eamonn (left). / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Family business: Feargal Quinn with his son Eamonn (left). Feargal Quinn was born in Dublin in 1936, into a family with its roots in Newry. Former Labour Party leader and cabinet minister Ruairi Quinn and businessman Lochlann Quinn were cousins. Feargal Quinns father Eamonn established a grocery business Payantake, and later the Red Island holiday resort in Skerries, Co Dublin. Read More Feargal Quinn was educated in Newbridge College, and studied Commerce at University College Dublin. After working in France in his youth he founded the Superquinn chain aged just 23 and built it into one of the countrys biggest grocery chains, carving out a niche with innovations like loyalty cards and self scanning coupled with famously high levels of customer service and stand out products including in store bakeries and the famous Superquinn pork sausages that proved so popular the brand has been retained by Supervalu. In his media work he was an enthusiastic supporter of emerging businesses, including a regular advice column with the Irish Independent and as the presenter of RTEs Retail Therapy, where Feargal Quinn drew on his long career in business to offer insights and advice to aspiring and struggling entrepreneurs. He continued to work for the Irish Independent right up to this week, with his latest column appearing today. Among numerous awards Feargal Quinn is received a papal knighthood, was a fellow of the French Order of Merit, and the recipient of five honorary doctorates from education institutions. Fionnan Sheahan, editor of the Irish Independent, described Mr Quinn as a true advocate for the consumer. Feargal Quinn's legacy will be his emphasis on putting the needs of the customer front and centre in business decisions. He was a true advocate for the consumer," Mr Sheahan said. His personal approach raised the bar which other retailers followed. He also ensured the voice of family and small businesses was heard clearly within the political system. President Michael D Higgins has spoken about Mr Quinn's commercial and political work. He said: Feargal was a gifted entrepreneur, whose vision of customer service and innovation transformed the landscape of the retail trade in Ireland over many decades. As a lifelong supporter of small businesses and start-up companies, countless numbers of people benefited from his wise counsel, which was based on a highly successful career at the coalface of Irish business. He will be deeply missed not just by his family and wide circle of friends, but also by those who served in the Seanad with him, where he will be remembered as a force for change, as a passionate advocate on business and related matters, and as an eloquent debater. Mr Quinn was the first Chairman of An Post and today the organisation reflected on his legacy. An Post Chairman Dermot Divilly said: He worked tirelessly over a decade from 1979 to set the postal service and post office network on a sound, forward-looking, modern footing. He showed exemplary dedication and vision during these formative years and he remained a loyal supporter of An Post throughout his life. He is remembered with the greatest respect and fondness. The Musgrave Group called Mr Quinn a visionary in Irish food and a retail pioneer. Chris Martin, CEO of the Musgrave Group, said: We are saddened to hear of the passing of Feargal Quinn. As the founder of Superquinn, Feargal was a visionary in Irish food and a retail pioneer. Beyond the world of retail, Feargal made a significant and lasting contribution to Irish society and to political life as a member of Seanad Eireann. He was a leader who will be deeply missed. Feargal was also a good friend to Musgrave and on behalf of everyone here, I would like to share our condolences with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time. Meanwhile, Patrick Coveney, chief executive of food group Greencore, tweeted that Mr Quinn was a giant of the Irish retail and food industries, while also giving so much back to society. It was a privilege to know him. I hope his family are very proud! Mr Quinn has been remembered as the voice of European retail by IBEC. IBEC CEO Danny McCoy said this afternoon: Feargal will be remembered as pioneer of Irish retail, a dedicated Senator and strong advocate of Irish business at home and internationally. He left a very significant and positive mark on Irish life. In his role as President of EuroCommerce he was the voice of European retail, commanding the respect and support of the sector right across Europe. His tenacity and skill in business was matched by a sense of duty and dedication in his public roles. Primark's profits surged 25pc to 426m (492m) in the first half of its financial year, reflecting increased selling space and better margins, according to owner Associated British Foods (ABF). Dublin-headquartered Primark, which trades as Penneys in Ireland, also continued to buck a poor UK retail trend, with "superior sales growth" and an increased share of the market, it said. However, while Primark sales were 4.4pc higher in the period, overall like-for-like sales fell 1.5pc. The company will reduce the size of what it said was a small number of its stores in Germany "to optimise their cost base". ABF said trading in the German market continues to be difficult, and it has strengthened its management team there to address challenges. Like-for-like sales fell 3.2pc in the eurozone during the first-half, primarily as a result of the tough German market and lower footfall in November in all its continental geographies. But Primark also slashed losses in the United States, where it's been performing strongly. "Our business in the US continued to perform strongly, driven by excellent trading at our recently opened Brooklyn store combined with like-for-like sales growth," it said. Davy Stockbrokers expects the US to become profitable next year for Primark. On the march: Many would probably agree with the Extinction Rebellion protesters that climate change is a serious problem but it gets trickier when it really hits people in the pocket People stuck in traffic in Dublin city centre last Friday would have had plenty of time to think about climate change. Protesters who are part of Extinction Rebellion held a protest on O'Connell Bridge. Many inconvenienced by traffic delays would probably agree with the protesters that climate change is a serious problem and is most likely heading towards a very real emergency. But nobody has really worked out who should pay the price of tackling the issues involved. Of course the sensible thing to say is that everybody has a part to play and we should all shoulder the cost together etc. But when it gets down to the nitty gritty, how should that be carved up? Once policies get specific, things get dirty. Four years ago then environment minister Alan Kelly announced a nationwide ban on smokeless coal. Two ministers later and it still hasn't happened. Coal companies are threatening to sue, while firms that spent millions preparing and investing for a smokeless future are deeply annoyed. Practice is always more messy than theory. The first obvious group to pay for funding change are consumers. The second are taxpayers - the same as consumers, but the difference is in how the cost is borne. The third is business. People will do a certain amount of voting with their feet when it comes to what they buy, how it is packaged and the reputation of the company selling it. The environmentally aware might be happy to pay an extra couple of cent on their macchiato because they feel good about using recyclable cups. But when it comes to legislation that tackles climate change in a way that really hits their pocket, things get a little bit more tricky. The recent cross-party Oireachtas Climate Action Plan came up with 40 recommendations to tackle climate change. It inadvertently highlighted how little has been done and how difficult it will be to make progress. It recommended scaling up renewable energy, something echoed by Environment Minister Richard Bruton in recent weeks. It also wants to see greater retrofitting of hundreds of thousands of homes; bringing down agricultural emissions and greater community involvement. Take retrofitting, for example. The suggestion is that people would be able to avail of low-cost loans. It can't be made compulsory. Landlords would expect the financial benefits to be very generous or they might not do it. Legislate to make them do it and we will say it is impacting on rents and that landlords are quitting the business, thereby affecting the housing crisis. Take agricultural emissions. Agriculture and food advisory group Teagasc, had the courage to come out and say what needed to be said in recent weeks. Dairy farming accounts for 44pc of agricultural emissions. The bulk of the cost of adjustment will have to be borne by the dairy sector. Teagasc came up with a set of recommendations to reduce CO2 emissions but, in reality, the Government strategy of growing the national herd to massively increase dairy production is not compatible with reducing emissions in the sector. The IFA went into a sort of denial mode where it questioned the methodology applied in determining net emissions from the sector. Dairy farmers have spent and borrowed large sums expanding their operations fulfilling a Government policy. They have even got lots of State financial assistance along the way. A government U-turn on our food industry policy would be very hard for them to swallow. Take renewable energy. The minister is now just beginning to talk about offshore wind as a possibility when the necessity of moving to this has been obvious for years. The problem is that thousands living along the Dublin coast want renewables generated on Donegal hillsides, but don't want to look out at turbines off Dalkey Bay. Solar is also mentioned as a future renewable source. Yet for years the State has failed to capitalise on its potential with suitable supports. It has put all of its renewable eggs in the onshore wind basket and communities in some areas say they have had enough, and have done their bit. Everywhere the Government turns on these issues, there are politically explosive landmines. The same political pressures are playing out elsewhere. Elections in Finland earlier this month saw the right-wing Finns Party almost tie for first place with the Social Democrats. The Finns Party played not just the immigration card but also climate change as a populist strategy. Its stance on environmental policies, which includes opposing a proposed tax on meat consumption, appeals to rural voters in particular. They are unhappy about rising carbon taxes which hike the cost of fuel. The party is the only group in Finland - a country that has the highest air quality in the world - to argue the next government should not speed up cutting carbon emissions. The Oireachtas committee plan on climate change looked at carbon taxes, albeit in the distant future. It recommended jacking up carbon taxes from 20 per tonne to 80 per tonne by 2030. As long as people see it as an abstract policy, they'll say it's an idea they would back. But when it means more expensive home heating oil, coal or briquettes, many will feel differently about it. If the cost of living for consumers goes up to fund climate change initiatives, the friendly participant in an opinion poll, might decide to vote differently when it comes to polls of a different kind - namely elections. Taxation is one way of funding climate change initiatives. But here too politicians have to be very careful about how they manage the transition. The Green Party is still getting roasted for cutting motor tax on diesel cars only to have it tick up since then. Given the growing awareness of climate change among the public and the apparent desire to tackle it, how come the Green Party is still showing at just 5pc in opinion polls? To some extent it has to be the public's theoretical interest in climate issues but failure to accept the cost to them of cleaning it all up. Political parties in Ireland are playing a game of chicken when it comes to climate change. It is one of the reasons why the country has been such a laggard when it comes to meaningful responses. The best way to get painful change through for a government is to have cross-party support. Fine Gael doesn't want to get ambushed by Fianna Fail or Sinn Fein at election time on a particular climate change policy. Cross-party consensus was almost reached on the Oireachtas committee report, with Sinn Fein and People Before Profit not supporting all of the recommendations. The document is somewhat vague. It has lots of good ideas but no real implementation plan. That job will fall to Mr Bruton in the coming weeks as he is due to publish his plan for tackling climate change. One obvious strategy would be to make business pay. It might play well with the public but not with businesses themselves or our ability to attract foreign direct investment. Large multinationals like making grand environmental gestures of their choosing, such as buying wind farms, but don't like legislative and taxation environments they see as undermining their competitiveness and profits. Smaller businesses already feel burdened with regulation and red tape and will hit back if they believe they are shouldering too much of the cost. Mr Bruton is seen as a steady experienced operator who won't do anything rash. Not doing anything rash may mean a recipe for actually doing very little at all. After all, how can you sell the real cost of climate change initiatives to the public in Ireland, when the President of the US appears to be in denial about the phenomenon in the first place? Why should I pay more for everything when the biggest polluter in the world isn't interested? But the EU is waving a big stick of massive fines if we keep failing on this issue. Brexit isn't the only political balancing act facing the Government right now. It's as iconic as Tayto crisps, the shamrock, and Gaelic Games, yet the Guinness Storehouse is almost 20 years old. Paul Carty has been there from day one. Today Mr Carty, who sits on the board of Failte Ireland, says Dublin "without a doubt" needs more hotel rooms to cater for the growing number of visitors to the capital. However, he remains tight-lipped on whether Guinness will fill some of that space. "We are currently engaged with three developers," Mr Carty says. "You will soon hear about part of the site being developed." "I'm hoping they will put a hotel in there, it would be great for The Liberties, but we can't influence that," he added. Having initially trained to be a chef, the Meath man began managing his first hotel at just 26, while living in the UK. Following a move to the Middle East and Asia, where he spent several years working in a number of five-star hotels, including in Bahrain, Singapore and Saudi Arabia, Mr Carty was approached about returning to Ireland to manage what would become the Guinness Storehouse. His initial reaction was probably not what his would-be-employers wanted to hear. "I said [to the recruiter] no, I am not going to give up running beautiful five-star hotels to open a visitor centre." However, his curiosity was sparked and a trip back Ireland to interview for the role, along with a pint or two of the black stuff along the way and his mind was changed. "When I did the interview I realised that actually I loved it and I wouldn't mind giving up hotel management because the storehouse is a five-star hotel without the bedrooms." Arriving to the Dublin 8 location, what greeted Mr Carty was "a building site". "I thought how in the name of God are we going to knock this together into a world-class visitor centre? It had been lying empty since 1987." In order to transform the centre into the popular tourist attraction that it is today - the storehouse welcomes around 1.8 million visitors a year - Mr Carty got in a number of creative people. He freely admits they didn't get everything right in the beginning. "We got a lot wrong when we opened in 2000. What we have now is completely different to when we opened. I would have loved the retail and food and beverage outlets on the outside and people didn't have to pay for the visitor experience to come in to dine," Mr Carty says. "But we got an awful lot right. Creating the rooftop bar was one of the best things we got right. And the other thing we got right was creating this whole sense of welcome and hospitality." For Mr Carty, a number of factors have helped contribute to the success of the storehouse. "Guinness is a very, very admired and loved brand globally, and it is synonymous with Ireland and Dublin. People who come here love the story around it - it's quintessentially Irish. We do great marketing and we don't use the word no." Familiar with being a stranger in a city, it's clear Mr Carty has a strong understanding of being a visitor. "I always say being a tourist can be very lonely, so we want to give them a welcome and orientation, advise them where to go next. We give that welcome to Ireland." Without question the attraction has also benefited from the huge investment that has gone into it. Initially 34m was put into developing it. Since then a further 30m has been spent on improving the visitor experience. "We are constantly upgrading and refreshing the offering and the visitors notice that. We will only get new visitors by word of mouth and people saying great things about us." The latest development, which will see 16m spent on doubling the capacity of the famous Gravity Bar, is expected to be completed by December/January. "Three to four years down the road we have earmarked a building across the road for future expansion. There is a bridge linking the storehouse to that building and we will put in a whole new experience in that space," Mr Carty said, adding, "once we go over two million visitors we will need the extra space". Alongside Guinness, the Teeling brothers, and a number of other distilleries, Dublin 8 is turning back the clock on its history which saw the Liberties area dominated by brewing and distilling families in the late 18th century. Far from viewing the other businesses as competition, Mr Carty takes "the more the merrier" attitude. "Clustering works - these are all fabulous additions to the offering," he says. With the tourism sector in Ireland at particular risk from Brexit, the Guinness Storehouse, despite its success, has already felt the effects. "We are suffering because of Brexit, there has been a drop-off in UK visitors ... a fall of about 7pc last year. It's a shame because the UK is our nearest, dearest market - it's 3.5 million visitors to Ireland each year. "I'm hoping when the sterling-euro relationship improves we will see a growth back from the UK." The fall in UK visitors has been compensated by growth from other markets, notably mainland Europe and the US. "We are also seeing the developing markets like China, India beginning to start slowly growing." For Mr Carty what happens with Dublin Airport will also be important for tourism in Ireland. "It is all dependent on Dublin Airport. The DAA do a great job bringing in new flights. Let's hope they get their second runway and things start developing there," he says. Twenty years on and 20 million visitors later Mr Carty certainly has plenty to raise a glass to. A security source told Reuters that Britain would block Huawei from all core parts of the 5G network and access to non-core parts would be restricted The UK will allow Huawei a restricted role in building parts of its 5G network, seeking a middle way in a bitter dispute between the US and China over the next generation of communications technology. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, is under intense scrutiny after the US told allies not to use its technology because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has categorically denied this. Britain's National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May, met to discuss Huawei on Tuesday. A security source told Reuters that Britain would block Huawei from all core parts of the 5G network and access to non-core parts would be restricted. A second source confirmed that. "It's essential that we get the balance right, ensuring that our networks are built in a way that is secure against interference from whatever source, but also are competitive," said UK finance minister, Philip Hammond. The 'Daily Telegraph' newspaper first reported the Huawei decision. 5G, which will offer much faster data speeds and become the foundation stone of many industries and networks, is seen as one of the biggest innovations since the birth of the internet itself a generation ago. In what some have compared to the Cold War arms race, the United States is worried 5G dominance would give a competitor such as China an advantage Washington is not ready to accept. Reuters What have Trinity College, Dublin Zoo, and the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board got in common? Sadly, they've all been conned out of large amounts of money by clever forms of email fraud. Dublin's oldest university was stung for almost 800,000 in 2017, when a scammer got hold of the email account owned by an employee of the college's fundraising division. The crook transferred the money to another account. While Trinity recovered 218,000 of the money, it also spent 184,000 on investigating the cyber fraud. That same year, Dublin Zoo was hit for almost 500,000 when fraudsters posed as one of the zoo's suppliers, claiming that their banking details had changed. When the zoo then paid subsequent invoices it received from the actual supplier, the scammers got the cash. While neither the zoo nor Gardai have officially commented on the money's whereabouts, it's understood that most of the cash was retrieved. A similar scam cost the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board, which oversees the education of 35,000 students and 16 secondary schools, almost 250,000. Meanwhile, Ryanair got tricked in 2015 when over 4.5m was diverted from an account meant to pay fuel bills. This kind of fraud is called different names, including 'invoice redirection fraud', 'invoice fraud' or 'business email compromise fraud'. It's related closely to 'CEO fraud'. Expand Close Trinity College Dublin fell prey to email fraud / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Trinity College Dublin fell prey to email fraud The basics are that someone poses as a known supplier or executive inside or outside the company. They use an email address or domain to dupe a company's financial officers into transferring sums of money to bogus accounts they've set up. They carry this off often by posing as a supplier that has 'changed' its bank account details. It's not just Irish organisations that are getting hit. Even sophisticated tech giants get caught by fraud. Facebook and Google between them saw close to $100m (89m) drained away in 2015 using a series of forged invoices, contracts and letters that appeared to have been executed and signed by executives at the multinational firms. Last month, a Lithuanian man pleaded guilty in a US court to the fraud. One of the fundamental problems of email, invoice and CEO fraud is that the internet makes it incredibly easy to fake an email, a web domain, a text number or even a phone number. This ranges from so-called 'prank' services such as Spoofbox, Deadfake and Anonymailer to much more sophisticated bespoke systems. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of programming can also get in on the act with a few simple lines of code. In about 10 minutes, it's possible to send someone an email purporting to show the email address of almost anyone - private or public - you choose. Systems try to deal with this by using protocols such as DMarc, which gives a recipient's mail system an idea of a sender's trustworthiness. But only a minority of web domains use this, leading to problems with standardisation. "DMarc is a good indicator of hygiene," says Brian Honan, founder of cybersecurity specialist firm BH Consulting. "But just because you have it doesn't mean that people can't spoof you. It just means extra locks on your door." Precise figures as to the exact scale of invoice-redirection fraud (and related scams like CEO fraud) in Ireland aren't publicly available. But one of the country's top investigating detectives says that it's a "rising problem" here. "It's very difficult or know how many there are on a weekly basis," says Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Lordan of the Financial Intelligence Unit. "Some weeks we come across one or two, some weeks it's more or less. Some are investigated locally, while the bigger ones are where the money goes out internationally. But there has been a substantial rise in prosecutions for money laundering in Ireland. We have a lot of cases underway. People are being charged." A recent survey by Behaviours and Attitudes polling company, using Central Statistics Office data, found that 21pc of Irish SMEs were targeted for invoice redirection fraud in 2018, with about a third targeted for financial fraud generally. Of these, the survey found that one in 18 of the attempts were successful. Overall, a total of 4,257 Irish companies found themselves hit by some sort of IT-based scam in 2018, with email phishing (72pc) still the most common form of attack. 'Vishing', which is similar to phishing except using a phone, was experienced by 26pc of victims with just over a fifth seeing an invoice redirection scam get to them. One big problem that Irish companies have is that more than a third don't look to confirm the veracity of claimed new bank details from a supplier. And only one in four say they have invested in fraud detection software. But if and when you do notice that your firm has been affected, time is of the essence to get your money back, says Lordan. "If you leave it more than two or three days, it's gone," he says. "We sometimes find this being done on a Friday evening, when everyone's then gone for the weekend." Lordan says that firms' first instinct - to see whether it's an inside job - is usually wrong and ends up wasting time. "What a lot of companies do when they find out that they've lost, say, 100,000 to this type of scam is they assume that someone internally must have set it up," he says. "So they spend a lot of time looking at internal controls, but that's often just wasted time." Meanwhile, the latest Central Statistics Office figures show that fraud (in general) rose by almost a fifth in 2018. That means an extra 1,000 crimes recorded compared to 2017, even though this classification takes in a wider variety of offences than simply email, invoice or CEO fraud. This kind of fraud spawns a very different class of criminal behaviour to what we normally think of as email scams Forget about misspelled emails claiming to be from African princes. These scams are sophisticated, tone-perfect and personalised. "They can copy an executive's tone of voice," says Niamh Davenport, head of fraud prevention at the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland. "If your CEO writes in a certain way, they would copy that. They may have hacked into the CEO's email a couple of months back and then analysed how he or she writes or communicates. "So that when they see their chance, they go in and sound more realistic." In this way, the modern email fraudster is far removed from the kind of phishing attempts that are laughed at by office workers. "These are not the Nigerian 419 scammers we would have been aware of before," says Conor Flynn, managing director of the security specialist firm Isas. "What you're up against now is highly capable, motivated people who see the opportunity to commit a crime. These are people who are patient, whose first language is English, who have business acumen. They gradually get involved in business discussions in their victims' networks." So what happens when a scammer siphons off a company's money into a separate account? How do they actually draw the cash down? In Ireland, that's increasingly done using college students. "What happens is that someone approaches a student and says 'a friend of mine wants to invest here in Ireland, but it's taking a while to get past the red tape, so I'll pay you 500 to use your account'," says Detective Chief Superintendent Pat Lordan. "There are several hundred student accounts in Ireland being used for this type of activity. That's because the easiest way to get money out of an account, as well as slowing down an investigative trail, is to wire transfer it to 50 different accounts. It's like a spider's web. And then they'll have people go and collect the cash using the students." The students, Lordan says, are presumed to know that they're involved in something fishy. "We've seen one student do it two or three times, so they know what they're doing," he says. "And they are now getting into trouble for it. Some have been charged and more will be charged. Custodial sentences are now in the frame. Because without a money mule, this fraud often doesn't work. It's like drug trafficking." As to who is responsible for such scams and where the money goes, Lordan says it varies. "Three weeks ago, we saw a company hit for 150,000," he says. "The money ended up in Belgium. Through contacts we had, we found out reasonably quickly and within 48 hours we had frozen some of that money." Holland is another place that money has been transferred, while Asia is proving a popular destination now too. "We've had a lot of success getting money back from Hong Kong," he says. "It often depends by country as to what agencies have the power to freeze suspected money laundering funds. In some countries it's the police, in other countries it's other agencies. "In Ireland we're lucky because the financial intelligence unit here is a police body so we can move quickly." In an age of artificial intelligence, machine learning and biometrics, new technology can sort this problem out, right? It seems not. While some machine-learning techniques are being deployed, the extent of human issues at the core of what's going on makes finding a technological solution difficult. That hasn't stopped some companies trying. "We apply sophisticated analytical techniques to vast amounts of payments data to build models which identify suspicious activity," says Vocalink Analytics, a division of Mastercard. "Every time a business pays an invoice, a behavioural signature is left behind. By analysing these signatures, and the signatures of historical frauds, we are able to identify and flag suspected incidents of fraud." NatWest recently claimed to have saved its customers 9m through machine learning using Vocalink's technology. The Royal Bank Of Scotland is also using Vocalink's services. The banks, which often have most to lose, are to the fore in deploying such systems. Artificial intelligence is also being looked at as a possible aid. Europe's biggest bank, HSBC, has said that it aims to integrate artificial intelligence software supplied by a UK startup called Quantexa. This would screen customer transactions and other data, as well as some publicly available data, to search for tell-tale signs of fraud. Some of the data scanned by Quantexa's software includes news reports, company directors and phone numbers. But quick solutions may be a pipe dream. "Any bank hoping for a black box in the corner that will sniff out the launderers will be disappointed," said Rob Gruppetta, head of the UK Financial Conduit Authority's financial crime department in a recent speech. "But the technology has the capability to better achieve what we all want, which is keeping finance clean." Officials have said they would continue to talk to the Indian Prairie District about how to mitigate the effect of the TIF district. In the past, the city has talked about making payments to the school district based on what the four outlots created along Commons Drive would generate. Those outlots could be for office or retail development or even restaurants. Daniel Craig at the premiere of Spectre at the Royal Albert Hall in London (Matt Crossick/PA) Since he emerged from the sea in a pair of trunks in Casino Royale, Daniel Craig has continued to reinvent the character of James Bond. He returns as Ian Flemings famed spy for a fifth outing in the upcoming Bond film, with other cast members announced at an event in Jamaica attended by Craig on Thursday. Asked about the appeal of Bond in a fan question, Craig said: I think consistency, and the movies have been an event. Weve been expecting you. 007 himself, Daniel Craig, is at the #BOND25 Live Reveal in Jamaica pic.twitter.com/F6KLGA9X5s James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019 I mean, I think, for myself, I remember going to see them as kids, they were a moment. The new Bond coming out was just incredibly exciting and weve just tried, during my tenure, weve just tried to continue that tradition of making movies that stand out and are different from the other movies out there. The Cheshire-born actor, who said the early films with Sean Connery were just so amazing, crafted a darker, tougher 007. Craig, 51, was born to an art teacher mother and pub landlord father. He attended school in Merseyside before moving to Liverpool after his parents divorce. After being accepted into the National Youth Theatre, he moved to London and worked in restaurants while he applied, at first unsuccessfully, to numerous drama schools. Later accepted into the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican, he began three years of study. Video of the Day Between 1992 and 2004 he played parts on stage and on screen, with his turn as a drug dealer in gangster thriller Layer Cake earning him plaudits. In 2005 he was tapped by Eon Productions, the company behind the Bond films. He accepted, becoming the first Bond to have been born after the original series began and after the death of Fleming. But there was backlash from some fans, who said 5ft 10ins blond Craig was not a right fit for the spy. Bond was described by Fleming in his books as tall and dark-haired. But previous Bonds, including Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, Sir Sean Connery and Sir Roger Moore, spoke out in support of Craig. More than a decade on, Craig is close to becoming the longest serving Bond. Sir Roger was officially Bond from August 1 1972, when he was announced in the role, to August 6 1986, when his replacement, Dalton, was announced. He will overtake Sir Rogers record of 5,118 days in October this year. Craig was the first to fully explore Bonds murky family history. In Skyfall, Javier Bardems Silva chases Bond to his remote and starkly beautiful family home in the Scottish highlands. Under siege from Silva, Bond fights alongside his gamekeeper Kincade, played by Albert Finney, who died in February this year. The film touched on Bonds family history his parents were killed in a mountain climbing accident in France when he was 11, according to Flemings books. Craig, however, did maintain Bonds fondness for bedding attractive women. Casino Royale saw Craigs romance with Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green, blossom. Her eventual death would drive him to seek out her killers in Quantum Of Solace. Later films saw him pursue Gemma Arterton as Strawberry Fields and French actress Lea Seydoux as Dr Madeleine Swann, the daughter of mysterious Spectre member Mr White. But Craig tried to play down Bonds reputation as a womaniser, saying in 2015: Hopefully, my Bond is not as sexist and misogynistic as (earlier incarnations). The world has changed. Craig was not always tipped to return as Bond for the 25th outing. After finishing filming for Spectre, he said he would rather slash my wrists than take on the role again. The star told Time Out magazine he wanted to move on from the franchise, but added that if he were to do another 007 film it would only be for the money. SOME mothers involved in custody battles use their "children as pawns" and cause fathers to have "nervous breakdowns", former Justice Minister Alan Shatter has claimed. In an extraordinary Dail tirade, Mr Shatter launched an attack on elements of the Government's Children and Family Relationships Bill. He said the bill does not go far enough in terms of fathers' rights and severely favours the mother in the separated relationship. "There is an enormous problem where people are estranged of the primary custodial parent, who most often is the mother, deliberately, deliberately, obstructing fathers from accessing children," Mr Shatter said. Speaking during today's debate on the bill, the Dublin South TD furiously attacked some mothers involved in custodial cases. "Using children as pawns. Going to war with fathers, causing some fathers to have nervous breakdowns. Destroying relationships deliberately between children and fathers," he said of mothers in some legal battles. "And yes it's right, and the provisions about this bill about counselling and sending people off to mediation which were all in the draft bill are all absolutely right," Mr Shatter told the Dail. "But the courts have nothing of practical use they can do where you have the obstinate, obstructive, venomous, hate-filled parent who is determined to destroy the other parent and to destroy the other parent's relationship," he added. The comments by Mr Shatter are significant given that he compiled the drafts of the landmark bill before he resigned as Justice Minister. TDs are continuing to debate the bill in the Dail. A community has rallied around the grief-stricken family of 13-year-old Ryan Nagle following his tragic death after a quad-bike accident. His death has rocked the close-knit community of Castlemaine, Co Kerry, where Ryan and his family are well-known and liked. The schoolboy was involved in the accident at Ballygamboon in Castlemaine on April 16. He was being treated in Temple Street Children's Hospital but died on Tuesday. Ryan was the son of Brian and Irene Nagle, from the local area. Tributes have been pouring in for the teenager, who was described as a wonderful young boy who had touched many hearts in the local community. Friends and family described the youngster as a character who had achieved a huge amount in his tragically short life. Principal of Killorglin Community College Donal O'Reilly led tributes to the first-year student. Ryan was formerly a pupil of Firies National School and had almost completed his first year at Killorglin Community College. "This is a terrible tragedy for his family, our school and our community. Saddened "We are deeply saddened at these events, and our thoughts and sympathies are with the Nagle family and friends at this time," principal Mr O'Reilly said. Ryan had been in the community's thoughts and prayers over the past week as he battled for his life in the Dublin hospital following the accident more than a week ago. The devastating news he had died filtered through on Tuesday morning. He was one of four children. His older brother Jack and sister Chloe also attend Killorglin Community College. He has a younger brother, Gearoid. The school moved to implement its critical-incident management plan, involving psychologists from the National Educational Psychologists Service (NEPS), South West Counselling, and Killorglin Neighbour Youth Project, who are on hand to help the students face the terrible tragedy. Mr O'Reilly said the people of Castlemaine had rallied around the Nagle family and school at this most distressing time for everyone who had known Ryan. Ryan's funeral takes place tomorrow in Kiltillagh Church at noon. Family flowers only are requested and donations can be made if desired to the ICU at Temple Street Hospital in Dublin. The jury in the Tipperary 'love-rival' murder trial has been told the time, date and location of the killing are an issue in the case. It will resume its deliberations this morning at the Central Criminal Court. Deliberations have been ongoing since Tuesday afternoon, and the jury has now spent three hours and 38 minutes considering its verdict. Farmer Patrick Quirke has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his alleged love rival Bobby Ryan, a part-time DJ known as 'Mr Moonlight'. When the jury of six men and six women was brought into court yesterday morning, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon said she had previously told it the prosecution does not have to prove the location of death in this case. She said that in fact what the prosecution had to prove is that the death of Mr Ryan occurred in Co Tipperary. But the judge added that in law the prosecution does not have to prove a specific location. She told jurors that in this case the time, date and location of the killing were an issue. The judge told the jury it was for it to decide what weight to give to evidence. She also said it needed to bear in mind the burden of proof was on the prosecution. The jury was also given USB sticks yesterday by both the prosecution and defence containing documentation entered in evidence. The court heard the jury had been provided with a large screen on which to view the documents. Mr Quirke (50), of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, denies murdering Mr Ryan (52) on a date between June 3, 2011, and April 2013. The prosecution alleges Mr Quirke killed Mr Ryan so he could rekindle his affair with Mary Lowry, the widow whose farm Mr Quirke was leasing. Mr Quirke and Ms Lowry had an affair between 2008 and 2010, which she described in court as "sordid" and "sleazy". Ms Lowry began a relationship with Mr Ryan after meeting him in August 2010. The jury has heard Mr Ryan disappeared after leaving Ms Lowry's house at Fawnagown, Co Tipperary, at 6.30am on the morning of June 3, 2011. His body was discovered 22 months later by Mr Quirke in an underground tank on the farm. The prosecution alleges the discovery was "staged". There are two verdicts open to the jury, either guilty of murder or not guilty. A short time into their deliberations on Tuesday, the jury sought printouts of Mr Quirke's interviews with gardai as well as phone records entered in evidence. The prosecution has said the case against Mr Quirke is built on various strands of circumstantial evidence. It says that when woven together these leave no room for doubt that he is guilty of murder. However, the defence argues there is no hard evidence against Mr Quirke and that the height of the prosecution case was suspicion. In her charge to the jury, Ms Justice Creedon said circumstantial evidence could be powerful, but also needed to be treated with care. She said the jury needed to be objective and dispassionate. Pleaded not guilty: Patrick Quirke departs the Criminal Courts of Justice. Photo: Gerry Mooney The jury in the Tipperary love rival trial will resume its deliberations in the morning. The jury was sent home for the evening by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon shortly after 4pm and has now been deliberating for seven hours and 23 minutes. Farmer Pat Quirke (50), of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, denies murdering his alleged love rival Bobby Ryan (52), a quarry worker and part-time DJ known as Mr Moonlight, on a date between June 3, 2011, and April 2013. The prosecution alleges Mr Quirke killed Mr Ryan so he could rekindle his affair with Mary Lowry, the widow whose farm Mr Quirke was leasing. The jury has heard Mr Ryan disappeared after leaving Ms Lowrys house at Fawnagown, Co Tipperary at 6.30am on the morning of June 3, 2011. His body was discovered 22 months later by Mr Quirke in an underground tank on the farm, but the prosecution alleges this was a staged discovery. There are two verdicts open to the jury, either guilty of murder or not guilty. The jury will resume deliberations at 11am tomorrow. 'Up to 20 members of the force, aided by sniffer dogs, combed the freshly ploughed area throughout the afternoon in the search for a gun linked to the ongoing Drogheda feud' (stock photo) A major search operation for firearms was carried out by gardai at a field close to the home of a gang boss who is due to be released from prison. Officers from Ashbourne garda station carried out the search in Gormanston, Co Meath, yesterday afternoon after receiving "reliable intelligence" that at least one weapon had been stashed at the site. Up to 20 members of the force, aided by sniffer dogs, combed the freshly ploughed area throughout the afternoon in the search for a gun linked to the ongoing Drogheda feud. The search party trawled through ditches and cut back thick vegetation using slash hooks, while a number of armed gardai kept watch at the site's entrance. A senior source confirmed last night that yesterday's search operation is just one of a number that are planned in the coming weeks ahead of the release of Cornelius Price from Wheatfield Prison in less than a month's time. Sources have revealed that Price (37) had been using an illegal mobile phone to issue threats in the weeks before jail bosses clamped down on his behaviour earlier this month. "He is coming out of jail in the middle of May and was letting it be known that he intends to be the top dog in north Co Dublin again - he was issuing threats to other criminals in the Balbriggan area, as well as in Drogheda," a source explained. It is Price's close association with the Maguire faction in the deadly Co Louth gang feud which is causing gardai their biggest headache and it is this link that led to yesterday's searches, in which no weapon was found. Gardai believe hundreds of millions of euro have been laundered through Irish bank accounts with students complicit in criminal acts (stock photo) Modern 'phishing' email scammers are much more subtle and clever than in the past (stock photo) Hundreds of students are staring at the prospect of jail time for letting fraudsters use their bank accounts, a leading anti-fraud garda has warned. Gardai believe hundreds of millions of euro have been laundered through Irish bank accounts with students complicit in criminal acts. They are being contacted via social media with the lure of making easy money. Criminals see university campuses as soft targets for recruiting these "money mules". Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Lordan described the complexity of the network as a "spider's web". He told the Irish Independent students who had got involved in the scam were now under threat of being jailed. Det Chief Supt Lordan said students accepting cash for the use of their accounts had become rife. "There are several hundred student accounts in Ireland being used for this type of activity," he said. "We've seen one student do it two or three times, so they know what they're doing. And they are now getting into trouble. Some have been charged and more will be charged. "Custodial sentences are now in the frame. Because without a money mule, this fraud often doesn't work. It's like drug trafficking." The phenomenon has escalated amid a surge of online money-laundering scams by hackers and IT-savvy gangs that defraud companies and semi-state bodies using email techniques. Once a scam has been successful, scammers need a bank account to transfer the money into for withdrawal. "What happens is that someone approaches a student and says 'a friend of mine wants to invest here in Ireland, but it's taking a while to get past the red tape, so I'll pay you 500 to use your account'," said the senior officer. The fraudster then wires illicit cash into the account before getting the student to take it out or move it on to a further account. Det Chief Supt Lordan said students must be fully aware they are facing serious criminal sanctions if they engage in what may appear harmless. "These students are committing offences," he said. "This can have a permanent effect on your life." He said any students who found themselves in such a situation should report it. A separate scam known as invoice redirect fraud has also increased in frequency here. The scammer poses as a trusted supplier or a company executive, often hacking or mimicking an established company email address or mobile number. The criminal then dupes other legitimate company officers into transferring money to bogus accounts they've set up. They carry this off often by posing as a supplier that has "changed" its bank account details. Organisations caught in such scams include Trinity College Dublin, which was hit for almost 800,000 in this way in 2017, and Dublin Zoo, which saw 500,000 siphoned away through an imitation supplier bank account. Detectives are investigating two aggravated burglaries in separate counties in which pensioners were terrorised in their homes. Garda in Dublin and Louth are hunting for two groups involved in the break-ins on Tuesday night and yesterday morning. In one incident in Dundalk, Co Louth, an elderly couple in their 80s were taken to hospital with shock after being locked into a room in their home during a break-in. In a separate incident, a couple living in south Dublin, aged in their 70s, were left shaken after a man posing as a delivery driver called to their door yesterday morning before three men stormed into the house. Gardai at Terenure are investigating the aggravated burglary at the house on Templeogue Road at around 10.30am. A man claiming to be a delivery driver called to the house, and when the homeowner answered, three men forced their way in. The couple, a man and a woman both aged in their 70s, were threatened and tied up with restraints before the gang made their way through the house. A four-figure sum of cash was taken by the gang, who then fled in a white van. No serious injuries were reported during the break-in, but the couple are understood to have been left extremely shaken. Detectives are investigating whether the break-in was a targeted crime rather than opportunistic. A spokesman said: "Gardai are appealing for any information, in particular any motorists or cyclists who travelled along the R137 Templeogue Road between the hours of 9am and 11.30am on April 24, who may have dash-cam footage, to contact Terenure garda station on 01 666 6400." Separately, detectives in Louth are hunting for an armed gang who terrorised an elderly couple in their home on Tuesday night. At around 8pm, two men, armed with a knife, hammer and hatchet, broke into a house on Rock Road, Blackrock, close to Dundalk. The couple were threatened and locked into an upstairs bedroom by the gang, before their home was ransacked by the men. They eventually made off with a sum of cash and a car from the property. Gardai were called to the scene and both pensioners were taken to hospital suffering from shock. Gardai have said no arrests have yet been made in relation to the aggravated burglary and investigations are ongoing. The elderly couple's home in Blackrock, Co Louth, was left vacant for a number of hours yesterday afternoon. It is understood they are still very shaken up and traumatised by the aggravated burglary and are being taken care of by their extended family. A lone Garda car was seen parked in the driveway for a period, but left the premises during the course of the day. Neighbours of the targeted family expressed their shock at Tuesday night's terrifying incident. "To read in detail about what happened to them made me feel sick to the stomach," said a local resident, who did not wish to be named. Education Minister Joe McHugh has promised early talks between his officials and secondary teacher leaders over repayment of money they lost when pay sanctions were imposed on them during a dispute two years ago. If a deal is reached with the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), it will mean a back-pay bill of at least 15m. The minister's commitment came as the 16,800-member ASTI announced it may sue the Government over the decision to penalise its members but not nurses who went on strike earlier this year. ASTI members are continuing to feel the effects of an increments freeze imposed in 2016-17, which amount to accumulated losses to date of 15m, Mr McHugh confirmed. He acknowledged the increment losses were an issue and told reporters his department was taking it "very seriously" and his officials would engage with the union "hopefully, sooner rather than later". The ASTI dispute, over junior cycle reform, ended in June 2017 and the increments were restored immediately . But June became the standard date for increments to apply, and teachers whose increment was originally due earlier in the school year are losing the value of it for the intervening period. ASTI general secretary Kieran Christie told his union's conference it had identified a number of potential grounds for legal action including a judicial review arising from the 2016-17 pay freeze. Mr Christie said the union may also consider an action for breach of members' constitutional right to equality provided by the constitution. Under the rules of the public sector pay deal and legislation, known as Fempi, introduced during the financial crash, the Government has the power to impose penalties on unions for taking industrial action. But ASTI is furious that while sanctions were imposed on its members, the same did not apply to members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) who took strike action this year. "We are working with our lawyers to see what can be done about the differential treatment of ASTI and INMO members regarding the application of the Fempi legislation," he said. Meanwhile, an end of two-tier pay scales in teaching continued to be a major talking point at the conferences. Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) president Seamus Lahart told Mr McHugh it would not give up its campaign until every teacher was paid equally for the work they do. Further clarification emerged on the potential scope of the process announced to deal with outstanding pay equality issues for teachers arising from the era of cuts. Inequality The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) says it will bring its members "over the finishing line" in terms of ending inequality. Second-level unions have been more cautious because of concerns about whether it could deal with the loss of postgraduate qualifications allowances, which they say must be resolved if equality is to be restored for their members. Speaking to reporters, Mr McHugh said the allowances, were currently before the Teachers' Conciliation Council "which is nothing to do with this". Asked if the issue could be referred to the new process if the unions did not get a resolution at the council, the minister said: "I think everything can be on the table when it comes to outstanding issues. That is part of the outstanding issues from within the second-level schools sector." Flames engulfed the spire of the Gothic church, and it collapsed. There were no deaths reported as part of the fire, and the cathedral's structure was saved after firefighters were able to keep fire from spreading to other parts of the church. A Dublin doctor was forced to travel to Northern Ireland to donate a kidney to help a sick stranger. Dr Dominick Natin, an occupational physician in the Mater Hospital in Dublin, is one of a handful of altruistic donors who have given a kidney to someone they do not know. Expand Close Fun: Dialysis patient Sam Kinahan (4), from Baldoyle, Dublin, with sister Ali (8) at the launch of the Irish Kidney Association's Run for a Life family fun run in Clondalkin on May 25. Photo: Conor McCabe / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fun: Dialysis patient Sam Kinahan (4), from Baldoyle, Dublin, with sister Ali (8) at the launch of the Irish Kidney Association's Run for a Life family fun run in Clondalkin on May 25. Photo: Conor McCabe There is no such programme in the Republic, which confines donation of kidneys from people who have died or from living donors of relatives or friends. Dr Natin, who travelled to Belfast to donate his kidney, said that "from an early age" he wanted to help others and he is also a regular blood donor having been inspired by his childhood GP. It is believed another three to five transplants could be carried out here annually if altruistic donation was allowed, the 'Medical Independent' reported. But people who express an interest to doctors at Beaumont Hospital, where kidney transplants are carried out, have to be directed to Northern Ireland. Dr Natin said he read widely about giving the kidney in advance of having the operation and he underwent a thorough assessment. He was told his kidney was a perfect match for a patient who was on the waiting list. Late last year, he finished work at 6pm, took the train to Belfast and had his kidney removed the following day. "I woke up that evening feeling absolutely fine," he said. "I was told the good news that the recipient had got the kidney, it was working well and the medical teams were very happy." He was fit for discharge less than 24 hours later but he stayed on another day on the advice of his wife. The recipient asked to meet him before he left hospital. He described the patient as "very lovely and gracious" and they have since written to him to say how their life has been transformed. Dr Natin was back at work in four weeks and did not accept vouched expenses, which he was entitled to under the NHS programme. He believes there is a need to educate people, including healthcare staff, that it is a relatively safe operation. It will be necessary for the Government to bring in long-delayed legislation covering human tissue before altruistic donation is allowed in the State. Last year, there were 40 donations of living kidneys by relatives and friends here. There were 2,124 patients receiving kidney dialysis treatment last year, an increase of 50 compared to 2017. The number of people on transplant waiting pools for all organs - including kidney, heart, lung, liver and pancreas - is approximately 550. But thanks to the gift of organ donation almost 4,000 people who have received transplants in Ireland are enjoying extended lives. The Irish Kidney Association said that consent levels increased in intensive care units where there was a fully trained nurse who specialised in organ donation. In the UK, only 22pc of families consented when no special nurse is involved. Doctors at a second hospital had to threaten a form of industrial action in protest at poor conditions in its mortuary before securing a promise of funding for a major upgrade, it emerged yesterday. The warning, which had to be issued by pathologists at Letterkenny Hospital in Donegal last year, echoes the same desperation of doctors at University Hospital Waterford who wrote a graphic letter to the HSE revealing the indignity of bodies decomposing in the corridors of the mortuary. The pathologists in Donegal were forced to warn that some mortuary services would have to be transferred to Sligo. This led to Saolta Hospital Group agreeing to ask the HSE to speed up the refurbishment of the hospital's mortuary facilities. The mortuary facilities in Waterford were described as so inferior they are causing "almost unspeakable distress to relatives". Professor Rob Landers, one of a number of pathologists who signed the letter to the HSE last October, said the mortuary was struggling to care for the deceased in cramped facilities, which left them with a lack of storage and bodies lying on trolleys in the corridor "leaking body fluids" on to the floor. A lack of proper temperature control also meant some bodies decomposed and forced closed-coffin funerals. The doctors said the "trauma imposed on the bereaved is almost unspeakable". The cramped facilities "expose the public to the noises and odours of a working post mortem". Staff are working in an "unsafe environment" and exposed to infection and chemical risks. This also extends to gardai, State pathologists, undertakers and embalmers. They warned it was only a matter of time before a high-profile case would result in widespread adverse and reputational damage. The need for a new mortuary was agreed by the HSE in 2006, but it took the publication of last October's letter in the 'Waterford News and Star' newspaper to secure action. A spokeswoman for the South/South West Hospital Group and the National Acute Hospitals Division of the HSE said it was now a "priority" to replace Waterford's mortuary. It is included in the draft capital plan sent to the Department of Health for approval. It expects progress to selecting a contractor and starting construction of a new mortuary in the final quarter of this year, with the 5m build taking 20 months. In the meantime, it is "examining arrangements to address the issues raised", although it did not specify what these are. Health Minister Simon Harris said he spoke to hospital management yesterday. "The minister has made it clear to the HSE that this project needs to be progressed as a matter of priority and funding will be provided," said the Department of Health. Fianna Fail spokesman on health Stephen Donnelly said issues with the mortuary had been highlighted since 2004, but the HSE had failed to replace it. "Patients, visitors and staff are at risk in these unsafe and unsanitary conditions," he said. The Irish Hospice Foundation said well-designed spaces for the appropriate and compassionate care of the deceased and their relatives were an essential part of modern hospital care. "A mortuary is a sanctuary and must convey a sense of reverence and respect for life, death and bereavement. It is our goal that all hospital mortuaries will be upgraded over the coming year," it said. 'According to the 'Waterford News and Star', Coroner John Goff ruled the cause of death as caffeine toxicity after Dr Nigam Shah, consultant pathologist at University Hospital Waterford, discovered the presence of amphetamines and a ''very high'' level of caffeine in his body.' (stock photo) A leading toxicologist has warned of the dangerous effects of caffeine mixed with drugs after it emerged a 34-year-old man died with a fatal level in his system. Waterford Coroner's Court found that Krystzof Golczyk, who had consumed caffeine tablets while he attended the gym, died in his apartment with a fatal level of caffeine and a high level of amphetamine in his body on April 30, 2018. According to the 'Waterford News and Star', Coroner John Goff ruled the cause of death as caffeine toxicity after Dr Nigam Shah, consultant pathologist at University Hospital Waterford, discovered the presence of amphetamines and a "very high" level of caffeine in his body. The court was told the deceased had been taking caffeine tablets and had attended the gym the night before he was found. When consumed by humans, caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, and in moderate doses "increases alertness and reduces sleepiness", as described by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). According to Dr Craig Slattery, assistant professor of toxicology and regulatory affairs at University College Dublin (UCD), the recommended daily allowance of caffeine is 500mg a day - equal to about six espresso shots. However, caffeine tablets or supplements, which typically include 200-300mg of caffeine or a double espresso shot, can become dangerous territory if the consumer takes too many. "Coffee is not the only thing you get caffeine in, but also soft drinks and energy drinks, which are the equivalent to a caffeine pill with 200 to 300mg of caffeine, or two to three cups of coffee," Dr Slattery told the Irish Independent. "If you're drinking coffee, an Americano may have two espresso shots and water, but your stomach can't physically fit more than two or three cups of coffee at one time. The issue with caffeine tablets is that you could swallow the whole bottle and not feel full. "Caffeine tablets are legal, they're not prescription and they are available in many health shops, but unfortunately, a lot of people think that a little bit is good, but more would be better. "Once people follow the instructions as provided, there should be no problem." Dr Slattery explained that one would need to consume tens of thousands of caffeine milligrams to reach a state of caffeine poisoning, which comes after intoxication. "If someone was taking 1,500-2,000mg of caffeine per day, they may experience irritability, headaches, insomnia, sometimes palpitations. But to reach a fatal level, it would be massive quantities, between 12,000-15,000mg (50 caffeine tablets) for caffeine poisoning." He said drugs such as amphetamine could make the effects of caffeine "much more potent", and that alcohol could also raise the risk of danger. "You could have eight or 10 energy drinks on a night out. If you're in that territory, you could be in caffeine intoxication, before caffeine poisoning. You're out of the safe zone. "Mixed with alcohol, caffeine makes you more alert, but alcohol does the opposite. "What tends to happen is they don't notice the effect when they drink more and more, and then they could be in danger." None of it made any sense. Inside a Cathedral of contrast there were rainbow flags representing the LGBT community. Expand Close Lyra McKee. Photo: AFP PHOTO / JESS LOWE PHOTOGRAPHY / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lyra McKee. Photo: AFP PHOTO / JESS LOWE PHOTOGRAPHY A Protestant clergyman prepared the altar with a Catholic priest. Nationalist and unionist politicians nodded knowingly at each other. Men in suits mingled with women in Harry Potter t-shirts. A Union Jack hung rigidly near carefully crafted stained-glass harps. A family talked about hope and change while their faces told a story of sadness and pain. Even when a hush fell inside St Anne's, it was interrupted by the echo of applause from outside. Expand Close Lyra McKee's partner Sara Canning is hugged by President Michael D Higgins. Photo: PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lyra McKee's partner Sara Canning is hugged by President Michael D Higgins. Photo: PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images And then we saw the most senseless thing of all. A simple wooden box with spirals on the lid, made for a 'ceasefire baby' with a flower in her hair. "Whether you have walked through the doors of this cathedral as president or prime minister, politician or police officer, personal friends or close family member, we each come to express our grief and shock, our tears and our loss," Dean Stephen Forde began. To his left were the leaders of Ireland and the United Kingdom. To his right the family and friends of a "talented and fearless young woman". In the wings were the murdered woman's fearless friends who daubed red paint on the headquarters of a group which seems unable or unwilling to let go of the past. Expand Close Mourning: A mourner wearing a Gryffindor scarf at the funeral service of Lyra McKee. Photo: BRIAN LAWLESS/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mourning: A mourner wearing a Gryffindor scarf at the funeral service of Lyra McKee. Photo: BRIAN LAWLESS/AFP/Getty Images Lyra McKee fought with her mighty pen for a future without barriers - and this ceremony was told it would be her legacy too. Stage one was bringing together Northern politicians who are so deeply entrenched that they can't hear the cries of the people anymore. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived separately but met in a side chapel so that they could walk into the main cathedral together. The Taoiseach had arrived 40 minutes early in order to privately express his sympathies to the family. A stricken Mrs May made her way to chief mourners in full view of the congregation, leaving her handbag in the aisle as she hugged Lyra's partner Sara Canning. Sara did all the talking. President Michael D Higgins arrived alongside Queen Elizabeth's Lord Lieutenant Fionnuala Jay-O'Boyle and took his place in the front row with the two leaders. Behind them, Tanaiste Simon Coveney and Secretary of State Karen Bradley. The discomfort felt by Arlene Foster and Mary Lou McDonald as they greeted each other was palpable. Yet they sang side-by-side for Lyra in the third row. It fell to Stephen 'Uncle' Lusty to break the tension with a eulogy unfit for a church - but perfect by all accounts for Lyra. He offered up her opinions on straight sex and told about the time she asked 'why do Protestants eat more vegetables than Catholics?' Tears gave way to laughter. Undeniable, uncontrollable laughter. And out of all the contrast emerged another parallel. "As a journalist she lived in a world of questions," Mr Lusty said. Her death has created many more. Tough questions which would be raised later for the political leaders. By the time Lyra's sister Nichola Corner bravely strode to the altar a clear theme had emerged. Lyra was kind, interested, feisty, generous and above all else compassionate. "Lyra is many things to many people but to her family she will be our baby," Nichola said with an astonishing depth of power in her voice. Only once in 19 minutes did she struggle to say what needed to be said. When the media move out, the politicians step back, for Lyra's mother Joan "a broken heart can never be mended and an empty space can never be filled, the unconditional love that they both shared for each other will continue for eternity". So Nichola asked that it not be in vain. "None of us will ever be the same again. We have all been changed by events of last Thursday," she said. "We can create a society where labels are meaningless. This is Lyra's legacy and we must carry it forward." Fr Martin Magill picked up where Nichola left off. The next generation doesn't need a gun. No generation ever did. "We don't need any more innocent blood to be shed." He commended political leaders for standing together in Derry since the murder. "I am however left with a question: 'Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get us to this point?'" It was the line that summed up everything, the right question about the wrong that has occurred. Spontaneous applause broke out as the crowd vaulted to its feet with hope for a new beginning. Nobody in the front three rows on the right-hand pew stood up or made eye contact until Karen Bradley, swiftly followed by Theresa May rose. Mary Lou McDonald clapped profusely, Arlene Foster timidly. And then it was time to go. A young woman who dreamed big was carried back out of St Anne's into a wall of photographers and a guard of honour from her journalistic colleagues. Final acclaim for a life that was unfinished. And still none of it made sense. Tina Potts (40), from Newtownmountkennedy in Co Wicklow, with her husband Johnny Harris A terminally ill mother-of-two who has been a life-long Take That fan has had her dream come true to see them play live for one last time. Tina Potts (40), from Newtownmountkennedy in Co Wicklow, has been given a 30pc chance of living until Christmas as she is bravely fighting ovarian cancer. Ms Potts, who is now confined to a wheelchair because of her crippling illness, had bought standing tickets for next weeks Take That concert prior to becoming unwell, but found out that the disability section in the 3Arena was full. Thanks to her friend Laura Ryan, whom she met while standing in a queue to see them on RTEs Late Late Show decades ago, her devastation about not being able to go has turned to utter excitement. Expand Close Tina Potts was diagnosed in December 2017 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tina Potts was diagnosed in December 2017 Ms Ryan launched a Twitter campaign in a bid to raise awareness to what was happening to her friend in the hope that the band members, their management or officials from the 3Arena would step in to help. While Ms Potts herself had previously tweeted: Please, please can you guys help me meet Take That. Im out of time to make this childhood dream happen as ovarian cancer sucks. Her husband Johnny Harris has also taken up her plea and explained: My wife has tickets to both Dublin gigs but is now in a wheelchair with terminal ovarian cancer and cant change (her standing) tickets to disability section as theyre full. Shes a huge fan. Cancer awareness advocate Vicky Phelan also rowed in to help calling on concert and venue management to help. The 40-year-olds cancer was diagnosed at a late stage due to suffering symptoms, which included fatigue, bloating, bowel changes and a build-up of fluid in her abdomen. Ms Potts was diagnosed in December 2017 after being rushed to A&E with severe stomach pains. While there she was told by doctors she had the late stages of the disease which was resistant to chemotherapy. Ms Potts is currently in hospital undergoing chemotherapy and has been quite ill as a result. However, a member of promotion company MCD saw their plight and offered to change their tickets. A delighted Ms Ryan explained; MCD emailed me after someone working with them saw the Twitter campaign to help her. Now they are swapping her standing tickets for wheelchair accessible ones and put her on their guest list. Im so happy for Tina. Her husband Johnny Harris added: "Im delighted (with the news). Itll be the last time she gets to see them but hopefully itll be the most memorable. Thank you (all) so so much (for your help). The Wicklow woman had been promising her now husband for 13 years she would marry him and they did on Daffodil Day last month, after learning of her devastating diagnosis. Due to phenomenal demand, a second date was added to Take Thats performance at the 3Arena. The band are playing on Monday and Tuesday, April 29 and 30 as part of their Greatest Hits Live tour. Criticised: Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said scheme will incentivse fathers to take time off to care for children. Photo: Steve Humphreys Minister Regina Doherty has come under fire for suggesting that money is not the reason for the low take-up of paternity leave among fathers. Her remarks have been branded as a "gross insult" to men amid arguments that the decision comes down to "pure hard cash" and the need to pay mortgages and creche fees. It comes as the Government announced plans for extended parental leave, including another two weeks for fathers. Figures show that around 60pc of men already don't avail of existing paternity leave and Social Protection Minister Ms Doherty made some pointed remarks about men not taking up the options. She claimed there's "a narrative that the value of money associated with the scheme isn't enough for men to take off work". Ms Doherty added: "It doesn't seem to have stopped women from taking maternity leave for time immemorial." Under the plans for extended parental leave the State will pay 245 a week, which may be voluntarily topped up by private companies if their employee is on a higher salary. It will be 'use it or lose it' for parents and won't be transferable from fathers to mothers. Ms Doherty said this will "help incentivise fathers to take more time off work to care for their children than has been the case up to now". Fianna Fail's social protection spokesman Willie O'Dea accused Ms Doherty of suggesting that men have no interest in looking after their children in their formative years and said this is a "gross insult". "In my experience the vast majority of cases where people don't take paternity leave it's because they can't afford it," Mr O'Dea said. He said a man taking home 600 or 700 a week is "put to the pin of his collar" trying to pay a mortgage and that 245 per week is a disincentive to take paternity leave. He also said the situation is akin to a postcode lottery as some employers will pay a top-up and others won't. Meanwhile, Richard Grogan, a specialist employment law solicitor, claimed that the proposals for two weeks' additional parental leave for fathers will be "as abysmal a failure as the paternity leave scheme". He told the Irish Independent that it is "virtually impossible" for fathers to take the existing leave because they have mortgages or rent as well as creche fees to pay. He said the decision comes down to "pure hard cash". He said that USC-paying parents should get 60pc of their net salary rather than a "paltry 245". He also criticised the minister for deciding to "play this card of men don't want to be involved in the rearing of children" and said she should provide research to back this up. Mr Grogan said she should make paternity leave compulsory if this is what she believes. Last night, Ms Doherty responded to the criticism, saying: "I've never claimed that new fathers don't want to spend time with their children - most do - but I have said that we need to have a conversation in this country around gender roles." She said there's still a perception "in much public discussion that caring is a 'woman's thing' and that taking time off 'real work' is still a novelty for fathers". She argued that the remarks by Mr O'Dea and Mr Grogan "underline the resistance to any cultural change around who cares and who works and is regrettable". She said that when the minimum wage was introduced it was said to be unaffordable for business but now it's accepted that it's a benchmark for fair play in the workplace. Ms Doherty added: "Similarly, over time, I hope initiatives like parental leave can change mindsets and, more importantly, actions - making it acceptable and possible for both parents to become actively involved in caring for their babies." The president of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) has resigned following a meeting of the organisation. It comes after the Irish Independent revealed that Patrick Kent had been named on MEP candidate Mick Wallace's replacement list. Mr Kent announced his intention to step down from his position as leader of ICSA with immediate effect at a meeting of the association's national executive. He has held the position since 2014. He had insisted he is "apolitical" despite being named by Independents 4 Change MEP candidate Mick Wallace on his replacement list. Mr Wallace, who is running for an MEP seat in the South constituency, named Mr Kent in the event he is elected and later cannot fulfil the role. Thousands of people are expected to take to the streets next month for a major protest against homelessness. Raise the Roof, a coalition of trade unions, civil society organisations and political parties, are staging a national rally on the housing crisis in Dublin on Saturday, May 18. Last October, campaigners from the origination saw 10,000 people join them in a similar rally outside Leinster House. Helping to launch the demonstration, Fr Peter McVerry said Irelands homeless situation is expected to get worse unless the Government commit to drastic changes in its housing policies. The number of homeless people across the country is closer to 15,000 than 10,000 reported recently and as things stand that figure is only going to increase, he said. The root cause of this problem lies with the failure to build public housing. Instead, we funnel some 2m per day to private landlords in HAP payments... that is simply not sustainable. The homelessness activist added that the Governments plan of tweaking their housing policies had failed. Any 12-year-old child would say the Government policy isnt working, but the Government cant see that yet. I would guesstimate very conservatively that there are at least half a million people in this country whose housing situation is causing them serious distress, he said. Also speaking at the launch, Mandate General Secretary John Douglas said: We will be calling on all trade union members to support this rally on May 18 to help us push for a radical and dramatic change in housing policy. Last October, with the support of Raise the Roof, the Dail passed a motion calling for a major investment in public housing provision, action on rent certainty and security of tenure plus the creation of a legal right to housing. The motion was supported by a majority of TDs and political parties along with the wide range of trade union and civil society groups involved in Raise the Roof. It needs to be implemented without delay, to help bring this emergency to an end, he said. Michelle Byrne, Vice President of the Union Students of Ireland told attendees that thousands of students in Ireland are in dire need of accommodation. This month we saw the Government bring amendments to legislation that would include purpose-built student accommodation under the rent pressure zone legislation and give students more rights, she said. This comes after we have already heard of rent hikes of 10pc in college owned accommodation in UCC and in private accommodation in Galway. We need to keep the pressure on to ensure this legislation gets through. Its been a year since this was promised and we cannot wait any longer. According to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, the number of people with dementia in Ireland is expected to more than double over the next 18 years, from 55,000 today to 113,000 in 2036. Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of conditions which cause changes and damage to the brain. It's progressive, there is no cure and the majority of people with dementia - some 63pc of them - currently live at home. There are many conditions which cause dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause. Vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and Frontotemporal dementia are other causes. Family members caring for a loved one with dementia know why it's called 'the long goodbye' - the grief they experience or the loneliness they often feel in their caring role is often not acknowledged. Maire-Anne Doyle cares for her 88-year-old father Brian in their family home in Dublin's Mount Merrion. It's not how Maire-Anne pictured her future, but she wouldn't change it either. Indeed, she was working in Toronto in a high-powered human resources job for Public Health Ontario when, four years ago, she began to notice subtle changes in her father from their Skype conversations. Her mother, Kay, had passed away 10 years earlier and her father had nursed her right up until her death. He had been living alone since then. The small deteriorations Maire-Anne was noticing - her father's general confusion about things - were alarming. But it was the day he phoned her from the top of Dawson Street in Dublin city centre and he didn't know how to get to Harcourt Street, just a short distance away, that Maire-Anne knew something was very wrong. Expand Close Maire-Anne Doyle with her father Brian, who has dementia / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Maire-Anne Doyle with her father Brian, who has dementia Not long afterwards, her father was diagnosed with vascular dementia, which affects his short-term memory. She says he went to the appointment on his own and afterwards told her and her three siblings one by one. Instinctively, Maire-Anne felt she had to do something. She and her brothers and sister had made their lives in different parts of the world - her sister lives in Vancouver, one brother is in London and another is in Malaysia. She says while she has no children of her own, her maternal instinct kicked in and she asked for a six-month leave of absence from her job. No regrets Three-and-a-half-years ago, on the cusp of 60, she packed up her life in Toronto, put her things in storage, rented out her house and moved back to the family home to care for her father. Four months later, she informed her employer she wouldn't be going back. According to Maire-Anne, one thing her father was really clear about in life was that it's always the things you don't do that you regret. He encouraged his children to grab every opportunity and to travel far and wide. One of her mother Kay's mantras was: "You'll never regret doing the right thing." These are the things that come into her mind when she's asked what helped her make up her mind to come home. That and love. Her father, she says, has always been a wonderful dad and a good man. She describes her parents as being mad about one another all through their lives, laughing together up to the end of her mother's life. "You could tell dad anything. He would always say, 'You have to tell me the truth.' We had a very close bond when I was growing up. His philosophy in life was when you have to make a decision about something, it's all about debits and credits. I went to him when I was thinking about going to Canada and he asked me if I'd done the debits and credits - the reasons for and against. He's a really positive man and he loves Monty Python. He turns things around in that way," she says. While his dementia has not affected his speech, Maire-Anne says her father's innate sense of confidence is gone. "Sometimes, he can't keep up in the conversation and he needs reassurance. Sometimes, he's very quiet because he doesn't know where the conversation is," she says. Having worked all his life as a chartered accountant, order and routine was important to him and Maire-Anne tries to ensure that routine is strict because that's what works. "His own mother relied on him a lot, mum relied on him a lot. He's always been the one to find the answers. Now, he doesn't know what the questions are to find the answers. He's still trying to find the solution," she says. Every night before bed, she puts the next day's plans on a board in the kitchen. In her father's bedroom, she has another board with a few key phrases on it to remind him where he is and to reassure him all is well. She says these little touchstones remind him there's no cause for concern. One of the important things Maire-Anne says she learned from the Alzheimer Society is that people may forget what you said to them, they may forget what you gave to them, but they don't forget how you make them feel. Even on difficult days, she says she ends her day by telling her dad how much she loves him and he responds by saying: "I love you more." She admits there are hard days, days when she has to 'vent' to her siblings. On these days, she says she's not asking them for anything more than just to listen to her. "Some days are not perfect and I do my very best not to lose the head - patience is key. "If I'm feeling overwhelmed, my brothers and sisters are there. They're incredibly supportive and are there 100pc for me," she says. According to the Alzheimer Society, it's normal for family members to feel worried, anxious, resentful and overwhelmed, and it points out that it's common for people to have feelings of grief and loss as their life and the life of the person they care for is changed by dementia. Support While Maire-Anne's life has changed beyond recognition, she feels that she's lucky in many ways to be supported by family, to have been able to maintain contact with friends in Canada, and to have good neighbours who pop in and out. She also says the lack of State support for carers is shocking. "Their [the Government's] answer seems to be 'put them in a home'. Because I've a house in Toronto, I'm not eligible for a carer's allowance. I get 300 to cover respite during the year. We are lucky from a family point of view - we're blessed really because, financially, we are okay". However Maire-Anne says others in a caring role are not okay and that's why she wants to talk about what it's like to live with and love someone with dementia, so people can understand the reality. "It really is the 'long goodbye'. I get glimmers of my dad, but they're only glimmers. You start to chat about things, but his eyes will cloud over. It's important to remember who he is," she says. The Alzheimer Society has been a life line, according to Maire-Anne, organising social events and, in the early days of Brian's illness, getting him involved in its work to promote a greater understanding of dementia in the public at large. Life, now, is about keeping things ordered. A trip to the shops, the cemetery to visit the grave of his wife or to the social events organised by the Alzheimer Society, give Brian a sense of purpose. "It's all about routine. Everything is about creating a ritual. "I know I'm doing the right thing, but sometimes I ask at what cost to myself? It's all very well for people to say, 'How's your dad? Call me if you need anything.' I'm not going to call someone. What I'd love to see is a support for carers - someone to listen. All you want is to be heard. I'm the strong character I am because of the wonderful opportunities I've had and my wonderful parents, without that I wouldn't have been able to cope," says Maire-Anne. The Alzheimers Society is aiming to raise 500,000 to provide supports and services to help families living with dementia nationwide through its Tea Day fundraiser, which takes place on Thursday, May 2. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the charity's fundraiser. According to the society, the Tea Day campaign provides vital funds for truly important services, which include: nationwide day-care centres, respite, home care, social clubs, carer support groups, Alzheimer cafes and the busy national helpline. Every year, thousands of people around the country get involved with local Tea Day events in their homes, workplaces, schools, local community centres, parishes or somewhere special. The ASI is asking people to invite their friends, family, colleagues and neighbours to have a cuppa, a chat and maybe a treat or two. Last year, there were 1,200 Tea Day hosts, and this year, the Charity is looking to double that number. Registration deadline is Friday, April 26. For more details, to get involved or to register for an Alzheimer's Tea Day pack, see teaday.ie or call (01) 2073833. Follow ASI on Facebook: facebook.com/TheAlzheimerSocietyofIreland; Twitter @alzheimerSocIre, #TeaDay2019 #TimeForTea; Instagram: @alzheimersocirl ACCORDING to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, often the early signs of dementia may be difficult to detect. Some people experience changes in their short-term memory early on, for others, changes to mood or to language may be the early signs. Each person's experience with dementia is unique. In general, the early warning signs and symptoms can include: Memory loss, particularly for recent events Problems with language, difficulty finding the right word Changes in personality, mood or behaviour Becoming confused in familiar surroundings or situations Difficulty in following conversations, TV programmes or reading Difficulty managing money and everyday tasks Difficulty solving problems or doing puzzles Loss of interest in hobbies and pastimes, lack of initiative to start something or go somewhere. Repeating a question or story several times without realising Misplacing things by putting them in the wrong place. According to the ASI, most people will experience a number of these signs, and they will find they are having increasing difficulty over time. It says early diagnosis is important because there are other, often treatable, causes of memory loss and confusion and because it's important to establish what the next steps are. Early signs of dementia 'Psst! Can I borrow your bank account for a few days? It's for a real business reason, honest!' Would you do it? The vast majority of us probably wouldn't. Or if we did, it would be hard to argue we didn't suspect something fishy. But for some students, it seems the chance of making a few hundred euro instantly for such a banking "service" is irresistible. What top gardai are saying is there is little difference between doing this and illegally bringing a bag of cash through an airport. Both are the proceeds of crime. And they're starting to crack down on the student 'mules' who facilitate it. Just in case anyone thinks the authorities might go easy on an 18-year-old for being naive, today's comments from Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Lordan may be a wake-up call. Kids, he says, are looking at the prospect of "custodial sentences". The crime is analogous to "drug trafficking". They know very well what they're doing, Mr Lordan says. And the State can't afford to let them off easy. The scale of the problem in Ireland is growing, thanks to new online techniques. A survey by the Behaviours and Attitudes polling company, using Central Statistics Office data, found 21pc of small firms were targeted for "invoice redirection fraud" in 2018, with about a third targeted for financial fraud generally. Of these, the survey found one in 18 of the attempts was successful. We're all used to receiving bogus emails from supposed Nigerian princes. But the new breed of "phishing" email scammers are much more subtle and clever. They often use the email address of someone we actually correspond with. The communications may even mimic the tone used by the person who normally emails us. Faced with the rise in such technology, gardai say they have little choice but to take a firm stance. Times are changing. They always do. But some periods bring more change than others. There are weeks when decades happen, Vladimir Lenin once wrote. As it happens, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the totalitarian system Lenin played such a roll in unleashing on the world. After decades of grinding repression, dictatorship, human rights abuses of all kinds and economic failure, the edifice of communism collapsed within weeks in 1989. Could 2019 be the year that its rival over the decades - capitalism - suffers a similar sort of crisis? That the question would even be posed may seem strange to Irish readers. Ireland's anti-capitalists who long for revolution are a small and motley crew with little electoral support. Moreover, of the big political issues of the day, Ireland's problems are more likely to be caused by the failings of government and the State than by private enterprise and the free market. While the housing shortage is a mixture of both, endless health failings and scandals lie at the door of the State. The unwillingness of successive governments to stand up to powerful vested interests in order to bring about reform is at the root of the problem. The (well-funded) public health system in Ireland is a good example of how State bureaucracies can become laws unto themselves, prioritising insiders' interests over those of the people the system is designed to serve - in this case patients. If there is little discussion of the 'crisis of capitalism' in Ireland, there is much more in the country that is most identified with free enterprise, entrepreneurship, social mobility and small government. In recent times, a potentially huge change has taken place in the US. More and more of the biggest names in American business and finance are talking about an urgent need to reform capitalism. Wall Street financiers are speaking of the "fraying of the American dream" and others warn of "some sort of revolution" if the benefits of boom - the current expansion will become the longest in American history in June - do not start delivering for more Americans. This debate has emerged in response to the leftward shift of the Democratic Party. That, in turn, has been driven in large part by changing political values of younger generations. A Pew opinion poll last year showed that Americans aged 18 to 29 viewed socialism more favourably than capitalism. This is quite a change. In the past the labelling of a politician or a policy as 'socialist' in the US would often end any debate. Unlike in Europe, where people are quick to ask what the government will do about social and economic ills, Americans have traditionally been much more sceptical of the role of the state. Low taxes and small government were widely supported because they kept politicians and bureaucrats out of the way as Americans sought to fulfil the American dream. But the path from rags to riches by dint of hard work in the US is harder to navigate today than in the past. There is much talk of those who are at the top pulling up the ladder to prevent those at the bottom from moving up. There is good evidence to show this is happening, but a recent case of influence peddling might end up being more influential than reams of hard data on social mobility. Felicity Huffman, a star of the widely watched TV series 'Desperate Housewives' was recently charged with bribery and other forms of fraud in an effort to ensure her daughter had a better chance of being accepted by one of America's elite universities. A host of other well-heeled parents have also been charged in what has become known as the college admissions scandal. It could be a watershed moment. In Europe - Ireland included - society has evolved differently from that of the US. By many measures equality of opportunity is greater in Europe than in the US. Nor does the great social escalator - education - require huge borrowings, unlike the US where getting a degree can involve taking on mortgage-sized debts. Europe and the US have diverged not only on equality of opportunities, but also on equality of outcomes. While America has always been less equal than Europe when it comes to incomes and wealth, the gap has widened in recent decades. That is both because the US has become more unequal, while in Europe income equality across the continent has either been stable, as in Ireland, or has increased by a lot less than in the US. Despite conditions being different in Europe, and a political shift towards the hard right more than the hard left, the debate in the US is always worth paying attention to. American ideas, fashions and fads invariably make their way across the Atlantic to influence how we Europeans think about issues and how we discuss them. This was brought home a few years ago on, as it happens, equality. A French economist, Thomas Piketty, published a scholarly tome on that subject in his native country. It made little impact. When it was published in English in the US it became a bestseller and triggered a huge debate, fuelling the "crisis of capitalism" narrative that is so spooking capitalists. It was only when Americans started talking about Piketty's book that it got picked up in France, and across the rest of Europe. It is perfectly possible that one of the more left-wing candidates seeking the Democratic Party's nomination to challenge Donald Trump in next year's presidential election will win out, and that he or she will become the next president. That could change America more than the election of the current president. Despite some cutting of regulations and taxes, Trump has not pushed through legislative reform that will transform how the US functions. Some of the proposals coming from Democrats, including much higher taxes for the rich, European-style healthcare and radical environmental measures, could have a much more lasting impact if implemented. America often leads the way in the world. Its debate about reforming capitalism could well wash across the Atlantic, bringing change here as well as the US. Lyra McKee, although only 29, had established a reputation as an extremely sophisticated journalist and writer. In 2016, she wrote an article for the US magazine 'The Atlantic', addressing our disturbingly high suicide rate, which is much greater than during the Troubles. This chimed with work I carried out 30 years ago, showing that the worst years for violence had the lowest suicide rates, and that suicide increased with gradual 'normalisation'. Lyra looked at the extensive research from Israel on Holocaust survivors, and reported how their children (who themselves have an elevated suicide rate) often found their parents 'inaccessible and distant', unwilling to speak of the past, but clearly affected by it. Lyra wrote eloquently of the emerging concept of 'inter-generational transmission of trauma'. The lesson to be drawn is that burying bad memories is counter productive. Lyra's professional curiosity led her to explore in her work a past Northern Ireland that too many want to forget, but which, for the health of our society, we must not and cannot ignore. Otherwise, she will not be the last victim. Most people will be appalled that even before Lyra had been buried, 150 associates of the New IRA paraded last Saturday through the centre of Dublin in combat uniform and dark glasses. Sadly, only one citizen was seen to protest. This perfectly shows the fatal ambivalence we in Ireland have about the sanctity of human life that continues to poison our society. Can you imagine 48 hours after the Christchurch mosque shootings, 150 white racists in combat fatigues parading through Auckland, or 48 hours after the Manchester arena bombing, Islamists dressed in black parading through London? No, of course not; it is unimaginable, not because governments would ban it, but because the population would not accept it. The world, which has looked on appalled at Lyra McKee's murder and listened to all the fine words of condemnation, must firstly be bemused by and then disgusted at such a brazen endorsement of violence. It will rightly ask why an affluent democratic society is so far out of touch with the norms of the rest of Western Europe. This brings home the absolute imperative to move beyond the traditional rhetoric after killings, and instead do something useful. Some commentators have referred to the New IRA as 'deluded' and 'crazy', that it is a 'monster' and even 'the Antichrist', engaging in 'senseless' activities. These terms are all misleading. In fact, the New IRA members are not mentally ill, nor psychopaths, and their aim to kill police officers, far from being senseless, is exactly what they had hoped for. These individuals are doing what the IRA has always done, which is using physical force to pursue a political agenda. My late father was a surgeon for 40 years at the Mater Hospital in Belfast. He once wryly told the medical students: "You know, a Protestant spleen with a bullet in it looks just the same as a Catholic spleen with a bullet in it." He was (equally) disgusted by the violence of the IRA/INLA and the UVF/UDA. Two of his consultant colleagues had sons murdered by the UVF, and another a brother murdered by the IRA. Sadly he died while the violence continued. However, if alive today he would recognise the nauseating statement of Saoradh justifying the murder of Lyra McKee as being exactly the same as those issued by republicans and loyalists justifying killings throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He might even recall that in April 1981 another 29-year-old woman (Joanne Mathers) was murdered in Derry by republicans. No difference - except for 38 years. The New IRA will doubtless note the cognitive dissonance of those who criticise it for doing what they had unashamedly done themselves. If we are serious as a community about genuinely ensuring Lyra's killing is the last, then we must move beyond generalities. What could genuinely help is actually quite simple. We must demand of every community leader, political, religious and others, that the cause of Ireland and the cause of Ulster/the Union does not justify the taking of a single human life. They must also state that just as the killings on Bloody Sunday (and almost certainly some other security force killings) were unjustified and unjustifiable, every killing by the IRA/UVF/INLA/UDA, right from the start in Malvern Street in 1966, was unjustified and unjustifiable. It would also help if they were to desist from repeating (those who do) the dangerous formulation of 'two communities', which artificially divides us further; after all, which so-called 'community' was Lyra part of? Lyra McKee reminded us that we can only deal with the present by making sense, in an honest way, of the past. Let us do this, in her memory, and also for the good of our and future generations. Dr Philip McGarry is a consultant psychiatrist working in Belfast Flowers left at the site of a mass grave for children who died in the Tuam mother and baby home, Galway. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire John Lynch ('Nuns deserve appreciation not our denunciation', Letters, April 24) is "weary of hyperbolic denunciations of Catholic homes, Catholic brainwashing and so on". He can wish all he wants that letter writers such as myself were alive in the dark ages of mother and baby homes. We were not, but we are alive today to ensure the past wrongs are recognised, and living victims are properly compensated. Mr Lynch puts forward an absurd idea for the disappearance of 900 babies and their coffins. As a former undertaker in Ireland, I witnessed this barbaric and illegal practice, on a small number of occasions in rural burial grounds. Infants and childrens bodies more so if they are undernourished will deteriorate quickly and the coffins used were usually flimsy material such as ceiling boards. The lowest tender got the work. His final paragraph certainly takes the biscuit. The nuns, as voluntary celibates, must have thought of them as fallen women who needed to be saved. The teachings of Jesus have not changed nor altered in more than 2,000 years; recall his words to those who wished to stone a fallen woman to death. Mr Lynch should realise and accept that what has angered a great number of Christians worldwide has been the continual obfuscation by members of the various religious orders; their refusal to engage with authorities; and the 1.9bn bill they left the taxpayer of Ireland with. Yes, there were good people in the religious institutes but there were many people also, some frustrated, with the religious life and unable to leave; being mortal human beings, they often took their anger out on those unable to defend themselves. Declan Foley Berwick, Australia Telling men their place is in the home looks hypocritical I find Social Protection Minister Regina Dohertys recent comments regarding fathers staying at home and taking advantage of the Governments proposed new legislation for parental leave somewhat hypocritical. Id be curious to see her and any other womans reaction were a male minister to come out to the media and make similar comments about a womans so-called place in the home. In addition, it is simply none of her business how families run their households. Peter White Portmarnock, Dublin FAI board should have looked for a light switch The FAI board of directors were reportedly in the dark over John Delaneys 100,000 loan. You would imagine some bright spark on the board would have been able to think outside the box and turn on a light switch! Seamus McLoughlin Keshcarrigan, Co Leitrim Muslim leaders need to echo message from New Zealand As ISIL has now claimed responsibility for the Sri Lankan massacre of hundreds of innocent Christians, it is incumbent on Muslim leaders throughout the world to now show the same solidarity with the victims relatives as the New Zealand prime minister did with the survivors and families of the 50 murdered Muslim victims of a white, right-wing extremist. Churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples are places of worship to a higher being. Although agnostic, I believe that pure savagery practised by any party based solely on religion is anti-God/Allah and those who perpetrate such deeds will surely find no place in heaven/paradise, only opprobrium on Earth and (if it exists) eternity in hell. Dominic Shelmerdine London, UK Society is biting back at elite by voting for Farages party The more cunning plans are proposed to make sure Nigel Farages latest party does not win the European elections, the more doomed are their attempts to do so. The more they hate them, the more people love them. The more they dismiss as down to ignorance, the more they betray their own wilful ignorance of those they condemn. The day they acknowledge these correlations and the reasons why, perhaps they will undergo that overdue self-analysis to appreciate that what truly got Britain into its current mess was not the swinish multitudes but those they see in the vanity mirror theyve fixated on for too long. Places like the dystopian seaside resort Jaywick less than 150km from London were not creations of chance or the residents poor life choices (that favourite sneer of the cosmopolitan classes). Theyre the creation of societal change imposed by the powerful primarily for their own aggrandisement (financial and egotistical) veneered as progress. Now that society is biting back. Another Farage victory or Extinction Rebellion urban shutdown may soon be the least of anyones worries. Mark Boyle Johnstone, Renfrewshire, UK A bear caught the attention of visitors to a safari park when she pulled out a makeshift flannel and washed her face with it. Indiana, an American black bear, was enjoying herself in the water at Woburn Safari Park when she got hold of a piece of the material lining the pond and started to wipe her face with it. Kate Dennis, a visitor who witnessed the moment, said she felt privileged to have seen it. This was amazing to watch as it was so human like, she washed behind her ears and her feet, Kate said. She then got distracted by a crow and off she went. This was a great end to the safari and was definitely the highlight of the day. Expand Close (Woburn Safari Park) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (Woburn Safari Park) Indiana is one of six bears who live at Woburn, in a 13-acre reserve alongside the parks Canadian timber wolves one of the only mixed carnivore enclosures in the UK. Craig Lancaster, Woburns head of section for carnivores, said: Indiana is our smallest bear but she is also very feisty. She can often be seen sparring and play fighting with the much bigger male bears and is more than a match for them. The strangest crab that ever lived? Callichimaera perplexa was a bizarre mixture of different features (Oksana Vernygora, University of Alberta/PA) A mixed-up crab from the dinosaur era has perplexed scientists with its bizarre collection of species features. The crustacean, which lived around 90 million years ago, was named after the Chimera a monster from Greek myth with a lions head, goats body and snakes tail. In a similar way, the newly discovered bug-eyed crab had characteristics that seem all wrong. Expand Close Unusual and cute: Callichimaera perplexa (Elissa Martin, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Unusual and cute: Callichimaera perplexa (Elissa Martin, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History/PA) Lead researcher Dr Javier Luque, from the University of Alberta in Canada, described the creature as unusual and cute. He said: We started looking at these fossils and we found they had what looked like the eyes of a larva, the mouth of a shrimp, claws of a frog crab, and the carapace of a lobster. We have an idea of what a typical crab looks like and these new fossils break all those rules. Expand Close Fossil of Callichimaera perplexa embedded in stone (Daniel Ocampo R., Vencejo Films/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fossil of Callichimaera perplexa embedded in stone (Daniel Ocampo R., Vencejo Films/PA) Around 70 of the fossil crabs were found in the Andes mountain range in Colombia, which was a shallow coastal sea during the Cretaceous period. Exceptional preservation allowed scientists to pick out details including paddle legs and bulging eyes, suggesting a lifetime of swimming rather than crawling in the sand. The team named the crab, whose body was about the size of a 5p piece, Callichimaera perplexa, meaning perplexing beautiful chimera. Dr Luque added: Callichimaera perplexa is so unique and strange that it can be considered the platypus of the crab world. It hints at how novel forms evolve and become so disparate through time. Contender: Former US vice president Joe Biden at a rally in Dorchester, Massachusetts, last week. The 76-year-old is expected to throw his hat in the ring for the 2020 election. Photo: Getty Images Joe Biden has formally entered the 2020 race for president. The vice president under President Barack Obama made the announcement in a video released on Thursday morning. The move marks what will likely be the 76-year-old's final opportunity to seek a job he has eyed for more than a generation. One of the most recognisable names in US politics, Mr Biden leads most early Democratic primary polls. But as an older white man who spent a half-century in Washington, it is unclear if he will be embraced by today's increasingly liberal Democratic Party. Mr Biden faces myriad questions about his past, including recent claims he touched women in an overly familiar manner without their consent. Mr Biden has pledged to be "much more mindful" of respecting personal space. Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London Photo: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire Climate change activists who glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange and climbed on top of a train have been removed by police. The Extinction Rebellion (XR) demonstrators glued themselves to entrances to the exchange in the City of London wearing LED signs reading "climate emergency", "tell the truth" and "you can't eat money". In another London financial district, protesters climbed on top of a Docklands Light Railway train at Canary Wharf station in east London, holding signs saying "business as usual = death" and "don't jail the canaries". British Transport Police (BTP) officers used ropes, harnesses and ladders to take down the five XR protesters who climbed onto a train at Canary Wharf, including 83-year-old grandfather Phil Kingston. Expand Close Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London Photo: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London Photo: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire The force said five people had been arrested on suspicion of obstructing the railway. In a statement BTP added: "Shortly after 7.15am this morning officers from BTP were called to Canary Wharf station after a number of protesters climbed on top of a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) service. Expand Close Protesters from Extinction Rebellion demonstrating outside Goldman Sachs offices on Fleet Street, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday April 25, 2019. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Climate. Photo credit should read: Mason Boycott-Owen/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters from Extinction Rebellion demonstrating outside Goldman Sachs offices on Fleet Street, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday April 25, 2019. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Climate. Photo credit should read: Mason Boycott-Owen/PA Wire "Specialist units trained in protester removal were immediately deployed and have now safely removed those obstructing the DLR service." Police have also removed XR protesters who glued themselves across entrances to the London Stock Exchange and transferred them to police vans nearby. The London Stock Exchange said the markets were all open as normal. XR said its action in the City of London was likely to last a few hours, on the day the group is due to end blockades at Parliament Square and Marble Arch. The campaign group is also planning a number of "swarming" protests around the City of London throughout Thursday, including dozens of activists demonstrating outside Goldman Sachs offices in Fleet Street. An XR spokeswoman said the area is being targeted because "the financial industry is responsible for funding climate and ecological destruction and we are calling on them, the companies and the institutions that allow this to happen, to tell the truth". She added: "And we're asking the Government to take action to address the climate emergency." The eco-protesters have been urging ministers to declare a climate emergency to avoid what it calls a "sixth mass extinction" of species on Earth. In a statement announcing the end of its action XR said: "We would like to thank Londoners for opening their hearts and demonstrating their willingness to act on that truth. "We know we have disrupted your lives. We do not do this lightly. We only do this because this is an emergency." The group also said the public should expect more action "very soon", adding there will be a "closing ceremony" at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park on Thursday at 5pm. More than 1,000 people have been arrested during the protests which started on April 15, while more than 10,000 police officers have been deployed. The action has seen Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus blocked and a "die-in" at the Natural History Museum. A Transport for London spokesman said: "We are aware that there are demonstrations taking place across London which may cause disruption to travel. "The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority and we're working closely with the police to manage the impact on London's transport network. We would encourage people to check their journeys before they travel." Theresa May's beleaguered leadership of the Conservative Party looks safe until the end of the year after the Tories decided against changing rules that could force her out. The party will demand a timetable for her departure, but will not change the rules governing leadership challenges, the chair of the party's influential 1922 Committee said yesterday. Mrs May survived a confidence vote in December and under the party's rules cannot be challenged again for 12 months. But many of the party have become increasingly frustrated over her handling of Brexit and had called for a way to force her out sooner. The executive of the 1922 Committee, which groups Conservative politicians, met to discuss whether to change the leadership rules. "We determined there should not be a rule-change to remove the 12-month period of grace during which a second confidence vote cannot be held," said Graham Brady, the committee's chairman. Mrs May has said she will step down if her Brexit deal, which has already been rejected three times, is passed by parliament, but has not set out what she will do if it is not. Mr Brady said the committee would ask Mrs May for "a clear roadmap" for her departure if a Brexit deal is not approved. Meanwhile, UK government talks with the rival Labour Party on a Brexit compromise cannot be open-ended, Mrs May's spokesman said. He said working groups from both sides were pressing on with the talks this week, including a meeting to discuss financial services. Mrs May's deputy David Lidington has insisted the Tories and Labour were making a "genuine attempt" to find a Brexit solution, but warned compromises were needed. Mr Lidington said cross-party talks had been "constructive". A 34-year-old man has become the first Russian to fall foul of new legislation banning "disrespect" of government officials after labelling president Vladimir Putin a "fantastical f***head". The controversial law had been in place for just two days before a regional judge fined the equivalent of 422 for a post criticising Mr Putin. Unfortunately for the Kremlin, the phrase has now become the only thing people are talking about. Within a day of Monday's decision, an online flashmob had broken out in support of the offender, Yuri Kartyzhev. By yesterday afternoon, a tweet introducing the #Putinisafantasticalf***head hashtag was trending, with over 5,000 engagements. As some pointed out, its 2,400 retweets amounted to a potential 1m in fines. Leonid Volkov, a prominent aide to opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said that the authorities had set themselves up for ridicule. First, they passed the much-criticised law, and then they allowed it to be first applied in relation to Mr Putin. "I'm certain the Streisand effect will be so big that they won't forget what they have done in a hurry," he said, referring to the unintended publicity effect of an attempt to censor information made famous by Barbra Streisand, when efforts to suppress publication of photos of her Malibu mansion led to increased awareness of it. "They should instead have gone after some fool inciting people to go out and do harm to politicians." ( Independent News Service) Israel will participate in next years World Expo hosted by the United Arab Emirates, in another sign of warming relations with Gulf Arab states. Israels foreign ministry said it looks forward to sharing our innovative spirit and advances in such fields as water, information and medical technologies at the 2020 Expo in Dubai. #BREAKING The State of Israel will be taking part in the @expo2020dubai Full statement: https://t.co/o3pAVm8L1Z Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) April 25, 2019 Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Israels participation as another expression of the states rising status in the world and the region. Despite their lack of diplomatic relations, Sunni Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have quietly inched closer to Israel, seeing it as a key ally in rolling back their common adversary, Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Israel's participation in @Expo2020Dubai: "I welcome the participation of Israel in the Dubai expo. This is another expression of the rising status of Israel in the world and the region." #Expo2020 Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 25, 2019 Over the past months, Israels backdoor relations with former Arab foes have increasingly entered public view. Police searched the house and found Cocuzzi hiding in the attic. Stock photo: Depositphotos A MAN who had allegedly been hiding out in the attic of his ex-girlfriend's Pittsburgh home is facing burglary charges. Authorities say the woman found 31-year-old Cary Cocuzzi in her bedroom last Saturday. They say she had a protection from abuse order against him. Cocuzzi allegedly grabbed the woman and put a hand over her mouth. But she pushed him away and ran outside screaming, spurring several neighbours to call 911. Police searched the house and found Cocuzzi hiding in the attic. They say he told officers he was homeless and had been sneaking in and out of the house for about two weeks. The woman told authorities she had noticed odd details around her home, such as finding a blanket on the floor where she had not left it. It's not known if Cocuzzi has retained a lawyer. Challenge: US President Donald Trump speaks during the Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Bloomberg Donald Trump has said he would "head to the US Supreme Court" if Democrats in Congress launched impeachment proceedings against him. Just minutes after he was condemned by the UK government's spy agency for promoting a conspiracy theory that it had helped the Obama administration covertly surveil his election campaign, the president launched the latest in a series of angry tweets about the Mueller report. He wrote: "The Mueller Report, despite being written by angry Democrats and Trump haters, and with unlimited money behind it ($35,000,000), didn't lay a glove on me. I DID NOTHING WRONG. If the partisan Dems ever tried to impeach, I would first head to the US Supreme Court". In a second tweet, Mr Trump added that there are "no 'high crimes and misdemeanours', there are no crimes by me at all... We waited for Mueller and WON, so now the Dems look to Congress as last hope". Mr Trump likely sees the Supreme Court as more favourable territory for him, given that he has nominated two conservative judges during his term in the White House that have been confirmed on to the court. First, there was Neil Gorsuch and last year came Brett Kavanaugh. That helped create a right-wing majority on the court. However, while Mr Trump has shown some knowledge of impeachment procedure, it is debatable that the Supreme Court could step in on what would be a Congressional matter. First, the House of Representatives has the power to push for impeachment of the president - indeed, a number of Democrats have tabled such articles of impeachment. While no articles have yet been approved by a vote in the House, if they were to be, the Senate would then take over. The Senate would then hold a hearing over impeachment, presided over by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. This acts as a trial, with the House acting as prosecutor. It is the Senate that holds the power, however, with members able to ignore the advice of the chief justice in voting on impeachment. Article 2 of the US constitution states that officials such as the president can only be impeached over "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours" - with Mr Trump tweeting that this does not apply to him. However, historical context suggests that those writing the constitution believed that this also encompassed political misconduct. Meanwhile, yesterday, Britain's electronic espionage agency dismissed fresh claims it spied on Mr Trump's presidential election campaign as "utterly ridiculous". Mr Trump highlighted a claim by a former CIA analyst that British intelligence assisted the administration of Barack Obama by spying on his 2016 run for the White House. Mr Trump tweeted: "WOW! It is now just a question of time before the truth comes out, and when it does, it will be a beauty!" However, GCHQ responded by referring to a statement it issued when similar allegations surfaced in 2017, dismissing the claim it was asked to conduct "wiretapping" against the then president-elect as "nonsense". "They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored," the statement said. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in the Russian city of Vladivostok yesterday for a summit he is likely to use to seek support from President Vladimir Putin, while Pyongyang's nuclear talks with Washington are in limbo. The armoured train carrying Mr Kim - on his first official visit to Russia - pulled into the quayside station in Vladivostok, on the Pacific Ocean, a few hours after crossing from North Korea into Russia. Earlier, at a stop on the border, Mr Kim told Russian state television he was hoping for useful and successful discussions with Mr Putin. "I hope that we can discuss concrete questions about peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula, and our bilateral relations," he said through an interpreter. Mr Kim will sit down for talks with Mr Putin today at a university campus on an island just off Vladivostok. It will be the first summit between the two leaders, and the stand-off over Pyongyang's nuclear programme will top the agenda, according to a Kremlin foreign policy aide. It comes two months after a summit between Mr Kim and US President Donald Trump broke down over disagreement on ending the North's nuclear programme. A North Korean official heavily involved in advancing the US-North Korean talks, Kim Yong-chol, was removed from a top post, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Pyongyang is looking for alternative sources of international support, including from Russia, and for possible relief from sanctions that are hurting its economy. For Mr Putin, the summit is an opportunity to show that Russia remains a global player, despite being under sanctions itself over its intervention in Ukraine and allegations it meddled in US elections. But analysts predicted Mr Kim was unlikely to emerge with any substantial promises of sanctions relief. The meeting is likely to focus more on showing camaraderie. Vladivostok is located a few hours from the Russian-North Korean border by rail, Mr Kim's preferred mode of international transport. On arrival in the city, the North Korean leader reviewed an honour guard of Russian troops, with bodyguards looking on. A military orchestra played first the North Korean national anthem, then the Russian anthem. After officials from the two countries exchanged handshakes, Mr Kim climbed into a black limousine and drove off. Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, said Mr Kim would want to be seen as a world leader who has international interlocutors besides Washington, Beijing or Seoul. "As for Russia, the summit will reaffirm Moscow's place as a major player on the Korean peninsula," he said. Thursdays summit reflects Russias effort to position itself as an essential player (AP/Dmitri Lovetsky, Evan Vucci, File) Russian president Vladimir Putin has arrived at Vladivostok for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The summit on Thursday reflects Russias effort to position itself as an essential player in the North Korean nuclear standoff. Mr Kims first trip to Russia comes about two months after his second summit with Donald Trump, which failed because of disputes over US-led sanctions on the North. The Russian and Korean leaders are set to have a one-on-one meeting at the Far Eastern State University on Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok. Expand Close Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday aboard his armoured train (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday aboard his armoured train (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) The meeting will be followed by broader talks involving officials from both sides. Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday aboard his armoured train, saying upon arrival that he is hoping for a successful and useful visit. It is Mr Kims first visit to Russia as North Korean leader; his late father, Kim Jong Il, visited Russia in 2011. The North Korean leader evoked his fathers great love for Russia and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. Mr Putins foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian media the summit would focus on North Koreas nuclear programme, noting that Russia will seek to consolidate the positive trends stemming from Mr Trumps meetings with Mr Kim. Expand Close Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement (AP/Evan Vucci, File) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement (AP/Evan Vucci, File) In February, Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement because of disputes over US-led sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the US and North Korea, although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Mr Kim wants the US to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the US maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearisation moves. Expand Close Some experts say Mr Kim could try to bolster his countrys ties with Russia and China (Naoya Osato/Kyodo News via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Some experts say Mr Kim could try to bolster his countrys ties with Russia and China (Naoya Osato/Kyodo News via AP) Some experts say Mr Kim could try to bolster his countrys ties with Russia and China. Others say it is not clear how big of a role Russia can play in efforts to restart the nuclear negotiations. Still, the summit could allow Mr Putin to try to increase his influence in regional politics and the standoff over North Koreas nuclear programme. The leaders shook hands on meeting in Vladivostok on Thursday (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool) Russian President Vladimir Putin has sat down for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying the summit should help plan joint efforts to resolve a stand-off over Pyongyangs nuclear programme. Speaking at the start of the talks at a university on the Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok, Mr Putin voiced confidence that Mr Kims visit will help better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes going on now. Mr Kims first trip to Russia comes about two months after his second summit with President Donald Trump failed because of disputes over US-led sanctions on the North. Mr Putin meanwhile wants to expand Russias influence in the region and get more leverage with Washington. We welcome your efforts to develop an inter-Korean dialogue and normalize North Koreas relations with the United States, Mr Putin told Mr Kim. For his part, Mr Kim noted that with the worlds attention now concentrated on the Korean Peninsula, I think we will have a very meaningful dialogue on sharing our opinions on this matter while also jointly apprising and studying it. He also congratulated the Russian leader on his reelection to another six-year term last year. Expand Close North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/AP) In February, Trump-Kim talks ended without any agreement because of disputes over US-led sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the US and North Korea, although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Mr Kim wants the US to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the US maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearisation moves. North Korea has increasingly expressed frustration at the deadlocked negotiations. Last week, it tested a new weapon and demanded that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo be removed from the nuclear talks. Expand Close North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gets off his armoured train (Primorsky Regional Administration Press Service/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gets off his armoured train (Primorsky Regional Administration Press Service/AP) Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok Wednesday on board an armoured train, telling Russian state television that he was hoping that his first visit to Russia would successful and useful. He evoked his fathers great love for Russia and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. The late Kim Jong Il made three trips to Russia, last time in 2011. Like the US, Russia has strongly opposed Pyongyangs nuclear bid. Mr Putin has welcomed President Trumps meetings with Mr Kim, but urged the US to do more to assure Pyongyang over security concerns. Speaking before the talks, Mr Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Russia will seek to consolidate the positive trends stemming from Trump-Kim meetings. He noted that the Kremlin would try to help create preconditions and a favourable atmosphere for reaching solid agreements on the problem of the Korean Peninsula. Sri Lankas prime minister has acknowledged that minority Ahmadi Muslims who are refugees from Pakistan have faced attacks since the Easter bombings. The premier, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said security forces were trying to help the Ahmadis. Mr Wickremesinghe said some people had become suspicious of foreigners, not of Muslims per se. In the heat of the moment, a few have been attacked. Expand Close Ahmadi Muslim refugees form a human chain to pass food (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ahmadi Muslim refugees form a human chain to pass food (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP) Sundays Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings killed over 350 people. On Thursday, Ahmadis described how they have faced violence in the time since. About 500 have fled their homes in Negombo and are living some 20 miles away under police protection. Others live under police and military protection at the Ahmadi mosque in Negombo. The ones reporting the highest dropout rates were Halifax County, Warren County, Durham County, Thomasville City, Richmond County, Tyrrell County, McDowell County, Wilson County, Swain County and Anson County. In Cabarrus County Schools, the dropout rate went from 2.35 in 2016-17 to 2.01 in 2017-18. In 2016-17 there were 249 students that dropped out and in 2017-18 there were 216. That is a decrease of 13.3 percent. We are encouraged by the decrease in our dropout rate, but know we have more work to do. We look forward to and are working toward graduating every student enrolled. Initiatives and programs such as credit recovery, the Performance Learning Center and the Opportunity School are helping us engage students who may have otherwise left school, Boone said. We also continue to provide engaging instruction, exciting experiences and varied extra-curricular activities to keep students enrolled and connected to school. Kannapolis City Schools dropout rate went from 2.69 in 2016-17 to 2.15 in 2017-18. The district had 36 dropouts in 2017-18 compared to the 43 in 2016-17. This is a decrease of 16.3 percent. Keblusek, her first grade teacher, helped diagnose Abby, noticing her hand shaking and informing the school nurse and her mom. She became close to her former student and family, visiting Abby in the hospital and bringing her the Fancy Nancy books she loved. She also went to have her nails done with Abby, her sister and mom. Welcome back Sheena Marie strong as ever and on the road to recovery!!...stronger than ever im a fighter I got my daddy... Federal judge reverses jury's guilty verdict against alleged witness Sheena Between Lodges in recovery after attack on Pine Ridge Reservation In a strange twist in a case involving the near fatal beating of a Lakota woman last year, a federal judge has reversed a jurys conviction last month of a Pine Ridge Reservation man who allegedly witnessed the assault. In an order filed Monday, U.S. District Judge Roberto Lange reversed a jurys March 15 guilty verdict against Weldon Two Bulls for lying to a federal agent about whether he saw Sheena Between Lodges get beaten. The jury had deadlocked on a second charge against Two Bulls of being an accessory after the fact, a charge based on the accusation that Two Bulls lied in attempt to protect from prosecution the people who assaulted Between Lodges. In a 24-page opinion , Lange wrote that the jury should not have convicted Two Bulls because it lacked sufficient evidence to do so. He said much of the jurys decision was based on the prosecutors assertion that Two Bulls had told Bureau of Indian Affairs Special Agent Wesley Pacenza that he had been too drunk to remember what happened to Between Lodges. The only time that Two Bulls spoke to Pacenza was during a 28-minute interview on November 6 outside the rural Pine Ridge home where an ambulance crew had found Between Lodges the day before. Lange said his office transcribed and studied the interview with Two Bulls, finding Two Bulls never stated that he had been too drunk to remember the alleged assault against Between Lodges. No reasonable jury properly instructed on the law could conclude that Defendant made a false statement that he was too intoxicated to recall what happened to Sheena Between Lodges to Agent Pacenza when the recording of the only interview by Agent Pacenza of Defendant contains no such statement, the judge wrote. Sheena Between Lodges is seen in a photo shared on social media. The Lakota woman was brutally beaten on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in November 2018. Lange also affirmed the lower court judges decision to declare a mistrial related to the charge against Two Bulls of being an accessory after the fact. And the judge warned prosecutors against retrying Two Bulls on that charge. The Government should think long and hard about whether retrial of the accessory after the fact charge serves the interests of justice in this case, he wrote. Between Lodges was so severely beaten that she lay in a coma for several days before medical personnel found her and took her to the Pine Ridge Hospital. She suffered a brain injury and has been forced to use a wheelchair following the assault. She has no memory of the attack. During the trial against Two Bulls in March, Between Lodges brother and his wife told jurors that Two Bulls had visited their home and informed them that Between Lodges boyfriend Gilbert Lakota and Lakotas sister, Lily Larvie, had beaten her up. In August 2017, Sheena Between Lodges shared a photo of herself and called attention to Savanna Marie Greywind, a Native woman who went missing and was found murdered in North Dakota. Between Lodges was later victimized on the Pine Ridge Reservation in neighboring South Dakota, severely beaten by her boyfriend and his sisters, according to federal prosecutors. The case against Two Bulls was especially interesting because prosecutors have not charged Lakota or Larvie with assaulting Between Lodges. The judge wrote that he believed Between Lodges had been beaten and he offered a stark and detailed description of the events leading to her injuries, citing the sworn statements of people who had interacted with her, Lakota and Larvie in the days leading up to the assault. According to the judges opinion, Lakota called 911 around 7 a.m. Monday, November 5, saying Between Lodges had been asleep for two or three days and wouldnt wake up. First responders found her unconscious in her bedroom and took her to the hospital. Hospital staff noticed bruising on her face, shoulders, neck, arm and leg and requested the help of police before sending Between Lodges on to Rapid City, South Dakota for brain surgery. Law enforcement saw no signs of any struggle within Between Lodges home. On November 6, her brother Elgin Young Bear contacted police and told them what Two Bulls had said to him and his wife, Wylene Two Lance, on Sunday, November 4. Two Bulls allegedly told the couple that Lakota and Larvie had been "ganging" (meaning beating on) Between Lodges and that he had to throw off Larvie. Two days later, Young Bear talked with Two Bulls again, but this time, Two Bulls told him that Between Lodges had been dropped three times while being carried into her home when she was drunk. Later, during the interview with Agent Pacenza, Two Bulls said he didnt know what happened to Between Lodges but that he had heard she had been dropped while being carried into her home. He told Pacenza that he had borrowed Between Lodges vehicle on Friday, November 2, and that she was fine other than a bruise to her face at that time. He said she was unconscious on her bed when he returned the vehicle two days later. Prayer circle for Sheena Between Lodges. Posted by Oglala Sioux Tribe - OST on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 Oglala Sioux Tribe on Facebook: Prayer circle for Sheena Between Lodges During her own testimony at trial last month, Between Lodges said Lakota had hit her and even strangled her once, and that Lakota once had to stop Larvie from hitting her the previous March. Between Lodges told jurors that Larvie had been violent to her on a few occasions. Two of Between Lodges friends also testified in Two Bulls trial, offering a depressing account of the days leading up to the Lakota womans injuries. They told jurors that Between Lodges, Lakota and others had been drinking for much of the week. On several occasions, they said they saw Between Lodges drunk and passed out in her Dodge Durango, and that others had to carry her into her home, though neither of the friends who testified said they saw anyone drop Between Lodges. One of the friends said Lakota contacted him on Sunday, November 4, to tell him Between Lodges hadnt woken up from the night before. The friend visited their home and found Between Lodges unconscious in her bedroom and assumed she was just sleeping as she often did after a night of heavy drinking. The friend said Two Bulls arrived at the home of Between Lodges and Lakota that Sunday evening to return Between Lodges Dodge Durango. Thank you to everyone who attended the prayer circle for Sheena Between Lodges...let's continue our prayers Posted by Oglala Sioux Tribe Victim Services on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 During a November 21 interview with another BIA agent, Two Bulls denied telling Young Bear or Two Lance that he had witnessed Lakota and Larvie beating up Between Lodges. "I don't know anything about that, Two Bulls said during that interview. I never seen him try to beat her up during that time." Judge Lange said Two Bulls never told investigators that he had been too drunk to remember what happened to Between Lodges, only that he had been heavily intoxicated for much of the time he had taken her vehicle. But Two Bulls repeatedly told the BIA agents he hadnt seen Between Lodges being beaten, only that Lakota had told him that she had been dropped while being carried into her home. Defendant's report of intoxication affecting his memory of when he borrowed and returned the car probably were truthful statements, the judge wrote. Prosecutors in Rapid City have not indicated whether they plan to retry Two Bulls on the charge of lying to an investigator. Join the Conversation Related Stories With 195 countries in the world, each with their own unique history and culture, there's plenty of wanderlust to feel the soul. Here we are talking about the land of sushi: Japan. With a population of roughly 126 million, Japan is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean with high-rise cities, imperial palaces, mountainous national parks and thousands of shrines and temples. This is something we probably all know but what about the things we have no idea about? Scroll down to read them. 1. Japan has one of the lowest crimes rates in the world. Unsplash 2. It has the most vending machines in the world. Unsplash 3. There are reportedly more than 1500 earthquakes in Japan every year. Unsplash 4. Japan has the third longest life expectancy in the world with men living up to 81 years and women living up to almost 88 years. Unsplash 5. The Japanese have such a low birth rate that there are more adult diapers sold than baby diapers. Unsplash 6. A lot of Japanese schools make their students clean toilets, classrooms and the school area. Unsplash 7. 90% of all mobile phones sold in Japan are waterproof because youth like to use them even while showering. Unsplash 8. Japan has cafes where you can pay to cuddle. Unsplash 9. Literacy in the country is almost 100%, among the highest in the world. Unsplash 10. In Japan, it is considered rude to tear the wrapping paper off of a gift. Unsplash 11. The Japanese have more pets than children. Unsplash 12. A chain of restaurants called Mr. Kanso only serves food that comes out of a can. un 13. Roughly 541,000 Japanese between the ages of 15 and 39, most of whom are male, live lives of total seclusion. Unsplash Nanar, a small village in the Rajapur tehsil of the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra shot to fame after the central government in 2015 announced the setting up of a refinery and a petrochemicals complex in this village. It was touted that this refinery would be the largest in the world. The project, estimated to be worth a whopping Rs. three trillion, is a joint venture between the Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and the Saudi Aramco, the worlds largest oil company. A total of 14,000 acres of land in 14 villages of Ratnagiri and 1,000 acres in two villages of adjoining Sindhudurg district were earmarked for the project. In May 2017, the Maharashtra government announced a notification for land acquisition which was likely to affect 22,000 farmers and 4,500 fishermen in the area. rajan lad This is a battle between life and lifestyle. We tend to run after lifestyle and not living a life. Global warming is the most serious issue before mankind and no government or industry should overlook in the name of development, said environmentalist and advocate Girish Raut. Raut is among the few people who are responsible for sensitising the local villagers about the Nanar refinery projects impending adverse impacts on the people in the region and flora and fauna of the coastal region. rajan lad The Nanar refinery project, if completed, could become the worlds largest refinery project. Photo by Rajan Lad. Though the plans to set up the refinery in Nanar are in cold storage (as of now) because of immense opposition from local residents and villagers, they fear that the project is so huge that the government is just buying time and wont shelve it altogether. They suspect that the government wont let it go to any other state and once the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the subsequent assembly elections scheduled in October 2019 are over, the process of land acquisition for the project will gain steam. Though social activists like Rajendra Phatarpekar and advocate Raut convinced the villagers about the ill-effects the refinery is likely to have on them, their lands and the environment, it was the social fabric of the villages which garnered support against the mega project. The Nanar proposal lacks clarity Farm labourers have been cultivating most of the farmlands for generations and they pay a certain share of the farm yield to the original owner of the land. The governments proposal lacked clarity. There was no clear information about how much compensation a farm labourer would get after land acquisition. Also, there have been several examples in the past where the government has acquired the land for a project, and proper compensation has not been paid to the landowner or the farmer, said a village sarpanch. He requested that his name be withheld citing the sensitivity of the situation. He claims that he was ostracised by his own villagers for initially supporting the project. To create awareness, Raut took villagers from Nanar to the Mahul area in Mumbai, where a refinery is operational for many years. He highlighted how the refinery has polluted air around the area and how the nearby residents have been suffering from several respiratory and other ailments that are directly connected to the pollution spread by the refinery in Mahul. Later, a press conference was organised to highlight the plight of residents of Mahul who are suffering from cancer. The move proved highly effective as the villagers started talking about the side effects of the refinery and not about the compensation they would get from the government. However, another section from the village supports the project and feels it is a lifeline for the Konkan area of Maharashtra. It would bring jobs in the area, they believe and that the Konkan belt will progress economically. rajan lad Villagers protesting against the proposed Nanar refinery. Photo by Rajan Lad. Pandhari Amberkar, an activist, has decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections on the issue of supporting the Nanar Project. His election symbol is the cooking gas cylinder. He believes that to eradicate poverty and unemployment, a project like Nanar refinery will be a boon for the region. Every household has at least one unemployed youth. There are no health care facilities in these two districts. There is just one private hospital at Rajapur, which is not enough to provide critical care. More than half the village families have at least one person who is working in Mumbai because they cannot find employment locally. A project like this (Nanar refinery) will not only provide employment, but it will also boost infrastructure in the region, said Amberkar. Maharashtra has many more mega-projects in the offing Maharashtra is considered one of the industrial states in the country and thus has always struggled to strike a balance between environment and development. In May 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was voted to power at the centre on the agenda of development. The same agenda was repeated a few months later and the BJP came to power in Maharashtra as well. However, in the five years since then, the BJP-led state government has pursued several massive projects in the state that activists consider are potentially environmentally hazardous. Another such project is the Jaitapur nuclear project in Ratnagiri district, which is being developed in collaboration with a French firm, Areva. In the past few years, Jaitapur has witnessed several violent protests against the nuclear plant. The project is located at Madban, but it is called the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant as Jaitapur is a bigger village. The government has already completed the land acquisition of over 950 hectares of land and currently, the digging work is on. A small building is already constructed as its office at the site. Six reactors, each of 1,650 megawatt, totalling to 9,900 MW are scheduled to be built there. Amjad Borkar, a staunch opponent of the project, said that the project would prove disastrous for the aquatic and marine life as processed water will be released in the sea which will increase the temperature of sea water. The plant will require a large quantity of water every day to cool the nuclear radioactive material. Moreover, the plant will use chlorine to clean the pipeline and that chlorine will be released into the water, which will further destroy the marine life of the sea. Around 15,000 fishermen are likely to be affected by the project, informed Borkar, who is a fisherman who is leading the fishermen community. Fakir Mohammad Solkar Jaitapur has witnessed several protests against proposed nuclear power plants in the past few years. Photo by Fakir Mohammad Solkar. Government has acquired land from landowners and declared them as a project affected people. Now, those who have lost their land are getting benefits of governments policies, but what about fishermen who will lose their livelihood due to the project? Borkar questioned. Navi Mumbai airport continues to face opposition Another mega-project in Maharashtra that is under scrutiny is the Navi Mumbai airport project which is likely to have a massive impact on the ecologically sensitive area of the Sahyadri ranges in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Rajaram Patil, a farmer from Panvel Tehsil, is fighting a lone battle against the mainstream political parties. Patil has filed his nomination papers from Prakash Ambedkars political party Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and is contesting the Lok Sabha elections to make a statement. I am contesting the election as all the major political parties have failed to protect the interests of the common man and the farmers, said Patil. Patil, with a handful of supporters, is trying to convince villagers of the problems with the project. Land acquisition was carried out by earmarking land using Google Maps. How can anyone determine (using Google Maps) who is cultivating how much land, Patil wondered. He said, the state government proposed a 22.5 percent package for landowners, but ignored those who have been cultivating the land for several generations. Worst affected are the fishermen. Government is flouting its own norms by dumping tonnes of debris into the sea and destroying the mangroves. CRZ norms are being violated by the government itself, alleged Patil. Over 15,000 fishermen will be jobless if the sensitive aquatic and marine life is destroyed. Unfortunately, fishermen dont own the sea hence they cannot claim compensation as project-affected people, lamented Patil. Politicians and parties conspicuous by their absence While smaller parties and activists have thrown their hat in the ring to highlight the dangers of pursuing the mega-projects without taking into account the environmental concerns, surprisingly, none of the mainstream political parties have even mentioned a word about their stand or how do they plan to take these projects forward without harming the environment and taking care of the project affected people. Recently, the Congress unit of Maharashtra came out with a manifesto exclusively for the environment for the 2019 elections. We are of the opinion that development should not be at the cost of the environment. We opposed Jaitapur and Nanar as peoples sentiments were against such projects. Issues of fishermen are very serious, and we will protect their interest once we come into power. Even in our manifesto, we have suggested some changes in the Coastal Regulation Zone Act, said Sachin Sawant, who is the spokesperson for Congresss Maharashtra unit. This article was originally published in Mongabay and has been reproduced here with the permission of the website. Police in Hyderabad has busted a gang which was involved in kidnapping of infant whom they then sold to couples without children. The gang was nabbed by the Chandrayangutta Police on Wednesday from across the state. They also rescued three minor boys from their custody. While seven members of the gang including four women has been arrested two managed to get away. According to the cops, the group was involved in kidnapping of boys from across the state. They had kidnapped the three babies from different parts of Hyderabad and Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh between October 2018 and March and had sold them for around Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3.10 lakh. Police launched a hunt for them on the complaint filed by the father of Shaik Sufiyan, who was kidnapped by the gang last month while he was playing in front of his house. The kidnapper were identified with the help of CCTV footages and was later traced down in Andhra Pradesh. After the blasts which left over 350 people dead, Sri Lanka is facing rising tension between communities. The death toll in Negombo was close to 200 where blasts had taken place at St Sebastian Church when worshipers were observing Easter Sunday. As the families of the victims are doing last rites of the loved one they lost, the Muslim refugees are fleeling Sri Lankan city Negombo amid fear of rising communal tension. Reuters Most of these refugees are Ahmadi Muslims from Pakistan who had got refuge in Sri Lanka after Pakistan had declared their non-Muslims years ago. On Wednesday, hundreds of Pakistani Muslims fled Negombo which is north of the capital Colombo. The police and the community leader organised by the buses after threats from the locals came after the blasts. "Because of the bomb blasts and explosions that have taken place here, the local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses," Adnan Ali, a Pakistani Muslim, told Reuters as he prepared to board a bus. "Right now we don't know where we will go." Islamic State has claimed the responsibility of the attack which is a Sunni Jihadist group and the people fleeing are Ahmadi community who had once left their homes in Pakistan years ago. And the fallout after the blasts threatens to render them homeless once more. Farah Jameel, a Pakistani Ahmadi told Reuters that her landlord threw her out of his home. "She said 'get out of here and go wherever you want to go, but don't live here', she told while she had assembled at Ahmadiyya Mosque waiting for buses to take them elsewhere. "I Have Nothing Now" The countrys government is facing massive backlash for not being able to prevent attack despite repeated intelligence inputs. Police have detained a scores of people from parts of western Sri Lanka from anti-Muslim riots had happened in 2014. The police, however, played down the threats to the refugees, but said threats from the locals have been made casing suspicion on Pakistani Ahmadis on Negombo. Reuters "We have to search houses if people suspect," said Herath BSS Sisila Kumara, the officer in charge at Katara police station. The police took 35 of the Pakistanis gathered at the mosque under custody for their own protection before they were taken to undisclosed location. "All the Pakistanis have been sent to safe houses," he said. "Only they will decide when they come back." Reuters Two kilometres away, the wooden crosses mark the new graves in the cemetery of St Sebastian Church were the victims of the blasts were rested. Channa Repunjaya, 49, was at home when he heard about the blast at St Sebastian's. His wife, Chandralata Dassanaike and nine-year-old daughter Meeranhi both died. "I felt like committing suicide when I heard that they had died, he told Reuters by the open graves. "I have nothing now." Meeranhis grandmother who received head injury was held by a relative a when she was rested in her child-sized coffin. India is an agrarian country with around 70% of its people depending on agriculture, but one devastating outcome of that, given the system, is farmer suicide. According to a report, in 2017 and 2018 more than 10 farmers committed suicides daily. Recently, a farmer committed suicide in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. Akadu Uike, a resident of Meghasiwni village, was found hanging from a shed in his field this morning. His wife said he borrowed Rs 9,000 from a local moneylender for their daughters marriage and was unable to repay it. AFP The family suffered crop failure for the last four years and he had been upset about the matter for weeks, Akadu Uikes wife Sakalbati said. "I was okay with the loan. We have a son, he is smart, studies well. I thought the loan will be repaid eventually. The money lender had not also asked me to pay anything yet," she added. Since coming to power last year, Congress government led by Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh promised to waiver farmer loans. Unpaid farmer loans had been one of the key promises of the party. AFP When asked about receiving any help from the government, Sakalbati said, "We don't know how to go about it. We have never gone anywhere." The matter is under investigation. Chhindwara goes to polls on April 29 in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2019. The Copland is really one of my favorites to do because it combines two things in perfect synthesis, Grams said. The optimism of American looking forward he takes all that optimism and is able to put it in the structural forms of Old Europe. It follows all the rules, but it has a unique positive and forward-looking optimism that America is known for, yet it works within the Old-European blueprints. Its an absolute masterpiece." Remember Dashrath Manjhi? He was a labourer in Gehlaur village, near Gaya in Bihar who carved a path 110 m long through a hillock using only a hammer and chisel. In a similar incident, a 45-year-old man from Kaganda village in Kenya has become a hero after he decided to build a road through a bushy, hilly area. Nicholas Muchami decided to build a one-kilometre road to connect his village to the Kaganda shopping centre, as reported by Daily Nation. "This road has been problematic for long," Muchami said in an interview to Ruptly. "It is the road we use to go to the shopping centre, the church, and we have been waiting for the government to repair it for us for many years. I therefore took it upon myself and rebuilt the road." he added. Muchami is a labourer and he said that he sacrificed his time and used his wages for six days he spent making the road, according to Daily Nation. During those days, he woke up at 6 am and worked till 6 pm. "I had made desperate appeals to the local leaders to have the road built but all in vain. It was then that I decided to build it using my farm tools for the sake of women and children and to save time," he said. Muchami has become the hero for the villagers who no longer have to use a long route to go to the church or the shopping centre now. "We owe him a lot," villager Josephine Wairimu said to the Daily Active. "In fact I will be marshalling locals to at least give him food to eat as he works on the remaining part of the road. I am also happy that I will now resume going to the church, two years since I stopped due to the poor state of the road which is also on a hilly area." Salute to the man! No matter what anyone says, our environment is truly in danger with rising temperatures, soil erosion, flooding and the habitat of various species getting depleted. The root cause of these problems is deforestation and if it continues for too long, it will only get worse. Hence, we need to make changes in order to save the environment. And if anything, we should all take inspiration from this Brazilian couple. Instituto Terra Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado, returned to his homeland in the state of Minas Gerais, only to see that what was once a green paradise had been reduced to an empty dryland. For someone who had seen all that greenery as a child, this new development saddened him immensely. Instituto Terra With the support of his wife, Lelia Deluiz Wanick Salgado, he decided to make his hometown green again. The aim of the couple was to plant as many saplings as possible. As they kept working towards their goal, they decided to start Instituto Terra, a community non-profit and non-governmental organisation. Instituto Terra They have managed to plant as many as 4 million saplings and the effects of it can be seen already. A land which had turned barren once is now green again. Instituto Terra The fish, animals and insects have returned to the area. There is water that flows, natural springs and some of the animal species at risk of extinction have found a home. Hopefully, more people will get inspired by this couple to make the world a better place. Indian supporters of the Indian National Congress party wearing sarees with the party's symbol pose during a political rally ahead of phase 3 of India's general election, at Bajipura village near Bardoli, some 300 kms from Ahmedabad, on April 19, 2019. (Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images) President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience as Seema Verma (2nd L), Indian American Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, looks on as he stops by a Conversations with the Women of America panel Jan. 18, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, the son of the late Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari, was fatally smothered by his wife Apoorva, who was enraged to see her husband sharing a glass of alcohol with her cousin. The couple are pictured here in an undated photo. (Rohit Shekar Tiwari Facebook photo) US based Nigerian blogger, Bold Pink has mocked Nollwood actor IK Ogbonna after the exporation of his 7-days ultimatum. IK issued a seven days ultimatum for Bold Pink to retract her sratement that he is gay and publicly apologise for damages. Reacting after the expiration of thr ultimatum, Bold Pink wrote on her Instagram page: Controversial Nigerian male barbie, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky has taken to his Instagram page to brag about how God has been blessing him. He revealed that he is expecting a container from abroad. The highly controversial figure further bragged that he is about to flood the Nigerian market with his news goods. His post: Nigerias Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari will dissolve his cabinet on May 22, 2019. This was made known by Mohammed after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which held on Thursday in Abuja, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The minister also revealed that Buhari will on that day chair a valedictory meeting of members of the Council on that day. More details to come A gateman has gotten many talking after it was revealed that he rejected the offer of a house from his boss. The gateman reportedly asked that his boss instead, help build a borehole for his community. The man identified as Musa Usman, from Giljimmi, in Birniwa Local Government Area of Jigawa State, worked as a gateman for an Indian named Mr. V. Verghese for 25 years. Upon retirement, his boss offered to have a house built for him, but he turned the offer down and asked that a borehole be built for him instead. Usmans boss, Mr. V. Verghese, the Managing Director of a pharmaceutical company, Jawa International Limited, Lagos, has done as Usman requested. Verghese while speaking at the commissioning of the borehole said Musa has served me diligently for 25 years. We would travel to India and leave our house under his care and behold, we would meet everything intact. He is indeed an honest Nigerian. A Nigerian pastor Iyke Oriaku has revealed how he fell victim to pulpit pressure and lied to people so he could raise money for Gods work. According to Oriaku, who is the leader of Churchless Revival; ******* THANK GOD I DIDNT DIE THOSE DAYS I USED TO LIE TO PEOPLE TO RAISE MONEY TO DO GODS WORK BECAUSE I WAS COMPETING WITH DEMONIC PREACHERS I would get the money And wont even buy handkerchief for myself I would still use every penny to do Gods work.. Souls would be saved Hearts would be set on fire But its only me that knew that I lied to raise money to carry out those missionary activities Thank God I didnt die those days If not, I would have been known in hell as one of those preachers that allowed pressures to drive them in ministry Today, to the glory of God, we have grown pass that stage when we want to do programs just to prove a point Now that there are no more pressures, we have seen the difference God is doing things by Himself Raising people by Himself according to His Pace To the glory of God, the hall for the program we are having in Asaba this weekend has been paid for since 3months ago by some people over there whose hearts God has touched We didnt even call them on phone In fact they are the ones begging us to choose date Calls are coming from many parts Remnants who are ready to fix the bills of our meetings in any part of the world Still to Gods glory alone, today, if God leads us to any city or village today for a revival cry, there are remnants already there who are ready to partner with us to fix bills Yet, when I was using my own power, sometimes, I used to lie to people to raise money to do Gods work Friends, my greatest regrets in ministry are the days I was doing ministry to make some people somewhere see the I am doing something great . I hate to remember when I bragged with the profile of the contacts I have Since I handed every single ministerial issue over to God I have seen the difference Since God saw that I value Him more than any man alive anywhere in the world, He came in Peace has set in Anxiety has gone Yes, we have not arrived We have not even started But we have seen every reason to regret the days we used our strength to do this work Because there is no end to the calamity the flesh brings If there is any man that should teach you how not to fail it is a man that has failed severally Forget these smiles on our faces on facebook Some of us have putrefying wounds from the injuries we have given ourselves somewhere on this journey Unfortunately, we cannot undo the shits of yesterdays, but we can only position for God to do something for Himself through us, to the shame of Satan Man of God, you are not under any pressure Stop competiting with demonic prophets Can you do what they are doing with mami water every night? Can you turn to dogs and be eating excreta?.. Can you be turning to snakes and be attending meetings in high seas? You must not host programs Nobody will beat you if you dont have cars Manage that rented hall till God choose to give you your own place Avoid friends who are always coming to tell you how many cars other ministers have They are feeding that demon called mammon in you I was a victim of pulpit pressures I tried to use my power to see the mandate on my life succeed But since I reliqushed power, and handed everything over to God, I am seeing sweatless triumphs Most of the things God told me He will do through me have started manifesting sweatlessly Things I was looking for are now looking for me Once again, we have not arrived But if you know where we are coming from, you will understand why we are grateful for the little He is doing through us today I dont want to be one of those preachers that will pull people out from hell and still take their place in hell Lord, would you not help this weak man, Iyke Oriaku? You know that I have not started off well on this journey But I know that if You can still be holding me up til now, certainly, Satan will still have a lot of things to pay for in the days ahead Friends, can I beg you something? If you see any young man that is not using juju to do ministry, if you can, please, sow into his ministry There is a voice God wants to raise through him that Satan wants to stop by all means Paying for his crusade handbills can encourage him a lot I have made up my mind that no genuine man of God will meet me and still see any reason to bow to Baal No young minister around me will make the mistakes I made in this work I want to beg that young man planning to join those who are using satanic powers to do ministry Dont bother Cancel that demonic trip Forget your past shits The future is calling your name You can even uproot that charm you buried in that altar There is peace when God is the one helping you more than when you are the one helping yourself Satan is on earth today with great wrath, to.make sure he separates us from God He wants us to share the same eternal destiny with him.. How can you run to your eternal enemy to help you in ministry? I Know we have bills to pay I know But its better we go to.jail for the debts we owe than to see ourselves sleeping with mad ladies just to control powers to grow our ministries If it looks like I am talking to you, please, bow your head And Let us pray! The minister for labour and productivity, Dr Chris Ngige, has said that Nigeria has more than enough medical doctors and as such is not worried that some of them are leaving the country. Speaking during a live television programme on Channels television tagged sunrise daily, he said when they go abroad, they make money and come back home to develop their country. Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige says he was misquoted on Nigeria has surplus medical doctors statement. The minister also denied saying that doctors were free to export their trade to other countries and make a foreign exchange for the nation. Ngige said he only meant that graduates of medicine who couldnt find space for residency training are better off, seeking it elsewhere. In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Nwachukwu Obidiwe, the Minister clarified the statement, which he made on Channel Television, that has whipped up a storm. The Minister was quoted as saying that Nigeria has enough medical doctors and doctors were free to leave to ply their trade in other countries because the nation will earn lots of foreign exchange from them. But Ngige described the incident as well as the selective reportage which it fueled in the media as unnecessary, calling for a deeper understanding of the issue in question. He said: Some Nigerians have taken to Twitter to throw several jabs at the president, Muhammadu Buhari for his scheduled trip to the UK today. Buhari will proceed to the United Kingdom for a private visit, the federal government announced on Thursday morning This will be after he has commissioned developmental projects especially in the sectors of education, healthcare and roads, in Maiduguri, Borno State. Presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina said Buhari will be back in the country on May 5, but gave the details of the UK trip as private. Well, Nigerians didnt find the information attractive, as they immediately lashed out at the president for proceeding on medical tourism, in the name of private visit. What some Nigerians said via Twitter @ojnnaco wrote: Our tourism Minister. Keep globetrotting We hail you @maclexy wrote: Lagos today and London tomorrow Sheybi oluwa Lo they you oh, Omo jaiye jaiye @soloawo wrote: For a private medical visit or what? Where lies your integrity. Always hiding the truth but always enjoying spending Nigerias money anyhow on personal medical care but telling Nigerians to live by their means. Can @MBuhari afford this treatment as a private citizen? Swear!!! @HonGabby_MUFC wrote: This one our president is travelling up and down hope is for good of d country more why going for a private visit in the UK he should use his own money @EnigmaOkafor wrote: Thought they said we have enough Doctors in Nigeria?! Why the private visit then? @AfrikaAnalyst wrote: What excuse does Buhari still have for going to the UK on medical tourism, after four years in office? https://twitter.com/iamomobi/status/1121314685838594048?s=19 The police command in Thailand has arrested a 28-year-old woman for allegedly putting her five-year-old daughter into the commercial sex trade. According to reports, the woman exchanges her child for payments of Bt200 to Bt300 each time. Pol Colonel Kriengkrai Boonson, the provincial police deputy chief told newsmen on Monday that the woman and a 52-year-old unnamed customer were arrested. The girl was also rescued from an isolated location in Tambon Nong Yao. Upon being busted, the man was said to be caught using a sex toy on the child in a pick-up trucks cargo bed. The child has since been put in protective care and her mother has been charged for procuring a child for prostitution, illegal detention and coercion. The man on his part, has been charged with rape and molesting a minor under 15. The woman according to investigations, prostituted her child for months before she was finally arrested. But holding the event on a traditional workday allows folks to think about what this means in the workplace, she said. Think about this in places where you normally dont think about racism. Teenage Nollywood sensation, Regina Daniels, acquires her third car, Mercedes G Wagon Brabus, 2 months after taking delivery of her first two cars and this has sparked reactions from Nigerians. Nigerians while reacting via their Twitter handles have expressed jealousy at the screen divas flamboyant lifestyle. Reactions: This Regina Daniels issue ba.. she is beautiful & most man want to have her now. But when she start fading and new blood come into the light these same men will leave her and for them, then she'll become like Australia very big on the map but no one wants to visit El Dreamer (@13thSnipers) April 24, 2019 https://twitter.com/realoladele/status/1121071162031771648 https://twitter.com/iamtessyo/status/1120998959663779845 https://twitter.com/RealDreylo/status/1121046382972948480 The Presidency has revealed that the security challenges within the country are as a result of the inadequacy of security personnel. Mallam Garba Shehu, the presidential spokesman, who spoke on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari noted that the inadequacy of personnel is equally due to poor funding. Nollywood actor IK Ogbonna has replied vlogger Bold Pink, who mocked him after the expiration of his 7 days ultimatum to her. IK had given Bold Pink 7 days to retract her statement that he is gay. After thr expiration of the ultimatum, IK has revealed that silence is golden but Bold Pink should be wary of actions being taken in silence. See his post below; Chart of the Day: Is Pfizer the Best Mega Cap? Barchart - 10 minutes ago The Barchart Chart of the Day belongs to the big pharma company Pfizer (NYSE: PFE ). I found the stock buy using Barchart to sort the S&P 100 Index stocks first by the highest Weighted Alpha and Barchart... PFE : 59.91 (+1.63%) Existing home sales, median price edged up in November AP - 39 minutes ago Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose for the third straight month in November, reflecting strong demand, low mortgage rates and intense competition for a relatively few number of properties on... $SPX : 4,680.93 (+0.68%) $DOWI : 35,677.04 (+0.52%) $IUXX : 16,103.16 (+0.73%) Weekly U.S. Ethanol Production Slackens, Stocks Drawdown is First in 5 Weeks Renewable Fuels Association - 40 minutes ago Report on U.S. ethanol production, usage, and stocks for the week ending December 17, 2021. WHO chief: Blanket booster drives risk prolonging pandemic AP - 48 minutes ago BERLIN (AP) The head of the World Health Organization warned Wednesday that blanket booster programs in rich countries risk prolonging the world's battle with and said that no country can boost... $SPX : 4,680.93 (+0.68%) $DOWI : 35,677.04 (+0.52%) $IUXX : 16,103.16 (+0.73%) Dollar Getting Slammed & Boosting Metals Blue Line Futures - 1 hour ago Actionable fundamental and technical landscape for Crude, Gold, Silver and more . . . Peak Fear in the Rear-View Mirror Blue Line Futures - 1 hour ago Actionable fundamental and technical landscape on ES, NQ, YM, RTY and more . . . When All Is Said and Done Monica Kingsley - Wed Dec 22, 9:27AM CST S&P 500 duly rallied on broad strength, and credit markets performance bodes well for all risk-on assets. Now a little consolidation after yesterdays steep gains is ahead, but I dont see it as derailing... In the anti-tobacco organisations view, the move is nothing but a cynical distraction from the fact that Philip Morris is primarily in the business of marketing cigarettes. In a statement sent to Insurance Business, Myers noted that the multinational manufacturer sells more than 700 billion cigarettes annually. It doesnt get more twisted than a tobacco company hooking people on its deadly products, then turning around and trying to sell them life insurance, he stated. Philip Morris is looking to profit any way it can from its addicted customers. Where will Philip Morris diversify next perhaps into funeral homes, with Marlboro-branded coffins? Myers added that theres little evidence to support the Marlboro makers claims that it is incentivising smokers to kick the habit by offering life insurance discounts to those who either quit or switch to the companys other tobacco products. Their alternative products have not been proven effective at helping smokers quit. They carry their own health risks and they are being marketed in ways that appeal to kids, said the official. In addition, Philip Morris sham incentives for smokers to quit are drowned out by the huge sums the company spends to market cigarettes and keep smokers from quitting. The non-profit group described the tobacco titan as aggressive when it comes to growing its business and expanding the global cigarette market. Myers also pointed to what they believe are promotional means that attract kids, such as marketing near schools and rolling out flavoured cigarettes. He added: From Australia to Uruguay to Thailand, Philip Morris has filed expensive lawsuits that challenge strong tobacco control laws and seek to intimidate countries into inaction. If Philip Morris was serious about a smoke-free future, it would actively support rather than fight these proven strategies For Myers, what is needed to truly create a smoke-free future is strong action by governments and not what he called empty promises from the likes of Philip Morris. Whats worthy of note is that things have the potential to get worse, and Legassick has offered an explanation. UK and European businesses consistently cite cyber as a top risk facing the business, noted the CNA Hardy executive. In particular they are worried by the growing interconnectivity of cyber risk how an attack can paralyse a manufacturing plant, shut down a global supply chain, put revenues of multiple businesses at risk, and undermine the reputation of many leadership teams and the brands they represent. Growing reliance on technology as part of the fourth industrial revolution is only going to exacerbate this trend. So what does a firms arsenal have to look like if it is serious in combating cyber risk? The answer appears to be something deep-seated. If businesses are going to stand up to the threat, they need to embed a strong risk culture in place where every employee from the boardroom down is aware of how they may be targeted at an individual or a business level, stated Legassick. 80% of attacks take the form of phishing precisely because its so easy for someone to click the link on an email, etc., or a social media feed. As attacks become more sophisticated it is the cultural defences as much as the technological that will help keep businesses safe. Investment banker Robert Giammarco has been named chairman and chief executive officer of New York-based Amynta, according to a statement Tuesday. Giammarco, who specializes in insurance companies, was most recently head of the Americas financial institutions group for Bank America, a position he held since 2014. He will stay at Bank of America for a few more weeks, according to a memo obtained by Bloomberg sent to employees by Eric Bischof, head of investment banking for financial institutions at the firm. A spokesman confirmed the memos contents. Giammarco spent two decades at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, the investment bank BofA bought in 2009 during the financial crisis. He also did a stint starting in 2005 as chief financial officer at Odyssey Re Holdings Corp., a property and casualty reinsurer. At Bank of America, Giammarco helped advise AmTrust Financial Services Inc. on its sale of a majority stake in what is now known as its Amynta business to Madison Dearborn in 2018. Other deals he has worked on include helping advise Sedgwick, an insurance claims management company, on the sale of a majority stake last year to the Carlyle Group LP in a $6.7 billion transaction; and advising Allied World Assurance Co. on its more than $4.5 billion sale to Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. in 2017. Copyright Bloomberg News French insurer AXA said on Wednesday that it had provided insurance coverage for a few artworks from Notre-Dame Cathedral for a maximum amount of a few million euros. The insurer had said last week that it provided insurance for a few of the artworks and relics displayed in the cathedral, but had declined to specify the value of the contracts. Jacques de Peretti, the chief executive of AXAs French unit, said that according to the information available, most of the artworks were preserved from the fire. AXA also provides an insurance for civil responsibility to two of the contractors who were working on Notre-Dames restoration. De Peretti added that the insurers maximum exposure to these contracts was modest. The French states policy is to bear the cost of the reconstruction of historical monuments such as Notre-Dame Cathedral in the event of disasters, so neither AXA nor any other private insurer is exposed to the cost. (Reporting by Inti Landauro; editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta) Related: Topics AXA XL AXA XL announced the promotion of Charlotte Wilson to global head of portfolio solutions, with responsibility for developing and executing the teams global strategy. Wilson will be part of Philippe Gourauds Global Strategic Distribution team and will take up her new role on May 1. She will be based in London. Portfolio solutions continues to be a key focus for AXA XL as increasingly brokers are looking to group a set of similar risks together and place them with a selected panel of insurers following a market tender process. Wilson brings 17 years experience in insurance, having joined Sedgwick Insurance Brokers in 1996 as a graduate trainee. She went on to become a terrorism and political risk insurance broker, leaving Sedgwick (now Marsh) in 2002 to join Catlin Underwriting Agencies as an underwriting assistant in the Fine Art and Specie team. (Catlin was purchased by XL Group in 2015, which last year was purchased by AXA.) Most recently, as underwriting manager, Wilson has overseen the continued growth of profitable business at AXA XL. Over the coming months, she will work to ensure a smooth handover and transition of her current responsibilities and client relationships. Philippe Gouraud, global head of Strategic Distribution at AXA XL, commented that Wilsons experience in underwriting and structuring portfolio solution transactions will help streamline the placement of homogenous risks through a whole range of portfolio underwriting approaches. Source: AXA XL Topics AXA XL The Ohio hospital system where an intensive care doctor is accused of ordering excessive doses of painkillers for dozens of patients who died is settling three resulting wrongful-death cases, while 24 more lawsuits are pending. The family of 78-year-old Lora Stone reached a $250,000 settlement with the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System over her May 2017 death, according to court records of the settlement approved late last week. Her three daughters get almost $55,000 each, and the rest goes to their lawyer and legal costs. Mount Carmel confirmed two more cases were resolved, but details havent been publicly shared or filed in court. Messages were left Tuesday for attorneys involved in the cases. It is our hope that these resolutions will bring some measure of closure and comfort to the families affected by this tragedy, Mount Carmel President and CEO Edward Lamb said in a statement. He said the hospital system is committed to doing what is right and fair and will keep talking with families attorneys to try to resolve more cases. A law firm that filed more than half the lawsuits, Leeseberg & Valentine, has described the settlement offers so far from the hospital systems insurance carriers as unreasonable and offensive. Mount Carmel found that the doctor, William Husel, ordered potentially fatal drug doses for 29 patients over several years. The hospital system said that five may have been given that pain medication when there still was a chance for their conditions to improve with treatment. It said six more patients got doses that were excessive but not likely what caused their deaths. Court filings for Husel in some of the lawsuits deny that he negligently or intentionally caused deaths. Husel, 43, worked for Mount Carmel for five years before he was fired in December. He remains under investigation , and his medical license has been suspended. Records show the State Medical Board in Ohio hasnt previously taken disciplinary action against Husel. The board doesnt disclose whether it has received complaints if no formal disciplinary action is taken. Mount Carmel publicly apologized and said 48 nurses and pharmacists under review in the matter were reported to their respective boards. It said 30 of those employees were put on leave, and 18 no longer work there. The affected patients identified by relatives or in litigation include men and women who were treated for various ailments, mostly at Mount Carmel West hospital. They ranged in age from 37 to 85. The lawsuits allege many of them were given outsized dosages of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Ohio Facebook Inc. estimated that it will cost as much as $5 billion to resolve a U.S. investigation into its privacy practices, as the social-media company moves to put the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal behind it. Facebook said Wednesday that it took a $3 billion charge related to the investigation by the Federal Trade Commission into whether the company violated a 2011 privacy settlement with the agency. We estimate that the range of loss in this matter is $3 billion to $5 billion, Facebook said. The matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final outcome. A settlement with the FTC would resolve one of the biggest liabilities hanging over the company in the wake of news that data on tens of millions of users was obtained by now-defunct consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. An agreement with the agency could also impose changes to the companys business practices. Separately, Facebook is in advanced talks with a group of states to resolve investigations into whether the Cambridge Analytica incident violated local consumer-protection laws, according to three people familiar with the matter. State attorneys general have been negotiating an agreement with Facebook that would require the company to pay an unspecified fine and implement changes to its business practices aimed at improving user privacy, one of the people said. A final agreement could be weeks away, two of the people said. The amount Facebook set aside doesnt cover a settlement with the states. The charge related to the FTC case doesnt guarantee the company will reach a final agreement with the agency. The FTC has the option of pursuing a federal court case to enforce the 2011 consent order if it cant reach an acceptable agreement. The FTC declined to comment on Facebooks disclosure. A $3 billion settlement would be a record for the agency in a privacy case. Under the terms of the 2011 settlement with the FTC, Facebook agreed to get user consent for certain changes to privacy settings. The agreement stemmed from claims that it deceived consumers and forced them to share more personal information than they intended. That complaint arose after the company changed some user settings without notifying its customers. Millions of Users In the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the British political consultancy which had ties to Donald Trumps presidential campaign obtained the data of millions of Facebook users without their consent. The states that have been investigating Facebook include Pennsylvania, Illinois, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, Bloomberg has reported. Representatives of the states either declined to comment or didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. While the amount of money at issue in the talks with the states couldnt be learned, states have a track record of extracting significant penalties from companies for wrongdoing, most notably a sweeping $246 billion settlement with the tobacco industry in the 1990s. In September, Uber paid $148 million to 50 states and the District of Columbia to settle claims related to a large-scale data breach in 2016 that exposed the personal information of more than 25 million of its U.S. users. More Investigations Besides the states and the FTC, Facebook is grappling with a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in New York, a consumer protection lawsuit filed by Karl Racine, the attorney general for Washington, DC, and a privacy suit by the Cook County, Illinois, state attorney, Kimberly Foxx. Foxx is trying to obtain Facebook documents that could show the company knew about the Cambridge Analaytica scandal earlier than previously thought, according to a person familiar with her case. Facebook must fully disclose to the public what happened and take concrete steps to ensure it will never happen again, Foxx said in an email. Racine has also been embroiled in a battle to obtain email communications between Facebook employees in Washington and California, who discussed problems about Cambridge Analytica. Facebook attorneys are seeking to keep the document under seal, but Racine is looking to make the email communications public. A spokesman for Racines office declined to comment. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Trends Bayer AG on Wednesday asked a California appellate court to throw out a $78 million judgment it was ordered to pay to a school groundskeeper who claimed the companys weed killers gave him cancer. In a filing in Californias Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, the company said that there was no evidence that glyphosate, a chemical found in the companys Roundup and Ranger Pro products, could cause cancer. Bayer stands behind these products and will continue to vigorously defend them, the company said in a news release. The widely-used weed killers are made by Monsanto, which Bayer acquired last year for $63 billion. The company said that if the court did not rule in its favor, it should at least order a new trial, arguing that a lower court judge had improperly prevented jurors from hearing evidence that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and foreign regulators had deemed glyphosate not likely carcinogenic to humans. A lawyer for the groundskeeper, Dewayne Johnson, could not immediately be reached for comment. Johnson sued Monsanto in 2016. In August 2018, following a trial in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco, a jury awarded him $39 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages, a total of $289 million. The verdict, which marked the first such decision against Monsanto, wiped 10 percent off Bayers value, and shares have since dropped nearly 30 percent from their pre-verdict value. Judge Suzanne Bolanos, who oversaw the trial, then issued a tentative opinion saying she planned to strike the entire punitive damages award because there was no evidence Monsanto acted with malice. Following a hearing last October, she instead cut the award to $39 million, for a total judgment of $78 million. In another brief filed with the appeals court on Wednesday, Bayer said that decision came after newspaper articles and emails from five jurors in the case meant to pressure Bolanos to uphold the punitive damages award. Bayer, which faces more than 11,000 U.S. lawsuits over glyphosate, says decades of scientific studies and real-world use have shown glyphosate to be safe for human use. While the EPA and regulators from several other countries have said glyphosate was not likely to cause cancer, the cancer unit of the World Health Organization in 2015 classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Topics California Pollution Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signaled his support of a property insurance reform bill passed by the Florida Senate Wednesday, saying in a statement Wednesday he will sign the legislation that the insurance industry and consumer advocates say will stem abuse of a policyholder benefit known as assignment of benefits (AOB). Some homeowners covered by the states insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., will see rate reductions or less dramatic rate increases as originally anticipated as the insurer plans to re-calculate its rate request based on the new law.* By a vote of 25-14, the Florida Senate passed SB 122 that addresses the abuse of post-loss AOBs for residential or commercial property insurance claims and limits one-way attorneys fees related to AOB agreements. The bill was a committee substitute for House Bill 7065, sponsored by Representative Bob Rommel, which passed the House on April 11. The Senate bill was sponsored by Senator Doug Broxson, chair of the Banking & Insurance Committee. DeSantis said he is ready to sign the bill and bring relief to Florida consumers, who are experiencing rate increases statewide and difficulty obtaining coverage in some areas. The governors office said AOB lawsuits have exploded over the last 10 years in 2008, there were approximately 90 property AOB lawsuits filed statewide but by 2018, the number of lawsuits had increased by more than 19,000%. The exponential growth in AOB abuse has contributed to mounting insurance costs for Floridians for far too long, said DeSantis. In recent years, there have been calls for reform and [Wednesday], the Legislature took action. I thank them for their efforts in getting this done and I look forward to signing this meaningful legislation into law. Once signed, the AOB reform bill will take effect July 1, 2019. The bills provisions: Define assignment agreement and establishing requirements for the execution, validity, and effect of such an agreement Prohibit certain fees and altering policy provisions related to managed repairs in an assignment agreement Transfer certain pre-lawsuit duties under the insurance contract to the assignee and shifting the burden to the assignee to prove that any failure to carry out such duties has not limited the insurers ability to perform under the contract Require each insurer to report specified data on claims paid in the prior year under assignment agreements by Jan. 30, 2022, and each year thereafter Allow an insurer to make available a policy prohibiting assignment, in whole or in part, under certain conditions Revise the states one-way attorney fee statute to incorporate an attorney fee structure in determining the fee amount awarded in suits by an assignee against an insurer Require service providers to give an insurer and the consumer prior written notice of at least 10 business days before filing suit on a claim. Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis, a member of the Florida Cabinet who pushed hard for the Legislature to enact reforms this session, also noted that the bill requires savings be passed along to Florida consumers who are covered by Citizens Property Insurance Corp., which has borne the brunt of AOB abuse. A no vote on this bill is a vote against savings for Florida consumers and everyone should take notice, he said in a statement. Tackling AOB abuse not only protects consumers but is essential to the financial health and stability of our state. In South Florida in particular, AOB lawsuits have exploded over the last 10 years and Citizens has filed for rate increases to offset litigation costs. It proposed rate increases for 97 percent of its homeowners policyholders for 2019. Written into the bill is a stipulation stating Citizens may not implement rate changes in 2019 for DP-3 and HO-3 policies unless the rate filing reflects projected rate savings from this act. Citizens said in a statement Wednesday that its actuaries estimated reforms would reduce the statewide average rate need from 25.2% to 10.1% for homeowners policyholders. In South Florida, the average rate need would drop from 30.4% to 12.8%. Citizens spokesperson Michael Peltier said in an e-mail to Insurance Journal the insurer is planning to refile its rate request in the coming months. It plans to release further details at a later date and will work with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) on timing. [This] vote is a critical step in our efforts to bring relief to our policyholders, who have had to pay the bill for runaway litigation and AOB abuse, Barry Gilway, Citizens president, CEO and executive director. Patronis said the passed legislation will also protect homeowners from being taken advantage of during vulnerable times. We fought for Florida homeowners this year and passed this bill to stop the man-made hurricane of rampant AOB abuse in our state that is driving up insurance rates. Bad actors have exploited loopholes in Florida law to take advantage of a system meant to empower consumers, and today families take back control of their insurance benefits, Patronis said. Florida SB 122/HB 7065 *This story has been updated from an earlier version to clarify some Citizens policyholders could see rate reductions or less dramatic rate increases as originally anticipated. Related: Topics Lawsuits Carriers Legislation Florida Property Homeowners A U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th District this week ruled that a Wyoming man convicted of a 2014 murder was not an insured resident under his mothers homeowners insurance policy, and it turns out that finding doesnt favor the insurer. In October 2014, Phillip Sam, age 16 at the time, shot and killed Tyler Burns. The family of Burns brought a wrongful death action in state court against Phillips mother, Dora Sam, alleging that she had negligently stored the handgun used in the shooting. Dora Sam was a named policyholder of an American National homeowners policy in effect at the time of the shooting, and she demanded that American National indemnify and defend her in the wrongful death action. American National filed an action in federal court seeking a declaration that there was no coverage. The district court granted summary judgment for American National, concluding in part that that Phillip Sam was a resident of Doras home at the time of the shooting. And because the policy defines insureds to include relatives who were residents of a named insureds home, and excludes personal liability coverage for intentional and criminal actions by any insured, the district court determined that there was no coverage as to Dora Sam for the shooting. The court also ruled that this result was not unsettled by the policys inclusion of a severability clause, concluding that to determine otherwise would render the any insured exclusion meaningless. Attorneys for the Burnses then argued that Phillip Sam was not a resident of Doras household at the time of the shooting because he had been staying with his father, Nathan Sam, at that time. They also argued that there is an ambiguity introduced by including both an any insured exclusion and a severability clause in the same policy, and that this ambiguity must be construed in favor of coverage for Dora. The appeals court on Tuesday issued a decision that concludes that resident as contained in the policy is an ambiguous term that might reasonably be construed in favor of coverage for Dora Sam, and it reversed and remanded the prior decision on that basis. Relatedly, when insurance coverage is dependent upon how a term in a policy is defined and that term is fairly susceptible of [multiple] constructions, the one favorable to the insured will be adopted, the court noted in its decision. To determine whether Phillip was a resident of Doras household within the meaning of the Policy at the time of the shooting, we first consider whether the term resident is ambiguous under Wyoming law. Based on statements from the Wyoming Supreme Court, we conclude that it is. The court noted that its decision should not be understood as a definitive pronouncement on the best or most reasonable reading of the term resident, but that its interpretation of this term reflects its adherence to Wyoming laws command for courts to construe ambiguities in insurance policies strictly in favor of coverage. In that regard, our reading of the Policy term residentto the effect that an individual may only have one residence at a time, and further that an individual periodically alternating between his parents homes would be, at a given point in time, a resident of the home he or she is staying atis a fair and reasonable one, the court wrote in its decision. And it is an interpretation that in fact favors coverage for Dora: because Phillip was not a resident[] of [Doras] household under the Policy at the time of the shooting he was not a Policy insured, and his intentional, criminal actions would thus not fall within the any insured exclusion when determining Doras coverage eligibility. Under this reasoning, the district court reached the wrong result in interpreting the Policy. We are constrained to reverse. Topics Legislation Homeowners Arizona ended a decade of resistance to restrictions on using a cellphone while driving when Gov. Doug Ducey signed a law this week outlawing holding a phone behind the wheel. It is now the 48th state to ban texting and the 18th to ban hand-held phone use while driving, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Bills to restrict phone use while driving have been introduced for years but havent advanced amid concerns by Republican lawmakers about creating a nanny state that overregulates behavior. The death of a police officer hit by a distracted driver last winter, heartbreaking stories from others who lost loved ones in car crashes linked to cellphone use, and a wave of restrictions enacted by local governments across the state convinced lawmakers the time was ripe for change. Lets send a message that that text message can wait. Its not worth your life, the Republican governor said before signing the bill. Ducey said momentum changed thanks in large part to the advocacy of Toni Townsend, whose son, Salt River tribal police officer Clayton Townsend, was killed in January while he was standing next to a vehicle hed stopped on a Scottsdale freeway. Authorities said the driver who hit him was texting his wife. I think everyone just saw this as such an avoidable death, Ducey said. And when someone comes down and speaks with the power and passion of a mom on behalf of a fallen son, how could they not deliver it to the governors desk? Ducey signed the bill surrounded by Townsends relatives and others who lost a relative to distracted driving. Officers can issue warnings immediately and can write tickets starting in 2021, though the more than two dozen cities, towns and counties with their own restrictions on phone use can continue to enforce their laws in the meantime. Lawmakers hope the delay will give people time to learn about the new law before theyre subjected to fines ranging from $75 to $250. There is a law thats been signed into effect, but we need to change our behaviors today, Toni Townsend said. We dont have to wait for the law. A lot of lives can be saved. Were educating starting today. Ducey declined to say whether hell sign a second bill approved last week that strengthens Arizonas existing distracted driving law, allowing officers to make a stop for any action unrelated to driving that creates an immediate hazard. It was proposed as an alternative to restricting cellphone use that wouldnt specifically target a drivers behavior, which some Republicans found more palatable. The Arizona law leaves Montana and Missouri as the only states that do not ban texting for anyone driving, though Missouri does for drivers 21 and younger. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Personal Auto Arizona April 25, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) 2018 was a terrible year for commodities, but few sectors fared as badly as lithium. The crucial battery metal, also known as "White petroleum", struggled through a 50 percent price correction as supply soared and demand fears spread like wildfire. But it isn't time to give up on lithium stocks just yet. The rising stars of the hard-rock lithium space are transforming the industry with their remarkable ability to extract lithium at a lower cost and faster pace than the lithium majors can from their brine deposits. In short, there's a new caliber of producer in town and - with lithium demand set to soar once again - their timing could not be better. The three stand out companies in the hard-rock mining space at the moment are Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), Chinese Tianqi Lithium (SZSE:002466) and Power Metals (TSXV: PWM; OTC:PWRMF). And each of these companies are able to bring lithium to market faster and cleaner than their brine-based competitors. Before examining the hard rock lithium space though, we need to take a closer look at the market itself. Overall, the supply-demand balance is actually much tighter than prices suggest. After all, the soaring demand from tech and energy sectors that triggered lithium's meteoric rise in 2018 didn't vanish overnight. The lithium boom began in earnest in 2014, with prices rising from less than $6k a ton to more than $16k by 2018. With demand soaring, billions were invested in new mines, with salt brine deposits in Chile and China getting most of the attention. But after a few banner years, Wall Street started looking at Lithium with more suspicion. In February 2018 Morgan Stanley issued a crushing report: the firm determined that Chilean brine would add 200kt to the market by 2025, effectively doubling supply. That sent lithium prices plummeting. In China, lithium carbonate prices fell by 50.31%, crushed by reports of the over-supply. But by year's end, some of those fears had begun to dissipate. Huge projects that were expected to flood the market began experiencing delays. You see, salt brine lithium production, which accounts for most of the market, takes a while to get going: salt water is pumped to the surface where it evaporates to form potassium deposits containing lithium. Take Orocobre in Brisbane, Australia, and its Salar de Olaroz facility in Argentina, which was meant to supply 42.5k tons. Delays, legal troubles and mounting expenses has brought the project basically to a halt. Mining lithium through salt brine evaporation can generate big earnings, but only for firms with the capital to see them through: for that reason, the lithium sector is dominated by larger companies such as Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), FMC (NYSE:FMC) and SQM (NYSE:SQM) These major firms saw their prices tank last year, as the lithium bubble burst in the wake of the Morgan Stanley report and fears of future over-supply. But that doesn't mean the lithium party is over. In fact, it may have only just started. Hard-rock lithium miners in hotspots such as Australia, Canada and China are warming up for the next bull run in this crucial commodity. The legendary Greenbushes mine which is operated by Tianqi (SZSE:002466) and Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) has been in operation for 30 years, and produces a safe and 'dry' source of lithium gained from 'spodumene', a mineral that contains high-grade lithium. On the other site of the planet in North-East Ontario, and not far from Tesla's battery producing 'gigafactory' lies the prolific Case Lake property which is 100% claimed by Power Metals (TSXV: PWM; OTC:PWRMF) The lithium holding spodumene here is found in pegmatite zones of which the metallurgy is currently being tested by SGS Canada. Hard rock miners do not only have cleaner production methods, they also have one leg up on the competition as they are likely to bring new supply to the marketplace quicker than their brine-mining peers do. According to Benchmark Minerals intelligence, there's a huge discrepancy between lithium prices and the lithium demand side. In September 2018, analysts at CRU estimated a lithium surplus for the year of only 22k tons, against demand of 277k tons. Let's take a look at key demand drivers for lithium. First, there's electric vehicles (EV). According to Argus Media, lithium ion batteries in EVs have increased from 10 GWh to 70 GWh in only a decade, with estimates placing the market to reach 223 GWh by 2025, an increase of 300x from current levels. EVs have been taking off in the United States, with sales increasing by 81% in 2018, though a more modest increase is expected in 2019. EVs take up 2.4% of total vehicles in the United States. Where demand is really soaring is in China. More than 2 million EVs will be sold this year, up from 1.1 million last year. It's part of the government's plan to have 50% market share for EVs by 2025. Consumers in Europe are also turning towards EVs, which now make up considerable portions of total vehicle fleets in Norway, Holland and France. EV sales jumped 67% in Europe, led by affordable EV models from Renault and Nissan. Fastmarket predicts EV market penetration of 15% by 2025, up from only 2% currently. But with such ambitious plans in place in China, one of the world's most important car markets, that figure could be on the conservative side. According to Simon Moores of Benchmark Minerals, EVs and an increase in battery storage demand "has sparked a wave of lithium ion battery mega factories," such as Tesla's famous Gigafactory. Currently, 70 lithium-ion battery "mega" factories are under construction, up from only 17 in October 2017. Elon Musk wants 20 gigafactories producing lithium batteries for Tesla EVs by the next decade. Benchmark thinks new factories will be using up 534,000 tons in new demand (on top of current demand of 200,000 tons) by 2028. That's the other demand side factor: as the energy storage sector grows, demand for lithium-ion batteries will grow by leaps and bounds. By one estimate, the market could reach $92 billion by 2024, with a CAGR of 16%. The market was worth $21.6 billion in 2018. A slightly more conservative estimate has the market reaching $40 billion by 2025, but that's still nearly 100% in growth in less than a decade. Another estimate is $60 billion by 2024. Due to declining prices, Bloomberg raised its forecast for lithium ion batteries due to lower than expected prices. The best estimate is from Global Market Insights, which predicts energy storage and automotive lithium ion battery demand to double by 2024. The expectation from GMI is that the bulk of new battery production will come from China, where batteries have a large internal market. So how will this play out in the lithium sector? One major take-away here is that traditional lithium production-through salt-brine evaporation-may lose market share to newer and more competitive production methods, particularly spodumene or "hard-rock" lithium mining, where the lithium is extracted by drilling directly into rich deposits. Extracting lithium in this way is cheaper, easier and faster-and it's starting to attract more attention, with multiple spodumene operations popping up in Australia. Lithium giant Albemarle has gone so far as to halt all expansions of salt brine in South America, the so-called "lithium triangle," and has instead been pouring resources into the Greenbushes project, where capacity is doubling. Demand for spodumene is reflecting rising prices, which spiked in 2018 even as lithium prices across the board were slumping. In 2018 there were four new spodumene operations. But in China, General Lithium Corp. is planning a new mineral ore converter project that will triple production capacity for lithium by the end of 2020. The plant will take in spodumene and convert it into lithium-60,000 tons per year, according to company estimates. That's from 135,000 tons of spodumene. As we mentioned before, Canadian hard-rock miner Power Metals (TSXV: PWM; OTC:PWRMF) has drilled approximately 15,000 meters at its very valuable Case Lake Property in North-East Ontario. In fact, Power Metals drilled more than any other hard rock lithium company in North America last year. The size of its deposits are quite impressive and easy to mine as they are concentrated very close to the surface. The average grade is also world class, and at approximately 1.75% Li20 with intervals as high as 3.5%, it competes directly with projects like Greenbushes in Australia, the world's largest operating hard-rock lithium mine. Next to the prolific Case Lake project, Power Metals is also developing the Paterson Lake and Gullwing Tot Lake properties in Ontario, which, according to its VP of exploration Julie Selway, could be the next gamechanging hard-rock lithium plays in Canada. Power Metals is just one example of this new trend in the lithium space. The entire sector is being transformed from within, and with prices stabilizing there are plenty of opportunities for investors in 2019. A lithium renaissance is well and truly underway, and it is hard-rock miners who find themselves at the forefront of this movement. By. Charles Kennedy NOT AN INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Oilprice.com is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH and consult with a licensed investment professional before making an investment. This communication should not be used as a basis for making any investment. RISK OF INVESTING. Investing is inherently risky. While a potential for rewards exists, by investing, you are putting yourself at risk. You must be aware of the risks and be willing to accept them in order to invest in any type of security. Don't trade with money you can't afford to lose. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp New AIB chief executive Colin Hunt has signalled the lender cannot rule out further sales of soured loans following a farmers protest at its annual meeting. The protest by the powerful business group IFA, which spilled inside the lobby of a Dublin hotel hosting the shareholders meeting, was significant because AIB, the 71%-owned by the Government, is a major lender to farmers and dairy processors. IFA representatives called for farming loans to be excluded from the 1bn sale of non-performing loans to the vulture fund Cerberus that AIB announced at the start of the month. Speaking to reporters at the AGM, Mr Hunt said a meeting with IFA leaders has been agreed in the coming days but he said the bank needs to deal with soured loans on its books to ensure the banks full financial health. The lender had reduced its non-performing loans from over 30bn in 2013 to about 6bn at the end of last year and it was abundantly clear it needed to use the period of economic growth to strengthen the bank, Mr Hunt said. Mr Hunt told shareholders there was an overriding need to reach the European norm of non-performing loans, currently 3.5%, which means the lender will continue to assess soured loans in the coming years. Loan sales were the least preferred option and the lender would continue to engage with customers, he said. AIB and other Irish banks have long said they have the support of the Central Bank and other European regulators for sales of soured mortgage loans. However, the lenders have faced calls by debt advocates to review sales of all types of non-performing loans, including buy-to-let loans, to vulture funds. A feature of AIBs latest transaction is that a tenth of the customer loans are tied to the family home because the investment property is secured on the main home. Following the sale, AIB will cut its exposure to non-performing loans to around 5bn, or 8% of all loans. A year after Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe vetoed an AIB proposal for a share-based incentive plan, the issue of pay for top executives and other banking staff continues to rumble. Ahead of the publication of a Government study on Irish bankers pay, Mr Hunt widened the debate by saying the existing cap of 500,000 affects few people but that the absence of incentives hits 24,000 staff working at AIB, Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB. The new chief executive reiterated the argument that it faces difficulties in retaining staff as it competes with new Brexit arrivals who have no pay and incentive restrictions. At the meeting, veteran consumer advocate Brendan Burgess said AIB should be commended for offering some of the lowest rates in the Irish market. However, Mr Burgess said the lender was denying proper compensation to 6,000 customers who should have been part of the redress scheme under the tracker mortgage scandal. Mr Hunt said all potential groups who would qualify for compensation had been assessed under the auspices of the Central Bank investigation. He told shareholders the bank was becoming stronger by adding to its capital and was paying out 461m in dividends. AIBs balance sheet was in good shape to prepare for whatever lies ahead with Brexit. BMW will buy cobalt directly from mines in Australia and Morocco to ensure the metal purchased for its electric vehicles is sourced responsibly, according to the head of procurement at the German car maker. The measure comes as the London Metal Exchange carries out a supply-chain review to address concerns that cobalt stored in its warehouses may be linked to child labour. The supply of the commodity, mostly mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, faced scrutiny in recent years as humanitarian groups said that it is being produced in unethical conditions. By Thomas Seal, Kitty Donaldson and Robert Hutton The UK is set to toughen the rules under which Huawei Technologies operates in the country while stopping short of an outright ban on the Chinese telecom equipment maker. The measures, designed to address concerns that Chinese intelligence could use Huaweis systems to spy on other countries, are expected to involve closer state oversight and may restrict the vendor from some sensitive parts of the UKs telecom networks, according to sources. The results of a six- month review of the UKs telecom supply chain were submitted yesterday to the National Security Council chaired by prime minister Theresa May. Officials will spend the coming days working through the details before announcing a final decision. Ms Mays office declined to comment on a media report that she had decided to allow Huawei to build parts of the new generation of wireless networks known as 5G. Western allies are watching. The UK has monitored Shenzhen-based Huaweis systems closely for several years, while allowing it to become a major supplier of UK communications infrastructure. Huawei denies that its equipment is vulnerable to state espionage. We welcome reports that the UK government is moving towards allowing Huawei to help build the UKs 5G networks, a Huawei spokesman said. While we await a formal government announcement, we will continue to work co-operatively with the government and the industry. The issue has divided UK government departments, with some officials pushing for tough restrictions and others concerned that this would saddle the industry with extra costs and delay infrastructure upgrades. - Bloomberg Norwegian Air flights from Cork and Shannon to the US east coast are now unlikely to return for the entire summer schedule, an MEP has claimed, as the firm admitted it is unlikely to return to profitability this year. Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune said briefings received by her office suggested evaluations of the grounded 737 Max aircrafts would take an international commission 90 days to complete, after starting before the end of this month. Norwegian, which has 18 737 Max jets in its fleet, uses the aircraft on the Cork and Shannon routes to Providence, Rhode Island. Following the worldwide grounding of the 737 Max after two fatal crashes in five months, Norwegian instead this month began bussing would-be passengers from Cork and Shannon to Dublin, from where they then flew to the US. It was initially hoped the situation would last only a few weeks before the schedule from Cork and Shannon was restored, but the airline has said it will continue as the 737 Max is grounded. Passengers cannot book flights on Norwegians website from Cork and Shannon before September 17. In a reply to Ms Clune, founder and chief executive of Norwegian, Bjorn Kjos, said his regret at the inconvenience to our passengers from and to Ireland is therefore the greater because of the Irish political and business support the airline received as it attempted to secure a transatlantic licence from US authorities. I remain personally deeply appreciative of the support received from yourself and the Irish community for our application to the US Department of Transport for a foreign operator permit for Norwegian Air International... Please be assured of our continued commitment to ensure that any inconvenience to them is kept to an unavoidable minimum, said Mr Kjos. The briefings received by Ms Clunes office said an international committee, composed of nine aviation regulators including the US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency, will start its joint examination of the Boeing 737 Max safety update by April 29. It is estimated that evaluating the modifications of the 737 Max should take about 90 days, said the reports. Ms Clune said while measures taken by Norwegian are necessary to ensure the safety of passengers, those travelling on transatlantic flights from Cork and Shannon airports must be taken care of while the flights are not in operation. These flights are very important for Cork Airport in particular, and I hope to see them back to their regular schedule once all the safety checks have been completed, said Ms Clune. The toll taken so far by the Boeing crisis on Norwegian was laid bare as the firm said it may not return to profitability this year. Due to the uncertainty related to the Max grounding, the company sees increased risk related to the target of a positive net profit in 2019, said Norwegian. Norwegians key priority is returning to profitability through a series of measures, including an extensive cost reduction programme, an optimised route portfolio, and sale of aircraft, it said, as it estimated the 737 Max grounding would cost an additional 51.8m. Mr Kjos said demand for travelling with Norwegian has been satisfactory entering the second quarter of 2019. Equinor is the latest large oil company to bow to a major investor group that is pushing corporations to take more robust action on climate change. The Norwegian giant has agreed to align its business model with the goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord, and will review its corporate lobbying policy and the carbon intensity of its products, the company said. It will also link executive pay to climate-related targets. The action was taken after several investors from a coalition called Climate Action 100+, whose members together oversee about $33 trillion (29.3 trillion), pushed Equinor to take a bigger role in tackling global warming. While the group acknowledged the Norwegian oil company is one of the most progressive in the industry on climate change, investors overall have become much tougher on fossil fuel producers as the world transitions to lower-carbon fuels. One of companies key fears is a mass exodus of capital, and that is felt especially sharply in Equinors home in Scandinavia. The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, earlier said it will pull some investments in oil companies to hedge financial risks. Additionally, the region is home to Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, who led a massive student walk-out related to climate in March. We see our low carbon strategy as a competitive advantage which creates long-term value for our shareholders, Equinor chief executive Eldar Saetre said. The actions we announce today make us even more competitive in the energy transition, and support the goals of the Paris Agreement. Climate Action 100+ was formed in late 2017 mainly to push the largest corporate greenhouse-gas emitters to change their businesses. So far members have motivated fossil fuel companies including Shell, BP, and Glencore to make concessions around climate. The lead investors negotiating with Equinor included UBS Asset Management, HSBC Asset Management and Norwegian fund manager Storebrand Asset Management. At a conference in Florence in January, Mr Saetre said the industry was living in an echo chamber, and that it needed to do more to lower emissions. It plans to increase investments in renewable energy even as it plans to expand its oil and gas production. Equinor also asked investors to vote against three climate-related shareholder proposals at the companys annual general meeting next month. One asked it to refrain from drilling in ecologically sensitive areas while another wanted the company to set targets for lowering the emissions of its customers. The last asked it to phase out all exploration activities in two years. The company said it has experience drilling successfully in fragile environments and that it has a climate road-map that sets clear reduction targets for own greenhouse gas emissions and growth within the area of new energy solutions and renewables. Equinors pledge with Climate Action 100+ ties its views on climate toward specific targets and ambitions, including those beyond 2030, which will factor into how executives are paid. - Bloomberg John Hearne reviews the merits of digital banking services which do not charge fees, but which also do not offer loans, overdrafts or credit cards. If you are an Ulster Bank customer, you saw a stiff increase in current account charges on Good Friday. Under the old fee structure, Ulster Bank customers paid a 4 monthly account maintenance fee. After that, all day-to-day banking was free, which meant no charges for direct debits, taking money from an ATM, or for using your card to pay for things in store and online. Under the new fee structure, the account maintenance fee is being reduced to 2. However, at the same time, the bank is introducing a host of fees for day-to-day transactions like direct debits, ATM withdrawals and contactless and chip and pin transactions. Of course, Ulster Bank isnt the only one to have piled on the bank charges for current account use. All of the main banks charge heavily for the privilege of banking with them. Why? Because they can. The level of switching in the current account market is chronically low at less than 1%. This is why banks can get away with charging so much, remarks Daragh Cassidy at price comparison and consumer website bonkers.ie. But if youre not happy with your current service you should look at switching. A few years ago the Central Bank introduced a code of practice for switching current accounts so the process isnt as difficult as people might think. And given that you could save around 150 a year, itll be worth it. The alternative is to check out one of the digital banks that now operate in Ireland. The two best known of these fintech players are N26 and Revolut. They have no high-street presence and operate entirely online, with customers accessing their accounts via intuitive, user-friendly apps on their phone. Both banks offer free as well as premium accounts, for which you pay a monthly fee. Bonkers.ie recently brought out an excellent consumer comparison of the free accounts offered by both banks. But first of all, who are they, and is it safe to entrust them with your money? N26 is a German Bank which now operates in over 20 countries in Europe, with plans to launch in the United States shortly. The bank has around 2.5 million customers worldwide. It is licensed by the German Central Bank and the European Central Bank and operates in Ireland on a European Passport. N26 customers are covered by the German deposit guarantee scheme and are regulated here by the Central Bank of Ireland for conduct of business rules so your money is as safe with this bank as with any of the traditional Irish ones. When you open an account youll immediately be given an IBAN and BIC number, meaning that you can get paid by your Irish employer and set up direct debits and standing orders just as you would with any other Irish bank account. Revolut is a UK fintech company which launched in 2015 and now has over three million customers. Like N26, youll be given an IBAN and BIC when you open your account so you can do all the day-to-day things that youd expect with a normal current account. Its currently licensed as a bank in Lithuania and is working on getting the license transferred across to Ireland under the same EU passporting rules that N26 has followed. Daragh Cassidy points out that Revolut has suffered through a bit of a PR crisis lately with reports of a toxic working culture. Both of these banks are digital, with no branch structure and no facilities for dealing with cash or cheques. Both allow you to open an account online in just minutes from your phone. You download the app, fill in some personal details, then take a picture of your passport and a selfie with your phone and submit it through the app. Your new account will then be set up and youll be issued with an IBAN and BIC almost immediately. Your physical card will be sent out in the post and should arrive in around one week. Its free to open an account with N26 while Revolut will charge you 6. Both offer largely free day-to-day banking. Theres no monthly or annual maintenance fee with either bank and theres no charge for chip and pin or contactless transactions. Theres no fee for standing orders or direct debit payments either. Withdrawing cash is a bit different. With N26 you get five free ATM withdrawals a month. After that theres a hefty 2 charge per withdrawal. Revolut allows you to withdraw 200 a month. After that, youre charged a 2% fee per withdrawal. N26 supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay in Ireland. Revolut only supports Google Pay here for now. As well as free day-to-day banking, the lack of foreign exchange fees makes both these accounts extremely attractive for anyone who travels a lot. All the traditional banks will charge you a 1.75% to 3% foreign exchange or processing fee for purchases made with your debit card outside the Eurozone. These can really add up. N26 will charge you nothing while Revolut will charge you nothing up to a limit of 6,000 a month. After that theres a small 0.5% fee. Whats more, when converting your spend back into euro, N26 applies the Mastercard exchange rate at all times while Revolut applies the Interbank exchange rate with a 0.5% mark-up at weekends. Both these rates are likely to be better than the rate youd get with one of the main banks. The Interbank rate is usually slightly more competitive than the Mastercard rate but because Revolut charges a 0.5% mark-up at weekends, both banks largely come out the same in the end. All the above also applies to money transfers. If youre withdrawing cash abroad, N26 will charge you a 1.7% fee while Revolut allows you withdraw the equivalent of 200 a month at no charge, after which a 2% fee is added. Both these fees are way more competitive than the 3-4% fee youd be charged with the traditional Irish banks. Both banks will give you up-to-the-minute push notifications on your spending and analytics that break down your spend for you. Revolut also has an ingenious money-saving feature called Vaults. Every time you make a purchase with your card, Revolut will automatically round up your transaction to the nearest whole number and place the difference into your Vault. So if you buy your coffee for 2.80, 0.20 will go straight into your Vault. Think of it as your online coin jar. With Revolut, you can also put a limit on how much you want to spend each month and every time you make a payment youll be notified how much is remaining so a great tool for budgeting. With N26 you can do similar by setting a daily limit for cash withdrawals as well as for payments. Both N26 and Revolut offer fingerprint login plus the choice to freeze your card in the app and unfreeze it. This avoids the pain of cancelling all your cards unnecessarily. Neither N26 nor Revolut offer access to loans, overdrafts or credit cards for now but both fintechs plan to offer some of these services in the coming year or two. For more check out n26.com or revolut.com.Youll find more detail on both services at bonkers.ie. An extra 37,500 visitors from North America helped bolster a 5.5% increase in tourism in the first three months, while British visitors bucked the recent trend by increasing their numbers. CSO figures showed overseas arrivals increased by 5.5% in the first quarter of 2019, around 106,100 more when compared with January to March 2018. US and Canadian arrivals increased by almost 11%, while British visitors increased by almost 1.5%. Visitors from continental Europe continue to grow, with an increase of 7.6% being led by a spike in French and Spanish tourists. There was also a rise in numbers from Australia and other so-called "emerging markets", growing almost 7% year on year for the first three months of 2019. Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons cautioned that while growth was positive, there were signs to be wary. "It is early days yet arrivals for the first quarter represent around 18% of total annual arrivals and growth in the month of March alone has slowed to 3.3%," he said. He said the British increase was encouraging but tourism could not become complacent in the wake of Brexit. "While we welcome the fact that arrivals from Britain are up 1.4%, we know that the Brexit extension will continue to cause uncertainty for the summer season. "However, we will continue to monitor the British market closely, working in conjunction with our British-based Brexit Taskforce," he said. For March alone, trips by British visitors decreased by 3.1% to 284,300, the CSO said. The total number of overseas trips made by Irish residents during March increased by 13.5% to 634,000, it said. University College Cork (UCC) has today signed contracts for the acquisition of Dairygolds property in South Terrace for 17.25 million. Cork University Business School (CUBS) is to develop a new building on the site which will accommodate 4,000 students and 200 staff. Welcoming the contract signing UCC President, Professor Patrick OShea said: As UCC President I made a commitment that our new business school should be city-facing and that we would be of the community and for the community. "That commitment was central to our choice of site for the new business school." Dairygold Chief Executive, Jim Woulfe said that Dairygold is pleased to facilitate the establishment of the building in Cork City. The Dean of Cork University Business School, Professor Thia Hennessy said: "We have seen the demand for our business programmes grow over the last few years and our physical infrastructure has been the main constraint on that growth. "This building will give us the capacity to realise our potential in terms of student numbers and to offer a world-class student and staff experience in a future-proofed learning environment for generations of business students to come." The 1.46-acre site is the former Brooks Haughton Builders Providers located in the centre of Cork city between Copley Street and South Terrace, fronting on to Union Quay. Hollywood's Saoirse Ronan is West Cork-bound in a few weeks' time for one of the country's most unique film festivals. The award-winning Lady Bird star had been spotted early last year in Schull which hosts the summertime Fastnet Film Festival. The Mary Queen of Scots and Brooklyn actress was unavailable to return months later to the Mizen peninsula village for the 2018 festival but organisers kept in touch with the Golden Globe winner. And the 25-year-old agreed to attend the 2019 five-day event which commences midweek May 26. The festival plans to screen two of her films, Hanna and Lady Bird, and the actress will participate afterwards in a Q&A session with Dublin-based producer John Kelleher, who is chairman of the Fastnet Film Festival. Hilary McCarthy, communications director, said: "Saoirse will stay for the duration of the festival. She comes to West Cork occasionally and while she couldn't come last year, we kept in touch and she said she would love to come this May. To get a world-renowned actress, a young female actress with such an amazing career, is just phenomenal for the festival to have her as a guest. The Fastnet event is unique in that while 13 full feature-length films and 300 short films will be screened, the village does not have a permanent cinema. But a number of temporary venues, including the offshore Long Island cinema, ensure thousands of film fans and visitors are never disappointed. Ms McCarthy said the festival has been very lucky to continue to attract high-profile producers, directors and screenwriters over the years. Actor Bryony Flatman at the launch of the Fastnet Film Festival. Picture: Hilary McCarthy "We have developed the event into something that filmmakers feel they are part of, in terms of its creation, they feel ownership of the festival and when they do some to Schull, we ensure they get out and about, enjoy the music, have boat trips and make it a family holiday." Meanwhile, scores of filmmakers were among the guests at a Cinematographer's Party in Cork's Crane Lane Theatre for the launch of the 2019 festival. It was also announced Dubliner Roddy Doyle will host a scriptwriters workshop and take part in a Q&A during the May event. Academy award-winning film historian Kevin Brownlow will also screen his restored silent film Smouldering Fire which will be accompanied by world-famous composer and conductor Carl Davis on a grand piano. This unique event will be possible thanks to the support of Tomar Trust and UCC. Roddy Doyle Other guests announced were Paddy Breathnach, Carmel Winters, Moe Dunford, Sarah Greene, Jim Sheridan, Ed Guiney, Hazel Doupe and many more. The line-up, organisers said, is unprecedented with over 50 expert guests taking part in the late May festival. The festival's World Cinema Programme will, this year, focus on Iceland to include three features and a short film programme curated by the Icelandic Film Institute. The Fastnet Film Festival has carved out a niche as a major showcase for Irish and international short film production, focusing on the craft of film and has been held in high regard on a local, national and global level for a number of years. The programme includes a series of seminars, masterclasses and workshops covering sound, screenwriting, casting, auditioning, score composition, documentary making, creating content on a mobile phone, shorts to feature films and more. The public auction on Tuesday, May 30 of a 110-acre farm located near Killarney should guarantee a sizeable turnout. Its rare that such a large holding comes on the market, and doubly rare that its going under the hammer to be sold on the day. The property is a non-residential farm which is all in grass and located in the townland of Whitefield, approximately 17km from Killarney. According to selling agent Tom Spillane, this is top quality land throughout. It is well fenced and enjoys superb, panoramic views of the MacGillycuddy Reeks, and is bounded by the River Gaddagh, a tributary of the River Laune. It really is a magnificent farm, says Tom. Its located right in the heart of good farming country as well, between Killarney and Killorglin [which is about 7km away]. This part of the world could be regarded as the cradle of the very successful Kerry Group, now an international player on the world stage, which had its roots in Kerry Co-operative. Strong dairying country such as exists here was the mainstay for this multinational, and the area is still dominated by the dairying sector, with a strong representation from the beef cattle sector too. If the Kerry shares factor is brought into play, landmark farm sales in Kerry like this one can go high, if the conditions are right. The spin-off from Kerry Co-op shares has enriched a lot of farmers in the county, as the Group advanced to its current market capitalisation of about 12 billion, generously recompensing farmers who helped to build the company. Whether that will happen at this auction or not remains to be seen but, according to Tom Spillane, there is already a very strong reaction to the appearance on the market of this farm, still more than a month ahead of its auction date. Yes, were already getting strong indications and wed expect a good turnout on the day, says Tom. We usually bring farms of 40 or 50 acres to the market, so bringing one of this size is going to attract a lot of potential buyers. The non-residential farm doesnt come with any entitlements and although the farm is largely of excellent quality, there is a small proportion of it with mature trees. There are about ten to fifteen acres with trees on it, says Tom, but that only adds to its overall charm. Beaufort village is only 7km from this farm. Tom says: As one man said after narrowly missing out at the auction of land in Limerick last year, Yes, it was great land, but it wasnt Beaufort land! The beauty and land quality of the area are both renowned. Beaufort was also the site of Irelands first film industry in the years before the First World War, when an American production company set up home there and made a series of Irish films for the American market. The price expectation for this farm auction is set at a relatively conservative figure of 10,000 per acre. Tom, for his part, is not going to be too bullish about the price expectation, but he is expecting a good crowd to show up, and hes expecting a good show of hands too. Wed expect that it will exceed the 1,000,000 mark, he says. The rarity of the commodity up for sale makes it a difficult case to predict, but if logic is anything to go by, then it could be closer to 1.3 million on the day. Patrick Kent has stepped down from his role as ICSA president, having been named by Independents 4 Change South of Ireland MEP candidate Mick Wallace on his replacement list. Mr Kents decision to step down from Irelands third largest farmer organisation has surprised farming circles as Mr Wallace, in Dail debates, has called for the scaling back of the beef and dairy sectors to reduce Irelands carbon emissions. He cited of beef and dairy alongside the climate impacts of gas fracking. In February, in a Dail question to Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, Mick Wallace stated: The meat and dairy herds are to Ireland what the coal industry is to Poland and the fracking gas industry is to the United States, namely, a short-sighted cash generator, the expansion of which is undermining the chances of survival of the planet and the people of the global south and in less than a generation the people of the global north. Minister Creed said the analogy was rather unfortunate while citing a 2010 report by the European Commission which found Ireland was the most carbon-efficient producer in the European Union per unit of dairy production and the fifth most carbon-efficient producer of beef per kilogram. While Mr Kent has stated that he remains politically neutral, his move could potentially see him become an MEP in a scenario wherein Mick Wallace, if elected as an MEP, should later decide to step down in order to contest an Irish general election. Mr Kent has been ICSAs president since 2014, having been re-elected twice during that time. A suckler and sheep farmer in New Ross, Co Wexford, Mr Kent has been a critic of militant vegan ideology which he said was a big threat to the future of the livestock sector. Mr Kents highlights as ICSA president included pushing for an EU level auditor to analyse and publicise the division of profits in the beef food chain to expose the high margins enjoyed by retailers and processors. He also led studies of the Quality Assurance Scheme (QAS), with the ICSAs analysis suggesting that farmers were losing on average 150 per head of cattle by virtue of receiving zero payment for the fifth quarter. ICSA thanked Mr Kent for his visionary approach he brought to many of the most challenging issues facing the farming sector during his time as president. The threat of EU trade agreements harming Irelands main farming sectors has doubled, with negotiations with New Zealand moving forward rapidly. Up to now, the EU being swamped by beef from South America was the main fear for farmers, but New Zealand is the worlds largest exporter of butter, is second only to the EU in cheese exports, and is by far the largest exporter of dry milk powders. How the Irish dairy industry would be affected in a trade agreement is an understandable worry for farmers, with the fourth round of trade talks due in Wellington, New Zealand, in mid-May, following exchange of market access offers in February for all but sensitive sectors (which include dairy, beef and sheepmeat). Irish dairy industry representatives were told at a recent EU Commission Civil Dialogue Group meeting on international aspects of agriculture by EU trade official John Clarke that the EU will implement measures to protect its dairy sector, and will not liberalise the EUs butter or milk powder markets, within any trade agreement with New Zealand, instead limiting it through a tariff rate quota. New Zealand is one of several trading partners the EU is looking for closer ties with. Trade agreements have helped its food industry reach new export markets. In January 2019, EU agri-food exports increased for the fourth year in a row, reaching a record monthly level of 11.2 billion, driven to a great extent by increased exports of milk powders (up 58 million). But trade agreements could make life difficult for EU farmers, especially in Ireland, where IFA Livestock Chairman Angus Woods recently called for beef to be excluded from the Mercosur trade negotiations with South American countries, and for the EU Commission to instead restrict beef imports, in order to improve the current EU beef market situation. The EU imports about 330,000 tonnes of beef annually, of which about 75% comes from the Mercosur countries. The next round of EU-Mercosur trade negotiations will be in May or June, but significant further progress is not expected, as no credible dairy market access offer has been made, said ICOS European Affairs Executive Alison Graham, who attended the recent EU Commission DG AGRI Civil Dialogue Group on international aspects of agriculture. EU-Mercosur negotiations resumed in Buenos Aires in mid-March, without an announcement of any major breakthroughs, due to negotiating sensitivities in relation to Mercosur beef access to the EU market, cars, rules of origin, geographical indications, maritime services, and EU dairy access to the Mercosur market. Ms Graham said another key point from the Civil Dialogue Group meeting was that not much progress has been made in EU-Indonesia trade negotiations, due to negotiations being complicated by recent developments in the EU with regard to exclusion of palm oil from the biofuels sector. Indonesia is a priority market target for Ireland, with Agriculture Minister Michael Creed having led the first Irish trade mission to Indonesia, and Malaysia, last November, to raise awareness of Ireland as a source of sustainable dairy for these countries. Agriculture Minister Michael Creed. The prospects of trading to Singapore are better, with Geographical Indications (which protect the market position of unique EU foods) the only remaining outstanding issue in trade talks with the Southeast Asian city-state. Alison Graham reported that EU trade negotiations with Australia are progressing slowly, due to elections in Australia in May. Market access offers have not yet been exchanged. The negotiation teams are due to meet for a fourth round of talks in the first week of July. Meanwhile, benefits are flowing for the EU food industry from the trade agreement with Japan. The main early beneficiaries are producers of European wine, with tariffs on their exports cut from 15% to zero. In the trade agreement with Canada, the Canadian authorities have agreed to conduct a review of its tariff rate quotas in 2019, as a result of EU complaints regarding EU cheese exports to Canada. Meanwhile, the agri-trade implications of Brexit still overhang Irelands agri-food sector, with October 31 the main new Brexit deadline. However, if the UK does not hold European Parliament elections in May, it will leave the EU on June 1, with or without a deal. A: From elementary school to high school, I always had friends who wanted to run for student government, but I never did. Then in high school, senior year, I ran for it and got beat and I decided when I got to college, I said I would go all in and go for it. When I got here, I got elected. Campaigners have said the Government has been too slow to put measures in place to deal with the housing crisis. They are announcing a second "Raise the Roof" protest - which will take place on Saturday, May 18 in Dublin. Europol, the EU police agency, wants experts from the Criminal Assets Bureau to help set up a specialist unit to target the finances of crime bosses across Europe. Europol chiefs made the proposal for CAB officers to be seconded to it in a meeting in Dublin with Garda commissioner Drew Harris, who they said is considering it. During high-level meetings, senior gardai also discussed, with Europol executive director Catherine De Bolle and chief of staff Brian Donald, efforts to tackle the Kinahan crime cartel. In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Ms De Bolle said: There had been a significant increase in trafficking of cocaine from Colombia into Europe and that higher quantities than ever of heroin are reaching Europe due to a record opium crop in Afghanistan last year Europol needs to refocus on tackling the drugs trade and organised crime, saying it had not done enough in recent years because of demands to respond to terrorism and the migrant crisis The agency is building a high-tech decryption platform to assist member states in accessing encrypted phones and digital devices, increasingly used by organised crime, including the Kinahan cartel Europol is taking a new departure in creating mobile operational taskforces, comprising experts, to travel to member states and join investigators in the field Speaking after her address to the Institute of International and European Affairs, and following meetings with gardai, Ms De Bolle said there is growing demand from member states for Europol expertise in tackling economic and financial crimes, including criminal assets. We have very good collaboration with them [gardai] and we discussed about the presence of their police service in Europol, because when we start to invest more in economic and financial crime they [gardai] have a lot of experience, said Ms De Bolle. The former chief of the Belgian federal police said there is huge demand from member states for assistance in this area. So we need to be experts in The Hague [Europol HQ] to create an expert organisation in that field. She said they raised the request with Mr Harris, the Garda commissioner: It is not decided yet. We had a discussion, but they [CAB] have a lot of good results. Ireland has two Garda liaison officers in Europol, while Revenue Customs also has one. Mr Donald, Europols chief of staff, said there is a system of seconded national experts, where the home country continues to pay the salary while Europol pays accommodation costs. Ireland hasnt done that to date, he said, so we were exploring ways how that might work for them and for us. He [Mr Harris] was open to it. Ms De Bolle said such a move would help us a lot. She said: We need experts to start something new up and we need to find the experts. I understand, as a chief, it is difficult to let your good people go for a few years, but when they come back to the country they have a huge network, they know the organisation better, they know the opportunities for them. For me its win win. Ms De Bolle confirmed they also discussed with Garda chiefs efforts to target the Kinahan cartel. Although the leadership is based in Dubai, senior members are thought to travel within the union, including to Britain and Spain. There is good collaboration in this area with the Irish police, confirmed Ms De Bolle. I arrived [Tuesday] and I discussed it with the police and there is good collaboration. She declined to give further details. This issue fits in with Europols drive to focus on high-value targets, which Ms De Bolle likened to chiefs or CEOs of organised crime. She said Europol needs to refocus on drugs and organised crime, saying 8,000 lives are lost in Europe every year in a trade worth 24bn. Friends and mothers wield the greatest influence on the career choices of school pupils, a Department of Education report on career guidance has found. The study also identifies large gaps in providing information on alternatives to university. Ireland has one of the highest levels globally of third-level participation, with almost 60% of secondary school pupils going on to college. However, the numbers opting for apprenticeships is very low by international standards, according to the study by Indecon consultants. It also found students from more disadvantaged backgrounds have less access to information on trends in the labour market. The study emphasises the need for better awareness of routes to apprenticeships, traineeships, and other options, and improved engagement with enterprise. Greater use of technology and the creation of closer links with industry are urgently required, says the report, along with access to quality, lifelong career information and guidance for those no longer in education settings. Education Minister Joe McHugh said he had acted immediately on one of the studys key recommendations and has set up an internal taskforce which would develop a prioritised implementation plan. Ensuring guidance teachers are allocated to students most in need of assistance, and better access to career support services are among the 18 recommendations in the report. Supports for employers to facilitate career guidance as in visits to industry and schools and quality work experience is also advised by the report. A north Clare farmer today escaped jail after a judge heard that he had complied with a 24-hour ultimatum that all sheep be removed from the farmers brothers land. At Gort District Court today, a Veterinary Inspector with the Dept of Agriculture, Mary Bourke told Judge Patrick Durcan that following an inspection of the lands this morning, no sheep or lambs were to be found on the lands. The swift removal of the 14 ewes and their lambs followed Judge Durcan telling the 51-year-old farmer in relation to the sheep in court on Wednesday I dont care where they go - if they are not gone, you are going to jail". He told the farmer at Ennis District Court on Wednesday: You must have every ewe and lamb removed from the lands by tomorrow. If they are not removed you are going down to Limerick prison. Ms Bourke told Judge Durcan at Gort District Court today that the farmer's 29 cattle have also been removed from the 1.5 acre piece of land to Coillte-owned lands. Judge Durcan said: That is a matter for Coillte. The lands are now stock free. The farmer in question was late for the court hearing today and arrived with the ownership cards of the 29 cattle as demanded by Judge Durcan. The man is before the court after breaching a barring order concerning his brother by entering his brothers property on March 21. As the case relates to a domestic violence order, the names of the parties cannot be disclosed. The farmer has pleaded guilty to breaching the barring order and the matter remains before the court over his undertaking to remove the stock from the land. The farmer told Judge Durcan today that a dead calf of his remains on the land. Judge Durcan told the farmer: I want that calf moved. Let me make it very clear. I want Garda Lorraine Higgins to inspect the lands later today. I want Garda Higgins to be satisfied that there is total clearance of everything belonging to you from the lands. Judge Durcan said: If everything is not removed today, I will be revoking bail tomorrow and you will be going to prison. I want everything cleared. I want this saga finished today. If is not finished today you are going in for a period. Judge Durcan told the farmer: Get on with life. You cant get on with life if you are coming into court every day and I will keep you coming into court and I will put you into whatever prison I have to put you into. I will have no hesitation in doing that." Judge Durcan ordered the man to appear before Ennis District Court on Friday to confirm the removal of the dead calf and tools he has on the lands. Farmers, homeowners and business owners are being urged to sign up to a new system aimed at tackling rural crime. The Property Marking Ireland programme is being set up by the Government in the hope of creating an extra barrier for thieves. A Co Kerry island is aiming to produce clean energy which could be used to power public lighting and propel its ferry service, among other uses. Valentia Island is planning to transform its energy needs through a potential hydrogen-based product. The project which is community-led is based on a successful venture which has been continuing and developing on Scotlands Orkney Islands since 2016. Details of the proposed energy model will be outlined tomorrow in The Royal Hotel Valentia Function Room on the island in south Kerry. The ultimate goal is to power the island, said Colum OConnell, chairman of the Valentia Energy Group. He said islanders would be able to pull up at hydrogen refuelling stations just as Orkney islanders currently do. Mr OConnell said in the not-too-distant future Valentia could eventually be a powerhouse for storing and selling on the clean energy. It will be community- engaged, community-owned and community driven rather than development- led, he said. Meanwhile, Valentia Island Energy Company has been formed with the objective of addressing the islands energy needs in a manner that is more efficient in an economic and climatic context. Mr OConnell said two years down the road in its research, Valentia is liaising directly with the community effort in Orkney. He said hydrogen is the up and coming transitional energy technology as the world moves from carbon and fossil fuels. In global terms, hydrogen is gaining a lot of momentum. Harvested from water, using renewable energy methods, it can be stored as a gas in cylinders. The theme of tomorrows event in Knightstown is How Valentia can help enable Irish Communities to make the Energy Transition Feasibility Study into the local production and consumption of Hydrogen in a sustainable way on Valentia Island. With the aim of establishing a community energy cooperative, environmentalist Duncan Stewart will introduce a number of academics from DCU and NUI Galway, energy experts and commercial leaders in the sector. Energy Coops Ireland is also working in collaboration with Valentia on developing the hydrogen project. It will assist in completing a feasibility study which will take into account analysis from DCU and NUIG as well as existing models operating in Orkney. Chief executive of Energy Coops Ireland, Cormac Walsh described the venture as exciting. We are thrilled to be working with the team in Valentia. The production of hydrogen from renewable energy has the potential to enable Valentia to get to their goal of energy independence and a reduced carbon community. Erling Kagge has trekked to both poles, including solo to the South, and through New Yorks sewers, from the Bronx to the Atlantic. Who better to write a book on the virtues of walking, says Aileen C OReilly One day my grandmother was no longer able to walk. That was the day she died. These are the stark opening words of Erling Kagges latest book, simply entitled Walking, which so immerses one in the philosophy of walking that movement almost becomes our sixth sense, after touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. After reading it, I felt as if I had been handed an amazing, yet obvious truth: forget the stress and all the trying-to-feel-good selfies. Just go outside, inhale, walk, and you will get to grips with your life. Its that simple. Kagge, an explorer, philosopher, art collector, publisher and erstwhile lawyer, made the cover of Time magazine in March 1993, after he conquered the South Pole in 50 days, solo (without even radio contact). I expect him to exude an icy air, with grappling hooks rattling and frostbite-etched lines around his piercing eyes. If anyone is qualified to write a treatise on the obvious benefits to our physical and mental well-being of simply swinging our arms and striding forward every day, then it is this man. Much to my surprise, he is standing silently behind me before I even know it. The 56-year-olds piercing eyes are only intensified by a vibrant orange puffa jacket; there are no huskies prowling around the plush chairs and nary a rope or grappling hook in sight. Standing face to face with the striking Norwegian, its still hard to believe that so much seemingly wreckless adventure could be distilled into one human body. The eyes, almost fearsome in their intensity, hint at incredible experiences that his calm, hands-pocketed stance almost denies. With the philosophy of the book still ringing in my ears, I am loath to keep him trapped indoors and suggest we slip off to St. Stephens Green and walk while we talk, in the lashing rain Is this where the Oscar Wilde statue is? he asks, looking around. Its by a good friend of mine, so Id love to see it, he adds, and I instantly feel terribly disappointed that we havent got the time to go to Merrion Square Park. Its a second disappointment for him on this trip to Dublin: he was hoping to spend time with another longtime friend, who is just not well enough to meet up. I express my sympathy, but he waves it away, saying the friend is very positive and has his family around him, so he considers himself very lucky. The last time I was over, we went to The Summit pub, in Howth, and got absolutely crazy drunk, he laughs. It was the best thing. It didnt help change anything, but we had a brilliant time. We eventually shelter from the downpour under the thousand-yard stare of Constance Markievicz, in the park, as workers scurry past the two of us, unaware of the irony of a world-renowned explorer hiding from the rain, given that he has tackled treacherous conditions en route to both the North and South Poles. Actually, the South Pole is a base and not a peak or single point, he explains in his lilting Norwegian voice, as I wait to hear first-hand what compelled him to plan the lunacy of a solo expedition to the South Pole. After successfully reaching the North Pole, with Borge Ousland, in 1990, but otherwise unassisted, a solo mission seemed like the next logical step and once he had decided to do it, he just got down to the business of planning it. Then, he just went and did it. I remember, I strolled into the base one day and, after all the silence of the journey, I was suddenly confronted with curious people, who saw this lone figure arriving and wanted to know what I was doing there by myself. I think they assumed Id gotten lost. When I told them why I had turned up unannounced, they started firing questions at me. I wasnt too happy about having to start talking all over again, he shrugs with a wry, almost boyish smile. Its quite difficult, seeing his understated reactions to his own headline-grabbing achievements, not to feel like an over-excited Chihuahua yapping at a giant statue of Lassie. Kagge is the first person to have completed the Three Poles Challenge on foot the North Pole, the South Pole, and the summit of Mount Everest. Apart from this, he has written six books: on exploration, philosophy, and art collecting. He also runs Kagge Forlag, a publishing company based in Oslo, where he lives. His last book, Silence In The Age of Noise, has been translated into 33 languages. This is probably because he makes a lot of sense. When his personal life was shit, he walked through New Yorks sewer system, all the way from the Bronx to the Atlantic, an experience which he describes with simple practicality. My motivation was a spirit of adventure, but it was also a need to cleanse myself to get catharsis in muck and sewage. My home life felt like shit when I left. It was becoming increasingly clear to me that my partner, the mother of my children, and I were going to separate, Kagge says. He almost revels in describing this underground pilgrimage in the kind of detail that would quietly thrill our own James Joyce: A stream of toilet paper, muck consisting of small chunks, unidentifiable objects, and the occasional condom flowed downhill in the same direction, giving off a nice, babbling noise Normal was scoured away. I was not heading to meet anyone. There was no mobile reception below the tarmac, and I didnt even know where I was going to be sleeping the next night. I began to believe that the world is not as it appears; the world is as you are. Were busy navigating both the traffic and the pedestrians at the corner of Stephens Green, near the National Concert Hall, when I step out into the road, mid-question, and right into the path of an oncoming bus, from which my Norwegian companion swiftly pulls me back. Good God, how do you survive life in Dublin? he asks in a concerned voice that clearly implies I would be a liability on one of his expeditions. Generally, they stop, I reply, trying to seem unfazed and determined to save face, and theres a lot less traffic where you go exploring. He shakes his head, laughs, and we amble on. The most unexpected moment occurs as we make our way back to the hotel. (I have him walking in circles at this stage, as my questions detract from my navigational skills.) Walking past a bench in St. Stephens Green, he stops, and silently reads a plaque I have never seen before. He then points to it and looks at me questioningly. The plaque reads: To the women who worked in the Magdalene laundry institutions and to the children born to some members of those communities reflect here upon their lives. Having to explain this ignominious and brutal period of our history to anyone is shaming enough, but to see his curiosity bloom to shock and then abhorrence is too much and I cant even hold eye contact. He silently walks away as I trail after him, muttering, men were never held accountable; its not as if the girls just got themselves pregnant. They never are, he sighs. By the time we arrive back at the hotel, hes telling me about his home life and how lucky he feels to have a place to return to after his travels, where his three daughters are, as well as all his books. He tells me hes currently reading Proust and planning where to go on holidays. Somewhere hot, I think, he smiles as he looks up at the grey, bellying clouds. Fiodhna, his smiling publicist. waves him over and his busy schedule of interviews resumes, so I say my goodbyes, silently congratulating myself that I at least gave him a chance to stretch his legs (never mind save my life). Mind yourself out there, he calls after me, as I walk away. - Walking, by Erling Kagge, is published by Penguin, 14 They were often burned down, either because of arson or the flammability of wood in an accidental fire. None were universally mourned, and none were rebuilt with widespread promises of money and support. That answer summarily silenced me as to why we toured so many magnificent cathedrals but had difficulty finding even one comparable synagogue for a religion almost 6,000 years old. Writer and podcaster Jon Ronson will be in Ireland to talk about his immersion in the adult film industry, writes Ellie OByrne Ever the podcaster, Jon Ronson is scene-setting for his own interview, over the phone from New York. Im walking around the reservoir in Central Park on a lovely spring day, he says. I have the most beautiful panoramic view of the city. The Welsh-born author, broadcaster and screenwriter has lived in the Big Apple for seven years now. Simultaneously, hes also spent three of those years immersed in the world of porn. Ronson, best known for writing The Men Who Stare At Goats and for his work on the This American Life podcast, is something of a polymath: his screenplays include the Lenny Abrahamson directed Frank, which he wrote having enjoyed a stint in the real-life Frank Sidebottoms band. He also has the dubious claim to fame of having inadvertently helped to popularise US talk show host Alex Jones, he of the lizard-people rants, in a series he made on conspiracy theorists in 2001, before Jones Infowars site blossomed into the go-to alternative media of the American alt-right. HUMAN ANIMAL Whatever Ronson turns his hand to, the common thread is his eye for the incongruous and his affectionate regard for the nuanced inner workings of the human animal. Maybe its no surprise, then, that in the world of porn, Ronson found rich pickings: an entire industry that he says the wider world is studiously uninterested in. The Butterfly Effect, Ronsons seven-part 2017 podcast series, was his first foray into the world of the adult film industry. In it, he unravelled the butterfly effect of the title: the myriad unforeseen ways that the emergence of free porn-streaming giant Pornhub threatened the adult film industry and changed society. He explored everything from booming rates of young male impotence to the emergence of a thriving trade in so-called custom videos, where porn stars make ends meet by performing in bespoke films for wealthy clients, who pay thousands of dollars for their private fantasies to be enacted. The directors and actors Ronson spent time with for the podcast suffered the same spiralling incomes experienced by all media makers impacted by digitisation. But while film and music piracy have generated outcries, the publics shame-based blind spot has created a moral landscape where no-one bats an eyelid about stolen porn, Ronson argued. The Butterfly Effect was often playful and funny, but Ronsons second podcasting foray into porn is anything but; The Last Days Of August investigates the suicide of Canadian adult film star August Ames, who took her own life a day after being subjected to a Twitter pile-on for tweeting that she had refused to shoot a scene with a male co-star who also worked in gay porn. The Last Days of August definitely goes into a darker side of the industry, Ronson says. Because most people dont want to know about the porn world, that means exploitation can flourish. Theres not enough mental health care: even though the San Fernando Valley has a lot of porn people in it, no therapists specialise in porn. Theres also lot of bigotry: when August went to a therapist, they asked her what she did. When she told them she was in porn, they assumed all her troubles in life came from what she did for a living. But Augusts troubles ran deeper than that. Ames troubles also ran far deeper than Ronson had suspected, the podcast reveals. Having written a book called So Youve Been Publicly Shamed in 2015, Ronson initially became interested in her sad tale because he believed, as her husband, porn producer Kevin Moore claimed, that Ames online bullying was the direct cause of her decision to end her life. But what he discovered was that 23-year-old Ames, whose real name was Mercedes Grabowski, had a history of depression, self-medication and childhood sexual abuse, a tale, Ronson says, that bears a commonality with a lot of young women in an industry he describes as a ferocious, rancorous, tribal business. You have a lot of girls who are 18 or 19 who have gravitated towards porn because something happened to them in their own childhood some kind of sexual abuse, he says. The porn world is full of charismatic older men. Maybe the young women see these older men as father figures, but they have their own damage and issues. As a result, you end up with somewhat toxic relationships: you can get a young woman who wants something out of the relationship that the older man is psychologically incapable of giving. On top of all this, Ronson discovered cracks in the original narrative around her death and revealed that Ames had filmed a sex scene that left her bruised and traumatised months before her death. DARK TALE Its a dark tale indeed, but Ronson is still not keen to portray the world of porn through the black and white lens of a moralist. Anyone who just says the porn world is bad, or the opposite, that the porn world is great, anyone who puts ideology over human experience is someone I naturally disagree with, he says. Because both those things are true; you can have a great life in porn and some people do, and you can have a terrible life in porn and some people do. The long-form medium of podcasting is, he says, the perfect place to explore such nuance, but its also time-consuming. In total, Ronson and his producer, Lina Misitzis, spent three years delving into the world of porn for both series. Ronsons family life with his wife, Elaine Patterson, and their son, is in New York, but he travelled numerous times to the San Fernando valley in California, the hub of US porn production, to interview actors and directors and spend time on porn shoots. Spending so much time immersed in the world of on-camera sex, Ronson has said in the past that the sex quickly becomes unsexy. Did all that time in the porn world take a personal toll? Not in terms of my relationship with my wife, he says. I remember once saying to her, I think I need to spend more time on porn sets, and she gave me a look as if to say, you seem to be doing a lot more research for this particular project that you normally do. But Elaine is a very unjealous person and weve been together a very long time, so that wasnt an issue at all. What was an issue was the realisation that I had an enormous responsibility with The Last Days of August, a much bigger one than with The Butterfly Effect. August died a month before we started recording. Here we were, digging around in the lives of grieving people. I cared about getting that right and that had an impact on my own well-being, because it was such a weight and such a burden. - Jon Ronsons Tales from The Last Days of August and The Butterfly Effect is at Vicar Street, Dublin, on May 29; and Cork Opera House on May 30 Fundamentalists hostile to Europes values are covertly backing right-wing elements across the bloc, says Mary Fitzgerald Russian efforts to influence European elections have received plenty of media attention. But the same cannot be said of interference by conservative Christian groups in the US, some with links to president Donald Trumps administration and his former adviser, Stephen Bannon. As a recent report by OpenDemocracy has found, Americas religious right has spent $50m (45m) on dark money campaigns and advocacy in Europe over the past decade. And yet, despite obvious grounds for concern about the integrity of next months European Parliament elections, almost all the attention has been on the Kremlin. The US religious rights support for campaigns against legal abortion, LGBT rights, sex education, and other causes in Africa and Latin America has been well-documented over the years. But the scale of its engagement in Europe is new. In the first analysis of its kind, OpenDemocracy examined the financial records of leading US Christian organisations and found that several have been increasing their spending in Europe significantly. Among the biggest spenders, the American Center for Law and Justice, which dished out $12.4m from 2008 to 2017, lists as its chief counsel Jay Sekulow, one of Trumps personal attorneys. Likewise, the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, which spent $1.7m in this period, has worked with the controversial, Bannon-backed Dignitatis Humanae Institute, outside Rome. The largest spender of all appears to be the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which dispensed $20m from 2008 to 2014 (the last year for which data is available for this organisation). The groups leader, Franklin Graham, recently travelled to Russia to meet with Kremlin officials who are currently subject to US sanctions. According to Graham, his trip was fully endorsed by US vice-president Mike Pence. None of these US-based groups discloses its donors. But at least two are known to have ties to famous conservative billionaires, including the Koch brothers and the family of Trumps education secretary, Betsy DeVos. And, like Bannon, all harbour varying degrees of suspicion, if not outright hostility, toward fundamental values of the EU, including respect for universal human rights. A few weeks ago, representatives and supporters of many of these groups met with European far-right politicians at the World Congress of Families (WCF) in Verona, Italy. This years line-up of speakers featured Matteo Salvini, Italys deputy prime minister and leader of the far-right League party, who praised the WCF for showcasing the Europe that we like Among the events co-conveners this year was an Italian anti-abortion group linked to the neo-fascist Forza Nuova (New Force) party. Over the past decade, the WCF founded by the International Organization for the Family (IOF formerly the Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society), which is based in Rockford, Illinois has hosted at least seven major meetings in Europe. Its gatherings have been attended by hundreds of conservative religious activists and a growing list of far-right stars, including Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, who opened the WCFs 2017 meeting in Budapest. The WCFs push into Europe is no accident. According to the IOFs latest tax filings, its directors include an ultra-conservative Spanish activist with ties to the far-right Vox party, a close associate of a Russian oligarch who has sponsored other meetings of European far-right leaders, and an Italian politician facing corruption charges in his country. Concerns about outside interference by hostile powers (namely, Russia) are nothing new in Europe (though they have grown more acute, now that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has all but admitted that he cannot control how his platform is used). But now, Europeans also have to worry about US-based advocacy groups that conceal their funding sources. Following the release of the OpenDemocracy report, a cross-party group of 40 MEPs sent a letter to the European Council, the European Commission, and the European Parliament, demanding that further action be taken to protect the upcoming elections against nefarious outside influences. Of particular concern, they write, is the specific matter of US Christian fundamentalists, whose escalating involvement in Europe must be addressed as a matter of urgency. But this is a hard issue to tackle, because different EU member states have different rules for ensuring financial transparency in elections and by political campaigns and NGOs. Still, requiring that all organisations lobbying in Brussels declare their funding sources on the EU transparency register would be a good start, provided that there are measures to prevent political organisations from hiding behind front groups. Europe also needs tougher EU-wide rules for social platforms, which should be held to the same standards of transparency as lobbying groups. Any political ad that runs online should come with a clear and accurate disclosure of its source and funding. Reacting to OpenDemocracys findings, Neil Datta, of the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development, says that it took [these fundamentalist groups] 30 years to get to where they are now in the White House. Now, he worries that a similar campaign in Europe is happening even faster, and on a grander scale than many experts could have ever imagined. With the EU facing unprecedented internal and external challenges in the years ahead, the outcome of the upcoming European Parliament elections could well determine the blocs fate. That is why European leaders are focusing on preventing or neutralising Russian machinations. Unfortunately, they are turning a blind eye to another outside player that doesnt mean well for Europes future. Mary Fitzgerald is editor in chief of OpenDemocracy. I could be anywhere when Im listening to it. It could be half-way down the cold-aisle being seduced into buying the more expensive sausages because of the hand- writey writing on the package. It might be early in the morning when Im encouraging a small child to pee on not-the-floor. But either way theres a strong chance, Ill be accompanied by the sound of Melvyn Bragg thanking me for downloading this episode of In Our Time. In Our Time, like libraries and hot cross buns: things that are so good for you and you cant believe they arent more expensive. Its a radio programme on BBC Radio 4 thats been running for 21 years and also a podcast. Its hard to describe it in a way that sells it. Essentially, its just a man called Melvyn Bragg talking to three professors for 45 minutes about either a topic youve never heard of or a topic thats really so obvious, youre wondering why theyre talking about it. That description is not exactly going to have you knocking over mugs to get to the podcast machine to turn it on. Maybe its better to describe it by what its not. Its not yet another fruitless debate where they spend ages talking over each other and the host is just putting on a performance to go viral and you end up with a vague feeling of disappointment. You know, like when the council says they are going to fix the roads and they end up just hiring a fly-by-night contractor to throw shovels of tarmac from the back of a moving truck. Its not a debate. Its a well-made road. They are all standing on a base of about six feet of crushed hardcore facts and they quibble good-naturedly about nuance and interpretation. And when they do disagree they say things like yes, of course, that is true but could I just add [one very interesting fact about the planet Neptune]. There isnt this both sides nonsense. If theyre discussing Newton they havent invited on some wingnut to argue that gravity is just a thing snowflakes believe in. Someone who also happens to believe autism is caused by vaccines and fruit juice on Tuesdays. There are about 900 episodes. Theyll talk about anything. The last one was the evolution of teeth. Have you ever considered the evolution of teeth. No of course you hadnt. Neither did I. I thought teeth were just, you know, teeth. They didnt evolve. We always had them. But of course, we didnt always have arms or a bellybutton or moles so they must have evolved. But how? According to In Our Time, teeth may once have been scales on fish skin. I find that tremendously heartening. When you have teeth like mine that are sort of old school teeth that hark back to Italia 90 and bad mustaches and driving a Ford Cortina around the Walkinstown Roundabout its nice to know that all those perfectly white confident smilers are just flashing each other with bits of old fish. The professors are so wrapped up in their topics, they seem delighted to be asked about it and in fierce good form. Someone will crack the weakest, most nice joke ever and the four of them may absolutely break their holes laughing before returning to the matter at hand: Plague in the 6th century. @colmoregan dropped by to sign copies of his debut novel Ann Devine Ready For Her Close-up. The really good news is that Colm will be back for a reading and signing on May 30th. @swirlandthread @PenguinIEBooks @echolivecork @deshocks @irishexaminer @corkartlink #cork #waterstones pic.twitter.com/diHfrcwiFV Waterstones Cork (@WaterstonesCrk) April 24, 2019 Usually, the professors are from some college in Oxbridge, probably which owes its existence to a donation from the 18th-century proceeds of slavery but theyre all terribly nice. A lot of them are Fierce English Altogether. But sometimes there are Irish people on it and Im so proud of them. They did one on the famine recently and it had three Irish people schooling the Brits about Lord Trevelyan. They werent exactly singing Cmoutyeblackandtans but still, I imagine Penelope from the Cotswolds will look from her crumpet and say I never knew about that. My phone makes a bing. Episode 900-and-something is up. Time for my lesson. Colms debut novel Ann Devine is in all bookshops now. When I read that skeletal remains, indicating an infant on its left side, lie in a structure that was probably designed for sewage, in the former grounds of the Mother and Baby home in Tuam, I feel sick. This little mite is possibly in the company of hundreds of other, similar skeletons. Why dead babies and infants were entombed here is still anybodys guess, however. The past is another country. The dig was never going to come up with a simple answer as to why the remains of so many babies and young children lie in a structure seemingly designed for drainage. It was never going to prove the tabloid theory that nasty nuns stashed the corpses of illegitimate babies in a sewage tank because they were the fruits of sin. It was certainly never going to prove that the nuns killed them or stashed them in there alive. The fifth interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes does not give relatives of infants who died in the home many answers, but it sketches the landscape of the past in fascinating detail. For a start, responsibility for the burial of these infants lay entirely with the State. Galway and Mayo County Councils paid the Sisters of the Bon Secours a capitation rate to look after individuals and their babies, but the nuns were paid nothing for their work. Galway County Council owned the home. They may even have employed a caretaker on the site and someone other than the nuns lifted the heavy lids of the drainage structure and deposited the dead infants in there. The council must have known that children had been buried inappropriately in Tuam, because they developed some of the site for housing in the 1960s. In 1991, a local priest complained that residents were upset by the bones being exposed quite often at the site of the old childrens burial ground and a council engineer responded by advising parents to control their children on what was a formal burial ground. The idea that this home, and others considered by the Commission, such as Bessborough, in Cork, Sean Ross, in Co Tipperary, Castlepollard, in Co Westmeath, or Pelletstown, in Dublin, were designed exclusively as places of detention for women who had got themselves into trouble satisfies our fantasies about the past, but is untrue. Tuam also housed married people who were homeless and many legitimate babies whose parents could not look after them. Many of these babies are among the 800 whose burials are unaccounted for. Pelletstown housed very sick children and abandoned children, who were unsuitable for adoption. It was, according to the report, routine until 1946 for private, paying patients at Bessborough to discharge themselves, leaving their babies behind for the home to deal with through the Catholic Womens Aid Society. In todays Ireland, it would make tragic news headlines if one baby were thus abandoned; in the past, it was routine. So routine was the abandonment of dead infants that one of the most disturbing elements of the report is that infant remains were allowed to be used for human dissection classes if they were unclaimed for 48 hours. This appalling practice, which was also routine in the UK and elsewhere, continued until the 1960s, when voluntary donation became the norm. While it was claimed that the dissected bodies were then buried with dignity, there is disturbing evidence that this didnt always happen. Some single mothers in mother-and-baby homes were likely not told about the 48-hour rule and the commission has evidence that the time limit sometimes wasnt respected. I imagine many such mothers were simply so disempowered, so distraught, and had so few means that dealing with their babies bodies was beyond them. I doubt they were any different than me or you, but they lived in a different time. They were poor. They were stressed. Look around the world and you will see similar behaviour, and much worse, in countries that are poor and stressed. Hard as this is for us to swallow, the Bessborough mother-and-baby home was set up in 1922, by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, at the behest of the Cork Board of Guardians, so that unmarried mothers and their children could be removed from workhouses. Bessborough must have represented a step-up for these women, in that at least they could keep their babies with them. In setting up the home, the Cork Guardians were leaving the other country of the past behind, but their present is our past and we know, from the evidence of former chief medical officer, James Deeny, that appalling hygiene standards at Bessborough were, by the 1940s, claiming the lives of dozens of infants. The commission says it believes that possibly all of the unclaimed remains of babies who died in Bessborough between 1928 and 1960 were buried by the South Cork Board in Cork District Cemetery, Carrs Hill. They dont know for sure, because they cant locate the burial ground records for this cemetery. The burial records of those who died at Cork District Hospital/St. Finbars were, it seems, in the hospital in 2001; it seems some records were transferred to Cork University Hospital in that year, but they have not been found. It seems that when faced with the still-grieving mother of a boy whom we know was buried in Carrs Hill, one of the Bessborough nuns lied and said the boy was buried in the grounds of the home. It was dreadful to hear the distress of this boys sister, Cork-based Carmel Cantwell, on radio show Liveline last week. The family had only found out about the suspected lie from reading the commissions report. We await confirmation that her brother is indeed the baby mentioned in the report. Meanwhile, said Cantwell, the boys family were dealing with the distress of knowing their mothers son lay in a paupers grave. That is, no doubt, exactly why the nun lied. This is a horrendous tragedy for the family. Im left asking a wider question, however: how come anyone was ever buried in a paupers grave? How could class have applied even to the dead? This was common in that other country of the recent past. Most cemeteries had a poor ground for those who could not afford their own burials. Glasnevin Cemetery, in Dublin, only renamed its poor ground the Angels Plot in the 1960s. The past is another country because it was poorer and, though that poverty excuses nothing, it explains a lot. The idea of congregations of nuns as baby killers is appealing because there are very few nuns left and they can be blamed with few consequences, leaving us guilt-free. The truth beneath the ground of the Tuam mother-and-baby home that our State organised the care of these infants is what we must face if we are ever to stop poverty wrecking lives that have barely started. Irish voters will face a busy time on May 24, with decisions to be made at European, national and local level. The European and local election campaigns are now underway in earnest, with candidates in both contests now legally entitled to erect posters, although many of them have already flouted the law in that regard. Voters will also be deciding on the referendum to ease divorce restrictions and to remove the minimum waiting period from the Constitution. In Cork, Limerick and Waterford voters will participate in a plebiscite to establish if they want directly elected mayors to take over decision-making and administrative functions currently conducted by the chief executives of their local authorities. It is important that those going to the polls exercise their franchise at all levels. Elections to the European Parliament the worlds only transnational parliament that is directly elected are taking place during a period of political turmoil for the EU. This is likely to be the most important European Parliament election ever and will witness an epic battle between candidates and political parties committed to making the EU stronger and more united and those from the extremes of right and left who want to unravel the union. Every Irish seat will count in that struggle. We may not have a large population to make us powerful but we have shown that we can be influential. That requires engagement at all levels of the political process. Our most senior politicians have already shown the way. The reason why the border has become the central issue in Brexit negotiations is because former Taoiseach Enda Kenny did the footwork from Brussels to Berlin to make it so, followed by Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Simon Coveney. Brussels and Strasbourg may seem far away from us here and we may feel powerless over Brexit, but decisions made at European level affect our everyday lives in a profound way. That is why it is so important to vote for candidates that are serious about their responsibilities and mindful of their duty to the electorate. We can do without the mavericks and joke candidates. European Parliament elections are clearly of great significance, but national and local decision making are also important. While Brexit, health, education and homelessness have dominated political debate at national level for the past two years, the provision of housing and planning development are the responsibility of local authorities. That means local election candidates should be made to make a full account of themselves in the delivery of these essential services. The vote on divorce is a time for personal reflection while the issue of directly elected mayors needs careful and mature consideration. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Irish democracy. The best way to celebrate that landmark is to take the trouble to become informed of the most important issues, to quiz sitting candidates on their performance as well as their promises and, most importantly, to exercise our franchise. The history of HIV and the AIDS epidemic began in confusion, followed by illness, fear and death as the world faced an unknown virus. By 1999, AIDS was the fourth biggest cause of death worldwide and number one killer in Africa. Scientific advances, such as the development of antiretroviral drugs, have enabled people to live long and healthy lives with HIV. Now a new treatment that is highly effective at preventing HIV in people at substantial risk is likely to become available in Ireland. Hiqas draft PrEP technology assessment is urging the Government to proceed with a publicly funded programme that will save lives. Open letter to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Charlie Flanagan, Minister for Justice and Equality: On June 14, 2018, a majority of Dail members voted in favour of a motion calling for a public inquiry into the death of Shane OFarrell. This was followed by a unanimous vote to the same effect, in the Seanad, on February 13, 2019. Support for this motion demonstrates that a majority of the Dail and Seanad are not satisfied with the investigations to establish the full facts surrounding the failure of the criminal justice process to prevent the death of Shane OFarrell. That the investigations have not addressed these multiple failures is a matter of great public interest, not least to Shanes family. We, the undersigned, now express our dissatisfaction with the scoping enquiry established by the Minister for Justice on February 2. As was identified by Michael Clifford in the Irish Examiner in February 2019, many inquiries have been established on the request of the minister without the prior requirement of a scoping enquiry. Furthermore, the terms of reference of this enquiry are limited, which suggests that each failing is to be treated as a separate event, rather than the entire chain of events (including the litany of failures across numerous state agencies) being examined afresh. We, the undersigned, call on you to act on the will of the Oireachtas and immediately establish a public inquiry into the death of Shane OFarrell. It is the only way the full facts can be examined. Donnchadh O Laoghaire, Sinn Fein spokesman on Justice and Equality. The letter has also been signed by Jim and Lucia OFarrell (parents), and Gemma, Pia, Aimee and Hannah OFarrell (sisters); 47 TDs, 16 senators, six MEPs, Donna Price, founder and chairperson, Irish Road Victims Association; Mick McKillen, former chairperson, Cyclist.ie. (2009 2016); Liam Herrick, executive director, Irish Council of Civil Liberties; and John Devitt, CEO Transparency International Ireland. If you would like to have your say on the issue of the day then visit here or send your submission to digitaldesk@examiner.ie Police in Yemen have detained at least 5,000 migrants over the last 10 days who were attempting to cross to Saudi Arabia. The officials said the migrants, most of them from African countries, are being held in overcrowded police stations across the southern city of Aden. Interview When NCA Is Comprehensive, We Will Sign: Senior KIO Official Kachin Independence Council vice chair General Gun Maw attends the summit of ethnic armed organizations in Maijayang, Kachin State in July 2006. / The Irrawaddy Little progress has been made in the peace process since the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) announced a unilateral four-month ceasefire in December. The ceasefire, which the Tatmadaw said was intended to facilitate peace talks with the non-signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), comes to an end on April 30. Vice-chairman of the Kachin Independence Council General Gun Maw talked to The Irrawaddys senior reporter Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint about the prospects for peace talks between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Tatmadaw, whose 17-year-long bilateral truce collapsed in June 2011. NAN LWIN HNIN PWINT: Your group wants to sign a bilateral ceasefire agreement, but the government insists that you sign the NCA. How will you negotiate the difference? GEN. GUN MAW: We still think there is a need to make the NCA more comprehensive. We didnt sign it because our discussions are not yet over, and we have not yet found common ground. So we are demanding a bilateral ceasefire agreement to end the clashes. We wish to discuss signing the NCA in a stable environment without clashes. What provisions does the KIA want to include in the bilateral agreement? We want a bilateral agreement without many restrictions. It has been eight years since clashes resumed. I think it is difficult to sign an agreement in which many demands are made. So we want to have a ceasefire agreement that doesnt press many demands but which can end the fighting and create a stable environment. So, we will try to negotiate a ceasefire. And we will try to collaborate on the return of IDPs [internally displaced persons] in a stable environment. And we will discuss the difficulties facing the NCA signing process. We want to find a starting point without pressing too many demands. Allies of the KIA clashed with the Tatmadaw during its four-month ceasefire. The fighting with the Arakan Army (AA) was the most serious, but I heard that the KIA managed to avoid getting into clashes. How was this negotiated? There was no special negotiation. We have instructed our KIA troops not to launch assaults and not to attack military outposts on public roads. We have issued this instruction since 2013. But things are different in the case of the AA, and there have been many clashes due to the circumstances there [Rakhine State]. But there have been fewer clashes in our area [Kachin State]. However, there have been some clashes in Shan State where our Brigade No. 4 is active. If discussions are to be held on signing bilateral ceasefire agreements, will each group sign one separately, or will the members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) sign the agreement collectively as a bloc? Of the seven members of the FPNCC, four groups have not yet signed bilateral agreements. Three other groups have signed bilateral agreements. If we consider signing the NCA, we first need to sign a ceasefire agreement at the state level. So, our plan is that the four groups should sign bilateral agreements separately. The KIA insists on holding dialogue together with your three allies, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the AA. But the AA has been clashing seriously with the Tatmadaw. Doesnt this hamper the KIAs prospects for peace talks with the government? I dont think it would be difficult if we really desire to stop the clashes. [The government] needs to think about how to avoid clashes in Rakhine, rather than assigning blame for them. The government said the AA [caused instability when it] entered Rakhine, which is a white area [the governments color code for a stable area under its control]. It is true to a certain extent. But then, the Arakanese people would welcome Arakanese troops entering their areas. So, to be fair, I dont think the AA entering Rakhine State is the main problem, if efforts are to be focused on ending clashes. There is a need to consider both sides fairly if we want to achieve a stable environment. In its statements, the Tatmadaw has accused the KIA of assisting the AA. What is your comment on this? The KIO [Kachin Independence Organization] has given only limited assistance to the AA. The KIO provided help for the AA in its earliest days. The AA has grown due to their capability and the participation of their people. It is not as if the AA grew that big and has such high morale because of our backing. We have only given them a little assistance. [Their expansion] is attributable to their decisions, leadership and the participation of their people. The AA grew out of its internal strength, and not because of external assistance. How do you think the problems in Rakhine should be addressed? There is a need to negotiate. Rather than saying the AA should not enter Rakhine State, [the government] should negotiate with any group that enters Rakhine. It is more important to figure out how [the AA] can participate in building the country according to the wishes of the Arakanese people, and how [the government] can cooperate [with the AA]. It is no solution to ask the AA not to enter Rakhine; it is more important to figure out how to build the country. Do the KIA and the AA have an alliance agreement establishing political common ground? No. We have never negotiated common ground. But basically, all of us want a federal system that guarantees self-determination and equal rights. It is impossible that two groups would have exactly the same opinion. There is a need to negotiate a common ground that is acceptable to the government and each revolutionary group. As Ive said, we can first sign the bilateral ceasefire agreements and then discuss the NCA. At the same time, we should discuss how to build the country. This I think is the basic solution to the problems. The KIO participated in the entire process of drafting the NCA, but later said it would follow the policies adopted by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), which leads the FPNCC. What will be the KIOs policy going forward? The KIO participated in the NCA from the time it was proposed until the end of March 2015. In fact, there were four drafts prior to the final NCA. So, we called the fifth draft the final one. But then, we could discuss nothing about military matters even after we got the fifth draft. There were 35 points left to discuss, and some groups signed the NCA without discussing those 35 points. We didnt sign the NCA because we did not think we could engage in comprehensive discussions. So, we are calling for the NCA to be more comprehensive. I dont want each group to still have to prepare for military action after signing the NCA. So, we will sign the NCA if it is more comprehensive. We wont sign it unless and until it is more comprehensive and complete. So, will the KIO sign the NCA if the remaining 35 points can be discussed? Yes. We would sign the NCA if it were more comprehensive and acceptable to us. The FPNCC has principles. So, we are saying that we should also discuss the principles of the FPNCC. The government has adopted the NCA as a path to peace. Our view is that there is also a need to discuss the principles proposed by the FPNCC along with the NCA path. They should not say the FPNCC principles are unacceptable when they have not even discussed them. The FPNCCs principles may be seen by the government and some ethnic revolutionary groups as unrealistic demands. There is a need for both sides to discuss both the NCA and the principles of the FPNCC. Has your group proposed discussing the remaining 35 points with the government? We have always called for discussing them. When the ethnic summit was held in Mai Jayang, NCA non-signatories also participated in it, and we pressed eight demands through the FPNCC. Those demands are mainly about improving the NCA and making it more comprehensive. The Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services said the NCA could not be changed, but we are not seeking to amend it, just supplement it and make it better. We have asked them why they cant accept this. So, is that why the KIA allied with the UWSA and joined the FPNCC? Yes, that is partially true. At that time, more of the NCA signatories were based in the southern area of Myanmar. The KIO is based in the northern area, and there were serious clashes there at that time. So, there was a need for the groups in the northern area to be united. So, we resigned from the UNFC (United Nationalities Federal Council) and joined the FPNCC. The FPNCC plan is more ambitious politically than that envisioned in the NCA. If the KIO were to hold direct talks with the government, would it adhere to the NCA or the principles of the FPNCC? The policy of the KIO is to discuss both principles, and hold to the principles that are suitable and that we can all be in harmony with. Even if it is true that the FPNCCs principles are ambitious and do not match those of other [armed] groups, why didnt the government and Tatmadaw accept the very good proposals submitted by the FPNCC and NCA signatories? Whether or not the FPNCCs principles are reasonable is one part of the question, but why did they reject the very good proposals? So, based on the current situation, we, the KIO, will hold to the path that can guarantee a federal Union with equality for ethnicities. Ethnic leaders, the government and the Tatmadaw agree on the goal of establishing federalism in the future. Why cant they negotiate a pact? It is a little complicated. In the preamble of the NCA, we ethnic armed groups demanded a promise that the country will be established as a federal Union, but the promise the Tatmadaw and the government gave was to discuss this through political dialogue. They didnt say that they would establish a federal Union. And, assuming we did sign the NCA, the government and Tatmadaw wont accept us sharing the lead role with them in implementing it. They say they will make the decisions on all issues. So, I asked them at a meeting why they should decide our fate. I have a record of it. If we cant jointly implement the NCA, and if our fate will be decided solely by the National Defense and Security Council [NDSC] and the UPDJC [Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee], this makes it more difficult for us to sign the NCA. How is the trust building process going between the KIO and the Tatmadaw? Frankly speaking, there is no trust at all. We met the Kachin State government in the first month after the fresh clashes broke out in 2011. The first question we asked was whether they consider the Panglong Agreement to be legitimate. And we still havent received an answer. In August 2009, we sent a letter directly to [now retired] Senior General Than Shwe and said that we, the KIO, would abandon the armed struggle if the Panglong pledges were honored and implemented. So, what we want to say is there must be give and take when speaking of trust building. There is a need to recognize the Panglong Agreement, and the recognition of the Panglong Agreement [1947] must be officially announced, and stated in the Constitution. Unless and until it is officially stated in the Constitution, there is no political guarantee. This is what we call trust building. We dont have trust in the Tatmadaw, and vice versa. To display trust, the fighting must be stopped, and discussions must be held. And agreements must be officially stated in the Constitution. Only then will there be trust. What are the KIOs expectations of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi? We have always had trust in the caliber and performance of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. We understand that she has many difficulties. Soon after fresh clashes broke out in Kachin State in 2011, we told the military not to deploy more troops in Kachin State, and that if the Tatmadaw sent more troops, we would take it to mean the Tatmadaw and government had no desire to find a peaceful solution. But then, they deployed more troops. Rather than sitting down to peace talks, they design plans to launch large-scale attacks, send in reinforcements and increase their firepower. So, we doubt the Tatmadaw and government really want to solve the problems peacefully. However, we have no doubt that some other leaders including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi want to carry out reforms peacefully. How far they can go depends on the political situation. We understand this. The Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services said he would deliver peace to the people in 2020, and I have often heard that China is applying pressure. How is the KIAs relationship with China? Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she would try to reach an agreement on basic principles by 2020, and the commander-in-chief said the peace process must be complete in 2020, which we think is impossible. If the commander-in-chief truly believes that the peace process will be complete in 2020, the 2008 Constitution must be rewritten. When a new constitution emerges after the 2008 Constitution is scrappedif the new constitution came out todaythe country would be peaceful within a couple of days. China has concerns over its stability and projects. Though it cant push for nationwide peace, it is concerned about clashes along the border. So, it puts pressure on the government and Tatmadaw as well as on us. Their key message is to build peace, and to avoid clashes on the border. As China asks both sides [to avoid clashes] and not a particular side, we think it is reasonable, and we dont see it as putting pressure. These are Chinas interests. Last month, the Yunnan government summoned the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) and said it would close the border gate and withdraw Chinese weapons experts from the KIAs ordnance factories if the KIA does not sign the NCA. Does this have an impact on the KIA? They didnt tell us directly. They didnt close the border gates, but they imposed stricter restrictions on all border gates with Myanmar. As far as I know, the [Yunnan] government didnt say directly that it would withdraw weapons experts. It was certain individuals. Again, Chinese citizens are working in our factories. They are operated by ourselves. So, it might have been a misinterpretation. And [the Chinese government] didnt directly tell us that. Public concerns are growing due to recent Chinese actions regarding the Myitsone Dam. What does the KIO want to say about the dam project? Chinese companies want to resume the Myitsone Dam. We have openly told them that, firstly, we the KIO cant give orders to the Kachin people; secondly, the project was not approved by the KIO, but by the government, so we dont have responsibility for that. We told them that what the KIO can do is to deliver their message to the Kachin people, and similarly, we will deliver the message of the Kachin people to the Chinese companies. This is where we can help. Thirdly, we suggest that the Myanmar government and Chinese companies conduct negotiations, and organize public consultations in Myitkyina so that people can directly express their concerns, and the companies can directly address their concerns. By doing so, [the Myanmar government and Chinese companies] will understand how to handle it and they can directly hear the voices of the people. And people can also hear the message of the Chinese companies directly. Fourthly, we dont oppose the project if people accept it. But if people dont accept it, we cant force them to accept it. We have conveyed these four points to the Chinese companies. What is the KIOs stance on the Myitsone Dam project? When there were reports in newspapers about the project, we sent suggestions to the Chinese government. You can find the letter online. And we also sent the letter to [now retired] Sen-Gen. Than Shwe [asking him not to implement the dam project]. The KIOs stance is unchanged. How are negotiations going between the KIO and the government regarding the civilians displaced by clashes over the past seven years? The message we sent to the government before the end of 2018 was that internally displaced persons [IDPs] from 65 villages who were taking shelter in camps could go back to their homes. The government said that we could discuss it after signing the NCA. We requested the government to allow the return of [IDPs from] those 65 villages without preconditions. We will focus on it when we meet next time. We told them by letter that it is disgraceful not to help them, and not to allow their return because we havent signed the NCA. Does the government view those displaced persons as KIO sympathizers? Arent they Myanmar citizens? What is your view? At the first session of the 21st Century Panglong [Union Peace Conference], the Tatmadaw delegation said that IDP camps in KIO-controlled areas are not legal because we havent signed the NCA. We have raised objections to that. And we have told the UN agencies that they should provide humanitarian assistance to IDPs whether we sign or not. We said they need to facilitate their return. We have tasked the KBC and Kachin Humanitarian Concern Committee (KHCC) with designing policies for the return of IDPs. I heard that they are working to hold talks with the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC). So, can the KIA guarantee security for those villages militarily? Yes, we can. The four-month ceasefire declared by the Tatmadaw ends on April 30. There are concerns that fresh clashes will erupt beyond that period. To which of the KIAs frontier outposts does the Tatmadaw pose a threat? As we have clashed for around eight years, there are threats everywhere. So, there are no particular areas [that are under threat], in our view. April 30 is the timeframe set by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services. We need to review it. Four months is not enough to build peace or stability. As the problem has existed for many years, we need to extend it; four months is not enough. And we will make a request for that. Do you see potential for renewed clashes after the four-month ceasefire? Clashes can break out anytime. Clashes are taking place in northern Shan State, and places where KIO troops are present. Only the magnitude [of the clashes] varies from place to place. If both sides can properly control [the situation], troops on the ground will obey the order [not to fight]. What is your assessment of the prospects for a ceasefire, as the talks have been on-and-off? It depends on the promises we make to each other. We demand they promise to establish a federal democratic country with equality. But without making that promise, the Tatmadaw and the government instead told us to discuss it in a political dialogue. But if they promise to build such a country, we think, the talks will be more realistic than the ongoing political dialogue and the 21st-Century Panglong [conference]. If [that happened], there wouldnt be a stalemate in talks, and the time [for dialogue] would be shortened, and a clear-cut answer could be found. The Kachin people have borne the brunt of the clashes over the past seven years. What do you want to say to them? Will they have to continue suffering in the camps? The KIO demands a Union with equality for all ethnic groups, including the Kachin people. We will try to achieve that ambition. We believe we will achieve permanent peace only when there is equality for all. And we will try to make that happen. And we will inform the people whenever we take a step toward it. Asia Muslims Flee, Christians Grieve in Sri Lankan Town Torn by Violence A member of the Civil Defence Force keeps watch outside Negombo Grand Mosque, following a string of suicide attacks on churches and luxury hotels, in Negombo, Sri Lanka on April 25, 2019. / Reuters NEGOMBO, Sri LankaAs mourners buried the remains of Christian worshippers killed by the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, hundreds of Muslim refugees fled Negombo on the countrys west coast where communal tensions have flared in recent days. At least 359 people perished in the coordinated series of blasts targeting churches and hotels. Church leaders believe the final toll from the attack on St. Sebastians Church in Negombo could be close to 200, almost certainly making Negombo the deadliest of the six near-simultaneous attacks. On Wednesday, hundreds of Pakistani Muslims fled the multi-ethnic port town an hour north of the capital, Colombo. Crammed into buses organized by community leaders and police, they left fearing for their safety after threats of revenge from locals. Because of the bomb blasts and explosions that have taken place here, the local Sri Lankan people have attacked our houses, Adnan Ali, a Pakistani Muslim, told Reuters as he prepared to board a bus. Right now we dont know where we will go. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks, yet despite Islamic State being a Sunni jihadist group, many of the Muslims fleeing Negombo belong to the Ahmadi community, who had been hounded out of Pakistan years ago after their sect was declared non-Muslim. The fallout from Sundays attacks appears set to render them homeless once more. Farah Jameel, a Pakistani Ahmadi, said she had been thrown out of her house by her landlord. She said get out of here and go wherever you want to go, but dont live here, she told Reuters, gathered with many others at the Ahmadiyya Mosque, waiting for buses to take them to a safe location. I have nothing now Sri Lankas government is in disarray over the failure to prevent the attacks, despite repeated warnings from intelligence sources. Police have detained an unspecified number of people in western Sri Lanka, the scene of anti-Muslim riots in 2014, in the wake of the attacks, and raids were carried out in neighborhoods around St Sebastians Church. Police played down the threats to the refugees, but said they have been inundated with calls from locals casting suspicion on Pakistanis in Negombo. We have to search houses if people suspect, said Herath BSS Sisila Kumara, the officer in charge at Katara police station, where 35 of the Pakistanis that gathered at the mosque were taken into police custody for their own protection, before being sent to an undisclosed location. All the Pakistanis have been sent to safe houses, he said. Only they will decide when they come back. Two kilometers away, makeshift wooden crosses marked the new graves at the sandy cemetery of St Sebastians Church, as the latest funerals on Wednesday took the number buried there to 40. Channa Repunjaya, 49, was at home when he heard about the blast at St Sebastians. His wife, Chandralata Dassanaike and nine-year-old daughter Meeranhi both died. I felt like committing suicide when I heard that they had died, he told Reuters by the open graves. I have nothing now. Meeranhis grandmother, with her head still bandaged after being wounded in the attack, was held by a relative as the first handfuls of earth were scattered upon her child-sized coffin. Most of Sri Lankas 22 million people are Buddhist, but the Indian Ocean islands population includes Muslim, Hindu and Christian minorities. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the islands conflict and communal tensions. There were signs of some religious communities pulling together following Sundays outrage. Saffron- and scarlet-robed Buddhist monks from a nearby monastery handed out bottled water to mourners who gathered under a baking afternoon sun. But the town, which has a long history of sheltering refugeesincluding those made homeless by a devastating tsunami in 2004may struggle to recover from Sundays violence, said Father Jude Thomas, one of dozens of Catholic priests who attended Wednesdays burials. Muslims and Catholics lived side by side, he said. It was always a peaceful area, but now things have come to the surface we cannot control. Burma Myanmar Army Overruns KIA Outposts in N. Shan State A KIA outpost in Kachin State / The Irrawaddy YANGONThe Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) said Tuesday it had taken control of some Kachin Independence Army (KIA) outposts in Muse District in northern Shan State. The Tatmadaw True News Information Teams Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun said the Army counter-attacked after the KIA launched assaults on military units from outposts it built near a Tatmadaw base in Muse Districts Mongpaw-Mongya. He added that several KIA outposts were occupied on Monday and Tuesday. [KIA troops] attacked Tatmadaw [troops] engaged in non-military activities at the base, and also built outposts. They launched sneak attacks and mine attacks on military units after Thingyan [which ended on April 17]. So, we resumed our military operations and were able to take control of seven or eight of their temporary outposts, the brigadier-general told The Irrawaddy. The Irrawaddy was not able to contact KIA officials for comment. However, the Kachin News Group (KNG) reported on Wednesday that the Tatmadaw occupied the headquarters of Battalion 36 under the KIAs Brigade 6 near the village of Mong Baw. The KNG quoted an officer from the KIAs Brigade 6 as saying that KIA Battalion 36 had been forced to abandon all the outposts and that government troops were now deployed in old Howa village, where the outposts were based, and in Ting Sa Kawng and Wudang Bum, where the battalion commander had been based. The Brigade 6 officer spoke to the KNG on condition of anonymity. Lamai Khun Ja, a member of the Peace-Talk Creation Group, a Myitkyina-based group that brokers peace talks between the KIA and the government, told The Irrawaddy that he had heard about the raid on the KIA outposts, but could not independently confirm it. I heard the news, but I dont know if the KIA has confirmed it, he said. On April 11 last year, fierce clashes broke out between the KIA and the Tatmadaw in Awng Lawt in Tanai village. The following month, the KIAs Brigade 2 and Battalion 14 were forced to withdraw from their headquarters. Burma Russia Building Six Advanced Fighter Jets for Myanmar Military A SU-30SM fighter jet. Army chief Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing personally inspected production of the jets being assembled for the Myanmar military at Irkutsk Aviation Plant in Russia. / Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaings website YANGONRussia is assembling six Sukhoi SU-30SM fighter jets for Myanmar under a contract worth about US$204 million signed between the two nations last year, Russian news outlets reported on Wednesday. The news was unveiled during the latest visit to Russia by Myanmar military commander-in-chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing to attend the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security this week. Some military observer websites put the market price of one of the twin-turbine engine aircraft at about US$34 million. At a press conference, Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said Russias military hardware was very useful for his military in key locations in Myanmar. Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing personally inspected the production of the planes at Irkustsk Aviation Plant on April 23. Before the Russia tour, he traveled to China and visited an armored vehicle training school in Beijing and met with senior officers of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on April 11. Yangon-based military observer Ko Naing Swe Oo from Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies, a former military officer, told The Irrawaddy that Myanmars Air Force possesses reasonable firepower, sufficient to deter external invasion. Thus, he concluded the aim of buying the expensive Su-30SM multirole fighter jets was likely to achieve airspace superiority in the region, particularly in relation to Myanmars neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. Under the military regime, in 2000, Myanmar and Thailand clashed along the border. At that time, Myanmar did not possess the Russian MiG-29s it has now, and the Thai Air Forces deployed its multirole fighter jets during the conflict. SU-30SMs are capable of long-distance operations. We can use them in case there is an external invasion [attempt] against us in future, he said. He explained that the Su-30 was produced in a number of varieties. For instance, Malaysia has the Su-30 MKM, while India possesses the Su-30 MKI. He said the SU-30SM model is the latest in a series of aircraft upgraded by the Russian military. However, given the militarys record against ethnic armed rebel groups, some local experts expressed concern about possible airstrikes against the groups by the supersonic jets. Even in battle against the Arakan Army (AA) in northern Rakhines Mrauk-U, the military used several MiG-29 warplanes. According to defense blogs, Myanmar has 20 MiG-29D planes and as of 2018, Moscow had delivered a total of 12 Yak-130 combat training aircraft to the Tatmadaw. So far, Myanmars purchases of Russian military hardware include MiG-29 fighter jets, Yak-130 combat trainers, Mi-17, Mi-24 and Mi-35 combat helicopters and other weapons. The Su-30SM 4+ generation fighter jet is capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions with a wide variety of precision-guided munitions and it can carry about 9 tons of ammunition at one time. Despite its attempt to upgrade its fleet, the Myanmar Air Force has sustained many losses in recent years. In October, 2018 a sixth-grade girl and two pilots were killed when a pair of military planes crashed in Magwe Regions Minbu Township. In April, 2018, an F-7 fighter from Toungoo Airbase also crashed, killing the pilot. The F-7 is a version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 licensed and built by China. In September 2017, a military G-4 jet fighter from Pathein Airbase crashed about 19 km from Rakhine States Gwa Township. Two pilots died in the accident. In February 2016, a Beechcraft airplane from Myanmars Air Force crashed near Naypyitaw International Airport, killing one major, two captains and two other crew members. And in 2014, a MiG-29 fighter jet from Magwe Air Force Headquarters went down during flight training, damaging the jet but causing no casualties. Guest Column Sustaining the Planet for Our Future Generations Fishing boats are seen on a beach littered with plastic waste in Southeast Asia in June 2018. / REUTERS In the digital age and present context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we often hear about big data and the Internet of Things, which to some may sound highly technical. While Thailand is fully aware of the opportunities and challenges that come with modernity, we also seek an all-encompassing human dimension of inclusive development, particularly during our year as ASEAN chair. This is why we came up with the theme Advancing Partnership for Sustainability, to promote the Sustainability of Things (SOT), which means sustainability in all dimensions. Sustainable development is an overarching concept that is directly related to SOT. However, the first aspect of sustainability that usually comes to mind for the public is environmental sustainability, which is a significant component of the concept and part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, or SDGs. These 17 SDGs are simply grouped into the 5Ps with the ultimate goal to save the planet, foster peace, create prosperity, enhance partnership, and nourish our people. With regard to the planet, fresh air and clean water are among the basic yet fundamental essentials for human beings and all other creatures that share this world with us. Sadly, Mother Earth has been harmed and taken for granted by humans more than anyone else throughout history. The fact that several SDGs give importance to the rehabilitation and conservation of our planet reflects the rising environmental concerns and the call for a more balanced development, widely known as the concept of circular economy, which is gaining ground globally. Thailand recognizes that enhancing environmental sustainability is inextricably linked to social and economic development, and is one of the key conditions for sustainable development. We have therefore adopted measures to conserve, restore and manage our natural resources and environment in a more sustainable manner, and included these elements in our 20-Year National Strategy Framework (2017-2036). For instance, Thailand has launched the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Roadmap on Mitigation (2021-2030) to ensure that we meet our targets on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 20 to 25 percent by 2030. Some progress has been made so far. Last year, we managed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 45.72 million tons, or 12 percent of the targeted 7-20 percent by 2020. Moreover, about 24 hectares of coral reefs and 880 hectares of mangrove forest were rehabilitated, and plastic bag usage has been reduced by 435 million bags since 2017. Beyond our national undertaking, Thailand has consistently advocated cooperation on environmental issues with the global community to derive the long-term benefits. An example is our firm commitment to the Paris Agreement to address climate change. At the same time, Thailand has been cooperating with all partners on the exchange of knowledge, experiences and best practices. Sustainable development is a global agenda that requires concerted efforts, and Thailand is in the position to drive it forward this year. In addition to being ASEAN chair, Thailand is also ASEAN coordinator on sustainable development cooperation, actively identifying the complementarities and promoting closer coordination between ASEAN and the United Nations. One substantial outcome is the Complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: A Framework for Action which identifies possible synergy and means to strengthen ASEAN Community-building while attaining several SDGs simultaneously. A recommendation from the Complementarities Report that will be realized fully this year is the establishment of the ASEAN Center for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue in Thailand. The center will be funded by the Royal Thai Government and will help coordinate activities and projects related to the Complementarities Initiative, while linking up with similar centers in ASEAN Member States to form a network of centers in support of regional sustainable development efforts. During its ASEAN chairmanship, one of the sustainable development agendas that will be addressed is the marine environment. Thailand is greatly concerned with the problem of marine debris and its impact on the environment. We truly believe that urgent action is needed. Researchers have found a marine debris or garbage patch in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a size larger than Bangkok. This debris is eaten by fish, which is then consumed by humans, thus causing severe health problems. The sea animals like whales and turtles that suffer from eating indigestible waste as reported in the news account for only a fraction of the annual 100,000 deaths of marine animals due to this problem. In addition, marine debris affects the promotion of environmentally friendly tourism and thus affects the contribution of the tourism sector to national development. Research by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand found that rubbish that is thrown into the sea can travel all over the world. It is therefore imperative that we have a platform for discussions and collaboration to tackle the problem. A technical working group meeting among ASEAN members was held in November 2017 while the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Marine Debris and ASEM High-level Meeting on Marine Sustainability will be held on March 5, 2019 and March 7-8, 2019, respectively. Thus, Thailand is advancing partnerships for sustainability, starting with environmental sustainability, and will expand to other areas throughout the year. The benefits of sustainable development are countless but each country should embark on its own path and determination to achieve the goals. In Thailands case, the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) was adopted as its home-grown approach. This philosophy, conferred by His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, proposes a thinking process consisting of three partsanalysis of the cause of the problem, identification of practical solutions and the implementation of the selected solutions. SEP is mainstreamed in Thailands policy both at the national and international levels. It has been a guiding principle in Thailands National Economic and Social Development Plans since 2002 and its application to achieve sustainable development. Thailand has shared this philosophy with many countries as an alternative approach to achieving SDGs, through the provision of training courses and the establishment of several cooperation projects in Asia and Africa. Thailands commitment to sustainable development is steadfast, as demonstrated in our past achievements and contributions nationally and internationally. We are committed to do more. The agenda will be particularly important during our ASEAN chairmanship and Thailand looks forward to working with colleagues in ASEAN and beyond in a global partnership as set forth in SDG Goal 17. Don Pramudwinai is the minister of foreign affairs of Thailand. Thursday, April 25th, 2019 (4:40 pm) - Score 2,362 Cable broadband ISP Virgin Media UK has today announced the appointment of Jeff Dodds to become their new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Jeff will take over the position from Lutz Schuler on 11th June 2019, which follows hot on the heels of Lutzs own appointment (here) to become the providers new CEO. Dodds moved into the position of Virgin Medias Chief Customer Officer and Managing Director of Operations in November 2018, having previously led their EE MVNO based Mobile business for 18 months. Prior to that he also worked for Tele2 as the CEO of their Dutch telecoms business, where he oversaw the launch of their 4G network. In addition, Dodds spent 5 years at Virgin Media where he was responsible for marketing, commercial strategy and customer experience. Dodds said: Its a real privilege to step into this role at what is an exciting time for both the industry and Virgin Media. Over the last seven months Ive worked very closely with Lutz and Im looking forward to helping the business to grow further under his strong purpose-led leadership style and relentless focus on performance. ISU is in the process of building this class with the help of about $110,000 of generous support from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) and National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA) Foundations and PCI Mountain States. This is the first jointly funded engineering studio by PCI and NPCA Foundations focused on bridges and culverts in the nation. The design studio will be much different than a traditional class, said Mustafa Mashal, ISU assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. It will involve the industry and include hands-on types of activities. Visits to precast yards, observing the construction of a bridge/culvert, speakers from the industry, a final competition including construction and testing of concrete bridges and culverts, and other relevant activities are all part of this class. Industry champions from across several states have shown interest to support the precast studio at ISU, Mashal said. These include the followings: Forterra Structural Precast in Salt Lake City, Utah and Caldwell Oldcastle Infrastructure in Spokane, Washington Teton Prestress Concrete in Idaho Falls PCI Mountain States Region, Denver, Colorado Forterra in Helena, Montana Forterra in Billings, Montana Idaho Transportation Department Bridge Section in Boise The PCI Foundation and NPCA will each cover half of the total cost for the design studio with a total amount of $85,129. In addition, PCI Foundation and PCI Mountain States will cover up to $24,400 in travel funds for ISU faculty and students to attend the annual PCI Convention and National Bridge Conference for the next four years. The ISU co-principal investigator on the project is Bruce Savage, chair and associate professor of ISU civil and environmental engineering. Hands-on education is one of the best ways to learn, Savage said. The design studio will allow us to strengthen the number of real-world projects in our curriculum. This will make our graduating engineers better prepared to contribute to the civil engineering profession, This is an exciting development for Idaho State University, Mashal said. Modular construction using precast concrete is not limited to civil infrastructure, but also energy and other industries. The department of energy and Idaho National Laboratory are interested in topics related to small modular reactors (SMRs), and other modular energy systems. The potential for precast concrete in both civil and energy sectors is significant. In addition to precast bridges, ISU has several research projects related to precast concrete structures in the structural lab. Savage added that training the next generation of civil and environmental engineers that will continue to make significant contributions to societies infrastructure is a key value in his departments mission. ISU's reputation in precast concrete teaching/research has been increasing, Mashal said. ISU has been building partnerships with several precasters around the mountain states. There is a growing interest in precast concrete among the students in our department. He said that ISU has great facilities, including a large-scale testing facility where bridge and building specimens can be tested for their strength and a water resources lab for testing hydraulic structures. Forterra Structural Precast is excited to participate in this new design studio with ISU, said Jonathan Kirk, general manager. It will be a tremendous opportunity for students to develop their technical knowledge with perspective to the challenges faced in the real world of bridge construction. Being able to bring students into our manufacturing facilities and understand how precast concrete bridge components are made is an experience that will help them in their careers and them having knowledge to bring to their future jobs will help our industry grow and be more effective and economical in the future. John Dobbs, executive director of Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Mountain States Region said, The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Mountain States Region is looking forward to supporting this joint PCI and NPCA Foundation Precast Concrete Transportation Engineering Design Studio at ISU by providing student classroom lectures and numerous technical resources available from PCI. This relationship between ISU and the Precast Concrete Industry should be very rewarding and beneficial to both the students and industry, Dobbs said. Melissa Verwest, technical sales engineer at Oldcastle Infrastructure, said that the development of a hands-on experience at the academic level through programs such as the ISU design studio will better prepare students who will be the next industry contributors. While Oldcastle Infrastructure is an Industry Champion for ISU in the present, the education opportunities developed though collaboration of industry experience and academic training will provide precast companies with Champions of precast concrete in the future, Verwest said. Teton Prestress Concrete is excited to give life to ISU's future prestressed/precast concrete engineers, said Hal Simmons, owner and manager at Teton Prestress Concrete. We are more than honored to teach and donate our knowledge to future leaders of this industry, for it is they who will continue the work expanding the concrete world. ISU civil engineering graduate students Jared Cantrell, Corey Marshall, and Ali Shokrgozar and faculty Mashal and Savage recently attended the PCI Convention and National Bridge Conference, Feb. 26-March 2 in Louisville, Kentucky, where they presented about the studio and ISU research in precast concrete. Ali Shokrgozar, Ph.D. student, also participated in the new Project Precast competition. I had the chance to compete in the Project Precast among many other candidates from around the nation who applied for this opportunity. I enjoyed the experience of working in a team environment on a precast concrete project assigned by the judges, said Ali Shokrgozar. Major: Communication Hometown: Brazil, IN Student Media Involvement: Syc Creations Favorite Food: Burgers with everything but mustard Fun Fact: He really loves superhero movies, and wants to make his own someday According to the order of protection she filed against him, Spivey collected a pair of his boots and was leaving when he suddenly turned around and began choking her. The woman said she was unable to move or even make a sound. TORONTO -- When railroad tracks were first laid across the western U.S., there were eight different gauges all competing to dominate the industry making a nationwide, unified rail system impossible; it took an act of Congress in 1863 to force the adoption of an industry standard gauge of 4-ft., 8-12 inches. FedEx CIO Rob Carter believes the same kind of thing needs to happen for blockchain to achieve widespread enterprise adoption. While the promise of blockchain to create a more efficient, secure and open platform for ecommerce can be realized using a proprietary platform, it won't be a global solution for whole industries now hampered by a myriad of technical and regulatory hurdles. Instead, a platform based on open-source software and industry standards will be needed to ensure process transparency and no one entity profits from the technology over others. IDG A panel discussion about adopting blockchain standards for shipping companies. (Left to right: Don Tapscott, executive chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute; Dale Chrystie, business fellow and blockchain strategist for FedEx; Mahesh Sahasranaman, principal architect for UPS Supply Chain Solutions; and Eugene Laney, head of International Affairs for DHL Express USA.) "I think we're in the state where we're duking it out for the dominant design," Carter said during a CIO panel discussion at the Blockchain Global Revolution Conference here. "We're not an organization that pushes for more regulatory control, but there are times regulatory mandates and pushes can be incredibly helpful." For example, Carter said, mandated blockchain standards would help customs and border agents create a chain of custody to better track the provenance of goods, enabling them to identify and then block the importation of things such as illegal drugs and counterfeit medical devices. "There's an incredible amount of information moving with an international package," Carter said. "An incredible amount of paperwork [such as] certificates of origin, and certain commodities require specific licenses. That information moves sometimes in digital forms and sometimes paper forms. As we move toward a more digital world, blockchain is where you piece all that together." Information about packages is as important, if not more so, as the packages themselves, Carter said. Traditionally, the international shipping industry's information systems have used paper legal documents, and electronic data was transmitted via electronic data interchange (EDI) a 60-year-old technology that doesn't present real-time information. Shipping participants have also shared documents via email, fax and courier. FedEx has banded together with competitors DHL Express and UPS -- to hammer out blockchain standards that could be deployed industrywide. All three shipping giants are part of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), an industry organization with more than 500 members. IDG FedEx CIO Rob Carter displays two IoT sensors used to track packages and record ambient data about them. "The three of us are looking at this globally," said Dale Chrystie, a FedEx business fellow and blockchain strategist. In January, FedEx's supply chain subsidiary, Trade Networks, rebranded itself as FedEx Logistics, reflecting the company's focus on meeting customers' increasingly complex cross-border shipping, transportation, value-added services and brokerage needs. FedEx Logistics CEO Richard Smith pointed to a White House memorandum released earlier this month on the need to combat the trafficking of counterfeit and pirated goods. An estimate from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) put the value of trade in counterfeit and pirated goods at approximately half a trillion dollars annually, with roughly 20% of it infringing upon intellectual property belonging to U.S. entities. FedEx executives discussed how the company could address the issue with regulators, other carriers and retailers such as Amazon and Alibaba and Smith said he pointed out the answer was staring them in the face: blockchain. "It's what it does: authenticity," Smith said. "So you want to know this merchandise is authentic and not counterfeit? Blockchain can do that. The concern from the government is that it hadn't been widely adopted. My response to that was, 'You're the government. You can mandate that it's widely adopted.' "Why not plant a flag in the ground and say in the next five years all importers have to be up on blockchain? It's the only way you're going to be able to do it without slowing commerce to a crawl," Smith added. Permissioned blockchains can create a transparent and immutable record of transactions, meaning every authorized entity on the ledger, whether public or government, can have the same information in real-time about the provenance of goods on a supply chain and where they are. Smart contracts, a business automation tool, could enable the automatic processing of electronic documents once digital handshakes took place at borders. IDG FedEx CIO Rob Carter displays an IoT sensor capable of transmitting package information to a blockchain ledger. FedEx and other shipping companies have also been speaking with healthcare customers about how to authenticate pharmaceuticals and medical devices, particularly as the industry moves toward 3D printing them. FedEx has been conducting a proof of concept with "sensor-based logistics," using two types of IoT sensors about the size of a stick of gum that can track whether a package has been opened, its internal temperature and how much vibration it's experienced on its journey. One of the two sensors can automatically transmit data to a blockchain ledger, according to Carter. Blockchain, however, is a team sport; no one company today completes customer supply chain shipments by itself, according to Eugene Laney, head of international government affairs for DHL Express. For example, a company may use DHL Express to ship an automobile part to Germany to be assembled, and then use FedEx to convey the assembled part from Germany to another plant in Latin America. Then, yet a third shipper such as UPS brings the part to the U.S. for final assembly, Laney said. "So how can we take all that information and share it amongst each other, and more importantly with four different governments?" Laney asked, emphasizing the need for an open and standardized version of blockchain to be shared by shipping participants. DHL Express, Laney said, has mastered tracking and tracing single supply chain transactions. But the system breaks down when DHL begins working with other shippers to get their customer's parts to a final destination. Along with other key elements, such as IoT and RFID tags attached to the packages, blockchain would improve visibility, not only for shippers but also for customers who could watch in real time as parts move through their manufacturing lifecycle. "The key for me with standards is that they're agreed upon by a majority of participants..., so you can build applications around them," said Mahesh Sahasranaman, principal architect for UPS Supply Chain Solutions. FedEx, DHL Express and UPS each serve 220 countries, 90% of whom depend on taxes and duties for their revenue. Those nations also need to know they're charging the correct taxes and duties on international shipments. Additionally, governments often ask manufacturers and their supply chain participants to ensure dangerous goods, such as counterfeit toys made with lead paint, can be detected and stopped. In 2007, the U.S. and Chinese government asked importers to provide product designs to regulators to comply with U.S. safety standards, which has banned the use of lead paint since the 1970s. The counterfeit toys continued to seep through borders. And in 2010, packages containing printer ink cartridges and explosive devices were discovered on FedEx and UPS flights from the Middle East. Police were tipped off to the shipments, even as governments asked shipping companies to heighten their inspection of those types of packages. "Blockchain would have helped us solve that," Laney said. DataCamp CEO Jonathan Cornelissen is stepping down "indefinitely" in the wake of "uninvited physical contact" with an employee in 2017. The move comes after an uproar in the R community over what was seen as an inadequate response by the company and no punishment or consequences to the executive. In an apology posted earlier today, Cornelissen said the company will establish an Instructor Advisory Board, and an independent third party will conduct "a full review of the companys environment and culture, including its response to the incident." Instructors had been working behind the scenes for months to get the company to acknowledge the incident internally and ensure that the executive faced some penalty for his actions. After a letter was sent to management that was signed by 100 or so instructors, DataCamp published a public blog post from "the DataCamp Leadership team." However, instructors and others in the community viewed that as inadequate. Among the criticisms at the time: There was no apology to the victim, the victim had not been notified before the public statement, no one at the company took personal responsibility for what happened, and for days the post had a "noindex" tag to prevent search engines from showing the post in their results. Calls to boycott the platform had been growing, and organizations such as RStudio and satRdays said they were cutting ties with DataCamp, at least temporarily. Numerous instructors went public asking people not to take their courses; and most recently several employees went on social media expressing concerns to the community. DataCamp's Board of Directors issued a statement today as well, noting: "Our public response and this first official statement from the Board regarding this incident is long overdue. We are sorry for this delay." The incident occurred in October 2017; management was made aware of it more than a year ago. "We have learned a lot from the community over the last several weeks and recognize that the company hasnt listened nearly enough to you over the last 18 months," the board said in the statement, noting that Cornelissen will be on an indefinite leave without pay. The board also said it has hired civil-rights attorney Anurima Bhargava, who has "specific expertise on sexual harassment and climate assessments, to conduct a full review of the company's environment and culture." One of the criticisms of the company's initial statement was that it said there had been a review "by a third party not involved in DataCamp's day-to-day business." That was seen by many as the possibility that an investor not involved in day-to-day activities but who might be naturally sympathetic to management could have conducted the review. Noam Ross, one of the first freelance instructors to ask people not to take his DataCamp course, is not yet convinced by today's statements. He is also weighing the many months that instructors felt their legitimate and pressing concerns were ignored. "After too long and only after enormous pressure from the community they built their company on, DataCamp turned a bit in the right direction," he said in an emailed statement. "We'll see if they can move that way. Any true reckoning will involve not just the CEO's actions, but every decision made afterwards to minimize them and sweep sexual misconduct under the rug. They are far from restoring trust. DataCamp has lost some of us permanently, and the rest are watching closely." Julia Silge, a freelance instructor who led the effort to send the joint letter to DataCamp management, also expressed caution. "I am not sure who DataCamp is planning to invite to this proposed Instructor Advisory Board," she said by email. "To have any credibility, this group of instructors would need to be trusted by the broader data science community. Many people who fit that description currently have experienced months of undermining frustration from DataCamps leadership." She had outlined those frustrations earlier this month in a blog post, Writing a Letter to DataCamp. The victim, Kara Woo, is a well-known and well-liked member of the R community. She acknowledged on Twitter after DataCamp's initial post that she had been the target. The company did not name the executive until today, although at least one blog post and one media report did so last week. Woo told Computerworld last week: "All I have to say currently is that I am very moved by the outpouring of support, and I hope anyone else in a similar situation knows that people in this community will have their back." Chinese telecommunications and consumer electronics manufacturer Huawei has found itself at the centre of a long list of controversies in recent months. Far and away the leader in 5G network infrastructure, the company's business units have performed spectacularly, but as America continues to pursue bellicose trade policies with China, the firm's relationship with Europe and the countries in the 'Five Eyes' alliance with the USA - Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia - has been strained. Are the latest accusations warranted - or fair? See our extensive timeline below for the long list of controversies pinned on the company. 2001 December - Indian security services accuse Huawei of aiding Taliban As far as we can tell, this is the most prominent early example of security fears levied at the country. Reports from India's intelligence agencies, said EETimes, led to the placing of Huawei's India operations on a watch list for "alleged business dealings with the Taliban, Pakistan and Iraq". At the time, the Cabinet Committee on Security in India was considering whether or not to deport 178 Chinese engineers working at the Bangalore R&D centre. The accusations were described by a spokesperson as untrue and that the company's global business "is in compliance with the United Nations' standards and regulations". 2003 January - Cisco sues Huawei While not overtly a national security issue, Cisco filed a lawsuit against Huawei alleging that the latter had unlawfully copied intellectual property from the American networking infrastructure firm. It said this related to the unlawful copying of Cisco IOS software, which included source code, as well as documentation and other materials, plus infringements of Cicso patents. Mark Chandler, general counsel at the time for Cisco, said then: "Huawei has unlawfully copied Cisco's intellectual property and refused Cisco's numerous attempts to resolve these issues. As a result, Cisco has no choice but to protect its technology and the interests of its shareholders through legal action." However, according to NetworkWorld, a spokesperson for Huawei rebuked that it had "always respected intellectual property rights" and had "attached importance to safeguarding its own property rights". The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2014, in exchange for a promise from Huawei to modify its product, the Register reported at the time. While Cisco reported this as a "victory for the protection of intellectual property rights", Huawei claimed that it meant Cisco "cannot bring another lawsuit against Huawei in the future asserting the same or substantially similar claims," as the American courts had dismissed Cisco's claim "with prejudice" after a third-party review. Huawei did say that an employee had inadvertently used two percent of the 1.5 million lines of copied code that Cisco had alleged, but that it was provided by someone who wasn't a Cisco or a Huawei employee - and was instead on a disk passed from one Huawei to another, CNET reported. 2005 August - Marconi under fire for Huawei, ZTE talks Beleaguered British manufacturing firm Marconi, which before its collapse in 2006 still employed thousands of people in the UK, was in talks with Huawei as well as rival manufacturer ZTE for "potential business combinations". Peter Skyte, national officer for the now-defunct Amicus trade union, suggested at the time that if Marconi was to be sold "whether it is to the Chinese or someone else" that the union would "expect the government to look very closely at that under the mergers and acquisitions framework. Despite its troubles it's still a key company in terms of research and development in the UK." Ultimately financial difficulties led to the collapse of Marconi in 2006, when much of the business was sold to the Swedish telco infrastructure company Ericsson. 2007 October - Bush administration warned on Huawei-3Com deal Following a joint venture between Cisco rival 3Com and Huawei in China called H3C Technology, Bain Capital agreed to buy 3Com in its entirety for more than $2 billion with minority equity financing from Huawei in 2007, translating to a 16.5 percent stake in the overall business. It was this that prompted US lawmakers to complain to George H W Bush that the deal should not be approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which is an inter-agency panel that examines contracts with non-US companies. According to Reuters, Florida Republican representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen led the calls. She said it would "be a grave error for US regulators to approve a deal that permits minority ownership in 3Com by one of the least transparent companies operating in China, a firm with shadowy ties to Chinese army and intelligence services." The deal failed, with Hewlett Packard ultimately picking up 3Com in late 2009. 2009 March - UK government warned over BT 21CN network Alex Allan, who was chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, told then-home secretary Jacqui Smith that the steps BT had taken to secure its network for the 21CN network transformation rollout in Britain might not have been adequate. Ministers heard that Britain hadn't paid "sufficient attention to the threat [from Huawei] in the past," the Register said, and that GCHQ had also warned that the network would have been open for the targeting of attacks from China. Officials in Britain noted that the risk was low, but that the impact of such an attack would be high. 2010 October - Former GCHQ boss joins Huawei Andrew Hopkins, now an independent consultancy owner but previously a deputy director at GCHQ, joined Huawei in 2010 and was based at the centre in Banbury. The Sunday Times noted that he was once head of engineering and procurement at GCHQ, having been around the intelligence world for 40 years. December - Huawei opens infosec centre in Oxfordshire In 2010 Huawei opened the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Nicknamed 'The Cell', it was to be overseen by CESG, part of GCHQ, to test Huawei products and equipment for security holes. A Huawei spokesperson told ZDNet UK at the time: "The aim of this security centre is to address growing concerns from organisations, and from governments generally, about the safety of cyberspace and the need for built-in network protection to help society and businesses withstand malicious attacks from the outside." John Suffolk, who had previously held a high-ranking position in the civil service as the government's CIO, joined Huawei from the role to head up the firm's global cybersecurity efforts. He had been CIO and senior information risk owner since 2006, ComputerWeekly reported. He had to consult former British prime minister David Cameron for clearance to join Huawei, which was approved. As part of the agreement Suffolk would have to steer clear of direct work with government for two years - which included lobbying and government endorsements. Suffolk remains at Huawei. 2012 March - Huawei banned from Australia's National Broadband Network A report from the Australian Financial Review revealed that Huawei had been banned from participating in Australia's National Broadband Network, citing security concerns. Although Huawei had worked to create an oversight board to examine its equipment - with former foreign minister Alexander Downer leading the effort - the company was nevertheless blocked. Downer said that the "whole concept of Huawei being involved in cyber warfare is based on the company being Chinese" and said that the scandal was "ridiculous". September - David Cameron brokers 1.3bn UK investment deal with Huawei David Cameron and Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei met to confirm a 1.3 billion investment in Britain including research and development spend and its employee headcount. The meeting saw Huawei mark 650 million for operations work in the UK, and 650 million for procurement in the five years to follow, Silicon UK reported. Cameron said at the time that the investment "demonstrates once again that the UK is open for business" and that Britain valued the "important relationship with China". "Both countries have much to offer each other and the business environment we are creating in the UK allows us to maximise this potential," he said. Ren Zhengfei said: "The UK is one of the most important European markets in which Huawei has invested. Over the past 11 years we have found its government to be transparent, efficient and practical. The UK is an open market, which welcomes overseas investment." While this was by no means Huawei's first major investment in the UK, it cemented future investment patterns before the latest controversies erupted. October - lawmakers seek Huawei, ZTE ban A US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee report (PDF) warned of the potential for state influence threats from both Huawei and ZTE. The report followed, said Reuters, an 11-month investigation. In a press conference, the chairman of the committee, Mike Rogers, said that they had received allegations of strange behaviour from using equipment from Huawei and ZTE, including sending packets of data to China overnight. The report authors suggested to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States that contracts with Huawei or ZTE were to be blocked. 2013 March - US carriers agree to block Huawei deals Before Sprint Nextel was acquired by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, the two entities agreed not to use technology from Huawei. Michigan Republican Mike Rogers, said: "I am pleased with their mitigation plans, but will continue to look for opportunities to improve the government's existing authorities to thoroughly review all the national security aspects of proposed transactions." April - Eric Xu: Huawei no longer interested in US market Eric Xu, who is now one of three rotating chairmen of the company retorted in an analyst call that Huawei is no longer interested in the US market. It followed statements from telcos like Sprint Nextel, as well as the Japanese conglomerate Softbank that acquired Sprint Nextel, that they wouldn't use Huawei technology. July - UK finds Huawei staff auditing equipment instead of government's Led by Malcolm Rifkind, a report from Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee called Foreign Involvement in the Critical National Infrastructure found that it was Huawei staff who were scrutinising the company's technology for security holes rather than GCHQ. July - Former CIA head Michael Hayden slams Huawei Speaking with the Australia Financial View, Hayden, who had previously headed both the CIA and the NSA, described Huawei as an "unambiguous national security threat to the US and Australia". He said that when Huawei was attempting to enter the American market, they were courting figures such as Hayden. "I reviewed Huawei's briefing paper," Hayden said. "But God did not make enough slides on Huawei to convince me that having them involved in our critical communications infrastructure was going to be OK." October - Australia commits to continuing Huawei broadband ban Tony Abbott's incoming Conservative government confirmed that Huawei would not be an option for Australia's national broadband network, based on advice from its security agencies. Labor had previously banned Huawei from the National Broadband Network, also based on advice from intelligence. December - David Cameron defends Huawei investment Following American senators once again insisting that Huawei equipment posed a security risk, David Cameron defended the earlier UK-Huawei 1.3 billion deal. He said that Britain had a "proper system in the UK for examining whether investments in the UK are pro-competitive and whether they're in the national interest". "We also have a very good way of defending ourselves in terms of cybersecurity," he added. "I think we're one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of the action we're taking on cybersecurity, and I've made sure we've put extra money into it." However, Cameron's government did commit to further security checks at the Huawei security centre in Banbury. 2014 Oversight board created for The Cell in Banbury Following the 2013 Intelligence and Security Committee report, Britain created a new board that would oversee the scrutinising of Huawei equipment for security holes, staffed by experts from Vodafone, Huawei, and BT, and chaired by Ciaran Martin, director general for cybersecurity at GCHQ. 2015 March - The Cell finds Huawei code is better, but has room for improvement The first annual report from the Cell with the newly created oversight board found at the time that although code quality had improved, it was below industry standards. Critically, it concluded that there was no evidence Huawei presented "any risk to the UK's national security," as ComputerWeekly wrote, and no evidence of espionage. An important fact to note here is that these observations were made after Huawei had given the entirety of its source code over to the info security experts at GCHQ. 2016 August - Huawei beats other device vendors on security patching - report Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Are you lost in the wild? Sorry, but the page you're looking for has not been found Try checking the URL for errors, goto home or try to search below. President Chmura said video gaming is regulated by the state and that all gaming will end at midnight. As for alcohol, the village is not licensed to sell alcohol past 2 a.m., and the mayor said he doesnt see that changing for the gas station. The invite was to be a surprise to the student band members, who packed into the schools band room to receive the news. The secret was foiled a bit with the need to begin the registration process for participating in advance of the official invite, but the crowd of more than 75 sat side-by-side in the room beaming as the opportunity was publicly revealed. For a better experience on our website and avoid any trouble, we strongly recommand to activate Javascript ( click here ). Hello and welcome to Journal des Palaces You are a communication or the PR manager? Click here You are an applicant? Check out our questions and answers here ! Two local startups gain $10K in NC IDEA grants Two Forsyth County startup companies have been awarded $10,000 each from the NC IDEA foundation. The companies are Postbiotic Labs of Winston-Salem and Rent Assured of Lewisville. Postbiotic Labs says on its website it is a microbiome health research and development company. We provide novel, cutting edge, research-backed postbiotic food ingredients to companies seeking to add functionality to their food or beverage products, it says. Rent Assured says on its website it provides property-management solutions through technology, such as apps. The micro cycle was created as an expansion of the foundations SEED grant program to provide funding to startups not yet positioned for its traditional $50,000 grants. Richard Craver First Citizens plans to buy Entegra for $219.8 million First Citizens Bancshares Inc. said Wednesday it has entered into an agreement to purchase Entegra Financial Corp., based in Franklin, for $219.8 million. The deal is projected to close in the second half of 2019. WINSTON-SALEM Wake Forest University has hired its next law school leader from Georgetown University. The university announced Wednesday that law professor Jane Aiken will be the next dean of the Wake Forest University School of Law. Aiken has been the Blume Professor of Law at Georgetown Law since 2007. She also has served as vice dean for the law school and now leads the university's gender equity task force. At Georgetown, she started the Community Justice Project, which trains law students to be advocates for local residents. Aiken previously taught law at Washington University in St. Louis, University of South Carolina and Arizona State University. She earned her law degree at New York University and holds a master of laws from Georgetown. Her scholarship focuses largely on evidence, legal education and women's rights. In a statement, Wake Forest President Nathan O. Hatch praised Aiken's "leadership, vision and energy." Over the past several years, in cities and on college campuses across the nation, Civil War statues and monuments have been removed or relocated, steps prompted by an impassioned debate about race and culture. In counterpoint to the trend, a new statue of a Civil War figure was dedicated Thursday at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. The original date for the unveiling had been planned for March 4, but organizers thought better of it not because protesters were expected on the 150th anniversary of Ulysses S. Grants inauguration as the 18th president, but because of worries about wintry weather. Why Grant? Why now? If some presidents, including Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson, have been losing stature in recent years, Grants reputation has been improving. In the three C-SPAN Presidential Historians Surveys taken since 2000 (2000, 2009 and 2017), Grant has moved up 11 places to No. 22 in the most recent survey. The West Point statue is yet another sign of the growing appreciation of Grant, not simply as the general who led Union armies to victory in the Civil War but as a president whose accomplishments are being seen in a fresh light. Demolish the Budget Inn The proposed plan to provide a $600,000 loan to demolish the Budget Inn and build affordable housing in its place would be great for Winston-Salem and for Peters Creek Parkway (County vote expected on affordable housing loan, April 19). First, affordable housing should be a welcomed addition to any city, and with Winston-Salem having a poverty rate of 23.3%, affordable housing seems to be necessary to promote economic growth within the city. Providing housing to those who are below the median income should be duty for the city government and this is a great opportunity to do so. Secondly, the Budget Inn is one of the ugliest buildings in Winston-Salem; it is a run-down motel sitting atop a hill, making it visually prominent to all those driving by it on Peters Creek Parkway. In fact, seeing that the motel has been dingy for years, I have wondered why it hasnt been torn down nearly every time I have driven by it. Demolishing the Budget Inn would also allow for more visually appealing real estate, such as the proposed affordable housing to be built on the same land. Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States OAKVILLE, Ontario, April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giyani Metals Corp. April 24, 2019 (TSXV:EMM) (FRANKFURT:KT9) (WKN:A2DUU8) (Giyani or the Company) announces that it has today completed and closed on the first tranche of its previously announced private placement financing of up to $1 million. The Company has today issued 2,678,250 units (a Unit) at $0.16 per Unit raising gross proceeds of $428,520. Each Unit consists of one (1) common share and one half (1/2) of one common share purchase warrant. Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at an exercise price of $0.275 per share for a period of 18 months from today. Giyani may also conduct one or more further closings up to the maximum $1 million. In connection with the financing, Giyani also issued 16,875 finders warrants which entitle the holders thereof to purchase 16,875 Units for 18 months at a purchase price per Unit of $0.275. All securities issued are subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period which will end on August 26, 2019. The net proceeds from the private placement will be used to fund planned reclamation and rehabilitation work, to further explore and evaluate the potential of the Companys Kanye Basin, Botswana licenses and for general corporate purposes. Insiders subscribed for an aggregate of 875,125 Units which are considered 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).The Company relied on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 in respect of the insider subscriptions. Robin Birchall, CEO of Giyani commented: Insiders of the Company contributed more than 32% to the total raised amount. This is an indication of the level of commitment, by the board and management team, to Giyani and confidence in the potential return on their investment. About Giyani Giyani Metals Corp. is a Canadian junior exploration company focused on creating shareholder value by accelerating the development of its high-grade manganese project 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. The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act (U.S. Persons), except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Companys securities to, or for the account of benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons. Forward Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Giyani expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, does not expect, plans, anticipates, does not anticipate, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential, scheduled, forecast, budget and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could, should or might occur. Specific forward-looking statements and forward-looking information herein includes statements regarding the size of and completion of the private placement and the intended use of the net proceeds from the financing. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the relevant management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to certain assumptions, important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Giyanis ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In the case of Giyani, these facts include their anticipated operations in future periods, planned exploration and development of its properties, and plans related to its business and other matters that may occur in the future. This information relates to analyses and other information that is based on expectations of future performance and planned work programs. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation: inherent exploration hazards and risks; risks related to exploration and development of natural resource properties; uncertainty in Giyanis ability to obtain funding; commodity price fluctuations; recent market events and conditions; risks related to the uncertainty of mineral resource calculations and the inclusion of inferred mineral resources in economic estimation; risks related to governmental regulations; risks related to obtaining necessary licenses and permits; risks related to their business being subject to environmental laws and regulations; risks related to their mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers, or claims and other defects in title; risks relating to competition from larger companies with greater financial and technical resources; risks relating to the inability to meet financial obligations under agreements to which they are a party; ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; and risks related to their directors and officers becoming associated with other natural resource companies which may give rise to conflicts of interests. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Giyanis forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking information or statements. Giyanis forward-looking information is based on the reasonable beliefs, expectations and opinions of their respective management on the date the statements are made and Giyani does not assume any obligation to update forward looking information if circumstances or managements beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For a complete discussion with respect to Giyani and risks associated with forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, please refer to Giyanis financial statements and related MD&A, all of which are filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - Zinc One Resources Inc. (TSXV: Z) (OTC Pink: ZZZOF) (FSE: RH33) ("Zinc One" or the "Company") announces that it has appointed Gunther Roehlig, a director of Zinc One, as its interim Chief Executive Officer to replace the outgoing interim Chief Executive Officer and director, Dr. Bill Williams. Dr. Williams will remain involved with Zinc One in an advisory and consulting role for Zinc One's projects in Peru. Mr. Roehlig brings extensive public company experience to the role. Zinc One is pleased to announce it has engaged Dr. Chris Wilson, to render project evaluation and geological consulting services to the Company. In particular, Dr. Wilson will carry out a detailed review of various options to further develop the Bongara Zinc Mine Project and assist in identifying potential sources of financing to facilitate such development. Dr. Wilson is an independent consultant geologist with 30 years of global experience in mineral exploration and mining. He has worked in over 70 countries, on most commodities and deposit styles, from grass roots through resource definition to feasibility. Chris has significant public market experience. This includes project and deposit review and valuation; design of acquisition strategy including earn-in, joint venture, equity and debt financing; merger and asset purchase; value-added exit strategy; and acquisition and contract negotiation. Dr. Wilson is a Qualified Person for JORC and NI 43-101 compliant reporting and valuation. Zinc One also granted options to Dr. Wilson to purchase 400,000 common shares of Zinc One. The options are exercisable at a price of $0.10 per share for a period of five years from the date of issue. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Dr. Bill Williams, a senior advisor to Zinc One and a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101. About Zinc One Resources Inc. Zinc One's key assets are the Bongara Zinc Mine Project and the Charlotte-Bongara Zinc Project in north-central Peru. The Bongara Zinc Mine Project was in production from 2007 to 2008, but was closed due to the global financial crisis and concurrent decrease in the zinc price. Past production included >20% zinc grades and recoveries over 90% from surface and near-surface zinc-oxide mineralization. High-grade, zinc-oxide mineralization is known to outcrop between the mined area and the Charlotte-Bongara Project, which is over six kilometres to the NNW and where past drilling intercepted various near-surface zones with high-grade zinc as well. The Company has reported an Indicated Mineral Resource of 822,000 tonnes averaging 18.8% Zn containing 342,000,000 pounds of Zn at a 10% Zn cut-off and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 1,339,700 tonnes averaging 16.8% Zn containing 496,200,000 pounds of Zn at a 10% Zn cut-off (see news releases dated February 5, 2019 and March 18, 2019). Additional Information Gunther Roehlig Interim CEO Zinc One Resources Inc. Phone: (604) 683-0911 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.zincone.com Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Zinc One cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by many material factors, many of which are beyond their respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Zinc One's limited operating history, its proposed exploration and development activities on the Bongara Zinc Mine Project and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Zinc One does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. DIDCOT, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 24, 2019 / Altus Strategies Plc (AIM: ALS & TSX-V: ALTS), the Africa focused royalty and project generator, announces that on 20 April 2019 it signed a non-binding Term Sheet ("Term Sheet") with Corben Resources Ltd ("Corben"), in respect of the vending of the Company's Zolowo gold project ("Zolowo") in Liberia to Corben, and a Joint Venture ("JV") with Corben on its Laboum gold project ("Laboum") in northern Cameroon. Altus will retain a 2.5% Net Smelter Return ("NSR") production royalty on both projects. Zolowo and Laboum (together the "Projects") are held by Auramin Ltd ("Auramin") a 99% owned subsidiary of the Company. Corben is a public unlisted company created to explore for and develop gold projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Highlights: Royalty generating vend-in and JV Term Sheet signed with Corben Deal is with Auramin, a 100% owned subsidiary of Altus Two gold projects located in western Liberia and northern Cameroon Subject to entering definitive agreements ("Agreements") Altus will: receive milestone based cash and equity payments from Corben retain a 2.5% NSR royalty on the Projects be the operator of the Laboum Project during the first 24 months A two month due diligence period has commenced Corben intends to list on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") Steven Poulton, Chief Executive of Altus, commented: "We are delighted to have signed this royalty and JV Term Sheet with Corben for the vend-in of our Zolowo gold project in Liberia and a JV on our Laboum gold project in Cameroon. Based on our exploration to date, we believe these Projects are prospective for the discovery of large scale gold deposits. The deal is designed to ensure the Projects are advanced rapidly and cost-efficiently. Upon entering definitive agreements, Corben will acquire the Zolowo project and have an option to acquire up to a 100% interest in Laboum Projects. In return, Altus will receive a significant upfront equity payment in Corben shares, future milestone-based payments of cash and Corben equity and a 2.5% NSR on the Projects. Corben is an Australian company which has been formed to explore for and develop gold projects in sub-Saharan Africa. We look forward to concluding the final agreements and to working with Corben thereafter. This transaction further underscores our royalty and project generator strategy where we explore for and monetise mineral discoveries in Africa. The deal is subject to the completion of due diligence by Corben and we look forward to providing updates in due course." Headline Terms Auramin has two 100% owned subsidiaries which are incorporated in the Republic of Seychelles, namely Eagle Resources Ltd ("Eagle") and Mansion Resources Ltd ("Mansion"). Through their respective local operating companies Eagle is the 100% owner of the Zolowo gold project located in western Liberia and Mansion is the 100% owner of the Laboum gold project located in northern Cameroon. Following the execution of the Agreements, Corben will change its name to Auramin and subject to Corben raising A$350,000 of initial equity capital, Corben will pay Altus a A$50,000 exclusivity payment. Subject to Corben listing on the ASX the following transactions will also occur: Part 1: Altus to transfer Eagle to Corben in return for: A cash payment to Altus of A$82,500 10% of the issued equity capital of Corben upon its Initial Public Offering ("IPO") Milestone payments of A$500,000 on the definition of each of a one million ounce resource and a one million ounce reserve A 2.5% NSR royalty on the Zolowo project. Corben will have the right to purchase 1.0% of the NSR by the payment of US$2,000,000 Due to Altus' presence in Liberia, Altus will provide exploration services to Corben at Zolowo for the first 24 months on an at cost +10% basis Part 2: Corben and Altus will enter a JV whereby Corben may earn up to a 100% interest in Mansion on the following terms: Stage 1 (Exploration): Corben will have the right to earn an initial 51% interest in Laboum by: expending A$2,000,000 on exploration at Laboum within two years; making a payment to Altus of A$250,000 payable in Corben shares at the IPO price; and making a cash payment to Altus of A$150,000. Stage 2 (Exploration): Corben will have the right to earn a further 19% interest in Laboum by: expending A$4,000,000 on exploration at Laboum within the subsequent two years; making a payment to Altus of A$350,000 payable in Corben shares; and making a cash payment to Altus of A$200,000. Stage 3 (Definitive Feasibility Study): Corben will have the right to earn a further 20% interest in Laboum by: completing a definitive feasibility study within the subsequent two years; making a payment to Altus of A$500,000 payable in Corben shares; and making a cash payment to Altus of A$350,000. Stage 4 (Mine Construction): Altus will have the right to co-fund Stage 4, or allow Corben to earn a further 10% interest in Laboum by: completing mine construction within the subsequent two years; making a payment to Altus of A$5,000,000 payable in Corben shares; making a cash payment to Altus of A$1,000,000; and Altus will retain a 2.5% NSR royalty on the Laboum project. Corben will have the right to purchase 1.0% of the NSR by the payment of US$2,000,000. Withdrawal: Corben may elect to withdraw from the JV at any time and retain an NSR royalty of up to 1.0% depending on the stage of completion at the point of withdrawal. After Corben has received back 150% of its investment in the JV from the royalty, the NSR royalty will reduce to 0.5%. Altus will have the right to purchase the remaining NSR royalty for US$1,000,000. Alternatively if having completed Stage 1, Corben may elect to sell its interest in Mansion, subject to offering Altus a right of first refusal to buy the interest on the same terms. If Corben sells its interest in Mansion then it will relinquish its NSR royalty rights Altus will manage the JV on an at cost +10% basis until Corben has earned a 51% interest in Mansion The Agreements are expected to include standard change of control, non-compete and default provisions. Subject to Altus holding a 10% or higher interest in Corben, the Company shall have the right to nominate one director to the board of Corben. Completion of the Agreements is to take place no later than 14 October 2019. About the Zolowo Gold Project The 466km2 Zolowo exploration licence is located in Lofa County of north-western Liberia, approximately 190km northeast of the capital city of Monrovia. The licence contains the town of Zorzor and a main road which links the towns of Gbarnga (60km to the south) and Voinjama (70km to the north). The Archaean geology of western Liberia is considered analogous to that which hosts the Kerr-Addison mine in Ontario, the Golden Mile in Kalgoorlie and the Homestake mine in the United States. Zolowo was selected by the Company after comprehensive in-house analysis of available datasets including geological maps, historic mineral occurrences and satellite imagery. The licence contains an Archaean greenstone belt that forms a prominent ridge for approximately 33km across the licence. Zolowo is located on the same NE-SW geological trend as the New Liberty gold mine which is owned and operated by AIM and TSX listed Avesoro Resources Inc. Initial reconnaissance exploration has been completed by the Company at Zolowo. The prospecting work has confirmed the presence of numerous artisanal alluvial gold mining sites. Over 50 separate workings have now been visited by Altus to date, clustered within the central part of the licence. Of these, 35 were found to be active and the largest extended for approximately 250m. At each working up to 25 artisanal miners were found to be selectively mining gold-bearing gravels, often at the boundary between saprolite and bedrock. It was reported that gold has been mined in this way from the Zolowo area since the 1930's. About the Laboum Gold Project The 189km2 Laboum exploration licence (currently pending renewal to 94.3km2 in size) is located in north-eastern Cameroon, approximately 110km southeast of the provincial capital of Garoua which is served by a regional airport, and 600km northeast of the capital city of Yaounde. Year-round access to the licence area is provided by a network of maintained laterite roads. The Laboum area was selected by the Company due to the presence of a major northeast-southwest striking regional shear zone, which in places is up to 5km wide and is coincident with numerous gold anomalies defined by the Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Mines ("BRGM") in the 1990's. The shear is considered to be a splay of the Central African Shear Zone. The geology of the project area comprises highly prospective Birimian metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks which have been intruded by synkinematic late Pan-African granites. Dilational and fold structures which exist along and within the shear zone are considered to be excellent targets to explore for potentially economic mesothermal gold deposits. Exploration in the area was first undertaken by the BRGM in the late 1980's, including mapping, drainage, soil, termite-mound and rock chip sampling. The work successfully identified several prospective areas. A stream and pan-concentrate sampling programme completed by the Company defined a 20km long northeast-southwest striking zone of gold-bearing streams and the presence of artisanal alluvial gold workings coincident with the core of the shear zone. The analysis of ASTER and LANDSAT satellite imagery, alongside aerial photos, has been employed by the Company to define alteration patterns and interpret structural associations. A regional soil sampling programme has been completed by the Company over the 15km long by 5km wide target area which generated numerous targets with over 2,200 samples collected. Subsequently, the Company has undertaken a 1,028 line kilometre high resolution ground magnetic geophysical survey. The magnetic data has defined numerous potential lithological and structural targets coincident with the regional soil anomalies and areas of mapped silicification. Quartz veins discovered and sampled during these surveys have returned grades up to 24.50 g/t Au. Reconnaissance trenching to bedrock by the Company, has further confirmed the association of primary gold mineralisation with the regional shearing, with grades up to 6.86 g/t Au. The next phase of work will include systematic trenching over the generated targets to define potential drill targets. Qualified Person The technical disclosure in this regulatory announcement has been read and approved by Steven Poulton, Chief Executive of Altus. He has not verified the historical data disclosed in this regulatory announcement but has no reason to question its accuracy. A graduate of the University of Southampton in Geology (Hons), Steven Poulton also holds a Master's degree from the Camborne School of Mines (Exeter University) in Mining Geology. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and has over 20 years of experience in mineral exploration and is a Qualified Person under the AIM rules and National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement. For further information you are invited to visit the Company's website www.altus-strategies.com or contact: Altus Strategies Plc Steven Poulton, Chief Executive Tel: +44 (0) 1235 511 767 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. SP Angel (Nominated Adviser) Richard Morrison / Soltan Tagiev Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 SP Angel (Broker) Richard Parlons / Jonathan Williams Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0471 Blytheweigh (Financial PR) Tim Blythe / Camilla Horsfall Tel: +44 (0) 20 7138 3204 About Altus Strategies Plc Altus is a London (AIM: ALS) and Toronto (TSX-V: ALTS) listed royalty and project generator in the mining sector with a focus on Africa. Our team creates value by making mineral discoveries across multiple licences. We enter joint ventures with respected groups and our partners earn interest in these discoveries by advancing them toward production. Project milestone payments we receive are reinvested to extend our portfolio, accelerating our growth. The portfolio model reduces risk as our interests are diversified by commodity and by country. The royalties generated from our portfolio of projects are designed to yield sustainable long term income. We engage constructively with all our stakeholders, working diligently to minimise our environmental impact and to promote positive economic and social outcomes in the communities where we operate. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include without limitation the completion of planned expenditures, the ability to complete exploration programmes on schedule and the success of exploration programmes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Ivanhoe Mines' resulting cash position of C$1.3 billion (US$1.0 billion) is approximately twice the amount required to finance its share of construction costs for the Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo Second major investment by CITIC Metal in less than a year will provide the finance to fast-track production at all of Ivanhoe Mines' projects in Southern Africa Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - April 25, 2019) - Robert Friedland and Yufeng "Miles" Sun, Co-Chairmen of Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF), announced today that CITIC Metal Co., Ltd. (CITIC Metal), through its subsidiary CITIC Metal Africa Investments Limited (CITIC Metal Africa), has agreed to invest an additional C$612 million (approximately US$454 million) in Ivanhoe Mines at C$3.98 per share, a premium of 29% over the last closing price. CITIC Metal's second major investment in less than a year, together with Ivanhoe Mines' current cash balance of approximately US$512 million, will increase the company's total cash on hand to approximately C$1.3 billion (US$1.0 billion). Ivanhoe's pro-forma cash balance is almost double the approximately US$540 million required to be funded by Ivanhoe to construct the US$1.1 billion Kamoa-Kakula Project's initial six million-tonne-per-annum (6 Mtpa), high-grade copper mine at the Kakula deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ivanhoe's joint venture partner in the project, Zijin Mining Group, is required to fund its equivalent share of approximately US$540 million of the mine's initial capital costs. Ivanhoe and Zijin also are in financing discussions with international export-credit agencies and equipment-finance providers, which could materially reduce the amount of funding that Ivanhoe and Zijin would have to contribute. The CITIC Metal investment is expected to close no later than September 7, 2019, much sooner than could be expected for a typical project-finance facility. This timing will allow Ivanhoe to rapidly move forward with construction without relying on third-party project financing and being subject to the fees, interest, or hedging requirements typically associated with project financing. This second major investment by CITIC Metal, bringing its total investment in Ivanhoe to US$1 billion, will position Ivanhoe to become a leading copper and zinc producer in the DRC and a leading producer of platinum-group metals, nickel and copper in South Africa. In addition to the Kamoa-Kakula Project, Ivanhoe is upgrading the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine in the DRC, in partnership with La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines (Gecamines), and developing the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold discovery in South Africa with its broad-based, black empowerment partners and a Japanese consortium led by ITOCHU Corporation. "CITIC Metal has been a shareholder in Ivanhoe Mines for eight months now, and in that time, CITIC has seen what we already know - that the Kamoa-Kakula Project is unquestionably the best copper development project in the world," said Mr. Friedland. "The investment announced today will comfortably provide Ivanhoe with the equity cushion required to fast-track Kamoa-Kakula's 6 Mtpa Phase 1 mine to production. More importantly, it also is a profound vote of confidence in our management, in our key stakeholders and partners, and in the promising future of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa. We look forward to hosting the DRC President at the Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi projects later this year," Mr. Friedland added. "We now are in a position to finance our first two mines Kakula and Kipushi to commercial production, and significantly advance, or achieve, production at the Platreef Project. Ivanhoe also is positioned to have its planned expansions at the Kamoa-Kakula Project funded from internally generated cash flows." Mr. Sun commented: "Today's investment consistently advances CITIC Metal's implementation of its investment strategy in mining. It demonstrates CITIC Metal's firm confidence in the long-term potential of Ivanhoe Mines' assets, the resource potential of the Southern Africa region and the mining industry as a whole. It also demonstrates that, through close cooperation and an in-depth mutual understanding, CITIC Metal recognizes the professionalism and technical competence of the Ivanhoe Mines team led by Mr. Friedland. "As a major shareholder, CITIC Metal will further develop and promote cooperation with Ivanhoe Mines in the fields of exploration, mine development and beyond, and unlock potential synergies between our groups. We also are confident that CITIC Group's comprehensive capabilities will help Ivanhoe Mines to strengthen business relationships with the DRC and South African governments," Mr. Sun concluded. CITIC Metal's investment comes at a premium to Ivanhoe's share price and maintains governance stability agreed in its 2018 initial investment. Under today's agreement, Ivanhoe Mines will issue 153,821,507 common shares to CITIC Metal Africa at a price of C$3.98 per share, yielding total proceeds of approximately C$612 million (US$454 million). Similar to the 2018 conditions agreed to for CITIC Metal's initial investment in Ivanhoe Mines, the investment is conditional upon completion of customary, confirmatory due diligence by CITIC Metal and certain internal approvals. It also is subject to approval by the Toronto Stock Exchange and recordals with certain Chinese regulatory agencies, which also were required and obtained for CITIC Metal's initial investment in Ivanhoe Mines. Receipt of all necessary approvals and completion of the transaction is expected no later than September 7, 2019. CITIC Metal, currently Ivanhoe Mines' largest shareholder with a 19.3% ownership stake, will come to own 29.9% of Ivanhoe's issued and outstanding common shares when the placement is completed. Mr. Friedland will remain Ivanhoe's second-largest shareholder. CITIC Metal and Mr. Friedland are subject to standstill provisions. When the placement is completed, CITIC Metal's standstill provision will be amended to a maximum ownership stake of 29.9%. Both standstills also will be extended until January 8, 2023. The standstill period has been agreed to be lengthened to provide sufficient time to bring the Kamoa-Kakula Project's 6 Mtpa high-grade copper mine at the Kakula deposit to production, and to advance the first of its subsequent, planned expansions, as well as the Kipushi and Platreef projects. It is expected that Ivanhoe Mines' entire shareholder base will benefit from the economic growth and significant cash flows that result from commercial production at three mines. Ivanhoe is developing an alternative production plan for the Platreef Project, targeting significantly lower initial capital, to accelerate production by using Shaft 1 as the mine's initial production shaft. Shaft 1, presently at a depth of 855 metres below surface, is expected to reach its final depth of 980 metres, complete with working stations on three levels, in early 2020. Ivanhoe is continuing to advance the arrangement of a project financing for the development of the Platreef Project with a syndicate of international banks and export-credit agencies. Discussions also are underway with leading South African financial institutions for financing the black economic empowerment partners' contribution to development capital. Ivanhoe also is in discussions with various streaming companies interested in acquiring exposure to one or more of the metals that will be produced at Platreef. At Kipushi, discussions also are continuing with a number of potential project financiers to launch a new era of commercial production at the upgraded zinc-copper-silver-germanium mine. Ivanhoe Mines' shareholder approval will be required, and will be sought at the company's Annual and Special Meeting scheduled to be held on June 28, 2019 in Vancouver, B.C. Details will be included in the circular expected to be mailed by the end of May 2019. At closing, CITIC Metal's director nomination rights in Ivanhoe Mines will increase from two to three directors, with the one additional director to be appointed at closing. Ivanhoe Mines also has agreed that it will use its reasonable best efforts to assist CITIC Metal, or an affiliate, to negotiate an offtake agreement in respect of production from Phase 1 of the Kamoa-Kakula Project, or to transfer Ivanhoe Mine's rights to any offtake which it may become entitled to at fair market value. Zijin Mining, which acquired a 9.9% stake in Ivanhoe Mines in 2015 through a wholly-owned subsidiary, will be entitled to exercise its anti-dilution rights through a concurrent private placement at C$3.98 per share, which could result in additional proceeds of up to C$67 million (US$49 million). About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal projects in Southern Africa: the development of new mines at the Kamoa-Kakula copper discovery in the DRC and the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold discovery in South Africa; and the extensive redevelopment and upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC. The company also is exploring for new copper discoveries on its wholly-owned Western Foreland exploration licences, adjacent to the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence. This news release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and accordingly are not being offered for sale and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, within the United States, its possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction or to, or for the account or for the benefit of, a U.S. person, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of that Act. Information contacts Investors North America: Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 North America: Egizio Bianchini +1.416.862.5256 Europe: Matthieu Bos +44.20.7591.1120 Asia: Peter Zhou +86.10.5662.1988 Media North America: Kimberly Lim +1.778.996.8510 South Africa: Jeremy Michaels +27.82.772.1122 Cautionary statement on forward-looking information 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. Such statements include without limitation: (i) all statements regarding the timing and completion of the planned private placement of 153,821,507 common shares to CITIC Metal at a price of C$3.98 per share for gross proceeds to Ivanhoe of approximately C$612 million (US$454 million); (ii) statements regarding Ivanhoe Mines intention to use the proceeds from the private placement to fund its portion of the estimated US$1.1 billion of capital costs to fully construct the stage one, six million-tonne-per-annum (6 Mtpa) operation at the Kakula deposit; (iii) statements regarding the timing and completion of confirmatory due diligence and CITIC internal approval; (iv) statements regarding the timing and satisfaction of all conditions precedent to closing, including recordals with Chinese regulatory agencies; (v) statements regarding Ivanhoe Mines' shareholder approval being sought at the company's Annual and Special Meeting to be held on June 28, 2019; (vi) statements that the closing of the private placement is expected no later than September 7, 2019; (vii) statements that Platreef's Shaft 1 is expected to reach its final depth of 980 metres in early 2020; and (viii) statements regarding the placing into production of the Kipushi and Platreef Projects. 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 the inability to obtain regulatory approvals in a timely manner; the potential for unknown or unexpected events to cause contractual conditions to not be satisfied; 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. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Pacific Metal Corp. (New Pacific or the Company) (TSXV: NUAG) (OTCQX: NUPMF) is pleased to announce the commencement of the 2019 drill programs at the Silver Sand Project in the Department of Potosi, Bolivia. The total budgeted metreage for 2019 drilling campaign is about 55,000 metres of diamond coring drilling. The Silver Sand Project consists of three 100% owned concessions of approximately 7 square kilometres plus an area of approximately 57 square kilometres (includes 29 Special Temporary Authorizations and 201 mining grids) covered by the Mining Production Contract (MPC). As previously announced in the Companys January 11, 2019 news release, New Pacific signed the MPC with COMIBOL which is subject to ratification by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia. Grab samples of hundreds of surface dump sites and chip-samples from many artisanal mining tunnels reveal that the silver mineralized fracture zones could extend up to 6 kilometres long in the North-North-West direction and up to 2 kilometres wide in the North-East-East direction. The targets for the 2019 drilling program include: 1) infill drilling to a point where an initial NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource estimate can be made for the Silver Sand area by the end of 2019; 2) drill prospects with good silver grades from historical artisanal mining dumps to expand the mineralization zones at the Silver Sand; 3) drill prospects surrounding Silver Sand showing similar silver mineralization as revealed by historical artisanal mining, and 4) drilling for samples for further metallurgical test work. The Company currently has three drill rigs on site. The Company has also received the environmental permits from the relevant Bolivian government authorities to conduct mineral exploration activities in the MPC areas surrounding the Silver Sand area. The Company has acquired land located approximately 16 kilometres south of the Silver Sand Project sufficient to build an exploration camp which will include offices, accommodation, and drill core processing and storage facilities. This location is approximately 10 kilometres East of the Potosi airport at an elevation of 3,620 metres above sea level. Quality Assurance and Quality Control Core from the 2019 drilling program will be HQ in size. Core samples from drill holes will be split by diamond saw at the camp site. To minimize costs and to expedite the sample preparation process, the Company will set up its own sample preparation facilities at the camp site including crushing and pulverizing in 2019. Pulp samples will be shipped to internationally accredited commercial labs for geochemical analysis. As was the case in 2018 drilling campaign, a thorough quality assurance and quality control protocol will be employed in 2019 to monitor the quality of sample preparation and analysis. Standards of certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates will be inserted in normal core sample sequences prior to shipment to the lab at a ratio of twenty to one, i.e., every twenty samples contain at least one standard sample, one blank sample and one duplicate sample. Alex Zhang, P. Geo., VP Exploration of the Company and Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release. About New Pacific New Pacific is a Canadian exploration and development company which owns the Silver Sand Project in the Potosi Department of Bolivia, the Tagish Lake gold project in Yukon, Canada, and the RZY Project in Qinghai Province, China. Its largest shareholders are Silvercorp Metals Inc., and Pan American Silver Corp., one of the world's largest primary silver producers, which operates six mines, including the San Vicente mine located in the Potosi Department of Bolivia. For further information, contact: New Pacific Metals Corp. Gordon Neal President Phone: (604) 633-1368 Fax: (604) 669-9387 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.newpacificmetals.ca 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. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute 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 provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as expects, is expected, anticipates, believes, plans, projects, estimates, assumes, intends, strategies, targets, goals, forecasts, objectives, budgets, schedules, potential or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the timing and receipt of stock exchange approvals; and the closing of the Transaction. Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, risks relating to: satisfaction or waiver of all applicable conditions to closing of the Transaction including, without limitation, receipt of all stock exchange approvals. The Companys forward-looking statements or information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this news release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements or information if circumstances or managements assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. At the time of his arrest, Karas had been on paid leave from the public safety department. A complaint filed by Stephens accused Karas of escorting a convicted felon and a dozen other people into an event at Allstate Arena without tickets or a security check in June 2018. Karas was off duty but wearing his public safety uniform at the time, the complaint alleged. TORONTO, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX: WDO) (Wesdome or the Company) today announces additional results from the ongoing underground definition and exploration drilling of the Kiena Deep A Zone at its 100% owned Kiena Mine Complex, in Val d'Or, Quebec. Since the October 12th cut off date for drill data used in the recent resource estimate released on December 12, 2018, four drills have been in operation on the 1050 metre level (m level) exploration ramp completing the infill and immediate plunge extension drilling, and a 5th drill on the 670 m level to test the interpreted up plunge extension of the Kiena Deep A Zone towards the VC zone area. Since October 12th, approximately 16,910 m in 64 holes have been added to the Kiena Deep A Zone, in addition to a number of additional exploration holes within the immediate vicinity. Mr. Duncan Middlemiss, President and CEO commented, We are very pleased with the recent drilling that has continued to return very high-grade results both up and down plunge from the area of the present resource estimate and we are confident this will continue to grow. Furthermore, to test whether the A Zone extends from the 1050 m to the 670 m level, initial drilling from 670 m level was located directly up plunge from the uppermost known extents of A Zone (~1050 m Level). This initial drilling intersected gold mineralization within the ultramafic schist similar to the A1 and A2 zones below, but did not immediately intersect the A Zone style of mineralization along the schist-basalt contact. However, subsequent drilling did intersect more characteristic A Zone style of gold mineralization i.e. VG in quartz veins along the basalt-schist contact. It is now interpreted that the schist splits into 2 zones on either side of a thicker portion of basalt. The recent drilling on the northeastern flank of the two schists intersected VG mineralization in quartz veining at the schist-basalt contact at the 980 m level and is similar to the A Zone style of mineralization defined at lower elevations. It is interpreted that this schist-basalt contact extends from the known A Zone to the VC zone area (670m level) and has potential to host additional A Zone style of mineralization along its plunge length. Obviously, given the potential to host additional high grade mineralization along this contact, this will be an immediate focus for the drilling to better understand the geological context of this sparsely drilled sector. Both schists have the potential to host gold mineralization similar to the A1 and A2 zones found in the footwall to the main A zone and thus far, drilling has also intersected the A Zone style of mineralization along the northeastern flank. We believe this is a very positive development and look forward to testing both these structures. Our 2019 underground exploration program calls for 50,000 m of drilling in preparation for an updated resource estimate later in the year. This information will then lead into a Preliminary Economic Assessment and next steps will be determined at that juncture. The ongoing definition/infill drilling has continued to confirm the overall continuity of the geometry and the high grade gold mineralization of the Kiena Deep A Zone (see Figure 1A and 1B Plan View). The objective of this definition drilling is to better define the high grade mineralization between the previous wide spaced drilling and along the margins of the zone not included in the previous resource estimate, and also to improve our confidence for improved resource estimation categorization. Additionally, the ongoing drilling has continued to expand the Kiena Deep A Zone up and down plunge (Figure 2 3D Model). Down plunge, the zone has been extended 60-100 m and shows good continuity (see Figure 3 Cross-Section). Up plunge, drilling has now extended the A zone over 70-100 m since the December 12th resource estimate extending zone above the 1050 level. Highlights of the new drilling are listed below and summarized in Table 1. Highlights: Kiena Deep A Zone Hole 6404: 18.2 g/t Au over 11.0 m core length (18.2 g/t Au cut, 6.0 m true width) A2 zone Hole 6406: 66.4 g/t Au over 10.4 m core length (23.4 g/t Au cut, 5.2 m true width) Hole 6419: 16.8 g/t Au over 9.1 m core length (16.8 g/t Au cut, 8.5 m true width) Hole 6421: 51.3 g/t Au over 10.3 m core length (25.0 g/t Au cut, 3.1 m true width) Hole 6427: 18.3 g/t Au over 12.9 m core length (18.3 g/t Au cut, 4.8 m true width) Hole 6446: 81.3 g/t Au over 3.1 m core length (24.8 g/t Au cut, 3.0 m true width) All assays cut to 90.0 g/t Au. True widths are estimated. Drilling from 670m level is continuing to test the potential up plunge of the A Zone in the vicinity of the VC zone area. The schist is interpreted to split into 2 zones on either side of a thicker portion of basalt (Figure 4). Drilling on the eastern splay of the schist was initially completed as follow-up to historic hole 6146 that returned 6.7 g/t Au over 11.0 m at the 980 m level from VG in a quartz vein similar to that of the A Zone. One adjacent recent hole, 6437, returned 6.9 g/t Au over 7.0 m. Other recent holes have also intersected VG in quartz veins similar to the A Zone and are currently being assayed. Given the potential, this area is now the focus for the drilling from the 670 and 1050 levels. TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE The technical and geoscientific content of this release has been compiled, reviewed and approved by Bruno Turcotte, P.Geo., (OGQ #453) Senior Project Geologist of the Company and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Analytical work was performed by Techni-Lab (ActLabs) of Ste-Germaine-Boule (Quebec), a certified commercial laboratory (SCC Accredited Lab #707) and by ALS Minerals of Val-dOr (Quebec), a certified commercial laboratory (Accredited Lab #689) . Sample preparation was done at Techni-Lab (ActLabs) and at ALS Minerals, both in Val d'Or (Quebec). Assaying was done by fire assay methods with an atomic absorption finish. Any sample assaying >3 g/t Au was rerun with by fire assay method with gravimetric finish, and any sample assaying >10 g/t Au was rerun with the metallic sieve method in both laboratories. In addition to laboratory internal duplicates, standards and blanks, the geology department inserts blind duplicates, standards and blanks into the sample stream at a frequency of one in twenty to monitor quality control. ABOUT WESDOME Wesdome Gold Mines has had over 30 years of continuous gold mining operations in Canada. The Company is 100% Canadian focused with a pipeline of projects in various stages of development. The Companys strategy is to build Canadas next intermediate gold producer, producing 200,000+ ounces from two mines in Ontario and Quebec. The Eagle River Complex in Wawa, Ontario is currently producing gold from two mines, the Eagle River Underground Mine and the Mishi Open pit, from a central mill. Wesdome is actively exploring its brownfields asset, the Kiena Complex in Val dOr, Quebec. The Kiena Complex is a fully permitted former mine with a 930-metre shaft and 2,000 tonne-per-day mill. The Company has further upside at its Moss Lake gold deposit, located 100 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Company has approximately 135.8 million shares issued and outstanding and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WDO. This news release contains forward-looking information which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the future financial or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, or believes or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking 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 future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release 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. 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. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances, managements estimates or opinions should change, except as required by securities legislation. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company has included in this news release certain non-IFRS performance measures, including, but not limited to, mine operating profit, mining and processing costs and cash costs. Cash costs per ounce reflect actual mine operating costs incurred during the fiscal period divided by the number of ounces produced. These measures are not defined under IFRS and therefore should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to or more meaningful than, net income (loss) or cash flow from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of our financial performance or liquidity. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow Table 1: Kiena Deep A Zone Drilling Results Composites Hole No. From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) Estimated True width (m) Grade (g/t Au) Cut Grade (90 g/t Au) Name Zone 6395 178.0 180.8 2.8 2.6 6.24 6.24 A Zone 6395 188.0 191.0 3.0 2.9 4.18 4.18 A1 Zone 6396 199.3 200.7 1.4 1.4 103.21 32.50 A1 Zone 6399 111.5 114.8 3.3 2.3 3.35 3.35 A Zone 6401 422.0 423.0 1.0 0.9 31.45 31.45 A Zone 6401 455.6 458.2 2.6 2.1 39.40 39.40 A1 Zone 6404 72.5 78.5 6.0 4.3 5.47 5.47 A Zone 6404 81.5 84.5 3.0 2.9 4.12 4.12 A1 Zone 6404 98.5 109.5 11.0 6.0 18.20 18.20 A2 Zone 6406 51.9 62.3 10.4 5.2 66.41 23.36 A Zone 6406 94.7 96.9 2.2 2.2 108.41 21.37 A2 Zone 6408 421.9 424.7 2.8 2.0 43.11 39.36 A Zone 6410 459.3 460.4 1.1 1.0 116.82 42.28 A Zone 6412 168.1 172.2 4.1 3.5 10.94 10.94 A Zone 6415 176.5 184.0 7.5 6.0 5.84 5.84 A Zone 6418A 337.8 339.0 1.2 1.1 25.40 25.40 A Zone 6418A 361.9 366.3 4.4 3.8 17.25 12.59 A2 Zone 6419 47.7 56.8 9.1 8.5 16.83 16.83 A Zone 6419 69.7 74.7 5.0 4.8 8.95 8.95 A1 Zone 6421 38.0 48.3 10.3 3.1 51.31 25.00 A Zone 6422 57.8 61.7 3.9 3.1 44.12 22.48 A Zone 6427 591.1 604.0 12.9 4.8 18.41 18.41 A Zone Including 591.1 596.8 5.7 2.1 36.97 36.97 A Zone 6428A 173.4 176.4 3.0 2.5 8.32 8.32 A Zone 6428A 182.4 185.7 3.3 2.6 12.22 12.22 A1 Zone 6429 178.0 180.0 2.0 1.8 3.34 3.34 A Zone 6430 158.0 161.8 3.8 3.6 4.91 4.91 A Zone 6437 321.0 328.0 7.0 3.0 6.92 6.92 A Zone 6439 326.8 328.3 1.5 0.5 7.12 7.12 A Zone 6446 66.8 69.9 3.1 3.0 81.28 24.76 A Zone 6446 78.0 80.6 2.6 2.0 9.61 9.61 A2 Zone Assays Until Sunday, April 21, Polly Higgins voice was among the strongest for the protection and the defense of the environment. For the past ten years, she had decided to devote her life to what she considered to be a major priority to avoid the massive destruction of ecosystems and life on earth: promoting the crime of ecocide. Last Sunday, the day before Earth Day, she died of an aggressive form of cancer, diagnosed a few weeks ago. Born in 1968, Polly Higgins studied in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Utrecht before starting a career as a lawyer in London in 1998. After several years practicing criminal, employment and corporate law, she chose to focus her energy and expertise exclusively for the benefit of the planet. In 2010, eight years after the entry into force of the Rome Statute and six years after the opening of the first investigation by the International Criminal Court, Polly Higgins submitted to the United Nations International Law Commission a proposal to amend the Statute to include the crime of ecocide, in addition to the already recognized international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crime of aggression. From the Vietnam War to crimes against indigenous peoples This was not the first time that the United Nations or its International Law Commission had been seized of this issue. The movement to recognize the crime of ecocide actually dates back to 1970. The biologist Arthur W. Galston, whose research had led to the development of Agent Orange, coined the term to describe and denounce the devastation caused by the use of this defoliant during the Vietnam War. In 1972, at the UN Conference on the Environment in Stockholm, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme used it in his opening speech, again with reference to the Vietnam War. And it is once again the massive and deliberate destruction of the environment caused in Vietnam by the American army that was at the heart, in 1973, of a famous article by Richard Falk calling on the UN to adopt a convention defining ecocide as an international war crime. In 1978, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities considered in a report the inclusion of this crime within the scope of the 1948 Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, without retaining it. The concept of ecocide finally resurfaced in 1985, during discussions in the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, which had been tasked with reviewing the effectiveness of the 1948 Convention. The sub-commission focused on the dramatic consequences of environmental destruction for indigenous peoples around the world. The concept of ecocide was eventually diluted in those of cultural genocide and ethnocide. Preventing the worst Between 1985 and 1996, the United Nations International Law Commission focused more on the definition of environmental crimes in wartime. The issue of environmental crimes in peacetime was only addressed in a separate working group, established in 1995. Sadly, none of its drafts were to be retained. As a result, in 1998, the Rome Statute allowed for the punishment of environmental crimes only as a war crime and in extremely limited cases. In 2010, Polly Higgins decided to put ecocide back in the spotlight. Her analysis was simple: existing national or international environmental legislations are ineffective. Some individuals hold key positions in companies or governments whose activity or inertia contributes directly or indirectly to the partial or total degradation of ecosystems and to climate change. If these behaviors are not quickly criminalized at the international level, if these individuals remain allowed to continue their destructive activities in all impunity, the result will be massive destruction of the global environment. Living conditions on earth will no longer be tolerable for millions of us, starting with the most vulnerable such as people living on small islands or in countries like Bangladesh who will find themselves caught between rising sea levels and melting glaciers. Millions of lives are at stake. However, it is still possible to prevent the worst, by demanding a rapid reduction in CO2 emissions in the coming years. Recommended reading Valerie Cabanes: icc should recognize the crime of ecocide The Shell example It is pursuant to this logic that Polly Higgins announced a few months ago, in parallel with her fight around ecocide and through her organization Ecological Defence Integrity, the opening of an independent investigation into the activities of Shell, one of the main fossil fuel companies. Despite numerous alerts voiced by climatologists over the past decades on the dangers of the companys activities, the resulting damages and impact on climate change, Shells managers have not changed their strategy. The current state of scientific knowledge and its conclusions now leave no doubt as to the consequences of such behavior for the planet and for humanity as a whole. Following Polly Higgins reasoning, if Shell continues to operate without these warnings, its managers could be considered as participants in a joint criminal enterprise, as could any member of government that would directly or indirectly support them, or any other manager of a company in the oil industry. We must recognize that organizations, governmental or non-governmental, have not succeeded in bringing about the necessary rapid changes. Petitions, marches and lobbying have had little or no effect. School strikes and waves of legal action to hold states and companies accountable for their climate responsibilities have not yet borne fruit. It is now urgent to criminalize the conduct of companies like Shells. If an amendment were to be proposed, adopted and ratified under the conditions provided for under article 121 of the Rome Statute, and if the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court were to extend to the crime of ecocide, there is no doubt that many lawyers would immediately use this legal instrument to remind economic or political actors of their environmental and climate responsibility. Criminal law as a threat to defend the planet This perspective probably seems very distant, even utopian to most of us. However, ecocide is already recognized in the laws of at least 10 countries (Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam). In 2011, an ecocide bill was used in a mock trial in the United Kingdom Supreme Court. In 2013, the text of a European directive to incorporate ecocide into European legislation was discussed. Most recently, on 19 March 2019, the French Senate tabled a bill recognizing the crime of ecocide. In France, activists such as Valerie Cabanes, or eminent researchers such as Laurent Neyret, also believe that criminal law should be considered as an instrument in support of the environment. I am convinced that, like me, more and more lawyers and jurists, inspired by Polly Higgins approach, are now mobilizing all over the world to contribute to the legal edifice that must urgently be built to protect our planet and its ecosystems from us. This planet is the only one we have. Thats what Polly Higgins, until her death, urged us to remember. At the headquarters of the Kasbah Government Palace, protected by several corps of security agents and soldiers armed to the teeth, an unprecedented incident occurred on the afternoon of 23 April. Two men, former victims of despotism, remained inside the compound for several hours. One of them, very upset, threatened to slit his wrists, a few metres from the office of the President of the Government, Youssef Chahed. Since the morning, a sit-in had been organised on the spot to demand the activation of the Dignity and Rehabilitation Fund for the victims of the dictatorship, intended to financially compensate 20,000 men and women (figure established by the Instance for Truth and Dignity on the basis of precise criteria), victims of the former regime. This was not the first time that such a protest action about reparations had taken place in Tunis. A few weeks ago, victims gathered in front of Parliament. They then held a press conference to remind the government of its obligations to the survivors of the dictatorship. But on Tuesday, the adviser to the head of government in charge of transitional justice, Said Blel, took the initiative to invite two of the demonstrators into his office to negotiate with them a possible implementation of the Funds implementation schedule. Bashir Khalfi, an Islamist and former political prisoner, author of three books on torture, and Makram Hajri, communist opponent of Ben Ali, the former Tunisian president, thus walked into the palace. Deaf dialogue and security logic However, inside, the discussion turned sour. Tension rose, minds got heated, especially when the counsellor ducked out and denied being aware of this issue. Makram Hajri and Bechir Khalfi refused to leave the premises. Then Bashir Khalfi threatened to cut his wrists with a blunt object. Sihem Bensedrine, the president of the Instance for Truth and Dignity (IVD), was called upon to help by the two victims. The government official also called the League for Human Rights (LTDH) to help mediate this conflict. According to our telephone conversation, one of the victims seemed to me to be in a sorry state. On the verge of suicide. The man even entrusted his children to me, said Sihem Bensedrine. Upon their arrival, however, neither the President of the Truth Commission, who came with a psychologist and another Commissioner, nor the two representatives of the LTDH were allowed to enter the government palace. The order was given to solve the problem through security measures. Like in Ben Alis time. At the Kasbah, I found only cops in front of me. I would have preferred a political and negotiated solution, criticized Sihem Bensedrine. Police custody Early evening, Bechir Laabidi, general secretary of the LTDH, himself a former dissident trade unionist during the dictatorship, managed to visit the two men while they were in police custody in Bab Souikas national security district in the Tunis medina. Bashir Khalfi had a cut on his forehead, resulting from an injury caused by a piece of glass he allegedly broke in the Kasbah, according to the government representative. He was previously treated by the medical staff of Charles Nicolle Hospital. He seemed pretty depressed. The two men were interviewed by the police, pending the decision of the public prosecutor, he testified. This decision came around ten oclock in the evening: the two men were officially under arrest, for a period of 48 hours in police custody, as provided by law. Victims have enough, and they worry Above all, the incident shows a deep unease. The episode is a sign of the extent of the victims frustration some of whom suffer from grave economic insecurity and destitution and their impatience with the inertia of the government responsible for managing the Dignity Fund. There seems to be no sign from the government that this compensation fund will soon be activated for 20,000 men and women victims of violence between 1955 and 2013 (period covered by the IVDs mandate). The victims are all the more concerned because the draft of a bill, prepared by the services of the Ministry of Relations with Constitutional Bodies and Human Rights, has been circulating in Parliament for several weeks and promises amnesty to defendants in the specialized chambers. The IVD denounces the fact that, so far, no bank account number of the Fund has been published to receive donations that could be used to finance it. At the IVD, since 12 January 2019, the decisions on reparations have been distributed in batches of people concerned. Lists of victims invited to receive these decisions which assess individual compensation, depending on the violations suffered are published almost daily on the official website of the Truth Commission. The compensation unit has been set at 2000 dinars (about 600 euros). For example, homicide, evaluated as a 100% offence, is compensated up to 200,000 dinars (60,000 euros) and rape, evaluated at 75% as an offence against the integrity of the person, 140,000 dinars (41,000 euros). Decisions on reparations include three categories: resistance to colonization, individual victims, and groups, namely associations, parties and organizations that were victims of injustices and violations during the dictatorship. According to lawyer and human rights activist Halim Meddeb, who was also able to meet with the two arrested protesters, Bashir Khalfi and Makram Hajri face up to four years in prison: one year for violating of property and three years for insulting a public official in the performance of his duties. Bashir Khalfi has already announced that he is starting a hunger strike on 24 April. And for the time being, in the face of the victims demands and sit-ins, the governments ostrich policy is continuing. The blaze triggered the collapse of the second floor and the roof. Hobart was assisted by firefighters from Gary, Merrillville, Portage and New Chicago. No one was injured in the fire, but a Hobart police officer was injured while responding to the fire when his squad car struck a median. A request by Timothy and Jennifer Brewer to allow a second garage to be built at their house in the 8600 block of Wood Street was deferred after three neighbors objected to the size of the proposed structure. The proposed garage would be 40 feet by 60 feet with 16-foot walls. The people that serve on the board have been some of the most honorable, conscientious people Ive worked with, he said Weve gotten the railroad where it needed to be. Its like the race car driver that gets pulled out of the car at the last lap. It reeks of back-room deals. Portage will match the grant with $200,000 from its parks department budget and the money will go to upgrades including new fencing at the softball fields, restroom facilities, additions of shelters and to connect a mountain bike path to other parts of the park, Mayor John Cannon said. Republican Matt Murphy, a Valparaiso councilman who is running for mayor, had $70,554.60 at the start of the reporting period and concluded it with $65,617.56, raising $94,084.60 before expenses. The majority of his donors were individuals and his campaigns only debt, for $300, was for money he loaned the campaign. River Forest is asking voters to raise property taxes to make up for money it would lose when full property tax caps hit Lake County in 2020. It would boost the existing tax levy up from 42 cents to up to $1.19 per $100 valuation over eight years. The vote is on May 7. KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. The project to see four dams removed from along the Klamath River just entered a new phase, with the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) choosing a contractor to accomplish the task. The Klamath River restoration project is one of the biggest dam removals in the world so far, particularly in terms of price tag. The JC Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, and Iron Gate dams are all slated for removal under the plan. Credit: Dave Jensen / Western Rivers Conservancy Credit: Dave Jensen / Western Rivers Conservancy According to KRRC, contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. out of Fairfield, California has been awarded $18.1 million for "preliminary services," and will be granted more funds once they accomplish the project's design. Selecting Kiewit marks another key achievement and brings KRRC closer to completing the largest dam removal and river restoration project in U.S. history, said Mark Bransom, KRRC Chief Executive Officer. Once implemented, the project will help restore the vitality of the Klamath River so that it can support all communities in the basin. Kiewit recently completed emergency reconstruction of the Oroville Dam spillway in Butte County, California the same area ravaged by the Camp Fire in 2018. Previously, the dam had repeatedly failed to meet regulator's safety standards. It began releasing water again in March of this year. KRRC said that the Oroville project involved removal and repair of both the main flood control and emergency spillways in less than 18 months, as well as debris and sediment removal and the development of access roads. "We are very proud to have been selected by KRRC. This project has many similarities to other complex water and hydroelectric projects weve delivered across North America, said Jamie Wisenbaker, senior vice president for Kiewit. We fully understand the breadth and importance of this undertaking and are excited and committed to safely delivering a high-quality project that meets the expectations of KRRC, the community and all key stakeholders in the region. For the time being, Kiewit will be working on the design and planning for the project, with a 60-percent design expected by January of 2020. The removal project itself is not scheduled to begin until sometime in 2020 as well. In the meantime, the permitting, certification and licensing processes will continue [see timeline from KRRC]. This is a major step forward in restoring the Klamath River. Were well on our way toward bringing the salmon home, improving water quality and revitalizing the river for local communities. It wont be long until were seeing the benefits of the biggest dam removal in history, said Steve Rothert, California Director of American Rivers By JOCELYN GECKER and JANIE HAR Associated Press SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) A California man who authorities said drove into a crosswalk in a quiet Silicon Valley suburb, injuring eight people, is an Iraqi war veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, his mother told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Officers responded to the area of El Camino Real/Sunnyvale Ave this afternoon where preliminary investigations show a driver may have deliberately driven into a group of pedestrians. Driver is in custody. Victims were transported to local hospitals. More to follow in coming days https://t.co/rTQWbJBDZV Sunnyvale DPS (@SunnyvaleDPS) April 24, 2019 Sunnyvale Police Department said in a tweet that the suspect is Isaiah Joel Peoples, a 34-year-old resident of Sunnyvale. He was arrested Tuesday night after speeding through an intersection and crashing his Toyota Corolla into a tree. The conditions of the injured, who included a 13-year-old girl, were not immediately disclosed. Peoples' mother, Leevell Peoples of Sacramento, California, said Wednesday that she couldn't fathom any situation in which her timid son would deliberately crash into innocent people, other than something related to the PTSD he experienced after serving as an Army sharpshooter in Iraq, she said. "Unless the car malfunctioned, he would not have done that. He's like the perfect, model citizen," she said. "He's an Army vet, he's a good kid, never been arrested. I promise you: It was not deliberate. If anything, it was that Army." Peoples, who is an auditor for the Department of Defense in Mountain View, received inpatient treatment for PTSD in 2015. The crash occurred at a large intersection in an area of commercial strip malls in Sunnyvale, which residents describe as a quiet suburb. Businesses and roads were back open Wednesday morning, and the police tape was removed. The only signs of the crash were skid marks on the sidewalk where the car had swerved up, and a dented tree that Peoples crashed into, muttering thanks to Jesus as he slumped over the steering wheel of a hissing car. Don Draper, 72, said he was waiting in his convertible for the light to turn green when the Toyota zoomed by. Draper said he was so enraged that he marched over to the car. "He wasn't hurt apparently, and he was mumbling over and over again, 'thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus' again and again," Draper said. "And at this point I realized I had to call 911." Witness statements matched Draper's recollection that the driver was speeding and drove directly toward the pedestrians without trying to veer away or stop before striking them in the city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of San Francisco. Some of the witness statements "show that the driver did not try to avoid the pedestrians at the crosswalk, and there was no attempt to swerve, drive away or brake," Sunnyvale Police Cpt. Jim Choi said. But Leevell Peoples described him as a well-behaved son who treats everyone with respect and attends church on Sundays. Isaiah wouldn't even run a yellow light, she said. "He basically probably has no friends but the people he works with," she said. "I'm just hoping the Army stuff wouldn't have caused this to happen. He doesn't have any seizures or anything." She said her son graduated from Sacramento State University after returning from Iraq in 2007. But he did have "a bad episode" with PTSD about two years ago, and Peoples said her son told her he has been regularly taking medication since. "Everyone in his family knows how cautious he is, and he would never do anything to hurt someone," she said. Former housemate Chuck Herrera described Peoples as very quiet, someone who had to be coaxed into going out for drinks or dinner. But he said Peoples was polite and kind and sweet to Herrera's toddler son. He recalls Peoples "always had a lot of pills," and had a cough. "The guy I met was not someone who you think will hurt someone," he said. "My guess is something happened." Police officers went to Peoples' apartment complex Wednesday. The FBI is assisting California officials in the investigation. Leevell Peoples said the Army told her son they had to retire him because of his PTSD. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col Carla Gleason confirmed Wednesday that he retired from the U.S. Army but had no other details. Draper said a victim landed in front of his car, with what appeared to be a bloody head wound. "I saw a body flying through the air, and one of them was right in front of me," Draper said. "This woman was about 10 feet (3 meters) off the ground; I can see her feet pointing upward." Some of the eight people injured were at a corner or on the crosswalk when the car hit them before smashing into a tree, Choi said. The victims were taken to the hospital after the crash near a shopping center in Sunnyvale, Choi said. An update on their conditions was expected later Wednesday. MEDFORD, Ore. A lengthy investigation into black market marijuana trafficking between Oregon and the Midwest led officers to an illegal marijuana grow operation in Medford filled with pot plants, cash, guns, and other drugs, according to the Oregon State Police (OSP). On April 11, officers with the Oregon State Police - Southwest Region Marijuana team raided a property in the 3900-block of Independence School Road, finding a large-scale indoor marijuana grow, "which was not licensed or legal." Two people were arrested at the property including 24-year-old Gregory Martin Day of North Carolina, believed to be managing the operation. Investigators seized and destroyed almost 14,500 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $15 million after processing. They also found more than $550,000 in cash, 29 guns including two fully-automatic rifles 6,000 Butane Honey Oil (BHO) cartridges, more than 140,000 grams of other BHO products, 1,047 grams of psolocybin mushrooms, and "also some LSD." Day was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on "numerous drug and weapons related charges." The other person detained at the property was identified and released. OSP was assisted by a network of state, federal, and local agencies, including the OSP Major Crimes Section, the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) team, OLCC, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Fire District 5 and law enforcement members from Illinois and Kansas. By Eric Levenson, CNN (CNN) -- The body of a 5-year-old boy reported as missing last week was found wrapped in plastic in a shallow grave on Wednesday, and his parents have been charged with murder, police said. Crystal Lake Police Chief Jim Black said police interviewed the parents of Andrew "AJ" Freund overnight after information was obtained through forensic analysis of their cell phone data. The parents, Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham, then provided information that ultimately led to the recovery of AJ's body in Woodstock, Illinois, about 10 miles from their home in Crystal Lake, police said. They both face charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated domestic battery and failure to report a missing or child death, Black said. Freund Sr. also faces charges of concealment of homicidal death, police said. The cause of death is unknown at this time. "To AJ's family: It is my hope that you may have some solace in knowing that AJ is no longer suffering and his killers have been brought to justice," Black said. Cunningham's attorney has not responded to requests for comment. It is not clear whether Freund Sr. has retained legal counsel. They are expected in court Thursday for a bond hearing. The search began last Thursday morning when his father calmly called police and reported him as missing. "We have a missing child," he said, according to a 911 call released by the Crystal Lake Police Department on Tuesday. "Woke up this morning and he wasn't ... he wasn't." Freund told a 911 dispatcher that he put AJ to bed in his pajamas last Wednesday night but could not find him in the morning before school. "I had a doctor appointment this morning and when I got back from the doctor's appointment and I checked in on him to say good morning and he wasn't there," the father told the dispatcher Thursday. He said he searched all around the house and canvassed the neighborhood but couldn't find him. The resulting search has included 15 police agencies, drones, and rescue canine units. But police said it was likely that AJ had not walked away and was not abducted, and instead focused the investigation on the family home. Sonar teams that searched Crystal Lake found nothing, and the canine teams "only picked up Andrew's 'scent' within the residence, indicating that Andrew had not walked away on foot," the police said. "(T)here is no indication that would lead police to believe that an abduction had taken place," the department said in a statement. In addition, Crystal Lake Police earlier said Cunningham "continues to be uncooperative with police." Child welfare investigations Police on Tuesday released 63 pages of reports detailing several police calls to Andrew's home in recent years. In December, for instance, an officer described unlivable conditions in the home with "dog feces and urine" scattered there. The officer during the visit also reported a suspicious bruise on one of the children, but a child welfare worker was unable to make a determination of abuse, the report said. Someone at the house said it may have been caused by a dog. Months earlier, a local resident called police to check on the children because the home had been without power for weeks, according to the reports. An officer wrote the two children appeared "healthy and happy" and that child welfare authorities said the lack of electricity did not warrant their investigation. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has "been involved with the family" since AJ's birth, department spokesman Jassen Strokosch told CNN. AJ "was brought into care with us" soon after he was born, when "neglect was indicated on part of the mom," Strokosch said. From 2013 to 2015, the infant was in the care of someone else, he said. The department was called in twice in 2018 on allegations of neglect in March and of abuse and neglect in December, Strokosch said. The allegations were determined to be unfounded in both instances, he said. A younger sibling who had been in the home until this week is now living with another family, Strokosch said. Parents spoke to the media Andrew Freund Sr. late last week spoke to TV cameras saying they were extremely worried about their son. "AJ, please come home," his father said. "We love you very much. You're not in any trouble. We're just worried to death. Please, please come home." George Kililis, an attorney for Cunningham, told CNN affiliate WLS the boy's mother "doesn't know what happened to AJ, and had nothing to do with the disappearance of AJ. Ms. Cunningham is worried sick. She is devastated." The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. - Hunter T. Scow - Jacob Wiese - Minori Yamauchi The concert also presents the Community Project/Solo Series for its third year, inviting students from Heartland Conservatory of Dance to perform with the collegiate company on selected evenings. The dance company consists of 21 performers from UNK, in collaboration with both student and faculty costume and lighting designers, including Ronald Altman and Michael DeLorm. The evening features 12 pieces, running about two hours including intermission. At UNK, dance ignites and informs students to push the edges of their kinesphere, preparing them for the demands of professional and productive careers onstage, in the classroom and in the fine and performing arts. The Dance Program at UNK integrates physical practice, lecture and theory classes, in several disciplines and at all technical levels. Students beginning their movement journey can experience introductory courses in modern, ballet, jazz and tap, or fulfill aesthetic credits with Dance Appreciation a course designed to inform, expand experiences and challenge students with movement and dance technology projects. LINCOLN Kearney City Councilman Jonathan Nikkila has been appointed to the Nebraska Elementary and Secondary School Finance Authority. Nikkilas appointment was among those announced Wednesday by Gov. Pete Ricketts. The Elementary and Secondary School Finance Authority assists private institutions in constructing, financing and refinancing projects. In creating the ESSFA, authority was given to private elementary and secondary schools to issue tax-exempt bonds for financing or refinancing projects. ESSFA board members may serve up to three four-year terms. Also appointed to a vacancy on a state board or commission was Sherman County Sheriff Michael Jepsen of Loup City, who will serve on the Nebraska Commission for the Protection of Children, which assesses Nebraskas progress in ensuring the safe and healthy development of children and advise the governor and inform the public about actions that should be taken to protect children. KEARNEY Hearing dates have been continued for two men accused of sexually assaulting a student in a residence hall on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus. Prestin Melroy, 19, of Kearney and Zachary Reikofski, 19, of Fairbury were scheduled to appear Tuesday in Buffalo County District Court for a final plea/arraignment hearing. Both men are charged with felony first-degree sexual assault of a female student on Nov. 4. Court records detailing the incident are sealed. Melroys attorney, Brian Davis of Cozad, and Reikofskis attorney, Charlie Brewster of Kearney, each filed motions to continue the hearings saying they both needed more time to prepare their cases. The hearings have been postponed until June 13. Both men have pleaded not guilty. At the time of the alleged incident UNK sent a campuswide email saying the college had received a report of a sexual assault that had happened in a residence hall. UNK spokesperson Todd Gottula has declined to say which residence hall. A second campuswide email was later sent saying two subjects had been arrested, and that the subjects in the incident and the victim were acquaintances. South Africa: President Ramaphosa to visit flood battered areas President Cyril Ramaphosa will today visit flood ravaged KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape when he returns from a working visit to Egypt. During the visit, the President will assess areas severely damaged by floods. He will also review recovery efforts. President Ramaphosa is due to return to South Africa in the course of the day following a working visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, where he attended an emergency African Union (AU) Troika Summit convened to discuss the political and security situations in Sudan and Libya. This morning, authorities revealed that the floods had claimed the lives of 51 people. As South Africans, the entire nations thoughts and prayers are with the people of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, who have been affected by the forces of nature against which they had little defence. Our hearts go out particularly to families and communities who have been directly affected by death, injury and the loss of property. This situation calls on all of us to pull together as a country to reach out to affected communities and to help alleviate their hardship, the President said. The President has welcomed the response of provincial authorities and national agencies to the calamity, as well as the support and goodwill material and otherwise provided by various sectors of civil society. President Ramaphosa reiterated governments call for communities to avoid crossing low-lying bridges, streams and rivers; and for motorists to exercise caution and avoid driving in flooded areas. Meanwhile, the weather did not spare ICT infrastructure either. On Wednesday, Openserve, Telkoms wholesale and networks division, said it had recorded a significant increase in network related faults. The flooding has restricted technicians from accessing underground accesses in the fault zones and will cause delays in repair times, said Pynee Chetty, Openserve spokesperson. Chetty said the extent of the damage to infrastructure in KZN, which spans buildings, indoor and outdoor core and access network infrastructure, is substantial and the net impact is still being assessed. Overhead cables have also been affected with trees becoming waterlogged, resulting in branches breaking or falling onto overhead cables with resultant damage. Lightning has also caused damage to the cable network and customer premise equipment, he said. Openserve CEO Alphonzo Samuels said the company is proactively monitoring all critical sites to minimise service interruptions. [We] are doing our utmost to restore services in affected areas as soon as possible. We understand the great inconvenience the disconnection of our services brings to our clients and their customers. We will therefore be on extra high alert during this period, mobilising all available technicians to work additional hours if needs be, he said. Samuels advised residents and business that run on Openserves network to report faults via their respective service providers. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- WEY, a premium SUV marque of Great Wall Motor, and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) officially found a joint technology innovation hub on April 24, which is going to help the SUV maker achieve breakthroughs in R&D and manufacturing areas. (Photo source: WEY's official press release) In the meantime, the SUV brand formally forged a strategic partnership with China Space Foundation and China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). The CZ-11 launch vehicle, which is soon to be launched at sea, was named CZ-11 WEY. The CZ-11 (Chang Zheng-11), also known as LM-11 (Long March-11), is a small solid-fueled quick-reaction launch vehicle developed by CALT. This was the first time in which a state-level rocket was partly named after a brand from an enterprise. Besides, the WEY VV6 Aerospace Commemorative Edition hit the market at the same time. Liu Yanzhao, executive vice president of WEY brand, said that based on the current exterior design, WEY will draw inspiration from aerospace aerodynamics technology to improve its cars fuel economy and driving experience with a lower drag coefficient. Moreover, the SUV maker will reform the material applications taking advantage of the high-strength, high-stiffness and lightweight materials that are typically applied in aerospace machinery. The WEY has so far sold over 250,000 vehicles since the brand was launched. According to Great Wall Motor, the SUV brands sales reached 10,247 units in March and totaled 26,619 units in the first quarter. During your college search, do not limit yourself to only well known colleges and universities. Part of the strength of American higher education is that it is possible to get an excellent education in every state and not only in the most elite and well known institutions. For example, my clients this year were admitted to a number of colleges and universities ranging from Amherst, Yale and Harvard to the University of California at Berkley and Notre Dame. A number of them were admitted to smaller colleges such as Valparaiso University, Wake Forest, Richmond and Pace University. In fact, many of the lesser known colleges hope to attract international students because they want to add to the intellectual diversity of their campus community. International students tend to have higher test scores than regular applicants and that helps boost colleges in the rankings. In addition, the fact that these students often pay full tuition is attractive to schools. Not all international students pay full tuition, however, and lacking financial means should not be a barrier to applying to an American college. "Mayor Buttigieg says he's a gay Christian," Graham wrote. "As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a woman - not two men, not two women." Graham continued, "The core of the Christian faith is believing and following Jesus Christ, who God sent to be the Savior of the world - to save us from sin, to save us from hell, to save us from eternal damnation." The attacks come as Buttigieg, 37, an Afghanistan war veteran who is in a same-sex marriage, continues to poll in third place among Democratic presidential hopefuls behind former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the latest Monmouth University data on the Iowa caucuses. Buttigieg, an Episcopalian, has called out the evangelical crowd for supporting a president whose past behavior falls short of the moral guidelines of Christians. SOMERS U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., reached out to some of his youngest constituents Tuesday, meeting with 15 students at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. During the event, hosted by the Parkside College Republicans, Steil answered questions and spoke about health care reform, the government shutdown and human trafficking, among many other topics. Steil, who was on the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents and spoke at Parksides graduation ceremony two years ago, said he was encouraged to see the students engaged. I love to see students ask questions across the board, he said. Its great to see the level of engagement that we have here in Wisconsin. People in southeast Wisconsin, people in Kenosha, are tied into whats going on. Theyre thinking about it critically, and theyre asking the right questions. Zachary Smith, the chairman of the Parkside Republicans, said the event went well. Im glad he was able to speak to students and hear our perspective, Smith said. This was Steils first visit with a universitys college Republican group since being elected. A students perspective Parkside student Joe Blaszcynski said he was able to learn more about what Steil is doing at the national level. Blaszcynski said he agreed with Steils support of the UW-System tuition freeze while he was on the UW Board of Regents. Im glad to see him at Parkside, and Im glad to see our congressman open to the community and open to the students here, he said. Alfredo Monroy, a junior at Parkside, said, although he doesnt identify as a Republican, he still wanted to hear what Steil had to say. He is a new representative, and I think its important that when they do get elected that they come back to the community and keep getting involved and not just staying in Washington, Monroy said. Ismael Ortiz, a history student at Parkside, said staying informed is important. You have to stay up to date. Its always good to know what the people in charge are doing, Ortiz said. Below the radar Steil said he is looking to address issues that are below the radar, as much as he is looking to tackle high-profile issues. Below-the-radar issues could include flood insurance reform, terrorism risk insurance or the export-import bank, according to Steil. But Steil also explained that transformative change needs to happen as well. Steil said he is working to reach across the aisle on addressing human trafficking. He said a bipartisan bill on this topic will be announced soon. Steil also said he favors making college more affordable. We need to make sure were properly funding Pell Grants, and were making sure that were taking low-income students and giving them that opportunity to be able to obtain a four-year degree and live out the American dream, Steil said. Steil also praised Parkside for reaching out to first-generation students. Parkside uniquely gives opportunities to people, in particular first-generation students, and the ability to get a four-year degree, and theyre also tied into the workforce here in Racine and Kenosha counties, he said. Theyre really preparing students for jobs of the future here. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 Five months after she slammed at high speed into the back of a police squad car on Interstate 94, Yessica Trevino wept quietly as she waited to hear her sentence. Trevino, 31, pleaded guilty to operating while intoxicated causing injury and operating without a license causing great bodily harm for the Dec. 2 crash. Trevino admitted driving drunk with her three children in the car when she lost control and struck a Wisconsin State Troopers car and a tow truck that were stopped in the southbound lanes of the interstate in Bristol, responding to an earlier emergency call. Trevinos 11-year-old son was ejected from her car and struck the median but survived. Her other two children an infant and a toddler were not properly secured in the car and were also injured. You are, in my opinion, the luckiest woman who has ever walked into my courtroom, Judge Mary K. Wagner told Trevino, saying she could have easily killed six people in the crash, including herself and her three children. You are also a foolish woman. ... You are going to prison today. You deserve to go to prison. Trevino, of Fond du Lac, was driving from her home to her brothers home in Waukegan, Ill., when the crash occurred. She told deputies she had been drinking before leaving home, but said she felt fine to drive. Investigators also found open containers of alcohol and a pill bottle filled with marijuana in her vehicle. I have always referred to this as the miracle case in the office, said District Attorney Michael Graveley, saying it was miraculous that no one was killed in the crash given the damage to the vehicles and the fact that a child was ejected. Tony Wistert, the tow truck driver involved in the crash, spoke at the sentencing. He said he was so shaken up by the crash that he had to leave his job. What happened, what I seen, it still messes with my mind and it messes with my sleep, he said, saying he saw Trevinos son crawling out from under my truck. Wistert said when he saw the damage to the squad car he thought the trooper could have been decapitated. For Ms. Trevino to get in that car with three of her kids, driving, that was crazy, he said. I think she needs to think about what shes done. Trevino spoke briefly to Wagner, weeping, asking for a second chance and an opportunity to return to her children. Her defense attorney Barry Bouches asked that Trevino be given a suspended sentence, saying she had never been arrested in the past and had never before been separated from her children. Shes been living a nightmare that she created, Bouches said. I think the time has come to end this nightmare and let her go back to her kids. Wagner disagreed. She sentenced Trevino to 18 months in prison followed by six months of extended supervision and three years of probation. She said Trevino needs treatment for substance abuse. Trevino was also ordered to pay nearly $50,000 in restitution. She will receive credit for 145 days spent in jail. Im very grateful that no one died, and Ive very grateful that you are alive to see another day, Wagner said. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 4 Sad 3 Angry 10 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Two candidates vying for the 64th Assembly District took to the podium addressing a wide range of issues from Foxconn to voucher schools during a candidate forum held at Gateway Technical College Wednesday night. Mark Stalker, R-Kenosha, and Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha, are opposing each other in a special election on April 30 for a seat in the state Assembly that is open after longtime Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, stepped down earlier this year. Barca was tapped by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to serve as the state Secretary of the Department of Revenue. The hour and a half long forum was moderated by Len Iaquinta, a WGTD program host, and coordinated by WGTD, which broadcasts on the Gateway campus. During the forum, which close to 70 people attended, McGuire and Stalker addressed prepared questions from the public including one that asked them who was right in bringing up reconsideration of the Foxconn contract, one that both Evers and Foxconn reportedly have said they were wanting to review. McGuire said he doesnt believe in finger pointing and the political games surrounding the Mount Pleasant development that was touted as one that would infuse thousands of new jobs to the area.McGuire said that he wants families to have jobs that can support them. He said that if both parties did not want to re-negotiate the contract then, at the very least we are holding them accountable to the promises they made." He later said "if both parties want to sit down to renegotiate, great. Then, we'll sit down at the negotiation table and work it out then." I want to make sure this is successful, but make sure that the taxpayers and the environment is being protected, he said. McGuire said he was also concerned that the negotiations early on pit municipalities against each other and that, if the jobs dont show up, Mount Pleasant may have some bills come due. Stalker took issue with the governors stance in reconsidering the contract, saying that the checks and balances have been in place and Foxconn has spent the money committing to its investment. Lets keep it rolling in, Stalker said. As the largest manufacturing campus of its kind, he added, We need to make this work, and they will thrive. On the issue of funding transportation, McGuire said he leans toward a usage based model in which those who use the roads most are proportionally taxed more. Increasing the gas tax would charge tourists, and out-of-state people who would be contributing to (funding) the roads, he said. Stalker said hes opposed to a gas tax because residents are already taxed enough. He said he wants to make sure that such taxes are being used to fund projects with the money spent wisely, after reviewing a state audit in which one budgeted project ended costing nearly five times as much when it was done. On the issue of health care, Stalker said he is not in favor of accepting federal funds to expand Medicaid and that people, especially younger adults, should take advantage of health savings accounts. McGuire, however, said he believes all Wisconsin residents need to have access to affordable health care and hed be willing to accept federal money to expand Medicaid. He said he also supports a drug transparency unit to ensure that consumers are paying fair prices for their prescriptions. Stalker and McGuire also held opposing views on state-funded school vouchers, which would allow families to choose which schools their children attend, including non-public schools. Stalker, whose five children were home-schooled, believes that vouchers give families a choice to send their children to schools that are achieving. Not everybody fits in a public school setting, he said. McGuire said that what he objects to are voucher schools and independent charter schools that arent overseen by publicly-elected boards. He said such schools arent subject to the same rigorous standards in place at public schools. He said he doesnt oppose choice options, even home schooling, but not at taxpayers expense. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Musgrove recently purchased his own bagpipe, which came with a 10-year warranty. Its a good thing because hes planning on playing it, and someday mastering it, for the rest of his life. He will one day retire from the force, and from the honor guard, but he hopes the Pipes and Drums allow him to continue serving in a new yet still meaningful way. He was a dedicated and hard-working priest who was always willing to be inconvenienced, Sakowicz said. Dave truly loved serving as a priest and was highly respected among the priests in the archdiocese. He was loved by the people wherever he served. 233 Shares Share Patients should have as much access to information as possible. The more they know the more informed decisions about their health and life that can be made. However, faulty headlines about new therapies are infiltrating news outlets left and right. Many times this information can be misleading, and it is difficult for patients, their friends, and family members to decipher. Lately, there has been a surge in the release of novel cancer diagnostics and therapy leading to an outburst of news coverage. Understandably, people want to find better ways to detect and treat cancer. However, it is of the utmost importance to go back to the data and review exactly what it is that is being written. Recently, very bold statements have been made and are floating around news outlets such as people claiming to have the cure for cancer within a year or research finding a new detection for Alzheimers. One of these is more likely, while the other makes for a catchy headline. If proven wrong, there is not a single person that wouldnt hope that it is more than a catchy headline. This leads to the question: Are many of these early press releases targeting the general population with bold claims without having enough evidence to be supported by the scientific community? The first amendment guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting restriction of the press and individuals speech. This is from the United States Constitution and is our right. It is a blessing to live in a country that provides and respects this right. However, is this same right that is provided to Americans also a cause of misleading information and facts? Absolutely. Information cannot and should not be censored, but it should be looked at closely before jumping to conclusions or assuming it to be true. In medicine, patients lives are at stake. So while headlines may be catchy, a patient turning down therapy because they are waiting on something that they read about on the internet, that is not close to approval, or want to use a special herb because that has never been medically tested can be dangerous. Many individuals that are writing these articles and interpreting the data to be released to the general public do not hold a medical degree or have not been trained to interpret the scientific data. Patients will then come into doctors offices not asking questions or having an open dialogue about how they should be treated, but instead proclaiming that this is what they want because it is the next best thing that is just released. It is the responsibility of a physician to be knowledgeable and up to date on different treatments and diagnostic tests. However, it makes it difficult when physicians may not be up to date on this material that has no evidence and support. False proclamations of grandeur, if you will. Well, what are the benefits? Headlines may attract readers, and when properly reviewed may lead to further research and discussion. It can lead to open dialogue with the patients health care providers that may not have been initially explored. It can give hope. But this same hope the community yearns for may sometimes be premature and/or misleading. So at the end, what can be done? These headlines and false information need to be combated with science and evidence. Individuals need to be vocal in supporting verified information and fighting against these deceptive claims. We need to continue to work towards improving these tests, treatments, and our care. When a breakthrough does occur, it will be meaningful and something to not only talk about but implement to help patients. Joshua Mansour is a hematology-oncology physician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 902 Shares Share When I was a child, I knew I would become a doctor. I liked science and taking care of people. We diagnose medical problems and prescribe treatment plans. Some of us perform surgeries and some focus on keeping you well. Despite this, Im nothing special, and neither are you, my physician colleagues. Let me explain why by first taking a brief step back into the history of American health care. Since the Flexner report ushered in the modern American medical educational system in 1910, we have created and upheld standards for obtaining a medical degree and, subsequently, certification in our areas of specialization. One effect of the Flexner report was the closure of about 50% of the medical schools in North America, resulting in a rapid slow-down in the growth of the number of trained physicians. Change was afoot in the practice of medicine through the mid-20th century. Employers started offering health insurance as a benefit due to rising health care costs, increasing the number of insured Americans from 32 to 122 million people. Advances in medicine post-World War II also resulted in more physicians opting for specialization and moving away from general practice. The shortage in the number of general practitioners (GPs) relative to patients was only worsened by the passage of the Medicare and Medicaid amendments in 1965. A rapid expansion in the physician pool was not possible, partially due to the long duration of education and training. Around this time, Dr. Eugene Stead, a physician in North Carolina, saw an opportunity for the rapid expansion of the number of trained clinicians by tapping into the medical experience of military corpsmen. He created a 15-month curriculum of medical training and clinical rotations, focusing on building upon their existing medical knowledge. Four Navy corpsmen graduated from Duke University as the first class of physician assistants (PAs) in 1967. Since then, we have seen an explosion in the number of PA schools. As a result, the number of PAs has grown by over 120% from 104 PAs per 1,000 physicians in 2015 to 128 PAs per 1,000 physicians in 2017. World War II created another resource of health care professionals. Thousands of women volunteered as nurses to take care of soldiers fighting overseas, primarily learning their nursing skills on the job without formal training. After the end of the war, the government invested millions of dollars into further formalizing nursing education and developing of advanced nursing degrees. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine announced that the future of nursing would focus on improving the preparation and utilization of nurses as a key strategy in achieving a more equitable, efficient, safe and high-functioning health system by creating a full partnership with physicians in redesigning health care and providing pathways to higher levels of education where they can practice to the full extent of their education and training. Since then, approximately 163,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) have received their degrees, increasing the number of NPs by over 250% from 106,000 in 2010 to more than 270,000 in 2019. Although we initially adjusted to the sudden surge in need for doctors and nurses since the 1960s, our health care system has become inefficient and expensive. In fact, the work of each American physician requires 10 administrators and 6 clinical staff to support. The work that was done by a GP and an assistant is now done by a doctor with a team of nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, medical assistants, and administrative staff. Medicine has become a team sport. In 1997, the federal government froze funding for physician residency programs. This has resulted in nearly stagnant growth in the number of doctors, rising by only 12% from 2010 to 953,695 physicians in 2016. The U.S. also loses approximately 6% of U.S. medical school graduates each year from the physician working pool because of a shortage of residency positions. As of 2019, approximately 1140 licensed physicians (i.e., those who passed the three national medical exams and graduated medical school) are shut out of practicing medicine each year in the U.S. because there was not a spot for them in a residency program. Although physician growth has remained stagnant, health care costs ballooned to 17.8% of the American GDP in 2016. Despite this, we rank last out of the 10 highest income countries in the world for health care outcomes. Some would argue that this data is flawed, but we clearly arent outperforming other countries. Although doctors account for only 8% of overall health care costs, we have been a major focus of cost-cutting efforts. Doctors are trending toward employment as hospitalist purchase private practices in order to control costs as we moved to value-based, bundled payment systems. Even so, the Kentucky Hospital Association found that 58% of its hospitals lost more than $100,000 annually per employed doctor. Despite differences in our educational pathways, nurse practitioners and physician assistants can now also independently provide the same services as physicians in many states so doctors are no longer seen as necessary and are being replaced by what is felt to be a less expensive alternative. Our health care system is overflowing with poorly organized, large amounts of medical information. Doctors enter and review more elements of data in user-unfriendly electronic health record (EHR) systems than ever, reducing the amount of time we have to devote to decision-making while increasing the complexity of decisions we need to make. Enter artificial intelligence (AI). AI will ultimately be seamlessly integrated into our health care team. Computers have already been shown to be better than radiologists at identifying breast cancer on mammography when under a time crunch. AI can screen pathology specimens for disease. It can use deep learning (a type of machine learning) to perform as well as or better than physicians in cancer detection and identification of tuberculosis on chest X-rays, monitor patients remotely and analyze daily data points to screen for patients at higher risk of cardiac problems and alerting the health care team of a patient in need of closer follow up, assist in or autonomously perform parts of surgical procedures, create algorithms to choose the best chemotherapeutic regimen, predict cardiovascular risk or even make clinical diagnoses. The medicine of the future will include AI giving us cues as to how to best take care of our patients, further removing individual clinical decision making from the doctor. What will our role look like in the medicine of the future? If we remain stagnant in number, we will have to take a more supervisory role, overseeing teams of other health care clinicians and decisions made by AI. If legislative momentum continues toward granting independent practice and we are no longer required to oversee the care of NPs and PAs, more physicians will move back toward self-employment, like direct primary care or concierge practices, as they are passed over for employment opportunities in favor of less expensive alternatives. More physicians may move toward sub-specialization in search of more stable employment opportunities. Each patient will require less time and decision-making on the part of the physician. AI will streamline how clinical data is documented and presented to us. It will assist with order entry using a virtual assistant and perform initial radiology and pathology readings with physicians over-reading a percentage of the images and samples. AI will make recommendations on patient treatment, like what course of chemotherapy to recommend or who needs cardiac disease screening and when. Im sorry to break it to you fellow doctors, but it looks like we will become less special as other clinicians are hired to provide medical care without us, AI takes over tasks we used to do and tells us what needs to be done for our patients. If we are to define our future in medicine, we need to participate in creating it. What do you want your future role in medicine to look like? Irene Tien is an emergency physician and can be reached at My Doctor Friend. Image credit: Shutterstock.com LANE COUNTY, Ore. -- A former attorney for Lane County has been awarded over $228,000 after a federal jury found his free speech was violated by Lane County and former Lane County administrator Liane Richardson. In 2011 and 2012, Lane County attorney Marc Kardell spoke out against Richardson over a number of investigations she lead against other county employees. Court documents state Kardell believed those investigations were done for personal reasons. After bringing his concerns to Human Resources, he was laid off. "The jury's verdict here is important both in providing monetary relief to Mr. Kardell who was wrongfully retaliated against, but even more than that it's a victory for free speech, it's a victory for good government," said Colin Hunter, Kardell's attorney. Below is a statement from Kardell: Im grateful for the jurys diligent service, and Im thankful to the current and former County employees who testified in this case. After nearly 7 years of legal battles, the truth has finally come out: I exercised my constitutional right to speak up about abuses of power, and the County punished me for doing so. It was an honor to serve the people of Lane County for 13 years as an Assistant County Counsel, and Im glad the truth about my service has finally come out with the jurys help. Richardson, who now goes by Davis, was later fired after she allegedly altered her benefits pay. County spokewoman Devon Ashbridge said that while Richardson is no longer employed by the county, county taxpayers are still on the hook for her portion of the damages. Ashbridge said they have filed a motion to throw the verdict out. She said if they do end up paying up, the money won't come out of any one department's budget, but a fund set up for cases like this. Meanwhile, Hunter said they're still waiting to hear the judge's decision on whether the county will also be on the hook for the costs of legal fees. "The total amount after seven years of litigation does run into the six figures," Hunter said. "Ultimately the judge will decide what a fair dollar figure is." LEBANON, Ore. -- The Linn County Sheriff's Office seized 34 horses Wednesday morning from a property on Berlin Road outside of Lebanon. Criminal charges for second-degree animal neglect are pending on owners Carol Davidson, 69, and Edward Davidson, 66. The sheriffs office had been working with the Davidsons since December after receiving complaints about horses standing in muddy conditions. In January, Deputy Corey Putney drove by the address and noticed that numerous horses were still standing in muddy conditions, and a dead horse had not been disposed of properly. Putney cited Carol Davidson for placing an offensive substance near a waterway and failing to license her dogs. Putney also noticed the horses were showing signs of poor health, including unhealthy weight loss since he saw them a month earlier. Since January, the Linn County Sheriffs Office had received several calls about the horses poor conditions. During this time, Putney was working with Carol Davidson to improve the living conditions for the horses. RELATED: Linn County woman cited after animal remains found on property Davidson was cooperative and made some changes to address the conditions, but the changes were minimal and not sustained. Putney continued checking on the horses periodically and in April received an additional report of dead horses on the property. While checking on the horse carcasses, Putney found that the health of the remaining horses was deteriorating further and took action to seize the horses. Deputies executing the search warrant found some of the horses standing in septic mud and water full of urine and feces. The horses were thin and their ribs and hip bones were showing. They did not have access to clean drinking water and there were no signs of adequate food. Sheep and several dogs on the property appeared to be in adequate health and were not seized. The sheep were kept in a separate area from the horses. During the search warrant, Davidson had a medical issue and was taken to the hospital. Edward Davidson was not at the property during the search warrant. Deputies were assisted by Sound Equine Options from Gresham. Sound Equine Options spent all day assisting deputies and transported the horses back to their facility to be evaluated and receive veterinary care before being fostered out to other locations. Sound Equine Options received a grant from Animal Legal Defense to fund the initial care costs; however, the cost of veterinary care and feed will be extensive and more funding will be needed. Anyone interested in making a donation is encouraged to visit Sound Equine Options. COOS COUNTY, Ore. -- The debate into the controversial Jordan Cove Project continues, and the community is split over the economic impact it will have. The Jordan Cove Project is a proposed 229-mile natural gas pipeline and export facility. PART ONE: Proposed Jordan Cove Project sparks debate Officials from the Jordan Cove Project said over 6,000 family-wage jobs would be created through the four-year construction phase. Once construction is complete, they said 215 long-term jobs at the terminal and along the pipeline would be created with pay averaging $85,000 a year. I think in terms of adding jobs to the area, 200 jobs in our community is actually pretty significant, said Margaret Barber, with the Port of Coos Bay. RELATED: 111 Workers laid off in Coos Bay Lumber Mill Closure Barber said if approved, she hopes the Jordan Cove Project helps bring additional industries to the port. Additionally, the project could generate millions in tax revenue. If the project is built, Pembina would not pay additional property taxes during the last two years of construction and the first three years of operation because of its location in an enterprise zone. However, in place of those taxes, they have committed to loaning $12 million a year for those five years to a community enhancement fund. That money would go toward libraries, schools and other public needs. After three years of operation, officials estimate the company will pay about $50 million a year into the fund, minus the money they loaned the county. The pipeline would generate an additional $20 million a year in taxes, which would go toward the counties the pipeline runs through. Despite the tax benefits, some community members have said it would change the identity of the community and have concerns it would not create sustainable jobs. I dont see any benefit, said Claire Mohr. I dont think that many locals long-term will get hired. Federal and state regulators are still evaluating the project. To get involved, the public comment period for this project is still open and will be until later this summer. Many in the community have already issued statements opposing or supporting the project. Among those speaking out against the project was Penny Chocktoot, who expressed concern for the Klamath Tribes. Other community members have written in support of the project. To view public comments already submitted, click here. To review the "substantial comments" that Pembina will need to address, click here. (CNN) -- It's not just you, the world really is getting more miserable. People across the earth are sadder, angrier and more fearful than ever before, according to a major analysis of global well-being. All three emotions rose to record levels in 2018 for the second consecutive year in Gallup's annual Global State of Emotions report. On the bright side, people reported a slight decline in stress, meaning that overall, the world remained exactly as miserable as it was in 2017. Unfortunately, that also was a record-breaking year for misery. In the most recent 12 months dominated by war, political crises and humanitarian emergencies across the globe, Chad took the unwelcome honor of being the world's most negative country. It was followed by Niger, Sierra Leone and Iraq, while Latin American nations dominated on the positive side. Gallup charted humanity's prolonged slump by holding 151,000 interviews in 2018 with adults in more than 140 countries. It has measured emotions annually since 2006. In 2018, about 4 in 10 people said they experienced a lot of worry the day before the interview, while a third said they were stressed and nearly 3 in 10 said they felt a lot of physical pain. A quarter experienced sadness, and 22% were angry. Chad's economy has been in a deep recession since a 2014 fall in oil prices, and living standards continue to fall in the central African nation; almost 6 million of its 15 million citizens live in extreme poverty. "The country's overall score at least partly reflects the violence, displacement and the collapse of basic services in parts of Chad that have affected thousands of families," Gallup wrote. Some 72% of people in the country said they struggled to afford food at some point over the year. Chadians were also unable to access the internet for most of 2018, after their government shut it down. The 10 most negative countries were: Chad Niger Sierra Leone Iraq Iran Benin Liberia Guinea Palestinian Territories Congo The Central African Republic, which led the misery index in 2017, was not surveyed in the latest report. The Irish Heart Foundation is offering free CPR training to members of the public in Kilkenny. The training is part of a new free community CPR training programme, Hands for Life, run by the Irish Heart Foundation and supported by Abbott and ESB Networks. With Hands for Life, the Irish Heart Foundation will offer free CPR training to 100,000 people in local communities throughout Ireland over the next two years. Locals in Kilkenny can now sign up for the following training courses by visiting www.HandsForLife.ie: Colaiste Cois Siuire, Mooncoin, Co. Kilkenny Thursday 9th May at 5pm, 6.30pm and 8pm Gowran Parish Hall, Gowran, Co. Kilkenny Tuesday 14th May 2019 at 5pm, 6.30pm and 8pm Hands for Life training courses are free and open to all adults aged 18 and over. Communities, groups and clubs who have 30 or more people interested in a free Hands for Life training course can contact the Irish Heart Foundation directly on 01 668 5001 or handsforlife@irishheart.ie to arrange a training course in their locality. The training course takes just under one hour to complete and attendees will learn: How to recognise a cardiac arrest How to perform compressions, including hands-on practice on a CPR training manikin How to use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) How to respond to a choking emergency How to recognise a stroke Brigid Sinnott, Resuscitation Manager with the Irish Heart Foundation, said Every day in Ireland 13 people die from a cardiac arrest. Around 70% of these happen at home in front of a loved one. If there is someone nearby who knows CPR and can start performing compressions quickly, you can double or even triple a persons chances of survival. At the Irish Heart Foundation, we are on a mission to save lives. We want to create a nation of lifesavers by training as many people as possible in the lifesaving skill of CPR. Thats why weve developed the Hands for Life programme and now thanks to the support of Abbott and ESB Networks, we will train 100,000 people in the next two years which will in turn improve peoples chances of surviving a cardiac arrest in Ireland. Were looking forward to bring our free CPR training to Kilkenny and hope that the people of Gowran, Mooncoin and further afield will join us on Thursday 9th and Tuesday 14th May to learn this important life-saving skill. For more information and to sign up for a local training course in Kilkenny, visit www.HandsForLife.ie. New Ross Drama Workshop are in the final stages of preparation for their production of The Anniversary by Bill MacIlwraith directed by Rojer Whieldon on May 9, 10 and 11 in St. Michaels Theatre, New Ross. The Anniversary is a hilarious comedy set in the 1960s , brim full with sharp wit, sarcasm and caustic one liners! The central character in this play, is Mum- played by Margaret Rossiter. Normally seen in the directors chair for our full length productions including our recent productions of Big Maggie and All My Sons, Margaret is threading the boards this year and taking mum by the scruff of the neck and having great fun with the mischievous character; a role made famous in the west end by the legendary actress Shelia Hancock and in the film adaptation of The Anniversary by Bette Davis. . She binds the tight hold she holds on her sons with gifts, threats and ruthless exploitation of their weaknesses As we meet this unorthodox family at curtain up, two of three sons have something important to tell Mum. Terry, (Shane McDonald) the pensive middle son, wants to leave the family business to emigrate to Canada with his wife (Brid Moloney) and children. Tom, the youngest, (Nicky Flynn) wants to marry the latest in a long line of girlfriends, Shirley played by Seona O Connor. Their problem is how and when to deliver their news that is, if they can muster the bravery needed to tell her at all - because Mum, evil, malevolent and fanatically domineering, is used to getting her own way and intends to keep her world intact at any cost... and throw the eldest son Henry (Peter O Connor) into the mix and the family soon learn that all is not as it should be. With such a talented and experienced cast the play is sure to be as successful as our recent dramatic endeavours. Director Rojer Whieldon is delighted to be directing his first full length production with New Ross Drama Workshop and is ably assisted in the venture by his right hand woman, Kitty Warren. Carmel Furlong is production assistant for The Anniversary with Nancy Rochford Flynn leading the stage management team of Carmel Furlong and Ann Kissane. Costumes are being looked after by Peggy Hussey and Brid Walsh with Paul Walsh and Brian Geoghegan taking charge of lighting and sound for this production. Fully authentic 1960s hair styles will be created for the cast by Jenny Murphy-O'Neill of Vibe Salon in Rosbercon and Kitty Warren is change of makeup. A host of well-known faces from the group will be looking after the front of house including Brid Richardson, Anne Kelly, Edward Hayden, Kate OKeeffe, Catherine OConnor, Margaret Dunne, Tom Doyle, John Dywer, Carol Stacey, Kathleen Kennedy and Margaret Saunders. Recently the cast travelled to the beautiful Marsh Mere Lodge in Arthurstown for their PR Photoshoot and Terry Brennan and Macdara Murray have ben tasked with the job of recreating the beautiful drawing room of the dis-functional family. Speaking last week to the Kilkenny People Newspaper, group chairperson Edward Hayden said My greatest advice to your readers is not to miss the opportunity to see this hilarious comedy, so much work has been put into it by the director, cast and crew and it will lift the spirits of an audience from start to finish Tickets are now on sale at St. Michaels Theatre on 041-421255 for The Anniversary, May 9th, 10th and 11th in St. Michaels Theatre. We not only have a new school, but a new school that is really special, in part, because of our solar project, District 29 Superintendent Ed Stange said. Our solar panels have provided us with a wonderful opportunity to transform our students education by giving them a chance to learn about their place in the ecological system. Long awaited safety improvement works along a deadly stretch of the N24 at Piltown where there has been too much death have come a step closer. Kilkenny County Councillors have unanimously agreed that a safety plan can proceed to Part 8 planning permission. Between 2011 and 2016 two people were killed and three seriously injured in accidents on the N24 at Piltown. Many more were injured or had material damage collisions. Now it is hoped that the redesigned road will be completed and open to traffic by mid-2021. A process to CPO land for the works will begin in May. The project will go to tender in January 2020, the contract to be awarded in June 2020. The plan includes: closure of the Ink Bottle Junction, construction of a link road from there to the Tower Road junction and installation of a roundabout at the Tower Road junction. The plan will see the end of the controversial 2+1 road carriageway which will become a 2+2 dual carriageway for approximately 1km. The project will include footpaths and cycle facilities at the Tower Road junction. Council Cathaoirleach Eamonn Aylward said the road had experienced too much death and proposed the plan be adopted. We have had enough slaughter on that road, Cllr Pat Dunphy said, safety is paramount. There was concern among councillors about the amount of land that will be taken from local landowners. Six acres was a lot, many said, but they were assured only the minimum land needed is being taken. Tim Butler, Director of Services, said the council had listened to the local people who demanded action. An overpass for the Tower Junction on the N24 Piltown bypass was among a number of road schemes allocated funding under the 2019 programme of works from Transport Infrastructure Ireland in January 2019. Hundreds of Chinese cultural relics repatriated from Italy finally are made available for public viewing on Wednesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese cultural relics returned from Italy will be on display at the National Museum of China in Beijing from Wednesday. The exhibition, titled "The Journey Back Home" showcases more than 700 pieces of returned Chinese artifacts, including a painted pottery pot from the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C. - 8 A.D.), a colored camel pottery figurine from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and a white-glazed bowl from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). China and Italy exchanged related certificates for returning 796 Chinese cultural relics on March 23. This batch of Chinese artifacts arrived in Beijing on April 10. This was the largest return of lost Chinese cultural relics in nearly 20 years, according to Luo Shugang, China's Minister of Culture and Tourism. The artifacts were found by accident. They were first noticed by a unit of Carabinieri, or the national gendarmerie of Italy, on the local relics auction market in 2007, which was followed by a domestic judicial trial. Most of the artifacts were found to have been unearthed in China and made their way to Italy without legal exit permits. In accordance with relevant international conventions, China requested Italy to return the artifacts. Italy's Milan City Court confirmed the Chinese government's ownership of the cultural artifacts in 2014 and made the final decision to return the 796 artifacts to China in November 2018. The exhibition will be open until June 30. If you have a normal corporate job and dont own a website, you may be thinking you dont have to worry about protecting digital assets. Heck, you may even think you dont have any assets online! The reality, however, is that you do have digital assets even if you dont know it. Even something as simple as a username and password can open the door to a broad range of personal information thats valuable to you or your family. And if that username and password get into the wrong hands, you may wind up in a situation that results in a huge financial loss or a mountain of hassle and stress. To find out about the best ways to protect your digital assets in an increasingly complex world, I recently interviewed Professor Jamie Hopkins on my retirement podcast, Stay Wealthy. What is a Digital Asset? A recent study from McAfee claims the average American has over $55,000 in digital assets. Keep in mind, however, these assets are not necessarily ones that can be bought or sold. The $55,000 figure represents the average monetary value these assets can be worth to a consumer and the people who love them. But what is a digital asset exactly? According to Hopkins, a digital asset could be any type of online information you have stored on the web or in the cloud. A few examples include your emails, your social media accounts, your LinkedIn account, or a website for your business. Hopkins says its common for people to have up to 100 accounts with usernames and passwords at any given time and sometimes significantly more. Why are digital assets so important? These assets do have value, and its important to ensure theres a process for handling them if you suddenly pass away. Unfortunately, digital assets are not always accounted for in regular end-of-life documents like a will. As a result, Hopkins says hes seen situations where someone he died but they continued living on Facebook due to the simple fact their family couldnt access their account. Imagine what happens then. Random people continue wishing them Happy Birthday and tagging them in posts without realizing theyre gone. This kind of situation is upsetting for the family, of course, which means having access to the account information to close it down does hold some value for them. On the business side of the equation, preserving digital assets is just as important. If you set up an email account for a business under your name and you die, current laws make it difficult to transfer that email account to the business or anyone else. Also, note theres risk involved in letting your digital assets linger once youre gone. For example, theres a chance someone could access a username and password for your email account then use that information to hack into other accounts like a bank account or credit card. All of a sudden, someone starts racking up charges on a credit card the surviving spouse didnt even know about. Knowing were at risk, what can we do? I asked Hopkins about your next best steps, and heres what he said: No. 1: Meet with an Estate Planning Attorney Hopkins says new laws were introduced two years ago that allow you to create a plan to protect digital assets, including giving a financial planner or family member access to all your accounts. If you have never met with an estate planning attorney or you last met with one more than two years ago the most important thing you can do is set an appointment and sit down to take care of these important issues. Keep in mind that laws require you to state specifically that your heirs have rights to your digital assets upon your death. Meeting with an estate planning attorney to get this wording into your final documents ensures your digital assets wont be left in limbo once youre gone. No. 2: Keep Track of Accounts, Usernames and Passwords If you were to suddenly pass away, would your spouse know how to access accounts set up solely in your name? Would they even know what accounts you have? Chances are, they probably wouldnt, unless you kept track of this information somewhere. Fortunately, there are some digital estate planning tools that let you store that information in a secure way. Some services even let you set it up so your loved ones will receive an email with information on how to access your accounts when you die. Everplans is a digital asset management platform in this space. No. 3: Set Up an External Hard Drive If you dont like the idea of storing your usernames and passwords with a third-party company, you can consider storing that kind of information in an external hard drive that you connect to your computer. Fortunately, this option is usually inexpensive since you can buy an external hard drive for a few hundred bucks or less. No. 4: Use a Password Manager A password manager like Dashlane or LastPass can be a valuable tool when it comes to keeping your personal information and passwords secure. Most password managers will store all your usernames and passwords for multiple accounts while letting you set up a master password that lets you log into every digital asset you own. Some password managers, like Dashlane, will also alert you when one of your accounts may be susceptible to theft, such as after a major data breach. No. 5: Create a Letter of Instruction A final low-tech way to protect your digital assets involves creating a letter of instruction that explains how your heirs can access all your digital accounts. This letter may not grant them legal access per se, but it can help them get started with some basic information on the accounts you actually own and how to log in. Also consider using a legal advance document that lets you inform your family of your final wishes including the access of your digital assets. A service like Five Wishes can help you compile this information and format it as a living will your family can use in the event of your death. The bottom line is this: If youre reading this article right now, you have digital assets. And, in the wrong hands, those assets are extremely valuable. While talking about stocks, bonds and mutual funds can be fun, having a plan for all of your assets that lives longer than you should be at the top of your financial planning to-do list. Editor's Note: Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news stories and expert opinions that moved the precious metals and financial markets. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - If you are looking for a gold stock to buy, the choice is clear, according to Mad Moneys Jim Cramer, who has once again reaffirmed his love for Barrick Gold (NYSE: GOLD). When asked about gold stocks, specifically the Iamgold Corp (NYSE: IAG), Cramer replied I am not gold, noting that he still prefers the Barrick Gold stock. Well, you know what, I am not gold. I am Barrick Gold. I like the work of [CEO] Dr. Mark Bristow That would be the way I go, he said during Mad Moneys Lightning Round on Tuesday. Last week, Barrick Gold reported preliminary first-quarter sales and production of 1.37 million ounces of gold, which the company said was in line with its expectations and operating plans. The results come after the merger with Randgold Resources Ltd. went into effect at the start of 2019. In other company news, investors learned that the agreed-upon joint venture for Nevada mines owned by Barrick Gold and Newmont Goldcorp Corp. has cleared all the required regulatory conditions. The new joint venture will create the worlds largest gold-producing complex. It will be 61.5% owned by Barrick and 38.5% owned by Newmont Goldcorp, and will be operated by Barrick. Barricks CEO Mark Bristow announced that the goal is to complete asset integration before the end of the quarter. The joint venture agreement represents a historic accord between our companies that will unlock the enormous geological potential of the Nevada goldfields and maximize its many value-creating opportunities, Bristow said in a prepared statement. This is not the first time Cramer speaks in favor of Barrick. In the beginning of January, Cramer said his top picks when it came to gold were: the GLD [SPDR Gold Shares (AMEX: GLD) the world's largest gold-backed exchange traded product], gold mining ETFs, or the new Barrick Gold. Cramer was also a big supporter of the merger between Barrick and Randgold Resources Ltd. I like the merger very much, now that Mark Bristow is in charge, he said. In general, Cramer has been speaking in support of gold, stating that the yellow metal is the answer for investors who fear stock market volatility and slowing global economic growth. We know gold is the winner in times of chaos and uncertainty, so if you are feeling a little bit worried about your portfolio, you might want to buy [gold,] he said back in January. The company plans to use copper scrap and not copper concentrates as raw material for the plant, Long Ziping said on the sidelines of a session during the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Thursday. Jiangxi Copper chose Sabah because of its proximity to China, the largest consumer of the red metal, but the processed copper will "not necessarily" go to China, Long said. He declined to comment on the capacity of the copper plant and the cost of building the plant. "We are now still at the stage of studying the source of supply. Once we see the scope of supply and how much raw material is guaranteed we will decide" on the capacity of the plant, he said. It was too early to say when they will start construction, he also said. China has been clamping down on scrap imports as part of a campaign against foreign solid waste. Imports of low-grade copper scrap such as coiled cable and waste motors - known as 'Category 7' - have been banned since the start of 2019. The government said last December that imports of eight further kinds of scrap, including high-grade scrap copper known as 'Category 6', as well as types of aluminium and steel scrap, would be restricted from July 1. (Reporting by Tom Daly; Writing by Shivani Singh; Editing by Tom Hogue) (Adds detail Sanchez comment) MADRID, April 25 (Reuters) - Spain's unemployment rate edged closer to 15 percent in the first quarter as its services sector shrank, highlighting a persistent weak link in the economy days before a hotly contested national election. The rate rose to 14.7 percent from 14.45 percent in the last three months of 2018, data showed on Thursday. With Spain's recovery from recession entering its sixth year, economic issues have largely taken a back seat in campaigning for Sunday's election. But its unemployment rate, which tends to rise at the beginning of the year as the festive holiday and shopping seasons wind down, remains the second highest in the European Union - and that unwelcome distinction resurfaced in a televised debate between party leaders on Tuesday. Some 110,000 people were laid off in the first quarter in the service sector, which accounts for around half of economic output, the data from statistics agency INE showed. Its headline figure, forecast to fall to 14.38 percent in a Reuters poll, marked the first quarter-on-quarter rise since the beginning of last year. The total number of people out of work rose by 49,900 to 3.35 million, the largest quarterly increase in six years. Spain's jobs market is highly reliant on seasonal factors such as tourism, worth around 12 percent of gross domestic product, and agriculture, and many temporary jobs in those sectors are cash-in-hand. Employment increased in agriculture in the first quarter and remained largely unchanged in industry and construction, INE said. STAYING ALERT In a calculated attack during Tuesday's debate aimed at Socialist Pedro Sanchez, the outgoing Prime Minister and election frontrunner, Albert Rivera of centre-right Ciudadanos dubbed Spain "the European joblessness champion". Conservative PP leader Pablo Casado, meanwhile, made an unflattering comparison with thrice bailed-out Greece, the only EU country with a higher unemployment rate. Sanchez, who became prime minister in June, said on Thursday that the economy was relatively strong and that, while the jobless rate had risen in the last quarter, employment was up over the past year. "You have to be alert, but ...the fundamentals of our economy are solid. Over the last year, we've created almost 600,000 jobs ... the rate remains high but less than a year ago," he said a television interview. Spain's jobless rate has nearly halved from its 2013 peak and, while the bulk of the recovery took place under Sanchez's PP predecessor Mariano Rajoy, unemployment continued on a downward trajectory during the Socialists' first half year in office. Employment has not increased in the first quarter since 2007 and the unemployment rate in the first quarter of last year was 16.74 percent. (Reporting by Paul Day and Joao Manuel Mauricio; Editing by John Stonestreet) * Banks cite execution risks, restructuring costs* Announcement came during the sixth week of talks* Raises questions about future of both banks* Deutsche shares up 3.6 percent, Commerzbank off 2.1 pct (Updates with reactions, updates share prices) By Andreas Framke, Arno Schuetze and Tom Sims FRANKFURT, April 25 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank abandoned their merger talks on Thursday, with the risks of doing a deal, restructuring costs and capital demands dashing efforts to forge a German mega-bank. After nearly six weeks of talks, Germany's two largest banks announced that their high-level negotiations about a tie-up had ended, confirming an earlier Reuters report and raising questions about the future of the Frankfurt-based rivals. The announcement followed a final in-person meeting early on Thursday between Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Christian Sewing and his Commerzbank counterpart Martin Zielke, two people said. Both CEOs said a deal would not have created sufficient benefits to offset the risks and costs of a merger, which had been opposed by unions fearing 30,000 job losses, and raised concerns among investors and regulators. While the talks are over, investors doubt either bank can go it alone for long given their low levels of profitability. German government officials, led by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, had pushed for a tie-up to create a national banking champion and end questions over the future of both banks, which have struggled to recover since the financial crisis. Deutsche Bank's 2018 return on equity was just 0.4 percent, trailing far behind rival U.S., and increasingly other European, investment banks, while Zielke said this month that Commerzbank does not have the market share for costly investments, fuelling speculation of an alternative tie-up if talks fell through. Shares in Commerzbank were 2.1 percent lower at 1005 GMT, while Deutsche Bank's were up 3.6 percent. Deutsche Bank will now face pressure to make more radical changes, such as cuts to its U.S. investment bank as advocated by regulators and some major investors. It is already looking at a deal for its asset management unit DWS. "Deutsche Bank will continue to review all alternatives," Germany's largest bank said. BIDDERS IN THE WINGS Employees of both banks immediately welcomed the news, although a senior Commerzbank manager acknowledged it opened the door to further uncertainty as foreign competitors circle. "It is clear that others will now come out of the woodwork with offers and ideas," the manager told Reuters. Commerzbank's chief executive Martin Zielke, has told employees that doing nothing was "not an option". Both UniCredit and ING Groep have expressed interest in Commerzbank, which is Germany's No. 2 lender and 15 percent owned by the government, sources have said. UniCredit and ING declined to comment after news that talks between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank had failed. Some major Deutsche Bank investors had questioned the deal's logic and were unwilling to step up with any extra cash to get it done, while credit ratings agencies had warned of risks. The European Central Bank would have asked Deutsche Bank to raise fresh funds before it gave the go-ahead for a merger, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. And the ECB's single supervisory board, which is scheduled to meet on Thursday, had not received a formal application from the banks about a merger, another source had said. Deutsche Bank on Thursday also published preliminary earnings in which it said it expects to post a first-quarter net profit of about 200 million euros ($223 million), beating analysts' expectations of 29 million. "A merger would have been an enormously complicated and protracted undertaking. In the end, reason has won," said Ingo Speich, head of sustainability and corporate governance at Deka Investment, a shareholder in both banks, adding they urgently need to address their strategies. Gerhard Schick, finance activist at Finanzwende and a former member of the German parliament, welcomed the end of talks but cautioned that Deutsche Bank remains "too great a risk". "The bank is still far too large and would probably have to be rescued in an emergency," he said. (Reporting by Hans Seidenstuecker, Andreas Framke, Arno Schuetze, Tom Sims, Francesco Canepa, Frank Siebelt; Additional reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam and Gianluca Semeraro in Milan; Editing by Sabine Wollrab, Tassilo Hummel, Michelle Martin and Alexander Smith) Messaging: tom.sims.thomsonreuters.com@thomsonreuters.net)) AFROriental Art Expo, featuring a collection of 52 paintings and sculptures by Zambian contemporary artists, has been unveiled in Beijing, according to the China Culture Daily. The expo is organized as part of the Zambia-China Culture Year and a tribute to the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. "The meticulously selected artwork represents the highest level of contemporary art in Zambia, and will facilitate people of Zambia and China to better understand each other," said Wang Xiaofeng, an official with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, at the opening ceremony. The expo is open to the public at an exhibition hall of China Millennium Monument from April 22 to May 5. Marco Henriques, a pork dealer in Portugal, realized his dream of exporting pork to the largest meat market in the world last month. When the first batch of Portuguese pork reached north China's Tianjin Municipality on March 22, Henriques, commercial and marketing director with AGP Meat, a major pork exporter in Portugal, felt that it was a milestone in the history of trade between the two countries. "For years we had hoped to export pork to China. It could be the most significant change in Portuguese pig industry since the two countries established diplomatic relations 40 years ago," Henriques said. He believes the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) further connected the maritime country and China together. Since China proposed in 2013 the BRI, which refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, a total of 126 countries and 29 international organizations including Portugal have signed cooperation documents with China on the initiative. As an important hub connecting the Silk Road on the land and in the sea, Portugal has seen pragmatic cooperation with China in the fields of economy, trade, investment, energy and oceans, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, said Chinese Ambassador to Portugal Cai Run. "The pork trade cooperation is exact evidence of fruitful results achieved by the two countries under the BRI framework," Henriques said. "Increasingly more Portuguese companies are being well received in China. Hope our pork products can be more recognized as well." Mozambique, another Portuguese-speaking country, will have President Filipe Nyusi as an important participant in the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held from April 25 to 27 in Beijing. The coastal country in southeastern Africa has a cross-sea bridge built by a Chinese company in its capital Maputo, with a total length of 3km and a main span of 680 meters. As a cooperative project between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, the bridge is an example of the infrastructure connectivity that is high on the agenda of the BRI, and the composite infrastructure framework is rapidly taking shape, according to an official report on BRI's progress, contributions and prospects. In Brazil, a new 2,500-kilometer-long, 800kV ultra-high-voltage transmission project launched by China's largest power distributor State Grid in 2015 is about to be put into operation. The line stretching from the deep Amazon basin to the southern economic centers will become an electricity super highway across Latin America, and it is a model of bilateral cooperation under the BRI, said Yang Guangliang, a Chinese manager of the project. "The BRI is a very impressive and audacious initiative of China that makes clear the commitment of the government with the robust development of the country," Paulo Arnaez, an employee with COFCO International Brazil told Xinhua. Working in the agribusiness sector of the company, Arnaez believes he is in one of the best positions in the market. "The more China increases its growth rates, the more it will need to increase imports of food and other commodities, which will definitely benefit Brazil and other countries in the world," he said. You are here: Business Photo taken on Sept. 20, 2015 shows a train operating on the light rail in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The electrified AA-LRT was the first light railway on the African continent with two lines of a total length of 34 km. [Photo/Xinhua] The Chinese-built 34-km Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit (AALRT) network has transported more than 29 million people in just nine months, the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport (MoT) announced on Wednesday. In a report submitted to Ethiopian parliament, MoT said the AALRT has earned around 3 million U.S. dollars transporting more than 29 million passengers in Addis Ababa during the first nine months of the current Ethiopian Fiscal Year 2018/19, which started July 8. Commissioned in September 2015, AALRT is the first light railway in Africa built at a cost of 475 million U.S. dollars, with 85 percent of funding coming from the Export-Import Bank of China. The rail project was constructed by China Railway Engineering Corporation Limited (CREC) and is currently operated by Chinese firm Shenzhen Metro Group Company. It is estimated that AALRT currently transports about 60,000 people daily, significantly reducing traffic congestion in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, home to around 4 million residents. The Ethiopian government said the project had created 13,000 jobs. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chongqing Changan New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. (Changan New Energy) plans to build three NEV platforms by 2020, which are internally code-named EPA0, EPA1 and EPA2, according to local media outlets. (Photo source: Changan Automobile's official website) The EPA0 platform is designed to manufacture mini-sized and small-sized vehicles, satisfying users' basic travelling needs. The EPA1 platform will mainly produce compact vehicles which seek a balance among performance, price and driving experience. Besides, the EPA2 platform, targeting mid-sized vehicles and vehicles with larger size, more highlights a personalized experience and a premium brand image. According to the NEV maker's planning, two categoriesa two-seater hatchback and a small-sized hatchbackwill be incubated on the EPA0 platform. The EPA1 will deliver a compact crossover sedan, a compact crossover SUV, a compact SUV and a compact MPV. Additionally, the EPA2 is expected to generate a mid-sized crossover sedan, a mid-sized sedan, a high-performance crossover SUV and a mid-sized MPV. Changan New Energy has so far rolled out five models in total, namely, the EADO EV460, the EADO PHEV, the new Benben EV360, the new Benben EC260 and the CS15 EV400. The EADO ET BEV, which is based on the EADO XT, will officially hit the market on May 11. Changan Automobile announced earlier this month that its NEV sales reached 5,411 units in March and totaled 11,853 units for the first quarter of the year. Chen Zhou (C), vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, speaks at a press briefing about Thematic Forum on "Belt and Road" CEO Conference of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua] The second Belt and Road Forum has many upgrades compared to the first. A CEO conference will be held on Thursday morning, where some 900 business leaders from 88 countries and regions will gather to discuss cooperation opportunities, including representatives from 90 global Fortune 500 companies. At a press briefing on Wednesday, Chen Zhou, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said apart from a plenary session joined by heads of international institutions and ministerial-level officials from various countries, the conference will also feature a deal signing ceremony of new projects, as well as close to 1,000 one-on-one symposiums between company leaders. The CEO conference has also attracted many private companies to seek potential deal opportunities. Ma Jun, director-general of the Liaison Department of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce said trade ties between China's private firms and their counterparts across the Belt and Road has been strengthening, with their trade volume reaching 620 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, growing by 12 percent year-on-year. State-owned companies continue to focus more on infrastructure building along the Belt and Road. Xia Qingfeng, director-general of the publicity department of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, said Chinese state-owned enterprises are managing 3120 projects along the Belt and Road, covering sectors such as energy and industrial parks. Shanghai has become the first city with a trial 5G network with existing 500 5G base stations and various 5G applications, Shanghai Daily learned during a 5G exhibition and summit. China Unicom will invest 15 billion yuan (US$2.23 billion) in Shanghai by 2021 on information infrastructure and 5G. Shanghai will become the first city nationwide, among the first batch seven cities, to debut China Unicom's 5G services, industry officials said during the 5G event, held by China Unicom and Shanghai government. Shanghai now has more than 500 5G base stations constructed by carriers including China Mobile and China Unicom. China Unicom, the country's second biggest carrier, also announced partnership with industry giants, including smart vendor Oppo and online literature service provider China Literature. Oppo and China Unicom announced in Shanghai on Wednesday to establish a joint innovation center on 5G technologies and application. Both sides also plan to open 100 5G experience centers nationwide, including first two in downtown Shanghai. Oppo will also offer China Unicom 5G versions of its popular models Reno, which boasts the world's first 10x optical zoom lens. China Literature, handed with China Unicom, kicked off a new smartphone with Kindle-like e-ink screen, which is designed for long-time reading and eye protection. The new "Pocket Reader" phone can store up to 9,000 e-books. It supports 12 million novels licensed by 2,000 publishers with seven languages. It's also the latest move for Tencent-invested China Literature to test water in the hardware sector. Tech firms including China Unicom, Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, ZTE, Oppo, Vivo and Qualcomm attended the show. During smartphone booths, 5G download speed hit 729 Mbps (Megabits per second), 30 times faster compared with current 4G networks. With 5G support, cloud game is showcased, which allows users to play games instantly without downloading applications. The three-day event, held in the Shanghai Expo Center, ended on Thursday. China's widely-acclaimed business leader Jack Ma, also chairman of the Chinese Entrepreneur Club (CEC), paid tribute to ancient caravans that paved the routes of the "Silk Road" by trekking across mountains and deserts. The first batch of businesspeople in Chinese history started their exploration along the Silk Road to West Asia and Europe. "Entrepreneurs are explorers in the economic field. Traders and businessmen in the past were required to have more courage as they faced great dangers crossing the desert," Ma said. "This is the entrepreneurial spirit, the spirit of adventure." Ma made his remark at the China Green Companies Summit 2019, held in Dunhuang, Gansu province, on April 24. The summit aimed to discuss how to win when the economic and social transformation driven by a technological revolution is underway. The summit focused on topics including scientific and technological innovation, business growth, digital transformation, industrial poverty alleviation, investment logic, digitalization, and organizational transformation and reinvention of cultural and tourism industries. The summit also held panel discussions, among which there was one entitled "to claim victory in the cold winter." This year, more than 1,100 participants, including businesspersons, political figures, scholars, NGO representatives and diplomats, from both home and abroad attended the summit, which was jointly organized by the CEC and local governments in Dunghuang and Jiuquan. Launched by CEC in 2008, the annual summit is recognized as one of the influential forums by the international business community. Flash Around 1.5 million people in Comoros and Mozambique are expected to be affected by upcoming Cyclone Kenneth, said a UN spokesperson Wednesday. Tropical Cyclone Kenneth is expected to head over the northern tip of the Comoros Wednesday and continue to northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania, making landfall in Mozambique's Palma District Thursday, according to forecast. At a press briefing Wednesday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said the entire population of the Comoros -- close to 759,000 people -- is within the Cyclone Kenneth's windspeed zones, with Grand Comore island being the primary concern, citing the UN Satellite Office. Also, he said UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports more than 747,000 people in Mozambique live within Cyclone Kenneth's path. The southeastern African country, together with Zimbabwe and Malawi, was already badly battered by Cyclone Idai last month. Making landfall in Mid-March, Cyclone Idai left more than 1,000 people dead in the storm, flooding and rains it had caused. The World Bank has estimated the affected countries will need over 2 billion U.S. dollars to recover. Bracing for Cyclone Kenneth, Dujarric said OCHA has deployed a staff member to support the UN team on the ground in Comoros and has also been in touch with the Tanzanian authorities. Flash The U.S. Department of the Treasury said Wednesday that it slapped sanctions on two individuals and three entities that are allegedly acting as conduits for sanctions evasion schemes for Hezbollah. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a statement that it designated Belgian national Wael Bazzi and Lebanese national Hassan Tabaja for acting for or on behalf of their family members who are Hezbollah financiers. The three blacklisted Europe-based entities are owned or controlled by Bazzi, according to the statement. As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property of those sanctioned targets that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction will be blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them, the statement noted. The statement added that the designated targets are subject to secondary sanctions. "By targeting Hassan Tabaja and Wael Bazzi and their European-based companies, this Administration is continuing to disrupt all avenues of financial support relied upon by Hizballah (Hezbollah)," said Sigal Mandelker, under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. The United States has for long designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month that the United States would continue to use all peaceful means to deter Hezbollah and Iran's influence in the region. In response, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil argued that Hezbollah is a Lebanese party and it should not be labeled as "terrorist" because it was elected by the Lebanese people. Flash A Cypriot army officer suspected of being a serial killer is being investigated for a third killing of a woman, after confessing to strangling to death two young women from the Philippines, police said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement said that the new case emerged after digital crime specialists analyzed the suspect's phone data. It did not name the woman, but said that her name was on a list of about 32 women reported as missing over the past 30 years. Police have retrieved the nude bodies of two women, whose hands and feet had been tied, wrapped in pieces of cloth. One of the bodies was pushed to the top of a disused iron ore mine shaft after it was flooded by rainwater and was accidentally found 11 days ago by a German tourist on a photographic visit to the mine. Police searching the shaft pulled out another body, which has not been identified yet. The 35-year-old cavalry captain admitted to the police that he had killed two women during love making, starting in May, 2018. Newspapers published grisly details of an alleged deposition of the suspect, saying that he enjoyed strangling the women as he made love to them. He is also suspected of killing the 7-year-old daughter of one of the victims, but he denied this, saying simply that the girl had drowned. Teams of policemen, helped by divers, are employing sophisticated equipment to search the flooded shaft, where visibility is close to zero, and also a mine bond some distance away in search for the girl and other bodies of victims of the killer. In another development, the chief of the police appointed a three-member team to investigate allegations of omissions in investigating the cases of missing women. There are several thousand foreign women working mostly as house assistants in Cyprus, the majority of them coming from Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Critics derided the Beatles 1982 reunion album, Love and Lemons, for its reliance on orchestration, but Charlie Friend still enjoyed the songs, the way John Lennons voice sounded like it was coming from beyond the horizon, or the grave. Charlie Friend, the critics, the album and the Beatles reunion (two years after Lennon was actually assassinated) are all figments of Ian McEwans fertile imagination in his latest novel, Machines Like Me. The Beatles presence is a tiny diversion in a counterfactual novel by the author of books including The Innocent, Amsterdam, and Atonement. Set in a world where the atom bomb was never dropped and John Kennedy survived his Dallas shooting, the crucial alternative reality is that Alan Turing, the genius who broke Nazi Germanys secret codes during World War II, was not hounded into suicide for being homosexual instead, he lived to spark huge technological breakthroughs that led to an earlier Digital Age, with progress sped up by Turings generous open sourcing. The novel focuses on a young couple, Charlie and Miranda, grappling with ownership of and their relationship to Adam, one of the first androids sold to consumers. Machines explores the moral dilemmas arising with technological advances, but also those that derive from our own basic humanity; a childs love of play, our ability to lie to ourselves and to others, impure motives and contradictory motivations are all central to the book. The couples messy and emotional lives are contrasted with Adams constancy, for better and worse. (Adam notes that in a drama-free world run by androids, all literature would be superfluous ... except for haikus.) When we begin to build artificial humans or even mainframe computers to make decisions, we might want to imbue them with our best selves, McEwan says in a recent interview with The Times. But then well find its rather uncomfortable to be alongside artificial people who are nicer than us, more consistent morally than us. Advertisement But the novel also takes a big-picture look at a British society in crisis, with echoes of the mistakes made in recent times, from the Iraq War to, of course, Brexit. The social stuff is very much one with the science and technology, McEwan says. Its all seamless. Everything happening in Charlies household is mirrored in a society thats beginning to wonder about things like unemployment and automation and housing. McEwan says he has the old fashioned view that, even in our screen-obsessed world, a novel can be very effective in exploring ethical questions. Despite the books vast scope and ambition, McEwan is happy to discuss his personal take on the fictive Love and Lemons he sides with the critics and ends our conversation with the reassurance that, beyond the confines of his book, the Beatles went on to make another album after Love and Lemons, and it was really good. Charlie is a reliable narrator, but your counterfactual details create an unreliable world. Was keeping your reader slightly off-balance appealing? Yes. Were always predicting the future [and were] always wrong about it. Why not be wrong about the past? I wanted to reflect on how very frail a construct the present days [are], how easy it would be for things to be different, that nothing is inevitable about where we are. So everything in the book is fundamentally different. Was making Turing such an innovator a way to show what a society that is intolerant of the other misses out on? He was basically driven to suicide by the primitive, stupid attitudes of his time. Everything could have been otherwise its rooted in real possibilities, but its also a bit of wish fulfillment keeping him alive. You sketch Charlies backstory very quickly but effectively. How do you figure out how much to include? I just gave him everything he needed he needed to have a bit of a grip on AI and to be reasonably intelligent. He has to carry the whole weight of the story. One bit of it was autobiographical, I can now confess: the Wiring Club. When I was a teen, I toiled away for months, soldering, following these strict instructions with all these little bits, trying to make a radio. The difference between me and Charlie is that mine never worked. I never got a sound out of it. Thats a little wish fulfillment. Youve also long been fascinated by artificial intelligence. Why was this the time for this book? Ive wanted to explore for a long time what its like to have a relationship with what seems like an artificial consciousness. Its like the conversation with HAL at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. We are at the beginning of something now, ready to take a huge leap forward. It is beginning to invade or enhance our lives, however you want to see it. We now have extraordinary phones in our pockets. On the dark side are the tragic deaths of almost 400 people in two Boeing 737 Max because the system is telling itself the plane is stalling when it is not. Airlines dont like to call their jets autonomous vehicles, but I think this comes close. In the last 10 years, there have been extraordinary advances in voice recognition and face recognition. The great goal now is general intelligence, to deal with situations without being told what the situations are in advance. Thats deep learning, and we have got our fingers at least on the crust of this pie. Manufacturers of autonomous automobiles are thinking about the extent to which they protect the driver at the expense of pedestrians. So were at the edge of moral decisions. Technological advances dont always turn out the way we expect or hope. All these new toys never quite gleam and shine the way we expect in the dusty, messy nature of life. I remember seeing a long line in Manhattan early in the morning, and what were they lining up for? For an iPhone5. Where is it now, in the bottom of your sock drawer? We have fast trains, but they have grimy windows. And theres the human nature the technology never quite reaches, be it messy divorces or the occasional war. Yet nothing can stop us pursuing AI. The artificial human is an ancient dream. The modern text is Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, but her monster turns into a murderer, and I think its more complicated the changes bring both benefits and brand new problems. Your characters split on moral decisions. Miranda and Charlie initially are divided on whether Adam is a machine or a sentient being. Then, at the crux of the novel, Miranda and Charlie stare across a moral divide at Adam. You had a definite opinion on the fictional Beatles album, so do you also have your own judgments in these debates? Im certainly trying not to tell the reader what to think. What Im really hoping is not only to divide readers from each other but to split within themselves. Adam is on a learning curve during the book. I want the reader to be in Charlies shoes as hes contending with someone who has a superior character and who can discuss Shakespeare with some warmth and insight. At the end, do you think Adam is a cold-blooded machine or a sentient being? Thats the issue were going to have, and its going to open up new territory for us in the moral dimension. Nora Roberts, one of the worlds most successful romance novelists, has filed a lawsuit against author Cristiane Serruya, who she claims plagiarized her work, the Associated Press reported. In the lawsuit, filed in Serruyas home country of Brazil, Roberts claimed that Serruyas books are a patchwork of language lifted from Roberts work. Roberts is seeking at least $25,000 in damages, which she says she will donate to a Brazilian charity that promotes literacy, should she win, according to the New York Times. Roberts has been outspoken in her disdain for Serruya, who has been accused of plagiarizing from more than 40 romance authors. Shes a blood leech sucking on the body of the writing profession, Roberts wrote on her blog. Serruyas books first came under fire in February, when bestselling romance author Courtney Milan accused the author of plagiarism on Twitter. In a blog post, Milan, a lawyer, highlighted passages from Serruyas books that were identical to ones in Milans novel The Duchess War. Cristiane Serruya has to be the biggest idiot out there, Milan wrote. Ive sold several hundred thousand copies of this book. Ive given away several hundred thousand copies on top of that. Does she think that readers are never going to notice her blatant plagiarism? Advertisement After Milans tweets, Twitter users unearthed several more passages from Serruyas books that appeared to have been plagiarized from other authors, using the hashtag #CopyPasteCris. Serruya blamed the apparent plagiarism on a ghostwriter who she hired from Fiverr, an online marketplace for freelance creative workers. Serruya denied plagiarizing from Roberts in an interview with the AP. My books are big, she said. In a book of 120,000 words its difficult to know how many supposedly came from a work of Nora Roberts. Roberts also blamed Amazon, where Serruya sold her self-published books, for failing to detect the alleged plagiarism in Serruyas novels. Amazon didnt find any of this, and that strikes me as a problem, Roberts said. Roberts issued a warning to other writers who might consider stealing from her work. If you plagiarize, I will come for you, she told the AP. If you take my work, you will pay for it and I will do my best to see you dont write again. It always was predictable that Californias utilities would ask for a heap of government assistance to cover their financial liabilities resulting from two years of epic wildfires. What wasnt so predictable was how deep they would try to reach into their customers pockets. Now we know. As my colleague Sammy Roth has reported, Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric are asking state and federal regulators to saddle their ratepayers with massive rate increases. The companies all assert that they need a higher rate of return that is, higher rates to attract investors to businesses that suddenly seem riskier than ever. The regulatorss task here is obvious. They should just say no. Advertisement Lets start with the utilities rate requests, which are outrageous by any measure. Rate requests are the beginning of a conversation. Utility expert Steven Weissman Edison is seeking an increase from the state Public Utilities Commission of more than 6% in its allowable return on equity, which would result in a 12.2% increase in its average customers monthly bill $12.20 a month on an average bill of $100. Thats on top of a rate increase averaging $2.20 a month that Edison previously requested from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. PG&E is asking state regulators for an average residential electric increase of $7.85 a month, or 7%. Gas customers would face an increase of $4.25 a month, or 7.7%. Sempra, the parent of SDG&E, is seeking an increase amounting to an average of $5.59 a month. The utilities acknowledge that much of this money would go into investors pockets. Edison, in announcing its rate request, called the increase a near-term necessity in order to attract the capital needed to provide safe, reliable electricity in other words, to lure investors. Its probable, of course, that the utilities are high-balling the regulators theyre hoping the PUC will split the difference and award them rate increases that arent outrageous, merely egregious. Rate requests are the beginning of a conversation with regulators, says Steve Weissman, a former PUC administrative law judge who now teaches at the UC Berkeley law school. The utilities clearly are perceiving that theyre riskier than they were before, but its up to the regulators to decide whether thats a legitimate concern and to figure out what the appropriate return may be. Theres no question that the physical landscape has shifted under the companies feet. Climate change appears to be leading to longer and more intense wildfire seasons. Thats a problem for the companies, because their power lines crisscross fire zones, and the utilities inattention to vegetative growth near their lines leads to fire-causing sparks. State authorities have blamed some of the most damaging fires on utility operations, with the causes of major recent fires still undetermined. The utilities hopes of sticking ratepayers with the costs of those fires were dealt a major blow in November 2017, when a PUC judge rejected SDG&Es bid to pass $379 million in expenses from three 2007 wildfires to its ratepayers. The judge found that the utility had failed to reasonably manage and operate its facilities prior to the blazes. If the ruling stands, SDG&Es shareholders will be on the hook. PG&E, meanwhile, has conceded that its equipment probably caused last Novembers Camp fire, the deadliest in the states history, which took at least 86 lives, destroyed nearly 19,000 structures and turned the town of Paradise into ash. Yet whether these circumstances necessarily mean the utilities will be toxic unless they can mulct their customers for double-digit rate increases is highly questionable. The threat of fire liability has been looming for at least a couple of years, but investors havent been running for the hills. Edison hasnt exactly suffered over the last year from its exposure; the companys stock closed at a dividend-adjusted $62.35 one year ago, and $64.20 on Wednesday. Investors receive a dividend of $2.45 per share, for a 4.09% dividend yield at Wednesdays closing. Pacific Gas & Electric investors havent done very well its shares have lost more than half their value in the past year, closing Wednesday at $22.93. But PG&E is a special case, as it filed for bankruptcy on Jan. 29. In the days prior to the filing, PG&E traded as low as $6.36, but its shares have nearly quadrupled in price since then. In any case, their low value may have as much to do with investors perception that the chickens finally are coming home to roost after years of atrocious management at PG&E; this is a company battling not only wildfires, but the consequences of lethal incompetence that killed eight people and leveled an entire community in a 2010 gas pipeline explosion. (PG&E, being in bankruptcy, doesnt pay a dividend.) As for Sempra, its shares have gained nearly 20% over the past year, closing Wednesday at $126.41. Its still rewarding shareholders with a $3.87 per share annual dividend, or 3.07% at the current price. What may be helping to keep these shares afloat is investors recognition that despite their challenges, Californias big utilities still have advantages that conventional corporations dont. Since theyre each a monopoly in their service areas, they have captive markets. State officials have a powerful incentive to not let them fail, because ratepayers are almost as likely to blame brownouts and blackouts on their politicians as on their utilities. The state legislature has already acted to help the companies manage wildfire costs, with more assistance probably on the way. The legislature last year enacted a measure easing the conditions under which the PUC might allow the companies to charge ratepayers for wildfire costs, and allowed ratepayer costs to be spread out over years via bonds. Weissman, in an April 12 memo to Gov. Gavin Newsom, outlined the economic risks if the utilities are left to shoulder alone all the costs of climate change, including increased wildfire risk: Rates could skyrocket by 50% in a year, threatening the consumer shift to electric vehicles and making California businesses uncompetitive with out-of-state firms. But that argues in favor of a broad solution to the problem, not allowing the utilities to gouge their consumers for everything they can get. The risk there is that California consumers would end up paying the full price of climate change. That wouldnt be proper or just. If the utilities latest rate requests are the beginning of a conversation, the regulators first response should be to tell the companies to sharpen their pencils and redo their math. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. The 3M Co. suffered its worst Wall Street loss since Black Monday in 1987 after revealing that its business is far weaker than investors realized. The maker of Post-it notes and touchscreen displays slashed its annual profit forecast as it reported that operating income dropped in all five business units and posted first-quarter profit that fell short of Wall Streets expectations. 3M said it would cut 2,000 jobs while grappling with weak automotive and electronics markets as well as headwinds in China. The shares dropped 13% to $190.72 in New York, the worst rout since Oct. 19, 1987, the day of one of the sharpest market crashes in U.S. history. That all but wiped out 3Ms gain this year. The first quarter was a disappointing start to the year, Chief Executive Officer Mike Roman said Thursday on a conference call with analysts. Our operational execution fell short of the expectations we have for ourselves. Advertisement The feeble results and diminished outlook deepen the pain for 3M, a diversified manufacturer that has already struggled with high prices for raw materials, challenges in the healthcare business and unfavorable foreign exchange rates. Roman, who took the helm last year, is looking to return the company to the steady performance it was known for under his predecessor, Inge Thulin. 3Ms first-quarter results, along with lower revenue growth and earnings guidance for 2019, shows unusual weakness at this point in the industrial cycle compared to other larger manufacturers, said David Berge, an analyst at Moodys Investors Service. In the context of restructuring initiatives, this indicates operating deficiencies at 3M that management will need to address to restore performance normally associated with the company. 3M sharply disappointed investors with a sizable operating miss and full-year guidance cut, significantly worse than the cut we had anticipated, Deane Dray, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said in a note. Four out of the five segments posted operating misses versus our estimates, underscoring the broad-based weakness. First-quarter adjusted earnings fell to $2.23 a share, trailing the $2.48 average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Sales dropped 5% to $7.86 billion, the company said in a statement. Analysts had expected $8.02 billion. Revenue fell 12% in the electronics and energy unit, hurt by weak demand for display materials and systems, 3M said. The industrial divisions sales fell 6.6%. Roman cited weak productivity in the markets for original equipment and aftermarket products for automobiles, particularly in China. 3M makes a variety of products for the vehicle industry, including adhesives, tapes and filtration materials. 3M announced a restructuring effort that includes 2,000 job cuts across all business groups and regions. That represents about 2% of the companys workforce. The move, which will result in a pretax charge of 20 cents a share this year, will save $100 million pretax in 2019 and $225 million to $250 million annually, the company said. Adjusted earnings will be no more than $9.75 a share in 2019, down from a previous forecast of at least $10.45 to $10.90, 3M said. Analysts had been expecting $10.53. Excluding the effect of currency exchange and portfolio changes, sales are at risk of falling as much as 1%, 3M said. The St. Paul, Minn., company previously predicted a gain of 1% to 4%. Forecast cuts have become routine for 3M, which reduced its 2019 outlook in January and trimmed the 2018 guidance multiple times last year. Aaron Shapiros quest to rethink employee stock purchase plans began with a startling insight: If only his mother had participated in one, shed be a millionaire today. A few years ago, she asked her son for financial advice and mentioned her employers ESPP, which she didnt understand. So Shapiro, 26, who got his finance degree from Babson College, dug into the prospectus. The employer, UnitedHealth Group Inc., allows workers to buy shares twice a year at a 15% discount. Theres no minimum holding period, meaning participants can sell the shares immediately and pocket the difference. Its arbitrage in its purest form, Shapiro said. The money was just sitting there and could have been hers, if shed just been able to afford payroll deductions. Advertisement Shares of UnitedHealth have returned almost 4,000% in the last two decades, meaning his mother missed out on gains of more than $1 million. Shapiros eureka moment prompted him to found Carver Edison, a New York City fintech start-up that provides interest-free loans to workers unable to set aside money from their paychecks to buy stock on the cheap. The firm cleared a major regulatory hurdle in December, when the Internal Revenue Service determined that companies can let employees benefit from Carvers loans without jeopardizing the tax-exempt status of their ESPPs. Eli Broverman, co-founder of robo-advisor Betterment, led Carvers latest funding round and is a member of its board. Now Shapiro is seeking to persuade some of the roughly 4,000 U.S. companies that offer ESPPs to millions of workers to use Carvers services and boost participation in the plans. Carvers business model hinges on a bit of financial gymnastics capturing a portion of an employees stock gains above a certain threshold and using that to sell options contracts to banks. In any scenario, Shapiro said, the worker will end up better off with one of Carvers loans than without it. Among his supporters is human-resources consulting firm Aon, which struck a deal with Carver this year to present the concept to corporate clients. Proponents of ESPPs hail them as a lucrative workplace perk that fosters a culture of ownership among employees and aligns their interests with those of shareholders. Theyre also seen as a tool to help curb growing income inequality in the U.S. While real wages have largely remained stagnant for decades, long-term investments in equities have paid off handsomely, with the Standard & Poors 500 stock index generating a total return of about 220% over the last 20 years. Workers who opt into ESPPs agree to set aside part of every paycheck to buy company shares on preset dates, usually every three or six months. The shares are bought at a discount of as much as 15% to the market price at the start or end of each period, whichever is lower. Some companies require workers to hold the shares for a certain period of time, but most allow instant disposals, according to a survey by Fidelity and Radford, a unit of Aon. Still, only about one-third of eligible workers participate, said Corey Rosen, who founded the nonprofit National Center for Employee Ownership and briefly served on Carvers advisory committee. Its nuts, Rosen said of the low participation rate. Youre guaranteed a return except for in very rare circumstances. And you could end up doing quite well. Some workers may opt out because they dont understand the plans, like Shapiros mother, or prefer being paid upfront rather than deferring it for a future benefit. But the biggest barrier is that many simply cant afford to set aside the money, said Jon Burg, the practice leader of Aons equity compensation advisory group. This group of financially strapped Americans is central to Carvers business model: offering an opportunity to increase gains by using leverage but without downside risk. Heres how it works: An employee at a manufacturing company making $34,000 a year is allowed to contribute as much as 10% of each paycheck over six months to buy stock at a 15% discount at the end of that period. She can afford to set aside only 5% of her pay or $1,700 and elects to use a Carver Edison loan for the rest. The manufacturing companys stock price was $100 on the first day of the six-month period and $140 on the final day. The 15% discount is applied to the lower of the two. So on the final day, the workers $1,700 in deferrals plus an equal-size loan from Carver will be enough to purchase 40 shares for $85 apiece. Thats an instant 65% gain. Carver will then immediately sell enough of those shares to cover the loan. In cases when the stock price increase over the six-month period exceeds a certain threshold say 25%, or $125 in the example above Carver will collect and sell a few extra shares. Some of those may be sold in the open market, while others will be sold to banks via options, allowing Carver to generate revenue by collecting a small fee on each contract. The idea behind using part of the gains to sell options is to have the market makers pay the bills for factory-floor workers to have more money in their pockets, Shapiro said. In the end, the manufacturing worker will end up with 26.4 shares, worth about $3,700, that are hers to keep or sell. Had she elected to forgo a Carver loan, she would have been left with 20 shares worth $2,800. (Contributions to ESPP stock purchases arent tax-deductible, but the example excludes income taxes for simplicity.) Because the shares are bought at a discount, Carver Edison has a built-in cushion in case of a sudden drop in the stock. To protect itself against a crash, Carver sells the shares within seconds of their being delivered by the company, and it assumes the balance sheet risk should the stock price crash or a trading glitch occur during that short window. In theory, Carvers model may seem like a no-brainer. Carver will provide educational material to clients to boost sign-ups among workers as part of its offering. But the firm will still have to figure out how to get people to understand and buy into its concept, which adds another layer of complexity to a topic that many companies already struggle to explain to workers, NCEOs Rosen said. Whether this specific idea will be the one that gets past these barriers, I dont know, he said. As an anchor at Fox Business Network, Maria Bartiromo can lay claim to the title of hardest working person in TV business news. Five days a week she is front and center at Mornings With Maria, a three-hour mix of financial news, politics and economic policy analysis with some water cooler chatter thrown in. On Friday evenings she hosts Maria Bartiromos Wall Street, which features in-depth sit-downs with chief executives. Her weekend is devoted to Sunday Morning Futures, a weekly discussion program with Washington newsmakers for Fox News. Do your job Bartiromo believes she developed a strong work ethic from her parents. Her father owned Rex Manor, a Brooklyn, N.Y., restaurant where he ran the kitchen while her mother toiled in the front of the house after putting in a shift as a clerk at a local off-track betting location. On the holidays we would all go to the restaurant because my father had to work, said Bartiromo, who checked coats. Her first experience outside of the family business was as a stock clerk at Kleinfelds, a retail store for wedding dresses, where she developed a bad habit of trying on the bridal gowns before she put them away. The third time her boss caught her, she was fired. I cried the whole way home, but I learned a valuable lesson and that is do your job, she said. Breaking the news While studying economics at New York University, Bartiromo landed an internship at CNN, which in the early 1990s was still considered a notch below the news divisions of broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC. Because it was cable and not one of the big guys, I could do everything, she said. She became a production assistant after graduation and worked her way up to executive producer of CNNs morning business news show over five years. But her goal was to report on camera. After hours, she went out with a camera crew to put together enough stand-up reports for an audition tape. CNBC, the financial news cable channel that was still finding its footing at the time, hired her. Bartiromos boss at CNN was Lou Dobbs, now a colleague at Fox Business News, who told her she was making a big mistake. Theyre nobody, he told her. Advertisement Floor show At CNBC, Bartiromo became the first journalist to deliver live TV reports from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Bartiromo acknowledges it got rough on the male-dominated trading floor in 1995. The early days of reporting from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange were hard. A lot of people didnt want me there. But Bartiromo doesnt look back at her early years through the #MeToo prism of today. It was new to all involved, she said. But I dont want to criticize the guys on the floor because I had so many friends there. Ultimately I did get a lot of information from them. In 1999, before she married Jonathan Steinberg, son of late financier Saul Steinberg, the traders put a ball and chain around her leg, a tradition on the exchange for those headed to the altar. I had made it, she said. Maria Bartiromo and Tyler Mathisen on the set of CNBCs Business Center, which they hosted together, in 1997. (Associated Press) Role model With her pioneering role, Bartiromo said she has heard from many women who say she inspired them or their daughters to go into finance. But the anchor is especially proud of her ability to glean information from her sources at big investment firms and pass it along to the TV audience. Viewers had that research at the same time that the big guys who paid a lot of money for it, she said. I feel like I helped level the playing field for the individual investor. Trading networks After 20 years with CNBC, Bartiromo decided to move to Fox Business Network in 2013, where she was promised the opportunity to cover more than just the financial markets. I needed to broaden my portfolio, she said. I didnt want to be the person on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange 30 years later saying, Heres whats going on. Having a supportive family gave her the courage to make the move. I know that if something goes wrong I know that Ill land on my Chanels, she said. If not, I have my family. Five years later with her contract coming up, she would like to continue. I love it here, she said. Money maker Bartiromos familiarity with the finance community over 25 years helps her draw the most upscale audiences in cable news Mornings With Maria viewers have a median income of $148,200, according to Nielsen data for 2018. Her rise from the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, not far from where the 1970s classic Saturday Night Fever was filmed, has helped her learn the value of a dollar. She relaxes on weekends by taking long bike rides near the Westhampton, N.Y., beach home she shares with Steinberg, chief executive of WisdomTree, an exchange-traded asset management firm. With a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call for a daily show that starts at 6 a.m. Eastern, she sneaks an hour nap in during the day when she can, especially if she has to attend an evening event. White House calling Bartiromo is among the Fox News stars who gets personal calls from President Trump, although she pushed back at him when he accused her of being fake news during a March interview in which she asked about his attacks on the late Sen. John McCain. She didnt take the presidents favorite insult personally. He says what he wants all the time, she said. Southwest Airlines Co. built its low-cost model on the efficiencies of flying a single plane, the Boeing Co. 737. Now the carriers chief executive officer is cracking open the door to the idea that nothing lasts forever. In the aftermath of the second deadly crash of the new Max model and a global grounding of the plane, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly keeps getting asked whether the airline will remain true to the 737, which the company has relied on exclusively since beginning operations in June 1971. And he keeps saying theres no long-term guarantee. He conveyed that message last week while speaking to a Dallas business group. And he repeated it Thursday after Southwest reported results, while emphasizing that the carrier has no immediate plans to add any other kind of planes or alter its pending orders for more than 200 of the Max jets. There is no reason at this point in time to declare that well have a single aircraft type forever or not, Kelly said in an interview. Obviously the situation with the Max is not anything thats been happy for us. Im not going to try to deny that. Advertisement An all-737 operator is who we are, he later told CNBC. That doesnt mean well be an all-737 carrier into perpetuity. Southwest, the biggest U.S. operator of the Max, constantly looks at aircraft and technology being developed by other manufacturers including Airbus SE, Kelly said last week at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce. This week, he said Southwest has a duty to look at anything new that develops. The company also needs to understand the planes flown by competitors. Theres no time frame on anything, but down the road if there are some growth initiatives or an acquisition that adds a different plane to the fleet, maybe that door opens a little, said Jeff Windau, an Edward Jones analyst. The Dallas-based carrier has pulled the Max from its schedules through Aug. 5, canceling 130 flights a day. The revamped version of Boeings single-aisle workhorse has been grounded for six weeks. Kelly said that Southwest has the utmost confidence in the Max and Boeing. Southwest will develop plans to help any passengers who may hesitate to fly on the Max once the plane is fixed, he said. Boeing is crafting an update to a software program linked to a March crash in Ethiopia and an October accident in Indonesia. The disasters killed 346 people. Boeings proposed fix would require approval by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and regulators around the world before flights resumed. On Wednesday, Boeing suspended its revenue and profit guidance for the year. It said the suspension of 737 Max deliveries has cost it $1 billion so far. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is in Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting that China and Vietnam are a community of shared future with strategic significance, Xi called for joint efforts in writing a new chapter in developing the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries. Both sides should leverage the role of the exchange mechanism between the two ruling parties to learn from each other on party discipline and state governance, Xi said, adding that the two sides should also focus on the major task of aligning the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, and advance cooperation in key areas including infrastructure, production capacity and cross-border economic cooperation zones. Xi called for broader people-to-people exchanges to pass on the friendship between the two countries to future generations, as well as actions from both sides to safeguard maritime peace and stability. Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam and China are fraternal neighbors, and share the same Socialist cause and common development goals, adding that the Vietnamese side is ready to build greater synergy between the BRI and Vietnam's development plan. Vietnam is willing to follow the consensus between the two sides, and work with China to properly manage the maritime issues, so as not to affect the overall development of the bilateral ties, he said. SpaceX was test-firing the escape-system engines on its Crew Dragon capsule when this weekends accident occurred, a NASA safety advisory board said Thursday. Its not clear what happened Saturday to cause a plume of orange smoke to billow above the test site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The smoke could be seen for miles. SpaceX and NASA have described the problem as an anomaly. NASAs Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel which provides safety recommendations to the agencys administrator said Thursday that an investigation into the root cause would take time. SpaceX is leading the investigation with active participation from NASA, said Patricia Sanders, the panels chair. Advertisement The Hawthorne company conducted a series of engine tests on a Crew Dragon test capsule Saturday. It said initial tests were successfully completed, but the final test which involved firing the capsules eight SuperDraco escape system engines resulted in an anomaly on the test stand. No one was injured. The status of the capsule is unclear. Photos taken by Florida Today journalist Craig Bailey showed the orange smoke rising above Cape Canaveral. Propulsion and chemical experts have said the color could indicate that nitrogen tetroxide one of two propellants that power the capsules escape system engines was involved . Those propellants immediately ignite when combined. SpaceX turned to fast-igniting fuel for its capsule escape system. That could be part of the accident probe The capsule involved in Saturdays test was the same one that launched in March without a crew and docked at the International Space Station for the first time before returning to Earth. A crewed test flight had been expected as early as July, but NASA said it was unclear how Saturdays accident would affect the schedule. Sanders said Thursday that early efforts in the investigation are focused on site saving, data collection and developing a timeline of how the accident occurred. Two dozen alleged associates of a prominent San Bernardino gang were arrested Thursday morning after prosecutors unsealed eight federal grand jury indictments against them and 11 others. In all, 35 people connected with the Westside Verdugo gang were charged with various offenses, including narcotics trafficking, identity theft and gun possession. Local and federal law enforcement agencies arrested 24 people in the far-reaching operation Thursday, while 10 were already in custody on unrelated charges. Authorities say one person named in the indictment, identified by authorities as Angel Martinez, is a fugitive. The three main indictments unsealed Thursday detailed conspiracies to smuggle and distribute methamphetamine and heroin into the city of San Bernardino. In one case, gang members are accused of deliberately getting themselves arrested in order to smuggle narcotics into the citys jails. Advertisement The other five indictments include charges for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, identity theft and money laundering. For more than 50 years, this gang has been responsible for spreading drugs and violence in this community, but today we have taken a major step to combat the groups influence on the city of San Bernardino, U.S. Atty. Nick Hanna said at a news conference. Todays arrests signal that we will continue to pursue street gangs until families in every Southern California neighborhood can lead safe and peaceful lives. The FBI has led the investigation into the Westside Verdugo gang in Southern California, with help from local and state agencies, since the summer of 2017. Paul Delacourt, assistant director in charge of the FBIs Los Angeles office, described members of the Westside Verdugo gang as foot soldiers for the Mexican Mafia, which is regarded by prosecutors as a gang of gangs. Those in custody are expected to be brought to federal court in the near future, authorities said. alexa.diaz@latimes.com Twitter: @alexalucina For Luis Genaro Garcia, first comes the year. It could be 1992, when Los Angeles broke out in civil unrest. Maybe 1968, when students staged a walkout for better education. Or 1959, when communities were evicted from their homes in Chavez Ravine to make room for Dodger Stadium. Then comes the art. Garcia meticulously cuts Los Angeles Times newspaper headlines many from recent editions to recreate his version of a historical newspaper front page. Centermost for the 40-year-old artist and educator are the stories that helped shape the city and Angelenos who call it home especially those that focus on what he sees as the historical injustices affecting people of color in Los Angeles. Advertisement I look at the headlines from today; to me it doesnt seem like weve made any progress, says Garcia. He wants viewers to compare times politically and make connections between the past and the present. Luis Genaro Garcia in his Whittier home. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) I want them to feel and understand that this isnt something new, the artist says. This is something that has been ongoing and continues to affect our communities of color. The eight-piece collection he calls Cruising L.A.s Political Landscape also pays homage to car culture in Los Angeles. The artist paints a classic car from the specific year the event took place. Americas favorite past time 1959" is a mix of new headlines from stories about gentrification and homelessness with images of Chavez Ravine families. (Courtesy of Luis Genaro Garcia) A 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville centers the piece Americas favorite past time 1959, the story of families being evicted from Chavez Ravine. A 1992 Chevy Caprice drives the piece No Justice No Peace 1992, focused on the L.A. riots. A 1968 Volkswagen, a nod, the artist says, to the working class that preferred them, frames Boiling Point 1968, about the student walkouts of that year. No Justice No Peace 1992" is a depiction of the L.A. riots using current headlines about police shootings. (Courtesy of Luis Genaro Garcia) In Garcias world, even the cars are political. Someone who looks at these cars, theyll recognize the year, theyll recognize the features of these particular cars, and as an educator I wanted to take the opportunity to say, You know what? Thats cool. But do you actually know what happened during that particular year? Garcia says the cars ability to outlast their time might say something about how people can do the same: These cars arent only telling you the stories of L.A. car culture; theyre telling you the stories of Los Angeles that no one hears about. Luis Genaro Garcia at his home in Whittier (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) In addition to his work as an artist, Garcia has been an art teacher for 14 years; hes currently at Nava College Preparatory Academy inside Jefferson High School, his alma mater. Working with newspaper as a medium isnt Garcias first choice he has many other kinds of works on canvas but he was inspired by how his students were using it in the classroom. Because they couldnt afford canvases, students used old linoleum boards covered in newspaper to apply paint, Garcia says. The teacher quickly became the student, inspired to use similar techniques for his project. After collecting newspapers for about a year and a half, Garcia thought he had enough material to begin. Now Garcia is trying to teach his students how to see whats not always in front of them. Im not trying to teach them to become better artists, he says. To me, thats a plus. I want them to understand that for working-class people of color, its much harder for us to access resources because of the discrimination that has historically existed in our communities. Boiling Point 1968" by Luis Genaro Garcia (Courtesy of Luis Genaro Garcia) Thats a lesson Garcia says he learned away from the classroom. As a 14-year-old, Garcia had to reconcile with his parents divorce and with the destruction of his neighborhood. It was sort of like a rite of passage for me, says Garcia, who as the oldest sibling of two sisters and a brother had to look out for them while his mother worked. It was transformative. And Im not sure it was transformative in a good way. Garcia says hell never forget seeing a man pushing a full grocery cart, hitting the curb along Avalon Boulevard, spilling some of its contents. It was a moment, Garcia says, that helped him come to accept my circumstances. Its also those experiences that help him choose headlines and infuse new meaning into old events. Oh say can you see (Courtesy of Luis Genaro Garcia) Back in his Whittier home, Garcia cuts and spreads recent headlines from the Los Angeles Times. The headlines, about the recent teachers strike, cut close to home. Part art, part logistical challenge, he moves and spreads blocks of texts like Tetris pieces. Photos of Los Angeles teachers protesting in the rain mix with headlines such as Hope for left-behind children or A walkout would only hurt students future. Thats what the headlines are really showing you, Garcia says. I want people to realize and understand, nothing has really changed. Picks for this weekend include Cirque du Soleil, performance artist John Kelly at REDCAT, dance troupe Che Malambo in Long Beach and all-star jazz combo Spring Quartet at the Ford Theatres. Long Beach Opera presents Philip Glass In the Penal Colony, the Los Angeles Dance Festival takes place in DTLA, and Grand Park hosts a family-friendly arts festival. High-flying fantasy Prepare to ooh and aah at Cirque du Soleils Amaluna. Aerialists and acrobats perform in this big-top spectacular inspired by classic myths, Shakespeares The Tempest and Mozarts The Magic Flute. The waterfront at 250 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro. 8 p.m. Friday, 4:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Sunday; other dates through May 26. $45 and up. cirquedusoleil.com Remembrance of things past Veteran performance artist John Kelly looks back on his decades in the trenches of the New York arts scene in Time No Line, a multimedia-enhanced live memoir. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., L.A. 8:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. $14-$20. redcat.org Performance artist John Kelly brings his live memoir Time No Line to REDCAT for three nights starting Thursday. (Theo Cote) Advertisement Get your gaucho on Che Malambo, an all-male troupe from Argentina, performs traditional South American gaucho dancing and drumming in a stage show co-created by Paris-based choreographer Gilles Brinas. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. 8 p.m. Saturday. $35. carpenterarts.org Argentine dance troupe Che Malambo takes the stage Saturday at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach. (Robert Torres) Spring forward at the Ford The Spring Quartet, the jazz combo featuring bassist Esperanza Spalding, drummer Jack DeJohnette, saxophonist Joe Lovano and pianist Leo Genovese, will kick off a new season of live performances under the stars at the Ford Theatres, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hollywood. 8 p.m. Saturday. $35-$70. FordTheatres.org Esperanza Spalding performs with the Spring Quartet at the Ford Theatres on Saturday night. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) Doin time in the LBC Long Beach Opera and Cal State Long Beachs California Repertory Company join forces for the Southern California premiere of In the Penal Colony, the Philip Glass chamber opera inspired by a Franz Kafka short story about the vagaries of crime and punishment. CSULB Studio Theater, near 7th Street and East Campus Drive, Long Beach. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday; other dates through May 5. $49-$150. LongBeachOpera.org The Philip Glass chamber opera In the Penal Colony gets its SoCal premiere this weekend in Long Beach. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Dance on the fringes Akomi Dance, Bodies in Play, Project 21 Dance, Pony Box Dance Theatre, Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre and Fuse Dance Company are among the troupes taking part in the Los Angeles Dance Festivals Fringe showcase for developing choreographers. Diavolo Studio Black Box, 616 Moulton Ave., L.A. 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 5 and 7 p.m. Sunday. $25. ladancefest.org Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre is among the companies taking part in the Los Angeles Dance Festivals Fringe showcase. (Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre) Bring the kids Grand Parks Our L.A. Voices: A Pop-up Arts+Culture Fest is a family-friendly, two-day festival featuring performances by local theater and dance companies, plus storytelling, film screenings, visual art and more. Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Free. grandparkla.org Gulp! That was my initial reaction when a publicist asked if Id like to interview Glenda Jackson to discuss her performance in the new Broadway production of King Lear. Our previous encounter didnt go according to script. Last year, when she was starring in Edward Albees Three Tall Women on Broadway, I had excitedly made my way to meet her at a tea house on Manhattans Upper East Side only to take to bed for the rest of the day once I managed to scrape myself off the floor after the interview was done. In my long career, Ive braved Elaine Stritchs rasp, Edward Albees dry precision, Susan Sontags intellectual hauteur, Dame Ednas lightning ripostes and Stephen Sondheims demigod status. I have sometimes felt wobbly after an interview, but not until my hour with Jackson had I felt the need to be medevacked to safety. Advertisement Of course, being the professional that I am, I agreed to a second meeting with her ferocious eminence. (Please dont underestimate the toughness of drama critics or their capacity for masochism.) The scheduled time, noon on Sunday at a diner on Second Avenue, precluded a glass of wine beforehand. I was, to borrow a line from Stritch, going out there alone. With pathetic fallacy worthy of Shakespeare, rain and wind lashed the island of Manhattan as I clutched my voice recorder from the back seat of my taxi heading uptown. I arrived early, ordered coffee and was soon greeted by Jackson, who had braved the elements by foot and was looking almost as bedraggled as Lear in the storm scene. It took her no time to regain her regal authority. But I was struck by the contrast of this crumpled 82-year-old in a slicker and the Tony- and Oscar-winning titan capable of seizing a vast audience by the back of its neck with the fire of her elocution and the fury of her personality. Let me cut to the chase: Jackson was her astringent, snappish self. She banged on the table. She lambasted me for ruining my questions by always asking whether she liked this or was happy about that. (What does happiness have to do with it? Its work. Its not a hobby or a game.) But she was unfailingly civil even when our conversation hit the occasional speed bump. The consummate old-school theater professional, she had consented to do press on her day off in a week that had her in technical rehearsals during the day and in preview performances at night. Her life at the moment was Lear and nothing but Lear. The role, which she performed in a different production at Londons Old Vic in 2016, is what occasioned her return to the stage after a 23-year detour into politics as a Labour Party MP. Glenda Jackson as Lear. The older we get, the absolute boundaries that constitute gender begin to fray, the actress said. (Brigitte Lacombe) REVIEW: Glenda Jackson battles through a brazenly busy King Lear on Broadway Given our history and the decisive way she ordered coffee with cold milk, I thought it best to start gingerly. Curious about her approach to tackling Lear again, I asked whether she was incorporating what she had done in London or starting anew? Its totally different, but the play stays the same, she replied with her usual laconic efficiency. If you manage to dig out the energy of the play, its a remarkable experience. Convinced the whole gender-bender thing is overblown, she reiterated an insight she shared during our previous interview: The older we get, the absolute boundaries that constitute gender begin to fray. Shes playing King Lear as written, a royal patriarch accustomed to getting his way. Nothing more to be said. Jackson wasnt much more expansive on the subject of American actors and Shakespeare: They all come to it saying they dont know how to do this, but they do. Reversing out of these conversational dead ends, I asked if shes made any surprising discoveries about her character this time around. Youre working with different people, so there are characterizations that are different, she said. This obviously reflects on your characterization. In Shakespeare, you always learn more about the character youre playing from what the other characters say about you, and so that is very intriguing and interesting. When we talked last, she lamented the dearth of roles for women. Three Tall Women, for which she won a Tony Award last year, was a rare pleasure in her career. Recalling how enthusiastic she was to be sharing a bill with Laurie Metcalf and Alison Pill, I asked how she liked working with Metcalf. I thought it was an innocent question, but Jackson seemed nettled. It doesnt matter whether you like or dislike people, she said. Its the work that happens. Pausing to consider how this might sound, she added: But I do, as it happens, personally like her. Shes what I call a proper actress. But the personal frame is of no consequence. In King Lear, Jackson finds herself contentedly at the center of a throng of powerhouse actresses, among them Jayne Houdyshell as Gloucester, Ruth Wilson as Cordelia and the Fool, Elizabeth Marvel as Goneril, and Aisling OSullivan as Regan. Youre usually the only one, if youre the woman cast, so to have actresses of this caliber to work with is a great privilege, she said. Jackson with Jayne Houdyshell, who plays Gloucester in a production with an array of powerhouse actresses.. (Brigitte Lacombe) Moving on to what I suspected might be more controversial territory, I delicately inquired about her collaboration with director Sam Gold. I hadnt yet seen his production, but I knew from past experiences of his work that he wasnt going to deliver a conventional King Lear. Now that Ive experienced the stylistic farrago, I can only imagine the backstage power struggles. I cant take one person out of the group, if you see what I mean, she answered with evasive diplomacy. Im a firm believer that everyone in the play is responsible for the play, large or small part. And this is very much the sense of this company, which is excellent. I reminded her that she had described Deborah Warners production of King Lear at the Old Vic to me as fashionable. The word, bathed in acid when it tripped off her tongue, didnt strike me as a compliment. It wasnt that, Jackson objected. It was that she was the first director I ever worked with who didnt allow you into the rehearsal room if you werent in the scene. I found that very curious. Sam Gold has a real auteur style, I said. Which director doesnt? He can be pretty out there in his choices. All directors have their own approach to the work theyre doing, she replied. You have to go along with it up to a point. Anyway, as with all productions, its when youre playing it, when you have an audience, that you really know how its going and the director aint there! Have you had many fights with Sam? I pressed. I wouldnt say many, but serious disagreements. What were the outcomes of those disagreements? Theyre still ongoing. Disagreements concerning your character? Concerning the play. Jackson, center, in Sam Golds production of Lear. (Brigitte Lacombe) At that moment a child from another table toddled over to ours and Jackson made brief grandmotherly conversation with the girl. When we resumed, the conversation turned to a different auteur. I went to drama school, but the transformative work in my professional life was working with Peter Brook, she said, dropping an f-bomb to underscore her great luck. What distinguishes his direction? He starts always from the premise is there a production to be found? she said approvingly. He doesnt come with a little book telling you how to do things. You have to find it. When asked about the Lears that have impressed her most, she named only one: Paul Scofield in Brooks landmark 1962 Royal Shakespeare Company production. Everything he did, he just stood out, she said rapturously. He was just the most marvelous actor. Scofield was only 40 when he triumphed as Lear. Which made me wonder whether theres an ideal age range for an actor to play the part. Dont be ridiculous, she replied, tucking into her omelet. But there is the question of stamina, is there not? I pursued. Lear may be four score and upward, but not every octogenarian wants to be put through the paces of this monumental tragedy. I find all that ludicrous, she said. Every part is a demanding part. And thats what you should be grateful for when you see how much rubbish people have to do. To be in a play of this quality thank your lucky stars! She hadnt seen Ian McKellens Lear in the West End or Anthony Hopkins Lear on TV, to name two more recent examples I asked about. She said she doesnt get out to the theater much in London, because public transportation isnt what it ought to be and shes often on grandmother patrol. Does her grandson, by any chance, have the acting bug? Yes, he does. Have you encouraged that? Absolutely not. I discourage it as much as humanly possible. Why is that? Overcrowded, under-served, terrible life. Is it a terrible life? Even with all the fame youve achieved? But thats for how many? And what does it mean. It doesnt mean anything. Well it does, because it means that youre considered for employment. But its a hard life. Still, it must have been satisfying to be honored with the Tony Award last year? But what does it mean? she asked again. You dont compete with other people. In an almost mocking tone, she added, Its very nice. Doesnt make you any better. REVIEW: Annette Bening, Tracy Letts and a question of American morality in All My Sons Jackson had recently made headlines for defending Prime Minister Theresa May. Her son, a British newspaper columnist with more conservative political leanings, informed her that its gone mad on Twitter. Does she stand by her remarks? Absolutely, she said without a scintilla of hesitation. I just think the way shes been treated is absolutely disgraceful, not only by her own party in Parliament but by the British press. There she is slogging away in a country that is split right down the middle over whether we should or shouldnt be in Europe. Sounding at times like a Shakespearean monarch in Act IV of a tragedy, she let out a sigh of disgust at the politicians who manipulated the public into this Brexit debacle. The fallacious argument was that the free movement of people, one of the four planks of membership in the European Union, means our kids cant get homes, our children cant go to the schools, the NHS [National Health Service] is being overworked, she said, in a voice that could once again commandeer the floor of Parliament. Every one of those areas of national life is the exclusive responsibility of the government of the day, regardless of party. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the European Union. The majority of people who came to work in my country were young, healthy and have no children. But there you go. Human nature doesnt change. When I made comparisons with President Trumps border wall, she politely resisted the impulse to editorialize: Well, yes, but Im a guest in this country, so Ill forgo that. But with a countenance more in sorrow than in anger, she acknowledged that these political times are utterly crazy. When will we ever learn? she asked with a faraway look. Poland and Hungary elected extreme right-wing governments. Poland and Hungary! We dont learn, do we? Does King Lear have anything to say about this failure? I asked. Shakespeare is the most contemporary dramatist around, she replied. He only ever writes about human nature, and human nature is immutable. The human condition can be improved, but human nature stays the same. Jackson doesnt think of King Lear as a political play. (Shakespeare knew well enough to steer clear of politics, she said.) But what about the patriarchal politics? Is there a critique being made? A play that was originally performed with no women actors in it and you ask me about the patriarchal nature of the play? she stormed. Its the patriarchal nature of the times, even though Elizabeth I had been the most powerful person in Europe and certainly the most powerful person in England. But she had to be whats the word? she just delayed everything. (Jackson, who won a pair of Emmys for playing Queen Elizabeth, spoke with complete authority.) Shakespeare is the most contemporary dramatist around. He only ever writes about human nature, and human nature is immutable. Glenda Jackson Jackson doesnt think Goneril and Regan are naturally evil. Indeed, she expressed sympathy with their dilemma of having to accommodate their father and his train of riotous knights. Hes given them the country, she explained. Theyre the queens. Their husbands are the kings. In the time of Elizabeth, she would tour the country to show herself off to the people. And wherever she was going, she would stay with the local earl or duke. Those guys would be bankrupt having to entertain her. Bankrupt! It was strange to hear the person playing Lear take the side of his flattering, willful and ultimately depraved daughters. Jackson understands his wrath. (Hes a man no one has ever said no to in his entire life!) But she said shes still puzzled by the way he divides the kingdom at the start of the play. Saying to the girls, just like that, tell me which of you loves me most and Ill give you the biggest piece of the country, she said. Why does he do that? But they go on to say that hes always been like that. Hes always done crazy things. Jackson doesnt worry about establishing a sympathetic relationship with her character any more than she frets over whether she likes her fellow company members or the theater critic pestering her with endless questions on her day off. She takes a proletarian pride in doing her job. Acting is work. And work entails a degree of hardship. I mean, good God, she exclaimed. Look what the play contains. Jacksons manner may be brusque, but fellow feeling creeps in. Before we parted, she inquired where I was off to. I told her I would be visiting another Lear, my father, on his 80th birthday. She smiled a knowing, compassionate smile, and wished us both well. REVIEW: Tootsie gives Broadway its funniest musical since Book of Mormon When Straight Outta Compton co-writer Andrea Berloff was tapped to direct The Kitchen, a female-driven mob drama for Warner Bros. New Line Cinema division, the assignment came just as it seemed shed hit a glass ceiling. It was a personal come-to-Jesus moment. I reached a point where I thought, Well, I think this is it. I think this is as [much] as Im going to get a chance to achieve, says Berloff, who received an Oscar nod for her work on Compton. I definitely felt like I was losing out on opportunities and not being afforded the respect my work had merited. I was incredibly frustrated and didnt quite know where to put that energy. It was during this period of disillusionment that she was offered the chance to adapt the DC/Vertigo comic book series The Kitchen, a 1970s Irish mafia story set in New Yorks Hells Kitchen. It revolves around a group of mob wives whose husbands are busted in an FBI sweep. After the men are sent to jail, the women assume their positions at the top of the hierarchy. Melissa McCarthy, Elisabeth Moss and Tiffany Haddish star as the gangster wives in the film version of the story. The Kitchen hit at exactly the right time that I was feeling angry enough to think to myself, What would happen if women could take over? What would that look like? Berloff says. [Because] the Irish mafia is not all that different from Hollywood. Advertisement SUMMER SNEAKS: Everything you need to know about 2019s summer movies In The Kitchen, from left, Elisabeth Moss, Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Haddish star as mob wives taking charge. (Alison Cohen Rosa / Warner Bros.) It was important for Berloff and producer Michael De Luca to cast against type for two of the leads, turning to comic actresses McCarthy, whose rare dramatic role in last years Can You Ever Forgive Me? earned an Oscar nomination, and Haddish, who was in the OWN drama If Loving You Is Wrong, but is mostly known as one of Hollywoods funniest actresses. I was really trying very hard across the board to make sure I was casting actors who are very talented but not necessarily the stereotype of what you would see in these [roles], says Berloff. People who were interesting to watch and would deliver incredible performances. We were trying to be surprising, De Luca adds. Ive always believed comedians and comic actors can usually make the transition to drama. Going back to Charlie Chaplin up to Robin Williams, its just a deep well of range in these kinds of performers. As for Moss, who shines as a woman struggling to realize her power, Berloff says, Shes the Meryl Streep of our generation. She would do one take, and I would look around and think to myself, Oh, my God, how am I supposed to make that better? Shes one of the finest actresses of the era. Elisabeth Moss, left, Tiffany Haddish and Melissa McCarthy in The Kitchen. (Alison Cohen Rosa / Warner Bros.) Berloff was approached to write the script, but after falling in love with the story, she decided to throw her hat in the ring to direct as well despite having no directing experience. I said to them, Listen, Im not going to shake you down or hold you to it, but I would at least like the opportunity to pitch as a director for this film, she says. I knew they liked the script enough to move forward, and so just like any other director I went in and pitched my heart out. And they were kind enough to hire me eventually. That makes Berloff one of only a handful of women directing major studio releases this season. (Ry Russo-Youngs The Sun Is Also a Star and Gurinder Chadhas Blinded by the Light are also due from Warner Bros., while Gail Mancuso directs A Dogs Journey for Universal. Disney, Paramount and Sony do not have any female-directed titles set for the summer.) Berloff was careful to preserve the central conflict of the comic, but took some creative license as well, adding characters and establishing her own tone for the movie. I really felt the freedom to make it my own, she says. I wrote this shortly after the #MeToo kickoff, but from my own experiences in Hollywood I thought, How would women do it differently? Where would womens flaws be in that system? It wouldnt necessarily be in the same places that mens flaws would be. I was really compelled by that idea. I think right now audiences are embracing originality, De Luca says. "['The Kitchen] just seemed like a really original take on a genre that everybody loves but, lets face it, weve seen the traditional version of this story about a billion and one times. I thought the graphic novel was a really great dusting off of the gangster genre with a fresh take and a new voice. Andrea Berloff, one of the few women directing a major motion picture this summer. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) While she was careful to avoid making something derivative of someone elses style, Berloff admits she drew more inspiration from Thelma & Louise than any of the classic mob films. If you think about Thelma & Louise, its about two women who are not necessarily angels and yet youre rooting for them the entire time, she says. That idea of women who arent necessarily the good girls and yet theyre your heroes really became something of a touchstone for me. Another thing shes learned is that simply casting women in traditionally male roles isnt always enough. I didnt want to just stick a gun in their hands and make them tough girls, Berloff says of her Kitchen mob women. Hopefully were in an era where we can open up the conversation about what kinds of art gets made and who gets the right to tell those stories. Im not interested in seeing them take the same old man stories that weve all seen and just stick women in those roles. Im much more interested in telling womens stories. sonaiya.kelley@latimes.com follow me on twitter @sonaiyak The newest James Bond film, currently known as Bond 25, is taking shape, most recently with a high-profile live reveal on Thursday. Appearing during the start of production from GoldenEye in Jamaica where author Ian Fleming wrote the iconic super-spy series franchise star Daniel Craig joined producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and director Cary Joji Fukunaga for the affair, which included star-studded cast and crew announcements as well as filming locations for the milestone movie. The newest installment of the MI-6 series, with its title as yet undecided, will again be written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, along with Bond newcomers Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve), they said. Advertisement Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek will also join the franchise, apparently as the latest villain. His role is still unclear, but the Oscar winner, who was in production in New York, suggested his villainy in a video message on Thursday in which he promised he would be making sure Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it. A word about #BOND25 from Rami Malek pic.twitter.com/CLJ5mpO9mu James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019 In a follow-up appearance on Good Morning America, Malek spoke about joining the timeless franchise. This is a perfect follow-up, I think, to Bohemian Rhapsody, going from one iconic Brit [Freddie Mercury] to an iconic British franchise, Malek said, recounting some of his favorite films, opening songs and great villains from the franchise. He also sang Craigs praises. [Craig] brings this class to it, this human factor, and hes kind of cynical at the same time, and ruthless. But youre always rooting for him. Hes been terrific. Itll be very, very interesting to go up against that man, Malek said. Returning cast members include Ralph Fiennes as M, Rory Kinnear as Bonds ally Tanner, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Lea Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Ben Whishaw as Q and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, whom we last saw in 2008s Quantum of Solace. Producer Wilson, who was in Live and Let Die, also teased that he might appear in Bond 25 as well. Joining Malek as newcomers are Dali Benssalah, Billy Magnussen, Ana De Armas and David Dencik. In September, American filmmaker Fukunaga replaced Oscar winner Danny Boyle as director of the next James Bond film. And the film, Craigs fifth and likely final go-round as 007, also had its worldwide 2020 release date pushed to Feb. 14. The release date is now April 8. On Thursday, Fukunaga said that the movie, currently shooting in Jamaica, has also shot in Norway and will film at Londons Pinewood Studios and in Italy. Bond is not on active service when we start the film, so he is actually enjoying himself in Jamaica. We consider Jamaica Bonds spiritual home. He starts his journey here, Broccoli said. Bond 25 will feature Bonds extraordinary house, she added, noting that the film has had tremendous support from the Jamaican Ministry of Culture and Tourism and that 500 local people have worked on the film already. Twitter: @NardineSaad Body at Brighton Rock After contributing shorts to the horror anthologies Southbound and XX, writer-director Roxanne Benjamin makes her feature filmmaking debut with Body at Brighton Rock, an assured if overlong survivalist tale. Though Benjamin struggles to fill her running-time, the movie mostly reaffirms that shes a talented genre director. The strongest move Benjamin makes with Body at Brighton Rock is to pull a bait-and-switch with the tone. The movies opening 15 minutes play like a lighthearted 80s summer camp comedy, with Karina Fontes as Wendy, a timid seasonal employee at a massive California state park. When Wendy trades an assignment with a buddy in order to flirt with a boy she likes, she becomes hopelessly lost in a part of the mountains with poor cellphone reception. Then she finds a dead body, and the story shifts dramatically. Wendy reluctantly obeys an order to secure a potential crime scene, after which shes supposed to stay with the corpse and await the rescue unit. As night approaches, Benjamin has trouble building tension, even as her heroine begins to worry about predators not to mention a possible murderer. The middle half-hour of Body at Brighton Rock is mostly dialogue-free and too light on action. Advertisement But the movies last 10 minutes or so are genuinely white-knuckle, all the way up to a chilling twist ending. And even when Brighton Rock spins its wheels, Fontes gives a likable lead performance, in a stunning outdoor location. All Benjamin is lacking for this film about killers and wild beasts is a script with enough bite. ------------- Body at Brighton Rock Rated: R, for language and some bloody images Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes Playing: Starts April 26, Laemmle Glendale; also on VOD ------------- I Trapped the Devil Scott Poythress portrays a deranged brother with visitors in the movie I Trapped the Devil. (IFC Films) Horror hounds with a high tolerance for turtle-paced supernatural thrillers might like I Trapped the Devil, a movie that inches along through an hour of muted ambiguity before erupting into some genuinely disturbing phantasmagoria in its final 20 minutes. Indie horror stalwart A.J. Bowen stars as Matt, who along with his wife, Karen (Susan Burke), pays a Christmas visit to his estranged, deranged brother Steve (Scott Poythress). When they arrive at the big, spooky house, Matt and Karen find Steve acting odder than usual. Soon they learn why: He has a man locked in his basement, whom he claims is the literal Devil. Writer-director Josh Lobo practically dares viewers not to nod off in the early going. His characters barely have anything to say to each other, as they creep across creaky floorboards, communicating in nods and terse whispers that can barely be heard over Ben Lovetts dissonant, droning score. But the What if? quality of I Trapped the Devil proves just compelling enough to keep the film afloat, until the moment when some of the weapons Steve leaves lying around start coming into play. Steves elaborate schematics explaining the intersection of evil deeds in his immediate vicinity coupled with his prisoners disturbingly calm voice keep his relatives from immediately calling for help. Lobo overdoes the sudden shifts between the real and the surreal in the last act, refusing to answer any questions definitively until he has to. But the first-time filmmaker shows an impressive amount of confidence in his methods. He knows how to make audiences uncomfortable first with tedium, then with terror. ------------- I Trapped the Devil Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 23 minutes. Playing: Starts April 26, Arena Cinelounge, Hollywood; also on VOD ------------- Know Your Enemy Maury Sterling, from left, Nora-Jane Noone and Farshad Farahat in the movie Know Your Enemy. (Indie Rights) Writer-director Randy Feldmans social drama Know Your Enemy doesnt waste a lot of time on set-up. Barely five minutes in, an upscale California couple realtor Chantal (Nora-Jane Noone) and gym owner Daniel (Maury Sterling) are confronted in their house by a gun-wielding Middle Eastern man, Shaheed (Farshad Farahat). Hes angry because Chantal cut him off in traffic, and he wants her to know hes not someone who can just be ignored. The explanation for Shaheeds home invasion is flimsy, though Feldman tries to make that flaw dramatically useful by teasing via the occasional flashback the possibility that there may more to this act of road rage than immediately apparent. Mostly, though, the inciting incident is just an excuse for Know Your Enemy to plunge into long conversations between a privileged, seemingly shallow white woman and a hard-working immigrant man, who both discover their presumptions about each other arent entirely correct. Noone and Farahat are good enough to overcome the programmatic nature of their roles. Shaheeds quiet insistence on his own dignity and Chantals fumbling attempts to find the right words to get him to go away are both relatable. But while Feldman a veteran screenwriter making his directorial debut brings plenty of storytelling craft to the picture, Know Your Enemy falls short of being as eye-opening as he intends. A strong sense of mystery and two searing lead performances can only counteract so much of the contrivance here. ------------- Know Your Enemy Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 24 minutes. Playing: Starts April 26, Arena Cinelounge, Hollywood ------------- Scary Stories Childrens book author R.L. Stine in the documentary Scary Stories. (Wild Eye Releasing) If nothing else, the documentary Scary Stories is a useful primer for the upcoming Guillermo del Toro-produced adaptation of the controversial 1980s young adult horror anthologies Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Cody Meiricks film looks back at those original books and the hubbub surrounding them: the parents protests, the the defense by librarians, and the generation of misfit kids who were perversely comforted and inspired by folklorist Alvin Schwartzs compendium of the macabre. The movie follows three tracks, the most underdeveloped of which has to do with the life and work of Schwartz and his illustrator Stephen Gammell. Book sales notwithstanding, neither man was ever a celebrity, so theres not much on the record about their process or intentions. And Schwartzs son Peter admits that because his dad was an emotionally distant workaholic, he cant contribute much insight. Scary Stories is also disappointing as a record of the furor the books provoked. Meirick includes some old news footage and a few anecdotal recollections, plus a climactic standoff between Peter Schwartz and one of the people who led the charge against his dad. But theres not enough here about how these oft-banned collections fit into the larger history of censorship and the supernatural, from EC Comics to Harry Potter. This doc excels, though, as a work of critical appreciation. Academics, Schwartz peers and fans alike all break down their favorite stories, describing with great passion how they play on specific adolescent fears. At its best, Scary Stories explains why these books endure: because they let their young audience know that even in their worst nightmares, theyre not alone. ------------- Scary Stories Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 24 minutes. Playing: Available April 26 on VOD ------------ calendar@latimes.com @LATimesMovies Both profound and approachable, epic and emotional, Christ Stopped at Eboli is a masterwork Americans never got to see by a director, Italys Francesco Rosi, whos never received proper respect in this country. Fortunately, those injustices can now be remedied as a restoration of 1979s complete, uncut three-hour-and-40-minute Eboli, as rich and magisterial as the day it debuted, is screening for the first time. Based on a celebrated memoir by Carlo Levi, first published in the U.S. in 1964 and never out of print, it examines the more than a year the Italian writer spent in internal exile in the 1930s as an outspoken opponent of Mussolinis fascist regime. Made for Italian television in four 55-minute parts, it boasted a terrific cast, including Gian Maria Volonte, Lea Massari and Irene Papas. Advertisement And its off-screen talent included not only Rosi but some of the top names in Italian cinema: co-writer Tonino Guerra, composer Piero Piccioni and Oscar-winning cinematographer Pasqualino De Santis. That didnt prevent Eboli from being released in the U.S. in a badly truncated two-hour cut that pleased no one, a lack of recognition that was par for the course for Rosi. The problem has not been that the director, who died in 2015 at age 92, did not do excellent work: A filmography that includes Salvatore Giuliano, Hands Over the City, The Moment of Truth and The Mattei Affair (which won the Palme dOr at Cannes in 1972) is beyond reproach. Rather its partly that Rosi, unlike say Fellini or Antonioni, didnt have an easily definable style and partly that the tendencies he did exhibit toward humanistic, socially conscious films with a political edge, the very traits that make Eboli so remarkable were not necessarily what Americans wanted to see. Eboli begins with the train, bus and car journey Levi (played with a piercing intensity by Volonte, later a Sergio Leone favorite) takes to get to the remoter-than-remote Lucania region, stunningly photographed by De Santis, on the instep of the Italian boot. A scene from Christ Stopped at Eboli. (Rialto Pictures) The village of Gagliano where hes to be exiled is so off the radar that the locals joke that even Christ himself ventured no further than Eboli the closest train station but still a great distance away. This area, deep in Italys impoverished South, is especially alien territory to Levi. His elegant suit and scarf mark him as an urban sophisticate from Turin, in the countrys industrialized north. He may share a language with these people, but thats about it. Or so he thinks. Like a piece of classic literature, Eboli has a three-part dramatic structure that mirrors Levis actions and state of mind. Initially, the writer is dazed and confused in these radically new surroundings, simply trying to get his bearings as he meets notables like the towns ambitious mayor and the alcoholic priest who has contempt for his flock. Levis biggest shock is learning that the local people have so little faith in the towns two doctors that they swarm him when they learn he has a medical degree even though he has never practiced. Gradually, Levi becomes more acculturated to his surroundings. He takes naps in freshly dug graves the coolest spots in town and is befriended by a gregarious group of men whove returned to their birthplace after living in New York City, a place they feel closer to than Rome. Finally, following a visit from his sister Luisa (Massari), Levi takes a more active role in the community, moving to his own home and finding Giulia (Papas), the only woman in the area morally allowed to clean an unmarried mans house because shes already had 17 children from 17 men. Forming a distant backdrop to all of this is Italys imperialistic invasion of Ethiopia, an action which does not find much favor. If they have so much money in Rome, someone suggests, why dont they spend it here. One of the great treats of Eboli is its lyric, immersive character, the way it slows down and draws us into its world absolutely. This is a film that takes its time and is the better for it, that allows us to slowly sink into things, much as Levi himself does. Finally, Levi comes to understand and convey what desperation does to people, how feeling subjugated and outside of history leads the downtrodden to embrace the fascism of the moment. It may have taken a long time for Christ Stopped at Eboli to get here, but, like most great art, it speaks to our moment as well as its own. -------------- Christ Stopped at Eboli Not rated Running time: 3 hours, 40 minutes Playing: Laemmles Royal, West Los Angeles; also Thursday at Laemmles Playhouse, Pasadena You are here: World Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is in Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia in 2016, bilateral cooperation in various fields has been advancing steadily, political mutual trust has been strengthened, and both sides have firmly supported each other's core interests, Xi said. "Serbia is an important country in jointly building the Belt and Road, and the two sides should deepen mutually beneficial cooperation to better benefit the two peoples," Xi said. Both sides should enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges and mutual learning, improve people-to-people ties, strengthen international cooperation in multilateral fields, jointly uphold multilateralism, and promote world peace and development, Xi said. Vucic expressed congratulations on the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, saying that China's development achievements provide Serbia with valuable reference. Serbia firmly supports and actively participates in cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, which is bringing benefits to the people of Serbia and the rest of the world, Vucic said. Major cooperation projects built with Chinese assistance have greatly promoted Serbia's economic development, he added. As a staunch friend of China, Serbia will continue to maintain mutual understanding and support with China on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns, Vucic said. After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents. For a documentary examining the enduring affection for the late Polaroid camera (the bankrupt company ceased manufacturing its iconic, self-developing film in 2008) Willem Baptists Instant Dreams proves to be an awfully drawn-out process. At its peak, the brainchild of Edwin Land generated more than a billion photos a year before that brand of old school instant gratification was effectively rendered obsolete in the digital age. But, like the vinyl LP before it, it was rescued from oblivion by passionate consumers and Impossible Project, a Dutch company since renamed Polaroid Originals, which set about devising a film stock that would be comparable to Dr. Lands secret formula. As long as he maintains his focus on the notoriously private Land and the painstaking efforts of Impossible Projects chief technology officer and Polaroid vet Stephen Herchen to recapture lightning in an SX-70, Baptist delivers something reasonably compelling. Advertisement Unfortunately the bulk of the overly artsy production is preoccupied with the exploits of others, including Polaroid-obsessed New York Magazine editor Christopher Bonanos, who penned a book on the subject; and German artist Stefanie Schneider, who used her dwindling expired film stock for a photo shoot in the middle of the California desert. After 90 minutes of watching his subjects doing mundane things like driving around in cars and posing for faux photos, the pretentious film will leave you wanting to shake it like a Polaroid picture. ------------- Instant Dreams Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes Playing: Starts April 26, Laemmle Glendale ------------ calendar@latimes.com @LATimesMovies Sauvage/Wild, a fierce and compassionate first feature from the French writer-director Camille Vidal-Naquet, begins with what appears to be a routine physical examination. A handsome 22-year-old named Leo (Felix Maritaud), complaining of coughing fits and stomach pains, strips off his shirt and allows the doctor to inspect the bruises on his torso. Before long, the doctor is inspecting more than that: Leo is a sex worker, and his latest client is a guy with a medical role-play fetish. The doctor isnt real, though the bruises very much are. At once playfully withholding and matter-of-fact explicit, the scene makes a fitting opener for a movie whose frank depictions of male sexuality conceal their own subtler level of scrutiny. You could describe Sauvage/Wild, set in Strasbourg, as an intimate and unflinching portrait of a gay prostitute and some of the harsh realities of his line of work: lousy pay, violent johns, days spent tediously waiting for work and nights spent sleeping on sidewalks. You might also see it as the story of a man treating his job as a conduit for love, seeking a spark or a connection that might lead to something more. That might suggest a naively romanticized view of sex work, the flip side of the moralistic finger-wagging that too often accompanies movies on the subject. But Vidal-Naquet never prettifies or sentimentalizes what he shows us; he simply refuses to draw easy boundaries between love and lust, the emotional and the transactional. We learn little about Leos background or the circumstances that led him to his present state, but he clearly isnt in it for the money. He likes what he does, and he seldom rules out the possibility of finding meaning, even tenderness, in each anonymous encounter. In this he differs from the more pragmatic Ahd (Eric Bernard), who makes it clear that hes strictly gay-for-pay, though he eventually lands a sugar daddy and encourages Leo to do the same. But Leo has already fallen hopelessly in love with Ahd, a desire that this inarticulate young man can express only in a language of clumsy embraces and flailing fisticuffs. Advertisement Felix Maritaud in the movie Sauvage/Wild. (Strand Releasing) Maritaud, who had supporting roles in BPM (Beats Per Minute) and Knife + Heart, acts with an explosive physicality, and he presents his body to the camera with zero inhibition or self-consciousness. But the movie keeps drawing your gaze to his eyes, and to the range of emotions that sometimes peek out from behind his chiseled glare. Leo can be a passive participant, as when hes being degraded by a pair of thugs or joining forces with another hustler (Nicolas Dibla) to dupe and rob their latest john. But he can also be a generous and attentive companion, as when he bonds with an older man in a touching assertion of mutual need. Vidal-Naquet has cited Agnes Vardas Vagabond (1985) as an inspiration in interviews, and the similarities are apparent not only in this movies jagged realism but also in its existential, moment-by-moment approach. As with Vardas protagonist, a young woman in a defiant state of drift, we learn little about Leos background or how he ended up in his present state. One of the movies points it that he doesnt really owe us an explanation. The harshness of his circumstances speaks more than sufficiently for itself. We are reminded continually of Leos poverty and hunger, his crack addiction and his waning health; we also see the day-to-day violence that can erupt, whether out in the open or behind closed doors. But the movie lets the moments of bliss and contentment speak too, from the electrifying release of a strobe-lit dance floor to the unforced camaraderie he feels with his fellow prostitutes. Leo accepts all of it without complaint and even a measure of equanimity, and at no point does he seem willing to consider a different way of life. Midway through the film, he meets with another doctor, a real one this time (played by Marie Seux), who encourages him to get off drugs and take better care of himself. As she examines him, Leo responds instinctively to her touch, pulling her into a hug that she gently returns. Its one of the few instances of physical interaction in Sauvage/Wild that isnt followed by an exchange of money or a punch in the face, and its both heartening and heartbreaking to watch. Vidal-Naquets film knows that every wound and balm to the flesh is also one to the spirit. ------------ Sauvage/Wild Not rated In French with English subtitles Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes Playing: Nuart Theatre, West Los Angeles justin.chang@latimes.com | Twitter: @JustinCChang Subject and style could not be more different than in The White Crow, but that fusion of opposites has resulted in an involving biographical drama that rarely puts a foot wrong. Speaking of feet, the subject is Rudolf Nureyev, a dancer to conjure with, a superstar/sacred monster who changed the very nature of ballet, the first major Soviet artist to defect to the West and a man who had, a biographer wrote, an innate sense that borders were meant to be crossed. Nureyevs highly dramatic, unexpected story has been brought to the screen in an impeccably classic way by actor Ralph Fiennes, who directs as well as costars, and David Hare, a writer with dozens of plays and scripts to his credit. More than that, great care has been taken to stick closely to the facts of Nureyevs passion-driven life, especially the films climactic moments, the dancers impulsive but finally inevitable 1961 decision to defect to the West in the departure lounge of a Paris airport. Advertisement Fiennes, whose previous forays into directing and acting include the sterling The Invisible Woman, has been wanting for some 20 years to make a film on this ferocious, difficult and contradictory man. Sticking to the facts also means having most of the cast, including Fiennes himself, speaking Russian, and taking the risk of casting Oleg Ivenko, a top Ukrainian dancer who has something of Nureyevs look but had never acted before, as the man himself. As structured by Hare, White Crow (named after a Russian idiom for someone who is not like other people) alternates between three different periods in the dancers life. These include his impoverished childhood in the central Russian city of Ufa (following his birth on the Trans-Siberian Railway, of all places), his days as a ballet student in Leningrad, and the trip to Paris with the Kirov (now the Mariinsky) Ballet that led to his defection. White Crow begins at the end of the story, with a coda after Nureyevs defection, when a KGB official grills Alexander Pushkin (Fiennes), the dancers teacher and mentor, about why he left. No, Pushkin quietly insists, Nureyevs leaving was not an attack on the Soviet Union, in fact it had nothing to do with politics at all. Its about dance, Pushkin says, adding, it was an explosion of character. How exactly that character came to be formed is what the rest of White Crow is about. We first see Nureyev on an Aeroflot plane taking him to Paris in spring 1961, excited to be part of the Kirovs first trip to the West since the end of World War II and filled with a hunger for experiences of any and all kinds. Passionate about every art, not just dance, Nureyev goes to the Louvre to see Gericaults The Raft of the Medusa, a personal favorite, but also makes time (this apparently really happened) to buy a toy train set. Attracted to both sexes and hungry for personal experience, Nureyev makes a point of hanging out with French dancers, and its through them that he meets Clara Saint (Adele Exarchopoulos), a young woman dealing with a personal tragedy whom he forms a strong bond with. None of this is lost on the Soviet KGB minders, led by the ever-vigilant Strizhevksy (Aleksey Morozov), who track the dancers every move and try to balance sympathy for a great artist with belief in the rules. In truth, Nureyev can be difficult to sympathize with, even for his friends. Self-confident past the point of arrogance (Its not going to take long until everybody knows who I am), he is also sensitive, easily offended and possessed of a terrible temper. Those flashbacks, starting with a father who was often absent during his hardscrabble childhood, make us see the astronomical odds Nureyev had to overcome to succeed. Aware of beginning way late starting at the Leningrad Choreographic School (I need to do six years work in three), he alienates some of the faculty with his intensity and hauteur. But he finds a champion when Pushkin takes him under his wing and teaches him that steps have a logic and technique is only a means, not an end. Not on the curriculum but increasingly a factor is the attention that Pushkins wife Xenia (Chulpan Khamatova) pays to her husbands protege. One of the paradoxes of Nureyevs accurately portrayed airport defection is that it was completely spur of the moment and a result of KGB tactics. I would never have had the courage to do it, he told a friend years later, unless they goaded me. But he did, and the convincing White Crow makes us understand how and why it happened. ------------- The White Crow In English and Russian with English subtitles Rated: R, for some sexuality, graphic nudity and language Running time: 2 hours, 7 minutes Playing: Starts April 26, Arclight, Hollywood; Landmark, West Los Angeles Does the notion of a calzone crossed with a French dip sandwich sound like sheer gimmickry? Daniel Cutler runs with the idea and manages to transcend hokum at his Fairfax restaurant Ronan. He appears so confident in the deliciousness of his creation, The Philippe, that he makes no efforts at beautification. The thing lands on the table resembling a giant sea cucumber, its formless mass blackened and pocked. Servers offer quick instruction: Tackle the brute by carving it crosswise into thick slices, and then start sopping bites in jus and swiping them through hot mustard. As with the most popular dipped sandwich at Philippe the Original downtown, ribbons of roast beef fill the calzone. Cutler adds provolone, and he times the baking in an oak-burning pizza oven to flatter every element: The meat stays rosy, the cheese melts to lava, the crust crackles and yields in all the right places. The jus is more akin to the broth for French onion soup, threaded with caramelized onions. Soaked in this stuff, the calzone rattles with beefiness in surround sound. The hot mustard blasts the sinuses. Advertisement Im an apologist for the calzone, too often the overlooked kid on the playground while pizza is chosen for all the teams. But this weird, wonderful anomaly charms every person I bring here. The dish summarizes the endearingly goofy wit (puns abound on the menu) and the Angeleno pride that Cutler ingrains in his cooking. The Philippe calzone, upper left, and other dishes at Ronan. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) How to best describe Ronan an underdog enchanter, open since September, that Cutler runs with his wife, general manager Caitlin Cutler? To call it a small plates and pizza restaurant is accurate but vanishes from the mind the moment you say it, especially given the evident quality and imagination coming from the kitchen. Ronan hovers between neighborhood hangout and a pricier tier of dining: Most of the modest-sized plates run in the $15 to $20 range, and the pizzas, blanketed in sterling ingredients, slide into the mid-$20s. Review: At Sonoratown, worship at the altar of flour tortillas and mesquite-grilled beef Thats an investment for a pie, though it comes with a pedigree. The Cutlers both worked at Steve Samsons recently closed Sotto, an adored keystone for pizza and pasta. Daniel was chef de cuisine during his tenure there. His pizzas at Ronan enter the lineage of Pizzeria Mozza, Pizzana and Cosa Buona, Los Angeles greats that nod to Neapolitan pizza traditions with respect but then calibrate their styles with true California individualism. Like the calzone, the crusts of Cutlers pizzas are as speckled as leopard print; taste-wise, the first hit of smoky char soon gives way to the doughs pronounced tang. The textures lean plush rather than crisp. While I can appreciate a soupy Neapolitan pie, I really prefer a sturdier, cooked-through center, which is what Cutler achieves. His Margherita generously perfumed with basil, sharpened with pecorino is one you can slice and eat by hand. Thats enjoyably, if awkwardly, manageable even with the optional blobs of burrata, this decades de rigueur pizza topping. Composed pizzas assert plenty of assured creativity and wordplay: How Nduja Want It? balances the soft, smeary sausage with Gorgonzola and a falsetto note of fermented celery; Sweet Cheeks mitigates the funk of guanciale with dulcet ricotta forte and spicy honey. The most overt gesture to luxury features a generous scattering of chanterelles, whose gentle flavor are uplifted by a veneer of Caciocavallo (a not-too-salty aged cheese from Southern Italy) and a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Fermented anchovy sauce is the secret ingredient in Ronans kingfish crudo. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) Before the admirable pizzas, the dozen-plus small plates do their job of revving the appetite and trumpeting Cutlers talent for honed, intelligently unified flavors. In an otherwise genteel Baja kingfish crudo with Cara Cara orange and fennel pollen, you can pick up the rich twang from a subtle dosing of colatura fermented anchovy sauce, originally from the Amalfi Coast, that Im noticing on more and more menus around town. Cutler plays winningly with the Caesar format by pummeling the salad with cheese, subbing in bitter chicories and replacing croutons with crisped quinoa. For spring, there are sardines, wisps of Iberico ham and mashed peas tumbled atop the restaurants excellent crusty bread. For whimsy, there is Wellington in deconstructed carpaccio form; its a stunning, swirling presentation of shaved dry-aged beef as opulent as silk drapes, with buttery crunch from puff pastry and depth from earthy creamed mushrooms. For homage, there is a round of ricotta surrounded by chopped garnishes like broccoli rabe, chives and garlicky sourdough crumbs: Its meant to evoke hiyayakko, the Japanese tofu appetizer served cold with varying toppings. Something in Cutlers tribute, after all the ingredients have been mixed together, tastes distinctly and mightily of garlic salt. It throws the whole thing out of whack. A riff on gnocchi (no-cchi) of roasted potatoes in lamb ragu comes off a little too wonky; wood-grilled pork meatballs are spongy; a pork chop Animal style could have used more of the mustardy zing of the burgers that inspired it. (I wince when I think dinner for four at In-N-Out costs less than the $38 pork chop.) Butch Klein, left, a regular at Ronan, enjoys an evening out with Roland Gutierrez. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) Two desserts encourage lingering in Ronans pub-like space: Cutlers creamy rendition of the smirched Basque-style cheesecake thats having its moment, and a tart with a rye crust covered in caramel and dark chocolate that nails the sophisticated-candy-bar vibe angle. Ronan stands next to the Groundlings theater on the dense stretch of Melrose Avenue between La Brea and Fairfax. People-watching in the restaurant is primo: Its crowds slant youngish and gayish; the parade of fashion grows edgier as the night wears on. The concrete-bunker interior, with its long communal table and bar lined with wide rectangular stools, feels almost subterranean in its shadowed dimness. Those seeking the light will gravitate to the deep, narrow patio a fine place to sip amaro-laced cocktails and orangey natural wines. On nights when I witness business on the quiet side, I worry about Ronans multiple identities: the with-it pizzeria hangout fused with the serious, ambitious, pricey restaurant. The French dip number that has me so smitten? It costs $27. It feeds two easily with a few small plates to start, but will everyone want to pay that for a calzone? Im not sure. I am certain, though, that Cutler is a seasoned, wry chef, fully in command of his powers. Amid an overlap of pizza (and calzone) geeks, trend seekers and flush locals, therein lies his audience. Ronan Calling Daniel and Caitlin Cutlers first project a small plates and pizza restaurant is accurate enough, but the rangy, charismatic cooking also defies easy labeling. The chanterelle pizza at Ronan. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) LOCATION 7315 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 917-5100, ronanla.com PRICES Small plates $9-$38; larger wood-grilled dishes $16-$55; pizzas (and calzone) $17-$29; desserts $9 DETAILS Credit cards accepted. Valet parking. Full bar. Patio is wheelchair accessible. RECOMMENDED DISHES Chicory Caesar; kingfish crudo; Wellington carpaccio; the Philippe calzone; Margherita pizza; rye or die chocolate-caramel tart. bill.addison@latimes.com Instagram: @bill_addison Twitter: @billaddison California health officials announced Thursday that 38 people had been infected with measles so far this year, a tally expected to rise in the coming weeks as outbreaks grow in the state. The news comes amid a nationwide surge in measles, with 695 cases in 22 states this year as of Wednesday evening, the most reported in the U.S. since 2000. In California, the measles count jumped 15 in a week, said Dr. Karen Smith, director of the state Department of Public Health. Health officials have declared new outbreaks in Sacramento and Los Angeles over the last few days. Overall, Californias high vaccination rates seem to have prevented small outbreaks from mushrooming the way they have elsewhere, experts say. Californias largest outbreak, in Butte County, has spread to 16 people. By contrast, an outbreak in New York City has infected more than 320. Advertisement Still, pockets of unvaccinated people in California are susceptible, experts say. When a traveler contracts measles abroad and brings it back to the U.S., the disease can start spreading among groups that arent immunized. Fourteen of the 38 people with measles in California caught the illness while visiting other countries, including Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, Smith said. Four of those infected 22 other people in the state, likely living in areas with lower-than-average vaccination rates. While we have very high rates of vaccination overall in the state, we do have pockets where communities have very low vaccination rates, Smith said in a call with reporters Thursday. We have schools where less than 50% of the kids are vaccinated. Three-quarters of the measles patients in California were not vaccinated at all or only had one of the two recommended doses of the measles vaccine, said Dr. Gil Chavez, deputy director for the state health departments infectious diseases center. Some people fell sick despite being vaccinated because the shot is estimated to be 97% effective, he said. That means that even in the best of cases, 3% of people who are immunized are not fully protected, Chavez said. The measles vaccine is still considered highly effective and officials recommend it to anyone who has not been immunized yet. People who contract measles after getting the shot tend to have a less severe form of the illness and are less likely to transmit it to others. The measles vaccine is believed to work for a lifetime. Measles patients in California ranged in age from 5 months to 55 years, Smith said. Some have been hospitalized, she said. Though measles is most deadly for babies under a year old, children younger than 5 and adults older than 20 are more likely to suffer from other serious complications, such as pneumonia, brain swelling and ear infections that can lead to permanent hearing loss. Contrary to what some people think, measles is not a benign childhood disease, Smith said. Measles outbreaks have been increasing in the U.S. and abroad as vaccine coverage falls. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world, and the first to come back when vaccination rates dip. For the first time, the World Health Organization in 2019 named vaccine hesitancy one of the worlds greatest health threats. In 2016, California implemented a law requiring that all students have their shots unless a doctor says otherwise. The law has pushed up vaccination rates, but unvaccinated pockets remain. On Wednesday, California lawmakers held a hearing for a bill to tighten the law, which was attended by thousands of protesters opposing the bill. At 785 of the 6,500 elementary schools in California, the percentage of kindergarteners with all their required shots at the start of the 2017-18 school year, including the measles vaccine, fell short of 90%. Officials say a community needs 95% immunity to prevent a contagious illness like measles from taking hold. Children are very, very good at transmitting diseases, particularly diseases like measles, Smith said. Every person with measles, if theyre in an unvaccinated population, will spread it to 10 other people.... Once that starts to happen, we cant stop it easily. Measles spreads through coughing and sneezing. Even after a sick person leaves a room, the virus can linger in the air for as long as two hours, able to infect an unsuspecting victim. California officials say they are particularly worried about adults who finished their schooling before the strict vaccination requirements took effect and never got their shots, she said. Three-quarters of the measles patients in California this year were 18 or older, Chavez said. Officials said they are recommending that people who are planning to travel abroad check whether they have been vaccinated against measles. People who are unsure whether they are vaccinated can safely get another dose of the vaccine, officials say. We are very focused right now on the people who are at risk of bringing measles back to California that is the unvaccinated travelers, Smith said. So far, the cases in California this year do not warrant the declaration of a statewide outbreak, but there have been four local outbreaks, Smith said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more linked cases. The signs of measles are a lot like cold symptoms, including fever and cough. They usually start about two weeks after exposure. But measles patients also get a characteristic red rash that typically begins on the face and spreads downward toward the feet. Patients with a rash are advised not to visit the ER or urgent care, but instead to call their doctor first so the doctor can make special arrangements for the visit to avoid infecting others. Measles cases by county Los Angeles: 6 Placer: 3 Sacramento: 3 San Francisco: 1 San Mateo: 4 Santa Clara: 4 Santa Cruz: 1 Butte, Calaveras, Shasta and Tehama counties: 16 soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com Twitter: @skarlamangla Trying to stop a measles outbreak from spreading, health officials announced Thursday that more than 200 students and staff members at UCLA and Cal State L.A. who have been exposed to measles are being asked to stay home. The five people diagnosed with measles so far in L.A. County this year include a UCLA student and a Cal State L.A. student. Concerned about the quick spread of disease on busy college campuses, health officials have ordered that students and staff exposed to measles who cannot show they have been vaccinated be quarantined until further notice. The announcement comes on the same day California health officials said 38 people had been infected with measles so far this year in the state, an increase of 15 from the previous week. Measles has been spiking nationwide this year, with 695 cases in 22 states reported so far, the most in the U.S. since 2000. While the largest outbreak in California is in Butte County in the northern part of the state, health officials also declared outbreaks in Los Angeles and in Sacramento County this week. Advertisement County health workers reached out to more than 500 people who may have come into contact with the UCLA student in early April. As of Thursday afternoon, 79 of those students and faculty members had not provided medical records showing that they are immune to measles, according to a statement from the university. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, spread by coughing and sneezing. Even after a sick person leaves a room, the virus can linger in the air for as long as two hours, able to infect an unsuspecting victim. One person with a confirmed measles case can expose thousands of people to measles, L.A. County public health department director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said at a news conference Thursday. At Cal State L.A., 156 library employees both students and staff who may have been around the infected student earlier this month, also could not provide their immunization records, according to a statement from the university. L.A. County public health officials ordered Thursday that anyone who could not provide their immunization records stay at home. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, 235 people were still facing quarantine orders, according to county health officials. Officials said they would lift the quarantine orders as soon as people showed documentation that they had been immunized or had a lab test to verify their immunity. Without that proof, people exposed at UCLA could be quarantined until April 30 and those at Cal State L.A. until May 2. I know there is concern about measles, particularly among the very small percentage of our community who have not been vaccinated, said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block in the statement. Please be assured that we have the resources we need for prevention and treatment, and that we are working very closely with local public health officials. Cal State L.A. officials said they told those exposed to stay at home. But UCLA officials did not respond to questions about how they would handle quarantined students who live in dorms, often in close quarters. In a statement, they said they had arranged for such students to be cared for at UCLA while they are quarantined. In 2015, the UC system approved a regulation requiring that students be fully vaccinated before enrolling at any campus. At California universities in the last decade, there have been outbreaks of mumps, meningitis and norovirus. But amid pushback, UC officials did not begin enforcing the regulation until fall 2018, the beginning of the current school year. Therefore, most students at UCLA enrolled before the requirement took effect. Since the beginning of the year, the nation has been struggling with measles outbreaks across the country, the biggest of which are in New York and Washington states. Most outbreaks begin when an American traveler visits another country, catches measles and brings it back to a neighborhood with low vaccination rates. High vaccination rates in California seem to have prevented small outbreaks from mushrooming the way they have elsewhere, experts say. Californias largest outbreak, in Butte County, has spread to 16 people. By contrast, an outbreak in New York City has infected more than 320. Californias high levels of vaccination are partly due to one of the strictest immunization laws in the country, which was implemented in 2016. But California high school students and young adults who had already finished their schooling when the law took effect were not required to comply. That has left a large pool of young people many of whom are college-aged now especially vulnerable to infections, experts say. This group in their early 20s is part of whats known as the Wakefield generation, because they were infants in 1998 when British scientist Andrew Wakefield published a now discredited paper claiming that vaccines cause autism. Scared of the side effects of vaccination, many parents chose to opt out. Of the 38 people who have been diagnosed with measles in California this year, three-quarters were 18 or older, said Dr. Gil Chavez, deputy director for the state health departments infectious diseases center, in a press call with reporters Thursday. Chavez recommended the measles vaccination, especially for people traveling out of the country. Three-quarters of the measles patients in California were not vaccinated at all or only had one of the two recommended doses of the measles vaccine, said Chavez. Some people fell sick despite being vaccinated because the shot is estimated to be 97% effective, he said. That means that even in the best of cases, 3% of people who are immunized are not fully protected, Chavez said. The measles vaccine is still considered highly effective and officials recommend it to anyone who has not been immunized yet. People who contract measles after getting the shot tend to have a less severe form of the illness and are less likely to transmit it to others. The measles vaccine is believed to work for a lifetime. Measles patients in California ranged in age from 5 months to 55 years, Smith said. Some have been hospitalized, she said. Though measles is most deadly for babies under a year old, children younger than 5 and adults older than 20 are more likely to suffer from other serious complications, such as pneumonia, brain swelling and ear infections that can lead to permanent hearing loss. Contrary to what some people think, measles is not a benign childhood disease, Smith said. soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com Twitter: @skarlamangla Los Angeles County on Thursday joined a growing list of entities suing Southern California Edison, seeking to hold the utility accountable amid hints that its damaged electrical equipment may have sparked the devastating Woolsey fire. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeks millions of dollars in damages related to the fire. The official cause of the fire the most devastating in county history, consuming more than 96,000 acres, destroying 1,600 structures and killing three people last November hasnt been determined yet by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. But county officials pointed to the utilitys regulatory filings, which noted an equipment malfunction near where the fire began. Advertisement This legal action is an important and essential step toward accountability and recovery, said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, whose district includes much of the fire-damaged areas. Although I know it wont bring peoples homes or businesses back, and wont heal the trauma or grief my constituents are experiencing, or restore our charred hillsides, its very important to require entities to be held responsible. By the countys estimates, it spent more than $100 million on the massive emergency response and fire suppression efforts, in addition to repairs to infrastructure and natural resources. The tally also includes lost tax revenue and expenses from the dozen county departments that responded to the blaze. The countys flood control and consolidated fire protection districts are listed as plaintiffs as well. Edison officials declined to comment specifically about the countys claims on Thursday, as it has with other legal cases stemming from the fires. In a written statement, it said: The safety of the public, our customers, communities and employees and contractors is always our first priority. Our thoughts remain with all those across the state who have been affected by these devastating wildfires. We continue to work to help our customers and communities recover and rebuild from these catastrophic events. The company has said that its fully cooperating in their investigation by Cal Fire, which could take months to complete. The suit alleges negligence by Edison and names the utilitys parent company, Edison International. But the suit also cites inverse condemnation a legal doctrine that has held utilities liable whenever their equipment ignites fires, regardless of negligence, in addition to other claims. Hundreds of homeowners and business have also sued the utility over the Woolsey fire. According to an annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in February, Edison said it believes that its equipment could be found to have been associated with the ignition of the fire. To the California Public Utilities Commission, the utility reported an outage on its electric system near the ignition point. To the SEC, the utility said that a piece of its equipment was found in proximity to an electrical wire that was energized prior to the outage, suggesting contact. The fire began the afternoon of Nov. 8 in Ventura County. Fueled by wind gusts topping 70 mph, it burned rapidly and jumped the 101 Freeway the following morning, beginning its devastating progression to the coast in Malibu. A rash of wildfires in California have put major financial pressure on the states largest utilities, including Pacific Gas & Electric, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy citing the liability from the fires for its insolvency. While Edison doesnt face the same financial threat as PG&E, which could be found liable for the Camp fire in Butte County last fall, it has asked regulators to approve higher rates. The money would help mitigate the threat from the growing risk of destructive fires and pay for its mounting legal liabilities. Under one request, the average household could see an annual bill increase of $170. Thanks to Southern Californias wet winter, the Santa Monica Mountains are alive with luminous purple phacelia and bright blue lupine flowers. But amid the joyful eruption of native wildflowers, an aggressive interloper has also returned. The yellow bloom of the invasive plant Brassica nigra, better known as black mustard, has covered the hillsides throughout the Santa Monica Mountains and much of the West. It is something people tend to misunderstand, said Jutta Burger, the science program director for the California Invasive Plant Council. They see a nice yellow field in the distance, [but] on closer inspection, it is a mustard field. Advertisement The tough plant germinates early in winter before native plants have taken hold, shoots up more than 6 feet tall, hogs the sunlight with its thick stalks and lays down a deep system of roots that beats out native plants for water. The weeds tend to dry up by July or August, and along with invasive European grasses they serve as kindling during Southern Californias long wildfire season, according to experts. Mustard plants lay down thousands of seeds and are one of the first plants to spring up after a fire. It is a vicious cycle, Burger said. 1 / 8 The bright yellow blooms of the black mustard plant fill the hillsides of Calabasas along the 101 Freeway corridor where the Woolsey fire raged six months ago. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 8 The bright yellow blooms of the black mustard plant fill the hillsides of Calabasas along the 101 Freeway corridor. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 8 The bright yellow blooms of the black mustard plant fill the hillsides of Calabasas along the 101 Freeway corridor. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 8 People hiking along the trails in Fairview Park are dwarfed by the tall stands of black mustard in Costa Mesa. (Mark Boster / For The Times) 5 / 8 Fields of black mustard, growing as high as 10 feet, are covering the fields and slopes of Fairview Park in Costa Mesa. (Mark Boster / For The Times) 6 / 8 A pedestrian wearing a yellow shirt blends in with the mustrad growing along the trails at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa. (Mark Boster / For the Times) 7 / 8 Black mustard grows along the hiking trails in Griffith Park. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 8 Black mustard grows along the hiking trails in Griffith Park. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) The mustard and other invasive species are on the minds of botanists and ecologists working in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Woolsey fire last year scorched 96,949 acres, including more than 88% of the federal land in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Scientists are closely monitoring over 400 areas with sensitive habitats to make sure invasive species arent spreading, said Joseph Algiers, a restoration ecologist for the recreation area. They also are restoring burned areas with native plants, including coastal sagebrush species and giant wild rye. But there are over 300 nonnative plants in the Santa Monicas too many for park officials to control. Instead, they are focused on combating the spread of a select group dubbed the evil 25, including fountain grass, tree of heaven and Spanish broom. Some get planted for ornamental reasons or to stabilize hillsides and prevent erosion. Park officials want to prevent other invasive species from taking over the way mustard has come to dominate the landscape. It is a terrible invasive species, Algiers said. It is so widespread. It doesnt meet the criteria of being something we can actually manage on a large scale. Black mustard covers the hillside in the Santa Monica Mountains. Mustard, which can grow over 6 feet is tall, is likely to dry up in the summer months, providing dangerous fuel for wildfires. (National Park Service) The invasive plant was brought from Eurasia to the Pacific Coast by Spanish colonizers. It was intended to be a spice crop but quickly spread. Experts say it can be combated locally but will probably never be eradicated. The plant takes advantage of natural habitats that are constantly disturbed either by fire or by the creation and maintenance of roads, one reason mustard is so visible near highways. In areas hit repeatedly by fires, the mustard can grow faster than native species. The plant often can be found growing near highly flammable European grasses like brome, said Scott Steinmaus, the head of Cal Poly San Luis Obispos horticulture and crop science department. Mustard can make matters worse during a fire because the stalks are taller than the grass and can act as a fire ladder, carrying flames to taller trees, he said. It is those invasive grasses that carry the most risk for firefighters, said Ventura County Fire Capt. Kenneth VanWig. Once they are dry, invasive grasses can ignite easily and carry fire quickly. The grasses are curing now. They turn brown pretty quick, VanWig said. And the grass is pretty tall this year. Mustard plants themselves dont carry fire particularly well, he said, but in a wind-driven fire, they will burn. Weed experts say the mustard plants omnipresence serves as an example of what can happen if an invasive species goes untreated. No way we are going to get rid of black mustard, Steinmaus said. We have so much of it. We can try to protect areas that dont have a lot of it yet, but we will never eradicate black mustard. The National Park Service asks residents in the Santa Monica Mountains to choose native plants for their yards and avoid invasive ones that can still be found at nurseries. Algiers, the restoration ecologist, also asks volunteers interested in pulling invasive weeds and planting native species to email him at joseph_algiers@nps.gov. javier.panzar@latimes.com @jpanzar A former Mexican Mafia leader who developed close ties with law enforcement has been denied parole by Californias governor for the fourth time in five years. Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected parole for Rene Boxer Enriquez, a former gang shot-caller who is serving life in prison for two 1989 murders, overruling a December decision by the states parole board to grant the ex-gang member his freedom. In a three-page letter issued April 12, Newsom called Enriquez, 56, dangerous but commended his cooperation with law enforcement and participation in rehab programs. He noted that Enriquez has not been disciplined for more than 15 years and has remained violence-free for more than two decades. Although Mr. Enriquez has debriefed from the Mexican Mafia, his extensive history of callous violence, as well as the strikingly high number of those violent crimes on countless victims, remain a relevant risk factor for his future violence, Newsom wrote. Advertisement I encourage him to continue down this path of self-development and insight. However, given his current risk to public safety, I am not prepared to approve his release. Enriquez will get another chance at parole next year. In the meantime, he continues to serve his sentence at Ironwood State Prison, about 100 miles east of Palm Springs. He ordered the killing of drug dealer Cynthia Gavaldon, who he suspected was stealing from him. He also shot a member of the Mexican Mafia in the back of the head five times after injecting the man with heroin. Enriquezs criminal history also includes jailhouse attacks on other inmates, including a sexual assault, drug sales, burglary and nearly two dozen counts of robbery. In recent years, Enriquez has disavowed his violent past and become a law enforcement ally by filming training videos, lecturing at conferences and cooperating with investigators. That close relationship was the subject of controversy in 2015 after the Los Angeles Police Department invited Enriquez to appear at a downtown L.A. event, where he spoke with business leaders. The high security for the event was paid for with tax dollars, although organizers offered to reimburse the city after the media covered the event. Enriquez has traced his violent history to childhood trauma, claiming he was sexually and physically abused by relatives, including his older brother. dorany.pineda@latimes.com Twitter: @DoranyPineda90 A tweet posted on the Fontana Police Departments official Twitter account that called a Muslim American politician un-American had tongues wagging this week. Officials initially said the departments account had been hacked when the tweet was posted Tuesday and then promptly deleted. But a day later, authorities said in a statement that the culprit was actually an off-duty officer. Officers said they learned about the tweet shortly after 8:30 a.m. after a reporter contacted the Police Department about the post, according to a news release posted Wednesday. Along with a link to a story about U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and her push to shut down Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the tweet read: Nice knowing you! I became bulimic because I vomit every time I hear your BS. You are one of the most un-American persons I know. Advertisement Fontana police quickly countered after being alerted of the post: This is an embarrassment to the Fontana Police Department, officials said in a statement. This careless act does not reflect the values of the men and women that honorably serve our community. If anyone saw the inappropriate tweet that went out earlier, apparently someone gained access to our account. We apologize, and we are working on fixing the issue. Fontana PD (@FontanaPD) April 23, 2019 The message elicited both praise and protests from the internet, with some saying the tweet was justified or downplaying it as a mistake, while others called out the Police Department for being racist and biased. Fontana police say the off-duty employee who sent the tweet had permission to make official social media posts on the Twitter account. Authorities say the person who has not been identified but who a spokesperson says was a sworn peace officer thought the comments were being sent to a personal Twitter feed, but instead were posted on the departments official account. The officers access to the departments Twitter account has now been revoked, Fontana police said. A personnel investigation has been initiated, and appropriate actions will be followed, police said, adding that the social media accounts password protection protocols have been strengthened to prevent similar incidents in the future. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has denounced the tweet. We find it highly unlikely someone hacked the Twitter account of the Fontana Police Department to send out one specific tweet, the advocacy organization said. The current trend of normalizing hate speech has emboldened bigots in their speech, as well as in their actions, and it is obvious that bigotry exists within the ranks of the Fontana Police Department. The organization also called for any results from the Police Departments investigation to be shared publicly. Its not clear what, if any, consequences the officer may face. On an issue like this, we want to do a very thorough investigation, said Sgt. Kellen Guthrie, who would not comment on what the departments investigation entails. Guthrie said officers are subject to discipline for actions both on- and off-duty, although he would not comment on whether this officer would be disciplined for the tweet. We cant get involved in politics, he said. alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com Twitter: @r_valejandra Orange Countys top prosecutor Wednesday launched an internal review of alleged misuse of informants in the countys jails, after statements last week that the state attorney generals office had closed its years-long criminal investigation into the scandal. In a statement, Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer expressed frustration with the lack of communication from Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra over the status of the states investigation. During a hearing in a Fullerton courtroom last week, Deputy Atty. Gen. Darren Shaffer said that the state probe into the conduct of several sheriffs deputies had been closed, but offered no further explanation, according to county Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders. I refuse to wait for the attorney general to make any conclusions given this lack of communication on inquiries, Spitzer said. It is my responsibility as the recently elected district attorney of Orange County to move forward with my own investigation into what occurred, and if any remaining personnel are responsible. Shaffers comments at the April 19 hearing appeared to be in reference to a perjury investigation involving at least three sheriffs deputies. He did not say when or why the investigation closed, or make any statements about possible criminal charges. In a letter sent to Becerra on Wednesday, Spitzer asked whether the district attorneys office also remained under investigation. Advertisement Former Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris started the investigation in 2015, after Orange County sheriffs deputies were accused of housing a prolific jailhouse informant near Scott Dekraai, the confessed gunman in the 2011 Seal Beach salon massacre. Evidence produced during Dekraais case revealed that deputies had been placing informants near high-profile defendants to obtain confessions and elicit other information, which violated their constitutional right to have an attorney present when questioned about crimes for which they had already been charged. The scandal has led to retrials in more than a dozen cases, including some homicides. For years, the investigation overseen by Harris and then Becerra showed no tangible progress. Earlier this year, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes took the unusual step of restarting his internal investigation because of a similar lack of communication from Becerras office. The attorney generals office has not responded to multiple phone calls and emails from The Times seeking comment. At an unrelated press conference in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday morning, Becerra repeatedly cited Department of Justice policy not to discuss investigations when asked about Shaffers comments. When were in court, were gonna respond to the questions of the court as accurately and as quickly as we can. We responded to the question of the court and you could take that response by our deputy in that case as an accurate representation of where we are, Becerra said. But he responded because he was asked by a judge. Thats the only reason he responded. Asked if Shaffers comments meant the attorney generals office concluded the deputies had done nothing wrong, Becerra said, if its possible for us to do something to hold violators accountable, well do it. Local watchdogs and civil rights advocates have long expressed frustration with the pace of the attorney generals investigation and concern that the full extent of the informant scandal may never be known. The investigation was a sham from beginning to end, and the result is more deputies are more emboldened than ever to ignore the law, Sanders, who first uncovered the informant situation while representing Dekraai in 2014, said last week. Sanders had filed a motion seeking records that could have revealed some additional information about the attorney generals investigation, but Orange County Superior Court Judge James Rogan quashed his subpoena on Tuesday, records show. The matter remains under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Paul Wilson, whose wife, Christy Lynn Wilson, was among the Seal Beach victims, came to Los Angeles on Thursday hoping to question Becerra about the investigation, but was denied access to the news conference because he did not have media credentials. Informed of Becerras remarks, Wilson said he was disgusted to see another investigation into the informant scandal fall by the wayside. Its just another pathetic example of our system thats broken, he said. james.queally@latimes.com Twitter: @JamesQueallyLAT California state officials have initiated a chlorine water treatment to clear out deadly bacteria that are the source of Legionnaires disease from several facilities in the Central Valley. The measure is part of a larger investigation into the source of two confirmed cases of the disease at a Stockton facility, one of which resulted in the death of an inmate in March. The treatment, which began Wednesday morning, came after environmental testing showed Legionella bacteria were present at the California Health Care Facility and the Northern California Youth Correctional Center, the state corrections department said in a news release. The process aims to disinfect water systems in about 115 buildings. In addition to the inmate who died in March, a second inmate tested positive for Legionnaires disease. Results are still pending in one additional case after the California Health Care Facility which holds more than 2,700 inmates and about 4,000 employees examined 30 cases of pneumonia among its patients to determine whether any also were infected with Legionnaires. Advertisement Legionnaires is a type of pneumonia that spreads when people breathe in water droplets containing the Legionella bacteria. Outbreaks tend to occur when a buildings water or cooling systems are contaminated, although the illness does not spread from person to person. The facilities discontinued the use of potable water, installed self-filtering shower heads, stopped using yard misters and power washers, and shut off the drinking-water fountains and instant hot water dispensers, the corrections department statement said. Bottled water is being provided to everyone who lives and works in the facilities and more self-filtering shower heads are on order. After the chlorine treatment, another round of environmental testing will be conducted. Around 6,000 people are diagnosed with Legionnaires disease nationwide each year, and about 1 in 10 die from it, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The last major Legionnaires outbreak in California was in 2017 at Disneyland, during which 22 people fell ill and one died. State officials attributed the outbreak to the amusement parks air-conditioning system, which carried high levels of Legionella bacteria. A California motorist told investigators Wednesday that he deliberately drove into a crosswalk in a quiet Silicon Valley suburb, hitting seven people and injuring eight, but did not say why. Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, was being held on eight counts of attempted murder as four of the victims remained hospitalized with major injuries. A 13-year-old Sunnyvale girl was in critical condition. Peoples did not resist arrest after the incident Tuesday night and was talking to investigators, Sunnyvale Police Capt. Jim Choi said. He did not say why he did it, Choi said. He did indicate that it was an intentional act. He did not express any remorse as far as we can tell. Advertisement Peoples mother, Leevell Peoples of Sacramento, said she couldnt imagine any situation in which her mild-mannered son would deliberately crash into innocent people other than something related to the post-traumatic stress disorder she said he experienced after serving as an Army sharpshooter in Iraq. Unless the car malfunctioned, he would not have done that. Hes like the perfect, model citizen, she said. Hes an Army vet, hes a good kid, never been arrested. I promise you: It was not deliberate. If anything, it was that Army. Isaiah Peoples, an auditor for the Department of Defense in Mountain View, received inpatient treatment for PTSD in 2015, his mother said. Choi said police were investigating the PTSD report. Isaiah Joel Peoples. (Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety) He said Peoples kept going after hitting the pedestrians until he struck a tree at high speed. Six people were taken to hospitals, including the youngest victim, a 9-year-old boy who was treated and released with minor injuries. A 15-year-old boy was treated and released by paramedics. The crash happened at a major intersection in an area with commercial strip malls that residents described as a quiet suburb. Businesses and roads were reopened Wednesday and police tape that had been used to cordon off the area after the crash had been removed. The only remaining signs of the incident were skid marks on the sidewalk where the car swerved and a dented tree where it crashed. Don Draper, 72, said he was waiting in his convertible for the light to turn green when the Toyota zoomed by. Draper said he was enraged and marched over to the car. He wasnt hurt apparently, and he was mumbling over and over again, Thank you, Jesus, thank you, Jesus, thank you, Jesus, again and again, Draper said. At this point I realized I had to call 911. Other witness statements matched Drapers recollection that the driver was speeding and drove directly toward the pedestrians without trying to veer away or stop. Leevell Peoples said her son is well behaved, treats everyone with respect and attends church on Sundays. He wouldnt even run a yellow light, she said. He basically probably has no friends but the people he works with, she said. Im just hoping the Army stuff wouldnt have caused this to happen. He doesnt have any seizures or anything. She said her son graduated from Cal State Sacramento after returning from Iraq in 2007. She said he had a bad episode with PTSD about two years ago and has told her that he had been regularly taking medication since then. Former housemate Chuck Herrera described Isaiah Peoples as quiet someone who had to be coaxed into going out for drinks or dinner. He said Peoples was polite, kind and sweet to Herreras toddler son. He recalls Peoples always had a lot of pills and a cough. The guy I met was not someone who you think will hurt someone, he said. My guess is something happened. The FBI is assisting California officials in the investigation. Leevell Peoples said the Army forced her son to retire because of PTSD. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Carla Gleason confirmed that he retired from the U.S. Army but provided no other details. Draper said a victim had landed in front of his car, with what appeared to be a bloody head wound. I saw a body flying through the air, and one of them was right in front of me, Draper said. This woman was about 10 feet off the ground; I can see her feet pointing upward. A man pretending to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent robbed construction workers in El Dorado Hills in Central California this week, authorities said. The victims said a similar situation with the same man occurred a week before at the subdivision construction site at Bass Lake Road, according to the El Dorado Sheriffs Office. The suspect, identified as Patrick Mullany of El Dorado Hills, is not an ICE agent or a member of law enforcement, authorities said. According to the Sheriffs Office, Mullany identified himself as such before handcuffing the workers under threat of deportation and stealing their money for court fees. A search warrant was issued for Mullanys residence and vehicle. During the search, officials discovered two replica firearms, two sets of handcuffs and cash. Advertisement Mullany was arrested and booked into the county jail on suspicion of robbery, false imprisonment and impersonating a police officer. The impersonation of a federal employee is punishable by fine or imprisonment. colleen.shalby@latimes.com @cshalby Youve heard of Scotch whisky and you know all about Kentucky bourbon. But what about Orange County whiskey, distilled and aged right in Santa Ana? Enter the Blinking Owl Distillery on Washington Avenue. Established in 2016, this business is named after an old Santa Ana bar once at Third and Birch streets. In its short tenure, the new Blinking Owl has quickly made a name for itself as Orange Countys first-ever craft distillery. They call themselves a grain-to-glass operation that strives to use California ingredients for their vodkas, gins, aquavits and whiskeys. On a recent afternoon, Blinking Owl debuted a new distinction to its liquor lineup: a 90-proof, single-barrel wheated bourbon whiskey. The proprietors believe their business is the only one around O.C. and L.A. to make this particular type. Advertisement The fun/interesting thing about our wheated bourbon to me is that we are using the same organic California-grown wheat that we use to make our base spirits for vodka, gin, OC Orange vodka and aquavit, so its all in the family, said head distiller Ryan Friesen in an email. Were making a bourbon with a more distinct wheat expression than we have before. Its a unique and softer version of our four-grain whiskey which retains the spice of the rye. A little something for everyone. Blinking Owl co-owner Brian Christenson explained how under U.S. law, bourbon must contain at least 51% corn. The remaining 49% is up to the distiller to choose from corn, rye, wheat, malt or rye malt. For Blinking Owls wheated bourbon, they added more wheat instead of rye grains, giving it a sweeter quality (as opposed to the spiciness of rye). It tends to be a softer, more elegant style of bourbon, Christenson said. Blinking Owls wheated bourbon uses wheat from the Imperial Valley and corn from the Sacramento Valley. It is aged for two years in American white oak from the Ozarks. For the expert noses, the bourbon gives off an aroma of vanilla, caramel, smokiness and chocolate. The people who first tasted it at the distillery and bought some were members of Blinking Owls Parliament Club. The name is taken from the word for a group of owls. The club has around 110 on its roster, with 60 spots left. The $299 one-time membership fee grants you some swag, three bottles of spirits, first tastes and regular events. If youre looking to try Blinking Owls wheated bourbon but missed the exclusive kick-off event, dont worry. A second batch is on its way in about a month or two for around $75 a bottle. Blinking Owl is also releasing a blended wheated bourbon that will retail for $65, available in restaurants, stores and bars, likely in June. IF YOU GO What: Blinking Owl Distillery. Tasting and distillery tours are available. Where: 802 E. Washington Ave., Santa Ana. Blinking Owl products are also available locally at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa and other bars. Information: BlinkingOwlDistillery.com Bradley Zint writes about food for TimesOC. Follow him on Twitter at @bradleyzint Support our coverage of Orange County by becoming a digital subscriber. For more news and features about Orange County, visit TimesOC.com or follow us on Twitter @timesocofficial. A chemical leak that caused a toxic plume to hang for hours over a northern Chicago suburb Thursday sickened dozens of people, including seven who were in critical condition, officials said. Lake Forest, Ill., Fire Chief Mike Gallo said a tractor was towing two separate 2-ton containers of anhydrous ammonia when the leak occurred about 4:30 a.m. Initial reports suggested the vehicle was involved in a crash, but authorities later said that was not the case. The cause of the leak has not been released. The leak created a toxic cloud that lingered for several hours over Beach Park, about 40 miles north of downtown Chicago. Authorities ordered residents within a 1-mile radius to stay inside and close their windows. Schools were closed for the day. Eleven firefighters were among the 37 people who were hospitalized, and one of the injured firefighters was among the seven in critical but stable condition, according to the Lake County Sheriffs Office. Three law enforcement officers were in good condition and several others were serious but stable, sheriffs spokesman Christopher Covelli said. Advertisement Authorities said most of those injured suffered breathing problems. This is a very dangerous chemical that can cause unconsciousness and, worst-case scenario, death, Covelli said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas that can cause breathing difficulties, burns, blisters and is fatal if breathed in high concentrations. Farmers use it to add nitrogen to soil. The first two officers who responded to the leak had to retreat because they were overcome by the ammonia, Covelli said. It was difficult to get to that scene initially with those chemicals in the air without proper protection and gear to wear over the face, he said. Authorities said about two dozen law enforcement agencies responded to the leak. The leak was contained within a few hours and the leaking tank was empty, authorities said, adding that they were waiting for the chemical plume to dissipate. The order to remain indoors was lifted by late morning, Covelli said. Few fights have Democrats more certain that they have the upper hand against President Trump than the one over border security: His plans to build walls, separate immigrant families and punish asylum seekers have alienated voters since he took office. Yet some Democrats fear their presidential candidates may embrace the one strategy that could dismay voters even more than Trumps emphasis on deportation ignoring Americans fears about porous borders altogether. The reluctance of Democratic candidates to address law and order challenges at the border has some of the partys seasoned operatives and activists fearing a trap. If Democrats dont change their narrative on this, Trump is going to cut them up, said Jeff Faux, co-founder of the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank supported by organized labor. They have to start dealing with this and convincing people they are for secure borders. Advertisement An ideologically diverse cross section of party insiders shares Fauxs fear and has warned candidates to resist pressure from activists on immigration issues to decriminalize unauthorized border crossings, defund law enforcement at the border and even discard some existing border fencing. The Democratic hopefuls have all taken aim at Trumps policies, especially family separation and the border wall. But most of them have no clear border security plan of their own. Some have embraced calls to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a proposal from the partys left that Trump has branded as an abandonment of law enforcement. Some talk of a Marshall Plan of expanded aid to Central America, an idea that wins plaudits from scholars as a long-term policy but which would do little to address the crush of people on their way right now. Trump, in peoples minds may not have the answer, but the Republicans at least acknowledge there is a problem, said a veteran Democratic pollster affiliated with one of the presidential candidates who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Democratic candidates dont. They are afraid of failing some kind of litmus test that isnt even there. If voters perceive we are for open borders, that is a big problem. Some Democrats dispute that the party runs a significant risk on the issue. Trumps policies so offend so many Americans that the politically wise move is to keep the focus on how he has hurt families, they say. I dont think we risk losing people, said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus. There are a lot of people who may have even moved over to the Democratic side in the 2018 election because they couldnt stomach the cruelty coming around the conversation on immigration. Trump is misjudging what the American people will tolerate around this issue, she said. And, indeed, Trump made strenuous efforts to use fears about immigration to rally voters to his side in the 2018 midterm election. His warnings about caravans of immigrants headed north through Mexico failed to prevent his party from losing its majority in the House. Lawmakers on the partys left who launched the movement to terminate ICE are calling on the candidates to develop immigration policies that put a priority on protecting civil rights, processing of asylum applications more quickly and decriminalizing unauthorized crossings. Yet midterm elections often dont provide a great forecast of presidential contests, and polls do indicate public concern on the issue. A Gallup poll released in February showed 47% of those surveyed saying that large numbers of immigrants illegally entering the U.S. now present a critical threat to national interests. That was an eight-point increase since last year. In a poll by Quinnipiac University in July, half of voters said they believed the president is racist, but a larger group, 60%, said they believed Democrats were more interested in exploiting immigration issues for political gain than in finding real solutions. The riffs that candidates are using now need to be updated, said Frank Sharry, founder and executive director of Americas Voice, an immigrant-rights group. They need to have a clearer strategy for what is happening at the border today, and an updated approach for how we have a 21st century immigration system that combines the values of the pro-immigrant majority and legitimate demand for the government to gain better control of what is happening. It is a challenge to Democrats, he said. Treating immigrants and minorities fairly has become a growing priority for the progressive base.They cant talk like Republicans. But they need to understand that for a lot of people in the center left and the center, if they hear a candidate talking about responsible controls and fair enforcement they will be a lot more generous toward refugees and immigrants. Officials detained more than 103,000 immigrants at the southern border last month.Thats still far below the levels hit during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, but its more than double the number from last year. The numbers are projected to keep rising. As Trumps zero-tolerance policies have failed to stem the tide, the president is increasingly laying blame on Democrats for undermining his efforts. The tendency of Democratic candidates to chafe even at use of the word crisis to describe the situation at the border concerns some former officials. The country is not happy with what is going on at the border, said John Sandweg, who served as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Obama administration. It is legitimate to be saying it is unsustainable. The Department of Homeland Security is overwhelmed with the numbers. There is an insane backlog in the immigration courts. There is a crisis, he said. If these numbers continue, it will break through and be seen by a broader swath of the public as a concern, said Sandweg. DHS is so massively overwhelmed that it would come to a point where a lot of voters will see this as a serious problem. Trump is not subtle about the politics of the issue. He says publicly that he believes immigration will be a winner for him, something he can use to drive a wedge between Democrats and economically anxious voters who may be uncomfortable with Trumps plan but even less comfortable with no plan. At a recent fundraiser in Texas, he boasted that Democrats would pay a price at the ballot box in 2020 for their immigration policy. Meanwhile, the 2020 Democratic hopefuls have found that hedging is a safe primary bet as they seek to impress a Democratic base that is enraged by the civil rights abuses documented at the border and the demonization of immigrants by the president. They are jostling to project defiance of Trumps policies and his framing of immigrants as a national security crisis. I believe our border is more secure than it has ever been, Julian Castro said on CNN this month. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said this month he opposes open borders, but when he spoke in detail about immigration at a recent rally in Madison, Wis., all of his policy plans focused on easing immigration restrictions, promising a humane border policy for those who seek asylum. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said much the same recently on Face the Nation. Id take the wall down, former Rep. Beto ORourke said in February during an interview on MSNBC, referring to the existing fencing in his hometown of El Paso. And all seven of the current senators among the 2020 hopefuls wrote colleagues last week urging them to vote against Trumps request for increased funds for ICE. We cannot support the appropriation of funds that would expand this administrations unnecessarily cruel immigration enforcement policies, its inhumane immigrant detention systems, or its efforts to build the presidents vanity project, the letter said. The partys centrist groups increasingly have warned the candidates against paying disproportionate attention to activists who may not represent the average voter. Democrats need to be careful not to get sucked into the Twitterati and make sure they are speaking to the broader electorate, said Lanae Erickson, a senior vice president at Third Way. We need to make sure we are acknowledging the nuances of immigration policy and not just demonizing the folks who are trying to enforce the law. The concerns are shared beyond Third Ways usual audience of moderates. Democrats can dismiss what Trump says as racist, and much of it is, said Faux. But much of it also has resonance with voters This is a big hole in the Democratic Party posture that Trump is going to drive a truck through. evan.halper@latimes.com Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Wednesday, April 25, and heres whats happening across California: TOP STORIES No exit: Despite being ousted from the head post at USC and blamed by many for creating a culture of scandal at the school, former university President C.L. Max Nikias has not actually left campus. He remains a tenured professor, and he has a permanent, if non-voting, seat on the universitys governing board. The man credited with transforming the university has many allies, but others are concerned about his ongoing influence. Los Angeles Times Even more Senate Bill 50: That high-profile housing legislation you keep hearing about cleared a major hurdle in a state Senate committee on Wednesday. After a tense debate, lawmakers reached an agreement that would limit the bills effect on smaller counties and along the coast, but eliminate zoning that allows for only single-family homes in much of the state. Los Angeles Times Advertisement $702-million loss: Tesla reported wider-than-expected losses in the first quarter, following disappointing delivery numbers, costs and pricing adjustments to its vehicles. The losses came after a rare two consecutive quarters of profitability for the automaker. Los Angeles Times Get the Essential California newsletter L.A. STORIES NRA vs. L.A.: The National Rifle Assn. is suing the city of Los Angeles over a new law that requires companies that have contracts with the city to disclose if they have ties to the gun rights group. An NRA lawyer called the law modern-day McCarthyism. Los Angeles Times (Raul Allen / For The Times) Where cops eat: In this story from the relaunched Food section, Jesse Pearson follows two Hollywood Division cops on their lunch break (which is actually taken at 10:30 p.m.) to a local taco truck stop. Come for the noir-meets-carne-asada narrative sketch; stay for the wonderful, graphic novel-esque illustrations. Los Angeles Times Taking the streets: Thousands of people marched through Hollywood and Mid-City on Wednesday to demand official recognition for the Armenian genocide, during which 1.5 million Armenians were killed at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Although several countries have recognized the World War I-era mass killings as genocide, both Turkey and the U.S. have officially refused to acknowledge the massacre as such. Southern California is home to the largest Armenian community outside of Armenia, and the march which falls annually on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day draws thousands every year. Los Angeles Times IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER Cruel deception: A man pretending to be an ICE agent robbed construction workers and threatened them with deportation earlier this week in Northern California. Sacramento Bee POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Fake medical exemptions for vaccines: Lawmakers in Sacramento debated a new bill that would target doctors who write fraudulent medical notes to excuse children from getting vaccinations required to enter school. KQED CRIME AND COURTS Burglary tourism: A group of alleged thieves from Chile is suspected of committing hundreds of burglaries across Southern California, lifting jewelry, guns and other valuables from affluent homes and businesses. Los Angeles Times Five-day delay: A California appellate court delayed a decision on the potential release of Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten after asking for supplemental briefs from prosecutors and the defense. Van Houten was 19 when she and fellow Manson family members stabbed Los Angeles grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, to death at their Los Feliz home in 1969. Los Angeles Times Nia Wilson case: The man accused of killing Nia Wilson at a BART station in July 2018 will be granted immunity during a prosecution-appointed psychiatric exam. Criminal proceedings in the case against John Lee Cowell have been suspended since December, when his attorney questioned his mental competency. Nothing Cowell says regarding the case during the psychiatric evaluation can be used against him in the criminal proceedings. East Bay Times Horrific incident: A Bay Area man was booked on suspicion of eight counts of attempted murder after he drove his car through a crowded Sunnyvale intersection on Tuesday, injuring eight. Police have said that they believe the drivers actions were intentional but not a terrorist attack. San Francisco Chronicle THE ENVIRONMENT Beachcombers at Kings Beach in Lake Tahoe, Calif., in 2017. (Los Angeles Times) Water, water everywhere: After nearing record-low levels during a five-year drought that ended in 2017, Lake Tahoe is expected to fill for the third year in a row. SF Gate CALIFORNIA CULTURE So thats who did it: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has admitted it was responsible for the whitewashing of artist Judy Bacas historic Los Angeles mural nearly two weeks after she announced its erasure. Los Angeles Times Tax the IPOs: The tech boom has already brought staggering wealth and staggering inequity to San Francisco. As a new wave of San Francisco companies prepares to go public, one city supervisor wants to tax them to offset the negative impacts that the next sudden injection of wealth is expected to have on the city. San Francisco Chronicle On to Game 6: The Clippers staved off elimination against the Golden State Warriors with a 129-121 victory. Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles area: Partly cloudy, 76, Thursday. Partly cloudy, 73, Friday. San Diego: Mostly sunny, 71, Thursday. Mostly sunny, 69, Friday. San Francisco area: Mostly sunny, 63, Thursday. Partly cloudy, 67, Friday. San Jose: Mostly sunny, 83, Thursday. Partly cloudy, 83, Friday. Sacramento: Mostly sunny, 88, Thursday. Partly cloudy, 88, Friday. More weather is here. AND FINALLY Todays California memory comes from Lawrence Lee: Growing up in Southern California all my life, I always treasured the times we traveled to San Francisco. My mother was the only one of ten in her family living in Los Angeles. Her siblings and parents were all in San Francisco. It was summer in the mid-60s where we would pile into our car for the eight-hour-plus drive north. Years before there was Interstate 5, we would travel north on Highway 99 through all the farm towns, stopping in Fresno or Madera for gas and a bite to eat. My widowed grandfather, a tailor, had his shop on Stockton Street in San Franciscos Chinatown with living quarters in the back and a second floor. He, my aunts and uncles and cousins, as available, would have large family dinners in his home. After dinner a few of my cousins and I would wander the streets of Chinatown, peering downstairs, below street level, at Woey Loy Goey Restaurant on Jackson Street that my uncle owned and where a couple of my cousins worked. We also enjoyed ice cream or other sweets abundant in the area. During the day, my cousins and I would sneak on and off the cable cars to Fishermans Wharf or downtown. Other times we would ride bicycles from the Richmond District down to the beach. On weekends we would have dim sum, before it was popular, at Hang Ah Tea House, across from the Chinese playground. It was recently renamed after another uncle, Willie Woo Woo Wong Playground. Those were the days, free without any fear or cares in the world. 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. Russias meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election was an attack on our sovereignty and cant be ignored. But we shouldnt allow it to distract us from the larger threat Russian President Vladimir Putin poses to both the United States and the world. To understand that threat, we have to examine Putins motivations. His policies are dictated by deeply held convictions and ambitions rooted less in Russian patriotism than in Soviet patriotism. In his mind, the end of the Soviet Union was a profound historical injustice, visited upon his country by plotters from without and traitors from within. His self-imposed mission is to avenge this tragic, man-made disaster by recovering for Russia some of the economic, political and geopolitical assets it lost when the Soviet Union collapsed. For Putin, as his policies have made clear again and again, the most important of these is to reoccupy the Soviet Unions place as an existential alternative military and moral to the United States. In the most popular trope of state propaganda, he is raising Russia off its knees to make America pay dearly for the humiliation it dealt the Soviet Union. Russias president is never happier or more animated than when he describes Russias nuclear hardware, aimed at the United States. Advertisement Whether because of his rough childhood in the slums of postwar Leningrad or his training in judo, Putin regards direct confrontation as the ultimate measure of manliness. He views victories in such bouts as proof of superior virtue for men as well as nations. For Putin, Russias greatest geopolitical success in recent years was the occupation and annexation of Crimea. And the operations success, he emphasized, was largely because of his hands-on approach. Do you know what our advantage was? he said during an interview. The fact that I personally dealt with [the operation]! Putins aggression in Crimea paid off handsomely politically: His support among Russians skyrocketed from a record low of 61% at the end of 2013 to a record high of 86% in October 2014. Russia is in total confrontation mode with the U.S., Putins chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, declared last year. Putins policies match this assessment. Russias president is never happier or more animated than when he describes Russias nuclear hardware, aimed at the United States and invulnerable to U.S. missile defense, as he emphasizes again and again. No Soviet leader ever bragged of his countrys nuclear might the way Putin does. In his two most recent annual state-of-Russia annual addresses to the Federal Assembly, he concluded with triumphant tributes to Russias nuclear arsenal, modernized under his loving care and home to the worlds heaviest, fastest and longest-range missiles. He has also touted a new cache of futuristic weapons: underwater nuclear drones, a hypersonic meteorite; a mighty ognennyi shar, or ball of fire, which Russian wits have called the flying Chernobyl. Putin has authorized two multiyear state armament programs, costing around a trillion dollars. (Russias GDP last year was $1.6 trillion.) The biggest threat posed by Putins militarism, however, is to his nearest neighbors. He has resurrected the Western Military District, established in the Soviet era and abolished by Boris Yeltsin, making it the largest and best armed of Russias military districts. NATO members Latvia and Estonia today face between 350,000 and 400,000 troops just across the border in Russia, a tank army, more than 100 fighter jets, four squadrons of long-range bombers, and Russias most modern surface-to-air missiles. And they are worried about a Crimea-style annexation of parts of their territories. Praising the Soviet Union for the way it nurtured patriotism in the young, Putin has created programs that mimic those of the former Soviet Main Political Directorate of the Armed Forces, which had responsibility for propaganda and ideological control. As of last year, 380,000 children under the draft age of 18 were reportedly enrolled in the Yunarmiya (Young Army), created in 2016 to instill patriotism and positive motivation toward military service. Yunarmiya members enjoy preferential treatment in college admissions and their numbers are expected to swell to 1 million in time for the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War (better known as World War II) next spring. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute The timing of Putins war preparations could hardly be worse. Economic growth is projected to be anemic for years to come, personal incomes are down for a fifth consecutive year, and 68% of Russians believe that their country is in an economic crisis. According to a recent survey by the Russian State Statistical Agency, 80% of Russian families have a monthly income that leaves them unable to buy a minimal assortment of goods. Thirty-five percent cannot afford to buy two pairs of shoes for each family member. Putins approval ratings have fallen to 64%, only a few percentage points higher than they were before he embarked on his Crimean conquest. While that may sound high to those living in a democracy, it is a troubling number for a politician who operates unchallenged within his country. The Russian constitution bars Putin from running again in 2024. But if Putin, who clearly would like to rule Russia for life, wants support from Russians in doing so, he will need to boost his popularity before then. How? Putin has recast himself as a wartime president defending the motherland, and he is determined to restore his country to a victorious superpower status. What better way to accomplish all his goals than to fight and win another military conflict. Leon Aron is a resident scholar and director of Russian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. When the Legislature passed the California Consumer Privacy Act last year, it touched a match to a tinderbox of concerns about how much of our personal information is outside the protection of federal laws. Now companies of all kinds are lining up to support federal data-privacy rules so long as those would preempt the CCPA and any similar state privacy laws. That upsets some privacy advocates and California representatives in Congress, who are threatening to take a hard-and-fast position that the CCPA must be insulated. Californias law is best, said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough), why would we want to preempt it? As the first state law to regulate online privacy (its set to go into effect in January) and with that law coming from the nations most populous state, the CCPA will have widespread impact. But as a model for meeting the challenges of todays data explosion, it falls short of setting the gold standard. The right federal law can provide broader and stronger protection. Central to the CCPA are a right to know what information businesses collect about you and whether it is shared or sold, and a right to opt out from the sale of personal information. These elements increase individual control over personal data, but this exclusive focus on control is squarely in line with legacy laws and regulations that rest on faith in consumers making choices to protect their individual privacy. Advertisement Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion The effectiveness of this approach is becoming a mirage as the amount and pace of data collection keeps expanding. As Michelle Richardson of the advocacy group Center for Democracy and Technology explained in a recent Senate hearing, Existing privacy regimes including CCPA rely too heavily on the concept of notice and consent, placing an untenable burden on consumers and failing to rein in harmful data practices. Privacy experts widely believe that the law needs to shift the burden away from individuals and onto the businesses that collect personal information. If members of Congress pay attention to such testimony, they can protect personal information regardless of what choices the individuals make as they deal with todays digitized world. Federal law can do much better than the CCPA by requiring that business collect, use and share personal information in ways that protect the interests of the individuals affected. CCPA supporters want to keep other newly established consumer rights. In particular, under the state law, Californians have the right to access data about themselves, to correct this data, to have it deleted and to take it to another provider. These are important tools but they are likely to be included in any federal law; even the staunchest pro-business lobbyists, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, support including such rights in a federal privacy bill. The CCPA does include an individual right to sue companies, something Congress is unlikely to adopt. As currently framed, this right is limited to data breaches and not to other privacy violations, though that may change as the Legislature amends the law this year. Amendments would have to go a long way to fill the significant gaps left by the CCPAs focus on individual choice. A federal law can improve on the CCPA by placing boundaries on how businesses collect personal information in the first place and regulating its uses and practices beyond just ad tracking or sale of personal information. Only Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce and apply these protections, as well as those in the CCPA, to people and businesses across the country. When the European Union adopted its privacy laws the General Data Protection Regulation it did so not only to raise the bar for personal-data privacy and security, but also to set the bar at a consistent level across all the member states and raise global competitiveness. But the EU law relies on agencies in each member state for enforcement. A federal law that authorizes the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to enforce it would give the United States the strongest privacy enforcement regime in the world. Privacy advocates and the California congressional delegation should not assume that legislation preempting the CCPA and other state laws will diminish protection. A strong federal law could accomplish more than merely streamlining a patchwork of state laws. It could give all Americans a basis to trust that all personal information will be handled in ways consistent with their interests. Cameron F. Kerry is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. He previously served as general counsel and acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Twitter: @Cam_Kerry Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook North Korea is historys most perfected totalitarian state. Ruled by a deified dynastic dictatorship whose record of crimes against humanity is unparalleled, according to the U.N. Commissioner on Human Rights, no organized resistance against the regime has been reported. Until now. A mysterious group called Free Joseon or Free North Korea has broken Pyongyangs seven decades-long record of untouchability and trampled on its greatest taboo: The Supreme Dignity Kim Jong Un must never be desecrated. In February, members of the group infiltrated North Koreas embassy in Madrid and got away with computers, thumb drives, hard disks and a cellphone. They later shared the booty with the FBI. But now the group and its defiant message are threatened by an unlikely source the United States. Federal authorities, in compliance with Spains request to extradite the suspects in the Madrid case, last week arrested one of the suspects in Los Angeles, an American-born former U.S. Marine, and raided the apartment of the organizations leader, who is in hiding from U.S. authorities and North Korean hit squads. Both men are of Korean descent. Advertisement The U.S. must not do Kims bidding. It is within the Spanish courts jurisdiction to seek to hold accountable anyone who broke into an embassy on its soil. However, North Korea is a state sponsor of terrorism that has shown few qualms about attempting extrajudicial killings of defectors and other enemies of the state even on foreign soil. Last month, when Spains high court, disclosed the names of the embassy suspects, it endangered the activists and their families. U.S. authorities have filed a criminal complaint alleging the dissidents used force and abused embassy staff during the Madrid action. Free Joseon denies the charges. For the U.S. to accept what is essentially a North Korean version of the events is to effectively defend the Kim regime. It sends the message to Pyongyang that its egregious crimes lie beyond the concern of the worlds presumptive champion of freedom and democracy. The U.S. must not do Kims bidding. Our extradition treaty with Spain provides for a refusal to extradite if we regard the offense in question as political. The North Korean Embassy breach surely was that, and the U.S. should seek to protect the dissidents rather than hand them over to Spain. Free Joseons stance against the North Korean government is clear. It announced itself under the name Cheollima Civil Defense in 2017, taking credit for spiriting away to safety the surviving family members of Kim Jong Nam, the paternal half brother of Kim Jong Un who was killed in public at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in February 2017. On March 1 of this year, the centennial of the Korean independence movement against Japanese colonial rule, Free Joseon proclaimed itself the provisional government of the north, dedicated to abolishing Kim Jong Uns tyranny, which it called a stain on the very soul of humanity. The group released a video clip of a woman in traditional Korean garb reading the declaration in the heart of Seoul. Aptly, she spoke with a North Korean accent. In mid-March the group spray-painted its name, symbol and the words We shall rise on the wall of the North Korean Embassy in Malaysia, just hours before the Malaysian court pardoned one of the two assailants in Kim Jong Nams killing. A few days later, it released a video clip of a man smashing framed pictures of Kim Jong Uns father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung. The shock effect of the video on the North Korean people cannot be overstated. Portraits of the ruling family are ubiquitous in North Korea, and all are told to protect the pictures with their lives. To deface the images is an unthinkable crime in the cult-dictated, conformity-imposed surveillance state. The video would prompt at once horror and catharsis in average North Koreans. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute Free Joseon is a textbook resistance movement, using asymmetric and psychological warfare. Against a state that employs a powerful web of security forces and a cruel penal system to oppress its own people, low-level asymmetric tactics are the only means available. A $20 investment in spray paint can embarrass Pyongyangs massive security apparatus. Turning over to authorities computers stolen from the Madrid embassy signals that Free Joseon isnt a criminal enterprise in the usual sense. In the dystopia of George Orwells novel 1984, war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Koreas dystopia turns some of that creed around, but the surreal contradictions remain: The past 66 years of de facto peace is framed as continual war, slavery is freedom, and, yes, the peoples ignorance is the states strength. Orwells satire stopped short of intimating hope of resistance. But Free Joseon, in breaking the North Korea taboo, has reaffirmed a crucial tenet of liberalism: To stand up to tyranny in the name of freedom is not only not a crime, but also a right and duty. The United States should not quash this hallowed principle. Sung-Yoon Lee is Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies and assistant professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook Kerry Lathan was just a bystander when he was wounded in the hail of gunfire that took the life of rapper and community activist Nipsey Hussle. Nevertheless, Lathan was arrested after the attack and held for weeks. His offense? Violating his parole by being in Hussles presence. Lathan, who was shot in the back, was finally released last week when Gov. Gavin Newsom intervened. But his arrest shines a light on a serious issue facing felons trying to get back on their feet after being released from prison. Lathans parole, like that of many parolees, bars him from associating with known gang members, and Hussle was quite open about his past membership in the Rollin 60s Crips. Hussle had gone on to become a positive force in the community, drawing praise from President Obama and Mayor Eric Garcetti, but that was irrelevant, according to Lathans parole terms. Advertisement The conditions imposed on parolees often impede their progress after their release. They are generally ordered, for example, to stay away from anyone with a felony conviction, which can be virtually impossible. One in 12 Americans has a felony conviction, as does one in three black men. People on parole or probation, particularly in communities of color, are often forced to choose between obeying the rules and spending time with friends and family who might actually provide them with stability, job leads and support. As the nations prison and jail population mushroomed over the past four decades, so too have probation and parole, increasing fivefold since 1977. At a recent conference in New York, one speaker told of having to live in a homeless shelter after his release from prison because he was prohibited from returning to his mothers home due to her past felony conviction. In some cases, the prohibitions prevent parolees from taking advantage of programs that could help them. Mentoring programs for young people on probation, for example, often employ credible messengers who were formerly incarcerated or involved in gangs to help address the problem. In Oakland and New York City, where the two of us ran probation departments, we encouraged participation in such programs to help people turn their lives around. No one should have to risk a parole violation to get help. The whole intent of parole and probation, which date back to the 1800s, was to provide a way to show leniency in sentencing (probation) or provide for early release to reward cooperation with prison rules (parole). But as the nations prison and jail population mushroomed over the past four decades, so too have probation and parole, increasing fivefold since 1977. There are now 4.5 million people on probation or parole in the United States, more than 300,000 of them in California. There is growing agreement about the need to transform community supervision. In 2017, 35 probation and parole officials, 45 prosecutors, and every national organization representing community corrections, signed on to a Statement on the Future of Community Corrections that called for changes to the probation and parole systems, including reducing both the time spent under supervision and the number of conditions imposed. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute Last year, we joined 20 probation and parole administrators in authoring a report that found community corrections had grown too big to succeed. We recommended reducing the number of people on probation or parole by half over the next decade and committing the savings to better supervision of those remaining in the system. This report came out not long after Philadelphia hip-hop artist Meek Mill was sentenced to two to four years in prison for technical violations of probation, sparking widespread criticism of the system. He had been on probation for more than 10 years at the time of his revocation. Gov. Newsom took an important step in ordering Lathans release. He should now order an audit of all people incarcerated for technical violations of their parole or probation and release most of them the way he released Lathan. He should also direct parole agencies to eliminate all conditions for parolees that do not directly relate to public safety. The California Legislature can do its part by passing a common-sense bill, SB 277, which would allow a parolee to reduce time under supervision by achieving positive milestones, like completing education or counseling. And Californias laws governing probation and parole should be reformed to ensure that people are no longer imprisoned for technical, noncriminal violations, but instead are helped to make the difficult transition from incarceration to freedom. David Muhammad, executive director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, is the former chief probation officer of Alameda County and former deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation. Vincent Schiraldi is former commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation and co-director of the Columbia University Justice Lab. To the editor: It has been said that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. cares greatly about the reputation of the U.S. Supreme Court as a nonpartisan branch of government. All that concern will be for naught if he votes to allow the citizenship question to be added to the 2020 census. We know that Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, who oversees the census, is not being honest when he says the purpose of including a citizenship question is to better enforce the Voting Rights Act. If Roberts votes with the Trump administration, he will join his fellow Republicans on the court in thinking that helping his party gain seats in Congress is more important than upholding fairness. Alex Magdaleno, Camarillo Advertisement .. To the editor: In an editorial about migrants (no paperwork), the L.A. Times uses immigrant five times with no mention of migrants. Immigrants arrive here with paperwork and religiously follow all the rules to keep the avenues open to eventually apply for citizenship. Migrants avoid paperwork. Mixing migrants and immigrants together makes any rational discussion impossible which is precisely what the Democrats want as urban areas balloon in migrant population, requiring more districts that elect Democratic representatives. Bob Munson, Newbury Park .. To the editor: California and other blue states should start a media campaign to urge everyone, regardless of citizenship, to refuse to answer a citizenship question on the census. While it might be a federal crime to refuse to answer part of the census, prominent Republicans (including then-Sen. Trent Lott and then-presidential candidate George W. Bush prior to the 2000 count) have historically urged people to not answer questions they found intrusive. We need to start the just leave it blank movement now. Randall Gellens, San Diego Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: The American public isnt nearly as gullible as columnist Virginia Heffernan suggests. It is true that Russia interfered with our democratic process by offering aid to the Trump campaign and seeding anti-Hillary Clinton postings throughout social media. But the primary messenger for Donald Trump was Donald Trump. His bombastic views about immigrants and foreigners threatening America resonated with millions of voters. Heffernans advice to Americans to refuse to be drafted into the next infowar wont make a dimes worth of difference to people who genuinely believe Trump represents their values and is making America great again. Trumps election wasnt a result of gullibility; it was a result of relatability. It wasnt the Russians who threw our election process into disarray and sent us down the populist road we are now traveling. It was us. Advertisement That more than anything else is what was un-American about 2016. Kenneth Konecnik, Mundelein, Ill. .. To the editor: Did I miss something really important? Could Heffernan have discovered that Justice Department special counsel Robert S. Mueller III had indicted a gullible public? More importantly, can she explain how whatever the Russian government said in 2016 was more important to the public than what the American media said? Large newspapers like the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times vigorously opposed Trump. Is the voting publics sin that it did not do what the L.A. Times wanted? Arthur O. Armstrong, Manhattan Beach .. To the editor: The only gullible members of the public are the blind partisans buying into media liberals like Heffernan. Clinton lost the 2016 election because she felt entitled to the presidency and, like most in the press, was arrogantly condescending to opponents. As Heffernan and pundits who agree with her extend their juvenile insults and attacks beyond Trump to all his supporters, they go beyond a disreputable irrelevancy to become a total laughingstock. Pat Murphy, Pacific Palisades Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook President Trumps reaction to Joe Bidens entry to the 2020 White House race was quick and caustic. Soon after the former vice presidents video announcement Thursday, Trump tweeted: Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign, he added. Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 Advertisement In the video announcing his candidacy posted on social media, Biden delivered a warning about the risks of reelecting Trump, focusing on the incumbent more directly than most of his Democratic rivals have done. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Biden said in the three-minute video in which he linked Trump to the violent neo-Nazi demonstration in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. RELATED: Democratic candidates tune out voter anxieties over border security As former Vice President Joe Biden entered the 2020 presidential race Thursday, he immediately looked past the vast field of Democratic rivals and threw down the gauntlet toward President Trump, casting the race as a battle for the soul of the nation. His strategy amounts to a bet that ideology and policy matter less to Democratic primary voters than their desire for victory over a president who has upended social and political values that liberals hold dear. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen, Biden said in a three-and-a-half-minute announcement video, in which he linked Trump to the violent neo-Nazi demonstration in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. Trump responded on Twitter with a message addressed to Sleepy Joe. Advertisement I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign, Trump tweeted, adding that if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! Bidens focus on Trump contrasted with the campaign announcements of most of the 19 other Democratic hopefuls, who have emphasized their own messages over Trump bashing in their efforts to stand out from the crowd. But Biden has less need to define himself than other candidates, and attacking the president may be more effective now than it was in 2016, when Hillary Clinton focused on Trumps negatives and lost. Democratic voters have now had a few years to see what the Trump presidency has wrought. Bidens video centered on the moment in 2017 when Trump responded to the Charlottesville clash between neo-Nazis and counter-protesters by saying that there were very fine people on both sides. In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any Ive ever seen in my lifetime, Biden said. The video underscored the belief within Bidens camp that his strongest argument in the primaries will be that the former vice presidents stature and long political experience make him the best equipped to beat the president. A campaign spokesman said Bidens message will build on three pillars -- the battle for the soul of America, spelled out in the video; rebuilding the middle class, which is to be the focus of his first public campaign event Monday at a Teamsters union hall in Pittsburgh; and uniting America, the theme of a big campaign kickoff rally scheduled for Philadelphia on May 18. The early focus on Pennsylvania is no accident. The state was one of three, along with Wisconsin and Michigan, where narrow Trump victories in 2016 put him in the White House. Bidens claim to have appeal to working-class voters in those states forms a key part of his pitch to Democratic primary voters. In the run-up to the Philadelphia rally, the aide said, Biden will also travel to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, all states with early contests in the primary season. Biden has teased his announcement for months, building anticipation. With his near-universal name recognition, vast political network and long government resume 36 years in the Senate and eight as Barack Obamas vice president he has consistently sat atop polls of Democratic voters nationwide and in states holding early primaries. Now, his official entry into the race has potential to shape it. As a popular centrist well known to most Democrats, he poses an obstacle to lesser-known candidates laboring to gain traction. He could stand as the principal rival to Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who has his own large group of committed supporters on the partys left flank including many who backed his unsuccessful 2016 bid for the Democratic nomination. Biden armed himself for that rivalry Thursday by announcing as a senior advisor Symone Sanders, an African American who had been a top spokesperson for Sanders in 2016. A major question is whether Biden can maintain his current level of support once he goes from hypothetical candidate to real competitor. Biden is renowned for his gaffes in previous presidential races. If he stumbles early, the Democratic campaign would likely become far more competitive and contentious. 1 / 9 Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a breakfast in Washington commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) 2 / 9 Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden leaves a rally in Dorchester, Mass., organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union to support Stop and Shop employees on strike throughout the region on April 18, 2019. (Joseph Prezioso / AFP/Getty Images) 3 / 9 Former Vice President Joe Biden visits a conference of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Washington on April 05, 2019. (Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images) 4 / 9 Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to supporters of Sen. Claire McCaskill at a get out the vote rally on Oct. 31, 2018, in Bridgeton, Mo. McCaskill later lost a tight race to Republican challenger Josh Hawley. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) 5 / 9 Children join former Vice President Joe Biden on stage as he speaks at an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers conference in Washington on April 5, 2019. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) 6 / 9 Rep. Debbie Dingell is embraced by former Vice President Joe Biden as a flag is fastened to the casket of her late husband, former U.S. Rep. John Dingell Jr., at the end of his funeral at Church of the Divine Child in Dearborn, Mich., on Feb. 12, 2019. (Ryan Garza / TNS) 7 / 9 Former Vice President Joe Biden attends a rally in support of Democratic congressional candidate Conor Lamb, center, on March 6, 2018, in Pittsburgh. Lamb won a tight race for the vacated seat of Rep. Tim Murphy against Rick Saccone. (Jeff Swensen / Getty Images) 8 / 9 Members of the International Assn. of Fire Fighters listen as former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the groups legislative conference on March 12, 2019, in Washington. The conference addressed issues including firefighters mental health, funding the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund and collective bargaining. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) 9 / 9 Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the International Assn. of Fire Fighters legislative conference in Washington on March 12, 2019. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) In that contest, Bidens political assets are closely related to his liabilities. He has the backing of many of the partys biggest donors, but his reliance on old-fashioned fundraising from top-dollar contributors will contrast with rivals who excel at raising money from the small donors who are increasingly important in todays Democratic Party. He boasts an easy rapport with many voters, but has already has had to apologize for his old-school style of politicking which extends from backslapping to hugging and other personal contact that has made some women uncomfortable. After former Nevada state legislator Lucy Flores and several other women went public with statements about incidents in which Biden invaded their personal space, he released a video acknowledging that social norms have begun to change and promising to be more respectful. Biden hopes to benefit from his association with Obama, who remains extremely popular among Democratic voters, but even that may emphasize a sense of him as a product of the partys past, not its future. Obama is unlikely to back any candidate this early in the 2020 primary contest, according to a person familiar with his thinking, because he believes a robust primary is good for the party and the candidates. Shortly after the video release, a spokesperson issued a statement that praised Biden but did not endorse him. President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made, said the statement from spokeswoman Katie Hill. He relied on the Vice Presidents knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today. Above all, Biden has a 40-year record of experience, but it is one littered with positions at odds with todays liberal Democratic consensus. He supported crime legislation in the 1990s that many blame for the explosion of prison populations. Many womens advocates faulted him for his role as chairman of the Judiciary Committee during the 1991 Clarence Thomas hearings, saying he did not take seriously enough the sexual harassment allegations lodged by Anita Hill. A campaign spokesman Thursday issued a statement saying that Biden had spoken to Hill. While not specifying the timing, the statement said: They had a private discussion where he shared with her directly his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country. Hill did not respond to requests for comment. But she told the New York Times in a Wednesday interview that she was deeply unsatisfied with the conversation. Whos running for president and whos not Biden enters the race after a midterm election in 2018 that exposed an electorate hungry for new blood. Justice Democrats, a political group associated with upstart progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, issued a statement opposing Biden, giving a flavor of the challenge he faces from the partys left. The old guard of the Democratic Party failed to stop Trump, and they cant be counted on to lead the fight against his divide-and-conquer politics today, said Alexandra Rojas, executive director of the group. Joe Biden stands in near complete opposition to where the center of energy is in the Democratic Party today. First elected to the U.S. Senate in an upset in 1972 at the age of 29 he turned 30, the minimum requirement for a senator, a few weeks after the election Biden came of political age at a time when the gears of government were still greased with compromise and bipartisanship. He rose gradually through the ranks of influential committees on foreign relations and the judiciary. When he first ran for president in 1988, he had to drop out of a crowded field after a rival campaign caught him plagiarizing part of a speech by British Labor Party chief Neil Kinnock and passed the news to a reporter of what was then seen as a shocking indiscretion. A couple of months later, he nearly died from an aneurysm that might have killed him had he still been campaigning. He ran again in 2008, only to be overshadowed by the marquee candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Obama, and he withdrew after the contests first event, the Iowa caucus. His national career might have ended there, but Obama had taken a liking to Biden and in August picked him as his vice presidential running mate. In 2016, Biden gave long, anguished consideration to running to succeed Obama but decided against it in the emotional aftermath of the death of his 46-year-old son, Beau, after a grueling struggle with brain cancer. Those well-publicized struggles and Bidens affable authenticity form part of his strength. But his personality also carries an ever-present political risk. His lapses of campaign discipline have produced more than his share of gaffes, including racially tin-eared remarks as recently as the 2008 campaign, when he referred to Obama as the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. Biden can be self-deprecating about that while making the case that his flaws do not look so bad when compared with Trumps. I am a gaffe machine, he once said, but, my God, what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who cant tell the truth. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing Co. executive, did not improperly promote the defense contractor or violate an ethics agreement requiring him to recuse himself from decisions affecting it, the Pentagon inspector general concluded in a report released Thursday. Shanahan routinely mentioned Boeing in meetings with other Pentagon officials and at least once sharply criticized the F-35 fighter, which involved Boeing competitor Lockheed Martin Corp., according to the report. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told investigators that she felt uncomfortable with Shanahans actions in several incidents involving Boeing. But after reviewing these and other incidents, the inspector general concluded in a 43-page report that Shanahan fully complied with his ethics agreements and his ethical obligations regarding Boeing. Advertisement The finding eliminates a major hurdle for Shanahan, who took over at the Pentagon in an acting capacity after former Defense Secretary James N. Mattis resigned in December. President Trump has not nominated a permanent replacement, but could decide to choose Shanahan with the inspector general case resolved. If nominated, Shanahan is likely to face questions from lawmakers about his career and whether he has the qualifications to run the Defense Department, the largest and most costly arm of the federal government. He spent 31 years at Boeing before Trump nominated him to be deputy Defense secretary in 2017. Beyond his time as an aerospace industry executive, Shanahan has little experience with the military or as a strategic thinker, issues that some critics say should lead Trump to choose somebody else as his top civilian military advisor. The investigation began in March after the inspector general office received what it called similar allegations about Shanahan from multiple sources, including an anonymous claim forwarded by a Senate Armed Services Committee staffer. A month later, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, submitted related allegations, and several news reports described Shanahan praising Boeings business practices in meetings at the Pentagon. Before the Senate confirmed Shanahan as deputy secretary in 2017, he promised to recuse himself from any decision affecting Boeing, which received $27.4 billion in Pentagon contracts in 2018, more than any other company except Lockheed. Among the complaints to the inspector general were that Shanahan disparaged Lockheed. Vice Admiral Mathias W. Mat Winter, the director of the F-35 program office, said that he had heard Shanahan say the warplane was a poor aircraft shortly after he arrived at the Pentagon. This is a couple of occasions and the first couple of meetings [with him]. I push back in that my teams working hard and then he says, Well, its not just you. Its Lockheed. Other witnesses said Shanahan had justifiably criticized the F-35 program, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. Pentagon officials and senior military officers told investigators that, in meetings, Shanahan frequently noted his experience at Boeing when he was discussing how to drive down costs and increase performance from government contractors, but they did not take it as promoting Boeing. Despite Winters account, the inspector general concluded Shanahan did not make comments that specifically disparaged Boeings competitor and were aimed at holding contractors accountable. Other witnesses recalled Shanahan cutting off conversations when Boeing came up, demonstrating his intent to comply with his ethical obligations. The inspector general report dismissed allegations that Shanahan had tried to force the Marine Corps to buy Boeing F/A-18 fighters and threatened to cut the Air Force budget unless it bought Boeing F-15Xs. We concluded that, consistent with his ethical obligations, Mr. Shanahan only participated in broad policy obligations and not in very specific discussions about the quantities and types of aircraft the Marines and Air Force would buy. In fact, Mattis made the aircraft mix decision, the report said. Wilson, who has announced she is stepping down as Air Force secretary in May, was the Pentagon official who most directly disapproved of Shanahan. She said he or his staff had created the appearance of favoritism toward Boeing by telling Ellen M. Lord, the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, to convene a meeting on whether the Air Force would agree to accept delivery of the Boeing-made KC-46 aerial refueling tanker, despite technical problems with the aircraft. Wilson told investigators that Lord supported not fixing the problems until after the Air Force accepted delivery, a formal milestone that would result in substantial payments to Boeing. But the inspector general concluded that Shanahan had no involvement in the Air Force decision to accept the aircraft, noting that his staff had involved Lord in order to keep him out of deliberations. Wilson also criticized Shanahan for a December 2018 meeting with Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX, a competitor with Boeing for rocket launch services. Wilson said she told Shanahan he probably need[ed] to recuse himself from the meeting because the Air Force had just picked Boeing over SpaceX for a launch contract. Shanahans staff had already gotten approval from Pentagon ethics lawyers to attend the meeting. Musk mentioned the contract at the meeting, according to notes from a participant, noting that SpaceX had written a poor proposal. The notes did not reflect Shanahan saying anything. The latest from Washington More stories from David S. Cloud One of Donald Trumps first acts as president was to pull the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the 12-nation free-trade deal that President Obama negotiated but left unfinished. Trump derided the pact as a bad deal for America. But leaving it hasnt turned out that well either. The remaining 11 members proceeded anyway, slashing tariffs and leaving U.S. businesses at a significant competitive disadvantage. In particular, American exports of grains, meats and other farm goods to Japan by far the biggest of those 11 economies have taken a hit. Now the White House is scrambling to undo the damage of Trumps swift withdrawal from what would have been the worlds largest regional trade agreement. Advertisement Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives Friday in Washington to meet with Trump. At the top of the administrations agenda are trade talks to level the playing field for the United States. While Trump was busy slapping tariffs on China and other countries, Japan also concluded a pact with the European Union that lowered duties and other barriers to ease trade flows. Between the EU and Asia-Pacific, Japan is now starting to import substantially more from its free-trade partners, at Americas expense. Thats bad for U.S. farmers who were already reeling from tit-for-tat tariffs on soybeans and other farm goods entering China. Give us some relief. Were not surviving the way it is, said Greg Svenningsen, 60, a North Dakota farmer whos seen the cash price for his wheat plunge 25% since last fall, thanks to slumping demand from Japan and other Pacific buyers. For some products, the difference in tariffs is stark. Australian wine entering Japan is taxed at 5.6% and will eventually drop to zero. Theres no duty at all for wine from the EU and Chile. But for California, its 15%. Thats pinched the U.S. share of imported wine in Japan, and the pain is likely to get worse. Hiro Tejima of the Wine Institutes Japan program says the EU-Japan accord is opening up more opportunities for European wine. Italy, the third-largest wine exporter to Japan, recently signed a deal to promote Italian bottles at 10,000 supermarkets in Japan. American wine ranks fourth among imports in Japan, with France and Chile at the top two spots. U.S. exporters of wheat, beef, pork, dairy, wine, potatoes, fruits and vegetables and other products are facing collapse of their Japanese market share as these lucrative sales are handed over to their competitors, the Wine Institute and 87 other food and farm groups and companies said in a joint letter sent this week to Trumps top trade official, Robert Lighthizer. Lighthizer and the Japanese economy minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, launched the trade talks last week, and were meeting again on Thursday ahead of Abes visit with Trump. The opening of trade negotiations poses new challenges for Abe, who has worked hard to cultivate relations with Trump. The Japanese leader has twice visited Mar-a-Lago, and is now preparing to meet Trump three times in as many months. After this weekend in Washington, in which Abe will be joining a birthday celebration for First Lady Melania Trump, the Japanese leader is expected to host Trump in late May for an official state dinner in Tokyo where Trump will also greet Japans new emperor. And then the prime minister is to lead the Group of 20 major economies summit in Osaka late June. The Japanese plan has been to get Abe in front of Trump, flood the zone and keep the president thinking about Japan and liking Abe on a personal level, said Michael J. Green, senior vice president and Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. So far, Abe has avoided any big brushes with Trump, in part because the American president has been preoccupied with China. And one notable foreign policy achievement that Abe can point to is the Trump administrations full embrace of Japans approach calling for a free and open Indo-Pacific, a recognition of the strategic links between the Indian Ocean region and the Western Pacific in light of Chinas increasingly assertive and expansive activities. At the same time, Trump himself has said little about how he might develop that strategy or about Americas broader role in the region. The Trans-Pacific Partnership was supposed to be the linchpin of the Obama administrations move to bind the region around an American-designed system of commerce and provide a counterweight to Chinas rising influence. The deal was concluded but never found enough support in Congress, and Trump dumped the pact three days into office, saying it was a great thing for the American worker what we just did. After the U.S. withdrawal, Abe played a key role in reviving it among the remaining 11 nations. That didnt endear Abe to Trump. The president didnt give Japan a break on steel tariffs. And at times he has publicly railed about Japans trade surplus with the United States. Prime Minister @AbeShinzo of Japan has been working with me to help balance out the one-sided Trade with Japan. These are some of the investments they are making in our Country - just the beginning! pic.twitter.com/ib2yB3Akkt Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018 Shige Watanabe, the Japanese Embassys economic minister in Washington, said Japan is prepared to provide the United States the same tariff rates that Tokyo negotiated with the EU and the 10 other Pacific Rim countries, which include Canada, Mexico and Vietnam. That should give some relief to American farmers, although its unclear how fast a deal can come together. The two sides have not yet agreed on the scope of the trade negotiations. The Trump administration will be asking for a lot more than tariff reductions on agriculture imports. The big fight will most likely be over cars. Although Japanese companies are now producing 3.7 million vehicles a year on U.S. soil with some models having even higher domestic content than American brands Japans auto trade accounts for the vast majority of the countrys $68-billion trade surplus in goods with the United States. (Chinas merchandise trade surplus with the U.S. was $419 billion last year.) Japan has indicated that it wont accept voluntary export quotas or restraints on cars, as it did in the 1980s when it knuckled under the Reagan administrations demands for curbing shipments of TVs, textiles, steel, cars and other products. Clyde Prestowitz, an Asia economy expert who was a top trade negotiator during the Reagan presidency, said its going to be a difficult discussion. He offered one novel idea: that the Japanese reduce the countrys trade surplus by exporting more American-produced cars to Japan. Watanabe reacted coolly to that suggestion, noting there are autoworkers in Japan to think about and that Japanese companies already send U.S.-made cars to other parts of the world. Meanwhile, Trump is considering a sweeping move to assess tariffs on imported cars, on the same basis of national security that the administration applied when it imposed 25% duties on steel and aluminum. Administration officials have said that even if Trump decides next month to go ahead with the car tariffs, the United States would not impose them on Japan while theyre negotiating a trade deal. But that threat will nonetheless hang over the talks, as Trump has been keen on employing tariffs as leverage to win concessions. The latest from Washington More stories from Don Lee A California Democratic Party employee sued the organization in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, alleging he was repeatedly groped and sexually assaulted by former Chairman Eric Bauman. William Floyd, who served as Baumans assistant from March 2016 until November 2018, claims in the suit that Bauman performed oral sex on him without his consent on at least three occasions. He said he became fearful of Bauman after the party leader allegedly told him, If you cross me, I will break you. Floyd, 28, is seeking damages for lost income, emotional distress and pain and suffering, as well as punitive damages and attorneys fees. The complaint names Bauman, 60, and the state and Los Angeles County Democratic parties as defendants, alleging that the two organizations failed to prevent Baumans harassing behavior and retained him in conscious disregard of the rights and well-being of others. We have not yet been formally served with this lawsuit and have only learned about the filing of it through media inquiries this evening, said Neal S. Zaslavsky, Baumans attorney. As with the other pending matter, Mr. Bauman will not be trying this case in the media. Mr. Bauman denies the allegations in the complaint and looks forward to complete vindication once the facts come out. Advertisement Mark Gonzalez, chairman of the L.A. County Democratic Party, said the group was reviewing the allegations of the complaint and had no further comment. Lawsuit against California Democratic Party details alleged harassment by former chair Eric Bauman Alexandra Alex Gallardo Rooker, who stepped in as acting chairwoman of the state party after Baumans resignation, said in a statement that the allegations are very serious and deserve a hearing. The most appropriate venue for us all to learn the truth, whatever it may be, is ultimately in the courtroom where we can let the sun shine in. The lawsuit comes amid continued turmoil in the party after the resignation of Bauman, who stepped down in November following claims of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior toward party staff members and activists. At the time, Bauman said that he planned to seek treatment for health issues and alcohol use. I deeply regret if my behavior has caused pain to any of the outstanding individuals with whom Ive had the privilege to work. I appreciate the courage it took for these individuals to come forward to tell their stories, Bauman said. In the interest of allowing the CDPs independent investigation to move forward, I do not wish to respond to any of the specific allegations. However, I will use the time I am on leave to immediately seek medical intervention to address serious, ongoing health issues and to begin treatment for what I now realize is an issue with alcohol, he added. Bauman and the party were earlier sued by three other employees in January, who alleged discrimination and a culture of harassment and sexual misconduct that was well-known and apparently tolerated by top officials. According to the new lawsuit filed Wednesday, Floyd first met Bauman in 2015 while he was interning for the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. By then, the complaint says, Bauman had a reputation for excessive drinking, making crude sexual comments to LACDP and CDP employees and volunteers, and engaging in unwanted sexual touching and/or physical intimidation in professional settings. In an June 2016 incident in Long Beach, Floyd alleges, he was in Baumans hotel room with other members of the L.A. County party and fell asleep after having too much to drink. When he woke up, the complaint alleges, he found Bauman performing oral sex on him and quickly pulled up his pants and fled the room. The lawsuit alleges that in later conversations, Bauman implied that he had penetrated Floyd during the incident. On two other occasions alleged in the suit, Floyd said felt he had no choice to comply with Baumans demands and allow him to perform oral sex. The lawsuit says that on Nov. 1, just days before the 2018 midterm election, Floyd told a senior party staffer that Bauman had sexually assaulted him. Several days later, the complaint says, Floyd was contacted by the partys human resources director, Amy Vrattos. California Democratic Chairman Eric Bauman accused of sexually explicit comments, unwanted touching But officials with the party looked the other way, and failed to confront Bauman because of his success helping Democratic candidates across the state, the lawsuit alleges. Maybe I was naive, but I really thought that, by working for the Democratic Party, I could advance the causes I believed in, Floyd said in a statement provided by his attorney. Most of us lived in fear of [Bauman]. Floyds attorney, Scott Ames, said the party has stonewalled his client and has not done anything to rectify the situation. After Bauman resigned, the suit says, Floyd met with the state partys investigator, who was examining allegations against Bauman. Less than a week later, the complaint alleges, state party officials told Floyd that they were closing the organizations Los Angeles office and that he would be terminated unless he agreed to work at Sacramento headquarters. Floyd agreed to move to Sacramento in January 2019 to keep his job, the complaint says. He is still employed by the party but plans to move back to Los Angeles County this year for graduate school. The suit is the latest in a series of blows to the fractured California Democratic Party, which despite historic wins in last years elections has faced a reckoning in the #MeToo era. In addition to fallout from Baumans resignation, Rooker was criticized for firing two colleagues who helped file a sexual harassment complaint against Bauman. This is not unusual when there is a change in leadership, Roger Salazar, a spokesman for the party, said in a statement. These moves are not necessarily a reflection upon the work of each of the individuals involved, but are part of a desire by the acting chair to start fresh and keep the party moving in the right direction. christine.maiduc@latimes.com For more on California politics, follow @cmaiduc. High-profile housing legislation to allow mid-rise apartment construction near mass transit across California advanced in a state Senate committee Wednesday after two lawmakers reached an agreement that would limit its effect on smaller counties and along the coast, but eliminate zoning that allows for only single-family homes in much of the state. Under changes to Senate Bill 50, communities in Los Angeles, San Francisco and 13 other counties with populations larger than 600,000 would have to allow four- to five-story apartment buildings near rail lines, and smaller apartments and townhomes in wealthy neighborhoods near job centers. But in smaller counties, including Marin, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara, cities would be required to permit height increases near rail one story taller than existing zoning as well as fourplexes in many single-family-only areas. Neighborhoods along the California coastline also would not have to permit buildings as tall or construction as dense as required further inland. The deal is a concession to Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), the chairman of the Senate Governance and Finance Committee, who represents smaller coastal counties, including wealthy communities in Marin County that have a history of pushing back against low-income and higher-density development. Advertisement McGuire had been critical of SB 50 for not taking into account differences between large and small cities, and he authored less aggressive legislation to increase height limits and densities. As part of the agreement, McGuire withdrew his bill and supported SB 50. A one-size-fits-all approach doesnt work for every community in California, and the strategy of no no longer works, McGuire said. No matter if you are a large city, a small city, an urban county, a rural county, everyone has to do their part to be able to combat this crisis of lack of affordable housing. Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the author of SB 50, said the changes made Wednesday would broaden the bills support in the Legislature. He emphasized that the new language would make it easier to build fourplexes on parcels zoned for single-family homes across the state. I think we have a very, very strong agreement on SB 50 that will help address the deep housing crisis that California faces, Wiener said. California housing bill targeting wealthy cities could rezone nearly all of Palo Alto Negotiations over SB 50, which continued through the hearing Wednesday, revealed the difficulties in trying to craft statewide legislation that tackles zoning issues, which are largely the concern of cities and counties, and also dont neatly fall along partisan lines. Two Republican state senators, John Moorlach of Costa Mesa and Jim Nielsen of Gerber, support the bill, praising its promise to increase home building. Democratic Sen. Bob Hertzberg of Van Nuys spoke in opposition, saying the legislation was too complicated to move forward without a deeper study of its effects on neighborhoods. Under the previous version of the bill, more than 40% of the developable land in the city of Los Angeles would have faced increases to density of some kind, according to a city study. In addition, wealthy suburbs such as Palo Alto and others in Silicon Valley along with affluent Marin County enclaves would have had to allow apartment construction in many single-family-only neighborhoods. Though Wednesdays revisions dont appear to make dramatic changes to those rules in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, the amended bill would make less of an impact in Marin County. Lawmakers have faced substantial criticism for excluding Marin from some of the states strictest housing mandates. Two years ago, legislators allowed the county to place additional restrictions on development beyond those permitted in other regions. The legislation authorizing that change was inserted into a bill tied to the state budget and not required to go through the regular committee process. McGuire, who represents Marin and Sonoma counties among other Northern California communities, said suburban and rural counties should be treated differently in housing policy. What works for downtown L.A. will not work for downtown Santa Rosa, McGuire said. More housing, more affordable housing, will be built under this bill respecting the population at hand. Despite the deal, opposition to the bill remains strong, predominantly from local governments that would lose some power to shape their communities and advocates concerned about gentrification and displacement. David Reyes, planning director for the city of Pasadena, testified at the hearing that cities often spend significant time trying to engage residents before allowing large-scale changes to zoning, a process that wouldnt happen under SB 50. What cities will do in response to a bill like this is sue the state, Reyes said. What cities will do is have chaos with respect to the democratic process. Wieners bill would delay implementation in neighborhoods at risk of gentrification for five years to allow those communities to develop their own plans to increase density. All new construction for projects larger than 10 units would have to set aside a portion for low-income residents. And developers who hope to take advantage of SB 50 would be prohibited from demolishing homes on properties where tenants have lived for at least seven years. Still, Shanti Singh, a spokeswoman for Tenants Together, said the onus for enforcing those anti-demolition provisions would probably fall on renter advocates who dont have the resources to ensure that theyre followed. We believe that the solutions to the housing crisis must be led by those who are victimized, Singh said. SB 50 continues to face a long road to passage and may not succeed if other housing bills dont garner support. Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose) voted for the legislation Wednesday but said he would only do so in the future if bills to increase spending on low-income housing and protecting tenants also advance. If we dont have a package of this bill and the other bills, I dont think this is a successful effort this year, Beall said. SB 50 has to clear the Senate by the end of May and the Legislature by mid-September. Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to take a position on the bill. liam.dillon@latimes.com @dillonliam A contentious bill to tighten Californias school immunization law passed its first hurdle in the Legislature on Wednesday, after hundreds of parents lined the corridors of the state Capitol, alternately pleading and demanding that lawmakers reject it. The emotional testimony on the bill comes as a measles outbreak has put public health officials on high alert. More than 100 doctors and medical students spoke in favor of Senate Bill 276, which would empower the state health department to vet medical exemptions sought by physicians. Sen. Richard Pan, a Sacramento physician and Democrat, introduced the legislation, which passed 6 to 2 on Wednesday in the Senate Health Committee. The Capitol hallways were hot and humid amid the mass turnout of mostly opponents, many of whom said their children were injured by vaccines. One opponent called Pan a tyrant, another labeled his bill a crime against humanity, while a third urged the senator to abandon the proposal to save your soul. Advertisement California already has one of the strictest laws in the country requiring childhood immunizations in order to attend public or private schools, with exemptions allowed if a doctor says there is a medical reason to not have all or some shots. Pan said that 2015 law, which he wrote, has been exploited by some doctors, who are excusing children from vaccinations for questionable reasons such as for having asthma or diabetes. Pan, who is chairman of the committee that heard the bill, stood stoically Wednesday at the front of the hearing room, having witnessed a similar turnout for his 2015 legislation. Pan said a few unethical physicians who advertise medical exemptions for cash prompted him to propose the bill to create state oversight. California cannot allow a handful of unscrupulous physicians to put our children in danger, particularly babies too young to be vaccinated and children who genuinely need a medical exemption, said Pan, a pediatrician. The bill calls for all exemptions currently on file at schools to be sent to the public health agency by July 1, 2020, for possible review. The department would also maintain a database of exemptions that would allow officials to monitor which doctors are granting numerous exemptions. With these restrictions, this would force us to either take a gamble with our sons or it would put us in the difficult position of pulling my kids from public school, said Adriane Hoeft of Roseville, who spoke in opposition to the bill. Hoeft said her 10-year-old son, Otto Coleman, was paralyzed at 17 months old after receiving a series of vaccines. Coleman is able to attend public school with a medical exemption that allows him to skip other vaccines. His 8-year-old brother also has a medical exemption to forgo vaccines. This would force us to home-school them, Hoeft said. California, West Virginia and Mississippi are the only states that do not allow parents to opt out of vaccinating their children for religious or personal belief reasons. West Virginia requires medical exemptions to be vetted by the public health department. The push to tighten Californias vaccine law comes amid the worst measles outbreak in the nation in decades. Nationwide, an estimated 695 people have come down with measles as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In California, there have been at least 25 measles cases this year, with outbreaks in Los Angeles and Butte counties. During the hearing Wednesday, a third case of measles was confirmed in Sacramento County. Experts say California may be spared from the giant outbreaks Washington and New York states are experiencing in part because of SB 277, the 2015 law that tightened childhood vaccination requirements. Federal health officials declared measles eliminated in 2000. But now there are outbreaks, they say, because fewer people are being vaccinated in the U.S. and across the world. Americans are now more likely to encounter measles abroad, and when they return, the infection is more likely to spread here. In California, travelers from abroad have introduced measles into the state at least 10 times this year, but there have only been three outbreaks. The biggest, in Northern California, has infected 15 people so far, which pales in comparison to the 390 cases confirmed in Brooklyn and Queens in an ongoing New York City outbreak. Since SB 277 went into effect, Californias kindergarten vaccination rate has increased from 92.9% to 95.1%, according to state data. Doctors say that a community needs at least 95% of its residents to be immunized to prevent measles from spreading. Pan said in an interview that California needs to bump up its immunity further as outbreaks continue so that measles doesnt spread here. When it comes to these vaccination bills, the facts and the science are on my side, but if that was the only thing you needed, then there would be no problem, he said. Clearly were going to have to contend with the large number of people who, unfortunately ... are misinformed about vaccines. And thats in the backdrop of all the measles outbreaks that are happening all around the U.S. SB 277 banned parents from not vaccinating their kids because of personal beliefs. It was passed in the aftermath of a major measles outbreak centered on Disneyland. The states vaccination rates had fallen in years prior as more and more parents said they did not want to vaccinate their children. Now, parents must obtain a doctors note saying that a child has a medical reason not to be vaccinated, such as an allergy or because theyre undergoing cancer treatment. But since the law was implemented, the number of children with medical exemptions has grown, while physicians have been accused of excusing children from immunizations for questionable reasons. Doctors say that at most 3% of students may have a medical reason not to be vaccinated. But at 105 elementary schools in the state, 10% or more of kindergartners had a medical exemption in the 2017-18 school year, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of state data. Though the overall vaccination rates are higher, schools with low rates are the real problem because there are several kids in one space who arent protected against disease, experts say. At some elementary schools, less than 50% of the kindergartners were vaccinated in the 2017-18 school year. Since the 2015 vaccination law was passed, only one California physician has been sanctioned for fraudulently writing medical exemptions. Orange County-based Dr. Bob Sears was put on probation last year for excusing a 2-year-old from all vaccines. The Medical Board of California, however, is investigating many more doctors. In addition to the complaint that launched the Sears investigation, more than 50 others have been filed against physicians who are accused of improperly writing exemptions in the last four years, according to the state medical board. Sears attended Wednesdays hearing in opposition to the bill, which now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee. One year ago Wednesday, a former policeman was arrested and accused of being the Golden State Killer who raped and murdered up and down California in the 1970s and 80s. If anyone deserves the death penalty, its the Golden State Killer also known as the East Area Rapist, Visalia Ransacker, Creek Bed Killer or Original Night Stalker, depending on the community he terrorized. He is suspected of raping more than 50 women and charged with 13 serial murders. He would break into peoples homes at night and have the wife tie the husband up, Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer says. Then he would tie up the woman. Hed put saucers and cups on the husbands back as an alarm system and tell him that if, while raping his wife, he heard the cups and saucers move, hed kill them both. Advertisement Then hed rape the wife and kill them anyway. In some cases, their children were at home hiding in the closet. Two weeks ago, district attorneys from four counties Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Sacramento voted unanimously to seek the death penalty if Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., 73, of suburban Sacramento is convicted of the murders. DeAngelo also is charged with killing a Tulare County journalism professor. But prosecutors have not added any special circumstance counts needed for the death penalty. In addition, he faces kidnapping charges in several Contra Costa County rapes. The suspect has not entered a plea. Any death penalty verdict, however, would be moot while Gavin Newsom is governor. On March 13 breaking a campaign promise to abide by the death penalty law he declared a moratorium on executions in California during his tenure. He granted reprieves to all 737 condemned killers on San Quentins death row. Theyll stay locked up. The intentional killing of another person is wrong and as governor, I will not oversee the execution of any individual, Newsom said. Capital punishment has discriminated against defendants who are mentally ill, black and brown or cant afford expensive legal representation. DeAngelo wont be discriminated against because hes black or brown. Hes white. Newsom also talked to reporters about innocent people being executed. Perhaps so in other states. But no one has ever provided proof of an innocent person being executed in California, at least in modern times. Five have been exonerated on Californias death row, a sign of safeguards working. A governor could simply spare the life of anyone he suspected of being innocent, although hed need the state Supreme Courts permission in the case of someone previously convicted of a felony. Its unlikely therell be much question about the guilt of the Golden State Killer, however, because of so many murders and DNA linking the victims and the suspect. And if Newsom thought he was ridding himself of the death penalty issue for the duration of his governorship, he was badly mistaken. The Golden State Killer trial will be warming up about the time Newsom is running for reelection in 2022 or eyeing the presidency soon after. Its one thing to make an academic case against capital punishment in the abstract. But when the sadistic details of the killings come pouring out, it could put Newsom in an uncomfortable spot. Therell be people like Ron Harrington of Newport Beach keeping the pressure on for what they regard as justice. Its just a shock to the victims families that the governor has done what he has done, he says. Not all feel that way, of course. Some oppose capital punishment in all cases. But many feel like Harrington and are on a crusade about it. The civil attorneys younger brother, Keith Harrington, 24, was about to graduate from UC Irvine medical school. He and Patrice, 24, a pediatric trauma nurse, had been married only three months. They were living in his fathers beach house near Dana Point in August 1980 when the Golden State Killer slipped inside. He tied them up, raped Patrice and beat both to death with a sprinkler head. Before leaving, the killer helped himself to the refrigerator, a common pattern in his murders. He literally pulverized Patti, Harrington says. Dad found them two days later. Dad was never the same. Howd the family handle it? Emotionally, its just something you park away and dont really want to relive because every time you do it takes a toll, he says. Believe me, you compartmentalize it. One thing the family did mainly another brother, Bruce, a developer was sponsor a successful ballot initiative in 2004 that required anyone arrested or convicted of a felony to submit their DNA into a data bank. That has helped solved countless cold cases, Harrington says. He is the poster child for the death penalty, Harrington says of the Golden State Killer. I want to meet with the governor to discuss this. I want him to explain why were supposed to be lenient and compassionate with someone just so heinous. A spokesman for the governor told me our office would certainly consider his request. Californias death penalty system is so dysfunctional that the Golden State Killer will probably die of old age in prison. There hasnt been an execution since 2006 and only 13 since 1978. Its a costly waste. Still voters have decided twice in recent years to keep it. Even expedite it. Newsom and the voters should get in sync. More from George Skelton george.skelton@latimes.com Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter There are some people who casually hike during the weekends, maybe up Stough or La Tuna canyons. Then there are folks like Burbank resident Gregory Orland, who in December joined an expedition to the South Pole. The 63-year-old has always been one to enjoy a hike but over the years has pushed himself to go on bigger and more interesting trips. So far, Orland has hiked the Himalayas five times, climbed Mount Everest twice, nearly reached the summit of Mount Khuiten in Mongolia and has snow-shoed to the North Pole. I like to go to places where people dont ordinarily go, Orland said. In 2017, he decided to go on an expedition to the South Pole and started his training, which involved creating an 83-pound rig made with used car tires to simulate his equipment and sled when he would be in Antarctica. Orland said he would strap the rig behind him and drag the ballast along the Chandler Bike Path or up Stough Canyon for several miles. Boy, did I trash those tires, and I even wore out a set, he said Theres a lot of friction on those tires when youre dragging sidewalls against concrete. After training for about a year and a half, Orland flew to Punta Arenas, Chile, in December before flying to Union Glacier in Antarctica, which is about 400 miles inland from the ocean. Orland said traversing the South Pole was much different from the North Pole. He said the terrain at the North Pole is covered with pressure ridges, jagged hills of ice several feet tall created by ice sheets crashing into one another. In contrast, he described the South Pole to be a monotonous, flat land mass covered in snow. On most days, his trip involved walking through white-out conditions, meaning he could only see a few hundred meters in front of him. There were also strong katabatic winds that howled throughout the day and reached up to 50 mph. When the conditions did clear, Orland said everything looked the same no matter where he looked, adding that his group had to rely on compass bearings to reach the South Pole. After several days and traveling 70 miles, he and the group he traveled with reached the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and made it to the South Pole. The South Pole is much colder than the Arctic, Orland said. And then theres the elevation. The South Pole is at 9,301 feet, but because of the barometric pressure, it feels like youre breathing at 11,000 feet. Orland safely made his trip back to Union Glacier and wrapped up his trip to Antarctica on Dec. 26. With all of the miles of hiking and climbing under his belt, Orland said he does not have another trip planned anytime soon. Its been a lot of fun to go places and do things that very few people have had the opportunity to do, Orland said. anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com Twitter: @acocarpio When Elaine Chang decided to become a foster parent, she knew she wanted the child to be Korean. She and her husband were born in Korea, speak Korean and belong to a Korean church, so fostering a Korean child would help ease the transition into a new home, she reasoned. So nearly four years ago, the couple who lived in Irvine at the time took in an 8-day-old Korean American baby boy. A year and a half later, they adopted him. I wanted to provide as much as I could, Chang said. He might not know who his biological parents are, but hell know what his roots are. Stories like Changs are rare in Southern California, where few Asian families are licensed foster parents to support the estimated 1,000 Asian foster children in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Many of these children grew up speaking Korean, Mandarin or Vietnamese and need families that also speak the same language. To address this growing need, the Asian Foster Family Initiative the countrys first and only foster family agency specifically for Asians and Pacific Islanders has been recruiting Asian Americans in Southern California to become foster parents. This fall, the organization secured a contract with the Orange County Social Services Agency, making it easier for the county to match Asian foster parents and Asian foster children. Our community needs to be out there and do more for our own children, said Connie Chung Joe, executive director of Korean American Family Services, which launched the Asian Foster Family Initiative. Its hard enough, the trauma of being separated from your family and being put into a strangers home. But when no one knows your food, your culture or even your language, that can be extra traumatic for kids. Chung Joe said she began working on the issue five years ago, when her own research showed that there was not a single Korean foster parent in Los Angeles County, which was causing significant problems for the estimated 100 Korean foster children in the area. The kids sometimes didnt speak English or werent used to the food or customs, so the kids were saying they were in distress, she said. We were hearing stories about kids who would stop bathing, they were having nightmares, and they werent eating well. So Chung Joe set out to eliminate the barriers many Asians face to become foster parents. For instance, licensing requires up to 20 hours of training, first aid and CPR certification, said Chung Joe, which was available only in English at the time. So the Asian Foster Family Initiative started holding the training sessions in-language and offered clinics to guide families through the lengthy written application. Its hard enough even if you speak English and know the system well to go through all of that, she said. But if you dont speak English perfectly fluently, and you dont know, culturally, how to navigate the system, its really hard to get through the process. Siyang Yu, a social worker, helps conduct a training program for the Asian Foster Family Initiative, the countrys first and only foster family agency specifically for Asians and Pacific Islanders. (Photo by James Carbone) The Asian Foster Family Initiative also launched a public awareness campaign in the Asian community. This included explaining what fostering is since many Asian countries dont have a foster system and dispelling misconceptions. One point the agency drove home was that foster parents dont have to be U.S. citizens. It also reached out to churches and other community groups to encourage families to foster. Koreans have the highest rate of missionaries of any other culture in the world, Chung Joe said. We go around the world trying to help children in need, yet in our own backyard, there might be a Korean American child and were not doing anything for that child. I think a lot of people felt like, `We need to take care of our own children. This is the message that Chang said moved her to become a foster parent. Its bad enough to be away from their parents, but the different culture, its not easy for them to adjust, she said. That moved my heart and I felt like, Maybe I can do this. Laura Turtzer, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Social Services Agency, which contracted the Asian Foster Family Initiative as a foster family agency, said the county has also reached out to the Asian American community by participating in Tet festivals and Asian night markets as a way to encourage more Asian American foster parents and also helps foster families understand the needs of Asian American foster children. In trainings, prospective resource families learn that a childs ethnicity and culture are a part of their identity, and they are encouraged to create opportunities for themselves and their youth to learn about and integrate cultural traditions, she said in an email. Chinese couples and individuals take part in the L.A. Foster Care System training program at the Rowland Heights Community Christian Church. (Photo by James Carbone) Turtzer said the Asian Foster Family Initiative will build on this work by providing more families who can serve the cultural and linguistic needs of children in the county. Chung Joe said her organization has trained 49 new foster families so far. The Asian Foster Family Initiative currently works in the Korean, Chinese and Filipino communities and is expanding its Orange County services to include the Vietnamese. Chang, a nurse who also has two biological children, said that while there was once stigma in the Asian American community around fostering and adopting children, the culture has shifted toward greater awareness and acceptance. If you start looking for differences between you and your son, youll see so many differences, she said. But if you look for the things that are like you, theyll be there. Its the same thing with biological kids. Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil is a contributor to Times Community News. The Costa Mesa Historical Society offered free public tours and other activities Sunday at Estancia Park to mark 50 years of restoration and preservation of the parks Diego Sepulveda Adobe. The event, dubbed Early California Days, celebrated the history of the adobe, a museum that contains artifacts from its past as part of a Native American village called Lukup. The site later was a station of Mission San Juan Capistrano and the property of Don Diego Sepulveda, a former alcalde of Pueblo de Los Angeles, the Allen family and the Adams family, for whom Adams Avenue is named. In 1940, the property was purchased by the Segerstrom family, who in 1963 gave the site to the city of Costa Mesa as a memorial to the areas early settlers. In 1966, a committee of the Chamber of Commerce began work to establish a museum inside the adobe. The interior of the museum represents four periods of California history Indian, Mission, Spanish and Victorian. For more information, visit costamesahistory.org. An adult-film actor was arrested with guns, drugs and cash in his possession after holding off police for more than 13 hours in a Costa Mesa home Saturday, authorities said. Casey Daniel Purser, 31, of Sherman Oaks was with a woman in her home in the 800 block of Brickyard Lane when officers responded to a report of suspicious circumstances at about 3:20 a.m., police said. According to police, Purser had threatened to harm the woman before she ran downstairs and out the front door. Police said Purser chased her downstairs but stayed inside. Police made several unsuccessful attempts to call Purser, and detectives watched the house until Purser stepped outside with a backpack at about 5 p.m. and was arrested, police said. The backpack contained two loaded 9mm handguns, drugs including 12 grams of cocaine and 17 Adderall pills and $15,000 in cash, police said. Photos posted on Instagram by the Costa Mesa Police Department show guns, drugs and cash that police say they found when they arrested Casey Daniel Purser on Saturday. (Costa Mesa Police Department) Purser was booked on an outstanding warrant and on suspicion of making criminal threats, exhibiting a firearm, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance while armed and resisting/delaying arrest, police said. He pleaded not guilty Monday to three felony and two misdemeanor counts. Purser, who goes by the stage name Clover, has a history of legal run-ins, including allegations of domestic violence and animal cruelty. He was arrested in Newport Beach on May 8 on suspicion of exhibiting a deadly weapon. He faces four felony counts and three misdemeanor counts related to threats, brandishing a weapon and being in possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. A restraining order was requested against Purser in February in Orange County Superior Court pertaining to allegations of domestic violence. julia.sclafani@latimes.com A couple of seasoned sea travelers will slice through the Pacific Ocean from Newport Beach to Baja California on Friday as the 72nd annual Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race gets underway. Not only is Cheerio II, an 88-year-old wooden yawl, the oldest boat in the race, its skipper has been around the water even longer than it has. Cheerio II has collected two N2E trophies in the past three years, winning its class last year in an elapsed 26 hours, 48 minutes and 37 seconds, almost two hours ahead of the next finisher in its 13-boat group. In 2016, it made the 125 nautical miles in 20:38:31, third in elapsed time but first with Cheerios handicap factored in. Cheerios skipper is Dick McNish, a 91-year-old Santa Barbara native who has guided the 46-foot boat in 20 Newport to Ensenada races. Its said that wooden boats have personalities. As Cheerio IIs name suggests, its easy to maneuver out of its slip for a day at sea. She likes to be sailed, McNish said. And McNish likes to sail. Hes done it for most of his life and has a regatta named in his honor at his home yacht club, Pacific Corinthian in Oxnards Channel Islands Harbor. Dick McNish, center left, is pictured at the 2018 Newport to Ensenada trophy ceremony. (Courtesy of Newport Ocean Racing Assn.) McNish bought Cheerio II in 1980 and extensively restored it in 1994 and 95. One of its former owners was Hollywood swashbuckler Errol Flynn. The boat, like its current owner, is active. McNish maintains a racing season of about a half-dozen regattas between April and September, starting with Newport to Ensenada. He also enters races just for heritage boats the Yesteryear Regatta put on in San Diego by the Ancient Mariners Sailing Society, the One More Time Regatta for wooden boats in Marina del Rey, and his namesake McNish Classic, which is entering its 42nd year. He also enjoys a fun run to Frenchys Cove on Anacapa Island in the Channel Islands, where the trophy is a bottle of rum. McNish said he used to staff Cheerio II with sailors close to his age. We had a good time but we didnt win many races, he said with a laugh. So a few years ago he took on a younger crew. After a traditional send-off dinner Wednesday, Cheerio II and its six-man crew planned to leave Oxnard at 8:30 p.m. for an overnight transit and hit Newport about 12 hours later. McNish will drive down, saving his energy for the race, which will require another all-nighter. Hell bring the homemade chili he made for Fridays dinner. The chili itself took a half-day in the kitchen. McNish, who turns 92 in May, said he plans to do Newport to Ensenada as long as he can. Hes been racing boats for about 25 years and works out in a gym three days a week. It keeps you going, and I like to keep going, he said. Cheerio II is one of about 200 boats racing this year under the Newport Ocean Racing Assn.s N2E umbrella. Most sailors are taking the classic 125-nautical-mile course to Ensenada, but two short courses have returned after their 2018 debuts. Fifteen high school and collegiate skippers of smaller craft will try the 14-nautical-mile sprint to Dana Point, and more than 30 sailors will set a 60-nautical-mile course for San Diego. Other boats to watch for in the main event: Lux, a former Americas Cup practice boat that brings foiling to the race Fast Exit, which won last months Newport to Cabo on corrected time Kite 35, with its Canadian team. The boat has been based in Newport Beach for five years, but its owner expects to take it home to Lake of the Woods, Ontario, after this race. This will be the first Newport to Ensenada in more than 50 years without Carlos Avila, who died last year at age 98. Avila coordinated the race from the Ensenada end, was an honorary NOSA staff commodore, entertained NOSA leaders and Newport dignitaries in his home and had a trophy named in his honor. Racing starts at 11 a.m. Friday near the Balboa Pier. To track the boats in real time, visit yb.tl/N2E2019. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. The latest comprehensive census of Orange Countys homeless population found nearly 7,000 people living in shelters or on the streets countywide a significant uptick from the last such count in 2017, according to results released Wednesday. A county official, however, said the increase could at least partly be attributed to new methodologies and technology used this time around that provided a more comprehensive and detailed overview than in previous years. Overall, Januarys 2019 Orange County Point in Time count documented 6,860 homeless people. Of those, 2,899 were staying in some kind of shelter, while 3,961 were unsheltered, according to the county. By comparison, 4,792 homeless people were tallied during the 2017 Point in Time count, including 2,584 who were unsheltered. The Point in Time count is a federally required biennial census of the homeless that collects demographic data and other information so agencies can update their practices and resources. The tally also helps determine how much funding Orange County will receive to address homelessness issues. Orange County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairwoman Michelle Steel whose Second District includes Costa Mesa, part of Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach said the survey provides a more accurate snapshot of where homeless individuals are in the county. During this years count, volunteers used a smartphone app to log survey responses and the locations where they met particular people. That not only provided additional information about where homeless people were but also their specific situations, said Susan Price, the countys director of care coordination. We have a lot better accuracy in terms of the data, she said. When you get the opportunity to talk to the population directly, youre talking to the homeless person about their issues, things theyre struggling with, what their barriers are, what their needs are. Individual cities also saw their homeless figures rise compared with the 2017 count. The number of unsheltered people recorded in Costa Mesa, for instance, went from 103 in 2017 to 187 this year. In Huntington Beach, the unsheltered population more than doubled, from 119 to 289. Both cities have taken steps to open homeless shelters within their borders in recent months. As part of an agreement to settle a federal lawsuit filed in January 2018 on behalf of homeless people cleared from a former encampment along the Santa Ana River, Costa Mesa opened a 50-bed bridge shelter at Lighthouse Church of the Nazarene this month. An additional 12 beds that will be available to people suffering a mental health crisis are being provided through a partnership with College Hospital, an acute-care facility at 301 Victoria St. Last week, the Huntington Beach City Council approved the purchase of an 11,200-square-foot warehouse to create a 75- to 90-bed shelter at 15311 Pipeline Lane. In announcing their shelter plans, officials in both cities cited direction from U.S. District Judge David Carter, who is presiding over homelessness-related legal actions in Orange County. He has called for cities to develop enough transitional and emergency beds to serve 60% of the unsheltered population tallied during the 2017 count. In Costa Mesa, that meant providing 62 beds. However, applying the same standard using the 2019 count would raise the target to 112. Huntington Beach would need 71 beds based on the 2017 results but 173 based on this years. Its unclear how, or if, the more recent figures will affect Costa Mesas shelter plans. As city spokesman Tony Dodero pointed out, We already have a finalized settlement agreement. Mayor Katrina Foley said, I just hope that other cities will see that these numbers reflect that we have a long ways to go and keep working on this issue and start opening shelters throughout Orange County. Also uncertain is how Huntington Beach will proceed and whether its partnership with Westminster, the county and nonprofit American Family Housing to expand two shelters in unincorporated Midway City may count in its favor. Huntington Beach city spokeswoman Julie Toledo said in an email Wednesday that officials are still looking over the numbers and the report at this time. Laguna Beach was one of a handful of county cities where the number of observed sheltered people, 76, outnumbered its unsheltered total, 71. The 2017 count documented a total of 88 homeless people in Laguna Beach, including 78 who were sheltered. The number of Lagunas sheltered people in both counts nearly matches how many beds are available at the Friendship Shelters two locations in the city on South Coast Highway and at the Alternative Sleeping Location on Laguna Canyon Road. Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen said the city is proud of the sheltering services it offers but hopes other cities step up and shoulder their share of the solution. Newport Beach saw its recorded homeless population rise from 39 in 2017 to 64 this year. In both cases, all those people were unsheltered. I think it is a bit difficult to do an apples-to-apples comparison of our homeless neighbors between the 2017 and 2019 counts, said Newport Beach Assistant City Manager Carol Jacobs. The 2017 process used an extrapolation method that applied the unsheltered total to each city simply by population. The 2019 count uses a different methodology using mapping and GIS [geographic information system] coordinates. My opinion is that the 2019 count is a bit more precise. We will really be able to compare apples to apples with the 2021 count. Fountain Valleys recorded homeless population was largely unchanged, going from 39 (29 unsheltered) in 2017 to 42 (28 unsheltered) this year. Local Point in Time count results 2019 Costa Mesa: 187 unsheltered, six sheltered Fountain Valley: 28 unsheltered, 14 sheltered Huntington Beach: 289 unsheltered, 60 sheltered Laguna Beach: 71 unsheltered, 76 sheltered Newport Beach: 64 unsheltered, none sheltered 2017 Costa Mesa: 103 unsheltered, 20 sheltered Fountain Valley: 29 unsheltered, 10 sheltered Huntington Beach: 119 unsheltered, 89 sheltered Laguna Beach: 10 unsheltered, 78 sheltered Newport Beach: 39 unsheltered, none sheltered Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. UPDATES: This article was originally published at 5 p.m. and was later updated with additional comments. Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital observed Good Friday last week with a special service led by Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America and St. Leon clergy. The service was held in the hospitals lobby. After the service, Derderian and Father Vatche Hayrapetyan blessed patients at the hospital. Good Friday commemorates the death of Jesus Christ, while Easter celebrates his resurrection. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. When Isabelle Fox joined a mission sponsored by international pediatric surgery nonprofit Mending Kids to Luoyang, China, in 2011 as a nonmedical volunteer, she assumed it would be a one-off experience. If nothing else, it would be something to post on Facebook. During the mission, then-filmmaker Fox documented a team of surgeons performing operations on orphan children with colorectal conditions that prevented them from being adopted. Fox adopted her daughter, Makena, from China in 2006 and had hoped to gain insight into what the first few months of her life were like. When it was all over, Fox found herself in a Starbucks in Beijing, openly sobbing. It changed my life, Fox said. It gave my storytelling meaning. Forty missions and several professional positions with Mending Kids later, Fox stepped up last month as its executive director. Previously heading global outreach for the Glendale-based organization, which used to be based in Burbank until last April, Fox said shes stepping out of the trenches to focus on development, fundraising and making sure its existing programs are sustainable. Typically, the organization plans to return to the same area for at least five years in a row to perform surgeries and train local staff to perform more complex surgeries so that the impact isnt just temporary, she said. Its been a whirlwind transition. Since taking over from former executive director Chris Johnson, Ive been in a state of frazzle because Ive had to go from 0 to 60, Fox said. Just around the corner, on Feb. 21, is Mending Kids seventh annual gala, which Fox described as the organizations most important event because of its critical fundraising function. Originally scheduled for Nov. 17, the event was moved because some staff and donors were affected by the wildfires including Fox, who lives in Malibu. Then there are five medical missions to plan: Peru in April, Tanzania in May, Armenia in June, and to-be-determined trips to the East and West coasts of the United States. To some degree, Foxs experience has been like going on one of the missions: Part of the process is planning for the unexpected. Sometimes its difficult getting through customs to far-flung countries. Sometimes patients dont show up for appointments and dont have a cellphone so they can be reached. Sometimes patients pass away before the medical team arrives. Sometimes its quite discouraging, but at the same time were conditioned to just have to roll with it, Fox said. Thats how Im approaching this [job], preparing the best I can and adapting accordingly. lila.seidman@latimes.com Twitter: @lila_seidman If youre not homeless, I cant help you. Thats the sympathetic but honest answer a Glendale resident and U.S. Navy veteran received last year when he sought advice from a social worker at the Glendale Downtown Central Library. Id suggested he speak with her about his prospects for entry into veterans housing or any other low-income, subsidized housing that would offer more stability than he felt in his current circumstances. Like many current residents in our areas shrinking inventory of low-rent housing, my friend is living on a fixed income. His is about $900 a month, and hes worried about his next rent increase. Hes already on the waiting list for a Section 8 rental subsidy, a federal program funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but hes far down on the list. According to the city of Glendales website, there are currently 2,300 names on the list, and there arent enough apartments available even for some of the folks toward the top. My friend came away from his visit to the library with a conclusion that becoming homeless might be his best bet; it would move him up the list. With points for being a veteran and for having a disability, he figures hell have a better chance of finding affordable housing once hes no longer housed. Soon after he shared his story with me, I called Natalie Komuro, who was then the executive director of Ascencia, Glendales 45-bed year-round shelter. She confirmed the answer my friend had received. Ascencia is funded to provide services to homeless individuals and families, she said, and it must comply with the terms and goals of its funding sources. As much as she wished she could help those at risk of homelessness, there was little Ascencia could do. Once individuals have entered the system, agencies such as Ascencia and other partners in the citys homeless-services continuum of care can and do continue to provide supportive services to help clients maintain stability, but Komuro acknowledged the challenge of homeless prevention. Im happy to report there are signs of movement in this Catch 22 system. Language is appearing in local emergency-housing measures and state bills that would allow more funds to be used for homeless prevention. Ascencia and others are continually working on ways to lower the numbers of individuals on our streets, with outreach workers and police working together to steer people to services. But as difficult as it is to reach people already on the streets, its even harder to get information about services to people who arent homeless yet individuals like my friend, who has a room today but worries he wont have one a few months from now, or families with parents working two jobs while trying to keep their children in school. Many of those families dont have time to look for help for an emergency that hasnt happened yet. So Im also happy to report an effort underway to spread the word about programs and services available to individuals before a housing emergency happens. Glendale Communitas Initiative, a local nonprofit formed four years ago to address poverty prevention and recovery, is partnering with volunteers of the Sunday lunch program in a stepped-up effort to better equip volunteers with the information they need to help guide people to available community resources. The Sunday lunch program, for the record, is a loose association of Glendale area churches that has been coordinating weekly lunches for homeless and marginally-housed individuals since 1995. That was the year two former members of St. Marks Episcopal Church formed the nonprofit Food for Body & Soul to offer a meal on the one day of the week the Salvation Army didnt offer a free lunch. Some years later, the Salvation Army ceased its weekday lunches, and sometime after that, Food for Body & Soul became inactive as a nonprofit. However, at the suggestion of St. Marks member and ever-ready volunteer Monique Poon, participating churches agreed to continue to support the Sunday lunches, with each church hosting lunches for one or two months a year. La Crescenta Presbyterian, too far from downtown Glendale to host a lunch, faithfully sends a team of volunteers to cook and serve at the host churches one Sunday each month. Local agencies like the Glendale Central Library, the Verdugo Jobs Center, and the citys Homeless Services Department, as well as the participating churches, distribute Sunday lunch schedules as needed. Now, after many discussions among representatives of the participating churches, the volunteers in the Sunday lunch program agreed they want to offer more than a meal on Sundays. Theyre planning to better equip their volunteers and others who may be interested in stemming the tide of homelessness to serve as resource guides to individuals seeking a way out of poverty. Theyre working with Communitas to schedule a series of volunteer training sessions. Watch for training dates and other events on the Communitas website, glendalecommunitasinitiative.org. Joylene Wagner volunteers with the Sunday lunch program and is a member of the board of Communitas and other local nonprofits. Email her at jkate4400@aol.com. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. April 16 Attempted burglary, residence: 5200 block of Crown Avenue, La Canada. Deputies responded to a call at around 1:26 p.m. of a possible burglary suspect inside a home. A female said she was in a bedroom when she heard her dogs barking outside. She entered the kitchen and saw a white heavyset male in his 30s, approximately 6 feet tall, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans poking his head inside through an open sliding door leading to the backyard. Startled, the suspect jumped a fence and ran out of view. It was determined the man did not enter the home, and no items appeared to have been taken. April 17 Theft by false pretenses: 900 block of Coral Way, La Canada. A woman told deputies someone identifying himself as Bryan Lee called her the day before at around 10:46 a.m. stating she owned money to the IRS and reciting the last four numbers of her Social Security number. A victim of tax-related identity fraud two years earlier, the victim believed Lee and complied with his request for her to obtain Apple and Target gift cards to repay the debt. In subsequent calls, deputies heard Lee call back and threaten the victim with arrest unless she purchased and sent more gift cards. When a deputy got on the line, the suspect hung up. The woman was advised to block the suspects number. April 18 Theft by false pretenses: 5000 block of Ramsdell Avenue, La Crescenta. A woman reported receiving a March 25 billing statement from Bank of America claiming she owned a balance, although she didnt recall making purchases on that credit card. The day before, shed gone to dispute a Feb. 8 charge and was told the fraudulent charge was made by an online web security company that had access to the victims personal data three years ago, when she hired them to fix her computer. April 20 Criminal threats: 200 block of Inverness Drive, La Canada. A homeowner had a rusted and broken pipe leading from the city water line to his property. He contacted a recommended worker via text and they agreed the repairman would visit the property on April 14 to provide a quote for the work. But the day passed and the homeowner heard nothing about whether the worker had visited. On April 15 at around 7:18 a.m., the worker texted to say he was at the property and ready to begin the work. In a text sent at 8:48 a.m., the repairman said the work was complete and stated the cost. The homeowner did not respond to the texts, or to subsequent calls seeking remuneration. Eventually, when the property owner told the worker hed never agreed to the work and would not pay, the repairman allegedly threatened his property and his life. Petty theft, unlocked vehicle: 3100 block of Evelyn Street, Montrose. A woman left her unlocked 2006 Toyota Camry in the driveway of her home at around 2 p.m. the day before. When she returned that day at around 6:30 a.m., she noticed her center console was open and had been rummaged through. An iPod was missing from inside. Vehicle burglary: 5200 block of Castle Road, La Canada. Someone broke into a locked 2010 Toyota Prius that had been left parked overnight on the street in front of the victims home. The rear drivers side window was found broken and a canvas bag containing a laptop, external hard drive, a large quantity of blank business checks and three credit cards was missing. April 21 Petty theft: 500 block of Dartmouth Place, La Canada. Video footage shows a light-skinned male with short hair approaching an unlocked 2017 Jeep Cherokee at 2:34 a.m. April 21, entering it and then carrying off several bags containing miscellaneous items including clothing and household goods. The suspect apparently arrived in a silver, four-door sedan and left in the same vehicle. Vehicle burglary: 2600 block of Altura Avenue, La Crescenta. Sometime between 2:30 p.m. April 18 and 8:30 a.m. April 21, someone smashed the passenger window of a 2018 Ford Mustang that had been left parked in the street and took a Nike gym bag and two sets of headphones. Attempted burglary: 2600 block of Fairway Avenue, La Crescenta. A woman reported that someone shattered the front passenger window of her 2012 Ford Escape sometime between 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. that day, but nothing appeared to be missing from the vehicle. Compiled from reports on file at the Crescenta Valley Sheriffs Station. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. When residents crowded the La Canada Flintridge City Council chambers in August to share their concerns about a residential drug and alcohol detox center operating out of a home at 915 Green Lane, officials said their hands were tied by state law. That law says that as long as residential rehab facilities treat six or fewer patients at a time, they are to be regarded by city zoning laws as single-family residences and, therefore, are not required to seek a permit to operate. Council members advised residents to entreat state lawmakers to enact legislation requiring advanced notification or allowing for more local regulation. State Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) attended the Aug. 15 council meeting and promised to work with the city attorney, Mark Steres, to see if something could be done. On Friday, Portantino introduced the fruits of that effort, Senate Bill 1317. If passed, the measure would allow local governments to adopt an ordinance requiring at least 30 days advance written notice of the intent to operate any residential rehab facility. Operators could also be required to submit specified plans regarding parking, medical waste disposal and the exact services to be offered at the site. SB-1317 contains provisions requiring residential detox facilities to certify their compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, provide one full bathroom for every two residents and prohibit more than two residents being assigned to a single bedroom. My goal is to try to give local communities some land use regulation, Portantino said Tuesday. But also, if a facility is created, we want it to be safe. La Canada Mayor Mike Davitt who recently traveled to Washington, D.C. on behalf of the California Contract Cities Assn. to share with lawmakers the impact of such fair housing measures on local governments said the current law essentially forces cities to accept businesses operating near residents without any regulatory process. One day you think you have a neighbor moving in and the next day theres a sober living facility, he said. They dont have to register, and they dont have to get a city business license. Portantino acknowledged the bill doesnt grant municipalities the right to ban residential rehab centers. Rather, he said, its intended to inform local governments about the operation of such facilities so residents as well as city and public safety officials are aware of their presence. The idea was how do we come up with some prudent, logical local land use regulations? he said of the bill. We cant be too Draconian that would mean it would just die and we havent solved the problem. Davitt said while Portantinos bill may not give La Canada residents every assurance they might want, it does help put protections in place. Its certainly a step in the right direction, the mayor said. sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine My familys getaway late last year to Oregons stormy coast was invigorating. We stayed in Depoe Bay, known as the states whale-watching capital. Yes, we saw whales a pod of grays makes its home here from March to December but we also strolled wind-swept beaches in search of agates, visited a pirate-themed coffee shop and walked around what some say is the worlds smallest navigable harbor. The tab: $120, plus tip, for dinner at the Horn Public House & Depoe Bay Brewing Co. and $24 for drinks and baked goods at the Pirate Coffee Co. (Lou Spirito For The Times) THE BED Our friends had invited us to stay as their guests at the WorldMark Depoe Bay, part of a vacation club owned by Wyndham Destinations. Our spacious two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit had a kitchen, a living and dining room, a gas fireplace and three TVs. The balcony was directly above the rocky coastline, so we were close enough to be misted by waves and sea foam. One evening we saw an amazing sunset and whales spouting in the distance. Those who arent members of the WorldMark club can still book units at the privately owned part of the resort known as Whale Pointe. A two-night stay this summer will cost about $600, including taxes and housekeeping fees. Advertisement THE MEAL We ate at the Horn Public House & Depoe Bay Brewing Co., which features local brews, standard pub food and a view of the harbor. Our meal included veggie burgers, pizza and a warm marionberry crisp with vanilla ice cream for dessert. As for beer, I had a double IPA; my wife, Amber, enjoyed the Sea Wash Witbier, a Belgian-style ale seasoned with Old Bay, sea salt and a hint of coriander. Our day ended with beer, but our mornings started at the Pirate Coffee Co., where we got hot drinks, cookies, muffins and scones. A sign on the shops pastry case said, The pirate says: Calories dont count outside your ZIP Code. 1 / 5 The sunset is glorious from a second-floor balcony at WorldMark Depoe Bay in the Oregon coastal town. (Mike Morris) 2 / 5 The two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit at WorldMark Depoe Bay was spacious. Not only did it have a kitchen and living and dining room but also a gas-powered fireplace, three TVs and a master bedroom with a large jacuzzi tub. The resort has swimming pools, a workout room and walking path around the complex. (Mike Morris) 3 / 5 A bridge at Depoe Bay, Ore., which is billed as the worlds smallest harbor. (Mike Morris) 4 / 5 Depoe Bay, Ore., boasts what is billed as the worlds smallest harbor. The views are splendid too. (Mike Morris) 5 / 5 Visitors to Depoe Bay, Ore., wander a path through a nearby moss-covered forest. (Mike Morris) THE FIND After fueling up at the Pirate Coffee Co., we strolled to the Whale Watching Center to check out the wildlife. We then walked over Depoe Bays concrete arch bridge and turned on Schoolhouse Street, where we discovered a path through a moss-covered forest that took us to Depoe Bay City Park. Our 3-year-old son, Gus, loved the parks play structures, which included a replica of the USS Challenger and, of course, bouncing whales. We then began the short Depoe Bay Scenic Harbor Walk, passing a Coast Guard station before looping back around to pick up gifts at the Silver Heron Art Gallery. THE LESSON LEARNED The walk gave us a taste of the trails in the area. Along with exploring more of the Depoe Bay Park Trail on our next visit, we would like to walk the North Point Pedestrian Loop, which takes you through an area once explored by pirates. WorldMark Depoe Bay, 939 N.W. Highway 101, Depoe Bay, Ore.; (541) 765-7600. Wheelchair-accessible units. Its private Whale Pointe Resort rents units through FRS Vacation Rentals, (503) 697-7224. The Horn Public House & Depoe Bay Brewing Co., 110 S.E. Coast Highway, Depoe Bay; (541) 764-6886. Wheelchair accessible (downstairs). Pirate Coffee Co., 10 Vista St., Depoe Bay; (541) 765-4373. Wheelchair accessible. Silver Heron Art Gallery, 15 S.E. Bay St., Depoe Bay; (541) 765-2886. Wheelchair accessible (downstairs). For the second year in a row, the USS Arizona Memorial at Honolulus Pearl Harbor will be closed to visitors on Memorial Day as much-delayed repairs continue. The monument, one of Hawaiis most-visited tourist attractions, closed May 27 after the discovery that the loading dock was not safely secured to the ocean floor. That created a safety hazard for the more than 4,000 people who visited the floating memorial each day. The initial hope was to have completed repairs in time to have reopened by October 2018, but the construction contract was not awarded until late March of this year. Repairs are projected to be complete by fall 2019 and in time for the next Dec. 7 remembrance, an advisory on the National Park Services webpage said. The advisory also includes this caveat: provided no issues arise during the construction period. Advertisement A diver inspects the seaweed and barnacle-encrusted gun turrets of the USS Arizona. (Brett Seymour / National Park Service) Work on the USS Arizona Memorial was completed in May 1962. The equipment that anchors the memorial has not been replaced since then. It is above the wreckage of the battleship USS Arizona, which sank in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. The bodies of more than 1,000 sailors and Marines are entombed in the Arizona. During the closure, visitors can take a narrated, 30-minute boat tour of Pearl Harbors Battleship Row, the target of Japanese planes in 1941. Tours are offered daily and free tickets can be reserved online. Walk-up tickets are available at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center starting at 7 a.m. each day. They are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The Arizona is part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, which also has sites in Alaskas Aleutian Islands and Californias Tule Lake Unit. travel@latimes.com @latimestravel When you visit Las Vegas, you tend to spend a lot of time indoors. But heres a suggestion for the great outdoors when youve lost too much at the tables or you need to shake the clatter of casinos out of your head. The Gold Strike Hot Springs Trail is lovely at certain times of the year but soon, it wont be. But this is Vegas, so not to worry. If you miss this window, there are other outdoor and indoor pursuits. My name is Catharine Hamm, and Im the travel editor for the Los Angeles Times. Whether youre into the outdoors or the indoors or both, youll find something that lets you hit the pause button from life and escape for a bit. Advertisement If you want to be outside and see art, theres the new renovated pool area of the Palms. Its utter Kaos. If you want to be inside and eating paella, theres a festival honoring the rice dish in various iterations. If you want to be outside and making like a pirate, theres a festival this weekend that lets you say Arrgh to your hearts content. If you want to get your jollies inside, a comedy club associated with a well-known talk-show host is opening May 2. If you want to be outside and admiring iconic art, theres a new/old piece at the Neon Museums Boneyard. Whats clear from this: We cover Vegas inside out, and were happy to share some of our favorite things. Ahoy, mateys, and welcome to the extravaganza that is Las Vegas. Time is of the essence Its April 25. Do you know where your hot weather is? Closing in, thats for certain. That means the time left to hike the Gold Strike Hot Springs Trail is about to run out. At least, hike it comfortably. The trail, which is strenuous, is about five miles from Boulder City, Nev., which is about 28 miles from the Strip. The forecast calls for temperatures in the 80s and 90s for the next few days, dropping back to the low 80s and even high 70s next week, the Weather Channel predicts, which means its still doable. Once the mercury tops the century mark, you probably will want to put your expedition on hold. If you missed it this year, mark your calendar for fall. Its a dandy jaunt, Jay Jones writes. Youll find hot springs that can soothe your aching bones along the Gold Strike Hot Springs Trail. (Sam Morris / Las Vegas News Bureau) Splashier than ever We dont meant the temps. We mean by the pool. And this particular pool area 73,000 square feet at the Palms, providing space for Kaos day and night clubs offers both sun and shade (the latter in its more than three dozen cabanas), Mary Forgione writes. Plus you can always catch some shade in the shadow of Damien Hirsts 60-foot-tall Demon With Bowl, pictured below. (Hirsts name popped up recently with the unveiling of the 9,000-square-foot suite Palms suite that features such artworks as two sharks suspended in formaldehyde.) Kaos day and night clubs feature the towering Demon With Bowl sculpture by Damien Hirst in the pool area. (Palms) Come to the paella party Full disclosure: I love paella, the saffron rice dish I was introduced to while I was a student at the University of Valencia in Spain. Teresa, the cook at the home where I lived, was a biddy, but she had a wicked magic touch with the socarrat, the crusty part of the dish. Jose Andres is doing a paella Valenciana and other iterations at a weeklong paella festival beginning April 27. If you miss that, a new paella restaurant is opening, although the date is not yet known. Isaias Gonzalez, lead paella chef at Jaleo, will be part of a weeklong festival celebrating and highlighting the Spanish rice dish. (Michael Hiller) If not paella, pirates Although choosing between paella and pirates isnt an either-or choice because you can do both. The Pirate Fest is April 27 and 28 in Craig Regional Park, about 30 minutes north of the Strip. Its a good chance for kids to be kids and adults to be kids. Armed pirate skeletons enjoy playing chess at Pirate Fest. (Pirate Fest) Hot dam heres a way to see life outside the Strip The Boulder Express will whisk you away from the tables of Vegas and take you to one big dam place, among other locations, for less than youll probably lose playing slots all afternoon. You can go to Boulder City to see the quaint town, to the enormous Hoover Dam or to Lake Mead. Prices start at $25 for the round trip, but the history and the views are priceless, Jay Jones writes. Hoover Dam attracts about 7 million tourists each year. (David Lusvardi) Its yesterday once more In the Vegas Escapes newsletter of Oct. 25, we announced the departure of longtime Vegas act Donny and Marie Osmond, and we asked readers whom they would like to see fill the void. A couple of readers responded in the Nov. 22 newsletter, suggesting such replacements as Garth Brooks and Bruce Springsteen. Cathy Young of Buckeye Lake, Ohio, not far from Columbus, recently chimed in with her suggestion: I have to tell you that if the Carpenters Tribute featuring Michelle Whited would have a residency in Vegas, I would move there, she said in an email. I love this group and the music of the Carpenters! Michelle Whited sounds like Karen reincarnated. Karen Carpenter died in February 1983 of complications from anorexia. She was 32. Young included a link to the tribute groups demo, which I listened to with some dread, because Karen Carpenters deep, smoky voice was singular and a big part of my pop music youth. I wasnt sure anyone could match her, but this took me aback. Thoughts? Write to travel@latimes.com Richard and Karen Carpenter at the Grammys in March 1971. The brother-sister duo was named best new artist of the year for 1970. (Associated Press) Its a sign for the times That guitar that stood guard at the Hard Rock Cafe wasnt just any guitar; it was inspired by Pete Townshends No. 9 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe. When the cafe closed, the signs future looked uncertain, Michael Hiller reports. Now it has found a home at the Boneyard in the Neon Museum, and you can visit and bask in its glory. The longtime Hard Rock Cafe guitar sign is assembled at the Neon Museum. (Joe Buglewicz / Las Vegas News Bureau) In case you need a few laughs Jimmy Kimmel, he of late-night Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, is opening a comedy club in Las Vegas. The only thing that might not strike you as funny is this: Its his club, but he probably wont be there much. Read about the headliner who will open Kimmels club the weekend of May 2-5. Jimmy Kimmel took part in planning his new comedy club in Las Vegas, including the menu and green room details. (Associated Press) Where to read us and reach us If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter or many others from the Los Angeles Times for your specific interest, go to membership.latimes.com/newsletters. Heres a bonus: They are delivered free to your inbox. The only way we can thank you for your readership is to continue to produce top-drawer journalism that informs and entertains. If we fall short of that, email travel@latimes.com. If you like what youre reading, tell us that too. Well strive for what works and discard what does not. Were hoping youll like what you read enough to subscribe to the online version of The Times. The announcement of the Pulitzer Prize awarded to the Los Angeles Times earlier this month says everything about our desire to serve you, the reader. Visit our subscription page to get unlimited access. And thank you for supporting the Los Angeles Times. Well be back May 23, just in time for Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. And, knowing Vegas, that means a whole lot of new and exciting stuff, because the city never seems to pause to take a breath. Not that theres anything wrong with that. Until then, we wish you all the fun you can find and all the cash you need to make it happen. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time Thursday in a summit filled with gifts, pleasantries and champagne but few specifics on how to achieve what both men have said they want denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Kim and Putin met behind closed doors for about two hours in the port city of Vladivostok in eastern Russia after brief opening remarks broadcast on Russian state television in which the Cold War allies emphasized their historical ties. Putin told reporters in a news conference following the talks that he believed North Korea was willing to denuclearize but needed security guarantees ensuring its sovereignty and confidence-building steps along the way. If we move step by step with respect for each others interests, then this goal can be achieved in the final end, Putin said. Kims main interests are stability and safety of his country, he added. Advertisement Kims visit to the Russian city less than 100 miles from North Koreas northeast border is his first foray out of his country since his second summit with President Trump, held in Vietnam in February, was abruptly cut short without an agreement. Working-level talks between the U.S. and North Korea have also come to a screeching halt after a year of whirlwind diplomacy over the Norths nuclear program. A Kremlin spokesman had said even before Kim and Putin met that there would be no deal or agreement from the summit, the first meeting between North Korean and Russian heads of state since Kims father, Kim Jong Il, met with then-President Dmitry Medvedev in 2011. Analysts said Russia has little to offer by way of direct investment or aid, given the international sanctions placed on North Korea in retaliation for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Russia, along with China, has made the case before the United Nations Security Council that those sanctions should be eased in exchange for incremental steps by North Korea to denuclearize. U.N. reports have accused both Russia and China of helping North Korea dodge sanctions, which severely limit oil imports and block many of the countrys key exports, including textiles and seafood. Trump and his advisors said at the Hanoi summit and in the weeks since that the U.S. will only agree to lift the sanctions after North Korea has fully denuclearized. Russias influence and importance for North Korea is a shadow of what it once was before the Soviet Unions collapse Russia now trades far more with South Korea, and China is by far North Koreas largest trading partner. Russia is also under international sanctions for its seizure of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. On Thursday, Kim appeared to nevertheless make a strong appeal to Putin for his support in the stalled nuclear talks, saying Russians had shed blood for the liberation of the Korean people. Pyongyang and Moscow are far apart but [North Korea] and Russia are friendly nations separated only by a river, he said, referring to the 11-mile border shared by the countries in North Koreas northeastern edge. Putin also emphasized the nations long history, repeatedly mentioning their 70-year diplomatic relationship. He told reporters he found Kim to be a rather open person. At the same time, Putin said he supported Kims effort to improve relations with the U.S. He said Kim asked him to explain North Koreas position to American leaders. Putin said at the outset of the talks they would discuss humanitarian matters, but gave no specifics. Russia has already pledged 50,000 tons in food aid in response to pleas North Korea has made saying it faces a massive shortage after poor harvests last year. At an evening banquet following their talks, Kim and Putin dined on venison dumplings, borsch and Khabarovsk beef, according to Russian media reports. The two men exchanged gifts a sword from Kim, and a saber and tea set from Putin. Times staff writer Kim reported from Seoul and special correspondent Ayres from Moscow. One poster shows a mother and child in Myanmar holding antimalarial medicine. Another features an insecticide spray operator in Mozambique. A third focuses on a community health worker in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In each case, the images are accompanied by large bold letters reading: Zero malaria starts with me. As part of World Malaria Day on Thursday, agencies including the World Health Organization are promoting an awareness campaign to help eliminate the disease, which infects millions of people each year via mosquitoes. It can cause fevers, headaches or nausea and, if left untreated, can result in death. The campaign includes a social media component much like the posters to provide quick reminders of how to prevent or treat the disease. It also provides guidance on where to find information on malaria. Advertisement The world has made incredible progress against malaria, but were still too far from our goal, a world free of malaria, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO. (Los Angeles Times) The latest efforts involve calling on political leaders, the private sector and communities to do all they can to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment, he said. The WHO and the African Union Commission have partnered with others in a grass-roots campaign, officials said, that embraces the Zero malaria starts with me theme, which began in Senegal in 2014. World Malaria Day, which began in 2008, evolved from Africa Malaria Day, which began in 2001. During the past few years, progress in reducing the number of malaria-related deaths worldwide has slowed, worrying organizations and government leaders in countries that see a high level of cases. While many countries have eliminated the disease, others still face a high number of cases and deaths related to the curable disease. The WHOs latest annual report on the state of malaria across the globe listed five countries where nearly half of all cases occurred Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, India and Uganda. The latest data from WHO estimated about 435,000 people worldwide died as a result of malaria in 2017, and there were a total of 219 million cases that year in 87 countries. The United States and many other countries have succeeded at eliminating malaria. Here are some things to know about the disease and the progress made over the years in reducing malaria-related deaths. Who is most affected Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite, which is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected mosquitoes. WHO estimates that nearly half of the worlds 7.5 billion population was at risk of malaria as of 2017. The disease mainly affects people with weakened immune systems, said Dr. Ken Staley, the U.S. global malaria coordinator of the Presidents Malaria Initiative. Pregnant women and children under 5 are among the most vulnerable. In 2017, children younger than 5 made up 61%, or 266,000, of reported deaths. A child dies every two minutes, according to the World Health Organization. Children with severe cases might suffer from respiratory distress or cerebral malaria, which can lead to seizures or other neurological abnormalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In general, malaria is a curable disease if it is diagnosed and treated properly, but it can be fatal. An ancient disease Malaria has plagued ancient populations and dates back thousands of years. At least two presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were struck by the disease. In 1942, the U.S. created the Office of Malaria Control in War Areas, which preceded the CDC, to reduce the diseases effect during World War II at military training bases and in southern parts of the country. The country was declared malaria-free in 1949. Recent estimates from the CDC suggest the U.S. still sees about 1,700 cases annually, mostly from travelers. The CDC urges U.S. residents to buy antimalarial drugs before a trip and to take preventive measures while traveling. The effort to fight it A majority of malaria cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, according to WHO. From 2000 to 2015, international efforts to decrease deaths and cases were successful. In 2006, 881,000 people died from malaria, compared to 435,000 in 2017, according to WHO estimates. But WHOs 2018 report indicates the world is not on track to achieve a previously set goal of reducing malaria deaths and disease by at least 40% by 2020, as progress has stalled in the past few years. Whats being done Some organizations and governments are continuing to support countries carrying a high burden of malaria through life-saving resources and funding. According to WHOs 2018 report, the U.S. provided the most financial support for the effort, contributing $1.2 billion in 2017. In total, $3.1 billion was invested by governments of malaria-endemic countries and international partners to combat the disease, the report said. Some of the more effective preventive methods include providing insecticide-treated nets and spraying insecticide on interior walls to kill mosquitoes. Last year, the Presidents Malaria Initiative funded treatment in more than 5.7 million homes, protecting about 21 million people. In 2018, the initiative distributed 61 million nets, 65 million doses of antimalarial treatment and 15 million doses of seasonal malaria chemoprevention treatments for children. On Tuesday, WHO announced Malawi was the first of three countries in Africa to roll out the worlds first malaria vaccine, known as the RTS,S, for children up to age 2. The program aims to reach about 360,000 children every year in Ghana, Malawi and Kenya. This is a day to celebrate as we begin to learn more about what this tool can do to change the trajectory of malaria through childhood vaccination, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said in a statement. Since 2007, nine countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Turkmenistan, have been certified by WHO as having eliminated malaria. The most recent country to eliminate malaria was Uzbekistan. Staley said there is confidence among those working to beat malaria. Itll be a long fight, Staley said, but we can eliminate malaria from the globe. - Former PDP vice presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi said he spent this years Easter Holiday in hospitals across Anambra state - He said his decision to visit hospitals were borne out of the inspiration he got in December, during Christmas celebration. - He issued out a cheque of One million naira to each of the hospitals he visited The vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election and former governor of Anambra state, Mr Peter Obi said he spent this years Easter Holiday in hospitals across Anambra state. Obi made the comment on Tuesday, April 13, at Umueje, Ayamelum local government area when he visited the Diocesan Hospital in the town, accompanied by the Anglican Bishop of Niger West, Most Rev. Dr. Johnson Ekwe. He was also accompanied by two commissioners under his administration as governor, Prof. Stella Okunna and Chief Barr. Joe-Martins Uzodike. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda He said his decision to visit hospitals were borne out of the inspiration he got in December, during Christmas celebration. His words: In season and out of season, I visited schools in all the parts of the country offering them my modest support. During the Christmas celebration, I visited motherless babies homes and prisons, but upon reflection, as if by inexplicable inspiration, my mind kept urging me to visit the sick as another group that needed to be shown special love and concern. This was how I resolved to visit hospitals in the state. Apart from few in the towns that enjoyed special relationship with me, my resolution is to visit hospitals in the remotest parts of the state. Obi, whose intention was to visit about 50 designated hospitals in the remotest parts of the state as part of his Easter celebration, has already visited 12 hospitals Some of them are Diocesan Hospital of the Anglican diocese of Amichi; St. Charles Borromeo hospital of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha; Iyi-Enu hospital of the Anglican diocese on the Niger; Anglican diocesan hospital at Otuocha and Omor. Obi also visited the Umueje hospital; and St. Marys hospital Orsumoghu of the Catholic diocese of Nnewi, among others. The PDP vice-presidential candidate during the visit issued out a cheque of One million naira to each of the hospitals he visited and urged other wealthy Nigerians to shun spending on frivolities but for those things that would enrich humanity. The federal ministry of health in collaboration with its partners on Tuesday, April 23, inaugurated 11 strategic health documents towards reversing infant and maternal mortality indices in the country. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app The documents which are also aimed at improving the rights of persons living with disability in Nigeria was inaugurated by the minister of health, Professor Isaac Adewole, on Tuesday, April 23 in Abuja. Professor Adewole said the documents would provide policy direction for stakeholders on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health service delivery. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Nigerians raise money for Airport worker who returned millions after Legit.ng's report | Legit TV Source: Legit - The position of national secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is vacant - It was occasioned by the emergence of Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, as Yobe state governor-elect - The vacant position is currently causing crisis within the ruling party The vacant position of national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has kick-started another round of infighting within the ruling party. A report by Daily Sun indicates that the tussle for the position have split the ruling party as a faction of the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) faction insists on getting the vacant seat. The current occupant of the office, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, is present,ly Yobe state governor-elect. CPC is one of the parties that made up the APC in its merger in 2014. Others are the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). At inception six years ago, following the merger that brought about the APC, the party positions were shared on pro-rata basis. READ ALSO: Tinubu conspicuously absent as Buhari visits Lagos There were 32 positions then, ACN nine, CPC nine, ANPP nine and the remaining shared among the smaller parties who were parts of the merger. But the CPC bloc is complaining that just after one term in power of the APC, the party appears to have jettisoned the sharing formula. One of the CPC stalwarts said that 90 per cent of the members of the APCs National Working Committee (NWC) as at today are of the ACN bloc, adding that technically, they have been totally eliminated from the affairs of the party. He said: Before our national convention, we were marginalised no doubt, but today what we have is total elimination. Our national chairman is ACN, national secretary, ACN, deputy national chairman (north), ACN, deputy national chairman (south), ACN, national legal adviser, ACN, financial secretary, ACN, national vice chairman (south-south), ACN, I can go and on. This is why I call it total elimination. We have been eliminated from the party. It was the desire to give the CPC bloc a say in the party affair, that compelled some like minds within the party to prompt Bulama to run for the office of the national secretary in June last year, it was further learnt, before he was brought under tremendous pressure by the governors and Tinubu to step down. He stepped down for Buni. While Bulama had to step down at the last national convention, another of Buharis loyalists, Faruk Adamu Aliyu, who like Bulama was prompted to run for the office of the deputy national chairman (north) to represent what they call the ideological arm of the group, refused to step down despite appeals from party leaders. But in the end, in spite of the fact that his candidature enjoyed tremendous support of the core Buhari men in government, like the chief of staff to the president, Abba Kyari, the Customs boss, Hameed Ali, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and the rest he was roundly defeated by another member of the ACN bloc, Senator Lawal Shuaibu. At the moment, the north-east zone of the party had been asked to forward a consensus candidate to fill vacancy created by the exit of Buni. But the Yobe state chapter of the party is insisting on producing Bunis replacement. Interestingly, Yobe and Borno states are also in hot contest for the Senate presidency. Senator Ahmed Lawan, who is the partys preferred candidate for the position is from Yobe state, while his major challenger for now, Senator Ali Ndume is from Borno state. Yobe state APC secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Bakabe, in a recent interview noted that the state has competent personalities to replace Buni. His words: We have all it takes to occupy that seat; we have a lot of experienced and intelligent party administrators who are interested in the position. So, definitely, one of our people would be sponsored to occupy that seat again. Going by the fact that Buni was able to leave an indelible mark, we feel its proper for one of us to go and continue with the good job. Secondly, he only spent a year or less in his second term. So, we have to complete that term because it is Yobe states quota. Reminded that party stakeholders from Borno are already appealing to Ndume to drop his ambition for Lawan, he insisted: We (Yobe) want both of them because Borno has occupied a lot of seats at the federal level. In Yobe, we consider whoever occupies that seat from Borno as our own because we were carved out of Borno state. I see no reason they cannot concede to us to produce the Senate president and the national secretary of the party at the same time. In this government, they have Chief of Army Staff, National Security Adviser, Chief of Staff to Mr President, EFCC boss and many others. We in Yobe have not complained because we considered them as our brothers. So, I think we need both positions and I believe they would concede to that. Ndume would soon concede because even the governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima, has expressed his solidarity and support for Ahmed Lawans ambition. I will like to call on Borno people to rally around Lawan for the Senate president because he is an experienced, committed and intelligent person. He has all it takes to hold that position; he is an orator and quite disciplined. That is why even the president and the party endorsed him, a gesture which I think other senators should consider and vote him. He was, however, quick to add that should the party decides otherwise, by micro-zoning it to Borno, the Yobe state APC would not be opposed to it. We are very disciplined and organised; whoever the leadership of the party endorses, all of us would support him, he stated. READ ALSO: APC ticket: Governor Bello plans move to Accord Party Meanwhile, there is serious outcry among some members of the APC over an alleged move by some leaders of the party to foist an unpopular national secretary on the party. Those fingered in the plot are the party's national chairman; Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, national leader; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and governor of Borno state, Kashim Ibrahim Shettima. Chieftains of the party who raised the alarm say the trio are planning to jettison the partys national conventions norm for the election and selection of executive officers in regard to the vacant position of national secretary. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Which of President Buharis ministers should he retain for 2nd term? | Legit TV Source: Legit Nigeria - Jelani Aliyu has warned against Nigeria's continued importation of automobile components - Aliyu said considering Nigeria's economy and population local content development should be encouraged - The NADDC director said the agency has engaged a number of international stakeholders to see how to entrust them and support them into coming to Nigeria to produce The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has warned that Nigeria cannot afford to continue to import components of automobiles considering its economy and population. Jelani Aliyu, the director general of NADDC on Wednesday, April 24, in Abuja said the auto council has been vigorously pursuing local content development to stem importation of auto components. Daily Trust reports that Aliyu warned that Nigeria must engage in the development of products and services tit needs. He said: "We cannot continue to depend on imported components or products. Nigeria, a nation of close to 200 million people, must industrialise, must engage in the development of products and services that we need." Aliyu said the agency has engaged a number of international stakeholders to see how to entrust them and support them into coming to Nigeria to produce. READ ALSO: APC ticket: Governor Bello plans move to Accord Party He also noted that the NADDC has instituted the Local Automotive Components/Parts Fund to encourage local production of parts of vehicles. Not too long ago, we were in South Africa. We met with a number of component manufacturers, who were very interested in being connected with Nigerian investors and Nigerian partners to begin to produce components in Nigeria, Aliyu said. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari has successfully ordered the purchase of 77 brand new pick-up trucks for the operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update The vehicles, which were bought from Innoson Motors, were parts of the president's commitment to reinforce the corps' mechanism control measure towards bringing quick efficiency into the duty delivery of the road safety commission. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better. Traffic in Lagos: Only Nigerians Will Understand - on Legit TV Source: Legit - ICPC has promised to help President Buhari rid Nigeria of corruption - Chairman of ICPC said that the adverse effects of corruption on Africa and the sub-region eroded our values and destroyed humanity - However, the chairman said that the commission believed that prevention was vital to controlling and eradicating corruption Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says the commission would support the Buhari administration in ridding the country of corruption. He said this while declaring open the consultative meeting of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) to develop faculties for training on Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) held in Abuja on Thursday, April 25. The training was organised by the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) commission. Owasanoye said that the adverse effects of corruption on Africa and the sub-region eroded our values and destroyed humanity. READ ALSO: IGP orders immediate reversal of Police 12-hour shift duty to 8-hours It undermines the rule of law, breaches due process of governance, it produces poor infrastructure and services, and it dispenses justices to the rich, creates unemployment and discourages foreign investment. In another vein, corruption in law enforcement creates criminal cells, and sense of impunity by criminal groups. The ICPC appreciates these threats and particularly the broken processes and procedures which are exploited by corrupt and criminally-minded individuals, and we are committed to riding the country of them," he said. The chairman said that the commission believed that prevention was vital to controlling and eradicating corruption. He said that ICPCs prevention tool included systems study and review and Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA). He said that constant training and capacity building for anti-corruption officials to appreciate, understand and cope with the changing and emerging trends of corruption and corrupt practices was truly laudable. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Owasanoye said that if the fighters of corruption were to have an edge over criminals, then they must improve their capacities in all areas. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the King Turner, a close associate of former president Goodluck Jonathan, was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over N240 million Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) contracts. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Street Gist: I will set up a company for yahoo boys | Legit TV. Source: Legit Bethlehems police chief is asking for the publics help in solving two fires at a city church, one of which that has been ruled an arson. Chief Mark DiLuzio said a person walking home from work a little before 2 a.m. Thursday reported the second fire at the Iglesia Pentecostal de Bethlehem (Pentecostal Church of Bethlehem), at 1044 Pembroke Road. Bethlehem fire and police responded, and the fire on the roof was extinguished quickly by Bethlehem firefighters, the chief said. The first fire, which occurred early Tuesday morning, damaged the churchs sanctuary. Officials said the first blaze was intentionally set, and ruled it arson. The early morning Thursday fire is suspicious, DiLuzio said Thursday afternoon. Both fires are now under investigation by Bethlehem police, Bethlehem Fire Marshall Craig Bair and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. We still have some evidence were processing, and some things we have to do," DiLuzio told lehighvalleylive.com. The assistance of the ATF is nothing new, DiLuzio said in a news release. ATF agents assist in many fire investigations, especially in cases when the structure is a house of worship. The Bethlehem Police Department and Bethlehem Fire Marshall Office is asking for the publics help in this investigation -- and to report any individual or individuals acting suspicious or someone purchasing a fire accelerant such as lighter fluid or gasoline in any type of container. The information that you may have may seem trivial to you, but it may be very important to us, the chief said. Anyone with any information about the fires should call Bethlehem police at 610-691-6660 or 610-865-7187, and can remain anonymous. The ATF is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the successful prosecution of the person or persons responsible for that fire. The ATF tip line is 888-283-3473. The church, which owns the building, created a $100,000 GoFundMe campaign to repair and rebuild. Bethlehem police and ATF agents continue to look for clues around midmorning on the roof of Iglesia Pentecostal de Bethlehem C.L.A. after a fire there in the early morning hours April 25, 2019. A fire there two days earlier was deemed an arson.Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A Lehigh University alumnus and board of trustee member has gifted the university $5 million to support a cluster of six student residences being built atop the Asa Packer campus. Julie and Jordan Hitch are the first to donate to support the dynamic cluster of six new residence halls being built west of the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall, the college said in a news release. The first $75 million phase of the New Residential Houses project -- originally dubbed Bridge West -- is already underway and three of the houses will be available to students starting the fall of 2020. Hitch House and the two other dorms will house 401 freshman through junior students; as well as a cafe, fitness area, kitchenettes, lounge areas and conference rooms. At full buildout, the new facility will have room for 720 students. Lehigh is all about the student experience that was key to my time here, said Jordan Hitch, a Lehigh University Board of Trustees member and co-chair of GO: The Campaign for Lehigh. The university is experiencing an exciting era of growth and so now is the time for alumni to get engaged and support its initiatives. As Lehigh parents, Julie and I want our engagement to strengthen the way students live and learn. The project is supported by the $1 billion fundraising initiative launched in October to foster leadership and connections through a vibrant campus environment, according to Lehigh. The campaign is helping Lehigh realize its Path to Prominence, the universitys vision for its future that prioritizes improving access and opportunity for students and enrolling 1,000 more undergrads over the next decade. Paired with the renovation and expansion of the nearby University Center, the housing project aims to reimagine Lehighs student experience at the heart of the campus. Learning is not relegated to the classroom, lab or library, the university said in a news release. Jordan and Julies leadership commitment to advancing the university is to be commended, Lehigh President John D. Simon stated in the release. The expansion of our student body will bring new dynamism and greater diversity to campus. Hitch House will be an integrated living and learning space and will inspire community, creativity, and collaboration. We thank them for leading by example. Jordan Hitch applied early decision to Lehigh. He knew he wanted to pursue a business career but majored in mechanical engineering to set himself apart. He took those skills into the business world and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. He then worked as a strategic consultant for Bain & Company and next joined the private equity firm Bain Capital. He retired from there as a managing director and is now a private investor. Jordan Hitch joined Lehighs board of trustees in 2014, sits on the campus planning and operations and investment committees and chairs the finance committee. The Hitches philanthropy has previously supported scholarships and financial aid, the Africana Studies program and the Lehigh fund. Two of their sons are enrolled at Lehigh. As I got older, I got more involved. It is very rewarding and brings back great memories. It makes you appreciate all that Lehigh did for you, Jordan Hitch said in the news release. Now, seeing it through the eyes of our children, Julie and I are committed to helping Lehigh be the university that it was for me. To make room for the six new residential houses, Lehigh demolished the former Greek life home of the sorority Kappa Delta, which moved elsewhere on campus, and ripped up a parking lot. Phase II of the project is slated to open in the fall of 2022. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. An orphaned bobcat - who weighed under 5 pounds and was suffering from dehydration when he was rescued eight months ago - was released back into the wild last week. The bobcat, now weighing a healthy 20 pounds and having grown to 3-and-a-half feet in length, emerged from a crate and disappeared into a wooded area in Warren County on April 16. He had been cared for by workers at the Woodlands Wildlife Refuge in Alexandria Township, Hunterdon County, since early August, refuge director Tracey Leaver said. Leaver, who founded the non-profit organization in 1986, was among those watching as the bobcat made his dash to freedom. Now is your second chance to go be what you are, Leaver said afterward, when asked what she was thinking at the moment. Rehabilitating a bobcat is a relatively rare feat in New Jersey. Bobcats are classified as an endangered species in New Jersey, mostly residing in Sussex, Warren, Morris and Passaic counties, and are rarely seen in part due to their natural shyness and elusiveness. Leaver said it was the 32nd bobcat aided by Woodlands since 1997. Her organization was contacted July 30 about the bobcat, which at that point was 4 months old. He was observed by a homeowner hanging around the house for a few days, she said, adding that it was not normal for a bobcat that young to be alone. Officials later determined, via a DNA test from samples that had been taken from the mother and the young male, that the bobcats mother had been killed by a car, she said. Upon being rescued, he weighed 4.6 pounds. Workers focused on getting the bobcat proper hydration and just getting back to good health at Woodlands, she said. During his eighth months there, the bobcat was gradually moved from smaller to larger enclosures. Now he is free to roam wherever he please. NJ Advance Media is not disclosing the location where he was released, at the request of Leaver and the state Department of Environmental Protection, because of concerns about people attempting to locate or otherwise seek out the animal. Leaver said that Woodlands Wildlife Refuge aids about 1,100 animals annually. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters Over the past six years, $4.25 billion has been diverted from the Motor License Fund to repair roads and bridges, and used to fund Pennsylvania State Police, the state auditor general announced. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced the figure as he released his 122-page audit of PennDOT between Jan. 1, 2014, and June 30, 2017 on Thursday. That is money that PennDOT could have otherwise used to address a growing list of repairs needed across the state, including those 2,829 structurally deficient, state-owned bridges, DePasquale said at a news conference in Harrisburg attended by state Secretary of Transportation Richards. DePasquale repeatedly clarified the audit did not take issue with PennDOT or state police on the funding issue, but rather shows the need to better fund state police and transportation in the state. It is unconscionable that it has been since the mid 90s since the federal government has done a major highway transportation package, DePasquale said. Washington, D.C., needs to get out of their ideologically sandbox and come together ... and pass a transportation bill. Under the state constitution, motorist fees and fuel taxes like the Motor License Fund are to be solely used for highway and bridge construction, repair and safety. Right now Pennsylvania is paying the highest gas tax in the nation. Actually three cents more than even California, 13 cents more than New York, and 18 cents more than New Jersey," he said. In 2017, a state Legislative Budget and Finance Committee study found more than $200 million a year in highway construction funds were being diverted to subsidize the Pennsylvania State Police. The need for state police funding is increasing, as so many municipalities across Pennsylvania are getting rid of their local police departments, he added. I want to be clear about this -- the state police need to be funded, and there needs to be a solution for that funding source from the General Assembly, when these local police departments are eliminated and state police has to do that coverage. But that should not be coming out of the Motor License Fund, DePasquale said. In the fiscal year 2017-2018 alone, $789,580,000 was siphoned from the fund for state police, money that could have made a significant dent in PennDOTs urgent needs, he added. DePasquale made a list of projects that could have benefited from that money, including speeding up the $30 million rehab of 2.6 miles of Route 611 in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Monroe County, identified as the missing link connector for the Liberty Trail. The impact of the Motor License Fund transfer to the Pennsylvania State Police on other projects is a problem that has existed for years. However, it is important to note that the budget now caps and decreases this transfer each year," Gov. Tom Wolfs spokesman J.J. Abbott said. Wolf previously proposed funding state police with a per capita fee of $25 for municipalities without their own police forces, beginning in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. This year, the proposal changed to a sliding scale fee that would start with $8 per person for communities with 2,000 or fewer residents, and go up to $166 per person for communities with 20,000 residents or more. Richards said PennDOTs overall budget is $10.2 billion, across all modes. Theres even more evidence of the urgent need for sustainable transportation funding in Pennsylvania, Richards said. Its time for federal action to address deteriorating infrastructure nation-wide. DePasquale held the news conference in front of one of the states structurally deficient bridges. They are everywhere, he said, showing a map of the state-owned structurally deficient bridges across Pennsylvania. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale released this map of structurally deficient bridges in Pennsylvania on April 25, 2019.Image courtesy the Pennsylvania Auditor General's office Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Yanio Castillo insists he was trying to fix his 2-month-old daughters arm when it broke. A pediatrician says a torsion break like hers could only happen through hard twisting of the arm. Regardless of whos right, Castillo will pay a price for the injury. Northampton County Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden sentenced the 32-year-old Moore Township man on Thursday to 11 and a half to 23 months in Northampton County Prison. Court records say he injured the girl on Dec. 5, 2017, at his home. Castillo pleaded no contest to aggravated assault of a child under 6. By pleading no contest he did not admit he injured the girl, only that theres enough evidence to convict him at trial of the charge. The plea is treated the same as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes. Castillo maintains the arm was dangling at his daughters side when he tried to pop it back in place to fix it. Pediatrician Debra D. Esernio-Jenssen told police it appears as though someone twisted the childs arm to break it. Infant bones are more elastic than those of older children or adults and are harder to break, she told police. I think its imperative for us to remember that were here because of what he did to this helpless victim, Assistant District Attorney Tatum Wilson told the judge. She asked for the maximum sentence allowed by law, a minimum of five years in state prison. Defense attorney Ed Andres said a long prison sentence would prevent Castillo from earning money to support his family. The childs mother stands by Castillo, he said. He said Castillo has no history of abuse and called the crime an isolated incident. He said the baby has fully recovered from her injury. McFadden was troubled by conflicting stories Castillo told police. Before he offered the pop explanation he said he turned the baby the wrong way when he was changing her diaper and heard a pop. It is conceivable to me that this somehow happened unintentionally, but when you tell multiple stories about what went on it makes it less likely that this is how it played out, McFadden said. She resented the implication that a prison sentence will somehow harm the family. McFadden reminded Castillo that hes paying a price for his actions. Im not going to do anything to your family that you havent already done, she said. She also questioned why it took so long for Castillo to seek medical help for the child. She granted Castillos request for immediate work release, ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation and ordered him to attend parenting classes. I have no patience with this stuff at all when it involves children. I have seen way too much of it. Its got to stop, McFadden said. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Dear Annie: Im in a really bittersweet situation. I hit it off with a friend who happens to live quite far away. The time weve spent hanging out has been awesome, and Im beyond thankful to have them in my life. But Im frustrated by the distance. Im not scared well drift apart, but I am anxious about how little face time we have between meetups. Ive lost friends due to distance before, and while those times werent pleasant, this ones different. This person really just gets me in a way I have trouble articulating. Any tips for not going crazy? -- Faraway Friend Dear Faraway Friend: Just because a person is physically far from you does not mean that they are far from your heart. Finding a person in your life who really gets to you should not give rise to anxiety but rather comfort in knowing that there is someone out there who understands you. Distance cannot take away a bond like that, especially with the technology that we have now. You could FaceTime often with the person or use other similar technology. The friends you lost due to distance were not the right friends for you. Real friends will be with you no matter how far away you are. The reverse is also true. You can be physically right next to lots of friends and not feel that deep connection you are talking about. It is the connection that is to be treasured, not the physical presence. With all that said, see where it goes. Perhaps the more time you get to know each other you might organically move closer to each other. Dear Annie: I am having trouble with my sister-in-law. Every time I try to talk to her, she interrupts me. I have told my husband about this, and he basically says that there isnt anything he can do about it. In turn, I try to avoid her as much as I can. But its hard to do that at family functions. What can I do to make her stop? -- Signed Annoyed Dear Annoyed: Being interrupted can be rude and very annoying. But getting angry or avoiding her all together is not the solution. Try your best to be gracious and firm with her. Let some of the interruptions go. Sometimes the interruptions might be helpful or supportive of the conversation. If the interruptions continue, you could politely say, Let me just finish what Im saying so I dont forget my point You could steamroll the conversation by continuing to keep on talking until she gets the point that you are not going to stop until you are finished. Lastly, I would speak to her privately. Be direct, kind and honest with her. My guess is that she is unaware that she is doing so. Some people are socially anxious and much more focused on the impression theyre making than on the exchange. The interruptions might be coming from a place of wanting to impress you. Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie is out now! Annie Lanes debut book -- featuring favorite columns on love, friendship, family and etiquette -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. Annie Lane grew up in California and headed east to graduate with honors from New York University, where she majored in English literature and specialized in psychology. She earned her Juris Doctor from New York Law School. Since July 2016, Annie has offered common-sense solutions to everyday problems in her column, Dear Annie. Her advice is unusually perceptive. She is firm, funny and sympathetic, echoing the style of her biggest inspiration, Ann Landers. Annie lives outside Manhattan with her husband, two kids and two dogs. When not writing, she devotes her time to play dates and Play-Doh. COPYRIGHT 2019 CREATORS.COM UPDATE: Kai the Hitchhiker reaches out online for a 'real lawyer to handle appeal of his murder conviction Kai the Hitchhiker, who rose to viral internet fame after a bizarre television interview in 2013, was convicted Wednesday in the beating death of a prominent 73-year-old New Jersey lawyer at his Union County home six years ago. The jury found Caleb Kai McGillvary, 30, guilty of first-degree murder a day after they began deliberating the testimony in the three week trial. He faces up to life in prison and will be sentenced June 13. McGillvary was accused of killing Joseph Galfy on May 13, 2013 after their encounter turned violent. The Alberta, Canada-native claimed he acted in self defense after waking up to Galfy allegedly sexually assaulting him. This was a brutal, vicious, senseless crime, and we are pleased that the interests of justice have been served, acting Union County Prosecutor Michael Monahan said. We sincerely thank the jury for their service and hope that todays verdict brings some measure of solace to Mr. Galfys family, friends, and loved ones. The contentious trial at the Union County Courthouse nearly ended in McGillvary being thrown out of the courtroom after he had an outburst following his lawyers closing arguments. John Cito, McGillvarys defense attorney, cast his client as a young man with a home-free lifestyle who always looked for the best in people. Cito argued police failed to properly investigate the killing and did not pursue evidence that would have proved the sexual assault occurred. McGillvary became an internet celebrity in February 2013 when he gave a local TV station an off-kilter interview about saving two people while hitchhiking in Fresno, California. In the now-viral interview, an animated Kai explained how he smashed the attacker in the back of the head with a hatchet. McGillvary testified at the trial, though it became combative while he was cross-examined by Assistant Prosecutor Scott Peterson. The two often raised their voices and talked over each other, forcing Judge Robert Kirsch to call order to the courtroom and remind McGillvary several times not to speak out of turn or add irrelevant information. McGillvary pushed back, arguing he was treated worse than other witnesses and his Sixth Amendment right was being infringed. Assistant prosecutors Jillian Reyes and Peterson said Galfys brutal injuries three skull fractures, four broken ribs and severe contusions showed this was so far from self defense, its not even funny. One of the prosecutions star witnesses, Junaid Shaikh of the Division of the County Medical Examiner, testified Galfy sustained serious blunt-force injuries to his face, neck, chest and arms, which he said are inconsistent with self defense. The prosecution also pointed to inconsistencies between McGillvarys original statement when he was arrested in 2013 and his testimony. After the chance meeting in Times Square, Galfy invited McGillvary to come sleep at his home, and the hitchhiker took the offer. He testified that when he woke up on May 12, 2013, he had bodily fluids on his face that tasted salty. According to testimony at the trial, Galfy drove McGillvary to the Rahway train station on May 12, and the hitchhiker took the train to Asbury to meet with a friend. Needing a place to stay again, he stayed in the guest room of Galfys Clark home. Galfy poured McGillvary a beer, and the 30-year-old said he blacked out after that. When he woke up, his pants were down and Galfy was grinding and humping him, McGillvary testified. Caleb 'Kai the Hitchhiker' McGillvary and his lawyer John Cito listen as Judge Robert Kirsh addresses the court Tuesday morning before closing arguments. McGillvary said he hit the lawyer and ran away. Galfy was found dead in his bedroom, facedown in his underwear and socks, during a wellness check on May 13, 2013. At that point, prosecutors said McGillvary had fled to Philadelphia, cut his hair and changed his clothes. He was arrested at a Greyhound bus stop in the city on May 16 and had been awaiting trial in Union County jail ever since. Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A Northampton County man is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting four girls over several years, and allegedly kicking one in the face when she confronted him about the abuse. Gary Smith, of the 100 block of East Main Street in Bath, was arrested Thursday on 26 charges: two counts of aggravated assault; five counts each of child endangerment, corruption of minors and reckless endangerment; four counts of indecent assault; three counts of simple assault; and single counts of aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault. The 58-year-old was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $750,000 bail. He faces a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled May 9 before District Judge John Capobianco. Pennsylvania State Police said they began investigating Smith last July, after receiving four separate reports of physical and sexual abuse of four girls between the ages of 8 and 17. Some of the accusers reported the sexual abuse began when they were 6 years old, investigators say. The girls reported Smith repeatedly fondled their genitals and/or chest, and in some instances used a game to sexually abuse them, troopers said. One victim reported she tried to get away from Smith, and he began sexually assaulting her while she slept, according to police. When the girl used other means to stop the sexually assaults, Smith would physically beat her, troopers said. The oldest accuser reportedly told police Smith punched her in the face when she was a minor, breaking her jaw. Smith told the girl, Youre a (expletive), you deserved it. Dont act like you didnt," according to state police. The girl reported that a few years later, when she confronted Smith about the abuse, he allegedly kicked her in the face and she blacked out. The kick broke the girls nose, according to police. Troopers said the teen was not allowed to seek medical attention for the injuries and they did not heal properly. Smith was arrested near his home, troopers said in court during his preliminary arraignment. Smith said he works at the Trader Joes warehouse in East Allen Township and lives alone. He was ordered to have no contact with the victims, and is barred from unsupervised contact with children. In 2015, Smith was accused of assaulting a 17-year-old inside his Bath home and then punching the Colonial Regional police chief. Police were called for reports that children in the home were being beaten, according to court records. Smith allegedly refused to let police inside the home. Officers used a battering ram in an attempt to break down the door, but Smith barricaded the door using a large metal crowbar, according to police. Smith pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in that case, and was sentenced in June 2015 to three months to one year in Northampton County Prison. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. State police in Franklin County are searching for a missing 4-year-old girl. Gemma Moats was reported missing at 3:30 a.m. Thursday after troopers were dispatched to the 12000 block of Pen Mar Road in Washington Township, according to state police. Moats was last seen on Wednesday at approximately 7:30 p.m. Moats was last seen wearing a pink silk shirt, shorts and no shoes. She has curly blonde hair that is about shoulder-length. State police are still at the scene and multiple crews are being utilized, according to Trooper Megan Frazer. State police ask anyone who sees Moats to call 911 immediately. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A 27-year-old man who drove at speed through a checkpoint forcing a garda to jump out of the way has been given a four-year sentence, with the final two years suspended. Before Portlaoise Circuit Court was Sean Coss of Pallas Lake, Bluebell, Tullamore, charged with endangerment, on March 29, 2016. Details of the offence are that gardai observed a car being driven with its headlights off at Clonminam Industrial Estate and they signaled it to stop, but the car drove off at speed failing to stop at any junction it came to. A garda checkpoint was set up, but the driver made no attempt to slow down and a garda had to jump out of the way. The car continued on at speed and finally drove through a gate into a field, at which point the driver and a passenger exited. The car was registered to the accuseds wife and he made no admissions when questioned by the gardai. Defence, Mr Colm Hennessy said his client had 148 previous convictions, 90-odd of which were for road traffic matters. He said this was the accuseds first time in the circuit court, with all other matters dealt with in the district court. Mr Hennessy said a very detailed psychiatric report indicated the accuseds pretty grim upbringing in which he had suffered physical, mental and social abuse. He was homeless for many years during his adolescence, said defence, and has spent an incredible amount of time in custody. Hes no stranger to the system, said Mr Hennessy. He said the accused had been assessed at an extremely low intellectual range, with 2% cognitive ability which leads him to struggle to consider cause and effect. He said the accused has mental health difficulties and poor literacy, and is a psychologically and cognitively vulnerable man. He doesnt do drugs, which Mr Hennessy said was extraordinary given the struggles his immediate family had gone through. He had an utterly dysfunctional upbringing and an utterly dysfunctional life, said defence. Mr Hennessy said the accused intended upon his release from prison to go to work in the UK. The matter was adjourned to April 9 for the accused to provide written confirmation of the job offer. Urinalysis was also directed on the accused for that date. When the case returned to court on April 9, Mr Hennessy handed in the letter on behalf of the accused. He said the author of the letter was available to be contacted by the gardai. In sentencing, Judge Keenan Johnson said it was fortunate no one had been killed in the incident and the garda who had to jump out of the way of the accuseds car must have been frightened. Judge Johnson said this was a serious case of dangerous driving and endangerment and the accused did not appreciate the gravity of the offence. He also noted that the accused was assessed at a high risk of reoffending and had 148 previous convictions, including 93 road traffic matters. He has spent more time in prison than out of it over the last ten years, said Judge Johnson. Mitigating factors considered by the court was the accuseds difficult upbringing and the fact he was cognitively vulnerable. Judge Johnson imposed a four-year sentence, with the final two years suspended for eight years on condition the accused enter into a peace bond for eight years, he obtains employment after release, and he avails of all mental health services. The sentence was backdated to November 19, 2018. A man who obtained by deception close to 10,000 in goods and cash from businesses and private residents in Portlaoise and Tullamore, including taking money from a woman to make her bathroom wheelchair accessible and then leaving her out of pocket, has been told he will go to prison if he fails to compensate the injured parties. Before Portlaoise Circuit Court was Patrick McLaughlin, with a previous address in Kilkenny but now residing in Whitegate, Co. Cork, charged with 13 counts of making gain by deception. Detective JP OBrien gave evidence, along with State barrister, Mr Will Fennelly, that on September 8, 2016, the accused cashed a cheque for 400 from an account that had previously closed, at Costcutter, Mountrath. On September 13, 2016, he cashed a cheque for 400 from a closed bank account, at Phelans Shop, Castletown. On November 21, 2016, he paid a cheque for goods worth 93, at JL Bradshaw & Co. Ltd, Stradbally Road, Portlaoise. On December 1, 2016, he cashed a cheque for 350 at Peigs Bar, Portlaoise. On January 27, 2017, he cashed a cheque for 250 at Browns Shop, Dublin Road, Portlaoise. On May 17, 2017, he paid a cheque for goods worth 220 at Condell and Ryan Ltd, Portlaoise. On May 29, 2017, he paid a cheque for goods worth 490 at a shop on the Timahoe Road, Portlaoise. On May 31, 2017, he paid a cheque for goods worth 350, at Millers Hardware Store, Portlaoise. On the same date he paid a cheque for goods worth 819 at DID Electrical, Tullamore. On June 2, 2017, he stole goods worth 3,336 from a store on the Timahoe Road, Portlaoise, by saying he would return the following day to pay. On July 7, 2017, he paid a cheque for goods worth 490 at D&S Hardware, Tullamore. On a date between August 11 and August 14, 2017, he took 1,010 from a party in Laois for goods of services that he did not deliver. Det OBrien said that the accused advertised himself for tiling work and priced the job. On August 12, 2017, he asked for 840 cash for materials and then on August 14, 2017 he told the injured party he could purchase a toilet for 150. He received the money, but never returned to do the work. Det OBrien gave further evidence that on August 25/26, 2017, the accused priced work for a Ms Karen Chadwick and received 1,150 for materials. She never heard from him again. Mr Fennelly told the court that Ms Chadwick, who was present in court, has difficulty with hearing loss and physical problems, and her daughter has a genetic disorder, so their bathroom was badly in need of upgrading. A victim impact statement by Ms Chadwick was read out by Mr Fennelly, in which Ms Chadwick said that she paid the accused to make her bathroom wheelchair accessible, but he took the money and did not do any work. She said he left her with no money to get the work done and it still has not been done. He took away our only chance of getting the work done, she said. The court heard that the accused put many of the goods he received from the various stores online on Done Deal, selling them on for cash. Det OBrien said that the accused had quite a serious cocaine habit. Det OBrien said that the total loss to the injured parties was 9,365. The accused had seven previous convictions, including similar matters in Kilkenny. The accused took the witness box to say he wished to apologise to the family present in court and expressed his wish to pay the money back. He said things went out of control for him and he hit rock bottom. He told the court he had been threatened over a drug debt. Said Judge Keenan Johnson: What you did to Ms Chadwick was as low as anyone can go. You took advantage of her and it was absolutely disgusting. Judge Johnson directed the accused to pay Ms Chadwick 3,000 before the next sitting of the circuit court in June. If its not here, he wont be leaving, he will go to prison, warned Judge Johnson. The judge said that he would impose a significant sentence, suspended on condition the accused make good on 150% of the loss to his victim. The case was adjourned to June 19 next, for a probation report, urinalysis and the payment of 3,000 Laois Comhaltas has officially launched the latest branch in the county at Kilcavan. Welcoming the establishment of the Kilcavan branch, PJ Phelan, chairman of Laois Comhaltas, noted that this was a major event in the development of traditional Irish music in Laois and this latest branch builds on a long history of traditional Irish music in the locality, with a great tradition of musicians and tunes connected to the area. 2019 has been designated by Comhaltas nationally as Bliain na mBall Year of the members and one of the objectives of this initiative has been to consolidate existing branches and establish new ones where it is viable to do so. Establishing new branches has also been a key part of the development plan issued by Laois Comhaltas in 2018. Kilcavan Comhaltas brings the number of branches in Laois to eight, and this newest branch joins her sister branches Camross, Clonaslee, Mountmellick, Portarlington, Portlaoise, Ratheniska and Spink. Traditional Irish music in Laois is regarded as one of the strongest across the country, and the quality of musicians who win All Ireland medals, perform in Siansa Gael Linn or take part in other music events organised by other organisations is testament to the dedicated work done by voluntary committees and music teachers across the Laois Comhaltas branches. Mr Phelan, noted that there is a constant drive to continue to raise the standard of traditional Irish music teaching and administration across the county, and he welcomed the establishment of Kilcavan Comhaltas as part of this. He also noted that the county development plan has identified other locations within Laois as good candidates to establish new branches. He invited any communities who were interested in establishing a new branch to contact Laois Comhaltas for assistance and guidance. Speaking at the launch of Kilcavan chairman, Brian Ryan said that the team there were excited to establish a new branch to reflect the history and identity of the locality. He thanked the incoming committee for their support establishing the branch and looked forward to developing the branch in the future. Two people, one of whom is a juvenile, appeared at Naas District Court yesterday, Wednesday April 24 in connection with an incident in Sallins on November 2 last in which a woman was seriously injured. In both cases, the men, both from County Kildare, have been charged with driving offences including failing to stop at the scene. One of them is a juvenile and cannot be legally named in this report. The second person is 30-year-old, Juris Neiders of 33 Millbank, Sallins. Both people are charged with failing to stop at Canal Bridge, Oberstown, Sallins, on the day in question. The court heard evidence of the arrest of Mr Neiders for what was described as a hit and run incident. Mr Neiders made no reply when the charges were put to him. Garda Sergeant Jim Kelly said there was no objection to bail. Conditions have been put on Mr Neiders bail, who was granted free legal aid. Mr Neiders was described by his solicitor, David Powderly, as a warehouse operator at the lower end of the income scale, getting 400 per week net. Judge Miriam Walsh was told that the injured party, a woman, was present in court. Judge Walsh adjourned the Neiders case to June 19. Garda Deirdre Barry gave evidence of arresting the juvenile, also from County Kildare, at his workplace in Dublin and charging him, including for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm. Garda Christine Brady said the State is alleging that the cars of Mr Neiders and the juvenile collided leading to the woman being pinned waist down between the vehicles and the bridge. The juvenile was allegedly driving through Sallins when the car driven by Mr Neiders, which had been parked in the town, pulled out. Garda Brady went on to outline some of the injuries received by the woman. Garda Brady said that the woman had spent seven and a half weeks in Tallaght hospital in a serious condition. Garda Sergeant Jim Kelly, for the prosecution, said the Director of Public Prosecutions had recommended summary prosecution in the case. Judge Miriam Walsh said she was refusing jurisdiction in the case of the juvenile and she adjourned the matter to July 4. Conal Boyce, solicitor for the juvenile, who was accompanied at the in camera hearing in Naas District Court by his mother, said his client had surrendered his passport. Wealthwise Financial Planning which is based in Hartley Business Park, Carrick-on-Shannon is celebrating five years in business. To mark the occasion they are hosting an event in Lough Rynn Castle on Tuesday, May 7. This event will include a panel discussion on the opportunities for Businesses in Rural Ireland. The panel of experts will include the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation along with some of the most successful entrepreneurs from across the region. Guest speakers on the night will be: Heather Humphreys: The current Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, she has been in this role since Nov 2017, before that she had a brief period as Minister for Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht. She is the first rural TD in seven years to be appointed to the position of Minister in the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. During her tenure she has focused most of her energy on job creation in rural Ireland. Martin Mc Vicar: One of Ireland's most accomplished entrepreneurs, his engineering business Combilift specialises in forklift manufacture and is a market leader across the world. The business has a 400m turnover and exports to over 95 countries, he employs over 700 people at their Monaghan based headquarters which is the largest manufacturing facility in Ireland. Patrick Mulholland: Managing Director of Vistamed, he founded the business in a small facility in Rooskey back in 1998. The business has now grown into one of Ireland's leading Medical Devices manufacturers. Following rapid expansion and investment in recent years, they now operate across three facilities in Carrick-on -Shannon with over 450 employees. Philip Martin: Chief Executive of Cora Systems who set up the software business from his house back in 1999. They now develop market leading project management software and regularly compete for business on a global scale. Although still headquartered in Carrick-on-Shannon they also have offices in London, Washington & Boston. Whether you are a business owner, director, entrepreneur or just someone who has a keen interest in how business works, then this is an event not to be missed. The panellists will no doubt provide insights, inspiration and some great advice for fellow business people. What is the key to their success ? What are the major challenges they have overcome? What are the main obstacles & opportunities going forward? These are just some of the issues which will be discussed on the night. This will be a free event and open to everyone however you must register in advance if you wish to attend, you can register by emailing your details to info@wealthwise.ie or calling 071 9650699. Award Winning Wealthwise Financial Planning recently won Best Broker Connaught-Ulster at the LPI Awards. These awards give recognition to brokers and financial advisers who have proved their excellence, professionalism and dedication to maintaining high standards in the Irish market. Having been in business for five years it was a very satisfying recognition of our dedication to maintaining the highest standards for our clients and of our progressive approach to our business. With two CFP accredited members on the team and a third progressing towards the qualification we will have a depth of knowledge and experience second to none in the country. This allows us to give an outstanding level of service to our clients and compete with the best financial planners in the country. As a company we continue to invest heavily in education for all our staff to ensure we remain up to date with changes in regulation and investment opportunities. This in turn benefits our clients. Continued Expansion The firm has expanded over the last year with the addition of Conor Harte to the team in the Carrick-on -Shannon office bringing it to four people. We also opened a second office in Oranmore Co Galway in late 2018. The Galway office is run by Brian Trainor CFP. Brian has extensive experience in Financial Planning having worked previously in a senior role with Bank of Ireland Private Banking. This Galway office gives us great reach in the Connacht region and allows us to better serve our increasing client base in the West of Ireland. We also regularly visit Dublin and the East coast as our client base expands and have plans to establish a base on the East Coast in the future. Because we are flexible around where we meet our clients our office base is not critical to our success. Services Offered Wealthwise Financial Planning are located in Carrick-on-Shannon and Oranmore, Co Galway. We provide advice to individuals, business owners and institutions on the areas of retirement planning, investments, life cover, business protection and estate planning. We have agency agreements with a large number of Irish & International product providers and our investment offering is amongst the most extensive in the country. We can operate both on a fee or commission based payment. This gives us greater impartiality when advising clients. We are one of a small number of Financial Planning Firms in Ireland to hold the internationally recognised CFP designation and this ensures that our clients are getting the highest level of service and knowledge. We also link in with recognised experts in different fields to ensure our clients get an holistic approach to their financial planning. For more information you can visit www.wealthwise.ie or if you would like to attend our upcoming event in Lough Rynn Castle on Tuesday, May 7 you must register in advance by emailing info@wealthwise.ie or calling 071 9650699. Sligo University Hospital is providing a weekly outreach antenatal and gynaecology service from the Ballymote Primary and Mental Health Care Centre. Ballymote was chosen as the location to cater for the large catchment area of South Sligo which includes the towns and villages of Ballymote, Tubbercurry, Riverstown and Geevagh. Also in this catchment area are the towns of Boyle and Ballaghaderreen in Roscommon and Charlestown in Mayo and many other towns and villages in between. This is the fourth outreach antenatal and gynaecology service provided by Sligo University Hospital in addition to the existing clinics in Ballyshannon, Manorhamilton and Carrick-on-Shannon. Dr Ravi Garrib, Consultant in Obstetrics/Gynaecology at Sligo University Hospital will lead the clinic in Ballymote, supported by midwife, Leona Mulvey and the medical team. He said, The aim of the new clinic is to bring high quality care as close to where the women who will use the service live and to avoid unnecessary trips to outpatient appointments in the hospital. The women availing of the service in Ballymote will be seen by me and my team and this is exactly as it would be if we were running a clinic in the hospital. "The outreach clinic is in a comfortable, modern building which is easy to access. Once the clinic is established it will also offer midwifery-led care. The outreach clinics in Ballyshannon, Manorhamilton and Carrick on Shannon have proven to be very successful and we expect the same for Ballymote. Women living in the catchment area will automatically be offered an appointment at this clinic from now on. FOR over a century, ever since the very first silent movies, cinemas have been theatres of dreams and going to the pictures a source of magic, holding out the promise of adventure, of romance, of excitement and drama. Now, a new documentary called The Picture House has gathered some of this magic and promise to tell the story of cinema in Limerick. It is, according to Dave Burns, the man who wrote and directed the documentary, a rich and multi-layered story. Next to sport, he says, cinema has always been Limericks main cultural pursuit. Even today, without a city centre cinema, almost a million cinema tickets are sold in Limerick every year, says Dave. CAPTION ABOVE: Going by the type of car pictured (Vauxhall Cadet) this shot dates from the early 1930s. Lining the street are the citizens as they watch the glitterati arrive for the show. The picture also gives the reader a perspective of what Bedford Row looked like 80 or so years ago The Picture House aims to capture and honour some of that cultural heritage, drawing on archival footage, photographs and crucially on the memories of former cinema workers and cinema-goers. We tried to interview as many people as we could, Dave explains but adds I dont think the film would have been possible without Joe Colemans book House Full, a history of cinema in Limerick. The idea behind the documentary, Dave continues, was kick-started by his daughter, Carla, about a decade ago. Carla was then a student at the Limerick School of Art and Design and pulled together an evening with the late Jack Bourke, owner of The City Theatre and the late Tom English, manager of the Savoy for many years. They were a tremendous double act and told the story about managing the cinemas, Dave recalled. From there, Dave, who has a huge and life-long interest in film, began filming people involved in the cinema culture of Limerick. But the project, he says, got moth-balled for a period, mainly because he got involved in doing a film about the late Jim Kemmy, who was, among other things, a great cultural ambassador for Limerick. The Kemmy film turned out to be a success so I said we will carry on and do this, Dave recalled this week, just days before The Picture House is premiered. The documentary reaches back to the days of silent movies in Limerick and traces the growth of the single screen cinema in the city through its glory days. At one point, Dave explains, there were 10 cinemas in the city. Even in 1975, when he arrived in Limerick, there were six city centre cinemas still operating. The things that went wrong; the films that caught the imagination of an entire city; the opposition of the Church; the cinema workers strike of 1953; the memories and the characters all find a voice in The Picture House. An earlier version of Les Miserables, Dave recalls, was a big hit in Limerick and the film Zulu also proved to be hugely popular, mainly because the Redemptorists preached against it. And the film also pays homage to the power of cinema to fire the imagination. One story is recounted of one young lad, fired up following a cowboy film in the Tivoli,who rushed out, straddled the wall as if it were his horse and found himself in the Abbey River. The theatres of dreams such as the Savoy, the Royal, the Lyric and the Tivoli and the many more, are remembered in vivid detail and with great affection: the balcony seats, the sixpenny seats, the scramble for the best seats, the ice-cream girls. But the demise of the golden years of cinema also gets a look-in. Dave cites television and the high cost of maintaining single-screen cinemas among the whole bunch of factors that led to that demise. But he believes, technology coupled with multiple screens have led to a resurgence in cinemas more recently. City centre cinemas are springing up all over cities in the UK, he says with enthusiasm. These cinemas often have bars and restaurants attached, he points out. Its a hospitality industry, he says. It is quite interesting how it developed. And cinema attendances are going up each year. The Picture House will be screened this Thursday evening at 7.30pm at LIT's Millennium Theatre and all are welcome. It is a free event, Dave points out. And he pays tribute to all those who have made it possible, in particular Joe Coleman, Paul Lynam and Declan McLoughlin, cameramen Keith Bogle, Jim Pidgeon and Paul Lynam, narrator Mike Finn and editor Simon McGuire. In my view, the film is down to the editing, says Dave with feeling. His only wish as he sends the film out into the world is that people will enjoy it. THE mother of the late Roy Collins was laid to rest next to her son this Wednesday morning, following her death on Easter Sunday. Carmel Collins, who was in her 60s, passed away peacefully at Milford Care Centre on Sunday morning. Mrs Collins was the mother of Roy Collins who was shot dead in a gangland attack in Limerick 10 years ago. Fr Frank OConnor, who presided over Carmel and Steve Collins wedding 45 years ago, also resided over Carmels funeral. Both ceremonies took place in St Johns Cathedral. Speaking after the funeral, Fr OConnor noted Carmels gentle and kind nature, as well as her strong spirit in the face of difficult life. At the funeral I said to Steve, 45 years ago you vowed in front of this altar and your God to face the realities of life together in good times and in bad. You and Carmel and have fulfilled those vows in the most difficult way any couple could be expected to live out your vows, said Fr OConnor. The city can be grateful for the stand that Carmel and Steve took against violence and intimidation. Edmund Burke once said, all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. By taking to the streets in the way that they did, lives were saved and a city was changed. When Carmel stands before God she can quote St Peter in saying. I fought the good fight, I have finished the race and I have kept the faith and it will be true, he added. Willie ODea TD, who is a personal friend of the Collins, offered his sympathies to the family. Its very sad. I knew Carmel was sick, but I had hoped she might pull through and get better. Unfortunately, her illness proved fatal, said Deputy ODea. It is very tough. The Collins have had a very tough life with all that has happened to them, and now that has been added to by Carmel's premature demise. Roy Collins was just 35 when he was shot dead by members of the McCarthy- Dundon gang in Limerick in 2009. The Collins family recently marked the 10th anniversary of his killing. The murder of the young business man would be a changing point in the gangland violence which had terrorised Limerick city for years. Mrs Collins and her husband Steve stood up to the criminals and called for a change in the city. Marches were held in the wake of Roys death, which called for laws on gangland violence to be strengthened. It was the Collins reaction, and their failure to be bullied that started a transformation of the crime scene in Limerick. It engendered in the State an absolute determination by the State to take on these criminals in Limerick, said Deputy ODea. Those marches and the stance of the Collins family were an absolute milestone for Limerick. Carmel and her whole family were heroes for what they did. They had tremendous character, guts, and bravery to stand up to these bullies knowing that there could be a terrible price to be paid, and ultimately there was a terrible price to be paid, he added. Wayne Dundon, James Dillon and Nathan Killeen were all jailed in relation to the murder of Roy Collins. THE UL Hospitals Group has apologised to patients in emergency department at University Hospital Limerick who have not been provided with pillows. And patients are being forced go get family members to go shopping in Limerick city to buy them, it is understood. The Limerick Leader has been inundated with emails and phone calls from the public since we started our campaign Enough is Enough regarding the trolley crisis at UHL. Among harrowing stories from family members regarding how their loved ones are being treated, a number of people contacted us regarding lack of pillows. I was admitted to the hospital last week and could not believe it when I was told there was no pillows, said one caller. If you dont believe me I will send you a photo on my phone. I had to use my own towels, it is a joke, said the caller, who sent his photo on to the Leader. The staff were great and the doctors and nurses are doing their best but it is crazy out there. There is no privacy for people on trolleys. Everyone can hear what is going on, it is just not on in this day and age, he added. Another caller had a similar story. My wife was admitted a few weeks ago and there was no pillows. I was just leaving the ward and asked if anyone needed a pillow and ended up buying 30 pillows in Penneys, said another caller. Questions regarding the situation were forwarded to the UHL Hospitals group, but no reply was received on the situation at the time of going to press. A spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group said: No issue in relation to the supply of pillows was brought to the attention of emergency department staff on April 10, 11 or 12. A scheduled supply of pillows is provided on a weekly basis to the emergency department with extra supplied as requested. The days in question were extremely busy with very high attendances. We would like to apologise to any patient who was not provided with a pillow when attending the emergency department. AN ONLINE Book of Condolence has been opened this Thursday by the Mayor of the City and County of Limerick for murdered journalist Lyra McKee. The thoughts and prayers of the people of Limerick are with the family and friends of Lyra McKee as they come to terms with the attack on a young woman who was doing her job, according to Mayor James Collins. On behalf of the people of Limerick, I would like to offer my condolences to the family and friends of Lyra, Mayor Collins said. The outpouring of grief and of revulsion at her murder just goes to show how important peace is to the ordinary people of Northern Ireland and that it wont be hijacked by a group which has no standing moral or otherwise for communities across the country. I hope this attack will further galvanise those who long for a lasting peace in Northern Ireland and put pressure on the political parties to work together for justice and peace. As a mark of respect I have instructed that an online book of condolence be opened by Limerick City and County Council, the Mayor added. The book of condolence can be accessed here. It will remain open for one week. President Buhari will today Thursday April 25th, proceed to the UK on a private visit. A statement from Mr Femi Adesina, the Presidents Special Adviser on Media and Publicity said the president would pay official visit to Maiduguri from where he would proceed to the UK. The presidential aide further revealed that President Buhari would return to Nigeria on May 5. The statement read in part: Further to the official visit by President Muhammadu Buhari to Lagos Wednesday where he commissioned a number of projects executed by the State Government, the President is scheduled to depart for Maiduguri, the Borno State capital for another official visit Thursday. He is expected to commission developmental projects especially in the sectors of education, healthcare and roads. At the end of the visit, President Buhari will be proceeding to the United Kingdom on a private visit. He is expected to return to Nigeria on May 5, 2019. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has clarified his position on the issue of migration by Nigerian medical doctors to foreign nations, saying that he was misquoted. Recall that the Minister came under serious attack yesterday after he stated in his interview with Channels TV that Nigeria has surplus doctors and that any medical doctor that wants to leave Nigeria should do so. In a statement signed by Nwachukwu Obidiwe, his Special Assistant on Media, Ngige described the controversies that had trailed his comment as unnecessary, calling for a deeper understanding of the issue in question. I speak from the vantage position of being a medical doctor and member, Nigerian Medical Association since June, 1979 and enriched by my vast knowledge on health administration. Having retired as a Deputy Director, Medical Services and Training from the Federal Ministry of Health in 1998, member of Vision 2010 Committee on Health as well as senior member, Senate Committee on Health 2011-2015. Therefore, the truth no matter how it hurts, must be told and reality, boldly faced. Hence, apart from Nigerias non-compliance with the World Health Organisations ratio of one doctor to six hundred patients of which I was misquoted. Every other thing I said in that interview is an existential reality, useful and constructive facts which every Nigerian that watched the full interview will hardly dispute. I invite opinion moulders especially those who have spoken or written on this issue to watch the full clip of my interview with the channels. And it is for this reason that I admitted having a little cause to worry about brain drain among medical doctors. The fact is that while the Federal Government has recorded a remarkably steady improvement in our healthcare system, Nigeria is yet to get there, Ngige said The minister added that Nigeria did not at present, have enough health facilities to accommodate all the doctors seeking to do tertiary specialist training (residency) in the teaching hospitals, federal medical centres and few accredited state and private specialist centres in the country. He also noted that roughly 20 per cent of the yearly applicants were being absorbed while the remaining 80 per cent tried their luck elsewhere. He, however, noted that most of these rejected applicants usually throng the Federal Ministry of Health and that of Labour and Employment to complain of being illegally schemed out. The statement explained further that what the minister meant was that these professionals had the right to seek training abroad to sharpen their skills and become specialists. They later turn this problem to a national advantage when they repatriate their legitimate earnings and later return to the country. Even where some of these doctors are bonded to their overseas training institutions, examples abound on the large number of them who have successfully returned to settle and establish specialist centres across the country. It is, therefore, a question of turning your handicap to an advantage the minister said He said the situation was not peculiar to Nigeria, as countries like Pakistan, Ceylon, Bangledesh exported teachers to secondary schools in the old Eastern and Northern Regions in the 60s and 70s when their earnings were also repatriated to their countries. He further stated that the Ministry of Labour and Employment had a migration policy, developed with the European Union to assist skilled Nigerians to work and earn decent living abroad. He also noted that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora had done a lot of work in encouraging Nigerian professionals abroad to return. He also noted that a good number of doctors were relocating from the United States and other European countries. Luckily, the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and Employment is developing a federal assisted programme for these young doctors and other allied health professionals such as pharmacists, physiotherapists in a move to broaden training opportunities. It again asserted that Nigeria has enough medical personnel to man non-specialist centres in the rural areas, he said He regretted that the major problem was the refusal of young doctors to work in the hinterland. Even the National Youth Service Corps doctors, all, today seek postings to the cities as against what obtained some decades ago. Besides, doctors who did not get the few vacancies in the tertiary centres especially those owned by the Federal Government find it difficult to work in the rural hospitals. But the truth is that the Federal Government has in its 2019 Budget now before the National Assembly, implemented the Health Act provisions for one per cent of the consolidated revenue of the Federation to be added to the health budget to boost medical services. This, especially at the grassroots in partnership with the state governments who are expected to make a five per cent counterpart contribution, he said He, therefore, said the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) State chapters and National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had a duty to campaign and persuade State governments to devote more funds to healthcare. He added that doctors union was not only for the purpose of personal aggrandisement, or asking for more emoluments and urging members to go on strike. The Senate has summoned the acting Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu to brief Lawmakers at Plenary on the security situation in the country particularly what the police is doing to address the rampant kidnappings and banditry across the country. The Senate is inviting the Acting IG of Police after a debate in the killings of two humanitarian workers and the abduction of three others at Kajuru Castle in Kaduna state on April 19. The Upper Chamber is asking the federal government to set up an inter-agency task force to tackle cases of banditry and kidnapping in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Niger states. It is also asking security agencies to give special security cover to foreign workers and tourists. L-R: Chairman, Omodayo Owotuga Foundation, Jonathan Samuel; Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta, Most Rev. (Dr) Peter Odetoyinbo; Chief Matron, Sacred Heart Hospital, Rev. Sis Dr. Roseleen da Silva and children of the deceased, Mrs Mobolaji Agnes Ehinmowo & Mr. Felix Omodayo-Owotuga at the Commissioning and Hand Over Ceremony of Omodayo Owotuga Centre to Sacred Heart Orphanage, Lantoro Abeokuta on Tuesday 23rd April 2019 to mark the 10th year remembrance of Matthew Omodayo Owotuga *gives scholarships to fund indigent students' education Apparently worried by increasing neglect of orphans and the destitute, especially babies and kids, the Late Most Supreme AP. Matthew Omodayo Owotuga Foundation donated an orphanage to Nigeria's first hospital - Sacred Heart Hospital, Abeokuta, owned and operated by the Catholic Church. This facility will house and offer cares for such stratum of people in the society. City file reports that Omodayo Owotuga Foundation was established in 2009 in memorial of the Most Supreme Apostle, Matthew Omodayo Owotuga to cater for orphans and the indigent children whose parents could not pay tuition fees and take adequate care of them. Before now, the Late Most Supreme AP Matthew Omodayo Owotuga Foundation had been extending charities and gifts to orphanages in Lagos, Ondo and Ogun states as part of efforts to remember the departed soul, but changed the system this year by partnering with the famous Catholic hospital established in 1895 and located in the heart beat of Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, to deepen investment in the lives of have nots, namely, orphans, indigent students and the destitute. Speaking at commissioning and hand-over ceremony of Omodayo Owotuga Orphanage to Sacred Heart Hospital in Abeokuta on Tuesday, Most Reverend, Peter Odetoyinbo, Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta, appealed to the rich and influential to begin empowerment programmes for the poor, the destitute and orphans as a way of reaching out and thanking God for His mercies, saying: "I implore all who can, to do it. " It's a sense of gratitude to God. God has blessed many people so much that the only way to express it is to share with all these children and those who have nots." Also speaking, Jonathan Samuel, Chairman, Omodayo Owotuga Foundation, declared that the foundation of charity and generosity to the people in need, was laid by Omodayo Owotuga himself when he was still alive, saying what the Foundation does now is an additional effort. "He (Owotuga) had laid the foundation of kindness before he died. At Omodayo Owotuga Foundation, we give money to pay tuition fees of indigent students, we also pay for their exams like WAEC, GCE and JAMB. This we have been doing in addition to giving charities and gifts to orphanages since 2019. "We have given scholarships to fund tuition fees and academics of those children that their parents are unable to pay for their schooling. We have trained lots of students through this scheme and some of the indigent students have even graduated today", Samuel said. Also, Agnes Mobolaji, the first child and daughter of late Omodayo Owotuga, said, "We grew up knowing my dad to be a free giver. We learnt the attribute from him to be kind, friendly and generous. We have been on this since 2009. Before now, we used to go to orphanages to give charities in his name. We also give scholarships to the indigent students at every anniversary of his death". The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the life of its Osun state governorship candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, is in danger. At a press conference in Abuja today, the spokesperson of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that some All Progressives Congress (APC) members, who are unsettled that they cannot stop Senator Adeleke from retrieving his governorship mandate, are now viciously plotting to use all means to put him out of circulation. Speaking at the press conference, Ologbondiyan said ''Given the series of unrelenting attacks, threats and the desperation now being exhibited by the APC, our party has become apprehensive that there are plots to silence Senator Adeleke as a way to terminate his efforts to retrieve his governorship mandate in the court. Part of the plot is to frame and arrest the Principal of his school, Ede Muslim High School, Ede, Mr. Kadili Adejare Abass, on trump-up charges that Senator Adelekes School testimonial was forged with the aim of using such fabrication as a basis to smear and clamp down on Senator Adeleke. Nigerians will recall that the PDP had earlier alerted the public that having failed in their project to brand Senator Adelekes WAEC Certificate as fake, APC leaders, particularly those operating from Lagos were weaving a new fabrication that Senator Adelekes School Testimonial was forged. The PDP had also informed the public of how a former commissioner in Osun state was used by the APC leaders to reach and compromise certain top police officers to use the fabrications to arrest and embarrass Senator Adeleke and the Principal of his School, Ede Muslim High School even when they have not committed any crime. Yesterday, April 24, 2019 the Nigerian police in collaboration with the APC arrested Mr. Abass, the Principal of the Ede Muslim High School, Ede as well as the wife of the schools Registrar, Mrs. Rofiyat Oladepo and her nine months old baby. Information available to the PDP shows that AIG Adeleye Oyebade of Zone II, Oshogbo, ordered the arrest of the innocent Principal of the school and the Registrar. When the Registrar, Mr. Kabir Oladipo could not be reached as he is undergoing treatment for legs and arms injuries he sustained in a motor accident, AIG Oyebade allegedly ordered one ASP Faliyu to arrest the wife, Mrs. Rofiyatu Oladepo, with her 9 months old baby. Both the innocent mother and her baby were dumped at the Zone II Police headquarters, Osogbo. The PDP has also been informed of how AIG Oyebade allegedly told those who went to visit the detainees last night that they are continuing the criminal aspect of the Civil action commenced by the APC, which is still in court. The PDP holds that it is most unfortunate that the Nigeria Police will allow certain elements within its ranks to yield themselves as tools in the hands of the oppressive APC in their desperation to thwart the mandate of the people of Osun state, which they freely gave to Senator Ademola Adeleke. Speaking further, Ologbondiyan said The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has taken its protest to the United Nations office in Abuja as faithfuls of the protesters want the United Nations to urge President Buhari to release their leader Sheikh El-Zakzaky who is standing trial alongside his wife over allegations of culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, and disruption of the public peace, among others. They also accuse the government of mass killings and burials of their members. The protesters were received at the UN office by the deputy security head. Thursdays protest comes after a similar march was staged on Wednesday at the main gate of the National Assembly. However, Wednesdays protest had a bit of violent undertone, as the Shiites forced their way into the Assembly complex, protesting the continued incarceration of their leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky. The protesting Shiites stormed the National Assembly in continuation of protests to mark the 68th birthday anniversary of Sheikh Zakzaky, their spiritual leader. At the gate, the Shiite faithful could be heard chanting and calling for the release of Zakzaky who has been in detention since 2015. In a sudden fit of rage, the Shiites pounced on the Assemblys gate, forcing their way into the complex. They, however, were stopped from getting into the chambers after various appeals by leaders of the movement. Chief Tunji Alapini, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) today celebrates his 38th wedding anniversary with his beautiful wife, Ibipo. Alapini who holds a Master's Degree in Criminology from the University of Wales United Kingdom took to Instagram this morning to say, '38 years and still waxing strong. Three kids, all married. Grand children and still counting.To God be the Glory. Happy Wedding Anniversary to us'. An image of the Andromeda Galaxy captured with the Hyper-Suprime-Cam. A recent snapshot of Andromeda found only one signal that could have come from a medium-sized primordial black hole, or one that formed soon after the Big Bang. One of Stephen Hawking's most famous theories about dark matter that this mysterious and invisible substance is made up of primordial black holes recently suffered a huge blow. That conclusion comes from a massive telescope that captured an image of an entire galaxy in one shot. The findings don't completely rule out Stephen Hawking's famous notion. But they suggest that primordial black holes would have to be truly tiny to explain dark matter. Dark matter mystery Dark matter is the name given by physicists to explain a particularly mysterious phenomenon: Everything in the universe moves, orbits and rotates as if there were more mass than we can detect. Explanations for dark matter range from ghostly particles called neutrinos to unknown particles, to new laws of physics. In the 1970s, Stephen Hawking and his colleagues theorized that the Big Bang may have created a large number of relatively small black holes each about the size of a proton. These tiny, ancient black holes would be difficult to see, yet would exert a large gravitational pull on other objects the two known properties of dark matter. [The 11 Biggest Unanswered Questions About Dark Matter] Black holes emit no light, though, supermassive black holes, like the one at the heart of galaxy Messier 87, are fringed by bright disks of hot matter. Primordial black holes, however, are billions of times smaller and have no visible, glowing matter surrounding them. Instead, searching for small black holes means looking for places where their powerful gravitational fields bend light a phenomenon called microlensing. Telescopes find microlensing black holes by taking many different pictures of a star over time. A black hole passing in front of that star will distort its light, making it flash; the smaller the black hole, the quicker the flash. "If a microlensing object has, let's say one solar mass," Takada told Live Science, referring to the mass of the sun, "the timescale [of the microlensing 'flash'] is like a few months or a year." But the primordial black holes they were looking for had only a small fraction of that mass, approximately the mass of the moon. That means their flashes would be much shorter. The HSC is "unique," Takada said, in that it let them take images of all the stars in the Andromeda galaxy at once, at breathtakingly fast (to astronomers) exposure intervals each interval was just 2 minutes long. Takada and his team took about 200 pictures of the Andromeda galaxy over 7 hours on a clear night. They found just one potential microlensing event. If primordial black holes made up a significant fraction of dark matter, Takada said, they should have seen approximately 1,000 microlensing signals. "Microlensing is the gold standard for detecting black holes or ruling them out," said Simeon Bird, a black- hole physicist at the University of California Riverside, who was not involved in the work. "This work rules out primordial black holes as dark matter in a range of masses where the previous constraints were not as strong nor as robust as this new one. It's a very nice result." Was this the final nail in the coffin? Is Hawking's theory really dead? Not so, according to Bird and Takada, who say that primordial black holes of a certain range of masses still haven't been totally eliminated as candidates. [Stephen Hawking's Most Far-Out Ideas About Black Holes] "There are still some masses where the constraints are weak, around 20-30 solar masses," Bird told Live Science. "Those could still be 1% to 10% of dark matter and there's still a window at lower masses, like the mass of a very small asteroid." "Our physicists are very excited because there is still a window," Takada said. The data can't rule out those teensy tiny black holes because the flashes from those black holes would be much too short, "so we need to think of another method to do it." There was, however, one "flash" detected in their survey. While it was a single, preliminary result, it could end up being incredibly important: the very first detection of a primordial black hole, which would be a groundbreaking validation of some of Hawking's work. "Only one observation is not that convincing," Takada said. "We need more observations to confirm. If it was really [a primordial black hole], we should continue to find the same thing" as they continue to use the HSC to look for more microlensing. Originally published on Live Science. See more What do you see in this image? Viewers are finding it virtually impossible to identify any of the almost-familiar objects in the picture and it's freaking them out. Twitter user @melip0ne shared the image on Tuesday (April 22) with this challenge: "Name one thing in this photo." It has since generated thousands of bewildered replies and outlandish guesses. The image isn't just stumping viewers; it's also making some of them very uneasy, leading to comments such as "i feel so uncomfortable," "This stresses me out" and "Thx losing my sanity now." What exactly is pictured in this bizarre image, and why is it so unsettling? [Why CGI Humans Are Creepy, and What Scientists Are Doing about It] Trying to interpret an ambiguous image like this sparks uncertainty, which can lead to feeling "creeped-out," Dr. Frank McAndrew, a professor of psychology at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, told Live Science in an email. When a person is unsure if something could be harmful, it's normal to experience a sense of unease, McAndrew said. But clearly this image doesn't pose a threat, so what's going on? "We also can get creeped out by confusing things that press competing buttons in our brain, making it hard for us to categorize or understand what we are looking at," he said. No matter how much your brain tries to make sense of the image, it just won't resolve into something familiar; this further intensifies feelings of discomfort, Dr. Steven Schlozman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, told Live Science in an email. "I think the creepiness comes from our brains' attempts at recognizing a pattern, zeroing in on that pattern, and then having the expected pattern continually disrupted by another recognizable pattern," Schlozman said. "I swear I see a chimp in that photo. But then it becomes something else, and then something else. I can't complete the puzzle," he said. "I can get some of it, but never enough to know what I'm seeing." Machine dreams The viral picture was likely generated digitally by artificial intelligence (AI), said Janelle Shane, an electrical engineering researcher who trains neural networks a type of AI that "learns" in a manner similar to a brain. Shane told Live Science that she was "95% sure" this image was created by a neural network called BigGAN, an algorithm Google trained to compose detailed photos from scratch. "This kind of neural net, called a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), learns to generate images from thousands of example photos," Shane said. "It was trained to generate about 1,000 distinct categories of images, but a fun thing about GANs is that you can also ask them to generate images that are a mix of categories," she said. The objects are unrecognizable because they don't exist in the real world. Rather, they're digital composites of multiple objects that have been smushed together by the algorithm. In fact, Shane previously wrote about BigGAN doing just that on her blog, AI Weirdness. Tweaking parameters in a model that generates images of dogs and flowers, for example, can result in a delightful crop of dogflowers. (Image credit: Ganbreeder) Shane reviewed the Twitter picture using image-recognition AIs that had been trained on the same data set as BigGAN; they determined that the oddball "objects" were likely derived from images categories such as toy shop, bakery and grocery store, she wrote in a series of tweets. AI doesn't always fail so miserably at creating realistic scenes. A neural network called StyleGAN recently generated astonishingly realistic photos of human faces (though its efforts to re-create cats were frankly horrifying). Often, AI's interpretation of our world can be similar enough to be familiar and different enough to cause unease, "which is what makes AI-generated images so deeply unsettling," Shane said. "We see our world reflected back to us via something that is great at textures and lighting but doesn't understand the basics of how objects work." For those who enjoy being creeped out and want to create their own nightmare-triggering images, they can do so with the online AI art tool Ganbreeder, Shane added. Originally published on Live Science. The Hearst Foundations have awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to community organizations in Houston and other Texas cities. Executive Director Paul Dinovitz announced the grants after the foundations' quarterly board meeting last month, according to a news release this week. The Houston Symphony received $200,000 to support education and community engagement initiatives. The Lone Star Flight Museum was awarded $100,000 in support of the museum's education program. The Star of Hope was also awarded $100,00 to support shelter and services for 7,500 homeless people, according to the release. Haven for Hope of Bexar County in San Antonio was given $150,000 to help its supportive housing program. The Hearst Foundations also awarded Girlstart, in Austin, $50,000 to help with "the scale-up" of science, technology, education and math (or STEM) education programs in Texas, California and Massachusetts. The William Randolph Hearst Foundation and the Hearst Foundation, Inc., are independent private philanthropies that operate separate from the Hearst Corp., according to the release. The Hearst Corp. publishes 24 daily newspapers and 60 weeklies, including the Houston Chronicle, the San Antonio Express-News and the Beaumont Enterprise. The Hearst Foundations have awarded more than 20,000 grants since they were created in the 1940s. The Hearst Foundations made 324 grants in 2018 totalling more than $45 million. For more information, visit the Heart Foundations. Just because we're grown-ups, doesn't mean we can't appreciate a kiddie-themed party, especially when it has a boozy slant. An Australian-based company is bringing an adult-only "Ball Pit" party to Houston. The event rolls into town in September, according to a Wednesday release. SEOUL - When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday, one man was conspicuous by his absence. Kim Yong Chol - a hard-line veteran, four-star general, former spy chief and one of Kim Jong Un's closest aides - was nowhere to be seen. Until now, Kim Yong Chol had been at the forefront of North Korea's diplomatic outreach and in charge of denuclearization talks with the United States, personally delivering a letter from his leader to President Trump in January, and acting as counterpart to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. But South Korea's National Intelligence Service believes that Kim Yong Chol has been removed from his post as head of the United Front Department, a ruling-party body in charge of ties with South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a lawmaker. Kim Yong Chol appears to have been "censured" after the breakdown of the second Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi in February, Lee Hye-hoon, head of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told Reuters. Experts cautioned that it is still too early to be sure what is happening in North Korea's notoriously opaque system. Michael Madden, an expert on North Korea's leadership at the Stimson Center, said several inaccurate intelligence reports and rumors have surfaced about Kim Yong Chol's status going back to the fall of 2018, and he noted the latest report has not been corroborated. Kim Yong Chol also retains an important role at the height of North Korean politics as a member of the State Affairs Commission and of the Political Committee. But if indeed he has been moved aside as chief negotiator, there would probably not be too many sad faces in Washington. Kim Yong Chol had a reputation as a fearsomely hard person to deal with, and various media reports have suggested that Pompeo would have preferred to sit across from the more personable and English-speaking foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho. Kim Yong Chol has reportedly been replaced as head of the UFD by Jang Kum Chol, a relative unknown, which might suggest that the center of gravity for handling U.S. relations might be shifting back to the diplomats at the Foreign Ministry, said Duyeon Kim at the Center for a New American Security. But she cautioned that it is too soon to be sure and that observers need to wait and see who lines up across from Pompeo in any future talks. "Seeing how upset Kim Jong Un was with the Hanoi results going home empty-handed, I had suspected someone might be replaced or even purged," she said. "The timing of this reported shakeup seems to fit this hypothesis, but it's still early, and we'll know better when negotiations resume." When Kim Jong Un sat across from Putin and his team in Vladivostok, he was joined by Foreign Minister Ri and Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. This was the first time Kim Yong Chol had not accompanied Kim Jong Un on a foreign trip, NK News reported. If true, the news would also put last week's North Korean criticism of Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton in a different context, said John Delury, an associate professor at Yonsei University in Seoul. It would be as though Kim Jong Un was sending Trump a more constructive message, he said: Our negotiators let us down in Hanoi. Let's replace them and try again. North Korea's Foreign Ministry demanded last week that Pompeo be replaced in talks by someone more "mature." It also accused Bolton of being "dim-sighted." "If they actually got rid of Kim Jong Chol, those statements make more sense," Delury said. As head of North Korea's military spy agency, Kim Yong Chol is believed to have been responsible for the sinking of a South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, in 2010, killing 46 sailors, as well as a 2014 hacking attack against Sony. Mark Tierno may be retiring as president of MacMurray College, but he plans to keep in touch with his MacFam. When he became MacMurrays 16th president four years ago, Tierno said the nearly two-centuries-old institution was facing challenges many institutions of higher education are facing. With changing attitudes toward education, careers, debt and even possessions, he said colleges and universities have to ask themselves how to stay relevant and show their value to students. I was really ready to retire. But I knew of MacMurray and I knew I could help. They had some things to overcome here, he said. So, weve kind of redirected the college and now the college is on a better path. Tierno, coming from another small college, had taken on some of the same challenges and felt he could find a MacMurray answer. Every answer has to be relative to the place where youre working, he said. You cant import somebody elses answers. If it doesnt fit your culture, it doesnt work. So, we had to grow our own answers that are MacMurray answers. Tierno will retire June 30 exactly four years from when he started at MacMurray. He was selected from a field of 57 candidates and got a unanimous vote of approval from the board of trustees. More Information Board begins presidential search MacMurray College Board of Trustees Chairman Charlie O'Connell said Wednesday that the board hopes to have a new president hired in the next year. "We are in the initial stages of beginning the presidential search," he said in a statement. "During the Board of Trustee meetings in May, we will be discussing the next steps. Our goal is to have a new president on campus by summer 2020." The board announced in March, along with the news of Tierno's retirement, that serving as interim president would be Beverly Rodgers, the college's provost and vice president of academic affairs and student life. See More Collapse At the time of his hiring in 2015, Tierno told the Journal-Courier he had planned to retire from Cazenovia College in 2016. He spent 15 years at the upstate New York liberal arts college. Tierno has put in a total of 23 years in chief executive roles in higher education, with the last four in Jacksonville. He earned his doctorate in history from Carnegie Mellon University in 1975 and over the course of his years in academia rose through the ranks of administration. At MacMurray, Tierno helped write and implement a strategic plan for the college that incorporated plans to address some of the challenges the college was facing. Though some may be more familiar with his more lighthearted endeavor to travel across the country for eight weeks to meet alumni and donors in 2017 the MacNation Tour. Tierno said its an interesting time of shifting values, but college still has to be relevant and find its appeal for students. Whether students are pursuing a bachelors degree in order to go on to an advanced or professional degree, or are choosing a major that will get them a job after graduation, colleges need to adjust to the fact that students are not pursuing a bachelors degree just for the sake of a liberal arts education. More and more of our students see the bachelors degree as a step toward their goal, he said. Its not the whole goal. During Tiernos tenure, the college has made changes to the curriculum with that in mind. A philosophy, politics and economics major was added for pre-law and other students planning to pursue advanced degrees and a healthcare administration major was added for students who wish to go straight into the workforce after graduation. A scholarship program has begun aiding in recruitment and helped the college to bring back the elementary education major. Tierno said the college has worked hard to restructure recruitment and grow curriculum, as well as to invest in facilities and implement an aggressive scholarship program. As a result, he said the profile of incoming classes is changing and retention is improving. The college experienced a hiccup in 2016 when the Higher Learning Commission, which had evaluated MacMurray during Tiernos first semester, put the college on probation when it was re-accredited. Tierno said the college did an immense amount of cooperative work in about 18 months and MacMurrays accreditation was reaffirmed. With the strategic plan in place, the college as a whole is working toward unified goals with data-driven measures to assess progress, Tierno said. The strategic plan is in its second year. In my career, in these three CEO posts that Ive had, the campuses all had challenges. But this place, people pulled together more. People cooperate more, he said. Its like a family. Tierno is not looking to do anymore CEO work, but isnt planning to retire completely. He and his son are going invest in a business together and Tierno plans on having a more relaxed workday. He owns a home in Chicago and will relocate when they settle on a business investment. But Tierno said he wont forget his adopted home at MacMurray. I will continue to be in touch with the college, he said. I feel connected I am now of MacMurray, if you will. Joe Biden will have to quickly establish that he can sustain his position at the top of the Democratic presidential field in a political environment that's changed dramatically since he was last on a ballot. The former vice president pitched himself in a video Thursday as a leader who would restore the values of the country. He will also have to reconcile some of the contradictions his candidacy represents as he begins campaigning next week in the states that hold the first series of caucuses and primaries. Currently 76, Biden would be the oldest president ever elected, but he's running in a party with a voting base that's becoming younger, less white and more female. He's a moderate institutionalist in a party tilting leftward and embracing populists who want to upend the system. He has faced allegations of inappropriate contact with women while courting support from the party aligned with the #MeToo movement. He would be the 45th consecutive male elected as president and the 44th white man in a racially and ethnically diverse Democratic primary field that includes a record number of women. And yet Biden is the man to beat, boosted by universal name recognition, a reputation in the party as a steady hand, and a nostalgia among many Democrats for the Barack Obama presidency he served in. The packed 2020 field may be an asset to him, starving some of his rivals of the attention they need to rise above the clutter. "He'll be very formidable. He and Bernie Sanders are going to be the front-runners in this race," said Tad Devine, a veteran Democratic strategist who advised the primary campaigns of Sanders in 2016, John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000. "He's satisfied people on the most important standard they're going to look to - whether or not he can defeat Trump." "He's also going to have to deal with things like the Iraq war vote; or abortion, where he's been on both sides of that issue in the past; and race, where he has to deal with everything from busing to the crime bill," Devine said. Howard Dean, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said Biden's biggest challenge is age. The party, he said, is shifting to younger people, women and minorities, and they helped Democrats win the House in the midterm elections. "Joe's challenge is to reach that new generation that got into politics and was largely responsible for the 40 seats we picked up in 2018," Dean said on Bloomberg television. That also may affect Sanders, Biden's main competitor at this point. Sanders represents the progressive wing of the party that is active and vocal in the primary race, but he's a year older than Biden, at 77. While Biden has indicated he'll lean heavily on his tie to Obama, the former president is holding off making any endorsements at this stage of the primary campaign. Obama did offer praise for Biden through his spokeswoman Katie Hill, who said he "relied on the vice president's knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency." In a statement timed to Biden's announcement, she said they "forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today." Biden told reporters Thursday in Delaware that he asked Obama not to endorse him. "Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merit," Biden said in remarks broadcast on MSNBC. Devine said Biden has yet to show strength in small-dollar fundraising or an ability to adapt to "a different world than 2012" that's much faster, where a single gaffe can land on millions of voters' smartphones in an instant. The long lead-up to an announcement, with the date shifting several times from what people close to Biden said they expected, also suggests a candidate who may have been conflicted about the race, something that is likely to reveal itself in a campaign. Biden is one of the few Democratic candidates President Donald Trump has preemptively attacked with a belittling nickname on Twitter -- the others include Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Trump took to Twitter Thursday morning to "welcome" Biden to the campaign. But Biden's candidacy has caused pangs of anxiety in the president's orbit. "Biden is ultimately the candidate Trumpworld fears the most: he's immensely credible and appeals to the centrist, working Americans who ultimately will decide the winner," said Dan Eberhart, an oil-and-gas executive and Republican financier with ties to the Trump campaign. A Monmouth University national poll of Democratic voters released Tuesday found Biden leading the field with 27 percent support, ahead of Sanders's 20 percent. Behind them with single digits, in a statistical tie for third place, were South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Warren of Massachusetts and former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke. Everybody else had 2 percent or less. "He's got a lot of very seasoned people around him. The team understands not to believe the early polls and knows he's got a hard fight ahead of him," said Jennifer Palmieri, a former top aide in the Obama White House and Clinton 2016 campaign. "Being a front-runner comes with a lot of scrutiny and high expectations that are hard to manage, and the Biden team is aware of all that." Ideologically, the Democratic field splits into three broad categories - establishment moderates like Biden, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper; dyed-in-the-wool progressives like Sanders and Warren; and figures hoping to straddle that divide like Harris, O'Rourke and Buttigieg. His 36 years as a senator from Delaware, before eight years as Obama's vice president, include a record he can brag about, such as his authorship of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which he calls his proudest accomplishment. He supported gun control laws like the assault weapons ban, which progressives are seeking to revive. But there's also a trove of material that makes him vulnerable to attack - like his handling of Anita Hill's allegations against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, his 2002 vote for the Iraq war, his championing of the 1994 crime bill that exacerbated racial disparities in incarceration, and his 1999 vote to repeal the Glass-Steagall financial regulation law. (He has said in recent years the latter two were a mistake.) He has also faced criticism for his past skepticism of abortion rights and busing to racially integrate schools. Matt Gorman, a Republican consultant who worked on Jeb Bush's ill-fated 2016 campaign, said he sees parallels between the onetime GOP frontrunner and Biden's bid. "Jeb's candidacy had to relitigate issues from the party's past that it was thought to have moved on from," he said. Sean McElwee, a left-wing organizer with the group Data For Progress, conducted a study testing the messages likely to hurt Biden's support among Democrats and found a potential weakness in his vote for a 2005 bill, backed by banks and credit-card companies, that made it harder for cash-strapped Americans to declare bankruptcy. "He's more formidable than many on the left want to admit, but he is absolutely beatable," McElwee said. "We have to focus on the right attacks: he's benefited the rich at the expense of working class families." Some rival campaigns are preparing to make contrasts with Biden, particularly on his economic record. Devine said they must do so cautiously and substantively without appearing to go negative, arguing that frontal attacks will tarnish their own popularity with voters. "If anybody goes after Biden overtly they're going to sink themselves," Devine said. The former vice president has yet to stake out a position on issues pushed by various Democratic contenders that are capturing the passions of the party's liberal base, such as Medicare for All and a Green New Deal. How he handles these questions will likely endear him to some Democratic votes and alienate others. Biden recently addressed allegations from Lucy Flores, a former Nevada assemblywoman, that he inappropriately smelled her hair and kissed the back of her head five years at a 2014 event. In a two-minute video posted to Twitter earlier this month, Biden said he's always sought to show affection and make human connections in his career but sees the error of his ways. "Social norms have begun to change, they've shifted. And the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. And I get it. I get it," Biden said. "I'll be much more mindful. That's my responsibility." - - - Bloomberg's Margaret Talev and Jennifer Epstein contributed. BALTIMORE - Investigators searched Baltimore City Hall and Mayor Catherine Pugh's homes among other sites Thursday in a highly visible indication of a federal criminal case over lucrative children's book deals Pugh cut with businesses connected to the government she has run since 2016. The law enforcement action spurred a new round of condemnation of Pugh from Maryland's political establishment and calls from Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and many Democrats for the embattled mayor to resign. Pugh, D, took an indefinite leave of absence beginning April 1 attributed to health issues following criticism of the more than $700,000 she was paid for her self-published Healthy Holly book series. Investigators from the FBI and IRS fanned out to at least a half-dozen locations Thursday, including a nonprofit tied to Pugh and the apartment of a former top Pugh aide. They also retrieved records from the office of Pugh's attorney. The University of Maryland Medical System confirmed receipt of a grand jury subpoena from Maryland's U.S. attorney seeking documents and other information "to conduct their investigation of Mayor Pugh," according to a spokesman for the medical system that paid for Pugh's books while she was a board member. The early morning arrival of federal agents from the FBI's Baltimore field office and the IRS's criminal investigative division from Washington was the first public signal of federal law enforcement interest. As agents were still working, Hogan for the first time called on Pugh to step down, saying she "has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead." The book deal revelations, reported by the Baltimore Sun, earlier led to calls for Pugh's resignation from the Baltimore City Council and state lawmakers. They also led to an investigation by the state prosecutor and the termination of several of her aides. 5 1 of 5 Washington Post photo by Peter Hermann Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Washington Post photo by Peter Hermann Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Washington Post photo by Lynh Bui Show More Show Less 5 of 5 State investigators are also scrutinizing Pugh's deals with entities including health-care company Kaiser Permanente, which was awarded city contracts, and the University of Maryland Medical System, on whose board she sat for many years. Pugh was at home Thursday when the search of her house began, her attorney said, but the mayor did not appear publicly. She previously described criticism of her book deals as a "witch hunt" and later called her agreement with the hospital system a "regrettable mistake." Her attorney, Steven Silverman, met with Pugh on Thursday and said the illness that sidelined her in late March continues and has been compounded by the stress of the investigation. "The calls for her to resign have not fallen on deaf ears. The people of the city come first," Silverman said. "In the near future, she will make a decision that is in the best interests of Baltimore." But, Silverman said, because of her current condition, "she is not completely lucid. For her to make these kinds of decisions at this time is not fair to her." Pugh, 69, is the second Baltimore mayor in the past decade whose tenure has been engulfed in a corruption scandal. Her troubles coincide with a surge in violence in the city that officials, including Pugh, have struggled to address. Homicides have surpassed 300 for four straight years, even as homicide arrest rates have plummeted, and there have been five police commissioners in as many years. "Now more than ever, Baltimore City needs strong and responsible leadership," Hogan said in his statement calling for Pugh's resignation. The heightened law enforcement attention increased pressure on Pugh politically and legally, and added to a sense among Baltimore residents that the city had reached a tipping point. Officials described the latest action as a demoralizing distraction from urgent issues. "This is something we just don't need," said state Sen. Jill Carter, D-Baltimore City, "There are so many entrenched problems we have to tackle." State Sen. Bill Ferguson, D-Baltimore City, called the searches a "breaking point" for Pugh's tenure. "We can't keep going like this," he said. "This feels like an ultimate low." The development, Ferguson added, is "heartbreaking, infuriating and deflating" for Baltimore residents and the imagery "makes it almost impossible to highlight the incredible people who live here when this is the reality of the news that leads." Just after 7 a.m. Thursday, more than a half-dozen federal agents entered City Hall. Several agents wearing jackets with FBI and IRS insignia emerged a few minutes later to retrieve empty boxes and black suitcases that appeared to contain forensic equipment. Baltimore City Solicitor Andre Davis said in an interview the search had been limited to Pugh's second floor executive suite. He received an inventory of items agents' seized but he declined to discuss details or make the list public, saying doing so could impede the investigation. City Council President Bernard "Jack" Young, D, who is serving as acting mayor in Pugh's absence, "had no advance knowledge of the search," his spokesman Lester Davis said. Young left City Hall about 11 a.m. and took no questions from reporters before climbing into an SUV. "I'm not ducking anybody. I'm just letting you to know I was unaware, and I'm keeping the city moving forward." At Pugh's two-story, white clapboard house, agents left carrying cardboard boxes labeled with the title of one of her Healthy Holly illustrated paperbacks for children. "I wanna see her handcuffed!" neighbor Jeffrey Davis hollered as he walked past the mayor's house during the search. "You break the law, you go to jail," Davis said. "Ask Sheila Dixon," he added in reference to the former Baltimore mayor who resigned in 2010 after an embezzlement conviction. Davis, the neighbor, said despite yet another scandal rocking the city, Baltimore will stay strong. Agents also searched a second Pugh residence around the corner on Dennlyn Road, according to Dave Fitz, the FBI spokesman. Silverman, Pugh's attorney, said agents arrived at his downtown Baltimore office Thursday to collect financial documents that federal officials had subpoenaed. In representing Pugh, Silverman said his office requested records from the mayor's accountant related to the book series, and that he had set those records aside at the request of law enforcement. Agents did not search his office or take materials protected by attorney-client privilege, he said. "I have no indication that the investigation is into anything other than Healthy Holly," Silverman said. "We will continue to vigorously defend the mayor, who is entitled to the presumption of innocence." Agents were also searching the home of a former top aide to Pugh, Gary Brown Jr. Brown, a legislative aide to Pugh when she was a state senator, was set to be sworn into the House of Delegates in January 2017 to fill a vacancy triggered by Pugh's election as mayor. But his swearing-in was called off after the state prosecutor's office charged Brown with violating campaign finance laws by making illegal donations to Pugh. Brown pleaded guilty to the charge. Brown until recently continued to work for Pugh. He is no longer employed by the city, according to the spokesman for the acting mayor. Brown and Pugh have ties to the nonprofit Maryland Center for Adult Training, according to information on the organization's publicly available tax forms. Brown is listed in a tax filing for the fiscal year ending June 2017 as executive director. Pugh previously led the center's board of directors, records for the fiscal year ending June 2012 show. The organization, which agents also searched Thursday, reported that its workforce training program "assists disadvantaged persons transitioning from unemployment to careers." The center has received city contracts during Pugh's tenure, the Baltimore Sun has reported. Brown did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. No one answered the phone at the training center Thursday. A spokeswoman for Maryland's U.S. attorney declined to comment. The Sun reported that Pugh was paid $500,000 by the University of Maryland Medical System for the books beginning in 2011 when she was a state senator who served on a committee that partially funded the private system. Two weeks later, the Sun reported Kaiser had paid Pugh more than $100,000 for her self-published book at the same time it was seeking a $48 million contract from a city board controlled by the mayor. Pugh resigned from the medical system board, on which she had sat for 18 years and returned $100,000 for a shipment of books she said was not completed. UMMS spokesman Michael Schwartzberg said in a statement Thursday that the medical system is "fully cooperating with the investigative process." Pugh was hospitalized with pneumonia for five days in late March and took an indefinite paid leave April 1 to recuperate. Young has removed several of Pugh's aides in the weeks since she began her leave. A Baltimore native, Young has been a fixture of city politics for more than two decades. He has served on the council for 22 years, the last nine as its president. - - - The Washington Post's Rachel Chason contributed to this report Former vice president Joe Biden opened his third campaign for the presidency on Thursday, taking direct aim at President Donald Trump and declaring that "we are in the battle for the soul of this nation." In a video posted on social media, Biden recounted the deadly clash between white supremacists and counterprotesters at a 2017 gathering in Charlottesville, Virginia, after which Trump said there were "some very fine people on both sides." "In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had seen in our lifetime," Biden said, adding: "The core values of this nation - our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America - is at stake. That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States." As he joined a crowded Democratic field in which many candidates have staked out progressive positions on an array of issues, Biden made no mention of policy specifics in the 3 1/2-minute video, which also stood out for how directly he confronted Trump. Biden, 76, who served for eight years as the second-in-command to the last Democrat to successfully seek the presidency, holds a strong position in early polls, but the trajectory of his campaign is uncertain. Biden made his announcement hours before a major campaign fundraiser was to take place in Philadelphia. His first campaign event, union-themed, is planned Monday in Pittsburgh, a Democratic city whose suburbs and exurbs are filled with the sort of voters who abandoned the Democratic Party to side with Trump in 2016. After that, his campaign said, Biden will travel to several early nominating states. His campaign also announced two dozen senior staff members Thursday afternoon. Biden, who made his first bid for the White House more than 30 years ago, is scheduled to appear Friday on "The View," in what the ABC program said in a tweet would be his first sit-down interview since announcing his candidacy. Trump responded to Biden's entrance about two hours after he announced. "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe," he wrote on Twitter. "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!" Biden's announcement day also faced a distraction from rare public comments by Anita Hill, the law professor who had accused then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in hearings in 1991 that Biden directed as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biden has long been criticized for the committee's treatment of Hill. In an interview with The New York Times, Hill said she could not support his campaign. "I cannot be satisfied by simply saying 'I'm sorry for what happened to you,' " she said. A senior campaign aide confirmed Thursday that Biden had talked with Hill; the aide disclosed no other details. A Democratic force for nearly five decades, Biden built his career as a campaigner on his connection with working-class voters, including white voters he has sometimes called "the ethnic vote" - Midwestern Irish, Italian and Polish Catholics, or South Florida Jews. His campaign style tends toward the populism of Franklin Roosevelt, railing against those with money and power who he claims work against the needs of middle-class Americans. "They don't understand us middle-class folks," Biden thundered repeatedly from the stump in 2012, when he was campaigning against then-Republican nominee Mitt Romney. After Trump's election in 2016, Biden made clear that he believed the cause was a failure by Democrats to connect with working voters. "You didn't hear a single solitary sentence in the last campaign about that guy working on the assembly line making 60,000 bucks a year and a wife making $32,000 as a hostess in restaurant," he said in a 2017 appearance at the University of Pennsylvania. At the same time, Biden also is expected to play up - and benefit from - his tenure as vice president to the nation's first black president. In early polling, Biden has been popular among black voters, who make up a dominant Democratic voting bloc in many states. Former president Barack Obama has indicated, however, that he will not make an early endorsement in the race. In a statement shortly after the release of Biden's video, an Obama spokeswoman praised Biden's tenure as vice president but stopped short of offering the former president's endorsement. "President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made," said Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill. "He relied on the vice president's knowledge, insight and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today." Speaking briefly to reporters Thursday at the Amtrak station in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said he had asked Obama not to make an endorsement in the Democratic nominating contest. "Whoever wins the nomination should win it on their own merits," Biden said. Asked why he's the best choice for Democrats, Biden said, "That will be for the Democrats to decide." He later made an appearance at a Wilmington restaurant where he ordered a pepperoni pizza to go and mingled with patrons. On the way out, he was asked by a reporter if he had a message for the world. "America's coming back like we used to be - ethical, straight, telling the truth . . . supporting our allies, all those good things," Biden said. As he finalized his run, Biden was buffeted by scrutiny for a wide range of positions that, in some cases, were in line with Democratic orthodoxy long ago but are now out of step - a circumstance that may presage what awaits him in the campaign. Those include support for anti-busing legislation in the 1970s, his role handling the testimony of Anita Hill during Senate hearings to confirm Clarence Thomas as a Supreme Court justice, and his arm-twisting on behalf of a crime bill in the 1990s. He has attempted to address some of those issues in recent weeks but has often stumbled. "To this day, I regret I couldn't come up with a way to get her the kind of hearing she deserved," Biden said last month of the hearings on Thomas's nomination, which he directed as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has also come under criticism in recent weeks for his hands-on style. Several women have said made he them feel uncomfortable with hugs, pressing his forehead against theirs, or, in one case, smelling a Nevada politician's hair. Biden posted a video saying that "social norms are changing" and that he would be "much more mindful." Two days later, however, he twice joked about the complaints during a speech to union workers. Biden and his team worked to try to engineer a show of force at his entrance, both from organized groups loyal to him and from donors. Shortly after his announcement, he received several endorsements, including from Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), who succeeded Biden after he left the Senate to become vice president. In a statement, Coons said Biden was "better prepared than anyone to lead America on the world stage at a time when our commitments to our allies and our values are being questioned like never before." The Republican National Committee also quickly sought to define Biden in a far less flattering light, calling him a "gaffe machine" and noting that Obama was not offering his endorsement. "Joe Biden has been running for president and losing since the '80s," said RNC spokesman Michael Ahrens. "2020 won't be any different. Biden's fingerprints are all over foreign policy blunders and the weakest economic recovery since World War II. We don't need eight more years of Biden." For months, a tight group of current and former advisers has been knitting together a campaign plan to prepare for a run, talking with him as he has vacillated on his desire to throw his hat in the ring. They include Steve Ricchetti, a former lobbyist who served as his last chief of staff in the White House; former senator Ted Kaufman, D-Del., a longtime friend whom he helped appoint to his vacant Senate seat after the 2008 election; and Mike Donilon, a longtime aide. A broader network of friends and former aides has signaled hope for months that Biden would enter the race so they can join his campaign, an advantage his aides hope will allow him to quickly pull together a large organization. An underwhelming fundraiser in his first two campaigns for president, he is likely to be aided this time by deep-pocketed donors he got to know during the Obama years. "We need to get more pragmatic and understand that Joe Biden is the only real chance to win in 2020," said Dick Harpootlian, former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party. "My concern is our nominee has to be able to carry Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan - and I don't see that in any of these other folks." Biden considered a late entry into the 2016 Democratic nomination fight, as a challenger to former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, but decided against it as he mourned the death of his eldest son, Beau, from brain cancer at age 46. He later wrote a book explaining his decision as a personal one based on his emotional turmoil after his son's death. Biden's earlier presidential races were disappointments. His first run, in 1988, was derailed by scandal when it was revealed that he had lifted parts of his stump speech from British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock, among others. Two decades later, Biden cast himself in his second presidential run as the most experienced Democratic candidate in the field, especially on matters of national security. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have forgotten more about how to fight terror than Rudy Giuliani will ever learn," he said in one of his last rallies before the Iowa caucuses, referring to the mayor of New York at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "The test for this presidency is clear. It is crystal clear: Who can take these guys on, and who is ready from day one?" Biden won less than 1 percent of the delegates in the 2008 Iowa caucuses, however, and dropped out of the race shortly afterward. Seven months later, Obama selected him as his running mate, a credit both to Biden's experience as an inside player in Washington and to his perceived appeal among Midwestern voters. In the White House, he was a constant presence in decision meetings, weighing in with Obama on a broad range of issues. He was also given special briefs, including the implementation of the 2009 stimulus bill, a failed effort to change gun laws after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and as a lead White House negotiator with congressional Republicans during budgetary standoffs. Obama, who has remained a close friend and frequent booster of Biden, has spent the years since leaving the White House focused on developing "the next generation" of Democratic talent. Advisers say that has not been intended as a signal for Biden not to run, though Biden has written that he believed Obama tried to indirectly discourage him from entering the 2016 election during their private conversations. At one point, the vice president met with an Obama pollster who argued, Biden wrote, that "I had no real path to the nomination" in a contest against Clinton. First elected to the U.S. Senate by Delaware voters in 1972, at the age of 29, Biden went on to six reelections, serving as the chairman of the Judiciary Committee during contentious confirmation battles over Supreme Court nominees Thomas and Robert H. Bork , and as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee at the time of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Like Clinton, he voted as a senator in 2002 to authorize the use of force in Iraq, which cleared the way for a war launched by President George W. Bush. Biden later said he regretted the vote. During the 2012 campaign, Biden praised Obama for overlooking his objections to approving a secret raid that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 2001 attacks. He later said he privately encouraged Obama to move forward with the raid in a separate conversation. In recent months, he has been less aggressive than other presidential hopefuls in recruiting staffers, building an email list or reaching out for support in the early-voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. He did travel the country in the run-up to the 2018 midterms, campaigning for Democratic candidates with a message that is likely to pop up in his presidential campaign. "We have to make clear that Democrats, Democrats choose hope over fear. Democrats choose unity over division, and most importantly, we choose truth over lies," Biden said. "It's time to get up. Remember who in the hell we are. This is America." Kim Jong U.N. sought Vladimir Putin's help in resolving troubles on the divided Korean Peninsula, holding his first summit with the Russian leader as he tried to find a way out of his nuclear stalemate with Donald Trump. Putin and Kim revealed little about the content of their nearly two-hour meeting -- more than an hour longer than scheduled -- held Thursday at a university in Vladivostok. Kim has been seeking relief from U.N. Security Council sanctions choking his state's tiny economy but Putin has little money to offer and is bound by the international economic restrictions. "I visited Russia to meet President Putin in person and exchange opinions about the Korean Peninsula, which is getting intense attention from all over the world," Kim said at the meeting on Russky Island, sitting opposite Putin in a conference room. For Putin, hosting Kim gives him a chance to remain a player in a security dispute shaped mainly by the U.S. and China. Ahead of the meeting, Russia appeared likely to seek a return to six-party talks on the nuclear issue, an arrangement that included Russia and Japan, as well as China, the U.S. and the two Koreas. "We talked about the situation on the Korean Peninsula, exchanged opinions on how and what should be done so that the situation has good prospects to improve," Putin said. Kim, who kept Putin waiting almost a year for the summit, was also more than 30 minutes behind the Russian president's arrival at the venue. That was an unusual turnabout for Putin, who's notorious for keeping world leaders waiting for meetings. "We welcome your efforts to develop inter-Korean dialogue and to normalize North Korean and American relations," Putin told Kim. Kim, who arrived aboard an armored train Wednesday, hasn't met with the Russian leader since coming to power in 2011. But ties between Moscow and Pyongyang run deep with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin helping Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, set up the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the aftermath of World War II. While Russia extended the invitation to Kim almost a year ago, the North Korean leader only accepted after his second summit with Trump broke down in February without agreements on sanctions relief or Kim's disarmament. Still, top Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov has said the two leaders won't sign any agreements. "This is essentially a side-show in continuing saga between Pyongyang and Washington," Dmitri Trenin, head of the Moscow Carnegie Center, wrote on Twitter. "Russia will seek to score diplomatic points by demonstrating its relevance; North Korea, by showing it has options." Kim may have wanted to seek Putin's help for a key area of commerce between the countries -- North Korean guest workers -- set to be shut down by the end of the year due to U.N. sanctions. Kim's delegation will be scrutinized to see how power dynamics in the secretive state shifted after a shuffle of top officials unveiled earlier this month. Neither Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong nor senior aide Kim Yong Chol -- two figures who have accompanied him on recent foreign trips -- were visible in early reports of the Russian visit, fueling speculation that they had fallen out of favor since Hanoi. The Russia trip comes after Kim gave a speech at the country's rubber-stamp parliament this month where he said he is willing to meet Trump again as long as the U.S. offers acceptable terms for a deal by year end. Russia has long advocated a return to six-party talks, which produced a deal to shut down North Korea's main nuclear plant in exchange for energy aid. The deal fell apart after the U.S. and others decided that a nuclear inventory produced by Pyongyang was incomplete, while the Kim regime complained that aid was arriving too slowly. - - - Bloomberg's Peter Martin, Jihye Lee, Ilya Arkhipov and Stepan Kravchenko contributed. A man is facing up to 20 years in prison after being indicted in a Laredo federal court for allegedly assaulting three Border Patrol agents. A grand jury returned the indictment against 23-year-old Luis Gustavo Ramirez-Saucedo, a Mexican citizen. Ramirez-Saucedo was originally charged by criminal complaint and ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings. On Tuesday, a grand jury handed down the indictment. Ramirez-Saucedo is expected to make an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam Sheldon in the near future. The complaint alleges that on March 29, Border Patrol agents working their assigned duties in Laredo were alerted at about 9:30 p.m. to a group of approximately 20 people illegally entering the United States from Mexico by crossing the Rio Grande. While they were crossing, they activated electronic sensors, according to the complaint. READ MORE: Officers bust man with 70 pounds of alleged narcotics at Laredo port of entry The complaint said the agents responded immediately and made contact with Ramirez-Saucedo within minutes. At that time, he allegedly violently resisted three agents' efforts to apprehend him. He is accused of striking them and ignoring multiple commands to halt before finally being detained. The agents were treated for injuries at a medical facility. Ramirez-Saucedo is charged with assaulting and resisting federal officers. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Border Patrol and the FBI are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case. MORE ON LMTOnline.com: BP agent arrested on intoxication assault charge released on bond A man allegedly led Laredo police officers on a chase and crashed into two vehicles, including a police unit, authorities said. An LPD officer on routine patrol observed a red Dodge Caliber traveling the wrong way on a one-way street in the 400 block of Juarez Avenue. The officer pulled over the vehicle for a traffic violation. As the officer approached the Dodge, the driver sped off. A pursuit ensued in the downtown area. Police said the Dodge crashed with another vehicle on Matamoros Street. READ MORE: LPD: Man arrested after threatening woman over drug money The driver then fled the scene and continued traveling onto Interstate 35. Police said he struck the median on I-35 but continued driving north. The Dodge then exited on Del Mar Boulevard and crashed into chain link fence in the 7300 block of Old Santa Maria Road. As officers attempted to detain him, the driver reversed into an officers marked unit, according to police. Authorities eventually detained the driver, who was identified as Miguel Angel Hernandez, 25. He was charged with aggravated assault against a public servant, evading arrest with a vehicle, accident involving damage to a vehicle and criminal mischief. MORE ON LMTOnline.com: Laredo police arrest man after cash register stolen from local business The number of people held in American prisons declined again in 2017, continuing a slide that has continued since that population peaked in 2009, according to Justice Department data released Thursday. A report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics states that "the number of prisoners under state or federal jurisdiction" by the end of 2017 had dropped to 1.48 million people, down from 1.61 million in 2009. The vast majority were held in state-run facilities, while a smaller share were in federal prisons. At the end of 2017, states held 1.3 million prisoners, down 1 % from the end of the previous year. (Some states combine prisons and jails.) The report also touches on significant racial divergences, with incarceration rates among black people far exceeding those for white people. Criminal justice reform has been a notable area of bipartisan agreement in Washington, D.C., with President Donald Trump last year signing a sweeping bill whose goals included reducing sentences for some federal inmates. The topic has united conservatives and liberals, providing an area of common ground among lawmakers and others who say the nation's criminal justice processes are unfair, expensive and otherwise significantly flawed. "The declines in prison and jail populations reported by the Department of Justice today are encouraging, but still fall far short of what is necessary to end mass incarceration anytime soon," Marc Mauer, executive director of the Sentencing Project, an advocacy group that promotes reform, said in a statement. According to the Sentencing Project, six states - California, New York, New Jersey, Alaska, Connecticut and Vermont - have cut their prison populations by at least 30 % in the past two decades, a reduction the group attributed to "a mix of changes in policy and practice" in those jurisdictions. Mauer said in his statement that the drops in prison populations were "heavily influenced by a handful of states" significantly reducing the number of prisoners they held, while a number of other states either saw modest declines or increases. "In order to achieve significant reductions policymakers will need to scale back excessive sentencing for all offenses, a key factor which distinguishes the U.S. from other nations," he said. The overwhelming majority of the overall prison population by the end of 2017 included people sentenced to more than one year; this group accounted for 97% of all prisoners, with the rest either sentenced to less time or awaiting sentencing. This new report showed that the imprisonment rate - which looks at the number of people sentenced to more than one year per 100,000 U.S. residents - had dropped to its lowest figure in two decades. There were 440 prisoners facing such sentences in state or federal prisons per 100,000 U.S. residents, the lowest since 1997, when the rate was 444 per 100,000. The data released Thursday also provided a glimpse of who makes up America's imprisoned population. Seven% of the prison population was female. More than a tenth - 12% - was age 55 or older. "Non-citizens made up roughly the same portion of the prison population (7.6%) as of the general population in the U.S.," the report stated. This report highlighted stark racial disparities in who makes up America's prison population. While the overall imprisonment rate was down, among black women (92 per 100,000 black female residents) it was nearly twice as large as among white women (49 per 100,000 white female residents), the data showed. The imprisonment rate for black men (2,336 per 100,000 black male U.S. residents) was almost six times the rate for white males (397 per 100,000 white male U.S. residents), the report said. For younger black men, the disparity was even larger. "Black males ages 18 to 19 were about 12 times more likely to be imprisoned than white males of the same age," the report stated. "This age group had the highest black-to-white racial disparity in 2017." HOUSTON - The groans erupted halfway through Bernie Sanders' appearance Wednesday at a presidential candidates' forum sponsored by She the People, a group that aims to drive up voter participation among women of color. Before an audience of about 1,700, many of them African-American and Hispanic women, the moderator asked Sanders, I-Vt., how he would handle the rise in white supremacy. Sanders spoke of fighting discrimination and running a campaign "to bring our people together around an agenda that speaks to all people" - then returned to a familiar message on universal health care. For many in the audience, that was insufficient. "Come on!" a woman shouted from the back, as others began to jeer and boo. The reception reflected Sanders' struggle to win support from minority voters, a problem that dogged his 2016 primary campaign against Hillary Clinton. Sanders has taken steps since to improve his outreach, including meeting with black leaders and talking more frequently about the difficulties facing minorities, but Wednesday's event suggested the senator still faces challenges. Sanders at one point mentioned his long record on civil rights, but it did little to mollify the crowd. "I was actually at the March on Washington with Dr. King back in 1963, and - as somebody who actively supported Jesse Jackson's campaign, as one of the few white elected officials to do so in '88 - I have dedicated my life to the fight against racism and sexism and discrimination of all forms," Sanders said. That prompted audible groans. Sanders may have come into the event at a disadvantage, since many black women supported Clinton in 2016. Some Clinton backers believe Sanders did too little to help her after she won the nomination. Sanders did eventually coax a warmer reception when he vowed to use the presidential "bully pulpit" to counter hate. Wednesday's event, billed by organizers as the first-ever presidential forum for women of color, took place at Texas Southern University, a historically black institution in Houston, one of the most rapidly diversifying cities in the country. Democrats hope minority voters, especially black women, will turn out in bigger numbers in 2020. Clinton won the black vote in 2016 with 89 percent to then-candidate Donald Trump's 8 percent - but just 59 percent of registered black voters turned out. The group is a central part of the Democratic coalition. Sanders was one of eight Democratic presidential hopefuls who appeared at the "She the People" forum, and the candidates sought to appeal to the attendees in various ways. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., repeated an earlier pledge to choose a woman as his running mate. Former congressman Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, endorsed an Equal Rights Amendment. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who has faced criticism from some liberals who think she was too tough as San Francisco's district attorney, promised to pardon low-level drug offenders if she wins the White House. "We have to have the courage to recognize that there are a lot of folks who have been incarcerated who should not have been incarcerated, and are still in prison because they were convicted under draconian laws," Harris said. Looming over the event was former vice president Joe Biden's anticipated entry into the race on Thursday. Biden has close relations with many in the African American community, but some are unhappy with his treatment of Anita Hill in 1991, when she accused then-Supreme Court candidate Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. Biden chaired the Judiciary Committee at the time and oversaw Thomas's confirmation hearing. Jamila Taylor, a 41-year-old policy analyst from Virginia, arrived at Wednesday's event wearing a shirt that read, "I still believe Anita Hill." She said Biden had the right to seek the presidency, but that his record should be a factor. "He should be under scrutiny just like everyone else in the race," Taylor said. "Speaking for myself, I think it was mishandled." Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., took the stage after Sanders and presented herself as a candidate of ideas. She was asked whether Democratic women might choose a male in the primary out of concern that the broader electorate would not support a woman for president. Warren warned against making such choices based on fear. "Are we going to show up for people that we didn't actually believe in because we're too afraid to do anything else?" she said. "That's not who we are." The forum highlighted Democrats' need to appeal to a diverse array of voters in 2020. Energizing liberal minority women is one key task for the party, but some Democrats say it's equally important to appeal to centrist and even conservative voters, including those who supported Trump. One major topic was the criminal justice system and how it treats minorities. Sanders had created a stir earlier in the week by saying that convicted criminals should be able to vote while serving prison terms. Two other candidates, interviewed Wednesday outside the forum, took a different view. "I would think, especially for nonviolent offenders, that we rethink removing the right to vote and allow everyone, or as many as possible, to participate in our democracy," O'Rourke said. But he added, "For violent criminals, it's much harder for me to reach that conclusion." And former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro said it makes sense to discuss the issue, but "where I would draw that line is . . . with the people who were incarcerated having the opportunity to still vote." - - - The Washington Post's David Weigel contributed to this article. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Sky News on Thursday that the Sri Lankan government had known that Sri Lankan nationals who had joined the Islamic State had returned to the country - but that they couldn't be arrested, since joining a foreign terrorist organization is not against the law. His comments came days after attacks on Easter Sunday that killed 359 people. The Islamic State claimed credit Tuesday, though the degree of their involvement is unclear. "We knew they went to Syria. . . . But on our country, to go abroad and return or to take part in a foreign armed uprising is not an offense here," Wickremesinghe said. "We have no laws which enable us to take into custody people who join foreign terrorist groups. We can take those who are, who belong to terrorist groups operating in Sri Lanka." Sri Lanka has anti-terrorism legislation - its Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1978 has been criticized by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The law allows for "arrests for unspecified 'unlawful activities' without warrant, and permits detention for up to 18 months without the authorities producing the suspect before a court pretrial," as Human Rights Watch put it in a 2018 report. Some say the law allows for targeting and detention of the Tamil minority; the civil war that waged for nearly three decades was fought between the state and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers. "They have been working on replacement legislation called the Counter-Terrorism Act, which is designed to be a) more rights-friendly and b) more responsive to current forms of threat, but the law remains in drafting stage, after numerous rounds of deliberations in government and parliament," Sri Lanka analyst Alan Keenan of the International Crisis Group wrote in an email. While the prime minister may be making as much a political case as a legal one, the preexisting anti-terrorism law in Sri Lanka was written in, and for, a different time. Many countries amended their relevant legislation after 2014, the year that the Islamic State declared a caliphate. In 2014, Australia approved its Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill, which made new offenses of "advocating terrorism" and "of entering or remaining in a 'declared area' of a foreign country in which a terrorist organization is engaging in hostile activity." That same year, Ireland proposed a Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offenses) (Amendment) Act, which made it an offense to, among other things, recruit and train for terrorism. The bill is now law. "Even for countries that have criminalized membership in foreign militant groups or other terror offenses abroad, it can be difficult to collect enough useful evidence from a foreign battlefield to meet a prosecutorial standard," Sam Heller, senior analyst of nonstate armed groups at Crisis Group, wrote in an email. "That's why countries like Australia have passed 'declared areas' legislation, which prohibit their nationals from visiting specific countries or areas such as Raqqa. So it's not so easy - I think everyone's trying to figure it out." And Sri Lanka isn't alone in not having legislation that makes it illegal to join a foreign terrorist organization. Last month, the Swedish government moved ahead with a proposal for legislation that would make it illegal to participate in or cooperate with a terrorist organization. But the proposed legislation suffered a setback when the Council on Legislation suggested it is incompatible with Sweden's constitutionally protected freedom of assembly. And so now local, state, and social services are working together to determine whether individuals have committed war crimes, because, under current Swedish law, a specific crime needs to be suspected before an investigation can be opened, a resource-intensive process. "Strained resources is part of why some countries are reluctant to have their foreign fighters return home," Heller wrote. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Five days after coordinated bombings on Easter Sunday killed at least 250 people, this shellshocked tropical nation and its capital remained on edge Thursday, as officials warned of new possible attacks and religious leaders canceled services around the country. The national health service announced Thursday night that the death toll from Sunday's blasts, previously said to have reached more than 350, was actually about 100 lower. Health officials said that the discrepancy stemmed from the difficulty of identifying individuals from many body fragments and that an exact figure was still not available. The warning of possible additional attacks came from the national police inspector general's office, which circulated a letter Thursday to other police agencies saying that the same groups that carried out the Easter blasts had threatened to attack mosques where Muslim religious leaders are buried. The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, said the threat should be addressed with urgent measures. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in an interview with the Associated Press, warned that suspects linked to Sunday's attacks remain at large and "may go out for a suicide attack." The U.S. Embassy in Colombo in a tweet urged people to avoid places of worship because of the risk. Amid outrage over government failures to act on warnings of possible terrorist attacks around Easter, Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando stepped down from his post after Sri Lanka's president demanded his resignation Wednesday. His departure was the second high-level official change stemming from the bombings. The national police inspector general, Pujith Jayasundara, resigned Wednesday. 3 1 of 3 Washington Post photo by Asanka Brendon Ratnayake Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Washington Post photo by Asanka Brendon Ratnayake Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The government has blamed the attacks on a local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamaath, which has been active in the eastern region of Kattankudy, home to a large Muslim population. The Islamic State asserted responsibility for the attack, and video emerged this week of the suspected ringleader of the attack pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Security forces in Colombo, the capital, cordoned off and searched the country's central bank and several office buildings. They also searched the luxurious suburban home of a wealthy Muslim spice trader whose two sons were among the suicide bombers. Police officials and a former navy chief told media outlets Thursday that the merchant, a prominent business leader named Y.M. Ibrahim, had been arrested on charges of aiding his sons in the attacks. The road to the national airport, about 20 miles from the capital, was briefly blocked while security squads searched a suspicious car, and aviation officials said they were banning the use of drones, which have been used by some militant groups to carry explosives. A small blast was reported in another suburb, but no damage or injuries resulted. Police in the capital arrested three people who had grenades and swords, and employees at one luxury hotel that was attacked Sunday were told to remain indoors. As police continued to search for explosives, they blew up a suspicious item found in a garbage dump in Pugoda, a town about 20 miles from Colombo. Many shops and restaurants remained closed in Colombo, where a nighttime curfew stayed in effect, and in the nearby seaside city of Negombo, where the deadliest bombing took place. Church officials in Negombo have held about 75 funerals and burials since Monday, but formal religious ceremonies there have now been paused for security reasons. One church official said he had been told that police were still searching for bombing suspects in the area. M.H. Abdul Halim, the country's senior Muslim government official, issued an urgent written appeal Thursday asking all Muslims to "avoid gathering" for congregational prayers on Friday and instead to remain at home and "pray for the peace and security of the motherland." Halim, the federal minister of postal services and Muslim affairs, said he was acting "in solidarity" with the Catholic Church and "in protest the barbaric acts" of the bombers. Many Muslims have expressed fears of being blamed for the bombings and targeted for reprisal attacks, and streets and shops in Muslim communities in both cities have been deserted and on edge. Some people said they were worried about security conditions during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and prayer, which will begin in early May. "I can't go to work, I can't go to shop, I don't want to leave the neighborhood. I'm even afraid to go to the mosque," Mohammad Rahmatullah, 62, who runs a street-paving company, said as he sat disconsolately outside his modest home on a dirt alley in Negombo on Wednesday. --- The Washington Post's Amantha Perera and Joanna Slater contributed to this report. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Inside the sprawling home with a white BMW parked outside, there was a terrifying secret. At least three of the suicide bombers who struck Sri Lanka on Easter belonged to the same extended family, police said. The patriarch was one of the country's most successful spice traders. Two of his sons carried out attacks early Sunday morning, according to law enforcement. Later that afternoon, they said, as police entered the family residence, his daughter-in-law detonated explosives, killing herself and three officers. The role played by the family in the devastating attacks that killed 359 people was one of several new details about the plot that emerged Wednesday, as Sri Lanka continued to bury its dead and investigators raced to understand whether the perpetrators had help from abroad. The group that unleashed Sunday's attacks on Sri Lanka included nine suicide bombers who detonated explosives in churches, hotels and inside the home belonging to the family, authorities said. The leader was a man named Zaharn Hashim, who is believed to be in his 40s and expounded extremist views in online sermons. Authorities said the group's leader carried out a suicide attack on Colombo's Shangri-La Hotel. The bombers were a radical splinter group that broke off from a local Islamist militant outfit called National Thowheed Jamaath, Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lanka's junior defense minister, told reporters. Some of them had previous run-ins with the law for minor offenses, he said. The group included "quite well-educated people" from comfortable backgrounds, Wijewardene said. One perpetrator studied in Britain and pursued a master's degree in Australia, he said. Authorities said they had identified eight of the nine bombers but declined to provide further details while the investigation was ongoing. On Wednesday, the nation's Parliament passed regulations giving emergency powers to the police and military to detain suspects, and for the fourth day in a row, authorities imposed a nationwide nighttime curfew. In response to a growing furor about the government's failure to act on earlier intelligence that warned of potential attacks, President Maithripala Sirisena ordered two top national security officials to resign. Pujith Jayasundara, the country's police chief, and Hemasiri Fernando, the top civil servant at the Defense Ministry, stepped down on Wednesday. In Dematagoda, a quiet, prosperous neighborhood lined with spacious homes, sits the three-story residence belonging to a businessman known professionally as Y.M. Ibrahim and whom police refer to simply as Ibrahim. The house where he lives with his extended family takes up much of a block and was cordoned off with police tape Wednesday. Its facade is painted white and dotted with nine metal balconies. Neighbors spoke fondly of Ibrahim, whom they described as a man from a modest background who rose to become a wealthy exporter of spices such as pepper and cinnamon. Ibrahim was one of at least 60 people arrested in the wake of the attacks, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said. Piyal Siriwardena, 84, said Ibrahim would invite neighbors to an annual luncheon he held for hundreds of people in Colombo's Pettah neighborhood. Politicians would attend, and Ibrahim once made a bid to join politics under the banner of a Marxist-leaning party. "He was a good, generous man," said Siriwardena. "I'm shocked." Neighbors said the family largely kept to itself. They said the women of the house were rarely, if ever, seen outside, while none had extended interactions with the sons. Several mentioned that the sons made a gesture during prayers they found unusual. The gesture is associated with Salafism, a fundamentalist brand of Islam. Ibrahim, meanwhile, was a friendly man who talked with everyone at the small community center that serves as the local mosque. The violence allegedly wrought by the family of their neighbor stunned longtime residents like Hussain Milhar, 53. "How could Ibrahim have children like this?" he asked. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks, but Sri Lankan authorities said its role remains unclear. Wijewardene, the junior defense minister, said there was a connection to the Islamic State "through ideology and maybe funding," but the latter is still under investigation. In comments to reporters, the U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka agreed that some degree of foreign assistance was likely. "If you look at the scale of the attacks, the level of coordination, the sophistication of them, it's not implausible to think there are foreign linkages," said Alaina Teplitz. Wijewardene said Wednesday that investigators were exploring whether the bombers had traveled to neighboring countries such as India or Maldives, where they may have been trained or radicalized. He added that Sri Lanka's intelligence agencies had assessed that revenge for last month's attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, was a factor. "What happened in New Zealand motivated these people to carry it out on Easter Sunday," Wijewardene said. But he declined to provide further details on how that assessment was reached. Questions persisted about the failure by Sri Lankan authorities to stop the plot. A top police official had warned in an April 11 intelligence report that a radical group could be plotting suicide attacks on popular churches in Sri Lanka. The report named Thowheed Jamaath and Hashim. Hilmy Ahamed, vice president of the Sri Lanka Muslim Council, said in an interview that his organization had alerted intelligence officials three times that Hashim was stoking religious tensions and inciting hatred in online sermons, most recently in February of this year. Police also revealed how efforts by pastors at Zion Church in the coastal city of Batticaloa probably saved lives. The bomber's original target was St. Mary's Cathedral, but he left when he realized mass was over, according to the senior police superintendent of Batticaloa, Nuwan Mendi. Instead the bomber, carrying a backpack and another bag, headed for the nearby Zion Church. He attempted to enter the sanctuary where some 500 people were gathered, but pastors were suspicious and stopped him. He detonated his explosives in the courtyard, killing at least 28 people, including children who had gathered to eat breakfast. The country remained on edge Wednesday. Authorities carried out three controlled explosions on two motorbikes and one package deemed suspicious. None of the items contained explosives. Wijewardene urged citizens to remain vigilant. "Within a couple of days, we can have total control of this situation," he said. - - - The Washington Post's Devana Senanayake and Harshana Thushara Silva in Colombo and Niha Masih in New Delhi contributed to this report. From some angles, the terrorist attacks that devastated Sri Lanka on Sunday look vastly different from the one that took place in New Zealand last month. They took place in different countries using different weapons. They targeted different religions and were motivated by different ideologies. In Sri Lanka, coordinated bombings killed Christians at churches and tourists at hotels; the Islamic State later claimed credit for the attacks, which killed more than 350 people. Just a month earlier, on March 15, Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, shot and killed 50 Muslims attending Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Still, some see connections between these events - Sri Lankan officials suggested the bombings on Easter Sunday may have been in retaliation to last month's attack in Christchurch. Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lanka's state minister of defense, told reporters Tuesday that the attacks in his country were "motivated" by the attack in New Zealand. It's not the only attack Tarrant may have inspired: On Thursday, Turkey detained a suspected member of the Islamic State who it believes planned to attack Australians and New Zealanders. It is unclear if Wijewardene found specific evidence of the Sri Lankan attackers' motivations. Such an extensive plot would have been difficult to organize - it involved eight bombings in three cities - and the Islamic State's announcement Tuesday that it was responsible made no mention of the massacre in New Zealand. Determining the motivations behind extremist acts can be challenging, experts say, and extremists are generally vague about their reasoning. "Terrorist organizations are often opportunistic in the way that they claim justification or rationalization for their attacks," Nicholas Rasmussen, a former senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council, told my colleagues this week. Even if the New Zealand shootings did not directly motivate the bombings in Sri Lanka, the events are similar in that they both targeted a religious minority in houses of worship. They did so not because of local concerns, but because of delusions about a global clash of civilizations. The nature of the relationship between the attackers in Sri Lanka and the Islamic State is not yet known. The militant group has had a hand in planning complex and devastating attacks around the world, but also regularly claims attacks it is said to have "inspired." Even so, the fact that a group of Sri Lankan Muslims chose to claim allegiance to the Islamic State and target the country's Christian community and popular tourist areas suggests a global audience in mind. As Amarnath Amarasingam, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said on Sunday, a locally minded group probably would have targeted Sri Lanka's Buddhist majority. In New Zealand, Tarrant was thinking internationally, too. On a Twitter account created just days before the shootings, he published a 74-page manifesto that offered a lurid vision of his racist worldview. During the attack, he used a mounted camera to live-stream his violence to an online audience. Despite attempts to restrict access to the manifesto and the footage online, the information quickly spread. Tarrant offered his own version of a pledge of allegiance, claiming he had contacted a reborn Knights Templar group - a militant order with a fearsome reputation in battles against Muslim adversaries in the medieval Crusades - and received the blessing of Norwegian extremist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in attacks on Oslo and a nearby island in 2011. This idea may have been aspirational: Breivik's lawyer has cast doubt on the idea his client could have had contact with the outside world. There is no indication Tarrant had the backing of an international group, and he would not have needed it anyway. Still, both he and the more-organized terrorists in Sri Lanka chose to attack the same soft target - and the vulnerability of the their victims resonated around the world. Experts worry about simplifying the response to the attacks along religious lines, looking at it simply as a battle between Christians and Muslims. This lens ignores the myriad differences in terrorism across regions. "What explains violence in Sri Lanka probably doesn't explain violence in Paris," Shaun Casey, director of Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, told The Washington Post this week. Neither the Islamic State nor far-right attackers such as Tarrant can be said to speak for an entire religion, and they don't claim to. The Islamic State might consider the Muslims who died in Tarrant's rampage as "takfir," a complicated term that indicates excommunication, or a nonbeliever, for living in a Western, Christian-majority country. Though some far-right terrorists have claimed to be motivated by Christianity, Tarrant's manifesto stated his Christian identity was "complicated." Instead, his extremist beliefs appear to be tied to racial identity. But terrorist attacks are not primarily aimed at rallying your peers. They are aimed at terrorizing your enemies, and it's not surprising that they work. Globally, Muslims and Christians are the victims of violence and persecution, and emphasizing the supposed conflict between the world's two largest religions often is politically expedient. "I think Islam hates us," President Trump said before his election. He also suggested all foreign Muslims should be banned from the country (watered-down versions of this ban have been the subject of repeated court cases). After the shootings in Christchurch, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan played videos of the attack at campaign rallies and pledged to make the perpetrator "pay for it." For religious communities on either side, the net result is a vicious cycle. Hilmy Ahamed, vice president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, said the Christchurch attack had some positive effects for Islamic communities. "The New Zealand attack opened the eyes of the world to the crisis the Muslims are facing," he told CNN. But Muslims in Sri Lanka are scared. "The Christians have always been brotherly with us, but some other people may want to take revenge, or take advantage, especially in rural areas where people are not protected. So we fear," Shafi Mula, the manager of a mosque in Colombo, told The Post's Pamela Constable. "We fear." Want smart analysis of the most important news in your inbox every weekday along with other global reads, interesting ideas and opinions to know? Sign up for the Today's WorldView newsletter . President Donald Trump seized lots of chances to comment on his favorite topics - his desire for a wall with Mexico, the country's low unemployment rate and even, indirectly, the Mueller report - amid a long, rambling speech Thursday on his administration's anti-opioid efforts. This much was clear: The president is a lot more comfortable talking about law enforcement's role in stemming the supply of illegal drugs than he is talking about treatment and prevention strategies. And he likes using the country's drug abuse crisis, which he has declared a public health emergency. to justify his declared national emergency around illegal immigration at the U.S. and Mexico border. "We are detaining, capturing - call it anything you want - more people than ever before," Trump said at the Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, a major annual addiction conference that President Barack Obama addressed in 2016. "Some of those people are not people we want in our country," the president added. "Border patrol has been incredible. . .but a lot of it is drugs and drug are being gotten by us. We are stopping the drug flow soon. We will have a wall." Trump tweeted this after his speech: "As ONE UNITED NATION, we will work, we will pray, and we will fight for the day when every family across our land can live in a DRUG FREE AMERICA!" It's been a year and a half since Trump declared opioid abuse - responsible for about two-thirds of the country's annual drug overdose deaths - a public health emergency. Since then, there have been a few positive signs that the rate of overdose deaths may be leveling out and doctors may be prescribing fewer prescription painkillers. Drugmakers are being taken to court over their role in supplying prescription opioids to vulnerable communities and Congress passed legislation last fall aimed at mitigating the vast and troubling problem. "White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, who coordinates the White House's anti-drug efforts, told reporters last month that during Trump's first year in office, the number of overdose deaths grew by 10 percent, compared with a 22 percent increase the previous year," my colleagues Ashley Parker and Felicia Sonmez write. "The White House has also pointed to a decline in prescriptions for opioid painkillers and stepped-up government efforts to reduce the flow of illegal fentanyl from China." The president was eager to take credit for some of the progress in an address to the Atlanta conference, pointing to reduced rates of drug overdose deaths in some of the hardest-hit states including New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Shortly after the speech, the White House Office of National Drug Policy announced its largest-yet set of grants for communities with high levels of drug trafficking, awarded through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program. And the Department of Health and Human Services noted it awarded more than $2 billion in grants last year to state, local, and tribal governments and health centers to provide prevention, treatment and recovery services. The agency also said there was a surge in prescriptions for naloxone, a highly effective overdose-reversing drug, after the surgeon general issued an advisory urging more Americans to carry it. Combating drug abuse is a two-pronged task, which involves both reducing access to illegal or easily abused drugs and helping people overcome addiction or avoid it to begin with. Trump noted improvements in access to medication-assisted treatment and fewer restrictions on how states can help opioid-addicted patients. But he mostly dwelt on the importance of reducing the supply of drugs in the U.S. And throughout his speech, the president sprinkled in many references to more divisive topics, appearing at several points to stray from the prepared remarks on the teleprompter. He pointed to the historically low unemployment rate, one of his favorite boasts, saying the job environment makes it a lot easier for Americans struggling with addiction to find work. "African-American unemployment, lowest in the history of our country," Trump said. "People without a high school diploma, lowest in the history of our country. Women - sorry - lowest in 61 years, but we will soon have a record." He touted money he's spending to build part of a border wall - a portion of which is being challenged in court - as key to halting increased flows of illegal drugs from Mexico into the U.S. And he called on Congress to "fix our pathetic immigration laws." "We could solve the entire problem - I say 45 minutes - if the Democrats could agree to do certain basic commonsense things with respect to our laws," Trump said. At one point the president heaped praise on dogs trained to detect drugs. And Trump couldn't resist an implicit reference to the Mueller report, which found he didn't collude with Russia while leaving open the possibility that he obstructed justice. The president alluded to the findings while discussing the high price Medicare pays for prescription drugs, in a short diversion from his main topic. Drugmakers are "rigging the system," Trump said. "I know all about rigging the system because I had the system rigged on me," he said. "I think you know what I'm talking about. Unfortunately that will be a sound bite." The Pentagon needs to undertake another review of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s $31 billion CH-53K heavy lift helicopter program amid continuing technical problems and delays, according to the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., said the importance of the CH-53K King Stallion to the Marine Corps means that a "comprehensive, independent update" on the long-delayed program is overdue. Inhofe's role leading the committee that authorizes defense spending means his request will almost certainly be heeded. "We need to get it right, and this report should give us a current assessment and reestablish a baseline for the program to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely," Inhofe said in a statement to Bloomberg News. The senator cited concern that the chopper "is more than a year behind schedule and has over 100 outstanding deficiencies that still require resolution." Inhofe's request comes as the Navy plans to award a production contract for as many as 14 new King Stallions next month, though so far only two of a planned 200 helicopters are under contract. The Navy program office and Lockheed's Sikorsky Aircraft unit are still working to address 126 technical deficiencies, according to the Pentagon's latest report on the system. Inhofe stopped short of suggesting the contract not be signed. The Navy acknowledged in the Pentagon's latest Selected Acquisition Report to Congress that the helicopter designed to carry heavy cargo won't meet its December target date for initial combat capability. The new tentative date is September 2021, according to the document obtained by Bloomberg News. "Resolution of remaining technical issues and completion of airworthiness certification testing remain top priorities" to solve, according to the report. The Navy and Lockheed plan to resolve these technical issues by June 2020, "with the majority of the designs completed" by December of this year, it said. There are no significant software-related issues with this program at this time, it said. Sikorsky's performance on the contract for the first two production-model aircraft has been marred by "part shortages and purchase orders for suppliers late to award or not yet on contract," according to the report. The Navy "is working with the contractor on solutions for issues identified" in the report, according to Captain Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for the Navy's assistant secretary for acquisition. The department is in the final stages of awarding the production contract in the next few weeks, and the fixed-price contract will contain provisions intended to "address the outstanding issues," he said. "The Navy is confident with the design" and the now-restructured program "will address these issues and verify them in testing." The King Stallion will be the same size as its predecessor, the Super Stallion, but will be able to haul almost triple the cargo, lifting 27,000 pounds (12,200 kilograms), according to Lockheed. The Navy's plans to buy 200 copters for the Marines was a prime motivation for Lockheed's $9 billion acquisition of Sikorsky Aircraft from United Technologies Corp. in 2015. Bill Falk, the King Stallion program manager for Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, said in a statement that "the team has identified technical issues over the course of flight testing, corrected many, and have approved plans in place for the remaining items. The remaining technical design items are not new, and are agreed upon with the government for closure." "Sikorsky anticipates we will soon reach an agreement with the government" for the next low-rate production contracts, Falk said. The two helicopters currently under contract were awarded in April 2016 under a $286 million fixed-priced contract with incentive payments. Company officials said they understand the chopper's most pressing problem -- exhaust gas sucked back into the second of the helicopters' three engines -- "and have found fixes," according to Loren Thompson, chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute, a defense research organization that receives funding from Lockheed. Still, citing concerns about the exhaust issue, House Armed Services Committee Representative Adam Smith this month agreed to shift only half of the $158 million the Navy requested to increase testing. Smith, a Democrat from Washington state, said he'd approve the remaining $79 million only after the Marines and the Pentagon's test office provide a report about progress the Navy was making solving the exhaust problem. A recent federal court decision appears to have struck a blow to President Donald Trump's plans to expand offshore oil and natural gas drilling across the U.S. continental shelf, with the aim of turning the United States into an energy-exporting behemoth. In his first interview since being confirmed to Trump's Cabinet, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told the Wall Street Journal that a recent ruling by a district court in Alaska has stalled plans that at one time called for opening up most U.S. continental-shelf waters to oil and gas companies. Last month, U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that Trump's revocation of a ban on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans is illegal. The judge ruled that Congress would need to step in to reverse a decision by President Barack Obama to ban offshore drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. With the appeals process in the case expected to drag on for months, if not years, Bernhardt suggested any plan his department crafts now would have to be rewritten by the time the dust settles over the suit. In the meantime, the administration's plans to offer oil and gas drilling leases in these areas are now stalled. "By the time the court rules, that may be discombobulating to our plan," Bernhardt told the Journal. "What if you guess wrong?" Bernhardt added of the uncertainties surrounding the case. "I'm not sure that's a very satisfactory and responsible use of resources." When reached for comment, Interior spokeswoman Molly Block reiterated that the department is reevaluating how to move forward with its offshore drilling ambitions. "Given the recent court decision, the Department is simply evaluating all of its options to determine the best pathway to accomplish the mission entrusted to it by the President," Block wrote by email. The ruling out of Alaska is the latest is a series of legal losses by the Trump administration as it tries to trim environmental regulations and expand fossil-fuel use. "It does show that this sort of litigation is having an impact on their decision-making," said Sierra Club senior attorney Devorah Ancel, who has worked on offshore drilling cases for the group. Oil industry officials said they were optimistic, however, that the case would not be tied up in court for too long. "We are hopeful that an appeal of this case will move quickly and that we can proceed with the important work of exploring for America's offshore resources without unnecessary delay," Erik Milito, vice president of upstream operations at the American Petroleum Institute, said in a statement. The administration's proposal to allow oil and gas drilling in nearly every corner of U.S. continental-shelf waters - in the Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean - drew immediate backlash from Democratic lawmakers and local Republican politicians in coastal states with economies that depend on tourism. "Every single governor from Maine to Florida and from Washington to California oppose offshore drilling off their coast," said Collin O'Mara, president and chief executive of the National Wildlife Federation. "Every single one. Republican and Democrat alike." Environmentalists grew concerned not only over the climate-change ramifications of such activity but also over the effects that loud seismic testing could have on whales and other sea life. "It's fair to say seismic air gun blasting is extremely loud and disruptive ... is that correct?" Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., asked an Interior official last month before blasting off an air horn inside a House hearing room. Trump officials felt the heat almost immediately after unveiling the proposal in January 2018. Within days, Bernhardt's predecessor, Ryan Zinke, acquiesced to demands from then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott , a Republican, to exclude the state from leasing. That exception led more state leaders to ask why Florida and Scott, who went on to unseat a Democratic senator last year, were receiving special treatment. By March, Zinke backtracked further by expressing doubt that oil and gas exploration would happen in the Pacific. Still on politicians' minds was the disastrous Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010, which spilled 215 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Democrats and their environmentalist allies celebrated Bernhardt's comments. "This administration has treated public waters like a bottomless cash cow for Big Oil from day one, and if it takes a court order to get them to see reason, so be it," House Natural Resources Chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., said in a statement. Many Democrats running to remove Trump from office in 2020 are making the administration's offshore drilling aspirations an issue by calling for a moratorium on all fossil-fuel leasing both in public waters and on public lands. "It's an issue staring everyone in the face," said Kate Kelly, director of public lands at the liberal think tank Center for American Progress. By Sharay Angulo, Reuters | Apr. 25, 2019 Construction at a military base that is slated to host the Mexican capital's new commercial airport will begin next week, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said at the site of the project on Wednesday. "We will being construction of Mexico City's new airport next Monday," said Lopez Obrador in a speech at the Santa Lucia military air base, north of the sprawling capital in the neighboring State of Mexico. He did not further detail the construction plans, and it is not the first time the president has announced a start time. Lopez Obrador said in late December that construction would begin in January for the controversial airport project being overseen by the military. The plan is a replacement for a part-built $13 billion Mexico City airport on the capital's eastern flank which Lopez Obrador canceled on Oct. 29, a few weeks before taking office. Markets were shocked by that decision, which sparked a major sell-off in Mexican financial assets. The now-scrapped airport on the dried-out bed of Lake Texcoco was the biggest public works project launched by Lopez Obrador's predecessor as president, Enrique Pena Nieto. The leftist Lopez Obrador dismissed the Texcoco plan as tainted by corruption, geologically unsound and too costly. Lopez Obrador's idea is to convert the Santa Lucia base into a commercial airport and upgrade the capital's current hub as well as another in the nearby city of Toluca. The plan for Santa Lucia, which lies some 29 miles (47 km) north of the current Benito Juarez International Airport, is not popular with a number of prominent business leaders who were angry about he cancellation of the Texcoco airport. Critics of the project argue that Santa Lucia's distance from the capital will deter tourism and could complicate travel for connecting flights from Mexico City. In addition, engineering experts have said the Santa Lucia airport may not be able to operate at the same time as the current hub because of conflicting flight paths. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has ordered his administration to prepare a push for new arms-control agreements with Russia and China after bristling at the cost of a 21st-century nuclear arms race, according to administration officials. The aim of the nascent effort, a senior administration official said, is to bring Russian nuclear weapons unregulated by treaties under new limits and persuade China to join an arms-control pact limiting or verifying its capabilities for the first time. The initiative is still in its earliest stages, with officials preparing options for how to implement Trump's order. It is unclear whether it will yield results in an administration that has locked horns with Moscow and Beijing and has less than two years left in its first term. "The president's direction is that we need to look at more-ambitious arms control that will deal with more weapons, and more than just us and Russia," said the senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal policy deliberations. "What you're going to see is more from the administration on how do we get to arms control that doesn't just reflect a Cold War mentality." A trilateral nuclear arms-control agreement among the United States, Russia and China would be a watershed diplomatic achievement; separate treaties alone would be significant. But normally such pacts require years of negotiation and diplomatic outreach, a challenge for an administration that has withdrawn from arms-control treaties but has not brokered any new ones. Trump mentioned the goal ahead of trade talks at the White House this month with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He. The president said that Washington, after making a trade deal with Beijing, should strike agreements to reduce military spending. "Between Russia and China and us, we're all making hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of weapons, including nuclear, which is ridiculous," Trump said. "And I would say that China will come along, and I would say Russia will come along. It doesn't really make sense that we're doing this." The initiative comes as Russia, China and the United States all enhance their nuclear weaponry - and as the clock ticks on the New START accord, the last big arms-control pact remaining between Washington and Moscow, which expires in 2021. Negotiated by President Barack Obama, the treaty places limits on strategic nuclear platforms such as bombers, submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles. It can be extended for five years if the presidents of both nations agree. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 10, said Trump has made clear that if the United States can achieve a "good, solid" arms-control agreement with Russia to follow up on New START, then Washington should agree. Pompeo said China should be included in the next version of the treaty, but he signaled how difficult that could be. "It may be that we can't get there," Pompeo said. "It may be we just end up working with the Russians on this." This is not the first time Trump has expressed concern about the costs of an arms race. He said in March 2018 that he wanted to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin because it was "getting out of control." In a December tweet, he said that "at some time in the future" he would hold talks with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping about "a meaningful halt to what has become a major and uncontrollable Arms Race." The White House is now looking to lay the groundwork for such talks, prompting skepticism among some arms-control advocates who watched with dismay as the president withdrew from a hard-won nuclear accord with Iran and the 3-decade-old Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia. The Trump administration cited shortcomings in the Iran agreement and Russia's violations of the INF Treaty as rationales for pulling out of both pacts. China has long resisted involvement in arms-control pacts, in part because its suite of nuclear weapons is not as vast as the U.S. or Russian arsenals. Russia has also resisted any limits on its smaller nuclear weapons that fall outside current agreements. For a commander in chief who prides himself on his negotiating skills, nuclear talks have long appealed to his enthusiasm for dealmaking. In the 1980s, he expressed an interest in negotiating arms-control agreements with the Soviets on behalf of the Reagan administration. But as president, Trump has surrounded himself with proponents of U.S. unilateralism, including White House national security adviser John Bolton, a disarmament skeptic. Bolton led the charge to withdraw the United States from the INF Treaty - a pact signed by President Ronald Reagan and USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 that led to both countries eliminating their ground-launch midrange missiles. Because of the U.S. withdrawal, the treaty will end formally in August. Bolton also took the lead in dismantling the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia during the George W. Bush administration. Like their predecessors in the Obama administration, officials in the Trump administration have raised concerns about the wide range of small and highly maneuverable nuclear weapons that Russia possesses or is developing - arms the United States lacks in such numbers. Those weapons, sometimes called tactical or battlefield nuclear weapons, fall outside the parameters of New START and therefore face no regulation. There are also questions about whether New START's provisions would cover other Russian weaponry under development, including a nuclear torpedo that Putin has touted as impervious to American defenses. Trump has previously called the New START accord one-sided and would probably prefer to cut his own deal with Moscow rather than extend the pact negotiated by Obama. For months, top U.S. officials have suggested that the administration should pursue an expanded New START that encompasses a wider array of Russian nuclear weapons. Some disarmament advocates worry that Trump's more hawkish advisers are floating a broader arms-control discussion with Russia as a way to kill the New START accord. Those advocates express concern that the initiative will set an impossibly high standard for a new agreement, essentially creating a pretext for Trump to walk away from New START when Moscow does not agree to expanded limits. Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said the United States should first extend New START and then move on to bigger ambitions. "There is simply not enough time, and not enough trust, to negotiate, let alone ratify, a complex, new, legally binding treaty with Russia that addresses these difficult new issues before New START expires in Feb. 2021," Kimball said in an email. "And if team Trump suggests China must join New START or that Russia must agree to limits on tactical nukes as a condition for its extension, that should be recognized as disingenuous proposals designed to create a pretext for killing New START." The Trump administration has not issued any such ultimatums. The senior Trump administration official said disarmament advocates should support the effort to broker agreements with Moscow and Beijing and take a new approach to arms control. "You can't have it both ways," the official said. "You can't say you are concerned about the nuclear arms race and then criticize the president for trying to stop the arms racing that is being done by Russia and China." The worry at the Pentagon is that Russia is developing the suite of smaller, more agile nuclear weapons outside the limits of New START for possible use in a "limited nuclear strike." The idea, U.S. officials fear, would be to raise the stakes for the United States by using a small nuclear weapon against an American ally, prompting Washington to rethink whether it is worth coming to the nation's defense. Russian officials deny that they have such a doctrine, which the Pentagon regularly describes as "escalate to de-escalate." China - which possesses a full nuclear triad of bombers, submarines and ICBMs as well as an increasingly sophisticated suite of missiles - has refused to negotiate caps on its nuclear program through such arms-control agreements. In the case of the INF Treaty, even as Russia and the United States were curtailing their production of intermediate-range missiles, China was deploying them in the Pacific. Trump's desire to cut arms-control deals is not the only deciding factor in whether the White House-led effort will yield results; the response from Moscow and Beijing will determine whether the initiative amounts to anything. "We plan to talk to them separately, and we plan to talk to them together," the senior administration official said. "The United States is not planning to grow significantly its nuclear stockpile. Russia and China cannot say the same thing. We can't afford to ignore that discussion." A lawyer who has worked for years to bring allegations of sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America to light says that as of Thursday he has gathered about 220 new clients who allege they were abused while participating in the program as children. The new allegations add to an already extraordinary tally of such claims against organization dedicated to fostering the leadership and personal growth of young people. Tim Kosnoff, the attorney who has gathered the claims, has worked on sexual abuse cases involving the Boy Scouts as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and said he felt a "moral imperative" to bring their stories to light. "Kids are still being abused in scouting," Kosnoff told The Washington Post in a phone conversation Wednesday. "This is not historical." His team says the allegations they've received span from 1953 to June 2018. The accusers are as old as 75 and as young as 15, and hail from 33 states. The crimes alleged range from showing lewd photos to Scout members to molestation. The Post reviewed a partially redacted document, compiled by Kosnoff and his team, that tallied 150 of the people who have signed on as clients. The document contains details for about 110 of them, such as their age, the age at the time of the alleged abuse and what they say happened to them. The list was not yet updated with all the clients who had signed with Kosnoff when The Post viewed it. They have not yet filed a lawsuit, and Kosnoff said he was still gathering information from new clients and was waiting to see whether the Boy Scouts would file for bankruptcy. Kosnoff was spurred into action by reports in December that the Boy Scouts, which have rebranded as Scouts BSA, have considered filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which would significantly narrow the window for accusers to file claims and ensure those claims remained confidential. "It can be a tool that these institutions use to shield assets and avoid having to reveal some information," Michelle Simpson Tugel, a lawyer who has represented sex-abuse survivors, told the Associated Press. "In many ways, it's a disservice to victims." As another incentive, the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse had also been extended in states such as California and New York, giving many victims a new path to having their cases heard. This year, Kosnoff, in collaboration with the Eisenberg Rothweiler law firm and San Diego attorney Andrew Van Arsdale, began running television ads and launched a website, abusedinscouting.com, where victims could contact the lawyers with their stories. The Boy Scouts of America kept extensive records about sexual abuse of Scouts for decades, but only in the past few years have those documents become public. In a statement provided to The Post, the Boy Scouts of America said the records were an "ongoing tool the BSA uses to keep youth safe from potential perpetrators." They said individuals were added to the list if they violate, or were suspected of violating, company policy, and were subsequently banned from the Boy Scouts. "Every instance of suspected abuse is reported to law enforcement," the statement said. In a separate announcement this week, attorney Jeff Anderson released a January testimony from professor Janet Warren of the University of Virginia, who had been contracted by the Boy Scouts for five years to pore over their "ineligible volunteer" or "perversion" files from 1946 through 2016. Her team identified 12,254 victims and 7,819 perpetrators in those documents. The revelation came as Warren provided expert testimony for a case that centered on allegations of child abuse at a children's theater company in Minnesota. Anderson's firm represented the plaintiff in that case. Anderson also released a list of offenders in New York state, which recently voted to extend its statute of limitations for cases of childhood sexual abuse. Those names were collected from "perversion files" that had been published by the Los Angeles Times in 2012. In response to Anderson's news conference and Warren's testimony, the Boy Scouts of America said in a statement that, "We care deeply about all victims of child abuse and sincerely apologize to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting." "We believe victims, we support them, and we have paid for unlimited counseling by a provider of their choice," they continued. "Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in Scouting and we are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to abuse innocent children. The statement also said they "have enacted strong youth protection policies to prevent future abuse, including mandatory youth protection training and a formal leader-selection process that includes criminal background checks." The Boy Scouts also have a helpline for members to report abuse. In 2010, Boy Scouts of America was forced to pay $18.5 million in punitive damages in a case brought by a man who said he was assaulted by an assistant troop leader in the 1980s, when he was about 12. That lawsuit led to the partial disclosure of the files. In 2012, the Oregon Supreme Court ordered the full release of files after the lawyers for accusers and media organizations fought for access to the documents. Also in 2012, the Los Angeles Times published a multipart investigation into the perversion files, obtaining documents that spanned from 1947 to 2005. They published a database containing information of 5,000 men and some women who were ousted from the organization because of suspected abuse during this time. Several of the cases collected by Kosnoff in recent months did not appear in any of the files. He described the new allegations he had discovered as "rich in detail" and said that some clients broke down when they recounted their stories to his team. As part of the vetting process, they asked alleged victims questions such as their age at the time of the assault, their troop number and location, and details about what had happened to them. While Kosnoff said the claims have not yet been verified with the Boy Scouts or in discovery, he was requiring accusers who wished to retain his services to sign a document saying they were prepared to give a sworn statement to law enforcement - as it would be a crime to do so falsely. But he was not surprised that so many had kept their stories secret for so long. "It's humiliating, kids don't tell, they carry the secret into adulthood, their coping strategy is not to tell anyone," Kosnoff said. "Many of these men have indicated that they have suffered and struggled their entire lives with this burden." Two decades after his conviction, John William King was executed Wednesday night in Texas for the murder of the James Byrd Jr., a crime that horrified the nation and prompted a national discussion about hate crime legislation. The Associated Press confirmed the execution shortly after 7 p.m. local time, about less than an hour after the Supreme Court declined to issue a stay in the case. King was administered a lethal injection at the state's penitentiary in Huntsville. The June 1998 attack instantly harked back to an era of lynchings and racially motivated slayings across the South. Prosecutors said Byrd, a 49-year-old black man, was killed after being dragged from the back of a truck for nearly three miles. The trials of the three white men charged with the crime drew wide attention to Jasper, a town of about 7,500 in East Texas, just a short drive from the state's boundary with Louisiana. One of the men was convicted of capital murder and was executed in 2011; the other was sentenced to life in prison. The execution of 44-year-old King is "justice being served," said Louvon Byrd Harris, one of Byrd's sisters. "They were determined to treat him like an animal," she told The Washington Post before the execution. "They were a danger to society. That's when we start changing our opinion about the death penalty." King is the fourth inmate executed this year in the United States. Byrd's body was found in pieces along a Texas country road. Forensic investigators said injuries that killed Byrd - cuts and scrapes around his ankles and other abrasions on his body - indicated that his ankles had been wrapped together with a chain and that he had been dragged by a vehicle. A day after Byrd's body was found, police pulled over a truck driven by a man named Shawn Berry for a traffic violation. In the vehicle, they found a tool set that matched the wrench found at the crime scene. Dried blood discovered under the truck and on one of the tires matched Byrd's DNA. The cigarette butts were also tested for DNA, and one came up with a hit for King, who had previously served a prison sentence for burglary. King's nickname in prison was "Possum," investigators learned. He was charged, along with Berry and Lawrence Russell Brewer, with capital murder. King's trial opened in January 1999. Prosecutors from the Jasper County district attorney's office showed evidence of King's "violent hatred" of black people, according to court documents. "During his first stint in prison (which ended about a year before Byrd was killed), King was the 'exalted cyclops' of the Confederate Knights of America (CKA), a white-supremacist gang," an appeals court wrote in 2018. They also drew attention to his tattoos, which included a Confederate flag, Nazi "SS" lightning bolts, a cartoon in a Ku Klux Klan robe, "KKK," a swastika, "Aryan Pride" and a depiction of a black man hanging from a tree by a noose. King had spoken of starting a race war while in prison "and about initiating new members to his cause by having them kidnap and murder black people," the appeals court wrote. Prosecutors played a videotape showing the nearly three miles of road along which Byrd had been dragged behind the truck. Prosecutors called 43 witnesses; King's attorney called three. King did not testify. After five days of testimony, a jury returned a verdict of guilty of capital murder within 2 hours. King, who maintained his innocence, appealed his verdict numerous times with complaints about the lawyer he had during his trial. On Monday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals voted 5-4 to reject King's request to stay his scheduled execution. His current lawyer, Richard Ellis, submitted a last-minute petition Tuesday to the nation's highest court that said that his client had "maintained his absolute innocence" and argued his initial lawyer had conceded his guilt against King's wishes during the trial 20 years ago. The state submitted a brief in opposition, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction to review the claims, and the Supreme Court denied the stay of execution about 30 minutes after it had been scheduled on Wednesday night. King had no personal witnesses and did not speak any final words, but he did issue a written statement: "Capital Punishment: Them without the capital get the punishment," according to the Texas Tribune. He died about 12 minutes after he was given a lethal dose of pentobarbital, at 6:56 p.m., according to the Tribune. Some community members still talk about the negative impression left by the horrific crime and legal aftermath. Wilson, the lead investigator, said he felt the news media had given Jasper the image of a backward country town. "But we weren't," he said in an interview. "I think our juries showed the country and the world that we were not the racist bunch of hicks that we were being portrayed as in the media." Byrd has been named as the motivation for laws to strengthen penalties for hate crimes that were passed in Texas and signed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2001 (George W. Bush, when he was governor, had declined to support the measure, saying all crimes are hate crimes, according to the AP) and at the federal level, in a bill signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. Byrd's family has been divided over execution as a punishment for the crime. Betty Boatner, one of Byrd's sisters, told CNN after Brewer's execution she had forgiven him. Byrd's son Ross said at the time, "You can't fight murder with murder." Ross's sister Renee Mullins said after Brewer's execution she preferred a life sentence for her father's killer, according to CNN. Harris said she has found some solace in the strengthening of hate crime laws around the country since her brother's killing. Still, she said, she did not want to overlook the problems that remain. Byrd's grave has been desecrated twice, she said: once when someone kicked over the headstone and again when someone painted racial slurs nearby. It is now protected behind a locked gate. "This is not an ending," she said, "because hate is still around." - - - The Washington Post's Robert Barnes contributed to this report. By Cathy Adams, The Independent | Apr. 24, 2019 Etihad, which offers customers a three-room "suite in the sky", has pledged to remove 80 per cent of single-use plastics across the business by the end of 2022. It comes as the national carrier for the United Arab Emirates flew an ultra-long-haul flight from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane, Australia, without any single-use plastics onboard - thought to be a world first. Etihad, which claims it is the first airline in the Middle East to operate a flight without single-use plastics, swapped 95 pieces of plastic onboard for eco-friendly alternatives such as edible coffee cups and blankets made from plastic bottles. According to the United Nations, 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year, with almost two-thirds of that intended for single use. Airlines are heavy consumers of single-use plastics. "There is a growing concern globally about the overuse of plastics which can take thousands of years to decompose," said Tony Douglas, group chief executive officer of Etihad Aviation Group. "We discovered we could remove 27 million single-use plastic lids from our inflight service a year and, as a leading airline, it's our responsibility to act on this, to challenge industry standards and work with suppliers who provide lower impact alternatives." "Anything that reduces the impact of air travel on the planet has to be welcomed, and Etihad is making a bold move in the right direction," said The Independent's transport correspondent Simon Calder. "Aviation's damage per passenger is steadily declining as aircraft become more efficient and airlines drive up the 'load factor' - reducing the number of empty seats on the average flight. "Airlines like to stage publicity stunts to try to emphasise their green credentials. But if airlines - and travellers - were really serious, they would not, respectively, supply or demand extremely luxurious onboard products. "The most harmful of these to the planet is Etihad's The Residence, the three-room 'suite in the sky' complete with butler service." In February, Qantas pledged to reduce waste sent to landfill by 75 per cent in two years. The Australian carrier and Jetstar - a budget airline operating in Australia that is owned by Qantas - generate more than 30,000 tonnes of waste every year. Qantas has also committed to remove over 100 million single-use plastic items each year by the end of 2020. To meet this target, the airline will phase out boarding passes, frequent flyer cards and operational manuals. The airline has already removed plastic wrapping from headsets, blankets and pyjamas, and replaced plastic straws with paper ones. Trevor Whitney, a District 7 City Council candidate, is no longer an employee of Blue Duck Scooters, the company confirmed Wednesday. Elizabeth Lyons Houston, vice president and chief communications officer, said in an email that Whitney, 33, no longer works at the company, where he had been regional director of government relations. Contacted by phone, she said she could not provide details. Whitney did not return calls Wednesday. On ExpressNews.com: Sandoval has three challengers in District 7 race Whitney, who listed public relations as his occupation on his filing form, is one of three challengers seeking to unseat Councilwoman Ana Sandoval in her first re-election bid on the Northwest Side. Express-News columnist Gilbert Garcia this week detailed recent incidents in which witnesses said Whitney uttered profanities to Sandovals boyfriend in the parking lot of Maverick Library, an early voting site, and made a sexually suggestive hand gesture at a candidates forum. He denied the profanities, and said he regretted the hand gesture but was reacting to a heckler at the forum. As a candidate, Whitney has promised to make cutting the fat from the city budget a priority, while working to end veteran homelessness, and to challenge fads and bad ideas in policymaking. The MacArthur High School graduate has dismissed the citys proposed Climate Action and Adaptation Plan as a vapid package of meaningless phrases and lofty ambitions with zero accounting for the actual cost of implementation. On ExpressNews.com: Council candidate stuns people with antics Whitney had voted last November in favor of two of three City Charter amendments: capping the city managers pay and allowing the fire union to unilaterally take contract negotiations into arbitration. Both items won voter approval. He has said he would step down from Blue Duck if elected. Two young women and a young man who defaced two San Antonio missions with graffiti might have to clean up some of it. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez on Wednesday sentenced Gabriella Petra Fritz, 21, Sydney Elizabeth Faris, 22, and Andres Castaneda, 20, to five years of probation, ordered them to pay $10,483 in restitution and perform 200 hours of community service. It is the courts intention to have a substantial portion of the community service performed at the missions, Rodriguez said. He said he did not believe their conduct was malicious, but stupid and drug-induced. The judge imposed the sentence after being informed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka that the parish priest at Mission San Jose opted to leave some of the graffiti there in hopes that someday the trio would return to remove it. But graffiti the trio left on signs at a National Park Service visitors center could not be removed so the signs will have to be replaced, according to Wannarka and Chief Ranger Gregory Smith. The government, as well as the...city of San Antonio is most aggrieved by their shameful conduct, Wannarka told the judge. It was just destructive, hateful behavior. Related: Two women admit defacing San Antonio missions The trio admitted that, in the early hours of June 21, 2018, they sprayed graffiti on walls, signs or in the parking lots at Mission San Jose and Mission San Juan. Both have active Catholic parishes and are part of the National Park Service. In 2015, they were designated World Heritage sites. The matter made local headlines in part because the graffiti included the phrase I Dont Care and Do you? which some observers claimed was a reference to similar wording on a jacket that First Lady Melania Trump wore during a visit to the Rio Grande Valley last year. The graffiti also contained an obscene message to an agency that handles immigration enforcement, which Fritz admitted she did. Related: San Antonio man admits role in vandalism of two local landmarks Fritz and Faris each pleaded guilty in January to a felony charge of depredation of government property, while Castaneda who was the first to turn himself in to police and confess pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor charge of depredation or damage of government property of less than $1,000. Each of the defendants apologized for their conduct, and they or their lawyers explained that the defendants tagged the missions while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Fritz is the only one of the three to serve jail time, not for the original conduct, but because she missed a court date and her bond was revoked, according to her lawyer, Steven Harkiewicz. Because Fritz has been in custody, she has not had inpatient drug treatment that she needs, but the judge ordered that upon her release to probation that she undergo such treatment. Faris said she chose to drink, which caused her to make a life-changing act. She wants the community to know how deeply sorry I am for disrespecting (the missions) as well as the Catholic Church, Faris said. I hope one day I can be forgiven for my reprehensible actions. She said she has spoken or plans to speak to students at area high schools about misusing alcohol and the ramifications, using her own conduct as a an example. Castanedas lawyer, Jeb Lock, told the judge his client has been remorseful since the beginning and was the first to go to police after surveillance video of the suspects was broadcast in the media. Fritz turned herself in later, and Faris was arrested, prior news stories said. I realize I have wronged the city that has shown me nothing but love, (and) the church which has shown me nothing but love, Castaneda told the judge, adding he hopes to be a better person and serve in the armed forces. Guillermo Contreras covers federal courts in San Antonio and international legal issues. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland Reuters | Apr. 24, 2019 Boeing Co on Wednesday abandoned its 2019 financial outlook, halted share buybacks and said lowered production due to the grounding of its fastest-selling 737 MAX jet after two fatal plane crashes in five months had cost it at least US$1 billion so far. The world's largest planemaker is facing one of the biggest crises in its 103-year history following the disasters on Lion Air in Indonesia on Oct. 29 and another on Ethiopian Airlines on March 10, which together killed all 346 on board. Chicago-based Boeing is now reckoning with a blow to its reputation and the financial cost of getting the planes back in the air. It met sharply lowered Wall Street profit estimates, largely due to stopping deliveries of the 737 MAX jets and a slowdown in production. The production slowdown alone has cost it US$1 billion so far, the company said, because the lower rate means the planemaker has to pay more for parts, which are priced according to the volume Boeing buys. Boeing also booked unspecified charges related to developing a MAX software fix and pilot training. Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg told analysts on a conference call that Boeing has confidence in its software fix and expects a certification flight with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in the "near term" after completing more than 135 test and production flights. "The timing of return to service for that MAX will continue to be paced by ongoing work with global regulators and our customers," Muilenburg said. "If there's something that we can do to make airplane development programs or the certification process better and safer, we will pursue it." A fuller picture of how Boeing plans to repair its image with the flying public and stem further financial damage will not emerge until the end of the second-quarter as 737 production cuts did not begin until mid-April. Investors are also looking for details on how the MAX crisis will hit development of Boeing's all-new 777X twin-aisle jetliner and a potential new mid-market airplane, known in the industry as NMA, which is central to its fight with arch-rival Airbus SE in the lucrative longer-haul market and also is expected to lay the industrial foundation for an eventual 737 replacement. Muilenburg said the company did not see any changes to the underlying certification process for 777X in light of the MAX reviews, and continues to work "in parallel" on plans for NMA, although he stressed the 737's return was a higher priority. Boeing said on Wednesday it sped up production of its 787 Dreamliner to 14 aircraft per month from 12 in the first quarter, while the 777X remained on track for flight testing this year with delivery in 2020. Boeing shares rose 1.5 percent. Throughout most of southern Ohio, residents who watch cable news are predominantly glued to one channel: Fox News. People there dont watch Fox News to know what to think; they already know what they think, and they avoid news channels that insult their intelligence and core beliefs. Yes, Fox News is an echo chamber for the right, but no more than CNN and MSNBC are for the left, as far as conservatives are concerned. To be fair, when a Democrat is in the White House, the networks switch places, with Fox News criticizing every move, and MSNBC and CNN defending the Oval Office fortress. But for now, while partisans on the left may quibble, the fact remains that on the subject of collusion with Russia by President Donald Trump or his campaign, Fox News was right and the others were wrong. For at least two years, MSNBC and CNN devoted hour upon hour, day after day, to promoting the narrative that Trump colluded with the Russians, and that special counsel Robert Mueller was going to prove it. That turned out to be wrong. Along with defending Trump, Fox News hosts such as Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and, especially, Sean Hannity have been slammed for spending nearly two years clamoring for an investigation of the investigators, aligning themselves with the presidents claim of a politically motivated witch hunt. Most of the media portrayed such accusations as preposterous, designed merely to divert attention from Trumps alleged misdeeds. But then comes Attorney General William Barr, dropping a bombshell last week by declaring during congressional testimony that he thinks spying did occur on the Trump campaign in 2016, and that he is looking into it. Democrats and many in the media immediately blasted Barr for carrying Trumps water. Barr soon clarified his remarks, saying, I am not saying that improper surveillance occurred. Im saying that I am concerned about it and looking into it. Just three weeks ago, before Mueller wrapped up his report, The Washington Post in a story representative of mainstream sources at the time produced a mostly flattering profile of the new attorney general. A Justice Department official told The Washington Post last month that Barr is viewed at the department as a lawyers lawyer and is seen as less politically minded than his predecessors, the story noted. Timothy Flanigan, a former Barr colleague at the Justice Department, described Barrs independent streak, saying, If Bill starts getting the tweet treatment, Bill is a tough guy. Hes a tough, tough guy. Not that Jeff Sessions wasnt, but I dont think Bills just going to sit there and take it. I think he would make sure that the president understood that it is not really a smart thing to be lambasting the attorney general. Now, Barr is being cast by the liberal cable channels and others as an unscrupulous political hack attached to the presidents leash. On CBSs 60 Minutes on Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that Barr may be whitewashing his summary of the report. Such accusations represent an unlikely turn of events for a 68-year-old professional with an impeccable record and a career more behind him than in front of him. For Fox News devotees in southern Ohio and other Trump strongholds, nothing from the Mueller investigation has provided cause to waver from their preferred news source. Meanwhile, even regular viewers of CNN and MSNBC must certainly recognize the straws being grasped to justify sticking with a conspiracy theory that has been largely debunked although the expected release of Muellers report this week will probably provide just enough juice for one last effort. After two years of conjecture from all sides, some hard truths have emerged. Russia did try to influence the 2016 election. Neither Trump nor his campaign conspired with Russia. The presidents actions did not rise to criminal obstruction of justice. And how and why this all began may well turn out to be the most troubling story of all. Barrs career does not paint a portrait of someone who chases tin-foil-hat conspiracies. Theres enough evidence in the public record to raise valid suspicions that the FBIs investigation of the Trump campaign was motivated not by real concerns about national security, but rather by a loathing of the candidate. And though new facts may emerge in the full, redacted report, they wont change the larger truth. It would behoove serious journalists to put aside their political biases and delve into a story that might actually be worthy of Watergate comparisons even if it includes the painful admission that Fox News has been right all along. Gary Abernathy is a contributing columnist for The Washington Post and a freelance writer based in Hillsboro, Ohio. Zip it, Mitt. As the junior senator from Utah the area previously known as Northern Mexico you may feel that the debate over immigrants and refugees needs your perspective. It does not. Its not that you Mitt Romney dont have anything to offer. In the past, youve been a moderate on the prickly question of what to do with people who show up uninvited at the back door. During the 2012 presidential campaign, nativists which were once a radical wing of the GOP, but now seemingly make up the whole bird tried to get you, as the Republican nominee, to take a hardline stance on immigration. You refused. The furthest you were willing to go was to suggest that illegal immigrants self-deport. In fact, during that campaign, I was in the room when you while speaking to Hispanic Republicans in Miami endorsed the idea of letting the undocumented stay in the United States as long as the border was secured. In 2014, you told Univision that Congress needed to pass legislation that would make more transparent the process by which illegal immigrants could obtain legal residency. You were attacked by right-wing radio hosts who accused you of supporting amnesty and pushing for an open border. Welcome to my world, Senator, where what you actually say comes in a distant second to what people hear or what they want to believe. That was then. Now, youve joined the rest of the Republican sheeple in backing President Trumps ill-conceived crusade to shut out immigrants and refugees from countries that he deems inferior. During a recent appearance on NBCs Meet the Press, just two days after Trump traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border and declared the country is full, you backed his play and said that Central Americans seeking asylum are overwhelming our system. Weighing in on Trumps crackdown, you declared that it was a winning issue for Americans to say we have to have the sovereignty of our nation. You also credited him with tapping into something which the people feel very deeply. Look, Senator, if you want to cozy up to a man who publicly humiliated you by dangling the job of secretary of state before offering the post to another poor fellow and humiliating him instead, thats between you and your therapist. Youre certainly entitled to your opinion. And the rest of us are obliged to ignore it. Of all people, youre in no position to talk about how the United States should pull up the drawbridge and keep out foreigners. On that topic, youve been compromised by your own lineage. Time to break out the family photo album. The Romneys know all about immigrants and refugees because thats what they were in the 1880s. Your great-grandparents were Mormon refugees, escaping intolerance and discrimination in the Midwest. At the time, the region was largely Protestant and not especially welcoming of those who werent. It wasnt just that Mormons couldnt get a job. The threat of violence was real. The elected officials, and local law enforcement, were of no help. Either they shared the anti-Mormon prejudices of the mob, or maybe they were merely tapping into how did you put it? something which the people feel very deeply. Either way, your great-grandparents needed a safe haven. Refresh my memory. What was the name of the country that graciously took in your family and offered them refuge? Why, what do you know? Its the same country that today bears the brunt of Trumps anti-immigrant zealotry: Mexico. As you know but rarely discuss, your great-grandfather, Miles Park Romney, fled the United States and crossed into Mexico in 1885 without an invitation. He helped build the Mormon enclave of Colonia Juarez in Chihuahua, where he lived with his son, Gaskell your grandfather. During the Mexican Revolution, which lasted from 1910 to 1920, Gaskell returned to the United States again without an invitation. And he brought with him his family, which included his son, George your father. Fun fact: Your father (future Michigan governor and 1968 presidential candidate) was born in Chihuahua, and so was my grandfather (future farmworker) who also came to the United States during the revolution. Why the short memory, Senator? You do realize that if Trump had been running U.S. immigration policy at the beginning of the 20th century your grandpa and mine could well have been kept out of the United States and forced to stay in Mexico. And wed be having this conversation in Spanish. ruben@rubennavarrette.com They say that guests are like fish; after three days they become a bit whiffy. By this measure, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange smelled like an overladen fishing vessel adrift in the searing sun. Upon his arrest last week by British authorities, ending his nearly seven-year asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, revelations emerged that he was less than an ideal guest. He reportedly was rude and aggressive toward his hosts and demonstrated little interest in hygiene. In his grossest display of disaffection, he apishly smeared his feces on the embassy walls, according to Ecuadors interior minister. Assanges behavior makes one wonder about his mental health. If Assange is, indeed, of right mind, then we can only conclude that hes a solid jerk. Certainly, his non-fans including many in the U.S. media long have viewed him as a sociopathic interloper operating under the protection of free speech. No stranger to legal problems, Assange has been indicted by the U.S. on one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. This sounds more like a stay-after-school offense than what one might expect given the potentially disastrous ramifications of Assanges publishing activities. Then again, Al Capone was brought down on tax evasion. While the government seems to want to avoid a battle over the First Amendment, focusing mostly on conspiracy, it can later charge Assange with something more. Meanwhile, media talk has turned to whether Assange is really a journalist and if free-speech protections ought to apply to someone who is (allegedly) a criminal first? Despite the recent surge in citizen journalists, saying youre a journalist doesnt make you one. The difference between someone like Assange publishing whatever leaks land in his lap and, say, The Washington Post, which published the leaked documents known as the Pentagon Papers, is mostly a lot of worry and process. Most responsible reporters and editors routinely ask themselves questions such as: Should we publish this? Does the public interest override other concerns? Is it justifiable to expose someones personal emails and under what circumstances? One supposes that Assange never bothered himself with such pesky queries. But then, why should he? He is not, after all, a journalist, despite his claiming to be, because he isnt accountable to anyone. No filters, no standards. In the case of the Pentagon Papers, former Rand Corp. military analyst Daniel Ellsberg stole thousands of pages of a top-secret report detailing the U.S. governments decades-long campaign of deceit, mayhem and murder related to the war in Vietnam. Ellsberg first gave the documents to The New York Times, which published three articles about them before the White House obtained a court injunction. Ellsberg then provided copies to the Post, which, after due consideration, began publishing its own stories. In deliberating whether to run them, Post publisher Katharine Graham deployed lawyers and editors to weigh the potential legal and commercial consequences against allowing the government to continue lying and sacrificing lives. Grahams bravery in standing up to the U.S. government and the courts all while risking great personal and financial loss was epic. Assanges process, on the other hand, is largely to dump secrets in the town square and let the scavengers sort it out. No filter. No conscience. It isnt hyperbolic to say were at a hinge point regarding how we gather and disseminate information. Does anyone have the right to publish stolen/classified materials? Should the manner of obtaining information inform the right to publish? On the surface, Ellsberg and Assange seem similar. Ellsberg stole and newspapers published. Assange allegedly conspired to steal and he published. The difference may be mostly political. The Vietnam War was unpopular, and the government demonstrably lied to the American people for decades, unconscionably committing tens of thousands of young Americans to their early graves. Ellsbergs charges on theft, conspiracy and espionage were eventually dismissed. Wikileaks leaked hundreds of thousands of secret documents that potentially endangered Americans and allies around the world and, possibly, helped get Donald Trump elected. One was a historic act of bravery; the other seems more like feces-smearing by a fishy-smelling cypherpunk. Then again, maybe thats just me. kathleenparker@washpost.com 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 View Results By Scott Reeves, China Daily | Apr. 23, 2019 Experts from major countries, including China, will meet on April 29 to begin a review of how the US Federal Aviation Administration approved the Boeing 737 MAX jet's flight control system. The aircraft model has been grounded worldwide following crashes March 10 in Ethiopia and Oct 29, 2018, in Indonesia that killed a total of 346 passengers and crew. Boeing and the FAA have been suspected of an allegedly cozy relationship in the initial certification of the MAX aircraft. "I think it's a positive step forward for the FAA," James Hall, managing partner of Hall & Associates in Washington and former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told China Daily. "We need an effective certification process. It all depends on a full review of independent parties and the FAA." In addition to China, countries sending representatives to participate in the review include Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union, home of France-based Airbus, Boeing's main competitor. "Having several entities involved complicates things," John Cochran, professor emeritus of aerospace engineering at Auburn University and president of Eaglemark, an aviation consulting firm, told China Daily. "It's a good idea to have others involved so there's transparency," he said. "The FAA is not alone in needing to find a solution to the MAX's problems, because there's a worldwide need for new aircraft." The international team of experts, officially called the Joint Authorities Technical Review panel, will be headed by Chris Hart, former chairman of the NTSB, and is expected to report its findings within 90 days of the first meeting. "We welcome the Joint Authorities Technical Review and look forward to working with the panel," Peter Pedraza, a spokesman for Boeing, said in a statement. The international team will focus on the MAX's automated anti-stall device that may have forced the planes' noses down and into fatal plunges when it erroneously determined the aircraft were about to stall. The pilot or co-pilot can turn off the automated system by pressing a button on the center console. US pilots have said they were not adequately informed of the system and several developed an ad-hoc manual explaining its use. Prior to the crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia, the automated anti-stall system had been used by airlines around the world without incident. The FAA said in a draft report that pilots need additional training on the anti-stall system, but do not require additional time in flight simulators. Canada's transportation minister, however, said he wants simulator training for Boeing MAX pilots. Air Canada has 24 MAX jets. In the US, United Airlines removed its 14 MAX jets from service until early July. American Airlines, with 24, and Southwest Airlines, with 34, do not expect the planes to return to service until August. Speaking at a chamber of commerce meeting in Dallas, Gary Kelly, Southwest's CEO, said the airline will not abandon the 737 MAX and plans to buy "hundreds" more. "It's a very good airplane," Kelly told the Dallas Business Journal, "but Boeing has acknowledged that they've got some things they need to address with the software in that airplane. It seems like it's a relatively straightforward modification." Boeing said its pilots have made 120 flights totaling 203 hours to test new software developed for the anti-stall system and they are ready to proceed with certification. Longford farmers, householders and business owners to use the Eircode system to combat crime. An Eircode is a unique seven character code assigned to each individual address in Ireland. Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan TD and Minister of State Sean Canney TD are encouraging property owners to mark their property with this unique identifier, through the Property Marking Ireland programme. The aim of the programme is to deter theft and enable An Garda Siochana to identify and reunite stolen property with its owner. Property theft depends on criminals profiting from selling stolen goods. A stolen item, which is marked with a unique identifier in a discreet and difficult to remove location is less attractive to criminals. Furthermore, a marked item is much easier to return to an owner if recovered by An Garda Siochana. Property Marketing Ireland, a not-for-profit company, works with local communities to run events where people can get property marked with their Eircode. In the coming months property marking with Eircodes will start in Donegal, Sligo, Cavan, Louth, Clare and Tipperary. For members of the public that are interested in having their property engraved with their Eircode can ask their local authorities about Property Marking Ireland or contact Property Marking Ireland, more information can be found at https://propertymarking.ie. Edgeworthstown, has a close connection with the history of Paris and Notre Dame. A cousin of the famous novelist and writer Maria Edgeworth, Abbe Edgeworth, born in Edgeworthstown, who's father converted to Catholicism, was vested with the powers of the Archbishop of Paris Monsignor Antoine Le Clerc, de Juigne on the latter's flight to safety in Germany from Paris in 1792, hence grand-vicaire (vicar-general). He went on to be confessor to Louis XVI and administered the last rites to the king on the scaffold at his execution in 1794. Read also: Longford Literary Month to celebrate local writers On his death, the king in exile did him the rare honor of personally composing his epitaph; Here lies the Very Reverend Henry Essex Edgeworth de Firmont, a priest, of the Holy Church of God: Vicar General of the Diocese of Paris, etc., Who following in the steps of our Redeemer, was an Eye to the Blind, a Staff to the Lame, a Father to the Poor, and a Consoler of the Afflicted. When Louis XVI was delivered over to Death by his impious and rebellious subjects, he gave the resolute Martyr strength for his last struggle and pointed out to him the opening Heavens. Snatched from the hands of regicides by the wonderful protection of God, he voluntarily attached himself to Louis XVIII, when he signified his wish for his services to whom and to whose Royal Family and Faithful Comrades, he proved himself for a space of ten years, an example of Virtue and an Assuager of misfortune. Driven from kingdom to kingdom by the calamity of the times, he went about doing good, ever like to Him who possessed his sole devotion. At length full of good works, he died the 22nd May, the year of our Lord, 1807, aged 62. May he rest in peace. The Maria Edgeworth Literary Festival takes place from May 9 to 12. Read also: Co Longford's Maria Edgeworth Festival still going strong after 24 years Saudi Arabia has gone on the offensive in Iraq. On April 4, the kingdom reopened its consulate in Baghdad, pledged $1.5 billion in aid and announced that it will soon open a consulate in Najaf. Behind these actions is a thinly veiled goal: countering Iran's influence and bringing Iraq back into the Arab fold. The new strategy appears to be creating an opening. Just a few days after visiting Tehran, last week Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi made an official visit to Riyadh, where he was received by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS). At the moment, post-Islamic State (IS) Iraq is relatively removed from regional power struggles and striving to position itself as an actor capable of talking to all parties. At the same time, it is also a theater for competition between the two external powers that wield in the most influence in the country: the United States and Iran. During the fight against IS, the central role played by Shiite militias affiliated with Iran increased the countrys influence. Now, Saudi Arabia seems to consider Iraq as fertile ground to counter Iran, and the Shiite forces in power in Baghdad are divided over what their relationship should be with Tehran. The reopening of the consulate in Baghdad comes three years after Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in the city, and Saudi is planning to open another consulate in Najaf, the heart of Iraqi Shiism, in the coming months. The kingdom also committed to opening other diplomatic missions in the country, including in Basra, a major oil city in the southeast. These diplomatic developments were decided a few days after Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr visited Saudi Arabia in August 2017. During the trip, al-Sadr met with MBS, opening a new chapter in the relationship between Baghdad and Riyadh. The US pressed King Salman and MBS very hard in 2017 to begin a diplomatic track in Iraq. The Saudis and the Emiratis grew to like the idea, recognizing at the highest levels that it was important not to cede Iraq to Iran, Michael Knights, an Iraq expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told L'Orient-Le Jour (OLJ). For the Saudis, what matters is to tear Iraq out of Iran's hands, not by directly threatening Baghdad, but by showing them the advantages of a relationship with them instead of Iran, especially economically and diplomatically, an anonymous source within an international organization based in Iraq, told OLJ. The Wahhabi kingdom would rather show its Arab neighbor all the benefits of cooperation, including more flexibility vis-a-vis Iraqi Shiites, such as facilitating their pilgrimage to Mecca, explains this source. Sistani has no reason to refuse Southern Iraq is predominantly Shiite, but is not entirely hostile territory for Saudi Arabia. As it makes inroads, the kingdom is counting on its relationship with al-Sadr, the Shiite leader in Iraq least aligned with Tehran, whose influence has greatly increased since his victory in May 2018s legislative elections. Ayatollah Ali Sistani, one of the highest religious authorities in the Shiite world, whose stronghold is in Najaf, has criticized the way Shiites are treated in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. But he is unlikely to object to Saudi building a consulate on his turf. Ali Sistani has no reason to refuse the opening of the Najaf consulate because it will first and foremost serve Shiite religious students and people wishing to make their pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, the anonymous source said, adding: The Najaf consulate will be particularly important socially and economically compared to the one in Baghdad, located in the inaccessible green zone. Im sure Iraq will accept the consulate, and actors like Moqtada al-Sadr will guarantee its security. Sistani tends to address his statements to all Iraqis and he avoids a sectarian prism, Knights confirmed. A lot of Saudi and Bahraini Shia follow Najaf and Sistani, and he is critical of KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Bahrain. But its an interesting opening that KSA is offering. Najaf houses the mausoleum of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, fourth caliph of Islam and a sacred figure in Shiism. It also has the most important Shiite religious school (hawza), on par with the one in the Iranian city of Qom, making it an important place of pilgrimage for Iraqi Shiites and Shiites from the Gulf and Iran. Through this commitment, Riyadh seeks to (...) elevate the religious importance of Najaf to that of the Iranian city of Qom, a May 2018 report by the International Crisis Group stated. The easiest task Tehran is likely upset with Saudi Arabias recent advance into Shiite territory in Iraq. The Islamic Republic was hoping to increase its power in Najaf by influencing the choice of Ayatollah Sistanis successor. Iraq plays an important role in Irans regional strategy and is an important and much needed trading partner, especially as Irans economy suffers under the weight of US sanctions. Iran has made it clear that it's willing to fight in every way to preserve its undue influence in Iraq. So its responses will be redoubled efforts politically and diplomatically to fend off Saudi influence in the country. But as long as there is no military dimension to the battle, that tends to favor Saudi Arabia, Hussein Ibish, a Gulf specialist at the Gulf Arab States Institute in Washington, told OLJ. In other words, Saudi Arabia has the easier job, whereas Iran has to defend an outside influence that would be hard for any country to maintain, especially given the sanctions and other pressure that Tehran now faces. (This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 18th of April) Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 UPDATE: 5:34 p.m. The man shot to death at the convenience store has been identified as Mack Bradley Watkins, 55, of 3464 Golf Course Rd. in Spencer. The man accused of killing him is William Tyrone Matthews, 75, of 580 Spencer Preston Rd. in Spencer, according to the Henry County Sheriff's Office. He is charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm after being convicted of a violent felony. He is currently being held in the Henry County Jail without bond. ___________________________________________________________ A man was fatally shot Thursday in the parking lot of BGs Express convenience store on A.L. Philpott Highway (U.S. 58) in what might be a domestic incident, and a suspect arrested a short while later, Capt. Wayne Davis of the Henry County Sheriffs Office said. The sheriffs office is not releasing the name of the deceased until his family is notified and is not releasing the name of the suspect until he is formally charged, Davis said. The sheriffs office received a report at 10:15 a.m. of a shooting at the site on 16380 A. L. Philpott Highway (U.S. 58), near Martinsville. Upon arrival , we discovered one male subject suffering from a gunshot wound lying in the parking lot, Davis said. Lifesaving measures were taken. Ultimately he was pronounced dead at the scene. Through witnesses we were able to get a suspects vehicle. That vehicle has since been located. Deputies from the sheriffs office along with troopers from the Virginia State Police conducted a traffic stop on that vehicle in the parking lot of the County Store on A.L. Philpott Highway. One suspect has been taken into custody. Davis said the deceased had a couple addresses in Henry and Patrick Counties and might be around 50 years old. There are some preliminary indicators it is possibly domestic related some type of relation, possibly over a third-party woman, Davis said. The body will be transported to chief medical examiners office in Roanoke for an autopsy, Davis said. Davis said man was shot in torso. Paul Collins reports for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at paul.collins@martinsvillebulletin.com Boston School Police arrested a 14-year-old boy Thursday morning after he was discovered to have what was believed to be a firearm at Mildred K-8 School in Mattapan, police said. It was later determined to be a BB gun. Police responded to the 5 Mildred Ave. shortly before 8:45 a.m. The suspect was placed in custody without incident, police said, and was arraigned in Dorchester Juvenile Court on one charge of possession of a firearm on school property. No further details were available. Michael Schoener, a former Dedham Police officer, was found guilty Wednesday of accessory before the fact to the kidnapping of James Robertson, who was kidnapped from his family home on New Years Day 2014 and found murdered in the woods of Upton. Schoener, 45, will be sentenced Thursday at 10 a.m. in Norfolk Superior Court by Justice Robert C. Cosgrove, who presided at his jury trial. The statute allows a maximum penalty of 10 years state prison on the conviction. Robertson was last seen by his family getting into a car with two men posing as constables. They claimed that Robertson needed to go with them to comply with a drug testing requirement of his probation on a minor past court case. Schoener resigned from the Dedham Police Department. Two men were convicted last October in the kidnapping and murder of Robertson. Schoener was accused of giving his badge, handcuffs and other items to the men. It was important to this family, to this office and to the law enforcement community that Michael Schoener be held accountable for his part in this awful crime, District Attorney Morrissey said in a statement. He stands convicted of handing over to his drug dealer his police badge, holster, handcuffs and information about James Robertson. It was a shocking betrayal of public trust, with a brutal and shocking outcome. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey issued a sharply worded statement in response to U.S. Attorney Andrew Lellings decision to federally charge a Massachusetts judge and a court officer on accusations they helped a man evade ICE detention. Todays indictment is a radical and politically-motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts, Healey wrote. It is a bedrock principle of our constitutional system that federal prosecutors should not recklessly interfere with the operation of state courts and their administration of justice. Healey went on the further say the matter could have been handled by the Commission on Judicial Conduct and the Trial Court. I am deeply disappointed by U.S. Attorney Andrew Lellings misuse of prosecutorial resources and the chilling effect his actions will have, Healey said. Federal authorities brought criminal charges against Newton District Court Shelley Joseph and a now-former court officer in the handling of the case of Jose Medina-Perez. He was facing deportation following recent drug charges in Newton and an outstanding warrant for drunk driving in Pennsylvania. ICE issued an immigration detainer against Medina-Perez, who had previously been deported, following his arrest by Newton Police in March of 2018, federal authorities said. An ICE agent was in Newton District Court for Medina-Perez arraignment and was going to take him into custody. Authorities said Joseph ordered the agent out of the courtroom and had the courtroom recorder turned off as she discussed the ICE detainer. ICE is gonna get him? Joseph said, according to a transcript of the recorded portion of the conversation. The judge released Medina-Perez without bail and instructed Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor to accompany him to the downstairs lockup, while barring the ICE agent from entering the courtroom, according to prosecutors. MacGregor then allegedly allowed Medina-Perez to exit through a back door. Joseph and MacGregor were indicted Thursday on counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting obstruction of a federal proceeding. Prosecutors also accuse MacGregor of perjury. Authorities claim he lied to a federal grand jury by stating he did not know there was an ICE detainer for Medina-Perez when the man appeared in court. Joseph has been suspended without pay. MacGregor retired last month. Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, released a statement after the indictments were issued. Her statement reads: The Department of Justices decision to bring this case is preposterous, ironic, and deeply damaging to the rule of law. In contrast to Attorney General William Barrs famously narrow view of what constitutes obstruction of justice at least when it comes to President Trump the Department of Justice has now charged a state judge and court security officer based on a theory of obstruction that is shockingly aggressive. In this case, like so many others across Massachusetts, an ICE officer staked out a state court and made it difficult for court officials to do their job, which is to ensure that people in state court have access to justice. But instead of rethinking its own awful behavior, the federal government has now charged a judge and a court officer with crimes. This decision seems to have little to do with the actual facts, and everything to do with enforcing the presidents anti-immigrant agenda. This prosecution is nothing less than an assault on justice in Massachusetts courts, and it will further undermine community trust and safety. If Attorney General Barr really meant what he said about obstruction of justice when he held his press conference about President Trump and even if he didnt mean a word of it he should immediately order that this case be dropped. Newton District Court Judge Shelley Joseph and recently-retired Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor pleaded not guilty to charges related to accusations that they helped a man in her courtroom avoid immigration authorities. Joseph and MacGregor entered their pleas Thursday before Judge Jennifer C. Boal. Both were indicted earlier in the day on counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting obstruction of a federal proceeding. MacGregor also faces a perjury charge. Joseph walked into the courtroom holding someones hand. MacGregor, who was arrested earlier in the day, was walked into the courtroom in handcuffs. He wore a dark Celtics shirt and shorts. Attorney Scott Laur, who represented the officer, said MacGregor had offered to turn himself if he were indicted but was arrested instead. Prosecutor Christine Wichers apologized and said the arrest occurred because he couldnt be reached. Judge Shelley Josephs attorney calls this case is absolutely political and said she is innocent. pic.twitter.com/qAJSwpZXjn Steph Solis (@stephmsolis) April 25, 2019 Boal released both defendants without bond on the conditions that they dont move or travel outside the continental U.S. They were required to surrender their U.S. passports. MacGregor, who has a license to carry, was ordered to surrender his weapon as a condition for release without bond. Outside the courtroom, Josephs attorney Thomas Hoopes called the prosecution political. Shelley Joseph is absolutely innocent, he said. MacGregor walked out of the courthouse and declined to comment, covering his face with court documents. Wesley MacGregor, the court officer charged with helping a man evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement, walked out of the federal courthouse and declined comment. Joseph was suspended without pay on Thursday after the indictment was announced. Authorities say on April 2, 2018, Jose Medina-Perez, who was facing deportation following drug charges in Newton and an outstanding warrant for drunk driving in Pennsylvania was scheduled to appear in Newton District Court. Medina-Perez, who is from the Dominican Republic and has been reported twice previously, is identified as A.S. in the court documents. At 9:30 a.m.an ICE officer arrived in plainclothes and announced his identity and purpose to various Courthouse personnel, including the Clerk, according to court papers. The court clerk told Joseph the agent was there. The agent sat in the courtroom for Medina-Perezs case, but Joseph ordered the agent out of the room at the end of the proceeding, according to court documents. Federal prosecutors say while the agent waited outside the courtroom she discussed Medina-Perez ICE detainer with his defense attorney and an assistant district attorney. ICE is gonna get him? Joseph said, according to a transcript of the recorded portion of the conversation. At the request of the defense attorney, Joseph ordered the courtroom recording turned off for 52 seconds, according to court documents. When back on the record, the defense attorney argued that there was not enough evidence tying him to the Pennsylvania warrant. The judge agreed to dismiss a fugitive warrant for Medina-Perez, according to the court documents, and released him without bail, according to the documents. MacGregor, an interpreter and his attorney escorted Medina-Perez to the lockup, at Josephs direction, according to court documents. MacGregor used his security card access card to open the back door of the courtroom and let Medina-Perez exit through a back door. A 47-year-old Massachusetts man is facing a charge in federal court after authorities say he sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman who was sitting next to him on an international flight. Georgiy Seryogin, 47, of Watertown, was charged in a Virginia federal court Tuesday with abusive sexual contact, according to federal court records on file in the Eastern District of Virginia. Seryogin was released after posting bond Tuesday. According to FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Fullers affidavit on file in federal court, Seryogin was on a nonstop United Airlines flight from Tokyo, Japan to Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, in July 2018 when he allegedly touched the inner thigh and sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman sitting nearby. Seryogin, a dual citizen of both the United States and Russia, was sitting in a window seat during the July 27, 2018 flight, records said. The 19-year-old woman was seated next to him. The woman told Seryogin about her trip to Southeast Asia when they first settled into their seats. He said he was on his way to Boston. The woman told investigators she fell asleep but was woken up when Seryogin tried to pet a cat that was brought in a carrier by another passenger. Federal records said the woman then noticed Seryogins blanket was moved to partially cover one of her legs. Roughly 15 minutes later, the 19-year-old woman said Seryogin began rubbing her knee. He then allegedly touched the womans inner thigh and then sexually assaulted her. The woman had her head turned and she cried. The FBI agent said she then pushed his hands off of her. Fuller wrote in the affidavit that the victim froze in fear, feeling upset and confused, and did not know what to do or how to get away from him. The woman waited for Seryogin to fall asleep and reported the alleged assault to three employees of the airlines. The flight attendants moved the woman to another seat for the rest of the flight, federal records said. When the flight landed in Virginia, the 19-year-old woman sent text messages to a cousin and a friend describing what had happened, Fuller wrote. This guy was touching me on the plane while I was asleep, she wrote. The woman and Seryogin were interviewed by investigators. Seryogin allegedly told authorities he drank alcohol during the flight and slept four or five hours. He allegedly told investigators he did not remember touching the woman but that it could have been possible because he does move around while sleeping. Fourteen members and associates of the Primeiro Comando da Massachusetts gang were charged in federal court with committing violent crimes in Massachusetts including the kidnapping of a young woman, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced. Authorities said federal, state and local law enforcement began investigating the gang, which has Brazilian origins, in September 2018. The gang first appeared in Massachusetts roughly two years ago. It is alleged that members and associates of PCM are actively involved in violent crimes including the illegal sale of firearms, drug trafficking, robberies, kidnappings and armed assaults in numerous communities in Massachusetts, including Boston, Malden, Everett, Somerville, Framingham and Peabody, among others, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. During the investigation, law enforcement seized 31 firearms, including 27 handguns, two sawed-off shotguns, one shotgun, one rifle and several hundred rounds of ammunition. The gang became a focus of law enforcement after investigators discovered gun trafficking in communities north of Boston, federal records said. Investigators located PCM members and associates in Malden, Revere, Everett, Somerville, Boston, Marlborough, Weymouth, Framingham, Peabody, Maynard, Lowell, Chelsea and Abington, authorities said. Members of the gang have obtained guns and drugs in other states including New Jersey and committed crimes outside of Massachusetts, federal records said. The gang makes their money dealing cocaine, heroin and marijuana but also commit robberies, armed assault and kidnappings, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. The gang also amassed weapons, records said. ATF Special Agent Peter Milligan wrote members of the gang went to Connecticut to target a drug dealer and his family at one point and during the robbery held a gun to the head of the drug dealers daughter. Violent gangs that proliferate violence are a scourge on our communities, said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. Over recent months, members and associates of Primeiro Comando da Massachusetts have been committing serious, violent crimes: brazenly robbing community businesses, dealing drugs, trafficking illegal firearms, and even kidnapping a young woman. We will not standby and allow these criminals to disrupt the safety and peace of our communities. In one case an undercover investigator met with one gang member inside an undercover vehicle equipped with a recording device. The meet was on March 8, 2019. The gang member asked the undercover agent, who posed as a cocaine courier for a Mexican drug operation, if he robbed drug stash houses. The agent replied, Yes, according to court records. During the conversation about robbing a drug stash house, the undercover agent said there were two guards, one armed with a gun. Thats not a problem if this guy has, always has a pistol we have to shoot him first, you know? suspect Joao Pedro Marques Guimares Gama allegedly told the undercover agent. Its easy. Records show an undercover agent was able to record a meeting with Marcio Costa, the alleged leader of the gang. Federal court records detail alleged drug deals and robberies of people and stores at gunpoint in Everett, Framingham, Stoughton, Weymouth, and Marlborough. Gang members also are accused of kidnapping a young female in February. They allegedly lured the juvenile female out of a home in Peabody then held her at gunpoint in Maynard. The female was targeted in order to get to a rival gang member, the ATF agent wrote in his affidavit. Federal records also detail gun deals conducted by the gang last year and this year. The following people were arrested: Marcio Costa, a/k/a Marcino and Marcinn, 28, of Malden, is the alleged leader of PCM and was arrested and charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license Joao Pedro Marques Guimares Gama, a/k/a Bahianinho, 21, a Brazilian national illegally residing in Malden, was arrested and charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit robbery, engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, and being an alien in possession of a firearm Breno Henrique DaSilva, 20, a Brazilian national illegally residing in Somerville, was arrested and charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit robbery, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Alvaro Dos Santos Melo, 22, a Brazilian national illegally residing in Everett, was arrested and charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit robbery, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Edson DaSilva, 19, previously resided in Whitman and is currently in state custody on kidnapping and firearms charges, and was federally charged with RICO conspiracy and robbery Igor Costa, 20, previously resided in Framingham and is currently in state custody, and was federally charged with RICO conspiracy and robbery Vinicius Goncalves de Assis, previously resided in Revere and is currently in state custody, and was federally charged with RICO conspiracy Rodrigo Tevares, 19, a Brazilian nation illegally residing in Stoughton, was arrested and charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license Rony DaFreitas, 21, of Lowell, was arrested and charged with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license Elwood Cortes-Navedo, 23, of Lowell, was arrested and charged with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license Fernando DeOliveira, 24, a Brazilian nation illegally residing in Brighton, was arrested and charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license Mouad Nessassi, 21, of Boston, was arrested and charged with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and possession of an unregistered firearm Fadwa Chimal, 19, was arrested and charged with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license Jennifer Romero, 26, of Chelsea, was charged with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base In addition to the 14 charged criminally, four individuals were arrested administratively by ICE Thursday. Two people have died in a Quincy crash Thursday morning, state police said. The single-car crash occurred on the Hancock Street ramp at the Neponset River Bridge around 10:35 a.m., according to state police. Two Weymouth men died in the crash. They have not been publicly identified by state police. A preliminary investigation by troopers shows a 74-year-old Weymouth man was traveling on Hancock Street in Quincy in a 2004 Ford Taurus. As the vehicle approached Newport Ave. in the turnaround, the vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway and over the sidewalk before striking the bridge abutment under the Neponset River footbridge, state police said. The driver and his passenger, a 50-year-old man, both died at the scene of the crash. Authorities continue to investigate the crash. U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said he does not believe District Court Judge Shelley Joseph is the only judge to allow people being pursued by ICE agents to escape courts and evade arrest in Massachusetts. We have heard of other instances in which it is alleged that judges have done something to help people who are pursuant by ICE, Lelling said at a press conference explaining the charges against Joseph Thursday afternoon. He added: I dont think its the only time something like this has happened in Massachusetts. Lellings office brought charges against Joseph, who was placed under investigation last year after she allegedly helped a man in her courtroom avoid an ICE agent waiting in the courts lobby. Authorities say on April 2, 2018, Jose Medina-Perez, who was facing deportation following recent drug charges in Newton and an outstanding warrant for drunk driving in Pennsylvania was scheduled to appear in Newton District Court. Medina-Perez, who is from the Dominican Republic and has been reported twice previously, is identified as A.S. in the court documents. At 9:30 a.m. that day an ICE officer arrived in plainclothes and announced his identity and purpose to various Courthouse personnel, including the Clerk, according to court papers. The court clerk told Joseph the agent was there. The agent sat in the courtroom for Medina-Perezs case, but Joseph ordered the agent out of the room at the end of the proceeding, according to court documents. Federal prosecutors say while the agent waited outside the courtroom she discussed Medina-Perez ICE detainer with his defense attorney and an assistant district attorney. ICE is gonna get him? Joseph said, according to a transcript of the recorded portion of the conversation. At the request of the defense attorney, Joseph ordered the courtroom record off for 52 seconds, according to court documents. When back on the record, the defense attorney argued that there was not enough evidence tying him to the Pennsylvania warrant. The judge agreed to dismiss a fugitive warrant for Medina-Perez, according to the court documents, and released him without bail. Joseph instructed Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor to accompany him to the downstairs lockup, while barring the ICE agent from entering the courtroom, according to prosecutors. MacGregor, an interpreter and his attorney escorted Medina-Perez to the lockup, according to court documents. MacGregor used his security card access card to open the back door of the courtroom and let Medina-Perez exit through a back door. The ICE agent waited in the lobby for Medina-Perez to return, unaware that he had been allowed to escape, Lelling said. Both Joseph and MacGregor were indicted Thursday on counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting obstruction of a federal proceeding. Prosecutors also alleged MacGregor committed perjury, falsely telling a federal grand jury that he did not know there was an ICE detainer for Medina-Perez at the time. MacGregor no longer works for the courts, Lelling said, and Joseph was suspended Thursday afternoon. At the Thursday press conference, Lelling said this case is an outlier and not a referendum on the Massachusetts Trial Courts system. Second, this is not about immigration, Lelling said. This is about the rule of the law. Springfield Joanne Berwald, Vice President of Human Resources for Mestek, Inc., will add Distinguished Citizen on May 7 to her diversified list of well-earned community accolades. The Boy Scouts of America's Western Massachusetts Council will honor Berwald at the 2019 Distinguished Citizen Award Dinner at Chez Josef in Agawam, where Carol Leary, president of Bay Path College will be the guest speaker. Dinner will begin with Scouts presenting an opening ceremony at 7 p.m. following a 6 p.m. cocktail hour. Richard Sullivan Jr., President & Chief Executive Officer of the Western Mass Economic Development Council, is chairing this years event. Chief Business Development Officer and Vice Chair of Westfield Bank and last years honoree, William Wagner, will present the award. At Mestek Ms. Berwald is responsible for leading all aspects of human resources, labor relations, benefits, wellness and strategic planning for Mesteks eighteen locations. Prior to joining Mestek in 2011, Ms. Berwald was with Peter Pan Bus Lines for two years as the Senior Director of Human Resources which followed sixteen year career with Buxton Company, the last eight years serving as the Vice President of Operations. Berwald has served on many nonprofit boards throughout her career, which includes 20 years on the Western Massachusetts Council, BSA, with the last two as Assistant Vice President of Fund Development. She currently is on the council's nominating committee and an Advisory Board member. She also serves on the MASSHIRE State Workforce Board for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Unify Against Bullying board of directors, and Associated Industries of Massachusetts board of directors, and participated on the Lt. Governors Western Massachusetts Womens Leadership Council. She is also on the Deans Board of Advisors for Western New England University's College of Business, as well as the Career Center Advisory Board for Springfield College, her alma mater. Ms. Berwald is the proud mother of adult children Evan and Natalie. Evan is an Eagle Scout. Guest speaker Dr. Carol Leary has a passionate dedication to the advancement and education of women. Since 1994, she has served as President of Bay Path University, named by the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the fastest-growing "private nonprofit master's institutions" in the United States. Bay Path is the only women's college in New England to be included in these rankings. Under her guidance, Bay Path launched The American Women's College in 2013, the first all-women all-online baccalaureate program in the nation and has overseen the development of over 30 graduate programs at the University. She currently chairs the board of the Association of American Colleges & Universities and is chair for the New Presidents Program under the auspices of the Council of Independent College. Leary also served as chair of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts. Nationally recognized, Leary recently received the Donna Shavlik Award from the American Council on Education. Among Leary's other awards are the Woman of Impact Award and Difference Makers Award from Business West, the Woman of Distinction Award from the Pioneer Valley Girl Scout Council, and the Pynchon Award for Distinguished Public Service from the Springfield, Massachusetts Advertising Club. In addition to Wagner, previous Distinguished Citizen honorees have included Brian Touhey. Denis Gagnon, David Glidden, Sheriff Mike Ashe, Peter F. Straley, Peter A. Picknelly, John Davis, David Southworth, Stephen Davis, Mark Tolosky, Chris Mensing, Mike Matty, Al Kasper and Eugene Cassidy. For ticket information and registration for the dinnerthe councils largest annual fundraising eventgo to wmascouting.org/dcad2019. Worcester-based Polar Beverages has released its summer seltzer lineup, bringing back three favorites and introducing two new flavors. Raspberry Rose, Blueberry Tangerine and Mango Cherry Bliss are coming back to store shelves, while Nectarine Lemon and Strawberry Honeydew will make their debut as part of the 2019 Polar Seltzer Limited Edition collection. Like a good romantic-comedy, it begins sweet and charming but balances things out with a little edge of zest, Polar said of the Nectarine Lemon flavor, adding the new Strawberry Honeydew seltzer will round out the lineup. We imagined ourselves waking up at a yoga retreat in Sweden drinking this seltzer minimal, clean and tranquil. This beautiful combination of summery berry and elegant melon will transport you to your most chill self, the company said. Whether youre staycationing or exploring, growing your bridesmaid dress collection or flip-flop assortment, Polar wants customers to share their summer experiences with #PolarSeltzer. The company releases a new set of limited edition seltzer recipes each summer and winter. The warmer weather may still be a few months away, but Starbucks is giving customers an early taste of summer with the return of its popular Smores Frappuccino. The coffee chain announced that the limited-edition drink, which was introduced in 2015, will make a comeback on April 30. The beverage combines marshmallow-infused whipped cream and milk chocolate sauce with a creamy blend of coffee, milk and ice, topped off with marshmallow whipped cream and graham cracker crumble. Last year, the chain opted not to release the annual drink, disappointing customers. They refused to forget about their favorite flavor, even two years later, the company said. And guess what? We heard them, we listened and we cant wait to share it with them again this summer. The drink will return to stores in the United States and Canada next week for a limited time, while supplies last. LONGMEADOW Dr. Andrew Lams latest book, Repentance, is a historical novel based on the exploits of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a group of Nisei soldiers who fought valiantly in Europe while many had families incarcerated at home in internment camps. Repentance" is being released Wednesday, May 1, the beginning of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and the 75th anniversary of the date the 442nd headed into battle in 1944. They would go on to etch their names in history as, per capita, the most decorated unit in U.S. military history, Lam said. They won 21 Medals of Honor, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars and an unprecedented seven Presidential Unit Citations. The 14,000 men who ultimately served in the 442nd won 9,486 Purple Hearts; one of their most famous members was Daniel Inouye, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor and was the second longest-serving U.S. senator in history. They fought valiantly and sacrificially because they wanted to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they were loyal Americans, Lam said. Those who won the Medal of Honor did truly extraordinary things like lead banzai charges against German machine gun nests, expose themselves to fire to flush out the enemy and throw themselves on grenades to save their comrades. They volunteered in the face of extreme prejudice and bigotry against Japanese Americans. Although the 442nd volunteers from Hawaii had not been interned in camps, many of the volunteers from the mainland had been. Their own government first forced them into assembly centers set up at county fairgrounds and racetracks, where they were often housed in horse stalls; and then they were transferred to one of 10 isolated internment camps in some of Americas most desolate places, Lam said. He described Repentance as a riveting, suspenseful family drama that is closely entwined with the history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. It will appeal to readers who like character-driven historical fiction, and anyone interested in World War II history. It is about a Japanese American war hero who has a secret so awful hed rather die than tell anyone one so entwined with the brave act that made him a hero that hes determined never to speak of the war. Decades later his son, Daniel Tokunaga, a world-famous cardiac surgeon, is perplexed when the U.S. government comes calling, wanting to know about his fathers service with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Something terrible happened while his father was fighting the Germans in France, and the Department of Defense wont stop its investigation until its determined exactly who did what. Like many authors, Lam said he writes about what he knows because thats the only way to be authentic as an author, which is paramount because its easy for readers to see through anything that isnt genuine. I know a lot about history, medicine, being a husband and father, and being Asian American. All of these inform my writing and certainly, my Chinese American heritage has had a significant impact on what I choose to write about. He encourages learning from the past to reduce the chance of history repeating itself. We have to remember these lessons and teach them to our children, Lam said. Thats one of the reasons I wrote Repentance, to shine a light on an inspiring group of extraordinary American heroes who volunteered to fight for their country even though all of them had endured severe racial prejudice, and many of them had been locked up in internment camps at home. Lam, of Longmeadow, is the author of Saving Sight about his work as a retinal surgeon and Two Sons of China, a World War II novel. His writing has appeared in The New York Times and The Washington Post. Born in Philadelphia and raised in central Illinois, he earned a degree in history from Yale University, where he studied military history and U.S.-East Asian relations. He attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by specialty training in ophthalmology and retina surgery at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, where he also served as chief resident. Lam is currently an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Tufts University School of Medicine, a partner at New England Retina Consultants and an attending surgeon at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. His love of history compels him to write books. His father was a cardiologist, revered in their community in central Illinois. I could tell that a medical career would be very fulfilling, Lam said. In the end, my decision was simple I wanted to spend my career helping people, so I chose medicine. But he never lost his love of history. (Repentance, 308 pages; Tiny Fox Press LLC. is available on Amazon in paperback for $15.95 and Kindle for 7.95. It can be found also at bookstores, on BarnesandNoble.com and on AndrewLamMD.com.) A 17-year-old boy from Lowell was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Wednesday night after Tyngsborough police say he was ejected from the bed of a pickup truck. Tyngsborough police officers and firefighters responded to Ayottes Stateline Smokin Joes, a grocery store that straddles the border of Hudson, New Hampshire, around 9:11 p.m. on Wednesday. Rescuers found a 17-year-old boy from Lowell on the ground suffering from traumatic injuries after he was ejected from the bed of a 2000 GMC Senoma pickup truck, according to a statement from Tyngsborough police. The teen was transported to Lowell General Hospital by ambulance, and later by medical helicopter to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, police said. According to Tyngsborough police, a preliminary investigation found that the truck was being driven erratically by a 19-year-old man from Lowell. Police cited the 19-year-old for operating to endanger and operating an unregistered motor vehicle, and said additional charges are possible. Tyngsborough police said they will seek to suspend his license and have the driver labeled as an immediate threat. The names of the the victim and driver have not been released as Tyngsborough police continue to investigate the incident. SPRINGFIELD A 39-year-old city man was sentenced Wednesday to four years in state prison after pleading guilty to child rape. Christopher Thomas Phelps also pleaded guilty to indecent assault and battery on a child and was sentenced to five years probation by Hampden Superior Court Judge Karen Goodwin. Assistant District Attorney Carrie M. Russell said Phelps had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl in 2017. The year before that, Phelps indecently touched her, Russell said. Phelps and the victim were acquainted before the assaults. The sentence imposed by Goodwin was recommended by Russell and defense lawyer Nicholas J. Raring. Russell said Phelps had no criminal record. She said the plea agreement spared the victim the rigors of a trial. The family wanted to see Phelps admit his guilt, Russell said. She said the plea allowed the girl some measure of control and autonomy. The girls father, in a victim impact statement read by Russell, said the discovery caused hurt, disbelief, betrayal, stress. He said his daughter was forced to grow up too quickly. He said his efforts have gone to loving my daughter and assuring her it is not her fault. As conditions of probation, Phelps must be monitored by a GPS device, have no contact with children under 16 other than his own child and register as a sex offender. Phelps initially had been charged with five counts of rape of a child aggravated by age difference, six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count of violating a restraining order. All of the charges except the two to which he pleaded guilty were dismissed. All charges listed the same victim. Police departments in communities across the state are expecting to collect thousands of pounds of unwanted medications in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this weekend. The drugs accepted range from aspirin and ibuprofen to Oxycontin and Percocet, but the one thing they all have in common is they are no longer wanted and sitting in medicine cabinets. Take Back Day, sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, gives people a safe and responsible way to get rid of medications they no longer need. The day saves people from flushing drugs into the sewer system, which has contaminated waterways, or throwing them away in the trash. "These unused pharmaceutical drugs are a commodity. They were produced in a controlled setting so they have a high value," Ludlow Police Lt. Daniel Valadas said. "The more we can take off the street, it is better for everyone." Unused medications, especially opioids, can be taken by friends or family members who are visiting or can be stolen by thieves who break into homes. Some are then sold on the street, said Valadas, who taught a drugs and society class at Western New England University in the past. The Ludlow Police Department is one of a number across the region that offers a permanent, secure drug collection box in its lobby where people can drop off unwanted medication at any time. It is carefully monitored to ensure the drugs are handled properly, he said. Although the department has a box, it also participates in Take Back Day. Valadas said the widespread publicity helps educate people about the importance of getting rid of unused medication and enables the department to collect a large amount of unwanted drugs at one time. This is the 17th national event. The DEA collected 80,277 pounds of unwanted drugs at 613 sites across New England in a Take-Back Day in October. A total of 26,255 pounds of drugs was collected in Massachusetts during that day. I encourage all Massachusetts residents to participate in the DEAs National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in writing. Day after day we see the devastating effects of prescriptions particularly opioids that end up in the hands of those who were not prescribed the medications. It is illegal to share, sell or steal prescription medications and it can lead to addiction, he said. More than 20 communities in Western Massachusetts are participating in the Take Back Day and many are in Hampshire or Franklin counties, said Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan, whose office helps coordinate the collection. Getting these drugs out of circulation is something we all can do to help prevent addiction from taking hold in our communities, he said. Studies show many people addicted to heroin began by using prescription drugs and people who misuse prescription drugs get them from friends and family, Sullivan said. Since 2011, more than 50,000 pounds have been collected in the Northwestern District during Take Back Days and from permanent collection boxes. The collections will be held between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday. The majority are conducted at police stations, but others are held at businesses, schools and other locations. People should check with their local police departments. Some locations are listed at the DEAs website. Participating communities in Western Massachusetts include Amherst, Athol, Ashfield, Belchertown, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Hadley, Northampton, Pelham, Southampton, South Hadley, Williamsburg and Worthington in Hampshire County and Bernardston, Deerfield, Greenfield, Leverett, Montague and Sunderland in Franklin County, as well as Athol in Worcester County. Springfield police are running a collection at Central High School, 1840 Roosevelt Ave., instead of at the police station. At least two police officers will be at each collection and will follow DEA specifications on how to pack up the medications safely. They will be incinerated at Covanta Springfield trash incinerator at Bondis Island. In Clinton, a house at 214 East Street had become an eyesore in the neighborhood. Lightning struck the single-family house in 2016 leaving a gaping hole in the roof. Rain, snow and animals freely entered. Abandoned, trash and debris were strewn about the property both inside and out. Neighbors were not happy. In Worcester, a three-decker on Ward Street sat empty and was frequently broken into. The home was missing pipes and electrical, but what it did have was plenty of drug paraphernalia. And in Wilbraham, a single-family home on Dalton Street was full of trash, did not have working utilities and was $40,000 behind in taxes to the town. All three properties were eyesores, drains on the neighborhoods where they sat and all are now restored, occupied -- or about to be -- thanks in part to the Abandoned Housing Initiative program run by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healeys office. The program works with cities and towns to identify and turn abandoned homes back into livable, tax-generating properties. Our mission is to ensure safer neighborhoods through blight reduction and the creation of safe, habitable homes, reads a report on the program from the attorney generals office. "As of January, AHI is working with 140 cities and towns across the state. We are working to address more than 300 properties in urban, suburban and rural communities. How properties are selected The selection of abandoned properties to be targeted starts at the city and town level. Municipalities pass addresses of abandoned residential properties on to the AGs office, which then identifies the delinquent owner, which could be an individual or a mortgage holder. The AGs office then contacts the owner to see if the owner is able to make the necessary repairs to the property. There are a few options at this point. If property owners are able to show they can make the repairs on their own, the process may end there. But when an owner cant afford or wont make repairs, the AGs office asks the court to appoint a receiver, a person or organization who has legal authority to make repairs to the house. Property owners then have the option of repaying the receiver for the repairs. If they cant or wont, the property could be sold to pay for the cost of repairs, repay any outstanding leans or taxes with any remaining funds going to the homeowner. The end goal is to get blighted and abandoned properties back to livable conditions and occupied. The AGs Abandoned Housing Initiative isnt the only tool in the agencys tool belt. A Strategic Demolition Fund is available in cases where repair is not viable. In those cases, applicants need to show an urgent need for demolition and a plan for future use of the land. Grant money is then available to demolish a building. Does the property owner have rights? Although the property owner retains ownership of the property throughout the process, if you are the owner of an abandoned home that enters into receivership, youll have some limited rights. The states sanitary code contains a receivership provision, which allows the court to appoint someone to address and fix code violations. If the property owner wont or cant fix the issues, the courts appoint a receiver and that individual or company is responsible for bringing the property back from the brink. The receiver can control access to the property and a property owner must work through that receiver. When the property is repaired the owner has the option of repaying the receiver to keep the property. If they cant or wont, the receiver can foreclose on his or her lien and sell the property. Profits are used to pay the receiver, any outstanding taxes and then any remainder goes to the property owner. The owner retains legal title to the property throughout the process unless it is sold, a spokesperson for the AGs office said. How is it funded? The Abandoned Housing Initiative is funded through the attorney generals office general budget. Because of the revolving nature of the loans, the $4 million program was able to fund $7.80 million in property rehabilitation efforts, a report from the AGs office states. As money is repaid from the program, it can be loaned out multiple times. Whats in it for the receiver? Once a receiver finishes his or her work, they can petition the property owner for repayment. According to the AGs office, most of the time, the owner declines to pay or can not pay. The receiver is then given a lien on the property. The receiver can then petition the court to foreclose on its lien and the property is then subject to a public auction or other court-approved method of sale, a spokesman for the AGs office said. The receiver may be paid for his or her time, generally on an hourly basis that is approved by the court. Heres a closer look at some of the properties that were rehabilitated or demolished in 2017 and 2018 as part of the Attorney Generals office Abandoned Housing Initiative. 214 East St., Clinton The single-family house at 214 East Street in Clinton was struck by fire in 2016. The fire caused a hole in the roof, which allowed weather and animals to enter the property and sped up the deterioration of the property. Inside 214 East Street in Clinton. The single-family house at 214 East Street in Clinton. The renovated home at 214 East Street in Clinton included a new kitchen. The exterior of the renovated home at 214 East St., Clinton. Struck by lightning, the single-family home at 214 East St. in Clinton had a hole in the roof that allowed rain, snow and wildlife into the home freely. According to the attorney generals office, it was in a state of foreclosure when the town contacted the AG about the Abandoned Homes Initiative. A court appointed R.C. Rheault Construction as the receiver of the house and with a loan from the Abandoned Home Initiative Receivership Fund of more than $127,000. Rheault was able to remove the trash from the property, repair the roof and other damage and made the house livable again. The home went up for auction and Rheault was the high bidder. The company subsequently made additional renovations and sold the property to new owners. Howland House, New Bedford The AHI Receivership Fund provided a $110,000 loan and a$15,000 grant to support a major renovation of the historic Howland House in New Bedford. The property was built in 1834 in the Federal/Greek Revival style for the wealthy Howland family. Following a major fire in 2005 and five years of vacancy, the Waterfront Historic Area League saved the property from demolition and began a multi-phase restoration effort. Inside the historic Howland House in New Bedford. The restored Howland House in New Bedford. The historic Howland House in New Bedford had suffered a fire and had been vacant for five years and was facing demolition. The saving of the Howland House was somewhat unique in that it involved not only the Abandoned Homes Initiative, but the citys Waterfront Historic Area League, the city of New Bedford and several other public and private entities that were able to secure funding to begin a multi-phase restoration. Today, the history property is home to eight new apartments, five of which have been designated affordable housing, one that is wheelchair accessible and one adapted for people with hearing impairments. The Howland House had a grand opening in December 2017. 385 Reed Street, New Bedford This home at 385 Reed St., New Bedford had been vacant since 2015 when the owner died. The single-family home had fallen into serious disrepair with the ceiling collapsing and several broken windows. The property was renovated and sold to a new owner in 2018. This home at 385 Reed St., New Bedford had been vacant since 2015 when the owner died. The single-family home had fallen into serious disrepair with the ceiling collapsing and several broken windows. The property was renovated and sold to a new owner in 2018. This home at 385 Reed St., New Bedford had been vacant since 2015 when the owner died. The single-family home had fallen into serious disrepair with the ceiling collapsing and several broken windows. The property was renovated and sold to a new owner in 2018. The renovated home at 385 Reed St., New Bedford. Sometimes the legal owner of the property is not cooperative. The owner of this home at 385 Reed St. in New Bedford died and the home had been vacant since 2015. The ceiling was collapsed in areas, windows were broken and it was believed there was deteriorating asbestos in the house. The attorney generals office sought the appointment of a receiver from the court, which then appointed Excalibur Property Management to refurbish the house. It wasnt an easy task, however. Mortgage Contracting Services, an agent of Santander Bank, kept breaking into the property," the AGs office said. Despite a court order authorizing Excalibur to renovate the property, Mortgage Contracting entered the property, took photos, posted signs and threatened to winterize the property. The court found the mortgage holder in contempt and ordered it to pay some of the attorneys fees and costs for the AGs office and the receiver. The rehab was completed and the property was sold to a new buyer in late 2018. 8 Dalton Street, Wilbraham This single-family property at 8 Dalton St., Wilbraham was full of trash both inside and out and had no working utilities. The property was also more than $40,000 behind in taxes to the town. The renovated kitchen at 8 Dalton St., Wilbraham. The renovated exterior at 8 Dalton St., Wilbraham. The home at 8 Dalton St., in Wilbraham, was supposed to be abandoned. But when the Abandoned Housing Initiative and the towns building commissioner visited the property they found someone had gotten through a window and was inside the house. The home was full of trash inside and out and it had been condemned by the town in 2016. The court appointed TM Properties as the receiver for the home. After about a year of work, the property was listed for sale by TM and sold on Nov. 1, 2017. Using the money from the sale, TM paid $43,000 in back taxes to the town of Wilbraham. After the back taxes were paid and TM was paid for its lien on the property, there was $6,000 left over that went back to the former owners family. 92-94 Ward Street, Worcester The three-decker at 92-94 Ward St., in Worcester, was frequently broken into and had been condemned by the city in 2015. The three-decker at 92-94 Ward St., in Worcester, was frequently broken into and had been condemned by the city in 2015. The three-decker at 92-94 Ward St., in Worcester, was frequently broken into and had been condemned by the city in 2015. The three-decker at 92-94 Ward St., in Worcester, was frequently broken into and had been condemned by the city in 2015. The three-decker at 92-94 Ward Street in Worcester was missing plumbing and electrical. But it did have plenty of drug paraphernalia. Owned by Connect Plus International Corporation, the property was condemned by the city in July 2015. It was frequently broken into. The court appointed Nedryd LLC as the receiver for the property. Nedryd then make repairs to the entire structure. Once it was habitable again, Nedryd rented out all three units before selling the property at auction in late 2017. 122 Norwich Circle, Medford The owner of this home at 122 Norwich Circle in Medford passed away, leaving it empty. Authorities found he had a large stash of weapons and ammunition, some of which he manufactured. The home was left in unsanitary conditions. The owner of this home at 122 Norwich Circle in Medford passed away, leaving it empty. Authorities found he had a large stash of weapons and ammunition, some of which he manufactured. The home was left in unsanitary conditions. The renovated home at 122 Norwich Circle, Norwood, which, after being secured and cleaned, was sold to a developer who renovated and then sold the home. The renovated home at 122 Norwich Circle, Norwood, which, after being secured and cleaned, was sold to a developer who renovated and then sold the home. The renovated home at 122 Norwich Circle, Norwood, which, after being secured and cleaned, was sold to a developer who renovated and then sold the home. The city of Medford reached out to the attorney generals Office after the owner of the home at 122 Norwich Circle passed away. The home was in unsanitary condition and the owner had left behind a large cache of guns and ammunition. The city was initially unable to locate any heirs or relatives. With unsecured guns on the premises, the Abandoned Housing Initiative was able to successfully petition the court to appoint a receiver within 24 hours. The receiver secured the property and worked with Medford police to remove the weapons and ammunition. Heirs to the property were later located and they were able to take over the remaining clean out of the home. The heirs sold the property to a developer who repaired and sold the home. According to the AGs office, the receiver was paid for his work through the sale of the home and the heirs were able to keep the rest. 1911 Main Street, Athol This home at 1911 Main Street in Athol had been abandoned for several years, was deteriorating rapidly and was blocking the view of emergency vehicles exiting the hospital next door. This home at 1911 Main Street in Athol had been abandoned for several years, was deteriorating rapidly and was blocking the view of emergency vehicles exiting the hospital next door. Sometimes an abandoned home is not viable to be saved and would be better off just gone. Such was the case at 1911 Main Street in Athol. Vacant for several years the home was deteriorating rapidly. According to the AGs office, the home was also blocking the view of emergency vehicles as they exited Athol Hospital next door. The town sought assistance through the AGs office from the Strategic Demolition Fund. Using a $11,500 grant from the fund, the town demolished the house, removing an eyesore from the neighborhood and improving safety for emergency vehicles leaving the hospital. Library Commons, Holyoke Two vacant buildings in Holyoke were demolished with a $50,000 grant from the Attorney General's Strategic Demolition Fund in order to make way for the development of Library Commons in downtown Holyoke. Two vacant buildings in Holyoke were demolished with a $50,000 grant from the Attorney General's Strategic Demolition Fund in order to make way for the development of Library Commons in downtown Holyoke. Sometimes saving buildings is not viable and properties may not be eligible for receivership or other forms of rehabilitation. Thats where the AGs Strategic Demolition Fund comes into play. In Holyoke, Way Finders, a community development corporation, applied for demolition funds to assist with the development of Library Commons, a project to create 47 apartments across the street from the recently-renovated Holyoke Public Library. Way Finders received a $50,000 grant from the fund to demolish two vacant buildings. The organization is restoring two other buildings and will construct another to complete Library Commons. To apply for this fund, applicants need to show an urgent need for demolition, the AGs office said, and also needs to provide a plan for future use of the land that would be beneficial to the entire community. The fund was first funded in 2015 with $500,000 and another $250,000 has been adde in 2018 to continue the fund through 2019. 432 Washington Street, Haverhill St. George's Church at 432 Washington St., Haverhill, has sat vacant and deteriorating since 1998. Using a grant from the Attorney General's office, the group Bread and Circus was able to demolish the church and build 10 affordable units in its place. St. George's Church at 432 Washington St., Haverhill, has sat vacant and deteriorating since 1998. Using a grant from the Attorney General's office, the group Bread and Circus was able to demolish the church and build 10 affordable units in its place. The St. Georges Church had sat vacant at 432 Washington Street in Haverhill since 1998. The Attorney Generals office says a severe lack of maintenance and accelerated deterioration had made the property unsalvageable. The non-profit community housing development organization Bread and Roses Housing received a $50,000 Strategic Demolition Grant to demolish the building. Bread and Roses constructed 10 affordable, owner-occupied housing units with a targeted move-in date of summer 2019. AMHERST While former Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke about the importance of freedom of speech on college campuses, more than 100 students, staff and others gathered outside choosing to exercise their constitutional rights instead of going inside to listen to him. Sessions spoke at Amherst College at the invitation of its Republican Club on Wednesday, tackling a number of topics, including the Mueller report on the investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election, which was released last week. The speech was free but open only to staff, students and faculty. The hall was not filled and as many, if not more, people protested outside in an alternative event organized by the Direct Action Coordinating Committee. DACC is focused on anti-racism and anti-imperialism and it was very clear that this was part of our work, it is in alignment with our work, said Ana Ascencio, who served as the emcee of the protest and who is a former Amherst College student. The counter-event included members of the community as well as students from all five colleges who protested many of the policies Sessions supported such as splitting children from parents who crossed the border illegally, she said. Sessions did not discuss details of the Mueller report, but said he had trusted the justice system that created the investigation. It was complete and thorough, some may have said it was extensive, Sessions said, calling the investigation a massive effort which included more than 500 interviews of witness. I have the greatest confidence in the integrity of the system. The process that was initiated was carried forth vigorously and with integrity, he said. I think it deserves respect and I think it is about time to accept the results and lets get on with the business of America." Sessions also talked about his decision to recuse himself from the investigation, which angered President Donald Trump. Eventually, Sessions resigned as attorney general in 2017. At first, Sessions said he saw no need to withdraw but changed his mind after talking to White House ethics officials. It is not appropriate to investigate a campaign that you are part of, he said. But much of Sessions talk Wednesday was about free speech and his concerns that conservative students, including those in Amherst Colleges Republican Club, face hostility and even bullying because of their views. I am concerned about the attack of free speech especially in college campuses, he said. Sessions, of Alabama, was one of the most conservative senators before he joined Trumps campaign. He said he and his wife formed one of the early college Republican Clubs in the early 1960s, a time when Alabama was a Democratic stronghold. He said debate between those who do not agree is healthy and should not be quelled due to possible hurt feelings, political correctness and fragile egos. When one student asked him during the question-and-answer portion of the speech about bringing together legislators who seem to be moving either more left or more right, Sessions said he feels most of the arguments are philosophical. I dont know if harmony is the most important thing in the world. Usually we can work our way through it, he said. You respect political leaders who fight for what they believe in and say what they believe in. About five minutes into the speech, about 20 students exited the hall in protest, one carrying a rainbow flag. Sessions said conservative speakers are being routinely shouted down while giving speeches in other colleges. He said colleges need to be more politically diverse and repeated at least twice that there are no conservative professors at Amherst College a statement college officials questioned, saying there is no data to support that. Before the speech, Jessica Reyes, a professor of economics, held signs in protest of Sessions policies that allowed illegal immigrant children to be separated from their families and trampled the rights of thousands. Amherst College is a private institution, we can chose who we welcome to campus, she said. We shouldnt invite people who treat people as badly as Jeff Sessions did. But Jake Grossman, a sophomore, said he thought the speech was great and he was interested in hearing Sessions take on the Mueller report. As a political science major, Grossman said he appreciated having a chance to hear from a prominent United States leader. He had a lot to say about free speech on college campuses, he said. The debate over former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palins inaccurately named death panels has come to Massachusetts. The debate centers on a measure of cost-effectiveness for health care, which assigns a value to a life that changes based on whether a person is healthy. The Affordable Care Act after public outcry bans the use of the measurement in Medicare. Now, Rep. Angelo Puppolo, D-Springfield, is trying to ban its use by MassHealth or private insurers in Massachusetts. I dont think rationing care, in particular prescription drugs, to the sickest and oldest patients should be a formula thats used, Puppolo said. Puppolos amendment was not included in the House budget, but he said his goal in introducing it was to start debate. In health care, there is a measurement called quality-adjusted life year, or QALY. QALY assigns a value to a year of life, taking into account whether someone is healthy, sick or disabled. That number is used in calculating the value of a treatment. For example, an illness may confine someone to a wheelchair. If one drug extends the patients life by a year while letting them walk again, and a second drug extends their life for a year without restoring that ability, the drug that restores mobility would be valued higher. There are national, and international, debates about whether this is an appropriate measure, and how, if at all, it should be used. The main organization that uses this method today in the U.S. is the Boston-based Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, or ICER. ICER analyzes the value of medical treatments and posts the analyses on its website. ICER President Steven Pearson said analyzing cost effectiveness is a way to make sure that whatever money is available for health care is spent in the way that most improves health. Using QALYs is a way to capture how well treatments can improve patient lives, Pearson said. As the health care system struggles to address high drug prices, Pearson said ICER analyses can be used to negotiate lower prices. Cost effectiveness is about saying at what price would it be fair? he said. For example, when the cholesterol drug Repatha was introduced in 2015 and priced around $14,000, insurers looked at ICERs analysis that deemed it overpriced and made it harder for patients to get coverage. In 2018, the drugmaker lowered the price to $5,800, and insurers improved access. Pearson said he recognizes this approach is controversial because it can lessen access to drugs. But he hopes cost-effectiveness is used to negotiate fair prices, not deny access. Pearson also argued that the U.S. already rations care based on who can afford insurance coverage and high drug prices raise insurance premiums. We ration care every single day in this country. We just do it the wrong way, he said. ICER is funded primarily by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, and also takes money from the insurance industry. However, advocates for people with disabilities say it is immoral to assign a lower value to the life of someone with a disability. They worry that the measure could be used by insurers to deny coverage for groundbreaking drugs to someone with a disability because the treatment is not deemed cost-effective. Its inherently wrong to be using equations to ration out health care, said Bill Murphy, director of advocacy and public policy for the Epilepsy Foundation New England. Murphy said using QALY contains costs in a discriminatory manner. Its looking at the quality of life of healthy people, and its saying the quality of life for a person with a chronic condition or a disability isnt the same, Murphy said. (ICER has started using another measure in addition to QALY, which values all years of life equally.) William Smith, visiting fellow at the Boston-based Pioneer Institute who previously worked for Pfizer, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and Republican governors in Massachusetts, said another problem with QALY is it sets the value for a life using the same dollar amount whether someone is a pediatric oncology patient or an older adult with a fatal disease. Because QALYs are applied to all patients and all therapies, they cant provide context for therapies to treat oncology patients, disabled patients, patients with rare disease and other types of patients that have unique challenges and conditions, Smith said. Opponents of QALYs point to Europe as an example of what could go wrong. In the United Kingdom, a board that determines what drugs are covered under the British National Health Service, the government-run health system, uses QALYs to determine what drugs to cover. After a decade of research showed that cancer patients were dying earlier than in other countries because they lacked access to certain oncology drugs, Parliament voted to pay for cancer drugs regardless of their cost-effectiveness. It is a way to ration care, said Terry Wilcox, co-founder and executive director of Patients Rising, a Washington, D.C-based advocacy group that works to increase access to care for patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases. The group takes funding from private foundations and companies, including some pharmaceutical companies. Wilcox called the QALY metric inconsistent and unfair, because if someone has a disease or disability, their life is valued lower than if they were healthy, so the person with a chronic condition who most needs medication could be denied access. The debate over the Affordable Care Act sparked intense criticism of the potential for measuring cost-effectiveness to lead to health care rationing, with Palin coining the inaccurate phrase death panels. The law ultimately banned the use of QALYs or a similar measure in Medicare. But there are instances where it is used in the U.S. New Yorks Medicaid program used a QALY analysis to negotiate a lower price on a cystic fibrosis drug. CVS Caremark recently said it will allow self-insured clients to exclude from their coverage drugs that are not deemed cost effective, using a QALY measure. (This will not apply to breakthrough drugs.) In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed giving MassHealth new authority to set drug prices for high-cost drugs based on a public rate-setting process. According to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the MassHealth proposal does not nor would not use any measures or methodologies for drug pricing that would have the effect of devaluing the life of an individual with a disability. Puppolo wants to ensure that MassHealth and private insurers never adopt this method. He said it is about ensuring access. At the end of the day, if someone needs medicine and you have insuranceyou should be able to access that medicine that a doctor or health care provider deems medically necessary, Puppolo said. We should not be able to use formulas for MassHealth or a private payer in terms of cost benefit analysis as a sole determining factor, or any determining factor, as to whether or not a patient deserves the care. Massachusetts health insurers oppose Puppolos amendment. In a letter to legislative leaders, the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans and other business groups wrote that the QALY is the gold standard for measuring how a medicine improves patients lives. They wrote that cost effectiveness analysis is a tool for keeping the price of drugs down by determining a fair price. The added cost per QALY gained for new treatments remains one of the best ways for policymakers to understand how well the price of a treatment lines up with its relative benefits and risks for patients compared to other treatment options, the business groups wrote. HOLYOKE With only 68% of the citys total pension liability funded, members of the Holyoke City Councils Finance Committee heard from vendors and city officials Wednesday night about one method for offsetting future retirement liabilities: Pension Obligation Bonds. Former Acting City Auditor Bellamy Schmidt, an ex-officio member of the citys Retirement Board, and Cinder McNerney, of Hilltop Securities, explained the pros and cons of the bonds, which can be used to partially or fully pay unfunded pension liabilities. The citys total pension liability is $418 million, with total plan assets of $283 million. The city expects to pay $14 million of its fiscal 2019 budget toward unfunded liability obligations. Schmidt said the bonds come with financial risks and are subject to market fluctuations. He added that the sweet spot for pursuing the bonds is after a downturn, when the economy shows signs of improvement. But asked about her opinion on the bonds, Cheryl Dugre the city Retirement Boards executive director said, Im scared to death. Dugre cited market risks, and said she favors a conservative investment approach that continues to yield results and above-average rates-of-return. Over $105 billion in Pension Obligation Bonds have been issued in 26 states, including three communities in Massachusetts: Brockton, Dracut and Worcester. While state law prohibits the bonds, municipalities can file special legislation to secure them. The state requires approval from the City Council and State Office of Administration and Finance before communities seek special legislation. Schmidt said the legislative process takes at least one year, and that hurdles exist at the state and federal levels, where the bonds face opposition. He added the state might require the city to set aside incurred savings to absorb potential future losses. Schmidt also recommended the city evaluate its threshold to absorb upfront losses, examine reducing only Holyoke Gas and Electrics unfunded liability, and develop plans that cover several financial scenarios and fall within the rating agency guidelines. Schmidts presentation included case studies for Brockton and Worcester. Brockton had a $142 million unfunded liability in 2005, or 62 percent funding. The city issued $100 million in Pension Obligation Bonds that averaged 5.5 percent annual returns, which raised the funding percentage to 89 percent. But the financial crisis of 2008 and underperforming bonds dropped the funding level to 58 percent by 2015. Worcester issued $200 million in Pension Obligation Bonds to fully fund its pension plan. A stock market crash in 2000 caused significant losses for the fund. Assessor Antony Dulude, Treasurer Sandra Smith, Holyoke Gas and Electric Manager James Lavelle and other members of the Holyoke Retirement Board were invited to attend the session. The conversation eventually steered toward funding for two proposed public middle schools a subject that was not on the committees posted meeting agenda. City Councilor Michael Sullivan asked several questions regarding bonding and a possible debt exclusion to fund the school construction. Councilor Joseph McGiverin, the committees chair, cautioned Sullivan to observe the states Open Meeting Law, which prohibits discussions of subjects not listed on an agenda. County jails in Massachusetts are believed to reap millions from the federal government to house immigrants facing deportation. But details on how much it costs to detain an immigrant each day and how much is reimbursed by the Department of Homeland Securitys Immigration and Customs Enforcement the net gain of housing immigrants in county jails are hard to come by. An amendment proposal that Rep. Antonio Cabral said would answer questions surrounding the cost of detaining immigrants at county jails died in House budget negotiations on Wednesday, shooting down advocates hopes of determining whether the state is funding immigrant detention for ICE. Its too bad. This would have provided some accountability on monies being expended by the state in support of ICE," said Marlene Pollock, a member of the Coalition for Social Justice and a vocal opponent of immigrant detention at the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction. Cabral, a New Bedford Democrat, proposed requiring the Department of Correction and county sheriffs to publish quarterly reports detailing the cost, revenue and federal reimbursements county jails get under two agreements with ICE. His amendment came at a time when both the governors and the House budget proposal recommended funding increases to the Department of Correction. One is the intergovernmental services agreement between ICE and sheriffs departments, which house immigrant inmates in the county jails for a reimbursement fee from the federal agency. Some are undocumented immigrants with no criminal records facing deportation, while others have both criminal charges and deportation proceedings. ICE has these agreements, commonly known as bed contracts, with sheriffs offices in Bristol, Franklin, Plymouth and Suffolk counties. Those reimbursements are sent to the commonwealth. The second is the 287(g) agreement, a controversial program that trains correction officers to check the immigration status of inmates and identify those facing serious charges to federal agents for possible deportation. Critics of the program, including Cabral, argue that cooperating with ICE could deter witnesses and especially victims of crimes from working with local law enforcement because they are undocumented. Proponents of the program argue they help keep residents safe from undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes. ICE has 287(g) agreements with the state Department of Correction, as well as sheriffs offices in Barnstable, Bristol and Plymouth counties. I think its important for those departments to provide an accurate account of what the costs are and what are the revenues associated from the federal government. That way we can have a better assessment, Cabral, a New Bedford Democrat, told MassLive earlier this week. Neither the Office of the Comptroller nor the Department of Correction tracks the costs of housing immigrant detainees at each county jail that has a beds contract with ICE. The comptroller referred a reporter to the Department of Correction. No one from the Department of Correction was not immediately available for comment. State officials say the annual cost of detaining an immigrant varies widely from one person to the next, not to mention from one jail to the next. County jails must factor the estimated cost of housing, food, clothing and basic medical care per day, but the cost also depends on whether an inmate is considered high-risk, an inmates medical needs and the salaries of the jail staff. Each immigrant detainees total cost depends on the length of stay, and immigrant detainees tend to have shorter lengths of stay than other inmates. A WBUR report in January found that the four sheriffs offices brought a total of nearly $40 million into the states general fund in fiscal 2017 and 2018 through the bed contracts with ICE. The report compared how much the sheriffs charged ICE to the county jails total operating expenses, but three of the four county jails said they dont track numbers or have information regarding the cost of housing immigrant detainees. The sheriff offices at Franklin, Plymouth and Suffolk counties did not respond to calls or messages from MassLive asking about the estimated daily costs for housing immigrant detainees. The only sheriff who provides estimates, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, doesnt buy that Cabrals efforts to track the costs of detaining immigrants helps bring transparency. Its the sort of incompetence of people like Representative Cabral, who has previously attempted to try to prevent law enforcement from working with ICE, said Hodgson, whose jail sits in Cabrals district. Under its beds contract with ICE, Bristol County Sheriffs office charges $98 per inmate per day. It used to cost $88 a day to house an inmate, leaving the commonwealth with a $10 profit per inmate per day. Hodgson said that the cost has gone up in the past year, so that profit has shrunk to $3.50 per inmate per day. Overall, spokesman Jonathan Darling said the office has made $61 million between 2011 and 2019 in reimbursements from ICE, or $6.77 million on average each year. Cabral and immigrant activists are skeptical that the office has brought in money for the state. They believe it costs much more than $98 a day to house each immigrant detainee. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the average daily cost of immigrant detention has increased in recent years, including costs of detention at contracted facilities such as county jails. In fiscal 2018, ICE estimated the average day rate per inmate at a contracted jail to cost $98. According to the fiscal 2020 budget overview report, that cost has shot up to more than $120 at those jails, and some estimate the costs could be higher. In fiscal 2019, the average daily bed rate was $126.52, said spokeswoman Danielle Bennett. She said that number represents the average across all of ICEs adult detention capacity, to include (jails with intergovernmental service agreements), as some contractual arrangements come in higher and some are lower. Hodgson said the national average doesnt reflect the operations at his jail, where he has tried to keep costs down. But checking the math proves difficult without tracking the cost of each inmate, no matter how widely it varies, and following their length of stay through prison population counts. Other sheriffs offices shared their day rates but not details about the costs. The Plymouth County Sheriffs Office charges ICE $93.82 per inmate per day, according to its agreement. The Suffolk County Sheriffs Office charges $90 per inmate per day, according to the original agreement. The Franklin County Sheriffs Office did not respond to questions about its daily bed rate for inmates detained for ICE. The Massachusetts Sheriffs Associations fiscal 2017 report on spending per inmate, the latest information available, does match Hodgsons claim that the jail spent on average $88 per inmate per day. The report includes spending per inmate at other counties, ranging from an average of $139 per inmate per day at Plymouth County Correctional Facility to $183 per inmate per day at Franklin County House of Correction. The state Department of Correction, however, cautions people from relying on daily averages because the costs can vary so widely from one inmate to the next. State auditor Suzanne Bump wrote in an audit report of Bristol County Sheriffs Department that the sheriff should renegotiate the contract with ICE for more money because the commonwealth may not be receiving equitable compensations for these services under this agreement. But Hodgson said the purpose of the beds contract is to keep residents in Bristol County safe from immigrants without legal status, not to profit off the federal government. Hodgson argues that the Salvadoran MS-13 gang is taking over Massachusetts, though federal authorities say they have made gains to dismantle the gang in Massachusetts in recent years. I know I make a profit on people coming here, and I more than cover my expenses, Hodgson said. Im not in the business of making a profit. Im in the business of making government run efficiently. Hodgsons cooperation with ICE has caught flak from local immigrant activists, including members of Bristol County for Correctional Justice. Two protesters were arrested and a local activist was thrown out of a public meeting with the sheriff earlier this month during his annual meeting with the public about his participation in the 287(g) program, MetroWest Daily News reported. Pollock, a member of the Coalition for Social Justice, said she had hoped the budget amendment would finally bring the type of transparency she has sought for years. There has to be more accountability, she said. The state government said nobodys really looking at whats going on and thats when these kinds of things can slip through the budget items. SPRINGFIELD -- A man was seriously injured when his arm became pinned in the wheel well of a car Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters were able to quickly free him from the Honda Civic. He was brought to the hospital by ambulance, said Dennis Leger, executive aide to Fire Commissioner Bernard J. Calvi. The incident occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. on 104 Darmouth St., Leger said. SPRINGFIELD A 21-year-old homeless man, wanted in North Carolina for firearm and assault charges, was arrested by police Wednesday morning. Khalif Slaughter was arrested about 10 a.m. at Massachusetts Avenue and Wilbraham Road, Ryan Walsh, spokesman for Springfield police, said. He will be extradited to North Carolina. Slaughter is charged with: fugitive from justice warrant (Cleveland County), possession of a firearm by felon, two counts of assault with serious bodily injury, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to kill and discharging a firearm in an occupied property in a moving vehicle. He was arrested by members of the Springfield Police Departments Warrant Apprehension Unit, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Squad and the Hampden County Sheriffs Department. The Massachusetts State Police have introduced its newest four-legged colleague, but instead of helping to solve crime, this pup will be used to comfort civilians and first responders after traumatic situations. Luna, a 4-month-old English Black Labrador, is the agencys first ever comfort dog. She will live with Trooper Chad Tata and his family and go to work with him every day, helping to reduce stress and promote wellness for first responders after traumatic incidents. Eventually, Luna will also work with civilian victims and survivors. Luna is the first ever comfort dog to serve with the Massachusetts State Police and she is a welcome addition to our fundamental mission to help people in need, Col. Kerry Gilpin said in a statement. We know all too well the devastating effects of traumatic stress, and we are fortunate to have Luna available to first responders, their family members, and other victims in need of support. Luna will train with Tata one-on-one every day and will be certified as a therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. She is part of my day-to-day routine, as well as responding to all my call outs, Tata said. She will attend all debriefings that I am invited to, as well as coming with me to the office. It is important to get Luna around as many people on our job as possible. Eventually, Luna will be able to travel to incidents not only throughout Massachusetts, but also out of state to assist with mass casualty situations. Luna responded to her first call last week, assisting Springfield police officers who responded to an altercation outside a nightclub on April 14. One of the officers was shot twice and survived. State police said the dogs presence was a great benefit to the officers. Luna was donated by Peggi and David Brogan of Boonefield Labradors in Rindge, New Hampshire. Boonefield Labradors are known for their calm temperaments and sweet personalities. She is assigned to the agencys Employee Assistance Unit. SPRINGFIELD Murphys Pop Stop at 74-78 Island Pond Road has closed for good and the building has been sold to an unnamed convenience store operator from eastern Massachusetts. A marijuana retailer who had been eyeing the site is now rushing to finish plans for a backup location in Indian Orchard before a May 20 city deadline on marijuana retailer proposals. Frank Dailey, a neighborhood resident and co-owner of Boston Bud Factory, said he cant name the specific location in Indian Orchard yet. We had a lot of engineering and site work in for that (Island Pond Road) site, Dailey said by phone Wednesday. "This sale means that Boston Bud Factory will not be doing anything at Murphys that we know of. The restaurant, lottery shop and newsstand has been and East Forest Park fixture for decades. Dailey said Pop Stop owner Patrick Murphy informed him personally of the sale. I wish the family the best. I think thats awesome, Dailey said. Our whole reason for working at that site was to try and preserve it for the neighborhood. In a message on the stores Facebook page Wednesday afternoon, Murphy wrote: We would like to thank our wonderful customers, and citizens of Springfield for being the best customers for the past 37 years. After a long run we have decided to sell the property and business as of today. I would hope the neighborhood will support the new owners as well as they have supported us over the years. We will miss our customers and our family has lived to serve the city of Springfield since the 1950s when my grandfather owned and operated Murphy Mobile at 883 Sumner Avenue. But times change, and the daily grind of running a seven day a week business for our family was too much. The new owners are convenience store operators from Eastern Mass. We wish them the best. There is no property transfer or new deed filed at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds. But such a document wouldnt be available until several weeks after the closing. Dailey said employees at Murphys were notified Sunday and the store closed Monday. Neighbors, including Ward 7 Councilor Timothy Allen, strongly opposed including Island Pond Road on a list of city streets where marijuana businesses will be allowed, citing the nearby residences. The new owners plan to reopen sometime next week, former owner Patrick Murphy said. Theyll run the store as a convenience store as before and will look for a renter to take over the restaurant. Im sad to be leaving the location. I really love my customers. We had a great run, Murphy said. It's just he and his mother, Barbara, running the business with seven employees. That's a lot of work and commitment. He said the marijuana business idea was something he and his family pursued because they wanted to sell. But the Murphy family feared the long process of regulatory approvals would hold up the sale. They wanted to move quickly. This was more of a sure thing, Murphy said. HUNTINGTON Anticipating a court fight with Donald Trump over access to the presidents tax returns, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said hes likely to release his own returns in the future. And I certainly would if I were running for president, Neal said following a tour and meeting with health care providers at Hilltown Community Health Center in Huntington. Neal is not in the Democratic field for the 2020 presidential race. But candidates on the trail have released their tax records in hopes of drawing attention to the opaque nature of Trumps business deals. Neal said he, like all members of Congress, must fill out an annual financial disclosure form. Those business deals involved complex, decades-long maneuvers to avoid real estate taxes, as outlined by the New York Times. Trump broke with decades of precedent by not releasing his taxes during the 2016 campaign. Although its not required by law, every presidential nominee since the 1970s has publicly released his or her tax returns except for Gerald Ford, who released a summary. Neal has been drawing charges of hypocrisy for not releasing his own taxes. Although he said Thursday that he likely would release them, he did not give a date. The Treasury Department, which Neal oversees as chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, missed the Tuesday deadline for providing Trumps tax records, saying it needs until May 5. Meanwhile, Trump and his team have shown no willingness to comply, and hes vowed to fight every subpoena or investigative move by Congress. I was never under any illusion that this would end up anyplace but the courts, Neal said Thursday. I knew from very early on that this would be fought in a court case. Its why, he said, hes been very careful in publicly discussing the tax issue so as not to jeopardize the case. Neal was first elected to the House in 1988 after having served as Springfield mayor and a city council member. SPRINGFIELD Police Capt. Richard Labelle has been suspended for five days without pay following an off-duty incident where he reportedly pulled his gun during a dispute in the Walmart parking lot on Boston Road. Acting Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood handed down the maximum suspension allowed without a Civil Service hearing, police spokesman Ryan Walsh said on Wednesday. Following the five-day suspension, Labelle will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. The results of an investigation by the Major Crimes Unit has been presented to the district attorneys office, and turned over to the Massachusetts State Police detective unit assigned to that office. The incident on Saturday outside Walmart was reportedly captured on video from store security cameras, and on cellphone used by a spectator. While the video clearly shows Labelle drawing his weapon, the circumstances leading up to that point remain murky, according to a police official involved in the investigation. As best investigators can tell, the altercation in the parking lot was the result of a road rage. Labelle apparently cut someone off in traffic, and the other driver took exception to it. The other driver is said to have confronted Labelle in the parking lot, words were exchanged, and at some point, the captain drew his weapon. It was unclear as to whether Labelle felt threatened in the confrontation and needed to draw his firearm in self-defense. In 2002, Labelle was involved in a Westfield crash in which two children in another car were killed. A jury acquitted him of vehicular homicide, but convicted him of reckless operation of a motor vehicle. He was given two years probation. Labelle is a 22-year veteran of the department, and a second-generation member of the department. His father, Richard Labelle, was himself a long-time officer and supervisor. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has suspended District Court Judge Shelley Joseph without pay following her indictment Thursday on charges that she obstructed justice by helping an immigrant defendant avoid arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This Order is based solely on the fact that a sitting judge has been indicted for alleged misconduct in the performance of her judicial duties, the SJC said in its suspension order. "It in no way reflects any opinion on the merits of the pending criminal case. The Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits all judges from making any statement that might reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending or impending in any Massachusetts court. " Joseph was still hearing cases up until this week. According to federal prosecutors, ICE issued an immigration detainer against Jose Medina-Perez following his arrest on drug charges by Newton Police in March of 2018. Medina-Perez, who had previously been deported and ordered not to return to the U.S., also had an open fugitive of justice warrant for a Pennsylvania drunk driving case. A plainclothes ICE agent showed up at Newton District Court for Medina-Perez arraignment, intending to take him into custody. But federal prosecutors allege that Joseph ordered the agent out of the courtroom and ordered the courtroom recorder turned off as she discussed Medina-Perez ICE detainer with his defense attorney and an Assistant District Attorney. ICE is gonna get him? Joseph said, according to a transcript of the recorded portion of the conversation. Joseph then ordered Medina-Perez released without bail and instructed Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor to accompany him to the downstairs lockup, while barring the ICE agent from entering the courtroom, according to prosecutors. MacGregor then allegedly allowed Medina-Perez to exit through a back door. MacGregor retired last month. Both Joseph and MacGregor were indicted Thursday on counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting obstruction of a federal proceeding. Prosecutors also alleged MacGregor committed perjury, falsely telling a federal grand jury that he did not know there was an ICE detainer for Medina-Perez at the time. Both immigrant advocates and some state judges have chafed at the presence of federal immigration authorities in courtrooms, saying they can intimidate immigrants out of appearing in court as witnesses. Correction: The SJC, not the Massachusetts Trial Court, issued the suspension order. The World Health Organization has issued its first-ever guidance for how much screen time children under 5 should get: not very much, and none at all for those under 1. The U.N. health agency said Wednesday that kids under 5 should not spend more than one hour watching screens every day and that less is better. The guidelines are somewhat similar to advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics. That group recommends children younger than 18 months should avoid screens other than video chats. It says parents of young children under two should choose high-quality programming with educational value and that can be watched with a parent to help kids understand what theyre seeing. Some groups said WHOs screen time guidelines failed to consider the potential benefits of digital media. WHOs screen time advice overly focuses on quantity of screen time and fails to consider the content and context of use, said Andrew Przybylski, director of research at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford. Not all screen time is created equal. Britains Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said the data available were too weak to allow its experts to set any thresholds for the appropriate level of screen time. Our research has shown that currently there is not strong enough evidence to support the setting of screen time limits, said Dr. Max Davie, the colleges Officer for Health Improvement. The restricted screen time limits suggested by WHO do not seem proportionate to the potential harm, he said. WHO did not specifically detail the potential harm caused by too much screen time, but said the guidelines which also included recommendations for physical activity and sleep were needed to address the increasing amount of sedentary behavior in the general population. It noted that physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for death and a contributor to the rise in obesity. The agency said infants less than 1 year should spend at least half an hour every day on their stomachs and that older kids should get at least three hours of physical activity every day. After many votes and multiple vetoes, Massachusetts lawmakers have finally lifted the cap on kids, which denies additional welfare benefits for children born while a family is already receiving welfare. Lifting the Cap on Kids will make a critical difference in the lives of 8,700 of the lowest income children in Massachusetts, said Deborah Harris of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute in a statement. With todays vote, Massachusetts has affirmed the dignity and humanity of every child. The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday voted 37-3 to override Gov. Charlie Bakers veto and lift the cap. The House previously voted on April 10, by a 155-1 vote, to override Bakers veto. The cap lift will become law retroactive to Jan. 1, 2019. Sixth time was the charm, but really this is a day when people came together from all around the state, said Sen. Sal DiDomenico, D-Everett. The administration has until Sept. 1 to put the policy in place and make sure families are getting back payments as well as the additional money going forward. A single mother with two children, one of whom was born while the family was on welfare, will see her monthly payment increase from $491 to $593. We are thrilled that our Commonwealth has repealed the cruel and unjust family cap, said Jacquelynne Bowman, executive director of Greater Boston Legal Services, in a statement. This is an important step in helping Massachusetts act on the promise of supporting very low-income families to meet their childrens basic needs. Welfare benefits are based on family size. Many states instituted caps around the time of federal welfare reform in 1996 to discourage women on welfare from having more children. Advocates for repealing the cap say women do not decide whether to have a child based on a $100 monthly addition to their welfare check, and the entire family suffers with less money. There are an estimated 8,700 children in Massachusetts who were born to families receiving welfare payments, so their families benefits do not reflect their birth. Massachusetts had been one of 16 states to still have a family cap. It is now the ninth state to repeal one. The Democratic-led Legislature voted to lift the cap as part of the state budget last year. But Baker, a Republican, would not sign the provision, instead returning it to the Legislature and asking them to make a change regarding what income would be counted in determining a familys eligibility for benefits. The Legislature declined to make the change which would have denied welfare benefits to an estimated 5,200 children with a disabled parent. But the session ended before they had time to override Bakers veto. This year, lawmakers again voted for a bill to lift the cap and sent it back to Baker. Baker again vetoed the bill, asking for a broader set of welfare reforms. This time, the Legislature had enough time to easily override his veto and enact the policy. This is a day that we can all say, we made a difference in peoples lives," DiDomenico said, "and our children are going to benefit from this. SPRINGFIELD Lewis Starkey III is expected to plead guilty on July 2 in Hampden Superior Court in connection with a Chicopee shooting. Assistant District Attorney Janine M. Simonian and defense lawyer Michael P. Sheridan reported that date to a Hampden Superior Court judge this week. According to police, Starkey appeared at Specialized Trucking in Chicopee at about 1:30 a.m. on July 5, 2017, and fired a shotgun through a window. A male employee was seriously injured, and Starkey, reportedly an employee of the company, fled the scene. He is charged with armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and assault and battery with a firearm. All charges list the same man as victim. Police said that shooting happened in the hours after Starkey, 55, fatally shot his girlfriend, Amanda Glover, at their Wendell home shortly after midnight on July 5. Starkey was convicted earlier this month by a Franklin Superior Court jury of first-degree murder for shooting Glover with a shotgun, and of armed assault with attempt to murder for shooting at Glovers adult son, Devin Glover. A conviction of first-degree murder automatically results in a life sentence without parole. The large protest by students, staff and other interested citizens during former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions appearance at Amherst College was predictable. Those individuals had every right to express their distaste in peaceful assembly. On the other hand, Sessions had every right to exercise his free speech and those who wanted to attend had the right to hear him. Thats what unfolded Wednesday at a college which, like many higher education institutions large and small, is grappling with issues of free speech on campus in a polarized, highly-charged political environment. Amherst College merits credit for allowing the Sessions speech to take place. If there was any surprise, it was that the former Cabinet member of President Trump would appear at a campus whose reputation for liberal politics was amplified by the successful movement to change its teams nickname and no longer honor Lord Jeffery Amherst, a controversial British commander of the 17th Century. Sessions came at the behest of the colleges Republican Club. Not everyone thought that appropriate: economics professor Jessica Reyes protested Sessions policies she said trampled the rights of thousands. Amherst College is a private institution, we can chose who we welcome to campus. We shouldnt invite people who treat people as badly as Jeff Sessions did, Reyes said. It is a private institution, but no college is divorced from its place in American society, culture and thought. Insulate these institutions, pick and choose how free speech is to be exercised behind the invisible walls at the campus border - and you are guilty of exactly what conservatives, including Sessions and Trump, say is happening on many American campuses. Reyes is certainly entitled to her opinion of Sessions, his policies and impact. But the basis of democracy is to win a particular cause with diligence and persuasion, not banish those who disagree - a tactic that never works in the long run, anyway, because it merely replaces passionate debate with seething resentment. The goal of a great college should not be to select which views are acceptable and which must be silenced. Whether an institution is public or private is irrelevant. A great college must trust that once its educated young people hear all sides of important issues, they will have the knowledge, wisdom and courage to choose the proper course. Who knows? Maybe after doing that, the majority would side against Sessions and with citizens such as Reyes. Maybe not. But Sessions was a speaker, not a hypnotist. Denying his appearance would have exhibited mistrust in the same students the college is assigned to train for the future. Remove the debate, even (and perhaps especially) unpleasant debate, and you are giving up on the First Amendment and participatory democracy. Amherst College is to be commended for not letting that happen, and for allowing a speaker it knew would be unpopular to come and speak his piece. Joe Biden announced his presidential bid with an online video ending months of speculation of whether the vice president would try a third run for the White House. Biden, 76, is the 20th Democrat to join the race. In recent months, Biden has floated the idea of presidential campaign, but had not committed officially until the release of his video Thursday. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," Biden said in the video. In his video, Biden talked about Charlottesville, Virginia and the Unite the Right white supremacist rally held there in 2017, which resulted in the death of one woman. Biden focused on President Donald Trumps response to the rally saying there were very fine people on both sides. With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalent between those spreading hate and those who had the courage to stand against it," Biden said in his video. "At that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any that Id seen in my lifetime. Biden is the second oldest person in the race, with Sen. Bernie Sanders, 78, also running. Earlier this month, Biden made headlines when Lucy Flores, a former Nevada lawmakers, accused him of kissing and touching her inappropriately. Days later a second woman, Amy Lappos of Connecticut, said Biden pulled her close to him to rub noses while she working at a fundraiser. It raised questions about Bidens behavior around women. In a video after the allegations - and videos of the vice president giving shoulder massages and hugs to women over his decades in politics made the rounds on the internet - he promised to change, but stopped short of apologizing. The boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. I get it. I get it. I hear what theyre saying and I understand it, he said in the video. Ill be much more mindful. Thats my responsibility and Ill meet it. This is Bidens third time running for president. He ran unsuccessfully 1988 and 2008 as a Democratic senator from Delaware before being picked as Barack Obamas running mate and successfully being elected vice president of the United States for two terms. Ev Evnen whipped out their drivers license from their suit coat pocket on Thursday afternoon outside the Senate Chamber, showing reporters where it says female." Evnen, who identifies as nonbinary, said neither male nor female is an appropriate marker. Although my whiteness and my masculinity offered me a lot of protection, I still worry that when I hand my license over to a TSA agent, a clerk at the grocery store or a law enforcement official, that the difference between the person they see in front of them and the gender marker on my license will result in unjust treatment," said Evnen, interim executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Evnen was one of several advocates who applauded the Senate on Thursday for passing a bill to let residents list their genders as "X" on state drivers licenses and eventually do the same on birth certificates and other government documents. Its the Senates second attempt in two years to pass legislation offering gender-neutral drivers licenses in Massachusetts. The bill, introduced this session by Sen. Jo Comerford, a Northampton Democrat, passed 39-1 on Thursday. Sen. Donald F Humason, a Westfield Republican, voted against the bill. The bill was considered a top priority for Senate President Karen Spilka, who introduced the first iteration last year. It passed in the Senate but died in the House on the last day of the legislative session. Not everyone fits neatly into male or female, and this bill helps to recognize that, and recognize the strength and dignity of every single resident, said Spilka, an Ashland Democrat. I think that its important for people to realize that their voices absolutely matter. Spilka said she is hopeful that the bill will pass in the House. Her bill last year died in the House on the last day of the legislative session. Rep. Jim Lyons introduced 25 amendments of the bill last time. Each amendment would add a different option for gender in addition to X, including cisgender female, androgyne and other permutations of gender. Lyons is now head of the Massachusetts Republican Party. Evnen also expressed optimism that the House will move forward with the gender "X" legislation. Ten states now offer gender-neutral licenses, with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles announcing the change this week. Opponents of the bill have criticized the measure as an example of the lefts hypocrisy, arguing it would lead to false government documents. If you look at your drivers license right now, it does not say what gender you identify as; it lists your sex as male or female. That accurately reflects biology and anatomy," Andrew Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute wrote in a statement. "I may identify as 64 and 25 years old, but I have no business putting that on my drivers license if I am in reality barely 6 feet tall and was born more than 40 years ago. This version includes an amendment from Comerford that would take stock of all the state documents that ask for a residents gender and change them to include an "X" option. Comerford told reporters on Thursday those documents range from birth certificates to fishing licenses. When you start looking at the state documents, you realize how many times for folks who identify as non-binary or trans, how many times we were forcing them to not be truly who they are, Comerford said. LGBTQ advocates, including Evnen, surrounded Spilka, Comerford and Sen. Julian Cyr, a Truro Democrat, and described how the bill would affect them. Katherine OConnor, a 15-year-old student at Brookline High School, plans to apply for a drivers license soon and hopes to see a gender-neutral option on the form. My state documents dont reflect who I am, OConnor said, and a discrepancy in how I introduce myself and how an official might recognize me is common. BOSTON Eduardo Rodriguez and Dustin Pedroia were chatting in the dugout during a game about four days ago when the second baseman asked the pitcher, You want to see a nasty breaking ball? Yeah, bro," Rodriguez replied. He told me to hold the ball like this and throw it like that, Rodriguez recalled. "Two days ago I started throwing it with (bullpen catcher) Mani (Martinez). The Red Sox lefty used the new breaking ball grip during his start here Wednesday. Rodriguez hurled 6 innings, allowing just one run, two hits and three walks while striking out seven. The Red Sox won 11-4 over the Tigers at Fenway Park. I told him, Bro, Im going to throw that today and you tell me how it is,'" Rodriguez said. And I think it worked pretty good. Rodriguez isnt sure whether to classify the pitch as a slider or curveball. I dont know. Whatever you want to call it. Why would he trust Pedroia, a position player, to show him a breaking ball grip? Everything hes been doing. I mean, MVP, Rookie of the Year. A lot of things hes been winning already. All the time hes got in the big leagues, I mean, Ive got to believe him. And I did it and it worked. SPRINGFIELD A woman police say was sexually assaulted at Holyoke Medical Center is suing the hospital and the man who allegedly raped her. At the request of the womans lawyer Hampden Superior Court Judge Jane Mulqueen ordered documents in the case, including the complaint itself, impounded. The lawyer filed the suit using Jane Doe as the name in the docket entries. A hospital spokeswoman declined to comment on the suit. In addition to the hospital, Chicopee resident John Zawada, 67, is named as a defendant, according to court records. A Hampden County grand jury indicted Zawada in March on charges of rape, two counts of indecent assault and battery and failure to register as a sex offender. Zawada, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to possession of child pornography, was initially charged after allegedly assaulting the unconscious woman in the hospitals emergency room, where he was seeking treatment, on Nov. 25. The civil suit alleges that staff members failed to protect the woman while she slept, The Boston Globe reports, and that the hospital was careless in how it trained employees. Both the victim and the alleged assailant apparently were seeking treatment in the emergency departments behavioral health unit in November, hospital officials said at the time. The Globe, citing internal investigation reports the hospital filed with state regulators, reported that four staff members on duty were busy with other patients and did not notice the man enter the womans room. A police report said a nurse eventually heard the victim yelp, saw Zawada on a video monitoring screen, and ran into the room. According to the hospital reports, which The Globe obtained through a public records request, the hospital found that mental health staff were spending more time behind the nursing desk and not engaging in patient care." After the incident, staff were instructed not to sit behind the nursing desk or carry cellphones at work. The medical center also adopted mandatory shift meetings for staff to review patients histories, including sexual predator tendencies. We are taking the different requests from the different agencies and we are requesting assistance from the state through what we call WebEOC, said Wright. So what were doing is they may be requesting swift water teams, NCI buses, extra DOT staffing, the message to change on the interstate, stuff like that, so theyre making those formal requests on what we call a 213, and that is coming over to the logistics officer, and then he is going over what the request is and then he is submitting it to me for WebEOC entry, where I request the resource from the state. CBCT dental imaging market has developed considerably over time with breakthroughs in technology. Market focused reports related to the healthcare domain among others recently have been made available by Market Research Future which publishes reports on this market. The market is estimated to earn USD 565.3 million in revenues by the end of the forecast period and is estimated to develop at athrough the forecast period. Get Free Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2539 Advancements in the technological aspects of CBCT dental imaging, the market has developed at an accelerated pace in the past. Dental practitioners have effectively migrated from 2D scanning and imaging systems to CBCT dental imaging due to the benefits that can be gained from its use. The practitioners by the use of CBCT imaging derive better and higher quality of data to treat dental ailments better. Rise in the level of elderly population is an important factor contributing towards the development of the market. Market Segmentation The global CBCT Dental Imaging Market segmentation is classified in terms of three key dynamics, namely types of detector, end-users, and application. By types of detector, the market divides into image intensifier and flat panel detectors. By end-users, the market comprises of academic & research institutes, hospitals & dental clinics, and others. By application, the market includes orthodontics, dental implants, endodontics, and others. Detailed Regional Analysis Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World are the regions that are being studied for the CBCT dental imaging market globally. The U.S. in the North American region is the major market for CBCT Dental Imaging. A CAGR of 9.5 percent is forecasted for the U.S. market for CBCT dental imaging and is estimated to touch USD 280.9 Million in revenues by the end of the forecast period. The European region is the second largest in the market which is estimated to develop at a CAGR of 10.0 percent. India in the Asia Pacific region is estimated to be a rapidly growing region in CBCT dental imaging market. Competitive Landscape The global CBCT dental imaging market is led by various prominent and key players like S.R.O., Imaging Sciences International, LLC (US), Carestream Health (US), FONA Dental (Slovakia), Gendex (US), KaVo Dental GmbH (Germany), Dentsply Sirona (US), Vatech Networks (Republic of Korea), Prexion (US), Sinclair Dental/Dentaire (Canada), J. Morita MFG.CORP. (Japan), SOREDEX (Finland), Planmeca OY (Finland), and others. Intended Audience CBCT Device Manufacturers CBCT Device Suppliers Private Research Laboratories Research and Development (R&D) Companies Market Research and Consulting Service Providers Medical Research Laboratories Get More Information on CBCT Dental Imaging Market Research Report- Global Forecast to 2023 @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/usie-cbct-dental-imaging-market-2539 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. 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 Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com The Forensic Swab Market is anticipated to expand while expanding at a 5.8% CAGR TILL 2023. Global Forensic Swab Market Information by By Type (Foam, Flocked, Cotton), By Type of Swap Shaft (Wood Stick Shaft, Polystyrene Shaft), By End Users (Forensic Science Laboratories, Hospitals), By Region (Americas, North America, South America, Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific and The Middle East and Africa) Global Forecasts till 2023 Key Players : Market Research Future (MRFR) recognizes the following companies as the key players in Forensic Swab Market: There are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe. The global forensic swab market hosts a number of key and prominent players who are modifying the competitive landscape in a positive manner. This includes names such as Copan Italia S.p.A., Merck KGaA, Dickinson and Company, SARSTEDT AG & Co. KG, Puritan Medical Products, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., MWE, Becton, Sirchie, Luna, and MEDTECH Forensics. To Get Free Sample Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6929 Forensic Swab Market Outlook As per the latest published report by Market Research Future (MRFR), the global forensic swab market is expected to grow at a decent pace in the forthcoming years of the forecast period. The market valuation is expected to attain revenue accruing to USD 49.09 million with a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period between 2018 and 2023. The usage of swabs in the forensic industry plays a critical role in identifying and deciphering various genetic samples. Swabs are considered as one of the most important tools for the collection of laboratory samples. The growing adoption of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) forensics and the proliferating usage of laboratory services across hospitals as well as independent agencies is anticipated to steer the forensic swab market towards growth during the review period. Also, the global market for forensic swabs is also forecasted to be accelerated by the favorable support from the government and the rising levels of demand in the forthcoming years. Due to presence of various notable and prominent players, the market is expected to garner notable development in the coming years. Segments for Global Forensic Swab Market The segmental analysis of the forensic swab market is segmented on the basis of type of swab shaft, type, end-user, and region. On the basis of type, the forensic swab market is segmented into foam, flocked, and cotton tips. The foam type segment was found to be heading the market segment in 2017. The cotton swabs segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR through the forecast period. The segmentation on the basis of types of swab shaft segments the forensic swab market into wood stick shaft, polystyrene shaft, and others. The polystyrene shaft was found to be the topmost market portion in 2017 and is expected to observe the highest CAGR in the duration of the forecast period. The end user based segmentation of the market comprises of hospitals, forensic science laboratories, among others. The forensic science laboratories segment was in charge of the market in 2017 and is projected to carry on with its control in the forecast period. Regional Analysis for Global Forensic Swab Market The global forensic swab market is regionally segmented into regions like the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The Americas hold the dominant share and shoulders a massive portion of the global market. The Americas hold the largest share due to factors like growing crime cases, increasing number of forensic labs, and various samplings of blood. The region is expected to hold onto its dominant position and lead the market standings in the forthcoming years. Additionally, the expanding number of forensic labs and a rising number of microbiological tests and hospitals also help drive the market in this region. The European region hold the second largest share in the market as per the last conducted study in 2017. The region is poised to grow in the forthcoming years due to growth in the number of hospitals, research labs, and the surging number of accident cases. The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to grow at an annual rate of 6.1% during the period between 2017 and 2023. The growth in this region can be attributed to the growing commonness of numerous diseases, an expanding number of forensic labs, and the imperative need for blood sampling. Lastly, the Middle East and Africa region is anticipated to witness slow growth and development due to limited exposure to forensic labs and lack of awareness concerning forensic swabs. To Browse Complete Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/forensic-swab-market-6929 Some Brief Table of Contents of Report Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope Of The Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restrains 4.3 Opportunities 4.4 Challenges 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis 5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis 5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers TOC Continued LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 LIST OF ASSUMPTIONS 15 TABLE 2 PRIMARY INTERVIEWS 18 TABLE 3 GLOBAL FORENSIC SWAB MARKET, BY TYPE 2015-2023 (USD MILLION) 32 TABLE 4 GLOBAL FORENSIC SWAB MARKET, FOR FOAM TYPE 2015-2023 (USD MILLION) 33 TABLE 5 GLOBAL FORENSIC SWAB MARKET, FOR FLOCKED TYPE 2015-2023 (USD MILLION) 33 Continued Do You Have Specific Requirement? Ask To Our Experts https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/6929 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 GLOBAL FORENSIC SWAB MARKET: MARKET STRUCTURE 16 FIGURE 2 RESEARCH PROCESS 18 FIGURE 3 TOP-DOWN & BOTTOM-UP APPROACH 21 FIGURE 4 MARKET DYNAMICS: GLOBAL FORENSIC SWAB MARKET 23 FIGURE 5 DRIVERS IMPACT ANALYSIS: THE GLOBAL FORENSIC SWAB MARKET 24 Continued About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Market Research Futures (MRFR) report on the global acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment is expected to grow at a moderate CAGR of 5.3% over the forecast period of 2017 to 2023 and culminate in a value above USD 1 Bn by the end of the assessment period. This type of cancer is comparatively rare and progresses at a rapid pace thus creating significant demand for effective treatment and diagnostic options. Increasing diagnoses of AML are due to exposure to carcinogenics which are present everywhere. Changing lifestyles have given rise to unhealthy habits which lead to cancer. AML can also be passed genetically, and increased prevalences of cancer combined with the growing population drive the market. Other key factors of note which are affecting the market include improving reimbursement policies, and increasing number of cancer hospitals staffed with specialists to specifically treat cancers like AML. Supportive funding for research and development of treatment for this swiftly progressing diseases is expected to offer various opportunities for growth. Awareness regarding actual myeloid leukemia has been observed to be increasing and is likely to increase diagnoses and lead to growth over the forecast period. However, the side effects associated with drugs used for treatment currently and the availability of effective medication are challenging the growth of the market. Get Free Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3223 Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Market Key Players The competitive analysis of the global AML market reveals key strategies used by various leading market players. Prominent players included in the report are Ambit Biosciences Corporation, Novartis AG, Sanofi, Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer Inc. Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Market Segmentation The global acute myeloid leukemia treatment market is segmented on the basis of disease type, treatment, and region. By disease type, the market is segmented into promyelocytic, myeloblastic, myelomonocytic, monocytic, megakaryocytic and erythroleukemia. By treatment, the market is segmented into chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The chemotherapy segment is further segmented into post remission and induction. The regional segmentation of the AML treatment market divides the globe into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Market Regional Analysis Led by the US, North America accounts for the largest share of the global market. The presence of various market-leading players and increasing investments in R&D for drug development drives the market. The region has favorable reimbursement policies and high healthcare expenditure which bring it to the forefront of the global acute myeloid leukemia treatment market. Europe follows the North American market due to a large number of hospitals present in the region combined with high disposable incomes. North America and Europe follow similar growth patterns. The Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the review period due to large unmet potential present in the region. Countries such as India and China are anticipated to drive demand for AML treatment. The rapid growth in the regions economy combined with a growing demand for advanced healthcare is expected to encourage considerable growth for the APAC. Browse Complete Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/acute-myeloid-leukemia-treatment-market-3223 Table Of Content 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 DEFINITION 1.2 SCOPE OF STUDY 1.2.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 1.2.2 ASSUMPTIONS & LIMITATIONS 1.2.2.1 ASSUMPTIONS 1.2.2.2 LIMITATIONS 1.3 MARKET STRUCTURE: 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 2.1 RESEARCH PROCESS: 2.2 PRIMARY RESEARCH 2.3 SECONDARY RESEARCH: 3 MARKET DYNAMICS 3.1 DRIVERS 3.2 RESTRAINTS 3.3 OPPORTUNITIES 3.4 MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS 4 MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS 4.1 PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODEL 4.2 BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS 4.3 BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS 4.4 THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS 4.5 THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES 4.6 INTENSITY OF RIVALRY 5 GLOBAL ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA TREATMENT MARKET, BY DISEASE TYPE 5.1 MYELOBLASTIC 5.2 PROMYELOCTIC 5.3 MYELOMONOCYTIC 5.4 MONOCYTIC 5.5 ERYTHROLEUKEMIA 5.6 MEGAKARYOCYTIC TOC Continued.! About US: Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Description Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Medical Tourism -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2023 To Its Research Database Global Medical Tourism Market is accounted for $17.1 billion in 2015 and is poised to reach $57.2 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 18.8% during the forecast period. Affordable good quality care, presence of advanced medical technologies and better pricing for cosmetic surgeries are likely to fuel the market for medical tourism. However, Limited coverage, false medical practices and lengthy partial reimbursement by payers are hindering the market growth. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. India, Singapore and Thailand countries attract the majority medical tourists driven by the better quality care available at reasonable prices and within least waiting time. Mexico is the top medical tourism destination and hosts the largest number of medical tourists in the world, especially North and Latin Americans, due to quality treatment with efficient cost. India creates awareness to a large number of medical tourists due to its specialization in the field of cardiac surgeries. The Malaysian management has taken up various proposals to develop the medical service in the country in order to expand the market. Some of the key players in the market include Fortis Hospital, Gleneagles Hospital, Asklepios Klinik Barmbek, Wooridul Spine Hospital, Prince Court Medical centre, Anadolu Medical Centre, Clemenceau Medical centre, Raffles Medical Group, Bumrungrad International Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Medical Center, Asian Heart Institute, KPJ Healthcare Berhad, Samitivej Sukhumvit, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited and Min-Sheng General Hospital. Treatment type Covered: Dental treatment Cardiovascular treatment Cancer treatment Cosmetic treatment Neurological treatment Orthopedic treatment Fertility treatment Other general treatments Request for Sample Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/456581-medical-tourism-global-market-outlook-2015-2022 Products Covered: Reagents & Media Instruments Accessories & Consumables End Users Covered: Diagnostics Food Research Laboratories Point of Care Testing Others o Environmental Industry o Defense Regions Covered: North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the World What our report offers: Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments Market share analysis of the top industry players Strategic recommendations for the new entrants Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements Table of Content 1 Executive Summary 2 Preface 3 Market Trend Analysis 4 Porters Five Force Analysis 7 Key Developments 8 Company Profiling 8.1 Fortis Hospital 8.2 Gleneagles Hospital 8.3 Asklepios Klinik Barmbek 8.4 Wooridul Spine Hospital 8.5 Prince Court Medical centre 8.6 Anadolu Medical Centre 8.7 Clemenceau Medical centre 8.8 Raffles Medical Group 8.9 Bumrungrad International Hospital 8.10 Bangkok Hospital Medical Center 8.11 Asian Heart Institute 8.12 KPJ Healthcare Berhad 8.13 Samitivej Sukhumvit 8.14 Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited 8.15 Min-Sheng General Hospital Continued Leave a Query @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/456581-medical-tourism-global-market-outlook-2015-2022 Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Description Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Sexually Transmitted Diseases -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2024 To Its Research Database Sexually transmitted infections are asymptomatic and often undiagnosed. Routinely screening and preventive measures are important for early identification, which can prevent severe complications and further transmission. An untreated STD results in several other chronic diseases including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, increased risk of HIV and other STDs. There are certain strains of HPV that are linked to cervical, penile, throat and anal cancers. Various types of STDs include: Gonorrhea. Syphilis. Herpes. Chlamydia. Hepatitis (HBV). Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Human Papilloma Virus (HPV or genital warts). Chancroid. Trichomoniasis. Sexually transmitted infections are spread through sexual contact. These infections are primarily transmitted from one person to another via sexually transmissible bacteria, viruses and parasites. There are several STDs that can be transmitted through tissue transfer, blood products and from mother to child during childbirth or pregnancy. The disease symptoms vary from one person to another; in a few cases there might be no disease symptoms. Symptoms can be mild or acute from one individual to another. There can be severe consequences or long-term complications in individuals suffering from the disease. A significant proportion of sexually transmitted diseases worldwide is caused by eight major infections: syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV) and trichomoniasis. These diseases have a high prevalence, particularly in developing countries, and it can result in substantial productivity losses for individuals, and communities. In developing countries, sexually transmitted infections are among the leading causes of disability. Request Sample Report at https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3379297-global-markets-for-treatment-and-diagnosis-of-sexually-transmitted-diseases Report Scope This report organizes information from diverse sources into a comprehensive report that includes sections on disease overviews, industry structure, diagnostic kits, treatment interventions, pharmaceutical products, emerging technologies, regulations, reimbursement and patents. The scope of this report includes an overview of the global market scenario for diagnosis and treatments of sexually transmitted disease with base year data of 2017, estimations for 2018 and forecast for 2019-2023 using projections of CAGR. Market data in value terms is provided at global, regional and country levels for disease areas and treatment by drug class. Market data for sexually transmitted disease diagnostics is provided for regional levels, with details on test types. The report focuses on key sectional assessments for major disease areas such as chlamydia, genital herpes, HIV and hepatitis, among others, and provides detailed analysis of epidemiology, historic and current disease incidence trends, therapeutic interventions and diagnostic overview. It forecasts the global market by drug class for treatment of STDs and discusses market data for antibiotics, antivirals/antiretrovirals and other treatments. Diagnostic test types such as enzyme immunoassays (EIA) and ELISA, PCR, rapid diagnostics and others, are detailed with market data current and forecasts. Market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and trends are discussed in the report. This report also involves regional market overviews for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. The regional overviews provide information on the epidemiology of sexually transmitted disease by country and region and also details market data for each region. The regulatory scenario is discussed for United States, Europe, Japan and China to provide an overview of the regulations for new drug launches and diagnostic kits. The reimbursement scenario is outlined for the United States, Europe, and Japan to provide an overview to our readers. Pipeline analysis and scenarios are discussed for major disease to provide details on the major pipeline developments. The competitive landscape discusses the major manufacturers involved in the sexually transmitted disease therapeutics market, key developments and product offerings. Report Includes 45 data tables and 53 additional tables An overview of the global market for diagnosis and treatments of sexually transmitted diseases Country specific data and analysis for United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, U.K., Spain, China, India, Japan, and Middle East and Africa Coverage of major disease areas, and a detailed analysis of historic and current disease incidence trends Discussion about market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and trends Information on the regulations for new drug launches and diagnostic kits for United States, Europe, Japan and China Detailed profiles of the major market players, including Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie Inc., Agilent Technologies, Inc., Biomerieux, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Novartis Ag, Pfizer Inc., Promega Corp., and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Summary and Highlights Chapter 3 Global Market Overview and Trends Chapter 4 Disease Overview Chapter 5 STD Diagnosis and Treatment Options Chapter 6 The North American Market Breakdown Chapter 8 The Asia-Pacific Market Breakdown Chapter 9 Rest of World Market Breakdown Chapter 10 Regulatory Structure Chapter 11 Pipeline Analysis Chapter 12 Competitive Landscape and Key Developments Chapter 13 Company Profiles Continued Leave a Query @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/3379297-global-markets-for-treatment-and-diagnosis-of-sexually-transmitted-diseases Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk) by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, April 25, 2019 IAB Europe and IAB Tech Lab are updating the technical specifications for a framework aimed at helping online companies comply with Europe's privacy laws. The General Data Protection Regulation, which took effect last year in the EU, requires companies to obtain consumers' consent before drawing on their personal data. Among other provisions, the law requires ad companies to obtain consumers' "unambiguous consent" before using their data for ad targeting. The Transparency & Consent Framework, first unveiled last year, aims to serve as a standardized technology for notifying consumers about data collection, obtaining their consent, and informing online ad companies about that consent. The updates -- slated to be unveiled Thursday -- are intended to provide a little more granularity and more specificity to consumers, IAB Europe CEO Townsend Feehan says. advertisement advertisement Among other changes, the new specs enable publishers to ask consumers whether they consent to the use of their data for 12 purposes -- including personalized ads, personalized content and measurement of ad performance. The original consent mechanism only enabled consumers to agree to the use of their data for five purposes. The updated standard also enables publishers to restrict ad tech companies' use of consumers' data. That functionality doesn't directly stem from the GDPR's requirements, but is instead aimed at giving publishers more control over ad tech vendors, The IAB will accept comments on the new standard for 30 days, and expects to finalize the specs between June and July, depending on members' feedback. by Tanya Gazdik , April 24, 2019 Every motor oil company makes claims, including Pennzoil. But according to Pennzoil, the proof is in the bottle its motor oil is made from natural gas. The brand is launching a campaign to educate consumers about the revolutionary technology that goes into Pennzoil Synthetics. The motor oil category can be confusing, says Layla Baughn, Pennzoil global brand director. "The goal of our latest campaign, The Proof is in the Pennzoil,' is to simplify the brand message into digestible facts for motorists about what makes Pennzoil stand apart from competition, Baughn tells Marketing Daily. With this campaign, we are leading with our innovation and clear differentiator. Pennzoil Synthetic motor oil is the first motor oil made from natural gas, not crude. advertisement advertisement The effort will run nationally in the United States and Canada across TV, digital, social and radio. The 30-second TV spot depicts the five important facts that make Pennzoil Synthetics the most technologically advanced motor oil on the market, including offering engine protection. The company states that motor oil formulated from pure natural gas helps lead to better performance, as evidenced in Pennzoil-sponsored Don Schumacher race cars. The spot ends with a shot of a race car. MH VCCP, which became Pennzoils creative AOR Sept. 1, created the campaign, its first for the brand. The TV spot references the synthetic portfolio of Pennzoil motor oils, all of which are made from natural gas. The brand previously took a similar approach with the "My Car" campaign last July, featuring three of the brands motorsports ambassadors. by Larissa Faw , April 24, 2019 Tourism organization Discover Puerto Rico, is introducing the Island's first campaign in five years as the group continues to reposition the U.S. territory following the devastation after Hurricane Maria 18 months ago. The group's "extensive research" found Puerto Ricos brand identity is neutral in the minds of travelers, encouraging organizers to develop an entirely new platform. The Have We Met Yet? creative showcases what the organization considers the island's two strongest assets -- culture and people -- before ending with the tagline "neighbor to the south. Puerto Ricos people, its rich culture and unparalleled natural offerings -- combined with the fact its a U.S. territory and easily accessible -- were key factors that led to this creative, said Leah Chandler, CMO of Discover Puerto Rico. advertisement advertisement Sample the work here. The campaign runs across digital channels via banners, social and pre-roll. A TV spot will launch soon in key markets. All content is produced by Beautiful Destinations, which worked with local production crews to add to the authenticity of the campaign. Additional marketing support is expected throughout the rest of the year, specifically to attract visitors to the island during the summer travel season. "We want to send a message to all travelers that this is the year to visit Puerto Rico," explains Chandler. "The entire island is eager to welcome them. by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, April 25, 2019 Social media is in the dock, again, this week with two committees of MPs tackling fake news and the responsibilities of social media. It was, of course, all foreshadowed by the amazing "Homeland" series, which predicted our politics would be subject to a rise of fake news, privacy invasions, bot networks and bad actors. I'm just wondering, though, is it just me? Does anyone else see this week as shaping up to be the equivalent of a trailer for the hit show's next season? Only, actually, we're dealing with real lives and real politics here. The week kicked off, after the Bank Holiday, with the Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, warning that a series of ads calling on Facebook users to push for a hard Brexit could have scraped up to a million email addresses. The fear is this was done without consent, and if so, that would be illegal under GDPR. The campaign was made to appear as if it were a grassroots movement, but The Guardian has shown that it is likely to have been orchestrated and funded by Lynton Crosby via his company, CTF. This could be a possible reason why one of the big groups behind the campaign, Britain's Future, came from nowhere to be the UK's largest ever political advertiser on Facebook. The organisation's founder has refused to answer questions over where the funding came from. As part of its excellent reporting, The Guardian also pointed out that Crosby had been a part of the team that twice aided Boris' push to become London Mayor. The paper was also very keen on pointing out that Boris is now one of the favourites to take over as PM when Theresa May resigns or is possibly ousted. The unwritten supposition hanging over the paper's reporting was that this secretive, coordinated hard Brexit advertising campaign was linked to a potential future attempt by Boris to become PM. It's quite surprising, then, that buried in The Times today we have an announcement from Boris Johnson. Guess what is says? Yes, that's right-- he's bringing in Crosby and CTF to help him plan his route to the top. Apparently, Boris felt there were too many involved in the last leadership campaign, in 2016, and he wants great clarity this time around with a clearer direction. So, what do we have? A series of pro Brexit ads that appear to have been funded by CTF, despite their outward appearance of coming from other, grassroots organisations. We have the potential illegal gathering of a million email address being investigated by the ICO. We have the guy who possibly funded the campaign now being given the green light to run Boris' campaign for PM. You really couldn't make it up. Social media was further criticised by a committee of MPs yesterday for failing to report criminal activity on their sites. For me, however, this is the one that is the issue that is slipping under the radar. A British firm, Cambridge Analytica, has already been found guilty of scraping personal information from Facebook illegally in a bid to help Donald Trump get elected. The result, after a series of cover-ups, is a $5bn fine on its way to Facebook HQ and the world's most famous Twitter user in the White House with his "caps lock" button on. We now have an Australian's business in London under investigation over whether it illegally gathered personal information en masse which is about to start helping, it hopes, to get the next British Prime Minister in post. Anyone else seeing a similarity here? It feels like Cambridge Analytica was the "previously on" and Boris and CTF are the trailer for the next series. by Sara Guaglione , April 25, 2019 The Economist Group has tapped Lara Boro as its new CEO, five months after Chris Stibbs announced he was stepping down. Stibbs has served as chief executive of The Economist Group, which publishes the weekly magazine-format newspaper, for over six years. He has spent 14 years at the company. Boro is currently CEO of Informa Intelligence, a B2B intelligence, events and academic publishing group. She will take on the new position at The Economist Group later this year, once Stibbs officially steps down. advertisement advertisement Lord Paul Deighton, chairman of The Economist Group, touted Boros great experience in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business information markets. Boro will be based in London, where The Economist Groups headquarters is located. Previously CEO of International at Top Right Group (formerly EMAP), Boro and has held senior roles at CPA Global, the FT and Mondex International. Last year, The Economist Group combined its sales and circulation teams, now overseen by COO-publisher of The Economist, Michael Brunt. The company sold CQ Roll Call, which publishes Congress-focused A wound infection occurs when germs, such as bacteria, grow within the damaged skin of a wound. Symptoms can include increasing pain, swelling, and redness. More severe infections may cause nausea, chills, or fever. A person may be able to treat minor wound infections at home. However, people with more severe or persistent wound infections should seek medical attention. In this article, we describe how to prevent, recognize, and treat an infected wound. We also cover risk factors, complications, when to see a doctor, and medical treatment. How to recognize a wound infection A person with a small wound or infection can usually treat them at home. People can usually safely treat small wounds, such as minor cuts and scratches, at home. With proper care, most small wounds will gradually get better until they fully heal. If a wound becomes infected, however, it can get worse instead of better. Any pain, redness, and swelling will typically increase in intensity. Wound infections can also lead to other symptoms, such as: warm skin around the wound yellow or green discharge coming from the wound the wound giving off an unpleasant odor red streaks on the skin around the wound fever and chills aches and pains nausea vomiting Treating infected wounds at home People with a mild infection of a small wound may be able to treat the wound at home. However, more severe wound infections require prompt medical attention, particularly those that occur along with other symptoms, such as fever, feeling unwell, or discharge and red streaks coming from the wound. To treat an infected wound at home, follow these steps: Before beginning, ensure that all necessary equipment is clean. For example, if using tweezers, clean them with rubbing alcohol first. Thoroughly wash the hands with soap and warm water, then rinse and dry them. Clean the cut or scrape by running warm water over it for several minutes. Use warm, soapy water to clean the surrounding skin, but avoid getting soap in the wound. Make sure that there is no dirt or debris, such as glass or gravel, in the wound. To remove debris, either use tweezers or carefully and gently rub the wound with a soft, damp cloth. If desired, apply a thin layer of antiseptic ointment or petroleum jelly to the cut or scrape. Allow the skin to air-dry before covering it with gauze or a bandage. There is usually no need to cover minor cuts and scrapes. Other tips for treating wounds at home include: Change the wound dressing at least once a day. Replace it immediately if it gets damp or dirty. Gently wash the wound each day. Avoid using hydrogen peroxide or iodine on the wound as these may cause skin irritation in some people. Stop using other antiseptic ointments if they cause skin irritation. Do not pick at the skin or the scab as this can lead to scarring, slow down healing, and increase the risk of infection. If the wound does not show signs of improvement within 12 days, see a doctor. How to prevent wound infection A person should wash the wound immediately to prevent infection. Cleaning and protecting a wound can reduce the risk of infection. After sustaining a minor cut or scratch, a person should: Wash the wound immediately by running clean water over it for several minutes. Then, clean the skin around the wound with warm, soapy water. If it is not possible to use clean water, treat the wound with alcohol wipes. Allow the skin to air-dry. Apply an antiseptic ointment to the wound. Protect the injury with gauze or another suitable dressing. People with larger wounds or excessive bleeding will require medical treatment. A healthcare professional can treat the injury to prevent infection and other complications. People with animal bites or wounds from dirty or rusty objects may be at risk of tetanus and should also seek medical attention. A healthcare professional can clean the wound and give the person a shot to protect against tetanus infection if necessary. Tetanus is a potentially fatal condition that occurs when certain bacteria enter the body and release toxins that affect the nerves. The symptoms of tetanus can include painful muscle spasms, lockjaw, and fever. Risk factors Cuts, grazes, and other breaks in the skin can become infected when bacteria enter the wound and begin to multiply. The bacteria may come from the surrounding skin, the external environment, or the object that caused the injury. It is important to clean and protect the wound properly to reduce the risk of infection. The risk of wound infection is higher if: the wound is large, deep, or has a jagged edge dirt or foreign particles entered the wound the cause of the wound was a bite from an animal or another person the cause of the wound was an injury involving a dirty, rusty, or contaminated object Certain health conditions and environmental factors can also increase the risk of infection. These include: diabetes poor blood circulation a weakened immune system, such as in people living with HIV or those taking immunosuppressant medications lack of mobility, for example, in people who spend most of their time in bed advancing age older adults are more at risk of wound infection nutrient and vitamin deficiencies Rarely, incision wounds from surgical procedures can also become infected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , between 2006 and 2008, about 1.9 percent of surgical wounds became infected in people having operations in the United States. Complications If a person does not receive treatment for a wound infection, it can spread to other parts of the body, which may lead to serious complications, including: Cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layers and tissues of the skin, and it can cause swelling, redness, and pain in the affected area. Other symptoms can include fever, dizziness, and nausea and vomiting. is an infection of the deeper layers and tissues of the skin, and it can cause swelling, redness, and pain in the affected area. Other symptoms can include fever, dizziness, and nausea and vomiting. Osteomyelitis is a bacterial infection of the bone, and symptoms include pain, redness, and swelling around the infected area. Fatigue and fever are other symptoms that may affect those with osteomyelitis. is a bacterial infection of the bone, and symptoms include pain, redness, and swelling around the infected area. Fatigue and fever are other symptoms that may affect those with osteomyelitis. Sepsis is an extreme immune reaction that can sometimes occur when an infection enters the bloodstream. Sepsis can lead to multiple organ failure and is life-threatening. According to the CDC , nearly 270,000 people in the U.S. die each year due to sepsis. is an extreme immune reaction that can sometimes occur when an infection enters the bloodstream. Sepsis can lead to multiple organ failure and is life-threatening. According to the , nearly 270,000 people in the U.S. die each year due to sepsis. Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare condition that occurs when a bacterial infection spreads into a tissue called the fascial lining that lies deep beneath the skin. Necrotizing fasciitis is a medical emergency that causes severe skin damage and pain and can spread throughout the body. When to see a doctor A person with a wound should seek medical attention if: the wound is large, deep, or has jagged edges the edges of the wound do not stay together symptoms of infection occur, such as fever, increasing pain or redness, or discharge from the wound it is not possible to clean the wound properly or remove all debris, such as glass or gravel the cause of the wound was a bite or an injury from a dirty, rusty, or contaminated object Seek urgent medical attention if blood is spurting from the wound or if applying pressure to the wound does not stop the bleeding. Medical treatment A doctor may treat an infection with antibiotics. Doctors can treat a bacterial infection with antibiotics. It is important for a person to complete the course of antibiotics to treat the infection fully and to prevent the bacteria from becoming resistant to the drug. In addition to cleaning, some wounds may require further treatment. If the cut is large or deep, for example, a doctor or nurse may have to use stitches to close it. They can often close smaller cuts with medical glue or strips of tape instead. If the wound contains dead or contaminated tissue, a doctor may remove this tissue in a procedure called debridement. Debridement should promote healing and prevent the infection from spreading. A person might require a tetanus shot if the cause of the wound was a bite or an injury from a dirty or rusty object. The CDC recommend that adults get a tetanus booster shot every 10 years to protect them against tetanus infection. However, for certain types of wound, a doctor may still prescribe a tetanus shot for people who have not had one in the past 5 years. The popular 'Men In Black' series began in the year 2007, where Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones took the franchise by storm playing MIB agents. The two worked under an outfit that fought against aliens who trespassed Earth and protected it from their vile attacks. Besides that, the agents, who're human were tasked to monitor aliens residing on earth. The last franchise was released in 2012 which also starred Josh Brolin the younger version of agent 'K'. Honestly, I absolutely loved the trilogy, especially with K aka Tommy Lee Jones' stoic expressions and dry sense of humour and agent J aka Will Smith's playful antics and, of course, both of them kicking alien asses, all the way back to the moon. Sony Pictures Releaing Now, we have 'Men In Black- International' the fourth part of the series releasing this year on June 14th and we can't keep it together, because the trailer looks really badass, with some new elements drawn in. The sad part though is that we don't have the regular partners in crime this time, and that's the kinda camaraderie we're really going to miss. But fret not, 'MIB International' promises another alien invasion and two agents looking so kick some alien ass! Check out the trailer here: Here are 5 awesome takeaways from 'Men In Black International': 1. The New Agents Look Swell As Hell Unfortunately, 'MIB International' won't have Will Smith's songs that sample Patrice Rushen songs. In fact, Will and Tommy have stepped back from the franchise and we have Chris Hemsworth & Tessa Thomspon as the new London-based agents. They'll be playing agent H and agent M respectively. The two of them are coming together again after 'Thor: Ragnarok' and ironically this time, they're fighting some wicked aliens together. Sony Pictures Releasing 2. 'MIB International' Has An Absolutely New Spin-Off The film is actually being compared to 'Jurassic World', where after three parts of the franchise, a bigger spin-off was adapted, with stunning CGI and a bigger plot line. 'MIB International' is doing something similar. They're introducing new aliens, weapons, and characters while acknowledging the previous films and the characters in the series. Sony Pictures Releasing 3. The Plot Seems Unique According to Sony's description, the plot is larger than life, definitely bigger and better than any of the other MIB movies earlier. How? Well, the new recruits tackle their biggest, most global threat to date ever- a mole in the Men In Black organisation. Now that is something to really look forward to! Sony Pictures Releasing 4. More Extraterritorial MIB Agents! The earlier MIB movies always had a dozen alien species that the MIB used to regularly keep a check on. A few of them were MIB agents themselves. The new movie seems to have a lot more extraterritorial MIB agents according to the trailer. Maybe one of them is a mole, trying to propagate reign of its particular species on earth? Sony Pictures Releasing 5. MIB 'International' This one's called MIB 'International' for a reason. While the previous movies were pretty much local, where we'd see agent 'K' and agent 'J' tackling aliens found in the United State, this one's based more on a global scale. Of course, there are aliens all over the world and the U.S. doesn't have to save the world all the bloody time! The MIB organisation in the movie is based out of London and they will show MIB bases in other countries. More alien species are likely to be seen, different from what you've seen when the movie was based out of the U.S. Sony Pictures Releasing Apart from all this, the movie has a stellar cast and crew. It's directed by Felix Gary Gray and written by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. We've already told you who's in the lead fighting the damn aliens but we also have Liam Neeson as the head of London MIB base and Rebecca Furguson, whose role is still a mystery, which means it's something important. Emma Thompson will be reprising her role as agent 'O' from MIB 3, which could also mean, MIB International has some connection with MIB 3. Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there? Book your seats for June 14th, 2019! One can always trust Diljit Dosanjh to dish out superhits every time he drops a new single. The man is busy shooting 'Good News' with Kiara Advani, Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor but still took out the time to release a new cool song for his fans out there. His latest track is titled 'Kylie + Kareena' and is dedicated to his celebrity crushes, Kylie Jenner and Kareena Kapoor Khan. Even though the entire video has not dropped yet, the audio is already creating a buzz and the 32-second teaser of the video has a Kylie look-alike dancing around Diljit. If you listen to the song carefully, you know it's actually filled with pick up lines for all the pretty Kylie's and Kareena's in our lives. @diljitdosanjh bhaji... aah ki kadta Jad Gaana hi Atom Bamb aa ta fer video + gaana ta Nuclear Bamb tho ghat ni hona... Bhaji Kya lyrics kya songs kya music... As Hot As hell aa kam... IN SHORT... KAM SUPER TO UPER AA.. CHAKTA #DiljitDosanjh BHAJI pic.twitter.com/VAKtDaz85X Jatin Singh Kindra (@JatinsKindra) April 25, 2019 From asking her to match her 'chunni' to her Christian Dior to telling her that a hoodie suits her just fine, Diljit sure knows how to appreciate the millennial woman! The official video will be out soon and the teaser has created all the right kind of buzz. About two months ago, there were rumours floating about that Rami Malek might be the new Bond villain and well, it's finally confirmed! Can you imagine, a guy, who was once in a 'Twilight' movie is now not just an Oscar winner but also the new Bond villain? Yeah, me neither. I feel like no one really remembered Rami Malek playing a vampire in the last 'Twilight' movie, and it's safe to say he's come a long, long way since then. The announcement came during a press event which included a handful of the cast, including James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, along with director Cary Fukunaga where they teased the new movie. Even though Rami himself wasn't present, he did make sure to send a video message, confirming he'll be the new 'Bond 25' villain. A word about #BOND25 from Rami Malek pic.twitter.com/CLJ5mpO9mu James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019 Already giving out a warning to 007, he said, I promise you all, I will be making sure Mr Bond does not have an easy ride in this, his twenty-fifth outing. Honestly, I can totally see him as an evil and menacing villain, he really fits the role perfectly. Well, the reason he wasn't in Jamaica with Bond himself was that he appeared on Good Morning America and obviously, he talked about his new villainous ways. He, of course, praised Daniel Craig and said, It'll be very interesting to go up against that man. Well, he can't really say anything more as of now, but he had a warning yet again - I'm gonna give him a run for his money. Considering this is Daniel Craig's last stint as Bond, it'll surely be a memorable one and him going against Rami just makes it even more interesting. Quite a few sparks flew when an infamous Yogi used the phrase green virus for a section of our community. Instead of seeking to draw strength from the diversity our country shares, we are now caught up in a strange kind of murky politics in India. However, Japan does have some good news to share because another 'Yogi' in the country is showing us how to win people's heart and become their representative in the truest sense. A 41-year-old Indian-origin Japanese man has just become the first Indian to win an election in the country. Twitter Named Puranik Yogendra, he goes by the nickname 'Yogi' and has been elected to Tokyo's Edogawa Ward assembly after securing the fifth highest vote count in the 21st April polls. Edogawa Ward houses the highest number of Indians in Tokyo, which is almost 10 percent of Japan's total Indian occupancy, which is over 34,000! Apart from Indians, Edogawa Ward is also home to a large number of Chinese and Koreans. Twitter What makes Yogi, a Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan member, so special is his mission, I want to be a bridge between Japanese and foreigners," Yogi told the media. Yogendra first visited Japan in 1997 as a university student in India. Two years later he was back in the country to study, and finally in 2001 Yogi arrived in Japan to work as an engineer. Reportedly, he has been living in Edogawa Ward since 2005. Twitter After receiving Japanese citizenship, Yogi began pursuing a career in politics. "I want to be an assemblyman who can connect everyone regardless of nationality, age, or even disabilities, through my 20 years of living in Japan," Yogi said. We hope Yogis at home take some inspiration from this man. For the first time in the history of the Indian Army, women will now be welcomed in an absolutely new role. The Indian Army recently issued an advertisement in the newspaper for recruiting women soldiers in the military police and this is a big step ahead for womankind in India. Three months ago, the government announced that women will be inducted in the force in the 'Personnel Below Officer Rank' (PBOR) category. The registrations online have already begun for inducted women as jawans in the corps of military police. This is certainly being seen as a breakthrough in the force as in simple terms, women were earlier only inducted as officers and now they'll be inducted as soldiers! ANI According to the given advertisement, the application window for recruitment for soldier general duty will close on June 8th and we hope a number of applicants apply in the next one month. For the first time, Indian Army to start online registration of women for recruitment as soldiers into the military police, today. The project was mooted by General Bipin Rawat soon after taking over as Army Chief and given final approval by the Defence Ministry recently. pic.twitter.com/nIssIN62zX ANI (@ANI) 25 April 2019 The project was first mooted by Bipin Rawat, the Army Chief General as soon as he took charge of the force. While the process follows a stringent protocol, the decks for induction were cleared in January 2019 after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharam announced that the government has taken a historic decision to induct women in the military police and their roles would include investigating crime cases of rape and molestation and assisting the Army in field operations whenever required. Last year, Rawat had said that the process to allow women in combat was moving steadfastly and accordingly the Army chalked out induction of approximately 800 women in the military police. ANI Currently, women in the Army are allowed in areas such as medical, educational, legal and engineering wings. The main role of women in military police will be to take charge of logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and maintaining movements of soldiers. The Corps of Military Police is responsible for preserving "good order and discipline and to prevent breaches of the same by persons serving in or attached to the regular Army", the Army says on its website. Better India This is a really empowering step for womankind in the country, as it works on the fabric of equality between the sexes and we're nothing short of grateful it has finally been incorporated! JOURNALIST: What are the main issues you discussed with Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian during your visit to France? G. KATROUGALOS: Our stances are very similar to the French stances in general, and especially as regards common European defence. We discussed that. We believe it is necessary for Europe to have autonomous European defence if we wish for it to represent a global power. There is special interest in this for Greece because we feel that we are being threatened. Tensions exist with neighbouring Turkey, which stated in the 1990s, for example, that if we expand our territorial waters, that this would be a casus belli. Turkey has a fixed policy of claiming rights that are not recognised by International Law. The Turkish opposition is laying claim to certain Greek islands. We do not want a foreign policy that is anti-Turkey, or any other country, but it is necessary for Europe to have a common defence policy and to defend all its borders. JOURNALIST: The first round of presidential elections in the Republic of North Macedonia was marked by abstention. The second round, on 5 May, will therefore be tense. The experts are saying that this is due to the agreement with Greece. Can you explain this to us? G. KATROUGALOS: For three decades now, we have had a dispute with regard to the name of what was known at the time as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This mainly had to do with identity and led to surges of nationalism in both countries. In the nationalist circles of that country, there was a rhetoric which claimed the legacy of Alexander the Great. Their airport and highway bore the name of that hero. Therefore, this needed to end. We therefore agreed to a name, to the name Republic of North Macedonia, which respects both their interests as well as our own, because they will no longer claim Macedonia's history, nor the legacy of Alexander the Great. They changed the name of their airport and highway. The results of this Agreement are threefold: good neighbourly relations, stability in the region, because we are sending a message of resolving conflict through dialogue and in accordance with national law. Finally, we are able to have a common economic area in the Balkans, of 50 million consumers, which opens itself up to Greek enterprises. More specifically, Greece is playing a decisive role in the region. In order to understand this, it suffices to take a look at a map. Greece is a crossroads between East and West. The country maintains excellent relations with the Arab world, as well as with Russia and China. We want the EU to benefit from our contribution as regards stabilisation. JOURNALIST: At the same time, did you speak with your French counterpart about the energy challenges and about participation on the part of France in a hydrocarbon survey in the Mediterranean? G. KATROUGALOS: Yes. We have built relationships with quite a few Eastern Mediterranean countries with regard to energy issues. Greece and Cyprus are at the centre of this initiative, and each time we add another country: Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. We also try to invite countries which are not located in the region, such as the US. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended the trilateral summit in Israel. Now we wish to invite France to the next trilateral summit with Egypt. This permits us to promote economic interests, of course, but also to stabilise the region politically. JOURNALIST: Do you believe that European elections will reflect the anger of European citizens? G. KATROUGALOS: I believe that a certain discontent exists since, after many decades of prosperity, there is a reduction in the living standard, and we observe a lack in democracy, especially as regards economic governance. This is what happened with Brexit and Greece, after 8 years of recession and a drop in incomes of up to 40%. We are in favour of integration but against current austerity policies. The current identity crisis is due to the latter. We must develop European policies that are geared towards growth. UPPER THUMB State Rep. Phil Green is optimistic that a united front will change the governors decision to halt construction of a new state psychiatric hospital in Caro in order to look at other sites. Green, who represents Huron and Tuscola counties, is encouraging residents to sign an online petition to have the $115 million, 225,000 square-foot hospital built on the site of the current Caro Center, which was the original plan approved by former Gov. Rick Snyder and legislators last year. Our residents have the opportunity to show the governor what the Caro Center means to us here in the Thumb region and the devastating impact her decision would have on our communities, said Green, a Millington Republican. I strongly urge my friends and neighbors to log on and make their voices heard. Residents can submit their names to the online petition at www.ThumbValues.com. There will be a Save the Caro Center letter writing campaign from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 4 at the Caro Area District Library, 840 W Frank St., Caro. There was a groundbreaking for the center last October, and more than $3 million has already been spent on the project before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon announced the project will be halted in order to do a reassessment of the viability to build in Tuscola County. The Caro Center contributes $53.7 million to the regional economy, and the center provides work directly and indirectly for about 747 people. Also, the Caro City Council is considering adopting a resolution in favor of keeping the Caro Center in the county. Tuscola County commissioners hired Jean Doss with Capitol Service in March to help them lobby to keep the hospital. Also, when the city of Caro and Indianfields Township officials could not agree on extending a water line to the Caro Center site, commissioners hired an engineering firm that found current wells on the hospital grounds could be upgraded for use at a cost lower than the projected $2.4 million to run a line 1.9 miles for municipal water. In the meantime, Tuscola County Controller Mike Hoagland continues to gather data and information to support keeping the hospital local. He is adding to a file that is several inches thick that was compiled in 2017 and 2018, and presented to lawmakers when the county rallied to show then-Gov. Snyder the rational for keeping the hospital in Tuscola County. That effort at that time resulted in state lawmakers approving legislation to build in Caro. CROMWELL Saying the school system is bruised, parents who took part in a community forum this week called on officials to find a new superintendent of schools who is a progressive thinker. Doing so would revive the school system still coming to terms with the resignation of Superintendent of Schools John T. Maloney Jr. in February, the parents said. The forum was held to take comments from parents about the qualities they want to see in the new superintendent. The deadline for applications for the post is May 17. Joseph V. Erardi Jr., a consultant hired by the Board of Education to assist in the search and facilitate the forum, said the response so far has been terrific. He has already received 25 applications, Erardi said. However, The greatest majority come in, in that last week. Of the applications he has seen so far, Erardi said, We have a strong pool of applicants and a deep pool. Turning his attention to the hiring process, Erardi said, The school board will be the hiring body. In response to a question from one of the parents, he said the school board has not yet decided who will sit on the interview committee. The parent said she expects the interview panel to include parents and teachers. Erardi was also asked if the board will make the names of the semi-finalists public. To the contrary, he said, he recommends once the submission date has passed, the best thing the search committee can do is go dark. What the candidates ask of me is to guarantee their confidentiality. And I assure them it has to be a confidential process, he said. That is particularly true in Connecticut, which is a relatively small state, where school officials know one another and know who is looking to move on, he said. Erardi assured the parents, I do immerse myself in this process. Im willing to listen to all sides. So much so that before the parents arrived in the high school library/media center for the forum, Erardi spoke with the boards two student advisers. Erardi will not attach names to the comments he includes in his report of both the forum Wednesday and a second one on May 8. He asked the parents what they were most proud of about Cromwell and Whats the best advice you can give to the new school leader. We need a creative mind, one parent said, while another said she wants Someone with drive and passion but who will also have respect for whats already in place. Still another parent said, Were not looking to reinvent the wheel. All the pieces are here. We just need someone to put them all together. One young mother said, Most families love this town, so much so that many of the stay on in Cromwell after their children have graduated from the high school. She said Cromwell is a small town and one that is very close-knit. One parent/teacher said she was most proud of the high-quality teachers we have although unfortunately many have left. It was a point she would repeat more than once during the forum. Everyone is so really proud of the way we look out for one another, another parent said. What we need is someone who can look at it [the school system] and see what it was like and bring it back, the teacher/parent said. Her greatest concern? That the new superintendent will allow his/her ego to get in the way of leading the school system. Weve been through a lot both the staff and the parents, a parent said. As the forum wound down, Erardi said, Cromwell has a lot to offer. Its a great opportunity for some to make a difference in a district that is ready to support them, he said. The second forum will take place in the high school library/media center beginning at 7 p.m. on May 8. HARTFORD Flage Day, June 14, is the deadline to submit orders for the next set of walkway pavers to be placed at the Connecticut State Veterans Memorial. The granite memorial is in Hartfords Minuteman Park on Capitol Ave. and Broad St., across from the William A. ONeill State Armory and the Legislative Office Building. The outdoor memorial is openaround the clock, 7 days a week. Each paver costs $200 and can be engraved with the name of a U.S. veteran, with his or her rank, branch of the military, and the specific years of service and conflict, if desired. Towns/cities can also purchase pavers with their town/city name engraved in honor of those who have served or serve within the town/city. All 6 x 12 pavers will be engraved in upper case block letter-style in three lines of 15 characters per line, including spaces. All verbiage will be approved by the Connecticut State Veterans Memorial, Inc. For a 6 x 12 walkway paver order form, visit the memorials website, www.CTHonorsVets.org or call 860-616-3603 and ask for Tammy Marzik. The next order of pavers will be sent for personalized engraving and will be placed in time for 2019s Veterans Day on Nov. 11. Connecticuts first statewide veterans memorial pays tribute to the states past heroes and heroines, honors todays veterans, and demonstrates the appreciation for their service for generations to come. It is a welcoming place for personal reflection, as well as a gathering place where groups can honor Connecticut veterans for their commitment and sacrifices. Hundreds of 6 x 12 granite engraved pavers are important elements of the memorial, offering state residents a meaningful way to honor or memorialize a special veteran, and the funds raised have supported the memorials development. They are placed along walkways that run from the Legislative Office Building to the center of the Memorial plaza, and on to the Broad Street side of the memorial. The Connecticut State Veterans Memorial officially was opened on November 9, 2015 by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. It features a granite colonnade structure consisting of five columns representing each branch of military service as the memorials main focal point. A semi-circular granite Honor wall with Honoring Those Who Served engraving acts as the memorials framing element. The memorial highlights various conflicts with engraved granite markers throughout the plaza. In addition to the paver walkway, there are benches, specialty lighting, and custom landscaping. The Connecticut State Veterans Memorial, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that was established exclusively to raise funds for and build a statewide memorial to honor all Connecticut veterans. A dedicated committee of veterans and volunteers have coordinated this landmark effort and thank the hundreds of Connecticut residents and businesses who have supported this project so far. Visit www.CTHonorsVets.org To obtain a form to order a 6 x 12 engraved walkway paver and get more information about the Memorial, visit www.CTHonorsVets.org or call 860-616-3603. State police accepting applications MERIDEN The Connecticut State Police is now accepting applications for the position of State Police Trooper Trainee. The Connecticut State Police is interested in qualified candidates, to become part of a proud department with a long history of service to the State of Connecticut. Interested candidates can fill out an application by going to www.jobapscloud.com/CT, and a link will be posted to www.beaconnecticuttrooper.com. Those interested can visit www.beaconnecticuttrooper.com and follow on Instagram: @ctstatepolice_academy or Facebook @CTStatePoliceRecruitment for additional information about the selection process, qualifications and hiring process updates. Tri-Town to hold Drug Take Back day DEEP RIVER Tri-Town Youth Service and Troop F, are participating in the National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 27. Residents can bring any unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs to the event. This event is free and anonymous, no questions asked. According to the Department of Public Health, during the first 4 months of 2018, 3,090 visits for suspected drug overdoses were made to the emergency departments at Connecticuts 27 hospitals. The majority of people who abuse prescription drugs obtain them from family and friends, this includes theft from home medicine cabinets. Bringing your unused prescription drugs to the drug take back eliminates the risk of them being stolen or abused. Residents can drop off at Tri-Town Youth Services, 56 High St, Deep River, April 27 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Prescription medication that is flushed down the toilet or tossed in the trash can potentially become a safety and health hazards for the environment and residents. Besides the annual Drug Take Back events, residents can safely dispose their unused medication 24 hours a day to the drop box located in the lobby of Troop F. For information, call Jennifer Buckley, Prevention Coordinator, Tri-Town Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, at 860-526-3600 or jennifer@ttysb.org. The Tri-Town Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition envisions the communities of Chester, Deep River, and Essex as safe, healthy and free of substance abuse and works with the community to reduce substance abuse primarily among youth through action, education, and collaboration. Shad museum to open for season The Haddam Shad Museum, 212 Saybrook Road, Haddam, behind the Fuel gas station, is open on Sundays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. from April 7 until June 16. The museum, a one-of-a-kind, displays the history of shad on the Connecticut River since colonial times. Groups and individuals who cant visit on Sundays can call for an appointment to visit at 860-267-0388. There is no admission charge. Joe Giulietti donned his charcoal pin-striped suit, strapped on black boots with two buckles early Thursday and rode the rail back to the early days of his career. Connecticuts new Department of Transportation Commissioner is a railroad guy through and through, from his first job as a brakeman (now called assistant engineer) in New Haven to leading Metro-North railroad as its president for three crucial years. Starting out while still a student at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven he put air hoses together, worked on passenger trains one day, freight the next. He was a conductor, a locomotive engineer and, long story short, everything else is fate. Joe hes the sort of guy you want to call by his first name caught the 9:05 out of Danbury on Thursday morning for the 54-minute trip to South Norwalk, just like an average of 1,100 people on that line every weekday. The man who is in charge of every highway, bridge, airport, seaport and rail track in Connecticut was responding to a challenge. I had written a column Dec. 30 To the new DOT leader: Ride the Danbury line after he was nominated as commissioner by then-Gov.-elect Ned Lamont. Come see first-hand, I wrote, why the Danbury branch line needs more attention. What will it take to get faster, more frequent service? Joe agreed to ride the line and Catherine Rinaldi, now the president of Metro-North (the first woman in that position, by the way), wanted to join him. They gave Hearst Connecticut Media exclusive time; this was not an all-optics media stunt. In the Danbury station, which could be a transportation hub, Mayor Mark Boughton greeted these rail leaders and made a pitch for a spur from the city to the Southeast, N.Y., Harlem Line. He knew that Joe had operated trains in Danbury early on, admiring that he knew every spur, every line. We boarded the 9:05 (Boughton stayed in the Hat City) with a handful of other passengers who were in different cars. We didnt notice the spring green of new leaves nor the scenic ponds nor blooming magnolias out the windows; there was much to talk about. Cathy Rinaldi, who is a daily commuter herself on the Hudson Line into Grand Central Terminal, noted the importance of the New Haven Line, with its branches to Waterbury, New Canaan and Danbury. Half of the Metro-North ridership is on the New Haven Line, she said. We are talking about the second-busiest commuter railroad in the country, with 86.5 million rides a year between Grand Central and 123 stations in Connecticut and New York. But heres the problem: Connecticut hasnt kept up with funding the infrastructure. It is 20 years behind New York, she said, and that slows down the trains. (Connecticut owns the tracks, trains and such; Metro-North operates the service.) While I would like to see electrification of the Danbury Line to improve the service, Joe explained why it is not a priority. Not only is it very expensive, last estimated at about $400 million-plus, but also it wouldnt make a big difference. It would not bring added value, Cathy said. The reason: There isnt room at Grand Central for more trains to arrive or depart. Its a bottleneck. A $4 million rail car As the train pauses at the downtown Bethel station, First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker comes aboard. Wearing a red tie with bicycles. Its a good conversation starter. Matt talks of Bethel developing a Transit-Oriented District around the station, a 15-year endeavor that is about two-thirds complete; a pedestrian walk bridge is needed. But he also relates to commuting, which he did to Stamford and NYC for 43 years. He knew when the car we were riding went into service April 1, 1986. It was better than the early years when water would get between the panes of glass and slosh around like an aquarium without fish. But now these trains are getting old, he conceded. Joe doesnt disagree, but he finds the diesel trains in use on the Danbury Line more reliable in bad weather than the overhead electric catenary system on the main line. The time is near, though, to replace the cars. Joe wants new, lighter, cars for Danbury and the rest of the line. A minimum of 60 cars and as many as 110 are needed at an estimated cost of $3.5 million to $4 million each. (It hasnt gone out to bid yet.) To make an understatement, this will take a serious commitment from the state. The commissioner is neutral on whether Connecticut should reinstate tolls to pay for rail improvements and repair bridges and highways all of which need attention. Recently he went to the Legislature saying transportation requires more funding. The reception he gets these days is more cordial than in 2014 when he became president of Metro-North. A string of accidents, from a derailment in Bridgeport that injured dozens of passengers to several fatal crashes, called the safety of the rail line into question. There was distrust, Joe says. He turned that around, even as the railroad struggled to meet deadlines for installing Positive Train Control, which can stop out-of-control speeding trains. Joe retired from Metro-North in 2017, and as a consultant was the architect of the 30-30-30 plan touted by Lamont to get from Hartford to New Haven in 30 minutes, New Haven to Stamford in 30 and Stamford to Grand Central in 30. Theres a ways to go. He didnt know Lamont when he got the call to join the administration as DOT commissioner. He liked Lamonts commitment to improving transportation and his wife, who was working in Florida where they lived, said go for it. A state you can wrap your arms around To clear up that bottleneck at Grand Central, two other projects have to finish an East Side Access involving the Bronx with completion expected in December of 2022, then shifting some Long Island Rail Road trips to Penn Station by 2024. That will free up tracks in Grand Central. Catherine sees possibilities for Connecticut when the East Side Access improves worker flow to the state, sort of a reverse commute, with people coming from the Bronx to Connecticut daily for jobs. It will boost the economy, she says. Improving the train times and frequency is crucial to economic development along the Danbury Line or the Waterbury branch from Bridgeport, I still maintain. The rail could be a great funnel bringing workers into Stamford or further into Manhattan and back again. Along with transit-oriented districts that make it easier for people to get around, the over-reliance on individual cars (chugging down clogged highways) can shift. Joes vision is bigger. As we near the South Norwalk station the first time I thought the trip was too quick he talks of linking the rails to other places people need to go. Connecticut is a state you can wrap your arms around, he says. Why not take a rail to the airport? As Joe, and Cathy, walk off the train to a meeting about the Walk Bridge replacement project, a tune hums from the distant past. Ive been working on the railroad, all the live long day.... And thats how he likes it along now with highways and bridges and seaports and airports. Jacqueline Smiths columns appear Fridays in Hearst Connecticut Media daily newspapers. Email her at jsmith@hearstmediact.com When the Arapahoe County, Colorado Sheriff's Office arrested Air Force captain and Air Force Academy professor Paul Sikkema on Thursday, investigators had positively identified him as the perpetrator trying to lure a child online by telling the victim she was "sexy," according to an affidavit filed with an Arapahoe County court Thursday. The 14-year-old child, known as "Jenny," was really an officer with the Sheriff's Office's Internet Crimes Against Children task force, according to the document obtained by Military.com. The online conversation began Jan. 21, then progressed to a week-long text conversation between the officer and Sikkema, the document states. During the conversation, Sikkema, 29, wrote the following messages, according to the document: -- "Into older guys?" -- "Are you a virgin?" -- "I can get into a lot of trouble talking to you" -- "Damn I'm getting all turned on now" -- "Now I really want to come up and see you" -- "What's your address?" The comments got significantly more obscene. Investigators alerted Sikkema of the impending charges, a Class 4 felony, on Tuesday. The sheriff's department arrested him Wednesday after he consulted with his attorney and turned himself in, the document states. RELATED: Air Force Academy Instructor Arrested on Charges of Internet Luring of a Child In Colorado, the offense Sikkema is charged with typically entails an adult communicating over the internet with a child known to be under 15 years old, describing sexual conduct and attempting to arrange an in-person meeting. "We are aware of the arrest and can confirm that Capt. Sikkema is a professor here at the academy," Ray Bowden, a spokesman for the academy, told Military.com on Wednesday. "We are tracking his civilian court case as it goes through the legal process, and we will cooperate fully as needed with the Arapahoe Sheriff's Department." According to the Air Force Academy's faculty page, Sikkema received his commission in 2012. That year, he was also named an outstanding academy graduate, according to an Air Force release. Sikkema then earned a master's degree in philosophy from Georgia State University, his bio states. He later attended undergraduate intelligence officer training and was assigned to the 337th Air Control Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, as an instructor for Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training. He joined the academy in 2017 as an instructor in the philosophy department, and "currently teaches the Ethics course for the department," his bio states. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Religious conservatives, along with an Iraq War veteran, an anti-war activist and a representative of the Religious Society of Friends, known as the Quakers, presented arguments Wednesday for why women should not be included in the United States' draft registration system, with some making the case that the Selective Service System should be abolished altogether. At the seventh hearing of a federal commission studying the future of the American draft and public service writ large, several people testifying said that conscripting women would hurt military readiness and society in general, citing higher injury rates for women in the combat arms and the impact of an inclusive draft on the contributions women make as mothers and caregivers. Ashley McGuire, a senior fellow with the Catholic Association and author of "Sex Scandal: The Drive to Abolish Male and Female," said expanded draft registration would hurt women's "unique freedom to make choices as to whether or not to prioritize their family or their career." She said drafting women for combat would be patently unfair because women's physical limitations give them "an unequal chance of surviving" on the frontlines. It also would undermine "their contribution to family, society and to their country," she said. Related content: "Women's vocation to motherhood is the thing I'm most concerned about. ... The role women play as mothers is different than the role men play as fathers," McGuire said. Her perspective was largely supported by fellow panelist Dr. Mark Coppenger, a professor of Christian Philosophy and Ethics at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who said that, while he doesn't think women should be relegated to "hearth and home," societies do better when women are present for their children -- and a draft including women, who would be called up during their prime childbearing years -- would hurt the country. "[But] if you get to the point as a nation that you have to draft women out of the home to bear arms, it's pretty much over anyway," Coppenger said. The 11-member National Commission on Military, National and Public Service is conducting a three-year review of volunteerism and national service in America, with a particular focus on the need for a Selective Service System -- the organization that maintains a database to support a potential draft -- and whether women should be required to register. Currently, all male U.S. citizens ages 18-25 are required to register with Selective Service. If they fail to register, they can be convicted of a felony and face a fine up to $250,000, up to five years of prison, or a combination of the two. While the system rarely prosecutes those who don't comply, failure to register makes a man ineligible for federal employment or federal student loans. When the Obama administration opened all military occupational specialties to women in 2016, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees moved to change the Selective Service System to include women, adding a provision to the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization bill. The amendment, however, didn't make it into the final bill and, instead, included the creation of the commission to study the issue. As part of their process, commission members are holding 14 public hearings to hear expert witness testimony and receive public comment. On Thursday, at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., former Marine Sgt. Jude Eden testified, saying that, as an Iraq War veteran, she believes the system should stand as a deterrent to foreign adversaries but, in its current configuration, should not include women because its purpose is to "replace men dying by the thousands at the very front of the fight" and most women aren't physically able to perform such duties. Putting women on the frontlines in large numbers would diminish combat effectiveness because they are more susceptible to injury, she argued. "Active-duty military women average two to 10 times the injuries compared to military men. These rates have been constant over decades despite advancements in training methods," Eden said. "And these are the stats on women who maintain high fitness standards. ... Drafting civilian women for combat replacements would mean higher turnover and diminish combat effectiveness." Two panelists said they believe the system should be eliminated completely: Quaker representative Diane Randall, because as pacifists, the Society of Friends opposes universal conscription based on the principle of conscience; and Edward Hasbrouck, a writer and member of the War Resisters League who spent four months in jail for refusing to register with Selective Service. Hasbrouck argued that the draft registration is a failed system, since millions of Americans who should be registered are not, nor have they been prosecuted. The disparate group of resisters, he said, "has made draft registration unenforceable and a draft unfeasible." "It's time to admit that, like it or not, draft registration has failed and should be ended entirely," Hasbrouck said. Randall said the current system discriminates based on gender, age and socioeconomic status, and the answer is not to expand it, but to end it and eliminate penalties for failing to register. "At a minimum, we support legal accommodation for conscientious objection to military service and military taxation. Individuals who decline to register with the Selective Service as an act of conscience should not be penalized from any benefits and opportunities provided by our federal government," Randall said. She added that it may be in the government's best interest to focus on other segments of national security instead of just preparing for combat. "There are other threats to our country that we are seeing, in our election system, in rising sea levels, cybersecurity threats, that do not get the level of attention they should have," Randall said. "It's not impossible to imagine that this country could be attacked in a World War II or Vietnam. But it has been attacked, with the election system. It feels like a question about readiness for combat is not what we should be asking right now." According to the Pew Research Center, of 191 countries in the world, 60 have some type of active conscription or draft program. The United States is one of 23 countries that has a system in place but does not actively engage in a draft. The remaining countries either have no legal provision for conscription or a standing military. Countries that actively conscript men and women into their militaries include Israel, Venezuela, Bolivia, North Korea, Tunisia and Morocco. Sweden and Norway both have a requirement to serve but either offer an option besides military service or accept deferrals. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @patriciakime. The commanding officer of a Japan-based Marine Hornet squadron has been relieved four months after a midair refueling collision left six people dead. Lt. Col. James Compton, Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242's former commanding officer, was relieved Monday due to a loss of trust and confidence, said Capt. Christopher Harrison, a Marine spokesman at the Pentagon. Compton was relieved by Maj. Gen. Thomas Weidley, commanding general of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. It was first reported Thursday by Marine Corps Times. No additional information about the decision was immediately available. The move was a "direct result of decisions made that may have been related to the fatal collision," according to Marine Corps Times. Lt. Col. Kevin Campbell has been named the squadron's interim commander, Harrison said. An F/A-18D Hornet assigned to the all-weather squadron and a KC-130 Hercules collided in midair Dec. 6 off the coast of southern Japan. The accident occurred during regularly scheduled training, Marine officials said at the time. The two Marines aboard the Hornet at the time of the crash were recovered shortly after the accident. Capt. Jahmar Resilard, a pilot, later died at the hospital. A second Marine was injured. Five more Marines who were aboard the KC-130J went missing after the crash and were later declared dead: Lt. Col. Kevin Herrmann, Maj. James Brophy, Staff Sgt. Maximo Flores, Cpl. Daniel Baker and Cpl. William Ross. The cause of the collision remains under investigation. In December, Compton said "the Bats" were deeply saddened by the loss of Resilard. "He was an effective and dedicated leader who cared for his Marines and fellow fighter pilots with passion," Compton said in a release after Resilard's death. "His warm and charismatic nature bound us together, and we will miss him terribly." Compton is a Naval Academy graduate who'd previously deployed to Iraq with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242. He has flown more than 2,700 mishap-free flight hours in the F/A-18D Hornet, according to his Marine Corps bio. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Military commanders and law enforcement personnel have been failing to follow their own rules regarding incidents of on-base domestic violence, according a new report from the Pentagon's Office of Inspector General. Of 219 cases examined at eight installations, 201 were found not to comply with Defense Department policies on how they should be handled, the IG's report states. The 109-page IG report published April 19 examines domestic violence incidents at eight installations: Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Camp Pendleton; Quantico; Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Naval Base San Diego, California; Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; and Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi. In a case at JBER, the alleged abuser "held a knife while strangling and threatening the victim. However, law enforcement personnel did not seize the knife used in the assault" for evidence, according to the report. In another case at Fort Belvoir, the victim lost consciousness during an alleged assault. "Three children who were with the victim at the time told her what happened during the incident, and she relayed that information to law enforcement," the report states. "However, installation law enforcement personnel did not interview the children to obtain the information directly from them." Overall, military service law enforcement personnel failed to consistently conduct the thorough interviews needed to provide commanders and prosecutors with the information they needed to make prosecution decisions, the report found. In addition, investigators and responders were lax in regularly filing incident reports as required to the Defense Central Index of Investigations to allow commanders to take into account an individual's criminal history when making disciplinary decisions and security clearance assessments, according to the report. It cites a case at Camp Pendleton, California, where a subject allegedly strangled a victim and then threw her to the floor. "We evaluated the domestic violence incident report and determined that [Naval Criminal Investigative Service] personnel at Camp Pendleton had sufficient credible information that the subject committed a criminal offense," the report states. "However, NCIS personnel at Camp Pendleton did not title and index the subject in the Defense Central Index of Investigations." The DoD's directives and stated procedures are not at issue, the report says. But, it adds, military law enforcement organizations were found not to follow existing policies consistently regarding domestic violence incidents. The report warns that the failures to gather evidence and process reports could thwart criminal investigations and even cause added harm to victims. In another example of where investigators failed to collect crime scene evidence, law enforcement officers at Fort Bragg responded to a report of domestic violence. A cell phone was alleged to hold text messages related to the reported incident. "The Staff Judge Advocate [SJA] requested the cellular phone be collected to review the digital evidence in order to establish probable cause," the report states. "However, law enforcement personnel did not collect the cellular phone and as a result could not provide the digital evidence to the SJA." In fact, in 44 cases examined, personnel failed to photograph crime scenes and injures as policy required. The report cites an incident at Quantico in which the victim alleged that the abuser punched walls and even broke a television. "However, the incident report did not indicate that law enforcement personnel conducted a crime scene search to identify the property damage nor did the report contain any pictures of the damage," the report states. Another example cited involved an incident at Fort Belvoir in which "law enforcement personnel responded to a domestic violence incident and did not take pictures of the victim's injuries. According to the incident report, the victim had red circular marks on his right cheek and neck." "The Fort Belvoir Patrol Captain told us that the non-compliances related to crime scene processing were due to patrol officers not documenting the actions they performed or not having the equipment to complete the actions," the report states. It adds that the Fort Belvoir Police Chief told investigators that, during the seven-year period assessed, patrol officers did not even always have operational cameras with which to take the photos required when processing crime scenes. At Gulfport, patrol officers were not even aware of the basics involved in investigating domestic violence, the report states. A Gulfport Naval Security Officer "told us the patrol officers did not know the requirements for conducting searches, such as knowing what to look for or what to take photographs of in a domestic violence incident," according to the report. It also notes failures to notify base Family Advocacy Programs (FAP) as required by DoD policy to have them conduct risk assessments for family members. An incident at Fort Belvoir is cited in which a baby was injured. In the incident, "the subject threw a wine glass in the direction of the victim during an argument. The glass hit the wall instead of the victim, causing a piece of the shattered glass to strike their 18-month-old son in the head," the report states. "This caused a contusion and an inch-sized laceration. However, Fort Belvoir law enforcement personnel did not notify FAP to ensure that the FAP staff members were able to initiate a thorough risk assessment and safety planning for the victim and other family members." The report makes six recommendations to the secretaries of the Army, Air Force and Navy for prompt action, including making sure that "military service law enforcement practices, equipment, and supervisory reviews are adequate to comply with DoD policies when collecting evidence, conducting interviews" and notifying Family Advocacy Programs of potentially violent situations. In response, the chief of staff for the Office of the Army Provost Marshal General "stated that the Army is actively pursuing resolution of the DoD OIG's findings through two working groups," according to the report. However, the Marine Corps' response to the recommendation on timely and accurate reporting of incidents in the Defense Central Index of Investigations was inadequate, it adds. The branch head of the Marine Corps Law Enforcement, Investigations, and Corrections Branch "did not address the specifics of the recommendation" on reports to DCII, the report states. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Sgt. Maj. Troy E. Black, a Bronze Star with "V" recipient, has been selected to serve as the 19th sergeant major of the Marine Corps. Currently the top enlisted leader with Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Black is a combat-tested and approachable leader, former Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlton Kent told Military.com. "He's a warfighter who leads by example," Kent said. "Marines are going to be able to communicate their issues to him, and he's one of those types of sergeants major who's going to jump right on top of those issues." Black was named the service's next sergeant major on Thursday. He will replace Sgt. Maj. Ronald Green as the top enlisted leader later this year, according to a Marine Corps news release. Green will retire following 35 years of service. Related: The 'Unflappable' Warrior-Scholar: Meet Your Next Marine Corps Commandant Kent, who has tracked Black's career for years, said Marines can likely expect their next sergeant major to prioritize the technological advancements they will need to take on sophisticated enemies, along with professional military education. "He's going to be the type of sergeant major who stays up on enlisted PME, and that's very important for all Marines," Kent said. "I know he's a big fan of the PME ... and that will be one thing that he's really going to focus on to develop [noncommissioned officers] into staff NCOs and continue with staff NCO PME so they can grow up to be great senior staff NCOs." Black completed boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, in 1988 before reporting to the School of Infantry and training as a machine gunner. He then went on to the Marine Corps Security Force Training Center in Virginia before deploying the following year in support of the U.S. invasion of Panama. Black then deployed with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, during Desert Storm and to Japan before returning to the U.S., where he went back to Parris Island to train to become a drill instructor. He was promoted to gunnery sergeant in 2001 and deployed to Iraq as a company gunny with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, in 2003. He later served as sergeant major of the Officer Candidates School before deploying to Afghanistan with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, and again with Combat Logistics Battalion 5. Black has deployed with several Marine expeditionary units and was later named the 11th MEU's top enlisted leader. He has earned the Combat Action Ribbon with two gold stars. Black has advised general officers as 1st Marine Logistics Group's sergeant major and in his current role at Manpower and Reserve Affairs, where career policies are developed and decided. His wife is a retired first sergeant, who Kent said understands what it's like to be an enlisted Marine and a military spouse. Both care deeply about Marines and their families, Kent added, and know the challenges that come with the lifestyle. Lt. Gen. David Berger has been nominated to receive a fourth star and serve as commandant, and Kent said the pair will make a good team when it comes to listening to Marines' needs. "[Black] is going to continue the legacy of that office, taking over from Sgt. Maj. Green who did -- and continues to do -- an awesome job," Kent said. "This selection is a very good thing for the Marine Corps." -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Aircrews and aircraft from the U.S., Republic of Korea (RoK) and Australia are participating in a new exercise on the Korean Peninsula in an effort to maintain military readiness with Pacific partners. Media outlets earlier this week said the event is meant to replace the massive Max Thunder annual joint air training exercise, which was suspended last year. Officials with Pacific Air Force's 7th Air Force at Osan Air Base, South Korea, are calling the exercise a "Combined Flying Training Event." "This event enhances RoK, U.S. and Australian Air Forces' interoperability and tactical skills," said Lt. Col. Brandon Lingle, a 7th Air Force spokesman, in an email Wednesday. "It is part of the ROK-U.S. alliance's routine, annual training program to maintain military readiness. U.S. Airmen, Soldiers and Sailors are involved in the training that runs from April 22 through May 2." South Korean officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Stars and Stripes on Monday that dozens of warplanes, including fighter jets, are participating in the combined flying exercise. Related content: While additional details of the scaled-down exercise remain scarce, the event has angered neighboring North Korea, which issued a warning early Thursday. According to the Yonhap News Agency, North Korea issued a statement via the Korean Central News Agency urging South Korea and the U.S. to "behave with discretion" and warning they could provoke a military response. It marked the first public rebuke from North Korea to South Korea after the two countries formally resumed talks last year. The Pentagon suspended or altered larger-scale summer exercises with South Korea, most notably Ulchi Freedom Guardian, at the Trump administration's request following the president's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore last June. Then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis later announced that Foal Eagle, a combined ground, air, naval and special operations field exercise, was "being reorganized a bit to keep it at a level that will not be harmful to diplomacy." Mattis reiterated last August what the Defense Department had announced in June following the Singapore Summit: The U.S. had suspended larger exercises -- what President Donald Trump characterized as "war games" -- but smaller training efforts with South Korean counterparts would remain on the calendar. "There are ongoing exercises all the time on the [Korean] peninsula," Mattis said at the time, adding that smaller exercises were not being publicized to avoid misinterpretation by North Korea, which might view them as a "break in faith" following the June negotiations. News of the joint training exercise comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday welcomed Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok to discuss their national interests. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Isaak Olson was two months from graduating in 2014 when he disclosed that his fiancee had given birth several months earlier... ONTONAGON, MICH. - If youre planning a trip to the Upper Peninsulas Porcupine Mountains this spring, be sure to pack your snowshoes. Thats the advice from the staff at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, who are reporting that certain portions of the park are still buried under significant snowfall. This has been a long winter -- a longer-than-usual winter, said Mike Knack, park superintendent. There is still ice floating around on Lake Superior and almost all of our roads are still closed. Knack said the road up to Lake of the Clouds, one of the parks most popular attractions, is still currently under many feet of snow and ice. But he added that some parts of the park, like Presque Isle Campground, are now open, and that the parks year-round lodging continues to see plenty of use. You may need snowshoes, but the snowshoes will come on and off, between the snow and the mud, he said. It makes for an interesting afternoon of hiking. The spring snow melt has been stubborn in other U.P. parks, too. This week Tahquamenon Falls State Park posted photos showing at least eight inches of snow remaining on the parks Lower Falls boardwalk. Meanwhile Craig Lake State Park, east of the Porcupine Mountains, remains entirely closed thanks to this past winter. Posts on the parks Facebook page claim much of the area is blanketed with up to three feet of snow. Craig Lake State Park expects to be open by mid-May; Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park should be fully accessible by Memorial Day weekend at the latest. If youre planning a trip before then, park staffers highly recommend calling ahead of time, and to check the parks Facebook pages for updates. Usually the roads [at the Porcupine Mountains] are completely open by the third week of May, Knack said. Weve still got maybe a month in certain areas up in high elevations. It takes quite a while for the sun to penetrate through the shade of the old-growth forest to melt that snow. A chapter in Michigans medical marijuana history came to a close Thursday in Lansing, as the licensing board appointed by former Gov. Rick Snyder met for the last time. As of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, April 30, an executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will take effect -- transferring the licensing power directly to staff in the Marijuana Regulatory Agency, the new name for the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation. In its nearly two-year tenure, the Medical Marihuana Licensing Board reviewed hundreds of business applicants and approved more than 140 licenses. Board member Don Bailey wished licensed businesses in the audience at the meeting Thursday good luck. "I believe, based on 36 years in law enforcement, that you are going to need it," Bailey said. "The black market has expanded exponentially, and it's not going to contract on its own." Licensed businesses are going to face a huge problem competing against black market operators, who are going unchallenged by local police and local prosecutors, Bailey said.In an editorial published in Bridge Magazine, Bailey said Whitmers decision to end the licensing board is her way of paying back the marijuana lobby. Though it was criticized for its slow pace and inconsistent decisions, the licensing board provided public transparency into the regulation of prospective medical marijuana businesses. Once agency staff take full control of the licensing process next week, all decisions will be made behind closed doors. I dont know if it will move any faster, to be honest, unless the legislature changes the make up of these applications. When these people come in, theyre literally carrying boxes, said Rick Johnson, chairman of the licensing board, of the lengthy paper trail required in license applications. The board's ability to shape the medical marijuana industry at times has been challenged in the courts, as deadlines for temporarily operating businesses to gain a license have repeatedly been trumped by a judge's order. "It's ridiculous that you have a governing body put in place by the legislature and the lawmakers and signed by the governor, and you have the judicial system making rulings," Johnson said. During the Wednesday meeting Johnson supported a move to give preliminary approval to 92 applicants in one fell swoop -- a motion that eventually failed. I somewhat like it because with all the other rulings that tend to go on, sometimes it makes you wonder why weve been here at all, Johnson said after giving his support for the motion, referencing repeated judicial rulings that have usurped the boards authority. In January the board approved a resolution backed by Whitmer to set a compliance deadline of April 1 for unlicensed but operating provisioning centers. Court of Claims Judge Stephen Borrello blocked that attempt by issuing a temporary restraining order after provisioning centers filed lawsuits. Borrello is expected to issue a final decision Friday. How that decision conflicts with pending legislation that would set a compliance deadline of June 1 is not yet known. House Bill 4440 is now before a Senate committee. -- Amy Biolchini is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact her with questions, tips or comments at abiolch1@mlive.com. Read more from MLive about medical marijuana. Less than two hours after a panel of federal judges declared Michigans districts were gerrymandered and ordered them redrawn for the 2020 election, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey announced the Senate would appeal to the nations highest court. The Senate is reviewing the details of the ruling and will file an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. We will prepare to comply with this most recent ruling while we await the outcome of the appeal, said Shirkey, R-Clark Lake. The ruling came in the case League of Women Voters v. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, in which the League and Democrats alleged the states last redistricting process gave an unfair advantage to Republicans and violated voters Constitutional rights. The court agreed, finding 34 districts violate the first amendment rights of Michiganders and 27 also violate the Fourteenth amendment. Under the order issued by U.S. Circuit Judges Eric Clay and Denise Hood and U.S. District Judge Gordon Quist, lawmakers have until Aug. 1, 2019 to redraw Michigans Congressional and legislative political districts in a way the court deems constitutionally acceptable, otherwise the court will draw lines for them. The Michigan Republican Party supports the appeal. The Michigan Republican Party disagrees with the Federal courts decision regarding redistricting, and will support an appeal to uphold the will of Michigan voters, Chairman Laura Cox said in a statement. Democrats, however, celebrated the courts ruling Thursday. Michiganders have known for years that our current legislative districts silenced their voices at the ballot box, which is why Democrats have fought tirelessly to end gerrymandering, said House Democratic Leader Christine Greig, D-Farmington Hills. "The Courts opinion is damning. Its order is clear. House Democrats stand ready to work with our Republican colleagues to ensure that this partisan gerrymander is remedied and that new districts are fairly and constitutionally drawn. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who moved to settle in the case but saw that agreement scuttled earlier this year, said she respected the courts decision. The courts ruling confirms that these Michigan state House and Senate and U.S. congressional districts are unconstitutional. I respect that decision, as should we all," Benson said. "As the states chief election officer, Im committed to working with the Legislature, citizens and the court to ensure the new districts comply with our U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court can choose whether or not to take up appeals. The court has recently considered gerrymandering cases from Wisconsin, North Carolina and Maryland. OSCODA, MI Kathleen Sanchez is worried about PFAS in the drinking water at her home on Loud Drive across Van Etten Lake from the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, which is bleeding the toxic fluorochemicals into Oscoda groundwater. Theres cancer among family at her home. Her dog developed tumors and had to be put down. Shes asked the Air Force to test the water several times. Like many across the state, Sanchez is frustrated by the high cost homeowners face getting an independent lab test. On Wednesday, she got a chance to ask senior Air Force leaders why there wasnt greater access to PFAS testing, or bottled or municipal water, for her area. The answer: Its unwarranted based on four-year-old data. Basically, Im back to square one, said Sanchez, following her turn at the microphone during the public meeting. The burden falls on the homeowner. Frustration over PFAS drew Pentagon bigwigs to Michigan this week. John Henderson, assistant Air Force secretary overseeing installations, energy and environment, visited Oscoda on an invite from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters. The ranking Democrat on the Senate homeland security committee has criticized an aggressive and defensive posture the Air Force has adopted in an ongoing dispute with state regulators over the pace and adequacy of Wurtsmith PFAS cleanup. Henderson, Peters and Air Force environmental officials spent part of the day eyeballing sites like Clarks Marsh, a wetland loaded with pollutants from the base, and Ken Ratliff Park, a beach on Van Etten Lake where toxic PFAS foam has become a near-perpetual shoreline presence thanks to highly-polluted groundwater entering from the base. Past use of chemical-based AFFF firefighting foam at Wurtsmith has polluted drinking water, lakes, rivers and local wildlife. The Air Force group took questions from the public for an hour prior to a regular meeting of the Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board at the community center. Some asked questions. Some voiced displeasure with the apparent snails pace the Air Force appears to be following at Wurtsmith. Throughout the meeting, Henderson and his cohorts blamed timing rigidity in the CERCLA process, which is remediation shorthand for regulated steps the military follows when investigating pollution. Henderson expressed a commitment to tackling the problem and ensuring the health and safety of service members and families. In his opening remarks, he acknowledged PFAS as a problem involving more than just the two compounds for which the Environmental Protection Agency has developed a hotly-debated health advisory level. This is a bigger problem than just the Air Force. Its probably bigger than just PFOS and PFOA. Theres a whole family of perfluorinated compounds were going to have to address at some point, Henderson said. Were committed to seeing this through. Henderson said the Air Force is about halfway through the entire multi-year investigation process and it expects to finish a supplemental site inspection later this year. Once thats done, the next step is another 18-months of remedial investigation. Then comes a feasibility study that could take another two years to determine how much cleanup the base needs. Presently, there are two granular activated carbon (GAC) systems extracting and filtering contaminated groundwater. But, regulators at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), formerly the DEQ, say thats not enough. The state wants more treatment systems installed around the base. Disagreements about the adequacy of base cleanup caught the attention of Congressional lawmakers and helped spark Hendersons visit. In December, the Air Force said it wouldnt take any new action to stem the flow of contamination entering Clarks Marsh and it didnt have to comply with a Michigan rule limiting much PFAS can enter surface water from groundwater because the federal government has sovereign immunity from state or local laws. The ongoing dispute remains unresolved. Arnie Leriche, co-chair of the Wurtsmith advisory board, said the DEQ (now EGLE) has gathered enough PFAS data over the past several years that the Air Force could quicken the pace of investigation and cleanup if it wanted to, but the military wont use the states data. Leriche relayed that to Henderson and said he definitely understood what I was saying. That was very encouraging. Ed Davison, a property owner on Van Etten Creek and the Au Sable River next to the base, accused the Air Force of horsing us around. You deliberately set up a program that takes forever to get to a solution, Davison said. Please get some damn pumps up here and start pumping. Tony Spaniola, a Tory attorney with a home on Van Etten Lake, said he hoped the meeting would burst what he called a bureaucratic bubble between state regulators and the Air Force that exists separate from reality on the ground. He asked why the Air Force wasnt doing more to stop the PFAS causing the foam on the lakeshore. Spaniola noted that state data shows PFOS in groundwater entering the lake is contaminated at levels higher than 12 parts-per-trillion (ppt) an enforceable state limit on PFAS in surface water at the heart of the dispute between the Air Force and Michigan regulators. The plumes youre talking about; were still collecting the data and information said Stephen TerMaath, chief of the Air Force engineering program thats coordinating cleanup at former bases, who was quickly interrupted by loud groans from the audience. Were primarily focused on protecting drinking water, TerMaath continued. We hope to be moving into more definitive data that would allow us to develop remediation, if its necessary, to comply with the state groundwater requirements. After the meeting, TerMaath indicated the foam which has sparked state advisories about accidental ingestion in Oscoda and where its been found in other PFAS-tainted waters around Michigan, such as in Rockford isnt a priority for the Air Force because theres no state or federal regulation specific to how much PFAS is allowable in foam. State scientists say it forms when wind or waves create a froth out of the PFAS molecules that congregate at the waters surface. TerMaath questioned that conclusion, suggesting it could be naturally-occurring foam that draws in PFAS thats getting into the lake. Im not discounting it, Im just saying theres questions as to how its really caused, he said. TerMaath said the GAC treatment installed last year should be capturing some PFAS entering the lake. He indicated the foam is largely a visual concern the Air Force would like to address through a risk assessment during the forthcoming remedial investigation. Presently, the state health department advisory around the foam is for ingestion, not skin contact. If the state were to change its position that dermal contact posed a hazard, TerMaath, using air quotes, said wed certainly be concerned about that. Nevertheless, wed be looking for them to promulgate a regulation or something just like the EPA has a health advisory out there on things. It wouldnt just be a letter from the health people saying oh, its a concern. Wed want them to promulgate a regulation on it. ANN ARBOR, MI - You might need to dust off your dictionary for an upcoming event sure to create a buzz on the University of Michigans North Campus. UMs Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is hosting its first adult-tailored spelling bee, called The Buzz at OLLI. The event, which challenges teams of three to test their spelling skills, will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2 inside Building 18 of the North Campus Research Complex. Lynn Boyer, organizing chair for The Buzz, said OLLI has looked into the Scripps and AARP national spelling bee lists to compile words sure to test participants. While the format of the spelling bee will involve teams of three consulting with each other on each word, participants can sign up individually, and they will be assigned a team. Membership to OLLI is not required to participate. Our goal has always been that people will leave our events saying they had a good time, Boyer said. Registration for the event is $25 and has been extended until noon on April 29. Registration and preparation materials for the spelling bee can be found on the OLLI website. OLLI also is hosting a special, free screening of Akeelah and the Bee at noon on April 25 inside Washtenaw Community Colleges Towsley Auditorium. Participants in the spelling bee can pick up additional materials for the event at that time. ANN ARBOR, MI Washtenaw Community College leaders know how food insecurity can impact a persons life. Too often, theyve seen students struggle academically when theyre hungry or dont have resources to feed their families, said Linda Blakey, WCC vice president of student and academic services. Its very hard to study if you are hungry or uncertain about how you will feed your children, she said. When you alleviate the hunger, a strong foundation is created to ensure a successful college experience. Blakey addressed a crowd of about 250 community leaders, nonprofit organization representatives and others at the Food Gatherers State of Our Plate event at WCC on Wednesday, April 24. The event highlighted both successes and challenges in the fight against hunger in Washtenaw County, while celebrating the 30th year of Food Gatherers, an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit working to alleviate hunger. WCC, in partnership with Food Gatherers, has taken steps to help its students. A campus food pantry served 155 students last year, up 30% from the previous year, and the college likely will surpass that this year, Blakey said. WCC recently participated in the first-ever study by the Government Accountability Office on hunger at American colleges. It showed food insecurity is higher at community colleges than at four-year universities, which reinforces the importance of keeping WCCs pantry stocked, Blakey said. Resources like the food pantry can make all the difference in helping our students reach their academic goals, she said. Food Gatherers distributed about 6.3 million pounds of food last year to help feed the hungry, with the help of many community partners and programs like the WCC food pantry. The agencys origins trace back to just before Thanksgiving 1988, when Paul Saginaw of Zingermans Deli and his staff borrowed a van, collected surplus food from restaurants and grocery stores and distributed it to local meal programs at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor and Brown Chapel in Ypsilanti. It became Michigans first food rescue program, now governed by a board of directors and run by a staff of about 30, with help from 7,000-plus volunteers. Its almost entirely funded by private donations. Essentially what Food Gatherers does is knit together a very diverse array of community programs, some of which are professionally staffed, many of which are volunteer-driven, said CEO Eileen Spring. More than $10 million worth of food and services were provided by Food Gatherers in 2018. A majority of the agencys partners have missions beyond food security, including senior centers, schools, drug rehab centers, housing agencies and homeless shelters. A video shown at Wednesdays event featured representatives from organizations such as the Peace Neighborhood Center, Hope Clinic, Corner Health Center, Delonis Center and Community Action Network talking about the role Food Gatherers plays in the community, providing 14,500 meals per day through 170 different programs, with food procured from more than 1,000 sources. That charitable network ensures everyone in the county has a place to access food, whether its a hot meal or groceries, Spring said. I really imagined when I started this work 25 years ago that we would have ended hunger by now, she said, adding shes increasingly aware of the need for a strong public safety net. This was brought home to all of us just a few short months ago when we experienced the longest government shutdown, she said, noting federal workers went without pay, contractors lost jobs and people on food stamps, known as SNAP benefits, were at risk. There were 300 people who worked for the federal prison in Milan who went for more than a month without pay, Spring said. We were starting, honestly, to freak out at Food Gatherers, because we knew we could jump in and fill a gap for a week or two, but we were looking at more than a month. Thanks to emergency funding from the county, Spring said, they were able to get more food to partners who expanded hours and increased distribution in January and February, some by 40-50%. It shows both the strength of public and private partnerships in this work, but it also shows our fragility, she said, emphasizing the need for continued public support for food stamps. For every meal the charitable network provides, SNAP provides 12, Spring said. Kali Fox, of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenows office, spoke at Wednesdays event, noting President Donald Trump signed a new farm bill that preserves SNAP benefits into law in December, but he directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to change eligibility requirements. Unfortunately USDA has targeted SNAP already by changing some categorical requirements, Fox said, noting Stabenow is opposed to the additional restrictions. According to Food Gatherers, about 13.6% of Washtenaw County residents struggle with food insecurity or hunger, and about 40% of them are not eligible for food stamps. Those who experience the stress of food insecurity also can often have chronic health conditions that are exacerbated when they have to choose between paying for medicine or food, said Markell Miller, Food Gatherers community food programs director. Wednesdays event included a panel discussion with U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn; Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon; and Michigan Medicine Community Health Services Director Alfreda Rooks. In addition to protecting SNAP benefits, Dingell said its important to lower the cost of prescription drugs. We cant just talk about this issue in a vacuum, she said. We need to talk about how we take care of our community and those who need a helping hand, not a handout. In a country of such wealth, for hunger to persist is a disgrace, Gordon said, arguing theres a challenge with empathy in America right now. I took this job and came to Michigan because I thought it was an incredible opportunity to deal with the challenges of hunger and poverty in a wonderful state, he said. We want to make as many people as possible be able, if theyre eligible for SNAP, to enroll in SNAP, and we want to make that process as fast and efficient and dignified as we possibly can. It shouldnt be a partisan issue, Dingell said. We are Americans, and united we stand and divided we fall, she said, arguing people have an obligation to take care of their neighbors. There are a lot of people struggling to find jobs or working two jobs and still living in poverty, Dingell said. We need to make sure we dont let whats happening in this country harden our heart, because if we do, we are doomed, she said. Phil Knight, director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan, said hes in charge of a statewide network representing 200-plus food banks across Michigan. When hes trying to impress a stakeholder, he said, he always tries to show them Food Gatherers. Not only do you see all the innovation and the programming, but when you walk in, you feel a vibrant energy, an incredible sense of urgency, combined with a contagious enthusiasm, he said, adding other food banks are now trying to replicate Food Gatherers programs. Food Gatherers serves as many community agencies and procures food from as many donors as a food bank three times its size, he said, noting its volunteer numbers are among the highest in the nation. Food Gatherers is rescuing millions of pounds of food that otherwise would go to landfills, Knight said, noting the agency recently was inducted into the Feeding America Advocacy Hall of Fame. Even during the three hours Food Gatherers and its partners gathered Wednesday, Knight said, they provided 6,300 meals to the hungry. GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP, MI - A bicyclist was hospitalized after a crash at Island Lake State Recreation Area on Wednesday. A 62-year-old Brighton Township man was injured shortly before 4:30 p.m. April 24, when police were called to the entrance to Kent Lake Beach, according to a Green Oak Township Police Department news release. Police believe the man was traveling west on State Park Way, near the beach entrance, when he collided with a 2018 Cadillac XT5. Preliminary investigations showed the driver of the Cadillac, a 30-year-old Royal Oak man, didnt see the bicyclist and made a left turn in front of him, according to police. The bicyclist was taken to the University of Michigan hospital with critical injuries, police said. The Cadillac driver was released at the scene. The incident remains under investigation. ANN ARBOR, MI - Responding to advocacy efforts that date back 14 years, University of Michigan health plans will expand services provided to transgender members for some medical procedures. Beginning July 1, all UM health plans will cover certain facial feminization procedures, Adams apple reduction and facial hair removal to treat gender dysphoria, up to a $30,000 lifetime plan maximum, the university announced. For services to be covered, the member must meet medical necessity criteria, including persistent, well-documented gender dysphoria manifested by clinically significant distress. Previously, UMs health coverage included medically necessary genital surgery for gender reassignment, mastectomy in female-to-male transition, hormone therapy and counseling services. Transgender members are also covered for fertility preservation if medical or surgical interventions related to their transition could result in infertility. Coverage for fertility preservation became available to all UM health plan members with infertility due to medical treatment or surgery on Jan. 1. UMs coverage of gender-affirming services follows standards defined by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) whenever possible, the university noted. Monica Lewis, chair of the Trans Health Committee for the Graduate Employees Organization 3550, which represents graduate student instructors and staff Assistants at UM, called the expanded coverage a deeply moving step toward trans health equity. GEOs requests for coverage for many procedures dates back to 2005, Lewis said, including facial feminization surgery and permanent hair removal. The university denied both at the time. It wasnt until the unions contract negotiations in 2016 that it brought forward a number of proposals related to trans health, eventually getting the university to meet its demands after authorizing a walkout. UM agreed to hold a series of special conferences to discuss the coverage and accessibility of treatment services related to gender dysphoria. Discussions continued through 2018 when a review of coverage submitted by GEO was initiated by the Universitys Medical Benefits Advisory Committee. Despite continued resistance, Lewis said UM eventually allowed transgender people to discuss their concerns with the MBAC chair and a vice president in January 2019. We sincerely believe that minds were changed at this forum, and it makes us so happy to know that a point of mutual understanding was reached about why these procedures are in fact medically necessary for so many trans people, Lewis said. As both a UM student and staff member, transgender activist Vidhya Aravind had long demanded an overhaul of the universitys Comprehensive Gender Services Program, which helps transgender adults access medical care. Aravind said she was pleased that the hard work of transgender activists had been recognized with expanded coverage. Things have come quite a way, but its important to realize that this wasnt just given to us from the goodness of their hearts, Aravind said. The negotiation process with HR only worked because of the power of the labor union behind it. Thanks to our strong membership demonstrating significant investment in the issue, even when members werent trans themselves, the university shifted its position on what should be covered. YPSILANTI, MI The moment she heard her name called as the recipient of a life-changing $50,000 scholarship was like gold came from the sky into her lap, Alyana Wade-Williams said. Taleah Johnson, on the other hand, didnt even hear her name called, only learning she had won the scholarship when her friends began to scream and mob her in a moment of joy. Wade-Williams and Johnson each received the Exceptional Learning Scholarships at the closing of Washtenaw International High Schools honors convocation ceremony on Wednesday, April 25. They embraced with friends and family, sharing tears of joy. This is the third year two graduating seniors at WIHI have received $50,000 scholarships, which will be distributed over four years at the higher education institution of their choice. An anonymous donor pledged more than $1 million to fund the scholarships each year from 2017-30, with the goal of removing financial barriers for students admitted to prestigious colleges and universities. For Johnson, the scholarship opens up new opportunities to study sociology or theater at New York University. Ive only lived in Ypsi my entire life, Ive never been outside the Midwest, Johnson said, with a huge smile on her face after receiving the award. I feel like everyone kind of romanticizes New York, so I applied on a whim. They have really good programs in journalism and sociology and theater, which are all things Im interested in, so it seemed like a good match. Growing up, it was nearly impossible to get Johnson away from the study table at home, her mother Talitha Johnson said. She actually encouraged her daughter to watch TV or go to the movies, she said, because she was concerned her daughter was too dedicated to academics at a young age. As Johnson became immersed in high school, with involvement in Ypsilanti Youth Theater, drama club, social justice activities and student government council, it became apparent her daughter was on the right track her mother said. I thought it was weird to encourage a child to do a little bit more, other than study, but shes got her balance and shes very involved in extracurricular activities, she said. Shes done great academically and shes a good big sister to her little brother, who is in 10th grade at WIHI. I am just so proud. Alyana Wade-Williams, a senior at Washtenaw International High School, hugs her mother Yvette Williams, right, after an announcement that she received a scholarship during the IB Honors Convocation Ceremony at Washtenaw International High School, Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in Ypsilanti Township. Two WIHI students received scholarships for $50,000 each. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive.com)Ben Allan Smith | MLive.com Wade-Williams plans to attend Pratt Institute in Utica, New York and New York City to study visual arts. Shes been active throughout high school in mentoring elementary school students, Community Action Network and Habitat for Humanity, while also working a part-time job. Shes also taken care of her two younger siblings, while supporting her mother, Yvette Williams, who was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions. You dont really expect to be rewarded for the good things that you do, Wade-Williams said. Sometimes you just do that out of your heart. Despite her health challenges, Yvette Williams said her daughter never complained or used added responsibilities as an excuse, instead using her love for art as a driver of her academic success. All of this is on her own, Yvette Williams said. I told my husband, I didnt realize, as I had been struggling health-wise, I had never helped her with school - with anything. Wade-Williams passion is art. Her teachers saw her talent when she showed them a drawing of hands at age 10. She never looked back, eventually selling her own work at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Alyana seeks to integrate complex issues of social justice in her work as an artist and humble and creative in her approach to everything, her International Baccalaureate art teacher Belen Pilafsidis said. While the Exceptional Learner Scholarships capped off the evening, WIHI seniors Aija Turner and Laresha Parker also received $2,500 scholarships provided by an anonymous donor. The Equity and Excellence Scholarships were awarded for the first time on Wednesday and promote excellence in leadership and service to promoting equity. FLINT TWP, MI A 30-year-old man is in critical condition after he was shot during an argument Thursday afternoon in Flint Township. Officers with the Flint Township Police Department were dispatched around 3:45 p.m. Thursday, April 25 to the 3100 block of Devonshire Street, between Maxson and Donaldson streets, for a report of a shooting. It was soon discovered by officers that the victim, whose name has not been released, had been shot once in the chest with a pistol, police said. Witnesses informed officers the alleged shooter was inside a home in the immediate area. A 46-year-old man surrendered himself to police without incident a short time later. An initial investigation by police has revealed there was an argument prior to the shooting, but the reason behind the argument has yet to be determined. The case will be presented to the Genesee County Prosecutors Office for review upon completion of the investigation. Flint Township police were assisted at the scene by the Flint Police Department, Michigan State Police, and deputies with the Genesee County Sheriffs Office. Anyone who may have witnessed the shooting is asked to contact Flint Township police Detective Doug Hart at 810-600-3250, report a tip anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-422-JAIL (5245), on the P3 Tips app, or online at P3Tips.com. GRAND BLANC TWP, MI A lawsuit has been filed against a Grand Blanc Township chiropractor by a former patient accusing him of inappropriate touching. The suit was filed April 11 by Okemos-based Grewal Law in Genesee Circuit Court against Charles Arthur Jackson Jr., 66, and Jackson Chiropractic Clinic. It seeks more than $25,000 in damages on charges including assault and battery, negligence, invasion of privacy, false imprisonment and negligent inflictions of emotional distress. Jackson, 66, was arraigned March 15 in Genesee Countys 67th District Court on two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Grand Blanc Township police received a complaint in late February in which the alleged female victim told police Jackson made inappropriate physical contact with her during a recent examination at the Jackson Chiropractor Clinic, 2455 E. Hill Road. An investigation was launched and a report was turned over to the county prosecutors office for review which led to the charges. Jackson was arrested March 13 at his office and lodged in the Genesee County Jail. The lawsuit alleges in December 2018 a woman traveled to the clinic after experiencing pain from a herniated disk, sciatica and tear in her left hip. Thats when Jackson began to make comments to Mrs. Riley as she was lying face down on the adjustment table about her hair and asking her not to cut it while he ran his hands through it, according to the lawsuit. Jackson then allegedly performed a procedure without gloves on that he explained was to relieve tightness in her tailbone. She asked the receptionist if the procedure that took place was normal as it made her feel uncomfortable at which time the employee told her there were other women that had mentioned having the same feelings, per the lawsuit. The woman returned for two appointments in January including a visit during which she recorded a conversation on her cell phone about why hed asked her to pull her shirt up on a previous visit. Jackson lied and told (her) that it was to examine nerves in the spine that affect the chest and stated that he did not intend to make Mrs. Riley feel awkward, reads the lawsuit. Her final visit came Feb. 7 at which time as she exited the examination room and bent over to get her purse when, as the lawsuit states, Jackson then stood in front of the door and grabbed her breast with his hand. Jackson allegedly called her the following day and asked her to the office even though it was not open and told her he would not charge her insurance or give her a bill because he wanted to help her and he cared about her and suggested that they could discuss her treatment over pizza, per the lawsuit. The woman told her therapist about the incidents. The therapist then told her to make a criminal complaint against Jackson that led to charges by the prosecutors office. One of the charges -- loss of consortium -- alleges a detrimental impact caused on the relationship between the woman and her husband as a result of the incidents. Since the initial investigation was launched, Grand Blanc Township police Chief Ron Wiles said 20 other individuals have filed complaints about Jackson with the department. A few of the complaints date back more than a decade, he said. All the information gathered has been turned over to the Genesee County Prosecutors Office for review and potential additional charges. Jackson has hired Attorney Shannon Smith, one of the defense attorneys for Larry Nassar, in the criminal case. She declined comment at this point and has not seen the lawsuit. His license to practice was suspended on April 19, according to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Jackson was issued a $20,000 personal recognizance bond and ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim. Hes due back in court May 2 for a probable cause conference on the criminal sexual conduct charges, according to district court records. FLINT, MI-- Two brothers born in Flint are bringing a Hawaiian and Japanese-inspired restaurant to the citys University Corridor. Justin Bush, 28, and Jeron Dotson, 26, broke ground on their new restaurant alongside Habitat for Humanity, Kettering University, City Administrator Steve Branch and U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, (D-Flint Township) on April 25 on University Avenue. The idea for Poke Bowl, a restaurant that will serve Hawaiian and Japanese-inspired bowls of rice, raw fish and vegetables as well as acacia or smoothie bowls, on Venice Beach in California. Theyd just spent five days working on a music video for their up-and-coming record label, Black Gold Records. The brothers were sitting on the beach when they realized they hadnt tried the seafood on the West Coast. So, they searched the nearest seafood restaurant and discovered a hole-in-the-wall serving poke. Jeron was like in love, Im talking he got two bowls of it and everything, Bush said. He said Why dont we bring this back to Flint? Back in Flint, the brothers were struggling to fund their record label. The music video they'd shot in California was never sent and they were out $1,000. That's when Jeron suggested opening up a restaurant. Ive been cooking since I was 8-years-old, Bush said. "Jeron suggested the idea of starting a poke restaurant. My mom came up with the idea Poke Bowl. Dotson was working for Kildees office at the time when his older sister invited him to a mixer where people of notoriety were in attendance. Thats where Dotson made contact with Flint SOUP, a non-profit dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship and start-ups in Flint. It was a pitch competition, so the brothers told their story behind Poke Bowl and explained the impact it could bring to Flint. They won their first competition in late summer of 2017. When you win, (Flint SOUP) doesnt just give you money and push you on your way, Bush said. They take you under their wings. After that, they won a Flint Shark Tank competition and went to the Michigan Good Food Business Boot Camp. The three-day camp taught the brothers the ins and outs of owning a business. At University of Michigan-Flint business competition the brothers won a voucher to work with 100K Ideas at the Flint Ferris Wheel. "They linked us up with Nick Custer who helped us build our business plan," Bush said. Through Flint SOUP and the relations they built with Kettering University through Custer, the brothers were introduced to a project Habitat for Humanity was working on. They were looking for somebody to put in a work-live building on University Avenue, Bush said. The business will be at the bottom and the living space will be at the top. We got the left side of the business. Habitat for Humanity began working on the project four years ago when the land was donated to the organization, Margaret Kato of Genesee County Habitat for Humanity said. The space will house two upper-level living spaces and the first floors will be home to two businesses. This is a great day, Kato said. Work-live projects can lift up young or old entrepreneurs. We know Flint will be rebuilt with small companies and we can be a part of that. Bush said things took off quickly after that. The Poke Bowl is expected to open in spring of 2020. In between now and then, the brothers are planning their first pop up shop the fourth week of May. People will have the opportunity to try the poke bowls and acacia bowls, Bush said. They'll have a pop-up during Kettering's Centennial Celebration and the Flint Farmer's Market. Were very humble and grateful about the whole experience, Bush said. Its mind boggling. The devil lives in our comfort zone. Step out of your comfort zone and act on your ideas. Dont be scared to fail, either. HOLLAND, MI A burglary suspect who was arrested early Wednesday, April 24, could be behind multiple downtown business burglaries over the past month, police said. Police spotted the suspect inside a business at 23 W. Eighth Street at 4:24 a.m. Police set up a perimeter and called in a police tracking dog. During a search of the building, police found the suspect hiding inside. Police suspect that he is involved in the earlier burglaries. The arrest comes after police focused resources on surveillance, foot patrol, evidence processing and review of surveillance videos. They have also worked with downtown businesses, which have provided surveillance video, to bring the burglary spree to an end. Police said that 15 burglaries and two attempted burglaries have occurred at downtown businesses since March 22. Six were reported over the weekend. Police are working to link the suspect to the individual crimes. He is held at the Holland police lockup pending arraignment on a breaking-and-entering charge. Meanwhile, Holland police arrested anohter suspect in an unrelated burglary in the 1000 block of Washington Avenue. At 6:38 a.m. Wednesday, police found that a business had been burglarized. Police set up a perimeter and called in the tracking dog that followed the suspects trail. After interviewing witnesses, police found the suspect at a nearby apartment complex. Police do not think the cases are related. HOLLAND, MI When she heard that her 14-year-old brother was in a fight, Jakara Hunter rushed down the Hampton Inn hallway. She hit the floor when she saw the barrel of a military-style weapon come out of the doorway. Then, she heard a gunshot. Her brother, Troy TJ Wells, dropped. She remembered three shots followed. It seemed like slow motion. I just looked up, like, Is this happening right now? Hunter testified Thursday, April 25, in Holland District Court. She identified Juan Sandro Cabrera, 18, of Holland, as the shooter in the Feb. 16 killing at Hampton Inn in Holland Township. Ottawa County sheriffs detectives think that a gang-related dispute involving Holland Latin Kings and Gangster Disciples - led to the early-morning shooting at a party at the hotel. Hunter said her brother was not in a gang but had friends she considered wanna-be gang members. She had taken her brother to the hotel to see friends who had rented a room for a party. Her mother stayed behind in the car to care for Hunters young child. Hunter and her brother went to room 244 but he decided not to go in. A short time later, someone told Hunter that her brother was in a fight. She ran down the hallway and saw her brother punch a big dude in the face. Then, she saw the gun barrel coming from room 230. I hit the floor and I seen TJ like on the other side of the hallway and he got shot I just seen him keep getting shot. Stephen Cohle, a forensic pathologist and deputy chief medical examiner for Ottawa County, said that the victim was hit by at least six gunshots, and died of multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. He said that three of the gunshots would have been fatal by themselves. Police say an AR-15-style weapon was used in the killing. Holland District Judge Susan Jonas will determine at the close of testimony if Cabrera will stand trial in Ottawa County Circuit Court for open murder. She ordered that no photographs be taken of witnesses other than the medical examiner. In court documents, sheriffs detectives identified witnesses by numbers, rather than names, for their protection. A 14-year-old who hung around with those affiliated in gangs said that the victim had, previously, dropped the crown, a hand gesture that shows disrespect to the Latin Kings. The judge told the witness, who appeared reluctant to discuss gang issues, You dont really want to be here, do you? No, he said. A 17-year-old girl said she saw Wells fall after being shot. She was in a room with Cabrera and others, and said she saw Cabrera with a gun. It happened fast, she said. It was all at once, like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, she said. She said she heard Wells sister say, 'You killed my brother.' GRAND RAPIDS, MI Riverside Park was the classroom for West Side Christian School seventh-graders Thursday, April 25, as they released Chinook salmon they raised from eggs into the Grand River. The release was the culmination of this years Department of Natural Resources Salmon in the Classroom program. It has been really cool seeing them go from eggs to fish, said Natalie Mercer, 15. According to DNR, caring for the young salmon encourages students to think and care about conservation, and creates a connection between caring for their fish and caring for their local environment. One by one the 32 students walked to the river with a plastic container carrying their approximately 4-inch salmon and set it free. But first they spent about an hour scrambling about testing the chemical components of the water, including its clarity and nitrate, ammonia, Ph, and dissolved oxygen levels. This has been super fun and exactly how I pictured this day, said Eli Groggell, 13, as he wrote in his journal, which science students are required to keep. Everything weve done has been leading up to this big moment. We saw the fish every day, fed them, checked the temperature in the tank, and the number. Nadia Becher, 13, said shes enjoyed how very hands-on the program has been. She and classmate Ethan Dole meticulously checked the waters ammonia levels, as they talked about the benefits of outdoor learning versus being stuck in the classroom. This brings excitement and context to learning, said science teacher Jonathan Oosterman, about studying outdoors. In this program, they are learning how this applies to all areas of life. How the quality of our river can impact our livelihood at home and the quality of water that we are getting from our sinks, the sustainability of wildlife, and the food that we get. Almost 300 classrooms throughout Michigan raise salmon then release them in the spring. Janet Staal, director of nature-based outdoor education at West Side Christian, said they were approved for the DNR program last spring and by November had the eggs in a tank in the school hallway. She said raising the salmon was instrumental in students wanting to find out more about the needs of nearby freshwater fish. The school, located at 955 Westend Ave. NW, received approximately 120 eggs and released a total of 34 Thursday. At a seventh-grade level, our kids are connected to a bigger world than just the four walls of their classroom, Staal said. The hope is for all kids as they are learning to see how they can apply their knowledge to be problem solvers. The salmon project was only one facet of the students environmental studies. Working with the Lower Grand River Organization of Watershed (LGROW), students learned it was sedimentation that was keeping trout from thriving in Indian Mill Creek Watershed near the school. Eileen Boekstien, environmental education coordinator for the Grand Valley Metro Council, said Indian Mill Creek is a watershed that LGROW has been doing a lot of research on with graduate students from Grand Valley. She said theyve found there is a lot of issues with sedimentation both from agricultural lands and from urban runoff. "Our role was to work with students to help them understand some of the issues happening in that particular watershed and how that might affect the salmon they were raising and the fish were looking for in Indian Mill Creek,'' she said. Earlier this school year, the students were part of the Grand Rapids Public Museum immerse program. Teachers Oosterman and co-teacher Jeremy Kamp used the museums resources and integrated school studies to develop the collaborative project to improve the coldwater fisheries community standards in the watershed. Groundswell is yet another school partner. West Side was among 35 schools that received $1,000 grants for place-based education projects with an environmental focus this school year. "We have a goal of creating the next generation of environmental stewards,'' said Jessica Vander Ark, Groundswell manager. "We have a three-prong approach - professional development for teachers, connecting them with one of our 60 community partners, and offering grant funding to get projects like this off the ground. " Godfrey-Lee High School, Grand Rapids Montessori, and Godwin Middle School also are participating in the DNR program and will release their salmon later this spring. HOLLAND, MI Before a suspected gang-related shooting at Hampton Inn, Juan Sandro Cabrera and a friend in black bandannas, the flag for Latin Kings were photographed with AR-15 rifles while flashing gang signs. A little later that night, there was pounding at the door. Jose Garcia III looked through the peephole. One of his friends was having a dispute with another teen, Troy TJ Wells. They bumped chests. Garcia said he opened the door. Cabrera, who went by a nickname, Silent, had retrieved a gun from the closet, he said. He said, Move, Garcia said. All I remember is hearing the gunshot and gunpowder everywhere. Wells, 14, died of multiple gunshot wounds. The testimony came Thursday, April 25, at a probable-cause hearing in Holland District Court where Cabrera is charged with open murder. At the close of the hearing, Judge Susan Jonas ordered Cabrera bound over for trial in Ottawa County Circuit Court. Witnesses said the trouble resulted from Holland Latin Kings and Gangster Disciples staying at the hotel that night, just down the hallway from each other. Garcia, who said he had friends in both gangs, said he had no gang affiliation. He said he unwittingly carried the guns to the hotel room in Cabreras suitcase when they arrived the afternoon of Feb. 15. Ottawa County sheriffs Detective Michael Tamminga told Assistant Ottawa County Prosecutor JoEllen Haas that police recovered two AR-15 rifles in the room where the shooting occurred. He said the defendant was not at the hotel that was busy late on a Friday into Saturday. Cabera was arrested a couple of weeks later in the Upper Peninsula. Tamminga drove to the U.P. where Cabrera informed him he had hired an attorney, which prevented any questioning. During questioning by defense attorney Christopher Kessel, Tamminga acknowledged that another man had originally been identified the suspect in the killing. Kessel argued against his clients case being moved to trial court. He noted that a teen who testified that Cabrera fired the gun admitted she lied to police early on about drinking and marijuana use at the party. She said she wanted to protect herself and her friends before she came clean. Kessel said that Cabrera was the only one in the hotel room that she did not know. He also said that Garcia was looking for favor of prosecutors in an unrelated case by implicating his client. JACKSON, MI Nearly $1.2 million in bond funds for new buses and construction were doled out by the Jackson School Board at a special meeting Wednesday. The board approved the purchase of six used diesel buses for $68,400 each and nearly $762,000 for work on Northeast Elementary School at the April 24 meeting. Residents passed an $86.7 million bond for JPS in 2018. Bids accepted for Northeast included masonry, structural steel, general trades and glass and glazing contracts. JPS is putting roughly $4.8 million into re-imagining the school with new offices, a large group instruction area and more. All bids for construction, totaling $2.75 million, are now approved, said John Ruddell, assistant superintendent of finance and operations. The new diesel buses will replace old diesel buses in the fleet. The 2016 buses are coming off a lease from Napoleon School District, with 31,000 to 33,000 miles on them. Most recent JPS bus purchases have been propane fueled, but Ruddell said its important to diversify. "We've been finding it difficult to find a place to fill our propane (buses) on longer trips," Ruddell said. "There aren't as many propane filling stations as you'd think there would be." Propane buses are taking students on a field trip to southern Ohio this weekend, Ruddell said, farther than a bus can go on a single tank. JPS struck a deal with Toledo Public Schools to fill up at their propane station on the way, he said. The propane buses still have their perks. Each one saves about $4,000 to $5,000 per year in fuel costs, Ruddell said. The district now has 34 diesel buses and 26 propane buses. JACKSON, MI In the search to raise an extra $184 million, the city of Jackson has a few proposals. They all include major increases in water bills for residents and businesses. The city of Jackson must replace 11,000 lead service lines which connect water mains to houses and businesses by 2040, per a new state rule. The mandate includes getting photographic evidence of all service lines in the city by 2025. Director of Public Works Jonathan Greene calls it an unfunded state mandate, but believes theres no good alternative. DPW and Department of Engineering leaders gave a presentation to City Council on Tuesday, April 23 detailing the issue. Jacksons reduced-tier system brings the cost per unit down, the more water a customer uses. This system, which saves costs for large businesses, may be done away with. No other community on the citys radar uses such a system, said Kelsey Blackburn, assistant DPW director. Ann Arbors system is opposite it charges more money, the more water is used. "It's prudent for us to figure out how to do it in an equitable way that doesn't put the burden squarely on the residents," Mayor Derek Dobies said. City Council will decide on a solution in the coming months, Dobies said. Three proposals were presented. One solution proposes a 116 percent increase in water bills, while keeping the current reduced-tier system. Another proposes an 88 percent increase and the elimination of the system meaning the rate per unit doesnt cheapen when more water is used. The third is a hybrid, transitioning the system off the tiered approach over four years. I dont think theres anybody at this table that want to charge those rates or even pay them themselves, City Manager Patrick Burtch said. But its got to be something we address. Of the 14,477 service lines the city maintains, more than 84 percent are residential. Most lines are in Jackson, but some are in Blackman, Leoni and Summit townships. The biggest water users are the Consumers Energy Jackson generating station, the prisons through the Michigan Department of Corrections and Henry Ford Allegiance Health. Jackson is not part of a lawsuit, in which a group of cities are suing the state about the new mandate, City Attorney Bethany Smith said. Because the city needs photographic evidence of all service lines by 2025, many lawns will be dug up twice during this process once for the photo, once for the replacement. The goal is to make three holes in the ground to do the swap, City Engineer Jon Dowling said, although full trenching will be needed at times. The $184 million includes repairs for lawns and driveways. Water rates increased 4 percent in 2018, with another 4 percent increase originally projected for this year. MUSKEGON, MI Muskegon Public Schools Superintendent Justin Jennings will leave the district for another job at the end of the year. Jennings, who has had a turbulent tenure in Muskegon, was offered the CEO position at Youngstown City School District in Ohio, according to The Vindicator newspaper in Youngstown. The district offered him the post on Thursday morning, April 25. Jennings notified the Muskegon Public Schools Board of Education on Thursday that he had accepted the job with a start date of Aug. 1, said Muskegon school board President Cindy Larson. He is expected to continue his duties as Muskegon superintendent through the end of the school year. I totally support Justin, Larson told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. I want him to be where he feels he is the most useful and happy - not that he wasnt here, of course. Selfishly, Im very, very sorry to see him go. Jennings did not immediately respond to a call for comment. The resignation comes during a campaign for a 30-year continuation of a 7.36-mill bond that would raise $77 million to upgrade and realign the school district. It is expected to come before voters in May 2020. The current bond expires in 2021. The school board could be tasked simultaneously with a superintendent search and a bond campaign. We can walk and chew gum at the same time, Larson said. The board has not yet discussed its next steps with either the bond or the superintendent position, Larson said. It puts a wrench in the bond proposal, but gives the community a fresh start, said school board Trustee Zachary Anderson. Theres pros and cons to (Jennings resignation). I dont think the community was really happy with the status quo. Jennings is a first-time superintendent. He was promoted from within the district during January 2017 after the retirement of former Superintendent Jon Felske. He previously was an assistant superintendent for the district. The district came under fire repeatedly since Jennings took the job, especially for an increase in administrative salary spending that was revealed in fall 2017 and plans for school building realignment in spring 2018. Since at least December 2017, the board has been split on whether he is right for the job. That month, the board discussed a $100,000 severance package for Jennings over text message. Secretary Pro-tem Billie Bruce called for Jennings dismissal during a board meeting in January 2018. He was rated minimally effective in February 2018, after months of evaluation meetings. In May 2018, Secretary Lynnette Marks called for Jennings resignation in a failed motion that was supported by Bruce and Anderson. In his second performance evaluation in December 2018, Jennings rating improved from minimally effective to effective. Jennings departure leaves two open superintendent positions in Muskegon County. The other is at Ravenna Public Schools. RAVENNA, MI The top choice to fill Ravenna Public Schools superintendent position has turned down the job. Daniel Remenap declined the offer in a letter to the Ravenna Public Schools Board of Education and community on Thursday morning, April 25. Remenap, the current principal of Allendale High School, has decided to take the superintendent position for Hastings Area School System. A special board meeting is scheduled to discuss next steps in the superintendent search. It will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Ravenna High School media center, 2766 S. Ravenna Road. Options the board might consider include naming an interim superintendent, holding more interviews or offering the job to another candidate, said Mark Dobias, a consultant from the Michigan Association of School Boards who is assisting in Ravennas search. The goal has been to have a new superintendent ready to take the helm on July 1, Ravenna board President William Funk said previously. Superintendent John VanLoons contract expires on June 30. The other finalist was Ravenna Middle School principal Greg Helmer. Helmer and Remenap were brought back for second interviews on Monday, April 22, after six candidates were interviewed the week before. Helmer was Mona Shores Public Schools superintendent from 2014-17 before taking a job as a teacher at Ravenna in September 2018. He was promoted to middle school principal in January. The Ravenna school board voted unanimously after the second interviews on Monday to offer Remenap the superintendent position. Remenap was offered the Hastings superintendent job the next day, on Tuesday, April 23, and promptly began contract negotiations with that district, according to The Hastings Banner. Hastings superintendent earned about $209,000 in total compensation in 2018, according to transparency reporting on its website. VanLoon, earned total compensation in 2018 of about $193,000. As Allendale High School principal, Remenaps total 2018 compensation was about $164,000. Thanks to all of you for the opportunity to become a Bulldog, Remenap said in his letter, which was provided to MLive/Muskegon Chronicle by Ravenna Public Schools. Ravenna is a very, very special place, and I felt nothing but love in my brief visits to the community. The decision was made with a very heavy heart, conflicted feelings, and after tears, lost sleep, and the loss of what little hair I had left, he said. In closing, Remenap said he prays that members of the Ravenna community can put aside their differences and come together to do whats best for students. I know there is some passionate discord in Ravenna right now, but remember that you all have the same goals in mind - making your schools great for your kids, Remenap said in the letter. Please heal and work together moving forward. The board began the search process in February after deciding not to renew VanLoons contract in December 2018. The contract expires on June 30. He has held the job since 2008. Funk previously cited low M-STEP test scores as a major reason for VanLoons contract non-renewal. While it was apparent that Hastings could offer more money to Remenap, Funk remained optimistic in a letter to constituents on Wednesday. For many of us, the decision may seem like a no-brainer but the Ravenna community and staff have certainly created a strong appeal and a strong reason to merit serious consideration, Funk said in his letter, which was provided to MLive/Muskegon Chronicle by Ravenna Public Schools. The Ravenna board had given Remenap 48 hours from Tuesday morning to respond to the job offer. MUSKEGON, MI Two affordable housing projects founded by Muskegons Holy Trinity Church recently went into foreclosure because the church stopped paying its bills, according to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. The buildings known as Trinity Village I and Trinity Village II are located next to Holy Trinity Church on Valley Street in Muskegon. The church built both properties in the early 1990s as the Trinity Village Non-Profit Housing Corporation, an outreach mission of Bishop Nathaniel Wells, Jr. Mike Witt, director of asset management with MSHDA, said his agency foreclosed on the properties because the non-profit stopped making mortgage payments on two loans with a combined outstanding principal balance of at least $600,000. The buildings also fell into serious disrepair, Witt added. Both properties went into foreclosure in December 2018 and MSHDA seized the properties in February. The state agency now operates the facilities which remain open despite the foreclosure. On April 9, the Muskegon City Commission revoked a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with Trinity Village Non-Profit Housing Corporation because it no longer owned the buildings. Judith Transue, the director of Trinity Village Non-Profit Housing Corporation, told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle that the projects ran out of money and couldnt afford to replace broken furnaces, air conditioning units and a failing roof. Transue called the foreclosure unfortunate but was happy to know that MSHDA was paying for the repairs. However, she didnt agree with the states claim that Trinity Village was behind on its mortgage payments. Instead, Transue said the main issue was the non-profits lack of reserve funding. She also said, the state did its best to make sure the project failed. We struggled with it and we struggled with MSHDA (to receive help), but no help was forthcoming, Transue said. None of this was the fault of the tenants. The project just had no money. Trinity Village I and Trinity Village II opened in 1993 and 1995, respectively, and were the first of several low-income housing projects to be established by the church across West Michigan. The complexes house 60 units and at least 125 residents. Transue said the 25-year-old buildings started experiencing problems with their furnaces several years ago, which only got worse as time went by. For a while, we were losing one furnace every three to four weeks, she said. Trinity Housing ... did not have $6,000 every three or four weeks to buy another furnace. Witt said Trinity Village attempted to make repairs, but the financial burdens became too large for the organization to handle. They had to decide to either make critical repairs or make their mortgage payments, Witt said. They chose to make some of those critical repairs, but then decided that they couldnt do both. According to Transue, Trinity Village had an outstanding loan principal balance of $200,000 on Trinity Village I and $400,000 on Trinity Village II. MSHDA began foreclosure proceedings once the organization stopped paying its bills, Witt added. Transue said her organization remains committed to its mission to provide affordable public housing despite losing its namesake properties. Trinity Village Non-Profit Housing Corporation oversees nine other housing projects in the Muskegon area, including: Trinity Manor and COGIC Village in Muskegon; M.A. Houston Towers and Wells Villa in Muskegon Heights; and Countryside Manor in Ravenna. In Southwest Michigan, the organization operates Hayward Wells Estates and Golden Eagle in Benton Harbor, COGIC Manor in Bangor and Ashley Square in Kalamazoo. Witt said Trinity Village I and II will continue to be managed by KMG Prestige, of Lansing. All tenants receiving low-income housing assistance at the facilities will continue to receive assistance and will not be asked to leave. They all have leases and a tenant protection that will keep the property affordable while we own it, Witt said. Those protections will remain in place for three years from the date of foreclosure, even if the buildings get sold to another non-profit or a for-profit entity, Witt added. MSHDA plans to list the properties for sale after the buildings are completely repaired, but that likely wont happen for at least another year. SAGINAW, MI A victims father and the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw commented Thursday, April 25, after a suspended Catholic priest was ordered to serve prison time for criminal sexual conduct. Robert Father Bob DeLand Jr. will spend between two and 15 years in prison. DeLand, 72, a longtime priest in the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, pleaded no contest in March to three charges - second-degree criminal sexual conduct, gross indecency between two males, and manufacturing or distributing an imitation controlled substance. After sentencing, the father of one victim said that he was proud of his teenage son. He did something that couldnt have been done in 2,000 years, he said, referring to sexual abuse claims involving the Catholic Church. Its been going on for a long time. The father said that he was happy with the sentence DeLand received but wished it couldve been longer. The Saginaw Diocese issued a statement after DeLands sentencing. Interim Bishop Walter Hurley said the sentencing of DeLand is a clear statement that all, including clergy, must be held accountable for actions that have injured others - especially when minors and the vulnerable are involved. On behalf of the diocese, I offer my apology to anyone who has been harmed by the actions of clergy or church personnel. These actions have caused immense pain to victims and their families. We are committed to ongoing collaboration with the civil authorities on these matters. Our focus on protecting children and young people remains strong. We will not rest in our efforts to ensure the safety of minors and all those entrusted to our care," Hurley said. Hurley said that the restrictions placed on DeLand by the Diocese that forbid him from presenting himself as a priest or exercising public ministry will remain in place permanently. Hurley asked that anyone with reason to believe sexual abuse of a minor or the vulnerable has occurred to notify law enforcement immediately or call the Attorney Generals hotline at 844-324-3374. 3rd tunnel crossed Lebanon-Israel border, UN peacekeeping force says 3rd tunnel crossed Lebanon-Israel border, UN peacekeeping force says A UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, has said that a tunnel discovered earlier this year by Israel had crossed the Lebanese-Israeli border, in the third such breach of a ceasefire resolution. Israel in January accused Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah of having dug what it described as the deepest, longest and most detailed tunnel it had discovered, AFP reported. The tunnel from the Lebanese town of Ramyeh 800 meters from the border reached a few dozen meters into Israel, and descended to 55 meters underground, the Israeli army said. UNIFIL said on Thursday that the tunnel was the third to have crossed the blue line, a demarcation line drawn by the UN to mark Israels withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. UNIFILs independent assessment confirms that this tunnel crosses the blue line in violation of resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, it said. The UN force has requested urgent follow-up actions from the Lebanese authorities.Source : RT - Daily news The transfer of Russian crude oil into Poland and further into Europe through one of the pipeline branches going through Belarus has been suspended after Warsaw refused to process the oil in its refineries citing its poor quality. Poland has stopped accepting Russian crude arriving through Belarus at the Adamovo hub since 10.00 pm Warsaw time [20.00 GMT] on Wednesday, chief engineer of Belarusian pipeline operator Gomeltransneft Druzhba Andrey Verigo confirmed Thursday night, as quoted by the BelTA news agency. Polish pipeline operator PERN informed the Belarusian side that it could no longer process the crude due to a drop in its quality, Verigo said. It is not clear when the deliveries into Europe will resume. The transit of the Russian crude towards Ukraine which goes through the southern leg of the pipeline has not been affected by the issue and is transporting about 40 thousand tons daily. The southern branch delivers Russian oil to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The disruption of the oil supplies comes after both Belarusian and Polish pipeline operators complained about the quality of the incoming crude for the past several days. On Tuesday, Belarus temporarily stopped benzene and diesel exports to Poland, Ukraine and the Baltics, citing risks to equipment because of the poor-quality oil. The Belarusian State Concern for Oil and Chemistry (Belneftekhim) has accused Moscow of lagging behind its pledge to fix the issue. The company's spokeswoman, Marina Kostyuchenko, said that Belneftekhim has been in talks with the Russian state-owned Transneft oil company for the past week, but so far the issue has not been resolved. Transneft admitted earlier that the crude it had delivered to Belarus was indeed of a low quality. The source of organic chloride contamination was pinpointed to the section of a pipeline in the Samara region in southwestern Russia. The Polish Energy Ministry said that the decision to suspend oil imports from Russia was made due to concerns that the contaminated oil can cause material damage to refineries. Until the transit system is cleaned up, Poland will use its crude oil reserves to satisfy the demand. Warsaw might consider crude shipments via the Gdansk seaport if the situation drags on, the ministry said. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Russia and China complement one another economically, according to political scientist Joseph Cheng. He said the two countries trade could become even more balanced with the help of the Belt & Road Initiative. Speaking to RT ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putins arrival to Beijing on Thursday, he said that Russias role is very important, particularly due to its significant natural resources. Certainly, Russia is a major exporter of natural resources, especially energy resources. And China needs that badly, the retired professor of the City University of Hong Kong said. Also on rt.com Chinas new Silk Road very important contribution to global economy, IMF says He explained that Russias supplies of natural resources reduce Chinas dependence on the Middle East, on trade routes from the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and across the Indian Ocean to Chinas coast. [The] Belt and Road project gives a lot of opportunity for the trade to become balanced, he said. International financial expert Andrew Leung also spoke to RT, saying that Right from the start, Russia features significantly in the Belt and Road According to him, Russia is important as a large energy supplier and as a geopolitical counterweight to America's global pushback against China. Also on rt.com China tops list of Russias biggest trade partners There is much synergy with the Russia-led Eurasia Economic Union (EEU), he said. The Belt and Road links virtually all countries in the EEU, including land-locked nations in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization co-founded by Russia and China. The B&R (Belt and Road) regional infrastructural links are set to unlock the economic and human potential of the Eurasia Economic Union, to the benefit of all, said the strategist. The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in China on April 25 27. The Russian president, who arrived in Beijing on Thursday, will hold a series of meetings, including with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Putin told Chinas Renmin Ribao newspaper ahead of his visit that The ties between Russia and China are at their highest point in the entire 70-year history of diplomatic relations and will continue to develop steadily. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section The UK government used more than 11 million in public funds to fight a lawsuit that sought compensation and an apology for the governments role in the 2004 rendition of Libyan militant Abdel Hakim Belhaj. Government lawyers were paid a total of 4.4 million for working the case, while Belhajs counsel received 6.9 million, all drawn from state funds, a Freedom of Information request revealed. The huge expense shows the lengths the government went to to resist Belhajs suit, which, in addition to a formal apology and monetary redress, also demanded the prosecution of a British intelligence officer involved in the rendition. According to Libyan security documents discovered in the ruins of a government outpost soon after the countrys 2011 uprising, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) abducted Belhaj, along with his pregnant wife, in a Thailand airport in 2004. The couple was sent back to Libya, where Belhaj was wanted for ties to armed groups, and both were imprisoned. Belhaj was released in a deradicalization program after seven years in prison, while his wife was freed soon after she gave birth. Also on rt.com Libyas only airport shuts down amid airstrikes & gunfire in Tripoli The role of British intelligence in Belhajs capture and rendition was revealed in the same Libyan security documents. The UKs foreign intelligence service, MI6, coordinated with the CIA and a Libyan intelligence agency to kidnap Belhaj and send him back to Libya. In his suit Belhaj alleged that British intelligence officers knew he was being tortured in prison, but said they did nothing to help him. His pregnant wife also endured torture. In the end, after eight years in the courts the British government gave in and apologized, awarding Belhaj and his wife 500,000 in restitution. The government ultimately decided not to charge the MI6 officer accused in the suit. Egypt renews nationwide state of emergency for 3 months Egypt renews nationwide state of emergency for 3 months Egyptian authorities renewed a nationwide state of emergency for three months, according to a decree published in the official gazette. The government also imposed a curfew in parts of northern Sinai close to Israel and Gaza, Bloomberg reported. Egypt first imposed a state of emergency in April 2017 after two church bombings to combat Islamist militants, and security forces were allowed to take measures necessary to confront the dangers and funding of terrorism and safeguard security in all parts of the country.Source : RT - Daily news Far-right party leaders meet in Prague ahead of European elections Far-right party leaders meet in Prague ahead of European elections Prague will host on Thursday a meeting of populist far-right party leaders seeking unprecedented success in European elections next month, AFP reported. Frances National Rally chief Marine Le Pen and Dutch Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders are among the speakers, while Italian interior minister and League leader Matteo Salvini will send a video message to the event called For a Europe of sovereign nations. The meeting, held at Pragues central Wenceslas Square, is hosted by Czech lawmaker Tomio Okamura, who is head of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party. On Thursday, the SPD will officially launch the EU election campaign. We want to show that were not alone, Okamura said. Polls have shown Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) faction led by Salvini, Marine Le Pen, Austrias Freedom Party and others has a chance to form one of the strongest groups in the European Parliament, he added.Source : RT - Daily news China had to deploy navy ships to escort off a French vessel which illegally entered the Taiwan Strait, the countrys defense ministry said. Chinas military sent navy ships in accordance with the law to identify the French ship and warn it to leave, defense ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said. The official did not specify the vessel but it was believed to be the frigate Vendemiaire. The French warship passed through the narrow waterway between China and Taiwan on April 6 in a rare move by a vessel of the European country, Reuters reported earlier. Following the incident, China revoked Frances invitation to the parade marking the 70th anniversary of the countrys Navy, the agencys sources said. Also on rt.com 2 US warships sail through Taiwan Strait amid tensions with China The display of force, held on Tuesday, featured 32 vessels of the Chinese naval forces including an aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, and the latest nuclear submarines. Warships from several countries took part in the event, including Russia, India, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. The French frigate was also expected to join the parade but did not show up, without an explanation from either side. Meanwhile, a source close to the French Ministry of Defense told Reuters that their Navy transits ships through the Taiwan Strait on average once a year without incident or reaction. NATO ships navigating through the strait between mainland China and the self-ruled island has been a source of tension with Beijing for quite a while. The latest incident occurred in late March as the US Navy destroyer Curtis Wilbur and the Coast Guard cutter Bertholf sailed through the strategic passage. Also on rt.com China protests deployment of US soldiers to guard Washingtons embassy in Taiwan China, which regards Taiwan as its territory filed a formal protest following the move which has become the third of its kind in 2019. Beijing also urged Washington to handle Taiwan-related issues cautiously, while the US considers the Taiwan Strait an international waterway. If you like this story, share it with a friend! Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has revealed she intends to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence by the end of May 2021, insisting its the route to safeguard against the damaging effects of Brexit. Sturgeon told lawmakers in Edinburgh on Wednesday that a follow-up vote to the 2014 referendum should be offered to the people of Scotland if her nation is taken out of the EU. If Scotland is taken out of the EU, the option of a referendum on independence within that time scale must be open to us. That would be our route to avoiding the worst of the damage Brexit will do. Signaling the seriousness of her plans, Sturgeon promised to bring forward legislation later this year to pave the way for a second referendum that she wants to be held in the lifetime of the current Scottish Parliament due to end in May 2021. The case for independence is even stronger now given the profound changes that have taken place in the UK since 2014. Sturgeon argued that Brexit has exposed the deep democratic deficit in the way Scotland is governed and its interests have been disregarded time and time again by those in power in Westminster. UK PM Theresa May has consistently said she will not agree to another independence poll, but Sturgeon claims such a position will prove to be unsustainable. Also on rt.com Scotlands interests will only be protected with independence Sturgeon after May deal defeat In September 2014, Scots voted 55 to 45 percent to reject splitting Scotland from the United Kingdom. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. Theres nothing sensational about Russia offering fast-track citizenship to people in eastern Ukraine, as other states have engaged their fellow countrymen for quite some time in similar ways, Vladimir Putin said. The strong criticism of Russias humanitarian initiative to fast-track citizenship is strange, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on the heels of a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Poland has been issuing the Karta Polaka (Polish Card) for ethnic Poles in Ukraine, while Hungary and Romania issue passports under similar programs, Putin said. This is also the case for native Ukrainians who feel connected to Russia for various reasons, such as family bonds or intermarriage. Moreover, if other neighbors of Ukraine has been doing this for many years, why cant Russia do the same? the president asked. I have a question in this regard are Russians living in Ukraine not as good as Romanians, Poles, and Hungarians? Earlier this week, a presidential decree was signed to ease the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for people in breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. They can apply for a Russian passport under a fast-track program and obtain it within three months. Unsurprisingly, the move drew criticism from Kiev, where President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky is about to assume office. However, Putin said the proposal was not intended to provoke anyone. The issue of passports is a humanitarian one. Also on rt.com Kiev is fuming over Russia's move on passports for residents of Ukraines rebel regions Ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Ukrainians find themselves in a precarious situation, as they have been deprived of many things [including] fundamental human rights. Those coming from eastern Ukraine often have trouble in everyday life, be it enrolling at a university or simply booking a flight, Putin explained. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government seems to show little interest in implementing the landmark Minsk peace agreement, as they have essentially cut off the region from the rest of the country. What about the people living in these territories? Will they be left behind living in complete isolation? Nevertheless, Moscow is ready to restore ties with Kiev, in full but not unilaterally. Zelensky, who partly campaigned on the Ukrainian peoples exhaustion with the war, signaled that he could be more flexible in reaching compromise on the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk regions, but it remains to be seen if he will live up to his promise, Putin said. to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media wont tell you. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly mulling a move to South Africa to explore Meghans African ancestry after her childs birth, spurring Piers Morgan to ask what Brits are willing to pay for the royals African folly. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, in outspoken talk-show host Piers Morgans estimation, are not exactly the most frugal members of the royal family. After the couples $40 million dollar wedding and what is likely the only baby-shower to have been described as an orgy of opulence, Morgan's Tuesday column for the Daily Mail suggests the royal rock stars may be planning to outdo even themselves with plans to move to South Africa. Also on rt.com Don't ever vote for white person: South African ANC leader's race-based call discussed on RT So Meghan Markle and Prince Harry now want to be King and Queen of Africa? Aww, how nice! Morgan sarcastically quipped before estimating what the wayward royals adventure might end up costing taxpayers. Given 24/7 police protection teams and Meghans large retinue of personal staff, Morgan estimates that the cost might run into the millions. He further speculated that there may be other motivations for the move, in particular the fact that the couple pale into royal power insignificance compared to their rivals, William and Kate, the future King and Queen. This ridiculous African adventure smacks of Meghan and Harry trying to create their own new rival version of the Monarchy, on an alternative continent, to preen in. With England suffering from economic hardships tied to seemingly endless Brexit negotiations, Morgan suggests the timing is rather ill-conceived for the couple to ask the public to foot the bill for them to get a change of scenery. Given the UKs colonial history and the current crisis in race-relations facing South Africa, one wonders if those praising the idea have considered whether or not the couples desire to move there is reciprocated. Morgans comments, as per usual, inspired his own share of haters on Twitter, some pointing out that despite his apparent outrage over picking up the royals tab, Piers has kept quiet when the publics charge card is in Kate Middletons hand. Rada passes law granting special status to Ukrainian language Rada passes law granting special status to Ukrainian language Ukraines parliament approved a law on Thursday that grants special status to the Ukrainian language, despite opposition from the countrys large Russian-speaking population who feel it is discriminatory. The legislation that makes the Ukrainian language mandatory for civil servants, soldiers, doctors, and teachers, was championed by outgoing President Petro Poroshenko. He needs to sign it into law before it takes effect, something he is expected to do. Poroshenko put promotion of the Ukrainian language at the heart of his unsuccessful re-election campaign. He is due to step down soon after actor Volodymyr Zelensky won the election on Sunday. The law called Providing the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the official one was backed by 278 MPs, with the minimal needed number being 226.Source : RT - Daily news The French president has fallen victim to infamous Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, who posed as Ukraines President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky after his recent landslide victory, a video from the trolling duo claims. Vladimir Vovan Kuznetsov and Alexei Lexus Stolyarov released a 15-minute recording of the call on Wednesday with a person they claim is Macron although the identity of the prankee has not been confirmed. At one point during the call, the supposed Zelensky says he believes it is time for Ukraine to again build a dialogue with Russia, to which Macron replies this is absolutely right. Also on rt.com Russian prankster who trolled Guaido tells RT how he fools world politicians time and again Near the end of the conversation, Zelensky says he believes Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko delayed peaceful resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine on purpose. I do agree, the alleged Macron surprisingly responds. The duo even asked the supposed leader if France would extradite Poroshenko if he fled to France fearing prosecution over corruption allegations. Macron told them he believed France was probably not the first country [Poroshenko] would like to move to. Vovan and Lexus have pulled off multiple high-profile prank phone calls on public figures, including former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, former UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and current US envoy to Venezuela Elliott Abrams. Macrons office declined to comment on the recording, but insisted the French leader has had genuine contact with Zelensky since his victory. Like this story? Share it with a friend! The federal government of Canada will announce its final decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in mid-June, Finance Minister Marc Garneau told media. Interestingly, the decision may be to drop the project altogether, which was in the cards when the government bought the project from exasperated Kinder Morgan. When Ottawa bought the Trans Mountain expansion from TransCanada last year, it planned to look for buyers to pass it on to and have it completed. Since then, opponents of the project have stepped up the pressure and challenged the project at the Federal Court of Appeal. Also on rt.com Canada oil industry loses over 20% of workforce since 2014 When asked what the most likely decision was, the federal Finance Minister said, as quoted by The Province, I am not going to prejudge the outcome of that decision. Were focused on having all of the work done to enable us to make a decision based on having done our homework and satisfying the Federal Court of Appeal. The controversial project pitted against each other two provincesAlberta and British Columbiaand also about a dozen First nations, some of them strongly opposing the project and others willing to buy it. The former took their case to the appeals court. The latter last month discussed an acquisition with the federal government, including Morneau. Also on rt.com Standing Rock, the sequel: Canadian tribe battles pipeline land grab Currently, the federal government is conducting consultations with First Nations regarding the project, evidently in an attempt to address all possible concerns that opponents may have. Should the outcome of the consultations be positive, work on the project could start fairly quickly, the business entity in charge of the expansion said. The federal government of Canada last year bought the Trans Mountain expansion project from Kinder Morgan 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. This article was originally published on Oilprice.com Global finance leaders, who boycotted the Saudi investment summit last year over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, have returned to Riyadh despite the beheadings of dozens of people this week. Big investors, particularly from Wall Street, joined panels at the two-day financial forum which began on Wednesday in Riyadh. Larry Fink, CEO of US investment corporation BlackRock, told the conference that his company had bought some of Saudi state-owned oil giant Aramcos bonds and was looking for other opportunities in the kingdom. Also on rt.com Saudi Arabia beheads 37 people, mostly from Shia minority, puts body on display This is an economy that we have a lot of confidence in, I think the future is bright, he said, adding: We are excited about the role that we can continue to play here. Fink added: The changes here in the kingdom in the last two years are pretty amazing. He was joined by HSBC CEO John Flint, co-president of JPMorgan Chase Daniel Pinto, and others. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon reportedly visited Riyadh earlier this month, just days before the bank helped arrange a multibillion dollar bond sale for Aramco. READ MORE: Saudis say forget Khashoggi & let's do business RT's Boom Bust checks if anyone's interested The summit is taking place as Riyadh announced on Tuesday it had executed 37 people in connection with alleged terrorism crimes. The majority of those killed were Shiite Muslims. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet condemned the mass executions, calling them shocking and abhorrent. At least 3 [of the men] were minors when sentenced & one of the mens bodies was put on public display, her office said in a statement on Twitter. Also on rt.com Saudi Arabia could be bankrupt by 2020 IMF The presence of global leaders is in sharp contrast to a similar event last year. Many political and business elite decided to skip that forum due to the international scandal over the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. After initial denials, Riyadh admitted that Khashoggi was murdered by rogue agents of the Saudi government while visiting the countrys consulate in Istanbul last October. READ MORE: Goldman Sachs boss shows up in Saudi Arabia as uproar over Khashoggi killing fades Despite that, big investors appear to be focused on potential deals in the largest Arab economy. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told the forum that Aramco would be active in debt markets and that the $12 billion it raised in its debut bond issue was only the beginning. The countrys stock market, which has seen an upsurge in foreign fund flows since the start of 2019, is one of the best performing in the region, up nearly 18 percent year-to-date. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section Vladimir Putin said North Korea will give up nuclear weapons, but fears for its security if it does so, and added he was prepared to share the results of his landmark meeting with Kim Jong-un with Donald Trump. I got the impression that Kim Jong-un is interested in denuclearization, all North Korea needs is guarantees of its security and sovereignty, the Russian president said during the press conference in the aftermath of his talks with the North Korean leader in Vladivostok which ran hours over the allotted time. Putin insisted that the only means for such guarantees is to ensure that international law triumphs over rule of strength, though noted that it was too early for specifics on how the denuclearization process would be structured. Also on rt.com Putin welcomes Kim's efforts to normalize ties with US, hopes for denuclearization talks progress Saying that Russia and the US are both against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction much as they may argue about the methods Putin revealed he was open to relaying the content of his talks to Donald Trump. We are going to discuss the situation with the US. Russia is always open on this there are no conspiracies. More than that Kim Jong-un personally asked us to inform Washington of his position and the issues he wants to ask about. Putin, who had previously met Kims father Kim Jong-il during a similar summit back in 2002, described the current North Korean leader as interesting to talk to and ready to discuss any subject freely. Also on rt.com Putin and Kim give each other same gift a sword (PHOTO, VIDEO) But asked if Kim is ready to make more concessions after his last talks with Trump ended in a stalemate, Putin said: I believe there is no other way, but what he is or isnt ready to give up you have to ask him that. North Korea did not issue a statement or send a representative after the two-way talks in Russia. Nonetheless, Putin spoke warmly of opportunities for economic cooperation with North Korea. He also urged South Korea to act with more independence from the United States in reaching out to Pyongyang. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) Ayala Corporation has committed to help 1,000 families in Porac, Pampanga hit hardest by Mondays earthquake, a company official said. Managing director Rene Almendras said that they will be providing construction materials to rebuild homes across nine barangays damaged by the magnitude 6.1 quake, which shook parts of Luzon. The Ayala Group said it will be working with local government units through Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda and House Speaker and Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to identify households that need them most. In a statement, the holding company said it will provide 20,000 GI sheets and 20,00 pieces of plywood through Ayala Foundation, which will be sent to the towns of Guagua, Porac, and Lubao in the next few days. The diversified conglomerate counts construction as one of its key businesses through its subsidiaries such as the Makati Development Corp. (MDC). The company has developed Alviera, a mixed-use commercial area in Pampanga that spans 1,800 hectares. At least 16 people died from Mondays tremor, which damaged homes and led to the collapse of the four-story Chuzon Supermarket in Porac. The company has also deployed emergency response teams to the rubble to assist rescue efforts, while heavy equipment from MDC have been sent to help clear damaged roads. CNN Philippines Correspondent Sandra Zialcita contributed to this report. announcements Reporter's Take | SEBI order halts Leela, Brookfield deal after ITC, LIC complains In this edition of Reporter's Take, Swaraj Baggonkar talks about how this move will impact Leela. Gold prices edged up on April 25 as weak data from Germany and a dip in equities raised flags about the pace of global economic growth, while a firm dollar curbed further gains for the metal. German business morale deteriorated in April, bucking expectations for a small improvement, as trade tensions hurt the industrial engine of Europe's largest economy, leaving domestic demand to support slowing growth. Spot gold was up 0.1 percent at $1,276.19 per ounce, as of 0335 GMT. US gold futures slipped 0.1 percent to $1,278 an ounce. Gold is often used as a hedge against economic and financial uncertainties. The bullion gained for a second straight session, after having dipped to its lowest level since end-December earlier this week. "Global growth data outside the US have been actually quite poor, we haven't had anything to sink our teeth in," said Stephen Innes, head of trading and market strategy, SPI Asset Management. "We have also anticipated some correction on the equity markets and that just turns the focus back to the major economic drivers," Innes added. Asian shares also slipped after the data from Germany deflated risk apetite, stoking concerns that global economy may still not be out of the woods despite recent positive data from China and the United States. Market participants will now shift focus towards the release of the US GDP data, which is due on Friday. Investors also eyed further trade negotiations between the United States and China. The two countries are slated to begin the next round of talks on trade on April 30, in an attempt to conclude a nearly year-long tariff spat. However, the US dollar, which traded close to a near two-year peak, capped further gains for the safe-haven bullion. A stronger dollar makes gold expensive for holders of other currencies. The metal is still below its 50-day and 100-day moving averages. "Heavy technical selling activities have imposed negative pressures on the precious metal for the near term," Benjamin Lu, analyst, Phillip Futures, said in a note. Attesting the bearish momentum, holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, dipped 0.2 percent to 747.87 tonnes on April 24, its lowest since Oct. 19. Elsewhere, silver traded steady at $14.92 an ounce, while platinum climbed 0.4 percent to $882.06. Palladium dipped 0.4 percent to $1,410.77. Its bye to China, from Amazon. The worlds largest e-commerce player has finally decided to shut shop in the worlds most populous country and the second-largest consumer economy. So, whats up next? Logic suggests the US giant would focus on India, which is tipped to be the third-largest consumer market valued at $6 trillion by 2030, from $1.5 trillion in 2018. More so because Amazon is already the largest e-commerce firm in India, which is home to 1.3 billion people, the second largest in the world. What really forced Amazons hand in China? First, there is intense competition from local Chinese players such as Alibaba and JD. Second, Amazon could not cope with Chinas protectionist regulatory policy that favoured domestic firms and restricted access to global companies, something the communist country has been practising for decades. Will India prove to be Amazons lucky mascot? The e-commerce policy, which is in the works, hints at a similar approach to China though. In February, India notified the draft e-commerce policy that takes a protectionist view. India believes that data is a national asset if generated within the country and wants foreign-funded e-tailers to have computing facilities and data centres within domestic borders. It has also put restrictions on cross-border data flows and sought disclosure of source code. The e-commerce companies in question have also been barred from operating inventory-led model, apart from other curbs. The policy is yet to see the light of day. In case it gets finalised in the current form, that may slam brakes on the designs of Amazon and Walmart-Flipkart the top two in one of Indias fastest growing sectors. Despite its fast growth in India, Amazon has expressed its concerns about the regulatory environment both in India and China. In a filing to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) in September 2014, the US e-retailer said: Our Chinese and Indian businesses and operations may be unable to operate if we or our affiliates cant access sufficient funding or in China enforce contractual relationships with respect to management and control of such businesses if interpretations of those laws and regulations were to change, our businesses in those countries could be subject to fines and other financial penalties, have licenses revoked, or be forced to shut down entirely. Amazons worst fears came true for China. As for India, its too early to predict. No doubt, Amazon will try its best to make India a success story, but thats far from easy. Regardless of how Indias e-commerce policy shapes up, home-grown retailers are investing heavily in building their own online presence to compete with Amazon. To fight all of them, the US behemoth will need to invest a lot more in India. The good news is the China exit has freed some cash in Amazons books which may find its way to India. In any case, India is relatively new market for Amazon which entered the country in 2012-13. In comparison, it stepped into China in 2004 by acquiring Joyo which was rebranded Amazon China in 2011. So, it took 15 years for the US player to finally call it quits in China. No matter how unfavourable Indias regulatory landscape can get, one thing is clear: Amazon will try to dig in because it already has tasted success in India where e-commerce accounts for just around 2 percent of the countrys total retail sales whereas the global average is around 15-20 percent. Plus, Indias e-commerce industry is projected to cross $200 billion by 2026, from $38 billion in 2017. India is also arguably the largest market for Amazon outside its home base, which is the US, with the largest chunk of Prime subscribers. Looking at the sheer growth potential, India remains a vital cog for Amazon, which will use every trick in the book to make it tick. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Tata Steel is looking to expand its capacity of its Jamshedpur facility to 13 million tons a year, from the present 10 million tons. While the company has got the environment clearance to take the capacity to 11 million tons a year, studies are being conducted to increase it further. "We have the option to shut some of the small blast furnaces and build bigger ones. The final decision will be taken once the studies have been done," said CEO and Managing Director TV Narendran on the sidelines of a conference in Mumbai. The Jamshedpur facility, the company's first, produces a mix of flat and long products. Most of the production goes towards flat products. Its Kalinganagar facility in Odisha also makes flat steel, which are used in construction. Long products unit The company also plans to bring its long products faculties under one unit - Tata Steel Long Products. The planned acquisition of Usha Martin's facility, which is being carried out by Tata Sponge, will come under the newly formed unit. Narendran said that the company will follow an inorganic growth strategy to shore up its presence in long products, which are used by auto companies. The deadline for Jet Airways corporate insolvency resolution process is October 21 Jet Airways customers should heave a sigh of relief as the cash-strapped airline said it would validate claims for flight ticket refunds within 45 days, reports Mint. Customers have been seeking refunds after the airline halted operations last week. The carrier has provided travel agents a web interface to submit refund applications that can be submitted till May 20, the newspaper report stated. IATA (International Air Transport Association) will settle the monies post closure of Jets (Jet Airways) refund claim review period against the deposit held by IATA. It can also raise a demand from Jet in case of a shortfall in refund claims and deposits held by it, the airline said in a communication to travel agents on April 23. Claims of the passengers who purchased tickets via credit cards will be validated by Jet Airways and credit card companies every Monday, the newspaper report also said. Moneycontrol couldnt independently verify the report. Jet Airways has been facing a financial crisis since February, and things seem to have deteriorated after its founder Naresh Goyal and his wife Anitha stepped down from the board in March while lenders refused to issue emergency funds. Also Read: IndiGo or SpiceJet: Who is winning the race to fill Jet Airways gap? The airline used IATAs billing and settlement process gateway (BSP) for tickets booked through its agents. The latter made a single payment to the BSP, which, in turn, made consolidated payments to each airline. But, with Jet Airways having suspended operations on April 17, IATA too followed suit by suspending the airlines membership to its clearing house system. All refund applications submitted before April 18 are cleared by IATA, and pay-outs have been initiated, the report quotes a Mumbai-based travel agent as saying. We have been informed by IATA that the refund applications submitted after 18 April will take some more time to be cleared as per its guidelines. We dont know how long yet," said the travel agent. The airline trade body has a weekly settlement system in place with travel agents. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Market took a U-turn on D-Street as Sensex and Nifty reversed morning gains and closed below their crucial psychological support levels. The S&P BSE Sensex gave up 39,000 while Nifty50 closed below 11,700 levels on the expiry day. Volatility was largely on account of monthly expiry in F&O for the April series, mixed earnings, election outcome in May, rise in bond yield, fall in rupee as well as rise in crude oil prices which is trading near 2019 highs. The final tally the S&P BSE Sensex was down 323 points to 38,730 while the Nifty50 closed at 11,641, down 84 points. The Nifty closed lower on Friday but gained 0.61 percent in April series. The new series is likely to remain volatile and bulls would only be able to regain control if Nifty breaks past 11,856 levels on closing basis. April was a very slow month as we saw the index moving in a narrow range of 11850-11550 levels. We have made an intermediate top at 11850 levels and there is a higher possibility that the index could drift towards 11300-11200 in May series amid election uncertainty, Vishal Malkan, Founder Malkans View told Moneycontrol. Commenting on Bharti Infratel, which was the top Nifty loser, Malkan said that market knows better than us. There is something wrong about the charts as well. In fact, the daily chart has already entered into a bearish zone and weekly charts have also shown a bearish pattern which suggests there is more room on the downside. Investors could look to exit the stock. Stocks in news: Shares of Bharti Infratel tumbled 10 percent after reporting flat earnings for the quarter ended March 2019. Global brokerage house CLSA downgraded Bharti Infratel to sell from outperform and also slashed price target to Rs 285 from Rs 300 earlier. Reliance Industries failed to hold on to record highs and closed the day in red with a loss of over 1 percent. The stock hit a record high of Rs 1410.90 on the BSE. Maruti Suzuki: Shares of country's largest passenger vehicle maker Maruti Suzuki India slipped nearly 2% after it reported a 5 percent year-on-year degrowth in March quarter profit, dented by weak operating performance and muted sales volume. Shares of Titan Company closed flat with a negative bias. Titan hit a record high of Rs 1,164 on the BSE which took its market capitalisation above Rs 1 lakh crore for the first time. Jaypee Infratech plummeted nearly 5 percent intraday on April 25 after reports emerged that NBCC India has submitted a revised bid to acquire the realty arm of Jaypee Group. SpiceJet rose higher on news of introducing business class from May 7. The stock closed 4 percent higher. Global Update: Asian markets ended mixed with China's Shanghai Composite falling sharply by 2.43 percent amid worries that Beijing could pull back on stimulus measures. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.86 percent. South Korea's was down 0.5 percent as economy shrank unexpectedly in the first quarter while Japan's Nikkei gained half a percent. European stocks were slightly lower amid corporate earnings. France's CAC, Germany's DAX and Britain's FTSE were down 0.1-0.4 percent at the time of publishing this copy. Brent oil rose above USD 75 per barrel for the first time in 2019 as quality concerns forced the suspension of some Russian crude exports to Europe. Most experts lauded the National Stock Exchange's decision to remove 34 securities from the futures & options (F&O) trading segment after the June expiry and advised investors to stay away from these stocks. The move, a yearly practice by the exchange, is in the interest of retail investors. The removal, which is usually based on pre-defined criteria, helps in maintaining liquidity in the instrument. Exclusion from F&O can lead to short-term unwinding of arbitrage trades but once that effect wears off, price behaviour should be normal, Rohit Srivastava, Fund Manager PMS, Sharekhan told Moneycontrol. Investors should stay away from positional trades in the futures as you cannot roll over a position into the future anymore, he said. NSE said new contracts in these 34 securities will not be issued on expiry of contracts for existing months. However, the existing unexpired contracts for April, May and June will continue to be available for trading until their respective expiry and new strikes would also be introduced in the existing contract months, it added. These 34 stocks include Allahabad Bank, BEML, CG Power and Industrial Solutions, DCB Bank, Godfrey Phillips, Godrej Industries, IFCI, Indian Bank, IRB Infrastructure, Jet Airways, Karnataka Bank, NHPC, OBC, PC Jeweller, South Indian Bank, Suzlon Energy, Syndicate Bank, Wockhardt. Most of the stocks that have seen significant double-digit correctionsPC Jewellers, Suzlon, Infibeam, etc.have failed to meet a newly added criterion. The exchange last year said stocks in which average delivery volume was less than Rs 10 crore in the last six months would not be included in the F&O segment. In addition, the previously existing criteria quarter sigma order size and market wide position limit were also increased. These eligibility criterias were made more stringent to keep only the highly liquid stocks in F&O. There may be a further exclusion of some stocks on this basis. On the contrary, we are seeing certain better-performing stocks that are qualifying to enter in F&O segment, Amit Gupta, head of derivatives at ICICIdirect told Moneycontrol. There are certain stocks that have seen a heavy short build up due to the underperformance of the underlying. As the contracts will be ended on June settlement, we can observe some short covering in these stocks towards May and June expiry, he said. Vivek Ranjan Misra, Head of Fundamental Research, Karvy Stock Broking is of the view that this exclusion shouldnt have an impact on the long term trajectory of these stocks. However, in the short term, volatility in these stocks may increase, and liquidity may come down. We would advise investors to stay away from these stocks, he said. These stocks will be eligible to enter again in F&O only after a period of six months if they meet the eligibility criteria at that time. The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. As India votes to elect its 17th Lok Sabha, Moneycontrol Deputy Executive Editor Gaurav Choudhury examines how the NDA government performed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The central bank has faced numerous issues over the past five years, which was evident with the resignation of RBI governor Urjit Patel, 10 months before the end of his tenure which was to continue until September 2019. Patel's resignation was amid a testy debate on the central bank's autonomy. Watch the video to find out more about the government-RBI relations under the Modi government. Five Star raised $234 million from Sequoia Capital and private equity giant KKR live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Highlights Earnings subdued as loan growth moderates-Liquidity position improves significantly but drags down profits-RBIs response awaited on the potential merger of LVB with IBHF-In the interim, earnings growth to moderate to mid-teens -Uncertainty around the merger approval can add to stock volatility, and investors should wait for clarity -------------------------------------------------------- Indiabulls Housing Finance (IBHF) reported muted performance for the March quarter. While we can delve deeper into IBHLs Q4 and FY19 earnings, the foremost driver for the stock will be progress on the announced potential merger with Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB). Nonetheless, earnings of the lender merit a quick glance in the aftermath of the liquidity crisis. IBHFs net profit growth moderated to 12 percent YoY in FY19 and loan assets declined 1.4 percent to Rs 1,20,525 crore as of March-end. Softer loan disbursements and sustained focus on sell-downs, in an attempt to conserve liquidity, curtailed loan growth. Reported spreads, however, improved to 3.42 percent in Q4 FY19 as against 3.11 percent in the same period last year. Asset quality remained healthy, with gross non-performing assets (GNPA) at 0.88 percent and (provision coverage ratio) of 22 percent. Lower credit costs and healthy operating efficiency supported profits. While earnings were weak, we look at the two most pertinent drivers for IBHF liquidity and merger announcement in order to get the bigger picture. Liquidity position well managed Housing finance companies (HFCs) were at the centre of the sell-off seen in equity markets following the liquidity crisis that engulfed the sector since September 2018. Since then, the stock has been gyrating wildly on every incremental news around liquidity. IBHF was the hardest hit in the HFC rout, also because of its exposure to Supertech, a Delhi-based developer that was downgraded by rating agencies. Investors were worried in general that HFCs are staring at a double whammy rising bad loans on the asset side and difficulty in refinancing debt on the liability side. Against this backdrop, IBHF has deftly managed its liabilities. The mortgage lender has shored up liquidity, reduced its reliance on commercial paper (CP) funding and has elongated its liability duration following the liquidity crunch. To put it objectively, IBHF has raised around Rs 51,000 crore in the last six months through various sources. Net gearing thus came down from seven to four times in two quarters. Its reliance on short-term instruments like commercial paper (CP) is now down to 4 percent of borrowings, from 15 percent as of August-September 2018. Further, FY19, IBHF sold loans worth of Rs 28,995 crore and intends to continue it at an accelerated pace in the next financial year to support liquidity. Overall, liquidity remains comfortable at IBHF as 24 percent of balance sheet assets amounting to Rs 31,165 crore are held in cash and cash equivalents as of end March 2019. These high-liquid investments, however, drag down profitability as they offer a negative carry/returns and the company may also have to bear MTM (marked to market) loss on the same if any. However, maintaining liquid investments helped IBHF in sailing through the crisis phase. The potential merger of LVB with itself All eyes are on the regulators response to the potential merger of LVB with IBHF. The announced deal between LVB and IBHF is unique as there is no precedent of a transaction where a large HFC is proposing to merge a relatively smaller bank into its fold. Also, it is a first-of-its-kind in the sense that it is not just a proposed merger announcement but something where IBHF essentially is making a bid for a banking licence. This brings us to the moot question: will the merger deal and consequently a banking licence to IBHF get RBIs approval? IBHF is largely in compliance with the RBIs guidelines for on tap licensing of universal banks in the private sector issued in August 2016. For instance, RBIs guidelines require that for a group seeking banking licence, non-financial businesses should not account for more than 40 percent of total assets or gross income. Indiabulls group more than satisfies this as its real estate and other ventures dont account for more than 15-20 percent of the groups revenues. That said, there is an element of subjectivity in handing out banking licence by the RBI, which adds a great deal of uncertainty to the deal. RBIs intent to hand banking licence only to a group with very high probity will as much drive its decision, along with the urge to extend a helping hand to a struggling weak bank. While it is difficult to pre-empt the regulators response, what can investors expect? If the merger goes through Though becoming a bank seems the right move and can be structurally positive as it can give IBHF access to retail liabilities, profitability could decline in the medium term. If the merger were to receive the regulatory approval, the financial risk profile of the merged entity would be weaker than the current financial profile of IBHF. RoE (return on equity) would be under pressure as the merged entity would compete for relatively low margin housing business and incur higher costs to build a branch network. Though the merger can improve the long-term growth prospects of IBHF, its RoE will fall from above 25 percent to below 20 percent in the near term. In the interim, growth and profit remains adversely impacted by excess liquidity While we await the regulators response and return of funding environment to normalcy, IBHF expects loan book growth to rebound to around 20-25 percent and balance sheet assets growth of 10-11 percent as it will continue the sell-down strategy. It is likely to report earnings growth of 15- 16 percent in the medium term. The guidance is on the lower side, given IBHFs profits have grown at a CAGR of 26 percent in 7 years from FY11 to FY18. At the current market price of Rs 740, IBHF is trading at around 1.9 FY20e diluted book value which seems reasonable despite the expected moderation in earnings growth. However, the future investment decision relating to IBHF is likely to be driven by the progress on the announcement of the merger with LVB and not the valuation of the stock per se. Hence, investors should wait for more clarity from the regulator before investing in the stock. Follow @nehadave01 For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research page Moneycontrol Research analysts do not hold positions in the companies discussed here 7. Sterling Green Woods | Return in December 2017: 50.12% | 2016: 21.30% | 2015: 23.78% live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Highlights: Other than Hotel Leela, ITC has a significant stake in EIH- ITC commands around 15 percent share in premium segment of the hotel industry- Improving occupancy rates and average revenue per room point towards an upturn in the business cycle- Asset light model appears key to improve Return on Capital Employed------------------------------------------------- Hotel Leelaventures Rs 3,950 crore asset sale to Canada's Brookfield Asset Management has run into a roadblock with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) putting the transaction on hold after a complaint by minority shareholder ITC. The tobacco giant, which owns 7.9 percent in Hotel Leela, has alleged that rules on valuation and related-party transactions were not followed. At this point, it is not clear if ITCs motive is to protect the value of its investment, or if it is interested in outbidding Brookfield. In fact, ITCs investment interest in this area is well known. In the past, it has invested in EIH, whose revenues are almost as much as what ITC earns from its hotel business. Along with its subsidiary Russell Credit, ITC owns 16.13 percent in EIH. At one point, it did appear that ITC would make a hostile bid for EIH. Perhaps sensing that, the promoters of EIH brought in Reliance Industries as a white knight way back in 2010. Today, RIL owns 18.5 percent stake in EIH through its subsidiary, and it will be difficult for ITC to make a hostile bid for EIH. Given ITCs latent ambitions, it is pertinent to look at ITCs standing in the hotels business. Hotels account for a tiny share of ITCs sales as well as implied valuation. But within the hotel industry, ITC is the second-largest chain in India. Source: Moneycontrol Research, Company ITC has an inventory of about 10,000 rooms, which is second only to Indian Hotels. According to numbers put out by the company, domestic industry has an availability of 66,000 rooms in the luxury and upscale segments, implying 10-15 percent market share for ITC in the premium category. It has about 106 properties with a skew towards luxury hotels through brands ITC Hotels, WelcomHeritage Hotels and WelcomHotel. In FY19, two new properties were commissioned - ITC Kohenur and ITC Grand Goa Resort & Spa. The company is working on construction of five more - ITC Hotels at Kolkata and Ahmedabad and WelcomHotel in Amritsar, Guntur and Bhubaneswar. Over the years, a big chunk (around 24 percent) of total capex at the company level has gone into the hotel business. In the last six years, ITC has allocated about Rs 4,000 crore as capex to this industry. Source: Company, Moneycontrol Research ITCs industry position and scrambling for additional inventory lead us to a question: Is it worth the investment? The answer lies in multiple tailwinds in action. In recent years, demand from domestic as well as foreign tourists -- has been rising. Various policy measures have facilitated this, which includes public services (e-visa facility) and infrastructure (air/road -connectivity). While supply of hotel rooms had been growing by around 10 percent CAGR for the last 10 years, demand is now expected to be tad higher and expected to bridge the demand-supply gap. Consequently, occupancy rates are already firming up. Occupancy rates, which had peaked in FY07 to 72 percent, slumped to 58 percent by the FY13. In recent years, this has firmed to 67 percent, implying an industry-wide upcycle in business. In the last two fiscals, there has been an improvement in average revenue per room (ARR), which provides more credence to the upturn in business cycle. However, ARR improvement has been rather flattish (around two percent annually). But when compared to around 20 percent CAGR during the last upcycle in 2005-08, the potential appears huge. Another way to look at it in the FY07 and FY08, EBITDA margin in the ITCs hotel segment was about 43 percent each almost double that of today. The companys unique business model makes it an interesting play in the hospitality business. A relatively capital intensive business, in case of ITC, gets funded through the cash flows from the cigarettes business and hence is debt free unlike its peers. Strong positioning in the food & beverage part of the hotel segment helps in additional flow of revenue to the company. Source: Moneycontrol Research, Company The challenge for ITC is the low return on capital employed (RoCE) in this business compared to peers. High capital expenditure over the years is the key culprit. In fact, the industry is increasingly moving towards an asset-light model, where companies look for management contracts instead of owning the property. Failure to adopt this trend led to the current plight for Hotel Leela. Industry-wide share of managed contracts ranges from 25 percent to 60 percent. ITC has also gradually adopted it and currently earns 40 percent revenue from managed contracts and the balance from owned property. It plans to change this mix to 50:50 in the next few years. This should also help in lowering capex intensity in this segment. Along with the turn in business cycle, this should lead to expansion in RoCE for the company. Seen in this context, the company might continue to hunt for value opportunities for investing capital. Not a long time back, ITC bought Park Hyatt Goa Resort for Rs 541 crore during an auction under The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest Act. Interestingly, the previous owners of Park Hyatt had contested that valuation should have been about Rs 1,200 crore. Follow @anubhavsays For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research page Moneycontrol Research analysts do not hold positions in the companies discussed here Myntra (Image: Company website) Flipkart-owned Myntra now offers better discounts on products that are bought under the non-returnable option. Customers can use the "Make (the product) non-returnable" option at the time of check out while making purchases through the website. A maximum of 4 percent additional discount under the non-returnable option is available to most products in the apparel, lifestyle, electronics and home decor segments. The measure will help the e-tailer save money on the reverse logistics, a source told The Economic Times. The scheme is so far not available on Jabong and Flipkart Fashion. "We keep experimenting with new features from time to time and scale them based on performance and user adoption," Amar Nagaram, Head of Myntra and Jabong said. Walmart, which owns Flipkart, has a similar additional discount on its US-based e-commerce platform Jet.com. Online fashion portals typically get 15-20 percent return rate for apparel, according to Wazir Advisors, a consultancy that tracks the retail industry. Myntra has been trying to attract more customers with new products, discounts and offers. Recently, Swedish apparel company H&M began selling its products on Myntra and Jabong. Myntra has been struggling with profitability and reported a net loss of Rs 151.20 crore in FY18. The company has seen some changes since parent Flipkart got acquired by Walmart in 2018. Ananth Narayanan, chief of Myntra and Jabong, quit earlier this year. SpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh on April 25 said the low-cost airline was "too small" to turn around operations like Jet Airways and that Jet needs a deep-pocketed strategic investor to save the day. In an interview with CNBC-TV18, Singh said, "Jet is an iconic brand. Jet has good slots and routes. Hope somebody makes a bid for Jet." When asked if SpiceJet would be interested in bidding for Jet, Singh said, "Spicejet is too small to turn around operations like Jet Airways. Jet Airways needs someone with deep pockets to turn around ... Would not want Spicejet to have any financial engagement in Jet Airways bidding process". Jet Airways last week announced that it will suspend all operations, domestic and international, with immediate effect. The airline, saddled with roughly Rs 8,400 crore of bank debt, has been teetering for weeks after failing to receive a stop-gap loan of about Rs 1,500 crore from its lenders, as part of a rescue deal agreed in late March. Singh said SpiceJet was planning to induct 40 aircraft of Jet Airways and was hiring a significant number of professionals from the troubled airline. The airline is also the top beneficiary of the slot transfer process initiated after Jet Airways' active fleet size gradually started reducing. Talking about the Boeing compensation issue, Singh said he expects Boeing to compensate Spicejet for the "loss of business." "No amount of expected compensation has been decided on yet with Boeing," added Singh. SpiceJet is seeking compensation from Boeing on maintenance, repair, and overhaul for the 12 grounded 737 MAX aircraft. The airline has 12 operational Max 8 aircraft, representing 20 percent-plus seat capacity. Source: CNBC-TV18 The Commerce and Industry Ministry has proposed a host of measures such as tax incentives to promote budding entrepreneurs as part of the 'Startup India Vision 2024', an official said. The vision document aims at facilitating setting up of 50,000 new start-ups in the country by 2024, and creating 20 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the ministry, which has prepared the document, has also suggested setting up of 500 new incubators and accelerators by 2024; 100 innovation zones in urban local bodies; deployment of entire corpus of Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds; and expanding CSR funding to incubators. The other measures include setting up of Rs 1,000 crore 'India startup fund' to support high technology start-ups; providing Rs 1,000 crore of seed funding; and operationalisation of seven research parks by 2024. "The DPIIT wants to strengthen the complete ecosystem for startups and these measures would help in doing that. It will be presented to the new government for their consideration," the official said. As part of regulatory easing, the vision document proposes to reduce compliance burden, setting up of regulatory sandbox for testing of financial products; tax incentives for investments in startups; reduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates; tax exemption for ESOPs; and exemption of angel tax on all investments by Alternate Investment Funds. A regulatory sandbox usually refers to live-testing of new products or services in a controlled and test regulatory environment for which regulators may or may not permit certain regulatory relaxations for the limited purpose of the testing. Further it suggested that banks should set up a single window system to give loans to startups. Startup India is the flagship initiative of the government, launched in January 2016, intends to build a strong ecosystem for the growth of startup businesses, to drive sustainable economic growth and generate employment opportunities. The Startup India action plan provides tax and other incentives. So far, as many as 17,984 startups have been recognised by the department. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More ICICI Direct's research report on Tata Global Beverages Consolidated sales for the quarter increased by 5.2% to Rs 1775.5 crore on the back of 6.3% growth in tea business and 9.9% growth in non-branded business; Coffee business marginally declined by ~2% during the quarter. India business grew by 11% mainly driven by 12% volume growth. Net profit declined by ~50% to Rs 36 crore impacted by higher tax outgo and adverse performance from plantation business due to higher wages. TGBL announced acquisition of branded business of Dhunseri Tea for Rs 101 crore to help boost its presence in other parts of India. Outlook We have valued TGBL on SOTP basis, valuing India domestic business at 3x FY21E sales, International business (US, UK, Canada and Australia) at 0.5x FY21E sales and Starbucks JV at 2x FY21E sales .We reiterate our BUY rating on the stock with a revised target price of Rs 240 per share. For all recommendations report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More After lifting of the Iran sanction waiver on India, the US is now said to have offered oil and gas at concessional terms from its own reserves. The move is intended to help India meet its crude oil requirements. During talks with Indian officials and Alice Wells, US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia showed USA's intent in supplying higher quantities of oil and gas to India at short notice to ensure that India does not face oil shortage, as per a report in Mint. Wells also hinted that key energy producers -- the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia -- have been asked to ensure stable oil supplies to all friendly countries and partners, the newspaper report stated. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. As per the report, US could offer trade concessions on oil exports that are on par with those offered by Iran. The latter currently offers India players -- Indian Oil Corporation, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) and Nayara Energy (formerly Essar Oil) -- cheaper freight and a 60-day credit period. "The offer has been indicated and this needs to be worked out in detail post May 2, when petroleum-related Iran sanctions waiver is lifted on five oil importing countries including India. Transportation cost is an issue to bring oil from the US," the newspaper report quoted a diplomatic source as saying. Indias oil imports from the US barely accounts for about a percent. So, it is not surprising that it stands to gain the most from its decision to lift the Iran sanction waiver. But India also stands to gain the most from this move as US shale oil is competitively priced in comparison to crude oil from Gulf countries. In fact, the price differential between Brent and Dubai crude has narrowed and despite the higher transportation charges is still attractively priced. If the US were to offer a $2-4 per barrel discount against Dubai crude, if would be enough to cover Indias freight costs. "The things we do for love," is how a Marvel fan reacted when he managed to book a 1.40 am show for "Avengers: Endgame". It seems odd to quote Jaime Lannister from "Game of Thrones" in the "Avengers" context but such is the frenzy that fans will watch any show they can over the weekend -- whether at 1.40 am or at 6 am -- even if it means spending big bucks. And still no tickets are available. To accommodate the demand for the last of the Avenger series, which releases on Friday, some theatres are running shows 24X7. "It is the biggest craze we have seen for a Hollywood film... The demand is ferocious... As far as IMAX is concerned, it is unprecedented. This is the first time a film is sold out all days of the first week even before a single show has played out. Almost the entire week is sold out," said Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures. "We have added shows as early as 6.30-7am, which we typically do for Hindi films and big regional films. Almost 70 per cent of PVR chain across the country is allocated to 'Avengers: Endgame'... The demand is universally good in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu," Gianchandani told PTI. Movie ticket booking site BookMyShow said the film has sold over 2.5 million tickets in advance booking across the country, a record for a Hollywood movie in India. "The frenzy around the film is unprecedented. The cinemas are doing everything possible to match fans' demand for the film, including round-the-clock screenings as also opening up advance bookings for the entire week ahead. "As the craze around the film continues to intensify, we expect a mighty opening on Friday and a record-breaking first week," said Ashish Saksena, COO, Cinemas, BookMyShow. The record for the highest opening for a Hollywood movie in India is held by "Avengers: Infinity War", which earned Rs 40 crore on the opening day. However, the inaugural weekend figures of its follow-up, "Endgame" are being pegged to go beyond Rs 50 crore. The opening weekend figures may hover around Rs 150 crore plus, trade analyst Komal Nahata told PTI. "Endgame", directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, is a culmination of 22 storylines from the Marvel stable. In the film, the remaining superheroes gather to avenge their fallen comrades after super villain Thanos wiped out half of the universe's population with a finger snap in "Infinity War". Nahata said the craze for the movie is unrivalled in India. There was similar euphoria during the opening weekend of Baahubali 2". "This kind of euphoria for advance booking was last seen during 'Baahubali 2' and for 'Dilwale Dhulania Le Jayenge' as far as Indian films are concerned. Otherwise, Hollywood films like 'Fast and Furious' and 'Jungle Book 2' were popular. The film should open at Rs 50.5 crore on the first day and about Rs 150 crore over the weekend," he said. Rajender Singh, chief programming officer, INOX Leisure Ltd, said the response for advance booking has been phenomenal in both metro cities as well as second and three tier cities, where the dubbed version of the film will be screened. "It has broken all records as far as the advance booking of any film is concerned. No Indian film has witnessed this kind of craze. We opened the advance booking last Sunday and the shows are full till Tuesday. We have sold out close to eight lakh tickets, which is huge. The closest Indian film that comes to this is "Baahubali 2", we had sold tickets 4.5-5 lakh tickets," Singh told PTI. He said INOX, which has 578 screens across India, is running shows from Friday as early as 6 am in some theatres. In metro cities, they will be running shows 24x7 for the first two days. Distributor Rajesh Thadani believes the film will open at Rs 50 crore on the first day. "Going by the advance booking for the film and the craze for the film in India especially among youngsters it should open at least at Rs 50 crore. Over the weekend, it should gross close to Rs 200 crore. It is a big franchise so the numbers are also going to be huge." Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 Multiplex in Mumbai, says the film will be screened both in English and Hindi at his popular single-screen theatre Gaiety, Galaxy and Gemini at reasonable prices. "We opened late for advance booking so we have had 70 percent booking so far. This film is meant for every class of audience. Those who can't afford to pay much for tickets at multiplexes have come here. And for them we have priced our tickets at Rs 170 for English version and Rs 160 and Rs 130 for Hindi," he said Rahul Kadbet, vice president, Programming, Carnival Cinemas, said the chain has late night shows at 1.25 am and 2.15 am shows in Pune over the weekend and even a a 3.20 am show in Mumbai. The mad rush for the tickets has already inspired various memes in social media, with one showing a crowd rushing towards a mall to get their hands on tickets. The National Green Tribunal has directed the Haryana chief secretary to submit an action taken report and take punitive action against the officers for failing to stop leachate from the Bandhwari landfill site. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said this is a classic instance of "incapacity, incompetence and unwillingness" of the Gurgaon Municipal Corporation to perform its duty to handle solid waste in a scientific manner. "The contractor to whom the work is assigned is not performing the job and is still continued. The result is damage to public health. The question is how local authorities are to be made accountable for protection of environment and the victims of damage to health," the bench said. The tribunal passed the order after perusing a report of a joint committee which said that the waste at the landfill site was being burnt resulting in air pollution. "Condition of the landfill site is pathetic, which is a source of environment degradation. Movement of trucks in the dusty roads leads to further pollution," it said. The tribunal said, "The above sorry state of affairs requires emergency measures at the highest level of the state. The actions must include prompt steps to deal with the situation. If necessary, replacing the existing contractor with a suitable contractor who can perform. "Punitive action be taken against the officers failing to handle the situation. This task must be undertaken under the directions of the chief secretary of the state who will be at liberty to take disciplinary action as well as prosecution of all concerned and furnish an action taken report in the matter. "It will also be open to stop the salary of the officers who are not able to perform or to replace the officers with more competent officers who can deliver on the ground level," the bench said. The matter is listed for next hearing on May 27. The NGT had earlier directed the Gurgaon Municipal Corporation to submit a performance guarantee of Rs 25 lakh for stopping leachate from the Bandhwari landfill site. The NGT had slammed the Haryana government and its civic bodies over the disposal of industrial waste and construction debris in the Aravalli forests along the Gurgaon-Faridabad road. The green panel was hearing a plea filed by environmentalist Vivek Kamboj and Amit Chaudhary, alleging that the municipal corporations of Gurgaon and Faridabad were disposing industrial waste and construction debris in these forest areas. Kamboj had referred to a media report which said construction debris were found dumped in the forest and quoted a local resident as saying that several vehicles dumped waste there every Sunday morning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 25 held a mega roadshow here, taking his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, by storm a day ahead of filing his nomination papers. In a show strength, he was joined by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders. Modi started his seven-kilometer roadshow by first garlanding the statue of Banaras Hindu University founder Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. The prime minister, who was wearing a saffron kurta and scarf, was cheered by a massive crowd as his cavalcade passed through the Lanka and Assi areas of the city. He is scheduled to perform the 'Ganga aarti' at the Dashashwamedh Ghat. Before reaching Varanasi, Modi had tweeted: "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi." "There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!" he had tweeted. The show of strength takes place on a day the Congress ended all speculation about its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra taking on Modi in the city. The Congress has again fielded Ajay Rai from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. He had finished third in 2014. The BJP said JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will accompany Modi as he files his nomination around 11.30 am on Friday. Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will also be in attendance, the party said. On Friday, the prime minister will address booth heads and workers at 9.30 am and then offer his obeisance to Kal Bhairav at 11 am. "In this (nomination) programme, senior SAD leader and former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, central minister and president of the Lok Janshakti Party, Ram Vilas Paswan, will be present," the party had said in a press release. Leaders of the AIADMK, the Apna Dal and the North-East Democratic Alliance will also be present, it said. In an interim order passed on April 12, the Supreme Court has directed all political parties to disclose particulars related to donations received through electoral bonds to the Election Commission. The furnished details have to be submitted in a sealed envelope by May 30, 2019. This decision assumes significance with the world's largest exercise in democracy already underway. The apex court further added that this is a weighty issue and it would require an in-depth hearing, which cannot be concluded in a limited time. The pleas were filed by the Communist Party of India- Marxist [CPI (M] and NGO Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) against the Narendra Modi governments inherent anonymity of the particulars under this scheme. In the light of this development, let us understand what electoral bonds are and how it works. What is an electoral bond? An electoral bond (EBs) is a bearer instrument in the nature of a promissory note. In reality, donors can buy the interest-free banking instrument and then transfer them to the account of the political party, where they are converted into donations. This scheme can be purchased by any citizen of India or any company in the country. A person can buy electoral bonds, either singly or jointly, with other individuals. Price of an electoral bond and how to get it There is no specified amount or any cap. A bond can be issued in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore. Electoral bonds are available at specified branches of the State Bank of India (SBI). The donor can simply buy these bonds through a KYC-compliant account. They can select the political party of their choice and contribute, which then is cashed in the partys verified account within 15 days. They are non-transferable and a one-time payment. Further, these bonds are available for purchase for a period of 10 days in the months of January, April, July and October, as stated by the central government. An additional period of 30 days are specified in the years of general elections, like 2019. The donations are also tax deductible; when launched, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had stated, A donor will get a deduction and the recipient, or the political party, will get tax exemption, provided returns are filed by the political party. Anonymity of donors Under the electoral bond scheme, the Centre wanted to prevent donors from being associated with any particular party. The motive behind this was to ensure that all donations made to the parties are accounted in the balance sheet without disclosing or exhibiting donor details to the public. History and norms of electoral bonds In a move to promote cashless society or digitization, the concept of electoral bonds was introduced in the Union Budget 2017 by the Modi-led government. The main aim was to curb the usage of black money and keep a check on the under-the-table cash transactions. This political funding amelioration was introduced with a promise of bringing in transparency and efforts to cleanse the democratic funding system. Previous system Prior to 2017, Section 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 declared the sources of political funding. If donations of more than Rs 20,000 were made, then the Act stated that all registered parties had to declare all donations. But according to experts, a major problem witnessed then was that large donations were usually kept anonymous. What is the controversy about? Some political analysts have pointed out that electoral bonds could be the first-of-its-kind instrument in the world for funding of political parties. Jagdeep Chhokar, ADR founder member and trustee, told CNN News18 that while there have been electoral trusts in India, the concept of electoral bonds is new. The government has been vehemently trying to defend this scheme, arguing that it was introduced in an attempt to cleanse the system of political funding in the country. However, the Election Commission has opposed the veil of anonymity associated with such bonds. Recently, information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that a whopping 99.8 percent of donations received by political parties was through electoral bonds of the highest denominations, the time period being between March 2018 and January 24, 2019. From the data mentioned below, it is evident that electoral bonds have emerged as one of the most sought-after channels for political funding in the country. Adding to the turmoil, billionaire banker Uday Kotak also questioned Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over his blurred alternative to cash donations for political parties. He asked the minister about his views on electoral reforms and what will be the role of electoral bonds in achieving that goal. In response, Jaitley replied that the debate about this issue is ill-informed. The clamour over electoral bonds has also increased. After the Supreme Courts judgment last week, the political playground is abuzz on this issue. Former Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and said the decision would bring out the "nexus" between the saffron party and its "suited-booted friends". Reacting to the judgment, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli told The Times of India that "whatever the order of the Supreme Court is, it has to be complied with and it is always complied with. Non-profit ADRs report shows that the funding through electoral bonds is biased towards the national parties of the country. The research outlines that Rs 215 crore have been generated through the banking instruments in 2017-18, in which the ruling party has secured Rs 210 crore and the opposition Congress Rs 5 crore. Future of electoral bonds With views divided on the issue, early trends suggest the Supreme Courts decision will be the deciding key factor. Some analysts fear it could distort the countrys electoral process as inviting corporate influence could jeopardize democracy. The Congress on Thursday slammed the Modi government over the issue of minimum support prices, alleging that farmers are getting 20 percent less than MSP. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, citing a media report, said the promise made in 2014 was to give the farmers an MSP 50 percent over the cost of production, but they are getting 20 percent less than the MSP. "This is Modi Ji's injustice," he said. Mandi prices of four major rabi crops were 4-20% below their MSPs since the winter harvesting began from April 1, the report said, citing official data. The Congress has been attacking the government, alleging largescale farmer distress, a claim strongly rejected by the government. As the Congress has failed to eradicate poverty during its five decades of rule, the country will actually become poverty-free when it will be Congress-free, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said. Claiming that the BJP-led NDA government has been able to take 7.5 crore people above the poverty line, Singh said those still living below it will be elevated in the coming five years. "The Congress has ruled the country for five decades, but India still fights poverty. The garibi hatao call only remained a slogan as Congress governments failed to take any concrete step to eradicate poverty," the BJP stalwart said. Mocking Congress president Rahul Gandhi's promise to make India poverty-free, Singh said Gandhi's tall claims are aimed at misleading the people for votes. "The fact is, the country can actually become poverty-free if it becomes Congress-free," he said. Singh was addressing a series of election meetings in Odisha's Jajpur, Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha constituencies where polling will be held along with state assembly elections in the fourth phase on April 29. The Union minister also accused the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government of failing to develop the state during its 19 years of rule. Singh alleged that the basic requirements of the people have not been fulfilled as the BJD government has no intention to develop the state. "The BJD government denied justice to the people of Odisha by not implementing the Ayushman Bharat and several other welfare schemes of the central government," he said. Stating that Ayushman Bharat Yojana has been implemented in other states, Singh said the poor people of Odisha are being deprived of the benefits of the National Health Protection Mission because of BJD government's apathy. He appealed to the people to give five years to the BJP and allow it to make Odisha the number one state in the country via speedy and balanced development. Mentioning the air strike carried out by India inside Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attack that killed 42 CRPF jawans, Singh said, "The (Narendra) Modi government has given a fitting reply to Pakistan and terrorists. The country is safe under Modi's leadership." The Modi government has also elevated India's status across the globe by making development in the economic front, he said. The BJP's manifesto promises people pucca houses, cooking gas connection and electricity by 2022, Singh said. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bragging about nuclear missiles has cost India a place in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Speaking to mediapersons in Jodhpur on Wednesday, Sharma said "No nuclear power ever talked about their count of nuclear missiles or any of state head has ever said they were ready to attack with nuclear missiles. But our prime minister said so." He said Modi had warned that 18 nuclear missiles had been kept ready when Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was in Pakistan's captivity. The former cabinet minister appealed to Modi to be sincere in his language and not give the impression that the Indian prime minister was talking in the same vein as North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Sharma said India did not become a member of NSG in Modi's rule and his statements would close the door for the future. He questioned Modi's foreign policy. "Modi visits the Chinese president and then receives Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Likewise, he visits Kabul in Afghanistan, which has been ravaged by Taliban supported by Pakistan and then directly lands in Lahore to see Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif," he said. Sharma accused Modi of disturbing relations with Nepal, with which India has had cordial relations for years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on April 25 and 26. In the two days, the PM is holding a mega roadshow and will file his nomination papers. The roadshow stretches over six kilometres, going from the Lanka area to Dashashwamedh Ghat via Godoliya, party insiders said. It is expected to start with PM Modi garlanding the statue of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) founder Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya at Lanka. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is projecting the roadshow as a show of strength that will include Union ministers, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior leaders of the party. In 2017, PM Modi had a similar visit to Varanasi ahead of the crucial state elections. His three-day visit had reportedly played an important role in BJPs landslide victory in the state. Lok Sabha polls | For the latest news, analysis and opinions, click here However, it is not the last-minute campaigning, but his work that will gather votes for him. In the last five years, the PM has visited the holy city 18 times and sanctioned Rs 34,000 crore for the citys development, Sanjay Bharadwaj, a local BJP leader, told Moneycontrol. Here is a timeline of PM Narendra Modis visits and projects launched in Varanasi in the last five years: September 1, 2014: PM Narendra Modi briefed his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on his initiative for Smart Cities and renewal of heritage cities, including the city of Varanasi. The two countries signed an agreement to promote partnership city arrangement between the ancient cities of Varanasi and Kyoto. November 8, 2014: PM Narendra Modi wielded a spade to remove silt deposited along the banks of river Ganga to formally launch Swachh Bharat campaign in his Lok Sabha constituency. November 8, 2014: PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Trade Facilitation Centre and Crafts Museum, and inaugurated the Powerloom Service Centre in Varanasi. December 25, 2014: PM Narendra Modi launched the Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching at the Swatantrata Bhawan in Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Also Read: Ground Report | From Ganga cruise to Kashi corridor: PM Modi goes the extra mile to woo voters in Varanasi September 18, 2015: PM Narendra Modi launched a financial inclusion initiative in Varanasi. A total of 101 e-rickshaws, 501 pedal rickshaws and push-carts were given as part of this initiative. January 22, 2016: PM Narendra Modi attended a Samajik Adhikarita Shivir for distribution of aids and assistive devices in Varanasi. He complimented the Railways for the launch of the Mahamana Express with modern passenger amenities, which he flagged off on the occasion. May 1, 2016: PM Narendra Modi launched a scheme for e-boats in Varanasi, took a boat ride. October 24, 2016: PM Narendra Modi unveiled several development schemes in Varanasi. These included the dedication of 765/400 KV GIS Varanasi Power Sub-station; laying of foundation stone of Varanasi City Gas Distribution Project; inauguration of Varanasi Postal Region; Expansion Project of Diesel Locomotive Works (Phase 1); laying of foundation stone for second line and electrification of Allahabad-Varanasi Rail Line; and setting up of Perishable Cargo Centre at Rajatalab Railway Station. December 22, 2016: PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Mahamana Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre and the Centenary Super Speciality Hospital at BHU. September 22, 2017: PM Modi dedicated to the nation the Deendayal Hastkala Sankul a trade facilitation centre for handicraft at Varanasi. He also flagged off the Mahamana Express through a video link. July 14, 2018: PM Modi inaugurated, or laid the foundation stones of important projects, cumulatively worth over Rs 900 crore, in Varanasi. Among the projects inaugurated were the Varanasi City Gas Distribution Project and the Varanasi-Ballia MEMU train. The foundation stone was laid for the PanchkoshiParikrama Marg, and several projects under the Smart City Mission and Namaami Gange. The PM also laid the foundation stone for an International Convention Centre in Varanasi. September 18, 2018: PM Modi inaugurated, or laid the foundation stone for several important development projects, at a public gathering in BHU. Among the projects inaugurated were the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi; and an Atal Incubation Centre at BHU. Among the projects for which the foundation stone was laid was the Regional Ophthalmology Centre at BHU. November 12, 2018: PM Modi dedicated, inaugurated or laid the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 2,400 crore. He dedicated the Multimodal Terminal on the River Ganga, to the nation, and received the first container cargo. He inaugurated the Varanasi Ring Road Phase 1, and the development and construction for four laning of Babatpur-Varanasi Section of NH-56. PM Modi inaugurated Centres of Excellence at Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul in Varanasi. File image: Twitter/PIB India G Babu Jayakumar Women outnumbered men on displaying their responsibility in coming out and voting when Tamil Nadu went to polls on April 18 in the second phase of voting for the 17th Lok Sabha. Not only were fragile old women spotted at polling booths across the state, a fully pregnant woman in Tiruvannalamali district did not want to renege on her democratic duty despite feeling discomfort while waiting for her turn to vote. She delivered a boy on stepping out of the booth. Tamil Nadu has a sex ratio of 996, and while neighbouring Kerala might have a better ratio, 996 is way better than the national average of 943. However, for such promising figures and enthusiastic voters, there were not many women candidates contesting the polls this election. None of the political parties, with an exemption of Seemans Naam Thamizhar Katchi (NTK), were serious about fielding women candidates not even touch the 33 per cent mark that may become mandatory in future. The absence of women was also seen outside polling booths at the kiosks set up by various political parties why is it that political parties in Tamil Nadu do not engage women workers? The absence of women workers was glaring when compared to the fairly high presence of women polling officials. If one were to count women candidates party-wise, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), contesting from five seats, had one woman candidate, the partys state president Tamilisai Soundararajan, contesting from Thoothukudi constituency. Thats about 20 per cent and not a bad number when compared with other mainstream parties. Among the 10 candidates the Congress fielded, only one was a woman. Jothimani Sennimalai contested from Karur, where she was pitted against former Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambi Durai. Both the Communist parties, the CPI(M) and the CPI, and Thol Thirumavalavans Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (a party representing the voice of the Dalits), were given two seats eachbut none of them fielded a woman candidate. The regional heavyweight, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which claims to be the torchbearer of Dravidian values of equality, fielded two women candidates among the 20 it contested from. The two are: Kanimozhi in Thoothukudi against Soundararajan, and Tamilachi Thangapandian in Chennai South. The DMKs arch-rival, the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which is in power in Tamil Nadu in view of the mandate given to its deceased party leader J Jayalalithaa, fielded only one woman candidate though it contested from 20 seats. The AIADMKs lone woman candidate is Maragatham Kumaravel who contested from Kancheepuram, a reserved constituency. The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), the breakaway faction from the AIADMK which is led by RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran, fielded three women candidates. They are: Sarubala R Thondaiman, who hails from the erstwhile royal family of Pudukottai, contested from Tiruchirappalli, T Sengodi from Nagapattinam and Ponnuthai from Tenkasi. Even actor-politician Kamal Haasans Makkal Needhi Maiyam, which in its manifesto promised 50 per cent reservation for women, fielded just three women candidates. Tamil actor Nassers wife, Kameela Nasser, was fielded from Chennai Central, Mookambika Rathinam from Pollachi and S Karunya Subramanian from Krishnagiri. The only party that walked the talk on womens representation was Seemans NTK which fielded 40 candidates in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, of which, 20 were womenthats an impressive 50 per cent. The NTK has popular support among youngsters and this could be a reason why the party was able to identify and field 20 women candidates. Most of the prominent women candidates, chosen by the leading parties, hailed from political families. Kanimozhi is the youngest daughter of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and Tamilachi Thangapandian is the daughter of late DMK stalwart V Thangapandian and sister of former DMK Minister Thangam Thenarasu. Soundararajan is the daughter of veteran Congress leader Kumari Anandan and niece of H Vasanthakumar, who is the Congress candidate in Kanyakumari constituency. It is indeed tragic that in the state that gave the nation its first woman legislator in Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy, through her appointment to the Madras Legislative Council in 1927, is struggling in its bid to encourage women enter electoral politics. Even the domineering presence of Jayalalithaa in the states political scene since 1991 when she was first elected chief minister she entered politics much earlier in 1982 and became a Rajya Sabha member in 1984 has not helped the grooming of women in electoral politics. Earlier, when there was an AIADMK event or a news development surrounding Jayalalithaa, women supporters used to hit the streets to express their support to their leader and party. This time they were conspicuously missing on the electoral arena. G Babu Jayakumar is a senior Chennai-based journalist. Views are personal. For more Opinion articles, click here File image Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh said the number of terrorists killed in the Balakot air strikes was "high", and accused the Congress of politicising the anti-terror operation by the IAF. He hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for using "foul language" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Claiming the BJP would get a clear mandate in the Lok Sabha elections, Singh said he has no doubt in his mind that NDA allies will retain power with a three-fourths majority. He said the Congress is politicising the Balakot air strikes and dismissed its demand of proof of casualties in the operation as "uncalled for". The IAF had struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror training camp in Pakistan on February 26 in response to the February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. "Should our forces have stopped there to count the dead bodies? Brave jawans do not count the dead bodies, they keep marching ahead... eagles count bodies," he said. "Had there been 1, 2, 3 or 4 casualties, then we could have given a figure, but how can we tell (the exact casualties) when this figure was so high? "I head the intelligence agencies. I would like to say we carried out the air strikes on the basis of credible and actionable inputs, and without violating Pakistan's sovereignty," the home minister said. Singh said if the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was hailed for splitting Pakistan in 1971, then why can't Modi be lauded for the Balakot air strikes. He addressed two election rallies in neighbouring Palghar district in support of Shiv Sena candidates from Thane and Palghar Lok Sabha constituencies. Lashing out at the opposition for pointing fingers at electronic voting machines, he said, "The (voting) trend in the first phase of elections suggested the NDA would get a two-thirds majority. Soon the opposition launched an attack on EMVs. "When these people (Congress) won (assembly polls) in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh last year, then EVMs were right, but when they saw we are inching towards victory, they again started crying foul on EVMs." Singh strongly defended the alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, saying it is based on their shared ideology of nationalism. No one can break the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the state, Singh asserted. He said NCP chief Sharad Pawar had sensed his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and hence decided to stay away from the poll fray. Singh, contesting from the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, lauded the government of Prime Minister Modi and said under his watch India saw a quantum jump in its economic ranking. "We were languishing at the 9th position among the top 10 countries (before 2014). But since the Modi-led government took charge, our country witnessed a quantum jump and we secured the 6th position among the top 10 countries," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. "And I would like to say...in the coming years, we are going to attain the 5th position," Singh said. The home minister said India is no more a country of the poor people and "we are now one of the fastest-growing economies in the world". It is unfortunate that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is "using foul" language against the prime minister of the country, Singh said. "To say 'chowkidar chor hai' (Rahul's jibe at the PM over the Rafale deal) is stooping too low. I was shocked when I first heard such a language for our prime minister. "The Congress government did not buy a single next generation fighter plane in the last 30 years. Had we got Rafale jets, we could have destroyed Pakistan-based (terror) camps while sitting in India," Singh said. Instead of attacking the PM, the Congress should introspect why it is losing base, he said. The BJP veteran said the Congress governments under Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi made "failed" efforts to eliminate poverty and Rahul Gandhi is now going on the same path (with his Nyay scheme). He said the Congress-led UPA government built 25 lakh housing units from 2008 to 2014, while the BJP-headed NDA government constructed 1.30 crore houses between 2014-2018. Nowhere in the world you will see the "karishma" (miracle) of 34 crore bank accounts being opened in such a short time (under Jan Dhan Yojana), he said, adding this could happen only due to Modi's leadership. Singh said only five crore people are left in the extremely poor category and added "we will abolish this poverty in the coming five to seven years". Thane and Palghar are among the 17 Lok Sabha seats that will vote in the fourth and final phase in Maharashtra on April 29. Despite all its negative connotations, 'vote bank' in Indian politics is synonymous with bargaining power of parties or individuals. It is the politics of influencing a particular section of society to vote for a party or a leader. This is usually done by convincing the particular 'vote bank' or core voter group that the party or the leader is its voice in assembly or Parliament, or both. Core voters make or break leaders, parties and alliances. Over the years, some of the leaders in India particularly regional have managed to carve out a dedicated vote bank for themselves. Let's take a look: Naveen Patnaik Naveen Patnaik Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is popular for his women-centric policies. There's a reason for that. Over the years, Patnaik who has helmed the state for 19 years has tapped into and cultivated this voter base. Recently, the 72-year-old satrap announced that BJD would reserve 33 percent seats for women in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This means that of the 21 Parliamentary seats in the state, seven seats would be reserved for women candidates. Odisha currently sends three women Members of Parliament (MPs) to the lower house. Patnaik has established a network of self-help groups (SHGs) in the state, particularly focusing on the state's rural areas. 'Mission Shakti', as the campaign came to be called, has now managed to establish over 6 lakh SHGs across Odisha. This, in turn, has helped over 60 lakh women in getting bank loans and setting up of their own enterprises. Observers state that Patnaik's continued focus on policies for women has cemented this vote bank for him, and it helped during the last polls, when over 74 percent women in Odisha voted for him. Nitish Kumar Nitish Kumar Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, is also popular with women in the state. This is particularly after his move to bring liquor prohibition to Bihar. With 50 percent reservation for women in local bodies, and providing bicycles to girls, Kumar ensured that he is seen as an all-round vikas purush in Bihar. But that was not all. Kumar belongs to the Kurmi community, and he realised that together with the Koeris, the castes form only 8 percent of the total population not enough to win elections. This is when he started carving out his own constituency of the Mahadalits. Writing in his book, Single Man: The Life and Times of Nitish Kumar of Bihar, journalist Sankarshan Thakur says Kumar "apportioned political space in panchayat institutions" and gave "financial handouts" to the Mahadalits. "He did the same for Economically Backward Class (EBC) communities, cleaving them from the OBC rainbow and handing them special cash and career incentives," Thakur writes. Mayawati Mayawati Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh is synonymous with Dalit movement in the state. The Jatavs, one of the 66 communities listed as Scheduled Castes in UP, form a strong voter base for her and her party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The community has been loyal to Mayawati, to the extent that their vote is transferable to any party that the BSP allies with. The Jatav population, according to 2011 Census, forms 54.23 percent of UP's SC population. However, Mayawati now has a new problem to deal with: Chandrashekhar Azad, the rising star from within the community who is threatening to dent Mayawati's core voter base. Chandrababu Naidu Chandrababu Naidu The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister won the 2014 assembly polls riding on his promise to provide 10 percent reservation to the Kapu community. The Kapus are a forward community, and are powerful in the East Godavari, Vishakhapatanam and West Godavari belts. Naidu is battling for the Kapu vote along with Pawan Kalyan, a Kapu himself, who had supported Naidu in 2014. This time around, however, the vote could be divided, which is why Naidu has been trying hard to woo the Kapu vote by promising half of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota to the community. West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra claimed that the Trinamool Congress has a secret understanding with the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sends him sweets and kurtas every year only re-affirms this. In an interview to actor Akshay Kumar aired by TV channels, the prime minister had mentioned her gifts to him. Banerjee, however, said it is Bengal's culture to welcome guests with sweets and gifts. "There is a secret relationship between Banerjee and Modi. After the Gujarat riots, only Banerjee had sent him roses," Mitra said replying to a question at a meet-the-press programme organised by the Press Club Kolkata. CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra also said Modi's comment has revealed the secret ties between the TMC and the BJP. "The cat is now out of the bag," he said. Hitting out at Banerjee, the TMC supremo, Mitra made her responsible for the spread of the BJP in West Bengal. It is because of Trinamool Congress and not due to the weakening of either the Congress or the Left Front parties that the saffron party is gaining ground in the state, he said at a meet-the-press here. Banerjee, the Congress leader said, has not announced whether the TMC will lend support if there is a coalition headed by the BJP at the Centre after the polls. Asked to comment on the possibility of the BJP getting the second highest number of seats after the TMC in Bengal, Mitra said "It is due to Mamata's party that BJP is rising in Bengal." To another question whether the Congress would seek Banerjee's support if it gets the chance to form the government after the poll results, Mitra said it would depend upon the decision of the party's central leadership. Asked about the Congress's performance in the state, Mitra claimed it would better its result of four seats in 2014. The state has 42 Lok Sabha seats. Banerjee has been mocking the Congress, saying it has turned into a 'sign board' party in the state. He conceded that Congress started its campaign late owing to negotiations for seat sharing with the Left. Shortage of funds was the reason for the absence of high profile campaigns, he said. However, the Congress' poll promises for NYAY and Right to Work has received huge response from the voters in West Bengal, he added. Representative image Even as India currently votes for its next government, the world's largest democracy fails to include the urban migratory class. Nestaway Technologies, a home rental platform, unveiled data that shows 91 percent of urban migrants are not registered on electoral rolls of the cities they currently live in. Reasons for migration include better job prospects, marriage, higher education among others. A study, titled Urban Migrants: the silent spectators of Indian elections? and comprising around 1,100 migrants in their 20s living in metropolitan cities like Delhi, NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune, revealed that most urban migrants are not listed as voters in their current cities. On the contrary, only about 27 percent still living in their original place of residence arent registered as voters. About 63 percent migrants believed they cannot vote if they migrate to another city, while 41 percent thought holding a voters ID makes them eligible to vote anywhere. The survey revealed that 73 percent migrant citizens lack awareness and knowledge about the process of voter registration from their new constituency. Amrendra Sahu, co-founder and CEO of Nestaway Technologies, said, Many urban migrants have tried to update their addresses in their voter registration. However, if you do not belong to the same state you are residing in, the entire process is very tiresome, especially if they do not speak the local language. The authorities are more proactive now in helping out fresh voters. He further added, However, we cannot deny that there is a dire need for awareness and education about the voting process. At Nestaway, we are making a conscious effort towards this. We believe that this is one step towards the process of making voter registration simpler and accessible to migrants. According to an analysis published by Business Standard, even though there are over 900 million eligible voters in the country, India still lags behind several countries in terms of voter turnout. The global median of voter turnout stands at 68.03 percent from 184 elections held across the globe, while India had recorded about 66.4 percent in the 2014 general elections. Cumbersome Procedure In a new city, one needs to fill up a voter enrollment form from the current constituency. However, the voter shall be eligible only once he applies for omission of his/her name from the old electoral list. The change in constituency can be done both online and offline. The address in the Voter ID card can be changed on the National Voters Service Portal- www.nvsp.in . However, most migrant voters often find it difficult and tiresome. This primarily includes daily wage workers who lack knowledge and arent educated enough to understand the need to change the address, or the importance of a lost vote. The documents needed for this change are often one of the primary reasons for the lag, as migrants find it difficult to provide relevant address proof. Minimal knowledge about the procedure of address change. Providing an authentic address proof for inclusion is tiresome. Lack of understanding of the importance of lost votes Find it unimportant to make the effort. Moneycontrol conducted a mini-poll of its own, covering 25 migrants between the ages of 18-30. The most common reasons cited by eligible voters in migrant cities include: Shortly after the Election Commission banned the Prime Minister Narendra Modi biopic and censored all other content concerning him, it shifted focus on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Citing a ban order on Modis biopic until the elections are over, the EC has also taken down the trailer of Didis biopic Baghini (The Tigress) from three websites. The election body stated that a certificate from Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had not yet been granted for the film. Therefore, the trailers of the biopic were removed on grounds of violation of its directives. At present, the EC is looking into a report which mentions that the film doesnt have a CBFC certification, reported India Today. In its April 10 order that put a temporary ban on the release of the Modi biopic, the EC said: any biopic material in the nature of biography/hagiography subserving the purposes of any political party or any individual entity connected to it, which is intended to, or which has the potential to disturb the level playing field during the elections, should not be displayed in electronic media including cinematograph during the operation of model code of conduct. The West Bengal CM has, however, denied having any connection with the feature film that has reportedly been made on her life. She has even warned that she may have to resort to filing a defamation suit against those who are spreading such rumours. Reacting to the allegations, she tweeted: What is all this nonsense being spread! I have nothing at all to do with any biopic. If some young people have collected stories and expressed themselves, that's up to them. Not related to us. I am not Narendra Modi. Please do not compel me to file for defamation by spreading lies. Pinky Paul, the writer and producer of the film, also denied that it is a biopic. Although the lead character of the movie was inspired by Mamata Banerjee, the attire and mannerisms are not a direct reflection of the Bengal CM, Paul was quoted by DNA as saying. Speaking on the lead character Indira Banerjee, she said: "It is true that I have written the character getting inspired by Mamata Banerjee but it is also true that if the story is about a common woman, she will wear flipflops and a cotton saree. Do you think it would have been apt to dress her up in fancy clothes?" (With inputs from PTI) The party that wins the assembly polls in Rajasthan grabs the most number of seats in the subsequent Lok Sabha polls. That has always been the trend. "But BJP is now known to buck trends," state BJP leader Amit Goyal told Moneycontrol. "We set our own trends now," Goyal added. Rajasthan votes in two phases on April 29 and May 6. Goyal and the BJP have reasons to be confident. In 2014, the saffron party won all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan, and in the 2018 assembly polls, it lost by a margin of 0.5 percent vote share (of the 200 assembly seats, the Congress won 100 and BJP won 73). That is in contrast to 2013, when the BJP had stormed to power with a 12.1 percent lead. Like elsewhere, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is BJP's trump card. Modi has addressed four rallies in the state, including one on the day of the Balakot air strikes. But apart from the Modi factor, the state BJP is also busy plugging holes in the Congress' poll promises during the assembly polls. "Look at what they promised and what they delivered," Goyal said. "The unemployed haven't got a single rupee in their bank accounts. The promised loan waiver is nowhere to be seen," he added. Congress leaders have stated that the promises have been fulfilled or are in the process and stopped due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). BJP's state unit, however, is confident that the party will sweep the state during the Lok Sabha polls due to the assembly polls. Moreover, according to reports, the Congress' state unit is battling factionalism. Key issues The BJP will concentrate on national security and tackling terrorism, and the lack of its mention in Congress' manifesto. "Apart from that, the various development schemes that we have implemented in the past five years, and will implement in the next five, will be our focus," Goyal said. The Congress, meanwhile, is batting on the promises it made during the assembly elections, concentrating more on the local than the national. For both parties, agrarian distress is an important poll plank. BJP leaders have pointed out that the Congress makes empty promises, as displayed after the assembly polls. Congress has stated that it is dedicated to the farmers' well-being, and would be able to work better if Congress has a representative in Parliament. According to reports, farmers in the state protested against the newly-installed Ashok Gehlot government in February. The farmers' allegation was that the government had failed to fulfil its promises. The other issues that the parties are expected to focus on would include water scarcity and unemployment. While Congress leaders say Nyay scheme would be a game changer, according to a report by the Economic Times, the scheme does not have much on-ground impact. Caste factor According to a report by Indian Express, Congress has the support of the Scheduled Caste (SC) population in the state, owing to its dissatisfaction with the previous BJP government. The Vasundhara Raje government had reportedly sided with the Jats during an incident of caste violence in 2015. The report states that the Gujjars in the state might be miffed with Congress, considering that Sachin Pilot, a Gujjar, was denied the chief ministerial post. With Rajputs reportedly unhappy with the BJP, the saffron party is concentrating on wooing the Jat population. However, according to Goyal, the state BJP leader, "all that is for calculations". "The main factor is Modiji," Goyal added. Picture for representation An Ahmedabad court on April 26 will be hearing a case concerning nine Gujarat-based farmers who were sued by PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited (PIH) for growing a hybrid potato variant -- FL 2027 aka FC5 -- which the firm claims to have exclusive rights to produce by virtue of a Plant Variety Certificate they acquired. As the hearing in the legal battle between the MNC and the farmers approaches, a group of peasants has been mounting pressure to get the case withdrawn. Within days of the multi-billion-dollar group asking the farmers to pay Rs 1.05 crore each for infringing its rights by sowing the Lays potato, the latter started campaigning for government intervention in the case, reported The Hindu. The farmer groups, in their defence, have been claiming that they are legally allowed to grow and sell any type of crop as long as they are not selling the registered, branded seeds. They have been warning that this case may set a precedent for other similar crops, which could brew trouble for the community in the long run. Apart from requesting the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) to fund the cost of fighting the legal battle through the National Gene Fund, the farmers are also expecting the authority to make a submission in the court on behalf of them. A spokesperson from PepsiCo India defended the step taken by the company. "PepsiCo is India's largest process grade potato buyer and amongst the first companies to work with thousands of local farmers to grow a specific protected variety of potatoes for it. The company's collaborative potato farming program is best in class and is built on strong backward and forward linkages that improve livelihoods by using protected seeds. In this instance, we took judicial recourse against people who were illegally dealing in our registered variety. This was done to protect our rights and safeguard the larger interest of farmers that are engaged with us and who are using and benefitting from seeds of our registered variety. We remain committed to resolving the matter and ensuring adoption of best farming practices resulting in higher yield and quality, the spokesperson said. PPV&FRA registrar for vegetable crops, TK Nagarathna, said they have taken cognizance of the case and are currently studying it. She said, the authorities can take action once the court order is out. The letter sent to the PPV&FRA mentioned that the farmers who have been sued come from humble backgrounds and own land holdings measuring barely 3-4 acres on an average. They only started growing the controversial variety of potatoes after acquiring them locally last year. They alleged that the MNC hired private detectives in the sly, who posed as potential buyers and made videos and collect samples from them, to put them through this trouble. Boeing said that its 737 MAX crisis had cost USD 1 billion in the first quarter as it withdrew its 2019 profit forecast on continued uncertainty about when the grounded jets will fly again after two deadly crashes. The US aerospace giant also cited spending on the software fix and related training, according to an earnings presentation released Wednesday that listed the USD 1 billion in 737 program costs. The results are the first since the company entered crisis mode with the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet, which along with an October Lion Air crash claimed 346 lives. Shares rallied in early trading, reflecting relief that damage from the 737 MAX crisis thus far was not worse. The US aerospace giant reported USD 2.1 billion in profits, down 13.2 per cent from same period a year ago due in part to the USD 1 billion hit from the 737 program. Revenues dipped 2.0 per cent to USD 22.9 billion. Boeing also pulled its full-year profit forecast, citing "uncertainty of the timing and conditions surrounding return to service of the 737 MAX fleet." Regulators ordered the global grounding of the plane shortly after the second crash, a move that has also forced the company to halt new deliveries of its most-ordered plane, denting revenues. Analysts in recent weeks had trimmed their forecast for Boeing earnings in light of the crisis but will scrutinize Wednesday's results to see whether they need to lower expectations further. In addition to the USD 1 billion in 737 program costs, Boeing said it had booked charges associated with a software fix to the jet's anti-stall system that is thought to have been a factor in both accidents. The company announced earlier this month it was cutting monthly production of the 737 by about 20 percent. Boeing said it is "making steady progress" on the software fix and has conducted more than 135 test flights as it works with global regulators and airlines. "Across the company, we are focused on safety, returning the 737 MAX to service and earning and re-earning the trust and confidence of customers, regulators and the flying public," Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said in a statement. Muilenburg is expected to be questioned on an analyst conference call later Wednesday for details on the company's interactions with the US Federal Aviation Administration on the software fix. As of Tuesday night, the company still had not submitted a request to the agency, a source said. The company is hoping to win regulatory approval by the end of May for its fix and to have the planes cleared to fly in July, according to a source familiar with the situation. Other key questions concern any compensation payments to airlines that have been forced to cut flights because of the 747 MAX grounding or that have not received new planes they were expecting. The company also faces numerous government probes, including a criminal investigation involving the US Department of Justice. Despite the crisis, many analysts are optimistic about Boeing's long-term prospects, given robust global aerospace demand. They expect Boeing will be successful in finding a fix to the 737 MAX's problems that enables the plane to return to service and continue to command the interest of airlines. However, some caution that Boeing's reputation has taken a hit from the crisis that could deteriorate further with any additional missteps. Boeing shares were up one per cent at USD 377.60 in mid-morning trading. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to seek closer ties as they met face-to-face on Thursday for the first time. The meeting in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok came with Kim looking for support in his nuclear stand-off with Washington and Putin keen to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint. In brief statements before heading in to the talks, both leaders expressed their hopes for strengthening historic ties. "I think it will be a very useful meeting in developing the relationship between the two countries, who have a long friendship and history, into a more stable and sound one," Kim said. "As the world is focused on the Korean peninsula, I think we will hold a very meaningful dialogue." Putin told Kim he supports ongoing efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and wants to boost economic ties. "I am confident that your visit... will help us to better understand how we can resolve the situation on the Korean peninsula and what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are currently taking place," Putin said. "In terms of bilateral relations, we have a lot to do to develop economic relations." The meeting was Kim's first face-to-face talks with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal in February. Among the issues likely to be on the table is the fate of some 10,000 North Korean labourers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Labour is one of North Korea's key exports and sources of cash. Pyongyang has reportedly asked Russia to continue to employ its workers after the deadline. Kim, whose government has told the United Nations it is facing food shortfalls this year, will also be keen to see Moscow continue or boost its aid. Russia has provided some $25 million in food aid to North Korea in recent years, according to the Kremlin. One delivery in March saw more than 2,000 tonnes of wheat supplied to the port of Chongjin, news agency TASS reported. For Putin, the summit is a chance to push Russia's agenda of opposing US international influence. In an interview with China's official People's Daily published on Thursday, Putin lashed out at "countries claiming sole global leadership". "They carelessly trample on the norms and principles of international law, resort to blackmail, sanctions and pressure, and try to force their values and dubious ideals on entire countries and populations," said Putin, who is heading to China after the talks for another summit. The Vladivostok meeting follows repeated invitations from Putin since Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. At the meeting with Trump in Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the talks broke up in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test. Pompeo said on Wednesday he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with Pyongyang but that he still hoped to reach a potentially landmark denuclearisation deal. Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. The Kremlin has said the focus of Thursday's talks will be on finding "a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula" but that no joint statement or signing of agreements was planned. Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung as a leader. The USSR reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. While ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launch of missiles which Pyongyang says are capable of reaching the entire US mainland. Pakistan PM Imran Khan (File photo) Pakistan's opposition leaders criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for his "shameful" remarks targeting PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a rally in South Waziristan, terming it as "absolutely disgusting" for a premier. Khan's remarks came a day after he made controversial statements during his visit to Iran where he said "Pakistan's soil was used for attacks in Iran." On Wednesday Khan told a gathering in South Waziristan that he came to power through struggle and hard work unlike Bilawal "Sahiba" who using the will of her mother (slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto) became the head of political party". Reacting strongly, Opposition Leader in National Assembly and PML-N president said, "This is beyond words. It's Shameful. Unbecoming. Reprehensible. The selected PM is clearly unfit for the job. Sad day for Pakistan." Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz said: "Absolutely disgusting. Odious." Bilawal tweeted: "What was that about small men in big offices#PMSelect." "What a lewd & misogynist thing to say. How shameful that our PM trots around like a high school bully amid cheering fans not realising that calling BBZ a woman exposes his character as opposed to demeaning the other. Can he stoop any lower while shaping #Naya Pakistan," lawyer and activist Babar Sattar tweeted. Former information minister and PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Auranzeb said Imran Khan has exposed his "shallow-mindedness" and petty personality everytime he opens his mouth. "Khan's comment was a testament of his incompetence and his inability to control his indecency, toxic, petty and shallow views," Aurangzeb said. Representative Image The Taliban ambushed a security convoy in western Afghanistan, killing nine policemen, and in Kabul, a would-be attacker died when a bomb he was trying to plant at a private university detonated prematurely, officials said on April 25. According to a councilman in western Farah province, Abdul Samad Salehi, the ambush took place in Anardara district as the convoy was heading to defuse a roadside bomb on April 24 afternoon. Shortly after the attack, other Taliban insurgents targeted and briefly overran the district police headquarters, setting off hours-long clashes, Salehi said. Reinforcements arrived later and managed to wrest back control of the headquarters. The resurgent Taliban, who have been active in the area and have launched large-scale attacks against Afghan security forces in Farah in the past, did not immediately comment on the attacks. The insurgents have been staging near-daily attacks across Afghanistan even as they hold talks with a US envoy tasked with finding a peaceful resolution to the 17-year war. On Thursday in Kabul, a bomb meant to target the private Jahan University blew up apparently prematurely inside a campus bathroom, killing the suspected militant and wounding three students. Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the blast took place around 10:30 a.m. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion but the Taliban and Islamic State militants who both oppose women's rights to education have targeted schools and placed of education in the past. Though the Taliban are holding meetings and negotiating with U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, they refuse to talk directly to the Afghan government. Talks that were to start last week in Qatar between the Taliban and an array of prominent Afghans, including government officials and opposition representatives, were scuttled after a falling-out between the two sides over who should attend. US sanctions against Iran have denied its government more than $10 billion in oil revenue since President Donald Trump first announced the move last May, a US official said on Thursday. Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, made the comment during a call with reporters days after Washington said it would end all exemptions to the sanctions. The United States demanded importers halt purchases from Tehran from May 1 or face punitive action. "Before sanctions...Iran generated as much as $50 billion annually in oil revenue. We estimate that our sanctions have already denied the regime more than $10 billion since May (2018)," Hook said. The United States re-imposed sanctions against Iran's oil exports last November after Trump last spring unilaterally pulled out of a 2015 accord between Iran and six world powers to curb Tehran's nuclear program. But Washington initially allowed the eight biggest buyers of Iranian oil limited imports for another half-year. Iran's biggest oil buyers are China, India, South Korea, Japan and Turkey. Taiwan, Greece and Italy stopped imports despite being given waivers. China is the biggest buyer, and Beijing has criticised the move to re-impose sanctions. U.S. officials speaking during Thursday's call that they were confident China would be able to find alternative supplies to Iran. Before the reimposition of sanctions, Iran was one of the top five producers among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at close to 4 million barrels per day (bpd). Iran's oil exports have now dropped to about 1 million barrels per day (bpd). The tightening of U.S. sanctions announced this week pushed crude oil prices to their highest levels this year. South Korea is heavily reliant on Iran supplies as its petrochemical facilities are designed to use Iranian condensate, a super-light form of crude oil. The U.S. officials said the U.S. government was working closely with South Korea to ensure supply for its petrochemical facilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on April 25 that he supports ongoing efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and wants to boost economic ties. "I am confident that your visit today to Russia ... will help us to better understand how we can resolve the situation on the Korean peninsula and what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are currently taking place," Putin said as the two began their first-ever talks in Russia's Far East. "In terms of bilateral relations, we have a lot to do to develop economic relations," Putin added. The CBI has issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against Bhushan Steel Chairman Sanjay Singhal and his wife and Vice Chairman Aarti Singhal in connection with its investigation in a case of cheating in loans worth Rs 2,348 crore against them, official sources said on Wednesday. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources said that the LOC was issued against the accused recently to prevent any attempt by them to leave the country without permission from the authorities. A LOC is a letter used by authorities to keep a track on an individual who are facing any charges against them. According to the sources, immigration authorities at all airports and entry-exit points across the country will have to inform the CBI if Singhal and his wife attempt to leave the country. On April 6, the CBI had had carried out searches at 18 locations connected to the company after registering a case of cheating amounting to Rs 2,348 crore against Singhal and others. According to the CBI, loans worth Rs 47,204 crore were availed from 33 banks and financial institutions from 2007 to 2014 and the company defaulted on their repayments. The CBI carried out searches in the Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Odisha, at the office and residential premises of the company, its directors and promoters and their associates in the bank fraud case. Besides Singhal and his wife, the CBI has also booked directors Ravi Prakash Goyal, Ram Naresh Yadav, Hardev Chand Verma, Ravinder Kumar Gupta, Ritesh Kapoor and unidentified public servants. 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. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday directed banks and financial institutions to disclose their outstanding to IL&FS and its group companies including provisioning required as per income recognition and asset classification (IRAC) and actual provisioning made against NPAs. The circular comes after National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's (NCLAT) order dated February 25 said "no financial institution will declare the accounts of 'Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited' or its entities as 'NPA' without prior permission of this Appellate Tribunal". The RBI, however, has since then contested the view and said that banks should classify the accounts of IL&FS and its companies as NPAs. The central bank also asked the banks to declare the "position of provisions which are required to be made as per IRAC norms" and the "position of provisions actually held". Earlier this month, during a hearing in the NCLAT, RBI's counsel Gopal Jain said that true reflection in the books of the banks is important for fair accounting because it has early warning signals. It is the obligations of the banks to mark any loan as NPA after a default of 90 days, and they cannot be relieved from doing that, said the RBI, adding that it is a process which every bank has to follow. 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. The Indian governments latest move, a secret proposal that is being considered seeks to undermine the autonomy of information commissioners and the Central Information Commission (CIC), say reports. , the union government, has proposed setting up a committee, which could effectively reduce the autonomy granted to the information commissioners under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. According to a report from Huffington Post , the union government, has proposed setting up a committee, which could effectively reduce the autonomy granted to the information commissioners under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. . As per a proposal, the government plans to set up committees led by bureaucrats, which would sit and decide on complaints against the chief information commissioner (CIC) and the information commissioners (ICs), says other report from the Indian Express The government plans to setup two committees of which one would receive and decide on complaints against the CIC and a second one to receive and decide on complaints against ICs. This new committee is expected to include the cabinet secretary, secretary of the Department of Personnel Training (DoPT) and a retired chief information commissioner, while the committee for the ICs is expected to include secretary (coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat, Secretary DoPT and a retired Information Commissioner. RTI activist and former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi observed, I believe all positions in government must look at complaint mechanism and monitor them, but the complaint mechanism must be very well thought through. According to Huffington Post, apart from being extremely regressive, the move would be illegal as the RTI Act envisages the ICs as independent institutions and provides several safeguards to insulate them from government control and interference. Section 14(1) of the law states that commissioners can be removed only by the President on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity after the Supreme Court, on a reference made to it by the President, has, on inquiry, reported that the Chief Information Commissioner or any Information Commissioner, as the case may be, ought on such ground be removed. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments onslaught on the transparency law has not been limited to attempts to compromise the autonomy of information commissions. The government impaired the functioning of the CIC by not making appointments to fill vacancies. Ever since the BJP came to power in 2014, not a single appointment to the CIC has been made unless citizens approach courts and get necessary directions. In 2018, out of a total sanctioned strength of 11 commissioners, the CIC was functioning with just three commissioners. It was finally only on the orders of the Supreme Court that the Chief and four commissioners were selected by the PM-led selection committee, the report concludes. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to file reply on a plea complaining that Central Bank of India, the public sector lender, has disbursed the housing loan without linking it to the stages of construction for a under-construction greenfield housing project. A Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani also asked the public sector bank to file response to a petition by financial economist Abhijit Mishra. The petitioner told the court the Central Bank of India disbursed housing loan without closely linking it to the stages of construction of the housing project for incomplete housing projects to the builder, "Amrapali Leisure Valley Private Limited" for their greenfield housing project "Amrapali Leisure Valley Verona Height". "Such disbursement of housing loan by the Central Bank of India is in complete disregard of the master circular of the RBI," the petitioner said. As per the RBI master circular, banks are advised that disbursal of housing loans sanctioned to individuals should be closely linked to the stages of construction of the housing project and houses and upfront disbursal should not be made in cases of incomplete and under-construction greenfield housing projects. The petitioner also sought the court's direction to the RBI to audit and investigate the Central Bank of India for default in compliance with the RBI master circular. He also sought direction to the Central Bank of India to absolve the home loan customers from the liability towards loan made by the bank in contravention of the RBI master circular. It has requested the court to compensate the home loan customers and reverse the adverse credit information about the housing loan customer to the Credit Information Companies. Mishra said he filed public interest litigation to protect the interest and of innocent home loan customers who have become victim of corporate malice, greed and connivance of the Central Bank of India. 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. Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive. To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research. Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. Montreals real estate boom has led to the city recording another budget surplus in 2018. Montreal recorded a surplus every year since 2014, according to CBC News. In 2018, the surplus reached $212.7 million, primarily driven by the growth of the real estate market and substantially above 2017s surplus of $139.5 million. [The] real estate market is very, very, very good for Montrealers,' Benoit Dorais, executive committee chair of Montreal told CBC News. The city official pointed to revenue from the welcome taxes on newly-purchased property as taking up nearly half of the surplus amount. Rock Holdings, the parent company of major U.S. lender Quicken Loans, has acquired mortgage broker tech provider Lendesk, the fintech firm announced earlier this week. Under the agreement, Lendesk will continue to operate independently from its Vancouver headquarters under the leadership of Alex Conconi, the companys Founder and CEO, according to the announcement. Our partnership with Rock Holdings will allow us to gain wisdom and insight from the worlds leading mortgage technology company, as we continue to improve the entire experience, from the time of application through closing, Lendesk founder and CEO Alex Conconi said. However, the brokerage said the benefits associated with open houses differ in every metro and likely had more to do with the homes appeal than the open house. Open houses in Miami mean faster sales A Miami home with an open house during its first week on the market usually goes under contract within 27 days, compared with 38 days for its counterpart. Homes with open houses in the area also sold for 1.2% more relative to their list price than homes without, according to the report. "I usually list properties on a Thursday or Friday, then hold an open house on Saturday or Sunday," said Jessica Johnson, a Redfin agent in Miami. I also hold private showings because it's so important to get as many potential buyers into the home as possible. When homebuyers see other people at an open house, it can motivate them to place an offer more quickly than they otherwise would. I had two listings go under contract last week after just one weekend on the market. In both cases, the buyers first saw the home at the open house." San Franciscos selling price tops premiums in other metros San Francisco homes with an open house during the first week sold for 7.9% more relative to their list price than homes without -- the largest premium of any metro area in the country. Homes with open houses in San Jose followed with a 5.2% increase in their sale prices and homes in Raleigh came in third, which were sold for 4.6% more. "San Francisco real estate culture is dominated by open houses," said Miriam Westberg, a local Redfin agent. The majority of my clients attend open houses because they know it's their best chance to see a competitive property or multiple properties on the same day. If a home in the area doesn't have an open house, it's often because it's either owner-occupied or tenant-occupied. Those homes tend to sell for a bit less than comparable homes with open houses because they're difficult to show and don't get as much traffic or as many offers." Parker said that Wells Fargo has an absolutely ironclad anti-retaliation policy. It simply will not be tolerated if it comes to our attention, he said. However, the bank has been sued in recent years by employees alleging that they were fired for reporting ethics violations. Last year, former Wells Fargo fraud investigator Matthew Valles sued the bank for firing him after he complained that it had mishandled dozens of fraud investigations. Wells Fargo has also been ordered by federal regulators to rehire whistleblowers, CNN reported. The accusations of retaliation werent the only sour notes at the shareholder meeting. The meeting was repeatedly interrupted by protests, and Parker asked many shareholders to leave following outbursts. Wells Fargo, you cannot be trusted, one unidentified shareholder said, according to CNN. And activist investor Bruce Marks demanded that Wells Fargos board be held accountable for its numerous scandals. Im going to have to ask you to leave the meeting if you cannot allow me to finish and continue in a respectful manner, Parker told the crowd. For oil investors this week, the U.S. giveth and the U.S. taketh away. Futures in New York hit a wall Wednesday after a surprisingly big jump in American crude inventories suggested global supplies may be less constrained than previously thought. That ended a two-day run that had pushed prices to their highest since October, after the Trump administration vowed to tighten sanctions on Iran. Prices in New York slipped 0.6 percent on Wednesday. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said stockpiles swelled by 5.48 million barrels last week, topping even the highest estimates in a Bloomberg survey of oil analysts. American supplies grew for the fourth time in five weeks. Oil had climbed after Monday's announcement that the U.S. won't renew waivers allowing China and other major economies to buy 1.4 million barrels a day from Iran. While it's dangerous to read too much into one week of EIA data, the report may suggest to some that the impact won't be so severe, said Brian Kessens, a managing director at Kansas-based money manager Tortoise. EARLIER: Oil settles past $75 in London after Trump tightens screws on Iran "The market is trying to find its footing and make sense of the heightened geopolitical uncertainty, especially what OPEC is going to do," he said. "That's going to be the larger driver of crude oil prices over the next few months than what we see in the weekly numbers." Investors were already getting more bearish signals on how the market will react if the waivers expire May 2. Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said he sees no need for immediate action, while the International Energy Agency said "comfortable" levels of spare capacity remain. West Texas Intermediate for June delivery declined 41 cents to $65.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices had jumped $2.30 over the previous two sessions to reach the highest close since Oct. 29. Brent for June settlement added 6 cents to $74.57 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark crude was at a premium of $8.68 to WTI. EXPORTS: U.S. gasoline, propane exports hit record highs The surge in American stockpiles was driven partly by a rebound in imports. The increase was tempered somewhat by the 10th consecutive drawdown for gasoline supplies and a ramp-up in refinery activity, which could increase demand for oil going forward. Prices have rallied about 40 percent this year as the Saudis led output cuts by a coalition of producers, including Russia, to avoid a global glut. Unrest in Venezuela, Libya and Nigeria squeezed supplies further. "The estimated gain in American inventories is pacing down the rally we've seen earlier," said Sungchil Will Yun, a commodities analyst at HI Investment & Futures Corp. in Seoul. "Oil's expected to stay steady until we see more details on how the Saudis and its allies will bump up their output, going a step further from just signaling a boost." --With assistance from James Thornhill, Sharon Cho and Grant Smith. 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Since 1993, the Midland Festival Ballet has committed to its mantra of bringing the beauty of the ballet to the Basin. Beginning as the Coleman Academy by founding director Judy Coleman, the MFB grew into a holiday tradition with its annual production of the The Nutcracker as well as its own school and the spring gala. On Saturday, MFB closes its 25th season this Saturday at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center with the seminal ballet Giselle by Adolphe Adam and accompanied by the Midland Odessa Symphony and Chorale. Occidental Petroleum, rumored to have come in second to Chevron in the courtship for Anadarko, has launched a counteroffer, announcing a $38 billion bid for Anadarko. This counters Chevrons $33 billion offer announced April 12. When debt and booking of non-controlling interests are factored in, Occidentals bid rises to $57 billion compared to Chevrons $50 billion. Analysts who study operators, particularly those focused on the Permian, said Occidentals counteroffer raises the bar for future acquisitions, which are highly anticipated this year. It is rare to see a competitor come out publicly with a competing bid once a deal is announced, and we think this move by Occidental speaks to the quality of Anadarkos asset base, Drillinginfo M&A analyst Andrew Dittmar, told the Reporter-Telegram by email. This deal will set a new and important benchmark for future transactions. Those looking to acquire other Permian-centric E&Ps are probably disconcerted to see the competition intensify in the form of aggressive counter offers. He noted that, if Anadarko accepts Occidentals new offer, it would surpass British Petroleums purchase of Amoco and become the fourth largest upstream exploration and production merger in history. He continued, The Permian is clearly the primary driver of this competition between Chevron and Occidental for Anadarko. Occidental and Chevron are already the top two producers in the Permian, and whichever comes out on top in the struggle for Anadarko will claim the top spot. Anadarko also brings to the table some of the best undrilled well locations in the basin. For the increased Oxy bid of $57 billion, we are raising the value allocated to Permian acreage up to nearly $20 billion or about $80,000 per acre. Lysle Brinker, executive director, companies and transactions research at IHS Markit, told the Reporter-Telegram by email that the company thinks it is likely that Chevron will respond by increasing its current bid, equal to roughly $63 a share 76 percent equity, 24 percent cash to at least $72 a share with a higher cash component, and then let Anadarkos shareholders decide which offer to accept. Brinkers fellow IHS Markit researcher, Chris DeLucia, associate director, companies and transactions research, told the Reporter-Telegram by email that the addition of Anadarko to Occidentals portfolio would create a combined entity generating 1.5 million barrels of oil equivalent a day in net output in 2019, making it the largest producer among U.S. independents with multiple operations. This new entity would surpass ConocoPhillips and its 1.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. In particular, Anadarkos Permian Basin position would supplement Occidentals existing position in the Delaware Basin, including the addition of midstream assets. Combined output from the play both conventional and unconventional is forecast to reach 550,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2019, with upside potential to 1 million barrels per day by the late 2020s. Much of Anadarkos remaining operations, including global deepwater and liquefied natural gas, would represent new areas of operation for Occidental. However, should the company choose to retain those assets, they could provide support for Occidentals emphasis on returns generation and shareholder distributions. Dittmar noted that Anadarkos Middle East operations would fit with Occidentals operations, where it receives about 40 percent of its output while Anadarkos Gulf of Mexico and LNG assets would more of an obvious fit with Chevrons portfolio. Wall Street is now expecting Anadarko to receive a premium from the Chevron offer trading up 11 percent while Occidental is down a slight 3 percent, Dittmar added. Anadarko shareholders will have to consider not only the bid mechanics and amounts but also the future value of equity from Chevron or Occidental. In not engaging with Occidentals earlier, higher bids, Anadarko was implicitly signaling that they perceive higher potential value in Chevrons equity likely in part because of Chevrons Gulf of Mexico and LNG experienc Michigan Technological University has joined the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research a regional consortium dedicated to solving the critical issues facing the Great Lakes and surrounding communities. For the millions of people who live in the Great Lakes region and along the ocean coasts, the research and work of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) affects their everyday lives. Weather reports, currents and water elevation monitoring and tracking harmful algal blooms are just a few of the services NOAA provides. The Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) provides state-of-the-art laboratories to support research on a broad array of topics. One of the GLRC's most important functions is to educate the scientists, engineers, technologists, policymakers and stakeholders of tomorrow about the Great Lakes basin. Today, Michigan Tech joined the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR). Hosted by the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan, CIGLR is one of 16 NOAA-funded cooperative institutes across the United States. CIGLR partners closely with NOAA to achieve environmental, economic and social sustainability in the Great Lakes. The overall goal is to make it easier for this group of universities to help NOAA meet their mission and were enthusiastic about that, said Guy Meadows, director of the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech. Michigan Tech brings much to the research collaborative, particularly in three key areas: remote sensing, numerical modeling and autonomous vehicle observing systems. Specifically, Michigan Tech researchers are working on: Hydrodynamic and ecological predictive modeling capabilities of the Great Lakes and expanding regional climate models; Applying Great Lakes-specific observing platforms and technologies such as cabled observatories with under-ice sensing capabilities, environmental data buoys and aerial, surface and underwater autonomous survey and research platforms; Collaborating with the NOAA to develop new and improve existing satellite and aircraft algorithms for Great Lakes monitoring products including water quality, bathymetry and benthic mapping; Expanding the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) network supporting advanced data acquisition and management; Advance autonomous marine technologies through development and application, build on the launch of the Smart Ships Coalitions (SSC) of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence and opening of the Marine Autonomy Research Site (MARS) on Lake Superior, centered on Michigan Techs campus at the Great Lakes Research Center. The Great Lakes Research Center has 102 members while the Michigan Tech Research Institute in Ann Arbor, Michigan, brings an additional 60 advanced technical staff. Geographically, we strengthen the CIGLR team because of our access to Lake Superior, and our location in between Duluth and Lake Superior State University, said Beth Hoy, assistant director of business & program development at the Great Lakes Research Center. Lake Superior is the least studied of the Great Lakes, and the least affected by humans. More than half the water in the Great Lakes system is in Lake Superior, Meadows added. Diving Into Research Michigan Tech researchers have two research missions planned within the next month that already advance the NOAA mission. Michigan Tech's buoy 45175 measures wave height, currents, wind speed and more in the Straits of Mackinac. Next week, Techs buoy 45175 will be deployed in the Straits of Mackinac to provide current and wave monitoring. If the buoy reports waves greater than eight feet, Enbridge is required by the State of Michigan to halt the flow of its crude oil products through the pipeline that runs along the floor of the Straits. This mandate was implemented by Michigans former Gov. Rick Snyder. In addition to measuring waves and currents, the buoy measures wind speed and solar radiation, providing 2 million data points during its late April to late October deployment annually, all of which is instantly available to the general public. In May, Lorelle Meadows, dean of the Pavlis Honors College and oceanographer by training, will deploy two high-frequency radar stations to flank the Straits. These stations will be tested for the next year to determine how well they can provide year-round current monitoring when the buoys are pulled for the winter. With the addition of Michigan Tech, the Cleveland Water Alliance, Wayne State University and Lake Superior State University, the CIGLR Regional Consortium now consists of 12 universities, four NGOs, and three businesses who partner with NOAA in research and development activities that support the agencys mission in the Great Lakes. Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure. The number of measles cases in the United States is at its highest since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 695 cases of measles in 22 states Wednesday. All I Want for Christmas is You Mary, Did You Know? Oh, Holy Night O Little Town of Bethlehem What Child is This? The Little Drummer Boy White Christmas Ill Be Home For Christmas Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Frosty the Snowman Jingle Bells Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Rockin Around the Christmas Tree Vote View Results American farmers arent having an easy time of it right now, between the continuing trade dispute with China, stalling of the new North American trade pact in the House, and devastating floods throughout the Midwest. CoBanks quarterly rural economic review, released last week, reported: U.S. agriculture will face challenges in 2019 as slowing domestic and global economic growth rates, trade talks continue and weather casts uncertainty in the short- and long-term markets. Fortunately, the latest technologies coming out of American startups and universities may allow U.S. farmers to not only face up to these risks but also become global leaders in a new agricultural revolution. Record flooding has dealt a particularly savage blow to American agriculture, destroying both crops and grain stockpiles across a large swath of the countrys Farm Belt. In Nebraska alone, early estimates of the loss are approaching $1 billion, while Iowa governor Kim Reynolds fears that damages in her state may exceed $1.6 billion. Ranchers are coping with their own issues. Calving season should be in full swing by now, but instead farmers are struggling to protect livestock from flooding and to get clean water to their animals. Those that started calving a little bit earlier, theyve been dealing with blizzards and snow and ice and they are already looking pretty haggard, said Bill Thiele, board president of the Nebraska State Dairy Association; (a friend of mine has) already lost 40 calves in the last couple of days. Its not getting much easier. The flooding has been so severe that governors across Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri have declared a state of emergency. Nor are swamped fields and lost livestock the only problems the region is confronted with; collapsed roads and infrastructure mean farmers may not see their incomes restored for up to two years. Worse still, the challenges faced by American farmers look set to snowball: the countrys agricultural regions face a high risk of continued flooding this year and in the years to come. This is shaping up to be a potentially unprecedented flood season, said Ed Clark, director of NOAAs National Water Center. There is a serious fear that, confronted with this sizable challenge, many farmers may give up on the industry altogether. A mass exodus from the agricultural sector, however, poses an existential risk. The number of U.S. farms fell by 100,000 between 2010 and 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture a highly problematic decrease given that climate challenges and a growing population mean that farmers need to produce more food despite a smaller labor force and declining yields. Indeed, with the worlds population set to soar above 9 billion in 2050, agricultural regions around the globe will need to increase their food production by 70 percent. At the same time, however, the 2020 budget released by the Trump administration proposes a 15 percent cut to funding for USDA, arguing that the bodys subsidies to farmers are overly generous. A thriving agricultural sector has been the key to the developed worlds economic success, meaning that the industrys decline should be ringing alarm bells across the board. Instead, many farmers feel as if they are fighting a lonely battle. These obstacles facing farmers, while substantial, arent impossible to overcome. In fact, there are a number of promising technologies that can help farmers achieve higher yields, rely less on chemicals, and even mitigate the effects of natural disasters like the floods currently ravaging the Midwest. A team from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for example, is working to change wheat from a self-pollinated to cross-pollinated crop to take advantage of hybrid vigor in a bid to boost yields, nutrients and environmental tolerance. At the same time, researchers at Fort Valley State University are using drones to identify and remedy problematic regions in crop fields. Small and large companies alike are proposing innovative solutions to the agricultural industrys problems. One startup, Consumer Physics, is developing a near-infrared spectrometer that will allow dairy farmers to accurately gauge the moisture content of the silage they feed to their cattle. Given that feed makes up 60 percent of dairy farmers costs and that cows fed drier silage produce higher-quality milk, the spectrometers precise measurements could allow dairy farmers to produce high-quality milk while reducing the amount of expensive feed additives they use. The most promising startups are often bought by large companies in the industry, like Blue River Technology, whose See & Spray system was purchased by tractor titan John Deere. See & Sprays futuristic technology centers around a deep-learning algorithm, similar to how Facebook recognizes faces, which allows the system to distinguish between weeds and crops. This could cut herbicide use up to 90 percent, as the chemicals spray could be very finely targeted. Agriculture has been the bedrock of American society for centuries, and the burgeoning agricultural technology sector should be appreciated for the opportunity it is. The United States has always been a world leader in developing and promoting technological innovations, and American fields should be used to write a global roadmap to a climate-proof, hunger-free future. Beau Rothschild, the founder of Rothschild Policy and Politics, formerly served as outreach director for the Committee on House Administration. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. I'm with the NPP to help ... CAL Fire Helicopter View Photos Update a 3:45 p.m.: Air and ground crews have contained an approximately five acre vegetation fire in the Sheep Ranch area of Calaveras County. The flames broke out after 2 p.m. in the 16990 block of Armstrong Road near Hawkwind Way. Cal Fire spokesperson Emily Kilgore tells Clarke Broadcasting that the blaze is now contained and that no structures were threatened. Several engines out of the six that were battling the flames have been released from the scene. Kilgore notes that crews still on scene will remain for the next couple of hours mopping up. She relays that what sparked the blaze is still under investigation. Update at 3 p.m.: Cal Fire spokesperson Lindy Shoff reports that three additional engines have arrived for a total six engines on scene with more resources also headed to the scene. Further details on the fire are below. Original post at 2:30 p.m.: Sheep Ranch, CA Columbia helicopter 404 and firefighters are on the scene of a vegetation fire in the Sheep Ranch area of Calaveras County. The flames broke out in the 16990 block of Armstrong Road near Hawkwind Way. Cal Fire spokesperson Lindy Shoff reports that the blaze is five acres in size and ignited in brush and timbers. No structures are threatened at this time. There are three engines and a water tender on scene. Shoff reports that additional resources have been called to the scene. We will update you as soon as new information comes into the newsroom. Born and raised on a farm in Mexico, a young Heriberto Marroquin soon connected with a dream once shared by thousands of immigrants as they sailed their way across the Atlantic Ocean generations before him. A dream to create a better life in the land of plenty, and a desire to possess the capability of providing for his future family; in essence, Marroquin aspired to live the American Dream. However, like many Mexican immigrants who made their way to the United States during the 1950s, the path was far from easy and came with a price, as Marroquin worked decades from sun-up to sundown in the fields of Americas heartlands. But through his years of toil, the migrant workers dream grew into realty and soon into an inspiration for generations after him. It was very hard work, said Marroquin. But we wanted a better life. Marroquins beginnings started on a small farm in Allende, Nuevo Leon, just three hours from the border at Donna, Texas. Marroquin was the oldest of eight kids, and from a young age worked with his father and grandfather on the family farm. Marroquin says his family owned a lot of land compared to others in the area, but were not able to produce much since droughts ravaged the area. Sometimes we didnt know what we were going to eat, said Marroquin as he reflected on his life in Mexico. Tragedy struck Marroquin at the tender age of 12 when his 38-year-old mother died from an illness. Life was tough for the next five years, as Marroquin dreamed of a life in the United States after hearing numerous success stories from north of the border. I didnt know anything about the U.S., but I heard people were getting rich, said Marroquin. Marroquin continued helping with the farm, but an opportunity for a move to the States presented itself thanks to a traveling uncle, who frequently crossed the borders to work in the fields. Wanting his son to get a student visa and attend school in America, the uncle urged his own son to make the move. But Marroquins cousin refused to go unless Marroquin came along as well. The two were granted six-month student visas about 1955, and both attended school in Donna. The time in the classroom was short, however, as Marroquin returned to Mexico after one semester. Marroquin wanted to help his dad on the farm because he was growing elderly. But Marroquin still longed for a life in America, so he filed for his green card just a year later. A local board in Edinburg eventually granted Marroquin his papers, and Marroquin left the farm and headed to the United States. But all Marroquin knew was farm labor, so he got a job working in the fields of Donna earning $3 a day. There was always work, said Marroquin. From there, the older teenager traveled north to Colorado to pull sugar beets. Now that was tough work, said Marroquin. Once the last beet was harvested, Marroquin found his way to West Texas, working at a cotton gin in the Providence community. There was a lot of jobs in this area at the time, said Marroquin. You just had to open your mouth, and you could get a job. Marroquin traveled with the harvest; working in Idaho and Washington where he worked the grave yard shift picking green beans. Marroquin made his migrant rounds as he returned to work in Donna, while still making stops to work in the onion fields of Floydada or the cantaloupe fields around Lockney. Marroquin didnt know much English at this time he would only have a hamburger and Coke at restaurants because that was all he knew how to order in English. But his English vocabulary grew along with his experience with the American way of life, which included buying his first car. I bought a 46 Chevy for $650 in Lockney, recalled Marroquin. It felt good. I always wanted to drive because there were no cars where I came from in Mexico. Marroquin said he learned to drive with an old Army jeep at a job in Donna. Marroquin stayed in West Texas, picking cotton in Lonestar, and eventually married his first wife Esperanza in 1958. Marroquin continued the tough migrant circuit, but worked even harder to provide for his new family. Tired of constant field work, Marroquin opted to advance his abilities by taking a driving test. Now an official licensced driver, Marroquin was able to get jobs as a field driver, hauling bobtail loads of onions or whatever needed to be moved. With a growing family, Marroquin worked a variety of jobs which included driving belly dump truck and scrapper at the Sanford Dam construction site for Lake Meredith in the early 1960s. But a huge blizzard halted dam construction in 1963, and Marroquin and his family couldnt afford to be without work. They didnt pay you if you didnt work, said Marroquin. Marroquin and his family returned to Plainview and Marroquin found a job driving a truck in an Edmonson gin. It was pretty hard. Marroquin returned to the migrant field circuit, which included hauling potatoes in Colorado. After the harvest seasons, Marroquin got a good-paying job driving a scrapper in Plainview as the city was building a water line. Marroquin said he was earning around $155 a week by driving during the project. Once the job was done, Marroquin was hired to drive a scrapper in Flagstaff, Ariz., and eventually was hired to drive a truck in Minnesota. By the late 1960s, the many miles were wearing on Marroquin as he longed for a job closer to his children, who were living in Plainview. Thankfully, an old friend R.H. Fulton was able help to Marroquin land a job in 1973, hauling equipment at the new Missouri Beef Packers plant in Plainview. Marroquin was finally home and eventually married Mary, after going through a divorce in 1968. Marroquins family roots flourished for decades to come as he stayed at the beef plant and eventually bought his own truck in the 1980s. Marroquin and his son started their own venture and continue to do contract work, for the now Cargill beef packing plant in Friona. Marroquin has 14 children and 22 grandchildren. Exactly six decades ago, Plainview and the entire Texas Panhandle-South Plains region was just beginning to dig out of its worst blizzard ever after as much as 33 inches of snow fell over a four-day period, from Feb. 1-4, 1956. According to the National Weather Service, blizzard conditions continued for about 36 hours, from Feb. 2-4. A lonesome freight train chugged into Plainview at a snails pace, and a lone farmer fed a bunched herd of about 100 head of cattle - these two instances were the only signs of life, reported Associated Press reporter Cal Linde after flying over the South Plains following the storm. If he had flown future west he would have seen two trains trapped by deep drifts between Dimmitt and Plainview. A diesel engine pulling freight cars became trapped in the snow outside Dimmitt. The steam locomotive pulling a caboose, sent to its rescue, made it about four miles west of Plainview before it too become engulfed in snow. In a rescue operation that took four days, a special railway snowplow was finally able to reach the steam locomotive and tow it back to Childress where its boiler was refired. The plow then returned to rescue the diesel freight train, also towing it to safety. The crews of both trains, except for a conductor and engineer, were able to be transported to safety since the tracks run alongside the Dimmitt Highway. Those who remained with the marooned engines found warm lodging in each caboose. Herald reporter L.D. Brown, now decreased, offered a look back at the blizzard in an article dated Feb. 13, 1966. He recalled that on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 1956, most of the Plains was already coated in ice and at Plainview a light mist quickly froze as it fell throughout the day. Traffic slipped and slid helplessly. City employees spread sand at intersections and everybody held their breath anticipating serious traffic mishaps. An astounding thing about that week of violent weather, he noted, was the fact that no reports serious injury occurred in the immediate area due to inclement weather. That wasnt the case elsewhere, with the National Weather Service reporting that at least 20 fatalities were attributed to the blusterly conditions. On Feb. 2 -- a Thursday -- 6 to 8 inches of snow fell over the area. Weather forecasts predicted a low of zero with clearing skies. At one point late Thursday, the overcast thinned and it looked just like another light snow event. But the storm was just getting its second wind, and the wind was already strong. The drifting snow slowed traffic and disappointed farmers since they would not receive the maximum benefit from the moisture. This promised to be the first appreciable snow in Plainview since 1947. The moisture was important with the region in the midst of a multiyear drought. The high drifts marooned cars in driveways and along streets. Telephone connections between Plainview and Floydada were interrupted, businesses were running two hours or more behind schedule and the community was slowing to a crawl, Brown wrote. An ambulance brought a patient to Plainview from Dimmitt as highway crews and others stood by to lend a hand in case it stalled. Brown reported that Joel Culp, who lived 10 miles south of Plainview at the time, had 5 inches of snow, but not much in his fields. It was in the roads and fence rows in 2- and 3-foot drifts. After a day, the snow continued. In fact, as the sun set Feb. 2, the region hadnt seen the worst. Snow continued Thursday night and into Friday, Feb. 3. By noon Friday, traffic was at a standstill. The snow had slowly changed from light powder to heavy flakes, and it was beginning to pile up. Sleet and drizzle prevailed over North, Central and East Texas. Hereford had 24 inches of snow, Amarillo 16 and Lubbock 10 by Saturday, Feb. 4. When Plainview awoke Saturday, Feb. 4, residents were confronted with an ominous spectacle. Snow had drifted to the eaves of houses, shutting out light from windows and blocking driveways. Three-foot deep overhangs jutted from gables and eaves. Trees and shrubs were encased in ice and covered with snow. There was a dead stillness amid the bright glare of the sun. Plainview and the entire area was paralyzed. The official 24-hour snow measurement was a then state record 25 inches with unofficial measurements at 29 inches and above. It was the heaviest snow in Plainview since Nov. 6, 1906, when 24 inches fell. Plainviews total snowfall for the storm was 30 inches. Hale Center reported a depth of 33 inches of snow on the ground on Feb. 5, 1956, another state record. Some stores wouldnt open for days. Hospital personnel went to bed wherever they could find because many couldnt get home. Others were afraid if they did get home, they couldnt get back. Some residents were stuck at home for 72 hours before streets could be cleared. On Saturday morning, pilots flying over the area saw scores of abandoned automobiles along long stretches of highway. There were more than 30 cars abandoned between Plainview and Olton on U.S. 70. Farm families were trapped by 6- and 7-foot snowdrifts. A husband and his wife who was expecting a baby started to the hospital. A few miles from home their car stalled in a snowdrift. The husband walked to a farm house and called for help. Southwestern Public Service crews with trucks went to the rescue. The woman reached the hospital where the baby was born hours later. An ambulance on the way from Hale Center to Plainview was held up behind a stalled bus for four hours. The patient made the trip in good condition. Marooned motorists found lodging in local hotels and motels. Scores of others sat through Friday night in bus and railroad terminals. Les and Bill Weaks of Plainview with relatives started out late Friday to the country. Their car stalled on the Snyder community road, but the group made it to the Herman Meester residence, moving through drifts several feet deep. Their whereabouts were unknown until noon Saturday. Similar incidents were repeated countless times during the storm. No mail arrived or went out of Plainview from noon Friday until Monday. There was no city mail delivery and milk deliveries were suspended. Numerous families ran out of staple foods. Word went out for those with children who had to have milk to contact police or others lending public service for emergency deliveries. Near Hale Center, volunteer workers cleared five miles of country road with tractors to take an elderly man to relatives in order to reach medical aid. Farmers probably fared better than most people, for they used their tractors for transportation. People living on the impossibly blocked country roads stomped out messages in the snow and volunteer pilots responded to their wants: D meant they needed a doctor, X fuel and F food. Three Hale Center fliers donated their time and planes to the relief work, clearing a small landing field of snow. Some of the fliers with practice got pretty good with their drops. One hit a farmers front porch with the groceries. According to the National Weather Service, the National Guard was activated to help rescue motorists and deliver supplies. Some schools were closed for the entire week following the blizzard, with the snow remaining on the ground in Plainview until Feb. 15. In the days following the blizzard, U.S. Air Force cargo planes as part of Operation Haylift dropped hay bales from the Texas Panhandle south to the northern South Plains to give cattle a chance at survival. In the final analysis, the National Weather Service said the moisture from the blizzard did little to combat a long-term drought that had been under way since 1954. Thats because many fields had large stretches where the snowpack was reduced to only a few inches from the relentless winds blowing at 15 and 33 mph during the blizzard. Some of the most influential members of the political and business community from Midland and Odessa put the regions best foot forward with the hope of convincing Southwest Airlines to add a direct flight between Midland and Austin. Speakers, including Nadine Craddick, Lorraine Perryman, James Beauchamp and Ray Perryman, conveyed a message of the regions importance to the Texas and national economy and the expectation of uninterrupted growth for Southwest officials in attendance Wednesday at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum. Expanded air service was the hope, and Southwest officials brought some good news that an additional flight to both Dallas and Houston can be expected by the end of the year as the number of passengers out of Midland continues to grow. But Wednesday, officials from both communities were overt with their top goal the return of direct service to Austin. Southwest officials were straight forward that the main factors of expanding service revolve around load factors and average fare for a seat. They showed that in 2018, Southwest carried 300,000 passengers out of Midland International. That computes to 815 passengers a day and roughly 66 percent of the seats filled on planes leaving Midland. Currently, Southwest, the leading carrier out of Midland, offers non-stop services to Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas. Economist Ray Perryman delivered a message for Southwest officials on hand that less volatility means less risk for an airline looking to expand service. He said the attention of many in Midlands corporate offices are turning to downstream activities and regulation, which means more trips to Austin are inevitable. Perryman said his projections show that should Southwest offer direct service to Austin it would mean 49,200 to 56,700 passengers immediately and between 96,300 to 106,400 by 2025. He reminded those in attendance of the Permians production rebound from 700,000 barrels a day in 2008 to 4.8 million in 2018 and the expectation of 7.7 million barrels a day by 2025. He said that puts the population inside the Permian Basin in position to grow by 27.3 percent by 2025 something he said is in stark contrast to the 5.1 percent growth in the U.S, the 10 percent growth in Texas and the 7.8 percent growth in the South Plains. He also offered the following message in a power-point presentation: Importance of being the first mover. Currently, Southwest, American Eagle and United offer airline service out of Midland International. Some at the event said there could be smaller companies willing to bring smaller aircraft and service those passengers tired of spending four to five hours in airports and on planes each way. Currently, those travelers must fly to Houston or Dallas before taking a different plane to Austin. Somebody will fill this gap, Perryman said. Ultimately, Southwest officials said flight expansion is a multi-million-dollar bet and their hope is to weigh the risk when making a decision. They reminded those in attendance that with a plane carrying 143 passengers, that is close to 300 passengers each day, seven days a week. They also said matter-of-factly that they could be having the same conservations about service expansion in 100 other cities and getting the same pitch. They also said that pitch would not be as strong as Midlands as exemplified by the addition of new routes to Houston and Dallas. Midland is on the radar, said Dave Harvey, vice president for Corporate Sales. The data is strong. Before even this conversation, we made additions in the Permian in 2019. We would not be doing that if we didnt see additions in the market place. Southwest in Midland - Started in 1977 - Seventh city is southwest system - 298,410 of 581,721 passengers that flew out of Midland International in fiscal year 2018; - 46 local employees - Three non-stop destinations (Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas) Source: Southwest Airlines and city of Midland reports. Southwests non-stop service highlights 1977 Eight flights: Dallas Love (four), Houston Hobby, San Antonio, Harlingen, Corpus Christi 2007 13 flights: Dallas Love (six), Houston Hobby (two), Austin (two), Las Vegas, Albuquerque, El Paso 2012 10 flights: Dallas Love (six), Houston Hobby (two), Las Vegas, Albuquerque 2019 10 Flights: Dallas Love (five), Houston Hobby (four), Las Vegas Source: Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance HOUSTON -- Sen. Bernie Sanders pledged to thousands of Houstonians on Wednesday that a proposed green energy stimulus package would not burn workers in the region's fossil fuel industry. About 3,000 people, among them industrial workers, flocked to Discovery Green Park to see the Democratic 2020 contender from Vermont speak for the first time in Space City since his 2016 presidential bid. He called for dramatic carbon emission cuts with a sweeping shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy with the Green New Deal that progressive lawmakers, such as himself and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have supported. "I know what city I'm in," Sanders said. "I also know we're not here to blame the workers in the fossil fuel industry," the senator said. "They are not our enemies, but what our enemy is, is climate change." The proposed policies, as described by Sanders, would allow workers forced out of the job because of the legislation to receive new job training, education and extended unemployment benefits. The gesture was not lost on Dan Carr, who brandished a Sanders campaign sign despite working in the chemical manufacturing industry. He agreed that workers, such as those at the site of the fatal KMCO chemical explosion in Crosby, should be supported. "I think folks at the sites are trying to do well," Carr said. "I think we need to make a change, but we need to be serious about the long term changes." He also felt that Pasadena ISD trustee Mike Floyd, who was among the speakers who opened for Sanders, earlier demonized the industry. Floyd pointed to the blue skies over downtown Houston and said a month ago, those same skies were marred by the "toxic death cloud" from the Intercontinental Terminals Company blaze in Deer Park. Floyd also commended Sanders for standing up for tougher environmental and corporate accountability policies to prevent climate change and future industrial accidents. "It's heart felt for the folks who live close to the plants," Carr said. Pasadena ISD was among several school districts that closed because of possible air contamination from the ITC fire. The proposed bill, renewable energy worker Justin Heller said, would need to protect the workforce in order to come to pass. FORT WORTH -- Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders showed up in Fort Worth on Thursday, saying he believes Texas can go blue in the 2020 presidential race. "I believe we can and will defeat Donald Trump here in Texas," he told a crowd gathered for a rally in downtown's Burnett Park. "Let me tell you why I think we are going to defeat Trump here and ... all over the country. "People understand increasingly he is a pathological liar and a fraud." As a man stood on the sidewalk, booing Sanders and for a short time chanting "Trump, Trump, Trump," Sanders touched on some of his traditional issues, including proposals providing Medicare for all, raising the minimum wage and fighting for working families. "If we stand together, ... and keep our eyes on the prize, there is nothing we cannot accomplish," Sanders said. Sanders also defended his position that even those in jail should have the right to vote. "I think the right to vote is what being an American citizen is all about," he said. "If you commit a terrible crime, you are going to pay the price. But that doesn't mean your right to participate in democracy is taken away from you. "Once you take away someone's right to vote, you are going down a slippery slope." Republicans spoke out against Sanders. "Bernie Sanders seems to get more radical by the week," Christiana Purves, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement. "With calls to eliminate private health insurance, give health care to illegal immigrants, allow for the government-takeover of key industries and even give terrorists and sex offenders the right to vote from prison, Sanders' socialist schemes would bankrupt Texas and turn back the clock on progress." Texas has long been considered a crown jewel for Super Tuesday, when, next year, voters in 10 states head to the primary polls on March 3. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The beautiful spring weather Houstonians have been enjoying the last few weeks will be gone before we know it. Soon enough, Houston's scorching hot summer will be in full swing. Heat-wary residents looking for ways to cool off are in luck, though. Several Texas water parks will open their doors starting as soon as this weekend. DALLAS (AP) A Texas couple were sentenced Wednesday to 60 years each in prison for filming themselves sexually abusing kids, a case that prosecutors say involved more than two dozen young victims including babies. A federal judge in Waco gave Christopher Almaguer and his wife Sarah Rashelle Almaguer the maximum prison sentences. They had pleaded guilty in October to one count each of sexual exploitation of children and production of child pornography. Paul Perez Jr., Christopher Almaguer's brother, also was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of receiving child porn. The Almaguers filmed themselves sexually assaulting at least 25 children ranging in age from 8 months to 14 years old including members of their own family, children they baby-sat for and kids from their Central Texas church, federal prosecutors said. Court records say the 27-year-olds were the legal guardians of at least one of the children. "The sexual abuse involved here is the most indescribable abuse imaginable," John Bash, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, said Wednesday, adding that Almaguers are "probably two of the worst criminals in the history of Texas." U.S. District Judge Alan Albright also sentenced Perez and both Almaguers to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered each of them to pay $10,000 to a victims' compensation fund. State and federal law enforcement officials arrested the Almaguers last year in their hometown of Killeen, a city about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Austin, after receiving an anonymous tip to an online child exploitation hotline. Bash said it's unknown how many people the Almaguers sent their child porn to online. "These kids' suffering and abuse will continue for their entire lives because those images will be continually shared online," he said. A 10-year veteran with the Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable's Office was terminated Thursday after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, according to county officials. Deputy Jerry Loera, 43, who was off duty at the time, was pulled over by San Antonio police after he left a Fiesta event about 1 a.m. Thursday, Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela said. Vela explained that Loera consented to a breathalyzer test during the stop and that the results later showed an alleged blood alcohol level of 0.18. Vela said she personally handed Loera his the termination notice Thursday at the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox While Vela thanked police for the job they did on the case, she said that the arrest doesn't prove there's a subculture of misconduct in law enforcement. "It's a choice, it's not a subculture," she said. "To men and women in uniform, please uphold the law. Wear your badge with integrity and honor." Though Vela decided Loera's termination was necessary, said she still stands by him and will support him as he moves through the legal system. A $1,000 bond was posted for Loera and he was released from jail Thursday afternoon, jail records showed. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com 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 Three years after Anthony Creedon was struck and killed by a black pickup as he was stranded on I-10, Bexar County sheriff deputies arrested the person they believe is responsible for his death. Miriah Martinez, 31, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of failing to stop and render aid. Martinez stayed silent as reporters asked her questions while she was walked into Bexar County Jail. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Creedon's girlfriend called police early Jan. 21, 2016, and told them he was struck by a black pickup that fled the scene. First responders found parts of the suspect vehicle in the roadway when they arrived, according to Martinez's affidavit. Creedon, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. A year later, on April 3, 2017, Martinez's friend visited the sheriff's office and told investigators that Martinez confided in her that she struck Creedon in her black pickup. Martinez's boyfriend was in the truck with her, she told deputies. Investigators learned that Martinez drove a black Toyota Tundra, which matched the parts of the suspect vehicle that was left at the scene. In April 2019, investigators interviewed Martinez's boyfriend, who was arrested on an unrelated charge. He allegedly told them that Martinez struck Creedon, but they fled the scene because they were both "high on narcotics," according to the affidavit. Johnny Garcia, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, credited his investigators with continuously working on the case. "The way our investigators came about this evidence was straight, good police work," he said. "They had to go through a lot of hurdles to get a hold of that vehicle." Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com 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 The union representing Bexar County sheriff's deputies on Wednesday filed a class action grievance accusing Sheriff Javier Salazar of "blatant political pandering" and contract violations related to deputy firings. According to the grievance from the Deputy Sheriff's Association of Bexar County, Salazar has "repeatedly" violated the Texas Government Code as well as the union's collective bargaining agreement by firing arrested deputies before investigating the allegations against them. "We're not condoning officers who are doing illegal acts. We're not," said Jeremy Payne, vice president of the Deputy Sheriff's Association. "That's not it at all. We just want people to be treated fairly and have their day in court." FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Sheriff Javier Salazar was not immediately available for comment on the grievance filed against him. In addition to the alleged contract violations, the grievance says the sheriff politicizes such firings in an effort to show constituents he's fighting the rampant misbehavior in the sheriff's office. "The Sheriff's conceit strives to parlay the media attention upon the employee's conduct into a spectacle of the Sheriff casting out a cancerous employee from the organization," reads the grievance. "It is an obvious tactic to cut off public criticism of the Sheriff personally." Last year alone, 23 deputies were arrested for a variety of crimes including sexual assault, drunken driving and domestic violence. In past instances of deputy arrests, Salazar has made it a point to inform local media that he personally visited the arrested deputy in jail and fired them on the spot. "I made no bones about it, that if you are caught dishonoring this badge, I will make it a point to hunt you down and cut you out like a cancer," Salazar said at a press conference last month. The grievance highlights a particular deputy's firing as an example of Salazar's misjudgment. Ryan Ferrell, a former corporal in the jail division, was fired March 18 after he was arrested on a drunken driving charge the day prior. RELATED: Sheriff fires Bexar County deputy accused of drunken driving Ferrell had previously been disciplined for his involvement in a 2017 brawl as well as a hazing scandal that resulted in several deputy suspensions. "The BCSO utterly failed to perform any administrative investigation into the conduct of Cpl. Ferrell," the grievance contends, noting multiple other deputies have received similar treatment. In a statement announcing the grievance, the union also notes its displeasure with comments from Salazar which they perceive to be disrespectful. Specifically, they quote him in a KSAT interview saying he'd give himself an "A" on his performance as Sheriff, despite not inheriting a "Super Bowl team" and his deputies' lack of training. "They're embarrassed," Payne said of the deputies. "I had one tell me today that when she was in public, someone literally asked her if she could pass a background check." Payne said the next step in the grievance process is a response from the Sheriff's office, which will determine whether formal arbitration is necessary. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Caleb Downs covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | cdowns@mysa.com | @calebjdowns San Antonio police arrested an 18-year-old male Wednesday in connection to the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl last month while the two rode in a vehicle together. Inmer Alexis Castillo was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, Bexar County Jail records showed. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Police began investigating March 6 when officers were called to the Methodist Children's Hospital for a sexual assault of a child call, according to Castillo's arrest affidavit. Police say the girl told them Castillo groped her while they were being driven by a Bridge Shelter employee from a gym to a Wal-Mart. The two reside at the same youth shelter, according to records. While groping her, the girl alleges Castillo also told her "nasty stuff," according to the affidavit. READ ALSO: Sheriff's office says man sexually assaulted 13-year-old girl since she was 4 The employee who was driving the two said that although he did not witness the alleged sexual assault, he did see Castillo try to whisper something in the girl's ear three times, the affidavit states. The employee told police that he tried to stop the man all three times. Castillo denied all the allegations, according to the affidavit. His bail was set at $50,000, 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 accused of fatally shooting a man he robbed in Atlanta was arrested in San Antonio Tuesday by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force. Melik Harvey, 45, is in Bexar County Jail facing charges of murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm while committing a felony. He is awaiting extradition back to Georgia, according to task force spokesman Christopher Bozeman. Two men were arrested Tuesday after they allegedly showed up to Wagner High School to retaliate against someone, according to San Antonio police. Gerrell Jenkins and Ruben Mendez, both 18, were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm on a school premises, jail records showed. On a day that saw rainstorms sweep through San Antonio, early voting turnout dropped to below 5,000, with one polling site recording only two ballots. With a total of 4,991 voters casting ballots Wednesday, turnout was down nearly 25 percent compared with the first day. Elmendorf City Hall recorded only two votes Wednesday, while Somerset City Hall had five voters cast ballots. On ExpressNews.com: Viagran, Campos square off in District 3 race Of the 40 polling sites, 21 had fewer than 100 votes cast, according to the website for Bexar County Elections Department. Brook Hollow Library again recorded the most votes, but it fell below the 500 mark Wednesday. In the 2017 municipal elections, there were 77,589 ballots cast during early voting, or 7.56 percent of registered voters. Political observers are expecting a low turnout this year also. On ExpressNews.com: Five hopefuls battle for District 4 council seat To find out the 10 sites that drew the most voters and the 11 with the fewest (there was a tie), check out the slideshow above. Unlike election day, voters are not required to go to their precinct polling sites in order to cast a ballot, but they will need to bring a photo ID, such as a passport, a Texas drivers license or a Texas Department of Public Safety-issued personal identification card. If a voter doesnt have one of the approved photo IDs and cant reasonably obtain one, there are other ways to establish identification. Visit sos.state.tx.us for more information about providing identification. On ExpressNews.com: Former educators running for Judson school board The election will determine San Antonio's next mayor and council members for all 10 districts. There also are several school districts holding elections to fill school board seats. There are four more days of early voting. The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today. They will be closed Friday for San Jacinto Day and also on Sunday. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. sdowning@express-news.net The Texas legislative session opened a few months ago, and at the same time, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the San Antonio City Councils action to make our city the first in Texas to raise the minimum legal sale age for tobacco from 18 to 21. As we mark this milestone, Texas is poised to pass Tobacco 21 statewide and join the 14 states whose legislatures have already taken this crucial step to protect our kids and dramatically improve the health of future generations. The case for making this change is clear. Among adult smokers, 95% began smoking before they turned 21. Increasing the tobacco age to 21 doesnt just delay smoking, it ensures fewer people ever start. In Texas alone, 10,400 kids become daily smokers every year, and tobacco kills over 28,000 adults annually. Reducing the number of kids who start smoking will have a huge impact on reducing the number of tobacco-related deaths each year. Three years ago, a report by the National Academy of Medicine concluded that increasing the tobacco sale age to 21 would yield substantial public health benefits, including a 25% decline in smoking initiation by 15- to 17-year-olds and a 12% drop in overall smoking prevalence. These findings are supported by at least 450 other counties and cities that have adopted Tobacco 21. The first town in America to raise the tobacco sales age to 21 did so in 2005. Between 2006 and 2010, it reported a 47% reduction in smoking rates at the local high school, a far greater reduction than the surrounding communities that kept the sales age at 18. If those results were repeated in Texas, it would prevent thousands of children from lighting up, which would help avoid debilitating illnesses, steep medical bills, and add years to their lives. There are also economic arguments in favor of raising the age to 21. Tobacco use costs the U.S. about $170 billion in health care spending each year, including $8.8 billion in Texas. Preventing a new generation from the dangers of tobacco will save Texas dollars as well as lives. This policy is backed by 91 trusted health organizations across Texas. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Baylor Scott & White Health, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, March of Dimes, MD Anderson, Texas Medical Association, Texas Nurses Association, Texas Pediatric Society and Texas Public Health Coalition have all called on the Texas Legislature to pass a Tobacco 21 law statewide. The evidence in support of raising the tobacco sales age to 21 is overwhelming. A year after action was taken here in San Antonio, we take pride in the way we stood up for the health and well-being of our citys kids. I hope that a year from now, we will be able to say Texas did the right thing for our youth. As a state, we cannot afford not to. Dr. Colleen Bridger is city of San Antonio interim assistant city manager. Greg Brockhouse is running for mayor of the seventh-largest city in the country, but he threatened to leave a recent debate if questions were raised about an alleged 2009 domestic violence incident. The debate went on without any questions about the alleged incident. But questions should have been raised because the public deserves answers. Brockhouse is a member of City Council who wants to lead San Antonio. He owes an explanation to voters about what happened on the night of Dec. 23, 2009. According to the police report, Brockhouses wife said he had been drinking a lot after losing his job. He screamed at her, threw her to the ground and got on top of her. This has all been reported in the Express-News, which has obtained a copy of the police report. But Brockhouse has refused to acknowledge its existence, and he has said he has no recollection of the incident. But weve seen the report. It has a case number, a badge number for the responding officer and even Brockhouses phone number. It exists. Or at least it once existed. What gives? The assumption among legal experts is the report was somehow expunged. That is, it was removed from the official record. The catch is, these same legal experts have said the report should not have been expunged. Why? Because Brockhouse was never arrested, and expunctions are for wrongful arrests. These would be cases when charges are proven false or dropped. Brockhouse was never charged. The reports disappearance leads to a number of questions that have yet to be answered. Should the report have been expunged? If the answer is no, then how was it removed from the record? And who was responsible for this removal? Unfortunately, it does not appear as if there is any investigation to answer these questions. There should be. Police reports are supposed to be public records. Beyond this, we see some flaws in the process. Namely, there appears to be no mechanism for review of whether an expunction was properly and legally accomplished. Newly elected District Attorney Joe Gonzales, who took office in January and was not a party to any of this, told us its against the law to even acknowledge an expunction occurred. And this is so even if it was done incorrectly. My understanding is even if the person didnt meet the qualifications for an expunction, and wasnt eligible for one, that if the parties agreed to it, then it could happen and it could get expunged, he said. This is deeply problematic. What if everyone is in agreement, but the circumstances still dont lend themselves to a proper expunction? Is that still OK? By all means, if someone was wrongfully charged for something they did not do, there should be no record of that accusation. It should be wiped away. But if an expunction should not have happened, then the rules of expunction should not apply, right? And if there are questions about the validity of an expunction, there has to be a way to investigate. Otherwise, the entire process is ripe for collusion. In this case, even trying to answer these questions if it involves acknowledging the expunction is illegal, say the authorities here. If this appears silly on its face, its because it is. Brockhouse could settle much of this by acknowledging the reports obvious existence and answering questions about what happened. But this is also far bigger than one case. If a record is incorrectly removed, there has to be a way to get that fixed. It belongs to the public. Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi has dangled a carrot to Zimbabwean business tycoon, Strive Masiyiwa, saying his country was the safest destination for his telecommunications investments. Speaking at a town hall meeting with young entrepreneurs alongside Econet founder, Masiyiwa, Masisi said unlike an unnamed African country were payment to creditors and repatriation of profits to foreign countries in the currencies of their choice was impossible, Botswana had a stable economy and enjoyed ease of doing business. We are run, not just conveniently, but very well and we work. We are open and this stability along with our addiction to the rule of law makes us attractive for spring boarding from Botswana, Masisi said. I will not name the other country, would you rather have your business headquarters in country X somewhere else in Africa or in Botswana? In terms of assuring yourself that what you put in the bank is yours and will be there. In terms of assuring yourself and your creditors that you will be able to pay them in whatever currency they need to be paid in, so these advantages should be utilised to the fullest. Although the Botswana leader did not mention any country by name, the advantages, he said his country had over this unnamed country are challenges Zimbabwe has been battling with such as investors failing to repatriate their profits due to a chronic shortage of foreign currency. At the moment, Harare does not have a stable currency of its own and uses the United States dollar and the temporary RTGS dollars with Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, saying he expects a local currency within 12 months. Masiyiwa has spread his investments all over the world and yesterday announced that he plans to sell shares in Mascom to the public once he completes the US$300 million purchase of MTNs stake in Botswanas largest mobile operator. MTN announced in March that it would sell its 53% share in Mascom after failing to gain management or branding control. If Masiyiwa completes the deal, he would control 60% of Mascom, although he would first overcome resistance from 40% shareholder Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund, the countrys largest pension fund. After a few months of negotiating, we reached a deal. Im paying them $300 million, which means they have done very well, as they originally paid less than $70 million, Masiyiwa said, ahead of a town hall youth meeting with Masisi in Gaborone on Tuesday. At the meeting, he promised to create opportunities for youths and fibre up Botswana by working with young entrepreneurs in the project. Mascom was Masiyiwas first mobile operation when it launched a service in 1998, months ahead of the launch of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. Masiyiwa says he had, in that original bid for a Botswana licence, pledged to take Mascom public. During our original bid, I told the government of Botswana that my vision was to take the company public once it was profitable. I wanted to achieve something which I did in Zimbabwe and sell shares to thousands of ordinary people. For the last 21 years, I have been unable to fulfil this promise because my company did not control enough shares. Now I can keep that promise. Masiyiwa is, however, hoping to convince the pension fund to sell part of its shares reportedly 10% of its stake to workers. NewsDay Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Chegutu district hospital is reeling in the eye of a storm as patients who die at the facility are being left in wards with inpatients as the institutions mortuary has been dysfunctional for nearly half a year. Investigations at the hospital also showed that after doctors certified deaths, bodies were not being washed. Last week while our news crew was at the institution a body of an accident victim that died upon admission was still lying in a pool of blood a day after having been certified dead. Chegutu district medical director, Dr Tonderai Nhende said patients started sharing wards with corpses after one of the mortuarys two fridges developed a fault some months back with the remaining one currently being filled with bodies that are unclaimed for years now. The mortuarys capacity can accommodate 16 bodies. One of the fridges is down and so it now only accommodates eight bodies. We have six unclaimed bodies awaiting paupers burial leaving space for two bodies. The unclaimed bodies have been there for more than one year, some stretching to three years. The mortuary can accommodate two bodies at a time and the average stay is two days meaning we can have days when the mortuary cannot take in bodies. To repair the fridge, companies need foreign currency which the hospital does not have. We have since approached Nyaradzo Funeral which offered to assist through a public private partnership, he said. There are beds piled and dumped outside the mortuary as seen by this publication, a claim Dr Nhende disputes. That stuff (piled and dumped at the mortuary) was put there because there is nowhere to put old and non-functional hospital equipment, he said. A nurse at the hospital who spoke to H-Metro on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said the situation was dire for patients. All the people dying here are just being covered with blankets and they share wards with patients until their next of kins claim the bodies. The situation becomes more complex when some bodies spend two to three days unclaimed and also especially when there is a disaster. A recent case occurred on Thursday (last week) where there was an accident along Chegutu-Chinhoyi highway with one of the admitted victims having died in a ward where he spent the whole day covered in pool of blood before being taken to a room used as a makeshift mortuary. Tatenda Marigo, a relative of a patient admitted at the institution narrated the harrowing incident experienced by his niece through sharing same ward with a corpse. It is hard for my niece to have any hope of survival while being admitted next to a corpse, the experience is such a harrowing one its high time responsible authorities act, she said. Former Chegutu Mayor, Leo Gwanzura said less priority was being accorded to repairing the mortuary despite that it is a district referral hospital. People are being forced to use private parlours which are more expensive. We cant have a public institution which is critical going for more than six months without an operational mortuary; we start smelling a rat. In normal circumstances as a district referral hospital at any given time there might be an expected body. There is also a recent case of a child who died and the body was supposed to be ferried to Harare, but was kept in a ward overnight, he said. The situation at Chegutu hospital becomes more complex especially in times of a disaster as the nearest Governments mortuary is at an already overwhelmed Kadoma General Hospital with a capacity to hold only nine bodies. HMetro Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News With Tropical Cyclone Kenneth expected to make landfall soon, there appears to be confusion in the government departments with the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) and the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) issuing contradictory statements on whether or not the cyclone will affect Zimbabwe. The MSD yesterday said that the cyclone is not expected to affect Zimbabwe at all in a statement. However, the CPU, on the other hand, said that Cyclone Kenneth would affect parts of Zimbabwe which include, Gokwe, Mt Darwin, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Masvingo, Mutoko, Mbire, Mzarabani, Nyanga and Mzarabani. In a statement last night, director in the Department of Civil Protection Mr Nathan Nkomo said the cyclone had been sighted in the Comoros Island facing Zimbabwes direction. Another Cyclone Kenneth, is projected to hit Mozambique, Malawi and some parts of Zimbabwe has been sighted in the Comoros Island facing this direction. It is projected that the cyclone will be in the region around 6pm on April 25. The trajectory of this impending catastrophe has been given by our early warning units, the Meteorological Service Department (MSD) whose model projections are also supported by those given SADC, he said. This appears to not have gone down well with the MSD which reiterated its earlier position that the Cyclone will not affect Zimbabwe. Writing on its social media account, the MSD said Good morning Zimbabwe! As much as #CycloneKenneth is a reality, it is not likely to affect Zimbabwe. MSD will keep you posted on any new developments! Met department dismissed messages circulating on social media that Cyclone Kenneth will hit Zimbabwe. In a statement, MSD refuted claims that Cyclone Kenneth will hit the eastern borders of Zimbabwe like what Cyclone Idai did. Of concern, are some messages that may have now gone overboard to the extent of misleading the public without making recourse to the Department about the real situation. While we have no problem with social media, we take exception to those messages that become sensational on matters of life and death. Tropical Storm Kenneth, off the north coast of Madagascar, is projected to strengthen into a Tropical Cyclone and if it maintains its westerly trajectory, it is set to make landfall near the Tanzanian border with Mozambique on Thursday evening after 6PM with a circulatory speed of approximately 200km/h. Areas that might be affected by heavy rains till April 27 are the southern parts of Tanzanian, northern provinces of Mozambique and Malawi, read the statement. MSD added that no rain is projected for Zimbabwe during this period till Saturday. Mostly sunny and warm conditions are anticipated. MSD also urged the public to stop circulating false information and causing unnecessary panic. Accordingly, let us respect the authoritative voice principle, which ensures that all official communication on warnings and alerts that are a matter of life and death come from a single source. In Zimbabwe, the MSD is responsible for monitoring the weather. The public is, therefore, urged to check with the department for confirmation and decision-making. The department will continue monitoring the conditions and update the nation accordingly, said the MSD. Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News By moving gift as you will see, I mean gift to help with my upcoming move although it was such a gratifying surprise that it qualifies as emotionally moving too. A long-standing donor to Naked Capitalism read our post about leaving New York City and volunteered to help. This is how the correspondence started: Donor: Good luck with the move! If I can be of any help, please let me know! Nice thoughts are, well, nice but I have a ton of stuff to sort through, and it seemed extraordinarily unlikely that Mr. Donor was offering to help me sort out which things of mine really ought to go. So I sent a message back expressing my gratitude for his willingness to assist but added that the sort of help I needed was below his pay grade. Mr. Donor wrote again, saying he knew well how awful moves were and his offer stood. Still not sure exactly how Mr. Donor might help, and in particular not sure if he meant money, (it would be horribly crass to assume that and be wrong), I told him a bit more about my situation. And he then made a very generous financial offer!!! And hed already made a meaty donation via the Tip Jar a few days back. Needless to say, having this support will make a big big difference. It means Ill be able to hire the various helpers I need (most important, a moving concierge) as well as cover the unexpected costs that keep popping up like finding out I have to move my corporation from New York to Alabama, which means Ill have to hire a lawyer in Alabama to merge my New York corporation into an Alabama corp (as ridiculously complicated as that sounds, its the least disruptive way to do what I need done. If any Alabama readers know a lawyer theyd recommend, particularly one who be so kind as to not charge a New Yorker price, I am all ears). Even though there is still a lot I will have to do myself, this gift will allow me to lay off as much as I conceivably can, which in turn will minimize how much time I spend away from the site. So a big round of applause for our generous benefactor! (Natural News) Americas PAC is a conservative political action committee run by Tom Donelson. It produces, among other things, radio and television advertising on behalf of, and in opposition to, politicians. Today Americas PAC revealed that it has been permanently banned from advertising by Google: (Article by John Hinderaker republished from PowerLineBlog.com) In their on-going corporate campaign against political speech and advertising by Conservatives, Google has permanently suspended Americas PACs advertising account saying, Weve confirmed that your account is in violation of our Google Ads policies. Google did not cite which, if any, policies Americas PAC supposedly violated. My assumption is that we violated their policy that liberals should never be criticized, said Tom Donelson, Chairman of Americas PAC. Or maybe we violated their policy against effective conservative advertising. It is hard to know because they wont give us a reason. Googles email made it clear a reason for the suspension would never be given by saying, Our support team will not be able to give you any more specifics on the suspension. This is Googles communication to Americas PAC: What did Americas PAC do to incur Googles ire? It ran two nine-second videos as YouTube prerolls. One attacked Senator Tina Smith, the other attacked Senator Gary Peters. The ads began to run on April 3, and Google suspended both that campaign and Americas PACs account on April 5. What was offensive about the ads? They targeted the senators for their votes against cloture on S. 311, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The Act would require that any child born alive following an attempted abortion be provided appropriate medical care, rather than be allowed to die. This is one of the ads: Tom Donelson commented: Google suspended the campaign and Americas PACs account on April 5th. Americas PAC appealed and submitted verification information that it is an FEC Registered Political Action Committee and has been engaged in Federal Elections as an Independent Expenditure Committee since 2014. The only plausible conclusion is that Google banned Americas PAC for its conservative character, rather than the content of the ads, Donelson said. If the content of the ads is acceptable to FCC Regulated radio stations, and Americas PAC is a registered Federal Election Commission Independent Expenditure Committee with a five-year track record of raising and spending millions of dollars reported to the FEC, then the only feasible explanation for Googles actions is an ingrained corporate bias to protect Democrats. That does seem like a logical conclusion. The case for regulating tech giants like Google as public utilities, and paying their employees accordingly, continues to grow stronger. Read more at: PowerLineBlog.com (Natural News) When you think of jobs that are serving the greater good, cancer researchers often come out near the top given the potential to save millions of lives. However, not all of them have such pure aspirations. Two tenured scientists at a renowned cancer hospital in the U.S. were recently fired because of their involvement in a Chinese effort to steal American research. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center President Dr. Peter Pisters said the facility received a letter from the National Institutes of Health last year outlining five faculty members conflicts of interest and unreported foreign income. Letters were also sent by the NIH to more than 10,000 institutions funded by the agency to warn them of threats to the integrity of American biomedical research. He said: As stewards of taxpayer dollars invested in biomedical research, we have an obligation to follow up. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center received NIH grants totaling $148 million last year. Dr. Pisters believes the center was targeted because its the top cancer center in the world. Its not known what intellectual property was stolen. All three of the scientists who were fired were ethnically Chinese. Two had resigned ahead of their termination proceedings, while the third is challenging their dismissal. A further scientist is under investigation, and authorities determined termination wasnt necessary for a fifth scientist. According to investigative reports, the three had ties to China and Chinese institutions and failed to disclose international collaborators; at least one confidential application for a grant is known to have been sent to a Chinese scientist in violation of federal policy. Some failed to disclose the fact that they had been receiving funds from foreign sources while also getting funds from the NIH. It is not yet known if any will face federal charges or deportation. Dr. Pisters added: A small but significant number of individuals are working with government sponsorship to exfiltrate intellectual property that has been created with the support of U.S. taxpayers, private donors and industry collaborators. Concerns about espionage are growing Concerns have been growing in Washington, D.C. that China and other foreign governments are using visiting scholars and students to steal confidential intellectual property from grant applications. A report by the FBI showed that intellectual property theft is costing our country up to $600 billion each year. FBI Director Christopher Wray said that China is our nations most significant threat, with active espionage across all 50 states. Predictably, some Chinese Americans are voicing objections, saying the crackdown is essentially racial profiling and could be holding useful research back. According to the NIH, 55 different institutions around the nation are currently investigating similar concerns in hopes of curbing this type of behavior. Its not just China theyre focusing on. Although programs in that country like the Thousand Talents Plan, which is aimed at luring global experts from universities and firms in the West, are being scrutinized, other countries are also being looked into for similar practices. It is also taking place in other fields outside of biomedical research. For example, research funded by the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation has also been a target. Last summer, the federal government made a move to limit visas for certain Chinese students in some high-tech fields. While its not exactly surprising that the Chinese government has spies stealing American research, it is part of a very alarming trend that must be addressed swiftly. Sources for this article include: FoxBusiness.com NYTimes.com (Natural News) Chocolates are some of the worlds best-loved sweets. Theyre a comfort food for some and a guilty pleasure for others. But no matter how or why you choose to eat chocolates, you should know that theyre doing you more good than just making you feel happy or satisfying your cravings. According to a 2018 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating chocolates every day keeps your heart healthy. Chocolates are good for your arteries The study involved 45 male volunteers who were divided into three different groups. Each group was assigned a capsule to take with their breakfast every day for one month. Two of the three capsules contained different amounts of the two most studied compounds found in chocolate: (-)-epicatechin and procyanidins. Both compounds are flavonols or flavan-3-ols, a class of flavonoids found in many fruits and vegetables, including cocoa. (-)-Epicatechin and procyanidins are known antioxidants. (-)-Epicatechin lowers blood pressure and reduces stiffness in arteries When researchers from the University of Dusseldorf in Germany examined the effects of the compounds, they found that (-)-epicatechin improved endothelial function in the volunteers. It also lowered their blood pressure and reduced arterial stiffness. These results aligned with those of previous studies, particularly one made in the Netherlands which reported that men who consumed large amounts of (-)-epicatechin had a 38 percent lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease than men who consumed less (-)-epicatechin. In contrast, the volunteers who took capsules with less (-)-epicatechin and more procyanidins did not receive the same benefits. This demonstrates that the impact of CF (cocoa flavonols) on vascular health is linked to (?)-epicatechin and not to CF procyanidins, wrote the researchers. (Related: Chocolate lowers blood pressure and slashes risk of heart disease.) Procyanidins lower blood cholesterol levels Procyanidins are not without their health benefits. Although volunteers who took large amounts of procyanidins did not experience a decrease in blood pressure or arterial stiffness, they did enjoy a reduction in blood cholesterol levels. This demonstrated that procyanidins still support heart health, albeit in an indirect way. The impact of procyanidins may not be immediately felt, but its still massive in the long run. The researchers also explained that the role of procyanidins may have to do with the effect size of flavonols that is, they protect and preserve (-)-epicatechin and other flavonols from degradation during food processing and storage, and in the gastrointestinal tract during digestion. The researchers noted that this might explain the results of other studies, which used only pure (-)-epicatechin and reported no significant effects on cardiovascular function. Other reasons to eat chocolate Research shows that (-)-epicatechin can also decrease blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. (-)-Epicatechin increases insulin sensitivity and decreases insulin resistance, suggesting that eating (-)-epicatechin-rich foods like chocolate can help prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes. (-)-Epicatechin also has anticancer effects. Several studies reported that it can stop angiogenesis or the formation of new blood vessels, which is one of the ways cancer cells grow and spread to other parts of the body. High concentrations of (-)-epicatechin also prevent cancer cell proliferation in vitro. Procyanidins, together with (-)-epicatechin and other flavonols, may have anti-inflammatory properties. One study found that these compounds can inhibit enzymes involved in inflammation and the formation of tumors. Procyanidins are also used in connection with health conditions such as chronic venous insufficiency, capillary fragility, diabetic retinopathy, sunburn, pancreatic insufficiency, and varicose veins. In terms of anticancer activity, procyanidins target components of intracellular signaling pathways important for regulating cell survival and death and mediating metastasis. Sources include: NutraIngredients-usa.com Academic.OUP.com Veterinary World.org ScienceDirect.com UofMHealth.org ToxicolRes.org (Natural News) In a recent show of extreme political bias, Google billed the pro-life film Unplanned as propaganda. The documentary follows the real-life story of Abby Johnson a Planned Parenthood director who opened her eyes and ultimately became pro-life. Now, Google is facing a massive backlash for their subtle dig at the film. While the tech giants leftist leanings were already public knowledge, the unwarranted labeling of pro-life content as propaganda is a blatant attack not only on the movie itself, but the entire concept of free speech. If Google has given themselves the power to label certain types of content as propaganda, it will not be long before all conservative-leaning speech is labeled as such. Never mind the blatant irony of calling a pro-life documentary propaganda while shows like The Handmaids Tale are on parade. Unplanned is the true story of Abby Johnson and Google still called it propaganda, presumably because the films message doesnt align with their far left ideals. Hollywood is full of people trying to push an agenda, and no one ever bats an eye over it as long as they stick to the party line. But the moment any kind of conservative or right-leaning point of view makes to the big screen, suddenly its propaganda to put your political leanings up for show. Its safe to say there are probably many conservatives who are tired of liberal propaganda being inserted into every film they see and every show they watch on TV. Heaven forbid there be even one documentary that isnt about the liberal point of view. When the pot calls the kettle black The Daily Signals Kelsey Bolar called out Googles unsavory behavior over Twitter, sharing a screenshot of the tech behemoths shameless bias. Who knew that propaganda was a movie genre? @Google once again exposing its gross political bias. @UnplannedMovie pic.twitter.com/jOh6TlqQ7C Kelsey Bolar (Harkness) (@kelseybolar) April 11, 2019 Google must be suffering with some serious cognitive dissonance to even consider using the word propaganda to describe anything. The search engine has long been accused of acting as a leftist propaganda machine and their actions against Unplanned certainly fit that description. As a search engine, Google has a direct line to influence the public, simply by controlling what they see when they search certain terms. And by controlling the information people are given access to, Google can ultimately influence how they think. Google has repeatedly come under fire for censoring conservatives. While a company spokesperson says that Unplanned was labeled propaganda by its Knowledge Graph AI. Apparently a large volume of web content about Unplanned called it propaganda, so Knowledge Graph labeled it as such with no oversight. Essentially, what this means is that Google is now relying on subjective opinions to determine the veracity of facts. What could go wrong? The propaganda machine Google has changed the way it bills the film; now it is simply called a drama.However, this labeling still undermines the accuracy of the documentary. No one would argue that Unplanned presents an unapologetic pro-life stance, but that doesnt mean it is inherently propaganda. While there are many variations, propaganda is defined as the spread of information (usually misinformation) to manipulate public opinion, often for political purposes. Almost everything you read, hear and see from the mainstream media could fall under the propaganda umbrella, in one way or another. Most media today, whether youre talking about mainstream reporting or the latest movie, has a distinct liberal bent and none of that gets named as propaganda, even though it very well could be, and often is. As writer Christian Toto reports, there are a number of pro-choice films and shows and none of them have been labeled propaganda. Unplanned co-director Chuck Konzelman has vehemently defended the film against Googles hostility. We tell the true life story at Abby Johnson. The last time Planned Parenthood challenged her version of events in court the judge threw out all charges, without Abby even having to mount a defense. And yet, many in the media slavishly insist its Abby whos lying and Planned Parenthood thats telling the truth, Konzelman commented. See more coverage of liberal idiocy at LeftCult.news. Sources for this article include: HollywoodInToto.com FoxNews.com (Natural News) The liberal tears are flowing after an illegal alien dreamer by the name of Luis Ugalde-Pacheco, now 28 years old, was recently deported back to Mexico following multiple felony convictions for abusing women. Though he hasnt lived in Mexico since he first entered the United States illegally with his father at the young age of seven, Ugalde-Pacheco was not long ago delivered by Border Patrol back to where he belongs: south of the border. While some would suggest that we should all have compassion on poor Ugalde-Pacheco and others like him, considering he was barely at the age of accountability when he was smuggled into the United States, Ugalde-Pacheco didnt exactly spend his time here being a productive and contributing member of society. According to reports, Ugalde-Pachecos legal troubles began in May 2017, when he was charged in a domestic violence case involving one of his female relatives. This incestuous assault resulted in the woman obtaining a restraining order against Ugalde-Pacheco, which he reportedly violated by sending her a text message. Ugalde-Pacheco also assaulted another woman in March 2018, who also sought and obtained a restraining order against him which he again violated by sending her a text message as well. Ugalde-Pacheco later served a prison sentence for these crimes. On Aug. 20, 2018, Ugalde-Pacheco pleaded guilty to felony charges of intimidation and aggravated battery, records show, reads a report published by the Chicago Tribune. He admitted to following the woman to her job, showing her a gun, threatening to shoot her if she called police and pushing her, according to court records, the report adds. For more news about the devastating impacts of illegal immigration, be sure to check out InvasionUSA.news. Ugalde-Pachecos illegal relatives lament his deportation, declare that everyone deserves a chance to stay here in the U.S. Hilariously, Ugalde-Pachecos illegal relatives have tried to come to his rescue in typical Leftist form, lamenting to the media their worry that this criminal alien might not have access to medical treatment in Mexico. One of Ugalde-Pachecos illegal relatives even went a step further, declaring on record her belief that everyone deserves a chance to stay here of course implying that being an illegal alien in the U.S. is no big deal, and that everyone who wants to should just be allowed to stay forever in order to have the chance to live. Sadly, Ugalde-Pachecos relatives are simply too selfish, or at the very least ignorant of the consequences of illegal immigration, to recognize that there are legal residents of this country whose lives are put at risk by the presence of criminals like Ugalde-Pacheco. Among these legal residents are the women whom Ugalde-Pacheco assaulted and threatened, who will no longer have to worry about their lives now that Ugalde-Pacheco is back in Mexico where he rightfully belongs. Ugalde-Pachecos lawyer blames President Trumps immigration policies for her clients criminal consequences Even more hilarious was the politically correct nonsense spewed by Ugalde-Pachecos lawyer in the aftermath of his deportation. Amina Najib reportedly told the media that she believes her clients case is a direct result of President Donald Trumps immigration policies, and not a consequence of his own illegal behavior which, under the Obama regime, likely would have been dismissed, sending Ugalde-Pacheco back into American streets. These policies, Najib claims, give officials little room to exercise discretion when deciding if someone should be allowed to stay in the country. Trump made him attack a woman after threatening her with a gun, joked The Gateway Pundits Nan and Byron McKeeby in a commentary about the case. Is there anything this President cant do? To keep up with the latest news about President Trump and his efforts to build a proper border wall and put an end to illegal immigration, be sure to check out Trump.news. Sources for this article include: TheGatewayPundit.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Microsoft has been working with a Chinese military-run university on researching artificial intelligence that could be used for censorship and surveillance, according to a shocking new report from Financial Times. A series of scientific studies were co-authored by researchers from Microsoft Research Asia and scientists associated with Chinas National University of Defense Technology (NUDT). This apparent relationship between Microsoft and a Chinese military university is now giving rise to a tidal wave of concerns. A number of experts have spoken out about the potential risks of U.S.-China academic relations, but there are also serious red flags about the artificial intelligence (AI) that Microsoft and the Chinese were working to develop. The research points to widespread surveillance and censorship, and people across the tech industry and from around the political spectrum are outraged over Microsofts role in enabling the Chinese governments oppression of its citizens. Microsoft and communist China research AI censorship Microsoft and the Chinese military-run university NUDT have joined forces to work on research for AI that could be used for nefarious purposes. A trio of recently published papers have revealed their silent partnership for all the world to see. One paper explores a new AI technique for recreating elaborate environmental maps through the surveying of human faces. Breitbart reports that experts caution such technology will have immediate use in the surveillance arena. Samm Sacks, senior fellow at the New America think tank and China tech expert, says that these papers raise red flags because of the nature of the technology, the author affiliations, combined with what we know about how this technology is being deployed in China right now. The [Chinese] government is using these technologies to build surveillance systems and to detain minorities [in Xinjiang], she reportedly added. And we all know what happens to people who get blacklisted in China. Threats, attacks and disappearances are all far too common among communist Chinas dissidents. Other papers published by Microsoft and NUDT focused on machine learning. Experts say that while this area of tech may not sound concerning, machine learning could be key for the Chinese government to engage in censorship at scale. Microsofts joint research efforts with the NUDT will undoubtedly serve the Chinese governments goals to have complete dominion over its people. Microsoft under fire A number of U.S. legislators have called out Microsofts partnership with China. Sen. Marco Rubio recently described it as deeply disturbing, and said it was an act that makes them complicit in Chinas abuse of human rights. Microsoft has defended their abhorrent partnership with NUDT, declaring that their partnership with Chinese military has helped them to advance our understanding of technology. The company states further that it is important for their scientists to work with experts from around the world to continue advancing forward. In each case, the research is guided by our principles, fully complies with U.S. and local laws, and the research is published to ensure transparency so that everyone can benefit from our work, Microsofts statement said further. But experts say that the technologies Microsoft has helped NUDT research can easily be used for unsavory purposes, such as censorship and targeted surveillance. According to Business Insider, Chinese authorities are already using the facial recognition software to track and detain over one million Muslim minorities. Anyone who dares to act or speak against the communist regime also faces detainment. Microsoft is not the first company to bend the knee to communist China. Google recently came under fire for blacklisting a political dissident at the behest of the Chinese government. Apple has also faced scrutiny for allowing the foreign regime to dictate what apps are available or banned from the app store. Across the board, it seems that Big Tech has no problem with colluding with a government seeking to violate its citizens natural rights and its not just happening in China. See more coverage of Big Techs latest atrocities and more at Glitch.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com FinancialTimes.com BusinessInsider.com (Natural News) Five years after residents of Flint, Michigan, were poisoned by lead in their drinking water, a judge has given them the go-ahead to sue the federal government for failing to act swiftly in ensuring the citys drinking water was clean. In 2017, residents filed a lawsuit against the EPA arguing that the agency was able to let the city know that its drinking water had been contaminated months before any emergency order was actually issued. They are seeking $722 million in damages. In mid-2015, a whistleblower notified the EPA that Flints drinking water source was contaminated with lead, writing that at the very least, residents needed to be warned. However, it took a further seven months before they actually issued an emergency order protecting residents. This means that most people had been unknowingly drinking lead-contaminated water for a year and a half. It all started when the city stopped getting its drinking water from Detroits treated system in a money-saving move and started getting it from the Flint River instead without using corrosion inhibitors. It didnt take long for residents to start complaining of problems like brown water with an unpleasant smell and taste, hair loss, rashes, and other issues. Nevertheless, state regulators insisted the drinking water was safe, even after a group of physicians reported detecting high lead levels in the blood of area children. In her ruling allowing the suit to go forward, Judge Linda Parker wrote: These lies went on for months while the people of Flint continued to be poisoned. She added that the poisoning will affect the citys residents for years and generations to come, and she made no attempt to hide where she stands on the issue, saying: The acts leading to the creation of the Flint Water Crisis, alleged to be rooted in lies, recklessness and profound disrespect have and will continue to produce a heinous impact for the people of Flint. Although she did not rule on whether the EPA was negligent, she did say that they knew the Flint River was very corrosive and that there was a significant chance of lead leaching into peoples homes. She even said that the EPA knew local and state officials were misleading residents to believe that there was nothing wrong with the water supply, Those who allowed Flint residents to be poisoned may finally be held accountable The lawyer for the 1,700 residents who filed the lawsuit believes the ruling will shake up the EPA, which has long been known for failing to act on the very issues it was created to offer protection from. The government, not surprisingly, tried to have the suit dismissed, and the EPA has declined to comment on it. Roughly 100,000 people were ultimately exposed to lead in drinking water in Flint, and the incident also spawned an outbreak of Legionnaires disease connected to at least a dozen deaths. This isnt the only suit that is moving forward related to the crisis. Michigans state health director, Nick Lyon, will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter related to two deaths that have been linked to the water crisis, while further cases are pending against other state and city officials. To this day, the water in Flint is believed to be unsafe. Although Michigan claims otherwise, residents are extremely skeptical of the empty promises made by officials and are still experiencing rashes and other effects from using the water, with many turning to bottled water in an attempt to protect their health. Sources for this article include: Edition.CNN.com MichiganRadio.org Ithaca, NY--There appears to be an underlying selection mechanism at work among Gouldian Finches--a mechanism that allows this species to produce and maintain individuals with red heads, black heads, and yellow heads. Research by scientists from the the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and other institutions, reveals what this additional evolutionary process might be. Findings were published today in the journal Nature Communications. "Most people have heard of natural selection," says lead author Kang-Wook Kim at the University of Sheffield. "But 'survival of the fittest' cannot explain the color diversity we see in the Gouldian Finch. We demonstrate that there is another evolutionary process--balancing selection--that has maintained the black or red head color over thousands of generations." The yellow-headed type (actually more orange) is produced by a completely different mechanism that is not yet understood. Yellow-headed Gouldian Finches make up less than one percent of the wild population. "Having distinct multiple color types--a polymorphism--maintained within a species for a long time is extremely rare," explains co-author David Toews, who did this work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Cornell Lab and who is now at Pennsylvania State University. "Natural selection is typically thought of in a linear fashion--a mutation changes a trait which then confers some reproductive or survival advantage, which results in more offspring, and the trait eventually becomes the sole type in the population." Studies from Macquarie University in Australia have shown the red-headed finches have the apparent advantage. Female Gouldian Finches of all colors prefer the red-headed males, who also happen to be more dominant in the social hierarchy. So why hasn't the black-headed type disappeared? It turns out there are disadvantages to having a red head, too, such as higher levels of stress hormones in competitive situations. "If advantages are cancelled out by concurrent disadvantages, these two color types can be maintained--that's balancing selection," Toews says. "Red forms are not as common in the wild, so the counterbalancing pressure reduces the advantage of being red. That's super cool!" Teams from the University of Sheffield and the Cornell Lab independently zeroed in on a particular gene called follistatin which is found on the Gouldian Finch sex chromosome and regulates melanin to produce either red- or black-headed finches. Rather than competing, the two teams decided to join forces and share their data. For the yellow morph, a different gene, not located on the sex chromosome, is controlling the head pigmentation, but it hasn't yet been found and it's not clear what forces are allowing the yellow morph to persist in the wild. In another twist, Toews and co-author Scott Taylor, at the University of Colorado-Boulder, have done previous research that revealed the genes likely governing the plumage differences between North American Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers--and one of those regions is in the same spot on the sex chromosome that differs among Gouldian Finches with different head colors. "We didn't expect we'd locate the exact genomic region that governs plumage differences in both the Gouldian Finch and the two warblers," says Toews. "But now that we've done it, it opens up the possibility that the same region in other species may also be controlling plumage color." BackgroundChecks.org, a free online directory for accessing public records and running background checks, Wednesday released what it says are California's top five school districts -- a list that includes the Los Angeles Unified School District. Topping the list is San Mateo County Office of Education of San Mateo County, comprised of several suburban counties along the San Francisco Bay, just north of Silicon Valley. The San Mateo County Office of Education presides over 23 school elementary, high school and unified districts, as well as a community college district and numerous charter schools. The nearby San Francisco County Office of Education, encompassing all of the public schools in the city of San Francisco, ranks Number 2 on the list. Comprised of over 130 schools, students of the racially diverse district boast math and English test scores well above the state averages. Coming in third is Santa Barbara County Office of Education, a "terrific district." Number 4 is the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest public school district in the country, with an enrollment of nearly 700,000 -- "an excellent example of a massive, yet well-run district. In all, 10 languages are taught to the district's diverse student populace," said BackgroundChecks.org. Rounding out the top five is the San Diego County Office of Education, known for its many programs providing assistance with to families with special needs or experiencing economic hardship. Measles in the U.S. has climbed to its highest level in 25 years, closing in on 700 cases this year in a resurgence largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines. "This is alarming," said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert. Not only is measles dangerous in itself, but its return could mean other vaccine-preventable diseases seemingly consigned to the past may be coming back as well, he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 695 cases had been reported in 22 states this year as of Wednesday afternoon. That was up from 626 reported Monday and makes this the nation's worst year for measles since 1994, with eight months still to go in 2019. There were 963 cases in 1994. Roughly three-quarters of this year's illnesses in the U.S. have been in New York state, mainly in two ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and suburban Rockland County. Most of those cases have been in unvaccinated people. The number of cases is likely to go even higher. Measles is highly contagious and can spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. And in recent days, Jewish families have been gathering for Passover meals. It can take 10 to 12 days for symptoms to develop. The CDC recommends the vaccine for everyone over a year old, except for people who had the disease as children. Those who have had measles are immune. The vaccine, which became available in the 1960s, is considered safe and highly effective, and because of it, measles was declared all but eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. But it has made comebacks since then, including 667 cases in 2014. Public health experts say some U.S. communities have low vaccination rates because of the spread of bad information especially the now-debunked notion that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is linked to autism through social media, pamphlets, hotlines and other means. "Many parents are afraid. And if you want to believe your kid doesn't need that many shots, there's plenty of places to find people who agree with you," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, former head of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. "It's not so easy to discern what is real and what is not." Measles in most people causes fever, runny nose, cough and a rash all over the body. However, a very small fraction of those infected can suffer complications such as pneumonia and a dangerous swelling of the brain. According to the CDC, for every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it. No deaths have been recorded this year. Measles' return may be an early warning sign of resurgences in other vaccine-preventable diseases such as rubella, chickenpox and bacterial meningitis, Schaffner said. "Measles is the signal that in these communities where there's profound under-vaccination, they are susceptible to a whole menu of communicable diseases we thought were relegated to yesteryear," he said. Sixty-one of the new cases were reported in hard-hit New York City. Up to now, the biggest single U.S. measles outbreak in recent years was in 2014, when 383 cases were reported in the Amish community in nine Ohio counties. But on Wednesday, New York City officials said the outbreak centered in some of Brooklyn's Jewish neighborhoods has accounted for 390 cases since October. "These cases are stark reminders of why New Yorkers must get vaccinated against the measles as soon as possible," New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot said. Ultra-Orthodox rabbis generally have no religious objections to vaccines and have urged their followers to get inoculated. But the "anti-vaxxer" movement has made inroads among the ultra-Orthodox, even though they have little exposure to the internet. Earlier this month, city officials ordered mandatory vaccinations in four ZIP codes in Brooklyn and threatened fines of up to $1,000 for noncompliance. City officials said 12 people have been issued summonses. There have been three measles-related deaths reported in the U.S. since 2000, the last one in 2015. The worst year for measles in modern U.S. history was 1958, with more than 763,000 reported cases and 552 deaths. Eight people injured when a former Army sharpshooter with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder plowed his car at high speed into them in Sunnyvale have been identified in a criminal complaint. Dhiriti Doe, Marina Reimler, Soeren Reimler, Ping Lu, Rejesh Narayan, Prakhar Doe, Eric Nava, Miguel Doe were walking in a shopping area Tuesday evening in Sunnyvale, California, when Isaiah Joel Peoples crashed into them, according to the criminal complaint. Peoples' told authorities he intentionally hit them. People who claim to be colleagues of two victims on Thursday launched a GoFundMe to support medical expenses for the Reimlers. The campaign said Marina and Soeren were on their way to Trader Joe's when they were hit. Peoples, 34, gave no indication why he targeted the group, authorities said. He was being held Thursday on eight counts of attempted murder. Four of the pedestrians remained hospitalized, including a 13-year-old girl who was in critical condition. Peoples was scheduled to appear in court Friday. A witness said he watched in horror as the car sped through a crosswalk and bodies went flying. It was a warm night, around dinnertime, and people were out in cafes and restaurants. Major injury collision at El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd. El Camino is closed in both directions. Avoid area. https://t.co/DEFugvzLyi Sunnyvale DPS (@SunnyvaleDPS) April 24, 2019 Investigating a major incident involving multiple victims at El Camino Real/Saratoga Sunnyvale Road. Well be available for media inquiries at parking lot of Allarios, 564 South Murphy. Phan Ngo (@SunnyvaleChief) April 24, 2019 Sunnyvale PD says driver hit 8 people. Youngest victim is 13. Conditions unknown. Driver in custody. @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/JacjmAeTYd Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) April 24, 2019 UPDATE per @SunnyvaleDPS Capt. Jim Choi on preliminary investigation: Driver deliberately drove into a group of 8 pedestrians. Driver in custody. Victims all transported to local hospitals. https://t.co/Pr8HNYmpn4 pic.twitter.com/VDInoFAHQt Kristofer Noceda (@krisnoceda) April 24, 2019 "I saw this woman fly through the air right in front of me. She flipped upside down and then fell right in front of my car," Don Draper said. He marched over to Peoples' car, which had swerved onto a sidewalk and crashed into a tree. He said Peoples did not appear drunk but looked dazed and was mumbling over and over, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus." Sunnyvale Police Chief Phan Ngo declined to discuss details of interviews with Peoples and said police are still working to determine his motivation. "When we took him into custody, he did not behave in any manner that would be considered bizarre," Ngo said. "He has not shown any remorse." Though the FBI is assisting in the investigation, there is no evidence linking Peoples to any terrorist organization and, so far, no evidence of a federal crime, said Ngo, who said Peoples had picked up food and was on his way to deliver it to his Bible study group. Investigators were processing evidence found Wednesday in a search of Peoples' apartment in Sunnyvale, about 50 miles south of San Francisco. Police also gave him a blood test for drugs and were checking into accounts from family members that he had a history of mental illness. Family and friends described Peoples as quiet and polite and expressed shock at his involvement. His mother, Leevell Peoples of Sacramento, said she could not imagine any situation in which her son would deliberately crash into innocent people other than something related to the PTSD she said he experienced after serving in Iraq. "Unless the car malfunctioned, he would not have done that. He's like the perfect, model citizen," she said. Her son graduated from Sacramento State University after returning from Iraq in 2007 and was working as an auditor for the Defense Department in nearby Mountain View, she said. "He basically probably has no friends but the people he works with," she said. "He's an Army vet. He's a good kid, never been arrested. I promise you: It was not deliberate. If anything, it was that Army." She said Peoples had "a bad episode" with PTSD in 2015, for which he was hospitalized, and has told her that he had been taking medication regularly since then. The mother said the Army forced her son to retire because of PTSD. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col Carla Gleason confirmed that he retired from the Army. Peoples served as a civil affairs specialist in the Army Reserve from March 2004 to July 2009 and attained the rank of sergeant, and he was deployed to Iraq from June 2005 to May 2006, according to another Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Emanuel Ortiz. He did not answer questions about whether Peoples' departure from the Army was due to PTSD. Ngo said Thursday Peoples was honorably discharged from the Army and that police were investigating the PTSD report. He said Peoples has no criminal record and owned one weapon, a disassembled and inoperable shotgun that was in the trunk of his vehicle. Other witness statements matched Draper's account that the driver was speeding and drove directly toward the pedestrians without trying to veer away or stop. Six people were taken to hospitals, including the youngest victim, a 9-year-old boy who was treated and released. Miguel Balbuena, 15, was on his bike waiting to cross when he heard a woman scream. He tried to get out of the way but failed. He's on crutches after a metal pole squeezed his leg. "It's not something you see every day," he told television station KTVU, saying it was like a scene out of a movie. "It was really hard to see." Isaiah Peoples' former housemate Chuck Herrera described him as quiet someone who had to be coaxed into going out for drinks or dinner. He said Peoples was kind to Herrera's toddler son. He recalls Peoples "always had a lot of pills" and a cough. "The guy I met was not someone who you think will hurt someone," he said. "My guess is something happened." Federal prosecutors in Virginia are preparing to file a criminal charge against a former NASA subcontractor suspected of fraud and linked to the failed 2011 launch of the NASA Glory spacecraft. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia has yet to publicly post the complaint. Justice Department court filings show an employee of the contractor has already admitted being part of a fraud scheme in a separate case. The unspecified criminal charge against Hydro Extrusions, formerly known as Sapa, will be filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. The U.S. attorney declined to comment on the case. An internal NASA memo said the agencys internal inspectors investigated Sapa in 2015 for altering test results performed on the companys aluminium extrusions. According to the U.S. Justice Department, a company supervisor admitted to a fraud scheme in 2017 in a separate criminal case in Oregon. The Justice Department said the employee doctored test results to ensure the companys unreliable and inconsistent production practices would not prevent aluminum extrusions from being shipped to customers. The Justice Department said by doing so, the former Sapa employee and lab technicians altered the mechanical properties of aluminum extrusions over 4,000 times, allowing the manufacturing company to gross over $6.8 million in total sales based on altered test results. According to the Justice Department, Aluminum extrusions are manufactured for a variety of applications, including aeronautic uses such as rockets. Sapa worked as an aluminium subcontractor for NASA beginning in the 1990s, according to multiple reports. The internal NASA memo did not specify whether fraud by Sapa contributed to the failure of the 2011 Nasa Glory spacecraft launch. But the memo said fraud was a suspected cause of the doomed mission. NASA did not immediately return requests for comment. Upon learning of the misconduct, we immediately stopped it and reported the details to government officials," said a spokesman for Hydro Extrusions in a statement to the News4 I-Team. "Over the past several years we have undertaken aggressive remediation actions and have invested significant time and resources to completely overhaul our quality and compliance organizations. This includes the implementation of more than $14 million in state-of-the-art testing equipment across our North American operations that automates the tensile testing process. A dangerous chemical spill prompted a hazardous materials response in suburban Beach Park, forcing residents to shelter-in-place for several hours and closing schools Thursday morning. At 5 a.m., the Lake County sheriff's office tweeted that anyone within a one-mile radius of the intersection of North Green Bay Road and East 29th Street should stay inside with windows closed. They were also told to turn off any heating or ventilation equipment. Just after 10 a.m., that order had been lifted, but law enforcement was still going door-to-door checking on residents. Officials said the spill appeared to be anhydrous ammonia, "which created a dangerous chemical cloud in the area," warning the public not to get close. Anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas with "pungent, suffocating fumes," per the CDC, which said it can cause difficulty breathing, chest pain, burns and more, becoming potentially fatal at high concentrations. At least 37 people, including two deputies who were among the first to arrive at the scene, were transported to area hospitals for evaluation, according to Sgt. Christopher Covelli with the Lake County Sheriff's office. Lake Forest Fire Division Chief Mike Gallo urged anyone who may be having breathing issues in the area to call 911 and get evaluated. The Lake County sheriff's office said the spill occurred at around 4:30 a.m. when a tractor carrying a container of anhydrous ammonia either tipped over or was involved in a crash, per a deputy who was near the scene. "It is really important to stay inside," Covelli said in a phone interview, adding, "Don't come out and risk breathing in these fumes, these toxic fumes that are in the air." The chemical posed a "major risk," according to Covelli, who said that when inhaled, it can cause unconsciousness and even death. Further details, including timing on when the spill might be resolved, were not available. "At least several more hours if not a good part of the day here," said Divison Chief Mike Gallo with the Forest Lake Fire Department. All schools in Beach Park School District 3 were closed Thursday because of the chemical spill, the district posted on its website, citing safety concerns for students and staff. District 3 schools include: Beach Park Middle School, Howe Elementary School, Kenneth Murphy Elementary School, Newport Elementary School and Oak Crest Elementary School. Zion-Benton Township High School and New Tech High @ Zion-Benton East were also closed Thursday, according to an alert from District 126, which said police advised school officials to cancel classes for the day, and that the district did not have access to buses for student transport. Prairie Trail schools in Wadsworth were also closed, Covelli said. Sky5 footage from above showed a large response to the hazmat situation, with several emergency vehicles on the scene. Check back for updates on this developing story. Federal authorities said Wednesday they have charged 60 people, including 31 doctors, for their roles in illegally prescribing and distributing millions of pills containing opioids and other dangerous drugs. U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman of Cincinnati described the action as the biggest known takedown yet of drug prescribers. Robert Duncan, U.S. attorney for eastern Kentucky, called the doctors involved "white-coated drug dealers." Authorities said the 60 includes 53 medical professionals tied to some 350,000 prescriptions and 32 million pills. The operation was conducted by the federal Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force, launched last year by the Trump administration. Authorities said arrests were being made and search warrants carried out as they announced the charges at a news conference. They didnt immediately name those being charged. U.S. health authorities have reported there were more than 70,000 drug overdose deaths in 2017, for a rate of 21.7 per 100,000 people. West Virginia and Ohio have regularly been among the states with the highest overdose death rates as the opioid crisis has swelled in recent years. Among those charged was a Tennessee doctor who dubbed himself the "Rock Doc" and is accused of prescribing dangerous combinations of drugs such as fentanyl and oxycodone, sometimes in exchange for sex, authorities said Others include a Kentucky doctor who is accused of writing prescriptions to Facebook friends who came to his home to pick them up, another who allegedly left signed blank prescriptions for staff to fill out and give to patients he hadnt seen, and a Kentucky dentist accused of removing teeth unnecessarily and scheduling unneeded follow-up appointments. A Dayton, Ohio, doctor was accused of running a "pill mill" that allegedly dispensed 1.75 million pills in a two-year period. Authorities said an Alabama doctor recruited prostitutes and other women he had sexual relations with to his clinic and allowed them to abuse drugs in his home. Most of those charged came from the five strike force states of Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. One person each was also arrested in Pennsylvania and Louisiana. "The opioid crisis is the deadliest drug crisis in American history, and Appalachia has suffered the consequences more than perhaps any other region," U.S. Attorney General William Barr said in a statement in Washington. Associated Press reporter John Minchillo contributed. President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to battle the deadly epidemic of opioid drug abuse "until our job is done" and he claimed progress even though it is unclear whether the crisis has diminished. Trump spoke an annual conference of health, law enforcement, elected and other officials who work to combat drug abuse and addiction, and used the appearance to advocate for the wall he wants to build on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying it will help keep drugs out of the U.S. His wife, Melania, introduced him. "My administration is deploying every resource at our disposal to empower you, to support you and to fight right by your side," Trump said. "We will not solve this epidemic overnight but we will stop. ... We will never stop until our job is done." Before leaving the White House for the Atlanta event, Trump claimed credit for progress in combating the drug scourge. "It's a big problem. It's a big addiction and we're handling it," the president told reporters. "We've made a tremendous amount of progress." He said doctors, laboratories, clinics and drug companies have assisted the administration. While there have been signs of progress, including a drop in the number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers, it remained unclear whether the problem is on the decline. Opioid abuse claimed a record of nearly 48,000 American lives in 2017. An estimated 2 million people are addicted to the drugs, which include both legal prescription pain medications and illegal drugs such as heroin. While prescription opioids initially accounted for most deaths, the epidemic is now driven by illicit heroin and fentanyl. Those two drugs were implicated in the vast majority of opioid overdoses reported in 2017, according to federal figures. Keith Humphreys, a drug policy adviser to presidents from both political parties, said some states are making progress, but not because of action by Trump. Humphreys said other states have regressed. Humphreys said Trump's declaration of opioids addiction as a public health emergency in 2017 failed to translate into significant concrete action. Members of Congress, he said, "figured out they were going to have to do it themselves and they did." Trump said the administration has committed $6 billion to combat the crisis, set aside money to prevent youth substance abuse, and increased the distribution of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. "Pretty amazing stuff," the president said. He talked about allowing states to use Medicaid dollars to pay for residential treatment, legislation to help women and babies born dependent on opioids, and treatment for veterans. Trump also discussed law enforcement efforts, including shutting down online criminal drug-selling networks and more aggressive efforts to seize illegal drugs and stop immigrants from entering the country without authorization. He said that almost 400 miles of wall will be in place along the border with Mexico by the end of 2020 and that it "will have a tremendous impact on drugs coming into our country." The first lady spoke briefly about her visits to hospitals and treatment centers and her meetings with doctors and nurses as part of her own campaign to highlight the "terrible toll the opioid epidemic is having on children and young mothers." "My husband is here today because he cares deeply about what you're doing to help the millions of Americans affected by the opioid epidemic," she said. It's difficult to get a complete and authoritative accounting of how much the federal government is spending to fight opioid abuse since it occurs across many programs, including Medicaid, which doesn't require annual funding approval from Congress, and dozens of other programs that do. Experts say the amount probably is still not enough. Trump's proposed spending blueprint for the coming budget year includes $6.6 billion to curb illicit opioid use. The administration said that is $83 million more than the current year. Trump signed legislation last fall that outlined steps to improve care and access to treatment. It allows nurse practitioners to prescribe addiction treatment medication, boosts incentives for people to get training in addiction medicine and allows Medicare to cover the use of methadone for opioid addiction. Humphreys, who worked with lawmakers on the measure, said the parties couldn't agree on the fundamental question of how much money to throw at the problem, so instead they cobbled together the various small improvements they could agree on. "And that's all good," Humphreys said. "But it's not transformative." Part of Gov. Ned Lamonts proposed budget has some animal advocates say hes barking up the wrong tree. Folks are literally breaking the piggy bank to take care of their pet, Gordan Willard, executive director of the Connecticut Humane Society said. Veterinary care is one of several goods and services to which Lamont wants to apply the states 6.35 percent sales tax. It is one of a bevy of products and services that would see the sales tax applied to them for the first time. We have a budget out there right now, I kind of like the budget I got out there, its honest and its credible, Lamont said on Wednesday. Lamont says the sales tax expansion would bring in $292 million the first year and $500 million the second. But Willard says the tax would be a financial burden to families with pets and could potentially cause them to have to make sacrifices. We would rather have them stay with their family then have to give them up and then we have to find another family makes no sense, Willard said. At the federal level, one of Connecticuts U.S. Senators is looking to keep pet care affordable. Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced a bill Thursday that could help cut costs for pet owners when it comes to their prescriptions. For pet owners like Ginny Lavoie, the cost for pet care can come with a bite. Youre talking anywhere from five to $600 a year, Lavoie said. While she says she expects some costs to go up, she says her pets care should not be taxed. What to Know The document, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, shows that Bulger's cause of death was "Blunt Force Injuries of the Head." The death certificate said the injury occurred when Bulger was "Assaulted by other(s)" in his prison cell. Fotios "Freddy" Geas, a reputed New England mafia hitman, has been named as a potential suspect. Geas is one of several potential suspects. NBC10 Boston has obtained the death certificate for Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger. The document, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, shows that Bulger's cause of death was "Blunt Force Injuries of the Head." The death certificate said the injury occurred when he was "Assaulted by other(s)" in his prison cell at the United States Penitentiary, Hazelton in Bruceton, West Virginia. It also says he was found in his cell at 8:21 a.m. on Oct. 30, 2018. His final manner of death is listed as homicide. Six months after Bulger's murder, no one has been charged in connection with his death. Federal law enforcement officials believe Bulger was killed with a "lock-in-the-sock" inside his cell, multiple law enforcement officials told NBC News. The "lock-in-the-sock" involves placing a prison lock inside an inmate's sock and hitting the victim repeatedly. In this case, two sources said that Bulger was hit repeatedly. Fotios "Freddy" Geas, a reputed New England mafia hitman, has been named as a potential suspect. But two sources told NBC News that Geas is one of several potential suspects they are looking at for the killing. Bulger led the Irish mob in South Boston for decades and became an FBI informant who supplied information on the New England Mafia, his gang's main rival, in an era when bringing down the Italian mob was a top national priority for the bureau. Tipped off that he was about to be indicted, Bulger became a fugitive and eluded authorities for 16 years before being captured in 2011. He was convicted in 2013 in 11 underworld slayings and a long list of other crimes and was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Bulger was killed just days after arriving at the high-security Hazelton prison. He had previously been in a prison in Florida, with a stopover at a transfer facility in Oklahoma City. Federal Bureau of Prisons officials and his attorney declined to comment on why he was being moved. Bulger's attorney, J.W. Carney Jr., blamed his death on prison officials, saying Bulger "was sentenced to life in prison, but as a result of decisions by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, that sentence has been changed to the death penalty." Former Vice President Joe Biden, a fan of the No Child Left Behind Act in its early days who later soured on the landmark federal education law, is the latest Democrat to announce that he is running for president in 2020 . Biden, who served as Delawares senator for 36 years prior to joining President Barack Obamas White House in 2009, has a K-12 record that touches on several issues, although he never made education policy one of his signature issues during his tenure in Washington. During his time serving in the White House with President Barack Obama, Biden was the administrations point man for its response to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. That response ultimately included a push to spend $150 million in support of new school safety plans and hiring school resource officers, as well as $100 million in additional spending on mental-health measures. Biden also focused on school safety during his time in the Senate, when he was the key author of the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, which prohibited knowingly possessing and discharging a firearm on school grounds or within 1,000 feet of a school, with certain exceptions. (In 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump declared that the law merely turned schools into bait for violent criminals .) Earlier in his tenure as vice president, Biden oversaw spending under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus. At the time, he warned that schools should avoid spending $100 billion in stimulus cash on things like swimming pools. But its Bidens views about race and education from several decades ago that have reemerged in headlines recently. The Washington Post recently highlighted Bidens opposition to busing as a means to promote school integration during the 1970s. I dont feel responsible for the sins of my father and grandfather. I feel responsible for what the situation is today, for the sins of my own generation, Biden said in 1975. And Ill be damned if I feel responsible to pay for what happened 300 years ago. A spokesman for Biden told the Post the former vice president stands by his position on busing but stressed Bidens other work on civil rights including his push to desegregate a Delaware movie theater. You Need Better Teachers Back in 2001 as a senator, Biden supported the bill that became the No Child Left Behind Act. But as the presumptive vice presidential nominee, he switched views; in 2008, Biden said the law doesnt work. When the bill was moving through Congress, he said he backed NCLB because of his faith in Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. I would scrap itor I guess, theoretically, you could do a major overhaul. But I think Id start from the beginning, Biden said. You need better teachers. You need smaller classrooms. You need to start kids earlier. Its all basic. Earlier in 2008, when he was still a candidate for president, Biden supported providing free preschool to all children, as well as bonuses for teachers who worked in disadvantaged neighborhoods. His wife, Jill Biden, was a high school teacher and has also taught at Northern Virginia Community College and advocated for the role of community colleges during the Obama administration. Photo: Former Vice President Joe Biden talks with supporters during a campaign rally for Pennsylvania Democratic candidates for Congress last year. (Butch Comegys/The Times-Tribune via AP) Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Andrew Ujifusa half of Politics K-12 @AndrewUjifusa . Demonstrators gathered outside the Wethersfield Police Department headquarters then marched the Silas Deane Highway Thursday, fighting for justice after a police-involved shooting that killed an 18-year-old man. The protesters are demanding justice for the young man they called Chulo. Thats the nickname for 18-year-old Anthony Jose Vega Cruz. Connecticut State Police say he died several days after being shot by a Wethersfield Police officer in the area of Silas Deane Highway and Maple Street. "We havent gotten satisfactory answers from the police department," said Cornell Lewis, an organizer with the group Moral Monday CT. Investigators said that on Saturday officers were trying to pull over Vegas car when it struck a cruiser. Police say an officer got out and Vega drove toward him, which is when Officer Layau Eulizier opened fired. Another officer Peter Salvatore was there at the time but did not shoot. The Hartford States Attorneys Office is now leading the investigation. We want to see the dash cam video and we want to know why this officer felt comfortable enough to shoot this young man, rather than try to apprehend him in another way, Lewis said. Omayra Ramos, a family friend, said many are carrying disbelief and anger after the shooting. We just want to know why it happened? Why stuff is not being deescalated properly? And what are the actual protocols for a situation like this?" Ramos said. The group called for a more compassionate response from town leaders. Theyd also like to see changes in police culture and policies. The message has been sent. Were not going away. Well be here to the end of it. Well get change. Well get justice for Chulo, Bishop John Selders of Moral Monday CT said. During a similar protest on Monday, Wethersfields police chief called this a tragedy but deferred questions to state authorities. Vegas funeral is set for Friday in Bloomfield. Connecticut State Police have identified two Wethersfield Police officers involved in the fatal police shooting of an 18-year-old suspect on Saturday. The Hartford State's Attorney's Office is leading the investigation into the shooting that killed 18-year-old Anthony Jose Vega Cruz. The teenager was suspected of trying to hit a police officer with his vehicle. On Wednesday State Police identified the officer who fired as Officer Layau Eulizier. Eulizier was hired by the Wethersfield Police Department in August 2018. Prior to that he served in the US Air Force until 2017. A second officer, Officer Peter Salvatore, was also present at the shooting, but did not fire his weapon, according to Connecticut State Police. He has worked for Wethersfield Police since September 2013. State Police said neither officer has any disciplinary history. Connecticut State Police are still piecing together what led to a Wethersfield Police officer opening fire in the area of Silas Deane Highway and Maple Street on Saturday. Troopers said Cruz and his passenger, 18-year-old Stephanie Santiago, were in a car that two Wethersfield police officers were trying to pull over when there was a collision between the suspects vehicle and one of the cruisers. State Police said an officer got out of his cruiser and the suspects car drove toward him. Detectives say thats when the officer fired. Investigators said Cruz died of his injuries at the hospital. Santiago was not hurt. Wethersfield police said their officers are not equipped with body cameras. From those thinking about joining the ranks of Connecticut State Police to those who are already serving, dozens showed up for a State Police special recruiting event at the Connecticut Police Academy in Meriden on Wednesday. State Police havent had a recruiting event geared toward women in about a decade. Troopers thought it was time to do one again after previously hearing women voice concerns. Ive always been interested in law enforcement and I think they do very important work, Kelsey Wallace of New Haven, said. Wallace was among those taking part in the Women in Policing event. Im really just interested in knowing more about becoming a state trooper, what they go through and how to get to the end goal, Wallace said. Wallace and others heard from women about how they started their careers and in some cases also started a family. We know theres a lot out there that are interested. But they dont know the full, full details of what it involves, what it takes and yes you can do both. You can be a mother. You can be a wife and you can do this job, Trooper First Class Kelly Grant, said. Among the areas the troopers represented were patrol, major crime and K9. I just determined working behind a desk wasnt a job for me. I wanted to be outside, Trooper Dawn Taylor said. Taylor, along with her partner Lucas, is the resident trooper in Deep River. Shes now been with State Police for more than 13 years. I think were all out there doing the same job. I enjoy that, Taylor said. Right now there are less than 100 women out of 900 troopers. The hope is events like this could help change that. A New Hampshire man who smuggled rare lizards from the Philippines to the U.S. by hiding them in socks and placing them inside electronic equipment has pleaded guilty. Federal prosecutors say 26-year-old Derrick Semedo pleaded guilty in Boston on Tuesday to trafficking in protected wildlife in violation of U.S. and Philippines law and international wildlife treaties. Authorities say from March to December 2016, the Nashua, New Hampshire, man imported 20 live lizards by placing them in socks, sealing the socks with tape, then concealing them in the back panels of audio speakers or other electronic equipment. The equipment was shipped via commercial carriers to Semedo. Some lizards were then sold to customers in other states. He faces up to five years in prison at sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug. 13. What to Know Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor charged with obstruction of justice. Joseph and MacGregor accused of helping an undocumented immigrant evade detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. AG Maura Healey called the federal indictment "a radical and politically-motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts." A Massachusetts judge and trial court officer were indicted Thursday on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly helping a man living in the U.S. illegally to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent by sneaking out a back door. The indictment, released Thursday, charges Newton District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and former Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor with obstruction of justice. MacGregor was also charged with perjury. The indictment says Joseph and MacGregor helped an undocumented immigrant appearing in their courtroom from evading detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both Joseph and MacGregor pleaded not guilty to charges at their appearance in Boston federal court. According to court documents, the charges stem from a case in March 30, 2018, where Newton police charged undocument immigrant Jose Medina Perez with drug possession and being a fugitive from justice from Pennsylvania. Perez was arraigned on April 2 and allowed by MacGregor to leave out a back door after the hearing, evading an ICE officer who was waiting at court to take him into custody. Perez was caught by immigration officials about a month after the hearing and is now in immigration proceedings. "From certain corners I have heard the occasional gasp of dismay or outrage at the notion of holding a judge accountable for violating federal law," Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling told reporters. "But if the law is not applied equally it cannot credibly be applied to anyone." Joseph, 51, has been a Massachusetts District Court judge since 2017. MacGregor, 56, had worked as a Massachusetts Trial Court Officer since 1993. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court suspended Joseph without pay on Thursday after news of the indictment was made public. "Abuses of power hurt us all," said Peter Fitzhugh, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. "It undermines the core mission of government to serve the people. It has no place in a just and accountable society." After federal authorities opened an investigation into the matter, Gov. Charlie Baker said in December that he wanted Joseph suspended until the case was resolved. Lizzy Guyton, Baker's communications director, said in a statement Thursday the governor "believes no one should obstruct federal law enforcement officials trying to do their jobs and supports the Supreme Judicial Court's decision to suspend Judge Joseph without pay. The Baker-Polito Administration has filed legislation to allow court officials as well as law-enforcement to work with federal immigration officials to detain dangerous individuals." Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey blasted the indictment, calling it a "radical and politically-motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts." She said it is a "bedrock principle" of the constitutional system that "federal prosecutors should not recklessly interfere with the operation of state courts and their administration of justice." Healey said the matter could have been handled by the Commission on Judicial Conduct and the Trial Court. "Dallas is" That is the sentence Verdigris Ensemble has been asking Dallas citizens to complete as they prepare for "Faces of Dallas," the choir's season finale concert at Arts Mission Oak Cliff from April 26 - 28. Part of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's SOLUNA International Music and Arts Festival, the concert highlights the diversity of Dallas from the perspective of people who have called Dallas home for generations to families seeking refuge in the Lone Star State. More than year in the making, the concert is a fusion of music, visual art and poetry reflecting the responses of more than 900 Dallas residents. The choir chose four individuals or groups that reflect different perspectives of Dallas as the concert's "Faces of Dallas." Their stories inspired paintings by Stephen Zhang and are the impetus for original music by David Ross Lawn. Sam Brukhman Sam Brukhman, Verdigris Ensemble's artistic director, met one of those faces of Dallas, Donald Payton, at the South Dallas Cultural Center. Payton, a genealogist, is descended from one of the first black families living in Dallas. Payton got a preview of his portrait. "I cried when I saw that portrait of me. That's the first painting I've ever had of me," Payton said. Payton first learned about his family's history as a child listening to his relatives tell family stories. "That's what people talked about. This is before we had television. Television was a luxury. We sat around and talked about things," Payton said. He heard stories about his great-great-grandfather, John Miller, who bought land near what is now Paul Quinn College after he was freed from slavery and started a farm. He learned about the hard work his family members did, picking cotton and washing clothes. Meeting Alex Haley, author of "Roots," was a revelation for Payton. Haley explained the value of genealogy and Payton learned how to research and corroborate his family's oral histories. His family's hard work is a source of pride for him. "When I heard those stories, I admired those people," he said. Payton grew up in Hamilton Park and experienced Dallas as a segregated city. "As far as segregation was concerned, we had our own communities," Payton said, explaining the separate churches, restaurants, stores and theaters. "Restaurants would say, 'We don't serve Negroes.' And we'd say, 'That's good because we don't eat them.' We always used humor. It's called laughing to keep from crying." He attended North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas. The school had been forced to integrate and Payton and his fellow black classmates endured institutional racism. "A lot of subtle stuff was going on, but we were there for the education," Payton said. "We came from segregated communities and we knew what was going on and we learned to swim through it." Payton does not allow racism to define him. "I've never let segregation stop me going from where I want, doing what I want,' he said. "I'm here to learn from you and you learn from me. We're here to exchange ideas." Determined to feature the stories of Dallas' refugee population, Brukhman connected with Jin-Ya Huang, the founder of Break Bread, Break Borders, a catering business that provides training and creates financial opportunities for refugees interested in the culinary industry. Jin-Ya Huang Huang introduced Brukhman to Sharifeh and Jamilah, Afghan refugee sisters. Speaking through an interpreter, Sharifeh explained by 2006, life in Kabul was too dangerous for the sisters. "My family is Shia Muslim, but Taliban, just like most Afghanis, are Sunnis," she said. "There is a lot of conflict between the two Islamic sects. Every year around our new year, which is in spring, Taliban would raid Shia homes and take our belongings. If they found beautiful young girls, they would take them away too. The situation got worse year after year; they started burning houses and attacking more frequently. We decided to leave to protect our children." The sisters left Afghanistan, traveling through Iran to reach Turkey in 2007. They applied for resettlement and waited in Turkey for 9 years, arriving in Dallas in 2016. "I didn't know much about Dallas. I thought it would be really hot, like a desert, and we would get headaches from the heat," Sharifeh said. "I remember exiting the airport and feeling the hottest air I have ever felt. Though I imagined Dallas would be hot, it still surprised me." Verdigris Ensemble Like many refugees, Sharifeh does not speak English, forcing her to rely on others. She has also been caring for her husband who developed kidney issues 18 months ago. At Break Bread, Break Borders, she finds hope for her new life in Dallas. "Break Bread, Break Borders gives me work to do. It also gives me money. When my husband got sick, we had no financial support or any savings to treat him. We had to borrow a lot of money to pay for his treatment. We also experienced homelessness in Afghanistan and Turkey, and I don't want that to happen to us again. Break Bread, Break Borders allows me to provide for my family, and that's very important to me," Sharifeh said. "I hope to one day open my own restaurant." MORE: Verdigris Music "Faces of Dallas" Boeing is already estimating a $1 billion increase in costs related to its troubled 737 Max and has pulled its forecast of 2019 earnings because of uncertainty surrounding the jetliner, which remains grounded after two crashes that killed 346 people. The $1 billion figure is a conservative starting point. It covers increased production costs over the next few years but does not include the company's spending to fix software implicated in the crashes, additional pilot training, or compensation for families of the dead passengers. The estimate was disclosed Wednesday in a presentation for investors as Boeing released first-quarter financial results, which missed Wall Street expectations. While lacking many details, the disclosures gave the clearest picture yet of the financial damage that the accidents are causing to the aerospace giant. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg repeated that the company is making progress on updating key flight-control software in the Max with the goal of convincing regulators to let the plane fly again. Chicago-based Boeing Co. said its previously issued full-year guidance didn't account for 737 Max impacts. It plans to issue a new guidance at a future date. The company also said it is suspending stock buybacks. Boeing spent $2.3 billion in the first quarter to buy its own stock, which is designed to make remaining shares more valuable. Investors and consumers have been scrutinizing Boeing since Max jets crashed in October and March. The accidents have damaged the company's reputation for safety, caused the worldwide grounding of about 370 Max jets, and raised questions about the U.S. government's approval of the plane in 2017. In January, Boeing projected full-year adjusted earnings of about $20 a share. After the company's announcement that it was cutting production of the Max, however, analysts had dropped their forecast all the way to $16.40 on average, according to FactSet. On a conference call, Muilenburg defended the company against an analyst who asked how Boeing got in this spot. The CEO disputed the notion that Boeing engineers and federal regulators may not have fully understood how pilots would interact with new anti-stall software called MCAS. "There was no surprise or gap or unknown here, or something that somehow slipped through a certification process," Muilenburg said. "We also know there are areas where we can improve," he added, explaining why Boeing is now upgrading MCAS with changes that will limit the software's ability to automatically force the plane's nose down powerfully in some circumstances. Executives gave no update on a timetable for regulatory approval of software fix and pilot-training program. The company has completed test flights, and the next crucial step is a certification flight with Federal Aviation Administration representatives on board. Preliminary reports indicate that faulty sensor readings triggered MCAS and pushed the nose down in both the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet off the coast of Indonesia and the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max. Boeing began working on a software fix immediately after the first crash. Foreign regulators are expected to take longer than FAA to approve resumed flights. When that happens, Boeing says it has a plan to win over passengers who are reluctant to get back on a Max jet, but admits it will take time for travelers to regain confidence in the plane. "We think a key voice in all of this will be the pilots for our airlines," Muilenburg said. "That bond between the passenger and the pilot is one that is critical." Dennis Tajer, a 737 pilot and union spokesman at American Airlines, said that "if and when we are confident in the Max we will do more than speak publicly about it, we will be right there with our passengers." Tajer said Muilenburg, airline CEOs and regulators should show their faith in the Max by flying on it too, perhaps with their families. Boeing reported first quarter net earnings of $2.15 billion, down $328 million or 13% from a year earlier. Revenue slid $465 million or 2%, to $22.92 billion, on fewer deliveries of 737s. Profit adjusted to exclude non-repeating items was $3.16 per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $3.19 per share on revenue of $22.94 billion, and both of those forecasts had been reduced considerably in the past month. Boeing has about 4,600 unfilled orders for the Max. After the planes were grounded and no more were being delivered to airliners, the company cut its production from 52 to 42 a month, at least temporarily jeopardizing plans to boost production to 57 planes a month this summer. Goldman Sachs analyst Noah Poponak said the impact of the Max grounding was earlier and larger than he had expected. UBS analyst Myles Walton said the company's estimate of a $1 billion hit from the Max situation was "likely below the low end of anyone's thinking." Still, Boeing stock should get a boost, he added, when the company submits its work to the FAA for certification, likely in the next couple weeks. In afternoon trading, the shares rose $1.21 to $375.23. A team of investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board is in North Texas to try to determine why a train derailed before bursting into flames early Wednesday morning in Fort Worth. It happened just off of Yuma Drive, near Echo Lake Park. The Union Pacific train was hauling ethanol through the city when 25 of its cars came off the railroad tracks. Five of them caught fire. Flames and smoke poured out of the cars for hours, spreading to a nearby barn that burned to the ground. The owners of the barn said three horses perished inside. Union Pacific said its crew on board the train was not hurt. No firefighters were injured either. A spokesperson for the NTSB said its five-person team arrived at the site Thursday morning -- and will likely spend the next five to seven days there investigating three primary areas: The crew: Investigators will speak to the crew that was on board the train to find out what conditions were like, how they handled those conditions, and what, if anything, affected their ability to operate the train. The equipment: They'll look at the train itself, as well as the railroad tracks in the area, to determine whether everything was functioning properly at the time. The environment: They'll investigate what role the weather played in the derailment. Once they finish up at the site, it will take them roughly a month to put together and release a preliminary report on the derailment. A spokesperson for Union Pacific said the company was also conducting its own investigation into the incident. A Coast Guard lieutenant accused of being a domestic terrorist is entitled to be released from custody before his trial on firearms and drug charges, a federal magistrate said Thursday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day noted 50-year-old Christopher Hasson hasn't been charged with any terrorism related offenses. Hasson was arrested Feb. 15 and is awaiting trial on firearms and drug charges. Prosecutors have said he created a hit list of prominent Democrats, two Supreme Court justices, network TV journalists and social media company executives. Day said he still has "grave concerns" about Hasson based on information prosecutors have presented. The magistrate said Hasson is "going to have to have a whole lot of supervision" before his release, a process that could take several days. Day didn't order Hasson to be immediately released. The magistrate gave Hasson's defense attorney, Liz Oyer, a few days to arrange conditions of release that would be acceptable to the court. "At Christopher Hassons detention hearing today, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day stated that he will release Lt. Hasson if the defense can propose suitable conditions of release," Marcia Murphy, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Robert Hur's office, said in a statement. "As of now, Mr. Hasson remains detained pending further possible proceedings. The government will oppose any conditions of release. If Judge Day does order the defendants release, the government intends to appeal such release to the U.S. District Judge presiding over the case, on the basis of the danger to the community posed by the defendant." Oyer said her client hadn't made any direct or specific threats to harm anyone. She said prosecutors are seeking to punish Hasson for "private thoughts" that he never shared. "They have not come forward with evidence that Mr. Hasson is a domestic terrorist because he is not," she told Day. But prosecutors have said Hasson is a self-described white nationalist who espoused extremist views for years and "intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country." In a February court filing, prosecutors said Hasson drafted an email in which he said he was "dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth." Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom said prosecutors had presented "clear and convincing evidence" that Hasson poses a danger to the public. Prosecutors accused Hasson of successfully testing illegal homemade silencers "to murder quietly and on a mass scale," WBAL-TV reported. "The dots were connected directly by the defendant with his own writings," Windom said. Prosecutors have said Hasson appeared to be planning attacks inspired by the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage. On Feb. 21, Day ordered Hasson to be held without bond. At that time, however, the magistrate said he was willing to revisit his decision if prosecutors didn't bring more serious charges within two weeks. On Thursday, Day said he was inclined to order home confinement with electronic monitoring for Hasson and restrict his access to firearms and computers. No other hearings are scheduled in this case, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Prosecutors claim Hasson drew up what appeared to be a computer-spreadsheet hit list that included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic presidential hopefuls Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Several network TV journalists MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN's Chris Cuomo and Van Jones also were mentioned. Hasson also targeted two Supreme Court justices and two social media company executives, prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday. The filing doesn't name them, but it says Hasson searched online for their home addresses in March 2018, within minutes before and after searching firearm sales websites. Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition at Hasson's basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, prosecutors said. "He has these ready to go, ready for use," Windom said. Oyer said Hasson has had a lifelong interest in firearms and likes to hunt and target practice. She said the number of guns he owned isn't unusual in North Carolina, where he lived for years before moving to Maryland. Hasson's Feb. 27 indictment also accuses him of illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. Hasson pleaded not guilty last month to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. He faces a maximum of 31 years in prison if convicted of all four counts in his indictment. Hasson, a former Marine, worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington on a program to acquire advanced new cutters for the agency. A Coast Guard spokesman has said Hasson will remain on active duty until the case against him is resolved. In a campaign stop in Fort Worth Thursday, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) blasted President Donald Trump as "the most dangerous" president in history and welcomed former Vice President Joe Biden into the Democratic race. "He is a pathological liar and a fraud," Sanders said of the president. Sanders spoke to about 2,000 people who gathered in Burnett Plaza downtown. He detailed his own agenda to win the White House, hitting themes like criminal justice reform, inclusiveness and economic inequality. "Justice means we are sick and tired of an economy in which the CEO's of large corporations now make 300 times what their workers are earning," the senator said. Sanders didn't mention any of his Democratic challengers during his speech. But in a brief exchange with reporters afterward, he welcomed Biden into the race. "Joe Biden is a friend of mine," Sanders said. "Joe and I disagree on many, many major issues. I look forward to an issues-oriented campaign where we are going to discuss the important issues facing the American people." He also predicted Democrats will unite around the ultimate nominee. The crowd was diverse and remarkably young. "I think there's a big cultural change happening right now," said 18-year-old student Donaldo Elias, who came to the rally with two friends. The three said they had not decided which candidate to support. "There's a lot of Democrats running," said Anthony Rojas, also 18. "I think that's a great thing because we have a lot of variety of ideas and topics we can talk about." It was notable Sanders brought his campaign to Fort Worth instead of a city like Dallas, long a Democratic stronghold. Republicans have long dominated Tarrant County politics but Democrat Beto O'Rourke beat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in the county in November. Russian President Vladimir Putin said after his summit with Kim Jong Un Thursday that the North Korean leader is ready to proceed toward denuclearization but needs solid security guarantees to do so. Putin said that he will be willing to share details of the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that "there are no secrets." He noted that Kim himself encouraged him to explain certain nuances of Pyongyang's position to Trump. The summit on Russky Island, across a bridge from the far-eastern port city of Vladivostok, reflected Russia's effort to emerge as an essential player in the North Korean nuclear standoff, a role that would raise Moscow's global clout and its leverage with Washington. Putin emphasized that the North Korean leader is ready to move toward a nuclear-free status but would only proceed when he gets solid guarantees. He did not, however, specify what those guarantees would look like. "Above all, he focuses on protecting national interests and security," Putin said. Earlier in the day, Putin voiced confidence that Kim's visit will "help better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes going on now." Kim's meeting with Putin follows a year of intense diplomacy the North hopes will help it get out from under international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programs. Kim has already held four summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korean President Moon Jae-on and two with President Donald Trump. Kim's second summit with Trump in February ended without any agreements, and his trip to Russia reflects his desire to put more pressure on Washington and show some independence from Beijing as well. For Putin, the meeting offers a chance to increase his role as a potential broker. He immediately emphasized that he was willing to share details of the talks with Trump. The Russian leader emphasized that Moscow and Washington both want Pyongyang to denuclearize. When he sat down for talks with Kim, he praised him for engaging in dialogue with the U.S. "We welcome your efforts to develop an inter-Korean dialogue and normalize North Korea's relations with the United States," Putin told Kim. Following their one-on-one meeting at the start of broader talks involving officials from both sides, Putin and Kim said they had a good discussion. "We discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and exchanged opinions about what should be done to improve the situation and how to do it," Putin said. Kim described the talks as "candid and meaningful." "The reason we visited Russia this time is to meet and share opinions with your excellency, President Putin, and also share views on the Korean Peninsula and regional political situation, which has garnered the urgent attention of the world, and also hold deep discussions on strategic ways to pursue stability in the regional political situation and on the matters of jointly managing the situation," Kim said. Looking confident but a bit stiff, Kim also congratulated the Russian leader on his re-election to another six-year term last year. "Ceaselessly bolstering and developing strategic and traditional relations between North Korea and Russia ... is my and my government's firm and unwavering position," Kim said later at a state banquet, where he made a toast. Since the Trump-Kim talks in February ended without a deal because of disputes over U.S.-led sanctions, there have been no publicly known high-level contacts between the U.S. and North Korea although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Kim wants the U.S. to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the U.S. maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearization moves. North Korea has increasingly expressed frustration at the deadlocked negotiations. Last week, it demanded U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo be removed from the talks and strongly criticized national security adviser John Bolton. In Seoul, President Moon said Thursday he'll try to hold a fourth summit with Kim and facilitate the resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks. Kim arrived in Vladivostok Wednesday aboard his private train and offered what is possibly his first interview ever with a foreign media outlet. He told Russian state television that he was hoping that his first visit to Russia would "successful and useful." He evoked his father's "great love for Russia" and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. The late Kim Jong Il made three trips to Russia, the last time in 2011. Like the U.S., Russia has strongly opposed Pyongyang's nuclear bid. Moscow was part of six-nation talks on the North Korean standoff that fell apart after Pyongyang's withdrawal in 2009. Putin said he wasn't sure if the talks could be revived, but he emphasized that international involvement will be needed to discuss guarantees for Pyongyang. Dmitri Trenin, the director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said ahead of Thursday's talks that Putin will likely encourage Kim to continue constructive talks with the U.S., reflecting Russia's own worry about the North nuclear and missile programs. "Russia can't be expected to side with North Korea and, let's say, support the North Koreans all the way in the Security Council," he said. Trenin said Moscow doubts the North could be persuaded to fully abandon its nuclear weapons, considering that a "mission impossible." "North Korea will not give up the only guarantee of the survival of the North Korean state and its regime," Trenin said. Russia would also like to gain broader access to North Korea's mineral resources, including rare metals. Pyongyang, for its part, covets Russia's electricity supplies and investment to modernize its dilapidated Soviet-built industrial plants, railways and other infrastructure. Vladivostok, a city of more than half a million on the Sea of Japan, faced gridlock on its roads as traffic was blocked in the city center due to Kim's visit. The authorities have temporarily closed the waters around Russky Island to all maritime traffic. Kim was expected to return to Pyongyang on Friday. Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim and Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report. The White House is denying a request by the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for testimony from senior adviser Stephen Miller about the administration's controversial immigration actions, NBC News reported. "The precedent for members of the White House staff to decline invitations to testify before congressional committees has been consistently adhered to by administrations of both political parties and is based on clearly established constitutional doctrines, White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in a letter to the committee's chairman, Elijah Cummings, on Wednesday. Cummings sent a letter to Miller last week requesting that he testify on Trump's immigration agenda. A tornado that touched down in Texas and tracked more than 100 miles east killed two people in Louisiana Thursday morning, the state's governor says. The twister made a direct hit on the city of Ruston, causing severe damage to buildings, vehicles and power lines and forcing a local university to cancel classes. A mother and her son were killed by a tree that fell on their home, according to the director for Louisiana's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. He said those were currently the only two known deaths in the state from the storm, but rescue workers were still combing through the area. Louisiana Tech University President Les Guice said on Twitter that classes were canceled Thursday. The university said no students were reported injured, but that trees and power lines were down in several places on campus. National Weather Service hydrologist C. S. Ross said it appears the tornado cut a track over 130 miles from eastern Texas to near the Louisiana-Arkansas border. NBC News reports it was one of five confirmed tornadoes reported Wednesday three of which were in Louisiana while two were in Texas. A possible tornado left people in San Augustine, Texas, without power and water overnight, NBC News reported, though no injuries have been reported as of Thursday despite major damage to homes and businesses. The severe weather system pounded Texas with rain Wednesday, killing a woman and her two children whose vehicle was caught in flash flood waters in Erath County. The children's father survived and was rescued nearby. He has since been treated and released from the hospital. In Dallas, a back-up in the stormwater drainage system caused flooding to dozens of cars parked at one of Dallas Love Field's parking garages Wednesday morning, city officials said. The storm moved into Mississippi on Thursday morning. Edwards said on Twitter that state police and the Louisiana National Guard were assisting local responders "following a tornado in Ruston this morning that has killed two people." The governor said he was traveling to Ruston to assess the damage. Alexander Arrow was planning on making a life for him and his son, Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa, at his new home in Lakeside. But on Easter Sunday, a series of attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka took the life of his 11-year-old boy and hundreds of others. Tell everyone just hug your kids extra hard, because life is delicate, said Arrow. Zoysa was spending a year in Sri Lanka, on leave from a private school in Washington, D.C., where he lived with his mother. He was at a luxury hotel at the time nine nearly simultaneous bombings went off throughout the country. Both his mother and maternal grandmother survived the blast. Arrow said in an interview with NBC's Today Show that he called Zoysa on Easter morning, less than an hour before a suicide bomber set off an explosive in the Cinnamon Grand Hotel's buffet line. Arrow told NBC 7 he moved to Lakeside more than a year ago and wanted to make it home for he and his son, who wanted to be a neurosurgeon specializing in Alzheimer's disease. He would inspire everyone around him to be their best, Arrow said. He impacted everybody. He made people want to be better and have better goals for themselves. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Zoysa visited his father for spring break just weeks before the deadly attacks; the boy left San Diego for Sri Lanka on April 14, the UT reported. The attacks at three hotels, three churches and three other locations killed more than 350 people and injured 500 others. Sri Lankan authorities blamed seven suicide bombers of a domestic militant group for coordinated Easter bombings. The coordinated attacks were considered Sri Lanka's deadliest violence since a devastating civil war in the South Asian island nation ended a decade ago. Hundreds of critics of mandatory vaccines were in Sacramento Wednesday opposing a California proposal to give state public health officials instead of local doctors the power to decide which children can skip their shots before attending school. They packed the first legislative hearing on a bill that proponents said would stem bogus exemptions granted in many cases by doctors who are paid to excuse students from vaccinations. Democratic Sen. Richard Pan of Sacramento said his legislation would give state health officials the tools they need to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, which in the first four months of the year have reached 28 confirmed cases in California. An Associated Press count shows this year's national measles tally is the highest since 1994. "If we continue to let these fake medical exemptions increase, we're going to have another larger outbreak, and we need to stop that now," Pan said. Pan's bill is one of a number of efforts by state legislatures to address measles outbreaks. Washington state lawmakers voted Tuesday to remove parents' ability to claim a personal or philosophical exemption from vaccinating their children for measles, although medical and religious exemptions will remain. Oregon is considering removing all non-medical exemptions, drawing the ire of hundreds of parents who came to the state capitol Tuesday to protest. Opponents of Pan's bill, including members of parental rights and religious groups, doctors and alternative healthcare practitioners, said the measure strips away parents' rights and isn't necessary to prevent outbreaks. "Now they're going after us parents whose children have been injured by vaccines, and doctors as well," said Christina Mecklenburg, who flew in from her Orange County home. "We can't remain silent any more. Too many of our children are being injured." She said a vaccine last year left her now 2-year-old daughter, Hayden, cross-eyed with an ocular palsy that wouldn't qualify for a medical exemption if Pan's bill becomes law. Opponents who jammed the hearing room and nearby hallways criticized the bill and Pan in unusually personal and emotional terms, with several accusing him of "committing crimes against humanity." "Shame on you," said another, while a third called the bill "evil" and urged him to "please, save your soul." Dr. Sergio Flores, testifying in support of the bill on behalf of the California Medical Association, countered that "vaccines save lives." Dozens of other medical professionals and students, many wearing white medical jackets, also lined up to support the bill. Sacramento mother Alyssa Hernandez supported the bill, saying a high vaccination rate is necessary to protect her son, Noah, 2. He received a liver transplant and so cannot be vaccinated himself against many common but vaccination-preventable diseases. "Each of them could be life-threatening for him," she said. Critics are unlikely to derail the bill because Pan, a Sacramento pediatrician, is chairman of the Senate Health Committee considering his legislation. He and other supporters said pockets of unvaccinated students are helping to spread measles outbreaks in California and elsewhere. Pan said a few unethical doctors are helping parents avoid vaccinating their children by selling medical exemptions through word of mouth or online advertising. California ended non-medical immunization exemptions in 2016, but Pan's bill would follow West Virginia's lead in having public health officials rather than doctors decide who qualifies for medical exemptions. Doctors would certify that they examined the patient and then send the state health department the reason they are recommending the exemption. State and county health officials could also revoke exemptions if they are found to be fraudulent or contradict federal immunization standards. Federal guidelines say less than 1 percent of children should avoid vaccinations if they have a severe allergic reaction or impaired immunity such as from a liver problem, the HIV virus or chemotherapy. Dr. Nicole Sharrock, a pediatrician, testified that she generally supports vaccinations but said the exemptions would be too narrow and exclude legitimate conditions. She called Pan's legislation "too extreme" because it would let state health officials overrule doctors' decisions. Those officials have "never laid eyes on my child," said Catharine Layton, who flew in from her Southern California home. "It totally comes between the patient and doctor relationship, which is sacred." Layton said her now 5-year-old son, Brennan, suffered a permanent brain injury after he was vaccinated at age 2. "He's pretty much unable to speak, he's in diapers, he functions at the level of an 18-month-old. And prior to the vaccine he was healthy," she said. Statewide immunization rates increased to more than 95 percent after California abolished the personal belief exemption in 2016, enough to keep most outbreaks from spreading. But health officials say the rate of medical exemptions has also tripled. It is still less than 1 percent of school children statewide, but advocates said more than half of students aren't vaccinated in at least three California schools and 50 schools have exemption rates of at least 15 percent. Dr. Edmond Sarraf, a pediatrician opposing the bill, said medical exemptions are up only because personal exemptions are no longer permitted. The bill is backed by the California Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. But more than 100 doctors signed a letter calling Pan's measure "an ill-advised bill that will have adverse impacts on our patients and their care" with a "one-size-fits-all" solution. Pan's office said some of the doctors are believed to be providing questionable exemptions, while the group noted that Pan has accepted tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry. We may not know exactly how or why Stonehenge was built, but new research affords a glimpse of the people who erected Englands iconic stone monument some 5,000 years ago, NBC News reported. The study, which examined the origins of farming in Britain, shows that the people living in the region at the time Stonehenge was built were descended from people who had migrated to the area about 6,000 years ago from present-day Turkey. A paper describing the research an analysis of DNA from the skeletal remains of farmers who lived in England from 6,000 to 4,500 years ago during the Neolithic period doesnt focus on Stonehenge or even mention it. But Selina Brace, an expert in ancient DNA with the Natural History Museum in London and the papers lead author, said it was possible to link the monument to the research as some media outlets were quick to do. She said the research findings indicate that Stonehenge was built not by the earliest Neolithic farmers to arrive in Britain, but by their descendants, people from the same period, just later. What to Know Two people were found dead on the rocks at the scene while the third was transported to the hospital as a trauma alert. Officials have identified the three people killed in a weekend boat crash after the body of a woman who was onboard washed ashore Monday morning on Miami Beach. Officers were at the scene near Ocean Drive and 1st Street near what appeared to be a decomposing body just along the edge of the water. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials confirmed the body, which was identified as 28-year-old Jennifer Munoz Cadavid of Fort Lauderdale, was related to the crash into the south side of the north jetty at Government cut on Saturday night. Two people, 56-year-old Christopher Colgan and 38-year-old Elisaine Colgan of Pompano Beach, were pronounced dead at the scene while a third person, 37-year-old Troy Forte of Juno Beach, was transported to Ryder Trauma Center. Investigators say it's too soon to say what caused the crash of the 32 foot center console Cape Horn boat or if anything illegal was onboard. Sunday would have been Elisaine Colgan's 39th birthday. "It looked like a horrific scene. I don't know how anyone could survive that," said Mark "The Shark," a local charter boat captain. "It was totally upside down on the rocks. The top was up against the jetty. And the boat was totally out of the water." The crash happened on the same channel where Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez and two other men were killed after their boat hit a jetty in September of 2016. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez penned a memo months later in 2017 calling on the Coast Guard to install more lights on the jetties to improve boaters' safety. "Something has to be done there so we can light up those jetties a little bit better so that boaters know, hey, there is something there," Gimenez said. "I've been out there at night, you cannot see them." After surveying dozens of people connected to the boating community, the Coast Guard eventually decided not to add any additional lights or safety features, concluding it would not improve safety, but instead could possibly create confusion between the existing aids and impair safe navigation. Officials encourage other boaters to be extra cautious on the water, especially in this area. "We encourage boaters to use their GPS and when navigating at night, try to take it slow and only go as fast as the conditions allow," said Ronald Washington of FWC. A trip to visit his cousin in Cuba changed everything for Yohan Sanchez. "I saw the struggle he was going through, walking to go to work 20 miles every day and I say, you know what, I'm going to get you a bike," Yohan said. When he got back to South Florida, Yohan found Tiendas Caracol, an online Miami store that sold scooters with the promise they'd be delivered. "You can buy stuff from this company and they send it back to Cuba," explained Yadian Beaovides, another man who says he purchased a scooter from the same company. Yohan and Yadian along with Ebert Martin and Rodolfo Rodriguez told the NBC 6 Responds team they each paid more than $1,800 for a scooter with the promise their loved ones would get them in under 120 days or they would get a refund. "When I came to cancel my order past the 120 days, I found out there were more people in my situation," Yadian recalled. Yadian filed a lawsuit against Tiendas Caracol asking for a refund. Just this week, a judge ruled in his favor. We talked to more than 50 people who told us they paid the company for products that were never delivered to Cuba. Nineteen filed formal complaints with Miami-Dade's Office of Consumer Protection. Some of the complaints came from Miami, Hialeah, Naples and others from as far away as Texas, Washington D.C., New York, New Jersey, Nebraska and Las Vegas. The purchases were made between 2016 and September 2018. We spent weeks trying to speak to the man who ran Tiendas Caracol during the time the purchases were made. Finally, Yosvany Acosta sat down with NBC 6 Responds. He explained that he ran into many issues, including U.S. Customs stopping a shipment of scooters because they contained lithium batteries. "We got a red flag in that container, it was stopped," Acosta said. He told us he also had problems getting some shipments to Cuba because international rules keep changing. When trouble kept piling on, he says he asked his investor Isaac Kodsi for help and transferred the company over to him. We spoke with Kodsi about his role in the situation. "At that time I told him that I need to step in, in a much more active role," Kodsi told us. For a few months, Kodsi says he tried to straighten things out, pouring money into the company but the two ended up in a legal battle. That put Acosta back in charge. Acosta showed our team around a warehouse the company uses where we spotted air conditioners, tires, mattresses and other products like the ones customers say they purchased. He said Cuba has approved two containers and the items should be arriving by end of May along with scooters that can't be kept in the U.S. He explained that customers who are willing to wait can do so or ask for a refund. "If there's money to be returned, it will be returned if that's the avenue that the customer wants to take," Acosta said. "If they put me a scooter in Cuba like within 30 days that would be fine because that was the main key of this business here, but if not, at least give my money back, you know? Something," Yadian said. Last year, Acosta returned more than $3,000 to unsatisfied clients after our team contacted him. Now, he has set up the new customer service line 786-559-3462 for people to check the status of their shipment. The service line is open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Unsatisfied clients can also reach out to Miami-Dade's Office of Consumer Protection for help by calling 786-469-2333. That agency says it's investigating and plan on taking this case to the State Attorney's office if there is no resolution. Former Vice President Joe Biden, a product of the working class who became a key adviser in the Obama administration following a long career in the Senate, officially entered the Democratic race for president Thursday by declaring "we are in a battle for the soul of this nation." Biden's entrance comes four years after his son's death led him to decline the opportunity to take on then-candidate Donald Trump. "The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America, is at stake," Biden said in an announcement video. He also released a video in Spanish that focused on health care and college affordability. The Scranton, Pennsylvania, native did not mince words in the video, which launched shortly after 6 a.m. In it, Biden focused on Trump's response to a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which culminated with the killing of 32-year-old counter-protester Heather Heyer. "That's when we heard the words of the president of the United States that stunned the world and shocked the nation," Biden said of Trump's comment that there were "some very fine people on both sides." "In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike like any I had seen in my lifetime." Trump welcomed Biden to the race in a tweet that referred to him as "Sleepy Joe" but didn't touch on Biden's attack: "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!" Biden, who chased the presidency twice before, enters the 2020 primary as the front runner after leading most polls in the already-crowded field of Democratic candidates. But his decades of political experience could double as ammunition for his critics. The 76-year-old joins a field filled with younger and more diverse candidates. He recently came under fire over allegations of inappropriate, though nonsexual, touching of women and then for joking about that behavior to a room filled, largely, with white men. Whether Biden can appeal to an increasingly progressive Democratic party remains a big question going into the 2020 election. The former six-term U.S. Delaware senator could provide voters the choice of a more middle-of-the-road candidate than others from the left wing, like Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. But Biden would be among the oldest candidates running for president. Only Sanders, an independent running as a Democrat, is older. Speaking recently to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in D.C., Biden evoked his Scranton roots and his ability to attract moderate voters disillusioned by a chaotic Trump administration. Perhaps not coincidentally, IBEW was the first organization to endorse Biden when he ran for Senate in the early 1970s. The speech was his first since several women accused Biden of making them uncomfortable with his characteristic, yet uninvited, touchy behavior. He acknowledged the accusations, saying in a video posted online that he's spent his career trying to make human connections but that he understands that "social norms began to change" and that he will adjust to them. A popular vice president under former President Barack Obama, Biden hinted in several interviews this year that he considered running four years ago but ultimately stepped aside in favor of Hillary Clinton after his son, Beau Biden, died from brain cancer in 2015. In January 2016, he told NBC Connecticut of the decision that, "I regret it every day, but it was the right decision for my family and for me." On Thursday, Obama wasted no time showing his support for Biden, though he stopped short of offering an official endorsement. Biden told reporters on Thursday that he asked Obama not to endorse him in order to keep a level playing field heading into the primaries. President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made," an Obama spokesperson said in a statement. Hours after announcing his run for President of the United States, former VP and Del. Sen. Joe Biden made his first public comments in Wilmington. Asked why Obama didnt endorse him ahead of the Democratic primary, Biden said he wanted to win the nomination on his own merits. Obama and Biden "forged a special bond" during their shared time in the White House and remain close friends, according to the statement. Obama relied on Biden's insight, knowledge and judgment throughout his entire presidency and two campaigns. Biden will appear in Pittsburgh next week and will hold a rally in Philadelphia May 18. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won a solid victory in Philadelphia but failed to secure the statewide vote. Trump, on the other hand, zeroed in on Pennsylvania early into his candidacy and has visited the Keystone State several times since taking office. Democrats appeared to have learned a valuable lesson in the last election. A group of prominent party leaders in Pennsylvania, including Sen. Bob Casey, former Gov. Ed Rendell and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, are scheduled to throw a fundraiser Thursday for Biden in Philadelphia. The fundraiser will be hosted by seven Democratic members of Congress from Pennsylvania, and will take place at the home of David Cohen, former Rendell chief of staff and senior executive vice president of Comcast Corp., the parent company of NBC News and this website. Biden advisers recently said they were working to build out a robust campaign staff, including operatives in Iowa and South Carolina, states that are seen as key to his path to the nomination. Women were being considered for key roles, including senior strategist and deputy campaign manager, according to advisers, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the planning publicly. On Thursday, the campaign announced that it would be managed by longtime Biden adviser Greg Schultz. Among the many other staffers hired are senior strategist Symone Sanders, who previously worked for Biden's chief competitor, Bernie Sanders, in the 2016 presidential contest, and Olympic figure skater Hillary Clinton campaign alumna Michelle Kwan as surrogates director. Trump said publicly that he is not threatened by a Biden candidacy, but the president asked his close advisers whether he should be worried about going up against the former VP, CNBC reported in March. One source for the story cited Biden's more moderate viewpoints. In an interview with Fox News in January, Trump called Biden "weak" and said that Obama "took him off the trash heap" when he chose him as his vice president in 2008. Yet Biden's ties to his hardscrabble hometown of Scranton made him a compelling messenger for workers whose jobs and livelihoods remain under threat by globalization and outsourcing. His role in an Obama administration that poured billions of dollars into rescuing the U.S. auto industry from the 2008 financial crisis also gives him a unique opportunity to connect with Midwestern voters. "It's a mantle that is open to be grabbed by people who are willing to talk to these voters in an authentic way, in sharing their frustrations," Tom Russell, a Wisconsin-based Democratic strategist who aided the party's successful effort to topple GOP Gov. Scott Walker in 2018, told The Associated Press. "Biden has a history of being able to do that," Russell said. This is Biden's third run for president. His first in 1988 was derailed by charges that he plagiarized a speech by Neil Kinnock, leader of the British Labor Party though he had cited it in earlier appearances as well as passages from Robert F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey. In 2008, he struggled to get attention against Obama and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton but got to know Obama and in the end joined the future president's ticket. Biden led the pack in a field of 24 contenders in a Monmouth University Poll out Tuesday. It said he has the support of 27% of Democrats voters leaning towards Democrats, followed by Sanders with 20% and Sen. Kamala Harris of California and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 8% each. While he would be the oldest U.S. president ever elected, toughness has never been an issue for Biden. He watched his family slide from economic prosperity into hardship during their time in Scranton, and he credits the experience with his ability to overcome great tragedy, including the losses of a wife and two children. Biden first entered politics in 1970 as a member of the New Castle County Council after graduating from the University of Syracuse law school two years earlier. He started working as a defense attorney in Wilmington and launched his own law firm in 1971. By 1972, Biden was 29 and a U.S. senator-elect. But one month after the election, and just a week before Christmas, his first wife, Neilia, and daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash. Nevertheless, Biden went on to serve 30 years in Congress. He credited his dad with teaching him how to cope with insurmountable loss. "The measure of a man is not how often he is knocked down, but how quickly he gets up," his father used to say, according to Bidens biography. In 1977, he married his current wife, Jill, and they had a daughter, Ashley. Biden had two other sons from his first marriage. But in 2015, tragedy struck again. Biden's oldest son, Beau, died of brain cancer, which prompted Biden to step away from a 2016 presidential run despite pleas from close friends, including Obama. In his memoir, Biden wrote that Beau, a veteran who served as Delaware's attorney general, made him "promise" to persevere despite the loss. Three years after Beau died, Biden set off on a book tour. "Promise Me, Dad" documented Beau's diagnosis and how those events shaped Biden's final years in the nation's second-highest office and ultimately his decision not to seek the top job in the last election. His son's death "left a hole in the heart of everybody in the family," Biden wrote in his memoir. "It takes time to come back. I'm surprised how much time it took, because I've been through this before. To recover from the shock, Biden leaned on his aides to keep him busy with official duties, according to his book. "The only way Im going to get through this is if you just keep me busy. Schedule me," he recalled directing his chief of staff Steve Ricchetti. Perhaps because he has lost so much, Biden maintains a close-knit group of advisers comprising Valerie Biden Owens, his sister; longtime consultant Mike Donilon; former Sen. Ted Kaufman and former communications director Kate Bedingfield, NBC News reported. Any blueprint the group builds for 2020 would likely closely resemble what they readied for 2016, but with an added emphasis on Biden's potential to unify the party and ultimately the country after a turbulent Trump era. The North Star for Biden would be revitalizing the middle class, a plan Biden touted in a speech last year at the Brookings Institution. He called for a more progressive tax code, free tuition at community colleges and state universities, stronger labor protections and expanded skills training for American workers and a major infrastructure package. "Folks in the middle class are in trouble," he said in the speech, in which he quoted Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in decrying the "phony populism" that fueled Trump's rise. "If we have a weak middle class, we become a fractured country," Biden said. "When opportunity fades, people feel left out. And its the lack of hope, the lack of opportunity thats driving so much of whats happening today." Biden would also likely highlight decades' of relationships with Republicans and foreign leaders and promote his record on civil and womens rights. During his time as vice president, Biden declared his public support for same-sex marriage before Obama. According to a 2014 POLITICO story, Biden was shut out of insider meetings for months as a result of going off-script. Indeed Biden's decades in public life that he portrays as an asset also carry challenges. The Washington Post, for instance, reported that he opposed busing children in the mid-1970s as schools sought to further integrate classrooms. Similarly, in 1993, he warned of "predators on our streets" in a speech about crime a day before the U.S. Senate voted on the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, CNN reported. Former President Bill Clinton signed the act into law. "We have predators on our streets that society has, in fact, in part, because of its neglect, created," Biden said. "They are beyond the pale many of those people, beyond the pale," he said. "And, it's a sad commentary on society. We have no choice but to take them out of society." Two years earlier in 1991, Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during now Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's confirmation hearing into Anita Hill's accusation of sexual misconduct against Thomas. Biden was criticized for his handling of the hearing and the grilling Hill received, though he later said he believed her and that he owes Hill an apology. The gaffes continued to follow Biden well into the current phase of his public life. He recently angered some in the LGBTQ community when he called Vice President Mike Pence a "decent guy." The comment was quickly criticized by fellow Democrats, including actress and activist Cynthia Nixon, who tweeted that Biden had complimented "America's most anti-LGBT elected leader." "You're right, Cynthia. I was making a point in a foreign policy context, that under normal circumstances a Vice President wouldn't be given a silent reaction on the world stage," Biden tweeted in response. "But there is nothing decent about being anti-LGBTQ rights, and that includes the Vice President." The episode showed just one of the challenges the Biden will face. In promoting his relationships with Republicans, Biden also risks alienating the Democrats he would need to win a primary. Like McCain, Biden comes from a generation of politicians accustomed to touting their ability to reach across the aisle. Whether the strategy will work in 2020 remains to be seen. In his book, Biden ends with a passage characteristic of his political approach. "How do I want to spend the rest of my life?" he asks. "I want to spend as much time as I can with my family, and I want to help change the country and the world for the better. That duty does much more than give me purpose; it gives me something to hope for. It makes me nostalgic for the future." What to Know An 18-year-old driver died and two of his teen passengers were critically hurt after he veered off a highway and hit a tree, police said The driver was on the Southern State Parkway when he made contact with another car and lost control of his vehicle, according to police A 16-year-old girl and a 19-year-old boy are in critical condition; another 19-year-old passenger has non-life threatening injuries An 18-year-old driver died and two of his three teenage passengers were critically injured after he veered off a Long Island highway and hit a tree, police said. The driver, identified by police as Aaron Jagroop, of South Ozone Park in Queens, was traveling east on the Southern State Parkway, west of Exit 35, in Babylon in a Toyota Sienna when he made contact with a Toyota Camry and lost control of his car, New York State Police said. Jagroops vehicle then flew off the roadway onto the right shoulder of the highway and hit a tree, according to police. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Jagroops three passengers a 16-year-old girl from South Ozone Park, a 15-year-old boy from Jamaica, Queens, and a 19-year-old boy from South Ozone Park were also taken to the hospital after the crash. The 16-year-old girl and the 15-year-old boy were listed in critical condition as of Wednesday evening, police said. The 19-year-old boy was being treated for non life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Toyota Camry wasnt injured, according to police. The crash is under investigation. Police have asked anyone who may have witnessed the accident to call 631-756-3300. What to Know Kawaski Trawick, 32, got locked out of his apartment in the Bronx on the night of April 14; fire officials say he had food cooking on stove There were two 911 calls: Trawick reporting his fears of a fire -- and the building super and a guard saying he was banging on doors The FDNY broke open his door and left; cops arrived 7 minutes later and Trawick ended up shot to death This story was originally published on April 25, 2019 by THE CITY. On the night of April 14, Kawaski Trawick, 32, got locked out of his apartment in a building run by a nonprofit in The Bronx. He had food cooking on the stove, according to the Fire Department. There were dueling 911 calls: a distraught Trawick reporting his fears of a fire and the building superintendent and a security guard saying he was banging on doors, harassing neighbors. The FDNY came and left after breaking open the door of his apartment at 1616 Grand Ave. in Morris Heights. The police arrived seven minutes later an encounter that ended with Trawicks shooting death and with his family asking why he had to die. I dont think they really had to kill my son, I dont think they had to shoot him and shoot him dead like that, his father, Ricky Trawick, told THE CITY in a phone interview from Georgia. How the situation went from a lockout to deadly shooting within minutes was unclear. A Tragic Chronology Police said they arrived at Trawicks apartment door at 11:06 p.m. The two cops on the scene found him wielding a wooden stick and a serrated knife, the NYPD said. After the officers talked with Trawick for less than two minutes, they tasered him, police said. He fell and the officers moved to arrest him. Police said he got up, threatened them and charged. One cop fired his gun four times, hitting Trawick twice. The dance aerobics instructor was declared dead at Bronx Lebanon Hospital at 11:46 p.m. The NYPD said the incident was captured on an officers body camera, but declined to make the footage public Wednesday. The citys Human Resources Administration, which contracts the nonprofit running the supportive housing building, has a confidential incident report describing the nights events but refused to release it. The building where Trawick lived is called Hill House and is operated by Services for the Underserved, which helps people with disabilities, people in poverty and people facing homelessness, according to its website. Services for the UnderServed has been cooperating with the police and we are awaiting the results of their investigation into the incident, Nadia Khasawneh, a spokesperson for the nonprofit wrote in an email. She did not answer questions about Services for the UnderServeds policies for bringing police into their buildings. Answers 'Would Be Nice' A Hill House director and the superintendent guided police to Trawicks floor, the NYPD said. The security guard who twice called police said on a 911 call that Trawick had seemed mentally unstable that day and was possibly intoxicated, according to police. But the 911 calls were not flagged as a response to an emotionally disturbed person, police said, and the guard said on the call she was unaware of any mental health issues in his history. One of the officers knew the building was a supportive housing facility and the other did not, an NYPD official said. Both were trained in crisis intervention, police said. The super had a history of problems with Trawick he previously called police and accused Trawick of harassment, the NYPD said in an initial briefing on the shooting last week. On the night of the shooting, the super told 911 that Trawick had threatened to punch him in the face while banging on his door. Outside Hill House Wednesday, a resident who gave his name as Arnold started to tell THE CITY about the night of April 14, but was quickly commanded inside by an apparent staffer. You know, Im really sad about it, he said before he was cut off. Trawicks father, meanwhile, said answers really would be nice. He went back to his job as a trucker Tuesday hoping it would take his mind off his sons death. They could have handled it in a little different way, he said. This story was originally published by THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York. What to Know A New York jury has convicted fake German heiress Anna Sorokin of swindling tens of thousands of dollars from banks, hotels and friends Jurors returned a guilty verdict Thursday following a month-long trial that attracted international attention Prosecutors say Sorokin bilked people and businesses out of $275,000 over a 10-month period A New York jury on Thursday convicted an extravagant socialite who bankrolled an implausibly lavish lifestyle with tens of thousands of dollars she swindled from banks, hotels and friends who believed she was a wealthy German heiress. The Manhattan jury found Anna Sorokin guilty of four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny following a monthlong trial that attracted international attention. She was acquitted of one count of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny. She is to be sentenced May 9. Sorokin also faces deportation to Germany because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Using the name Anna Delvey, Sorokin deceived friends and financial institutions into believing she had a fortune of about $67 million (60 million euros) overseas that would cover her high-end clothing, luxury hotel stays and trans-Atlantic travel. She claimed her father was diplomat or an oil baron and went to extraordinary lengths to have others pay her way. Prosecutors said she promised one friend an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco but then stuck her with the $62,000 bill. She also forged financial records in an application for a $22 million loan to fund a private arts club she wanted to build, complete with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops, prosecutors said. She was denied the loan but persuaded one bank to lend her $100,000 she failed to repay. Her defense attorney, Todd Spodek, insisted Sorokin planned to settle her six-figure debts and was merely "buying time." Editor's note: The contents of this story may be disturbing to some readers. A Rhode Island man is facing federal charges for allegedly sending a series of violent and threatening emails to a Massachusetts college professor in which he threatened to rape her, rip her face off and eat her alive. Matthew Haviland, 30, of North Kingstown, was arrested Wednesday and charged with cyberstalking and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. He was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Boston. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Haviland sent a Harvard University professor a string of 28 emails over the span of several hours on March 20, containing messages including threats like, "I will rip your limb from your body and eat it, piece by piece," and "I will bite through your eyeballs while you're still alive, and I will laugh while you scream." The professor has published and spoken in favor of abortion rights, and federal prosecutors said several of Haviland's emails referenced this. In two successive e-mails, he wrote, "You will be held accountable for every [expletive] baby you murdered through your horrible deception of they are not humans," and "You will have your face ripped off and eaten by me, personally. I will enjoy raping your body after youre dead. And that will only be the start." Haviland, who on YouTube is vocal about his anti-abortion views, attended college in Boston until 2012. The federal complaint also includes a description of abortion-related messages Haviland is alleged to have sent or posted on the internet. Those messages included approximately 114 voice messages that he left overnight at a womens medical center beginning April 4, and text messages he sent to an acquaintance that included the following: "It never was a Womans rights issue. Its literally killing babies. Thats All it is, and We want you to stop it. Or we will kill you to do it. Its that Serious. Its not a Joke." In an internet posting allegedly written on March 29, prosecutors said Haviland wrote, "You guys are so evil and so brainwashed, I would kill every one of you with my bare handsor AT LEAST kill every abortion doctor." The charges of cyberstalking and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce carry a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The investigation is ongoing, and is being conducted by the FBI with assistance from Warwick and North Kingstown, Rhode Island police. What to Know An NJ man was arrested for allegedly attacking his 9-year-old daughter outside a restaurant and bar in the Florida Keys this week An employee intervened and called 911; the worker said the girl's neck was red and that she seemed like she was about to faint, NJ.com said Scott Alino, a builder from Brick, is charged with a single count of felony child neglect without great bodily harm A New Jersey man faces a felony charge for allegedly attacking his 9-year-old daughter outside a restaurant and bar in the Florida Keys, according to police and a published report. Scott Alino, 47, was arrested outside the Hogfish Bar & Grill Tuesday evening. According to NJ.com, multiple witnesses reported he had dragged his daughter through the parking lot and choked her until an employee intervened. The employee said the girl seemed to be about to faint and that her neck was red, NJ.com reported. Alino told cops who responded to the employee's 911 call that the girl had been misbehaving, according to the outlet. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office in Florida said Alino admitted he put his hands around his daughter's neck. Alino, a builder from Brick, is charged with a single count of felony child neglect without great bodily harm. He was released on $10,000 bail on Wednesday and is expected to appear in court in May. His attorney information wasn't immediately available Thursday. The man who police said drove into a crowd, injuring 8 people, late Tuesday in Sunnyvale has been identified as Isaiah Joel Peoples. Peoples, 34 and a Sunnyvale resident, was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County Jail. He was being interviewed by the FBI on Wednesday. The FBI is assisting the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety in the investigation. Police are recommending eight counts of attempted murder against Peoples. All eight pedestrians injured, including a 13-year-old, were hospitalized Tuesday evening after a suspected speeding driver, later identified as Peoples, drove into them in Sunnyvale, California. Of the eight victims, six were hospitalized and two were treated on the scene and released by paramedics, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Capt. Jim Choi said. The 13-year-old is listed in critical condition. The youngest victim is 9 and his father was able to get him out of the way, Choi said, adding the child is a victim of attempted murder. The other victims' conditions ranged from moderate to major injuries, Choi said. FBI agents and police were seen Wednesday afternoon searching Peoples' residence in Sunnyvale. "Should it be determined that a federal crime was committed, we will become more involved," the FBI said in a statement. The crash was reported at 6:40 p.m. at the intersection of El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Saratoga Road, which is located near a number of restaurants and other businesses. Choi said evidence indicates the crash was an intentional act. "As of right now there is no indication that the suspect, Peoples, was involved in any or an associate to any terrorist organization," Choi said. "There is no indication that this act in itself was related to an act of terrorism." Police are still investigating a motive. The car involved in the collision is registered to Peoples, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. An IHOP receipt recovered from the site of the crash shows the name of an Isaiah Peoples who used a Visa card to pay for his purchase on April 13. Personal information on what appears to be Peoples' Facebook page, but wasn't confirmed by NBC Bay Area, shows went to school at California State University, Sacramento. Bob Redell and Riya Bhattacharjee contributed to this story. A convicted murderer serving 70 years for a 1978 slaying near Houston who was also under investigation in the unsolved killings of 11 missing girls has died in a Texas prison. Jeremy Desel, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said that inmate Edward Harold Bell, 79, collapsed Saturday at the Wallace Pack Unit in Navasota. The facility located about 60 miles northwest of Houston holds several elderly prisoners. "There did not appear to be any signs of foul play," Desel told The Associated Press on Monday. Desel declined to discuss Bell's medical history, citing privacy laws. All in-custody deaths are investigated by the independent Office of Inspector General, according to Desel. Bell's death leaves unanswered questions about the unsolved murders of 11 girls he claimed to have killed, the Houston Chronicle reported. Bell was already serving time for killing Larry Dickens, an ex-Marine from Pasadena, when he admitted in 2011 to kidnapping and killing several girls who had disappeared from Galveston, Dickinson, Houston, Clear Lake and Alvin in the 1970s. In one of several letters sent, Bell called the girls the "Eleven who went to Heaven." Bell acknowledged that he had also sent confession letters detailing several identical crimes to prosecutors in Galveston and Harris counties in 1998. A few years after Bell made claims of being a serial killer, retired Galveston homicide detective Fred Paige and a Chronicle reporter collaborated to find evidence that he murdered the girls. The results of findings in that investigation were highlighted in a 2017 documentary on A&E called "The Eleven." Galveston prosecutors then reopened the murder cases of Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson, the two island girls whose kidnapping and deaths Bell detailed in letters and interviews. Bell was never charged with those two homicides, but he remained the key suspect until the time of his death. He also was the suspect in numerous other unresolved murders, but the departments spearheading the 11 cold cases could not find DNA evidence, nor were they able to locate weapons. Rita Brestrup, who lost her sister Maria Johnson in 1971, said she had no words for Bell but was happy that he "no longer walks this earth and will never be paroled." Bell was never prosecuted for any other murders besides Dickens, who was shot and killed after confronting Bell, a serial sex perpetrator who had exposed himself to a group of neighborhood girls. Pasadena authorities subsequently arrested Bell and found murder weapons and pornography stashed in his pick-up truck. He made bail in Harris County and went on the run for 14 years. After Bell was the subject of a 1992 Unsolved Mysteries episode, people provided tips which led to his arrest. The episode also featured Matthew McConaughey, who played Dickens in the actor's first TV role. What to Know Debbie Perdue suffered burns to 75 percent of her body while escaping a house fire in Wilmington, Delaware. She's in critical condition. Perdue's friend suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital. If you have any information on the fire, please call Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333. A woman is fighting for her life after suffering burns to the majority of her body while escaping a house fire in Wilmington, Delaware. Debbie Perdue, 62, was inside a home with a friend on West Summit Avenue in Wilmingtons Elmhurst section around 1:30 a.m. Thursday when the smoke alarm went off as a fire started. Perdue and her friend ran out of the house as the flames spread. They were screaming and I could still hear the screams in my head, Linda Gardner, a neighbor, told NBC10. It was the scariest feeling. Gardner said she saw Perdue on fire in the yard. She was taken to Christiana Hospital and then transferred to the Crozer Medical Center in critical condition. She suffered burns to 75 percent of her body, according to the Fire Marshal. Perdues friend was treated at the hospital for minor burns and released. Investigators say the fire caused around $75,000 in damage. The house is a total loss. Perdue had been a caretaker for an elderly woman who owned the house and had been living at the home after the owner died, according to a family member. Her friend who was with her was also living there while dealing with marital problems. Allan Jackson, Perdues son, told NBC10 a man was renting a room in the home and the situation had turned volatile prior to the fire. He threatened to set the house on fire while I was there, Jackson said. But my mom said he says it all the time. Investigators have not revealed the cause of the fire. If you have any information, please call Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333. A mysterious explosion outside a donation box has left a man hospitalized in Delaware. Claymont firefighters found the 50-year-old man with life-threatening injuries along the 300 block of Governor Printz Boulevard around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael Chionchio said. Medics rushed the man to the hospital in critical condition with injuries that appeared to be caused by some type of explosive device," Chionchio said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) joined the Office of The State Fire Marshal and Delaware State Police to investigate the cause of the blast, which happened outside a collection box near an auto body shop. Former Vice President Joe Biden, a product of the working class who became a key adviser in the Obama administration following a long career in the Senate, officially entered the Democratic race for president Thursday by declaring "we are in a battle for the soul of this nation." Biden's entrance comes four years after his son's death led him to decline the opportunity to take on then-candidate Donald Trump. "The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America, is at stake," Biden said in an announcement video. He also released a video in Spanish that focused on health care and college affordability. Whos Running for President in 2020? The race for the 2020 presidential election is underway, and the field of Democratic candidates is packed. Those who have announced presidential bids include a vice president, senators, House members and three mayors. As for the GOP, a single Republican has announced his bid to challenge President Donald Trump for the party nomination: former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who ran for vice president (and lost) in 2016 on the Libertarian party ticket. Click the photos to learn more The Scranton, Pennsylvania, native did not mince words in the video, which launched shortly after 6 a.m. In it, Biden focused on Trump's response to a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which culminated with the killing of 32-year-old counter-protester Heather Heyer. "That's when we heard the words of the president of the United States that stunned the world and shocked the nation," Biden said of Trump's comment that there were "some very fine people on both sides." "In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike like any I had seen in my lifetime." Trump welcomed Biden to the race in a tweet that referred to him as "Sleepy Joe" but didn't touch on Biden's attack: "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!" The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020 https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2019 Biden, who chased the presidency twice before, enters the 2020 primary as the front runner after leading most polls in the already-crowded field of Democratic candidates. But his decades of political experience could double as ammunition for his critics. The 76-year-old joins a field filled with younger and more diverse candidates. He recently came under fire over allegations of inappropriate, though nonsexual, touching of women and then for joking about that behavior to a room filled, largely, with white men. Whether Biden can appeal to an increasingly progressive Democratic party remains a big question going into the 2020 election. The former six-term U.S. Delaware senator could provide voters the choice of a more middle-of-the-road candidate than others from the left wing, like Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. But Biden would be among the oldest candidates running for president. Only Sanders, an independent running as a Democrat, is older. Speaking recently to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in D.C., Biden evoked his Scranton roots and his ability to attract moderate voters disillusioned by a chaotic Trump administration. Perhaps not coincidentally, IBEW was the first organization to endorse Biden when he ran for Senate in the early 1970s. The speech was his first since several women accused Biden of making them uncomfortable with his characteristic, yet uninvited, touchy behavior. He acknowledged the accusations, saying in a video posted online that he's spent his career trying to make human connections but that he understands that "social norms began to change" and that he will adjust to them. A popular vice president under former President Barack Obama, Biden hinted in several interviews this year that he considered running four years ago but ultimately stepped aside in favor of Hillary Clinton after his son, Beau Biden, died from brain cancer in 2015. In January 2016, he told NBC Connecticut of the decision that, "I regret it every day, but it was the right decision for my family and for me." On Thursday, Obama wasted no time showing his support for Biden, though he stopped short of offering an official endorsement. Biden told reporters on Thursday that he asked Obama not to endorse him in order to keep a level playing field heading into the primaries. President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made," an Obama spokesperson said in a statement. Hours after announcing his run for President of the United States, former VP and Del. Sen. Joe Biden made his first public comments in Wilmington. Asked why Obama didnt endorse him ahead of the Democratic primary, Biden said he wanted to win the nomination on his own merits. Obama and Biden "forged a special bond" during their shared time in the White House and remain close friends, according to the statement. Obama relied on Biden's insight, knowledge and judgment throughout his entire presidency and two campaigns. Biden will appear in Pittsburgh next week and will hold a rally in Philadelphia May 18. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won a solid victory in Philadelphia but failed to secure the statewide vote. Trump, on the other hand, zeroed in on Pennsylvania early into his candidacy and has visited the Keystone State several times since taking office. Democrats appeared to have learned a valuable lesson in the last election. A group of prominent party leaders in Pennsylvania, including Sen. Bob Casey, former Gov. Ed Rendell and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, are scheduled to throw a fundraiser Thursday for Biden in Philadelphia. The fundraiser will be hosted by seven Democratic members of Congress from Pennsylvania, and will take place at the home of David Cohen, former Rendell chief of staff and senior executive vice president of Comcast Corp., the parent company of NBC News and this website. Biden advisers recently said they were working to build out a robust campaign staff, including operatives in Iowa and South Carolina, states that are seen as key to his path to the nomination. Women were being considered for key roles, including senior strategist and deputy campaign manager, according to advisers, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the planning publicly. On Thursday, the campaign announced that it would be managed by longtime Biden adviser Greg Schultz. Among the many other staffers hired are senior strategist Symone Sanders, who previously worked for Biden's chief competitor, Bernie Sanders, in the 2016 presidential contest, and Olympic figure skater Hillary Clinton campaign alumna Michelle Kwan as surrogates director. Trump said publicly that he is not threatened by a Biden candidacy, but the president asked his close advisers whether he should be worried about going up against the former VP, CNBC reported in March. One source for the story cited Biden's more moderate viewpoints. In an interview with Fox News in January, Trump called Biden "weak" and said that Obama "took him off the trash heap" when he chose him as his vice president in 2008. Yet Biden's ties to his hardscrabble hometown of Scranton made him a compelling messenger for workers whose jobs and livelihoods remain under threat by globalization and outsourcing. His role in an Obama administration that poured billions of dollars into rescuing the U.S. auto industry from the 2008 financial crisis also gives him a unique opportunity to connect with Midwestern voters. "It's a mantle that is open to be grabbed by people who are willing to talk to these voters in an authentic way, in sharing their frustrations," Tom Russell, a Wisconsin-based Democratic strategist who aided the party's successful effort to topple GOP Gov. Scott Walker in 2018, told The Associated Press. "Biden has a history of being able to do that," Russell said. This is Biden's third run for president. His first in 1988 was derailed by charges that he plagiarized a speech by Neil Kinnock, leader of the British Labor Party though he had cited it in earlier appearances as well as passages from Robert F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey. In 2008, he struggled to get attention against Obama and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton but got to know Obama and in the end joined the future president's ticket. Biden led the pack in a field of 24 contenders in a Monmouth University Poll out Tuesday. It said he has the support of 27% of Democrats voters leaning towards Democrats, followed by Sanders with 20% and Sen. Kamala Harris of California and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 8% each. While he would be the oldest U.S. president ever elected, toughness has never been an issue for Biden. He watched his family slide from economic prosperity into hardship during their time in Scranton, and he credits the experience with his ability to overcome great tragedy, including the losses of a wife and two children. Biden first entered politics in 1970 as a member of the New Castle County Council after graduating from the University of Syracuse law school two years earlier. He started working as a defense attorney in Wilmington and launched his own law firm in 1971. By 1972, Biden was 29 and a U.S. senator-elect. But one month after the election, and just a week before Christmas, his first wife, Neilia, and daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash. Nevertheless, Biden went on to serve 30 years in Congress. He credited his dad with teaching him how to cope with insurmountable loss. "The measure of a man is not how often he is knocked down, but how quickly he gets up," his father used to say, according to Bidens biography. In 1977, he married his current wife, Jill, and they had a daughter, Ashley. Biden had two other sons from his first marriage. But in 2015, tragedy struck again. Biden's oldest son, Beau, died of brain cancer, which prompted Biden to step away from a 2016 presidential run despite pleas from close friends, including Obama. In his memoir, Biden wrote that Beau, a veteran who served as Delaware's attorney general, made him "promise" to persevere despite the loss. Three years after Beau died, Biden set off on a book tour. "Promise Me, Dad" documented Beau's diagnosis and how those events shaped Biden's final years in the nation's second-highest office and ultimately his decision not to seek the top job in the last election. His son's death "left a hole in the heart of everybody in the family," Biden wrote in his memoir. "It takes time to come back. I'm surprised how much time it took, because I've been through this before. To recover from the shock, Biden leaned on his aides to keep him busy with official duties, according to his book. "The only way Im going to get through this is if you just keep me busy. Schedule me," he recalled directing his chief of staff Steve Ricchetti. Perhaps because he has lost so much, Biden maintains a close-knit group of advisers comprising Valerie Biden Owens, his sister; longtime consultant Mike Donilon; former Sen. Ted Kaufman and former communications director Kate Bedingfield, NBC News reported. Any blueprint the group builds for 2020 would likely closely resemble what they readied for 2016, but with an added emphasis on Biden's potential to unify the party and ultimately the country after a turbulent Trump era. The North Star for Biden would be revitalizing the middle class, a plan Biden touted in a speech last year at the Brookings Institution. He called for a more progressive tax code, free tuition at community colleges and state universities, stronger labor protections and expanded skills training for American workers and a major infrastructure package. "Folks in the middle class are in trouble," he said in the speech, in which he quoted Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in decrying the "phony populism" that fueled Trump's rise. "If we have a weak middle class, we become a fractured country," Biden said. "When opportunity fades, people feel left out. And its the lack of hope, the lack of opportunity thats driving so much of whats happening today." Biden would also likely highlight decades' of relationships with Republicans and foreign leaders and promote his record on civil and womens rights. During his time as vice president, Biden declared his public support for same-sex marriage before Obama. According to a 2014 POLITICO story, Biden was shut out of insider meetings for months as a result of going off-script. Indeed Biden's decades in public life that he portrays as an asset also carry challenges. The Washington Post, for instance, reported that he opposed busing children in the mid-1970s as schools sought to further integrate classrooms. Similarly, in 1993, he warned of "predators on our streets" in a speech about crime a day before the U.S. Senate voted on the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, CNN reported. Former President Bill Clinton signed the act into law. "We have predators on our streets that society has, in fact, in part, because of its neglect, created," Biden said. "They are beyond the pale many of those people, beyond the pale," he said. "And, it's a sad commentary on society. We have no choice but to take them out of society." Two years earlier in 1991, Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during now Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's confirmation hearing into Anita Hill's accusation of sexual misconduct against Thomas. Biden was criticized for his handling of the hearing and the grilling Hill received, though he later said he believed her and that he owes Hill an apology. The gaffes continued to follow Biden well into the current phase of his public life. He recently angered some in the LGBTQ community when he called Vice President Mike Pence a "decent guy." The comment was quickly criticized by fellow Democrats, including actress and activist Cynthia Nixon, who tweeted that Biden had complimented "America's most anti-LGBT elected leader." "You're right, Cynthia. I was making a point in a foreign policy context, that under normal circumstances a Vice President wouldn't be given a silent reaction on the world stage," Biden tweeted in response. "But there is nothing decent about being anti-LGBTQ rights, and that includes the Vice President." The episode showed just one of the challenges the Biden will face. In promoting his relationships with Republicans, Biden also risks alienating the Democrats he would need to win a primary. Like McCain, Biden comes from a generation of politicians accustomed to touting their ability to reach across the aisle. Whether the strategy will work in 2020 remains to be seen. In his book, Biden ends with a passage characteristic of his political approach. "How do I want to spend the rest of my life?" he asks. "I want to spend as much time as I can with my family, and I want to help change the country and the world for the better. That duty does much more than give me purpose; it gives me something to hope for. It makes me nostalgic for the future." What to Know Joe Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but became a Delaware senator when he was barely 30 years old. President Trump won the state's electoral college votes despite years of Democrats winning. Hillary Clinton won Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in 2016, two cities Biden is already focusing on for his 2020 run. Former Vice President and official 2020 candidate Joe Biden is paying special attention to his native Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. Biden will be in Pennsylvania three times within the opening weeks of his campaign, which he launched Thursday morning via video. He'll be in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast, parent company of NBCUniversal and this station. Biden is aiming to raise $500,000 at the event. Next week, Biden will hold his first public event as a 2020 presidential candidate in Pittsburgh. Then it's off to Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire before holding a major rally in Philadelphia on May 18. While Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years, he was often referred to as Pennsylvania's third senator. The 76-year-old was born in Scranton and frequently references his hardscrabble roots as a way to connect with blue-collar and union voters. During a speech in front of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers earlier this month, he told a room filled with mostly white, male voters that "All youre looking for is to be treated fairly, with respect, with some dignity," Biden said. "Because you matter." But a win for Biden in Pennsylvania is not guaranteed. President Donald Trump swept the state in 2016 despite Hillary Clinton's victories in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Hours after announcing his run for President of the United States, former VP and Del. Sen. Joe Biden made his first public comments in Wilmington. Asked why Obama didnt endorse him ahead of the Democratic primary, Biden said he wanted to win the nomination on his own merits. Already, the chair of the state Republican party challenged Biden's record during his eight years in the Obama administration. "Joe Biden was a key adviser to eight years of a Presidency that resulted in the terrible Iran nuclear deal, turned a blind eye to Russian interference in the 2016 election, attacked religious organizations, forced unrealistic government mandates onto Americans, and pushed Americans into a health care system where they could not keep doctors they liked and are forced to pay increasing premiums," Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Val DiGiorgio said in a statement. Several local Democrats have already endorsed Biden. Sen. Bob Casey, former Gov. Ed Rendell and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter are among those expected to attend Thursday's fundraiser in Philadelphia. "At this make-or-break moment for the middle class, our children and our workers, America needs Vice President Joe Biden to be its next President," Casey said in a statement. "As both a U.S. Senator and our Vice President, he has delivered results for the middle class, kept our country safe and strengthened our standing in the world." Democrats in Delaware also jumped to Biden's side Thursday morning. U.S. Sen. Tom Carper released a statement praising Biden's years of service and ability reach across the political aisle. "Throughout his time in public service, Joe has proven that you can disagree without being disagreeable, and that you can compromise on policy without compromising your principles," Carper said in a statement. "He is a man of his word and of integrity, and it is that character that has earned him the respect of voters and world leaders alike." Meanwhile, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt, also from Delaware, said Biden's compassion is missing from politics today. "We need an experienced leader who embodies our best values and can bring back stability, integrity, and honor to our country. Joe is the right leader for this moment in history," she said in a statement. Former President Barack Obama stopped short of endorsing Biden, but said the two have remained close friends since their time in the White House. President Donald Trump, on the other hand, welcomed Biden to the race in a tweet: "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!" What to Know A man who gained Internet fame as "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" has been convicted of first-degree murder in a man's 2013 death Caleb "Kai" McGillvary was accused of killing 74-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy Jr., whose body was found in his Clark, New Jersey home McGillvary gained online fame after intervening in an assault on a California utility worker, using a hatchet to fend off further attac A man who gained Internet fame as "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" has been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of an elderly New Jersey man, prosecutors say. Caleb "Kai" McGillvary, 30, was accused of killing 74-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy Jr., whose body was found on May 13, 2013 in his Clark home. Authorities say McGillvary and Galfy met in New York City and McGillvary stayed at Galfy's home. When police found Galfy's body, he had "numerous serious blunt-force injuries to his face, head, neck, chest, and arms, including three skull fractures, four broken ribs, and severe contusions, abrasions, and bleeding injuries that contradicted McGillvarys self-defense claim," the Union County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday. McGillvary was arrested in Philadelphia days later after a barista at a coffee shop recognized him and called police, according to prosecutors. "This was a brutal, vicious, senseless crime, and we are pleased that the interests of justice have been served," Acting Prosecutor Michael Monahan said in a statement. The Canadian McGillvary gained some online fame after intervening in a 2012 assault on a California utility worker in which he described using a hatchet to fend off a further attack. He's expected to be sentenced on June 13 and could face up to life in prison. What to Know Police are searching for two men and a woman accused of stealing $450,000 worth of colonoscopes from the Lankenau Medical Center. Police say the theft occurred Saturday morning. Investigators released surveillance video of the suspects and their vehicle. Police are searching for a trio of thieves who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment from a hospital in suburban Philadelphia. The three thieves broke into Lankenau Medical Center on 100 Lancaster Ave. in Wynnewood on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and stole several Olympus colonoscopes worth approximately $450,000 in total, police said. The tube-like instruments are used to examine the colon during a colonoscopy procedure. "This is the first time we have encountered this type of theft, so we don't have all the answers," Lower Merion Police Detective Sergeant Michael Vice said. Authorities released surveillance video of the suspects as well as their vehicle. The men and woman walked into the main lobby and pried open two doors to get to the colonoscopes. "This is not something that a typical pawn shop might accept," Vice said. "My feeling would be that it was some type of black market sales." Vice told NBC10 it's too early to tell if the incident was an inside job. The first suspect is described as a man in his early 20s with curly hair, possibly a wig. He was last seen wearing glasses, a dark-colored sweatshirt, blue jeans, black sneakers with white soles and carrying a black backpack. The second suspect is described as a man in his late 40s wearing a grey Fedora hat, dark-colored coat, scarf, blue jeans, black boots and carrying a black backpack. The third suspect is described as a woman in her late 20s wearing a pink winter ski cap, black jacket, white shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. The suspects vehicle is described as a dark, newer model Jeep Wrangler with four doors and a hard top. Lower Merion Police If you have any information on the identity of any of the suspects, please call Detective John Mick at (610) 645-6229. What to Know 16 men from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia were arrested in a multi-agency child predator sting, prosecutors said Wednesday The arrested include a high school teacher, minister, dental hygienist, police officer, ride-share drivers and others Parents are urged to familiarize themselves with the chat apps and warn their children about sharing information with strangers A traveling minister from Philadelphia is among more than a dozen alleged child predators arrested for allegedly luring children for sex via chat apps, prosecutors in New Jersey said Wednesday. The arrests in the multi-agency undercover investigation, dubbed "Operation Home Alone," were made over a five-day period in April, authorities said. Thirteen of the 16 suspects were taken into custody after traveling to a home in Bergen County where prosecutors said they expected to find their victims home alone. Instead, they found undercover officers in some cases, the undercover cops who had portrayed the very child they were allegedly targeting for sex. Roger Arroyo, a 37-year-old traveling minister from Philadelphia, was one of the men arrested at the home. One suspect was arrested at a shopping mall, another taken into custody at his own home. The suspects have a range of professions including a Ridgewood, New Jersey, police officer and a Bronx, New York, high school teacher. Others arrested include a finance lead for an internet service provider, a bank branch office manager, a barbershop owner and two takeout food deliverymen. Electronic devices seized from the defendants are being examined for possible evidence, authorities say. Two of the 16 men are charged with having child porn on their electronic devices; one allegedly had more than 13,000 such files. Another already had been facing sentencing on a prior child porn charge. Most of the men arrested live in New York, both in the city and in counties including Westchester and Rockland and northern New Jersey. They range in age from 26 to 55 and allegedly targeted boys and girls who were 14 and 15 years old. Charges range from attempted sex assault on a minor to luring, possession of child pornography, attempted debauching morals of a child and drug-related offenses, authorities said. In the past, the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has arrested alleged predators using chat apps like Grindr, Tinder, Wishbone, Hot or Not, Tumblr and others to snare children. Arrests have also been made involving gaming apps like Fortnite and Minecraft. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal urged parents Wednesday to familiarize themselves with the apps and warn their children about sharing information with strangers. "The 16 men we arrested allegedly used social media to stalk victims they believed were vulnerable children who could be sexually exploited," Grewal said in a statement. "Parents need to know that the profiles of underage girls and boys we posted on social media to catch these offenders could easily have been profiles of their own children, who might also be targeted by predators on chat apps and popular gaming sites." "Our message to parents with Operation Home Alone is be on guard," he added. "Our message to child predators is law enforcement is working overtime to find you and arrest you." The mother of a Bay Area man arrested after he allegedly plowed into a group of pedestrians in Sunnyvale, injuring eight, says her son is an Army vet who experienced post-traumatic stress disorder while serving in Iraq. Leevell Peoples told The Associated Press on Wednesday her son Isaiah Peoples is a "model citizen'' and would not deliberately drive his car into pedestrians. Authorities investigating the crash said Thursday that it remains unclear why Peoples crashed into the crowd Tuesday night. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Chief Phan Ngo added that Peoples "has not shown any remorse." Police said that Peoples, 34, a Sunnyvale resident, was being held on eight counts of attempted murder. Four of the victims remain hospitalized with major injuries, including a 13-year-old girl in critical condition. Leevell Peoples said the only situation she can imagine could have influenced her son is a bout of PTSD. Leevell Peoples said Isaiah was an Army sharpshooter in Iraq but was discharged because of his PTSD. She added he had "a bad episode'' with PTSD about two years ago. Peoples' grandmother confirmed to NBC Bay Area that he fought in Afghanistan and spent a year in a hospital for PTSD. The crash was reported at 6:40 p.m. at the intersection of El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Saratoga Road, which is located near a number of restaurants and other businesses. Before the crash occurred, Peoples had picked up food and was on his way to deliver it to his Bible study group, Ngo said Thursday. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Capt. Jim Choi late Tuesday said police were investigating the incident as an intentional act due to initial statements made at the scene. Ngo reiterated that stance Thursday, saying, "The evidence that we have, the physical evidence, and statements from witnesses led us to believe that it was a deliberate act by the suspect." Authorities have said that the crash does not appear to have any ties to terrorism. Downtown Napa shows visitors the locals' take on local living. FBI agents and police were seen Wednesday afternoon searching Peoples' residence in Sunnyvale. Authorities have determined that Peoples had no criminal history prior to the crash. He has two Facebook accounts, but "nothing of significance" has been found on those accounts. Peoples also possessed one weapon, which was described by Ngo as a "disassembled and inoperable" shotgun. The shotgun was found in the trunk of his car. The car involved in the collision is registered to Peoples, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. An IHOP receipt recovered from the site of the crash shows the name of an Isaiah Peoples who used a Visa card to pay for his purchase on April 13. Personal information on what appears to be Peoples' Facebook page, but wasn't confirmed by NBC Bay Area, shows he went to school at California State University, Sacramento. Victims' belongings and bicycles lined the path the car took before the driver crashed into a tree. A man who witnessed the crash said when he approached the driver's side of the car, the man was repeatedly saying, "thank you Jesus.'' Don Draper, of San Jose, said he was enraged after seeing the Toyota Corolla slam into pedestrians at high speed, then crash into a tree. He said he marched up to the car ready to confront the driver. Draper said the driver was crouched over the steering wheel, unhurt. The car was hissing steam and the airbag had deployed. Draper said the driver's speech was not slurred and he did not look at him. Later, he saw the driver had climbed out of his car and was lying face down on the grass outside. Kristofer Noceda, Jean Elle, Bob Redell and Riya Bhattacharjee contributed to this story. The issue of workers' rights is a focus this weekend for some of the Democrats running for president. At a rally in Warren, Michigan, where General Motors is closing a plant, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called on President Donald Trump to "go back to the drawing board" on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the tentative pact that would replace NAFTA. Sanders said the newly negotiated deal, which has yet to clear Congress, would still let companies such as GM continue to send U.S. jobs to Mexico. "I challenge Donald Trump: For once in your life, keep your campaign promises," he told a rally of 1,300 gathered in a community college parking lot in suburban Detroit. "Go back to the drawing board on NAFTA. Do not send this treaty to Congress unless it includes strong and swift enforcement mechanisms to raise the wages of workers and to prevent corporations from outsourcing American jobs to Mexico." Sanders, who spoke earlier in the day at a West Michigan plumbers and pipe fitters union local, narrowly won Michigan's 2016 Democratic primary over Hillary Clinton. She subsequently lost the state to Trump. Sanders said when Trump ran the first time, his "biggest lie" was that he would "stay with the working class of our country, that he was on their side." Sanders criticized Trump's tax cuts and his attempt to repeal the Obama health care law, adding that the trade deficit has gone up by $180 billion and 185,000 jobs have been moved overseas during Trump's presidency. Other highlights from the campaigns: BETO O'ROURKE Beto O'Rourke is campaigning in rural South Carolina, saying he wants to show up for communities that are often overlooked by politicians or "left for last." O'Rourke spoke to about 50 people at Voorhees College, a historically black college in Denmark, a city of 3,000 people. Addressing the infrastructure needs of rural areas, he said politicians need to demonstrate that every community, no matter how big or small, "is worthy of investment." O'Rourke spoke specifically about using federal infrastructure spending to address issues like the water crisis in Denmark, where residents have been dealing with brown-tinted drinking water that smells foul and is filled with sediment. The city for years used a pool disinfectant not approved by the EPA in a drinking water well, which was taken offline last summer. ELIZABETH WARREN Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the United States is a world leader on the climate issue. It's just that the nation is leading in the wrong direction. At a house party in New Hampshire on Saturday, the Massachusetts Democrat said the reason the country is headed in the wrong direction is because of corruption. "This is not ignorance," Warren said. "This is not that people just don't get it. The people in Washington, oh, they get it. But they are on the take. They are influenced by the money." But it's so much more than campaign contributions, she said. It's also the lobbyists, lawyers, the think tanks and "bought and paid for experts" that has created a sense of deniability around climate change, she said. "The key that we've got to play into, unlock, fixing the problems we need to fix, starts with, we have got to push back on the influence of money in Washington," Warren said. JOHN HICKENLOOPER Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said on Saturday Democrats can't beat President Donald Trump with anger. Instead they should make fun of him. Speaking to a crowd of about a dozen voters at a diner in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Hickenlooper said Trump was a "bully," and "most bullies are narcissistic and insecure...they want to be respected, and they want to be seen as a powerful person." "The way I dealt with bullies as a kid is...you don't take them head-on, you take what they're saying, you twist it a little bit so you expose the ridiculousness of what they're saying," he said. "The only way you can beat Trump is to set him up for the absurd figure, the comic book figure that he is," he said. Hickenlooper advised Democrats to avoid getting angry at Trump because, "especially in elections...it pushes people in the middle a little farther out to the edges." Associated Press writers Hunter Woodall and David Eggert contributed to this report. A man accused of setting off an explosion at the offices of a defense contractor in San Diego was arrested hours after the blast as he crossed into the U.S. from Mexico, according to a court document. Daniel Hector Mackinnon who is also known as Daniel Patrick Shelley has been charged in federal court with malicious destruction of a building by means of fire for the April 24 incident at the Raytheon Integrated Defense building on Balboa Avenue. A Toyota Prius with mismatched plates crashed into the building at about 2:30 a.m. and burst into flames. A security guard called 911 and firefighters with San Diego Fire-Rescue quickly knocked down the fire before flames could spread to the building. Prosecutors allege a man opened the back hatch of the Prius and "shortly thereafter, a fireball shot out from the vehicle and engulfed the male," according to the complaint filed Thursday by the FBI. The document alleges the VIN number of the Prius involved in the incident came back registered to Mackinnon. The license plates used in the incident were reported stolen in San Marcos and at a location close to Mackinnon's home in City Heights. Inside the Prius, investigators found two empty weapon magazines, remnants of a plastic gas container, a bottle that smelled of gasoline, and towels. The FBI said the car's gas cap was also missing. Hours after the fire, an FBI tactical team surrounded Mackinnon's City Heights home and deployed flash bangs before breaching the door and searching inside. A plywood board was placed over Mackinnon's front door with a sign notifying the public that the FBI had searched it. Police are searching for a driver who may have intentionally crashed into a Raytheon building. NBC 7's Audra Stafford has details. A DMV photograph of Mackinnon appeared to match the man seen on the video, according to the complaint. Then, nine hours after the fire, Mackinnon was arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry driving a Buick sedan with stolen license plates into the U.S. from Mexico, FBI officials said. Once his identity was confirmed, FBI agents took Mackinnon into custody. According to the company's website, Raytheon is a defense contractor that specializes in civil government and cybersecurity solutions, including missile defense and electronic warfare. No motive for the attack has been offered by federal investigators. Mackinnon was scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell D. Dembin Thursday afternoon. Chief Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL facing Court Martial in the death of a young wounded ISIS fighter, is also under investigation for the shooting death of a civilian in Afghanistan in 2010, according to a 439-page document leaked to the New York Times. NBC 7 has not confirmed the information in the document leaked to the Times, but sources say the U.S. Navy was aware of the incident in Afghanistan. "To leak that is just unfair to Eddie, it's unfair to the defense, we're innocent until proven guilty and I think they attempted to taint the waters," Ed Hiner, a retired Navy SEAL and supporter of Chief Gallagher said. Chief Gallaghers military trial is scheduled to begin at the end of May. He is charged with killing the ISIS fighter. As noted in previous reports, NBC 7 learned during the Article 32 in military court that the Navy will present evidence at trial including cell phone photos that they say show Gallagher holding the deceased fighter during a reenlistment ceremony. Fellow SEALs also testified that Gallagher shot at and struck Iraqi civilians on two occasions. Chief Gallagher has denied all of the allegations. In the recently-leaked document are allegations that SEAL team leadership discouraged team members from coming forward to report the alleged incidents. But Hiner says SEALs were required to document incidents while deployed. "To come back this many years later and start making allegations, I think it's just ridiculous... nonsense," he said. The decorated Navy SEAL is no longer represented by San Diego Attorney Phil Stackhouse. He has hired a new lead defense attorney from New York, Timothy Parlatore. Chief Gallagher is awaiting trial at Naval Medical Center San Diego after President Trump ordered he be moved from the Navy Brig at MCAS Miramar. His Court Martial is scheduled to begin at the end of May. If convicted the SEAL veteran of 20 years faces life in prison. Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax blasted his own political party for not letting him sponsor a table at major fundraising event. The Democratic Party of Virginia recently rejected Fairfax's bid to donate $2,500 to pay for a table at the party's annual Blue Commonwealth dinner. DPV spokesman Jake Rubenstein said the party does not feel "comfortable" accepting money from Fairfax after two women accused him of sexual assault. Fairfax has denied the allegations and his spokesman Lauren Burke said the party is denying Fairfax due process. Rubenstein said neither Gov. Ralph Northam nor Attorney General Mark Herring, who have both admitted to wearing blackface while young men, have sought to sponsor a table. Rubenstein said all three men are welcome to attend the June fundraiser. What to Know Maduro closed the embassy and recalled his country's diplomats after the US recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president US supporters of Maduro were warned on Thursday to end a sit-in protest at the country's shuttered embassy Activists from the group Codepink accuse the US of trying to orchestrate a coup in Venezuela U.S. supporters of embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro were warned on Thursday to end a sit-in protest at the country's shuttered embassy in Washington, D.C. The U.S. envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, said the protesters who have camped out at the embassy for more than two weeks are breaking the law and will have to leave. Abrams refused to discuss possible timing of when the activists could be arrested. Metropolitan Police spokeswoman Alaina Gertz said the State Department and the Foreign Missions Branch of the Secret Service are handling the protest. Maduro closed the embassy in January and recalled his country's diplomats after the U.S. recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president. The U.S. and about 50 other nations view Maduro's re-election last year as illegitimate. Activists from the group Codepink accuse the U.S. of trying to orchestrate a coup in Venezuela and have camped out at the closed embassy since April 10. Abrams said on Thursday following a speech at the Atlantic Council that the activists are "clearly breaking the law." Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink, said she is one of a dozen people who have been sleeping inside the embassy and have been holding evening events. "We feel this is part of an orchestrated coup that can lead to a civil war and can lead to tremendous violence," Benjamin said. "We want to say stop." Benjamin said a Venezuelan diplomat loyal to Maduro had given her the keys to the embassy. She refused to identify the diplomat. Abrams said that regardless of who handed the keys to Benjamin, they are trespassers because "there is a Venezuelan ambassador to the US, and he has told them to leave." Carlos Vecchio, designated by Guaido as Venezuelan ambassador, refused to comment on Thursday morning. Samuel Moncada, Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations and the only head of a diplomatic mission loyal to Maduro currently in U.S. territory, also declined to comment. The United Nations recognizes Maduro as Venezuela's president. The only two multilateral organizations that have recognized Guaido as president are the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Development Bank. Associated Press writers Ashraf Khalil and Colleen Long contributed to this report. What to Know A Connecticut financial adviser is charged with killing a hotel worker in Anguilla during a family vacation; the case sparked racial tension Gavin Hapgood, 44, faces manslaughter charges; he's currently in the U.S. and Anguillans are demanding he return there to face justice The worker, Kenny Mitchel, died of positional asphyxia and had blunt force injuries to his body, an autopsy report showed Authorities in Anguilla released new details Tuesday in an investigation involving a Connecticut financial adviser charged with killing a hotel worker during a family vacation, a case that has caused racial tensions on a Caribbean island that caters to wealthy vacationers. Police spokesman Randy Dick told The Associated Press that the young daughters of U.S. tourist Gavin Hapgood were in the hotel room when worker Kenny Mitchel was killed April 13. Hapgood, 44, faces manslaughter charges and is currently in the U.S. after being released on a $74,000 bond that sparked anger among Anguillans, who are demanding that he return to face justice in the British territory of nearly 15,000 people. "It's clear that people are angry over this situation," Dick said. "They are very emotional about it. The police continue to perform in a very professional manner, and they allow the law to take its course." He said Hapgood was originally held at Her Majesty's Prison in Anguilla after he was denied bail, but he was later released on bond after his attorney appealed to the High Court. Hapgood's release prompted a flurry of comments on social media both from Anguillans demanding justice for Mitchel and from foreigners who regularly visit the island, with some saying the general anger directed at tourists frightened them. Dick said police don't yet have a motive for the killing. It is unclear how the 27-year-old Mitchel ended up in Hapgood's hotel room at the upscale Malliouhana resort where he worked. "There are only two persons who actually know what happened," Dick said, adding that police still don't have any definitive answers. He said an autopsy report shows Mitchel died of positional asphyxia and received blunt force injuries to his torso and other areas. Dick declined to say whether Mitchel, who is from Dominica, had a criminal background. U.S. public records show Hapgood had never been previously charged with a crime. Hotel staff did not return a message for comment, and neither did Hapgood nor his lawyer, Thomas Astaphan. Dick said Hapgood is expected to return to Anguilla for an Aug. 22 hearing and rejected speculation among Anguillans that he might not appear. "We will have to wait until that time to see what happens," Dick said. More than three dozen people, including firefighters and police officers, were taken to area hospitals following a dangerous chemical spill in Beach Park, Illinois, that prompted a shelter-in-place warning and closed schools in numerous Chicago suburbs Thursday. Thirty-seven people, seven of which were in critical but stable condition, were taken to hospitals for breathing and inhalation issues after a chemical cloud spilled into the sky from a tractor trailer, authorities said. The remaining 30 were said to be in serious but stable condition. Among those hospitalized were 11 firefighters and three police officers, the Lake County Sheriff's office reported. Police arrived at the scene early Thursday morning neaqr North Green Bay Road and East 29th Street after a caller reported a possible vehicle fire at the intersection. "As the deputies approached they were overcome by the chemical that was in the air," Sgt. Christopher Covelli with the Lake County Sheriff's office said. "They had to retreat and couldnt actively attend to the scene." The driver of the vehicle also appeared to have "some medical issues" likely due to the spill, he added. Officials said the spill appeared to be anhydrous ammonia, "which created a dangerous chemical cloud in the area," warning the public not to get close. Anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas with "pungent, suffocating fumes," per the CDC, which said it can cause difficulty breathing, chest pain, burns and more, becoming potentially fatal at high concentrations. "This is a very dangerous chemical that can cause unconsciousness and worse case scenario death," Covelli said. Authorities had warned residents within a one-mile radius of the intersection of North Green Bay Road and East 29th Street to stay inside with windows closed. They were also told to turn off any heating or ventilation equipment. That shelter-in-place order was lifted just after 10 a.m., though door-to-door checks from law enforcement were still ongoing. Lake Forest Fire Division Chief Mike Gallo urged anyone who may be having breathing issues in the area to call 911 and get evaluated. Officials initially said at 7:30 a.m. that 12 to 15 people were taken to hospitals. By 10 a.m., that number had grown to at least 37. The Lake County sheriff's office said the spill occurred at around 4:30 a.m. when a tractor carrying containers of anhydrous ammonia had a leak. "It is really important to stay inside," Covelli said in a phone interview, adding, "Don't come out and risk breathing in these fumes, these toxic fumes that are in the air." Further details, including timing on when the spill might be resolved, were not available. "At least several more hours if not a good part of the day here," said Divison Chief Mike Gallo with the Forest Lake Fire Department, who noted that the plume is slowly dissipating. All schools in Beach Park School District 3 were closed Thursday because of the chemical spill, the district posted on its website, citing safety concerns for students and staff. District 3 schools include: Beach Park Middle School, Howe Elementary School, Kenneth Murphy Elementary School, Newport Elementary School and Oak Crest Elementary School. Zion-Benton Township High School and New Tech High @ Zion-Benton East were also closed Thursday, according to an alert from District 126, which said police advised school officials to cancel classes for the day, and that the district did not have access to buses for student transport. Prairie Trail schools in Wadsworth were also closed, Covelli said. Sky5 footage from above showed a large response to the hazmat situation, with several emergency vehicles on the scene. Officials were going door-to-door throughout the area as of 9 a.m. Check back for updates on this developing story. The Trump 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. 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. 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. 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 quickly 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." There was no immediate reaction from the Trump administration, which supports work requirements for public programs across the government. Last year, President Donald Trump 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. Officials said they believed work was 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. Associated Press writers Adam Beam and Andrew DeMillo contributed to this report. New York is suing the billionaire family behind the company that created OxyContin, joining a growing list of state and local governments seeking to hold not only the firm but its owners accountable for the nation's opioid crisis. The state, which averages nine opioid-related deaths per day, on Thursday expanded an existing lawsuit against pill maker Purdue Pharma to add members of its controlling Sackler family as defendants. Five other companies that produce opioid painkillers and four drug distributors, which buy medications in bulk and sell them to pharmacies, were also added as defendants. "This is an extensive lawsuit that leaves no stone unturned," New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, said at a news conference. While other states and localities have filed similar suits, New York is taking some novel approaches, such as seeking to bar the companies from marketing and distributing painkillers in New York unless they abide by strict safeguards. The suit claims drug manufacturers collaborated to falsely deny the serious risks of opioid addiction, and it accuses drug distributors of saturating the state with opioids while overlooking red flags. But at the heart of the case are Purdue and the Sacklers, whom James called "the masterminds behind this crisis." The suit, like others filed elsewhere, alleges aggressive marketing of OxyContin beginning in the mid-1990s led to massive overprescribing and a scourge of dependency, addiction and death. Once the pills ran out, the lawsuit alleges, many patients craving the same effects turned to cheaper, more potent alternatives: heroin and fentanyl. Representatives for Purdue and Sackler family members said the suit misleadingly blames them for a problem that's far bigger than OxyContin. "The state is seeking to publicly vilify Purdue" and the Sacklers with ill-supported claims about a drug that currently accounts for under 2 percent of all opioid prescriptions, the Stamford, Connecticut-based company said in a statement. The Sackler relatives named in the suit all former Purdue board members who remain shareholders said in a statement issued through a spokeswoman that they "have always acted properly." They and the company said they would fight the new allegations, which come two days after Purdue and the Sacklers agreed to pay $270 million to the state of Oklahoma to settle an opioid lawsuit there. In settling the case, Purdue denied any wrongdoing. It was the first settlement in a recent wave of nearly 2,000 lawsuits that the company says could push it into bankruptcy. James, the New York attorney general, said Thursday that she was open to settlement talks but hadn't been approached. In addition to potentially banning the companies from selling the drugs, her lawsuit seeks penalties and damages that could add up to tens of millions of dollars and a dedicated fund to curb the opioid epidemic. Since 2013, opioid-related deaths statewide have more than doubled, and there's been a 30-fold increase in fentanyl-related deaths in New York City, according to the lawsuit. It accuses the companies of deliberately betraying their duties under state drug laws "in order to profiteer from the plague they knew would be unleashed." New Yorker Justin Sangeorge says he experienced that plague firsthand after having a dental procedure, getting an opioid prescription and becoming addicted. "I couldn't believe how readily available pharmaceutical drugs were," said the social worker, who has gotten treatment, is now recovering and spoke at a news conference with James. "We hold accountable drug dealers, drug traffickers, I know, but the pharmaceutical companies hide behind this legitimate enterprise, and as far as I'm concerned, are just as guilty as a drug trafficker or a drug cartel," Sangeorge said. The suit accuses Purdue in particular of downplaying addiction risks and pushing doctors to increase dosages even as the dangers became known, the lawsuit said. Some of the company's marketing tactics included hiring a respected New York City doctor to tout the drug and sending representatives on more than a million sales visits to doctors' offices, the lawsuit said. 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. Purdue and the Sacklers have said they're committed to trying to stem opioid addiction, including through the Oklahoma settlement. It includes $75 million from the Sacklers, though they weren't personally sued in that case. Nearly $200 million of the money will go toward establishing a National Center for Addiction Studies and Treatment at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa. 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 $5 million 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. The other defendants in New York's lawsuit are: Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals; U.K.-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. Endo said in a statement that it denies the allegations in the lawsuit and intends to vigorously defend itself. Cardinal Health said it has a "rigorous system" to track pharmacy orders and has stopped suspicious orders for hundreds of millions of painkiller pills over the last decade. In a statement, the Dublin, Ohio-based company said: "Our people operate in good faith, and our goal is to get it right." McKesson had no specific response to the New York suit but said it has "strong programs" to try to prevent opioid abuse. The other companies declined comment or did not immediately respond to requests for it. An Illinois judge set bail at $5 million each for the parents of Andrew "AJ" Freund one day after the Crystal Lake couple was charged with murder in the death of their 5-year-old son. Joann Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr., 60, appeared separately on Thursday morning at the McHenry County Jail during a hearing in which a prosecutor told Judge Mark Gerhardt that Freund allegedly beat Andrew "AJ" Freund and forced him into a cold shower. Read the full complaints against them (Warning: disturbing details) Authorities dug up a body Wednesday later confirmed to be that of AJ, who was reported missing a week ago. The McHenry County Coroner's office on Thursday identified the body as AJ's and said the cause of death was "craniocerebral trauma as a consequence of multiple blunt force injuries." Cunningham cried as the judge read the charges against her while Freund Sr. sat silent. Prosecutors initially called for $10 million bonds for each parent. Cunningham was charged with five counts of first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated domestic battery and one count of failure to report a missing or child death. Freund Sr. was charged with five counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated domestic battery, two counts of concealment of homicidal death and one count of failure to report a missing or child death. The judge's order means the parents would each have to post 10%, or $528,000, to be released from jail and would be subject to electronic monitoring. They were told they cannot contact each other or anyone under the age of 17 and must surrender any firearms and consent to random drug testing, should they post bond. Prosecutors had originally asked for a bond of $10 million. The two were next expected to appear in court April 29. Crystal Lake police said Wednesday that investigators located a body wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave in a remote area of Woodstock, just a few miles from the family's Crystal Lake home. The discovery came a week to the day since AJ's parents said they last saw the child after putting him to bed around 9:30 p.m. on April 17. The following morning, Freund Sr. called police to report AJ missing, telling a dispatcher they'd checked "closets, the basement, the garage, everywhere,"in the house to no avail, according to the 911 call released Tuesday. But investigators quickly knocked down the possibility of a kidnapping. LISTEN TO THE 911 AUDIO HERE Police said both parents were questioned overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. After investigators confronted them with cell phone data evidence "both Joann and Andrew Sr. provided information that ultimately led to the recovery, what we believe is the recovery of deceased subject AJ," said Crystal Lake Police Chief James Black. Law enforcement and first responders descended on a large wooded area in Woodstock Wednesday morning. At the same time, police were seen searching the family's Dolve Avenue home. Moments later, evidence technicians brought items from an evidence van into the Crystal Lake police station. Those items included a mattress, a large bin, two large brown bags, and an item that appeared to be a shovel with a long wooden handle. Police scoured the area surrounding the family's home for days after the boy's disappearance, searching hundreds of acres of land and water before centering their investigation on the house, saying they found no evidence of an abduction. "To AJs family, it is our hope that you may have some solace in knowing that AJ is no longer suffering and his killers have been brought to justice," Black said Wednesday. "We would also like to thank the community for their support and assistance during this difficult time. To AJ, we know you are at peace playing in heavens playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer." Both parents appeared Tuesday in McHenry County Circuit Court for a custody hearing related to their other son, who was removed from the family home following AJ's disappearance and is in custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. As universities make last ditch efforts to woo new students ahead of the May 1 National College Decision Day when students will make their final college decision a handful of public universities ranked lowest in a report on resources for black students are still struggling to support some of their currently enrolled students. When Kaidee Akullo moved nearly 400 miles from her hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado to attend Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado in 2016, she felt lucky to have been assigned to one of the few black resident assistants on campus. Durango is nearly 300 miles from Colorado Springs, the nearest major city and has an estimated 18,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The town had just more than 100 black or African American inhabitants in 2017. Her RA would later introduce her to Fort Lewis Black Student Union, which, at the time, was only in its second year on campus and had just three regularly attending members. Only 1% of the universitys 3,300 undergraduate students identified as black or African American in 2017, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Fort Lewis currently employs only one black faculty member, according to school officials. Getty Images for Tony Awards Pro Akullo, a graduating public health major, and three other students from the college described to NBC what they saw as lack of resources available to Fort Lewis black students compared to other racial and ethnic groups that comprise the student body. They detailed the absence of professional staff to mentor black students and the lack of support services specific to black students. Fort Lewis College was one of 30 schools that ranked at the bottom of a University of Southern California report in September that assessed black college students success and resources at 506 public universities across the country. Shaun Harper, the founder and executive director of USCs Race and Equity Center, and Isaiah Simmons, an associate researcher at the center, created the report. The overall idea was if [education] is something were all paying into [via taxes], everyone should feel like theyre getting something out of it or at least that its working in their favor in some sort of way, Simmons said. Schools were rated on how the percentage of black undergraduates reflected their states percentage of black 18- to 24-year-old residents and how the difference between the percentage of black female students and the percentage of black male students compared to the national ratio. The report also compared the six-year graduation rates for black students and overall graduation rates for undergraduate students. The researchers additionally looked at the ratio of full-time, degree seeking black students to full-time black faculty members. Nearly eight months after the initial report was published, some of the 35 schools that scored the lowest argue that they have been taking active steps to improve resources for their black students. After speaking with 17 university spokespersons, presidents, faculty and students, similar themes emerged for why the schools struggled to perform well in the areas noted by the report. Many schools cited their statuses as predominantly indigenous- or Latino-serving institutions, their towns small population of black residents and their rural locations. Fort Lewis received Fs in three areas: gender equity, completion equity and black student-to-black faculty ratio. Junior Taylor ONeal, who identifies as black and Alaskan native, said that if it werent for Fort Lewis tuition waiver for indigenous students and the friends she found through the Black Student Union, she would have never transferred to the college. ONeal said that the resources available to black students at the institution were so few that they could not be compared to the resources she found at her previous universities, Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California and Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. Courtesy of the Fort Lewis College Black Student Union I feel like theres so little support for black students the least amount of support Ive ever experienced in education, ONeal said. This was one of my opportunities to attend college and get an education, and its at a place where its really hard to stay on course. To help create a support system for students like ONeal, this academic year, Black Student Union President Kaidee Akullo and other Black Student Union members opened the campus first Black Student Resource Center, a student-run space where Akullo said black students could build a strong community and have access to resources specific to our community. The Fort Lewis students who NBC spoke with claimed that the Black Student Union had been integral to providing resources the college failed to offer. Theres been a lot of growth in the past years that Ive been here, but a lot of the growth has been student driven, Akullo said. So its coming from within the community versus being an issue that the administration sees needs fixing so that we can have a better time here at the school. Fort Lewis College President Tom Stritikus said Akullo and other Black Student Union members were accurate to claim students were leading in providing important resources for their black peers. Stritikus, however, said he was concerned about black student equity even before he saw the USC report. Since becoming president less than a year ago, Stritikus said he has been focusing on hearing student grievances and addressing concerns about student and faculty diversity. One of the things that we launched even before that report started was a faculty diversity initiative to make sure that our hiring practices were yielding diverse candidate pools, Stritikus said. Last fall, Stritikus created the Presidential Diversity Council, which includes members from a variety of student groups, including the Black Student Union. The council gives input on the administrations new diversity policies and initiatives. Stritikus hopes to hear more student feedback from a climate survey that will include questions about inclusion and a sense of belonging on campus. He also said he wants to create a centralized student support service center and establish a program for first year students to increase resources for all students and make the college transition easier. Our position is we want to ensure every student on this campus feels a sense of belonging and a sense of inclusion on our campus, Stritikus said. We acknowledge that we have a lot of work to do. Like Fort Lewis College, other institutions ranked low on the list also admitted that they still have a lot of progress to make, but they also said the report does not tell the full story. Ronalda Cadiente-Brown, the associate vice chancellor for Alaska Native Programs at the University of Alaska Southeast and director of the School of Education Preparing Indigenous Teachers and Administrators for Alaska Schools, said her university did not have enough African-American students to allow it to offer the same resources it provides for the schools other populations. The University of Alaska Southeast received three Fs because of its gender disparity between black students (the student body is overwhelmingly female), the difference in graduation rate for black students and the lack of black full-time faculty members. In terms of African-American students, I would say that we dont have the population density that would enrich us to do what weve done with other populations, meaning clubs, advisers, faculty and the like, Cadiente-Brown said. At the start of the 2017-2018 academic year, about 1.3% of full-time undergraduate attendees identified as black, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Despite having a predominantly white student population, the Juneau, Alaska campus is a nationally recognized Native-American serving institution with 12.4% of undergraduate students identifying as Alaskan natives or American Indians in 2017. The University of Alaska Southeast was one of four minority serving public institutions to be ranked among the top 10 lowest report scores. Cadiente-Browns explanation for the resources gap mirrored those given by administrators at Aberdeen, South Dakotas Northern State University. Like the University of Alaska Southeast, Northern received three Fs because most of its black students are male, black students graduation rate is more than three times smaller than the universitys overall graduation rate and the school employs no full-time, black faculty. But compared to the Alaskan institution, Northern State Universitys student population is 84% white with no other ethnic or racial group representing more than 5%. Although Diversity Coordinator and Director of Multicultural Student Affairs Layton Cooper said the data doesnt lie, Cooper also said he doesnt think the report is a true reflection of the school or the town. I think that while you do have numbers, data and statistics, it really doesnt tell the whole story, Layton, a black Chicago native that moved to Aberdeen 13 years ago. I think were headed in the right direction in terms of staffing, and I think the students that are here of color would say that they do feel welcomed and they do know that they have people that can connect with them and speak with them in their own way. A student shared that although he hasnt always felt at home at Northern, thats starting to change. Northern State University junior Harrison Bruns felt so uncomfortable at the school that about a month into his first semester he called his mom and begged her to let him transfer to a school like Howard University, a historically black institution. Although Bruns said he visited his grandmother in Aberdeen regularly before enrolling at Northern, he was stunned by the lack of diversity compared to his Minnesota high school. Courtesy of Northern State University Coming to Northern it was weird being the only black kid in a class, which happened to me on multiple occasions, Bruns said. Thats super weird coming from a high school where me and a third of the class was black. It was more of a cultural shock getting taken out of living in an environment that was relatively diverse and coming here. After Bruns mother told him to at least finish his school year before deciding to transfer, Bruns began to get more involved in student organizations. Through his position as a president of the Campus Activity Board, Bruns has hosted events that bring diverse voices, like that of black comedian Erin Jackson, to campus. Bruns cited the appointment of Dr. Timothy Downs as the schools president during Bruns freshman year as a possible factor in what Bruns sees as positive changes. Northern State University has been taking active steps to address the issues highlighted in the report and the lack of diversity that soured Bruns freshman year, according to university Spokesperson Justin Fraase. Through programs like TRIO a federal education program that provides resources to low-income, first-generation and disabled students and the Student Success Center, Fraase said the university has been able to increase retention rates for freshman and sophomores to more than 72%. Fraase said that the administration is also encouraging its admission counselors to expand their recruitment to cities like Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota, which are considerably more diverse than Aberdeen, South Dakota. Northern and other public universities will allow incoming students from Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming to pay South Dakota in-state tuition rates as part of a statewide initiative to expand South Dakotas workforce, according to a South Dakota Board of Regents press release. Fraase said the new South Dakota Advantage tuition program along with the states long-running tuition agreement with Minnesota will help Northern State University compete with surrounding instate schools and institutions in larger metropolitan areas like Omaha, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado. The university is also trying to increase its facultys diversity by revamping human resource policies and posting job openings on more websites so that more people see them. In addition to ensuring that we get our students out, graduated and ready for the workforce, we also need to bring diversity to Aberdeen and be one of those catalysts of change for Aberdeen, Fraase said. I think that falls on us as a higher [education] institution, and I think we accept that challenge. Isaiah Simmons, one of the reports creators, occasionally agreed that some of the factors that caused the universities to fail in certain categories are difficult to resolve. Simmons acknowledged that institutions that received low scores for representation equity because the percentage of enrolled black students did not equal the states percentage of college-aged black individuals are not completely at fault. Things like that are a bit harder to measure, but I think what you can do is you can still look to create an environment and atmosphere that is welcoming towards people from various racial identities, Simmons said. Simmons also commended schools like the University of Alaska Southeast for supporting an underserved minority group, although he said that doesnt give the institution a license to ignore investing. Even if the area around the school lacks diversity, Simmons suggested that administrators expand their recruitment to more diverse locals, train their staff to promote diversity and bring diverse perspectives to campus through public speakers. To those who argued that the report did not show the whole story, Simmons responded, The numbers are what they are. Statistics used in the report are based on federally reported data on public universities. Simmons added that the rankings are simply a reality check to concretely show schools what theyre doing wrong and right. Ultimately, Simmons said, time will tell if the universitys policies to increase resources for black students are working. Now more than ever, especially for these underrepresented populations and students, if youre going to invest the time and opportunity cost into going to college, its important to demonstrate that its a place where you can go and thrive and succeed, Simmons said. A man was arrested as police swarmed a house Wednesday in Natick, Massachusetts. Natick Police responded to a report of a barricaded subject on Pond Street. A SWAT team responded shortly thereafter. Police said they did not know whether the man inside was armed. A family member called police around 3 p.m. to report concern about the man's well-being. The man, who is known to police, has mental disabilities. Police tried to communicate with the man, but were unable to. Crisis negotiators responded alongside the SWAT team, which made its way into the house to find the man alive. The incident ended peacefully, police said. No one was injured and no property was damaged. A New Hampshire judge says a secret list of 260 police officers who have committed misconduct must be made public. Superior Court Judge Charles Temple sided Tuesday with several media outlets and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire that argued that releasing the list is in the public interest. But the list won't be released immediately, pending an appeal. Temple rejected the state Department of Justice's argument that the list should remain confidential. The department previously produced a list that redacted any personal information. Known as the Exculpatory Evidence Schedule, the list is maintained by the department and contains names of officers across New Hampshire who have committed wrongdoing that could raise questions about their credibility as witnesses in criminal cases. A former Maine lawmaker who stole more than $3 million from two elderly widows for personal expenses has reportedly been sentenced to 10 years in prison. News Center Maine reports former state legislator Robert Kenneth Lindell was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in prison on charges that include securities fraud, theft and intentional evasion of and failure to pay state income tax. He was convicted of the crimes by a jury in November of 2018. Lindell had reportedly known one of the victims since he was born. She was a resident of France and named him the trustee of a trust set up by her deceased husband. Lindell would allegedly write checks to himself without her knowledge and would use the money for personal expenses. In a second case, Lindell reportedly became a securities agent for a widow and later a trustee of a trust created for her disabled veteran son. He again stole money from the widow by writing himself checks. Lindell is said to have used the money to purchase and renovate a California wine country home, among other personal expenses. A former Massachusetts police officer whose badge, gun holster and handcuffs were used by two men who kidnapped another man later found dead has been sentenced to prison. Michael Schoener, 45, was found guilty earlier this week of accessory before the fact to the kidnapping of 37-year-old James Robertson of Avon, who was kidnapped from his home in 2014 and found murdered in the woods in Upton about two years later. Schoener was sentenced to six to nine years in state prison Thursday, but was released following the hearing, as his sentence was ordered stayed pending appeal. Last year, James Feeney, 48, of Dedham, was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and conspiracy in Robertson's death, while Scott Morrison, 51, of Norfolk, was convicted of manslaughter, aggravated kidnapping and conspiracy. Authorities say Feeney and Morrison, pretending to be police officers, went to Robertson's home, flashed badges and told him they needed to escort him to a drug probation test. Robertson's remains were found in a wooded area of Upton nearly two years later when a hunter reported finding what he believed to be a human skull. Robertson is said to have had struggled with drugs and alcohol and had been arrested for breaking and entering. Prosecutors said Schoener gave his badge, holster and handcuffs to Feeney, the man believed to have masterminded the kidnapping. "It was important to this family, to this office and to the law enforcement community that Michael Schoener be held accountable for his part in this awful crime," Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said this week. "He stands convicted of handing over to his drug dealer his police badge, holster, handcuffs and information about James Robertson. It was a shocking betrayal of public trust, with a brutal and shocking outcome." Dedham Police Chief Michael D'Entremont also issued a statement this week, extending his gratitude to the investigators and prosecutors involved in the case. "Schoener has been found guilty of abusing the sacred trust placed by the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in police officers and the municipal police badge," D'Entremont said. "His actions jeopardized that trust, and there is no room for individuals who engage in this type of conduct in the profession of policing." Maine residents are remembering a sheriff's deputy who was killed in the line of duty one year ago. Sixty-one-year-old Cpl. Eugene Cole was shot and killed April 25, 2019, while on patrol in his hometown of Norridgewock. John D. Williams was arrested and charged with murder after a four-day manhunt in connection to the shooting and is awaiting trial. He pleaded not guilty. A year after the shooting, Norridgewock officials named April 25 as "Corporal Eugene Cole Day" to remember Cole and to make sure his legacy is never forgotten. Town Manager Richard LaBelle told the Press Herald he came up with an idea of also helping to spread goodwill in Cole's name by having people donate non-perishable food and personal care items at four locations in Maine leading up to April 25. "On this day, the community is encouraged to volunteer, give back, and get involved as a way to honor Gene and the service of law enforcement officers and their families," read a statement on the town's website. Thursday morning, dozens of students dropped off donations to be distributed to schoolchildren in need by Coles widow and the county Sheriff. In the afternoon, a moment of silence was held. Banners with Cole's face were also placed on visible street corners and some American flags were replaced with black and white versions, with the blue stripe honoring a fallen police officer. "He was very much loved in this community," said Marilyn Oleyar, who changed her daily walk to pass over the bridge named to honor the fallen deputy. "I usually dont walk this way... but I couldn't think of a better way to honor him than to enjoy the safety of this town and that's what he provided to people." Some of those who knew Cole best, the deputies who served with him, say he crosses their minds almost daily. Somerset County Sheriffs Cpl. Richard Putnam said Coles legacy is his willingness to give to his neighbors. "He was just a wonderful guy. He was always there, willing to help out, not just in law enforcement, just in general," said Putnam. "There's nothing that he wouldn't do for anyone." Since Cole's death, the Sheriff's Office has changed its practices. Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster says the fact Cole's truck was stolen the night he died made the beginning of an investigation more difficult. Since that time, the office has moved to put GPS trackers in all vehicles. Cole was the first officer killed in the line of duty in Maine in nearly three decades. A New Hampshire bear sanctuary has seen a rise in abandoned and starving cubs after a fall famine and a long winter. The Kilham Bear Center is hoping some community donations will help them build another facility on the property to make room for the record number of bears. "I've never seen it this bad," said Dr. Ben Kilham. Kilham has traveled the world rehabilitating bears, and each one steals a piece of his heart. Today, it's Shelly. "The first thing she did was crawl up my chest, look me in the eyes, and give me a kiss on the lips," Kilham said. "It was like, 'Take care of me.' I mean, what can you say?" Shelly is still bottle feeding and hanging out in Kilham's living room. But outside, in a separate building, there are dozens of cubs that have spent the winter at the Kilham Bear Center and are ready to be released into the wild. "The reality is, if we didn't take them, they were dead bears," Kilham said. He usually rescues about 10 cubs a year, but since last fall, he's rehabilitated nearly 70 bears, and that number is growing daily. While shooting this story Thursday, a New Hampshire Fish and Game biologist pulled up to Kilham's Lyme home with a starving bear cub. The 16-month-old should weigh about 50 pounds, but only weighs six pounds. He's proof that the fall famine is still taking a toll. "Last year, there was no natural food," Kilham said. "No beech nuts, no acorns, hardly any apples." Kilham says mother bears were leaving their cubs to search for food and never making it back to care for them. "An awful lot of mothers got killed on the interstate," Kilham explained. "And people were seeing cubs in the median." The sanctuary is now at capacity. To make room for more cubs, Kilham is retrofitting a brand new shed and raising money to build another facility. In 25 years, he's never cared for so many animals at one time. "It's been an interesting adventure," Kilham said. But more work means more satisfaction on the day Kilham sends his beloved cubs back home. "It's a happy day," he said. "Bears want to be bears and they want to be in their own environment." The Kilham Bear Center was recently recognized as a 501c3 non-profit, which means Kilham can accept donations to help the bears. To learn more, click here. Law enforcement officials say a New Hampshire man is charged with fondling an 86-year-old patient in a nursing home memory-care unit in Rye. Officials said Wednesday that 69-year-old Hugh McIntyre is charged with assault and sexual assault. A statement by the attorney general's office said the charges are misdemeanors but McIntyre is subject to an extended term of imprisonment because he took advantage of the woman's "age or physical disability." The statement said McIntyre fondled the woman's breast on Jan. 28. McIntyre, who was working as a custodian at the time, has pleaded not guilty and is free on $5,000 bail. His attorney didn't immediately return a message on Thursday. A teenage driver may face additional charges after a 17-year-old was thrown from his pickup trucks bed as he was doing tricks in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts parking lot. Police are investigating after the victim suffered life-threatening injuries in the incident and was airlifted to a Boston hospital as a result. A preliminary investigation determined the 19-year-old driver was doing donuts in the Smokin' Joe's parking lot on Wednesday night when the victim was thrown from the vehicle. "It looks like he was attempting to do a donut and the vehicle kind of shook. It's got very thick tires I guess and it just caused the 17-year-old in the back to be immediately ejected," said Tyngsborough Police Chief Richard Howe. The victim, who is from Lowell, was rushed to Lowell General Hospital before being taken by medical helicopter to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The driver was cited and charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle and operating to endanger. He may face additional charges, according to officials. Police said they plan to alert the Registry of Motor Vehicles to let them know the driver is an immediate threat in hopes of having his license suspended. "A very avoidable event. It should have never happened," said Howe. "I dont know why the 17 year old was in the back of the vehicle but the operator has a responsibility for any passengers in that vehicle." Police did not release the names of the driver and the victim. The relationship between the two is unclear. Months after she was nearly killed in a tour boat explosion in the Bahamas, a Vermont woman came to Boston to take a significant step on her road to recovery. Stefanie Schaffer, 22, lost both her legs in the accident while she was on vacation with her family. After spending months in and out of the hospital, she returned to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston to begin the process of learning to walk again. "The dream is to not need anything at all, and to just be able to get up and walk," said Schaffer. That has been her focus all week, testing out a variety of prosthetics to determine what fits her best. "I have to just focus on the very next thing that needs to happen," she said. "It was a completely different life before." Before the explosion, Schaffer was a college student in Vermont. She had grown up playing sports. Since the explosion, which killed one and injured nine in total, she has been slowly recovering from the injuries not only to her legs, but also to her head and spinal cord. "To see your daughter not be able to walk is hard. To see her in a wheelchair, it's painful," said Schaffer's mother, Stacey Bender. But recently, she made big strides when she took her first steps with a walker. Now, she is planning to take her first steps alone and hopefully return to school. Given her injuries and initial prognosis, Schaffer is confident she will be able to do it. "I set all these goals for myself. I'm like, 'OK, what can we do now?'" she said. "I am really excited." Contemporary Art Fairs comes to Newbury NEWBURY art lovers may have, in the past, enjoyed the experience of browsing the annual Contemporary Art Fairs at Rivermead, even picking up a bargain, no matter what their favoured genre. If they were disappointed to hear the fair was no longer taking place there, the good news is that it is coming to our town. The event, at Newbury Racecourse on May 11 and 12, will feature 160 artists showcasing 5,000 works, workshops and live demos. N2 talks to CAF founders Sarah McAllister and Deborah James whose aim is to make genuine, high-quality, contemporary art accessible and affordable to the wider communityIN celebration of the launch of their newest event in Newbury next month, Contemporary Art Fairs are elevating the experience and coming up with something quite special something that may well change art fairs in the future. After more than 15 years of success they are one of only a handful of truly influential art fairs in the country. Every year the events have gone from strength to strength and their secret is the dedication of co-founders and co-directors Sarah McAllister and Deborah James and, most importantly, their shared passion for art. They started out with just one fair and 25 stands. This year, there will be three events including the new show at Newbury Racecourse, where 125 stands will feature more than 160 curated artists, printmakers, photographers, sculptors, ceramicists and selected galleries bringing together a rich array of art from all over the country and abroad. These two women revolutionised the art fair experience by inviting artists to exhibit alongside galleries, making it part-educational, on some level edgy, but always exciting, We believe art isnt just something to put in your home. It makes us notice the world around us, says Sarah. We are trying to show an array of choices and styles that make us think and feel. Deborah agrees. You have a response to any art and when we see someones face light up with wonder and joy, we know we have got it right. Deborah has a degree in economic history and worked with the very first micro-computers. She started out in international trade importing hazelnuts from Turkey and was delighted to be asked to source art in the UK for a gallery in Spain. A pioneer from the start, Deborah then opened a gallery in Windsor specialising in photography her uncle was head of photography at The Tate at the time, so it was natural to see its value as equal to any other art form. However, she was one of only a handful brave enough to hang photography alongside work by Sir Terry Frost, Sandra Blow and Anita Klein. Studying for a degree in history of art at the University of East Anglia, Sarah was surrounded by art while working in Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts there, a groundbreaking place of visual communication in a building commissioned from Norman Foster. She went on to work in Christies Contemporary Art Galleries, the worlds leading publishers and galleries specialising in original limited-edition prints. Sarah brings to the art fairs her ethos of wanting to make genuine, high-quality contemporary art accessible and affordable to the wider community. It all began for them on the side of a rugby pitch, watching their sons play an away match. They found their passions and combined experience to be a natural fit both had owned galleries and Sarah brought framing to the enterprise, which she still does, and they havent looked back. They had both noticed that many more artists needed a gallery space than was available and decided to create an exciting place for them to show.They apply the same high standards of curation to the Art Fair as they would to their gallery spaces. We both still get excited about art, and we take what our art fair offers very seriously. It has to be right for the artist and an interesting, fresh mix for our visitors so that both get the best experience. We actively look for new talent, support emerging work, and appreciate the value of established, well-loved artists says Sarah. It is 100 per cent our choice and our instincts have proved right over the past 15 years year on year the show just gets better. The fact that were still here proves we know what we are doing, says Deborah. Their relationships with their artists are important and they have been responsible for launcing careers. We are always aware we are dealing with people and we carefully look for the fit. We are also trying to get the best out of people, says Sarah. In a world focused on the bottom line, maximising profits and stripping costs, people who are truly passionate about what they do and what they believe in have a special feeling and ownership of a company. There is an integrity and sense of purpose that creates a different philosophy and culture. We treat people with respect, which is fundamentally necessary to benefit from how they deal with you. We dont take things for granted and always consider the relationship important, adds Deborah. This same belief underpins all their relationships, from the artists to the buyers, to their staff, the contractors and the venues, local schools and the art community. The secret to their success may be as simple as their attention to detail. They are very hands-on and have high expectations. We are always working to improve the experience for all and were evolving in the art market. We are not in competition with other fairs, we are doing what is interesting for us and best for our artists and visitors with a long-term view. Their event is visionary and participatory. It supports the Princes Trust raising more than 72,000 so far and offers educational workshops, talks and inclusive experiences for adults and children, while being successful for their artists. The fairs offer a great day out and an exciting cultural experience for their visitors. To mark the launch of this new fair, the show will host a full programme of talks, workshops and activities including free art valuations by Bargain Hunt regular Thomas Forrester and his team from Special Auction Services, plus an opportunity to join in a collaborative painting inspired by Frieda Kahlo. www.contemporaryartfairs.co.uk The Newbury MP urges Parliament to make revolutionary medicine Orkambi available for 11-year-old Bradfield girl NEWBURY MP Richard Benyon has called on Government leaders to pressurise a major pharmaceutical supplier into making a cystic fibrosis (CF) wonder drug available on the NHS. Mr Benyon raised the issue of Orkambi in Parliament on behalf of Tilly Green, an 11-year-old Bradfield Primary School pupil. Tilly takes about 40 different tablets each day to control her condition many of which are for her pancreas, which cannot correctly digest food and is severely prone to infection. Last month, Tillys classmates wrote to Mr Benyon, asking him to help break the impasse between NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Governments pharmaceutical watchdog, and US drugs giant Vertex, which makes the drug. The Government is currently embroiled in a financial battle with Vertex, which turned down NHS Englands 500m offer last summer. Orkambi is already available in several countries, including Ireland, Germany and the US, but plans to bring it to England have repeatedly stalled with the drug currently only prescribed to people with CF on compassionate grounds. CF causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract and other areas of the body. Those with the condition have an average life expectancy of about 37. Speaking last Wednesday in the House of Commons, Mr Benyon said: Im in consultation with ministers about this [Orkambi], but it would be a great help if there was the possibility of a debate in this house which tried to draw out the relatively opaque nature of how NICE decides whether a drug can or cant be used. It would bring great comfort to families like Tillys that she could get the treatment in due course. The leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, praised Mr Benyon for raising the issue. Ms Leadsom said: I know there have been a number of meetings in Parliament between Vertex, the supplier of this drug, and right honourable members, to try and move this forward. The Government is doing everything it can to find a way through this, but I do encourage my honourable friend and others to keep fighting for access for this drug. Mr Benyon later added: I am doing all I can to help Tilly and others suffering from cystic fibrosis. This issue has been raised with the Prime Minister, health ministers and with NICE. I hope that sense will prevail. Tillys mother, Nikki Green, praised Mr Benyon for joining the campaign at a crucial point after a recent petition for Orkambi to be made available on the NHS gained more than 100,000 signatures. It means the issue will now be considered for debate in Parliament. Tilly added: By talking about it in the House of Commons, Richard is raising more awareness of the campaign by explaining about myself as a cystic fibrosis patient. For the CF community across the UK, the availability of Orkambi is something that my parents and I have been campaigning for a long time now and its fantastic to hear that Richard wants to be involved and is supporting us. BRIDGEPORT A driver was seriously injured in a crash on Arctic Street Tuesday afternoon. Police responded to the scene of a serious crash on Arctic Street between its intersection with Pembroke and Brooks streets at approximately 1:58 p.m. An Ansonia man was traveling east on Arctic Street operating a 2018 Yongfu Falcon 250cc motorcycle/scooter. As the motorcycle/scooter approached the area of 580 Arctic Street a Bridgeport woman travelling westbound, in an 2004 Acura TSX, attempted to turn left into the driveway of 580 Arctic Street and collided with the motorcycle, police said in a release. This caused the operator of the motorcycle to be ejected and strike a parked car. The operator of the motorcycle suffered severe injury to his lower left leg. The motorcycle was found on the ground next to the parked vehicle. The operator of the motorcycle/scooter was transported to Bridgeport Hospital to undergo surgery, where he was listed in stable condition. The operator of the Acura, who was not identified, was issued an infraction for failure to grant right of way. The operator of the motorcycle/scooter has pending motor vehicle charges. The Bridgeport Police Accident Reconstruction Team was conducting further investigation. Hartford Police Department photo HARTFORD - A Main Street man, who tried to blame a self-inflicted gunshot wound on an "unknown assailant," was arrested after investigators found nearby surveillance video showing he accidentally shot himself with a gun he wasn't supposed to have, according to police. Christopher Ryan, 56, called 911 on April 13 to report he had been shot. Emergency responders found him in the parking of his address with a hrough and through gunshot wound to the leg, police said. HARTFORD A survey of state prosecutors across the nation indicated that most track offenses and felonies but far fewer collect data on the demographics of the people arrested in their jurisdiction or whether defendants are held during lengthy court cases, according to the Urban Institute. The demographic and bond data are the key metrics that proponents of a Connecticut bill that would require state prosecutors to annually provide all arrest and sentencing data for public view. Having data on prosecutions publicly available is a way to increase the communitys confidence that court decisions are fair, said Marc Pelka, Undersecretary of Criminal Justice for the Office of Policy and Management. Its also a way for prosecutors to tell their story when it comes to policy and budget decisions at the legislative level, Pelka said. This is part of Connecticuts larger effort to increase prosecutorial data and transparency, he added. Policy analysts from the Urban Institute, which provides research on urban policy issues, presented their findings from a 2018 national survey of prosecutors offices throughout the country Wednesday to a crowd backing the bill including Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane. The 13 states attorneys offices in Connecticut still rely on a paper file system - making it impossible to track data, Kane said. Were functioning in the modern age like we were functioning in 1942 or 1943, Kane said. But the Division of Criminal Justice is on the verge of unrolling a new case management system that will allow the agency to more easily gather all types of data that would satisfy the provisions of the bill. Kane announced his support in March for a revised version of the bill that was crafted with input from the Judicial Branch, the Office of Policy and Management, the Chief Public Defenders Office and the Connecticut American Civil Liberties Union. - The first portion of the bill would require the Division of Criminal Justice to gather all information on arrests and sentencings including the demographics of the defendants, the number of continuances and pre-trial proceedings, information on plea agreements and the number of trials. The information would be made public annually so that residents and legislators would have a good idea of the demographics of arrests and sentencings. The second portion of the bill would provide legal counsel through the states public defender system to all sentenced defendants who are facing parole revocation. The Urban Institute sent surveys on the types of data gathered to 682 prosecutors offices throughout the country. The results were based on responses from 141 offices. Another 17 offices responded to a shorter version of the survey, the authors said. All of the offices collected at least one of seven metrics outlined in the survey. But fewer than half collected all seven of the metrics which included whether or not data was gathered on cases referred, charges at arrest, the final charges, cases declined, cases dismissed, cases resolved by a plea and cases that went to trial. The offices were most likely to track offense type, and least likely to track defendant characteristics and victim characteristics, the survey concluded. The offices were twice as likely to track the screening of cases for prosecution as they were pre-trial release information. Out of 139 responses, 29 said they kept track of releasing people on their own recognizance, with bond or without bond, 98 said they didnt, said Robin Olsen, Senior Policy Associate with the Urban Institute who authored the survey with Leigh Courtney and Chloe Warnberg, also with the Institute. The survey was conducted to examine the lack of knowledge about data collection and use among prosecutors offices and provide ways to aid offices that wanted to broaden their data collection efforts. The bill was suggested by Gov. Ned Lamont who promised more transparency during his campaign, Pelka said. The Judiciary Committee sent the bill to the Senate on April 9. The Office of Fiscal Analysis has yet to evaluate the fiscal impact. Kanes office and other stakeholders including the Connecticut ACLU worked on an amended version of the bill which shortened the laundry list of information that would be required to be submitted for public view. The final version included a provision to track the race, ethnicity, gender, and age of defendants. Bond information will be able to be tracked but what the prosecutor recommended for bond will not be gathered. Kanes eventual backing of the amended version helped move it forward, Pelka. When Kevin submitted his testimony, that was the turning point, Pelka said. If the bill is signed into law, the Office of Policy and Management will make the first year of data available to the public in July 2020. The Division of Criminal Justice will provide their first year of data in July 2021, Pelka said. With the case management system, the Division of Criminal Justice will be able to examine its own data for the first time, Kane said. Now we can collect data and have it be useful, Kane said. Whats ironic is what brought us to this point today, which is groups who wanted to analyze us, Kane said. This is a great step. WESTPORT - Police are warning residents of a scam from someone purporting to work for the Social Security Administration. On Monday, a Westport resident received a phone call from someone purporting to work for the Social Security Administration using what appeared on the caller identification as a legitimate phone number for the Social Security Administration., police said in a release. The caller told the resident her Social Security number was being used fraudulently in another state. The caller also knew her name and correct Social Security number. Minutes after ending the call, the victim received a phone call from what appeared to be the Westport Police Department non-emergency line, (203) 341-6000. The caller identified himself as a Westport Police officer and said he was investigating the illegal use of the victims Social Security number. The victim was told her assets would be frozen and suggested transferring $10,000 to a special account, so that she would have available funds during the investigation. The victim was instructed to send the money in the form of Bitcoin. The victim sent $4,000 before she realized she had been scammed. Criminals are disguising their phone numbers to appear legitimate. If you have any doubts as to the legitimacy of a call, whether the caller claims to be an employee of a utility company, the Social Security Administration, IRS etc., we recommend that you hang up before providing any personal information and contact the agency/company directly. The Westport Police Department does not establish special accounts to hold the personal funds of residents during an investigation. If you are a Westport resident and believe you have fallen victim to this scam, please contact the police department via the non-emergency line (203) 341-6000. The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council will host three information sessions regarding the 2019-20 Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) grant programs in the coming days. The sessions will provide an opportunity for artists, schools, libraries, and others who present or produce cultural programming to learn and ask questions about the funding opportunities offered. The Jewish Community Center in Sherman will offer a variety of programs in the coming weeks. The center will offer a screening of Witness, a video interview with Holocaust survivor Maks Etingin, and a Q&A with Etingin, April 27 at 7 p.m., and Music of the Holocaust: Melodies of Solace, Hope & Spiritual Resilience with Dr. Tamara Reps Freeman, a Holocaust ethnomusicologist and violist, May 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. Etingin, his younger brother and their parents escaped the Vilna Ghetto on the eve of the liquidation of the ghetto. He and his family were hidden underground for almost one year by a Christian farmer that Etingins father had helped before the war. The Great Decisions 2019 series, co-hosted by the Sherman Library, is also under way and will be held the second Friday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m. at alternating locations. Topics will beThe Middle East: Regional Disorder May 10 at the library, Nuclear Negotiations; Back to the Future? June 14 at the JCC, The Rise of Populism in Europe July 12 at the library, Decoding U.S.-China Trade Aug. 9 at the JCC, Cyber Conflict and Geopolitics Sept. 13 at the library, The United States and Mexico: Partnership Tested Oct. 11 at the JCC and State of the State Department and Diplomacy Nov. 8 at the library. The April 27 program is free. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets to the May 4 program are $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Tickets must be reserved by May 2. To register for the Great Decisions series, email info@jccinsherman.org. or call 860-355-8050 or 860-354-2455. For more information and RSVP, call the 9 Route 39 North center at 860-355-8050. This week the African nation of Malawi became one of the first of the planned three to launch a pilot trial for a novel vaccine against malaria. The news and the efforts were lauded by the World Health Organization (WHO). Malaria vaccine trial in Malawi. Image Credit: WHO The vaccine known as RTS,S or Mosquirix, would be administered to children up to 2 years of age. After Malawi, the vaccine would be introduced in its pilot trial phase in Ghana and Kenya in the coming weeks. In these African countries malaria remains a menace and kills with an alarming frequency of one child every two minutes. In Africa, over 250,000 children die due to malaria annually. The risks of dying due to malaria and its complications are highest among children under the age of five years. Across the world, malaria kills 435,000 people annually of which most are children says WHO. According to WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement, We have seen tremendous gains from bed nets and other measures to control malaria in the last 15 years, but progress has stalled and even reversed in some areas. We need new solutions to get the malaria response back on track, and this vaccine gives us a promising tool to get there. The malaria vaccine has the potential to save tens of thousands of childrens lives. This malaria vaccine took three decades to make say researchers. Until now it remains the only vaccine against malaria. Phase 3 clinical trials with the vaccine have been conducted in Africa between 2009 and 2014. These clinical trials with this vaccine show that this vaccine could prevent 40 percent of malaria cases and 30 percent of fatal severe malaria cases. Dr David Schellenberg, one of the researchers who helped develop the vaccine said in a statement, There were seven countries participating in a large trial where over 15,000 children participated. [The trial] showed pretty clearly that this vaccine is safe and it is efficacious in terms of its ability to prevent clinical malaria episodes and also severe malaria episodes. #Malawi : A baby girl named Gloria was first in line for a #malariavaccine at the Muotcha HIV Testing & Counseling Centre in the town of Balaka. pic.twitter.com/EYGh46XcB7 WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) April 24, 2019 Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, in a statement said, Malaria is a constant threat in the African communities where this vaccine will be given. The poorest children suffer the most and are at highest risk of death. We know the power of vaccines to prevent killer diseases and reach children, including those who may not have immediate access to the doctors, nurses and health facilities they need to save them when severe illness comes. This is a day to celebrate as we begin to learn more about what this tool can do to change the trajectory of malaria through childhood vaccination. The team leading the pilot trial would roll out the programme and help to generate information and experience with the RTS,S malaria vaccine so that WHO can devise its policy recommendations regarding the vaccine. The utility and efficacy of the vaccine in reducing childhood deaths, safety of the vaccines, if the parents were willing to bring their children for the routine four doses of the vaccine and its general acceptance would all be studied. WHO officials add, that this new malaria vaccine would be part of the malaria control programme. WHO recommends other major measures for malaria control including insecticide-treated bed nets, use of insecticides indoors and routine testing for malaria in case of fever and its early treatment. This pilot programme is a collaboration between the WHO and ministries of health in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi along with PATH, a non-profit organization and makers of the vaccine GSK. GSK is donating up to 10 million vaccine doses for this pilot project. This pilot project is receiving financial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and Unitaid. Contributions in kind are being provided by WHO, PATH and GSK. Steve Davis, President and CEO of PATH said in a statement, We salute WHO and Malawi for their leadership in realizing this historic milestone and we look forward to the start of vaccination in Ghana, and then Kenya later this year. A vaccine for malaria is among many innovations needed to bring an end to this disease, and we proudly stand with all countries and our many partners in progressing towards a malaria-free world. Dr Thomas Breuer, Chief Medical Officer of GSK Vaccines in a statement said, Delivering the worlds first malaria vaccine will help reduce the burden of one of the most pressing health challenges globally. This novel tool is the result of GSK employees collaborating with their partners, applying the latest in vaccine science to contribute to the fight against malaria. We look forward to seeing the results of the pilot, and in parallel, are working with WHO and PATH to secure the vaccines sustained global health impact in the future. Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi in his statement said, Malaria is still one of the biggest killers of children worldwide, taking the lives of over 200,000 children every year. These pilots will be crucial to determine the part this vaccine could play in reducing the burden this disease continues to place on the worlds poorest countries. Similarly Lelio Marmora, Executive Director of Unitaid added, The malaria vaccine is an exciting innovation that complements the global health community's efforts to end the malaria epidemic. It is also a shining example of the kind of inter-agency coordination that we need. We look forward to learning how the vaccine can be integrated for greatest impact into our work. Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund in his statement added, To step up the fight against malaria, we need every available tool. If this pilot shows that RTS,S is a cost-effective tool against malaria, it will help us save more childrens lives. The pilot programme is slated to reach around 360,000 children annually in the three target nations. The areas covered would be regions where malaria transmission is high and the vaccine would be of greater help say officials. There would be four doses of the vaccine for each child 3 doses to be administered between 5 and 9 months of age and the fourth dose to be administered at around the age of 2 years. A PATH white paper on this project says, Looking ahead The pilot implementation was designed as a six-year program, including preparation, and the evaluations are now expected to be completed by 2023. Its goal is to enable an updated WHO policy recommendation on the possible broader use of RTS,S in African children by generating additional evidence on feasibility, impact, and safetyall in the context of routine use. Hong Kong: FS meets Mainland official Financial Secretary Paul Chan met China Securities Regulatory Commission Chairman Yi Huiman in Beijing today to boost Hong Kong-Mainland co-operation. Mr Chan thanked the commission for its support in consolidating and raising Hong Kong's status as international financial centre and global offshore renminbi business hub. He briefed Mr Yi on the latest developments of the city's economic situation and its financial industry, in particular the Governments efforts in maintaining financial security and stability. Both sides expressed the hope to enhance the development of the mutual market access schemes and include more investment products under the schemes. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. About 13 percent of the nations public school studentsclose to 7 million children and youth ages 3 to 21receive special education services through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. But that overall percentage masks dramatic variability at the state level, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office , a congressional watchdog agency. The identification rates for students ages 6-21 ranged from 6.4 percent in Hawaii to 15.1 percent in Puerto Rico in fall 2016, the report said. (The highest identification rate in a state that year was Maine, at 12.3 percent.) For children ages 3 to 5, the identification rate in fall 2016 ranged from 3.9 percent in Texas to 14.6 percent in Wyoming. The process of identifying public school students for special education eligibility is called child find, and is mandatory under the IDEA. But states have some flexibility to decide what counts as a disability. The GAO started to dig into the question of special education identification in the wake of news articles in 2016 showing that Texas suppressed the number of students identified with disabilities. The federal office of special education programs is currently monitoring Texas as it takes corrective action . But states are permitted to have their own criteria under the law. As an example, the GAO report called out the special education category called developmental disability, which can be used for children from birth to age 9. Maryland states that a child must have at least a 25 percent delay in one or more areas to be eligible for early-intervention services. Examples of developmental areas are social skills, fine or gross motor skills, or language skills. In Arizona, a child needs to demonstrate a 50 percent delay in one or more developmental areas in order to receive early intervention. State officials said that they are sometimes hampered by a lack of staff to handle evaluations, or by staff confusion over IDEA requirements. Many districts also said that the use of response to intervention, or RTI, can sometimes delay moving a student into special education. Response to intervention is an educational framework based on universal screening of all students, then providing increasingly targeted and intensive lessons, or interventions, to students based on identified areas of weakness. Students are then monitored closely for their response to those interventions. The Education Department has said that RTI cannot delay child find obligations . The GAO report did not call for action, but congressional Democratic leaders said it demonstrates the need for more federal oversight. This report shows theres a lot of work left to do to make sure we are connecting children across the country who have a disability to the resources that can help them learn, grow, and succeed, said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. What is the most effective way for parents to soothe their crying babies? A combination of sensory stimuli - by way of swaddling, sound and movement - can help, according to a new study by SEIN, the expertise center for epilepsy and sleep medicine, and the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The researchers discovered an immediate calming response irrespective of whether the infant was soothed by its parent or a 'smart crib'. The results were published on 24 April in the open access journal 'PLOS ONE'. A frequently crying infant can have a major impact on both the infant itself and its parents. Parents of excessively crying infants are often exhausted and experience symptoms of depression. Excessive crying is even associated with infant hospitalization and shaken baby syndrome. There are, however, no proven effective prompt soothing methods for excessively crying infants under the age of 6 months. Child development experts Eline Moller, Wieke de Vente and Roos Rodenburg from SEIN and the UvA wanted to change this. They therefore investigated whether the combination of swaddling (wrapping the baby in a swaddle sack), sound (shushing) and movement (swinging) induce a spontaneous calming response when parents soothe their baby or when a 'smart crib' soothes the baby. They also examined whether the age of the baby influences the calming response. Experiment in the Family Lab To do so, Moller, De Vente and Rodenburg looked at 69 babies aged 0 to 6 months. Each baby and one of its parents came to the UvA Family Lab. The researchers did a so-called counterbalanced experiment that consisted of two conditions: the parent and the smart crib. Each of the two conditions involved three two-minute phases: baseline (to be able to determine the baseline value), laying on the back, and soothing. Moller explains: 'During the baseline the baby sat on the parent's lap. We then induced fussiness by putting the baby on the back, followed by parental soothing - the parent shushed and rocked the swaddled baby. We went through the same phases with the smart crib as a comforter. The smart crib also swings the baby and also makes a shushing sound.' The researchers recorded the level of fussiness in the babies through observation; the baby's heart rate and heart rate variability were also measured to record physiological fussiness. If, while soothing the baby, the observed fussiness and heart rate decrease and the heart rate variability increases (compared to lying on the back), the infant reacts with a calming response. Baby responds with calming response Fussiness and the baby's heart rate were lower in both soothing phases, thus irrespective of whether the parent or the crib did the soothing, than in the previous phase in which the baby was laying on its back. This indicates that in both conditions the babies responded with a calming response to swaddling, movement, and sound. The baby's heart rate variability was higher during parental soothing than in the back phase, but during soothing by the smart crib the heart rate variability did not differ significantly from the back phase. Younger babies responded with a stronger calming response than older babies when they were soothed by the parent. This difference was not visible with the smart crib. 'As for the baby's heart rate, we saw that the calming response was stronger during mechanical soothing (the smart crib) than during parental soothing. We saw the opposite when it comes to the observed fussiness: the calming response was stronger with parental soothing than with mechanical soothing', says Moller. 'It isn't clear whether the parent or the crib is more effective for soothing babies, but that is actually not so relevant', Moller adds. 'It isn't either the parent or the crib. Babies naturally need human contact for comfort. The crib could be an addition to all the good things that parents themselves are doing to soothe their baby.' The crib might be a solution especially for parents with a crying infant. Sometimes they become so exhausted that they react less sensitively and responsively to their baby, which can result in a vicious circle in which the parent and the baby increasingly bring each other out of balance: more crying by the baby and even more exhaustion in the parent. A smart crib could then offer a solution. If the infant starts to cry less and sleep better, this might also benefit the parent's sleep. In this way, the negative vicious circle can perhaps be broken. Smart cribs might also offer a solution in hospitals and relieve staff. Follow-up research 'It is important to note that our study took place in a controlled environment: our lab', says Moller. 'It is now important to do follow-up research into the soothing effects of swaddling, movement, and sound by the parent and a smart crib in the home environment to see if our results can be confirmed.' Moller and Rodenburg are already doing small-scale research in which a smart crib is placed at parents' home. The results are promising: babies and parents sleep meaningfully better and crying also decreases significantly. 'Parents are often so satisfied with the crib, that they even ask if they can use it a bit longer.' Source: https://www.uva.nl/en/content/news/press-releases/2019/04/parents-and-smart-crib-can-soothe-baby-with-sensory-stimuli.html?origin=kUP%2Byx6UTZqvuJiCJKnnEQ Noted Stem Cell Researchers Present a State-of-the-Art Review in the Inaugural Article Published in StemJournal StemJournal, a new open access, peer-reviewed journal published by IOS Press, announces publication of its inaugural article, "Combining Stem Cells and Biomaterial Scaffolds for Constructing Tissues and Cell Delivery," by Stephanie M. Willerth, PhD, and Shelly E. Sakiyama-Elbert, PhD. This timely overview of the available biomaterials for directing stem cell differentiation as a means of producing replacements for diseased or damaged tissues is a comprehensive update of the classic review published in StemBook in 2008. "In the 10 years since the publication of our review, the field of stem biology has advanced rapidly as regenerative medicine strategies move into clinical trials for a variety of health disorders," explain Dr. Willerth, of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria; and the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, and Dr. Sakiyama-Elbert, of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas-Austin. "The biomaterials have improved along with drug delivery systems for promoting the desired stem cell behavior, as have methods for confirming tissue function. The field of tissue engineering has also advanced significantly in harnessing the potential of pluripotent stem cells. Another exciting area is the development of novel bio-inks for 3D printing stem cell-derived tissues." Stem cells possess two novel properties: the ability to produce additional stem cells and the capacity to become multiple cell types. The major types of stem cells include adult, embryonic, fetal, induced pluripotent, and mesenchymal stem cells. Both natural and synthetic biomaterials can serve as the starting point for generating bioactive scaffolds for controlling stem cell differentiation into the desired tissue type. Types of scaffolds include hydrogels, micro- and nanofibers, and micro- and nanospheres. This review encapsulates current foundational knowledge on general concepts that apply when combining biomaterial scaffolds with stem cells for tissue engineering applications, including the widespread adoption of induced pluripotent stem cells. Presenting promising strategies for engineering tissues for both in vitro and in vivo applications, it covers: Types of Scaffold Formulations - Both natural and synthetic biomaterials can serve as the starting point for generating bioactive scaffolds for controlling stem cell differentiation into the desired tissue type. Natural Biomaterials - The proteins and polysaccharides found in the extracellular matrix provide an obvious starting point when developing scaffolds derived from natural biomaterials. Synthetic Biomaterials - Synthetic biomaterials provide an alternative to natural materials for engineering tissues from stem cells and offer many advantages. Ceramic-Based Biomaterials - Ceramics, inorganic materials formed through treatment with heat, possess crystalline structures, meaning they are often porous and brittle. While many of these materials have not been fully developed for specific tissue engineering applications, further work will continue to optimize these formulations for translation to the clinic for targeted applications. For example, optimized scaffolds could enhance the survival and differentiation of neural stem cells being transplanted into the diseased or damaged nervous system, which could lead to improved function. The type of material and the cues that are incorporated in the scaffold play a large role in directing the fate of the stem cells seeded inside, as detailed in this review. According to the authors, the ability to further functionalize the materials discussed in this review in terms of their mechanical and chemical properties provides an excellent opportunity for future work, because such bioactive and instructive scaffolds can improve cell survival and differentiation into the desired phenotypes. The method of fabrication serves as an important parameter, which allows different types of patterns and architecture to be formed, which include hydrogels, microcarriers, fibers, and 3D bioprinted constructs. The latter offers the possibility of printing constructs to fill an injury site, as well as the ability to produce tissues with complex structures containing multiple cell types. The future of this line of stem cell research is promising. "The ability to make universal induced pluripotent stem cell lines for engineering replacement tissues would be a game changer as it would make it easier to rapidly deliver effective, personalized therapies. Cellular reprogramming also has tremendous promise in terms of cell therapy," comment Dr. Willerth and Dr. Sakiyama-Elbert. The number of measles cases is on the rise globally, with many countries seeing rates that surpass annual rates for the past century. Health officials from around the world say the number of people rejecting immunization as part of the anti-vax movement represents a growing and alarming public health threat. Billion Photos | Shutterstock Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that, in severe cases, can lead to serious health complications including seizures and infections of the lungs, eyes and brain that cause pneumonia, blindness and encephalitis. In 2018, the number of cases reported in England more than tripled, to 966, compared with 259 in 2017. According to the WHO, the number also tripled across Europe, to 82,596. Vaccinating young children against measles has saved millions of lives worldwide and health experts recommend that children receive two doses to confer full protection against the disease. In many countries, the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is given to babies at around age one and the second is given at around age three to four. The NHS advises that all children receive the MMR vaccine around the time of their first birthday and then just before they start school. A public health time bomb An analysis by UNICEF has now revealed that more than half a million children in the UK did not receive a measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 and that globally, 169 million children missed the first dose of the vaccine. NHS chief, Simon Stevens, warns that the number of measles cases in the UK has almost quadrupled in just one year and that people rejecting the vaccines represents a growing public health time bomb. According to UNICEF, the number of children who did not receive a first dose between 2010 and 2017 in the U.S. was 2,593,000. In France and the UK, the corresponding figures were around 600,000 and 527,000, respectively, and in Nigeria, four million children missed out on the first dose. UNICEF blames the inadequate vaccination rates on a mixture of complacency, misinformation, skepticism about immunization and a lack of access to jabs. The charity also warns that estimates regarding uptake of the second dose are even more alarming. In sub-Saharan Africa, a second dose had not been introduced in twenty countries, putting more than 17 million infants per year at an increased risk of developing measles. Globally, 85% of children received a first dose of the vaccine, but only 67% received a second dose. Cases of measles have been rising steadily in the USA since 2000 A shocking 695 cases of measles have been reported in the USA since January this year, according to the weekly CDC report. In 2000, the disease was said to be eliminated in the USA and since then, the highest number of total cases in one year was 667 in 2014 and at no other point this century has the number reached more than 400. New York health officials warn that pushing the national figure closer to the 700 mark has made 2019 the worst year for measles since 1994, when the number of instances was 963. Director of the Arkansas Department of Health, Nate Smith, says opposition to vaccines has created a significant public health concern since the illnesses they protect against are no longer occasional cases that have been imported by people after traveling: Were seeing actual transmission of cycles of measles here in the U.S. Thats very concerning. The progress we made to basically build a wall of protection with immunization has crumbled. The UK is experiencing a similar rise in cases In the UK, a recent report by Public Health England (PHE) showed that the number of measles cases in Greater Manchester is on the rise, with 47 cases in 2019, compared with only three in 2018 and seven in 2017. Across the whole of North West England, only 22 cases were confirmed in 2018 and 43 were confirmed in 2017, showing that Greater Manchester has already seen rates that surpass totals for the previous two years across the entire region. PHE representative, Will Welfare, says that measles cases are mainly seen in unvaccinated children. The proportion receiving a vaccination is not high enough, he says a problem that has really been illustrated by the huge increase in cases during this recent outbreak. Doctors are encouraging families to ensure that their children get vaccinated against the highly infectious disease. The MMR vaccine does protect against infection, says Mr. Welfare, but erroneous research linking the vaccine to autism has led to unfounded concerns and a reduction in uptake, even though we have shown that the MMR vaccine is safe and incredibly effective." Vaccination is key The UK governments chief medical advisor Dame Sally Davies is also urging parents to ignore fake news on social media and take their children to get vaccinated. Executive director at UNICEF, Henrietta Fore, warns that the measles virus will always find unvaccinated children: "If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike." Professor Bate Kampmann from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine describes the latest figures as a "wake-up call" and advises that measles is highly infectious, even before symptoms appear, meaning it cannot simply be kept away. An EU-funded project has developed a blood-cell analysis device that helps doctors and scientists better understand the causes and mechanics of rare forms of anemia - potentially speeding up the development of new treatments adjusted to the needs of patients with these diseases. For most people with anemia, symptoms of tiredness and shortness of breath can be treated with iron supplements which enable their red blood cells to better transport oxygen to their organs. People with rare anemias which can be painful or even fatal can require more extreme treatment such as spleen removal. For some patients with these rare types, no treatments are available because the causes and mechanics of their disease are still unknown. The EU-funded COMMITMENT project has developed a prototype device, MeCheM, that can quickly analyze a few drops of blood from a person with a rare anemia to show how the diseased blood cells function and interact with other cells. This can assist doctors in better diagnosing and monitoring a rare anemia and help researchers to develop non-invasive, drug-based treatments. The project has already identified molecular symptoms shared between some rare anemias, which could make future drug development more cost effective. It has also helped to test a promising treatment for sickle cell disease, a hereditary, severe anemia. There is a need for this technology in hospitals where there are no special hematology centers and for academic research, says project coordinator Lars Kaestner of the Universitat des Saarlandes in Germany. Easy, cheap, non-invasive Targeted analysis is at the heart of the innovative device. Blood cell numbers are so high that if only 1 % of cells are affected they are difficult to spot in traditional screening, Kaestner explains. Nevertheless, these cells still have an adverse impact on the patient. Our approach is to look at individual cells. MeCheM processes blood through microchannels and reservoirs to separate out anemic blood cells. An optical screening method then analyses how these cells respond to mechanical deformation and chemicals. This allows researchers and clinicians to better understand how rare anemias work, to monitor the disease and to match a drug to a possible group of patients. Our method allows a very patient-specific diagnosis that is easy, cheap and non-invasive. It allows doctors to see whether a patient needs medication and to what extent. It is a step towards the goal of personalized medicine, Kaestner adds. Risk support pays Five companies and four research organizations took part in the project, working closely with the European Network for Rare and Congenital Anaemias. Together, they chose a shortlist of anemias to investigate and devised study protocols to gain an overall picture of blood-cell behavior. Next, the partners started to design an analysis device and apply its results. Although the project initially worked towards a more complex machine, this failed in further development. Instead, COMMITMENT developed MeCheM. Kaestner credits the EU funding for their ability to make the change. The EU funds risky projects, so we could stay flexible in what we were doing. And although part of our technology did not work, we also had [positive] results that we did not plan. MeCheM has been patented and is in prototype testing, adds Kaestner. He hopes that one day doctors will be able to use its methods as part of their routine diagnosis of patients. He adds that the device contributes to the goal of the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium to develop new kinds of diagnosis and 200 new therapies for rare diseases by 2020. Meanwhile, the project results have been presented at scientific meetings and in scientific journals and will continue to be published in 2019. COMMITMENT technology and results are also being used to train PhD students to develop medical applications of red-blood-cell behavior, in a follow-on Marie Skodowska-Curie training network, RELEVANCE. Source: http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/printversion_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_19_04_25-1_en.html?infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=50089 Bochum-based psychologists have studied how the application of the stress hormone cortisol affects exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. The researchers knew from earlier studies that extinction learning, which constitutes the foundation of exposure therapy, can be reinforced by administering cortisol. However, the team headed by Professor Armin Zlomuzica at Zentrum fur Psychotherapie (psychotherapy center) at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) has demonstrated with a group of arachnophobics that an application of cortisol after exposure is not beneficial for the patients. Rubin, the RUB's science magazine, reports about the results which were also published in the scientific journal Psychoneuroendocrinology. "Various studies have shown that extinction can be accelerated or reinforced in healthy individuals by administering the stress hormone cortisol," says Armin Zlomuzica. In these studies, patients always took cortisol prior to the therapy. The team from Bochum has now tested what happens if the drug is administered after exposure to the triggering object. The idea was that they would be able to use the pharmaceutical agent after successful exposure, thus reinforcing only the positive therapy outcomes. Experiment with arachnophobics 50 individuals with arachnophobia took part in the study. Half of them were administered a cortisol tablet following exposure therapy, the other half were given a placebo. Before and after exposure, the researchers recorded the severity of each participant's fear of spiders. To this end, the patients assessed their own fear subjectively; in addition, a behavioral approach test was performed, in order to gain an objective measure of each patient's phobia. In the process, a therapist presents a spider in a terrarium and asks the patient to get as close to it as possible. Immediately after therapy, most of the patients were able to approach the spider more closely than before. The researchers from Bochum are primarily interested in the long-term effects. This is why they repeated the behavioral approach test - one month and six months after exposure therapy and in two different contexts: in the room where the therapy had taken place, and in a different room with a different terrarium and a different supervisor. Context is the key "Our study has shown that the learned behavior was much more strongly linked to the context following the application of the drug, which is not what we want in the long term," explains Armin Zlomuzica. Patients who were administered cortisol were more likely to relapse when they encountered a spider in a different context. Accordingly, administering cortisol after exposure therapy doesn't appear to have any benefits for the patients. Source: https://news.rub.de/english/press-releases/2019-04-25-psychology-how-cortisol-affects-exposure-therapy-anxiety-disorders Rachel O'Conor booted up her slides and began posing questions to six older adults sitting around a table: How should primary care physicians support patients and caregivers after a diagnosis of dementia? And what stands in the way of getting adequate support? "Please speak louder and go slower," suggested Susanne Smith, a 75-year-old with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Smith belongs to the Bureau of Sages, a group of vulnerable seniors who advise researchers about what matters to older adults, how to involve them in research about aging and how to communicate with them effectively while doing so. It's a groundbreaking program: Traditionally, ill, disabled and cognitively challenged older adults have been excluded from research and assumed to be too compromised to offer useful insights. "The recognition that this population has something meaningful to contribute that's really unique," said Robyn Stone, a former adviser to the Sages and senior vice president of research at LeadingAge, a national organization of nonprofit providers that focus on aging. Everyone who works with older adults would do well to pay attention. Sages groups are housed at several locations. At the Lieberman Center for Health and Rehabilitation, a nursing home in Skokie, a Chicago suburb, nearly a dozen residents meet every two weeks to discuss academic studies, issues they encounter in their daily lives and potential research projects. A similarly sized group of frail, homebound seniors in Chicago's northern suburbs gets together virtually, via the internet. At Northwestern University's downtown medical campus, seven adults with dementia gather every couple of months at the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease to offer feedback to researchers. On this sunny day in mid-April, Jim Butler, 70, acknowledged it took him 18 months to accept a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and speak openly about it. Karen Finesilver, 68, who has Lewy body dementia, stressed the importance of bringing someone along to doctors' appointments. "When I hear something that makes me nervous, I don't retain it," she explained. And Smith spoke of how important it is to feel heard by her physician: "One of the best things is when he actually listens to what I'm saying, because a lot of times doctors may know what's going on but they do not listen." O'Conor, an assistant professor at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, had started the conversation by asking about problems that patients and caregivers face. After the discussion, she said she would focus more on "what helps people build on their strengths" because "the resilience and positivity of people really stood out today." The Bureau of Sages has received two rounds of funding totaling $500,000 from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), an organization that sponsors innovative projects that include patients in setting research priorities, designing research studies and evaluating their impact. Unlike occasional surveys or focus groups, a standing group like the Sages can provide "valuable ongoing context about individuals' lives" that sharpens research and makes it more relevant, said Kristin Carman, PCORI's director of public and patient engagement. At the Lieberman nursing home, on another April afternoon, two researchers a physician and a biomechanical engineer presented a project they're working on to nine seniors, most in wheelchairs. Their prototype device would help people with compromised mobility stand up from a sitting position, a task that requires a surprising amount of coordination and strength. "Would I be able to use this [device] if I can't straighten my leg out all the way?" asked Sharon Koretsky, 73, who has diabetes and severe osteoarthritis and can no longer stand on her own. "If your muscles are atrophied, would this help improve your condition?" wondered Fern Netzsky, 76, who has had multiple sclerosis for 35 years and can no longer stand or walk. Both women use what's known as a "sit-to-stand lift" a clunky device that helps people transfer from a bed to a chair or from a chair to a toilet seat and that requires two aides to maneuver it. Another commonly used device is a "Hoyer lift," which uses a sling to help people rise. "I hate the Hoyer: They pull it between your legs and you lay there like a big sack of potatoes with your butt hanging out," Koretsky said. Anything that someone could strap on themselves and that could help people get up more easily with only one aide's help would be a "wonderful idea," she added. As other Lieberman residents chimed in, it became clear they wanted help with walking, not just with standing. They wanted to be able to use the device outdoors, as well as inside the facility. And safety was essential. "I would be willing to try this if I was assured I would not fall and if there was enough protection around me," Netzsky said. The researchers, who asked not to be identified because they are working on this project outside of their full-time jobs, said they found many of the comments helpful. Older adults are often assumed to be resistant to using technology but this group seemed quite open to technology that improves their quality of life, the physician observed. After the meeting, Nancy Weinberg, 96, another participant, described a communication gap between researchers and nursing home residents when the Bureau of Sages began. "They were speaking 'researchese,' and I didn't have any idea what they were talking about. Now they understand we don't want to hear jargon, and they speak our language." With characteristic bluntness, Koretsky said she loved the Sages' meetings, observing, "It's the only time people here talk to you like you have a brain left." The Lieberman Sages are now trying to persuade researchers at Northwestern to investigate the shortage of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and the need to better train CNAs problems faced by nursing homes across the nation. Amy Eisenstein, director of the Leonard Schanfield Research Institute at CJE SeniorLife in Chicago and the project's principal investigator, is working to expand the program to other locations, including Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and the University of Massachusetts Boston. CJE SeniorLife, sponsored by Chicago's Council for Jewish Elderly, provides a variety of services to seniors and is the Bureau of Sages' original sponsor. Materials that can help any organization launch a Bureau of Sages are available at the Council for Jewish Elderly's website, under the "Resources" section). "I think that all research on aging needs to include the voices of older adults," Eisenstein said. "They are experts about their lives, and we need to incorporate their perspectives to make research better." We're eager to hear from readers about questions you'd like answered, problems you've been having with your care and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit khn.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips. Bottom Line: Six factors were associated with invasive recurrence of breast cancer after a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), according to data from a meta-analysis. Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Author: Jelle Wesseling, MD, PhD, professor of breast pathology in the divisions of diagnostic oncology and molecular pathology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and Leiden University Medical Center. Background: Current guidelines recommend surgical excision of DCIS, often followed by radiotherapy and sometimes endocrine therapy, yet most cases will likely not progress or become life-threatening. As a result, many women are overtreated. "There is a large unmet need to distinguish harmless from potentially hazardous DCIS," said senior author of the study Wesseling. "We hope our work will help reduce the burden of intensive treatment that thousands of women with low-risk DCIS undergo annually." How the Study Was Conducted: Wesseling, lead author and PhD student Lindy Visser, and colleagues performed a systematic review of 1,781 studies from the PubMed database from 1970 to June 2018 to assess the risk of ipsilateral (same side) invasive breast cancer recurrence in women primarily diagnosed and treated for DCIS. Forty studies met the eligibility criteria of including at least ten invasive breast cancer events and at least one year of follow-up. Next, the researchers used the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool to assess the studies for risk of bias and identified 17 studies for inclusion in this study. Finally, the researchers performed meta-analyses on all factors associated with the recurrence of invasive breast cancer reported by more than one of these 17 high-quality studies and calculated the average effect size for each factor. The number of patients in the included studies ranged from 52 to 37,692, and mean follow-up time ranged from 3.2 to 15.8 years. Results: Among 26 prognostic factors, Wesseling and colleagues identified six that were associated with a 36 to 84 percent increase in the relative risk of recurrence of invasive disease after DCIS diagnosis: African-American race, premenopausal status, detection by palpation, involved margins, high histological grade, and high p16 protein expression. Wesseling noted that data obtained using histological grade as a factor needs careful interpretation because of potential differences in evaluation between observers. The investigators found that insufficient handling of confounding factors, especially treatment for DCIS, and poorly described study groups were the two most frequently occurring biases identified using QUIPS. Authors' Comments: "We were aware of the high frequency of biases among previous studies. Some biases are inevitable, as it can be difficult to establish fully annotated cohorts, but others are easy to prevent," said co-senior author of the study Marjanka Schmidt, PhD, genetic epidemiologist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. "Our goal was to increase awareness and help the research community avoid these biases in the future. "New studies need to capture information about whether the cancer recurrence was DCIS or a subsequent invasive cancer and whether these are true recurrences or new, primary lesions," Wesseling added. Study Limitations: The main limitation of the study was that it was not possible to assess all prognostic factors since they were not reported uniformly in all studies. As a result, future research may identify more prognostic factors that help guide treatment decisions for women diagnosed with DCIS, Wesseling said. Modi started the show of strength from the campus of the Benaras Hindu University by paying respects in front of a statue of Madan Mohan Malviya at a specially constructed stage in front of the main gate of the varsity. The rally was originally to start at 3 pm, but was delayed by over two hours. Congress eastern UP incharge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will not lock horns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi as the party announced that it would repeat Ajay Rai from the seat. Rumour mills were abuzz with the news of the Congress fielding Gandhi after she hinted that she was ready to take on PM Modi if party chief Rahul Gandhi decided. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party released its manifesto for the 2019 election, with the focus on full statehood for Delhi. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying the AAP made several efforts for an alliance but was snubbed by the grand old party. We had never dreamt of a gathbandhan with Congress but today, keeping in mind the Modi-Shah challenge, we decided to have a gathbandhan on 33 seats. We made all efforts in the past two months but had a feeling that they did not want an alliance. They put conditions but went back on them repeatedly, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is set for his mega roadshow in Varanasi, attacked the Opposition at a Darbhanga rally, saying those who had questioned the air strikes in Pakistans Balakot were now doubting the credibility of EVMs as they were sure of losing elections. Modi will also take part in the Ganga aarti in Varanasi today, before he files his nomination on Friday. PM Modis event will be a show of strength as all the prominent leaders in the National Democratic Alliance will accompany him. Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will kick-off their election campaign in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh respectively. While Priyanka Gandhi will hold a roadshow in Jhansi, Rahul Gandhi will campaigning in Rajasthans Jalore, Ajmer and Kota districts. In UP, Priyanka Gandhi will also rally in Gursarai and Jalaun. BOONSBORO Amy Mallow said she got quite the shock Wednesday when she was named Bedford County Public Schools 2020 Teacher of the Year during the divisions annual banquet at the Boonsboro County Club. I was pleasantly surprised, Mallow said. I am very honored by this. Mallow, a second grade teacher at Huddleston Elementary School, was one of three finalists nominated for the award. The other finalists were Staunton River High School teacher Leigh Ann Ellis and Otter River Elementary School teacher Terri Maass. When you love what you do when you truly love your work then you have found your place, Mallow said. Teaching is that for me. I cant imagine my life, my career, being anything different. Mallow a native of West Virginia came to Bedford County Public Schools in 2006 after teaching four years at Amelon Elementary School in Amherst County. Mallow received her undergraduate degree from Lynchburg College in 2002 and her masters degree from the University of Virginia in 2007. Mallow is this years Huddleston Elementary School Teacher of the Year which she also won in 2011 and was named the Bedford County Public Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2011. Mallow said her passion for teaching was instilled in her by her first grade teacher Barbara Bias who Mallow said had high expectations for her students. She often said your best is just beyond your fingertips, Mallow said. This has become part of my life as an educator and I share it in my classroom as I remind my own students that they can always reach a little further, do a little more, and get a little better. Superintendent Doug Schuch said winners of each school submit portfolios which are judged by former Teacher of the Year winners who select three finalists. Each finalist has classroom visits where a panel of judges sees not only what the teacher submits on paper but also how they work with students. Schuch said Mallow is simply amazing as an educator. All of the winners from each school should be commended tonight, Schuch said. My children had a lot of the people in this room tonight for teachers and I can never say enough about the job they do for our learners, Schuch said. However, it is so great when we can recognize a teacher like Amy Mallow who inspires her students and, quite frankly, inspires the rest of us as well. Im honored to be working in the same school division as her. Huddleston Elementary Principal Traci Oakes agreed. Amy is amazing, Oakes said. She cares about each of her students individually and does so much for all of the students at Huddleston Elementary. She is at the center of our learning, Oakes said. This honor is well deserved. Shannon Keith covers Bedford County for The News & Advance. Reach him at (434) 385-5530. BEIJING - North Korea issued a $2 million bill for the hospital care of comatose American Otto Warmbier, insisting that a U.S. official sign a pledge to pay it before being allowed to fly the University of Virginia student from Pyongyang in 2017. The presentation of the invoice - not previously disclosed by U.S. or North Korean officials - was extraordinarily brazen even for a regime known for its aggressive tactics. But the main U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from President Donald Trump, according to two people familiar with the situation. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The bill went to the Treasury Department, where it remained - unpaid - throughout 2017, the people said. However, it is unclear whether the Trump administration later paid the bill, or whether it came up during preparations for Trump's two summits with Kim Jong Un. The White House declined to comment. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders wrote in an email. Warmbier, who was a 21, fell into a coma for unknown reasons the night he was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor in March 2016. He was convicted on charges stemming from pulling down a propaganda sign in a Pyongyang hotel in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2016 - an infraction that would be minor in almost any other country, but in North Korea it was considered a "hostile act against the state." Fred Warmbier, Otto's father, said he had never been told about the hospital bill, but said it sounded like a "ransom" for his late son. After his sentencing, the North Koreans held onto the comatose student for another 15 months, not even telling American officials until June of 2017 that he had been unconscious all that time. News of his condition sparked a frantic effort led by Joseph Yun, the State Department's point man on North Korea at the time, to get Warmbier home. Yun and an emergency medicine doctor, Michael Flueckiger, traveled to Pyongyang on a medical evacuation plane. They were taken to the Friendship Hospital in the diplomatic district, a clinic where only foreigners are treated, and found Warmbier lying in a room marked "intensive care unit," unresponsive and with a feeding tube in his nose. Flueckiger examined Warmbier and asked the two North Korean doctors, who bore a thick pile of charts, questions about the lab work, scans and X-rays they had done. Afterward, they went to a meeting room where the talks to free Warmbier began. "I didn't realize what a negotiation it was going to be to secure his release," said Flueckiger, who is medical director of Phoenix Air Group, an aviation company based in Cartersville, Georgia, that specializes in medical evacuations. North Korean officials asked the doctor to write a report about his findings. "It was my impression that if I did not give them a document that I could sign off on, that would cause problems," Flueckiger said in an interview. But the American said he did not have to lie in his report. Whatever had happened to put Warmbier into that state, it was "evident" that he had received "really good care" in the hospital, he said. The doctors had done "state-of-the-art resuscitation" to revive Warmbier after he suffered a catastrophic cardiovascular collapse, and it was "remarkable" that he had no bedsores, Flueckiger said. "Would I have lied to get him out of there? Maybe I would have," he said. "But I didn't have to answer that question." Yun, however, was faced with a more difficult predicament. The North Korean officials handed him a bill for $2 million, insisting he sign an agreement to pay it before they would allow him to take Warmbier home, according to the two people familiar with the situation. Yun called the then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and told him about the bill. Tillerson called Trump. They instructed their envoy to sign the piece of paper agreeing that he would pay the $2 million, the two people said. Flueckiger discussed the medical aspects of Warmbier's evacuation, but said he was not authorized to discuss the diplomatic negotiations. A State Department spokesman and Yun, who retired in early 2018, both declined to comment. Tillerson, the Treasury Department and North Korea's envoy responsible for U.S. affairs, based at its U.N. mission in New York, did not respond to a request for comment. Warmbier's brain damage and then death at North Korea's hands caused widespread shock in the United States, but the news that North Korea expected the government to pay for his care has caused further backlash. "This is outrageous. They killed a perfectly healthy and happy college student and then had the audacity to expect the U.S. government to pay for his care," said Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. Having signed the documentation and secured Warmbier's release, Yun and Flueckiger flew to Cincinnati to return the young man to his parents. Otto Warmbier died six days later, but the cause of his severe brain damage has never been ascertained. Fred Warmbier accused North Korea of beating and torturing him in detention, although doctors who examined him at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center said there was no evidence of that. His parents requested that an autopsy not be performed. North Korea has insisted Warmbier became sick after eating pork and spinach, but has also said that he had a severe allergic reaction to the sedatives they gave him. The director of North Korea's Friendship Hospital said the family's accusations that Warmbier died as a result of torture were a "total distortion of the truth." "The American doctors who came . . . to help Warmbier's repatriation acknowledged that his health indicators were all normal and submitted a letter of assurance to our hospital that they shared the diagnostic result of the doctors of our hospital," state media quoted the unnamed hospital director as saying in October last year. Fred and Cindy Warmbier sued North Korea over their son's death and in December were awarded $501 million in damages - money that the Kim regime will never pay. But Judge Beryl Howell, of the United States District Court in the District of Columbia, said that it was "appropriate to punish and deter North Korea" for the "torture, hostage taking and extrajudicial killing of Otto Warmbier." The Warmbiers have blamed Kim for their son's death, but Trump has said that he believes the North Korean leader did not know about the student's treatment. "I don't believe he would have allowed that to happen," Trump said in Hanoi in February after his second summit with Kim. Trump said that he spoke to Kim about the death of Warmbier and that Kim "feels badly about it." "He tells me he didn't know about it, and I take him at his word," Trump said in February. North Korea has taken Americans as hostages before, and this is not the first time Pyongyang has threatened huge hospital bills for American citizens it had detained. Kenneth Bae, a Christian missionary and diabetic who was held in North Korea for almost two years, said he was told he would be charged 600 euros a day for his care at the Friendship Hospital. The bill for his first stint in hospital while in detention came to 101,000 euros - about $120,000 at the time, Bae wrote in his memoir, "Not Forgotten." By the end of his detention in November 2014, after another spell in hospital, Bae calculated the North Koreans would be charging him $300,000. In the end, he was released without paying any of it. Trying to meet all your book preview and review needs. the complete review - fiction The Fox and Dr. Shimamura by Christine Wunnicke general information | review summaries | our review | links | about the author German title: Der Fuchs und Dr. Shimamura Translated by Philip Boehm - Return to top of the page - Our Assessment: B : decent little exploration of cultural differences and workings of the mind See our review for fuller assessment. Review Summaries Source Rating Date Reviewer The NY Times Book Rev. . 2/6/2019 Janice P. Nimura World Lit. Today . Summer/2019 Catherine Venner Die Zeit A 19/5/2015 Ulrich Rudenauer From the Reviews : "There is little that is fixed in Christine Wunnickes glittering, absurdist jewel of a novel, itself a translation from the German. (...) Wunnicke paints nightmarishly hectic European scenes in a palette of absinthe and Toulouse-Lautrec, and alternates them with nightmarishly static scenes of Shimamuras declining, colorless present in Japan. Connections proliferate like reflections in a house of mirrors, fascinating and also vaguely queasy -- the narrative is disorienting in every sense of the word." - Janice P. Nimura, The New York Times Book Review "Wunnickes deftly drawn vignettes of Dr. Shimamuras life provide tantalizing glimpses into the manifestations of Eastern and Western psychiatry at the turn of the last century as well as a mystery that is slowly revealed throughout this short but moreish book." - Catherine Venner, World Literature Today "Christine Wunnicke (...) ist mit ihrem Dr. Shimamura ein kleines Meisterstuck gelungen: Nicht nur von der Geburt der Klinik wird hier aus fremder Perspektive erzahlt, sondern auch vom Sich-Verlorengehen in den Lucken des Wissens und vom langsamen Verschwinden aus dem eigenen Korper und der eigenen Zeit -- und das alles in einer verfuhrerischen Sprache, die Zwischentone kennt und Esprit besitzt." - Ulrich Rudenauer, Die Zeit Please note that these ratings solely represent the complete review 's biased interpretation and subjective opinion of the actual reviews and do not claim to accurately reflect or represent the views of the reviewers. Similarly the illustrative quotes chosen here are merely those the complete review subjectively believes represent the tenor and judgment of the review as a whole. We acknowledge (and remind and warn you) that they may, in fact, be entirely unrepresentative of the actual reviews by any other measure. - Return to top of the page - The complete review 's Review : The Dr. Shimamura who is the central figure in Christine Wunnicke's novel is an historical figure -- Shimamura Shun'ichi (), who lived 1862 to 1923 and was a leading figure of early Japanese neurology. The novel begins near the end of his life, in 1922, but moves back and forth between earlier experiences and the last years of his life, spent in a long and withdrawn retirement surrounded by and attended to by four women: his wife, Sachiko, the daughter of his mentor; her mother, Yukiko; his own mother, Hanako; and a maidservant, Sei -- whom he: "sometimes called Anna but more often Luise" (and who he had brought with him when he retired from the Kyoto asylum he had headed, "as kind of a memento, and because no one there knew for sure whether she was a patient or one of the nurses"). It's a strange household of slow decline -- Shimamura's clothes, like everything else, slowly wearing out -- and rituals -- like a bucket of water brought to him daily, whose purpose he doesn't understand. Shimamura's mother has been working on writing a biography of sorts of her son for years -- originally planned as a Festschrift that had since: degenerated into a kind of bildungsroman, which in turn evolved into a family saga. And that had bogged down in a pile of lies. And suddenly what Hanako had were her own memoirs, in which her only son Shun'ichi was a marginal figure, even though he was clearly in the center of her life. "In our house," said Sachiko Shimamura, "everyone has gotten used to hiding things, mostly under the floor, and everyone know where the things are hidden and fingers them in secret." "As long as he's on edge," said Sachiko, "he won't lose his will to live. At first glance they appeared amazingly healthy. In Tokyo, even in Matsue, the insane were much more insane. They also received more visitors. "The analytic conversation as a healing method for traumatic hysteria," he wrote to the imperial commission, "is of little use for Japan, as it contradicts our sense of politeness, and besides it takes too long." - M.A.Orthofer, 25 April 2019 - Return to top of the page - : See Index of German literature - Return to top of the page - About the Author : German author Christine Wunnicke was born in 1966. - Return to top of the page - GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more (Newser) British TV presenter Ben Fogle was suffocating. "It felt like losing my scuba tanks under water and I only had one gulp of breath," he told the Sunday Times last year of the moment his oxygen supply cylinders exploded near Mount Everest's summit. Though Fogle's expedition leader and a Sherpa ultimately saved him, allowing him the reach the summit and descend safely, others may not have been so lucky. Per the New York Times, Everest climbers have described numerous equipment problems over the last 20 years, many tied to oxygen cylinders and the regulators which sit atop, controlling the flow of air. A rep for Russia-based Poisk, which supplied more than 90% of the cylinders used in Nepal during that period, argues guides' cost-cutting efforts are to blame. He says guides bypass Poisk to refill cylinders, even after they've expired. story continues below "It's a serious issue," says a tourism official in Nepal, where the government banned cylinders older than 10 years last month. The official adds that army personnel might be sent to base camp to keep an eye on climbers. Yet some argue that concerns voiced up to a decade ago went ignored. In his own tests, British engineer Ted Atkins found 10% of used Poisk cylinders leaked through their valves; others leaked through the body, which expands each time pressure is added, per the Times. As oxygen deprivation affects physical and mental performance, per CNN, it's difficult to know how many might have died as a result of such issues. A 2005 manslaughter case against Poisk, related to the 1999 death of a young Everest climber, was dismissed on lack of evidence. On one expedition, nine regulators failed within an hour. Maker Summit Oxygen later issued a recall. (Read more Mount Everest stories.) (Newser) Michael Cohen is changing his tune. Chatting on the phone with actor Tom Arnoldwho gave the Wall Street Journal a recording of the callPresident Trump's ex-lawyer repudiated two of his guilty pleas, said he's lost "everything," and complained about getting little in return for cooperating with prosecutors and lawmakers. "You know, I lost my business," he said in the March 25 call. "...All for what? Because Trump, you know, had an affair with a porn star? That's really what this is about." Cohen pleaded guilty in August to several charges, including two he's now denying: tax evasion, and fibbing on his personal finances when applying for a $500,000 home-equity credit line. But he pleaded guilty, he said, because "they had me on campaign finance" and he had placed money in his wife's bank account without disclosing it to the IRS. His reaction to that and other things: story continues below He loves her : "I love this woman, and I am not going to let her get dragged into the mud of this crap," Cohen said of his wife, Laura Shusterman. "And I never thought the judge was going to throw a three-year fricking sentence." : "I love this woman, and I am not going to let her get dragged into the mud of this crap," Cohen said of his wife, Laura Shusterman. "And I never thought the judge was going to throw a three-year fricking sentence." Bad karma : "Look at whats happening to Avenattiit's called karma boomerang," Cohen said of former Stormy Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti, who's now up on multiple charges. "The guy lied about me every single day, right? And the world loved it." : "Look at whats happening to Avenattiit's called karma boomerang," Cohen said of former Stormy Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti, who's now up on multiple charges. "The guy lied about me every single day, right? And the world loved it." Trump : "I always knew, you know, who he was and what he was and so on, but it didn't really matter because it'she's a small microcosm of New York real estate," said Cohen of his old boss. : "I always knew, you know, who he was and what he was and so on, but it didn't really matter because it'she's a small microcosm of New York real estate," said Cohen of his old boss. Kim Jong Un : "They put sanctions on North Korea and he removes them because he likes Kim Jong Un, because he's 'my friend'?" said Cohen of White House negotiations with North Korea. "What kind of nonsense is this?" : "They put sanctions on North Korea and he removes them because he likes Kim Jong Un, because he's 'my friend'?" said Cohen of White House negotiations with North Korea. "What kind of nonsense is this?" Arnold's reaction: "You are a hero and you're not alone," said the actor, who claims he recorded the call without Cohen knowing. Cohen is due to report to one of "America's 10 cushiest prisons" on May 6 in New York state, CNN reports. (See what Cohen has offered to Democrats .) We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy (Newser) An avowed racist who orchestrated one of the most gruesome hate crimes in US history was executed Wednesday in Texas for the dragging death of a black man, the AP reports. John William King, who was white, received lethal injection for the slaying nearly 21 years ago of James Byrd Jr., who was chained to the back of a truck and dragged for nearly 3 miles along a secluded road in the piney woods outside Jasper, Texas. The 49-year-old Byrd was alive for at least 2 miles before his body was ripped to pieces in the early morning hours of June 7, 1998. Prosecutors said Byrd was targeted because he was black. King was openly racist and had offensive tattoos on his body, including one of a black man with a noose around his neck hanging from a tree, according to authorities. story continues below King, 44, was put to death at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. He was the fourth inmate executed this year in the US and the third in Texas, the nation's busiest capital punishment state. The killing of Byrd was a hate crime that put a national spotlight on Jasper, a town of about 7,600 residents near the Texas-Louisiana border that was branded with a racist stigma it has tried to shake off ever since. Local officials say the reputation is undeserved. King's appellate lawyers had tried to stop his execution, arguing King's constitutional rights were violated because his trial attorneys didn't present his claims of innocence and conceded his guilt. The US Supreme Court rejected King's last-minute appeal. (Read more white supremacist stories.) (Newser) San Francisco's Port Commission has unanimously approved a homeless shelter in the Embarcadero neighborhood, despite fierce objections from some of the wealthy area's residents. The city says approval for the waterfront "Navigation Center" was granted for two years, with an option to extend for another two years if it successfully reduces the number of unsheltered homeless people in the area, NBC Bay Area reports. At an emotional meeting Tuesday night, residents denounced the 200-bed "mega shelter" and complained that it would become a "magnet" for the city's thousands of homeless people, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. An estimated 4,000 people, many of them displaced by gentrification, sleep on San Francisco's streets every night. story continues below Mayor London Breed described the center as an important part of the city's plan to get people off the streets and into shelter and services. "We simply need more Navigation Centers, more permanent supportive housing and more affordable housing throughout our city if we are going to change the conditions on our streets and help those in need," she said. Residentssome of whom waved signs at the meeting reading "This is San Francisco's Front Yard"have vowed to keep fighting. "Its unfortunate that the industry around homelessness and affordable housing was able to prevail at this stage, but this is far from over," attorney Andrew Zacks tells the Guardian. He was hired by residents who started a GoFundMe anti-shelter campaign. (GoFundMe itself donated to a rival campaign.) (Newser) A married couple's dispute over pornography ended with the husband shot dead in the shed he called his "man cave." Arkansas woman Patricia Hill, 69, was sentenced to 16 years in prison Tuesday after being found guilty of the second-degree murder of husband Frank Hill, 65. Her attorney, Bill James, tells NBC that Hill "kept finding pornography stashed and hidden" during the couple's 17-year marriage. The lawyer, who describes his client as a religious woman who taught Sunday school, says Frank Hill would often watch pornography in his "man cave," and his wife "felt like the devil was in that shed." story continues below Two months before the July 2018 shooting, Patricia Hill filed for divorce but her husband begged her to reconsider. During her trial, the jury heard that she had flown into a rage after receiving a cable bill and discovering that her husband had resubscribed to a porn channel after she cut it off. James says Hill confronted her husband in his shed but didn't mean to kill him. He says Hill shot her husband in the leg, then fired a "warning shot" that hit him in the head. Hill was originally charged with capital murder but the jury chose to convict her of the lesser charge, the Pine Bluff Commercial reports. She has been in jail since the shooting and with good behavior, she will be eligible to apply for parole in just over three years. (Read more Arkansas stories.) (Newser) While House lawmakers are having trouble obtaining President Trump's tax returns, New York state's attorney general now has her hands on financial records relating to his businesses, sources tell CNN. The sources say Deutsche Bankwhich has reportedly issued more than $2 billion in loans to Trump and his businesses over the yearshas started turning over financial records, including loan documents, relating to Trump hotels in Chicago, Miami, and Washington, DC, as well as his unsuccessful attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills. New York AG Letitia James opened an investigation and subpoenaed the bank last month after former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen testified that Trump had inflated his assets to secure loans. story continues below "We remain committed to cooperating with authorized investigations," a bank spokesman told the AFP, though he declined to confirm the CNN report. The Trump Organization and the New York attorney general's office declined to comment. The subpoena from James' office is believed to have covered loan applications, mortgages, and lines of credit. House Democrats seeking information about the president's finances have also subpoenaed the bank, the Hill reports. Deutsche Bank was one of the few major banks to lend to Trump and the Trump Organization after defaults and bankruptcies in the 1990s, though the loans stopped when Trump became president, Deutsche Welle notes. (Read more Deutsche Bank stories.) (Newser) Nurses weren't pleased last week when a lawmaker said nurses in Washington state's rural hospitals "probably play cards for a considerable amount of the day." They've come up with an interesting way to voice that displeasure. GOP state Sen. Maureen Walsh says she has received 1,700 decks of cards in the mail as of Wednesday, per USA Today. "I like poker as much as anyone, but I think I'm pretty well stocked up right now," Walsh says in a post on her website, adding she'll donate the cards to nursing homes and veterans' centers. Walsh has offered multiple apologies for her comments, which have drawn 10,000 emails and more than 35,000 phone calls since Friday. story continues below Still, she remains opposed to HB 1155, which would grant uninterrupted rest and meal breaks for nurses at hospitals across the state. "Many already are operating in the red, and [having to hire extra nurses to facilitate the breaks] could put them under," Walsh says. After passing the state House and Senate on Wednesday, the bill now heads to the governor's desk. Walsh, meanwhile, may be headed to a hospital to see nurses at work. More than 765,000 people have signed a Change.org petition asking Walsh to shadow a nurse on a 12-hour shift. According to her website, "Walsh said she looks forward to receiving the petition and will be glad to accept." (Read more Washington state stories.) (Newser) Washington, DC, has the highest "intensity of gentrification" of any city in the country, according to a study highlighted by the Washington Post. That lends background to a dispute between Howard University students and the surrounding community, which has grown whiter and more expensive to inhabit in recent years. In an April 9 online post, a local resident described being harassed by students for walking a dog on the historically black university's green space, dubbed the Yard. There's no written policy against dog-walking, but the Guardian says a ban has been informally enforced by school security and students for several years. And on April 19, Howard President Wayne Frederick wrote in a letter to students and staff that "we appreciate pet owners respecting our campus by not bringing pets onto the private areas." story continues below Students further argue that dog walkers, runners, sunbathers, picnickers, and other "colonizers"a term used by syndicated radio host Charlemagneshould respect the campus as a place for African Americans, per WFTV. "It's the principle: one, of protecting the students, even though it is an open campus, and, two, maintaining the sanctity of this sacred black space," a 2018 graduate tells the Guardian. Post columnist Theresa Vargas writes that most non-students turning up on Howard's campus probably didn't realize there was any affront. But "now, there is no confusion" and abiding by the wishes of the school is "about seeing Howard University for what it isa 152-year-old institution that has been home to many great mindsand honoring that. Or at the very least, not allowing an animal to defecate on it." (Read more Howard University stories.) (Newser) When Joe Biden formally joined the 2020 race on Thursday, he delivered a scathing criticism of President Trump. The president has since acknowledged Biden's entry into the race with a nickname and a dig at the former VP's smarts: "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe," Trump tweeted. "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nastyyou will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!" story continues below Mediaite, meanwhile, provides a glimpse at how Biden's news was treated by MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News. MSNBC's coverage, via Morning Joe, was generally positive, with Joe Scarborough advising Biden to avoid trying to please the "Washington elites." CNN offered "sober and dispassionate analysis," while Fox compiled a montage of Biden "flubs" over the years. (Trump previously predicted that Biden would be one of the last two Democratic candidates standing.) (Newser) Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh remained on paid leave Thursday following a bout of pneumonia, while FBI agents were hard at work. A spokesman confirms agents from the Baltimore FBI office and Washington IRS office raided City Hall, two homes owned by Pugh, and the office of her attorney early Thursday, per the Baltimore Sun. Agents were also seen at the site of the Maryland Center for Adult Training, which Pugh formerly led, and at the home of former aide Gary Brown Jr., who's a board member of the nonprofit. story continues below Pugh is under investigation for sales of her self-published "Healthy Holly" children's books. The Sun previously reported the University of Maryland Medical System paid $500,000 for 100,000 books while Pugh held an unpaid position on its board. She has since resigned and returned $100,000, per CNN. But hundreds of thousands of dollars more allegedly came in book sales to entities with business before the city, per the Sun. Councilman Brandon Scott, a Democrat like Pugh, called for the 69-year-old to resign as the raids were carried out. (Read more Baltimore stories.) (Newser) Jose Medina-Perez was in Shelley Joseph's Massachusetts courtroom for an arraignment on drug charges when the district court judge allegedly helped him evade immigration authorities. Now Joseph is facing federal charges, MassLive reports. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an immigration detainer for Medina-Perez after the drug arrest in March of 2018, and a plainclothes ICE agent went to the courthouse to take him into custody at his arraignment the following month. Instead, federal prosecutors say, Joseph ordered the agent to leave the courtroom and had the courtroom recorder turned off. "ICE is gonna get him?" she reportedly said to Medina-Perez's defense attorney, according to a transcript of the portion of the conversation that was recorded. She then ordered him released without bail and, authorities say, made sure he was able to leave the courthouse. story continues below Prosecutors say she told the ICE agent the suspect would be released into the courthouse lobby, but instead instructed a trial court officer to escort him to the downstairs lockup, and then the trial court officer let Medina-Perez exit through a back door. Both the officer and Joseph were indicted Thursday on counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting obstruction of a federal proceeding, plus perjury charges for the officer, who prosecutors allege lied to a federal grand jury when he testified that he didn't realize there was an immigration detainer for Medina-Perez. Medina-Perez, who had been deported once before and barred from entering the US until 2027, was caught about a month after the hearing in Joseph's courtroom, the AP reports. He is currently in immigration proceedings. (Trump's comment to border official causes a stir.) (Newser) Joe Biden has already racked up quite a few endorsements since formally entering the 2020 presidential race Thursday morning, but none of them was from Barack Obama. The Republican National Committee was quick to jump on that, issuing a statement reading in part, "We dont need eight more years of Biden. Just ask President Obama, who isnt even endorsing his right-hand man." But Biden revealed that he actually asked Obama not to endorse him, USA Today reports. "I asked President Obama not to endorse," he told reporters at a Delaware Amtrak station. "Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits." story continues below Obama did have kind words for his former VP after Biden entered the race, issuing a statement through his spokesperson reading, "President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made. He relied on the Vice Presidents knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today." Obama does not appear to have publicly endorsed anyone in the 2020 race. As for Biden's endorsers, Roll Call rounds up at least seven members of Congress so far. (Here's what Trump had to say about Biden's entry into the race.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Tokyo: A Japanese court granted Carlos Ghosn bail Thursday, meaning the former Nissan boss could soon walk out of his Tokyo detention centre to prepare his defence against multiple charges of financial misconduct. The Tokyo District Court set bail at 500 million yen ($4.5 million) as the 65-year-old auto sector legend faces four charges ranging from concealing part of his salary from shareholders to syphoning off Nissan funds for his personal use. Prosecutors are likely to appeal the court's decision, delaying his immediate release but public broadcaster NHK said he could walk out of his detention centre "as early as Thursday". Ghosn denies all the charges, with a spokesperson for the executive saying on Monday he would "vigorously defend himself against these baseless accusations and fully expects to be vindicated". The spokesperson said Ghosn was being detained "under cruel and unjust conditions, in violation of his human rights, in an effort by prosecutors to coerce a confession from him". On Monday, he was hit with what experts have described as the most serious charges yet as prosecutors accused him of syphoning off $5 million of Nissan cash transferred from the company to a dealership in Oman. He also faces two charges of deferring some $80 million of his salary and hiding this in official documents to shareholders and seeking to shift personal investment losses to the firm during the 2008 financial crisis. Ghosn has already been granted bail once, posting $9 million and vowing not to leave Japan and to live in a small court-appointed apartment in central Tokyo -- a far cry from his former luxury suite. Last time he left the detention centre in northern Tokyo, he was dressed in a cap, face mask and workman's uniform in an apparent attempt to evade dozens of journalists from around the world hoping to snap a picture of the fallen tycoon. The bizarre stunt was cooked up by one of his lawyers, Takashi Takano, who later apologised for "tainting" the reputation of his client who usually appears in public in sharp suits. Ghosn was preparing to hold a much-anticipated news conference to "tell the truth" about his case but he was re-arrested shortly beforehand to face questioning about the alleged $5 million embezzlement. Clearly aware he was about to return to custody, Ghosn pre-recorded a video in which he attacked "backstabbing" Nissan executives of a "plot" against him, as they feared closer ties with French partner Renault. Japanese media reported on Tuesday that the French firm had offered a "management integration proposal" to Nissan, which was poised to reject it as they believe it does not provide equality to the Japanese company. Unless re-arrested over further allegations, Ghosn will be free to organise his defence ahead of a possible trial that is likely to take months to prepare. Ghosn's lead lawyer Junichiro Hironaka has told reporters that a trial as early as the autumn was "not possible for various reasons". His lawyers have demanded he be tried separately from Nissan, which also faces charges for submitting the suspect financial documents, and have voiced fears he will not receive a fair trial. The dramatic case has thrown the international spotlight on the Japanese justice system, derided by critics as "hostage justice" as it allows prolonged detention and relies heavily on suspects' confessions. New Delhi: Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is expected to release the VITEEE 2019 Result on or before 30th April 2019. Soon after the declaration of results, students can visit the official website of the institute i.e. vit.ac.in to check their results. Students who will qualify the exam will also be intimated about their score and ranks though email and SMS. VITEE exam is held for offering UG engineering admission in VIT University, Vellore and its campuses at Chennai, Bhopal and Amaravathi. The exam was conducted from April 10 to 21 in online mode across various test centres in India. Steps to check and download VITEEE 2019 Result Step 1: Visit the official website of VITEEE 2019 Step 2: Click on the result link Step 3: Login Using Application Number and date of birth Step 4: Your result will be displayed on the screen Step 5: Ensure that all your particulars mentioned in the scorecard are correct Step 6: Download and print a copy of your result for future reference Candidates who qualify the VITEEE 2019 will be called for counselling. The counselling of the examination will be held offline. The counselling venue and dates shall be announced in due course of time. Admission Fee: The admission fee for VITEEE is Rs. 1,76,000 for Group A courses and Rs. 1,98,000 Group B courses. The candidates who avail hostel facility have to pay the hostel fee as well. New Delhi : The Rajasthan Gurjar Mahasabha on Thursday came openly in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2019. The announcement was made by the Mahasabhas state president Kalulal Gurjar. Talking to reports, Kalulal Gurjar said that the outfit is leaving no stone unturned in the state to help BJP win a maximum number of Lok Sabha seats which will eventually help Narendra Modi become prime minister once again. Talking about Col Kirori Singh Bhainsla, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, acting president of Gurjar Mahasabha Prahalad Singh Awana clarified that the outfit has never worked with Bhainsla in the past and is not likely to work with him in near future. Earlier, Gurjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti leader Bainsla, who led the protest across Rajasthan demanding reservation for Gurjars, joined the BJP. He was inducted into the party in presence of Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni and Union Minister and Rajasthan election in-charge Prakash Javadekar at the party headquarters. Bainsla's son Vijay Bainsla also joined the party. From serving as a Indian Army officer to forming an Army of his own, Bainsla fought during the 1962 war against China and the 1965 war against Pakistan. "After closely monitoring ideologies and the working style of the Congress and the BJP, I have decided to join the BJP. I found Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the rarest of the rare leader. He impressed me a lot," Bainsla said. He said he will continue to work with backward communities. With Agency Inputs New Delhi: After the overwhelming success of his much sought-after Varanasi roadshow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Ayodhya on May 1, days ahead of the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 6. The holy town, which is considered to be the birth place of Lord Rama, has been central to the BJP and its Hindutva affiliates' agitation for a Ram temple. According to the BJP leaders, the rally, which will take place in Maya Bazaar, an area just outside Ayodhya town and 25 km from the site of the temple-mosque dispute, is part of Modi's campaign for the Lok Sabha polls 2019. This will be PM Modi's first visit to Ayodhya after he came to power in 2014. Ahead of General Elections 2014, Modi addressed a rally in Faizabad, where an image of the proposed Ram Temple at the backdrop of his dais triggered a massive controversy with the Opposition parties including the Congress complaining of the violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by using religious symbols. PM Modi's visit to the Ram Janmabhoomi is significant as many have accused the ruling BJP of not doing enough for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site of Ayodhya. Right-wing groups also demanded that a special amendment be brought to facilitate the construction of a temple. Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case, the decade-old socio-religious debate, started back on December 6, 1992, when a group of Hindu Karsevaks, during a political rally, destroyed the mosque claiming that a Ram temple was actually demolished to construct the same. The mosque was built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya back in 1528. Though there was no such evidence that the disputed structure was constructed after demolition of a temple, the Supreme Court agreed that a temple or a temple structure predated the mosque at the same site. Moreover, the excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India also suggested that the predating structure was a massive Hindu religious building. Since then the matter has been in the light and turned into a political riot in India. The BJP, however, in its 2019 election manifesto, has promised to "explore all possibilities within the framework of the constitution and all necessary efforts to facilitate the expeditious construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya". Ayodhya, which falls under Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, is scheduled to go to polls on May 6. The counting of votes for seven phase Lok Sabha elections will take place on May 23. New Delhi: Arnab Roy, the Election Commissions nodal officer who has gone missing from his office in West Bengals Krishnagar, was recused from Howrah by West Bengal CID on Thursday. The 30-year-old officer was in-charge of EVMs and VVPATs for the Ranaghat parliamentary constituency. The Nadia administration had lodged a missing complaint with the Kotwali police station at Krishnagar. Roys wife, Anisha Jash, also lodged a missing diary with the police on April 18. He was found after tracking the location of his mobile phone, the IPS officer said. We have found Mr Roy from a house in Howrah this morning. He is fine, the CID officer told PTI. The CID officer also said that Roy was looking tired. Asked whether Roy was abducted or he was hiding on his own, the officer said, We will talk to him to find out what actually happened. Sumit Gupta, the Nadia District Magistrate, said that Arnab Roy is completely safe and is with his in-laws. Nadia has two parliamentary constituencies --- Ranaghat and Krishnanagar --- where elections are due on April 29, in the fourth phase. New Delhi: After campaigning for his party in several states across India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now reached his own Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. A sea of humanity thronged the temple town in Uttar Pradesh, as PM Modi holds a road show in his parliamentary seat on Thursday, a day before filing his nomination for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2019. The prime minister, who was wearing a saffron kurta and scarf, was cheered by a massive crowd as his cavalcade passed through the Lanka and Assi areas of the city. After completing the 7-kilometre stretch of his roadshow between BHU campus gate and the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the prime minister also performs Ganga Aarti and offers prayers in presence of BJP president Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Before reaching Varanasi, Modi had tweeted: "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi." "There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!" he had tweeted. The roadshow, which started at 5:15 pm, came to an end around 8 pm this evening. The show of strength takes place on a day the Congress ended all speculation about its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra taking on Modi in the city. The grand old party has again fielded Ajay Rai from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Here are the Highlights from PM Modi's road show in Varanasi: 22:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I have only one mantra for every moment of my life - Rashtra Pratham, India First: PM Narendra Modi. 21:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I can't say that our dreams for Kashi's development have all been fulfilled but the speed with which they are heading towards fulfillment has hastened: PM Modi. 21:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The last five years were for effort, the next five years will be for results: PM Modi. 21:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In As a servant of Kashi, in five years, I have attempted to employ a model for the development of farmers, the youth and everyone else: PM Modi in Varanasi. 21:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kashi blessed me to become both MP and PM: Narendra Modi. 21:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Overlooking terrorism as challenge will be an injustice to the country: PM Narendra Modi. 21:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kashi gave me courage to answer terrorists in their language, says PM Modi. 21:28 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In People ask 'What did Modi change in Varanasi?' But before that, I want to talk about what Kashi has done for me: PM Modi. 21:28 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Five years ago, when I came to Kashi, I had said 'Ma Ganga has called me'. Ma Ganga gave such a calling, the people gave me such love: PM Modi. 20:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi to interact with some of the prominent personalities of Varanasi shortly. 20:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi offers prayers at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi. 20:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Covering 7-kilometre stretch between BHU campus gate and Dashashwamedh Ghat, Narendra Modi's roadshow has come to end. The prime minister will take part in the Ganga aarti along with other BJP leaders shortly. 20:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with BJP president Amit Shah, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reaches the Dashashwamedh Ghat. 18:42 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP president Amit Shah reaches the Dashashwamedh Ghat where PM Modi will be taking part in the Ganga Aarti shortly. 17:45 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Narendra Modi will shortly arrive at the Dashashwamedh Ghat where he is scheduled to participate in the Ganga aarti. 17:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kashi is gearing up to welcome its beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 16:22 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi. There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!" Modi tweeted. After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi. There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev! Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 25, 2019 // ]]> // ]]> 16:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a roadshow in Varanasi shortly. Watch visuals from outside Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Crowd awaits outside Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in anticipation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive shortly to hold a roadshow in Varanasi#ElectionsWithNewsNation Follow LIVE updates here: https://t.co/MNcpbPZPDS pic.twitter.com/4N1JrrTaNR News Nation (@NewsNationTV) April 25, 2019 15:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi's mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi to begin shortly. Being touted as a show of strength, the roadshow will include union ministers, state chief minister and other senior leaders of the BJP. 14:21 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "25 ton of rose petals, 5 lakh BJP workers 4m all corners, most cabinet ministers, prominent allies, all stops pulled for a show to be remembered. Message is not 4 Varanasi, but 4 last 4 phases. Clearly hype will attract people but votes, not so sure," Ajay Kumar reports from ground zero. 25 ton of rose petals, 5 lakh BJP workers 4m all corners, most cabinet ministers, prominent allies, all stops pulled for a show to be remembered. Message is not 4 Varanasi, but 4 last 4 phases. Clearly hype will attract people but votes, not so sure. a@NewsNationTVa a pic.twitter.com/cBMX8Fsjw5 Ajay Kumar (@_Kumar_Ajay) April 25, 2019 14:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "Amidst blistering heat, preparation afloat for Modis a@narendramodia mega show. 11-km-long roadshow culminating at Dashasamegh Ghat with Aarti. Virtually entire cabinet, prominent allies, entire media staff of BJP ensuring unprecedented media coverage," reports our Managing Editor from Varanasi. 14:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ahead of Modis roadshow, security has been tightened across Varanasi. Hundreds of security personnel have been deployed along the route of the roadshow. The police is also using drones to keep a vigil on any suspicious activity prior or during the roadshow. New Delhi: Putting an end to the speculations of Priyanka Gandhi's candidature from Varanasi, the Congress on Thursday announced Ajay Rai's name as its candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the high-profile constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Rai, who contested against PM Modi from Varanasi in 2014 and lost miserably, has once again been given to challenge Modi in his bastion. In a notification released by the Congress party on Twitter, the Grand Old Partys Central Election Committee announced Ajay Rai and Madhusudan Tiwaris name as its candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi and Gorakhpur, respectively. Earlier, there were speculations that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will make her political debut from Varanasi against Modi. The speculations were fuelled after Priyanka, when asked to contest from Rae Bareli, expressed her wishes to contest from Varanasi. Later, the Congress president also hinted at something similar when he was asked whether he planned to field his sister against PM Modi. "I will leave you in suspense. Suspense is not always a bad thing," he had said. In 2014, Rai had finished third with just 75,614 votes after PM Modi (5,81,022 votes) and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal (2,09,238 votes). However, unlike 2014, the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party has also fielded a joint candidate to take on the prime minister. Meanwhile, the prime minsiter will file his nomination from Varanasi today. Before filing his nomination, Modi is also scheduled to hold a seven-km long road show in the temple town. BJP chief Amit Shah and JDU president Nitish Kumar are likley to accompany Modi during the road show. Mumbai: Sajid Khan, who was accused of sexual harassment by three women, has rubbished reports that he will teaming up with actor John Abraham for a film. The Indian Film and Television Director's Association (IFTDA) had banned Sajid for a year after multiple women alleged the director of sexually inappropriate behaviour during India's #MeToo movement. There were reports, however, that John had shown interest in a script which Sajid pitched to the actor and the duo will soon start working on the same. They have previously collaborated on 2012 comedy Housefull 2. When asked if he is working with John, Sajid told PTI, "Not true... I'm under suspension from the director's association and am not working since the last 6 months." "I will finish off my suspension period for the next few months and only then consider work," he added. John, who last featured in spy thriller Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW), is currently filming for Anees Bazmee's multi-starrer comedy Pagalpanti. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Two terrorists have been neutralised in the exchange of fire with security forces in Bagender Mohalla of Bijbehara in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. The encounter broke out after forces laid cordon and search operation in the area. The Indian Army has gunned down 41 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir since Pulwama attack which claimed lives of 40 CRPF personnel, said Indian Army Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon on Wednesday. Out of those killed, 25 terrorists belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed and 13 of them were Pakistanis. "We have targeted Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leadership, the situation now is that no one is coming forward to take over the leadership of JeM in the valley. Even after Pakistan's best efforts, we will continue to suppress Jaish, especially after Pulwama. Operations against the terrorists will continue with full vigor and we will not let terrorism rise up," Lieutenant General Dhillon said. Earlier, one terrorist has been gunned down on Friday in retaliation operation by the Indian Army after rebels open fired on a patrolling party of 38 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) at Watergam area of Rafiabad in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district. An under-barrel grenade launcher was fired towards the Army camp, followed by indiscriminate firing in Midoora hamlet of southern Tral township in Pulwama. The area has been cordoned off and a search operation is underway to nab the remaining terrorists who carried out the attack. The forces have also recovered arms and ammunition from the location. The gunfight was underway when the last reports came in. On February 14, at least 42 CRPF personnel were killed and dozens of others injured in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Pulwama district. The CRPF cavalcade that came under attack had seventy-eight vehicles and the ill-fated bus plying on the Jammu-Srinagar highway was fifth in line. Pakistan-based banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility for the attack. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court on Thursday reserved its order on the application by British businessman Christian Michel alleging leak of the Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s supplementary charge sheet in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case to media houses. The order on the plea will be pronounced on May 3. "Agustawestland Case: A CBI court reserves order on the application by Christian Michel on leaking of content of the charge sheet to media houses. Order on the plea to be pronounced on May 3," the news agency ANI reported. #Agustawestland Case: A CBI court reserves order on the application by Christian Michel on leaking of content of the chargesheet to media houses. Order on the plea to be pronounced on May 3. a ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2019 In his application, Michel's lawyer had told the court that the copy of the charge sheet was provided to the media before it was provided to the accused. "Michel has not named anyone in his statement before the agency which is being leaked to media. This is only to make the matter sensational and prejudice the case against my client," the counsel said. In its response, the ED had on April 12 told a Delhi court that there was nothing wrong if the media published or broadcast its contents. The agency also sought dismissal of the application filed by Michel, alleged middleman arrested in the case who accused the ED of politicising the matter by leaking the documents to the media. "It was a public document and there was nothing wrong if someone accessed it. It is not that no one was entitled to get a copy. The cognisance was already taken," the ED's counsel said while refuting the allegation that the agency had leaked the documents. Michel, currently in judicial custody, was arrested by the ED on December 22 last year after his extradition from Dubai. He is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the chopper scam by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The agency had earlier told the court that Michel received 24.25 million euros and 1,60,96,245 pounds from the AgustaWestland deal. The ED told the court that it had identified Michel's properties purchased with the proceeds of the crime. The ED, in its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he had received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. The CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros. (With inputs from agencies) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In one of the most dramatic moments during the ongoing hearing related to alleged conspiracy against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, the Supreme Court today said that, do rich and powerful think they can remote control this court? The Special Bench hearing the conspiracy charges levelled by lawyer Utsav Bains today said that, there is a systematic attack, systematic game to malign this institution. Justice Arun Mishra, who is heading the bench, expressed his anguish and said that the some powerful people of this country were playing with fire. The way this institution is being treated for the last 3 to 4 years is as if this institution is going to die. People of this country should know the truth. Do the powerful of this country think they can run this country, asked Justice Mishra. Every day we hear of Bench fixing. Can the Registry be allowed to be managed by muscle and money power? This institution belongs to you (Bar). This institution has been built by Nani Palkhivala, Attorney General, Fali Nariman etc. We (judges) come and go, Justice Mishra added. The top court then reserved its order, which will be pronounced at 2 pm today. Earlier, when the hearing began, advocate Utsav Bains had handed over more material to the Bench in another sealed cover. In para 17 of the affidavit, Bains said that, That on 19thApril, 2019, a very reliable person, strictly on the condition of anonymity and in good faith, informed the Deponent about a corporate figure who tried to approach a Honble Supreme Court judge to get a favourable order in a high-profile case listed before this Honble Court but was unsuccessful and then the said corporate figure attempted to get the case transferred from the court of that Honble Supreme Court judge but did not succeed and thus ganged up with an alleged fixer by the name of Romesh Sharma and his aides to frame the Honble Chief Justice of India in a false case of sexual harassment to pressurize him to resign. In para 20, the lawyer said that, That it is pertinent to mention here that the Deponent is privy to certain events involving the said corporate figure and will submit in a sealed cover the events and list of the involved persons to this Honble Court should it so direct him. What is more startling are the allegations in para 28 of the affidavit. Bains had claimed that Indias Most Wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is behind the conspiracy of false sexual assault case. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a first, the Indian Army will start online registration of women for recruitment as soldiers into the military police. The online process will start on Thursday. The project, that was mooted by General Bipin Rawat soon after taking over as Army Chief, was given the final approval by the Defence Ministry recently. It was reported in January that women would be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20 per cent of total Corps of Military Police. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had then said that the government had taken a "historic" decision to induct women in the military police with an aim to enhance their representation in the armed forces.A For all notifications details, visitA https://joinindianarmy.nic.in/bravo/notifications.htm Last year, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat role, currently an exclusive domain of men, was moving fast and initially women will be recruited for positions in military police.A Accordingly, the Army chalked out induction of approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year.A Till now, women were allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army.A The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and Army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.A For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. highlights Justice Indu Malhotra to replace Justice NV Ramana in three-judge SC panel. The panel has been set up to inquire allegations against CJI Gogoi. The panel also includes Justice SA Bobde and Indira Banerjee. New Delhi: Justice Indu Malhotra will be replacing Justice NV Ramana, who earlier in the day opted out of the Supreme Court's three-judges panel, set up to look into the sexual harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi. Ramana withdrew himself from the inquiry panel headed by Justice SA Bobde following objections of the woman involved in the case, saying he was a family friend of CJI Gogoi. In a letter to the Supreme Court panel, the former woman employee, who levelled the allegations against the CJI, expressed reservation over the inclusion of Justice Ramana on the ground that he is a close friend of the CJI and a regular visitor to his house. The woman was supposed to appear before the panel on Friday. Additionally, the woman had raised question over the presence of only one woman Supreme Court judge - Indira Banerjee - in the panel to examine her allegations against the CJI which is not in accordance with the Vishaka Guidelines. As per the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the Vishaka judgement, for holding inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment at work place, the committee must have a majority of women. "I would humbly suggest that since I was posted in the CJI's residence office, I know that Justice Ramana is a close friend of the CJI and is like a family member to him," she wrote. "Justice Ramana is a frequent visitor to the residence of the CJI. Because of this I fear that my affidavit and evidence will not receive an objective and fair hearing," the letter read. Indu Malhotra, who is the second woman judge in the Supreme Court after Justice R Bhanumathi, was elevated in April, 2018. Prior to this, she was a senior counsel practising in the same court for the past thirty years. Malhotra was the second woman to be designated as Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court in 2007. In the wake of allegations made against Justice Gogoi, a three-judge bench headed by CJI had held an unprecedented hearing on Saturday. Describing the allegations of sexual harassment against him as "unbelievable", the CJI said a larger conspiracy was behind it and he would not stoop so low even to deny these allegations. Justice Gogoi had said some "bigger force" wanted to "deactivate" the office of the CJI. After the Saturday's hearing, lawyers' organisations and jurists had criticised the CJI for constituting the bench comprising himself, though he had recused himself in the middle of the hearing leaving it for justices Mishra and Khanna to pass the order. On Tuesday, the CJI had set up a fresh bench comprising justices Mishra, RF Nariman and Deepak Gupta to adjudicate the matter relating to sexual harassment levelled against him. The former woman top court staffer had levelled the allegations against the CJI which was brought into public domain by some news portals on April 20. She had worked at Justice Gogoi's home office in Delhi and the allegations were carried by these news portals based on the affidavit by the woman. In her affidavit, the woman described two incidents of alleged molestation, days after Justice Gogoi was appointed CJI last October and her subsequent persecution. She alleged that she was removed from service after she rebuffed his "sexual advances", adding that her husband and brother-in-law, both of whom were head constables, were suspended for a 2012 criminal case that had been mutually resolved. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Exactly two months after the Balakot airstrikes, the Indian Air Force has for the first time officially acknowledged the number of targets and other details of the fateful day. The review of the February 26 airstrikes includes IAF pliots performance, execution and other details. Multiple media reports on Thursday published some of the points of the report, which has still not been released officially by the Indian Air Force. One of the major highlights of the review was how the surprise element completely stunned the Pakistani military establishment. According to an HT report, the IAF review showed that Pakistani was so stunned by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa strikes that it took 10 minutes for them to scramble the jets. The HT report said that planes were sent from as many as eight Pakistani air bases. However, the Pakistani jets were 10 minutes late in taking action. By the time they went up in air, the Indian Air Force jets had delivered the package and turned back for their journey back home. Other positives of the review were: accuracy of intelligence, target selection, proficiency and skills of pilots, deception at the strategic and tactical level and accuracy of the weapons. However, there were some negatives also. They were: unfavourable weather conditions creating problems for the fleet, entire package wasnt delivered. While the air force has been very professional on the Balakot air strike, political parties have been embroiled in bitter war of words. The Congress has been demanding proof of the casualties in the JeM camp attack, the BJP has been calling such questions as anti-national. Earlier, Sam Pitrodas controversial statement on the Indian Air Forces air strike on Jaish-e-Mohammeds terror camp in Pakistans Balakot sparked a massive political controversy. Pitroda had asked the government to come out with "more facts" on the Balakot air strikes, and said that he was "baffled" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reaction to his question which he was entitled to ask. Pitroda, chief of Indian Overseas Congress, also said it was good to have a debate, discussion, dialogue and discourse, and it does not amount to questioning anyone. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Supreme Court appointed a retired judge to probe the conspiracy against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday. Justice AK Patnaik will probe the charges levelled by lawyer Utsav Bains, who has claimed that the sexual assault allegations against CJI Gogoi is a conspiracy to discredit him. In previous hearing, he had said that he was offered Rs 1.5 crore to represent the former SC staffer who had said that CJI had allegedly assaulted her. The Court orders that Utsav Bains cannot claim privilege under Section 126 of the Evidence Act. He is bound to disclose all the documents. The CBI Director and IB Chief have been ordered to assist Justice AK Patnaik (retired) in this investigation. The order was pronounced by a Bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Rohinton Nariman, and Deepak Gupta. Prior to the order, in one of the most dramatic moments during the ongoing hearing related to alleged conspiracy against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, the Supreme Court today said that, do rich and powerful think they can remote control this court? The Special Bench hearing the conspiracy charges levelled by lawyer Utsav Bains today said that, there is a systematic attack, systematic game to malign this institution. Justice Arun Mishra, who is heading the bench, expressed his anguish and said that the some powerful people of this country were playing with fire. The way this institution is being treated for the last 3 to 4 years is as if this institution is going to die. People of this country should know the truth. Do the powerful of this country think they can run this country, asked Justice Mishra. Every day we hear of Bench fixing. Can the Registry be allowed to be managed by muscle and money power? This institution belongs to you (Bar). This institution has been built by Nani Palkhivala, Attorney General, Fali Nariman etc. We (judges) come and go, Justice Mishra added. The top court then reserved its order, which will be pronounced at 2 pm today. Earlier, when the hearing began, advocate Utsav Bains had handed over more material to the Bench in another sealed cover. In para 17 of the affidavit, Bains said that, That on 19thApril, 2019, a very reliable person, strictly on the condition of anonymity and in good faith, informed the Deponent about a corporate figure who tried to approach a Honble Supreme Court judge to get a favourable order in a high-profile case listed before this Honble Court but was unsuccessful and then the said corporate figure attempted to get the case transferred from the court of that Honble Supreme Court judge but did not succeed and thus ganged up with an alleged fixer by the name of Romesh Sharma and his aides to frame the Honble Chief Justice of India in a false case of sexual harassment to pressurize him to resign. In para 20, the lawyer said that, That it is pertinent to mention here that the Deponent is privy to certain events involving the said corporate figure and will submit in a sealed cover the events and list of the involved persons to this Honble Court should it so direct him. What is more startling are the allegations in para 28 of the affidavit. Bains had claimed that Indias Most Wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is behind the conspiracy of false sexual assault case. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: President Donald Trump may count Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among his international allies, but New Delhi is smarting over unexpected US decisions it sees as ignoring the interests of an increasingly close partner. The Trump administration this week said it would start to sanction countries that do not comply with its orders to stop buying oil from Iran, demanding that eight governments -- including India and China -- end all imports when six-month waivers run out next week. The move, which triggered a hike in global oil prices that could disproportionately hit poorer Indians, came just as Modi was campaigning for a new mandate in ongoing, multi-phase elections. The Iran diktat followed Trump's announcement in March that India, along with Turkey, would no longer enjoy a preferential trading status for a wide range of manufactured goods. Trump, who has rocky relations with the leaders of numerous Western allies, has publicly highlighted his bond with Modi. India's main opposition Congress party quickly seized on the Iran sanctions to attack Modi. Trump, while popular among much of the Hindu right, has also drawn resentment in India over viral reports that he mimics Modi's accent in private -- a far cry from the reverential treatment US presidents since Bill Clinton have shown Indian leaders. An Indian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described New Delhi as "surprised and disappointed" by the decision on Iran, saying the Trump administration had sent a message in March that India's cuts in imports were sufficient to be granted a fresh waiver. "We thought that, as a major defense and strategic partner, the United States would take into consideration our concerns," the official said. Trump is seeking to eliminate Iran's top source of revenue in a bid to curb the clerical regime's regional clout, including its backing of Shiite militants. India is the world's third-largest oil importer. The official said the South Asian nation has cut Iranian oil from 17 to five per cent of its total crude imports and had also ended oil purchases from Venezuela, succumbing to US pressure as Trump tries to oust leftist President Nicolas Maduro. "We did this not because we agree with the US, but because we are strategic partners," he said. Similarly, the official said the Trump administration ignored a detailed proposal from New Delhi when it announced it would scrap its designation in the Generalized System of Preferences, which grants favorable access to goods from developing countries. India is proposing a 90-day delay in implementation as the government cannot make a counter-proposal under laws that forbid policy decisions during elections, the official said. Another rift could come up as India -- a Cold War partner of the Soviet Union turned major buyer of US defense equipment -- finalizes its purchase of Russia's advanced S-400 missile system. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently told AFP that India has been "heard and understood" by the United States, which imposed sanctions on China and has warned NATO ally Turkey over buying the S-400. Few expect India and the United States to drift apart significantly, let alone return to their Cold War estrangement, with the major parties in both democracies broadly supporting a strong relationship. And Trump pleased Modi in February by backing India's air incursions into rival Pakistan, home to virulently anti-Indian militants, in response to an attack on Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Tanvi Madan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of its India Project, said that this week's sanctions decision for the United States "is about Iran, not about its approach to India." "But I think that India will feel once again that it will be collateral damage," she said. "It reinforces the sense in India that the US isn't factoring in Indian interests when it comes to these decisions, yet they affect India." Madan added that New Delhi was less concerned about oil than with preserving a relationship with Tehran, even while developing close ties with Iran's rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia. India is hoping to keep working with Iran on its Chabahar port, through which New Delhi hopes to send supplies to war-torn Afghanistan, cracking the landlocked country's reliance on Pakistan. Madan said there was one wild card that could shake up US-India ties -- if China seized on the rift and offered reconciliation with India by making concessions on the Asian giants' myriad disputes. "Will that happen? I find it hard to believe the Chinese will get around to doing it," she said. "But the possibility exists." For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: JKLF chief Yasin Malik, arrested in connection with alleged terror funding case was sent to judicial custody till May 24 by Delhi court on Wednesday. The court had earlier sent Malik to NIA custody. He was brought to New Delhi after a court in Kashmir granted his transit remand to the National Investigation Agency. Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal also sought reply from the defence counsel on a plea of Tihar jail authorities seeking to produce Malik through video conference due to security concerns. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has reserved its judgment on a CBI plea for reopening three-decade-old cases in which Malik was an accused. Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti sought immediate release of JKLF chief Yasin Malik. While speaking to media, Mufti said, ''Yasin Malik (Kashmiri Separatist) should be released immediately as he is really unwell. Also, other members of Jamaat-e-Islami should be released. Sadhvi Pragya on whom there are several serious accusations, has been set free.'' Malik is the allegedly accused in the killing of five Indian Air Force personnel in Srinagar on January 25, 1990 and the kidnapping of the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Dr Rubiya Sayeed on December 8, 1989. Malik was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir police from his residence in Srinagar on February 22 and was shifted to the Kothibagh police station. The detention came two days after the state administration said the security of 18 separatist, including Malik, would be withdrawn. The JKLF leader on Thursday termed the announcement a "lie". While Malik said he had never received any protection from the state, hardline Hurriyat Conference termed the reports about the withdrawal of security of its chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani "ridiculous". For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Zakir Naik, the controversial fugitive Islamic preacher, has issued a statement slamming the story of the Interpol reportedly issuing a Red Corner Notice against him. He categorically denied that such a notice was ever issued and said that the Interpol will never succumb to pressure by Indian government. He fled India after the terrorists, who attacked a Dhaka cafe and killed 22 people in July 2016, said they were Naiks admirers. The preacher lives in Malaysia, where he has permanent residency. An Indian request for his extradition is pending with the Malaysian government since January 2018. In a statement released to the media, Naik said that, I'm aware of the pressure the Indian government has been applying on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against me. It's part of an elaborate witchhunt. But having verified with a few member countries, I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date. One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government, which as a matter of fact, has been going on for over two years now. The Interpol had already cancelled a red corner notice against me once. And it's been one-and-a-half years since the govt submitted a chargesheet and started applying pressure on the Interpol. But as things stand, I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure," he added. On April 5, a special court granted bail to Abdul Sathak, an aide of the Islamic preacher, arrested for allegedly helping the latter with money laundering. Special PMLA court judge M S Azmi granted bail to Sathak on a surety of Rs 5,00,000. Sathak, a jeweller, was arrested last month under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He is accused of helping Naik by transferring "funds of dubious origin from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to facilitate production and broadcasting of incriminating videos for spreading communal hatred and radicalisation of a particular community". While granting bail, the court laid down certain conditions, like he shall make himself available for probe as and when called by the investigating officer. Also, he must not leave India without the permission of the court and surrender his passport with the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mumbai, within a week. In his bail plea, Sathak said that there was nothing to show that he "acquired or dealt with any property" obtained through crime. He also claimed to be suffering from myasthenia gravis, a long-term neuromuscular disease. The ED has alleged that Sathak sent about Rs 50 crore to Naik, which the latter illegally routed and laundered. Sathak was the director of Global Broadcasting Corporation FZE LLC that owned Naik's Peace TV channel, it said. The central agency alleged that Global Broadcasting was "controlled" by Naik (who is stated to be in Malaysia now), through Sathak, his "trusted aide". Naik has been under investigation since 2016, when the Centre banned his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years. The controversial preacher is accused of inciting youth to take up terror activities, giving hate speeches and promoting enmity between communities. (With agency inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The World Health Organization obeserves World Malaria Day every year on April 25 to raise awareness about the deadly vector-borne disease. The latest World Malaria report states that Malaria remains to be global health burden and there is no significant reduction in malaria cases in the period of 2015 to 2017. India is among the 11 countries that contribute 70 per cent to the world's malaria burden, the other 10 being in sub-Saharan Africa, said the report. In 2018 alone, 3,99,134 cases were reported in India. The usual symptoms for the disease is known to all. It includes high fiver with chills. This year marks the 12th anniversary of the World Malaria Day. It was initiated in May 2007 for the first time by the 60th session of the World Health Assembly. World Malaria Day 2019: Theme World Malaria Day focuses on a specific theme every year and this year the theme is Zero malaria starts with me. The focus of the programme is to empower communities across various countries to take ownership of preventing malaria and providing proper care of the treatment to those in need. Every year, the global tally of new malaria cases exceeds 200 million. And every 2 minutes, a child dies from this preventable and treatable disease. Malaria takes a heavy toll on health systems, sapping productivity and eroding economic growth. Malaria c can spread not just through mosquito bites but also from mother to unborn child, through blood transfusions and by sharing needles used to inject drugs. World Malaria Day: First Vaccine launched in Africa Ahead of the world Malaria Day, first malaria vaccine ever has been launched in Malawi after concerted efforts of over 30 years to protect children from the deadly disease that claims over 435,000 lives globally every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the Government of Malawi's landmark pilot programme. The launch of the first and only malaria vaccine, known as RTS,S, makes Malawi the first of three countries in Africa where it will be made available to children up to 2 years of age. Ghana and Kenya will introduce the vaccine in the coming weeks, WHO said in a statement. Malaria: Prevention In order to prevent malaria, make sure you wear clothes that cover you properly, especially if you are going to damp areas where mosquitoes can breed. Apply insect repellents on your skin and even on clothes. In times when malaria incidence is high in your surroundings, sleep under a net. Home remedies like drinking ginger and cinnamon tea, apple cider vinegar, grape juice are effective in reducing the fever caused from Malaria. Patients can soak fenugreek seeds in water overnight and drink the water in an empty stomach to fight weakness caused by abrupt rise and drop of body temperature. New Delhi: Derek C Lalchhanhima, a six-year-old from Mizoram won over the internet last month over his very innocent yet very gallant act of compassion. To rewind the story for the unadulterated, Derek became the talk of town after he, who mistakenly ran over his neighbours chicken with his cycle rushed the chicken the chicken to the hospital with all the money he had, which was a 10 rupee note. After he was praised on the social media for his gallantry act, Derek has now received the 'Compassionate Kid Award' from PETA India in recognition of his concern for animals. "Developing empathy for animals is a key step towards developing empathy for and rejecting violence against all beings, including humans. Its important, therefore, that students learn at an early age that the animals with whom we share this planet are, in many ways, not so different from us," said a statement released by PETA India recently. PETA Indias 'Compassionate Citizen' programme is especially designed to help students between the ages of 8 and 12 years better understand and appreciate animals. It consists of a 23-minute video with fascinating footage of animals, along with cartoons and a text pack. For all the Latest Offbeat News News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. San Francisco: Facebook has said that has hired a high-ranking US State Department lawyer credited with helping craft the controversial Patriot Act as the social networks new general counsel. Jennifer Newstead will replace Colin Stretch, who announced in July that he planned to leave Facebook. Newstead will oversee global legal functions at the California-based social network as it faces continued pressure from regulators regarding how well it safeguards user privacy and protects against the spread of misinformation or abuse on its platform. Jennifer is a seasoned leader whose global perspective and experience will help us fulfill our mission, Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said in a statement on Monday. We are also truly grateful to Colin for his dedicated leadership and wise counsel over the past nine years. Newstead was the first woman to lead the Office of the Legal Adviser at the State Department, a post she took in January 2018. Her expertise and sharp judgment on an array of critical foreign policy issues will be greatly missed, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. I thank her for her outstanding service, and wish her all the best in the next phase of her career. Previous government posts held by Newstead include being a lawyer under the administration of President George W. Bush and helping draft the Patriot Act, a counterterrorism law that dramatically expanded police and surveillance powers. Im excited to be joining Facebook at an important time, Newstead said in an online post. I am looking forward to working with the team and outside experts and regulators on a range of legal issues as we seek to uphold our responsibilities and shared values. Facebook also announced that John Pinette has been hired at the social networks new vice president of global communications, succeeding Caryn Marooney. Pinette has a lengthy history in the technology sector, most recently Vulcan Inc, an organization overseeing business and philanthropic endeavors for the estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Johns deep understanding of the technology industry and his experience leading communications teams will be invaluable to helping us communicate the work we do at Facebook every day," Sandberg said. New Delhi: A UK-based legal team on behalf of AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case accused Christian Michel has approached the UN, alleging that he was unlawfully handed over to India where he has been held in squalid conditions in violation of human rights and subjected to torture. Michel is currently being held in judicial custody in Delhis Tihar Jail and in the latest court intervention in India, the Delhi High Court granted more time to him and the CBI to respond to a plea by Tihar Jail authorities challenging an order allowing him to make international phone calls in violation of prison rules. Michel was arrested by the ED and later by the CBI in a bribery case related to the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland deal dating back to 2010. He is among three alleged middlemen being probed in the case. London-based specialist barristers chambers Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers claimed that the 57-year-old British national was unlawfully handed over to the Indian government as part of a quid pro quo following the Indian authorities alleged involvement in the abduction of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al Maktoum and her return to the UAE in March 2018. It is alleged that Mr Michel was extradited to India following a formal request being submitted to the United Arab Emirates. The reality is that Mr Michel was unlawfully handed over to the Government of India, the procedure resembling more rendition than a lawful extradition process, Guernica 37 said in a statement. Having been returned to India, Mr Michel has been held in squalid conditions that breach basic human rights conditions, subjected to repeated and prolonged interrogations aimed at securing a confession through coercion, and subjected to ill-treatment of such severity that may constitute torture at the hands of the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) and the Enforcement Department (ED), it noted. As part of its Urgent Communication filed with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the legal team claims that the detention and any subsequent trial will not adhere to relevant fair trial standards. The communication reads: It is quite clear that the level of political interference with the case was such that it is devoid of an independent judicial process and can only be characterised an unlawful transfer from one state to another that is reminiscent of rendition. It is of particular note that the petitioner was handcuffed, blindfolded and transported by private jet, clearly being taken in a hurried and unlawful manner without the ability to challenge any decision. The ED, in its chargesheet filed in 2016, alleged that Michel had received 30 million euros (USD 33 million) from AgustaWestland. The CBI, in its chargesheet, has alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros to the exchequer in India due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros. Guernica 37, as part of its UN petition filed on Tuesday, claimed that the Italian High Court has previously rejected Michels involvement in the scandal, ruling that there was no evidence to implicate him in the case. The process by which Mr Michel was extradited to India did not follow due process and further, is a clear attempt to override international protocols relating to the process. The process that led to his removal from the UAE can only be described as a flagrant denial of justice that circumvented due process and seriously undermines any purported commitment to the rule of law, it said. The legal team is urging the UN Special Procedures Branch to examine the circumstances of Michels rendition, detention and ongoing ill-treatment with a view to his release and exoneration. The UN body will seek responses from the Indian and the UAE authorities and can make a non-legally-binding ruling on the detention. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Colombo: Sri Lanka's Catholic churches on Thursday suspended all public services until the security situation improves as the head of the church urged politicians to leave aside differences to rebuild the country struck by the Easter Sunday bombings that killed nearly 360 people. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the head of the local Catholic church, said that Easter Sunday's attacks were coordinated by an organised group with powerful nations behind them and also noted that these attackers had no religion. All Catholic churches were asked to stop public mass until the security situation improves, Cardinal Ranjith's office quoted him as saying. "There will be no public mass said until further notice," an official said. He urged the government to leave aside all political differences and work together at this time to rebuild the country again. Sri Lankan media and some ministers have criticised the rift between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after it emerged that authorities had prior intelligence from India and the US about the possible attacks by the National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) jihadist group. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of a local Islamist extremist group NTJ, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches, two of them Catholic, and three luxury hotels packed with Easter worshippers on Sunday. Security has been beefed up in Sri Lanka as the army increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. Also, drone flights were banned and licences issued to commercial operators were suspended with immediate effect. The Sri Lankan authorities Thursday intensified their raids with the help of the army and arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the country's worst terror attack that killed nearly 360 people and left over 500 injured. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Colombo: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has asked Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and countrys police chief Pujith Jayasundara to resign after their failure to prevent the deadly suicide blasts despite having the prior intelligence inputs about the attacks, a media report said Wednesday. In his address to the nation for the first time since the Easter Sunday blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others, Sirisena last night said he will make make changes in top positions in the security establishment within the next 24 hours. President Sirisena has requested Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jayasundara and Defence Secretary Fernando to resign from their posts, the Sunday Times reported, quoting sources close to the president. Sirisena last night said that the people were questioning why action had not been taken by the top security officials despite the availability of intelligence support from a friendly neighbouring country. Former Army Commander Daya Ratnayake is being considered for the post of Defence Secretary, the paper added. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the devastating Easter blasts in Sri Lanka and identified the seven suicide bombers who were involved in the attacks. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has stressed that the long-standing brotherly Bahraini-Kuwaiti relations embody the highest levels of fraternity and love, noting that Bahrain is keen to constantly enhance its relations with sisterly Kuwait in various fields. HRH the Prime Minister welcomed the Kingdom hosting the 10th session of the Joint High Bahraini-Kuwaiti Co-operation Committee, and highlighted the importance of the meetings between officials from the two brotherly countries in strengthening bilateral co-operation and opening up wider horizons for the solid joint ties at all levels. HRH Premier made the statements as he received, at his Palace in Riffa yesterday, the Kuwaiti Deputy Premier and Foreign Affairs Minister, Shaikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah, with whom he reviewed ways to bolster bilateral co-operation, and discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest. As the Global Economic Congress draws to a close, the $100million Bahrain-based Al Waha Fund of Funds, launched in 2018 with the aim of driving greater venture capital investment across the MENA region, has revealed that two Bahraini start-ups are benefiting from investments it has made into local venture capital funds. Al Waha has invested in five funds from across the region and beyond that include BECO Capital, Middle East Venture Partners, 500 Startups, and European fund manager Finch Capital. Through the guidance and support of Al Waha, the funds have chosen to set-up a presence in Bahrain to help support the local eco-system and help build venture capital capability. Al Waha Funds underlying portfolio managers and VC network have a good pipeline of deals emerging from Bahrain with one investment already made by 500 Startups in Inagrab, a platform that helps retail businesses scale their business with the help of AI and big data analytics. Another VC, Faith Capital, part of Al Wahas wider network of VCs, is also investing in Inagrab through Middle East venture partners, in Eat APP, an online reservation service co-founded by Bahraini entrepreneur Nezar Kadhem. Inagrab has received seed funding from the Bahrain Development Bank before receiving fresh funds from the VC. Speaking to Tribune, Areije Alshakar, Al Waha Fund Manager, said, This is more evidence that our approach of building a fund of funds to attract VCs to register here and support the Bahrain ecosystem and the wider regional technology community is working. Saudi Arabia has no immediate plans to raise oil output after the United States ends sanctions waivers for buyers of Iranian crude, energy minister Khalid al-Falih said yesterday. (Global) inventories are continuing to rise despite whats happening in Venezuela and tightening sanctions on Iran, Falih told a finance conference in Riyadh. So I dont see the need to do anything immediately. His comment came amid speculation that the kingdom, the worlds top crude exporter, could boost output to plug the gap left by the removal of Iranian crude. The White House said on Monday it would end the practice of granting exemptions from unilateral US sanctions on Tehran, as it seeks to bring Irans oil exports to zero. Eight countries including China, India, and Turkey had been given temporary waivers by the US when it reimposed sanctions on Iran last year. The end of the exemptions sparked fears of supply shortages, pushing prices to near six-month highs. President Donald Trump tweeted however that his close ally Saudi Arabia would more than makeup for any resulting supply shortage. Falih said that while the kingdom had no immediate plans to boost output, Riyadh was committed to balancing the oil market. We will not leave our customers scrambling for oil, he said. From magicians to dancers, some of the worlds top performers are in Connecticut this weekend. Multiple musicals are onstage as well, from The Whos Tommy to The Full Monty. Plus, a new four-day event is launching; its called The Connecticut Comedy Festival. When it comes to magicians, were talking about sleight-of-hand artist Shin Lim, this years winner of the global competition, Americas Got Talent: The Champions. Lim performs his elaborate close-up card routines and more at Foxwoods Grand Theatre on Friday. Fans who enjoyed his mesmerizing AGT acts, which were accompanied only by music, are in for a real treat at this show because Lim told us he plans to really open up to the audience. Cathy Zuraw / ST Mark Pignatello, 54, of Kent, pleaded guilty Wednesday to bank fraud, social security number fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. Pignatello visited branches of Peoples United Bank in Maine and New Hampshire from Oct. 22 to 24 where he passed or attempted to pass counterfeit checks made out to others. He used their social security numbers and fake drivers licenses with their information and his picture, according to a press release from the Maine U.S. Attorneys office. NEW FAIRFIELD A Ridgefield man was arrested after causing a commotion at a local residence Monday evening. Michael K. Detlor, 27, was arrested a little before 5 p.m., after police responded to a call about a man causing a disturbance and damaging property at a Lloyd Avenue home. Detlor was charged with third-degree criminal mischief, interfering with an officer and second-degree breach of peace. He was processed and released on $2,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear at Danbury Superior Court on May 1. NEWTOWN Parents of two children slain in the Sandy Hook shootings asked appellate judges on Wednesday to overrule a lower court decision that threw out their wrongful death lawsuit against Newtown and the school district last year. The parents attorneys argued in state Appellate Court that educators failed to follow their own safety protocols when a 20-year-old gunman shot his way into a locked Sandy Hook school, and committed the worst crime in modern Connecticut history. Lawyers representing Newtown and the school district counter-argued that educators had every right to use their discretion during the 2012 mass shooting, and the intervening criminal actions by the shooter destroys any casual link between the defendants teachers and staffs actions and any alleged negligence. Wednesdays hearing in Hartford comes 11 months after state Superior Court Judge Robin Wilson dismissed the parents lawsuit, ruling in part, To say that the faculty and staff of the school were to act in a prescribed manner in responding to an emergency situation would ... be illogical and in direct contradiction to the very purpose of governmental immunity: allowing for the exercise of judgment without the fear of second-guessing. It's now up to the Appellate Court to rule on the appeal by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of slain first-grader Jesse Lewis, and Leonard Pozner, the father of Noah Pozner. After a hearing like this, you just want to go home and hug your kids and tell them how much you love them, said the parents lead attorney, Don Papcsy, after the 40-minute hearing in Hartford. You never want to be in the position that these parents were put in. The parents appeal is separate from a state Supreme Court appeal by 10 families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook shootings, who are suing the maker of the rifle used by the shooter. The Supreme Court in mid-March sided with those 10 families and returned their lawsuit against Remington to trial court. That case, which has attracted national attention, is expected to stay in the headlines as the gunmaker appeals to U.S. Supreme Court. At the same time, the three parents are among the Sandy Hook families suing extremist Alex Jones for defamation in Texas and in Connecticut. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 MOSCOW - Vladimir Putin arrived in the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok on Thursday for his first-ever talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in what promises to be more ceremony than result but nevertheless a stark signal to the United States that the Kremlin can wield influence over North Korea's nuclear program. The two leaders are due to sit down at 1 p.m. for a summit that Moscow has said will produce neither statements nor agreements, coming two months after Kim's second face-to-face summit with President Donald Trump broke down in Hanoi. For the Kremlin, eager to play a role in high-stakes nuclear talks, the flashy summit will show Russia's increasing political dominance around the globe. For Kim, meeting a world leader like Putin is an opportunity to save face after the failed U.S. talks. After their meeting, Putin and Kim have no more planned joint activities together. Kim, who arrived in style by armored train on Wednesday morning, will later tour the port city on the Pacific Coast, visiting its aquarium and being treated to a culinary feast of traditional Russian fare from caviar to beetroot soup. Looking very much the statesman in a black trilby hat and peacoat, Kim expressed joy at finally being on Russian soil, a land visited by his father and grandfather, both former leaders of North Korea, but not Kim himself until this trip. At the Far Eastern Federal University hosting the talks, the main halls have been decorated with Russian and North Korean flags and rehearsals were underway for a concert on a stage. North Korea already has links with the university, where there is an exchange program in place for several dozen students in partnership with major colleges in Pyongyang. Washington will be closely watching from the sidelines for any potential cracks in economic sanctions and other pressures on Kim's regime. Wary of a possible Russian turnaround, the State Department sent its envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, to Moscow last week to push for the country's full denuclearization. In the days leading up to Thursday's meeting, some Russian lawmakers suggested sanctions on North Korea should be lifted. Like Beijing, Moscow has been cautious with North Korea, with which it shares a border, and does not want to see regime change that could usher in U.S. influence. But it is also eager to foment ties with North Korea, a former client of the Soviet Union. In Kim's last sit-down with Trump in Hanoi, the American president asked him to give up North Korea's entire nuclear arsenal in exchange for sanctions relief. Kim refused, and later said he no longer wanted to work with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This appeared in Thursday's Washington Post. - - - Despite promising to pursue a peace settlement, Saudi Arabia has continued its destructive bombing campaign in Yemen. Since March 26, airstrikes by the coalition it leads blasted a hospital in the district of Kitaf and a school in Sanaa, the capital. At least 21 civilians were reported killed in those strikes, at least 12 of them children. That adds to a toll of thousands of civilians killed in the past four years by Saudi-led airstrikes; a United Nations investigation found last year that the repeated indiscriminate attacks may amount to war crimes. President Donald Trump ignored this record last week when he vetoed a congressional resolution that would have ended U.S. involvement in the Yemen war under the War Powers Act. The president claimed that the resolution would weaken his constitutional authority as commander in chief and was "unnecessary," since "there are no United States military personnel in Yemen commanding, participating in or accompanying military forces of the Saudi-led coalition." He contended that the logistical and intelligence support the administration is supplying Saudi Arabia does not amount to engaging in hostilities. In reality, the Saudi bombing campaign would be unsustainable without that U.S. support, or the continuing sale of bombs and other materiel. That makes the Trump administration complicit in the continuing atrocities, such as the latest school and hospital bombings. It also means that Congress must look for other ways to force a change in U.S. policy toward the regime led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose record of extraordinary recklessness in foreign policy has been matched by unprecedented domestic repression. The ideal approach would be to address both, because they are intertwined. That is the strategy of a bipartisan Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, along with Republicans Todd C. Young of Indiana, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine. In addition to suspending arms transfers to the kingdom until it ends bombing and other offensive activity in Yemen, it seeks to force accountability for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by mandating sanctions on any person who was complicit in his death. The bill would appear to have a good chance of passing, but the Republican leadership, including committee Chairman James Risch of Idaho, has not yet allowed a vote. We're told Risch is working on his own bill with the aim of attracting wide support, including from Trump. That could mean legislation that restricts visas or applies other pressure to Saudis until political prisoners - such as the women jailed for advocating greater rights - are released. It could also impose sanctions on those who block humanitarian aid in Yemen. However, a bill acceptable to Trump probably would have to exclude any punishment of Mohammed bin Salman for the Khashoggi murder or a ban on arms deliveries. Risch, who is new to his post, is right to make the effort. But handing a free pass to the crown prince after U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded he was responsible for the Khashoggi murder would be an invitation to further atrocities. Republicans such as Graham who have insisted on accountability for the crown prince should not back down. He hasnt racked up many endorsements yet, but Joe Biden still has a strong foothold in Connecticut. Biden officially entered the 2020 presidential race Thursday, and while many of the states top elected Democrats have been cautious to embrace him walking the political tightrope between praising the former vice president and lamenting some aspects of his public record other Democrats maintain this election wont be about who is their personal favorite candidate. Theyre thinking beyond the primary: theyre concerned with which candidate best aligns with their values, and stands the best chance to defeat President Donald Trump in the general election. Theres never been a time when Democrats have been more united around, We need to save the country, said John Olsen, a Democratic National Committee member and former state party chairman, who has all but endorsed Biden. I dont think its as much about somebody new, but who do we think can win. And people that support other people, I would tell them that. We cant let the perfect be the enemy of the good. For some, that might mean a compromise, even with little more than 18 months until the general election. Im a Democratic Socialist and have been for many years, so I liked (U.S. Sen.) Bernie (Sanders) message and I still like Bernies message, said Marty Dunleavy, a former Democratic National Committee member who is volunteering for Bidens campaign in Connecticut. But Im also a pragmatic Irish American, so Im for the most liberal guy or gal who can win a general election and I doubt Bernies electability. Its a crowded field Bidens entry makes 20 Democratic candidates vying for the nomination to challenge Trump. While Bidens lengthy record isnt perfect he has long been accused of mishandling the 1991 confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who was accused of sexual harassment, and has been criticized for playing a key role in the passage of a 1994 crime bill that led to mass incarcerations of minorities Dunleavy and others arent concerned that will hinder his electability. Biden earlier this month made headlines for inappropriately touching women in the past, though his accusers made clear those incidents werent sexual in nature, so much as demeaning behavior from a powerful man. But if early polling is any indication and it is early the accusations havent hurt Bidens standing as a front-runner. Even before he officially entered the campaign Thursday, he was leading across most of 69 primary polls, according to an aggregation of all national polls by the website FiveThirtyEight. I know him, Olsen said. Hes been here. Hes been around. I think hes a strong candidate ... I think he speaks the language that can win not only the Connecticuts and New Yorks ... but to the disillusioned workers in the Midwest that elected Trump but arent satisfied. I think he bridges that pretty well. Hes been around a long time and theres always things people can point to they may take issue with. But Olsen and Dunleavy are in the minority of those ready to make a public endorsement. Nancy DiNardo, a Democratic National Committee member, said she likes Biden, but shes not yet weighing in on who she favors. If nothing else, she thinks Biden entering the race will prompt more people to pay attention early in the race. Still, she echoed other Democrats in saying the party needs to think beyond the primary to the general election, and they need to do it sooner rather than later. My personal opinion is that we should be looking for a candidate that can win, she said. Obviously the bottom line is thats whats most important, and we all need to come together for whoever that candidate is. Otherwise it will be four more years of Donald Trump and that would be a disaster ... we need to pay attention to the candidates who emerge as the front-runners and also ask, Who do we think will have the best shot of winning? DiNardo said she is surprised candidates like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, who represent neighboring states Massachusetts and New Jersey, havent picked up more support in Connecticut. She has heard rumblings of support for Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who is quickly gaining popularity. As for whether a woman could win, DiNardo certainly hopes so. But hopes are only half of it. Id like to think that (a woman could win a general election), but Im honestly not sure, DiNardo said. I definitely hope if its not a female candidate, that they do pick a female (running mate). Its really hard to say because it is so early, but if what happened in Congress is any indication, yes I wouldnt rule women out. Particularly women are becoming more aware and more active and I think thats wonderful. Brian Anderson, a member of the Democratic State Central Committee and a union lobbyist, called Biden a powerful candidate but stopped short of saying whether he supports him. I think Democrats and all Americans need to focus on who can win this election, Anderson said, adding, Democrats need to think more about the Electoral College than the Hillary Clinton campaign did. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt "Since becoming an Ocean Wise partner in 2017, White Spot has tackled the issue head on and has become a champion of sustainable seafood," said Sophika Kostyniuk , manager of the Ocean Wise Seafood program. "As one of Canada's largest restaurant chains, it has enormous impact raising awareness about protecting our oceans for future generations. We are very impressed with their commitment to creating positive change." While many of White Spot's core menu selections were already ocean-friendly, the chain officially joined the Ocean Wise Seafood program in 2017 and introduced its Ocean Wise menu to locations across BC and Alberta. Today, the chain counts more than a dozen Ocean Wise dishes on its core menu at its restaurants and Triple O's locations including its signature clam chowder, chargrilled salmon and seafood trio, West Coast salmon burger and the Spot's Fish & Chips. "It's an honour to accept this award on behalf of White Spot and we sincerely thank Ocean Wise for this recognition," said White Spot Director of Supply Management Jennifer Martin, accepting the award in front of the standing-room-only crowd of the local hospitality industry's best and brightest. "This initiative evolved from our ongoing commitment to the environment and sustainability and thanks to the vision of our leadership, culinary team and support of our vendors, we have been able to make this possible." As part of the 'four pillars' of its overall food philosophy, White Spot regularly works with supply chain partners, stakeholders and advisers in order to ensure it is adhering to its own mandates regarding issues surrounding animal welfare, the environment and sustainability, food safety, and health and nutrition. "White Spot buys more fresh, locally grown and responsibly procured ingredients than any other company in BC," says White Spot Executive Chef Danny Markowicz. "Every one of our dishes starts with us incorporating ingredients that are handled with care to ensure we are doing what we can to preserve our environment for future generations." White Spot recently reaffirmed its commitment to those core principles by introducing the 100%-plant-based Beyond Burger patty to its menu of signature burgers and entrees at all full-service White Spot restaurants in BC and Alberta, with its quick-service brand Triple O's to follow suit on Monday, May 6. Other environmentally friendly measures undertaken by the chain include eliminating plastic straws and using paper packaging that is 100% recyclable, compostable and biodegradable. For the latest news about White Spot, register to receive Spot Club emails at whitespot.ca, become a fan of /whitespot on Facebook or follow @White_Spot on Twitter, @whitespot_restaurants on Instagram and /whitespotrestaurants on YouTube. ABOUT WHITE SPOT RESTAURANTS | Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, White Spot is Canada's longest-running restaurant chain, celebrating their 90th year. Founded in 1928, when Nat Bailey launched Canada's first drive-in restaurant at Granville and 67th, the 90-year-young chain now sees more than 17 million guests annually at 133 White Spot and Triple O's locations throughout B.C., Alberta and Asia. Bailey's original vision was to build a restaurant that served the highest quality, unique tasting food and White Spot remains committed to continuing this tradition in each and every meal. White Spot Limited is proud to be recognized with the platinum status designation as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies, one of Canada's top 150 iconic brands as awarded by Interbrand Canada, and a member of Forbes list of Top Employers of Canada. | whitespot.ca Twitter: @White_Spot | Facebook: /whitespot | Instagram: @whitespot_restaurants ABOUT THE OCEAN WISE SEAFOOD PROGRAM | Overfishing is a major threat to our oceans. With thousands of Ocean Wise seafood partner locations across Canada, Ocean Wise makes it easy for consumers to choose sustainable seafood for the long-term health of our oceans. The Ocean Wise symbol next to a seafood item is the Ocean Wise assurance of an ocean-friendly seafood choice. | www.ocean.org/seafood Twitter: @OceanWiseLife | Facebook: /oceanwiselife | Instagram: @oceanwiselife SOCIAL MEDIA: Join the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtags #OceanWiseSeafood, #OceanWise #OceanWiseMenu #OceanWiseLife #WhiteSpot PHOTOS For a selection of high-resolution photos from White Spot Restaurants, click on the images above or below or download via Dropbox. SOURCE White Spot Restaurants For further information: MEDIA CONTACTS: SMC Communications Inc. for White Spot Restaurants: Shelley McArthur Everett | 604-219-9042 | [email protected]; Ashley Szczepaniak | 604-368-4405 | [email protected] CALGARY, April 25, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is taking steps to protect the environment and grow the economy while creating good, middle-class jobs and more opportunities for Canadians. The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources, today announced $6.7 million in federal funding to support Eavor Technologies Inc.'s novel approach for the next generation of geothermal engineering. Eavor Technologies Inc., a Calgary-based company dedicated to creating a cleaner energy future, is developing an innovative prototype for a closed-loop geothermal system that will create renewable energy using the earth's natural heat. The federal funding, provided by Natural Resources Canada's Clean Growth Program and Sustainable Development Technology Canada, will go toward construction of a demonstration facility for this technology the Eavor-Lite facility, a collaborative effort with Precision Drilling, Shell New Energies and a number of other key partners near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. The successful implementation of Eavor-Lite will unlock identified commercial opportunities, and the facility will support ongoing research and development for this unique technology. Through Canada's national energy dialogue, Generation Energy, Canadians made it clear that reliable, affordable clean energy solutions are not a luxury but a necessity for Canada's low-carbon future. We will continue to support clean energy initiatives that create jobs, support investment and industry competitiveness, advance our clean future and help realize our global climate change goals. Quotes "This innovative project demonstrates that we can build upon, and transfer, expertise from the oil and gas sector to supply cleaner forms of energy, leading to potential new export markets for Canada. The Government of Canada will continue to make smart investments in research and innovation to develop new clean energy technologies, meet our climate goals and create economic growth that benefits everyone." Amarjeet Sohi Canada's Minister of Natural Resources "Innovative projects like the one developed by Eavor Technologies Inc. demonstrate how a strong economy and a clean environment go hand in hand. Today's investment will not only help develop the next generation of geothermal engineering but will also help create and maintain jobs in the energy industry." Navdeep Bains Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development "We look forward to the construction and completion of the demonstration facility right here in Alberta this summer. The demonstration of our technology and solution will provide the validation needed to unlock Eavor's already-identified commercial opportunities at home and around the world." John Redfern President and CEO, Eavor Technologies Inc. "Eavor is developing a competitive geothermal solution that will be able to produce green electricity and heat on demand to thousands of homes. SDTC's investments in companies, like Eavor, help to develop new environmental technologies in Canada that will be adopted around the world." Leah Lawrence President and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) "Alberta Innovates develops and invests in research, technology and innovation to help technology developers and industry clients accelerate technology development and deployment, grow their businesses and enhance the competitiveness of the resource sector. We collaborate with industry partners to find innovative solutions to solve challenges and meet emerging opportunities. Partnering with Eavor Technologies to demonstrate their new approach to geothermal energy development creates a potential source of clean power and the opportunity to put Alberta's significant drilling expertise to use in advanced clean energy projects." John Zhou Vice President, Clean Energy, Alberta Innovates "While Precision's primary customer base is made up of oil and gas companies, we are also strong supporters of all energy sources necessary to meet growing global energy demand. The Eavor demonstration project brings to us an exciting opportunity to work with leading edge companies like Eavor and Shell in the development of new, scalable forms of advanced geothermal energy." Kevin Neveu President and CEO, Precision Drilling Corporation "In searching for the next breakthrough in geothermal energy, we at Shell came up with our top-ten list of what was holding geothermal energy back. We recognized that Eavor-Loop and its unique conduction-only closed-loop design had the potential to address many of these concerns. That is why we're supporting Eavor and their Eavor-Lite demonstration project." Malcolm Ross Geothermal Focus Leader, Shell New Energies Quick facts Eavor's disruptive new solution, Eavor-Loop, will be the world's first truly scalable form of green baseload power. Eavor achieves this by mitigating or eliminating many of the issues that have hindered the expansion of traditional geothermal solutions. Project partners include: Precision Drilling (www.precisiondrilling.com); Shell New Energies (www.shell.com); Shear Fluids (www.shearfluids.com); the University of Alberta ; Codeco-Vanoco Engineering (www.vanococonsulting.com); the University of Toronto ; Rangeland Engineering Canada (www.rangelandeng.com); Certus Oil and Gas (www.certusoil.com); Enlighten Geoscience Ltd. (www.enlightengeoscience.com); Petrel Robertson Consulting (www.petrelrob.com); and GLJ (www.gljpc.com). ; Codeco-Vanoco Engineering (www.vanococonsulting.com); the ; Rangeland Engineering Canada (www.rangelandeng.com); Certus Oil and Gas (www.certusoil.com); Enlighten Geoscience Ltd. (www.enlightengeoscience.com); Petrel Robertson Consulting (www.petrelrob.com); and GLJ (www.gljpc.com). Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is an arm's-length foundation created by the Government of Canada to promote sustainable development and support projects that develop and demonstrate new technologies to address issues related to climate change, air quality and clean water and soil. SDTC invests in Canadian companies that, through their innovative technologies, contribute positively to Canada by creating quality jobs, driving economic growth and protecting the environment. to promote sustainable development and support projects that develop and demonstrate new technologies to address issues related to climate change, air quality and clean water and soil. SDTC invests in Canadian companies that, through their innovative technologies, contribute positively to by creating quality jobs, driving economic growth and protecting the environment. Natural Resources Canada's Clean Growth Program (CGP) is a $155-million investment fund that helps advance emerging clean technologies toward commercial readiness so that natural resource operations can further reduce their impacts on air, land and water, while enhancing competitiveness and creating jobs. investment fund that helps advance emerging clean technologies toward commercial readiness so that natural resource operations can further reduce their impacts on air, land and water, while enhancing competitiveness and creating jobs. Canada is a world leader in the production and use of energy from renewable resources, with 66 percent of its electricity production generated from renewable sources. Related Information Eavor-Loop Demonstration Project www.eavor.com https://vimeo.com/301259525 Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan) SOURCE Natural Resources Canada For further information: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6100, [email protected]; Vanessa Adams, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 343-543-7645, [email protected]; Eavor Technologies Inc., John Redfern, President and CEO, 650-269-2501, [email protected] Related Links www.nrcan.gc.ca The Stop & Shop strike has special meaning for Wanda Howard. Shes a senior customer service rep at the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority in New Haven whos spent more than a year fighting for a contract for her and her fellow workers. Her father is a retired Stop & Shop truck driver with the Teamsters union in North Haven, and now shes president of United Steelworkers Local 12160, which represents 126 water authority employees. In her Westville neighborhood in New Haven, she buys groceries at the Amity Stop & Shop and knows many of the workers including Skip Robinson, the charismatic fish guy I wrote about last week on the picket line. Naturally, Howard walked the picket line with her brethren and sisteren, and she greeted Richard Trumka, the national AFL-CIO president who came to the New Haven store April 17. She bleeds union blue. But what does the successful, 11-day Stop & Shop strike, which ended Sunday night, mean for Howard and her bargaining unit? A lot, as it turns out. Theyre heading into arbitration soon after failing to reach a deal to replace a contract that expired in April, 2018. If the Stop & Shop strike hadnt happened, maybe we would have felt like we needed to give in to the authoritys demands, Howard told me Wednesday. They encouraged us to feel like we would win. Because of the strike, in which the 31,000 United Food and Commercial Workers union members kept most of the health, retirement and premium pay benefits they wanted (after they vote Thursday), Howard added, We will be empowered to stand up for more or hold out for more...It strengthens us at the table. Thats strong stuff coming from the leader of a union that has already had a couple of informational pickets theyre classified as public employees, and therefore cant strike with another rally scheduled for Thursday in New Haven. Very strong stuff. Is it really true? Can the Stop & Shop walkout inspire and propel workers to exert muscle and win? These are propitious times in the labor movement for renewed activity, said Jonathan Cutler, a sociology professor and expert on organized labor at Wesleyan University in Middletown. Its ready to go. You just have to have the spark of essentially a level of confidence. But Cutler added, Youve got to have a labor movement that either is willing to take a bold step in favor of its membership or organize new members. Its enough already Unemployment in the state and the nation is under 4 percent, giving workers more leverage as employers strain to find good people. Wages, while generally up over the last three years, have not risen as much as overall national income, and raises have totaled less for moderately paid people than we might expect in an extended economic boom. If youre not going to act now, then when on Earth were you planning to exercise leverage as a labor movement? Cutler asks. Indeed, data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows 20 mass strikes or work stoppages in 2018 walkouts involving 1,000 or more people by 485,000 workers, the most since 1986. The number of days idle in the major strikes, 2.8 million, was the most since 2004. Walkout activity remains far below the strike heydays of the 50s, then the early 70s, but the strike spike of 2018 which apparently continues into 2019 could mark the first sustained increase since union membership began its long, steady decline in the early 80s. Former President Ronald Reagan set the tone by breaking the air traffic controllers union in 1981. Unionists say yes, this is the start of something big, not just from Stop & Shop but also the teachers that gained widespread public support in Los Angeles, Oklahoma and West Virginia, among other actions. It is extremely important not to just say we will see more strikes because we will see more strikes, said David Pickus, who retired this year as president of SEIU Healthcare 1199NE, the states largest health care workers union. Workers have been thwarted for God knows how many yearsand the rich keep getting richer and richer. About 2,500 SEIU 1199 nursing home workers could strike in the coming days if the state doesnt come up with more money for Medicaid reimbursement, in another local sign of muscle. Its enough already, Pickus said. Ah, anger. Its a real factor when its grassroots-genuine, and President Donald Trump is seeing to that. Hes been called the greatest union organizer ever. Last weeks tax deadline brought a national realization for millions that, wait a minute, there was no real tax cut for me in the 2017 tax reform. And the U.S. Supreme Courts Janus decision last June, cheered by Trump, allowing unionized public employees to stop paying dues if they so choose, may have backfired. State and municipal employees have not only stayed on the dues-paying rolls, theyve shown renewed vigor for fighting in places such as Connecticut. Bucking the national trend, Connecticut union membership, public and private sector combined, rose by more than 25 percent to 268,000 between 2013 and 2018. And a Gallup poll last summer showed a 15-year high in approval of unions, at 62 percent, holding steady for as second year. Many barriers, no guarantees Despite all this, there is nothing remotely close to an assurance that Howard and other organized workers will realize gains. The Stop & Shop walkout worked in large part, Cutler said, because customers were able to feel good about supporting workers they saw regularly, without much inconvenience as other supermarkets filled the void. Its ironic, Cutler pointed out, that one private report by Skyhook showed the grocery chain that benefited the most Hannaford Supermarkets, in Massachusetts and Northern New England is a mostly nonunion company owned by the same Dutch parent as Stop & Shop, Ahold Delhaize. Will workers such as Howard at the water authority not a beloved group the way meat and deli clerks are feel the same love, and hold the same power? Maybe yes, maybe no. Details matter. Worker gains will fall short, Cutler suggested, if unions dont succeed in organizing more workers. Yes, the Stop & Shop strike met its goals. But one of the best payers in the industry was made to suffer because it tried to bring its costs in line with non-organized competitors such as Whole Foods and Aldi. You can only go on so long with one player organized and leave the rest of the field unorganized, Cutler said. This was a field day for all the nonunion stores. Unions also face what Id call an equilibrium problem, as pro-union, higher wage states in the Northeast and west coast see slower growth and fiscal crises with regional economies less able to support pay gains in the long run nowhere more than in Connecticut. If workers do succeed, employers will counter with technology upgrades to replace them, as has happened throughout history. Stop & Shops use of a robot to clean floors and auto-checkout machines was a factor in the strike. And Howard said the water authority recently installed automated meter readers, which will lead to job losses. And of course, if the economy turns downward, as many predict as soon as next year, The moment will have passed, Cutler said. Howard credits unions with her own middle-class upbringing in East Haven and her ability to raise her daughter, now a 38-year-old nurse, as a single parent. I took pride in knowing that I didnt have to subsidize anything with Section 8 or welfare, she said. She takes the long-term, global view of the Stop & Shop strike as an inspiration. Their struggle was our struggle, their win was our win, their support they received is the same support that we receive, she said. Id just like to see other people have that opportunity when Im gone. dhaar@hearstmediact.com The Shubert Theatre already was well established as the birthplace of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammersteins greatest theatrical hits when The King and I premiered in 1951. And the unlikely story about a British schoolteacher and the King of Siam in 1860s Bangkok certainly didnt foil that streak. The story did have roots in a real life. The hit musical was based on a novel derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam. NEW HAVEN James OConnell got right to the point. To help elections run more smoothly, longevity as a poll worker is not the best credential to continue to hire them for those positions. OConnell, a longtime election moderator himself, told the members of a task force appointed to put in place changes to have a smoother election process in the city, pointed to the physical condition of some of the workers that we do employ on those days. He said he didnt mean to disparage anyone, but some people honestly cant endure what can be a 16-hour day. OConnell said they have to take frequent breaks, which disrupts things, while poor eyesight is a problem. They have a plain hard time seeing the printing on the list, he said. OConnell said some of the locations themselves are poorly lighted, such as the corridor where people vote at James Hillhouse High School. He said at one election, it was frigid inside the school, a situation that was not corrected until 2 p.m. after the workers had been there since 5 a.m. The members of the task force, in addition to Campbell, are Jeff Weiss, Naomi Campbell, Michelle Lee Rodriguez, Hannah Schmitt, Alder Sal DeCola, D-18; Kevin Arnold, Ana Winn, Jayuan Carter and Victor Fasano. During the meeting, Rodriguez had sharp questions for Republican Registrar of Voters Dolores Knight as to what she does on Election Day. Rodriguez said she had a question and a concern. For the most part during the day, the registrar of voters Republican side is often not present ... What are their job duties during the day? ... How are they assisting with the process? she asked. Rodriguez asked Knight, with the amount of work that has to be done on Election Day, why is it often that you are not available on site. Im busy in the office, helping to man phones. ... We have been doing it this way for years. ... never had a problem until now, Knight said. Since it should be a collaborative process, Rodriguez asked how she was being collaborative with Democratic Registrar of Voters Shannel Evans across the entire day. Knight said she directs people where to go for same day registration in addition to manning the phones. Someone has to be in the office at all times, she said. Is there a problem with them. Knight said there is no extra staff and no room for them either. She said maybe one or two additional people could be useful, but they would have to be trained. She said it is more than having an extra body. Knight said if they come to a consensus on how the registrars office could be more efficient, Im all for this. Campbell wants to see more people available in the Hall of the Records where the ballots are counted so the moderators from the wards dont have to wait an inordinate amount of time to report in. She said a lot more could be done the day before. Campbell said the process has to be more efficient with voters moving quickly through the process. Time is important to everybody. she said as something that should be addressed. Rodriguez thought there should be more privacy booths. DeCola agreed, but also said the ward moderators should be tapped for their comments. OConnell said the problem area is the check-in process. He also mentioned practical things such as checking if the electrical outlets work. He said the tables they rented were old wooden ones that were not easy to write on. The last thing was the need for more phones. They can now reach the other wards, but not as well to the registrars office. DeCola said the main issue is having more workers to accommodate the 32,000 people who voted at least in the last election. He said great strides have been made in recent years in resolving some issues, but it is crucial this year that the needs of the registrars office are covered in the 2019-20 budget. Some of the comments of the task force members, most of whom have had direct experience working the polls, were general, but most were specific. Campbell and Arnold, who has been the chief moderator during several elections, are co-chairs of the group. Jackie James, who has been hired as a consultant to the task force, said she and the staff in the registrars office has already reached out to tour all the poll locations, most of which are in schools. James said they will create schematics of every polling place and look at the setup for every location, probably all of which were designed decades ago. It may not be the most efficient setup, she said. James said the alders, elected officials and ward chairs are invited to come, as well as members of the public. She will have a schedule for the tours through the 33-34 polling places in May. James said she also plans to address questions on signage and parking. Fasano suggested meeting with the custodians union to discuss cooperation in preparing the polls in advance. DeCola said he has gotten permission from Nathan Hale School to set up the room the night before with a helper. Other wards did not know this was possible. NEW HAVEN Facing a crowd of about 100 people, Rodney Williams said an issue thats been on his mind lately is that police are against black people. Williams, the uncle of Paul Witherspoon III, 21, who was shot at by Yale University police officer Terrance Pollock and Hamden officer Devin Eaton on April 16, said he saw solidarity from people of all races, but hed been feeling the effects of disrespect of black people from police. My nephews traumatized; he didnt get shot, but hes never going to be the same, he said. Witherspoons girlfriend, Stephanie Washington, 22, was hospitalized after being struck by at least one bullet. Eaton and Pollock stopped Witherspoons vehicle, in which Washington was a passenger, on Argyle Street after Witherspoon was suspected of committing an armed robbery in Hamden. Witherspoon has not been charged and investigators have not determined that a robbery took place. The officers fired several times at the vehicle, wounding Washington, who was released from the hospital Wednesday. No weapon was found in the vehicle, according to state police. Yale unions Local 33 and Local 34 held a rally Thursday evening, mentioning the many ways they believe Yale has failed New Havens community, including the April 16 shooting. The unions applied for a permit weeks prior, organizers said, in anticipation of the release of a report entitled A Failure To Commit, but they felt it would be appropriate to collaborate with community advocacy group New Haven Rising to address Yales role in the shooting. Charles Decker, Ward 9 alder and vice president of Local 33, said the university makes splashy gestures toward racial equity, but refuses to make difficult, structural changes. He said that, according to Yale statistics and previous reports on Yale hiring, the universitys faculty has only been about 4 percent black for at least 30 years. Things arent getting better, he said. We know what the solutions are. New Haven Rising executive director the Rev. Scott Marks said Yale must learn to hire New Haven residents instead of shooting at them. About 150 people gathered on Grove Street in the early afternoon for a parade of speakers accusing Yale of being a hindrance to racial and economic justice in New Haven. Andy Archer of the Yale Endowment Justice Coalition said that Yales endowment investment in Puerto Rican debt reflects a larger disregard for black and brown people. This violence did not begin on the morning Stephanie Washington was first shot, he said. He said the universitys local property ownership denies the city revenue in property taxes and creates lines of demarcation between Yale and the surrounding community. We must hold Yale accountable to its students, to its workers and to its community, he said. Hannah Lee of Students Unite Now bemoaned how Yales Student Income Contribution policy creates a class stratification among Yale students. She said she does not want her tuition dollars funding Yales police force. Grace Ambrossi of the Coalition for Ethnic Studies at Yale said the university withheld support from the Ethnicity, Race & Migration program out of self-preservation. We are learning how to break Yale down, she said. Yale is a colonialist institution. After the rally, protesters marched to Yale President Peter Saloveys home to plant signs in his yard demanding justice and accountability. Marks had announced Wednesday that a demonstration would be held at 5:30 p.m. beginning on the corner of College and Grove streets, as community residents continue to react to last weeks police shooting on Argyle Street.)) We stand here today as men of God, calling all our communities together, because this fight must be taken on together, said Marks at a press conference called by the Rev. Boise Kimber. Were demanding justice for Paul, justice for Stephanie, accountability, transparency and equity. Kimber said he and pastors and community leaders would meet with Janet Lindner, Yales vice president for human resources and administration, to talk about Pollock. State Police Trooper Josue Dorelus has said the officers fired after Witherspoon exited the vehicle abruptly and turned toward them. The body camera footage appears to show Witherspoon start to exit the car with his hands up, then duck back inside as shots are fired. . Kimber called for Yale to fire Pollock immediately on Wednesday, arguing that he had so clearly violated regulations that further review was unnecessary. There have been several rallies and protests since the shooting. Further, as the recent shooting and subsequent events has left the Greater New Haven Community reeling and in need of...prayer, Varick Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church will hold a Community Healing Prayer Service at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, April 28. The church is located at 242 Dixwell Ave. On Tuesday, after state officials released body camera footage and other information from the shooting, Lindner wrote to the university community to ask for patience as the investigation by state police continues. Yale would conduct its own review of the incident, Lindner said. Pollock, who, along with Eaton, has been placed on administrative leave, would remain away from the department while that inquiry occurred, she said. Yales review and conclusions will ultimately require the results of the states criminal investigation, and we ask for the communitys patience as that process unfolds. Until the investigation is complete and all the facts are known, let us commit to refrain from drawing final conclusions about this incident, said Lindner. The shooting was a tragedy, and Yale offers its heartfelt feelings of concern to Ms. Washington, Mr. Witherspoon, and their families. We all want a just outcome. A thorough criminal investigation by the State of Connecticut, and comprehensive reviews by Hamden and Yale, are the best ways to bring that about. Hamden Mayor Curt B. Leng said Wednesday he understood the call for Eatons firing, but said the criminal investigation should go forward before action is taken. I understand the calls for the firing of this officer. What we all saw was horrifying. The officer was immediately removed from duty pending the State Independent Investigation. This investigation, which started the day the shooting occurred, is active and ongoing, said Leng in a statement. It is crucial that we not interfere with a possible criminal investigation, he said. Once it is completed, we will take immediate appropriate action. We respect the work the Chief States Attorney is doing. They must be allowed to complete their work without interference. Any actions that interfere with the investigation would be harmful to everyone involved and to our community. What I can assure everyone is that there will be full accountability here, he said. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Long ago, the cover of my paperback copy of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.s classic anti-war novel Slaughterhouse-Five came off because of repeated readings. But oh, Ive still got that book! This week I pulled it down from a bookshelf and re-read that copy, replete with the margin notes I scribbled with mounting excitement as I first devoured it during my junior year of college. Genius! I wrote on the left-hand margin of page 89. My late-night re-reading was inspired by the realization we are in the 50th anniversary of this books publication. Yes, and a 50th anniversary edition was released last month. Its fitting that this incisive, satirical epic, whose protagonist Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time, is itself so timeless. Few among us will ever write something so plainly and undeniably true that its honesty feels provocative even 50 years after it first appears in print, wrote Kevin Powers in his foreword to the anniversary edition. Powers, who knows firsthand the devastating effects of war, having served in the U.S. Army in Iraq, said Vonneguts book is almost unequaled in offering insight into the mass insanity of modern warfare. Vonnegut was only 22 in January 1945 when he was captured by German soldiers and taken with hundreds of other American POWs to the city of Dresden. One month later, Allied forces fire-bombed that beautiful metropolis, killing up to 135,000 civilians. Vonnegut and his mates survived in an underground shelter but were ordered to help dispose of the corpses in a landscape he described as like the moon. The bodies, he wrote, resembled little logs lying around. True: the Germans committed unprecedented crimes against humanity and Adolf Hitler had to be stopped. American soldiers sacrificed bravely to do so. But the bombing of Dresden in the waning months of World War II has long been controversial; that city was not part of Germanys war production machinery. Slaughterhouse-Five was subtitled The Childrens Crusade. The phrase is explained on page 91 of my tattered copy, when a British POW exclaims to his American counterparts: We had forgotten that wars were fought by babies. When I saw these freshly shaved faces (of the incoming American POWs), it was a shock. My God, my God, I said to myself, Its the Childrens Crusade. As Billy Pilgrim might say, timing is important. When Slaughterhouse-Five was published, America was amidst another war, the one in Vietnam. And I came upon the book while I was a student at Boston University, embroiled in the movement to stop that war. For me, Slaughterhouse-Five was a revelation. The book had a profound impact on me, reinforcing my budding outrage over war. In the final chapter of the novel, Vonnegut turned his focus toward what seemed like an endless war: Every day my government gives me a count of corpses created by military science in Vietnam. So it goes. Vonnegut used the phrase so it goes dozens of times in his novel. He employed it after noting each horrible event. The first time he did so was on page one: His mother was incinerated in the Dresden fire-storm. So it goes. (I underlined those three words on that page.) Vonnegut attributed that saying to a race of space aliens he created from the planet Tralfamadore. Two decades after he returns from the war, suffering from what we now recognize as post-traumatic stress disorder, Pilgrim is kidnapped by these aliens in a flying saucer and taken to the faraway planet to be studied in a zoo. Eventually he is joined there by the Hollywood starlet Montana Wildhack. See? At times, this book is funny! The Tralfamadores teach Pilgrim that all moments, past, present and future, always have existed, always will exist. And so he is unstuck in time, traveling suddenly and without warning without his control from his childhood events to the war to Tralfamadore. He is in a constant state of stage fright, Vonnegut wrote, because he never knows what part of his life he is going to have to act in next. Even those of us who have not been sent off to war but who have had traumatic experiences can relate to Pilgrims story. When I was at B.U. I was arrested with 61 other anti-war activists who had camped out overnight in the universitys administration building to protest B.U. President John Silbers decision to allow military recruiters on campus and to bring in gigantic Boston policemen to club students who sat-in to try to keep out the recruiters. I stood nearby, seeing them get clubbed on their heads, blood spilling on the sidewalk. So it goes. Lets travel through time here. In May 2003, having landed at the New Haven Register, I had the great privilege of meeting Vonnegut, then 80, at the Mark Twain House in Hartford. I asked him about the latest war in which we were involved, the one in Iraq. We hate war, he said of his generation, and this one was undertaken so casually. He derided the phrase U.S. military leaders had used to characterize what we had done in Iraq: shock and awe. Vonnegut said, It can be compressed into one word: murder. There are many other people who were deeply affected by Slaughterhouse-Five. My friend Van Galligan of New Haven, upon reading this was the 50th anniversary, told me: I took down one of my two copies and began re-reading it, slowly, for the 6th or 7th time. You bet I wanted to go out and buy a new copy; its hard to read a book whose pages are falling out. And so on Wednesday of this week I called a bookstore chain, violating my usual practice of patronizing independent bookstores. Why? I was in a hurry, facing a deadline for this column. When I asked the young-sounding clerk if she had Slaughterhouse-Five, she asked me to repeat the title. Could it be she had never heard of it? After she tapped around on her computer and found the title, she said they had some copies on hand. Then I asked if there was an available copy of the special 50th anniversary edition. She couldnt find any information about that. But what the hell, I drove out there. And shazam! There it was! The store had one copy of that new edition, sitting alongside the basic paperback edition. The cashier, who appeared to be about my age, looked at the cover and cried out: Oh! Slaughterhouse-Five! She made me feel better. I encourage all of you, if you havent yet read this book, to go out this weekend and commemorate Saturdays annual Independent Bookstore Day by buying Slaughterhouse-Five at your friendly local indie bookstore. And after you read the book, see the fabulous movie, released in 1972. (You might have to go to Best Video in Hamden). Vonnegut himself said of the movie, directed by George Roy Hill: I drool and cackle every time I watch that film because it is so harmonious with what I felt when I wrote that book. I like to picture Vonnegut, who left this earth in 2007, watching the film while drooling and cackling, perhaps unstuck in time. Contact Randall Beach at 203-680-9345 or randall.beach@hearstmediact.com. 3 1 of 3 Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3 NEW HAVEN Yale New Haven Hospital is planning to announce a major healthcare investment on its Saint Raphael campus that will allow enhanced access to care in the neurosciences and bring an estimated $8 million in building fees over three years. The project will create hundreds of jobs and new options for patients, the hospital said in a release. Newsfrom Japan Kyoto, April 25 (Jiji Press)--Tourist spots in Japan are groping for ways to resolve issues linked to eating while walking, an act that is popular among visitors from abroad but may cause problems, without undermining their appeal to such travelers. One of the examples is in the Nishiki market, which has a history of more than 400 years as the kitchen of Kyoto. Some 30 pct of foreigners who traveled to the western Japan city in 2017 visited the market, according to the municipal government. In the market, over 120 stores selling "kyo-yasai" heirloom vegetables, fresh fish or pickled vegetables, line a street measuring some 390 meters in length and 3.5 meters in width. In recent years, many stores have started to sell foods that are easy to eat while walking, such as fried items on sticks and packed prepared meals, in line with an increase in the number of foreign travelers, according to the Nishiki market promotion association. Following the move, however, the market has started to find garbage scattered on the street. In addition, concerns have been raised over the risk of walkers getting hurt by pointed sticks held by others. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Two of the three suspects accused of crafting a fake feel-good story to defraud donors in a GoFundMe campaign that went viral have admitted their roles, and are facing possible prison time. But updates on the third defendant, Mark DAmico, the one painted as the mastermind of the scam that ensnared 14,000 donors from around the world, have been nonexistent for months. DAmico has not been charged by federal authorities, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office. He is facing a charges of conspiracy and theft by deception in Burlington County, and the case is pending presentation before a grand jury for possible indictment. Meanwhile, Johnny Bobbitt, the formerly homeless veteran the money was supposed to aid, has been sentenced to a five-year special probation in state Drug Court, with the possibility of five years in prison if he cant abide by the requirements. He has also pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit money laundering, but no sentencing date has been set. And Kate McClure, who used to live with DAmico, has entered guilty pleas in both federal and state court. She is looking at concurrent sentences of 27 to 33 months and four years, respectively. So whats going on with DAmico? According to his lawyer, theres been no noise because hes innocent. The actions speak louder than words. The other two have pleaded guilty. The other two have been charged in both state and federal court, Mark Davis said in a phone call Wednesday. Mark had no involvement in any criminal conduct. And well be happy to answer any charges at trial. Davis said DAmico was also tricked by the lie McClure told on GoFundMe the lie that helped the trio rise to a brief national fame in late 2017 after their campaign to raise $10,000 for Bobbitt went viral. It told the now debunked story of how the homeless veteran had come to McClures aid when she ran out of gas on I-95, spending his last $20 to fill up her tank. Then, in the summer of 2018, their story made an entirely different set of headlines. Bobbitt accused the couple of withholding his money and spending it on extravagant vacations, designer handbags and a BMW. They, in turn, said they had held it because he kept burning it away on drugs. It turned out no one was quite telling the truth the money had been gone in just months. Authorities in Burlington County opened an investigation, and ultimately charged all three this past November, once it was revealed that Bobbitt had never come to McClures aid. In this Nov. 17, 2017, file photo, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., left, Kate McClure, right, and McClure's then-boyfriend Mark D'Amico pose at a Citgo station in Philadelphia. (Elizabeth Robertson | The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) McClure and DAmico broke up, and the finger pointing started. Bobbitt said he did not know about the campaign until it had already garnered a few thousand dollars, but admits to lying repeatedly to reporters and on TV after the fund had ballooned. McClure says she didnt know Bobbitt had a drug problem at first, and was only trying to help him, mostly at the direction of DAmico. And Davis said DAmico was lied to as well. The story, the campaign all of it was McClures idea, and DAmico was just trying to help. Davis previously said the whole story pointing to Mark as the one pulling the strings was a front to save her ass. As part of their plea deals, Bobbitt and McClure have agreed to testify against their co-defendants. The fact that shes going to cooperate against Mark, I couldnt care less, Davis said. But McClures attorney, James Gerrow, said its only a matter of time until the truth about DAmico and his leading role comes out. Gerrow said McClure has been the victim of domestic violence both in a past relationship and then with DAmico as well. While none of the alleged violence turned physical until drama with the GoFundMe escalated, Gerrow said DAmcio psychologically abused her, tearing her down as a person and trying to control her every move. The money is coming in. DAmico is in control. He had access to it, Gerrow said. He was using that money for gambling in the casinos. Gerrow said Kate also overheard a conversation between Bobbitt and DAmico, in which Bobbitt said he wanted to give the couple a little something in return something to the tune of $150,000. What I hope comes out in the sentencing is just the kind of person Kate is, Gerrow said. Shes very kind. Right now, she gives up her time to a cat rescue place. Its nothing new for her to help someone. Gerrow said he was skeptical of the story when it first went viral, doubting that someone struggling with drug addiction would give anyone $20 for any reason. He also referenced a years-old post on Bobbitts Facebook, in which he spoke of spending his dinner money to help a woman who had run out of gas long before he was homeless It seems too similar to the GoFundMe story to be a coincidence. That story may have been used, Gerrow said. Perhaps Mark DAmico has the answer to why it was used. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Three men are in custody for the murder of a 22-year-old gunned down at a Camden intersection in February. Everardo Alegre-Cortes was killed Feb. 13 at Wayne Avenue and 24th Street in Camden, the county prosecutors office said in a news statement. Police were called at 9:38 p.m. for a report of a person who was shot, and found Alegre-Cortes at the intersection with multiple bullet wounds. Prosecutors charged Isaiah Tanner, Javon Elliott and Elijah Wilcox with felony murder, murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Tanner, 21, and Elliott, 22, were arrested last week and detained at a hearing Wednesday before Judge Edward McBride. Wilcox was arrested in Philadelphia around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and is awaiting extradition to Philadelphia. Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A 31-year-old Berlin man who killed a man by shooting him in the abdomen with a compound bow and arrow in 2013 was convicted Wednesday of aggravated manslaughter and other charges. Timothy Canfield had tried to claim self defense, but jurors werent buying it, according to the Camden County Prosecutors Office. The aggravated manslaughter charge carries a possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison. He was also convicted of weapons possession and hindering prosecution by lying to authorities hiding the evidence. The prosecutors office said Kereti Paulsen, 25, was on Canfields property on North Brill Road on Jan. 28, 2013 when he got into a verbal fight that did not involve Canfield. After the fight, everyone went inside except for Paulsen. Canfield then came out of the house with the bow and a quiver of arrows and shot Paulsen in the driveway, prosecutors said. Evidence revealed that after the defendant shot Mr. Paulsen, he called 9-1-1 pretending to be the victim, provided false information to police about his involvement in the homicide, and concealed evidence by hiding the compound bow and arrows in a wooded area in Winslow Township, the prosecutors office said. In a previous court appearance, Canfields attorney, Jeffrey Zucker, said his client only fired the arrow to scare Paulsen away and did not intend to hit him. Zucker said Paulsen had stalked his ex-girlfriend also Canfields girlfriends sister at the house and had threatened people in the home. It was the second trial for Canfield. In 2018, jurors discussing the evidence before they were allowed to led to a mistrial, Philly.com reported. Canfield is scheduled to be sentenced in Superior Court in Camden May 16. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Joe Giudice has eked out a small victory in his fight to stay in the United States. Giudice, 46, husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice, has been granted a stay of his deportation order that will temporarily keep him in the country. Jerard Gonzalez and Tom Moseley, Giudices immigration lawyers, filed for a stay with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after the Board of Immigration Appeals denied Giudices appeal of the deportation order this month. Giudice was born in Saronno, Italy, and came to the U.S. when he was 1, but never became a citizen. The Giudice family lives in the Towaco section of Montville. In March, after Giudice completed a 41-month sentence in federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, he was transferred directly to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in western Pennsylvania. We are happy that the court has granted us a temporary stay," the Giudice family lawyer, James Leonard Jr., said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. "Mr. Moseley and Mr. Gonzales are doing everything they can to bring Joe home where he belongs and we are extremely grateful for all of their efforts. After they pleaded guilty in federal court in 2014 to bankruptcy fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, Teresa and Joe Giudice were sentenced to 15 months in prison and 41 months, respectively. Teresa, 46, served her sentence first and was released after just shy of a year in federal prison in 2015. Permanent residents who commit crimes of moral turpitude are eligible for deportation. In October, a judge ordered that Giudice be deported upon his release from prison. Gia Giudice, 18, the eldest of Teresa and Joes four daughters, has called for her father to come home on social media. This week she started a Change.org petition titled STOP the deportation of Joe Giudice" that calls on President Donald Trump to pardon her father. After completing his sentence he couldve left the country and gone to Italy but he chose to stay in prison, hirer additional counsel and make several more appeals to try to stay in the United States because he knows how much his family needs him, Gia wrote of Joe in the petition. He and my mother are willing to spend funds and additional time in an immigration prison for the chance he gets to hold his children again. He knows nothing of Italian culture, laws, societal norms, he has no immediate family and will not be able to secure work in this foreign land, she continued. My father is not a danger to society, he is a warm loving man and I beg you sign our petition to give my father a second chance at being part of our lives and giving back to the community we live in once (again). Teresa and Joe Giudice filmed in Italy as part of The Real Housewives of New Jersey" and visited relatives in the country. Both of their families come from Sala Consilina in the southern Italian province of Salerno. Joe reunited with his grandmother and cousins there for the show in 2010. We request that our President, Donald J Trump review our petition and pardon my father to relieve him of this life sentence the courts are bestowing on him, Gia continued in the petition. Yes in Italy he will no longer be incarcerated but will he ever be free if kept from his family and be able to be a productive member of society? Gia signed the petition Gia, Gabriella, Milania, Audriana and my mom Teresa. As of Thursday afternoon, the petition has drawn 53,860 signatures. Teresa Giudice was recently seen out to dinner with Trump administration official Lynne Patton, a regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in New York and New Jersey. In an Instagram post, Patton, a former Trump event planner, denied Teresa was seeking a presidential pardon for Joe, calling Teresa an old friend. Teresa did previously address whether or not she might seek a pardon for Joe from Trump on Bravos Watch What Happens Live" in 2018. I would love to speak to him if he would like to call me, she told Andy Cohen. I havent, but I said if he wants to speak to me, I would love it. During an episode of RHONJ at the end of the last season, the reality star said she would separate from her husband if he is deported. Im not doing a long-distance relationship," she told Cohen in March. Have a tip? Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. There was smoke, now theres fire. After a few days of social media ambiguity, Bruce Springsteen officially announced his new album, called Western Stars, will be released June 14. A new single called Hello Sunshine will be released Thursday night at midnight, according to his website. This record is a return to my solo recordings featuring character driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements. Its a jewel box of a record," Springsteen wrote on Instagram Thursday morning describing the new 13-track album his first new studio LP in five years and sharing the album cover, of a horse galloping across the desert. Rolling Stone reports a few more details about this highly anticipated new record, which Springsteen teased via caption-less photos of trees and sunshine posted on social media Monday and Tuesday. Ron Aniello, who produced Springsteens last two albums in Wrecking Ball (2012) and High Hopes (2014) was also on the knobs for this one, Rolling Stone writes. Original E Street Band keyboard player David Sancious and current band members Soozie Tyrell (violin) and Charlie Giordano (organ) contributed to Western Stars, as did wife Patti Scialfa and more than a dozen other musicians though Springsteen considers this a solo effort akin to Devils & Dust" in solo moniker, not an and the E Street Band production. The album was recorded largely at Springsteens home studio in Colts Neck, New Jersey, with additional recording in California and New York, his website detailed Thursday. Western Stars" has been a work in progress for the better part of a decade, Springsteen told Variety in December, noting how he began the songwriting for this album before the Wrecking Ball cycle that began in 2012. Springsteen described the new album as influenced by Southern California pop music of the 70s ... Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, those kinds of records. No tours, solo or otherwise, have yet been announced to accompany the new album. Heres the very western-themed track listing: 1. Hitch Hikin 2. The Wayfarer 3. Tucson Train 4. Western Stars 5. Sleepy Joes Cafe 6. Drive Fast (The Stuntman) 7. "Chasin Wild Horses" 8. Sundown 9. "Somewhere North of Nashville" 10. Stones 11. There Goes My Miracle 12. Hello Sunshine 13. Moonlight Motel Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips Back in September 2018, Joseph and Henny Schwartz needed new cell phones. They visited the Verizon store in Brick, and they thought they were in luck. We were told that there was a special two-for-one program on sale that month, Joseph Schwartz said. If we bought one cell phone, we would get one free. The Manchester couple was interested, but first, they wanted to know the monthly cost. The salesperson worked out the charges, Schwartz said. Taking into account a veteran discount, the total bill would be $100.99 plus a few extra fees: a universal service charge, plus regulatory and administrative fees. My thoughts were that those charges were small stuff and therefore acceptable, Schwartz said. The couple would keep their existing phone numbers. Over the next six months, the bills made no sense, Schwartz said. The amounts were always different, records show, and the couple couldnt figure out why. The first bill, in October, was $189.88. It included a charge for a third phone line - something Schwartz said he never wanted and never discussed with the salesperson. He called Verizon. After the first month I complained about the additional phone number billing, and I was told it would clear up in a month or two, he said. That didnt happen. The November bill was $162.49 and December was $113.37. The next three months charges were $147.80, $152.84 and $147.84. Come April 2019, the bill was a whopping $234.37. Each month I called to complain, but the billing got worse, Schwartz said. Even a letter written to the corporate offices yielded no response, he said. Seems like a odd way to get a free phone by paying for an invisible phone number, Schwartz said, noting hes a Verizon stockholder and doesnt want to hurt the company but rather wants to correct the way it does business. AlI want is to keep my two current phone numbers, pay for the two-for-one phones as I agreed and for Verizon to make everything clear upfront at the time of purchase. He asked Bamboozled for help. What happened? We asked Verizon to examine Schwartzs case. Schwartz got a call from a rep, who offered several credits to his account. The rep said he would follow up with a detailed email. While Schwartz waited for the email, we asked Verizon for details on what went wrong, but it would only say the customer was satisfied with the resolution. Trying to figure out what happened, we asked if a separate phone line was a requirement for the buy-one-get-one promotion. Verizon said it addressed the matter with the customer, and it had no further comment. Thats not much of an explanation. But a little more detail came when Schwartz received the email from the Verizon rep. The rep confirmed Verizon was issuing several credits to his account. One credit would cover the charges associated with the phantom phone line. Another would cover five months of payments on the new phones. And going forward, there would be an additional monthly credit for the next 17 months to honor the pricing on the buy-one-get-one-free deal on the new phones. So how did the extra line end up on Schwartzs bill in the first place? It was a mistake, the Verizon rep said in the email to Schwartz. As we discovered it appears there was some confusion when the first two lines of service were established and when your wife's number was transferred to this account, the rep wrote. I apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and thank you for allowing me to assist you with your concern. Mistakes happen. Its how a company handles the error thats most important. Were glad Verizon made this right, but its a shame that six months of phone calls from Schwartz couldnt have solved the problem. All I wanted was for the billing to be correct, Schwartz said. Hopefully, now, it is. Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter. Joshua Avoil finally got to see Metallica in concert at MetLife Stadium in 2017, but instead of enjoying the full show, he ended up in police custody in a stadium processing center for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, an incident he says in a lawsuit started due to a miscommunication over cursing. Two New Jersey State Police officers assaulted him during the arrest, and his suit has turned into a legal fight for security camera footage, which Avoil, 30, says he believes exists. He used to work security at MetLife, and says he knows there are cameras that could show police abusing him during the arrest. However, in court documents, lawyers for the police say they do not exist. Avoils quest for the footage has been hampering his ability to have a lawyer represent him, he says, so hes doing all the legal work himself. The concert was May 14, 2017, a day Avoil waited his entire life for. He did not have anyone to go to the Metallica concert with, so he went alone, according to his complaint. Around the time of the metal bands last set, a security guard approached him and told him not to curse. Because he wasnt cursing, Avoil said he didnt pay the guard much attention and continued to sing along to the bands lyrics - which he said didnt have much cursing either. Shortly afterwards, two state troopers, identified as Smith and Sullivan in reporting, approached Avoil and asked him to come with them, his suit says. When Avoil asked why he said the troopers responded, You want to do things the hard way,. Avoil told the troopers he was not missing Metallicas last set unless the troopers gave him a reason. Next, Avoil said the troopers lifted from his seat on the third-level mezzanine ledge and body slammed into the concrete floor, causing him to lose consciousness. He was then arrested. Once he regained consciousness, and realized he was in handcuffs, he said Sullivan asked him to explain what he thought happened, but when Avoil started talking Sullivan responded with a right hook punch his suit alleges. Avoil says hes had a number of injuries due to abuse by the state troopers including a concussion, multiple herniated/bulging discs, sever bruising and abrasion all over his body, and he ended up losing his job at Best Buy. Hes since relocated from West Orange to Las Vegas. Joshua Avoil before the Metallica concert in 2017. His main concern now is the footage. They are hiding the video of my arrest and interrogation because I was assaulted during both - both events were recorded, Avoil said. "I had to move almost 4,000 miles away to feel safe and leave all my friends and family to attempt a normal life and standard of living. He is suing for out-of-pocket and future medical expenses, lost wages, moving expenses and emotional distress. However, according to a statement by stadium staffers, Avoil indeed resisted arrest after the employee reported him for foul language, and he continued to use foul language with the State Police officers. Joshua Avoil And a State Police document describes Smith and Sullivan responding to Avoils seat after a request from stadium security. Avoil shouted expletives at them and moved seats to avoid talking to one of the officers. The officers claim it was Avoil who told the troopers, We are going to have to do this the hard way. The troopers said they suffered injuries when Avoil began to kick and resist arrest. Lawyers for state police say any claims of damage or injury that Avoil has were cause by his own negligence. Avoils former attorney, in the criminal case, told him to take plea bargain so that his resisting arrest charge would be dropped He did, and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct. Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. FBI agents descended on two locations of Atrium Health & Senior Living, a company that operates rehabilitation facilities all over New Jersey. Carrie Adamowski, spokeswoman for the FBIs Philadelphia office, said she could only confirm that personnel were at Atrium Post Acute Care of Woodbury Wednesday carrying out court-authorized law enforcement activity. The company that is taking over Atrium facilities, Spring Hills Senior Communities, told NJ Advance Media that investigators from "several federal agencies were at the Woodbury rehab center as well as Atriums headquarters in Little Falls. These investigations relate entirely to actions or inactions of prior Atrium management. These investigations have no adverse impact on the delivery of care to the residents, Christina OLeary, a spokeswoman for Spring Hills, said Thursday. Atrium Health & Senior Living has been in financial trouble, according to reports. WSAW-TV in Wisconsin reported Atrium owed $13.5 million to its lenders there and when it couldnt pay, all of its facilities in Wisconsin and one in Michigan went into receivership in 2018. Four closed earlier this year, WSAW-TV reported. Last fall, U.S. Foods Inc., which provided food for Atrium facilities, sued various corporations run by Atrium Co-CEO Kevin P. Breslin for over $2.2 million in alleged unpaid bills. U.S. Foods Inc. said in the New Jersey federal court filing that it was forced to stop all food deliveries to the facilities in October due to nonpayment. Messages left for Atriums head of operations and the administrator of the Woodbury location were not returned Thursday. OLeary said Spring Hills Senior Communities in Edison is in the process of acquiring all of Atriums New Jersey facilities (in Wayne, Princeton, Matawan, Livingston, Hamilton and Woodbury) with the exception of its location in Lawrenceville. In that capacity, Spring Hills has been retained to manage the facilities and has been diligently working to resolve all prior outstanding issues, she said. She did not give more details on what the outstanding issues were. The facility in Woodbury opened in 2016, the culmination of a city-endorsed redevelopment plan to find a new use for the closed Woodbury Country Club and the surrounding acreage. Burris Construction Co., which shares top brass with Atrium, completed the renovation, according to previous reports. It transformed the club into a rehabilitation facility boasting a pub, bistro, movie theater, private rooms and beautiful grounds, according to its website. Records show the property is still owned by Burris Post Acute Network Woodbury, based in Little Falls. Calls to the headquarters of Burris Construction Co. were not returned Thursday. All was chummy between city officials and Burris in the three years leading up to the facilitys opening in 2016. But a year later, the city passed a resolution finding Burris Post Acute Network Woodbury had defaulted on their redevelopment agreement by, among other things, failing to timely pay the city $357,730 under a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement and failing to pay some taxes and fees. In June, the city listed Burris properties, including the rehab center and the surrounding residential properties, on its list of properties that could be auctioned for nonpayment of taxes for 2017. Burris owned more than $78,000 in total. Its not clear if the corporation has since made the payments, but it still owns the property according to municipal records. Calls and emails to the citys mayor, administrator and treasurer were not returned. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The Essex County man wanted for murdering a 60-year-old inside a Jersey City building earlier this month was captured Thursday in New York City, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. Joseph Summers, 51, of East Orange, was apprehended by members of the Hudson County Prosecutors Office and the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force. He is charged with murder and weapons offenses in connection to the April 5 homicide of Gregory Harvey inside a building on Wilkinson Avenue in Jersey City. The Jersey City Police Department received a report of an unresponsive male at 112 Wilkinson Ave. shortly after 1:30 p.m. on April, 5 and found Harvey, 60, inside the building with apparent head injuries. He was pronounced dead at approximately 2:05 p.m., Suarez said. The Regional Medical Examiners Office later determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. A warrant was issued for Summers arrest three days later. Summers is also charged with hindering apprehension. Suarez credited the Hudson County Prosecutors Office Homicide Unit for the investigation and arrest, the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force for assisting with the arrest and the Jersey City Police Department for assisting in the investigation. Act was despicable, hateful Definition of noose: a loop with a running knot, tightening as the rope or wire is pulled and typically used to hang people or trap animals. I read the article about the noose hanging in Dennis Collins Park in Bayonne with sadness and disgust. That someone took time out of their day to think of this despicable and hateful act and then follow through with it is pretty disturbing. Bayonne is a community that has had (and obviously still does) its share of some who feel that certain groups of people were not welcome. It has also changed and is still changing. You see all ethnic groups around town. There are good and kind people in Bayonne who are not frightened by those who do not look like them, or worship the way they do. They are using their hands to help and uplift, not to display a symbol of hate. Hate crimes are on the rise in the United States. Does Bayonne want to be included on that list? A noose is meant to invoke fear and terrorize. It has a long, ugly history of just that in the African-American community. I have no doubt this is what this hateful incident was meant to do. It is not a prank or joke or a case of Im sorry if I offended anyone, I did not know. That this happened during a holy time for Christians and others is even sadder. This is a time of reflection, gratitude and gratefulness. Maybe the person who committed this hateful act might want to do some soul searching. Roxanne Hilliard, Bayonne N. Bergen not concerned with peoples health North Bergen is applying for a $1.73 million grant from NJ DEP Green Acres to help build a $14.6M recreation center at 1231 JFK Blvd. In applying for the downtown grant, North Bergen played the race card, claiming its population needs recreational facilities such as this because of the disproportionate number of minorities who experience preventable disease, death and disabilities. This concern for peoples health is generous but is it genuine? No. At the same time, North Bergen is looking to receive funding in the form of (insufficient) payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs), from private developers who want to build a huge, for profit, for NY (only), polluting gas power plant in North Bergen that will endanger the health and well-being of people, animals, the environment and the climate. Where is North Bergens concern for the health of its citizens when it comes to this? The following quote is from North Bergens application to Green Acres: The North Bergen population, according to US Census 73.1% is Hispanic, 16.8% is White, 6.6% is Asian, 2.4% is Black... According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some minorities experience a disproportionate burden of preventable disease, death, and disability compared with non-minorities. Additionally, research indicates that an undeniable connection exists between high poverty levels and poor health outcomes. The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for instance, notes that health in the United States is very strongly correlated with income. Poor people are less healthy than those who are better off, whether the benchmark is mortality, the prevalence of acute or chronic diseases, or mental health. Given these circumstances, the Township of North Bergen maintains a strong commitment to promoting a healthy, active lifestyle among all residents, and believes firmly that providing access to quality, centrally-located recreational facilities will go a long way towards bettering the community. Sign the petition and get more information: http://nomeadowlandspowerplant.com/ Email Governor Murphy and register your opposition: constituent.relations@nj.gov Robert Walden, North Bergen Submit letters to the editor and guest columns at jjletters@jjournal.com A Secaucus man with multiple convictions is keeping police busy across Hudson County these days. Michael P. Ambrosio was charged Tuesday by Bayonne police with receiving stolen property related to an SUV that was stolen on March 28, Bayonne Lt. Eric Amato said. It was a crime in North Bergen that led Bayonne police to Ambrosio, who has at least five convictions going back to the 2008. And he has an open case in Jersey City that has been delayed by his failure to appear for court appearances. North Bergen police investigating a shoplifting at a BP gas station on Tonnelle Avenue on March 29 obtained surveillance footage of the shoplifter and his vehicle, North Bergen Lt. Bronson Jusino said. During their investigation they found that the SUV used in the incident was reported stolen out of Bayonne a day earlier. North Bergen police circulated the images of the accused shoplifter and the vehicle to other police departments in the area, and the man was soon identified as Ambrosio by Secaucus police, Secaucus Capt. Dennis Miller said. Secaucus police on patrol found the stolen car parked around the corner from Ambrosios home and arrested him, Miller said. It is not believed that Ambrosio is the person who stole the keys and the vehicle, Amato said. After his arrest in Secaucus, Ambrosio was processed in Bayonne and sent to Hudson County jail. It could not be immediately determined if Ambrosio, who also must answer charges in North Bergen and open warrants in Jersey City, is being detained through his prosecution. Ambrosio has been picked up three times in the past nine months June 6, 2018, Dec. 13, 2018 and Feb. 21, 2019 on outstanding warrants from Jersey City, all believed to be related to an incident on Sept. 27, 2017 in which he is accused of stealing lawn mowers from a Home Depot. An ordinance that would effectively gut the booming short-term property rental industry in Jersey City was introduced at the City Council meeting Wednesday night. The proposal would cap the number of nights a home could be rented to 28 in a calendar year and it would also severely limit the number of homes that would be eligible for short-term rentals. The ordinance would impose fines of up to $2,000 for violators of the proposed regulations, which short-term rental company Airbnb officials called draconian. Jersey City City Council President Rolando Lavarro and Ward E Councilman James Solomon, whose Downtown ward would be most affected by the legislation, could not be reached for comment. Mayor Steve Fulop also could not be reached. If approved, the regulations would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. The proposal repeals much of the 2015 city ordinance that imposed a 6 percent hotel tax on short-term rentals, closing a loophole that allowed tourists to visit Jersey City without having to pay hotel taxes. According to the proposed ordinance, the growing short-term rental market is creating a dearth of available long-term housing in the city, and driving up the price of rental units. READ THE ORDINANCE Officials with Airbnb were caught off guard by the citys move curtail rentals, noting that the city has collected roughly $4 million in taxes from such rentals since the previous ordinance was adopted. Jersey City is the No. 1 destination in New Jersey for Airbnb customers, according to company officials. In a letter addressed to Fulop and also sent to city council members, Airbnb Head of Northeast Policy Josh Meltzer said the company is deeply concerned by the short-term rental legislation recently introduced in the City Council, which would undoubtedly ... jeopardize both the ability of locals to share their home to make some extra income as well as Jersey Citys tourism economy. Meltzer called the citys 2016 regulations one of the most progressive home sharing laws in the country, one that has served as a model nationwide and has promoted economic opportunity for residents and businesses alike. Airbnb officials said Jersey City had approximately 181,000 guests in 2018, with the average group size of 2.9 guests staying an average of 4.6 nights per stay. Overall, Jersey City hosts have made a total of $32 million. The ordinance requires the owner of a short-term rental unit to pay an initial $500 registration fee and a $300 renewal fee each year. The Flemington Community Partnership Board of Directors announced that Robin Lapidus has been named executive director. We are extremely delighted and excited to have Robin take on the Executive Director position for the Flemington Community Partnership," said Bob King, FCP board chairman. He added, We look forward to having Robin expand upon the very solid foundation that the FCP has achieved in the past few years. Robins experience and leadership qualities will help attract and further develop a thriving business community in Flemington for years to come. Lapidus is a New Jersey native and a graduate of Columbia High School in Maplewood. She graduated from Eugene Lang College in New York and earned a masters degree in education from Harvard University. I am so excited to be coming home to New Jersey, and thrilled to have the opportunity to share my experience in Flemington a community with a rich historic past, and so many exciting opportunities for present success and future growth, Lapidus said. Lapidus professional career has been focused solely on improving business districts. According to King, the FCP board was greatly impressed by the results achieved during Robins 20 plus years as a nonprofit executive director in destination business areas. Over a 13-year period, she was executive director and director of marketing and events of the Harvard Square Business Association in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She helped spearhead a multi-million dollar capital improvement campaign in Harvard Square comprised of public and private partnerships hat addressed lighting and utilities, transportation flow, surface enhancements, landscaping upgrades, and plaza improvements. Lapidus spent the next five years as executive director of the Central Square Business Association in Cambridge. According to the Flemington Community Partnership, she was instrumental in the establishment of the state designated Central Square Cultural District and participated in the Central Square Advisory Committee resulting in a new plan for economic redevelopment in Central Square. The results included repurposing spaces for new businesses such as H Mart (a market with an international food court), new arts and performance spaces, maker spaces, a mix of restaurants and night-life, future housing and a market space, a new hotel and large bio-tech anchors Novartis and Takeda moving into former dilapidated industrial buildings. Lapidus has spent the past two years as executive director of the business association in Provincetown, Massachusetts, with focus on tourism and destination marketing. She is credited with producing signature events including Oktoberfest in Harvard Square, the Taste of Cambridge, Cambridge Jazz Festival, Summer Film and Arts Performance Series, Provincetowns Annual Carnival Parade, and Provincetowns first Pride Event. Robin brings a range of experiences that will keep Flemington and the Community Partnership moving forward, said Flemington Mayor Betsy Driver. She added, "I am excited to begin working with her and the FCP as the Borough embraces future exciting business development and I am confident her leadership will help Flemington thrive. The Flemington Community Partnership is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a thriving business community for all to enjoy. For more information, go to www.loveflemington.com. The Trenton police officer who depicted city residents as lazy people waiting for their next welfare check during a Facebook back-and-forth with a city councilman, was fired from the department last week. Michael Palinczar, an 18-year officer, was terminated last Thursday, April 18, city police spokesman Lt. Peter Szpakowski confirmed. He would not comment further, citing city policy. Palinczars online conversation with At-large Councilman Jerell Blakeley on April 1 was quickly condemned as racist and bigoted by the councilman, as well as Mayor Reed Gusciora and acting Police Director Chris Doyle. The remarks came at the same time as other allegations against Palinczar under investigation by the polices internal affairs unit, two Trenton police sources told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday. The sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly on such matters, said it was widely known in the department Palinczar was already under investigation for incidents last fall that involved Ewing police responding to his home. On Facebook, Palinczar was reacting to news the city touted about a companys planned move to one of their facilities to Trenton, bringing up to 400 jobs over the next decade. Its much easier to sit home on your ass and collect welfare, section 8 and food stamps...Even if the place does open up which I doubt, most of the workers will be from the suburbs because they have a work ethic. Trentonians rather sit on their asses and wait for the first of the month and max that (state benefits) card out by the fifth day of the month and are broke for another 25 days, sad but true," Palinczar wrote. Blakeley responded with, Your racist and deplorable comments were demeaning and disrespectful for Trentonians, the very people you are paid to protect and serve. He then reported it to city and police officials. Palinczars Facebook account appeared to be deleted Tuesday, and he did not respond to prior attempts seeking his comment through the site. In a Facebook post, Blakeley discussed the Palinczar issue after learning the officer had been fired. He said he spoke out because he ran for city council to make change, not to sit up, shut up, collect a paycheck and take pictures. Ive lived in Trenton nearly my entire life, was raised and educated here and I know the truth about this city, a city that folks love to disparage, Blakeley wrote. Trenton is a city that is worth defending and fighting for. There is a whole lot more right with Trenton than wrong. This is what I know for sure. And when you are honored to work in these 7.5 square miles, I believe that you owe a fundamental level of respect for the city that allows you to provide for your family. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Thick smoke billowing from a three-alarm fire at a Jersey City scrap metal yard was visible around the area as the blaze continued to burn Thursday evening. The fire sparked at Sims Metal Management on Linden Avenue, along the waterfront, around 4 p.m., according to company spokeswoman Real Hamilton-Romeo. There were no reported injuries. The fire did not pose any threat to nearby residences, said Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione. Towns around North Jersey alerted residents to the smoke. There is a large fire in a Jersey City landfill along the NJ Turnpike which is causing the odor of smoke throughout town, Rutherford police said on Twitter. The smell of smoke could reach Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island, according to an alert from New York City Emergency Management. There is a large fire in a Jersey City landfill along the NJ Turnpike which is causing the odor of smoke throughout town. Rutherford Police (@RutherfordPDNJ) April 25, 2019 The fire was not causing any major traffic or transit delays. Authorities on Thursday identified the 21-year-old motorcyclist who was killed in a crash that left another motorist critically injured in Linden. Moustafa Elgendi was riding a 2004 Suzuki motorcycle north on Roselle Street, near Monmouth Avenue, when he collided with a 2007 Honda CRV around 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, according to police. Elgendi, of Fords, died at the scene, police said. The Honda driver, a 21-year-old Brooklyn, New York, man was flown to University Hospital, where he remained in critical condition. City police said the investigation was continuing. Anyone with information was asked to call Investigator Peter Kozak at 908-474-8505. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters A 41-year-old New Jersey man on Wednesday became the third person to plead guilty in year-plus scheme that used phony email addresses to defraud people and businesses out of about $1 million. Lawrence Espaillat, of Clifton, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Wednesday and faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced July 30 in federal court in Trenton, the U.S. Attorneys Office for New Jersey said. His co-conspirators, East Windsor residents Corry Pringley and Amanda Suazo, separately pleaded guilty to wire fraud earlier this year and await sentencing. A fourth co-conspirator is mentioned, but not named in court papers. Espaillat and his associates recruited mules to provide their personal information and used that information to set up sham corporations, officials said. The so-called mules then opened bank accounts in the name of the phony businesses. A related cyberattack aspect of the scheme involved creating email addresses mimicking but differing slightly from legitimate email addresses of supervisory employees at various companies, vendors that did business with those victim companies, mortgage lenders that dealt with individuals in connection with real estate purchases, and brokerage firms and accountants who provided financial service, the U.S. Attorneys office said in a statement. They then used fraudulent email addresses to send emails to request payments on invoices that the companies actually owed, prosecutors said. Once the companies wired money into the mules accounts, Espaillat and the others made in-person ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases to steal the newly-deposited money. In all, about 30 separate deposits were made into accounts controlled by Espaillat, Pringley and Suazo between April 2017 and June 2018. The largest - $1,706,137 - was made on April 12, 2018 by an unnamed Texas company into a TD Bank account controlled by the trio. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The alleged parking lot beating of a Hindu priest from Mahwah earlier this month is under investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutors Office as potential hate crime, according to a report. Devendra Shukla, 43, who lives in the Hindu Samaj Temple, said he was driving his car through the parking lot of the Interstate Shopping Center on April 3 when a man, later identified as Nicholas Dow, 30, of Ramsey, came up to his car and punched him in the face, according to a report by WNYC. A report filed with the Ramsey Police said Shukla was visibly upset, crying and had a bleeding cut on his lip, WNYC reported. He also filed a report with the Mahwah Police and told him that the man who beat him called him a dirty Indian" and that his 6-year-old daughter crouched in the back of his car and screamed as he was attacked and is totally traumatized by the incident, according to WNYC. Dow was arrested by the Ramsey Police on April 4 and charged with simple assault and burglary, according to online jail records. He was booked in Bergen County Jail but was later released. Dow told police he got into verbal altercation with the priest after he was cut off by his car but said he did not assault him. The New Jersey Attorney Generals Office confirmed to WNYC that the Bergen County Prosecutors Office was investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. The local Hindu community is pushing for action and created a petition on change.org demanding maximum punishment allowable under the law for the attacker." The petition had garnered 2,525 signatures as of 8 p.m. Tuesday night. The attorney generals office, Bergen County Prosecutors Office and Ramsey Police did not respond to emails from NJ Advance Media seeking comment Tuesday night. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Say it aint so, Joe. Former Vice President Joe Biden has joined the few dozen, mostly indistinguishable, democrats in vying for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. Can you feel the excitement? Biden has been leading in the polls, despite that fact that he had yet to declare he was running. His closest competition is Bernie and the rest of the field is so far behind he cant even see them in the rear view. Does this mean its Joes race to lose? Not necessarily. Biden has a few distinct advantages over the rest of the clown car full of candidates. He has nearly 100% name recognition. Thats a big deal when nobody even knows how to pronounce Buttigieg. That name recognition has led to a rich and varied meme history in which hes portrayed as the lovable, avuncular side kick to Barack Obama. Biden also has a few distinct disadvantages. Part and parcel of being in government for 40 years is your record. In todays democratic party Joes record could be best described as problematic. The party is moving in a decidedly progressive direction and video clips of Joe holstering his gavel while his republican colleagues verbally savaged Anita Hill may not play well with younger voters. Add this to the fact that Biden is the candidate least likely to affect sweeping change on a broken system and a scenario where todays frontrunner ends up trailing the pack is not out of the question. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. When something good happens twice in three months in South Jersey, its not yet time to label it as a trend. But it would be great if well-attended funerals for military veterans with no close relatives were to become a thing. It started in January, after Peter Turnpu, 77, died at his home in Waterford Township, Camden County, of natural causes. A local police officer who cared, aided by Atco funeral director LeRoy Wooster, helped put together a service for Turnpu. Little was known about his recent past. They couldnt find any survivors. What they did find among Turnpus possessions were communications from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which confirmed that he was an Army veteran, serving in Vietnam from 1964 to 1966. The VA provided a burial plot at Brigadier Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Burlington County. Wooster and Camden County Freeholder William Moen stepped in to take care of the rest of the arrangements. An honor guard from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, as well as local veterans organizations, agreed to take part. Then, the public was invited to the graveside service. The crowd was estimated at 1,000. Earlier this week, a similar response took place in Gloucester County. On Monday, Robert Grala, 70, was buried with full military honors in Gloucester County Veterans Cemetery in Monroe Township. Grala, a resident of the township, passed away in January under similar circumstances to Turnpu: natural causes, no known relatives. But officials knew that Grala had served in Korea, and the veteran had earned several medals for his time in the Army. The county freeholders invited everyone to Mondays funeral. The turnout was about 200, a significant number when you know that Gralas days on Earth could have ended with an anonymous burial in a Potters Field. Freeholder Dan Christy, liaison to the countys Department of Veterans Affairs, said, We are honored to spread the word so that he is laid to rest surrounded by fellow veterans and neighbors. Its not well publicized enough that a small group of committed veterans pledge to participate whenever there is a military funeral in our area. Others ensure that flags and/or flowers are placed on the graves for holidays. Relatives and friends of the deceased are moved and comforted by these gestures. But the Turnpu and Grala funerals answer the question of what needs to happen when there are no relatives, and there are no friends. Someone has to go the extra mile, which is what many people did in January and again this week. Its not just the funeral directors, the VA representatives and the county employees who worked to get the arrangements in order. Its also the guests, most with no personal connection whatsoever to these veterans, who turned out for ceremonies in the middle of a weekday. Its heartwarming that so many folks were not foo busy to honor those who served our country. One quibble with the extensive coverage of these funerals is that headlines so often used the word strangers to describe the hundreds of attendees. Technically, its accurate, but strangers is an awfully cold description of all those people who are warm enough to care. If these funerals truly do become a trend, maybe we can find a more fitting phrase. A good suggestion would be, Friends the veteran didnt know he/she had. Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. By Saily M. Avelenda The voters of New Jersey are engaged as never before. Reacting to the horror of Donald Trumps election, ordinary people across the state came together in 2018 to flip four congressional seats and, ultimately, the House of Representatives. We organized, canvassed, called, sent postcards, marched anything we could do to bring change. In my work as NJ 11th for Changes executive director, I see many voters who became engaged in the political process after Trumps election awakening now to the realization that New Jersey doesnt have a problem with partisan politics -- we have an insider versus outsider problem. Too many party bosses like Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and South Jersey insurance broker George Norcross openly work with our elected officials to enrich themselves and their politically connected business interests, at the expense of constituents and the state. Nowhere is this disturbing pattern clearer than in the corporate giveaway program overseen by the Economic Development Authority (EDA). The 2013 Economic Opportunity Act was cooked up by an unholy alliance of Republican Gov. Chris Christie and his allies in the legislature including Senate President Steve Sweeney and now-U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, brother of George and resulted in politically connected companies like Norcross insurance brokerage, Conner Strong and Buckelew, receiving more than $11 billion in lucrative tax breaks. This is lost revenue that could have gone to lowering New Jerseys crushingly high property taxes, or providing additional resources to our woefully underfunded schools. This is money that could have gone to address our crumbling transit systems, or to stimulate real job growth. Instead, a scathing report released by the state Comptrollers Office found almost no oversight of these programs by the EDA, noting that it was impossible in many instances to determine whether promised jobs had even been created or retained by recipient companies. Yes, you read this correctly: the EDA gave away about $11 BILLION in tax breaks and we cannot determine in many cases if New Jersey derived any benefit at all. Even worse, in a recent WNYC report, the former head of incentives at the EDA said that members of the Christie administration pressured officials to overlook the rules and approve incentives. Governor Murphy has convened a task force composed of former federal prosecutors that has already resulted in one company agreeing to pay New Jersey taxpayers back for improperly awarded tax breaks. The task force has also referred a matter involving potential criminal violations and unregistered lobbying to law enforcement highlighting the murky underpinnings of this program. The governor is now rightly seeking to overhaul the agency. He has called on board members to step down and has already received the resignation of Chairman Laurence M. Downes. At the agencys board meeting on April 9, I was one of the individuals who called for the resignation of the full board. As an attorney, I understand how boards operate. What I see here is a complete and total abdication by the board of its legal, financial, and ethical responsibilities. At best, they allowed the programs to be mismanaged; at worst, they turned a blind eye to possible criminal activity. It is clear that the current EDA board is too tied to Trentons cozy political culture to act as an effective check on special interests. For example: Phil Alagia is chief of staff to DiVincenzo, a Christie and Norcross ally. Politico has reported that he attended a party in Puerto Rico hosted by George Norcross on Super Bowl weekend that featured tax credit recipients. Yes, a member of the EDAs Board was on vacation with a tax credit recipient. Thomas Scrivo, chief counsel to Christie, and Leo Geotting, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Christie, both worked for Christie while many of these corporate giveaways were awarded. Bill Layton is a connected South Jersey Republican lobbyist whose firm represented the powerful Carpenters union at the time the law was passed. The Carpenters are key Norcross allies. Charles Sarlo is brother of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo, a noted Norcross ally. Fred Dumont is a leader of the state building trades unions and a powerful Norcross ally. The EDA board needs to resign. The people of New Jersey deserve true economic development professionals at the helm of an agency with so much control over taxpayer funding, not a bunch of political cronies of people like Christie, Norcross, and DiVincenzo. We, the people of New Jersey, demand true transparency and accountability, and a renewed commitment to putting constituents interests ahead of the interests of a select few. We demand CHANGE. Saily Avelenda is executive director of NJ 11th for Change, a grassroots advocacy group. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. By Kyle Rosenkrans The national media cant stop talking about Cory Bookers record as a champion for Newarks public schools -- but too many get the story flat wrong. Cory Booker has a school choice problem, writes New York Magazine. The Los Angeles Times says Bookers past support for charter schools could shadow Bookers campaign. And Vox writes that reform opponents and supporters fight bitterly to this day about whether Bookers overhaul failed or succeeded. These stories are hard to read, because national reporters seem content to ignore the realities of Newark today. Instead of relying on old tropes and tired narratives about the Brick City, reporters should dig a little deeper. If they did, they would come to see the truth about Newark: its a city that has made remarkable educational gains over the 13 years since Booker took office, and has transcended the divisive politics that surround education in so much of the country. Lets start with the kids, who have been conspicuously absent from the national debate around Bookers tenure as mayor. Objectively, by any measure, Newarks children have made remarkable progress since 2006. In 2006, as Booker took office, reading and math levels for Newarks children were far below other low-income districts. This status was essentially unchanged for decades, even after the state took control of Newarks schools in 1995. It wasnt until the Booker administration launched a bold vision that things began to change. Today, African-American students in Newark are four times more likely to go to a quality school than they were in 2006. Newarks citywide public school system has climbed from the bottom to the top ranks of other high-poverty school districts in New Jersey. This progress is enhanced by Newarks public charter schools - which now beat the New Jersey state average and combine to form what is one of the most successful urban charter sectors in America, according to a Stanford University report. And the districts governance has improved. In 2018, after four years of strong leadership by Mayor Ras Baraka, Newark regained control of its public schools for the first time in 20 years. We have lots of room to improve, but the story of Newarks schools over the last 13 years is an unmitigated success story. Kyle Rosenkrans quote Now, to the politics. No one will dispute that the first few years of Newarks reforms were rocky. Changing the status quo is hard. Mistakes were made; some would argue that reformers moved too fast. The voters backlash to these political battles contributed to Mayor Barakas election in 2014, which created a general impression that Newark had turned away from school reform. This is where the national media left Newark, before returning to cover Bookers recent run for president. Heres what theyve missed: instead of rolling back every change, Mayor Baraka (a former principal himself) has forged his own path, and the districts new, homegrown superintendent, Roger Leon, is making an urgent case for improving the schools. Newark parents are still able to apply to the citys public schools (charter or district) in one, easy-to-use application, and parents have embraced choice as a means of getting their children a quality education. Newark has plenty of district schools that post strong results and defy the odds, but for those who dont have access to them, more than 50 percent of Newark families regularly select a charter school as their first choice. Rather than allow Newarks elected school board to become a political battleground for either the teachers unions and education reformers, Mayor Baraka and his ally, Councilman Anibal Ramos, have brought together the citys factions and urged them to form a Unity Slate of candidates for four election cycles in a row. Each time, this slate has emerged victorious -- including just a few weeks ago. Did we solve all of the issues? By no means. Even after these improvements, thousands of Newark students are still in schools that post low student growth and low proficiency rates. Those students are disproportionately African-American children from low-income households. Continued improvement is not just an imperative, its a moral obligation. But no one would believe this is possible if Cory Booker didnt start the ball rolling down hill, nor would the future be so bright without Mayor Barakas unifying leadership and focus on policies that are best for children and families. Thats the real story in Newark - but I guess that doesnt sell papers. Kyle Rosenkrans is the founder and executive director of the New Jersey Childrens Foundation, which launched this week with a mission to invest in people, programs, and partnerships that will improve public education systems by putting the interests of children first. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Mario Kranjac, the Republican mayor of Englewood Cliffs, caused a bit of a brouhaha recently when he referred to New Jerseys affordable-housing laws as a socialist scheme. Wrong. This is not a socialist scheme. Its a crony capitalist scheme - and a pretty darned effective one at that. If our affordable-housing laws were truly socialist, then New Jersey would look like Havana, where the government has built massive blocks of high-rise housing available to all comers on an equal basis. What they get to share equally are broken elevators and chickens being raised in the hall. But at least that misery is handed out to all comers. In New Jersey we get the sort of thing thats going on in Edison at the moment. A developer there is building a 220-unit complex called Camelot of Edison. In keeping with that name, 187 of the units can be rented or sold at market rate, which will be a princely sum indeed. Only 33 will be marketed as affordable units, with rents running from $432 a month to $1,435 a month. Those will be awarded by lottery to a few lucky families. The fair-housing advocates call this a win-win. The developer nails down a nice profit and those 33 families get nice housing at low rents. But its a lose-lose from the Board of Educations point of view. The cost of educating each pupil is $17,167 per year, according to state Department of Education figures. But state aid covers only about $1,300 per pupil. In the past three years, enrollment grew by 1,300. Thats a hit of almost $20 million that mostly has to be absorbed through property taxes. The school system is also running out of space and is considering building additions to the current schools. That would be another big hit on property taxes that are already too high. That has led the Board of Education to suggest a novel approach. The board members are proposing to sue the Zoning Board for permitting all that housing. Left to their own devices, the leaders of such towns would pass zoning laws that limit growth to the carrying capacity of the schools, just as they limit growth to the carrying capacity of water and sewer systems. But they are not left to their own devices. In its two decision in the Mount Laurel zoning cases, the state Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution requires that towns avoid exclusionary zoning to limit growth. Thats led to the current situation in which developers can pretend to advance equality while pushing for the so-called builders remedy. That permits a developer to build large projects that have only a small percentage of affordable units, a mere 15 percent in the case of that Camelot development. State Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick said the Republican candidates for the 80 Assembly seats that are up this year will run on a platform of reversing the Mount Laurel decisions. The Mount Laurel decisions do not take into account the impact on the schools, said Bramnick, who is a lawyer. If you overcrowd the schools, why isnt that a violation of the constitution? Bramnick said the Republicans will demand that the state Legislature put a referendum on the November ballot to overturn Mount Laurel. Both houses are dominated by Democrats. So thats unlikely to happen. But many of the towns hardest hit by Mount Laurel are Democrat-controlled. Another prominent example is Cranford in Bramnicks own Union County. There, Hartz Mountain Industries is pushing to build a 905-unit rental complex in an area that is already subject to near-gridlock traffic around rush hour in that quaint little town. Hundreds of residents want to Keep Cranford Quaint and have shown up at hearing to oppose that plan. Jeffrey Surenian, the land-use attorney who represents Cranford and many other towns, says the intentions of the Mount Laurel decisions may have been good, but the result has been to put a lot of high-density housing where there is no room for it. Towns are under such pressure to meet high numbers that were over-developing the state, Surenian said. You might get a new home but youre not going to be able to drive a mile away from it. Republican Assemblyman Mike Carroll suggests erecting traffic cameras in some of the spots most subject to traffic jams, such as the intersection of Route 24 and Interstate 287 in his own Morris County. I would have signs put up next to the cameras saying, If youre not moving in traffic thank your local Democrats,' Carroll said. Actually, the Republicans have been just as guilty over the years. Christie Whitman had a Republican legislature during her time as governor. But instead of siding with the towns, she sided with the developers. Socialism is easy to oppose. As for crony capitalism, that gets bipartisan support Malachy McAllister has lived in New Jersey since Christie Whitman was governor, back when Woodland Park was called West Paterson and before The Sopranos made its television debut. Hes been here more than two decades on borrowed time but U.S. immigration officials have told him to leave the country by the end of April. McAllister, a former member of the paramilitary Irish National Liberation Army, fled Northern Ireland after serving time in prison for the attempted murder of British police officers during the period of civil strife known as the "Troubles. He came to New Jersey in 1996 as an asylum-seeker after he said British loyalists sprayed his family home with machine-gun fire, but U.S. immigration officials designated him a terrorist. Theyve spent the intervening years trying to deport him. Now McAllisters allies, including members of New Jerseys congressional delegation, are making eleventh-hour pleas with President Donald Trumps administration to delay his removal. Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties have introduced legislation that would allow him to stay for good. The lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Rep. Bill Pascrell, contend the Rutherford stone mason paid his debt to society long ago and has lived a quiet life, running two small businesses, ever since. Mr. McAllister has built roots in our state and has a close-knit family in our community, Pascrell told NJ Advance Media through a spokesman. Weve been going through this for years and had some close calls, but this is the most urgent its been. McAllister did not respond to a message seeking comment. He told The Irish Voice earlier this week that years of battling deportation had left him spent. I am absolutely afraid," he told the Irish-American news agency. Its like Ill have a red target on my back. Menendezs office confirmed Thursday he had spoken with acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan about the case. Deporting Malachy, putting his life at risk and taking him away from his children would be a travesty, the senator said through a spokesman. "It is my sincere hope that the Trump administration does the right thing. The Troubles were one of the most violent periods in modern European history, but the United States has never fully recognized the conflict between Irish Catholic separatists and British government forces as a civil war. So when McAllister appealed the denial of his asylum claim, federal courts acknowledged his family faced danger if they were forced to return home, but would not allow him to stay because of his criminal history. Over the years, he has gained the support of members of Congress, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a national fraternal group of Irish Catholics. In a statement, the Hibernians said McAllisters past is an open book which he has never tried to conceal, describing his role in the attacks on British police as the actions of a young man during the darkest days of the Troubles. But immigration officials in the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations have all sought to send him packing. According to an April 11 letter from lawmakers to Immigrations and Custom Enforcement officials, McAllister was told to buy a plane ticket to depart the country by April 30. But the lawmakers asked immigration officials to postpone his removal, citing a request from Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, for a six-month stay of deportation proceedings. The letter notes that Pascrell introduced private legislation that would allow McAllister and his adult children, Nicola and Sean, to remain in the U.S. Private legislation is a term for bills that affect specific individuals rather than the public at large. Menendez introduced similar legislation in the Senate. In a separate March letter, 28 members of Congress expressed support for McAllister, writing that the offenses for which Mr. McAllister was convicted occurred 36 years ago. He has never been convicted of any offenses within the United States. They also noted a 2006 court ruling, in which a federal judge wrote that the court could not grant McAllister and his relatives asylum because federal law was unnecessarily vague about terrorist activity that could block someone from staying in the U.S. The judge urged the Department of Justice to use its discretion to permit this deserving family to stay. That judge was Maryanne Trump-Barry, the presidents older sister. The president himself has not weighed in on McAllisters case, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not return a request for comment. S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Taking aim at her former boss, Bridget Anne Kelly angrily lashed out at ex-Gov. Chris Christie Wednesday after she was re-sentenced to 13 months in federal prison for her role in the Bridgegate scandal asking how he and others in Christies administration escaped scrutiny. Speaking out for the first time since her conviction in the ill-fated scheme of political retribution, Kelly turned her fury on the former governor and members of his administration. Kelly has long maintained Christie and others in the governors office knew about the scheme of political retribution at the George Washington Bridge and did nothing to stop it. The fact that I am on these steps in place of others from the Christie administration, and the governor himself, does not prove my guilt. It only proves that justice is not blind, she said, speaking from a prepared statement and at times choking back tears. It has favorites. It misses the mark. It misses the truth. And it picks winners and losers that are sometimes beyond anyones control. Kelly said that during her seven-week trial, the names of many of the governors closest associates were repeatedly heard, as was the governor himself. How did all these men all escape justice? Kelly asked. Chris Christie was allowed, without rebuttal from anyone, to say out of one side of his mouth that I was a low level staffer. A woman only good enough to plan menus and invite people to events. And then say out of the other side that I was somehow powerful enough to shut down the George Washington Bridge. She said there was only one person powerful enough to approve that, and that was the governor himself. Kelly said she has been silenced and intimidated, but would not remain quiet any longer. Mr Christie, you are a bully, and the days of you calling me a liar and destroying my life are over, she declared. The truth will be heard, and for the former governor, that truth will be unescapable, regardless of lucrative television deals or even future campaigns. I plan to make sure of that. Kelly, who served as Christies deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, were found guilty in November 2016 of plotting to shut down of several local access lanes to the toll plaza of the George Washington Bridge over four days in 2013 to create traffic havoc on local streets in Fort Lee. According to prosecutors, the scheme was meant as an act of retaliation aimed at Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, after the Democratic mayor walked away from an expected endorsement of Christie, a Republican, during the governors re-election campaign. Christie, through a spokesman, again denied he was told about the plan. As I have said before, I had no knowledge of this scheme prior to or during these lane realignments, and had no role in authorizing them. No credible evidence was ever presented to contradict that fact. Anything said to the contrary is simply untrue, said the former governor. Kellys re-sentencing before U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton in Newark came after a federal appeals court last year threw out a portion of the corruption case against Kelly. She originally had been sentenced to 18 months in prison. Federal prosecutors asked the judge to impose a term of 13 to 18 months. Her crime and attempts to cover it up remain very serious., said assistant U.S. attorney Vikas Khanna, who was a member of the prosecution team. Calling her conduct a flagrant and brazen abuse of power, he said Kelly delighted in a mayhem she caused and then she tried to cover up her crimes. Wigenton denied a request by defense attorney Michael Critchley for a sentence of home confinement, saying she had played a large role in the conspiracy. The facts spoke through the text messages, through the testimony and through the evidence, the judge said. So many people were affected by this. That gets lost in all this. Wigenton sentenced Kelly to 13 months in federal prison. The 46-year-old divorced mother of four, though, will remain free while an ongoing appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court goes on. At trial, Kelly testified that she told Christie in advance about the plan to close toll lanes at the bridge. She said she had gotten the governors approval for what she thought at the time was a legitimate traffic study, and claimed the traffic problems email she sent to David Wildstein, the admitted mastermind who came up with the traffic gridlock plan, referred to the implementation of the traffic study. And she said that other higher-ups in Christies inner circle were all well-aware of what was going on in Fort Lee long before it played out, and that no one seemed that concerned about it. Wildstein, in his testimony, said he told Christie about the lane closures and plan for retribution as as well, during a 9/11 Memorial ceremony in New York. Christie was never charged with any wrongdoing and denied any knowledge of the plan, but the high-profile case helped sink his presidential aspirations in 2016. Kelly was the author of the now-infamous "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee email sent shortly before the orange cones went up at the local toll lanes at the bridge a message that many saw as a smoking gun in the case and was a key piece of evidence used against her. Baroni and Kelly were ultimately found guilty of conspiring to misuse public resources of the Port Authority, which owns the George Washington Bridge, to pursue a personal vendetta. Wildstein pleaded guilty and was a major prosecution witness at the Bridgegate trial. He was sentenced to three years probation and 500 hours of community service In her petition for review before the Supreme Court, Kellys attorneys have argued that the prosecution case criminalized routine political behavior, transforming the federal judiciary into a Ministry of Truth for every public official in the nation. In their filing, they said the basis for her conviction was the concealment of political motives for an otherwise legitimate official act. Taken seriously, they said such a legal standard would allow any federal, state, or local official to be indicted based on nothing more than the allegation that someone lied in claiming to act in the public interest. There is no way that could possibly be the law, they said. Consider a cabinet secretary who appoints a friend to a public post, declaring him to be best-qualified. Or a deputy mayor who orders pothole repair to reward her bosss political base justifying it on neutral policy grounds. Earlier this month, Baroni reported to the Loretto Federal Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania to begin serving his 18-month prison sentence for his role in the Bridgegate case. He has joined Kelly in her Supreme Court appeal. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. You need two people to agree on something to have a deal. And apparently Gov. Phil Murphy didnt have that with his counterpart in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, when he announced Wednesday the two states came to a conceptual understanding on congestion pricing. Two sources familiar with the talks between the governors told NJ Advance Media that Cuomo said he didnt strike a deal with Murphy. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak publicly, But Murphy said Thursday hes sticking by what he said on Wednesday. My comments were based explicitly in principal to principal discussions with Gov. Cuomo. As I said, theres a conceptual understanding, as I put it, Murphy said at a news conference Thursday on a separate issue in Trenton. Pressed again whether there was a deal, Murphy responded: Conceptual understanding are the words Ive used and Ill continue to use. New York recently approved a first-in-the-nation plan that will impose fees, still undetermined, on drivers entering Manhattan south of 61st Street, possibly starting in 2021. As soon as the measure was approved Murphy spoke out against it, saying it would amount to a double tax for New Jersey commuters who travel to the city for work. On Wednesday, Murphy announced a preliminary deal that Jersey drivers would get credit toward congestion pricing fees in Manhattan for the tolls they pay at the three Hudson River crossings. The governor said he and Cuomo reached an agreement that drivers will get credit for congestion pricing fees for tolls paid, including those charged at the George Washington Bridge. We came to conceptual understanding if congestion pricing moves forward, it will be in a way that is fair to New Jersey, Murphy said Wednesday at a press conference in Bergen County. "New Jersey commuters will be treated fairly at all Hudson River crossings, including the George Washington Bridge. But within hours, the New York MTA which Cuomo effectively controls said there is no deal. MTA chairman and CEO Patrick Foye did not mince words: With all due respect to Gov. Murphy, we have no idea what he is talking about." Cuomo, meanwhile, has said he didnt strike a deal with Murphy, according to the two sources. Cuomos office declined to comment on Thursday. NJ Advance Media staff writer Larry Higgs contributed to this report. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. To defense attorney Michael Critchley, the epilogue of Bridgegate is about those never charged in the strange case of political hardball. The Boys of Bridgegate are doing very well for themselves, said Critchley, referring to the men allegedly associated with the ill-fated scheme. One is working in the White House. Former Gov. Chris Christie appears on television talk shows. Another boy got to serve his time in the comfort of his own home, on a horse farm. Meanwhile, Critchleys client, Bridget Anne Kelly, faces time in prison. Kelly was sentenced Wednesday to 13 months in prison for her role in the 2013 George Washington Bridge shutdown that would lead to a seven-week trial at which the names of others in the Christie administration would come up. But only Kelly, a deputy chief of staff to the governor, and Bill Baroni, a former Republican state senator who Christie appointed as the deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, are paying the price. Others, Critchley suggested, emerged virtually unscathed. And those were his Boys of Bridgegate, who the attorney said were players in the political drama that led to the deliberate shutdown of local access toll lanes at the George Washington Bridge in 2013. The reason: to cause massive traffic backups to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich after he backtracked on a Christie endorsement. None of them, he said, paid the price being exacted of Kelly. Bridget Anne Kelly, the former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Chris Christie, with her her attorney, Michael Critchley, after being re-sentenced to 13 months in jail.NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Kelly unleashed her fury as well, as she left the courthouse following her sentencing. The fact that I am on these steps in place of others from the Christie administration, and the governor himself, does not prove my guilt. It only proves that justice is not blind, she said. The truth will be heard and for the former governor, that truth will be unescapable, regardless of lucrative television deals or even future campaigns. I plan to make sure of that." Critchley said the governor, threw this woman under a bus and ran right over her. The others, he said, went on with their lives. Who were his boys of Bridgegate? Christie tops his list. Former Gov. Chris Christie speaks at the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey meeting last week.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for CHRIS CHRISTIE Now a commentator for ABC News and advisor to President Donald Trump, Christie has long denied any involvement in the lane closures at the nations busiest bridge. He was never charged. Kelly testified at trial that she told Christie about the lane closures, believing them to be part of a legitimate traffic study. And David Wildstein, the admitted mastermind of the plot, said he told Christie and others around the governor about the plan of retribution. Following her sentencing, Kelly came out firing against Christie, and said only the governor was powerful enough to approve Bridgegate. The truth will be heard and for the former governor, that truth will be unescapable, regardless of lucrative television deals or even future campaigns. I plan to make sure of that, she said. In a statement on Wednesday after Kellys sentencing, Christie said: As I have said before, I had no knowledge of this scheme prior to or during these lane realignments, and had no role in authorizing them. No credible evidence was ever presented to contradict that fact. Anything said to the contrary is simply untrue. Bill Stepien, left, chats with President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Rosendale in Montana.White House photo BILL STEPIEN Wildstein testified he informed Stepien ahead of the closures that they were planned as an act of political retaliation against the Fort Lee mayor. But he also testified he did not keep Stepien in the loop, and said Stepien told him he did not want to be involved in Port Authority business. In an email exchange with Wildstein, Stepien referred to the Fort Lee mayor as an idiot, and told Wildstein not to worry about early press coverage. Stepien was also never charged. An attorney for Stepien has repeatedly said his client had no role in the scheme to close lanes at the George Washington Bridge. Stepien now heads the White House Office of Political Affairs, and helped Trump get elected. He worked on the campaign as national field director and became political director after the president was elected. David Wildstein, who pleaded guilty in the Bridgegate scandal and was sentenced to probation, in a file photo.AP DAVID WILDSTEIN Wildstein has acknowledged he conceived and implemented the Bridgegate scheme, which he testified was aimed at helping Christie. In the late 1980s, Wildstein served two years as mayor of Livingston. Later, he edited a political blog under the pen name Wally Edge. And after Christie became governor, Wildstein was hired at the Port Authority at a $150,020-a-year patronage position, resigning shortly after the Bridgegate affair came to light. He cooperated early with the U.S. Attorneys office and testified against Kelly and Baroni at trial. The former Republican operative was sentenced to three years probation and 500 hours of community service. There should be no doubt that I deeply regret my actions at the George Washington Bridge, said Wildstein, at his sentencing. But Wildstein also sharply criticized the Christie administration. Each of us put our faith and trust in a man who neither earned nor deserved it," Wildstein said. I willingly drank the Kool-Aid of a man I knew since I was 15. He is now writing again and is the editor of New Jersey Globe. Then-Port Authority chairman David Samson talks with Gov. Chris Christie in a file photo.Star-Ledger DAVID SAMSON Samson served his time at home, at a South Carolina house in horse country. Samson, once a lawyer with powerful political connections, served as New Jerseys Attorney General under Democratic Gov. James McGreevey and was picked by Christie, a Republican, to be the Port Authoritys chairman. Emails show Samson was upset with attempts by then-Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye to reopen the lanes at the bridge, saying Foye was stirring up trouble. He resigned after it was revealed he was under investigation by the U.S. Attorney of New Jersey in connection with unrelated matters. Facing two years in prison over his successful efforts to force United Airlines to schedule a more convenient direct flight to his South Carolina getaway home by holding up the carriers efforts to build a new maintenance hangar at Newark, he got probation. Bridget Kelly with her Critchley at the federal courthouse.NJ Advance Media for NJ.com One boy, meanwhile, did not do so well. Bill Baroni is now in prison. In the course of my career I always thought I knew the difference between right and wrong, Baroni said at his own sentencing. But he told Wigenton that when he went to work for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and for the Christie administration, that line disappeared, in an effort to promote the interests of Christie. I wanted to be on the team, I wanted to please him, but I chose to get sucked into his cult and culture, he said. So by the time of this idea, to use the lanes of the George Washington Bridge to help his campaign, I no longer had that line of right and wrong to say no or to stop it. So, I didnt. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A day after a New Jersey jury convicted him of murder, Caleb McGillvary, known virally as Kai the Hitchhiker, announced on his supporters Facebook page that hell appeal - hopefully with the help of a famous lawyer. Due to not being able to fully present his case, Kai has been found guilty of murder. We will be filing an appeal as soon as possible, an update on the Kai the Hitchhiker Legal Support Page reads, where fans have been leaving comments of support and love since the day he was arrested six years ago. A jury in Union County found McGillvary guilty Wednesday of killing Joseph Galfy Jr., 73, of Clark, who was found dead in his home in May 2013, two days after he offered the hitchhiker a place to stay. This false conviction WILL be overturned. I just watched four weeks of railroading and with the most pathetic closing argument I have ever heard: a closing argument that flew in the face of facts and was designed only to harm my case," a message on the page reads. The 30-year-old blamed the outcome of his case on the inability to properly defend himself through his ineffective lawyer, John Cito, based in Edison. McGillvary claimed on the page that hes been documenting proof of misconduct, abuse of discretion and ineffectiveness of defense counsel. Hes searching for a REAL lawyer" now to argue his appeal, hoping to catch the eye of Kathleen Zellner of Netflixs famed Making a Murderer show or a representative of the Innocence Project. Cito, Zellner and the Innocence Project did not immediately respond to request for comment. McGillvary, an Alberta, Canada-native who illegally crossed the border into California, had been hitchhiking on the West coast when a bizarre TV interview in February 2013 racked up 7 million views on YouTube. McGillvary became known as Kai the Hitchhiker for attacking a white supremacist with a hatchet, saving two women in Fresno, California. In May 2013, he was implicated in Galfys murder, and hes been jailed in New Jersey since his arrest. The three-week trial focused on whether McGillvary committed murder or was acting in self defense. Since his arrest, hes alleged Galfy drugged and sexually assaulted him, and he beat Galfy while trying to escape. Caleb 'Kai the Hitchhiker' McGillvary and his lawyer John Cito listen as Judge Robert Kirsh addresses the court Tuesday morning before closing arguments. Several times during the testimony, McGillvary attempted to argue his own case, going against his lawyer and claiming the prosecution was infringing on his Sixth Amendment right. Judge Robert Kirsch nearly removed him from the courtroom for speaking out of turn or adding irrelevant facts which the 30-year-old said would have proved his case. The jury returned the guilty verdict on the second day of deliberations. McGillvary has 45 days to file an appeal. On the Facebook page, McGillvary also thanked his loyal supporters from across the country. A few of them attended the trial at Union County Superior Court every day, and the Legal Support Page has been updated nearly every day with a recap or a message from McGillvary. Such an inspiration how tirelessly optimistic he remains, despite all the injustices he constantly is facing.., a comment under the most recent post reads. Sounds like a real scumbag wanted to cash in on his wave and got touchy #metoo.... WE GOT UR BACK KAI, another commenter said. McGillvary is also raising money for his defense fund, which has raised $9,100 of its $15,000 goal. To all you highly valued and important supporters, I want you to know that this is not the end. WE WILL WIN against this corrupt and unjust prosecution. Keep your chin up and I appreciate you, the post said. Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. ANAHEIM, Calif. The Yankees made a trade out of desperation on Thursday. GM Brian Cashmans deal for Cleveland Indians Triple-A outfielder and well-traveled Cameron Maybin was a necessity. After all, the veteran of more than 1,000 big-league games is healthy. For now. Jack Curry of YES first reported the Yankees acquisition of Maybin, who joins the organization the day after the club announced that Clint Frazier would join fellow outfielders Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton and Jacoby Ellsbury on the injured list. Frazier has a tear in his left ankle, the Yankees said. According to Jon Heyman of the MLB Network, the Yanks picked up Maybin for cash. Maybin comes cheap because hes on the decline. He was hitting .216 with five RBI in 14 International League games this season with the Columbus Clippers, the Indians Triple-A affiliate. He spent the 2018 season playing for the Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners, hitting .249 with four homers, 28 RBI and 10 steals in 129 games. Maybin joined the Indians on a minor-league deal on March 29 after playing for the San Francisco Giants in spring training. The Giants signed Maybin to a minor-league deal in January thinking hed compete for a starting job this spring, but struggles at the plate plus an early spring training DUI arrest in Scottsdale, Ariz., led to him being released on March 23. Cameron Maybe There was no immediate word on whether Maybin, 32, would be added to the Yankees 25-man roster. Heading into Thursdays game against the Los Angeles Angels, the Yankees have three players who have played in the outfield: Brett Gardner, Mike Tauchman and natural infielder Tyler Wade, who started the last two games in left field. The guess is that Maybin will be added to the Yanks roster by Friday, when they begin an interleague series in San Francisco. What would Maybin bring? He plays all three outfield spots, hes fast and hes capable of contributing offensively. Maybin is a career .254 hitter in 1,039 career major league games with the Detroit Tigers (2007, 2016), Marlins (2009-10, 2018), San DIego Padres (2011-14), Atlanta Braves (2015), Angels (2017), Houston Astros (2017) and Mariners (2018). He ranks 18th among active players with 174 career stolen bases. Maybin apologized to reporters following his arrest. I take a lot of pride in how I carry myself and how I conduct myself, so Im very disappointed about the situation, Maybin said in March. I cant talk too much about the details of how it went, but I was extremely cooperative and extremely respectful. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook. ANAHEIM, Calif. Yankees manager Aaron Boone was tempted to stick hot-hitting outfielder Clint Frazier in his Tuesday night lineup even though hed tweaked his left ankle the night before sliding into second base. Why? Frazier had been insisting that he was good to go despite feeling some pain in his ankle and the Yankees medical staff had determined the issue wasnt even serious enough to warrant an MRI. And so, Frazier was rested for a game and expected back in the Yankees lineup for Wednesday nights game against the Los Angeles Angels. Nope. By then, Fraziers ankle was black-and-blue and swelled up pretty good, which led to a Wednesday MRI. The Yankees were still awaiting results by the time their 10:05 p.m., EST game began at Angel Stadium, so its unknown at this point whether Fraziers injury is nothing serious or will lead to yet another player going on the injured list. The IL is too full I am not trying to join that party, Frazier said. Frazier has been one of the Yankees best hitters since being recalled from Triple-A on April 1 when outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton went on the IL with a left biceps strain. In 18 games, Frazier is hitting .324 with six homers and 17 RBI. By Thursday, the Yankees should have a good idea how much more time, if any, Frazier will miss. Were kind of waiting on the results of that and well evaluate where he is, Boone said. Hes got a little bit of swelling and black-and-blue in there, so were just being cautious there and well wait on the results and see what weve got. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A 43-year-old man was arrested in Baton Rouge Thursday (April 25) in connection with a homicide in West Lake Forest, New Orleans police said. Alfred Simmons was booked with second-degree murder after police say he shot a woman, who authorities later identified as 44-year-old Shereen Smith, in the head on April 18. Smith was pronounced dead at the hospital. NOPDs Violent Offender Warrant Squad, a unit that tracks down people who are wanted for serious crimes, worked with U.S. State Marshals, NOPDs Homicide Unit and the Baton Rouge Police Department Homicide Division to locate and arrest Simmons, according to an NOPD news release. A week prior to Simmons arrest, police arrived at the scene in the 5000 block of Westlake Drive and found Smith in the middle of the road suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the shooting occurred in the 5000 block of Dwyer Road in Pines Village. Woman fatally shot in New Orleans East A 27-year-old man carjacked a ride-share driver after she picked him up in the Pines Village area of New Orleans East early Thursday (April 25), New Orleans police said. The man struck the 26-year-old woman and ripped her clothes off before pulling her from the car. Samuel Taylor, 27, was arrested and booked with carjacking and resisting an officer in connection to the attack that police said occurred around 12:55 a.m. Police said the driver picked Taylor up near the intersection of North Villere Street and Esplanade Avenue. Once they arrived in the 4500 block of Shalimar Drive, Taylor grabbed the car keys and exited the car. He tried to pull the driver out of the car, but was unsuccessful, police said. Then he demanded she get out of the car and started to strike her and rip off her clothes. Taylor pulled the driver out of the car and fled southbound in her car on Shalimar Drive, police said. Police arrested Taylor at the intersection of Crowder Boulevard and Morrison Road about 1 a.m., after an NOPD 7th District officer spotted the stolen car, a white Toyota Corolla, riding against traffic in the 7000 block of Morrison Road. The car had significant damage to the drivers side and its side curtain airbags deployed. The car ultimately stopped due to its damage, and Taylor ran from the vehicle, hopping fences, after the officer verbally identified himself, the NOPD later said in an April 30 news release. Additional officers arrived on scene, and Taylor was arrested. Taylors bond was set at $260,000, according to Orleans Parish court records. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Earlier, a cyclist snatched a 77-year-old womans purse off her shoulder while she was walking down St. Charles Avenue with her husband Wednesday night (April 24), police said. The simple robbery was reported in the 2200 block of St. Charles Avenue around 7:30 p.m., according to an initial police report. After grabbing the womans purse, the man fled on his bike. Around the same time, seven women got out of a silver car in Algiers and started to attack a 28-year-old woman. Laurinika Sterling, 29, is wanted after police suspect she cut the 28-year-old in her hand, toe and leg with a pocket knife. The 28-year-old woman was treated for her injuries at the scene in the 2200 block of Cobblestone Lane, police said. NOPD also reported a shooting in Seabrook where three people including two 15-year-old boys were injured. This post was updated Tuesday (April 30) with additional details on Samuel Taylors arrest. Triple shooting in Seabrook neighborhood: NOPD The New Orleans Police Department was investigating a fatal shooting Thursday afternoon (April 25) in the 2600 block of General DeGaulle Drive in Algiers. Police said a male victim had an apparent gunshot wound. At the scene at about 3 p.m., police had cordoned off the parking lot to a Shell station in the block. Black screens, placed in front of the adjacent Brothers Food Mart, shielded a mans body on the ground. NOPD spokesman Gary Scheets said the man was shot outside of Calvary Baptist Church, next door to the gas station, before he collapsed in front of the food mart and died of his gunshot wound. Motorists slowed down as they drove past the detectives placing evidence cones outside the church. No other details were immediately available. Check back with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune for more information. The accused gunman in two New Orleans East shootings targeted members of a Plum Orchard family first firing on a 22-year-old man and his toddler son in January, and then shooting the 22-year-olds stepfather in March, according to arrest documents. Jermaine Sandifer, 19, was booked last week with attempted second-degree murder in the March shooting, which left the stepfather bleeding profusely from several gunshot wounds, Sandifers arrest documents state. The stepfather told investigators that his stepson and Sandifer had been in several altercations in the past, according to Sandifers arrest documents, sworn by NOPD Detective Shonndell Fields. The documents did not include details on the dispute between the two men but cited the Jan. 22 shooting as one of several incidents in which police were called. During interviews with detectives, the 34-year-old stepfather said he had just parked in his driveway around 5:30 a.m. March 2 and was getting out of his vehicle when two men exited a white Nissan car parked nearby. shattered glass from the vehicles windows, said NOPD spokesman Aaron Looney. The shooter, later identified as Sandifer, was driving a white Nissan Versa, police said. Sandifer was initially thought to be the victim in the shooting, as he arrived at a local hospital with an apparent gunshot wound to the stomach, according to NOPD spokesman Aaron Looney. However, detectives ultimately determined Sandifer had acted as the perpetrator and fired on the victims vehicle. The exact cause of Sandifers injury remains undetermined, Looney said. Sandifer was booked Feb. 16 with two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of negligent injuring and illegal use of a weapon in connection with the January shooting. Orleans Parish Magistrate Judge Albert Thibodeaux set his bond at $8,000, court records show. Its not clear when Sandifer got out of jail but two weeks after his arrest, investigators believe he and another gunman opened fire on the 22-year-olds stepfather outside of his home on Wilson Avenue in Plum Orchard. During interviews with detectives, the 34-year-oldstepfather said he had just parked in his driveway around 5:30 a.m. March 2 and was getting out of his vehicle when two men exited a white Nissan car parked nearby. Both men began firing at the stepfather, who ran toward his front door amid a rapid succession of gunshots, according to Sandifers arrest warrant. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Shot several times, the stepfather scrambled back to his vehicle upon realizing that his children were home and could be harmed if he went inside. As the stepfather hid in the front part of the SUV, the two gunmen approached on either side of the vehicle and continued to fire, striking the vehicle, arrest documents say. Investigators later found over 40 spent shell casings at the scene, trailing from the shooters parking spot on Wilson Avenue to the victims SUV, which had bullet holes on both the drivers and passengers sides and in both rear and front windshields. Bullets also struck the stepfathers house, according to Sandifers arrest warrant. After the gunfire stopped, the stepfather went into his home, where his children tended to him. Responding officers found the stepfather on a sofa in his living room, bleeding heavily. He had been struck twice in his lower body and once in the foot, resulting in a substantial amount of blood on the living room floor and inside of his SUV. He was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, Fields wrote in arrest documents. Sandifer was booked April 16 in the March shooting, after a witness identified him as the gunman from a photographic lineup. Police have not said whether any other suspects have been identified in the shooting. Along with the attempted murder charge, Sandifer is accused of two counts of aggravated criminal damage to property and one count of discharging a firearm during a violent crime in the March shooting. Orleans Parish Magistrate Judge Harry E. Cantrell set Sandifers bond at $100,000, including $75,000 for the attempted murder charge. Sandifer, represented by private defense attorney Eusi Phillips, also signed a non-domestic stay-away order, Orleans Parish court records show. As of Tuesday night, Sandifer was no longer in jail, according to online jail records. Laura McKnight covers crime and breaking news for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Warren Easton Charter High School is still the most popular pick among 9th graders more than three years after the A-rated school joined the OneApp. Warren Easton, the oldest public high school in New Orleans, enrolls only 991 students this year in four grades, but more than 2,400 students applied for a 9th grade seat, according to data released Wednesday. This is the first time the Orleans Parish School Board has managed the computerized OneApp common application system for New Orleans public schools after the state-run Recovery School District launched the system in 2012. A total of 12,790 students applied for school placements for the 2019-2020 school year, up from 12,227 applicants for the previous school year. The A-rated Hynes Charter School in Lakeview continued to be the most popular pick for kindergarten. The results overall show high demand for limited seats at the citys A and B schools. OneApps "match rate, which measures a students success in being placed at a school they listed in their application, remained flat at 75 percent. Thats the systems lowest match rate in seven years. Nearly 70 percent of applicants were assigned to one of their top three choices. In a statement, OPSB Superintendent Henderson Lewis, Jr. said that making OneApp an effective program is one of the boards biggest focuses. Although Lewis said hes proud of the changes made to improve school enrollment, he admitted the district has a long way to go. Among the students entering kindergarten and 9th grade, 82 percent of them were matched to one of their top three choices and 88 percent were matched overall, the OPSB stated. Across all ages infant to 4 years old, 69 percent of early childhood applicants completed verification and were eligible for placement. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Overall, 80 percent of eligible four year olds were matched to a preferred early childhood program, while only 26 percent of eligible 2 year olds were matched to a preferred program. More information about this years results is available on the OPSBs website. Parents can also see the results from 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. If parents are happy with their results, they should register their child at their assigned school by June 14, according to OPSB spokeswoman Tania Dall. Otherwise, parents may lose their seat in the second round of OneApp, which opens April 29 and closes May 31. If parents are dissatisfied with their results, they can seek a new school during the second round. Parents: Are you happy with the results? What are your plans? Let us know in the comments. All you need to know about OneApp as New Orleans school enrollment starts - including its latest fix 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. The start of the first day of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Thursday (April 25) has been delayed due to weather conditions, according to the festivals Twitter account. Its not known yet when the festival will open. A tweet urged followers to check back for the time the gates will open. Gates had previously been scheduled to open at 11 a.m., with the first performances beginning at 11:15 a.m. Scheduled headliners for today are Earth, Wind & Fire on the Acura Stage at 5:25 p.m.; Alanis Morissette on the Gentilly Stage at 5:40 p.m.; Ciara, Congo Square Stage, 5:55 p.m.; The Doobie Brothers, Acura, 3:30 p.m.; and Boyfriend, Gentilly Stage, 4:05 p.m. For updates on the weather, read our live updates here. Check back with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune for more details. Louisiana will get $94.7 million in fiscal year 2018 Gulf of Mexico offshore oil revenue, almost $12 million more than the previous year, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced Thursday (April 25). The state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority will get $75.8 million of the money, which can be used for flood protection and coastal restoration projects. The states 19 coastal parishes will distribute $18.9 million. The 2018 take equivalent to 37.5 percent of federal revenue from oil and gas production in the Gulf is still far short of the maximum $176 million per year that the state and local parishes could receive under the revenue-sharing formula in the federal Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. But it will provide a shot in the arm for both state and parish restoration and flood projects awaiting funding. This is the second year Louisiana will get that larger percentage of GOMESA revenue, which comes from newer oil and gas production in the Gulf. The states share is expected to increase in future years as new oil and gas wells are discovered and developed. Use $350 million in surplus, Gulf oil money for levees and coast: Edwards Louisiana receives by far the greatest share of the nearly $215 million in Gulf revenue shared with states. Alabama will receive $30.6 million, Mississippis share is $31.7 million, and Texas will get $57.9 million. Under President Trumps leadership, Interior continues to deliver on the promise of advancing American energy security and economic prosperity, said Interior Secretary David Bernhardt in a news release. These disbursements shared directly with the Gulf producing states and local communities are a direct result of the responsible development of our energy resources. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, in a statement, said: This funding is critical to our efforts to restore and protect our coast and will allow the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to construct hurricane protection and coastal restoration projects that will better protect our communities, help restore our coast, and make our state more resilient. The distribution was praised by the states congressional delegation. Revenues from oil and gas activity in the Gulf of Mexico are vital to restoring our coast and protecting coastal communities, which is why Ive fought to protect this revenue sharing from attempts to raid it, said House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, in a news release. GOMESA revenue is essential to restore and protect Louisianas coasts, said Sen. Bill Cassidy in a news release. I thank the Trump administration for their support of this funding and will continue to work with them, and the entire Louisiana delegation, to preserve this important program. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Energy producing states along the Gulf Coast have waited a long time to start getting a fair share of offshore energy revenues, especially in Louisiana where the Gulf has eroded over 2,000 square miles of our coast, said U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge. Every single penny of this funding will be invested in urgent coastal restoration and hurricane protection efforts to protect Louisiana lives, communities, culture and a nationally-important economic engine responsible for 80 to 90 percent of all offshore energy production in federal waters in the United States. In January, Edwards announced that the state would use GOMESA money from fiscal years 2017 and 2018 and money from future years for a variety of projects that will be included in the states budgets for fiscal years 2020 to 2022, including: Funding segments of the Morganza to the Gulf hurricane levee system in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, $22 million. Coastal parishes also have a variety of projects that will use a share of the offshore money. These funds are encouraging to the partnership between the South Lafourche Levee District and Lafourche Parish Government which is focused on improving Louisiana Highway 1, the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico, to expand international energy supply, said Lafourche Parish President James Cantrelle. Additionally, coastal projects with the North Lafourche Levee District such as the Grand Bayou Freshwater Reintroduction and the Lake Fields and Lake Long Restoration would not be possible without the support of GOMESA." These revenue dollars are important to making the long term investments well need to restore our coast, keep our communities safe, and protect our unique culture and way of life, said Plaquemines Parish President Kirk Lepine. St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis said the funds will allow the parish to develop economic and environmental sustainability. As a life-long resident of this parish, it is gratifying to finally see energy resources playing a direct role in the conservation of the surrounding areas they extract from, McInnis said. The parish shares of the money include: Assumption, $624,302 Mark Schleifstein covers the environment and is a leader of the Louisiana Coastal Reporting Team for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Email: mschleifstein@nola.com. Facebook: Mark Schleifstein and Louisiana Coastal Watch. Twitter: MSchleifstein. Correction: An earlier version of this story said the fiscal year 2018 offshore oil revenue payment to Louisiana would be almost $13 million more than 2017. It would be almost $12 million more than 2017. Can a proposed $2.5 billion, 20-million-barrel crude oil export terminal on the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish coexist with Louisianas planned $1.4 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion next door? The state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is negotiating an agreement with the Plaquemines Port and Harbor Terminal District and Plaquemines Liquid Terminal LLC that could declare the project to be consistent with the states coastal master plan if the project can show it will not interfere with the diversion or adversely affect adjacent wetlands. The consistency determination is required by a state law aimed at protecting major coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects from the impact of economic development. The facility must obtain environmental and operating permits from a variety of federal and state agencies, including the the state Department of Natural Resources, before it begins construction. The CPRA would file its consistency determination with DNR, and a negative determination would likely veto that permit. The terminal is a joint project of the port district, Tallgrass Energy LP, and Drexel Hamilton, a Philadelphia-based investment firm. It would receive oil from a 700-mile, 30-inch-wide Seahorse Pipeline that would run from Cushing, Okla., to an unnamed location in St. James Parish, and then south to the terminal. Some oil would be moved to the terminal by rail. The project would be built just south of the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery on property the port bought from RAM Terminals LLC, which failed in an attempt to build a coal export terminal there. The state Department of Natural Resources issued a permit for the RAM facility in 2013, but a Plaquemines Parish judge threw out the permit, saying the state hadnt considered alternative sites. In April 2016, the state issued a second permit, but it was put on hold when officials asked for information about potential impacts on the diversion. The RAM projects federal and state permit applications expired in December 2017, and the company later sold the land to the Plaquemines port. The port is governed by a nine-member board, made up of all Plaquemines Parish Council members. The terminal would be on the 200 acres of the 600-acre former RAM site closest to the river, and the state diversion would run across the port property from the river to northern Barataria Bay just downriver from the terminal. Proposed oil export terminal may conflict with Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion In September, CPRA officials said they did not have enough information to make a consistency determination based on data provided by the port and terminal company about the project in filings for permits with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Army Corps of Engineers and state Department of Natural Resources. A month earlier, an official with AECOM, a contracting firm overseeing engineering and design of the diversion for the state, warned that a 2012 study by the Water Institute of the Gulf indicated the docking facility that had been designed for the proposed RAM coal terminal would have reduced the amount of sediment captured by the diversion by as much as 17 percent. The docking facility proposed for the oil terminal is significantly larger, and much larger ships would be using it. Plaquemines oil terminal could reduce land-building sediment for Mid-Barataria diversion Officials with Healthy Gulf, formerly the Gulf Restoration Network, obtained last week a copy of a draft memorandum of understanding between the CPRA, the port and the terminal outlining a path for the project to receive the required CPRA approval. The environmental group obtained the document through a Louisiana Public Records Act request. Representatives of Healthy Gulf and other environmental groups say they doubt the terminal can be consistent with the diversion for several reasons: - The terminals docking facilities in the river would be built atop a sand berm that would be the source of sediment captured by the diversion, and the structure would limit the amount of sand moving into the diversion. - The huge Post Panamax oceangoing vessels that would take advantage of the expected deepening of the rivers channel to minus 50 feet and use the terminal are likely to interfere with the ability of the diversion to capture sediment. - Construction of the project and its associated pipelines that will bring oil to its storage tanks would destroy wetlands. The environmental groups also argue that the sand berm on which the terminal is to be built is also a potential source of sediment to be used by the Army Corps of Engineers to build an underwater sill downstream to block the upriver flow of saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico when the Mississippi River is very low. The sill was built in 1988 and 1999 to assure water intake structures in St. Bernard, Plaquemines, New Orleans and Jefferson Parish are protected from salt water. PLT's application is incomplete. They know it, and they are in denial of basic science. They have submitted a bad application and applied political pressure to CPRA, said Scott Eustis, community science director with Healthy Gulf. There's no reason to build a deepwater port on a sandbar essential for coastal restoration and important for our drinking water. Put this somewhere else--almost any other site would have less impact. This facility at the proposed location would significantly weaken and add enormous risk to the most important coastal restoration project in our states history, said David Muth, director of gulf restoration with the National Wildlife Federation and a member of the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up That cannot be consistent with our states plan for saving our coast, Muth said. The state has demonstrated its deep commitment to coastal restoration. This project could undermine that progress. With the Gulf of Mexico inching every day closer, Louisiana cannot afford business as usual. But CPRA chairman Chip Kline said it is the authoritys obligation to try to find ways to allow both projects to be developed that would meet the states restoration goals and also support industrial development. We have been asked to try to find a way to coexist with this facility, Kline said. The state has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to get us where we are on this sediment diversion project. Its the agencys number one priority, he said. But having said that, one of the main objectives of the Master Plan is to preserve our working coast. We must strike that balance. Theres a few remaining issues we need to work through, and that could take a couple of weeks, Kline said. He said CPRA is aiming at providing an initial conditional consistency determination, based on the design and construction of the terminal, and will revisit the determination as it becomes more clear whether the terminals operations would affect the diversion. The details would be spelled out in the initial memorandum of understanding, which he said may be approved in a final form within a month. A more detailed memorandum of agreement would be approved by all parties after a new study of the effects of the terminal on sediment flow and on shipping are completed. That study would be paid for by the port and terminal, according to the draft memo. The draft version of the memorandum of understanding would commit the CPRA to an initial notification of state Department of Natural Resources permitting officials that the terminal project is not inconsistent with CPRAs Master Plan. The draft points out that CPRA would be required to make a new consistency determination if any changes were made in the terminal plans. The draft also requires the port authority and terminal to perform a study aimed at assuring the terminal would not interfere with the diversion, including sediment transport modeling and a navigation study aimed at determining the effects of the large ships using the terminal on the diversion. The results of the sediment transport modeling and navigation study may require that CPRA impose certain terms and conditions on the construction, operation and administration of the project to insure it does not have any unreasonable adverse impacts on the design, construction and operation of the diversion. Those conditions could include restrictions on operation of the terminal during high water periods when the greatest amount of sediment is expected to be captured by the diversion, Kline said, adding that such decisions would be guided in part by the sediment modeling to be conducted by the terminal. The conditions also could require mitigation by the terminal of any sediment reductions it causes. Kline said that might include the terminal paying to dredge sediment from inside the river and feeding it into the diversion. The draft also says that after an initial consistency determination, if CPRA determines the terminal is having unreasonable impacts on the diversion and the terminals mitigation efforts are inadequate, the terminal at its sole cost, shall modify the project by redesigning, reconstructing, relocating or removing components of the facility that are causing the problem. However, the draft also includes a complicated hold harmless clause that might cause financial problems for the state down the road. While it prohibits the port authority or terminal from holding the state responsible for any liability or losses resulting from future changes triggered by the consistency requirements, the clause also says that if the port or terminal are forced to abandon the terminal or not proceed with its construction as a result of any CPRA redesign or relocation requirements, the agreement does not obligate the port and terminal to hold harmless any such persons for any losses or liabilities resulting from such abandonment or determination. The clause also would not require the port district from defending the state against claims by unrelated third parties from such actions, which might leave the door open for a foreign corporation or government to sue the state if the terminal was unable to meet the terms of a long-term oil supply contract resulting from state-required changes. The draft memo does include language giving the state the ability to buy the port property necessary to build the diversion, and requires the terminal to remove all existing mooring piles located in the footprint of the proposed docking facility. Removing other piles would be the responsibility of the CPRA. It also prohibits the port district and the terminal company from engaging in any act whatsoever resulting in the interference with or the delay of the (diversion). That may be significant, considering some opposition to the diversion that has cropped up on the part of Plaquemines Parish council members, who are concerned the diversion will adversely affect commercial fishing. Mark Schleifstein covers the environment and is a leader of the Louisiana Coastal Reporting Team for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Email: mschleifstein@nola.com. Facebook: Mark Schleifstein and Louisiana Coastal Watch. Twitter: MSchleifstein. Iowa Congressman Steve King told supporters this week that he now has better insight into what (Jesus Christ) went through for us" after being censored by fellow House Republicans for making racist and bigoted comments. For all that Ive been through and it seems even strange for me to say but I am at a certain peace, and it is because of a lot of prayers for me, King told about 30 people at a town hall meeting Tuesday (April 23) in Cherokee, Iowa. And, when I have to step down to the floor of the House of Representatives and look up at those 400-and-some accusers, you know we just passed through Easter and Christs passion, and I have better insight into what He went through for us partly because of that experience. Mayor Cantrell isnt blinking in tourist tax showdown The parallels may not be immediately obvious to everyone. Jesus was beaten, scourged, spat on, verbally abused and forced to carry a heavy crossbeam on his bloody back before being nailed on a cross to die in excruciating pain although he was innocent and blameless. King received a public reprimand by a House vote of 421-1 and was stripped of his committee assignments for the next two years for his response to The New York Times questions about his history of using racist language and promoting neo-Nazis on Twitter. White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization how did that language become offensive?" King asked. "Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization? Kings Christ-like suffering apparently has not humbled him. He asked supporters at a similar meeting in February to pray for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to restore his committee assignments even after recently making racist comments about Hurricane Katrina survivors. Kings comments are reminiscent of a sign put up by an Alabama church in 2017 after Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore saw his electoral prospects severely damaged by accusations of inappropriate sexual or social conduct with teenage girls when he was in his 30s. They falsely accused Jesus," the sign said. "Vote Roy Moore. These delusions of deity might also put some New Orleans residents in mind of one of the most bizarre moments in the city's eccentric political history. In March 2006, then-Clerk of Criminal District Court Kimberly Williamson Butler was arrested on a contempt of court charge stemming from an administrative dispute with Criminal District Court judges over a stalled FEMA application and the cleanup of a flooded evidence room. Butler emerged from her jail cell a changed woman, although not exactly repentant or rehabilitated. "I represent every person who feels that their voice hasn't been heard, every person who has been incarcerated, right or wrongly," said Butler, a Democrat who was then planning to run for mayor of New Orleans. "I can rank myself among many heroes: Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi and Nelson Mandela." Parks civil disobedience launched a bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., that became a turning point in the fight for Civil Rights in America. King and Gandhi led world-changing nonviolent protest movements that helped free oppressed peoples before they were assassinated. Mandela spent 27 years in prison resisting the evils of South African apartheid before leading the country into reconciliation. Butler cheesed off some judges with behavior best described as petty and spent 72 hours in a cell she had all to herself. These super-inflated claims are an insult to history, the inspiration of true self-sacrifice and to common decency. Mayor Cantrell at odds with Councilwoman Cantrell Perhaps King, Moore and Butler, who all made a point of publicly proclaiming their religious faith and sometimes lamenting the persecution they received for it, would do well to consider the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:3: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Amen. Tim Morris is a columnist on the Latitude team at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Latitude is a place to share opinions about the challenges facing Louisiana. Follow @LatitudeNOLA on Facebook and Twitter. Write to Tim at tmorris@nola.com. The Times-Picayune editorial board makes the following recommendation for the May 4 ballot. JEFFERSON PARISH SCHOOL TAX PROPOSITION To levy a new 7.9-mill property tax to pay for salary increases for teachers and other school employees Yes Although they work in the largest school system in Louisiana, Jefferson Parish teachers are paid less than teachers in seven other districts in our region. Jeffersons $41,199 entry-level teacher salary is almost $3,000 lower than the southeastern Louisiana regional average, according to the Bureau of Governmental Research. Jefferson schools have lost more than 1,500 teachers in the past three years, BGR said in its analysis of the tax proposal. In 2017-18, the system lost 16 percent of its teachers, BGR said. Jefferson school systems $29 million tax hike endorsed by Bureau of Governmental Research The system in particular has difficulty holding onto teachers who are at the beginning of their careers. And it has a tough time filling teaching positions for certain subjects and in schools that have a large number of students from low-income families or who are learning English. If the tax passes, entry-level salaries would increase to $46,000 a year. The tax also would allow the school system to provide stipends to high-performing teachers or to fill high-priority jobs. That strategy should help with retention, BGR said. The proposed pay raises are part of a comprehensive plan to improve parish schools and raise the systems state grade from a C to an A. All of the goals of the plan, 2024: The Future Our Kids Deserve, are ambitious: Improving the graduation rate from 71.8 percent now to 90 percent by 2024. Increasing the average ACT score from 18.7 now to 20. Getting every middle school student to perform on grade level in math and English by the end of eighth-grade. Currently, 38 percent in math and 60 percent in English reach that level. Getting every third-grader to perform on grade level in math and English. Currently, 70 percent are on grade in math and 64 percent in English. Increasing the percentage of children meeting pre-K expectations from 93 percent now to 98 percent in 2024. The Jefferson strategic plan also includes standards for teachers, principals and School Board members. A five-year window is a short timetable for a school system, especially one like Jeffersons with more than 51,000 students. But that is a large chunk of a childs academic life. So, Superintendent Cade Brumley is smart to want to improve quickly. The tax increase is backed by the Jefferson Chamber, the Jefferson Business Council, the Westbank Business & Industry Association, the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors, the Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO and the Home Builders of Greater New Orleans, according to a chamber news release. If the tax passes, the owner of a $224,000 home with a homestead exemption would pay $117.71 more in property taxes per year, BGR said. Reforming our schools by providing adequate funding can simply be transformational for Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Chamber president Todd Murphy said. And it could be transformational for the children who attend the parishs public schools. As a scientist at LSU, Dr. Catherine O'Neal knew the COVID-19 vaccines had undergone rigorous safety testing before they were made available for children. But when the time came to sign her own kids up for the jab, the mother of three experienced Currently in New Orleans 58F Fair 59F / 45F The Council Bluffs Community School District Board of Education will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on May 28 on extending the districts instructional support levy for an additional five years, the board decided during its meeting Tuesday. The levy, which wont actually expire until 2021, raises money for classroom instruction. The rate for next year will be $1.69 per $1,000 taxable valuation, but it fluctuates slightly, based on a state formula, according to Diane Ostrowski, chief communications officer. The levy can be extended for another five years by a vote of the board. To extend it for 10 years would require a vote of the public. The board approved the purchase of 60 interactive flat-panel displays for the Madison Campus from Kansas City Audio-Visual at a cost of $136,500. The monitors will be on portable carts so they can be moved to the desired location in classrooms and will have wireless connectivity, said David Fringer, chief technology officer. Our long-term plan is to expand the use of these across the district, he said. Similar units will replace permanent projectors and fixed screens at Kirn Middle School, and the Madison Campus displays will likely be moved to Wilson Middle School once it is renovated, Fringer said. The board recognized March certified and support staff members of the month Ryan Boege, Spanish teacher at Carter Lake Elementary School; and Kayla Thomas, paraeducator at Roosevelt Elementary. Boege incorporates singing, dancing and actions into his teaching and uses trauma-informed practices for a positive impact, according to his nomination. He also hosts a coffee talk weekly for staff. Thomas is flexible, dedicated, caring and collaborative and works effectively with students, her nomination stated. She works with a positive attitude to help students and teachers be successful. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. General terms and conditions for use of Nordea's websites Read these terms carefully before you access to the following Nordeas website (the Site). 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Proposed updates to Nebraskas Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Act by state Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg advanced Wednesday, thanks to a legislative maneuver that effectively gave them a new bill number. Senators gave 38-0 first-round approval to Legislative Bill 560, which originally also addressed the 20-year-old tax credit program. Lawmakers agreed to replace its content with that of Williams LB 623 before advancing the rewritten measure. The program, administered through the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, seeks to encourage new farmers or ranchers by granting tax credits when they rent cropland, pasture or farm machinery from another producer. Both the existing and new producers receive income tax credits, while the beginning farmer or rancher also receives a personal property tax exemption of up to $100,000 for machinery they rent. The revised LB 560, like Williams original bill, clarifies that the programs tax credits are refundable and allows those already taking part to apply later for tax credits involving different agricultural assets. You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. Save-A-Lot has opened a supermarket in the unincorporated community of South Haven in Porter County, which had lacked a grocery store after Al's Supermarket closed in the spring of 2017. The Missouri-based chain of "low-price grocery stores" took over about 18,500 square feet of the former Al's space at 390 U.S. 6. The building previously had been home to Costas Foods and Wonderland Discount Store. Al's, a local chain with locations in Michigan City, LaPorte and New Buffalo, Michigan, had operated a store there since 1996, but faced increased competition from Aldi and Meijer a few miles down the road in Portage, as well as from non-traditional grocers like dollar stores during a time when the grocery industry has struggled with price depreciation. Save-A-Lot, a national discount supermarket chain, also has local locations in Merrillville, Hammond, Michigan City and Kouts. The company said it keeps prices low by operating smaller stores with wider aisles and a limited selection of about 1,800 items that customers purchase most, reducing its overhead on rent, labor and other business expenses. Frugal like rival Aldi, Save-A-Lot encourages customers to bring their own bags and charges a fee to use the store's bags. A promotion around the movie "The Curse of La Llorona" using traditional Mexican healers for "spiritual cleansings" before screenings of the horror film is drawing strong criticism from healers and scholars who say the stunts are offensive and demeaning. Leading up to last week's release of the movie based on a Mexican folktale, Warner Bros. invited healers known as curanderos to give audiences cleanings called "limpias." The studio also dispatched Cuban-born, Los Angeles-based healer Salvador Gata to "bless" an audience before the March 15 premiere at SXSW at The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. In addition, photos posted on social media show images of supposed healers providing ceremonial cleansings in front of posters of "The Curse of La Llorona," then celebrating as if attending a party. "I'm working on the movie 'La Llorona' and am looking for a curandero to do limpias before my movie screenings," publicist Nahir Wold wrote San Diego-based curandera Grace Sesma in an email. "Let me know if this is something you would be interested in doing!" Sesma said she ignored the invite until she started seeing photos of purported limpias at screenings online. That angered her and she posted the email on her Facebook page. She plays Jenny, a New York aspiring music writer whose nine year relationship with her boyfriend Nate (an excellent Lakeith Stanfield) is ending. The impetus is a new job with Rolling Stone that will take Jenny to San Francisco, a move that Nate doesn't want to make. Their entire relationship, from meeting to breakup, passes in a two-minute montage of texts, emails and Instagram posts. It's a concise if dispiriting way to sum up a life together: a relationship as lived on social media. Taking place in the acutely emotional days after their split, "Someone Great" is about passing through that anguished crucible of heartbreak. Everywhere prompts a flashback: a Vampire Weekend song, a meaningful spot in Washington Square Park. Erin (Wise) and Blair (Snow) come to Jenny's rescue, joining her for an odyssey around New York (RuPaul, Rosario Dawson, Questlove and Jaboukie Young-White make cameos) that concludes with a concert that Nate is believed to be attending, too. Page: I'm rather pleased that we did it, because we sort of looked still similar to what we looked now, and, yeah, we did a really good job. But I don't think there's going to be another one. AP: Let's talk about your earliest recollection with the guitar. Page: I was taking my guitar to school so that I could play at recess because I became so involved with it, we became inseparable. I had to do my academic studies, that was the deal I had with my dad. And the rest of the time I could play guitar. So, I took that one step further: I would take that to school and play at recess. AP: Your guitar work for Led Zeppelin was far ahead of the curve... Page: I'd like to think that it was, because the first album, I sort of knew, as we were doing the tracks, exactly how I was going to layer everything and the textures of them.... There's a variety of moods on 'Led Zeppelin I.' So, again, it was me challenging and pushing as far as I possibly could, not even thinking of my limitations, just going beyond, beyond, beyond. AP: What's it like having your guitars in the Met? CROWN POINT A man being held in Illinois in connection with three armed robberies was charged Wednesday in Lake Criminal Court with robbing a Hammond restaurant. Jonathan E. Payne, 18, ordered a chocolate doughnut April 8 at the Dunkin' Donuts at 7410 Kennedy Ave., slid $2 across the counter, and pointed a gun at the cashier once the register was open, court records allege. Payne told the cashier to step back or "I'll blow that b----," jumped over the counter and ran out of the business with a cash drawer, records say. A video taken during the robbery showed Payne fled in a dark-colored Kia, which had been reported stolen out of Robbins, Illinois. Payne was arrested April 10 at a motel in Markham, Illinois, after police tracked the Kia there. Police surrounded the motel and called out Payne, who exited the room after "lengthy negotiations," the Posen (Illinois) Police Department said. A .25-caliber pistol and the cash drawer from Hammond were found inside the motel room, records say. A lawsuit filed on behalf of a third woman remains pending in U.S. District Court in Hammond. Fryzel's attorneys in the federal lawsuit in February asked for a stay until their client's criminal case is resolved. Fryzel took the Fifth Amendment during a deposition in the civil lawsuit, but plans to file a motion for summary judgment that will be supported by his own testimony, his attorneys wrote. "The subject matter of the criminal and civil allegations involving (the woman) and Fryzel are the same, and it would be unduly burdensome and unfairly prejudicial for Fryzel to forgo defending himself in the civil case to preserve his defense to the criminal charges," the attorneys wrote. Chief Judge Theresa Springmann set a May 10 deadline for all parties to file dispositive motions, including a motion for summary judgment. "No further stays, continuances, or extensions of the dispositive motions deadline will be allowed," the judge wrote. "None of us at any point were contacted or asked for any input on these substantial changes to the NICTD board, which is of a particular interest to the districts we represent," they said. "We were ready to help on matters like these, including one of the largest economic development projects in the state of Indiana, and would have greatly appreciated inclusion in the governors discussions." Other budget components include a requirement that all health insurance policies sold in Indiana cover Hoosiers with pre-existing medical conditions, regardless of the outcome of a federal lawsuit, supported by the state, that seeks to invalidate the entirety of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, including its requirement for mandatory coverage of pre-existing conditions. The budget also allocates $2.3 million to a reconstituted Kankakee River Basin and Yellow River Basin Development Commission for flood control projects in eight Northwest Indiana counties, until the new flood prevention fee in House Enrolled Act 1270 takes effect in 2021. She said the process could take anywhere from two months to a couple of years to complete. In the four short years I have had the privilege to serve as your bishop it has been a great joy to encounter many of you in my visits to our parishes and schools, Hying said. He said when he first learned of his return to Wisconsin, I felt a particular regret knowing I will no longer share in the continued renewal that is taking place and thinking about all the wonderful people I will miss. The Rev. Jeff Burton, of St. Paul Church in Valparaiso, said Hying will be remembered fondly. He was a great fit," he said. "He came from a blue-collar background. Burton said Hying personally tended to the parishioners at Holy Angels Cathedral and St. Monica and Luke Church in Gary and worked with a synod of diocese priests to deal with the closing of less-well-attended parish churches in the Gary Diocese. He helped us come together, Burton said. Paul Mullaney, president of Bishop Noll Institute, said Hying and what he brought to the Region will be greatly missed. To be eligible for the military honor, a nominee must be serving or have served in a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and they must be a current or former resident of Lake County. They must also be someone who has gone above and beyond in their service, either on duty or in the service to their community upon their return home, the committee said. To be nominated for the citizen honor, someone should also be a current or former resident of Lake County and be someone whose philanthropic efforts have either individually, or through their business endeavors, contributed to the Northwest Indiana community in a significant way. Help us celebrate the spirit of patriotism by submitting your nomination today, Napoleon said. The committee said sponsors for the event also are needed and their donations will help fund the restoration and ongoing maintenance of the Lake County Courthouse. For more information about the nomination process or the Patriot Brunch, contact the Lake Courthouse Foundation at 219-663-0660. Potential sponsors can additionally contact Napoleon by email at c.napoleon@lakecourthousefoundaiton.org. ICYMI: A-F School Grade Results Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Measles is among the most contagious of diseases. Virus-laced droplets can hover in still indoor air for up to two hours after someone infected has coughed or sneezed. Up to 90 percent of people who are exposed will catch the virus if they are not immunized. The vaccine is considered very safe, and two doses are about 97 percent effective at conferring immunity. The vaccine is normally given at ages 1 and 5, but during outbreaks pediatricians may give it to healthy children as young as six months old. Around the world, measles cases fell 80 percent between 2000 and 2016, with deaths dropping to 90,000 a year from 550,000. But two years ago, cases began rebounding, driven by a combination of poverty, warfare, tight vaccine supplies and, in some countries, hesitation about vaccination. Earlier this month, the W.H.O. said there were three times as many measles cases around the world this year as there were in the first three months of 2018. Outbreaks of tens of thousands of cases have occurred recently in poor or war-torn countries like Madagascar, Ukraine and Yemen. But case numbers are also climbing in wealthy countries with modern health care systems, like Israel, Britain, France and Italy. Deaths from measles have occurred in those countries. Before measles vaccination became widespread in the United States in 1963, up to four million Americans got measles each year, the C.D.C. said. Of the roughly 500,000 cases that were reported to medical authorities, about 48,000 were hospitalized, 4,000 developed encephalitis, and 400 to 500 died. Nationally, since the mid-1990s, more than 91 percent of American children have been vaccinated against measles. (Anyone born before 1957 is assumed to have had the disease as a child and to be immune to it.) In a new set of guidelines, the World Health Organization said that infants under 1 year old should not be exposed to electronic screens and that children between the ages of 2 and 4 should not have more than one hour of sedentary screen time each day. Limiting, and in some cases eliminating, screen time for children under the age of 5 will result in healthier adults, the organization, a United Nations health agency, announced on Wednesday. But taking away iPads and other electronic devices is only part of the solution, the researchers said. Children under 5 should also get more exercise and sleep in order to develop better habits that will stave off obesity and diseases in adolescence and adulthood, the guidelines said. [The topics new parents are talking about. Evidence-based guidance. Personal stories that matter. Sign up to get NYT Parenting in your inbox every week.] Prosecutors said Mr. Irizarry was the first to be accused of making a drug sale that Detective Franco, working as a plainclothes detective, claimed he had witnessed. Mr. Irizarry was arrested in February 2017 after the detective said he saw him selling drugs inside the lobby of a building on Delancey Street, prosecutors said in a court document. But video from a security camera inside the building showed that no such transaction took place. Additionally, video from a security camera outside the building showed Detective Franco never entered the building, leaving him unable to see anything in the lobby, the document said. This pattern was repeated on two other occasions. Ms. Baker was arrested in June 2017 on Madison Street after Detective Franco said that he saw Ms. Baker selling drugs in a buildings vestibule, the document said. Yet investigators found security video showing that Ms. Baker went into the building without stopping in the vestibule, and that Detective Franco was not close enough to her to actually see what she was doing, the document said. In April 2018, Mr. Irving was arrested on Detective Francos word that he had seen him giving cocaine to a woman, Karen Miano, who subsequently sold the drug to an undercover officer, the document said. Once more, the video from this incident directly contradicted the defendants version of events, according to the document. There was no drug transaction between Mr. Irving and Ms. Miano. Instead, Ms. Miano simply held the door open for Mr. Irving as he entered the building and she exited on her way to meet the undercover officer. [What you need to know to start your day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] The footage from a police body camera shows an officer drawing his gun and approaching a red Honda Civic near Yale University in New Haven. A black man with dreadlocks is seen stepping out of the car and raising his hands into the air. Almost instantly, the police officer appears to start shooting. He moves to the side of the car and continues to fire his weapon, shattering the passenger-side window. As he retreats, the sound on his body-cam kicks in. Twenty shots fired. Argyle street. With the car, with the car, Officer Devin Eaton of the Hamden Police Department is heard shouting. A police officer from Yale University had approached from a different angle, and in a separate surveillance video is shown firing his weapon several times. Connecticut State Police released the footage on Tuesday in response to persistent questions and calls for transparency over the April 16 shooting that took place about a mile from Yale and has prompted a week of protests. This month, Saudi Arabias oil company, Aramco, revealed that it generated $111.1 billion in net income last year, making it the worlds most profitable company by far. So it is not particularly surprising that a scant six months after the murder and dismemberment of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi by government goons stunned the world, businesses and banks are once again courting the kingdom. Hundreds of investors lined up this month to bid in Aramcos first bond sale; among businesses humming in the kingdom, the movie theater giant AMC is moving ahead with plans for 40 new theaters, and Google is working on a data center. The fact that there are issues in the press does not tell me I must run away from a place. In many cases it tells me I should run to and invest because what we are most frightened of are things that we dont talk about, explained Larry Fink, the BlackRock chief executive, who created waves earlier this year when he argued that business must provide leadership on social and political issues. Mr. Finks statement appeared to be a variation on what many other corporate barons have used as justification for working with the de facto Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that they are helping Saudis to reform and modernize their society. In that context, it might be instructive to revisit some of the issues in the press. Let us set aside for the moment the strong indications provided by American and Turkish intelligence that Prince Mohammed was behind Mr. Khashoggis murder, which he denies. The purported modernization decreed by the prince has been accompanied by a broad campaign of arrests, trials, convictions and executions. This brusque and sinewy Lamb has no problem standing up to Murdochs lion or rather fox, since Mr. Carvels interpretation has a vulpine slyness. But in the memorable, shadow-steeped dialogue between the two men that begins the show, its evident that Murdoch knows just what buttons to push to turn Lamb into his avenging puppet. And so Lamb tears like a juggernaut through the Fleet Street watering holes, nightclubs and even a sauna to recruit the have-not journalists he needs to remake The Sun. Under the terms of Murdochs purchase, this metamorphosis must be achieved in alarmingly short order. The first act of Ink abounds in adrenaline. Lambs inspirational watchword for his crew is fun. We are, after all, at the tail end of the Swinging Sixties. And Mr. Goold and the choreographer Lynne Page turn the cast into a (sometimes literal) conga line, wriggling to an infectious, forward-moving beat that obviates doubts and scruples. (The period music is by Adam Cork.) It is indeed fun to watch Lamb and his crew brainstorming in meetings about how to best their rivals, while pondering what people really like. The answers include television, gossip and sex obvious, perhaps, but nonetheless waiting to be exploited with a new, unapologetic directness. Factual accuracy becomes secondary. As Murdoch tells the staff just before the first edition of the revamped Sun goes to press: Youve decided to give people what they want. Something so radical and yet so simple. To hold up a mirror to ourselves. And to hell with the consequences if we dont like what we see. Its who we are. Or as Murdoch urges Lamb, Get the readers to become the storytellers. He adds, Isnt that the real end point of the revolution? When theyre producing their own content themselves? A man was found guilty of second-degree murder on Wednesday for the death in 2017 of a worker he had hired to dig tunnels for a secret nuclear bunker under his house in Maryland. After more than a day of deliberation, a jury in Montgomery County found that the man, Daniel L. Beckwitt, 27, was responsible for the death of the worker, Askia Khafra, 21, who had been carving out hundreds of feet of passageways under Mr. Beckwitts home in Bethesda, Md., northwest of Washington. A fire broke out during the work, and when firefighters arrived, they discovered Mr. Khafras naked, charred body in the basement, and a hole in the floor that dropped about 20 feet down and fanned out into tunnels spanning about 200 feet underground, according to court documents. The state medical examiner determined that the cause of death was smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Mr. King kept his eyes closed as witnesses arrived to the execution chamber on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. When the prison warden, Bill Lewis, asked him if he had any final words, Mr. King said, No. Image John William King Credit... Texas Department of Criminal Justice, via Associated Press Mr. King made a final statement issued in writing, Mr. Desel said. Capital Punishment: Them without the capital get the punishment, it said. Early on a Sunday morning in 1998, Mr. King and two other white men attacked Mr. Byrd, a 49-year-old black man who had been offered a ride home in a sinister gesture of neighborliness. The men beat him, spray-painted his face, chained him to the back of a pickup truck and dragged him to his death on an isolated back road. The motive seemed shockingly clear-cut: Mr. King, who had come out of a stint in prison, was a committed white supremacist, his body a billboard of racist tattoos, including one depicting a black man hanged in a noose. Louvon Harris, a sister of Mr. Byrds who planned to attend the execution, said on Tuesday that Mr. Kings death by lethal injection would not compare to the way he had tortured her brother. Hes not going through any pain, she said. Hes not chained and bound and dragged on a concrete road, swinging back and forth like a sack of potatoes, with an arm coming off and being decapitated or nothing like that. When you look at it at that angle, she continued, I dont have sympathy. Less than a year after the killing, Mr. King became the first white man in modern Texas history to be sentenced to death for killing a black person. This was a troubling milestone given that, according to the Equal Justice Initiative, 344 black people were lynched in the 73 years after Reconstruction, a tally that included only documented lynchings and that stopped in 1950. The public defenders office representing Nikolas Cruz, who has been charged with killing 17 people in the Parkland school shooting, asked to be removed from the case on Wednesday after learning that Mr. Cruz had been awarded half of a life insurance policy worth almost $865,000. When Mr. Cruz received public defense services last year, his lawyers wrote in court filings that he was a possible beneficiary in the estates of his parents, Lynda and Roger Cruz. But on Wednesday, his lawyers said that neither they nor Mr. Cruz, 20, had expected the payout to be so large. It has come to the attention of undersigned counsel that Nikolas Cruz is a beneficiary in a MetLife life insurance policy and is entitled to half of a death benefit valued at $864,929.17 as of April 23, 2019, the public defenders office wrote. The defendant and undersigned counsel were previously unaware of this entitlement. The court filing did not say which of Mr. Cruzs parents had bought the life insurance policy, which will pay him more than $430,000. It also did not say who was splitting the money with Mr. Cruz, but he was one of two children adopted by his parents. The other was his brother, Zachary. WASHINGTON Attorney General Jeff Sessions had a tenuous hold on his job when President Trump called him at home in the middle of 2017. The president had already blamed him for recusing himself from investigations related to the 2016 election, sought his resignation and belittled him in private and on Twitter. Now, Mr. Trump had another demand: He wanted Mr. Sessions to reverse his recusal and order the prosecution of Hillary Clinton. The gist of the conversation, according to the report by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, quoting Mr. Sessions, was that the president wanted Sessions to unrecuse from all of it. Mr. Muellers report released last week brimmed with examples of Mr. Trump seeking to protect himself from the investigation. But his request of Mr. Sessions and two similar ones detailed in the report stands apart because it shows Mr. Trump trying to wield the power of law enforcement to target a political rival, a step that no president since Richard M. Nixon is known to have taken. On Wednesday, the Justice Department said a civil rights division official, John Gore, would defy a subpoena to testify on Thursday about its addition of a citizenship question to the census. This week, White House lawyers indicated that they would tell the former White House counsel Donald F. McGahn II and other former officials not to comply with subpoenas for their testimony, a person familiar with the legal strategy said. Mr. Trump has also sued to block a congressional subpoena of his accounting firm, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin missed a deadline to turn over Mr. Trumps tax returns to lawmakers and the former head of White House personnel security, Carl Kline, ignored a subpoena ordering him to appear for a deposition about overriding recommendations to deny security clearances. Together, the events of the week made clear that Mr. Trump has adopted a strategy of unabashed resistance to oversight efforts by the House reveling in abandoning even the pretense of trying to negotiate accommodations and compromise with the institution controlled by his political opponents. The president is attempting to repeal a congressional power of oversight that goes back to the administration of George Washington, said Charles Tiefer, a former longtime House lawyer who is now a University of Baltimore law professor. He said the comprehensiveness and intensity of this presidential stonewalling exceeded anything he had seen in his 40-year career. He added: Congress can call witnesses about problems with the executive branch anytime. Otherwise there is no check on whether the executive branch is doing the publics work or just exercising raw power. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Mr. Trump cited the end of the special counsel investigation to declare he had been investigated enough. I thought after two years wed be finished with it, he said. No. Now the House goes and starts subpoenas. He added, I say its enough. MOSCOW Two months after a failed summit meeting with President Trump, North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, met on Thursday with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, as Mr. Kim tries to rally international support for an approach to sanctions relief and gradual nuclear disarmament that the Trump administration opposes. North Korea wanted security guarantees from nations other than the United States before it abandons its nuclear arsenal, along with assurances that its sovereignty will be preserved, Mr. Putin said after the meeting. Mr. Kims visit to the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, Russia, was his first trip abroad since February, when he and Mr. Trump met with much fanfare in Vietnam, only to see negotiations end abruptly, amid mutual recriminations, without any progress toward an agreement. The whole worlds attention is focused on the issue on the Korean Peninsula, Mr. Kim told Mr. Putin as he called for meaningful dialogue today on the issue. Afterward, Mr. Putin said the United States and Russia had a common interest in preventing nuclear proliferation, in North Korea and elsewhere. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia signed a decree on Wednesday simplifying the citizenship process for people in separatist-held regions of Ukraine, issuing a challenge to Ukraines president-elect that threatens to intensify the five-year war in the countrys east. The decree, published on the Kremlins website, said that some residents in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, eastern parts of Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed rebels, could have their applications for Russian citizenship considered for acceptance within three months. The order to simplify the citizenship process was made for the humanitarian goals of defending the rights and freedoms of a person and citizen, outlined by the universally accepted principles and norms of international law, its text said. Yet the decree was immediately perceived as a challenge in Washington and Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, where the outgoing president has tried to rally the country on a platform of war and nationalism and the incoming president will take office with no political experience. Dancers retire, so why cant dances? The first week of New York City Ballets spring season is an odd one, with nary a ballet by George Balanchine or Jerome Robbins, its two essential choreographers, in sight. That would be well and good even proving that the form had a vibrant future if the dances on the opening two programs, devoted to 21st-century choreographers, all had something substantial to offer. But of the seven works City Ballet is showing by men, all white only four are of evergreen caliber. Its not a shocker that the choreographers who are usually on top remain there this week: William Forsythe, Justin Peck and Alexei Ratmansky (who is represented by two dances). The grim news is that the other ballets have returned to City Ballets repertory in the first place. Peter Martinss Hallelujah Junction, performed on the second program, on Wednesday, used to seem like one of his more palatable ballets, its energy driven by John Adamss music, which is played by two pianists facing each other dramatically at the back of the stage. But now it just seems stuck in his tired idiom, a brittle mix of thrusting hips and flexed hands. Our guide to dance performances happening this weekend and in the week ahead. DANCING THE GODS at Symphony Space (April 27, 8 p.m.; April 28, 7 p.m.). This program of classical Indian dancing offers two separate programs on back-to-back evenings. On Saturday, the Maryland-based Kalanidhi Dance presents Rasa, a work inspired by the Sanskrit epic Ramayana; it embodies a range of emotions from disgust to wonderment through the South Indian Kuchipudi style. On Sunday, Sujata Mohapatra will perform in the Odissi style, accompanied by live music. The two styles, while sharing similarities, are distinguished by their music, costumes and contrasting physical emphases. Together they provide a look at two facets of classical Indian dance as interpreted by skilled artists. 212-864-5400, symphonyspace.org CHANEL DASILVA, BOBBI JENE SMITH AND MICAELA TAYLOR at Gibney (May 2-3, 8 p.m.; through May 4). Gibneys new Emerge initiative gives up-and-coming choreographers the chance to create pieces for the Gibney Dance Company. The three artists invited this year are the Brooklyn native DaSilva, a former member of the Trey McIntyre Project; Smith, a fearless alum of the Batsheva Dance Company now making her own engagingly visceral work; and the Los Angeles-based Taylor, who fuses hip-hop and contemporary dance to often startling and surprising effect. 646-837-6809, gibneydance.org DIG DANCE at the 92nd Street Y (April 26, 8 p.m.; April 27, 4 and 8 p.m.). This recurring dance series travels to the Emerald Isle this week with New Dance Ireland: Choreographers of Nowness, featuring a handful of choreographers, each of whom explore Irish identity and dance from a different angle. Participants include Jean Butler, Darrah Carr, Sean Curran and John Scott, among others, who are mixed and matched over three programs. For this weeks installment of Fridays at Noon, Scott also curates excerpts from many of these choreographers alongside a panel discussion moderated by Siobhan Burke, a dance critic for The New York Times. 212-415-5500, 92y.org PARIS Early next year, after a nearly $170 million redevelopment, Pariss 130-year-old Bourse de Commerce will reopen as a contemporary art museum. Unlike the world-famous state-funded museums nearby against which it hopes to measure up namely, the Louvre and the Pompidou Center this one will be financed by one man: the French billionaire Francois Pinault, whose collection consists of about 5,000 works by artists such as Jeff Koons, Cy Twombly, and Cindy Sherman. Mr. Pinault, 82, is the founder of the company that eventually became the Kering luxury-goods group. His family holding company also controls the auction house Christies, among several other assets . He already has two exhibition venues in Venice. Now hes transforming the Bourse a circular exchange building where wheat, sugar and other commodities were once traded into the latest and most conspicuous vitrine for his collection. Our guide to new art shows and some that will be closing soon. 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. Bridge Over Tree, Armajanis wonderful large-scale sculpture presented by Public Art Fund at Brooklyn Bridge Park (on the Empire Fulton Ferry Lawn through Sept. 29) to coincide with the Met show, is well timed for our present era of sundering moral confusion and offers ways forward from it. (Holland Cotter) 212-731-1675, metmuseum.org ARTISTS RESPOND: AMERICAN ART AND THE VIETNAM WAR, 1965-1975 (through Aug. 18) and TIFFANY CHUNG: VIETNAM, PAST IS PROLOGUE (through Sept. 2) at Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington. Everything in Artists Respond, a big, inspiriting blast of an historical survey, dates from a time when the United States was losing its soul, and its artists some, anyway were trying to save theirs by denouncing a racist war. Figures well known for their politically hard-hitting work Judith Bernstein, Leon Golub, Hans Haacke, Peter Saul, Nancy Spero are here in strength. But so are others, like Dan Flavin and Donald Judd and Barnett Newman, seldom associated with visual activism. Concurrent with the survey is a smaller, fine-tuned show by a contemporary Vietnamese-born artist, Tiffany Chung; it views the war through the eyes of people on the receiving end of aggression. (Cotter) 202-663-7970, americanart.si.edu MATTHEW BARNEY: REDOUBT at Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven (through June 16). The wildly innovative sculptor and filmmaker, Yale class of 1989, heads back to the halls of ivy to present his first major project since the six-hour excremental eruption of River of Fundament and shows Barney in a lighter, nimbler mode than he has displayed in years. The new film Redoubt, shot in his home state of Idaho, riffs on the myth of Diana and Actaeon; the goddess, here, is an NRA-approved sharpshooter, while the doomed voyeur is the artist himself, making plein-air etchings of Diana and her attendants. Related copper etchings appear in the exhibition, and Barney has electroplated them over varying times, encrusting them with weird metal nodules. Redoubt lacks the operatic grandeur some of Barneys fanboys prefer. But its the most emancipated work of his career, and it should make a star of Eleanor Bauer, the dancer and choreographer whom he has entrusted with the films most beautiful movement sequences. The film runs about two hours and screens on Saturday afternoons and on select weekdays; check the website for times. (Jason Farago) 203-432-0600, artgallery.yale.edu 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 80s 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 at the foundations website. (Martha Schwendener) 212-777-2977, brantfoundation.org For some, the show may be haunted by Mr. Bleckners longtime dealer, Mary Boone. He showed with her for 40 years, and she helped make him a star. Ms. Boone was recently sentenced to 30 months in prison for filing false tax returns, and her gallery is closing in May. Even closer to home for Mr. Bleckner, they were both ensnared in a drawn-out scandal involving the actor Alec Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin claimed that Ms. Boone sold him a copy of a work by Mr. Bleckner, Sea and Mirror, while falsely claiming it was the original he sought, from 1996, when Mr. Bleckner was at the height of his popularity. Mr. Baldwin sued, and the matter was settled with a payment of at least $1 million, and by Mr. Bleckner providing two works to Mr. Baldwin. Lot of people evade taxes, Mr. Bleckner said about Ms. Boone. A lot of people dont get caught. I was surprised. Marys a very smart woman. But he added, She shouldnt have done it. And shes paying the price. As for Sea and Mirror, was Mr. Bleckner aware that Mr. Baldwin thought he had bought the original? I did not know that, he said. And I thought she would say that it had been painted as close to the original as possible. Mr. Bleckner added that he thought the actor was seeking a new commission that would match the older work. But the remark comes with such a disarming smile and so much charm. In My Minds Eye a collection of mini-essays, written one per day over the course of many months reveals that her writing is just as elegant and erudite, and her mind just as supple , playful, curious, rigorous, humorous and surprising as ever. The essays range wildly, touch ing on, among other things, the superiority of her car; the beauty of Welsh rainbows; the felicity of the word anathema; the question of whether absolute truth in recollection is possible; the madness of contemporary politics; and the transcendent mundanity of family life. She also writes about importance of kindness, to each other and to nature. When she sees a bug in the house, Morris ushers it to safety; when she inadvertently kills a woodlouse, as she recounts in a scene in the book, she apologizes. Thats the very last thing I wanted to do to an old friend, she says to the dead woodlouse, as it disappears down the drain. Its so simple, and everyone agrees with it, she says at lunch, of being kind. If you could make it the basis for all society, how lovely it would be. To Me Gender Is Not Physical at All Morris is a handsome woman, tall and formidable, wearing a butter-yellow coat over a pair of trousers and sweater. She is impatient with questions about transgender politics , possibly because she made peace with her own decisions so long ago . Having reached her age and lived for equal amounts of time as a man and as a woman, she says, the transition she made so long ago somehow feels less relevant. Ive never believed it to be quite as important as everyone made it out to be, she said. I believe in the soul and the spirit more than the body. Millie is Sisyphus and her boulder is shredding documents. Shes also in the process of trading her own last shreds of authenticity for the things shes been promised will cure her of her rage and allow her finally to connect with others: I could have friends if I had more money. I could be easier to get along with if I had more stability. I could be who I wanted to be calm, cool, self-assured, self-reliant, independent enough to attract people who could enjoy my company because were all independent people doing what we have to do to get by. Not like who I am now, flailing, filled with puke, thinking about death and feeling angry all the time. Millies fantasy of getting a real job succeeds in making her entire life more real for a moment. But the gap between her hallucination of the perfect future and her lackluster present will close, and brutally. Its not that Millies delusional; her dejection is depressingly realistic. Butler provides breaks from Millies point of view that reveal her distrust of others is justified. Her co-workers dont like her. He ex-boyfriend didnt like her. She offends nearly everyone. She smells. So does her apartment. Walking in the park, she is mistaken by onlookers as both drunk and mentally ill. And yet, theres a nobility in Millies inability to fake it. Image Another worthy addition is Beagins Vacuum in the Dark, a sequel to her much-lauded debut, Pretend Im Dead. Were back with Mona, a cleaning lady who talks to Terry Gross in her head and has boundary issues with the charismatic clients who fascinate her. This novel is a joy: truly laugh-out-loud funny, while staying grounded and dignified, even as Mona capsizes again and again. Shes a young woman haunted by the ghosts of rape, abuse, incest, abandonment and addiction. Set on finding people to help bury her pain, she inevitably attracts more of it. As the novel opens, Mona is cleaning poop human feces, left like tributes around the house. Beagin thus metaphorizes Mona as a receptacle for the garbage left by irresponsible people around her: her mother, who left her for pet parrots; a blind therapist, who tells Mona she smells of suicide; a Hungarian painter and opiate addict who persuades her to pose naked; and Dark, a married man who twists Monas insides with a lust that leaves no prisoners. Mona takes it all, carries it, cleans it. Yet as she rids herself of each leeching narcissist, only to fall under the spell of the next, the novel traces a burgeoning sense of self-awareness. Maybe shes an artist? Maybe shes stronger than people think? Remembering that she administered a morphine overdose to her perverted, cancer-ridden grandfather, she says she doesnt feel shame about it, only relief she finally identifies it as a necessary revolt: The only shame I feel is that Ive been too passive. I havent said no to enough in my life. If I had, Id probably be a different person now. Less tormented, maybe. More successful. Joe Biden is running for president The former vice president announced that he would seek the Democratic presidential nomination next year. He is presenting himself as a levelheaded leader for a country wracked by political conflict. In an attempt to defuse one of his most glaring vulnerabilities, Mr. Biden called Anita Hill earlier this month to express regret over what she endured at the Clarence Thomas hearings. She said she wanted real accountability. The details: Mr. Biden has largely remained on the sidelines as his record was scrutinized. We examined where he stands on the issues and how his views have changed over nearly 50 years in Washington. Watch: Mr. Biden shared his reasons for running. Will his record help or hurt him? We analyze this question in a video profile. China retools its grand infrastructure program Global leaders are in Beijing this week for a conference on the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinas plan to build a global network of ports, rails and roads thats in its sixth year. The bombers, one of whom was a woman, were all Sri Lankan, officials said. One of them was believed to have studied in Britain and Australia before returning to Sri Lanka, while two others were the sons of a spice tycoon. But the authorities are still investigating whether the Islamic State, which on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the blasts, provided more than symbolic support. Officials also warned of a continuing terrorist threat and said that other people involved in the attacks remained at large. Sri Lankas president asked two top security officials to resign amid anger that the government had ignored multiple warnings that churches could be attacked. Muslims in some areas of the country are also facing a rising backlash. Go deeper: For older residents of Colombo, Sri Lankas capital, the security measures after the bombings are a flashback to the countrys dark days of civil war, and for a younger generation, they are entirely disorienting. TOKYO Carlos Ghosn, the former automotive executive charged with financial wrongdoing, was released from a Tokyo jail on Thursday evening after posting a multimillion-dollar bond for the second time in two months. A district court judge ruled earlier in the day that the former head of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance could leave the detention center, and Mr. Ghosns lawyer quickly paid a 500 million yen, or $4.68 million, bond. The prosecutors office, which has repeatedly fought Mr. Ghosns release, attempted to appeal the ruling, but the judge refused its argument that Mr. Ghosn could tamper with evidence or witnesses if set free. Mr. Ghosn, wearing a dark suit, walked out of the detention center shortly before 10:30 p.m., flanked by police officers, and got into a black van. He was accompanied by his lawyer, Takashi Takano. The salad chain Sweetgreen said Thursday that it would start accepting legal tender, amid a growing backlash to cashless stores around the country. The move came on the heels of Amazon Gos confirmation this month that it, too, would begin taking cash. Critics say cashless stores discriminate against people without access to bank accounts or credit cards, or who simply prefer to pay with cash. Some have also raised concerns about privacy and data security. Philadelphia and the state of New Jersey passed laws banning cashless stores last month, and New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington are considering similar bills. Sweetgreen was at the forefront of the cashless trend when it announced in 2016 that it would accept only credit and debit cards. At the time, it said eliminating cash would make transactions faster, easier and safer for customers and employees. BEIJING It took only a week for Chinas all-powerful President Xi Jinping to yield. Malaysia had publicly slammed China for vastly overcharging on a showcase rail project, canceling the deal. In a rare admission of Chinese excess, Mr. Xi replied in a major speech last year that his prized global infrastructure program would be more cautious, more consultative. This month, China slashed the cost of the rail by one-third. Broadly facing criticism about overpriced and superfluous projects, China is reshaping and retooling its grand infrastructure plan, known as the Belt and Road Initiative. But Beijing isnt retreating from its vision to build a network of ports, rails and roads that puts China at the center of global trade and enhances its geopolitical ambitions. Rather, Chinas efforts are intended to present a friendlier face to global leaders, who gathered in Beijing on Friday for a conference to mark the sixth year of the initiative. Good Thursday. (Want this by email? Sign up here.) Facebook faces a huge fine. Critics want more. Facebook said yesterday that it expected the Federal Trade Commission to fine it up to $5 billion for privacy violations, Mike Isaac and Cecilia Kang of the NYT report. That would be a record penalty for a tech company, way beyond the $22 million Google had to pay in 2012 for misleading statements about online tracking. But its in line with recent E.U. punishments, like Googles $5 billion antitrust fine last year and the $15.3 billion tax evasion penalty given to Apple in 2016. Both the F.T.C. and Facebook have reasons to celebrate. The regulator looks strong. The tech giant looks accountable, without having to remake its business. But critics say its a slap on the wrist. Thats how Representative David Cicilline, the chairman of the Houses antitrust subcommittee, told the NYT he would characterize a fine in the low billions of dollars. The F.T.C. must pursue strong structural remedies and impose managerial accountability on Facebook, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, tweeted. SAN FRANCISCO David Dancer is a 48-year-old marketing executive who has worked for big brands like Charles Schwab and Teleflora. A year ago, he got a call from a recruiter for a different kind of company: MedMen, a cannabis retailer that has been called the Apple Store of weed. The opening was for a chief marketing officer. He took it. One of Mr. Dancers early projects was a slick two-minute video by the director Spike Jonze that begins with an anecdote about George Washington as a hemp grower, a staple of dorm-room conversation. It concludes with a suburban couple coming home with a bright red bag of legally purchased pot, symbolizing the new normal an ending that, like his own career twist, seemed improbable not long ago. It can and should be a part of anyones everyday life, Mr. Dancer said in a recent interview, sounding very much like a man who has been hired to do marketing. Although cannabis remains illegal on the federal level, 33 states now allow its sale at least for medical purposes. Ten of them, including California, have legalized recreational use. And as new markets open and capital continues to flood in, the cannabis industry has become, by some measures, one of the countrys fastest-growing job sectors. Its unfortunate that you had to take the job and actually start working to figure out that this is what family friendly means to this one firm. But now that you are there, what can you do? Go to a cafe with a standard sheet of paper. Think hard about two goals: what you want your career to look like in five years and what you want your home life to look like over the same period. List 10 items under each goal that you feel you will need to check off to get to where you want to be. For the bottom half of each list, either hire an assistant to help you and/or aggressively fudge it. For instance, you should outsource as many personal tasks as you can, like paying bills or buying groceries. And Holy Mom of Gosh, do not clean anything ever at all if you can help it. Even if you are short on funds, it is worth it for you to go into (potentially further) debt at this time to pay for as much day-to-day help as you can get. You should use the pain of any outlays to motivate yourself to ask for a raise at every opportunity. The firm is really who should be paying for the re-righting of your capsized work-life balance. Because they lied. As for the job, check back in a year or two with your lists. If the job isnt going to get you there, look for another one. But keep in mind you will never change this firms ridiculous definition of family friendly, and you should not bother trying to. That said, you can do any future employee a good turn when you interview them by defining this perniciously vague phrase in the context of this particular firm much more precisely. Can Humans Help Trees Outrun Climate Change? April 25, 2019 SCITUATE, R. I. Foresters began noticing the patches of dying pines and denuded oaks, and grew concerned. Warmer winters and drier summers had sent invasive insects and diseases marching northward, killing the trees. If the dieback continued, some woodlands could become shrub land. Most trees can migrate only as fast as their seeds disperse and if current warming trends hold, the climate this century will change 10 times faster than many tree species can move, according to one estimate. Rhode Island is already seeing more heat and drought, shifting precipitation and the intensification of plagues such as the red pine scale, a nearly invisible insect carried by wind that can kill a tree in just a few years. The dark synergy of extreme weather and emboldened pests could imperil vast stretches of woodland. So foresters in Rhode Island and elsewhere have launched ambitious experiments to test how people can help forests adapt, something that might take decades to occur naturally. One controversial idea, known as assisted migration, involves deliberately moving trees northward. But trees can live centuries, and environments are changing so fast in some places that species planted today may be ill-suited to conditions in 50 years, let alone 100. No one knows the best way to make forests more resilient to climatic upheaval. These great uncertainties can prompt analysis paralysis, said Maria Janowiak, deputy director of the Forest Services Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, or N.I.A.C.S. But, she added, We cant keep waiting until we know everything. In Is Obstruction an Impeachable Offense? History Says Yes, Adam Liptak tries to respond to the first question: President Trump has been consulting the Constitution. In a Twitter post on Monday, he recited part of Article II, Section 4, the provision that allows Congress to remove federal officials who commit treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Mr. Trump wrote that he had done none of those things: There were no crimes by me (No Collusion, No Obstruction), so you cant impeach. The presidents analysis had two shortcomings. It misstated the conclusion of the report issued by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, which made no definitive judgment about whether Mr. Trump had violated criminal laws concerning obstruction of justice. And it failed to take account of what the framers meant by other high crimes and misdemeanors. The phrase is vague, of course, but it plainly does not encompass every ordinary crime. Rather, it follows two offenses that give a good sense of the kinds of crimes the framers had in mind: treason and bribery. Those are crimes against the state and the justice system that undermine the ability of the government to function. Constitutional scholars say that similar offenses ones involving the lawless use of official power threatening the constitutional order are what the framers thought could justify removal from office. Does Mr. Trumps conduct, as described in the Mueller report, clear that high bar? The two most recent impeachment proceedings, against Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Bill Clinton, indicate that it could. The articles of impeachment in both cases identified one sort of presidential conduct that the Constitution cannot tolerate: the corrupt use of power to frustrate lawful investigations. The Nixon and Clinton cases prove beyond a shadow of the doubt that obstruction of justice can qualify as a high crime and misdemeanor, said Joshua Matz, an author, with Laurence H. Tribe, of To End a Presidency: The Power of Impeachment. Frank O. Bowman III, a law professor at the University of Missouri and the author of High Crimes and Misdemeanors: A History of Impeachment for the Age of Trump, to be published this summer, said the Nixon and Clinton cases were informative. The historical comparisons make out a solid case for an article of impeachment against Trump for obstruction of justice in both the technical legal sense and in the more general sense of an attempt to subvert American legal process and institutions, Mr. Bowman said. In Divided on Impeachment, Democrats Wrestle With Duty and Politics, Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Nicholas Fandos address the second question. They write about the growing divide in Congress between those who say yes to impeachment and those who say no: As Speaker Nancy Pelosi urges caution on impeachment, rank-and-file House Democrats are agonizing over the prospect of ousting President Trump, caught between their sense of historic responsibilities and political considerations in the wake of the special counsels damning portrait of abuses. Some feel a sense of duty to pursue impeachment: A realization is setting in that this moment has found us, said Representative Jared Huffman, a fourth-term Democrat from Northern California, who is advocating impeachment. We cannot ignore it. We cannot wish it away. For some, this may be a very, very difficult matter. But this is why we have a House of Representatives. And this is absolutely what our founders imagined when a president did these sorts of things. But moderate Democrats, including Ms. Pelosi, are urging a more cautious approach: The media just wants a thumbs up or thumbs down, pro-impeachment or not, Mr. Raskin said. They dont appreciate this is a process, an instrument in the Constitution that is the peoples last defense against a president trampling the rule of law and acting like a king. But it is a process, and it is meant to be a process. Mr. Raskin said he believes that the obstruction outlined in Mr. Muellers report constitutes impeachable offenses, but he is not yet convinced they warrant proceeding with an impeachment. He urged Democrats to build an independent and full record for the public of what had occurred, rather than relying entirely on the Mueller report as Republicans relied on the Starr Report to impeach Mr. Clinton. Removing a president from office requires bipartisan buy-in and the acceptance of the American people, as was the case with Richard M. Nixon but not Mr. Clinton. Congress undertook months of hearings on Watergate, beginning in May 1973, before threatening Nixon with impeachment in the summer of 1974. By that time, about two thirds of the American people believed he had participated in the Watergate cover-up. If you look at history, articles of impeachment were considered in the House of Representatives two weeks before Richard Nixon resigned; all the rest happened before that, said Representative Jan Schakowsky, a liberal Democrat from a safe seat in Illinois. By the time that decision was made to go to articles of impeachment, the American people had heard it all and were persuaded. Ms. Pelosi and her leadership team appear to be following the Nixon model. The House Judiciary Committee has already issued a subpoena to compel the Justice Department to produce an unredacted copy of the Mueller report and all the evidence his investigation collected so Congress can begin sifting through it. Still, others are worried about the precedent that not pursuing impeachment may set for future presidents: Mr. Huffman and Ms. Waters have urged colleagues to grapple with the implications of failing to act: What if they choose not to try to impeach a president who had been all but accused by the special counsel of obstructing justice and is an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal campaign finance felony in New York? If that president cannot face impeachment, then part of our constitutional responsibility is just a bunch of dead words, Mr. Huffman said. I think that is pretty bad for the country. I think it invites abuse from this president for the next year and a half. I think it sets a terrible precedent that will be abused by future president. And we cant take that lightly. Students, read both articles, then tell us: Ms. Stolberg and Mr. Fandos note, The founders left the definition of high crimes and misdemeanors the criteria for impeachment, along with more specific offenses like treason and bribery open to interpretation. And they point out that these offenses do not necessarily have to be crimes to warrant impeachment and that in the past noncriminal acts have been so defined. In your opinion, do any of Mr. Trumps actions rise to the level of impeachable offenses? If so, which ones and why? If not, why not? How do the accusations against Mr. Trump compare to those against Mr. Nixon and Mr. Clinton? If Congress tried to impeach those two previous presidents, does that mean it should also try to impeach Mr. Trump? Why or why not? What do you think about Ms. Pelosis go-slow approach to impeachment proceedings? At this time, do you think Congress has enough evidence to proceed with impeachment? Or should it continue its own investigations before considering impeachment? In a recent interview, Ms. Pelosi said: 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, she added. And hes just not worth it. Do you agree with this statement? Do you believe impeachment proceedings that are likely to fail in a Republican-controlled Senate are worth it? Why or why not? Others have argued that not pursuing impeachment sets up a dangerous precedent for future presidents. To what extent do you agree with this line of thinking? Explain your reasoning. Senator Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican who is the majority leader, told reporters that he thought its time to move on because Mr. Mueller found no collusion and no charges had been brought against Mr. Trump. Democrats are also worried about getting distracted from other issues voters sent them to Washington to address, like health care and jobs. Do you think its time for Congress to drop its investigations of Mr. Trump and move on? With all this in mind, do you believe Congress should try to impeach Mr. Trump? Why or why not? What other arguments for or against impeachment not laid out in these articles can you think of to support your opinion? The New York skyline, wrote John Atlee Kouwenhoven in 1961, is not meant to make sense. It is the product of insane politics, greed, competitive ostentation, megalomania, the worship of false gods. Its byproducts, in turn, are traffic jams, bad ventilation, noise, and all the other ills that metropolitan flesh is heir to. And the net result is, illogically enough, one of the most exaltedly beautiful things that mankind has ever made. A generation before Kouwenhoven, Berenice Abbott captured this heathen beauty in a portfolio of photographs she called Changing New York, which was exhibited at the Museum of the City of New York in 1937. Her city is not a nesting ground for the people who lived there but a rivalry of individual egos craning to fill the horizon with their concrete and glass. If people live there, it is only because the buildings have not yet had time to crowd them out. April 25 Faryab Province: one pro-government militia killed Pro-government militia members ambushed the Taliban in Khowaja Sabz Posh District. During the one hour of fighting one pro-government militia member was killed and another was wounded. April 22 Paktika Province: one civilian killed A woman was killed during a military operation conducted by American Special Forces in the Sarawza District. Local authorities claimed that six members of the Taliban were also killed in the operation. April 22 Khost Province: two civilians killed Two civilians were killed and six others were arrested during a military operation of American forces in Alisher District. The operation was not coordinated with local officials in the province. April 20 Takhar Province: one civilian killed The Taliban ambushed a convoy of Afghan forces in the Kokcha Bridge area of Khwaja Ghar District. During the clashes, a civilian was killed in the crossfire. April 20 Kabul Province: seven civilians and three police killed At least seven civilians and three police officers were killed in an attack on the Afghan communications ministry in central Kabul. Another eight civilians were wounded. The attack began shortly before midday when a suicide bomb detonated at the entrance to the multistory building that houses the ministry, followed by gunfire that could be heard over a mile away. The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack. [For more stories about the experiences and costs of war, sign up for the weekly At War newsletter.] In March, I went to Chicken Street in Kabul, a well-known shopping stop for those Americans and foreigners who are allowed to venture outside the Green Zone. In one of my favorite shops, I noticed a tray of silver in one of the display cases. As the shopkeeper splayed the trinkets out on the glass, he uncovered a single gold disc, slightly larger than the others. I couldnt help but laugh when I read the inscription: Chief Petty Officers Mess. Here in the heart of Kabul, Id found a challenge coin from a group of American senior enlisted sailors who decided their deployment here warranted permanent commemoration. Between 2010 and 2011, these nameless chiefs tried, tempered & trued, according to the coins engraving had brought their maritime traditions from the sea to landlocked Afghanistan. I too had spent that time in the country, though there was no coin honoring my unit or the mud-brick compound we called home. Challenge coins are beloved by those who commission them usually American military officers or staff noncommissioned officers. The name comes from their original purpose in Special Forces units, where they seem to have originated: If challenged to prove what unit they were in, soldiers could pull out their coins as proof. Once exclusively an Army phenomenon, the practice expanded to the other services during the global war on terror. The coins are typically handed out to members of a unit after a deployment, or given as ceremonial gifts to partnered units and allies, tchotchkes from a deployment spent in combat (or at least in the same country as combat). Unlike official Defense Department-issued medals, they are a rare chance for self-expression for career military people who want to memorialize themselves and their actions, a tangible way of thanking yourself for your own service by showering those around you with tokens noting your rank and leadership. Yet despite this unique opportunity to wax artistic, most challenge coins look incredibly similar: copper or gold-plated, a flag or unit crest on one side and an eagle or some other symbol of military strength on the other. This uniformity is not by Defense Department order or field-manual regulation, but by unconscious consensus. Even these self-important attempts to memorialize small moments spent prolonging Americas longest conflict cant escape the same myopic approach we applied to fighting the war and winning hearts and minds in Afghanistan. The same challenge coins I was given as a Marine can be bought for less than $2 on Chicken Street if youre a seasoned haggler and speak a little Dari. If you dont, youll be treated the way all Americans have been treated by Afghans since 2001. How much do you want to pay? is the question almost all shopkeepers on Chicken Street know how to ask in English. Theyre hoping that youre a miniature version of the America they know: flush with cash, short on understanding, scared of the locals and eager to buy something to show for your time in their country. If they agree to the price you offer without any haggling, youve undoubtedly overpaid. At the beginning of Pamela B. Greens lively and informative new documentary, a bevy of movie people directors, actors, scholars and others are asked if they know anything about Alice Guy Blache, who is the subject of the film. A few of them do (Ava DuVernay, for one), but most admit that they have no clue. Viewers who are similarly ignorant shouldnt feel bad, and in the best pedagogical spirit Green turns blank looks and sheepishly shrugged shoulders into a teaching moment. Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache seeks both to help rescue Guy Blache from oblivion and to explain how she got there in the first place. Alice Guy was born into a bourgeois French family in 1873. An interview conducted more than 90 years later reveals a woman very much of her era and class, with crisp diction, faultless grammar and a mildly ironical way of talking about even painful and contentious matters. Trained in stenography, Alice was hired, at 22, as an assistant to Leon Gaumont, who would soon become one of the founders of the French film industry. Guy (who married the British cameraman Herbert Blache in 1907) merits that description as much as her boss. Often referred to as a pioneer one of a handful of important women filmmakers active in cinemas earliest days she was more than that. Present at an early, private Paris showing of one of Louis and Auguste Lumieres first shorts, Guy was among the first to explore the storytelling potential of the new medium. At the Gaumont studio, where she worked until 1906, she directed hundreds of fantasies, comedies, melodramas and historical films. After moving to the United States, she set up her own company, Solax Studios, continuing her prolific output in the burgeoning proto-Hollywood of Fort Lee, N.J. J.T. LeRoy is a tougher, better movie than Author and generally comes off as more honest. Directed by Justin Kelly, who wrote the script with Knoop, it focuses on Savannahs role in the fraud, peeling back the details physical, psychological in a masquerade that rather astonishingly lasted some half-dozen years. Anchored by its two excellent leads, the movie is sympathetic and, for the most part, unsentimental. In this telling, the young Savannah is an eager-to-please naif who falls first for Lauras smooth talk and then for the mounting pleasures that playing this fictional creation delivers, including a relationship with an actress-director wittily played by Diane Kruger. Savannah-JT isnt remotely believable as a teenage boy but does have beauty and mystery. At first, Kelly seems to be puckishly nodding to Author. Both toss in an epigram about the truth right at the top: Author quotes Federico Fellini, while J.T. LeRoy cites Oscar Wilde. Soon, Kelly establishes his own angle and approach, underscoring Savannahs earnestness and Lauras disingenuousness as the story jumps around San Francisco and then moves farther afield as the JT show goes big and then bigger. Stewart seems too worldly to be playing the innocent portrayed here. But her gift for showing you a characters interior states, for feelings that delicately brush the skin, gives Savannah a vulnerability that becomes an expressive counterpoint to Lauras grandiosity and wounded narcissism. Few actors inhabit the space between charming and monstrous as brilliantly as Dern does. The JT LeRoy fiction started unraveling in the mid-2000s as journalists chased down suspicions and inconsistencies. In his New York magazine story Who Is the Real JT LeRoy?, the writer Stephen Beachy suggested that the answer was Albert. He also wondered about its significance. Does it matter if JT LeRoy never lived in a squat, if he never tricked on Polk Street, never was a lot lizard, isnt from West Virginia? Beachy wrote. Does it matter if he is, more or less, a 39-year-old mother named Laura Albert, originally from Brooklyn? Wheres the harm? Its a question that J.T. LeRoy suggests is at least worth asking, even about a farce as transparently, laughably absurd as this one. Written by David Hare, the movie opens around 1961, after Rudy has defected to the West. Its a promising start because of Fienness presence as Alexander Pushkin, Rudys teacher and mentor in Leningrad. Pushkin, his face gray and hairline in severe retreat, looks defeated, almost deflated, as if every atom in his body has surrendered. He and a government type are discussing Rudy (the kids gotta dance!), a scene that activates the story by turning back the clock. From that point on, the timeline jumps around, perhaps in imitation of its high-flying subject, landing in different moments in Rudys life. A lot of what follows is drowsily watchable. Soon after Pushkins entrance, Rudy makes several of his own: on a Soviet train, where hes born in 1938; as an adult on a plane; as a boy in a colorless childhood filled with snow and Ashcan browns; and as a teenage student. Though Fiennes keeps changing the aspect ratio, the movie settles down once Rudy lands in Paris smiling under a beret. At the height of the Cold War, the Kirov Ballet has gone west to perform at the Paris Opera House (Palais Garnier). Rudy embraces Paris, visits the sights, dazzles audiences and hangs out with a dreary crowd. In time, he defects. (The cast includes the exasperatingly limp Adele Exarchopoulos as an heiress.) Nureyev certainly seems an ideal candidate for big-screen memorializing: He was sternly beautiful, wildly talented, feverishly acclaimed. But if you didnt know why he was considered a transcendent dancer or a transformational figure, you still wont know after the final credits roll. Rudys dances are well-shot Fiennes emphasizes the entire body in motion so the viewer can trace its line but theyre pretty and bloodless instead of thrilling, which doesnt encourage offscreen oohing and ahhing. Like most movies about great art, The White Crow only points at the sublime without ever expressing it. One flaw that Fiennes never transcends is Ivenko, a dancer with a Russian company who slides off the screen when not onstage. The busy, mosaic structure doesnt help, while the emphasis on Nureyevs origin story seems a mistake, particularly because his name no longer means what it once did. In a 1962 review, the year after Nureyev defected, the British critic Richard Buckle announced the arrival of the pop dancer, writing, What the telly did for art, what Billy Graham did for religion, Nureyev has done for ballet. Rudy the pop dancer is missing, as is the global star who dabbled as a matinee idol (Valentino), was a casualty of the AIDS crisis and still inspires veneration, however artfully muddled. If you were around Manhattan in the 1990s, you hated Barnes & Noble the way you hated garbage strikes or Celine Dion. The chain seemed to expand on a weekly basis, and it got in the way of the independent book stores it displaced, of a Jane Jacobs vision of the streetscape, of your belief that you were living in a place that was so much more idiosyncratic than wherever you came from. When Amazon, even more gargantuan and impersonal, emerged to send Barnes & Noble toward its inevitable descent, you eventually found yourself nostalgic for what you had failed to appreciate. In no place was the companys diminished fortune felt as intensely as it was in the Bronx, where gratitude for what it provided far outweighed snobbishness. Five years ago when Barnes & Noble announced that it was closing the only branch it had opened there, residents and local civic leaders were angry and heartbroken and fought to save it. At the time, there were 90 bookstores in Manhattan. But the Bronx essentially had just the one, and now it would disappear. Those who lived in the Bronx couldnt help feeling that the gatekeepers of cultural commerce found them unworthy. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] As he stood on the Queens shoreline on Earth Day, Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a stern warning that the familiar Manhattan skyline behind him was about to change. We are going to introduce legislation to ban the glass and steel skyscrapers that have contributed so much to global warming, he said on Monday. They have no place in our city or on our Earth anymore. But as far as an actual prohibition against glass and steel skyscrapers? Not exactly. Mr. de Blasios plan involves legislation that would institute new energy code requirements as a prerequisite for a building permit. The kind of the glass and steel buildings of the past, and some bluntly were being built very recently, are just not going to be allowed any more, the mayor said. City officials said that they did not know the specifics of Mr. de Blasios proposal, and that any such change would require City Council approval. Shanghai was the only option. That was what my parents discovered when they fled Hitlers Germany. By the time they left, in separate journeys, they wound up in that international city in China, the last place in the world that would take in Jewish refugees. It felt a little like sailing to the end of the earth, my father often said. My parents became part of a community in Shanghai of some 18,000 European Jews who learned to live in barracks or crowded rooms, used chamber pots, sometimes ate only one hot meal a day from a communal kitchen and walked teeming streets filled with hawkers by day and, in the early hours, trucks picking up corpses. But they also had schools, cultural institutions and a thriving social life, complete with Viennese cafes. And they survived. In particular, some have worried that the bill would restrict Boy Scouts and other children who learn to shoot at summer camp or as part of trap teams. The bill applies not only in the gun owners home but anywhere that a child might have access to the weapon. The bill makes exceptions for children under 16 who have a hunting license, but children learning to shoot at camp often do not have a license. Under New York law, children between 12 and 15 may shoot guns at a range under adult supervision. Patrick J. Morse, the founder of the group North Country Friends of the Second Amendment, said those childrens experiences qualified them to be around guns, despite their age. We have people on our trap team who are 12 years old, and they know everything there is to know about a gun, he said. You have other places where someone is 25 years old and has never seen a firearm. A more sensible law would require guns to be kept away from untrained people, rather than people under a certain age, Mr. Morse said. Ms. Paulin acknowledged the potential issue and said she would be open to amending the bill. Its a good point. Those programs are very successful, and a lot of people in the state participate in them, she said . Were absolutely looking at it seriously, she said. The Boy Scout problem is solvable. Others opponents have cited enforcement and constitutionality as roadblocks. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] Years of neglect, mismanagement and drastic funding cuts have forced the beleaguered New York City Housing Authority to entertain bold solutions to alleviate the dismal conditions of its mold-ridden and pest-infested apartments. Demolishing and rebuilding from scratch are now among them. The city is considering a proposal to tear down two buildings in a public housing complex in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and build three mixed-income private developments, according to several officials briefed on the tentative plan. The plan would raise money for urgently needed repairs. Under the proposal, residents in the two buildings would be relocated to new affordable apartments with private landlords within the Fulton Houses, an 11-building complex a few blocks south of Hudson Yards that abuts the High Line, several luxury hotels and prominent art galleries. In its eight-decade history, the housing authority, known as Nycha, has shied away from tearing down its aging buildings, with the exception of a high-rise complex in Brooklyn and some low-rise buildings in Staten Island. John LHeureux, a prolific author and former Jesuit priest whose fiction grappled with matters of morality, redemption and transcendence, died on Monday at his home in Palo Alto, Calif. He was 84. His wife, Joan LHeureux, said the cause was complications of Parkinsons disease. Mr. LHeureux (pronounced leh-RUHR), who was a professor of English at Stanford for 36 years, wrote more than 20 books and numerous short stories and poems. His best-known novels include A Woman Run Mad (1988), a psychological thriller; The Shrine at Altamira (1992), a horrific tale of spurned love and the cycle of child abuse; and The Medici Boy (2014), a historical novel about Donatello, the 15th-century Florentine sculptor. Many of his short stories appeared in The Atlantic, Esquire and The New Yorker. Reviewers frequently cited his satirical voice, the authenticity of his vision and his continued attempts, in his fiction, to redeem the unredeemable. His stories were by turns sardonic, compassionate and joyful, especially when skewering the academic life. If critics occasionally found his plots strained or his characters thinly drawn, they were also gripped by his narrators wit and his characters capacity for self-deception. Marilyn Mason, a concert organist who championed living composers and shaped generations of organists over a record-breaking 67 years on the faculty at the University of Michigan, died on April 4 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She was 93. Her death was confirmed by her son M. Christian Brown. Dr. Masons concert career took her to churches and halls on five continents. In 1957 she was the first American woman to play an organ concerto at Westminster Abbey. By then she had established herself as a performer of persuasive and vivid readings of new music, thanks in part to her 1951 recording of Arnold Schoenbergs Variations on a Recitative (Op. 40). Dr. Mason, who had taken lessons with Schoenberg in 1949 in Los Angeles, became one of the most prominent advocates for this dense and spiky piece. Nils J. Nilsson, a computer scientist who helped develop the first general-purpose robot and was a co-inventor of algorithms that made it possible for the machine to move about efficiently and perform simple tasks, died on Sunday at his home in Medford, Ore. He was 86. His death was confirmed by his wife, Grace Abbott. Dr. Nilsson was a member of a small group of computer scientists and electrical engineers at the Stanford Research Institute (now known as SRI International) who pioneered technologies that have proliferated in modern life, whether in navigation software used in more than a billion smartphones or in such speech-control systems as Siri. The researchers had been recruited by Charles Rosen, a physicist at the institute, who had raised Pentagon funding in 1966 to design a robot that would be used as a platform for doing research in artificial intelligence. Although the project was intended to create a general-purpose mobile automaton and be a test bed for A.I. programs, Mr. Rosen had secured the funding by selling the idea to the Pentagon that the machine would be a mobile sentry for a military base. All of this matters because careful research has found significant causal impacts of spending on degree completion. Scholars looking at community colleges between 1990 and 2013 found that a 10 percent spending increase raised the number of awards of certificates and degrees bestowed by 15 percent. When students complete an associate degree, they see their lifetime earnings increase on average by more than $300,000. What can be done? This is a case where money really is at the heart of the matter. States and municipalities should immediately begin to increase community college funding to expand opportunities for students. Federal and state governments should band together to create federal-state partnerships for community colleges in which states would receive federal matching funds if they agreed to increase investments in two-year institutions. In the longer run, federal and state policymakers and foundation officials should support a new body of research that will establish, for the first time, what it costs to give community college students a reasonable chance of succeeding and entering the middle class. Similar studies are commonplace in public K-12 education, where for 40 years researchers have sought to establish what level of funding is required to achieve adequate outcomes. Such studies, for example, were pivotal to determining the amount of funding required for a sound basic education as part of the Campaign for Fiscal Equitys case against New York State. These studies can also provide guidance on where money should be invested to achieve the best results. The first step in estimating costs is to identify with some precision the desired outcomes, which raises some interesting philosophical questions about the purpose of community colleges. For K-12 schooling, researchers often calculate the cost of achieving a certain level of proficiency on standardized tests or high school completion. But in higher education, such tests of learning outcomes are not widely available. For community college students, calculating the costs of raising the number of students who complete a degree or certificate to a satisfactory level is a good starting point. Completion will normally be a reasonable proxy for increasing the likelihood that students will achieve their own goals whether that is to gain the skills that will allow them to earn a decent living, to become a better parent or simply to grow in knowledge and wisdom. In some cases, though, if a degree or certificate has little value in the labor market, completion may not be a sufficient way of measuring progress. Anthony Carnevale, the director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, suggests an additional measurement: Community colleges should be funded at a level that will allow graduates a reasonable chance of entering the middle class within 10 years of graduating. Professor Carnevale and his Georgetown colleagues, Jeff Strohl and Artem Gulish, peg that minimum threshold for middle-class life nationally at $35,000 (which translates into $50,000 for a typical household). This income level, they say, allows individuals to meet basic material needs, which is an important objective for many students. But it also helps them to form families more easily, to engage more fully in their communities and to participate in other activities that can enrich life. This $35,000 rule of thumb, they suggest, should be adjusted for regional cost-of-living variations and to account for racial and gender discrimination in the labor market, among other things. It is astonishing that no rigorous research has established the minimum amount of money required to make community colleges successful, given their critical potential to increase social mobility for millions of students. Higher education, which is, after all, in the business of research, needs to figure out what it will take to support community college students, who have so much to contribute to our society, if only we would let them. Joe Bidens father led the high life as a young man: yachts, fast cars, polo. But his fortunes ran out, thanks to a few bad business deals. Eventually, he got a job managing a used car dealership. But at the office Christmas party, the owner decided to issue bonuses by taking a bucket of silver dollars and strewing them across the dance floor, forcing the employees to scramble about on their knees picking up the loot. Joe Biden Sr. and his wife got up instantly and walked out of that job. Desperate as he was, he could not work for someone who didnt respect peoples dignity. This is the first fact about Joe Biden Jr.: He came from a principled family, and he and his wife have nurtured a principled family. Covering his past presidential campaigns was like covering a rolling Biden family reunion. There were sometimes more Bidens at the rallies than voters. One of the hallmarks of the Biden family is emotional transparency you know what theyre feeling. But another is this: We treat everyone the same. Joe Biden has spent nearly his entire adult life in the Senate or as vice president, but no one could fairly accuse him of being haughty or elitist. People still have the instinct to call him Joe. Average Joe. There is a body of employment law holding that differential dress codes for men and women dont ordinarily amount to sex discrimination. So if thats the question for the Supreme Court, Aimee Stephens loses on that score as well. Both versions of the questions, from the Alliance Defending Freedom and the court, invoke the case of Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins. This 1989 decision expanded the concept of discrimination to hold that an employer who penalizes an employee who doesnt conform to a stereotypical idea of the proper appearance or behavior for that persons gender can be found to violate Title VII. The precedent has played an important role in litigation on behalf of gay men and lesbians, and it will play an important one in this case as well. The courts rephrased question makes it clear that the justices read Price Waterhouse as encompassing a broad view of stereotyping, well beyond the dress code issue. That was the view taken by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in its ruling on behalf of Ms. Stephens. By discriminating against a transgender employee, the appeals court said, an employer is necessarily imposing its stereotypical notions of how sexual organs and gender identity ought to align. I have no inside information about what went on at the court during the prolonged consideration of this case. But I believe that there was an extended negotiation among the justices, aimed at crafting questions that would open up the case rather than skew it in the employers direction. Im reminded of something that happened a quarter-century ago when another potential landmark case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, reached the court. The petition was filed in late 1991 by abortion-rights advocates who believed that the court, following the retirements of its leading liberal justices, was about to overturn Roe v. Wade. The advocates calculation was that if this was going to be the outcome, it would be better for it to happen quickly and decisively, in time for the 1992 presidential election to become a referendum on the right to abortion and to awaken what polls showed to be a large silent majority favoring abortion rights. So they asked the court to decide a broad question: Was Roe v. Wade still good law? The court refused to put itself to that all-or-nothing test. Instead, it rewrote the question to address specifically the constitutionality of the three Pennsylvania abortion restrictions that were at issue. As I later learned from internal court correspondence when I was writing a biography of Justice Harry Blackmun, the author of Roe v. Wade, the instigator of this change was Justice David Souter, who said he wanted to rephrase the question in such a way as to avoid overruling Roe. Justice Souter, who was then one of two justices recently appointed by President George H.W. Bush, went on to provide a crucial vote as one of the five justices who preserved the right to abortion. The times, the cases and the court are different now, of course. But the Casey story shows us that the justices are capable of taking great care not to permit overly zealous advocacy to back them into a corner. The other two Title VII cases the court granted on Monday are Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga. and Altitude Express v. Zarda. The justices did not reword the questions in either of these cases. The wording in both is straightforward and to the point. The Bostock petition asks Whether discrimination against an employee because of sexual orientation constitutes prohibited employment discrimination because of sex within the meaning of Title VII. The Altitude Express petitions question is only slightly different: Whether the prohibition in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against employment discrimination because of sex encompasses discrimination based on an individuals sexual orientation. Kevin Barry ODonnell told me that he and his friends wanted the Troubles to come back. The madness, the riots, the shooting, the bombings, everything, he said of the 30 years of conflict between mostly Catholic republicans who wanted to reunite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland and the mostly Protestant unionists who wanted it to remain a part of the United Kingdom. I was interviewing Mr. ODonnell in 2017 for a film I was making about life after the Troubles. He was 16 years old and living in Derry, the city in Northern Ireland that was famous as both the site of the conflicts beginning and one of its worst atrocities, the killing of 14 Catholics by British soldiers in 1972 in an event known as Bloody Sunday. Mr. ODonnell remembered none of it. The Troubles officially ended in 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement before he was born. But he expressed a potent nostalgia. Twenty-one years later, it seems as if the madness has returned. Last week, Lyra McKee, a brilliant 29-year-old journalist, was shot dead during an anti-police riot in Derry. Mr. ODonnell had dismissed paramilitaries to me as hoods with guns, but like him, many of the rioters were teenagers born after the 1998 agreement. As it turned out, Mr. Hutchins had dabbled in the dark arts as a minor, continuing up until the age of 20, when he reversed course and dedicated himself to legitimate activities, like research. The United States attorney in the Eastern District of Wisconsin charged him with writing and conspiring to sell malware specifically, the Kronos banking trojan, known to have attacked banks in France, Britain and India. The case has dragged out for two years, amid complex legal questions that could have been appealed. But Mr. Hutchins had no stomach for an interminable fight and pleaded guilty last week to two counts under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the Wiretap Act , each carrying a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment. The acts that he has pleaded to are ignoble. Kronos did serious damage, and in his plea agreement, Mr. Hutchins acknowledges that he was a witting conspirator to sell the malware. Neither does he attempt to raise the defense that his black hat past was necessary to become a white hat hero, even if that line resonates with the hacker community and popular culture at large. According to his lawyers, he rejects that line of thinking, calling it a misnomer. Mr. Hutchins is not likely to receive a heavy sentence, but even a sentence without any prison time will come with consequences. He has been released on bail since 2017, residing in the United States on an expired tourist visa while waiting for his case to be resolved. That in itself will likely make it difficult to return to the United States in the future, and the felony will hamper his movements further. If he hadnt risen to global prominence, Mr. Hutchins would most likely have never been charged with his crimes. His conviction sends the wrong message about whether or not it pays to mend your ways and, when the moment comes, to do the right thing. As the world comes to rely on computer systems more and more, cybersecurity is increasingly a matter of life and death. But we only rarely see expertise deployed in an indisputably heroic way, amid rerouted ambulances and disabled hospital telephone lines. WannaCry never struck the same kind of havoc in the United States that it did in Britain, and we have Mr. Hutchins to thank for it. The Mueller report, holding itself to the higher standard, concluded that it did not find proof beyond a reasonable doubt of criminal conspiracy with Russia. It also offered an explanation: Lies by individuals associated with the Trump campaign materially impaired the investigation of Russian election interference. Witnesses deleted emails and used applications with encryption or deletion functions, which also thwarted fact-finding. Part II of the report on obstruction explains why Part I may have fallen short of such a high burden. Mr. Barr had the analysis backward in his summary letter. The failure to prove an underlying crime does not mean there was no obstruction. The obstruction meant that it became impossible to know whether there was a conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt and it impeded the Russian investigation. Mr. Barr then used that doubt to question whether there was the corrupt intent required by obstruction statutes. To the contrary, the preponderance of conspiracy evidence confirms the corrupt intent. The reports core question of whether the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government is a difficult legal question for any prosecutor. Criminal campaign finance charges as opposed to civil require proof that a violation must have been committed knowingly and willfully, that the defendant knew he was breaking the law, which is notoriously hard to prove. The reasonable doubt problem rightly prevents indictments here, but a preponderance standard is sufficient for an interpretation for public debate based on more-likely-than-not facts. Even without knowing what is redacted, the report offers substantial and credible information of the Trump campaign conspiring or coordinating with the Russian government. Under federal criminal law, conspiracy does not require direct proof or explicit words of agreement. It can be proven by action and circumstantial evidence from which the agreement may be inferred. And on campaign coordination, the Mueller report made a significant omission or oversight on this question when it stated that coordination does not have a settled definition in federal criminal law. We understood coordination to require an agreement tacit or express. As the election law expert Paul Seamus Ryan noted, Congress in its 2002 campaign finance law rejected that view: Federal law shall not require agreement or formal collaboration to establish coordination. The federal regulations followed this command: Coordinated means made in cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, with no need to show any kind of agreement. Expenditures for coordinated communications are considered in-kind contributions, and foreign contributions public or private are illegal. In fact, the Federal Election Commission is reviewing a complaint along these lines. The report states that Rick Gates, a campaign deputy, suspected that Mr. Manaforts Russian associate, Konstantin Kilimnik, was a spy, a view that he shared with Mr. Manafort (and others). For months, Mr. Manafort informed Mr. Kilimnik about the campaign through internal polling data, even pointing out that Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Minnesota were target states. The Mueller report did not conclude their motives were criminal beyond a reasonable doubt, but by a preponderance in context, the motives were clearly campaign related and likely a coordination with Russia. Despite being heavily redacted, the report seems to add context to Roger Stone's indictment, implicitly suggesting that Mr. Trump may have directed officials to contact Roger Stone about WikiLeaks, and may have been in contact with Mr. Stone about WikiLeaks. It may not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that they knew WikiLeaks was an extension of Russian hacking and a Russian campaign, but it is more likely than not a kind of indirect coordination with a foreign government prohibited by law. And Donald Trump Jr.s continuing contacts with WikiLeaks in September and October 2016, long after the Trump Tower meeting and the July events made its connection to a Russian campaign clear, also were likely a coordination, even if not knowingly proven beyond a reasonable doubt. We found that not only are low-income Americans more concerned than their wealthier counterparts about losing control over how their information is collected or being used, but theyre also more worried about being harassed online or having their financial information stolen. And while societal fears about data breaches are widespread, identity theft poses a much heavier burden for people living on the margins. At the same time, the backdrop for these online experiences is a heightened sense of worry about the precariousness of their physical privacy and security. For instance, low-income Americans, particularly in communities of color, are significantly more likely than higher-income groups to express concerns about being unfairly targeted by law enforcement. This kind of targeting may take the form of warrantless cellphone location tracking that results in wrongful arrests or pervasive networks of cameras and sensors that monitor all of the public activity in low-income neighborhoods in a constant search for suspicious activity. The story of income inequality and differential surveillance practices in America is also deeply intertwined with the history of racial inequalities. In addition to understanding the differing concerns of economically marginalized groups, its critical to understand how different racial and ethnic groups experience privacy. From the government surveillance of black civil rights leaders in the 1960s to the surveillance of Black Lives Matter protesters on social media today, there are myriad examples of communities of color enduring a disproportionate level of scrutiny when compared with white Americans engaged in the same kinds of activities. More recently, the ongoing government tracking of the foreign-born Hispanic population which is also among the poorest and least-educated group of adults in the country has resulted in raids and deportations that have separated family members and created a climate of widespread fear. This mass surveillance is causing eligible families not to apply for life-sustaining supports like food stamps, to avoid getting the health care they need and to pull their children out of school. Many people are getting their history and their definition of impeachment wrong by asserting that what forced Nixon to resign was the revelation in August 1974, very late in the process, of a recording of his trying to obstruct justice. This leads them to the erroneous conclusion that its essential to find a smoking gun to impeach a president. In fact, even before that tape was released, the House Judiciary Committee had already approved three articles of impeachment against Nixon. It was widely understood that opinion had moved so strongly against him that the House would approve those articles and the Senate would vote to convict Nixon on those grounds. The tape simply hastened the finale. By far the most important article of impeachment approved by the House committee on a bipartisan basis was Article II, which called for the punishment of Nixon for abusing presidential power by using the executive agencies (such as the Internal Revenue Service) to punish his enemies and for failing to uphold the oath of office to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. It also said, significantly, that a president could be held accountable for a pattern of abusive or even illegal behavior by his aides. Madison and Hamilton didnt say anything about holding off on impeachment because it would be politically risky. Its hard to imagine theyd put political convenience on the same footing as the security of the Constitution. And the Democrats who prefer to substitute the 2020 election for an impeachment fight dont appear to have considered the implications if Mr. Trump were to win: Would that not condone his constitutional abuses and encourage his authoritarian instincts? Moreover, the report by Robert Mueller, the special counsel, left clear openings, perhaps even obligations, for Congress to act. Mr. Mueller did not say that there had been no collusion, or conspiracy , or whatever between Russian oligarchs and intelligence agents with ties to the Kremlin and members of the Trump campaign in fact he traced the considerable traffic, or what he called links and contacts, between them in some detail. But he wrote that he couldnt establish coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. In his view, to win a court case, he had to prove some sort of specific agreement between the Trump campaign and that government. While Mr. Mueller cited 10 likely instances of obstruction of justice on the presidents part, he said he stopped short of charging Mr. Trump with that crime largely because of a Justice Department rule thats not law but is taken as Holy Writ. Mr. Mueller even invited Congress to address the matter. Almost as a plea, he added that no person is above the law. The Democrats may succeed in avoiding a tumultuous, divisive fight over impeachment now. But if they choose to ignore clear abuses of the Constitution, theyll also turn a blind eye to the precedent theyre setting and how feckless theyll look in history. Early on a Sunday morning in 1932, a fleet of some 150 fighters, dive-bombers and torpedo planes struck the naval base at Pearl Harbor. The ships lying at anchor on Battleship Row sustained direct hits. Also hit were the bases fuel storage tanks and the Army Air Corps planes parked nearby at Hickam Field. The surprise was as complete as it was devastating. Only this was an Army-Navy war game, the attackers were American pilots operating from the carriers Saratoga and Lexington, and the bombs they dropped were sacks of flour. The lesson of Grand Joint Exercise 4, as it was called, is that forewarned is not always forearmed. It took the actual sinking of much of the U.S. battle fleet nearly a decade later to bring the lesson home to U.S. military planners that the age of the carrier had arrived. Fast forward to 2006, when a small Chinese diesel-electric submarine surfaced well within torpedo-firing range from the 80,000-ton Kitty Hawk, having gone undetected by the carrier and her escorts. That incident ought to have been a loud wake-up call to the Navy that the age of the super-carrier is drawing to a close just as surely as the age of the battleship was coming to an end by the 1930s. The Antarctics second-largest colony of emperor penguins collapsed in 2016, with more than 10,000 chicks lost, and the population has not recovered, according to a new study. Many of the adults relocated nearby, satellite imagery shows, but the fact that emperor penguins are vulnerable in what had been considered the safest part of their range raises serious long-term concerns, said Phil Trathan, the papers co-author and head of conservation biology with the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, England. That means that these places arent as safe as we thought previously, Dr. Trathan said. The colony at Halley Bay has all but disappeared, the research team at the British Antarctic Survey said in a statement. Emperor penguins the worlds largest breed and molt on sea ice, chunks of frozen seawater. Awkward on land, they cannot climb icy cliffs and so are vulnerable to warming weather and high winds whipping across the ice. Under the influence of the strongest El Nino in 60 years, September 2015 was a particularly stormy month in the area of Halley Bay in Antarctica, with heavy winds and record-low sea ice. I peered into the glossy box trembling in Sams hands. Inside sat an oval-cut diamond engagement ring. Hand-engraved leaves and milgrain edges detailed the rose gold band, while a baguette and two smaller diamonds hugged both sides of the center stone. The ring was immaculately designed, flawlessly constructed and not at all me. How did this happen? I thought. But I knew how this happened. I knew exactly how this strange, stunning, not-really-my-style ring ended up in the shaky hands of the man I love. Vladimir. Vladimir is a petite Russian jeweler with dark skin, deep-set eyes and an intimidating accent. He got his start in the jewelry industry as a teenager in the Soviet Union, selling rings he made out of walnut shells. While working under the table or in the closet, rather he graduated to more sophisticated heirloom materials like silver birth spoons or gold fillings from the deceased. (In the Soviet Union it was unheard-of to put any kind of precious metal into the ground, so all valuables were left to surviving family members.) Ms. Drurys Fairview, which just won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, and Marys Seacole are just as daring as Slave Play and maybe more out there. Fairview, very loosely, is about a family dinner that gets dysfunctional after one act, farcical after two and like Armageddon after three. The meal being prepared and fretted over is restaged, but the dialogue in the repeated version has been replaced by the voices of white actors having an increasingly specific conversation about race. The mounting tension blows up in the finale, after which one of the shows actors invites the white people in the audience to come to the stage so she can have a moment to herself with everybody else. Marys Seacole very, very loosely is about a Jamaican caregiver, in both the 19th century and this one, whose ambitions exceed the white medical establishments interest in her. The show moves, among other places, from aristocratic old-world Kingston to a modern medical facility in the United States to a battlefield in Crimea. But the locations keep bleeding into one another. The thrill of both plays is how metaphysical and structurally unstable they are. Ms. Drury likes repetition and circularity and how that circle is really more of a spiral and how, after two or three acts, the spiral starts to look an awful lot like the fuse of a bomb. For the audience, the stress (the riveting, delightful stress) comes from not knowing when this play is going to detonate and how? Ms. Harris might be the biggest surprise of these three her second piece is an ornate elegy called What to Send Up When It Goes Down since her work is the least obviously polished. But to watch Is God Is is to see a playwright as lawless as any of her peers has been. Its about twin sisters who fulfill their mothers wish that they execute their father. (Make your Daddy dead. Dead. Dead. All the way dead.) In 90 minutes, it manages to get from somewhere in Atlanta to the American West. ST. POLTEN, Austria The day after the 2016 election in the United States, the Nobel Prize-winning Austrian writer Elfriede Jelinek began a play inspired by President Trumps surprising victory. The result was Am Konigsweg (On the Royal Road), a lengthy monologue about a tacky autocrat whose sordid path to leadership is narrated by a blind female seer. Roughly a year later, Am Konigsweg had its world premiere in Hamburg and has since been performed throughout Germany. (In early 2018, English-language excerpts were performed as a sneak preview at the City University of New York Graduate Center). It has taken somewhat longer for Ms. Jelineks play to reach her native country, where it is premiering this season at the Landestheater Niederosterreich in St. Polten, outside Vienna. Ms. Jelineks play is a screed of outrage at the political, economic and cultural forces that have brought us to an unprecedented and for many, unimaginable moment of crisis for modern democracy. Mr. Trump is never mentioned by name, but the narration sketches an undisciplined, uncouth monarch who has been propped up by obscene wealth, a nonstop media circus and a remarkable talent for self-aggrandizing. Draw your own conclusions. Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu (2018) For Moses and Kitch, poor young black men in a modern American city, the warm greeting Yo, kill me now is always answered with a reassuring Bang bang. Thats no metaphor; death, hovering so closely around them, may be the only thing they can confidently expect to achieve. If their rituals recall Becketts tramps in Waiting for Godot, they also reference plantation America and biblical Egypt; this is a tragedy too big for any one era to encompass. Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris (2018) What at first seems like absurd plantation porn featuring slaves and overseers is soon revealed to be sex therapy role-play for contemporary interracial couples. Though the therapy focuses on the white blind spot in which black partners feel they disappear, the play as a whole is looking at something bigger: the dysfunction of the interracial partnership of America. White Noise by Suzan-Lori Parks (2019) Ralph, whos white, and Leo, whos black, have been pals since college, each thinking he is somehow beyond race. But when Leo is assaulted by police officers, hairline cracks in his sense of self gape open. To close them, he makes a shocking suggestion: that he become, for 40 days, Ralphs slave. The experiment not only revises the relationships between the two men (and also their girlfriends) but our idea of how far past the past really is. Aint No Mo by Jordan E. Cooper (2019) Peaches is the boarding agent for African-American Airlines flight 1619 the one taking all black citizens of the United States on a one-way trip to Africa. The shocker is that the exodus is so eagerly embraced, for reasons demonstrated in this anthology of mostly satirical sketches about racism run rampant. If you stay here, Peaches says, you only got two choices for guaranteed housing, and thats either a cell or a coffin. Americans are among the most stressed people in the world, according to a new survey. And thats just the start of it. Last year, Americans reported feeling stress, anger and worry at the highest levels in a decade, according to the survey, part of an annual Gallup poll of more than 150,000 people around the world, released on Thursday. What really stood out for the U.S. is the increase in the negative experiences, said Julie Ray, Gallups managing editor for world news. This was kind of a surprise to us when we saw the numbers head in this direction. For the annual poll, started in 2005, Gallup asks individuals about whether they have experienced a handful of positive or negative feelings the day before being interviewed. The data on Americans is based on responses from more than 1,000 adults. Good morning. (Heres the sign-up, if you dont already get California Today by email.) This week, my colleague Tim Arango profiled the real estate mogul Rick Caruso, whose influence in Los Angeles has spread from the Department of Water and Power and the Police Commission to U.S.C., where he has helmed the board of trustees through a turbulent time for the university. Now, hes not ruling out a run for mayor. Tim spoke to him about how hed approach the gig: Mr. Caruso, 60, has built a fortune putting his stamp on the physical landscape of Los Angeles his most famous property is the Grove and secured a position as an important civic leader. Hes thought about running for mayor in the past, and says he may consider it again. Mr. Caruso had plenty more to say about how he sees politics in Los Angeles, and where his thinking is on the citys challenges. I think it is one of the worlds best cities, he said. I just think it could be more livable. I think you need to design a city that allows people to, like I said, slow down and enjoy their life a little bit. What began with questions about bulk sales of an obscure childrens book series erupted on Thursday into a full-blown political scandal in Baltimore, where federal agents raided City Hall and two houses belonging to Mayor Catherine Pugh, the author of the books. Critics of the mayor renewed calls for her to resign. Local news stations aired images of agents from the F.B.I. and the Internal Revenue Service carrying out box after box of documents and other items seized from at least six locations, including Mayor Pughs second-floor office in City Hall and her two homes in northwestern Baltimore. The coordinated raids sought financial records related to the childrens books. Hours later, Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, a Republican, called for the mayor, a Democrat, to resign, saying she could no longer govern effectively. Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust, Governor Hogan said in a statement. She is clearly not fit to lead. The governors demand for Mayor Pughs resignation comes a little more than two weeks after the Baltimore City Council urged Ms. Pugh to step down, and three weeks after Governor Hogan ordered a state investigation into the business relationship between Ms. Pugh and a health care system with extensive financial ties to the city. On April 25, 2014, a group of smiling officials in Flint, Mich., stood in front of television cameras, held their glasses aloft and toasted the switch to the citys new water source, the Flint River. Heres to Flint! Dayne Walling, the mayor, said, taking a gulp of river water. The Flint water crisis was born that day. Almost immediately, Flint residents began telling their elected officials that there was something wrong with the water, which smelled terrible, tasted like metal and seemed to give them skin rashes. They confronted elected officials outside City Hall, hoisting bottles full of rust-colored water from their taps, only to be told, again and again, that the water was fine. The water was not fine. Flint officials had failed to add needed corrosion controls to the river water. Lead from the citys old pipes leached into the water, causing alarmingly high lead levels in the blood of many residents. The outcry that followed forced a change in the citys leadership, criminal charges against state and local officials and a yearslong effort to replace Flints dangerous lead pipes. But in Flint, the water crisis is by no means in the past. Its a community thats still dealing with the trauma and the aftermath of having been poisoned at the hands of the government, Karen Weaver, who replaced Mr. Walling as mayor largely because of anger over the water crisis, said in an interview this week. Ms. Weaver continues to tell residents to drink only bottled or filtered water. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: A year after police used a genetic database to crack the case of the Golden State Killer, the same technique has been used to arrest nearly 40 other people. Now, for the first time, one of those cases is headed to trial. In Part 1 of a two-part series, the story behind the tool that is transforming law enforcement and testing the limits of privacy. Its Thursday, June 6. Heather, where does this story begin? [phone ringing] heather murphy So the story begins with this guy. curtis rogers This is Curt Rogers. heather murphy Hi, Curt. heather murphy Curt Rogers. heather murphy Its Heather. curtis rogers Hi, Heather. How are you? heather murphy And Curt Rogers is an entrepreneur. He spends his life in a lot of different kinds of businesses. At one point, he runs a series of candy shops with his father in Florida. michael barbaro Heather Murphy has been covering DNA technology for The Times. heather murphy For a long time, he worked in archived recording Then start with creamy fresh Hellmanns real mayonnaise heather murphy trying to develop markets for Hellmanns mayonnaise products in Asia. archived recording turn even a sandwich into a special treat. curtis rogers For one thing, we wanted to introduce mayonnaise into Japan. They were not familiar with mayonnaise. So it was trying to figure out how it would fit into their eating habits. heather murphy And what ends up happening, though, is he gets interested in genealogy, like a lot of people do as they get older. curtis rogers Throughout my life, Ive been working on this as a hobby. heather murphy And back then, there was this site and actually still is this site FamilyTreeDNA. And somebody said, ah, you should join this project for people with the last name Rogers. And it helped people with the last name Rogers figure out how they were related. So he did, and he got really into it. He was so into it, actually curtis rogers Well, I was asked to manage the Rogers group for one of the testing companies, FamilyTreeDNA. heather murphy But pretty soon, he became the administrator for the Rogers project. And so what that really means is hes just trying to help his fellow Rogers connect, and hes doing a pretty good job at it. But hes getting frustrated, because [music] curtis rogers They offered kind of a cookie-cutter type of a website. heather murphy Its all just a little bit clunky. curtis rogers And I wanted something more interactive. heather murphy And so he asks his network of Rogers, does anybody know a guy? curtis rogers So I found a person who is very technically oriented, which I am not. heather murphy And yes, one of the Rogers knows a guy. curtis rogers And was able to talk him into making a few algorithms for me so we have a much more interactive site. [music] heather murphy And then were getting to around 2010, and hes hearing that people are starting to do DNA testing with sites like Ancestry.com and 23andMe. curtis rogers These companies could test people, and then they could match the people theyve tested with other people theyve tested. But there was no way for them to match with people whod been tested by other companies. heather murphy The problem with these other sites is that you have to pay to join them, and then they analyze your DNA. And once they do that, you can only find relatives who also tested with and paid to join those sites. So he sees this opportunity to create a site where no matter who you tested with, no matter who you paid to join previously, you can take those files that those sites created, upload them for free, and find relatives whove tested with all kinds of companies. And he also sees this opportunity to help people find and understand not just how theyre related to second cousins, but way more distant relatives. And so he asked this programmer, whos now his business partner, to make this. curtis rogers And he did it. [music] curtis rogers Anyone who had been tested by any company could put their information on our site if they wished to do so, and then find matches with people who had been tested with other companies. And it was such a great program. I said, this is really too good for just my little Rogers surname group. Lets start another website and share this with other people. heather murphy And so thats how their website began. heather murphy And how do I say GEDMatch? curtis rogers Yeah, you said it absolutely correctly. It is GEDMatch. heather murphy Curt calls it jed-match. His partner calls it ged-match. michael barbaro So for people who are looking for relatives, its a free place where they can go to find many more potential matches, no matter who the people on that site tested with. heather murphy Yeah, exactly. And GEDMatch just takes off. Curt told me that he was expecting, O.K., maybe 10 percent growth. That would be good based on working at something like the mayonnaise business. But he is far exceeding that. The number of uploads are doubling every year, and thats without any kind of advertising. michael barbaro Wow. [music] heather murphy And theyre growing and growing and growing so fast that, at some point, they crashed the server. michael barbaro Basically too many people are using it. heather murphy Too many people are using it. Theyre getting so many emails that Curts wife is really angry with him because all hes doing is responding to emails all day. curtis rogers Let me just say, the first one I ever did that was meaningful was a woman who didnt know her father because her mother had done a test-tube baby. And so she finally found her father. And she got up the courage and called him, and she said who she was. There was a big hesitation on the other side. And the father then said, this is the happiest day of my life. Today is my birthday, and there is no greater gift than this one. And he was crying. Things like that make you realize how much you do help people. Thats really what its all about, helping people. heather murphy But aside from these letters, Curt really had no idea how people were using his site across the country. michael barbaro How were people using his site across the country? heather murphy Well, fast-forward to 2015. [telephone line ringing] There is an investigator named Deputy Pete Headley. peter headley Headley here. Can I help you? heather murphy And hes working on a case heather murphy Hi. Can you hear me? peter headley Yes, I can. heather murphy about a woman named Lisa. [music] heather murphy It begins when this woman is just 5 years old. This is the late 80s. Shes living in a trailer park in California with her father, and hes not taking very good care of her. peter headley There was a couple there, older couple, that befriended them. heather murphy And the neighbors start to notice. peter headley They knew something was wrong, living in the back of a camper shell like that. They heard Lisa crying at night sometimes. heather murphy And theyre talking to him, and they say, oh, shes such a sweet girl. Were happy to help out with her sometimes. peter headley They told him that their daughter was having a hard time having kids, and shed like to adopt. heather murphy And so they take her for what starts as a few weeks. Its this sort of trial adoption. Obviously, this is a pretty unconventional situation. And during the course of those few weeks, they start to notice that its even worse than they thought. Shes clearly been sexually abused. And during this time, he disappears. They dont know where he went. So they go to the local sheriffs department and say, what should we do? And the sheriff puts out a warrant for his arrest, both for child abandonment and for abuse. The little girl ends up in foster care. And eventually they find him and arrest him. peter headley He was in jail for about a year and a half. When he was released, he immediately absconded parole. And his location was unknown again until heather murphy And then quite a few years later peter headley he was arrested in 2002 in Contra Costa County. heather murphy hes arrested again, this time for murder. peter headley And when they arrested him, they ran his fingerprints. And it came back with all these other A.K.A.s. heather murphy So you had a list of different identities. How many identities were talking for him? peter headley Let me see. We have Robert Evans, Curtis Kimball, Gordon Curtis Jensen, Gerald Mockerman, Lawrence Vanner, [INAUDIBLE] Jensen, and different variations on the names. And they saw his previous criminal history involving Lisa, and they obtained DNA from him at that time and compared it to Lisa. And at that point, everyone realized hes not related at all. Where did he get this kid? Thats when we went back and reopened the case to try to determine who she really was and where he took her from. [music] michael barbaro So that little girl whose neighbors were concerned about her dad, and that dad got arrested and she goes into foster care, this test is showing hes not actually her dad. heather murphy Thats right. So this woman grew up thinking that she was abandoned by her abusive father. Now, as an adult, shes learning, actually, her abusive father was not her father, he was her kidnapper. peter headley Well, we know this suspect kidnapped her. heather murphy And she has no idea who she is. peter headley But we dont know who she is, so were trying to determine who she is. heather murphy So Deputy Pete Headley, hes one of these traditional cold-case detectives who never give up. peter headley I just kept hitting dead ends, and it was really frustrating. But I had promised Lisa that I wouldnt give up. heather murphy You just keep working and working and working and working a case. peter headley And so I just kept trying to think of any possible way that we could identify her. [music] michael barbaro Well be right back. So Detective Pete Headley is hitting dead end after dead end in the Lisa case. What does he do? heather murphy So by 2015, he starts to hear that adoptees are finding their biological parents through these genealogy sites. And he thinks, wait, actually, couldnt that help us? So he reaches out to an organization thats known for this type of thing. peter headley I just sent an email to DNAadoption.com asking them if the same methods that they use to find adoptees bio families could be used to identify Lisa. Barbara Rae-Venter responded to my email. barbara rae-venter O.K., Im going to take the headphones off, one second. I need to take my earrings off. michael barbaro And who is Barbara Rae-Venter? heather murphy Barbara Rae-Venter is a very interesting character. barbara rae-venter I arrived in the U.S. in December of 68. heather murphy Shes originally from New Zealand. barbara rae-venter I applied to the University of Texas Law School, and I was accepted. heather murphy She spent a lot of her life as a patent attorney, and she worked on all kinds of interesting biotech innovations. barbara rae-venter Anything from new organisms for making better strains of penicillin heather murphy Including the first genetically modified fruit. barbara rae-venter to the Flavr Savr tomato. heather murphy The Flavr Savr tomato for a company that later became part of Monsanto. heather murphy Did you ever find yourself having to defend your employer to your friends? barbara rae-venter I didnt make a big point of mentioning that I did genetically modified food and other things, no. [CHUCKLES] heather murphy As she got older in life, she got interested in genealogy, as many people do. And she volunteered with an organization called DNA Adoption, where she helped adoptees to find their biological parents, and she was really good at it. barbara rae-venter For me, of course, I understand all the science. I dont need tutorials on that. So for me, it was probably a little easier than for most people, because all Im trying to learn is how to actually use the DNA in conjunction with research techniques for traditional family history research. heather murphy And then one day, she gets a message from Deputy Pete Headley. barbara rae-venter I was working on my computer on something, and the email came in. And to me, it was an intriguing question. Could we, in fact, identify somebody who had no clue who she was when all we really would have is her DNA? We didnt know anything else about her. peter headley Thats when Barbara Rae-Venter responded back and said yes. But because we had no geographical information on her, it was going to be difficult. michael barbaro So how does she go about finding this womans parents? barbara rae-venter I mainly worked through Deputy Headley, but I did have conversations with Lisa at various times. Shes a very charming, very sweet person. But she also is obviously wanting to very much maintain her privacy. heather murphy So what she needs to do is she needs to find some relatives, hopefully close relatives. barbara rae-venter Theoretically, the technique that we were using for finding both relatives should work for somebody like Lisa. And so I had Lisa test at Ancestry, 23andMe, and FamilyTreeDNA. heather murphy And barbara rae-venter And also upload to GEDMatch. heather murphy Curts site GEDMatch is an essential tool for her. peter headley And all the matches that showed up there, Barbara would build a tree up from these people that are related to her until the trees cross and you get to an ancestor in common. barbara rae-venter I hope that its somebody relatively close, like a great-grandparent or a great-great-grandparent. And at that point, I then search for all of the descendants of that common ancestor. peter headley So then she can say, your victim is a descendant of this ancestor in common. And then as she followed the trees back down to the living folk, I would use all of our law enforcement resources to find those living people and contact them. heather murphy Like what kind of resources? peter headley Everything from D.M.V. records to old census records. But at this point, my primary job with Barbara was to find the living folk and call them up and start asking them to do a DNA test. And thats how you narrow it in. If the amount of matching DNA increases, you know that youre getting closer to the correct family descendants. heather murphy And what did you say when you contacted them? peter headley It was difficult making cold calls like that. I would always start off with, I am working on a cold case, and Im hoping you can help me out. Some people, they would just hang up. A lot of people thought it was a scam. I had one woman that thought I was going to try to clone her. heather murphy [LAUGHS] peter headley Yeah. heather murphy So this goes on for many months. Barbara estimates at the end that it takes 20,000 hours of work from about 100 volunteers. michael barbaro Wow. heather murphy Many of whom are distant relations of Lisas. barbara rae-venter The maternal line tree, in particular, was enormous. It had something like 18,000 people in it. heather murphy So eventually, they narrow Lisas father down to one of five brothers who seemed to live in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, all of the brothers were married when Lisa was conceived, and so theyre not really happy to hear that they might have this other child. michael barbaro Got it. heather murphy Yeah. So they dont want to be tested, which is not helpful. On the other side of Lisas family, though, on her mothers side, Barbara and her team have more luck. They eventually find this person who, based on looking at the family tree, appears likely to be Lisas grandfather. michael barbaro Thats a breakthrough. heather murphy Its a breakthrough. He is also skeptical of all of this at first. But they eventually convince him its legit, and he agrees to be helpful, partly because another family member convinces him. And they do a DNA test, and what they find is it confirms that he is indeed Lisas grandfather. And what her grandfather tells her is the last time he saw her, she was two. And her mother was involved with this guy. peter headley And his name was Bob Evans. heather murphy The family didnt know a lot about him. peter headley At the time, he talked up that they owed money to a bunch of people, insinuated that it was to dangerous bad people that they owed money to, even. heather murphy But in the middle of the night, they absconded, and the family never heard from them again. And they just assumed that shed just gone off with this guy. They didnt know what had happened. peter headley Thats when I contacted Manchester Police Department and briefed them on the case. Told them, this is a missing person. Denise Beaudin moved away with this guy Bob Evans, and shes actually a missing person. heather murphy So what did you tell Lisa? peter headley When I called her up, I told her that we had been able to figure it out. And she got very quiet. And then I asked her if shed like to know her name. heather murphy So what happened? peter headley I told her her name is Dawn Beaudin. And then she called me a couple days later, had had some time to think about it and was wondering, well, should she change her date of birth, change her name? It had to be a big shock. And I just told her, thats something for you to think about and decide on. [music] barbara rae-venter It was very emotional being able to actually do that for her, particularly knowing what had happened to her. And so it was very nice to be able to give her back her family and to give her her name. peter headley It was very satisfying to be able to tell her who she is. It made it all worth it. [music] heather murphy So what Deputy Pete Headley and other investigators believe is that sometime after he kidnapped Dawn, he killed her mom. They have not found her body. But the reason they believe this is because this was part of a pattern of behavior. Its believed that he killed at least two other women he was involved with and three children. michael barbaro Wow. But not Dawn. heather murphy But not Dawn. We still do not know the extent of his crimes, but hes known as the Bear Brook Killer. And he died in prison. michael barbaro So I just want to get this straight. That little girl who is taken by her neighbors and ends up in the hands of police, the man who she thought was her father was actually a serial killer who kidnapped and likely murdered her mother. heather murphy Yes. michael barbaro And Lisa is Dawn. heather murphy Lisa is Dawn. michael barbaro And Barbara has done all this using GEDMatch. heather murphy Yes. And this is a really big deal, because it shows that you can use GEDMatch and use family tree building techniques to identify much more than just an adoptees parents. michael barbaro Right. heather murphy You can identify a person. [music] And so word gets out that Barbara and Pete solved the Lisa case. And eventually, theres another investigator. Hes been working on this cold case for decades. He has no real leads. All he has is some crime scene DNA. And so he reaches out and asks for help. archived recording Police finally got their break in the Golden State Killer case by combing through commercial genealogy websites. heather murphy And this is the case of the Golden State Killer. archived recording 1 Police say one of the most elusive serial killers in American history. archived recording 2 Golden State Killer. archived recording 3 Golden State Killer. archived recording 4 The Golden State Killer has been captured. archived recording 5 At least 12 murders. archived recording 6 12 murders. archived recording 7 45 rapes. archived recording 8 45 rapes and more than 100 burglaries. archived recording 9 They have been searching for more than four decades. And tonight, the major clue archived recording 10 Investigators compared DNA found at the crime scenes archived recording 11 We found the needle in the haystack. archived recording 12 to genetic information listed on the websites. archived recording 13 Hes been called the East Side Rapist, the Visalia Ransacker, the Original Night Stalker, and the Golden State Killer. Today, its our pleasure to call him defendant. heather murphy So all of this work from the Lisa case has led to this groundbreaking moment. This is the first time that were seeing a public arrest in such a high-profile case, a case of a serial killer that has eluded detectives for decades. And now they finally have a name. They finally have somebody behind bars. And that is because they have used this technique that people are calling genetic genealogy. michael barbaro And that leads us back to the site that Curt Rogers built GEDMatch. heather murphy Yeah. Its only after the announcement that the alleged Golden State Killer has been arrested, Curt told me, that he learned that his site had been pivotal to this investigation. He had been asked previously if his site could be used by law enforcement to identify murderers and rapists, and hed actually said, no, he couldnt explicitly sanction it because people were there primarily for genealogical research. No one was expecting to be cooperating with law enforcement. curtis rogers My concerns were that there could be a violation of privacy. I had to figure that out in my head, if that was true or not. heather murphy And what helped you figure it out? curtis rogers Time. A lot of sleepless nights. heather murphy But then he starts getting these emails, and they are so congratulatory. They are telling him that he has done great things for the world, and he is feeling incredibly proud of what he has created. curtis rogers Its like when they first discovered that fingerprints could be used to identify individuals. Weve now started a whole new field of forensics. Its not as direct as fingerprints. Dont get me wrong. But its a whole new way of finding people. heather murphy So he and his partner decide to officially open up GEDMatch to law enforcement. curtis rogers To me, the real important thing was the people who had been victims, and that includes their families. And bringing closure to them is extremely important to me. It really is. heather murphy And they rewrite the user agreement so that what it now says is that, by default, users are opted in to allow their profiles to be searched by law enforcement for the purposes of sexual assault and murder cases. [music] curtis rogers Id never realized how many families and people there are out there who have been suffering for decades because of some violent crime thats happened in their family. And there must be millions, literally millions, of people like that. heather murphy And that changed everything. [music] michael barbaro Tomorrow on The Daily, Part 2 of the story. cece moore At the time of the Golden State Killer suspect arrest, a lot of people were opining that this was going to be a one-off, that it was too difficult, too much time, investment, et cetera. And I wanted to prove that that wasnt true, that the power of genetic genealogy could absolutely be applied to cold cases and even active cases. There was no reason that that couldnt happen. [music] michael barbaro I reserve the right to my time. A barrier-breaking congresswoman who made headlines after just a few months in office. Freshman congresswoman Ilhan Omar The first Somali-American and the first woman of color from Minnesota Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar is in the spotlight, and shes getting attention from across the political spectrum. From President Donald Trump ... So Representative Omar blamed the United States ... to Democratic presidential contenders. If your question to me is, do I think she is anti-Semitic? No, I dont. She does not deserve the kind of vicious, hate-filled attacks that shes experiencing. So, who is she? Omar was born in Somalia. Her family fled during the civil war. They were granted asylum in the U.S., and eventually ended up in Minneapolis. Omar went on to become a community organizer. She got into politics a few years ago when she unseated a 44-year incumbent in the state legislature. Omar was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. I stand here before you tonight as your congresswoman-elect with many firsts behind my name. So what are the issues Omar has brought attention to? Ms. Omar As a freshman in Congress, Omar criticized the Trump administrations involvement in Venezuela, supported the boycott Israel movement and spoke out against family separation at the border. We say, not under our watch. Thats right! But these days, shes making news as a target of the president. In remarks widely viewed as racist, Trump has repeatedly called for four members of Congress, all women of color, to go back to where they came from. If you hate our country, if youre not happy here, you can leave. Hes directly singled out Omar, and its being echoed by his base. Omar has a history of launching vicious anti-Semitic screeds. Trump later said he was unhappy with the crowds chant. For Omar, this attention is nothing new. In February, Trump called for her resignation after Republicans called her anti-Semitic over tweets that criticized Israel. I think she should either resign from Congress Omar apologized on Twitter. But Trump didnt let the incident go. She doesnt like Israel, I forgot. Im so sorry. Then in March, when Omar incorrectly stated that a Muslim advocacy group was created after the September 11th attacks ... They recognized that some people did something ... Trump went after Omar on Twitter, sending out an edited video mixing 9/11 footage with her remarks, implying that she was playing down the attacks. Omar said she received an increase in death threats after Trumps tweet. So whats next for Omar? It is time for us to stop allowing this president to make a mockery out of our Constitution. Some say that Omar has been a political gift to Trump, the ideal way to rally his conservative base. And her comments about Israel have split support for her even in her own party. But its not making a dent in her fund-raising. We are in the ring, we are in the peoples House and we are going to continue to keep fighting. Omar raised more than $1 million in the first half of 2019 for her re-election campaign. Perhaps more strikingly, the judges ruled that all 34 maps violated Democratic voters First Amendment right to freedom of association and effectively punished them for their political views by placing them in districts where their votes were worthless. Plaintiffs in the North Carolina gerrymander case made the same argument to the Supreme Court in March. In each of the contested districts, the judges wrote, the plaintiffs the League of Women Voters, representing individual Michigan citizens proved that the legislature had intended to silence Democratic voters, that the maps succeeded at that task, and that there was no other reasonable justification for the way the maps were drawn. The judges rejected the contention by lawyers for the legislature that the maps simply adhered to state standards that lawmakers were required to follow when drawing political boundaries that districts have nearly the same population, for example, and that the mapmakers try not to split counties and cities. The evidence points only to one conclusion: partisan considerations played a central role in every aspect of the redistricting process, the judges wrote. In elections from 2012 through 2016, they noted, Michigan Republicans won nine of the states 14 House seats 64 percent despite failing to win more than 50.5 percent of the statewide vote in any of those years. And last year, when Democrats won nearly 56 percent of the vote and swept statewide offices, they still won only half the 14 House seats. The legislators case was undermined early on by a string of emails unearthed during discovery that laid bare both their intentions and the political animus behind them. The emails boasted of packing Dem garbage into four districts in southeastern Michigan, leaving adjacent districts with secure Republican majorities. And the messages joked over how a narrow extension of one Democratic congressmans district was giving the finger to its incumbent. Another 2011 email noted that Republican Party experts, who earlier had mounted a nationwide campaign to capture state legislatures and control redistricting, had created a congressional map for Michigan that would increase the partys share of seats in the state to 10 out of 14. But a state Republican strategist rejected that map, saying that we need for legal and P.R. purposes a good-looking map that did not look like a gerrymander. The judges appeared most swayed, however, by stacks of statistical evidence that the 34 House and legislative districts so profoundly benefited Republicans that there was no plausible explanation for their shapes beyond locking in a partisan advantage. WASHINGTON Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan overcame a major hurdle to obtaining the top Pentagon job on Thursday when an internal ethics investigation cleared him of allegations that he promoted his former employer, Boeing, and disparaged its competitors in official discussions about military contractors. But while the Defense Departments inspector general found no evidence to support complaints that Mr. Shanahan repeatedly dumped on Boeings competitors, it did cite a number of times that he praised the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that he famously rescued as a senior executive at the aircraft maker before joining the government. Mr. Shanahan took over the top job at the Pentagon in an acting capacity in December, but President Trump has not nominated him to the Senate for approval. The evidence showed that Acting Secretary Shanahan fully complied with his ethical obligations and ethical agreements with regard to Boeing and its competitors, Glenn A. Fine, the acting inspector general, said in a statement on Thursday. AMHERST, Mass. The former attorney general Jeff Sessions said on Wednesday that the special counsels report into Russian interference in the 2016 election deserves respect but contended that the country should move on. I think its about time to accept the results, and lets get on with the business of America, Mr. Sessions said in a speech at Amherst College. While Congress has the power to oversee investigations of possible wrongdoing by the president, Mr. Sessions said he believed lawmakers should accept that the inquiry, led by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, found insufficient evidence to determine that President Trump or his associates engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia. The public should rest assured that the investigative process worked as it was intended, Mr. Sessions said. A former vice president known for My love affair with Amtrak. Back on Amtrak and his famous friend. This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance. Joe Biden is running for president. Today, I am announcing my candidacy for president of the United States. Hes tried it before. And with the grace of God and the support of the American people, I mean to be that kind of president. Twice. This is not about experience. Its not about change. Its about action. So, why does he think the third times a charm? Biden may be betting that in this politically tumultuous time, voters are looking for a familiar face. He arrived in Washington before C-Span existed and before these members of Congress were born. His credentials are unmatched in the Democratic Party. He served two terms as vice president, 36 years in the Senate and has chaired powerful congressional committees. And hes earned himself a few nicknames along the way. Working-Class Joe. Working-Class Joe Biden. Old Uncle Joe Biden. Crazy Uncle Joe Biden, just being Biden. So, what are Bidens priorities? Hes a moderate Democrat and is likely to focus on: expanding health care, investing in education and rebuilding relationships with allies. The America I see does not wish to turn our back on the world or our allies. We will be back. But his decadeslong record comes with some baggage, including his support for the Iraq war. President Bush is right to be concerned about Saddam Husseins relentless pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. Tough anti-crime policies. First, we have to join together to ensure that drug dealers are punished swiftly, surely and severely. And his role in the Anita Hill hearing. It is appropriate to ask Professor Hill anything any member wishes to ask her to plumb the depths of her credibility. More recently, several women have come forward saying they were uncomfortable with the way Biden touched them. I feel Joe Biden put his hands on my shoulders, get up very close to me from behind, lean in, smell my hair and then plant a slow kiss on the top of my head. Biden responded on Twitter. The boundaries of protected personal space have been reset and I get it. I will be more mindful and respectful of peoples personal space. So, how has Biden taken on President Trump? Theyve had their share of fighting words. If we were in high school, Id take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him. Trump shot back on Twitter, and said Biden would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Biden later said he regretted his comments. So, what are Bidens odds? He entered the race as an instant front-runner and hes already leading in early polls. But as a white man in his late 70s, Bidens test will be whether his popularity can outweigh the partys thirst for generational change. Ms. Hill said there was not any evidence of that. But if it is true, she said, there is a possible explanation: They saw a flawed process where they werent going to be heard and they might end up being destroyed. With Mr. Biden almost an instant front-runner in a very crowded Democratic field, the subject of Anita Hill is a delicate one among Democrats even those who believe Mr. Biden bungled the hearings. Many former Judiciary Committee aides and other people who participated did not want to talk on the record because they feared that scrutiny of Mr. Bidens past conduct would undermine the campaign of the candidate some think could be best positioned to defeat President Trump, whose treatment of women is a huge issue for Democrats. Its definitely going to come up, Representative Jan Schakowsky, Democrat of Illinois, said in an interview this week. I dont know how exactly he is going to handle it, but there will be scrutiny of the Anita Hill issue, which I think resonates in a different way today. So he has to be able to respond to it in the context now of the #MeToo movement. Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, was even more pointed. Bidens chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee during the Thomas nomination reflected his sense of institutionalism a lot more than any sense of feminism. None of this would be disqualifying, but it does not stand up well to the feminist sensibilities of the #MeToo era. Some of Mr. Bidens former colleagues who served with him said that while he might have erred in the Thomas hearings, his full record needs to be considered rather than only one element of a lengthy career in politics. I think anybody who has been in public life for as long as he was in public life and has gone through changing times is going to have to respond to those moments in history when they wish they had done it a little differently, said Barbara Boxer, a former Democratic senator from California. I think Joe has evolved on all the issues that are going to come up, among them the Anita Hill hearings. Some say Mr. Biden was more sensitive to the fact that Justice Thomas was African-American than to issues of gender; others say he was loath to investigate Ms. Hills accusations in part because he wanted the confirmation hearings to focus on legal issues, not personal ones. Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who opened his third run for the presidency on Thursday, holds political views that can look and sound similar to the priorities of many liberals, but differ on some key details. Mr. Biden, who has a longer record in politics than any other Democrat in the sprawling 2020 field, will come under close scrutiny for those differences; one liberal group, Justice Democrats, has already come out to oppose him because of centrist views. His record has not always been helpful to him. Long before he entered the race, critics were already highlighting several of his past stances, including his inconsistent record on abortion, his support for the 1994 crime bill and his opposition to school busing as part of desegregation efforts in the 1970s. But it also points to the route he is hoping to take to the nomination: that of Democratic pragmatist, more inclined to bipartisanship and, in some cases, more moderate than other candidates. Heres an overview of Mr. Bidens views on some major issues. Economic policy Mr. Biden has outlined a populist economic agenda focused on income inequality and workers rights. He endorsed a $15 minimum wage and free four-year public college in 2015; in a speech at the Brookings Institution in May 2018, he mentioned free college as one of five policies he said would help the middle class. (The other four were progressive tax reform, more worker protections, major infrastructure investments, and incentives for venture capitalists and other investors to spend outside of major cities.) He has called for a ban on noncompete agreements that prevent workers from taking jobs at competitors, and has advocated policies that would let workers discuss how much they are paid without retaliation. Why are we giving hedge fund millionaires tax breaks, but we cant find the money to give families a real tax break for child care? he said in the Brookings speech. Why are sandwich makers being forced to sign noncompete clauses? Why are low-wage workers reclassified as managers? What possible reason is there for why an employee cant tell other people what he or she makes? Is there any other reason than to depress wages? Today, lets take a swing through a few different and potentially contradictory assumptions surrounding Biden 2020 that will be tested in due time: Assumption No. 1: His support is shallow and often tepid. While Mr. Biden has led in many early polls, some professional Democrats view him as a bit of a paper-tiger favorite, coasting on name recognition and warm feelings about the Obama administration but doomed to stumble under deeper scrutiny. Recent presidential primary history features several such candidates. You may have noticed that the 2008 campaign, which included solid early polling leads for Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, did not culminate in a New Yorker vs. New Yorker general election. You may have also noticed that Jeb Bush is not our current president. But it is also possible that some voters attachment to Mr. Biden is being dismissed too readily. My sense is that elite chatter is negative on Biden and underestimating his strengths, said Howard Wolfson, a top adviser to Michael Bloomberg who oversaw extensive polling and focus groups on the 2020 field as Mr. Bloomberg considered a run of his own. In particular, Mr. Wolfson said, voters are keenly aware of Mr. Bidens personal losses and the ways he has overcome adversity. It humanizes him, he said, and allows voters to form a fairly intense emotional connection. Assumption No. 2: Gaffes dont matter in the Trump age. Mr. Bidens blunders can seem almost quaint now: cursing near a live microphone; asking a paraplegic to stand and be recognized; mistakenly suggesting that the mother of Irelands prime minister had passed away. I think we have very good reason to believe that there is an investigation that has been conducted, which has produced evidence that tells us that this president and his administration engaged in obstruction of justice. I believe Congress should take the steps towards impeachment. If any other human being in this country had done whats documented in the Mueller report, they would be arrested and put in jail. If there is going to be any accountability, that accountability has to come from the Congress, and the tool that we are given for that accountability is the impeachment process. I think it would be perfectly reasonable for Congress to open up those proceedings and its clear that Bob Mueller, in his report, left that in the hands of Congress. I think the American people are going to have a chance to decide this at the ballot box in November 2020, and perhaps thats the best way for us to resolve these outstanding questions. Reporter: Do you think there should be a conversation about impeachment, right now? No. Reporter: Why not? I think right now, we should continue this investigation. I think Mueller should come before and testify. I dont think we should be having that conversation. Congress has got to take a hard look at that, and do a hard investigation and ask subpoena the people who were mentioned in that report and bring them forward so to get to the truth. Did Trump actually obstruct justice? I think hes made it pretty clear that he deserves impeachment. Ill leave it to the [applause] but Im also going to leave it to the House and Senate to figure that out because my role in the process is trying to relegate Trumpism to the dustbin of history. And I think theres no more decisive way to do that, especially to get Republicans to abandon this kind of deal with the devil they made, than to have just an absolute thumping at the ballot box. The impeachment proceedings are up to the House. Theyre going to have to make that decision. I am in the Senate, and I believe that we are the jury. So, if the House brings the impeachment proceedings before us, we will deal with them. After striking an increasingly combative tone following the release of Mr. Muellers findings, Mr. Trump proclaimed on Wednesday that the White House would be fighting all the subpoenas because he considered them partisan and politically motivated. These arent, like, impartial people, the president said. In an interview on Tuesday with The Washington Post, the president characterized the demands as simply the work of one party, suggesting that was sufficient reason to ignore them even though they represent official requests from the House, not just House Democrats. I dont want people testifying to a party, because that is what theyre doing if they do this, Mr. Trump told The Post. The Justice Department backed up his stance. It disclosed that Attorney General William P. Barr would prohibit John Gore, a top official in the agency, from appearing Thursday as ordered to discuss any role in adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census despite the fact that he was called under a bipartisan subpoena. That move came on top of the administrations position that it did not want Donald F. McGahn II, the former White House counsel, to testify about the Mueller report, as well as its instruction to Carl Kline, the former White House personnel security director, not to appear to answer questions about the issuance of security clearances. The Treasury Department also refused to obey an order from the Ways and Means Committee to produce the presidents tax returns despite a law that gives the panel the authority to obtain the documents. This is a massive, unprecedented and growing pattern of obstruction, said Representative Elijah E. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland and the chairman of the oversight panel. He also warned administration officials to be careful in blindly following the presidents instructions. The court ruled unanimously that Mr. Joness Fourth Amendment rights had been violated, but was divided on why that was so. In a concurring opinion joined by four justices, it was the long-term surveillance of Mr. Jones, made possible and even easy by technological advancements, that was the real issue. But Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the five-justice majority, held that the heart of the matter was the physical placement of a device on Mr. Joness private property, for the purpose of obtaining information. It was this government trespass, he wrote, that made the use of the tracker without a warrant an unconstitutional search. Some saw problems with this. The trespass theory went too far, and not far enough, said Peter Swire, a privacy-law expert who teaches at the Georgia Institute of Technology. On the one hand, he said, it didnt go far enough in Jones, because it seemed to allow for tracking locations as long as no one touched the car. But on the other, he continued, it went too far because even tiny touches become illegal. For the lawyers in Saginaw, the ruling was the whole ballgame. But for Jones, Mr. Gronda said, this case would have not been filed. While the two lawyers were researching the issue learning among other things that Saginaws revenue from parking tickets could add up to $200,000 a year, one $15 or $20 ticket at a time Ms. Taylor came across a Facebook post by Mr. Ellison. She said he was kind of venting about the ticketing process, and she joined in the comments beneath the post with grievances of her own. One, nobody should touch my car, she said, listing her objections to chalking. Two, its not a reliable source to get information. Because its chalk, you know. Some of the states with notable drops, including New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, pushed through significant policy changes, such as reclassifying felonies as misdemeanors and giving more discretion to sentencing judges. But one of the large reductions over the past decade was in California, which was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2011 to reduce its overcrowded prisons by 30,000 inmates. That this was done under court order, rather than voluntarily, shows the political difficulty of taking aggressive steps to curb mass incarceration. At the end of 2016, the federal report said, more than half of state prisoners had been convicted of violent offenses, even though the countrys violent crime rate has dropped drastically since the early 1990s. So many experts say that a dramatic reduction in the prison population is unlikely if policy changes address only nonviolent offenses what Ms. Barkow refers to as the low hanging fruit. The size of the United States prison population has resulted from not only locking more people up, but also keeping them locked up longer. A record number of people are serving life sentences, according to the Sentencing Project, a group that advocates improvements to the criminal justice system. In fact, while the United States accounts for about 4 percent of the worlds population, it has more than a third of the estimated number of people serving life sentences, according to Life Imprisonment: A Global Human Rights Analysis, an international survey by a professor and researcher at the University of Nottingham. The statistics released on Thursday showed that the nature of the prison population has changed in a number of ways. As measures like parole and compassionate release have been curtailed, or even eliminated in some places, prisoners have become older and more costly. According to the report, more than one in 10 prison inmates in 2017 were 55 years or older. CAPE TOWN Another tropical cyclone made landfall in Mozambique and other countries in East Africa on Thursday, just over a month since Cyclone Idai killed more than 1,000 people and displaced millions in the region. The new storm, Cyclone Kenneth, was expected to bring heavy rainfall, flooding and winds of more than 120 miles per hour to Mozambique and Tanzania. Forecasters predicted it could be among the most powerful storms to strike East Africa in modern history, and as the cyclone moved toward shore, it killed three people in the island nation of Comoros, just off the coast, uprooting trees and ripping off roofs. The storm was expected to dump as much as 13 inches of rain within 24 hours of making landfall, forecasters said. More than 700,000 people live in the cyclones path, according to the United Nations. This is another potential tragedy for Mozambique, said Dorothy Sang, a manager for the aid group Oxfam who is based in Beira, the port city hit hard by Cyclone Idai last month. Were still struggling to scale up and meet the needs of everyone after the last cyclone. This will make it much harder. American intelligence officials have so far characterized the Sri Lanka attacks as having been inspired by the Islamic State, as opposed to having been executed directly by the group. But analysts say there may be some middle ground. A video released by ISIS on Tuesday, showing members of National Thowheeth Jamaath pledging fealty to Mr. al-Baghdadi, shows at the least that the group had a means of communicating with core ISIS operatives and was able to transmit video to them. The fact that the attackers knew the right people in ISIS to send the video to so that it would be released through its official media channel, shows that its more than mere inspiration, Amarnath Amarasingam, an expert at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said on Twitter on Wednesday. Thats just one of many pieces of info emerging pointing to a more directed attack. So far, there is no public evidence that ISIS played an active role in guiding or otherwise aiding the Sri Lanka attack. This gray area may be a fertile environment for the groups future. The attack was among the deadliest ever carried out by Islamic State acolytes outside Iraq and Syria. That the group responsible for it existed so far below the radar of international intelligence agencies troubles counterterrorism officials, who wonder how many similar groups are active or operating surreptitiously in North Africa, South Asia and elsewhere. Current and former counterterrorism officials warned that the Sri Lanka bombings may be a harbinger for a new phase of ISIS attacks. Former ISIS fighters and sympathizers are rebranding themselves ideologically with other terrorists, said Christopher P. Costa, who was a senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council under the Trump administration. Its not just a question of the loss of a physical caliphate so much as considering exactly what ISIS will look like as it tries to reconstitute itself. We will see more of these kinds of attacks in the future, he said. The 20-acre cannabis plantation was no secret. The farm, near Mandalay in central Myanmar, had been praised on Facebook by a group calling itself the Mahar Legalization Movement Myanmar, which wants the Burmese government to ease the heavy penalties it imposes on cannabis production and use. The group approvingly posted photos of what it called an industrial hemp plantation run by foreigners just the sort of agriculture it said the country needed. The post was viewed thousands of times on Facebook. Among those viewers were the Myanmar police, who took a decidedly less-sanguine view. This week, a day after the post went up on Facebook, they arrested three people, including an American, accusing them of running an illegal marijuana operation. The American, John Fredric Todoroki, 63, is being held along with two Burmese citizens, U Shein Latt, 37, and Ma Shun Le Myat Noe, 23. They were detained in the township of Ngazun. The police were still searching for another American, Alexander Skemp Todoroki, 49. It was unclear how the two Todorokis are related. WASHINGTON North Korea billed the Trump administration $2 million for the medical care of Otto F. Warmbier, an imprisoned American student who had fallen into a coma, before agreeing to release him in 2017. A senior American diplomat negotiating for Mr. Warmbiers freedom accepted the bill, and Mr. Warmbier was released. He died six days later in the United States, after his parents decided to end the life support that was sustaining his vegetative state. The bill was passed from the State Department to the Treasury Department, but on Friday morning, President Trump said that no money had been paid. No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else, Mr. Trump said in a Twitter post. ISLAMABAD Two gunmen on motorcycle shot and killed a polio vaccinator in the southwestern Pakistani city of Chaman on Thursday, bringing the death toll among vaccinators working in the countrys anti-polio drive to at least three this week, officials said. The shooters opened fire on a group of vaccinators when they were at the front gate of a house in the remote village of Sultan Zai, near the border with Afghanistan, said Samiullah Agha, who is the assistant commissioner of Chaman. Two members of the vaccination team were hit: Nasreen Bibi, 35, was killed, and Rashida Afzal, 24, was critically wounded, Mr. Agha said in an interview. Vaccination was suspended for an indeterminate period of time in the Chaman area after the shooting. The gunmen fled after the attack, Mr. Agha added. Security forces have launched a search operation in the area. Six bomb attacks across three cities in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Most of them occurred within a single half-hour. The targets were churches and popular hotel restaurants. About 250 people were killed. Afterwards, three bombs detonate as police look for suspects. Sri Lankan officials have blamed a little-known radical Islamist group for the violence. Heres how the Easter Sunday attacks unfolded. What they show is a level of sophistication and coordination that resulted in one of the deadliest terror attacks in modern history. The story actually begins 10 days earlier, on April 11. This document shows that Sri Lankan security forces were warned about the threats. Nothing is done to protect the churches. These are the three cities where the attacks take place on Easter Sunday. In Negombo, around 8:45 a.m., security cameras pick up this man walking into the St. Sebastian Church. Hes a suicide bomber. This attack is the deadliest of the day. Over 100 people are killed. Around the same time, three separate other attacks hit the capital nearly simultaneously. One is here at a Catholic church called St. Anthonys Shrine. This dashcam footage gives a clue about the intensity of the blast. It blows off part of the churchs roof. At the Shangri-La Hotels Table One Restaurant, an Easter brunch is being served. This photo is taken moments before two suicide bombers strike that location. The third target at this time is the Kingsbury Hotel. Experts say the bombs reveal a high level of sophistication. The amount of damage suggests the attackers had expert bomb-making skills and access to military-grade high explosives. Each attack targeted confined spaces, maximizing the impact of the blasts. Within a few minutes of the first waves of bomb blasts, there are two more attacks one at another Colombo hotel, and another at a church on the countrys opposite coast. As authorities respond, police encounter three more explosives that detonate. Three officers are killed in one of these instances. So in the first 36 hours, six bomb attacks have occurred and so have three detonations of bombs found by police. [singing] All of this proof that a very deadly day could have been even deadlier. [singing] Two doses of the same combined vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella are required to protect children from the disease. For a whole community to be safe, including babies and others who have yet to be vaccinated so-called herd immunity 95 percent immunization coverage is required. But global coverage is much lower: In 2017, worldwide coverage was reported at 85 percent for the first dose and 67 percent for the second, Unicef said. Nearly 169 million children worldwide missed out on the first dose, with an average of more than 21 million children missing out every year from 2010 to 2017. More than 2.5 million children in the United States, and more than half a million children in France and Britain, did not get the first measles vaccine dose between 2010 and 2017. Could this number be high enough to affect Britains herd immunity? It depends, said Anna Schurich, an immunology lecturer at Kings College London. If you have pockets of parents not vaccinating and they all live close together, then even relatively low numbers of nonvaccinated children can become problematic, as they could potentially infect each other, she said. If unvaccinated children are very spread out, then the risk is, of course, lower, she added. Britain eliminated measles in 2016, the government said. But though the disease is no longer native to the country, Britain has experienced recent measles outbreaks, and immunity levels among mostly young people remain lower than required. Measles is one of the most infectious known diseases, so it can take only one infected person in an area with lower vaccination rates to cause an outbreak, Public Health England, a government body, said in a statement in January. Outbreaks of the disease have been reported in British cities such as Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham and Surrey since October 2017, according to the National Health Service. But Manchester appears to be a focal point of the disease in the country, with 47 cases of measles there since the start of the year, Public Health England said last week. Last year, the city had three cases total, the BBC reported. MOSCOW President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Thursday defended his decision to fast-track Russian citizenship for some residents of separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, a move widely seen as possibly prolonging the war there and testing the mettle of the countrys novice president-elect. The passport question is purely a humanitarian matter, Mr. Putin said at a news conference in Vladivostok, Russia, after a summit meeting with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un. Given that both the current and future Ukrainian leaders appeared intent on isolating the region, Mr. Putin said, we cannot just look at it calmly. Ukraine, which does not allow dual citizenship, joined several Western nations, including France, Germany and the United States, in expressing outrage at the decision, calling it an attack on Ukrainian sovereignty. The decision shows Russias intention to further destabilize Ukraine and to exacerbate the conflict, the European Union said in a statement, calling on Russia to avoid steps that will impede the reintegration of the breakaway territories into Ukraine. MOSCOW President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia made a public show of support for North Korea on nuclear disarmament, seeming to undermine President Trumps approach to nuclear diplomacy, as Mr. Putin and Kim Jong-un on Thursday wrapped up their first summit meeting. Russian officials have long insisted they wanted to support Mr. Trumps efforts at one-on-one nuclear negotiations with Mr. Kim, the North Korean leader. But speaking to reporters after the meeting in Vladivostok, on Russias Pacific Ocean coast, Mr. Putin said that North Korea needs security guarantees from more nations than just the United States before abandoning its nuclear arsenal. Mr. Putin also reiterated Russian backing for a gradual process of trading disarmament for sanctions relief. If we take one step forward and two backward, then we would fail to achieve the desired result, Mr. Putin said. But it will eventually be possible to achieve this goal, if we move forward gradually and if we respect each others interests. At talks in February in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, Mr. Trump had proposed a big deal to lift punishing economic sanctions in return for a quick and complete elimination of North Koreas nuclear weapons program. Mr. Kim offered, instead, only a partial dismantling of nuclear facilities while keeping his arsenal of nuclear warheads and missiles in exchange for relief from the most harmful sanctions. Six people who worked for Turkeys oldest independent newspaper were returned to prison on Thursday on terrorism-related charges, in a court case widely considered to have grave implications for press freedom in the country. The six were among 13 employees of the newspaper Cumhuriyet, convicted last year and given sentences of two to seven years. All were detained for nine months before the trial, but then released during an appeals process. The 13 were accused of serving the interests and aims of three terrorist organizations by altering the newspapers editorial line. The bulk of the evidence consisted of news reports, opinion columns and headlines from Cumhuriyet. The journalists, their lawyers and media freedom organizations denounced the trial as politically motivated. Ben Peppernell and Christine Watts moved to New York from their native Australia five years ago, for their jobs in advertising. They landed in a one-bedroom on the Upper East Side that cost them $3,000 a month. When Chili came into their lives a few years later, they intended to foster the dog, whose hind legs were broken. And that first weekend turned into forever, Ms. Watts said. But their apartment was on the fifth floor of a six-story building with a finicky elevator that was inoperative for days at a time. And the elevator situation only got worse. [Did you recently buy or rent a home? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com] Chili, who traveled by cab to canine rehab sessions, could barely climb the stairs. Ms. Watts became pregnant. When her husband wasnt at home, she struggled to carry the dog up and down. On weekends, with the elevator unusable, she stayed inside, feeling trapped, like Rapunzel, she said. In the fall, the couple who are in their 30s and met at an advertising agency in Sydney learned that the elevator would be replaced and out of service for months. So they went in search of a new home with a working elevator and more space. Brooklyn seemed as if it would be a nice change. With limited time in New York, they figured they would try a building filled with amenities, preferably near a park for Chili, who now hobbles on three legs and needs a dog stroller for lengthy excursions. We hit StreetEasy pretty hard and plotted our plan of attack, Mr. Peppernell said. They knew that new developments often come with a month or more of free rent, and no brokers fee. With a budget of up to $3,500, they set out to find a large one-bedroom. Mr. Peppernells subway commute, to his office in Hudson Yards near the new 7 train station, had to be less than an hour. Ms. Wattss office was more accessible, near Grand Central Terminal. Every night for weeks, the couple visited places after work, meeting up at their destination. The rush-hour trip served as a good test for the commute. Some places they chose among: He encouraged students to be involved in their community, which is one of the Student Government Associations goals this year, to provide opportunities for students to be civically engaged and active in their communities, Auburn University SGA president Mary Margaret Turton said. According to Turton, the senator instructed students and the remaining public at the Auburn University town hall meeting to be integrated in the political process and actively participate in storm recovery efforts as Beauregard and Smiths Station continue to rebuild. Jones recounted his history as U.S. attorney, investigating the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham on September 15, 1963. I keep telling people words matter, and words have consequences, Jones said. We have to be careful and not empower these people to do bad things to people just because they are of a different color, a different race or a different nationality. We have to be very careful. 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Kumpulan daftar game judi online ini menjadi nilai tambah bagi para pemain judi didalam menentukan daftar situs judi slot online terpercaya, terbaik nomor 1 di tahun 2021. A Filipino Catholic man playing the role of Jesus Christ in a yearly Good Friday reenactment of his crucifixion has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 33rd consecutive time last week. 58-year-old Ruben Enaje, from the barangay of San Pedro Cutud, in San Fernando City, has been volunteering to get nailed to a cross on Good Friday since the 80s, but recently announced that next year will be his last impersonating Jesus Christ. He is currently looking for a successor willing to have four-inch nails driven into his hands and feet and get lifted on a large wooden cross for about five minutes, every Good Friday. He also wants that person to be humble and not brag about their special role. Photo: istolethetv/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) I want to only do this until next year, Enaje told Reuters. What Im looking for in my successor is that he serves as a good role model in his community and a person with good manners and values, not someone who would boast about the role or be too proud. The tradition of reenacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in San Pedro Cutud dates back to 1962, and is believed to have been inspired by the a play written by a local playwright. It has become one of the most popular religious festivals in the Philippines, attracting thousands of Christian onlookers every year. However, its also a very controversial event. Both Catholic leaders and public health officials condemn the practice of crucifixion and have been trying to discourage people from taking part in the yearly festival. Although wounds caused by the metal nails take up to two weeks to heal, religious fanatics who volunteer to get nailed to a cross say its a small price to pay for the opportunity to express their faith in a special way. Brad Kostka Roop & Co. has named Brad Kostka to succeed agency founder Jim Roop as president, effective April 30. Roop will continue to serve as senior advisor for the firm. Kostka has been with Roop & Co. since its founding in 1996. For the past 10 years, he has held the position of senior vice president. In that position, he has been responsible for leading business development, agency management and account services for the firm. A past president of the Cleveland chapter of PRSA, Kostka is also a board member of the Association for Corporate Growths Cleveland chapter, where he leads its branding function. Before founding Roop & Co., Jim Roop served 15 years as chief operating officer of Watt, Roop & Co. (now Fleishman-Hillard). He was previously a vice president at both Burson-Marsteller and Ketchum. Since I founded this firm, Brad has been instrumental in growing Roop & Co. into the powerhouse agency it is today, said Roop. With more than two decades of committed service to our firm, Brad is remarkably well equipped to lead the continued success and evolution of Roop & Co., allowing for a seamless transition of leadership. The Killina Presentation Convent outside Tullamore is to close in August after 202 years of service to the local community. Sr Laura Boyle puts the closure down to a decline in vocations, telling Midlands 103 this week that "the world is very attractive for young people nowadays." "They very much can have their own careers and get jobs, get third level education. That was not the case when sisters entered in my time." The Sisters are synonymous with Rahan and many have taught in the local Killina Presentation Secondary School over the year, including Sister Aine who only retired her post there last year at the age of 95. The bicentenary of the convent was celebrated with a book and series of events in 2017. In July 1817, two Presentation Sisters travelled on the Grand Canal from Dublin to Killina. Their arrival heralded the beginning of a story of involvement with the community of Rahan and the wider area, which has spanned more the two centuries to the present day. It was not by accident that the Presentation Sisters founded their convent in Killina, a rural parish west of Tullamore. Miss Maria OBrien, daughter of a wealthy merchant family in Dublin, was the owner of Rahan Lodge and its adjoining estate. Recognising the need to improve the plight of the local children, Maria responded with generosity by establishing her own school in 1812. She used her contact with the Archbishop of Dublin to extend an invitation to the Presentation Sisters in Georges Hill, Dublin, to come to Killina to provide for the continuity of education for the children of the parish. The Presentation Order had been founded by Nano Nagle in 1775, with the aim of looking after the educational needs of the poor. Maria also provided some funds and land for the convent and gained permission and support from the Bishop of Meath, Bishop Plunkett. On the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16, 1817, Sisters Mary Angela and Sister Mary Teresa Biggar, who were siblings, arrived in Killina. Within weeks, on September 1, they opened their school to over 100 pupils. The small schoolhouse that was already there, thanks to Maria OBrien, was extended to provide living accommodation for the Sisters. Maria OBrien, herself, joined the Presentation Order and spent the last five years of her life, until her death in 1827, in the convent she had been so instrumental in founding. Life cannot have been easy for the first Sisters in Killina Convent. They had to work hard teaching and running the school for the large number of pupils, whilst at the same time balancing their spiritual and household duties. Other Sisters joined, including a mother and daughter the St. Ledgers - but the numbers remained small. Indeed, when Mother Francis Xavier Curran left Killina in 1841 to found the first Presentation Convent in India, at Madras, accompanied by Sisters from Maynooth, there were only seven Sisters in Killina. The Sisters were pioneering women who showed a great generosity of spirit in devoting their lives to improving the circumstances of the parish community. Apart from the three Rs, the Sisters prepared the children for the Sacraments and looked after their spiritual formation through Sunday School and Sodalities. It is said that during the Famine, the Sisters taught lace-making to the women of the parish, in an effort to provide them with an extra source of income. Over the years, they carried out other charitable works, quietly extending help to those in need. Their generosity also involved investing their private salary from teaching back into the school. In more recent years, when a brand new primary school, incorporating a secondary top, was built in the 1960s, it was a joyful time. However, in the following decade, the Sisters, supported by the local community, struggled to retain the senior cycle, in opposition to Government policy of the 1970s. In 1977, their persistence was rewarded and the school was granted full secondary status. The numbers attending the secondary school have grown steadily and include a Resource Centre for students with a Moderate General Learning Disability. The Presentation Girls National School and the local Boys National School amalgamated in 2009. This was a poignant event for the Sisters. The longstanding presence of the Sisters in Killina is a testament to their dedication and commitment to the Presentation ethos and to the people of Rahan. In return, they are much appreciated and valued as friends by the local community. Sr. Oliver Wrafter is the only current Sister who has spent her entire religious life in Killina since she joined the Presentation Order in February 1941. Indeed, one of the reasons for the closure of the convent is the ageing profile of the nuns and the lack of a younger generation. The Sisters will, however, remain much-loved in Rahan and beyond long after their departure in August. _________________ She added that most of the sisters in the convent, which is situated near Tullamore, are elderly, ranging in age from 70 to 90. Sister Aine taught Irish in Killina Presentation Secondary School until she retired last Christmas at the age of 95. She is one of seven nuns at the convent. Sr Oliver Wrafter is the longest living resident, having spent her entire religious life in Killina after joining the convent in 1941. Each of the sisters had discussions with the Presentation Sisters leadership team before the decision to close was made. However, they will miss the local people and each other. Just two years ago there were celebrations for the bicentenary of the convent, which was established in 1817 by two wealthy siblings, struck by the poverty of the local children. An organising committee helped prepare and edit a book for the celebration, titled 18171992 A Celebration of 175 years of Service and written by Sr Oliver Wrafter. An ONeill, Nebraska, man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to training roosters for a cockfighting ring. Fabian Castro, 48, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to one count of participation in an animal-fighting venture, according to Joe Kelly, the U.S. attorney for Nebraska. Castro, who also will serve two years of supervised release, had faced up to five years in prison. Evidence at Castros plea hearing revealed that he had 31 gamecocks when U.S. Department of Agriculture investigators searched property near ONeill belonging to Juan Pablo Sanchez Delgado. Investigators learned through wiretaps that Castro trained the birds to fight in matches where others would gamble on the outcome. Several of the birds had visible injuries and deformities from their training and from participating in fights, officials said. Investigators also found syringes, needles and supplements used to stimulate growth. No one wants to see Pacific Junction residents left behind, but some are ready to go. No one wants to see Pacific Junction wiped off the map after being decimated by flooding last month, but there are more questions than answers. Glenwood Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Rachel Reis was adamant on this point: Nearby communities will help those hit by flooding get back on their feet. But at a meeting Wednesday night that drew roughly 200 residents of Mills County, Iowa, she also had to be realistic: The recovery of Pacific Junction and its surrounding unincorporated areas could take at least two to four years. The crowd that packed the auditorium at the Glenwood Resource Center murmured in distress. An informal survey of about 100 Pacific Junction residents this week revealed that many are still unsure of how to proceed, Reis said. Fifty percent of respondents said they were unclear about their next step, 40% vowed to stay and 10% indicated that they were leaving for good. Another resident said a poll he posted on Facebook indicated much the opposite: a majority of the 50 or so respondents said theyd like to take a buyout of their flooded properties and move elsewhere. Linehan said the bill would address a complaint shes heard for years that Nebraska doesnt provide enough state aid to K-12 schools. It would move the state from 47th in state support to 20th among all states. What were trying to do is treat everyone fairly, she said of the states 244 school districts. Only four of the more than 60 people who testified during a public hearing that extended until almost 11 Wednesday night were supportive of the measure. Im sure farmers would like more property tax relief. At least this would sure help a lot, said Art Nietfeld, who farms south of Wymore. Only one school group testified in favor, the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association, a group of smaller school districts, which have complained that they dont receive enough state aid. Gov. Pete Ricketts continued his offensive against LB 289 earlier Wednesday, calling a press conference to condemn the bill as the biggest tax increase in state history. He was joined at the press conference by owners of a grocery store, a heating/air conditioning business, homebuilders, a rancher, an advocate for pets and the conservative group Americans for Prosperity. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The group declined to publicly identify its other leaders. The Coalition to Recall Stothert may have to gather signatures without much money from donors or experienced political help, Scott wrote on the groups Facebook page. This movement will strictly be a grassroots movement with the citizens of Omaha as the commenters and not me, he wrote in a post Wednesday night. The page had 908 followers. Group leaders declined interview requests through Scott, referring a reporter to the groups social media posts and saying they were likely to avoid interviews as they get organized. The petition sets in motion a process in which the mayor is formally notified by Election Commissioner Brian Kruse of the recall effort. Stothert then has up to 20 days to respond. Once the mayor responds, the group then has 20 days to pick up the petitions. Once that happens, organizers would have 30 days to gather the needed signatures. In the past, most groups that have successfully organized such efforts have raised tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire paid petition circulators. Bhopal hospital fire: 4 infants killed even before parents could name them What caused the fire in Bhopal hospital that killed 4 infants? Digvijaya Singh on BJP MLA's call to break legs of Congressmen: I'll go to his house to recite Ramdhun Madhya Pradesh: Four get life sentence in honour killing case Bhopal pti-PTI Indore, Apr 24: A local court on Wednesday sentenced four people to life imprisonment for killing a Dalit man over a love affair in 2011. Special Judge V K Dwivedi convicted Amit (27), Hitesh (27), Kapil (26) and Prem Prakash (27) under Section 302 (murder) and other relevant sections of the IPC and awarded the sentence. Public Prosecutor Vishal Anand Shrivastava told reporters that the four men were found guilty of killing Rohit Sonkar (30), who belonged to the Scheduled Caste community, with knives near Ushaganj on May 28, 2011. [Scribe murder case: Gurmeet Ram Rahim, 3 others get life imprisonment] According to the prosecutor, Sonkar was in love with Amit's sister. However, her family members were against it. Ultimately, Amit and his three friends hatched a conspiracy to kill the Dalit man. The prosecution had presented 22 witnesses before the court in the case. PTI TS Inter Results 2019 shocker: Telangana orders free re-verification of answer sheets Hyderabad oi-Deepika S Hyderabd, Apr 25: Telangana government has ordered free re-verification of answer sheets of all the students who failed in the TSBIE 2019 12th Intermediate examinations. The decision is taken after a row over the goof-ups by the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) in declaring results, which allegedly led to suicide of over 20 students since last week. The order has been issued for all the students who have failed in the TS Inter Results 2019 which were declared on April 18, 2019. TS Inter Results 2019 shocker: Students who scored 900 of 1000 declared failed The CMO further instructed that the Re-verification and Re-counting process should be expedited and completed as early as possible and should be followed with conducting the advanced supplementary examinations so that the academic year is not lost. Telangana Board of Intermediate Education, TSBIE had declared the TS Inter 1s and 2nd year Result 2019 on April 18, 2019. Reports state that 11 students who scored 900 out of 1,000 were declared failed. 125 students who scored 850 to 900 and 2,000 students who scored 750 of 1,000 had also been declared failed. A high level inquiry has been demanded and revaluation of the papers have been sought. Anzac Day 2019: Remembering 15,000 Indian soldiers who fought in Battle of Gallipoli India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Apr 25: Anzac Day commemorations are held every year on April 25. The day honours soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who lost their lives in conflicts during the first world war. While the day is observed mainly to pay tributes to soldiers who lost lives in first world war, homage is also bid to those to sacrificed lives in other conflicts. The day marks the anniversary of the first significant military action fought by Australian and New Zealand soldiers during the First World War. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. The objective was to capture Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which was an ally of Germany during the war. Up to 15,000 Indians fought with allied troops at Gallipoli, but their contribution remains relatively unknown and unrecognised in Australia and their homeland, says a report in www.abc.net.au. [Why Australia & New Zealand observe Anzac Day on April 25] Historians believe almost 1,400 Indians died at Gallipoli and up to 3,500 were wounded. Unlike many of the Australian troops, all the Indians who fought were professional soldiers, said a report in www.abc.net.au. . At the end of 1915, the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. The Allied deaths totalled over 56,000, including 8,709 from Australia and 2,721 from New Zealand. Historians are divided about how they summarise the campaign's result. Broadbent describes the campaign as "a close-fought affair" that was a defeat for the Allies, while Carlyon views the overall result as a stalemate. Peter Hart disagrees, arguing that the Ottoman forces "held the Allies back from their real objectives with relative ease", while Haythornthwaite calls it a "disaster for the Allies". The campaign did cause "enormous damage to ... [Ottoman] national resources", and at that stage of the war the Allies were in a better position to replace their losses than the Ottomans, but ultimately the Allied attempt at securing a passage through the Dardanelles proved unsuccessful, as per Wikipedia. The ultimate sacrifice made by Anzac soldiers had a profound impact on both countries as well as on the forst world war itself. The battle and the sacrifice is sometimes referred to as the "Anzac spirit". To honour that spirit, tradition, and the sacrifices made by the soldiers who fought at Gallipoli, commemorative services are held on 25 April in both countries since 1916. 'Incredible': Vijay Mallya goes on Twitter rant after being declared bankrupt We cannot wait longer now: SC to hear Vijay Mallyas contempt case in January for final disposal I have been awarded an economic death penalty says Vijay Mallya India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, Apr 25: Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya told the Bombay high court that by declaring him a fugitive economic offender and allowing attachment of his assets, a special court had awarded him an "economic death penalty". Mallya made the statement through his counsel Amit Desai before a bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre, during arguments on his plea challenging several provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act that came into existence in August last year. Jet Airways crisis: "Discrimination", says Mallya; "Air India was bailed out with public money" "My debts and the interest on such debts are mounting. I have assets to pay off these debts but the government won't allow the use of these assets to clear the debts. I have no control over my properties," the businessman said. "This is an economic death penalty that has been awarded to me," he said. Desai urged the court to pass an injunction against the proceedings related to confiscation of his assets across the country. The bench, however, refused to grant any interim relief on the petition. A special court here had in January declared Mallya a fugitive economic offender (FEO) under provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. Later, Mallya approached the high court, challenging the provisions of the act that permit, among other things, confiscation of assets and placing them under the control of the Union government. He also filed another petition challenging the special court order that declared him an FEO which was being heard by another division bench of the high court. Desai argued that the FEO Act was "draconian" and "unconstitutional" as it allowed the Centre to confiscate everything, irrespective of whether a property was bought from the proceeds of a crime or not. Mallya's plea was opposed by the enforcement directorate's (ED) counsel D P Singh, who argued that the Act was not draconian at all. "This act is not draconian. In fact, this act prohibits prosecuting agencies from acting on their own. For everything, including attachment of properties, we are supposed to get a court order that is passed only after hearing all sides," Singh said. Vijay Mallya fails to delay USD 40mn Diageo claim, legal costs mount in UK "This act is meant for Mallya-like people only. It is not an ordinary legislation. The act has been constituted to bring back defaulters who have defaulted amounts of Rs 100 crore and above," the counsel said. The court, too, noted that the legislation was a sound one and not draconian. "We understand this legislation is a little harsh. But that is because it deals with draconian situations," the bench said. It, however, issued a notice to the attorney general to respond to Mallya's plea challenging the act. Election expenditure: How much did BJP, Congress, DMK, CPI, TMC, AIADMK receive funds and spent during polls? In a first, BJP contesting on 437 seats, highest ever in its history India oi-PTI New Delhi, Apr 25: The BJP has fielded 437 candidates in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the highest number of seats the party has contested so far and perhaps for the first time more than its principal rival Congress. The Congress has announced candidates for 423 seats and is likely to announce a few more candidates in the next few days, but it is unlikely that its number of candidates will surpass that of the BJP. The BJP had contested 427 seats in 2014 and won 282 of them, while the Congress had fielded candidates in 450 seats and bagged just 44. Political observers say the BJP contesting on more seats than the Congress as a result of its expansion across the country post 2014. 50:50: Cong-BJP field an equal number of crorepatis for 4th phase of LS Polls A higher number of BJP candidates are contesting since the BJP has no alliances in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The BJP had allied with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party for the 2014 national polls. The BJP is contesting all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It contested just 12 in 2014. The BJP is, however, contesting fewer seats in Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam because of alliances. Similarly, the Congress is contesting on less number of seats than the BJP this time because it has allied with more parties as compared to 2014. In Karnataka, where the party had contested on all seats in 2014, is now in alliance in with the JD(S). The party has expanded its alliance in Bihar with the entry of new partners. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, April 25, 2019, 11:01 [IST] Delimitation will happen, J&K statehood to be restored: Amit Shah in Srinagar India requests Pakistan government to allow Srinagar-Sharjah flight to use its airspace Income tax raids at People's Conference leader Imran Raza Ansari in Srinagar India oi-Deepika S Srinagar, Apr 25: Income Tax Dept raid underway on a location of former state minister of Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference leader Imran Raza Ansari at Karan Nagar in Srinagar. Ansari is the richest among the 12 candidates in fray from Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. Irfan Raza Ansari owns various businesses and has total assets worth Rs 66.54 crores, according to an affidavit filed by him. He is the brother of former minister and Shia leader Imran Ansari, who left the PDP to protest "nepotism and dynastic supremacy" in the party led by Mehbooba Mufti. The 41-year-old Delhi University graduate had Rs 1.5 lakh cash in hand at the time of filing his nomination from the prestigious constituency from where National Conference (NC) president and three-time chief minister Farooq Abdullah is seeking re-election. IT dept seeks action against Kumaraswamy for 'intimidating officers', obstructing raids According to his affidavit, Irfan Raza Ansari's movable assets are worth Rs 7.34 crore and include a fleet of expensive cars, including three Mercedes valued at Rs 3.8 crore. He also has jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh, while his wife owns jewellery worth Rs 30 lakh. The PC candidate has immovable assets worth Rs 59.20 crore which include 170 kanals (21 acre) agricultural land having the market value of Rs 12 crore and non-agriculture land valued at Rs 42.4 crore. He has liabilities of Rs 6.23 crore which include term loan, credit card outstanding and car loans. Ansari's wife, who owns 10 per cent equity shares in one of her husband's companies, has movable assets worth Rs 37.53 lakh, including jewellery valued at Rs 30 lakh. 'It's ok to be mediocre': This is what Copter crash lone survivor wrote to school Must give him a smiling sendoff says wife of Brigadier Lidder Indian Army to start online registration for women India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Apr 25: For the first time, the Indian Army will start online registration of women for recruitment as soldiers into the military police. The project was mooted by General Bipin Rawat soon after taking over as Army Chief and given final approval by the Defence Ministry recently. Meanwhile, the Indian Army has released the notification for the recruitment of soldiers on General duty for women. Is the Indian Army ready for women in combat roles: Not yet says Chief The notification is available at the official website of the Indian Army, joinindianarmy.nic.in. The application process for the same will start from April 25, 2019, and will end on June 8, 2019. In order to get shortlisted, the candidates are required to qualify the Common Entrance Exam (CEE) which will be followed by the Physical Endurance Test (PET). As per the official notification, through this recruitment drive, 100 vacancies will be filled. All other details for the same will be available. Eligibility for Indian Army women recruitment 2019: Age: The lower age limit of the candidates is 17 and a half year and the upper age limit of the candidates is 21 years. Education: Candidates must have cleared at least 10th or equivalent education with 45 per cent aggregate marks and 33 per cent marks in each subject. Physical requirement for Indian Army women recruitment 2019: The minimum height of the candidate should be at least 142 cm and should not be overweight. Documents required for Indian Army women recruitment 2019: Admit card Photograph NCC certificate Religion certificate Education certificate Domicile certificate Class or caste certificate Character certificate Relationship certificate School character certificate For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, April 25, 2019, 10:19 [IST] Guided by ex-Pak army officials, operating in buddy pairs: Why the Poonch encounter has dragged so much J&K: Two Terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Anantnags Bijbehara India oi-Madhuri Adnal Jammu, Apr 25: Two terrorists were neutralized in an encounter with security forces in Bagender Mohalla of Bijbehara in Anantnag district of Jammua and Kashmir during wee hours on Thursday. The terrorists have been identified as Safder Amin Bhat and Burhan Ahmad Ganie. One AK rifle and one SLR were also recovered. Currently, a search operation is underway. The encounter broke out as the security forces laid a cordon and search operation in the region on the basis of specific inputs of 2 to 3 terrorists hiding in area. As forces approached the area, the militants open fired on them, triggering a gunfight. Justice done: 2 naxals who killed BJP MLA gunned down Earlier last week, two militants were neutralised in an encounter with the security forces in Shopian district. "Following a brief shoot out in the orchard area of Gahand village the two militants were killed. Their exact identities and affiliations are being ascertained," an officer was quoted as saying by IANS, following the encounter. Justice Ramanna drops out of in-house committee probing harassment charges against CJI India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 25: Justice N V Ramanna has dropped out of the in-house panel of the Supreme Court probing the sexual harassment charges levelled against the Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi. An in-house committee comprising Justice S A Bobde, N V Ramanna and Indira Banerjee was formed after a Supreme Court staffer had made harassment allegations against the CJI. The complainant had written to the committee that her character was damaged even before the inquiry could begin. SC appoints Justice Patnaik to probe allegations if CJI was framed in harassment case The 35 year old staffer said that the inquiry should be conducted on the lines of the guidelines laid down in the Vishakha judgment of the Supreme Court. The guidelines mandate that the Committee should have majority women members and also an external woman member to ensure fairness and impartiality. The letter also raised concerns over the blog post written by Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley. The blog condemning me has hurt me and due to these events, I feel isolated and depressed, she also said. I will be ensured justice only if I am provided a fair and independent, impartial and just hearing, she also said. I have suffered a lot and I am hopeful that my suffering and torture of my family will come to an end, she also said. She further raised concerns over the presence of Justice Ramanna in the Committee. He is a close friend of the CJI and like a family member to him. Due to this my affidavit and evidence may not get an objective and fair hearing, he also said. She also quoted the special hearing of the Supreme Court on Saturday. The CJI who refused to pass any judicial order on Saturday, while leaving it to the wisdom of his two brother judges had said, " I do not think this could be a plot of a junior assistant. There is a bigger plot. They want to deactivate the office of the CJI." I am extremely concerned and anxious in the wake of the hearing and the statement, she also said in her letter. She said that while she could present facts and evidence, she does not have any training or experience of law and procedure. I should be informed about the procedure that would be followed during the inquiry. I would need to be assigned by a lawyer and support person of my choice, which I believe is my right, she also said. Everyone knows who has issues with increasing Marriage age for women to 21: PM takes a dig at Oppn Kurtas and Bengali mithai: Is Modi trying to reach out to Mamata Banerjee? India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Apr 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday made a startling revelation in a 'non-political interaction' with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. During the interview, the Prime Minister said West Bengal Chief Minister and his arch-rival Mamata Banerjee share a decent relationship off-the-political-stage. Modi said Mamata 'didi' sends him personally-selected kurtas and Bengali sweets every year. "Even today Mamata didi herself selects one-two kurtas for me. She sends one-two kurtas every year," he said. The mentioning of sweet and kurta diplomacy may hint at a future where Mamata Banerjee and Narendra Modi would come close to share power. However, it can also be seen as a tactic ploy to create the space for a possible BJP-TMC tieup post May 23, when counting will be held in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 'Might send rosogollas, gifts, but won't give votes': Mamata Banerjee's reply to Modi Despite Mamata Banerjee being a vehement critic of the Modi government and has tried to form an anti-Modi front for the Lok Sabha elections 2019, one should not forget that in the year 1991, long before she became the Bengal chief minister and right after she quit the Congress to form Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee had joined BJP-led NDA. She then became the Railway Minister in the NDA government. Later on, she quit the NDA to contest the state elections in alliance with Congress. She then walked out of the alliance with Congress and went on to become the chief minister of Bengal. Meanwhile, in a damage control mode, Trinamool Congress leaders had said that such courteous gestures are part of Didi's compassionate and warm-hearted nature and should not be seen through the prism of politics. According to Trinamool Congress leaders, Didi keeps sending former President Pranab Mukherjee the choicest mangoes, sweets and kurtas every year and whenever she visits him she takes sandesh. It must be noted that Didi has played a crucial role in uniting the whole Opposition against the Modi-led Central government. She even organised and emceed a grand mahagathbandhan rally at Kolkata parade ground in January, 2019. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, April 25, 2019, 16:20 [IST] Will always be with you to fight injustice: Rahul Gandhi to media 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: My character smeared before probe has begun: Complainant in CJI harassment case India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 25: The Supreme Court staffer who has accused the Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment has told an in-house committee that her character was damaged even before the inquiry could begin. In a letter to the Committee, the 35 year old staffer said that the inquiry should be conducted on the lines of the guidelines laid down in the Vishakha judgment of the Supreme Court. The guidelines mandate that the Committee should have majority women members and also an external woman member to ensure fairness and impartiality. The letter written to the committee comprising, Justices S A Bobde, N V Ramanna and Indira Banerjee also raised concerns over the blog post written by Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley. The blog condemning me has hurt me and due to these events, I feel isolated and depressed, she also said. I will be ensured justice only if I am provided a fair and independent, impartial and just hearing, she also said. I have suffered a lot and I am hopeful that my suffering and torture of my family will come to an end, she also said. CJI framed claims plea: SC says will enquire, enquire and enquire She further raised concerns over the presence of Justice Ramanna in the Committee. He is a close friend of the CJI and like a family member to him. Due to this my affidavit and evidence may not get an objective and fair hearing, she also said. She also quoted the special hearing of the Supreme Court on Saturday. The CJI who refused to pass any judicial order on Saturday, while leaving it to the wisdom of his two brother judges had said, " I do not think this could be a plot of a junior assistant. There is a bigger plot. They want to deactivate the office of the CJI." I am extremely concerned and anxious in the wake of the hearing and the statement, she also said in her letter. She said that while she could present facts and evidence, she does not have any training or experience of law and procedure. I should be informed about the procedure that would be followed during the inquiry. I would need to be assigned by a lawyer and support person of my choice, which I believe is my right, she also said. Yogi Adityanath didn't take dip in Ganga as he knows rivers are not clean: Akhilesh Months ahead of UP polls residence of Akhilesh Yadavs aide searched by IT Tax department has joined the poll battle in UP: Akhilesh Yadav After I-T raids on SP leaders, petitioner questions Centre for not sending Mulayam & Akhilesh to jail Note bandi should be given a befitting reply says Akhilesh Yadav India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, Apr 25: After keeping the Congress out of his alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday attacked the party over its "big ego" and also accused it of ditching partners and threatening rivals. "Like the BJP, the Congress too believes in threatening political opponents," he said at an election meeting here. "We had an alliance with the Congress, but found that their ego is too big," the SP president said. Criminal negligence, says Akhilesh over EVM glitch; EC rejects The SP had an understanding with the Congress during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. But in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the SP, the BSP and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) kept the Congress out of their alliance in the state. However, the alliance decided not to field any candidate from Rae Bareli and Amethi, the two Congress bastions held by its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. "The Congress is not stopping the BJP, it's the SP-BSP alliance which is stopping the BJP," he said. The SP leader accused the Congress of initiating a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against his father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav when it was in power at the Centre. He claimed that a Congressman was doing this even now. The apparent reference was to activist Vishwanath Chaturvedi's attempt to revive an old case, alleging amassing of disproportionate assets by him and his father. Chaturvedi has sought a Supreme Court direction to the CBI to place the status report on a probe in the assets case against Mulayam Singh Yadav and his sons Akhilesh Yadav and Prateek Yadav. Akhilesh carries elephant shit on his head: UP minister "I want to alert you about the Congress also. It is a party which ditches. Like the BJP, the Congress believes in threatening its political rivals. We don't do politics of threats," Yadav said. He asked people to give a befitting reply to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s "note bandi" (demonetisation), which he said had ruined the economy, with "vote bandi". Parents of more than 600 children died due to COVID-19 from April to May 28: Government People are still deprived of basic facilities in Amethi: Smriti Irani India pti-PTI Amethi (UP), Apr 25: Union minister Smriti Irani on Thursday said people of the Amethi parliamentary constituency were deprived of basic facilities even after many years of independence. She is contesting the Lok Sabha polls against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi from Amethi. Addressing an election meeting in Tiloi assembly segment, the Minister of Textiles said, "In the five years, I have gone to various villages of Amethi and seen that people are still deprived of basic facilities even after so many years of independence." "Villages do not have roads and farmers are worried as there is no irrigation facility," she said. Taking a jibe at her political opponent Rahul Gandhi, Irani said "naamdar" (famous) do not want development to reach Amethi. "The 'naamdar' people want that you should remain backward, no development should take place, poverty should remain, the youth should remain unemployed and farmers should continue to languish, so that people of Amethi stand with folded hands before him and do not raise their voices," she said in an apparent reference to the Congress president. [Smriti Irani files nomination from Amethi] "The naamdar people will not even visit Amethi if they do not have to file the nomination papers," the minister said. Irani had lost to Gandhi in the 2014 general elections. "In 2014, Amethi had defeated me, but Modiji never did any discrimination with Amethi," she added. PTI Everyone knows who has issues with increasing Marriage age for women to 21: PM takes a dig at Oppn People contesting only 40, 20 or 8 seats waiting for turn to be PM: Modi India oi-Deepika S Patna, Apr 25: In an apparent dig at regional satraps nursing prime ministerial ambitions, Narendra Modi on Thursday said that people who are contesting only 40, 20 or even eight seats are standing in the queue waiting for the post. Attacking the Opposition and yet-to-be-declared PM candidate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a rally in Bihar's Darbhanga, said "those who are contesting only 40, 20 or even eight seats are standing in the queue waiting for their turn to become the Prime Minister." PM Modi went all guns blazing against the Opposition, saying the 'Mahamilavat' does not feel terrorism and national security is an important issue. Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati 'PM material', says Shatrughan Sinha "Modi cannot fight terror on his own. The chowkidar needs your votes to win this fight," he said. Taking a dig at the opposition Modi on Wednesday had said, anybody whose party is contesting even 20-25 seats, wants to become the prime minister. "Sab ghungroo bandhke taiyar ho gaye (everybody is decked up to take the hot seat)," he said, mocking them. SC appoints Justice Patnaik to probe allegations if CJI was framed in harassment case India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi Apr 25: The Supreme Court has appointed retired judge, Justice A K Patnaik to probe the allegations made by a lawyer that the CJI had been framed in the sexual harassment case. The court also ordered the CBI, IB and Delhi police to assist in the probe. The court said that the report shall be filed in a sealed cover once the probe is completed. The Bench said today that it needs to tell the rich and powerful of the country to desist from trying to control the Supreme Court. We want to tell them, don't you dare attempt it. You will burn your fingers. The Bench also said it is 3 to 5 per cent of the lawyers who try to influence the registry whenever there is a big case and bring a bad name to the community as well as the judiciary. Further the court also said that the way. In which the institution has been treated in the last three to four years, it is going to due. There is a systematic attempt, the Bench also said. On Wednesday, the court had clarified that the pending judicial matter won't have any effect on the in-house inquiry of sexual harassment charges against the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. The court had said that advocate Utsav Bains will have to corroborate his contentions that the three sacked employees of the Supreme Court came together to frame the CJI with the help of some powerful lobbyists. Justice Arun Mishra had observed that the CJI wants to clean the system. This action has been taken by any CJI for the first time. There are serious issues about the independence of the judiciary that can be remotely controlled. If this is true then we must look into the allegations as it is very disturbing. Meanwhile the Bench had also met with the CBI director, Intelligence Bureau Chief and Delhi Police Commissioner. Justice Mishra said that there is a fixing game going on involving the disgruntled employees who have ganged up. Unlike other CJIs, this CJI took action against them. We will enquire, enquire and enquire until we get to the root of the matter. The fixing part alone is the grave concern. Such things have no part in the system. Bains has named a fixer. We want to know who the other fixers are. No one, no one can denigrate the judiciary. Otherwise we will not survive, you all will not survive, he also added. The Supreme Court had issued notice to Bains after he claimed that Jet Airways Founder Naresh Goyal could have played a role in allegedly framing Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi in the case. He had stated on oath that according to his reliable sources, a Delhi based fixer, Romesh Sharma had hatched a plan to target the CJI and force him to resign. He said that Goyal through Sharma had sought to bribe the CJI for a favourable order on waiving off the loan for the airline. He further added that Dawood Ibrahim had invested in Jet Airways and hence the failed attempt to bribe the CJI was viewed seriously. Bains had sought a judicial inquiry into the matter through independent investigators. Southern Islamic Caliphate: A plot involving Jihadis from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Arp 25: The establishment of an Islamic Caliphate has been top of the priority of the Islamic State. Now, with the Colombo bombing, it has come to light that one of the prime accused Zaharan Hashim had instructed jihadis not only in Sri Lanka, but also in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to help establish a southern Caliphate. On September 1 2018, a case was registered at the B-3 Variety Hall police station in Coimbattore. The case pertained to a criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused with the intention of furthering the objectives of the ISIS by targeting Hindu leaders and activists. Colombo bombings: Why it may not be a bad idea to look at Maldives as well The NIA which subsequently probed the case cited a video used by the accused in which Hashim urges youth from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to establish an Islamic rule in the region. An NIA official part of the investigation tells OneIndia that it had become clear that Hashim was calling on the youth from South India to establish an Islamic Caliphate in the Southern region. In this context one must also look at the Kerala ISIS case in which several persons had joined the outfit. It was also found that three persons from Kerala, Abdul Rashid Abdulla (Kozhikode), Bestin Vincent (Pallakad) and Ashfak Majeed (Kasargod) had travelled to Sri Lanka in 2016. The NIA officer says that these persons were in touch with Hashim. In the Coimbatore case, the NIA chargesheeted Mohamed Ashiq A, Ismail S, Samsudeen, Mohammed Salauddin S, Jafar Shadik Ali and Shahul Hameed. These persons had come together to target Hindu leaders and also conspired to further the activities of the of the Islamic State by carrying out terrorist attacks. They had also planned on targeting persons who were critical of the ISIS, the NIA said. Further the NIA also said that like their accomplices in Kerala, these persons from Tamil Nadu too were in touch with Hashim and were helping him set up the Southern Islamic Caliphate. In December, the NIA carried out raids at seven locations in Tamil Nadu. The searches were carried out in Chennai, Coimbatore and one at District Vellapuram. One of the accused in the case, Ismail told the NIA that another accused person Ashik had promised them help for their operation. The NIA says that Ismail had links with the ISIS. The intention was to carry out a major operation on Ganesh Chaturthi. These developments are significant in the wake of the murders in Coimbatore.Munnani spokesperson C Sasikumar in 2016 and an atheist H Farook in 2017 were murdered by radical Islamic groups. The first known ISIS recruit from India was in fact a resident of Cuddalore. Haja Fakkruddin, it may be recalled had in early 2014 left for Syria through Singapore to be part of the ISIS. This was followed by a series of events related to the group and there was an image on the social media that went viral, in which several youth were seen posing with ISIS merchandise. The threat of the ISIS has been looming large in the state and there are several pockets where the problem is severe. While looking into Haja's case, it was found that he was radicalised by a Cuddalore based group. 'We are scared about going out': Sri Lanka muslims after blasts The role of the ISIS in Tamil Nadu was unraveled in a big way in 2014. In August 2014, the police arrested Abdul Rahman and Mohammad Rizwan from the Ramnathapuram district on the charge that they were distributing t-shirts with the ISIS emblem. A photo showing 26 youth posing with the t-shirt in front of a Mosque at Thondi had surfaced on the social media. While the police were not able to find any direct link with the outfit, it however showed that the ISIS was gradually being received in the state. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, April 25, 2019, 11:39 [IST] This man is on a country wide padayatra: He wants a ban on EVMs SP's Dharmendra Yadav alleges EVM strongroom tampering India pti-PTI Badaun/Sambhal (UP), Apr 25: Samajwadi Party's Badaun Lok Sabha candidate Dharmendra Yadav Thursday complained of tampering with the strongroom where the EVMs were kept, accusing the Sambhal district administration of working in a partisan manner, a charge refuted by the authorities. "The district administration denied our requests for providing a pass to our agents at the strongroom on the Bahjoi Mandi Samiti campus. On Wednesday, between 6 pm and 9 pm, some developments took place there," claimed Yadav, who is the sitting MP of Badaun. The strongroom falls in Sambhal district. The Badaun Lok Sabha constituency, which went to polls in the third phase on April 23, is spread over Badaun and Sambhal districts. "We have a video footage and pictures that prove that the net on the outer doors of the strongroom was damaged and the seal of the inner gate, where the EVMs have been kept, was broken. A new seal has been put in its place," he said. [Naidu finds fault with EVM for fear of losing: YSRCP] Adding that a complaint in this regard is being made to the Election Commission, he said,"We have information that EVMs of the Gunnaur vidhan sabha segment have been changed." Sabhal ADM (Adminstration) Lavkush Tripathi said a parrot had got entangled in the net and in an effort to take it out, a part of the net of the outer gate was shifted from its place. Sambhal District Magistrate Avinash Krishna rejected the charges, saying there was no truth in them. PTI What does the meeting between Taliban and Jaish-e-Mohammad mean for India Strategic surprise at Balakot: 6,000 officers involved and not a single leak India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 35: The Indian Air Force (IAF) had done a detailed assessment of both positives and negatives of the Balakot air strike. The report deals with various aspects of the strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist camp at Balakot, despite Pakistan being on very high alert. One of the key aspects listed in the report is about the strategic surprise. It says that the strategic surprise was so complete that Pakistan scrambled its jets only after the Mirage-2000s delivered the weapons package and turned back. No Pak soldier or citizen died in Balakot air strike: Sushma Swaraj Another major positive was the accuracy of the intelligence and the target selection. The proficiency and the skill of the pilots' part of the mission has been listed as top class and they would be rewarded for the same. The high level of secrecy maintained during the mission also finds a mention. 6,000 men and officers were involved in the operation and there was absolutely no leakage. Speaking more about the element of surprise, the IAF said that the Russian Su-30s flying towards the JeM's headquarters at Bahawalpur forced Pakistan to divert its resources and other capabilities in a separate sector. During the strike, the IAF used Spice 200 precision guided munitions to hit the target. Five of the six designated targets were hit at the Jaish-e-Mohammad training facility in Balakot. Pakistani military takes international media, foreign diplomats on tour of Balakot seminary Among the negatives, the IAF says that cloud cover caused problems for the fighter fleet. Moreover the entire weapons package barring the Spice 2000 was not delivered. The changes in the software made to integrate new weapon systems with the Mirage aircraft did not work completely, the report also added. The report further recommended more technical asymmetry for the IAF in order to penetrate the enemy air space at will. Terrorists were killed, but 'Bua' 'Bhatija' and 'Rahul Baba' mourned: Amit Shah India pti-PTI Ghazipur/Unnao (UP), Apr 25: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Thursday claimed opposition leaders cannot look after the country's security. Addressing a rally in Ghazipur constituency of Uttar Pradesh, he alleged Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati and her Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress counterparts, Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, respectively, were upset with the Balakot air strikes. "These 'mahamilavati' people talk about the country. Akhilesh, Mayawati and Congress cannot keep the country safe," he said. Shah said the BJP cannot do "ilu-ilu" with terrorists, an apparent reference to the popular short form of 'I love you'. "Though terrorists of Pakistan were killed (in the Balakot air strikes), there was an atmosphere of mourning in the offices of 'Bua' (Mayawati), 'Bhatija' (Akhilesh) and 'Rahul baba'," he said. [Lok Sabha Election LIVE: PM Modi performs pooja on the banks of Holy Ganges] "I could not find out as to why they were so sad. Why were they moving about with long faces? Were those terrorists their maternal or paternal cousins?" he said. The BJP chief asserted his party cannot play with the security of the country. "If a bullet is fired from there (Pakistan), a bomb will be sent from here (India)... eent ka jawaab patthar se diya jayega (If someone throws bricks, will respond by throwing rocks)," he said. Shah alleged the Congress want to break the nation with the "tukde-tukde" gang. Pointing to the promise of scrapping sedition law in the Congress manifesto, the BJP leader claimed the move is to prevent those raising "anti-national" slogans from going to jails. Union minister and sitting MP Manoj Sinha is seeking re-election from the Ghazipur seat. The BJP president also alleged that Purvanchal lagged behind under the Congress governments, and came on the right track of progress after the BJP came to power. Attacking the previous UPA government, he said the ten years when "mauni baba" (apparent reference to former PM Manmohan Singh) was at the helm, soldiers were beheaded and the government took no action. "This is not happening anymore... terror strikes took place and the Modi government carried out air strikes... the martyrdom of our soldiers was avenged with surgical strikes," he said. Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi's "silence" over NC leader Omar Abdullah's "separate PM" remarks, Shah said, "Rahul Gandhi does not speak a word on Omar Abdullah as he fears that if he does, voters will go away." Omar had recently suggested separate prime minister for Kashmir. Addressing another meeting in Unnao for party nominee Sakshi Maharaj, the senior BJP leader said the Yogi Adityanath-led state government has been successful at checking "gunda" (hooligans) elements. He also lauded the chief minister for holding a grand Kumbh earlier this year. Attacking BSP chief Mayawati, Shah said she sold tickets in the name of Dalits and stacked the money in her accounts. "SP and BSP had their governments for 20 years, but could they develop the state? Only Modi government could do it," he added. [Priyanka Gandhi not to contest from Varanasi as Congress repeats Ajay Rai] At an election meeting in Auraiyya, Shah said people should unite and vote for the BJP to strengthen the country. "The entire country was celebrating the revenge taken after the Pulwama terror attack, but there was gloom in Pakistan and also in the offices of SP, BSP and Congress. This is the politics done by them. "Hence, people should unite and strengthen Modi. Vote for the BJP and strengthen the country," he said. PTI Its not just the onions that are bringing the tears: Potato prices too shoot up Traders in terrorists clothing: Suspending LoC trade a much needed decision India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 25: The action was delayed, but much needed. India's decision to suspend trade along the Line of Control (LoC) was a much needed decision. Home Ministry officials tell OneIndia that the trade route had been completely taken over by terrorists and hawala operators. Money was being pumped in large numbers to fuel unrest in the Valley as well as fund terrorism. Hizbul, Lashkar had taken over cross LoC trade: MHA The likes of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Tayiba had been controlling the trade in a bid to push arms, counterfeit currency and narcotic, the official also informed. Citing misuse India on Friday suspended trade along the LoC with effect from April 19. The action was taken after it was reported that Pakistan based elements were using the trade route to smuggle weapons, fake currency and narcotics. The Home Ministry said that a stricter regulatory and enforcement mechanism is being worked and the issue of the reopening the trade routes will be revisited once they are implemented. The Union Home Ministry order stated that it has been "decided by the Government of India to suspend the LoC trade at Salamabad and Chakkan-da-Bagh in Jammu and Kashmir". The LoC trade, at present, is conducted through two trade facilitation centres located at Salamabad in Uri of Baramulla district, and Chakkan-da-Bagh in Poonch district. This trade takes place four days a week and is based on barter system and zero-duty. The measure has been taken in the backdrop of the Pulwama terror attack following which India stepped up its military and strategic offensive against Pakistan and also withdrew the most favoured nation (MFN) from its neighbour. "Meanwhile, a stricter regulatory and enforcement mechanism is being worked out and will be put in place in consultation with various agencies. The issue of reopening of LoC trade will be revisited thereafter," the government said in the statement. The decision has been taken after reports of "cross Line of Control trade routes being misused by Pakistan based elements for funneling illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency etc", a statement by the Home Ministry read. "During ongoing probe of certain cases by NIA, it has been brought out that significant number of trading concerns engaged in LoC trade are operated by persons closely associated with banned terror organisations involved in fueling terrorism/separatism," the statement also read. It was found that cross-border traders had been tapped by terror groups to help raise funds for terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Here is why trade along LoC with Pakistan was suspended by India The NIA had found that a food item would be imported from Pakistan at a very low price and then sold at double the amount in India. For instance, Californian almonds would be imported by the trader at Rs 350 a kilogram and then sold at Rs 700 in the Indian market. The profit investigators say would be used to fund terror. There is a select network of traders that the terror groups have tapped into to further their agenda. These traders work under terror groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, an NIA official informed. The NIA has also found a list of 21 items that are being imported by traders from Pakistan at a very low cost. Out of this the highest profit margin is for the California almond which sells at double the cost in India, the NIA official also informed. TS intermediate results 2019: 22 students commit suicide; High Court orders revaluation India oi-Madhuri Adnal Hyderabad, Apr 25: Depressed over failure in examinations, 22 students have so far committed suicide after the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (TBIE) results were declared last week. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had called an emergency meeting and reportedly reprimanded his education minister and officials concerned. The Chief Minister directed the officials to hold free of cost revaluation and recounting of failed candidates' results. KCR has asked the officials to conduct an advanced supplementary examinations without scope for a year loss. Meanwhile, the Telangana high court on 23rd April 2019 had asked the TSBIE to do a revaluation of answer sheets of all the students who failed in the 1st and 2nd year Inter examinations. TS Inter Results 2019 shocker: Telangana orders free re-verification of answer sheets The opposition parties have claimed that 18 students have committed suicide and blamed the TBIE for it. While admitting lapses in declaring results, the authorities have denied that the suicides were related to this. They said efforts were being made to address the students' grievances. Education Minister Jagdish Reddy alleged that the opposition parties were trying to politicise the issue. The TBIE bungling has come under criticism from all quarters as it shocked many students and their parents. Many students who had passed the first year with distinction failed in the second year. In a rude shock for them, they were awarded zero, one or two marks in each subject. Meanwhile, protests by the student groups continued for third day over the TBIE fiasco. This year, 9.74 lakh students appeared for the intermediate examination. Out of these 3.28 lakh failed which is nearly one-third of the total. Asked us to remove undergarments as proof of periods: Bhuj college girls allege harassment Class 10 student throws acid from beaker at three girls outside science lab in Himachal Pradesh Periods don't stop for pandemic: Girls from rural areas struggle for sanitary pads during lockdown 44 Boxa Tribe girls enrolled in school, but where are the books? UP: Two girls found hanging from tree in Chitrakoot India oi-Madhuri Adnal Chitrakoot, April 25: In a shocking incident, bodies of two girls were found hanging from a tree in Mau tehsil, Chitrakoot area of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. As per police reports, these girls left the house to visit a nearby field and didn't return for a long time after which a search operation was launched. Initial reports suggested that as per the preliminary investigation conducted by the police, the deaths appear to be cases of suicide. TS intermediate results 2019: 22 students commit suicide; High Court orders revaluation However, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Chitrakoot said,"Further action will depend on the postmortem report." The incident has drawn instant attention since it bears striking similarity with the Baduan case where two sisters were similarly found hanging from a tree in May 2014 drawing severe criticism for the then Akhilesh government. Earlier in 2014, two cousin sisters were found hanging from a tree in Baduan area of Uttar Pradesh. Kin had alleged that they were gang-raped by five villagers and these girls committed suicide in shame. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, April 25, 2019, 14:24 [IST] From taking dip in Ganga to offering prayers to Lord Shiva, check out pics of PM Modi's visit to Varanasi From Varanasi, PM Modi urges Indians to take these 3 resolutions Spread the glory of rivers, PM Modi says at Mayors Conference Who is Ajay Rai? The Congressman contesting against Narendra Modi India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Apr 25: Ending weeks of speculation about a potential heavyweight battle between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi in Varanasi, the party on Thursday announced its decision to field five-time UP MLA Ajay Rai instead. This is the second time Congress has chosen Ajay Rai as its candidate for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Modi defeated Ajay Rai with a record number of votes in 2014 elections. Born in Varanasi to Parvati Devi Rai and Surendra Rai, Ajay is known as a local bahubali (strongman). He began his political career as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party's student wing. He won the Legislative Assembly elections from the Kolasla constituency three times in a row between 1996 and 2007 on a BJP ticket. Also Read | Priyanka Gandhi not to contest from Varanasi as Congress repeats Ajay Rai Rai left the party after being denied a Lok Sabha ticket. He then joined the Samajwadi Party and unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Subsequently, he won the 2009 Legislative Assembly by-election from the Kolasla constituency as an independent. He then joined the Indian National Congress. After the Kolasla constituency ceased to exist post-delimitation, he won the 2012 Assembly elections from the newly created Pindra constituency, which comprises a sizeable portion of the former Kolasla constituency. He has also contested the assembly elections as an Independent candidate from Varanasi. Priyanka Gandhi slams Smriti Irani for distributing shoes in Amethi; terms it "insult" to people In 2015, Rai was arrested for causing violence and arson in Varanasi during a ban on idol immersion in Ganga. In this uphill task of defeating Narendra Modi, Congress is once again banking on a grassroots man who has a strong Varanasi connect. Sri Lanka won't be allowed to be used for 'any activity' against India: President Rajapaksa Avoid 'all but essential travel' to Sri Lanka: Britain warns citizens International pti-PTI London, Apr 25: Britain on Thursday warned against "all but essential travel" to Sri Lanka following the terror attacks on Sunday that claimed at least 359 lives. "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka, due to the current evolving security situation following attacks on 21 April 2019," the ministry said on its website. It added that terrorists "are very likely" to try to carry out further attacks, which "could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners." "The extent of any continued threat following the 21 April attacks remains unclear," it said. Eight British nationals were among those killed in the deadly Easter bombings that targeted tourists and Christian worshippers. Over 250,000 Britons visited Sri Lanka in 2018, making it the third highest source of tourism behind India and China, with the two countries retaining strong links since Sri Lanka became independent of colonial rule in 1948. [Sri Lanka: Minor blast in Pugoda town near Colombo, no casualties] The British government told citizens already in the country to "remain vigilant, keep up to date with developments, follow the advice of local security authorities... keep a low profile and avoid crowded public places." "All of the attacks on 21 April were carried out either in places of worship or in places where foreign visitors were affected. Any further attacks may be targeted against similar locations," it warned. A small team of specialist officers from Britain's Metropolitan Police have been deployed to Sri Lanka to support families of victims and repatriate their bodies, the force said on Tuesday. The police said they were not helping with the investigation "at this stage", but added that "should any request come... then this will be considered accordingly." Prime Minister May offered help in the investigation to Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe during a telephone call on Tuesday. PTI The Centre has purchased 55.17 lakh tonnes of wheat from farmers in the ongoing 2019-20 marketing year so far, a senior Food Ministry official said on Wednesday. Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have contributed the most to wheat procurement so far, the official said. The Centre has set the wheat procurement target at 357 lakh tonnes for the 2019-20 marketing year (April-March) on hopes of a record 1,000 lakh tonne production this year. State-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) along with state government agencies buy wheat at the minimum support price to meet the demand of welfare schemes. The Government has fixed the wheat MSP at Rs 1,840 per quintal, up from Rs 1,735 a year earlier. Sri Lanka won't be allowed to be used for 'any activity' against India: President Rajapaksa Sri Lankan human trafficking case: Victims were lured with promise of jobs in Canada Sri Lanka: Minor blast in Pugoda town near Colombo, no casualties International oi-Madhuri Adnal Colombo, Apr 25: A minor blast was reported in Pugoda town, 40 km east of Sri Lanka capital Colombo, as reported by Reuters, on Thursday. According to reports, the blast has been reported in a garbage dump in an unattended lot near the Pugoda Magistrate's Court. Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said police were investigating the blast on empty land behind the magistrate's court in Pugoda, 40 km. "There was an explosion behind the court, we are investigating," he said, adding it was not a controlled explosion like other blasts in recent days. The blast came at a time of high tension in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday suicide bomber attacks on the island state that killed 359 people and wounded about 500. Sri Lankan government on Wednesday admitted that 'major' intelligence lapses led to the horrific Easter Sunday blasts and asked Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara to resign, even as the death toll in the coordinated attacks rose to 359 amidst a nationwide manhunt to nab the perpetrators. Colombo bombings: Why it may not be a bad idea to look at Maldives as well Nine Suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels. Omicron 1st case in Maharashtra: What we know about it so, far? 12 facts Mumbai: Man gets life sentence in loan fraud case Mumbai pti-PTI Mumbai, Apr 25: A special court for CBI cases here has sentenced a 38-year-old man to life imprisonment for fraudulently obtaining loans of over Rs 2.80 crore from the Andhra Bank in 2008. Then manager of the bank's Ghodbunder branch in neighbouring Thane was awarded 10 years' jail term, while three others were sentenced to three years' imprisonment for conspiracy on Thursday. Besides awarding him life imprisonment, CBI Judge S R Tamboli also imposed a fine of Rs 3.13 crore on prime accused Rajendra Patil. Bandlamudi Mahipal, the former branch manager, was ordered to pay Rs 3.40 lakh. The accused were held guilty under IPC Sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) as well as under the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the prosecution, Patil approached Andhra Bank's Ghodbunder Road branch for a vehicle loan and a loan against property in 2008. Initially, he had applied for a loan of Rs 2.03 crore to purchase 15 high-end luxury cars, claiming that the vehicles were to be given on lease to Kent Cars Private Limited at a monthly rent of Rs 11.25 lakh. Later, probe revealed that Patil had submitted fake documents such as bogus car registration cards, and had not bought cars with the loan he obtained. He was also disbursed a loan of Rs 80 lakh against a flat in Thane. Later it came to light that Patil had tried to obtain another loan using the same flat as collateral from the Abhyudaya Co-operative Bank. [UP: Five get three years in jail for animal cruelty] Upon verification, the co-operative bank found that the flat ownership documents he had submitted were fake. The probe revealed that Patil obtained loans fraudulently from the Andhra Bank in connivance with Mahipal and others. The prosecution examined 50 witnesses during the trial, said public prosecutor Jitendra Kumar Sharma. Patil has two more similar cases pending against him in the same court, an official said. PTI List of which have and which have not started NEET UG Counselling 2021 XAT 2022 admit card to be released today: Check website and steps to download Delhi: Snakelet, kite rescued from assembly New Delhi pti-PTI New Delhi, Apr 25: A black-headed royal snakelet and a kite were rescued by a wildlife NGO from the Delhi Assembly, according to a statement. Earlier this week, the Wildlife SOS rapid response unit was contacted by the maintenance staff of the Delhi Assembly and informed it about a snake that was found on the premises. Two trained rescuers from the NGO rushed to the location and extricated the snake from the kitchen area. "The snake was a juvenile as it had pale brown patches and lacked the distinct irregular black markings that adult royal snakes have on their body," the statement read. Around the same time, security personnel of the Delhi Assembly stumbled upon a kite in the lawns. The bird had collapsed due to heat exhaustion and dehydration, the statement read. The snakelet and the bird were kept under observation for a few hours and were later released back into the wild, it stated. PTI Having failed to harp on issues of national security and development, the BJP is once again playing the Hindutva card to woo voters. It is to be seen if this cafeteria approach of the party will click this time or not The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to have gone back to focus on its Hindutva card in the midst of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, shifting its gear from development. The two themes are still running parallelly but Hindutva has come into sharper focus with two phases of the polls being concluded. This was evident from the fact that the party took a conscious decision to field the high-profile Sadhvi Pragya Thakur in Bhopal against former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh. From the BJPs point of view, Pragya Thakurs candidacy serves two purposes: First, this is a direct confrontation with a formidable Congress leader Digvijay Singh. Second, it will have resonance not only in Madhya Pradesh but also in neighboring States, including Maharashtra. Though the names of two former Chief Ministers, Uma Bharti and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, were doing the rounds for the Bhopal seat, the party chose Sadhvi, presumably at the behest of the RSS. The Sangh Parivar is said to have sent messages to sadhus to mobilise electoral support for the BJP in the current polls. Some time back, the same sadhus had criticised the Modi Government for not building the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Defending the BJPs move to field Pragya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that her candidature was a symbolic answer to all those who have dubbed the rich Hindu civilisation as a terrorist and asserted that this symbol will prove costly for the Congress. To recall, the Sadhvi has been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) over her alleged role in a terror act but was released on bail; though the NIA court, hearing the case, hasnt yet discharged her. Ironically, it was Digvijay Singh who had coined the word saffron terror during the UPA regime. This is not the first time the BJP has fielded sadhus to mobilise electoral support. Uma Bharti is one such high-profile leader. The party has also nominated Hindu monk Jaisiddheshwar Mahaswamiji in Sholapur against former Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. The other symbol of Hindutva is Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Election Commission had banned him from campaigning for 72 hours just before the conclusion of the second phase of polls for Muslim-baiting speeches. Sadhvi Pragya, too, has not disappointed the BJP with her sixers on Hemant Karkare, who, she claimed, was killed because of her curse. This statement of hers, against a man considered a martyr, provoked anger and the BJP quickly distanced itself from her views. The next bomb dropped by her was about the demolition of the Babri masjid in 1992 and her role in it. I climbed atop the structure to break it. I am tremendously proud that God gave me the opportunity and strength to do it. And I did it, she said. The EC has sought a report from the Sadhvi on both counts for her intemperate remarks. The question is: Why is Hindutva back in focus again? Actually, it has always run parallel to other themes. Although the Opposition has failed to expose the weaknesses of Modi and his non- deliverance of poll promises made in 2014 convincingly, the BJP is wary of the development card and knows it is not working at the ground level. So the party has decided to focus more on Hindutva at an emotive level. So far, the BJP has strategised a presidential-type of campaign with Modi as its face. In its election speeches, the party has been talking about a taint-free sarkar. We have done well but more needs to be done is the message sent to the voters. The campaign talks of a decisive Government and Modis bold decisions on many issues, including on national security. Emphasis is also laid on the seven big welfare schemes launched by the Government, including Swachh Bharat and health insurance. The focus is also between a majboot Modi sarkar versus a majboor Opposition sarkar. Above all, the failure of the Congress in building the nation is its prime focus. Based on ground reports that the Pulwama effect is wearing off, particularly in the southern States, the BJP had to shift its gear. In all the five southern States, people are more concerned about local issues. Pakistan-bashing also has not got much appeal in the South, which sends 130 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The BJP has realised that neither the supply of cooking gas connections nor the schemes on rural electrification and cheaper houses or the Jan Dhan bank accounts or the promise of higher minimum support prices for crops have been enough to set off the kind of a Modi wave that swept the BJP to power in 2014. That is why Modi, Amit Shah and Yogi continue with their polarising speeches. The use of Hindutva card shows the desperation of the party to woo voters. It is to be seen if this cafeteria approach of the BJP will click in the next five phases of the polls. (The writer is a senior political commentator and syndicated columnist) A new study that links global warming with inequality must prompt world leaders to raise their fight against climate change. In the Indian context, we need region-specific and customised policies besides awareness drives The spectre of climate change has spread its tentacles far beyond the ambit of the environment. As global warming and Green House Gas emissions scale new heights, their aftershocks are being felt across new quarters. According to a recent Stanford University study, global warming has increased economic inequality since the 1960s. Changes in temperature caused due to climate change have not only enriched cooler countries like Norway and Sweden but also dragged down economic growth of warmer countries such as India and Nigeria. These observations are disturbing since India specifically features in the report. According to the study, Canada and Norway witnessed per capita growth of more than 30 per cent due to global warming. On the other hand, economies of India and Sudan have become over 30 per cent smaller than what it would have been if there was no global warming. Researchers at the university examined 50 years of annual temperature data as well as GDP from 165 countries during the same time period to analyse effects of temperature fluctuations on economic growth. By looking at 20 different climate models, the team determined how much each nation had already warmed between 1961 to 2010. The team also calculated 20,000 versions of what a nations economic output would have been if climate change was not a factor. Post the examination of the data, researchers came to the conclusion that crop yield and peoples health are better when its neither too hot nor too cold. This means that in countries which witness cold conditions, little warming can help. The opposite is true for places that are warm. So, ironically, countries with high historical emissions are among those that have enjoyed the highest per capita GDP and fastest economic growth since the 1960s. On the other hand, global warming reduced per capita income in the poorest countries by 17-30 per cent. The researchers claimed that climate change has brought few of the largest economies to perfect temperature for economic output, while some smaller nations are taking the hit. However, the good news for developed economies is only short lived for if uncontrolled global warming continues, it will push the big economies further away from the ideal temperature optimum, thus changing the entire economic scenario again. So, even though the impacts of rising global temperatures may seem smaller year to year, they can yield dramatic gains or losses over the next 30 to 50 years. The study emphasised on the importance of improving sustainable energy access for the purpose of economic development of the poorer countries. No matter how climate change fuels economic inequalities, it is also true that economic and social inequalities, too, are exacerbating climate change conditions. It is, in fact, a vicious cycle. In order to arrive at a sustainable solution, it is crucial to understand that social and economic inequality itself can act as drivers of climate change. Several researches in the past few decades have shown that unequal societies inflict more environmental damage than more economical ones. One key issue that is still being overlooked is how environmental degradation and climate change are the toxic byproducts of our inequality problem. There is also an urgent need to get a grasp of the link between climate change and inequality. Many people, who live in low-income communities, for example, cannot afford to retrofit their homes to make them more energy-efficient. Meaning, they use more power than necessary, thus generating more pollution. Strategies for controlling climate change and ensuring economic equality that are in consonance with environmental principles have to be tailor-made and region specific. This due to the fact that every country and region has its own peculiarities and differentiating features. India must understand that global policies to control climate change and ensure economic equality are not directly applicable for conditions over here. The problem of poverty is deep-rooted in our country and can only be weeded out through a customised solution. To ensure that climate change does not further wreak economic havoc, the agricultural sector would have to be insulated against the vagaries of climate change. Additionally, the impact of climate change in urban India will have to be valued economically and damage assessments must be done at regular intervals. This is crucial because one cannot improve something when it is not quantified. The Government must also embark on an awareness campaign that seeks to educate the people about their financial well-being. They must be told that their position in the society is dependent on their carbon footprint. This will encourage the masses to seek environmentally-friendly solutions for their energy and transportation needs. An aware population that has embarked on an eco-friendly way of life can turn the clock back on climate change and start restoring the temperatures to previous levels. All of this is possible through a hybrid collaboration of the legislature and the judiciary. Socio-economic inequalities as a result of climate change are not new and were long expected. What is concerning though is the alarming rate at which this is taking place, leaving no room for evasive action by humanity. This is worrisome and has to be resolved at the earliest. The beginning, as always, will have to be at the grassroot level by adopting sustainable development solutions. (The writer is an environmental journalist) Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Family owned businesses represent approximately 80-90% of the 30 million businesses in the United States according to the Conway Center for Family Business, and the vast majority of those are middle market businesses. That creates a significant opportunity for middle market private equity, but for families and founders that are looking at the investment landscape, there are often a lot of questions about what the choices are. A new paper from Investcorp looks at how the market has shifted, putting more power in the hands of business owners. "We're in an environment where there are more options for founders and families than ever before in terms of how you want to structure a sale or an investment," says David Tayeh, Head of Private Equity-North America and Investcorp. "For businesses that are high quality and have differentiated themselves, owners really have the upper hand in the market right now. Moreso than we have seen at other points in history." In the paper, Tayeh and Kirk Fleischer, a Principal in Investcorp's Private Equity - North America group, outline how a perfect storm of cheap financing, robust economic growth, and a growing number of people nearing retirement age has meant that more businesses are seeking outside investors. Competition for deals is heating up, giving sellers the power. In this market, private equity has emerged as an increasingly dominant provider of growth capita...................... To view our full article Click here With Beijing taking a giant leap in filling the gap in research to match that of developed nations, India is still lagging behind. We need to take some lessons If one looks at Indias development during the five last decades, one can only admire the progress made by it. However, there are some fields where the country has been left far behind by the great powers, particularly in the domain of innovation. Chinas case is worth studying. Huawei technologies, which often for the wrong reasons, has been in the news in recent months, has been a role model in terms of innovation for the Middle Kingdom. In February 2018, Reuters reported that the giant telecom group of companies increased its annual spending on Research and Development (R&D) to between $15 billion and $20 billion as it races to be a global leader in 5G technology. Can you name any Indian telecom company investing in R&D in this way and on this scale? No. The big Indian business houses simply prefer to remain in the service field, without taking the risk of investing in any long-term vision. As a result, during the next 10 or 20 years, China and Western companies will remain the leaders while India will have to buy their technologies, with all the risks involved. According to Reuters, Huawei, Chinas largest telecommunications equipment and smartphone maker, spent $13.23 billion on R&D in 2017, a whopping 14.9 per cent of its total revenue. The worlds top R&D spenders, Amazon and Alphabet, the two biggest spenders on R&D in the US respectively, spent $22.6 billion and $16.6 billion in 2017. About 80,000 of Huaweis employees or 45 per cent of its total workforce are engaged in R&D. Should India not start emulating world leaders such as Huawei or even Google, Apple or Amazon instead of just being proud of the Indian origin of Googles CEO? In the defence domain, China is innovating too. Earlier this month, the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) announced that the first armed amphibious drone boat was successfully delivered to the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) The Global Times pointed out: China has built the worlds first armed amphibious drone boat, which military analysts said could be used in land assault operations and is capable of forming a combat triad with aerial drones and other drone ships. Named Marine Lizard, the drone left the factory in Wuhan in Hubei Province: The 12-metre-long Marine Lizard is a trimaran propelled by a diesel-powered hydrojet and can reach a maximum speed of 50 knots while maintaining stealth. When approaching land, the amphibious drone ship can release four continuous track units hidden under its belly and travel at 20 km/hour on land, wrote a local newspaper. Another gadget, said to be capable of delivering precision bombs, is the weirdly shaped helicopter drone Blowfish A2. The Chinese Press said that it already sparked interest from many countries militaries. In a statement from the Guangdong-based Zhuhai Ziyan UAV company, the manufacturer explained: The 1.87-m long, 0.62-m tall helicopter drone has a maximum take-off weight of 38 kilograms and is capable of carrying a 12-kilogram payload. In its strange belly-less fuselage, the Blowfish A2 can carry radar, jamming devices, guns or bombs under its spine. The speed of the helicopter drone is 130 km/hour. The examples can be multiplied. The most prestigious is undoubtedly the J-20 (or Mighty Dragon), a single-seat, twin jet, all-weather, stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft developed by Chinas Chengdu Aerospace Corporation. The first aircraft was delivered to the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) in March 2017 and inducted in February 2018. The J-20 is the worlds third operational fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft after the US F-22 and F-35. In March 2016, on the occasion of the third plenary session of the National Peoples Congress, President Xi Jinping asked the PLA delegates to pour efforts into developing cutting edge defence technology, which has strategic significance. Xi, who chairs the powerful Central Military Commission, affirmed: The capability to innovate will determine the future of the Chinese armed forces. In recent years, China has been pouring funds into developing high-tech weapons; some of this armament is also being exported. Another article reported that the Chinese scientists continue to research stealth and camouflage materials that can hide from a broad spectrum of electromagnetic waves, after they successfully fabricated a material that can hide a hot object from heat-sensing infrared cameras. The research, published in American Chemical Society Journal, affirmed that the new material, a kind of aerogel film, has good thermal insulation properties: It is enhanced by coating its fibres with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and a protective waterproof layer. One can also give the example of a new turbofan engine to power Chinas carrier-based stealth fighters, though the exact outcome should perhaps be taken with a pinch of salt. According to The Global Times, a team of young researchers and aero engine designers received an award for successfully designing and prototype testing of a new top-class turbofan engine that will help Chinese fighter jets take on their advanced foreign counterparts. The new engine may be installed on Chinas new carrier-based stealth fighter jets; the previous aircraft had faced serious issues. The manufacturers statement said that this will help China rival advanced foreign fighter jets. Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told The Global Times: With the new engine, Chinas future advanced fighter jets will finally solve the heart problem This is great, great news. All this does not imply that the outcome of the Chinese research will soon be reaching the level of the US or European technology but it simply means that the gap between China and the most advanced nations is being filled up while India is left behind. At the same time, all is not rosy in China. The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post recently observed: The slowing Chinese economy may be claiming some unexpected victims Despite healthy capitalisation, investors are finding that some companies underlying technologies may not be as innovative as hoped. In other words, the most innovative will be the fittest to survive. Even if tomorrow China produces less new Baidu, Alibaba or Tencent, there is no doubt that the future belongs to those who innovate. In Nehrus socialistic world, research was a state monopoly, it cant remain so forever. The private sector, with its dynamism, has no choice but to invest large parts of its profits in the future. The next Indian Government has lessons to learn from China if it wants India to become a great power. (The writer is an expert on India-China relations) Global (United States, European Union and China) Liquid Packaging Bag Market Research Report 2019-2025 https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/559421/global-united-states-european-union-china https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/559421/global-united-states-european-union-china https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on Liquid Packaging Bag Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 158 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:In 2019, the market size of Liquid Packaging Bag is million US$ and it will reach million US$ in 2025, growing at a CAGR of from 2019; while in China, the market size is valued at xx million US$ and will increase to xx million US$ in 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during forecast period.In this report, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Liquid Packaging Bag.This report studies the global market size of Liquid Packaging Bag, especially focuses on the key regions like United States, European Union, China, and other regions (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia).This study presents the Liquid Packaging Bag production, revenue, market share and growth rate for each key company, and also covers the breakdown data (production, consumption, revenue and market share) by regions, type and applications. history breakdown data from 2014 to 2019, and forecast to 2025.For top companies in United States, European Union and China, this report investigates and analyzes the production, value, price, market share and growth rate for the top manufacturers, key data from 2014 to 2019.In global market, the following companies are covered:Packman IndustriesDS Smith PackagingGlobal-Pak, IncAmcor LimitedCDF CorporationUflex LtdAran GroupHood Packaging CorporationDanqing Plastic Packaging & Printing Co., LtdShenzhen Winld Packaging Material LtdDongguan Yason Pack Co., LtdRuijin Xinchen Technology Co., LtdWenzhou Kiwim Plastic Packaging Co., LtdJiangyin Huawen Flexible Packaging Co., LtdMarket Segment by Product TypePETHDPEPPPVCMetalized FilmsMarket Segment by ApplicationBeverage PackagingLubricant PackagingConsumer PackagingOthersKey Regions split in this report: breakdown data for each region.United StatesChinaEuropean UnionRest of World (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)The study objectives are:To analyze and research the Liquid Packaging Bag status and future forecast in United States, European Union and China, involving sales, value (revenue), growth rate (CAGR), market share, historical and forecast.To present the key Liquid Packaging Bag manufacturers, presenting the sales, revenue, market share, and recent development for key players.To split the breakdown data by regions, type, companies and applicationsTo analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends, drivers, influence factors in global and regionsTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketIn this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Liquid Packaging Bag are as follows:History Year: 2014-2018Base Year: 2018Estimated Year: 2019Forecast Year 2019 to 2025For More Information On This Report, Please Visit @Related Information:North America Liquid Packaging Bag Market Growth 2019-2024United States Liquid Packaging Bag Market Growth 2019-2024Asia-Pacific Liquid Packaging Bag Market Growth 2019-2024Europe Liquid Packaging Bag Market Growth 2019-2024EMEA Liquid Packaging Bag Market Growth 2019-2024Global Liquid Packaging Bag Market Growth 2019-2024China Liquid Packaging Bag 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.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.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: Global (United States, European Union and China) Steel Bar Market Research Report 2019-2025 https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/559427/global-united-states-european-union-china https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/559427/global-united-states-european-union-china https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on Steel Bar Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 158 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:In 2019, the market size of Steel Bar is million US$ and it will reach million US$ in 2025, growing at a CAGR of from 2019; while in China, the market size is valued at xx million US$ and will increase to xx million US$ in 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during forecast period.In this report, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Steel Bar.This report studies the global market size of Steel Bar, especially focuses on the key regions like United States, European Union, China, and other regions (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia).This study presents the Steel Bar production, revenue, market share and growth rate for each key company, and also covers the breakdown data (production, consumption, revenue and market share) by regions, type and applications. history breakdown data from 2014 to 2019, and forecast to 2025.For top companies in United States, European Union and China, this report investigates and analyzes the production, value, price, market share and growth rate for the top manufacturers, key data from 2014 to 2019.In global market, the following companies are covered:ArcelormittalGerdau SANippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal CorporationSteel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)Tata SteelEssar SteelMechel OAOEvraz PLCCommercial Metals Company (CMC)Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.Steel DynamicsSteelasia Manufacturing CorporationOutokumpu OYJAcerinox S.A.Hyundai SteelDaido SteelKobe SteelSohar Steel LLCCelsa Steel UKJiangsu Shagang GroupNJR SteelThe Conco CompaniesPosco Ss VinaBarnes Reinforcing IndustriesByer SteelHBIS CompanyAnsteelMarket Segment by Product TypeDeformed Steel BarMild Steel Steel BarMarket Segment by ApplicationInfrastructureBuildingIndustrialKey Regions split in this report: breakdown data for each region.United StatesChinaEuropean UnionRest of World (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)The study objectives are:To analyze and research the Steel Bar status and future forecast in United States, European Union and China, involving sales, value (revenue), growth rate (CAGR), market share, historical and forecast.To present the key Steel Bar manufacturers, presenting the sales, revenue, market share, and recent development for key players.To split the breakdown data by regions, type, companies and applicationsTo analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.To identify significant trends, drivers, influence factors in global and regionsTo analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketIn this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Steel Bar are as follows:History Year: 2014-2018Base Year: 2018Estimated Year: 2019Forecast Year 2019 to 2025For More Information On This Report, Please Visit @Related Information:North America Steel Bar Market Growth 2019-2024United States Steel Bar Market Growth 2019-2024Asia-Pacific Steel Bar Market Growth 2019-2024Europe Steel Bar Market Growth 2019-2024EMEA Steel Bar Market Growth 2019-2024Global Steel Bar Market Growth 2019-2024China Steel Bar 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.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.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: Cable Glands Market Size, Development by 2025 Cable Glands Market http://bit.ly/2W0Yr6U http://bit.ly/2W6WZ2D https://www.theinsightpartners.com/ Do you need actual market size estimates for the Cable Glands Market? Do you want to know the most attractive market segments in the Cable Glands Market? 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We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comWebsite: Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Industry Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023 https://www.marketdensity.com/contact?ref=Sample&reportid=4643 https://www.marketdensity.com/global-polyglycerol-fatty-acid-ester-industry-market-analysis-forecast-2018-2023 www.marketdensity.com Polyglycerol esters of unsaturated fats are the sustenance emulsifiers gathering of esters otherwise called glycerin unsaturated fat asters particularly utilized in nourishment items as an emulsifying agent,antioxidant and surface stabilizer.Get sample copy of the report:Table of Contents:Chapter 1 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester1.2 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Segmentation by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester by Type1.2.1 Type 11.2.2 Type 21.2.3 Type 31.3 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Segmentation by Application1.3.1 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Consumption Market Share by Application1.3.2 Automobile1.3.3 Aerospace1.3.4 Others1.4 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Segmentation by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester1.5.1 Global Product Sales and Growth Rate1.5.2 Global Product Revenue and Growth RateChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Industry2.1 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis2.1.1 Global Macroeconomic Analysis2.1.2 Global Macroeconomic Environment Development Trend2.2 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis by RegionsChapter 3 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Competition by Manufacturers3.1 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Share by Manufacturers3.2 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Revenue and Share by Manufacturers3.3 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Average Price by Manufacturers3.4 Manufacturers Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Manufacturing Base Distribution, Production Area and Product Type3.5 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Competitive Situation and Trends3.5.1 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Concentration Rate3.5.2 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers3.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionChapter 4 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue (Value) by Region4.1 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production by Region4.2 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production Market Share by Region4.3 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region4.4 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.5 North America Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.5.1 North America Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.5.2 North America Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Type4.5.3 North America Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Application4.6 Europe Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.6.1 Europe Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.6.2 Europe Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Type4.6.3 Europe Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Application4.7 China Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.7.1 China Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.7.2 China Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Type4.7.3 China Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Application4.8 Japan Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.8.1 Japan Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.8.2 Japan Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Type4.8.3 Japan Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Application4.9 Southeast Asia Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.9.1 Southeast Asia Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.9.2 Southeast Asia Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Type4.9.3 Southeast Asia Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Application4.10 India Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.10.1 India Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.10.2 India Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Type4.10.3 India Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by ApplicationChapter 5 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.1 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Consumption by Regions5.2 North America Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.3 Europe Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.4 China Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.5 Japan Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.6 Southeast Asia Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.7 India Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6.1 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production and Market Share by Type6.2 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Revenue and Market Share by Type6.3 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Price by Type6.4 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production Growth by TypeChapter 7 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Analysis by Application7.1 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Consumption and Market Share by Application7.2 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Revenue and Market Share by Type7.3 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Consumption Growth Rate by Application7.4 Market Drivers and Opportunities7.4.1 Potential Applications7.4.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesChapter 8 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Manufacturers Analysis8.1 BASF SE (Germany)8.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.1.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.1.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.1.4 Business Overview8.2 Lonza Custom Manufacturing (US)8.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.2.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.2.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.2.4 Business Overview8.3 ABITEC Corporation (US)8.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.3.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.3.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.3.4 Business Overview8.4 Archer Daniels Midland Company (US)8.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.4.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.4.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.4.4 Business Overview8.5 Subhash Chemical Industries (India)8.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.5.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.5.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.5.4 Business Overview8.6 Akzo Nobel N.V. (The Netherlands)8.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.6.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.6.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.6.4 Business Overview8.7 Stearinerie Dubois (France)8.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.7.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.7.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.7.4 Business Overview8.8 Croda International Plc. (UK)8.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.8.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.8.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.8.4 Business Overview8.9 Stepan Company (US)8.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.9.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.9.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.9.4 Business OverviewChapter 9 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Manufacturing Cost Analysis9.1 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Key Raw Materials Analysis9.1.1 Key Raw Materials9.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials9.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials9.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials9.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure9.2.1 Raw Materials9.2.2 Labor Cost9.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses9.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Polyglycerol Fatty Acid EsterChapter 10 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10.1 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Industrial Chain Analysis10.2 Upstream Raw Materials Sourcing10.3 Raw Materials Sources of Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Major Manufacturers10.4 Downstream BuyersChapter 11 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11.1 Marketing Channel11.1.1 Direct Marketing11.1.2 Indirect Marketing11.1.3 Marketing Channel Development Trend11.2 Market Positioning11.2.1 Pricing Strategy11.2.2 Brand Strategy11.2.3 Target Client11.3 Distributors/Traders ListChapter 12 Market Effect Factors Analysis12.1 Technology Progress/Risk12.1.1 Substitutes Threat12.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry12.2 Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change12.3 Economic/Political Environmental ChangeChapter 13 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Market Forecast13.1 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Revenue Forecast13.2 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production, Consumption Forecast by Regions13.3 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Production Forecast by Type13.4 Global Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Consumption Forecast by Application13.5 Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Ester Price ForecastChapter 14 AppendixBrowse this report online:About Market Density:Market Density is your one stop market research and industry analysis reports' library providing business data and intelligence information on thousands of micro markets with global as well as regional coverage.Market Density offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.Market Density understands how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Email: sales@marketdensity.comWebsite:Phone: +1 669 264 1656Address:4340 Stevens Creek Blvd,Suite # 172,San Jose, CA 95129 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Industry Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023 https://www.marketdensity.com/contact?ref=Sample&reportid=4919 https://www.marketdensity.com/global-magnesium-gluconate-cas-3632-91-5-industry-market-analysis-forecast-2018-2023 www.marketdensity.com Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Industry Market is spread crosswise, advertise future patterns, enabling you to distinguish the items and end clients driving Revenue development and productivity.Get sample copy of the report:Table of Contents:Chapter 1 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5)1.2 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Segmentation by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) by Type1.2.1 Type 11.2.2 Type 21.2.3 Type 31.3 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Segmentation by Application1.3.1 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Consumption Market Share by Application1.3.2 Application 11.3.3 Application 21.3.4 Application 31.4 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Segmentation by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5)1.5.1 Global Product Sales and Growth Rate1.5.2 Global Product Revenue and Growth RateChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Industry2.1 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis2.1.1 Global Macroeconomic Analysis2.1.2 Global Macroeconomic Environment Development Trend2.2 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis by RegionsChapter 3 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Competition by Manufacturers3.1 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Share by Manufacturers3.2 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Revenue and Share by Manufacturers3.3 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Average Price by Manufacturers3.4 Manufacturers Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Manufacturing Base Distribution, Production Area and Product Type3.5 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Competitive Situation and Trends3.5.1 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Concentration Rate3.5.2 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers3.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionChapter 4 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue (Value) by Region4.1 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production by Region4.2 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production Market Share by Region4.3 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region4.4 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.5 North America Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.5.1 North America Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5)Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.5.2 North America Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5)Production and Market Share by Type4.5.3 North America Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5)Production and Market Share by Application4.6 Europe Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.6.1 Europe Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5)Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.6.2 Europe Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Type4.6.3 Europe Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Application4.7 China Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.7.1 China Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5)Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.7.2 China Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Type4.7.3 China Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Application4.8 Japan Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.8.1 Japan Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.8.2 Japan Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Type4.8.3 Japan Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Application4.9 Southeast Asia Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.9.1 Southeast Asia Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.9.2 Southeast Asia Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Type4.9.3 Southeast Asia Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Application4.10 India Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin4.10.1 India Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Manufacturers4.10.2 India Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Type4.10.3 India Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by ApplicationChapter 5 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.1 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Consumption by Regions5.2 North America Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.3 Europe Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.4 China Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.5 Japan Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.6 Southeast Asia Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions5.7 India Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6.1 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production and Market Share by Type6.2 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Revenue and Market Share by Type6.3 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Price by Type6.4 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production Growth by TypeChapter 7 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Analysis by Application7.1 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Consumption and Market Share by Application7.2 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Revenue and Market Share by Type7.3 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Consumption Growth Rate by Application7.4 Market Drivers and Opportunities7.4.1 Potential Applications7.4.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesChapter 8 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Manufacturers Analysis8.1 company 18.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.1.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.1.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.1.4 Business Overview8.2 company 28.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.2.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.2.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.2.4 Business Overview8.3 company 38.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.3.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.3.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.3.4 Business Overview8.4 company 48.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.4.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.4.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.4.4 Business Overview8.5 company 58.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.5.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.5.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.5.4 Business Overview8.6 company 68.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.6.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.6.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.6.4 Business Overview8.7 company 78.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.7.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.7.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.7.4 Business Overview8.8 company 88.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.8.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.8.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.8.4 Business Overview8.9 company 98.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors8.9.2 Product Type, Application and Specification8.9.3 Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin8.9.4 Business OverviewChapter 9 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Manufacturing Cost Analysis9.1 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Key Raw Materials Analysis9.1.1 Key Raw Materials9.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials9.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials9.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials9.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure9.2.1 Raw Materials9.2.2 Labor Cost9.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses9.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5)Chapter 10 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10.1 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Industrial Chain Analysis10.2 Upstream Raw Materials Sourcing10.3 Raw Materials Sources of Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Major Manufacturers10.4 Downstream BuyersChapter 11 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11.1 Marketing Channel11.1.1 Direct Marketing11.1.2 Indirect Marketing11.1.3 Marketing Channel Development Trend11.2 Market Positioning11.2.1 Pricing Strategy11.2.2 Brand Strategy11.2.3 Target Client11.3 Distributors/Traders ListChapter 12 Market Effect Factors Analysis12.1 Technology Progress/Risk12.1.1 Substitutes Threat12.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry12.2 Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change12.3 Economic/Political Environmental ChangeChapter 13 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Market Forecast (2018-2023)13.1 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Revenue Forecast (2018-2023)13.2 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production, Consumption Forecast by Regions (2018-2023)13.3 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Production Forecast by Type (2018-2023)13.4 Global Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Consumption Forecast by Application (2018-2023)13.5 Magnesium Gluconate (CAS 3632-91-5) Price Forecast (2018-2023)Chapter 14 AppendixBrowse this report online:About Market Density:Market Density is your one stop market research and industry analysis reports' library providing business data and intelligence information on thousands of micro markets with global as well as regional coverage.Market Density offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.Market Density understands how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Email: sales@marketdensity.comWebsite:Phone: +1 669 264 1656Address:4340 Stevens Creek Blvd,Suite # 172,San Jose, CA 95129 Data Center Cooling Market 2025|Major Manufacturers-American Power Conversion Corporation, Emerson Network Power, Coolcentric, Fujitsu Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Co Data Center Cooling Market https://www.orianresearch.com/request-sample/683786 https://www.orianresearch.com/checkout/683786 https://www.orianresearch.com/enquiry-before-buying/683786 www.orianresearch.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13281002/ The Global Data Center Cooling Market is expected to grow at a steady rate over the forecast period of 2018-2025.The major drivers of the market are increasing need for data center efficiency and various environment regulations imposed by the government is also expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. High cost and, high power consumption restrains the growth of the market.For Sample Copy of this Report @Data Center Cooling Market report offers a comprehensive insight into the development policies and plans in addition to manufacturing processes and cost structures. On the basis of product, this report displays the cost structure, sales revenue, sales volume, gross margin, market share and growth rate.Report Covers Market Segment by Manufacturers: American Power Conversion Corporation Emerson Network Power Coolcentric, Fujitsu Ltd. Hewlett-Packard CoReport Covers Market Segment by Types: air conditioners precision air conditioning chillers air handling unitsGlobal Data Center Cooling Industry 2019 Market Research Report is spread across 121 pages and provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and competitive landscape details in this niche sector.Order Copy of this Report 2019 @Report Covers Market Segment by Applications: Telecom & IT retail, healthcare BFSI energyKey Benefits of the Report: Global, Regional, Country, Application Type, and Types Market Size and Forecast from 2014-2025 Detailed market dynamics, industry outlook with market specific PESTLE, Value Chain, Supply Chain, and SWOT Analysis to better understand the market and build strategies Identification of key companies that can influence this market on a global and regional scale Expert interviews and their insights on market shift, current and future outlook and factors impacting vendors short term and long term strategies Detailed insights on emerging regions, Types & application Type, and competitive landscape with qualitative and quantitative information and factsTarget Audience: Data Center Cooling manufacturers Traders, Importer and Exporter Raw material suppliers and distributors Research and consulting firms Government and research organizations Associations and industry bodiesInquire more about Data Center Cooling Market report @Research MethodologyThe market is derived through extensive use of secondary, primary, in-house research followed by expert validation and third party perspective like analyst report of investment banks. The secondary research forms the base of our study where we conducted extensive data mining, referring to verified data sources such as white papers government and regulatory published materials, technical journals, trade magazines, and paid data sources.For forecasting, regional demand & supply factor, investment, market dynamics including technical scenario, consumer behavior, and end use industry trends and dynamics, capacity Types, spending were taken into consideration.We have assigned weights to these parameters and quantified their market impacts using the weighted average analysis to derive the expected market growth rate.The market estimates and forecasts have been verified through exhaustive primary research with theKey Industry Participants (KIPs) which typically include: Original Equipment Manufacturer Component Supplier Distributors Government Body & Associations Research InstituteTable of Content1 Executive Summary2 Methodology And Market Scope3 Data Center Cooling Market Industry Outlook4 Data Center Cooling Market By End User5 Data Center Cooling Market Type6 Data Center Cooling Market Regional Outlook7 Competitive LandscapeEnd of the reportDisclaimerAbout UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Ruwin MendezVice President Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK: +44 020 8144-71-27Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn: UV Lamps Market will develop in the coming days |Industry Key Players - Xylem Inc., Calgon Carbon Corporation, Trojan Technologies Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V UV Lamps Market https://www.mrrse.com/sample/1461 https://www.mrrse.com/ultra-violet-lamps-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/1461 This Future Market Insights report offers a 10-year forecast for the global UV lamps market between 2015 and 2025. Global UV Market revenue is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11.3% during the projected period. The study demonstrates the market dynamics and trends in all seven regions, which influence the current nature and future status of the global UV lamps market over the forecast period.The report examines the global UV lamps market for the period 20152025, with 2014 as the base year, with the primary objective being to offer updates and insights on the various advancements in the UV lamps market.Get Free Exclusive Brochure of This Report@UV lamps are basic lamps that emit ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength ranging between 400 nm and 100nm. UV light is basically classified into three wavelength: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. This report covers the UV-C section of the UV lamps market. UV-C, or also known as germicidal UV, basically ranges between 100 nm and 280 nm, and its purpose is to disinfect or deactivate the DNA and RNA of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens in air, water, and various surfaces, thus inhibiting their ability to multiply.In the next section, FMI covers performance of the global UV lamps market in terms of overall market revenue split. This section also includes analyses of key trends, drivers and restraints from the supply and demand side. Impact analysis of key growth drivers and restraints, based on the weighted average model is also included in the report to better equip and arm clients with crystal clear decision-making insights.We have segmented the market on the basis of lamp type into UV mercury lamp (low-pressure, medium-pressure and amalgam mercury lamp) and UV LED. The market is segmented on the basis of end-use application into wastewater treatment, water treatment, air treatment, surface treatment and food and beverages disinfection. Water treatment segment is further sub-segmented into municipal water treatment, residential water treatment, commercial water treatment, industrial process water treatment, pool and spa and others. Air treatment segment is further sub-segmented into healthcare facilities, residential and commercial and others. Food and beverages disinfection segment is sub-segmented into bottled water and other beverages, marinades and brines and surface disinfection of food. All these segments and sub-segments have been included in this section to make the study more comprehensive.The next section of the report highlights revenue generation by region. This study discusses key regional trends contributing to growth of the respective UV lamps markets on a worldwide basis, as well as analyses degree at which global drivers are influencing regional markets. Key regions assessed in this report include North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan as a separate region, Middle East and Africa (MEA).Find the comprehensive research report here with a single click @In order to offer an accurate forecast, we started by sizing the current market, which forms the basis of how the global UV lamps market will develop in the future. Given the characteristics of the market, we triangulated the outcome of three different types of analyses, based on supply side, consumer spending and economic envelope. However, forecasting the market in terms of various UV lamps segments and regions is more a matter of quantifying expectations and identifying opportunities rather than rationalising them after the forecast has been completed.In addition, it is imperative to note that in an ever-fluctuating global economy, we not only conduct forecasts in terms of CAGR, but also analyse on the basis of key parameters such as Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) growth to understand the predictability of the market and to identify the right opportunities across the UV lamps market.As previously highlighted, the UV lamps market is split into a number of segments and sub-segments. All the UV lamps market segments and sub-segments in terms of lamp type, end-user application and region are analysed in terms of Basis Point Share (BPS) to understand individual segments relative contributions to market growth. This detailed level of information is vital for identifying the various key trends in the global UV lamps market.Another key feature of this report is the analysis of all key UV lamps market segments, sub-segments and regional adoption and revenue forecast in terms of absolute dollar opportunity. This is traditionally overlooked while forecasting the market. However, absolute dollar opportunity is critical in assessing the level of opportunity that a provider can look to achieve, as well as to identify potential resources from a sales and delivery perspective.Furthermore, to understand key growth segments in terms of growth and adoption of UV lamps across regions, FMI has developed the UV lamps market attractiveness index. The resulting index should help providers identify real market opportunities.The competitive landscape has been included in the final part of the report to provide audiences with a dashboard view, based on categories of providers in the value chain, their presence in the UV lamps product portfolio and key differentiators. Key categories of manufacturers covered in the report are UV lamps manufacturers and UV equipment manufacturers. This section is primarily designed to provide clients with an objective and detailed comparative assessment of key providers, specific to a market segment in the UV lamps market value chain. Report audiences can gain segment-specific vendor insights to identify and evaluate key competitors based on in-depth assessment of their capabilities and success in the UV lamps 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 UV lamps space. Some key players identified in the global UV lamps market are Xylem Inc., Calgon Carbon Corporation, Trojan Technologies Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Halma PLC, Heraeus Holding Gmbh, Severn Trent PLC, Xenex Disinfection Services LLC, OSRAM GmbH and Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation.Key Segments CoveredUV Lamps MarketLamp TypeUV Mercury LampLow-pressure Mercury LampMedium-pressure Mercury LampAmalgam Mercury LampUV LEDEnd-use ApplicationWastewater TreatmentWater TreatmentMunicipal Water TreatmentResidential Water TreatmentIndustrial Process Water TreatmentCommercial Water TreatmentPool and spaOthersAir treatmentHealthcare FacilitiesResidential and CommercialOthersSurface TreatmentFood and BeveragesBottled Water and Other BeveragesMarinades and BrinesSurface Disinfection of FoodEnquire Now @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.com Intravenous Iron Drugs Market Notable Developments | Galenica Ltd., AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., American Regent, Inc., Vifor Pharma Ltd., Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc. https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2312 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2312 Global Intravenous Iron Drugs Market: OverviewIron is one of the most crucial minerals required for the proper functioning of human bodies. Iron deficiency leads to a number of health issues such as anemia and could have a grave and direct connection to the number of hospitalizations and deaths in a region. Oral iron is prescribed to reverse anemia, but this course of iron intake could lead to frequent non-adherence and gastrointestinal toxicity. Intravenous iron drugs are reserved for cases where the patients show unresponsiveness to or are intolerant of oral iron intake therapy, have severe anemia, or are suffering from iron malabsorption.With very rare chances of leading to adverse events, the ability of intravenous iron drug therapies to infuse a sufficient dosage of iron to a patient has been considered an attractive option for the past many years. This report presents a detailed overview of the global intravenous iron drugs markets present state of development and forecasts its growth prospects over the period between 2017 and 2025.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Intravenous Iron Drugs Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe global market for intravenous drugs is expected to exhibit a healthy CAGR over the reports forecast period owing to the rising prevalence of iron deficiency anemia cases across the globe, the rising set of applications of intravenous iron drug therapy, and an encouraging pace of development of novel products. The market is also significantly benefitting from the increased usage of intravenous iron drugs therapy for pregnant women, and patients with inflammatory bowel diseases and chronic heart failure. Active involvement of public and private bodies, especially across developing and less developed countries, in the process of increasing awareness regarding the need for safe levels of iron in pregnant women is also driving the market.Global Intravenous Iron Drugs Market: Market PotentialThe segment of non-dextran intravenous iron drugs is presently gaining more traction over the segment of the conventional dextran intravenous iron drugs. The ability of the former to deliver larger dosages of intravenous iron as compared to the latter is fueling the demand for non-dextran intravenous iron drugs. Several other benefits of non-dextran intravenous iron drugs, including their ability to challenge the numerous challenges faced by the segment of dextran intravenous iron drugs, such as safety concerns and unsatisfactory response, are also working in the favor of the non-dextran intravenous iron drugs segment.Request TOC of the Report @Global Intravenous Iron Drugs Market: Regional OverviewFrom a geographical scenario, the report covers regional markets such as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East and Africa. Of these, the market in North America is presently the leading contributor of revenue to the global intravenous iron drugs market. The rising prevalence of iron deficiency anemia and the presence of some of the global markets leading players in the region are some of the key factors attributable to the high future growth prospects of the North America intravenous iron drugs market. High disposable incomes and awareness among consumers are also expected to also fuel the demand for intravenous iron drugs in the region in the next few years.Global Intravenous Iron Drugs Market: Competitive OverviewThe vendor landscape of the global market for intravenous iron drugs is highly fragmented owing to the presence of a large number of regional and global companies. Companies operate in the highly competitive environment with a rising focus on the development of novel drug candidates, non-dextran iron therapies, and expansion across promising regional markets and areas of application to outplay competitors. Some of the leading vendors operating in the global market for intravenous iron drugs are Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, Pharmacosmos A/S, Galenica Ltd., AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., American Regent, Inc., Vifor Pharma Ltd., Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc., Sanofi Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Actavis, Inc.About TMR ResearchTMR 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:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050 Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market Production, Size, Supply, Sales and Future Demand 2028 // Bulging key player - Jalex automotive Pvt. Ltd., Akron Polymer Products, Robert Bosch GmbH https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=1246 https://www.factmr.com/report/1246/automotive-fuel-transfer-assemblies-market https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=B&rep_id=1246 https://www.factmr.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Rates of fuel consumption and high efficiency are some of the major drivers for the growth of the Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market. The ability of these fuel transfer assemblies to transfer a constant pressurized fuel supply to the fuel injection from the fuel tank on the engine is escalating the demand for automotive fuel transfer assemblies. The growing demand for passenger vehicles with technological advancements is spurring market growth.Request TOC of this Report-Automotive fuel transfer assemblies are used for improving the fuel system availability and safety during the transmission of fuel to the combustion unit of an automotive engine. A fuel pump transfer assembly is mounted in a fuel tank for sending fuel to a fuel injector, which includes a driving means for supplying a driving force for sending or returning fuel. With increasing temperatures and increasing electronic controls, the need for efficient coolants is also increasing. For the lower temperature range, companies are producing advanced multi-layer tubing, and for the higher temperature range, they provide hybrid lines consisting of steel tubing with high-performing lightweight fluorocomp hoses. Automotive fuel transfer assemblies play an integral role in running any vehicle smoothly. These fuel transfer assemblies assist the engine in running as estimated under a wide range of driving conditions and rates of fuel consumption. As the demand for automotive components is surging in developing countries such as India, China, Brazil, Japan, and others, governments are undertaking many initiatives to increase the sales of these components. Technological developments in this niche, but significant products with the highest penetration rate in a vehicle is expected to enhance the growth of the automotive air fuel transfer assemblies market.The growing automotive industry and demand for auto components are expected to support the growth of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market.However, the low replacement rate of fuel transfer assemblies in vehicles restrains the growth of the global automotive fuel transfer assemblies market.Browse Full Report with TOC-North American countries such as the U.S. and Canada are expected to show vigorous growth in the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market, owing to the large number vehicles production in these countries. The same perspective holds true for European countries such as Germany, Spain, and France. These countries exhibit high potential growth in the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market, due to escalating vehicle sales and a renewed interest in electric vehicles. India and China are expected to forefront the growth of the market in the Asia Pacific region, due to the major contribution of these two economies in the automotive industry. The aftermarket segment of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is expected to increase in the MEA region, due to the augmented demand for luxury vehicles in this region. Japan is also expected to show high potential for the market, due to the presence of a large number of OEMs in the country. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market in the Latin America region is expected to experience slow growth, due to the decline in automotive industry in the regions largest economy, Brazil, but is projected to pick up steam in the latter stages of the forecast period.Key market participants of the global automotive fuel transfer assemblies markets are the following:Robert Bosch GmbHAkron Polymer ProductsHutchinsonATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc.Kongsberg AutomotiveJalex automotive Pvt. Ltd.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market, and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments, such as geography, application, and industry.The report on the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, and inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market report provides an in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators, and governing factors, along with market attractiveness as per segment. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Request Brochure of this Report-About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market insights reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Read Industry News at - Crawler Crane Market 2019 | Top Players are Terex Corporation, Liebherr Group, Konecranes, Palfinger AG, Escorts Limited, Link-Belt Cranes, Sany Group, Komatsu America Corp crawler crane market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2960 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2960 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/crawler-crane-market https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/storage-beverage-refrigerator-market-growth-factors-latest-trend-and-regional-analysis-of-leading-players-by-2024-2019-04-25 https://www.gminsights.com/ The Asia Pacific crawler crane market is witnessing a high adoption in the construction and mining sectors and expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% from 2018 to 2024. Global companies are expanding their business operations in the region by collaborating with local manufacturers. For instance, in December 2016, Jekko s.r.l. collaborated with Lee Hyun Soo and Dennis Shin for establishing a new subsidiary, Jekko Korea in Seoul.Countries including India, China, and Japan are adopting advanced automated technologies in industrial sectors for enhancing their business operations. The escalating infrastructure development projects in countries including India will favor the crawler crane market growth.Request for a sample copy of this report @The crawler crane market is witnessing demand for low-level access units, niche machines, and customized choices. Growing installation & maintenance activities for the upgrade of fire stations, street lights, glasswork, and other associated infrastructure coupled with increasing organization of several events such as concerts, corporate events, and festivals, are driving the need for these machines across several regions.Key players in the crawler crane market include Terex Corporation, The Liebherr Group, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd., XCMG Group, The Escorts Group, Komatsu Ltd., Sany Group, and Manitowoc. Companies including The Escorts Group, Furukawa UNIC Corporation, and Terex Corporation sell their equipment through specialized construction equipment distributors and construction firms across the globe.Crawler Crane Market, By Capacityo Below 50 metric tonso 50 to 250 metric tonso 250 to 450 metric tonso 450 to 650 metric tonsCrawler Crane Market, By Applicationo Rentalo Constructiono Miningo Oil & Gaso EnergyMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @Crawler Crane Market size is set to exceed USD 3 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. The shipments are expected to grow at a CAGR of over 4%.Increasing utilization of crawler cranes in the energy sector is anticipated to drive the crawler crane market growth. These machines offer heavy lifting operations at the nuclear and renewable energy sites and facilitate the operators in handling the materials efficiently. Several manufacturers have developed energy sector-specific machines that witness a high demand. For instance, Manitowoc has launched a wind power crane, Grove GTK1100, that is used for wind turbine operations such as erection and construction. Additionally, the crawler crane market is witnessing growth opportunities due to the increasing infrastructure projects across the globe.Economic growth across the globe, especially in China, India,and Southeast Asian markets, has led to a better infrastructure demand. Growing building & construction spending due to a rise in per-capita disposable income along with enhanced infrastructure in Asia Pacific and Latin America will drive the crawler crane market. Growth in Latin America will be led by an increase in infrastructure spending, mainly transportation and energy, closely followed by spending on non-residential structures. The key areas of construction growth in emerging economies are social, transport, energy, defense infrastructure, and government accommodation.Browse report summery @High maintenance costs and initial investments are the major factors hindering the crawler crane market development. The high cost is discouraging several business manufacturers and OEMs from deploying high-end machines. Companies consider that investments for automated equipment must meet the global quality and manufacturing standards. In addition, the cranes are available on lease from the manufacturers at a lower price than the newer machines. Instead of procuring a new equipment, several customers commonly prefer renting equipment, which is anticipated to hamper the market.The strong distributor relations aid companies in gaining a competitive advantage and understanding the demand for any new products in application segments. This helps companies in the crawler crane market in efficiently marketing new product lines and expanding the customer base. In July 2018, The Liebherr Group announced the opening of the companys new headquarters in Virginia. The new facility developed a production & workshop unit to support Liebherrs construction, concrete, and cranes division.Related News -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: While the revival of the LTTE in the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka has been ruled out, is a religious conflict in the offing? Or are multiple bombers the warning strikes? Sadly, Sri Lanka earning the sobriquet of being the only country to comprehensively eradicate terrorism could survive for just 10 years. After battling several decades of guerrilla insurgency by a minority Tamil militant group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and vanquishing it in 2009, Sri Lanka was just returning to normalcy when the Easter Sunday attack on churches and high-end hotels across the island brought back its bloody and violent past. Racial tensions between the minority Tamils and the majority Sinhalese Buddhists leading to violence was common till 2009. But even at the height of that insurgency, no places of worship were attacked, only symbols of the Sri Lankan state. This is the first case of religious violence on an island that is worryingly close to a hub of fundamentalist Islamic activity, the Maldives. By the Governments own admission of an intelligence failure, at least seven to eight suicide bombers struck as far apart as Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa, killing nearly 310 and wounding another 500 people. This is, perhaps, the most sophisticated and well-coordinated terrorist attack by well-trained and motivated, probably local Muslims, with elaborate support from an international organisation like the Islamic State (IS). So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the heinous attacks. The Government has blamed the recently formed Sri Lanka Tauheed Jamaat (SLTJ), which has been linked to the vandalisation of Buddhist statues, and declared a national emergency. The modus operandi was like this: Terrorists checked into three hotels the night before according to one report, with the same name with sophisticated explosive jackets and triggered the devices at or around breakfast time the next day. Similarly, terrorists sneaked into churches and blew themselves up on Eastern Sunday mass, again, all timed at 8.45 am. This is clearly a case of thinking global, acting local. The potential bombers were motivated in Colombo and probably trained in the Maldives. Sri Lanka has not witnessed a single terrorist attack since the eradication of the LTTE a decade ago. The Khalistani terrorism in Punjab and Tamil Tiger terrorism in Sri Lanka are two unique instances in recent history of a state subduing terrorism. The politically dysfunctional cohabitation of what was once a national unity Government of two national parties Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and United National Party (UNP) led by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is extracting its toll. Last year, the unity Government was rent apart in a Constitutional crisis when Sirisena dismissed Wickremesinghe and appointed the man he had defeated in the presidential election, Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister. While the Supreme Court restored Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister, the divide between the two leaders is unbridgeable. Sirisena has kept the Defence Ministry, intelligence and law and order (internal security) under his charge and kept Wickremesinghe out of the loop. The senior-most military officer, the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, under the CDS Act of Parliament 2009, reports to the President through the Secretary Defence, which is an administrative appointment. In the past, the CDS used to brief the Prime Minister, too, and he used to attend NSC briefings, which evidently stopped after the Constitutional row. The intelligence failure was avoidable and has led to two parallel enquiries by the Prime Ministers Office and the presidential secretariat. On April 11, based on an international and Indian intelligence tip-off of April 4, the DIG, Police, warned that a Muslim organisation was planning to carry out terrorist attacks using suicide bombers. This was not shared with the Prime Ministers Office. At a media briefing on Monday, the Government blamed the President (who was abroad on a private visit to India and Singapore) for not sharing the intelligence report and not appointing a care-taker in his absence. The second round of feuding between the President and Prime Minister may have begun when the two should be seen to be acting in unison in this grave crisis. The guard was also let down: Ten years of not a single act of terrorism had induced complacency. As someone who travels frequently to Sri Lanka, visits Colombo at least twice a year and as a former commander of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), I have detected laxity in security norms at hotels and public places all this when Colombo and its airport were in complete lockdown till 2009. After the war was won, the heart of Colombo, Galle Face Green, was freed and decked with a victory flag aflutter, courtesy the winds of the Indian Ocean. The aggrieved minorities in Sri Lanka are the Tamils in the North and East; and the Muslims, mainly in East and South, including Colombo. The Muslims were at the receiving end at the hands of the Tamil Tigers in the East, having been expelled from the North. During IPKFs time, relatively prosperous Muslim groups had begun to raise clandestinely armed militias. But the birth of radicalised Muslims is a new post-2013 phenomenon. The immediate triggers for the suicide attacks most likely are the unbridled attacks by Sinhalese extremists, the Bodu Bala Sena, starting sporadically in 2013 and peaking in 2018 against Muslim religious and economic interests, thus forcing the declaration of emergency. In one of my conversations with a senior serving military officer in 2017, I asked what he considered the main security threat to the country. He said, We have no external threatour main concern is internal security. He named the IS as the chief worry, adding: We identified 32 Sri Lankans, who joined IS, one of whom was killed. But in next door Maldives, there are at least 300 hardcore IS activists and there are 30,000 Maldivians living in Sri Lanka. Visa-free movement is permitted between both countries. So it would seem that BBS depredations could have instigated the local radical groups belonging to SLTJ to avenge their alleged state/politically supported attacks. The current spate of suicide attacks will hurt the state. Tourism makes up about five per cent of the islands $87 billion economy, supporting about one million jobs. It is also the third largest source of foreign currencies with India contributing a sizeable chunk: In 2018, 397,985 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka as against 384,628 in 2017. But after the attacks, there has been a 41 per cent increase in cancellation of departure bookings for Sri Lanka from April 21 to 27 from India, with a 17 per cent drop in enquiring customers. Let me stick my neck out. The revival of the LTTE has been ruled out. But is a religious conflict in the offing? Or are multiple bombers the warning strikes? (The writer is a retired Major General of the Indian Army and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the revamped Integrated Defence Staff) Global Male Infertility Treatment Market Insights, Forecast https://www.marketdensity.com/contact?ref=Sample&reportid=122169 https://www.marketdensity.com/global-male-infertility-treatment-market-insights-forecast www.marketdensity.com According to Word Health Organization, Infertility is the inability of a sexually active, non-contraception couple to achieve pregnancy in one year. About 15% of couples do not achieve pregnancy within 1year and seeking for infertility medical treatment. Less than 5% of world population is unwillingly childless. Approximately 90% of male infertility cases are seen mainly due to low sperm counts, and poor sperm quality. The remaining cases of male infertility can be caused by a number of factors including anatomical problems, hormonal imbalances, and genetic defects. The global Male Infertility Treatment market is valued at xx million US$ in 2018 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025. The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Male Infertility Treatment market based on company, product type, end user and key regions. This report studies the global market size of Male Infertility Treatment in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Male Infertility Treatment in these regions. This research report categorizes the global Male Infertility Treatment market by top players/brands, region, type and end user. This report also studies the global Male Infertility Treatment market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels and distributors. The following manufacturers are covered in this report, with sales, revenue, market share for each company: EMD Sereno Aytu BioScience Bayer Cadila Intas Pharma Halotech DNA SCSA diagnostics Andrology Solutions Market size by Product DNA Fragmentation Technique Oxidative Stress Analysis Microscopic Examination Sperm Agglutination Computer Assisted Semen Analysis Sperm Penetration Assay Others Market size by End User Hospitals Clinics Others Market size by Region North America United States Canada Mexico Asia-Pacific China India Japan South Korea Australia Indonesia Singapore Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Europe Germany France UK Italy Spain Russia Central & South America Brazil Rest of Central & South America Middle East & Africa GCC Countries Turkey Egypt South Africa The study objectives of this report are: To study and analyze the global Male Infertility Treatment market size (value & volume) by company, key regions, products and end user, breakdown data from 2014 to 2018, and forecast to 2025. To understand the structure of Male Infertility Treatment 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 Male Infertility Treatment companies, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape and recent development. To project the value and sales volume of Male Infertility Treatment submarkets, with respect to key regions. To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Male Infertility Treatment are as follows: History Year: 2014-2018 Base Year: 2018 Estimated Year: 2019 Forecast Year 2019 to 2025 This report includes the estimation of market size for value (million US$) and volume (K Units). Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been used to estimate and validate the market size of Male Infertility Treatment market, to estimate the size of various other dependent submarkets in the overall market. Key players in the market have been identified through secondary research, and their market shares have been determined through primary and secondary research. All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns have been determined using secondary sources and verified primary sources. For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2018 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.Get sample copy of the report:Table of Contents:Table of Contents1 Study Coverage1.1 Male Infertility Treatment Product1.2 Market Segments1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Male Infertility Treatment Market Size Growth Rate by Product1.4.2 DNA Fragmentation Technique1.4.3 Oxidative Stress Analysis1.4.4 Microscopic Examination1.4.5 Sperm Agglutination1.4.6 Computer Assisted Semen Analysis1.4.7 Sperm Penetration Assay1.4.8 Others1.5 Market by End User1.5.1 Global Male Infertility Treatment Market Size Growth Rate by End User1.5.2 Hospitals1.5.3 Clinics1.5.4 Others1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Male Infertility Treatment Market Size2.1.1 Global Male Infertility Treatment Revenue 2014-20252.1.2 Global Male Infertility Treatment Sales 2014-20252.2 Male Infertility Treatment Growth Rate by Regions2.2.1 Global Male Infertility Treatment Sales by Regions2.2.2 Global Male Infertility Treatment Revenue by Regions3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers3.1 Male Infertility Treatment Sales by Manufacturers3.1.1 Male Infertility Treatment Sales by Manufacturers3.1.2 Male Infertility Treatment Sales Market Share by Manufacturers3.1.3 Global Male Infertility Treatment Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Male Infertility Treatment Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Male Infertility Treatment Revenue by Manufacturers (2014-2019)3.2.2 Male Infertility Treatment Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2014-2019)3.3 Male Infertility Treatment Price by Manufacturers3.4 Male Infertility Treatment Manufacturing Base Distribution, Product Types3.4.1 Male Infertility Treatment Manufacturers Manufacturing Base Distribution, Headquarters3.4.2 Manufacturers Male Infertility Treatment Product Type3.4.3 Date of International Manufacturers Enter into Male Infertility Treatment Market3.5 Manufacturers Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Breakdown Data by Product4.1 Global Male Infertility Treatment Sales by Product4.2 Global Male Infertility Treatment Revenue by Product4.3 Male Infertility Treatment Price by Product5 Breakdown Data by End User5.1 Overview5.2 Global Male Infertility Treatment Breakdown Data by End User6 North America6.1 North America Male Infertility Treatment by Countries6.1.1 North America Male Infertility Treatment Sales by Countries6.1.2 North America Male Infertility Treatment Revenue by Countries6.1.3 United States6.1.4 Canada6.1.5 Mexico6.2 North America Male Infertility Treatment by Product6.3 North America Male Infertility Treatment by End User7 Europe7.1 Europe Male Infertility Treatment by Countries7.1.1 Europe Male Infertility Treatment Sales by Countries7.1.2 Europe Male Infertility Treatment Revenue by Countries7.1.3 Germany7.1.4 France7.1.5 UK7.1.6 Italy7.1.7 Russia7.2 Europe Male Infertility Treatment by Product7.3 Europe Male Infertility Treatment by End User8 Asia Pacific8.1 Asia Pacific Male Infertility Treatment by Countries8.1.1 Asia Pacific Male Infertility Treatment Sales by Countries8.1.2 Asia Pacific Male Infertility Treatment Revenue by Countries8.1.3 China8.1.4 Japan8.1.5 Korea8.1.6 India8.1.7 Australia8.1.8 Indonesia8.1.9 Malaysia8.1.10 Philippines8.1.11 Thailand8.1.12 Vietnam8.1.13 Singapore8.2 Asia Pacific Male Infertility Treatment by Product8.3 Asia Pacific Male Infertility Treatment by End User9 Central & South America9.1 Central & South America Male Infertility Treatment by Countries9.1.1 Central & South America Male Infertility Treatment Sales by Countries9.1.2 Central & South America Male Infertility Treatment Revenue by Countries9.1.3 Brazil9.2 Central & South America Male Infertility Treatment by Product9.3 Central & South America Male Infertility Treatment by End User10 Middle East and Africa10.1 Middle East and Africa Male Infertility Treatment by Countries10.1.1 Middle East and Africa Male Infertility Treatment Sales by Countries10.1.2 Middle East and Africa Male Infertility Treatment Revenue by Countries10.1.3 GCC Countries10.1.4 Turkey10.1.5 Egypt10.1.6 South Africa10.2 Middle East and Africa Male Infertility Treatment by Product10.3 Middle East and Africa Male Infertility Treatment by End User11 Company Profiles11.1 EMD Sereno11.1.1 EMD Sereno Company Details11.1.2 Company Business Overview11.1.3 EMD Sereno Male Infertility Treatment Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)11.1.4 EMD Sereno Male Infertility Treatment Products Offered11.1.5 EMD Sereno Recent Development11.2 Aytu BioScience11.2.1 Aytu BioScience Company Details11.2.2 Company Business Overview11.2.3 Aytu BioScience Male Infertility Treatment Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)11.2.4 Aytu BioScience Male Infertility Treatment Products Offered11.2.5 Aytu BioScience Recent Development11.3 Bayer11.3.1 Bayer Company Details11.3.2 Company Business Overview11.3.Bayer Male Infertility Treatment Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)11.3.4 Bayer Male Infertility Treatment Products Offered11.3.5 Bayer Recent Development11.4 Cadila11.4.1 Cadila Company Details11.4.2 Company Business Overview11.4.3 Cadila Male Infertility Treatment Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)11.4.4 Cadila Male Infertility Treatment Products Offered11.4.5 Cadila Recent Development11.5 Intas Pharma11.5.1 Intas Pharma Company Details11.5.2 Company Business Overview11.5.3 Intas Pharma Male Infertility Treatment Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)11.5.4 Intas Pharma Male Infertility Treatment Products Offered11.5.5 Intas Pharma Recent Development11.6 Halotech DNA11.6.1 Halotech DNA Company Details11.6.2 Company Business Overview11.6.3 Halotech DNA Male Infertility Treatment Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)11.6.4 Halotech DNA Male Infertility Treatment Products Offered11.6.5 Halotech DNA Recent Development11.7 SCSA diagnostics11.7.1 SCSA diagnostics Company Details11.7.2 Company Business Overview11.7.3 SCSA diagnostics Male Infertility Treatment Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)11.7.4 SCSA diagnostics Male Infertility Treatment Products Offered11.7.5 SCSA diagnostics Recent Development11.8 Andrology Solutions11.8.1 Andrology Solutions Company Details11.8.2 Company Business Overview11.8.3 Andrology Solutions Male Infertility Treatment Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin (2014-2019)11.8.4 Andrology Solutions Male Infertility Treatment Products Offered11.8.5 Andrology Solutions Recent Development12 Future Forecast12.1 Male Infertility Treatment Market Forecast by Regions12.1.1 Global Male Infertility Treatment Sales Forecast by Regions 2019-202512.1.2 Global Male Infertility Treatment Revenue Forecast by Regions 2019-202512.2 Male Infertility Treatment Market Forecast by Product12.2.1 Global Male Infertility Treatment Sales Forecast by Product 2019-202512.2.2 Global Male Infertility Treatment Revenue Forecast by Product 2019-202512.3 Male Infertility Treatment Market Forecast by End User12.4 North America Male Infertility Treatment Forecast12.5 Europe Male Infertility Treatment Forecast12.6 Asia Pacific Male Infertility Treatment Forecast12.7 Central & South America Male Infertility Treatment Forecast12.8 Middle East and Africa Male Infertility Treatment Forecast13 Market Opportunities, Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis13.1 Market Opportunities and Drivers13.2 Market Challenges13.3 Market Risks/Restraints13.4 Macroscopic Indicators14 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis14.1 Value Chain Analysis14.2 Male Infertility Treatment Customers14.3 Sales Channels Analysis14.3.1 Sales Channels14.3.2 Distributors15 Research Findings and Conclusion16 Appendix16.1 Research Methodology16.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach16.1.2 Data Source16.2 Author Details16.3 DisclaimerBrowse this report online:About Market Density:Market Density is your one stop market research and industry analysis reports' library providing business data and intelligence information on thousands of micro markets with global as well as regional coverage.Market Density offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.Market Density understands how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Email: sales@marketdensity.comWebsite:Phone: +1 669 264 16564340 Stevens Creek Blvd,Suite # 172,San Jose, CA 95129 LPG Vaporizer Market to peak demand by 2024 at a CAGR of 4% - Tamura, Standby Systems, TransTech Energy, Meeder Equipment LPG Vaporizer Market https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/91698-global-lpg-vaporizer-market https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/91698-global-lpg-vaporizer-market https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/91698-global-lpg-vaporizer-market https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/buy-now?format=1&report=91698 https://www.linkedin.com/company/advance-market-analytics https://www.facebook.com/AMA-Research-Media-LLP-344722399585916 https://twitter.com/amareport The LPG vaporizer is defined as a cost-efficient way of improvising the LPG heating system. It reduces the running cost as well as save up immensely on gas expense. These vaporizers which are tailored to meet customer specific requirements and solving their problems of heavy hydrocarbon removal, frequent electric heater failure, breakdowns because of old age technologies which cause production loss, burner gas train and combustion head chock up issues.Advance Market Analytics published a new research publication on "Global LPG Vaporizer Market Insights, to 2025" with 199 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 LPG Vaporizer market is mainly driven by the increasing R&D spending across the world. Some of the key players profiled in the study are Algas-SDI (United States), Standby Systems, Inc. (United States), Ransome Gas Industries, Inc. (United States), Pegoraro Gas Technologies (Italy), TransTech Energy, LLC (United States), Tamura Corporation (Japan), Meeder Equipment (United States) and ADCENG Gas Equipment (Pty) Ltd (South Africa).According to AMA, the Global LPG Vaporizer market is expected to see growth rate of 4.0%.Scope of the Report of LPG VaporizerGet Free Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Research @Market Trend Demand for LPG Vaporizers in Commercial and Industrial SectorsMarket Drivers Increasing Use of LPG Requiring High Vaporisation of the GasOpportunities Development of Petrochemical Projects (propane dehydrogenation project [PDH] steam crackers)Restraints Shifting Trade Patterns and the Impact of Price ShiftsChallenges Changing Regulatory Policies Related to LPG VaporizersThe LPG Vaporizer 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 LPG Vaporizer 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.Have Any Questions Regarding Global LPG Vaporizer Market Report, Ask Our Experts@The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below:The Study Explore the Product Types of LPG Vaporizer Market: Electric Vaporizer, Steam/Water Bath Vaporizer, Direct-fired VaporizerEnd users: Industrial, Commercial, Agriculture, OthersCapacity: 40-160 gal/hr, 168-455 gal/hr, 555-1005 gal/hr, >1000 gal/hrTop Players in the Market are: Algas-SDI (United States), Standby Systems, Inc. (United States), Ransome Gas Industries, Inc. (United States), Pegoraro Gas Technologies (Italy), TransTech Energy, LLC (United States), Tamura Corporation (Japan), Meeder Equipment (United States) and ADCENG Gas Equipment (Pty) Ltd (South Africa)List of players also available in Coverage: SHV Energy (Netherlands), Nihon Genma (Japan), Stannol GmbH & Co. KG. (Germany) and China Gas Holdings Ltd. (China)Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global LPG Vaporizer Market:Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the LPG Vaporizer marketChapter 2: Exclusive Summary the basic information of the LPG Vaporizer Market.Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of the LPG VaporizerChapter 4: Presenting the LPG Vaporizer 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 2013-2018Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the LPG Vaporizer market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company ProfileChapter 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 SourceFinally, LPG Vaporizer Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies.Research Methodology: The top-down and bottom-up approaches are used to estimate and validate the size of the global LPG Vaporizer market. In order to reach an exhaustive list of functional and relevant players who offer LPG Vaporizer various industry classification standards are closely followed such as NAICS, ICB, SIC to penetrate deep in important geographies. Thereafter, a thorough validation test is conducted to reach most relevant players specifically having product line i.e. LPG Vaporizer. In order to make priority list sorting is done based on revenue generation as per latest reporting with the help of paid databases such as Factiva, Bloomberg etc. Finally the questionnaire is set and specifically designed to address all the necessities for primary data collection after getting prior appointment. This helps us to gather the data for the players revenue, profit, products, growth etc. Almost 80% of data is collected through primary medium and further validation is done through various secondary sources that includes Regulators, World Bank, Association, Company Website, Annual reports, press releases etc.Buy the Latest Detailed Report @Key questions answered Who are the Leading key players and what are their Key Business plans in the LPG Vaporizer market? What are the key concerns of the five forces analysis of the LPG Vaporizer market? What are different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the LPG Vaporizer market? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.About Author:Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues.Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enable clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As.Contact Us:Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)AMA Research & Media LLPUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA 08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@advancemarketanalytics.comConnect with us at Flour Market 2022 | Increasing Demand With Leading Key Players: Ardent Mills Canada, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Associated British Foods plc, ConAgra Foods, Inc. Flour Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1803 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/1803 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/flour-market www.alliedmarketresearch.com Flour Market report, published by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the global market is expected to garner $270,895 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% during the period 2016 - 2022. The wheat segment dominated this market, occupying more than three-fourths of the total share of revenue in 2015.Rise in health concerns for high-protein flour provides impetus for product innovation in alternatives such as rice flour, maize flour, corn flour, and soya flour. Owing to the urbanization and modern lifestyle, the demand for flour-based foods has boomed the market.Request A Sample of Global Flour Market @:Expansion of commercial farmlands and growth of aquatic feed industry in Asia-Pacific have raised the application of flour in animal husbandry. Growth in the global population and rise in per capita income are two major drivers of the market. Furthermore, increase in average selling price of flour in most of the countries has positively impacted the growth in the market.The Top key players: Ardent Mills Canada Archer Daniels Midland Company Associated British Foods plc ConAgra Foods Inc. General Mills Inc. Hindustan Unilever Limited Hodgson Mill. ITC Limited King Arthur Flour Company Inc. White Wings Willmar InternationalGet a purchase enquiry@:The rice segment is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period, owing to increasing use of rice-based food products and rising demand for rice in regions where people possess relatively low per capita disposable incomes.In 2015, the bread & bakery products segment occupied approximately two-fifths of the overall flour market revenue, and is anticipated to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This is due to increase in use of a diverse variety of flours in the production of bread and other bakery products as well as rise in trend of adoption of on-the-go food habits, especially among youngsters worldwide.Key Findings of Flour Market: Wet technology segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate during the analysis period. Asia-Pacific is estimated to continue to lead the market, growing at a CAGR of 4.9%, in terms of revenue. Noodles & pasta occupied for more than two-ninths of the total share of the global flour market in 2015. Non-food application is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.5%, in terms of revenue. Others segment is expected to show a significant growth in the Asia-Pacific region.Access full report@:About Us:Allied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: 3D Wheel Aligners Market Estimated to Soar Higher During 2018 to 2026 | Key Players are Champion Power Equipment, Generac Power Systems, Honda Motor Company, etc. https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=529 https://www.factmr.com/report/529/3d-wheel-aligners-market https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=529 https://www.factmr.com/ In order to dissert the market scenario prevailing across the wheel aligners market trends sector, FactMR has evenly presented a new examination titled 3D Wheel Aligners Market Estimated to Soar Higher During 2018 to 2026 | Key Players are Champion Power Equipment, Generac Power Systems, Honda Motor Company, etc., to its extensive online repository. With all vital market facets enclosed into this single assessment, readers can learn about different market drivers, opportunities and trends which are likely to influence the overall market space for the wheel aligners market trends in the coming years. In addition, factors such as market size, Y-o-Y growth and revenue share are investigated so as to make this research highly authentic and reliable.Appeal/Demand for Sample Report -In standard automotive maintenance, the tools and systems used for wheel alignment play a critical role, the ineffectiveness hampers the vehicles proper working. Being a key advancement in wheel alignment systems, 3D wheel aligners are serving the purpose of offering effective scope of alignment during vehicle maintenance and servicing operations. With the state of roads becoming worse across several parts of the world, 3D wheel aligners have a great scope of utility in wheel alignment applications across the global automotive industry. FactMR foresees the global 3D wheel aligners markets growth to be steady in the coming years. Alternatives such as CCD wheel aligners and conventional wheel alignment systems will continue to impede the adoption of 3D wheel aligners, constraining the global market to expand at sub-par pace in the near future.The study has assessed the expansion of global 3D wheel aligners market for the period, 2017-2026, which estimates the market to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% in terms of value. The report estimates that by the end of 2026, more than 27,100 units of 3D wheel aligners will be sold worldwide. Along with volume-based market size estimations, a value-based forecast & analysis of the global 3D wheel aligners market is being offered in the report.In 2017, around 37% of 3D wheel aligners sold in the world were developed on 4-camera designs. The demand for 4-camera 3D wheel aligners is pegged to remain highest in the global market through 2026. However, their share on global market value will dwindle towards the end of the forecast period. Alignment limitations of 4-camera 3D wheel aligners will impede their uptake, compared to 5-camera or 6-camera 3D wheel aligners. The capabilities of 5-camera and 6-camera 3D wheel aligners in terms of identifying alignment problems across multiple axis and providing accurate solution in least amount of time will drive their sales in the coming years. These two product segments will reflect a volume CAGR of more than 5% over the forecast period.For Additional Insights Click to Access Complete Report -Key players in the global 3D wheel aligners market are expanding their manufacturing bases in the Asia-Pacific region. The manufacturing landscape of 3D wheel aligners will witnesses participation of companies namely, Hunter Engineering Company, Snap-on Incorporated, Corghi S.p.A., Beissbarth GmbH, Wonder Internation Sdn Bhd, Launch Tech Co., Ltd, Yantai Haide Science And Technology, Shenzhen 3Excel Tech Co.,Ltd., Actia Muller, Yingkou Dali Automobile Maintenance Equipment, Panther Electronic Machinery Manufactory Ltd., and Yingkou Hanway Techonology Co. Ltd.In addition, 3D wheel aligner end-users such as Briggs & Stratton Corp., Champion Power Equipment, Generac Power Systems, Inc., Honda Motor Company, Hyundai Motor Co., Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., Ryobi Ltd., Subaru Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Wuxi Kipor, and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. will be actively partaking towards the growth of the global 3D wheel aligners market in the near future.Table of Content:Global Economic OutlookGlobal 3D Wheel Aligners Market - Executive Summary2.1. Global 3D Wheel Market Opportunity Analysis & Mega TrendsGlobal 3D Wheel Aligners Market Overview3.1. Introduction3.1.1. Global 3D Wheel Aligners Market Taxonomy3.1.2. Global 3D Wheel Aligners Market Definition ContinuedFor Any Query or Concern, Access this Link -About FactMRFactMR 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 UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb: Biosimilars Therapeutics-Pipeline Analysis 2018, Clinical Trials & Results| Novartis, Samsung Bioepis, Biogen, Celltrion Inc. https://www.pharmaproff.com/request-sample/1180 https://www.pharmaproff.com/report/biosimilars-therapeutics https://www.pharmaproff.com/enquiry/1180 https://www.pharmaproff.com Biosimilar are biological products that show similar biological action as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved biologics. According to the U.S. Federal Code of Regulation, the biologic is a virus, toxin, antitoxin, or therapeutic serum valid for the treatment of a disease.Download the sample report at:Biosimilars become a potential cost-saving alternative and provide the similar effects as biologics, thus, are being prescribed with confidence. M923 of Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a proposed adalimumab biosimilar for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. Biocon Ltd. is also developing a wide portfolio of monoclonal antibody biosimilars for the treatment of cancer, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.Get the detailed analysis at:Novartis AG is developing GP2018 for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Samsung Bioepis Co. Ltd. has a robust biosimilar pipeline and is developing two major biosimilars, which are currently in the Phase III stage of development, including SB8 (bevacizumab biosimilar) for the treatment of non-small lung cancer, and SB11 (ranibizumab biosimilar) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. Some other companies having the pipeline of biosimilars include Biogen Inc., and Celltrion Inc. among others.Make enquiry before purchase at: The report provides a comprehensive understanding of the pipeline activities covering all drug candidates under various stages of development, with the detailed analysis of pipeline and clinical trials. Pipeline analysis of drugs by phases includes product description and development activities including information about clinical results, designations, collaborations, licensing, grants, technology, and others.About Us:Pharma Proff, is a frontline market intelligence and consulting solutions provider catering to the information and data needs of burgeoning sectors across the world, including pharmaceutical and healthcare. With meticulously curated research reports on the industry landscape, we empower companies in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors to make informed business decisions and base their marketing strategies with astuteness.Contact:Pharma ProffToll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)International: +1-347-960-6455Email: enquiry@pharmaproff.comWeb: Intravenous (IV) Therapy and Vein Access Market is Driven by the Rise in Adoption of Technologically Advanced Equipment with key Players: Becton, Dickinson and Company, B. Braun Melsungen AG and More Intravenous (IV) Therapy and Vein Access Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2350 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2350 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com North America dominated the market, with highest share in 2016, and is expected to maintain the lead during the analysis period. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow with the highest CAGR, owing to significant increase in the number of well-equipped hospitals with advanced healthcare systems to cater to the needs of the large patient population.According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, Intravenous Therapy and Vein Access Devices Market by Product, Application, and End User: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023, the global intravenous therapy and vein access devices market was valued at $18,000 million in 2016, and is projected to reach $27,971 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2017 to 2023. The intravenous catheter segment accounted for one-third share of the total market in 2016.The major players profiled in the global IV therapy and vein access devices market are Becton, Dickinson and Company, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Terumo Medical Corporation, Teleflex Medical Inc., Medtronic Inc., Smith & Nephew plc., AngioDynamics, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Insulet Corporation, and Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA.Download Sample PDF Brochure of Intravenous (IV) Therapy and Vein Access Market at:Intravenous therapy is used to administer medicine, nutrients, blood, and buffer solution directly into the vein. IV therapy works faster for the quick immune system response and relief from chronic diseases as compared to oral mode of medication. IV therapy can be easily monitored and has infusion pump that controls the volume of the substance to be administered in the body. Increase in incidence of chronic disorders, surge in trauma cases, rise in geriatric population, and growth in road accidents are expected to boost the market growth during the analysis period. However, lack of skilled professionals is projected to restrain the market growth during the forecast period.The intravenous catheter market segment held the highest share in 2016, owing to increase in healthcare expenditure and continuous advancement in intravenous catheter technology, which are expected to support the growth of this market during the forecast period.Medical administration held the highest market share in 2016, owing to wide use of IV therapy for medication administration as it is most effective, fast acting, and suitable for unconscious and emergency patients. The hospitals segment gained the highest market share in 2016, owing to highest number of surgical procedures in hospitals resulting in usage of IV therapy.North America accounted for two-fifths share in 2016, and is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to increase in incidence of chronic diseases due to rise in geriatric population, well-established healthcare systems, and increase in awareness among the population toward timely diagnosis and treatment of diseases.In addition, higher adoption rate for technologically advanced devices is anticipated to provide new growth opportunities for the key players in the market. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to grow at the highest growth rate during the analysis period, owing to rise in healthcare expenditure, increase in per capita income, growth in demand for healthcare services from large pool of patient population, and improvement in healthcare infrastructure.Do Purchase Enquiry at:About usAllied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:David C5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market Growth Analysis by Leading Players - INX International Corporation, Wikoff Color Corporation, Sun Chemical Corporation North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1095/sample https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1095/inquiry-before-buying https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1095/north-america-flexographic-printing-inks-market www.graphicalresearch.com/ Graphical Research provides a detailed overview of North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market with respect to the pivotal drivers influencing the revenue graph of this business sphere.The current trends of North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market in conjunction with the geographical landscape, demand spectrum, remuneration scale, and growth graph of this vertical have also been included in this report.Request for a sample of this research report @Increasing demand for flexographic printing inks in cosmetic packaging has been driving the market. Rising usage of cosmetic products among self-conscious population is propelling the packaging industry. For instance, U.S. cosmetic export in 2015 was over USD 2.0 billion in Asia Pacific countries such as Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Philippines.U.S. cosmetic export to China in 2015 was over USD 500 million further export had increased as much as 62% in recent years among high potential markets such as Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Growing U.S. cosmetic export increases the usage of packaging materials accelerating the flexographic printing inks application in cosmetic industry.North America Flexographic Printing Inks Market by Producto Water-based inkso Solvent-based inkso UV-cured inksMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @The market growth is hindered by stringent government regulation on plastic packaging materials. Few of the government agency such as EPA and FDA have implemented regulation limiting the applications of plastic packaging which may hinder market growth over the forecast timeframe.U.S. has been one of the leading market of the industry, increasing usage of packaged food products in the region will substantially grow the market. Flexible packaging market has significant CAGR, the segment is likely to grow due to rise in consumption of beverage products.Browse Complete Report Summary @For instance, in 2017 acscan.org report, American Cancer Society stated that about 50% of the population consumes sugary drinks. Such trends exhibit that North America flexographic printing inks market have brighter scope in beverage packaging industry.Leading players present in the market are INX International Corporation, Wikoff Color Corporation, Sun Chemical Corporation, etc. Small and medium scale market players are also present in the industry which significantly contributes toward market share.About Graphical Research:Graphical Research is a business research firm that provides industry insights, market forecast and strategic inputs through granular research reports and advisory services. We publish targeted research reports with an aim to address varied customer needs, from market penetration and entry strategies to portfolio management and strategic outlook. We understand that business requirements are unique: our syndicate reports are designed to ensure relevance for industry participants across the value chain. We also provide custom reports that are tailored to the exact needs of the customer, with dedicated analyst support across the purchase lifecycle.Contact Us:Parikhit B.Corporate sales,Graphical ResearchEmail: sales@graphicalresearh.comWeb: Global Logistics Automation Market Expected to reach $126.53 billion by 2026 grow at a CAGR of 12.8% | Daifuku, Beumer Group, Dematic, Falcon Autotechl, Honeywell Intelligrated, Jungheinrich AG, Knapp AG, Mecalux ReportsWeb https://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012511007/sample https://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012511007/buying https://www.reportsweb.com/reports/logistics-automation-global-market-outlook-2017-2026 Global Logistics Automation market is accounted for $42.80 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $126.53 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 12.8% during the forecast period. Some of the key factors propelling the market growth are Exponential Growth of the E-Commerce Industry, Advancements in Robotics and Emergence of IoT. Furthermore, Implementation of driverless vehicles and drones in logistics, increasing adoption of industry 4.0 and need to ensure workforce safety are considered as the future growth opportunities of the market. However, Lack of uniform governance standards and high capital investment may hamper growth of the market.Get Sample Copy atLogistics automation is the application of computer software and/or automated machinery to improve the efficiency of logistics operations. It refers to operations within a warehouse or distribution center, with broader tasks undertaken by supply chain management systems and enterprise resource planning systems. A logistics automation system compliments the facilities provided by higher level computer systems. Changes due to economic development, enhancement of disposal income, affordability, and buying a pattern of customers has led to the growth of the logistics automation market. The increasing affordability is, thereby, raising expectations for better services, in terms of product portfolio, delivery time, and cost, which in turn is increasing the demand for logistics automation as it can increase the efficiency of warehousing and transportation.Some of the key players in Logistics Automation market include Daifuku, Beumer Group, Dematic, Falcon Autotechl, Honeywell Intelligrated, Jungheinrich AG, Knapp AG, Mecalux, S.A., Murata Machinery, SSI Schaefer, Swisslog, System Logistics SPA, TGW Logistics Group GmbH, Toshiba Logistics, Vitronic and Wisetech Global.Based on End User, Retail & Ecommerce segment is projected to be the growing segment. The era of digitalization has increased internet penetration in the recent years. The exposure to the internet has raised the desire for luxury among people. In the recent years, people started spending more on luxury and comfort. E-commerce provides a wide variety of products and services over the internet and the flexibility to shop at any time from any place. This flexibility has increased people's interest in e-commerce. Increasing demand for e-commerce is bolstering the demand for packaging and transportation. In order to manage the transportation from several places and deliver orders on-time and meet customer expectations, organizations are paying attention to the benefits of logistics automation and are investing in it. Thus, investments in logistics automation due the expanding e-commerce industry are driving the market.By geography, Asia-Pacific has witnessed an exponential growth in the logistics automation market in the recent years, which is estimated to continue over the forecast period. The increasing demand for automated machine handling solutions from manufacturing industries and warehouses, to provide customers with improved service efficiency, is boosting the market in the region. The increasing adoption of logistics automation solutions by enterprises in emerging economies, such as India and China, is driving the growth of the logistics automation market in the Asia-Pacific region. Developing countries, like China, India, Japan, Australia, and South Korea are majorly contributing to a significant growth of the market in this region.Make an InquiryComponents Covered:- Transportation Management- Warehouse & Storage ManagementOrganization Sizes Covered:- Large Enterprises- Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)Applications Covered:- Hardware- Services- SoftwareEnd Users Covered:- Aerospace & Defense- Automotive- Chemicals- Food & Beverage- Healthcare- Logistics & Transportation- Manufacturing- Oil, Gas, & Energy- Pharmaceuticals- Retail & E-Commerce- Other End UsersFor More Information about This Report:Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Pune, India Compounding World Expo 2019: SCHWING Technologies presents its thermal cleaning systems for machine parts and tooling SCHWING Technologies: Thermal cleaning of breaker plates (before/after) https://www.thermal-cleaning.com/en/applications-and-industries/plastics-production.html www.schwing-technologies.de Neukirchen-Vluyn (Germany), April 25, 2019. Plastic additives and compounding are the central topics of Compounding World Expo in Cleveland, Ohio on May 8-9, 2019. As a supplier of thermal cleaning systems, the German company SCHWING Technologies GmbH, together with its subsidiary SCHWING Technologies North America Inc., will also be exhibiting at the international trade show. With their cleaning systems, all polymers and plastic additives can be easily removed from machine parts and tooling. At booth A814, Thomas Schwing (Managing Director), along with Michael J. Robinson (Engineering & Process Technology) and Andrew S. Dickinson (Sales Manager) will inform attendees about the special features and advantages of the SCHWING systems. Our intelligent systems not only clean reliably and safely, they also guarantee residue-free cleaning results, emphasizes Thomas Schwing, building on 50 years of practical experience. Since 1969, the company has been the technology leader and international specialist for thermal cleaning solutions from its headquarters in Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany. Since the beginning of the year, customers in the US and Canada have also benefited from SCHWING experts in the American officebased in Princeton, New Jersey.Thermal cleaning systemsTo its customers in the compounding industry, SCHWING recommends three different systems for all types of polymers and plastic additives. They guarantee perfect cleaning results with the user-friendly and precisely controlled VACUCLEAN, INNOVACLEAN and MAXICLEAN systems as well as post treatment equipment. All systems are energy-efficient and are environmentally friendly. Our systems clean extremely gently and reliably, explains Michael J. Robinson. We thermally decompose polymer contamination and protect the metallurgy of the part. The gentle vacuum pyrolysis systems (VACUCLEAN) are the ideal solution for cleaning pelletizing dies, screws and screw elements. Fluidized bed systems (INNOVACLEAN) are perfectly suited for all polymers, including high-temperature plastics such as LCP, PEI, PPS and PI. The SCHWING team uses these systems primarily for cleaning breaker plates and screw elements. The pyrolysis furnaces (MAXICLEAN) also clean large tools and components, such as large melt pumps and heat exchangers, by thermal oxidation. Andrew S. Dickinson knows that this results in numerous advantages for customers: Using our thermal cleaning systems significantly increases machine tooling availability. This, in turn, saves time and money and increases productivity for compounders.Further information on thermal cleaning solutions from SCHWING:Keywords: Thermal cleaning, plastic removal, plastics additives, compounding, masterbatch, Schwing Technologies, Schwing Technologies North America Inc.SCHWING TechnologiesSCHWING Technologies has been operating for 50 years and is the worldwide technological leader for high-temperature systems for thermal cleaning, thermo-chemical finishing and heat treatment of metal parts and tools. The owner-managed company designs, manufactures, and operates systems at its headquarters in Neukirchen-Vluyn in Germany's Lower Rhine region. Built upon the achievements of German engineering, the medium-sized business is globally the best-known specialist in the removal of plastics. Among SCHWINGs approximate 2,500 international clients are companies from the plastics and fiber industries, as well as from the chemicals and automobile sectors. For every cleaning need, the company with its approximately 80 employees offers the most economically, ecologically and qualitatively best technology and cleaning solution. SCHWING is also a reliable service partner for contract cleaning by processing more than 250,000 tools and parts each year to the highest environmental and qualitative standards. So far, there has not been a single component that we have not been able to free from polymers and inorganic contaminants, confirm the three managing directors Ewald Schwing, Thomas Schwing and Alfred Schillert. Founded in 1969, the company celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2019 and opened SCHWING Technologies North America Inc., a new sales company in the USA, this year.Press contact:Nicola LeffelsendSCHWING Technologies GmbHOderstrae 747506 Neukirchen-VluynGermanyT +49 2845 930 146redaktion@schwing-tech.com Extensive Analysis of Key Segments Which Helps to Understand the Global Catheters Market Trends | Research by AMR Catheters Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/577 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/577 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Catheters Market was valued at $10,703 million in 2017 and is projected to reach $19,976 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 8.0% from 2018 to 2025. North America was the highest revenue contributor in 2017 and is expected to remain the same throughout the forecast period.Catheter is a thin tube made from medical grade materials that serve a comprehensive range of functions. They are medical devices that can easily be inserted in the patients body for the treatment of various diseases or even perform a surgical procedure. For instance, cardiovascular catheters are used to draw blood and provide treatments, including intravenous fluids, drugs, or blood transfusions. The scope of applications of catheters has widened, as they are used to treat various neurological, cardiovascular, urological, and other disorders, with the help of improved clinical practices and advanced technologies.Download PDF Sample @The catheter devices have gained significant traction in the recent years owing to significant rise in cardiovascular & urological diseases across the globe. Rise in demand for minimally invasive surgeries for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular, neurological, and other diseases drive the growth of the catheters market. Further, catheter-based surgeries are minimally invasive and require shorter recovery times. Surgeries done with the help of catheters are less invasive and lead to faster recovery.Based on product, the cardiovascular segment accounted for the majority of catheter market share of the global market in 2017. This is attributed to the significant increase in cardiovascular diseases across the globe and surge in use of these catheters for the treatment of the same. However, urological catheter segment is anticipated to exhibit prominent growth rate during the forecast period owing to the significant rise in geriatric population and use of these catheters to deal with inconsistency.Key Findings of the Cathetersmarket: Based on product, the cardiovascular catheters segment accounted for nearly half share of the catheters industry in 2017. The urological catheters segment is anticipated to grow at the highest growth rate throughout the forecast period. Based on region, North America accounted for a major share of the global catheters market in 2017. LAMEA is anticipated to grow at the highest rate in the catheters market during the analysis period, followed by Asia-Pacific.Leading Companies :Corporation, Stryker Corporation, Cook Medical, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Teleflex Incorporated, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Inc., Edwards Lifesciences Corp., and Vascular Solutions, Inc. Hollister Incorporated, Manfred Sauer, Smiths Medical, Wellspect Healthcare, Cure Medical, and Convatech Inc.Get Purchase Enquiry on this Report @About Us:Allied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Sea Freight Forwarding Market Projected to Surpass 75000 Million US$ by 2023 Analysis by Global Key Vendors: Kuehne + Nagel, DHL Group, Sinotrans, DB Schenker Logistics, GEODIS, Panalpina, DSV Sea Freight Forwarding Market https://www.businessindustryreports.com/sample-request/150409 https://www.businessindustryreports.com/check-discount/150409 This report provides in depth study of Sea Freight Forwarding Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Sea Freight Forwarding Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market organization.Global Sea Freight Forwarding Market Synopsis:The Global Sea Freight Forwarding Market research 2019 highlights the major details and provides in-depth analysis of the market along with the future growth, prospects and Industry demands analysis explores with the help of complete report with 125 Pages, figures, graphs and table of contents to analyze the situations of global Sea Freight Forwarding Market and Assessment to 2023.This report studies the Global Sea Freight Forwarding Market over the forecast period of 2019 to 2023. The Global Sea Freight Forwarding Market is expected to grow at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2023.Get Sample Study Papers of Global Sea Freight Forwarding Market @The Sea Freight Forwarding industry has also suffered a certain impact, but still maintained a relatively optimistic growth, the past four years, Sea Freight Forwarding market size to maintain the average annual growth rate of 15 from XXX million $ in 2014 to 66400.0 million $ in 2018, Market analysts believe that in the next few years, Sea Freight Forwarding market size will be further expanded, we expect that by 2023, The market size of the Sea Freight Forwarding will reach 75000.0 million $.First chapter of the Sea Freight Forwarding Market report refers to the introduction, product scope, market overview, and growth prospects. The information was derived from authentic and validated sources to provide effective direction and guidance to novice and well-established players. Chapter two includes analysis of key manufacturers and their sales and revenue for the period between 2019 and 2023.According to Report, The rising popularity of blockchain technology in the shipping industry is one of the key factors gaining traction in the market. Blockchain systems are increasingly being used to make the processes more efficient and cut costs by eliminating the need for a central authority for maintaining records.With the newly launched full container shipment solution KN Pledge, Kuehne + Nagel is the first logistics service provider to offer an online solution for Full Container Load (FCL) shipments with guaranteed lead time, 100% money back guarantee, extended cargo liability, instant pricing, and carbon footprint offset all integrated in one service offering.Sea Freight Forwarding Market Covers the Table of Contents With Segments, Key Players And Region. On the Basis of Product Type, Sea Freight Forwarding Market is sub segmented into Full Container Load (FCL) and Less-than container load (LCL). Based on Industry, Market is sub segmented into Agricultural, Automotive, Beverage, Electronic.Key players profiled in the Sea Freight Forwarding Market report include: Kuehne + Nagel, DHL Group, Sinotrans, DB Schenker Logistics, GEODIS, Panalpina, DSV, Bollore Logistics, Expeditors, Dachser, Nippon Express, CEVA Logistics, Pantos Logistics, Agility Logistics, Hellmann, Damco, KWE, Hitachi Transport, UPS Supply Chain, Sankyu, Kerry Logistics, Logwin, CJ Korea ExpressRegion segment: This report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share (%) and growth Rate (%) of Sea Freight Forwarding in these regions, from 2014 to 2023 (forecast), covering: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America.Request a Discount on standard prices of this premium report @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, macro-economic 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 contents include1 Analysis of the Sea Freight Forwarding Market including revenues, future growth, market outlook2 Historical data and forecast3 Regional analysis including growth estimates4 Analyzes the end user markets including growth estimates.5 Profiles on Sea Freight Forwarding including products, sales/revenues, and market position6 Market structure, market drivers and restraints.About 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 What's driving the Industrial Eye Protection Market share? Kimberly-Clark, 3M, Avon, Honeywell, Bolle Safety, MSA - The Safety Company, Ansell, Teijin Industrial Eye Protection Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1942 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/industrial-eye-protection-market https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1942 www.gminsights.com Industrial Eye Protection Market is estimated to exceed USD 2.5 billion by 2024. Major key players inculde 3M, Bolle Safety, Honeywell, MCR Safety, Egde, MSA Safety, Encon Safety, Ergodyne and Gateway Safety. Mergers, acquisitions, new product launches and supply agreements are the key strategies adopted by the major players.Positive outlook towards occupational safety in oil & gas, chemicals, mining and construction industry will propel industrial eye protection market growth. Prevention from chemicals, heat & optical radiation are the key properties enhancing product demand.Request for a sample copy of this report @North America industrial eye protection market will witness gains at 3.2% up to 2024. High prevalence for employee safety along with stringent government regulations are the key factors supporting the business growth. As per NIOSH, about 2000 workers in U.S. sustain workplace eye injury per day, that requires medical treatment.Europe industrial eye protection market was more than 70 million units in 2016. Favorable socio-economic factors accompanied by increasing manufacturing facilities will drive the demand. Strong presence of the key manufacturers in this region will propel the industry growth. Changing lifestyle along with increasing awareness regarding worker safety has encouraged the product penetration.- Industrial Eye Protection Market, By Materialo Polycarbonateo CR-39o Trivexo Glass- Industrial Eye Protection Market, By Application Construction Oil & gas Chemicals Mining Pharmaceuticals Food Transportation FirefightingBrowse Complete Report Summary @Construction application was worth over USD 310 million in 2016. Increasing government spending on building tunnels, dams, roads, and bridges globally will drive the growth. China is projected to be among the major contributor. China construction spending was over USD 730 billion in 2016.CR-39 lenses will witness gains at 3% up to 2024. High optical quality compared to glass along with comparatively less manufacturing cost has driven industry growth in this segment. Entrance of trivex as an ultra-light, thin and high impact resistant lenses will open new avenues in the industry.Safety goggles will generate revenue over USD 970 million by 2024. Rising product penetration in pharmaceutical laboratories and research centers will create new opportunities for the business growth.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Face shields will witness growth over 4% up to 2024. Manufacturing and construction industry expansion in developing countries will support the industry demand. Superior protection against chemical splash and blood borne pathogens has enhanced the product demand.ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel Profiled in Ferroalloys Market 2018-2025 | Leading Manufacturers China Minmetals Corporation, Jindal Group, Ferroalloy Corporation Limited, S.C. Feral, Shanghai Shenjia , Sakura Ferroalloys, Nikopol, and Eurasian Natural Resources CorporationAbout 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: Animal Parasiticides Market 2018 by Size, Share, Products, Alliances, Recent Contract and Financial Analysis, Forecast to 2026 Appraised By Global Players Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer Ag, Eli Lilly And Company Global Animal Parasiticides Market https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/9 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/9 Animal parasiticides or antiparasitics are chemical substances used to eradicate parasites that infect livestock, pets, and other animals and subsequently improve animal health. Most parasiticides finished products consist of one or more active ingredients that help carry out a specific action against particular parasites. Parasiticides also comprise inert ingredients (water and alcohol) called as solvents (stabilizers, preservatives, emulgants, etc.). Animal parasiticides market size is expected to grow at a significant rate owing to increased pet adoption worldwide.Global Key Players:Some of the major market players operating in the global animal parasiticides market include Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer Ag, Eli Lilly And Company, Ceva Sante Animale, Novartis Ag, Merck & Co., Inc., Zoetis, Inc., Virbac Sa, and Merial.Get Exclusive Sample Report at:Growing Livestock Population and Increasing Adoption of Pet Animals in the Asia Pacific Region is expected to boost growth of the animal parasiticides market size over the forecast periodGeographically, the global animal parasiticides market outlook can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East. Key factors driving growth in adoption of animal parasiticides in Europe and North America include increasing pet adoption, high number of R&D activities, increasing expenditure on animal health, and rising demand for animal-derived food products. However, Asia Pacific (India, China, Australia, Japan, and Malaysia) is expected to be the most lucrative market for animal parasiticides in future due to a number of driving factors such as increasing number of companion animals, growing livestock population, increasing expenditure on animal health, and rising awareness about animal health.Market ConsolidationThere has been various consolidation activities in the global animal health industry. In just one year, 2016, Boehringer Ingelheim acquired Sanofi's animal health business, Novartis sold its animal health business to Eli Lilly and Merck Animal Health (subsidiary of Merck & Co.) acquired Valleea leading animal health product manufacturer based in Brazil.Global Animal Parasiticides Market TaxonomyThe global animal parasiticides market outlook can be classified on the basis of type of parasiticides, animal type, and end user. There are five types of parasiticides, namely ectoparasiticides, endoparasiticides, endectocides, anthelmintic, and anti-protozoans. Parasiticides used for killing external parasites in animals such as fleas, ticks, lice, fleas, and mites are termed as ectoparasiticides. Most ectoparasiticides are called pesticides, as these chemicals are also used for agriculture and hygiene purpose. Likewise, endoparasiticides are utilized to kill internal parasite such as flukes, roundworms, and tapeworms in animals. Most endoparasiticides are termed as veterinary medicines, as the active ingredients of the products are not used for agriculture and hygiene purpose. Endectocides or macrocyclic lactones are effective in both internal and external parasites. They are either natural products or chemically-modified derivatives that show strong parasiticidal efficacy in animals. On the basis of their chemical structure, endectocides are segmented into avermectins and milbemycins. Parasiticides are available in various formulations namely, liquids, tablets, injectables, sprays, spot-on, and pour-on.On the basis of animal type, the global animal parasiticides market scenario can be segmented into food producing animals (cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, and goats) and companion animals (dogs, cats and horses). On the basis of end user, the global animal parasiticides market is segmented into farms, R&D facilities, and veterinary clinics. Increasing pet adoption in the Asia Pacific region is a major driving factor fueling demand for animal parasiticides in veterinary clinics.Animal Parasiticides Market TrendsKey driving factors for the growth of the global animal parasiticides market include increasing awareness about animal zoonotic disease, rising number of animal population especially in developing nations of the world, increasing demand for animal-based food and animal proteins, and increasing animal research activities. Furthermore, increasing expenditure on animal health and government initiatives to protect animal health is fueling demand for animal parasiticides. However, high cost of R&D activities, new species of parasites, stringent regulatory policies for approval of animal parasiticides, and high cost of animal parasiticide products is hindering growth of the animal parasiticides market.Request For Customization of Research Report @About Coherent Market InsightsCoherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Sperm Bank Market Future Growth and Opportunities to 2025 by Key Players - Cryos, FairFax cryobank and Androcryos ReportsWeb https://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012542234/sample https://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00012542234/discount https://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW00012542234/buy/3250 Sperm Bank is a repository of sperms that are collected from men known as sperm donors. These are used by women who wish to get pregnant either via IVF procedures. These banks are a source of providing healthy sperms to women, couples who want to have children other than their sexual partners owing to various reasons.Market DynamicsBased on the data collected by the European sperm bank approximately 35% of their clients are infertile couples, thus opting for these banks as a source. The key drivers for the industry are the growing number of infertile couples, same-sex couples, and single women who wish to be a parent. The average marriageable age for women in on an increase, which is inversely proportional to the fertility rate in women. The fertility rate in women decreases as they age.A United Nations report suggested the average fertility rate for women has gone down to 2.5 children per women as opposed to 3 per women and that the average marriageable age for women increased by 1%. However, the key limitation of the industry is the cost of procedures. High costs procedures are required that entails cutting edge technology, that amplifies the overall costs. The government funding for these high end medical procedures research is also quite limited.Top Companies Covered in this report:Cryos, FairFax cryobank and AndrocryosGet sample copy of Sperm Bank Market at:Donor Type TakeawayGenerally, the donors can be broadly categorized into two types i.e. known and anonymous. While most of the donations are anonymous in nature in the U.S, there is a higher remuneration for known donors. In terms of domination, the known donors are in very high demand because clients wish to know basic donor information. It is expected that the known donor revenue share will continue to grow; however, a slow-paced growth can be expected for the anonymous donors. The demand-supply gap for the known donors will drastically affect the revenues of this market to improve in the future.Service TakeawayThe major services in this category are semen analysis, storage and genetic consultation. Semen analysis has dominated the revenue generation. There is a high demand for analyzing good quality semen that is required for artificial insemination. However, the sperm storage market is anticipated to grow during the study period. Genetic consultation will also witness significant growth owing to better collaboration between hospitals, fertility clinics and sperm banks.Techniques TakeawayBanks use either donor insemination or In-Vitro fertilization as a technique. Due to a very high cost associated with semen analysis, donor insemination dominates in terms of revenue generation. An overall increased awareness about this industry has resulted an increase in the number of people opting for donor insemination. In terms of the faster-growing category, In-Vitro fertilization is being adopted as a method to enhance chances of getting pregnant in cases of higher infertility.Have any query? Enquire about report at:Regional TakeawayThe United States is where the highest revenue generations happen. According to the CDC, approx. 10% of the women in the United States are facing fertility related issues. Therefore, it becomes an ideal choice for these banks to be located at. However, in terms of the fastest growing areas, Asia Pacific countries are becoming extremely popular for its IVF procedures. One of the reasons are lower cost procedures, availability of skilled professionals and efficient equipment. Countries like Germany and Italy have restrictions on the number of eggs that can be fertilized, thus opting for other countries.Fundamentals of Table of Content:1. Sperm Bank Market Overview2. Executive Summary2.1. Key Market Facts3. Sperm Bank Key Market Trends4. Sperm Bank Industry Study6. Sperm Bank Market - By Product7. Sperm Bank Market - By Application8. Sperm Bank Market - By Technology9. Sperm Bank Market- By Geography10. Key Vendor Analysis11. 360 Degree Analystview12. AppendixGet complete report at:About ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.com The Global Airbag Propellant Chemicals Market Is Expected To Showcase A Significant Cagr Of 7.2% During The Forecasted Period 2018-2027 https://www.kennethresearch.com/sample-request-10076124 https://www.kennethresearch.com/report-purchase-id-10076124 https://www.kennethresearch.com/report-details/airbag-propellant-chemicals-market/10076124 Airbag propellant chemicals are basically used to achieve fast swelling of an airbag when the sensor of a vehicle detects the accident if there would be an occurrence of a crash. This chemical reacts and disintegrates suddenly in order to create enough measure of required gas for the prompt swelling and flattening of the airbags. If there should arise an occurrence of a crash, airbag's electrical circuit passes flow towards the warming component which thus causes the concoction blast through which certain measure of gas is produced in order to swell the airbags. Along with the propellant chemicals, certain additives are used in order to neutralize effect of the chemical before exposure to the occupants. The demand for the airbag that adhere to stringent government regulations has resulted in efforts towardsdevelopment and adoption of new propellant chemicals over the recent past. Despite the fact that fuels containing the exceptionally lethal sodium azide (NaN3) were used in early inflator structures, practically no poisonous sodium azide has been found in utilized airbags. The azide-containing pyrotechnic gas generators contain a significant measure of the force. The driver-side airbag would contain a canister containing around 50 grams of sodium azide.A compound response delivers a burst of nitrogen to swell the sack. Once an airbag conveys, collapse starts quickly as the gas escapes through vent(s) in the texture (or, as it's occasionally called, the pad) and cools. This is often joined by the arrival of residue like particles, and gases in the vehicles inside (called profluent). A large portion of this residue comprises of cornstarch, French chalk, or baby powder, which are utilized to grease up the airbag amid arrangement.Request For Free Sample-Market Size and ForecastThe global airbag propellant chemicals market is expected to showcase a significant CAGR of 7.2% during the forecasted period 2018-2027. Additionally, the global airbag propellant chemicals market is thriving on the back of rising automotive production coupled with rising safety concern among consumer is projected to propel the growth of the market.The global airbag propellant chemicals market is segmented into application, product type and geography. In terms of regional platform, demand for airbag propellant chemicals in the Asia Pacific region is projected to propel the growth of overall global airbag propellant chemicals market over the forecast period. Factors such as, rising disposal income of consumers in Asia pacific region, increasing demand for passenger car and light motor vehicle etc. are raising the demand for Airbag Propellant Chemicals, which is expected to boost the market growth. Europe is anticipated to contribute a significant CAGR during the predicted period. Additionally, Asia Pacific Airbag Propellant Chemicals market captured significant share of global Airbag Propellant Chemicals market in previous years.In addition, rising interest for airbags from marine applications extending from those in littler water crafts to bigger boats is likewise anticipated that would relentlessly drive development of worldwide airbag propellant chemical over the forecasted period. Additionally, stringent government initiatives combined with fatalities due to broken sending of airbag and airbag burst among others have provoked the manufacturers to create more secure and reliable options in contrast to conventionally utilized synthetic substances. Therefore, pattern of receiving elective charge synthetic compounds is relied upon to be seen in global airbag propellant chemicals market during forecast period.Market SegmentationOur in-depth analysis segmented the global airbag propellant chemicals market in the following segments:By Product Type5-amino tetrazoleSodium AzideAmmonium NitratePotassium NitrateAmmonium PerchlorateOthersBy ApplicationAircraftMarineAutomotivePassenger vehiclesLight commercial vehicleHeavy commercial vehiclesOthersBy RegionGlobal Airbag Propellant Chemicals market is further classified on the basis of region as follows:North America (United States, Canada), Market size, Y-O-Y growth Market size, Y-O-Y growth & Opportunity Analysis, Future forecast & Opportunity AnalysisLatin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Rest of LATAM), Market size, Y-O-Y growth, Future forecast & Opportunity AnalysisEurope (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, BENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), NORDIC (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland), Poland, Russia, Rest of Europe), Market size, Y-O-Y growth, Future forecast & Opportunity AnalysisAsia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Market size, Y-O-Y growth, Future forecast & Opportunity AnalysisBuy Now-Middle East and Africa (Israel, GCC (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman), North Africa, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa), Market size, Y-O-Y growth, Future forecast & Opportunity Analysis.Growth Drivers and ChallengesThe demand for airbag propellant chemical is relied upon the expansion of automotive production. Besides, expanding appropriation of airbags in autos particularly in creating economies of the globe including China and India among others is expected to drive the demand for airbag propellant chemical over the forecasted period. Additionally, developing interest for airbags from marine applications running from those in littler pontoons to bigger boats is likewise anticipated that would relentlessly is projected to boost the market during estimate period. Further, stringent government controls to minimize the fatalities caused by defective organization of airbag and airbag crack among others have incited the business to create more secure and dependable options in contrast to ordinarily utilized synthetic compounds. Along these lines, pattern of embracing elective charge synthetic concoctions is relied upon to be seen in worldwide airbag propellant market showcase amid estimate period.Rapid urbanization along with positive GDP figures of developed and developing nations such as U.S., China and others are projected to flourish the growth of airbag propellant chemicals market in automotive production.In contrast, availability of substitute chemical for airbag combustion at cheap rate is anticipated to hamper the demand for airbag propellant chemical market.Key playersHangzhou Widechemical Co., Ltd.Company OverviewBusiness StrategyKey Product OfferingsFinancial PerformanceKey Performance IndicatorsRisk AnalysisRecent DevelopmentRegional PresenceIsland Pyrochemical Industries (IPI)Corvine Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.,Specialty Chemical Industries Inc.Island Veer Chemie (P) LtdSanming Coffer Fine Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.Daicel Safety SystemOther prominent playersRead More-About UsKenneth Research is a reselling agency providing market research solutions in different verticals such as Automotive and Transportation, Chemicals and Materials, Healthcare, Food & Beverage and Consumer Packaged Goods, Semiconductors, Electronics & ICT, Packaging, and Others. Our portfolio includes set of market research insights such as market sizing and market forecasting, market share analysis and key positioning of the players (manufacturers, deals and distributors, etc), understanding the competitive landscape and their business at a ground level and many more. Our research experts deliver the offerings efficiently and effectively within a stipulated time. The market study provided by Kenneth Research helps the Industry veterans/investors to think and to act wisely in their overall strategy formulationContact Us1412 Broadway,21st Floor Suite MA111,New York, NY 10018Name:DavidEmail:sales@kennethresearch.comPhone: +1 313 462 0609 Future Trends In Leading Luxury Massage Chair Market Is Expected To Grow At a CAGR Of 6.5% By 2025 | Top Leading Players: Panasonic, Osaki, Inada, Human Touch, Fujiiryoki, Titan, Cozzia Luxury Massage Chair Market https://www.researchreportsinc.com/reports/report-sample/9715 https://www.researchreportsinc.com/reports/check-discount/9715 https://www.researchreportsinc.com/reports/checkout/9715 www.researchreportsinc.com The Global Luxury Massage Chair Market report is a recent research added by Research Reports Inc. offers critical insight into the market dynamic. This report also assays delicate market issue such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with their effect on the growth of the market. Global Luxury Massage Chair Market valued approximately USD XX billion in 2017 is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 6.5% over the forecast period 2018-2025. The Luxury Massage Chair Market is continuously growing in the global scenario at a significant pace. Luxury Massage Chair is designed to provide massages at homes, offices, and hotels at the suitability of the user.Massage chairs save not only the time of going to massage centers but also the cost of traveling. There are four types of massage chairs available in the market: heated massage chairs, inversion massage chairs, zero gravity massage chairs, targeted massage products. Rising disposable income in developing countries, growing work-related stress & the need for stress-relieving solutions and increasing health awareness among people is the substantial driving factors of the market during the forecast period. Moreover, increasing effort towards product development is the factor which likely to create numerous opportunity in the market during the forecast period. However, high cost associated with luxury massage chairs and lower demand from emerging economies are the factors that limiting the market growth of Luxury Massage Chair across the globe.Download Sample PDF Of This Report Now @The regional analysis of Global Luxury Massage Chair Market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. North America is the leading/significant region across the world in terms of market share due to rapidly growing demand among people and increasing rising awareness about the massage techniques in the region. Further, Europe is estimated to second largest region in the global Luxury Massage Chair market over the upcoming years. Asia-Pacific is also anticipated to exhibit stable growth rate/CAGR over the forecast period 2018-2025 due to lower penetration of massage chairs in the region.The major market player included in this report are: Panasonic Osaki Inada Human Touch Fujiiryoki Titan Cozzia OSIM Omega Luraco Infinity OgawaSegmentation of the Global Luxury Massage Chair Market:By Application:HomeOfficesClubsBy Product:Heated Massage ChairsInversion Massage ChairsZero Gravity Massage ChairsTargeted Massage ProductsBy Regions: North Americao U.S.o Canada Europeo UKo Germany Asia Pacifico Chinao Indiao Japan Latin Americao Brazilo Mexico Rest of the WorldFurthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:Historical year 2015, 2016Base year 2017Forecast period 2018 to 2025Ask For Special Discount On This Report @Key Points sheathed in the Luxury Massage Chair Market Report Coverage:1.Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments2.Market share analysis of the top industry players3.Strategic recommendations for the new entrants4.Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)5.Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations6.Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends7.Company profiling with detailed strategies, financial and recent developments8.Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsSummary:The report gathers the essential information including the new strategies for growth of the industry and the potential players of the global Leading Luxury Massage Chair Market. It enrolls the major industry player imperious the global Leading Luxury Massage Chair Market along with their contribution to the global market.Make Purchase Order Of This Informative Report @We fulfill your additional customized requirements which will surely enlighten Market Research Trend Report more efficiently.About Research Reports Inc.:Research Reports Inc. offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries around the globe. Research Reports Inc. understands how imperative numerical surveying knowledge is for your management. Therefore, we have associated with the leading publishers and research firms all specially designed in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most devoted data available.Contact Us:David Jones (Sales Manager) - Research Reports Inc.Phone: US +1-855-419-2424 | Direct: +440330807757sales@researchreportsinc.com IT Services Market By Top IT Sector Like Oracle (U.S.), Fujitsu (Japan), Capgemini (France), Hitachi Consulting (U.S.), Unisys Corporation (U.S.) IT Services http://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/Home/RequestaSample/2759 http://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/Home/GetSpecialPricing/2759 http://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/Home/ProductReport/2759 www.contrivedatuminsights.com Information technology (IT) service provider delivers an information technology service to a business. The IT service provider can be an internal IT organization or an external IT services company. The recipients of ITaaS can be a line of business (LOB) organization within an enterprise or a small and medium business (SMB). The information technology is typically delivered as a managed service with a clear IT services catalog and pricing associated with each of the catalog items.For Sample Copy of Reports:At its core, ITaaS is a competitive business model where businesses have many options for IT services and the internal IT organization has to compete against those other external options in order to be the selected IT service provider to the business. Options for providers other than the internal IT organization may include IT outsourcing companies and public cloud providers.The Top Key Players include: IBM Corporation (U.S.), HP Enterprise (U.S.), Accenture PLC (Ireland), Infosys (India), Wipro Limited (India), Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (U.S.), HCL Technologies Limited (India), Oracle (U.S.), Tata Consultancy Services (India), Tech Mahindra (India), Fujitsu (Japan), Capgemini (France), Hitachi Consulting (U.S.), Unisys Corporation (U.S.).The reports conclusion leads into the overall scope of the global market with respect to feasibility of investments in various segments of the market, along with a descriptive passage that outlines the feasibility of new projects that might succeed in the global IT Services Market in the near future.Global IT Services Market Key Segments:On the Basis of Type:ProfessionalManagedTelecomOtherOn the Basis of Application:IT Service ProvidersProfessional Service ProvidersTelecommunication Service ProvidersGovernment AgenciesInformation Technology AssociationsManaged Service ProvidersCloud Service ProvidersOthersOn the Basis of Region:North AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificLatin AmericaMiddle East and Africa (MEA)Get More Discount:The report will assist understand the requirements of customers, discover problem areas and possibility to get higher, and help in the basic leadership manner of any organization. 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Contrive Datum Insights guarantees licensed and verifiable additives of Market records running within the actual- time situation.Table of Content (TOC):Chapter 1 Introduction and OverviewChapter 2 Industry Cost Structure and Economic ImpactChapter 3 Rising Trends and New Technologies with Major key playersChapter 4 Global IT Services Market Analysis, Trends, Growth FactorChapter 5 IT Services Market Application and Business with Potential AnalysisChapter 6 Global IT Services Market Segment, Type, ApplicationChapter 7 Global IT Services Market Analysis (by Application, Type, End User)Chapter 8 Major Key Vendors Analysis of IT Services MarketChapter 9 Development Trend of AnalysisChapter 10 ConclusionFor More Information:Any special requirements about this report, please let us know and we can provide custom report.About Contrive Datum Insights:Contrive Datum Insights (CDI) is the most comprehensive database of market-related research. Serious researchers from across the globe seeking up-to-date information on the latest market trends with in-depth analyses turn to Contrive Datum Insights. Our massive database boasts authentic reports published by leading authors and publications. Contrive Datum Insights highly motivated and expert in-house team undertakes rigorous screening of the credentials of publishers and authors before accepting their submissions. Such vetting is imperative for internal quality control.Contact Us:Alex Jones,(Sales Manager),Office: 4859 Slcan Street,Vancouver,British Columbia, Canada+19084598372,sales@contrivedatuminsights.com Coal Mining Market Emerging Technology Growth and Future Business Opportunities 2027 | Top Key Players - Anglo American, Arch Coal, Cloud Peak Energy, CONSOL Energy, Freeport-McMoRan, Glencore, etc Coal Mining Market http://bit.ly/2W4DHes http://bit.ly/2UFyecy http://bit.ly/2vjBsrT Coal mining refers to the process of extraction of coal from underground mines or from ground surface. Coal has been a major energy resource since long and still finds wide applications in thermal power generation, cement manufacturing, and steel manufacturing. Coal mining today has upgraded and become more productive than ever due to technological advancements in the mining techniques.Worldwide Coal Mining Market Analysis to 2027 is a specialized and in-depth study of the Coal Mining industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global Coal Mining market with detailed market segmentation by product/application and geography. The global Coal Mining market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Coal Mining players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.Leading Coal Mining Market Players:Anglo American, Arch Coal, Inc, BHP, CHINA SHENHUA, CIL, Cloud Peak Energy, CONSOL Energy Inc., Freeport-McMoRan, Glencore, Peabody Energy, Inc.Get Sample Copy of this Report atThe Insight Partner's dedicated research and analysis team consist of experienced professionals with advanced statistical expertise and offer various customization options in the existing study.An exclusive Coal Mining market research report created through broad primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies and stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Coal Mining Market By Type - Bituminous Coal, Anthracite Coal, Coke or Hard Coal, By Mining Technique - Surface Mining, Underground Mining, By Region - North America, Europe, South America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. 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 Coal Mining market.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global Coal Mining market based on product and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2027 for overall Coal Mining market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM), which is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend and provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions.Get discount on Purchase report atKey Benefits of Buying this Research Study:Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global Coal Mining MarketHighlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategiesThe key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Coal Mining Market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long term strategiesDevelop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging marketsScrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering itExamine the political, economic, social and technology impact of the five regions namely: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTIONKEY TAKEAWAYSRESEARCH METHODOLOGYCoal Mining MARKET LANDSCAPECoal Mining MARKET- KEY INDUSTRY DYNAMICSCoal Mining MARKET- GLOBAL MARKET ANALYSISCoal Mining MARKET REVENUE AND FORECASTS TO 2027 TYPECOAL MINING MARKET - REVENUE AND FORECASTS TO 2027 - MINING TECHNIQUECoal Mining MARKET REVENUE AND FORECASTS TO 2027 - GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSISINDUSTRY LANDSCAPECoal Mining MARKET, KEY COMPANY PROFILESAPPENDIXPurchase a Copy of Report atAbout Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.533, 5th Floor, Amanora Chambers,Amanora Township, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.com 5G Infrastructure Market: Increase in demand for mobile broadband services & Proliferation of M2M/IoT connections booming global market by 2025 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/5196?utm_source=OP&utm_medium=Pra https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5196?utm_source=OP&utm_medium=Pra https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Growing penetration M2M/IoT connections and surge in demand for mobile broadband services drive the global 5G infrastructure market. However, huge initial investment, implementation challenges regarding technology & infrastructure, and increase in security and privacy concerns limit the market growth. On the other hand, increase in government initiatives for building smart cities in emerging economies create new pathways in the industry.The report provides a detailed analysis of key investment pockets, changing market trends, impacting factors, market size & estimations, and competitive landscape. According to the report, the global 5G infrastructure market garnered $371.4 million in 2017 and is expected to reach $58.17 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 95.8% from 2018 to 2025.For Purchase Enquiry:Small cell segment to maintain its dominance by 2025Based on communication infrastructure, the small cell segment contributed nearly two-fifths of the total market share in 2017 and will maintain its dominance by 2025. This is due to surge in demand for mobile broadband service and its ability to efficiently offer high-speed broadband. However, the radio access network segment would grow at the highest CAGR of 108.0% during the forecast period, 20182025, owing to its evolution and support for multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, multi-band carrier aggregation, large spectrum bandwidths, and Distributed Antenna System.ASIC to maintain its leadership status during the forecast periodBased on chipset type, ASIC held the major share in 2017, accounting for nearly half of the total market share and is expected to maintain its leadership status by 2025. This is due to increase in demand for custom chips. On the other hand, FPGA is expected to register the highest growth rate with a CAGR of 109.6% from 2018 to 2025, owing to its reprogramming characteristics that led to wide adoption.Download Sample Report:Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominant position by 2025According to report Asia-Pacific accounted for more than one-third of the total share in 2017 and will maintain its dominant position by 2025, owing to huge adoption of smart technologies in the region. However, LAMEA is expected to grow at the highest rate, with a CAGR of 119.4% from 2018 to 2025, owing to high rate of adoption of advanced systems and solutions in different industry verticals in the region.Leading market playersLeading market players analyzed in the report include AT&T, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Ericsson, Intel Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Nokia Corporation, Mediatek Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and Verizon.About UsAllied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesUSA/Canada (Toll Free):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1(855)550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Asteroid Mining Market: Analytical depiction of the global market along with the current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets by 2025 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5138?utm_source=OP&utm_medium=Pra https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/5138?utm_source=OP&utm_medium=Pra https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Ongoing and impending space missions by government as well as private players, increasing inflow of investment in space mining technologies, and growing use of print materials obtained from asteroids in 3D printing technology are expected to propel the growth of the global asteroid mining marketThe report offers extensive analyses of the key winning strategies, industry trends, market dynamics, market size & estimations, top investment pockets, and competitive landscape. As per the report, the global asteroid mining market garnered $712 million in 2017, and is estimated to reach $3,868.9 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 24.4% from 2018 to 2025.Download Sample Report:Innumerable space missions planned by government and private players, surge in R&D investments by market players to deploy space mining processes, and use of asteroid-derived print materials in 3D printing technology drive the growth of the global asteroid mining market. In addition, increase in space situational awareness programs launched by government organizations is expected to supplement the market growth. However, high cost associated with space mining methods is expected to hamper the market growth. Conversely, adoption of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) in space exploration and numerous ongoing projects for exploring and colonizing Mars and moon would create new opportunities for the growth of the industry.Space craft design segment to dominate, operation segment to register fastest growth by 2025The space craft design segment contributed the largest share in 2017, accounting for four-fifths of the total revenue. It is expected to continue its dominance through 2025 due to increased investments and funding from governments and private companies worldwide for designing and manufacturing space crafts. However, the operation segment is projected to register the fastest CAGR of 29.1% from 2018 to 2025 due to the increasing inflow of investment by public and private stakeholders in space mining technologies for resource exploitation. Moreover, the launch segment would grow at a steady pace through 2025.Type C segment to dominate through 2025Among asteroid types, the type C segment, which are chondrite asteroids, accounted for 43.2% of the total market revenue in 2017 and would maintain its revenue lead through the study period. This is because type C asteroids are carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, which are known to contain large deposits of water and metals. However, the type M segment is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 29.5% during the forecast period because M Type asteroids contain highly valuable resources such as platinum, gold, silver, and others. The report also analyzes asteroid types such as type S and others.For Purchase Enquiry:3D printing to lead in terms of revenue, construction segment to witness fastest growth by 20253D printing segment captured nearly half of the total market revenue in 2017 and is projected to maintain its lead through 2025. This is on account of the advancements in 3D printing technology such as high-resolution prototypes and Zero-G technology that helps in printing objects in space. However, the construction segment would grow at the highest CAGR of 29.1% through 2025, owing to heavy inflow of investments for the development and construction of space infrastructure for space missions. The report also analyzes applications such as resource harvesting and others.North America to garner highest revenue, LAMEA to grow the fastest through 2025The asteroids mining market in North America contributed nearly one-third of the global market revenue in 2017. It is projected to retain its lion's share through 2025, owing to technological advancements related to asteroid mining and high investment in space technology industry. The U.S. is expected to be an emerging player in the asteroids mining industry due to the presence of strong government agencies in the region such as NASA, Satellite Industry Association, and Commercial Spaceflight Federation, among others. However, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa (LAMEA) would register the highest CAGR of 26.4% from 2018 to 2025 due to the growing inclination toward advanced technological products, increase in investments in space technologies, and growth in R&D facilities in the region. The other regions analyzed in the report include Europe and Asia-Pacific.Key players of the industryThe key market players analyzed in the report include Asteroid Mining Company, Bradford, iSpace, Kleos Space S.A., Planetary Resources, SpaceFab.US, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Offworld, and Virgin Galactic.About UsAllied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesUSA/Canada (Toll Free):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1(855)550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: The nomination of Bharatiya Janta Party's East Delhi candidate, Gautam Gambhir, was accepted by the Delhi Electoral office on Wednesday, hours after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised objections over documents submitted by him. However, the AAP on Wednesday said that it would move the Delhi High Court, challenging the returning officer's decision to accept the nomination papers of Ramesh Bidhuri, the BJP candidate from South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. AAP's South Delhi candidate Raghav Chadha on Wednesday alleged that Bidhuri's nomination also had a few "shortcomings". "I will be moving the Delhi High Court against wrongful acceptance of nomination papers of BJP's South Delhi Candidate, Ramesh Bidhuri, by the Returning Officer. Mr.Bidhuri has concealed crucial information including pending criminal cases against him," Chadha tweeted. The party, in a statement, said it would move the high court since the returning officer "erred in overlooking glaring discrepancies in Bidhuri's nomination and it is a fit case for legal challenge". The party listed some of the grounds on which it will challenge the decision. "The BJP candidate has failed to declare in particulars of pending criminal proceedings, particularly CC No. 303/2018 filed in P. S. Kazimahammadpur, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, under Sections 504, 506, 153 and 153(a) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860," it said. Bidhuri also failed to disclose particulars of LIC policy for sum assured of Rs 1,00,000 with premium of Rs 2,829 half yearly, though the same was disclosed in the Form 26 Declaration in 2014, the party claimed. The candidate has intentionally left blank paragraph 6A, despite being required to fill up. In Paragraph No. 4 in respect of his income tax return, the candidate has disclosed a false total income of Rs 8,79,150 for the year 2013-14 as opposed to the amount of Rs 6,16,995 demonstrated by his Form 26 Declaration for the year 2014, the AAP said. "In Paragraph No, 4 in respect of his spouse's income tax return, the candidate has disclosed a false total income of Rs 1,68,000 for the year 2013-14 as opposed to the NIL income demonstrated in his Form 26 Declaration for the year 2014," the AAP alleged. "Gambhir's nomination was examined by the authorities and has been accepted," a senior official of the Delhi CEO Office said. Tuesday was the last day of filing nominations for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, which is due on May 12. The AAP had also raised objections on nominations filed by sitting South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri. Luxury Wine & Spirit Market Analysis, Innovation Trends and Current Business Trends by 2024 |Top Players Pernod Ricard, Brown-Forman, Diageo, Bacardi, Bayadera Group, Beam Suntory Luxury Wine & Spirit Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/1981 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1981 www.gminsights.com http://global4energy.com 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 @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.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.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: Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Market 2019 | Worldwide Forecast 2025 | Major Players Raytheon, MBDA, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin Corporation, etc. Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Market https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/110328 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/110328 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/110328 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/110328 www.upmarketresearch.com Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Marketresearch 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.Get Exclusive FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Market Analysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 116 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.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 Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Market global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2019 2025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.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 Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Marketanalysis & forecast 2019 - 2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Region- wise Analysis covers: North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The Major players reported in the market include: Raytheon MBDA Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Lockheed Martin Corporation Boeing Thales Bharat Dynamics Denel Dynamics Mectron Sagem Makeyev Design Bureau Tactical Missiles Kongsberg Defense Systems Saab BAE Systems Northrop Grumman Alliant Techsystems Rheinmetall Defense Aerojet Rocketdyne BrahMos AerospaceProduct Segment Analysis: Missile Defense Systems Surface-To-Air Missiles Air-To-Surface Missiles Air-To-Air Missiles Anti-Ship MissilesApplication Segment Analysis: Military Simulation Exercises OtherMajor Topics Covered in this Report: Chapter 1 Study Coverage Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Market Size by Manufacturers Chapter 4 Production by Regions Chapter 5 Consumption by Regions Chapter 6 Market Size by Type Chapter 7 Market Size by Application Chapter 8 Manufacturers Profiles Chapter 9 Production Forecasts Chapter 10 Consumption Forecast Chapter 11 Upstream, Industry Chain and Downstream Customers Analysis Chapter 12 Opportunities & Challenges, Threat and Affecting Factors Chapter 13 Key Findings Chapter 14 AppendixGet Exclusive FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales MarketAnalysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 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.GlobalMissiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Market: Key Stakeholders: Manufacturers Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers Subcomponent Manufacturers Industry Association Downstream VendorsIn this study, the years considered to estimate the market size are as follows: History Year: 2013-2018 Base Year: 2018 Estimated Year: 2019 Forecast Year 2019 to 2025Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Market Analysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 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 Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Market analysis and forecast 2019 - 2025.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.You can also ask for region wise Missiles and Missile Defense Systems Sales Market research report, as below: Global Market Status & Trend Report 2013- 2025 Top 20 Countries Data North America Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 South America Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 Europe Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 EMEA Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 Asia Pacific Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 China Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 India Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 United States Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025About 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. This might be the last week of the Vancouver-area measles outbreak. Monday will be 42 days since the last case was diagnosed -- the bar public health officials use to reasonably say a measles outbreak is over. A single measles case can have a 21-day ripple effect. So public health officials consider two of those cycles without a new case to mean that no one else who is vulnerable to infection has been infected. As the outbreak winds down, Clark County Public Health spokeswoman Marissa Armstrong said that state and local investigators have not pinpointed how it started. The first case was of a child who traveled to Clark County from Ukraine, however Armstrong said officials require more proof that the child passed it to residents of Clark County who were not already infected. We may never know the patient zero, we just know the one is the first we were aware of and that was confirmed, Armstrong said. All the Vancouver-area cases were caused by the same wild strain of measles from Eastern Europe. Between Clark and Multnomah counties, 77 people have been diagnosed with measles since Jan. 1. It is part of a record-setting year for measles cases. More people have been diagnosed with measles so far in 2019 than since the disease was declared eliminated from the U.S. Nearly all were completely unvaccinated, though some had one dose of the vaccine, which is 93 percent effective. Two doses are 97 percent effective, and public health officials in Washington recommend that everyone who is unvaccinated or only received one get both shots to avoid contracting measles. The vaccine can reduce the risk of infection if gotten within 72 hours after exposure to the virus. Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air and can linger for up to two hours in an enclosed area. Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus will contract it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For every 1,000 people who get measles, one to two die. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, now a top official at Lyft, said the ride-hailing giant doesnt want to fully replace public transit but rather sees a future where it will have vehicles, bikes and scooters a within steps in every community. Foxx, who was the nations top transportation official during the Obama administration, was the keynote speaker at The Street Trusts annual Active Transportation Summit in Portland on Thursday. Ridership at public transit agencies in many U.S. cities dropped in recent years, a trend attributed by transit leaders to a variety of factors like the rise of Uber and Lyft, stifling congestion in major cities and frustration with the reliability of bus and train service. The former city council member and mayor of Charlotte told stories of growing up in the North Carolina city to a packed ballroom at the Oregon Zoo. Raised primarily by his grandparents, Foxx relied on buses to get around town, and he described how the bus opened up the possibilities to him. He used the example of riding the bus from his predominately black neighborhood to Charlottes science museum. Transportation is more than getting from A to B, he said, its literally about connecting communities. Foxx took a job with Lyft last fall, where he is now the companys Chief Policy Officer. He was also scheduled to appear at a Lyft marketing event to tout the companys initiative to allow passengers to choose a hybrid or electric vehicles from the fleet. Foxx was introduced by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland, a transportation wonk and former city commissioner credited with sparking the urban streetcars revival. Foxx saw that first hand in Charlotte where he pushed to expand the citys system. He praised Blumenauer for his leadership nationally, and Portland, which Foxx said he considers the transit capital of America. Lyft is working to pass a bill in Salem that would allow ride-hail companies to operate across Oregon. Currently, Lyft and its chief competitor, Uber, cant operate in all Oregon cities. Portland transportation officials and the Street Trust, the nonprofit advocacy group that pushes for safer walking, biking and transit access, have criticized the legislation introduced by State Rep. Susan McLain. The chief criticisms, they say, is that it would preempt Portlands existing regulations. Foxx said that while he understands theres tension over the bill, he sees the effort to bring ride-hailing to all of Oregon as an issue of economic equality. Transportation costs are typically the second highest for families, behind housing expenses. For many people on the margin, he said, having access to a per-trip model could be much cheaper and give them more economic freedom [than owning a car]. During his speech, Foxx took pains to explain Lyft has no interest in replacing public transit altogether, saying its founders see the company as complementary to public transit. Foxx, who said he grew up surrounded by freeways in Charlotte, said that while some people may be nervous about the increasing role of technology companies like Uber and Lyft in reshaping how Americans get around, he doesnt believe that building more roads is the way to solve cities gridlock. Jillian Detweiler, the executive director of the Street Trust, asked Foxx what he did to embed environmental justice into transportation decisions while he was in the federal government. Foxx touted some of his accomplishments, such as pushing back on Alabama for shuttering DMV offices in black communities and forcing the state to offer those services again, but he said he wasnt about to get as far as I wanted to go, when it came to righting past wrongs. He said the nation is still reckoning with its decades of freeway building and its effects on minorities and low-income communities. Weve literally drawn people in and out of the mainstream using physical structures, he said. Unpacking that is a terrible challenge. -- Andrew Theen atheen@oregonian.com 503-294-4026 @andrewtheen Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. What took place Wednesday afternoon on the University of Portland campus was a reminder of the inherent unfairness in life. On one end of the grounds, students prepared for next weeks finals and their futures. On the other, people stood in line for a memorial service to honor a young life cut short. Cowlitz County Deputy Justin DeRosier, a 29-year-old husband and father, was killed April 14 after responding to one of the most routine calls: Check something out. He did, pulling up in his patrol car to investigate a motorhome and a pickup blocking a rural road about 3 miles east of Interstate 5 near Kalama in southwest Washington. Two minutes after arriving on the scene, DeRosier radioed that hed been hit by gunfire. He was rushed to a Vancouver hospital, where he died in surgery. The man suspected of killing him was found the next day after a manhunt. He was shot and killed by Kelso police following an armed confrontation. Wednesday began when the hearse containing DeRosiers body and an SUV holding his family left Longview. Led by a procession of law enforcement vehicles and motorcycles, the convoy traveled down Interstate 5, pulled onto the campus just after 11:30 a.m. and stopped outside the Chiles Center, where the memorial was held. The center was selected because it was close to Cowlitz County and could accommodate a large crowd. Nearly 1,000 law enforcement officers from across the Pacific Northwest joined friends and family to honor one of their own. Deputy Justin DeRosier memorial Live from the memorial honoring slain Cowlitz County Deputy Justin DeRosier. DeRosier, a 29-year-old father and husband, was shot after being sent late April 13 to check on a motorhome and pickup truck blocking a road about 3 miles east of Interstate 5. Posted by The Oregonian on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 The flag-draped coffin was in front of the auditorium. Programs distributed to those in attendance showed photographs of DeRosiers life: A fresh-faced man dancing with his wife, Katherine, at their wedding just three years ago. A father holding Lilly, his 6-month-old daughter. A man in uniform, ready to go to work. A friend surrounded by those he loved and who loved him. DeRosier always wanted to get into the profession. After graduating from Kelso High School, he enrolled at Washington State University. To pay for college, he worked summers in Alaska as an officer for the Bristol Bay Borough Police Department. He graduated from WSU in 2012 with a degree in criminal justice, and a year later was sworn in as a deputy for the nearby Whitman County Sheriffs Office. He graduated from the Washington State Law Enforcement Academy and in 2016 was hired as a Cowlitz County deputy back home. The service, full of dignity and tradition, focused on his life and passion for life. Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers said speaking at the memorial was the hardest thing he has had to do during his 17-year-career. But to speak, he said, was also an honor and a way to pay tribute to a man he called our fallen brother, a man who viewed what he did as more than just a job, always aware that it might, one day, require the ultimate sacrifice. He could have been anything, Myers said. But he chose to be a sheriffs deputy. Funeral procession for Cowlitz County Deputy Justin DeRosier The funeral procession for Cowlitz County Deputy Justin DeRosier heads south on I-5 to his memorial service at the Chiles Center at University of Portland. Posted by The Oregonian on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 DeRosier taught all who worked and knew him the meaning of humanity, said Darren Ullman, Cowlitz County undersheriff. We need more Justin DeRosiers, Ullmann said. Not just as cops, but as friends. The five-year anniversary of DeRosiers graduation from the law enforcement academy was on April 15, one day after he died. If, on graduation day, someone had told DeRosier of his ultimate fate, Ullmann said the deputy would have pushed the person aside and continued on his way because he was proud of his profession. And yet one couldnt help but glance to the front row where Katherine DeRosier sat with their daughter in her arms. The man being honored will miss so much: dropping off his little girl at kindergarten, teaching her to ride a bicycle without training wheels, her first school dance. Chief Jim Kelly of the Woodland Police Department said DeRosier was stolen from all who knew him. Rest well, my son, he said. --Tom Hallman Jr. thallman@oregonian.com; 503 221-8224 @thallmanjr Testing of DNA evidence from a womans sexual assault kit obtained after a 1997 Portland attack has led to a three-count indictment against a 56-year-old man serving a federal sentence for a gun-related crime, prosecutors announced Thursday. Richard Timothy Ward, who at one time lived in Northeast Portland and currently is in federal custody in Arkansas, is now charged with one count of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sodomy in connection with a Jan. 27, 1997 assault of a 21-year-old woman in Portland. Ward and the victim in the case were both looking for day-labor jobs at a site in Northeast Portland, near Sandy Boulevard and Interstate 205, according to investigators. The victims kit was among thousands of sexual assault evidence kits that sat untouched by Portland police until public pressure mounted to have the evidence analyzed. With a $2 million grant from the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, Multnomah, Marion and Lane counties sent 2,610 kits to a private lab for testing in the last three years. On Aug. 22, 2017, a DNA hit, or match, was reported between evidence in the 1997 sexual assault kit and Wards DNA, according to prosecutors. Wards indictment marks the seventh prosecution resulting from the recent testing of old sexual assault kits. "When the alleged crimes occurred, law enforcement, despite investigative follow up, was unable to identify a suspect,'' according to a statement from the Multnomah County District Attorneys office. Ward is currently serving an eight-year federal sentence at a prison in Forrest City, Arkansas. He was sentenced in October 2014 for transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons and court records. He was found with a 12-gauge shotgun after a disturbance at a convenience store in Norfolk, Virginia on Feb. 13, 2014. Federal prosecutors described Ward, who was born in Florida but has lived in Tennessee and Portland, as an armed career criminal, who at the age of 20 kidnapped a woman at gunpoint and stole her car in a 1983 armed robbery and kidnapping case that occurred in North Carolina. He was later taken into custody multiple times for indecent exposure, and convicted of two burglary charges in 1992 in New Jersey, according to federal court records. Ward had been married but his wife died in a motorcycle accident in 2012. Wards federal prison release date is March 25, 2021. Multnomah County prosecutors say they dont know when hell be extradited to Oregon. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. The FBI on Wednesday said it investigated a possible threat to Islamic organizations in Oregon before determining there are no immediate safety concerns. Beth Anne Steele, an FBI spokeswoman in Portland, would not say what the possible threat was or how it had been resolved. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made. Steele emphasized that there is no known threat to any Islamic center in Oregon. The potential risk was identified by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is a partnership effort among many Oregon law enforcement agencies and the local FBI office. The FBI notified police who, in some cases, increased patrols. The Washington County Sheriffs Office, for instance, increased patrols near the Bilal Masjid mosque outside Beaverton, Sgt. Danny DiPietro said. The mosque received extra attention for about six to eight hours Wednesday, he said. Bilal Masjid posted information on its Facebook page about its contact with authorities. Phone calls and emails to the mosque were not immediately returned. The Sheriffs office have increased their presence at ALL Masjids including Bilal, especially during the Salah times, according to the Facebook page. Authorities recommended that we remain vigilant during this time. -- Brad Schmidt bschmidt@oregonian.com 503-294-7628 @_brad_schmidt EUGENE -- A judge Thursday gave Edwin Enoc Lara, a former college campus security officer, a federal life sentence for terrorizing a 19-year-old woman for almost 10 hours by carjacking her at gunpoint in Salem and forcing her to accompany him to California after having killed a Bend woman. U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane veered from sentencing guidelines that allowed for up to 20 years in prison and increased the penalty range by six levels to issue the life sentence for Laras brutal crime spree in July 2016, calling him an extreme danger to the community. The uncommon federal sentence marks Laras second life prison term. The 34-year-old former criminal justice major was sentenced in state court last year to life in prison without the possibility for parole for the July 24, 2016, sexual assault, kidnapping and killing of Kaylee Sawyer, 23, of Bend. The federal sentence will run at the same time as the state sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Lichvarcik called Lara one of the most dangerous men who has walked through this courthouse. The prosecutor said Lara deserved a metaphorical federal lock on his prison door in the unforeseen case that his state true life term was ever overturned or shortened through a future challenge. Lichvarcik said the victim in the case must be absolutely certain that he will never step foot freely on this earth. Aundreah Elizabeth Maes, sitting between her mother and the prosecutor, addressed the judge briefly during the hearing in Eugene after Lara had pleaded guilty to her carjacking and kidnapping. You thought you stole my life from me, but Im not a victim. Im a survivor Im a warrior, she said. Im stronger than Ive ever been, and youre going to rot where you belong. Defense lawyer Mark Sabitt had argued that a federal sentence was unnecessary considering the states life term. Laras three-day crime spree was an enigma and can only be explained by his clients genetic degenerative cognitive brain disability, identified in a recent evaluation, Sabitt said. He dismissed the prosecutions characterization of Lara as a potential serial killer or psychopath. Its virtually certain he will die in prison, Sabitt said. Sabitt urged the judge to adopt the sentence of 20 years recommended by federal probation officials. The father of the woman Lara killed, her stepmother and grandparents also attended the hearing. The prosecutor described how Lara told others of his urge to kill and how he hunted for a carjacking victim in Salem while on the run from his fatal beating of Sawyer. He found Maes sitting in a gold Volvo 850 in the parking lot of a Ross store on July 25, 2016. He opened the passenger door, pointed a gun at her and demanded she drive. While Maes drove, Lara showed her pictures of him in uniform as a campus security officer for Central Oregon Community College and news reports about the 23-year-old woman hed just killed. He ordered Maes to stop at the Relax Inn in Cottage Grove at 11:39 p.m. There, he handcuffed Maes to the bathroom door, covered her head with a shirt while he took a shower and then said it was her turn to shower. Crying, she objected. Unable to remove the cuffs from the door, he broke off the door knob. With her hands cuffed behind her back, he forced her into one of two beds, made her swallow two sleeping pills and crawled in beside her, the prosecutor said. Lara asked the 19-year-old if she was a virgin and started sucking on her earlobe. Through tears, the young woman made up a story -- telling Lara that she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease from her boyfriend. Her quick-thinking likely was the only reason Lara didnt sexually assault her, the prosecutor said. At one point, Lara shared with Maes, Right now I have that urge just to walk out with my gun and just shoot everybody in this motel. Fearful police were after him, Lara suddenly left the motel with Maes at 1:26 a.m. They drove until 5 a.m. stopping at a Super 8 motel in Yreka, Calif., where Lara walked with Maes toward a 73-year-old motorist sitting in a parked car and shot him point blank in the abdomen when he wouldnt give up his vehicle. Lara fled with Maes on foot to a nearby gas station, where he carjacked a 76-year-old woman. The woman and her two teenage grandsons remained inside the car. He eventually forced the three out and continued driving south with Maes. At one point, Lara videotaped himself using the 19-year-olds cellphone and ordered her to post the video on her Facebook page with the caption, Murderer on the loose and Kidnapped. At 6:40 a.m. on July 26, 2016, he called 911 and said he was wanted for murder. He was arrested a short time later, armed and wearing a bulletproof vest. Before Lara addressed the judge at Thursdays sentencing, Maes and Sawyers father and stepmother walked out of the courtroom to avoid hearing him speak. Lara, in an orange-striped jail suit, told the judge that hes cried for three years but doesnt anymore. He said his prior statements to police were made only because he just wanted to go home. Im sorry for what happened. I wish I could take everything back. I wish I could have stopped it, he said. I dont know what happened. I was never this kind of guy. According to his lawyer, Lara, a Honduras native, came to the United States 28 years ago. He comes from an impoverished family and lived through gang violence in Los Angeles before moving to Madras. Drug and alcohol abuse caused him to drop out of Madras High School, but he later obtained a GED, an associate degree in criminal justice from Central Oregon Community College and a bachelors degree from Portland State University. He has legal status in the United States but isnt a citizen, meaning hed face deportation if he ever was released from custody. During a search of Laras home in Redmond, which he shared in 2016 with his wife, then a new Bend police officer, authorities found a class project that Lara had done about serial killer Angel Resendez Ramirez. Lara wrote that Ramirez always killed with a blunt force trauma'' and used "weapons of opportunity'' found at the scene. Lara killed Sawyer in an eerily similar fashion, "with a rock found at the scene,'' Lichvarcik noted in his sentencing memo. Sawyer died from blunt force trauma. The judge said he took into account Laras three-day criminal episode, the terrorizing of Maes over a protracted period, his shooting of another man and carjacking another family in front of her. Charges for the shooting and carjacking in California are still pending, but any sentence there also would run concurrently with the Oregon cases under his plea deal. The judges voice quivered with emotion as he turned his attention to Laras victims. He credited Maes for her extreme courage and strength and thanked Sawyers father and stepmother for one of the most difficult letters hes ever had to read as a judge. He said he was particularly moved that Sawyers parents looked beyond their own loss and said they would also pray for the judges strength in this case. Im deeply sorry for whats occurred, McShane told them. I wish I could change things. I cant. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. SALEM -- Starkly divergent views of a series of proposed reforms to Oregons juvenile justice system emerged Wednesday during a packed legislative hearing on the bill. Senate Bill 1008 would end the automatic referral of juveniles facing Measure 11 charges to adult court, allowing judges to decide. The bill has already passed the Oregon Senate and is before the House. Opponents, including victims of violent crimes committed by juveniles, urged lawmakers to reject the bill, arguing that the states decades-old system has made Oregon safer. Randy Tennant of Milwaukie testified about his mothers murder in 2012 by his teenage nephew. Donna Tennant, a longtime Multnomah County Court employee, was fatally stabbed by Andrew Johnson, who was 17 at the time. He was sentenced to life in prison. This is not the person I want out, Tennant told members of the House Judiciary Committee. This is a person I dont want to see in 15 years. These are the people we want to keep off the streets, he said. Bill supporters said young people deserve second chances and that the state is out of step with the latest research on the connection between brain development and youth crime. The directors of the Oregon Department of Corrections and the Oregon Youth Authority testified in favor of the bill. The association that represents juvenile department directors also has said it supports the proposed legislation. Joe OLeary, director of the youth authority, said the current juvenile system is outdated and disproportionately affects people of color. The bill, he said, represents realistic and practical policies that will bring Oregon closer to what research tells us works for kids. The bills most vocal opponents are prosecutors, some of whom this week said it would apply retroactively to offenders like school shooter Kip Kinkel and other killers. House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, D-Portland, has sought to quell concerns about the bills retroactivity. Williamson said lawmakers didnt intend for the law to apply to current juvenile offenders. She released a legislative counsel opinion stating that the bill would apply only to future cases. Early on in the hearing, Rep. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, a former Circuit Court judge, said the opinion isnt law. One opinion by (legislative) counsel does not make a debated issue fact, he said. Lane County District Attorney Patty Perlow told the committee that she worried about the bills implication for Kinkels case. Kinkel was 15 when he killed his parents in their Springfield home on May 20, 1998, then showed up the next day at Thurston High School with three guns hidden in his trench coat. He killed two classmates and wounded 24 others. Now 36, he is two decades into a nearly 112-year prison sentence. The scars are not healed in my community from those events, Perlow said. The trauma is very real. She also talked about the case of Jaime Tinoco-Camarena, who was 17 when he killed a woman at a Cedar Mill apartment complex in 2014. Hes also been convicted of rape. Even if this bill is only going to apply prospectively, to think there is not going to be another Kip Kinkel or Jaime Tinoco in my community or in your community -- these are not people who can be supervised in the juvenile department and safely released into our communities, Perlow said. Greg Horner, the retired chief deputy district attorney for Clackamas County, described the process for transferring juveniles into adult court in the era before Measure 11, a voter-approved mandatory minimum sentencing law passed by voters in 1994. The law applies to crimes including rape, murder and assault and carries longer sentences. Horner said judges typically considered a juveniles circumstances and background ahead of public safety concerns. The exercise of judicial discretion was uniformly in favor of the juvenile, Horner told lawmakers. Victims and their families left those hearings with a sense of confusion and disappointment. It was a system that contributed to a sense that victims were only marginally relevant to the outcome. One district attorney -- John Hummel of Deschutes County -- called the bill good policy. Hummel cited developments in brain research, which he said found that adolescents are more likely to act on impulse, misread or misinterpret social cues and get involved in accidents, fights and other dangerous or risky behavior. He said those scientific advances should prompt a hard look at how Oregon prosecutes young offenders. Does this mean youth should not be held accountable for their actions? he said. Absolutely not. The bill would do away with life without parole sentences for juveniles. Anyone convicted of a crime when theyre younger than 18 would get a chance to seek parole after 15 years. The bill also gives juveniles convicted of Measure 11 crimes the opportunity for a so-called second look hearing half-way through their sentences. According to the bill, a judge would consider allowing young offenders to serve the rest of their sentences under community-based supervision instead of prison. The bill heads to a work session of the Judiciary Committee. That meeting hasnt yet been scheduled. -- Noelle Crombie 503-276-7184 ncrombie@oregonian.com @noellecrombie Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. A Portland man who was shot in Portlands Lents neighborhood died Wednesday at a local hospital. Portland Police said James G. Richardson, 39, died Wednesday afternoon, after police found him shot in the 8400 block of Southeast Ellis Street around 10 that morning. Police have not released the names of any suspects, or anything about the motive for the shooting. The incident is under investigation. -- Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR With the first three phases of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections over, the Samajwadi Party has raised the pitch in its campaign to underline caste-based identity of its alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance represents the social groups who do the menial jobs in society and are yet the underprivileged section. These sections have been denied their due share in the polity of India, said SP president Akhilesh Yadav while addressing election meetings in Hardoi and Kanpur on Wednesday. India is passing through a difficult phase as all constitutional institutions are being subverted. Even constitutional provision for reservation to Schedule Castes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is under threat and the disadvantaged sections are being denied their rightful share in power structure, Akhilesh said. The Bharatiya Janata Party in its election manifesto promised to clear the pendency of cases in various courts and also assured prompt justice. The opposite happened after five years and the pendency (in courts) increased by 50 lakh cases. If you look at the social identity of litigants, they are from SCs, OBCs and Muslims so the BJP lost interest in fulfilling the promise made in its poll manifesto and decided to leave them (these people) to their fate, the SP chief charged. Akhilesh also hit out at welfare programmes like free toilet and free LPG connection schemes launched by the Narendra Modi government. These schemes are aimed at he empowerment of people of below poverty line (BPL) category who are mostly SCs and OBCs. The BJP government gave free LPG cylinders to the poor only to bail out loss-making oil marketing companies so that they could dispose of the stock of additional cylinders. The LPG scheme has failed in its objective as the refill rate is nil, Akhilesh claimed. The SP chief further said that the next prime minister would be from Uttar Pradesh, even though the opposition bloc was spoilt for choices. He, however, parried a question by reporters whether he or Mayawati were in the race for prime ministership, saying, Main chahta hoon agla pradhan mantri UP se ho. (I want the next prime minister to be from UP) Talking about speculation about Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadras probable candidature from Prime Minister Narendra Modis turf Varanasi, Akhilesh said that the general elections would take a decisive turn in the last phase of polling and the BJP was already speaking the language of a loser. Asli romaanch aakhri charan mein hoga, intezaar kijiye, he said. Blasting the Modi regime for its failed promises, the SP chief said that the BJP had mastered the art of shifting public attention from core issues through last-minute polarisation. Dhyan hatane ki rajneeti BJP ke paas hai, he said. Suddenly, they are trying to shift the countrys focus to Bhopal by pitching controversial sadhvi, Pragya Thakur, and nobody is talking about unemployment or farmers issues. The Election Commission should take strict action against rabble-rousers, the SP chief said. To the doodhwala jibe by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that cattle raisers got dignity because of the Constitution, Akhilesh said, I am happy that the Constitution has given us the right, but the BJP is trying to trample upon that too. Akhilesh also derided the Congress strategy in UP, saying that the party was fighting the elections for 2022 Assembly polls and not for Lok Sabha. UPDATED Friday, April 26: Man suspected of hitting Vancouver police car arrested after chase, authorities say *** Vancouver police are looking for a man who hit a police car and then drove away, after being stopped by police around 8:30 a.m. Thursday . Officers contacted the man, whom they said was an Asian or Pacific Islander in his late 20s, when he was sitting in the drivers seat of a parked Kia SUV. When police approached him, he drove away, hitting a stopped police vehicle. The car is a rental, and should have some minor collision damage on the front drivers side. Police said the man had a ponytail and several tattoos on both arms. Police have asked anyone who sees the suspect to call 911 as soon as possible. --Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian PENDLETON A beloved chemistry teacher from India just took his first giant step toward staying in the United States. Blue Mountain Community College chemistry instructor Chandra Kunapareddy got the answer he sought at the last of three special BMCC Board of Education meetings. Community college board of education meetings aren't usually riveting, high-suspense affairs. However, the trio of standing-room-only special board meetings in the last week featured both angst and passion. Kunapareddy, 36, faced the expiration in 2020 of his H-1B visa, a document that allows U.S. employers to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require intellectual or technical expertise. The chemistry instructor grew up in a village in southern India, born into a caste of farm workers. None of his family except him has gone past middle school. In 2017, when Kunapareddy started his job, the college officially notified him that the visa assistance was a one-time deal. On April 17, at the first meeting, the instructor asked for a change in course. He said he loved his job, his student evaluations were stellar and he hoped to raise his children here. Would the college consider helping him renew the visa and start the green card process? Board members listened as a string of faculty and students took the microphone to praise Kunapareddy as a personable, qualified instructor with the gift of making the sometimes dry subject of chemistry come alive. More than one person got emotional as they spoke. At the second meeting, on April 18, board members wrestled with the pros and cons as they decided how to vote. Jane Hill and Kim Puzey favored helping Kunapareddy, while Chair Chris Brown, Heidi Van Kirk and Anthony Turner worried about overturning the 2017 decision and fretted about an additional financial obligation during tight budget times. Bob Savage straddled the middle line. The board considered four options ranging from not renewing at all to renewing and helping Kunapareddy navigate the green card process. The price tag for BMCC is somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000 and is the same for Kunapareddy. Puzey, executive director of the Port of Umatilla, initially suggested that the faculty consider raising funds necessary to pay the colleges portion, making any financial objection moot. He offered to throw in $1,000 of his own money. Vice President of Administrative Services Tammy Parker, who researched the process, quickly quashed the notion, as the law requires an employer to pay its half of the fees without outside funds. Mired in complexities, the board opted to push off the decision again until board member Don Rice returned from abroad. At the third meeting, the boardroom again filled up, this time with members of the public joining in. Former state veterinarian Andrew Clark stepped to the microphone. Clark, who said he had taken 13 terms of chemistry en route to his veterinary degree, called a good chemistry teacher "a treasure to be nurtured." Van Kirk, who originally voted against assisting Kunapareddy, moved to start the green card process immediately and renew the visa. She, Kunapareddy, Rice, Parker, Vice President of Instruction John Field and Science Department Chair Philip Schmitz had met the day before as a work group to discuss the way forward., and Van Kirk had modified her position. Hill seconded Van Kirk's motion. Puzey, the Port director, verbalized his support. Though the school would enter uncharted territory, it is a path worth traveling, he said. "I just want to keep this incredible person on our faculty," Puzey said. The vote was six-to-one, with Brown, a rancher and retired Army colonel, voting no. The whole thing could backfire for Kunapareddy. His position must be advertised again to make sure there are no American applicants more qualified to fill his job. If another applicant beats out Kunapareddy, he could be headed back to India. That gives him pause as he realizes the selection committee determines his future, but he focused on the big step forward. Im really thankful. Lots of gratitude, Kunapareddy said. Im willing to pay it back with my teaching. This story comes from The East Oregonian and was written by Kathy Aney. A number of conservation groups plan to host meetings about the proposal to strip gray wolves of endangered species protections nationwide, including a meeting in Portland this summer. The meetings are necessary, said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, because the federal government hasnt planned any public hearings on the proposal. Its appalling that the Trump administration couldnt be bothered to hold any public hearings on this. So well hold our own, he said in a statement. If Trumps plan goes through, itll be the most-damaging decision ever made in the long history of wolf recovery in this country. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt announced the proposal during a March speech before a wildlife conference in Denver, saying that gray wolves had fully recovered since they received endangered species protections in 1975 when there were about 1,000 of them left. There are now more than 5,000 living across the contiguous U.S. In Oregon, at least 137 wolves reside in the state. The creatures are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act in the western third of the state and cannot be killed, but have fewer protections in Eastern Oregon where they lost endangered species status in 2015 and can be killed under specific circumstances Advocates and opponents of wolf conservation have battled for years over the states management plan for the predatory canids and a draft of the plan was released last week with a vote coming in June. The public meetings hosted by the Center for Biological Diversity, WildEarth Guardians, Defenders of Wildlife and the Endangered Species Coalition will be held in Denver, Colorado on April 29; Sacramento, California on May 2; and in Portland on May 6. The groups plan to hold a rally in front of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service headquarters before attendees march to the nearby DoubleTree Hotel where an expert panel on wolves will convene ahead of a public comment period. All comments will be recorded, transcribed and submitted to the federal government, according to a news release about the event. -- Kale Williams kwilliams@oregonian.com 503-294-4048 @sfkale Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. The Oregon conservation community was shocked this week by the nomination of a big game hunter to the states Fish and Wildlife Commission, saying the nominee has shown a disdain for animals and has conflicts of interest. James Nash, a retired marine, hunting guide and rancher who lives in Wallowa County, was tapped by Gov. Kate Brown to serve as one of seven commissioners who oversees the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. His nomination, and conservation groups opposition to it, was first reported by Willamette Week. The conservation groups which included Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Sierra Club, among others penned a strongly worded letter to the governor saying Brown had failed to make good on assurances shed given the groups to nominate a diverse, science-oriented slate of candidates for the commission. Our organizations were stunned to learn that the proposed slate of appointees to serve on the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (Commission) follows the same broken model that has repeatedly failed wildlife and failed Oregonians, the letter read. Appointments have long adhered to an unofficial one seat per interest group model that allows industry and special interests to drive fish and wildlife policy at the expense of science and the public interest. Among the five candidates up for commission seats, Nashs nomination was especially troubling, the letter says. Soon after his nomination was made public, Instagram posts surfaced showing Nash posing next to a host of dead animals in what appear to be big game trophy hunts. Among the animals are a hippopotamus, a crocodile, and a zebra. In one photo, Nash poses with five coyotes he said he killed in one day. A screenshot from the Instagram of James Nash, who was nominated by Gov. Kate Brown to serve on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission. Courtesy/Oregon Wild If you consume prey species, you have an obligation to hunt the predators of that species, Nash wrote in the caption to a post promoting a hunting podcast. The accompanying picture appears to show the bloody teeth of a wolf. In Idaho last year, a Fish and Game Commissioner resigned after pictures of him posing with dead exotic animals were made public, according to the New York Times. Nash changed his Instagram profile to private after conservation groups started raising questions about them. Like most other things concerning state wildlife regulators, wolves add another layer of contention to Nashs nomination. James Nash is the son of Todd Nash, who serves as a Wallowa County Commissioner and treasurer of the Oregon Cattlemens Association, a group that advocates for ranchers, of which James Nash is also a member. The elder Nash has appeared before the Fish and Wildlife Commission on numerous occasions to urge the agency to relax regulations on when wolves can be killed for attacking livestock. The commission is set to vote on the controversial wolf management plan June 7. James Nash has a personal conflict because his father has been a vocal and powerful opponent of wolf conservation in Oregon, the conservation groups letter read. However, we are equally troubled by Mr. Nashs public advocacy in favor of wolf hunting in Oregon and embrace of trophy hunting. The governors office said it expected Nash comply with rules that mandate recusal on any votes that presented a conflict of interest. In an email, Nash said he admired his father and often turned to him for advice, but I am my own person with a life history very different from my dads. I would not recuse myself from those votes (that concerned the Oregon Cattlemens Association), because this commission represents wildlifes interest in the state of Oregon, Nash said. All Oregonians stand to benefit from properly managed wildlife, including cattlemen. He also did not shy away from his stance on recreational wolf hunting, saying that, as the wolf populations increases, it will eventually reach a level where it needs to be reduced. The North American Model for Wildlife Management uses recreational hunting to manage wildlife populations, and generates revenue from the sale of license dollars to continue managing wildlife, Nash said. This is the most effective model in the world. A representative of the governors office told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the governor was unaware of Nashs social media posts when he was nominated, but that he was an appealing candidate precisely because of his background as a hunting and fishing guide. The commission needs to be a mix of rural and urban voices, the governors office said, and Nash had previous experience working on public policy issues. Not all of the nominations were met with concern from environmental groups. Two of the nominees, Mary Wahl and Jill Zarnowitz, have extensive backgrounds in wildlife conservation and habitat restoration. Overall, though, the slate of nominees still represented an imbalance, the environmental groups wrote. While we were encouraged to see two women with science backgrounds among the nominees, we were dismayed to see so many appointees who represent the very industries the Commission is supposed to regulate, their letter read. Kate Kondayen, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Brown hadnt backtracked on any assurances she made to conservation groups. The idea that Governor Brown has changed course on this topic is not in line with her track record, Kondayen said in an email, adding that Brown has been a leader on may environmental issues including a second attempt at implementing a cap and trade program to cut greenhouse gas emissions, banning offshore oil drilling and protecting the Migratory Bird Act from federal attempts to weaken it. Governor Brown has always kept balance and diverse experiences and backgrounds at the fore of her considerations of any board or commission in Oregon, Kondayen said. The nomination process is designed to bring forward more information about candidates, which is why the Senate also has a role to play in confirming appointments. All of the nominees for the Fish and Wildlife Commission will be considered by the Senate Rules Committee on May 8. -- Kale Williams kwilliams@oregonian.com 503-294-4048 @sfkale Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Amanda Knox, the Seattle woman who was accused of murdering her roommate while studying abroad in Italy in college in 2007, who then spent four years in prison, is coming to Portland next month to speak at a fundraiser for the Oregon Innocence Project. Knox was allowed to move back to Seattle in 2011, after her conviction was overturned. In 2015, she was officially acquitted, along with former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher. Knoxs story -- a young American woman caught up in a tabloid murder in a foreign country -- gained worldwide attention. In 2016, Netflix produced a documentary about her case. Now Knox, 31, is a writer and journalist. She will speak at the Oregon Innocence Projects fundraiser, This Is Innocence, on May 9 at Urban Studio in Portland. The Oregon Innocence Project works to help wrongfully incarcerated people in Oregon clear their names. Tickets to the fundraiser cost $125. The Yakama Nation emerged victorious Wednesday in its efforts to sell fireworks on Indian land over the staunch objections of a Washington sheriff. A federal judge for the Eastern District of Washington ruled that the Indian tribe has autonomy over firework sales and state regulations dont apply. The conflict began last year just before the Fourth of July. Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer issued cease and desist orders against members of the tribe selling fireworks in the Columbia River Gorge on land beyond the reservation. But that land is held in trust by the federal government for the tribe, and is considered Indian Country. The judge ruled that Washington authorities couldnt set civil regulations for the Yakama Nation, which has sovereign jurisdiction over its members on non-criminal matters. The judge determined that Washingtons fireworks laws are regulatory and not criminal, precluding law enforcement from intervening. Today the court upheld the Yakama Nations inherent sovereign rights reserved by our ancestors in the Treaty of 1855, Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman JoDe Goudy said in a news release. The Yakama Nation has safely regulated our member-owned firework stands for decades without state intrusion, and with todays order we can look forward to another safe and successful fireworks season this summer. According to the Yakima Herald, Klickitat Countys top prosecutor, David Quesnel, initially warned tribal leaders in 2017 that sales would be blocked in response to the Eagle Creek Fire that ravaged part of the gorge. We cannot take a risk of those bottle rockets and firecrackers causing another $30 million fire, the prosecutor said. This story has been updated to correctly spell the name of the Yakama Nation. -- Brad Schmidt bschmidt@oregonian.com 503-294-7628 @_brad_schmidt By EUGENE ROBINSON WASHINGTON -- The constitutional case for impeaching President Trump was best made two decades ago by one of his most servile enablers, Lindsey Graham, now the senior senator from South Carolina: "You don't even have to be convicted of a crime to lose your job in this constitutional republic if this body [the Senate] determines that your conduct as a public official is clearly out of bounds in your role because impeachment is not about punishment. Impeachment is about cleansing the office. Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office." The political case for moving deliberately but fearlessly toward impeachment is even clearer: If timorous Democrats do not seize and define this moment, Trump surely will. What just happened is that special counsel Robert Mueller delivered a searing indictment of a president who has no idea what "honor" and "integrity" even mean -- a president who lies almost pathologically, who orders subordinates to lie, who has no respect for the rule of law, who welcomed Russian meddling in the 2016 election, who clumsily tried to orchestrate a cover-up, who tried his best to impede a lawful Justice Department investigation and failed only to the extent that aides ignored his outrageous and improper orders. What Trump claims just happened is a "witch hunt." Anyone who thinks there is a chance that Trump will lick his wounds and move on has not been paying attention. Having escaped criminal charges -- because he is a sitting president -- Trump will go on the offensive. With the help of Attorney General William Barr, whose title really should be Minister of Spin, the president will push to investigate the investigators and sell the bogus counternarrative of an attempted "coup" by politically motivated elements of the "deep state." Here is the important thing: Trump will mount this attack (BEG ITAL)no matter what Democrats do(END ITAL). And strictly as a matter of practical politics, the best defense against Trump has to be a powerful offense. I fail to see the benefit for Democrats, heading into the 2020 election, of being seen as such fraidy-cats that they shirk their constitutional duty. Mueller's portrait of this president and his administration is devastating. According to Lindsey Graham's "honor and integrity" standard -- which he laid out in January 1999, when he was one of the House prosecutors in Bill Clinton's impeachment trial in the Senate -- beginning the process of impeaching Trump is not a close call. It is also important for Democrats to keep their eyes on the prize. The election is the one guaranteed opportunity to throw Trump and his band of grifters out of the White House, and the big anti-Trump majority that was on display in last year's midterm must be maintained and, one hopes, expanded. But that task will largely fall to the eventual Democratic nominee, whoever that turns out to be. Presidential contenders should be free to position themselves however they see fit on the impeachment question. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has chosen to single herself out by leading the charge. Others may choose to demur and focus instead on the kitchen-table issues, such as health care, that polls show voters care about. But most Democratic members of Congress (believe it or not) are not running for president. Their focus has to be on their constitutional duty -- and nowhere in the Constitution does it say "never mind about presidential obstruction of justice or abuse of power if there's an election next year." I have no intention of letting congressional Republicans off the hook. They have constitutional responsibilities as well, though it's clear they will not fulfill them. Imagine, for a moment, if the tables were turned -- if a GOP majority were running the House and a Democratic president did half of what Trump did. Do you think Republicans would hesitate for a New York minute? Articles of impeachment would have been drawn up long ago and stern-faced senators, including Graham, would already be sitting in judgment. The conventional wisdom is that Republicans made a political error by impeaching Clinton. But they did win the presidency in 2000 and go on to dominate Congress for most of George W. Bush's tenure. If impeachment was a mistake, it wasn't a very costly one. Does it "play into Trump's hands" to speak of impeachment? I think it plays into the president's hands to disappoint the Democratic base and come across as weak and frightened. Voters who saw the need to hold Trump accountable decided to give Democrats some power -- and now expect them to use it. Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group Gov. Kate Brown has named nine individuals with differing expertise on child welfare and state agency operations to advise her as she tries to turn around operations inside Oregons scandal-plagued foster care system. Appointees include David Sanders, who oversees child welfare system improvements around the nation for Seattle-based foundation Casey Family Programs; Dr. Ajit Jetmalani, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University; and Sarah Kastelic, executive director of the Portland-based National Indian Child Welfare Association. Others include a judge, a specialist on policies that benefit children with developmental disabilities, two state agency heads and an outspoken Oregon case worker with years of experience. Brown announced she would take more direct control of the child welfare branch of the Oregon Department of Human Services two days after a national child advocacy group filed a federal lawsuit outlining problematic treatment of 10 children in Oregon foster care and a week after lawmakers questioned the states decision to send one of those children a 9-year-old girl to a Montana facility that used Benadryl injections and physical restraints to control her. In recent months, news reports also have revealed Oregon child welfare leaders have turned to institutions to house hundreds of foster children, including sending them to out-of-state programs accused of abuse and placing them at residential programs in converted juvenile jails. At a hearing Tuesday, outspoken child advocate Sen. Sara Gelser told DHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht she had lost confidence in his agency. A legislative hearing on child welfare officials use of foster programs in converted juvenile jails is scheduled for Thursday. Nearly two years ago, Brown handpicked Pakseresht to lead the agency through troubled times and get it on course, including being more transparent and keeping children safe. But a week ago, citing a crisis in child welfare, Brown called for creation of the advisory board and other steps to give her more direct control of the agency with an aim of getting it to improve and to do so quickly. She issued an executive order to put her wishes into effect. The new oversight board will meet at least every other week to decide what the child welfare agency should do. Brown also will install an on-site crisis management team to ensure Pakseresht and Child Welfare Director Marilyn Jones implement the boards recommendations. The governor will also embed one of her senior advisers at the child welfare agency to oversee the work, her order says. Other people Brown named to the oversight board are Joe McFerrin II, president of Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center; Leslie Sutton, policy director for the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities; Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Nan Waller; Roseanne Scott, a Multnomah County child welfare case worker; Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen; and Oregon Department of Transportation Director Matt Garrett. -- Hillary Borrud hborrud@oregonian.com As Intel began its quarterly conference call with Wall Street analysts Thursday, the telephone operator mistakenly introduced newly promoted chief executive Bob Swan as Intels interim CEO. I thought on our outlook I was getting demoted already, Swan deadpanned as he came on the call. But then, in his next breath, Swan acknowledged a sobering forecast for the year. Underlying trends are concerning, he said. As a result, weve revised our expectations downward for the year." Promoted just three months ago to the top job, Swan is now facing the companys biggest decline in revenue since the Great Recession. Intel abandoned its forecast of modest growth in 2019 and said it now expects sales will fall by nearly 3 percent this year to $69 billion. The diminished outlook sent Intels stock down 7 percent in after-hours trading to $53.55. The stock has traded between $59.59 and $42.36 in the past year. Intel pointed to three problems Thursday: Declining pricing for memory chips. Poor sales to data centers, who are using their existing chip inventory rather than buying new products from Intel. Increasing headwinds as the Chinese economy cools. If those are Intels immediate troubles, though, theyre not the whole story. Intel is years behind in delivering its next-generation 10-nanometer microprocessors and its factories have been unable to delivering all the chips its customers want. We have committed to never again being a constraint on our customers growth, Swan promised. Even as outlook cools, Intel held its capital spending forecast constant for 2019 at $15.5 billion. Intel said its first quarter came in on track with sales of $16.1 billion, flat compared to 2018. Profits were $4.0 billion, 87 cents a share, compared to 89 cents a share in the first quarter of 2018. The slowdown is already under way, though. Intel said it now expects second-quarter revenue will fall by 8 percent from the same period in 2018. Intel said sales are falling across the business. After years of robust growth, the chipmaker said it expects data center revenue will drop by around 5 percent in 2019. Intels PC group, the companys largest segment, will be down in the low single digit percentages. The datacenter rebound the company was banking on for a back-half (data center group) improvements doesnt look like its going to happen, said Patrick Moorhead with Moor Insights & Strategy. However, he said Intels outlook looks better late in the year when new chips hit the market. China and the memory market is tough for everyone right now and Intel was impacted significantly, Moorhead said. I am expecting other memory companies and tech companies highly indexed in China to feel the pain, too. Intel is Oregons largest corporate employer, with 20,000 workers at its Washington County campuses. Even before the storm clouds gathered it had been an eventful year for the company. After naming Swan to replace ousted CEO Brian Krzanich, Intel then acknowledged it plans a third, multibillion-dollar research factory in Hillsboro -- and new factories in Ireland and Israel. Intel then held at least two rounds of layoffs. In March, it cut hundreds of information technology jobs across the company. And then this week The Information reported Intel laid off workers who had been developing technology for self-driving cars. And last week, Intel scuttled plans to develop its own smartphone modems using the fast 5G wireless standard after widespread reports of technological setbacks. Apple had been using Intel modems for the iPhone, but right before Intel announced its retreat on 5G Apple announced a deal to settle a patent dispute with Intel rival Qualcomm. With prices falling for memory chips, Swan said Intel needs to find a way to generate a more attractive return from the business. He indicated that might involve partnerships with companies that specialize in that market. Key to Intels future, Swan said, will be shifting away from ancillary technologies to focus on the markets where Intel has a clear competitive advantage and then exploiting those advantages more effectively than it has been. By doing fewer things, he said, we will execute better on the things that matter most. -- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 In what he termed criminal negligence, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Tuesday alleged that EVMs were malfunctioning across the country and the votes were going to the BJP. EVMs across India are malfunctioning and the votes are going in favour of the BJP candidates while the district magistrates claim poll officials are not properly trained to operate EVMs. More than 350 EVMs are being replaced. This is criminal negligence for a polling exercise that costs Rs 50,000 crore. Should we believe the DMs or is there something more sinister afoot? Yadav said in a tweet tagging the Election Commission. Talking to reporters after casting his vote in Saifai (Etawah), Yadav said the EC should take cognisance of the reports of malfunctioning EVMs in Rampur and Badaun too. I have come to know that a Cabinet minister is trying to influence polling in Badaun where his daughter is contesting. Officers say the poll officials are not properly trained . Is this the digital India being promised by the government? he asked. He said Netaji (Mulayam Singh) would win with a record margin in Mainpuri. About Firozabad, where his uncle Shivpal Yadav is in the fray against SP candidate Akshay Yadav, Akhilesh said Akshay would win comfortably. In the third phase, the BJP and its allies would taste defeat, Akhilesh Yadav said, adding that people had made up their mind against the BJP. Meanwhile, a delegation of the Samajwadi Party, led by party leader and MLC Rajendra Chowdhury and others, met UP chief electoral officer L Venkateshwarlu in Lucknow and alleged discrepancies in EVMs in Rampur, Badaun. The delegation also complained about the alleged role of a UP minister in Badaun. Asked for his comments, additional chief electoral officer BR Tiwari said a Samajwadi Party delegation lodged complaints that Cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya was trying to influence voters in favour of his daughter Sanghmitra Maurya in Badaun. He said the SP delegation also alleged that EVMs were not functioning in Rampur and the police were not cooperating with the voters. We have taken cognisance of all these points and sought a detailed report from the returning officer in this regard. Directives have been issued to them to take immediate action, Tiwari said. Meanwhile, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is contesting for the fifth consecutive term from Mainpuri, along with his family members, cast his vote in the third phase of polling on Tuesday. The entire Yadav family voted at the model polling booth in a school in Saifai under Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency. Yadav, along with his wife Sadhna and younger daughter-in-law Aparna, had reached Saifai from Lucknow by a private aircraft. Ram Gopal Yadav and his son Akshay Yadav, the SP candidate from Firozabad, were among the first in the family to vote while other family members joined them later. Mulayams brother Abhay Singh Yadav also voted and announced that Netaji would win by a record margin. Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav also exercised their franchise after touching the feet of Mulayam and Sadhna. Akhilesh later left for Kannauj for campaigning, where his wife is the partys candidate in fray. According to new national poll from the Deseret News, the number of Americans who are concerned they spend too much time on their phones has tripled in the last seven years. Of course, if the bus, the sidewalk and any concert or sporting event are any indication, that doesnt mean many people are actually putting down their phones. In 2012, when the Pew Research Center asked respondents if they were worried about the amount of time they spent on their phone, only 11% of people said yes. Now, the Deseret News reports that number is up to 36%. If the research is any indication, probably more people should be worried. According to a 2018 Nielsen study, reported on by Market Watch, American adults spend more than 11 hours per day watching, reading, listening to or simply interacting with media. Thats most of the hours they are awake. Nearly four hours of that is interacting with a smartphone, tablet or computer, though, how those times when you are scrolling through Twitter while watching a Blazers game are counted is not clear. Are you reading this on a screen? Of course you are. Are you worried? Maybe you should be. Research suggests that theres an association in teens between screen time and depression and anxiety. And just this month the World Health Organization issued new guidelines for childhood screen time that included exactly zero minutes a day for babies in their first year of life. And yes, adults have already mainly developed brains, but honestly, we are all human beings. There are some negative impacts of screen times we can point to directly, like, adults shouldnt be looking at screens before bed, just like kids. And anyone with an Instagram account knows how not great it feels when all your friends are on tropical vacations and you are at home, struggling to pay a hospital bill. According to the Deseret News, one way people are dealing with their cellphone addiction is taking intentional phone breaks. According to the poll, 55% of people have purposely set aside their phone for a day or more, which is interesting given that only 36% think they have a problem. The Deseret News, based in Utah and owned the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, suggests a digital Sabbath. Of course, you dont have to be into the Sabbath to take a break from your phone. You can just stop reading this story right now, put your phone down, and go outside. Its a beautiful day in the real world! Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday met with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, who is in Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic in Beijing on April 25, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua] China is willing to work with Europe to promote the implementation of the consensus reached at the 21st China-EU leaders' meeting, accelerate the China-EU Comprehensive Investment Agreement talks, complete negotiations on the geographical indications agreement, and ink the China-EU Civil Aviation Safety Agreement as soon as possible, which will benefit both China and Europe as well as the whole world, Li said. China is willing to further align the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the EU Strategy on Connecting Europe and Asia, expand cooperation on third-party markets in a market-oriented and law-abiding manner, and deepen coordination and cooperation on issues like climate change, Li added. Sefcovic said the European side attaches importance to the BRI, which has achieved great success, and is willing to participate in related cooperation. The European side is willing to work with China to promote EU-China investment agreement talks, strengthen communication on issues like World Trade Organization reforms, expand cooperation on transport, development aid and third-party markets under the BRI framework, and jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade, he added. Prithvi Chaudhuri and Ramola Chaudhuri, the son and daughter of noted author Nirad C Chaudhuri visited Natraj Publishers on Rajpur Road as part of the World Book Day celebrations at the Green Bookshop. They appreciated the choice of books on display and sale and in appreciation of the efforts made by the bookshop to develop reading culture in the city, they presented a set of cufflinks belonging to their father, Nirad C Chaudhuri to Upendra Arora, owner of the bookshop. Ramola Chaudhuri later disclosed that these were worn by their father when he received the decoration of Commander of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth. Incidentally, the same set was chosen by Chaudhuri when he went to call on Jacqueline Kennedy, the then first lady of the United States, at the Buckingham Palace. Nirad C Chaudhuri was born on November 23, 1897, in the East Bengal town of Kishorganj, now in Bangladesh. He lived in Kolkata and Delhi before settling in England in 1970. He began writing his first book Autobiography of an Unknown Indian in 1947, and it was published in England in 1951, and remains in print even today. An instant success, the book is one of the classics of contemporary Indian literature. It provoked a furious debate for its controversial insights into Indian and European history. In 1955, at the age of 57, Chaudhuri first visited England to broadcast a series of talks for the BBC, and this memorable journey prompted him to write The Passage to England. He won the Duff Cooper Memorial Prize for The Continent of Circe. He lived in Oxford, England till his death in 1999. A local veteran of the Vietnam War received a set of medals as a replacement for ones he had lost, and a deceased veteran was honored by a local state representative on Tuesday. Congressman John Moolenaar appeared at American Legion Post 165 on Tuesday to present service medals to James Gerow and the late Roger Hecht, both veterans of the Vietnam War who received Purple Hearts for being wounded in a combat zone. "It was wonderful to honor James Gerow and the late Roger Hecht with the Purple Heart for their service to our nation during the Vietnam War," Moolenaar said. "The Purple Heart is one of our nation's most important honors and it represents the incredible sacrifice these patriots made for our country and the American people." Gerow, 69, had been awarded the same medals while he was in the service, though his ex-wife took them and got rid of them after their divorce, he said. "I didn't know if I could get a second set," Gerow said. "I'm very proud of Mr. Moolenaar for bringing (the medals) to me." Gerow, of Midland, served in the U.S. Army for six years, and was injured by shrapnel in his arm during a firefight with enemy combatants while serving in Vietnam. He was presented with the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Marine Corps Good Conduct, National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Commemoration pin. Gerow was also stationed in Japan, Puerto Rico, Guam, Alaska and Hawaii. "I'd tell any young kid, if he doesn't go into the service, he's crazy," Gerow said. "It's very good for him -- it teaches you discipline and you get to see a lot of the country. If you make a career of it, go in there and keep your head straight, it's the best you could ever do." Roger Hecht, who recently died of cancer, served in the U.S. Army as a parachutist from 1967-1969. He was injured in Vietnam when he was shot and hit with shrapnel. Hecht, of Midland, was honored with the Purple Heart Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with device, the Expert Badge with Auto Rifle Bar, the Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar and the Parachutist Badge. Hecht's wife, Jan Hecht, attended the ceremony in her husband's honor. Like a white flag raised above bloody and battered troops, the 1975 handshake between the Soviet Union's Alexey Leonov and the U.S.'s Thomas Stafford 135 miles above Earth brought the space race to a close, signifying friendship and a thawing of Cold War tensions. But that peaceful greeting -- part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project -- also sparked decades of outer space collaboration between the two countries, underscoring the importance of partnering internationally to explore the new frontier. Nearly 50 years later and as the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing approaches, it's hard to imagine a space endeavor that does not involve the best minds across the globe. "Back then it was about us against the Soviet Union and it was largely an us-only kind of mission," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said recently. "Now, NASA is international, cooperative, and we're able to do more for a whole lot less than ever before." Today, NASA works with more than 120 nations on billions of dollars in projects large and small -- most notably the International Space Station, a scientific collaboration among nearly 20 countries with Russia as America's primary partner. Hubble Space Telescope -- credited with altering humankind's understanding of the solar system and how it formed during its almost three decades orbiting Earth -- was built with the help of the European Space Agency, which provided the telescope's solar panels. The Europeans also have been instrumental in the construction of Orion, the spacecraft that will take humans back to the moon for the first time in 50 years. And as NASA gears up for a return to the moon, working with international partners is more important than ever. Critics, however, say each partnership needs close scrutiny before deals are inked to ensure the U.S. space program will benefit. "Deciding on international strategy for any project has got to be a cold-blooded calculation," said James Oberg, a space historian and former mission controller at Houston's Johnson Space Center. "We have to count the drawbacks and count the benefits." An arm of diplomacy NASA's beginnings were rooted in a nationalist battle for space against the Soviet Union after Sputnik was launched in 1957. But the intention to partner with other nations in America's quest for the cosmos was, literally, written into the space agency's Congressional authorization. The National Aeronautics and Space Act signed into law in July 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower stipulates that the agency's objectives include ensuring the role of the U.S. "as a leader in aeronautical and space science and technology and in the application thereof to the conduct of peaceful activities within and outside the atmosphere." The act also called on the U.S. to cooperate with other nations. "NASA was to be an arm of American diplomacy," according to "NASA in the World: Fifty Years of International Collaboration in Space." "The Space Act thus gave NASA considerable latitude to engage in international collaboration as its officers saw fit." These kinds of partnerships began well before the Apollo-Soyuz project in 1975. During the early years of the Mercury program in the late 1950s and early 1960s, NASA created manned network stations, stretching from London to Hawaii and Australia to Africa so it could track its spacecraft in orbit, according to former mission control flight director Gene Kranz. "To hurl a man into space and bring him back alive, we needed to wire the world," Kranz wrote in his book, "Failure is Not an Option". "This meant stringing communications across three continents and oceans, building tracking stations, installing the most powerful computers we could lay our hands on, and learning the business of real-time spaceflight with our teams." In 1962, Canada launched the Alouette-1 satellite with the help of the U.S. And even the July 1969 Apollo 11 lunar landing involved international partners, though they have gotten little credit over the years. One of the experiments astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took to the moon -- the Solar Wind Composition Experiment, which helped scientists understand solar wind and the beginnings of the solar system -- was paid for by the Swiss National Science Foundation. By 1970, NASA already had collaborated with researchers in 70 different countries and established 225 agreements with 35 of them. U.S. officials began working with the Soviet Union on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1972, ending with the 1975 handshake in space and the experiments during that trip -- the first successful docking of two spacecrafts in orbit. "The Russians we brought on to save money, which it didn't, or make use of their experience, which we didn't," Oberg said. "It was a Nixon policy for the relaxation of tensions It was a graphic demonstration of existing trends." By 1981, NASA's partnership numbers had increased to more than 1,000 agreements with 100 countries, resulting in more than $2 billion for the U.S. A laboratory in the stars NASA could not have built the International Space Station without the help of global collaboration. Construction began in 1998 for the orbiting laboratory in the stars, and it has expanded over the years. Now the size of a five-bedroom house, the space station brings together up to six astronauts at a time from Russia, the U.S., Canada and other nations to research ways to improve life on Earth. "I often refer to the International Space Station as a zero gravity United Nations and when I say that, I like to follow it up with the fact that it works a heck of a lot better than the one in New York City," Milt Heflin, who worked in mission control during the Apollo era and retired from NASA in 2013, recently told the Houston Chronicle. "It's better to work on things together than it is not to." The United States' biggest partner is Russia, once its biggest competitor in space. The Russians have spent the last eight years ferrying American astronauts to the orbiting laboratory after the Space Shuttle program was shuttered in 2011. It now costs $82 million per seat, per trip. There are numerous other examples of international collaboration outside Earth's atmosphere. NASA now has more than 700 international agreements to further the understanding of the universe with nations that include Japan, France, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom, NASA spokesman Grey Hautaluoma said. In February, Canada announced it would partner with NASA on the planned mini-space station to orbit the moon. Hubble, built with assistance from the Europeans, has generated data shared with scientists across the globe for nearly three decades. The Europeans are building the module that will provide power, water, electricity and air to the Orion spacecraft, and they are also contributing to the James Webb Space Telescope, being built to succeed Hubble. Work done by the Mars Curiosity Rover -- launched in 2011 to determine if Mars was ever able to support life -- wouldn't have been possible without the help of Russia, Canada and Spain, according to NASA. Canada also is working on James Webb. But both the launch of Orion and James Webb have been plagued with burgeoning costs and repeated delays. "Perhaps the hardest part of space flight is not the scientific and technological challenges of operating in an exceptionally foreign and hostile environment but in the down-to-earth environment of rough-and-tumble international and domestic politics," NASA officials wrote in a 2008 post on the agency's website. "But even so, cooperative space endeavors have been richly rewarding and overwhelmingly useful, from all manner of scientific, technical, social, and political perspectives." Working together Space exploration is no longer a battle to prove which country is the best, and Americans can expect even more international involvement as NASA prepares to return to the moon on its way to Mars. That's a promise evident in President Donald Trump's plans for space exploration, which is steeped in international partnerships. His fiscal year 2019 budget provides funds to develop the foundation for the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, which would give the U.S. "a strategic presence in the lunar vicinity that will drive our activity with commercial and international partners and help us further explore the moon and its resources and translate that experience toward human missions to Mars." Working with others is how NASA will succeed, Bridenstine said at the Wilson Center last fall. "We're going to take advantage of our international partners and build a sustainable architecture at the moon so we can get back and forth when we need to," he said. "We have, sometimes, countries that are not necessarily always on the best of terms yet when it comes to space, exploration, science and discovery, we can all collaborate in ways that are meaningful to all of humanity." NASA also has partnered on an Israeli probe to the moon, expected to land on the surface next week. Both countries have signed an agreement stating they will "cooperatively utilize" the probe that was built by Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL. Late last year, NASA announced it would work on the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, conducting research on galaxy evolution and the formation of the universe. The agency is working with the United Arab Emirates Space Agency to train UAE astronauts and use the space station. And in January, officials with NASA and China's space agency set aside their differences to share data on the communist country's historic landing on the far side of the moon. It was the first time the two countries had collaborated in space since 2011, when longtime Chinese government critic U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., spearheaded a move prohibiting NASA and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from collaborating with China on any scientific activities. During a February media roundtable in Washington, D.C., Bridenstine said that true partnership with China cannot not happen until the Wolf amendment, as it was later named, is changed by Congress. "I'm not going to close that door, but it's not a door that I'm going to open wide up," he told reporters. 'Cold-blooded assessment' But as NASA moves forward with international cooperation in space, Oberg cautions the agency should not leap hastily into any agreements. He believes the U.S. rushed into a partnership with Russia for the space station. The agreement has worked out, he said, but that largely can be attributed to luck. "We can't really count on being lucky all the time," he said. "We have to really get a much more cold-blooded assessment of the values and the drawbacks of partnerships." Russia's space program has been on the decline for several decades, he said, evident in the most recent set of mishaps that occurred late last year. First, astronauts aboard the space station discovered a hole that was allowing air to escape from the Russian Soyuz spacecraft attached to the space station in August. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory at the time, including NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor, were able to quickly patch the hole and there was no danger to the crew. Russia has not released an investigation report, though officials have said it was caused by an errant drill either on Earth or in space -- a sabotage accusation that did not sit well with NASA personnel and astronauts. Then in October, a different Soyuz carrying American astronaut Nick Hague to the orbiting laboratory was forced to abort its launch because of a rocket booster failure -- the first time such an event had occurred in 35 years. Hague and his crewmate were not injured, and in March they safely and successfully made it the space station to live and work. "Their program over the past 30 years has shriveled -- and that's a kind way of saying it -- in terms of funding, staffing, aging facilities and aging workforce," Oberg said. "Their ability to innovate beyond paper plans just doesn't show itself. You can count the number of successful planetary and lunar probes they've made over past 30 years on the fingers of no hands. There have been zero." Now, the country wants to be involved in U.S. plans to build a mini-space station orbiting the moon. And Oberg considers that "a very serious problem." "They want a role as equals for their own self-image and international prestige," he said. "But we can't make believe anymore." To the editor: A group of my Delta College American government students volunteered for a project where they attempted to get the political parties and the local television stations to agree to do something about all the nasty attack ads politicians inflict on us every campaign season. A recent poll showed that two-thirds of the voters strongly oppose these ads. What we proposed to them was that instead of accepting the personal political attack ads that the the station instead sell their time between 7-8 p.m. weeknights after the news and before network primetime to the candidates for debates. This would occur for at least 45 days leading up to the elections. They should not lose any money. Instead of being turned off by the nastiness of the ads (I immediately grab my remote control just like I do with the lawyer ads), the people can find out where the candidates all stand on issues important to them. I believe this would increase voter turnout. Disappointingly, my students' attempts to discuss the matter over a period of a few months with representatives of the television stations were largely ignored. Representatives of the political parties were kind enough to respond to us but were not enthusiastic to this proposal. We all own the public airwaves collectively. Stations are granted licenses by the Federal Communications Commission for a period of time to broadcast in a fashion that serves the public interest and allows public access. Our election campaigns are disgusting. One of the stations' slogans is "We ask the tough questions." I am asking you to join me in contacting the TV stations to ask them this tough question: "Why not debates instead of slanderous misleading ads?" ROBERT J. DUNN Adjunct faculty Delta College BJP President Amit Shah will hold election rallies in Chandigarh and Yamunanagar (Haryana) on May 5 to boost partys Lok Sabha poll campaign. Apart from these two rallies, Amit Shah may also address another rally in the region on the same day. Chandigarh, being the joint capital of neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana, is a prestigious Lok Sabha seat in northern India. On the other hand, parts of Yamunanagar district falls under two Lok Sabha constituencies including Ambala and Kurukshetra in the state of Haryana. The ruling BJP is facing a tough challenge to retain three Lok Sabha seats of Chandigarh, Ambala and Kurukshetra in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. While voting to 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana is scheduled to be held on May 12, the polling in Chandigarh will be held on May 19. In Haryana, the BJP had won 7 out of 10 seats in last general elections. Only a day before, the BJP had announced to re-nominate MP Kirron Kher to contest the general elections from Chandigarh parliamentary seat. Seeking a mandate for the second term, BJPs Kirron Kher is once again pitted against Congress nominee and former four-time MP Pawan Kumar Bansal while the Aam Aadmi Partys candidate is former Minister Harmohan Dhawan. While Kher had managed to register her maiden victory and defeat former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal in 2014 polls while riding high on Modi wave and lapping up the anti-incumbency votes against Congress, she is locked in a tough triangular battle in Chandigarh this time. Similarly, BJP nominee and outgoing MP Rattan Lal Kataria from Ambala seat and Haryana Minister Nayab Saini from Kuruksherta constituency are pitted against strong contenders of opposition parties. BJPs Rattan Lal Kataria will take on Congress heavyweight Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja in Ambala constituency while Nayab Saini is facing a triangular electoral contest against Congress former Minister Nirmal Singh and INLD candidate Arjun Chautala, fourth generation politician from Chautala family in Haryana. Rattan Lal Kataria, while talking to the mediapersons said that the BJP chief Amit Shah will address an election rally on May 5 in Yamunanagar. Apart from him, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari will also address election rallies in the region in the coming days, he said. Chandigarh BJP media-incharge Ravinder Pathania informed that as per the tentative schedule received by the party city unit, national president Amit Shah will address a rally in Chandigarh on May 5. The Chandigarh BJP unit has also requested the party high command for a rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Central leaders in Chandigarh, he added. Notably, Prime Minister Narendar Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Ministers and senior national leaders are among the star campaigners named by the BJP in Haryana and Chandigarh. The star campaigners include Central leaders including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Road and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. BJP vice president Uma Bharti, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, HRD Minister Smriti Irani, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal, actress and MP Hema Malini, actor turned politician Sunny Deol are among other senior leaders named as star campaigners. Paducah Tilghman High School students (from left) Mason Romanak, Jenna Price, Mark Taylor and Katherine Peck have been selected as participants for the 2019 Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts program. Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - Amnesty International Thursday cautioned the government of Guinea against what it terms the security drift of authorities, a few days before its parliament passes a bill governing the prevention and repression of terrorism in Guinea Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) The Burkinabe government on Wednesday rejected a report about alleged negotiations with terrorist groups operating in the country since 2015 Bamako, Mali (PANA) The European Union (EU) said it will continue supporting Mali in the implementation of its structural reforms needed to strengthen governance all over the national territory, the promotion of strong growth, creating jobs and riches, as well as sustainable development, according to a communique issued on Thursday to PANA A day after Akali power couple of Sukhbir Badal and Harsimrat Badal declared as partys candidates from Ferozepur and Bathinda respectively, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday declared to personally campaign to ensure their defeat. I will personally campaign in Bathinda and Ferozepur to ensure that the Sukhbir-Harsimrat Badal couple is forced to bite the dust in these Lok Sabha elections, he declared, adding that even the BJPs delaying tactics in not making the chopper available to him one week after it was hired by the Congress would not help the Badals. Lashing out at the Badals for making the SAD a family affair, the Chief Minister questioned their claim to being Akalis, who he said had played a very important role in the Gurdwara movement. They (Badals) have forgotten history and have defamed the Akal Takht, added the Chief Minister who was addressing a public gathering in Faridkot, in support of Congress candidate Mohd Sadiq, who filed his nomination papers later. Also unleashing a virtual war on the Badals, Capt Amarinder made it clear that they could not escape investigation in the Bargari and Kotakpura firing cases by getting an SIT officer shifted out by the BJP-controlled Election Commission. Taking the Badals head-on over the Bargari and Kotakpura police firing incidents, the Chief Minister warned that they could not evade inquiry by using their influence with the ruling BJP to get IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh shifted by the Election Commission from the SIT probing the case. The EC belongs to the BJP and they got the officer removed, despite the fact that even courts do not interfere in the ongoing investigations, he pointed out, declaring that the same officers would probe the case and take it to its logical conclusion once the elections are over. They (the Badals) have simply managed to delay the probe for some time, but they will eventually have to pay, said the Chief Minister, vowing to ensure that nobody found guilty of the crime escapes punishment. Taking a dig at former Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal for claiming ignorance about the Bargari and Kotakpura firing, Capt Amarinder termed it a complete lie, pointing out that no officer could have opened fire without orders from the top. The fact that they (the Badal government) did not accept the findings of their own Zora Singh Commission showed that they had something to hide, he said, pointing out that on the night of the incident, local Kotkapura Akali MLA Mantar Brar made 113 calls from the SHOs office to the then Chief Minister. They knew everything but chose to keep quiet, said the Chief Minister, observing that the Badals failed to take any action when the Guru Granth Sahib was being desecrated. Why did you not do anything then, Sukhbir? You were the Home Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, and your own father was the Chief Minister of the State, asked Capt Amarinder. Pointing to reports of Sukhbir going around threatening officers of the incumbent government, Captain Amarinder said it was a sign of his frustration. Both he and his wife, Harsimrat, will be defeated in these polls, he said. Terming the current elections as a battle for the future of India, the Chief Minister said Narendra Modis jumlas had won him the elections last time but people are now holding him accountable on those promises. Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Transitional Military Council in Sudan has managed to defuse a mounting tension with hundreds of thousands of protesters who are gathered in front of the Sudanese army headquarters in Khartoum for three weeks now, but at a price Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - Zimbabwes main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has said it will hold nationwide protests in the near future over the deteriorating economy BLOOMINGTON The Bloomington District 87 school board approved the tentative amended 2019 budget Wednesday to provide more spending flexibility as the June 30 end of the fiscal year approaches. The board approved the 2019 legal budget in September. However, to provide end-of-year flexibility, $300,000 each is being added to the education fund and the operations and maintenance fund, bringing their budgeted expenditures to $50.73 million and $5.28 million, respectively. The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund/Social Security fund's budgeted expenditures will be increased by $50,000 to $2.12 million. Colin Manahan, the district's chief financial and facilities officer, told the board there are sufficient fund balances to cover additional spending but likely we will not need to do this. In some cases the addition is needed for cash flow reasons because reimbursement for money spent in the current fiscal year won't be received until the next fiscal year, Manahan explained. He cited the example of work being done to repair the chiller plant at Bloomington High School that was damaged by an electrical strike. The district is awaiting payment of an insurance claim of nearly $100,000 but the work must be done now, he said. Another example is a federal grant of more than $200,000 for the Title I program that has not been received. A hearing on the tentative amended budget will take place at 6:30 p.m. June 12 in the Educational Services Building, 300 E. Monroe St. Also during Wednesday's meeting the board elected Brigette Beasley as president and Mark Wylie as vice president. Beasley was appointed to the board in 2016 and elected to a four-year term in 2017. She succeeds James Almeda, who was just reelected to a four-year term. The board also approved the 2019-2020 school calendar. Classes will begin on Aug. 19 and end May 22, 2020. Spring break will be March 23 to 27. Contact Lenore Sobota at (309) 820-3240. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Sobota Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON Sheridan Elementary School soon will have a new state-funded sidewalk as part of the Illinois Department of Transportation effort to improve safety near schools. IDOT announced Tuesday the city of Bloomington and Bloomington District 87 will be awarded a $200,000 Safe Routes to School grant, which does not require a local match. The money will be used for the construction of a public sidewalk near Sheridan at 1403 W. Walnut St., according to a news release from the city's public works department. The project will improve access, safety and accessibility to the school and three nearby city parks: ONeil, White Oak and Evergreen. Jim Karch, director of public works, said the grant application was a collaborative effort between the city and the district and the award will make a positive difference for Sheridan students and the community members who use the sidewalks. We are extremely grateful for the strong partnership with the city and their commitment to helping our schools," said District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly. "This is a great win for the community." The sidewalk construction was one of 39 projects selected from 168 applications statewide. The Safe Routes to School grant program will award more than $5.5 million to Illinois communities for projects and activities that improve safety and reduce traffic in areas around elementary and middle schools and encourage students to walk or bike to school. Using federal funds, we will be making sidewalk improvements, increasing signage, making crosswalks safer and providing equipment to crossing guards and parent patrol programs, said Gov. J.B. Pritzker in a statement. These projects will allow more of our students to safely walk or bike to school and will make our communities safer and healthier places to live. The sidewalk construction is expected to be completed in the 2020 construction season, depending on bidding and the timing of funding distribution. In 2014, the city received a Safe Routes to School grant in partnership with McLean County Unit 5 to build the Benjamin Elementary School Trail, providing a bicycle and pedestrian path from the school to the Grove on Kickapoo Creek subdivision. Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Prime Ministers of Poland and Japan Mateusz Morawiecki and Shinzo Abe, who met on Wednesday in Bratislava, agreed after the meeting to strive for a free-trade agreement between EU and Japan to take effect, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday. Morawiecki and Abe came to Slovakia to take part on Thursday in the extended formula of the summit of leaders from the Visegrad Four -- Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. During the Wednesday talks, the two PMs also reportedly discussed North Korea and shared the view that North Korea must respect U.N. Security Council resolutions on the country's nuclear development, according to Kyodo. The Japanese leader also sought Poland's cooperation in helping resolve the issue of Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s. Morawiecki promised cooperation and help in this matter, the agency reported. Speaking to PAP on Wednesday, Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Konrad Szymanski, pointed out that the Morawiecki and Abe meeting confirms the very good condition of the Polish-Japanese strategic partnership. "An important context of the talks is the 100th anniversary of establishing bilateral relations and the political contacts and visits planned in the nearest future," he stressed. Szymanski pointed out that Japan has been one of the most important strategic partners of the Visegrad Group countries for about 10 years, which in the case of Poland translates into investments of USD 887 million annually, generating around 40,000 jobs and trade turnover of USD 4.8 billion in 2018. (PAP) mr/mf/ nThe Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HRERA) on Wednesday directed the Gurugram police to register a criminal case against financiers of construction projects in the Aravalli region. The authority initiated the action over the issue of misappropriation of the allottees' money by the promoter in connivance with the lenders and financiers of the real estate project. The Chairman of the HRERA Authority Gurugram, Dr K.K Khandelwal said that "directions have been issued to the Commissioner of Police, Gurugram to register criminal case against Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited, M/s Industrial Finance Corporation of India Limited and PNB Housing Finance Limited for misappropriation of crores of rupees deposited by the allottees for the completion on the projects namely Araville, Basera, Hues and Hill Town in Gurugram and violation of the statutory provisions of RERA, 2016". He said that the authority has taken a serious note of the fact that India Bulls Housing Finance Limited, Industrial Finance Corporation of India Limited and PNB Housing Finance Limited have fraudulently and arbitrarily withdrawn entire amount of the receivable deposited in the 'RERA Account', which is a flagrant violation of section 4(2)(l)(D) of RERA, 2016. According to Dr Khandelwal, this provision has been incorporated in law to address the mischief earlier being committed by unscrupulous builders to divert amount realised from the allottees to other projects or for different purposes other than the project for which amount has been deposited by the allottees. As of now, the law provides that 70% amount realised for the real estate project from the allottees has to be kept as a reserve and can only be utilised after the promoter has paid and incurred expenditure on cost of construction and land cost. The money up to the extent of 70% of the amount realised from the allottees is the allottees' money under the charge of the promoter in trust, under surveillance and monitoring of RERA. In case of any complaint the authority may prohibit use or withdrawal of this money for any other purpose under the circumstances where there is an apprehension of misappropriation of allottees money, said Dr Khandelwal. He further stated that this account is attached with a condition that any amount withdrawn can be utilised only for construction and land cost and that too withdrawal out of this account can be made after observing certain formalities like a certificate from an engineer, architect and chartered accountant. Further, there cannot be any lien on this account and if any such charge is created by the promoter then in that condition the allottee shall under no circumstance bear the burden of that charge. It shall solely be the duty of the promoter to clear the encumbrances, he said. These are 4 ongoing projects being developed by M/S Supertech Limited, which are left midway. The Hill Town Project is in Sector 2, Sohna while Basera Project is in Sector 79 & 79 B and Araville Project is in sector 79 of Gurugram. For these three projects, the financer was India Bulls Housing Finance Limited while for Hues Project in Sector 68, HD Zone Gurugram, the financers are M/S Industrial Finance Corporation of India and M/S PNB Housing Finance Limited. Silicon Valley tech companies make up an important (although by no means exclusive) part of the coalition of Democratic party donors. And monopolization has yielded immense super-profits that not only have enriched capitalists in Silicon Valley but provided them with an immense patronage network both inside and outside the government. Former government officials at all levels and among both parties have at various times found post-office careers in Silicon Valley or adjacent industries. Even among other liberals, Elizabeth Warren stands in opposition to some of her peers, such as Ro Khanna, who urged caution and against any blanket statement about Silicon Valley tech companies. Beyond the relationship between American politicians and Silicon Valley monopolies, its beyond questioning that the handful of tech giants have come to dominate not just the economic or cultural spheres of American life, but even the realm of the physical: from the physical degradation of workers to literally remaking American cities in their image. And yet, upon close inspection, Warrens antitrust policy fails to be radical at all. Warren is unable to articulate a vision of the future that expands beyond the horizons of capitalism. Far from being radical, Warrens plans embody a conservative spirit that upholds the power of capitalism that makes the exploitative accumulation of wealth by these very tech companies possible. Warren, like Obama before her, positioned herself as the force standing between, you and the pitchforks. This does not curb powerit allows the tech giants of Silicon Valley to live to fight another day. The plan has generated a fierce backlash from representatives of the tech industry, venture capitalists and policy-makers at right-wing think tanks. Democrats to the right of Warren, such as Beto ORourke, have made their opposition to Warrens plan public. This is cited as proof of not only the plans radicalism, but evidence that Warren herself is more radical than her left critics have acknowledged. But on the issue of the tech monopolies, how far from her right-wing critics is Warren really? I believe that both Warren and her free market critics disagree on a matter of tacticsbut not principle. One only has to glance at the language used in Warrens proposal to see where her ideological justifications for this policy lie (bold selections of the text are my emphasis): To restore the balance of power in our democracy, to promote competition, and to ensure that the next generation of technology innovation is as vibrant as the last, its time to break up our biggest tech companies. But where the value of the company came from its network, reformers recognized that ownership of a network and participating on the network caused a conflict of interest. Instead of nationalizing these industriesas other countries didAmericans in the Progressive Era decided to ensure that these networks would not abuse their power by charging higher prices, offering worse quality, reducing innovation, and favoring some over others. More competition means more options for consumers and content creators, and more pressure on companies like Facebook to address the glaring problems with their businesses. Healthy competition can solve a lot of problems. The steps Im proposing today will allow existing big tech companies to keep offering customer-friendly services, while promoting competition, stimulating innovation in the tech sector, and ensuring that America continues to lead the world in producing cutting-edge tech companies. Its how we protect the future of the Internet. What Warren and her critics share are the same underlying assumptions, specifically that the free market is real, that it works and that it drives innovation. And it is this, the fundamental belief in capitalism, that is the underlying symptom of the specific problems in Warrens plans. Ultimately, it becomes a matter of tactics: Her critics to the right believe any regulation stands in the way of the so-called free market. Warren believes in regulation, but in service of facilitating an imagined free market. Both take it for granted, for instance, that the invisible hand is what has guided tech innovation, and not heavy subsidy from the public sector (from the first human being in space being a communist to the iPhone being dependent on technologies developed with public money). That those tech companies hailed for their innovation routinely fail to be profitable is as of little concern to Warren in formulating her plans to break up Amazon as it is to her free market advocate critics. Competition in the free market is treated as the panacea that will fix all of the current ills with the tech giants. But the problem with Amazon, Facebook et. al. isnt that they are monopolies who dont respect the rules of the free market. Its that they are for profit enterprises to begin with! Exploitation and monopolization are inherent to capitalism, and this is what Warrens plans fundamentally fail to addressthat exploitation and profit are inherently linked. To fix the problems that come with Silicon Valley companiesthe invasion of privacy, the exploitation of workers at home and abroad, the support for US militarism and the problems of content moderationmeans moving beyond the horizons of capitalism altogether. It is illustrative in Warrens plan that the emphasis is on consumers and small businesses, but little, in fact nothing, is said about the people who actually work at these tech companies. Warrens plan places emphasis on the fact that you will still be able to order something from Amazon and have it arrive at your house in two daysbut she has nothing to say about where the people who work under the grueling conditions that make this consumerism fit into the post-antitrust framework. Indeed, the entire organizational structure and relations of production of these hypothetical post-antitrust companies is implicitly the same as the companies from which they were broken off. Further, Warren has nothing to say in the way of expropriation. Although a great deal is said about the nature of disentangling the various aspects of the tech giants and the undoing of existing mergers, Warrens intentions for the wealth of the likes of Jeff Bezos goes no farther than making him pay a slightly higher tax rate. Given Warrens own understanding of why the monopolies are bad, this seems like a rather light punishment for someone who became one of the richest men on earth by helping to subvert democracy. And it is on this note, the subversion of democracy, that there is the third problem with Warrens planit fails to address how breaking up the companies would actually engender a democracy worth the name. Warren cites that breaking up the tech companies along the lines that she proposes would curb Russian influence on U.S. elections. But she has little to say, for instance, about the role that Facebook has played in helping the U.S. influence politics abroad or the way in which Facebook and other Silicon Valley companies have cooperated with law enforcement to track black activists, help ICE or contribute to US militarism which routinely murders people on a mass scale across the globe. Russia didnt make Google help the Pentagon develop a better drone and it didnt make Amazon assist ICE. Breaking up these companies fails to actually disentangle them from the anti-democratic structures of the state. Warrens plan has nothing at all to say about the role of Silicon Valley companies as members of global commodity chains. Implicitly the tech giants, and indeed American capitalism as a whole, are treated as a specifically national phenomenon as opposed to the actions and organization of American capitalists in a global world-system. Silicon Valley is lauded for their innovations and products that make our lives easier, but that this innovation and these products come at the exploitation of the intellectual and physical labor of the global south goes unmentioned. That the hardware side of Silicon Valleyand the consumer market in the global north that this hardware is overwhelmingly developed fordepends on outsourcing immense environmental destruction to the global south merits not even a passing mention in Warrens so-called bold plan to curb the power of these American capitalists. Instead, Warren dips into full blown chauvinism when she says that the purpose of her policy is to [ensure] that America continues to lead the world in producing cutting-edge tech companies. For Warren, breaking up the tech giants is a move to make sure America keeps its monopoly on information technology and all of the economic and ecological relations that necessarily follow. Any truly radical solution must then start from three premises: worker ownership, re-orientation of north-south relations and expropriation without compensation. The problem is not that there are not enough smaller Amazons competing, but that Amazon as an idea (no matter how many there are!) exists to make a profit for members of the capital owning class at the great expense of the working and oppressed. Instead of breaking up Amazon, it should be nationalized without compensation and subsequently owned and operated by the workers themselves. The guiding principle of Amazon shouldnt be how to make Jeff Bezos the most profit, but how to dismantle and rebuild its infrastructore along democratic lines to serve the public good. In the face of certain climate apocalypse, only the truly social ownership of these companies can bring about the development of truly green technological developments. Further, it would be impossible for Amazon to become run by the working class without quickly realizing that categories like Microsoft worker or Apple worker do not include only those working for these companies in the United States, but those workers generating Silicon Valleys wealth through the myriad of subcontractors in the global south, who are currently paid at significantly lower wages and working under worse conditions than their northern counterparts. Taking on Big Tech cannot be a project that ends at national borders. Those producing the commodities in sweatshops for the consumer market in the north (and notably, not the domestic market of the countries in which they live) have an interest in seeing the end of big tech with those packaging and shipping those commodities in the grueling conditions of Amazon distribution centers in the global north. International solidarity is the cornerstone of any actual radical policy to take on big tech. Its probably obvious at this point that no presidential candidatenot Warren, Pete Buttigieg or even Bernie Sanders himselfis suggesting such policies. The impetus for the kind of radical change that is required, given the scale of the challenges that the tech monopolies pose, cant come from any politician hoping to save the profits of the likes of Facebook or Amazon, but by the organization of the working class from below. Its easy to forget, but Joe Biden used to be a punchline that very few people took seriously as a major political candidate. In 2008, he couldnt surpass the immortal Bill Richardson in the pollsnever exceeding 5% supportand Biden dropped out after the Iowa caucusthe first vote of primary season. Barack Obama single-handedly changed the course of Bidens career, and after standing next to the most popular politician in America for eight years, Biden has finally gained the mainstream appeal he never was able to assemble on his own, as he officially launched his (doomed) presidential campaign today while leading in tons of polls. Joe Bidens Senate career has been defined by being essentially a center-right Republican. In no particular order, here are the 10 worst things Joe Biden has done in his political career*. *Were confining this to the legislative and campaign arena, so the creepy Joe Biden stuff, like the title photo of this column, will not be making an appearance. When Christine Blasey Ford testified in front of Congress about Brett Kavanaughs attempted sexual assault, it depressingly mirrored another testimony like this from Anita Hill about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomass sexual harassment in 1994when Joe Biden and Orrin Hatch oversaw a disastrous testimony that they structured. Biden called no independent experts and forced Hill to defend herself alone against an avalanche of immensely powerful white men, and Joe Biden has since apologized and said he wished he would have done more. This is an ongoing theme with Uncle Joe, where he royally screwed up in the past, defended himself in the past, and then apologized in a more tolerant future that his political instincts are clearly not geared towards. In 2016, Joe Biden defended his crime bill that is as responsible for mass incarceration as any other piece of legislation passed in the last forty years, saying: Im not ashamed of [the Crime bill] at all. As a matter of fact, I drafted the bill. We talk about this in terms mostly of black lives matter. Black lives really do matter, but the problem is institutional racism in America. Thats the overarching problem that still exists. His speech from 1993 defending the bill is one of the more fascist things you will hear out of a modern Democrat. this Biden clip from 1993 isoutright fascist. 10X worse than Clinton's "super predator" line (via @KFILE) https://t.co/k8d0Icq50mpic.twitter.com/77aDBUKznP Adam H. Johnson (@adamjohnsonNYC) March 7, 2019 This is the legacy of the Biden Crime Bill. He got caught plagiarizing in law school at Syracuse, and admitted to it. He failed, but was allowed to retake the class. Biden ultimately had to drop out of the 1988 race after it became clear that this didnt stop in law school, as he stole excerpts of speeches from John F. Kennedy and other famous politicians. A big chunk of Bidens brand is wrapped up in being authentic, but his 1988 run was anything but. Per Politico: Joe Biden has been making his 2016 deliberations all about his late son since August. Aug. 1, to be exact the day renowned Hillary Clinton-critic Maureen Dowd published a column that marked a turning point in the presidential speculation. According to multiple sources, it was Biden himself who talked to her, painting a tragic portrait of a dying son, Beaus face partially paralyzed, sitting his father down and trying to make him promise to run for president because the White House should not revert to the Clintons and that the country would be better off with Biden values. But in truth, Biden had effectively placed an ad in The New York Times, asking them to call. Biden was a 1990s Democrat through and through, as he supported all of Bill Clintons most conservative policies, like welfare reform that ultimately failed, as Jordan Weismann described in Slate: The Urban Institutes Pamela Loprest and Sheila Zedlewski found that during the early postreform era, about one-third of single parents were jobless soon after leaving welfare. Those who did find work often earned no more than what they lost in benefits; studies have concluded that anywhere from 42 to 74 percent of those who exited the program remained poor. Meanwhile, states began enrolling fewer new families in welfare. As the rolls shrank, a new generation of so-called disconnected mothers emerged: single parents who werent working, in school, or receiving welfare to support themselves or their children. According to Loprest, the number of these women rose from 800,000 in 1996 to 1.2 million in 2008. In keeping with that trend, researchers have also found a gradual uptick in what economists call deep or extreme poverty. Johns Hopkins Edin and Luke Shaefer, now of the University of Michigan, reported that the number of American households with children living on less than $2 in cash per person each day grew 159 percent, from about 636,000 in 1996 to 1.65 million in 2011. Even if you treat the value of food stamps as cash, the number rose some 80 percent, to 857,000. In their book $2.00 a Day, Edin and Shaefer describe women and children living on the fringes of society, relying on homeless shelters and selling their own plasma to get by. Some of those people are ending up in very frightening conditions that dont even look like America, Edin tells me. Before he became Barack Obamas running mate, he took a shot at Americas soon-to-be first black president that was just dripping in racism. Per Biden: I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. Biden went on The Daily Show and apologized for using the word clean, saying he should have opted for the word fresh. He did not address the articulate part of his statement, which is a classic racist backhanded compliment that typically conveys a sense of surprise that a black person can speak clearly and with gravitas. Glass-Steagall was one of the first things that we did in the wake of the Great Depression, as it created a firewall between investment banking and FDIC-insured deposits, meaning that Wall Street could not gamble with your savings. It is one of the central reasons why so many Wall Street banks are too big to fail. Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and the rest of powerful Democrats in 1999 changed all that, to the dismay of the longest tenured congressman in U.S. history, the late John Dingell, who called our coming crises the night of Bidens vote in 1999: I think we ought to look at what we are doing here tonight. We are passing a bill which is going to have very little consideration, written in the dark of night, without any real awareness on the part of most of what it contains. I just want to remind my colleagues about what happened the last time the Committee on Banking brought a bill on the floor which deregulated the savings and loans. It wound up imposing upon the taxpayers of this Nation about a $500 billion liability Having said that, what we are creating now is a group of institutions which are too big to fail. Not only are they going to be big banks, but they are going to be big everything, because they are going to be in securities and insurance, in issuance of stocks and bonds and underwriting, and they are also going to be in banks. And under this legislation, the whole of the regulatory structure is so obfuscated and so confused that liability in one area is going to fall over into liability in the next. Taxpayers are going to be called upon to cure the failures we are creating tonight, and it is going to cost a lot of money, and it is coming. Just be prepared for those events. Again, when confronted in the future with the failure of his policies, all Biden could do is apologize. Perhaps there is no better summation of Joe Bidens Senate career than the fact that Americas most famed 20th century congressional racist asked him to speak at his funeral. Strom Thurmond staged the longest filibuster in American history, speaking for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the 1957 Civil Rights Act. During his run for presidency in 1948, Governor Thurmond said Theres not enough troops in the army, to force the southern people to break down segregation and admit the n******* race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes, and into our churches. When confronted with this quote in 1988 (by the time Biden claimed Thurmond had changed into a more tolerant man), Thurmond responded with I was just trying to protect the rights of the states and the rights of the people. Some in the news media tried to make it a race fight, but it was not that. One big reason why Biden and Thurmond were so close was their joint efforts to oppose integrating schools in the 1970s. Per Politico: Ed Brooke, a Massachusetts Republican, was the first black senator ever to be popularly elected; Joe Biden was a freshman Democratic senator from Delaware. By 1975, both had compiled liberal voting records. But that year, Biden sided with conservatives and sponsored a major anti-busing amendment. The fierce debate that followed not only fractured the Senates bloc of liberals, it also signified a more wide-ranging political phenomenon: As white voters around the countryespecially in the Northobjected to sweeping desegregation plans then coming into practice, liberal leaders retreated from robust integration policies. Biden was at the forefront of this retreat: He had expressed support for integration andmore specificallybusing during his Senate campaign in 1972, but once elected, he discovered just how bitterly his white constituents opposed the method. In 1973 and 1974, Biden began voting for many of the Senates anti-busing bills, claiming that he favored school desegregation, but just objected to forced busing. Forced busing was a phrase that Thurmond leaned on heavily to oppose integrating schools, and when Biden embraced Thurmonds politics on this issue, he also embraced his rhetoric. The biggest quagmire of millennials lifetimesour Vietnam, sans the draftwas aided along by Senator Joe Biden. Hillary Clinton lost in 2008 because of this vote, while Barack Obama made hay off his opposition to an immoral and illegal war. Joe Bidens entire political career is proof that he has been behind the times every single step of the way, and there is no reason to believe that 2020 will be any different. See The 10 Worst Things Donald Trump Has Done in His Political Career. Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling. Early this morning Apple announced a voluntary recall of AC wall plug adapters designed for use primarily in Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Kingdom. In very rare cases, affected Apple three-prong wall plug adapters may break and create a risk of electrical shock if touched. These wall plug adapters shipped with Mac and certain iOS devices between 2003 and 2010 and were also included in the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit. Apple is aware of six incidents worldwide. The recall does not affect any Apple USB power adapters. Because customer safety is a top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using affected plug adapters. Customers should visit Apple's Recall Program website for details about how to exchange them for new adapters. An affected three-prong plug adapter is white, with no letters on the inside slot where it attaches to the main Apple power adapter. See website for more details and images to identify an affected adapter. 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. Canada's federal privacy watchdog wants to take Facebook to court following an investigation that found the social media giant broke a number of privacy laws and failed to take responsibility in protecting Canadians' personal information, the CBC reports. Federal Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien and his B.C. counterpart, Michael McEvoy, joined forces last spring to investigate the roles of Facebook and the Canadian company AggregateIQ in the scandal involving the British firm Cambridge Analytica. It is accused of harvesting data of more than 50 million Facebook users worldwide to create social media strategies to support U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. The privacy commissioners say Facebook broke a number of federal and B.C. laws, including: Unauthorized access. Lack of meaningful consent from "friends of friends." No proper oversight over privacy practices of apps. Overall lack of responsibility for personal information. Facebook disputes their investigation. The company also refuses to implement recommendations to address deficiencies, said the watchdogs. Therrien added: "The stark contradiction between Facebook's public promises to mend its ways on privacy and its refusal to address the serious problems we've identified or even acknowledge that it broke the law is extremely concerning." (The Play button is white and hard to see in the middle of video box) The Canadian TV network news report added: "If we go before the Federal Court, it will be able to order Facebook to change its practices," Daniel Therrien said in a news conference Thursday." For more on this read the full CTV report here. Reuters added: "Facebook Inc. broke Canadian privacy laws when it collected the information of some 600,000 citizens, a top watchdog said on Thursday, pledging to seek a court order to force the social media giant to change its practices." Earlier this month Canadian Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould, said the Canadian government might have to regulate Facebook and other social media companies unless they do more to help combat foreign meddling in this Octobers (Canadian) election." Even with more bad news, Facebook rose close to 6% today after beating the street with their latest financials. 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. It's being reported in China that native ByteDance, the worlds most valuable startup, has been allowed by a court in India to restore access of its popular TikTok video-sharing app to users in one of the Chinese companys most promising markets. The Madras High Court in its interim order on Wednesday lifted the ban on the app, which had been blocked by Google and Apple Inc. TikTok was banned on concerns the app was exposing children to pornography and other disturbing content. The court will come up with a final order after hearing all the parties. Neelamegam, a lawyer representing the petitioner: "TikTok will update their privacy protection norms according to the courts order and will address any complaint over content in 3 to 36 hours. If TikTok does not meet the conditions set by the court, contempt of court proceedings can be initiated against them." Back in October 2018 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple's CEO Greeted like a Rock Star during Visit at ByteDance, China's Hottest Startup." The photo below is from that report. 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. Malwarebytes, the leading advanced endpoint protection and remediation solution, today announced the results of the Q1 2019 Cybercrime Tactics and Techniques report. The report is a culmination of data based on the Company's unique threat analysis capabilities. Q1 showed a significant uptick in business ransomware detections (195 percent), along with continued momentum for Trojan variations by over 200 percent and a sharp decline in cryptomining. The US leads in global threat detections at 47 percent, followed by Indonesia with nine percent and Brazil with eight percent as presented in the chart below. Cutting to the chase, the Malwarebytes report notes that "Mobile Mac devices are increasingly targeted by adware. While Mac malware saw a more than 60 percent increase from Q4 2018 to Q1 2019, adware was particularly pervasive, growing over 200 percent from the previous quarter." Outside the unique attacks targeting MacBooks, the report noted that the overall consumer market actually experienced a decline in malware by 40 percent. In the PC world malware focused on businesses. Business detections of ransomware have seen an uptick of over 500 percent, due in large part to a massive attack by the Troldesh ransomware against US organizations in early Q1. Banking Trojan Emotet has made a total shift away from consumers, reinforcing the intent of its creators to focus on enterprise targets. It has increased more than 200 percent since Q4, and almost 650 percent from the same time last year. 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: Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik, speaking at the inaugural function of the Youth Festival at A N College in Patna on Thursday, vowed to weed out illegal B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) colleges in Bihar that, he said, had mushroomed in the state in a way to con unsuspecting students and their guardians. Not mincing words, the Governor accused Bihar politicians who, he said, were a large part of the problem as it were they who had opened illegal B.Ed colleges without proper authorization from the government. "Opening of B.Ed colleges has become a very thriving business in Bihar. Unfortunately, it is our politicians who are engaging in this illegal business of admitting students in the name of offering a degree for a hefty sum. Disregarding the potential of ruining many lives, this business is being controlled by the education mafia that does not care about the consequences," Malik said. Announcing an all-out war against the mafia, Malik said despite many threats made to him, he was determined to destroy this cancer from Bihar as he had the support of both the President and Prime Minister of India. "The education mafia is now targeting me but I am not afraid as I have the mandate of the President and the Prime Minister to work honestly. I will continue to work under the framework of the existing law, he said. A recent study of hard drives purchased on eBay found that 42 percent of them contained data, even though the sellers claimed that theyd been formatted to prevent that from happening. Its a good reminder: You need to do more than format hard drives before you sell, give away, or destroy your old PC. The study was conducted by Blancco, a company that provides hard drive and SSD format tools. It was obviously set up to encourage users to download the companys tools and services. But it also serves as a useful reminder that merely erasing a drive isnt necessarily wiping it clean of data. Between September and October 2018, Blancco staffers bought 159 hard drives and SSDs from eBay, purchasing them in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland. According to the sellers, all of the drives had been formatted and erased of data. When the drives were provided to OnTrack, a data-recovery organization, they found that wasnt true. Of the drives, 66 were found hiding some sort of identifiable data. Another 25 drives retained personal data as well: scanned copies of passports, 5GB of internal corporate email, family photos and personal documents, Word and Excel files, and more. Dont format, overwrite With that said, the process for how to securely erase a hard drive has been known for years. The key isnt to format or erase a hard drive, as Windows will allow you to do. That just hides a file from view. To secure it, youll need to overwrite the entire thing with 1s and 0s, creating a random sea of bits. And youll need to do it over and over, just to be sure. How do you erase a hard drive? There are a number of tools available, some for free, but most merely overwrite the data three times (what the Department of Defense has traditionally recommended) or even more, just to be sure. SSDs can be a bit trickier to overwritebut again, there are paid tools out there that will do the job. What this means to you: For years, weve bought preformatted hard drives and USB keys, and learned that erasing meant using the format command within Windows. That may be enough for your own personal use, but not when putting your drives in the hands of a stranger. Then, youll need stronger toolsand reading our tutorial on how to safely erase a hard drive is a good place to start. Very few of us have seen a living specimen of Pennsylvanias new state amphibian, the eastern hellbender. When hellbender researchers want to find some of North Americas largest salamanders, they wade into clean, fast-moving streams or rivers and lift some rather large rocks. For the rest of us, 3 zoos in Pennsylvania have hellbenders on display: Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, Lehigh County; Philadelphia Zoo in the Centennial District of Philadelphia; and Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium in the Highland Park district of Pittsburgh. The eastern hellbender became the official amphibian of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, when Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation that passed both houses of the General Assembly earlier this year. The designation as an official symbol of Pennsylvania brings no additional protections for Americas largest salamander, which earlier this month was denied listing under the federal Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The hellbender is particularly vulnerable to water contamination because of its permeable skin and sensitive eggs, which it lays in water. Disease can also cause catastrophic loss of hellbenders. Emerging infectious diseases are on the rise, particularly among salamander populations, and hellbenders are showing symptoms of fungal infection across their range. In addition to Pennsylvania, eastern hellbenders are found across 14 other states: northeastern Mississippi, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, Tennessee, western North Carolina, western Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, eastern Illinois, southern Indiana, east-central Missouri, Ohio, western Maryland and southern New York. Some states have given the species protected status, but Pennsylvania has not. The move in Pennsylvania to designate the hellbender as the states official amphibian began more than 2 years ago with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's student leadership council. Aided by Lycoming Colleges Clean Water Institute, students studied hellbenders, installed nesting boxes in several Pennsylvania streams and wrote the first draft of a bill that did not make it through the entire legislative process last year. Hellbenders, which have a colorful set of nicknames that includes mud devil, devil dog, ground puppy, snot otter, lasagna lizard and Allegheny alligator, are an indicator species for clean water in that they survive where there is cold, clear, swift-running water. Folds of wrinkled skin provide a large surface through which the salamanders draw most of their oxygen. A lack of streamside trees along Pennsylvanias waterways allows waters to warm, polluted runoff to enter rivers and streams, and silt to build up in streambeds. As a result, habitat for hellbenders has been degraded and hellbender numbers have been decimated in streams where they were plentiful as recently as 1990. They exchanged explicit messages on chat and dating apps with profiles depicting teenage boys and girls, authorities claim. Some of them even showed up at a New Jersey apartment expecting a sexual encounter. A Ridgewood police officer. A teacher from the Bronx. A minister, a barber, a bank manager. Thankfully, there were no children inside. Instead, they found dozens of law enforcement officials running a five-day sting operation that arrested 16 men accused of attempting to sexually abuse minors. Local, state and federal authorities announced the results of the investigation, dubbed Operation Home Alone, at a press conference in Hackensack Wednesday morning. Law enforcement announced charges against 16 men accused of attempting to lure minors over social media apps. State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said they were trying to alert parents to the dangers children can face if they have unsupervised access to messaging apps. Parents need to know that the profiles of underage girls and boys we posted on social media to catch these offenders could easily have been profiles of their own children, who might also be targeted by predators on chat apps and popular gaming sites, Grewal said. Child predators arrested in N.J. Child predators used chat apps to lure minors for sex, N.J. authorities say. The Attorney General is discussing the arrest of 16 alleged child predators today. Posted by NJ.com on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 The investigation, which ran from April 11 through April 15, led to a range of charges including luring, attempted sexual assault and, in some cases, possession of child pornography. Authorities said the men allegedly used messaging apps like Kik and dating apps such as Skout, Grindr, MeetMe and Adam4Adam to connect with the detectives posing as minors. Despite identifying themselves as 14- and 15-year-olds, police claim, the men still engaged in conversations about sex and arranged to meet up. Veronica Allende, the director of the state Division of Criminal Justice, said those arrested were from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. One man, Jason Keizer, 33, of Garfield, had already been convicted on child pornography charges and was awaiting sentencing at the time of his arrest. Two others are accused of sending explicit photos of themselves to the undercover detectives posing as teens. One defendant traveled more than 110 miles to meet up with his alleged victim, Allende said. Most of the men were arrested at the home in Bergen County, the location of which authorities declined to disclose. One man, Ridgewood police officer Peter Tuchol Jr., was arrested at the Paramus office of the Bergen County prosecutor. One was picked up by police at a shopping mall and two more arrested at home, prosecutors said. Police seized phones and other electronic devices from the men and found the messages and, in a few cases, large amounts of child pornography. The investigation was part of the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children task force, which conducted a similar sting last September, Operation Open House, leading to the arrest of 24 men. Col. Patrick Callahan, the acting head of the New Jersey State Police, said such operations are meant to root out predators and also send a warning to anyone considering using social media to groom and abuse children. I hope in the back of their mind they think theyre talking to a New Jersey state trooper or a detective from a prosecutors office, Callahan said. Those charged include: Tuchol, 28, of Waldwick, the Ridgewood police officer who has been suspended pending the outcome of his case. He faces additional charges for possessing steroids and drug paraphernalia, authorities say. Kevin Roth, 26, Nanuet, New York, a teacher at the High School of Computers and Technology in the Bronx. Grewal said authorities notified the school district of the accusations. Dariush Ghamarnezhad, 37, a dental hygienist from Pomona, New York. Joel Guichardo, 38, a barbershop owner from Passaic. Larry Noel Jr., 43, of Stanhope, a warehouse worker. Shaheen Lariff, 49, of New City, New York, a bank branch office manager. Rajan Lama, 33, Woodside, New York, a driver for a ride-sharing company. Luis Gonzalez Palacio, 36, of Weehawkin, who works in finance for a major internet service provider, according to authorities. He is also accused of possessing more than 13,000 suspected files of child pornography on his phone at the time of his arrest. Roger Arroyo, 37, a traveling minister from Philadelphia. Yosef Kriger, 31, of New City, New York, a pharmaceuticals delivery driver. Michael Mancini, 36, a supermarket employee and DJ from Hawthorne. Teodoro Alvarez Ortega, 28, a restaurant server from Suffern,. Jacob Smith, 26, a food delivery driver from New Rochelle, New York. Jose Martinez, 47, a food delivery driver from Fairview. Jason Keizer, 33, of Garfield, who is unemployed and awaiting sentencing on a separate child pornography conviction. Hareshkum Tailor, 55, Garfield, a driver for a ride-sharing company. Two of the men were ordered detained until trial. The rest were released under pre-trial supervision and are prohibited from using the internet or having contact with children. It was not immediately clear whether any had retained attorneys and none could be reached for comment. Allende said the men would be closely monitored to prevent them from engaging in other predatory conduct. S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Taking up a suo moto PIL up for hearing regarding the fundamental rights of police personnel, the high court of Uttarakhand has directed the State Government to respond on all the points within four weeks. On March 28, 2019, the Supreme Court additional registrar had written to the Uttarakhand high court registrar general regarding the case of Manish Kumar versus Union of India and others stating that it be presented to the chief justice for necessary directions. It pertains to provision of fundamental rights of the police personnel. The SC bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, justice Deepak Gupta and justice Sanjiv Khanna had on March 11 issued some directions pertaining to the police. Focus should also be laid on the problems of police personnel and their welfare, the court had stated. The government should also consider preparing guidelines pertaining to damage to government buildings and police by unruly mobs. It was also stated that appointments should be made to vacant posts in police and state armed police force to prevent additional burden on the existing work force. The States were also asked to facilitate periodic training and upgradation along with fixing the duty hours limit for police personnel. Further, the Centre was asked to issue effective guidelines regarding police action and media reporting in case of aggressive and unruly crowds. At the high court of Uttarakhand, the division bench of chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan and justice NS Dhanik, presenting the apex court directions to the State Government, directed the State to inform the court in four weeks about steps being taken for the welfare of police personnel. LOCK HAVEN The arrest and conviction in a 27-year-old homicide cold case in Clinton County made the news in Pennsylvania. Friday night the nation will learn about the 1991 disappearance of 40-year-old Katherine Dolan Heckel along with the arrest and conviction of Loyd Groves, 69, a co-worker at the former International Paper Co. mill in Lock Haven. NBCs Dateline at 10 p.m. Eastern will air She Didnt Come Home, with Josh Mankiewicz doing the narration. The show will include the history of the case along with comments by many of the principals including Heckels husband, John, mother and other family members. A Dateline representative sat through the trial in December in which Groves was found guilty of third-degree murder. He also was present in January when Groves was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in state prison, which was the maximum in 1991 when the crime was committed. Groves maintains his innocence and has appealed his conviction to the state Superior Court. Heckel was last seen leaving for lunch on July 15, 1991, from the mill where she worked in the human relations office and Groves was an industrial hygienist. Two years later her disappearance was classified a homicide and in 1998 a judge declared her legally dead. Groves was considered a suspect from the outset because Heckel had confided in others she wanted to end an extra-marital relationship with him. Her husband, a member of the National Guard, was in New York State training when she disappeared. He told investigators she would have never left their son and daughter. Groves was living in Beaver when arrested in 2015 following a presentment by a statewide grand jury that accused him of killing Heckel and disposing her body in a way it could never be found. Senior Deputy Attorney General Daniel J. Dye, who prosecuted the case, told jurors only Groves had the opportunity, means and motive to kill Heckel. A speck of blood containing Heckels DNA that was found in the back of Groves conversation van was among the prosecution evidence during the trial. Also damaging to Groves was the testimony of Gayle Taylor with whom he worked in a county health department in Ohio in the early 1990s. She said she told Groves she could kill her son after finding drugs in his room. Groves replied that he could show her how to get rid of a body so it could never be found. More than 100 law enforcement personnel were involved in the case over the years. FBI Agent Kyle Moore and now retired state Trooper Michael Hutson filed the charges. Police have arrested a fifth person in connection with the robbery of a Harrisburg Rite Aid that occurred earlier this month. Kenrick Groover-Floyd, 31, was charged with involvement in the robbery that occurred at the Rite Aid at 1941 Derry Street around 2:25 p.m. on April 8, police said. He was arrested in Baltimore, Maryland on Wednesday. Police believe Groover-Floyd worked with Brandon Harris, Childes Neely, David Rinehardt and Kyzaih McHenry. The group went into the Rite Aid with firearms, taking money and pharmaceutical drugs while threatening to hurt employees. When police first issued the arrest warrant on Wednesday, they warned that he was armed and dangerous. Police did not connect Groover-Floyd to five other robberies that occurred on April 6. There of the other suspects from the Rite Aid robbery have been connected to the earlier robberies in court documents. Anyone with information regarding the robbery, is asked to contact the Harrisburg Bureau of Police at (717) 558-6900 or submit the tip through CrimeWatch. This story was updated at 8:15 p.m. to reflect Groover-Floyds arrest. Moments after Joe Biden announced he is joining the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential race this morning, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey endorsed him. In his statement, Casey, D-PA, touted Biden as a fighter for the middle class who can beat President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania if Biden becomes the Democratic nominee, The Associated Press is reporting. Caseys father, the late former Gov. Robert P. Casey, knew Biden and Casey himself spent two years in the U.S. Senate with Biden before the Delaware senator went on to become vice president under President Barack Obama. Former Vice President Joe Biden formally announced this morning he is running on the Democratic ticket for president in 2020. Biden is heading to Philadelphia later today for a fundraiser. Hes backed by city party elders, including former Gov. Ed Rendell, who once called Biden Pennsylvanias third senator because of his willingness to help Democrats in the state when Pennsylvania had two Republican senators, The Associated Press reports. Biden formally joined the race this morning, declaring the soul of the nation is at stake, according to reports. College students who depend on the state grant program to help them cover their tuition and related bills can breathe a tentative sigh of relief. The state grant program looks like it will be spared the deep funding cuts that had been forecasted for it. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency board on Thursday approved a formula that would maintain the maximum grant award at $4,123 for a third consecutive year assuming state funding proposed for the program comes through. When combined with the maximum federal Pell grant for 2019-20 of $6,195, that would provide a significant amount of financial aid that does not have to repaid to help students cover their cost of attendance. Were really giving those students and families opportunities, said Rep. Mike Peifer, R-Pike County. The combination of the state and Pell grants is a great foundation. It might not be the whole deal but it all helps. The agency had alerted Gov. Tom Wolf and lawmakers last year that it would not have money from its own earnings to supplement the state funding for the 2019-20 grant program. However, due to an anticipated decline in the number of grant applicants for next year and overly aggressive estimates of the amount of money needed to fund grants this year, PHEAA officials found a way to possibly avert cutting the 2019-20 grant awards. Only $70 million of the $101 million of PHEAAs earnings that were applied to the state grant program this year was used. That left the remaining $30 million available to add to Gov. Tom Wolfs proposed 13.5 percent, or $36.8 million, historic increase in funding for the grant program potentially sparing students what was anticipated to be an $1,100 cut in the maximum award. The projected combined agency and state funding for 2019-20 totals $340.2 million and is anticipated will result in 132,000 grant awards. Students will begin receive conditional grant award notices in early May with final award notices going out later in the summer once the state budget is approved and state funding for the grant program has been finalized. Its really important for students with financial need at all our Pennsylvania colleges and universities to know their grant will remain level with what they received this year, said Tom Foley, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania. Peiffer credited the board and agency staff with getting the message through to Wolf, his budget secretaries, and legislative appropriation committee leaders about the need to increase state funding for next years grant program so cuts in the maximum award amount could be avoided. By maintaining the previous years award levels, we are able to provide needed stability and predictability as families work to develop their 2019-20 college plans, Peifer said. Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Allegheny County, said, The importance of a Pennsylvania state grant to a student struggling to pay for college should never be underestimated or under-appreciated. The size of the need-based awards are determined by family income and related circumstances as well as the cost of the school students attend. Students going to private colleges, where tuition is generally higher, are eligible to receive the largest awards and those attending community colleges are eligible for the smallest. The board also approved increasing the maximum grant awards for students taking more than half of their course credits online to $3,092 next year. That is 75 percent of the maximum award given to students who take most of their classes on campus. That is an increase from about $2,060 this year or 50 percent of the maximum award. The size of these awards is suppressed to reduce the risk of unknown expenditures related to the integration of these additional students into the grant program, said Waynesburg University Chancellor Timothy Thyreen, who serves as a director on PHEAAs board. This year was the first year that allowed full-time students taking all of their classes online to be eligible for state grants. Since it is new, PHEAA spokesman Keith New said they had no track record on which to base the anticipated interest. They projected 15,000 students would take advantage of this change in the grant program but it turns out, far fewer did. PHEAA adjusted the anticipated grant-eligible distance education students for 2019-20 downward to 10,000. But the decision to suppress the maximum award to distance education students at all is disappointing to the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. The demand for online course work has risen significantly in recent years, said the commission spokeswoman Carolyn Simpson. Still, she added that the grant program overall ensures community colleges, often regarded as the lowest-priced option for a post-secondary education, remain affordable. Also contributing to the leftover money available to apply to next years grant program is the declining number of students graduating from Pennsylvania high schools and the good economy that tends to attract people to the workforce instead of the college classroom. While the grants help fill the unmet need between the cost of attendance and students available state, federal and personal resources, the agency also is launching another student aid program to help fill the gap. The board authorized the issuance of up to $50 million in tax-exempt borrowing to fund its PA Forward private student loan program that is expected to soon be open to accept loan applications for the next academic year. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Start your day in the know. Sign up for Good Morning, Pennsylvania. A former Cumberland County woman who caused a drug- and alcohol-related crash that severely injured a motorcyclist was sentenced Thursday to 2 to 4 years in state prison. Dauphin County Judge William T. Tully imposed that mandatory penalty two years after Catherine Heinz-Foster, 58, turned into the path of the motorcyclist at South 13th and Paxton streets in Harrisburg. The motorcyclist suffered a broken leg and pelvis and was rushed to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Heinz-Foster, a repeat drunken driving offender, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault by vehicle and DUI charges in the case. This was the second time Heinz-Foster came before Tully for sentencing. Last fall he committed her to a state prison intermediate punishment program to deal with her substance abuse, but she was ousted from that program after being found to have assaulted another inmate at the state prison at Muncy. Heinz-Foster told Tully the assault never actually happened. Defense attorney Douglas Marsico said Heinz-Foster, a Cedar Cliff High School graduate who moved to Maine, was visiting her ailing father and was stressed out when the crash occurred. He noted her blood-alcohol level was .05 percent below the legal limit at the time of the collision, but that she also had marijuana and prescription drugs in her system. Marsico, who sought a county prison term for Heinz-Foster, said the five months his client spent in the Muncy program shows her commitment to remaining sober. Shes been clean. She had been using some hard drugs before her incarceration, including crack cocaine, he said. Im all for my recovery, Heinz-Foster told the judge. Tully bristled when she called the crash an accident. I dont like you referring to it as an accident, he said. It was a crash because you had alcohol and drugs in your system. Heinz-Foster insisted she is remorseful for what happened. I have suffered nightmares, she said. I let the alcohol and drugs interfere with my well-being, she added. I just want a new chanceIm a grandmother. I have a son. I have a boyfriend. I would just love to move on with my life. Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle was skeptical. She noted that soon after the crash with the motorcyclist Heinz-Foster was arrested for another DUI in Cumberland Countys Upper Allen Township. She finished serving a 1- to 2-month jail term for that crime in November. She was on her third DUI when she committed this horrible crime, Gettle said of the motorcycle crash. And then she goes and gets another DUI. I dont think she is someone the court should take a chance on, the prosecutor said. Shes going to eventually kill someone. In addition to the prison term, Tully fined Heinz-Foster $5,000 and ordered her to continue her substance abuse treatment in prison. Both state lawmakers who represent the city of Harrisburg support a state takeover of the city school district after a series of scandals, investigations and consistent lack of transparency. The state senator and representative who represent Harrisburg issued statements to PennLive Wednesday agreeing with Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuses call earlier in the day for Education Secretary Pedro Rivera to petition the courts for receivership. Pennsylvania State Rep. Patty Kim (D-Harrisburg) told PennLive Wednesday night that the school board and district cannot continue in this way. She indicated that she had called for a state takeover of the troubled district several months ago. I have watched to see if things would get better but the opposite has occurred, Kim said. The Department of Education has received my request for receivership several months ago. They have been open and helpful throughout. Students need their schools to be stable and nurturing. But the constant chaos with leadership is too much of a distraction for teachers and faculty. We have to go in a totally different direction. Under Pennsylvania law, the Education Secretary can petition the Common Pleas Court and ask a judge to assign a receiver. The education department can submit suggested names for the receiver, but the judge would be the one to make the final decision on naming the receiver. In districts already under state-supervision, like Harrisburg, the receiver could be the current chief recovery officer. A receiver would have much more power than a chief recovery officer, who only makes suggestions and provides guidance to district officials. If the state takes over by appointing a receiver, the receiver would make all the operational decisions while the superintendent and school board take a back seat. A third party is the only way to push us forward, Kim said. My hope is to have a receiver in place by this fall. We need to reorganize leadership over the summer and allow students to experience a seamless transition at the start of the new school year. Sen. John DiSanto, (R-Dauphin, Perry) sent a letter to Rivera Wednesday asking him to reconsider receivership. DiSanto indicated that he had previously discussed a state takeover with Rivera last summer but that Rivera indicated it was not the right time. I am becoming increasingly concerned by the actions of the Harrisburg School District with regard to transparency, personnel and fiscal management, academic achievement and the apparent lack of compliance with Department of Education directives, he wrote in his letter. District officials havent responded to requests for comments about the calls for receivership. One school board member, Ellis Roy, who typically votes with the controlling majority, said he supports receivership because of the boards inability to govern. I welcome a third-party stewardship (receiver,) he said. But Board Member Carrie Fowler, one of the loudest critics of current district leaders, said she is against receivership and would prefer instead that a new crop of school board members be seated after this years election. There is no gain to either the children or educators or the community with no community representation, Fowler said. The solution is flipping the board and allowing the new board members an opportunity to work with the chief recovery officer for change. We need a board of honest people with integrity. Fowler said the district is currently operating under poor and questionable leadership, with a lack of transparency that causes great concern. The fact that district officials and the controlling school board majority have refused to allow state auditors unfettered access to records they need to complete an audit is a waste of precious resources, Fowler said. I have advocated since learning about this matter to open the books and move on, she said. What do we have to hide? This administration is refusing to cooperate with PDE, therefore they have suspended federal money for our children. This should make every resident in Harrisburg angry and question the devotion of the administration to do whats best for our children. At least one Harrisburg School Board member says he supports calls to appoint a state receiver to run the Harrisburg School District. Ellis Roy is usually a member of the majority-voting block that supports Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney, but on Wednesday he said the school board shows an inability to govern. Roy was being asked to respond to Mayor Eric Papenfuses call for the state Department of Education to put the district into receivership, which would take the day-to-day operation of the district out of the control of the school board and into the hands of an appointed receiver. While Roy said he rarely agreed with Papenfuse, for the most part on this we can. Roy said he publicly announced during the April 15 board meeting that state Education Secretary Pedro Rivera must have the patience of Job, because Roy said if he were secretary, he would already have petitioned for receivership. This board doesnt respect each others positions, whether they agree or not, and the contempt for each other along with the disrespect is uncharted, Roy said. Taking this under evaluation shows an inability to govern. I welcome a third-party stewardship (receiver.) Sen. John DiSanto said he also is asking the Department of Education to place Harrisburg School District in receivership. Roy said his only reservations would be how a receivership would be tailored. He said he didnt feel the prior model where legislators gave control to former Mayor Stephen Reed had overall positive results. Roy also took issue with the mayors comments that academic progress had declined in the district in recent years. Roy said there is data that shows improvements. Statewide test scores can be analyzed by different metrics, including progress of individual students instead of simply looking at whether students currently rank as proficient in a subject, he said. The law was different and so were the political players. But the last time the Harrisburg School Board was stripped of control due to abysmal student academic performance, some early promise ended in a familiar refrain: Failure. It was spring 2010, and a state law handing control of the Harrisburg School District to former Mayor Stephen R. Reed ended in tatters. In 2001: Gerald Kohn, left, discusses his ideas for Harrisburg schools as Mayor Stephen Reed watchesHarrisburg Patriot-News Reeds hand-picked superintendent charged with turning around the city schools was fired after spending hundreds of millions and making sweeping changes to nearly everything except students rock-bottom assessment test scores. Once again, Harrisburgs children were the losers in a game of big spending, bigger problems, huge promises -- and petty politics. Here is that story: Rise and Fall of Harrisburgs school takeover The Harrisburg School District had chewed up and spit out three superintendents in just more than five years. The last two were handed handsome buyouts to walk away before their contracts expired. The struggling district vacillated on major decisions, such as a realignment of its middle grades. The district's long-term direction on any given day depended upon the insular and ever-changing dynamics of a nine-member school board. Harrisburgs non-teaching staff was packed with patronage jobs. Since many of these employees owed their paychecks to a connection in the administration or on the school board, they could be resistant if not openly defiant to school principals. On the first day of school each year, many students lacked textbooks or even schedules. A Patriot-News reporter had been arrested for trying to cover graduation. That is what incoming Superintendent Gerald Kohn encountered in 2001, as he entered Harrisburg schools as its academic savior. Kohn had been hand-picked by then-Mayor Stephen R. Reed, who was now running the city schools under a new state law that sidelined the nine-member elected school board. It was a school district with a 93 percent poverty rate, a 9.2 percent dropout rate, ruled by power politics and a culture of failure. In short, a district in crisis. Gerald Kohn Kohn's first goal was changing the perceptions of parents, students and teachers. The kids had to believe they could succeed. The adults had to put kids first. Kohns supporters said had enormous success, reaching a new group of students by restarting the citys preschool program, challenging the districts best and brightest with nationally recognized magnet schools, and reining in some of the districts most difficult students with an alternative education program. But keeping politics out of a district run by the citys mayor proved a Herculean task. Its the community pressure hes in, Calobe Jackson Jr., president of the seven-member board of control now overseeing the city schools under the mayoral takeover. The control board also was hand-picked by Reed -- not elected by the people. This fact that would gnaw at many in the Harrisburg community who saw their duly-elected school board members pushed aside, seemingly disenfranchising the city voters who selected them. "You're under the watchful eye of the state. You have the political arena with a Republican senator and a Democrat in the Legislature and the mayoral situation. It's a difficult situation." And in the end, the very same political atmosphere that brought Kohn to Harrisburg led the then-newly-elected Mayor Linda Thompson to fulfill a campaign promise and oust him after nearly nine years. The school district's board of control, now filled mainly with Thompson appointees, voted 5-2 in March 2010 to rescind Kohn's $235,431 contract, citing its powers under the state Education Empowerment Act, the now-defunct law that launched the city schools takeover. The board named Assistant Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney as acting superintendent. Knight-Burney was later handed job for good, and remains in the position to this day even as Mayor Eric Papenfuse and some elected school board members now say its time for a state receiver to wrest control of the still-dysfunctional city schools. By the time she bested Reed in the 2009 Democratic primary, Thompson had been a vocal critic of Kohn. She cited the district's failure to make targets on state mandated PSSA exams for seven years in a row. Harrisburg's scores consistently ranked near the bottom three among Pennsylvania's 500 school districts. More than 50 percent of city students still score at basic or below basic levels in math and reading. "To leave [Kohn] in office for one more day would have been another crime against these kids," Thompson said at the time. But after a quarter-century plunge into academic failure, change takes time, said Clare Jones, who served on the board of control for eight years of Kohn's tenure. "If it were possible to turn the education of a child on a dime, we would have done it," Jones said. "It isn't happening in Detroit. It isn't happening in D.C. And even the miracles that are attributed to the secretary of education in Chicago are not that miraculous. It's still that basic hard work, and you have to invest over time." Stephen Reed Supporters insisted the signs of a districts rising success under Kohn were much greater than the sum of its students PSSA scores. Under Kohn, enrollment was up. Graduation and college acceptance rates were way up. Other changes were harder to measure. Before Kohn, opening day at Harrisburg High School was a study in chaos, as hundreds of students without class schedules were herded into the auditorium, where they sat for the day until the class schedule conundrum could be sorted out. It was routine for classes to go past Halloween without text books. Annual book orders were put in late, or not at all. And there was no accountability among students for their texts. Many books left the building and never came back. At the high school, attendance records were spotty or not kept at all. Report cards could be hit or miss. Truancy was epidemic. The drop-out rate led the midstate. And graduation numbers shrank to well below 200 seniors. Costly school equipment, such as computers, weren't inventoried, logged and tracked. Many disappeared. The message to at-risk students teetering on the edge of academic oblivion was devastating: If the city schools can't get the details right, why should they? This was the Harrisburg School District that intrigued and attracted Kohn. The Harvard-educated Kohn, who kept a permanent address near Lawrence, N.J., where his wife was superintendent, saw a chance to test his theories on urban education in a relatively small school system that had nowhere to go but up. Harrisburg was the perfect microcosm. Even better, Kohn, still wearing the scars from a political battle with his former school board in Vineland, N.J., and would essentially answer to one person: then-Mayor Reed. Reed had been handed the district's reins in December 2000 under Pennsylvania's Education Empowerment Act, now defunct. He put in place a board of control to run the district, while the elected school board dealt with financial issues. Many of Kohn's successes were in the details, said Winston Cleland, a former superintendent of West Perry Schools who joined Kohn's dream team of administrators in 2002. Kohn shaped up operations from the meat and potatoes of educating -- including launching good staff training programs and simply getting texts in the hands of students -- to the mundane, like instituting standard business practices that had been virtually non-existent, Cleland said. He also oversaw top-to-bottom renovations to nearly every school in the district that vastly improved the learning environment, Cleland said. Kohn was largely free to apply the cutting-edge brain research he touted to remake reading programs. He brought in trusted deputies, such as Deputy Superintendent Julie Botel, to carry out his plans. And by applying for a series of grants and later hiring a local lobbying firm to push for more state aide, Kohn could dramatically increase spending without raising taxes. Some of the innovations that occurred already were in motion. Reed had pushed for a high-cost alternative school that would weed out troubled and disruptive students. Having dreamed about a city-based university for Harrisburg for 10 years, Reed saw the chance to create a high school feeder system that became known as SciTech High. Kohn stocked SciTech with a team of newly hired teachers, some from other professions such as information technology and engineering. The students had to apply for coveted seats. They and their parents had to sign pacts agreeing to SciTech's more rigorous academic standards. For his other major gambit, Kohn concentrated on a group of children who weren't even in school -- the city's impressionable, eager-to-learn 3- and 4-year-olds. Kindergarten tests were showing that, by the time district students turned 5 and entered school, they were years behind suburban kids in vocabulary, numbers and letter recognition. By getting to these children years earlier, Kohn hoped to erase the learning gap that had hamstrung city students for decades. But the program, unfunded by any state reimbursement, had to start small, with fewer than 500 students. And it would take years for those cohorts to work their way up through the grades and make a measurable impact on the district's abysmal state test scores. Kohn had thrown a rock into the middle of a pond, but it would take years for the ripples to reach the shore. Harrisburg's new administration made the trains run on time. Students received books and schedules. Report cards went out every eight weeks. But the districts suddenly whiter administrative structure raised eyebrows in the majority-black school system. So did the number of top administrators making six-figure salaries. Meanwhile, the community seemed frozen out, their votes disenfranchised because the elected school board had been shunted aside. But plenty of politics remained. While Kohn remained worshipful of Reed, whom he constantly credited for the districts vision, he wasnt making many friends elsewhere. Unflappable with a professorial air, Kohns answers could be curt, even as brief as one word. Perhaps this was the caution of a superintendent who had been burned by past political backbiting. Or maybe Kohn felt that as long as he remained in Reed's good graces, he was bulletproof. Linda ThompsonFile Then-state Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin County, became a powerful rival. With one hand, Piccola helped direct millions in state funding to Harrisburg. With the other, he backhanded Kohn over his growing impatience with the fact that all the extra spending wasnt moving the needle fast enough on test scores. Adding to the rift, Kohn was said to have treated Piccola as an amateur when it came to education. To Kohn, Piccola must have seemed like a politician pontificating about something that was not his area of expertise. To Piccola, Kohn must have sounded like a Harvard professor lecturing his class. As resistant as he might have seemed to politicians, Kohn loved teachers. In one year, Kohn brought in more than 100 new teachers, most of whom were fresh out of school. They were young and eager. Yet Kohn's zeal to push the envelope on the district's budget often resulted in summer cliff-hangers over whether the district's state funding would come through. In preparation for the worst-case scenario, the district for several years sent out layoff notices to scores of teachers. By union rule, the layoff notices went to those with the least experience -- the younger teachers who Kohn hoped would lead the charge to energize Harrisburg's classrooms with the latest learning techniques. After a couple of years sweating over their jobs, many of these teachers left the district for more stable jobs in the suburbs. Ironically, thanks to all the teacher training Kohn had invested in them, having Harrisburg on one's resume became an attractive calling card in surrounding schools. And ironically, for all his talk about being driven by data and research, Kohn was undone by one particular piece of data: Harrisburg's state assessment test scores. Despite the district's rounds of practice testing each year, Kohn never devised a consistent, districtwide system for using those test results to identify which lessons were connecting with specific students and then precisely targeting remediation in order to move all students forward. Everything comes at a cost, and the district had a huge $247 million debt from its wide-scale facilities improvements. For some, this was Kohns troubling legacy in Harrisburg, where the district also faced an operational budget deficit of $17 in 2010-2011. For his part, Kohn responded that district administrators were in the process of obtaining the $17 million when their lobbying firm was fired and a gag order on Kohn was issued by Thompson. And as for the $247 million debt on the building projects Kohn said the total was at least $40 million below the state-imposed limit on district debt. Mayor Eric Papenfuse Kohn insisted finances werent the districts real deficit. Rather, it was poisonous politics in both Harrisburg and the halls of the state Capitol that pulled the plug on a systematic plan for improvement before it had the time to produce real results. And for some of this, Kohn even blamed himself. In an interview before he left Harrisburg with his $2.4 million settlement, Kohn said he regretted not trying to form a better relationship with Thompson. He and Thompson did not speak for seven years, and spoke only three times after her election, he said. Otherwise, there was no looking back for Kohn. Except for what might have been for the children of Harrisburg. As Kohn noted at the time, he and his wife were not blessed with children of their own, so he has come to consider himself a surrogate parent to the kids in the schools he has served most especially here in Harrisburg. But if the city was through with him, Kohn said he wasnt through with kids. Even at age 66, retirement was not an option. He left Harrisburg looking for his next school district full of children whom he might help to succeed. "I feel like I have a lot more to give to children and the profession of being a school leader," he said. "This is my passion. ... I love the kids in the city of Harrisburg, and I think there is a great need here." But in Pennsylvanias capital city, while power had been stripped from the elected school board, the pervasive politics that so often placed city kids last were not. A York man accused of sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl has admitted to the assaults and made incriminating statements, according to police. Doni Todd Shue, 51, is charged with aggravated indecent assault of a child, aggravated indecent assault without consent, corruption of minors, indecent assault of a person younger than 13 and indecent assault without consent of others, according to online court dockets. According to court documents filed by Springettsbury Township police Detective Chad Moyer, the girl was molested by Shue on two occasions, May 28, 2018 and Feb. 5, 2019. Both assaults occurred at Shues apartment in York, and involved touching her inappropriately, according to court documents. The girl told investigators that Shue told her not to tell or he would get in trouble. Police said Shue admitted to the assaults to two different family members, according to court documents. A family member reported that Shue discussed the assaults the same day the allegations were made, and that those family members cooperated with police. On Feb. 9, 2019, Shue had contact with police and made incriminating statements to officers, which was captured on body worn cameras, police said. She was arraigned on April 19, and bail was set at $50,000. He was released upon posting a bond for 10 percent of the bail amount on the same day. Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse effectively called for the end - temporarily - of a nine-year period of local control of city schools Wednesday. Putting the citys schools under the control of a court-appointed receiver, the mayor hopes, would be a short-term step back that will, after a years of fiscal and administrative turmoil, set the school system up for a brighter, more stable future. This is different from the 2000 legislative action driven by former state Sen. Jeff Piccola and longtime Mayor Stephen R. Reed to bring the schools directly under the mayors control - a protocol that lasted for nearly 10 years when that special legislation was left to lapse during Reeds successor Linda Thompsons administration, and local control resumed. The roots of the receivership that Papenfuse, and now state Sen. John DiSanto, R-Dauphin County, seeks are found in a 2012 law signed by former Gov. Tom Corbett that represented a new way of dealing with financially-distressed schools. Harrisburg, in fact, has been operating under the first ring of state oversight since the laws passage, with the assignment of a chief recovery officer responsible for drafting a financial recovery plan and helping district administrators run the show. Final decisions are still firmly in the local officers hands. If a local school board refuses to conform to the agreed-to recovery plan or cooperate with the recovery officer, however, as Papenfuse has alleged has become the case in Harrisburg, then the state Education Secretary has the ability to petition the courts for appointment of a receiver. Attempts to reach Education Secretary Pedro Rivera for this story were not successful. The receiver would essentially be a CEO, grabbing most of the controls currently held by Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney and the elected school board for a term of at least three years. Employees and elected and appointed officials of the school district have a duty to comply with the receiver, and the authority of these individuals to exercise power on behalf of the school district is largely suspended. Its a calculated risk for Papenfuse. And one that its not completely clear many residents - less than a month from a spirited primary election campaign that has seen 12 candidates enter a race for five board seats - would endorse. But the mayor told PennLive Wednesday its time for drastic action. If you have an administration willing to sort of thumb its nose at the Department of Education and disregard requests by school board members, that adds layers of dysfunction that need to be cut through by a receiver, he said. There is a possibility that the school district could drag the city down with it if they dont take action soon. School district receivership has been invoked only two times so far in Pennsylvania under the 2012 law - in Duquesne City in Allegheny County and Chester-Upland in Delaware County - and as Education Law Center spokesman Paul Socolar put it Wednesday, we cant point to any success stories of districts moving out." (Corbetts administration also petitioned to have York school placed under a receiver who proposed putting that districts operations under the management of a for-profit charter school company in late 2014, but it went back into recovery status before anything happened after a court challenge and a change in stance by incoming Gov. Tom Wolfs administration.) Perhaps the biggest disappointment under the act has been Chester-Upland, perennially one of Pennsylvanias worst-performing districts in terms of student achievement. State Auditor General Eugene Depasquale expressed exasperation with the process there after a 2017 audit effort that DePasquale said his staff was forced to abandon because of missing records and non-responsive administrators. That was after five years of receivership. First of all, how the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the state oversight and the receiver are operating that district has to be completely changed," he complained in December 2017. Weve seen poor result after poor result in the Chester Upland School District, so the state takeover process has not been a way to fix that. In Duquesne City, however, a longtime school board member said the states receivership program has helped that one-school, k-6 system keep its footing in a community that has been scarred by economic collapse. Duquesne City School District was declared financially distressed by the state in 2000, and for the next 12 years it was managed by a three-member state board of control. When the board rejected the new financial recovery plan in 2012, the state named a receiver. It hasnt been perfect. A state audit in 2017 found former superintendent Barbara McDonnell authorized more than $41,000 in no-interest, personal loans to herself and three other district employees from school district funds between 2012 and 2016. Duquesne Citys schools, which see all students farmed out to neighboring schools after 6th grade, wont get out of receivership any time soon, board president DeWayne Tucker told The Patriot-News Wednesday by telephone. But thats hardly the fault of the receiver process, he added. We have no finances. We dont have nothing here for people to stay for. There are no jobs," Tucker explained, describing his blighted hometown. That said, Tucker added he feels the receivers team has been more responsive to the parents that have remained in Duquesne than the state-sanctioned board of control that existed prior to the 2012 law. I would have to give them a passing grade at this point in time, Tucker said. Papenfuse is hoping Harrisburg can be the state school receivership laws first major success, though his motivation is not purely fiscal. The second-term mayor, leading a city that he likes to say is in the midst of a renaissance, said Wednesday his mission in seeking a state takeover is to keep the struggling Harrisburg schools - riven at the top by factionalism and management missteps - from stunting the momentum. With a large student population and decent local tax base to build off, Papenfuse thinks appointment of a receiver could provide the stronger, professional hand to save it from the administrative and political dysfunction he believes has been holding it back. Ahead of the dengue and malaria season, the district health department of Dehradun has come into an action mode to combat spread of these vector borne diseases. The department has started an awareness campaign in the areas where the disease is traditionally reported more. On its part, the Municipal Corporation (MCD) of Dehradun has also started fogging activity in many localities of the provisional state capital. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Dehradun, Dr S K Gupta told The Pioneer that the department is on a pro active mode so that the dengue is under control. The outburst of the disease is reported during the months of monsoon. The CMO said that the department would start a comprehensive door to door survey of the city in which Asha workers would tell people on the ways to prevent the disease. The district vector borne diseases officer Subash Joshi said, Our workers are identifying the potential breeding grounds of mosquitoes, working for source reduction and engaged in an extensive awareness campaign on dengue and malaria. We are working in tandem with the municipal corporation which is undertaking fogging and spray of insecticides to destroy mosquitoes. Joshi further added that the department has sufficient stock of the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ( ELISA) kits for test of dengue. The department would use services of more than 300 Asha workers and Asha facilitators in the awareness campaign. These workers would tell people that they should not to let water get collected in around their households. They would also advice people to use mosquito repellent creams, nets and wear clothes which cover their body completely to minimise exposure to mosquito bite. Dengue is a viral infection spread by the mosquito Aedes Aezypti popularly known as Tiger Mosquito due to the characteristic strips over its body. The presence of this virus is detected by conducting the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test which is the confirmatory test for the disease. The symptoms of the disease are persistent high fever, rashes, headache and pain in the joints. In the acute cases the platelets number decrease drastically which may prove fatal for the patient. Last year, the district health department reported 300 cases of dengue from Dehradun. In the year 2016, dengue affected the population on a large scale as 1434 cases of the disease were reported by the department. The department also reported 39 cases of malaria last year. Incidentally both dengue and malaria are spread by mosquitoes hence the health department undertakes activities to reduce the number of these vectors under the source reduction programme. Citing the absolute brutality of the crime, a federal judge Thursday sentenced a career criminal to 17 years in prison for an armed robbery of the Lancaster Brewing Company in Swatara Township. Dehaven Pollard knew his way around the eatery before he and two cohorts burst in with a pistol and an assault rifle in November 2016 because Pollard was a former employee, U.S. Middle District Judge John E. Jones III observed. Jones also stressed his belief that Pollard, 38, deserves his career criminal designation, despite opposition by defense attorney William Fetterhoff. The judge cited Pollards history of drug crimes, primarily in Philadelphia, that began when Pollard was 14 or 15. Pollard was on probation for one of those Philadelphia convictions when the Lancaster Brewing Company robbery occurred, Jones noted. Fetterhoff argued that Pollards drug convictions involved only small amounts of narcotics. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer countered that it is difficult to determine how much illegal narcotics any drug dealer is actually selling. The fact of the matter, Mr. Pollard, is youre not getting it, Jones said. It (his crimes) happens again and againTheres a pattern of disrespect for the law. Fetterhoff sought a prison sentence for Pollard of as little as 12 years. Baer asked Jones to put Pollard behind bars for at least 22 years. The career criminal designation exposed Pollard to extra jail time. Baer argued that Pollard, who once lived in Steelton, needed to be removed from society because his criminal acts have been progressively more severe. This was a violent, brazen robbery that had a profound impact on multiple victims, Baer told the judge. He noted restaurant employees were threatened and assaulted by the robbers. In a sentencing memorandum, Baer wrote that stress and anxiety from the holdup caused one worker to relapse into drug use and eventually commit suicide. Other workers couldnt bear to return to the eatery, he said. When given a chance to speak, Pollard told Jones, I apologize for getting myself caught up in another incident. Jones agreed with Baer that the robbery was hugely traumatic for the victims. People assume when you have a gun theyre going to be shot, the judge said. Thats a fair assumption. Its a hard thing to shake out of your mind. Jones also ordered Pollard to pay $1,340 in restitution for the cash and cell phones stolen during the robbery. Editors note: This article has been updated to provide correct information that Bill Joel dedicate the song "Allentown." Has anyone been keeping track of the publicity that has written off all but the large urban areas in Pennsylvania? A number of national media reports have told the stories of factories closing down in rural towns throughout the Commonwealth, impacting generations of factory workers and their families. Even Billy Joel dedicated a song to factories closing in Allentown. What media fail to mention are the entrepreneurs who are emerging. Entrepreneurship is not just for recent college graduates; it is also for the downsized, the laid-off and the let-go workers who have decided to stay in the state they consider home and put their trust in themselves. I work with many of these entrepreneurs through Penn States Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic, and I am happy to say in National Inventors Month that the green shoots are coming through, signaling signs of economic growth. Traditional economic theory says that the many residents who relied upon these factories for work should just move on to another geographic area where good jobs are more plentiful. And, in fact, there are many former residents who have done just that. However, there are also many who have decided to stay and create new lives for themselves. The labor economists did not account for the multigenerational cultural ties that people have established with their communities, nor did they account for the value of living blocks away from your grandmother or a few miles away from your siblings. Another common storyline in economic development is the young Millennials or Gen Zers in Brooklyn and Silicon Valley who go to work every day in a co-working location where they can pursue their new business ventures. But, I have been to co-working sites in such unlikely hipster hangouts as Allentown, Bellefonte, Erie, Johnstown and McKeesport. In contrast to the glory days of manufacturing -- the 1950s through the mid-1970s -- todays workers are now more willing to invest in themselves. The number of sole proprietorships, which represent over 70 percent of U.S. businesses, has exploded since the 1980s. Likewise, the number of partnerships and S corporations, which are also generally small businesses, has grown significantly, while the number of C corporations has declined. Pennsylvania has 18 Small Business Development Centers, or SBDCs, that are buzzing with new-business activity. The SBDCs, which are funded by federal and state monies, are always located at a university. There are busy SBDCs at Penn in Philadelphia and at Duquesne in Pittsburgh. My work exposes me to the less urban, but still very busy SBDCs at Bucknell, Clarion, Gannon, Kutztown, Penn State, St. Francis, Scranton and Shippensburg. There are many other economic development organizations that are working at the community, county and regional levels to promote economic activity in Pennsylvania, not just by attracting new employers but by creating new companies from scratch. I work frequently with Ben Franklin Technology Partners for Central and Northern Pennsylvania, whose region includes much of the Rural T of Pennsylvania, as well as with Ben Franklin Technology Partners for Central and Northern Pennsylvania. (Note well the technology in their names.) Penn State, consistent with its modern land-grant mission, has acknowledged its responsibility to drive job creation and economic development through its Invent Penn State program, which started in 2015. Penn State has 21 innovation hubs located at its campuses throughout Pennsylvania that provide incubator services to students, faculty and staff who are starting businesses, as well as to large numbers of community entrepreneurs, irrespective of whether they have any connection to the University. Invent Penn State includes two legal clinicsthe Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic and the Intellectual Property Clinicat Penn State Law. These clinics enable law students, who are supervised by licensed lawyers, to advise hundreds of startup and early-stage entrepreneurs throughout Pennsylvania who would not otherwise have legal counsel available. I am very fortunate to be one of those licensed lawyers. When I describe my role, I often say that just as Penn States Extension officers would traverse Pennsylvania to tell farmers what seeds to plant, I meet with entrepreneurs throughout the state to advise them how to set up a business to protect their green shoots, whether they relate to making honey, manufacturing dog-proof trash cans or 3-D printing of body parts to enhance scientific research. It is uplifting to report that just as spring surrounds us with tree buds and daffodils, we are starting to see early signs of new economic life throughout Pennsylvania. Tom Sharbaugh is a professor of practice and director of the Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic at Penn State Law. KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) A former high school teacher and pastor in southeast Alaska will be going to prison for sexually abusing a teenage girl at a school, a church and his home. Douglas Edwards, 60, was sentenced last week to 18 years in prison with 12 years suspended after pleading guilty in February to one count of sexual abuse of a minor, the Ketchikan Daily News reported. The former Ketchikan High School teacher placed his hand inside the victims shirt, underneath her bra, and rubbed or touched her bare breast multiple times between August and November 2017, Edwards sai... The Southeast Alaska Power Agency, representing the communities of Wrangell, Petersburg, and Ketchikan, decided to postpone a reimbursement plan to its two northern communities in their last meeting. Petersburg and Wrangell took on additional costs to keep the lights on in their towns over the past months, which they felt SEAPA should compensate them for. In a brief summary of recent events, Wrangell and Petersburg both receive hydropower from Tyee Lake. Due to dry weather last year, however, water levels in the lake were low. SEAPA also sold some hydropower to Ketchikan, which was also de... ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A former Alaska bank employee who stole $4.3 million in cash and fled to Mexico is set to be sentenced. Gerardo Cazarez Valenzuela, 33, pleaded guilty to theft of bank funds after he was extradited to the U.S. last year, Alaska Public Media reported Thursday. The former cash vault services manager loaded boxes of cash onto a cart and wheeled them out of a KeyBank in Anchorage in 2011, according to court documents. He had organized an ice cream social for that day, giving him the opportunity to stay late to access the vault under the guise of cleaning up from the e... One year later, more than 129,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in region As of December 18, the Health Department of Northwest Michigan has given 61,424 of COVID-19 doses across its service area of Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties. The reports of National Family Health Survey show that immunization coverage in Jharkhand has gone up from 8 per cent in 1998-99 (NFHS2) to 61.9 per cent in 2015-16 (NFHS-4). However, there are pockets in the State with low immunization coverage. A report by UNICEF shows an estimated 300,000 infants in Jharkhand are still missing out on basic vaccines under routine immunization. Recent monitoring of RI coverage during house to house visit conducted by Government, UNICEF and WHO indicate that a lack of awareness among parents about the benefits of vaccination, fear of adverse events following immunization and operational reasons such as non-availability of vaccines or vaccinators during immunization sessions are the major reasons for partial or no immunization. As the World Immunization Week starts on Wednesday, reaching out to these children would be imperative to pushing up immunization coverage to 90 percent in line with the governments commitment to reach 90 percent coverage by end of FY 2018-2019. Celebrated in the last week of April, World Immunization Week aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. The theme of this years campaign is Protected Together: Vaccines Work and will celebrate vaccine heroes from around the world. Madhulika Jonathan, Chief of UNICEF Jharkhand said, Evidence shows that unimmunized and partially immunized children are most susceptible to childhood diseases and disability and have a 3 to 6 times higher risk of death as compared to fully immunized children. An estimated 20 million children are still excluded from full benefit of vaccines around the world and estimated 300,000 in Jharkhand. UNICEF is working with the Government of Jharkhand, WHO and other partners to identify these children and connecting them to the immunization services. With the starting of the week, UNICEF is launching its new global campaign alongside to emphasize the power and safety of vaccines among parents and wider social media users. #VaccinesWork has long been used to bring together immunization advocates online. This year, UNICEF is partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to encourage even greater reach. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will contribute USD$ 1 to UNICEF for every like or share of social media posts using the hashtag #VaccinesWork in April, up to USD$1 million, to ensure all children get the life-saving vaccines they need. World Health Organization (WHO) research shows that if vaccine coverage is increased in low- and middle-income countries by 2030, around 24 million people could be prevented from falling into poverty due to health expenses. A cup of Cheerful Cherry and Mellow Mango CBD-infused water ice at the Hip Hemp Cafe near 7th and South Streets in Philadelphia. Read more If CBD werent already mainstream, theres little question now. The trendy food and beauty aide supplement derived from the cannabis plant has popped up this year at thousands of scattered health food stores, gas stations, grocers and pharmacies. And its become a phenomenally popular, if non-FDA approved, ingredient this year in foods and beauty aids. It can be found added to everything from smoothies to lollipops, lotions and potions. Now the non-intoxicating cannabinoid has planted its flag in a big way at Americas largest shopping mall. Seventh Sense Botanical Therapy on Thursday opened a sizable CBD kiosk near Nordstrom at King of Prussia Mall. Scores of body and skin-care products, made with essential oils and CBD, are for sale at the 200-square-foot stand. The company intends to open more than 100 Seventh Sense locations before the end of the year at malls operated by the King of Prussia owners Simon Property Group. Last year, Simon successfully sued to prevent a medical marijuana dispensary from opening near its Philadelphia Mills mall in Northeast Philadelphia. CBD is said to promote relaxation and a sense of ease. Though its only federally approved use is in a drug called Epidiolex, an anti-epileptic medicine for children, users of non-pharmaceutical CBD attribute dozens of purported health benefits to the substance. As a folk cure, the hemp derivative is used to treat everything from anxiety to psoriasis. There have been no clinical trials to prove CBD -- also known as cannabidiol -- is effective for anything other than rare forms of epilepsy. CBD products are expected to reach $16 billion in sales in the U.S. by 2025, according to conservative estimates by analysts at Cowen Investment Management. Seventh Sense is a division of Green Growth Brands (OTC: GGBXF), an Ohio-based cannabis powerhouse that is listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange. Green Growth Brands is headed by Peter Horvath, a marketing legend with a storied past at sicj big brands as Victorias Secret, DSW, and American Eagle Outfitters. Green Growth also operates marijuana dispensaries in Nevada and holds a license in Massachusetts. Seventh Sense, which focuses on hemp-derived products, is the companys first foray into the regional market. Meanwhile, in South Philadelphia, water-ice spiked with CBD isolate has been for sale for the last week at a small stand in front of the Hip Hemp Cafe. Cafe owner George Martorano said his juiced, iced confection was invented in collaboration with Johns Water Ice, a South Philly icon if there ever was one. Sales have been phenomenal, said Martorano, who served 30 years in prison on a nonviolent marijuana trafficking conviction before deciding to serve CBD coffee, baked goods -- and now wooder ice -- at his cafe on Seventh Street, just off South Street. We have Cheerful Cherry, Mellow Mango, and a chocolate and pineapple flavor," said Martorano, who believes the product is the first time that CBD has been added to Italian ice. "Its only available outside the shop. We probably sell more than 100 cups a day at $5 a cup. For more cannabis and medical marijuana news, go to Philly.com/cannabis Ethicon's TVT vaginal mesh and the device used to surgically insert it. A Philadelphia jury ordered the J&J subsidiary to pay $120 million to an Altoona woman who was injured by the mesh. Read more A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson must pay $120 million to a Pennsylvania woman who was severely injured by vaginal mesh implanted to treat urinary incontinence. A Philadelphia jury found that the J&J subsidiary, Ethicon, was negligent in the design of its TVT-O device, a strip of plastic mesh that had eroded into the Altoona womans vagina. Susan McFarland, 68, had the medical device implanted in 2008 and was left suffering from pelvic pain and chronic urinary tract infections. Surgery to remove the mesh failed to help, her lawyer said. The $120 million verdict, which includes $100 million in punitive damages, is believed to be the largest to date in a vaginal mesh case, according to McFarlands lead counsel, Tracie Palmer, of Kline & Specter. Susan is unable to have sex and hasnt been able to since her implant 10 years ago, Palmer said. "That is her main injury. The jurys message to Johnson & Johnson is: Take this product off the market for the health and safety of Americas women, Palmer said. They could see the company had not taken responsibility for their actions. Mindy Tinsley, a spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnsons Ethicon, said the company would appeal the verdict. While Ethicon empathizes with women who experience medical complications, this verdict and the damages awarded are inconsistent with the science, Ethicons actions, and previous verdicts related to our TVT-O product, which continues to be the gold standard of treatment for stress urinary incontinence, Tinsley said in a statement. We believe the evidence showed Ethicons TVT-O device was properly designed and that Ethicon acted appropriately and responsibly in the research, development and marketing of the product. Unfortunately, the jury was not permitted to hear critical evidence related to the FDAs review and classification of these devices, which we believe significantly influenced the verdict and punitive award in this case, the statement concluded. Palmer said McFarland is doing well, all things considered, and still processing her victory. She still suffers the original incontinence that the device was meant to cure. The jury took three hours to decide its verdict. Kline & Specter attorneys won the previous six Philadelphia verdicts in vaginal mesh cases, including a verdict for $57.1 million and, in February, a $41 million verdict. The Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) will provide pick up and drop facility for the patients and their attendees to the polling booths which are located within Delhi NCR. The initiative, titled '#ISICWalksTheVote', aims to empower the patients and their attendees to exercise their democratic right on 12th May, when nearly 1.36 crore voters of the national Capital will make a beeline to the polling booths. "Though enabling patients' access to polling stations does not constitute a core responsibility of a healthcare provider but considering that only because they are not healthy enough to go by their own to cast their votes, we have decided to extend a helping hand by facilitating their access to the polling booths across Delhi NCR," Dr H S Chhabra, Medical Director and Chief of Spine Service, ISIC. Highlighting the difficulties faced by disable people, he said in past, there were incidents of people with disability not being able to cast their vote. Disability rights are slowly coming to the mainstream from the fringes and political parties are increasingly becoming aware of their inclusion, he said, stressing that there is also need polling officials to be more sensitive towards the need of people with disability. According to the Election Commission of India, voters having one among the 21 disabilities mentioned by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 are termed as 'voters with disabilities'. In addition, if a person who has reduced mobility and /or motor function and /or physical coordination due to age, temporary ailment, pregnancy, or other disease, and needs to be facilitated to get registered as well as vote are termed as 'voters with reduced mobility and physical functions'. Suburban Philadelphia voters shifted three congressional seats from Republican to Democratic in Novembers election, but one thing hasnt changed: the bipartisan fight to keep U.S. military contracts flowing to the regions largest remaining factory complex, the Boeing helicopter works in Ridley Park. Thats why, on windswept tarmac between the plant and the gray, mile-wide Delaware River, aides to Sens. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) and Chris Coons (D., Del.) joined host U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D., Pa.) and hundreds of Boeing workers Thursday morning, to greet the first of a series of Chinook 47 helicopters the plant is upgrading for Army Special Forces units as it returned from a test flight. Scanlon said she was there last month, too, with U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D., Pa.), to help strategize how to save a large upgrade project that was supposed to keep the plant that employs about 4,500 workers busy for the next 20 years but is now in doubt. Scanlon made Boeings case to members of a key House Appropriations subcommittee earlier this month, and said Rep. Donald Norcross (D., N.J.) who heads an Armed Services subcommittee, plans to stop by Ridley soon, after touring other key defense facilities affected by changing Pentagon plans. The Army in 2017 ordered hundreds of Chinooks upgraded with new rotor blades, drive trains, fuel systems and electronics at Ridley Park, making them more powerful so they can handle 12-ton loads for the next 50 years. At the time, Boeing said that upgrade program, plus a separate assembly line for Osprey tilt-rotor planes and orders from allied governments from Saudi Arabia to Singapore, would assure the plants future at least until most of the plants current workforce is retirement age. But in March, Army officials said they were canceling the main upgrade program because they werent sure that they would need all that lift, after all -- and the money could be better spent on new assault helicopters, robotic vehicles, digitally connected weapons, space communications, and short-range missile defense, among other priorities, to cope with improved Chinese missiles and Russian missile-defense and cyber-attack initiatives. Boeings Osprey, Special Operations, and foreign orders continue, but the apparent end of the general Chinook upgrades threatens significant layoffs at Ridley Park, if it isnt reversed over the next couple of years. Its up in the air, said Mike Tolassi, president of UAW Local 1069, which represents 1,300 of the workers at the plant. Hes glad to see new faces among the elected leaders pledge to lobby for more work: Everybodys helping the hunt. They jump right in. Boeing vice president David Koopersmith recounted Army Vice Chief of Staff James McConvilles remarks from the yearly Army Aviation Association of America meeting in Nashville on April 17: After calling Chinook an incredible aircraft," McConville said the Army was moving forward with the Special Forces upgrades -- and determining the way forward for the larger Army upgrade program, making it sound as if the decision werent final. But Army Secretary Mark Esper hasnt reversed the March decision to stall the helicopter program. Its not just Boeing that hangs on the Armys decision. Such contractors as Summit Aviation in Middletown, Del., and Ehmke Manufacturing Co., which employs 130 at its fiberglass foam thermal acoustic blanket plant in Juniata Park, also staff up for Chinook contracts. Ehmke relies on Boeing for about a quarter of its business, said CEO and part-owner Bob Rosania. Thats why we diversify, he added, by also supplying civilian companies such as Carson Helicopters in Perkasie. It takes three years to plan and build or substantially rebuild aircraft, from contract to delivery, said Randy Rotte, Boeing director of sales and marketing. The Ridley Park plant will remain busy for at least the next couple of years, but if theres no reversal on the Chinook upgrades by this time next year, it could absolutely start to have effects, including layoffs. Boeing, meanwhile, is moving its Osprey works from across Pennsylvania 291 to a former Baldwin Locomotive building next to the Chinook works, making room for another potential production line -- but such projects take years to develop, even when theres certainty in the governments plans, and a new production program in sight. Salad chain Sweetgreen said Thursday that it will accept cash at its six Philadelphia locations starting July 1, when a new law banning cashless stores in the city takes effect. In addition, Sweetgreen plans to take cash at all locations nationwide by the end of the year, the restaurant chain announced in a Medium post. Ultimately, we have realized that while being cashless has advantages, today it is not the right solution to fulfill our mission, the statement said. To accomplish our mission, everyone in the community needs to have access to real food. Sweetgreen joins Amazon in reversing course. Weeks after Philadelphia and New Jersey passed their cashless bans, Amazon said its cashierless convenience Go stores will start accepting cash. Philadelphia passed a law banning cashless stores in February, and New Jersey enacted a law in March requiring brick-and-mortar retail locations to take cash. Similar legislation has been introduced in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. As technology gives consumers more ways to pay, including with their smartphones, some stores have gone cashless to improve efficiency, reduce the risk of robbery, and avoid the hassle of handling cash. But lawmakers said cashless stores effectively discriminate against poor consumers who do not have access to credit or bank accounts. Nearly 6 percent of residents in the Philadelphia region were unbanked in 2017 and roughly 22 percent were considered underbanked, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Philadelphia law does exempt some businesses from the cash requirement. Parking lots and garages, wholesale clubs, retailers that accept mobile payments through membership programs, and rental companies can still stop taking cash. Sales made by phone, mail, and online will also be excluded, as well as goods and services sold exclusively to employees. In a bit of a surprise move, the Eagles signed defensive tackle Tim Jernigan to a one-year deal Thursday. This comes seven weeks after the team declined to pick up the option on the four-year, $48 million extension Jernigan signed with the team in 2017, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. Jernigans previous deal included an $11 million base salary this season. He wouldve counted $13 million against the teams cap. His one-year deal obviously will pay him substantially less. The Eagles acquired Jernigan in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens in April 2017. He was a key member of their Super Bowl team, teaming with Fletcher Cox to give the Eagles one of the leagues better tackle tandems. He had back surgery the next offseason, however, which sidelined him for most of the 2018 campaign. He played in just three regular-season games and played a total of 100 snaps in those three games and the Eagles two playoff games. Shortly after declining to pick up Jernigans option, the Eagles signed former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson to a three-year, $30 million deal. It will be interesting to see what impact the re-signing of Jernigan has on the Eagles draft strategy. They were expected to look hard at the deep defensive-tackle crop in the draft, possibly as early as Thursday nights first round. The Eagles have the 25th overall pick in the first round. One player to keep an eye on now that theyve re-signed Jernigan is Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Simmons was considered a potential top-10 pick until he tore his ACL in predraft training in February. He probably isnt going to play much, if at all, his rookie season. But bringing back Jernigan on a one-year deal affords the Eagles the luxury of drafting Simmons and redshirting him, much like they did two years ago with cornerback Sidney Jones, who ruptured his Achilles tendon before the draft. Philadelphia school nurses used to have the authority to exclude unvaccinated students. That's changed under a new directive from district officials, and some are concerned. Read more For years, Lincoln High School nurse Peg Devine had the authority to bar students from school until they had received the vaccines children are required to have under state law. In 26 years, she estimates, she kept 15 students out of school. Exclusion proved powerful; no students missed more than two days before returning with proof they had been immunized, she said. But for the last several years, the Philadelphia School District has prohibited school nurses from excluding unvaccinated students, a move that worries Devine and others given the recent local outbreak of mumps and other infectious diseases cropping up across the country. Across the district, 12,405 pupils lack either all of the state-mandated vaccinations or have an exemption from them because of medical, religious, or philosophical reasons. Thats roughly 10 percent of the districts student population. Its very dangerous that youve got kids who are not immunized, and you have medically fragile kids, said Devine. Its unprecedented. Concern over outbreaks has been growing beyond the region. U.S. officials say 626 cases of measles have been reported nationwide, the most since 2014, when 667 were recorded. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a public health emergency and required vaccines in some parts of the city after an outbreak of measles centered in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. (During a measles outbreak in 1991, Philadelphia officials obtained a court order to vaccinate a group of North Philadelphia children whose parents religious faith frowned on immunizations. Nine children died from the disease that year.) And in recent months, more than 100 Temple University students contracted the mumps, resulting in the universitys changing its policy to require incoming students to have the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Philadelphias school immunization compliance numbers are generally in line with the states, according to Pennsylvania data. Last school year, for instance, across all Philadelphia schools, 96 percent of students received at least two doses of the required MMR vaccine. That number was 97 percent statewide. Karyn Lynch, chief of student support services for the district, said the shift in exclusion decisions was needed to standardize procedures so that across the city, everyone is following the same process. To inequitably implement across the district would be inappropriate." Lynch said that she is in constant communication with Thomas Farley, the citys health commissioner, when questions come up about whether to exclude a student who, for instance, may have come into contact with a Temple student who had contact with someone afflicted with mumps. The health and safety of all of our School District of Philadelphia students is paramount, said Lynch. With significant numbers of vulnerable families hourly wage workers, those whose first language is not English, homeless families its incumbent on the district to study and implement best practices around vaccinations, she said. Making a decision as significant as having a child not coming to school is extremely important, said Lynch. Before anyone could think about a child not attending school for any reason, there needs to be a deliberate process. But on the ground, nurses bristle at their lack of authority over student health, and say in the past they were following orders of the state Health Department to exclude, when appropriate, students who lack the required immunizations. Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which represents school nurses, said the districts recent shift was a real concern. This speaks to the question of professionalism, the way people are treated, said Jordan. Nurses did not exclude children without the approval of the principal. Theyre the medical experts in our school buildings, and we should listen to their advice. Colleen Quinn, the nurse at the High School for Creative and Performing Arts, said 42 of the schools 750 students either have no immunizations or are only partially vaccinated. She also has two students receiving chemotherapy as well as other immuno-compromised students who are particularly vulnerable. We also have a lot of young teachers, Quinn said. If you have anybody whos pregnant, youre putting them at risk. When records indicate a student lacks the required immunizations, exclusion is not a nurses first step, she said. At the beginning of every month, Quinn pulls a noncompliance list and attempts to call every family. Many students contact information is not up to date, so she often brings students into her office and asks them to call their mother or father. She has also sent letters home. Quinn and other district nurses said they provide families with information on how to get free immunizations at the citys health centers, and have made appointments for children with parental permission. Reasons for not vaccinating include parents working long hours, fears about side effects, and more. You can get the runaround, said Quinn. Theyll say, we have an appointment, well get them. This can trail on for two or three years." At Strawberry Mansion High School, nurse Judith Cocking has made little headway with 28 non-compliant students in an alternative school housed on the fifth floor. If you were a parent," she said, "and you had a child in the school setting who was recovering from cancer or recently had an organ transplant and these are not hypothetical cases, most of us have had these cases would you want your children in a building with students who were not immunized? Cocking, who has worked in elementary and high schools during her decades in community health, said she has excluded a handful of students over the years. Each was out for no more than a few days, she said. Infection worries are at the top of nurses minds, said Cocking, who just received a flier from the city health department warning about the potential for measles importation following Passover and Easter travel. Laurie Combe, president-elect of the National Association of School Nurses, said that in her former school system in Texas, if a student was out of compliance with state vaccination laws, once nurses followed district procedure about communicating the requirements, nurses and principals together signed off on excluding students. Nurses felt empowered, Combe said. It concerns me, as it does those Philadelphia nurses, that students are being allowed into school who are not up-to-date on their vaccines, said Combe. That could put the general population at risk. James Garrow, a spokesperson for the city health department, said that to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and mumps, high percentages of children should receive the required immunizations on schedule. Philadelphia is in better shape than many other communities, Garrow said, because about 95 percent of its students have received one dose of a vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, and 75 percent have received two doses. The School District of Philadelphia has policies to enforce the requirement that children receive their recommended immunizations, and the Department of Public Health is working with the School District to assess and maintain high levels of immunization coverage at individual schools, Garrow said in a statement. Health department officials do not believe Temples mumps outbreak will spread in a significant way to the school system because, in part, school-age children may have stronger immune responses than college students, as they were likely vaccinated more recently. Still, Lynch said, the district will revisit our policies and practices for the 2019-20 school year. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band bring "The River Tour" to Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 12, 2016. Read more After days of teasing a new release online, New Jerseys own Bruce Springsteen has announced that he has a new solo album, Western Stars, slated for release June 14. The albums first single, Hello Sunshine, will be released with an accompanying music video tonight at midnight. This record is a return to my solo recordings featuring character-driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements, Springsteen said of the album in a statement. Its a jewel box of a record. According to a release, the album was inspired in part by the Southern California pop records of the late 60s and early 70s, like releases from Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb, [and] Burt Bacharach, as Springsteen recently told Variety. Western Stars will also feature appearances from current and former E Street Band members such as Soozie Tyrell, Charlie Giordano, and David Sancious, as well as wife Patti Scialfa. The album reportedly explores a sweeping range of American themes across its 13 tracks, including highways and desert spaces, isolation and community and the permanence of home and hope. So, its pretty much like every other Springsteen album as far as content, though escape seems to be missing from the list of themes. With its release this summer, Western Stars is Springsteens first solo album since High Hopes, which was released in 2014. USA Today reports that the album was likely recorded prior to The Boss run of Springsteen on Broadway, which wrapped a year-plus-long run in December, which Inquirer music critic Dan DeLuca called, an extraordinary two-hour evening. Netflix released their own version of the Springsteen on Broadway in December. A pre-sale for Western Stars will begin on Friday. The albums track listing is below: Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg, holds a picture of Beverly with her son Adam (Sean Giambrone) in a scene from the Wednesday, May 1, episode of ABC's "The Goldbergs," "Mom Trumps Willow." Read more Mothers Day is coming early for Beverly Goldberg this year. Both the TV character played by Wendi McLendon-Covey and the woman who inspired that portrayal will be in the May 1 episode of ABCs The Goldbergs as the shows Jenkintown-raised creator delivers his version of an apology to the woman who raised him and whose Mothers Day he ruined back in 1988. After hearing the story, I asked Adam F. Goldberg why I shouldnt be on Team Bev. You should be, he said in a phone interview Tuesday. I mean, when youre a kid, youre incredibly selfish, and the world revolves around you. And I think thats why there is a Mothers Day [and a Fathers Day], so theres one day where kids can stop and just appreciate their parents," he said. But I had this opportunity, through my friend, to go see an early screening of the movie Willow in early May, he said, referring to the 1988 fantasy film directed by Ron Howard and produced by George Lucas. I was so excited. The screening was on Mothers Day, and my mom was like, No, youre going to spend the day with me. And I was so angry, I screamed, I hate you, and ran upstairs. She let me hear about it for the next [31] years of my life. So virtually every time I see her, it comes up that I said I hate you on Mothers Day and made [her] cry." Goldberg, whos been mining his 1980s childhood for material for six seasons, knew it had to be an episode. "I decided to do it this year, and flew my mom out and interviewed her about it, and she was very willing to talk about how much I hurt her on Mothers Day, he said. I believe the last line of the show is Adam [Sean Giambrone] asking her how long it will take her to get over it," and her replying that shes sure shell be over it in a week or two, he said. "But then it cuts to an interview [with the real Beverly] where shes still talking about it. For those not familiar with The Goldbergs, lets just say none of this is a surprise. The Philly-centric sitcom even has a second-screen experience, as the real Beverly periodically takes to Twitter to offer her support for the show, sometimes by reinforcing her image as a smother with veiled, and not so veiled, shots at one or more of her three sons. Since January, its also had a second half-hour to play with, as the 1990s-set spin-off Schooled, inspired by Goldbergs teachers at Philadelphias William Penn Charter School, has become so closely linked with the original that viewers might barely notice theyre separate shows. Thats intentional, by the way. "People always said they wished The Goldbergs was an hour long. Every time Im on Twitter, Facebook, I read it, Goldberg said. My idea was just to do more of the same, because people were enjoying it. Plus, it gave him a chance to do stories that didnt fall under the 1980-something umbrella. The 90s is really the time that I was in high school, he said. The other thing was that I was really excited to make the show about my family, and my teachers are just as important to me. I stayed in touch with a lot of them. Theyre such good people. Theyre still there. So it was a way to kind of write something new. Because 140 episodes of my dad in his underpants, after a while its fun, but you kind of start wanting creatively something new and fresh." ABC hasnt yet officially picked up either show for next season, but Goldberg, confident that it will, already has plans, some involving Adams brother Barry (Troy Gentile), whose appearance in the May 1 and May 8 episodes of Schooled arent meant to be his last. I want him to be on both shows. I think itd be really neat to see a character in the 80s and then see them 10 years later right afterwards, he said. By then, Barry, like his real-life counterpart, will be a doctor. Hed also love to do an episode involving the Mummers, a tradition so specific to Philadelphia that when he brings it up in the writers room, everybody looks at me so blank. He encountered similar resistance to last seasons episode about the search for the perfect cheesesteak, he said. "Everyone is like, Why are you going to dedicate a half an hour of network comedy to cheesesteaks? It makes no sense. On The Goldbergs, Gentiles Barry and Hayley Orrantias Erica will be in college next season, but Goldbergs not worried theyll be sidelined. The thing that I got really lucky [with is] that in real life, my two siblings went to the same college, [Brandeis] and the stories are so amazing," said Goldberg, wholl no doubt make his fictional mom happy with his plan to send Erica and Barry to Penn. The highlight story that were definitely going to do next year, maybe even as an opener, is that my two brothers, Eric and Barry, got into a fight. They had to share a computer again, it was like the 80s, and they had one computer. And any time they had a paper, they had to lug this computer across campus. And they both had a paper due on the same day and they got into a full-on fight in the middle of the quad in front of like a thousand people." Eric may have become Erica on the show, but their stories have more in common than people realize, Goldberg said, as his brother also took a year off from college. (He, too, is now a doctor.) Going to college together caused so many problems for them. Any issue they had was like magnified by a thousand. And the best video that I have, they got into a fight [at home] about who was going to pick up pizza and basically my mom called a family meeting and they sat down for an hour and screamed at each other, and my dad was calling them morons. Its the perfect encapsulation of my family, and I have it all on video. Every time were together as a family, we watch it. And we roar with laughter," he said. "Theres so much yelling and crying and laughter and tears, and me, videotaping it all. Its like Im a ghost. No one acknowledges me. Its amazing. The Goldbergs. 8 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. Schooled. 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. Richard and Christina Cusack and baby Scarlett outside Will BYOB, 1911 E. Passyunk Ave. They will take over after Will's closing on June 2 with a BYOB called June. Read more Theres a new tenant on the way to fill the East Passyunk storefront now occupied by Will BYOB, which will close June 2 as chef/owner Christopher Kearse gears up for his forthcoming Old City bistro Forsythia. Richard Cusack, a chef with sterling credentials (who happens to be Sixers star Joel Embiids private chef), and his wife, Christina, a wine professional, have signed on at 1911 E. Passyunk Ave. to open June BYOB, with French cuisine. After light redecorating, they plan to start serving in late summer. Richard Cusack, whose pastas are one of this towns unsung secrets, has named the restaurant after his mother. He started at Bibou BYOB and then worked at Daniel in New York City for two years. He also was a sous chef at Le Bec Fin and Parc before becoming chef de cuisine at Le Cheri. Most recently, to gain experience in the numbers side of the chef game, he set up the kitchen for the recent opening of The Post, the University City beer hall. Christina Cusack is completing her certifications as a sommelier. She also is due this summer with the couples second baby; they have an eight-month-old daughter now. June will be open Wednesday to Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. with an a la carte and a seven-course tasting menu for $75. On Sunday, June will only offer tastings from 5 to 8 p.m. with a choice of four courses for $45 or seven courses for $75. Plans include weekend brunch, wine tasting dinners and make-your-own pasta classes. Heres a sample a la carte menu: Appetizers Chilled cantaloupe and shrimp veloute pickled cantaloupe, poached shrimp, kaffir lime..14 Seared foie gras macerated strawberries, grand marnier crepes, duck jus, pistachio, aged balsamic..18 Sweet bread ravioli veal jus, razor clams, fava beans, confit grape tomatoes..15/30 Citrus cured sea bass mandarin and pomegranate..13 Black truffle cavatelli pecorino mornay sauce..13/26 Entree Beef Estouffade al Provencale braised short rib with chanterelles, green olives, jersey tomato, basil, tomato jus, polenta..32 Seared Duck Breast mulberry gastrique, charred cauliflower, pickled mulberries, roasted pearl onion, mulberry soubise..29 Roasted Scallops hearts of palm, grilled endive, black olive crumble, Valencia orange vinaigrette..26 Dover sole Leeks, asparagus, little neck clams, cherry tomatoes..32 Braised chicken leg with spring garlic maitake mushroom, garbanzo beans, spaghetti chitarra..25 Salt crusted fish for two..50 Dessert: Creme brulee, Chocolate souffle, Strawberry Tart, Ice Cream Cheese Plate : Assorted cheeses with accoutrements..15\ Pineville Tavern Fishtown, an offshoot of Pineville Tavern in Bucks County, has closed after less than nine months at Huntingdon and Gaul Streets. Father-son restaurateurs Andrew and Drew Abruzzese, who opened Aug. 1 after more than a year of top-to-bottom renovation of the former Yesterdays corner bar, say they served their last customers April 23. Andrew Abruzzese said through his rep that when they and building owner Allan Domb first met, they thought they had a solid concept. It turns out that we were a bit early for the neighborhood, as Phillys northern gentrification hasnt quite hit our area yet. We received a lot of great press and we thought the casual dining concept that works in our home base in Bucks County would be a hit down here, too. We were hoping to appeal to millennials, their parents, baby boomers and longtime residents, but we just couldnt do enough business to sustain the operation. "We feel blessed that we had the opportunity to meet a lot of really great people during this experience, and we want to thank the Philadelphia press for being so kind to us, added his son. Their flagship in central Bucks County is unaffected by the shutdown. The Philadelphia location, off Aramingo Avenue in a part of the city where the neighborhood lines of Kensington, Port Richmond, and Fishtown tend to blur, is a two-story building. The Abruzzeses hired noted architect/restaurateur Jim Hamilton of Lambertville to replicate a 1920s-era neighborhood bar. It was Hamiltons last project; he died in February 2018. The first-floor barroom included a nifty cutaway tin ceiling. The second floor featured a raw bar and Steinway concert grand piano surrounded by banquet seating, bronzed mirror, and upholstered velour walls. The piano was on loan from Frederick Babe Koslowski, who owned the long-ago Babes Steakhouse nearby. Dr. Bonnie Milas looks up at a photo of her son, Robert, who died of an overdose, in her office at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Milas, an anesthesiologist at Penn, has become an advocate for overdose prevention. Read more Bonnie Milas knows exactly how quickly a dose of fentanyl can stop the breath. A cardiac anesthesiologist for decades at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, she works every day with the drug that, in its illicit form, has contaminated most of Philadelphias heroin supply, and is now blamed for killing thousands. Many more are saved by quick administration of Narcan, the same reversal drug that Milas uses in her operating room for patients who dont wake up quickly enough from anesthesia. Her medical training is the reason she knew what to do the day she first found her son Robert overdosing in her home, and how she saved his life with an intravenous dose of Narcan she happened to have in her medical bag. It is also how she knew that nothing could be done on the January morning last year when she drove frantically to an apartment in Philadelphia, pushed past a police officer, and saw her son on the bathroom floor. Robert was 27 and, even that early in 2018, already was the citys 16th overdose victim of the year. A toxicology report would find only fentanyl in his system. Last month, her family suffered yet another devastating loss: Her older son, who had saved his younger brother from overdoses twice and was Milas only surviving child, himself died of an accidental drug overdose. That loss is still so fresh she cannot fully discuss it. In the wake of unimaginable tragedy, Milas has committed herself to educating others on how to prevent overdoses. She has spoken up at university forums on the opioid crisis, advocating for supervised-injection sites as a lifesaving measure in the crisis gripping the region, where medical personnel monitor users, reverse overdoses, and also help connect them with treatment. From her home in Yardley, shes joined the Bucks County Overdose Prevention and Education initiative, hosting Narcan trainings and encouraging parents to develop the kind of overdose-prevention plan she didnt have when she caught Robert, then in high school, hiding a syringe. In her own words: Bonnie Milas on fighting overdoses. Robert had been an intensely curious child, a brilliant math and physics student who struggled with other subjects and had been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. It was like him, Milas thought at the time, to have tried heroin just for the experience, and she believed him when he assured her he never would again. She would think later that it made a kind of horrible sense that Robert would choose a downer as his drug of choice: something to calm his mind. For him to feel better about what it is that he was feeling, she said intense self-doubt, sensitivity, and inadequacy. They were expectations he was setting for himself, Milas said. We didnt care what he chose to do, as long as he put his heart and soul into it." At first, she found it almost unbelievable that her kind, funny son, who made her laugh harder than anyone else, could fall into addiction. But her physicians training meant she eventually began to see signs she couldnt ignore. Roberts constricted pupils. How he would fall asleep upright. How he would become suddenly exuberant, bubbly, eager to please, after a dose of heroin pulled him out of withdrawals painful symptoms. Even his speech was a tell: On the phone from college, Milas would listen to the timbre of his voice, the ragged edge of his breath, and know he had been using. She never shared what was happening with anyone outside the immediate family, even as Robert slipped into full-blown addiction, struggling in and out of rehabs, overdosing again and again. Milas, her husband, and her 90-year-old father-in-law each saved Robert from an overdose. Milas and her husband feared the stigma their son would face had his condition been more widely known. We were never ashamed of Robert, she said. But the couple sat through dinner parties where acquaintances blithely talked about how any parent whose child succumbed to addiction clearly had not spent enough time with their kids. This was 2009, 2010. There was no opioid crisis. There was no information out there whatsoever, Milas said. The family endured in silence. But since Roberts death, Milas has felt compelled to speak up. She wants to help the families of people in addiction to prepare to save their loved ones lives, to have a plan to deal with overdoses. Dinner party guests might think suburban kids are safer. But Milas knows ambulances can take longer to arrive in the suburbs, and so its even more critical that families know what to do. Were extremely grateful to her, said Diane W. Rosati, the executive director of the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, where Milas developed her Narcan training program, working with a local paramedic. As a representative of government, we cant have every base covered community members have a willingness to step in and help, and this is a tremendous example of that. Milas encourages families not only to carry Narcan in a nasal spray formulation but also to learn rescue breathing, chest compressions, and CPR to help loved ones breathe until paramedics arrive. Opioids kill by suppressing respiration, she explains. Above all, Milas is making it OK for worried families to talk about what to do if the thing they fear most happens. Its a terrifying situation for family members, standing there, not knowing what to do, she said. Im trying to get loved ones, neighbors, whoever, to take another step forward. Every day, in the operating room, Milas administers the drug that killed her youngest son. In her hands, it is a lifesaver that makes surgery safe and eases the worst pain of illness and injury. Milas keeps a CPR dummy in her office and demonstrates rescue breathing techniques with clinical precision, even in the grip of an unspeakable grief now visited on her twice. She keeps doses of Narcan spray on hand, too because, she says, you never know when you might need it. A short time after Roberts death, Milas was driving in Bucks County and saw a police officer performing CPR on a young man lying on the ground next to his car. There were no paramedics on the scene yet, and she stopped to ask if the officers needed help. On the side of the road, she ended up reversing an overdose. It wasnt just because of Robert that she felt compelled to pull over: She is a physician. Her job is to rescue people. But her son is why she will always carry Narcan, and why she hopes everyone will. Get trained. Get the skill set. You wont have any regret," she said. "And you wont feel that, I should have done something, and I didnt. Immigration activists rally outside the Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments over the Trump administration's plan to ask about citizenship on the 2020 census, in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Critics say the citizenship question on the census will inhibit responses from immigrant-heavy communities that are worried the information will be used to target them for possible deportation. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Read more Camdens population a decade ago was 77,344, according to the 2010 census. But Mayor Francisco Moran knows that wasnt right. "I can tell you there are thousands of folks who have not allowed themselves to be counted, he said at a forum Wednesday night in Camden, where local residents and statewide nonprofit groups expressed concerns about the ensus, which begins next March. Communities across the country are working to make sure all their residents are counted, since population determines how the federal government distributes hundreds of billions of dollars to local governments, how voting districts are drawn, and how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House. Local governments have formed commissions to explain the importance of filling out questionnaires and reach populations that are traditionally undercounted. At the New Jersey Complete Count Commissions last scheduled meeting of the year Wednesday, residents raised questions that echoed concerns expressed throughout the country. They included: What role will the proposed citizenship question play? The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday heard oral arguments as it decides whether the 2020 census can ask for residents citizenship status. The courts conservative majority seemed willing to defer to the Trump administrations plan to do so. Dozens of state and local governments and the Census Bureau believe the citizenship question could deter millions of people, especially immigrants, from answering the questionnaires. That would depress population counts and diminish the political power and funding of local governments, particularly those with large immigrant populations. Federal judges in Maryland, California, and New York where Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Philadelphia joined others in suing the Trump administration have ruled against the addition of the question. The Trump administration argues that the question is necessary to know how many residents are citizens. The Supreme Court is expected to rule in June. Jesselly De La Cruz, executive director of the Latino Action Network Foundation, asked that state and local governments focus on earning the confidence of communities shaken by the prospect of the citizenship question. The Census Bureau has emphasized that federal law prohibits it from sharing personal information it collects. Local governments are recruiting trusted community leaders to persuade residents to fill out census forms. Regardless of whether the question shows up on forms next year, Census Bureau employees have said damage already has been done in terms of creating a climate of mistrust around the census. Will the resources be available? Peter Chen, policy counsel at Newark, N.J.-based Advocates for Children of New Jersey, noted that other states have already distributed millions of dollars to nonprofits for census outreach in their communities. He urged New Jersey to quickly get money to organizations. "This is going to require an enormous effort, Chen said. Two bills introduced in the Senate and Assembly in February ask for $9 million for New Jersey groups to help get residents counted. How will the Census Bureau reach hard-to-count communities? Each decennial census undercounts certain populations, such as young children whom adults may not think to include, people who move often, people who are homeless, people living in poverty, and racial and ethnic minorities. Governments across the country have been working on strategies to persuade hard-to-count populations to fill out their questionnaires. Those plans include working with faith and community leaders, translating information into many languages, collaborating with schools to teach students and parents about the census, and opening census offices in areas where participation in the past was low. For example, in one census tract in Camden, less than one-third of residents filled out their forms in 2010. So theyre getting special attention. Moran, Camdens mayor, said an accurate count in Camden is paramount to us. "The strain on services in the city is tough for us when we have limited resources, he said. Who will do the counting? The Census Bureau plans to hire from 400,000 to 450,000 census takers to follow up with people who do not fill out their questionnaires. Cheryl Bolden, a supervisory partnership specialist for the Census Bureau, reassured New Jersey Complete Count commissioners and residents that the bureau is hiring people to work in their own neighborhoods for these positions. "We are totally and completely dependent upon local involvement, she said. Most of the bureaus job fairs have been in North Jersey, but Bolden said more will be coming to South Jersey. Three days after a 32-year-old "ex-techie" who had murdered his wife and three children due to financial crisis in Ghaziabad's Indirapuram was arrested from Udupi in Karnataka. The accused, on the run after killing his wife and children in cold blood, was tracked by the sleuths of Ghaziabad Police on the basis of technical surveillance. The accused, identified as Sumit, had allegedly stabbed to death his 32-year-old wife Anshu Bala and his children Permesh, Akriti and Aru at around 3 am on Sunday at their home in Indirapuram. He had planned the murder and had sedated his wife and the three children. While the eldest child Permesh was five, the younger children were four-year-old twins. According to the police, Sumit had lost his job at an IT company in Bengaluru in January. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Upendra Agrawal said on Wednesday that the Ghaziabad police team arrested him from Udupi in Karnataka and brought him here after securing transit remand from the concerned court. "During interrogation he confessed his crime and revealed that due to the job loss from last three months, he was under financial crisis so lost his control over him and started consuming drugs to calm down. His wife also could not get a good job due to which he could not get his twin children admitted in any play school," said the SSP. "The accused further disclosed that he hardly managed to get admission in School for his elder son by borrowing Rs 29,000 from a friend. But he lost all his regular income which forced him to be addicted of drugs. The owner Mukesh Kumar of Hukum Medical store used to supply him drugs," the SSP said. "Before executing his plan to eliminate the entire family, he bought potassium cyanide from Mukesh and siphoned Rs one lakh from Mukesh's online account in to his account. After getting money he bought sleeping pills which he administered along with cold drink to all of them. Afterward he bought a set of knives from '@home store' and on the wee hours on Sunday, he executed his plan," said the SSP. "He fled the home to New Delhi railway station by Ola cab. During journey he uploaded the confessional video to his brother through which the matter could come in light. Though he bought the ticket till Tiruvannantpuram but dropped at Udupi from where he was arrested. The police could track his location through surveillance," the SSP added. A person in a hellbender costume with, from left to right, Sen. Mike Folmer (R., Lebanon); Sen. Gene Yaw (R., Lycoming); and Sen. John Gordner (R., Columbia), at the State Capitol for a bill signing to make the Eastern hellbender the state amphibian. Read more In an honor bestowed this week on a mucus-covered, wrinkled-skin salamander with a flat body and beady little eyes, Bob McSwaim sees new hope in his campaign for the Slinky. For five years, the retired high school math teacher has lobbied for the Slinky made in Hollidaysburg, a suburb of Altoona in central Pennsylvania to become Pennsylvanias state toy. Before him, in the early 2000s, several state lawmakers tried to get their colleagues to pass a bill granting the designation to the Slinky, which is in the National Toy Hall of Fame. Pennsylvania still doesnt have a state toy. But this month, it got a state amphibian the Eastern hellbender. Heck, whats going on here?" Swaim said. I thought they were only into serious stuff, and thats why they didnt want a state toy. Swaim said his fight is about more than a plaything. He seeks to honor Betty James, who named the toy her husband created, and revived and grew the company. The Eastern hellbenders rise to state amphibian has persuaded him not to give up on the Slinky, he said. Pennsylvania has a state flower, plant, and tree. It has both a state steam locomotive and a state electric locomotive. Legislators dont grant such exalted honor often. Before the amphibian, lawmakers hadnt designated a state symbol since the state fossil Phacops rana, an extinct water animal no longer than a few inches in December 1988. Republican State Sen. Judy Ward she often identifies herself by saying, "Im from Hollidaysburg, home of the Slinky will settle for a state resolution in November to commemorate the toy. Swaim said Pennsylvania could use a lot more state symbols to draw attention to the commonwealth. Keep on going, Swaim said. "Dont stop with the state amphibian. What were some reactions to the hellbenders designation? The Commonwealth Foundation praised the spirit of bipartisan cooperation that gave Pennsylvania a state amphibian. In the months ahead, we hope lawmakers and the governor come together with just as much enthusiasm on bipartisan issues like criminal justice reform and expanding education opportunity for low-income kids, Nathan Benefield, vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. Gov. Tom Wolf and other politicians said choosing this state amphibian represents a commitment to clean water. Hellbenders can live only in unspoiled water, so their presence indicates the health of streams. Hellbenders are the largest North American salamanders, growing up to 29 inches and weighing up to five pounds. They spend most of their days under rocks. Theyre really cryptic and elusive, said Jeniffer Schwartz, a junior biology major at Lycoming College and an intern at its Clean Water Institute, which advocated for the hellbender. Id say theyre not very pretty. A few state legislators who voted against the hellbender didnt see the point in naming a state amphibian. The House voted 191-6 and the Senate voted 48-1 in its favor. What does being a state symbol mean? Any time you have something like this, where its a state something, youre going to raise awareness, said Melvin Zimmerman, director of the Clean Water Institute, which helped get the designation for the hellbender. The amphibians numbers are in decline in parts of the United States. The campaign began with the Chesapeake Bay Foundations student leadership council. Students are often driving forces behind state designations. State symbols also show what places value. Take milk, Pennsylvanias state beverage since 1982. Even with the dairy downturn of the last few years Pennsylvania lost 370 dairy farms last year dairy represents the largest segment of the states agriculture industry, said Mark ONeill, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. We think that designation actually is important, and it stands for what our farmers help produce," he said. It really signifies the importance of Pennsylvanias dairy industry and the impact it has on rural communities, as well as the states economy." State symbols, as the name suggests, also help represent the state to outsiders. When Pope Francis flew into Philadelphia in 2015, a retired city police officer and his family welcomed the pontiff with a mountain laurel the state flower. What doesnt being a state symbol mean? "It doesnt mean anything, really. There are no protections that come with being the state symbol, said Michael Skvarla, director of the insect identification lab at Pennsylvania State University. State designations are probably more about popularity than protecting endangered species, said State Game Warden Dustin Stoner at the Pennsylvania Game Commission. For example, the firefly is the state insect. "People have lots of interactions with them as children, Skvarla said. Even people who are often grossed out by insects in general like fireflies. The whitetail deer is Pennsylvanias state animal and the brook trout is the state fish, so obviously those designations dont mean they cant be hunted. Same goes for the state game bird, the ruffed grouse. The animals populations are fairly healthy in the case of deer, sometimes too healthy so the state just keeps an eye on the species and regulates how many can be hunted, Stoner said. What are Pennsylvanias state symbols? State Game Bird: Ruffed grouse Date designated: June 22, 1931 State Tree: Hemlock Date designated: June 23, 1931 State Flower: Mountain laurel Date designated: May 5, 1933 State Animal: Whitetail deer Date designated: Oct. 2, 1959 State Dog: Great Dane Date designated: Aug. 15, 1965 State Fish: Brook trout Date designated: March 9, 1970 State Insect: Firefly Date designated: April 10, 1974 State Beverage: Milk Date designated: April 29, 1982 State Plant: Penngift Crownvetch Date designated: June 17, 1982 State Steam Locomotive: Pennsylvania Railroad K4 Date designated: Dec. 18, 1987 State Electric Locomotive: Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 Locomotive No. 4859 Date designated: Dec. 18, 1987 State Ship: U.S. Brig Niagara Date designated: May 26, 1988 State Fossil: Phacops rana (small water animal) Date designated: Dec. 5, 1988 State Amphibian: Eastern hellbender Date designated: April 23, 2019 Former Vice President Joe Biden joined the Democratic presidential primary campaign Thursday as the consensus front-runner, based on early polling. Still, history and a changing Democratic Party suggest that Biden faces obstacles in his attempt to win the nomination. Here are three reasons why Biden might win the primary and the right to challenge President Donald Trump, and three reasons why one last campaign for Biden might fall short. Why Biden could win: Early lead. It helps to have eight years as vice president to a president who remains hugely popular among Democrats. After his stint alongside Barack Obama, Biden has nearly universal name recognition, giving him an immediate advantage over many of his rivals, and 75 percent of Democratic voters view him favorably, according to the latest Morning Consult poll. He has support from 30 percent of Democratic primary voters, according to the survey, concluded Sunday, the best in the field, ahead of Sen. Bernie Sanders 26 percent. And Biden has an even larger lead in the four initial primary states, the poll found. Even though hes launching late, hes already got a head start. Blue-collar outreach. For all of the attention that liberal policy proposals have generated so far, Democratic voters consistently tell pollsters that above all they just want to win in 2020. And many in the party see Biden as the safest bet to do that. Specifically, Bidens allies argue that with his blue-collar appeal, including his roots in Scranton, he can win back the moderate Rust Belt voters who narrowly swung key states to Trump, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio. If he can show Democratic voters that hes the candidate to accomplish that, he might satisfy his partys main objective. >> READ MORE: Trump, Biden clash as Democrats hope ex-VP can win back working-class voters, maybe White House Cross-over appeal. The focus on Biden often centers on his middle-class roots, but his support goes beyond the white working class. Many African American political insiders remember his work with Obama, and the former VP has close ties to political leaders in South Carolina, where African Americans make up a majority of the Democratic primary electorate. Joe has a track record with us," South Carolina State Rep. J. David Weeks told The Inquirer in February, after he introduced Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) at a campaign event. If Biden can hold onto both white working-class voters and African Americans, hed be be tough to beat in the primary. How he could lose: A changing party. For all the fond memories Democrats have of the Obama years, many want to see new, younger voices, and leaders who reflect the partys increasing reliance on women and people of color. At age 76, with nearly five decades in public life behind him, Biden hardly represents change. And parts of his record have aged badly. Biden has faced recent scrutiny for his opposition to school busing in the 1970s; his support of a 1990s crime bill now blamed for disproportionately punishing minorities; his leadership of the Anita Hill sexual harassment hearings, and his often physical interactions with women, some of whom have said the contact was unwanted. Some voters say hes simply too old to be president, even if they like him. Past stumbles. Biden has tried this twice before, without much success. His 1988 campaign folded amid accusations of plagiarism, and his 2008 run gained little traction. Theres a difference between being the No. 2 figure on a ticket and leading the way, and so far Biden has had little success as the main attraction. Fund-raising. As many Democratic activists demand that their candidates swear off big money, one of Bidens first campaign stops is a major fund-raiser Thursday hosted by Comcast executive David L. Cohen at Cohens Philadelphia home. A cadre of old-guard Democratic donors is lining up financial support for him. That may help Biden catch up with contenders who have months of fund-raising under their belts, but it wont endear him to those who see virtue in small donations from everyday voters. And it could speak to a limitation on Bidens ability to raise money. He may start off with a big hit from supporters who give the maximum donation, but he wont be able to go back to those people as the campaign rolls on, unlike, say, Sanders, who can hit up his army of small donors over and over. WASHINGTON Former Vice President Joe Biden launched his campaign for president Thursday as the Democratic front runner but that status can be precarious. Just ask Jeb Bush in 2016, or Hillary Clinton in 2008. Like those early favorites who later faded, Biden entered this race with a mighty political legacy and support from establishment figures who hailed him as their partys safest bet to win the White House. But recent history suggests that those traditional advantages will mean little unless Biden proves he can connect with a restive and changing Democratic coalition. Bidens initial pitch centered on the man so many Democrats despise, President Donald Trump. Citing the presidents equivocation after a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Biden decried a "threat to this nation ... unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime. "If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen, Biden said. The direct shot at Trump, and Bidens argument that he would be a stabilizing force, contrasted sharply with most of his Democratic competitors, who have spent months asserting that the party should focus on its own vision for middle-class Americans. The Scranton-born Biden also signaled a heavy focus on Pennsylvania, one of the most critical swing states and a virtual must-win for Democrats and a place where Democrats have long treated Biden as one of their own. He plans to lay out the other core elements of his campaign in rallies in Pittsburgh on Monday and in Philadelphia on May 18. In between, he plans to visit Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada, and New Hampshire. On Thursday afternoon, Biden, in shirtsleeves and Ray-Ban aviators, visited Giannis Pizza in Wilmington, where he shook hands with customers and ordered a pepperoni pie. The owner said Biden used to visit with his now-deceased son, Beau, before he became vice president. Asked for his message to the world, Biden said, Americas coming back like we used to be. Ethical. Straight. Telling the truth." Biden supporters argue that his blue-collar roots and association with former President Barack Obama can unite Democrats and win back the white working-class voters who defected to Trump in 2016. But parts of his nearly 50-year public record, including past stances on race and crime, his treatment of women, and his ties with Delawares sizable financial-services industry, may appear too dated or too moderate for the current party. An Obama spokesperson offered words of praise Thursday, saying the two men have a special bond, but stopped short of an endorsement. Bidens first major public event will be at a Pittsburgh union hall Monday, but first his allies put on a high-dollar fundraiser hosted by Comcast senior executive vice president David L. Cohen in Philadelphia on Thursday. Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe, Trump tweeted. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas." Biden joins the contest powered by near-universal name recognition, a positive image among Democrats, and consistent leads in early primary polls. A good sidekick. But a good president? He will be tested, however, by rivals representing all corners of the Democratic coalition, including women and people of color, some of them decades younger (he is 76), as he seeks to ignite his partys base in ways that Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton failed to do. Each was swamped by newer faces who connected on a visceral level. The similarly sprawling 2016 GOP primary offers two potential parallels for Biden. Trump, the most recognizable candidate that year, rose to the top early and never relinquished his lead. Bush, the former Florida governor, started as the insider pick, but found himself wildly out of step with the grassroots GOP electorate. >> JOHN BAER: Why Joe Biden might have a better chance than you think Biden will have to prove hes more than just a familiar name, said Mike Murphy, a Republican consultant who ran Bushs 2016 Super PAC. Bidens going to have to go out and make a case, said Murphy, co-director of the University of Southern Californias Center for the Political Future. We know hes been a good sidekick, but will he be a good president? Or is he just going to be good ol Joe? I dont think good ol Joe is going to be enough to win this primary. But if Biden presents himself as a fighter to take on Trump, he said, thats something to work with. >> READ MORE: For some 2020 Democrats, incrementalism is out. Bold liberal ideas are in. They come with risks. Lara Brown, a political science professor at George Washington University, said the opening salvo against Trump might help the more moderate Biden connect with Democratic activists. All the other candidates are trying to offer a vision for the future, Brown said. But Biden is saying, you cant get to the future unless we take on this fight. A head start Biden is in some ways better off than Jeb Bush was. Democrats like him far better than Republicans liked Bush, and with polls showing that the partys voters prize most the ability to beat Trump, Biden allies stressed that he is the candidate who can win back vital Rust Belt states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio. His views make him, I think, in the fall, the most electable Democratic candidate, former Gov. Ed Rendell said in a March interview. Thats more important than any stance on any ideology. A Morning Consult/Politico poll released Wednesday showed Biden leading Trump in a head-to-head race, 42 percent to 34. Biden has foreshadowed his campaign for months, emphasizing his roots in a working-class town in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the need to return to a more civilized era in politics. Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.), a fellow Scranton native, immediately endorsed Biden on Thursday, along with several other Democratic senators, including Delawares Chris Coons and Tom Carper. Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, described Biden as a Democrat who can speak to everybody that works a job that has to go home and wash their hands and take a shower after work. Those are the voters I believe that to some degree abandoned the party in 2016. >> READ MORE: Joe Biden walks to precipice of presidential run in speech to firefighters The former Delaware senator also boasts more international experience than anyone in the field, thanks to more than 30 years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and his eight in the White House. Past failures, new scrutiny In entering one more race, Biden could cap his career with the nations highest office, but risks the goodwill and popularity he has established. He flopped in two previous presidential runs, and will face questions about whether he is too old for a grueling campaign and the presidency. He first entered public life in 1970 and joined the Senate in 1972, and now seeks to lead a party in which some of its most vocal factions are demanding bold and fresh voices, including some who want to elevate women, non-white leaders, or younger people who represent the partys diversity. Activists are calling for dramatic proposals to confront what they view as crises on health care and climate change. The old guard of the Democratic Party failed to stop Trump, and they cant be counted on to lead the fight against his divide-and-conquer politics of today," said a statement from Alexandra Rojas, executive director of the liberal Justice Democrats. Some have decried the wealthy, powerful donors paying to attend Thursdays event in Philadelphia, though Bidens camp has said he will not take donations from corporations, their political committees, or lobbyists. As the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment has reshaped politics and culture, some of Bidens behavior as a hands-on campaigner has also been viewed in a more critical light. In late March, Lucy Flores, a Democrat who ran for lieutenant governor of Nevada, wrote an essay accusing Biden of making her feel uneasy, gross and confused when he smelled her hair and kissed the back of her head at a 2014 campaign event. Earlier this month Biden released a video in which he acknowledged that the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. I get it. I get it. Biden also presided over a 1991 Senate hearing at which an all-male panel sharply questioned Anita Hill after she accused Clarence Thomas, then a Supreme Court nominee, of sexual harassment. The former vice president said in March that to this day, I regret I couldnt give her the kind of hearing she deserved. And he once opposed school busing meant to help integrate schools in the 1970s, and supported a 1990s crime bill blamed for targeting minorities. Bidens supporters have been encouraged that his polling has remained relatively strong, despite such scrutiny. The attention, though, is about to be magnified. FILE - This undated file image provided by the U.S. District Court in Maryland shows a photo of firearms and ammunition that was in the motion for detention pending trial in the case against Christopher Hasson. A federal magistrate agreed on Thursday, April 25, 2019, to order the pretrial release of the Coast Guard lieutenant accused of creating a hit list of prominent Democrats, Supreme Court justices, network TV journalists and social media company executives. (U.S. District Court via AP, File) Read more GREENBELT, Md. (AP) A federal magistrate says a Coast Guard lieutenant accused of being a domestic terrorist is entitled to be released from custody before his trial. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day noted on Thursday that 50-year-old Christopher Hasson hasnt been charged with any terrorism related offenses. Hasson was arrested Feb. 15 and is awaiting trial on firearms and drug charges. Prosecutors say he created a hit list of prominent Democrats, two Supreme Court justices, network TV journalists, and social media company executives. Day says he still has "grave concerns" about Hasson based on information prosecutors have presented. The magistrate says Hasson is "going to have to have a whole lot of supervision." Day didn't order Hasson to be immediately released. The magistrate gave Hasson's defense attorney a few days to arrange conditions of release that would be acceptable to the court. Britain's Prince William lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service in Auckland, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Brett Phibbs / SNPA via AP) Read more WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Britain's Prince William laid a wreath at an Anzac Day service Thursday in New Zealand, where he will later visit survivors of last month's mosque attacks. The Duke of Cambridge attended the service in Auckland alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and laid a wreath of red and white flowers on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Anzac Day is a memorial holiday on the anniversary of New Zealand and Australian soldiers, known as Anzacs, landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. More than 10,000 soldiers from the two countries were killed during that WWI campaign in what's now Turkey. William is scheduled to fly to Christchurch on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, he will visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. He plans to meet with first responders, Muslim leaders, and survivors of the attacks. Muslims at the Kollupitiya Jumma Masjid in Colombo, Sri Lanka, install a banner offering sympathies, condolences and prayers to the families affected in the Easter Sunday attacks. Read more COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - As evidence emerges that Islamist militant groups planned and carried out the Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 350 people in Sri Lanka, the country's nervous Muslim communities are scrambling to show that they share the nation's shock and grief. Mosque leaders have stopped broadcasting prayer calls over loudspeakers to avoid offending mourners. They have put up banners with messages of condolence for the victims. They have met with Catholic Church and police officials, and packed food kits for funeral volunteers. They also are bracing for a wave of anger and possibly violent retaliation that has begun to emerge. Hateful online messages blaming Muslims for the attacks have evaded the government's emergency social media ban, and stones have been thrown at several Muslim homes and businesses. "We don't know who is behind these attacks, and we condemn them with all our hearts, but many people are saying they were the work of Muslims, so we don't know what could happen next," said Mohammad Jinnah, a jeweler and member of the interfaith harmony committee at the Grand Mosque in South Negombo, 20 miles from the capital. "This used to be such a peaceful place, but now everything has turned upside down." In Muslim neighborhoods in Negombo, where more than 100 people died in the deadliest of the bombings, dozens of shops have been closed since Sunday, except for those conducting early morning food sales, and fresh produce can be seen wilting behind locked metal screens. In Colombo, Muslims have formed ad hoc neighborhood watch committees, checking for unfamiliar vehicles and visitors. And at hundreds of mosques across the country, plans for weekly prayers this Friday are uncertain; religious leaders said they expect attendance to be considerably lower than usual. Some have asked police to guard the gates and have posted signs announcing that all bags will be searched. The fear, leaders said, is not so much of attacks by Christians, but from others who might take advantage of the turmoil to cause trouble. In addition, Muslim communities are now being searched by intelligence police with newly expanded powers to conduct raids and make arrests, adding to a general sense of unease. Security officials have arrested more than 40 suspects in the Easter bombings, all Sri Lankan Muslims. Some are said to be part of a local extremist group against which one mosque in the capital has held protests. Two of the suicide bombers were the sons of a prominent local Muslim spice merchant. The Islamic State also asserted responsibility for the attacks. Muslims first came to Sri Lanka in the seventh century, when it was the Kingdom of Ceylon, but they remain among the smallest groups in the multifaith society, with a populace of about 2 million comprising about 10% of the national population. Some have achieved economic success as traders and professionals, but many have remained poor and are employed in low-skill jobs. Relations between minority Muslims and majority ethnic Sinhalese Buddhists, the nation's dominant group, have been marked by outward peace but simmering tensions for decades, leading to two violent riots, in 2014 and '18. One source of animosity is the noticeable surge in the number of mosques, some of which have been described as preaching a strict brand of Sunni Islam that was once rare in this relaxed tropical society. Many Muslims interviewed this week said they had friendly relations with members of other religious groups and were proud of living in a diverse society, but that they did not mingle much socially outside their mosque-centered communities. Leaders of one mosque in Negombo said they offered joint funeral rites for Fatima Alsa, a teenage Muslim girl from a partly Christian family who died in the bombing at St. Sebastian's Catholic Church and was later buried under a palm tree in the local Islamic cemetery. Later, though, mosque officials said they were politely rebuffed when they made further overtures to local Christians and were urged by church officials to stay at home and avoid any problems. "We wanted to do more, but we were asked not to," said one mosque member, Mohammad Sufaree, who also expressed indignation that a second meeting with local church officials had been abruptly broken off. "This is why the Muslim community is hesitant to come out beyond its boundaries. We always take risks, but we feel left out in the middle of the jungle." In Colombo, outside the gold-domed Grand Mosque, a large banner had been strung up, condemning the "ghastly" Easter attacks. A mosque member and community leader named Mohammad Ifam said that in recent months, the mosque had organized several protests after Friday prayers against National Thowheed Jamaath, an extremist group that has been linked to the bombings. "We condemn the attacks 100%, 1,000%. We put out white flags to show how we felt, and yet they have brought a black name to Muslims," Ifam said. "This is the first time world terrorism has come to Sri Lanka, and we demand that government take action against the Thowheed very soon. They must stop it now." The dominant emotion among Sri Lankan Muslims this week, though, was a quieter mixture of suppressed sorrow at a tragedy they could not publicly mourn - and of anxious anticipation of a punitive backlash they had not earned. What these barbarians did has disturbed everything, said Shafi Mula, the manager of one mosque in the capital that is under police guard. The Christians have always been brotherly with us, but some other people may want to take revenge, or take advantage, especially in rural areas where people are not protected. So we fear, he said. We fear. A recent uptick in sightings of unidentified flying objects or, as the military calls them, unexplained aerial phenomena prompted the U.S. Navy to draft formal procedures for pilots to document encounters, a corrective measure that former officials say is long overdue. Since 2014, these intrusions have been happening on a regular basis, Joseph Gradisher, spokesman for the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare, told the Washington Post on Wednesday. Recently, unidentified aircraft entered military-designated airspace as often as multiple times per month. We want to get to the bottom of this. We need to determine whos doing it, where its coming from, and what their intent is. We need to try to find ways to prevent it from happening again. Citing safety and security concerns, Gradisher vowed to "investigate each and every report." Luis Elizondo, a former senior intelligence officer, told the Post that the new Navy guidelines formalized the reporting process, facilitating data-driven analysis while removing the stigma from talking about UFOs, calling it the single greatest decision the Navy has made in decades. Chris Mellon, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence and a staffer on the Senate Intelligence Committee, was less laudatory. "I don't believe in safety through ignorance," he said, scolding the intelligence community for its lack of "curiosity and courage" and "failure to react" to a strong pattern of sightings. In some cases, pilots many of whom are engineers and academy graduates say they observed small spherical objects flying in formation. Others say theyve seen white, Tic-Tac-shaped vehicles. Aside from drones, all engines rely on burning fuel to generate power, but these vehicles all had no air intake, no wind, and no exhaust. "It's very mysterious, and they still seem to exceed our aircraft in speed," he said, calling it a "truly radical technology." According to Mellon, awestruck and baffled pilots, concerned that reporting unidentified flying aircraft would adversely affect their careers, tended not to speak up. And when they did, he said there was little interest in investigating their reports. "Imagine you see highly advanced vehicles, they appear on radar systems, they look bizarre, no one knows where they're from. This happens on a recurring basis, and no one does anything," said Mellon, who now works with UFODATA, a private organization. Because agencies don't share this type of information, it's difficult to know the full extent of activity. Still, he estimated that dozens of incidents were witnessed by naval officers in a single year, enough to force the service to address the issue. Pilots are upset, and theyre trying to help wake up a slumbering system, he told the Post. Lawmakers' growing curiosity and concern also appeared to coax action out of the Navy. In 2017, the Pentagon first confirmed the existence of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, a government operation launched in 2007 to collect and analyze anomalous aerospace threats. As the Posts Joby Warrick reported, the investigation ranged from advanced aircraft fielded by traditional U.S. adversaries to commercial drones to possible alien encounters. According to former Pentagon officials and documents previously seen by the Post, program funding, which totaled at least $22 million, was suspended in 2012. Gradisher, the Navy spokesman, said that "in response to requests for information from congressional members and staff, officials have provided a series of briefings by senior Naval Intelligence officials as well as aviators who reported hazards to aviation safety." Elizondo, who also ran AATIP, said the newly drafted guidelines were a culmination of many things. Most notably: that the Navy had enough credible evidence including eyewitness accounts and corroborating radar information to "know this is occurring." If I came to you and said, There are these things that can fly over our country with impunity, defying the laws of physics, and within moments could deploy a nuclear device at will that would be a matter of national security. With the number of U.S. military people in the Air Force and Navy who described the same observations, the noise level could not be ignored. This type of activity is very alarming, Elizondo said, and people are recognizing there are things in our aerospace that lie beyond our understanding. FILE - Authorities have arrested a police officer, a high school teacher, a minister and 13 others in a sting New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said Wednesday was aimed at men who tried to set up sexual encounters with people they thought were teenage boys and girls. Read more HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) Authorities have arrested a police officer, a high school teacher, a minister and 13 others in a sting New Jersey officials said Wednesday was aimed at men who tried to set up sexual encounters with people they thought were teenage boys and girls. The arrests were made as part of "Operation Home Alone," which targeted people who officials say used social media messaging and dating apps in an attempt to lure children. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said most of the defendants were arrested when they arrived at a residence in Bergen County, where they expected to find the victim home alone. The arrests were made from April 11-15. Despite the undercover officers identifying themselves as 14- and 15-year-olds, authorities say the men still engaged in conversations about sex and arranged to meet up with them. "The 16 men we arrested allegedly used social media to stalk victims they believed were vulnerable children who could be sexually exploited," Grewal said. "Parents need to know that the profiles of underage girls and boys we posted on social media to catch these offenders could easily have been profiles of their own children." He added: "Our message to parents with 'Operation Home Alone' is be on guard. Our message to child predators is law enforcement is working overtime to find you and arrest you." Besides the police officer from New Jersey, the New York City teacher, and a traveling minister, the defendants also include a dental hygienist, a barbershop owner and drivers for rideshare companies. The defendants face charges including luring and attempted sexual assault. Two of the men are also charged with having child pornography on their electronic devices, including one who allegedly had more than 13,000 files of suspected child porn on his phone and a second who is already facing sentencing on a prior child porn charge. The investigation was part of the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children task force, which conducted a similar sting last September, Operation Open House, leading to the arrest of 24 men. GOP Chairman George Gilmore announces that the race is too close and that U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur, was not going to make a statement tonight at the Toms River Days Hotel in Toms River, N.J. Tuesday, November, 6, 2018. Read more TOMS RIVER, N.J. The head of one of New Jerseys most powerful Republican county organizations has resigned, just days after he was convicted on federal tax charges. George Gilmore stepped down Wednesday as leader of the Ocean County GOP. The 70-year-old Toms River resident had led the organization since 1996 and also had been the longtime chairman of the county's Board of Elections, a post he had stepped down from on Tuesday. Gilmore had been convicted April 17 of failing to pay payroll taxes at his law firm and submitting a false loan application. But the jury acquitted him of charges of filing false tax returns and deadlocked on tax evasion charges. Prosecutors had alleged that he spent lavishly while failing to pay more than $1 million in taxes between 2013 and 2015. Shana Decree (left) and Dominique Decree were charged with five counts of homicide in an apparent murder-suicide pact in Bucks County. Read more The mother and daughter who prosecutors say killed five members of their family, including three children, in a cramped Morrisville apartment waived a court hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday and are set to be arraigned in Bucks County court next month. Shana Decree, 46 and her daughter Dominique, 19, were to appear before District Judge John J. Durkin in Doylestown for a preliminary hearing on murder and related charges, but through their lawyers, they agreed to skip that step. Such hearings, at which prosecutors present evidence and ask a judge to hold the case for trial, typically offer the first public glimpse of how law enforcement officials believe a crime unfolded and why. In this case, those details are elusive, and the motive in the case remains a mystery. The two women made international headlines in February, when the bodies of five of their relatives, including Shanas Decrees sister, teenage son and 9-year-old twin nieces, were found in the apartment the family shared. Last month, the county medical examiner ruled that four of the victims were asphyxiated, and one victim, Jamilla Campbell, was strangled. All five deaths were ruled to be homicides. Little else has been revealed in the weeks since a county social worker discovered the bodies during an unannounced visit to the Decrees apartment. In statements to investigators, Shana and Dominique Decree said the victims, including the children, wanted to die and had been discussing suicide, according to the affidavit of probable cause for their arrests. Police say the two women confessed to killing their relatives in what appeared to be a murder-suicide pact, though their accounts of who killed whom differed. A caseworker from Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services who had been working with the family arrived unannounced on Feb. 25 and when no one answered the door, asked a maintenance worker at the Robert Morris apartments to let her into the unit. Inside, they found the two women lying disoriented on a bed. Nearby were the bodies of Campbell, Shanas 42-year-old sister, as well as Shanas son, Damon Decree Jr., 13; her daughter NaaIrah Smith, 25; and Campbells daughters, Imani and Erika Allen, both 9. In the weeks leading up the murders, relatives said, the entire group had retreated from the outside world, huddling together in the apartment and avoiding contact with family and friends. The few communications they had with others were cryptic, family members said, recalling messages laden with bizarre religious imagery, including talk of demons and preparing to enter the pearly gates. NaaIrahs father, Ronald Smith, said he became so concerned about his daughter that he drove to Morrisville from his home to Maryland in a desperate attempt to contact her. She and the others inside the apartment refused to come outside, he said, and only answered the door after he called police. Last month, Deputy District Attorney Christopher W. Rees, the lead prosecutor in the case, asked that Thursdays hearing be held in the county justice center in Doylestown, rather than in the judges smaller courtroom in Morrisville in the interest of justice. Rees wrote that the change in venue would provide more space for the family members of the victims and defendants and would insure the safety and security of all involved. This is only the first step in a very long process, Rees said of the waived hearing. And I assure you that the Morrisville Borough Police, Bucks County detectives and Bucks County District Attorneys office will continue to make sure these two women are brought to justice. Shana Decrees attorney, Ann P. Russavage-Faust, declined to comment. Timothy J. Barton, the public defender representing Dominique Decree, did not return a request for comment. Veteran Bucks County defense attorney John Fioravanti Jr., Bartons co-counsel, said Thursday that the waiver was a strategic move that afforded the two more time to review the facts of the case. Congress general secretary and UP east in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for questioning the achievements of the Congress in the past 50 years and went on to dub Modi as Pradhan Prachar Mantri. In a tweet, Priyanka also accused the BJP of wasting drinking water to clean roads in Banda, an arid town in Uttar Pradeshs Bundelkhand region. Priyankas attack on Modi and the BJP came a day ahead of the Prime Ministers visit to Banda on Thursday. Water from tankers was being used to clean roads to welcome our Pradhan Prachar Mantri (chief publicity minister). This is happening at a time when the entire Bundelkhand, men and women living there, school-going children, crops, birds and animals are facing the spectre of drought, Priyanka tweeted. Is he a chowkidar (watchman) or a shahenshah (emperor) coming from Delhi? asked the Congress leader in her tweet. Later, addressing a poll rally in Khaga town of Fatehpur, Priyanka attacked Modi for questioning the Congress work in the last 50 years. The BJP is not saying what they have done in the past five years but questioning what Nehru had done, what Indira Gandhi had done in the past 50 years, she said. Priyanka claimed that neither the BJP had any policy nor does it have any intention to develop the country. The mentality of the BJP is just to attack my family as all speeches of their leaders revolve around Congress, she said. On Congress promise to give Rs 72,000 every year to the poor, Priyanka said, It is the BJP leaders who are spreading lies that our NYAY scheme is a jumla. We have worked on it and my brother Rahul Gandhi is committed to fulfilling the promise. The Congress leader did not spare the Prime Minister for his interview to Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, saying, Now the PM is only interested in giving interviews to big actors, to showcase how big he is. Reiterating her allegation that the Prime Minister did not visit any village of his Varanasi parliamentary constituency, Priyanka said that Modi had no concern for the poor in his constituency. The Congress leader said though the Prime Minister called himself a chowkidar, everybody knew that only the rich could afford chowkidars. Priyanka appealed the voters to help her and her party candidates to end the politics of divisiveness and negativity and teach the BJP a lesson in the Lok Sabha election. Change the government not only for your needs, but for your future generations and save the country as the country is in danger. Remove the politics of divisiveness and negativity, and usher in politics which speaks about you, your grievances and makes efforts to redress them. Do not to go for a person who speaks lies and does not work for you, the Congress leader said. The reality of the BJPs politics is that farmers, youth, women and workers feel exploited, so wake up. Once you are awake, these people will not be able to destroy the country, she said. The Congress general secretary accused the BJP of trying to weaken democracy and claimed that the people in Uttar Pradesh had told her that they were beaten up for raising their voices. I met a woman teacher who had participated in a protest as she was not getting her salary. She was beaten up, sent to jail and even booked under the NSA (National Security Act). Just imagine, the NSA being slapped on a woman teacher only because she was demanding her salary! she said. I met youngsters in Varanasi and they told me that when they protested, they were beaten up, she said. This is not democracy. When the public protests or demands its rights, those in power should be happy as the public is saying something, she added. After the Fatehpur rally, Priyanka also took out a roadshow in Rath area of Mahoba in Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency. It witnessed a huge gathering and people threw petals at Priyanka and raised slogans in her support. Meanwhile, a woman police constable was injured when she came under the wheel of a SUV on which Priyanka was taking out the roadshow in the city. Constable Khushnama Bano was removing the crowd near Parmand Chowk when suddenly the SUV hit her on her leg. The constable posted at Local Intelligence unit(LIU) was rushed to the district hospital with a fractured leg. Parents Carla Lewandowski (left) and Mary Alice Duff are worried that a charter school trying to move into East Falls could drain students from their school, Mifflin Elementary. Read more At first, Carla Lewandowski thought shed move to the Main Line when it was time to send her children to school. The East Falls mother of three also contemplated private and charter schools. My husband said, We havent even looked at Mifflin, Lewandowski recalled last week. They toured the neighborhood public school and saw a nurturing environment," with a principal who knows literally every students name." Their oldest child now attends kindergarten at Thomas Mifflin School, and Lewandowski is president of the schools Friends group. She and other East Falls parents who have embraced Mifflin are pushing back on a proposal for Laboratory Charter School to move to and expand in their community a prospect theyre angry they learned about only two weeks ago by chance. The Philadelphia school board is scheduled to vote on the charters relocation Thursday night. I think we all fear that a charter moving in would impede our progress, especially because I think theres still a stigma around public schools, Lewandowski said. Charters are publicly funded but independently run. In Philadelphia they educate about 70,000, or one-third of, public-school students. While charters remain a desired option for many families, they have faced backlash from supporters of traditional public schools, who see them as a drain on school districts. We have a phenomenal public school in our neighborhood that is also K-8 and has space for more children, said Mary Alice Duff, a Mifflin parent and vice president of the East Falls Community Council. She said charter schools benefit from bad data" about Philadelphia public schools: Folks just see a charter school, and they see its Laboratory Charter School 'Oh, theyre invested in science! If its move is approved Thursday, Laboratory Charter would be one of two K-8 charters opening soon in the neighborhood. Philadelphia Hebrew Charter, approved by the former School Reform Commission last year, is opening this fall. The only current charter in East Falls, Eastern University Academy, enrolls grades 7-12. Laboratory Charters 571 students are spread among three campuses in Overbrook and Northern Liberties. But the school is authorized to enroll up to 1,075. The move to East Falls would let the school consolidate its campuses and operate at capacity, which will improve the charters financial stability, according to the districts evaluation of the charters request. Charter schools are paid by the district for each student they enroll, so adding students increases funding. Its unclear from what schools the charter would draw pupils. Andrea Coleman-Hill, CEO of Laboratory Charter, said it admits students from across the city and has a waiting list. She declined to say how many students were on the list or whether the school draws more heavily from specific neighborhoods. If youre asking if I recruit from East Falls, the answer is no. I dont recruit at all. Kids apply in the lottery, Coleman-Hill said. She said the school which the SRC voted to nonrenew in 2017 due to organizational and financial issues, but then renewed last year has been looking to move for years. Coleman-Hill said the charter "would continue to operate if its request were denied, though she declined to comment on its finances. She also declined to answer questions about outreach to Mifflin parents, saying, I cant offer any information on the parents feelings. I dont understand, how does the School District impose a school on a neighborhood and not tell anybody? said Greg Brinkley, president of the resident council at Abbotsford Homes, a Philadelphia Housing Authority development on Henry Avenue across from the complex where Laboratory Charter would be located. Evaluating Laboratory Charters community engagement, the School District said, There is no evidence that the charter school has engaged residents" in East Falls, though it still recommended that the school board approve the charter request. The district identifies neighborhoods where new charters could be beneficial, but doesnt consider that analysis when evaluating a charters requests to move, spokesperson Megan Lello said. Parents like Duff and Lewandowski have raised concerns about transportation in and out of the complex, which contains medical facilities as well as the Eastern University charter. That school which is appealing its nonrenewal by the SRC is planning to move out, though Hebrew Charter will be moving in. Some in East Falls said they would consider Laboratory Charter. I think a lot of people up here would be interested, said Delores Brown, an Abbotsford resident whose third-grade daughter goes to Mifflin. Brown said she was frustrated by a teachers treatment of her daughter and thought a charter might give more one-on-one type attention. She also said there was an unfair perception of Mifflin. They blame it on the projects, she said. Theyre only children. Is it the teachers or the kids? Eighty percent of the students at Mifflin are African American. Most white parents in our neighborhood dont send their children to school here, said Duff, who is white. I think East Falls has a problem with race, full stop. In addition to circulating a petition asking the school board to delay the Laboratory Charter vote as of Wednesday it had nearly 600 signatures parents have been going door to door in East Falls. Duff and Lewandowski said some people have called them racist. They think we are rejecting the school because it would bring in students of color, said Lewandowski, who is Latina and whose husband is white. "They dont understand the politics of it. Kenya Nation-Holmes, a Germantown mother who has sent her children to Mifflin since battling with Mastery Charter Schools over control of her local school, doesnt want Mifflin to lose students. She wondered, though, what would happen to Laboratory Charter if its relocation wasnt approved. I dont hate charter schools," Nation-Holmes said. But Ive seen children stand in front of Mifflin and take a bus to school elsewhere, she said. This is a great school right here if you give it a chance. The Pew Charitable Trusts has analyzed what would happen to Philadelphias pension system, given recent changes, if investment returns were lower than expected or there was a big market downturn. Pew partnered with an actuarial firm and found that Philadelphia would be in decent shape if the city sticks with its plan of more contributions from employees, along with increased infusions from the general fund and sales tax revenue. It also must maintain the $65,000 annual benefit cap on the new hybrid pension plan. The trust also compared Philadelphias pension system, which is only 47 percent funded, to those of Baltimore (69 percent), Chicago (25 percent), Houston (71 percent), and Pittsburgh (58 percent). Here are the highlights of the Pew report. Philadelphia projected to 'sustainably pay down pension debt by 2035 at the latest Finding: Philadelphias current funding policy calls for increased contributions from employees as well as taxpayers. That mix, along with the new hybrid pension plan that caps defined benefits at $65,000 a year for new nonuniformed employees, will reduce the risk associated with fluctuating investment returns. In total, the annual contribution to the fund in 2017 was 95 percent of benefits paid, the best by far of the cities compared. Pittsburgh was next with 68 percent. Philadelphias high contribution ratio helps to insulate its retirement system and budget from adverse scenarios, the report said. What it means: If there is a market downturn, the hit to Philadelphias pension fund wont be as bad as it will in cities relying more on investment returns. If Philadelphia does maintain an average 7.65 percent rate of return, the fund would be 80 percent funded (relative to projected obligations) by 2029. If the fund averages 5 percent returns or if there is a big market drop in one year followed by several years of recovery, it would be 80 percent funded by 2035. The caveat: Pews projections were based on the citys assumptions of payroll and life expectancy. If those increase, it could raise the funds liability. Pension costs are expected to remain a burden for at least 15 years Finding: Philadelphia taxpayers are paying 17 percent of general fund revenues yearly to the pension fund, the highest level of the cities compared. However, city officials asked that Pew factor in income from the separate airport and water funds. With the three accounts combined, Philadelphias portion of revenue paid would be 13 percent. Chicago and Houston pay 16 percent of revenues into pensions. In 2018, Philadelphia paid $782 million into its pension fund, nearly half of its payroll tab. What it means: Contributions to the pension fund will continue to crowd out spending on other budget priorities, the report said. The caveat: The sooner the city can pay down the $6 billion pension debt, the better. Once the pension plan is 80 percent funded, the citys tab goes down to about 3 percent of annual revenue. The new hybrid pension plan works if the cap is maintained Finding: The Kenney administration negotiated a stacked hybrid pension plan in 2016 for new municipal hires, excluding police and firefighters, that caps their defined pension benefits at $65,000 a year. Those employees also can contribute to a 401(k)-type account, with the city matching half of the contributions up to 1.5 percent of annual compensation. Pew said the plan exposes the city to lower levels of investment risk over time as the stacked hybrid becomes a larger portion of total pension liability. What it means: As the city employs more new workers, it gets to 80 percent funding faster. The caveat: Any future increases in the $65,000 cap will add to the overall cost. The cap could change any time a municipal contract comes up for negotiation usually every three or four years. Improved funding of a municipal pension system is attainable Finding: Despite the gloomy talk of struggling government pension funds, Pew found the city is making the right moves. Philadelphias pension plan has not been able to reach the level where it has funded 50 percent of its future obligations in several years, but Pews analysis shows that even with lower investment returns, the city is contributing enough to the fund to help make up for prior losses. But it must continue to put the amounts it has promised into the system. Improved funding of a municipal pension system is attainable if the city strictly adheres to scheduled contributions, the report said. What it means: The optimistic projections assume Philadelphia continues to properly fund the plan, and payroll costs and life expectancy dont rise faster than predicted. (The Inquirer recently reported on the impact the surge in overtime could have on the pension fund.) Caveat: There are a lot of ifs built into the analysis. The bronze statue of Kate Smith was wrapped, at least partly, in balloons when it was first unveiled. Read more She came to South Philly wrapped in balloons, a shining piece of Americana heralded from the mountains to the valleys as the Flyers God Bless America-belting good-luck charm. Late last week, she left shrouded in black cloth, condemned for racist song lyrics. After the Flyers ousted Kate Smiths God Bless America from the Wells Fargo Center playlist and removed her larger-than-life bronze likeness from the grounds of Xfinity Live!, one 8-foot-tall question looms: What happens to a songstress statue censured? Does she take up residence down the Shore, or join Gritty in his secret hideout? Is she put in a park for condemned sculptures, or destroyed? While the Flyers have not disclosed the whereabouts of Smiths statue or their plans for the likeness, the organization said it removed the sculpture to ensure sentiments from 1930s song lyrics were no longer echoed," as they were "incompatible with the values of our organization, and evoke painful and unacceptable themes. One of the few Philadelphia sculptures of women who actually existed, Smiths likeness is not the first statue to spark controversy. Heres what may be in store for the statues future. Welcome in Wildwood While Smiths history remains under scrutiny in Philly, she may encounter friendlier faces down the Shore. Amid outcry against songs Smith performed like Thats Why the Darkies Were Born and Pickaninny Heaven, Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. told 6ABC that the disgraced statue was welcome in his city. If its available, we would be interested in having it.... The outcry of the people has piqued my interest," said Troiano, who has also said Smiths God Bless America will continue to play on the Wildwood boardwalk. Similarly, in the town of North Elba, N.Y., which includes the Olympic village of Lake Placid where Smith is buried, Township Supervisor Roby Politi told WAMC Northeast Public Radio that the municipality would gladly take Kates statue. Relocating controversial statues is no new practice. In fact, its the eventual plan for the 10-foot-tall, 2,000-pound bronze sculpture of contentious former Police Commissioner and Mayor Frank L. Rizzo. The likeness of Rizzo (who once honored Smith at City Hall, calling her a great American, the kind they just dont make anymore," according to Inquirer archives) is slated to move from its post at Thomas Paine Plaza across from City Hall to a to-be-determined home in the next couple of years. In both Orlando and Lexington, Ky., Confederate statues were relocated from prominent public spaces to historic cemeteries. READ MORE: Wildwood mayor: I wont stop playing Kate Smith on the boardwalk A hall of shame Another option for Smith: placement in a designated area for controversial statues. A private park in Taiwan has adopted this approach for sculptures from and symbols of the countrys era of authoritarian rule, accepting statue donations, some with plaques identifying their source and the reason behind the donation. In Berlin, the Spandau Citadel has become a house of disgraced statues, holding sculptures commemorating Nazis, Prussia, and communism. READ MORE: After Kate Smith statue removal, Philadelphia can learn from Taiwan | Opinion READ MORE: Take a lesson: How Germany handles monuments from Nazi and communist eras Out of sight, out of mind? One common way of handling statues with a tarnished history is placing them at least temporarily in storage, away from the public eye. Such was the case with Pennsylvania State Universitys Joe Paterno statue, or Pittsburghs sculpture of the minstrel musician Stephen Foster, which was hauled from the citys Schenley Plaza in April 2018. And after a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., renewed public outcry over keeping Confederate monuments in public places, cities across the country have mothballed their Confederate statues while municipalities decide their fates. Total meltdown Perhaps the most unlikely fate of condemned statues: destruction. In 1998, a not-yet-completed, 35-foot-tall figure of Catherine of Braganza, queen consort of Britain in the 1600s, was melted down for scrap after protests grew over how she benefitted from the slave trade. After four Confederate monuments were removed from public spaces in Baltimore in 2017, City Councilman Brandon Scott proposed that they be melted down and repurposed for statues that can show true Baltimoreans and true Americans, great American history. The statues remain in a secret location until a city task force decides what to do with them. READ MORE: Kate Smith a casualty like Joe Paterno, Frank Rizzo | Readers respond READ MORE: Knee-jerk reaction put Flyers in a corner, triggering removal of Kate Smith statue, former club VP says READ MORE: Kate Smiths racist song is ancient. But so are the wounds it reopened | Editorial A bill introduced Thursday in City Council would end Philadelphias practice of raising additional tax revenue from increasing property values. The bill, sponsored by Council members Allan Domb and Brian ONeill, would require the city to adjust its tax rate each year to ensure that rising assessments do not result in automatic tax increases for many residents. Domb has criticized the citys revaluations, which this year increased property assessments, or the values used to calculate property taxes, for hundreds of thousands of homeowners, as back-door tax hikes. In a budget hearing this month, he suggested that Council should have considered lowering the tax rate in response to rising assessments. The proposed Revenue Neutral Tax Bill will provide City Council with the oversight to make the city more fiscally responsible, Domb said in a statement Thursday. It will eliminate the citys ability to increase revenues by raising homeowners property values. How would it work? The legislation would require the city to calculate a revenue neutral tax rate for both the city portion and school district portion of the tax rate each year, by determining how much the citys total value of taxable property changed due to assessment changes. The Office of Property Assessment finalizes assessment changes by March 31, which is during the citys annual budget process. To ensure revenue neutrality, the tax rate must decrease if total tax assessments increase, and similarly, tax rates must increase if total tax assessments decrease, the proposed bill states. The bill mandates a revenue-neutral tax rate for 2020. After that, it would still allow for adjusting the tax rate as needed, but only after determining a baseline rate that would not increase or decrease revenue. The mayor would be permitted to recommend changes to the revenue-neutral rate in a proposed budget, and City Council would have the power to adjust the rate before passing a budget. How is that different from what happens now? Currently, the mayors proposed budget includes a tax rate and Council has the power to adjust the rate before passing a budget. But the city, unlike other counties in the state, is not required to adjust its tax rate in response to assessment changes. The 2019 reassessment, which increased the median assessment of a single-family home by 10.5 percent, is expected to raise an additional $85 million in tax revenue for the city, according to officials. The recently released 2020 assessments are projected to generate an additional $53 million for the city. Does this legislation have a chance of passing? Mike Dunn, a spokesman for Mayor Jim Kenney, said in an email Thursday that the administration had not had a chance to review the legislation. The administration has expressed opposition to revenue neutrality in assessments; Dunn said it would create a budget gap because the cost of running the city continues to rise. We have always maintained that any proposal to adjust property tax rates could be considered, so long as it takes into account the need to maintain city services and capital investments for our infrastructure and rising costs, including labor, pension, and contracting costs, Dunn said. Council President Darrell L. Clarke told The Inquirer last week that he would be open to lowering the tax rate to keep taxes reasonable for residents. But, he noted, the city faces different budget challenges every year. Clarke said he was primarily concerned with continuing to fund schools, and said the citys need to raise additional tax revenue would not have been as urgent in recent years if not for the school districts budget needs. Bob Swaim, a retired math teacher from Springfield Township in Bucks County, has been on a mission since 2012 to convince state lawmakers to recognized the Slinky as the state toy. Read more HARRISBURG Pennsylvania has a state dog, a state insect, a state fossil, and even a state beverage. Why, Bob Swaim wonders, cant it also have a state toy? Swaim, a retired math teacher from Springfield Township in upper Bucks County, has made it his mission over the last five years to persuade the state legislature to do just that with the Slinky, the springy, walking wonder that became on overnight sensation in the 1940s thanks to shoppers in Philadelphia. It saw a resurgence with a generation of latchkey kids in the 1980s and is still being produced today at a plant outside Altoona. The Slinky, Swaim said, is a Pennsylvania story. It is also a womens story. Yet, getting legislators to adopt his cause has been a challenge. Its been fun, but I never realized how difficult it would be, said Swaim on a recent weekday afternoon, as he sat at a table in the municipal building in nearby Coopersburg, surrounded by mounds of paper he has amassed in his research on the toy. Nobody wants to go out on that limb politically. ... Maybe they think people will make fun of them that the only legislation they ever passed is a Slinky bill. If people knew the toys history, Swaim believes, they wouldnt feel embarrassed. Swaim is happy to tell the tale to anyone who will listen. The 73-year-old is a collector of human-powered toys and has spent a chunk of his retirement doing demonstrations of his collections, which he carts around in a large white van. The Slinky, of course, is among them. On a recent frigid December afternoon he set up different types of stairs and ramps in a spacious room to show the toys simple yet oddly mesmerizing walk. The teacher in him he taught math and computer science at Souderton Area High School cant help noting the toys value in teaching about math and physics. But its the story behind the toy that animates Swaim. As with so many innovations, he says, the Slinky came to life by accident. Its inventor, Richard James, was a Pennsylvania State University graduate working at the Cramp shipyard in Philadelphia in 1943. His mission was to devise a spring to stabilize equipment on ships, when one day, a coil sitting atop a shelf was knocked down. It began to do a bouncy dance that would later become the signature move of the Slinky. James spent the next two years perfecting a spiral that could replicate that walk, and enlisted his wife, Betty, to name it. She came up with Slinky after poring over a dictionary. Sleek and sinuous in movement or outline, the definition goes. Sales were initially slow. But that changed in an instant when, in 1945, the Gimbels department store in Philadelphia let James demonstrate the Slinky during perhaps the best time of the year: the sweet spot between Thanksgiving and Christmas. They sold 400 of them in 90 minutes, marvels Swaim, adding that the toy sold for a crisp $1 at the time. Success followed and then ebbed. By the 1960s, the company was beset with financial problems and was dealt another blow when James announced to Betty and their six children that he was moving to Bolivia to join a religious mission. That is where it turns into a womans story, Swaim said. Betty James, who also attended Penn State, took over running the company. She not only nursed it back to health; she led the charge on a marketing campaign that helped turn the Slinky into one of the landmark toys for a generation of kids one with staying power, despite the growing popularity of battery-powered toys. Its Slinky, its Slinky. Its fun, its a wonderful toy, went the catchy jingle on television commercials. She was a risk-taker, said Swaim. Betty James moved production to Hollidaysburg, outside Altoona in central Pennsylvania, where she had grown up. And when she sold the company in the 1990s, multiple accounts of the sale state that she required that production remain there. Indeed, it is still there today. And the classic metal Slinky is still produced in Hollidaysburg, said Lauren Diani, senior marketing manager at Alex Brands, which now owns the Slinky although a handful of other Slinky items, she said, are made in China. The Slinky has been "made here in Hollidaysburg since 1964, said Paul Luther, the plants general manager, who has worked for the company either as a contractor or an employee for nearly 40 years. In an interview, Luther credited Betty James for that. She looked after people, he said of James, who died at age 90 in 2008. "She took care of people. Swaim said he has spoken to several lawmakers over the last six years in efforts to persuade them to introduce a bill on the Slinky. Among the arguments he presents: They wouldnt be charting new territory, just righting a historical wrong of failing to recognize the Slinkys deep roots in the state. Back in the early 2000s, several lawmakers pushed legislation to make the Slinky the state toy. One was former State Rep. Rick Geist, a Republican from Blair County whose district included Hollidaysburg and who recalled standing in the Capitol rotunda and launching Slinkys down the marble steps that lead to the House and Senate. By then, the Slinky had been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, in Rochester, N.Y. Geist said in an interview his colleagues liked the idea, but his bill never got a vote. Everybody just smiled and did nothing, he said. People think its frivolous to pass that kind of legislation. Yet, the legislature has passed numerous bills designating everything from a state game bird (the ruffed grouse) to a state steam locomotive (the Pennsylvania Railroad K4s), according to state records. The Great Dane was named the state dog in 1965, the firefly was designated the state insect in 1974 (the legislature in 1988 even fine-tuned that to name a particular species of firefly, Photuris pennsylvanica), and milk was chosen as the state beverage in 1982. Phacops rana, a small water animal, has been the state fossil since 1988. And just in the last legislative session, there was polite disagreement between the House and Senate over whether the Eastern hellbender sometimes called a snot otter or Wehrles salamander should be the states official amphibian. (The two sides never reached a meeting of the minds, and the effort died with the close of the legislatures two-year session last month.) Newly elected Sen. Judy Ward, a Republican from Blair County who said she admired Betty James growing up, said she is open to the idea of introducing legislation. But she thinks she would need to hit precisely the right timing to make it successful. I so appreciate his efforts, Ward said of Swaim, recalling when he contacted her as she made her first successful run for office in 2014. He has so much energy and he has such a passion and fascination with the Slinky. Im grateful for him because hes kept this alive. For Swaim, that means hope. An injustice was done by not passing a law, said Swaim, who envisions the legislature recognizing one person or product every year as a way to market the state. We should be proud of Pennsylvania," he said, And one way to show that is to recognize its history and teach it to the kids. Michael Gleba, 56, was shot and killed outside his auto-repair shop, Northeast Speedometer Service Inc., at Benner and Edmund Streets, in Wissinoming, on Thursday, April 11, 2019. Read more Philadelphia police have arrested four men in connection with two separate but related shootings this month in the tight-knit Wissinoming neighborhood. One of the April 11 shootings killed Michael Gleba, 56, an auto-repair shop owner felled by a stray bullet. Police said Thursday that Shabazz Sweets, 19, of the 3800 block of North Marshall Street in Hunting Park, and Eric Smith, 25, of the 200 block of Rosemar Street in Olney, had been charged with murder, conspiracy, and related offenses in the death of Gleba. He was working outside his Northeast Speedometer Service Inc. shop on Benner Street near Edmund about 3:15 p.m. when he was shot in the stomach. Gleba was hit as Sweets allegedly fired toward a group of four people about a block away. Sweets also was charged with attempted murder and related offenses for allegedly shooting at the others. Smith was with Sweets at the time, a police source said. The shooting on Benner allegedly stemmed from an ongoing dispute between Smith and Timothy Sherfield, who was the intended target, said the police source, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the case. After the shooting, Sherfield, 28, and another man from the corner group, James MacGregor, 20, allegedly went to Anchor Street, several blocks away, in the belief that the person who shot at them was from that area, said the police source. Under Sherfields direction, the source said, MacGregor went into the Alixandro Mini Market at Anchor and Torresdale Avenue about 4:40 p.m. and fatally shot Izeem Hunter, 23, whom they recognized as an Anchor Street resident. But neither Sweets nor Smith is with the Anchor Street group, the source said. MacGregor, of the 4800 block of Rawle Street in Tacony, faces murder and gun charges in Hunters death. Sherfield, of the 7200 block of Rising Sun Avenue in Burholme, has been charged with murder, conspiracy, and related offenses. Sherfield faces a May 1 preliminary hearing. His attorney, Michael Huff, said Thursday that his client is fighting his charges and maintaining his innocence. Sweets, Smith, and MacGregor face May 8 preliminary hearings. Defense attorneys Michael McDermott and Jason Kadish, who were recently appointed to represent Sweets and Smith respectively, did not have any immediate comment Thursday. No attorney was listed for MacGregor on his docket. All four defendants were denied bail. Sherfield was on probation after pleading guilty last year to charges of robbery, burglary, and one gun offense stemming from a March 2017 incident, and being credited for about 11 months served in jail. Sweets was sentenced last year to probation after pleading guilty to a theft charge in a stolen-auto case. Smith had pleaded guilty in 2015 to drug charges, for which he had received probation. In this Oct. 29, 2018, photo taken by Reuters photographer Adrees Latif, Luis Acosta carries 5-year-old Angel Jesus, both from Honduras, as a caravan of migrants from Central America en route to the United States crossed through the Suchiate River into Mexico from Guatemala in the outskirts of Tapachula. A team of Reuters photographers won the Pulitzer Prize in breaking news photography for their coverage of migrants as they journeyed to the U.S. from Central and South America. Read more Lets stipulate right here that President Trump doesnt understand a lot of things, even as he enters his 28th month in charge of the massive bureaucratic battleship that is the U.S. government. But no issue has flummoxed our rage-prone 45th president more than the rise in unauthorized crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border -- even after promising his xenophobic base that his harsh immigration crackdown would make America great again. When numbers came into the White House showing this decades biggest surge in refugees at the border -- with Border Patrol agents detaining as many as 4,000 migrants, many of them women and children, in a single day -- Trump reportedly went ballistic. He yelled and fumed at his then-Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen until he finally forced her out of the job, partly because she wouldnt buy into the presidents ideas to fight migration with moves that were probably illegal and unworkable and certainly immoral. The commander-in-chief wanted even harsher family separation policies, even after the first wave of ripping toddlers and even infants from their mommies and daddies, in 2018, had shocked consciences around the globe. He threatened to completely shut down the border with Mexico, which would have crippled commerce and maybe triggered a recession. He killed the nomination of a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chief who wasnt tough enough, fired other top Homeland Security officials, and flirted with ideas like sending detained children to Gitmo. A senior aide told CNNs Jake Tapper that the president was increasingly unhinged about border crossings, even as he furiously tweeted out more fear. To Trump, migration is a ridiculously simplistic zero-sum game. The immigrants are cheaters, frauds or out-and-out criminals, trying to take advantage of us (and, specifically, of Trump). Whether they get away with it is solely an equation that depends on how tough we are -- on hard-nosed, head-shaved Border Patrol agents named Steve (probably), until Trump can force Congress to build a glorious wall that will make the problem go away. Donald Trump cant handle the truth. Because to do that, the Trump administration would have to do something alien to every xenophobic bone in its body: Embrace science. The president would have to stop cursing out and firing every official at DHS, stop rescuing oil lobbyists from the swamp and installing them in his Cabinet, and start accepting that climate change is real, that its occurring right now, and that responses like mass migration are an unavoidably human reaction to drought, floods and misery. Experts (admittedly, non-persons in Trumpland) believe that a sizable portion of the recent steep increase in migrants making the long and dangerous journey from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are doing so because record drought in the region -- the result of a warming planet -- has destroyed crops and left destitute farmers desperate to save their families. Simply put, images of armed U.S. officers seizing kids at the border still wont deter parents who see the only alternative as famine and crushing poverty. People have been displaced by climate for millennia, but we are now at a particular historical moment, facing a new type of environmentally driven migration that will be more fast and furious," Maria Cristina Garcia, a Cornell University professor publishing a book on climate-driven migration, said recently. "It will require incredible adaptability and political will to keep up with the changes that are forecasted to happen. Conor Walsh, who works for Catholic Family Services in Honduras, wrote recently in the Arizona Daily Star that severe drought in neighboring Guatemala in 2018 resulted in significant crop loss for as many as 300,000 subsistence farmers there. Indeed, the cycle of arid days without rain and severe floods has become so pronounced in the key growing regions of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras during the 2010s that the area is now called the dry corridor. Experts note that the last big drought in 2014 matched up with the last big surge in U.S. border crossings. And the World Bank says climate change may cause as many as 1.4 million people to leave Central America and Mexico over the next 30 years. But incredible adaptability, to steal professor Garcias phrase, is not a hallmark of the Donald Trump presidency. Imagine a world where, instead of yelling at Cabinet members to lock up more kids in cages, the president sat at the Resolute Desk and listened to the story of Fredi Onan Vicen Pena, a 41-year-old Honduran coffee farmer who told the New York Times hes seen a drought-fueled disease called coffee rust destroy 70 percent of his crop, while most of his family members have already left for the U.S. or elsewhere. That world, sadly, does not exist. Can the United States -- a.k.a. the Colossus of the North -- do anything to help the struggling farmers of Honduras and Guatemala? The answer, not surprisingly, is yes. Sebastian Charchalac, a Guatemalan agronomist who was running a program with about $200,000 in U.S. aid -- a mere pittance in the Land of Billion-Dollar Stealth Bombers -- told the New Yorker he was seeing real success in helping farmers diversify crops, conserve water, and, as a result, save their land. Then in 2017 the Trump administration arrived and killed the program. Indeed, one element of Trumps rage-frenzied rampage over border crossings has been an announcement that the U.S. will end all foreign aid to the three key Central American nations -- about $350 million to 400 million a year, already down sharply from the Obama years -- as a spiteful punishment for the supposed failure to curb migration. That money goes not just for farm aid but also for programs that attack problems like urban gang violence -- i.e., all of the horrible things that would cause people to abandon their native countries, undertake an arduous and dangerous long journey, and seek freedom and safety in the United States. Ending foreign aid and covering our eyes and pretending that climate change doesnt exist are all but guaranteed to drive the number of refugees from Central America even higher. It may be the ultimate case of adopting hurtful, counter-productive policies because they trigger the libs and sate the bloodlust of Trump rally crowds chanting build the wall! Instead of spending a few dollars to help struggling farmers, Team Trump will spend millions on tent cities that sure as hell look like concentration camps -- dragging America further into the muck. Meanwhile, climate change-driven migration -- and the famines, wars and other crises created by this -- are only going to get worse. In January, the Pentagon warned yet again that climate change is a major national security issue for this country. But Trump, who won the presidency insisting he knows more than the generals, didnt listen. He definitely wont listen to the scientists, either. The president only listens to the narcissistic rantings of his damaged psyche -- and that is creating a human rights crisis on this continent. This months action: Put air in your tires! I promised that for 2019 I would write at least one column every month about climate change -- and I made it under the wire for April (whew!). I also promised to keep suggesting small changes in our daily routines that -- if everyone did it -- could make a big difference in reducing greenhouse-gas pollution. Heres a simple one that almost caused Barack Obama to be ridiculed out of the 2008 presidential campaign by the Trump-minded: Properly inflate your tires (or as the British call them in this tip sheet, tyres.) Thats because tires with the right amount of air in them will save you an estimated 3-7 percent on the gasoline that you use. And driving around and burning up gas is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. Whats more, like most small steps toward saving the planet youll also save a buck or two! While the Kenney administration has negotiated contracts with the city's four major labor unions during the last two years that gave them all substantial raises, it also says it has taken action to reform the severely underfunded pension fund by requiring employees to kick in more money for their retirement benefits. City officials contend the additional contributions, a $65,000 cap on future payments for new non-uniformed workers, and increased infusions of cash from the sales tax will lift the pension plan to the targeted 80 percent funding level by 2029. Finance experts say, however, that the city's projections are unrealistic. They cite the city's 7.65 percent assumed rate of return on investments, which they say is too high and risky, and the continuation of two pension-bonus programs. For now, the plan has only 45 percent of the $11.3 billion it needs to pay current and future retirees their promised pensions. The goal of getting to 80 percent in 12 years probably is too optimistic and "notable improvement will likely require more time to come to fruition," S&P credit analysts said in a report released last week. Michael Karp, a longtime member of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, a state board that oversees Philadelphia's finances, recalled similar projections made 10 years ago. "We talk about 80 percent, but we never get there. We never get out of that 45 percent. We seem to be stuck on that," Karp said during last week's PICA meeting. Rob Dubow, the city finance director, said that the aftermath of the Great Recession and the fact that retirees are living longer have impacted the fund. In an interview with the Inquirer and Daily News, Dubow said that while some might dispute how long it will take the pension fund to reach 80 percent, the increased contributions will move the plan closer to the target than if the city had done nothing. "You can get to an increased funding percent either through reducing the growth in liabilities or increasing assets," Dubow said. "We get there with a slightly different combination than we started with, but we still get there, and that's the important thing." When Kenney signed a contract in 2016 with the city's blue-collar workers, represented by AFSCME District Council 33, he contended he had achieved pension reform by creating a hybrid plan that would cap defined benefits at $50,000 for all new employees and require current employees to pay more into the fund. Employees who had a salary of $45,001 or higher would contribute between 0.5 and 3 percentage points more. (The average salary for DC33 employees is $38,000.) The city wanted to use the DC33 contract as a target for the other three unions, which have higher average salaries and whose increased contributions would have a bigger impact. Officials said if everyone agreed to DC33's plan, the city would reach 80 percent funding by 2030. None of the unions signed on, however. In fact, the city ended up increasing DC33's cap and reduced the contribution rates. Yet the city maintains that 80 percent projection. Now, all non-uniformed employees, union and nonunion, with a salary of $45,001 or higher will contribute between 0.5 and 2.75 percentage points more, depending on salary. For new employees, pensions will be capped at $65,000. Elected officials will pay more into the fund, but they will not be forced to go into the plan that would cap their benefits. All police and firefighters, whose contracts were decided through arbitration, will continue to have a defined-benefits plan. Most current members will have to contribute an additional 1.84 percentage points of their salaries; new members, 2.5 percentage points above the 5 percent rate, or 7.5 percent. The city's actuary predicts that the increased contributions will pump an additional $290 million annually into the pension fund over the next 10 years for a total of $1.4 billion. During the same 10-year period, the city plans to add $9.6 billion into the fund, including $750 million in sales tax revenue. Those additional contributions, combined with a steady 7.6 percent rate of return will lead the plan to 82 percent funding in 2029, according to the actuary. The fund has prospered during the last two years. In fiscal year 2017, it had a 13 percent investment gain and preliminary numbers for fiscal year 2018, which ended June 30, have it at 8.1 percent. But in 2016, the fund's investments lost $149 million, and taxpayers often have to make up losses when the fund doesn't perform as expected. In addition to the investment return risk, S&P analysts found that Philadelphia's Pension Adjustment Fund, which doles out bonuses to retirees when the fund does well, will prevent the city from making significant gains in the good market years. "It is an imbalance," Todd Kanaster, an analyst with S&P, said of the Pension Adjustment Fund. "When the market doesn't do well, there's no sharing. That's entirely borne on the city. If there's a gain, it's split with the retirees. There goes a lot of the asset gain." City spokesperson Mike Dunn said the Pension Adjustment Fund is the equivalent of a cost-of-living adjustment, which the mayor describes as important and fair. In the last three years, the Pension Adjustment Fund has sent retirees nearly $70 million in bonus checks. PICA has been critical of the city's pension adjustment fund, as well as the city's continuance of the controversial Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), which the authority says has cost the city at least $237 million over the 16-year period ending in 2015. City officials say that one of the biggest achievements in the new contracts is making the hybrid plan mandatory for new non-uniformed employees; the previous administration had a similar plan but it was mostly voluntary. "We tried to develop a plan that we thought would work for Philadelphia," Jim Engler, the city's deputy mayor for policy and legislation, said in an interview. "We tried to do that in a way that was holistic, provided at least a continued secure pension benefit for employees, reduced the city's liabilities in a similar way and was able to be achievable, and I think that's what we got by securing a mandatory new plan." Analysts at both S&P and Moody's said that the new, stacked hybrid plan for new non-uniformed employees are a positive and should improve funding levels over time. "It's not going to lower the unfunded liability today," said Tom Aaron, a vice president and analyst at Moody's Investors Service. "Over time as more and more of new employees are in the hybrid plan, the city's risk profile would be coming down a bit and that's a positive." President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump by his side, stops to talk to reporters and members of the media as he walks from the Oval Office to Marine One as they depart from the White House on Wednesday. Read more WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's defiance of congressional attempts to investigate his administration has put new pressure on the legislative branch's ability to serve as a constitutional check on a president who sees few limits on his executive power. Since taking office, Trump has consistently treated Congress as more of a subordinate than an equal often aided by the tacit approval of congressional Republicans who have shown little interest in confronting the president. But tensions between Trump and Capitol Hill have escalated in recent days as the White House refuses to comply with subpoenas from newly empowered House Democrats eager to conduct aggressive oversight of his administration. Trump's decision not to cooperate with House committees, coupled with reluctance from Republicans in control of the Senate to cross him, has left Congress struggling to assert itself as a coequal branch of government - most likely leaving it to the courts to settle a series of power struggles that could define the relationship between the executive and legislative branches for years to come. "A respect for the limits of your branch of government, a respect for the role of other branches of government is sort of the oil that makes the machinery work," said Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., a member of the House Oversight Committee. "Absent that, things break down. And I think we're definitely seeing that with this administration in unprecedented ways." This week alone, the White House and top Trump administration officials have resisted subpoenas issued by Democrats on at least three fronts - limiting how much oversight Democrats can exert as both sides prepare for a potentially protracted standoff. First, the White House directed a former personnel security official to not appear at a scheduled deposition as part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into the administration's security clearance practices. The official, Carl Kline, could now be held in contempt of Congress. The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed former White House counsel Donald McGahn, prompting administration officials to indicate they would assert executive privilege to block his testimony as Democrats seek more information about special counsel Robert Mueller III's Russia investigation, including whether the president obstructed justice. And on Wednesday, the Justice Department said it will not comply with a bipartisan subpoena from the Oversight Committee that sought testimony for its ongoing investigation of the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. The Treasury Department this week also blew through another House-issued deadline, though not technically a subpoena, to turn Trump's tax returns over to the Ways and Means Committee. Were fighting all the subpoenas. These arent, like, impartial people, Trump told reporters Wednesday, charging Democrats are motivated solely by politics. The Democrats are trying to win 2020. Democrats, determined to punch back harder with every rejection from the administration, warn that Trump's attempts to resist congressional oversight could set a dangerous precedent. "If Trump is allowed to get away with ignoring Congress, then, in effect, we no longer have a representative system of government," said Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., a member of the House Judiciary Committee. "We have more like a monarchy. That's exactly what our framers wanted to prevent." The president and his allies have dismissed these complaints, noting he is not the first president to go around a recalcitrant Congress or to clash with lawmakers eager to investigate an administration. His defenders also argue Democrats are overreaching in their probes, which launched shortly after the party took control of the House on Jan. 3. "He obviously wants to work with Congress because he has an agenda that, most of it, doesn't go anywhere without Congress," said a former senior White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the president's views. "But I also think he looks at Congress in the way he looks at all of Washington. . . . These people were sent here to do specific things they ran on and they don't do a whole lot." The former official added: "America's general scorn toward Congress . . . I think that's pretty widely shared in the West Wing." While Trump's subpoena fights with Democrats are new, his lack of deference to Congress has been a theme throughout his presidency, when for the first two years a Republican-controlled Congress rarely challenged him. He continues to brush aside some concerns voiced by Senate Republicans over nominees, his assertion of executive power and trade policy. Trump has openly expressed his preference for acting Cabinet members, even while vacancies persist at the highest levels of the administration, despite senators' argument that senior officials who don't go through the confirmation process can be less accountable to lawmakers and the public. Several key Cabinet posts are filled by acting officials, including the secretaries of defense and homeland security. The year began with a historically long partial government shutdown that ended only after Trump issued an emergency declaration to circumvent Congress to secure funding that lawmakers would not provide for his border wall - despite early warnings from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that such a move would be unpopular with GOP senators. The administration has also blown off some requests from powerful Republicans, such as a demand from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, in February that he be provided with a copy of a Commerce Department report examining whether tariffs on foreign-made cars and auto parts could be imposed on national security grounds. As of this week, he hasn't been provided one. "The Finance Committee is the committee of jurisdiction for trade policy," said Michael Zona, a Grassley spokesman. "So there's no good reason the Commerce Department shouldn't share an official trade policy report with the chairman." A bipartisan investigation requested by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last fall into the death of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi called on the administration to send a report to Congress required under a law aimed at combating human rights abuses. But in February, the Trump administration declined to do so. A senior administration at the time said Trump has discretion to "decline to act on congressional committee requests when appropriate." Senate Republicans have shown more willingness to break with the president - if gently - in recent weeks. Opposition from at least four Senate Republicans doomed any prospects of former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain getting nominated to the Federal Reserve. And GOP leaders are urging Trump to get input from their members earlier and more often in the confirmation process - a tacit acknowledgment that their constitutional role and influence has been shrinking under Trump. "He seems to be comfortable with people in an acting role," said Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., the No. 2 Senate Republican. "I think it's better for the process, for him, and for the people that are being nominated to these positions if they go through a full confirmation process and get the validation of the United States Senate under the advise and consent requirement in the Constitution." The dynamic between the White House and House Democrats is becoming increasingly bitter, even as leaders in both branches continue to hold out some hope that bipartisan deals might be possible in the second half of Trump's first term. The president and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are scheduled to meet next week about infrastructure, although the specter of congressional investigations will almost certainly hang over the discussion. "They're supposed to be talking about infrastructure," counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said. "If she's coming here under the ruse of infrastructure and wants to talk about subpoenas, I'll let you know." And on Wednesday, Trump suggested he would go to the Supreme Court to stop any attempt by Democrats to impeach him, despite legal scholars saying that power is clearly given to Congress in the Constitution. I DID NOTHING WRONG, Trump wrote in a tweet. If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only are there no High Crimes and Misdemeanors, there are no Crimes by me at all. Artist's rendering of CHOP's proposed Physician and Administrative Office Building, as seen from ground level looking west. Read more Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia plans to add another high-rise to its dense complex of medical buildings in University City. The 17-story Physician and Administrative Office Building being proposed by CHOP would rise at the corner of East Service Drive and Health Sciences Drive, just south of the hospital networks Buerger Center building, to which it would be attached. The building would comprise about 565,000 square feet of office space, along with a fitness center, auditorium and other amenities, according to plans posted Wednesday to the website of Philadelphias Civic Design Review panel. The tower, designed by Chicago-based architects Perkins & Will, is to feature a facade of painted aluminum in a sawtooth pattern supporting windows that span nearly ceiling-to-floor in the buildings interior, according to the plans. The CDR board, which offers nonbinding suggestions for Philadelphias biggest development proposals as part of the citys building-approval process, is to consider the project at a May 7 hearing. The project requires no special exceptions from land-use rules to proceed, according to the plans. A CHOP spokesperson had no immediate comment on the use of the building or timing of the construction. Britain's Prince William attended Anzac Day services at Auckland War Memorial on Thursday shortly after he arrived in New Zealand. Britain's Prince William (C) arrives with New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (R) at the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Air Movements Terminal in Christchurch on April 25, 2019. [Photo: POOL / AFP / Hannah Peters] Both the Anzac Day services in Auckland and Christchurch were heavily guarded after the Christchurch terrorist attack that killed 50 people on March 15. On behalf of the Queen, the Duke of Cambridge placed a wreath on the war memorial cenotaph in the Auckland Domain. He traveled to Christchurch after the services with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to show the royal family support following the mosque shootings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a massive roadshow here on Tuesday evening to bolster BJPs prospects in Lok Sabha election in State. Modi, known for his rockstar image kicked off over 2.5 km long journey in an open vehicle amid tight security from near Birsa Munda International Airport to Birsa Chowk. The entire street as dusk descended wrapped in saffron to match the occasion. For welcoming the Prime Minister, huge cutouts of Prir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar road, BJP flags were put on both sides of the road. Thousands of people including enthusiastic BJP workers lined up on street for getting a glimpse of Modi. Chants of Modi Modi Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar rent the air as the campaign vehicle moved through the Capital. It took more than one hour for Modi campaign carcade to cover the distance of 2.5 km. The Prime Minister who is known for his health consciousness reached the Birsa Munda International Airport at around 6.30 PM after campaigning in Odishas Kendrapara and Bengals Asansol apart from exercising his franchise in Ahmedabads Ranip area. Chief Minister Raghubar Das, State BJP president Laxman Gilua, State BJP in-charge Mangal Pandey and senior BJP leaders from State were in Airport to welcome the PM. Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Mangal Pandey and other leaders led the procession while PM in open vehicle waving to the crowds passed through the road reaching the Birsa Chowk at 7.30 PM. The PM at Birsa Chowk after paying floral tributes to Birsa Munda statue walked near the crowds waving and greeting the people who had assembled for more than one hour to have a glimpse of their beloved Prime Minister. The crowd that had gathered at Birsa Chowk was much enthusiastic to see Modi. Darshan Rai (25), who had come from Tupudana to have glimpse of Modi said, We have never seen Modi from so close. Even at this age he is fit. He is icon for all age people. Echoing the views of Rai, Sangeeta Munda (22 years), who too had come to see Modi said, No other politician is as dynamic as Modi. He knows the art to read the people pulse and change people mood it as per his convenience. He is magician of Indian politics. Both the youths claimed that they are going to vote for Modi, candidate is secondary. Modi after carrying out road show moved to Raj Bhavan passing through Birsa Rajpath. Meanwhile, the district administration had made elaborate security arrangement for the road show. Entire stretch of Birsa Rajpath had deployment of security personnel. As threat perception on Modi is highest after Patnas Gandhi Maidan October 2013 blasts, the state police along with NSG commandos had frisked high rise buildings and major installations on the route. The Prime Minister road show assume importance as BJP which has won 12 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 elections is planning to repeat its previous performance, but the anti-incumbency factor and coming together of opposition parties forming Mahagathbandhan can become a hurdle. View of first tower proposed as part of the Liberty on the River high-rise complex in South Philadelphia, as seen looking toward the Delaware River. Read more Developer Jeff Kozero is resuming his efforts to gain city approvals for a complex of residential high-rises on land he acquired from the Sheet Metal Workers union along the Delaware River in South Philadelphia. K4 Philadelphia LLC, for which Kozero serves as managing partner, is scheduled to present its newest plans for the Liberty on the River project before Philadelphias Civic Design Review board on May 7. The appearance before the panel, which offers nonbinding suggestions on Philadelphias biggest development proposals as part of the citys building-approval process, is scheduled more than 2 years after Kozero first presented his vision for the site. Back then, the Rockville, Md.-based developer was seeking to build 10 mostly residential high-rises and about 100 rowhouses on a site comprising nearly all the land east of South Columbus Boulevard between Washington Avenue and Reed Street. The tract was to have consisted of 18 acres acquired in 2015 from Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, along with an additional eight-acre parcel partly covered by a meeting hall that Kozero had said he was negotiating to buy from the union. The plan was put on hold the following year amid public opposition to legislation sought by Kozero that would have let his company build towers beyond the 244 feet about 24 stories permitted by the land-use rules that cover central Philadelphias Delaware River waterfront. In the updated plans, detailed in a presentation uploaded to the Civic Design Review panels website on Wednesday, six towers are now proposed, all of which max out at or below the permitted 244 feet, far short of the previously envisioned heights of up to 34 stories. Another change is that the proposed structures are now entirely situated on the 18 acres owned by Kozeros group, sandwiched largely between the Sheet Metal Workers meeting house property and the river, although the plans also call for two of the towers to be built on piers that jut into the river. The buildings will have 1,770 apartment or condo units; 232 senior-living units; 208 hotel guest rooms; and about 43,000 square feet of retail space. Both towers have parking garages on their lower levels, for a total of 1,378 spaces. The Civic Design Review submission is most detailed in its description of the complexs first building, a 23-story apartment or condo tower with 729 units that would rise just beside the river, set far back from Columbus Boulevard. The Pennsport Civic Association neighborhood group will have an opportunity to comment on the proposal as part of the citys approval process at a May 1 meeting, according to the submission. It was yet to be determined whether the plan would require any special exceptions from area land-use regulations to proceed, according to the presentation. Stephen G. Pollock, a lawyer for the proposal, did not respond to a phone message seeking details. FILE - In this April 8, 2004, file photo, playwright Mark Medoff and actress Phyllis Frelich pose for a photo in New York. Medoff, who wrote the award-winning play "Children of a Lesser God," has died in New Mexico at age 79. Medoff's daughter, Jessica Bunchman, confirmed that he died Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in a Las Cruces hospice, surrounded by family. Frelich won a Tony in 1980 for her Broadway portrayal of Sarah Norman, the deaf woman at the heart of the play. Read more Mark Medoff, a provocative playwright whose Children of a Lesser God won Tony and Olivier awards and whose screen adaptation of his play earned an Oscar nomination, has died in Las Cruces, N.M. He was 79. Medoff died Tuesday in a hospice surrounded by family, according to his daughter, Jessica Bunchman. He had been battling both multiple myeloma, a cancer, and renal failure, she said Wednesday in a family statement. Medoff wrote 30 plays and wrote, produced or directed 19 movies. He found his greatest success with Children of a Lesser God, the tale of a troubled love affair between a speech teacher and a deaf woman who struggle to overcome the communications gap between their two cultures. Phyllis Frelich won a Tony in 1980 for her Broadway portrayal of Sarah Norman, the deaf woman at the heart of the play, which ran for almost 900 performances. It was later made into a movie, which won an Academy Award for actress Marlee Matlin, who costarred opposite William Hurt. Medoff was a caring adviser to many in the business, according to the statement. "He had a way of making every creative heart with whom he worked feel as if their work, or their part in his work, was the single most important thing to him in the moment. In turn, hundreds of writers, actors, directors and creatives all over the world consider Mark Medoff a mentor," the statement said. Matlin tweeted on Wednesday: "Mark Medoff, the brilliant mind behind the Tony Award winning play, 'Children Of A Lesser God,' has passed at 79. He insisted and fought the studio that the role be played by a deaf actor; I would not be here as an Oscar winner if it weren't for him. RIP Dear Mark." A Broadway revival last year of Children of a Lesser God starred Joshua Jackson and Lauren Ridloff, a former Miss Deaf America who earned a Tony nomination. Medoffs work often tackled social issues, from animal testing and AIDS in the play Prymate, to American myths and disorders in the Obie-winning stage work When You Comin Back, Red Ryder, to poverty in India in his screenplay for the 1992 film City of Joy. His 2015 play, Marilee and Baby Lamb: The Assassination of an American Goddess, is about the last days of Marilyn Monroe. "Everything I do probably starts more from a social-issue impulse than anything else," the playwright told The Associated Press in 2004. "I went to a psychologist when I was 18 or 19 and he said I was the first kid he'd ever met who was rebelling against a happy childhood. So when I started writing, I began to expropriate social issues and quickly roped myself out of my angst." Medoff was inspired to write Children of a Lesser God after meeting Frelich and her husband, Robert Steinberg, a lighting designer. I told him there were no roles for deaf actresses, Frelich recalled. He said, OK, Ill write a play for you. He did. He went home and wrote Children of a Lesser God. He wanted to write a good play. Medoff was cofounder of the American Southwest Theatre Company and head of the Department of Theatre Arts for nine years at New Mexico State University, where he taught for years. He helped form the Creative Media Institute for Film & Digital Arts in 2005. "When the Creative Media Institute was just getting going, Mark told the faculty, 'Look, we can sit around and talk about how to teach people to make movies, or we can just go make movies,' which reflected his philosophy across life," said Amy Lanasa, a friend who now heads the institute, in the family statement. "Why sit around talking about it when you can get up and take action or create something?" Medoffs other works include the plays The Wager, The Hand of Its Enemy, The Heart Outright, The Majestic Kid, and the screenplay for the HBO movie thriller Apology. He also penned the 1978 Chuck Norris action film Good Guys Wear Black and the black comedy Refuge starring Linda Hamilton in 2010. His second original Broadway play was in 2004 with Prymate, which closed quickly after 23 previews and five performances, having in one week only grossed 8 percent of the theaters capacity. Prymate tells the story of two middle-age scientists and former lovers an animal behaviorist and a biologist in a tug-of-war over the fate of an aging gorilla rescued from an AIDS lab. The Associated Press review said Medoffs dialogue is unsubtle, often crude and, whats worse, unbelievable. Variety called it ludicrous. Medoff was born in Mount Carmel, Ill., grew up in Miami Beach, Fla., and received his bachelors degree in English from the University of Miami in 1962. He completed graduate studies in English in 1966 at Stanford University. Medoff is survived by his second wife, Stephanie Thorne, whom he wed in 1972; three daughters; and eight grandchildren. In 1981, he also received an honorary degree from Gallaudet University for exemplary service to the deaf community. Medoff and his family have created the Hope E. Harrison Foundation to raise awareness and finance research to end the chromosomal anomaly Trisomy 18, which afflicts his 5-year old granddaughter, Hope. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be wiped out of the country by 2023, a statement that assumes great significance for a state like Jharkhand where 18 out of 24 districts are still LWE-affected. Addressing an election rally in Hussainabad, under Palamu Parliamentary constituency, Singh said, Rebel outfits have almost been eliminated in Jharkhand. They will soon cease to exist. Apart from the CPI (Maoists), there are at least 17 splinter outfits active in Jharkhand. Most of the rebels associated with the splinter outfits here are nothing more than hired guns and thugs who have unleashed a reign of terror on innocent villagers, police say. Singh was campaigning for BJPs Palamu candidate, former Director General of Police VD Ram on Tuesday. Rashtriya Janata Dals (RJD) Ghuran Ram will be challenging VD Rams incumbency in the constituency in the 17th General Elections. Rebels and terrorist coming in the way of the countrys development will not be spared, Singh said. Attacking the Mahagathbandhan allies in Jharkhand, Singh said that the Congress party and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) have joined hands to satiate their lust for power. Their dream, however, will never come true, he added. The Congress party, JMM, RJD and former CM Babulal Marandi-led Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) have joined hands in Jharkhand to get an edge over the BJP, which enjoys incumbency in 12 of 14 Lok Sabha seats here. The Mahagathbandhan allies will also contest the 2019 Legislative Assembly elections united in Jharkhand. Singh lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visionary ideas that have apparently changed the face of rural India. He also took jibes at the opposition, claiming that no leader in the opposition parties could match the stature of Modi. No opposition leader can match up to the credentials of Modiji. Opposition leaders in fray are like dwarfs compared to Modi, said Singh. He added that the BJP was committed in providing the facilities of Governments schemes to the doors of the poor living in rural areas. He counted Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as the most effective schemes for the masses. The BJP here has fielded candidates in 13 of 14 seats and given one seat to its old ally AJSU-party. Singhs rally on Tuesday marked the beginning of an electioneering spree by BJP bigwigs in Jharkhand this week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address a rally on Wednesday in Lohardaga. BJP President Amit Shah will be in Jharkhand on April 27 and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address a rally here either on April 26 or April 27, party insiders said. It's essential to investigate all your options, though, before deciding an IRA rollover is the right one. This is, after all, money you hope will sustain you for many years in retirement so it's important to choose wisely. The 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT is ready to open its doors to poker players from all over the world, and what better way to get it started than with the 10,300 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller. The action is ready to unfold inside the Monte Carlo Bay Resort and Casino and a champion will be crowned after three days of hard-fought poker. Last year, Bryn Kenney was victorious in this same tournament which was featured at the end of the festival. With the tournament kicking things off this year, it will be a welcome surprise to see who shows up and takes their seats. There were a total of 50 players including 10 re-entries which allowed Kenney to walk away with 153,000. The action will get underway at 6 p.m. local time and each player will receive a starting stack of 50,000 chips. The blinds will begin at 100/200 with a 100 big blind ante and will increase every 40 minutes. It is expected to be a short opening day for the high rollers with only eight levels on the schedule, including two 20-minute breaks. A single re-entry option is available to those that are eliminated in the early going. Late registration will remain open until the start of Day 2 at 12:30 p.m. There will be a 30-second shot clock in play throughout the tournament with each player given six time bank cards of 30 seconds. Additional time banks will be provided at the start of all subsequent days and the final table. Level Duration Small Blind Big Blind Ante 1 40 min 100 200 100 2 40 min 100 200 200 3 40 min 100 300 300 Break 20 min 4 40 min 200 400 400 5 40 min 200 500 500 Break 20 min 6 40 min 300 600 600 7 40 min 400 800 800 8 40 min 500 1,000 1,000 Follow along with the PokerNews live reporting team as we bring you all of the coverage throughout the entire festival. 3.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump cant sue or keep everything related to his finances hidden as Deutsche Bank is turning over his financial records to the New York attorney general. Deutsche Bank is turning over the records that Trump is trying to hide CNN reported: Last month, the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James issued subpoenas for records tied to funding for several Trump Organization projects. The states top legal officer opened a civil probe after Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen testified to Congress in a public hearing that Trump had inflated his assets. The bank is in the process of turning over documents, including emails and loan documents, related to Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC; the Trump National Doral Miami; the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago; and the unsuccessful effort to buy the NFLs Buffalo Bills. Congress is going to get Trumps financial records Trump is trying to make it as difficult as possible for Congress to get the information that they need in order to be able to conduct their investigations, but there are lots of ways around Trumps obstruction. The state investigations into Trump could be a backdoor to Congress access to everything from Trumps tax returns to his business records. The president can order employees of the Executive Branch to defy subpoenas and document requests, but he cant stop state investigations and subpoenas. Trump is delaying the inevitable. Deutsche Banks cooperation is proof that someone somewhere will comply with a subpoena, and Trumps secrets will be revealed. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 6.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings blasted Attorney General William Barr for, a massive, unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction. Cummings said in a statement after Attorney General William Barr ordered John Gore, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, to defy a bipartisan subpoena to appear at a deposition tomorrow relating to the Administrations decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census: This is a massive, unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction. Yesterday, President Trump declared to the entire country that he would obstruct Congress and order all White House officials to defy lawful subpoenas from Congress. Today, the Trump Administration went even further by expanding this policy to employees at federal agencieseven when the subpoenas are bipartisan and supported by Republican Members of Congress. The subpoena that was issued to Mr. Gore was adopted by our Committee on a bipartisan basis. Neither the White House nor the Department of Justice has asserted any privilege that would relieve Mr. Gore of his legal duty to comply. Rep. Cummings was correct. The president and the attorney general are acting in open defiance of the law and the Constitution. Anyone who follows the orders of Trump and Barr is placing themselves in legal jeopardy. Cummings later urged federal employees to think carefully before getting caught up in Trump obstruction schemes, Both President Trump and Attorney General Barr are now openly ordering federal employees to ignore congressional subpoenas and simply not show upwithout any assertion of a valid legal privilege. These employees and their personal attorneys should think very carefully about their own legal interests rather than being swept up in the obstruction schemes of the Trump Administration. Trump and Barr have turned the post-Mueller report political landscape into total warfare. Democrats are going to have to fight for every single witness and document because if there is one thing that every American knows about Donald Trump, it is that he has no qualms about breaking the law. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 1.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Democratic presidential candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) suggested that its possible that Trump is being blackmailed by Putin. Could Trump be being blackmailed by Putin? Rep. Swalwell said on MSNBCs The Beat with Ari Melber, Theres evidence of collusion and coordination. It doesnt go beyond a reasonable doubt but that doesnt mean this is a good guy. We know the Russians helped him. He asked them to help him. What we dont know yet is why wont he show us his taxes, his finances. And look, if this guy is able to be blackmailed by a porn star, how do we know he wont be blackmailed by Vladimir Putin? Video: Since Trump wont release his tax returns, we dont know what Russia has on him Trump has hidden so much information about his finances that the American people dont know what is causing him to do Putins bidding at home and around the world. There is a reason why Homeland Security is trying to secure the 2020 election without telling the president. Trump due to his refusal to accept Russias interference in the 2016 election is the enemy of democracy. Could Trump be being blackmailed? Maybe. Is the president compromised? He could be. Rep. Swalwell wasnt wrong, and the only way to get answers to these questions is to get Donald Trumps tax returns and financial records. Something is clearly wrong with Trumps behavior toward Russia and Putin and the future of American democracy may depend on getting the truth. 1.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Professor Laurence Tribe said that the impeachment process is already under way against Donald Trump. The impeachment process against Trump has already started Tribe said on MSNBCs The Last Word with Laurence ODonnell: After the Mueller report came out with all after its astonishing revelations about the systemic and sustained Russian attack on our democracy, and the presidents sustained efforts to obstruct inquiry into that attack, even inquiry of a counter investigation type that would enable us better protect ourselves from going on attack in 2020, it game clear there was no time to lose. So thats why Im very much in favor of the kinds of hearings that Representative Nadler already as chairman of the judiciary is engaged in now. Theyre not called impeachment hearings but the impeachment process for anyone who understands whats going on is its under way but they dont have the bumper sticker yet. Theyre looking into all of the evidence connecting the dots and as youre earlier guests said, putting live witnesses on the air. So that people can see for themselves through people like Don McGahn, just how corrupt and fundamentally criminal this president was. And we cannot assume that public opinion will be completely impervious to that demonstration. Thats why the president is trying to shut them all up, trying to stonewall in this unprecedented way, not invoking real legal privileges but just saying Im the president. And I say I dont want any of you to cooperate with Congress. Video: Whose congress anyway? A bunch of pols. Its an astonishing exercise in arrogant obstruction of justice, very much like but much worse than what Nixon did leading to article 3 of his articles of impeachment the article about contempt of Congress. Thats what were witnessing, were witnessing contempt of Congress, contempt of law and contempt for the American people. Trump is flipping out and trying to shut the congressional investigations down because he knows where they are going. They are leading to formal impeachment. Democrats are doing the wise thing by not jumping straight into impeachment. House Democrats are in the investigative stage. They are gathering the facts against Trump and building their case. The debate about whether or not to impeach Trump is already over, as impeachment proceedings have begun. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook No less than nine leaders are eyeing to traverse the road from Punjab Vidhan Sabha to the Parliament during Lok Sabha elections. Banking on their not only tried and tested, but also winning horses, the major political players in the State are banking on their elected representatives to romp home to victory in the May 19 elections. While the ruling Congress and its arch rival Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to lay their bet on two sitting MLAs each, Bharatiya Janta Party has fielded a sitting legislator from one out of the total three seats it contests in alliance with the SAD. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has snatched the position of the main opposition party from SAD after 2017 state assembly polls by bagging 20 seats, has also decided to field its one MLA in the ensuing elections. A total of three sitting MLAs would be representing the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) a conglomeration of six political outfits and newly-created splinter groups. Maximum three legislators would be facing each other in the most watched-out electoral battle of Bathinda against the SADs sitting MP and the Union Minister Harsimat Kaur Badal. Congress MLA from Gidderbaha Raja Amarinder Singh Warring, AAPs MLA from Talwandi Sabo Prof Baljinder Kaur, and AAPs rebel MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira would fight it out against each other in the known Badals bastion. Khaira, who had rebelled against his party after he was unceremoniously removed from the post of the Leader of Opposition and left AAP, floated his own political outfit by the name of Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) and would be contesting his first Lok Sabha election from Bathinda as PDAs joint candidate. Another AAPs rebel MLA who left AAP to join Khairas PEP, Master Baldev Singh Jaiton, would also be testing himself in the Faridkot constituency. Elected legislator from Jaiton assembly segment, Master Baldev would also contest against Congress Mohd Sadique and SADs Gulzar Singh Ranike as joint candidate of the PDA. Lok Insaaf Party, which contested 2017 polls in alliance with AAP but parted ways after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals meek apology to SAD leader Bikram Majithia, is also the part of PDA. Its president and Atam Nagar MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains would contest from Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat. In 2014, Bains had also contested from Ludhiana as an independent and managed to bag more than one lakh votes. Congress has fielded its another MLA from Chabbewal, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, from Hoshiarpur reserve constituency, while denying the ticket to its former MP and former Union Minister Santosh Chaudhary, who has been lobbying hard to get party nomination either for her or her daughter Namita Chaudhary. Pushed back at the third spot in the state Assembly after staying in power for a decade, the Akali Dal has also decided to field its two MLAs, including party chief Sukhbir Badal and former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa. Sukhbir, who has been announced the party candidate from Ferozepur only a day before, would be returning to the national level politics after over two decades to revive the partys dwindling fortunes in Punjab. He is currently representing Jalalabad assembly segment, a part of Ferozepur constituency. Hit by rebellion by the traditional Akali leaders and facing allegations in sacrilege and related firing incidents, SAD is facing its worst ever political crisis forcing the party to field its stalwarts to ensure its victory in the crucial elections. Earlier reluctant, sitting Lehra Gaga MLA Parminder Dhindsa is fighting SADs candidate from Sangrur notwithstanding his father and Akali stalwart Sukhdev Singh Dhindsas advice against contesting polls under Sukhbirs leadership. Sangrurs former MP and former Union Minister, Dhindsa was the first one to raise the banner of revolt against SAD and resigning from all party posts citing health concerns. Sitting Rajya Sabha MP, Dhindsa was recently conferred with the Padma Bhushan award. BJP, which has just three MLAs in the 117-member House in Punjab, has also declared its Phagwara MLA Som Parkash as its candidate from Hoshiarpur replacing the sitting MO and the Union Minister Vijay Sampla. Besides the sitting MLAs, the parties have also reposed its faith on the former lawmakers or ministers. Congress has fielded two former MPs and Union Ministers Preneet Kaur from Patiala and Manish Tewari from Sri Anandpur Sahib. Aming the former MLAs are Jasbir Singh Dimpa from Khadoor Sahib, Mohd Sadique from Faridkot, and Kewal Singh Dhillon from Sangrur. SAD too has decided to filed former MLAs Bibi Jagir Kaur from Khadoor Sahib, Charanjit Singh Atwal from Jalandhar, Mahesh Inder Grewal from Ludhiana, Gulzar Singh Ranike from Faridkot, and Surjit Singh Rakhra from Patiala. 10 PARLIAMENTARIANS SEEKING RE-ELECTION As many as 10 sitting MPs, out of total 13 in Punjab, would once again try their luck in May 19 elections. Besides, one Rajya Sabha MP is also in fray. Congress, which has four sitting MPs, has decided to once again nominate them for Lok Sabha elections. Among them are Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar, Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh, and Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu. Winning four seats in 2014 general elections, SAD went on to lose its two sitting MPsRanjit Singh Brahmpura from Khadoor Sahib and Sher Singh Ghubaya from Ferozepurin these five-year time. While senior leader Brahmpura decided to part ways and form an Akali faction SAD Taksali, Ghubaya rebelled against the party and joined the Congress, and is now seeking re-election on Congress ticket. Brahmpura, on the other hand, decided against contesting the elections. Left with two MPs, SAD has re-nominated both of them Union Minister Harsimrat Badal from Bathinda, and Prem Singh Chandumjra from Sri Anandpur Sahib. BJP, which has dropped its lone MP Vijay Sampla, has decided to field its Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh Hardeep Puri from Amritsar. AAP, which stunned the traditional political parties in Punjab by bagging four seats in 2014, had also faced rebellion within the party. Out of four, partys two MPs revolted. It has now re-nominated Sangrur sitting MP Bhagwant Mann and Faridkot MP Prof Sadhu Singh from their respective constituencies. AAPs suspended MP from Patiala, Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, would again give a tough fight to Patiala Royal family, but this time as PDAs joint candidate. Dr Gandhi has also floated his own outfit, Nawan Punjab Party. Its another sitting MP from Fatehgarh Sahib Harjinder Singh, also suspended for anti-party activities in 2015, has joined the BJP, but not contesting the elections. 283 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) The National Rifle Association sued Los Angeles on Wednesday over a new law requiring that contractors disclose their ties to the gun rights group as a condition of obtaining business from the second most-populous U.S. city. Los Angeles was accused of trying to silence NRAs voice, as well as the voices of all those who dare oppose the citys broad gun-control agenda, by cutting off revenue streams the group needs to advocate for the right to bear arms. At issue was an ordinance that took effect on April 1, requiring companies that want city contracts to disclose NRA contracts or sponsorships. The NRA said the law is unconstitutional because it violates its First Amendment right to free speech and association, and its 14th Amendment right to equal protection. It sued in Los Angeles federal court. Mayor Eric Garcetti, also named as a defendant, signed the contracting law on Feb. 18 following passage by the Los Angeles City Council. That body said providing public funds to NRA-linked contractors undermines efforts to promote gun safety in Los Angeles, which has about 4 million people. Spokesmen for Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said his office will vigorously defend the ordinance. Garcetti said: I support this policy, Im confident in it, and were not going to be bullied by the NRA. The lawsuit was filed 11 months after the NRA sued New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, accusing him of threatening its survival by pushing insurers and state-chartered banks to stop doing business with gun rights groups. New York has denied the NRAs blacklisting accusations. The Los Angeles ordinance was a response to what it said were more than 1,600 mass shootings in the United States since the December 2012 attack at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. It cited shootings including the November 2018 killing of 12 people at a Thousand Oaks, California bar, the October 2018 deaths of 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue, and the October 2017 killing of 58 people at a Las Vegas music concert. According to the NRA, the Los Angeles law has nothing to do with awarding contracts to the best candidates. This is one of the largest cities in the country using its power to bully lawful businesses and individual members based on their political viewpoint, the complaint said. Chuck Michel, a lawyer for the NRA, in a statement accused Los Angeles of modern day McCarthyism, echoing language he used when the law was passed. The case is National Rifle Association et al v. City of Los Angeles et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 19-03212. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Tom Brown) 404 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Jan Wolfe (Reuters) The U.S. Congress does not arrest and detain people for ignoring its subpoenas anymore, but it still has significant power to demand witnesses and documents, and Republican President Donald Trump is putting that power to the test. Were fighting all the subpoenas, Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. In another display of his disregard for Washington norms, Trump is defying subpoenas issued by Democrats in the House of Representatives, who have launched numerous investigations of him, his businesses, family and administration. He earlier this week filed an unprecedented lawsuit seeking to block a congressional subpoena intended to force an accounting firm to disclose information about his financial dealings as a businessman. Here is how the congressional subpoena, contempt and enforcement process works. What is a subpoena? A subpoena is a legally enforceable demand for documents, data, or witness testimony. In Latin, sub poena means under penalty. Subpoenas are typically used by litigants in court cases. The Supreme Court has also recognized Congresss power to issue subpoenas, saying in order to write laws it also needs to be able to investigate. Congress power to issue subpoenas, while broad, is not unlimited. The high court has said Congress is not a law enforcement agency, and cannot investigate someone purely to expose wrongdoing or damaging information about them for political gain. A subpoena must potentially further some legitimate legislative purpose, the court has said. What can Congress do to a government official who ignores one? If lawmakers want to punish someone who ignores a congressional subpoena they typically first hold the offender in contempt of Congress, legal experts said. House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings said on Tuesday that his panel will vote on holding a former White House security director, Carl Kline, in contempt for failing to appear for questioning. The committee wants to ask him about allegations that the Trump administration inappropriately granted clearances to some of the presidents advisers. The contempt process can start in either the House or the Senate. Unlike with legislation, it only takes one of the chambers to make and enforce a contempt citation. Typically, the members of the congressional committee that issued the subpoena will vote on whether to move forward with a contempt finding. If a majority supports the resolution, then another vote will be held by the entire chamber. The Democrats have majority control of the House; Trumps Republican Party holds the Senate. So any contempt finding in months ahead is likely to come from the House. Only a majority of the 435-member House needs to support a contempt finding for one to be reached. After a contempt vote, Congress has additional powers to enforce a subpoena. Ross Garber, a lawyer in Washington, said Trumps lawyers will likely argue that any subpoenas and contempt citations issued now expire when a new Congress is seated in January 2021. But Washington lawyer Garber said there is debate among lawyers about that question, which has not been settled by the Supreme Court. How is a contempt finding enforced? The Supreme Court said in an 1821 case that Congress has the inherent authority to arrest and detain recalcitrant witnesses. In a 1927 case, the high court said the Senate acted lawfully in sending its deputy sergeant-at-arms to Ohio to arrest and detain the brother of the then-attorney general, who had refused to testify about a bribery scheme known as the Teapot Dome scandal. It has been almost a century since Congress exercised this arrest-and-detain authority, and the practice is unlikely to make a comeback, legal experts said. Alternatively, Congress can ask the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a federal prosecutor, to bring criminal charges against a witness who refuses to appear. There is a criminal law that specifically prohibits flouting a congressional subpoena. But this option is also unlikely to be pursued, at least when it comes to subpoenas against executive branch officials. It would be odd, structurally, because it would mean the Trump administration would be acting to enforce subpoenas against the Trump administration, said Lisa Kern Griffin, a former federal prosecutor and a law professor at Duke University. For this reason, in modern times Congress has opted for a third and final approach to enforcing a contempt finding: getting its lawyers to bring a civil lawsuit asking a judge to rule that compliance is required. Failure to comply with such an order can trigger a contempt of court finding, enforced through daily fines and even imprisonment, Griffin said. In 2012, the House, then controlled by Republicans, subpoenaed internal Justice Department documents related to a failed federal law enforcement operation to track illegal gun sales, dubbed Fast and Furious. Democratic then-President Barack Obamas attorney general, Eric Holder, refused to comply, citing a doctrine called executive privilege. The House voted to hold him in contempt in a rare instance of Congress taking such action against a sitting member of a presidents Cabinet. Can Trump persuade a court to quash the subpoenas? Just as Congress can sue to enforce a subpoena, Trump has shown a willingness to sue to block one. On Monday, Trump brought a constitutional challenge to a subpoena issued by the House Oversight Committee for his financial records. The subpoena was sent to Mazars USA, an accounting firm, and seeks eight years of his financial statements. Cummings has said the records are related to its investigation of allegations that Trump inflated or deflated financial statements for potentially improper purposes. Garber said there was some merit to Trumps argument that the subpoena power is being improperly used to unearth politically damaging information about him, rather than to help Congress make laws or set budgets. But Edward Kleinbard, a lawyer who formerly served as chief of staff to Congress Joint Committee on Taxation, said Congress is well within its power to investigate whether the president complied with tax laws and similar statutes. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; editing by Kevin Drawbuagh and Jonathan Oatis) 835 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Former President Obama issued a warm statement about Joe Biden entering the presidential race that wasnt an endorsement but was something Obama hasnt done for other 2020 Democrats. Obamas First Statement On 2020 President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made, Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said in a statement. He relied on the vice presidents knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last ten years and remain close today. Obama wont endorse in the Democratic primary Barack Obama wont endorse any candidate in the Democratic primary. His statement about Biden was fitting. It highlighted their close personal and working relationship. It would have been awkward and sent the wrong message if Obama said nothing about his former VPs entry into the race, so the former president had to walk the fine line of respecting Bidens contributions to his administration while not endorsing him. Biden isnt the heir to Obama. The Democratic Party shouldnt be looking for someone to inherit the Obama mantle. Barack Obama is a generational political talent. None of the candidates running for the Democratic nomination in 2020 possess Obamas gifts. Obama was a unique candidate, and Democrats should be focused on finding the next candidate to defeat Trump and lead them into the future. Joe Biden might be that candidate, but he will have to prove himself. Obama wont be playing king or queen maker in the Democratic primary. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 1.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump accused the former White House counsel Don McGahn of lying to investigators as he tried to cover his tracks on obstruction of justice. Donald Trump Throws Don McGahn Under The Bus Trump tweeted: As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didnt need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself. Nevertheless,. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 .Mueller was NOT fired and was respectfully allowed to finish his work on what I, and many others, say was an illegal investigation (there was no crime), headed by a Trump hater who was highly conflicted, and a group of 18 VERY ANGRY Democrats. DRAIN THE SWAMP! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 ..Despite the fact that the Mueller Report was composed by Trump Haters and Angry Democrats, who had unlimited funds and human resources, the end result was No Collusion, No Obstruction. Amazing! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 Trump wants the American people to believe that the White House counsel lied to investigators, even though he had no motivation to lie, and the president is trying to cover up a crime. Trump is worried about impeachment Somebody woke up this morning worried about impeachment, and with good reason. According to Laurence Tribe, the impeachment process against Trump is already under way in the House. It isnt called impeachment yet, but the investigations that House Democrats are doing are part of the impeachment process. Trump claims that he has been exonerated, so it makes no sense that he is so scared of McGahns testimony. If McGahn could clear Trump of obstruction of justice, the president should be thrilled and calling for him to testify immediately. The president is trying to discredit a witness to obstruction of justice, in front of the entire country. Trump is risking ten years in prison with his behavior toward McGahn and only making a case for his impeachment airtight with each tweet. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook On March 27, 2019, the Vilnius Regional Court sentenced 67 former Soviet military officers, including former Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov, for committing crimes against humanity for their roles in the January 1991 the clampdown on the countrys independence drive. During the Soviet action 14 people lost their lives. [In January 1991] open and large-scale systematic military aggression against the civilian population was initiated and pursued in order to provoke unrest and armed conflict. The pretext of such a conflict, using [Soviet] military force, was further part of the plan to overthrow the power of the (democratically) restored Lithuania, to introduce [Soviet power] and to continue the occupation and annexation of Lithuania, the court ruled. All but two of the defendants were sentenced in absentia, most of them facing prison terms of four to 12 years. The court sentenced the former military chief in charge of the clampdown to 12 years in prison. All will be appealed to a higher court. Moscow, which refused to cooperate with the three-year-long trial, called the proceedings illegal. The Russian Claims The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed the basic principles of law were violated, most importantly that of inadmissibility of retroactive application of law, Russian state outlet RT reported. The evidence proving that Soviet officers were not involved in civilian deaths on that tragic day has been ignored. On April 10, the Russian Investigative Committee launched a probe into the judges presiding over the case for "delivering a deliberately wrongful sentence." In an opinion piece for the Russian state news agency TASS published on April 11, Alexander Guschin, an associate professor in the Department of Post-Soviet Countries at Russian State University for the Humanities, agreed with the Investigative Committee that the verdict handed down by the Lithuanian court was illegal. The Russian citizens in question, Guschin wrote, are being judged under the laws of independent Lithuania, while in January 1991 Lithuania was still one of the Soviet republics. His argument was that since Lithuania was not independent at the time and not recognized by the international community, the actions of the Soviet special forces and the army to end the unrest were legitimate. We dig into this claim. Lithuanias Jurisdiction Asked about Guschins contention that the deaths had resulted from Soviet security forces being deployed to quell public unrest and were thus not crimes against humanity, Rebecca Hamilton, an assistant professor of law at American University in Washington DC, told Polygraph.info that such an argument is not frivolous, although it would depend on the material facts of the case. Hamilton said that it was not unreasonable that a Lithuanian court would look into the facts of the case and make an assessment, although conducting a trial in absentia is problematic. Two critical issues in adjudicating that claim will therefore rest on Lithuanias jurisdictional claim, the nature of the Soviet response during the so-called January events, and whether those crimes constitute crimes against humanity, as determined by the Vilnius Regional Court. Crimes Against Humanity International Law As it stands, there is no internationally recognized, comprehensive convention covering crimes against humanity. Article 7 of the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, defines crimes against humanity as certain acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population, with knowledge of the attack. But Russia (along with the United States) withdrew its signature from that statute. Lithuania, by contrast, is a state party to the Rome statute. In any case, Rasa Jukneviciene, a member of the Lithuanian parliament, Lithuanias former defense minister and president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, told Polygraph.info that the actions of the Soviet soldiers do constitute crimes against humanity, as it is foreseen by international law. Their actions in January 1991 were recognized as crimes against humanity. Even if such actions had been carried out somewhere in Moscow or St. Petersburg, they would still be the crimes against humanity, she said. The Fact Check Based on Jurisdiction As for the jurisdictional claim, Lithuanias case appears solid. Under the principle of universal jurisdiction, for which the United Nations has set up geographically specific courts, both states and international organizations can claim criminal jurisdiction over the accused regardless of where the crime was committed. Hamilton told Polygraph.info that apart from universal jurisdiction, there is also the traditional basis of jurisdiction in which the crime happened on your territory. Erika Leonaite, an assistant professor of International Law and Human Rights at Vilnius University, told Polygraph.info the case was in fact based on territorial jurisdiction, as crimes were committed on Lithuanian territory, in 1991, nearly a year after Lithuania has restored its independence. One of the consequences of the illegal occupation and annexation of Lithuanian territory by the Soviet Union in 1940 was that, from the point of view of international law, Lithuania de jure never became a part of USSR (similarly as Crimea does not constitute part of Russian Federation under international law, even though it is annexed by Russia). Thus, the crimes were not committed on Soviet territory, she said. Leonaite refers to the March 11, 1990 Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, which resulted in the Baltic nation being the first Soviet state to declare its independence from the Soviet Union. Then-Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev called the move illegal and Soviet authorities demanded the act be rescinded. As a result in January 1991, pro-Kremlin forces, backed by the Soviet military, tried to reassert Moscows authority, with the deadly results. Of the 14 people killed and 843 injured during the January Events, as they became known, thirteen died on January 13, when Soviet paratroopers stormed the television center and tower, breaking through a human shield. Witness accounts said some victims were crushed by tanks while others were shot to death. Video footage further appeared to corroborate those accounts. One of the defendants convicted in absentia, Mikhail Golovatov, the former deputy commander of the KGB's elite anti-terrorist Alpha Group, stated in a written deposition that former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev had given the green light to dispatch special forces to Vilnius. Gorbachev was summoned as a witness but declined. But he told Deutsche Welle that he "never gave on order or sanctioned in any other way the use of army units in Vilnius." "As president of the USSR, my only position was to use all political means to preserve the unity of the country," Gorbachev said in a written response to DW. "I stress only political means. We were ready for talks. It would have been enough for the Lithuanian leadership to suspend its independence declaration. Compromise was possible, but it was rejected." Ultimately, the Soviet attempt to reassert control of Lithuania failed. Lithuania officially became independent in August 1991. The dissolution of the Soviet Union occurred soon thereafter. The Fact Check Crimes Against Humanity Leonaite said that the classification of crimes against humanity was based on the fact that the military attack was knowingly directed against civilians and exercised by Soviet authorities with the aim of keeping Lithuania in the USSR. The civilians present at the time, she said, were unarmed and not violent according to witnesses and even the Russian soldiers. Lithuanian police officers were unarmed. In addition, Russian soldiers in their testimonies said that although they were authorized to use lethal force in self-defense only, no such conditions were present, and the shootings committed by soldiers were spontaneous, she said. Only several Russian soldiers adhered to the version of events, now fiercely argued by Russia, that some shots were fired from the top of a near-by building. However, no further evidence to support this claim was established. Based on these circumstances, Leonaite said that both the general context (armed attack against a sovereign state) and the particular circumstances (military force and equipment used vs. peaceful massive gathering) leaves the Soviet response outside the realm of even a robust law enforcement operation. On the question of whether Soviet Special Forces acted legitimately to end the unrest, Vaidas Saldziunas, defense editor at DELFI, concurred with Leonaite, telling Polygraph.info that Guschins claims are baseless. There was no unrest to begin with, not from the Lithuanian side anyways, said Saldziunas. He added it was supporters of the Soviets who attempted to storm the parliament (that was elected in democratic elections and voted for independence). Then Soviet forces attempted intimidation tactics (moving heavy armor onto the streets during the night). Then they stormed (police and media facilities) just before January 13th when the bloody Sunday happened." As to Guschins claim that Lithuania was not recognized by the international community as being independent, the argument rests on Lithuanias legal status at the time. Moscow argued that Lithuania joined the Soviet Union of its own volition in 1940 while Lithuania insists the country was occupied. Writing in the University of Notre Dames Journal of Legislation, William Webb noted that no international fact-finding body has ruled on the legality of the annexation of Lithuania, though he argues that, given the historical evidence, any such body would likely find the annexation to have been without the consent of Lithuania, and thus illegal. Webb, who was writing before Lithuania gained independence from the Soviet Union, noted that for the inclusion of Lithuania into the USSR to have been legal, the Soviet Union could not legally do so unilaterally. With the Soviet Union in all likelihood having acted unilaterally in conducting a fraudulent 1940 annexation referendum, Webb said it was axiomatic that the USSR had no right under international law to incorporate Lithuania. Lithuania European Human Rights Ruling In a related case lodged with the European Court of Human Rights, Lithuanian citizens convicted for their role in attempting to re-assert Soviet authority argued they had been prosecuted for offenses which could not have been foreseen at the time due to the tenuous political situation. Lithuanias argument revolved around the claim that Soviet rule was illegitimate, that the country only restored sovereign power to the Lithuanian Government as the Soviet Union dissolved and that international recognition had a retroactive effect. In that case, the court ruled that the applicants were convicted for crimes which were sufficiently clear and foreseeable under the laws of the re-established Republic of Lithuania, backing Lithuanias jurisdictional claims. Ultimately, Jukneviciene argues that the Russian challenge is intended to put Lithuania in a futile dispute about the legitimacy of our state, adding the occupation question was settled long ago. It is a pity that similar crimes that had been carried out by Soviet army in Baku, Tbilisi and elsewhere have not been legally assessed. Lithuania has finally done this and it shows the maturity of our country. Our Verdict With the Soviet occupation of Lithuania never being internationally recognized, Lithuanias jurisdiction to adjudicate crimes against humanity under universal and traditional jurisdiction, and the evidence pointing towards a state-sponsored effort to use force to crush a peaceful protest, Polygraph.info finds Guschins claims that the Soviet Special Forces acted legitimately to end the unrest to be false. The protesters, well-dressed and respectful, were united in their efforts, supportive of one another. They remained silent except to pray. File/Staff You are the owner of this article. Michael Majchrowicz is a reporter covering crime and public safety. He previously wrote about courts for the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Massachusetts. A Hoosier native, he graduated from Indiana University with a degree in journalism. The Chester County School District announced Thursday it will close May 1, allowing its teachers to protest at the Statehouse in Columbia as part of a statewide activist effort to improve teacher working conditions. The district is the first in the state to cancel the Wednesday classes for the event, which was organized by a network of teacher activists known as SC for Ed. Chester has about 5,300 students. "Because many of our teachers have asked for this day as a personal day of leave, we are allowing them to take this day to advocate for public education and for their students," the district announced in a Facebook post and email to staff. "With the School Board and Superintendent's approval, we support our educators and their decision to exercise their collective voices," the note said. The district, which lies 60 miles north of Columbia, says it will schedule a makeup day, pending approval by its school board. The teacher protest will take place on the same day as a similar protest by teachers in North Carolina. The North Carolina protest, announced several weeks in advance, has already led 26 school districts there to announce school closures on May 1, including large districts such as Wake County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg, according to The News and Observer. The South Carolina event called a "Day of Reflection" by its organizers is a milder form of protest than the walkouts and strikes that shut schools down for weeks at a time in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Los Angeles since 2017. No plans have been announced to extend the South Carolina protest beyond a single day. Teachers involved in the protest have been calling for a 10-percent salary increase, smaller classroom sizes, uninterrupted lunch breaks and more mental health counselors for students. After months of debate and input sessions, the S.C. Legislature is expected to pass a smaller raise this year. Under the latest version of the budget, teachers with fewer than five years of experience would receive a 6- to 10-percent raise, while all others would be guaranteed at least a 4-percent raise. A major education overhaul bill, the first of its kind in South Carolina since the 1980s, stalled in the Senate Wednesday as the year's legislative session nears the end. Some teachers who criticized its provisions had asked for lawmakers to hold off on passing an omnibus education bill until 2020. Gov. Henry McMaster weighed in on the teacher protest Thursday in a statement from his spokesman Brian Symmes. "The governor, the House, and the Senate have all agreed that teacher pay raises must be a priority this year, and because of that, starting salaries will increase and every teacher in the state is set to receive a four percent raise," Symmes said. "With that said, Governor McMaster believes that teachers leaving their classrooms sends the wrong message to students, unnecessarily disrupts schools, and inconveniences their students working parents." Tough decisions Since SC for Ed publicly announced its protest action Sunday night, teachers, school administrators and parents have faced some difficult decisions about what to do on May 1: Go to Columbia or stay in the classroom? Keep students in school or keep them home for the day? In Chester County, school board chair Anne H. Collins said she and her fellow board members had to make a call for the sake of student safety. She said she knows parents will have to scramble to find childcare, which is why she pushed to make the decision at a school board meeting Wednesday night. "We understand that this is an issue for parents, but their childrens safety is our No. 1 concern, and we simply were not going to be able to cover enough classes," Collins said. As a retired teacher and professor, Collins said she understood the complaints of teachers in her district. "I have said for quite a while that teachers as a voting bloc would basically control elections if they would be active enough to vote. Our problem was that teachers didnt vote, so they got what was given to them," Collins said. "Im really glad to see that teachers are taking a stand, that they are now actively saying what is best for their students. I applaud them for that," she added. "As the school board chair, it causes us some issues. I have to look at it from both sides. I hope that our legislators will listen." Elsewhere in the state, Dorchester School District 2 spokeswoman Pat Raynor said Thursday that the district has received about 400 substitute teacher requests for May 1 roughly twice its usual number of requests. The district's pool of substitute teachers includes about 400 people. Raynor said the district has plans to combine classrooms or shift personnel if needed. Right now things appear that well be covered. Were monitoring each day, but there are no plans at this point in time to close schools, Raynor added. Parents weigh their options Some parents have already decided to keep their children home on May 1. Jake Rambo, a former school principal and Charleston County School Board candidate from Mount Pleasant, announced on Twitter Wednesday that he would be keeping his children home in support of teachers. "We are keeping our children home from school on May 1 in support of #AllOutMay1," he tweeted. "After promising big education reforms, our state legislature failed to deliver. By failing our teachers, they fail our kids." Other parents were not as enthusiastic about the protest, as evidenced by the long string of comments beneath Chester County Schools' closure announcement on Facebook. "Now the kids suffer for y'all walking out," one person commented. "How are we supposed to make summer vacation plans when y'all keep adding extra days to the school year?" another said. Still other parents have been looking for ways to support teachers in their protest. Eric Jackson, a Charleston County parent and chairman of the Burke High School Improvement Council, said he will be "sponsoring" a local teacher who wants to travel to Columbia but has already used up her paid time off days for the school year. Dividing her paycheck by the day, she figured she would be missing out on about $157 by taking an unpaid day off so he sent her that amount via Cash App, a money transfer application for smartphones. Jackson said he got the idea from a Facebook group of concerned parents who were looking for ways to help out, and it seems to be catching on. "Teachers are working second or third jobs just to stay above water, so a lot of people were saying, I can sponsor two or I can sponsor three,'" Jackson said. "I just think it was a natural, grassroots, authentic way of just supporting our teachers." To sub or not? Collins said other districts in her area near the North Carolina border may be considering closures as well, particularly as the supply of substitute teachers is already strained by the planned teacher walkouts across the state line. Substitute teachers, meanwhile, have their own decisions to make. Paulette Megee, a retired teacher who now works as a substitute teacher in Greenville County, S.C., and Polk County, N.C., said she has decided to decline all substitute requests on May 1. Other substitute teachers are doing the same, she said, hoping to force more school districts to follow Chester County's lead and shut down for the day. "It is a hard choice," Megee said. "Sometimes you have to inflict a little pain for people to know. And yeah, its putting people at a disadvantage, its going to be difficult for parents if schools close, but were talking about the future of public education. Sometimes it has to hurt a little bit before they really realize." Christine LaRue, a substitute teacher in Dorchester County School District 2, represents another school of thought. As soon as she heard about the May 1 protest, she said she reached out to a teacher she knows well and promised to cover her classroom when she goes to Columbia. "My thought was to make sure that the teachers could leave their classrooms and not have the guilt, to know that their kids were in good hands," LaRue said. LaRue said she has talked with Megee and other substitute teachers who have taken the opposite stance, and she understands where they are coming from. "I completely see both sides," LaRue said. "I'm sticking with my plan." The Bharatiya Janata Party said that the opposition seemed to have conceded defeat as it had started talking about electronic voting machine (EVM) faults and this was testimony that this time too the National Democratic Alliance would win over 300 seats and Narendra Modi would be the next Prime Minister. BJP national spokesperson Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi told newspersons in Lucknow on Wednesday that when the opposition parties won elections in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Phulpur and Kairana, the EVMs were working properly but now they had started working weirdly. On Tuesday, during the third phase polling, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had spoken about malfunctioning of EVMs and accused the district authorities of manipulating the polling. Mayawati too has raised questions about the efficacy of EVMs. In New Delhi, 21 parties have filed a review petition in Supreme Court against the use of EVMs. This shows that the opposition is able to read the ground report. They know they are losing the election and therefore have started blaming the EVMs, Trivedi said. About Uttar Pradesh, the BJP leader said that after polling in three phases, the alliance had conceded defeat. The Election Commission is conducting polls in a free and fair manner but opposition leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, are targeting the poll panel to save their faces, he said. Hitting out at Congress, Trivedi said that a few months back, the same party formed governments in three states but in UP, the alliance was not ready to give them even three seats. This shows the position of Congress in Uttar Pradesh and where it stands. Even one of its leaders, Shatrughan Sinha, sees prime ministerial material in Akhilesh Yadav ignoring Rahul Gandhi. In this scenario, when the opposition parties are themselves divided in groups, talking about forming government at the Centre is nothing but hilarious. Only the BJP is contesting to form a government, he said. Patting the back of the BJP government, Trivedi said the Yogi Adityanath government had implemented development schemes and brought law and order under control as a result of which people were happy with his performance. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Prema Awasthi, who had contested mayoral election, joined the BJP. Gregory Yee covers the city of Charleston. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine. Mikaela Porter joined The Post and Courier in April 2019 and writes about the city of Charleston. Previously, Mikaela reported on breaking news, local government, school issues and community happenings for The Hartford Courant in Hartford, Conn. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Assistant Columbia bureau chief Adcox returned to The Post and Courier in October 2017 after 12 years covering the Statehouse for The Associated Press. She previously covered education for The P&C. She has also worked for The AP in Albany, N.Y., and for The Herald in Rock Hill. Political Editor Schuyler Kropf is The Post and Courier political editor. He has covered every major political race in South Carolina dating to 1988, including for U.S. Senate, governorship, the Statehouse and Republican and Democratic presidential primaries. Amid sporadic incidents of clashes and allegations of irregularities, 60.52 per cent of the total 1.78 crore voters exercised their franchise till 6 pm at 10 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the third phase of polling on Tuesday. Though the Election Commission claimed that the polling was peaceful, reports of minor clashes were reported from Moradabad, Sambhal and Badaun. The SP candidates from Badaun and Rampur alleged malpractices by the ruling party candidates in cahoots with the authorities. The vehicle of the BJP candidate in Badaun was also stoned. Long queues of voters were seen in Badaun and Rampur even after the scheduled time of polling ended at 5 pm. Till 5 pm, the polling percentage was 56.71 per cent in the third phase. Union minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar (Bareilly), Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav (Mainpuri), actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan (Rampur), BJP candidate Varun Gandhi (Pilibhit) and Pragatsheel Samajwadi Party Lohia leader Shivpal Singh Yadav (Ferozabad) were among the 120 candidates whose fate was sealed in the EVMs. The ten constituencies which went to polls in this phase were Moradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Aonla, Bareilly and Pilibhit. Except for Badaun and Mainpuri, the remaining eight seats are currently held by the BJP. As many as 1.78 crore voters, including 96.20 lakh males and 81.89 lakh females, were eligible to exercise their franchise at 20,120 polling booths of which 4,515 were identified as critical while voting was webcast at 2,162 booths. Among the 120 candidates in fray, 20 per cent have criminal cases against them while 38 per cent are crorepatis. SP candidate from Rampur Azam Khan has the most number of 10 cases against him, while another SP candidate from Etah, Devendra Singh Yadav, is the richest with Rs 204-crore assets. In the first and second phases of polls in 16 seats, an average polling was around 63 per cent, but in this phase, the turnout was less due to the prevailing heat wave conditions. A report from Sambhal said that clashes broke out between the BJP and alliance supporters at Varshney College booth in Bahjoi area, in which two persons were injured. Police had to use mild force to disperse the mob. Authorities had to intervene in Etah and Moradabad constituencies when they changed the presiding officer for their alleged role in forcing the voters to vote in favour of a particular candidate. In Etah, presiding officer Yogesh Kumar (booth number 88) was removed following the objection by BJP workers. In the Bilgram booth of Moradabad, presiding officer Mohammad Zuber was first thrashed by the BJP workers and then removed by the authorities on the charges of intimidating voters. Meanwhile, the voters of Bharadwajpura village under Jaswantnagar Assembly segment of Firozabad boycotted the elections due to non-development and poor conditions prevailing there. The voters of Mukundpur Rajmal in Moradabad constituency also boycotted the polls due to murder of a person on Monday. The voters of Dohai village in Badaun Lok Sabha seat also boycotted the polls due to lack of development. Stringent checking of the identities of burqa-clad women during the polling also irked people in some booths, leading to objection by political parties. In the first two phases, the BJP candidates had alleged that burqa-clad voters were casting fake votes. 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. COLUMBIA South Carolina's largest university picks a new president Friday whose first task could be repairing a campus fractured by complaints over school leaders failing to include any women among the finalists. University of South Carolina trustees are going ahead with choosing a successor to the retiring Harris Pastides despite a letter signed by more than 40 student groups and 100 faculty members asking to reopen the search. "Ignoring the outrage is insulting," said Nate Duvall, a senior economics major from New Jersey who is among the USC students leading protests. After meeting with students, faculty and community leaders this week, the four presidential finalists will interview with USC trustees on Friday. Trustees will then deliberate and make a final decision. Robert Caslen, a retired three-star Army general and former West Point superintendent who is working at the University of Central Florida, is considered the front-runner because of the nontraditional college background he would bring to Columbia. USC leaders are looking to make changes to stem rising costs and tuition hikes since South Carolina public colleges receive near-national low financial support from the state Legislature. Caslen, 65, would win favor in a pro-military, conservative-dominated state. The other finalists to oversee more than 50,000 students on eight campuses are more traditional academics: John Applegate, Indiana Universitys system executive vice president for academic affairs; William Tate, vice president of graduate education at Washington University in St. Louis; and Joseph Walsh, vice president for research at Northwestern University. All four men are trying to lead a state university system where women make up a majority of students. They all pledged to address diversity in talks on the Columbia campus, but resentment about their selection lingers. "It doesn't look like they went out to find the best qualified finalists but to find the best qualified man," Duvall said. Early favorite in USC president's race comes marching in from West Point Why one of the four finalists to become the next president at the University of South Carolina stands out. The lack of a president or provost from a major university among the finalists irked some USC supporters. "I felt they did not have the quality that our university deserves," said Dot Ryall, a Columbia art consultant and USC graduate who has helped the university's public art efforts. "It tells me we are not who we think we are if we're not drawing top-notch people with top-notch resumes." Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! Ryall was not happy Caslen, the leading candidate, does not have a doctorate degree, usually standard for university presidents. "That sends a message to students: 'Why bother,' " Ryall said. Despite the criticism, USC trustees have no plans to halt choosing a new president, board Chairman John von Lehe said Thursday. A delay is not fair to the current finalists who have committed their time to come to South Carolina for interviews, he said. "Do I regret that we do not have a woman among the four finalists? Yes," said von Lehe, who was not on the search committee. "It was not what we intended, but it turned out that way." Von Lehe said the search committee had a female semifinalist who would likely have been a finalist and could have been chosen president. But the female candidate, whom von Lehe would not name, withdrew before the semifinalist interviews to take another post. Some students and faculty blamed the makeup of USC's search committee that included nine men and two women from the board as well as faculty, student and alumni leaders. Five trustees were named to the committee, including Rock Hill attorney Leah Moody, one of two women on the USC board. Von Lehe said having a "seasoned and knowledgeable" trustee like Moody on the presidential search panel ensured the school tried to land a female finalist. "I have confidence that the process took its proper shape," he said. Megan Rigabar, a global studies and Spanish major from St. Louis who along with other USC activists read the protest letter during presidential forums this week, said she hopes school trustees and leaders are willing to meet with concerned faculty and students to find better transparency. The next president will have to handle the fallout, activists said. "This has started to have a ripple effect," said Sonna Boothroyd, a social work major from Greer. "We need to get to the bottom of this, make changes and create an atmosphere on campus to make sure this won't happen again." GLENWOOD, Iowa The federal agency that manages dams along the Missouri River received stern criticism from several U.S. senators during a hearing held in Iowa to examine the massive spring flooding this year that caused more than $3 billion in damage in the Midwest. The flooding and actions taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been bitterly criticized in the wake of the flooding. Critics have demanded that the agency make flood control its top priority, though Congress would have to act to change the Corps priorities. Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said flooding shouldnt be such a regular occurrence along the Missouri River, saying: "The trend of flood and rebuild, flood and rebuild must end." Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand added that the Corps should be more aggressive in preventing flood damage and consider the effects of climate change. "They are too slow, too bureaucratic and they dont have enough money," said Gillibrand, who is running for president and was in Iowa touring flood damage. She took part in the April 17 hearing because she serves on the committee that oversees the Corps. The sentiments may be appealing in Midwestern states that have endured flooding along rivers that the Corps is charged with managing, but they may not be as popular with supporters of other approved uses of the river, such as protecting endangered species and navigation. ADVERTISEMENT The Corps John Remus said the agency works to balance all the uses of the river and maximize the benefit to several when possible. But flood control is the main concern anytime flooding is imminent along the Missouri River. "The number one priority of the Corps in its operations is life and public safety," Remus said. The Corps has also said that much of the water that caused the Midwest flooding in March came from rain and melting snow that flowed into the Missouri River downstream of all the dams it controls. At the same time massive amounts of water was filling the reservoirs and some had to be released. Farmer Leo Ettleman said the Corps should have made significant changes to its operating manual after the historic 2011 floods, but neither the Corps nor Congress took action. Ettlemen said the kind of flooding the area saw this spring will continue unless changes are made. "In the past eight years, Congress has done little or nothing except to offer prayers and thoughts, which are appreciated, but wont fix the problem," said Ettleman, who farms near Percival, Iowa, and joined a lawsuit against the Corps after the 2011 flood. Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst farms near the Missouri River. He said the lessons from this years flooding should lead to changes about where levees are built and how the river is managed. "When flood recovery is complete, we will have failed if every structure is the same as it was and if the management of the river has not changed," Hurst said. "To do the same things and expect better results is the triumph of hope over experience." Mike Peluso, a longtime professional fisherman who runs an outdoors and guide service in North Dakota, said he doesnt want to see management of the river "swayed one way or the other" for political reasons. ADVERTISEMENT "They are more populated down south, I get that," he said. "But its the same river regardless of whether or not youve got a million people or 100,000 people. It needs to be managed from the top down." He added, "I have a hard time believing with all the technology and brainpower we have we cant find a balance there" between flood protection and other interests like recreation. Greg Power, fisheries division chief for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said he believes the Corps does "a pretty good job" of managing the Missouri River system. "Flood control is still a high priority within the Corps, I know that," Power said. "Some of these water years are pretty incredible themselves and I would hate to be a Corps person, to be honest." Area politicians have said repeatedly since the flood that flood control should be the Corps top priority. Robert Criss, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis who has been studying flooding for more than two decades, said there may be a more important factor than how the Corps priorities are ranked. The Missouri River has been made narrower over the years, Criss said, and the Corps has worked to maintain a defined channel for barge traffic even though few barges ever cross the river near Iowa and Nebraska. "Were having this problem because we messed with the rivers too much," Criss said. CANNON FALLS, Minn. Minnesota Farmers Union is holding a Rural Voices Discussions from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday at Artisan Plaza, 1223 Fourth St. S., Cannon Falls. These discussions are set up for farmers and rural residents to relate their concerns to top state leaders. Rep. Angie Craig is expected to be at the Cannon Falls meeting, along with Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. Those attending the meeting may bring up any topic and the panelists are there to listen and take notes. At the end, the panelists will respond with reflections on what they heard and what they might be able to do with the information. The discussion will be livestreamed on the Minnesota Farmers Union Facebook page. ADVERTISEMENT Two Rochester high school graduates have been inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Mariah Tlougan was initiated at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Nathaniel Douglas was initiated at Iowa State University. The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the nations oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the country wanted to see Narendra Modi as the next prime minister and this had become clear in the three phases of polling as a wave in favour of National Democratic Alliance was sweeping across the country. Addressing a rally in Chandauli after BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey filed his nomination papers from there on Wednesday, Yogi said that by pressing the lotus button people were not only voting for the BJP but also strengthening the hands of the prime minister at the Centre. Pandey is contesting election to retain the Chandauli seat he had won by a handsome margin in 2014. The BJP candidate filed his nomination papers at the collectorate after a kilometre-and-a-half padyatra. India has achieved in just five years what it could not in 50 years of Congress rule. India has become a super power economically and has improved relations with other countries for which our Prime Minister has been felicitated, he said. Wooing farmers, the Chief Minister said that Chandauli was known as a rice bowl and for betterment of the people of this trans-Ganga district, a large number of government schemes were implemented. The face of the area has changed in the last five years and further progress will be made if Pandey wins the election and Modi becomes the prime minister of the country again, he said. Highlighting the achievements of his government, Yogi said that the state government had announced procurement price of wheat at Rs 1,860 per quintal to benefit farmers. He said that both Central and state governments had provided its benefits to all sections of society irrespective of religions and castes. The Chief Minister claimed that because of his efforts two Bhojpuri actors, Ravi Kishan and Dinesh Lal Yadav alias Nirahua, were contesting polls from Gorakhpur and Azamgarh respectively. We have brought them from Mumbai so that they can work in Purvanchal and contribute to the development of the region. The two actors would also pave the way for a film city in the region, Yogi said. Pandey filed his nomination papers in the presence of Yogi Adityanath, his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya, senior leader Kalraj Mishra and Nirahua. Later, the leaders addressed the poll meeting seeking support for Pandey. A historic Northfield bank best known for an attempted robbery by Jesse James is changing hands and names. It was announced this week that the First National Bank of Northfieldhas made an agreement to sell to Winona-based Merchants Bank. The bank, founded in 1873, has two branches in Northfield and a loan office in Bloomington. It has about 39 employees in Northfield and two in Bloomington. Under the terms of the agreement, Merchants Financial Group, Inc.will acquire all of the outstanding stock of the 66 First National shareholders in a cash transaction. Financial details were not released. The deal is expected to close following regulatory approval later this year. Once the sale closes, the Northfield institution will take on Merchants name. ADVERTISEMENT Merchants President and CEO Greg Evanswas quoted in the press announcement as stating, "We are thrilled with the opportunity to be joining the Northfield community and continuing The First National Banks tradition of high quality customer service and community involvement." First National Bank has $207 million in assets, $157 million in loans and $183 million in deposits. It is known as the bank that Jesse James and his outlaw gang failed to rob in 1876. Longtime First National CEO David Shumwaywas quoted in the announcement as stating, "There are tremendous challenges today for smaller community banks, so we made the strategic decision to find the right partner to provide broader financial services and technology tools that will be expected by our customers well into the future." Merchants has branches in Winona, Rochester, St. Charles, Goodview, Rushford, Lanesboro, Caledonia, La Crescent, Spring Grove, Cannon Falls, Red Wing, Hampton, Apple Valley, Cottage Grove, Hastings, Lakeville and Rosemount. It also has locations in Eau Claire and Onalaska in Wisconsin. Biz buzz Gregarious Head Chef Pasquale Presadoesnt want paying for parking to keep people from visiting his Pasquales Neighborhood Pizzeriain downtown Rochester. In an online video posted this week, his staff announced that restaurant will help customers pay for parking around the eatery, based along First Avenue Southwest at 130 Fifth St. SW. ADVERTISEMENT The video said that Mayo Clinic visitors, often old and sick, are confused by the directions on the parking meters, which allow the option of paying by phone app. In response, Pasquales will have a large jar of quarters available inside to help cover the cost of parking. When Mayo High School students Sandhya Kumar and Bella Dunbar approached their history teacher Chris Schmitz to help them start a global and current affairs club, they made a few promises. "They said, Well do all the work and well only have to go as far as Minneapolis," Schmitz said. The students had researched to find a competitive educational program to hone their knowledge and understanding of international and current affairs and settled on Academic WorldQuest. They promised they would do most of the work to keep the club going. They also learned the regional competitions are held in Minneapolis. This morning, Schmitz accompanied one of the Mayo Global Affairs teams, featuring Kumar, Dunbar, Nathan Spindler-Krage and Donal Couch, to Washington D.C. to compete in the national competition. ADVERTISEMENT So much for promises. In the teams defense, they had their sights set on the national competition this year. Last year, the first year of the club, one of two Mayo High School teams place third in the regional competition. This year, three Mayo teams competed and all three finished in the top 10 in the competition in Minneapolis March 6. The third place team was made up of Lee Bernstein, Rohan Mankad, Kesarin Mehta, and Adam McPhail. Olivia Dyrbye-Wright, Rebecca Sladowski, Yasmin Ali, and Morgan Guo finished eighth. Kumar and Dunbar said they wanted to found a group or create an activity that covers topics not covered in school. "I feel global affairs and current affairs are not taught in school," Kumar said. "But you cant really teach about the North Korea summit when its happening." "There was a gap," Dunbar said. When researching programs to join, they found Academic WorldQuest had an interesting format. Each year, program officials announce 10 topics. Some are relatively specific such as Japan/U.S. relations. Some are broad such as the "great decisions" category. "They looked interesting and very broad," Dunbar said. ADVERTISEMENT The teams members each chose a pair of topics to research for the competition. In some ways it gave the team an advantage as some members acquired deep knowledge of the subject. "No one knows Qatars second biggest economy is pearling unless you look it up," Couch said. In other ways, it did create some vulnerability. "If NATO comes up and no one else knows the answer, theyre all looking at me," Dunbar said. Some subjects are ever changing. "There have been a lot of big changes in North Korea in the last year," said Spindler-Krage. However, Academic WorldQuest puts out a study guide with resources and articles on the topics. Many are articles from news outlets operating in the country the topic applies to. "Its an easy way to make sure you get multiple sources on whatever the topic," Dunbar said. ADVERTISEMENT Schmitz said he is impressed with the depth and breadth of knowledge the students have acquired by participating. "The level of knowledge they have on these topics is really incredible," he said. Nationals will be a challenge, Kumar said. "There will be double the questions," she said. To prepare for nationals, the team is doubling their efforts each member is taking four topics. If the team wins that, they would move on to international competition which is being held in Qatar one of the WorldQuest topics this year. That destination wasnt part of the initial pitch, but Schmitz said that doesnt matter. "Im very proud of all the students who participated in this," he said. The question was: Is man-made climate change real? On Wednesday, Minnesota House members weighed in, with 79 lawmakers, including all 75 Democrats, voting yes, and 50 Republicans voting no. Five Republicans did not vote and five other Republicans voted yes. Rochester-area legislators followed the statewide pattern: DFL state Reps. Tina Liebling and Duane Sauke voted yes. GOP Rep. Nels Pierson did not vote. And GOP Rep. Duane Quam voted no. In southeastern Minnesota, Democrats Gene Pelowski (Winona) and Jeanne Poppe (Austin) voted yes, and Republicans Steve Drazkowski (Mazeppa), Greg Davids (Preston) and Barb Haley (Red Wing) voted no. State Rep. Frank Horstein, DFL- Minneapolis, proposed adding the declaration to a much larger bill covering jobs, economic development, energy, climate and telecommunications policy and finance. ADVERTISEMENT The specific declaration stated: "The Legislature finds and declares that greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities are a key cause of climate change." The vast majority of scientists agree that man-made climate change is real. Global warming happens when heat-trapping gases, such as carbon dioxide, linger in the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect. The question has been what to do about it. Some Republicans argue that global warming is real but the consequences are too uncertain or unpredictable to know what to do about it. Others argue that there are no remedies or policy tools for fixing the problem that wont cause havoc to the economy. Others argue that aggressive action is needed now. In 2015, the Paris climate agreement was signed by 195 countries and international bodies. It is an attempt to keep global average temperature increases well below 2 degrees Celsius and to try to limit rises to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Scientist argue that crossing the 2-degree threshold would cause severe environmental consequences that in some cases would be irreversible. When GOP President Donald Trump was elected, he pulled the U.S. out of the agreement. This year, DFL Gov. Tim Walz proposed a plan for making the state carbon-free and 100 percent dependent on clean energy for its electricity by 2050. Olmsted County deputies recovered 3 pounds of meth after stopping a driver with a long history of drug dealing. The incident started at 2:30 a.m. today when a deputy spotted a 2006 Dodge Charger stopped in the middle of the road at the intersection of Second Street Northwest and Broadway Avenue. A bicyclist was pulled up to the window of the car and the deputy suspected a drug transaction. The bicyclist took off and the car began driving south on Broadway. Eventually the deputy pulled the driver over several blocks away. Recovered from the driver was a Crown Royal bag that contained a white powder that later tested for meth residue. Also found in a black bag was 198 grams of meth and 28 grams in a stainless steel mug. The driver, a 45-year-old Rochester male was arrested and faces multiple narcotic possession and sale charges. ADVERTISEMENT Three later searches were conducted at three places around Rochester. Another pound and half was found in a vehicle. Around $41,000 in cash was seized, adding to the $16,000 that was found at the traffic stop. A Rochester man on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge after police reportedly found more than 9 pounds of methamphetamine in his home last summer. Aaron Dakota Grover, 21, pleaded guilty in Olmsted County District Court to a charge of felony first-degree drug possession. A charge of felony first-degree drug sales was dismissed as part of the plea. Grover is scheduled to be sentenced in front of Judge Joseph Chase on June 5. On July 20, the Olmsted County Sheriffs Office and the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team obtained a search warrant for Grover and his apartment in the 1300 block of Third Avenue Southwest, according to a criminal complaint. An Olmsted County Sheriffs detective and a special agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension made contact with Grover prior to executing the search warrant on his residence and met him around 3:50 p.m. that day at a Park-and-Ride near the Olmsted County Fairgrounds. When asked why law enforcement might be looking in his residence, Grover reportedly answered "drugs," court records indicate. Detectives found a bag containing nine individually packaged bricks in plastic wrap, according to court records. Altogether, the bricks weighed 9.39 pounds, the complaint states. ADVERTISEMENT A field test on four of the packages found that the "crystalline substance inside" was meth. Subsequent BCA testing confirmed the field test result, according to court documents. Officer Matthew Harrity was the only witness the night his partner, officer Mohamed Noor, shot and killed 911 caller Justine Ruszczyk in a Minneapolis alley. But state investigators were in no rush to get Harrity in a room and interview him. Instead, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents gave him three days, then took his statement at his lawyers home over coffee and doughnuts. It is standard practice for investigators to give police officers a few days to collect their thoughts, but Noors trial has brought greater scrutiny to that kind of deferential treatment toward police officers. Its long been a concern about the BCA the agency that typically oversees police shooting investigations in Minnesota. What agents have characterized as simple police courtesy is viewed by some as tacit support for the police by investigators charged with probing an officers potential wrongdoing. Watchdog groups have criticized the BCA in past police shooting investigations where officers were ultimately found to be justified in using deadly force. Noors case is even more complex because county prosecutors, who rely on the BCA, are the ones challenging the agents impartiality. ADVERTISEMENT "It taints some of these officers the bias for them," and helps the prosecution make a case against Noor despite his silence, said Marsh Halberg, a criminal defense attorney who has attended most of the Noor trial but is not involved with the case. "So, if the jury is feeling, why didnt they do this or why wasnt this more thorough or why didnt that happen, (jurors) have answers, that they can go back to this blue wall of silence," he said. Witnesses unveil BCA No longer on the force, Noor is charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the killing of Ruszczyk, also known as Justine Damond, in July 2017. She had called 911 to report what she thought was an assault happening behind her home. Investigators say Noor, one of the responding police officers, shot Ruszczyk through the open drivers side window of the squad as she approached. Key witnesses this week in Noors trial have pulled back the veil a bit on how the BCA does its work investigating police shooting cases. The prosecution also exposed some of the frustration it felt as it worked to build a case against Noor. BCA special agent Brent Petersen testified that when he took over as lead investigator five months after the shooting, only two officers whod been on the scene had been interviewed. Prosecutor Amy Sweasy noted that BCA agents refused to do some of the digging requested by the Hennepin County Attorneys Office, including investigating the source of the screaming that spurred Ruszczyk to call 911 that night. ADVERTISEMENT Sweasy repeatedly pointed to a number of steps the BCA did not take that wouldve helped them present a complete case to the county attorneys office. With BCA agents testimony, she painted a picture of police officers receiving special treatment. Whether or not Ruszczyk slapped the police squad as she approached that night has become a key question at the trial. Prosecutors have argued that police officers at the crime scene concocted the story of a noise, and that Harrity didnt mention it to investigators until three days after the shooting. The prosecution this week also presented evidence that showed Ruszczyks prints werent found on the squad car. Pretty disturbing practices The BCAs work in the Noor case was also attacked Wednesday by Timothy Longo, a use-of-force expert for the prosecution and former police chief of Charlottesville, Va. On the stand, Longo criticized the BCAs initial investigation as well as the work of Minneapolis police officers that night, saying they failed to get statements from officers at the scene or document conversations with Noor. Longo also rapped the BCAs decision to return Noors squad vehicle back to the Minneapolis Police Department, calling it "pretty disturbing." From the very beginning, the Hennepin County Attorneys Office had a hard time working with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on this case. Writings on the Wall Following the end of World War II, there were a lot of positive moves to politically develop Guam. The Guam Congress was able to accomplish se Read more Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi yet again on Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi here announced that Rafale aircraft would be manufactured by youths of the country and no one else. He was addressing a rally at Sihora in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh. "This is a beautiful slogan. Chwokidar...," he said. To this, the people replied, "Chor hai." The Congress chief reiterated his allegation that for the benefit of industrialist Anil Ambani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi "gave Rs 30,000 crore" to the former's company. BJP president Amit Shahs son Jai mints crores in three months and PM Modi asks countrys youth to sell pakodas (fritters). Why they should make pakodas, why cant they make rafale and ordnance to be used in it, asked Gandhi affirming the countrys youth would manufacture Rafale planes once Congress comes to power. He also alleged PM Modi not only handed money in Rafale deal to Anil Ambani but also robbed Jabalpur of thousands of jobs as HAL was denied the chance to manufacturer Rafale planes which could have ensured generation of around one lahh jobs at Jabalpur which has the ordnance factory. Its anyay (injustice) all around for the last five years as farmers, women, youths and everyone has been subjected to injustice, claimed the Congress president. He referred to NYAY scheme of the Congress party which according to him would ensure payment of Rs 72,000 per annum to the five crore poor families in the country. Turning to men in the crowd, he said I am telling you this now so dont get angry later as the money in the scheme would only be deposited in the accounts of women in the families. Modiji had made women stand in queue and I would put the money in same accounts opened by Modiji, said Gandhi with a smile claiming PM Modi hasnt deposited any money in these accounts. Saying that PM Modi keeps asking from where he would fund the NYAY scheme, Gandhi said he would bring the money from the pocket of Anil Ambani. PHOENIXVILLE Motorists will encounter periodic lane closures on Route 113 (Emmett Street), Route 113 (Franklin Avenue) and Route 113 (Dayton Street). Lane closures will take place on Monday, April 29, through Friday, May 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., as a part of a project to install 138 ADA curb ramps at 47 intersections across Chester and Delaware counties, PennDOT announced. The work locations include: Route 113 (Emmett Street) at Anne Street; Route 113 (Emmett Street) at Marshall Street; Route 113 (Emmett Street) at South Street; Route 113 (Franklin Avenue) at Route 113 (Emmett Street); Route 113 (Dayton Street) at Route 113 (Emmett Street); Route 113 (Dayton Street) at Oak Street; and Route 113 (Dayton Street) at Grant Street/Freemont Street. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work areas because slowdowns will occur. The contractors schedule is dependent on the weather. ADA curb ramp installation completed at the following intersections: Route 113 (Franklin Avenue) at West High Street; Route 113 (Franklin Avenue) at St. Marys Street; and Route 113 (Dayton Street) at Emmett Street. Additional intersections scheduled for ADA curb ramp installation include: Route 113 (Bridge Street) and Buchanan Street; Walnut Street; and Hall Street in Phoenixville Borough, Chester County. Route 113 (Franklin Avenue) and West High Street; Saint Marys Street; Rhoades Street; and Route 113 (Emmett Street) in Phoenixville Borough, Chester County. Route 113 (Emmett Street) and Queen Street; Ann Street; Green Street; Marshall Street; Airy Street; South Street; North Street; and Route 113 (Dayton Street) in Phoenixville Borough, Chester County. Route 113 (Black Rock Road) and Bateman Drive; Riverwalk Drive; and Winding River Drive in Phoenixville Borough, Chester County. Hares Hill Road and Kimberton Road; and Carrie Lane in East Pikeland Township, Chester County. L.C. Costa Contractors Inc. of Warminster, Bucks County, is the general contractor on the $946,676 project, which is financed with 100 percent federal funds. Work on the entire project is expected to be completed in summer 2019. NORRISTOWN A Norristown man is on his way to prison after he admitted to being involved in a robbery and a theft in the borough. Jamar Charles Cashmere Boyd, 35, who listed addresses in the 500 block of George Street and the 700 block of Chain Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 21/2-to-6-years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to charges of robbery, theft by unlawful taking and simple assault in connection with two incidents that occurred between October and December 2017. Judge Thomas C. Branca ordered Boyd to pay a total of $350 in restitution to the victims of the crimes. The judge also ordered Boyd to comply with all recommendations for treatment stemming from court-ordered drug and alcohol evaluations. The first incident involving Boyd occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 14, 2017, when Boyd robbed a woman of her cellphone and $90 after meeting her at a borough tavern, according to the criminal complaint filed by Norristown Detective Nicholas Dumas. The assault occurred in the 200 block of Knox Street. Boyd borrowed the womans cellphone and left the tavern with it and the woman followed him and demanded that he return the phone to her, court papers indicate. (The victim) continued to argue with Boyd and demand her phone. Boyd then stopped and punched (the woman) three times in the face and head. On the third strike (the woman) fell and Boyd reached into her back pocket and removed $90, Dumas alleged. The woman, who suffered injuries to her face, reported the incident to police several hours later. During the second incident, Norristown police alleged Boyd entered Papa Guidos Pizza restaurant, 637 West Main Street, shortly before 11:30 p.m. Dec. 1, 2017, approached a cashier, reached over a counter and removed cash from the register. Police said $260 was taken during the theft. Jamar Boyd had physical contact with a female patron, striking her as he was fleeing the store, Norristown detectives wrote in the arrest affidavit. Detectives obtained store surveillance video footage which assisted them in identifying Boyd as the thief, according to the criminal complaint. POTTSTOWN Authorities have identified the suspected killer in the Easter Sunday homicide and are asking the publics help to find him. The Montgomery County District Attorneys Office and Pottstown Police are looking for Stephen Moore, 31, of Pottstown. He has been charged with first-degree murder in relation to the April 21 shooting death of Joshua Smith, 25, at 625 Industrial Highway in Pottstown, police said. An arrest warrant has been issued for Moore. We are asking for the publics help in finding Moore, said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. While his last known address is in Pottstown, he has ties to both Camden, N.J., and to the Reading area. Anyone who sees him, should not approach him, and should immediately call 911. Moore is described by authorities as an African-American male, with black hair and brown eyes. He is 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. On Easter Sunday, Pottstown Police responded to a reported shooting at 625 Industrial Highway, where they found the victim who had been shot multiple times. At the same time, a Pottstown police officer observed a silver Jeep traveling at a high rate of speed down Industrial Highway and began to follow the Jeep, then saw the Jeep crash at the intersection of High and Wilson streets. As police approached the crash scene, the male driver exited the Jeep and fled the scene on foot, police said. A joint investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau and Pottstown Police learned that Moore and Smith left Smiths residence together earlier in the day in a silver Jeep, driven by Moore and owned by Moores wife. Following the crash, detectives recovered a Ruger .38 caliber pistol, a Taurus 9 mm pistol and two cellphones from the Jeep. Ballistics tests determined that a bullet recovered from Smiths body was fired from the Ruger .38 caliber firearm found in the Jeep, police said. According to an affidavit of probable cause, an investigation revealed that Moore was arrested in 2005 and charged with aggravated manslaughter and related offenses by the Camden City Police Department. In 2007, Moore was convicted in Camden County, N.J., Superior Court of a felony offense of aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years, according to police. As a result of this conviction, Moore is prohibited from possessing a firearm, police said in the court document. Anyone with information about Moores location is asked to contact the Pottstown Police at 610-970-6570 or County Detectives at 610-278-3368. Anonymous text tips can be submitted using MontcoCrime Tips on the STOPit! app. The STOPit! app can be downloaded for free from the App Store for iPhones or Google Play for Androids, then use code MONTCOPA to get the Montgomery County version of the app. The Easter Sunday shooting was one of several gun-related incidents in the borough in April. Earlier this month, police investigated the murder of 42-year-old Keith Robinson who was found shot inside a vehicle at Walnut Street and York Street. On April 16, police investigated the fatal shooting of James Madison, 41, on the 100 block of North Charlotte Street. Police are also investigating after a 19-year-old who was shot Monday as he was walking in the area of Chestnut Street and York Street. He was treated at Pottstown Hospital and then transferred to the Reading Hospital Trauma Center in West Reading by medical helicopter. The victim is listed in stable condition, according to authorities. In a bid to woo the farming community, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday promised a separate budget for farmers. Addressing poll meetings in support of party candidates in Lakhimpur Kheri and Unnao, Rahul said, We will present a general budget and another budget for farmers so that there is no harassment of the farmers. When a farmer is unable to repay Rs 20,000 of bank, he is put in jail and this is depressing. Farmers budget will end such atrocities and they will live their lives honourably. The Congress chief said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ditched the poor people of the country by not fulfilling the promise to deposit Rs 15 lakh each in the accounts of all citizens. We have promised to give Rs 72,000 yearly to around 25 crore people of the country and this promise will be fulfilled at any cost, he said. The Congress president also claimed that demonetisation had hit the country in a big way and employment opportunities had come down even as the ruling party promised to provide jobs to two crore persons every year. This promise has proved to be a jumla, he added. Raising the goods and services tax (GST) issue, Rahul said, If my party comes to power then traders will not have to go to any office (to deposit tax) for the first three years. Since Justine Ruszczyk (Damond) was killed by Mohamed Noor on July 15, 2017, the Minneapolis mayor and chief of police have been sacked, the chief by the mayor and the mayor by the voters. Justines killing opened a window onto Minneapoliss kakistocracy. The case hasnt drawn much national attention, apparently because the victim was a white woman and the shooter is a black Somali immigrant. The usual polarities are reversed, but it is a big case. As one of the reporters working on the case put it to me, this is the biggest trial we will ever cover. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension took over the investigation of Justines killing in the early morning hours of July 16. It did a poor job of it until BCA Special Agent Brent Peterson took over as the lead agent on the case and Office of Hennepin County Attorney got seriously involved. Mike Freeman is the Hennepin County Attorney. He put Assistant County Attorney Amy Sweasy in charge. I take it from yesterdays testimony that she retained an outside expert to review the evidence and help guide the investigation. Sweasy usually works hand in hand with the Minneapolis Police Department, but not in this case. The Minneapolis Police Department proved mostly uncooperative in the investigation. The Star Tribune explored this aspect of the case in a good article by Chao Xiong and Libor Jany this past weekend. Sweasy convened a grand jury to take compelled testimony from the officers who wouldnt talk to the BCA or to her. She took the testimony of 40 witnesses before the grand jury. Peterson signed the criminal complaint against Noor following the grand jury proceedings. Yesterday the the prosecution called two expert witnesses on the reasonable use of deadly force by law enforcement and related police practices. The Star Tribune has a useful summary of the testimony here. Please see it along with the Collins/Feshir piece here for good narrative accounts of what transpired inside the courtroom yesterday. Yesterdays testimony also took up the inadequacies of the BCA investigation. Jon Collins and Riham Feshir take up the critique of the BCA investigation that appears in the trial testimony in this MPR piece. The defense will call expert witness Emanuel Kapelsohn in turn after the prosecution rests. Judge Quaintance held a pretrial hearing on the use of expert testimony in the case. Her order is posted here on the courts Noor trial page. Amy Sweasy is a highly experienced and capable prosecutor of violent crimes. She is assisted by her younger colleague Patrick Lofton. If you think that the Hennepin County Attorney hasnt done its best to prevail in this case, think again. Observing the trial from inside the courtroom, I can say that they are all in. They have spared no effort to win the case. Anyone who says otherwise doesnt know what he is talking about. The first prosecution expert to testify was Lt. Derrick Hacker. Hacker serves in the department of the Crystal (Minnesota) Police Department. (Crystal is an inner-ring Twin Cities suburb.) He is serving as a prosecution expert on his own time. He has an incredible resume. He looks like a Minnesota version of the actor Brian Keith. He instructs officers on the use of force. He was an impressive witness. This was his first trial testimony as an expert witness. He doesnt do it for a living. This case has certain irreducible facts. Taking the facts on their face (including Justines alleged slap), according to Hacker, they dont make out a case for the use of deadly force by Officer Harrity or by Noor in the defense of Harrity. She was a woman coming out barefoot in her pajamas to make contact with the police whom she had called in aid of a third party. Over and over again, Hacker stood by the facts to restate his opinion that the use of deadly force was unjustified. When defense counsel Peter Wold began his cross-examination, he was confident. He made a good point or two before we broke for lunch. After lunch, Peter got essentially nowhere. Hacker didnt give an inch. I thought that Peter concluded the cross-examination with an obvious air of defeat, in part because of evidentiary rulings by Judge Quaintance that tied his hands. After Hacker the prosecution called Timothy Longo, Sr. Longo is a nationally renowned expert. I was impressed that the prosecution found him to work on this case. He served, most recently, as the chief of police of the city of Charlottesville. He is now creating a masters degree program on police issues for the University of Virginia while teaching as an adjunct professor teaching the police use of force at the University of Virginia Law School. You can get a glimpse (and I mean a glimpse) of his background at his law school page here. The prosecution concluded its direct examination of Longo at the end of the day. Cross-examination will begin this morning when the court convenes at 11:00. I will offer my judgment on his testimony tomorrow after I have heard all of it. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee want to depose John Gore about his role in the Trump administrations decision to add a question to the 2020 Census about citizenship. Gore was acting as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights when the decision was made. Gore is prepared to testify and the administration is fine with him doing so. Attorney General Barr insists only that Gore be accompanied by an attorney. Barr is right to attach this condition, one that, according to a Department of Justice spokesperson, is consistent with longstanding DOJ policy. The lawyer accompanying Gore would be be able to assert any privileges the executive branch may possess, including executive privilege. Since the stated purpose of the deposition is to probe how the decision to add the Census question was made, the prospect that committee Democrats will encroach on executive privilege is real. That doctrine, as asserted by both Democratic and Republican administrations, limits inquiry into the executive branchs deliberative processes. Thus, if Democrats were to ask, say, about conversations between Gore and White House adviser Stephen Miller, the questioning might well be objectionable. If so, the lawyer accompanying Gore would assert executive privilege. But Elijah Cummings, chairman of the oversight committee, will not permit an attorney to accompany Gore. Accordingly, the deposition, scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) will not proceed. Clearly, obtaining information from Gore is not the priority of Cummings and his fellow Democrats. Otherwise, they would permit a lawyer to accompany Gore, get what information they can, and (if necessary) fight any battles that may arise over executive privilege in court. But that course of action wouldnt maximize the Democrats real priority feeding their narrative that the Trump administration is defying Congress without justification. The Washington Post duly parrots this narrative in this article under the headline Trumps defiance puts pressure on Congresss ability to check the president. On the matter of Gores testimony, Post reporter Seung Min Kim writes: [T]he Justice Department said it will not comply with a bipartisan subpoena from the Oversight Committee that sought testimony for its ongoing investigation of the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Thats dishonest reporting. As noted, the DOJ is willing to have Gore testify. It just wants him to have a lawyer present. The Post fails to inform its readers of the real nature of this dispute. The pattern is all too familiar. The Democrats decide on their anti-Trump theme de jour. Their media allies peddle that theme leaving out any facts that might call it into question. If democracy dies in darkness, the Washington Post is doing its best to kill it. PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-25 12:29:22 Press Information FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Abhishek Budholiya Marketing Manager 353-1-4434-232 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 662 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United StatesMarketing Manager353-1-4434-232 Growth of the global dozer market will continue to be affected by growing demand for better infrastructure facilities, and development of advanced dozers that require low maintenance and are equipped with eco-friendly features. Various government initiatives focused toward infrastructuredevelopment, along with growing investments in the construction sector globally will further fuel demand for dozer. This Fact.MR report discusses key prospects for growth of global dozer market during the forecast period, 2017-2022, offering pragmatic insights to lead market players towardsdevising & implementing informed strategies.Dozers are heavy equipment demonstrating exceptional load bearing capabilities and find ample adoption in debris, soil, and sand removal across large construction and mining sites. As needs for better infrastructure with advances in urbanization and industrialization remain amply pertinent, demands for dozers are expected to remain thriving in the foreseeable future.Dozers are specifically used for a range of applications such as deforestation, earthmoving, and road carving amongst several other functions which are projected to keep the growth pace high. Besides ample usability in a host of applications, technological innovations for improved functionality are further estimated to reflect favorably towards surged adoption and growth. Despite high functional edge, dozers are often eliminated from heavy residential projects owing to a number of down sides such as loud noise, besides high maintenance costs. Leading vendors therefore in dozers market are keen towards developing superlative, cost efficient dozers with superlative noise control capabilities to resonate with industry demands, thus incurring massive growth in dozers market.Get sample of this report atMatured economies such as Europe and North America are poised to keep growth stable on the back of improved infrastructural projects. However, lucrative opportunities in Asia-Pacific region facilitated by novel projects towards infrastructural developments are likely to unwind new prospects, supplemented by new market players eyeing seamless penetration.Dozer Market: OverviewThe dozer market has been assessed at length to conclude definitive workable insights on market performance for the forecast tenure 2017-26. The report is an illustrative handbook of diverse market developments encompassing an overview of quintessential highlights such as macro and microeconomic determinants that maneuver market growth, also lending viable inputs on other concurrent factors that set the course of events for future growth trajectory in dozer market.Browse Full Report with ToC Here:The report is poised to equip readers with reliable details on market developments, in the ambit of competitive foresight and cues on market entry barriers. Based on such decisive insights, aspiring entrants as well as established players in dozer control space can employ lucrative investment discretion to ascertain sustainable revenue pools amidst staggering competition. To provide readers with superlative understanding, the report is systematically clustered into coherent chapters. A dedicated chapter on market segmentation has been pinned in the trailing sections of the report to include veritable details on segments historic as well as upcoming growth estimations. Further in the course of the report readers are also enlightened about regional assessment of pivotal factors.Detailed overview of dozer market spectrum presented in the report banks upon a robust research methodology comprising primary and secondary researches that divulge relevant and timely market intelligence figures.Dozer Market: Competition LandscapeThis section of the report offers a detailed section on key contributors in dozer market. A dashboard view of each of the mentioned profiles complete with detailed insights on their respective SWOT analysis along with detailed assessment of their product portfolio, market contribution, as well as recent developments have been slated to aid readers understanding about the competition spectrum.Key companies profiled by Fact.MRs report that are actively contributing to expansion of the global dozer market include Zoomilion, SHANDONG SHANTUI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY IMP&EXP CO, CNH Industries, Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co., Ltd., Bell Equipment Co SA, Komatsu, Liebherr, Deere & Company, and Caterpillar.Have Any Query?? Ask Our Industry Expert This report provides prediction and investigation of the automotive lifts market. It offers antique statistics along with global forecast data by the end of 2026. Fact.MR PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-25 12:33:08 Press Information Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Basant Manager 353-1-6111-593 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 771 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400Manager353-1-6111-593 In order to study the various trends and patterns prevailing in the concerned market, FactMR has included a new report titled Automotive Lifts Market Portrays High-End Demand across Major Geographies during 2017-2026 | Key Players are Nussbaum Automotive Solutions LP, Challenger Lifts Inc., Rotary Lift, etc. to its wide online database including upcoming trends and growth factors. This research assessment offers a clear insight about the influential factors that are expected to transform the global market in the near future. The report studies the automotive lifts market worldwide, especially in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, India and Other Regions with production, size, growth, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions. The intelligent report also anticipates that the market would grow at a constructive CAGR until 2026.Appeal/Demand for Sample Report - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=525 For the past decade, high volume growth in vehicle sales has created problems for automotive manufacturers, garages stations, and tire vendors. Compared to the fleet of vehicles that hit the roads every year, garage owners have faced difficulties while handling these large number in limited work spaces. From an OEM standpoint, manufacturing vast units of vehicles demands a greater utility of lifting systems, considering the confined spaces of manufacturing plants. Automotive lifts have served a key purpose of space optimization in todays automotive landscape. In the future, their role will be instrumental in avoiding congestion problems across garages, OEM plants and tire stations.FactMR foresees the global market for automotive lifts to reflect a sub-par CAGR of 4.7% in terms of value over the period, 2017-2026. The commercial scope of automotive lifts is pegged to become wider in the coming years. More number of independent garages being set up across the world will directly influence the adoption of automotive lifts. In addition, high initial investments of OEMs towards setting up manufacturing units will not deter them from buying expensive and advanced automotive lifts that offer long-term service life.The report has analyzed the global automotive lifts market on the basis of above segments and sub-segments. On the basis of an extensive analysis, the report estimates the global automotive lifts sales in terms of volume to surpass 6,400 thousand units by the end of 2026.For boosting the safety of working environments, garage owners from several parts of the world are installing automotive lifts. Majority of vehicle repairs are being fixed by working under the car, and automotive lifts serve this purpose more effectively than jacks. Besides offering a safe environment to work in, automotive lifts also ease the operations in a garage. The increased space is an added advantage of installing automotive lifts. Several automotive lift manufacturers are considering the custom requirements of garage owners to offer best solutions towards space optimization.For Additional Insights Click to Access Complete Report - https://www.factmr.com/report/525/automotive-lifts-market Increasing costs of spare parts, high replacement rate of these components and feasible labor costs make commercial garages profitable businesses, which in turn drives the usability of advanced of automotive lifts that come at slightly high costs. While catering to the demands of commercial garages will remain highly profitable for automotive lift manufacturers, several companies will also capture the sharp increase in demand across home garages. Low heights of home garages may create certain challenges for existing product lines, but companies are offering redesigned automotive lifts that adjust to such environments.Throughout the forecast period, more than one-third share of automotive lifts sold in the world are estimated to be used in garage applications. By the end of 2026, garages from all across the world will be installing nearly 2,300 thousand units of automotive lifts.Competition TrackingBendPak, Inc., PEAK Corp, Nussbaum Automotive Solutions LP, Challenger Lifts, Inc., Rotary Lift, EAE Automotive Equipment Co.Ltd ., SUGIYASU Co.Ltd ., Stertil-Koni USA, Inc., Ravaglioli S.p.A and ARI-HETRA have been identified as key players in the global automotive lifts market. In the future, finding a balance between adherence to automotive lift manufacturing standards and compliance to diverse end-use requirements will characterize the markets manufacturing landscape. Ask Any Query to Our Experts from Here - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=525 About FactMRFactMR 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 UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@ factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Sales revenue of basalt fibers is expected to be nearly US$ (000) 62,568.1 in 2018. By the end of the forecast period, the global basalt fibers market is projected to reach a value of US$ (000) 120,034.0, recording a CAGR of 8.5%. Fact.MR PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-25 12:44:45 Press Information Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Basant Manager 353-1-6111-593 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 858 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400Manager353-1-6111-593 In order to dissert the market scenario prevailing across the basalt fibers market sector, FactMR has evenly presented a new examination titled Basalt Fibers Market Steady Growth to be Witnessed by 2018 to 2026 | Key Players are BASALTEX NV, Sudaglass Fiber Technology, Kamenny Vek, etc. , to its extensive online repository. With all vital market facets enclosed into this single assessment, readers can learn about different market drivers, opportunities and trends which are likely to influence the overall market space for the basalt fibers market in the coming years. In addition, factors such as market size, Y-o-Y growth and revenue share are investigated so as to make this research highly authentic and reliable.Appeal/Demand for Sample Report - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=1312 From a regional perspective, Europe is projected to lead the global Basalt Fibers Market both in terms of production and consumption. Russia holds a significant share in the European basalt fiber market. The region has witnessed growing demand for basalt fibers from the automotive industry as there are stringent regulations prevailing in the EU regarding vehicle emissions and greenhouse gas amongst others. Moreover, the rising concern over energy conservation has also led to the growth of renewable wind energy generation industry. Thus, creating traction in the global market. North America is also projected to hold a significant share in the global basalt fibers market expanding at a CAGR of 8.3% over the forecast period. China is projected to grow at a relatively higher CAGR over the forecast period. A number of new players have ventured into the market to cater to the growing demand for basalt fibers in China and across other regions. Latin America and MEA are projected to remain low-volume-high-growth regions over the forecast period.With the increasing use of light-weight composite material for the manufacture of automotive components and aircraft bodies, demand for basalt fibers continues to remain high. Basalt fibers are made by melting the crushed basalt rock in a furnace. This production process is an environment-friendly process without the production of any harmful infrared radiations. Basalt fibers have been widely used as an alternative for conventionally used steel and other fiber reinforcements owing to the superior mechanical, thermal and other properties.In the present scenario, there are only a few manufacturers for basalt fibers in Russia, China, Ukraine, and the U.S. amongst others. However, capacity additions and establishment of new production plants across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific region are expected to increase in the coming years, especially with the ongoing research and development and investments.Basalt fibers have exhibited better mechanical strength, chemical and thermal resistance, insulation and other properties. There has been an increase in the use of basalt fibers as an alternative to steel reinforcements owing to a number of properties such as corrosion resistance and light-weight, which allows mounting without the use of lifting or any other specialized equipment. Basalt fibers also outperform e-glass fiber in composites used for construction. In all the forms i.e. roving, chopped strands, fabrics, etc. basalt fibers have witnessed higher breaking load capacity and better durability and stiffness.Browse Basalt Fibers Market Report Here https://www.factmr.com/report/1312/basalt-fibers-market In addition to these, basalt fibers are available at lower price and there has been a relative ease for raw material procurement. Owing to all the above mentioned benefits, there has been an expected upsurge in demand for basalt fibers over the forecast period.Another major factor significantly driving the growth of global basalt fibers market is the increase in the use of light-weight composite materials in automotive industry. The stringent regulations, especially, in North America and Europe region regarding vehicle emissions has led the manufacturers to focus on reduction of weight of vehicle. Basalt fibers are used as composites for the manufacture of vehicle and aircraft bodies as well as components such as exhaust mufflers and brake pads amongst others.The growing government spending for infrastructural and industrial development has led to a rise in the demand for basalt fibers as reinforcement material for the construction of roads, pavements and bridges amongst others.However, there are a few challenges with respect to the production of basalt fibers. For instance, the quality and exact chemical composition of the basalt rock required for the formation of basalt fibers is available at only specific locations in Eastern Europe. Therefore, though the raw material is available at cheap cost, it has to be imported. Moreover, the initial set up and equipment cost are quite high and require capital investment, thus posing a major challenge for the manufacturers.For Any Query or Concern, Access this Link - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=1312 About FactMRFactMR 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 UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400, Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@ factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-25 14:32:03 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 442 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CALGARY, AB, and SAN ANTONIO, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2019 / Emerald Bay Energy Inc. (TSX Venture: EBY, OTC: EMBYF) (the "Company" or "Emerald Bay") is pleased to announce that the electrical upgrades have been completed on the Kuhn lease at the Company's Wooden Horse project in South Texas. The upgrades will allow the Company to pump the Kuhn 4 and Kuhn A5 wells simultaneously, as well as the Kuhn 3 well when it is brought on production.Shelby Beattie, President and CEO of the Company commented, "We are very pleased to have the electrical upgrades completed. Without this electrical infrastructure we have not been able to consistently, and simultaneously, pump the Kuhn wells with the high fluid volumes that they now produce. The Kuhn 4 and Kuhn A5 wells are now online and producing approximately 2,100 bbls/day of total fluid with an oil cut between 1-2%. As we move forward we will increase the rates of these two wells and bring the Kuhn 3 well on production. Additionally, it is likely that we will increase the fluid volume produced from Kuhn A5 by fracking it at some point in the near future. It is our experience that when these wells are consistently produced there is a corresponding increase in the oil cut percentage. The Company's production target for the three Kuhn wells is a collective total fluid volume of approximately 5,000 barrels per day with an oil cut of 3-4%. We are confident that with the electrical upgrades completed, we will be able to realize the full potential of the Kuhn wells." About Emerald BayEmerald Bay Energy Inc. (TSX Venture: EBY, OTC: EMBYF) is an energy company with oil producing properties in Southwest Texas as well as non-operated oil and natural gas interests in Central Alberta, Canada. EBY is the operator of the Wooden Horse and Nash Creek Projects in Guadeloupe, Texas, where the Company currently now owns a 50.00% working interest those projects. Additionally, the Company owns and operates various working interests in the HugoCellR, Cotulla, and MarPat partnerships. The Company also owns 75% of Production Resources Inc., a South Texas oil company.For all upcoming news releases, articles, comments and questions, to stay updated and speak with management about Emerald Bay Energy. Please JOIN our Investor Information Group at:For further information, please contact:Emerald Bay President, Shelby D. Beattie, by telephone at (403) 262-6000Email: info@ ebyinc.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: Emerald Bay Energy Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-25 14:32:02 HARVIA PLC PRESS RELEASE APRIL 25 2019 AT 3:30 P.M. EET Harvia will publish its interim report for the period of JanuaryMarch 2019, on Tuesday, 7 May 2019 at around 09:00 a.m. Finnish time. The stock exchange release and the presentation material in Finnish and English will be available at https://www.harvia.fi/en/investors/ . Analyst, investor and press briefing Harvia will hold an analyst, investor and press conference on the same day at 11:00 a.m. Finnish time, at Klaus Ks Wintti meeting room (address Bulevardi 2-4, 00100 Helsinki, Finland). The conference will be held in English. The conference will be hosted by Harvia's CEO Tapio Pajuharju and CFO Ari Vesterinen. The conference can be followed as a webcast, accessible at: https://harvia.videosync.fi/2019-q1-results/ . You can also participate by calling: FI: +358 981 710 310 SE: +46 8 5664 2651 UK: +44 333 300 08 04 US: +1 631 913 14 22 PIN: 92568850# After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions in Finnish and English. A recording of the webcast will be available later at the company's website. HARVIA PLC For further information, please contact: CFO Ari Vesterinen, ari.vesterinen@harvia.fi , tel. +358 40 505 0440 Harvia is one of the leading companies operating in the sauna and spa market globally, as measured by revenue. Harvia's brands and product portfolio are well-known in the market and the company's comprehensive product portfolio strives to meet the needs of the international sauna and spa market of both private and professional customers. Harvia's revenue totaled EUR 61.9 million in 2018, its operating profit was EUR 9.4 million and adjusted operating profit EUR 10.9 million during the same period. The company employs some 400 professionals in Finland, China and Hong Kong, Romania, Austria, United States, Germany and Estonia. The company is headquartered in Muurame, Finland, adjacent to its largest sauna and sauna component manufacturing facility. Read more www.harvia.fi PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-25 17:28:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 670 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2019 / PowerBand Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (Frankfurt: 1ZVA) (''PowerBand'', ''PBX'' or the ''Company''), a leading online automotive auction, remarketing and sales platform in North America, is pleased to announce that it has appointed Darrin Swenson to its board of directors (the ''Board'').Mr. Swenson has over 24 years of automotive dealership ownership and management experience. Mr. Swenson's initial ownership experience culminated with his dealership receiving the Honda Excellence Award. Mr. Swenson's previous automotive management experience began with manufacturer relationships including Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and then expanded to include GMC, Buick, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volkswagen, and Mitsubishi. Mr. Swenson served as Chief Operating Officer for Hunt Automotive Group, effectively managing four franchise dealerships in adjoining states. Mr. Swenson presently presides as COO for an independent auto auction company with locations in Springdale, Arkansas, and Wichita, Kansas consigning over 350,000 vehicles and contributing over USD$1.0 billion in sales to the retail and wholesale automobile market. Mr. Swenson is also actively involved in the roll out of D2D Auto Auctions, an automotive online remarketing network in the United States that is owned equally by PowerBand and Bryan Hunt (see news release dated April 2, 2019).Mike Moen, President and COO of PowerBand, stated: ''We are very pleased to have someone of Darrin's automotive and business experience join PowerBand's Board. Darrin's in depth knowledge of the wholesaler and dealer markets within the used vehicle remarketing industry, as well as his vast manufacturer contacts, will be instrumental as we grow the D2D Auto Auctions platform across the United States.'' About PowerBand Solutions Inc.PowerBand Solutions Inc. is a technology provider listed on the TSX Venture Exchange that is developing solutions for automotive and other industries that drive efficiency and transparency in the marketplace. PowerBand has developed and commercialized a leading-edge online auction platform that increases revenues and profit margins for its automotive dealership, Original Equipment Manufacturer, commercial fleet and rental company customers. PowerBand's remarketing platform, the PowerBand Exchange, incorporates the industry's latest auction technologies, inventory management, market intelligence, and appraisal processes.For further information, please contact:Richard Goldman, VP Corporate Development, PowerBandP: 1-866-768-7653rgoldman@ powerbandsolutions.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSThis news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as ''will'', ''may'', ''should'', ''anticipate'', ''expects'' and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by Canadian securities law.Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.SOURCE: PowerBand Solutions Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-25 13:07:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 959 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 25, 2019 / Theralase Technologies Inc. ("Theralase" or the "Company") (TLT:TSXV) (TLTFF:OTCQB), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the research and development of light-activated Photo Dynamic Compounds ("PDC") and their associated drug formulations intended to safely and effectively destroy various cancers, announced today that the University Health Network Research Ethics Board ("UHN-REB") has approved the commencement of a Phase II clinical study to evaluate Theralase's Anti-Cancer Treatment ("ACT") titled, "Patients with Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer ("NMIBC"), who present with Carcinoma In-Situ ("CIS"), who are considered Bacillus Calmette Guerin ("BCG") - Unresponsive or are intolerant to BCG Therapy ("ACT-NMIBC")".The ACT-NMIBC study has been designed in compliance with FDA industry guidelines issued February, 2018 for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. The study will utilize the Therapeutic Dose (0.70 mg/cm) of TLD-1433 and will focus on the treatment of approximately 100 to 125 BCG-unresponsive NMIBC patients, with CIS, in approximately 20 clinical study sites in Canada, the US and internationally, with a primary endpoint of efficacy and a secondary endpoint of safety.Study sites will be launched first in Canada, followed by the US, subject to Food and Drug Administration approval, and then internationally, subject to international regulatory approval.The primary endpoint of the Study:Efficacy Evaluated by Complete Response ("CR") in patients with CIS with or without resected papillary disease at 90 days post-treatment with a duration of CR evaluated at 360 days post-treatment.Patient CR is defined as:Negative cystoscopy and negative (including atypical) urine cytologyPositive cystoscopy with biopsy-proven benign or low-grade NMIBC orNegative cystoscopy with malignant urine cytology, if cancer is found in the upper tract or prostatic urethra and random bladder biopsies are negativeThe secondary endpoint of the Study is:Safety Evaluated by the incidence and severity of Adverse Events ("AEs") Grade 4 or higher that do not resolve within 360 days post-treatment; whereby:Grade 1 = MildGrade 2 = ModerateGrade 3 = SevereGrade 4 = Life-threatening or disablingGrade 5 = DeathShawn Shirazi, Ph.D., CEO - Drug Division, Theralase stated that, "The UHN REB approval represents a major milestone for Theralase. I am pleased that the Phase II ACT-NMIBC study has been approved and UHN is able to commence enrolling and treating patients. The safety of the ACT technology for NMIBC has been validated in the Phase Ib clinical study, demonstrating strong efficacy at 66% CR albeit in a small sample size. We look forward to demonstrating to the medical community what the ACT technology is capable of accomplishing in a larger patient population. Finding improved therapies for BCG-Unresponsive NMIBC patient population is a critical unmet medical need." Kipton Lade, B.Sc., M.Sc., MBA, CEO - Device Division, Theralase stated that, "The Company has focused its engineering resources on upgrading the TLC-3200 medical laser system based on clinical feedback gained in the Company's successfully completed Phase Ib study. We are excited to introduce this next level technology into the Phase II ACT-NMIBC study." About Theralase Technologies Inc.Theralase is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the research and development of light-activated Photo Dynamic Compounds and their associated drug formulations intended to safely and effectively destroy various cancers.Additional information is available at www.theralase.com and www.sedar.com This news release contains "forward-looking statements" which reflect the current expectations of management of the Company's future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's proposed development plans with respect to Photo Dynamic Compounds and their drug formulations. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "potential for" and similar expressions have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs with respect to future events and are based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions including with respect to the ability of the Company to: adequately fund, secure the requisite regulatory approvals to commence and successfully complete a Phase II NMIBC clinical study in a timely fashion and implement its development plans. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements; including, without limitation, those listed in the filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities (which may be viewed at www.sedar.com) . Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. These factors should be considered carefully and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in the press release are based upon what management currently believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure prospective investors that actual results, performance or achievements will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise except as required by law. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchanges) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.For More Information:1.866. THE.LASE Noted Bhojpuri actor Ravindra Narain Shukla alias Ravi Kishan filed his nomination from Gorakhpur seat on Tuesday with pomp and show, albeit without Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who was busy in election rallies. Yogiji was supposed to bless me during the nomination process but he could not make it due to his prior engagements. I will serve the people of Gorakhpur by keeping with me the khadau (wooden slippers) of Yogiji, Ravi Kishan said after filing nomination papers. After Ravi Kishans name was announced from Gorakhpur, he had met the Chief Minister in Lucknow and sought his blessings. The next day, he had led a grand roadshow in Gorakhpur. However, questions were raised in the political circles over Yogi skipping Ravi Kishans nomination. While one section claimed Yogi was unhappy about the Bhojpuri actors candidature from Gorakhput, the other said the CM would campaign for Ravi Kishan once he was done with election rallies. Please do not read too much into the absence of the CM because generally, he does not take part in nominations of candidates. Gorakhpur belongs to Yogi. People will vote for BJP because of him, a senior BJP leader said. The CM addressed a series of rallies in Bundelkhand, including Mahoba, on Tuesday. Ravi Kishan, a Brahmin by caste and a native of Jaunpur with roots in Gorakhpurs Moonkhar village, filed his nomination after offering prayers at Gorakhnath temple. Dressed in a saffron kurta and bandana, he walked to the Collectorate to file nomination papers. Later, he addressed a rally along with Kamlesh Paswan, the BJP candidate from Bansgaon, who also filed nomination on Tuesday. With the blessings of Baba Gorakhnath, the BJP is going to win more than 73 seats in UP. People across the country are impressed with the work of Narendra Modi and want him back. Gorakhpur is no different and here too, people will not vote for Ravi Kishan but Modi and Yogi, the senior BJP leader said. Ravi Kishan will be facing SP candidate Ram Bhuwal Nishad, who had replaced sitting MP Praveen Nishad after the latter joined BJP last month. Gorakhpur goes to poll on May 19. Yogi had earlier represented Gorakhpur for five consecutive terms from 1998 to 2017. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is to open a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage and dispensing facility in Benin City, Edo State. The facility, developed in partnership with its upstream exploration and production subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC), is part of efforts to fast track the consumption LPG, popularly called cooking gas, in the country. NNPCs spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu, said the facility will be the largest LPG and propane storage and dispensing outfit in country. Mr Ughamadu said the facility is an extension of the Integrated Gas Handling Facility (IGHF) plant. Apart from the capacity to dispense 330 tons of LPG, the NNPC spokesperson said the facility was capable of dispensing about 300 tons of propane daily. In addition, the facility can handle about 100 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMscfg/d) and over 260 barrels per day of condensate from the IGHF plant. The Managing Director of NPDC, Yusuf Matashi, said the IGHF would be a game changer for the NNPC, as both facilities (IGHF & LPG bay), when commissioned, would be a huge revenue stream for the Federal Government. Mr Matashi said before the end of 2019, NPDC would be producing 40 per cent of Nigerias LPG consumption requirements. He said the storage facility was centrally positioned in Benin City to supply LPG to consumers in Lagos, South-South; South-East and to the Northern part of the country, to grow consumption LPG consumption nationwide. Mr Matashi said currently NPDC was the single largest supplier of gas to the domestic market, with about 90 per cent of gas supply targeted at power generation to drive the nations economy positively. We are paying greater focus on our 100 per cent assets production. NPDC assets will deliver a lot in terms of meeting its (crude oil and gas) volume targets. We (NPDC) currently contribute 10 per cent to daily national production. By the end of 2019, the company is looking at 15 per cent contribution to daily national production, Mr. Matashi said. According to him, the NPDCs production outlook for 2019/2020 was on the bright side, as the company is aggressively pursuing its drilling and field development programmes as approved by the NNPC. He disclosed that the company has crude oil reserve base of 3.6 billion barrels and gas reserve of over 15 trillion cubic feet from its involvement in the operation of 29 concessions 22 Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) and seven Oil Prospecting Licenses (OPLs). Besides, he said the NNPC upstream subsidiary would continue to be a leading exploration and production company of choice going forward. Mr. Matashi said the NPDC has maintained cordial relations with regulatory agencies, such as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), apart from consistently remitting its royalties and Petroleum Profit Tax to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). He said the NPDC and its various host communities were living in peace due to the companys commitment to sustainable community development policy. Over time, he said the company won the confidence of the people of the Niger Delta region and would continue to build on the gains recorded. The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) Thursday launched the National Oil Company (NOC) database in Washington DC, as part of its goals to fill the gaps in knowledge and understanding of the growing amount of information about natural resource governance globally. The event, which had stakeholder representations from the international development institutions, civil society organisations and the media, provided an opportunity to review research findings from the database and to discuss the challenges that lack of solid, publicly available comparative data can have on revenue, expenditures and transfers by National Oil Companies to their governments. Impact of lack of disclosure on economies The officials of NRGI who spoke at the meeting stated that research done using the new open National Oil Company Database, revealed that many state enterprises fail to disclose information critical to the oversight of public revenues and these National Oil Companies, with $3.1 Trillion in Assets, are dangerously under-scrutinised. In dozens of resource-rich countries, national oil companies are at the centre of determining the quality of governance of their macro economy and of their natural resources, which belong to the people, NRGI president and CEO, Daniel Kaufmann, said. In these countries, improving governance is the development challenge of a generation, as subpar governance of their national resources perpetuates poverty and inequality. State-owned enterprises can weigh a country down or help propel development. Getting their governance right is crucial, Mr Kaufmann said. Without solid information, governments, oversight bodies and market players struggle to assess NOC performance and develop strategies for how these influential entities can generate greater benefits for citizens. To help address this gap, the institute assembled a database on NOC production, revenue generation, fiscal transfers to the state, and operational and financial performance that cover 71 companies headquartered in 61 countries worldwide, from 2011 to 2017. The database resides at www.nationaloilcompanydata.org. NRGI advisor, Patrick Heller, in his presentation to stakeholders, emphasised that data on NOCs matter due to the huge influence of these NOCs in the revenue and control of natural resource reserves. He highlighted that NOCs are also revenue collector and producers of information for the country. However, many of these state-owned enterprises fail to disclose information critical to the oversight of public assets and revenues. Mr Heller then stressed that NOCs can reverberate citizen demonstrations when they fail to live up to their role as seen in the Giant Car Wash pay-for-play scandal in Brazil. He highlighted that National oil companies (NOCs) produce the majority of the worlds oil and gas as the research findings revealed that in 2017, NOCs that published data on their assets reported combined assets of $3.1 trillion and at least 25 countries are NOC-dependent, meaning that the national oil company collects revenues equivalent to more than 20 per cent of all government revenues. It was also noted that these 25 NOCs only transferred an average of 23 per cent of their gross revenue to their governments while many carry big debts, sometimes as much as 10 or even 20 per cent of their countries GDP. Several NOCs have required multi-billion-dollar government bailouts in recent years, becoming a costly drain on public finances. Mr Heller identified some constraints with the report including data availability as many companies do not disclose key data on spending, profit and employment. He also mentioned the inconsistent terminology, accounting practices across companies and the need for a more standard definition and accounting framework by NOCs. He went on to recommend that governments of resource-rich countries and their NOCs should explore a data-rich approach to facilitate policy-making and oversight. He showed the example where Nigerias NNPC had no record of transfers per barrel of oil equivalent in 2011 and 2016 while Ghanas record showed paid $59 and $15 respectively. He also advised the international aid community and local civil society organisations to prioritise the most persistent gaps in reporting expenditures, composition and distribution of transfers. Areas of attention include making the governance of the NOCs a top priority in public financial management reform while facilitating cross country learning and experience sharing as some NOCs and governments remain hungry to improve Zainab Usman, a social development specialist at the World Bank, during the panel, noted that the political environment of resource-rich countries play an important role in policy reforms and with respect to the extractive sector, oil prices play a role. She stated that reform orientation in developing countries like Nigeria is sometimes motivated by fluctuations in the price of oil. She recommended that these countries in their economic diversification reforms should put into considerations, global structural shifts such as climate change adaptations, carbon emission and energy efficiency paradigms. While responding to the question on conditions for slow reform in the Nigerian extractive sector, she encouraged stakeholders to empower the existing check and balance infrastructures in the attempt to improve the transparency of the extractive sector. The launch event also had Mark Robinson, the executive director of EITI among other key participants and was streamed online, via :http://bit.ly/NOCstream The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says over 60 million subscribers biometric and personal registration information submitted to telecom operators have been screened and verified. The figure is out of a total 95.7 million subscriber registrations the telecom sector regulatory authority said were invalid in the country. As at last January, data obtained from the NCC website showed the country has about 249.2 million connected mobile telephone subscribers from the five leading operators. Out of the number, only about 173.6 million subscriber lines are active. The existing telecom operators include 9mobile (formerly Etisalat), Globacom, MTN, Airtel, Ntel, Multilinks, Visafone, and Smile. The Commission said the process of scrubbing registration data submitted by operators is ongoing. Scrubbing in the telecom industry is the screening process of verifying biometric and personal information submitted by all operators in respect of each of their subscribers. So far, over 60 million subscriber records have been scrubbed successfully, the commission said. The commission clarified that although the 95.7million subscribers data said to be invalid were disclosed at a sensitization workshop recently, it was to illustrate the quality of initial data submissions in the country. Subsequent process enhancements by the NCC and operators, it said, have resulted in better quality submissions in the system. The NCC said the outcome of its initial scrubbing exercise was to underscore the need for subscriber registration agents and operators to ensure strict adherence to the Subscriber Registration Regulations of 2011 as well as the technical specifications for subscriber registration. The process is ongoing, and is constantly being reviewed for higher efficiency, it said. The commission emphasised the need for all subscribers to ensure their biometric data and other personal information are properly captured to avoid unnecessary complications that may affect their banking, educational, health, travel and other pursuits which rely on proof of personal identity. We also wish to assure all stakeholders that the commission will continue to aggressively pursue the national interest objectives of delivering an accurate database of telephone subscribers in Nigeria. We expect all players in the subscriber registration value chain to support the national security objectives of the exercise as NCC will continue to show zero tolerance for deviations from the process, the commission said. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday gave $210million to the inter-bank foreign exchange market. The injection of the funds is part of efforts by the bank to sustain liquidity in that segment of the market. The spokesperson of the CBN, Isaac Okorafor, said the provision of the funds was also in continuation of the banks mediation in the inter-bank foreign exchange market. Details of the intervention showed authorised dealers in the wholesale segment of the market, as in previous deals, were offered about $100million. Equally, those in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment got a boost of $55 million. Customers purchasing foreign exchange for invisibles such as tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), among others, were also allotted about $55 million. Mr Okorafor, who confirmed the transactions, reiterated the position of the CBN to continue to make funds available for foreign exchange in order to ensure continued stability in the markets. In its penultimate intervention on April 18, the bank injected about $254.8 million and CNY34.8 million into the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) segment. Meanwhile, the Naira on Wednesday exchanged at an average of N360/$1 in the BDC segment of the market. North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at a summit designed to show that Washington is not the only power able to set the agenda on Pyongyangs nuclear programme. The two men embarked on a day of talks on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Mr Kims summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. Messrs Putin and Kim, in their first ever face-to-face encounter, smiled broadly and shook hands outside the summit venue, a university campus. They then stood side by side on an escalator, chatting with help from interpreters, as they made their way to an upper floor to begin their talks. In brief opening remarks in front of the media, Mr Putin said he hoped Mr Kims visit would help us better understand by what means we can reach a settlement on the Korean peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes now underway. Without question we welcome your efforts to develop dialogue between the Koreas, and to normalise North Korean-U.S. relations, Mr Putin said. Mr Kim, who had arrived in Vladivostok a day earlier on board his armoured train, told Mr Putin the meeting would help strengthen and develop ties between Russia and North Korea, which share a long history of friendship. As world attention is focused on the Korean Peninsula, there will be very meaningful dialogue for us to jointly assess the Korean peninsula policies and share, coordinate and study our views, Mr Kim said. The summit in Vladivostok provides Pyongyang with an opportunity to seek support from a new quarter, Russia, and possible relief from the sanctions hurting its economy. For the Kremlin, the summit is a chance to show it is a global diplomatic player, despite efforts by the U.S. and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding sanctions until the North dismantles its nuclear programme, analysts said the summit was unlikely to produce any tangible help for Pyongyang, beyond a show of camaraderie. Mr Putin has a track record of making world leaders wait for him, but on Wednesday the Russian leader arrived at the venue around half an hour before Kim showed up, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene. Mr Putins last summit with a North Korean leader was in 2002 when his counterpart was Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Uns father and predecessor. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, the Putin lieutenant, who was then Russian president. Thursdays summit was taking place on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University, a complex that back in 2012 played host to an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Classes were going on as normal and students were walking a few meters from the building where Messrs Kim and Putin were meeting. Members of the Russian presidents security detail were dotted around the campus. Buildings were decked out with the Russian and North Korean flags. A concert is planned for the two leaders later in the day, and an orchestra was rehearsing in the hall where they were due to perform. (Reuters/NAN) The Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, says Nigeria will be declared polio-free in the next six months. He said this at a press conference on the 2019 African Vaccination Week (AVW) in Abuja on Thursday. Mr Shuaib said Nigeria has not recorded a single case of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) in the past three years, a situation he said qualifies Nigeria to be declared polio-free. Because we have been innovative and creative with routine immunisations, we are now at a point where we are just some six months away from being declared polio-free in Nigeria. I have no doubt that with our very encouraging record of not having a single case of Wild Polio Virus ( WPV) in any part of the country in the past three years, we all shall soon celebrate a polio-free Nigeria of our dreams, he said. Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, through contaminated water or food and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis. Although many countries in Africa have recorded success stories in their fight against the elimination of wild poliovirus, total eradication of the disease has remained a challenge because many countries are falling short on surveillance and immunisation. Nigeria is yet to be certified polio-free. It remains the only country in Africa yet to interrupt the spread of wild poliovirus. This is due to the Boko Haram insurgency which has made the north-east region of the country inaccessible for health workers to administer vaccines and ensure extensive surveillance. Nigeria missed the polio-free certification in 2016 when a case of polio was reported in Borno State after about 18 months of none reporting. For a country to be certified polio-free, it must have gone two years without reporting a case of polio. Mr Shuaib commended the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Ministry of Health in the progress made in immunisation coverage in Nigeria. For the first time in Nigeria, we are seeing a consistent and compelling improvement in the number of kids we are reaching with lifesaving vaccines. We have surpassed all historic expectations in immunizations, he said. Mr Shuaib said lack of awareness, the fear of vaccination by caregivers and the poor attitude of health workers have contributed to poor immunisation coverage. He urged parents and caregivers to always make their kids available for vaccination to prevent disease epidemics and early death. He assured the general public that all vaccines used in Nigeria are WHO and NAFDAC certified. In her remarks, the GAVI Champion for Immunisation Africa, Awele Elumelu, said collaborations with the private sector is important in enhancing healthcare coverage in the country. She said the role of the private sector in health coverage cannot be overemphasised. She said: Gavi is basically a partnership of the private and public sector. We want the government to be able to provide the enabling environment, the policies, the structure, and we also want the private sector to provide the expertise to meet these needs. It is through smart innovations like this that we are able to reach millions of children. We have faith that the new government in place will continue to put in efforts to health coverage, she said. In commemoration of the 2019 World Malaria Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for renewed political commitment to eliminate the disease. The International agency said increased investments in malaria prevention and control will go a long way in fighting the disease. In a statement released on Wednesday, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said governments should mobilise all necessary internal and external resources towards eliminating malaria. World Malaria Day is marked every April 25 and this years theme is Zero Malaria Starts with Me. Malaria remains one of the worlds leading killer disease, claiming the life of one child every two minutes, according to the WHO. Most of the deaths are in Africa, where over 250,000 children die from the disease every year. According to WHOs 2018 World Malaria report, no significant gains were made in reducing malaria cases in the period 2015 to 2017. The estimated number of malaria deaths in 2017, at 435, 000, remained virtually unchanged over the previous year. In a bid to reduce this menace, the worlds first malaria vaccine, RTS,S was launched in Malawi on Tuesday. Mr Moeti noted that the pace of progress must be accelerated if the world is to achieve a 40 per cent drop in global malaria cases and deaths by 2020, compared to 2015 levels. He stressed the need to empower individuals across the world to make a personal commitment to saving more lives, and help communities and economies to thrive by eliminating malaria. He urged all member states to allocate adequate resources and to work across sectors and strengthen cross-border collaboration. With the required resources, strong coordination and dedicated partners, we can accelerate our actions to achieve a malaria-free Africa transforming a common vision to end malaria for good into a shared reality for a healthier and more prosperous Africa, he said. U.S. committed to Nigeria The United States government has also reaffirmed its commitment to help bring an end to malaria in Nigeria. In a statement released ahead of the World Malaria Day, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, said the government will continue to extend its support to the global fight against malaria. This World Malaria Day, we are proud to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to continuing this global progress and ending malaria in Nigeria. And I extend our hand in partnership to all of those who will join us. Zero malaria starts with me, you, and everyone working together for a more prosperous and healthy future for all, he said. Nigerias labour and employment minister, Chris Ngige, has been in the eye of the storm after claiming the country has enough medical doctors to attend to the needs of Nigerians. While Nigerians on social media questioned the ministers understanding of the health sector, experts said the minister spoke from a position of ignorance and a politician that doesnt understand what is going on. The minister made the claim on Wednesday during Channels Televisions Sunrise Daily but did not provide any evidence to back his claim. He was responding to a question regarding Nigerian doctors who wished to relocate their practice abroad. No, I am not worried about doctors leaving the country, we have a surplus, Mr Ngige responded. If you have a surplus, you export Who said we dont have enough doctors? We have more than enough. You can quote me. There is nothing wrong in them travelling out, the minister said, claiming that doctors leaving the country would grow the economy through remittances. When they go abroad, they earn money and send them back home here. Yes, we have foreign exchange earnings from them and not just oil. Coming weeks after Saudi officials stormed Nigeria to recruit medical doctors, the ministers comment has been heavily criticised by Nigerians. It was perceived by many as the height of insensitivity especially because the minister himself is a medical doctor by profession. The comment also ran contrary to the position of the minister of health, Isaac Adewole, who had alluded to the brain drain challenge in Nigeria. Mr Adewole said the government is worried about the trend. This is why President Muhammadu Buhari asked the National Security Adviser to chair an inter-ministerial panel on how to check brain drain and turn it into brain grain, the health minister explained in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES last year. Comment Worrisome Some health experts described the ministers comment as not just ignorant to actual realities but worrisome. They said the remark is a sharp contrast of recommendations made by the World Health Organisation on doctor-patient ratio. Nigeria had over 39,000 registered medical doctors in 2017 according to official data from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). This implies that with an estimated population of 193 million as of 2016, Nigeria had one medical doctor to about 4,845 citizens, less than 20 per cent of the WHO recommendation. What the minister said is really unfortunate and I am not surprised because he spoke as a politician, said Segun Olaopa, the president, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) The minister needs to be reminded that WHO has a recommendation. The doctors-patients ratio in Nigeria is about 1 to 5,000. It is worrisome if this is satisfactory to a minister of labour, the health official told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday in a phone interview. Mr Olaopa also took shots at Mr Ngige for saying brain drain would only be inimical when, for instance, neurosurgeons travel and we dont have neurosurgeons here. The NARD president said the minister spoke from a position of ignorance, like a politician that doesnt understand what is going on. He explained that there has been an increase in brain drain in Nigeria because of the working condition and the entire total lack of motivation for medical practice. New doctors are taking foreign exams to get incorporated into foreign systems. From our findings, we realize that up to 80 per cent of our fresh graduates are seeking greener pastures outside and 50 per cent are successful in their immigration plans. If a minister, who is supposed to be looking for solutions can say such a thing about a critical sector like health, the question that comes to mind is does he know the number of doctors that are registered in the country? The president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Francis Faduyile could not be reached for comments Thursday but Punch Newspaper reported earlier that he joined a host of stakeholders in the health sector and human rights groups who countered the position of the minister. Mr Faduyile reaffirmed that Nigeria is far below WHOs doctor/patient benchmark. He questioned the ministers understanding of the health sector challenges. Advertisements Nigerians react on Social Media The minister is also receiving a backlash on the social media over Wednesdays controversial comment. His understanding of the countrys health sector was questioned by many commentators. What type of arrogance is this? We have enough doctors? Is that why your boss, President @Mbuhari, spent 39 days abroad, including over 6 months in a UK clinic? This government is a punishment on the Nigerian people, Reno Omokri, an erstwhile aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan wrote on Twitter. Ngige does not seem to have a clue of the push factors/working/living conditions/govt lapses that cause so many doctors to leave He claims there is a surplus. Does he know the Doctor:Citizen ratio in Nigeria? The real conditions of public health facilities in Nigeria??, said a twitter user. Our country currently has a deficit of about 248,572 Doctors, but Ngige said we have surplus, that is why we are exporting. A medical Doctor recently slumped and died at UBTH cos he overworked himself. Our teaching hospitals are crying for Doctors and Nurses, Ogbeni Lawrence said. Brain Drain Back Story The movement of skilled workers internationally represents brain gain for the countries that reap their skills and experience and brain drain for their countries of origin. PREMIUM TIMES reported last year that there has been a massive brain drain in the Nigeria health sector as doctors leave the country in droves. It is estimated that at least 12 Nigerian doctors leave the shores of this country to practice overseas, weekly. Statistics from General Medical Council (GMC) UK, as at July 2017 revealed that over 4,765 Nigerian doctors are working in the UK. This is 1.7 per cent of the total of the UKs medical workforce. While brain gain represents migration of intellectuals from other countries, health experts say the return of Nigerian doctors practicing abroad should be considered a brain gain for the country. During the scientific conference of the Association of Resident Doctors in 2018 on ending brain drain, Edward Ogundaye, a health entrepreneur and activist, said more attention should rather be paid on curbing the trend of health experts leaving the country. A poll conducted in August 2017 by the Nigerian Polling Organisation, (NOI) in partnership with Nigeria Health Watch found that for over 90 per cent of medical doctors intend to seek employment opportunities abroad because of low job satisfaction, poor remuneration and high deductibles from their salaries. President Muhammadu Buhari is travelling to the United Kingdom on a private visit, the Nigerian presidency has said. The president was in Lagos State on Wednesday where he commissioned some projects executed by the state government. A statement by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, Thursday morning, said Mr Buhari is scheduled to depart for Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for another official visit on Thursday. He is expected to commission developmental projects especially in the sectors of education, healthcare and roads. At the end of the visit, President Buhari will be proceeding to the United Kingdom on a private visit. He is expected to return to Nigeria on May 5, 2019, the statement said without giving any further details. Mr Buhari has in the past travelled to London for treatment of an undisclosed illness. He has spent several months in London on such trips since he assumed office in 2015. The crime branch police of Bhopal have nabbed three mobile thieves and a buyer near Sai Baba temple and recovered five mobile phones worth Rs 40,000 from their possession on Monday. Police said that acting on a tip off, one miscreant, who was trying to sell mobile phones at very low price, was nabbed near Sai Baba temple and when he was searched, two mobile phones were recovered from his possession. When the accused was questioned, no documents of mobile phones were provided. The accused was identified as Rafiq Ali (22) of Teelajamalpura and told the police that the mobile phones were stolen from weekly market at Housing Board and Mata Mandir in TT Nagar. One of the mobile phones was sold to Kashif Khan for Rs 2,000. Rafiq confessed that around two months ago, along with Bhura alias Monis, he stole a mobile phone from Sindhi Colony square. He also revealed name of another accomplice Arbaz Mansuri with whom he and Bhura stole a mobile phone from Vijay Market in Govindpura area. Finally, five mobile phones, stolen from Govindpura, TT Nagar and Hanumanganj police station areas, were recovered. Rafiq works as driver; Arbaz works as building painter and Bhura works at a automobile spare parts shop while the buyer Kasif is a student. The accused used to target victims who were busy with shopping at busy market places. New analysis has found that oil giants Shell and Enis controversial deal for a Nigerian oil licence included unprecedented terms which funded an alleged bribery scheme. The terms replicated military-rule era Sole Risk contracts, and boosted Shell and Enis internal valuations of the oil deal enough to justify the companies paying $1.1bn upfront. Italian prosecutors allege that the $1.1 billion paid by Shell and Eni for the OPL 245 licence was used to pay former Nigerian oil minister Dan Etete and intended for payment to President Jonathan, members of the government, and other Nigerian public officials. Shell, Eni and some of their senior managers are now standing trial, charged with international corruption, with prosecution pending in other countries. The award of military era style contracts for deep water fields to huge international oil companies appears to be unprecedented since the advent of civil government in Nigeria. The deal transferred massive economic benefits to the companies at the expense of the Nigerian people by giving away Nigerias right to its share of the oil produced, terms which resemble Sole Risk contracts granted only to Nigerian companies during military rule in Nigerias Deep Water. The Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources currently lists the OPL 245 license as a Sole Risk type contract in its annual report. The analysis of Shell and Enis valuation documents prepared before they agreed the deal in 2011 appears to show that the transfer of Nigerias share of future revenue to the companies was essential for the companies to be willing to pay over a billion dollars upfront, money that prosecutors say was used to pay massive bribes. The analysis also found that the Nigerian states ability to buy their rights back was heavily restricted in the deal with Nigeria having to pay $650m plus interest up front to re-acquire a stake worth an estimated $2 billion in future revenue. These rights would still leave Nigeria with a far lower share of the oil production than recommended by the IMF, and 15 per cent or $3.5 billion lower than previous terms for the same license. The analysis was carried out by expert oil consultancy firm, Resources for Development, commissioned by NGOs Global Witness, HEDA, Re: Common and The Corner House using publicly available documents including Shell and Enis valuations of the oil block. An analysis published in late 2018 by the same firm showed that the terms of the contract could reduce the Nigerian governments revenue from the fields by $5.86 billion over the lifetime of the project when compared to the standard Production Sharing Contract (PSC) terms in place in Nigeria since 2005, assuming an oil price of $70 per barrel. Emails between Shell managers at the time showed they were aware that the deal would not give Nigeria rights to the share of its oil that is usual in deals between country governments and international companies. Nigerias most senior civil servant in the Department of Petroleum Resources objected strongly to the terms of the deal at the time, calling it highly prejudicial to the interests of the Federal Government, but Nigerian ministers appeared to have ignored or overruled these concerns. Shell managers had been briefed that the ministers who overruled civil servants to approve the deal were likely to receive bribes. Nigeria is currently pursuing civil claims against Shell and Eni over the deal which they claim Shell and Eni engaged in for bribery and unlawful conspiracy to harm the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that they dishonestly assisted corrupt Nigerian government officials. The current Nigerian Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, reportedly suggested that Nigeria could reach a settlement with the companies with a deal including Nigeria re-acquiring a stake in OPL 245. President Buhari reportedly rejected any settlement, ordered a halt to development of the oil block until all issues are resolved and the legal process has run its course. Barnaby Pace, a campaigner at Global Witness said, Weve known of allegations of vast bribery in this deal for years. Now weve learned that Shell and Eni profited unfairly through military era contract terms meaning that it was Nigerias share of oil that was used to fuel profiteering and payoffs. It is simply unacceptable that Shell and Eni should be allowed to hold on to this scandalous deal. These companies and Nigerian officials agreed a sweetheart deal that deprives Nigeria of money it badly needs to build schools and pay doctors. President Buhari should reject any deal that leaves the OPL 245 oil license with these companies, said Olanrewaju Suraju of HEDA. Shell and Eni represented their OPL 245 contract as a production sharing system, yet it includes no sharing of production for Nigeria. This shockingly poor deal must be cancelled, said Nick Hildyard of The Corner House. The Italian government is discouraging Nigerian migrants trying to reach Italy by claiming that it will help them at home, but Italys biggest multinational, part owned by the state, is accused of depriving the Nigerian people of billions. The OPL 245 scandal appears to show that Italians are not helping the poorest, but profiting from them, said Antonio Tricarico of Re: Common. Shell and Eni were asked for their comments on the analyses. Both companies and their managers have denied wrongdoing and criminality in the deal. Shell stated that In line with correct legal process, many of these issues will be considered by the court and we do not wish to interfere with those proceedings. Eni claimed in light of their ongoing trial, Eni is unable to disclose information relevant for the pending proceedings, nor is it otherwise willing to publicly disclose data that are sensitive in nature. They noted that Eni appointed experts in court will cover the significant benefits for Nigeria from the deal and that it will be shown to be transparent, lawful and beneficial for Nigeria. Two Chinese nationals, Sun Zhixin and Wang Quing Hu, have been kidnapped in Ebonyi State, South-east Nigeria. The two men are workers of Tongyi construction company. They were working on a road project in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State when they were forcefully whisked away by armed gunmen. They were taken off the construction site around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday by a group of masked armed men. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the Chinese nationals were at a place called Ivo river when the gunmen invaded the place with arms, forced the workers out of the pit and took the two Chinese to an unknown destination. The company is constructing the road which links the Ohaozara community called Ogwu with Ivo local government and Okpanku community in Enugu State. The police spokesperson in the state, Odah Loveth, confirmed the kidnap of the two Chinese. She said the police have dispatched officials to rescue the victims. The State Commissioner of Police, Awoshola Awotinde, on receiving information of the kidnap personally led a tactical team to the construction site, owned by Tongyi group of companies located at Ivo river at the boundary between Ebonyi and Enugu state, where Sun Zhixin and Wang Quing Hu, both male, Chinese nationals were forcefully taken away. The area was combed to track down the bandits but no result, a track down rescue team has been dispatched to move on in order to rescue the Chinese nationals unhurt, she said. She appealed for adequate information from the general public to help the police in their investigation. She expressed shock that the company moved to such lonely site without applying for security from the police. The kidnap of the Chinese citizens occurs days after a Briton was killed in Kaduna State, North-west Nigeria, during a kidnap. Two Nigerians were kidnapped in that incident. The House of Representatives has resolved to probe an alleged non-remittance of stamp duty revenue by deposit banks in the country. The lawmakers paased the resolution after adopting a motion of urgent national importance brought before it by Goni Lawal (APC, Yobe). The stamp duty is the tax placed on legal documents, usually in the transfer of assets or property. The house resolution is coming months after an FOI request was sent in July on behalf of LeaksNG to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) PLC. The information requested were a report of stamp duty remittances by Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions, the current status of the stamp duty central account domiciled in the CBN, stamp duty revenue remitted to the CBN by NIBSS between 2016 and 2017 and amount of revenue collected by NIPOST between 2010 and 2016. The lawmakers accused banks and other federal agencies involved in the collection of the fund of shortchanging the nation. Moving the motion, Mr Lawan urged his colleagues to investigate the matter after efforts by both local and international civil society organizations to get details of the collections have failed. He said the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) had in 2014 initiated the stamp duty collection scheme, after which the School Banking Honours (SBH) obtained authorisation of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to engage the banks and other collection agents. But public institutions, including the CBN, Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), NIPOST, among others, have over time failed to remit stamp duty taxes into the federation account running into trillions, he said. While the deductible amount per bank account may seem small, it cumulatively adds up to money in trillions of naira, and must be subjected to the full condition of disclosure and transparency. The lawmaker added that such funds, if made available, could have been used for infrastructural development or at least should have generated some interests in the private accounts where the fund is domiciled. Some lawmakers also raised concern over the issue which they said is in disobedience to the treasury single account (TSA) policy. The Speaker Yakubu Dogara, while commenting on the issue said it is unacceptable for the banks to fail to remit the stamp duties to the CBN. The speaker set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the whereabouts of the fund and report back in four weeks. Abdullahi Gana, the Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has directed the agencys Forensic Psychology unit to work out a timetable for security profiling and psychological test of all personnel. The directive followed the Gombe State incident of Sunday where an NSCDC officer allegedly drove his car into a procession of Boys Brigade members, killing nine and wounding many others. In a statement by the Corps Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Okeh, in Abuja on Wednesday, the commandant-general explained that the action was aimed at checking future misbehaviour by NSCDC personnel. Apart from testing to re-examine the psychological and physical stability of personnel, the Corps will embark on massive training and retraining programmes for all personnel, irrespective of cadre. I regret the incident and ask that people be calm as I assure you that justice will prevail, Mr Gana said. He said the incident had no religious connotation and the personnel in question was not on official duty as the vehicle involved was his personal car. This cannot be misconstrued to be a planned action. It is quite unfortunate, he said. Mr Gana cautioned the public against misinterpreting incidences such as occurred in Gombe to avoid mayhem and reprisal attacks. He urged NSCDC personnel to be cautious in dealing with the public, saying anyone found culpable would be held liable to whatever offence committed. The commandant-general said he had sent a delegation of senior officers from the headquarters in Abuja to commiserate with Gombe State Government, the church and families of the dead. (NAN) The African Development Bank (AfDB) says its investment in Nigeria stood at $4.5 billion as of March this year. Emeka Anuforo, Media Relations Officer of the bank, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday. Mr Anuforo said the banks active portfolio in the country comprised 60 operations which included 28 public sector operations. At the end of March 2019, the banks active portfolio in Nigeria comprises 60 operations with total commitments of US$4.5 billion. These include 28 public sector operations with total commitments of US$1.7 billion (21 national and seven regional); 34 non-sovereign operations with total commitments of US$2.8 billion, he said. Meanwhile, the media relations officer said the AfDBs President, Akinwumi Adesina, who visited President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja thanked the president for his support to the bank and pledged the AfDBs commitment to fast-tracking Africas development. He said Mr Adesina also highlighted several reforms at the bank and strategic efforts to move the banks operations closer to countries. Mr Anuforo quoted Mr Adesina as saying that the banks robust operations in Nigeria have had significant results and impacts on the ground, and continued to accelerate the countrys economic transformation as well as improve the lives of millions. He said, following Nigerias request to the bank, Mr Adesina reported that the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, had accepted to co-chair a multi-billion fund-raising session to revive the Lake Chad, a strategic effort that had major climate, economic, agricultural and employment implications for the region. Mr Anuforo also quoted President Buhari as commending the AfDB for its successes and pledged Nigerias continuous support for the institution. According to him, Mr Buhari also applauded the banks interventions in infrastructure and agriculture and encouraged the institution to keep supporting countries like Nigeria to grow agriculture as a business through the promotion of agro-industrial zones in the country. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday reiterated his governments resolve to rescue the abducted school girls in Chibok, Borno State. Speaking during a working visit in the state, the president said it was unfortunate that some of the Chibok girls, kidnapped since 2014, are still being held in captivity. We are not giving up on Chibok girls, he said, echoing his statement during a bilateral meeting in Poland, four months ago. We are not going to give up on them. Government will do everything possible to ensure that they are rescued and reunited with their families, he added. The president spoke at the palace of Shehu of Borno, where he paid homage to Abubakar Garbai Elkanemi. Addressing top government and security officials, as well as a cross-section of Borno monarchs, the president said the governments commitment to resuscitating learning in the state was legendary. Since my arrival this morning, I have seen and commissioned different projects, he said I am really impressed by governor Shettimas very unique approach towards resuscitating education sector, particularly at the primary level. It is essential to give priority attention to the primary education in order to improve quality of education in line with international standards. He said Borno governments focus on education is not only commendable but also very imperative because it came in the midst of security challenges like the criminal activities of the Boko Haram. He said the insurgents have, over the years, demonstrated their hate for education by abducting school girls in Dapchi and Chibok. The president said his government would do all within its powers to consolidate on the victory won over Boko Haram insurgency. He commended the Borno State government for taking advantage of the successes achieved in the area of counterinsurgency war to invest in the area of housing, education, agriculture, and industrial development. He particularly mentioned the building of mega schools for advancing girl child education as an initiative that would go a long way in decimating the Boko Haram ideology. I therefore assure you that the federal government will continue to support you in many different ways. The president had earlier thanked the people of Borno State for their continued support for his presidency as demonstrated during the last general election, where he won a second term mandate. Earlier, Mr Shettima thanked the president for his support for the state, especially in the area of deploying troops and resources to tackle Boko Haram. Mr Shettima said no leader of the country has so much love for the people of Borno State like President Buhari, we are here to thank you (for) the fatherly love. The Shehu of Borno commended the presidents performance in the last four years. He said this is the reason the people of Borno and Nigerians gave him a new mandate to rule the state for another four years. The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, says the police are in the process of acquiring and deploying less lethal weaponry during operations. Mr Adamu made this known on Thursday in Osogbo, the state capital, at the inauguration of a Zonal Security Stakeholders Forum, a community policing concept for the Police Zone XI comprising Ondo, Osun and Oyo States. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum was aimed at galvanising the people of the three states toward identifying and partnering with the police to address peculiar security challenges. The IGP, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, said he had commenced the process of addressing factors that engender conflict and distrust between the citizens and the police, particularly issues bordering on misuse of firearms and sundry abuses of police powers. Toward this end, we are in the process of migrating from total dependence on lethal weaponry as first line of police operations toward acquiring and deploying less lethal weaponry such as taser or stun guns. Under the new policy, personnel on low-risk policing duties like routine patrols, arrest duties, and civil disorder management will be armed with taser guns or stun guns as a strategic approach toward reducing incidents of fatalities associated with misapplication of lethal weapons by the police when faced with low level threats, he said. He also ordered that the shift duty structure of the Nigeria Police, which is currently a 12-hour, two -shift system should be reverted to the traditional eight-hours, three-shifts shift standard. Mr Adamu said the medical service of the police had also been directed to introduce emotional intelligence, stress management and cognitive therapy toward enhancing the psychological and emotional stability of all police personnel while on duty. He said all these initiatives were directed at closing the trust gap between the police and the citizens as well as create a conducive condition for partnership between them. Mr Adamu commended the foresight, professional depth and sense of commitment to duty of Adeleye Oyebade, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone XI, Osogbo, for conceptualising and driving the process of inaugurating the stakeholders forum. He said he had initiated actions toward inaugurating a Nigeria Police Community Policing Implementation Standing Committee. (NAN) The reinstated Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Suleiman Bogoro, has said most Nigerian professors are not capable of getting global grants for research because of poor research proposals. Despite the growing number of Nigerian professors, said to be about 8000, the TETfund boss is worried that many professors have low capacity to write quality research proposals. Mr Bogoro said this while speaking at an interactive session with directors of research of Nigerian universities in Abuja on Wednesday. The event was organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC). The event had the theme Bolstering Research Impact and Relevance through Systematic Research Governance in Nigeria. According to Mr Bogoro, some of the proposals coming to TETFund make one to wonder if some of these professors in question are actually the principal investigators in the proposal. He said about 80 per cent (proposals) are condemned because they are poor. I have been in some platforms overseas where some Nigerian professors have been invited and they were reluctant to climb the podium because they wanted to get PhD at that stage. It is the title that bothers them not the knowledge, he said. Now they have wangled their way to top professors, but give them the topmost platform in the world, they wont want to climb because they will misrepresent the title they are carrying. This is a challenge to us, he said. TETFund Strides Mr Bogoro said TETfund has made N10 million available for all beneficiary institutions for capacity building and training for research proposal writing. I insist that it will be made available to Vice Chancellors, Provosts to create a week-long training to improve the capacities of our researchers in proposal writing so that we can win grants, he said. Mr Bogoro said Nigerian universities have dwelled too long on teaching rather than research. The TETfund boss said most of the countrys research is only for promotion and not for assessing societal ills. Also speaking, the executive secretary of the NUC, Abubakar Rasheed, said the interactive session is aimed at reviving the culture of rigorous and relevance research. Nigeria institutions must therefore take the necessary steps to put research on the front burner of their activities so they can take their rightful place as leaders in the knowledge generation industries with impactful research findings, he said. He said the challenges of researchers from the universities include lack of motivation, low morale, among others. He noted that Nigeria must begin the process of consciously turning some of the universities into research conscious institutions. He urged universities to refocus their efforts on building a robust research system to access grants from institutions across the world. The Tertiary Education Trust Fund is charged with the responsibility of supporting public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. TETfunds objectives include supporting and enhancing activities in various education areas, such as Teacher Education, Teaching Practice, Library Development and Special Education Programmes. The Senate has invited the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, for a briefing over the spate of kidnappings across Nigeria. The lawmakers said the invitation is to help profer lasting solution to the menace. The IGPs invitation is one of the many resolutions made after a deliberation on a motion on the senseless killing of a Briton and the abduction of three others in a Holiday Resort in Kaduna State by armed bandits. The motion was sponsored by Shehu Sani (PRP, Kaduna Central). The Briton, Faye Mooney, an aid worker, was killed in Kajuru Castle, a recreational location in Kaduna State last week. The armed bandits killed Ms Mooney, Matthew Oguche, a Nigerian training assistant with the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), and kidnapped three others. Leading the debate, Mr Sani said attacks on individuals, houses, and villages have become too many and not one suspect has been prosecuted for the crime. He expressed worry that the bandits tend to be gaining more courage to perpetuate their acts due to their acclaimed superior firepower. While stating that Kajuru and Kaduna State are under siege. He also said the northern Nigeria has become a theatre of killings and kidnappings. In his remark, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said the recent happenings were not the first time a non-Nigerian (especially construction/aid workers) was kidnapped in the country. He said if nothing is done, Nigeria will continue to be profiled as a terrorist state abroad. This nations security has been breached. Tourists who have plans of coming to Nigeria will now think twice before coming. And this is affecting our economy. It is important to take this issue seriously in order to protect our national image. Even if it means declaring a state of emergency in affected states, so be it, Mr Ekweremadu said. Andrew Uchendu, who condemned the act, blamed it on the idleness of the Nigerian youth. The truth is these things keep happening because the youth are idle and have a lot of energy. According to him, if the youth are engaged, the rate of such crimes will drastically reduce. It was during the resolutions that Mr Ekweremadu suggested that the IGP be invited as he hoped he (Mr Adamu) will honour the invitation. Mr President, since we now have a new IGP as the other one was uninterested in talking to us, let us invite him to give a holistic view of the state of kidnapping across the country with a view to finding a lasting solution, he said. This prayer was seconded and unanimously adopted. The Senate also resolved to urge security agencies to immediately deploy the use of drones and interceptors in tracking kidnappers asking for ransom. The Senate also resolved to fast-track the concurrence of the Police Reform and the Police Trust Fund Bills with the House of Representatives for transmission to the president for assent. Other resolutions are to urge telecommunications companies to provide security agencies with information in areas where there are kidnappings, and urge community leaders, traditional rulers and all stakeholders to co-operate with security agencies. The Senate also urged security agencies to give special security cover to foreign workers and tourists. It resolved to send a delegation to the British embassy to console with the British government. Advertisements The Senate, however, rejected a prayer to urge the executive to sign the Peace Corps Bill to engage the youth. Senate President Bukola Saraki hoped there would be cooperation from the IGP. He also prayed for a strong relationship between the Senate and the security agencies. According to him, the passage of the Police Reform and the Police Trust Fund Bills is proof that the Senate is ready to work with them. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that there is no plan to dissolve the federal cabinet. President Muhammadu Buhari had last week asked ministers to submit a comprehensive status reports on policies, programmes and projects from their respective ministries, departments and agencies. He asked them to make the submissions to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha. The announcement led to speculations that the president was planning to dissolve his cabinet ahead of his inauguration on May 29 for a second time. Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council on Thursday, Mr Mohammed said the cabinet is still intact, and we are going to have a valedictory service on 22nd of May. The meeting was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) in Gurugram's Palam Vihar on Wednesday claimed to have arrested two persons for alleged involvement in the smuggling of Cannabis (ganja) in city. Police have also seized 50 kg of cannabis worth Rs 3 lakh from the possession of the accused who used to procure it from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The accused have been identified as Hari Om (36) and Varun Tyagi (38) both residents of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. "The probe team had specific information about the criminals who were involved in smuggling contraband drugs. Following secret information the police team put up a checkpoint at Daultabad Chowk on Dwarka Expressway and nabbed the criminals in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday and seized a Tata Xenon car and contraband," said Shamsher Singh Dahiya Assistant Commissioner of police (crime). A police official said the culprits smuggling the drug from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and used to supply in the Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) as per the demand. "During the questioning, the culprit reveals that they used to buy cannabis at cost of Rs 2,000 from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and sell the drug in the Delhi and NCR and adjoining states at a profit of Rs 5,000 to 6,000. They were involved in cannabis smuggling for the last three months," Dahiya said. "A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered against the duo at the Rajendra Park police station The accused will be taken on remand for further questioning. It could be possible the duo is active members of inter-state drug paddlers," Gurugram police spokesperson Subhash Boken said. It may be recalled that on March 2, the Gurugram police had arrested three persons and seized 1.858 kg methadone from their possession. The seized methadone powder is valued at Rs 25 lakh in the international market. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N52 billion for an e-border solution to monitor the countrys borders. The approval was granted Thursday during the FEC meeting, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the council chamber of State House presidential villa, Abuja. The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, announced the approval while briefing State House correspondents. He said the contract will cover 86 border posts and the over 1400 illegal routes being used for smuggling and other cross border crimes. Details later. The National Youth Service Corps Scheme is compulsory for Nigerians who graduate before the age of 30 and it is an experience many graduates look forward to. The scheme, however, left sorrow in the family of Oluwatobiloba Popoola, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife who was posted to Bayelsa State for service. Mr Popoola was killed on March 21 at Victory International School, Swali Yenagoa in Bayelsa State where he was posted for primary his assignment. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that some hoodlums attacked the school while Mr Popoola and his colleagues were marking the students examination scripts. He eventually died in the attack. Traumatised Family The victims brother, Jacob Popoola, told PREMIUM TIMES that the family was demanding a thorough investigation and justice for the victim. He lived with the proprietor of the school alongside his colleagues. But I was called on 22 of March and informed that some hoodlums attacked Corps members in the school and that our son was killed. I left my place of work immediately. I proceeded to Oyo NYSC office and they told me the report they heard was that they were attacked while marking examination scripts, Jacob said. He said the Bayelsa State NYSC coordinator later asked the family to apply to bring the corpse to Oyo State. The body arrived at the state on March 30 and was handed over to the family for burial. When they came, the NYSC representative brought the sum of N100,000 as consolation fee which I initially rejected. But the NYSC coordinator called back pleading that the family should take the money and we eventually did. Our worry was, however, that the proprietor of the school or any representative of the school where he was serving did not even call or show any sympathy, despite the fact that NYSC told us that they had provided our contact details to the school. He then told us they will never send corps members to the place again. The family said the refusal of the school to show up and explain how their son was killed denied the family the consolation of getting a clear picture of the incident. We also expected that the police would get in touch but they refused until last week that the Bayelsa State Police spokesperson called to apologise for the police force, he said. The police emphasised that our son did not have links with the hoodlums. But unfortunately, we are yet to know the steps being taken for justice. The mother of the deceased, Mrs Oladoyinbo, said her son was never a cultist or involved with any illegal group. We want the police to get to the roots of this matter and allow justice to prevail, she said. School Proprietor Mum PREMIUM TIMES made several efforts to reach out to the Proprietor of Victory International School, Jerry Yeseme, in Yenagoa; but the efforts did not yield success. When PREMIUM TIMES first contacted him, Mr Yeseme told our correspodent to send him text messages. He has, however, refused to respond to subsequent calls and text messages on the matter. He also blocked this reporters phone number from reaching him. NYSC Reacts When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the Bayelsa State coordinator of NYSC, Loto B. O, she said the scheme had sympathised with the family of the deceased. A letter of condolence obtained by PREMIUM TIMES reads: With our heart full of grief, the director general of NYSC, staff and all corps members in Bayelsa State sympathise with the family of Popoola over the death of a patriotic Corps member The death came as great question to us coming at a time when the family and the nation needed him most. Words cannot express how we feel. But we pray the Almighty God will give the departed soul eternal rest and the family fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Troubled Police The Bayelsa State Police spokesperson, Asinim Butswat, said he was supprised that the school where the incident happened had not reached out to the family of the deceased. I have been involved with the brother of the deceased, Jacob. I understand the familys plight concerning the death of their son. We have assured them that justice will be done by arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators. Advertisements He said a thorough investigation was ongoing on the matter. On the negligence of the the school where the incident happened, the police spokesperson said: I would not know why he didnt reach out to them. How will somebody contributing to your school be killed without you showing interest in what happened to his family? I will try again and keep in touch as investigation goes on. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has clarified his position on the issue of migration by Nigerian medical doctors to foreign nations, a development which has reportedly led to brain drain in the nations medical profession. Mr Ngige made this known in a statement signed by Nwachukwu Obidiwe, his Special Assistant on Media, in Abuja on Thursday. He was reacting to a media report on Channels Television, where he reportedly said the issue of doctors leaving the country in a large number did not call for much concern. He described the attendant controversies that had trailed the comment in the media as unnecessary, calling for a deeper understanding of the issue in question. I speak from the vantage position of being a medical doctor and member, Nigerian Medical Association since June, 1979 and enriched by my vast knowledge on health administration. Having retired as a Deputy Director, Medical Services and Training from the Federal Ministry of Health in 1998, member of Vision 2010 Committee on Health as well as senior member, Senate Committee on Health 2011-2015, therefore the truth no matter how it hurts, must be told and reality, boldly faced. Hence, apart from Nigerias non-compliance with the World Health Organisations ratio of one doctor to six hundred patients of which I was misquoted, every other thing I said in that interview is an existential reality, useful and constructive facts which every Nigerian that watched the full interview will hardly dispute. I invite opinion moulders especially those who have spoken or written on this issue to watch the full clip of my interview with the channels. And it is for this reason that I admitted having a little cause to worry about brain drain among medical doctors. The fact is that while the Federal Government has recorded a remarkably steady improvement in our healthcare system, Nigeria is yet to get there. Mr Ngige said. The minister added that Nigeria did not at present, have enough health facilities to accommodate all the doctors seeking to do tertiary specialist training (residency) in the teaching hospitals, federal medical centres and few accredited state and private specialist centres in the country. He also noted that roughly 20 per cent of the yearly applicants were being absorbed while the remaining 80 per cent tried their luck elsewhere. He, however, noted that most of these rejected applicants usually throng the Federal Ministry of Health and that of Labour and Employment to complain of being illegally schemed out. The statement explained further that what the minister meant was that these professionals had the right to seek training abroad to sharpen their skills and become specialists. They later turn this problem to a national advantage when they repatriate their legitimate earnings and later return to the country. Even where some of these doctors are bonded to their overseas training institutions, examples abound on the large number of them who have successfully returned to settle and establish specialist centres across the country. It is, therefore, a question of turning your handicap to an advantage, the minister said. He said the situation was not peculiar to Nigeria, as countries like Pakistan, Ceylon, Bangledesh exported teachers to secondary schools in the old Eastern and Northern Regions in the 60s and 70s when their earnings were also repatriated to their countries. He further stated that the Ministry of Labour and Employment had a migration policy, developed with the European Union to assist skilled Nigerians to work and earn decent living abroad. He also noted that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora had done a lot of work in encouraging Nigerian professionals abroad to return. He also noted that a good number of doctors were relocating from the United States and other European countries. Luckily, the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and Employment is developing a federal assisted programme for these young doctors and other allied health professionals such as pharmacists, physiotherapists in a move to broaden training opportunities. It again asserted that Nigeria has enough medical personnel to man non-specialist centres in the rural areas, he said He regretted that the major problem was the refusal of young doctors to work in the hinterland. Advertisements Even the National Youth Service Corps doctors, all, today seek postings to the cities as against what obtained some decades ago. Besides, doctors who did not get the few vacancies in the tertiary centres especially those owned by the Federal Government find it difficult to work in the rural hospitals. But the truth is that the Federal Government has in its 2019 Budget now before the National Assembly, implemented the Health Act provisions for one per cent of the consolidated revenue of the Federation to be added to the health budget to boost medical services. This, especially at the grassroots in partnership with the state governments who are expected to make a five per cent counterpart contribution, he added. He, therefore, said the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) State chapters and National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had a duty to campaign and persuade State governments to devote more funds to healthcare. He added that doctors union was not only for the purpose of personal aggrandisement, or asking for more emoluments and urging members to go on strike. Therefore, while the Federal Government, indeed, government at all levels strive to meet up with the World Health ratio of one doctor to five hundred patients. We appeal to the Nigerian Medical Association to prevail on its members to serve in the rural areas. That the Federal Government has an on-going programme that will in near future, revive and revitalise all the basic health centres in all the wards across the federation, he said. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on a working visit. Mr Buharis aircraft arrived the Nigeria Air Force base at about 10.40 a.m. The president was received by a retinue of security and government officials led by the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima. Mr Buhari is expected to proceed from the airport to earmarked sites for commissioning and inspection of projects. According to the programme outlined for the day, the president is expected to commission and inspect about 11 projects Earlier, the Borno State government declared today a public holiday because of the presidents visit. The governor urged residents to troop out to welcome Mr Buhari. The states commissioner for information, Muhammed Bulama, said: government regrets any inconvenience that may be caused to the general public and appeals for their support, understanding and cooperation during the visit. After the visit to Borno, Mr Buhari is expected to travel to the UK on a personal visit, his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said. Details of the visit were not made known. The Nigerian Army has urged Southeast residents not to panic over the movement of troops and sounds of gunshots as it conducts its annual Range Classification exercise for 2019. The deputy director, army public relations 82 Division, Aliyu Yusuf, made the appeal in a statement on Thursday in Enugu. Mr Yusuf said the movement of troops to and from the exercise area as well as the sounds of gunshots would be expected during the period of the exercise. According to him, the general public is, therefore, advised to go about their daily activities without panic as this is a routine military exercise. The 82 Division, Nigerian Army, will be conducting the 2019 Range Classification Exercise; in line with the Nigerian Army 2019 training scheduled from Tuesday, April 23, to Saturday, April 27, at 34 Brigade Shooting Range, Owerri, Imo State. The exercise, which is an annual routine training activity, aims at testing personnel effectiveness in weapon handling and firing efficiency, thereby providing the required platform for better professional competence, he said. (NAN) Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office, on Thursday nabbed 32 suspected internet fraudsters in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital. Tony Orilade, the commissions Spokesman disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. According to him, the suspects, aged between 15 and 39 years were arrested at Liberty Estate, Laderin area in Abeokuta, during an early morning operation carried out by men of the commission. Due to the timing, the suspects were taken by surprise when the EFCC operatives swept on them at one of their notorious havens in the ancient city. 14 of them claimed to be undergraduates while 18 others said they were self-employed in various vocations. The arrest was sequel to a petition detailing their alleged fraudulent activities, including internet fraud through which they obtain money from unsuspecting victims. Six exotic cars, laptops, cell phones, several documents containing false pretences and fetish objects were among items recovered from the suspects. The suspects are already helping operatives with useful information and will be charged to court once investigation is concluded. the spokesman said. (NAN) The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State on Thursday met with various security agencies in the state to ensure successful supplementary election in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency on Saturday. INEC Spokesman, Femi Akinbiyi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) that the commission was ready to conclude the exercise. NAN reports that the meeting, held at the INEC Office, Sabo-Yaba, had representatives of various security outfits including the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in attendance. Others at the meeting were representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Department of State Security (DSS), the Nigerian Army, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Mr Akinbiyi said the security agents had given assurance that there would be safety of men and materials for the election. He said: The commission is fully prepared for Saturday April 27 supplementary election in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency. Today, we held an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting on the issue, and at the end of the meeting, they (security agencies) assured the people of the affected area that there is going to be adequate security of men and materials for the elections. As such, people in the constituency should come out en masse and vote for the candidate of their choice, Mr Akinbiyi told NAN. According to him, the supplementary election becomes imperative due to the margin of lead between the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that of the All Progressives Congress in the February 23 election. As a result of the court order that directed the commission to release the result of the election conducted on February 23, the commission declared the result on April 17 and the election was declared inconclusive. This was because there were anomalies, over voting and non-compliance to the use of smart card readers in some polling units in the area. We have 71 polling units where the elections were cancelled for reason of over voting and violence, he said. These, he said, cut across eight registration areas (Wards), with the total registered voters in the affected areas being 43, 660. According to him, the materials for the poll are in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and will be retrieved on Friday for onward movement to the constituency, then to the Registration Area Centres (RACs). We will retrain some of the ad hoc staff that will be engaged for the poll same Friday at the RACs. The smart card readers that will be used for the area have been reconfigured, the Public Relations Officer said. According to the commission, the affected areas are: Ward 02, Awodi Ora with three polling units; Ward 03, Wilmer with six polling units; Ward 04, Olodi with one polling unit and Ward 05, Tolu with 27 polling units. Others are: Ward 07, Ojo Road with two polling units; Ward 09, Alaba-Oro with two polling units, Ward 10, Mosafejo with 18 polling units and Ward 11, Temidire 2 with 12 polling units. The PDP candidate, Rita Orji polled 31, 982 votes, while Kolawole Taiwo of the APC scored 28, 758 votes in the result declared by the commission for the February 23 election. The difference between PDP and APC is 3,224. (NAN) After being denied a BJP ticket to contest from Hoshiarpur, an angry Union Minister Vijay Sampla said the party has committed "cow slaughter". The BJP on Tuesday picked up its Phagwara MLA Som Prakash for the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat, denying ticket to Sampla from there. Sampla gave vent to his anger in a series of tweets, hitting out at his party. "Feel very sad, the BJP has done cow slaughter," the senior party leader tweeted in Hindi. In another tweet, the Dalit leader sought to present his clean credentials and asked the party what was his fault and why he was denied renomination. "You should have pointed out any fault. What is my fault?" he tweeted. "There is no corruption charge against me. No one can raise a finger at my conduct," he said. Sampla, also a former state BJP president, highlighted the development work he undertook during his tenure as an MP. "I got an airport in my region, got many new trains started, got roads built," tweeted Sampla. "If this is the fault, I will tell my coming generations that they must not commit these mistakes," he said in his tweet. Sampla also removed the word 'Chowkidar' from his twitter handle prefixed earlier. He is the Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment. A prominent Dalit leader, Sampla has been raising the issue of disbursement of post-matric scholarships to the SC students and had even accused the Congress government in Punjab of denying benefits of the scheme to the SC students. Let businesses decide on paid sick leave for staff The new paid sick leave act that was recently passed into law in New Jersey is predictably causing many staffing problems at my workplace. Some of my co-workers use the sick time incessantly. And because of it we are almost always short-handed. My supervisors and managers often work on the production lines along with their subordinates. And like me, some of my fellow co-workers who choose to report to work regardless if theyre sick are saddled with double the workloads and responsibilities caused by the absences. I myself rarely call out sick. Being a heart attack survivor with a manageable longtime pre-existing condition (high blood pressure), if I can rise in the morning with a minor cold or aches and pains and feel I can put in a reasonably honest days work, I will do it. I wish more people had the same philosophy as mine. From the day this law was proposed in the state Legislature, I predicted that it would be abused by people with no work ethic or integrity. Theyre likely the ones who elected our progressive governor, Phil Murphy, as well as support the ideals of Bernie Sanders and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. Claiming that she was out for contesting election only because atrocities and excesses are on the rise, BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate, Pragya Thakur, attacked Congress candidate Digvijaya Singh. She stated that she was in the poll fray to reply to those who branded the Bhagwa (saffron) as terrorism. While addressing an election rally before submitting her nomination, Thakur alleged that there was no safety for women in earlier Government (Congress) and women were subjected to all kinds of atrocities and torture and she was a live example of this. She said the Congress party has no respect for women and one Priyanka (Chaturvedi) who took part in TV debates was an example of this as she was harassed by some party leaders and later, she joined Shiv Sena. Peeved over return of some party leaders who allegedly harassed her, Chaturvedi has resigned from Congress and joined Shiv Sena. Modi Government has ensured respect for women and the Shivraj Government had undertaken all kinds of welfare schemes for the women which the Congress Government has stopped in four months of rule, she alleged. BJP Government had taken the state from darkness to light, she claimed adding they (Congress) believe in the opposite, referring to the power cuts in Congress Government, of late. Responding to Digvijaya Singhs vision document of Bhopals development, the BJP candidate claimed people are talking about development agenda so I would like to reply that we would seek public advice before chalking out a plan. Referring to Digvijaya governments defeat in 2003, Thakur claimed a sadhvi had trampled him 16 years ago and he (Singh) could not rise after the defeat and as he has returned to fight again, another sadhvi is here to defeat him once again. She claimed that she was here to fight against those who linked Hindus and Bhagwa with terrorism. She also claimed the Congress was in ego of power, claiming that Congress Government wont last long in MP. "We are happy to hear the news that there will be no immediate attempt to drill off the New Jersey coast. Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton has advocated against offshore drilling near the Cape May County coast since he first took office over 40 years ago," according to a statement from the county. "That support has been bolstered by the current members of the Freeholder Board. The County will continue to be vigilant to fight against future attempts that could impact our tourism, fishing, and general economy." Oil industry officials said they were optimistic that the case would not be tied up in court for too long. We are hopeful that an appeal of this case will move quickly and that we can proceed with the important work of exploring for Americas offshore resources without unnecessary delay, Erik Milito, vice president of upstream operations at the American Petroleum Institute, said in a statement. The drilling proposal was widely condemned by residents along the Jersey Shore, where many fear a billion-dollar commercial fishing industry could be disrupted. The 4th Trans India Law Associates (TILA) International Energy Conference was recently organised by Dr Gopal Energy Foundation (DEGEF) and brought together key stakeholders from across the world to boost the power sector The 4th Trans India Law Associates (TILA) International Energy Conference was organised by the Dr Gopal Energy Foundation (DGEF) at New Delhi recently. The international event was inaugurated by the director general of the International Solar Alliance, Upendra Tripathi. The chief guest on the occasion released the Right to Energy Declaration and launched the TICE Achievers Award 2020, for institutions and/or individuals who contribute to accelerate the pace of energy revolution through various innovative means. The dignitaries present on the occasion included the managing director of Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), J N Swain, the managing director of PTC, Pawan Singh, the managing director of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), KS Popli, Anjuli Chandra from Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) and Ramesh Chaudhry from BERC, among others. DGEF is a premiere non-profit organisation founded on April 15, 2015, which has been working to enable an energy revolution by serving the international community in the disciplines of power, petroleum, gas, coal, nuclear and renewable energy sector, with the motto Energy for All. The conference witnessed an Open House Multilateral Dialogue on need for energy revolution between representatives of various countries including Nigeria, South Korea, Cameroon and Canada among others. The international community, including representatives from the Solar Alliance, Electricity Regulatory Commission, public sector undertaking units, energy funding agencies and various financial corporations, participated in this conference. The convener of the conference, Raj Singh Niranjan, who is also an energy law expert and the managing partner of TILA, said that the objective of the conference is to bring about an 'energy revolution' by bringing together all key stakeholders on a single platform. This would allow them all to discuss the existing government's initiatives, policies and innovative ideas and to suggest potential measures for a wholesome implementation of the Indian government's initiative (Urja Kranti) to remove the course of energy poverty in India. Some of the themes on which the delegates deliberated included sovereign fund/lending to the power sector and state regulatory bodies. During the conference, the delegates and energy experts from across the globe resolved to observe April 15th as Right to Energy Day every year. Keeping in view the above, the 5th TILA International Conference on Energy 2020 will be convened on April 15 in New Delhi. The conference was supported by leading companies in the energy sector like Power Finance Corporation (PFC), Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), IREDA, Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited (THDCIL), Satluj Jal Vidyut Limited (SJVNL), Railway Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL), National Hydro Electric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC), Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO), Patel Engineering, Jakson, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Gujarat Metro, Maharashtra Metro, PTC Financial Services and others. Trans India Law Associates, the legal adviser to the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was the knowledge partner of the conference. 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. Digital technology advancements and medical tourism enhance growth opportunities in the region SINGAPORE, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The higher demand for services and improved quality of care has been attracting significant global investments to the Asia-Pacific healthcare industry. The pharmaceutical and biotech sectors will generate almost a third of the revenue in 2019, led by cell therapy, high-end devices manufacturing, and drug discovery and development outsourcing. The market is expected to register a year-on-year growth rate of 7.2 percent in 2019, with China and Japan contributing almost 66 percent of the total revenues. There will also be a 15 percent increase in digital technology investments, which translates to opportunities worth US$13 billion. The need to manage the cost, aging population, and quality of care will especially drive the adoption of digital pathology and eClinical platforms for clinical studies in advanced economies such as Australia, China, Japan, and Singapore. "The digital transformation of care delivery models towards a personalized and outcome-based treatment paradigm will be a major driver of investments," said Shalani Andria, Consultant, Transformational Health, Asia-Pacific. "On the back of this digitization drive, the medical tourism industry is expected to grow and boost demand for patient-centric care products by 20 percent," she explained. Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis, Asia-Pacific Healthcare Industry Outlook, 2019, highlights the key market trends and provides strategic recommendations to healthcare vendors. It will help vendors align their strategies with market demand and develop innovative solutions and products that will help them make the most of the market opportunities. For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/3f4 "Digital Transformation in APAC will lead to an opportunity of US$13 billion in 2019. Digital pathology and e-clinical platforms for clinical studies are the hot areas for investment in 2019," noted Andria. "Technologies that aid in the better prediction and management of revenue cycles, especially for high-risk patient populations, will have a white space opportunity," she added. In the highly complex and varied Asia-Pacific market, growth opportunities exist in: Australia and New Zealand : There is a vast market for integrated Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation ( CDM ) programs. : There is a vast market for integrated ( ) programs. China : It is anticipated to contribute more than 20 percent of the total regional healthcare revenue in 2019 due to aggressive policies to support medical device and pharmaceutical markets, and heavy investments in AI . : It is anticipated to contribute more than 20 percent of the total regional healthcare revenue in 2019 due to aggressive policies to support medical device and pharmaceutical markets, and heavy investments in . India : The country is likely to experience more than 30 percent and 15 percent growth in the pharmaceutical and homecare markets, respectively, fueled by the Digital India and Make in India initiatives, and FDI inflows . : The country is likely to experience more than 30 percent and 15 percent growth in the pharmaceutical and homecare markets, respectively, fueled by the and initiatives, and . Japan : It is expected to revolutionize regenerative medicine and become first country in the world to use Embryonic Stem ( ES ) cells for medical treatments. : It is expected to revolutionize and become first country in the world to use ( ) cells for medical treatments. South Korea : It is working on developing a robust clinical-trial environment for medical devices and pharmaceuticals with the aim of becoming a global clinical trial hub. : It is working on developing a robust clinical-trial environment for medical devices and pharmaceuticals with the aim of becoming a global clinical trial hub. ASEAN: Favorable government policies will boost medical tourism and medical-device manufacturing by 15 percent. Asia-Pacific Healthcare Industry Outlook, 2019 is part of Frost & Sullivan's global Life Sciences Growth Partnership Service program. 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 us: Start the discussion. Asia-Pacific Healthcare Industry Outlook, 2019 P3AF-52 Contact: Melissa Tan Corporate Communications Asia-Pacific P: +65 6890 0926 F: +65 6890 0999 E: melissa.tan@frost.com http://www.frost.com Related Links http://www.frost.com SOURCE Frost & Sullivan OSLO, Norway, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- LINK Mobility Group (LINK), a Silver level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced that it has integrated with Oracle Responsys SMS Public Aggregator Network (SPAN), providing an integrated marketing tool with valuable mobile reach to enable and enhance business-customer interactions. Oracle's SPAN is an easy-to-use self-service application within the Oracle Marketing Cloud that makes it easier for customers to find, order and manage SMS services directly from the aggregator of their choice. As one of the market leaders within mobile messaging services and mobile communications in Europe, the combined efforts will provide customers with an industry leading tool, enhancing their mobile lifecycle marketing. This will allow more flexibility and scalability for reaching users on mobile platforms, improving customer experience, increasing acquisition and conversion, and strengthening retention and overall ROI. Mobile is an indispensable channel for most businesses, and mobile messaging services can cultivate customer relations, improving customer engagement and loyalty, operational efficiencies and success rates. LINK has the technology and expertise within mobile messaging, meeting Oracle's demand for powerful operations in an expanding global and mobile market. Today LINK offers global messaging services in more than 200 countries, and the ability to deliver these services through a well-established and popular platform, such as Oracle Responsys, gives LINK important access to a broader and developing market. "For LINK this is an excellent opportunity to distribute our messaging services globally and to give Oracle Responsys customers an essential service for reaching their customers on the number one device the mobile phone. Our collaboration with Oracle enables closer and more personal interactions between businesses and customers. Due to LINK's proven ability to reach and engage mobile users based on strong digital convergence, our customers choose us as their preferred partner within mobile messaging. We therefore believe that Oracle Responsys customers across the globe will benefit greatly from our joint expertise, as the mobile channel becomes even more dominant within communications and marketing campaigns going forward," says Arild E. Hustad, CEO of LINK Mobility Group. For further information, please contact: Odd Egil Pettersen Head of Global Partners odd.egil.pettersen@linkmobility.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/link-mobility-group-as/r/link-mobility-to-integrate-with-oracle-responsys,c2795089 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/8551/2795089/1031657.pdf PDF https://news.cision.com/link-mobility-group-as/i/oracle-logo-def,c2615610 oracle logo DEF SOURCE Link Mobility Group ASA PORTLAND, Oregon, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new webinar series, "The Foundation of Industry 4.0", launches on May 8th, 2019 and highlights subject matter experts including manufacturers outlining what it takes to deliver sustainable and scalable digital transformation, and include common challenges, proven best practices, and real-world outcomes. The first of these bi-monthly webinars Building the Foundation of Industry 4.0 is scheduled for May 8, 2019 and features the globally-recognized leader in the application of manufacturing analytics, Dr. Lloyd Colegrove from The Dow Chemical Company. Dr. Colegrove will outline how Dow has successfully built out the foundation of their Industry 4.0 program with manufacturing analytics. "Industry 4.0 puts the manufacturing industry at a cross roads," Dr. Colegrove affirms. "Whether driven by customer requirements, regulatory demands, or internal needs to lower costs, companies must use manufacturing analytics to operationalize the process data they have as well as the data that will be added through new technologies like remote sensors and drones. Analytics are the foundation of Industry 4.0 and enable better decisions across the enterprise." As the Director of Data Services and Fundamental Problem Solving, Dr. Colegrove began driving the digital transformation of Dow in the early 2000s helping shape their Industry 4.0 strategy that has generated over a $.5 billion dollars in savings to date. Register for The Foundation of Industry 4.0 Webinar Series at https://go.nwasoft.com/I40Webinars. The series is sponsored by Northwest Analytics (NWA), the industry leader in Industry 4.0 manufacturing analytics solutions, and The Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo, the UK's largest event for the 4th Industrial Revolution. About Northwest Analytics Northwest Analytics is a leading provider of Industry 4.0 manufacturing analytics solutions for manufacturers, delivering process decision guidance into 35% of the Forbes 1000 manufacturers and more than 3,000 manufacturing customers worldwide. Northwest Analytics is focused exclusively on enabling better operational visibility and analytics-based decision making for manufacturers, providing a powerful, easy-to-use suite of manufacturing intelligence and SPC solutions that emphasize enterprise-wide integration and scalability. NWA is the partner-of-choice when it comes to helping its customers increase operating efficiencies and throughput, while delivering a fast and effective ROI. About Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo Launched in April 2017, the Industry 4.0 Summit has established itself as the go-to event for dynamic business leaders keen to share knowledge, and discuss the big issues in the digital transformation of manufacturing. With over 400 delegates at the last event, the Summit attracts leading authorities from government, business, academia & industry associations keen to share their experiences and to look at best practices for manufacturers keen to implement change across their organisation. The Industry 4.0 Summit is the UK's premier gathering of senior level manufacturing executives interested in developing their own digital strategies. Media Contact: Tara Sybrant (503) 224-7727 x 112 tsybrant@nwasoft.com Related Links https://www.nwasoft.com SOURCE Northwest Analytics Hosted by the Canadian government, the Nature Champions Summit will set the stage for October 2020 when policy-makers meet in Kunming, China at the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties to set global biodiversity policy for the next decade. The meeting is kicking off the day after Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that the definitive study on the state of biodiversity, expected to be issued by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), will find that the loss of nature and the ongoing wildlife extinction crisis is even worse than previously known. "The scientific community is clear on the matter: nations need to rapidly accelerate the pace and scale at which we are protecting the planet before it is too late," said Brian O'Donnell, Director of the Campaign for Nature who will be a participant in the summit this week. "Only by protecting far more land and water can we safeguard nature for the billions of people who depend upon healthy and functional natural areas." Government representatives from Chile, China, Costa Rica, Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom, among others, will be joining the Canadian government this week in Montreal. The high-level summit reflects renewed urgency in developing new, bold, and achievable goals for protecting more land and ocean around the world. As philanthropist Hansjorg Wyss who has committed $1 billion to nature conservation discussed in an op-ed published on Monday in the Toronto Star , the summit is an important opportunity for nations to start talking about specific strategies for safeguarding life on Earth. The event will focus, specifically, on two areas critical for the success of any ambitious global agenda for nature: financing protections and indigenous-led conservation. Effectively conserving at least 30 percent of the planet's lands and oceans will require the global community to commit the resources necessary to manage parks, marine protected areas, wildlife refuges, and other conserved areas. Resources are needed for planning, monitoring, interpretation, and patrolling protected and conserved areas. The second focal area this week is the importance of prioritizing indigenous-led conservation. Though indigenous communities represent less than 5 percent of the world's population, they manage or hold land-tenure over 25 percent of the planet's land area comprising 80 percent of its plant and wildlife diversity. Only by valuing sovereignty and empowering indigenous communities to protect their traditional lands and waters will nations be successful in protecting nature at the scale necessary to safeguard wildlife and wild places. To stem the tide of nature loss, a growing coalition of scientists, indigenous groups, government leaders, environmental groups, business leaders, and philanthropists, are coalescing around a goal to protect at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030. Just last week, more than 75 groups around the world endorsed that goal, and 19 of the world's leading scientists published a study in Science Advances to make a data-driven, science-backed case for protecting more of the planet. "The science is clear: we need to protect 30 percent of the planet within the next decade." said Dr. Enric Sala, a National Geographic explorer-in-residence and one of the study's authors who will also be participating in this week's meetings. "What we need now is political leadership to save the natural world that gives us the oxygen we breath, the food we eat, and the clean water we drink." Scientists have shown that the current state of nature is grim. Our planet is losing wildlife 1,000 times faster than at any other time in human history and the problem is getting worse, not better. Huge numbers of species are already on the path to extinction, including 14 percent of birds, 25 percent of mammals, and 40 percent of amphibians. Communities are seeing tangible consequences from the rapid loss of nature. Pollution, overfishing, and invasive species are threatening peoples' livelihoods; the destruction of forests and wetlands are worsening local air quality and leaving people more vulnerable to hurricanes, flooding, and other natural disasters; the loss of pollinators is forcing some communities to pay to pollinate their plants by hand. Conversely, children who live next to protected areas have better health and economic outcomes than those who do not. As Hansjorg Wyss noted in this week's op-ed : "It will take all of us across borders, across generations, and across cultures working together to protect our natural world The Nature Champions Summit [this] week offers a remarkable opportunity to chart an ambitious shared path to protecting nature for all living things." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876566/National_Geographic_Baffin_Island.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876674/Wyss_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.nationalgeographic.org SOURCE National Geographic Society ANNVILLE, Pa., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Maj. Gen. Tony Carrelli and other senior military leaders from the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) visited approximately 500 Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) members in Texas preparing to deploy to Poland. The troops are assigned to 3rd Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment and have been participating in a culminating exercise and preparing for movement overseas as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence mission. "It is important that we thank and support the men and women of 3rd Squadron for their extreme focus, commitment and drive preparing for this important deployment," said Carrelli, Pennsylvania's adjutant general and head of the DMVA. "As summer approaches many Americans are planning family vacations and other activities while these soldiers are selflessly placing their families and civilian jobs on hold to protect liberty and freedom throughout the world. We want all these dedicated men and women to know that Pennsylvania appreciates them and is behind them one-hundred percent. We will continue to support their families throughout their deployment and look forward to their safe return home." While in Poland, soldiers will support the interest of NATO allies and participate in a wide range of training exercises with NATO partners. The unit will lead Battle Group Poland, a multi-national task force comprised of soldiers from the U.S., the United Kingdom, Croatia, and Romania. The unit has been preparing for this mission for over a year. They completed many training events, including a rotation at the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, CA, in summer 2018. The squadron headquarters and headquarters troop is located in Danville, PA, with subordinate Pennsylvania units in Williamsport (I Troop), Wellsboro (K Troop), Lewisburg (L Troop), and Lock Haven (H Troop/278th Regimental Support Squadron). Founded in 1747, the PNG is the second largest National Guard in the nation and is comprised of nearly 20,000 soldiers and airmen, who reside in every county across the commonwealth. The PNG is part of the DMVA's dual mission, which also includes supporting Pennsylvania's nearly 800,000 veterans. For more information about the DMVA, visit us online at www.dmva.pa.gov or follow us at www.facebook.com/padmva or www.twitter.com/padmva. MEDIA CONTACT: Joseph Butera, 717-861-2178 SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Related Links http://www.dmva.pa.gov SEOUL, South Korea, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- An AJC delegation, led by AJC CEO David Harris, has concluded a visit to South Korea. It was the sixth visit to Seoul by the leading global Jewish advocacy group in the past five years alone. The AJC delegation met with South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha. Separate meetings were held with the country's Deputy National Security Advisor; the Special Advisor of the National Intelligence Service; the former top Korean negotiator of the six-party talks on North Korea; and the Israeli Ambassador. Topics discussed included the U.S-South Korea relationship; U.S. efforts to stop all Iranian energy exports, including to South Korea; current assessments of the North Korean danger, especially its nuclear program and its weapons and technology exports to the Middle East; and the state of bilateral ties with Israel. "No two countries on the planet should understand each other and partner more comfortably than South Korea and Israel," said Harris. "Both nations are democracies and remarkable success stories, with overlapping histories, enormous economic development in a short time span, and dangerous neighborhoods to cope with. In our view, the sky should be the limit for the deepening of bilateral ties between Seoul and Jerusalem." During the two-day visit, Harris participated in the Asan Institute for Policy Studies (ASAN) Plenum, an annual gathering of leading experts and scholars. He addressed the Plenum on the issue of collective memory and its impact on present-day global affairs. AJC has been actively engaged with South Korea since the late 1980s, and maintains close ties with Korean officials and other representatives in Seoul, the U.S., Israel, and elsewhere through its pathbreaking Asia Pacific Institute. Shira Loewenberg, the institute's director, accompanied Harris on this trip. SOURCE American Jewish Committee SEATTLE, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial Highlights: Reported net income under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of $4 million , or $0.03 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2019 and 2018. , or per diluted share for the first quarter of 2019 and 2018. Reported net income for the first quarter of 2019, excluding special items such as merger-related costs and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, of $21 million , or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to $18 million or $0.14 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2018. This quarter's adjusted results compare to the First Call analyst consensus estimate of $0.12 per share. , or per diluted share, compared to or per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2018. This quarter's adjusted results compare to the First Call analyst consensus estimate of per share. Paid a $0.35 per-share quarterly cash dividend in the first quarter, a 9% increase over the dividend paid in the first quarter of 2018. per-share quarterly cash dividend in the first quarter, a 9% increase over the dividend paid in the first quarter of 2018. Repurchased a total of 214,891 shares of common stock for approximately $13 million in the first three months of 2019. in the first three months of 2019. Generated approximately $470 million of operating cash flow in the first three months of 2019, including merger-related costs. of operating cash flow in the first three months of 2019, including merger-related costs. Held $1.4 billion in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of March 31, 2019 . in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of . Maintained debt-to-capitalization ratio of 47% as of March 31, 2019 , similar to the 47% as of Dec. 31, 2018 . Operational Highlights: Launched commercial service from Paine Field in Everett, Washington , to eight West Coast destinations and began service from Seattle to Columbus, Ohio , and El Paso, Texas . , to eight West Coast destinations and began service from to , and . Completed painting 25 Airbus aircraft in Alaska livery, and expect to complete the remainder of the fleet in the second quarter. livery, and expect to complete the remainder of the fleet in the second quarter. Announced plans to build a new Alaska Lounge in Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport. International Airport. Introduced a new Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card sign-up promotion offering up to 40,000 miles to new cardholders. Added four Boeing 737-900ER aircraft to the mainline operating fleet in the first quarter of 2019. Recognition and Awards: Ranked the best U.S. Airline by Money Magazine for the second year in a row. Named "Best Mid-Size Airline" by TripAdvisor in their 2019 Travelers Choice awards. Ranked as the No. 2 Airline in America by The Points Guy. Alaska Air Group Inc., today reported first quarter 2019 GAAP net income of $4 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to $4 million, or $0.03 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2018. Excluding the impact of merger-related costs and mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments, the company reported adjusted net income of $21 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to $18 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in 2018. "We performed well in the first quarter despite severe winter storms in the Pacific Northwest," said Alaska CEO Brad Tilden. "The leadership team and I want to thank our employees for running the operation safely, and as smoothly as possible, and for taking great care of our guests throughout the quarter. Our margin improvement initiatives gained traction despite the storms, and we are optimistic about the rest of 2019." The following table reconciles the company's reported GAAP net income and earnings per diluted share (diluted EPS) for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 to adjusted amounts. Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (in millions, except per-share amounts) Dollars Diluted EPS Dollars Diluted EPS GAAP net income and diluted EPS $ 4 $ 0.03 $ 4 $ 0.03 Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments (4) (0.03) (13) (0.11) Special items - merger-related costs 26 0.21 6 0.05 Special items - other 25 0.20 Income tax effect of reconciling items above (5) (0.04) (4) (0.03) Non-GAAP adjusted net income and diluted EPS $ 21 $ 0.17 $ 18 $ 0.14 Statistical data, as well as a reconciliation of the reported non-GAAP financial measures, can be found in the accompanying tables. A glossary of financial terms can be found on the last page of this release. A conference call regarding the first quarter results will be streamed online at 1:30 p.m. Pacific time on April 25, 2019. It can be accessed at www.alaskaair.com/investor. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available after the conclusion of the call. References in this news release to "Air Group," "company," "we," "us" and "our" refer to Alaska Air Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified. Alaska Airlines, Inc., Horizon Air Industries, Inc., and Virgin America Inc. (through July 20, 2018, at which point it was legally merged into Alaska Airlines, Inc.) are referred to as "Alaska," "Horizon," and "Virgin America" respectively, and together as our "airlines." This news release may contain forward-looking statements subject to the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual outcomes to be materially different from those indicated by any forward-looking statements. For a comprehensive discussion of potential risk factors, see Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018, as well as in other documents filed by the Company with the SEC after the date thereof. Some of these risks include general economic conditions, increases in operating costs including fuel, competition, labor costs and relations, our indebtedness, inability to meet cost reduction goals, seasonal fluctuations in our financial results, an aircraft accident, changes in laws and regulations and risks inherent in the achievement of anticipated synergies and the timing thereof in connection with the acquisition of Virgin America. All of the forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the risk factors discussed therein. We operate in a continually changing business environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. Management cannot predict such new risk factors, nor can it assess the impact, if any, of such new risk factors on our business or events described in any forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform them to actual results. Over time, our actual results, performance or achievements will likely differ from the anticipated results, performance, or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, and such differences might be significant and materially adverse. Alaska Airlines and its regional partners fly 44 million guests a year to more than 115 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners , guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study for 11 consecutive years from 2008 to 2018. Learn about Alaska's award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK). CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions, except per-share amounts) 2019 2018 Change Operating Revenues: Passenger revenue $ 1,716 $ 1,684 2 % Mileage Plan other revenue 110 107 3 % Cargo and other 50 41 22 % Total Operating Revenues 1,876 1,832 2 % Operating Expenses: Wages and benefits 557 536 4 % Variable incentive pay 35 39 (10) % Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses 420 409 3 % Aircraft maintenance 120 107 12 % Aircraft rent 83 74 12 % Landing fees and other rentals 132 126 5 % Contracted services 72 81 (11) % Selling expenses 72 78 (8) % Depreciation and amortization 106 94 13 % Food and beverage service 49 50 (2) % Third-party regional carrier expense 41 37 11 % Other 138 141 (2) % Special items - merger-related costs 26 6 NM Special items - other 25 NM Total Operating Expenses 1,851 1,803 3 % Operating Income 25 29 (14) % Nonoperating Income (Expense): Interest income 9 8 13 % Interest expense (22) (24) (8) % Interest capitalized 4 5 (20) % Othernet (10) (12) (17) % Total Nonoperating Income (Expense) (19) (23) (17) % Income Before Income Tax 6 6 Income tax expense 2 2 Net Income $ 4 $ 4 Basic Earnings Per Share: $ 0.03 $ 0.03 Diluted Earnings Per Share: $ 0.03 $ 0.03 Shares Used for Computation: Basic 123.291 123.155 Diluted 123.915 123.630 Cash dividend declared per share: $ 0.35 $ 0.32 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. (in millions) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Cash and marketable securities $ 1,436 $ 1,236 Other current assets 565 551 Current assets 2,001 1,787 Property and equipment - net 6,629 6,781 Operating lease assets 1,715 Goodwill 1,943 1,943 Intangible assets - net 127 127 Other assets 225 274 Total assets 12,640 10,912 Air traffic liability 1,116 788 Current portion of long-term debt 300 486 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 275 Other current liabilities 1,695 1,668 Current liabilities 3,386 2,942 Long-term debt 1,664 1,617 Long-term operating lease liabilities 1,443 Other liabilities and credits 2,401 2,602 Shareholders' equity 3,746 3,751 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 12,640 $ 10,912 Debt-to-capitalization ratio, adjusted for certain operating leases(a) 47 % 47 % Number of common shares outstanding 123.504 123.194 (a) Following the adoption of the new lease accounting standard on January 1, 2019, the ratio is calculated using the total capitalized Operating lease liability, whereas prior year periods were calculated utilizing the present value of aircraft lease payments. This change had no impact to the ratio. OPERATING STATISTICS SUMMARY (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Change Consolidated Operating Statistics:(a) Revenue passengers (000) 10,417 10,489 (0.7)% RPMs (000,000) "traffic" 12,449 12,403 0.4% ASMs (000,000) "capacity" 15,508 15,480 0.2% Load factor 80.3% 80.1% 0.2 pts Yield 13.78 13.58 1.5% RASM 12.10 11.84 2.2% CASMex(b) 9.06 8.81 2.8% Economic fuel cost per gallon(b) $2.13 $2.14 (0.5)% Fuel gallons (000,000) 199 197 1.0% ASM's per gallon 77.9 78.6 (0.9)% Average number of full-time equivalent employees (FTE) 21,832 21,266 2.7% Mainline Operating Statistics: Revenue passengers (000) 7,864 8,211 (4.2)% RPMs (000,000) "traffic" 11,172 11,360 (1.7)% ASMs (000,000) "capacity" 13,874 14,098 (1.6)% Load factor 80.5% 80.6% (0.1) pts Yield 12.73 12.69 0.3% RASM 11.31 11.20 1.0% CASMex(b) 8.30 8.02 3.5% Economic fuel cost per gallon(b) $2.12 $2.13 (0.5)% Fuel gallons (000,000) 169 172 (1.7)% ASM's per gallon 82.1 82.0 0.1% Average number of FTE's 16,457 16,013 2.8% Aircraft utilization 10.4 11.2 (7.1)% Average aircraft stage length 1,304 1,285 1.5% Operating fleet 237 224 13 a/c Regional Operating Statistics:(c) Revenue passengers (000) 2,553 2,278 12.1% RPMs (000,000) "traffic" 1,277 1,043 22.4% ASMs (000,000) "capacity" 1,634 1,382 18.2% Load factor 78.2% 75.5% 2.7 pts Yield 23.03 23.70 (2.8)% RASM 18.68 18.26 2.3% Operating fleet 93 83 10 a/c (a) Except for FTEs, data includes information related to third-party regional capacity purchase flying arrangements. (b) See a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure and Note A for a discussion of potential importance of this measure to investors in the accompanying pages. (c) Data presented includes information related to flights operated by Horizon and third-party carriers, excluding Pen Air. OPERATING SEGMENTS (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 (in millions) Mainline Regional Horizon Consolidating & Other Air Group Adjusted(a) Special Items(b) Consolidated Operating revenues Passenger revenues $ 1,422 $ 294 $ $ $ 1,716 $ $ 1,716 CPA revenues 116 (116) Mileage Plan other revenue 100 10 110 110 Cargo and other 48 1 1 50 50 Total operating revenues 1,570 305 117 (116) 1,876 1,876 Operating expenses Operating expenses, excluding fuel 1,152 274 97 (118) 1,405 26 1,431 Economic fuel 358 66 424 (4) 420 Total operating expenses 1,510 340 97 (118) 1,829 22 1,851 Nonoperating income (expense) Interest income 16 (7) 9 9 Interest expense (21) (8) 7 (22) (22) Interest capitalized 4 4 4 Other - net (10) (10) (10) Total Nonoperating income (expense) (11) (8) (19) (19) Income (loss) before income tax $ 49 $ (35) $ 12 $ 2 $ 28 $ (22) $ 6 Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in millions) Mainline Regional Horizon Consolidating & Other Air Group Adjusted(a) Special Items(b) Consolidated Operating revenues Passenger revenues $ 1,441 $ 243 $ $ $ 1,684 $ $ 1,684 CPA revenues 110 (110) Mileage Plan other revenue 98 9 107 107 Cargo and other 40 1 41 41 Total operating revenues 1,579 252 111 (110) 1,832 1,832 Operating expenses Operating expenses, excluding fuel 1,131 239 104 (111) 1,363 31 1,394 Economic fuel 367 55 422 (13) 409 Total operating expenses 1,498 294 104 (111) 1,785 18 1,803 Nonoperating income (expense) Interest income 11 (3) 8 8 Interest expense (22) (5) 3 (24) (24) Interest capitalized 4 1 5 5 Other - net (5) (7) (12) (12) Total Nonoperating income (expense) (12) (7) (4) (23) (23) Income (loss) before income tax $ 69 $ (49) $ 3 $ 1 $ 24 $ (18) $ 6 (a) The Air Group Adjusted column represents the financial information that is reviewed by management to assess performance of operations and determine capital allocation and does not include certain charges. See Note A in the accompanying pages for further information. (b) Includes merger-related costs, an employee bonus awarded in January 2018 in connection with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments. GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited) Alaska Air Group, Inc. CASM Excluding Fuel and Special Items Reconciliation Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Consolidated: CASM 11.94 11.65 Less the following components: Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses 2.71 2.64 Special items - merger-related costs 0.17 0.04 Special items - other(a) 0.16 CASM excluding fuel and special items 9.06 8.81 Mainline: CASM 11.04 10.72 Less the following components: Aircraft fuel, including hedging gains and losses 2.55 2.51 Special items - merger-related costs 0.19 0.04 Special items - other(a) 0.15 CASM excluding fuel and special items 8.30 8.02 (a) Special items - other includes special charges associated with the employee tax reform bonus awarded in January 2018. Fuel Reconciliation Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 (in millions, except for per-gallon amounts) Dollars Cost/Gallon Dollars Cost/Gallon Raw or "into-plane" fuel cost $ 421 $ 2.11 $ 423 $ 2.15 (Gains) losses on settled hedges 3 0.02 (1) (0.01) Consolidated economic fuel expense 424 2.13 422 2.14 Mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustment (4) (0.02) (13) (0.07) GAAP fuel expense $ 420 $ 2.11 $ 409 $ 2.07 Fuel gallons 199 197 Debt-to-capitalization, adjusted for certain operating leases (in millions) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Long-term debt $ 1,664 $ 1,617 Capitalization of certain operating leases(a) 1,718 1,768 Adjusted debt 3,382 3,385 Shareholders' equity 3,746 3,751 Total Invested Capital $ 7,128 $ 7,136 Debt-to-capitalization ratio, adjusted for certain operating leases 47 % 47 % (a) Following the adoption of the new lease accounting standard on January 1, 2019, the ratio is calculated using the total capitalized Operating lease liability, whereas prior year periods were calculated utilizing the present value of aircraft lease payments. This change had no impact to the ratio. Note A: Pursuant to Regulation G, we are providing reconciliations of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. We believe that consideration of these non-GAAP financial measures may be important to investors for the following reasons: By eliminating fuel expense and certain special items (including merger-related costs) from our unit metrics, we believe that we have better visibility into the results of operations and our non-fuel cost-reduction initiatives. Our industry is highly competitive and is characterized by high fixed costs, so even a small reduction in non-fuel operating costs can result in a significant improvement in operating results. In addition, we believe that all domestic carriers are similarly impacted by changes in jet fuel costs over the long run, so it is important for management (and thus investors) to understand the impact of (and trends in) company-specific cost drivers such as labor rates and productivity, airport costs, maintenance costs, etc., which are more controllable by management. Cost per ASM (CASM) excluding fuel and certain special items, such as merger-related costs, is one of the most important measures used by management and by the Air Group Board of Directors in assessing quarterly and annual cost performance. Adjusted income before income tax and CASM excluding fuel (and other items as specified in our plan documents) are important metrics for the employee incentive plan, which covers the majority of Air Group employees. CASM excluding fuel and certain special items is a measure commonly used by industry analysts, and we believe it is the basis by which they compare our airlines to others in the industry. The measure is also the subject of frequent questions from investors. Disclosure of the individual impact of certain noted items provides investors the ability to measure and monitor performance both with and without these special items. We believe that disclosing the impact of certain items, such as merger-related costs and mark-to-market hedging adjustments, is important because it provides information on significant items that are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Industry analysts and investors consistently measure our performance without these items for better comparability between periods and among other airlines. Although we disclose our passenger unit revenues, we do not (nor are we able to) evaluate unit revenues excluding the impact that changes in fuel costs have had on ticket prices. Fuel expense represents a large percentage of our total operating expenses. Fluctuations in fuel prices often drive changes in unit revenues in the mid-to-long term. Although we believe it is useful to evaluate non-fuel unit costs for the reasons noted above, we would caution readers of these financial statements not to place undue reliance on unit costs excluding fuel as a measure or predictor of future profitability because of the significant impact of fuel costs on our business. GLOSSARY OF TERMS Aircraft Utilization - block hours per day; this represents the average number of hours per day our aircraft are in transit Aircraft Stage Length - represents the average miles flown per aircraft departure ASMs - available seat miles, or "capacity"; represents total seats available across the fleet multiplied by the number of miles flown CASM - operating costs per ASM, or "unit cost"; represents all operating expenses including fuel and special items CASMex - operating costs excluding fuel and special items per ASM; this metric is used to help track progress toward reduction of non-fuel operating costs since fuel is largely out of our control Debt-to-capitalization ratio - represents adjusted debt (long-term debt plus the present value of future operating lease payments) divided by total equity plus adjusted debt Diluted Earnings per Share - represents earnings per share (EPS) using fully diluted shares outstanding Diluted Shares - represents the total number of shares that would be outstanding if all possible sources of conversion, such as stock options, were exercised Economic Fuel - best estimate of the cash cost of fuel, net of the impact of our fuel-hedging program Free Cash Flow - total operating cash flow generated less cash paid for capital expenditures Load Factor - RPMs as a percentage of ASMs; represents the number of available seats that were filled with paying passengers Mainline - represents flying Boeing 737, Airbus 320 and Airbus 321neo family jets and all associated revenues and costs Productivity - number of revenue passengers per full-time equivalent employee RASM - operating revenue per ASMs, or "unit revenue"; operating revenue includes all passenger revenue, freight & mail, Mileage Plan and other ancillary revenue; represents the average total revenue for flying one seat one mile Regional - represents capacity purchased by Alaska from Horizon, SkyWest and PenAir. In this segment, Regional records actual on-board passenger revenue, less costs such as fuel, distribution costs, and payments made to Horizon, SkyWest and PenAir under the respective capacity purchased arrangement (CPAs). Additionally, Regional includes an allocation of corporate overhead such as IT, finance, other administrative costs incurred by Alaska and on behalf of Horizon. RPMs - revenue passenger miles, or "traffic"; represents the number of seats that were filled with paying passengers; one passenger traveling one mile is one RPM Yield - passenger revenue per RPM; represents the average revenue for flying one passenger one mile SOURCE Alaska Air Group Inc. JUPITER, Fla., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Excel Medical, an innovator in Medical Device Integration (MDI) and analytics, today announced an agreement with Arkansas Children's, one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the United States with a Level I Trauma Center supporting children from birth to age 21. Under the agreement, Arkansas Children's will implement Excel Medical's medical device integration (MDI) solution across their hospital to improve workflow automation and access, in near real-time, patient data using Excel's platform integrated within Epic's Haiku and Hyperspace applications. Excel's solutions simplify the health system enterprise using a single platform supporting patient monitors, medical devices, alarm management, digital cardiac monitor documentation, and real-time physiological surveillance resulting in taming of the traditional chaos of IT environments. Excel Medical is known for disrupting the MDI status quo. For example, it has modernized cardiac telemetry by digitizing waveforms and alarm reports, primarily a manual and paper process today. "We are pleased to extend our valued relationship with Arkansas Children's in supporting their clinical and strategic needs," said Lance Burton, President of Excel Medical. "Our medical device integration platform supports Epic EHR and App Orchard applications to further enhance clinical workflows ultimately giving more time back to clinicians so they may focus on their expertise in patient care." Arkansas Children's of Little Rock includes two hospitals, a pediatric research institute, a foundation, clinics, education and outreach serving the pediatric needs of their community. The selection of Excel Medical's bedside and mobile integration solution will provide connectivity of devices across the hospital system. "Arkansas Children's selected Excel Medical for its MDI solution based on its capability and expertise integrating across the Epic EHR and App Orchard applications using a single platform. The leading factors in expanding our relationship is their platforms capability to automate workflows and documentation into Epic's EHR and Haiku applications. In addition, a significant factor is Excel Medical's continuing innovation and solutions roadmap delivering content into Epic's EHR," said Jonathan Goldberg, Chief Information Officer. Excel Medical is committed to providing leading healthcare systems with the highest level of satisfaction and clinical innovations. About Excel Excel Medical is the market leader in providing high resolution patient data acquisition, storage and delivery. Excel Medical was founded in 1995, and its WAVE clinical platform is used by more than 80 percent of the top academic medical centers and children's hospitals in the United States. Excel Medical works closely with leading healthcare innovators including IBM Watson, OBS Medical and Epic Systems. It is a privately-held company headquartered in Jupiter, FL, with customers throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Contact: Robert Pepper SVP Marketing 301-254-6100 [email protected] SOURCE Excel Medical Related Links http://www.excel-medical.com PHOENIX, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Gordon Newton, author of The Consumer's Guide to Timeshare Exit and president of Newton Group Transfers, has issued a consumer alert for timeshare owners. This alert comes after the breaking news that American Resource Management Group filed for bankruptcy in Florida. Newton stated, "Consumers are even more vulnerable than before. Many more of these exit companies stand to fall because, in my opinion, many fail to prudently manage their operations, or even engage in unethical tactics to win customers, and may even misrepresent their exit process to their customers." Newton launched his Consumer's Guide during National Consumer Protection Week in 2018 based on his years of work in the timeshare exit space to help educate consumers and protect them from the bad actors in the timeshare exit industry. American Resource Management Group, controlled by Shyla Cline, Eric Cline, Scott Morse, and their multiple affiliated companies including; timeshare exit brands Resort Release, Resort Exit Team, Redemption and Release, and others, recently filed for bankruptcy. This news comes less than a year after other infamous names in the timeshare exit space, American Consumer Credit and Castle Law Group, closed their doors. These bankruptcies create turmoil for timeshare consumers who unwittingly do business with unstable timeshare exit companies or even unethical business models, as described in a Motion to Appoint a Trustee over the bankruptcy, which the bankruptcy court wisely granted. A possible consequence that results when exit companies go out of business is that hundreds - and often thousands - of timeshare owners who were customers of these bankrupt companies get pushed aside, delayed, and perhaps even lose their money that they paid to these exit companies. Even worse, they leave those same consumers - often elderly and on fixed income - without the financial means to hire a reputable company to help them. With the combination of anti-consumer legislation and bad actors in the exit industry, Newton believes that there is clearly a need for timeshare owners to educate themselves on the options available to them and what to watch out for. He highly recommends that all timeshare owners get a copy of The Consumer's Guide to Timeshare Exit, which warns against many of the practices used by the many companies that have recently run into financial trouble or closed their doors. Consumers can download a free copy of The Consumer's Guide to Timeshare Exit at MyExitGuide.com. The Newton Group 1750 E Northrop Blvd #170 Chandler AZ, 85286 [email protected] SOURCE Newton Group Transfers Related Links https://newtongrouptransfers.com CELAYA, Mexico, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrias Bachoco S.A.B. de C.V. ("Bachoco" or "the Company") (NYSE: IBA; BMV: BACHOCO) Mexico's leading producer and processor of poultry and other food products, announced today that during the Company's Annual Shareholder Meeting, held on April 24th 2019, the Board of Directors approved a cash dividend payment for 2019. The cash dividend payment set by the Board amounts to $1.40 pesos per share outstanding or $16.80 pesos per ADR (one ADR equals to twelve shares). The dividend will be paid in two equal installments of $0.70 pesos per share equivalent to $8.40 pesos per ADR on the following dates in 2019: May 14th and July 9th. COMPANY DESCRIPTION Industrias Bachoco is the leader in the Mexican poultry industry, and one of the largest poultry producers globally. The Company was founded in 1952, and became a public company in 1997, via a public offering of shares on the Mexican and The New York Stock Exchange. Bachoco is a vertically integrated company headquartered in Celaya, Guanajuato located in Central Mexico. Its main business lines are: chicken, eggs, balanced feed, swine, and turkey and beef value-added products. Bachoco owns and manages more than a thousand facilities, organized in nine production complexes and more than 80 distribution centers in Mexico, and a production complex in the United States. Currently the Company employs more than 27,000 people. The Company is rated AAA (MEX), the highest rating awarded by Fitch Mexico, S.A. de C.V., and HR AAA which signals that the Company and the offering both have the highest credit quality by HR Ratings de Mexico S.A. de C.V. DISCLAIMER The document contains certain information that could be considered forward looking statements concerning anticipated future events and performance of the Company. The statements reflect management's current beliefs based on information currently available and are not guarantees of future performance and are based on our estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those described in our Annual Information Form, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this document. Those risks and uncertainties include risks associated with ownership in the poultry industry, competition for investments within the poultry industry, shareholder liability, governmental regulation, and environmental matters. As a result, there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V., undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement. INDUSTRIAS BACHOCO Attention: Maria G. Jaquez, IR Avenida Tecnologico 401 Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico. 38010 T. +52 (461) 618 3555 [email protected] SOURCE Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V. Related Links http://www.bachoco.com.mx Officially launched yesterday at an event at the Botanical Gardens in midtown, EDC's new representation will be a source for commercial financing to U.S. corporations and project owners either already buying from Canadian suppliers or with a strong potential to. Financing will mostly be provided by co-lending alongside other regional financial partners. "Success in international trade comes down to relationship-building. It's not just about getting goods and services across the border - trade is about people," said Mairead Lavery, President and CEO of EDC. "Atlanta is the perfect hub for building these relationships, expanding our networks and in the process, growing Canada's business profile in the region. Our aim is to strengthen an already strong trading relationship between our two countries." "Of all the cities in the U.S., it is wonderful that EDC chose Atlanta for their first American representation," said Nadia Theodore, Consul General in Atlanta. "This city has demonstrated an openness towards global business, exhibited significant growth and has become an area of interest for Canadian companies seeking to grow in the U.S. market. I'm excited about the opportunities that EDC working hand-in-hand with my office and the Trade Commission Service can provide to local buyers of Canadian products and American companies seeking to invest in Canada." The southeastern U.S. has a diverse industrial base that aligns well with Canadian capabilities, including retail, aerospace, forestry, advanced manufacturing (including automotive) and advanced technology. In addition to being a source of financing to U.S. corporations, EDC can facilitate introductions to Canadian companies that will help solve their business challenges. These matchmaking solutions can help U.S. companies reduce costs, increase efficiency, and drive innovation by tapping them into Canadian suppliers handpicked to suit their needs. EDC can also support Canadian investors specifically private equity and pensions funds looking to grow in the region. "Being selected as the site of EDC's first U.S. representation bolsters metro Atlanta's reputation as a top-tier global competitor," said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. "It also solidifies the long-standing relationship that our region has with Canada and will drive new investment across industry sectors like cybersecurity, fintech, IoT and supply chain, where metro Atlanta companies are already leading and innovating." Michael Gonsalves is EDC's Senior Regional Manager based in Atlanta who will be responsible for the southeast region. A native of southern Florida, Michael is a former vice president in private banking at SunTrust where he led a team in Atlanta and Miami developing and managing private wealth relationships. He has 15 years of experience in private wealth management. Atlanta is EDC's 19th international representation. The corporation also has locations in Mexico City, Monterrey, Bogota, Lima, Santiago, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Dusseldorf, Istanbul, London, Johannesburg, Dubai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney. In May EDC will launch its second U.S. representation and it's 20th internationally in Chicago. About EDC EDC is Canada's export credit agency, providing financial services to companies that buy from Canadian companies, or those that have Canadian supply and services in their corporate value chains. EDC's financing can be used for capex and/or project finance requirements, either through bilateral or syndicated corporate facilities. Operating on commercial principles, EDC has a partnership-preferred philosophy to collaborate with private-sector financial institutions to share risk and create greater capacity in transactions. Underlying all EDC's support is a commitment to sustainable and responsible business. SOURCE Export Development Canada Related Links http://www.edc.ca LAVAL, QC, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Crescita Therapeutics Inc. ("Crescita" or the "Company") (TSX: CTX and OTC US: CRRTF), a Canadian commercial dermatology company with a portfolio of non-prescription skincare products and prescription drug products for the treatment and care of skin conditions, diseases and their symptoms, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a commercialization license agreement (the "Agreement") with Cantabria Labs, granting Cantabria Labs the exclusive rights to sell and distribute Pliaglis in Italy, Portugal, France and Spain (together the "Territories"). Cantabria Labs is a leading prescription dermatology company in Europe with a presence in over 80 countries. In consideration of the rights granted under the Agreement, Cantabria Labs will make the following payments to Crescita: (i) an upfront payment of 2.5 million (approximately $3.8 million CAD), one half payable upon signing the Agreement and the remaining half payable following the first commercial sale of Pliaglis by Cantabria Labs or its affiliates; (ii) double digit royalties on the net sales of Pliaglis in the Territories; and (iii) milestones related to the launch and sales performance of Pliaglis in France, Spain and Portugal. In addition, Crescita and Cantabria Labs have agreed that Cantabria Labs will transfer the manufacturing of Pliaglis to its new centre for sustainable production in Villaescusa, Spain and that Cantabria Labs will supply the product to Crescita outside the Territories. Effective April 1, 2019, Crescita reacquired the rest-of-world ("ROW") development and marketing rights for Pliaglis from its licensee, Galderma S.A. ("Galderma"). Crescita already owns rights to Pliaglis in the United States, Canada and Mexico which were reacquired from Galderma in 2015. Pliaglis is approved for sale in 26 ROW countries but is currently only commercialized in Italy and Brazil with annual ROW product sales of US$2.5 million in 2018 (approximately CAD $3.2 million). During a transition period, Galderma will continue to distribute Pliaglis for Italy and Brazil. Galderma will also manufacture the product for Italy, Brazil, Canada and Mexico until other manufacturing is arranged, but at the longest until March 2021. "The successful close of these transactions increases our foothold in the prescription market as we continue to diligently execute our growth strategy, and, the up-front payments alone will generate over $2.7 million of positive cash flow in 2019, strengthening our balance sheet." said Serge Verreault, Crescita's President and Chief Executive Officer. "With Cantabria Labs' specialization in the dermatology space as well as the reach of their distribution channel in Europe, we couldn't be more pleased to have Cantabria Labs as our partner. The reacquisition of the ROW Pliaglis rights will allow us to maximize the potential of the brand to drive further growth of Pliaglis sales through this and other strategic partnerships for the 24 countries where Pliaglis is approved but still remains unlicensed." About Pliaglis Pliaglis, a lidocaine and tetracaine (7%/7%) formulation, is prescription topical local anesthetic cream approved in 29 countries that provides safe and effective local dermal anesthesia on intact skin prior to superficial dermatological procedures, such as dermal filler injection, pulsed dye laser therapy, facial laser resurfacing and laser-assisted tattoo removal. This product utilizes the proprietary phase-changing topical cream "Peel" technology. The "Peel" technology consists of a drug containing cream which, once applied to a patient's skin, dries to form a pliable layer that releases drug into the skin. Following the application period, Pliaglis forms a pliable layer that is removed from the skin allowing the dermatological procedure to be performed with minimal to no pain. About Crescita Therapeutics Inc. Crescita (TSX: CTX and OTC US: CRRTF) is a publicly traded, Canadian commercial dermatology company with a portfolio of non-prescription skincare products and prescription drug products for the treatment and care of skin conditions and diseases and their symptoms. Crescita owns multiple proprietary drug delivery platforms that support the development of patented formulations that can facilitate the delivery of active drugs into or through the skin. Please visit www.crescitatherapeutics.com for additional information. About Cantabria Labs Cantabria Labs is a pharmaceutical company with subsidiaries in Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Mexico, Morocco and China. With its innovative products and entrepreneurial spirit, today Cantabria Labs is a leading brand in dermatological prescription in Europe with the aim of improving people's health and quality of life. Its presence in over 80 countries has earned it an excellent international reputation and support. Cantabria Labs' production centres work in accordance with the highest quality standards for manufacturing and distributing its over 30 million product units yearly. Please visit www.cantabrialabs.com for additional information. Forward-looking statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" as defined under Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). The words "plans", "expects", "does not expect", "goals", "seek", "strategy", "future", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "projected", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements to the effect that certain actions, events or results "may", "will", "could", "would", "should", "might", "likely", "occur", "be achieved" or "continue" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions regarding future events or circumstances. Such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances surrounding future expectations which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management of the Company as of the date of this press release, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking statements, and material risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, include but are not limited to changes in the business or affairs of Crescita; the ability of Crescita's licensees to successfully market its products; competitive factors in the industries in which Crescita operates; relationships with customers, suppliers and licensees; changes in legal and regulatory requirements; foreign exchange and interest rates; prevailing economic conditions; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Crescita. Additional factors that could cause Crescita's actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the risk factors included in Crescita's most recent Annual Information Form dated March 18, 2019 under the heading "Risks Factors", and as described from time to time in the reports and disclosure documents filed by Crescita with Canadian securities regulatory agencies and commissions. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Crescita's forward-looking statements, as forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not the times at or by which such performance or results will be achieved. SOURCE Crescita Therapeutics Inc. Related Links www.crescitatherapeutics.com DALLAS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Project Vintage Runway is excited to introduce fashion enthusiasts to the most talented line up of designers during this one night, red carpet event to be held May 9, 2019, in the heart of The Dallas Design District at The Hall on Dragon. Project Vintage Runway is a competitive fundraising opportunity that brings together top fashion designers to each create fashionable works of art from 3 vintage items to benefit UGM Dallas Center of Hope Women and Children's Shelter. This year's competitive designers will include: Susan Apple, Wylly Goodson, Tish Cox, Nicole Musselman, Marty Washington, Heather McNeill, Finley Moll, Johnna Sheppard, Kerry Maguire, Merry Vose, Mckenzie Shoppa and Darnell McGowan. New York Fashion Week designer and featured guest, Danny Nguyen, will showcase a show-stopping ensemble of five unique designs created for this event. Master of Ceremonies, Starlene Stringer, and two special guests will have the honor of wearing specially designed pieces created by fashion icon, Terri Ives. Terri Ives' designs have been worn by Governor's wives, Miss America participants, and even a former First Lady of the United States. The Master of Ceremonies for the fashion event are Daniel Mofor, of Don Morphy Custom Clothiers and the Rising Star Recipient presented by Tommy Hilfiger, along with radio host, Starlene Stringer. The evening will include a reception of gourmet appetizers, champagne and wine as well as a silent auction. Tickets are available for Project Vintage Runway by visiting www.projectvintagerunway.com. "This fundraising event is a favorite among attendees, the designers and models who enjoy the upscale, high energy event all to benefit the UGM Dallas Center of Hope Women & Children's Shelter," stated Bruce Butler, CEO of UGM Dallas. "We encourage you to get tickets early to this sell out event." Event sponsors include: RyanChocolate Secrets Asian Mint, EnjoyMint and Nikky Feeding Souls3015 at Trinity GrovesVintage TenUGM Dallas Achieve Texas de BrazilThe Original Pancake House DFWThe Time GroupOff the Bone BarbequeMary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants WiseLiftBest of GuideRe-Teck A special thank you to event chairs Rachel Brown, Laura Davis, Mary Margaret Hickey, and honorary chair Cynthia Collins. For more information on Project Vintage Runway, visit www.projectvintagerunway.com. For more information on UGM Dallas, visit www.ugmdallas.org. Media and fashion bloggers receive complementary tickets, RSVP to [email protected]. Media Contact: Margaret McKoin Telephone: 817-403-0866 [email protected] SOURCE Project Vintage Runway Related Links http://www.projectvintagerunway.com TORONTO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Eyecarrot Innovations Corp (Eyecarrot) (TSX-V: EYC |OTCQB: EYCCF) announces its current arrangement to distribute Binovi to Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region through the GBSE Company LTD of Hong Kong. Binovi was introduced to optometric professionals within the Asia Pacific region by Gary Ho, the founder of the GBSE Company LTD, during the 11th Annual Pan Pacific Conference on Rehabilitation held in November of 2018. The GBSE Company LTD manages an extensive distribution network in Asia specializing in the Medical and Rehabilitation Product market. The company also assists its clientele with the organization of Educational Workshops, Exhibitions, and Conferences alongside its distributor relationships. "Binovi is an effective resource in rehabilitative therapy when coupled with traditional rehabilitative protocols designed to improve optical and cognitive capabilities after trauma" commented Eyecarrot CEO, Adam Cegielski The distribution partnership with the GBSE Company LDT enables Eyecarrot to effectively present its Binovi hardware and software resources within the vast Asia Pacific region. Pan Pacific Conference on Rehabilitation On behalf of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Pan Pacific Conference on Rehabilitation (PPCR) was inaugurated in 1998 in Guangzhou and has since become an iconic biannual event of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. The PPCR fosters multi-disciplinary collaborations among rehabilitation professionals, academics, students and healthcare administrators in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. About Eyecarrot Innovations Corp Eyecarrot's BinoviTM platform is an innovative healthcare technology solution that integrates software, hardware, data and expert knowledge. Binovi helps Optometrists treat vision issues with in-office therapy as well as doctor-led home-based activities to better serve and increase the patient's experience and their therapy needs. The goal is to help transform vision performance for the 1 in 4 people worldwide that suffer from vision-related issues going beyond visual acuity. The company is transforming how vision healthcare services are integrated, while addressing key challenges in the health system. Forward looking information: Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains regulatory approval. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, that occurrences such as those referred to above are realized and result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company's financial condition and development plans change, and delays in regulatory approval, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com .The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable 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. SOURCE Eyecarrot Innovations Corp. Related Links https://www.eyecarrot.com/ CHICAGO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Women-owned and operated ezza nails closed a seed round of fundraising at $1.5 million, furthering the brand's mission to empower women on both sides of the manicure table. "Ezza has created the SoulCycle of the industry," said Matt McCall, partner at the Pritzker Group and ezza nails investor. "Ezza has infused a mission of female empowerment into its core brand and created a truly differentiated experience." It was that commitment to female empowerment that also attracted the interest of the brand's first female investor, Linnea Roberts of GingerBread Capital, a VC firm that invests in women-led businesses. Founded by two Teach For America alumnae who believe deeply in the power of education, ezza nails brings integrity to an exploitative industry. "An investment in ezza is a commitment to the education, training and empowerment of women," said Ale Breuer, Co-Founder and CEO of ezza nails. "Our concept is something our investors and guests are proud to support." Ezza transforms an antiquated salon visit into an unforgettable experience, solving the problems found in traditional nail salons throughout the country. "We cater to career-oriented women for whom well-groomed hands and feet are an everyday part of their professional wardrobe," said Kim Marsh, COO of ezza nails. "We offer a consistent, quality, convenient experience every single time." The brand won $75,000 in the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business New Venture Challenge in 2017 and participated in the Pritzker Summer Accelerator program. This fundraising announcement comes just ahead of the May opening of ezza's second Chicago location and a third is in the works. The company plans to hold their Series A round of fundraising in early 2020. To learn more, visit www.ezzanails.com . About ezza nails Founded in Chicago in 2017 by two Teach For America alumnae during their time at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, ezza nails is a modern, ethical nail care experience on a mission to empower women on both sides of the manicure table. Ezza transforms an antiquated salon visit into an unforgettable experience featuring: exceptionally trained and friendly staff, a high tech, cashless experience filled with modern conveniences like affordable memberships, early morning hours and online booking that allows guests to select polish colors in advance. SOURCE ezza nails Related Links https://www.ezzanails.com/ ATLANTA, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO) announced that it will provide four Sandy Springs and Gwinnett County based children with complimentary orthodontic care through its Gift of a Smile program. GSO established the Gift of a Smile program in 2016 to celebrate the grand opening of its Atlanta clinic. Since its inception, the program has provided free orthodontic care to nine children in the metro Atlanta area, as part of the School's pledge to provide $100,000 in complimentary orthodontic care to children who need braces but cannot otherwise afford it. Recipients of GSO's Gift of a Smile include Damian Soler, Lawrenceville, GA; Savien Cox, Decatur, GA; Dr. Ricky E. Harrell, Program Director at Georgia School of Orthodontics, and Sierra Henson, Dacula, GA "For our family to receive the gift of a smile, it has changed our world," said Reena Henson, mother of smile recipient, Sierra Henson. "We had already started the process at GSO for my oldest daughter to receive braces, and shortly into the process we found out my husband had cancer. We did not have insurance, so we had to put braces on the backburner. Then I received an email for the Gift of a Smile contest. We applied and Sierra was selected!" The relaunch of the Gift of a Smile program marks the celebration of the School's three-year anniversary in the Atlanta community. GSO has partnered with Sandy Springs Public Schools and Gwinnett County Public Middle Schools for nominations for this year's recipients. Four students at participating schools will be selected to receive complimentary braces, and the schools with the most nominations will receive free school supplies for their classrooms. Past recipients are grateful for the profound impact the program has had on their lives. Clarissa Cox, mother of recipient Savien Cox, said, "GSO has already changed Savien's life. He's going to walk with his shoulders high, his chin up, ready to conquer anything with his new smile." The School's Gift of a Smile program is just one part of its mission to provide increased access to the highest quality orthodontic care at a lower cost than private practice orthodontics. GSO also has the Purple Heart Smiles program, which provides free orthodontic care to the children of Purple Heart recipients. To date, GSO has provided over twenty (20) children of Purple Heart recipients with complimentary care. "Giving back to our community is the most important mission we have here at the Georgia School of Orthodontics. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing the smile of a child whose life has forever changed from orthodontic treatment," said Dr. Ricky Harrell, Program Director at GSO. For more information on the School's Gift of a Smile program, and to determine your child's eligibility please visit www.BracesToday.com/Gift. About Georgia School of Orthodontics Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO), based in Atlanta, GA, offers an advanced specialty education program in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. The 36-month residency program is structured to provide collaborative and evidence-based learning for residents while providing quality orthodontic care to patients in the School's two patient clinics in metro Atlanta. GSO's mission is to educate outstanding dentists to be proficient in the clinical specialty of orthodontics, while providing Georgians with the highest level of patient care available. GSO faculty and staff are dedicated to diversity in both education and practice. For more information about GSO, visit GSOrthodontics.org. To schedule a complimentary consultation, visit bracestoday.com or call 770.351.7737 Media Contact: Lesley Gamwell Rountree Group 404.309.6915c/770.645.4545o [email protected] SOURCE Georgia School of Orthodontics Related Links https://www.bracestoday.com CHICAGO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IES Abroad, a leading not-for-profit study abroad and internship organization based in Chicago, has announced that it is fully funding the first-ever study abroad program offering at Arrupe College of Loyola University of Chicago. Arrupe College is a two-year college of Loyola University Chicago that continues the Jesuit tradition of offering a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse population, many of whom are the first in their family to pursue higher education. The study abroad program, called "Culture & Regionalism in Spain," was developed by IES Abroad's Customized & Faculty-Led Programs team, based on the Arrupe College sophomore seminar "Finding Purpose and Identity: A Journey in the Spirit of St. Ignatius." It will take a group of ten students and three faculty to Spain May 19-29, 2019 for a 10-day tour of the route of St. Ignatius, beginning with a trip to Navarra and the Basque Country and ending with an extended stay in Barcelona. IES Abroad and Arrupe College share a commitment to diversity and experiential education making the collaboration a perfect fit for such a program, which is also the first of its kind for IES Abroad. Strengthening this connection is Arrupe College's affiliation with Loyola University, a valued member of the IES Abroad Consortium that is made up of more than 260 top-tier U.S. colleges and universities. "This is an opportunity to give back to our community and collaborate with an institution that is truly and authentically dedicated to broadening access to education to the most diverse generation of students to date," said Dr. Mary Dwyer, President and CEO of IES Abroad. "IES Abroad's long-term commitment to Arrupe College will benefit several underrepresented students each year who will participate in experiential learning, cultural immersion, and self-discovery. This collaboration is a direct reflection of IES Abroad's mission to ensure as many students study abroad as possible regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class, and supports our goal to cultivate a diverse community of global leaders." To be considered for one of the 10 spots on the program, students were asked to write a reflective essay on how they would benefit from the study abroad experience. A committee, made up of Arrupe College faculty and staff, reviewed the submissions and carefully selected the students. The program will serve as a version of Arrupe College's sophomore seminar, which gives students an opportunity to explore and practice Ignatian spirituality. This study abroad program in Spain was developed to reflect the intentions of the seminar, as well as the uniqueness of the Jesuit principles. The students will earn credit for their seminar taken abroad. During the program, and in keeping with Loyola University's Jesuit tradition, Arrupe College students will follow the route of Saint Ignatius throughout northern Spain and in the city of Barcelona. The route includes visits to Loyola, San Sebastian, Pamplona, and Javier, as well as the Loyola Sanctuary, Santa Maria de la Antigua, Arantzazu Sanctuary, and Javier Castle. IES Abroad is providing its full support and quality resources to make this program possible. Everything from the students' airfare and housing to stipends and meals are covered. In preparation for the program, members of the IES Abroad Customized & Faculty-Led Programs team recently visited Arrupe College. During the visit, students conveyed their excitement about and intentions for their time in Spain. Students demonstrated enthusiasm for expanding their horizons by learning and experiencing new things in a new place, exploring a new culture, and experiencing the Spanish language in a new way. IES Abroad also provided instruction and funds for students to obtain or renew their passports. Once the students arrive in Barcelona they will participate in an on-site orientation that will cover travel schedules, housing, the local IES Abroad Center and staff, daily life in the city, a cultural and diversity overview, and information on health and safety. Additionally, the students and accompanying faculty will have access to the IES Abroad Barcelona Center and staff, as well as cultural events and site visits, day trips and field trips, and 24/7 emergency support. Father Stephen Katsouros, SJ Dean and Executive Director, Arrupe College, who will be accompanying the students on the program, said: "IES Abroad's partnership with Arrupe is extraordinary, substantive, and multi-faceted. First, IES Abroad is providing our students with a study-abroad opportunitya game changer for any student. In addition, IES Abroad is supporting our mission and helping Ignatius and Jesuit history come alive for our students, for my colleagues, and for me. This will positively influence the Arrupe College community when we return." SOURCE IES Abroad Related Links https://www.iesabroad.org FAIRFAX, Va., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 24, Inova Health System celebrated its place at the forefront of state-of-the-art cancer care and research with the dedication of the new flagship location of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute. The facility, a department of Inova Fairfax Hospital, is the first in the DC Metro area to offer multi-disciplinary, patient-centric cancer care under one roof. It provides the best of both worlds: a commitment to each and every patient's well-being, backed by the latest research and advancements in treatment. Inova Schar opens its doors to patients on May 13. The dedication ceremony featured Inova Schar cancer patients, survivors and community supporters. Distinguished guests delivered remarks, including: Award-winning journalist and cancer survivor Cokie Roberts ; ; Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova ; Board of Supervisors Chairman ; Rep. Gerald Connolly , congressman representing Fairfax County , Prince William County and the City of Fairfax in the US House of Representatives; and , congressman representing , and the in the US House of Representatives; and Sen. Patrick Leahy , D- Vt ., and his wife and cancer survivor Marcelle Pomerleau Leahy. Sen. and Mrs. Leahy have benefited from screenings and monitoring under the care of Inova Schar physicians. "At the Inova Schar Cancer Institute on May 13 and every day after that, patients and their loved ones will see signs that paint a new and inspiring message of our commitment: 'Cancer. Care. We do both,' and we do them equally," said J. Stephen Jones, MD, FACS, President and CEO of Inova. "Inova Schar is where we will offer the best talent, the best technology and the most patient-focused cancer care in Greater Washington." In 2015, developer and philanthropist Dwight Schar and his wife Martha made a lead gift of $50 million to accelerate the transformation of cancer care and research at Inova. Today, the Inova Schar team 1,000+ doctors, researchers, nurses, cancer specialists and emotional and wellness support experts delivers the nation's highest standard of compassionate, collaborative and holistic cancer care, customized to the needs of each patient. The new 420,000 square feet facility serves as a hub for Inova's clinical, research and technological expertise and augments Inova's existing locations for cancer treatment across Northern Virginia. In addition to formally opening the new location's front doors, Jones announced the appointment of John Deeken, MD, as president of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute. Deeken, also medical director for the Inova Schar Head and Neck Cancer Program, had been serving as acting president of Inova Schar. "When it comes to cancer, personalized care should not just mean taking care of a patient's medical problems but treating the whole person, and that's what we do at Inova Schar," said Deeken. "That's why we've put everything in one state-of-the-art building, bringing doctors and the entire care team to the patients, not the other way around." Notable Speaker Remarks "What a great event, to be here for this spectacular institution the day the doors open. The only day that would be better is the day they close because cancer is gone. This group of nurses, doctors and other professionals knows that cancer is not just about the science, the treatments, the side effects. It's about the whole person. That's what we have to treat and that's what this patient-centered institution is doing." Cokie Roberts , award winning journalist and cancer survivor "I've never been so confident that we may be reaching a cure for cancer. We have to have research, we have to have treatment, we have to have prevention to accomplish this goal. Research can lead to better treatments for cancer but then you have to have access to innovative therapies. And that's why the opening of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute is so important to the region." Sen. Patrick Leahy , D- Vt . "It is safe to say cancer has touched all of us in one way or another. And we all know how cancer can change your life and the lives of your loved ones. The dedication of everyone involved with the Inova Schar Cancer Institute will have a strong impact on the ability of our children and grandchildren and all our loved ones to lead healthier, cancer-free lives." Marcelle Pomerleau Leahy , cancer survivor "Cancer doesn't respect our political labels. Cancer doesn't respect our age, our gender, our ethnicity, our religion. We know that institutes like the Inova Schar Cancer Institute are going to help more and more people live with cancer and survive cancer, and have a support network when they are going through their treatment." Rep. Gerry Connolly , D- Va. "We are so fortunate in Fairfax County to have access to such world-class medical care and treatment. Many people struggling with cancer have to fly to far away cities to get treatment. Here, amazing facilities, doctors and cutting-edge technology are right in our own backyard, and that is so incredibly valuable." Sharon Bulova , Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Photos and other materials from the event are available to download here. To learn more about Inova Schar and Inova cancer care services, please visit inova.org/cancer or follow @InovaSchar on Twitter. About Inova Inova is Northern Virginia's leading nonprofit healthcare provider, employing more than 18,000 team members and serving more than 2 million individuals annually through an integrated network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers, outpatient services and destination institutes, such as the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, Inova Schar Cancer Institute and Inova Neuroscience and Spine Institute. Our mission is to provide world-class healthcare every time, every touch to each person in every community we have the privilege to serve. Founded in 1956 as the Fairfax Hospital Association, Inova has grown with its surrounding community and the region to provide a full spectrum of health services, including Northern Virginia's only Level 1 Trauma Center and Level 4 neonatal intensive care unit. Its hospitals have a total of 1,800 licensed beds. Four of Inova's five hospitals have received five-star rankings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; they are the only hospitals in the Washington, DC region to have earned the highest rating from the federal agency. To achieve its mission of providing world-class healthcare to a diverse community, Inova is home to prominent clinicians and scientists, who drive innovation to improve patient care, prevent disease and promote wellness. More information and statistics about Inova can be found at www.inova.org. SOURCE Inova Related Links https://www.inova.org SARASOTA, Fla., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MoneyShow is excited to welcome Michelle Moore to the company's growing team as a Senior Director and Producer of TradersEXPO. Moore will be responsible for driving partnerships, programming, marketing, and event execution. Her over two-decades of experience in active trader marketing, client acquisition, and extensive background in event management will make her an asset to the many clients that TradersEXPO serves. "We are delighted to welcome Michelle Moore to the MoneyShow family," said Kim Githler, Chair and CEO of MoneyShow. "She brings extensive industry knowledge and relationships in the asset classes we embrace and educate our audiences on such as options, futures, and forex." Prior to joining MoneyShow, Michelle served as a 21-year marketing veteran at TradeStation as the Sr. Director of Marketing & Events, working to deliver the best experience possible for both new and existing customers. She created marketing and event strategy and design to ensure all efforts were aligned with business objectives and coordinated across all marketing disciplines to drive brand awareness, lead generation, acquisition and retention. About MoneyShow MoneyShow is a privately held financial media company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. Founded in 1981 and guided by the believe that "knowledge is power," MoneyShow gathers more than 50,000 qualified investors, traders, and financial advisors together with 1,500 top financial experts, and 350 businesses and media professionals to offer actionable advice, idea exchange, relationship building and learning through 10 face-to-face conferences, 8 seminars-at-sea, and more than 500 livestream presentations throughout the year. SOURCE MoneyShow Related Links http://www.moneyshow.com NEW YORK and TORONTO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - NexTech AR Solutions (the "Company" or "NexTech") (OTCQB:NEXCF) (CSE:NTAR) (FSE:N29) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Cheeterz Firearm Accessories to ARitize segments of its product line. Cheeterz manufactures and sells accessories and devices which make the shooting process easier, including the proprietary Cheeterz "Assisted Load Ammunition" system. NexTech AR will provide 3D product models to Cheeterz through its web AR eCommerce platform, with the goal to introduce augmented reality as a part of Cheeterz overall brand delivery. "Cheeterz is excited to partner with NexTech AR in delivering unique and industry-leading experience to our clients," said Richard Wessler, Chief Commercial Officer at Cheeterz Firearm Accessories. "Our goal is to leverage augmented reality technology to increase product and brand awareness in both the digital and physical retail spaces. We believe that the innovative spirit that has brought our organizations together will forge a trend-setting path for the industry, and we want to be the tip of the spear." NexTech's ARitize eCommerce solution is a monthly software as a service (SaaS) software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis while being centrally hosted in the cloud. NexTech's SaaS subscription platform enables retailers to transform 2D images into true 3D AR experiences. Utilizing simple embed coding, NexTech's browser-based technology eliminates the gap online shoppers feel between themselves and the product, allowing them to effectively try or place the product in their home before they buy it. NexTech will convert Cheeterz's line of universal fit, single-use assisted load cartridges into high fidelity 3D AR product images to be used on product pages and in 3D ads. This includes the existing line of devices compatible with semi-automatic weapons as well as forthcoming device lines made for revolvers and sporting rifles, which will be available later this year. Customers who visit the Cheeterz online store or encounter an ad will be able to view the cartridges in full 3D with 360-degree rotation, and "place" the device in their space to understand the size and functionality before making a purchase. "We are excited to sign up our second customer in the firearms industry in just two weeks and expect more customer sign-ups in the coming weeks," said Evan Gappelberg, CEO of NexTech. "Our AR product images and rotation capabilities will enable buyers to fully examine and understand the product before they buy, similar to how they would experience in-store shopping. We're excited to help Cheeterz provide its customers with a one-of-a-kind immersive eCommerce experience." Cheeterz Firearm Accessories was founded in 2017 by engineer and inventor Richard Roe to help people gain proficiency with their firearms by taking away the pain points associated with shooting. All Cheeterz devices are American-made in Des Arc, Arkansas. Gartner reports 100 million consumers will shop in augmented reality online and in-store by 2020. NexTech is building out its AR and AI eCommerce offerings, which include using AI to create a guided and knowledgeable curator that can be programmed to be used for eCommerce or for education in the medical device market. About NexTech AR Solutions Corp. NexTech has a two pronged strategy for rapid growth including growth through acquisitions as well as by 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. NexTech's ARitize eCommerce solution is a monthly SaaS subscription platform that enables retailers to transform 2D images into true 3D AR experiences. 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 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, levels 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. SOURCE NexTech AR Solutions Corp. Related Links www.nextechar.com STOCKHOLM, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annual General Meeting of ASSA ABLOY AB was held on Thursday 25 April 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden. Adoption of income statements and balance sheets and discharge from liability The Annual General Meeting adopted the parent company's and the Group's income statements and balance sheets. The members of the Board of Directors and the CEO were discharged from liability for the financial year 2018. Dividend The Annual General Meeting approved the dividend of SEK 3,50 per share proposed by the Board of Directors and the CEO. The record date for the dividend was set at Monday 29 April 2019 and the dividend is expected to be distributed by Euroclear Sweden AB starting on Friday 3 May 2019. Election of the Board of Directors and auditor The Annual General Meeting re-elected Lars Renstrom, Carl Douglas, Eva Karlsson, Birgitta Klasen, Lena Olving, Sofia Schorling Hogberg and Jan Svensson as members of the Board of Directors. Lars Renstrom was re-elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Carl Douglas was re-elected as Vice Chairman. The Annual General Meeting re-elected the registered audit firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers AB as auditor for the time period until the end of the Annual General Meeting 2020. Remuneration to the Board of Directors and the auditor The total remuneration of the Board of Directors will amount to SEK 6,675,000 (excluding remuneration for committee work). Auditor fees shall be paid according to contract. Resolution regarding establishment of guidelines for remuneration to senior management The Annual General Meeting resolved to adopt guidelines for remuneration to the senior management, with the main principle that remuneration and other employment conditions for senior management should be in line with market conditions and be competitive. Resolution regarding authorization to repurchase and transfer Series B shares in the company The Annual General Meeting resolved to authorize the Board of Directors to, on one or more occasions, repurchase Series B shares in the company for the period up until the Annual General Meeting 2020. The repurchase shall maximum comprise so many Series B shares that the company's holding does not at any time exceed 10 per cent of the total number of shares in the company. Resolution regarding a long-term incentive program The Annual General Meeting resolved, in accordance with the Board of Directors' previously published proposal, to implement a long-term incentive program for senior executives and key employees within the ASSA ABLOY Group ("LTI 2019"). Full details on the proposals adopted by the Annual General Meeting are available at www.assaabloy.com. About ASSA ABLOY The ASSA ABLOY Group is the global leader in access solutions. The Group operates worldwide with 48,500 employees and sales of SEK 84 billion. The Group has leading positions in areas such as efficient door openings, trusted identities and entrance automation. ASSA ABLOY's innovations enable safe, secure and convenient access to physical and digital places. Every day, we help billions of people experience a more open world. CONTACT: For more information, please contact: Nico Delvaux, President and CEO, tel. no: +46-8-506-485-82 Erik Pieder, Executive Vice President and CFO, tel. no: +46-8-506-485-72 Bjorn Tibell, Head of Investor Relations, tel. no: +46-70-275-67-68 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/assa-abloy/r/resolutions-at-the-annual-general-meeting-2019,c2797069 The following files are available for download: SOURCE ASSA ABLOY ATLANTA, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stonemont Financial Group will fund the construction of an 83,000-square-foot build-to-suit industrial manufacturing and office space facility in Huntsville, Alabama for BAE Systems. The facility will include engineering development space, manufacturing space, laboratory space, and office space to support new and existing programs. Work at the facility will include the design, development, and manufacturing of some of the world's leading technologies. The building construction, which will be done by Samples Properties, Fuqua & Partners Architects, and Pearce Construction, is expected to be complete in early 2020. "We are thrilled to work with BAE Systems on this project in Huntsville, an important market for leading defense contractors," said Zack Markwell, CEO and managing partner of Stonemont. "This new facility will help BAE Systems attract the key talent needed to develop cutting edge technologies and strengthen its new capabilities in the region. We are excited to serve as a trusted partner in BAE Systems' expansion." BAE Systems will occupy the facility under a long-term net lease. Samples Properties will develop the property with Pearce Construction serving as the general contractor. "We are committed to the Alabama region and Stonemont Financial Group's funding for this project is critical to the completion of our expansion in Huntsville, which will create new, high-tech jobs in the community," said Paul Markwardt, vice president and general manager of Survivability, Targeting, and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems. "Huntsville is an ideal location to support our growth and attract the key talent needed to develop and deliver important new capabilities to our customers." The state-of-the-art facility will occupy 19.2 acres in Cummings Research Park, the second largest research park in the country and the fourth largest in the world. The park sits a half mile north of I-565, one mile north of the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal, and approximately 15 minutes east of the Huntsville International Airport. The site positions BAE Systems within a community of over 300 companies, 26,000 employees, and 13,000 students, allowing the company to tap into a local skilled and diverse employee base to execute on its commitments to customers. BAE Systems plans to add hundreds of jobs in Huntsville once this facility is fully-operational. About Stonemont Financial Group Stonemont Financial Group, a leading private real estate investment firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, specializes in investing across a broad spectrum of asset classes and geographies to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns. Stonemont offers diversified and differentiated real estate investment strategies and vehicles to institutions, family offices, trusts and high net-worth individuals. The firm's founders and managing principals have a combined track record of more than 60 years of experience and $20 billion invested. About BAE Systems BAE Systems is a global defense, aerospace and security company with more than 83,000 employees worldwide and operations in 30 U.S. states. The company is actively seeking skilled local candidates to fill critical engineering, manufacturing, program management, and business development roles. For more information, visit jobs.baesystems.com. Contact: Edelman, for Stonemont Chaffon Davis (212) 819-4843 [email protected] SOURCE Stonemont Financial Group PARIS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tableau (NYSE:DATA), Mapbox, Exasol, and Alteryx (NYSE: AYX) today announced a collective $4.3 million technology contribution over the next three years to help governments eliminate malaria for an estimated 60 million at-risk people in sub-Saharan Africa. This new grant to PATH, a global organization dedicated to accelerating health equity, expands on the early success of its Visualize No Malaria initiative and was announced at the World Malaria Day 2019 event hosted by the RBM Partnership to End Malaria in partnership with the City of Paris and the French government at the Hotel de Ville in Paris. With the grant, PATH will support national governments and regional organizations in up to six sub-Saharan countries in the use of real-time data and analytics to bolster decision-making around elimination efforts. These data-informed insights allow officials to determine where and how to deploy resources to respond most effectively in fighting disease. The investment will also provide training to hundreds of frontline health workers and officials on how to use the power of timely and accurate data to tackle malaria and other diseases. "Successful malaria elimination programs require accurate data that moves faster than the disease itselfto help shorten the distance and time it takes to find and treat cases, and even to predict risk and direct resources before cases occur," said Steve Davis, President and CEO of PATH. "We're excited to continue working with our technology partners to expand the support and tools governments need to get the upper hand in controlling and eventually eliminating a disease that still kills more than 400,000 people every year." Originally launched in 2015 as a collaboration between PATH, Tableau Foundation, and the Zambian Ministry of Health, the Visualize No Malaria digital technologies make real-time, actionable data about malaria available to everyone from national and district-level health officials to thousands of frontline health workers. Through the combination of improved use of data with other malaria control efforts, the Zambian government has reduced reported malaria cases by 85 percent and malaria-related deaths by 92 percent across a population of 1.8 million people in the country's Southern Province. Reducing the amount of time to see and understand health data from months to hours, health officials can now make faster decisions about the best ways to deploy a mix of interventions, including drug delivery, indoor residual spraying, bed net distribution, and other proven techniques to most effectively respond to existing cases and prevent new ones. In low-burden areas, this approach has proven to be a cost-effective way for governments to control malaria, and in high-burden areas, it could be an important differentiator in creating and sustaining steep drops in disease incidence. The Visualize No Malaria tools and approach are currently being replicated in Senegal, which has seen a similar 60 percent drop in reported malaria cases across a northern Senegal population of 1.8 million in just two years, and the initiative is set to expand in Senegal and neighboring countries under this new commitment by partners. "Senegal's National Malaria Control Program sees new tools to make data faster and easier to use and act upon as critical to helping us win the fight against malaria," said Dr. Doudou Sene, Director of Senegal's National Malaria Control Program. "With this new commitment, we can increase the number of districts where we use the Visualize No Malaria stack and make informed, real-time decisions across the nation, as well as support our cross-border collaboration with The Gambia." In 2017, an estimated 219 million cases of malaria occurred globally, which resulted in an estimated 435,000 deaths, the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa where the Visualize No Malaria effort is concentrated. Sixty-one percent of these deaths occurred in children under the age of five. With this renewed commitment, PATH will work to mobilize an additional $2.5 million in funding through its country and agency partnersand together, the Visualize No Malaria initiative will: Scale nationally across Zambia to serve the country's total population of 17 million people by equipping four remaining provinces. to serve the country's total population of 17 million people by equipping four remaining provinces. Build on work and relationships in Senegal and The Gambia to expand the tools and training across West Africa . and The to expand the tools and training across . Expand to three additional countries in the Elimination 8 initiative in southern Africa , allowing those countries to collaborate on an interoperable regional disease surveillance system. For Tableau Foundation, this is the second major grant and first in the global health space following the $100 million pledge announced by Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky at the 2018 Tableau Conference. It also honors the commitment made in March 2018 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting to expand the Visualize No Malaria initiative in sub-Saharan Africa. "Data and analytics are only as valuable as the ability of a decision-maker to use them. Since the outset of the Visualize No Malaria initiative, we've seen countries and communities develop incredibly effective resources for fighting malaria and other complex health issues," said Neal Myrick, Global Head of Tableau Foundation. "We're proud to work alongside so many of our technology partners to help a generation of leaders make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of men, women, and children." As part of its Alteryx for Good program, Alteryx is contributing the data science and analytics engine as well as on-site training in Africa. This will allow spatial analytics, custom macros, data validation and cleansing, and repeatable workflows to accurately target and eliminate malaria across borders. The Alteryx Platform workflows designed for Visualize No Malaria run in 0.6 seconds, analyzing tens of millions of records and producing multiple outputs to address different analytical questions. "The Alteryx for Good program was designed to empower nonprofit organizations in delivering game-changing social outcomes with data science and analytics," said Tori Adamo, Senior Manager, Alteryx for Good at Alteryx. "The Visualize No Malaria initiative is a prime example of our commitment to influencing social change with the Alteryx Platform and the impact technology can have in solving some of the world's biggest challenges. We are proud to support PATH and partner with fellow technology leaders to help eliminate malaria across the globe." Exasol's in-memory analytics database compresses massive amounts of data and serves them up fast in low-resource, lower-bandwidth settings. "We strongly support Visualize No Malaria's approach of using data as the foundation for decision-making as part of their initiative to wipe out malaria," said Eva Murray, Head of Business Intelligence at Exasol. "We are proud to be part of this partnership and look forward to our continuous involvement in improving the lives of people in sub-Saharan Africa with our tools, expertise, and our passion for doing the right things." Mapbox powers the mapping tools and geospatial data that can be combined with other datasets to create interactive maps within the Visualize No Malaria dashboards. Mapbox is providing remote and on-site technical support and training, as well as testing new offline mapping tools. "Our company's roots began with global development projects in Afghanistan, Congo, Haiti, and the United States, so the mission of Visualize No Malaria is very close to our hearts," said Mapbox CEO Eric Gundersen. "We built these tools to help people understand context in data so they can solve problems. It's incredible to see people use these platforms to literally save lives." About Tableau Foundation The Tableau Foundation is a philanthropic initiative led by the employees of Tableau Software (NYSE: DATA) that encourages the use of facts and analytical reasoning to solve the world's problems. Tableau Foundation grants combine Tableau's two most valuable resourcesits people and its productswith financial support to nonprofits that are using data to reshape communities around the globe. To learn more, please visit www.tableaufoundation.org. About Mapbox Mapbox is the live location platform for more than 1.5 million developers. Mapbox's mapping, search, data, and navigation solutions power industry leaders, like Facebook, General Electric, Instacart, Porsche, Tableau, and The Weather Channel. Founded in 2010, Mapbox has offices in San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Berlin; Helsinki; Minsk; and Shanghai. Learn more at www.mapbox.com. About Exasol Exasol is the future of data analytics. Its unique development team have combined cutting-edge innovation and unrivalled know-how to create the world's fastest data analytics platform, designed to give users the power, flexibility, and scalability to meet the demands of an organization's long-term data strategy. To learn more about Exasol, please visit www.exasol.com. About Alteryx, Inc. Revolutionizing business through data science and analytics, Alteryx offers an end-to-end analytics platform that empowers data analysts and scientists alike to break data barriers, deliver insights, and experience the thrill of getting to the answer faster. Organizations all over the world rely on Alteryx daily to deliver actionable insights. For more information, visit www.alteryx.com . About PATH PATH is a global organization that works to accelerate health equity by bringing together public institutions, businesses, social enterprises, and investors to solve the world's most pressing health challenges. With expertise in science, health, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales solutionsincluding vaccines, drugs, devices, diagnostics, and innovative approaches to strengthening health systems worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.path.org . SOURCE Tableau Related Links https://endmalaria.org/news/paris-serve-host-city-world-malaria-day-2019 States look to Xello's award-winning approach for college & career planning to make students future ready TORONTO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Today the K-12 education software company Xello (www.xello.world) announced its selection as a preferred software vendor in Arkansas and Indiana. These states have made a strong commitment to preparing their students for college, career, and future success. They've chosen Xello to help them realize their respective visions. VIDEO: Xello is an engaging online K-12 program that makes every student college, career, and future ready. Of the company's growing momentum, Xello Co-Founder and CEO Matt McQuillen said, "We're thrilled to partner with these states to help districts prepare students for future success. When we built Xello, we knew that if we put the student at the center of their experience, we could better engage them in the college and career planning process. That student-centricity is what sets us apart. Kids can more easily connect the dots between their education and future goals. That's when the switch flips and we see improvements in things like attendance, achievement, and persistence. And for educators, things like tracking, reporting, and measuring student progress become much easier. We're so excited to see states, like Arkansas and Indiana, value this approach to college and career readiness." In Arkansas , Act 930 requires all students to build personalized student success plans. From 8th grade onward, students work with educators to reflect and reassess their plans, helping them achieve readiness for college, career, and community engagement. Xello was chosen to help achieve this mandate because of its engaging four-step model. Students build self-knowledge, explore their post-secondary options, build personalized plans, and learn the skills and knowledge for long-term success. Should districts choose Xello, the Arkansas Department of Education will fully fund the purchase. Districts that partner with Xello will then work with a dedicated team of Success Management and Implementation experts to ensure a successful implementation for the 2019-20 school year. Act 930 requires all students to build personalized student success plans. From 8th grade onward, students work with educators to reflect and reassess their plans, helping them achieve readiness for college, career, and community engagement. Xello was chosen to help achieve this mandate because of its engaging four-step model. Students build self-knowledge, explore their post-secondary options, build personalized plans, and learn the skills and knowledge for long-term success. Should districts choose Xello, the Arkansas Department of Education will fully fund the purchase. Districts that partner with Xello will then work with a dedicated team of Success Management and Implementation experts to ensure a successful implementation for the 2019-20 school year. In Indiana , Act 297 introduces new standards for college and career planning. No later than July 1, 2019 , each school within a school corporation is required to meet these standards, which includes providing students with high-quality career and college planning resources and teaching students interdisciplinary employability skills. Again, Xello was chosen as a partner to help achieve these new requirements. In addition to career assessment and planning tools, Xello's fully integrated, grade-appropriate lessons serve as ready-made curriculum to help Indiana educators teach essential employability skills. Since launching in September 2017, Xello has earned a reputation as a high-quality college and career planning solution for K-12 school districts. The program recently won an EdTech Award for best career planning solution, receiving top honors from EdTech Digest's most competitive recognition program in educational technology. The company continues to expand, with clients across North America and nearly eight million users. To learn more about Xello and state-specific strategies and implementation options, districts can contact our team of Educational Consultants. About Xello Xello's mission is to help anyone, anywhere in the world create a successful future through self-knowledge, exploration, and planning. With over 20 years in the education software industry, the team at Xello has helped millions of educators and millions of students become future ready with its suite of online programs. Based in Toronto, Canada, Xello's award-winning future readiness programs are used globally by nearly eight million students and educators. Learn more about Xello at www.xello.world . SOURCE Xello SAN FRANCISCO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- San Francisco Small Business Week 2019 (#SFSBW2019) kicks off May 6, celebrating the 120,000 and growing small businesses and entrepreneurs who call San Francisco home. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. "As a third generation San Francisco small business owner, it brings me great pride that the SF Chamber is the co-chair of San Francisco Small Business Week," said Rodney Fong, President & CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. "No one works harder than our small business community, and they should be celebrated for the vitality, diversity and innovation they bring to our city." As the largest local Small Business Week in the country with more than 3,000 attendees, San Francisco Small Business Week includes a robust series of education and networking events targeted to the needs and interests of the small business community, small business awards presented by Mayor London Breed, the US Small Business Administration, the San Francisco Economic Development Alliance and Pacific Gas & Electric Company, as well as sidewalk sales in 11 distinct merchant corridors for the local community to enjoy. "Small businesses are the heart of our neighborhood, employ thousands of residents, and make our local economy thrive," said Mayor Breed. "For 15 years, San Francisco Small Business Week has been leading the nation in celebrating small business, with events and programs for owners and entrepreneurs as well as pop-up shops, markets, and activities for residents to encourage them to shop locally and support our small businesses. San Francisco supports all of our local businesses and San Francisco Small Business Week is a reflection of that commitment." Throughout the week, small business owners will connect and learn about resources that are available to them all year, and will have access to events and programs specifically designed to help them thrive as they face a mix of challenges doing business in the city. The featured event, sponsored by Comcast Business, is the gala kick-off on May 6 called InspireSF at City View at Metreon, with a fun-filled reception catered by La Cocina Entrepreneurs, a host and sponsor expo and an inspirational speaking panel moderated by Rodney Fong, President and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, including panelists; Ron Benitez, Co-Owner and Co-Founder, ASMBLY HALL, Robyn Sue Fisher, Founder and CEO, Smitten Ice Cream, Jay Foster, Chef, CEO & Director of Black Rabbit Hospitality and Heidi Gibson, Commander in Cheese, The Grilled Cheese Kitchen. Free workshops all week at various locations around the City. A sample of titles are below. Free networking events include: For more information and a full detailed schedule, visit: http://www.sfsmallbusinessweek.com/ The 15th Annual San Francisco Small Business Week is presented by Bank of America, Office of Small Business, SFMTA, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Postmates and Wells Fargo, among other companies. The week is produced in partnership with the City and County of San Francisco, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Office of the Mayor, Office of Small Business, Bunker Labs, Golden Gate Business Association, Golden Gate Restaurant Association, Main Street Launch, MEDA, NAWBO, Pacific Community Ventures, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, Office of Small Business, San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco Council of District Merchants Associations, San Francisco Small Business Development Center, SF Business Times, San Francisco Economic Development Alliance, San Francisco Filipino American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chambers of Commerce SF, SF Travel, Small Business Administration, Start Small Think Big, Straus Events, USF Gellert Family Business Resource Center and Working Solutions. Press Contact: Adam Straus, Executive Producer, Straus Events, [email protected] , 415-377-2327 SOURCE San Francisco Small Business Week Committee Related Links http://www.sfsmallbusinessweek.com/ BALTIMORE, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AbsoluteCARE of Baltimore, LLC, an innovative population health management company and fully integrated Patient-Centered Ambulatory Intensive Caring Unit delivery model that becomes the primary care provider for the most vulnerable, complex, highest utilizing patients, has been awarded full, three-year National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Case Management Accreditation for its Complex Care Management program. AbsoluteCARE of Baltimore joins an elite group of healthcare organizations who have received this accreditation. AbsoluteCARE of Baltimore met the extensive Case Management Accreditation standards, which are developed with input from researchers in the field, the Case Management Expert Panel and standing committees, employers, both purchasers and operators of Case Management programs, state and federal regulators and other experts. The standards are purposely set high to encourage organizations to continuously enhance their quality and help organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible. AbsoluteCARE developed its Care Management program based on the NCQA's Complex Care Management standards and adheres to the Accreditation standards in all of its Ambulatory Intensive Caring Units throughout the country. The NCQA only awards the status of Accredited3 years to organizations that demonstrate strong performance of the functions outlined in the standards for Case Management accreditation. "This achievement further demonstrates our commitment to provide patient-centered, whole-person care for the most at-risk vulnerable populations," said CEO Alan Cohn. "Earning this accreditation is the culmination of our dedicated and talented team, robust processes, pursuit of continuous improvement, and ongoing pledge to help transform healthcare." "Case Management Accreditation moves us closer to measuring quality across population health management initiatives," said Margaret E. O'Kane, President, NCQA. "Not only does it add value to existing quality improvement efforts; it also demonstrates an organization's commitment to the highest degree of improving the quality of their patients' care." About NCQA: NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. NCQA can be found online at ncqa.org, on Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa. About AbsoluteCARE: AbsoluteCARE is a privately-owned, fully integrated, Patient-Centered Ambulatory Intensive Caring Unit delivery model that becomes the primary care provider for the most vulnerable, complex, highest utilizing patients. AbsoluteCARE currently runs centers in Atlanta, Georgia, Baltimore, Maryland, Greenbelt, Maryland, and Philadelphia, PA. Since 2000, AbsoluteCARE has treated thousands of high-acuity, chronically ill patients. Innovative Population Health Management tools are leveraged, and a holistic approach is employed to care for the highest utilizers of healthcare services. AbsoluteCARE's unique "wrap-around" care model is dedicated to improving outcomes by offering quality care, social and behavioral counseling, and extensive patient outreach, all of which lead to newfound hope that is truly life-changing for the most at-risk populations. AbsoluteCARE uses an integrated, all-hands-on-deck approach to provide members with a Patient-Centered Medical Home. Members are assigned their own multidisciplinary team, including a primary care physician, care manager, and social and behavioral experts to help them navigate any barriers in their lives. The team works together, fully focused on the entirety of each member's needs. AbsoluteCARE's evidence-based model has been proven to significantly improve quality and outcomes while reducing cost, leading to results that are largely unprecedented among this population. For more information please visit AbsoluteCARE.com. For media inquiries, please contact Cara Banks at 404.231.4431 ext 3651 SOURCE AbsoluteCARE WASHINGTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A wide range of factors contribute to why millennials decide to move to certain areas, remain for an extended period or choose to relocate shortly after their arrival. Job market and affordability in the given location are two of the main reasons that impact millennials the most, according to the National Association of Realtors' 2019 report, "Most Popular Areas for Millennials: where they move and stay." Top 5 Most Popular Areas For Millennials The report analyzed employment gains, population trends, income levels and housing conditions in the largest 100 metropolitan statistical areas1 across the country to identify the most popular areas for millennials.2 The top 10 metro areas were selected because of their high share of both present millennial residents and recent movers3, as well as their favorable employment opportunities. NAR found that Madison, WI, is one of the top destinations for millennials. Seventy-five percent of recent movers to the city have been millennials. Additionally, this segment of the population has mostly elected to remain in the area. Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, says Madison has many attributes that appeal to millennials, including earning potential. As of 2017, the median income for millennials there was $62,000, and $68,500 for millennials who had recently moved to the city. "In comparison to other areas, Madison offers one of the highest wages for millennials," says Yun. "Moreover, this income level combined with the robust employment opportunities and the affordability, make Madison among one of the most appealing locations for millennials who are looking to stay longer and raise families." The report also found that California is a popular home buying destination for millennials, specifically Bakersfield, which is between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Bakersfield where 28% of millennials live and where 67% move to is attractive to millennials because it is one of the most affordable metro areas in the state. Yun has called for more West Coast housing and construction. He says Bakersfield's affordable homes makes it inviting to millennials. Of the millennials who most recently moved there, they can afford to purchase nearly 15% of the homes listed for sale.4 This is in comparison to neighboring Los Angeles, Calif., where millennials can only afford to buy 4% of listed homes. "The increasing employment rate in California is another strong selling point among this generation," says Yun. "While the rate of unemployment in Bakersfield is higher than it is nationwide, we're seeing job growth there pick up at a strong pace. Home building in Bakersfield is rising, too. Many newcomers to San Francisco and Los Angeles do not stay for long because of unaffordability. Millennials moving to Bakersfield meanwhile are looking to take advantage of conditions toward homeownership." NAR research revealed that Oklahoma City, OK, is attractive to millennials looking to purchase a home or who are already in a home. Twenty-nine percent of the city's residents are millennials, while 61% of those who recently moved there are millennials. During the time of the survey, of the properties on the market in Oklahoma City, millennials were in position to afford 30% of those homes. The unemployment rate is less than 3%, and the city experienced the third highest increase in wages among the 100 largest metro areas. "An overwhelming majority of younger and older millennial homebuyers responded that their strong desire to own a home was the primary reason that they purchased their home," says Yun. "As long as supply keeps up to meet demand, and prevents costs from rising too high and too rapidly, these identified metro areas are likely to see an uptick in purchases from millennial homebuyers including Oklahoma City.5" Other Notable Findings One out of two people who moved in the 100 largest metro areas was a millennial (54%), and one of four residents was also a millennial (25%). In the top 10 metro areas, millennials can afford to purchase, on average 17% of homes currently listed for sale. In 2017, affordability was low in most of the areas that millennials moved to that year. The median income for millennials who recently moved in the 100 largest metro areas was $53,000. Millennials who moved recently in these areas can afford to purchase nearly one out of four of the homes currently listed for sale (23%). Millennials tend to reside and move to locations and cities where employment is strong. In the majority of the top 10 metro areas, the unemployment rate was lower than the national level in February 2019. Specifically, on average, the unemployment rate was 3.6% in these areas. NAR analyzed recent migration and population trends, employment gains, income levels and housing conditions in the largest 100 metro areas across the country to identify the most popular areas for millennials to move and stay. The National Association of Realtors is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. 1Areas are generally metropolitan statistical areas as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. NAR adheres to the OMB definitions, although in some areas an exact match is not possible from the available data. A list of counties included in MSA definitions is available at: http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/metro-city/List4.txt. 2Millennials in this study are those born between 1980 and 1998. Moreover, the current study defines millennial recent movers as millennials who moved from a different state within the last year. 3Using the Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) 1-year estimates from the American Community Survey, the National Association of REALTORS estimated the share of millennial residents and recent movers and the median income for millennial residents and recent movers, respectively. 4Affordability data comes from the REALTORS Affordability Distribution Curve and Score (March 2019). 5Data comes from NAR's Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Survey. Information about NAR is available at www.nar.realtor. This and other news releases are posted in the newsroom in the "About NAR" tab. SOURCE National Association of Realtors Related Links http://www.nar.realtor SCOTTSDALE, AZ, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - AgJunction Inc. (TSX: AJX), the Autosteering Company, will hold a conference call on Thursday, May 9, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time to discuss its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. The company will report its financial results in a press release prior to the conference call. AgJunction CEO Dave Vaughn and CFO Michael Manning will host the conference call, followed by a question and answer period. Date: Thursday, May 9, 2019 Time: 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (8:00 a.m. Pacific time) Toll-free dial-in number: 1-888-231-8191 International dial-in number: 1-647-427-7450 Conference ID: 3385756 Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact Liolios at 1-949-574-3860. The conference call will be broadcast live and available for replay via the investor center section of the company's website at http://www.corp.agjunction.com/. A replay of the conference call will be available after 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on the same day through May 23, 2019. Toll-free replay number: 1-855-859-2056 International replay number: 1-416-849-0833 Replay ID: 3385756 About AgJunction AgJunction Inc., the Autosteering Company is a global leader of advanced guidance and autosteering solutions for precision agriculture applications. Its technologies are critical components in over 30 of the world's leading precision Ag manufacturers and solution providers and it holds approximately 200 patents and patents pending in the US, Canada, Europe, South America and Australia. AgJunction markets its solutions under leading brand names including Novariant, Wheelman, and Whirl and is committed to advancing its vision by bringing affordable hands-free farming to every farm, regardless of terrain or size. AgJunction has locations in California, Arizona, and Australia, and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol "AJX." For more information, please go to AgJunction.com. SOURCE Agjunction Inc. Related Links http://corp.agjunction.com/Home.aspx TRONDHEIM, Norway, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker BP has received firm commitments from a consortium of banks for a USD 4.0 billion Senior Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility ("RCF") to refinance the existing USD 4.0 billion Senior Secured Facility Agreement ("RBL"). The new facility will be split equally into a 3-year Working Capital Facility and a 5-year Liquidity Facility with extension options. The payment obligations will rank pari passu with the claims of other unsecured creditors. David Tnne, Chief Financial Officer in Aker BP comments: "We are very pleased with the continued support from leading Nordic and international banks. With this new bank facility, Aker BP maintains full financial flexibility and reduces the overall interest costs for the company." The signing of the RCF is expected during second quarter 2019 and is subject to documentation and satisfactory due diligence. Contacts: Kjetil Bakken, VP Investor Relations, tel.: +47-918-89-889 John Ole Hgeland, VP Corporate Finance, tel.: +47-90-60-61-69 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/aker-bp-asa/r/aker-bp--commitment-received-for-new-unsecured-bank-facility,c2796699 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Aker BP ASA DUBLIN, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc, (NYSE: AGN), a leading global pharmaceutical company with a more than 70-year heritage in eye care, will present new data at the Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia from April 28th - May 2nd. Data will include three paper presentations on the company's ophthalmology pipeline including new findings evaluating Abicipar in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and Brimonidine Drug Delivery System (DDS) in patients with geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Additional company-sponsored data for the investigational Bimatoprost Sustained Release (SR), will also be presented including data analysis from a Phase 1/2, 24-month, prospective, multicenter, dose-ranging study of 75 open-angle glaucoma patients, which evaluated whether continuous drug release with Bimatoprost SR reduces visual field progression rates compared with topical dosing over 24 months. "This new data in retina and glaucoma underscores our commitment to research and innovation aimed at finding new treatments for the eye care community," said Yehia Hashad, M.D., Senior Vice President, Head of Global Clinical Development, Allergan. "At ARVO, we look forward to presenting data from our late-stage products for age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma that have the potential to define new treatment approaches and improve upon current patient care." Allergan will present 10 abstracts, including three paper and seven poster presentations (all noted in local Pacific Time): Retina Paper Presentations: Phase 2b Study of Brimonidine DDS: Potential Novel Treatment for Geographic Atrophy Study of Brimonidine DDS: Potential Novel Treatment for Geographic Atrophy Authors: Freeman W et al Date and Time: Sunday, April 28 , 3:15 3:30 PM , 3:15 3:30 PM Outcomes of AVF Treatment Switch in DME Patients in US Clinical Practice: Analysis of the AAO IRIS Database Authors: Shih V et al Date and Time: Tuesday, April 30 , 4:00 4:15 PM , 4:00 Phase 3 Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Abicipar Compared with Ranibizumab for Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (nAMD) Authors: Kunimoto D et al Kunimoto D et al Date and Time: Wednesday, May 1 , 4:15 4:30 PM Retina Poster Sessions: Does Brimonidine DDS Reduce the Geographic Atrophy Lesion Perimeter Hyperautofluorescence Over Time? Authors: Lewis A et al Date and Time: Sunday, April 28 , 1:00 2:45 PM , 1:00 Cyto-/neuro-protective Effects of Brimonidine Drug Delivery System (DDS) in a Nonhuman Primate Progressive Retinal Degeneration Model of Geographic Atrophy (GA) Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Authors: Rajagopalan L et al Date and Time: Tuesday, April 30 , 8:45 10:30 AM Glaucoma Poster Sessions: Effect of Sustained-Release Bimatoprost Implant (Bimatoprost SR) on Visual Field Mean Deviation in Patients with Glaucoma in a Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Authors: Rhee DJ et al Date and Time: Monday, April 29 , 4:00 5:45 PM , 4:00 12-month Efficacy and Safety of Brimonidine Tartrate 0.2%/Timolol 0.5% Ophthalmic Solution in Korean Patients with Primary Open-Angle and Normal-Tension Glaucomas The KOCO Study The KOCO Study Authors: Park SW et al Date and Time: Monday, April 29 , 4:00 5:45 PM , 4:00 Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Lowering Efficacy of Bimatoprost Sustained Release (Bim SR) in Dogs Pretreated with Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) Authors: Ghosn C et al Date and Time: Tuesday, April 30 , 11:45 AM 1:30 PM , The effects of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) in Normotensive Beagle Dogs Authors: Engles M et al Date and Time: Tuesday, April 30 , 11:45 AM 1:30 PM , Patient Journey After Intensification of Topical Glaucoma Therapy a US Claims-Based Analysis Authors: Patel A et al Date and Time: Wednesday, May 1 , 8:15 10:00 AM About Allergan Eye Care As a leader in eye care, Allergan has discovered, developed, and delivered innovative products in the industry over the last 70 years. Allergan has launched over 125 eye care products and invested billions of dollars in new treatments for the most prevalent eye conditions including glaucoma, ocular surface disease, and retinal diseases such as diabetic macular edema and retinal vein occlusion. Our eye care pipeline includes 13 additional agents for multiple ocular conditions. Our commitment to the well-being of patients is also reflected in philanthropy. Allergan and The Allergan Foundation support more than 150 organizations around the world working to improve lives and communities. We remain steadfast in helping eye care providers deliver the best in patient care through innovative products and outreach programs. About Allergan plc Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a bold, global pharmaceutical leader. Allergan is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical and regenerative medicine products for patients around the world. Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands and best-in-class products primarily focused on four key therapeutic areas including medical aesthetics, eye care, central nervous system and gastroenterology. Allergan is an industry leader in Open Science, a model of research and development, which defines our approach to identifying and developing game-changing ideas and innovation for better patient care. With this approach, Allergan has built one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry. Allergan's success is powered by our global colleagues' commitment to being Bold for Life. Together, we build bridges, power ideas, act fast and drive results for our customers and patients around the world by always doing what is right. With commercial operations in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives every day. For more information, visit Allergan's website at www.Allergan.com. Forward-Looking Statement Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective on existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; the impact of uncertainty around timing of generic entry related to key products, including RESTASIS, on our financial results; risks associated with divestitures, acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures; risks related to impairments; uncertainty associated with financial projections, projected cost reductions, projected debt reduction, projected synergies, restructurings, increased costs, and adverse tax consequences; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. CONTACTS: Allergan: Investors: Manisha Narasimhan, PhD (862) 261-7162 Media: Amy Rose (862) 289-3072 Lisa Kim (714) 246-3843 SOURCE Allergan plc Related Links www.allergan.com PLANO, Texas, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS), a leading global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions, today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.63 per share on the Company's common stock, payable on June 18, 2019 to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 14, 2019. About Alliance Data Alliance Data (NYSE: ADS) is a leading global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions serving large, consumer-based industries. The Company creates and deploys customized solutions, enhancing the critical customer marketing experience; the result is measurably changing consumer behavior while driving business growth and profitability for some of today's most recognizable brands. Alliance Data helps its clients create and increase customer loyalty through solutions that engage millions of customers each day across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile and emerging technologies. An S&P 500, FORTUNE 500 and FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For company headquartered in Plano, Texas, Alliance Data consists of three businesses that together employ approximately 20,000 associates at more than 100 locations worldwide. Alliance Data's card services business is a provider of market-leading private label, co-brand, and business credit card programs. Epsilon is a leading provider of multichannel, data-driven technologies and marketing services, and also includes Conversant, a leader in personalized digital marketing. LoyaltyOne owns and operates the AIR MILES Reward Program, Canada's most recognized loyalty program, and Netherlands-based BrandLoyalty, a global provider of tailor-made loyalty programs for grocers. Follow Alliance Data on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements give our expectations or forecasts of future events and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "project," "plan," "likely," "may," "should" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding our expected operating results, future economic conditions including currency exchange rates, future dividend declarations and the guidance we give with respect to our anticipated financial performance. We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements, however, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, and no assurances can be given that our expectations will prove to have been correct. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, factors set forth in the Risk Factors section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, which may be updated in Item 1A of, or elsewhere in, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for periods subsequent to such Form 10-K. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise. Contacts: Investors/Analysts Tiffany Louder Alliance Data 214-494-3048 [email protected] Media Annabelle Baxter Alliance Data 214-494-3818 [email protected] SOURCE Alliance Data Systems Corporation Related Links http://www.alliancedata.com PLANO, Texas, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS), a leading global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions, today announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2019. SUMMARY Quarter Ended March 31, (in millions, except per share amounts) 2019 2018 % Change Revenue $1,334 $1,382 -3% Income from continuing operations $174 $176 -1% Net income $149 $164 -9% Income from continuing operations per diluted share ("EPS") $3.28 $3.17 +3% Net income per diluted share $2.80 $2.95 -5% Diluted shares outstanding 53.2 55.7 ******************************* Supplemental Non-GAAP Metrics (a): Adjusted EBITDA $423 $435 -3% Adjusted EBITDA, net of funding costs ("adjusted EBITDA, net") $317 $347 -9% Core earnings per diluted share ("core EPS") $3.72 $3.95 -6% (a) See "Financial Measures" for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures. Ed Heffernan, president and chief executive officer of Alliance Data, commented, "The first quarter came in as expected as we execute our shift to more attractive verticals and clients within Card Services. Prior to the reclassification of Epsilon to discontinued operations, our revenue decreased 3 percent to $1.8 billion and core EPS decreased 8 percent to $4.07. Both are consistent with guidance for the first quarter of revenue down mid-single digits and core EPS down high-single digits. "As previously announced, the Company has signed a definitive agreement to sell Epsilon for $4.4 billion. After taxes and transaction costs, net proceeds are expected to be approximately $3.5 billion. The Company expects to use transaction proceeds to pay down at least $1.9 billion of senior debt (approximately $102 million in annual cash interest expense savings) and repurchase shares. These actions, coupled with meaningful expense reductions at corporate, are expected to result in a pro forma fullyear run-rate1 in excess of our original $22.00 core EPS guidance." Heffernan continued, "Moving beyond Epsilon, the Company has additional initiatives underway which will further simplify the narrative as well as focus capital on the highest earning and growth assets. Further information will be provided when appropriate." 1 Assumes use of proceeds/expense reductions are effectuated 1/1/2019. CONSOLIDATED RESULTS Revenue decreased 3 percent to $1.33 billion, while EPS increased 3 percent to $3.28 for the first quarter of 2019. The effective tax rate for EPS was approximately 16 percent, compared to approximately 27 percent for the first quarter of 2018, due to the release of certain tax reserves. Core EPS decreased 6 percent to $3.72 for the first quarter of 2019, while adjusted EBITDA, net decreased 9 percent to $317 million for the first quarter of 2019. SEGMENT RESULTS Quarter Ended March 31, (in millions) 2019 2018 % Change Revenue: LoyaltyOne $204 $226 -10% Card Services $1,130 $1,155 -2% Total revenue $1,334 $ 1,381 -3% Adjusted EBITDA, net: LoyaltyOne $55 $54 +2% Card Services $295 $319 -7% Corporate/other ($33) ($26) Total adjusted EBITDA, net $317 $347 -9% Discontinued Operations: Epsilon revenue $508 $509 0% Epsilon adjusted EBITDA $80 $92 -13% Epsilon core EPS (a) $0.35 $0.49 -29% (a) Interest expense associated with the senior debt to be retired has been allocated to discontinued operations for both periods presented. LoyaltyOne: Revenue decreased 10 percent to $204 million, while adjusted EBITDA increased 2 percent to $55 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2019. Revenue was flat with the prior year when adjusted for unfavorable foreign exchange rates and additional product outsourcing, whereby redemptions are now recorded as net revenue. AIR MILES reward miles issued increased 3 percent for the first quarter of 2019, primarily due to strength in the grocery vertical. BrandLoyalty revenue increased 3 percent on a constant currency basis. During the quarter, BrandLoyalty implemented several initiatives to lower its fixed operating costs resulting in approximately $8 million in restructuring costs. Card Services: Revenue decreased 2 percent to $1.13 billion and adjusted EBITDA, net decreased 7 percent to $295 million for the first quarter of 2019. Gross yields decreased 70 basis points to 24.1 percent on normalized average card receivables growth of 1 percent (card receivables plus held-for-sale receivables). The loan loss provision decreased 25 percent to $252 million as a result of lower reservable card receivables and improving principal loss rate trends. Operating expenses increased $65 million to $505 million, primarily due to an approximate $40 million increase in mark-to-market charges on held-for-sale receivables. 2019 Guidance Adjusted for Discontinued Operations Revised guidance is revenue of $5.84 billion, up 4 percent over 2018, and core EPS of $18.47, down 4 percent compared to 2018. Core EPS growth is expected to be muted, especially in the first-half of the year, as the Company completes the divestiture of non-strategic held-for-sale portfolios, which began in the second-half of 2018. Revised guidance does not include the anticipated benefits of share repurchases as part of the use of proceeds from the expected Epsilon sale, nor related lower corporate expense. The Company expects the benefits to be accretive on a pro forma run-rate basis to the original core EPS guidance of $22.00 for 2019. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements give our expectations or forecasts of future events and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "project," "plan," "likely," "may," "should" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding additional strategic initiatives, the pending Epsilon transaction and whether closing conditions for such transaction will be satisfied or waived and the expected use of proceeds therefrom, our expected operating results, future economic conditions including currency exchange rates, future dividend declarations and the guidance we give with respect to our anticipated financial performance. We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements, however, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, and no assurances can be given that our expectations will prove to have been correct. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, factors set forth in the Risk Factors section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, which may be updated in Item 1A of, or elsewhere in, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for periods subsequent to such Form 10-K. Further risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the pending transaction involving Epsilon, whether such transaction will be completed, the possibility that closing conditions for the transaction may not be satisfied or waived, the impact of additional strategic initiatives on us or our business if any transactions are undertaken, and whether the benefits of such transactions can be achieved. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise. Financial Measures In addition to the results presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, the Company may present financial measures that are non-GAAP measures, such as constant currency financial measures, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITDA, net of funding costs, core earnings and core earnings per diluted share (core EPS). Constant currency excludes the impact of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. The Company calculates constant currency by converting our current period local currency financial results using the prior period exchange rates. The Company uses adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, net as an integral part of internal reporting to measure the performance and operational strength of reportable segments and to evaluate the performance of senior management. Adjusted EBITDA eliminates the uneven effect across all reportable segments of non-cash depreciation of tangible assets and amortization of intangible assets, including certain intangible assets that were recognized in business combinations, and the non-cash effect of stock compensation expense. Similarly, core earnings and core EPS eliminate non-cash or non-operating items, including, but not limited to, stock compensation expense, amortization of purchased intangibles, restructuring or strategic transaction costs, amortization of debt issuance and hedging costs. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, viewed in addition to and not in lieu of the Company's reported GAAP results, provide useful information to investors regarding the Company's performance and overall results of operations. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciliations to comparable GAAP financial measures are available in the accompanying schedules, which are posted as part of this earnings release in both the News and Investors sections on the Company's website (www.alliancedata.com). No reconciliation is provided with respect to forward-looking annual guidance for 2019 core EPS as the Company cannot reliably predict all necessary components or their impact to reconcile core EPS to GAAP EPS without unreasonable effort. The events necessitating a non-GAAP adjustment are inherently unpredictable and may have a material impact on the Company's future results. The financial measures presented are consistent with the Company's historical financial reporting practices. Core earnings and core EPS represent performance measures and are not intended to represent liquidity measures. The non-GAAP financial measures presented herein may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies, and are not identical to corresponding measures used in other various agreements or public filings. Conference Call Alliance Data will host a conference call on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss the Company's first-quarter 2019 results. The conference call will be available via the Internet at www.alliancedata.com. There will be several slides accompanying the webcast. Please go to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary software. The recorded webcast will also be available on the Company's website. If you are unable to participate in the conference call, a replay will be available. To access the replay, please dial (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406 and enter "7599344". The replay will be available at approximately 11:45 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Thursday, April 25, 2019. About Alliance Data Alliance Data (NYSE: ADS) is a leading global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions serving large, consumer-based industries. The Company creates and deploys customized solutions, enhancing the critical customer marketing experience; the result is measurably changing consumer behavior while driving business growth and profitability for some of today's most recognizable brands. Alliance Data helps its clients create and increase customer loyalty through solutions that engage millions of customers each day across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile and emerging technologies. An S&P 500, FORTUNE 500 and FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For company headquartered in Plano, Texas, Alliance Data consists of three businesses that together employ approximately 20,000 associates at more than 100 locations worldwide. Alliance Data's card services business is a provider of market-leading private label, co-brand, and business credit card programs. Epsilon is a leading provider of multichannel, data-driven technologies and marketing services, and also includes Conversant, a leader in personalized digital marketing. LoyaltyOne owns and operates the AIR MILES Reward Program, Canada's most recognized loyalty program, and Netherlands-based BrandLoyalty, a global provider of tailor-made loyalty programs for grocers. Follow Alliance Data on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (In millions, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Revenue $ 1,334.2 $ 1,381.7 Operating expenses: Cost of operations 678.8 623.0 Provision for loan loss 252.1 337.7 Depreciation and amortization 46.4 48.7 Total operating expenses 977.3 1,009.4 Operating income 356.9 372.3 Interest expense, net: Securitization funding costs 57.3 52.1 Interest expense on deposits 48.7 35.5 Interest expense on long-term and other debt, net 43.5 44.2 Total interest expense, net 149.5 131.8 Income from continuing operations before income taxes $ 207.4 $ 240.5 Income tax expense 33.1 64.0 Income from continuing operations 174.3 176.5 Loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes (25.2) (12.6) Net income $ 149.1 $ 163.9 Per share data: Weighted average shares outstanding basic 53.0 55.4 Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted 53.2 55.7 Basic Income from continuing operations $ 3.29 $ 3.19 Basic Loss from discontinued operations (0.48) (0.23) Basic Net income $ 2.81 $ 2.96 Diluted Income from continuing operations $ 3.28 $ 3.17 Diluted Loss from discontinued operations (0.48) (0.22) Diluted Net income $ 2.80 $ 2.95 ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In millions) (Unaudited) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 3,685.0 $ 3,817.4 Credit card and loan receivables: Credit card and loan receivables 16,850.5 17,855.0 Allowance for loan loss (1,021.1) (1,038.3) Credit card and loan receivables, net 15,829.4 16,816.7 Credit card receivables held for sale 1,848.9 1,951.6 Redemption settlement assets, restricted 576.1 558.6 Right of use assets - operating 271.2 Intangible assets, net 189.6 217.4 Goodwill 950.0 954.8 Other assets 1,858.2 1,913.8 Assets of discontinued operations 4,224.7 4,157.4 Total assets $ 29,433.1 $ 30,387.7 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Deferred revenue $ 877.3 $ 875.3 Deposits 11,292.0 11,793.7 Non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities 6,775.5 7,651.7 Long-term and other debt 5,881.5 5,725.4 Operating lease liabilities 321.2 Other liabilities 1,654.0 1,703.8 Liabilities of discontinued operations 392.1 305.7 Total liabilities 27,193.6 28,055.6 Stockholders' equity 2,239.5 2,332.1 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 29,433.1 $ 30,387.7 ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In millions) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Net income $ 149.1 $ 163.9 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 118.9 121.7 Deferred income taxes (35.0) (16.2) Provision for loan loss 252.1 337.7 Non-cash stock compensation 21.1 25.5 Amortization of deferred financing costs 11.0 11.4 Change in operating assets and liabilities 8.7 (108.0) Originations of loan receivables held for sale (2,271.7) Sales of loan receivables held for sale 2,312.8 Other 84.9 72.8 Net cash provided by operating activities 610.8 649.9 Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Change in redemption settlement assets (0.1) (14.5) Change in credit card and loan receivables 758.2 470.5 Capital expenditures (38.7) (44.7) Other (1.9) (18.4) Net cash provided by investing activities 717.5 392.9 Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Borrowings under debt agreements 1,045.1 685.0 Repayments of borrowings (870.9) (706.5) Net decrease in deposits (502.6) (448.4) Non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities 1,122.2 905.0 Repayments/maturities of non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities (1,997.5) (1,590.0) Payment of deferred financing costs (5.4) (3.5) Purchase of treasury shares (222.8) Dividends paid (33.9) (31.7) Other (17.2) (23.7) Net cash used in financing activities (1,483.0) (1,213.8) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 3.0 (1.7) Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (151.7) (172.7) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 3,967.7 4,314.7 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 3,816.0 $ 4,142.0 Note: The cash flow statement is presented with the combined cash flows from discontinued operations with cash flows from continuing operations within each cash flow statement category. ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION SUMMARY FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (In millions) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Change Segment Revenue: LoyaltyOne $ 203.8 $ 226.3 (10) % Card Services 1,130.4 1,155.2 (2) Corporate/Other 0.2 nm * Total $ 1,334.2 $ 1,381.7 (3) % Segment Adjusted EBITDA, net: LoyaltyOne $ 55.1 $ 53.9 2 % Card Services 294.9 318.6 (7) Corporate/Other (33.5) (25.5) (30) Total $ 316.5 $ 347.0 (9) % Key Performance Indicators: Credit sales $ 6,315 $ 6,806 (7) % Credit sales - active $ 5,884 $ 5,636 4 % Average receivables $ 16,850 $ 17,722 (5) % Gross yield 24.1% 24.8% (0.7) % Net principal loss rate 6.4% 6.7% (0.3) % Delinquency rate 5.2% 5.3% (0.1) % AIR MILES reward miles issued 1,258 1,226 3 % AIR MILES reward miles redeemed 1,089 1,178 (8) % * nm-not meaningful ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP INFORMATION (In millions, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, net: Income from continuing operations $ 174.3 $ 176.5 Income tax expense 33.1 64.0 Total interest expense, net 149.5 131.8 Depreciation and other amortization 20.6 19.3 Amortization of purchased intangibles 25.8 29.4 Stock compensation expense 11.3 13.6 Restructuring charges (1) 7.9 Adjusted EBITDA $ 422.5 $ 434.6 Less: Funding costs (2) 106.0 87.6 Adjusted EBITDA, net of funding costs $ 316.5 $ 347.0 Core Earnings: Income from continuing operations $ 174.3 $ 176.5 Add back: non-cash/ non-operating items: Stock compensation expense 11.3 13.6 Amortization of purchased intangibles 25.8 29.4 Non-cash interest (3) 9.5 9.9 Restructuring charges (1) 7.9 Income tax effect (4) (31.0) (9.4) Core earnings $ 197.8 $ 220.0 Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted 53.2 55.7 Core earnings per share - diluted $ 3.72 $ 3.95 (1) Represents costs associated with the wind-down of Merison, a Netherlands-based loyalty marketer within BrandLoyalty. (2) Represents interest expense on deposits and securitization funding costs. (3) Represents amortization of debt issuance costs. (4) Represents the tax effect including the related non-GAAP measure adjustments using the expected effective annual tax rate. Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 LoyaltyOne Card Services Corporate/ Other Total Operating income (loss) $ 24.1 $ 372.9 $ (40.1) $ 356.9 Depreciation and amortization 20.1 24.3 2.0 46.4 Stock compensation expense 3.0 3.7 4.6 11.3 Restructuring charges 7.9 7.9 Adjusted EBITDA 55.1 400.9 (33.5) 422.5 Less: Funding costs 106.0 106.0 Adjusted EBITDA, net $ 55.1 $ 294.9 $ (33.5) $ 316.5 Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 LoyaltyOne Card Services Corporate/ Other Total Operating income (loss) $ 28.3 $ 377.0 $ (33.0) $ 372.3 Depreciation and amortization 22.0 24.8 1.9 48.7 Stock compensation expense 3.6 4.4 5.6 13.6 Adjusted EBITDA 53.9 406.2 (25.5) 434.6 Less: Funding costs 87.6 87.6 Adjusted EBITDA, net $ 53.9 $ 318.6 $ (25.5) $ 347.0 Contacts: Investors/Analysts Tiffany Louder Alliance Data 214-494-3048 [email protected] Media Shelley Whiddon Alliance Data 214-494-3811 [email protected] SOURCE Alliance Data Systems Corporation Related Links http://www.alliancedata.com DURHAM, N.C., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Almac Clinical Services, part of the Almac Group, the global contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing organization, has today announced the launch of the Site Storage Temperature Compliance module to its TempEZ platform. This additional component provides customers with a solution to digitize, visualize and manage temperature data held by clinical sites. TempEZ is Almac's market-leading, web-based temperature data management software. It provides sponsors with a single, secure database to collect the temperature data, required by GDP regulations, to prove their products have been stored within the label claim throughout the supply chain. TempEZ gives clients data visibility from manufacture to patient administration, flexibility to utilize any monitor brand, and it automates excursion management and moves data from paper to computerized records. TempEZ's Site Storage Temperature Compliance module, developed by Almac's global in-house experts, is a welcome addition to Almac's already established temperature management portfolio. The bespoke solution was developed to reduce the data collection burden at clinical sites and to improve the visibility of temperature data held by the clinical sites for both clients and CROs. The solution essentially closes the data gap which currently exists at clinical sites, making temperature data visible and readily available. "Almac's TempEZ is the only software platform that offers sponsors a complete, end-to-end temperature history of their drug product," explains Donna Christopher, Global Vice President Operations, Almac Clinical Services. "The focus for temperature data collection has typically been on transit data. However, drug products spend more time at the clinical site than in transit, resulting in the majority of temperature excursions occurring at the site. We need to focus our data collection efforts at this point to enable these excursions to be identified and adjudicated quickly, thus safeguarding the patient. In the current climate, sponsors have difficulty accessing temperature data held at the clinical sites. This release of TempEZ digitizes any form of temperature data and makes it visible and readily available to sponsors and CROs. In addition, CRAs can remotely query the data directly from TempEZ. I am delighted to announce the launch of our new functionality." Find out more about Almac's TempEZ solution here. Join Almac's Supply Chain Solution Managers, Heather Bogle and Sarah Smyth, at the upcoming Global Clinical Supplies Group (GCSG) conference in San Antonio, U.S. from April 28May 1, as they present "Temperature Data at the clinical site; the missing piece of the puzzle." About Almac Group "Partnering to Advance Human Health" The Almac Group is an established contract development and manufacturing organization that provides an extensive range of integrated services to the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors globally. The services range from R&D, biomarker discovery development and commercialization, API manufacture, formulation development, clinical trial supply, IRT (IVRS/IWRS) through to commercial-scale manufacture. The international company is a privately-owned organization that has organically grown over 50 years and now employs over 5,000 highly skilled personnel. Almac is headquartered in Craigavon, Northern Ireland with 17 operations across Europe, the U.S. (Pennsylvania, North Carolina and California) and Asia (Singapore and Tokyo). To keep up to date with our latest news, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn or visit almacgroup.com. Related Links GCSG event Global Temperature Surveillance and Best Practice For Clinical Trial Supply SOURCE Almac Group Related Links http://www.almacgroup.com PHOENIX, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Christopher Todd Communities, an Arizona-based developer of innovative single-family home luxury rental communities, has identified an underserved market niche in multifamily housing. That potential has propelled the company to unveil four unique communities within one submarket in less than 12 months, a highly unusual move for developers, but one that is guided by a calculated business strategy of dominating a sub market through four branded communities offering something new. "We are on an aggressive growth track," said Christopher Todd Communities CEO, Todd Wood. The company is an innovator in a new segment of multifamily housing, creating luxury smart-gated communities comprised of 136 to 313 one- and two-bedroom single-story homes with private backyards, included doggy doors, high-speed internet (1000/1000 mb), and Vivint smart home technology including keyless door entry, doorbell camera, and climate control via an app. At one of its newest communities, a 167-home project in the greater Phoenix area, 16 leases were written in the first week. "That pace is highly unusual in this market," said John Carlson, President of Mark-Taylor Residential, an Arizona firm that manages Class A properties, including those for Christopher Todd Communities. That community was preceded by two others by the same developer that leased up faster than the industry average, attributed to the innovative hybrid between traditional apartments and single-family homes. According to a report prepared for the Arizona Multihousing Association, the demand for multifamily housing in the State of Arizona is higher than any other period of history. A significant percentage of Millennials are reaching their peak rental years and delaying marriage, and their preference for renting is extending beyond previous generations. Add the pool of Baby Boomers who are cashing out of their big family homes, downsizing and renting as a lifestyle preference and there is a perfect storm for innovative rental solutions. Nationally, experts predict a continued growth in the multifamily sector which is on track to produce 4.3 million units needed by 2030. "Christopher Todd Communities is putting pieces into place to bring our concept to new markets around the country. We are always happy to talk with those interested in what we're creating," said Wood. For more information, visit www.ChristopherToddProperties.com. Media Contact: Martha Moyer Wagoner 602-861-8006 [email protected] SOURCE Christopher Todd Properties Related Links http://www.christophertoddproperties.com/ ARLINGTON, Va., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Arlington Asset Investment Corp. (NYSE: AI) (the "Company") announced today that the Company will release results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 after the market closes on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 and will hold a conference call for investors at 9:00 A.M. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 2, 2019 to discuss the results. Investors wishing to listen to the earnings call at 9:00 A.M. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 2, 2019, may do so via the Internet at: http://www.arlingtonasset.com/index.php?s=19 Replays of the earnings call will be available for 60 days via webcast at the Internet address provided above, beginning two hours after the call ends. About the Company Arlington Asset Investment Corp. (NYSE: AI) currently invests primarily in mortgage-related and other assets and intends to qualify to be taxed as a real estate investment trust commencing with its taxable year ending December 31, 2019. The Company is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. For more information, please visit www.arlingtonasset.com . SOURCE Arlington Asset Investment Corp. Related Links http://www.arlingtonasset.com ROCKVILLE, Md., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- US-based coffee roaster Mayorga Organics has partnered with web-based coffee publication Perfect Daily Grind to create the Mayorga Scholarship, which will provide 15 Guatemalan producers with free entry to the industry event Producer & Roaster Forum on May 23rd and 24th in Guatemala City, as well as paying for their food and accommodation for the duration of their stay. Martin Mayorga (left) from Mayorga Organics visits Max Perez (right) from the farm La Hermosa Coffee while sourcing coffee in Acatenango Valley, Guatemala. Together, they inspect harvested coffee cherries drying on raised beds, before the fruit is removed and the resulting coffee beans packed, stored, and eventually transported. Credit: Mayorga Organics Max Perex, Don Nayo, and Martin Mayorga (left to right) on Don Nayo's farm in Acatenango Valley, Guatemala. Credit: Mayorga Organics The international green (unroasted) coffee price currently sits at less than USD 1.00/lb, which many farmers say is less than it costs to produce coffee. One 2018 survey calculated that it costs USD 1.40/lb to farm coffee in Guatemala. In 2017, when the international coffee price sat at USD 1.55/lb, a two-year Fairtrade and True Price pilot study of 465 Fairtrade smallholder farmers across 7 countries was published, showing that most farmers did not earn a household living wage. In this context of spiraling green coffee prices and increased financial instability, the Mayorga Scholarship is designed to give coffee farmers both access to and a voice at a leading industry event. The 2019 Producer & Roaster Forum , organized by Perfect Daily Grind , will host 500 producers and 75 international guests, including roasters from across the globe. It will feature lectures from industry experts, workshops on topics including coffee pricing and gender equity, and the world's first coffee blockchain auction , in partnership with blockchain service provider Yave and Guatemalan Coffees . Small-scale coffee producers are often unable to attend industry events due to the expense of tickets, accommodation, and time away from their farms. The Mayorga Scholarship aims to reduce these barriers and provide an opportunity for Guatemalan producers to share knowledge with each other and other industry players. Martin Mayorga, Founder and President of Mayorga Organics, says, "Though they are the most relevant members of our supply chain in terms of true sustainability, producers have historically been marginalized and taken advantage of by those making the lion's share of profits. It's time we treat producers with the respect they deserve and engage with them like the experts they are." On his decision to partner with the Producer & Roaster Forum, he adds, "Having been born in Guatemala, I have an intrinsic motivation to add value in-country whenever I can. Moreover, Mayorga Organics was built on the concept of creating direct relationships with producers and this is the first event that I've seen take this producer-first approach. I know it's going to be a tremendous success and I want Mayorga to contribute to that success for the betterment of producers' lives." In order to be eligible for the Mayorga Scholarship, coffee producers have to meet a series of criteria, including maximum harvest size. Henry Wilson, Founder of Perfect Daily Grind, says, "There have been many initiatives to better support coffee producers in meeting roasters and potential buyers, learning from industry experts, and having a voice on the world stage. However, often they elevate those producers who are already the most advantaged. "What sets the Mayorga Scholarship apart is that it is designed to directly support those who would benefit the most from attending the 2019 Producer & Roaster Forum: the smallholder producers who are normally unable to access industry events and buyers, and who are most vulnerable to fluctuating coffee prices and costs. It is a privilege to partner with Mayorga Organics to offer this opportunity." Luisa Fernanda Correa Mancia, General Director of Guatemala's national coffee association Anacafe/Guatemalan Coffees, says, "We are immensely grateful to Martin Mayorga for providing this invaluable opportunity and demonstrating, through tangible actions, his interest in the economic sustainability and overall well-being of coffee producers. "This week, we have seen coffee prices drop to USD 87.05/lb and are deeply concerned for the sector's sustainability. The Mayorga Scholarship is a window of opportunity for producers to better equip themselves and gain direct access to key industry contacts who will also be participating in the Forum." 3 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT MAYORGA 1. The company was founded by Martin Mayorga, who immigrated to the US with his family when he was 12 years old. By the time he was 22 years old, he founded the company with the purpose of creating value to consumers and opportunities to farmers through a simplified and humanized supply chain. 2. Mayorga's programs and direct engagement will generate over $1,500,000 in price premiums paid to over 2,000 small farmers across Latin America. 3. Mayorga's focus on organic, diversified farming practices protects water sources in farming communities in 9 countries throughout Latin America while ensuring the highest certified organic standards for consumers. 3 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT PERFECT DAILY GRIND 1. Perfect Daily Grind publishes educational content about the coffee supply chain in both English and Spanish, including coffee production practices and processing methods, coffee farm management, coffee contract negotiations, coffee trading standards and news, coffee roastery management, coffee shop management, coffee shop careers, coffee brewing tips, and more. 2. It is the world-leading provider of Spanish-language coffee content designed for coffee producers. 3. It launched the Producer & Roaster Forum (previously known as the Micro Coffee Festival) in 2016, and since then has run the event in numerous Latin American countries, with the goal of connecting producers and roasters, enabling educational workshops, and sparking discussion about pressing industry issues. PRESS CONTACT: Martin Mayorga 305-542-1333 [email protected] SOURCE Mayorga Organics Related Links https://mayorgaorganics.com OSLO, Norway, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Asetek will release its financial results for the first quarter 2019 on Tuesday, 30 April at 7:00 AM CEST. CEO Andre Sloth Eriksen and CFO Peter Dam Madsen will present the Company's results at 8:30 AM CEST and invites investors, analysts and media to join the presentation. The presentation is expected to last up to one hour, including Q&A, and can be followed via live webcast or conference call. Webcast audio and slide presentation: Please join the Q1 2019 results webcast via the following link: https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/7wjkuanv Conference call audio only: Please dial in 5-10 minutes prior using the phone numbers and confirmation code below: Copenhagen, Denmark: +45 3272 8042 Oslo, Norway +47 2396 0264 London, United Kingdom: +44 (0) 8445 7188 92 Paris, France: +33 (0) 1767 00794 New York, United States of America: +1 631 5107 495 Confirmation Code: 1939728 The first quarter report and presentation will also be made available online at www.asetek.com and www.newsweb.no, as well as through news agencies. A recorded version of the presentation will be made available at www.asetek.com approximately two hours after the presentation has concluded. Q&A: The conference call lines will be opened for participants to ask question at the end of the presentation. Questions can also be submitted through the online webcast during the presentation. For further information, please contact: Peter Madsen Chief Financial Officer Mobile: +45-2080-7200 [email protected] About Asetek: Asetek is the global leader in liquid cooling solutions for gaming and enthusiast PCs, data centers and servers. Founded in 2000, Asetek is headquartered in Denmark and has operations in California, Texas, China and Taiwan. Asetek is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ASETEK.OL). For more information, visit: www.asetek.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/asetek/r/asetek-presents-first-quarter-2019-results-on-tuesday--30-april,c2796691 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Asetek Related Links http://www.asetek.com Its activities included: Hosted an opening ceremony Delivering a batch of rough terrain-wheeled cranes to NITEK of Russia and an additional order of XCA100E cranes, which represents the highest level of Chinese cranes, to Josef Buller GmbH of Germany . and an additional order of XCA100E cranes, which represents the highest level of Chinese cranes, to Josef Buller GmbH of . Announced that the bulk export of XCMG's equipment to Europe marked XCMG's strength in high-end construction machinery market. marked XCMG's strength in high-end construction machinery market. Presented the Best Partners in Europe award to XCMG's Poland company. "Construction machinery is a global industry. The Chinese market not only attracts top international manufacturers, but also cultivates excellent Chinese brands to form a complete industrial chain. By competing with leading enterprises from around the world, Chinese brands are also breathing new, creative and energetic life to achieve faster and better development," noted Wang Min, Chairman and CEO of XCMG, at the Chinese Construction Machinery Brands Conference at bauma 2019. Innovative, smart and reliable At bauma 2019, XCMG debuted the XCA60E and XCA130_E, the world's first "Intelligent+" all-terrain cranes, the customized XCT25L5_E truck crane, all-around XE210E hydraulic excavator, XCA938E and XC958E next-generation smart loaders, GR1605 innovative land leveler, XS123 high-performance road roller, E series rotary drilling rigs, and new scissor lift aerial work platforms developed exclusively for the European market. With XCMG's innovative technologies, its machinery has been improved to adapt to extreme environments. Developed using its golden standard of "Advanced and Endurable," XCMG is creating an industrial legend with IM development. The latest achievements include the IM base for large-tonnage loaders that can complete raw material cutting, structural welding, conveying, coating and assembly. XCMG first appeared at the bauma tradeshow in 1992 as the only representative of the Chinese construction machinery industry. 27 years later, XCMG has grown into the sixth-largest manufacturer worldwide and has ranked No.1 in China for 30 years. In 2018, XCMG achieved operational revenue of more than RMB 100 billion (US$14.91 billion) with exports totaling US$1.28 billion. XCMG has achieved 97% market share in "Belt and Road" countries, winning more and more clients with its high-quality products and services. SOURCE XCMG AMHERST, Mass., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Atkins Farms has partnered with Ampion on a community solar subscription, and as part of a regional promotion, Ampion will attend Atkins' "Spring Fling" tasting event this Saturday to offer subscriptions to local residents and businesses. Those who enroll at signup.ampion.io will receive a $25 Atkins Farm gift card with promo code "Atkins." Atkins Farms Country Market is dedicated to providing local and sustainable goods to western Massachusetts. To minimize their carbon footprint and their electric costs, they've partnered with Ampion to subscribe to a community solar farm. In addition to the solar array already installed on their property, community solar allows Atkins Farms to further support clean energy, this time without upfront payments or installations. "We know firsthand what sustainability means for our food, our health, and our economy," said Pauline Lannon, founder of Atkins Farm, "and our customers trust us not just for our goods but for our sustainable ethics. That's why we chose community solar to cut our electric costs." Additional subscriptions are available to residents and businesses looking to lower their electric payments while supporting clean energy. The solar farm is owned by Halo, a CVE North America company, and managed by Ampion. "There's a huge population that wants to support a green economy, but rooftop solar is not an option for them," explained Nate Owen, Ampion's CEO. "Community solar is different. Now it's just a matter of signing up. Savings are immediate, and now anyone help support clean energy and contribute to a better planet for future generations." Residents and businesses can enroll for community solar at signup.ampion.io or by calling (617) 934-2943. Enrollees who use promo code "Atkins" will receive a $25 gift card to Atkins Farm as part of the program launch. About Atkins Farms: Atkins Farms Country Market provides locally produced and privately labeled goods as well as conventional and seasonal products. They provide a safe, clean, and comfortable shopping environment with customer satisfaction as their primary goal. Shoppers can learn more at atkinsfarms.com . About Ampion: Ampion empowers the clean energy revolution by supporting community energy programs. Through its software platform, Ampion connects residents, businesses, and other consumers with clean energy facilities that lower their electric costs without the need for installation or upfront costs. Learn more at ampion.io . Michael Rudden (617) 433-7913 [email protected] SOURCE Ampion Related Links http://ampion.io The Diagnosis and Treatment of Overactive Bladder (Non-neurogenic) in Adults was amended as follows: Guideline Statement 12 was modified based upon a 2018 literature review, which uncovered a number of studies looking at combination therapy for the treatment of Overactive Bladder (OAB). These studies demonstrated improved efficacy with combination therapy without any significant effect on patient safety when compared to monotherapy. Statement 12: Clinicians may consider combination therapy with an anti-muscarinic and 3-andrenoceptor agonist for patient refractory to monotherapy with either anti-muscarinics or 3-andrenoceptor agonists. (Option; Evidence Strength: Grade B) Guideline Statement 22 was re-categorized from "Additional Treatments" to "Fourth-Line Treatment." No changes have been made to the text or associated discussion of this statement. Statement 22: In rare cases, augmentation cystoplasty or urinary diversion for severe, refractory, complicated OAB patients may be considered. (Expert Opinion) "This clinical framework for OAB does not require every patient go through each line of treatment in order, as there are many factors to consider when working with a patient to select the best treatment option," said Sandip Prasan Vasavada, MD, guideline panel member and professor of surgery and urology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. "This latest amendment to the guideline reflects recently published studies, including the success of using combination therapy to treat OAB and we are confident it is fully aligned with the latest science on treatments for patients with overactive bladder." The full text of the amended evidence-based Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-Neurogenic Overactive Bladder in Adults Guideline is now available online. Members of the Guideline Panel: Deborah J. Lightner, MD; Sandip P. Vasavada, MD; and Alexander Gomelsky, MD All AUA clinical practice guidance documents, including guidelines, best practices and white papers, are available online at www.AUAnet.org. 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. Contact: Christine Frey, AUA 443-909-0839, [email protected] SOURCE American Urological Association Related Links http://www.AUAnet.org LONDON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE:AVP), today announced its partnership with Women Startup Competition Europe, a not-for-profit organization set up to inspire, educate and unite female entrepreneurs from around the world. Avon has been backing beauty entrepreneurs for 130 years and as principal sponsor of the Women Startup Competition, it'll not only be championing a whole new generation of female startups but also opening up its innovation pipeline to support its fast-beauty strategy. Avon will sponsor the beauty sub-category of the competition by reviewing and screening applications and helping to judge the winners. For the beauty category winners, Avon commits to providing a customized mentoring programme within its innovation incubator to help support their business growth and the potential for future collaboration in commercializing their idea, product or brand. In Europe female-founded startups account for less than 27% of the total and female investors represent only 7% of the funding pool. Women Startup Competition seeks to change that by acting as an incubator providing support and connecting female entrepreneurs with investors to drive their businesses forward. Louise Scott, Chief Scientific Officer at Avon said: "We are really excited to be partnering with Women Startup Competition. There is a great deal of alignment in our missions fostering entrepreneurialism among women and encouraging innovation that benefits society, because we know when we create opportunities for women, we see the ripple effect benefit her family and her community. This alliance not only allows us to support more women in their business endeavors but is also very consistent with our mission to open up our innovation program to new ideas - allowing us to discover early promising new beauty innovations that could be highly appealing to our global network of Representatives and consumers." The partnership announcement coincides with the latest semi-final event in Budapest on April 25. Like all of the events held around Europe, female-run startups have the chance to take part in workshops and mentoring sessions to support their business growth and investment potential and present their pitch as the climax of the competition. With millions of Representatives worldwide Avon is no stranger to supporting beauty entrepreneurs. Its global programme, stand4her, seeks to help create opportunities for women to build their own success in their own way and on their own terms - advancing the potential of women through the power of beauty. Alexandra Veidner, CEO of Women Startup Competition, echoed this desire to break down the barriers stopping women achieving their potential. She said: "Access to knowledge, experts, distribution channels, pricing and data is a huge help for startups at an early stage; on the other hand, engaging with innovative startups is a great route for big companies to achieve their own innovation goals. That's why at WSC, our goal is to go beyond classic sponsorships by running industry-specific programs with leading corporates like Avon. Avon's team has been wonderful and true to their company values during the negotiations to figure out the best format of this partnership, and we're really looking forward to working with them and empower female founders across Europe together." About Avon Products, Inc. For 130 years Avon has stood for women: providing innovative, quality beauty products which are primarily sold to women, through women. Millions of independent sales Representatives across the world sell iconic Avon brands such as Avon Color and ANEW through their social networks, building their own beauty businesses on a full- or part-time basis. Avon supports women's empowerment, entrepreneurship and well-being and has donated over $1billion to women's causes through Avon and the Avon Foundation. Learn more about Avon and its products at www.avonworldwide.com. #Stand4Her About Women Startup Competition (WSC) WSC is a not-for-profit business incubation platform with a wide range of services. Its mission is to inspire, educate women to start their own businesses, and to support and empower female-founded early-stage startups in their growth and funding. WSC's signature is a yearly startup competition series across Europe giving early-stage female-founded or female-led startups brand exposure and pitching opportunity, and presenting semi-finalists from each country at a London Final. Beyond the competition events WSC offers different mentoring programs for both SME and startup female founders, has good connections to VC's, angel investors, big corporates, local startup ecosystems, and has also a community of thousands of female startup founders across Europe. Forward-Looking Statements This material contains "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the Company's involvement with Women Startup Competition. Because forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties, actual future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the possibility of business disruption, competitive uncertainties, and general economic and business conditions in Avon's markets as well as the other risks detailed in Avon's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Avon undertakes no obligation to update any statements in this material after it is posted to the Investor Relations section of our website. SOURCE Avon Products Inc. Related Links http://www.avonworldwide.com Belvedere Vodka, made from the simple and natural ingredients of rye and water, is introducing brunch cocktail recipes that include only the freshest ingredients: from mixer to garnish bringing the natural character of the liquid to the forefront. The pristine Polska rye, from Poland's legendary grain agriculture industry, used to produce Belvedere demonstrates the brand's commitment to character and quality. Having written six best-selling cookbooks based on healthy eating, Candice will showcase some of her most impressive at-home brunch dishes-- those that are easy to make and perfect for intimate gatherings. "I'm so excited to bring this brunch experience to life with Belvedere. One of the best ways to elevate a meal is with a proper beverage, and these cocktailswith real, fresh ingredients pair perfectly with both my unique and classic brunch recipes! You'll love these new pairings that will amp up your taste buds and game in the kitchen," said Candice Kumai of this partnership. Brunch enthusiasts can find these recipes at BelvedereVodka.com/The-Art-of-Brunch and by tapping into Belvedere's newly launched Chatbot through Belvedere Vodka Facebook Messenger via mobile app or desktop - m.me/belvederevodka. Intended as an interactive "edutainment" tool for those interested in elevating their at-home brunch experiences, the Chatbot will give consumers the opportunity to interact with Candice and discover specific brunch recipes and tips. "Brunch is one of the most celebrated meals and we are very excited to collaborate with Candice Kumai again, whose approach to using natural ingredients aligns with ours," said Carlos Zepeda, VP, Belvedere Vodka at Moet Hennessy USA. He continued to add, "Our newly launched chatbot platform will provide inspiration to home cooks and cocktail aficionados with specially curated recipes and tips." Recipes The six sensational Belvedere brunch cocktails are ideally paired with Candice Kumai's sumptuous dishes. THE BELVEDERE POLSKA MARY, a refreshing take on the classic Bloody Mary, draws influence from traditional Polish Beetroot soup. A savory mix of Belvedere Vodka, tomato juice, beetroot and spices, paired with Candice's Miso Avocado Toast. THE BELVEDERE RUBIN, a crisp and fruity combination of Belvedere Vodka, grapefruit & orange juices, a hint of green tea, vermouth and tonic water creates a light and refreshing summer drink, paired with Candice's Sundried Tomato and Mushroom Frittata. THE BELVEDERE BRUNCH BLISS, a delightful combination of sweet and tart flavors featuring Belvedere Vodka, fresh lime juice, honey, a dash of bitters, and finished with a kombucha float, paired with Candice's Toasted Almond Sticky Buns. THE BELVEDERE SPICE OF LIFE, a savory cocktail to pair with a sweet brunch dish, is made with Belvedere Vodka, fresh squeezed carrot and lemon juice, ginger syrup, a touch of miso powder, and garnished with a dash of chilli flakes, paired with Candice's Sweet Potato Pancakes. THE BELVEDERE POMME HIGHBALL, a light and refreshing Belvedere Vodka highball cocktail, with undertones of fresh citrus and apples, paired with Candice's Fresh Peach Ginger Cobbler THE BELVEDERE MORNING TWIST, a bold and energizing combination of Belvedere Vodka, coffee liqueur, ground nutmeg and coffee, with a blend of almond and hemp milk, paired with Candice's Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies. ABOUT BELVEDERE VODKA Born of Rye, Water, Character A product of 600 years of Polish vodka-making tradition and produced in one of the world's longest-running distilleries, Belvedere Vodka was the first to generate a new standard for excellence, establishing the luxury vodka category. Created from 100% non-GMO Polish Rye, it is completely all-natural and free of additives, including sugar or glycerin. Blending this with pristine water from Belvedere's own natural well is essential, enabling the character of the rye to shine. Gluten-free and naturally smooth, with notes of vanilla, cream and white pepper spice, it is a structured, elegant and characterful vodka. For more information visit https://www.belvederevodka.com ABOUT CANDICE KUMAI Candice Kumai is an internationally-renowned wellness writer, chef & content creator, described by ELLE magazine as "The Golden Girl of the Wellness World." Candice sits on The Well+Good Council and was recently named one of Arianna Huffington's "Top 20 New Role Models in 2017." Born and raised in California to a Japanese mother and a Polish-American father, in Carlsbad CA, Candice grew up in a mixed culture home celebrating Japanese traditions & cuisine from a young age and honing a cosmopolitan perspective that continues to inspire her work today. Candice is a classically trained chef, former line cook, former tv host, former-model-turned wellness journalist, & five-time, best-selling author of Clean Green Eats, Clean Green Drinks, Delicious, Cook Yourself Sexy, and Cook Yourself Thin. SOURCE Belvedere Vodka Related Links https://www.belvederevodka.com Burns & McDonnell again topped the Power category with a No. 1 ranking overall. The Burns & McDonnell electrical transmission & distribution group is the firm's largest service specialty. The continued transition of the power industry toward renewable generation, electrification of passenger and commercial vehicles and continued need for new, flexible fossil-fueled generation plants was a key factor in the firms continued strength in this sector. "We don't strive to be the biggest, we strive to make our customers successful," says Burns & McDonnell Chairman and CEO Ray Kowalik. "We provide a diversified suite of services so we can tackle any challenge our customer has. We know that diversification of services adds value to our customers. That customer focus leads to our growth. "In addition, customers are increasingly wanting predictable results with regard to safety, cost and schedule certainty and wanting us to provide that. Meeting this desire requires having a large suite of service offerings and contract delivery methods in your portfolio. Integrated design-build, program management and having strong inhouse construction capabilities like we do with our construction staff and with our AZCO and Ref-Chem subsidiaries gives us the ability to deliver the predictability our customers are expecting." In addition to the Power sector, Burns & McDonnell ranked among the top 20 in these categories: For photos and support materials, please visit our MEDIA KIT. About Burns & McDonnell Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of 7,000 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned and is proud to be on Fortune's 2019 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit burnsmcd.com . Contact: Kristi Widmar, Burns & McDonnell 816-478-1183 [email protected] SOURCE Burns & McDonnell Related Links http://www.burnsmcd.com HELSINKI, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The BWW 2018 competition was held in the world's largest wine information service - tastingbook.com. 18,477 wines received in total 2,354,989 votes from 416,000 wine professionals and wine lovers from 116 countries during the three months voting period. After the voting period, only 100 most voted wines in seven different categories remained in the Finals, organized in January 2019. The seven main categories included red wine, white wine, rose wine, sparkling wine, fortified wine, champagne and Wine Critic. In the Finals the wines were evaluated and ranked two different times as blind by the panels of Tasting Book Professionals (selected Judges from over 7000 Pros: Wine writes, bloggers, MW's. Wine makers etc.) The six main wine categories included red wine, white wine, rose wine, sparkling wine, fortified wine and champagne categories. Under each category, the best wines were also awarded according to price level and country categories. The Title above all categories - The Best Wine of the World 2018 - was awarded to the wine that won the highest scores in the Finals. In BWW Competition 2018, the Best Wine of the World -title was awarded to the Masseto 2009, Tuscany, Italy. The Best White Wine of the World -title was awarded to the Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche 2010, Burgundy, France "It is without saying that winning the Trophy of Best White Wine of the World is an immense satisfaction. We, as a Team, feel very honoured and would like to thank the wine professionals for their vote. The relationship between our two families, Laguiche and Drouhin, goes back to 1947. Complex, refined, elegant with exceptional flavours and texture the Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche is truly an iconic wine showing the unique soul of its soil." - Veronique Boss Drouhin Other Winners of the main categories are: Best Winery of the World: Winner: Niepoort Best Champagne of the World: Winner: Dom Perignon 2002, Champagne, France Best Wine Critic of the World: Winner: Jancis Robinson Best Red Wine of the World: Winner: Masseto 2009 Best Champagne of the World: Winner: Dom Perignon Rose 2006 Best Sparkling Wine of the World: Winner: Brundlmayer Brut Rose Best Rose Wine of the World: Winner: Chateau de la Soujeole Malepere 2017 Best Sweet Wine of the World: Winner: Chateau d' Yquem 2009 Best Port Wine of the World: Winner: Niepoort Vintage Port 2015 Best Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of the World: Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Best Merlot Wine of the World: Petrus 2011 Best Pinot Noir Wine of the World: Armand Rousseau Chambertin 2009 Other 150 winners and prizes can be found at www.tastingbook.com BWW is the largest wine competition in the world, whether measured by the number of wines, the number of consumers involved or the judges taking part. BWW warmly welcomes all vineyards to enter their wine for the 2019 competition. Registration is the easiest, fastest, and most affordable in the business. Registration will begin on May 1st at www.bwwcompetition.com. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE Tastingbook Related Links http://tastingbook.com EMERYVILLE, Calif., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Canopy Health's executive team announced today the Department of Managed Health Care's (DMHC) approval to add Dignity Health Medical Network Santa Cruz (DHMN) formerly Physicians Medical Group (PMG), the largest independent practice association (IPA) of primary care and specialist physicians in Santa Cruz County, and Dignity Health Dominican Hospital to its growing alliance. "Canopy Health is excited about expanding its alliance of top-rated hospitals and physicians," said Denise Vance-Rodrigues, Canopy Health's vice president of business development. "Dignity Health Medical Network and Dignity Health Dominican Hospital give our members in the Bay Area even greater access to trusted primary care physicians, specialists, and hospitals. We believe this expansion will help our members access exceptional healthcare closer to where they live, work, or play." As the largest IPA in Santa Cruz County, DHMN includes more than 200 Santa Cruz-area providers, 42 specialties, and 90 convenient locations. The Canopy Health expansion into Santa Cruz now gives more than one-third of Bay Area residents who live and work in different counties the opportunity to seek care in multiple locations. "As communities grow, commute times increase, which is why Canopy Health offers network-wide referrals," added Mike Robinson, Canopy Health's CEO. "We want to offer healthcare access wherever people live, work or play in the Bay Area through an extensive network of impressive physicians, hospitals and urgent care centers." Canopy Health members will benefit from the two institutions' combined strengths and expertise. With the Santa Cruz County expansion, Canopy Health's network will now include 19 hospitals across nine Bay Area counties with access to nearly 5,000 physicians for primary and specialty care. "This partnership is an excellent example of Dignity Health expanding healthcare access in Santa Cruz County, and we are very pleased to work with Canopy Health to bring this network to our community," said Todd Strumwasser, MD, senior vice president of operations for Dignity Health in the San Francisco Bay Area. "At Dominican Hospital and Dignity Health Medical Network, we are committed to providing the most advanced care available." The expansion enables Canopy Health to fulfill its mission to deliver refreshingly clear, human care to even more Bay Area residents. The expansion will also advance Canopy Health's goals of championing health and advocating for Bay Area residents. To learn more about Canopy Health's Santa Cruz expansion, contact Denise Vance-Rodrigues at [email protected]. For more information on Canopy Health's transparent, high-performance approach to healthcare, call 888-8-CANOPY or visit canopyhealth.com. About Canopy Health Canopy Health is a physician- and hospital-owned medical alliance that focuses on delivering a refreshing approach to healthcare and providing transparent, affordable care from exceptional physicians. Incorporated in March 2015 as an affiliation between UCSF Health and John Muir Health, Canopy Health aims to provide a top-quality continuum of care across the San Francisco Bay Area through partnerships with primary care providers, community hospitals, top-tier academic medical facilities, and medical groups. In addition to its founding members, Canopy Health currently includes five physician groups Hill Physicians Medical Group, John Muir Health Physician Network, Meritage Medical Network, Santa Clara County IPA (SCCIPA), and Dignity Health Medical Network Santa Cruz (DHMN). Canopy Health also includes 19 participating medical centers across nine Bay Area counties including Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma. About Dignity Health Medical Network Dignity Health Medical Network (DHMN) is Dignity Health Medical Foundation's managed care contracting entity for independent physician associations (IPAs) in California, providing the support and resources to help IPAs better serve their managed care patients. DHMN partners with providers, hospitals, and healthcare delivery systems to create networks that deliver value for the communities they serve. In Santa Cruz, DHMN represents the largest network of independent primary care physicians and specialists in the county, including hundreds of providers, 42 specialties, and 90 locations. To learn more about DHMN in Santa Cruz, please visit: dhmn.org/santacruz. About Dominican Hospital Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has been caring for the Santa Cruz County community for over 75 years. Dominican offers emergency services and is a Certified Stroke Center. Dominican's services include the only comprehensive Cancer Center in Santa Cruz County, a Total Joint Replacement program, advanced neurological and endoscopic services, and an expert heart and vascular team treating some of the most complex cardiac cases in the Monterey Bay area. Dominican has received national recognition for superior patient safety, cardiac care, and stroke treatment from Healthgrades, a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Dominican has also received several awards for environmental excellence. To learn more, please visit our website: dignityhealth.org/dominican. SOURCE Canopy Health Related Links https://www.canopyhealth.com/en.html 20% increase in Q1 2019 copper production to 41.4 million pounds compared to Q1 2018. 20% reduction in C1 cash cost1 to $1.56 /lb compared with $1.95 /lb in Q1 2018. Fourth consecutive quarter of improved operating results with a focus on cost reduction, driving down costs to the lowest quarterly C1 cash cost 1 since 2016. with a focus on cost reduction, driving down costs to the lowest quarterly C1 cash cost since 2016. Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations 1 increased 39% to $41.8 million (Q1 2018 $30.0 million ). The increase in EBITDA was driven primarily by improved profitability at Pinto Valley due to the focus on lowering operating costs and due to lower general and administrative costs as a result of the corporate restructuring to a decentralized model in Q4 2018. (Q1 2018 ). The increase in EBITDA was driven primarily by improved profitability at Pinto Valley due to the focus on lowering operating costs and due to lower general and administrative costs as a result of the corporate restructuring to a decentralized model in Q4 2018. Operating cash flow before changes in working capital1 increased 25% to $30.7 million . Operating cash flow could have been higher had copper sales from continuing operations of 35.3 million pounds equalled copper production from continuing operations of 41.4 million pounds. "We finished 2018 strong and we started 2019 even stronger," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO of Capstone. "Our operations continue to run in a steady state from which we can further optimize with the long-term goal of decreasing costs and increasing production at both of our mines." Mr. Pylot continued, "As previously announced we expect lower grades in Q2 at Pinto Valley, however, we want to reiterate our operations are running as per our annual plan and we expect to continue to execute operationally over the course of the year." PRODUCTION RESULTS Detailed operating results, including by-products of zinc, can be found towards the end of this news release. Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Copper Production (million pounds) Pinto Valley 32.7 25.2 Cozamin 8.7 9.4 Total from continuing operations 41.4 34.6 Total copper sales from continuing operations (million pounds) 35.3 35.2 C1 Cash Cost1 ($/lb) Produced Pinto Valley 1.79 2.41 Cozamin 0.70 0.71 Consolidated from continuing operations 1.56 1.95 Q1 2019 saw a 20% increase in consolidated production and 20% reduction in consolidated C1 cash cost1 compared to Q1 2018. Pinto Valley Mine: Production was 30% higher and C1 cash cost1 was 26% lower (Q1 2019 vs. Q1 2018). Pinto Valley improved reliability in the crushing and milling circuits averaging 54,800 tonnes per day ("tpd") as well as improved cost control (with absolute cash production costs decreasing 7% in Q1 2019 vs. Q1 2018), resulting in steady state production performance and improved C1 cash cost1. Cozamin Mine: Production continued to benefit from additional tonnes mined from the San Rafael zinc zone, which ramped up to planned levels in Q3 2018, utilizing some of the unused mill capacity. As a result, throughput increased by approximately 700 tpd (3,038 tpd vs. 2,366 tpd) and zinc production increased 215% (5.5 million pounds vs. 1.8 million pounds) compared to Q1 2018. C1 cash cost1 in Q1 2019 remained consistent due to the increased by-product revenue, primarily related to zinc, being offset by higher operating costs. Operating costs were impacted by increased power, haulage and development costs. Operating development meters increased related to mining the San Rafael zone and the new reserve areas. Development work commenced during Q1 2019 in relation to the one-way development ramp to eliminate the production bottleneck and fill the mill to nameplate capacity. This is expected to result in an approximate 30% increase in expected throughput, to approximately 3,800 tonnes per day by the end of 2020, increasing annual production from current levels of between 30 to 35 million pounds to between 40 to 45 million pounds of copper. Q1 2019 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW Please refer to the Company's Q1 2019 Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for a full review of its financial results. Q1 2019 Q1 20183 Revenue from continuing operations2 ($ millions) 108.9 103.7 Net income from continuing operations ($ millions) 12.0 10.3 Net income ($ millions) 8.3 6.7 Adjusted EBITDA1 from continuing operations ($ millions) 41.8 30.0 Cash flow from operating activities2 ($ millions) 28.7 32.8 Operating cash flow before changes in working capital1,2 ($ millions) 30.7 24.6 Long term debt (excluding financing fees) ($ millions) 219.9 274.9 Net debt1 ($ millions) 147.0 160.1 Q1 2019 Financial Overview Notes: 2 In accordance with IFRS 5, Minto's results are excluded from revenue but included within cash flow amounts in both the current and comparative period. 3 Effective January 1, 2019, the Company has adopted IFRS 16 Leases ("IFRS 16") using the modified retrospective method which applies the standard prospectively, and as such, figures above related to 2018 have not been restated to conform to IFRS 16. Refer to the Accounting Changes section of the MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2019 for more information. Q1 2019 OPERATING DETAILS Please refer to the Company's Q1 2019 Financial Statements and MD&A for a full review of its operating results. Pinto Valley Cozamin Production2 - Copper (contained metal and cathode) (000s pounds) 32,699 8,672 - Zinc (000s pounds) - 5,525 Mining - Waste (000s tonnes) 7,876 - - Ore (000s tonnes) 4,999 271 Milling - Tonnes processed (000s tonnes) 4,933 273 - Tonnes per day 54,811 3,038 - Copper grade (%)3 0.35 1.53 Recoveries3 - Copper (%) 84.3 94.2 - Zinc (%) - 69.3 Concentrate Production - Copper (dmt) 54,146 15,163 - Copper (%) 25.7 25.9 - Zinc (dmt) - 5,383 - Zinc (%) - 46.6 Site Operation Costs1,4 ($/t milled) $8.82 $47.64 Payable copper produced (000s pounds) 31,584 8,321 Copper C1 cash cost1 ($/lb payable copper produced) $1.79 $0.70 Adjusted EBITDA1 ($ millions) $25.3 $15.3 Q1 2019 Operating Details Notes: 2. Adjustments based on final settlements will be made in future periods. 3. Grade and recoveries were estimated based on concentrate production and may be impacted by settlements from prior production periods. 4. Site operating costs is cash production costs of metal produced (excluding cathode production costs for Pinto Valley)1 OUTLOOK - 2019 PRODUCTION, COST AND CAPITAL GUIDANCE Capstone's 2019 consolidated production guidance from continuing operations of between 145 million and 160 million pounds of copper produced at a C1 cash cost1 of between $1.80 and $2.00 per pound payable copper produced, remains unchanged. Pinto Valley quarterly copper production will fluctuate throughout the year given anticipated grade variability. The average copper grade in 2019 is expected to be approximately 0.32%, with grades at 0.28% during Q2. Consolidated capital expenditure guidance of $89.5 million and total exploration guidance of $12.0 million also remains unchanged. CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST DETAILS Capstone will hold a conference call on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time (8:30 a.m. Pacific time) to discuss these results. This release is not suitable on a standalone basis for readers unfamiliar with Capstone and should be read in conjunction with the Company's Financial Statements and MD&A for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, which are available on Capstone's website and on SEDAR, all of which have been reviewed and approved by Capstone's Board of Directors. An updated corporate presentation will also be available at https://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. Date: Thursday, April 25, 2019 Time: 11:30 am Eastern Time (8:30 am Pacific Time) Dial in: North America: 1-888-390-0546, International: +416-764-8688 Webcast: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1956178/343D6AA390A9765A5423F329A4121095 Replay: North America: 1-888-390-0541, International: +416-764-8677 Passcode: 147100# The conference call replay will be available until May 2, 2019. Following the replay, an audio file will be available on Capstone's website at https://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. ABOUT CAPSTONE MINING CORP. Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our two producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US and the Cozamin polymetallic mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico. In addition, Capstone has the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo development project in Region III, Chile in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada currently on care and maintenance, as well as a portfolio of exploration properties. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at www.capstonemining.com. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This document may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect our expectations or beliefs regarding future events. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves, the realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production and capital expenditures, the success of our mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses and title disputes. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this document certain forward-looking statements are identified by words including "guidance", "expected" and "expects". By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, amongst others, risks related to inherent hazards associated with mining operations and closure of mining projects, future prices of copper and other metals, compliance with financial covenants, surety bonding, our ability to raise capital, Capstone's ability to acquire properties for growth, counterparty risks associated with sales of our metals, use of financial derivative instruments and associated counterparty risks, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, changes in general economic conditions, accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, operating in foreign jurisdictions with risk of changes to governmental regulation, compliance with governmental regulations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, reliance on approvals, licences and permits from governmental authorities, impact of climatic conditions on our operations, aboriginal title claims and rights to consultation and accommodation, land reclamation and mine closure obligations, uncertainties and risks related to the potential development of the Santo Domingo Project, increased operating and capital costs, challenges to title to our mineral properties, maintaining ongoing social license to operate, dependence on key management personnel, potential conflicts of interest involving our directors and officers, corruption and bribery, limitations inherent in our insurance coverage, labour relations, increasing energy prices, competition in the mining industry, risks associated with joint venture partners, our ability to integrate new acquisitions into our operations, cybersecurity threats, legal proceedings, and other risks of the mining industry as well as those factors detailed from time to time in the Company's interim and annual financial statements and MD&A of those statements, all of which are filed and available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in our forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause our results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that our forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. NATIONAL INSTRUMENT 43-101 COMPLIANCE Unless otherwise indicated, Capstone has prepared the technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") based on information contained in the technical reports, news releases and MD&A's (collectively the "Disclosure Documents") available under Capstone Mining Corp.'s company profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Each Disclosure Document was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). Readers are encouraged to review the full text of the Disclosure Documents which qualifies the Technical Information. Readers are advised that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Disclosure Documents are each intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. The Technical Information is subject to the assumptions and qualifications contained in the Disclosure Documents. The disclosure of Technical Information and information related to mineral exploration activities contained in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Brad Mercer, P. Geol., Senior Vice President, Operation and Exploration, a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES The items marked with a "1" are alternative performance measures and readers should refer to Alternative Performance Measures in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2019 as filed on SEDAR and as available on the Company's website. CAUTIONARY NOTE TO UNITED STATES INVESTORS This news release contains disclosure that has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of US securities laws. Without limiting the foregoing, this news release may refer to technical reports that use the terms "indicated" and "inferred" resources. US investors are cautioned that, while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian securities laws, the SEC does not recognize them. Under US standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of indicated resources will ever be converted into reserves. US investors should also understand that "inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of "inferred resources" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, US investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be mined legally or economically. Accordingly, information concerning descriptions of mineralization and resources contained in this news release may not be comparable to information made public by US companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC. 1 This is an alternative performance measure; please see "Alternative Performance Measures" at the end of this release. SOURCE Capstone Mining Corp. Related Links www.capstonemining.com CLEVELAND, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FIRST-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS: REVENUE +1.5% SAME-UNIT REVENUE +1.0% EPS FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS +4.7% CBIZ, Inc. (NYSE: CBZ) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. For the 2019 first quarter, CBIZ reported revenue of $270.0 million, an increase of $3.9 million, or 1.5%, over the $266.1 million reported in 2018. Same-unit revenue increased by $2.7 million, or 1.0%, for the quarter, compared with the same period a year ago. Newly acquired operations, net of divestitures, contributed $1.2 million, or 0.5%, to revenue growth in the quarter. CBIZ reported income from continuing operations of $37.6 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, in the 2019 first quarter, compared with income of $35.8 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, for the same period a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was $57.7 million, compared with $55.9 million for the first quarter of 2018. In the 2019 first quarter, the Company repurchased approximately 580,000 shares of its common stock at a cost of approximately $11.6 million. As a result of this activity, the Company expects a weighted average fully diluted share count within a range of 56.0 to 56.5 million shares for 2019. The balance outstanding on the Company's $400 million unsecured credit facility at March 31, 2019, was $182 million with approximately $210 million of unused borrowing capacity. Jerry Grisko, President and Chief Executive Officer of CBIZ, said, "Our revenue growth in the first quarter was generally in line with our expectations and an improvement over the exceptionally strong first quarter a year ago. As a reminder, the first quarter of 2018 included very strong results from some of our non-core transactional businesses and revenue from two accounting practices that were divested at year-end. In addition, tax compliance work in the first quarter of 2019, which is normally at a seasonal peak, was negatively impacted by delays in IRS-issued regulations and guidance associated with tax reform. This work has been temporarily deferred and is expected to be completed later in the year." "Despite the relatively modest growth in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the same period a year ago, we are encouraged by continued strong demand for our services and a healthy level of optimism among many of our clients that the business climate will remain favorable throughout 2019," concluded Grisko. 2019 Outlook The Company expects growth in total revenue within a range of 4% to 6%. Although a number of factors may impact the tax rate, the Company expects an effective tax rate of approximately 25%. The Company expects a weighted average fully diluted share count of approximately 56.0 to 56.5 million shares. The Company expects to grow fully diluted earnings per share within a range of 10% to 12% over the $1.09 reported for 2018. Conference Call CBIZ will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. (ET) today to discuss its results. The call will be webcast live for the media and the public, and can be accessed at www.cbiz.com . Shareholders and analysts who would like to participate in the call can register at http://dpregister.com/10130754 to receive the dial-in number and unique personal identification number. Participants may register at any time, including up to and after the call start time. A replay of the webcast will be made available approximately two hours following the call on the Company's website at www.cbiz.com . For those without internet access, a replay of the call will also be available starting at approximately 1:00 p.m. (ET), April 25, through 5:00 p.m. (ET), May 1, 2019. The toll-free dial-in number for the replay is 1-877-344-7529. If you are listening from outside the United States, dial 1-412-317-0088. The access code for the replay is 10130754. About CBIZ CBIZ, Inc. provides financial, insurance and advisory services to businesses throughout the United States. Financial services include accounting, tax, government health care consulting, transaction advisory, risk advisory, and valuation services. Insurance services include employee benefits consulting, retirement plan consulting, property and casualty insurance, payroll, and human capital consulting. With more than 100 Company offices in 32 states, CBIZ is one of the largest accounting and insurance brokerage providers in the U.S. For more information, visit www.cbiz.com. Forward-Looking Statements Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to adequately manage and sustain its growth; the Company's dependence on the current trend of outsourcing business services; the Company's dependence on the services of its CEO and other key employees; competitive pricing pressures; general business and economic conditions; and changes in governmental regulation and tax laws affecting the Company's insurance business or its business services operations. A more detailed description of such risks and uncertainties may be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. CBIZ, INC. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (UNAUDITED) THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2019 AND 2018 (In thousands, except percentages and per share data) THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2019 % 2018 % Revenue $ 269,998 100.0 % $ 266,090 100.0 % Operating expenses (1) 215,496 79.8 % 204,750 76.9 % Gross margin 54,502 20.2 % 61,340 23.1 % Corporate general and administrative expenses (1) 11,680 4.3 % 10,028 3.8 % Operating income 42,822 15.9 % 51,312 19.3 % Other income (expense): Interest expense (1,401) -0.5 % (1,780) -0.7 % Gain on sale of operations, net 497 0.2 % 663 0.3 % Other income (expense), net (1) (2) 9,260 3.4 % (1,229) -0.5 % Total other income (expense), net 8,356 3.1 % (2,346) -0.9 % Income from continuing operations before income tax expense 51,178 19.0 % 48,966 18.4 % Income tax expense 13,613 13,156 Income from continuing operations 37,565 13.9 % 35,810 13.5 % (Loss) income from operations of discontinued operations, net of tax (96) 41 Net income $ 37,469 13.9 % $ 35,851 13.5 % Diluted earnings per share: Continuing operations $ 0.67 $ 0.64 Discontinued operations - - Net income $ 0.67 $ 0.64 Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 55,915 55,924 Other data from continuing operations: Adjusted EBITDA (3) $ 57,741 $ 55,858 (1) CBIZ sponsors a deferred compensation plan, under which a CBIZ employee's compensation deferral is held in a rabbi trust and invested accordingly as directed by the employee. Income and expenses related to the deferred compensation plan are included in "Operating expenses" ($8.2 million expense in 2019 and $0.1 million income in 2018, or 3.0% and 0.0% of revenue, respectively) and "Corporate general and administrative expenses" ($0.9 million expense in 2019 and $16 thousand income in 2018, or 0.3% and 0.0% of revenue for 2019 and 2018, respectively) and are directly offset by deferred compensation gains or losses in "Other income (expense), net" ($9.1 million income in 2019 and $0.1 million expense in 2018, or 3.4% and 0.0% of revenue, respectively). The deferred compensation plan has no impact on "Income from continuing operations before income tax expense". (2) Included in "Other income (expense), net" for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, is income of $0.3 million and expense of $1.6 million, respectively, related to net changes in the fair value of contingent consideration related to CBIZ's prior acquisitions. (3) Refer to the financial highlights tables for a reconciliation of Non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") financial measure, and for additional information as to the usefulness of the Non-GAAP financial measures to shareholders and investors. CBIZ, INC. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (UNAUDITED) (In thousands) SELECT SEGMENT DATA THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2019 2018 Revenue Financial Services $ 185,144 $ 180,603 Benefits and Insurance Services 76,255 77,330 National Practices 8,599 8,157 Total $ 269,998 $ 266,090 Gross Margin Financial Services $ 50,686 $ 47,570 Benefits and Insurance Services 14,884 16,197 National Practices 599 882 Operating expenses - unallocated (1): Other (3,449) (3,423) Deferred compensation (8,218) 114 Total $ 54,502 $ 61,340 (1) Represents operating expenses not directly allocated to individual businesses, including stock-based compensation, consolidation and integration charges, and certain advertising expenses. "Operating expenses - unallocated" also include gains or losses attributable to the assets held in the Company's deferred compensation plan, which do not impact "Income from continuing operations before income tax expense" as they are directly offset by the same adjustment to "Other income (expense), net" in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Net gains/losses recognized from adjustments to the fair value of the assets held in the deferred compensation plan are recorded as compensation income/expense in "Operating expenses" and as income/expense in "Other income (expense), net". CBIZ, INC. SELECT CASH FLOW DATA (In thousands) THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2019 2018 Net income $ 37,469 $ 35,851 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization expense 5,659 5,775 Bad debt expense, net of recoveries 1,054 1,766 Adjustments to contingent earnout liability (281) 1,609 Other 511 (1,244) Net income, after adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities 44,412 43,757 Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and divestitures (69,074) (64,396) Operating cash flows used in continuing operations (24,662) (20,639) Operating cash flows (used in) provided by discontinued operations (91) 139 Net cash used in operating activities (24,753) (20,500) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities (9,736) 37,455 Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 10,025 (20,296) Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ (24,464) $ (3,341) CBIZ, INC. SELECT FINANCIAL DATA AND RATIOS (In thousands, except for percentages and days sales outstanding) MARCH 31, DECEMBER 31, 2019 2018 Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,143 $ 640 Restricted cash 27,721 27,481 Accounts receivable, net 264,434 207,287 Current assets before funds held for clients 319,082 262,249 Funds held for clients 138,779 161,289 Goodwill and other intangible assets, net 635,881 637,009 Total assets $ 1,377,319 $ 1,183,031 Current liabilities before client fund obligations 172,256 159,241 Client fund obligations 138,866 162,073 Bank debt, net of debt issuance costs 180,564 133,974 Total liabilities $ 753,832 $ 589,368 Treasury stock $ (520,008) $ (508,530) Total stockholders' equity $ 623,487 $ 593,663 Debt to equity 29.3 % 23.0 % Days sales outstanding (DSO) - continuing operations (1) 91 70 Shares outstanding 54,901 55,072 Basic weighted average common shares outstanding 54,287 54,561 Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 55,915 56,487 (1) DSO is provided for continuing operations and represents accounts receivable, net, at the end of the period, divided by trailing twelve month daily revenue. The Company has included DSO data because such data is commonly used as a performance measure by analysts and investors and as a measure of the Company's ability to collect on receivables in a timely manner. DSO should not be regarded as an alternative or replacement to any measurement of performance under GAAP. DSO at March 31, 2018 was 92. CBIZ, INC. GAAP RECONCILIATIONS Income from Continuing Operations to Non-GAAP Financial Measures (1) (In thousands) THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2019 2018 Income from continuing operations $ 37,565 $ 35,810 Interest expense 1,401 1,780 Income tax expense 13,613 13,156 Gain on sale of operations, net (497) (663) Depreciation 2,157 1,404 Amortization 3,502 4,371 Adjusted EBITDA $ 57,741 $ 55,858 (1) CBIZ reports its financial results in accordance with GAAP. This table reconciles Non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest GAAP financial measure, "Income from continuing operations". Adjusted EBITDA is not defined by GAAP and should not be regarded as an alternative or replacement to any measurement of performance or cash flow under GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is commonly used by the Company, its shareholders and debt holders to evaluate, assess and benchmark the Company's operational results and to provide an additional measure with respect to the Company's ability to meet future debt obligations. SOURCE CBIZ, Inc. Related Links http://www.cbiz.com INDIANAPOLIS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Celadon Group, Inc. ("Celadon," the "Company," or "we") (OTCPink: CGIP) announced today that it has reached resolutions with the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana (collectively, the "DOJ"), and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") related to previously disclosed investigations. The investigations related to conduct that occurred prior to the hiring of the Company's current Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Accounting Officer. Company Commentary Chief Executive Officer, Paul Svindland, commented: "The settlements with DOJ and SEC mark an important milestone. We have now settled the governmental investigations and other legal proceedings related to the events that arose under prior management. We appreciate the government's recognition of the significant changes we have made, our ongoing commitment to legal and regulatory compliance, and our significant cooperation in the investigations. With these legal issues resolved, we will focus on continuing to strengthen our corporate controls and procedures and pursuing a long-term capital structure and the operational turnaround of our core, asset-based truckload transportation business." Summary of Settlement Terms On April 24, 2019, the Company entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (the "DPA") with the DOJ. The DPA will remain in effect through June 30, 2024, unless terminated earlier or extended. In conjunction with the DPA, the DOJ filed a criminal information alleging a single-count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and the falsification of books, records, and accounts. Subject to the Company's compliance with the DPA, the DOJ has agreed to dismiss with prejudice this criminal information upon expiration of the DPA. The Company has agreed over the course of the DPA's term to pay restitution in the amount of $42,245,302 (the "Restitution Amount") and related administration expenses. Subject to compliance with the DPA and SEC Consent (defined below), no additional payments are required by the Company. The Company will receive credit toward the Restitution Amount for amounts paid directly to shareholders pursuant to the Company's prior settlement of civil shareholder class action litigation (the "Securities Class Action"). The Company expects such amount to range between $3.5 million and $3.75 million depending on administrative costs, leaving an approximately $38.5 million expected balance of the Restitution Amount. The DPA requires an initial payment of $5.0 million within 90 days and final payment of any remaining balance on June 30, 2024. Additionally, on or prior to October 28 of calendar years 2020-2023, the Company will pay toward the Restitution Amount 50% of any remaining excess cash flow (as defined in the then-effective credit agreements, "ECF") generated during the fiscal year (ended June 30) immediately preceding such dates, after first paying all expenses and making all required payments (including ECF payments) to the Company's term loan and revolving lenders. The DPA does not require payment of any criminal fine. Under the DPA, the Company also is required to continue to cooperate with the DOJ with respect to related matters, continue the implementation of a compliance and ethics program designed to prevent and deter violations of anti-fraud, reporting, or books and records provisions of the federal securities laws, and to report at least annually to the DOJ with respect to the remediation and implementation of the Company's corporate compliance program and internal controls, and policies and procedures. There is no independent monitor requirement. On April 24, 2019, the Company also agreed to settle with the SEC by consenting to the entry of a final judgment (the "Consent") that permanently restrains and enjoins the Company from violating Sections 10(b), 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and applicable rules. The Consent and related judgment, upon entry by the Court, orders the Company to disgorge $7,541,633.70, but provides that this obligation is satisfied in full by the Company's payment of the Restitution Amount pursuant to the DPA. The Consent also requires the Company to remediate by September 30, 2019 the deficiencies in its internal control over financial reporting that constituted material weaknesses as identified in the Company's Form 8-K dated March 30, 2019. Additional Information The Company will provide additional information concerning the government resolutions on a Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The foregoing is only a summary of the material terms of the DPA and Consent and does not purport to be a complete description of the rights and obligations of the parties thereunder and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the DPA, Consent, and related documents. About Celadon Celadon Group, Inc. (www.celadongroup.com) is one of North America's leading cross-border carriers and, through its subsidiaries, provides long haul, regional, local, dedicated, intermodal, temperature-protect, and expedited freight service across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are subject to the safe harbor created by this section and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such statements may be identified by their use of terms or phrases, including "will," "may," "ongoing," "going forward," "continue" "shall," and similar terms and phrases. Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company's management and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, which could cause future events and actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. In this press release, statements relating to the Company's payment of restitution and other future actions and events in connection with the DPA, Consent, and related resolutions are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in these forward-looking statements based on risks and uncertainties, including the risk that the Company's business does not perform as expected or anticipated, the Company does not generate ECF, is not profitable, or is otherwise unable to generate or obtain sufficient cash to meet its payment obligation at the end of the Term, that the Company does not obtain the financing necessary to meet its business requirements, and the amount of administration fees and expenses ultimately incurred in connection with the distribution of the Securities Class Action settlement. Readers should review and consider these and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations and various disclosures by the Company in its press releases, stockholder reports, and filings with the SEC. For more information : Paul Svindland Chief Executive Officer (317) 972-7000 [email protected] SOURCE Celadon Group Inc. ST. JOSEPH, Mich., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Account Director has joined the leadership team at JohnsonRauhoff (JR), a Michigan-based strategic content agency. Justin Southern, originally from Michigan, started at JR in March after working in Chicago for several years, most recently at Google and previously at OMD, a subsidiary of Omnicom Group. As part of his past agency experience, Southern has helped lead the media efforts across several well-known campaigns such as "Partners in Pethood" by PetSmart, "Get a Shot. Give a Shot." by Walgreens, and guided the media strategy for online lottery sales in Illinois, which was the first state to allow consumers to purchase tickets over the Internet. "Justin brings a wealth of experience across consumer touch-points to ensure we provide the most modern capabilities at JR," said JR President Mike Huie. "In driving results for our clients, we have the inherent need to design highly sophisticated marketing strategies that are grounded in data and analytics." Southern, a Western Michigan University graduate, will lead the agency's work on the Whirlpool account, including KitchenAid brand, and head marketing efforts for the agency. Southern says the move back to Michigan was 15 years in the making. "Getting home to Michigan was always in the cards. My wife and I have two boys and are thrilled to be closer to family," said Southern. "To make the move a reality, the career path needed to be there as well. JR not only offers the ability to move to St. Joseph and be part of a great community, it also provides the opportunity to do truly innovative work with a roster of fantastic colleagues and clients." "With our goal to always recruit the highest level of talent, Justin is just one of the many JR staff who have made the move from other major cities and corporations," noted JR CEO Jackie Huie. "The JR team's amazing combined experience and diversity is one of the secrets to our success." About JohnsonRauhoff: Founded in 1969, JR is a strategic content agency that combines the strengths of a full-service agency with the added value and efficiency of an in-house studio. Strategic insights and innovative tech solutions fuel powerful creative work. Learn more at johnsonrauhoff.com . SOURCE JohnsonRauhoff Related Links http://johnsonrauhoff.com BOYERTOWN, Pa., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ClimeCo Corporation (ClimeCo) is pleased to announce its selection as Project Developer of the Year by the Climate Action Reserve (CAR), in recognition for the Most Registered Carbon Offset Projects in 2018. ClimeCo is Selected as Project Developer of the Year by CAR. In picture: Andy Kruger, Sr Director, Environmental Markets; William Flederbach, President and CEO; Derek Six, Chief Business Officer CAR, North America's premier carbon offset registry, presented the award to ClimeCo Corporation during CAR's North American Carbon World (NACW) 2019 annual conference, which is currently being held in Los Angeles, CA, through April 26. Award recipients are nominated based upon their demonstration of leadership in advancing climate solutions and strengthening carbon markets through the development of successful carbon offset projects that achieve real, quantifiable, verifiable, additional, and permanent emissions reductions. "ClimeCo is celebrating ten years in business this year and to receive an award like this from CAR is a great gift," said Bill Flederbach, President & CEO of ClimeCo. "I am very proud of the team we have built over the last 10 years, our culture, our clients, the incredible volumes of greenhouse gases that we've reduced, and us being the leading producer of carbon credits within CAR." ClimeCo has worked with CAR for the past 10 years and has registered more than 16 million carbon offsets. Their offset volume stems from reducing greenhouse gas emissions through several project types, including N 2 O Abatement, Destruction of Ozone Depleting Substances, Agricultural Methane Capture, and Organic Waste Composting. It is the combination of their clients, their diversification, and the dedication of their project team that has allowed them to be the leader in carbon offset project development. "CAR has been a tremendous partner for ClimeCo over the years," said Derek Six, Chief Business Officer of ClimeCo. "Their dedication to creating high-quality protocols and ensuring a crediting program of the utmost integrity aligns well with ClimeCo's core values. We are proud to be implementing creative and innovative emission reduction projects, and very much appreciate this recognition for our efforts." ClimeCo is an advisor, broker, and developer of both voluntary and compliance grade environmental commodity market products, with specialized expertise in California cap-and-trade, market advisory, transactional services, and project financing. To learn more about ClimeCo, how you can be a part of this growing business or how your company can benefit, visit us at www.climeco.com. SOURCE ClimeCo Corporation Related Links http://www.climeco.com HONG KONG, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CNOOC Limited (the "Company", SEHK: 00883,NYSE: CEO, TSX: CNU) today announced its key operational statistics for the first quarter of 2019. The Company achieved a total net production of 120.1 million barrels of oil equivalent ("BOE") for the first quarter of 2019, remaining stable compared to the same period last year. Production from offshore China increased 2.3% year over year ("YoY") to 79.3 million BOE, mainly attributable to commencement of production of new projects. Overseas production decreased 4.2% YoY to 40.8 million BOE, mainly due to completion of historical investment recovery of Missan project in Iraq and expiration of contract of SES block in Indonesia. During the period, the Company made four new discoveries and drilled ten successful appraisal wells. In Bohai, the new discovery Luda 25-1 is expected to be a mid-sized oil-bearing structure. In Guyana, two new discoveries, namely Tilapia and Haimara, were made in the Stabroek block, which represent the eleventh and twelfth oil discoveries achieved in the block. In addition, on April 18, the operator, ExxonMobil has announced Yellowtail as the thirteenth discovery in the block. For the new projects planned to commence production this year, Egina oilfield in Nigeria and Huizhou 32-5 oilfield comprehensive adjustment/Huizhou 33-1 oilfield joint development project in offshore China have commenced production successfully, other projects progressed smoothly. The unaudited oil and gas sales revenue of the Company reached approximately RMB 42.05 billion for the first quarter of 2019, down 1.1% YoY. During the period, the Company's average realized oil price decreased 4.3% YoY to US$60.78 per barrel, which is in line with the international oil prices. The Company's average realized gas price was US$6.88 per thousand cubic feet, increasing by 6.3% YoY, primarily driven by the increased production proportion from gas fields of higher realized gas price. For the first quarter of 2019, the Company's capital expenditure reached approximately RMB 14.08 billion, up 45.8% YoY as a result of increased workload. Mr. Yuan Guangyu, CEO of the Company, said, "In the first quarter of the year, the Company's overall production and operations remained stable, capital expenditure increased substantially. Looking ahead, we will steadily increase oil and gas reserve and production, continuously adhere to the concept of green and low-carbon and promote the high-quality development of the Company, strive to achieve the overall target for the year." Notes to Editors: More information about the Company is available at http://www.cnoocltd.com . **** **** **** **** This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expected future events, business prospectus or financial results. The words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors the Company believes are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will meet the expectations and predictions of the Company depends on a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause the actual results, performance and financial condition to differ materially from the Company's expectations, including but not limited to those associated with fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas prices, the exploration or development activities, the capital expenditure requirements, the business strategy, whether the transactions entered into by the Group can complete on schedule pursuant to their terms and timetable or at all, the highly competitive nature of the oil and natural gas industries, the foreign operations, environmental liabilities and compliance requirements, and economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China. For a description of these and other risks and uncertainties, please see the documents the Company files from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 20-F filed in April of the latest fiscal year. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company cannot assure that the results or developments anticipated will be realised or, even if substantially realised, that they will have the expected effect on the Company, its business or operations. *** *** *** *** For further enquiries, please contact: Ms. Jing Liu Manager, Media & Public Relations CNOOC Limited Tel: +86 10 8452 3404 Fax: +86 10 8452 1441 E-mail: [email protected] Ms. Ada Leung Hill+Knowlton Strategies Asia Tel: +852 2894 6225 Fax: +852 2576 1990 E-mail: [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150819/8521505396LOGO SOURCE CNOOC Limited Related Links http://www.cnoocltd.com NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cool roof coatings consist of a binder blended with pigments and other additives that reflect the sun's energy. These coatings can provide various benefits such as protection of roof surfaces, waterproofing, longer roof service life, and decrease in air conditioning costs. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5767826/?utm_source=PRN Cool roof coatings can be highly durable.Cost benefit analysis indicates that cool roof coatings are an attractive investment. These coatings are beneficial for the environment and human health. The use of cool roof coatings on roof surfaces is a simple solution for increasing building endurance and saving money for building owners. Based on roof slope, the global cool roof coatings market has been bifurcated into low-sloped and steep-sloped.Low-sloped is the dominant segment of the cool roof coatings market due to its advantages over steep-sloped roof. For instance, it require low initial installation cost and less buildup materials.In terms of application, the global cool roof coatings market has been segmented into residential, commercial, and industrial. The industrial segment accounted for the leading share of the global cool roof coatings market in 2017.Based on type, the global cool roof coatings market has been divided into elastomeric and IR reflective. Elastomeric was the dominant segment of the market in 2017 due to its advantages over IR reflective coatings. For instance, it helps extend the life of the existing roof it covers, maintain roof flexibility in hot and low temperatures, and preserve roof surface from deteriorating effects of the sun's heat. In terms of value and volume, North America was the prominent region of the global cool roof coatings market in 2017. Demand for cool roof coatings in North America is anticipated to rise during forecast period, due to the increase in usage of these coatings in residential applications such as housing units and villas. The report analyzes and forecasts the cool roof coatings market at the global and regional levels.The market has been projected in terms of volume (million liters) and value (US$ Mn) from 2018 to 2026. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global cool roof coatings market.It also covers the expected impact of these drivers and restraints on the demand for cool roof coatings during the forecast period. The report also highlights growth opportunities for the cool roof coatings market at the global and regional levels. The report comprises a detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global cool roof coatings market.Porter's Five Forces model for the cool roof coatings market has also been included to help understand the competition landscape. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein roof slope, type, and application segments have been benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness. The study provides a decisive view of the global cool roof coatings market by segmenting it based on roof slope, type, application, and region.These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes current and future demand for cool roof coatings in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The report also covers individual roof slope, type, and application segments of the market in all the regions. The study includes profiles of major companies operating in the global cool roof coatings market.The global market is dominated by large players. Key players functioning in the market include DowDuPont, Nutech Paint, Akzo Nobel N.V., BASF SE, and The Valspar Corporation. Market players have been profiled in terms of company overview, business strategies, and recent developments. The report provides the estimated market size (in terms of value and volume) of the global cool roof coatings market for the base year 2017 and forecast for the period from 2018 to 2026. The market size and forecast for each roof slope, type, and application segment have been provided for the global and regional markets. Global Cool Roof Coatings Market, by Roof Slope Low-sloped Steep-sloped Global Cool Roof Coatings Market, by Type Elastomeric IR Reflective Global Cool Roof Coatings Market, by Application Residential Commercial Industrial Global Cool Roof Coatings Market, by Region North America U.S. Canada Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Europe Germany France U.K. Italy Spain Russia & CIS Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Key Takeaways Extensive analysis of market trends from 2017 to 2026 to identify opportunities and market developments Analysis of products and applications wherein cool roof coatings are used Identification of key factors responsible for building a roadmap for upcoming opportunities for the cool roof coatings market at the global, regional, and country levels Comprehensive analysis with respect to investments and regulatory scenario that would subsequently impact the outlook and forecast for the global cool roof coatings market between 2018 and 2026 Detailed competition landscape of key players operating in the market to understand competition level Porters' Five Forces analysis to highlight the power of buyers and suppliers in the market Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5767826/?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 SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com MEXICO CITY, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta S.A.B. de C.V., ("Vesta", or the "Company") (BMV: VESTA), one of the leading pure-play industrial real estate companies in Mexico, today announced its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. All figures included herein were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and are stated in US dollars unless otherwise noted. Highlights Vesta announced on April 22, 2019 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell a property portfolio totaling 1.6 million square-feet for a total of US$ 109.3 million , this reflects a 20% increase over the divested portfolio's NAV. The portfolio consists of eight industrial properties, 60% of which are located in Queretaro (960,078 sf) and 40% in Toluca (629,198 sf), Mexico . The blended cap rate for the divested Portfolio is 7.1%. The transaction is subject to approval by the Mexican Antitrust Commission (COFECE) final resolution and to other regulatory items. that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell a property portfolio totaling 1.6 million square-feet for a total of , this reflects a 20% increase over the divested portfolio's NAV. The portfolio consists of eight industrial properties, 60% of which are located in (960,078 sf) and 40% in (629,198 sf), . The blended cap rate for the divested Portfolio is 7.1%. The transaction is subject to approval by the Mexican Antitrust Commission (COFECE) final resolution and to other regulatory items. First quarter 2019 revenues increased by 15.7% to US$ 36.29 million , from US$ 31.38 million in 1Q18, with NOI and EBITDA margins of 96.3% and 85.7%, respectively. , from in 1Q18, with NOI and EBITDA margins of 96.3% and 85.7%, respectively. FFO increased 23.2% year over year, to US$ 10.76 million , from US$ 8.73 million . FFO per share for 1Q19 was US$ 0.018 from US$ 0.014 in 1Q18. , from . FFO per share for 1Q19 was from in 1Q18. Record financial results in 2018 enabled a Ps$ 0.425 dividend per share distribution for the first quarter 2019, a 13.7% increase compared to 1Q18. Continued growth of rent per square foot in the total portfolio of 6.6% compared to the same period of last year and a 4% CAGR in the last 3 years. Vesta had a robust 1.7 million ft (154,944 m) in leasing activity, including 257,250 ft (23,899 m) of new leases with existing and new international clients such as Harman, Freudenberg and DB Schenker, among others, and a 1.4 million ft (131,045 m) of lease renewals. To date, Vesta has renewed 65% of leases to expire in 2019 and 2020 with releasing spreads above 2% compared to in place rent. The Company expects continued renewals, while extending current contracts and increasing rents. Stabilized portfolio grew 8.9% in 1Q19, to 28,165,300 ft (2,616,642 m), from 25,874,812 ft (2,403,849 m) in 1Q18, while the stabilized occupancy rate remained stable at 96.8%. Vesta increased its total GLA portfolio by 3,368,087 ft (312,906 m) to 30,416,390 ft (2,825,775 m) in 1Q19, from 27,048,301 ft (2,512,870 m) in 1Q18. Total portfolio occupancy for 1Q19 was 90.8%, from 91.8% in 1Q18. New buildings delivered during 1Q19 amounted to 548,814 ft (50,986 m) of GLA, of which 15% has already been leased. Vesta's development portfolio totaled 949,159 million ft (88,180 m) of GLA in 1Q19, with the addition of one new BTS buildings related to expansions in Juarez by existing client BRP and two inventory buildings in Tijuana and San Luis Potosi . Weighted average expected return on cost is 11.2% for 1Q19 development projects. Financial Indicators (million) 1Q19 1Q18 Chg. % Rental Income 36.29 31.38 15.7 NOI 34.95 30.43 14.9 NOI Margin % 96.3% 97.0% EBITDA 31.11 26.89 15.7 EBITDA Margin % 85.7% 85.7% EBITDA Per Share 0.0522 0.0449 16.2 Total Comprehensive Income 20.98 36.15 na FFO 10.76 8.73 23.2 FFO Per Share 0.0180 0.0146 23.7 EPS 0.0352 0.0603 na Shares (average) 596.52 599.07 (0.4) Revenues increased 15.7%, to US$ 36.29 million in 1Q19 from US$ 31.38 million in 1Q18. This is primarily due to the increase in occupied space which was rented during the first quarter of the year. in 1Q19 from in 1Q18. This is primarily due to the increase in occupied space which was rented during the first quarter of the year. Net Operating Income ("NOI") increased 14.9% to US$ 34.95 million in 1Q19, compared to US$ 30.43 million in 1Q18. The first quarter 2019 NOI margin was 96.3%; a 68-basis-point decrease due to higher costs related to properties that generate rental income. in 1Q19, compared to in 1Q18. The first quarter 2019 NOI margin was 96.3%; a 68-basis-point decrease due to higher costs related to properties that generate rental income. EBITDA increased 15.7% to US$ 31.11 million in 1Q19, versus US$ 26.89 million in the first quarter of 2018. The EBITDA margin was 85.7% in 1Q19, a two-basis point increase, due to an increase in revenue, while the administrative expense margin remained constant. in 1Q19, versus in the first quarter of 2018. The EBITDA margin was 85.7% in 1Q19, a two-basis point increase, due to an increase in revenue, while the administrative expense margin remained constant. Funds from operations ("FFO") for 1Q19 increased 23.2% to US$ 10.76 million , from US$ 8.73 million for the same period in 2018. FFO per share was US$ .0180 for the first quarter, compared with US$ 0.0146 for the same period in 2018, a 23.7% increase. The increase was due to higher EBITDA during 1Q19. , from for the same period in 2018. FFO per share was for the first quarter, compared with for the same period in 2018, a 23.7% increase. The increase was due to higher EBITDA during 1Q19. Total comprehensive income for 1Q19 was US$ 20.98 million , versus a gain of US$ 36.15 million in the same quarter 2018. This decrease was primarily due to a higher deferred tax expense of US$ 0.80 million during 1Q19 compared to the deferred tax benefit of US$ 16.29 million perceived in the first quarter of 2018. , versus a gain of in the same quarter 2018. This decrease was primarily due to a higher deferred tax expense of during 1Q19 compared to the deferred tax benefit of perceived in the first quarter of 2018. As of March 31, 2019 , the total value of Vesta's investment property portfolio was US$ 1.92 billion ; a 1.8% increase compared to US$ 1.88 billion at the end of December 31, 2018 . For a full version of Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta First Quarter 2019 Earnings Release, please visit: https://www.vesta.com.mx/investors/financial_information CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION: Vesta will host a conference call on Friday, April 26, 2019, to discuss these results at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time / 9:00 a.m. Central Time (Mexico City Time). To access the call, please dial: US, toll-free: +1 877-705-6003 International, toll: +1 201-493-6725 Mexico, toll-free: +1 800-522-0034 Replay will be available until May 10, 2019 Please dial: US, toll-free: +1-844-512-2921 International, toll: +1 412-317-6671 Replay ID: 13687094 About Vesta Vesta is a real estate owner, developer and asset administrator of industrial buildings and distribution centers in Mexico. As of March 31, 2019, Vesta owned 187 properties located in modern industrial parks in 14 states of Mexico totaling a GLA of 30.4 million ft2 (2.83 million m2). The Company has multinational clients, which are focused in industries such as aerospace, automotive, food and beverage, logistics, medical devices, and plastics, among others. For additional information visit: www.vesta.com.mx. Note on Forward-Looking Statements This report may contain certain forward-looking statements and information relating to the Company that reflects the current views and/or expectations of the Company and its management with respect to its performance, business and future events. Forward looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain words like "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "envisages," "will likely result," or any other words or phrases of similar meaning. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in this presentation and in oral statements made by authorized officers of the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta, S.A.B. de C.V. Related Links https://vesta.com.mx It was reported in February that Dalian Port, in North China, had banned Australian coal from being received. Furthermore, the time for Australian coal to clear customs at other Chinese ports lifted from ~20 days to 6090 days. In the thermal coal market, this has already impacted prices; in the seven weeks since the restrictions were imposed (i.e. between 12 February and 02 April 2019), the 5,500 kcal/kg seaborne price has fallen by ~6% to $64 /t, CFR South China, whilst domestic prices in China have increased by ~8% to $93 /t, FOB North China. However, metallurgical coal prices have not behaved in the same way; domestic prices in China have increased by ~1% to $227 /t and seaborne prices have increased to $220 /t, CFR China, a ~2% rise since the restrictions were imposed. Continued supply disruptions in Australia have supported seaborne met. coal prices in the past few months. Furthermore, we have heard that, when the restrictions were initially announced, there was a sudden increase in demand from independently-owned Chinese mills. These mills, that are more free from government controls compared with their state-owned counterparts, rushed to procure high-quality Australian material whilst imports were still accessible and this further supported increases in the seaborne price relative to domestic prices. Chinese coke producers will be disadvantaged if met. coal prices are impacted In the event that import restrictions become more strict, we would expect met. coal prices to be impacted by a similar way to that seen in the thermal coal market. In our latest weekly price assessments, seaborne met. and thermal coal prices decreased by ~1% and ~3% w/w respectively. This is the third consecutive week in which seaborne met. coal prices have decreased, which may indicate that the aforementioned dynamic is starting to take effect. If this continues in the coming weeks, and seaborne and domestic met. coal price movements mirror the dynamics in the thermal coal market, this would have ramifications for coke production costs and margins. Increased Chinese domestic coal prices and lower seaborne prices will reduce the competitiveness of Chinese coke producers compared with those outside China. For example, coke producers in Japan, a key importer of Australian met. coal, would benefit from lower production costs. Read the full story: https://www.crugroup.com/knowledge-and-insights/insights/2019/coal-import-restrictions-hurt-chinese-coke-makers/ Read more about CRU: http://bit.ly/About_CRU About CRU CRU offers unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events. Since our foundation by Robert Perlman in 1969, we have consistently invested in primary research and robust methodologies, and developed expert teams in key locations worldwide, including in hard-to-reach markets such as China. CRU employs over 280 experts and has more than 11 offices around the world, in Europe, the Americas, China, Asia and Australia our office in Beijing opened in 2004 and Singapore in 2018. When facing critical business decisions, you can rely on our first-hand knowledge to give you a complete view of a commodity market. And you can engage with our experts directly, for the full picture and a personalised response. CRU big enough to deliver a high-quality service, small enough to care about all of our customers. SOURCE CRU LONG BEACH, Calif., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) and Motiv Power Systems today announced a collaboration to integrate Dana's Spicer Electrified eS9000r e-Axle on the Ford F-550 chassis for use in commercial fleet applications. By replacing the traditional mechanical driveline with an electric motor integrated directly into the vehicle's differential housing, the e-Axle provides greater design flexibility for battery placement and truck body attachment. In addition to Dana's e-Axle technology, the chassis features Motiv's proprietary electric powertrain controls. "Dana sees tremendous demand in the commercial vehicle space for full electrification, and the Ford F-550 chassis represents an ideal application for integrating our innovative e-Axle technology," said Mark Wallace, president of Dana Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technologies. "Collaborating with pioneers like Motiv to offer integrated e-solutions enables commercial fleet owners to capitalize on the benefits of electrified vehicles." The Spicer Electrified eS9000r consists of an integrated motor, transmission, and axle system, and is designed as a "drop-in" replacement for existing axles used in medium-duty truck and bus applications. The vehicle is designed with a range of up to 90 miles and peak power of 226 kW for grade startability of 20 percent. Dana's innovative e-Axle includes a patent-pending integrated parking mechanism (park pawl) that eliminates the need for an external solution. "We're proud of our role in this initial Ford F-550 application. It represents a combination of two complementary technologies in bringing electrification to commercial fleets," said Matt O'Leary, CEO of Motiv. "We share a common vision with Dana of expanding the market profile of battery electric vehicles in commercial transportation and welcome the opportunity to collaborate with them to advance this goal." Dana and Motiv are collaborating to customize a Ford F-550 Chassis with an all-electric e-Axle. The vehicle can be used for box trucks, maintenance trucks, shuttle buses, and more. The customized chassis features lithium-ion batteries and is on display at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Long Beach, California, April 23-26, in Dana's booth #1847 along with a comprehensive portfolio of Spicer Electrified solutions. To learn more about Motive Power Systems, visit booth #1327. About Motiv Power Systems Founded in 2009, and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Motiv Power Systems, a leading provider of software and technology to electrify medium-duty commercial vehicles, is committed to freeing fleets from their dependence on fossil fuels. Motiv's EPIC (Electric Powered Intelligent Chassis) are CARB-certified, GSA-approved, and available for many configurations, including step vans, box trucks, work trucks, shuttle buses, school buses, trolleys, and other specialty vehicles. An EPIC offers uncompromised performance and functionality without the pollution, noise, heat, and vibration of gasoline or diesel power. Motiv is the only Ford eQVM-approved provider of all-electric chassis for commercial trucks and buses, and benefits from engineering insights and support from Ford to ensure safety and reliability. With more than 550,000 miles logged among several of the largest fleet operators in the United States, the EPIC family eliminates 100 percent of vehicle emissions, dramatically reduces operating and maintenance costs, and creates a healthier environment for riders and communities, while also reducing driver fatigue. For more information and career opportunities, please visit www.motivps.com and follow us on Twitter @motivps, Facebook and LinkedIn. 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 Dana Incorporated Related Links http://www.dana.com LONG BEACH, Calif., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) announced today the launch of its newest direct-drive electric powertrain, the TM4 SUMO LD. The motor-inverter combination is designed for Class 2 through Class 6 vehicles. The new offering extends the comprehensive TM4 SUMO lineup, which is powering more than 12,000 electrified vehicles today. Designed primarily for today's direct-drive architectures, the TM4 SUMO LD will also provide a modular solution for future transitions to widespread e-Axle platforms. When integrated with one of Dana's numerous electrified axle solutions, the TM4 SUMO LD can be configured for light-commercial, minibus, and medium-duty truck and bus, as well as heavy-duty Class 8 hybrid vehicles. "The TM4 SUMO direct-drive electric powertrain offering is a globally adopted, road-proven, highly efficient solution utilized in thousands of electrified vehicles, which is a key differentiator setting us apart from other electrodynamic solutions," said Christophe Dominiak, chief technology officer for Dana. "The SUMO LD series has been engineered into multiple Spicer Electrified products and is able to be adapted to the architecture requirements of our customers, from direct-drive solutions to fully integrated e-Axle designs." With three available models, the TM4 SUMO LD offers up to 250 kW of continuous power and 1200 Nm of torque. Its new winding technology, combined with an innovative internal permanent magnet (IPM) rotor design, yields a 10-percent decrease in magnets and creates a more lightweight and compact solution to fit smaller vehicle envelopes. The SUMO LD is matched with the industry-proven three-phase CO150 inverter, already used in thousands of vehicles worldwide. The TM4 SUMO systems can be optimized to offer the best driveline efficiencies to different vehicle platforms based on selected duty cycles. The new SUMO LD will be on display at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, along with the comprehensive Spicer Electrified offering, April 23-26, in Dana's booth, 1847. About TM4 TM4 is a joint venture of Dana Incorporated and Hydro-Quebec. The company designs and manufactures electric motors, generators, power electronics, and control systems suitable for the commercial, automotive, marine, mining, rail, motorsports, and recreational vehicle markets. TM4 contributes to the highest possible energy conversion efficiencies thanks to its expertise in permanent magnet motors, thermal management, coil winding, outer-rotor topology, and motor and inverter control algorithms. TM4 is located in Boucherville, Quebec. For more information, visit tm4.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 Dana Incorporated Related Links http://www.dana.com NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dataiku, one of the world's leading Enterprise AI and machine learning platforms, was recognized as one of the 50 Highest Rated Private Cloud Computing Companies To Work For in a list released by Battery Ventures, a global investment firm and cloud investor, and Glassdoor*, one of the world's largest job and recruiting sites. The list highlights 50 privately held companiesall business-to-business, cloud-computing companies--where employees report the highest levels of satisfaction at work, according to employee feedback shared on Glassdoor. The distinction placed Dataiku at number five (out of 50 total) with an overall company rating of 5.0. The broader average across Glassdoor is 3.4. Dataiku's CEO, Florian Douetteau boasts a 100% approval rating on Glassdoorcompared to an average of 69% for all approximately 900,000 employers on the site--and the company has a 100% positive business-outlook rating, again based on feedback shared by employees. The broader Glassdoor average is 49%. A positive business outlook means employees believe business will improve in the next six months. This is the third year Battery has issued the list, along with a related ranking of the 25 Highest Rated Public Cloud Computing Companies to Work For. The rankings highlight the broader trend of businesses increasingly turning to the cloud to run critical technology systems and software, instead of using on-premise systems. They also highlight the increasing importance of cohesive culture and employee happiness in running a successful business, said Neeraj Agrawal, a Battery general partner who specializes in cloud investing. "The private companies on this list have not only scaled their products, teams and business functionsbut they've managed to scale culture," Agrawal said. "We view these rankings as a key indicator of company health and longevity, and we hope all companies on this list view it as an honor to be included." It was also more difficult to make the list this year, compared with last year, Agrawal added. A Glassdoor economic research study, as well as other third party studies, show that companies with high employee satisfaction often post stronger financial performance. "When we conceptualized Dataiku, we recognized the importance of developing a strong company culture," said Florian Douetteau, Dataiku CEO. "We strive to develop a culture that embraces hardworking and innovative talent. From our perspective, fostering a collaborative and positive environment is just as important to our success as the solutions we provide to our customers. Hiring and retaining top talent, who are inspired and understand our mission, will always be a priority for us." Glassdoor noted that employees at these highly rated companies commonly mention in online reviews that they enjoy working for mission-driven companies with strong and unique company cultures; employers that promote transparency; and companies with experienced senior leaders who regularly and clearly communicate with employees. For instance, according to one anonymous employee review of Dataiku on Glassdoor: "I have been working here full-time less than a year. Talented and highly motivated coworkers who are always willing to help. The culture is really good. Great product and lots of potential to grow!" Full lists of the highest-rated 50 private cloud companies and 25 public cloud companies to work for can be found here. About Dataiku Dataiku is the centralized data platform that democratizes the use of data science, machine learning, and AI in the enterprise. With Dataiku, businesses are uniquely empowered to move along their data journey from data preparation to analytics at scale to Enterprise AI. By providing a common ground for data experts and explorers, a repository of best practices, shortcuts to machine learning and AI deployment/management, and a centralized, controlled environment, Dataiku is the catalyst for data-powered companies. About Battery Ventures Battery strives to invest in cutting-edge, category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, Web infrastructure, consumer Internet, mobile and industrial technologies. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at stages ranging from seed to private equity and invests globally from offices in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, London, New York and Israel. Follow the firm on Twitter @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here. *By a company name, denotes a Battery investment. For a full list of all Battery investments and exits, please click here. SOURCE Dataiku Inc. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) The Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) said it is looking into the possibility that power corporations worked together to minimize competition as power reserves have remained low for weeks due to the forced shutdowns of power plants. PEMC Chief Governance Officer Rauf Tan told the Senate Energy committee that they are checking to see whether the bidding behaviors of power companies changed, which could indicate that there was collusion among them to jack up power rates to their benefit. Doon ho natin malalaman kung may kumita ba, mayroon bang masiyadong kumita, at kung may kumita ba talaga at paano nila kinita ito, Tan said Thursday. [Translation: That is where we would see if anyone profited, if anyone profited too much and if anyone profited at all and how they profited.] However, Tan said this data would only be available during settlement, which would only happen at the end of the trading month or on April 26. He said they would submit whatever they could gather to the Energy Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy (DOE) which would pursue a probe if they see any indications of anti-competitive behavior. For now, the energy regulator and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), which is also looking into possible anti-competitive behavior among power companies, said there is not enough evidence pointing to unfair market practices. Power companies denied that they engaged in anti-competitive behavior. I honestly believe that nobody is trying to cheat the market, Semirara Mining and Power Corporation CEO Isidro Consunji told the Senate panel. There are many issues involved that we probably have to address properly. The DOE attributed the power shortage to the unexpected shutdowns of power plants. It said that had these plants remained online, there would have been enough power reserves, thwarting power interruptions. Aside from having caused rotational power outages in some areas, including Metro Manila, the DOE also said the shutdowns may cause power rates to spike as power generators and distribution utilities may pass to consumers the higher cost of electricity that they buy. Senate Energy committee chair Sherwin Win Gatchalian pointed out that most of the power plant shutdowns were attributed to breakdowns of boilers, which is used to generate power. This is a recurring problem that we see not only during the summer but also throughout the year, Gatchalian said, adding that power generators should find ways to prevent this from repeatedly happening. But Philippine Independent Power Producers Association President Anne Estorco Macias said power plant outages could not be avoided. Forced outages are natural and inevitable occurrence in all types of technology. A forced outage is an engineering issue, something that is not foreseen or cannot be reasonably predicted, Macias said. The Senate Energy panel conducted a probe on the countrys power woes as the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed the Luzon power grid on yellow and red alert, which means that there is insufficient power supply. This caused power interruptions in some areas. Alerts have been hoisted over the Luzon grid for three weeks. DALLAS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) will host a live webcast of its first quarter 2019 earnings conference call on May 7 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. The webcast is expected to last approximately one hour and will be accessible by visiting http://www.deanfoods.com/our-company/investor-relations/ and by clicking "Webcasts." The webcast will be accessible on most operating systems and browsers. A webcast replay will be available for approximately 45 days following the event within the Investor Relations section of the Company's website. ABOUT DEAN FOODS Dean Foods is a leading food and beverage company and the largest processor and direct-to-store distributor of fluid milk and other dairy and dairy case products in the United States. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the Dean Foods portfolio includes DairyPure, the country's first and largest fresh, white milk national brand, and TruMoo, the leading national flavored milk brand, along with well-known regional dairy brands such as Alta Dena, Berkeley Farms, Country Fresh, Dean's, Friendly's, Garelick Farms, LAND O LAKES* milk and cultured products, Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms, Mayfield, McArthur, Meadow Gold, Oak Farms, PET**, T.G. Lee, Tuscan and more. Dean Foods also has a joint venture with Organic Valley, distributing fresh organic products to local retailers. In all, Dean Foods has more than 50 local and regional dairy brands and private labels. Dean Foods also makes and distributes ice cream, cultured products, juices, teas, and bottled water. Approximately 15,000 employees across the country work every day to make Dean Foods the most admired and trusted provider of wholesome, great-tasting dairy products at every occasion. For more information about Dean Foods and its brands, visit www.deanfoods.com. *The LAND O LAKES brand is owned by Land O'Lakes, Inc. and is used by license. **PET is a trademark used by license. CONTACT: Investor Relations/External Communications, Suzanne Rosenberg, +1 214-303-3438. Media please contact +1 214-721-7766 or [email protected] SOURCE Dean Foods Company Related Links http://www.deanfoods.com LOS ANGELES, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Psychesia Hart, mother of Jonathan Hart, who on December 2, 2018, was shot and killed by a Walgreens Security Guard, Donald Ciota, has filed a civil rights and wrongful death lawsuit against Walgreens, SEB & APG Security and Ciota. Jonathan was unarmed and was reported to have turned away from, and moving away from Ciota when he was shot from behind. Hart died as a result of the injuries caused by the shooting. Ciota was charged with murder and is incarcerated pending trial. The Complaint alleges that Walgreens, SEB, and APG are liable for Hart's death based on their negligence in hiring, training, and supervising Ciota and based on company policies and training procedures which are alleged to profile and discriminate against People of Color, LGBT Community Members and homeless people. The Complaint also alleges that Hart's civil rights were violated on account of his being African American, Gay and homeless. Christopher Dolan, of the Dolan Law Firm, a prominent civil rights attorney, stated, "Psychesia Hart has brought suit to hold Walgreens and the security companies accountable for the death of her son and to prevent the killing of others by armed security guards. Jonathan was unarmed and moving away from Ciota when he was shot and killed. The DA rightly charged Ciota with murder. Walgreens and the security companies are just as culpable in Jonathan's death. They put an armed, apparently unstable and poorly trained, guard in a neighborhood store where he shot a defenseless, unarmed man. This tragic death is a manifestation of the dangers associated with profiling and is yet another example of the senseless shooting of people of color. Apparently Ciota was acting out of embarrassment and anger when he shot Jonathan with whom he had a brief, non-violent exchange of words. The criminal courts will hold Ciota accountable: this civil suit is the only remedy to hold Walgreens, SEB and APG Security accountable." Psychesia Heart issues the following statement: "My son was a gentle, loving man who was a community activist within the LGBT and homeless communities. His 22nd birthday was this Monday and he should be here celebrating and I should not be grieving and filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Jonathan advocated for the rights of everyone and especially those who suffer discrimination and harassment because of their orientation, color, and homelessness. He was unarmed and wouldn't hurt anyone. This case is about Jonathan, his life and his death. I issue this statement in lieu of a press conference because I don't want his death to become a publicity stunt or to advance the cause and/or agenda of any movement or group of individuals. My son was killed, the focus needs to be on his senseless killing and how Walgreens needs to change its practices and reconsider having armed guards in the stores. Stores shouldn't authorize or empower their employees to shoot people suspected of shoplifting or because they feel offended." A copy of the Complaint: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xaQyeTibGwYqkhYyc49wLJI2J8hKcGaW/view?usp=sharing For further information contact Christopher Dolan at [email protected] or at 415-279-2604. SOURCE Dolan Law Firm STOCKHOLM, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- JANUARY 1 MARCH 31, 2019 (compared with the corresponding period a year ago) Net sales increased 9.4% to SEK 30,656m (28,020) (28,020) Organic net sales increased 4.3% Organic net sales increased 5.1%, excluding the lower sales of mother reels due to production closures In emerging markets, which accounted for 37% of net sales, organic net sales increased 9.1% Operating profit before amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets (EBITA) increased 9% to SEK 3,002m (2,760) (2,760) Adjusted EBITA increased 2% to SEK 3,190m (3,119) (3,119) Adjusted EBITA margin was 10.4% (11.1) Higher raw material and energy costs had a negative impact of SEK 1,017m on earnings on earnings Profit for the period increased 12% to SEK 1,929m (1,726) (1,726) Earnings per share increased 20% to SEK 2.49 (2.08) (2.08) Adjusted earnings per share increased 10% to SEK 2.86 (2.61) (2.61) Cash flow from current operations increased to SEK 2,434m (1,247) SUMMARY OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2019 We have continued our activities to increase profitability and implemented further efficiency improvements that have yielded significant costs savings. Our digital initiatives across all parts of the business have helped to enhance efficiency, quality and our offering to customers and consumers. In addition, we carried out price increases in all business areas. We continued to invest in our strong brands and launched innovations that have further reinforced our customer and consumer offering and improved the product mix. For example, within Incontinence Products, we launched TENA Silhouette and within Feminine Care, we launched intimate care products under the Bodyform brand. Our targeted efforts to build a winning corporate culture are yielding results and Essity has been named Sweden's most attractive employer in 2019 by Randstad. The Group's net sales increased 9.4% in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the corresponding period a year ago. Organic net sales, excluding the lower sales of mother reels, increased 5.1%. Including the lower sales of mother reels, organic net sales increased 4.3%, of which volume accounted for 1.1% and price/mix for 3.2%. Organic net sales was positively impacted by higher volumes and prices and a better product mix in all business areas. In emerging markets, which accounted for 37% of net sales, organic net sales increased 9.1%, while the increase in mature markets was 1.8%. The Group's adjusted EBITA in the first quarter of 2019 increased 2% compared with the corresponding period a year ago. Earnings were positively impacted by higher volumes, higher prices, a better product mix and cost savings. Cost savings amounted to SEK 295m, of which SEK 109m was related to the Group-wide cost-savings program. The program is proceeding according to plan and at the end of the first quarter of 2019, the annual rate of savings was approximately SEK 530m. Higher raw material and energy costs had a negative impact of SEK -1,017m on earnings, which corresponds to a negative impact on the adjusted EBITA margin of -3.5 percentage points. Furthermore, higher distribution costs had a negative impact on earnings. The Group's adjusted EBITA margin decreased 0.7 percentage points to 10.4%. The adjusted return on capital employed was 11.3%. Operating cash flow increased 10%. Earnings per share increased 20% to SEK 2.49. INVITATION TO PRESS CONFERENCE ON INTERIM REPORT Q1 2019 Media and analysts are invited to a press conference, where this interim report will be presented by Magnus Groth, President and CEO. Time: 9:00 a.m. CET, Thursday, April 25, 2019 Location: Essity's headquarters, Waterfront Building, Klarabergsviadukten 63, Stockholm, Sweden The press conference will be webcasted live at www.essity.com. To participate by telephone, call: +44 (0) 207-192-80-00, +1-631-510-74-95 or +46-8-506-921-80. Please call well in advance of the start of the conference. Specify "Essity" or conference ID no. 2778769. Link to webcast: https://essity.videosync.fi/2019-04-25-q1 Essity Aktiebolag (publ) Magnus Groth President and CEO NB: This information is such that Essity Aktiebolag (publ) is obligated to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This report has been prepared in both Swedish and English versions. In case of variations in the content between the two versions, the Swedish version shall govern. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 07:00 CET on April 25, 2019. This interim report has not been reviewed by the company's auditors. For further information, please contact: Fredrik Rystedt CFO and Executive Vice President +46 (0) 8-788-51-31 Johan Karlsson Vice President Investor Relations Group Function Communications +46 (0) 8-788-51-30 Josephine Edwall-Bjorklund Senior Vice President, Group Function Communications +46 (0) 8-788-52-34 Per Lorentz Vice President Corporate Communications Group Function Communications +46 (0) 8-788-52-51 Karl Stoltz Media Relations Manager +46 (0) 8-788-51-55 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/essity/r/interim-report-q1-2019,c2796199 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/15798/2796199/1031448.pdf The full report (PDF) SOURCE Essity TALLINN, Estonia, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Brexit, regardless of its final form, will undoubtedly impact microbusinesses and freelance professionals in multiple ways. However, the news of an extension being requested to Article 50 brings a glimmer of hope. LeapIN , the startup that offers a simple way to start and run a one-person business in Estonia, believes it could offer a lifeline to the millions of UK microbusinesses, freelancers and independent professionals who may lack a tangible contingency plan amid the uncertainty around the UK leaving the European Union. Just last summer, Mayor of London's Office conducted a study looking at what microbusinesses in the capital - a sector of the UK workforce often undervalued - need to thrive. The findings revealed that microbusinesses are the fastest growing type of business in the capital, with over one million of them generating upwards of 277.3bn in turnover last year alone. With the agreed extension giving Parliament until Halloween (October 31st) to reach an agreement on the withdrawal deal, this lifeblood of the UK economy now has valuable additional time to prepare for life outside of the EU. One serious option for many UK microbusinesses needing to access the single market post-Brexit is to apply for Estonian e-Residency, giving location-independent access to the EU without the need to be based there physically. Estonian e-Residency has proved popular, with thousands of businesses and notable persons include HRH The Duke of York, Shinzo Abe, and The Daily Show host, Trevor Noah supporting the e-Residency solution. This is revolutionary in the sense that it will enable UK microbusiness owners, such as freelancers, contractors and other sole traders, to incorporate their companies on the continent. So, even in the scenario that the UK leaves the EU access to European customers and business opportunities. Allan Martinson, Chief Executive Officer at LeapIN, said: "Many microbusiness owners and entrepreneurs will welcome the news of a possible extension to Article 50 as an opportunity to have more time to finalise their plans. However, businesses clearly need stability and we still appear to be a long way from that. While independent professionals and microbusinesses will need to look for new legal options in order to continue selling in the EU, a viable solution is to set up a virtual business through the Estonian e-Residency programme, allowing access to the single market post-Brexit." ABOUT LEAPIN LeapIN was founded on the belief that starting and running a business should be simple. With this mission in mind, the company is helping independent businesses setup and operate virtually in Europe. LeapIN is the simple way to run your one-person business. The company takes care of business banking, accounting and compliance. LeapIN helps remove the barriers for people looking to start a one-person business by providing a simple-to-use platform and advisory service which helps take care of financial and legal factors associated with setting up a business. Part of the Estonian e-Residency programme, LeapIN has already enabled thousands of new micro businesses to enter the market. The company plans on enabling thousands more through the continual development of its platform. For more information, visit https://www.leapin.eu/ SOURCE LeapIN Joint investigation finds major shortcomings in the social media giant's privacy practices, highlighting pressing need for legislative reform to adequately protect the rights of Canadians OTTAWA, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Facebook committed serious contraventions of Canadian privacy laws and failed to take responsibility for protecting the personal information of Canadians, an investigation has found. Despite its public acknowledgement of a "major breach of trust" in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook disputes the investigation findings of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia. The company also refuses to implement recommendations to address deficiencies. "Facebook's refusal to act responsibly is deeply troubling given the vast amount of sensitive personal information users have entrusted to this company," says Privacy Commissioner of Canada Daniel Therrien. "Their privacy framework was empty, and their vague terms were so elastic that they were not meaningful for privacy protection. "The stark contradiction between Facebook's public promises to mend its ways on privacy and its refusal to address the serious problems we've identified or even acknowledge that it broke the law is extremely concerning." "Facebook has spent more than a decade expressing contrition for its actions and avowing its commitment to people's privacy," B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael McEvoy says, "but when it comes to taking concrete actions needed to fix transgressions they demonstrate disregard." Commissioner McEvoy says Facebook's actions point to the need for giving provincial and federal privacy regulators stronger sanctioning power in order to protect the public's interests. "The ability to levy meaningful fines would be an important starting point," he says. The findings and Facebook's rejection of the report's recommendations highlight critical weaknesses within the current Canadian privacy protection framework and underscore an urgent need for stronger privacy laws, according to both Commissioners. "It is untenable that organizations are allowed to reject my office's legal findings as mere opinions," says Commissioner Therrien. In addition to the power to levy financial penalties on companies, both Commissioners say they should also be given broader authority to inspect the practices of organizations to independently confirm privacy laws are being respected. This measure would be in alignment with the powers that exist in the U.K. and several other countries. Giving the federal Commissioner order-making powers would also ensure that his findings and remedial measures are binding on organizations that refuse to comply with the law. The complaint that initiated the investigation followed media reports that Facebook had allowed an organization to use an app to access users' personal information and that some of the data was then shared with other organizations, including Cambridge Analytica, which was involved in U.S. political campaigns. The app, at one point called "This is Your Digital Life," encouraged users to complete a personality quiz. It collected information about users who installed the app as well as their Facebook "friends." Some 300,000 Facebook users worldwide added the app, leading to the potential disclosure of the personal information of approximately 87 million others, including more than 600,000 Canadians. The investigation revealed Facebook violated federal and B.C. privacy laws in a number of respects. The specific deficiencies include: Unauthorized access Facebook's superficial and ineffective safeguards and consent mechanisms resulted in a third-party app's unauthorized access to the information of millions of Facebook users. Some of that information was subsequently used for political purposes. Lack of meaningful consent from "friends of friends" Facebook failed to obtain meaningful consent from both the users who installed the app as well as those users' "friends," whose personal information Facebook also disclosed. No proper oversight over privacy practices of apps Facebook did not exercise proper oversight with respect to the privacy practices of apps on its platform. It relied on contractual terms with apps to protect against unauthorized access to user information; however, its approach to monitoring compliance with those terms was wholly inadequate. Overall lack of responsibility for personal information A basic principle of privacy laws is that organizations are responsible for the personal information under their control. Instead, Facebook attempted to shift responsibility for protecting personal information to the apps on its platform, as well as to users themselves. The failures identified in the investigation are particularly concerning given that a 2009 investigation of Facebook by the federal Commissioner's office also found contraventions with respect to seeking overly broad, uninformed consent for disclosures of personal information to third-party apps, as well as inadequate monitoring to protect against unauthorized access by those apps. If Facebook had implemented the 2009 investigation's recommendations meaningfully, the risk of unauthorized access and use of Canadians' personal information by third party apps could have been avoided or significantly mitigated. Facebook's refusal to accept the Commissioners' recommendations means there is a high risk that the personal information of Canadians could be used in ways that they do not know or suspect, exposing them to potential harms. Given the extent and severity of the issues identified, the Commissioners sought to implement measures to ensure the company respects its accountability and other privacy obligations in the future. However, Facebook refused to voluntarily submit to audits of its privacy policies and practices over the next five years. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada plans to take the matter to Federal Court to seek an order to force the company to correct its privacy practices. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C. reserves its right under the Personal Information Protection Act to consider future actions against Facebook. Related documents: Report of Findings Chart: Facebook findings highlight the need for legislative reform NOTE: To help us respond more quickly, journalists are asked to please send requests for interviews or further information via e-mail. SOURCE Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada Related Links https://www.priv.gc.ca GREENWICH, Conn., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- When it came to the interior design of The Harbor at Greenwich, a development completed by Fareri Associates on the shores of Smith Cove, Lauren Muse was the obvious choice. The development offered her the opportunity to design four single-family homes and seven condominiums, proving to be one of the largest jobs of her career. Despite the large scope of the job, Muse didn't need to worry. All she had to do was focus on her skills as a designer and the individual tastes of the buyers. Muse's work was enjoyed by the new homeowners so much that many of them hired her to finish designing their homes. Among her new clients were John and Michele Tesei. Michele knew Muse's work well; she was the principal real estate agent for the project and decided to move into one of the single-family homes after working closely with Muse. Like many of The Harbor at Greenwich's tenants, the Teseis decided to move into the 7,000 square foot single-family home to downsize. This is typical for the Greenwich area with many people looking to downsize and move to a more urban area closer to downtown. While 7,000 square feet may not seem very small, the space did come with some design challenges that Muse was forced to overcome. The spaces span over four-levels and prove to be unusually vertical. These four levels include a below-grade in-law apartment, first floor common spaces, second-floor bedrooms, and a roof deck. Muse had her work cut out for her and rose to the occasion effortlessly. "Even though the home is quite large, the rooms, while plentiful, are compact," says Muse. However, there is no design challenge she cannot overcome. With clever designer tricks, Muse was able to make these smallish spaces feel larger. Whether that be doubling a bay window as part of a casual dining area or incorporating a glass topped table to keep the space feeling light and airy, she accomplished what many could not a well-designed home that any homeowner would enjoy. Muse was also able to keep a sense of consistency throughout the interior of the entire house with her design choices. While a nautical theme may have been obvious, Muse opted for natural colors (beige, blue, and grey) and clever patterns, materials, and textures to lend themselves to a nautical motif without a single anchor being present on the premises. In fact, Muse was able to incorporate patterns throughout the entire home so each room can connect to one another despite how the furniture is designed. The vertical style of the home also lends itself to feel lived in, no matter how many people are present. Whether the in-laws or the children have returned home for a visit, the space will be able to accommodate those needs, while allowing for everyone to have some personal space. The Harbor at Greenwich also has beautiful views of Smith's Cove, so homeowners will be able to view boats along the dock or kayak if the desire strikes. While many homeowners, like the Teseis, did not expect to find a home where they would be able to grow old together, that is what happened. About Fareri Associates, LP Fareri Associates, LP is an experienced development firm with projects ranging from high-end residential, retail, and hospitality developments to mixed-use, medical, and office buildings and complexes. Based in Westchester, NY, Fareri Associates has a strong relationship with the region, developing properties throughout Westchester and lower Connecticut. With the priorities of the end-users in mind, alongside the financial reliability to fund projects in every step from design to development, Fareri Associates is eager to assemble and pursue a top-notch development team for any client. SOURCE Fareri Associates, LP Related Links http://www.fareriassociates.com COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As the first quarter of 2019 ends, school districts and libraries across the Pacific Northwest have chosen Fatbeam, a Fiber Provider, for their E-Rate solutions. Fatbeam won contracts totaling $13.3MM this season. Notable E-Rate contracts won by Fatbeam this season include Auburn and North Kitsap School districts as well as the Spokane County Library, in Washington. Fatbeam also secured several deals across Idaho and Oregon, including the Tigard-Tualatin School District. "The E-Rate season at Fatbeam is always an exciting time of the year in that not only does it drive financial success it also opens up new markets in which Fatbeam will operate," said Fatbeam CEO Gregory Green. "Last year our SW Region grew in Nevada and Arizona and this year Oregon and Washington were the contributors to new development. I take tremendous pride in our E-Rate successes because I truly believe we have one of the best E-Rate teams any company could have." The E-Rate program allows schools and libraries to request funding from the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), which is under the FCC. These school districts and libraries can then use this funding to build out fiber infrastructure in their districts. Today's advanced multimedia learning resources require superior, reliable network infrastructure. Fatbeam builds fiber networks that offer wide area connectivity and dedicated internet access to these school districts and library branches which increases their bandwidth and speed. Having high-bandwidth is imperative for school districts to support their growth; with Fatbeam's dedicated fiber infrastructure they no longer need to rely on other providers that oversubscribe their networks. Once a fiber backbone is put in place for a school district, Fatbeam continues to further its investment by expanding its fiber network in the local business community. This often stimulates the economy and allows businesses the ability to grow. About Fatbeam: Fatbeam is the industry leader in the western U.S. in delivering fiber infrastructure for best-in-class connectivity to schools, businesses, healthcare, and governments in rural and mid-sized communities. The company operates networks in over 40 markets spanning Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, and moving soon to New Mexico. For more information, visit www.fatbeam.com. For additional information: Phil Siemens Marketing Coordinator [email protected] (Direct) 208.758.7029 or (Cell) 208-660.5507 SOURCE Fatbeam Related Links https://www.fatbeam.com "We are excited to bring GammaPod to the European market, where the need for more efficient, precise breast cancer radiotherapy treatments is increasing," said Cedric Yu, DSc, Xcision founder and chief executive officer. "CE marking represents an important milestone that allows Xcision to access one of the world's most important markets." With GammaPod, patients can receive partial breast radiation in conjunction with breast conserving treatment in five sessions or less. Patients receiving whole breast irradiation with a tumor bed "boost" may be eligible to reduce the boost from several treatments to one. Members of the GammaPod Consortium plan to activate clinical trials later this year investigating the use of preoperative radiosurgery delivered in one to three treatments for patients with localized disease. Researchers intend to investigate the efficacy of preoperative radiation and identify the population of patients who may be able to receive radiation alone to destroy the tumor, thereby obviating the need for surgery. As technology continues to become more targeted, oncologists are actively considering the safety and benefits of treatment de-escalation, or reducing the volume of therapy to which patients are exposed. "The ability of GammaPod to noninvasively deliver conformal radiation doses to only the affected area of the breast with the precision of stereotactic radiotherapy could certainly de-escalate care and reduce the burden of today's protracted treatments on patients," Yu said. Stereotactic radiotherapy treatments differ from conventional techniques in that they deliver higher doses of more focused radiation in fewer treatments. GammaPod uses a first-of-its-kind breast cup immobilization system to minimize motion and provide high levels of accuracy for treatment planning and delivery. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in European women with an estimated incidence of more than 522,000 in 2018. Europe accounts for 25% of newly diagnosed cases worldwide each year. Azienda Universitaria Integrata di Udine (ASUIUD) in Italy announced last year that it would acquire GammaPod following CE marking. "We selected GammaPod because of its practice-changing potential," said Marco Trovo, MD, head of the Radiotherapy Department at ASUIUD. "In Italy and throughout Europe, our field is moving to treat early stage breast cancer patients with shorter courses of radiation. The GammaPod is completely noninvasive and could potentially allow our patients to receive a full course of treatment in only one to five fractions." Xcision is represented in Europe by Tema Sinergie S.p.A. in Italy and OncoMed Solutions LLC in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The company's innovative technology will be on display at the ESTRO 38 meeting in Milan, Italy from April 26 30 at booth 2975. About Xcision Medical Systems Xcision Medical Systems, LLC is a medical technology company developing advanced stereotactic radiotherapy solutions with the potential to dramatically raise the quality of treatments and improve the lives of patients and their loved ones. The company's solutions are designed to extend the benefits of radiation oncology to more patients and enable noninvasive treatments that allow patients to return to living fuller lives more quickly and less painfully after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Media Contact Steve Rubenstein Vice President of Marketing Xcision Medical Systems +1(443) 681-7463 SOURCE Xcision Medical Systems, LLC Related Links https://www.xcision.com DUBLIN, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2018 To 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The airport snow & ice management equipment market registered market value of US$ 2,355.1 Mn in 2017 and estimated to grow with a CAGR of 2.75% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026. According to the World Airport Traffic Report published by Airports Council International (ACI) in 2015, there are more than 41,700 operational airports worldwide including airports, aerodromes, and airfields. The number is expected to proliferate even further in years to come in order to support the consistently growing aviation sector. Several airports and airfields are based in the region accustomed to facing snowfall and ice deposition in winter. Such a winter phenomenon can create a nuisance and even hazardous condition for aircraft to take-off and land in snow and ice-clad airstrips. Airport authorities pay special attention towards effective snow and ice management at the airport to ensure smooth and secure conduct of air traffic. Besides, rising unpredictability of climate and the effects of global warming are also the major contributors to the growing need for airport safety from snow and ice. The aforementioned factor has certainly contributed to the steady growth of airport snow and ice management equipment market. Airport snow and ice management involve the use of various equipment such as commercial snow blower, snow plow, snow loader, snow broom and sprayer & spreader trucks for de-icing chemicals and agents. All the aforementioned equipment are the different product types thoroughly studied along with their current market size and future market estimation. By geographical region, North America claims the majority of market share owing to the vast aviation network in the U.S. and Canada. The region also experiences heavy winter snowfall and ice deposition that is required to be thawed on a regular basis. Europe trails North America and subsequently by the Asia Pacific. Exhaustive market size and estimation for a different geographical region including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World and the impact of each region on the overall market are included in the research study. Competitive Insights The research analysis covers exhaustive analysis of leading airport snow & ice management equipment manufacturing companies including Al-jon Manufacturing LLC, The Danfoss Group, M-B Companies, Inc., Team Eagle Ltd., Henke Manufacturing Corporation, Oshkosh Corporation, Kiitokori Oy, Alamo Group (USA), Inc., Multihog Limited, The Swiss Boschung Group, Alamo Group, Inc., and Kodiak America. A few years earlier, airport snow and ice management equipment market was considered a concentrated market. However, with a rapid expansion of the aviation industry and the emergence of new airports attracted several companies to introduce their range of products for airport snow and ice management. The market offer opportunities for a new entrant and expected to become a fragmented market in the coming years. Airport snow and ice management companies are frequently upgrading their fleets in order to acquire contracts from airport authorities. This also opened new prospects for the manufacturing companies to grow. Key Topics Covered: 1. Preface 1.1. Report Description 1.2. Research Scope 1.3. Research Methodology 1.4. Market Segmentation 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Snapshot 2.2. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market, by Product Type 2.3. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market, by Airport Type 2.4. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market, by Geography 3. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Analysis 3.1. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Overview 3.2. Market Dynamics 3.2.1. Market Drivers 3.2.2. Market Challenges 3.3. See-Saw Analysis 3.3.1. Impact Analysis 3.4. Attractive Investment Proposition 3.5. Competitive Landscape 3.5.1. Market Positioning of Key Industry Participants 3.5.2. Major Strategies Adopted by Key Industry Participants 4. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Value, by Product Type, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Bn) 4.1. Overview 4.1.1. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Value Share, Product Type, 2017 & 2026 (Value %) 4.1.2. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Value, Product Type, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Bn) 4.2. Snow Blowers 4.3. Snow Plow 4.4. Snow Loader 4.5. Snow Broom 4.6. Sprayers & Spreaders 5. Global Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Value, by Airport Type, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Bn) 5.1. Overview 5.2. International Airport 5.3. Domestic Airport 6. North America Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Analysis, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Bn) 7. Europe Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Analysis, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Bn) 8. Asia Pacific Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Analysis, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Bn) 9. Rest of World (RoW) Airport Snow & Ice Management Equipment Market Analysis, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Bn) 10. Company Profiles 10.1. Al-jon Manufacturing LLC 10.2. The Danfoss Group 10.3. M-B Companies, Inc. 10.4. Team Eagle Ltd 10.5. Henke Manufacturing Corporation 10.6. Oshkosh Corporation 10.7. Kiitokori Oy 10.8. Alamo Group (USA), Inc. 10.9. Multihog Limited 10.10. The Swiss Boschung Group 10.11. Alamo Group, Inc. 10.12. Kodiak America For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/c5mfbc/global_airport?w=5 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com DUBLIN, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Biometric Authentication and Identification Market: Focus on Modality (Face, Eye, Fingerprint, Palm, and Vein), Motility, Application, and Technology Trends Analysis and Forecast: 2018-2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global biometric authentication and identification market is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period (2018-2023) registering a CAGR of 22.54%. Biometric-based system plays a crucial role in the global industrial ecosystem and is regarded as a significant technology in the present scenario. Biometrics has helped to deliver secure services in various circumstances and is considered to be a deterrent to people with malevolent intentions. It has helped to identify known suspects traversing crowded security areas, such as airports, railway stations, and other locations. With the development and implementation of advanced innovative technologies and concepts such as biometrics in the field of anti-terrorism protection, terrorist attacks have been somewhat reduced. This growth in the biometric authentication and identification market is due to an increasing demand for enhanced safety and security of the personnel. Among the changing paradigm of the consumer as well as enterprise market, significantly higher demand of biometrics from the consumer goods segment such as from smartphones, laptops, and tablets is majorly impacting the growth of the biometric industry. However, latent fingerprinting spoofing, coupled with the risk of data breaches and privacy concern, are some of the pressing matters to be looked upon in the current scenario which is restraining the overall growth of the global biometric authentication and identification market. The biometric authentication and identification market has been tracked along the lines of modality (facial, fingerprint, eye, vein, palmprint, voice, and handwritten), motility, application, and regions. Revenue generated from various application segments, namely, banking and financial institutions, government, enterprise, healthcare, commercial, and others, have been analyzed. The report also covers the biometric authentication and identification technology market on a global scale and consequently provides revenue data of the key regions. The use of biometric systems widely finds its application in areas such as high-security forensic laboratories, banking and financial institutions, and other similar areas. Based on the end-user requirements, different modalities are preferred for user identification, such as recognition based on facial, fingerprint, eye, and palmprint, among others. The fingerprint authentication and identification modality are widely used due to its high flexibility and reliability. Moreover, government institutions (law enforcement, border security, ID issuance, and homeland security), healthcare, enterprises, banking and financial institutions, commercial, and other sectors have adopted this user authentication technique to ensure overall protection to the population from any impeding global crisis. The current drive towards cashless economy has compelled people to switch to digital banking or electronic transfers. Also, a gradual rise in cashless transactions has led to an increase in digital threats and fraud in the last few years. The global biometric authentication and identification market has been further classified into mobile and fixed biometrics devices. The fixed devices constitute the larger share in the biometric authentication and identification market due to the large-scale biometric infrastructure used for the purpose of time management and attendance system, such as in the enterprise sector. The market study has identified North America as the leading region in the global biometric authentication and identification market accounting for almost 31.02% of the net revenue generated by the biometric authentication and identification. APAC is also anticipated to be a promising market with a multi-fold rise in demand expected from China, South Korea, Japan, and other Asian nations in the coming future. Key Topics Covered: Executive Summary 1 Market Dynamics 1.1 Market Drivers 1.1.1 Increased Adoption of Biometrics in Consumer Goods 1.1.2 Probing Anti-Money Laundering Through Biometrics 1.1.3 Influence of Biometrics in the Era of Blockchain 1.2 Market Restraints 1.2.1 Risk of Data Breaches and Privacy Concern 1.2.2 Latent Fingerprinting and Spoofing 1.3 Market Opportunities 1.3.1 Growing Scope of Contactless Biometric Smart Cards 1.3.2 Increased Usage of Deep Learning Techniques for Big Data in Biometrics 2 Competitive Insights 2.1 Competitive Scenario of Key Players 3 Industry Analysis 3.1 Supply Chain Analysis 3.2 Technological Trends 3.2.1 Multimodal Biometric Systems 3.2.1.1 Fusion in Multimodal Biometric Systems 3.2.2 Development in Authentication and Trust Frameworks 3.2.3 Biometric-as-a-Service 3.2.4 Gait Recognition 3.2.5 Biometric Video Surveillance 4 Global Biometric Authentication and Identification Market (by Modality) 4.1 Assumptions and Limitations 4.2 Market Overview 4.3 Facial-Based Biometric Recognition Systems 4.4 Eye-Based Biometric Recognition Systems 4.4.1 Iris Recognition 4.4.2 Retina Recognition 4.5 Hand-Based Biometric Recognition Systems 4.5.1 Fingerprint Recognition 4.5.2 Vein Pattern 4.5.3 Palmprint 4.6 Voice-Based Biometric Recognition Systems 4.7 Handwritten-Based Biometric Recognition Systems 4.8 Other Biometric Recognition Systems 5 Global Biometric Authentication and Identification Market (by Motility) 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Fixed Biometric Systems 5.3 Mobile Biometric Systems 6 Global Biometric Authentication and Identification Market (by Application) 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Government 6.3 Enterprise 6.4 Banking and Financial Institutions 6.5 Healthcare 6.6 Commercial 6.7 Other Applications 7 Global Biometric Authentication and Identification Market (by Region) 7.1 Market Overview 7.2 North America 7.2.1 The U.S. 7.2.2 Canada 7.2.3 Mexico 7.3 Europe 7.3.1 U.K. 7.3.2 Germany 7.3.3 France 7.3.4 Rest-of-the-Europe 7.4 Asia-Pacific 7.4.1 India 7.4.2 China 7.4.3 Japan 7.4.4 South Korea 7.4.5 Rest-of-the-APAC 7.5 Rest-of-the-World 7.5.1 Middle East and Africa 7.5.2 South America 8 Report Scope and Methodology 8.1 Scope of the Report 8.2 Biometric Authentication and Identification Market Research Methodology Companies Featured Fulcrum Biometrics ( India ) ) Anviz Global ( China ) ) Fingerprint Cards AB ( Sweden ) ) M2SYS Technologies (U.S.) Aware Inc. (U.S.) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/o8mo0o Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Summary Global retail sales through the department stores channel is projected to register a CAGR of 5.3% over the forecast period 2017-2022 to reach US$614.9 billion by in 2022. This level of growth is underperforming the wider retail market, with the department store channel share set to decline, reflecting the slowdown in West Europe and North America. However, increasing income levels in growth markets combined with rapid urbanization and rising demands from consumers to buy quality products is expected to support the channel and offset the performance in more mature markets. Many retailers, especially those trying to protect share in more saturated markets, have incorporated artificial intelligence and other digital advances such as personalization into their operations to understand customer preferences, tailor ranges and improve their proposition and marketing. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4389506/?utm_source=PRN While the US remains the largest single department stores market, sales in the North America region are forecast to decline with a CAGR of -0.8% over the forecast period 2017-2022. However, total regional sales for the Americas will grow at a modest CAGR of 1.4% over 2017-2022 to reach US$168.7 billion by 2022, due to Latin American countries such as Brazil and Chile which are projected to register healthy growth in sales against the backdrop of retailers expanding their footprint and increasing consumer confidence. MEA is projected to be the fastest growing region for department stores sales, due to a favorable economic growth scenario, booming tourism, and increasing investment by government in augmenting shopping infrastructure in the region. Department stores across the globe are adopting advanced technologies to increase footfall and enhance shopping experience of customers.To combat fierce competition from online retailers, department stores are integrating online and offline channels. Department stores are incorporating augmented reality technology in their stores to tap into tech savvy customers who demand a seamless shopping experience Responding to rapidly changing shopping preferences and to stay relevant in an increasingly competitive market, department stores are reducing the size of their store portfolios.Increasing online penetration has reduced footfall and sales at physical stores, impacting profitability and sales densities. Retailers including Macy's, House of Fraser, JC Penney, Debenhams, and Sears are closing stores. Kohl's has opened smaller format stores to reach out to untapped locations, while the likes of Debenhams continue to lease excess space to third parties. The "Global Department Stores Retailing, 2017-2022", report provides analysis of current and forecast market data for department store retail sales globally. What else does this report offer? - Current department store market sizes and forecasts to 2022 - Market insights based on consumer trends and changing economic and demographic factors - Department store retail sales and fastest-growing markets for department stores - Category level retail sales and forecast growth rates globally - Competitive landscape covering market share of major department store and their sales and trading update analysis, recent key events. Scope - Global department sales to reach US$614.9 billion in 2022 - Middle East and Africa set to grow the fastest, extending lead over Australasia - Retailers are adopting novel strategies to stay competitive - Retailers offer personalized experiences to boost sales - Rightsizing is the new norm in the department stores landscape - Departments stores lose share across every product category bar luggage & leather goods. Reasons to buy Get immediate access to - - Reliable department store retail sales data globally for 2017 with forecasts for 2022 along with information on largest and fastest-growing markets to inform market expansion and to manage risk - Explore an in-depth analysis of department store retail sales data for major markets to identify target categories and develop growth plans - Learn from department store retail trends and market drivers to customize your entry/expansion approach - Choose partners, understand the competition, with data and analysis of major department store retailers, including market shares, trading performance, locations, travel retail strategy for each. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4389506/?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 SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com DUBLIN, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Electrophoresis Technology: Global Markets" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The study encompasses major technologies of electrophoresis and the various product segments for each technology. The role of electrophoresis as an analytical separation method for both nucleic acid and protein molecules was examined. The major end-user applications for both GE and CE were also included within the scope of this study. This research analyzes the impact of the two major electrophoresis techniques on biological molecular separation, determines their current market status, examines their future potential, and presents forecasts of growth over the next five years. Technological issues, including the latest trends, are discussed. The latest research findings in different industry areas are presented. Electrophoresis has been the method of choice for several decades to physically separate macromolecules, such as nucleic acid fragments, RNA (ribonucleic acid), and proteins, according to their charge and molecular size. GE and CE technology segments represent widely implemented and powerful analytical separation methods. GE separates macromolecules using a gel-like matrix and has extended the range of geometries available to researchers. GE can be performed both in one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) modes. CE deploys a liquid separation technique using narrow bore, fused, silica capillaries to fractionate molecules. The growing concept of microfluidics is revitalizing CE technology, as the latter is very amenable to microfabrication techniques. The publisher was interested in examining the impact of lab-on-a-chip electrophoresis on the overall CE technology segment. The research presents the industry competitiveness for electrophoresis, technological descriptions and issues, applications, market factors, market potential, and revenue forecast projections from 2017 through 2023. Global revenue projections for the electrophoresis market have been developed by the two major technologies and by product segments for every technology. Revenue projections by end-user applications have been included. The Report Includes: Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2017 to 2018, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2023 Segmentation of the electrophoresis technology by type, separation technique, end use, application industry and geographical region Discussion of current market dynamics and future market potential for both gel electrophoresis (GE) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) technologies Coverage of electrophoresis techniques and technologies used in academia, government research laboratories, and the biopharmaceutical, environmental, chemical, forensics, and food industries Evaluation of the impact of lab-on-a-chip electrophoresis on the overall capillary electrophoresis technology segment Competitive landscape for every product segment and the corresponding market share analysis for every technology Descriptive study of electrophoresis manufacturers and life sciences research companies along with their corporate profiles Profiles of major companies of the industry, including Agilent Technologies, Biotec Fischer GmbH, Helena Laboratories, The Gel Company and Sebia, Inc. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1 Introduction Study Goals and Objectives Reasons for Doing This Study Scope of Report Information Sources Methodology Geographic Breakdown Analyst's Credentials Custom Research Related Reports Chapter 2 Summary and Highlights Chapter 3 Overview Brief History Fundamentals of Electrophoresis Electrophoresis or Zone Electrophoresis Isotachophoresis Isoelectric Focusing (IEF) Electrophoresis Apparatus GE Apparatus CE Apparatus GE Buffers Buffers for CE Visualization Methods Applications of Electrophoresis Nucleic Acid Electrophoresis Protein Electrophoresis Market Summary Chapter 4 Markets by Electrophoresis Technology Electrophoresis Technologies Gel Electrophoresis Capillary Electrophoresis Global Electrophoresis Technology Market Summary Market Drivers and Challenges Revenue Forecast Chapter 5 Market Breakdown by Product Segment Summary Electrophoresis Instruments Overview Suppliers Market Drivers and Challenges Recent Developments Market Trends, 2017-2023 Aftermarket Products GE Aftermarket Products CE Aftermarket Products Services Chapter 6 Market Breakdown by End User CE End-User Segments Life Sciences Food industry Environmental Protection Chemicals Forensics CE Market Forecast, by End Users Global GE Revenue Forecast, by End Users Chapter 7 Market Breakdown by Region General Electrophoresis Markets Gel Electrophoresis Markets Capillary Electrophoresis Markets Chapter 8 Patent Review/ New Developments Patent Review Brief Review of Technology Developments Recent Developments Other Developments Chapter 9 Industry Structure and Competitive Analysis Electrophoresis Industry Structure Global Competitive Landscape Global Competitive Structure for Electrophoresis Instrumentation Global Competitive Structure for Electrophoresis Reagents/Supplies Market Global Competitive Structure for Gel Documentation/Gel Informatics and CE Detection Segment Distribution Channels M & A Activity Product Introductions Market Share Analysis PAGE Market Share Analysis PAGE Reagents Market Gel Imaging and Informatics Segment Market Share Analysis CE Market Agarose Gel Media Market Share Analysis Nucleic Acid Submarine Electrophoresis Market Share Analysis Chapter 10 Company Profiles AB Sciex Llc (Formerly Beckman Coulter Inc.) Advanced Analytical Technologies Inc. Agilent Technologies Bio-Rad Laboratories Biotec Fischer Gmbh Biometra Gmbh Decodon Gmbh Elchrom Scientific Ag GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences The Gel Company Harvard Bioscience Helena Laboratories Hoefer, Inc. (Division Of Harvard Bioscience) Picometrics Technologies Sas Prince Technologies B.V. Scie-Plas (Division Of Harvard Bioscience) Sebia, Inc. Serva Electrophoresis Gmbh Shimadzu Corp. Sigma-Aldrich Corp. Syngene Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Totallab Ltd. Wealtec Corp. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pjgw9v Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com DUBLIN, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "International health insurance 2019: 3 Volume Bundle Offer" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This bundle includes 3 volumes: Volume 1 Overview - April 2019 (230 pages) (230 pages) Volume 2 Companies - Available in July 2019 - 133 company profiles (over 500 pages) - 133 company profiles (over 500 pages) Volume 3 Countries - Available in September 2019 - 180 country profiles (over 600 pages) International Health Insurance for Expats, Third Country Nationals, Domestic Nationals and Global Nomads There are more opportunities than ever for insurers and brokers to sell health insurance globally to locals and internationals. The global demand for health insurance is rising fast There are opportunities for health insurers and brokers The numbers of expatriates are rising and will increase IPMI and PMI are no longer separate Locals, students and NGO workers need cover Many more countries are making health insurance compulsory Healthcare and health insurance are becoming intertwined Top up cover and micro health have massive potential Technology will change how insurers, brokers and customers interact There are more opportunities than ever for insurers and brokers to sell health insurance globally to locals and internationals. International private medical insurance is flourishing. There are more globally mobile individuals than ever before - and employers are building businesses in more diverse countries. IPMI was traditionally considered an exclusive health insurance plan for expatriates. Now, the definition of an expatriate is obsolete because more people, including local nationals and expats, regularly travel internationally, due to their lifestyle, income and careers. These people need international medical insurance irrespective of their national status or residency. Local nationals, expats, and global nomads are driving demand for IPMI products well beyond any residency classification. The globally mobile population has grown dramatically along with the increased global business. There are 66 million expatriates, and by 2020 this will be 87.5 million. 260 million people now live away from their country of birth and within a decade the total number of expatriate workers and international students will be 100 million. IPMI as health insurance without borders is the future of health insurance for all people irrespective of their country of nationality, residence or current domicile. The domestic health insurance market is changing and expanding in many markets around the world. Technology, innovation in health treatment and digitisation of processes are also powerful shapers of the future of health insurance. Compulsory insurance, voluntary top-up covers, differences between what you can sell to locals and expatriates, rules on overseas investors, compulsory local partnerships, economic sanctions, and even local politics are all things that insurers and brokers must understand- as are newer factors of controls on insurance and healthcare prices, and recent compulsory health insurance rules for travellers or students. There have been several new entrants to the global healthcare insurance and ancillary services market, long dominated by a small handful of existing insurance companies. Regional insurers and brokers are active in the sector. The focus on wellness and the proactive approach of keeping customers healthy is a key change. The focus is health insurance, not just illness insurance and, proactively engaging with customers to help them lead long and healthy lives. Technology is changing the market, with access to information and care through mobile applications and innovations such as virtual health, telemedicine and virtual GP services. Data will also drive more accurate underwriting and wellness solutions at an individual customer level. The days of the fully personalised cover are not far off. IPMI must comply with local laws and regulations and local needs that differ considerably from country to country. The researcher has been analysing the sector and writing reports on IPMI for 30 years, so can insight beyond reports that take everything at face value. He still gets surprised at the rate of change and new directions IPMI is moving into. Country profiles in Volume 3 look at: Healthcare, healthcare reforms and price controls State health insurance and planned reform Compulsory health and travel health insurance and planned reforms Private health insurance and supplementary covers Health insurance regulation and planned reform Health insurance price regulation and planned reform Specific data and requirements for expats Please Note: Volume 2 will be available in July 2019 and Volume 3 will be available in September 2019. Key Topics Covered: VOLUME 1: Introduction: Overview Growth of need for IPM Health insurance definitions Expatriate definitions Voluntary health insurance Why IPMI and PMI are no longer separate Social and technological disruption Duty of care Why insurers are moving into PMI/IPMI The changing insurance ecosystem Customer centricity Blockchain Emerging markets Belt and Road initiative Middle East and North Africa and Asia IPMI must cover more than insurance The future International health insurance numbers: Global premium figures Onshoring and offshoring Premium retention in countries Premiums and local taxes Local partnerships Muddying the waters It is not health insurance Health insurance: Compulsory health insurance Health insurance market potential Global medical price trends Health insurance pricing trends Global health insurance price and trends Health insurance and universal healthcare Global benefits Digital transformation Healthcare: Health at a Glance Europe 2018 Global healthcare International health insurance market: Buying the market overseas Distribution Healthcare or health insurance History Market potential Hospitals offering health insurance Numbers of insurers Insurance companies Latin American healthcare potential Lloyd's of London Lloyds' brokers Managing general agents Third party administrators Insurance brokers Financial advisors Insurance agents Banks Health insurance trade bodies Health insurance comparison sites Micro insurance Mobile devices Self- insurance Smart phones Social media Videos International health insurance products: Cover International insurance versus domestic insurance IPMI in 2019 Expatriate numbers: Expatriate figures Global number of expatriates Global population Expatriates, migrants and refugees Global mobility Expatriate population as % of the worldwide population Expatriate or international migrant Refugees and expatriates International students Migrant workers Cross border workers Diasporas Migration and health Customers: Target markets for insurers What is an expatriate? Expatriate characteristics Expatriate salaries and benefits Buyers Dependants Emerging markets middle class Generation Y More than one product High net worth How people choose international health insurance Indian companies Maritime Mining Music industry NGOs Need Oil and gas Overseas employees need support Questions potential customers ask Retirees Self-employed Short assignments Short-term cover Singles Students Target ages Teachers Wealthy expatriates Who can be covered? Why companies buy it Why individuals buy it Why needs are changing Why not just buy cover locally Women The product: Addiction treatment Admitted policies Apps Big data Budget covers Cancer Chatbots Choice of cover or set packages Claims Compliance with local law Co-payments Critical illness Currency Danger zones Diabetes treatment Diaspora insurance Duty of care Emergency assistance Emergency Evacuation European Air Medical Institute Fertility treatment Fraud Funeral plans Global cover Helplines Income protection Insurers rethink of health insurance International medical accreditation Medical evacuation and repatriation Medical tourism and insurance Medical travel insurance Mental health Micro health insurance Obesity treatment Organ transplants Passive war Political risks Pricing Price regulation Pricing on group schemes Private repatriation Risk management Second medical opinion Security and travel advice Takaful Takaful health Telehealth Term life Top up covers Travel insurance Underwriting Virtual doctors War risks Wearables For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2guznh Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Today, GOD TV CEO, Ward Simpson, has again asked viewers to intercede for Sri Lanka and support all affected, while Regional Director, David Nicolle is personally helping on the ground. He has previously been recognized by the UN for his humanitarian work and continues to strive to make Sri Lanka a better place. The motivation for GOD TV's response to the bombings is to work alongside other NGOs to provide professional counseling and healing over an extended period of time. The network will also be assisting the Zion church on the east coast specifically, as this is where 25 toddlers were tragically massacred. Zion is an independent Evangelical church that supports Israel and has brought many people to faith in Jesus. You can make a donation to GOD TV today to support GOD TV in continuing to broadcast the gospel and messages of hope to Sri Lanka for years to come. Every $10 dollars donated allows the gospel to reach 1,000 homes. "Despite persecution GOD TV continues to share a message of hope throughout Sri Lanka extending a hand of friendship to people of all faiths through our humanitarian outreach," said David Nicolle. GOD TV can be watched across Sri Lanka on Dialog Satellite TV as well as via the Apstar Satellite. Ward Simpson further explained how viewers can pray effectively at this time: "Please continue to lift up Sri Lanka before the Lord. Pray that those who have lost loved ones are comforted by the Holy Spirit. Intercede for the Church and the persecuted believers to remain strong and be a powerful witness. Let's trust God that the authorities are able to quickly restore stability. Finally, pray the Gospel will continue to impact the lives of many Sri Lankans via GOD TV." GOD TV has many viewers in Sri Lanka and many have been calling in for prayer. The network also received a report of a life that was miraculously saved. A viewer called to say that his daughter was staying in one of the hotels that were bombed. She felt a prompting not to go down for breakfast and fortunately her life was spared by this decision. She was on the 13th floor, heard the explosion, and was able to evacuate the hotel safely. Sri Lanka is featured on this week's Today With Ward (on DIRECTV channel 365 in the USA) on Friday 26th at 8.30 pm and on Saturday 27th at 5 pm (EST). Though recorded before the attacks, it gives viewers insight into the positive impact Christian television is having in the country. Visit GODTV.com for Christian news, stories, and more information about GOD TV. About GOD TV: For close on 25 years GOD TV has presented a diverse schedule of hope-filled programming from the world to the world. What started in 1995 as Europe's first daily Christian network now has a global reach of some 1 billion viewers, with a potential audience of about 300 million connected homes. This includes five regional broadcast feeds, representation on the ground in 10 countries and international coverage across multiple platforms including satellite, cable, terrestrial, and IPTV. "Our vision at GOD TV can be expressed in the word 'SIR'. We're passionate about Souls, Israel and Revival. This means serving the individual viewer as well as empowering communities. We want to see lives changed, help build strong and healthy churches, and see peace and prosperity come to the Land of the Bible." Ward Simpson, GOD TV President and CEO. Media Contact: Alistair Gibson via email at [email protected]. GOD TV Broadcast HQ: Israel. International offices: USA (Orlando, Florida) UK & Ireland (Plymouth, England), Europe (Hamburg, Germany), Asia & Middle East (Chennai, India; Sri Lanka), Africa (Cape Town, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya), Australasia (Melbourne, Australia). SOURCE GODTV.com Related Links http://godtv.com WASHINGTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Grain Management ("Grain"), a leading private equity firm focused on investments in the global communications sector, announced today the closing of its fourth fund, Grain Communications Opportunity Fund II, L.P. ("GCOF II" or the "Fund"), with $899 million in commitments. GCOF II targeted $750 million and closed with excess demand driven by strong, early support from existing limited partners and significant interest from new investors. Since its founding in 2007, Grain has managed more than $2 billion across its investment vehicles. The formation of GCOF II allows Grain to continue its exclusive focus on opportunities in mission-critical communications assets, both domestic and abroad, and structured equity investments in companies that own and operate them. "We are excited to announce the fund closing and humbled by the reception GCOF II received from our existing institutional investor base, as well as from our new partners," said David Grain, Founder and CEO. "In continuation of our strategy, we are thrilled to be delivering value on behalf of these highly-respected allocators, and grateful for their support." Grain also noted that the firm has already begun deploying capital out of the new fund with the acquisition of Nebraska-based telecommunications provider Great Plains Communications in late 2018. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC served as the exclusive placement agent for GCOF II and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as fund formation counsel. About Grain Management Grain Management, LLC is a leading private equity firm focused on investments in the global communications sector. The firm was founded in 2007 with the objective of bringing a differentiated approach to the industry characterized by expansive sector knowledge, rigorous analytics, and dedicated, in-house operating and financial professionals. Grain is directed by a team of highly experienced investment professionals with deep industry knowledge and a specialized skillset, marked by extensive operating history, deep quantitative and analytical proficiency, and regulatory expertise. For more information visit www.graingp.com. Contacts: Grain Management Public Relations, [email protected] SOURCE Grain Management, LLC Related Links http://www.graingp.com To celebrate Matriarch's debut at Moogfest 2019 (April 25-28 in Durham, NC), the public will have an opportunity to pre-order an exclusive Moogfest Edition of Matriarch through Guitar Center, either onsite at "The Moog Store by Guitar Center," or at www.guitarcenter.com from now through end of Moogfest on April 28. These Moogfest Edition Matriarch Synthesizers will be the first 250 instruments to ship from the employee-owned Moog Factory this summer and will be marked with a limited edition Moogfest 2019 badge, and also include a custom commemorative messenger bag. Watch an exclusive Matriarch video here: "Moog Matriarch | Sound Explorations with Philip Cornish" Additionally during Moogfest 2019, visitors to "The Moog Store by Guitar Center" can get hands-on with the Matriarch synthesizer and watch as the pilot run of the new units are crafted on-site by Moog Production Engineers in a 1700-sq.-ft. electronic wonderland with gear and installations from key tech vendors. Guitar Center has been Moogfest's exclusive retail partner since the event moved to Durham in 2015. "The Moog Store by Guitar Center" debuted the Minimoog Model D after a production hiatus of nearly 40 years. It was followed with the debut of the Subsequent 37 CV with exclusive 2016 Moogfest artist patches, and, last year, the introduction of the acclaimed Grandmother synthesizer. Not only is "The Moog Store by Guitar Center" the first place customers and festival-goers alike can pre-order Matriarch and purchase exclusive Moog gear, but it also features rare and hard-to-find synths, controllers and more from all of the leading brands in the industry. "Guitar Center is an essential partner in creating hands-on musical experiences during Moogfest, and their support allows festival-goers to immerse themselves in the magic of sonic expression, while also supporting, guiding, and encouraging all who appreciate electronic music and the art of synthesis. We are thankful for this partnership with Guitar Center and the opportunity to share the joys of analog synthesis with the Moogfest creative community." Logan Kelly, Moog Music Brand Director. "For the fourth year in a row, Guitar Center is proud to be a part of Moogfest, the preeminent synthesizer and electronic music festival for tech enthusiasts and music lovers alike. Moogfest is a unique celebration of sound and technology that brings out a dedicated community of festival goers each year that have a deep passion for how their music is created. Together with Moog, we are excited to help expand their voice to the music industry at large," stated Jeannine Davis D'Addario, Senior Vice-President, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Guitar Center Inc. About Moogfest Moogfest is the synthesis of music, art and technology. Since 2004, Moogfest has brought together artists, futurist thinkers, inventors, entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, scientists and musicians. By day, Moogfest is a platform for conversation and experimentation. By night, Moogfest presents cutting-edge music in venues throughout the city. This mind-expanding conference attracts creative and technology enthusiasts for three days of participatory programming in Durham, North Carolina. Performing artists include early pioneers in electronic music, alongside pop and avant-garde experimentalists of today. About Moog Moog Music is the leading producer of analog synthesizers in the world. The employee-owned company and its customers carry on the legacy of its founder, electronic musical instrument pioneer, Dr. Bob Moog. All of Moog's instruments are hand built in its factory on the edge of downtown Asheville, NC. About Guitar Center: Guitar Center is a leading retailer of musical instruments, lessons, repairs and rentals in the U.S. With nearly 300 stores across the U.S. and one of the top direct sales websites in the industry, Guitar Center has helped people make music for more than 50 years. Guitar Center also provides customers with various musician-based services, including Guitar Center Lessons, where musicians of all ages and skill levels can learn to play a variety of instruments in many music genres; GC Repairs, an on-site maintenance and repairs service; and GC Rentals, a program offering easy rentals of instruments and other sound reinforcement gear. Additionally, Guitar Center's sister brands include Music & Arts, which operates more than 200 stores specializing in band & orchestral instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students, and Musician's Friend, a leading direct marketer of musical instruments in the United States. For more information about Guitar Center, please visit www.guitarcenter.com. SOURCE Guitar Center Related Links http://www.guitarcenter.com OCALA, Fla., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- HiBid.com is hosting a live webcast auction May 4th featuring five unique lots related to decorated Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. The auction is being held as part of the American Valor Foundation's Sixth Annual Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit, which will take place at the historic River Ranch Stockyards on 500 NE 23rd Street in Fort Worth, Texas. Auction funds and event proceeds will benefit U.S. veterans, first responders, and their families. Moody, Texas,-based Top Hand Auctioneers will hold the live webcast auction and accept online bids through HiBid.com during the benefit, as well as live, in-person bids from attendees. "The Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit is a truly unique event to be a part of," says Michael Dennis, owner, Top Hand Auctioneers. "The mission of the American Valor Foundation to continue Chris's work of 'serving those who served us,' is one every American should applaud. Being chosen as the auctioneer for the second year in a row is a true honor." "This year we have great live auction items," Dennis adds, "including a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, guns, a hunting trip with Jeff Kyle, a day of shooting with Special Forces operators, as well as several other wonderful items." Bidders can browse the online catalog for this auction to view all of the lots for sale. Auction Highlights Custom CKMB-edition Remington Model 700 with .300 Winchester Magnum with U.S. Optics scope and special Chris Kyle design with .300 Winchester Magnum with U.S. Optics scope and special design Belgian Malinois puppy named "Breacher," who entered his eighth week of training Feb. 27 who entered his eighth week of training Cremona fiddle autographed by musician Charlie Daniels , donated by Daniels and Ryan Vaughn , donated by Daniels and Deer hunt with Jeff Kyle from Dec. 6-8 for one hunter and one guest with all meals and lodging included from for one hunter and one guest with all meals and lodging included Custom-built AR-10 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle with fluted barrel, Sig Sauer TANGO6 scope, ADM 170-S bipod, and custom Cerakote 17 x 52 gun case Known as the "deadliest sniper in American history," Chris Kyle served four tours in the Iraq War. His 2012 best-selling autobiography American Sniper was a New York Times best-seller, and inspired the Academy Award-winning film of the same name directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper. Kyle, whose motto was "It's our duty to serve those who serve us," died in 2013. About HiBid & Auction Flex Auction Flex is the market-leader in auction software for live auctions, with capabilities that include cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, inventory management, multi-parcel, and more. Auction Flex also provides a seamless solution that enables auction houses to upload auction catalogs online and accept internet absentee bids, conduct internet-only auctions, or offer webcast live internet bidding through its integrated web service and internet bidding solutionHiBid (both a private-label solution and a portal). Auction Flex and HiBid were built from the ground up to function together seamlessly. Contact Auction Flex (352) 414-1947 [email protected] SOURCE HiBid & Auction Flex HANGZHOU, China, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hikvision, the world's leading provider of innovative security products and solutions, discloses its full-year 2018 financial results. The annual report shows a total operating income of RMB 49.84 billion, corresponding to year-over-year growth of 18.93%. Net profits attributable to shareholders of the company amounted to RMB 11.35 billion, corresponding to year-over-year growth of 20.64%. In 2018, the total operating income in domestic market was RMB 35.65 billion, with year-over-year growth of 20.18%; while overseas operating income amounted to RMB 14.19 billion, with year-over-year growth of 15.90%. Key Accounting Data 2018 2017 YoY Change (%) Operating income (RMB) 49,837,132,481.61 41,905,476,572.07 18.93% Net profits attributable to shareholders of the Company (RMB) 11,352,869,241.32 9,410,855,084.82 20.64% The overall results were satisfactory given the complex market environment and slowdown in the domestic, Chinese economy. During 2018, Hikvision continued expanding the number of domestic provincial-level business centres and opened five new overseas subsidiaries and multiple new branch offices. With confidence in the potential for future growth, the company maintained a high level of R&D investment and now employs more than 16,000 R&D engineers. The total workforce grew 31% to a total of more than 34,000 employees. The company also succeeded in launching new technologies, products and solutions. Among them, the Hikvision AI open platform was further consolidated to accelerate the deployment of intelligent applications; new-generation DarkFighterX series intelligent cameras were introduced to provide more clarity in dark places; and face recognition terminals that help improve building operations, workforce management and safety operations; to name a few. In 2018, Hikvision continued its investment in new business areas. The EZVIZ Smart Home business demonstrated healthy growth and maintained profitability, while HikRobotics started to achieve profitability. Further investments were also made in other new businesses such as Hikvision Automotive Electronics and Hikvision Intelligent Storage. Hikvision also announces its first quarter financial results, demonstrating a total operating income of RMB 9.94 billion, corresponding to year-over-year growth of 6.17%. Net profits attributable to shareholders of the company was RMB 1.54 billion, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 15.41%. However, with recent increases in business opportunities in the domestic market and stable growth in overseas markets, the company do have a positive view on the second quarter of 2019. To read a full version of the full-year 2018 financial report, please click HERE. About Hikvision Hikvision is a world leading provider of security products and solutions. Featuring an extensive and highly skilled R&D workforce, Hikvision manufactures a full suite of comprehensive products and solutions for a broad range of vertical markets. In addition to the security industry, Hikvision extends its reach to smart home tech, industrial automation, and automotive electronics industries to achieve its long-term vision. Hikvision products also provide powerful business intelligence for end users, which can enable more efficient operations and greater commercial success. Committed to the utmost quality and safety of its products, Hikvision encourages partners to take advantage of the many cybersecurity resources Hikvision offers, including the Hikvision Cybersecurity Centre. For more information, please visit us at www.hikvision.com. SOURCE Hikvision Related Links http://www.hikvision.com The site comprises a meticulous restoration of a 19th-century building and courtyard, as well as new construction with modern influences, presenting a unique melding of old and new spaces that is unlike anything else in the French Quarter. "Art of the City," as the inaugural changing exhibition, brings an ongoing citywide conversation about past and present to the fore. The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, which housed a major exhibition of contemporary art, provides a rough starting point for a renewed cultural consciousness that gained further impetus after Hurricane Katrina and continues to this day. In "Art of the City," New Orleans interdisciplinary artist, curator and educator Jan Gilbertalong with THNOC President and Chief Executive Officer Priscilla Lawrence as assisting curatorassembles the diverse perspectives of more than 75 artists reacting during three decades of strife and progress in the layered city that fueled their inspiration. "The fecund and tumultuous climate of this period in the life of this city steeps artists and their visions," said Gilbert. "For THNOC to showcase this recent explosion of the New Orleans contemporary art culture is to recognize its importance as history in the making and is a significant commitment to the future of art in this city." "Art of the City" features the work of both homegrown visionaries and devoted visitors, including established artists like Krista Jurisich, Douglas Bourgeois and Luis Cruz Azaceta; familiar names like Candy Chang and Gina Phillips; and rising stars like Zarouhie Abdalian, Brandan Odums and Rontherin Ratliff. "In few cities do the historic and the modern commingle more naturally than in New Orleans," said Lawrence. "This harmony guided us as we renovated the historic building at 520 Royal Street, added to it with the new construction, and assembled this arresting display of contemporary art, which is showcased alongside the centuries of visual art on view elsewhere at THNOC." The exhibition, made possible by a significant gift to THNOC from The Helis Foundation, includes a robust programming schedule and components that encourage residents and visitors to engage with art outside the gallery walls. Admission to the exhibition and all programming is free. The exhibition will run through October 6, at THNOC's new exhibition center, which was made possible in part through generous donations from the institution's generous supporters. Admission is free, and it is open TuesdaySaturday, 9:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. and on Sunday, 10:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. About The Historic New Orleans Collection Founded in 1966, The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. For more information, visit www.hnoc.org, call (504) 523-4662, or follow THNOC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Media contacts: Lauren Noel, The Historic New Orleans Collection (504) 556-7655 | [email protected] Anna Grundmann LeDonne, Gambel Communications (985) 807-5341 | [email protected] 520 and 533 Royal Street | 410 Chartres Street (504) 523-4662 | [email protected] | www.hnoc.org Follow THNOC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. SOURCE The Historic New Orleans Collection Related Links https://www.hnoc.org BEIJING, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Huami Corporation ("Huami" or the "Company") (NYSE: HMI), a biometric and activity data-driven company with significant expertise in smart wearable technology, today announced the pricing of a registered follow-on public offering of 793,650 American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), each representing four Class A ordinary shares of the Company, by the Company and of 7,142,850 ADSs by certain selling shareholders, at a price of US$9.75 per ADS. The underwriters will have a 30-day option to purchase up to 119,050 additional ADSs from the Company and up to 1,071,450 additional ADSs from certain selling shareholders. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. will act as the joint bookrunners for the proposed offering. A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with, and declared effective by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). This notice is not an offer of the securities for sale in the United States of America. This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, the securities described herein, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus forming part of an effective registration statement. A copy of the prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, by contacting: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, at 2nd Floor, 180 Varick Street, New York, New York , 10014, United States of America , or by calling 1-866-718-1649, or by email at [email protected] ; , 10014, , or by calling 1-866-718-1649, or by email at ; Credit Suisse Securities ( USA ) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department at Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010-3629, United States of America , or by calling 1-800-221-1037, or by email at [email protected] ; or ) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department at Eleven Madison Avenue, 10010-3629, , or by calling 1-800-221-1037, or by email at ; or Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, at 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, United States , telephone: +1-800-831-9146. About Huami Corporation Huami is a biometric and activity data-driven company with significant expertise in smart wearable technology. Since its inception in 2013, Huami has quickly established its global market leadership and recognition by shipping millions of units of smart wearable devices. In 2018, Huami shipped 27.5 million units of smart wearable devices. Huami has one of the largest biometric and activity databases in the global smart wearables industry. Huami's mobile apps work hand in hand with its smart wearable devices and provide users with a comprehensive view and analysis of their biometric and activity data. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Huami's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Huami's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Huami does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: Huami Corporation Grace Yujia Zhang Tel: +86-10-5940-3255 E-mail: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Ross Warner Tel: +86-10-5730-6201 E-mail: [email protected] In the United States: The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Huami Corporation Mr. Kim, who has been leading global companies for over 30 years, and his experience is expected to have a synergistic effect at ICONLOOP. In particular, Mr. Kim, an industry-recognized management expert, is expected to give a big boost to the growth of ICONLOOP. Mr. Kim served as CEO at leading global companies such as GM Korea, Microsoft Korea and Yahoo Korea. He was appointed the Chairman of AMCHAM Korea in 2014, and has been contributing to the successful entry of global companies into Korea and the creation of a healthy business environment as the Chairman and CEO of AMCHAM Korea since 2017. In the future, Mr. Kim plans to work on expanding enterprise business, setting the overall business direction, and establishing macro strategies for ICONLOOP. "Having been in the IT industry for a long time and running global companies, I believe the value that blockchain business will have as the next-generation IT infrastructure and the growth potential of ICONLOOP based on its previous moves and achievements. This is a crucial time for ICONLOOP to expand its business in more concrete and practical ways as the blockchain industry is about to fully grow into a blossoming market. I will help ICONLOOP become a global IT company leading the international stage," said Mr. Kim. Jonghyup Kim, CEO of ICONLOOP, stated, "ICONLOOP has been solidifying its presence in the Korean blockchain industry as a technology partner of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea National Election Commission, Korea Financial Investment Association, and Kyobo Life Insurance. ICONLOOP is also continuing its efforts for global business by building smart cities with blockchain as a joint-business partner of WeGO (World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization) and signing a Collaboration Arrangement with ITU. It is an honor to move into the global market hand in hand with James Kim." Contact: Hyejin Kim, [email protected] SOURCE ICONLOOP Related Links https://www.iconloop.com "Inheritance and Craftsmanship -- the 2nd TCC Design Award" officially started in October 2018, attracting nearly 1,000 players from home and abroad. After online voting, preliminary review by the experts, review and mentoring of the garment production, the final 24 contestants were selected for the finals. On the final stage, Suzhou independent designer Sheng Yarong's work "Nocturnal berthing at the Fengqiao Bridge" won the gold medal, guided by his mentor, Wang Yutao. Designer, Liu Sitong's "Such feeling cannot be recalled again" and Lin Jianfeng's "Amazing Dream" won the silver and bronze awards. "Nocturnal berthing at the Fengqiao Bridge" is designed with Suzhou city flower Osmanthus fragrance as the design element. The fabric is made of Suzhou silk. It uses the unique traditional crafts of rolling, setting, embedding and rotating in Chinese traditional costumes. It combines modern crafts like three-dimensional cutting, decaling and hot-drilling, and finally showcases stunning modern Chinese costume, full of deep Suzhou elements. Sheng Yarong said with excitement: "I am encouraged by the award! I am more determined of my belief: to inherit and carry forward the traditional Chinese costumes, culture and skills!" The young contestant from South Korea, Jungwoo Park, brought his work, "The string of the gat". His work was inspired by the traditional Korean costume "Gat". This competition provided an opportunity for him to feel the traditional culture of China at a close distance. He was very happy to know young Chinese designers through the competition. On the day of finals, experts in the field of Chinese clothing culture research, top designers of fashion design industry, and well-known clothing brands such as To Heart, Xiuniang Silk, Qipao Town and other domestic mainstream media gathered to witness the grand event of the Chinese traditional costume culture industry. Zhang Zhongjun, chairman of Suzhou Builtop Group, said that the youthful strength of young designers' work is shocking. Builtop Group is willing to use its Qipao Town as a platform to help the emerging design power of the Chinese fashion design industry and realize their dreams! Image Attachments Links: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=334740 SOURCE The Organizing Committee of the 2nd TCC Design Award Finals LONDON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- International Game Technology PLC ("IGT") (NYSE:IGT) will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss first quarter 2019 results for the period ended March 31, 2019 on Monday, May 20, 2019. Conference call details: Monday, May 20, 2019 8:00 a.m. EDT US/Canada Toll-Free Dial-In Number: +1 844 842 7999 Dial-In Number (Outside US/Canada): +1 612 979 9887 Conference ID (Passcode): 2599793 Webcast: A live webcast may be accessed along with accompanying slides under "News, Events & Presentations" in the Investor Relations section of IGT's website at www.IGT.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website following the live event. Telephone replay: A telephone replay of the call will be available for one week. US/Canada Toll-Free Dial-In Number: +1 855 859 2056 Dial-In Number (Outside US/Canada): +1 404 537 3406 Conference ID (Passcode): 2599793 About IGT IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We enable players to experience their favorite games across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Digital and Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial investment in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise and leading-edge technology, our gaming solutions anticipate the demands of consumers wherever they decide to play. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has over 12,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.IGT.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning International Game Technology PLC and its consolidated subsidiaries (the "Company") and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions, and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, dividends, results of operations, or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the management of the Company as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "could," "would," "should," "shall", "continue," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "guidance," "intend," "may," "will," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project" or the negative or other variations of them. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company's control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those predicted in the forward-looking statements and from past results, performance, or achievements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) the factors and risks described in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F for the financial year ended December 31, 2018 and other documents filed from time to time with the SEC, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and on the investor relations section of the Company's website at www.IGT.com. Except as required under applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider these factors and other risks and uncertainties that affect the Company's business. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Contact: Phil O'Shaughnessy, Global Communications, toll free in U.S./Canada +1 (844) IGT-7452; outside U.S./Canada +1 (401) 392-7452 Giuliano Frosini, +39 06 51899584; for Italian media inquiries James Hurley, Investor Relations, (401) 392-7190 SOURCE International Game Technology PLC Related Links http://www.igt.com NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ipsos, one of the world's leading research and insights organizations, today announced the appointment of Julia Clark to the newly-created role of Head of Marketing and Communications for Ipsos in North America. The establishment of this new role underpins the company's total dedication to a comprehensive understanding of people, markets, brands, and society; to delivering information and analysis that makes our complex world easier and faster to navigate; and to inspiring our clients to make smarter decisions. Pierre Le Manh, Ipsos global deputy CEO and Ipsos North America CEO, said, "We created this new position because we are immensely proud of the world-class standard of work undertaken by Ipsos, and we want to ensure our clients, stakeholders, and the public at large understand our commitment to enabling certainty in business decision-making. Julia has a long track record of outstanding delivery for Ipsos' clients, colleagues, and stakeholders, and has been a trusted brand protector and ambassador for our organization for over 15 years." Mr. Le Manh continued, "Her experience in multiple Ipsos offices and countries, as well as her origin within our public sector and nonpartisan polling business have given her a deep and wide understanding of our business and the publics who operate within and around it. She will be working across our North America team to help communicate our commitment to foundational data and insights, to help our clients and the public act decisively on trusted information." Julia Clark, Head of Marketing and Communications for Ipsos in North America, said, "Ipsos is so much more than the sum of our parts, and I am delighted to be able to bring our vast professional expertise and comprehensive understanding of people and companies to a wider audience." Julia has been representing Ipsos in an external capacity since she first appeared on television on behalf of Ipsos MORI (London, UK) in 2005. She holds an MSc (MA) in Organizational and Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, and a BA in Psychology and English Literature, with a minor in Economics, from the Johns Hopkins University. For more about Julia's appointment, please visit https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/ipsos-appoints-julia-clark-marketing-communications-north-america SOURCE Ipsos Related Links http://ipsos.com BOSTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the storage and information management services company, announces financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2019. The conference call / webcast details, earnings call presentation and supplemental financial information, which includes definitions of certain capitalized terms used in this release are available on Iron Mountain's Investor Relations website. Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the appropriate GAAP measures are included herein. "In the first quarter, our revenue performance was slightly ahead of our expectations due in part to stronger volume and revenue management," said William L. Meaney, president and CEO of Iron Mountain. "Unfortunately, we experienced temporary higher labor costs in our North America businesses in March, which contributed to an approximately $10 million variance in Adjusted EBITDA compared to our internal expectations. We are disappointed by this negative impact to our otherwise strong performance. We are confident in our ability to rectify this issue over the remainder of the year, and therefore we have maintained our outlook for full-year financial performance." Financial Performance Highlights for the First Quarter of 2019 Total reported Revenues for the first quarter were $1.05 billion , compared with $1.04 billion in the first quarter of 2018. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange (FX), reported total Revenues grew 4.5% compared to the prior year, primarily reflecting the contribution from recent Data Center and Adjacent Business acquisitions not included in the full 2018 period, as well as growth in the Other International Business segment. , compared with in the first quarter of 2018. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange (FX), reported total Revenues grew 4.5% compared to the prior year, primarily reflecting the contribution from recent Data Center and Adjacent Business acquisitions not included in the full 2018 period, as well as growth in the Other International Business segment. Income from Continuing Operations for the first quarter was $30.5 million , compared with $45.6 million in the first quarter of 2018, primarily due to increased operating and interest expense, as well as an increase in the provision for income taxes. In addition, Income from Continuing Operations included $2.7 million of Significant Acquisition Costs in the first quarter of 2019, compared with $19.0 million in the first quarter of 2018. , compared with in the first quarter of 2018, primarily due to increased operating and interest expense, as well as an increase in the provision for income taxes. In addition, Income from Continuing Operations included of Significant Acquisition Costs in the first quarter of 2019, compared with in the first quarter of 2018. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was $324.5 million , compared with $343.0 million in the first quarter of 2018. On a constant currency basis, Adjusted EBITDA decreased by 2.6%, primarily reflecting the impact of increased SG&A expenses. , compared with in the first quarter of 2018. On a constant currency basis, Adjusted EBITDA decreased by 2.6%, primarily reflecting the impact of increased SG&A expenses. Reported EPS - Fully Diluted from Continuing Operations for the first quarter was $0.10 compared with $0.16 in the first quarter of 2018. Reported EPS in the first quarter of 2019 was impacted by the items noted above in Income from Continuing Operations. compared with in the first quarter of 2018. Reported EPS in the first quarter of 2019 was impacted by the items noted above in Income from Continuing Operations. Adjusted EPS for the first quarter was $0.17 , compared with $0.24 in the first quarter of 2018. The structural tax rate was 18.9% in the first quarter of 2019, compared with 19.5% in the first quarter of 2018. , compared with in the first quarter of 2018. The structural tax rate was 18.9% in the first quarter of 2019, compared with 19.5% in the first quarter of 2018. Net Income for the first quarter was $30.5 million compared with $45.2 million in the first quarter of 2018, reflecting the same impacts as noted for Reported EPS above. compared with in the first quarter of 2018, reflecting the same impacts as noted for Reported EPS above. FFO (Normalized) per share was $0.48 for the first quarter, compared with $0.53 in the first quarter of 2018. for the first quarter, compared with in the first quarter of 2018. AFFO was $193.4 million for the first quarter compared with $221.5 million in the first quarter of 2018, a decrease of 12.7%. Guidance Iron Mountain maintained its 2019 full-year guidance, and expects, on a constant currency basis, revenue growth of 1% to 6%. In addition, Iron Mountain expects constant currency Adjusted EBITDA growth to be flat to 8% and AFFO growth to be up 1% to 8%. Iron Mountain expects stronger Adjusted EBITDA growth in the second half of the year after expected ongoing expenses in the second quarter, which are a residual effect of the higher costs incurred in March. Additional guidance details are available on Page 6 of the Q1 2019 supplemental financial information. About Iron Mountain Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), founded in 1951, is the global leader for storage and information management services. Trusted by more than 225,000 organizations around the world, and with a real estate network of more than 90 million square feet across more than 1,450 facilities in approximately 50 countries, Iron Mountain stores and protects billions of valued assets, including critical business information, highly sensitive data, and cultural and historical artifacts. Providing solutions that include information management , digital transformation , secure storage , secure destruction , as well as data centers , cloud services and art storage and logistics , Iron Mountain helps customers lower cost and risk, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and enable a more digital way of working. Visit www.ironmountain.com for more information. Investor Relations Contacts: Greer Aviv Anjaneya Singh, CFA Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Director, Investor Relations [email protected] [email protected] (617) 535-2887 (617) 535-8577 Media Contacts: Christian T. Potts Director, Corporate Communications [email protected] (617) 535-8721 Forward Looking Statements Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other securities laws and is subject to the safe-harbor created by such Act. Forward-looking statements include, but are not, limited to, our financial performance outlook and statements concerning our operations, economic performance, financial condition, goals, beliefs, future growth strategies, investment objectives, plans and current expectations, such as 2019 guidance, and statements about our investments, cost savings initiatives, and other goals. These forward-looking statements are subject to various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. When we use words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" or similar expressions, we are making forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, our expected results may not be achieved, and actual results may differ materially from our expectations. In addition, important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations include, among others: (i) our ability to remain qualified for taxation as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes; (ii) the adoption of alternative technologies and shifts by our customers to storage of data through non-paper based technologies; (iii) changes in customer preferences on and demand for our storage and information management services; (iv) the cost to comply with current and future laws, regulations and customer demands relating to data security and privacy issues, as well as fire and safety standards; (v) the impact of litigation or disputes that may arise in connection with incidents in which we fail to protect our customers' information or our internal records or IT systems and the impact of such incidents on our reputation and ability to compete; (vi) changes in the price for our storage and information management services relative to the cost of providing such storage and information management services; (vii) changes in the political and economic environments in the countries in which our international subsidiaries operate and changes in the global political climate; (viii) our ability or inability to manage growth, expand internationally, complete acquisitions on satisfactory terms and to close pending acquisitions and to integrate acquired companies efficiently; (ix) changes in the amount of our growth and recurring capital expenditures and our ability to invest according to plan; (x) our ability to comply with our existing debt obligations and restrictions in our debt instruments or to obtain additional financing to meet our working capital needs; (xi) the impact of service interruptions or equipment damage and the cost of power on our data center operations; (xii) changes in the cost of our debt; (xiii) the impact of alternative, more attractive investments on dividends; (xiv) the cost or potential liabilities associated with real estate necessary for our business; (xv) the performance of business partners upon whom we depend for technical assistance or management expertise outside the United States; (xvi) other trends in competitive or economic conditions affecting our financial condition or results of operations not presently contemplated; and (xvii) other risks described more fully in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the caption "Risk Factors" in our periodic reports or incorporated therein. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements except as statements of our present intentions and of our present expectations, which may or may not occur. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to release publicly the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited; dollars in thousands) 3/31/2019 12/31/2018 ASSETS Current Assets: Cash and Cash Equivalents $161,475 $165,485 Accounts Receivable, Net 837,521 846,889 Other Current Assets 210,854 195,740 Total Current Assets $1,209,850 $1,208,114 Property, Plant and Equipment: Property, Plant and Equipment $7,738,705 $7,600,949 Less: Accumulated Depreciation (3,213,122) (3,111,392) Property, Plant and Equipment, Net $4,525,583 $4,489,557 Other Assets, Net: Goodwill $4,465,378 $4,441,030 Customer Relationships, Customer Inducements and Data Center Lease-Based Intangibles 1,495,338 1,506,522 Operating Lease Right-of-use Assets 1,791,536 Other 201,678 207,024 Total Other Assets, Net $7,953,930 $6,154,576 Total Assets $13,689,363 $11,852,247 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current Liabilities: Current Portion of Long-term Debt $125,142 $126,406 Accounts Payable 283,709 318,765 Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities 839,968 752,684 Deferred Revenue 266,314 264,823 Total Current Liabilities $1,515,133 $1,462,678 Long-term Debt, Net of Current Portion 8,365,737 8,016,417 Long-term Operating Lease Liabilities 1,656,659 Other Long-term Liabilities (1) 391,100 487,563 Total Long-term Liabilities $10,413,496 $8,503,980 Total Liabilities 11,928,629 9,966,658 Equity Total Stockholders' Equity 1,759,401 1,884,180 Noncontrolling Interests $1,333 $1,409 Total Equity $1,760,734 $1,885,589 Total Liabilities and Equity $13,689,363 $11,852,247 (1) Includes redeemable noncontrolling interests of $73.1mm and $70.5mm as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited; dollars in thousands, except per-share data) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 % Change Revenues: Storage Rental $662,974 $651,149 1.8 % Service 390,889 391,309 (0.1) % Total Revenues $1,053,863 $1,042,458 1.1 % Operating Expenses: Cost of Sales (excluding Depreciation and Amortization) (1) $461,544 $448,721 2.9 % Selling, General and Administrative (2) 270,559 269,730 0.3 % Depreciation and Amortization 162,483 160,578 1.2 % Loss (Gain) on Disposal/Write-Down of PP&E, Net 602 (1,130) n/a Total Operating Expenses $895,188 $877,899 2.0 % Operating Income (Loss) $158,675 $164,559 (3.6) % Interest Expense, Net 102,436 97,626 4.9 % Foreign Currency Transaction Loss / (Gain) 17,698 21,785 (18.8) % Other (Income) Expense, Net (2,488) (1,634) 52.3 % Income (Loss) before Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes $41,029 $46,782 (12.3) % Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes 10,553 1,168 n/a Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations $30,476 $45,614 (33.2) % (Loss) Income from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax (24) (462) (94.8) % Net Income (Loss) 30,452 45,152 (32.6) % Less: Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests 891 468 90.5 % Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Iron Mountain Incorporated $29,561 $44,684 (33.8) % Earnings (Losses) per Share - Basic: Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations $0.10 $0.16 (37.5) % Total Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations n/a Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Iron Mountain Incorporated $0.10 $0.16 (37.5) % Earnings (Losses) per Share - Diluted: Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations $0.10 $0.16 (37.5) % Total Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations n/a Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Iron Mountain Incorporated $0.10 $0.16 (37.5) % Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding - Basic 286,528 285,259 0.4 % Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding - Diluted 287,492 285,993 0.5 % (1) Includes Significant Acquisition Costs of $0.9mm and $0.3mm in Q1 2019 and Q1 2018, respectively. (2) Includes Significant Acquisition Costs of $1.8mm and $18.7mm in Q1 2019 and Q1 2018, respectively. Reconciliation of Income from Continuing Operations to Adjusted EBITDA (Dollars in thousands) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 % Change Income from Continuing Operations $30,476 $45,614 (33.2) % Add / (Deduct): Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes 10,553 1,168 n/a Foreign Currency Transaction Loss / (Gain) 17,698 21,785 (18.8) % Other (Income) Expense, Net (1) (2,488) (1,634) 52.3 % Interest Expense, Net 102,436 97,626 4.9 % Loss (Gain) on Disposal/Write-Down of PP&E, Net 602 (1,130) n/a Depreciation and Amortization 162,483 160,578 1.2 % Significant Acquisition Costs 2,746 19,008 (85.6) % Adjusted EBITDA $324,506 $343,015 (5.4) % (1) Excludes realized and unrealized FX (gains) losses. Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA is defined as income (loss) from continuing operations before interest expense, net, provision (benefit) for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and also excludes certain items that we believe are not indicative of our core operating results, specifically: (i) (gain) loss on disposal/write-down of property, plant and equipment (including real estate), net; (ii) intangible impairments; (iii) other (income) expense, net (which includes foreign currency transaction (gains) losses, net); and (iv) Significant Acquisition Costs. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by total revenues. We use multiples of current or projected Adjusted EBITDA in conjunction with our discounted cash flow models to determine our estimated overall enterprise valuation and to evaluate acquisition targets. We believe Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin provide our current and potential investors with relevant and useful information regarding our ability to generate cash flow to support business investment. These measures are an integral part of the internal reporting system we use to assess and evaluate the operating performance of our business. Adjusted EBITDA excludes both interest expense, net and the provision (benefit) for income taxes. These expenses are associated with our capitalization and tax structures, which we do not consider when evaluating the operating profitability of our core operations. Finally, Adjusted EBITDA does not include depreciation and amortization expenses, in order to eliminate the impact of capital investments, which we evaluate by comparing capital expenditures to incremental revenue generated and as a percentage of total revenues. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP, such as operating income, income (loss) from continuing operations, net income (loss) or cash flows from operating activities from continuing operations (as determined in accordance with GAAP). Reconciliation of Reported Earnings per Share to Adjusted Earnings per Share Q1 2019 Q1 2018 % Change Reported EPS - Fully Diluted from Continuing Operations $0.10 $0.16 (37.5) % Add / (Deduct): Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests Foreign Currency Transaction Loss / (Gain) 0.06 0.08 Other (Income) Expense, Net (0.01) (0.01) Loss (Gain) on Disposal/Write-Down of PP&E, Net Significant Acquisition Costs 0.01 0.07 Tax Impact of Reconciling Items and Discrete Tax Items (1) (0.05) Adjusted EPS - Fully Diluted from Continuing Operations $0.17 $0.24 (29.2) % (1) The difference between our effective tax rates and our structural tax rate (or adjusted effective tax rates) for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, is primarily due to (i) the reconciling items above, which impact our reported income (loss) from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes but have an insignificant impact on our reported provision (benefit) for income taxes and (ii) other discrete tax items. Our structural tax rate for purposes of the calculation of Adjusted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 was 18.9% and 19.5%, respectively. Adjusted Earnings Per Share, or Adjusted EPS Adjusted EPS is defined as reported earnings per share fully diluted from continuing operations excluding: (i) (gain) loss on disposal/write-down of property, plant and equipment (including real estate), net; (ii) intangible impairments; (iii) other (income) expense, net (which includes foreign currency transaction (gains) losses, net); (iv) Significant Acquisition Costs; and (v) the tax impact of reconciling items and discrete tax items. Adjusted EPS includes income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests. We do not believe these excluded items to be indicative of our ongoing operating results, and they are not considered when we are forecasting our future results. We believe Adjusted EPS is of value to our current and potential investors when comparing our results from past, present and future periods. Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to IRM to FFO and AFFO Q1 2019 Q1 2018 % Change Net Income $30,452 $45,152 (32.6) % Add / (Deduct): Real Estate Depreciation (1) 73,079 69,533 Loss (Gain) on Sale of Real Estate, Net of Tax Data Center Lease-Based Intangible Asset Amortization (2) 12,609 10,838 FFO (Nareit) $116,140 $125,523 (7.5) % Add / (Deduct): Loss (Gain) on Disposal/Write-Down of PP&E, Net 602 (1,130) Foreign Currency Transaction Loss / (Gain) 17,698 21,785 Other (Income) Expense, Net (2,488) (1,634) Tax Impact of Reconciling Items and Discrete Tax Items (3) (709) (15,379) Loss (Income) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax 24 462 Real Estate Financing Lease Depreciation 3,504 3,446 Significant Acquisition Costs 2,746 19,008 FFO (Normalized) $137,517 $152,081 (9.6) % Per Share Amounts (Fully Diluted Shares) FFO (Nareit) $0.40 $0.44 (9.1) % FFO (Normalized) $0.48 $0.53 (9.4) % Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding - Basic 286,528 285,259 0.4 % Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding - Diluted 287,492 285,993 0.5 % (1) Includes depreciation expense related to owned real estate assets (land improvements, buildings, building improvements, leasehold improvements and racking), excluding depreciation related to financing leases. (2) Includes amortization expense for Data Center In-Place Lease Intangible Assets and Data Center Tenant Relationship Intangible Assets. (3) Represents the tax impact of (i) the reconciling items above, which impact our reported income (loss) from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes but have an insignificant impact on our reported provision (benefit) from income taxes and (ii) other discrete tax items. Funds From Operations, or FFO (Nareit), and FFO (Normalized) Funds from operations ("FFO") is defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("Nareit") and us as net income (loss) excluding depreciation on real estate assets, gains on sale of real estate, net of tax and amortization of data center leased-based intangibles ("FFO (Nareit)"). FFO (Nareit) does not give effect to real estate depreciation because these amounts are computed, under GAAP, to allocate the cost of a property over its useful life. Because values for well-maintained real estate assets have historically increased or decreased based upon prevailing market conditions, we believe that FFO (Nareit) provides investors with a clearer view of our operating performance. Our most directly comparable GAAP measure to FFO (Nareit) is net income (loss). Although Nareit has published a definition of FFO, modifications to FFO (Nareit) are common among REITs as companies seek to provide financial measures that most meaningfully reflect their particular business. Our definition of FFO (Normalized) excludes certain items included in FFO (Nareit) that we believe are not indicative of our core operating results, specifically: (i) (gain) loss on disposal/write-down of property, plant and equipment (excluding real estate), net; (ii) intangible impairments; (iii) other expense (income), net (which includes foreign currency transaction (gains) losses, net); (iv) real estate financing lease depreciation; (v) Significant Acquisition Costs; (vi) the tax impact of reconciling items and discrete tax items; (vii) loss (income) from discontinued operations, net of tax; and (viii) loss (gain) on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax. FFO (Normalized) per share FFO (Normalized) divided by weighted average fully-diluted shares outstanding. Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to IRM to FFO and AFFO (continued) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 % Change FFO (Normalized) $137,517 $152,081 (9.6) % Add / (Deduct): Non-Real Estate Depreciation 38,028 40,453 Amortization Expense (1) 31,317 32,721 Amortization of Deferred Financing Costs 4,108 3,553 Revenue Reduction Associated with Amortization of Permanent Withdrawal Fees and Above - and Below-Market Leases 3,645 3,664 Non-Cash Rent Expense (Income) (617) (1,258) Stock-based Compensation Expense 8,519 7,384 Reconciliation to Normalized Cash Taxes (3,879) 5,948 Less: Non-Real Estate Growth Investment (2) 9,406 7,651 Real Estate, Data Center and Non-Real Estate Recurring CapEx 15,833 15,392 AFFO $193,399 $221,503 (12.7) % (1) Includes Customer Relationship Value, intake costs, acquisition of customer relationships, and other intangibles. Excludes amortization of capitalized commissions of $3.9mm and $3.6mm in Q1 2019 and Q1 2018, respectively. (2) Non-Real Estate Growth Investment (i) excludes integration CapEx included in Significant Acquisition Costs of $1.9mm in Q1 2018, and (ii) includes Non-Real Estate Growth Investment associated with the Global Data Center Business segment of $0.6mm and $1.3mm in Q1 2019 and Q1 2018, respectively. Adjusted Funds From Operations, or AFFO AFFO is defined as FFO (Normalized) excluding non-cash rent expense or income plus depreciation on non-real estate assets, amortization expense associated with customer relationship value (CRV), intake costs, acquisitions of customer relationships and other intangibles, and excluding amortization expense associated with capitalized internal commissions, amortization of deferred financing costs, revenue reduction associated with amortization of permanent withdrawal fees and above-and below-market data center leases, stock-based compensation expense and the impact of reconciling to normalized cash taxes, less recurring capital expenditures and non-real estate growth investments (on a cash basis), excluding Significant Acquisition Capital Expenditures. We believe AFFO is a useful measure in determining our ability to generate excess cash that may be used for reinvestment in the business, discretionary deployment in investments such as real estate or acquisition opportunities, returning capital to our stockholders and voluntary prepayments of indebtedness. Additionally AFFO is reconciled to cash flow from operations to adjust for real estate and REIT tax adjustments, Significant Acquisition Costs and other non-cash expenses. AFFO does not include adjustments for customer inducements, acquisition of customer relationships and investment in innovation as we consider these expenditures to be growth related. SOURCE Iron Mountain Incorporated Related Links http://www.ironmountain.com NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), one of the nation's largest mutual life insurers and a leading provider of whole life, individual disability insurance, and employee benefits, announced today that Karen B. Peetz has been elected to its board of directors. Ms. Peetz serves on the boards of directors for Ingersoll Rand, Johns Hopkins University and the Global Lyme Alliance. She is the retired President of The Bank of New York Mellon where she oversaw the company's global client management, regional management, and its treasury services business. She also led global innovation, human resources and regulatory oversight. Prior to her appointment as President in January 2013, Ms. Peetz led BNY Mellon's Financial Markets and Treasury Services Group. Before joining BNY Mellon in 1998, Ms. Peetz was at JP Morgan Chase where she held leadership roles in sales, commercial lending and management. "Karen's client, human resources and innovation experience, together with her knowledge of financial markets and oversight, will bring great value to Guardian," said President and CEO Deanna Mulligan. "We look forward to her strategic insights as she joins our esteemed Board of Directors." Ms. Peetz earned a Master of Science from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University. For more information about Guardian's board of directors, please visit: https://www.guardianlife.com/about-guardian/board-directors . About 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: [email protected] SOURCE The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America Related Links www.guardianlife.com TORONTO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Khiron Life Sciences Corp. ("Khiron" or the "Company") (TSXV: KHRN), (OTCQB: KHRNF), (Frankfurt: A2JMZC), a medical cannabis company with its core operations in Latin America, announced today that the Company has entered into a non-binding letter of agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding securities of Canapalife S.r.l. and 100% of the economic interest in Campodoro S.r.l. ("Canapalife Group") from Alvaro Garro and Paolo Puggioni (the "Vendors"), being the sole shareholders of Canapalife Group. Canapalife is a prominent hemp product company based in Italy with licenses for the cultivation, research, production and marketing of hemp-based products. Canapalife operates a cultivation site in Padua, near Venice, Italy, conducts research in partnership with prominent universities and has registered three CBD consumer brands, including, Bloom CBD e-liquids, Canvax nutraceutical products and Legal Seeds, a brand designed to market EU approved seeds to the consumer market. These products are in-market through established partnerships with pharmacies and independent retail chains across Italy. Italy represents the fourth largest economy in Europe, and is the second largest cannabis market in Europe, with a projected medical cannabis market value of 7.5 Billion in 2028 (Source: Prohibition Partners The European Cannabis Report, January 2019). Alvaro Torres, Khiron CEO and Director commented, " The proposed transaction offers Khiron an entry to the European market and expansion of our global footprint. In addition to increasing our multi-jurisdiction cultivation and production capacity, Canapalife offers the addition of dynamic brands to our product portfolio, access to key retailer partners and relationships with Italy's leading research facilities." Upon completion of the acquisition of Canapalife Group, it is anticipated that each of Mr. Garro and Mr. Puggioni, the sole shareholders of Canapalife Group, will continue on as key employees with Khiron. Closing of the transaction is anticipated to be the end of Q2. As consideration for the acquisition of Canapalife Group, Khiron will issue such number of common shares as is equal to C$10,500,000 (the "Purchase Price") at a deemed price per share equal to the trailing 20 day volume weighted average closing price of its common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"). An earn out of additional common shares for up to C$4,500,000, will be payable by Khiron to the Vendors over the course of two years subject to Canapalife Group attaining certain revenue milestones. Hillcrest Merchant Partners Inc. acted as advisor on this agreement. Completion of the transaction, and issuance of any finder's fee, is subject to the execution of a definitive agreement and receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including final acceptance of the TSXV. About CanapaLife Group Canapalife is a producer and processor of hemp products in Italy and the leader in the research and development of new hemp food ingredients. The company collaborates with universities, research institutes and organizations from the food, materials, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. The company's main products are hemp flowers and CBD oil extract, with development underway for new products based on CBD resin and food product based on hemp seeds. Canapalife actively promotes the development of a sustainable industrial hemp processing industry in Europe by working closely with strategic partners, government agencies, and producer associations. Canapalife's mission is to be the leading manufacturer and preferred supplier of certified hemp products and ingredients to a network of global customers. Further information can be found at https://www.canapalife.it About Khiron Khiron Life Sciences Corp. is positioned to be the dominant integrated medical cannabis company in Latin America. Khiron has core operations in Latin America and is fully licensed for the cultivation, production, domestic distribution, and international export of both THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) medical cannabis. In May 2018, Khiron listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, becoming one of the first Colombian-based medical cannabis companies to trade on any exchange globally. With a focused regional strategy and patient oriented approach, the Company combines global scientific expertise, agricultural advantages, branded product market entrance experience and education to drive prescription and brand loyalty to address priority medical conditions such as chronic pain, epilepsy, depression and anxiety in the Latin American market of over 620 million people. Khiron is led by Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alvaro Torres, together with an experienced executive team, and a knowledgeable Board of Directors that includes former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox. Further information on Khiron Life Sciences can be found at https://investors.khiron.ca/ To be added to the distribution list, please email [email protected] with "Khiron" in the subject line. Cautionary Notes Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements may be identified by statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "will", "should", "expects", "continue", "estimate", "forecasts" and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the execution of a definitive agreement, receipt of required regulatory approvals, including the TSXV. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Khiron undertakes no obligation to comment analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of Khiron, its securities, or financial or operating results (as applicable). Although Khiron believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, such forward-looking statement has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Khiron's control, including the risk factors discussed in Khiron's Annual Information Form which is available on Khiron's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and are made as of the date hereof. Khiron disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. United States Disclaimer This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities 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 state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. SOURCE Khiron Life Sciences Corp. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Susan G. Komen Florida announced today the expansion of its first-in-nation breast health navigation program for women of diversity as it approaches its one-year anniversary. Komen Florida launched the Community-Based Breast Health Navigator Pilot Program on May 21, 2018 with funding from Quantum Foundation to provide education and patient navigation services to primarily African American women who have a 40% higher mortality rate than white women. Since the program's inception nearly one year ago, it has reached over 1,800 women. The navigation program's effectiveness in terms of people reached and potential lives saved has been so successful that Komen Florida has attracted new funding to expand. A Palm Beach County family foundation has contributed $50,000 to support the new service in this high-poverty region where the leading cause of death is cancer. The Glades navigation program will be led by Marie Seide, a breast cancer survivor who has made it her mission to save the lives of others, especially in her own Haitian community. Kate Watt, executive director of Komen Florida and founder of the program, has seen the deep need for navigation services, "So many women don't know where to turn, how to ask for help, or even which doctors to see," said Watt. "We pioneered this unique community-based model to break through barriers, increase early detection and help women connect to life-saving services. Our vision is to expand our navigation services across the state and be a model for the nation. As part of the world's largest breast cancer organization with resources second to none, we know we will succeed." Komen Florida expects to launch the Glades Region Community-Based Breast Health Navigator Program in June 2019. About Susan G. Komen Florida Susan G. Komen is the world's largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit. Komen Florida is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in local communities across its service area of southwest, central, north, south and the Florida Suncoast regions. Komen Florida has invested nearly $57 million in community breast health programs and has helped contribute to the more than $988 million invested globally in research. For more information, visit www.komenflorida.org. SOURCE Susan G. Komen Florida Related Links https://komenflorida.org WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Krasdale Foods, a 110-year-old, privately owned company providing grocery distribution, merchandising, and marketing to independent grocery store owners, announced that Gus Lebiak has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Alpha 1 Marketing, an affiliate of Krasdale Foods Inc. Lebiak, who joined the company over six years ago, will continue to oversee key departments such as advertising, digital services, customer service, community relations, retail operations, marketing, meat and produce, merchandising, as well as retail regulatory compliance and training. In his new role, Lebiak will work on unifying the departments starting with a focus on merging skill sets of employees with various backgrounds and experience levels. "Gus' extensive industry background has been a significant asset to our team," said Thatcher Krasne, CEO and president of Alpha 1 Marketing, Krasdale's marketing and merchandising division. "He brings a unique perspective from his years working on all sides of the grocery industry and, in his time at Krasdale, has helped to spearhead key programs for both our employees and customers." As part of the ongoing strategic plan for the company, Lebiak will continue to focus on implementing new value-added programs to improve overall efficiency and drive brand growth. "We're thankful to Gus for his expert leadership of the Alpha 1 Marketing team, which has helped us meet our growth goals," said Steve Silver, Krasdale President and COO. "With this elevated role, we know that Gus will continue to build and expand the Krasdale brand in both the East Coast and Florida markets, putting us on a path toward another century of success." With over 38 years of grocery industry experience, Lebiak has a diverse skillset that has made him indispensable within many areas of the business. He began his career working in-store at Mayfair Supermarkets before moving to the wholesale side of the business as a category manager at Twin County Grocers. From there, Lebiak assisted in the launch of Allegiance Retail Services, a supermarket cooperative, serving as director of grocery and then vice president of center store, before leaving to join Krasdale Foods as a vice president. "I'm tapping into the lessons I've learned working in both in-store and wholesale operations to create a cohesive strategy that ultimately benefits all sides of the business," Lebiak said. "As I step into this new role, my goal is to aid in the consistent, long-term growth of both new and existing markets throughout the East Coast." A fully integrated grocery service and supplier, Alpha 1 Marking is one of several companies affiliated with parent company, Krasdale Foods. Others include, Beta II Marketing, Consolidated Supermarket Supply, and KoolTemp Foods. About Krasdale Krasdale is an independent, privately-owned grocery distribution, merchandising, and marketing services company. For 110 years, Krasdale has supplied independent food markets with all the tools they need to succeed, helping to build and sustain multiple generations of successful enterprises. With its base of operations in New York, Krasdale has spread throughout the Northeast and Florida with store banners that include: C-Town, Bravo, Aim, Market Fresh, Shop Smart Food Markets and Stop 1 Food Mart. Contact: Erin Mandzik JConnelly 862-246-9911 [email protected] SOURCE Krasdale Foods DUBLIN, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Kuwait Express Delivery and E-Commerce Logistics Market Outlook to 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. It is expected that Kuwait E-commerce logistics will grow at a robust CAGR of 21.1% in the market in terms of revenue in the 5 years till the year ending 2022. Kuwait Express Logistics Market Overview and Size Express delivery systems have been considered as a crucial segment of the Kuwait logistics market, utilized for faster delivery of shipments in comparison to general services. Express delivery companies have created a door to door linkage across domestic and international markets and have developed advanced shipment tracking facilities to cater time-sensitive needs of the logistics sector. The gradual shift of the population from retail shopping to online shopping of electronic items, high internet penetration, daily grocery needs, apparels and others in the country has triggered the demand for express logistics in the country. The geographical location of Kuwait has aided the overall market growth majorly due to good connectivity with Asia Pacific countries and GCC regions. Kuwait Express Logistics Market Segmentation Mode of Transport Road express has dominated the express delivery market in terms of revenue and has accounted for maximum revenue share during the period. Road infrastructure is highly developed which ensures majority of the express logistics player to use roadways to transport goods within the Kuwait as compared to air express as shipment through air is more costly. In order to transport the goods internationally, the air cargo takes lesser hours as compared to road express logistics. Delivery Type Kuwait express delivery market has been dominated by international express in 2017. Factors such as high volume of international trade, shipments from expats and increase in business activities have resulted in a higher volume of international express shipments in Kuwait. Domestic players have contributed through effective collaborations with global companies in order to enhance their reach to the remote areas of the country. B2B segment has dominated the Kuwait express logistics during 2017. These express logistics services are used by businesses to deliver goods within a specific time frame. Competitive Landscape in the Kuwait Express Delivery Market The domestic express and logistics firms have a strong presence in several cities nationwide. In Kuwait express delivery market is largely dominated by major global players such as DHL, FedEx, Aramex, UPS and others which collectively contribute to the majority of revenues in the international express delivery market. Kuwait Express Logistics Market Future Outlook and Projections The use of information technology is anticipated to increase in the express delivery services in Kuwait with rising competition among the express delivery players in the country. The last mile delivery step to the consumer will gain more importance in future due to the rising share of B2C parcel logistics in the market. Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market Overview and Size The Kuwait E-commerce industry has witnessed a positive growth over the past three years. Rise in the smart phones shipments in the country has augmented the growth of E-commerce sector in the country. Various logistics service provider offers additional services and offer discounts for online orders as they help in reduction of additional management processes. Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market Segmentation E-commerce merchant through in-house logistics have captured the majority of the market share in terms of the total number of shipments in the year 2017. It has been observed that logistics companies in the Kuwait prefer to manage operations on their own which has resulted in the supremacy of this segment. On the other hand, it was witnessed that international E-commerce companies prefer to outsource logistics to 3PL companies to avoid the obstacles in establishing their own operations. Same day delivery within five hours has dominated the market in terms of number of orders owing to increasing focus of the companies on providing better services coupled with increasing customer needs for better service. Clothing, Fashion Accessories, White Goods, Furniture and Others are the major products which are delivered through same day delivery beyond five hours duration. Comparative Landscape in the Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market The E-commerce logistics industry of the Kuwait was observed to be concentrated with the presence of major players such as Aramex, DHL and FedEx covering around majority of the market share in 2017. These companies were witnessed to compete on parameters such as shipping points, coverage area, delivery assistance (last mile) and others. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Research Methodology 2.1. Market Definitions 2.2. Abbreviations 2.3. Consolidated Research Approach 2.4. Variables (Dependent and Independent) 2.5. Correlation Matrix 2.6. Regression Matrix 2.7. Limitations and Conclusion 3. Kuwait Express Logistics Ecosystem 3.1. Supplier Side 3.2. Demand Side 4. Kuwait Express Logistics Market Overview and Genesis 5. Value Chain for Kuwait Express Logistics Market 6. Express Logistics Market 6.1. Market Size by Revenue, 2012-2017 6.2. Market Segmentation by Express Movement (Air Express and Road Express), 2017 6.2.1. Cross Comparison by Express Movement, 2017 6.3. By Delivery Type (International Express and Domestic Express), 2017 6.4. By Business Mode (B2B, B2C and C2C), 2017 7. Pricing Analysis for Kuwait Express Logistics Market 8. Issues and Challenges in Kuwait Express Logistics Market 9. Government Role in Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Customs Clearance Process 9.1 Government Role in Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Documentary Requirements for Customs 9.2 Government Role in Kuwait Express Logistics Market - For Vehicles 10. Competitive Scenario of Kuwait Freight Forwarding Market 11. Directory of Major Players in Kuwait Express Logistics Market 12. Company Profile of Major Express Logistics Companies 12.1. DHL Express Kuwait 12.2. ARAMEX Kuwait 12.3. FedEx Express 12.4. UPS Express 12.5. SKYCOM Express and OCS ANA GROUP 12.6. Jeezan Cargo and Frontline Express 13. Future Outlook and Projections 13.1. Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Future Outlook and Projections, 2017-2022 13.2. Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Future Segmentation by Express Movement and By Delivery Type, 2022 14. E-Commerce Market 14.1. Overview and Market Size, 2015-2017 14.2. Segmentation by Time Duration (Same Day delivery Beyond Five Hours, Delivery Within Five Hours and Others), 2017 14.3. Segmentation by Distribution Channel (E-Commerce Merchants and 3PL Companies) and Mode of Payment, 2017 15. Competitive Scenario for Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market 16. Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market - Future Outlook and Projections, 2017-2022 17. Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Analyst Recommendations Companies Mentioned ARAMEX Kuwait DHL Express FedEx Express Frontline Express Jeezan Cargoa OCS ANA GROUP SKYCOM Express UPS Express For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fw437o Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com PORTLAND, Oregon, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Laboratory Equipment and Disposables Market by Product Type (Equipment [Incubator, Laminar Flow Hood, Micro Manipulation Systems, Centrifuges, Lab Air Filtration System, Scopes, Sonicators & Homogenizers, Autoclaves & Sterilizers, Spectrophotometers & Microarray Equipment, and Others] and Disposables [Pipettes, Tips, Tubes, Cuvettes, Dishes, Gloves, Masks, Cell Imaging Consumables, Cell Culture Consumables]): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018 2025." The report provides a detailed analysis of the key strategies, top investment pockets, drivers & opportunities, market share, key segments, and competitive scenario. According to the report, the global laboratory equipment and disposables market was estimated at $24.2 billion in 2017 and is expected to hit $37.8 billion in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period. High-end technological advancements in laboratory equipment, rise in private as well as public healthcare investments, favorable insurance policies related to laboratory equipment, and urge in research related to life science and biotechnology fuel the growth of the global laboratory equipment and disposables market. On the other hand, high costs of technologically advanced laboratory equipment and dearth of clinical laboratories in certain regions curb the market growth to some extent. Nevertheless, high market potential in emerging economies and growth in adoption of clinical diagnostic testing worldwide create multiple opportunities in the market. Request Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5240 Disposables segment to be dominant till 2025 Based on product, the disposables segment accounted for nearly two-third of the total market in 2017 and is expected to remain dominant throughout 2018-2025. The fact that they play a crucial role in every laboratory process has spurred the growth. In addition, increase in number of lab procedures, rise in number of R&D activities, and surge in number of diagnostic procedures boost the market. Simultaneously, the equipment segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.1% during the study period. Factors that drive the segment include technological advancement, growth in awareness about advanced equipment among the developing countries and rise in number of laboratories. North America to be dominant during the estimate period Based on region, North America contributed to nearly two-fifth of the total market and is expected to retain its top status till 2025. Well-established healthcare infrastructure and rise in the prevalence of infectious diseases that require laboratory testing spur the market growth in the region. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific is assumed to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.4% throughout the forecast period, 2018-2025. Factors such as rise in healthcare expenditure in countries such as China, Japan, and India and increase in government healthcare investments are anticipated to act as growth drivers for the market during the study period. For Purchase Enquiry at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/5240 Market frontrunners The key market players analyzed in the report include Bio-Rad Laboratories, Agilent Technologies, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Sartorius AG, and others. These ventures have adopted a number of strategies including expansions, mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations, and others to gain a strong stand in the industry. Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas. Similar Reports: Disposable Gloves Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023 Sterilization Technologies Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014-2022 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com SOURCE Allied Market Research SEATTLE, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leisure Care, one of the nation's largest and most innovative senior living management companies, is introducing a robust, paid internship program for college students and recent graduates. The Discover Program is a dynamic internship for service-minded, resilient problem solvers created to help individuals reach their career goals. The internships are thoughtfully designed to allow students to be immersed in different departments throughout the Leisure Care communities, while also participating in big-picture operations. The goal is to foster endless career opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Interns will also experience firsthand Leisure Care's commitment to the Three-Thirds Lifestyle, which emphasizes family, philanthropy, and work, in that order. Immersing interns in Leisure Care's culture shows them the importance of making a positive impact on seniors, their families, and other co-workers. "Leisure Care is developing the next generation of leaders in hospitality and senior living," says Erin Mahin, creator of the Discover Internship Program. "Through Discover, our team members will work with the students to shape the program to fit their interests, all while giving them tools to be fulfilled, motivated, and empowered to do great things in their careers." Discover Program participant Haley McPherson is a Central Washington University student working towards a BS in Public Health. She has found valuable connections through the program. "My internship at Leisure Care has given me so much valuable experience and the culture of the community has been so welcoming and encouraging. I love interacting with the residents, and it's rewarding to see them enjoying their Five-Star Fun lifestyle at Leisure Care communities." Haley's internship has landed her a full-time role with Leisure Care at their corporate office after graduation. An extensive variety of career paths are available for interns to explore in the 52 Leisure Care communities across the country. Leisure Care's Discover Program will also create a personalized internship for students if they have a specific career goal in mind. To learn more about the Discover Program visit: https://www.leisurecare.com/internships About Leisure Care Leisure Care, LLC is one of the largest privately owned and most innovative operators of senior living communities in the United States. Founded in 1976, Leisure Care operates 52 retirement communities and nearly 8,000 apartments in the United States. Leisure Care's inventive 'Five-Star Fun' philosophy is changing the perception of senior living by providing amenities commonly associated with luxury hotels and which support healthy, active lifestyles. Dynamic programs and wellness-oriented offerings include true restaurant dining; PrimeFit, an innovative health and fitness program with personal training options; and Travel by Leisure Care, a full-service in-house travel agency. Leisure Care is one of One Eighty's senior housing and hospitality brands, which include Twist Travel, low-acid premium coffee roaster, trucup, and One Eighty International, which manages retirement communities in England, Mexico, and India. For more information, please visit www.leisurecare.com . SOURCE Leisure Care Related Links https://www.leisurecare.com/ INDIANAPOLIS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that the company has been working to facilitate the withdrawal of Lartruvo (olaratumab) from the market for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Lilly's actions to withdraw Lartruvo from the market follow the failure of the Phase 3 ANNOUNCE clinical trial, in which Lartruvo did not improve survival for patients. Lilly is establishing a program to ensure current patients will have access to Lartruvo with limited interruption after it is withdrawn from the market. The program will be established as allowed by local country regulations. Lilly is working to ensure that patients who are currently receiving Lartruvo may, in consultation with their physician, continue their course of therapy if they have been informed of the risks of Lartruvo and the results of the ANNOUNCE study and wish to continue, subject to local laws and regulations. No new patients should receive Lartruvo outside of participation in ongoing clinical trials. Lilly also is working to establish a program to allow patients who are currently receiving Lartruvo to continue treatment with limited interruption after Lartruvo is withdrawn from the market, subject to local laws and regulations. More information regarding this program will be provided directly to healthcare professionals in the coming weeks. "Lilly wants to ensure that patients and physicians feel supported during this important time," said Anne White, president, Lilly Oncology. "Advanced soft tissue sarcoma is a rare and difficult-to-treat cancer. Establishing this program will give patients who are currently taking Lartruvo the opportunity to continue their treatment program uninterrupted." Lilly plans to present the ANNOUNCE data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2019 annual meeting and will publish the results in a medical journal. About Soft Tissue Sarcoma Sarcomas are a diverse and relatively rare type of cancer that usually develop in the connective tissue of the body, which include fat, blood vessels, nerves, bones, muscles, deep skin tissues and cartilage. Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a complex disease with multiple subtypes, making it hard to diagnose and difficult to treat. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2019, an estimated 12,750 new STS cases will be diagnosed, and more than 5,000 people will not survive their disease in the U.S. alone. For decades, there have been no first-line therapeutic advancements for STS that have improved overall survival (OS). About LARTRUVO (olaratumab) LARTRUVO is a platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR-) blocking antibody that specifically binds PDGFR- and prevents receptor activation. LARTRUVO exhibits in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity against selected sarcoma cell lines and disrupted the PDGFR- signaling pathway in in vivo tumor implant models. About the ANNOUNCE Trial ANNOUNCE was a randomized, double-blind, Phase 3 study of LARTRUVO in combination with doxorubicin, followed by LARTRUVO monotherapy, versus doxorubicin plus placebo followed by placebo, in patients with advanced or metastatic STS. The two primary endpoints were OS in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population and OS in the leiomyosarcoma (LMS) sub-population. Patients with locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic STS not amenable to curative treatment were enrolled and were eligible with any prior number of treatment regimens, provided they had not previously received treatment with an anthracycline. LARTRUVO was administered at a loading dose of 20 mg/kg on days 1 and 8 of cycle 1 and 15 mg/kg on days 1 and 8 of all subsequent cycles in combination with doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 administered on day 1 of each cycle. Placebo was administered in combination with doxorubicin for 8 cycles. LARTRUVO was continued as monotherapy until disease progression. Key secondary endpoints included safety, progression-free survival, objective response rate, and patient-reported outcomes. INDICATION LARTRUVO is indicated, in combination with doxorubicin, for the treatment of adult patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) with a histologic subtype for which an anthracycline-containing regimen is appropriate and which is not amenable to curative treatment with radiotherapy or surgery. This indication was approved under Accelerated Approval. Continued approval for this indication was contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trial. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR LARTRUVO Warnings and Precautions Infusion-Related Reactions Infusion-related reactions (IRR) occurred in 70 (14%) of 485 patients who received at least one dose of LARTRUVO across clinical trials. For 68 of these 70 patients (97%), the first occurrence of IRR was in the first or second cycle. Grade 3 IRR occurred in 11 (2.3%) of 485 patients, with one (0.2%) fatality. Symptoms of IRR included flushing, shortness of breath, bronchospasm, or fever/chills, and in severe cases symptoms manifested as severe hypotension, anaphylactic shock, or cardiac arrest. Infusion-related reactions required permanent discontinuation in 2.3% of patients and interruption of infusion in 10% of patients. All 59 patients with Grade 1 or 2 IRR resumed LARTRUVO; 12 (20%) of these patients had a Grade 1 or 2 IRR with rechallenge. The incidence of IRR in the overall safety database (N = 485) was similar (18% versus 12%) between those who did (56%) and those who did not (44%) receive premedication. Monitor patients during and following LARTRUVO infusion for signs and symptoms of IRR in a setting with available resuscitation equipment. Immediately and permanently discontinue LARTRUVO for Grade 3 or 4 IRR . Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on animal data and its mechanism of action, LARTRUVO can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Animal knockout models link disruption of platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR-) signaling to adverse effects on embryo-fetal development. Administration of an anti-murine PDGFR- antibody to pregnant mice during organogenesis caused malformations and skeletal variations. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with LARTRUVO and for 3 months after the last dose. Most Common Adverse Reactions/Lab Abnormalities The most commonly reported adverse reactions (all grades; grade 3-4) occurring in 20% of patients receiving LARTRUVO plus doxorubicin versus doxorubicin alone were nausea (73% vs 52%; 2% vs 3%), fatigue (69% vs 69%; 9% vs 3%), musculoskeletal pain (64% vs 25%; 8% vs 2%), mucositis (53% vs 35%; 3% vs 5%), alopecia (52% vs 40%; 0% vs 0%), vomiting (45% vs 19%; 0% vs 0%), diarrhea (34% vs 23%; 3% vs 0%) decreased appetite (31% vs 20%; 2% vs 0%), abdominal pain (23% vs 14%; 3% vs 0%), neuropathy (22% vs 11%; 0% vs 0%), and headache (20% vs 9%; 0% vs 0%). The most common laboratory abnormalities (all grades; grade 3-4) occurring in 20% of patients receiving LARTRUVO plus doxorubicin versus doxorubicin alone were lymphopenia (77% vs 73%; 44% vs 37%), neutropenia (65% vs 63%; 48% vs 38%) and thrombocytopenia (63% vs 44%; 6% vs 11%), hyperglycemia (52% vs 28%; 2% vs 3%), elevated aPTT (33% vs 13%; 5% vs 0%), hypokalemia (21% vs 15%; 8% vs 3%), and hypophosphatemia (21% vs 7%; 5% vs 3%). Use in Specific Populations Lactation: Because of the potential risk for serious adverse reactions in breastfeeding infants, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment with LARTRUVO and for at least 3 months following the last dose. For more information about LARTRUVO, please see full Prescribing Information at http://pi.lilly.com/us/lartruvo-uspi.pdf. About Lilly Oncology For more than 50 years, Lilly has been dedicated to delivering life-changing medicines and support to people living with cancer and those who care for them. Lilly is determined to build on this heritage and continue making life better for all those affected by cancer around the world. To learn more about Lilly's commitment to people with cancer, please visit www.LillyOncology.com. About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and http://newsroom.lilly.com/social-channels. P-LLY Lilly USA, LLC 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. LARTRUVO is a trademark owned by or licensed to Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates. Lilly Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about LARTRUVO (olaratumab) as a treatment for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma and reflects Lilly's current belief. As with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of development, commercialization, and in this case, product withdrawal from the market. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release. SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company Related Links http://www.lilly.com SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- McClatchy (NYSE American: MNI) announced today that its first quarter earnings conference call will be accessible live to the media and general public via internet webcast and through listen-only, dial-in conference lines. The conference call will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2019, at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific time. McClatchy's earnings announcement will be released to newswire services before the market opens on May 9th. The full text of the announcement and the financial tables will also be available on McClatchy's website, www.mcclatchy.com/investors. The live webcast will be accessible at McClatchy's website and an archive of the webcast will be available for future reference. In addition, McClatchy will provide access to the conference call through listen-only, dial-in conference lines. To gain access to the call, dial 1-833-255-2826 at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start and request the "McClatchy earnings call." 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 is a publisher of iconic brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, The Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News & Observer, and the Fort Worth Star-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 WASHINGTON, D.C., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Medicago, a Canadian biotech company and global leader in the development and production of plant-derived vaccines, announced today that its proprietary plant-based production platform, Proficia was named "Best New Vaccine Technology/platform" at the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, D.C., attended by 1,500 participants including key opinion leaders from the vaccine industry. The Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) Awards recognize the outstanding achievements of vaccine practitioners and stakeholders across the global vaccine industry. "It is very gratifying to see that our technology is again being recognized as innovative in our industry", said Bruce Clark, President & Chief Executive Officer of Medicago. "Winning this award as the best new technology in the eyes of leading experts in the vaccine industry is an important validation of the value of our plant-based technology to vaccine and antibody development." Developed in Quebec City, Medicago's technology has the potential to rapidly respond to surging threats by producing vaccines or therapeutic antibodies in the face of an outbreak such as pandemic influenza. Our data has shown that the Proficia platform can: Rapidly deliver a pandemic vaccine candidate in 5 to 6 weeks Accurately match the selected strain as a result of its recombinant technology Easily scale vaccine production as one plant or 10,000 plants require the same growth conditions Medicago's platform versatility has been demonstrated for the production of vaccines and antibodies. In 2012, in the context of DARPA's Blue Angel program, the company successfully proved its platform capacity to produce 10 million doses of a candidate H1N1 pandemic vaccine in one month at its manufacturing plant in North Carolina. Medicago's influenza development program includes a pandemic, a seasonal and a universal flu vaccine. In addition to flu vaccines, in 2015, Medicago successfully completed a contract with the U.S. government (BARDA) to produce anti-Ebola antibodies. On top of this newly received award, Medicago's platform Proficia was awarded the "Game-changing Technology Award in 2014, by BIOTECanada". This prize recognized an organization that had made a significant contribution to the biotech industry in Canada through the innovative plant-based vaccine production platform. In 2018, Medicago broke ground on the new $245 million manufacturing complex in Quebec City that will include the company's headquarters, research and development as well as production facilities. The company plans to produce annually 40 to 50 million doses of quadrivalent vaccines against seasonal influenza. In 2019, Medicago will achieve a key milestone by completing Phase III clinical studies in adults and elderly subjects. About World Vaccine Congress The World Vaccine Congress remains the industry's definitive vaccine industry event for major vaccine players. Officially the longest-running and largest vaccine industry event in North America, the World Vaccine Congress delivers a forum where the ever-changing dynamics of the vaccine industry are discussed and acted upon by the industry's most senior figures. About Medicago Medicago is a Canadian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with more than 450 employees in Canada and the United States. Medicago's mission is to improve global health outcomes by leveraging innovative plant-based technologies for rapid responses to emerging global health challenges. Pour plus de details : www.medicago.com SOURCE Medicago Related Links www.medicago.com MESA, Ariz., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Myndshft, a healthcare technology company that automates and simplifies administrative processes, today announced it has named Mark D. Hiatt, MD, MBA, MS, as the newest member of its board of directors. An established physician executive and innovator with experience as a clinician and chief medical officer, Dr. Hiatt currently serves as Vice President of Medical Affairs for Guardant Health, a pioneer in non-invasive cancer diagnostics and the first company to commercialize a comprehensive genomic liquid biopsy. To download a photo of Dr. Hiatt, click here. "Dr. Hiatt brings a broad understanding of the transformative role of technology in medicine and healthcare's evolving economic context," said Ron Wince, CEO, Myndshft. "His valuable perspective will help us navigate the changes in healthcare and achieve our mission of providing healthcare organizations with proven technology to connect disparate data sources, automate complex business processes, and adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to transform the delivery of healthcare." Dr. Hiatt previously served as executive medical director for a multi-state health insurance plan, chief medical officer for a national medical benefits manager, and clinical department leader and board member for a large regional health system. To date, Dr. Hiatt has published more than 75 articles and book chapters and presented at over 150 healthcare conferences across the country. "I'm honored to be part of Myndshft and excited to assist with its strategy and to advance its cause," said Dr. Hiatt. "I have been interested in how AI-powered blockchain can be applied to drive greater efficiencies, lower costs, and create higher levels of patient satisfaction." In addition to Myndshft, Dr. Hiatt serves on the boards of RadSite and the Utah chapter of the American Red Cross (for which he is Chair Elect), and was appointed by the Governor of Utah to serve on that state's Medical Education Council and Digital Health Service Commission (for which he is the immediate past Chair). Dr. Hiatt completed a fellowship in cardiovascular imaging at Stanford University, residency in radiology and MS in Health Evaluation Sciences at the University of Virginia, and MD and MBA with academic distinction at Wake Forest University. About Myndshft Technologies, Inc. Myndshft Technologies is powering the next generation of healthcare administration with blockchain and artificial intelligence. Through their proprietary cognitive blockchain platform, Myndshft is simplifying claims management and prior authorizations, and leading the shift to value-based care. For more information, visit myndshft.com. Media Contact Marcia Rhodes Amendola Communications [email protected] / 480-664-8412 ext. 15 SOURCE Myndshft Related Links http://www.myndshft.com DUBLIN, Ohio, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- N8 Medical, LLC (N8 Medical) today announced its first-in-human clinical trials of its flagship CeraShield endotracheal tube (CeraShield ETT) for intensive care unit patients expected to require mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. N8 Medical is encouraged by preliminary study data and believes that the CeraShield ETT will demonstrate safety and a significant reduction in bacterial and fungal fouling of the tube. Fouling of endotracheal tubes is associated with an increased risk of respiratory complications, increased antibiotic usage, infection and longer stays in the ICU. The clinical studies received the requisite ethics approvals from Health Canada and Western IRB prior to commencement in December 2018. Ronald Bracken, Chief Operating Officer of N8 Medical, stated, "We are pleased with these developments regarding the initial clinical usage of the CeraShield technology. We believe the data continues to validate the potential of this transformative platform technology to reduce hospital-acquired infections and complications. We now expect to add clinical sites both in Canada and elsewhere to fully demonstrate the potential of this breakthrough technology." N8 Medical is enthusiastic about reaching this further milestone in its efforts to commercialize the CeraShield technology in a medical device application with a high unmet clinical need in this challenging clinical environment. N8 Medical believes that the CeraShield ETT has the potential to improve ICU patient outcomes by reducing respiratory and intubation-related complications, antibiotic usage and length of stay. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously designated the CeraShield ETT as a "breakthrough device." The company also believes that there is an urgent clinical need for surface-protected devices like the CeraShield ETT designed to combat both bacterial and fungal colonizationincluding deadly fungal threats such as Candida auris, an emerging highly lethal fungal pathogen recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a "serious global health threat." Patients who require breathing tubes in the ICU are at an elevated risk for Candida auris and other serious fungal infections. ABOUT N8 MEDICAL N8 Medical, LLC (www.N8Medical.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, is a rapidly-growing, privately-held biotechnology company developing a platform of antimicrobial surface-protected medical devices designed to have significant, life-saving clinical impact through reduction of infection, related complications and mortality. N8 Medical's CeraShield technology is based upon novel compounds called ceragenins that are small molecule, non-peptide, functional mimetics of naturally-occurring antimicrobial peptides that kill bacteria and fungi by membrane disruption, leading to rapid cell death. CAUTION: In Canada, the CeraShield Endotracheal Tube obtained Health Canada Investigational Testing Authorization and remains the subject of investigational testing regarding the safety of the CeraShield ETT. In the United States, the CeraShield Endotracheal Tube has not been granted marketing approval by FDA and is not yet available for commercial sale. The statements in this release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or FDA. SOURCE N8 Medical, LLC Related Links https://www.n8medical.com WASHINGTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Media are invited to hear experts from around the world discuss the latest research on near-Earth objects (NEOs) at the International Academy of Astronautics' 2019 Planetary Defense Conference Monday, April 29 through Friday, May 3 at The Hotel at the University of Maryland. NEOs include asteroids and comets that orbit our Sun and come within 30 million miles of Earth's orbit, where some may pose an impact hazard to our planet. NASA experts will talk about the agency's first mission to demonstrate a technique to change the motion of an asteroid in space and other aspects of the nation's planetary defense program. Media who would like to attend the conference must contact Margaret Simon at [email protected]. Follow the conversation on social media using the hashtag #PlanetaryDefense. The conference will stream live at: https://sservi.nasa.gov/event/2019-iaa-planetary-defense-conference-live-stream/ NASA will kick off the NEO discussion at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday, April 28, with a media workshop at the conference venue hosted by the agency's Planetary Defense Coordination Office. The workshop will provide an overview of NASA's planetary defense efforts, including how the agency identifies, monitors, and studies NEOs. To attend the workshop, media must provide their name and media affiliation to LaJuan Moore by Friday, April 26 at [email protected]. Highlights of the conference include: 9:20 a.m. Monday, April 29 NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine will deliver the conference's keynote address. This address will stream live on NASA Television and the agency's website. 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green will participate in a panel discussion about defending Earth from asteroids with Bill Nye, chief executive officer of The Planetary Society, and other leading experts. The event will stream live at: https://livestream.com/viewnow/2019BillNyeVsTheAsteroids The conference also will include a fictional asteroid impact scenario an exercise that will give conference participants the opportunity to simulate response to a hypothetical asteroid impacting Earth. Learn more about this simulation at: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-fema-international-partners-plan-asteroid-impact-exercise The Hotel at the University of Maryland is located at 7777 Baltimore Ave. in College Park, Maryland. Learn more about NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, at: https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov BRIDGEWATER, N.J., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Nestle Health Science (NHSc), a leader in science-based nutritional solutions, announced its collaboration with Virtual Health Partners, Inc. (VHP), a virtual health and wellness company. The companies have joined forces to launch the innovative COPES (Cancer Oriented Personalized Eating & Emotional Support) program, a revolutionary virtual platform designed specifically to provide nutrition and wellness support for patients with cancer. "We are eager to introduce our patients to this new platform. The COPES program will help us offer our patients access to nutrition specialists, as well as lifestyle and fitness support from the comfort of their own home, and is designed to help them throughout their course of treatment," said Dr. Bruno Fang, Oncologist and Hematologist at Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA). "This new program, which is accessible 24/7, is truly the first of its kind and I know our patients will appreciate having ongoing support after leaving the clinic." Research shows that the majority of patients with cancer suffer from nutritional deficits. Up to 84% of patients with certain cancer types experience some form of weight loss and/or malnutrition during their cancer treatment1. The COPES program provides access to live, one-on-one nutrition counseling appointments, support groups, and classes tailored especially for the needs of patients with cancer, at any timeday or night. This resource also includes an on-demand media library featuring recipes and meal plans that may be filtered by symptom, as well as lifestyle modification and fitness classes. The COPES program is available exclusively through healthcare providers. "Our COPES platform provides patients with on-demand nutrition and wellness support after leaving the clinic and at every stage of their cancer journey," stated Dr. Mary Christ, Global Medical Leader of the e-Health Incubator at Nestle Health Science. "We are excited to launch this collaboration and bring forward our innovative solution which addresses key needs of oncology patients." "Working with the doctors who treat patients with cancer and complementing their care with around-the-clock nutrition, lifestyle and fitness support is a priority for Virtual Health Partners," said Jillian Cohen, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of VHP. "We have specifically designed the COPES program to help oncology patients meet their unique nutritional needs, while also being mindful of any side effects and nutritional challenges that they may be experiencing." The COPES Platform is not intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of diseases. Further, it is not intended to be a substitution, or replacement for a medical provider or referring provider, nor does it provide medical advice. To learn more about COPES, visit myCOPES.com. About Nestl e Health Science Nestle Health Science (NHSc), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nestle, is a globally recognized leader in the field of nutritional science. At NHSc we are committed to empowering healthier lives through nutrition for consumers, patients and their healthcare partners. We offer an extensive consumer health portfolio of industry-leading medical nutrition, consumer and VMS brands that are science-based solutions covering all facets of health from prevention, to maintenance, all the way through to treatment. NHSc is redefining the way we approach the management of health in several key areas such as pediatric health, allergy, acute care, oncology, metabolic health, healthy aging, gastrointestinal health, and inborn errors of metabolism. Headquartered in Switzerland, NHSc employs over 5,000 people around the world, who are committed to making a difference in people's lives, for a healthier today and tomorrow. For more information, please visit www.nestlehealthscience.us. About Virtual Health Partners VHP is an innovator in health and wellness, focusing on live virtual nutrition, fitness and lifestyle modification within a contained ecosphere of support. Offered exclusively through a network of participating partners, including Hospital Systems, Physicians, Medi-Spas, Fitness, Insurance, Health & Wellness, Medical Device, Pharmaceutical and Nutrition Supplement Companies, the Company's Business-to Business-to-Consumer (B2B2C) model provides a SaaS and PaaS solution that is fully scalable and cost-effective. Through a proprietary Privacy and HIPAA compliant platform, VHP is able to provide a turn-key virtual solution for its business partners across various verticals including fitness, wellness, oncology, weight loss, fertility, orthopedics and plastic surgery. For more information, visit www.virtualhealthpartners.com. All trademarks are owned by Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., Vevey, Switzerland or used with permission. 2019 Nestle. All rights reserved. Bridgewater, NJ 08807 U.S.A. References: 1. Hebuterne X, Lemarie E, et al. Prevalence of malnutrition and current use of nutrition support in patients with cancer. JPEN. 2014; 38(2):196-204. Media Contact: EvolveMKD [email protected] 646-517-4220 SOURCE Virtual Health Partners Related Links http://www.virtualhealthpartners.com PROVO, Utah, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Skin was recognized as one of the best places to work by Direct Selling News for the fourth consecutive year at the publication's annual awards dinner. In addition, Nu Skin was ranked #7 on the DSN Global 100 list of the top revenue-generating direct selling companies. To identify the best places to work, Direct Selling News surveyed thousands of employees throughout the industry, asking questions designed to quantify discretionary effort, intent to stay and advocacy for company as well as measure workplace culture and employee engagement. Nu Skin was selected for having an excellent company culture, employee satisfaction and a vision their employees connect to and support. "We are proud to be a four-time Best Places to Work honoree. While we work hard to offer benefits packages that include flexible vacations, retirement savings plans and fun events throughout the year, we really focus on providing employees with purpose and fulfillment in the workplace," said Ritch Wood, chief executive officer. "Creating a great company is about helping employees understand and connect to a clear vision and empowering them to succeed and be excited for the work they do each day." Nu Skin's revenue growth of 18 percent in 2018 led to a seventh-place ranking in the DSN Global 100, up two spots from last year. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the rankings, and Nu Skin has been recognized as a top-performing company in the global direct selling industry each year. "Successful companies are built on a firm foundation of principles that guide every decision. Our customer growth strategy continually focuses our efforts on our digital platforms, product innovation and program enhancements," said Ryan Napierski, president. "Doing so engages our employees, distributors and customers who help Nu Skin continue to be one of the largest and top-performing direct selling companies." 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 also traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NUS." More information is available at nuskin.com. SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Related Links http://www.nuskin.com WASHINGTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite recent advances in gay and lesbian rights, similar protections for transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals either have not kept pace or do not exist, making the future uncertain within this community. On May 9, 2019, Outten & Golden LLP and the National Trans Bar Association will host a conversation focusing on the horizon for trans civil rights. The event, to be held at Outten & Golden's D.C. office, features a panel discussion with: Sasha Buchert Senior Attorney, Lambda Legal Senior Attorney, Lambda Legal Chrysanthemum Desir Youth & Juvenile Justice Fellow at FreeState Justice Raffi Freedman-Gurspan Director of Extern Relations, National Center for Transgender Equality Director of Extern Relations, National Center for Transgender Equality Victoria Rodriguez Roldan Trans/Gender Non-Conforming Justice Project Director, National LGBTQ Task Force "We are delighted to support this program, the National Transgender Bar Association, and the important work it does," said Sally J. Abrahamson, co-chair of Outten & Golden's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer (LGBTQ) Workplace Rights Practice Group and the panel moderator. "Our distinguished speakers are on the cutting edge of trans rights work, and we are thrilled to have them share their perspectives on changes in TGNC laws and the path to making society a safer and more supportive place for transgender and gender nonconforming people." Outten & Golden is committed to public interest law and has been at the forefront of LGBTQ workplace rights for 15 years. In one of its most recent victories, Outten & Golden secured a class action settlement for Walmart employees in the United States and Puerto Rico unable to obtain health insurance coverage from the company for their same-sex spouses. The firm is equally committed to representing TGNC workers, especially given setbacks and obstacles created by the Trump administration. Outten & Golden has also joined forces with Jillian Weiss, a leading litigator in this area, to enhance its LGBTQ practice and collaborate on cutting-edge issues in employment law. The conversation and reception on May 9th will take place from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm at Outten & Golden's offices at 601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C, with Rooftop reception to follow. Those wishing to attend must register by April 30, 2019, and can do so online at transbar.org/ntba-events/dc/ Please note: Space is limited. Outten & Golden LLP focuses on advising and representing individuals in employment, partnership, and related workplace matters both domestically and internationally. The firm counsels individuals on employment and severance agreements; handles complex compensation and benefits issues (including bonuses, commissions, and stock/option agreements); and advises professionals (including doctors and lawyers) on contractual issues. It also represents employees with a wide variety of claims, including discrimination and harassment based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, disability, national origin, religion, and age, as well as retaliation, whistleblower, and contract claims. The firm handles class actions involving a wide range of employment issues, including economic exploitation, gender- and race-based discrimination, wage-and-hour violations, violations of the WARN Act, and other systemic workers' rights issues. Outten & Golden has nine practice groups: Executives & Professionals, Financial Services, Sexual Harassment & Sex Discrimination, Family Responsibilities & Disability Discrimination, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer (LGBTQ) Workplace Rights, Discrimination & Retaliation, Whistleblower Retaliation, Class & Collective Actions, and WARN Act. Outten & Golden has offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. For media inquiries, please contact Managing Partner Adam T. Klein at (212) 245-1000. The National Trans Bar Association, headquartered in Washington, D.C., fosters bold, inclusive, and creative strategies to expand formal legal protections for trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people and meaningfully address issues of equity. Besides recruiting, supporting, and developing the skills of TGNC legal professionals and law school students, the organization also increases access to affordable and culturally competent legal services for TGNC communities. For more information, please visit https://transbar.org/ or contact the NTBA at [email protected] or (212) 614-6467. SOURCE Outten & Golden LLP Related Links https://www.outtengolden.com Nightlife abounds in both Uptown and downtown, with a concentration of nightclubs on centrally located Arenas Road. See six drag and female impersonator shows, from Sunday brunch to a rat-pack inspired supper club. Catch a show at the Copa Nightclub, just next door to the popular gay-owned restaurant Tropicale. Or win at Fabulous Bingo at the Ace Hotel every Monday. Palm Springs has a number of well-attended LGBTQ events throughout the year. In September, cinephiles flock to Cinema Diverse, the Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival. Palm Springs Leather Pride weekend kicks off in late October and ends with the crowning of Mr. Leather. Show off your best costume at the huge block party on Arenas every Halloween then stay for the eye-popping Greater Palm Springs Pride that follows in early November. As a leading LGBTQ destination, Palm Springs honors and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. Attend the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast May 15 commemorating this event at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Palm Springs Cultural Center presents the Stonewall Humanitarian Awards, Tuesday, June 13, supporting the Transgender Health and Wellness Center and the Transgender Community Coalition (TCC). About Palm Springs, California Palm Springs is welcoming visitors to its new dynamic downtown with stylish hotels, new fashionable restaurants, chic shops, as well as welcoming public spaces for gathering and relaxing. With 360 days of sun-kissed weather and gorgeous scenery, it's no wonder Palm Springs is like no place else with a growing nightlife, burgeoning art scene and edgy vide. Palm Springs is two hours away from Los Angeles and San Diego. www.VisitGayPalmSprings.com. SOURCE Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism Related Links http://www.VisitPalmSprings.com SEATTLE, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Marler, food safety advocate and foodborne attorney since 1993, whose Seattle law firm, Marler Clark, has been contacted by victims of the recent E. coli O103 ground meat outbreak, and recent Salmonella outbreaks linked cut fruit and ground tuna, called today on those companies responsible to pay the medical bills and lost wages of all individuals who became ill. "We know that at least 156 people became ill with E. coli infections after eating tainted beef and 130 became ill from eating either cut fruit or ground tuna. Unfortunately, those numbers will likely rise in the coming week," Marler said. "The cost of treating victims of E. coli and Salmonella infections can run in the tens of thousands of dollars, or in a severe case, even in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. These families need these companies to do more than promise to cooperate in the investigation into these outbreaks. They need to know that these companies intend to fulfill their corporate responsibility by looking out for their customers." Marler noted that over the last two decades in other outbreak-situations, companies such as Chi-Chi's, Dole, Jack in the Box, Conagra, Odwalla and Sheetz advanced medical costs for outbreak victims whose illnesses were traced to their food products. Since the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak in 1993, where Bill recovered $15,600,000 for one of its victims, Bill has represented thousands of E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Hepatitis A and other foodborne illness victims against the largest corporations in the US and around the world. Total recoveries on behalf of victims are in excess of $650,000,000. Dozens of times a year Bill speaks to industry and government throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, China and Australia on why it is important to prevent foodborne illnesses. He is also a frequent commentator on food litigation and food safety on Marler Blog . Bill is also the publisher of Food Safety News. SOURCE Marler Clark, The Nation's Food Safety Law Firm Related Links https://www.marlerclark.com HOUSTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE: PWR) announced today that it will release first quarter 2019 financial results on Thursday, May 2, 2019, before the market opens. In conjunction with the press release, Quanta has scheduled a conference call for 9:00 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, May 2, 2019, which also will be broadcast live over the Internet. What: Quanta Services First Quarter 2019 Earnings Conference Call When: Thursday, May 2, 2019 9:00 a.m. Eastern time How: Live via phone By dialing (201) 689-8345 or (877) 407-8291 and asking for the Quanta Services First Quarter 2019 Earnings Conference Call at least 10 minutes prior to the start time. Live over the Internet by logging on to the website at the following address: http://investors.quantaservices.com For those who cannot participate live, an archive of the webcast will be available shortly after the call on the company's website at http://investors.quantaservices.com and dial-in information for a replay of the call will be available in the upcoming earnings release. For more information, please contact Kip Rupp at Quanta Services at (713) 341-7260. About Quanta Services Quanta Services is a leading specialized contracting services company, delivering comprehensive infrastructure solutions for the electric power, energy and communications industries, including design, installation, repair and maintenance. With operations throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia and select other international markets, Quanta has the manpower, resources and expertise to safely complete projects that are local, regional, national or international in scope. For more information, visit www.quantaservices.com. Contact: Kip Rupp, CFA Quanta Services, Inc. (713) 341-7260 SOURCE Quanta Services, Inc. Related Links http://www.quantaservices.com WALTHAM, Mass., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) today announced net sales for the first quarter 2019 of $6.7 billion, up 7.4 percent compared to $6.3 billion in the first quarter 2018. First quarter 2019 EPS from continuing operations was $2.77 compared to $2.20 in the first quarter 2018. The increase in the first quarter 2019 EPS from continuing operations was primarily driven by operational improvements and pension-related items. "We delivered strong operating performance in the first quarter with our company bookings, sales, earnings per share and cash flow all ahead of our expectations," said Thomas A. Kennedy, Raytheon Chairman and CEO. "The Raytheon team remains focused on driving strong execution and future growth by developing and delivering innovative solutions that address our customers' most complex challenges." Operating cash flow from continuing operations for the first quarter 2019 was an outflow of $411 million compared to an inflow of $283 million for the first quarter 2018. The decrease in operating cash flow from continuing operations in the first quarter 2019 was primarily due to higher net cash taxes and the timing of payments. Operating cash flow from continuing operations for the first quarter 2019 was better than the company's prior guidance. In the first quarter 2019, the company repurchased 2.8 million shares of common stock for $500 million. In addition, as previously announced, Raytheon's Board of Directors voted to increase the annual dividend rate by 8.6 percent, from $3.47 to $3.77 per share, the fifteenth consecutive annual dividend increase. The company had bookings of $5.4 billion in the first quarter 2019, compared with $6.3 billion in the first quarter 2018. Summary Financial Results 1st Quarter % ($ in millions, except per share data) 2019 2018 Change Bookings $ 5,368 $ 6,311 (14.9)% Net Sales $ 6,729 $ 6,267 7.4% Income from Continuing Operations attributable to Raytheon Company $ 781 $ 634 23.2% EPS from Continuing Operations $ 2.77 $ 2.20 25.9% Operating Cash Flow from Continuing Operations $ (411) $ 283 Workdays in Fiscal Reporting Calendar 63 64 Backlog at the end of the first quarter 2019 was $41.1 billion, an increase of $2.9 billion or 8 percent compared to the end of the first quarter 2018. Backlog Period Ending ($ in millions) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 2018 Backlog $ 41,073 $ 38,139 $ 42,420 Outlook The company has updated its financial outlook for 2019. Charts containing additional information on the company's 2019 outlook are available on the company's website. 2019 Financial Outlook Current Prior (1/31/19) Net Sales ($B) 28.6 - 29.1 28.6 - 29.1 Deferred Revenue Adjustment ($M) (2) (2) Amortization of Acquired Intangibles ($M) (110)* (114) FAS/CAS Operating Adjustment ($M) 1,463 1,463 Retirement Benefits Non-service Expense, non-operating ($M) (726) (726) Interest Expense, net ($M) (153) - (158) (153) - (158) Diluted Shares (M) 279 - 281 279 - 281 Effective Tax Rate 17.0% - 17.5% 17.0% - 17.5% EPS from Continuing Operations $11.40 - $11.60 $11.40 - $11.60 Operating Cash Flow from Continuing Operations ($B) 3.9 - 4.1 3.9 - 4.1 *Denotes change from prior guidance Segment Results The company's reportable segments are: Integrated Defense Systems (IDS); Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS); Missile Systems (MS); Space and Airborne Systems (SAS); and Forcepoint. As previously announced, Wesley D. Kremer was appointed President of MS, succeeding Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, who informed the company of his intention to retire. Additionally, Ralph H. Acaba was appointed President of IDS, succeeding Kremer. The new appointments were effective March 30, 2019. Integrated Defense Systems 1st Quarter ($ in millions) 2019 2018 % Change Net Sales $ 1,550 $ 1,489 4% Operating Income $ 258 $ 273 (5)% Operating Margin 16.6% 18.3% Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) had first quarter 2019 net sales of $1,550 million, up 4 percent compared to $1,489 million in the first quarter 2018. The increase in net sales for the quarter was primarily driven by higher net sales on various Patriot programs and a naval radar program. IDS recorded $258 million of operating income in the first quarter 2019 compared to $273 million in the first quarter 2018. The decrease in operating income for the quarter was primarily driven by a change in mix and other performance. During the quarter, IDS booked $418 million on the Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) program for the U.S. Navy. IDS also booked $310 million to provide Patriot engineering services support and $103 million to provide advanced Patriot air and missile defense capability, both for the U.S. Army and international customers. Intelligence, Information and Services 1st Quarter ($ in millions) 2019 2018 % Change Net Sales $ 1,777 $ 1,582 12% Operating Income $ 187 $ 117 60% Operating Margin 10.5% 7.4% Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS) had first quarter 2019 net sales of $1,777 million, up 12 percent compared to $1,582 million in the first quarter 2018. The increase in net sales for the quarter was primarily driven by higher net sales on classified programs in both cyber and space. IIS recorded $187 million of operating income in the first quarter 2019 compared to $117 million in the first quarter 2018. The increase in operating income for the quarter was primarily driven by a change in mix and other performance, which included $21 million of gains related to the consolidation, as planned, of an entity that was previously an equity investment, and $13 million of gains from asset sales. During the quarter, IIS booked $744 million on a number of classified programs. IIS also booked $148 million on domestic and foreign training programs in support of Warfighter FOCUS activities, and $82 million to provide support for the North Warning System for the Canadian government. Missile Systems 1st Quarter ($ in millions) 2019 2018 % Change Net Sales $ 2,006 $ 1,848 9% Operating Income $ 190 $ 212 (10)% Operating Margin 9.5% 11.5% Missile Systems (MS) had first quarter 2019 net sales of $2,006 million, up 9 percent compared to $1,848 million in the first quarter 2018. The increase in net sales for the quarter was spread across numerous programs. MS recorded $190 million of operating income in the first quarter 2019 compared to $212 million in the first quarter 2018. The decrease in operating income for the quarter was primarily due to lower net program efficiencies and a change in program mix, partially offset by higher volume. During the quarter, MS booked $102 million for Evolved Seasparrow Missiles (ESSM) and $93 million for Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAMTM), both for the U.S. Navy and international customers. MS also booked $154 million on a number of classified contracts. Space and Airborne Systems 1st Quarter ($ in millions) 2019 2018 % Change Net Sales $ 1,653 $ 1,568 5% Operating Income $ 212 $ 193 10% Operating Margin 12.8% 12.3% Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) had first quarter 2019 net sales of $1,653 million, up 5 percent compared to $1,568 million in the first quarter 2018. The increase in net sales for the quarter was primarily driven by higher net sales on classified programs. SAS recorded $212 million of operating income in the first quarter 2019 compared to $193 million in the first quarter 2018. The increase in operating income for the quarter was primarily due to higher volume and a favorable change in program mix and other performance. During the quarter, SAS booked $288 million on the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System (ASARS) program and $90 million for the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next Gen OPIR) program, both for the U.S. Air Force. SAS also booked $451 million on a number of classified contracts. Forcepoint 1st Quarter ($ in millions) 2019 2018 % Change Net Sales $ 158 $ 141 12% Operating Income (Loss) $ (9) $ (7) NM Operating Margin (5.7)% (5.0)% NM = Not Meaningful Forcepoint had first quarter 2019 net sales of $158 million, up 12 percent compared to $141 million in the first quarter 2018. Forcepoint recorded a loss of $9 million in the first quarter 2019 compared to a loss of $7 million in the first quarter 2018. About Raytheon Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter . Conference Call on the First Quarter 2019 Financial Results Raytheon's financial results conference call will be held on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at 9 a.m. ET. Participants will include Thomas A. Kennedy, Chairman and CEO; Anthony F. O'Brien, vice president and CFO; and other company executives. The dial-in number for the conference call will be (866) 588-8312 in the U.S. or (409) 220-9941 outside of the U.S. The conference call will also be audiocast on the Internet at www.raytheon.com/ir . Individuals may listen to the call and download charts that will be used during the call. These charts will be available for printing prior to the call. Interested parties are encouraged to check the website ahead of time to ensure their computers are configured for the audio stream. Instructions for obtaining the free required downloadable software are posted on the site. Disclosure Regarding Forward-looking Statements This release and the attachments contain forward-looking statements, including information regarding the company's financial outlook, future plans, objectives, business prospects and anticipated financial performance. These forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts and represent only the company's current expectations regarding such matters. These statements inherently involve a wide range of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The company's actual actions and results could differ materially from what is expressed or implied by these statements. Specific factors that could cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the company's dependence on the U.S. government for a significant portion of its business and the risks associated with U.S. government sales, including changes or shifts in defense spending due to budgetary constraints, spending cuts resulting from sequestration, a government shutdown, or otherwise, uncertain funding of programs, potential termination of contracts and performance under undefinitized contract awards; difficulties in contract performance; the resolution of program terminations; the ability to procure new contracts; the risks of conducting business in foreign countries; the unpredictability of timing of international bookings; the ability to comply with extensive governmental regulation, including export and import requirements such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations, anti-bribery and anti-corruption requirements including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, industrial cooperation agreement obligations, and procurement and other regulations; dependence on U.S. government approvals for international contracts; changes in government procurement practices; the impact of competition; the ability to develop products and technologies, and the impact of associated investments and costs; the ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; the impact of potential security and cyber threats, and other disruptions; the risk that actual pension returns, discount rates or other actuarial assumptions, including the long-term return on asset assumption, are significantly different than the company's current assumptions; the risk of cost overruns, particularly for the company's fixed-price contracts; dependence on material and component availability, subcontractor and partner performance and key suppliers; risks of a negative government audit; risks associated with acquisitions, investments, dispositions, joint ventures and other business arrangements; the ability to grow in the government and commercial cybersecurity markets; risks of an impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets; the impact of financial markets and global economic conditions; the use of accounting estimates in the company's financial statements; the outcome of contingencies and litigation matters, including government investigations; the risk of environmental liabilities; changes in tax laws and regulations, or their interpretation; and other factors as may be detailed from time to time in the company's public announcements and Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company undertakes no obligation to make any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained in this release and the attachments or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release, including any acquisitions, dispositions or other business arrangements that may be announced or closed after such date. Attachment A Raytheon Company Preliminary Statement of Operations Information First Quarter 2019 (In millions, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended 31-Mar-19 1-Apr-18 Net sales $ 6,729 $ 6,267 Operating expenses Cost of sales 4,877 4,532 General and administrative expenses 739 694 Total operating expenses 5,616 5,226 Operating income 1,113 1,041 Non-operating (income) expense, net Retirement benefits non-service expense 181 239 Interest expense 44 47 Interest income (13) (7) Other (income) expense, net (20) 5 Total non-operating (income) expense, net 192 284 Income from continuing operations before taxes 921 757 Federal and foreign income taxes 146 133 Income from continuing operations 775 624 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax (1) Net income 775 623 Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries (6) (10) Net income attributable to Raytheon Company $ 781 $ 633 Basic earnings per share attributable to Raytheon Company common stockholders: Income from continuing operations $ 2.77 $ 2.20 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax Net income 2.77 2.20 Diluted earnings per share attributable to Raytheon Company common stockholders: Income from continuing operations $ 2.77 $ 2.20 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax Net income 2.77 2.19 Amounts attributable to Raytheon Company common stockholders: Income from continuing operations $ 781 $ 634 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax (1) Net income $ 781 $ 633 Average shares outstanding Basic 281.9 288.5 Diluted 282.2 288.8 Attachment B Raytheon Company Preliminary Segment Information First Quarter 2019 (In millions, except percentages) Operating Income As a Percent of Net Sales Net Sales Operating Income Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Three Months Ended 31-Mar-19 1-Apr-18 31-Mar-19 1-Apr-18 31-Mar-19 1-Apr-18 Integrated Defense Systems $ 1,550 $ 1,489 $ 258 $ 273 16.6% 18.3% Intelligence, Information and Services 1,777 1,582 187 117 10.5% 7.4% Missile Systems 2,006 1,848 190 212 9.5% 11.5% Space and Airborne Systems 1,653 1,568 212 193 12.8% 12.3% Forcepoint 158 141 (9) (7) (5.7)% (5.0)% Eliminations (414) (357) (47) (40) Total business segment 6,730 6,271 791 748 11.8% 11.9% Acquisition Accounting Adjustments (1) (4) (28) (33) FAS/CAS Operating Adjustment 366 354 Corporate (16) (28) Total $ 6,729 $ 6,267 $ 1,113 $ 1,041 16.5% 16.6% Attachment C Raytheon Company Other Preliminary Information First Quarter 2019 (In millions) Backlog 31-Mar-19 31-Dec-18 Integrated Defense Systems $ 11,380 $ 11,557 Intelligence, Information and Services 6,377 6,233 Missile Systems 12,664 13,976 Space and Airborne Systems 10,157 10,126 Forcepoint 495 528 Total backlog $ 41,073 $ 42,420 Three Months Ended Bookings 31-Mar-19 1-Apr-18 Total bookings $ 5,368 $ 6,311 Three Months Ended General and Administrative Expenses 31-Mar-19 1-Apr-18 Administrative and selling expenses $ 544 $ 528 Research and development expenses 195 166 Total general and administrative expenses $ 739 $ 694 Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash 31-Mar-19 31-Dec-18 Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,093 $ 3,608 Restricted cash 12 16 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in Attachment E $ 2,105 $ 3,624 Attachment D Raytheon Company Preliminary Balance Sheet Information First Quarter 2019 (In millions) 31-Mar-19 31-Dec-18 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,093 $ 3,608 Receivables, net 1,424 1,648 Contract assets 5,971 5,594 Inventories 882 758 Prepaid expenses and other current assets(1) 586 529 Total current assets 10,956 12,137 Property, plant and equipment, net 2,899 2,840 Operating lease right-of-use assets(1) 816 805 Goodwill 14,882 14,864 Other assets, net 2,023 2,024 Total assets $ 31,576 $ 32,670 Liabilities, Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests and Equity Current liabilities Commercial paper and current portion of long-term debt $ 800 $ 300 Contract liabilities 2,930 3,309 Accounts payable 1,361 1,964 Accrued employee compensation 995 1,509 Other current liabilities(1) 1,594 1,381 Total current liabilities 7,680 8,463 Accrued retiree benefits and other long-term liabilities(1) 6,848 6,922 Long-term debt 4,256 4,755 Operating lease liabilities(1) 652 647 Redeemable noncontrolling interests 432 411 Equity Raytheon Company stockholders' equity Common stock 3 3 Additional paid-in capital Accumulated other comprehensive loss (8,399) (8,618) Retained earnings 20,104 20,087 Total Raytheon Company stockholders' equity 11,708 11,472 Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries Total equity 11,708 11,472 Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity $ 31,576 $ 32,670 (1) In the first quarter 2019 we adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). As a result we recast certain amounts on our balance sheet to reflect the recognition of operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities and other reclassifications. Included in other current liabilities is $201 million and $194 million at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively, related to the current portion of operating lease liabilities. Attachment E Raytheon Company Preliminary Cash Flow Information First Quarter 2019 (In millions) Three Months Ended 31-Mar-19 1-Apr-18 Cash flows from operating activities Net income $ 775 $ 623 (Income) loss from discontinued operations, net of tax 1 Income from continuing operations 775 624 Adjustments to reconcile to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations, net of the effect of acquisitions and divestitures Depreciation and amortization 140 135 Stock-based compensation 59 63 Deferred income taxes (44) (77) Changes in assets and liabilities Receivables, net 236 (314) Contract assets and contract liabilities (731) (174) Inventories (124) (46) Prepaid expenses and other current assets (59) 138 Income taxes receivable/payable 181 290 Accounts payable (484) (167) Accrued employee compensation (523) (420) Other current liabilities 3 (60) Accrued retiree benefits 219 306 Other, net (59) (15) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations (411) 283 Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from discontinued operations 1 Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (411) 284 Cash flows from investing activities Additions to property, plant and equipment (274) (219) Additions to capitalized internal use software (10) (12) Maturities of short-term investments 309 Payments for purchases of acquired companies, net of cash received (8) Other (1) Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (292) 77 Cash flows from financing activities Dividends paid (245) (230) Net borrowings (payments) on commercial paper Repurchases of common stock under share repurchase programs (500) (400) Repurchases of common stock to satisfy tax withholding obligations (66) (72) Other (5) (5) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (816) (707) Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (1,519) (346) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the year 3,624 3,115 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 2,105 $ 2,769 Raytheon Company Global Headquarters Waltham, Mass. Investor Relations Contact Kelsey DeBriyn 781.522.5141 Media Contact Corinne Kovalsky 781.522.5899 SOURCE Raytheon Company Related Links http://www.raytheon.com NEW YORK, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- REMEZCLA announced today that it has won Best Social Video in the Food & Drink category of the 23rd Annual Webby Awards. This is the first time a Latino publication has ever won a Webby Award, which is hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times. Respected as one of the most influential Latino youth media brands, REMEZCLA is one of few entities in the industry that is Latino-owned and is still led by members of the new Latino generation it aims to serve. Still from Remezcla's Webby-winning video "Chinese Latinos Explain Chino-Latino Food" REMEZCLA's mission is to push Latino culture forward by shattering stereotypes and shining a light on the stories about the Latinos no one else is telling. Its Webby-winning video " Chinese Latinos Explain Chino-Latino Food " is emblematic of this mission, highlighting the undersung Chino-Latino fusion cuisine, a staple of NYC that brings Chinese and Latin American influences together. This is a story that goes beyond food: it's a story of converging cultures and identities and of the large community of Chinese Latinos we rarely see represented in media. "It's an honor to be recognized among some of the best content creators in the industry," said REMEZCLA Editor-in-chief & Chief Content Officer Andrea Gompf. "Our talented team works every day to create progressive, nuanced storytelling about Latino culture and identity, and we're thrilled to see our efforts result in a historic Webby win. We hope this win inspires other Latino content creators to believe their stories are award-worthy." "Today, the Latinx community is influencing mainstream storytelling more than ever before. It is an honor to finally have our content and our culture recognized at this level," said Andrew Herrera, CEO & Founder of REMEZCLA. REMEZCLA will be honored at the star-studded Webby Awards ceremony on Monday May 13, 2019, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, where winners will have an opportunity to deliver one of The Webby Awards' famous 5-Word Speeches. About REMEZCLA: REMEZCLA is an independent media brand. Founded in 2006, REMEZCLA was the first premium digital publication for young US Latinos. Today, the brand has become the go-to, on-the-pulse source to discover fresh Latino culture. REMEZCLA is also the preferred partner for leading brands interested in creating culturally relevant content and experiences for a new generation of Latinos. REMEZCLA and its best-in-class team have earned awards across several categories, including Cannes Lions, Clio, Ex Award, ANA Reggie Award and BizBash Awards, among others. REMEZCLA was founded and remains led by Latino entrepreneurs. REMEZCLA is a Certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise. Learn more at www.REMEZCLA.com SOURCE REMEZCLA Related Links http://www.remezcla.com HOUSTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Reveal Energy Services announces today support for Houston Public Media's Spring Corporate Challenge with dollar-for-dollar matched donations up to $1,200. During the Spring Corporate Challenge, companies step up to further the media outlet's mission of "High-quality local, regional, and national content in the areas of news and information, arts and culture, and education" CEO Kash Kashikar appeared on News 88.7, April 25, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., for the Reveal Energy Services Challenge Hour of the campaign to endorse Houston Public Media's outstanding work. Companies and individuals can support Houston Public Media by calling: 888-909-0887 or by visiting: houstonpublicmedia.org/support/donate/. "We think that we all greatly benefit when there's an exchange of ideas in a forum that is nonpartisan or nonbiased, such as Houston Public Media. This free flow of information is how we, as a society, grow and prosper," said Kashikar. About Reveal Energy Services Reveal Energy Services offers simple, accurate, affordable pressure-based technology that enables operators to make informed, better completion decisions with minimum operational risk and cost. The flagship IMAGE Frac pressure-based fracture maps with five services offer unparalleled diagnostic insight into completion design effectiveness and well-spacing decisions. The FracEYESM frac hit analysis service helps operators minimize the effect of frac hits. Reveal Energy Services was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of Equinor Technology Ventures in January 2016. The company, which is privately held, is funded by Equinor and Lime Rock Partners. Reveal Energy Services, with corporate headquarters in Houston, has regional offices in Midland, Pittsburgh, and Calgary. For more information, please visit: reveal-energy.com. Contact Sudhendu Kashikar [email protected] +1.832.529.1895 SOURCE Reveal Energy Services Related Links http://www.reveal-energy.com DUBLIN, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Russia Animation, VFX & Games Industry: Strategies, Trends & Opportunities" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The animation industry in Russia has been thriving ever since the days of USSR. The Russian animation industry has received numerous awards and prizes for their productions at different international festivals. For example, in 2000, Russian director Alexander Petrov won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for his production The Old Man and the Sea. Alexander Petrov also received the Oscar nomination for My Love. Konstantin Bronzit's Lavatory - Love Story was also nominated for an Oscar in the category of Animated Short Film. The Russian animation industry produced several animated films in the year 2018. There is also the key problem of acute lack of technical personnel in the animated film industry. The past tradition of fostering, training personnel at studios has become defunct. There is a need to revive animation studios such as Soyuzmultfilm, which used to be Russia's top animation studio for long periods in the past and was also the largest studio in Europe. Soyuzmultfilm needs funding to rebuild its infrastructure and facilities. The Russian animation industry market is dominated by animation productions from Disney. Eleven Disney cartoons are in the top 23 brands represented in retail chains. The top three brands are Disney Princesses, Smeshariki and Winnie the Pooh. Smeshariki is an animation series designed and produced in Russia and has 10 percent of the market. Licensed products which are based on animation brands and characters account for 60 percent of sales of children's products in the United States, 40 percent in Europe and about 15 percent in Russia. The total value of Russian games industry was US$ 1.7 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach US$ 2.1 billion by 2020. Mobile & hand-held games are the fastest growing segment, followed by Console games. The PC games segment is the slowest growing segment. Key Topics Covered: European Animation Industry DEMAND FOR TV CONTENT Feature Film Industry in Europe MARKETING AND MERCHANDISING Trends in Europe COLLABORATION AMONG EUROPEAN STUDIOS DRIVERS FOR SUCCESS ANIMATION COST STRUCTURES IN EUROPE Animation Movie Budgets in Europe Strategies and Models for Animation financing in Europe ANIMATION FUNDING AGENCIES CENTRALISED ANIMATION FUNDING AGENCIES IN EUROPE Television Series Development in Europe PITCHING TELEVISION SERIES TO BROADCASTERS Copyright Chain in Europe Co-Production Strategies in Europe CONTRACTUAL ISSUES KEY RIGHTS IN CO-PRODUCTION AGREEMENTS CO-PRODUCTIONS AND OUTSOURCING Distribution Strategies in Europe PRODUCER-DISTRIBUTOR CO-FINANCING PATTERNS 3D Market in Europe ADVANTAGES OF 3D DISADVANTAGES OF 3D Industry Constraints and Challenges Market size of European Animation, VFX & Games industry Animation Content demand by TV Channels in Europe European Animation & VFX industry Market Size European Games industry Market Size Russia's Animation, VFX & Games Industry Animation Film market in Russia GLOBALLY SUCCESSFUL RUSSIAN ANIMATIONS INDUSTRY DRIVERS CHALLENGES GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND ANIMATION FUNDING IN RUSSIA INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES Strategies for Animation Studios in Russia Recent Movie Trends in Russia Animation Studios in Russia Value of Animation Industry in Russia Size of Animation Industry in Russia Statistics on Animation Studios in Russia Russian Games Industry KEY TRENDS IN THE RUSSIAN VIDEO GAMES INDUSTRY VIDEO GAME BUSINESS MODELS IN RUSSIA ONLINE VIDEO GAMING BUSINESS MODELS IN RUSSIA Key Opportunities & Strategies for Russian Video Games Industry Video Games Market Segments MOBILE VIDEO GAMES SEGMENTS & GENRES Russian Video Games Market Size & Opportunity Companies Mentioned Soyuzmultfilm Disney For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/lzl88t/russia_animation?w=5 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com BALTIMORE, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior Helpers , the nation's premier provider of in-home senior care services, today announced its participation in the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership. Through the national employment and career partnership program, Senior Helpers joins more than 390 partner employers across the country who are committed to helping connect military spouses with portable careers. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, there are more than six hundred thousand active duty military spouses and they face unique career challenges. Military spouses are typically employed at lower rates and earn less than their civilian counterparts. Moreover, military life comes with frequent moves, operational deployments and long hours away that impose significant stress on families. These conditions negatively impact employment opportunities for military spouses. "Military spouses are unsung heroes," said Peter Ross, CEO and co-founder of Senior Helpers. "We're honored to work alongside organizations effecting positive change through economic empowerment initiatives that assist our nation's military families. We aim to encourage all military spouses to consider a career in caregiving, because it's not only rewarding and gratifying but also flexible. They have a home with Senior Helpers." Founded in 2002, Senior Helpers operates with a vision to be the leading home care company, serving military, their families and veterans. Its caregivers are fully trained and certified to offer the highest level of care possible based on the company's Senior Gems Alzheimer's and dementia care program. As the gold standard for excellence in personalized in-home senior care, the program was developed in conjunction with nationally recognized dementia care expert Teepa Snow, Positive Approach, LLC. The company also offers a Parkinson's Care Program, a specialized training program for their caregivers created in conjunction with leading experts from the Parkinson's Foundation's Centers of Excellence network. For more information about how Senior Helpers is working to support military spouses in fulfilling their career goals, visit seniorhelpers.com. For more information on the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, please visit msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil. About Senior Helpers Senior Helpers is the premier provider of care for seniors, and offers services ranging from specialized care for those with diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, to personal care to help individuals looking for a little assistance with daily activities. Founded in 2002 with a vision to help seniors who wish to remain in their homes despite age-related illnesses and mobility challenges, Senior Helpers has hundreds of franchised and owned businesses that have cared for tens of thousands of seniors. Senior Helpers is the first national in-home senior care company to be certified as a Great Place to Work , is included in Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchise Ranking , is an approved partner in the Military Spouse Employment Partnership and is an active member of the Healthcare Leadership Council. Learn more by visiting http://www.seniorhelpers.com . Contact: Shelby Hudak Havas Formula (619) 234-0345 [email protected] SOURCE Senior Helpers Related Links http://www.seniorhelpers.com NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Your dream of a resort-inspired life on the beach begins here at your WatermarkPointe Westchester condominium . Characterized by sophistication and surrounded by ribbons of tranquil beach, residents can look forward to sunset strolls, lushly landscaped paths, and the best views of water and sky. Incredible amenities and spectacular waterfront homes await at WatermarkPointe. Read on to learn more. Outdoor Heated Pool. Set right beside the clubhouse on the water's edge, WatermarkPointe's outdoor heated pool offers residents an ideal location to cool down, relax, or to get their daily exercise. Start each morning with a sunrise swim to recharge and revitalize, or spend lazy afternoons poolside with your favorite cocktail. Fitness Center & Clubhouse. Staying active is easier than ever at WatermarkPointe! With access to a fully-equipped fitness center overlooking breathtaking views of the Long Island Sound, residents will love taking the time for a daily workout. After an invigorating session, head over to the Clubhouse and relax on the comfortable lounge seating in front of the large-screen television. Light-filled Greatrooms. Open-flow floorplans, 10-foot ceilings, and 24-feet of soaring glass opening to a private 30-foot terrace - your WatermarkPointe greatroom truly is a great room! Andersen architectural-style windows fill your home with an abundance of natural light and allow for breathtaking waterviews without even having to step outside. Spacious Master Suite. Grand master suites complete with walk-in closets and an en-suite master bath await at WatermarkPointe. Featuring top-of-the-line accessories and an elegant choice of tiles throughout, your spa-inspired master bath will be the height of luxury, and your master suite will be the ideal location for relaxation. An Enviable Westchester Location. Located in iconic Westchester, NY, the New Rochelle condos for sale at WatermarkPointe offer the perfect mixture of laid-back coastal living and access to the excitement of Manhattan and surrounding Westchester. With a scenic 35-minute scheduled commute to New York City, there is undoubtedly something for everyone to enjoy near WatermarkPointe. Private Entry and Indoor Parking. Upon arriving at the private gated peninsula at the end of Davenport Neck , WatermarkPointe residents and visitors can rest easy knowing they will not have to search for parking thanks to the secure indoor garages in every building. With a private elevator in each garage, lugging your groceries up the stairs is a chore of the past! Come Home to Spectacular (maintenance-free and resort-inspired). At WatermarkPointe all maintenance is taken care of on your behalf. That means no more wasted days spent raking leaves, shoveling snow, or landscaping! Additionally, with an on-site resident manager and two porters on staff, you can rest easy knowing there is always someone available to offer a helping hand. About WatermarkPointe WatermarkPointe beachfront condos are high-end, luxury condominiums offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy waterfront living while being close to Manhattan. A strong, hands-on Westchester builder/developer, National Realty and Development Corp, whose diverse background encompasses residential, commercial and retail projects throughout the Northeast, is fully dedicated to creating a spectacular waterfront residential lifestyle. SOURCE WatermarkPointe Related Links http://watermarkpointe.com NEW YORK, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of AAC Holdings, Inc. ("AAC" or the "Company") (NYSE: AAC). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980. The investigation concerns whether AAC and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. On April 16, 2019, AAC disclosed that certain financial statements for fiscal years 2017 and 2018 could no longer be relied upon, and stated that these financial statements would be restated to reflect adjustments related to estimates for accounts receivable, provision for doubtful accounts, and revenue. On this news, AAC's stock price fell $0.40 per share, or 18.69%, to close at $1.74 per share on April 16, 2019. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Related Links http://www.pomerantzlaw.com DALLAS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) (the "Company") today reported its first quarter 2019 results: First quarter net income and earnings per diluted share of $387 million and $.70 , respectively and , respectively First quarter record operating revenues of $5.1 billion Operating margin 1 of 9.8 percent, and net margin 2 of 7.5 percent of 9.8 percent, and net margin of 7.5 percent Operating cash flow of $1.1 billion , and free cash flow 3 of $945 million , and free cash flow of Returned $678 million to Shareholders through share repurchases and dividends to Shareholders through share repurchases and dividends Return on invested capital (ROIC)3 pre-tax of 23.3 percent for the 12 months ended March 31, 2019, or 18.1 percent on an after-tax basis Gary C. Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Our first quarter 2019 net income was solid despite unexpected headwinds significantly impacting our performance. I am especially proud of our nearly 60,000 Employees for the commendable job under operationally difficult circumstances. Our People were tasked with minimizing disruptions for our Customers due to more than 10,000 flight cancellations arising from the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft (MAX), unscheduled maintenance disruptions in connection with efforts to reach a Tentative Agreement (TA) with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), and severe winter weather. We estimate the impact of these flight cancellations, combined with the impact of the U.S. government shutdown and softness in leisure revenue trends, reduced our first quarter 2019 net income by approximately $150 million. While our strong momentum coming into the year slowed, we drove record revenues, strong margins and cash flows, a healthy profitsharing accrual for our Employees, and significant returns for our Shareholders. All notable first quarter achievements, and testaments to our resilient brand and low-cost business model. "First quarter 2019 unit revenue growth of 2.7 percent was our best year-over-year performance in 18 consecutive quarters, and benefited from revenue management capabilities implemented in 2018, as well as another stellar performance from our award-winning Rapid Rewards loyalty program. Looking ahead, we are expecting an even stronger year-over-year unit revenue performance in second quarter 2019. "Currently, the timeline is uncertain for the MAX aircraft return to service. In the meantime, we have proactively adjusted our published flight schedules for the next several months and removed all MAX flights through August 5th. Our goal is to stabilize and protect the integrity of our flight schedule, while providing dependability and reliability for Customers booking their summer travel. The MAX aircraft represents less than 5 percent of all daily flights, and the vast majority of our Customers' itineraries have been unaffected by the MAX groundings. Following a rescission of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order to ground the MAX, we will return the aircraft to service once we are confident that we are in compliance with all necessary FAA directives and all necessary Pilot training has been completed. Safety is our top priority, and that commitment will never be compromised. "The flight cancellations in first quarter 2019, and the resulting lower available seat mile (ASM, or capacity) growth, year-over-year, created significant pressure on our first quarter unit costs. Flight cancellations are expected to drive unit cost pressure for the duration of the MAX groundings. "While we are adjusting our 2019 plans for the MAX groundings, our long-term financial goals remain unchanged: maintain a strong balance sheet, investment-grade credit ratings, and ample liquidity; generate robust operating and free cash flows; grow earnings, margins, and capital returns; and maintain healthy Shareholder returns. "We were thrilled to launch service to Hawaii on March 17th, with an inaugural flight from Oakland to Honolulu on Oahu followed by an inaugural flight from Oakland to Kahului on Maui on April 7th. Bay Area Customers were excited finally to have access to Southwest's low fares to Hawaii. The warm welcome we received from communities across Hawaii was tremendous. We are scheduled to begin service from San Jose to Honolulu on May 5th, and to Maui on May 26th. Our interisland service is scheduled to begin on April 28th, with service between Honolulu and Maui, and between Honolulu and Kona on the island of Hawaii on May 12th. More service is planned for the previously announced gateways of San Diego and Sacramento, and for Lihue on Kauai. We are very pleased with our Hawaii performance, thus far, and expect Hawaii to be the key expansion focus in 2019 and 2020." Revenue Results and Outlook The Company's first quarter 2019 total operating revenues increased 4.1 percent, year-over-year, to a first quarter record $5.1 billion. First quarter 2019 operating revenue per ASM (RASM, or unit revenues) increased 2.7 percent, driven largely by a passenger revenue yield increase of 2.6 percent, offset slightly by a load factor decline of one-half point, year-over-year, to 81.0 percent. The Company experienced several unexpected events during first quarter 2019 that contributed to a negative revenue impact of more than $200 million, including the MAX groundings, unscheduled maintenance disruptions in connection with efforts to reach a TA with AMFA, severe winter weather, the U.S. government shutdown, and softer leisure revenue trends. The negative impact of these events to first quarter 2019 year-over-year RASM was approximately two points. Presently, leisure passenger booking and yield trends have improved since first quarter, and close-in bookings and corporate travel remain strong. Based on current bookings and revenue trends, the Company expects second quarter 2019 RASM to increase in the 5.5 to 7.5 percent range, compared with second quarter 2018. The Company's outlook for second quarter 2019 includes an estimated one-point year-over-year benefit from its revenue management enhancements implemented in 2018, as well as an estimated three-point year-over-year tailwindapproximately one point is related to the Company's second quarter 2018 suboptimal schedule from the 2017 accelerated retirement of its 737-300 (Classic) fleet, and approximately two points are due to the revenue effects from the Flight 1380 accident in April 2018. Further, second quarter 2019 year-over-year RASM is expected to benefit by approximately one-half point due to the timing shift of Easter to second quarter 2019, and by approximately one point due to lower second quarter 2019 capacity as a result of the MAX groundings. Cost Performance and Outlook First quarter 2019 total operating expenses increased 7.3 percent, year-over-year, to $4.6 billion. Total operating expenses per ASM (CASM, or unit costs) increased 5.9 percent, as compared with first quarter 2018. Excluding special items3, first quarter 2019 total operating expenses increased 6.5 percent to $4.6 billion, or 5.1 percent on a unit basis, year-over-year. First quarter 2019 economic fuel costs3 were $2.05 per gallon and included $.06 per gallon in premium expense and $.03 per gallon in favorable cash settlements from fuel derivative contracts, compared with $2.09 per gallon in first quarter 2018, which included $.07 per gallon in premium expense and $.05 per gallon in favorable cash settlements from fuel derivative contracts. First quarter 2019 ASMs per gallon, or fuel efficiency, improved 0.5 percent, year-over-year. The Company estimates second quarter 2019 fuel efficiency to be flat to down 1 percent, year-over-year, due to the removal of the Company's most fuel-efficient aircraft from its schedule as a result of the MAX groundings. Based on the Company's existing fuel derivative contracts and market prices as of April 18, 2019, second quarter 2019 economic fuel costs are estimated to be in the range of $2.10 to $2.20 per gallon4, including $.05 per gallon in premium expense and an estimated $.08 per gallon in favorable cash settlements from fuel derivative contracts, compared with $2.21 per gallon in second quarter 2018, which included $.06 per gallon in premium expense and $.08 per gallon in favorable cash settlements from fuel derivative contracts. As of April 18, 2019, the fair market value of the Company's fuel derivative contracts for the remainder of 2019 was an asset of approximately $102 million, and the fair market value of the hedge portfolio settling in 2020 and beyond was an asset of approximately $192 million. Additional information regarding the Company's fuel derivative contracts is included in the accompanying tables. Excluding fuel and oil expense and special items, first quarter 2019 operating expenses increased 8.8 percent, as compared with first quarter 2018. First quarter 2019 profitsharing expense was $88 million, as compared with $102 million in first quarter 2018. Excluding fuel and oil expense, profitsharing expense, and special items, first quarter 2019 operating expenses increased 9.5 percent, or 8.1 percent on a unit basis, year-over-year. This increase primarily was due to the Company's underutilization of its fleet in first quarter 2019 as a result of the delay in starting service to Hawaii, and the resulting one-time start-up costs; higher depreciation and ownership costs; the timing of maintenance events and technology investments; the flight cancellations; and the impact of the TA reached with AMFA, which resulted in an annual 2019 increase of approximately $42 million in salaries, wages, and benefits, with an approximate $30 million impact to first quarter 2019. The Company's first quarter 2019 unit costs, excluding fuel and oil expense and profitsharing expense, were lower than its latest guidance by approximately two points, primarily due to better than expected Employee productivity and healthcare trends, as well as shifting of certain advertising and airport costs from first quarter into future periods in 2019. Based on current cost trends and flight schedule adjustments through August 5th, the Company estimates second quarter 2019 CASM, excluding fuel and oil expense and profitsharing expense, to increase in the 10.5 to 12.5 percent range, compared with second quarter 2018. The year-over-year increase is driven largely by the Company's underutilization of its fleet in second quarter 2019 due to the delay in starting service to Hawaii, one-time Hawaii start-up costs, and flight cancellations due to the MAX groundings. The Company's operating costs are largely fixed once flight schedules are published; therefore, the volume of flight cancellations in second quarter 2019 due to the MAX groundings is expected to result in an estimated five-point year-over-year headwind to second quarter 2019 CASM, excluding fuel and oil expense and profitsharing expense. Other primary drivers of the second quarter 2019 estimated unit cost increase are higher airport costs; higher depreciation and ownership costs; the timing of maintenance events and technology investments; and shifting of expenses from first quarter into second quarter 2019. Based on current cost trends and flight schedule adjustments through August 5th, the Company now estimates annual 2019 CASM, excluding fuel and oil expense and profitsharing expense, to increase in the range of 5.5 to 6.5 percent, year-over-year, compared with 2018's 8.53 cents, which excludes fuel and oil expense, profitsharing expense, and special items. This increase includes an estimated two-point year-over-year headwind due to lower annual 2019 capacity as a result of the MAX groundings, and an estimated one-half point year-over-year headwind due to incremental costs related to the TA with AMFA. First Quarter Results First quarter 2019 net income was $387 million, or $.70 per diluted share, compared with first quarter 2018 net income of $463 million, or $.79 per diluted share. Excluding special items, first quarter 2019 net income was also $387 million, or $.70 per diluted share, compared with first quarter 2018 net income of $438 million, or $.75 per diluted share, and compared with First Call first quarter 2019 consensus estimate of $.61 per diluted share. Other expenses in first quarter 2019 were $1 million, compared with $14 million in first quarter 2018. The $13 million year-over-year decrease was primarily due to higher interest income in first quarter 2019. The Company continues to estimate its annual 2019 effective tax rate to be approximately 23.5 percent. Liquidity and Capital Deployment As of March 31, 2019, the Company had approximately $3.9 billion in cash and short-term investments, and a fully available unsecured revolving credit line of $1 billion. During first quarter 2019, Fitch Ratings upgraded the Company's senior unsecured debt to "A-" with an outlook of "Stable." Effective as of January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-02, Leases, codified in Accounting Standards Codification 842. All amounts for first quarter 2019 reflect the adoption of this ASU, while all periods prior to 2019 remain in accordance with prior accounting requirements. The most significant impact of the ASU was on the Company's unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, through the addition of approximately $1.5 billion of Operating lease right-of-use assets and corresponding operating lease liabilities, in addition to the elimination of approximately $1.7 billion of Assets constructed for others and $1.6 billion of related Construction obligations. The impact to the Company's unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income and the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows was not material. Net cash provided by operations during first quarter 2019 was $1.1 billion, capital expenditures were $160 million, and free cash flow was $945 million. The Company repaid $99 million in debt and finance lease obligations during first quarter 2019, and expects to repay approximately $491 million in debt and finance lease obligations during the remainder of 2019. During first quarter 2019, the Company returned $678 million to its Shareholders through the repurchase of $500 million of common stock and the payment of $178 million in dividends. The Company repurchased 9.4 million shares of common stock pursuant to a $500 million accelerated share repurchase program launched during first quarter and completed in April. As of March 31, 2019, the Company had $850 million remaining under its current share repurchase authorization. Based on aircraft commitments as of March 31, 2019, and assuming no prolonged grounding of the MAX aircraft that could impact the Company's aircraft capital spending, the Company continues to estimate its 2019 capital expenditures to be in the range of $1.9 to $2.0 billion. Fleet and Capacity The Company ended first quarter 2019 with 753 aircraft in its fleet. This reflects the first quarter delivery of three leased 737 MAX 8 aircraft. All 34 of the Company's 737 MAX 8 aircraft were grounded as of March 13, 2019, to comply with an FAA emergency order issued for all U.S. airlines to ground all 737 MAX aircraft. While the Company continues to expect to end 2019 with approximately 775 aircraft in its fleet based on the current aircraft delivery schedule and net of expected 737-700 retirements, prolonged grounding of the MAX aircraft could impact the Company's delivery and retirement schedule. Additional information regarding the Company's aircraft delivery schedule is included in the accompanying tables. Based on flight schedule adjustments through August 5th, and subject to the duration of the MAX groundings, the Company now expects its second quarter 2019 ASMs to decrease in the 2 to 3 percent range, and annual 2019 ASMs to increase in the 2 to 3 percent range, both year-over-year. Awards and Recognitions Ranked #2 of the 500 companies on Forbes' List of Best Employers for 2019 Named to FORTUNE's list of World's Most Admired Companies. Southwest was ranked as the #11 Most Admired Company Received a perfect score of 100 on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for the fifth consecutive year #1 Marketing Carrier in Customer Satisfaction per the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) data 5 Named a Top 100 Company by BetterInvesting Magazine Named among Forbes' Best Employers for Diversity Named Best Airline-North America, Best Airline-United States, Best Economy-North America, and a Top 10 Airline-Worldthe only U.S. carrier to receive this awardin the 2019 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards Recognized as a Top 50 Employer by Equal Opportunity Magazine Conference Call The Company will discuss its first quarter 2019 results on a conference call at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time today. To listen to a live broadcast of the conference call, please go to http://www.southwestairlinesinvestorrelations.com 1Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by operating revenues. 2Net margin is calculated as net income divided by operating revenues. 3See Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures for additional information on free cash flow, ROIC, and special items. In addition, information regarding special items, ROIC, and economic results is included in the accompanying reconciliation tables. 4Based on the Company's existing fuel derivative contracts and market prices as of April 18, 2019, second quarter 2019 fuel costs per gallon on a GAAP and economic basis are both estimated to be in the $2.10 to $2.20 range. See Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures. 5Source: Air Travel Consumer Reports. Rankings based on complaints filed with the Department of Transportation (DOT) per 100,000 passengers served for 2018. Southwest tied for 1st place in the DOT's Year-to-Date (YTD) Customer Service ranking among Operating Carriers. Southwest was by far #1 among Marketing Carriers. An Operating Carrier can be an airline that only operates flights on behalf of another/larger carrier (i.e. "Branded Codeshare Partner") or any airline that sells and flies under its own brand (a.k.a. "Marketing Carrier"). Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news 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. Specific forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements related to (i) the Company's financial outlook, goals, expectations, and projected results of operations, the factors underlying the Company's projections, and the Company's related operational and financial strategies and goals, including its goals for maintaining Shareholder returns; (ii) the Company's goals with respect to the stability, integrity, dependability, and reliability of the Company's flight schedule, taking into account the MAX groundings, and the Company's plans and considerations related to the return of the MAX to service; (iii) the Company's network and growth plans and expectations, in particular with respect to Hawaii; (iv) the Company's expectations with respect to fuel costs and fuel efficiency and the Company's related management of risk associated with changing jet fuel prices; (v) the Company's expectations with respect to liquidity (including its plans for the repayment of debt and finance lease obligations) and anticipated capital expenditures; (vi) the Company's fleet plans and expectations; and (vii) the Company's capacity plans and expectations. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current intent, expectations, and projections and are not guarantees of future performance. These statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors include, among others, (i) the impact of governmental regulations and other governmental actions related to the Company and its operations, in particular with respect to the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, and any related changes in consumer behavior; (ii) the Company's dependence on third parties, in particular with respect to its fleet plans and expectations, and the impact on the Company's operations and results of operations of any related third party delays or non-performance; (iii) the impact of changes in consumer behavior, economic conditions, actions of competitors (including without limitation pricing, scheduling, capacity, and network decisions, and consolidation and alliance activities), extreme or severe weather and natural disasters, fears of terrorism or war, and other factors beyond the Company's control, on the Company's business decisions, plans, strategies, and results; (iv) the Company's ability to timely and effectively implement, transition, and maintain the necessary information technology systems and infrastructure to support its operations and initiatives; (v) the impact of fuel price volatility, volatility of commodities used by the Company for hedging jet fuel, and any changes to the Company's fuel hedging strategies and positions, on the Company's business plans and results of operations; (vi) the Company's ability to timely and effectively prioritize its initiatives and related expenditures; (vii) the impact of labor matters on the Company's costs and related business decisions, plans, strategies, and projections; and (viii) other factors, as described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the detailed factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. SW-QFS Southwest Airlines Co. Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income (in millions, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 Percent Change OPERATING REVENUES: Passenger $ 4,745 $ 4,585 3.5 Freight 42 42 Other 362 317 14.2 Total operating revenues 5,149 4,944 4.1 OPERATING EXPENSES: Salaries, wages, and benefits 1,976 1,821 8.5 Fuel and oil 1,015 1,018 (0.3) Maintenance materials and repairs 293 257 14.0 Landing fees and airport rentals 333 330 0.9 Depreciation and amortization 297 277 7.2 Other operating expenses 730 625 16.8 Total operating expenses 4,644 4,328 7.3 OPERATING INCOME 505 616 (18.0) OTHER EXPENSES (INCOME): Interest expense 31 32 (3.1) Capitalized interest (9) (10) (10.0) Interest income (23) (12) 91.7 Other (gains) losses, net 2 4 (50.0) Total other expenses (income) 1 14 (92.9) INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES 504 602 (16.3) PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES 117 139 (15.8) NET INCOME $ 387 $ 463 (16.4) NET INCOME PER SHARE: Basic $ 0.70 $ 0.79 (11.4) Diluted $ 0.70 $ 0.79 (11.4) WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING: Basic 551 587 (6.1) Diluted 552 588 (6.1) Southwest Airlines Co. Reconciliation of Reported Amounts to Non-GAAP Items (excluding special items) (See Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures) (in millions, except per share amounts)(unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 Percent Change Fuel and oil expense, unhedged $ 1,004 $ 1,014 Add: Premium cost of fuel contracts 28 34 Deduct: Fuel hedge gains included in Fuel and oil expense, net (17) (30) Fuel and oil expense, as reported $ 1,015 $ 1,018 Add: Contracts settling in the current period, but for which the impact has been recognized in a prior period (a) 7 Fuel and oil expense, excluding special items (economic) $ 1,015 $ 1,025 (1.0) Total operating expenses, as reported $ 4,644 $ 4,328 Add: Contracts settling in the current period, but for which the impact has been recognized in a prior period (a) 7 Add: Gain on sale of retired Boeing 737-300 aircraft 25 Total operating expenses, excluding special items $ 4,644 $ 4,360 6.5 Deduct: Fuel and oil expense, excluding special items (economic) (1,015) (1,025) Operating expenses, excluding Fuel and oil expense and special items $ 3,629 $ 3,335 8.8 Deduct: Profitsharing expense (88) (102) Operating expenses, excluding profitsharing, Fuel and oil expense, and special items $ 3,541 $ 3,233 9.5 Operating income, as reported $ 505 $ 616 Deduct: Contracts settling in the current period, but for which the impact has been recognized in a prior period (a) (7) Deduct: Gain on sale of retired Boeing 737-300 aircraft (25) Operating income, excluding special items $ 505 $ 584 (13.5) Net income, as reported $ 387 $ 463 Deduct: Contracts settling in the current period, but for which the impact has been recognized in a prior period (a) (7) Deduct: Gain on sale of retired Boeing 737-300 aircraft (25) Add: Net income tax impact of special items (b) 7 Net income, excluding special items $ 387 $ 438 (11.6) Net income per share, diluted, as reported $ 0.70 $ 0.79 Deduct: Impact from fuel contracts (0.01) Deduct: Impact of special items (0.04) Add: Net income tax impact of special items (b) 0.01 Net income per share, diluted, excluding special items $ 0.70 $ 0.75 (6.7) (a) As a result of prior hedge ineffectiveness. (b) Tax amounts for each individual special item are calculated at the Company's effective rate for the applicable period and totaled in this line item. Southwest Airlines Co. Comparative Consolidated Operating Statistics (unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 Change Revenue passengers carried (000s) 31,296 31,332 (0.1)% Enplaned passengers (000s) 37,813 37,543 0.7% Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) (in millions) (a) 30,704 30,439 0.9% Available seat miles (ASMs) (in millions) (b) 37,885 37,366 1.4% Load factor (c) 81.0% 81.5% (0.5) pts. Average length of passenger haul (miles) 981 972 0.9% Average aircraft stage length (miles) 751 749 0.3% Trips flown 326,390 326,216 0.1% Seats flown (000s) (d) 49,473 49,116 0.7% Seats per trip (e) 151.6 150.6 0.7% Average passenger fare $ 151.61 $ 146.33 3.6% Passenger revenue yield per RPM (cents) (f) 15.45 15.06 2.6% RASM (cents) (g) 13.59 13.23 2.7% PRASM (cents) (h) 12.52 12.27 2.0% CASM (cents) (i) 12.26 11.58 5.9% CASM, excluding Fuel and oil expense (cents) 9.58 8.86 8.1% CASM, excluding special items (cents) 12.26 11.67 5.1% CASM, excluding Fuel and oil expense and special items (cents) 9.58 8.92 7.4% CASM, excluding Fuel and oil expense, special items, and profitsharing expense (cents) 9.35 8.65 8.1% Fuel costs per gallon, including fuel tax (unhedged) $ 2.03 $ 2.06 (1.5)% Fuel costs per gallon, including fuel tax $ 2.05 $ 2.07 (1.0)% Fuel costs per gallon, including fuel tax (economic) $ 2.05 $ 2.09 (1.9)% Fuel consumed, in gallons (millions) 493 489 0.8% Active fulltime equivalent Employees 59,436 57,112 4.1% Aircraft at end of period 753 717 5.0% (a) A revenue passenger mile is one paying passenger flown one mile. Also referred to as "traffic," which is a measure of demand for a given period. (b) An available seat mile is one seat (empty or full) flown one mile. Also referred to as "capacity," which is a measure of the space available to carry passengers in a given period. (c) Revenue passenger miles divided by available seat miles. (d) Seats flown is calculated using total number of seats available by aircraft type multiplied by the total trips flown by the same aircraft type during a particular period. (e) Seats per trip is calculated by dividing seats flown by trips flown. (f) Calculated as passenger revenue divided by revenue passenger miles. Also referred to as "yield," this is the average cost paid by a paying passenger to fly one mile, which is a measure of revenue production and fares. (g) RASM (unit revenue) - Operating revenue yield per ASM, calculated as operating revenue divided by available seat miles. Also referred to as "operating unit revenues," this is a measure of operating revenue production based on the total available seat miles flown during a particular period. (h) PRASM (Passenger unit revenue) - Passenger revenue yield per ASM, calculated as passenger revenue divided by available seat miles. Also referred to as "passenger unit revenues," this is a measure of passenger revenue production based on the total available seat miles flown during a particular period. (i) CASM (unit costs) - Operating expenses per ASM, calculated as operating expenses divided by available seat miles. Also referred to as "unit costs" or "cost per available seat mile," this is the average cost to fly an aircraft seat (empty or full) one mile, which is a measure of cost efficiencies. Southwest Airlines Co. Non-GAAP Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) (See Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures, and see note below) (in millions) (unaudited) Twelve months ended Twelve months ended March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018 Operating income, as reported $ 3,094 $ 3,417 Net impact from fuel contracts (7) (125) Lease termination expense 28 Boeing 737-300 aircraft grounding charge 63 Gain on sale of retired Boeing 737-300 aircraft (25) Operating income, non-GAAP $ 3,087 $ 3,358 Net adjustment for aircraft leases (a) 102 107 Adjusted operating income, non-GAAP (A) $ 3,189 $ 3,465 Non-GAAP tax rate (B) 22.1% (d) 23.1% (e) Net operating profit after-tax, NOPAT (A* (1-B) = C) $ 2,486 $ 2,665 Debt, including finance leases (b) $ 3,422 $ 3,300 Equity (b) 9,883 8,561 Net present value of aircraft operating leases (b) 566 732 Average invested capital $ 13,871 $ 12,593 Equity adjustment for hedge accounting (c) (169) 196 Adjusted average invested capital (D) $ 13,702 $ 12,789 Non-GAAP ROIC, pre-tax (A/D) 23.3% 27.1% Non-GAAP ROIC, after-tax (C/D) 18.1% 20.8% (a) Net adjustment related to presumption that all aircraft in fleet are owned (i.e., the impact of eliminating aircraft rent expense and replacing with estimated depreciation expense for those same aircraft). The Company makes this adjustment to enhance comparability to other entities that have different capital structures by utilizing alternative financing decisions. (b) Calculated as an average of the five most recent quarter end balances or remaining obligations. The Net present value of aircraft operating leases represents the assumption that all aircraft in the Company's fleet are owned, as it reflects the remaining contractual commitments discounted at the Company's estimated incremental borrowing rate as of the time each individual lease was signed. (c) The Equity adjustment for hedge accounting in the denominator adjusts for the cumulative impacts, in Accumulated other comprehensive income and Retained earnings, of gains and/or losses associated with hedge accounting related to fuel hedge derivatives that will settle in future periods. The current period impact of these gains and/or losses is reflected in the Net impact from fuel contracts in the numerator. (d) The GAAP twelve month rolling tax rate as of March 31, 2019, was 22.1 percent, and the Non-GAAP twelve month rolling tax rate was also 22.1 percent. See Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures for additional information. For full year 2019, the Company estimates its effective tax rate to be approximately 23.5 percent. (e) As the twelve month rolling tax rate no longer approximated an annual tax rate due to the significant impact the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act legislation enacted in December 2017 had on corporate tax rates, the Company utilized the first quarter tax rate for the twelve months ended March 31, 2018 ROIC, after-tax. The first quarter 2018 GAAP tax rate was 23.1 percent, and the Non-GAAP tax rate for the period was also 23.1 percent. Utilizing the Company's tax rate based on Operating income, non-GAAP for the twelve months ended March 31, 2018, of 33.8 percent, Non-GAAP ROIC, after-tax, would have been 17.9 percent. See Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures for additional information. Southwest Airlines Co. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet (in millions) (unaudited) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,344 $ 1,854 Short-term investments 1,517 1,835 Accounts and other receivables 784 568 Inventories of parts and supplies, at cost 484 461 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 354 310 Total current assets 5,483 5,028 Property and equipment, at cost: Flight equipment 21,666 21,753 Ground property and equipment 5,082 4,960 Deposits on flight equipment purchase contracts 780 775 Assets constructed for others 120 1,768 27,648 29,256 Less allowance for depreciation and amortization 9,875 9,731 17,773 19,525 Goodwill 970 970 Operating lease right-of-use assets 1,508 Other assets 725 720 $ 26,459 $ 26,243 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 1,412 $ 1,416 Accrued liabilities 1,350 1,749 Current operating lease liabilities 361 Air traffic liability 5,029 4,134 Current maturities of long-term debt 571 606 Total current liabilities 8,723 7,905 Long-term debt less current maturities 2,602 2,771 Air traffic liability - noncurrent 985 936 Deferred income taxes 2,480 2,427 Construction obligation 120 1,701 Noncurrent operating lease liabilities 1,150 Other noncurrent liabilities 608 650 Stockholders' equity: Common stock 808 808 Capital in excess of par value 1,513 1,510 Retained earnings 16,320 15,967 Accumulated other comprehensive income 96 20 Treasury stock, at cost (8,946) (8,452) Total stockholders' equity 9,791 9,853 $ 26,459 $ 26,243 Southwest Airlines Co. Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (in millions) (unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: Net income $ 387 $ 463 Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 297 277 Unrealized/realized gains on fuel derivative instruments (7) Deferred income taxes 13 72 Changes in certain assets and liabilities: Accounts and other receivables (222) (15) Other assets 29 (178) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (257) (501) Air traffic liability 944 866 Other liabilities (69) Cash collateral received from derivative counterparties 15 65 Other, net (32) (40) Net cash provided by operating activities 1,105 1,002 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: Capital expenditures (160) (409) Assets constructed for others (24) Purchases of short-term investments (251) (200) Proceeds from sales of short-term and other investments 575 560 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 164 (73) CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: Proceeds from Employee stock plans 10 9 Reimbursement for assets constructed for others 139 Payments of long-term debt and finance lease obligations (99) (82) Payments of cash dividends (178) (148) Repayment of construction obligation (7) Repurchase of common stock (500) (500) Other, net (12) (13) Net cash used in financing activities (779) (602) NET CHANGE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 490 327 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD 1,854 1,495 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD $ 2,344 $ 1,822 Southwest Airlines Co. Fuel Derivative Contracts As of April 18, 2019 Estimated economic fuel price per gallon, including taxes and fuel hedging premiums (e) Average Brent Crude Oil price per barrel Second Quarter 2019 (c) Full Year 2019 (d) $55 $1.80 - $1.90 $1.80 - $1.90 $65 $2.00 - $2.10 $2.00 - $2.10 Current Market (a) $2.10 - $2.20 $2.10 - $2.20 $75 $2.15 - $2.25 $2.20 - $2.30 $85 $2.20 - $2.30 $2.30 - $2.40 $95 $2.30 - $2.40 $2.40 - $2.50 Estimated fuel hedging premium expense per gallon (b) $.05 $.04 Period Maximum percent of estimated fuel consumption covered by fuel derivative contracts at varying WTI/Brent Crude Oil, Heating Oil, and Gulf Coast Jet Fuel-equivalent price levels 2019 71% 2020 58% 2021 30% 2022 less than 5% (a) Brent crude oil average market prices as of April 18, 2019, were approximately $71.15 and $68.62 per barrel for second quarter 2019 and full year 2019, respectively. (b) Fuel hedging premium expense per gallon is included in the Company's estimated economic fuel price per gallon estimates above. (c) Based on the Company's existing fuel derivative contracts and market prices as of April 18, 2019, second quarter 2019 GAAP and economic fuel costs are estimated to be in the $2.10 to $2.20 per gallon range, including fuel hedging premium expense of approximately $28 million, or $.05 per gallon, and an estimated $.08 per gallon in favorable cash settlements from fuel derivative contracts. See Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures. (d) Based on the Company's existing fuel derivative contracts and market prices as of April 18, 2019, annual 2019 GAAP and economic fuel costs are estimated to be in the $2.10 to $2.20 per gallon range, including fuel hedging premium expense of approximately $95 million, or $.04 per gallon, and an estimated $.04 per gallon in favorable cash settlements from fuel derivative contracts. See Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures. (e) The Company's current hedge positions contain a combination of instruments based in West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude oil; however, the economic fuel price per gallon sensitivities provided assume the relationship between Brent crude oil and refined products based on market prices as of April 18, 2019. Southwest Airlines Co. 737 Delivery Schedule As of March 31, 2019 The Boeing Company MAX 7 Firm Orders MAX 8 Firm Orders MAX 8 Options Additional MAX 8s Total 2019 7 21 16 44 (c) 2020 35 3 38 2021 44 44 2022 27 14 41 2023 12 22 23 57 2024 11 30 23 64 2025 40 36 76 2026 19 19 30 219 (a) 115 19 (b) 383 (a) The Company has flexibility to substitute 737 MAX 7 in lieu of 737 MAX 8 firm orders. (b) To be acquired in leases from various third parties. (c) Includes three 737 MAX 8 aircraft delivered prior to the March 13, 2019, FAA emergency order issued for all U.S. airlines to ground all MAX aircraft. All other MAX deliveries are suspended until the FAA order is rescinded. NOTE REGARDING USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES The Company's unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). These GAAP financial statements include (i) unrealized noncash adjustments and reclassifications, which can be significant, as a result of accounting requirements and elections made under accounting pronouncements relating to derivative instruments and hedging and (ii) other charges and benefits the Company believes are unusual and/or infrequent in nature and thus may make comparisons to its prior or future performance difficult. As a result, the Company also provides financial information in this release that was not prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to the information prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Company provides supplemental non-GAAP financial information (also referred to as "excluding special items"), including results that it refers to as "economic," which the Company's management utilizes to evaluate its ongoing financial performance and the Company believes provides additional insight to investors as supplemental information to its GAAP results. The non-GAAP measures provided that relate to the Company's performance on an economic fuel cost basis include Fuel and oil expense, non-GAAP; Total operating expenses, non-GAAP; Operating expenses, non-GAAP excluding Fuel and oil expense; Operating expenses, non-GAAP excluding profitsharing and Fuel and oil expense; Operating income, non-GAAP; Net income, non-GAAP; Net income per share, diluted, non-GAAP; Adjusted operating income, non-GAAP; Income tax rate, non-GAAP; and 12 month rolling income tax rate, non-GAAP. The Company's economic Fuel and oil expense results differ from GAAP results in that they only include the actual cash settlements from fuel hedge contracts - all reflected within Fuel and oil expense in the period of settlement. Thus, Fuel and oil expense on an economic basis has historically been utilized by the Company, as well as some of the other airlines that utilize fuel hedging, as it reflects the Company's actual net cash outlays for fuel during the applicable period, inclusive of settled fuel derivative contracts. Any net premium costs paid related to option contracts that are designated as hedges are reflected as a component of Fuel and oil expense, for both GAAP and non-GAAP (including economic) purposes in the period of contract settlement. The Company believes these economic results provide further insight on the impact of the Company's fuel hedges on its operating performance and liquidity since they exclude the unrealized, noncash adjustments and reclassifications that are recorded in GAAP results in accordance with accounting guidance relating to derivative instruments, and they reflect all cash settlements related to fuel derivative contracts within Fuel and oil expense. This enables the Company's management, as well as investors and analysts, to consistently assess the Company's operating performance on a year-over-year or quarter-over-quarter basis after considering all efforts in place to manage fuel expense. However, because these measures are not determined in accordance with GAAP, such measures are susceptible to varying calculations, and not all companies calculate the measures in the same manner. As a result, the aforementioned measures, as presented, may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Further information on (i) the Company's fuel hedging program, (ii) the requirements of accounting for derivative instruments, and (iii) the causes of hedge ineffectiveness and/or mark-to-market gains or losses from derivative instruments is included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. The Company's GAAP results in the applicable periods include other charges or benefits that are also deemed "special items," that the Company believes make its results difficult to compare to prior periods, anticipated future periods, or industry trends. Financial measures identified as non-GAAP (or as excluding special items) have been adjusted to exclude special items. Special items include: 1. A gain recognized in first quarter 2018, associated with the sale of 39 owned Boeing 737300 aircraft and a number of spare engines, to a third party. These aircraft were previously retired as part of the Company's exit of its Boeing 737-300 fleet. The gain was not anticipated, and the Company associates it with the grounding charge recorded in third quarter 2017; 2. Lease termination costs recorded as a result of the Company acquiring 13 of its Boeing 737-300 aircraft off operating leases as part of the Company's strategic effort to remove its Boeing 737-300 aircraft from operations on or before September 29, 2017, in the most economically advantageous manner possible. The Company had not budgeted for these early lease termination costs, as they were subject to negotiations being concluded with the third party lessors. The Company recorded the fair value of the aircraft acquired off operating leases, as well as any associated remaining obligations to the balance sheet as debt; and 3. An Aircraft grounding charge recorded in third quarter 2017, as a result of the Company grounding its remaining Boeing 737-300 aircraft on September 29, 2017. The loss was a result of the remaining net lease payments due and certain lease return requirements that could have to be performed on these leased aircraft prior to their return to the lessors as of the cease-use date. The Company had not budgeted for the lease return requirements, as they were subject to negotiation with third party lessors. Because management believes each of these items can distort the trends associated with the Company's ongoing performance as an airline, the Company believes that evaluation of its financial performance can be enhanced by a supplemental presentation of results that exclude the impact of these items in order to enhance consistency and comparativeness with results in prior periods that do not include such items and as a basis for evaluating operating results in future periods. The following measures are often provided, excluding special items, and utilized by the Company's management, analysts, and investors to enhance comparability of year-over-year results, as well as to industry trends: Total operating expenses, non-GAAP; Operating expenses, non-GAAP excluding Fuel and oil expense; Operating expenses, non-GAAP excluding profitsharing and Fuel and oil expense; Operating income, non-GAAP; Net income, non-GAAP; Net income per share, diluted, non-GAAP; Adjusted operating income, non-GAAP; Income tax rate, non-GAAP; and 12 month rolling income tax rate, non-GAAP. The Company has also provided free cash flow, which is a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company believes free cash flow is a meaningful measure because it demonstrates the Company's ability to service its debt, pay dividends, and make investments to enhance Shareholder value. Although free cash flow is commonly used as a measure of liquidity, definitions of free cash flow may differ; therefore, the Company is providing an explanation of its calculation for free cash flow. For the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company generated $945 million in free cash flow, calculated as operating cash flows of $1.1 billion less capital expenditures of $160 million. The Company has also provided its calculation of return on invested capital, which is a measure of financial performance used by management to evaluate its investment returns on capital. Return on invested capital is not a substitute for financial results as reported in accordance with GAAP, and should not be utilized in place of such GAAP results. Although return on invested capital is not a measure defined by GAAP, it is calculated by the Company, in part, using non-GAAP financial measures. Those non-GAAP financial measures are utilized for the same reasons as those noted above for Net income, non-GAAP and Operating income, non-GAAP. The comparable GAAP measures include charges or benefits that are deemed "special items" that the Company believes make its results difficult to compare to prior periods, anticipated future periods, or industry trends, and the Company's profitability targets and estimates, both internally and externally, are based on non-GAAP results since in the vast majority of cases the "special items" cannot be reliably predicted or estimated. The Company believes non-GAAP return on invested capital is a meaningful measure because it quantifies the Company's effectiveness in generating returns relative to the capital it has invested in its business. Although return on invested capital is commonly used as a measure of capital efficiency, definitions of return on invested capital differ; therefore, the Company is providing an explanation of its calculation for non-GAAP return on invested capital in the accompanying reconciliation, in order to allow investors to compare and contrast its calculation to the calculations provided by other companies. SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co. Related Links http://www.southwest.com CASTRIES, Saint Lucia, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new seasonal flight from Miami combined with the lowest airfares ever make this summer the perfect time to visit Saint Lucia. And hotels are offering attractive rates, adding even more incentive to book a family vacation, romantic getaway or wellness-focused trip. On June 6, American Airlines will resume a second daily nonstop flight from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) at 8:45am. Flight AA1335 arrives in Saint Lucia at 11:21am, giving vacationers a full afternoon to enjoy on their day of arrival. This flight joins the year-round daily flight departing MIA at 11:13am, perfectly timed for morning connections from American Airlines feeder cities. Roundtrip airfare starts at $423, the lowest airfare ever for this route. American Airlines Vacations is also offering several air/hotel packages. Hotels and resorts have created summer offers with up to 50% off room rates, resort credits, spa deals and more. Hotels include Anse Chastanet, Calabash Cove, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, Jade Mountain Resort, Mango Beach Inn, Stonefield Villa Resort, Serenity at Coconut Bay, Tet Rouge, Ti Kaye Resort and Spa and others. Most famous for nearly 100 miles of coastline and pristine beaches with clear Caribbean waters, activities abound for vactioners of all ages. Visitors will enjoy newly-renovated facilities at Soufriere's Hummingbird Beach; the highly-Instagrammed natural mud baths; world-class diving and snorkeling; the Tet Paul Nature Trail and the signature Pitons. To find out more about Saint Lucia, go to www.stlucia.org. To book travel via American Airlines or American Airlines Vacations, contact a travel agent or go to www.aa.com. About Saint Lucia: Saint Lucia is nestled halfway down the Eastern Caribbean archipelago and known for its natural beauty and diverse attractions, including the signature Piton Mountains (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), a tropical rainforest, the mud baths at Sulfur Springs Park and one of the world's few drive-in volcanoes. Culturally rich offerings include quaint coastline fishing villages and the annual Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, programmed in 2019 by world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center. A wide range of accommodations includes five-star hotels, all-inclusive resorts, intimate inns and value-oriented properties. Saint Lucia is continually recognized as a leading wedding and honeymoon destination. Learn more at www.stlucia.org and follow on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Media contact: Jennifer Maguire, Jennifer Maguire Communications & PR, [email protected] SOURCE Saint Lucia Tourism Authority INDIANAPOLIS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- T2 Systems, the largest parking technology provider in North America, today announced that the company is celebrating 25 years of delivering reliable, innovative parking technology solutions. Since its inception, the company has grown to serve thousands of parking professionals and manage more than 200 million parking transactions for over 2 billion dollars annually. "It's an amazing milestone to reachone that we could not have done without the dedication of our team and the incredible partnerships we've built within our T2 community," said Adam Blake, T2 CEO. "We remain focused on providing reliable, innovative parking and transportation technology solutions to our customers. We're looking forward to celebrating with our employees and customers throughout the year." During the past 25 years, the company has built a comprehensive platform of parking technology software and hardware solutions to make parking management as seamless as possible. Thousands of parking and transportation professionals rely on T2 for multi-space pay stations, permit management, enforcement, LPR, PARCS, citation services, business analytics, and event parking. "T2 was founded with a simple goal: make parking better," said Mike Simmons, T2 Co-founder. "From the very beginning, we always strived to be customer-focused and treat people right. I'm proud that T2 continues to champion this approach. It's been amazing to see the impact T2 has had on this industry." T2 has over 1,600 customers across North America, including several who have partnered with the company since its founding year in 1994: The University of Texas at El Paso The University of Vermont The University of WisconsinMadison Utah Valley University Tarleton State University Michigan State University Minnesota State University Moorhead The University of Denver The University of Louisville The University of Memphis "I have been using T2 products since their inception. They developed products and services that made our processes more efficient, saved money, and helped better meet the needs of our customers," said Patrick Kass, University of WisconsinMadison Director of Transportation Services. "The strength of our engaged, collaborative customer community is one of our strongest assets. We're looking forward to the road ahead," added Blake. Learn more about T2's reliable and innovative parking and transportation solutions at T2's website. About T2 Systems T2 Systems is the largest parking technology provider in North America, with more than 25 years in the parking management industry and currently serving thousands of parking professionals. T2 integrates the best people, processes, and technology for powerful, high performance, and secure parking solutions. Its open technology and processes are used to manage more than 200 million parking transactions for over 2 billion dollars annually across all 50 state and ten provinces in Canada. For more information about T2, visit T2systems.com. CONTACT: Maggie Vercoe, [email protected] SOURCE T2 Systems Related Links http://www.t2systems.com CHERRY HILL, N.J., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, received the highest ranking in the Southeast for overall customer satisfaction in Retail Banking, according to the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study SM. TD Bank achieved a retail customer satisfaction score of 858 in the Southeast from J.D. Power, 8 points ahead of its closest competitor. This is TD's first-ever trophy win in the Southeast region. "Winning the J.D. Power trophy is an incredible honor," said Brian Monday, TD Bank's Mid-South Regional President. "We strive to deliver legendary experiences for our customers, and we appreciate them for rating us no. 1 in the Southeast for the first time ever! Our employees are incredibly passionate about helping our customers achieve their financial goals, and this recognition is a testament to their commitment and enthusiasm." In the Southeast, the J.D. Power study ranks 14 banks on categories that include communication/advice, convenience, account opening, product/fees, problem resolution, and channel activities. According to J.D. Power, TD Bank received the highest scores in convenience, online and mobile banking capabilities. "We've always been the bank that prides itself on being different from other banks. With Unexpectedly Human, we introduced our new brand promise to deliver everything customers would expect from a bank plus, everything they wouldn't," said Ernie Diaz, Head of U.S. Consumer Distribution and Wealth, TD Bank. "Being recognized by J.D. Power demonstrates that we're delivering on that promise, but we won't stop here. We're extremely proud of our team in the Southeast for claiming the trophy and look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to find new ways to deliver legendary experiences for our customers across the footprint." This honor follows a TD Bank J.D. Power trophy win in 2018 in Florida for overall customer satisfaction in Retail Banking, according to the 2018 J.D. Power U.S. Retail Banking Study SM. About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us . Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US . TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us . SOURCE TD Bank Related Links http://www.TDBank.com NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will be hosting its annual Lifesavers Gala on Tuesday, May 7 in The Appel Room of Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall. Hosted by musician Alex Boye, the gala honors individuals who have made a substantial contribution to suicide prevention and recognizes the organization's accomplishments over the past year. Tickets are available for purchase online. "Our annual gala brings people together who dedicate significant time and effort to raise awareness and inspire more people to speak openly about suicide prevention," said Robert Gebbia, Chief Executive Officer of AFSP. "This event helps us raise funds for innovative research and delivery of our education programs as we continue to work to stop suicide." This year, AFSP will be honoring: San Francisco 49ers player Solomon Thomas and his parents with the Survivors of Loss Award 49ers player and his parents with the Survivors of Loss Award News correspondents Anderson Cooper of CNN and Kate Snow of NBC will be honored with the Public Awareness Award for their dedication to safely sharing stories and responsibly reporting on suicide and will be honored with the Public Awareness Award for their dedication to safely sharing stories and responsibly reporting on suicide Research awards will be given to Dr. Greg Simon of Kaiser Permanente and Dr. J. John Mann of Columbia University for their work in suicide prevention research To learn more and purchase gala tickets, visit: https://afsp.org/lifesavers-gala-2019/. The gala chair of the Lifesavers Gala this year will be Husseini Manji, M.D., Global Therapeutic Head, Neuroscience at Janssen Research and Development, LLC. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Related Links http://www.afsp.org NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ), together with partners Microsoft Corporation, Columbia Law School, the American Bar Association, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), are announcing the launch of its groundbreaking TrialWatch initiative at an inaugural TrialWatch Conference and launch event. "Courts around the world are increasingly being used to silence dissidents and target the vulnerable. But so far there has been no systematic response to this," said Amal Clooney, Co-President, Clooney Foundation for Justice. "The Clooney Foundation for Justice's TrialWatch program is a global initiative to monitor trials, expose abuses, and advocate for victims, so that injustice can be addressed, one case at a time." TrialWatch is an initiative focused on monitoring and responding to trials around the world that pose a high risk of human rights violations. TrialWatch aims to be the first comprehensive global program scrutinizing criminal trials around the world. CFJ will recruit and train trial monitors, including non-lawyers, who can observe and report on criminal trials around the world, and use a specialised app to record the proceedings. The Clooney Foundation for Justice will then work to expose injustice and rally support to secure justice for defendants whose rights have been violated. For each trial monitored, CFJ will work with an eminent legal expert to produce a Fairness Report assessing and grading the fairness of the trial against human rights standards, and, where necessary and possible, will be followed up with legal advocacy to assist a defendant in pursuing remedies in regional or international human rights courts. Ultimately, the data that is gathered will populate a global justice index that measures states' performance in this area. TrialWatch will focus on trials involving journalists, LGBTQ persons, women and girls, religious minorities, and human rights defenders. In recent months, TrialWatch monitors have observed proceedings in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The cases have involved journalists being prosecuted under a wide variety of laws, including cyber laws, administrative laws, and terrorism laws, in six countries. TrialWatch has covered a trial of individuals being prosecuted under anti-LGBTQ laws in sub-Saharan Africa and proceedings involving a journalist detained under India's National Security Act for criticizing the government on social media. TrialWatch monitors are also monitoring the trial of a lawyer in Eurasia, who is being prosecuted in connection with his work on behalf of human rights defenders and the trial of a journalist in Nigeria, who is being prosecuted for writing about internal government documents and refusing to reveal his source. Fairness reports are being produced to assess each of these trials, and many more trials will be monitored on an ongoing basis around the world. CFJ has partnered with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to develop an online training course for monitors. This course was developed by CFJ and approved by OHCHR. "OHCHR is delighted to be partnering with the Clooney Foundation for Justice in TrialWatch, which will help deliver justice to some of the world's most vulnerable people. TrialWatch will help in ensuring that international fair trial standards are upheld and the voice of victims is heard. This is human rights advocacy in its purest form," said United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. "I am pleased that my Office has been able to help ensure that its online tools and materials adequately reflect international human rights norms and standards." CFJ has collaborated with Microsoft to develop a state-of-the-art application for TrialWatch monitors that captures and distills the information needed to make an assessment of the fairness of a trial and allows a monitor to capture multiple types of data in one place (e.g., a monitor's notes; answers to a uniform set of questions; documents; photo, audio, and video, etc.). The App also enables local language inputs, and uses Microsoft cloud, AI Cognitive Services technologies to transcribe and translate content into English, enabling legal experts to more quickly make their recommendations for action. "This new technology will promote fairness in trials by making the world a witness to what happens inside courtrooms," said Brad Smith, President of Microsoft. "The TrialWatch app we developed with the Clooney Foundation for Justice will help human rights advocates monitor trials and share this data instantly with experts around the world. This is a critical step in upholding justice where it often matters the most when a defendant's freedom hinges on having a fair trial." CFJ has partnered with Columbia Law School to establish a clinical program in international fair trial rights, and a system for deploying law students to monitor and assist with the assessment of trials. "The rule of law is the bedrock of just societies; it compels governments to safeguard human rights, and to act in an accountable and transparent manner,'' said Gillian Lester, Columbia Law School Dean and the Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law. "Our partnership with the Clooney Foundation for Justice will train law students as trial observers and deepen our international clinical offerings. Together, the TrialWatch initiative and Columbia Law School are actively advancing the rule of law and the fair administration of justice around the world." And through its collaboration with the American Bar Association (ABA), TrialWatch is recruiting and deploying a global network of trial monitors. "The American Bar Association Center for Human Rights has observed trials and provided pro bono assistance to vulnerable human rights defenders in 65 countries," said Bob Carlson, President of the American Bar Association. "As threats against civil society and justice sector personnel are on the rise, the Clooney Foundation for Justice's impressive commitment to increasing transparency and accountability in courtrooms around the world could not be more timely." At the launch event, CFJ Co-Presidents George and Amal Clooney, Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, Bob Carlson, President of the American Bar Association (ABA), Lee C. Bollinger, President of Columbia University, and Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will participate in a panel discussion about TrialWatch. Anyone interested in becoming a trial monitor with TrialWatch should contact [email protected]. You can find the TrialWatch training course at www.trialwatchtraining.org. About the Clooney Foundation for Justice The Clooney Foundation for Justice was established in late 2016 by George and Amal Clooney to advance justice in courtrooms, communities, and classrooms around the world. For more information on the Foundation and its work, please visit www.cfj.org. Media Contact: Kylie McKenna The Levinson Group [email protected] 202-848-1034 SOURCE Clooney Foundation for Justice Related Links http://www.cfj.org TAMPA, Fla., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Pergravis, LLC, a Tampa-based mission-critical facility services firm, announced today that it has been awarded a $73.2 million contract by the Department of the Air Force, Directorate of Contracting (USAF). The 5.5-year contract provides emergency and preventative uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system maintenance services to government facilities around the world through the Power Conditioning and Continuation Interface Equipment (PCCIE) program office in Ogden, UT. The PCCIE contract vehicle provides all federal agencies with a single agency resource for sourcing maintenance services for their UPS systems, batteries and related critical electrical infrastructure. "As UPS systems become more sophisticated, we believe the OEM service delivery model is the future of the industry," said Steve Ritzi, Managing Director. "At Pergravis, we provide a single point-of-contact for every federal agency that engages through the PCCIE contract vehicle. We're certified data center experts, superior problem-solvers and provide unparalleled, mission-driven customer service to make sure the job gets done well, correctly and in a timely fashion." Pergravis partnered with original equipment manufacturers to supply the PCCIE program with UPS emergency and preventative maintenance services to best serve the unique and critical missions of federal agencies around the globe. The contract also provides a vehicle for the delivery of enhanced services such as component repair and replacement on an as-needed basis. "We are so grateful that our partnership and service delivery paradigm was selected as the preferred solution for the PCCIE program," said Dominick Rappa, Managing Director. "The criticality of the mission we support is always front and center; it is core to all we do. In partnership with our OEM UPS service providers, we have assembled a world-class team of trained and certified technical resources that possess total mastery of their individual power products. There is simply no better service solution available to ensure the uptime of mission-critical electrical equipment. About Pergravis, LLC Pergravis is a mission critical facility service firm that serves technology-dependent organizations with facility assessment, design, improvement, maintenance, management and operational support for their data centers and technical facilities. The Tampa-based company maintains a wealth of expertise in electrical distribution, UPS, generation, precision cooling and associated systems that comprise the foundation of all modern mission critical facilities. Pergravis provides its customers with the physical infrastructure solutions and services that best fit their organization's needs, working diligently to ensure its customer's facilities operate in accordance with their design specifications and industry best practices. Pergravis' global delivery model provides this world-class service to its customers regardless of location. SOURCE Pergravis, LLC Reacting to the news Tommy Lee commented, "We knew the Motley Crue fans, who had made The Dirt book a New York Times Bestseller, would be keen to see the movie after hearing it was coming for the past 15 years, but we weren't expecting the new younger audience reaction to the movie and the music." Tommy Lee's observations from the fan reactions on social media are reflected in the streaming data. The age demo for fans streaming Motley Crue's music includes a much younger demographic. In fact, over the last 28 days, 64% of Spotify streamers were between 18 and 34 years. Recently, Netflix reported its biggest ever subscriber growth. In the first quarter of 2019 Netflix gained a record number of new subscribers and now has nearly 149,000,000 members worldwide. Like Netflix, Motley Crue has also experienced rapid growth with google search increasing 4300% and sales up 2000%, with albums including The Dirt Soundtrack, Dr Feelgood, Too Fast For Love, and Greatest Hits charting on iTunes since the release of the film. Allen Kovac CEO of Eleven Seven Music and Manager of Motley Crue commented, "We are seeing a reaction nearly identical to Spotify streaming demographic numbers with our partners at Apple, Deezer and Amazon. The movie is bringing Motley's music into the homes, universities dorms and handheld devices of the streaming generation, some of which only knew Motley Crue as a cool t-shirt. With Pete Davidson, Machine Gun Kelly and Iwan Rheon from Game of Thrones staring in the film, people are discovering Motley and then going on to buy the vinyl or stream their music. We are already on a new reprint of The Dirt Soundtrack vinyl, as we sold out across Europe." The Rotten Tomatoes 95% audience rating demonstrates that this cautionary tale of excess and the world's most notorious rock band is compelling and engaging. Nikki Sixx added, "In the movie we re-tell the time Motley Crue ignored the advice that Ozzy Osbourne gave us about too much excess driving you crazy. We motored-on at 100 miles an hour, to self-destruction which ultimately lead to me being declared medically dead and the band splitting up. I find it hard to watch myself being resuscitated in the ambulance with a double shot of adrenaline to the heart. It's like an out of body experience all over again. If we can persuade one person not to take hard drugs this film will be worth it just for that." With tremendous success from the film's soundtrack, the lead track, "The Dirt (Est. 1981) (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)" has helped introduce the band from a VH1 audience to a younger MTV and YouTube audience, having been added to MTV channels around the world. As fans watch the biopic, they are SHAZAM-ing and (re)discovering the entire Motley catalog. One of the most talked about scenes from the film is Billy Squier's song, "My Kinda Lover" that Vince performs with his band Rock Candi. And because of the renewed interest in the song, Eleven Seven Music will be releasing a new version soon. To keep up on Motley Crue news and updates, follow: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube SOURCE Eleven Seven Label Group NEW YORK, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- About this market The significant advances in their healthcare infrastructure and technological advances in their drug development processes. As a result, large and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies from developed countries are outsourcing the research and manufacturing operations of various drugs and therapies to the vendors in such countries. Factors such as the increasing number of US FDA-approved manufacturing plants in such countries also encourage outsourcing. The rapidly evolving market environment and the strong support of the Government of China help the country specialize in the research of drugs, including regenerative medicines and small-molecule based drugs. Therefore, the global pharmaceutical CRAM market is expected to grow strongly during the forecast period. Analysts have predicted that the pharmaceutical contract research and manufacturing (CRAM) market will register a CAGR of more than 9% by 2023. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5770979/?utm_source=PRN Market Overview Growing need to focus on core competencies One of the growing changes in the global pharmaceutical market is the increasing volume of outsourcing of partial or complete research and manufacturing processes to CROs and CMOs. This is primarily due to the rising focus of the sourcing companies on developing therapies for large indications such as oncology, neurology, and autoimmune disorders. Stereotypical nature of CMOs Despite the growing popularity of CMOs in emerging countries such as China and India, the global pharmaceutical CRAM market faces a major challenge from the limited offerings of the CMOs. This is currently a major challenge faced by CMOs, which is expected to significantly hinder the growth of the global pharmaceutical CRAM market during the forecast period. For the detailed list of factors that will drive and challenge the growth of the pharmaceutical contract research and manufacturing (CRAM) market during the 2019-2023, view our report. Competitive Landscape The market appears to be moderately concentrated and with the presence of limited vendors. This market research report will help clients identify new growth opportunities and design unique growth strategies by providing a comprehensive analysis of the market's competitive landscape and offering information on the products offered by companies. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5770979/?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 SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wiggles are proud to announce their biggest U.S. tour in nearly a decade. The Wiggle's Party Time Tour! will support their new Party Time! album, which releases on June 28th. The tour will visit 28 cities nationwide beginning in Seattle, WA on Saturday, July 27th, and wrapping up in Boston, MA on Thursday, September 5th. For a complete list of tour dates and performance times, please visit www.thewiggles.com. The Wiggles Party Time! Tour is coming to the U.S. The Party Time Tour! will be a chance for America to see in-person the first-ever female Wiggle, Emma (the Yellow Wiggle), who has become an international sensation. Emma, Lachy, Simon and Anthony will hit the stage with their friends Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog and a brand-new Wiggly friend, Shirley Shawn the Unicorn! As featured on the upcoming Party Time! album, parents and children alike can dance and sing along to classics like "Hokey Pokey," "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," "Skip To My Lou," and "Simon Says." Other show highlights include: Joining Emma as she performs Irish, ballet and other bow-tiful dancing. Listening to Anthony play his guitar, banjo and bagpipes. Doing the actions with Simon as he sings "Simon Says ," and if Lachy falls asleep, calling out "Wake up Lachy!" because we need him for the show! Tickets for The Wiggle's Party Time Tour! go on sale Friday, April 26th. All tickets are $40 and are available via www.thewiggles.com. Check venue websites for more information on possible presale and other show announcements. Please visit www.thewiggles.com for the most up to date information, as well as exciting show announcements. The Wiggles are more popular now then they have ever been in their 28-year history. They are watched daily on platforms like Hulu, and in nearly 60 million homes on NBC's Universal Kids network, and streamed on The Wiggles YouTube channel which has nearly 400,000 subscribers and more than 650 million views! The Wiggles Party Time Tour! 2019 SCHEDULE Saturday, July 27 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre Sunday, July 28 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater Thursday, August 1 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Theatre Friday, August 2 Anaheim, CA City National Grove of Anaheim Saturday, August 3 San Diego, CA Spreckels Theatre Monday, August 5 Phoenix, AZ Orpheum Theatre Thursday, August 8 Pueblo, CO Pueblo Memorial Hall Saturday, August 10 Tulsa, OK Tulsa PAC Sunday, August 11 Grand Prairie, TX The Theatre at Grand Prairie Monday, August 12 Austin, TX Moody Theater Tuesday, August 13 Houston, TX Revention Music Center Thursday, August 15 New Orleans, LA The Orpheum Theater Saturday, August 17 Memphis, TN Cannon PAC Sunday, August 18 Nashville, TN The Schermerhorn Symphony Center Monday, August 19 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Art Center Tuesday, August 20 Louisville, KY To Be Announced Wednesday, August 21 Cincinnati, OH Arnoff Center for the Arts Thursday, August 22 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre at Old National Centre Saturday, August 24 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre Monday, August 26 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre Tuesday, August 27 Cleveland, OH Connor Palace Wednesday, August 28 Pittsburgh, PA Byham Theatre Thursday, August 29 Washington D.C. Warner Theatre Friday, August 30 Baltimore, MD Hippodrome Theatre Saturday, August 31 Philadelphia, PA Kimmel Center Tuesday, September 3 Montclair, NJ The Wellmont Theater Wednesday, September 4 Westbury, NY Theatre at Westbury Thursday, September 5 Boston, MA Box Center For artwork, interview requests or more information, contact: Rob Bailey BrandStand 201-819-1134 [email protected] SOURCE The Wiggles Related Links http://www.thewiggles.com HARRISBURG, Pa., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) and Fine Wine & Good Spirits announced today that tickets to the Harrisburg Wine Festival, to be held at the Crowne Plaza Harrisburg, 23 S. Second St., Harrisburg, on Friday, May 3, are still available. The event will feature more than 500 wines, renowned vintners, special guests, and special tastings. From 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, Fine Wine & Good Spirits Chairman's Selection Program Supervisor Josh Hull will host a special interactive presentation that will feature a guided tasting of 10 exclusive, hand-selected new Chairman's Selection wines before they are available on store shelves. Admission to this presentation also includes admission to 30 minutes of the VIP Tasting Session and the Grand Tasting session. The VIP Tasting is from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. VIPs will enjoy early access to the event, a selection of rare wines not offered during the Grand Tasting, and a more intimate experience with the winemakers and winery representatives. The Grand Tasting will be held from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Heavy hors d'oeuvres and other food will be available. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit harrisburgwinefest.com. A portion of proceeds from the event will benefit Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. Jesse Bongiovi, son of Rock-n-Roll Hall-of-Famer Jon Bon Jovi, who played a key role in the creation of the rose Hampton Water, will greet wine lovers and sign bottles of his family's wine during the event. A New Jersey native, Jesse spent nearly every summer of his youth vacationing with his family in East Hampton, N.Y. His lifelong affection for the Hamptons is what motivated him to create Hampton Water. Jesse and Jon collaborated with French winemaker Gerard Bertrand, and the wine is produced in France's southern Languedoc-Roussillon region. Winemakers of note who will pour their creations at the Harrisburg wine festival include Giorgio Rivetti of La Spinetta; Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard; and Felipe Stahlschmidt of Pascual Toso. Many of the wines featured at the festival have received high scores from notable wine publications. Event attendees are strongly encouraged to plan ahead and consume responsibly. Attendees should create a plan, make a list of the wines they want to try, and designate a sober driver. Designated driver tickets to the festival are available. The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide and licenses more than 20,000 beverage alcohol producers and retailers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups and licensees. Taxes and store profits totaling $16.5 billion since the agency's inception are returned to Pennsylvania's General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania's schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit lcb.pa.gov. MEDIA CONTACT: Shawn M. Kelly, 717.783.8864 SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Related Links http://harrisburgwinefest.com/ The Honorable Shusaku Tatara, Judge in the Chiba District Court of Japan , shared his experience of returning to the bench as an openly gay judge District Court of , shared his experience of returning to the bench as an openly gay judge Natsue Ishida , General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President, Legal & Compliance of UD Trucks Corporation, spoke about initiatives to increase women in STEM and the experience of returnees, who come back to Japan after extended time abroad , General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President, Legal & Compliance of UD Trucks Corporation, spoke about initiatives to increase women in STEM and the experience of returnees, who come back to after extended time abroad Jean-Denis Marx , Partner at Baker & McKenzie, spoke about the differences in response to LGBTQ+, and gender and the structural impediments to increasing diversity , Partner at Baker & McKenzie, spoke about the differences in response to LGBTQ+, and gender and the structural impediments to increasing diversity Christopher Clay , Director, Legal Division of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc., spoke of the fierce global competition for talent and the existential threat facing Japanese companies that do not adopt a culture of inclusion "This was a stellar group of panelists, each of whom fully grasps the importance of diversity and inclusion for continued growth and success in our industry," Mack said. "It was a very impactful session as the personal became professional for the group." ACEDS Vice President, Client Engagement, Kaylee Walstad, CEDS, was honored as conference Global Ambassador for her work promoting the conference and its participants to colleagues and other stakeholders across the community. "I was overwhelmed to receive the award," Walstad said. "Promoting and increasing the awareness of the event was a privilege as I believe it is an incredibly important and timely forum for the legal and technology field." Other speakers at the networking and education event included Dr. Kenzo Fujisue, Japanese parliament; Jason Hsu, the Taiwanese Crypto Congressman; and a conversation-enhancing combination of General Counsels, CEOs, and professionals in forensics, privacy, eDiscovery, and more. ACEDS affiliates OpenText + Catalyst, Thomson Reuters and Relativity were among the conference sponsors and speakers. "The Tokyo Summit fulfills my vision of a world-class educational forum where experts meet, collaborate and engage on cutting-edge topics in critical issues related to cybersecurity, data privacy, informational governance and electronic discovery," said Jonathan Rossi Hiroshi, Tokyo Summit Founder and CEO. "This is just the beginning of something very special. Stay tuned for some big announcements!" Highlights of the event can be accessed via Twitter at @kayleewalstad. About ACEDS The Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), part of leading legal education provider The BARBRI Group, is a global membership association committed to promoting and verifying eDiscovery skills and competence for organizations and individuals through training, certification, and supported by ACEDS chapters around the world. The association's goal is to help professionals and organizations reduce the costs and risks associated with eDiscovery, and realize the advantages of performing it effectively. ACEDS awards the Certified E-Discovery Specialist (CEDS) credential, and the eDEx, the eDiscovery Executive Certificate, held by practitioners at AmLaw 200 firms, government agencies, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and United Nations and some of the largest global corporations in the world. About CJK Global CJK Global is a multi-platform enterprise providing professional services and business-to-business content. Our professional services group deploys expert bilingual teams during the discovery stage of litigation, investigation and transaction based due diligence. The content unit offers exclusively tailored educational summits, in-person interviews & journals. www.CJKGlobal.com About LLM Law Review LLM Law Review is the media and content division of CJK Global. We publish regulatory reports and commentary on technology developments as they relate to big data challenges, cybersecurity, data privacy and other issues that arise in the age of new technologies. SOURCE The Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists SAN FRANCISCO, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Mobility Management (GMM) company Topia today announced major updates across its award-winning suite of HR and employee-facing solutions. The release includes integration between Topia Manage and Topia Go. With the new integration option, HR teams can use Topia Manage to share tasks with an employee at any step in the mobility process, and employees can respond using Topia Go. By integrating Topia Manage with Topia Go, Topia is building a stronger two-way dialogue between HR and the employee. In addition, Topia Go's intuitive City Guides content, which helps employees reach a comfort level with their new location and settle in quickly, now covers more than 200 cities and has a robust neighborhood-level search function for 19 global destination cities. The new release puts greater visibility and control into the hands of relocating employees. The upgraded City Guides are available to all Topia customers, free of charge. Finally, the proprietary tax engine in Topia Plan and Topia Pay has been updated with the addition of two supported countries, Guatemala and Paraguay, as well as enhancements to core tax engine calculations for seamless and accurate reporting. Topia Plan and Topia Pay automate payroll and compensation reporting, allowing users to engage in complex scenario planning across destinations and policies. "Leading organizations like Dell, Schneider Electric, Equinor, AXA and others increasingly understand the central role global mobility plays in executing a successful talent strategy," said Sten Tamkivi, Chief Product Officer. "By integrating our modern mobility tools that companies and employees rely on and expanding our own solution set to extend flexibility, Topia helps organizations achieve success by delivering solutions that provide a seamless, reliable and intuitive experience for both HR teams and employees, regardless of location." Companies with global mobile workforces use Topia Manage to automate workflows, manage policies, generate documents and create reports. With Topia Go, employees can take control of their own relocation experience with data-driven mobile and online tools, including the popular City Guides that give ground-level insights into destination cities. This new release better integrates Topia Manage and Topia Go to capture data and monitor tasks such as document signings to improve engagement. Topia's cloud-based, unified GMM suite provides the most comprehensive solution to help companies create a "frictionless" mobility program that tears down barriers, drives business growth, supports talent acquisition and retention, and fosters diversity and inclusion. With centralized task management, automated workflows, built in mobility calculations, data analytics and accurate cost estimates and reporting, Topia enables more confident decision-making with greater efficiency and compliance. To find out more, please visit www.topia.com Related Resources: "Spring Release 2019" Blog by Sten Tamkivi: https://www.topia.com/blog/a-simple-way-to-generate-returns-on-your-mobility-program-focus-on-employees San Francisco City Guide: https://go-demo.topia.com/guide San Francisco Bay Area Neighborhood Search: https://go-demo.topia.com/neighborhoods/score About Topia Topia, the industry's leading provider of Global Mobility Management software, empowers market-leading enterprises to mobilize global talent and deliver unparalleled employee experiences while allowing organizations to continuously adapt to meet the business needs of tomorrow. With Topia, HR teams can now experience automation of the entire mobility process, from scenario-based planning and compliance risk management to expat payroll, reporting and more. Topia's data-rich, interactive employee application delivers a consumer-grade experience by centralizing relocation-based tasks and data while providing interactive tools to help take the stress out of moving. Topia powers global mobility programs for many of the world's most trusted brands including Schneider Electric, Dell, Veolia, Societe Generale, Equinor, AXA and more. Founded in 2010, Topia has raised over $100M from New Enterprise Associates and Notion Capital and operates headquarters in San Francisco and London with offices throughout the Americas, EMEA and APAC. For more information, go to www.topia.com and follow Topia on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn . MEDIA CONTACT: Kasey Thomas SSPR [email protected] 925-285-6449 SOURCE Topia Related Links http://www.topia.com NASHVILLE, N.C., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With a long-term goal of helping the world to feed 9 plus billion people by the year 2050, Atlantic Natural Foods, LLC (ANF), a leading manufacturer of better-for-you, plant-based, shelf-stable foods, today announced the company will celebrate its own inaugural World TUNO Day on Tuesday, April 30. This date, planned two days ahead of the UN's World Tuna Day (May 2), is a symbolic gesture to encourage consumers to eat more sustainably on April 30 and all year long, bringing awareness to the long-term need to create alternative protein sources while also promoting the health-supporting, life-affirming benefits of plant-based eating while saving our oceans. According to J. Douglas Hines, ANF founder and chairman and a former seafood industry executive with a rich decades-long history in the global tuna industry, seafood is not in endless supply. If the planet's resources are not guarded and supplemented with alternative proteins, future generations will not enjoy simple lifestyle requirements as basic as protein and more importantly we will lose our oceans to continued pollution and overfishing. "We must do something to address the increasing global demand for protein in the coming decades; there is only so much available on the planet," adds Hines. "There will soon not be enough fish to feed the world, so people should be taking broad and swift action now to ensure that 'World Tuna Day' can continue to be a celebration in sustainability in the years to come." The seafood industry is acutely aware of the issues as well. In fact, at the Seafood Futures Forum, taking place at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium on May 8, industry leaders will come together to discuss how they, along with the ocean conservation community, can come together to deliver meaningful change. "Our goal with World TUNO Day is to raise awareness and inspire consumers around the globe to eat more sustainable, plant-based foods on April 30 and beyond. We aim to unite to create a call to action, demanding that we find a solution other than continued talk as has been the status quountil now. It's time we demand action as we want future generations to enjoy healthy, sustainable protein and this is a start," Hines adds. With the commencement of World TUNO Day, the brand is continuing its mission to provide affordable, sustainable and healthy sources for plant-based food for all lifestyles and taste preferences around the globe. Launched in late 2018 under the iconic Loma Linda brand, TUNO, a plant-based canned seafood alternative, offers consumers an ocean safe and mercury-free creation that tastes like real tuna while providing versatility in a more sustainable form. In addition to nearly mimicking the taste and texture of traditional tuna, TUNO offers a near match to conventional tuna's protein and Omega-3 content. As with all Loma Linda offerings, TUNO is shelf-stable, allowing for a bigger impact to feed the world and affect positive change in the future. The expanded view of plant-based eating and consumer adoption toward seafood alternatives is leading the company to tremendous growth. ANF is projected to double its top-line performance to $50 million USD within 2020 as global momentum speaks to significant demand for plant-based meal solutions and concern for a sustainable future. "Our rapid growth is the result of creating products that make a difference for future generations and proves our emergence as a leader in shelf stable plant-based meal solutions," comments Hines. "Through our relentless eye on the world's rapidly growing population, our mission is to become a trusted company in the plant-based protein world while promoting solutions for our planet." TUNO (MSRP $1.49-$1.99), available in easy-open cans and a convenient 3 oz. pouch in flavors like Sriracha, Lemon Pepper, Thai Sweet Chili and Sesame Ginger, is available at retailers across the U.S. and around the globe, including Walmart, Shaw's, Sprouts, Food Lion, Ingles, Jewel, and Meijer in the states, and leading retailers like Cole's in Australia. It will also be on shelf in the United Kingdom as well as 17 other countries soon. TUNO is available at many specialty grocers and online at Amazon and Zulily, with more to come this year. To learn more about Atlantic Natural Foods, please visit www.atlanticnaturalfoods.com, contact the company at (252) 212-9000 x102, email [email protected] or find it on LinkedIn. About Atlantic Natural Foods Headquartered in Nashville, NC, Atlantic Natural Foods is the leading shelf stable manufacturer and provider of Loma Linda, Neat and Kaffree Roma brand products. Its mission is to provide affordable, sustainable and healthy sources of plant-based protein food for all lifestyles and people to live healthier, longer lives. The company operates its own manufacturing facility as well as a joint venture project in Thailand. To learn more about Atlantic Natural Foods, please visit www.atlanticnaturalfoods.com or follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. SOURCE Atlantic Natural Foods, LLC Related Links http://www.atlanticnaturalfoods.com WASHINGTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Chinese Americans (UCA), www.ucausa.org , expresses grave concern for Chinese American scientists, who have been made to feel increased scrutiny and increasing suspicion of their loyalties based on their ethnic background. Last week's news reports on what is likely the first wave of a crack down targeting primarily Chinese American scientists at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston are unsettling, because of the manner in which the investigations were carried out, and the fear they have generated. No scientist has been charged with a federal crime. Yet, reportedly, at least 10 scientists have retired, resigned, been fired or placed on administrative leave, with more parties affected. Fifty-five other NIH-funded institutions are currently carrying out similar investigations in response to U.S. government concerns. UCA is closely monitoring these developments. More broadly, the sharp deterioration in U.S.-China relations of recent years has endangered academic freedom in American universities and research institutions as well as scientific exchanges between the two countries. At the same time, tighter scrutiny and growing distrust of Chinese Americans have had a profoundly adverse effect on this community, who historically has suffered profoundly from the notorious Chinese Exclusion Act and Red Scare. Once again, Chinese American scientists are caught in the crossfire between the two global powers, becoming collateral damage as a result of the charged atmosphere. Chinese American scientists, who have made tremendous contribution to America's scientific progress and technical prowess, are increasingly being questioned, investigated, suspended and even prosecuted. To avoid suspicion or to be able to continue their work, some scholars with Chinese background or ties have been forced to change the direction of their research or the nature of their grant application, or to reduce or end reciprocal scientific collaboration with China. But the vast majority of Chinese American scientists are law-abiding. Some who have been prosecuted with espionage related charges have turned out to be totally innocent. But to this day, their reputations, careers and lives remain in tatters. In many other cases, people have had multiple felony charges leveled against them but at the end, have been convicted of much lesser offenses, e.g., mishandling of data. Ever since 1996, altogether fewer than 200 defendantsabout 31% or 58 of them ethnic Chinese or Chinese Americans have been charged, not all convicted, for trade secret theft, under the Economic Espionage Act. Of those, most were motivated by personal financial gains, not economic espionage carried out in collaboration with a foreign power or with the intent to benefit a foreign government. Let's be clear: American interests and national security, unquestionably, must be protected. Where a few wrongdoers have acted with intentional malice toward our nation, UCA condemns such behavior in the strongest terms and supports vigorous prosecution of them according to the law. To address the current situation, UCA makes the following five appeals: We call on the U.S. higher education and scientific communities to continue to uphold and strengthen scientific collaborations around the world so they may continue to benefit all mankind. We salute the University of California at Berkeley , Stanford University , the University of Michigan and the University of California at Davis for their efforts to uphold these principles and ideals as well as for their civil rights concerns for their faculty members and students, and call on more institutions to follow their example. , , the and the for their efforts to uphold these principles and ideals as well as for their civil rights concerns for their faculty members and students, and call on more institutions to follow their example. We call on Chinese American scientists to continue to carry on the indispensable role they have played in maintaining America's lead position in scientific research and global competitiveness. To this end, we fully endorse the strengthening of compliance efforts and ethical standards guiding scientific research and collaboration. We call on Chinese American scientistsindeed all scientiststo adhere strictly to all applicable laws, regulations and practices, and to cooperate in reporting any breaches to appropriate authorities. We call on Chinese American scientists - indeed, all Chinese Americans - to continue to strengthen U.S.- China people-to-people relations through scientific exchanges and educational efforts rather than retreating. An adversarial U.S.- China relationship is harmful to Chinese Americans, to the United States and China , and to the future of the world. Chinese Americans have a unique role to play as communicators, bridge builders and messengers of peace between the two peoples. people-to-people relations through scientific exchanges and educational efforts rather than retreating. An adversarial U.S.- relationship is harmful to Chinese Americans, to and , and to the future of the world. Chinese Americans have a unique role to play as communicators, bridge builders and messengers of peace between the two peoples. We call on the Chinese government to earnestly protect U.S. intellectual property rights, as American scientists participate in its talent programs and other exchanges, and vigorously strengthen the standardization and transparency of those programs. The Chinese government should also improve its supervision and management of such programs, including sub-national ones, toughen two-way compliance requirements and enhance training to reduce or eliminate doubts and concerns other countries may have about such programs. Finally, we call on U.S. law enforcement agencies to strengthen internal training and safeguards to reduce implicit bias and discrimination, to enhance communication with Chinese American communities and to ensure that the freedom and civil rights of all Chinese Americans are rigorously protected. The United Chinese Americans (UCA) stands at the forefront of safeguarding the rights and interests of Chinese Americans. We will continue to conduct legal awareness education in the Chinese American community, to promote dialogue and communication between the Chinese American community and the FBI, the Justice Department and other government agencies so that Chinese American scientists may lead normal, peaceful and productive lives. UCA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose members across the nation comprise Chinese American immigrants dedicated to contributing to and participating in the full civic life of American society. SOURCE United Chinese Americans (UCA) Related Links https://ucausa.org GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- United Energy Services (UES), an energy sales company, receives yet another honor for its growth and success. The University of Florida has named UES as a 2019 Gator100 companyearning the number six spot on the list. UF's Gator100 recognizes the 100 fastest growing Gator-owned or Gator-led businesses in the world. UES received the honor during the 2019 Gator100 Awards Lunch on Feb. 22, 2019 at UF's J. Wayne Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. The Gator100 is sponsored by the UF Alumni Association, in partnership with the UF Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center. Ernst & Young calculated each company's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past three years to generate the ranking. UES was ranked six out of 100, with a CAGR of 93.21%. "At UES, our growth and success are a direct result of our customers' growth and success. We are honored to be recognized by University of Florida," said Justin Bishop, co-founder and COO of UES. "Some of the best memories I have were while I was in school at UF, and I have always bled orange and blue, so it's very special to me. I am very appreciative to my business partner and our team, who allowed us to earn the number six spot on the Gator 100 list." UES previously earned the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For honor and its position on the 2018 Inc. 5000 list by working closely with its clients to provide them with quality sales acquisition strategies via direct sales, retail and telemarketing. UES continues to add to its existing energy footprint and diversify into new business segments, expanding opportunities for its clients and sales teams. "The Gator100 honors UF alumni from across the university who are founding and growing amazing companies around the country," said Kent Fuchs, president of the University of Florida. "It's an incredible affirmation of the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the Gator Nation." To qualify for the 2019 Gator100, companies must have been in business for five years or longer as of Sept. 28, 2018, and have verifiable annual revenues of $250,000 or more every year since 2015. Additionally, a UF alumnus or alumna must have met one of the following three leadership criteria: Owned 50 percent or more of the company from Jan. 1 , 2015 through Sept. 28, 2018 ; or Served as company's chief executive from Jan. 1 , 2015 through Sept. 28, 2018 ; or Founded the company and been active as a member of the most senior management team from Jan. 1 , 2015 through Sept. 28, 2018 . View the full list of Gator100 honorees at gator100.ufl.edu. Media Inquiries: Gene Rodriguez Miller Rodriguez Miller Communications 317-224-4184 [email protected] About United Energy Services Founded in 2003, with corporate headquarters in Chicago and Gainesville, Florida, United Energy Services (UES) provides consulting, direct marketing, telesales and wholesale services to retail energy providers (REPs), investor-owned utilities, municipalities, cooperatives and other large-use consumers. UES provides access to pricing and market research for more than 50 electricity and natural gas suppliers throughout the world and helps procure the lowest rates possible for businesses of all sizes, both domestically and internationally. For more information about UES, please visit unitedenergyservices.com. Related Files UES Gator100 2019 press release FINAL.docx Related Images united-energy-services.jpg United Energy Services logo SOURCE United Energy Services (UES) KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE: UHS) announced today that its reported net income attributable to UHS was $234.2 million, or $2.57 per diluted share, during the first quarter of 2019 as compared to $223.8 million, or $2.36 per diluted share, during the comparable quarter of 2018. Net revenues increased 4.3% to $2.804 billion during the first quarter of 2019 as compared to $2.688 billion during the first quarter of 2018. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2019, our adjusted net income attributable to UHS, as calculated on the attached Schedule of Non-GAAP Supplemental Information ("Supplemental Schedule"), was $223.3 million, or $2.45 per diluted share, as compared to $232.1 million, or $2.45 per diluted share, during the first quarter of 2018. Included in our reported and our adjusted net income attributable to UHS during the first quarter of 2019, is a pre-tax unrealized loss of $4.3 million, or $.03 per diluted share (included in "Other (income) expense, net"), resulting from a decrease in the market value of shares of certain marketable securities held for investment and classified as available for sale. As reflected on the Supplemental Schedule, included in our reported results during the first quarter of 2019, is a favorable after-tax impact of $10.9 million, or $.12 per diluted share, resulting from our adoption of ASU 2016-09, "Compensation Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2016-09"). As reflected on the Supplemental Schedule, included in our reported results during the first quarter of 2018, is a net aggregate unfavorable after-tax impact of $8.3 million, or $.09 per diluted share, consisting of: (i) an unfavorable after-tax impact of $9.9 million, or $.11 per diluted share, resulting from a $13.0 million pre-tax increase in the reserve established in connection with the discussions with the Department of Justice ("DOJ"), as discussed below, and; (ii) a favorable after-tax impact of $1.6 million, or $.02 per diluted share, resulting from our adoption of ASU 2016-09. As calculated on the attached Supplemental Schedule, our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation & amortization ("EBITDA net of NCI", NCI is net income attributable to noncontrolling interests), was $452.7 million during the first quarter of 2019 as compared to $442.1 million during the first quarter of 2018. Our adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation & amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA net of NCI"), which excludes the impacts of our adoption of ASU 2016-09, other (income) expense, net, as well as the unfavorable impact of the above-mentioned $13.0 million pre-tax increase in the DOJ Reserve recorded during the first quarter of 2018, was $457.2 million during the first quarter of 2019 as compared to $455.1 million during the first quarter of 2018. Acute Care Services Three-month periods ended March 31, 2019 and 2018: During the first quarter of 2019, at our acute care hospitals owned during both periods ("same facility basis"), adjusted admissions (adjusted for outpatient activity) increased 4.9% and adjusted patient days increased 4.4%, as compared to the first quarter of 2018. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission decreased 0.4% while net revenue per adjusted patient day was unchanged during the first quarter of 2019 as compared to the comparable quarter of 2018. Net revenues from our acute care services on a same facility basis increased 4.7% during the first quarter of 2019 as compared to the comparable quarter of the prior year. Behavioral Health Care Services Three-month periods ended March 31, 2019 and 2018: During the first quarter of 2019, at our behavioral health care facilities on a same facility basis, adjusted admissions increased 2.9% while adjusted patient days increased 0.9% as compared to the first quarter of 2018. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission increased 0.4% while net revenue per adjusted patient day increased 2.5% during the first quarter of 2019 as compared to the comparable quarter in 2018. On a same facility basis, our behavioral health care services' net revenues increased 3.0% during the first quarter of 2019 as compared to the first quarter of 2018. Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities and Share Repurchase Program: For the three months ended March 31, 2019, our net cash provided by operating activities was $391 million as compared to $410 million generated during the first quarter of 2018. The net decrease of $19 million was due to: (i) an unfavorable change of $29 million in accounts receivable; (ii) $39 million of other combined net unfavorable changes, partially offset by; (iii) a favorable change of $49 million in other working capital accounts resulting primarily from changes in accounts payable due to timing of disbursements. In conjunction with our January 1, 2019 adoption of ASU 2017-12, "Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities", we have included the net cash inflows or outflows, which were received or paid in connection with foreign exchange contracts that hedge our investment in the U.K., in investing cash flows on the consolidated statements of cash flows. Prior to 2019, these net inflows/outflows were included in operating cash flows. Prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation on the consolidated statements of cash flows included herein. In December of 2018, our Board of Directors authorized a $500 million increase to our stock repurchase program, which increased the aggregate authorization to $1.7 billion from the previous $1.2 billion authorization approved during 2017, 2016 and 2014. Pursuant to this program, we may purchase shares of our Class B Common Stock, from time to time as conditions allow, on the open market or in negotiated private transactions. In conjunction with this program, during the first quarter of 2019, we have repurchased 840,699 shares at an aggregate cost of approximately $106.3 million, (approximately $126 per share). Since inception of the program in 2014 through March 31, 2019, we have repurchased approximately 11.51 million shares at an aggregate cost of approximately $1.34 billion (approximately $117 per share). Conference call information: We will hold a conference call for investors and analysts at 9:00 a.m. eastern time on April 26, 2019. The dial-in number is 1-877-648-7971. A live broadcast of the conference call will be available on our website at www.uhsinc.com. Also, a replay of the call will be available following the conclusion of the live call and will be available for one full year. DOJ Reserve: As previously disclosed, during 2018 and 2017 our financial statements included increases to the reserve established in connection with the civil aspects of the government's investigation of certain of our behavioral health care facilities. The aggregate pre-tax reserve amounted to approximately $123 million as of both March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018. Changes in the reserve may be required in future periods as discussions with the Department of Justice continue and additional information becomes available. We cannot predict the ultimate resolution of this matter and therefore can provide no assurance that final amounts paid in settlement or otherwise, if any, or associated costs, as well as the income tax deductibility of payments, will not differ materially from our established reserve and assumptions related to income tax deductibility. Please see Item 3-Legal Proceedings in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 for additional disclosure in connection with this matter. Adoption of ASU 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842): Amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification": Effective January 1, 2019, we adopted ASU 2016-02 which requires companies to, among other things, recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. As a result of our adoption of ASU 2016-02, our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2019 includes right of use assets-operating leases ($342.0 million) and operating lease liabilities ($56.1 million current and $286.1 million noncurrent). Prior period financial statements were not adjusted for the effects of this new standard. General Information, Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors and Non-GAAP Financial Measures: One of the nation's largest and most respected hospital companies, Universal Health Services, Inc. ("UHS") has built an impressive record of achievement and performance. Growing steadily since our inception into an esteemed Fortune 500 corporation, our annual revenues were $10.77 billion during 2018. In 2019, UHS was again recognized as one of the World's Most Admired Companies by Fortune; in 2018, ranked #268 on the Fortune 500; and in 2017, listed #275 in Forbes inaugural ranking of America's Top 500 Public Companies. Our operating philosophy is as effective today as it was 40 years ago, enabling us to provide compassionate care to our patients and their loved ones: Build or acquire high quality hospitals in rapidly growing markets, invest in the people and equipment needed to allow each facility to thrive, and become the leading healthcare provider in each community we serve. Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, UHS has more than 87,000 employees and through its subsidiaries operates 350 inpatient acute care hospitals and behavioral health facilities and 37 outpatient and other facilities located in 37 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. It acts as the advisor to Universal Health Realty Income Trust, a real estate investment trust (NYSE:UHT). For additional information on the Company, visit our web site: http://www.uhsinc.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current management expectations. Numerous factors, including those disclosed herein, those related to healthcare industry trends and those detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (as set forth in Item 1A-Risk Factors and in Item 7-Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018), may cause the results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Many of the factors that will determine our future results are beyond our capability to control or predict. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and therefore actual results may differ materially. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements which reflect management's view only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. We believe that adjusted net income attributable to UHS, adjusted net income attributable to UHS per diluted share, EBITDA net of NCI and adjusted EBITDA net of NCI, which are non-GAAP financial measures ("GAAP" is Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America), are helpful to our investors as measures of our operating performance. In addition, we believe that, when applicable, comparing and discussing our financial results based on these measures, as calculated, is helpful to our investors since it neutralizes the effect in each year of material items impacting our net income attributable to UHS, such as, changes in the reserve established in connection with our discussions with the Department of Justice, our adoption of ASU 2016-09 and other potential material items that are nonrecurring or non-operational in nature including, but not limited to, impairments of long-lived and intangible assets, reserves for various matters including settlements, legal judgments and lawsuits, costs related to extinguishment of debt, gains/losses on sales of assets and businesses, and other amounts that may be reflected in the current or prior year financial statements that relate to prior periods. To obtain a complete understanding of our financial performance these measures should be examined in connection with net income attributable to UHS, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and as presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in this report or in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. Since the items included or excluded from these measures are significant components in understanding and assessing financial performance under GAAP, these measures should not be considered to be alternatives to net income as a measure of our operating performance or profitability. Since these measures, as presented, are not determined in accordance with GAAP and are thus susceptible to varying calculations, they may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Investors are encouraged to use GAAP measures when evaluating our financial performance. Universal Health Services, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Income (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net revenues $2,804,391 $2,687,516 Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 1,365,546 1,300,148 Other operating expenses 644,780 620,819 Supplies expense 307,463 292,929 Depreciation and amortization 120,040 113,103 Lease and rental expense 26,125 26,703 2,463,954 2,353,702 Income from operations 340,437 333,814 Interest expense, net 39,640 37,576 Other (income) expense, net 4,501 0 Income before income taxes 296,296 296,238 Provision for income taxes 58,898 67,569 Net income 237,398 228,669 Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests ("NCI") 3,230 4,837 Net income attributable to UHS $234,168 $223,832 Basic earnings per share attributable to UHS (a) $2.57 $2.37 Diluted earnings per share attributable to UHS (a) $2.57 $2.36 Universal Health Services, Inc. Footnotes to Consolidated Statements of Income (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three months (a) Earnings per share calculation: ended March 31, 2019 2018 Basic and diluted: Net income attributable to UHS $234,168 $223,832 Less: Net income attributable to unvested restricted share grants (515) (104) Net income attributable to UHS - basic and diluted $233,653 $223,728 Weighted average number of common shares - basic 90,776 94,226 Basic earnings per share attributable to UHS: $2.57 $2.37 Weighted average number of common shares 90,776 94,226 Add: Other share equivalents 191 457 Weighted average number of common shares and equiv. - diluted 90,967 94,683 Diluted earnings per share attributable to UHS: $2.57 $2.36 Universal Health Services, Inc. Schedule of Non-GAAP Supplemental Information ("Supplemental Schedule") For the Three Months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Calculation of Earnings/Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA/Adjusted EBITDA net of NCI") Three months ended % Net Three months ended % Net March 31, 2019 revenues March 31, 2018 revenues Net income attributable to UHS $234,168 $223,832 Depreciation and amortization 120,040 113,103 Interest expense, net 39,640 37,576 Provision for income taxes 58,898 67,569 EBITDA net of NCI $452,746 16.1% $442,080 16.4% Other (income) expense, net 4,501 - Increase in DOJ Reserve - 13,000 Adjusted EBITDA net of NCI $457,247 16.3% $455,080 16.9% Net revenues $2,804,391 $2,687,516 Calculation of Adjusted Net Income Attributable to UHS Three months ended Three months ended March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018 Per Per Amount Diluted Share Amount Diluted Share Net income attributable to UHS $234,168 $2.57 $223,832 $2.36 Plus/minus after-tax adjustments: Increase in DOJ Reserve, after-tax - - 9,911 0.11 Impact of ASU 2016-09 (10,907) (0.12) (1,598) (0.02) Subtotal adjustments (10,907) (0.12) 8,313 0.09 Adjusted net income attributable to UHS $223,261 $2.45 $232,145 $2.45 Universal Health Services, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (in thousands) (unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 Net income $237,398 $228,669 Other comprehensive income (loss): Unrealized derivative gains (losses) on cash flow hedges (2,917) 2,124 Foreign currency translation adjustment (14,262) (4,341) Other 0 2,367 Other comprehensive income (loss) before tax (17,179) 150 Income tax expense (benefit) related to items of other comprehensive income (loss) (2,466) 1,077 Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (14,713) (927) Comprehensive income 222,685 227,742 Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests 3,230 4,837 Comprehensive income attributable to UHS $219,455 $222,905 Universal Health Services, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) (unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2019 2018 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 62,726 $ 105,220 Accounts receivable, net 1,602,405 1,509,909 Supplies 149,928 148,206 Other current assets 145,382 174,467 Total current assets 1,960,441 1,937,802 Property and equipment 8,733,367 8,563,455 Less: accumulated depreciation (3,818,529) (3,715,515) 4,914,838 4,847,940 Other assets: Goodwill 3,856,664 3,844,628 Deferred income taxes 5,350 5,280 Right of use assets-operating leases 342,032 0 Deferred charges 8,207 8,772 Other 633,745 621,058 Total Assets $ 11,721,277 $ 11,265,480 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities: Current maturities of long-term debt $ 71,991 $ 63,446 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 1,355,717 1,253,714 Legal reserves 128,294 129,150 Operating lease liabilities 56,136 0 Federal and state taxes 44,628 2,428 Total current liabilities 1,656,766 1,448,738 Other noncurrent liabilities 364,334 361,809 Operating lease liabilities noncurrent 286,101 0 Long-term debt 3,821,938 3,935,187 Deferred income taxes 35,984 49,661 Redeemable noncontrolling interest 3,843 4,292 UHS common stockholders' equity 5,482,415 5,389,262 Noncontrolling interest 69,896 76,531 Total equity 5,552,311 5,465,793 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 11,721,277 $ 11,265,480 Universal Health Services, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands) (unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Net income $237,398 $228,669 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation & amortization 120,040 113,134 Gain on sale of assets and businesses 0 (703) Stock-based compensation expense 17,591 19,700 Changes in assets & liabilities, net of effects from acquisitions and dispositions: Accounts receivable (101,619) (72,526) Accrued interest (2,687) (6,209) Accrued and deferred income taxes 52,291 61,674 Other working capital accounts 107,878 59,032 Other assets and deferred charges (3,771) (5,438) Other (38,298) 8,211 Accrued insurance expense, net of commercial premiums paid 24,398 23,125 Payments made in settlement of self-insurance claims (22,320) (18,765) Net cash provided by operating activities 390,901 409,904 Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Property and equipment additions, net of disposals (169,848) (189,041) Acquisition of property and businesses 0 (20,931) Inflows (outflows) from foreign exchange contracts that hedge our net U.K. investment 12,895 (45,853) Proceeds received from sales of assets and businesses 0 839 Costs incurred for purchase and implementation of information technology applications (9,678) (8,570) Decrease in capital reserves of commercial insurance subsidiary 0 100 Investment in, and advances to, joint ventures and other (879) (8,675) Net cash used in investing activities (167,510) (272,131) Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Reduction of long-term debt (114,540) (140,676) Additional borrowings 8,700 20,500 Repurchase of common shares (143,785) (9,441) Dividends paid (9,081) (9,422) Issuance of common stock 2,726 2,545 Profit distributions to noncontrolling interests (10,314) (4,217) Net cash used in financing activities (266,294) (140,711) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 794 1,857 Decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (42,109) (1,081) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period 199,685 167,297 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $157,576 $166,216 Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information: Interest paid $41,050 $41,539 Income taxes paid, net of refunds $5,087 $2,749 Noncash purchases of property and equipment $71,987 $84,708 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations $355,981 $0 Universal Health Services, Inc. Supplemental Statistical Information (unaudited) % Change Quarter ended Same Facility: 3/31/2019 Acute Care Hospitals Revenues 4.7% Adjusted Admissions 4.9% Adjusted Patient Days 4.4% Revenue Per Adjusted Admission -0.4% Revenue Per Adjusted Patient Day 0.0% Behavioral Health Hospitals Revenues 3.0% Adjusted Admissions 2.9% Adjusted Patient Days 0.9% Revenue Per Adjusted Admission 0.4% Revenue Per Adjusted Patient Day 2.5% UHS Consolidated First quarter ended 3/31/2019 3/31/2018 Revenues $2,804,391 $2,687,516 EBITDA net of NCI $452,746 $442,080 EBITDA Margin net of NCI 16.1% 16.4% Adjusted EBITDA net of NCI $457,247 $455,080 Adjusted EBITDA Margin net of NCI 16.3% 16.9% Cash Flow From Operations $390,901 $409,904 Days Sales Outstanding 51 53 Capital Expenditures $169,848 $189,041 Debt $3,893,929 $3,921,335 UHS' Shareholders Equity $5,482,415 $5,215,646 Debt / Total Capitalization 41.5% 42.9% Debt / EBITDA net of NCI (1) 2.38 2.32 Debt / Adjusted EBITDA net of NCI (1) 2.21 2.30 Debt / Cash From Operations (1) 3.10 3.36 (1) Latest 4 quarters Universal Health Services, Inc. Acute Care Hospital Services For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands) Same Facility Basis - Acute Care Hospital Services Three months ended Three months ended March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018 Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Net revenues $1,490,862 100.0% $1,423,777 100.0% Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 618,691 41.5% 581,768 40.9% Other operating expenses 331,885 22.3% 308,181 21.6% Supplies expense 257,711 17.3% 243,153 17.1% Depreciation and amortization 74,228 5.0% 72,150 5.1% Lease and rental expense 14,256 1.0% 14,283 1.0% Subtotal-operating expenses 1,296,771 87.0% 1,219,535 85.7% Income from operations 194,091 13.0% 204,242 14.3% Interest expense, net 279 0.0% 531 0.0% Other (income) expense, net - - - - Income before income taxes $193,812 13.0% $203,711 14.3% All Acute Care Hospital Services Three months ended Three months ended March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018 Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Net revenues $1,514,844 100.0% $1,445,632 100.0% Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 619,317 40.9% 581,768 40.2% Other operating expenses 356,231 23.5% 330,036 22.8% Supplies expense 258,144 17.0% 243,153 16.8% Depreciation and amortization 74,361 4.9% 72,150 5.0% Lease and rental expense 14,299 0.9% 14,283 1.0% Subtotal-operating expenses 1,322,352 87.3% 1,241,390 85.9% Income from operations 192,492 12.7% 204,242 14.1% Interest expense, net 279 0.0% 531 0.0% Other (income) expense, net - - - - Income before income taxes $192,213 12.7% $203,711 14.1% We believe that providing our results on a "Same Facility" basis (which is a non-GAAP measure), which includes the operating results for facilities and businesses operated in both the current year and prior year periods, is helpful to our investors as a measure of our operating performance. Our Same Facility results also neutralize (if applicable), the effect of material items that are nonrecurring or non-operational in nature including items such as, but not limited to, reserves for various matters, settlements, legal judgments and lawsuits, cost related to extinguishment of debt, gains/losses on sales of assets and businesses, impairments of long-lived and intangible assets and other amounts that may be reflected in the current or prior year financial statements that relate to prior periods. Our Same Facility basis results exclude from net revenues and other operating expenses, provider tax assessments incurred in each period. However, these provider tax assessments are included in net revenues and other operating expenses as reflected in the table under All Acute Care Hospital Services. The provider tax assessments had no impact on the income before income taxes as reflected on the above tables since the amounts offset between net revenues and other operating expenses. To obtain a complete understanding of our financial performance, the Same Facility results should be examined in connection with our net income as determined in accordance with GAAP and as presented herein and the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as contained in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The All Acute Care Hospital Servicestable summarizes the results of operations for all our acute care operations during the periods presented. These amounts include: (i) our acute care results on a same facility basis, as indicated above; (ii) the impact of provider tax assessments which increased net revenues and other operating expenses but had no impact on income before income taxes, and; (iii) certain other amounts including the results of facilities acquired or opened during the last twelve months. Universal Health Services, Inc. Behavioral Health Care Services For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands) Same Facility - Behavioral Health Care Services Three months ended Three months ended March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018 Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Net revenues $1,241,225 100.0% $1,205,048 100.0% Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 655,586 52.8% 630,831 52.3% Other operating expenses 234,424 18.9% 230,586 19.1% Supplies expense 48,618 3.9% 48,743 4.0% Depreciation and amortization 39,872 3.2% 36,738 3.0% Lease and rental expense 10,917 0.9% 11,696 1.0% Subtotal-operating expenses 989,417 79.7% 958,594 79.5% Income from operations 251,808 20.3% 246,454 20.5% Interest expense, net 375 0.0% 427 0.0% Other (income) expense, net - - - - Income before income taxes $251,433 20.3% $246,027 20.4% All Behavioral Health Care Services Three months ended Three months ended March 31, 2019 March 31, 2018 Amount % of Net Revenues Amount % of Net Revenues Net revenues $1,286,383 100.0% $1,237,996 100.0% Operating charges: Salaries, wages and benefits 675,699 52.5% 642,128 51.9% Other operating expenses 262,137 20.4% 256,402 20.7% Supplies expense 49,131 3.8% 49,536 4.0% Depreciation and amortization 42,552 3.3% 38,454 3.1% Lease and rental expense 11,644 0.9% 12,301 1.0% Subtotal-operating expenses 1,041,163 80.9% 998,821 80.7% Income from operations 245,220 19.1% 239,175 19.3% Interest expense, net 375 0.0% 427 0.0% Other (income) expense, net 677 0.1% - - Income before income taxes 244,168 19.0% 238,748 19.3% We believe that providing our results on a "Same Facility" basis (which is a non-GAAP measure), which includes the operating results for facilities and businesses operated in both the current year and prior year periods, is helpful to our investors as a measure of our operating performance. Our Same Facility results also neutralize (if applicable), the effect of material items that are nonrecurring or non-operational in nature including items such as, but not limited to, reserves for various matters, settlements, legal judgments and lawsuits, cost related to extinguishment of debt, gains/losses on sales of assets and businesses, impairments of long-lived and intangible assets and other amounts that may be reflected in the current or prior year financial statements that relate to prior periods. Our Same Facility basis results exclude from net revenues and other operating expenses, provider tax assessments incurred in each period.However, these provider tax assessments are included in net revenues and other operating expenses as reflected in the table under All Behavioral Health Care Services. The provider tax assessments had no impact on the income before income taxes as reflected on the above tables since the amounts offset between net revenues and other operating expenses. To obtain a complete understanding of our financial performance, the Same Facility results should be examined in connection with our net income as determined in accordance with GAAP and as presented herein and in the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as contained in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The All Behavioral Health Care Servicestable summarizes the results of operations for all our behavioral health care facilities during the periods presented. These amounts include: (i) our behavioral health results on a same facility basis, as indicated above; (ii) the impact of provider tax assessments which increased net revenues and other operating expenses but had no impact on income before income taxes, and; (iii) certain other amounts including the results of facilities acquired or opened during the last twelve months as well as the results of certain facilities that were closed or restructured during the past year. Universal Health Services, Inc. Selected Hospital Statistics For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 AS REPORTED: ACUTE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 3/31/19 3/31/18 % change 3/31/19 3/31/18 % change Hospitals owned and leased 26 26 0.0% 327 300 9.0% Average licensed beds 6,371 6,161 3.4% 23,509 23,240 1.2% Average available beds 6,195 5,985 3.5% 23,425 23,158 1.2% Patient days 369,720 352,818 4.8% 6,418,334 1,581,996 305.7% Average daily census 4,108.0 3,920.2 4.8% 17,584.5 17,577.7 0.0% Occupancy-licensed beds 64.5% 63.6% 1.3% 74.8% 75.6% -1.1% Occupancy-available beds 66.3% 65.5% 1.2% 75.1% 75.9% -1.1% Admissions 80,663 76,643 5.2% 482,658 119,980 302.3% Length of stay 4.6 4.6 -0.4% 13.3 13.2 0.9% Inpatient revenue $7,163,714 $6,361,766 12.6% $2,483,999 $2,402,258 3.4% Outpatient revenue 4,257,614 3,714,661 14.6% 266,546 255,181 4.5% Total patient revenue 11,421,328 10,076,427 13.3% 2,750,545 2,657,439 3.5% Other revenue 109,326 98,187 11.3% 48,599 50,033 -2.9% Gross hospital revenue 11,530,654 10,174,614 13.3% 2,799,144 2,707,472 3.4% Total deductions 10,015,810 8,728,982 14.7% 1,512,761 1,469,476 2.9% Net hospital revenue $1,514,844 $1,445,632 4.8% $1,286,383 $1,237,996 3.9% SAME FACILITY: ACUTE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 3/31/19 3/31/18 % change 3/31/19 3/31/18 % change Hospitals owned and leased 26 26 0.0% 289 289 0.0% Average licensed beds 6,371 6,161 3.4% 22,852 22,571 1.2% Average available beds 6,195 5,985 3.5% 22,752 22,489 1.2% Patient days 369,720 352,818 4.8% 1,570,752 1,557,954 0.8% Average daily census 4,108.0 3,920.2 4.8% 17,452.8 17,310.6 0.8% Occupancy-licensed beds 64.5% 63.6% 1.3% 76.4% 76.7% -0.4% Occupancy-available beds 66.3% 65.5% 1.2% 76.7% 77.0% -0.3% Admissions 80,663 76,643 5.2% 122,169 118,788 2.8% Length of stay 4.6 4.6 -0.4% 12.9 13.1 -2.0% SOURCE Universal Health Services, Inc. Related Links http://www.uhsinc.com RICHMOND, Va., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban Grid, a leading developer of solar projects throughout the United States, is pleased to announce that NextEnergy Capital through their fund NextPower III, has acquired two of our solar development projects, totaling approximately 46MWp/34MWac, in Henrico County and Westmoreland County, VA. The two solar projects, Briel Farm Solar (28MWp/20MWac) and Gardy's Mill Solar (18MWp/14MWac), will cover approximately 300 acres and generate electricity equivalent to the consumption of 9,785 homes. These two projects represent NextEnergy Capital's first utility-scale solar venture in the United States for their new fund, NextPower III. The estimated $40m construction cost of the two projects will generate over 120 jobs. Construction will commence immediately with the projects expected to reach commercial operation by March 2020. The solar projects will provide direct and indirect economic benefits to the Commonwealth of Virginia of approximately $21m and will offset approximately 123,706,737 pounds of CO 2 annually. Frank DePew, President of Urban Grid commented "Urban Grid is excited to announce the acquisitions of these two projects by NextEnergy. Our team members successfully partnered previously with NextEnergy on several solar projects in the UK and we are pleased to continue that relationship with the sale of Briel Farm Solar and Gardy's Mill Solar, facilitating NextEnergy's expansion into the US market. Urban Grid looks forward to continuing to bring exceptional development projects and economic benefits to the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are grateful to the many individuals that made these projects possible, especially those at Henrico County and Westmoreland County for their support and cooperation throughout the development process." Michael Bonte-Friedheim, CEO and Founding Partner of NextEnergy Capital highlighted "We are very pleased to announce NextPower III's first investments in the US solar market, where we expect to grow significantly in short order. We are also looking forward to strengthening the partnership with Urban Grid and developing our relationships within the local communities and institutions. Our track record of fostering mutually beneficial relationships in the communities in which we operate is something we are particularly proud of." About Urban Grid Urban Grid is a leading developer of utility-scale solar power plants. Founded in Richmond, Virginia, in 2011, with offices in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland, Urban Grid has completed the development of approximately 646 MWp of solar projects and currently has more than 5,600 MWp of solar projects under development. Our team has a proven track record of delivering solar energy solutions for corporate, utility, and municipal clients to meet their sustainability and renewable energy goals. www.urbangridco.com About NextEnergy Capital NextEnergy Capital ("NEC") Group is one of the leading international investment and asset managers focused on the solar sector. Founded in 2007, NEC has over 140 employees across five offices, including London, Milan, Hyderabad, Luxembourg and Guernsey. Since inception it has acquired over 150 solar assets and NextEnergy Capital Limited currently manages c.$1.5 billion worth of solar investments. NextPower III is a private equity fund established to invest in the international solar sector, specifically to fund the construction and long-term ownership of solar power plants. NextPower III's target markets comprise mainly OECD and OECD Key Partner countries. It has initial commitments of c.US$160m, secured at its first close in November 2018, and a target size of US$750m. In the UK, the NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is the largest listed solar infrastructure company in Europe. It has invested over 894 million into operating solar assets, amassing a portfolio of 87 operational sites, with a total capacity of 691MW. Of the 87 sites, 7 are in Italy and there are 3 portfolios of UK rooftop assets. SOURCE Urban Grid Related Links urbangridco.com CHARLESTOWN, Mass., April 25, 2019 The USS Constitution Museum has appointed Edward D. Sevilla to the new position of Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer. Sevilla joins the Museum from the leading national philanthropy consulting firm Grenzebach Glier + Associates (GG+A), where he served as Senior Vice President and a member of the leadership team. He has extensive experience in fundraising and marketing communications. His clients at GG+A included arts and culture organizations such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, New England Conservatory of Music, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Museum Kunst der Westkuste in Germany. He has worked on capital campaigns whose goals ranged up to $3 billion for education clients such as Dartmouth College, McGill University, the University of Rochester and Vanderbilt University. "We are delighted to welcome Ed to the USS Constitution Museum," said Anne Grimes Rand, President. "His depth and breadth of experience in fundraising and marketing brings energy and continued momentum to our plans for a more dynamic visitor experience in the Navy Yard with memorable moments for all ages." "I am honored by the opportunity to serve the USS Constitution Museum at this exciting time," said Sevilla. "The stories of innovation, teamwork, and perseverance that 'Old Ironsides' can tell are as relevant today as they were during its early triumphs in the War of 1812. I look forward to helping the Museum grow in the years ahead." "The USS Constitution Museum has an important public mission," said Paul George, the Chairman of the Board. "We engage all ages in the story of 'Old Ironsides' to spark excitement about maritime heritage, naval service, and the American experience. Ed's extensive strategic marketing and fundraising experience together with his appreciation of U.S. history makes him a great addition to the Museum's management team as it plans exciting new exhibits and programs." Sevilla holds a BA in U.S. history from Yale University and an MBA in marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Earlier in his career, he served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in Hong Kong. USS Constitution visited Macao, across the harbor from Hong Kong, during its world tour in 1844-6. USS Constitution, launched in 1797 and named by President George Washington after the nation's founding document, is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. The USS Constitution Museum is a 501(c) (3) non-profit museum and a proud partner of the U.S. Navy and the National Park Service. Located in the historic Charlestown Navy Yard, adjacent to the ship, the Museum hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year who delight in its educational and interactive exhibits. Contact: Ed Sevilla Chief Development Officer [email protected] 617-426-1812 ext. 122 SOURCE USS Constitution Museum Related Links https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org WASHINGTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2019/Viessmann-Recalls-Boilers-Due-to-Carbon-Monoxide-Hazard Recall Summary Name of Product: Vitodens boilers Hazard: The boiler heat exchanger back plate can corrode and leak flue gases, allowing the boiler to emit excessive amounts of carbon monoxide, posing a CO poisoning hazard to consumers. Remedy: Repair Consumers with recalled boilers should immediately contact the installer or distributor from whom they purchased the boiler or Viessmann to schedule a free in-home safety inspection and repair. Consumers who continue the use of the boilers while awaiting repair, should have a working carbon monoxide alarm installed outside of sleeping areas in the home. Consumer Contact: Viessmann at 800-288-0667 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, by email [email protected] or online at www.viessmann.com and click on "Important Notice" located in the middle of the homepage for more information. Recall Details Units: About 2,900 (in addition, about 1,400 were sold in Canada) Description: This recall involves the Vitodens 200-W and Vitodens 222-F series boilers used for space or domestic water heating. There are five affected models in a specific serial number range. The Vitodens 200-W is a wall hung unit, housed in a white metal box about 38 inches high and 18 inches wide. The Vitodens 222-F is a floor mounted unit, housed in a white metal box about 68 inches tall and 24 inches wide. The name "Vitodens" is printed on the label on the outside of the boiler box. The product name and model number can be found on the left side of the boiler cover. The serial number can be found on the underside of the wall mounted boiler and on the center section on the floor mount model. Product Model Part Number Serial Number Range Vitodens 200-W B2HB 19 7538092 7538092401003107 to 7538092701038106 B2HB 26 7538093 7538093401002107 to 7538093701177109 B2HB 35 7538094 7538094401003101 to 7538094701446103 Vitodens 222-F B2TB 19 7542250 7542250401001100 to 7542250401210106 B2TB 35 7542251 7542251401001107 to 7542251701257105 Incidents/Injuries: None reported Sold at: Viessmann Authorized Dealers from September 2014 through October 2018 for between $2,700 and $4,200. Importer/Distributor: Viessmann Manufacturing Company (U.S.) Inc., of Warwick, R.I. Manufacturer: Viessmann Werke GmbH & Co KG, of Germany Manufactured in: Germany Health Canada's press release is available at: https://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2019/69606r-eng.php This recall was conducted voluntarily by the company under CPSC's Fast Track Recall process. Fast Track recalls are initiated by firms who commit to work with CPSC to quickly announce the recall and remedy to protect consumers. About U.S. CPSC: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years. Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission. For more lifesaving information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC or sign up to receive our e-mail alerts. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. CPSC Consumer Information Hotline Contact us at this toll-free number if you have questions about a recall: 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054) Times: 8 a.m. 5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime Call to get product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe products. Media Contact Please use the phone numbers below for all media requests. Phone: 301-504-7908 Spanish: 301-504-7800 Release Number: 19-111 SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Related Links http://www.cpsc.gov MINNEAPOLIS, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vireo Health International, Inc. ("Vireo" or the "Company") (CSE: VREO), a leading science-focused, multi-state cannabis company, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") has issued a Notice of Allowance for its patent application titled, "Tobacco Products with Cannabinoid Additives and Methods for Reducing the Harm Associated with Tobacco Use." "This patent is a component of our strategy to disrupt the tobacco industry and help save lives," said Chief Executive Officer, Kyle Kingsley, M.D. "As a physician, I am passionate about finding ways to use cannabis to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco. We look forward to collaborating with research institutions and tobacco companies committed to developing less harmful tobacco products." Vireo's allowed patent application covers cannabis-based additives that can be formulated into tobacco products to reduce the harm associated with tobacco use. This novel application of cannabis covers the use of one or more carefully formulated cannabinoids as harm reducing agents in tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and smokeless tobacco products. A Notice of Allowance is issued after the USPTO determines that a patent can be granted from the application, which was filed in March 2017. Potential benefits associated with cannabinoid additives in tobacco products include the reduction of irritation, inflammation, and carcinogenicity. According to a 2016 study, scientific evidence supports that cannabinoids may have substantial anti-cancer effects. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention report that the use of tobacco is not only the leading cause of preventable disease in the U.S., but also imposes significant economic costs. Specifically, smoking-related illness in the United States costs more than $300 billion a year, including nearly $170 billion in direct medical care for adults. In 2017, an estimated 14.0% (34.3 million) of U.S. adults were cigarette smokers. About Vireo Health International, Inc. Vireo Health International, Inc.'s mission is to build the cannabis company of the future by bringing the best of medicine, engineering and science to the cannabis industry. Vireo's physician-led team of more than 300 employees provides best-in-class cannabis products and customer experience. Vireo cultivates cannabis in environmentally-friendly greenhouses, manufactures pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extracts, and sells its products at both company-owned and third-party dispensaries. The Company currently has operations in ten states including Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. For more information about the company, please visit www.vireohealth.com. Contact Information Investor Inquiries Sam Gibbons Vice President, Investor Relations [email protected] (612) 314-8995 Media Inquiries Albe Zakes Vice President, Corporate Communications [email protected] (267) 221-4800 This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities 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 state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Forward-Looking Statement Disclosure This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, based on current expectations. Generally, any statements that are not historical facts may contain forward-looking information, and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "look forward to", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "will continue", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or indicates that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "potentially", "might" or "will be" taken, "occur" or "be achieved." Forward looking information may include, without limitation, statements regarding the operations, business, financial condition, expected financial results, performance, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, ongoing objectives, milestones, strategies and outlook of Vireo, and includes statements about, among other things, future developments, the future operations, potential market opportunities, strengths and strategy of the Company. Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are based upon certain material factors, assumptions and analyses that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including Vireo's experience and perceptions of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that are believed to be reasonable in the circumstances. Examples of the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to those related to: the achievement of goals, the closing of acquisitions, obtaining of necessary permits and governmental approvals, future market positioning, as well as expectations regarding availability of equipment, skilled labor and services needed for cannabis operations, intellectual property rights, development, operating or regulatory risks, trends and developments in the cannabis industry, business strategy and outlook, expansion and growth of business and operations, the timing and amount of capital expenditures; future exchange rates; the impact of increasing competition; conditions in general economic and financial markets; access to capital; future operating costs; government regulations, including future legislative and regulatory developments involving medical and recreational marijuana and the timing thereto; receipt of appropriate and necessary licenses in a timely manner; the effects of regulation by governmental agencies; the anticipated changes to laws regarding the recreational use of cannabis; the demand for cannabis products and corresponding forecasted increase in revenues; and the size of the medical marijuana market and the recreational marijuana market. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions at the date such statements are made, there can be no assurance that it will be completed on the terms described above and that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information. Vireo assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by applicable law. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to risks and uncertainties, and there are a variety of material factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company and that may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: denial or delayed receipt of all necessary consents and approvals; need for additional capital expenditures; increased costs and timing of operations; unexpected costs associated with environmental liabilities; requirements for additional capital; reduced future prices of cannabis; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the cannabis industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; title disputes; claims limitations on insurance coverage; risks related to the integration of acquisitions; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of certain commodities (such as diesel fuel and electricity); changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in the countries where the Company may carry on business in the future; liabilities inherent in cannabis operations; risks relating to medical and recreational cannabis; cultivation, extraction and distribution problems; competition for, among other things, capital, licences and skilled personnel; risks relating to the timing of legalization of recreational cannabis; changes in laws relating to the cannabis industry; and management's success in anticipating and managing the foregoing factors. SOURCE Vireo Health, Inc. Related Links http://www.vireohealth.com BOSTON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- We've talked about the mindset, now it's time to change the ground reality for women entrepreneurs. Weforshe Fund, based in Boston, MA, starts a global initiative aimed at closing the gender gap in startup funding, will host its first ever Weforshe US summit on September 7th and 8th, 2019. Visit www.weforshesummit.com Weforshe Summit, the brain child of three entrepreneurs, Devika Majumder, Brian Schulman, and Ai Addyson-Zhang, their mission is to create a global entrepreneurial ecosystem where women flourish at entrepreneurship, where she is only limited by her imagination and little else. The current system of startup funding puts women entrepreneurs at a clear disadvantage. 2018 has seen only 2% of VC funding go to female founders. Last year, the largest VC deal for a female team was $165 million a stark contrast to that for males, which was $3 billion. "We're here to change that," says Devika Majumder, a serial entrepreneur & Founder, Weforshe Fund and Co-founder Weforshe Summit. "Women being underrepresented among the ranks of entrepreneurs, is not just a gender or a fairness issue it is an issue of economic growth. WEFORSHE summit is being organized to be a true disruptor by facilitating and fostering this much needed change globally." Being a father to a beautiful millennial daughter, Brian Schulman, Co-founder, Weforshe Summit and LinkedIn Top Voice 2018, says "We see this as a great step towards closing the gender gap. I want to ensure that I do my bit so she gets the same opportunities as my son. A truly equal world is a better world. " "She may be a pampered daughter, an adored daughter-in-law, a mother, or wife of a Richie rich, but the moment she joins the guerilla warfare of entrepreneurship, she, in most of the cases, will be the underdog and at every step, her commitment will be put to acid test," explains Ai Addyson-Zhang, a professor turned entrepreneur & Co-founder, Weforshe Summit. "Access to capital means better odds for your business. Our thrust, therefore, is to create a corpus so that aspiring women entrepreneurs can access capital, when they need it the most," explains Ai. Weforshe Summit brings together changemakers who will inspire transformation. "It's a defining moment, and we think the timing is appropriate to have investors and entrepreneurs in the same room and address REAL issues, so we have actionable takeways," says Schulman. So YES! 'WE come together so 'SHE' can fly," adds Devika. For more information on Weforshe Fund, please visit https://weforshefund.org/ Be our summit partner and echo the message YOU are for SHE! More details at: http://weforshesummit.com/ PR contact: USA: 617-615-6023 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Weforshe Fund | Weforshe Summit Related Links http://weforshesummit.com NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Paramount Realty USA, today announced a rare sealed bid auction for a Diplomatic property, owned by the Consul of the Republic of the Seychelles Justin Etzin. The estate is in North Castle in Westchester, NY and will hit the auction block on June 13. Justin Etzin Westchester Estate just 35 minutes from New York City Ambassador Justin Etzin & his Maxim model wife Lana Zakocela Originally part of the 43-acre estate of the Straus familythe family that purchased Macy's department stores in 1895 the property was sold in the 1980's to the Hearst family, known for building the country's largest newspaper chain and media company. In 2016, the Consulate of the Republic of the Seychelles purchased the property from the Hearsts to serve as the family home of its Consul General, international businessman and socialite, Justin Etzin. However, after the diplomat's divorce from Maxim cover model Lana Zakocela, the decision was made to sell the property by auction to ensure a timely sale. The Diplomatic property will be auctioned June 13 by Paramount Realty USA subject to a minimum of only $2,500,000, representing a discount of over 60% off its recent listing price of $6,750,000. "We are pleased to present for auction 1503 Old Orchard Street in North Castle. Rarely does a property so rich in history, and with so many potential uses, become available for sale by auction," said Misha Haghani, owner of Paramount Realty USA. "A developer or end-user purchaser may choose to gut-renovate or demolish the main house, sub-divide the property into 3-6 individual lots, or renovate it as a school, religious compound, or other facility," said Haghani. The private 7.9-acre estate, surrounded by 490 acres of conservation land and 40 minutes by train to Grand Central, features a 13,721 square foot, 8-bedroom, 10-bathroom main house, a 1,300 square foot log cabin, guest cottages, original stables, custodian's house, and a parking garageall in need of a full, gut-renovation. The property features Quarry Lake, a deep, spring-fed lake. Ground has been dug out next to the main house for a 60' infinity pool overlooking the cliff above the lake. Much of the surrounding land has been donated or purchased by New York State's Department of Environmental Protection and New York City's Bureau of Water Supply, and includes Cranberry Lakes Preserve. During the 1990's, A.B.W. Investors planned to build a private club on the property and finance it by bottling 100,000 gallons of water a day from Quarry Lake, a 19th century granite quarry that shares a riparian area with Cranberry Lake Preserve and further to the Kensico Reservoir. The plans faltered because of protests from the community, Quarry Lake remains an unadulterated spring for fresh water. After the 2000 death of Randolph Hearst, the last surviving son of legendary Publisher William Randolph Hearst, his wife, Veronica, sold 37.25 acres for $5.3 million in 2002 to the City of New York, Bureau of Water Supply. This house was her primary residence until Seychelles bought it. In January 2016, Mrs. Hearst sold the property to the Seychelles Consulate, partially gifting it, at just over $2.22 million. Three years later, the decision to sell by auction comes after the Consul General's divorce. Their wedding was a 3-day event in Florence, Italy, which cost over $1 million and included celebrity guests and performances by Cirque du Soleil. Regarding the sale, Etzin said "the property has tremendous potential. It no longer suits our purposes but it's tantamount to owning a French chateauonly it's just outside Manhattan." To bid, register at www.prusa.com in advance of the auction or call (212) 867-3333. Media contact: PRUSA (212) 867-3333 SOURCE Paramount Realty FORT WORTH, Texas, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- WGU Texas, and Tarrant County College District (TCCD) announced today the signing of an agreement that creates pathways for students, employees and graduates to work toward a bachelor's or master's degree and further their education at WGU Texas. "Thanks to this new transfer option, TCC students now have a seamless, cost-effective pathway to earn a bachelor's degree through WGU Texas and enter the workforce," said TCC Chancellor Eugene Giovannini. "WGU has an ongoing commitment to excellence that is imperative to our students, including efficient course alignment between the two institutions." TCCD graduates, faculty and staff will receive a 5% discounted tuition at WGU Texas, exclusive partner scholarships, valued at up to $2,000, and can select from more than 60 accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs in information technology, business, health professions and teaching. Students transferring from TCCD can expect a comprehensive transfer policy. Information about WGU Texas' community college partnerships and scholarship opportunities is available at texas.wgu.edu/cc. "WGU Texas is thrilled to expand its presence in Tarrant County by providing more TCCD students a seamless pathway to completing their bachelor's degree and preparing them to enter some of the state's most in-demand careers," said Dr. Steven Johnson, Chancellor, WGU Texas. "Our goal for this partnership is a smooth transition into our programs and that all students will receive one-on-one guidance and support throughout their educational journey." WGU Texas' current enrollment is more than 12,250 students, Johnson said. He added that more than 1,200 of those students are from Tarrant County, with students enrolled in 233 of the state's 254 counties. About WGU Texas WGU Texas is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Texans' access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Texas and nationally-recognized Western Governors University, WGU Texas is open to all qualified Texas residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. In 2018, WGU Texas awarded degrees to 2,445 students across the state. Since the university's launch in 2011, more than 10,000 graduates have earned their undergraduate or graduate degrees through a variety of academic offerings. About Tarrant County College District Serving more than 100,000 students each year, Tarrant County College is one of the 20 largest higher education institutions in the United States. The two-year college offers a wide range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds, including traditional programs, such as Associate of Arts degrees, Community & Industry Education courses, workshops and customized training programs. The College has six campuses throughout Tarrant County, including TCC Connect that provides flexibility with e-Learning and Weekend College. TCC also assists employers in training their workforces with its TCC Opportunity Center. Follow WGU Texas: https://www.facebook.com/WGUTexas http://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-university http://twitter.com/wgutexas Contact for media inquiries: Contact for enrollment information: Kathy Koza, PR Manager 877.214.7011 512.225.6644 or 214.674.8057 (c) texas.wgu.edu [email protected] SOURCE WGU Texas PALO ALTO, Calif., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, announced today that Nikolaos Theodorakis has joined the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice as Of Counsel in the Brussels office. Theodorakis' practice focuses on matters of EU data protection law, GDPR compliance, cybersecurity preparedness, advertising, and marketing, and includes both non-contentious matters and investigations with supervisory authorities. He represents multinational companies across a wide range of industries, including technology, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, food and beverage, insurance, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and automotive. Theodorakis also works with start-ups and established companies in the EMEA region, and, in particular, Greece and Cyprus. Having advised on a broad spectrum of corporate matters, he has developed an expert insight into the increasing interplay between data protection, financial services (PSD2), competition law, and international trade law. He is at the forefront of advising on emerging privacy challenges on matters of AI, biotech, fintech, and blockchain. "Nikolaos has substantial experience in areas of priority to the firm's clients, especially those that must take steps to comply with the GDPR and EU data protection laws," said Jan Dhont, a partner based in WSGR's Brussels office who previously worked with Theodorakis and also joined the firm recently. "As another new member of our firm's EU teamwhich is already among the largest and most sophisticated in and around BrusselsNikolaos adds to our capacity to advise companies of all sizes on complex privacy and cybersecurity issues, and we also look forward to him extending our reach into markets like Greece and Cyprus," added Cedric Burton, global co-chair of the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice. Theodorakis is also an associate professor of law at the University of Oxford and a fellow at Stanford Law School, focusing on technology and intellectual property issues. Previously, he taught and conducted research at the University of Cambridge, Harvard Law School, and Columbia Law School. He has been widely published and frequently receives invitations for public engagements, including guest lectures across the world, international symposia, and TEDx conferences. Prior to joining the firm, Theodorakis was counsel in the Brussels office of Alston and Bird LLP. He also worked as an associate in the Brussels office of Sidley Austin LLP. Theodorakis earned a PG.C. at University of Oxford; Ph.D. at University of Cambridge; PON at Harvard Law School; LL.M. at University College London; M.Phil. at University of Cambridge; and J.D. at University of Athens. He is fluent in English, Greek, and French. Theodorakis is the fourth senior-level attorney to join the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice in recent months. In January 2019, Jan Dhont joined WSGR's Brussels office as a partner, in December 2018, Allison Bender joined WSGR's Washington, D.C., office as Of Counsel, and in October 2018, Lore Leitner joined WSGR's London office as Of Counsel. In addition, as of February 1, 2019, the firm's privacy and cybersecurity practice includes two more partners, Beth George and Matt Staples, who focus on cybersecurity and transactional privacy, respectively. Both were elected partner in December 2018. About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati For more than 50 years, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offered a broad range of services and legal disciplines focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; London; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com. SOURCE Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Related Links http://www.wsgr.com CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- XcooBee, the Privacy Network, announced today the launch of five WordPress plugins engineered specifically to bring easy operational GDPR compliance and privacy workflows to small and midsize business. Automate WordPress Subject Access Requests Wordpress Plugins Overview XcooBee was formed with the mission to protect the digital rights and privacy of consumers and businesses alike. After researching the current ecosystem of WordPress, the XcooBee team found that a) WordPress is the dominant CMS system with nearly 60% market share, b) it is easy to construct man in the middle (MITM) attacks against these sites, and c) comprehensive and inexpensive tools are lacking. "We could not find a best-practice vetted, coherent and properly functioning privacy and security toolset," explains XcooBee founder and Chief Worker Bee, Bilal Soylu. "We noticed a big contrast. Large businesses had nearly limitless resources to implement GDPR processes, while small businesses were left to their own devices to patch together solutions." As a result, the XcooBee team created a comprehensive set of tools that covers the most common GDPR scenarios in a best practices fashion. "We enhance, secure, and automate anything from Cookie presentation to Subject Access Request (SARs) to large document acceptance, while providing proper tracking and reporting," added Soylu. He continued, "Linking the XcooBee Privacy Network with users' WordPress sites elevates these sites into privacy and security powerhouses without the need to spend millions." XcooBee is also partnering with deliverypath, a concierge WordPress host that can provide guided privacy recommendations to its customers. According to Soylu, "To truly assist WordPress customers, the next level is to have a conversation about the privacy processes and individually adjust the tools to customers' circumstances." Ben Wilson, CEO of deliverypath, adds, "Large WordPress hosting providers like Bluehost, HostGator, or Ionos, cannot dedicate any manpower to properly educate their customers about privacy. Privacy is not just a technology issue though, people also need to rethink their processes. We truly guide our customers to educate them and reduce their technology burden." XcooBee is looking to partner with more boutique and concierge hosts like deliverypath to bring privacy and security improvements to small and midsize businesses. All XcooBee plugins can be downloaded for free from WordPress.org and many can be used without any subscription. To access advanced features like securely handling password recovery, responding to SARs, or accepting large documents, a professional subscription is recommended. The XcooBee Privacy Network is pioneering a new era in privacy by challenging business models powered by people giving away their privacy. XcooBee provides a collection of tools to address privacy issues from secure file sharing, to consent management, to collecting and managing personally identifiable information (PII) data. XcooBee also provides peace of mind to businesses looking to comply with new privacy rules, such as GDPR in Europe. As more countries adopt laws to protect their citizens' privacy, using products like XcooBee will become a competitive advantage. To learn more about XcooBee's Privacy Network please visit www.xcoobee.com . Media Contact: Andrea Smith (678) 809-1698 [email protected] SOURCE XcooBee LLC Related Links http://www.xcoobee.com Nitro Circus ringleader Travis Pastrana and fellow Nitro Circus member Blake "Bilko" Williams, both Team Yokohama members and the winners of last year's Stock Touring division in a Subaru WRX STI, are back againwith a twist. This time, instead of being teammates, Pastrana and Williams are taking each other on in the eight-day, 3,379-mile race. "Travis and Bilko are both super competitors so I'm sure they'll put on a show in this classic race," said Fardad Niknam, Yokohama's senior director of consumer product planning and product marketing. "They'll be on the new ADVAN A052 tires for One Lap 2019, so it'll be interesting to see who comes out on top." "The WRX STI Type RA was designed to be track-ready without sacrificing comfort for the street," said William Stokes, Motorsports Manager for Subaru of America. "With One Lap demanding both serious track performance and long-distance highway driving, Travis and Bilko will definitely be putting their cars to the test." "Last year's One Lap event was a blast," Pastrana said. "Bilko and I got a chance to experience the event and push the Subaru WRX STI and Yokohama tires to the limits. We decided at the end of last year's event that we had to do it againbut on different teams! This year is going to be even better." Pastrana is ready. His co-driver this time is author and former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. "I'm going with the 'Lone Survivor,'" he said. "He's mentally tough and has experience behind the wheel." Williams is going with his friend, Nitro Circus athlete and X Games gold medalist, Josh "Sheeny" Sheehan. "Last year was such an awesome time," said Williams. "I had a blast battling with the competition and also the on-going rivalry with Travis. I can't thank Yokohama, Nitro Circus and Subaru Motorsports USA enough for the support, and the crew from One Lap for putting on such a rad event!" Pastrana and Williams' exploits will be posted at www.instagram.com/yokohamatire. One Lap of America started in the early 1970s when auto journalist Brock Yates created the now infamous Cannonball Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash a flat out, no-holds-barred race from New York City to Redondo Beach, California. In 1992, Yates configured the Cannonball One Lap of America into the format it uses today: nearly 24 hours a day of driving with competitions taking place as time trials on race tracks throughout the country. For details on One Lap of America, visit http://www.onelapofamerica.com/. In addition to One Lap of America, the ongoing partnership between Yokohama Tire and Subaru of America includes support of Subaru Motorsports USA in American Rally Association competition. Following the conclusion of One Lap, Travis Pastrana will return to his WRX STI rally car also wearing Yokohama tires - for the first time in 2019 at the upcoming Oregon Trail Rally. About Yokohama Tire Corporation Celebrating its 50th year in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing an extensive sales network throughout the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company's complete product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama's broad product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com, www.yokohamatruck.com or www.yokohamaotr.com. Connect with Yokohama Tire Corporation: www.facebook.com/yokohamatire www.twitter.com/yokohamatc www.youtube.com/user/yokohamamotorsports www.instagram.com/yokohamatire Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the "Tire Care & Safety" section at www.yokohamatire.com. About Subaru Motorsports USA Subaru Motorsports USA is managed by Vermont SportsCar and proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Yokohama Tires, Method Race Wheels, DirtFish Rally School, and KUHL. Follow the team online at www.subaru.com/rally. Follow Subaru Motorsports USA on Facebook, on Instagram @subarumotorsportsusa, and on Twitter @subarums_usa. About Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $145 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. William Stokes Motorsports Manager Subaru of America, Inc. (856) 488-8578 [email protected] Dominick Infante Director, Corporate Communications Subaru of America, Inc. (856) 488-8615 [email protected] SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc. Related Links http://www.subaru.com FRASER, Mich., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- zipLogix, the industry leader in transaction management software and creators of zipForm, today announced it will kick off its free webcast series with its first installment featuring special guests Nobu Hata, Director of Industry Outreach for the National Association of REALTORS, and Shay Hata, top-producing REALTOR with Berkshire Hathaway. Their one-hour webcast will begin on Tuesday, April 30th at 4 p.m. EDT. The remainder of the zipLogix Webcast Series will span the course of 2019. Attendees of this can't-miss event will learn 10 high-tech and high-touch marketing and client relations tips that actually work, plus the data behind why they do. Nobu and Shay will share proven techniques for seeing past the hype and focusing on what actually matters to achieve a future-proof and scalable business. Space is limited for this highly anticipated webcast, so early registration is encouraged. Click here to reserve your spot today and watch for an upcoming zipLogix announcement on the next installment in the series. Visit www.ziplogix.com for more information about the entire suite of technology products available for agents, brokerages, Associations and MLSs looking to gain a competitive edge over the competition. About Nobu Hata Nobu is the Director of Industry Outreach for the National Association of REALTORS. A former top producing REALTOR, Nobu specializes in helping members, brokers and Association executives integrate new school techniques into their practices to reduce friction for members, buyers and sellers; increase productivity; and earn trust and business in the real estate world. About Shay Hata Shay is an Ivy League grad and residential REALTOR in Chicago, IL. with Berkshire Hathaway. She serves clients from $100K to $5M and treats all of them like VIPs, no matter the price point. Shay is also a Certified Residential Specialist and national real estate speaker. As a mom and animal lover, Shay is passionate about animal rescue as well as making sure every child has access to a quality education, which is why she donates a portion of each commission to local animal rescue groups and schools. Fraser, Mich.-based zipLogix, creators of zipForm, is a technology company created by, owned by and working for REALTORS to improve productivity and efficiency industry wide. Its transaction management software, which includes zipForm Plus, zipTMS and zipVault, automates and simplifies the repetitive and complex steps of real estate transactions, and is available as a National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Transaction Management Benefit to more than 1.3 million REALTORS nationwide. SOURCE zipLogix Related Links http://www.ziplogix.com New Delhi, April 25 : Mini Mathur says she was very keen on building her proficiency as a TV host but will hate to play an anchor in films. The former MTV VJ has hosted many shows, including the popular singing-based reality show "Indian Idol". She loves anchoring but when it comes to acting in films, she wants to take up different roles. "I hate to play an anchor and I dislike the fact that people assume that because I am an anchor, I would only like to play the role of an anchor in a film. Give me different roles," Mini told IANS in an email interview. "Kabir and I have a pact that we keep our personal and professional lives separate. I told him that people will accuse him of casting his wife and they would assume that I have no work and that is why I am doing his films," she added. He is a busy filmmaker and she is a busy TV host. "We love our professional space while we also love our individual lives. We are both very ambitious for each other and we are both each other's sounding board. He knows everything that I do, I know every single word that's in his script and what's happening at any given point. "As far as acting in his film, I'll pass it on. I'd rather be the director's wife on the set," added the wife of Kabir Khan, known for his directorials like "Ek Tha Tiger" and "Bajrangi Bhaijaan". She and Cyrus Sahukar recently co-hosted integrated school quiz show "Discovery School Super League" (DSSL), which will premiere on April 28 on Discovery Channel, Discovery HD World, Discovery Science and Discovery Kids. The two will also act in the series "Mind the Malhotras". "I kept away from TV soaps as then web wasn't an option. I was never keen on doing films and I was very keen on building my proficiency as a TV host. That's done now. I am in talks with many new projects offered to me, but it must match what I did in 'Mind the Malhotras'," said Mini. "Nowadays with opportunities on the web, we don't have to force fit into a role of playing a 'bahu' or a young person who has taken a three-year generation leap or put talcum powder in hair and be a 'dadi'. That world is very far apart from my sensibilities. The web is a great medium and I'm really looking forward to doing some good work on it," she added. San Francisco, April 25 : Tesla announced that it has lost $702 million in the last quarter, while the Elon Musk-owned electric car company's revenue was also down 37 per cent compared to the previous quarter, the media reported. In its announcement on Wednesday, the company said it expected its sales figures to look much better next quarter, adding that it encountered "many challenges" ramping up deliveries of the vehicles abroad, but confirmed those issues should be smoothed over soon and a major sales bump could be on the way, CNN reported. Musk said during a conference call with investors on Wednesday that the last quarter may have been rough, but Tesla has a rosy outlook. Demand for all three of Tesla's electric vehicle models is strong, he said. "We also have a lot of markets (abroad) where we haven't yet tapped into demand, especially the Model 3," the billionaire businessman said. Tesla revealed earlier this month that it delivered about 63,000 vehicles to customers in the first three months of 2019 - a 31 per cent drop compared to the prior quarter, and the single largest decline Tesla has ever reported. Slowing sales are bad news for Tesla because the company needs cash in order to pay down its sizable debts, according to analysts. Tesla said it ended last quarter with $2.2 billion of cash on hand, which the company had earlier described as "sufficient". Company stocks dipped slightly after earnings were released, but later edged back to even. It had posted back-to-back profits in the previous two quarters. Last quarter, for example, Tesla recorded a profit of $139 million on sales of $7.2 billion. Meanwhile, Musk has been in a standoff with the US Securities and Exchange Commission ever since he tweeted that he was "considering" taking the automotive company private last year, and that he had secured funding. The SEC said funding has not been secured, and has accused Musk of misleading investors. Washington, April 25 : The US Navy is drafting new guidelines for pilots and other personnel to report encounters with "unidentified aircraft", a significant new step in creating a formal process to collect and analyse the unexplained sightings and destigmatise them, the media reported. "There have been a number of reports of unauthorised and/or unidentified aircraft entering various military-controlled ranges and designated air space in recent years," Politico news quoted the Navy as saying in a statement on Wednesday. "For safety and security concerns, the Navy and the (US Air Force) takes these reports very seriously and investigates each and every report. "As part of this effort, the Navy is updating and formalising the process by which reports of any such suspected incursions can be made to the cognizant authorities. A new message to the fleet that will detail the steps for reporting is in draft." the US Navy isn't endorsing the idea that its sailors have encountered alien spacecraft. But it is acknowledging there have been enough strange aerial sightings by credible and highly trained military personnel that they need to be recorded in the official record and studied. The new policy will standardise how incidents are reported, and what radar or other data may be gathered that the military can store long term for further analysis, a Navy official told CNN. Meanwhile, a senior military official said that some of the recent sightings are highly classified military aviation programmes undergoing testing in the western US. Because the sightings have garnered public attention, senior Navy intelligence officials have briefed Congress, as well as aviators on the safety hazards. The Pentagon has intermittently over the decades funded various efforts to evaluate unexplained incursions and phenomena, but the last official effort known as the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program was shuttered in 2012. Luis Elizondo, a former Pentagon official who led that programme and resigned in protest when it was ended, told CNN in 2017 "that there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone". United Nations, April 25 : India has stressed Africa's right to representation among the ranks of the permanent members of the UN Security Council in an effort to bring in a sense of urgency to the long-stalled reform process. "We must take action so that Africa is given a central and leading role in an internationally formed new order especially in a reformed and expanded Security Council and so that the Council reflects the world of today and not of 1945," Sanjay Rana, Joint Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry, said on Wednesday at the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. "The reform of the peace and security pillar of the UN, the Security Council, has perhaps been the most important and yet stagnating process of the General Assembly," he said. "We must take action towards early reform." Putting the focus on Africa's right to permanent membership is a strategy for India to break the decades-long blockade of the reform process by a small group of countries. This group led by Italy and which includes Pakistan will be made to directly confront African nations, who have demanded two permanent seats on a reformed Council and point to the historic injustices done to the continent. The 55 African nations, who are the single largest group at the UN making up more than a quarter of its membership, do not have a permanent member on the Council. Yet of the 13 UN peacekeeping operations mandated by the Council and overseen by it, seven are in Africa. When the UN was set up at the end World War II, the permanent seats were allocated to the five victors - the US, Soviet Union (now held by Russia), Britain, France and China - and, therefore, does not reflect the 21st century realities. Breaking the logjam would allow India's claim to a permanent seat on a reformed Council to also move forward. Rana said that "multilateralism crisis today" and the debate on it will continue to be challenging. "But we will need to commit ourselves at every step of this process." While some are hung up on preserving the status quo of the multilateral frameworks, "the majority of this Assembly believes that reform is the only way forward on this path," he said. The high-level meeting was convened by Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa formally to commemorate the First International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace on Thursday. She said the world is becoming more polarised and fragmented as extreme nationalism grows. "We must end the false concept that multilateralism undermines the sovereignty of States when in fact it bolsters sovereignty." It was because of the legacy of multilateralism the world has the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Espinosa added. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Moscow, April 25 : Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un came face-to-face for the first time ever in Vladivostok on Thursday, where the two leaders are slated to kick-off a summit. Putin greeted Kim after he exited a Mercedes limousine. The two shook hands and posed for pictures as they appeared to exchange a few words, CNN reported. The two leaders then entered a building at the Far Eastern Federal University, where the they will hold the summit which is the first high-level meeting between the two nations since 2011, when Kim's late father, Kim Jong-il, met with the then-President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, in eastern Siberia. The summit and subsequent delegation-level meetings are expected to focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the issue of Pyongyang's denuclearization and efforts at reducing cross-border tensions on the Korean peninsula, reports Efe news. The summit will also touch on bilateral issues between two nations who have previously enjoyed a much closer relationship. They were allies during the Cold War, a period during which the Soviet economic support effectively subsidised the existence of the North Korean regime. Upon his arrival in Vladivostok on Wednesday, Kim Jong-un said he hoped his meeting with Putin would be successful and that during the talks he hopes address issues related to the problems in Korean peninsula and the development of bilateral relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders will focus their meeting on denuclearization efforts of the Korean peninsula at a time when talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled following the failure of a summit in Hanoi in February between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Putin is the sixth world leader to meet Kim Jong-un since he took control of North Korea in 2011. Besides Putin and Trump, Kim Jong-un has also met Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong. Srinagar, April 25 : Two Kashmiri militants affiliated to the Hizbul Mujahideen group were gunned down in an encounter with the security forces on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said. Following specific information about militant presence in Bijbehara town, the security forces had surrounded the Baghander Mohalla late on Wednesday. At day break, the militants were challenged and they fired back triggering the encounter. The slain terrorists were identified as 25-year-old Kashmiri men Safder Amin Bhat from Bijbehara itself and Burhan Ahmad Ganaie of Malipora Hablish in Kulgam. Searches were underway in the area and mobile Internet services have been suspended in the district as a precautionary measure. Colombo, April 25 : A minor explosion was reported on Thursday from a vacant plot of land in Pugoda on the outskirts of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, police said. The police however, did not provide any other details of the blast which comes four days after the serial Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359 people and injured hundreds others in the bloodiest day in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade ago, reports Xinhua news agency. Chandigarh, April 25 : The Shiromani Akali Dal's first couple -- party President Sukhbir Singh Badal and his Union Minister wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, are making a couple entry in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab this time. While Sukhbir Badal, who is a sitting legislator from the Jalalabad Assembly seat, has decided to contest from the Ferozepur seat, Harsimrat has been named as the party's candidate again from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, which she has won earlier in 2009 and 2014. Opposition leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the newly formed People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) are alleging that the names of the Badal couple were announced at the last minute by the Akali Dal only after the party leadership reached an 'understanding' with the ruling Congress in Punjab to give "weak" candidates against them. "This is clear match-fixing by the Congress and the Akali Dal. The SAD did not announce candidates only for these two seats till the last moment. Both parties have reached an understanding. "The Akalis have given a weak candidate in the Patiala Lok Sabha seat when Chief Minister Amarinder Singh wife Preneet Kaur is contesting," PDA leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira alleged. The Congress has fielded sitting legislator Amrinder Singh Raja Warring against Harsimrat in Bathinda and former Akali Dal leader Sher Singh Gubhaya, who is the sitting MP from Ferozepur and defected to the Congress recently, against Sukhbir Badal. "The SAD and Congress are together in this. There is match-fixing between both parties for the Bathinda and Ferozepur seats," AAP Punjab unit chief and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann pointed out. Despite these allegations, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh seems confident about his 'Mission-13' campaign to win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. Polling in the state will be held on May 19 in the last phase. Colombo, April 25 : A minor explosion was reported on Thursday in Pugoda on the outskirts of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, police said, adding there were casualties or damages in the fresh blast that came four days after the Easter Sunday bombings which killed 359 people. The police said that explosion was reported in a garbage dump behind the Pugoda Magistrate's Court, reports the Daily Mirror newspaper. There were no other details of the blast. In the Easter Sunday bombings, hundreds of others were also injured in what is being called as the bloodiest day in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade ago. The Sri Lankan government has blamed a local Muslim outfit, National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), for the deadly bombings. New Delhi, April 25 : A Delhi court on Thursday asked Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to appear before it on May 9 after he skipped the hearing on Thursday in connection with a defamation case filed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval. Jairam's counsel moved an application seeking exemption from personal appearance on Thursday before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal, who allowed his plea. Jairam's counsel told the court that he had to attend some rituals at his residence after his wife passed away some months ago. The court directed him to appear on May 9. Meanwhile, the court granted bail to The Caravan magazine Editor-in-Chief Paresh Nath and reporter Kaushal Shroff after they appeared before it in pursuance of summons issued against them. In March, the court has summoned Ramesh and others in a defamation case, filed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval. Observing that allegations made against Vivek Doval were "prima facie defamatory", the court said there exists sufficient grounds to proceed against all the accused. The court was hearing a defamation case filed against Ramesh and others by Vivek in connection with an article titled "The D-Companies", published on January 16. Pakistani Navy Ship Test-Fires Naval Cruise Missile The page you requested is only available to subscribers. 1. If you are a Premium Service subscriber, please log in here to access this story: Log-in : Password : 2. If you are not a subcriber, you can: -- buy access to this page: unlimited access for seven days costs 3.00 EUR + VAT (at 20%) if applicable. Clicking on the "Ok" button below will place the item in your shopping cart and return you to our home page, where you will be able to select additional stories. -- select additional stories and services from our home page and pay for them at the same time. -- see your shopping cart. You can also see the contents of your shopping cart at any time by clicking on the "Order" tab on the navigation bar at the top of any page, or by clicking on the "Your order" light blue link in the top right-hand corner of our home page, immediately under the log-on box. Srinagar, April 25 : Income Tax (IT) officials on Thursday carried out raids in Srinagar city at the properties of former Jammu and Kashmir Minister Imran Raza Ansari, sources here said. The I-T officials carried out raids at North Point Towers, a commercial complex in Karan Nagar area. The complex belonging to Shia leader Ansari houses several commercial offices. Similar raids were also carried out in Alamgari Bazaar area in the old city area at another property owned by Ansari, the sources added. There has, however, been no official word so far from the I-T Department as to what led to to the raids in Srinagar or whether any incriminating evidence was recovered. Auckland, April 25 : Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, on Thursday received a traditional Maori greeting from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as he began his two-day tour of the country. Prince William performed a 'hongi' with Ardern as he was welcomed in Auckland at the start of the trip, the BBC rpeorted. His tour began with a service for Anzac Day, which marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) in World War One. He will also meet survivors and families of the 50 people killed in the March 15 Christchurch mosque attacks. Earlier, the Duke also met some of the officers and medics who were among the first at the scene of the shootings, some of whom arrived just minutes after the first shots were fired. Prince William is travelling on behalf of Queen Elizabeth at the request of Ardern. Ardern said the Prince's visit would "bring comfort" as the Duke had a "close connection" with New Zealand and Christchurch in particular. "His visit provides the opportunity to pay tribute to those affected by the mosque terrorist attacks and show support to the local and national community." William offered prayers for the Christchurch community and described the attacks as a "cruel nightmare". It is not the first time that the Duke has visited Christchurch in the wake of a tragedy. In 2011, he attended a memorial service after an earthquake killed 185 people. New Delhi, April 25 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be responsible if Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes back to power in the Lok Sabha polls. Speaking to the media over a possible alliance between the AAP and Congress in the national capital, he said his party would have left all the seven seats for Congress if it was in a position to win. "But the Congress cannot win even a single seat in Delhi." "They don't have an intention (to forge an alliance). For the past two months we have been trying for an alliance. I am saying this with huge sadness that if Modi and (BJP President Amit) Shah return to power, only one person will be responsible -- Rahul Gandhi. "The way he is weakening the opposition in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh and Haryana, this is not a good thing," the Delhi Chief Minister said after releasing AAP's Delhi manifesto. He said his party was giving a tough fight to the BJP and claimed "we can defeat the BJP in Delhi". Kejriwal said the AAP was born amid corruption charges during Congress rule. "The thought of an alliance with the Congress was something we could not even think of at one point. But the tough situation the country is facing made us take such a decision." The talks between the AAP and Congress for an alliance in Delhi were on for some time but both the parties will now contest the May 12 Lok Sabha battle in Delhi on their own. Kejriwal also slammed Rahul Gandhi for tweeting discussions related to the alliance. "Where in the world an alliance took place on Twitter or through newspaper headlines?" Congress General Secretary (Uttar Pradesh East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with the party's Lok Sabha candidate from Jhansi, Shiv Saran Kushwaha during a roadshow ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi, on April 25, 2019. (Photo: Image Source: IANS News Congress General Secretary (Uttar Pradesh East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during a roadshow ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi, on April 25, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Jhansi, April 25 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday held a massive road show here in Uttar Pradesh ahead of addressing a public meeting. The Congress leader, who is also the party in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, arrived in Jhansi around 11.20 a.m. and kicked off the road show from the party office in the Sindhi chauraha area of the town. Her road show passed through areas like Manik Chowk, Bada Bazar, Subhash Ganj, Talaiya and Orcha gate before culminating in the Ewat Market area of the town, covering a distance of over 5 km. During her road show, the Congress General Secretary also visited the temple '6 Kund Mahadev mandir' at Sindhi chauraha. She was accompanied by the party's candidate Shiv Sharan Kushwah. Hundreds of party workers braved the heat to get a glimpse of their leader. They raised slogans in support of the Congress leader and targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Clad in a purple sari, Priyanka Gandhi also offered a ride to some children on her SUV during the road show. Her gesture was cheered by several party workers who showered her with flower petals. Jhansi will go to the polls in the fourth phase on April 29. Of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, voters in 26 have voted so far in the first three phases of polling, while the other 54 constituencies will go to the polls in the remaining four phases. Later on Thursday, Priyanka Gandhi is scheduled to address a public meeting in Ghursarai area of the Jhansi parliamentary constituency. On Wednesday, she had held a road show in Bundelkhand's Mahoba. Earlier, she also held road shows in different parts of the state for her party's candidates. Colombo, April 25 : Police in Sri Lanka on Thursday arrested three suspects during a raid in Colombo and seized 21 hand grenades, six swords and a van. The raid was carried out by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) and the Special Task Force (STF) personnel in the city's Modara area, the Daily Mirror reported. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police spokesman, Ruwan Gunasekera told CNN that more than 70 suspects have been arrested across the country since the Easter Sunday bombings that claimed the lives of 359 people and injured over 500 others. He said the suspects have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism, aiding and abetting and conspiracy to commit terrorism. Gunasekera added that the four most serious cases are in the custody of the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID). A further 33 suspects are in custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). All remaining suspects are being held by local police. The majority of the suspects were arrested in Colombo, four of which are women. All of the suspects are from Sri Lanka and most are family members and friends of the suicide bombers that carried out the carnage. Hyderabad, April 25 : Nineteen students have committed suicide in Telangana during last one week over the failure in the Intermediate examinations, according to media reports. While there were no official figures available, newspapers and channels have reported that 19 students of Intermediate first and second year (Classes 11 and 12 ended their lives since last Thursday. This is said to be the highest number of suicides by Intermediate students in recent years with the opposition parties blaming the goof-ups by the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (TBIE) for the spate of suicides. Three students in the age group of 18-19 years committed suicide while one student went missing on Wednesday. Those who ended their lives include Chakali Raju of Medak district. Depressed over failing in Economics and Civics in Intermediate second year, he hanged himself at his house. He was said to have scored the third rank in his college in the first year but scored low marks in the second year. Akaram Mithi, 18, of Yadadri Bhongir district, also hanged herself as she had failed in Zoology and Physics papers in the second year. Sailaja of Nizamabad district committed suicide as she did not get expected marks in the Intermediate examination. A student of MPC (Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry) she scored 847 out of 1,000 but was not happy with her performance. Umesh Chandra, who failed in Intermediate first year examination, left his house in Warangal on the day results were announced and was yet to return home. Anxious parents lodged a missing complaint with the police. The TBIE announced the results on April 18 and the goof-ups sparked an outcry from students and their parents. It drove some students to depression and resulted in their taking extreme the step. The government has already formed a three-member committee to probe the bungling in declaring the results. The panel is looking into the system developed and implemented by an IT company whose services were hired by the TBIE. The fiasco and the suicides triggered protests by the opposition parties and student groups. While admitting the lapses, TBIE assured the students that these will be rectified. As the issue snowballed into a major row and caused embarrassment to the government coming, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao intervened on Wednesday to announce free re-verification of answer sheets for all the students who failed in the exams. For other students, re-verification will be done with the prescribed fee and as per the existing rules and regulations. A total of 9.74 lakh of students appeared in the Intermediate examinations held in February-March and out of these, 3.28 lakh failed. The latest move by the government is expected to check the spate of suicide. Voicing his concern over the suicides, the Chief Minister appealed to the students to desist from taking the extreme step. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, told the students that failure in Intermediate exams is not the end of life. "I felt extremely unhappy and deeply hurt over such incidents. Suicides of students is most unfortunate. Intermediate education is not the whole life. Failing in examination does not amount to failing in the life. Life is precious. There will be plenty of opportunities," he said. He advised the students to stand up in the life and be courageous. "If you commit suicide, you will be leaving behind lot of sorrow to the parents. I appeal to every student not to commit suicide," he said. New Delhi, April 25 : A court here on Thursday reserved order on the plea of British national and alleged AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal middleman Christian Michel's plea seeking a "free and fair" trial as the fresh supplementary charge sheet filed in the case was accessed by some media outlets. Special Judge Arvind Kumar said that he will deliver order on the plea on May 3. The Enforcement Directorate has opposed Michel's plea, saying that it is not maintainable. The fresh supplementary charge sheet names Michel's partner David Syms and his two firms Global Services FZE, UAE, and Global Trade and Commerce Ltd. Michel was extradited to India on December 4, 2018 from the United Arab Emirates. Colombo, April 25 : A minor explosion occurred on Thursday in the Sri Lankan capital's outskirts even as security forces continued a search for accomplices of suicide bombers who on Easter Sunday killed and injured hundreds. The government also banned the use of all drones and unmanned aircraft within the Sri Lankan airspace with effect from Thursday and also kept its new visa-on-arrival programme, which was to be implemented from May 1, on hold due to the security situation in the island nation. "Investigations have revealed foreign links to the attacks and we do not want this visa-on-arrival facility to be abused," Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs John Amaratunga said. Tourism was one of the worst hit industries following the deadly blasts on Sunday in three Sri Lankan cities, primarily in and around Colombo. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deaths of 359 people and injuries to over 500 but Colombo has blamed a local Muslim group, the National Thowheed Jamath (NJT). The Thursday explosion took place at around 9 a.m. in a garbage dump behind the Magistrate's Court in Pugoda, 36 km from Colombo, reported Xinhua news agency. After the blast, police have advised the general public not to panic, saying the security forces were conducting search operations in the area and also across the island nation, said the Daily Mirror. In an indication that all was not well in Sri Lanka, Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau raised the threat level to indicate a "high concrete" mark and advised travellers to leave the island and avoid visiting it in the near future. The elevated alert level came after consultations with security and Foreign Ministry officers, CNN quoted the Counter-Terrorism Bureau as saying. Although four days have passed since the bloodbath, Sri Lanka remains on the edge. Schools and colleges remain shut and a general sense of insecurity prevails. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told CNN that some attackers responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings were being monitored by the intelligence services but there was not "sufficient" evidence to put them in custody before the attacks. He reiterated that the attackers were middle- and upper-middle class and had been educated abroad. He added that the profile of the suspected bombers was "surprising". Police are holding the wealthy father of two of the suicide bombers on suspicion of aiding and abetting his sons to carry out Easter Sunday attacks. Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, a spice moghul, was arrested on Sunday following attacks at hotels and churches. His adult sons, Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim and Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, blew themselves up in two different attacks earlier that day, reported CNN. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said that officers Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) had raided five safe houses in the country. More than 70 suspects have been taken into custody on a range of charges. Of those arrested, four suspects were female, and all are Muslims. None of them is a foreigner. In raids carried out on Wednesday night, police said, 16 people were arrested at various locations, mostly near Colombo. Three shotguns and two walkie-talkies were seized. The Easter Sunday killings were the bloodiest day in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade ago. New Delhi, April 25 : Zahran Hashim, a radical Tamil-speaking cleric who is believed to have masterminded the Sri Lanka blasts which left over 350 people dead and around 500 injured on Easter Sunday, was in "direct and regular" touch with some Islamic State sympathizers in Southern India for over three years and was instrumental in forming a "pro-IS module", sources said. An official of a counter-terror agency told IANS that Hashim had developed relations with Islamic State sympathizers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu through illegal trade and social media sites like Youtube and Facebook. The official said some of the Islamic State sympathizers are in National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody and many of them have been named in its chargesheet filed on February 26. Most of them have visited Sri Lanka before having allegiance to Islamic State. They belong to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Arrested IS sympathizers include Mohammed Ashiq, Ismail, Samsudeen, Jafar Sadik Ali and Shahul Hameed. Some of them were in touch with Hashim while others were in contact with men in Hashim's network of operatives trying to establish a pro-IS module in Southern India. All of them are in judicial custody on charges of hatching conspiracy to target Hindu leaders at Coimbatore with intention to furthering the objectives of the Islamic State. They belong to different areas in Tamil Nadu. Hashim, another intelligence official said, was also instrumental in radicalizing youths in Sri Lanka in the garb of conducting Quran classes and was known there as a "Molvi" (cleric). The central intelligence agencies in India, however, are not sure if Hashim died in the Sri Lankan attack before which he was a virtual unknown in the island state. It is believed that he went to an Islamic college in Sri Lanka. However, he was not known to be popular in his community. The Sri Lankan government has pointed a finger at Hashim indirectly as the prime suspect in the Easter Sunday blasts and accused him of leading a little-known Islamist group, the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), affiliated to the Islamic State. Sri Lankan intelligence officials and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believe that Hashim may have masterminded the attacks. The Islamic State had on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attacks without providing evidence of its involvement. A video released by the terrorist outfit shows a person, purported to be Hashim, swearing allegiance to Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. Another official also confirmed that an intelligence input regarding the Easter Sunday attack was shared with Sri Lankan intelligence officials late on Saturday and that it took the Indian officials engaged almost whole day considering its importance. According to the official, the warning was specific about threat to some churches, hotels and the Indian High Commission in Colombo. Three churches and four hotels were hit by suicide bombers on Sunday morning, sending shockwaves through the island nation that has been relatively peaceful since the civil war ended a decade ago. Another similar intelligence input, the official said, was shared with Sri Lankan intelligence agents on April 4 and April 20. So far, over 50 people have been arrested in Sri Lanka in connection with the attack, said the official. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena - who was out of the country during the attacks - has said he was not informed about this advisory and asked for the resignation of the country's defence secretary and police chief. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) Colombo, April 25 : Sri Lanka's Muslim community should not be blamed for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that authorities have blamed on a local Muslim group, the Archbishop of Colombo said on Thursday. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjit said that Muslim politicians and others from the community had offered their condolences and said they had nothing to do with the Sunday horror that killed 359 people and injured hundreds. "Hence, I am of the opinion that the Muslim community had absolutely nothing to do with these attacks," the Daily Mirror newspaper quoted him as saying. But the Archbishop said he could not fathom why the Catholic community was subjected to such atrocities. "I have been personally open and friendly towards the Muslim community as we share a common ancestor in Abraham," Cardinal Ranjith said. "However, the reason why they chose us would emerge in the future." He said that members of the Muslim community had met him at Inter-Religious Council meetings where they expressed their condolences and insisted they had no connection with what transpired on Easter Sunday. Addressing the media, he said the government should have told him "if they knew something was about to take place". In such an event, he said the community would have cancelled all the masses and services during the Holy Week. He was referring to published reports that Sri Lanka had been warned by intelligence agencies about possible terror attacks during Easter but the warnings were ignored. "I have also told my Catholic population not to raise their hand against anyone because that's what we Christians have to follow," the Cardinal added. He said he had stopped all festivals taking place in churches until the situation was brought back to normal. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) The national government's budget deficit was much lower for the first quarter, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Treasury (BTr). A budget or fiscal deficit happens when the government's expenditures exceed revenues over a period. The government targets a deficit of 3.2 percent for 2019. The deficit recorded in March was at 58.4 billion, lower by 47 percent from March 2018. This brings the deficit IN January to March to 90.2 billion, down by 41 percent from last year. Revenue was at 228.9 billion in March, a 13-percent increase from the same month last year. For the first quarter, the government collected 687.7 billion, up by 11 percent from the same quarter last year. However, the government also spent less due to the 2019 budget delay. President Rodrigo Duterte finally signed the budget in April. "National government disbursement in March totaled to 287.3 billion, down by 8% or 25.7 billion from a year ago mainly on account of lower subsidy and equity releases to government-owned and controlled corporations, alongside the delays in the passage of the 2019 general appropriations act," the BTr said in a statement. For the full quarter, expenditures had a flat growth of 1 percent, as the government spent 778 billion. Mumbai, April 25 : Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan recently opened up about her struggling days and how her husband and actor Saif Ali Khan's support changed her outlook towards life when she was dealing with a rough professional phase. "It started out great. I did amazing films. But then for a year, I didn't work. I felt like my career was over. I was told to 'reinvent', become size 0. Everyone goes through a lull in the career. But as an actor, it's worse -- there are so many eyes on you! "Somehow through my life, I've been blessed with people who have supported me thoroughly! Just when I thought I was falling, Saif caught me. I'd met him before, but while we were filming 'Tashan', something changed," Kareena said in an interview to social media portal Official Humans of Bombay. Sharing how her love story with Saif started on the sets of "Tashan", Kareena said: I wore my heart on my sleeve! He was so charming; I fell for him hook, line and sinker. I remember while shooting in Ladakh and Jaisalmer, we'd go on long bike rides for some alone time. We'd enjoy the beauty, have great conversations and just bond." The "Veere Di Wedding" actress married Saif in 2012. Saif was previously married to actress Amrita Singh and they had two children -- daughter Sara Ali Khan and son Ibrahim Ali Khan. "He's 10 years older than me and has two kids. But for me, he was just Saif who helped me heal and love myself. Maybe it was the fact that we're so different -- he's more private and not 'Bollywoodised'. I imbibed that from him. I learnt to balance things and not let them get to me," she said. The couple was blessed with a son, Taimur, in 2016. "Taimur is a part of me. I can't go an hour without him. He's always with me wherever I am. He makes me want to work harder every day," she said. Kareena is gearing up for the release of "Good News" and will also be seen in multi-starrer "Takht". Lucknow, April 25 : Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Thursday described Dimple Yadav as "a daughter-in-law of my own family". She blessed Dimple who touched her feet at a rally in Kannauj. Mayawati took a break from her routine political speech and described Dimple as an "able, mature and an extremely sorted person". Mayawati asked people to give her the respect of a daughter-in-law. "After the alliance, I now whole-heartedly accept her as a daughter-in-law, a member of my own family. This is because Akhilesh Yadav gives me the respect due to an elder in the family. I, too, have developed a special relationship with his wife and I am confident it will continue in the future." Urging the crowds to help Dimple win with a massive majority, Mayawati said this would help strengthen the social revolution. She said that the BJP would try to create hurdles in the alliance by trying to drive a wedge between leaders and all should be aware of such tactics. "But I would like the BJP to know that none of their tricks is going to work any longer," she said. Panaji, April 25 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa on Thursday accused some Catholic priests of acting like agents of the Congress, appealing to the people to vote for the party. The Congress has rejected the allegation, saying the AAP was frustrated. A majority of the state's population is Christian. Addressing a press conference here, AAP's Goa convenor Elvis Gomes said: "I cannot brand all religious leaders in one group. Such people are there in all religions. But some (priests) do feel they should contribute to the Congress. There are three or four who really act like agents. They leave religion aside and play politics. "But I do not want to categorise the whole bunch into one lot. Even in the last week, when (prayer) services were on, they appealed directly to vote for the Congress. "I only appeal to their (Church) hierarchy to take cognisance of this. Such things should not happen during elections," Gomes said. In the run up to the elections, two videos showing Catholic priest Father Conceicao D'Silva badmouthing Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar and BJP President Amit Shah went viral, triggering a controversy. The influential Catholic Church in Goa, which is the religious and spiritual guide to more than a quarter of the state's population, was forced to express regret for the video. However, days before the April 23 polls, Goa Archbishop Father Filipe Neri Ferrao created another furore by urging the electorate to vote out corrupt and communal candidates who promote division in the society. On polling day, Gomes also expressed his dissatisfaction about the functioning of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and even lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC). During the press conference, Gomes also formally announced the candidature of Valmiki Naik as the party's candidate for the May 19 Panaji Assembly by-election. He is pitted against Congress candidate and former Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate. The BJP may either field Parrikar's son Utpal or former Panaji MLA Sidharth Kuncalienkar. The Panaji election was necessitated by the death of Parrikar who represented the constituency. "It is nothing but politics of convenience by AAP. AAP is one faction of BJP. They work as per diktats of BJP. AAP feels that they could not carry secular votes with them, so this is how they vent their frustration. If the Church guidelines go against, then they criticise the Church," Chodankar told IANS, when asked to react to the AAP's accusation. Hyderabad, April 25 : Opposition parties in Telangana on Thursday urged Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to order a probe by a judge of the High Court into alleged irregularities in declaration of the Intermediate exam results. A delegation of leaders of opposition parties called on the Governor and submitted a memorandum. It also urged him to dismiss Education Minister Jagdish Reddy for the goof-ups by the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (TBIE). Claiming that 20 students had committed suicide due to the bungling by TBIE, it sough direction to the government to pay Rs 25 lakh compensation each to the families of these students. State Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters that they also demanded suspension of TBIE Secretary and other officials responsible for the goof-ups. The delegation which also included leaders of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) also wanted the government to order free re-verification of answer papers of all students. New Delhi, April 25 : The CBI has issued summons to former Union Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Y.S. Chowdary for questioning in connection with a multi-crore bank fraud case, officials said on Thursday. The agency has asked him to appear before the investigators at its Bengaluru office on Friday as part of its probe into the case of electrical equipment manufacturer Best and Crompton Engineering Projects Ltd allegedly cheating the Andhra Bank of Rs 71 crorein 2017. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 3, 2017 had registered a case against the Chennai-based company, its five directors, including Managing Director Kakulamarri Srinivas Kalyan Rao, and a chief financial officer under charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery. Patna, April 25 : There's a new twist in the triangular poll battle among the BJP, the RJD and the CPI in Begusarai with the latter two asking each other to withdraw their candidates in favour of the other. Interestingly, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) were in talks for a pre-poll alliance in Bihar as part of the Congress-led Mahagathbandhan. But former JNU Students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar's candidature from Begusarai became the "deal-breaker" as the Lalu Prasad-led party doubted Kumar's winnability in view of the controversies surrounding him. RJD General Secretary Shivanand Tiwari on Thursday said the CPI should withdraw its candidate Kanhaiya Kumar and support RJD's Tanvir Hasan if it wanted to defeat the fascist forces. Tiwari said the media had made Kanhaiya a hero across the country, but fact was he had no support base in Begusarai. Tiwari's comments came a day after CPI General Secretary Sudhakar Reddy claimed that Kanhaiya was getting "excellent" support from all sections. "I would therefore urge RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to consider our appeal to withdraw Tanvir Hasan from the contest. He can do this much to help Kanhaiya get a decisive win since the last date of withdrawal of nominations has lapsed," Reddy said. New Delhi, April 25 : The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed its unhappiness about measures taken by the Assam government to deport illegal foreigners lodged in state's detention camps. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna sought details of the foreigners lodged in the detention camps and also inquired about the measures being taken by the Assam government to deport them. The bench was hearing a PIL by Harsh Mander, a social activist, who moved the court raising concern on the plight of inmates in the state detention camps. The state chief secretary submitted an affidavit detailing the measures. The court was informed that the foreigners who have completed five years in detention centres would be released after they furnish a security of Rs 5 lakh, and then submit documents to verify their address. The state government would also prepare their biometric database. After initially hearing the Chief Secretary, in a sharp jibe at the methodology devised by the state government to deport foreigners, the court said: "You are asking the Supreme Court to be a part of an illegal order where a foreigner who has no right to stay in the country will remain and sign a bond and so on." The CJI rubbishing the state's arguments, said "Don't you agree there has been failure on part of your government?" The Chief Secretary informed the bench that these foreigners have illegally registered themselves in the voters' list. The court observed that the government of Assam should deport these foreigners as soon as possible. "But we don't see that effort from the state government", said the court. Amicus Gaurab Banerjee informed the court that a collaborative mechanism needs to be developed with assistance of the country of origin of these foreigners, and that detainees, too, should cooperate. The court observed that it is apparent that government failed in its job. The CJI queried the Chief Secretary about the nature of assistance offered by the government in collaboration with the state of Assam. The amicus submitted a copy of minutes of the meeting held on March 25 to the court. Advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for the petitioner, social activist Harsh Mander, sought time to file his reply to the affidavit. Nagpur, April 25 : A dreaded Maoist couple who carried a combined reward on Rs 18.50 lakh on their heads have surrendered, an official said on Thursday. Deepak alias Mangru Suklu Bogami, 30, and his wife Moti alias Radhu Jhuru Majji, 28, each having a reward of Rs 925,000 laid down weapons before the Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Shailesh Balkawade. Deepak became a rebel in June 2001 with Maoist Company No. 5 of the Jagargunda Dalam and was wanted for 12 murders and three mine blasts. His wife Moti turned rebel in March 2004 and joined the Bhamragad Dalam, and was later transferred to Maoist Company No. 10 in North Bastar, Chhattisgarh. She was wanted for two murders and three mine blasts, said the official. Mumbai, April 25 : Battle lines are drawn for 10 of 11 Lok Sabha seats that fall in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and have largely common issues of amenities, infrastructure and transport that remain unresolved for most part. The seats are Mumbai North, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai South, Thane, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan and Raigad, which are served by the Mumbai local train services. All of them, save Raigad which voted on April 23 in the third phase, go to polls in the fourth and final phase in the state on April 29. Over 8.5 million people in this region commute by local trains in torturous conditions, besides another two million by BEST buses, autorickshaws, taxis and private vehicles, with many spending an average of 3-4 hours in their daily home-office-home ordeal. The key issues in Mumbai and its larger Mumbai Metropolitan Region pertain to the lack of open spaces, few recreational areas, quickly vanishing greenery, grandiose projects planned and being implemented - but many have come too late, as a state official says. With a population of over 17 million, the 600 square km island of Mumbai is city of dreams - and also contrasts, There is big business, big glamour, big money, but also big slums, big cars on narrow roads, small hearths but big hearts, and so on. It is home to some of the wealthiest people in the country and also the poorest, in sprawling slums or homeless on pavements, with glamour and grit living cheek-by-jowl. There are big infra-projects with investments of thousands of crores of rupees in the pipeline, including the Metro railway network and the coastal road project, but time is not saved, and there are problems of congestion galore despite the city growing vertically with over 7,000 skyscrapers, some over 250 metres tall, glaring at slums at their doorsteps. In the past couple of years, the city has seen several bridges come crashing down, a huge stampede, roads caving in and other problems associated with a crumbling infrastructure and growing population, but it will be soon be connected with India's first Bullet Train. Against this backdrop, the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena will seek to retain all the 11 seats they currently hold after the 2014 "Modi wave" while the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party plus 56-party alliance will try to wrest them back. Lets look at the 10 seats which vote on the coming Monday. Palghar: Starting with the outskirts, Palghar is a reserved (Scheduled Tribe) seat which was with local party, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA)'s Baliram S. Jadhav in 2009, won but won by BJP's Chintaman Vanaga in 2014 and Rajendra Gavit in the 2018 by-elections. This time, Gavit is contesting on a Shiv Sena ticket. The challenge is from Jadhav, who is having the support of the 56-party Congress-NCP led Mahagathbandhan in the state. The constituency has a total electorate of 15,78,077, comprising 8,30,432 men and 7,47,645 women. Bhiwandi: This erstwhile minority-dominated and once communally-sensitive powerloom town elected Congress Suresh K. Taware in 2009, who was replaced in 2014 with prominent Kunbi community leader Vishwanath R. Patil, who was defeated by BJP's Kapil M. Patil in 2014. This time, Congress' Taware will lock horns again with BJP's Kapil Patil in the constituency with 16,96,598 voters, including 9,45,405 males and 7,51,184 females. Kalyan: Sitting MP Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), son of Maharashtra Minister Eknath Shinde, and defeated NCP's Anand P. Paranjpe, a former Shiv Sena MP in 2014, in this Sena bastion. This time, the NCP has fielded veteran social worker and municipal corporator Babaji B. Patil against him in the constituency with total electorate of 19,22,045 including 10,45,495 men and 8,76,551 women. Thane: Another Sena stronghold, it saw NCP's Sanjeev Naik win 2009, but lose to Shiv Sena's Rajan Vichare in 2014. Now, the NCP has fielded Anand P. Paranjpe - son of former four-time MP Prakash Paranjpe against Vichare in the constituency with 20,73,442 voters comprising 11,42,158 males and 9,31,284 females. In Mumbai city, all the six constituencies in the country's commercial and glamour capital have direct contests between the BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP alliances. In 2009, Congress bagged five and NCP one, but in 2014, they were swept away in the 'Modi wave' with the BJP-Sena sharing three each. Mumbai North: Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar is challenging the might of BJP's strongman Gopal Shetty in this erstwhile party stronghold. The constituency has earlier been represented by stalwarts like S. A. Dange, V. K. Krishna Menon, Mrinal Gore, Ram Naik, actor Govinda, and former Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam. It is one of the three seats in the state which has a glamour-world candidate - besides Amravati where Navneet Kaur-Rana of the Congress-led mahagathbandhan is contesting and prominent television actor Amol Kolhe from Shirur - in the fray. Despite being the film capital of India, it is only the second constituency in the state which has ever elected a filmstar - Govinda (2004), while Sunil Dutt won from Mumbai North-West. The constituency has a total electorate of 17,83,870 including 9,72,645 men and 8,11,225 women. Mumbai North East: The constituency which gave four Union Ministers - Subramaniam Swamy, Pramod Mahajan, Gurudas Kamat and Jaywantiben Mehta - will see a contest between BJP's Manoj Kotak and NCP's former MP Sanjay Dina Patil. The seat led to a bitter stand-off between the BJP-Sena, with the latter strongly opposed to BJP repeating sitting member Kirit Somaiya and threatening to break the alliance. The BJP backed down and fielded Kotak. The constituency has total 16,68,347 voters comprising 9,23,011 males and 7,45,342 females. Mumbai North West: The Shiv Sena has renominated its sitting MP Gajanan C. Kirtikar who wrested the seat from the Congress strongman Gurudas Kamat in 2014. The constituency includes a significant portion of Mumbai's 'Glamour Crescent', the other end of which falls in Mumbai North-Central. Kirtikar will contest against former Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam, an ex-Shiv Sainik and three-time MP making his fourth bid for Parliament. The constituency has an electorate of 17,75,428 including 9,86,908 men and 7,88,520 women. Mumbai North Central: This is one of the only two constituencies in the state having a direct woman-to-woman fight (the other is Baramati) between two scions of political families - sitting BJP MP Poonam Mahajan and three-time MP Priya Dutt of the Congress. Both are daughters of stalwarts and former Union Ministers - the late Pramod Mahajan and the late Sunil Dutt, respectively, and now in a close fight. One of the two constituencies in the city (the other being Mumbai North) which has elected a filmstar in the past, it is part of the 'Glamour Crescent' with a total 17,38,894 voters comprising 9,67,474 males and 7,71,420 females. Mumbai South Central: It houses Asia's biggest slum of Dharavi, besides several affluent pockets where the sitting MP is Sena's Rahul Shewale. He is pitted against former city chief of Congress, ex-MP Eknath Gaikwad. The constituency with some booking and swank new business districts, mega-housing complexes and the congested slums of Dharavi, has an electorate of 14,47,885 including 7,93,801 men and 6,54,084 women. Mumbai South: A small but prestigious constituency, this time former MP and Union Minister Milind M. Deora is hoping to wrest it back from Sena's sitting MP Arvind Sawant. Deora recently got a big shot in the arm when top players of India Inc. came out in open support for him, besides the business and trading communities. This constituency - which has given four Union Ministers in George Fernandes, Deora and his father Murli Deora, Jaywantiben Mehta - comprises large tracts of VVIP areas and affluent pockets as well as middle and lower-middle class localities with a total of 14,85,846 voters comprising 8,28,964 males and 6,56,882 females. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in) Colombo, April 25 : The sister of a man believed to the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday carnage in Sri Lanka is furious with her brother for causing so much pain and suffering to others. Mohammad Hashim Madaniya has found out that her brother, Zahran Hashim, is the alleged ringleader of a group of suicide bombers who attacked churches and hotels on Sunday, killing more than 350 people, media reports say. The young mother of two, who lives in the eastern town of Kattankudy, says she is horrified by what he has done and fears what could happen next, the BBC reported. The police have interviewed her but she is not being treated as a suspect. It's still not clear if Hashim, who allegedly led a group of bombers, is alive or dead. Hashim, said to be around 40 years, was the eldest of five siblings. The sister insists she has had no contact with her brother since 2017, when he went underground after police tried to arrest him over violence between two Muslim groups. Since Sunday's bloodbath, a video has emerged in which a man believed to be Zahran Hashim appears pledging allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. "I came to know about his activities only through the media. I never thought, even for a moment, that he would do such a thing," says Madaniya. "I strongly deplore what he has done. Even if he is my brother, I cannot accept this. I don't care about him any more." According to the Daily Mirror, her brother was a radical Islamist preacher and came to notice some years ago after he posted several videos on YouTube and other social media platforms denouncing non-believers. The videos triggered concern among other Muslims, some of whom took up the matter with Sri Lankan authorities but were ignored. Media reports say that the man disappeared with other members of his family just before the Easter Sunday attacks. It is not clear if he is in hiding or has left Sri Lanka. Kattankudy is located close to Batticaloa town where the Zion Church was one of the three churches -- one each in Colombo and Negombo -- was bombed on Easter Sunday. At least 28 people were killed in Batticaloa. Bhubaneswar, April 25 : The campaigning is in full swing for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha. Six Lok Sabha constituencies -- Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, and 41 Assembly seats falling under them, will go to the polls in the fourth phase on April 29. This will be the last phase of voting in the state, except for the Patkura Assembly constituency, where the polling will take place on May 19. Star campaigners of three major political parties -- the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) -- are touring these areas to garner support for their respective candidates. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday addressed election meetings in Jajpur, Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats. Addressing a meeting in Bari under the Jajpur Lok Sabha constituency, Singh slammed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for failing to ensure development of the state and not implementing the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. "The Ayushman Bharat Yojana has been implemented across the country. However, the BJD government is not implementing it in Odisha," he said. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari have addressed public meetings, BJP president Amit Shah and other leaders will conduct rallies in the next two days of campaigning. Shah is scheduled to address public meetings in Mayurbhanj and Jajpur districts on April 27. On the other hand, central leaders of the Congress are holding rallies for the first time in Odisha after declaration of poll dates. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar on Thursday addressed a rally in the Bhadrak Lok Sabha constituency. He appealed people to throw Narendra Modi and Naveen Patnaik out of power and elect Congress-led governments for all round development. Congress President Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting in Balasore on Friday. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad will conduct a roadshow in Jagatsinghpur and All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) president Sushmita Dev will address poll meetings in Jaleswar and Korei on the same day. To retain his citadel and keep the two national parties at bay, BJD president Naveen Patnaik is making whirlwind tours of Assembly constituencies going to the polls in the fourth phase. Claiming that no national party would get majority at the Centre, Patnaik appealed the electorate to vote for the BJD as Odisha was going to play a key role in the central government formation. While central leaders did not visit the state during natural calamities, they were nor rushing in to seek votes, he said. Elections are being held in four phases in the state, which has 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats. Colombo, April 25 : US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz has called for unity in the wake of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks that killed at least 359 people, including four American citizens. Noting the progress Sri Lanka has made in building trust and ties among people of different faiths and ethnicities over the last few years, she urged Sri Lankans to remain unified, said a statement from the US embassy here. "These terrible attacks are the work of a few individuals and not of an entire community," Teplitz said. "Sri Lankans of all backgrounds and faiths have come together to condemn these atrocities. Unity is the most powerful answer to terrorism." The Ambassador said that expert teams from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) were providing support to the Sri Lanka-led investigation into the attacks. "We want to provide all possible support to Sri Lanka's efforts and are assisting at the invitation of the government," she added. "Conspiracy theories about the involvement of the US military draw attention away from where it should be focused, which is firmly on the victims and their families." New Delhi, April 25 : The police have arrested three youths, including two graduates, for impersonating as authorized representatives of Microsoft Corporation and extorting money from scores of schools here, a police officer said on Thursday. Abhinav Jain, a resident of Saraswati Vihar, Ishan Garg, a resident of Alipur and Deepak, a resident of Suleman Nagar in the national capital, were arrested on Wednesday from Rohini Sector-8, the officer said. "A Special Investigation Team of the Crime Branch headed by ACP Sandeep Lamba on a tip-off raided an office from where the accused were operating to extort various schools and later arrested them," DCP G. Ram Gopal Naik said. Three hard disks, two printers, visiting cards of 'Microsoft Corporation', software of windows PRO 10, fake letters of Microsoft Corporation and mobile phones were recovered from them, Naik said. "The accused disclosed that their accomplice, Abhinav Jain had a licence for selling Microsoft software and is an authorized education partner. To earn quickly, they all started forging letters of Microsoft Corporation and sent them to school managements. They also attached a Crime Branch complaint letter for threatening and extorting money from them. They wanted to force the schools to buy software in bulk from them," the officer added. "The managements of over a hundred schools feared huge penalty and purchased the software in bulk from the gang. Several times, the accused sold the pirated software to schools. They used to visit schools impersonating as authorized representatives of Microsoft Corporation for checking the software of an institution," he said. A complaint was made last week by Neeraj Kumar, an authorized representative of Microsoft Corporation, to the Crime Branch, alleging an unknown syndicate was misrepresenting as authorized agents of Microsoft. New Delhi, April 25 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday took custody of two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) operatives, imprisoned in Jammu under the Public Safety Act (PSA), to interrogate in connection with various terror acts, including the February 14 Pulwama attack, NIA officials said here. "They have been brought here in a general case that was registered in March in Delhi," NIA spokesperson Alok Mittal told IANS. Tanveer Ahmad Ganie, 29, and Bilal Ahmad Mir, 23, both residents of the Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir, were brought from the Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu and produced before the special NIA court on Thursday against a production warrant. The court remanded them to seven-day NIA custody till May 2. Asked if the suspects had links with the Pulwama attack or any other terrorist case, the official said, "we will interrogate them on every terrorist activities carried out in J&K." On February 14, a JeM terrorist rammed his explosive-laden car into a CRPF convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in the Pulwama area, killing 40 personnel. In a statement, the NIA said the two had been arrested in a probe into a criminal conspiracy by top leadership of the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit to strengthen bases of the group in India. Earlier, the NIA had arrested a JeM suspect Sajjad Ahmad whom it claimed was in regular contact with these two persons over WhatsApp. The anti-terror agency registered the case on March 15 and named Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, brother of JeM chief Masood Azhar, as the mastermind of the conspiracy to "wage war" against India. The agency filed the FIR based on inputs regarding criminal conspiracy for strengthening base of JeM in India, raising funds, organising terrorist camps and recruiting persons for carrying out terrorist acts, harbouring JeM cadres and becoming its member. Colombo, April 25 : Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando on Thursday resigned accepting responsibility for the Easter Sunday bloodbath in Sri Lanka even as security forces continued a search for accomplices of the suicide bombers who killed and injured hundreds. The government also banned the use of all drones and unmanned aircraft within the Sri Lankan airspace with effect from Thursday and also kept its new visa-on-arrival programme, which was to be implemented from May 1, on hold due to the security situation in the island nation. Fernando said after submitting his resignation that while there was no failure on his own part, he was taking responsibility for the failures of some institutions which were under his command. President Maithripala Sirisena, who himself has come under attack from the opposition for failing to prevent the mass killings, had earlier asked the Defence Secretary and the police chief to quit. Tourism, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said that investigations had revealed foreign links to the attacks and the government did not want the visa-on-arrival facility to be abused. Tourism was one of the worst hit industries following the deadly blasts on Sunday in three Sri Lankan cities, primarily in and around Colombo. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deaths of 359 people and injuries to over 500 but Colombo has blamed a local Muslim group, the National Thowheed Jamath (NJT). The Sri Lanka Police released photographs of six young suspects - three males and three females - wanted in connection with the bombings. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sought public assistance to trace them. The six were identified as: Mohammad Ivuhaim Sadiq Abdul Haq, Mohammed Ivuhaim Shaid Abdul Haq and Mohammed Casim Mohammed Rilwan (all men) and Fatima Latif, Pulasthini Rajendran alias Sarah, Abdul Cader Fatima Kadir (all women). It was not clear if the six were linked to the National Thowheed Jamath. On Thursday, security forces set up checkpoints and stepped up random checking of vehicles across Sri Lanka. In the morning, at around 9 a.m., a minor explosion took place in a garbage dump behind the Magistrate's Court in Pugoda, 36 km from Colombo, reported Xinhua news agency. After the blast, police advised the general public not to panic, said the Daily Mirror. In an indication that all was not well in Sri Lanka, Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau raised the threat level to indicate a "high concrete" mark and advised travellers to leave the island and avoid visiting it in the near future, CNN reported. Although four days have passed since the bloodbath, Sri Lanka remains on the edge. Schools and colleges remain shut and a general sense of insecurity prevails. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told CNN that some attackers responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings were being monitored by the intelligence services but there was not "sufficient" evidence to put them in custody before the attacks. He reiterated that the attackers were middle- and upper-middle class and had been educated abroad. He added that the profile of the suspected bombers was "surprising". Police are holding the wealthy father of two of the suicide bombers on suspicion of aiding and abetting his sons to carry out Easter Sunday attacks. Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, a spice moghul, was arrested on Sunday following attacks at hotels and churches. His adult sons, Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim and Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, blew themselves up in two different attacks earlier that day. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said five safe houses had been raided in the country. More than 70 suspects have been taken into custody on a range of charges. Of these, four were female and all are Muslims. None is a foreigner. The Easter Sunday marked the bloodiest day in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade ago. New Delhi, April 25 : CPI candidate from Begusarai Kanhaiya Kumar has raised the highest amount of over Rs 70 lakh through crowd funding for Lok Sabha elections while Atishi, AAP candidate from Delhi East, has raised over Rs 61 lakh so far, according an online crowd funding platform. Kumar, who will be a candidate in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 29, raised Rs 70,00,903 with help 5326 supporters on the crowd funding platform `Our Democracy'. The funds for him have ranged from highest Rs 5,00,000 to Rs 100 with several people giving their names while a few choosing anonymity by describing themselves as "well wisher". Kumar is locked in a triangular contest with BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh and RJD's Tanveer Hassan. Atishi has so far raised Rs 61,78,214 thorough crowd funding. With Delhi going to the polls in the sixth phase on May 12, she is expected to raise more money for the campaign. Her colleagues in the party and contestants from Delhi Dilip K. Pandey and Raghav Chadha have also raised money through crowd funding. Pandey has raised Rs 6,17,107 and Raghav Chadha Rs 3,67,111. The dismissed BSF trooper, Tej Bahadur Yadav, who complained of poor quality food given to the forces and has decided to fight election from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been able to raise Rs 46,752 so far. RJD leader and former Bihar Finance Minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui, who is contesting from Darbhanga, has raised Rs 1,23,677. Election Commission guidelines state that a candidate can spend between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 70 lakh, depending on the state where they are fighting the Lok Sabha election. A candidate can spend a maximum of Rs 70 lakh as election expenditure except in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Sikkim. The cap for Delhi is Rs 70 lakh but it is less for other union territories. It is Rs 54 lakh for Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Sikkim. Bilal Zaidi, a co-founder Our Democracy, told IANS that they launched the platform in January and it has been used for 79 election candidate campaigns so far. "Most of them are Lok Sabha candidates but a couple of candidates are contesting assembly polls. The platform is designed in a way that it creates virality (social media support)," he said. Zaidi said of 79 candidates, eight are from Left parties, three from Congress, two from Samajwadi Party, one from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and many independents. He said Our Democracy is the only platform at present which meets the norms of election funding set by the Election Commission. Asked about website not displaying names of all the donors, he said they "allow people to be private" if they chose to do so. "Our purpose is that whatever money comes, it should be a bank-to-bank transaction. When a candidate submits details of donors to the Election Commission, all the names will be there. The website will show names of those who are comfortable in getting them displayed," he said. The minimum contribution accepted by the platform is Rs 100. Zaidi said it is easier for people with national profile to get funding through social media and those with a localised profile find it a little difficult. "India is world's largest democracy and we celebrate democracy at every level. With a country that is such a vibrant democracy, why is there such a question around political finance? How come ordinary people do not know much about those who fund political parties?" he asked. He said they wanted to reach out to citizens so that they not only vote but but also take the responsibilty of funding and expenditure of their political candidates so that they work for them. Zaidi said they charge five per cent commission on all the funds that are raised. Bengaluru, April 25 : The Bengaluru Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Thursday stayed the suspension of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin by the Election Commission (EC) for inspecting the helicopter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sambalpur in Odisha on April 16 as an election observer. "The suspension order issued by the Election Commission cannot, on the face of it, lie. It is hereby stayed. Applicant will be eligible to re-join his former position under the government of Karnataka without any further ado about it," said Tribunal Member K.B. Suresh in the order. New Delhi, April 25 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be responsible if Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power in the Lok Sabha polls, promising his party will do everything to stop the Shah-Modi duo in Delhi. Speaking to the media over a possible alliance between the AAP and Congress in the national capital, he said his party would have left all the seven seats for Congress if it was in a position to win. "But the Congress cannot win even a single seat in Delhi." "They don't have an intention (to forge an alliance). For the past two months, we have been trying for an alliance. I am saying this with huge sadness that if Modi and (BJP President Amit) Shah return to power, only one person will be responsible -- Rahul Gandhi. "The way he is weakening the opposition in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh and Haryana, this is not a good thing," the Delhi Chief Minister said after releasing AAP's Delhi manifesto. He said his party was giving a tough fight to the BJP and claimed, "we can defeat the BJP in Delhi". Kejriwal said the AAP was born amid corruption charges during Congress rule. "The thought of an alliance with the Congress was something we could not even think of at one point. But the tough situation the country is facing made us take such a decision." The talks between the AAP and Congress for an alliance in Delhi were on for some time but both the parties will now contest the May 12 Lok Sabha battle in Delhi on their own. Kejriwal also slammed Rahul Gandhi for tweeting discussions related to the alliance. "Where in the world an alliance took place on Twitter or through newspaper headlines?", referring to Rahul Gandhi's tweet accusing the AAP chief of "another U turn" on the alliance. "If they were serious about forming an alliance they should have come to the table for negotiations." While the AAP had named its candidates last month, the Congress named all its Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi, ending any possibility of a pre-poll tie-up between the two after weeks of negotiations for giving three of the seven seats to the Congress. "An alliance with Congress by giving them three seats would be with like forming an alliance with BJP. My conscience does not allow me to give three seats to BJP," he said.A He also said the 2019 elections can prove a turning point in the history as this election is to save the country, democracy and the Constitution and Delhi's seven seats will play a crucial role in the governmnet formation. "India is a 4,000-year-old country with a rich tradition. And despite diversity, India is one and its tradition has strengthened the country and given it power to face all kinds of attacks in the past. "But today, its unity is being attacked. And if the country gets divided on the basis of religion and caste, then it will lose its centuries-old tradition." "We will do everything to stop the Modi-Shah duo. We will support any grand alliance government. The BJP is against minorities. We are Indians first, then Hindu or Muslim," he said adding that the seven seats in Delhi will play a crucial role in the government formation at the Centre. Colombo, April 25 : Sri Lanka on Thursday revised down the toll in Easter Sunday bloodbath to "about 253" even as Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned accepting responsibility for the attack and security forces continued a search for accomplices of the suicide bombers. The government also banned the use of all drones and unmanned aircraft within the Sri Lankan airspace with effect from Thursday and also kept its new visa-on-arrival programme, which was to be implemented from May 1, on hold due to the security situation in the island nation. Bringing down the toll by over 100 from 359 to "about 253", the Health Ministry blamed "a calculation error" for the higher figure, the BBC reported. After submitting his resignation, Fernando said that while there was no failure on his own part, he was taking responsibility for the failures of some institutions which were under his command. President Maithripala Sirisena, who himself has come under attack from the opposition for failing to prevent the mass killings, had earlier asked the Defence Secretary and the police chief to quit. Tourism, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said that investigations had revealed foreign links to the attacks and the government did not want the visa-on-arrival facility to be abused. Tourism was one of the worst hit industries following the deadly blasts on Sunday in three Sri Lankan cities, primarily in and around Colombo. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack that also left 500 injured but Colombo has blamed a local Muslim group, the National Thowheed Jamath (NJT). The Sri Lanka Police released photographs of six young suspects - three males and three females - wanted in connection with the bombings. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sought public assistance to trace them. The six were identified as: Mohammad Ivuhaim Sadiq Abdul Haq, Mohammed Ivuhaim Shaid Abdul Haq and Mohammed Casim Mohammed Rilwan (all men) and Fatima Latif, Pulasthini Rajendran alias Sarah, Abdul Cader Fatima Kadir (all women). It was not clear if the six were linked to the National Thowheed Jamath. On Thursday, security forces set up checkpoints and stepped up random checking of vehicles across Sri Lanka. In the morning, at around 9 a.m., a minor explosion took place in a garbage dump behind the Magistrate's Court in Pugoda, 36 km from Colombo, reported Xinhua news agency. After the blast, police advised the general public not to panic, said the Daily Mirror. In an indication that all was not well in Sri Lanka, Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau raised the threat level to indicate a "high concrete" mark and advised travellers to leave the island and avoid visiting it in the near future, CNN reported. Although four days have passed since the bloodbath, Sri Lanka remains on the edge. Schools and colleges remain shut and a general sense of insecurity prevails. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told CNN that some attackers responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings were being monitored by the intelligence services but there was not "sufficient" evidence to put them in custody before the attacks. He reiterated that the attackers were middle- and upper-middle class and had been educated abroad. He added that the profile of the suspected bombers was "surprising". Police are holding the wealthy father of two of the suicide bombers on suspicion of aiding and abetting his sons to carry out Easter Sunday attacks. Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, a spice moghul, was arrested on Sunday following attacks at hotels and churches. His adult sons, Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim and Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, blew themselves up in two different attacks earlier that day. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said five safe houses had been raided in the country. More than 70 suspects have been taken into custody on a range of charges. Of these, four were female and all are Muslims. None is a foreigner. The Easter Sunday marked the bloodiest day in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade ago. Bhopal, April 25 : Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was stopped from using his helicopter to campaign in Chhindwara after 5 p.m., termed it a "part of a conspiracy" while the BJP complained to the CEO against the District Magistrate. "Our meetings and roadshows in Chhindwara were denied permission by the district electoral officer under a conspiracy. This has never happened before in the state. "In West Bengal, Mamata Didi (Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) had stopped me, but I had never imagined that after Didi, Dada will stop me here," he told media persons, in an indirect attack on Chief Minister Kamal Nath. "Polls should be clean... what do they fear from us. We wanted to speak but our meetings were disrupted under the conspiracy. If the helicopter wasn't allowed, we should have been allowed to travel by road," Chouhan added. A party delegation, which included party Vice President Prabhat Jha, submitted a complaint, seeking action against the district official. Mumbai, April 25 : RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said that the country's apex bank is strengthening its surveillance framework in the face of growing significance of FinTech innovations and their interface with the financial sector. Delivering the 17th C.D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture, he said that recent developments in FinTech have given a fresh impetus to financial inclusion process in the country and policy efforts have been directed in recent years to put in place a state of the art national payments infrastructure and technology platform. "The Reserve Bank is continuously aligning its regulatory and supervisory framework so that the evolution of FinTech can be leveraged to widen and ease the financial access by the excluded population. "In view of the growing significance of FinTech innovations and their interface with the financial sector as well as financial sector entities, the Reseve Bank is strengthening its surveillance framework," he said. The apex bank has also issued draft guidelines on "Enabling Framework for Regulatory Sandbox" for obtaining the comments of stakeholders. Kolkata: Calcutta High Court wears a deserted look as lawyers go on a strike after a scuffle broke out between the employees of Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) and lawyers of Howrah District Court, in Kolkata on April 25, 2019. Reportedly two civi Image Source: IANS News Kolkata: Calcutta High Court wears a deserted look as lawyers go on a strike after a scuffle broke out between the employees of Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) and lawyers of Howrah District Court, in Kolkata on April 25, 2019. Reportedly two civi Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, April 26 : Lawyers in West Bengal on Thursday decided to go on "cease work" till April 29, protesting against police "atrocities" and demanding arrest of police personnel who "brutally tortured" advocates, staff and judicial officers of Howrah court on Wednesday. In a five-point resolution adopted at an emergency meeting on Thursday, the Bar Council of West Bengal decided to go on cease work till Monday. During this period, the lawyers would not attend court hearings. Ashok Deb, chairman of Bar Council of West Bengal, told IANS that a delegation would go to Howrah court on Friday to express solidarity with the lawyers working there. Bar Council representatives will call on the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court on April 30 to register their protest about the police "atrocities" in Howrah court, he said. All members of the bar would wear black badges on April 26 across the state to register their protest against the police excesses and observe a black day. "We have given the authorities a deadline till 4 p.m. on Monday to act on our demands. "If they fail to act, we will again meet on Monday to discuss our next course of action," Deb said. The trouble between the police and the lawyers was sparked off by a dispute over vehicle parking, following which the advocates were "beaten up by the police", Deb alleged. Bengaluru, April 26 : The Bengaluru Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Thursday stayed the suspension of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin by the Election Commission (EC) for inspecting the helicopter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sambalpur in Odisha on April 16 as an election observer. "The suspension order issued by the EC cannot, on the face of it, lie. It is hereby stayed. Applicant will be eligible to re-join his former position under the government of Karnataka without any further ado about it," said Tribunal Member K.B. Suresh in the order. Modi was on an election tour in the eastern state for the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly elections being held in four phases from April 11 to April 29. Interestingly, in another order on April 20, the poll panel said the headquarters of 48-year-old Mohsin will be the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka in Bengaluru in place of Sambalpur. Mohsin, however, reported to Bengaluru on April 23, when polling for the remaining 14 Lok Sabha seats in the western and northern regions of the southern state was held. Staying the suspension, the Tribunal said the charge against Mohsin was he checked the chopper though the Prime Minister was exempted from it under the Z-plus security category of the Special Protection Group (SPG). "The applicant (Mohisn) claims that he had advised the accompanying officials to videograph the process with the advice of the SPG officials. The SPG, however, complained to the EC that the SPG protectees must be exempt from such intrusions into their private life," observed the member. Noting that even the SPG protectees were not eligible for anything and everything, the Tribunal cited a news report indicating that heavy packages were taken away from the Prime Minister's cavalcade into another vehicle and sped away in another vehicle in Karnataka. The Congress asked the poll panel to probe the incident that occurred on April 11 when Modi flew to Chitradurga in a chopper to address a massive BJP poll rally. "Questions were raised about it but no action followed. The petitioner's contention is election officials have even checked vehicles of Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy more than once and no action followed," the member observed. The Tribunal posted the matter for further hearing on June 3. Veracruz : , April 26 (IANS) The mayor of Mixtla de Altamirano, her husband and her driver were murdered by gunmen in the Mexican Gulf state of Veracruz, officials said. Maricela Vallejo Orea, a member of the leftist governing National Regeneration Movement (Morena) and her companions were gunned down around 9:00 p.m. (local time) on Wednesday at the Zongolica-Orizaba highway in the Sierra de Zongolica. Gunmen riding in a vehicle cut off the mayor's SUV and opened fire, killing the three occupants, officials said. Municipal, state and federal law enforcement agents responded to the shooting, the Efe news reported. In January, Vallejo was one of the featured speakers at an event introducing a program to fight violence against women and girls in Veracruz. The mayor proposed the creation of an agency in each municipality to combat gender violence, assigning specialists to deal with each case. Two people were killed and three others wounded in clashes between Morena and Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) supporters in Mixtla de Altamirano during the 2017 elections. In December of that year, Vallejo said she had received death threats and was offered 300,000 pesos (about $15,789) to walk away from the mayoralty. Vallejo is the second mayor murdered in Mexico this week. On Tuesday, Nahuatzen Mayor David Otlica Aviles was kidnapped and murdered by gunmen in the southwestern state of Michoacan. Otlica Aviles, who ran on the ticket of the leftist PRD and the Mexican Green Party (PVEM), took office last September, the Michoacan Attorney General's Office said. Investigators have determined that Otlica Aviles was kidnapped in the early morning hours by several gunmen who showed up at his residence in the community of San Isidro, the AG's office said. The mayor appears to have been tortured before being killed, AG's office investigators said. Investigators are looking into a conflict between Otlica Aviles and indigenous people living in the community of Sevina who wanted to manage their share of the municipal budget directly. Mexico got off to the bloodiest start to a year ever, with a total of 8,493 murders registered in the first quarter of 2019, the highest number of killings since 1997, when the government started keeping murder statistics. Last year, 33,369 murders were recorded in Mexico, making it the most violent year since 1997. On Monday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he was sticking with his security strategy and vowed that it would yield results this year. Europa Capital will strengthen its European presence by opening a permanent office in Luxembourg, dedicated to the management and structuring of its European activity. The investment company has opened the new office to coincide with the appointment of Eric Biren as Partner. He has worked with Europa Capital as consultant Photos: Charles Best Photography/Europa Capital [] The Small Business Development Center at MEC- Leesburg, Loudouns Epicenter for Entrepreneurship, announced today that registration is open for the 2019 Loudoun Small Business Conference. The annual conference will be held Monday May 6 from 8:30am-5:00pm at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott Hotel. The full day event features a lunch keynote address, breakout sessions and networking opportunities designed specifically to educate and provide practical growth strategies for Loudoun County entrepreneurs and small business owners. This years conference will focus on topics relevant to growing area businesses, such as developing a brand, understanding tax implications to small businesses, and successfully navigating business in the HUBZone. We are very excited to once again bring together Loudouns small business to community for this annual event, said Eric Byrd, Small Business Development Center Manager. The Loudoun Small Business Conference is the only conference designed for the countys growing small business community, offering a unique blend of both educational and networking opportunities. The Conference includes sixteen breakout sessions, and many exciting speakers and panelists including industry experts and Loudoun CEOs. The Lunch Keynote Address will feature Sharon D. Virts, Social Entrepreneur and Community Leader, who will share her story of building a $250 million business from a small home-based business. With more than 200 entrepreneurs, business owners, community leaders and business influencers expected at the event, attendees will have exclusive networking opportunities within the Loudoun business community. The Loudoun Small Business Conference will take place at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott Hotel from 8:30am-5:00pm on Monday May 6. For more information, please visit: https://loudounconference.com/ or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-loudoun-small-business-conference-tickets-53546789890#tickets to buy tickets. About The Small Business Development Center @ MEC- Leesburg Hosted by the Small Business Development Center in Loudoun/Leesburg. The SBDC @ MEC-Leesburg is a non-profit, grant funded program that provides services to small businesses in Loudoun County to help them start, grow and prosper. We offer low cost educational events and programs as well as no cost business advising services to individual small businesses. Our programs and services are funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information, please visit: https://masonenterprisecenterloudoun.com/ The wide range of our SSL Certificate options makes setting up your website and doing business on day one easier than ever. A2 Hosting, a hosting provider known for providing high-performance hosting solutions, today announced a new slate of SSL Certificate offerings designed to increase visitor trust, boost SEO rankings, improve eCommerce capabilities and strengthen website security. Every option is easy to install and even easier to renew. Better yet, all certificates give users access to A2 Hostings Guru Crew Support Team that is available to them 24/7, 365 days a year. Users can choose between a number of established SSL brands including Symantec, RapidSSL, GeoTrust, and Sectigo (formerly Comodo). These certificates are available in four general categories: Single Site SSL A basic certificate that offers easy domain verification and an extremely quick SSL issuance. 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Customers seeking an additional speed boost can host on A2 Hostings Turbo Servers featuring page load speeds up to 20X faster compared to competing hosts. Visit https://www.a2hosting.com. As wedding season approaches you should take a look at your finances and your calendar to determine how much you can spend on each occasion. Wedding season is quickly approaching, and it is important to be prepared. Although weddings are joyful events, they can also be a financial burden as costs tend to add up quickly. To help, national nonprofit American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) gives consumers six tips on how to survive wedding season. As wedding season approaches you should take a look at your finances and your calendar to determine how much you can spend on each occasion, said Steve Trumble, President, and CEO of American Consumer Credit Counseling. Fortunately, there are some tips that you can follow to ensure you dont demolish your financial goals during wedding season. A survey by Bankrate.com found that a wedding guest that is a close friend or family member spends on average $628 to attend a wedding, compared to those in the bridal party who spend an average of $728 and distant guests who spend about $371. ACCC gives six tips on ways to survive wedding season. 1. Set a budget Consumers should take a look at their finances and determine exactly how much they can spend without going into debt. 2. Rent or borrow Having multiple weddings in a season can make it hard to find outfits. It is unnecessary to have over ten black tie dresses hanging in the closet. Instead, consider exchanging with friends or renting from places such as Rent the Runway. This is also a great time to repurpose any old bridesmaid dresses hanging in the closet. 3. Lodging alternatives Although hotel rooms are blocked off with a discount, it may not be the cheapest option. Do some research on nearby hotels to ensure the best deal. If the consumer has a group of friends, consider renting a house through websites such as Airbnb or VRBO is the better deal. 4. Booking airfare If it is a destination wedding, then it is important to research all the flight options once the date has been confirmed and book far in advance. Track prices to see when they rise and fall as some airlines may offer a credit if the consumer notices a drop in price after booking. 5. The gift If a consumer cant afford to give a sum of money, they should take a look at the registry and find something in their price range. Consumers should also shop around and see if they can find the registered item elsewhere for cheaper. 6. Say no A wedding invitation is not a requirement. Although it might be painful to check the will not attend box, it is okay especially if it will be a financial burden. About American Consumer Credit Counseling American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a nonprofit credit counseling 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to achieve financial management through credit counseling, debt management, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling and financial education concerning debt solutions. To help consumers reach their goal of debt relief, ACCC provides a range of free consumer personal finance resources on a variety of topics including budgeting, credit and debt management, student loan assistance, youth and money, homeownership, identity theft, senior living, and retirement. Consumers can use ACCCs worksheets, videos, calculators, and blog articles to make the best possible decisions regarding their financial future. ACCC holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). For more information or to access free financial education resources, log on to ConsumerCredit.com or visit http://www.consumercredit.com/financial-education.aspx AnalogX Inc., a Canadian corporation, is delighted to unveil its new, silicon-proven, multi-protocol, 1 to 33Gbps AXLinkIO connectivity IP portfolio. The AXLinkIO portfolio of Serializer/Deserializer interconnect IP solutions is ideally suited for high-bandwidth chiplets and chips in AI processors, 5G networking, optical interfaces, and datacenter computing. The IP architecture has been delivered to customers and has been silicon proven in a leading 16/12nm process technology. AXLinkIO exhibits the worlds lowest power, lowest area, and highest performance for any interconnect SerDes IP architecture running up to 33Gbps. The AXLinkIO portfolio of IPs includes AXDieIO, AXLinkIO-SR, and AXLinkIO-MR IP solutions. AXDieIO targets chiplet die-to-die applications, while AXLinkIO-SR and AXLinkIO-MR target chip-to-chip, chip-to-module and multi-chip connectivity. All IPs utilize the same silicon-proven AXLinkIO architecture featuring world-class signal and power integrity for multi-terabit, high transceiver lane count applications. The AXLinkIO IPs support a multitude of standard interface protocols such as PCIe Gen1-5, JESD, OIF, CPRI, Ethernet and others. Weve spent nearly two decades designing high-end, multi-protocol SerDes IP solutions for volume production and we are extremely passionate and committed in delivering truly innovative, silicon-proven technology. Compared to other solutions in this segment, we are providing our customers with exponential differentiation in terms of power, area density, and performance, said Robert Wang, Co-founder and CEO. Our team is really proud to have breached the 1 mW/Gbps power barrier in 16/12nm and our newer developments are on pace to further improve our power and area density, while maintaining our excellent and robust performance. The AXLinkIO IPs operate continuously from 1 to 33Gbps, while supporting hundreds of transceiver lanes per die side without stacking. The IP architecture delivers unprecedented power consumption, down to 1mW/Gbps in die-to-die applications. All AX IPs exhibit the worlds best area, IO density, and latency in the segment class. Multiple lane configurations are available for all AX IPs, along with comprehensive IP deliverables, user-friendly configuration software and world-class support to ensure seamless and easy IP integration. AnalogX will demonstrate the AXLinkIO IP architecture at DAC 2019 (Booth 862) in Las Vegas, USA, from June 2nd to June 6th. About AnalogX Inc. AnalogX Inc. (http://www.analogx.io) develops cutting-edge, connectivity IP solutions for premier technology companies. Founded in 2017 by industry veterans in the interconnect space, AnalogXs mission is to enable high-end, mixed-signal IPs that drive revolutionary SoC designs for high-bandwidth applications that range from AI to Data Center Computing. AnalogX is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. For further information, please visit https://www.analogx.io or contact us at contact(at)analogx.io. AquaBlok, Ltd.'s exhibit booth display at the 2019 Battelle Sediments Conference highlighted three key benefits of their materials: Powder Performance, Uniform Distribution, and Quality Control Another great Battelle Sediments Conference. We saw numerous successful installations of our materials presented in a wide range of platform and poster presentations. AquaBlok, Ltd. is proud to report another successful Battelle Sediments Conference. In addition to being a corporate sponsor and exhibitor, representatives from the company authored and/or co-authored six platform and poster presentations. AquaBlok's contaminated sediment remediation materials were featured in 19 other presentations. President John Hull and COO John Collins served as session chairs for two platform sessions: Understanding Chemistry of In-Situ Treatment Amendments and Field-Scale Application of In-Situ Treatment Technologies, respectively. Platform presentations coauthored by Mr. Collins include: "In Situ Treatment for PCBs in Sediment: Treatability to Implementation" by Keir Craigie, Gary Braun, and Senda Ozkan (Tetra Tech, Inc.), Ernest Ashley (CDM Smith), and John Collins (AquaBlok, Ltd.) "Sediment Cap Design, Modeling, and Construction" by Dale Kolstad, Mike Ellis, and Tom Boom (Barr Engineering), John Collins (AquaBlok, Ltd.), Mike Welch (Sevenson Environmental Services), and Andrew Santini (Consumers Energy) Poster presentations authored and coauthored by Mr. Collins and Mr. Hull include: "Addressing Contaminated Groundwater to Surface Water Discharge: Application of Materials and Methods for Construction of In Situ Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs) to Limit Migration of PFAS" by John Collins and John Hull (AquaBlok, Ltd.) and Richard Stewart (Ziltek, Pty Ltd.) "Joint Expeditionary Base (JEB) Little Creek: Application of Active Materials as a Component of Contaminated Sediment Remediation" by John Collins (AquaBlok, Ltd.), Stavros Patselas and Steve McGee (Tetra Tech) Biological Side Effects from Activated Carbon When Used in Contaminated Sediment Treatment: Trying to Put Things into Perspective" by Joe Jersak (SAO Environmental), John Collins and John Hull (AquaBlok, Ltd.), and Tore Hjartland (AquaBlok Norge AS) "Evaluation of Activated Carbon as a Reactive Sediment Cap Amendment for Feasibility Level Studies" by David Flannery and Billy Barron (Cabot Corporation), Danny Reible and Tariq Hussain (Texas Tech University), and John Collins and John Hull (AquaBlok, Ltd.) The 19 AquaBlok-featured presentations were authored and given by several well-respected individuals and companies in the environmental industry, including the U.S. Navy, Tetra Tech, and CDM Smith. A listing of and details related to these presentations can be found in the attached book of abstracts. AquaBloks display at the conference served as a launch for three new high-quality videos that highlighted important considerations and benefits of their materials. Powder Performance Why PAC performs better than GAC for sediment remediation Quality Control The importance of verifying that the installation to meet the design objectives Uniform Distribution How to achieve the best results from amendment materials The videos can also be found on AquaBlok's newly redesigned website. AquaBlok also promoted a new product, AquaGate+RemBind. Developed with Australian-based company Ziltek, Pty Ltd., this material, consisting of activated carbon, aluminum hydroxide, and other adsorptive agents, addresses PFAS contamination in soil, groundwater, and sediment. It is best-suited for use in a Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB). About AquaBlok, Ltd. AquaBlok, Ltd., based in Swanton, Ohio, is a manufacturer of a range of patented low permeability, thin capping products for the management, isolation and treatment of contamination in sediments and sealing in a wide range of geotechnical applications. Descriptions and detailed profiles of AquaBloks technologies can be found on their newly redesigned website. We are now poised for strong growth, believes Mrs Healy.We have proven our original business model, we have now perfected and proven our franchise model. We will start by getting to 25 offices by the end of 2020. This year marks the 20th anniversary of AvenueWest Corporate Housing, Inc., an award winning Colorado based business that has shown staying power by finding real estate and lodging solutions for customers in the economic ups and downs of the last 20 years. Founded on the principles of service, quality and choice, AvenueWest Global Franchise now has 13 local real estate franchise brokerages and just launched AvenueWest Canada to further its North American expansion. In a world before AirBnB, AvenueWest saw the business potential for residential rentals, and today is the leader in the furnished residential monthly leasing and real estate business development. AvenueWest Corporate Housing started as a small real estate management company but quickly grew to the largest provider of corporate housing rentals in Colorado. Driven by the development of new ideas, meaningful innovation and vision for corporate growth, in 2010 AvenueWest Global Franchise, LLC was launched, enabling the national expansion of the AvenueWest Managed Corporate Housing business model. In 2018, AvenueWest Global Franchise, LLC, was named a Colorado Company to Watch, acknowledging the drive, excellence and influence of AvenueWest as a growing company in the state. Colorado Companies to Watch honors second stage companies that develop valuable products and services, create quality jobs, enrich communities, and create new industries throughout Colorado. A recognized leader in the industry, AvenueWest was awarded the Corporate Housing Providers Associations (CHPA) prestigious Provider Company of the Year Award, in 2019 AvenueWest was short-listed for the international Serviced Apartment Provider of the Year Award, in 2018 Think Realty Magazine awarded them the Industry Influencer award and they have been listed for 3 consecutive years on Inc Magazines Inc 5000 list featuring the countrys fastest growing businesses. AvenueWests CEO, Angela Healy, states that there are two secrets to the companys success. First, we work hard to run AvenueWest as a team and develop a place where our employees enjoy coming to work, take pride in what they do and create lasting solutions for the tasks at hand. Secondly, Healy adds, that we believe in doing business the old-fashioned way, person-to-person with high standards for customer service. We are able to offer relocated or traveling professionals more than just a temporary place to call home; we also help them get to know and love their new city like we do. So many of our customers come back to us time and time again because they know they can depend on us for reliable information about the city they are relocating to. Mrs Healy stated, The AvenueWest Managed Corporate Housing business model works and there is proven national demand for the unique rental properties only offered through AvenueWest, but the real estate property management business model requires state specific real estate licenses to operate in each state. With a strong focus on quality and consistency, the AvenueWest business model began the evolution to a franchise model that developed locally owned and operated real estate brokerage offering managed corporate housing as a business lodging solution. Creating a franchise business varied significantly from the development of a real estate brokerage offering furnished monthly rentals. The new model had to develop training and systems that could expand and replicate what had been primarily done just through the development of key employees. Today there are 13 locally owned AvenueWest franchises located in 7 states. Current AvenueWest offices are located in Atlanta, GA - Boulder,CO - Colorado Springs, CO - Dallas, TX - Denver, CO - Denver South / DTC - Fort Collins, CO - Phoenix, AZ - Las Vegas, NV - San Francisco, CA - Scottsdale, AZ - St Louis, MO - Tucson, AZ. Today, AvenueWest still has the same mission statement it started with in 1999. We can best serve our tenants and property owners by always improving the quality of everything we do as a team. We are committed to the process of becoming a continuously self-improving organization.The AvenueWest franchise business model is different than the standard McDonalds as we work together on innovation. Part of the value of our franchise program is that innovation not only comes from the top down but also from the bottom up. We believe, and have demonstrated, the value of working with each franchise to best understand the innovations they make everyday and the Global Team works hard to disseminate these ideas as best practices for the benefit of all offices. Together we achieve more, together we grow more, and together we innovate more. There are thousands of moving parts that come together to make a corporate housing rental and each little element of innovation can improve the entire process A simple view of what we do is to work with property owners who have or want to develop residential investment real estate. Our systems work to make sure the properties meet and exceed industry and client expectations. Our management teams work hard to maintain and improve the condition of the investment properties and ensure the property meets the needs and expectations of the tenant. All of this is supported by accounting teams that understand state specific real estate and accounting laws, as well as leasing agents, who work to develop and manage business customers around the globe. We are now poised for strong growth, believes Mrs Healy.We have proven our original business model, we have now perfected and proven our franchise model. We will start by getting to 25 offices by the end of 2020. In addition AvenueWest has identified over 230 North American cities where the AvenueWest business model will work and there is sufficient lodging demand. About AvenueWest: AvenueWest Managed Corporate Housing was founded in 1999. In 2010, AvenueWest Global Franchise was established to expand the business and corporate housing services throughout the United States. In 2019, AvenueWest Canada was launched to continue to expand the franchise program into Canada. Currently, AvenueWest Global Franchise has 13 offices located in Atlanta GA, Boulder CO, Colorado Springs CO, Dallas TX, Denver CO, Denver South / DTC CO, Fort Collins CO, Las Vegas NV, Phoenix AZ, San Francisco CA, Scottsdale AZ, St Louis MO and Tucson AZ. https://avenuewest.com/ Our Vision: AvenueWests vision is to provide quality Managed Corporate Housing by professionally servicing a unique niche of business travelers with investment owners properties. Our Mission: AvenueWests primary objective is to provide high quality condominiums, townhomes, lofts, single family homes and apartments to meet the short-term executive housing demand. We can best serve our tenants and property owners by always improving the quality of everything we do as a team. We are committed to the process of becoming a continuously self-improving organization. About AvenueWest Investment Fund: AVENUEWEST INVESTMENT FUND I, LLC, is a Delaware limited liability company. The Funds investment strategy is to acquire and provide short-term rentals of corporate housing properties. Fund I will expand the proven real estate investment strategy AvenueWest has been doing for individual investors for almost 20 years. The AvenueWest Management Team is led by executives with over 25 years of industry experience with an extensive understanding of market dynamics and the ability to identify opportunities in this specific asset class. https://avenuewestinvest.com/ Best San Francisco SEO Agencies 10 Best SEO is honored to present the winners of its Best San Francisco SEO Agency awards for April 2019, selecting Seven Atoms as the leader in this category. Choosing the best search engine optimization (SEO) firm is part of a business plan for success. The best SEO agency will provide a business with online traffic growth and a better conversion rate from visitors into paying customers. There are many types of SEO that a business owner might consider, and finding the right firm to take on this type of marketing campaign is not generally a fast or simple process. Fortunately, the 10 Best SEO listing service has come up with its brand-new monthly award for the top SF SEO agency. Business owners in and around San Francisco can make use of this monthly list if they notice that their site is not performing at the standard that they want it to perform. Heading the list of top SF SEO agencies for April 2019 is Seven Atoms. This is a small firm with fewer than 10 employees. Business owners get a customized experience when they choose to work with the company. The firm's associates deliver impeccable customer care. They specialize in working with small businesses and take pride in helping their clients succeed and reach their highest goals. Another great firm for San Francisco SEO services is Elite SEM. This firm specializes in search engine marketing and uses the trending key phrases to create ads that are prominently displayed on a search results page. Being a top SEO agency, Elite SEM also works to boost the SERPs of its clients. The result is more visibility and a higher level of niche authority. This leads to more trust from consumers. Ensight Marketing also earned a spot on the April 2019 list of the 10 best SEO agencies. As a leading SEO agency, Ensight Marketing employs more than 250 marketing experts who are adept at researching site performance and conducting trend analyses. The associates at Ensight Marketing use this data in order to build their SEO campaigns. They offer tweaks whenever the search engine algorithms change the SERPs for their clients. This is a brand-new award for the best SEO company in San Francisco. It is available at no cost to business owners and individuals. Businesses should refer to it around the first date of each month, because the companies that are listed on it could change as new information is analyzed. Please visit http://www.10bestseo.com for more information about the winning agencies for the month of April. Brandon Ford of Tampa, Florida, features over 60 new high-performance 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor models in its inventory. We are stocking the 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor in large numbers and discounting them. The massive selection and price breaks being offered are a huge draw for customers from all over the country, and especially here in Florida. - Tom Murray, Brandon Ford Marketing Director There are a lot of new Ford trucks on the Brandon Ford lot in Tampa, Florida, that help the dealership be the largest volume Ford truck dealer on the planet, but the truck thats easily the most fun to drive out of all of those options is the 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor. A high-performance truck thats as comfortable off the road as it is on it, the 2019 F-150 Raptor is a must-have for any truck lover who desires top-of-the-line power, performance, capability and drivability. And now its easier than ever for customers to find the 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor thats right for them thanks to Brandon Ford featuring over 60 new Ford F-150 Raptor models in its inventory. Because some consider it to be more of a niche model, most Ford dealers in the country only feature a couple 2019 F-150 Raptor models at a time. But thats not how things are done at Brandon Ford, as the dealership does everything it can to ensure customers have a wide variety to choose from therefore not needing to compromise on the features and capabilities they want or spend extra money on special orders. We are stocking the 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor in large numbers and discounting them, said Tom Murray, Brandon Ford Marketing Director. The massive selection and price breaks being offered are a huge draw for customers from all over the country, and especially here in Florida. More information on Brandon Ford can be found by visiting the dealerships website at http://www.brandonford.com. Customers can direct any questions they may have to the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Brandon Ford by calling 813-246-3673 or by emailing Murray at tmurray(at)brandonford.com. Brandon Ford is located at 9090 Adamo Drive in Tampa. Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo BRIT Texas Sustainable Winegrowing Competition The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo continues to expand our educational scope to include important aspects of Texas agriculture beyond the livestock industry, said Stock Show President and General Manager, Brad Barnes. Highlighting Texas wine makers is a natural progression in this effort." The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (FWSSR) are proud to announce the launch of a unique Texas wine competition honoring both the wine producer and the grape grower. Applications for the inaugural Texas Sustainable Winegrowing Competition can be downloaded from the BRIT website at: http://www.brit.org/texaswinecompetition. Application submission deadline is September 30, 2019 with winners announced in November. The competition will award medals to winemakers and their grape growers recognizing that while some Texas wineries grow their own grapes, others buy grapes from farmers. Both sides of the process are critical to the environmental, social, and economic impact of the final product. BRIT brings to the competition its ten-year history of promoting sustainability in winegrowing with the International Sustainable Winegrowing Award, which it hosts in cooperation with FIVS, a Paris-based international federation of sustainability-minded wine organizations. The Stock Show brings its century-plus-long history of recognizing excellence in agricultural practices and promoting Texas ranchers and farmers. The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo continues to expand our educational scope to include important aspects of Texas agriculture beyond the livestock industry, said Stock Show President and General Manager, Brad Barnes. Highlighting Texas wine makers is a natural progression in this effort. It presents a tremendous opportunity for consumers to engage with growers and wine makers in dynamic settings. The Texas wine industry is a growing segment of the agricultural economy, with an economic impact estimated at $13.1 billion annually, according to a study on the American wine industry by John Dunham and Associates for the National Association of American Wineries. As of January 2019, more than 500 wineries were licensed in Texas. As with all great initiatives, we encourage our applicants to be creative and help establish new conservation and sustainable practices and to share that knowledge, said Dr. Ed Schneider, BRIT's president and executive director. To us, sustainability is not a point of arrival, but a direction in which to move. Highlighting both wine flavor and operational practices, the competitions unique format expands opportunities for grape growers and wine makers to compete and excel in the one-of-a-kind event. The application is a five-question self-assessment of the winerys and grape growers operations. All questions will have a sustainability bent; however, they are general enough that organizations that havent implemented sophisticated sustainability programs can successfully compete. All Texas wineries regardless of their sustainability progress will be encouraged to enter. Ranchers have embraced sustainability for generations. The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo applauds all Texas wineries embracing the sustainability journey and urge their participation in this unique competition, said Barnes. Two main awards will be awarded to the top wines, Grand Champion and Grand Reserve. Gold, silver and bronze medals will also be granted to both the wineries and grape growers of top-placing entries. To enter, go to http://www.BRIT.org/texaswinecompetition or fwssr.com to download the application. The submission deadline is September 30, 2019. There is a $50 entry fee per brand entered. Judging will take place in October, and winners will be announced in November. Grand Champion and Grand Reserve winners will be presented with their awards during BRITs annual Vine to Table award dinner and fundraiser in January 2020. CSIRO US Logo Susan Lucas-Conwell, Executive Vice President of CSIRO US shares, Our partnership with the Australian Space Agency, as their technology partner, positions CSIRO to play a key role in driving the future of space commercialization. CSIRO US, Australias pre-eminent national science organization, in partnership with the Australian Space Agency, today announced that on April 12, 2019, it co-hosted their first roundtable on the future of global space commercialization. The roundtable participants included thought leaders from such major actors as JPL, Accel and Koolocks. The partnership with the Australian Space Agency focuses on new technologies that further the commercialization of space and triple the size of the Australian space industry by 2030. Following the roundtable session, CSIRO US and the newly created Australian Space Agency co-hosted a luncheon reception for over 60 investors, start-ups, scientists, industry experts, Australian government representatives and Fortune 100 aerospace companies focused on expanding the USA and Australian open innovation ecosystem to commercialize space. Australia has a long tradition of space initiatives from satellites to communication, said Susan Lucas-Conwell, Executive Vice President of CSIRO US. Our partnership with the Australian Space Agency, as their technology partner, positions CSIRO to play a key role in driving the future of space commercialization. The roundtable and reception comes on the heels of CSIRO USs participation in the 35th Annual Space Symposium held in Colorado Springs, CO. CSIRO sponsored the GDay reception organized by DFAT, Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, providing opening remarks and participating in the panel of experts that included Sarah Pearce, Deputy Director of CASS. About CSIRO US Based in Silicon Valley, CSIRO US is the North American innovation center for CSIRO, Australias pre-eminent national science organization, accelerating innovation through global science with more than 2,000 patents and 150 spinouts to date. CSIRO US facilitates relationships with Global 1,000 customers, USA government agencies, universities, and research institutions to turn big ideas into disruptive products. Learn more at http://www.csiro.us/ and follow us on LinkedIn. Media Contact for CSIRO US: Christine Crandell, New Business Strategies Christine.crandell@newbizs.com 415 309 7017 DelCor Technology Solutions, Inc., announced that Tom Jelen has been named as the organizations latest addition to its burgeoning strategic technology consulting team. Jelen brings 20 years of experience working with associations and nonprofits to DelCor, the last 13 of which were spent at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)most recently as Director of Digital Communications. In his new role at DelCor, Jelen will partner with clients in providing strategic direction and driving digital transformation in support of organizational goals and missions. We are very pleased to have Tom join our DelCorian teamand honored after his long and successful run with ASHA, said DelCors Founder and CEO, Loretta Monterastelli DeLuca, FASAE. His exceptional experience will be a huge asset to the team, especially his strong background in large organizations with far-reaching communications and user experience challenges. Jelen has specialized experience in digital communications and strategy, systems integration, technology project management, digital product development, and user experience. This wealth of skills will further augment DelCors deeply experienced team and reinforce DelCors reputation as a top IT provider for associations and nonprofits. Its an exciting move for me, said Jelen. DelCors name is respected in the community and I am thrilled to be able to jump in and help them continue to build on that name and brand equity. Prior to his role as Director of Digital Communications at ASHA, Jelen served as Director of Web and Knowledge Strategy. He was also an Application Team Lead for Community IT Innovators and a Web Producer for TechSoup.org. Jelen was recently recognized as a 2018 Association Technology Star, a distinction awarded by DCA Live to the top association tech executives. ABOUT DELCOR DelCor Technology Solutions, Inc., is an award-winning, independent technology consulting firm headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. Authors of the IT Maturity Model for Associations & Nonprofits and informed by a collective 200 years of experience as association executives themselves, DelCorians are driven to help organizations fulfill their missions, visions, and business goals. Since its founding in 1984, DelCor has helped hundreds of organizations around the world achieve progress through technology strategic consulting, hosting, and managed services. For more information, visit http://www.delcor.com. Donna Beumler, a former criminal prosecutor, defense attorney, and superior court judge currently living in Hawaii, where she enjoys snorkeling and writing novels, has completed her book Criminal/Lawyer: a spellbinding legal drama steeped in inside knowledge of the world of criminal justice. Told with a rare and visceral authenticity, Criminal/Lawyer is the story of criminal defense attorney Alice Dreyer, and of her clients: murderers, rapists, and drug addicts. She represents them all. Awash in the dark and sometimes deranged world of the criminal justice system, Alices colleagues will become her strongest supporters and most cherished friends, until a shocking betrayal forces Alice to chart a perilous course between right and wrong, justice and injustice, criminal and criminal lawyer. Reviewer Sherri Fulmer Moorer (Readers Favorites) has said of Criminal/Lawyer that the novel is so well written, I thought I was reading a true, firsthand account. The story is told with passion and knowledge. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys legal thrillers. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Donna Beumlers book is a fast-paced and compelling legal thriller that keeps the pages turning until the very last chapter. Readers who wish to experience this engrossing work can purchaseCriminal/Lawyer 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. East Penn Manufacturing Co. is pleased to announce that the company ranks as one of Americas Best Large Employers for 2019 by Forbes and Statista. This is the second year in a row East Penn has been named to the list, achieving a higher rank thank the previous year. East Penn was ranked among some of the largest, most prominent companies in America. The ranking was based off of an anonymous survey given to almost 50,000 employees at companies with at least 1,000 people. Prior to the award, there was no submission process and companies were not made aware of the survey. Respondents participated voluntarily and were recruited from thousands of sources to maximize reach and representation. American employees were asked to determine on a scale of zero to 10 how likely they were to recommend their employer to someone else. They were also asked more than 35 detailed questions about working conditions and how they felt about other employers in their respective industries. East Penn was awarded along with 500 other large American companies, which have more than 5,000 employees. To see the ranking, go to Forbes Best Large Employers List: https://www.forbes.com/best-large-employers/#351251b9fb3e East Penn is a leading manufacturer of high quality lead-acid batteries and accessories for the automotive, commercial, marine, motive power, UPS, and telecommunication markets. The companys quality and environmental systems for its entire 520-acre complex have been certified to ISO 9001:2008, ISO/TS 16949:2009, and ISO 14001:2015 requirements. For more information, visit the company website at http://www.dekabatteries.com. California Casualty's $7,500 School Lounge Makeover Weve seen the dedication of administrators, teachers and staff firsthand and were proud to show our appreciation California Casualty wants to rescue administrators, instructors and school staff who are suffering in a dingy, uninspiring school lounge. All it takes is entering the $7,500 School Lounge Makeover Sweepstakes at http://www.NewSchoolLounge.com. Hurry, the July 12 entry deadline is less than three months away. Serving educators since 1951, California Casualty knows the importance of an uplifting space where instructors and school staff can take time to relax, recharge and collaborate with colleagues. While educators give so much to their students and communities, all too often, the school lounge is one of the most neglected areas of a school. California Casualtys School Lounge Makeover will create a restful environment that nurtures creativity and provides a place for staff to catch their breath. Stephanie L., a winner from Santan Elementary School in Arizona, said, This is almost like a spa. The stress melts away as you walk through the door, its that delightful. I am so blown away! Weve seen the dedication of administrators, teachers and staff firsthand and were proud to show our appreciation, said California Casualty Sr. Vice President, Mike McCormick. So far, more than 28,000 educators have applied for the 2019 School Lounge Makeover from California Casualty. Make sure your school is in the running. Educators can transform their school lounge by simply entering at http://www.NewSchoolLounge.com. All staff members at a school can enter to increase their schools chances. The deadline to enter is July 12, 2019. A winner will be announced later that month. Founded in 1914, California Casualty provides auto and home insurance to educators, firefighters, law enforcement and nurses across the country. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with Service Centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas, California Casualty has been led by four generations of the Brown family. To learn more about California Casualty, or to request an auto insurance quote, please visit http://www.calcas.com or call 1.800.800.9410. Rob Williams, Chief Digital Officer of ELEMIS the No.1 Luxury British Skincare Brand, has been accepted into Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives. Williams was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors. We are honored to welcome Rob into the community, said Scott Gerber, Founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Technology Council. Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world. As an accepted member of the Council, Williams has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum. He will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts. Finally, Williams will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team. I am honored to be part of such an exclusive council of global leaders and I look forward to collaborating with peers to drive and influence the digital and technology agenda across the globe, Williams said. About Forbes Councils Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive. For more information about Forbes Technology Council, visit forbestechcouncil.com. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com. About ELEMIS The number one luxury British skincare brand that harnesses the power of the most efficacious natural ingredients and latest in scientific innovation. ELEMIS' pioneering skincare products and treatments have transformed the frontline of the beauty industry. The masterful hands of ELEMIS therapists touch over six and a half million clients a year and continues to innovate award-winning formulations. ELEMIS is available at over 1600 spas, salons, stores and multiple e-retailers worldwide. ELEMIS was launched in 1990 and is headquartered in London. For more information visit ELEMIS.COM. Vortex Biosciences and EMV Capital We were impressed with the Vortex team's vision on the central role they can play in the growing liquid biopsy market which is forecast to reach $8bn by 2023. Today EMV Capital announces the acquisition of a controlling stake in Bay Area-based Vortex Biosciences, and a further investment package to accelerate the companys development. Robert Englert, CEO of Vortex Biosciences, commented We will apply this new funding to achieve an expanded menu of downstream integration. Our vision at Vortex is to improve Cancer detection and therapy by providing the best CTC sample workflow from a standard tube of blood. The VTX-1 instrument has demonstrated outstanding performance in the hands of our customers and collaborators, such as the research we support on human and murine model CTC investigations and new research on single cell drug testing methods." EMV Capital MD Dr. Ilian Iliev said As an IP-focused venture investor we understand the value that has been created by the Vortex team. We were impressed with the Vortex team's vision on the central role they can play in the growing liquid biopsy market which is forecast to reach $8bn by 2023. Our support will help the company accelerate their growth in the North American and European markets, and expand the functionalities of the platform. Vortex Biosciences provides an automated, label-free, benchtop solution for isolation and purification of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) from a standard 8ml tube of blood. The VTX-1 instrument rapidly processes the sample through micro vortices to enrich the CTCs and delivers these highly purified cells into a choice of collection formats. These samples are easily integrated into downstream genomics, protein markers testing, single cell analysis and staining techniques. The blood tube can be processed to also preserve the ctDNA content of the sample for downstream NGS analysis. There is increasing recognition that pathology will move towards greater use of decision-support tools and systems, and Vortex is in a good position to provide a solution to this growing market. The global liquid biopsy market is forecast to grow from $3Bln in 2018 to $8Bln by 2023, with the CTC isolation and enrichment market in particular expected to grow by a CAGR of 18.2% between 2017 and 2023. There are currently more than 500 clinical trials focused on CTCs as identified in clinicaltrials.gov. About Vortex Biosciences (http://www.vortexbiosciences.com) Vortex Biosciences is a spin-out from UCLAs prestigious Microfluidic Biotechnology Laboratory and was founded by Dini Di Carlo, PhD and Elodie Sollier, PhD. Vortex has developed this technology into the VTX-1 instrument with market leading purity, efficiency and automation. Below are some scientific literature citations referencing Vortex Biosciences technology 1. M. Dhar et al., Nature Sci. Rep. (2018), 8(1):2592. Evaluation of PD-L1 expression on vortex-isolated circulating tumor cells in metastatic lung cancer. 2. E. Kidess et al., Oncotarget (2016). DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13350. Enumeration and Targeted Analysis of KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA Mutations in CTCs Captured by a Label-free Platform: Comparison to ctDNA and Tissue in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. 3. H. Liu et al., Nature Genomic Medicine (2017), Nature Genomic Medicine, 2, 34. DOI: 10.1038/s41525-017-0034-3. Workflow optimization of whole genome amplification and targeted panel sequencing for CTC mutation detection. 4. C. Renier et al., Nature Precision Oncology (2017), 1, 15. DOI: 10.1038/s41698-017-0015-0. Label-free isolation of prostate circulating tumor cells using Vortex microfluidic technology. 5. J. Che et al., Lab Chip (2017), 17(8):1452-1461. DOI: 10.1039/C7LC00038C. Biophysical isolation and identification of circulating tumor cells. About EMV Capital (http://www.emvcapital.com): EMV Capital Ltd (EMVC) is a London-based early-stage venture investor focused on B2B companies in the industrial high-tech, energy, circular economy, smart cities and transportation sectors and healthcare. EMVCs investments in Europe, Israel and the US cover a range of technologies including robotics and AI, machine learning, materials science, IoT, advanced engineering, power electronics and medical devices. EMVCs model is to develop a customized investment strategy for each company, combining its network of investors from Family Offices, Wealth Managers, Institutional VC investors and Corporate VC funds. EMVC recognizes the benefits of corporate engagement for early-stage technology companies, with EMVCs team having led and structured investments alongside some of the worlds leading corporations, including ABB, Philips Lighting (Signify), Evonik Industries, Mitsubishi and Flex. Where appropriate, EMVC can help companies fast-track their investment readiness through its ecosystem of advisors and service providers. Founded by Dr. Ilian Iliev, EMVC has a unique multidisciplinary team with expertise in venture investment, industry engagement, corporate development, corporate finance and M&A. EMVC understands the importance and value of environmental sustainability and ethical investment principles, reflecting this within its investment thesis. EMV Capital Limited is an appointed representative of Sapphire Capital Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. EMV Capital is also exclusive advisor to the EMVC Evergreen EIS Fund. For more information, additional images or interview opportunities contact: Vortex Biosciences Inc | http://www.vortexbiosciences.com Bob Englert, Chief Executive Officer info@vortexbiosciences.com +1 650-252-2256 EMV Capital Ltd | http://www.emvcapital.com Dr. Ilian Iliev, Managing Director info@emvcapital.com +44 (0)203 761 6138 Nicki Zvik, Founder of Green Solar Technologies The great state of Texas is a hotbed (pun intended) for solar energy. The abundant, year-round sunshine brings not only heat to the state, but also the opportunity for Texans to take full advantage of solar energys numerous benefits. Green Solar Technologies Founder, Nicki Zvik, recently shared his thoughts on solar energy in Texas stating, Theres no doubt that Texas is one of the best states for solar energy. The sunlight produced in Texas rivals that of states like California and Arizona, and the solar incentives in Texas add to the incredible savings of moving to solar in that state. Possibly the most attractive aspect of solar for Texas, and for the rest of the country as well, is just how affordable solar has become. Prices of solar have dropped 99% over the past 40 years and are now at an all-time low. "Green Solars customers are always blown away when they find out what they'll pay for their system versus how much return on investment they'll see," says Zvik, "Not only does it increase their property value, but it also lowers customers net electricity bills to virtually nothing." For Texans, the average return on investment (ROI) for a solar system is about $30,000 throughout the systems lifespan. Additionally, there are generous Federal tax incentives for going solar. Through 2019, the Federal government is offering a 30% tax credit to those who purchase a solar energy system, so for a $30,000 system, customers can receive $9,000 back on their taxes. That's an incredible inducement to install solar before the year ends. Some Texas cities also present their own solar incentives. Austin, for example, offers a rebate of between $0.50 and $0.80 per watt installed. And their Value of Solar Tariff pays back $0.113 per kilowatt hour generated by a system. CPS Energy of San Antonio offers net metering and feed-in tariffs to residential customers. With net metering, customers bills are calculated only for the difference between what they draw from the utility grid and what they export back from their solar production. If their solar generation exceeds their grid consumption, CPS applies a feed-in tariff of 1.65 cents/kWh, which shows up as a credit on their next monthly bill. Houston and Dallas also offer their own generous net metering systems. With the rapid improvements and breakthroughs in solar technology, the efficiency of solar energy systems continues to rise apace. Because solar energy conversion has become so efficient, the electrical power produced by these newer systems is measurably greater. So when there are sunnier days, systems equipped with solar battery storage can stockpile any surplus electricity and save it for a rainy (or cloudy) day. It comes as no surprise that Texas ranks in the top 10 U.S. states for cumulative solar capacity with a capacity of 1,874 Mwh as 2017. And because solar energy is booming in Texas, the state also ranks in the top 10 in the U.S. for number of solar jobs (ranked fourth as of 2017). So its clear that Texas environment is ideal for solar energy, which benefits the states solar job market and the overall Texas economy. "Through and through, Texas is one of the very best states for solar energy. When GST follows up with customers from Texas they couldn't be happier with their decision to go solar and break away from reliance on their utility companies," says Nicki Zvik, "And on our end, we're delighted to make a positive difference in their liveshelping them save money and contribute to a cleaner environment for their communities." Nicki Zvik is the founder of Green Solar Technologies, a solar company based in Los Angeles, CA and Spectrum Properties, a real estate investment company. Debbie Smith, Georgia United Credit Unions president and CEO, is pictured with the 2019 scholarship winners on Thursday, April 18, 2019. We are proud to award scholarships to students who are pursuing higher education and are impressed by the creativity and commitment of these aspiring future professionals, said Debbie Smith, president and CEO of Georgia United Credit Union. Georgia United Foundation is excited to name four Georgia high school seniors as recipients of their 2019 scholarship competition. This marks the 25th year of the scholarship program, named for the credit unions founder, Vernon E. Carne and notable board members Geraldine Tilson, Dorothy Dusenberry Pirkle and Polly Hinde. Winners were selected based on a creative video submission with additional consideration given to academic accomplishments, leadership and participation in both school and community activities. Video submissions can be viewed at gucufoundation.org/scholarships. Congratulations to the 2019 winners: Amelia Westmoreland received the Vernon E. Carne scholarship for $10,000. Westmoreland is a senior at Sequoyah High School in Canton, a recent graduate of Teen Leadership Cherokee and a member of National Beta Club, Student Government Association and Latin Club. In addition, Westmoreland is a six-year All-State Chorus member who has held leading roles in school and community theatre productions. Summers were held for extracurricular experiences that included experimenting, volunteering and conducting research in genetics, oncology and oceanography. In the fall, Westmoreland will attend Mercer University majoring in biochemistry with additional specialization in marine biology programs that will aid Westmoreland in her career ambition of finding a cure for cancer. Bennett Mathis received the Geraldine Tilson scholarship for $7,500. Mathis is a dual-enrollment student at Forsyth Central High School in Cumming and at the University of North Georgia. To gain exposure in the medical field, Mathis has shadowed nurses assisting patients and doctors performing surgeries at a local outpatient surgery center. In his free time, Mathis volunteers at local childrens hospitals and nursing homes. Mathis will continue his studies at University of North Georgia in the fall to prepare for his career goal of becoming a nurse practitioner and providing healthcare to the underserved and underprivileged communities across the globe. Hailey Akins received the Dorothy Dusenberry Pirkle scholarship for $5,000. Akins is a senior at South Forsyth High School in Cumming who holds noteworthy leadership positions including: Science National Honor Society vice president, National Merit Finalist, Future Business Leaders of America squad leader, Elementary Science Olympiad Competition proctor, South Forsyth Middle School Math Competition proctor and TED Talks speaker for South Forsyth High School. Akins actively tutors students in mathematics and volunteers with programs that encourage STEM fields to young students. Akins plans to major in chemistry at Georgia Institute of Technology to pursue her career ambition of becoming a chemistry research professor and conduct research on sustainable energy resources. Bryson Joyce received the Polly Hinde scholarship for $5,000. Joyce is a senior at Rockdale County High School in Conyers who serves as president of the RCHS Voice Club which promotes healthy lifestyles among teens by bringing awareness to topics such as bully prevention, domestic violence and human trafficking. In addition, Joyce is a debate team member and actively volunteers in community food drives and at the Conyers-Rockdale Council of the Arts. Joyce plans to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering at Georgia Southern University and aspires to engineer prosthetic limbs, organs and stem cells to improve the quality of life of those in his community. About the Georgia United Foundation Georgia United Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for children and families in the communities they serve through impactful programs funded and delivered through volunteerism by way of corporate contributions, team members and community efforts. The Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization and is the philanthropic arm of Georgia United Credit Union. For details on volunteering, participating or donating, visit gucufoundation.org. About Georgia United Credit Union Georgia United Credit Union, headquartered in Duluth, is ranked as one of the top credit unions in Georgia with over $1.3 billion in assets, 163,000 members and 19 branch locations. As a full-service financial institution, they offer competitive products and services for every stage of life. Visit gucu.org to learn more and follow the credit union on Facebook at facebook.com/GeorgiaUnitedCU, Twitter @GAUnitedCU and Instagram @gucucares. Announcing Gottlieb's New Business Intelligence Platform: Insight Gottlieb has a long history of providing concierge solutions customized for our clients. Insight was developed as another facet of our holistic approach. Offering personalized business intelligence platforms help us to be a better partner for our clients now and in the future. Gottlieb, an industry leader in acute care revenue cycle management, has announced the launch of a new business intelligence platform Insight. With over forty years in business, the new business intelligence platform provides real-time, responsive data delivery building upon the customized data clients have been receiving for years. Insight offers simplified access to business intelligence and data analytics for a clients practice. Executive and Provider dashboards, reports, scorecards and charts will deliver superior analytics. A range of data tools will help clients to further explore their practice data with period-over-period comparisons. Matt Dixon, Vice President of Client Finance commented Gottlieb has a long history of providing concierge solutions customized for our clients. Insight was developed as another facet of our holistic approach. Offering personalized business intelligence platforms help us to be a better partner for our clients now and in the future. When evaluating names for the new platform, the name Insight kept emerging. Craig Radulovich, President, commented Insight offers our clients the capacity to gain an accurate and pronounced understanding of their practice. The platform was structured so clients could see and evaluate new trends combined with meaningful and actionable performance indicators delivered when and how often clients would like. Gottlieb will be offering personalized demonstrations of Insight, as well as, on-demand options for current and prospective clients. Demonstrations can be scheduled through the Gottlieb website, http://www.gottlieb.com About Gottlieb Gottlieb has been growing strong healthcare billing partnerships for emergency physicians, hospitalists and urgent care systems since 1978. As a national leader in revenue cycle management, physician education, coding and documentation training; Gottlieb consistently improves our clients practices. Gottlieb understands the importance of compliance and has a long history of advocating for Emergency Medicine and Hospitalist physicians. Our values are delivered through a blend of proprietary technology, compliance expertise, advocacy, personalized physician education, flexible offerings, vast technology infrastructure and personalized service. Respected Albany attorney Harold N. Iselin, and his wife, Lauren Iselin, will be honored by the Sidney Albert Albany Jewish Community Center (JCC) at its 19th Annual Pillars of the Community Awards on April 28, 2019 at Congregation Beth Emeth. Iselin is managing shareholder of the Albany office and co-chair of the Government Law & Policy Practice of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP. According to the Sidney Albert Albany JCC, this prestigious community event recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the Center and/or to the Jewish community at-large through education, service and acts of kindness. Iselin focuses his practice on governmental affairs and health care matters, representing diverse clients before the executive branch and state legislature. Additionally, he handles complex civil litigation matters, litigating a broad range of civil cases. He has received many accolades for his legal work and was recently named Lawyer of the Year for Healthcare Law by Best Lawyers in America. Iselin has served on the boards of many civic organizations and is currently the board president of Capital Repertory Theatre. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 39 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. As people age, keeping up with the physical demands of housework can become more challenging. Spring is a great time to check in on older loved ones and spend time engaging in the annual ritual of spring cleaning. Freshening up a home can reduce clutter, improve overall mood and create a healthier environment for seniors to enjoy. Tidying up the home not only makes people feel happier, it can help seniors stay safe and healthy, said Lakelyn Hogan, gerontologist and caregiver advocate at Home Instead Senior Care. Even small tasks like replacing dim light bulbs, tossing outdated mail and dusting shelves can make a meaningful difference. In addition to removing dirt and grime, spring cleaning also provides health benefits for older adults. Even small tasks such as dusting or wiping down counter tops can help seniors stay active. And decluttering can reduce hazards that might lead to falls. The National Council on Aging estimates one in four adults age 65 and older fall each year, resulting in 2.8 million emergency room visits. Home Instead recommends the following tips for tidying up this spring: Make a checklist. Write down everything you and your older loved one would like to get done. Tasks may include washing windows and curtains, wiping out the refrigerator, scrubbing the floor, etc. And be sure to check for these common hazards that may pose safety risks to seniors. Schedule it. Just like a doctors appointment or other important commitments, block off time to devote to spring cleaning. Whether it can be done in one weekend or over several weeks, consider this time well spent with your loved one. De-clutter, then clean. Older adults who have accumulated a lifetime of belongings often have so much that it makes the home difficult to clean or live safely in. Dont just clean around the pilestackle them first. But, avoid the urge to purge items without consulting your loved one first. Learn the 10 reasons seniors hang on to stuff and how to handle the clutter in a diplomatic manner. Involve your loved one. Its important to keep older adults engaged and active. Encourage seniors to participate in the process. If it becomes too difficult, suggest they take on a smaller task such as polishing silverware or organizing a stack of papers. Cleaning is caring. Spring cleaning doesnt have to stay within the four walls of a home. Encourage family members or friends to look around the neighborhood for other older adults who might need help. Some easy examples include clearing outdoor walkways or planting flowers. For more ideas on how to help neighbors, visit imreadytocare.com. To learn more about Home Instead please visit http://www.homeinstead.com. ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, the Home Instead Senior Care franchise network provides personalized care, support and education to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, the network is the world's leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,200 independently owned and operated franchises that provide more than 70 million hours of care annually throughout the United States, Canada and 10 other countries. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ approximately 80,000 CAREGivers worldwide who provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. Home Instead Senior Care franchise owners partner with clients and their family members to help meet varied individual needs. Services span the care continuum from providing personal care to specialized Alzheimers care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. Visit HomeInstead.com. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Royal Caribbean International has recently announced their annual Travel Partners of the Year Awards for 2018, and at iCruise we are happy to have received the award as Online Partner of the Year for demonstrating our high performance and passion for selling Royal Caribbean cruises. Our Travel Partners of the Year recipients are among the best of the best in the industry, and we are excited to honor WMPHs dedication to Royal Caribbean with the Online Partner of the Year award, said Vicki Freed, senior vice president, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Royal Caribbean International. Hands down, WMPH stands out with their innovative online approach, and its a winning formula that will continue to succeed on a platform that more and more travelers are using to book their vacations. A division of WMPH (We Make People Happy) Vacations, iCruise is committed to just that - making people happy. For the past 15 years, iCruise has provided customers top cruise experiences, promotions and deals by partnering with major cruise lines. Royal Caribbean is one of our proud cruise line partners and this award recognizes the extensive knowledge our travel experts have on the cruise line. As we continue to grow in the cruise industry, we have all of our travel agents, team members, and customers to thank for making recognition like this happen, said Don Walker, iCruise Co-President. Royal Caribbean is a well-revered, inventive, family-friendly cruise line that we are glad to work with. We are honored to receive recognition from this established cruise line that increases our reputation as one of the top cruise travel agencies within the hospitality industry. With over 37,000 available cruises, over 42 different cruise lines, and over 750,000 cruise passengers booked since opening in 2004, this award speaks volumes, and we are proud of our team for helping us achieve this accomplishment, satisfy our customers, and continue building the iCruise brand. WMPH Past Awards CLIA Cruise Lines International Association Cruise Industry Hall of Fame - Outstanding Retailer Travel Weekly Magellan Award - Online Travel Services - Best Marketing App Travel + Leisure Magazine Best Apps and Websites for Travelers - Cruise Finder App by iCruise Travel Agent Magazine Top 30 Travel Agents Under 30 Years Old Special Needs Group Accessible Travel Advocate Power Partner South Florida Business Journal Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies Inc. Magazine Top 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America Royal Caribbean International Online Agency of the Year Walt Disney World Travel Company Earmarked Agency - Authorized Disney Vacation Planner About WMPH Vacations WMPH (We Make People Happy) Vacations is an award-winning travel agency specializing in cruise and resort vacations. Based in Delray Beach, Florida, WMPH Vacations has booked more than 750,000 clients since being founded in 2004. The company's award winning app, Cruise Finder by iCruise, is free, and provides live pricing and booking capability for almost every itinerary on every cruise line throughout the world. WMPH Vacations is a member of the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) and the Cruise Industry Hall of Fame. 135+-employees strong, WMPH Vacations is a top producer for all major cruise lines. The company operates under a number of owned and partner brands including iCruise, CruiseCheap, AlaskaCruises.com, and more. WMPH Vacations promise is to build personal and lasting relationships by consistently exceeding expectations. Learn more at http://www.WMPHVacations.com or book your next cruise vacation at http://www.icruise.com. When applying for coverage, drivers should bring the relevant documents, be honest and ask questions about the policys terms and conditions, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Cheapquotesautoinsurance.com has launched a new blog post that presents top car insurance mistakes that will cause problems to drivers seeking coverage. For more info and free quotes, visit https://cheapquotesautoinsurance.com/costly-auto-insurance-mistakes Car insurance represents an expensive investment. Any mistake has the potential of costing the insured several hundred dollars or more. Or leave the policyholder without adequate protection when it is time to make a claim. Not knowing what you purchase and what it covers is a fundamental error. But is not the only one. In fact, there are many other major mistakes that must be avoided: Going to negotiations without all required and useful documents It is important to be prepared with all required papers before talking with a representative. Before the meeting, call the insurer and ask about docs. Drivers should prepare car documentation and handle it when asked. Furthermore, they should be prepared with info about driving history, graduated defensive/refresher courses, receipts for custom parts, VIN number and so on. Not having all required documents will force the agent to re-schedule the meeting. Also, bring documents that will help you get discounts Not asking the insurance agent to explain all terms and concepts that are not fully understood. It is not wise to pretend that you know everything about auto insurance. Do not blindly agree to a contract without understanding it. Carefully read each page of the contract and ask for info where something is not totally clear. Not getting car insurance quotes before the meeting. It is important to compare prices from multiple carriers and select a policy that will satisfy the coverage needs. Now it is easy and fast to get online quotes. It only takes several minutes. Furthermore, online quotes will help drivers mentally prepare for the meeting. They will also make the drivers aware of what sort of info is asked and what documents they should prepare. For more car insurance info, money-saving tips and free online quotes, please visit http://cheapquotesautoinsurance.com Cheapquotesautoinsurance.com is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. Jensen Precast today announced the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, has approved the Jensen Deflective Separator (JDS) System as a Manufacturer Treatment Device (MTD) for stormwater. The approval follows verification by New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology (NJCAT) and certification by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), a national recognized two-step compliance program for stormwater devices. JDS System approval in Honolulu paves the way for Jensen Precast to offer municipal and commercial customers a complete stormwater solution managed locally by the companys manufacturing facility in Kapolei, Hawaii. Jensen Precast is one of the largest independently owned precast concrete companies in the United States, with branches in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Oregon. We are pleased our customers in Hawaii can now reap the full benefits of the JDS System to help eliminate stormwater runoff pollutants discharged from island storm drains, said Walter Stein, PE, Jensen Precast Stormwater Systems Manager. Approval of the JDS System by the City and County of Honolulu is a key step toward removing Total Suspended Solids (TSS) from near shore ocean and river waters. Our local team in Kapolei provides expert stormwater solution support to engineers and contractors building Hawaiis infrastructure. The process to attain NJCAT verification and NJDEP certification for the JDS System began in Sparks, Nevada, at Jensen Precasts outdoor facility. Company stormwater engineers conducted repeatable full scale TSS removal tests under independent third party observation. Keith Dennett, PhD, PE, Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno, provided his detailed laboratory review to NJCAT. In verifying the JDS System, Richard Magee, ScD, PE, Executive Director of NJCAT, remarked: Based on my review, evaluation, and assessment of the testing, the requirements of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Laboratory Protocol to Assess Total Suspended Solids Removal by a Hydrodynamic Sedimentation Manufactured Treatment Device were met or exceeded. Jensen Precast continues advancing stormwater solutions for communities, businesses, and government agencies. The Honolulu approval follows certification of the JDS System this past year as a Full Capture System Device for Trash Treatment Control by the California State Water Resources Control Board. We are pleased to offer our local engineers and contractors a stormwater solution recognized by the Department of Planning and Permitting Rules Relating to Water Quality for the City and County of Honolulu, said Garret Lau, General Manager of the Jensen Precast Honolulu Branch. Our customers can count on us to provide the highest quality products and a collaborative approach to helping solve environmental challenges. The JDS System is the right product for the job. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Garret Lau about projects in Hawaii at glau@jensenprecast.com or (808) 682-5904. Learn more about the Jensen Deflective Separator System at http://www.jensenprecast.com/jds. Connect with Jensen Stormwater Systems at stormwater@jensenprecast.com or (855) 468-5600. ____________________________________________________________________________________ About Jensen Precast Jensen Precast is one of the largest independently owned precast concrete companies in the United States. Founded in 1968, the company provides engineered solutions with precast concrete for communities, businesses, and government agencies throughout Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Oregon. Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2018, Jensen Precast employs more than 800 skilled workers who design, engineer, manufacture, and deliver products and services to construction and engineering businesses. Visit jensenprecast.com for locations, products, quotes, and contact information for expert consultation. To arrange interviews with Jensen Precast executives, engineers, and product experts, please contact Nicholas Drake at (775) 352-5275 or ndrake@jensenprecast.com. Im so excited to bring issues like peer support programs, understanding care for the LGBTQ population, artificial intelligence, medical marijuana, and other trending topics to the forefront of our attendees minds. OR Manager is excited to announce the final agenda for the 2019 OR Manager Conference. Leaders of the surgical suite attend each year to get the hands-on education and experience to take back to their hospitals or outpatient surgery facilities. This is the number one conference for perioperative managers and directors to receive continuing education credit, engage in networking with the community, and meet with vendors that have the potential to positively impact their organizations. Plan to join operating room managers and directors this September 17-19, 2019 in New Orleans, LA! The program committee has worked hard to put together an agenda that includes four keynote sessions, 40 breakout sessions, and eight workshops, with over 80 speakers and hundreds of take-home tools. The keynote speakers will touch on leadership, approaching the multigenerational workplace, emotional intelligence, and civility in the OR. Wednesday, September 18 | 2:45 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Opening Keynote: The Art of Human Care: Change the World One Patient at a Time Hassan A. Tetteh, MD, MBA, FACS, FACHE , Surgeon, Author, Humanitarian & Chief Medical Informatics Officer, US Navy Thursday, September 19 | 8:15 a.m. 9:15 a.m. The Leadership Pipeline: Growing the Next Generation of Perioperative Managers Bruce Tulgan, Best Selling Author, Its Okay to be the Boss & Founder & CEO, RainmakerThinking, Inc. Thursday, September 19 | 5:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Run Your Emotions, Dont Let Them Run You: Leading with Emotional Intelligence Kandi Wiens, MBA, EdD, Senior Fellow, University of Pennsylvania, Director, Penn Medical Education Masters Program, & Professional Healthcare Speaker, Studer Group Friday, September 20 | 11:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Defend Civility in Your OR: How to Spot and Deal with Energy Suckers Barbara Bartlein, MSW, RN, CSP, President & Founder, Reality-Based Leadership & Author, Reality Based Leadership and The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace The 2019 OR Manager Conference will take place September 17-19, 2019 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Pre-conference workshops will take place September 17, and over September 18-10, attendees can participate in four keynote presentations, eight breakout session tracks, and learn from hundreds of expert speakers. Attendees will receive best practices, case studies, and take-home tools focused on business management, leadership, clinical topics, and more. The 2019 Planning Committee has put together a dynamic program touching base on the real-life, day-to-day challenges our attendees face in managing the perioperative suite. Were bringing together pre-, intra-, and post-operative leaders for three days of not only hard work, but fun, to grow personally and professionally, said Taylor McCarthy, Show Manager. Im so excited to bring issues like peer support programs, understanding care for the LGBTQ population, artificial intelligence, medical marijuana, and other trending topics to the forefront of our attendees minds. We cant wait to see you in New Orleans! A full agenda, including session descriptions and speakers is available online here: https://ormc19.mapyourshow.com/7_0/sessions/index.cfm About OR Manager, a division of Access Intelligence The leading source for information on management of surgical suite for more than 30 years, OR Manager provides a monthly publication with an online membership, annual conferences, webinars, live workshops, and other offerings for perioperative directors and leaders involved in the management of the operating room. Pictured Left to Right: Alex Maher/President/Founding Partner, Tom Hilley/Missoula Associate Broker, Latham Jenkins/Jackson Hole Associate Broker, Macye Maher/CFO/Founding Partner "We are very proud to have Tom and Latham as our top two producers in 2018. Both have just begun their careers with Live Water but have made a large impact immediately for both sales and culture, says John Merritt, Vice President at Live Water Properties. Live Water Properties recently announced a record 2018 and honored top producing brokers Tom Hilley of Missoula, MT and Latham Jenkins of Jackson, WY at the companys National Conference. The annual three-day conference included workshops and was highlighted by key note speaker Gene Willis of Google who spoke on brand marketing. The weekend culminated with the top broker awards. With over $22M in ranch sales in 2018, Hilley was honored as the companys Top Producer and Jenkins was honored as the runner-up. We are very proud to have Tom and Latham as our top two producers in 2018. Both have just begun their careers with Live Water but have made a large impact immediately for both sales and culture, says John Merritt, Vice President at Live Water Properties. A fourth generation Montana native, Hilley joined Live Water Properties in 2017 with 25 years in real estate. Toms ability to navigate multiple complex deals helped him claim the top producer spot, said John Merritt. Hilleys most notable sale included a 16,900-acre ranch in Rosebud County, MT. Jenkins who has run multiple marketing companies throughout Jackson Hole was tapped to head up Live Waters new residential branch Live Water Jackson Hole in 2017. Latham began as Live Water Properties first exclusive Jackson Hole residential broker and in his first full year, he transacted over 10 deals, said Live Water Owner/CFO Macye Maher. Latham has become an incredible asset and talented team player producing showstopper lifestyle videos and extremely satisfied sellers. We are proud of our accomplishments, though none of these would be possible without the commitment from sellers and buyers, and cooperation of our colleagues in the ranch brokerage world, says John Merritt. We are completely focused forward on 2019. Our inventory is strong, and we have many active buyer prospects looking at ranches, along with new marketing initiatives. Live Water Properties is a ranch brokerage specializing in premier fly fishing, hunting, ranching and conservation real estate. With $1.75 billion in closed deals, they are uniquely qualified to assist in all aspects of ranch ownership. Since their inception in 2001, Live Water Properties has grown into a 24-person, 9-state ranch brokerage firm. They are represented throughout the Western United States with Brokers in Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Oregon. The team at Live Water Properties is distinctly qualified to connect clients with their dream ranches. Luma Health is a perfect example of how our new OSIS Partner Program provides our network of community health centers with top-class technology to help them deliver better care. When it comes to patient engagement, Luma Health has one of the most powerful solutions on the market. Luma Health https://www.lumahealth.io/, the leader in total patient engagement, and OSIS http://www.osisonline.net/, a Health Center Controlled Network providing EHR and technical support to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs and community health centers), today announced a ground-breaking partnership to provide the OSIS Network of over 1.1 million patients access to the Luma Health patient engagement platform. OSIS works with its 50 member health centers to provide EHR training, patient-centered medical home support, revenue cycle management optimization, and much more to inject increased efficiency into health center operations. As a result, health centers are able to scale their capacity to increase access to care in the communities they serve and move the needle on population health outcomes. The Luma Health patient engagement platform will take this work to the next level by offering a patient engagement solution to member health centers, supporting the goals of increased access to care and improved health outcomes through smart, tailored technology. With Luma Health, health centers can streamline their outreach efforts, patients can self-schedule appointments, providers can reduce no-shows and optimize their schedules through smart reminders and waitlists, and health centers can reach outside the four walls of their clinics to deliver patient-specific health education content in more than 17 languages. Providers using the Luma Health patient engagement platform have seen their no-show rates drop by as much as 50%, tripled their outreach conversion rates, and increased access to preventive care by over 30%. Luma Health is a perfect example of how our new OSIS Partner Program provides our network of community health centers with top-class technology to help them deliver better care," said Aleicia Ennis, manager of business development and marketing at OSIS. "When it comes to patient engagement, including two-way conversations, intelligent scheduling and automated referral management, Luma Health has one of the most powerful solutions on the market. This partnership reinforces Luma Health's commitment and emphasis on providing value to the world of community health," said Ramesh Munnangi, Director of Business Development at Luma Health. "The numbers speak for themselves--working together, Luma Health and health centers can drive better access to the essential services health centers provide. Were proud to be able to offer our services to OSIS network of community health centers, and we look forward to working together to enhance access to care. To learn more about the Luma Health platform, visit https://www.lumahealth.io/platform. For more information on the partnership between Luma Health and OSIS, visit https://www.lumahealth.io/osis. About Luma Health Luma Healths mission is to empower leading healthcare providers to deliver personalized and engaging experiences across the entire patient journey. Its Patient Engagement Platform enables health providers to manage the patient journey and optimize every interaction to maximize patient outcomes, boost top-line revenue growth, reduce total cost of care, and boost patient retention. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Luma Healths platform is modernizing communication by delivering smarter conversations that drive patient engagement and continuous care, with over 160,000 providers and over 6 million patients across the US today. Additional information about the company is available at http://www.lumahealth.io, http://www.lumahealth.io/blog/, http://www.linkedin.com/company/lumahealth/, http://www.facebook.com/lumahealth, @lumahealthhq. About OSIS OSIS, a 501(c)3 based out of Cincinnati, is the largest network of NextGen health centers in the U.S. Currently representing over 50 health centers, in 500 locations across 30 states, OSIS specializes in the implementation, customization, optimization, training, and ongoing support for NextGen Healthcares EPM and EHR Systems. We also provide a wide range of advisory services and IT support customized to the unique demands of Health Centers. For more information about OSIS, please visit http://www.osisonline.net/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/osis-ohio-shared-information-systems-/, https://www.facebook.com/osisonline. Contact Alan Tam alan(at)lumahealth(dot)io Contact OSIS Aleicia Ennis aleicia.ennis(at)osisonline(dot)net Evelyn Bunte My recovery has been, well, pretty amazing. Doctors told the then 18-year-old gunshot victim that her eyesight would not likely improve, but they were wrong, said Evelyn Bunte, who is enjoying quality of life again. I am able to read, write and sew again. This is all thanks to the Mind-Eye Institute, founded by Deborah Zelinsky, O.D. Evelyn underwent a unique testing and evaluation protocol at the Mind-Eye Institute in Northbrook, IL, and was prescribed a special set of brain glasses that she says have literally put my life in a better place. Evelyn was shot several times in the head and face in Texas in November 2016 and left totally blind and paralyzed on her right side. One of the bullets pierced her brains occipital lobe, which controls eyesight. Eventually, my sight and physical abilities began returning, but I was still left with black spots and tunnel vision, noted Evelyn. Initially, I could not read or write at all, and my impaired eyesight even made walking difficult. At home, I had to slide downstairs on my buttocks. A neurologist initially told Evelyn, now 20, that her vision would only improve to a point, and whatever eyesight she had a year following the shooting would be pretty much what she would be left with. However, in the fall of 2017, a family friend recommended she visit the Mind-Eye Institute and schedule an appointment with Dr. Zelinsky, an optometrist noted worldwide for her work in neuro-optometric rehabilitation. Dr. Zelinsky ran Evelyn through a series of tests that included her patented Z-Bell Test, which has become internationally recognized by eye experts and scientists for its ability to evaluate patients ability to integrate spatial localization in both visual and auditory systems. Dr. Zelinsky first had her close her eyes while wearing her regular glasses the ones Evelyns eye doctor had prescribed. Dr. Zelinsky rang a small bell near Evelyn, and, with her eyes closed, had to reach out and touch the bell, but couldnt do it. I kept missing it, stated Evelyn. Then, with my eyes still closed, she put a different set of lenses on me and tried various colored filters over the lenses. Suddenly, I started hitting the bell. It was crazy. Added Dr. Zelinsky, The right mix of filters, lenses and/or prisms can re-adjust a patients visual balance and eye-ear connection by altering the way light disperses across the retina. The retina is a piece of brain tissue. Thats why changes in luminance on the eye will affect how the brain interprets and reacts to information about the environment and can impact a persons spatial awareness, movement and selective attention to sound. Unlike eyeglasses that merely correct central eyesight, eyeglass prescriptions developed through the Z-Bell Test are therapeutic, bringing patients like Evelyn relief for a range of symptoms caused by eye-ear imbalances, brain injuries and other neurological issues, including learning problems. Since her visits to the Mind-Eye Institute, Evelyn has become employed and is now planning to go to college in August. My recovery has been, well, pretty amazing, concluded Evelyn. About Mind-Eye Institute The Mind-Eye Institute is an optometry practice with an emphasis on neuro-optometric rehabilitation that provides world-class care by prescribing state-of-the-art therapeutic lenses based on peripheral eyesight and depth perception testing, rather than central eyesight. Through groundbreaking research and innovative treatments, Dr. Zelinsky and her team have been creating life-changing experiences for nearly 30 years, by viewing patients on an individual basis. For more information, please call 847-501-2020 or visit http://mindeye.com. Less than three months after opening an office in Boston, Morrison & Foerster is pleased to announce that it has further strengthened its presence in the city. Todd Boudreau and Matt Karlyn join Morrison & Foerster as partners. Mr. Boudreau joins Morrison & Foerster as co-head of its Global Private Equity Investments + Buyouts Group and as a partner in its Private Funds Group. Mr. Boudreau brings a practice centered on private equity-focused international M&A, institutional investments, and fund formation. He has represented clients across numerous industries, including technology and life sciences. Mr. Boudreaus coming to Morrison & Foerster also underscores the firms continued expansion of its private equity offerings, following the arrival of Peter Rooney in New York earlier this week. Mr. Karlyn joins Morrison & Foerster as a partner in its Technology Transactions Group. His practice focuses on the structuring, drafting, and negotiating of commercial technology transactions. His clients span a variety of industries, with many operating in the life sciences space. Morrison & Foerster immediately established a strong presence in Boston when we opened our doors in February with over 30 lawyers. Im delighted that we have now added Todd and Matt, said David A. Ephraim, managing partner of the firms Boston office. Growing our new office with the regions finest talent continues to be a significant priority for us, to ensure that were meeting the needs of our clients both in Boston and in other markets. Eric McCrath, co-chair of Morrison & Foersters Corporate Department, added: Our two new partners, Todd Boudreau and Matt Karlyn, are outstanding lawyers with deep ties to Boston and its thriving business community. Todd has built an extensive private equity practice that includes noteworthy work on fund formations and M&A, while Matt brings significant experience leading life sciences and technology transactions, licensing, and outsourcing matters. Our clients across multiple industries, including technology and life sciences, will benefit from their counsel. With more than 20 years of experience, Mr. Boudreau brings to the firm a broad transactional practice, covering strategic and private equity transactions, fund investments, and fund formation. He represents clients in industries such as technology (including software and fintech), life sciences, health services, medical devices, consumer, and aerospace and defense. On the investment side, Mr. Boudreau regularly works with institutional investors, including large private and public pension plans and endowments, and assists emerging fund managers with formation and compliance. He is highly experienced in counseling private fund managers on all aspects of fund formation for discretionary and non-discretionary alternative investment transactions. Im excited to join Morrison & Foerster and to help build its corporate practice and private equity capabilities in a new office at a global firm, said Mr. Boudreau. The firm has already significantly differentiated itself in multiple key markets and is well positioned to do the same in Boston, given its highly respected cross-border M&A and private funds platform, and its reputation for leading market-shaping technology work. I look forward to continuing to grow my practice at MoFo and to advising the firms clients on complex matters. Mr. Karlyn has more than 20 years of experience as a lawyer focused on commercial technology matters. He represents companies across the global economy in life sciences and technology transactions, including those at the forefront of the pharmaceutical, medical device, software, and other technology sectors. Mr. Karlyn advises clients, ranging from Fortune 100 companies to startups and pre-startups, on all matters involving the commercialization of intellectual property, licensing initiatives, outsourcing, subscription-based economics, and the procurement and use of technology in business. He regularly advises companies on strategic initiatives with respect to the deployment of technology in business, and advises on IP and technology matters related to M&A transactions. Morrison & Foerster has a premier life sciences practice and also excels in both technology transactions and outsourcingall primary components of my practice, said Mr. Karlyn. These strengths, combined with the firms leading global platform, its inclusive culture, and its obvious commitment to Boston and the citys core industries, all greatly impressed me. Im thrilled to have the opportunity to work with my new colleagues to build a destination practice in Boston. Morrison & Foerster opened its Boston office in February 2019 with the addition of a 23-person finance group headed by eight partners, including David Ephraim and Chuck Stavros, as well as a prominent ECVC attorney, Ori Solomon. The new office also houses Morrison & Foerster lawyers who practice in privacy, real estate, bankruptcy, and tax, as well as Mike Ward, the head of the firms patent practice, who is the foremost figure in the field of plant IP and agricultural biotechnology. Morrison & Foersters move to Boston extended the firms market-leading technology and life sciences capabilities to the city and complemented its strong presence in other markets in the U.S., such as the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, the Washington, D.C. region, and Southern California. The Boston office also further enhanced Morrison & Foersters global platform, which includes five offices in Asia and three offices in Europe. ABOUT MOFO We are Morrison & Foerster a global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. The Financial Times has named the firm to its list of most innovative law firms in North America every year that it has published its Innovative Lawyers Reports in the region. In the past few years, Chambers USA has honored MoFos Privacy and Data Security, Bankruptcy, and IP teams with Firm of the Year awards, the Corporate/M&A team with a client service award, and the firm as a whole as Global USA Firm of the Year. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education for poor children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, winning asylum for the persecuted, and safeguarding the environment. Myrna has been an invaluable member of the magazine media community for more than 40 years, and there is nobody who deserves this recognition more. Folio:, the magazine and digital publishing industrys go-to source for news, business intelligence and peer-to-peer networking, is pleased to honor Myrna Blyth, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director of AARP, with the Lifetime Empowerment and Achievement Award on Friday, June 7, 2019 to celebrate her tremendous impact on magazine media as a trailblazer, thought leader, advocate and mentor. Additionally, Folio: will induct its 2019 class of Top Women in Media. Each year, the recognition program honors women in the media industry who have stood out, taken risks, or been a visionary for her company, team or market. More Information Myrna has been an invaluable member of the magazine media community for more than 40 years, and there is nobody who deserves this recognition more, says Folio: Content Director, Caysey Welton. Not only is her resume second to none, but she has been a champion for women throughout her career, editing legacy magazines for women that included Ladies Home Journal and More." "Further, she continues to be a pioneer within our industry," Welton adds. "She and her team have reimagined the AARP media brand, and how it serves its readership beyond print. We are truly thrilled to be honoring her in such a special way, and are eager for her to share some of her career highlights and sage wisdom with our luncheon guests." For more information, visit foliotopwomen.com. The Folio: Top Women in Media Awards will take place on Friday, June 7, 2019 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. This marks the sixth year that Folio: has spotlighted corporate champions, change-makers, entrepreneurs, and up and comers of the media industry. For questions about attending the Folio: Top Women in Media Awards, contact Jessica Dombrowski at jdombrowski@accessintel.com. To become an event sponsor, contact Tania Babiuk at tbabiuk@accessintel.com. About Folio: Folio: is the largest event and digital media brand providing business intelligence and face-to-face experiences to the multiplatform publishing sector. For more information, visit http://www.Foliomag.com. The Sanford College of Education at National University, which recommends more teachers in California for credentials than any other university in the state, has launched the Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program to strengthen San Diego Countys local teacher pipeline. The initiative, which has the support of the San Diego County Office of Education, is designed to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to pursue a career in teaching. Through programmatic and financial supports, students can complete a bachelors degree and teaching credential concurrently, at little to no cost, and are encouraged to teach in communities where the needs are greatest. The National University Teacher Pathway Inclusion Programwhich is currently being steered in collaboration with Gompers Preparatory Academy, the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), and San Diego Mesa Collegeaims to develop a model for broader statewide and national expansion. It is dedicated to ensuring that future teachers of diverse backgrounds have access to a quality and affordable degree, and it underscores the need to support diversification of the teacher workforce. The program aligns with the focus of a National University System initiative called Workforce Education Solutions, which is strengthening education-career pathways through prior learning and credit alignments with employers and community colleges in high-demand fields. The creation of the Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program demonstrates National Universitys commitment to expanding our local teacher workforce and giving back to the communities we serve, said Dr. David Andrews, president of National University. Students in the program will receive personalized attention and support as they pursue their bachelors degree and teaching credential. We thank the educator community and our donors for helping us make this teacher pathway model possible as we look to create even wider access, opportunity, and support systems for future teachers. The National University Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program has been designed to allow students to complete their bachelors degree and teaching credential concurrently, in approximately two years, with an annual cost of no more than $7,000 per year at National University. For participants eligible for federal and state need-based financial aid (Pell and Cal Grants), the cost is reduced even further with students likely to have little to no out-of-pocket expenses. Students receive this financial benefit as a result of the streamlined pathway, grants, scholarships and other financial supports. Many participants will have also completed their associate in arts (A.A.) degree through participating community colleges. National Universitys Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program has created an impressive community-based model for preparing and supporting teachers of diverse backgrounds who will become role models for future generations of students, said San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold. The Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program, which was initially piloted in Spring 2018 at the Gompers Preparatory Academy, now has a second cohort of students who have the opportunity to continue their education through Southwestern College this fall. The students have been meeting twice a month, visit K-8 classrooms to observe teachers, and conduct fieldwork. The San Diego Unified School District and other local school districts are working with National University to develop similar cohorts. To further strengthen the program and expand its reach, the University is also coordinating with the San Diego Community College District, specifically San Diego Mesa College, which is currently piloting the program within their teacher education track for transfer to National University. We are thrilled to be partnering with local high schools and community colleges on the National University Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program, which will increase the pool of highly qualified and diverse teacher candidates in San Diego who are committed to teaching the next generations of students, said Beth Kransberger, director of the Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program in the Office of the President at National University. Led by Dean Dr. Judy Mantle, the Sanford College of Education at National University is the largest single producer of teaching credential candidates in California and one of the Top 10 largest schools of education in the country. The college offers more than 50 on-campus and online programs in the areas of teacher education, special education, educational administration, school counseling, and psychology. The college has earned accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), recognizing its rigorous, evidence-based standards for teacher education programs. As a part of the Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program, National University is providing: Dedicated staff to assist with transfer, orientation, registration, financial aid, and the online course environment Specialized curriculum designed to use affordable or free materials such as e-books or open-source materials, where possible Assistance in establishing an academic and professional growth plan Discounted tuition for SDUSD or Mesa paraprofessional staff who enroll in the program The National University Teacher Pathway Inclusion Program has its roots in San Diego Countys Diamond District, which is home to more than 88,000 residents. This demographically-diverse area was chosen because of its potential for ongoing impact in preparing and bringing back teachers to serve in the community. The program, which has the support of the San Diego Workforce Partnership, is dedicated to offering a solution to the teacher shortage and to address the need for more teachers who come from diverse backgrounds. As the program progresses, National University, which has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), hopes to expand to serve diverse student populations locally, regionally, and nationally. This program has been made possible by generous funding from Stephen Cushman of the Cushman Foundation, Peter Ellsworth of the Legler Benbough Foundation, and National University. To learn more about the Teacher Pathway program, please visit nu.edu/teacherinclusionpathway. About National University Founded in 1971, National University is among the largest, private, nonprofit universities in California. With more than 150,000 alumni, National University is the flagship institution of the National University System. National University is dedicated to making lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging, and relevant to a diverse population of students. Four schools and two collegesthe College of Letters and Sciences; the Sanford College of Education; the School of Business and Management; the School of Engineering and Computing; the School of Health and Human Services; and the School of Professional Studiesoffer more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degrees and 23 teacher credentials. Programs are offered at locations throughout California and across the nation and are also available online. National University is headquartered in La Jolla, California. For more information, please visit nu.edu. President Trump addresses attendees of the 2019 Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit. Photo Credit: Pierce Harman Photography President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump addressed attendees of the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit today. I am honored to join the thousands of leaders here for the 2019 Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, President Trump said. The President focused on the progress being made in three areas: increased funding; curbing the flow of drugs from inside and outside the country; and treatment efforts. Those efforts include: A record $6 billion to combat the opioid crisis, including nearly double the funding for research; An agreement with China, which will add fentanyl-related substances to the supplementary list of controlled narcotic drugs on May 1; The STOP Act, which adds screening to prevent opioids from being shipped illegally into the country. It has prevented six times more packages from reaching American doorsteps; A 34 percent reduction in opioid prescriptions in one year, and 43,000 fewer veterans on opioids since 2017; More than 3,000 additional Department of Justice prosecutions involving opioids, including a historic announcement earlier this week that brought criminal charges against the sixth largest drug wholesaler and its executives; An increase in the distribution of Naloxone by 1 million doses last year; Expanded access to treatment for mothers and their babies through the CRIB Act; and Greater addiction treatment for inmates through the First Step Act, which has allowed 16,000 inmates to participate in the first four months. Also accompanying the President and First Lady were Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, and two individuals in long-term recovery serving as symbols of hope. Trump is the second sitting president to address the Summit. President Barack Obama spoke in 2016, and former President Bill Clinton gave remarks at the Rx Summit last year. Melania Trump is the only First Lady to participate in the Summit. She introduced the President and mentioned her BE BEST initiative, that focuses on major issues facing children today. One of the three pillars of the initiative is opioid abuse. We were honored to have the President and First Lady address attendees of the 2019 Rx Summit, said Doug Edwards, director, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Learning Network, part of HMP, the producer of the meeting. Their participation underscores the significant attention being paid by all levels of government to this devastating public health epidemic. The President & First Ladys positive message focused on promoting recovery combined with the commitment of significant resources to address the opioid crisis was shared not only with the 3,500 in attendance, but also across the world via livestream. It is incredibly rewarding to know that we are playing a role by bringing so many groups together to find solutions. Founded in 2012, the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit is now the largest national gathering of professionals from federal to family: local, state and, federal agencies, public health officials, business executives, academia, treatment providers, advocates, law enforcement, and family members working to find solutions that address the prescription drug abuse and misuse epidemic. The meeting is produced by HMP, a leader in healthcare events and education. President Trump concluded with the following hopeful words for the audience, You are Americas true source of strength, so let us resolve that together we will support, cherish and care for every American in need of recovery. Every American deserves to know the glory of hope, the joy of belonging and the blessings of healing. We will end this terrible menace. We will smash the grip of addiction. To learn more about the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, visit rx-summit.com, and be sure to follow Rx Summit on Facebook and Twitter @RxSummit, using hashtag #RxSummit2019. About HMP HMP is the force behind Healthcare Made Practical and is a multichannel leader in health care events and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global health care community across a range of therapeutic areas. Its brands include Consultant360, the year-round, award-winning platform relied upon by primary care providers and other specialists; Psych Congress, the largest independent mental health meeting in the U.S.; EMS World Expo, North Americas largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com. Manny and Mason: Manny Meets a Bully: a Christian moral lesson for kids, is the creation of published author R. L. Wallace, a childrens writer who seeks to educate young readers about applying Christian values in their daily lives. Wallace writes, When Mason comes home from school visibly upset, he tells Manny about his rough day and being teased by two boys. Later that day, while running an errand for his mother, Mason looks out the store window and sees the same two boys that were teasing him earlier now teasing Manny. Mason springs into action to help his friend Manny. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, R. L. Wallaces new book is a short and simple tale with an important lesson at the core of Christianity, one that encourages young readers to stand up for their friends but also treat their enemies with the forgiveness and love of Christ. View a synopsis of Manny and Mason: Manny Meets a Bully on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Manny and Mason: Manny Meets a Bully at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Manny and Mason: Manny Meets a Bully, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. eCampus.com Virtual Bookstores offers Ranken Technical College the opportunity to increase textbook affordability for students while simultaneously allowing faculty to leverage the companys deep publisher relations. - Peter Murtaugh, VP Finance and Administration, Ranken Technical College Ranken selected eCampus.com Virtual Bookstores to help students obtain course materials at a significantly reduced cost, while also providing a streamlined and convenient ordering process. With the new eCampus.com solution, students from all three campuses will save up to 70% off publisher list prices, aligning with the colleges goal of providing an exceptional technical education at an affordable price. Beyond cost savings, students can take advantage of every purchasing option, including new, used, rental, eTextbook, and an expansive network of third-party Marketplace sellers. Additional benefits reflected in the new partnership include a free ship-to-campus option, where students can take advantage of a convenient centralized location to pick up their course materials. Beyond a user-friendly ordering and delivery process, students will have access to a superior in-house customer service department to help with ordering, delivery, and digital content inquiries. eCampus.com, who is taking over bookstore operations from MBS, will offer a seamless integration with Rankens Student Information System, creating a customized ordering process utilizing Single Sign-On (SSO). With this cohesive strategy, students will also enjoy the convenience of registration integration, offering streamlined course material ordering at the same time they register for classes. Through these robust system integrations, Ranken students gain an optimal student experience that meets their online buying expectations and ultimately drives academic outcomes. Students will also have the flexibility of using financial aid for their course material purchases. In addition to student benefits, the eCampus.com Virtual Bookstore will also serve Ranken faculty with a smooth adoption process. With a dedicated eCampus.com Management Team, faculty can receive desk copies to review and confirm best-fit content from a network of over 10,000 publisher partners. eCampus.com Virtual Bookstores offers Ranken Technical College the opportunity to increase textbook affordability for students while simultaneously allowing faculty to leverage the companys deep publisher relations, said Peter Murtaugh, Vice President for Finance and Administration for Ranken Technical College. In the past, Ranken students have battled high textbook prices and a lack of affordable shipping options. With eCampus, students can leverage free and reduced rate shipping combined with the confidence of the right course materials at the right time. This is a win-win for our students, our faculty, and our institution. Were delighted to welcome Ranken Technical College to the eCampus.com Virtual Bookstore program and applaud this institution who is making college affordability a priority for their students, said Matt Montgomery, President and CEO of eCampus.com. We look forward to providing a new online bookstore standard for the institution that aligns with their mission of preparing students for success. Ranken students will have full access to their eCampus.com Virtual Bookstore in May 2019 for buybacks and Summer 2019 for purchasing. More information on eCampus.com Virtual Bookstores can be found at ecampuscms.com. About eCampus.com eCampus.com is a premier online retailer of textbooks and digital course materials. Consistently exceeding industry standards, eCampus.coms mission is to provide the easiest, fastest, and most affordable way for K-12 and higher education students to buy, rent, or sell textbooks and digital content. The company launched on July 2, 1999, the birthday of original investor Dave Thomas of Wendys. From the beginning, their driving force has been meeting the needs of the customers they serve. Remaining an innovative leader in the course materials industry, eCampus.com serves over 250 colleges and universities through an innovative course material solutions suite, including full-service Virtual Bookstores and the eCampus.com ALL Access program. eCampus.com's mission enables institutions to increase course material affordability, serving millions of students to date. Through products that simplify the adoption, management and procurement of course materials, eCampus.com propels student success by delivering the right course materials, at the right time, at the right price. Learn more at ecampus.com. About Ranken Technical College Ranken Technical College has been helping students experience success for 100 years. The accredited institution, with its main campus located in St. Louis, Missouri, is a leading Missouri technical college with a large selection of disciplines offering fast degree and certificates in as little as two semesters. The Colleges three-pronged approach to teaching hands-on technical experience, general education and professionalism gives students the competitive edge, proven by their excellent job placement rate. With additional campuses located in Wentzville and Perryville, Ranken meets the needs of Missouri residents and beyond, ensuring graduates are highly trained and fully equipped for successful careers. Learn more at ranken.edu. At this years conference there will be hundreds of gift card industry professionals in attendance that will learn valuable intel to help them continue to innovate and transform the role gift cards play in peoples lives. The Retail Gift Card Association (RGCA), the only nonprofit trade organization representing the closed-loop gift card industry, announced today that registration is open for its annual RGCA Forum this September 30 through October 2, 2019, in Phoenix, Arizona. Early bird rates are available through June 30. Gift card industry professionals with an equitable interest in the closed-loop ecosystem are encouraged to attend the RGCA Forum. The event attracts retailers, gift card program managers, technology companies that leverage gift cards, manufacturers, distributors, processors, secondary exchange sites and third-party resellers. Forum will host distinguished retail and payments executives who will deliver in-depth keynotes and sessions focusing on the evolution, uses, and hot topics surrounding gift cards as forms of branded currency, incentives, marketing tools, and more. The 2019 Forum sessions will deliver insights on numerous topics such as: A Research-Based State of the Industry Report Digital Innovation eGifts, Payment Apps, Digital Wallets Building Blocks for a Successful Gift Card Program How to Expand Gift Card Programs Globally Gift Card Program Best Practices Regulatory Updates Critical to Gift Card Programs A Deep Dive into B2B Gift Card Applications The RGCA Forum has catalyzed growth and development of the closed-loop gift card terrain. At this years conference there will be hundreds of gift card industry professionals in attendance that will learn valuable intel to help them continue to innovate and transform the role gift cards play in peoples lives, said Jayne Stegemiller, RGCA Board Chair. Show attendees will have access to exclusive industry research, best practices, and insights from top expertsand will take away a better understanding of how to leverage gift cards as valuable branded payments tools. The 2019 Forum will be held at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass located at 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Boulevard in Phoenix, Arizona. To register for the event, click here. More than 90 RGCA member brands work collaboratively to protect, promote and enhance the use of retail gift cards as ways to enable, enrich, and encourage commerce. Members collectively fuel consumer confidence in the industry, evolve best practices for gift card programs and optimize emerging opportunities to meet contextual commerce demand. For more information, including details on becoming a member, visit http://www.theRGCA.org. About the Retail Gift Card Association (RGCA) The Retail Gift Card Association is the nonprofit trade association that represents the closed-loop gift category. The Associations mission is to protect, promote and enhance the use of retail gift cards as forms of branded currency and stored value solutions that enable, enrich, and encourage commerce in todays digital age. All RGCA members abide by a Code of Principles that supports consumer-friendly policies for the purchase and redemption of closed-loop gift cards. RGCAs membership is comprised of retailers from all sectors, including restaurants, general merchandise, apparel, sporting and leisure, and non-retailers. For more information, visit us at http://www.thergca.org. American Legion Travis L. Williams Post 65, a veteran and community pillar in South Phoenix, will host its second Play It Forward for the Arts program this Saturday, April 27, supported by Arizona Public Service (APS). The engagement will introduce students to the arts, with middle schoolers from Roosevelt Elementary School District No. 66 attending a special reception at APS corporate headquarters, and then enjoying the Phoenix Symphonys production of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In addition to Post 65, the program will be hosted by APSs Network for Urban Engagement (NUE), Veteran Employee Transition Retention Network (VETRN), and Hispanic Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA) employee groups. The reception will run from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., then students will walk from APS headquarters to the Phoenix Symphony to enjoy the concert production at 1:00 p.m. We hosted our first Play It Forward engagement in February to honor Black History Month and educate students about those who helped pave the way for civil rights in our country, said Alan AP Powell, U.S. Army Desert Storm Veteran, HeroZona Foundation Co-Founder, and Travis L. Williams American Legion Post 65 Member. Were excited to host our second Play It Forward engagement, this time with middle school band members attending the Symphony. Its going to be a fabulous experience. The program will host 60 students from various elementary schools and their chaperones. All students who attend the engagement will receive extra credit. The group will also meet community leaders, who will speak to the group prior to them enjoying the show. Speakers at the event will include Arizona Public Service President, Jeffrey B. Guldner; Travis L. Williams Post 65 S.A.L. Commander, Dennis E. Prince; Chief Administrative Officer for the Roosevelt School District No. 66, Dr. Quintin Boyce; Chief Marketing Officer for the Phoenix Symphony, Todd Vigil; and Arizona State Senator for District 27, Rebecca Rios. The event will be moderated by former Arizona State Representative and Minority Leader Mr. Art Hamilton. "This important partnership provides our students with an opportunity to experience the symphony first-hand in a way that allows them to learn and grow outside the classroom," said Interim Chief Administrative Officer, Dr. Quintin Boyce. We are grateful to the American Legion, APS and the additional partners involved in this Play it Forward event for investing in our students and families through this event. Every child deserves enrichment through the arts and the Play It Forward program helps to make this possible, says Rios. About Travis L. Williams American Legion Post 65 The Travis L. Williams American Legion Post 65 welcomes veterans from all branches of our Armed Forces. The post enables its members to continue serving God, Country and the Community. Their mission is to support the community of the South Phoenix area under their four pillars: veterans, defense, youth and Americanism. One hundred percent of the funds raised through their events are given back to the community to help give scholarships to students, and aid and assistance to veterans in need and their families. For more information, visit twilliamspost65.org. Jerry Hopping, RMP It shows a commitment to hard work and continuous improvement on behalf of our clients. Jerry Hopping, a St. Louis area leader in the residential property management field, has just been awarded the prestigious RMP (Residential Management Professional) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). This prestigious designation is held by fewer than 795 property managers nationwide and is reflective of the professional commitment made to the industry by Jerry Hopping. Mr. Hopping is the only Property Manager in St. Louis and Saint Charles Missouri to currently hold this designation. Receiving my RMP designation was one of the proudest moments in my professional career, said Jerry Hopping, Managing Broker of AMOSO Properties. The professional designation is awarded to property managers who have completed one of the highest levels of achievement including specific course requirements as well as service to the NARPM organization. A detailed examination of the applicant as well as letters of recommendations from clients and peers are required to pass the certification requirements. I couldnt be more proud to have Jerry earn this designation. It shows a commitment to hard work and continuous improvement on behalf of our clients. says Joseph Ord, President of AMOSO Properties. This important designation is one Jerry Hopping should be very proud of and reinforces the expertise they maintain within the property management field. The National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM), founded in October 1988, provides a permanent trade organization for the residential property management industry. NARPM continues to be the premier professional association of residential property managers, currently representing approximately 5,800 members comprised of real estate agents, brokers, managers and their employees. Their mission is to provide resources for residential property management professionals who desire to learn, grow, and build relationships. The Association administers several designation programs including the Residential Management Professional (RMP), the Master Property Manager (MPM), the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC), the Certified Support Specialist (CSS), the Certified Maintenance Coordinator (CMC), and the Certified Residential Management Bookkeeper (CRMB). More than 60 local chapters of NARPM are currently operating in major metropolitan areas, and many more are in the formative stages. For information, call NARPM National at 800-782-3452 or visit http://www.narpm.org HRH Prince Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy with Savoy Knight Bruno Serato, Founder of Caterina's Club and Beneficiary Family at the Savoy Foundation's 2019 Notte di Savoia Charity Gala The Savoy Orders are my familys ancient orders of knighthood. They have traditionally been devoted to charitable works, and recognize individuals for their contributions in public service, medicine, the arts, music, government, business and philanthropy, such as the work of Caterina's Club On Saturday, April 6th, His Royal Highness Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy was the guest of honor at a formal charity gala, sponsored by the American Foundation of Savoy Orders, which benefited Caterinas Club, and resulted in 11 Southern California underprivileged families finding permanent homes. Caterinas Club, founded by humanitarian Bruno Serato, is known worldwide for not only finding homes for needy families but feeding thousands of hungry children each week and helping at-risk youth avert gang life through his Hospitality Academy. Daniel J. McClory, a Southern California-based Director of the Savoy Foundation Board, served as Event Co-Chairman and Master of Ceremonies. Among the evenings guests were the Pierce family: single mother, Caroline, and her three children, 12, 8 and 3, who found a permanent home thanks to Caterinas Club. There wasnt a dry eye in the house after guests met Caroline, who like so many of our beneficiaries is a hard worker but was homeless because of circumstances beyond her control. Her meager wages prevented her from being able to pay the first and last months rent and security deposit required by most apartment management companies, said Serato. Like the Pierces, we now have 11 other families who will have homes thanks to the generosity of the American Foundation of Savoy Orders and its dedicated supporters. We are truly grateful. HRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy said: "The Savoy Orders are my familys ancient orders of knighthood. They have traditionally been devoted to charitable works, and recognize individuals for their contributions in public service, medicine, the arts, music, government, business and philanthropy. Caterinas Club and the work of Chef Bruno Serato, a Savoy knight, is a great and contemporary cause to support in our royal tradition of assistance to the less fortunate, the Prince concluded. The House of Savoy refers to the Italian Royal Family whose ancient origins can be traced as far back as 1003 to the alpine region where today Italy borders France. Through gradual expansion, the Savoy Dynasty grew in power to eventually unify and rule the Kingdom of Italy until 1946 when, in the aftermath of World War II, the monarchy was replaced by the Italian Republic. ABOUT THE SAVOY FOUNDATION AND THE AMERICAN DELEGATION OF SAVOY ORDERS The American Delegation of Savoy Orders, which includes the United States of America, is among 35 delegations of the Savoy Orders located throughout Europe, the Americas and Japan. The Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy are among the oldest orders of chivalry in the world. Their origins and their principles, traditions and humanitarian goals, like those of the Royal House of Savoy that has the hereditary right to confer them, date back a thousand years. The American Delegation of Savoy Orders through its charitable arm, the American Foundation of Savoy Orders, contributes to humanitarian, hospitaller and charitable projects and initiatives in the United States and abroad, particularly in healthcare and hospice care, disaster relief, education programs and children's causes. The American Foundation of Savoy Orders, Incorporated, a 501(c) (3) charitable organization headquartered in New York City, supports local, national, and international charities focusing on medical, educational, social assistance and humanitarian fields, including philanthropy for hospitals, relief agencies, childrens causes and hospice care for the poor, infirm and elderly. The Foundation is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Roster Consultative Statues with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. For more information on supporting the causes of the American Foundation of Savoy Orders, see below. CONTACT: Larissa Van Duser, Executive Director, American Foundation of Savoy Orders amsavoy(at)aol.com, +1 212 972 0495 For more information, visit http://www.savoia.org Sierra College students discuss Enactus Club and sustainable chocolate company during networking at Startup Pitch Mentor Round in February. Sierra College students can see the possibilities when they take a startup pitch prototyped in an entrepreneurial business class and share it with seasoned business owners who have a genuine interest in helping them. Sierra College is hosting Startup Pitch Mentor Round on May 15 for local entrepreneurs, students and community members from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at Sierra College in Weaver Hall, room 110. Get tickets for Startup Pitch Mentor Round. Ed Stockton, Founder, President/CEO, Hydrogen Technologies, Inc. in Stockton and Ashok Ramaswami, Founder and CEO, Seqnc Inc. in Pleasant Hill will be the keynote speakers. Sierra College students who have developed business plans will pitch their startup ideas to mentors who are successful founders of businesses in the Sacramento region. As part of the program, the mentors ask questions and provide advice to the students. The audience members gain insights that could encourage them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. According to Steve Ricketts, Founder, SRickettsConsulting, a volunteer who brought the Startup Pitch Mentor Round Concept to Sierra College, this is the third Startup Mentor event held this school year. There is no fee to attend, apply to pitch or receive feedback from the mentors, said Ricketts. Successful founders want to give back by nurturing student startups with honest advice. By offering referrals to resources at no charge, we can increase entrepreneurial activity in the Sacramento region. Students and local entrepreneurs are welcome to attend and be inspired by Ed Stockton and Ashok Ramaswami who will tell their tales of launching successful companies. Feedback on the Startup Pitch Mentor Round from Sierra College faculty and students has been very positive, explained Amy Schulz, Dean, Business and Technology Division. Students can see the possibilities when they take a startup pitch prototyped in an entrepreneurial business class and share it with seasoned business owners who have a genuine interest in helping them, said Schulz. Sierra College has many resources to help those who dream of starting their own businesses including clubs, events, makerspaces, classes, certificates and degrees focused on entrepreneurship. There is support at Sierra College for those who want to form new businesses. Hydrogen Technologies, Inc. has patented a revolutionary method for burning hydrogen and oxygen in a vacuum chamber to create heat and steam with no greenhouse gases. This distributed renewable energy is the next wave of energy creation and has applications in industrial and commercial space conditioning, water and wastewater treatment, food processing, process steam generation and enhanced oil recovery. Seqnc Inc. is a cloud software company that makes it easy for any organization to create financial models, measure key performance metrics and evaluate capital raising requirements to more efficiently manage their business. Ashok has been a finance and strategy leader for leading global and startup companies for more than two decades, executing over $2.5 billion of transactions in merger and acquisitions, public and private financing, and venture capital. Sierra College is honored that that the following business leaders are contributing their expertise to mentor student startups: David Dwelle, Co-Founder, Flyers Energy, LLC and Pacific Power Renewables; Jason France, Founder, President and Sole Owner, ClipperCreek, Inc.; Mark Haney, Founder, CEO, HaneyBiz and Host, The Mark Haney Show and Monique Brown, VP Operations, HaneyBiz; Rand Heer, Founder, CEO, Piller Corporation and Alight, Inc.; Aaron Klein, Co-Founder, CEO Riskalyze, Inc.; Dr. Grover Lee, Founder, CEO, Wise Villa Winery and American Health Care; Bridget Powers, Former Mayor of Auburn and President, JxB Properties; Don Whitaker, Founder, CEO, CERONIX, Inc.; Craig Mitchell, Director, DCA Partners, LLC; Debbie Lowe Muramoto, Director, Womens Business Center; Eric Ullrich, Co-Founder, Hacker Lab and Steve Ricketts, Founder SRickettsConsulting. Get tickets for the May 15 Startup Pitch Mentor Round. For more information, contact Steve Ricketts at sricketts(at)cebridge.net or (530) 878-0112. Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3200 square miles of Northern CA with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four year Universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. "We made a lot of progress in Q1 in all areas of the business and ultimately have grown annual recurring subscription revenue by 136% year over year." Sean McCormick, founder and CEO, SingleOps SingleOps, the leading all-in-one business management software for outdoor service industries, today reported that Q1 of 2019 was the company's 14th consecutive quarter of record growth in both revenue and customers. The company was also recognized today as Atlantas 91st fastest growing private company through the Atlanta Business Chronicles Pacesetter Awards. Our team did not waste time kicking off 2019. We made a lot of progress in Q1 in all areas of the business and ultimately have grown annual recurring subscription revenue by 136% year over year. I am confident we are prepared to take SingleOps to new heights throughout the rest of 2019, said Sean McCormick, founder and CEO of SingleOps. Industry recognition and involvement Entered into a strategic partnership with the Tree Care Industry Association through their Partners Advancing Commercial Tree Care (PACT) Program Attended and sponsored the Tree Care Industry Associations Winter Management Conference, which over 300 tree care industry leaders took part in Attended and sponsored the Georgia Arborists Associations 21st Annual Tree Climbing Competition Technology updates Improved job management, a critical feature for outdoor services businesses, to be more configurable so that SingleOps customers can better manage leads, proposals, and active jobs on a daily basis Introduced major updates to the client portal feature, enabling SingleOps customers to improve the experience for their own customers and streamline the process of accepting new work Released new prepay functionality so that SingleOps customers can collect payment in advance of work being done, improving cash flow and operational efficiency Team and office expansion Grew the team by over 20% in Q1, hiring to accelerate sales and ramp up customer implementation capabilities Announced plans to move headquarters to Piedmont Center in June of this year, and leased 4,500 square feet of office space there Hired SaaS marketing veteran Taylor Gould, who was most recently VP of Marketing at BetterCloud, as chief marketing officer in January About SingleOps SingleOps is the leading all-in-one business management software for outdoor service industries, including tree care, lawn care, full-service landscaping, sod farms and landscape supply. The company serves hundreds of clients who have collectively processed over $1 billion in revenue through SingleOps, and use it daily to operate their businesses and interact with clients. SingleOps is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. For more information, please visit singleops.com. Stringr, a comprehensive marketplace that enables media organizations to source, edit and publish customized footage from 75,000+ videographers, has announced its work with Flood Communications News Channel Nebraska to ensure access to breaking news across Nebraska and the U.S. Prior to working with Stringr, the network, which is a network collective of 15 radio and television stations in Nebraska, spent countless resources on travel throughout the state to cover relevant news events that needed to be covered for its viewers. With access to Stringrs video marketplace, the company has become the sole news station in Nebraska to quickly reach news events in smaller communities across the state, as well as relevant out-of-state news. Stringr is quite literally delivering the last mile of video, said Lindsay Stewart, CEO and Co Founder of Stringr. Our work with News Channel Nebraska shows the benefits of Stringrs capabilities in the clearest way possible. People want to access news sourced from every location no matter how remote, and we are thrilled to be a part of how NCN accomplishes this important task." The majority of our offices are located in Eastern Nebraska, and with a state that takes nearly eight hours to drive across its almost impossible to cover every breaking news story, said Mike Flood, Founder of Flood Communications. By activating the Stringr network, weve cut down on transportation and operational costs, while also continuing to tell the stories Nebraskans want to know from major snowstorms to Midterm elections. About Stringr Stringr (http://www.stringr.com) is a comprehensive video marketplace that enables media organizations to source custom footage, edit and publish under very tight deadlines. The company leverages the only nationwide network of more than 75k highly responsive videographers who provide broadcast-quality video in every major US market. Stringr is based in NYC and was founded in 2014 by Lindsay Stewart and Brian McNeill, who met at The Wharton School. About Flood Communications At Flood Communications, we proudly run one of Nebraskas largest media operations, managing eight radio stations and two television stations. We have leading brands spanning across Nebraska. We stand by our reputation, our clients, our employees and our communities. With dedicated news, television, radio and social media teams, everything we do is to serve our audiences. Organized legally as Flood Digital Networks, LLC, our company owns KNEN-LD (Norfolk); KBWF-LD (Sioux City); KMJF-LD (Columbus); KOHA-LD (Omaha); KFDY-LD (Lincoln); KWBE-LD (Beatrice); KMLF-LD (Grand Island); KUSO-FM (Norfolk); KNEN-FM (Norfolk); KBBX-FM (Omaha); KNCY-AM (Nebraska City); KBIE-FM (Nebraska City); KWBE-AM (Beatrice); KGMT-AM (Fairbury); and KUTT-FM (Fairbury). Old Line brings an exceptional team with a wealth of industry experience, stellar customer relationships and a top-notch facility. Synagro Technologies, Inc. (Synagro), (Synagro), the preeminent provider of biosolids and residuals solutions services in North America, is pleased to announce that it has acquired Old Line Environmental, Inc. (Old Line Environmental). Old Line Environmental is a premier provider of biosolids management services for more than 15 municipalities in Maryland and Virginia. Old Line employs dozens of employees with more than 30 years of biosolids management experience. We are excited to welcome Old Line Environmental to the Synagro family and are confident that this combination will enhance our ability to serve our customers by bringing together two companies with a shared commitment to quality and a customer-centric approach, said Bob Preston, CEO, Synagro. Old Line brings an exceptional team with a wealth of industry experience, stellar customer relationships and a top-notch facility. We look forward to working together to further establish Synagro as the North American leader in biosolids management. About Synagro Founded in 1986, Synagro Technologies, Inc. provides environmentally sustainable solutions for commercial and municipal organizations that generate organic by-products. Synagro consistently transforms industrial and municipal waste into environmentally friendly resources that benefit our communities. As the largest recycler of organic by-products in North America, Synagro uses best-in-class processes, from beneficial reuse to renewable energy, that adhere to the strictest of environmental regulations to provide compelling solutions for communities across the continent. Serving more than 600 municipal and industrial water and wastewater facilities in the United States and Canada, Synagros leading systems of organic by-product management services support municipalities of all sizes in saving money and meeting environmental regulations. Visit synagro.com to learn more. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Top Wordpress Web Design Firms In its latest round of monthly awards, 10 Best Design has named Ruckus Marketing as the Best WordPress Web Design agency for April 2019. WordPress is known for its high level of utility for bloggers. This platform supports videos as well as plenty of images. It is easy for a blogger to update a WordPress site with fresh content and images in order to maintain the attention of their followers. What has to happen before this is the setup of the WordPress site. Most site owners want to stand out from the crowd, and they need the professional assistance of the best WordPress web design firm in order to do that. It pays to choose the best WordPress website development agency if an individual or a company wants to impress visitors and maintain a high level of authority in their market niche. This 10 Best Design list makes it easy to find the best team of designers to build a site on the WordPress platform. Ruckus Marketing is the best WordPress web design firm for the month of April, according to 10 Best Design. Ruckus Marketing has a staff of 10 to 50 programmers. Their site design services optimize the layout for the mobile environment. They also build quality and highly researched SEO into the architecture and links of the site. Another company that landed on Aprils list of best WordPress Website development agencies is Blue Fountain Media, a top website development agency with offices in New York City. As a medium to large sized web design and marketing firm, Blue Fountain Media offers many service packages to its clients. Their associates can build the site, put SEO in it, do search engine marketing and handle all of the client's social media marketing services. Another leading WordPress web design firm is Spinx Digita l. This agency is headquartered in Los Angeles. It is known for using functions in WordPress in order to create a site that is responsive. Their designs perform well in the mobile environment. This is key to businesses that rely on the owners of smartphones and tablets for most of their site traffic. Company owners and managers should turn to this list regularly in order to get a feel for what to expect out of the best WordPress design firms. This is a brand-new award issued by the 10 Best Design service, and its recipients will change on a monthly basis. For more information about the winning firms for April 2019, visit http://www.10bestdesign.com. We are committed to minimizing plan cost increases for our employer-clients; the fact that we were able to contain them to less than 1% for the last two years demonstrates our success in keeping that commitment. Releasing its annual cost trends data, Cypress Benefit Administrators, a Lucent Health company, has announced that the average cost increase for the health plans it administered in 2018 was contained to just .06%, while the average increase for plans on a national level was 6.64%. The numbers show that the third party administrator (TPA) has continued its historical success in keeping plan cost increases below the national trend, and at less than 1% the past two years. Cypresss average increase over the last seven years 2012 to 2018 is 1.24% compared to 6.27% for plans nationally. We are committed to minimizing plan cost increases for our employer-clients; the fact that we were able to contain them to less than 1% for the last two years demonstrates our success in keeping that commitment, said Tom Doney, president of Cypress. In 2017, the average Per Employee Per Year (PEPY) cost for Cypress clients was $9,815, while it was $18,734 for national plans. That represents an average PEPY savings for Cypress plans of $8,919 or $445,950 in savings for a company of 50. On top of that, the average PEPY cost increase from 2017 to 2018 for Cypress-administered plans was only $6 in comparison to $1,371 for national plans. Doney said, On a national level, the average per employee cost last year was nearly double the amount that Cypress clients paid. For Cypress clients, this translates to a savings of nearly half a million dollars for a 50-person plan. Thats huge. Cypress emphasizes working together with employer-clients proactively to find the best employee benefit solutions for each given plan. In building customized self-funded plans, Cypress puts particular emphasis on managing health claims, along with employee engagement, price transparency and prescription management programs. Health care costs continue to climb at an alarming rate, so we do our best to minimize this for our clients and their plan participants, Doney explained. Our long-term success in keeping plan cost increases well below national levels shows that our efforts are paying off. About Cypress Benefit Administrators Cypress Benefit Administrators, a Lucent Health company, has been pioneering the way toward cost containment in self-funded health benefits since 2000. Privately held and headquartered in Appleton, Wis., the third party administrator (TPA) is the countrys first to bring claims administration, consumer driven health plans and proven cost control measures together into one package for companies ranging from 50 employees to thousands of employees. It serves employer-clients across the U.S. with additional locations in Portland, Ore., Omaha, Neb. and Denver, Col. For more information on Cypress and its customized employee benefits, visit http://www.cypressbenefit.com. By Washington Times, April 23, 2019 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida House opened debate on a hotly contested Republican bill that would require local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and ban so-called sanctuary city policies aimed at shielding immigrants who are arrested. The GOP-dominated House on Tuesday turned back several Democratic amendments intended to weaken the measure, with a final vote expected Wednesday. A similar bill is pending in the state Senate. The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI), the industry leader in remote pilot safety education, training, and certification, has partnered with BarCharts Publishing, Inc to provide remote pilots with a durable guide outlining rules and concepts for the commercial operation of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS). BarCharts Publishing, Inc has been publishing quick-reference materials for customers around the world for nearly 30 years. They have produced more than 600 QuickStudy laminated quick-reference guides in a variety of subjects which are available at more over 15,000 retail locations, including school bookstores, groceries stores, and major book retailers. The Part 107 guide was created using content found on the UAG Remote Pilot Knowledge Test, more commonly referred to as the Part 107 exam. The guide covers all areas of knowledge that the FAA requires remote pilots be versed in and includes concepts, definitions, and images associated with the following areas: Applicable Regulations Airspace Classification, Operating Requirements, and Flight Restrictions Maintenance and Preflight inspection Procedures Aviation Weather Source and Effects of Weather on Small Unmanned Aircraft Performance Small Unmanned Aircraft Loading Crew Resource Management Radio Communication Procedures Determining the Performance of Small Unmanned Aircraft Physiological Factors Affecting Pilot Performance Aeronautical Decision-Making and Judgement Airport Operations The guide provides an affordable turnkey solution as a study guide for remote pilots that are looking to earn their Part 107 Certificate and a quick-reference field manual for current Part 107 pilots while theyre on the job. The 8 1/2" x 11", three-panel, six-page guide is laminated and in full color, creating a durable and easy-to-read reference guide that is the perfect size for a binder or standard folder. The Part 107 Quick Study Guide & Field Manual retails for $19.95 and can currently be purchased through the Unmanned Safety Institutes online shop (https://unmanned-safety-institute.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/part-107-quick-study-guide-field-manual). In the future, the guide will be available for purchase through BarCharts Publishing, Inc retailers nationwide. USI is committed to enabling individuals and organizations with relevant safety focused resources to become well informed remote pilots. To this point, we are excited to be partnering with BarCharts Publishing, Inc to provide this study guide and field manual to current and aspiring remote pilots around the country, said Josh Olds, President of Unmanned Safety Institute. This partnership supports our mission to promote flight safety and professionalism through continuous learning and were confident that pilots who choose to utilize this guide will find the ease of access to information invaluable. About Unmanned Safety Institute The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) is the industrys most widely recognized leader in flight safety solutions for individuals, enterprises, and organizations focused on integrating and operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for civil or commercial purposes. The Unmanned Safety Institute, recognized as best-in-class, provides UAS flight safety training and certification to operational standards based on the adoption and modification of time-honored aviation safety practices. With 170+ instructors and over 7,000 customers around the world, USI is considered the global leader in UAS safety education, training and certification delivering the most highly-regarded training program and career pathway initiatives of its kind. USI is the only training and certification organization that is accepted by the FAA, endorsed by major aviation insurance providers, and whose training programs have been evaluated and recommended for college credit by the American Council on Education. Discover more at http://www.UnmannedSafetyInstitute.org. About BarCharts Publishing, Inc. As a premier publisher of quick-reference materials, its our mission to assist customers worldwide in accomplishing their educational and professional goals. We continue to earn customer loyalty by producing up-to-date products to ensure accuracy of information, as well as adapt to the publishing market so that our products are always available in whatever format our customers need to succeed. Visit http://www.barcharts.com and discover more. Virginia Beach skies will once again be alive with the sight of flying vintage aircraft for the Military Aviation Museums Annual Warbirds Over the Beach Air Show, held Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19 at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach skies will once again be alive with the sight of flying vintage aircraft for the Military Aviation Museums Annual Warbirds Over the Beach Air Show, held Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19 at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach. The weekend boasts a 1940s atmosphere with entertainers, re-enactor encampments, a military flea market, hangar dance and more! The museums large collection of World War II aircraft fly all three days (weather permitting), featuring iconic American classics such as the P-51 Mustang and the Corsair, the British Spitfire and Hurricane, along with one of the newest additions to the museums collection, a German Messerschmidtt Bf-109. Airshow festivities take-off on Friday, with practice flights throughout the day from many of the aircraft participating in the show, along with re-enactor camp set up. Saturday and Sunday will feature a variety of entertainers to include Theresa Eaman, a nationally known jazz artist, and the New York-based Americas Sweethearts. A military flea market will offer aviation-themed treasures and local vendors will be ready to serve up some tasty cuisine. A hangar dance headlines Saturday afternoon, complete with live big band music compliments of the Mark Michielsen Big Band. For the full experience, guests can ride in an authentic World War II aircraft. The museums 1941 Boeing Stearman and 1989 Waco YMF-5 will be available for 15-minute rides. Rounding out the options for plane rides will be Bay Aviation, offering flights in their Fairchild PT-19. All rides are subject to weather conditions and prior reservations are strongly recommended. Rides may be booked by visiting http://www.VBAirshow.com. Admission to the show also offers access to the rest of the Military Aviation Museum historical exhibits, such as their WWI and German Cottbus hangars, as well as a control tower from the first American fighter base in England in 1942, reconstructed using actual bricks from the original tower that was in operation at RAF Goxhill, during WWII. Tickets are available online for a discounted rate of $31.50 per adult single-day admission and $13.50 youth single-day admission, now through May 10. Beginning May 11, tickets will be sold at the full price of $35 per adult single-day admission and $15 per youth single-day admission. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (757) 721-7767 or visit http://www.VBairshow.com. About the Military Aviation Museum: The Military Aviation Museum, a 501c3 non-profit, displays and flies historic military aircraft representing the first fifty years of aviation. Boasting one of the largest private collections of its kind, the museum features over 70 flying and static aircraft from the WWI and WWII era. The museum hosts highly anticipated Airshows throughout the year, making it an iconic attraction for Virginia Beach, with over 75,000 visitors in 2018. Visit MilitaryAviationMuseum.org or call (757) 721-7767 for more information. Julies deep and broad experience with regulatory agencies, especially the Food and Drug Administration, will provide clients the expertise they need to move their shipments through the port without unnecessary delay or cost. -WB Skinner President William B. Skinner III WB Skinner, a leading customs brokerage and freight forwarder serving NY and NJ ports since 1968, today announced the opening of a new regional office in Savannah, GA. Headed by Vice President Julie Skinner Hartenfels, the new location reflects increased demand for the firms services and the rapid growth of the Port of Savannah to serve shipments on the East Coast. The Port of Savannah is the largest single container terminal in North America, the second largest port on the East Coast, and the fourth busiest port in the nation. While continuing to break cargo-handling records, the Port of Savannah is completing efforts to deepen its harbor and other projects to facilitate its handling of mega-ship transport. Our new Savannah location is in response to shifting dynamics in our industry," said WB Skinner President William B. Skinner III in announcing the opening. Julies deep and broad experience with regulatory agencies, especially the Food and Drug Administration, will provide clients the expertise they need to move their shipments through the port without unnecessary delay or cost. About Julie Hartenfels: Julie Hartenfels, a licensed Customs House Broker and Certified Customs Specialist, joined WB Skinner in 1981 and trained under the tutelage of her father, founder WB Skinner Jr. As one of our industrys most experienced brokers, Ms.Hartenfels brings an in-depth and up-to-date personal knowledge of government regulatory agencies particularly FDA, CBP, Agriculture Department, EPA, and DOT. Her niche specialization in addressing tough automobile parts entries, depth classification and binding rulings is particularly valued by her clients. About WB Skinner: WB Skinner is a full service, licensed Customs Broker, Certified Customs Specialist, Certified Export Specialist and freight forwarder providing customs clearance, freight forwarding, warehousing and container breakdown services for East Coast air and seaports from offices in NY/NJ Metro and Savannah, GA. Founded in 1968, the company addresses all classes of imports, with special expertise addressing complex issues facing the medical device, pharmaceutical, food, textile, and cosmetics importer industries. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. Washington, D.C.based American University will be the site of the first National Antiracist Book Festival, providing a platform for nearly 50 authors and publishing professionals to discuss policies and power structures that fuel racism in America, as well as the efforts being made to dismantle those systems. The festival will be held April 27 and includes authors Jason Reynolds, Imani Perry, Carole Anderson and 2019 Pulitzer Prize recipient David Blight. As an author Ive traveled all over the country to book festivals and Ive been able to see the excitement of people and how it brings people together, said founder Ibram Kendi, who received the 2016 National Book Award for Stamped From the Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America and is also director of the universitys Antiracist Research and Policy Center. Kendi and his colleagues began planning the festival after he arrived at American University as founding director of the center in 2017. We wanted to bring together authors whose books are part of the antiracist movement to create a more equitable America, Kendi said. These books are serious about creating racial justice and these books express the equality of racial groups, so we wanted to bring these people together. The festivals author and editor discussions are organized by themes. For instance, Princeton scholar Imani Perry and Well-Read Black Girl author Gloria Edim will participate in a discussion called "Sharing and complicating the stories of black women." Young adult authors Jason Reynolds and Jacqueline Woodson will talk with one another about "Writing to capture the hearts and minds of youth." Were putting people together who we feel are going tohave a great conversation on stage, said Kendi. One of the festivals co-sponsors is D.C.-based First Book, a non-profit that distributes millions of books and other resources to educators and students nationwide. Kyle Zimmer, president, CEO, and founder of First Book, said the organization is an enthusiastic supporter of the festival. "Representation and inclusion in childrens books are building blocks of educational equality," she said. "We can work to close the gap in educational resources that plagues American schools, but that isn't enough. Children need to see from the very beginning that their stories have value, and the stories of those who are not like them have value. The festival has sold out of day passes and is continuing to sell passes to individual events. 2,500 attendees are expected, and Kendi is already looking to make the festival an annual event. While this years fair focuses on the black experience, Kendi said future years will have different themes. We would like to completely turn over the author list, Kendi said. We dont want to be bringing back the same authors each year, and the good thing is that there are so many great authors out there. The London Book Fair has named the United Arab Emirate of Sharjah as the Market Focus of the London Book Fair 2020. The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and the fair will collaborate on a program, with the support of the British Council and the U.K. Publishers Association, which will highlight Emirati authors and books. A concurrent professional program will focus on fostering further business relationships. The announcement was made at the Sharjah Childrens Reading Festival, taking place through April 24, and just two days after the emirate adopted the title of UNESCO World Book Capital 2019 and launched a year-long cultural program. Attending the announcement were Sharkah's ruler, Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Sharjah; Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, chairman of SBA; Jacks Thomas, director of the London Book Fair; and Gavin Anderson, British Council, Country Director for UAE. Next year, the Market Focus will mark its 16th year, and to date has included a wide range of countries and territories, ranging from Mexico and Korea to Turkey and this year's Market Focus country, Indonesia. This is the second time that Sharjah has been part of the Market Focus program, as they were one of the 20 states who took part in the Arab World Market Focus in 2008. In reaction to the announcement, al Ameri said: We are delighted to be London Book Fair Market Focus in 2020, to reinforce the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to strengthen bridges of cultural communication around the world." He added: "We believe in the power of books to foster knowledge, broaden horizons and open dialogue. London is the publishing capital of the world and at LBF 2020 we will present Sharjahs unique cultural journey, that has flourished and expanded beyond the Gulf to establish itself as a global hub." Jacks Thomas, director of the London Book Fair, said: "As a significant, energetic and forward-looking participant on the global publishing stage, it is fantastic to be welcoming Sharjah as LBF Market Focus 2020." To initiate the program, The London Book Fair, SBA, and British Council will offer a reciprocal Writer in Residence program as a way of fostering cross-cultural dialogue. Next year's London Book Fair takes place March 10-12. By NewsBusters, April 23, 2019 On Saturday's PoliticsNation show, MSNBC host Al Sharpton devoted a segment to fretting that the rebuilding of three black churches struck by arson in Louisiana have not received as much attention as the destruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in France. Sharpton began by denouncing Trump for not saying anything. Then Sharpton's guest, black activist and journalist George Johnson, bizarrely claimed there was no national news coverage: Published on: 24 April 2019 Asylum seekers crossing the English Channel have attracted media attention in recent weeks Asylum seekers crossing the English Channel have attracted media attention in recent weeks A group of lawyers have accused Greek authorities of violating human-rights laws when they arrested Salam Kamal-Aldeen in 2016 for trying to help asylum-seekers at sea reach Europes shores. In January 2016 Salam Kamal-Aldeen was operating a rescue boat, the Team Humanity, from the island of Lesbos, helping the Hellenic Coast Guard (HCG) to locate and assist three migrant dinghies in distress. Although these had already been intercepted by the Turkish authorities by the time the Team Humanity arrived close to the border of Greek territorial waters, Mr Aldeen and his crew were arrested and charged with attempted smuggling. Their rescue vessel was confiscated and severe restrictive measures were imposed on the volunteers. Calls for policy change The lawyers from GLAN, are calling for EU Member States, including Greece, to discontinue their criminalisation of search and rescue activities and terminate their crackdown on civil-society organisations and individual human rights defenders assisting boat migrants. Dr Violeta Moreno-Lax from Queen Marys School of Law was a legal advisor to GLAN. She said: The Strasbourg Court has now the opportunity to condemn the growing trend in Greece and Europe of criminalising solidarity. Rescue is not a crime; it is a binding duty under international law. Humanitarian assistance of persons in distress at sea should never be prosecuted. Attacking civil society constitutes an assault on the main values of democracy. Rescuers should instead be celebrated and protected as selfless guarantors of the most basic human rights. Exposing human rights violations Mr Aldeens prosecution is part of a targeted repressive move against rescue NGOs in the EU. The application filed with the Strasbourg court exposes the illegality of the Greek authorities crackdown on human rights defenders working to preserve the integrity of the international system of search and rescue. This arrangement compels captains of all vessels to render assistance to persons in distress at sea, regardless of their nationality or legal status. More information Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK Calculating the power of a fleet is a daunting and imprecise task. In the Washington Naval Treaty, tonnage and gun caliber were used as metrics to set the ratio of capital ships between leading world navies. Capital ships were seen as the supreme arbiters of a naval conflict. The London Naval Treaty established similar rules for tonnage and gun caliber for smaller combatants. The United States Navy counts battle force ships, which includes combat logistics forces, toward its end strength. The battle force ship metric is simple hull count, with T-AKE, PC, LCS, DDG and CVN classes all being counted as equals, despite vastly different mission, size, manning, and capabilities. By a simple measure of hull count from 2018-2019 Jane's Fighting Ships, the USN has 10 percent fewer warships than Russia, and is half the size of China's fleet. Prime Minister W.M. (Billy) Hughes spent several months in England in 1916 getting to know the wartime decision-makers, attending British cabinet meetings, lobbying for Australias trading interests, seeking a greater voice for Australia in future planning, and crisscrossing the country as a public speaker where his vigorous style and independent ideas brought him wide media attention. In April 1918 he was off again, assuring the governor-general, I am sorrier than I can say to leave Australia. I love this country but I feel it is my duty to go. He was away for 16 months. Travelling by way of the United States, where he clashed with Woodrow Wilson over the presidents Fourteen Points for peace, Hughes arrived in London in August 1918 to attend the Imperial War Cabinet meetings for dominion prime ministers. As others departed, he stayed on, determined that Australias voice would be heard at the Paris Peace Conference. His immediate priorities were threefold: to represent the case for an independent voice for the dominions in the peace negotiations, to argue for strong reparations for Germany, and to ensure that Germany could never return to its former territories in the Pacific. Frustrated by Prime Minister David Lloyd Georges exclusion of him from the British War Councils meeting to discuss peace aims in October, and critical of the Welshmans readiness to accept Wilsons memorandum as the basis for discussions on peace, Hughes took his public protest to the Times. In Australia, the view was more constrained. There, his deputy William Watt and the cabinet signalled their view that, while it was essential for Australia to be consulted on peace terms, the countrys best interests should be left in British hands. In the event, Hughes stood for Australia at the peace conference in France in February 1919 in a dual capacity, representing a dominion as a delegate of the status of a lesser ally like Belgium, and as an alternate member of the British delegation. In the latter role, he served as one of three representatives for Britain on the Reparations Commission and chaired the subcommittee assigned the task of determining how Germany would be compelled to meet the reparations. He publicly crossed the lofty Wilson in an exchange seen by observers as the little David facing the American Goliath. Chided later by Wilson in the debate on the German Pacific colonies because Australia represented only a small country of five million people, Hughes replied simply: I speak for 60,000 dead. As the story of the confrontations spread around Paris, Hughes became something of a folk hero. It was, however, as an independent representative that, with support from Canadas prime minister, Robert Borden, he had his most conspicuous success. Fiercely rejecting all compromise arrangements proffered by the central negotiating powers at the conference (Britain, France, Italy, America and Japan) for the dominions to act in rotation or to be represented by one dominion, or for one only to present on a subject of direct interest to them, Hughes, with Lloyd Georges final consent, established the dominions rights to full independent participation. He was equally intransigent in his demand for settlement of the fate of Germanys territories in the Pacific. Eager initially for Australian annexation of Papua New Guinea, he accepted the compromise decision for a special mandate giving Japan administrative control of the German islands north of the equator, New Zealand the mandated territory of Samoa, and Australia administrative control (the so-called 999 years) of mandated Papua New Guinea and adjacent islands. He also insisted successfully that the phosphate-rich island of Nauru not be mandated to Britain alone but be jointly controlled by Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Wary, too, of Japans long interest in the Pacific and its possible threat to Australia on questions of immigration and white Australia, Hughess key accomplishment was in blocking Japans attempt to secure a clause affirming racial equality in the covenant of the League of Nations. It was a remarkable accomplishment for one man. The Paris Peace Conference was the first major international conference at which Australia was represented independently from Britain. There, impatient of British and foreign opposition, his style spirited and unorthodox, Hughes emerged as a formidable player who took advantage of his principal delegate status to push the Australian barrow. It was an outstanding culmination of his tenacity in which, as analyst W.J. Hudson concludes, Hughes had taken Australia from almost anonymity in an imperial chorus to a centre-front role on the international stage, and to a foundation membership of the League of Nations. With the subsequent parliamentary ratification of the Treaty of Versailles in the House of Representatives in late September 1919, Hughes himself recorded, Australia became a nation. Hughes left the conference early to join the 1,200 troops returning to Australia on the Friedrichsruh, a former German transport. For the soldiers, he was always the little Digger, a living symbol of a confident Australia. At Londons Victoria station, a lively crowd of soldiers hoisted his small figure onto their shoulders, crammed an Australian slouch hat on his head, and paraded him down the street. In his homeland, he received a welcome described as unsurpassed in the history of Australia. Berthing at Fremantle on 23 August, his arrival set off celebrations that resounded across the country: at Perth and Kalgoorlie and at little wayside stations on the transcontinental line at Port Augusta and Adelaide, and on to Melbourne. Essentially personal, Australias response marked the highpoint of William Morris Hughess career. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization turns 70 this year. This makes it the longest military alliance in history. It also is the largestcurrently comprising 29 allies, with a 30th ready to joinand the most powerful. Its contribution to maintaining peace and security throughout its 70 years is a cause for celebration, but it will be a celebration underpinned by reflection, as allied foreign ministers gather this month to discuss how effectively the alliance is responding to the challenges of today. NATO does well what it was designed to do. Faced with a resurgent, militarily assertive, and politically unapologetic Russia, NATO has again built up its collective defense. It has deployed additional forces and equipment in a defensive line from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Five years after Russias illegal annexation of Crimea and its proxy war in the Donbas, NATO has reassured its eastern allies that the collective defense guarantee enshrined in Article 5 of its charteran armed attack on one will be considered an attack on allapplies universally, regardless of geography or date of joining. Todays challenges, however, are not confined to the east. Many allies are more concerned by the insecurity to their south. When the NATO heads of state and government met at the Wales Summit in 2014, they described an arc of insecurity and instability along NATOs periphery and beyond. They noted a range of security challenges and threats from state and nonstate actors; from foreign military forces; and from terrorist, cyber, or hybrid attacksoriginating from both the east and the south, with no respect for geographical limits or borders. NATO is not new to responding to threats beyond its European borders. The first and only time it invoked Article 5 was following the 11 September 2001 attacksattacks that encapsulated the elements that have challenged conventional defense doctrine ever since: unknown assailants weaponizing everyday objects to attack civilians at a time and place of the attackers choosing that frequently is impossible to anticipate, detect, or prevent. But NATO adapted. Today, it has a nearly two-decade record of out-of-area operations. None was without controversy, but the alliance learned much: about deployment to hostile environments; about operating jointly as allies and with partners; and about transparency and accountability. There is more to learn, however. Terrorism on our streets has raised public anxiety to levels previously unseen in peacetime. Our populations also have been unsettledand manipulatedby fears of mass migration, which feed a perception of uncontrolled borders. We have seen the impact of these fears on a political consensus that had long assumed a trend in Europe toward ever-closer union and ever-fewer borders. We must understand better, anticipate better, and consult more widely with others who are confronting the same challenges. To that end, in 2017 NATO defense ministers mandated creation of a new center to promote engagement and information sharing with Middle Eastern and North African partners: the NATO Hub for the South. A Hub for the South The hub initiative immediately was confronted by the perceptions and expectations that have beset NATO since its purpose evolved postCold War. To some, a NATO Hub for the South, based at its largest military headquarters in the Mediterranean in Naples, could only be a launchpad for more Libya-style interventions. For others, the new facility would be a blank canvas on which to project current security preoccupations: it would be a counterterrorism hub, or a countermigration hub, or a border management hub, or all three. In fact, the hub was born of a recognition that NATO was not configured to meet the challenges of its southern neighborhood alone. It could do so only if it connected, consulted, and coordinated with others and built on one of its greatest achievements of the postCold War era: partnership. NATO is a defensive alliance, but it actually accommodates more partners than allies. Driven initially by an embrace of former Soviet and Warsaw Pact adversaries in the Partnership for Peace, NATOs partnerships have expanded to include seven Middle Eastern and North African partners; four Gulf partners; individual partners from Iraq to New Zealand; and other multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the European Union. NATO in 2016 signed a groundbreaking joint declaration with the European Union specifying areas for organizational cooperation, notably on challenges from the south. In addition, for more than a decade it has supported the African Union, with which it will continue to develop dialogue and the potential for closer cooperation. NATO now has some 41 partners, who have represented up to half of the nations contributing troops to NATO operations and who bring perspectives the alliance otherwise would not have. Three currently are candidates for membership; the others commit to partnerships because of the expertise, standards, and capabilities NATO shares through cooperation and political dialogue. All of NATOs partners are facing new threats and challenges, and they are seeking to enhance cooperation with NATO as a result. It is through responsiveness to its partners that NATO can best demonstrate its adaptation to challenges from its south. Adaptable by Design Adaptation should be a continuous process in response to changing security challenges, rather than the pursuit of an end-state that could be outdated moments after it is achieved. Indeed, while Russia may be deterred to NATOs east, where it is keeping its Ukraine campaign on slow burn, it is shifting its attention south, where it believes it can have greater effectshoring up its client in Syria, backing one party in Libya, exploiting vulnerabilities and filling spaces vacated by what it sees as a hesitant, vacillating West. So continuous adaptation starts with an understanding that unlike in the east, where the challenges come from states, challenges to NATOs south stem from the vulnerability of the regions states and of the regional organizations in which they are grouped. Anticipating, preventing, and countering state vulnerability or failure is where NATO has strengths and experience developed over two decades of partnerships. Alamy (Ulrich Doering) Just as former Warsaw Pact states, now allies, benefited from NATO guidance on their lengthy processes of defense modernization, so too are NATOs partners in North Africa and the Middle East benefiting from practical assistance with the skills and capacities that will help them address the range of security issues they face. It is in this little seen and largely unreported domain that NATO and its allies can add most value and respond most effectively. The hub concept builds on this and, notwithstanding the success of partnerships, aims to embrace a wider range of cooperation to better share, understand, and recommend responses that might help address the challenges from the south at their source. A New Way of Working NATOs Hub for the South is an innovation, a new way of working. It is intended to link NATO, its allies, its partners, experts from the region, and the wider international community to maximize understanding and minimize duplication. It is not, as some might suspect, another actor pushing onto an already overcrowded stage. As an alliance dependent on consensus decision-making, NATO understands the need for deconfliction of efforts. The hub therefore is designed to work alongside others without detracting from the lead performer in any given theater. With allies, partners, and partner organizations, it will consider the conditions conducive to state vulnerability and to the spread of terrorismthe drivers and sustainers of insecurity and conflict. It will adopt a broad, inclusive approach to the consideration of root causes, not just looking at hard security, but also seeking expertise on nontraditional areas for NATO such as the economic, environmental, and human factors driving instability. There is no cost to join, no charter to sign, just a requirement to share an interest in the security and stability of Europes southern neighborhood in a modernized, innovative cooperation framework. This is a new face of NATO, and we will need to work to change perceptions. Not everyone will be willing to share, but for those who are, NATOs Hub for the South can offer a virtual and physical docking station through which to demonstrate that the whole of our efforts, on issues of paramount concern for our own populations and those of our southern partners, can be greater than the sum of their parts. Admiral Foggo is Commander of NATOs Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Italy (which accommodates NATOs Hub for the South); Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe; and Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Africa. Dr. McNulty, a NATO international civilian, is political adviser to Admiral Foggo as Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples. This article appeared originallly at U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings. Chinas Xi Jinping recently completed a high-profile trip to Europe. In Italy, Xi and his Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte last month signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding linking the struggling Italian economy to Belt and Road Initiative, the sprawling infrastructure program that is Chinas signature international policy move, as well as a range of agreements worth a little short of 3 billion. Yet it was the signature of the legally worthless Memorandum of Understanding that captured the headlines at the time. Based on some reactions one might have thought that Conte had sold Italys birthright to the Chinese Communist Party. From the White House, the twitter feed of the National Security Council snarled that Italy had given the green light to predatory Chinese deal-making and that Italy could not benefit from any BRI deals. Xi then visited France. French President Emmanuel Macron in turn inked a slew of deals, including a major aircraft order with Airbus totalling nearly 40 billion. Yet while the two republics committed to work more closely in the future, Macron did not sign a BRI MOU. Never mind the substance of real economic interaction, Frances non-signature of BRI seemed as symbolically powerful. What this episode illustrated was the BRI has become not just a business opportunity, a development program, a connectivity platform or a security risk, but it is a Rorschach test that tells us what you think about China and its place in the world. In the growing analysis and commentary about BRI it is becoming increasingly obvious that, whatever you may think about the benefits and costs of infrastructure building on an epic scale, it is has become a test for ones views about the PRC and its place in the world. Put more simply, analysis of BRI tells us more about what the observer thinks about China than it tells us about BRI. This was entirely in keeping with the genre of BRI-shock that was on display back in Australia when the Victorian state government last year signed a similarly non-binding MOU to that in Italy. Based on the concerns expressed at the time one might have thought the MCG had been handed over on a 99 year lease to the Peoples Liberation Army. Security types even trotted out a previously hidden expertise in constitutional law. Turn then to a recent series of tweets from the company known as the Big Australian, BHP, which is clearly keen on BRI. One tweet was to promote a 2017 report which boasted the BRI is 700 times bigger than the Marshall Plan, and that it is a vision encased in steel. A subsequent tweet linked to a speech by BHP CEO Andrew McKenzie, where the economic benefits of the BRI are once again thoroughly aired. In part, the BRI lends itself to multiple interpretations because it is so vast, sprawling and lacking in specificity (notwithstanding the hundreds of projects that have a BRI sticker on them). The whole enterprise is overloaded with purpose by design and inference. But this divergence is also because the two prisms with which the PRC has been viewed by outsiders and particularly Australians economic opportunity or security risk do not provide a sharp view of BRI. Like the Marshall plan with which it is sometimes compared, BRI is simultaneously about economics, politics, security, geopolitics and functional connectivity. And like the Marshall plan, it is about making an international environment that is in line with the interests and values of a great power. But unlike that plan it is being created by an opaque authoritarian regime with little experience in international policy of this kind. So if BRI analysis tells us more about the analyst than BRI, what can we learn about perceptions of China today? If the media coverage of recent weeks is one indicator, it is clear that there is a greater uncertainty about the PRC and its motives than before. It is equally clear that there are many people and many countries around the world that welcome China, its investment and have no problems with the values or political system it represents. Reprinted with permission from the Lowy Institute. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Hong Kong: CS visits Lo Wu institution Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung visited Lo Wu Correctional Institution today to get an update on the development of a smart prison system. The system aims to boost the Correctional Services Departments operational efficiency and institutional management through application of innovation and technology. It will also strengthen the department's readiness in emergency response and facilitate its long-term strategic planning. During the visit, Mr Cheung learned about the trial of the Health Signs Monitoring and Passage Surveillance Systems at the institution. He commended the departments efforts in developing the smart prison system to cope with the complex and ever-changing social environment. This story has been published on: 2019-04-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) The heroic police dogs involved in the search and rescue efforts in the collapsed supermarket in Porac, Pampanga were given a fitting tribute online. MMDA K9 Unit's senior police dogs Billy, Thunder, and Farah were given a salute for their tireless work to search and rescue survivors trapped in the rubble of the collapsed four-storey building after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Luzon on Monday. Pet photography studio Paws&Click posted the photos of the good doggos on Facebook on Wednesday. It also paid tribute to the other K9s involved in the operations: Ringo, Cody, Chia, Dumbo, Chaplin, and Lucy. The viral post has been shared over 17,000 times. Five people three customers and two employees of Chuzon Supermarket died in the rubble, while nine people were rescued. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/25/2019 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. will be premiering its ninth season and a new expert on a new night on Lifetime in June.Lifetime has announced the ninth season of , which filmed in Charlotte, NC, will premiere with a special two-hour episode on Wednesday, June 12 at 9PM ET/PT.Prior to the two-hour premiere, Lifetime will also air a Season 9 Matchmaking Special at 8PM ET/PT. Watch a teaser trailer for the new season below!In addition, the network has also confirmed Dr. Jessica Griffin will not return as one of the show's experts and newcomer Dr. Viviana Coles will be taking her place.Dr. Viviana, a psychotherapist, will join 's two returning experts, sociologist Dr. Pepper Schwartz and marriage counselor Pastor Calvin Roberson on the new season.Dr. Viviana is a married mother-of-two who lives in the Houston, TX area.Lifetime revealed earlier this month Season 9 of was slated to debut in June 2019 and will feature four new couples.The network disclosed in October 2018 cameras would soon be rolling in Charlotte and potential cast members had to be available for interviews in early February and late March of this year.typically changes its filming location each season, and previous editions have taped in cities including Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Boston, and Dallas.The most recent season was filmed in Philadelphia.An image was posted on the show's Facebook casting page in October 2018 that read, "Single and brave? Appear between 26 to 40? Live in the Charlotte area? Exhausted all dating options? Ready to find the love of your life? We want to hear from you!"People reported earlier this month Dr. Jessica, a clinical and forensic psychologist with expertise in trauma, relationships, and high conflict divorce, had left the show and would not be returning for 's ninth season after participating in three editions of the show.Not only did Dr. Jessica serve as a matchmaking expert and couples' counselor on , but she also starred on three seasons of Seven Year Switch from 2015 to 2018.She also guided participants on the reality franchise's : Honeymoon Island spinoff, which aired on Lifetime in 2018.It's unclear why exactly Dr. Jessica has chosen to leave the reality series, but a source told People she wants to focus on her family and relationship with Season 6 MAFS cast member Jonathan Francetic , who recently proposed marriage Earlier this month, Dr. Jessica also posted an Instagram photo in which she thanked Dr. Pepper for being "an extraordinary friend" who has been "100 percent supportive" of her relationship with Jonathan, "even when others have turned their back on me."features experts matching up pairs of strangers based on their compatibility, goals, hobbies, religion, views of marriage, and more.After meeting for the first time at their wedding ceremony, each couple gets married and the next six to eight weeks of their lives are documented -- beginning with their wedding ceremony, reception and honeymoon, and continuing with the joys and struggles of daily life as they move in together and adjust to their new life as a married couple.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group Scheana Shay says she never hooked up with Jax Taylor. ADVERTISEMENT The 34-year-old television personality denied the relationship with Taylor, her "Vanderpump Rules" co-star, during Monday's episode of "Watch What Happens Live." Shay has starred with Taylor on the Bravo series for seven seasons. She also denied hooking up with Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz or any of her other co-stars. "No. No one. I'm the only person on the show who hasn't hooked up with anyone," the star told host Andy Cohen. Shay did discuss her fling with "Summer House" star Carl Radke, who appeared with her in the episode. She kept the details to a minimum, as both of their moms were on the show as guest bartenders. "[We were at] his apartment," Shay said. "Our moms are here, I'm going to spare the details." "We rounded third base," she said. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Radke took the lead when host Andy Cohen asked why they didn't go further. "We weren't ready yet," he responded. Shay was previously married to Mike Shay and dated Rob Valletta in 2017. Taylor said in an interview with Bravo's The Daily Dish in December that Shay keeps "finding the wrong guys." "I think Scheana's just in a place right now where she's just -- and I love Scheana, this is nothing against her at all, she's a good friend and she's very sweet -- I think she's just a hopeless romantic, maybe co-dependent, just wants to be in a relationship," the star said. "I feel bad because these guys I feel are not in it for the right reasons and she just wants to settle down," he added. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/25/2019 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! 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ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. eliminated former Survivor castaways Rupert Boneham and his wife Laura Boneham at the end of the second leg during Wednesday night's broadcast on CBS.Rupert, 54, and Laura, 49, who raced as a married couple from Indianapolis, IN, arrived at the second Pit Stop of Season 31 in Luang Prabang, Laos, in last place and were therefore eliminated from the competition."I consider myself to be one of the toughest Survivors out there, but kicked my ass," Rupert said following his ouster." is just one small adventure... we've been married almost 21 years," Laura said, after which Rupert added they hopefully have another couple of decades of adventures awaiting them.The episode began with former racers Leo Temory and friend Jamal Zadran being the first team to depart the first Pit Stop in Tokyo at 12:42AM.The teams learned they must fly from Tokyo, Japan almost 2,500 miles to Luang Prabang, Laos, the only land-locked country in Southeast Asia. And once there, they must travel by tuk-tuk to their next destination, but they couldn't receive the clue until sunrise.Former racers Colin Guinn and life partner Christie Woods left in second place at 12:45AM, followed by former racers Tyler Oakley and friend Korey Kuhl at 12:54AM, and former Big Brother houseguests Rachel Reilly and sister Elissa Slater in fourth place at 1AM.Former racers Becca Droz and friend Floyd Pierce departed at 1:04AM, and then former Big Brother houseguests Nicole Franzel and fiance Victor Arroyo left in sixth place at 1:06AM.Former Big Brother houseguests Janelle Pierzina and friend Britney Haynes weren't far behind them, with for Survivor castaways Chris Hammons and friend Bret LaBelle right on their heels.Former Survivor castaways Eliza Orlins and friend Corinne Kaplan were the ninth team to depart at 2:06AM, and in last place were Rupert and Laura Boneham , who left at 4:25AM.Rachel and Elissa thought they were working with "Team Fun" while trying to find a ticket booth, but then Becca and Floyd suddenly took off -- leaving the girls in their dust.The move made Rachel and Elissa feel like they couldn't rely on the Becca and Floyd for anything going forward.All of the teams hopped on the same flight, so it didn't matter who had left the first Pit Stop in first or last place.At 5AM, all of the teams received their next set of clues around the same time. They were instructed to give back to the monks by picking up two baskets at what appeared to be a monastery with items inside to offer up.Chris and Bret grabbed their baskets first, and they were then followed by Tyler and Korey, Janelle and Britney, Corinne and Eliza, Leo and Jamal, Becca and Floyd, Rupert and Laura, Colin and Christie, Rachel and Elissa, and finally Nicole and Victor.The Racers showed respect by sitting on the ground and participating in a quick spiritual ritual.Afterwards, the teams were instructed to run to a nearby river.Rachel and Elissa ran with Colin and Christie, and Elissa determined the couple had good energy and a positive vibe.Rachel and Elissa then arrived at a Double U-Turn board in first place. The girls struggled with the choice as other teams were closing in on them, so they quickly decided on Becca and Floyd.The teams' next set of clues required them to complete one of two possible Detour tasks: "ABC" or "BBQ.""ABC" required the teams to learn the alphabet and then take an oral exam under the watchful eye of young students in order to receive their next clue."BBQ" required teams to properly prepare fish skewers and duck in order to receive their next clue.Colin and Christie got to the U-Turn board in second place and chose "BBQ," as did Nicole and Victor in third place.Leo and Jamal arrived at the board next in fourth place, but the guys passed Tyler and Korey's photo to Becca and Floyd so "Team Fun" would get their hands dirty and U-Turn the social-media influencers.Becca and Floyd did just that. Both teams also chose the BBQ task.After Corinne and Eliza in sixth place, Tyler and Korey made it to the U-Turn board next but weren't surprised to see their faces.Janelle and Britney then arrived in eighth place, followed by Chris and Bret, and finally Rupert and Laura in last place.Corinne and Eliza, Tyler and Korey, and Rupert and Laura chose "ABC," while everyone else opted to barbecue.Tyler and Korey completed their first Detour in first place, but then they headed to BBQ Alley. Corinne and Eliza finished next but were in the lead since they didn't have to complete the other side of the Detour.Corinne and Eliza then learned they must travel by tuk-tuk to Elephant Village.Leo and Jamal completed the Detour in second place, and then they were followed by Nicole and Victor, Becca and Floyd -- who were still behind because they had to head over to the "ABC" task -- Janelle and Britney in fourth place, and Colin and Christie in fifth place.Rachel and Elissa were running in sixth at this point, and Rupert and Laura in seventh.Becca and Floyd then completed their second Detour task, running in eighth place.Bret and Chris left the task in ninth place, and Tyler and Korey were trailing in last place.At Elephant Village, the teams learned one member from each team must complete a Roadblock task.For the Roadblock at the elephant conservation center, the participating Racers had to ride an elephant and instruct it to cross the river using loud commands.Afterward, the Racers were instructed to locate musicians playing instruments inside the jungle in order to receive their next clue.Leo and Jamal arrived at the Roadblock in first place, followed by Victor and Nicole, Corinne and Eliza, and Janelle and Britney.Leo wasn't happy Victor advised Corinne and Eliza where to go, calling the girls "sneaky snakes," who had previously cut off their tuk-tuk.Colin and Christie arrived at the Roadblock in fifth place, and on their heels were Rachel and Elissa, Becca and Floyd, Chris and Bret, Tyler and Korey, and finally Rupert and Laura.Rupert and Laura were shocked when Tyler and Korey passed them.The following Racers took on the elephant Roadblock task: Jamal, Nicole, Christie, Elissa, Janelle, Corinne, Becca, Chris, Tyler, and Rupert.Nicole and Victor received their next clue in first place, and Leo and Jamal completed the task seemingly seconds later.Becca and Rupert had trouble controlling their elephants. Rupert's elephant even stopped to eat a meal at one point.But next to finish were Janelle and Britney in third, Corinne and Eliza in fourth, Colin and Christie in fifth, Elissa and Rachel in sixth, Tyler and Korey in seventh, and Bret and Chris in eighth place.Becca and Floyd finished the task in ninth place, with Rupert and Laura behind them in dead last.The teams were then told to travel by tuk-tuk and then speedboat to Prince Phetsarath's Palace on the banks of the river, which would serve as the second Pit Stop of the Race.Nicole and Victor were a bit ahead of Leo and Jamal, but Nicole listened to Leo and Jamal -- who told them they were going the wrong way -- so she ignored Victor's yelling and briefly ran the wrong way.Nicole later realized her mistake and acknowledged she shouldn't listen to a team like those guys going forward.Leo and Jamal were able to catch up to Nicole and Victor as a result, and the two teams were neck and neck getting into their speedboats.However, Leo and Jamal made it to the Pit Stop in first place and won $2,500 each. They had back to back wins.Nicole and Victor finished in second place by just minutes. Rachel and Elissa checked in as the third-place team, followed by Colin and Christie and then Janelle and Britney.Corinne and Eliza placed sixth, and then Tyler and Korey made it to the Pit Stop in seventh place.Chris and Bret were Team No. 8, and Becca and Floyd placed ninth.Rupert and Laura figured they were in last place, and then host Phil Keoghan told them they had been eliminated from the Race.Rupert previously competed on Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and Survivor: Blood vs. Water. As for Laura, she previously competed on Survivor: Blood vs. Water. Porterville, CA (93257) Today Cloudy with occasional rain during the afternoon. High near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 48F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Got some scoop for our reporters or editors? Click on the link below to send us your information. Send your news The donation is part of the companys Share the Love promotion, which allows buyers of new cars to donate the money they spend to charities. The promotion has raised more than $50,000 for the AAHS over three years. For decades, Athens has been deemed the Classic City by locals and visitors. After this year, however, Athens may soon have a new name as th The University of Georgia chapter of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity found itself in controversy after a video showing four unidentified members egging on the use of racial slurs went viral on March 22. Four days later, more than 300 students gathered on campus for an open discussion on race. A SpiceJet official allegedly told some Jet pilots that they were doing a "charity" by hiring them. The pilots union of the grounded Jet Airways has expressed shock over some alleged remarks by a senior SpiceJet executive against their members during a recent recruitment drive in Mumbai earlier this week. The reaction came after a SpiceJet official allegedly told some Jet pilots that they were doing a "charity" by hiring them, according to sources. Over 1,300 pilots are on the street after Jet Airways announced halting of operations on April 17, endangering the jobs of over 20,000 employees. "We are deeply disappointed and shocked at the treatment meted out to our members who have interacted with the top management of SpiceJet recently," the National Aviators Guild said in a statement on Thursday. "If true, we strongly condemn such unprofessional behaviour as it was humiliating and deeply disturbing for our colleagues," the guild said. SpiceJet, however, denied the allegations as "completely false and distorted," and said its team was in Mumbai on Tuesday to hire pilots and not to run them down. The SpiceJet official also allegedly told Jet pilots that his carrier was losing huge money by hiring them as first officers and if they recruited fresher pilots, they would have got Rs 25 lakh per pilot besides a bond for Rs 25 lakh as well, the source said. After the grounding of Jet, government has allotted the vacant slots to other airlines for the next three months to help tide over the crisis arising out of the huge capacity reduction provided they induct more planes. This saw IndiGo and SpiceJet announcing many new flights from Delhi and Mumbai, besides adding aircraft. SpiceJet has already announced leasing of 22 Boeing 737s to partly fill the capacity gap. In this back drop, it is hiring from across categories. "These are completely false and distorted allegations. Nothing can be farther from truth than to say that the executive used words like "charity", SpiceJet said in a statement late on Thursday. The statement also clarified the security bond for first officers is as per the company policy and is not a practice new to the industry and that it has every right to follow its recruitment policies. In another development, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, in a letter to Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu urged the government to merge Jet Airways with the struggling Air India. "The aviation ministry should recommend to the Cabinet that Jet Airways be merged with Air India to ensure air services are not restricted and also to enable Air India to recover its former premier position," said Swamy. "Any other solution is likely to raise speculation about corruption at high places and will certainly invite litigation...Recommend to stop this plunder of national assets investment, and the infrastructure of Air India," he added. He also alleged corruption in temporary allotment of the slots vacated by Jet to other airlines. Amidst the sale process of Jet, government has given a good number of Jet slots to other airlines mostly to SpiceJet, IndiGo, Vistara and GoAir, triggering a call from its lenders to protect them lest the prospective investors lose interest in acquiring it. "There is a serious effort going on by Spicejet and Vistara to benefit from this dismemberment of Jet Airways. This is being supported by some of your colleagues and officers," Swamy alleged. Swami had last week cautioned the government over the ongoing sale process of Jet. "Government better be careful. Two ministers are manipulating sale of Jet spoils to SpiceJet whose real owners I will reveal later. The only above-board option you have is amalgamation of Jet with Air India since bilaterals on airspace involves governments," Swamy had tweeted earlier this week. Photograph: Abhirup Roy/Reuters During the course of the hearing last month, it emerged that Modi had made death threats to witnesses and also attempted to destroy evidence such as mobile phones and a server holding "material critical to the fraud". Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, undergoing extradition proceedings in the UK in the $ 1-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, is set to appear before a London court for a remand hearing on Friday. The 48-year-old, who has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest last month, is set to be produced before a judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court via videolink from the jail. The hearing follows his bail being rejected by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot on March 29 on the grounds that there was a "substantial risk he would fail to surrender". "This is a case of substantial fraud, with loss to a bank in India of between $ 1-2 billion. I am not persuaded that the conditional bail sought will meet the concerns of the government of India in this case," Judge Arbuthnot had noted in her ruling. The hearing this week takes place as per the 28-day time frame for judicial remand in such cases. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian authorities, had confirmed earlier this month that Modi intends to appeal against the rejection of bail in the UK High Court. However, such an application has not been logged so far. The hearing on Friday is expected to be procedural unless some new factors are placed before the court to consider. Modi can make a third bail application at Westminster Magistrates' Court but only if the grounds for the bail plea are substantially different. Previously, Modi's legal team, including solicitor Anand Doobay and barrister Clare Montgomery, had offered 1 million pounds as security alongside an offer to meet stringent electronic tag restrictions on their client's movements, "akin to house arrest". The diamond dealer's "lack of community ties" in the UK and an attempt to acquire the citizenship of Vanuatu - a remote island country located in the South Pacific Ocean - in late 2017 went against him as the judge said it seemed like he was trying to "move away from India at an important time". CPS barrister Toby Cadman had argued that there was a substantial risk that the prime accused in the PNB fraud case would flee and attempt to interfere with witnesses and evidence. "Due to the nature of his business he has at his disposal diamonds, gold and pearls," Cadman told the court. During the course of the hearing last month, it emerged that Modi had made death threats to witnesses and also attempted to destroy evidence such as mobile phones and a server holding "material critical to the fraud". His defence team, the same as that deployed by former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya in his extradition case, denied the allegations and said their client saw the UK as a "haven where his case will be fairly considered". Judge Arbuthnot noted a sense of "deja vu" with the case, in reference to her having ordered the extradition of Mallya in December last year, which is currently going through a High Court appeals process. Modi is believed to have been living in the UK on an Investor Visa, applied for in 2015 at a time when the so-called golden visa route was relatively easier for super-rich individuals to acquire residency rights in the UK based on a minimum of 2-million pound investment. He was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers from a Metro Bank branch in central London as he attempted to open a new bank account on March 19. During his first court appearance a day later, it emerged that the diamantaire accused of defrauding PNB via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) had been in possession of multiple passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities. In the last five years of NDA rule, 2018-2019 was the worst for exporters. T E Narasimhan reports. Photograph: Mansi Thapliyal/Reuters Textiles and readymade garment exports may see some recovery after a poor run of five years if exporters stand up to the challenges. Industry insiders say the fall in exports was due to India's textiles not being competitive enough, buyers insisting on several compliance norms for which a large part of industry was not prepared and other trade issues. There could be a recovery if the product base diversified, orders are delivered faster and compliance improves. Exports of Ready Made Garments are under pressure. Exports dropped 3.46% to $16.37 billion in 2018-2019 from $16.7147 billion in the year-ago period. India's garments were 10% to 15% costlier than other competing countries. Indian exporters are also over dependent on a narrow product base. This made matters worse. In the last five years of NDA rule, 2018-2019 was the worst for exporters. Textiles, especially the garments sector, has been a major employment generator with 45 million being employed directly and 20 million being employed indirectly. Meanwhile, exports from Vietnam and Bangladesh grew 11.19% and 13.7%, respectively, in 2018-2019. Care Ratings said, 'Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam have low production cost and exporters there enjoy preferential duty access in key markets.' This also contributed to making India's exports less attractive. According to the Tirupur Exporters Association, which represents $3.72 billion of knitwear exports, 'Under the goods and services tax, there was almost a 7% reduction in the incentives that earlier helped exporters to be cost competitive. Incentives were withdrawn after the implementation of GST.' Indian exporters face higher trade barriers compared to countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Pakistan in key markets such as the United States and the European Union. Average tariffs levied on Indian textile exports are around 5.9% in the EU while it is 6.2% in the US, compared to 0% and 3.9% on exports from Bangladesh. The US and EU are the world's largest apparel importers and account for 60% of total global imports. Employee costs in India grew from 9% in financial year (FY) 2010 to 13% in FY 2018, while in other countries either it saw a stable or a marginal growth. Exporters feel they would not be able to compete with Bangladesh and Vietnam and are now focussing on diversifying their markets to countries like Japan, Israel, South Africa, Hong Kong and others. However, according to a large corporate exporter, the sector should reduce its over-dependence on cotton casual wear to be able to cater to global markets better and increase exports. India is not a major competitor in man-made fibre or polyester-based garment segments and doesn't have the capacity to make winter-wear, active wear, sportswear etc. Formal clothing accounts for a major chunk of the global trade. Rahul Mehta, president, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, says specialised performance garments such as polyester-based shirts, suits, jackets, woollen clothes, leather garments and hard winter-wear, are not part of India's export basket. Indian textile exports are primarily dependent on a product basket of limited summer and casual wear that includes cotton shirts, t-shirts, cotton blouses etc. CARE estimates that exports will remain subdued in the near future, growing marginally in rupee terms, and declining in US dollar terms due to competitive pressures from other countries. India needs to increase its production of MMF-based apparels to remain competitive. "I feel we are finally turning the page after about three or four years of stagnancy or slight de-growth. Monthly export charts show a year-on-year growth from October onwards. Support from the government has gone up," says Mehta. "Exports from Bangladesh are becoming expensive and Vietnam is showing signs of reaching the peak of its capacity," adds Mehta. Buyers are getting more stringent on compliance and seeking faster delivery as market dynamics and preferences are changing faster than before. Indian textile exporters have to adjust and deliver products faster if exports are to revive. 'So we had Akshay Kumar dressed up like Robert Vadra on his offday, and trying to not look fan-struck...' Saisuresh Sivaswamy resumes his must-read column. IMAGE: Narendra Damodardas Modi with Rajeev Bhatia aka Akshay Kumar. For at least two TV networks what was bigger news was the conversation (calling it an interview would be an insult to a fine subset of journalism) between Bollywood star Akshay Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi, but not over the standard of questions themselves ('I am told you sleep for only three-and-a-half hours, a healthy person needs 6-7 hours of sleep, why don't you sleep more?'), but the Opposition's criticism of the same, or the potential impact of the interview (rofl). Designed on the lines of fireside chats, this conversation was meant to be cosy, informal and informative. So we had Akshay Kumar dressed up like Robert Vadra on his offday, and trying to not look fan-struck as he asked the prime minister his dil ki baat. Navika Kumar was, as always, apoplectic that anyone could question or criticise the Great Leader's initiative, specifically badgering a Congress person as to why they were objecting to it, and not asking any probing questions about how the dialogue-baazi came about, why a fan boy like Akshay Kumar was chosen to ask the questions, etc, while the other defender of the faith, Republic TV, had its usual slanging match with both sides breaching the decibel level and neither emerging victorious. Nor the viewer any wiser. Given the extremes between blanking out the conversation as a non-starter (wrong) and projecting it as a marketing coup (wrong again), Zee News took the safest way out. They faithfully telecast the entire Akshay Kumar-Narendra Modi Q&A, but that was strictly for the faithful. *** The haters gonna hate, hate Sometimes we need a study merely to confirm what one already knows to be true, even self-evident, what is already as clear as daylight. That's how it was with NDTV's hate speech tracker on Wednesday, which Nidhi Razdan sombrely announced showed a 4X increase in the ongoing election campaign. No surprises there, really. Certainly not also in the fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party was the top offender when it came to hate speech -- unless you are both blind and deaf or are living under a rock. Nor was there any surprise over the BJP's star campaigner, the grossly misnamed Yogi, being the chart topper as far hate speech goes. I mean, the UP chief minister is part of the new breed of leadership the party with a difference has been assiduously promoting to take over from the present generation as and when, and rare is the day when he has not made the nation let out a collection wince with his utterances. Can you imagine a political landscape where the top leadership of the country is of the calibre of Amit Anilchandra Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Sadhvi Pragya, etc! Do the BJP, and its controllers in Nagpur the RSS, realise the potential damage they are causing to the country they claim to love by the low level of leadership they are unleashing on India -- and all for what, winning 2019? Even at the cost of losing India? *** When Varanasi spoke Meanwhile, it needed Bhupendra Chaubey on CNN-News18 to remind the viewers that there was an election happening outside, and despite what it may seem like at the halfway mark, it has not yet been called. On Wednesday night he was at Varanasi's Assi Ghat, ahead of the prime minister filing his nomination papers from the holy city, to quiz the populace on if the city has been developed/changed in the last five years that it had Modi as its member of Parliament. You don't need to assemble people on Assi Ghat to find the answer to that one. A simple walk-through across the city's less developed areas -- and not the high-profile ones like the Kashi Vishwanath corridor -- will tell you the answer but, then, that may not make for great TV. But the problem with great TV's tactic of having a band of people -- each professing different thoughts and beliefs -- is that it may not give you the coherent, clear-cut reply that you seek and may often descend into mud-slinging or chaos (like on 'Super Prime Time'), but also you may get some unexpected response. No doubt, Assi Ghat and its environs are a transformed lot, so you cannot blame Chaubey for getting carried away and comparing it to Mumbai's Marine Drive for scenic beauty. When he asked those on his show if it were indeed so, a young girl readily jumped in with her agreement. 'I know Mumbai's Marine Drive, and yes, they are similar, in that both are smelly!' And Chaubey quickly decided to move on. *** Amit Shah ka aankda While Akshay Kumar's dialogue with Modi garnered all the attention yesterday, another one, between Arnab Goswami and BJP President Amit Anilchandra Shah, didn't seem to have got any traction, maybe because it was telecast at 10 pm. Arnab, when he wants to, can be a bulldog on camera, the nation already knows it, as does a certain Rahul Gandhi, but most times he lets the other guy, the quiet one, talk. The Hulk is for special occasions, like when questioning Opposition leaders. So this was an easy chat, with Amit Shah answering all the questions posed by 'Arnab babu' with candour and readiness, explaining the need to make nationalism the centrepoint of his party's election campaign. Will the ploy work? Is there a sense of denial on this only in urban centres, far away from ground zero? For many, this report from Pasighat, 'a town on India's eastern tip along the banks of the meandering Siang river, bordered by the Abor hills of the Himalayan ranges,' can come as an eye-opener. The Indian Express's Abhishek Saha finds (external link) in the border town that 'There is an overwhelming support base for Modiji. People here speak Hindi and watch a lot of Hindi news channels. Arunachalis are patriotic and we understand how Modiji is talking about national interest', so maybe the BJP is on to something. The most interesting point in Arnab's interview with Shah was about how the combined vote of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party outstripped the BJP's vote share by at least 10% in many seats, and how the BJP plans to overcome this handicap. Shah spoke of the years of mutual acrimony between the two parties and their cadres, and how it will come in the way of vote transfers, and spoke of a 'contradiction vote' of 15% in both the parties. It is this vote that will refuse to be transferred to the foe-turned-friends, and which will come to the aid of the BJP, ensuring that it maintain its numbers in UP. And sticking his neck out, he said overall the BJP will increase both its seat share and vote share in these elections, a point Arnab babu said they will discuss once again at 4 pm on May 23. Okay! In 2019, in Modi we have a leader who has not shied away from showcasing a robust and aggressive response to the Pulwama and Uri attacks, says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd). IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi shows his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling station in Ahmedabad, April 23, 2019. Photograph: PTI Photo All elections to the Lok Sabha are important, but in retrospect some are more important than others as they set a new trend in the nation's trajectory. In that sense, and in a long term view, the 2019 election is a continuation of the trends set by the 2014 election. That election saw the Narendra Damodardas Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party essentially appeal to the aspirations of Indians and also invoke national pride. Emphasis on middle class Indians was also 'new' for India. The Left-leaning Macaulayan elite was horrified at the 'use' of religion then and now. To their horror, that appeal to Hindutva continues across the spectrum. How else does one explain the new found love for temple visits and wearing the janeu (Hindu sacred thread)? Even a casual observer of American elections will notice how every candidate (even a darling of the leftist elite like Barack Obama) asserted that they were good Christians. But our Anglophile and rootless elite scoffed at the display of any Hindu religiosity as automatically 'communal'. This new-found love for one's Hindu roots is a complex phenomenon that defies a single answer. Unlike his 'secular' successors, Mahatma Gandhi was a deeply religious person and not shy or ashamed of his Hindu-ness. This typical fashion of being ashamed of one's own faith began with the overwhelming influence of Marxists who invoked the dictum of 'religion is the opiate of the masses', never mind that Marx was referring to 'organised' religions and not Hinduism which is more a way of life rather than a monolithic and united group. In fact, this very lack of unity among Hindus as a religious community was exploited by political parties right till 2014. That election showed that minority vote bank politics is now past its expiry date. The trend continues even in 2019. There is very little talk of or too much analysis of where the minority vote will go. Neither have political parties made a beeline to assorted imams. Interestingly, this rise of Hindu pride possibly began some times during the IT boom when Indian talent got worldwide recognition. The Indian Diaspora was the first to articulate this pride. But the seeds of revival of our past glory began in the 1980s with Rajiv Gandhi. No, I am not referring to the hastily conducted shilanyas at Ayodhya in 1989, but to the Rajiv Gandhi government's decision to telecast the Ramayan and Mahabharat serials on government-owned monopoly Doordarshan (there being no privately owned television channels then). In fact, the modern political history of India could well be divided between the pre-Ramayan serial and post-Ramayan serial. It is indeed an irony that the same party saw it fit to file an affidavit in 2012 denying the historicity of Ram! The BJP has continued the evolution initiated by Rajiv Gandhi and reaped a political harvest, and continues to do so in the present. Modi, by owning and making the already popular yoga as a potent symbol of Indian pride, tapped into this urge. The chattering classes are also aghast at the prominence that national security seems to have attained in the current electoral discourse. People seem to have forgotten that it was on the issue of national security that the late Rajiv Gandhi won the biggest mandate in a general election in 1984. A mandate bigger than what Jawaharlal Nehru or Indira Gandhi won in their heyday. In retrospect, if India had reacted to the Mumbai attacks of 26/11 with an air strike, we would have got wide international support as besides Indians, the nationals of many other countries including the US were targeted. Failure to act in 2008 is in stark contrast to the proactive measures in 2016 and 2019. Neglect of national security has been a major bane of Indian civilisation. Foreign historians have often commented that when it was a question of life and death on the battlefield of Panipat, barely a little distance away farmers nonchalantly went about their daily chores! This apathy cost us dear and India's northern plains were subject to pillage and rape. Somewhere down the line, the lesson seems to have sunk in and Indians have shown extraordinary concern and involvement when issues of national security are invoked. The 2009 election held in wake of the horrific Mumbai terror attacks failed to reflect this. But that was more due to the Opposition leadership's failure than any popular support to the government of the day. In 2019, in Modi we have a leader who has not shied away from showcasing a robust and aggressive response to the Pulwama and Uri attacks. The 2019 election is thus different from 2014 as the Balakot airstrikes provide a background for the security issues and approach to terrorism directed against us. Those who criticise the current government for exploiting this issue forget that Barack Obama did not shy away from taking credit for eliminating Osama bin Laden. By promising Rs 72,000 for each poor family, the Congress did bowl a googly. It is virtually Garibi Hatao 2.0, a repeat of Indira Gandhi's campaign of 1971. It is to be seen what impact this will have on the electorate. Should the Congress not gain much from this outlandish promise, we can surmise that India has finally got over the povertarian politics of the 1970s and would rather opt for jobs and growth, and not doles. Positioned against this old slogan is the agenda for a bullet train, clean India and a developed country by 2047. The jury is still out on this and the verdict will be known on May 23. Colonel Anil A Athale (retd) is a military historian and strategic analyst. If the Indian Air Force possessed high levels of 'technological asymmetry', then it would have been able to inflict heavy damage on Pakistan during the adversary's unsuccessful aerial raid on February 27, according to an Indian Air Force report. The report analysed various aspects of IAF's air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 and the subsequent Pakistani retaliation the next day. India carried out the air strike to avenge the Pulwama attack in which 41 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed. In the report, the IAF said Pakistan Air Force has been consistently enhancing its air defence and offensive capabilities since the Kargil war in 1999 and there was a need for India to bolster its 'technological asymmetry' for aerial combat, official sources said sharing details from the report. At present, Pakistan has some edge with its fleet of F-16 jets with AMRAAM missile fitted with them, said an official. The sources said the planned induction of Rafale aircraft with deadly Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India a significant advantage over Pakistani Air Force. "We felt we could not punish the adversaries appropriately. So we need to bolster technological asymmetry so that the enemy does not even dare to come close to the border," said a source. On the Balakot strikes, the report said the Israeli Spice 2000 precision guided munitions (PGM) fired from Mirage 2000 jets hit five out of the six designated targets in the JeM training facility. However, one Spice PGM did not leave the aircraft because of a drift in the inertial navigation system. The report said the deception used was successful as Pakistan was caught off guard despite their air force being put on highest alert. Various packages of jets flew in several directions including a fleet of Jaguars went towards Bahawalpur, a key air base of Pakistan Air Force, sources said. In the list of possitives from the strike, the IAF talked about accuracy of intelligence inputs, precise selection of targets, demonstration of its ability to carry out precision strikes and its success in maintaining secrecy of the operation though over 6,000 personnel were involved in it. In its analysis of possible areas for improvement, the IAF sought superior technological asymmetry and air defence system over Pakistan, sources said. It also talked about the need for procuring new weapons and other platforms for enhancing the IAF's overall combat capabilities. Sources said the IAF has began working on all the negative aspects mentioned in the report. Induction of Rafale jets along with Meteor beyond-visual-range missile and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India an edge over Pakistan, according to the report. India is procuring a batch of S-400 air defence system from Russia at a cost of $ 5 billion. India is also buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. During the aerial combat of February 27, IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman had engaged with one of the Pakistani F-16s and shot it down before his Mig-21 Bison was downed. Varthaman was captured by Pakistan and was released after spending nearly 60 hours in Pakistani custody. The Indian Air Force had on February 28 displayed pieces of an AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to prove that Pakistan deployed the US-manufactured fighter jets during the raid. Pakistan has been claiming that it had not lost any F-16 during the February 27 dogfight. Rejecting Pakistan's claims, the IAF on April 8 released radar images as part of its 'irrefutable evidence' to assert that it shot down an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan during the aerial combat over Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir. The number of Indians killed in the massive Easter Sunday bombings rose to 11 on Thursday, as one more person succumbed to injuries, taking the total number of foreigners who died in the attack to 36, according to the Lankan Sri foreign ministry. IMAGE: People participate in a mass funeral in Negombo, three days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the island on Easter Sunday, in Sri Lanka. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters Sri Lankan foreign ministry, in a statement, said that as of Wednesday April 24, the number of foreign nationals who have been killed in the attack rose to 36. "It includes, one from Bangladesh, two from China, eleven from India, three from Denmark, one from Japan, one from the Netherlands, one from Portugal, two from Saudi Arabia, one from Spain, two from Turkey, six from the UK, one from USA, two holding US and UK nationalities, and two holding Australian and Sri Lankan nationalities," the statement said. The ministry further added that14 foreign nationals are unaccounted for at present, and could be among the unidentified victims at the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer's mortuary. The mortal remains of 13 foreign nationals have been repatriated to date, the statement said. The ministry said that 12 foreign nationals injured in the attacks are receiving treatment at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital and private hospitals in Colombo while others have been discharged following treatment. Nine Suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath , carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing at 359 people and injuring over 500. So far over 75 people, all Sri Lankan nationals, have been arrested in connection with the attacks. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified the seven suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts. Authorities released photos of 6 suspects, including 3 women, and sought information regarding them from the public. Security has been beefed-up around 'a certain category of mosques' after intelligence warning that the Islamist extremist group blamed for the Easter blasts was planning an attack on them during Friday prayers. IMAGE: A soldier stands guard at St Anthony's Shrine during heavy rain, days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the island on Easter Sunday, in Colombo, on Thursday. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned on Thursday over his failure to prevent the Easter blasts that killed 359 people even as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said authorities were targeting the 'sleepers' who could trigger another round of bombings. Authorities also released photographs of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the attacks and sought information regarding them from the public. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the devastating blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others. Defence Secretary Fernando handed over his resignation letter to President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday. President Sirisena had asked Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara to quit after their failure to prevent the blasts despite having prior intelligence. Facing public criticism for not acting against Islamist extremist groups in the island nation, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said some of the suspected attackers responsible for the Easter bombings were being monitored by the country's intelligence services. But authorities did not have 'sufficient' evidence to place the suspected attackers in custody prior to the attacks, he said. Top officials have acknowledged that Sri Lanka received intelligence about possible terror strikes ahead of the attacks, but both President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe have said that they did not receive the information. Wickremesinghe told CNN that he did not rule out the possibility of more attacks in the country. He said authorities were now focussing on 'sleepers' -- terrorists who could activate another round of attacks. "Police and security forces are rounding up those involved, but they're also rounding up the sleepers, those used on second and third rounds (of attacks)," he said. "The danger has come down drastically, (but) we do have to pick up some more sleepers, which we will do in the next few days." He said that security services were acting out of an abundance of caution, and that should even one militant slip through the net, the damage could be widespread. "It is a precaution that we are taking, we want to be sure we have everyone in," Wickremesinghe said. "They are worried that one or two could get into a church -- (even) one person can do a lot of damage." The Lankan authorities have intensified their search operations with the help of the army and arrested 16 more suspects. Officials said that with the fresh arrests, the total number of suspects under their custody has risen to 76. President Sirisena has said that 139 people have been identified as suspects in connection with the attacks. Addressing an all-party conference, Sirisena said that a Combine Operation Centre will be established within the defence ministry for the enforcement of the country's security measures from Friday. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks. IMAGE: Police investigators work at the site of a blast behind the magistrates court in the town of Pugoda, 40 km east of Colombo, on Thursday. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters Meanwhile, security has been beefed up around 'a certain category of mosques' after intelligence warning that the Islamist extremist group blamed for the Easter blasts was planning an attack on them during Friday prayers. A letter, signed by DIG Priyantha Jayakody on behalf of Inspector General of Police Jayasundara, warned that the group which had carried out the Easter blasts was planning an attack on mosques on Friday, the Times Online reported. The letter dated April 24, 2018 said a certain category of mosques identified as 'Awliya Mosques' could be possible target for these attacks. "Security has been tightened in the vicinity of all mosques owing to these possible attacks. Therefore, the public need not worry," Jayakodi said. The letter was addressed to the Presidential Security Division, the Special Security Division, and the Prime Minister's Security Division urging that the matter be brought to the immediate attention of the relevant authorities. Chairman of the Dewatagaha Mosque in Colombo said that the State Intelligence Service has informed him of a possible threat by the group, which was involved in the Sunday's carnage. He said that intelligence officers have also informed him that other mosques too would be warned of a possible attack in order for devotees to remain vigilant of possible threats. Minister of Muslim Religious Affairs Abdul Haleem has requested the community members to avoid gathering for congregational prayers this Friday. The Archdiocese of Colombo Thursday suspended all Catholic church services because of security concerns. A prominent spice trader and father of two suicide bombers, Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, was taken into custody on suspicion of aiding and abetting suspects, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Sri Lanka has also suspended its plans to grant visas on arrival to citizens of 39 countries. "We have now decided to hold it for the time being in consideration of the current security situation," Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said. "Investigations have revealed foreign links to the attacks and we don't want this facility to be abused," Amaratunga added. The visas on arrival pilot programme was part of a larger initiative to increase tourist arrivals to the country during the six month off-season period from May to October. ***** Father of 2 suicide bombers arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting sons A Sri Lankan spice tycoon, the father of two of the suspected suicide bombers, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of aiding and abetting his sons carry out the deadly terror attacks. Spice merchant Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim's two sons -- identified as Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim and Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim -- allegedly detonated their explosives at the Shangri-La and the Cinnamon Grand hotels on Sunday. Police are holding the brothers' father on suspicion of 'aiding and abetting' his sons, the CNN reported. According to media reports, investigators are also searching the spice trader's mansion in Colombo -- which was the site of the eighth blast -- for evidence of the attacks. Three police officers were killed in the blast at the mansion. Elder brother Ilham, who detonated a device at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, was previously arrested by police and then released, a Sri Lankan government spokesman told CNN. The majority of the Easter Sunday suicide bombers were from well-to-do Sri Lankan families and they were well-educated, including one who studied in the United Kingdom, State Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said on Wednesday. ***** Bengaluru under security blanket In the wake of the terror attacks in Sri Lanka, the police in Bengaluru on Thursday stepped up security and initiated elaborate measures to prevent such an incident. In addition, the police have decided to set up an anti-terrorist cell in the city and have written to Karnataka government in this regard. As part of the measures, the police convened a meeting with head of variousinstitutions, religious places and commercial establishment with a footfall of more than 500. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, city police commissioner T Suneel Kumarsaid he has instructed deputy commissioners to gather information on religious places where lots of people congregate. The deputy commissioners, in turn, have been directed to instruct the managers of malls and hotels. Further, the commissioner decided to hold a meeting with the trustees, board members and managers of religious institutions and commercial places. Kumar said the Sri Lanka experience revealed that many people went unchecked. "The Sri Lanka experience tells us that the people were moving casually with baggage and without any security check," he said. "We want to alert our hotelier-friends to escalate the security measures like installing baggage scanners. Physical-checking and frisking of each and every individual was necessary," he said. ***** Islamist extremist group may have planned Easter attacks for 7-8 years: Fonseka The Islamist extremist group behind the blasts would have been planning the suicide attacks for 'at least 7 to 8 years' and could be led by someone having the calibre of slain Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam supremo Velupillai Prabakaran, according to Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. Speaking during the emergency debate in Parliament, Fonseka, who led the Sri Lankan military that vanquished the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009, was quoted by the media as saying that the Easter attacks were a long planned one. "It took 12 years for the LTTE to carry out a suicide attack on the then Defence Minister Ranjan Wijeyaratne. Therefore, these people must have planned the recent attack at least seven to eight years ago," he said on Wednesday. "The LTTE's terrorism was markedly different as it was an organisation fighting to divide the country. Its motives were political, whereas this group is pushing a religious agenda," the 68-year-old Field Marshal said, apparently referring to NTJ. Daily Mirror quoted Fonseka as saying that the group that carried out Sri Lanka's worst terror attack, might have already established a leader of Prabakaran's calibre. Prabhakaran is generally credited with perfecting the recruitment and use of suicide bomber units of Tamil Tigers against the Lankan military and political leaders. The Congress on Wednesday used Bharatiya Janata Party denial of media reports of Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a press conference in Varanasi to take a dig at him, and said,"tum se na ho payega (you will not be able to do it)". After media reports claimed that Prime Minister Modi would hold a press conference on April 26 in Varanasi, the BJP clarified that there is no presser scheduled either on Thursday or Friday. Modi is scheduled to visit Varanasi from April 25-26 to file his nomination. Seizing on to the BJP clarification, the Congress tweeted: "Tum se na ho payega". Congress president Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly attacked Modi, saying that he is "scared" to face a press conference. After releasing the Congress' manifesto on April 2, Gandhi had asked the media persons to question the prime minister as to why he is "scared of facing a press conference". "You ask me questions, but you are scared of him. Ask him 'Mr Prime Minister why are you scared of the people of India, why are you scared of the press'...We will defeat him in the polls," Gandhi had said. MIDDLETOWN A local woman is facing charges after giving her 7-year-old son a loaded handgun during an argument with two men who were sleeping at her home, police said. Kyrie Spellman, 32, of Cubeta Road, called police just before midnight Wednesday to report that two unwanted males were on her property, reports said. When officers arrived, she told different versions of what had happened at the home she shares with her 7-year-old son regarding the two men who were at the address, police said. She said she became angry with a male called Victim #1 in police reports because he was texting another woman, so she kicked him and a second male, referred to as Victim #2, out of the house to sleep in the car. She went out to the car to speak to Victim #1 while wearing a gun in a holster. She allowed the men to come back into the home to sleep on the couch and then had sex with Victim #1, she told police. After she discovered there was money missing, she pulled out the gun and was waving it around, although, she claimed, she didnt point it at anyone, reports said. She told the men she was calling police and then called her 7-year-old son down from upstairs. She then racked the slide of the pistol backward and took out the magazine loaded with eight bullets, she said. She then handed the gun and the magazine to the 7-year-old, who brought the items upstairs, the report said. Kyrie stated moments later she realized she gave her son a pistol and ran upstairs to properly secure the pistol, police said in the report. The gun was locked in a box when officers arrived, police said. An officer unlocked the box and found a 9 mm pistol with a bullet stuck between the slide and the barrel, reports said. She had a valid pistol permit, which was seized, police said. When Spellman was told that she was being arrested, she then announced that Victim #1 had forced her to have sex, officers said. Victim #1 denied the allegation and told police that he and Spellman had consensual sex several times that day. Spellman was charged with risk of injury to a child, two counts of first-degree threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. She was released on a promise to appear in court. LITCHFIELD Vaping monitors at a regional high school are helping administrators recognize students who are nicotine dependent, with the goal of helping the teens break the habit. Its going really well, Wamogo Regional High School Principal Sabine Loveland said about the new monitor system. Twelve were installed in February in student restrooms and locker rooms. As one of the first schools in the state to use the monitors, Loveland said a number of educators are asking the district for information. Were getting calls from around the state and one from Phoenix, he said Wednesday. While its too early to tell whether the presence of monitors had reduced the amount of vaping at school, Loveland said they plan to look at the data over a number of months to determine whether there has been a positive outcome. If a student is caught vaping, they have the option of getting in-school suspension or attending a Healthy Habits group offered by Greenwoods Counseling Referrals Inc. of Litchfield. Its designed as an alternative to punishment, said John Simoncelli, executive director of Greenwoods. If theyre getting caught a lot, there is probably something else going on. We help them learn how to cope in more healthy ways, he said. Students who vape may have a feeling of boredom and anxiety. We take a moment to look at the situational response to those feelings, said Liz Griswold, program manager for Greenwoods. She is a licensed clinical social worker who runs the student groups. The groups meet two times a week for two-and-a-half weeks. Griswold has 15 students in a current group, and a second group with seven studentswill begin next week, she said. The word is spreading. Students are asking to join, Simoncelli said. The group meetings are free. Parents need to educate themselves, he said. Know what vaping looks like. Help the child avoid dangerous situations. Administrators also are educating themselves about how to respond when the monitoring system detects the chemical signature of vaping . The alerts are sent by text message or email to administrators, Loveland said. They wait for the student to come out of the restroom. We dont violates students rights. We ask them if theyve been vaping. Sometime theyre open and honest, Loveland said. If the student denies their actions, an administrator asks the student to empty their pockets. Theyre getting better at hiding them in the restroom, he noted. In the last two months or so, there has been a large number of students caught vaping, Loveland said. Its in the double digits. Vaping is being used in alarming numbers, he added. It doesnt discriminate between males or females, and its all inclusive at whos being targeted, Loveland said. Im glad were doing this, were trying really hard. he added. MARFA, Texas - Chief of the United States Border Patrol, Carla Provost, recently announced the selection of Matthew J. Hudak to the position of Chief Patrol Agent of the Big Bend Sector. Hudak, a native of Torrington, has served with the Border Patrol since 1997 when he began his career at the Harlingen Station in the McAllen Sector (known now as the Rio Grande Valley Sector). Chief Hudak has served in many locations and positions throughout his career to include Douglas, AZ, Washington D.C., Cotulla, TX, Laredo, TX, and Del Rio, TX. Throughout his 21 years of service, Hudak has had numerous temporary duty assignments, including Laredo Sectors Acting Deputy Chief Patrol Agent and DHS Joint Task Force Investigations acting Deputy Director. Most recently, he has served as the Deputy Chief Patrol Agent of the Del Rio Sector since May of 2015. Hudak has a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Central Connecticut State University and a masters degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University. He has completed several advanced training programs, including the CBP Command Leadership Academy, the CBP Leadership Institute, and the DHS SES Candidate Development Program. Hudak and his wife, Melissa, have two children. I look forward to working with the Border Patrol Agents and professional support staff of the Big Bend Sector as well as all of our community stakeholders and law enforcement partners throughout the region, said Hudak. Big Bend Sector is responsible for 517 miles of the Southwest Border between Sierra Blanca and Sanderson, Texas. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel. Italian classes begin at Sullivan Senior Center TORRINGTON The Sullivan Senior Center is offering the following culture and language classes: The Geography and Culture of Italy will cover the regions, land forms, customs, and food of Italy. It will meet June 4-July 9, 2:30-4 p.m. The fee is $45. Conversational Italian is not a beginner course; it will meet June 14 -Aug. 23, 9:15 -11:15 a.m., for 11 sessions. The required text is Conversational Italian Dialogues: Over 100 Italian Conversations and Short Stories by Lingo Mastery, ISBN: 9781799136668, available online. The fee is $90 for seniors/ $105 others. Basic Italian is a beginner course, which includes conversation, grammar, and culture. It will meet June 20-Aug. 22, with no class on July 4, 9:15-11:30 a.m. The required text is Learn Italian the Fast and Fun Way by Marcel Danesi, available at Barnes and Noble or online. The fee is $90 seniors/ $105 others. St. Michael's Church, South St., Litchfield, will offer Basic Italian II, an advanced beginner class, on Thursdays, April 25 to July 18, with no class on July 4, 2:45 to 4:45 p.m. The required text is Italian Made Simple, copyright 1960, by Jackson and Lopreato (out of print, available online). The fee is $90 seniors/ $105 others. Students may register at the first session of each class. The instructor for all of the classes is Miss Dona Frauenhofer, M.A. Italian Language and Literature. To reach the senior center, located at 88 E. Albert St., Torrington, call 860-489-2211. Giant Steps Day Care offers scholarship PLEASANT VALLEY Giant Steps Day Care Center is accepting applications for its annual scholarship. To be eligible, the applicant must be an alumni of Giant Steps (has attended Giant Steps as a child or has worked at Giant Steps or is a child of an employee of Giant Steps); and a high school graduating senior or college student enrolled in a 2-4 year accredited college or university. Students must complete a scholarship application package, available at Regional #7 or Gilbert High School or Giant Steps Day Care Center in Pine Meadow. Deadline is April 30. Postcards from Torrington donated TORRINGTON Postcard collector and author Gary V. Smith has donated the second volume of his two volume history of Torrington Postcards to the John H. Thompson research library at the Torrington Historical Society. Both volumes one and two focus on postcards produced between 1901 and 1914. These are limited edition publications and are only available for viewing at the historical society library. According to Smith, Postcards from Torrington , Volumes One and Two, were published as a research guide to the extensive lithographic and real photo postcard collection of the Torrington Historical Society. In general, postcard images provide important historical information about places and events in local history. Smith has made an effort to include many reproductions of Torrington streetscapes and landscapes in his books including postcards of residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Of particular interest in volume two are a variety of images of John Browns birthplace before it was destroyed by fire in 1918. However, both volumes of Postcards from Torrington are far more than a sampling of historic postcard images.Smith has done extensive research and writing about the photographers and publishers who printed Torrington postcards. Postcards from Torrington Volume Two contains detailed biographies of local photographers Marie Kendall, Joseph E. Newbury, and William T. Noad to name a few, with examples of their postcard work. A chapter on the W.W. Mertz Company features a history of the company, illustrated with postcard images of its Main Street store. Postcards from Torrington Volume Two concludes with a study of regional and national companies that produced Torrington postcards. The Torrington Historical Society is grateful to Gary V. Smith for sharing the results of his exhaustive research on Torrington postcards with the societys library and in turn with the public. Smith is a native of Torrington CT and a 1960 graduate of Torrington High School. He received a bachelor of science degree in political science from Villanova University and masters of arts degrees in politics and liberal studies respectively from NYU and Wesleyan University. He holds a doctor of arts degree in government from Lehigh University. Smith taught for 25 years at Alabama State University in Montgomery Alabama. He is now an adjunct professor of philosophy and American government at South University in Montgomery. Smith welcomes correspondence with other collectors of Torrington postcards. He may be reached at gary340326@yahoo.com. For more information contact the Torrington Historical Society at 860-482-8260. Chinese authorities have prevented another top human rights lawyer from leaving the country, as he tried to board a plane for the democratic island of Taiwan. Cheng Hai was stopped by security guards at the Hefei Xinqiao International Airport in the eastern province of Anhui on , as he went through security. "Cheng Hai may endanger national security after leaving the country," a security official says in a video of the incident filmed by Cheng. "With the approval of the relevant department of the State Council, the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau is enforcing restrictions on your exit in accordance with the provisions of Article 12, Clause 5 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China," the guard said. In the video clip, Cheng argues with the guards. "I tell you that you are committing a criminal act by preventing citizens from leaving the country, and abusing your power," Cheng said. "You behave like a criminal gang, even though you are wearing police uniforms." Cheng had been hoping to fly from Hefei to Taipei, but declined to comment on the reason for the trip. "I was going to Taiwan as a tourist, and with permission to participate in some business activities as well," Cheng said. He said he plans to lodge a formal complaint. "I will definitely be taking legal action, because their actions are criminal," he said. "According to Chinese law, any ban on citizens leaving the country must be decided by the relevant department of the State Council, but this was a decision made by the Hefei entry and exit checkpoint, who say they were told to do this by the Beijing police department." Represented Falun Gong, lawyers Cheng Hai has previously represented followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, which the ruling Chinese Communist Party has designated an "evil cult." He has also acted as defense attorney to lawyer Wang Quanzhang. His ban comes amid an ongoing crackdown on hundreds of human rights lawyers and their families launched in . The travel ban on Cheng comes after authorities in the Chinese capital enforced a travel ban on lawyer Chen Jianggang who was en route to the United States to take up a prestigious fellowship to study law and human rights earlier this month. Chen Jiangang was prevented from boarding flight DL128 at Beijing's International Airport on by border guards, who said they had instructions from the Beijing police department not to allow him to leave China. Officials refused to give him any written explanation for the ban, but told him that his departure would "endanger national security," Chen said at the time He told RFA on that he believes such decisions are made on the personal whim of officials, rather than having any legal logic behind them. "I haven't done anything in the past couple of years; I didn't take any cases, nor did I write any open letters," Chen said. "I just prepared for my study leave, so why was I banned, when a lot of other lawyers affected by the crackdown have been allowed to leave China?" "I have to say that I don't know if there is any logic behind this, but my personal feeling is that it's totally down to the personal whim of certain individuals; there is nothing legal about it," he said. Repeated calls to the Beijing municipal police department rang unanswered during office hours on . Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Chinese democracy activist Zhang Jian attends the Songkran Festival, celebrating the Thai New Year, in Thailand, April 13, 2019. A France-based rights activist who was at the heart of the 1989 student-led democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square has died suddenly at the age of 48. Zhang Jian, who was injured during the People's Liberation Army (PLA) crackdown on unarmed civilians in 1989, lost consciousness en route between Thailand and Paris after going incommunicado on April 15, his friends and fellow activists said. He was sent to hospital in Munich, Germany, for emergency treatment, but later died. Zhang's friend Han Rongli said via Twitter that the French embassy in Germany was only then notified of his death. His death, coming as it does ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre, has sent shock waves through the overseas Chinese democracy movement. Qin Jin, deputy chairman of the Federation for a Democratic China, said Zhang's body has yet to be repatriated to France, where he had obtained citizenship. "We have only received verbal notification of Zhang's death so far ... and we don't have a death certificate yet," Qin told RFA. "We are arranging for people to see to the death certificate and the [repatriation of] remains," he said. "We can't set the time of the memorial service until those two things have happened." "I dont know if his family can leave China," Qin said. Liao Yiwu, a Chinese dissident writer living in Germany, tweeted that the cause of the coma was "ascites of the liver," referring to the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the spaces between tissues and organs in the abdominal cavity. Former 1989 student leader Wang Dan said via his Facebook page that those who were left behind would have to carry on working for democracy in China. "Over the years, we have sometimes agreed and sometimes disagreed, but I have always seen him as my comrade-in-arms with a shared history and shared hopes," Wang said. "Now he is at rest, and we who are left behind will have to dry our tears and keep going." "A strong sense of justice" Chinese political scholar and exile dissident Wang Juntao said he was greatly saddened by Zhang's loss. "Zhang Jian may have had conflicts with some people because of his personality, but he had a strong sense of justice," Wang said. "At the same time, because he was a Christian, he had a very strong sense of right and wrong, and tried to do a good job in the democratic movement and of his faith," he said. Magazine editor and political commentator Hu Ping painted a picture of a lively and self-educated man who brought plenty of enthusiasm to the overseas democracy movement. "I met Zhang Jian several times, and had the impression that he was very enthusiastic," Hu said. "Zhang didn't have much formal education, but was very talented, writing essays, poems and ballads that really caught on." "I am very saddened by his death," he added. Zhang had visited Thailand several times before his death to better understand the situation of Chinese refugees there. Thailand-based refugee Ai Ming said she had received phone calls from Zhang offering help and advice with her asylum application, and he had also met with her husband, Yang Chong, to find out more about the plight of Chinese refugees in Thailand. "He did a lot for refugees in Thailand last year, including visiting them in immigration detention centers, and helping sort out various things, then fighting for their rights as refugees in Geneva," Ai said. "I was shocked at his death," she said. "I knew he was sick, but this was so sudden." Born in 1970 in the Tongzhou district of Beijing, Zhang was a student at the Beijing Institute of Physical Education at the time of the weeks-long student-led mass protests in Tiananmen Square. When the PLA moved in to clear the city with machine guns and tanks, Zhang took three bullets to the leg. These were only removed by doctors in Paris in 2008. He succeeded in fleeing China to evade the crackdown that followed the end of the democracy movement, and was eventually offered political asylum and French citizenship. He had previous served as vice chairman of the Federation for a Democratic China. Reported by Han Jie for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, toasts with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un after their talks in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un held a summit on an island near the eastern Russian city Vladivostok Thursday, marking the first time the two leaders have met face to face, with Putin issuing a call for security guarantees to induce Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program. During the meeting the two leaders are believed to have discussed the terms North Korea would need in order to agree to give up its nuclear program. Reuters and other outlets reported, however, that there was no major breakthough at the summit. Following the meeting Putin signaled a desire to return to long defunct six-party talks to resolve the nuclear issue. Starting in 2003, Japan, the United States, South Korea, Russia and China were unable to persuade North Korea to give up nuclear ambitions, and Pyongyang pulled out of the talks in 2009. [The North Koreans] only need guarantees about their security. Thats it. All of us together need to think about this, said Putin in a press conference following the summit. He added that a multilateral agreement would be the most effective way to achieve denuclearization. Its unlikely that any agreements between two countries will be enough, said Putin, adding that a multilateral, legally binding agreement that also respects North Koreas sovereignty would be needed. Reuters reported that Kim said the meeting was candid and meaningful. Despite the lack of any meaningful resolution, the meeting was seen by outside observers as successful political posturing for Kim, who has already held talks with the leaders of South Korea, China and the United States. I think first and foremost Kim Jong Un enhanced his legitimacy. He has met now a fourth major world power after President Moon, President Xi and President Trump, said David Maxwell, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, in an interview with RFAs Korean Service. Sending a message Beyond increasing his own reputation though, others thought the purpose of the summit was to show that North Korea has more options than negotiating with the United States. Both sides want to send a message to Washington. I dont think message was received well. North Korea was trying to say they have another option and they wont be isolated, said Mark Fitzpatrick, of the Nuclear Security Working Group. Kyle Ferrier, the Director of Academic Affairs and Research at the Korea Economic Institute in Washington, agreed with Fitzpatrick. It showed that North Korea has potential options other than the U.S, he said. I think this is more signaling to the U.S. much more than signaling actual change. Katie Stallard-Blanchette, a fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, said there were both strategic benefits and domestic propaganda gains for Kim. While there are broader strategic reasons why Kim is meeting Putin as he seeks help weakening sanctions, developing his economy, and demonstrating to China and the United States that theirs is not the only game in town this summit benefits him in other ways too, she wrote. At a time when many North Koreans are once again facing food shortages, these expeditions make for powerful domestic propaganda, and evidence of how hard the leader is working to improve life for his countrymen, she added. But other analysts thought the meeting made Kim and his regime look desperate. I think the fact that you see Kim Jong Un meeting with Putin underscores the fact that sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime, said William Hagerty, the U.S. ambassador to Japan. It is critically important that we all remain in lockstep enforcing UNSC resolutions, sanctions, against North Korea, he said. Patrick Cronin, the Asia-Pacific security chair for the Hudson Institute said the summit was a low risk endeavor for Russia, and it signaled that Russia is fine with a nuclear North Korea. It doesnt cost anything for Russia to support that because Russia has been one of the countries that have not fully enforced the sanctions, he said. Russia is happy to be a player and thats why he keeps talking about six-party talks and other arrangements that are irrelevant at this point until North Korea is willing to make the right steps, because it gives Russia a bigger seat at the table, he said. A spokesman at the State Department told RFA that the United States will continue to closely coordinate with allies and partners on achieving the worlds shared goal of the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea. Additional Reporting by RFA's Korean Service. In a file photo, women who defected from North Korea to South Korea walk for their class at the Hanawon, a state-run official shelter for North Korean defectors. A South Korean Unification Ministry agency that supports the resettlement of North Korean defectors in South Korea has issued a report indicating that resettled defectors were economically better off last year than they reported under previous survey two years ago. The Korea Hana Foundations report, based on their 2018 settlement survey of 2710 defectors living in the South, said that economic indicators such as rates of participation in economic activities and employment, as well as average monthly wages have all improved compared to those in 2017. All of the respondents were living in South Korea for longer than three months at the time the survey was conducted last May. According to the report, the defectors participated in economic activity, which includes employment and all other means of earning income at a rate of 65% last year, up 4% from 2017, while employment rose from 57% to 60%. In addition, job security was up in 2018 as there was an increase in the percentage of defectors classified as regular employees, a term used in South Korea to describe non-contract workers who are employed full-time by a company. Among defectors who receive wages, 64% were considered regular employees in 2018, up 7%. 2018 also saw a decrease in defectors working in temporary jobs. Employed defectors had been at their jobs for an average of 27 months in 2018, up two months from the previous year. Average wages also increased from $1570 to $1670, with the gross income for defector households rising from $23,530 to $24,830. Lim Soon-Hee, an official at the independent Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB), said that not only was the defector community doing better economically year on year, it was also doing better when compared to South Koreans as a whole. The unemployment rate of North Korean defectors in South Korea is decreasing and the gap with the [average of all citizens] is narrowing, she said. As members of the community are working hard to improve their own lives, many had high expectations for academic success for their children in South Korea, she added. Of the respondents, 64% said they wanted their children to go to college, while 16% hoped their children would be able to complete doctorate programs. While data may prove that defectors are economically better off, the report also painted a rosy picture of their ability to settle in and integrate well into South Korean society, compared to previous surveys. According to the report, 73% were satisfied with their lives in the South, with 23% saying they had neutral feelings about resettlement. Reasons for satisfaction varied, but the most popular answer was living a free life, with earning as much as I work, and giving my children a better future, following close behind. While the survey indicated that only 4% of defectors were dissatisfied with their lives in the South, nearly a quarter of the community has thought about returning to North Korea, according to a different report by NKDB. NK News, a news service specializing in North Korea, reported that in telephone interviews of 415 defectors over the age of 15 in November and December 2017, 22.9% said to NKDB that they had contemplated re-defection. NK News also reported in February 2018 that many of the North Koreans who initially attempt to settle in South Korea end up moving to third countries, usually in the West because of discrimination they receive in the South. Meanwhile the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) released an academic paper in 2018 that examined the case of the defector community as a test case for reunification of North and South Korea. That paper listed discrimination, both socially and professionally as a major area of concern. In order to avoid discrimination, North Korean defectors living in South Korea, some defectors have attempted to pose as ethnic Koreans from China, while many try to hide their North Korean dialects entirely, with varying success. There is also concern that female defectors could be particularly vulnerable as South Korean society is quite male dominated. The Guardian released a report in October about a South Korean matchmaking service that sets female defectors up with well-to-do South Korean men. In that article, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification expressed concern that women who have defected to the South might be excessively commercialized. She also noted that many of the firms in this industry focused excessively on racist notions of pure Korean blood as a selling point, differentiating them from other marriage brokers that match Koreans with Southeast Asian women. She also described the portrayal of North Korean women as submissive, and expressed worry that the public would view current and future female defectors as sexual objects. More than 30,000 North Koreans have made their way to South Korea in recent decades, including several senior diplomats. In several cases, however, North Koreans have re-defected back to the North after reportedly failing to adjust to life in the South. According to South Korea's Ministry of Unification 28 defectors re-defected between 2012 and 2017. RFA reported in 2017 that a defector couple who had married after meeting in South Korea returned to the North in October of that year. They reportedly helped state security agents identify and arrest citizens suspected of having contacts in the South by giving information they had on other defectors. In another high-profile case Jon Hye Song, who had become a TV personality in the South after defecting in 2014, suddenly appeared in North Korean propaganda in 2017 saying that her life in South Korea had been hellish, and that she had been made to slander North Korea in TV appearances. Reported by Yong Jae Mok for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Police have allegedly arrested, beaten and detained a man named Agoon in Savannakhet province in southern Laos for practicing his Christian faith, witnesses told RFAs Lao Service on Thursday. Police say that Agoon was arrested for another crime, cutting timber illegally in a protected forest. But local sources say the man was unfairly targeted for his beliefs. A source who declined to have his name published, told police that he and others cut down trees in the forest at the request of the village leader in the provinces Phin district. But sources say that officials rarely enforce the statutes against illegal logging. Another source told RFAs Lao Service in an interview that Agoons involvement in the timber-felling is merely an excusethe other loggers in his group, all of whom are not Christians, were not arrested. The villager also said that according to the suspect, while in jail, the police tried to force him to renounce his faith, but he refused. The police responded by beating him harder, slapping his ears to the point that he became unable to hear. RFA contacted a local security official for details, but the official declined to comment on the matter. He was detained for cutting timber illegally. Logging in the protected forest is illegal so [that is why] he has been detained, said an official from the National Front Organization, which handles religious affairs in the communist nation. He has to pay a fine or serve jail time according to forest laws. [His arrest] has nothing to do with religion, the official said. A third source who requested anonymity agreed with the villager that charging him for cutting timber was an excuse, as an arrest for his beliefs would stroke the ire of international religious freedom organizations. The latest case came to light a week after tree U.S. citizens were held for 10 days on suspicion of disseminating bibles and Christian material without government approval, before being deported to neighboring Thailand. Conflicts between Laos small number of Christians and local authorities often flare up because believers assert the right to freedom of worship guaranteed by the countrys constitution, while authorities call Christianity a foreign religion in a traditionally Buddhist country, and say that Christians must move out of their villages. In 2016, six Christians in Savannakhets Phalanxay district were arrested after local authorities entered their house and found that they were practicing the Christian faith. In 2014, local officials in the provinces Song Khone district arrested 11 Christians for building a temporary church without permission. In Phin district, seven Christians living in Na Kha Nong village, were arrested in 2015 for gathering people together for a prayer meeting. The U.S. State Department said in a 2017 report that Lao local authorities often arrested or detained members of minority religions during the year, with a district-level official in Houaphan province expelling 26 Hmong Christians from their village, advising them they could return only if they renounced their faith. Reported by RFAs Lao Service, Translated in English by Sidney Khotpanya, Written in English by Eugene Whong Three of 27 people detained by Myanmars army in a one village in conflict-ridden Rakhine state on April 10 have died in military custody, raising suspicions of torture, bereaved relatives and local lawmakers told RFAs Myanmar Service on Thursday. The 27 were taken from Letka village in Mrauk-U township, center of much of the fighting that has raged since January between the government army and the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic army fighting for more autonomy for the Buddhist Rakhines in the western state. They were suspected of supporting the AA. I can confirm the death of these detainees, Rakhine state parliament chairman San Kyaw Hla told RFA. I have talked with authorized persons. I have confirmed with the Security and Border Affairs minister and officials from the hospital, he said, adding that the deaths were reported in the Myawaddy News, a military media outlet. Ko Zaw Myo Tun, Thein Tun Sein and Maung Than Nu died on April 11, April 14 and April 22, respectively, he said, citing confirmation he received from Rakhine Security and Border Affairs Minister Col. Phone Tint and officials at Sittwe General Hospital in the Rakhine state capital. The causes of death the government provided for three men were disease, suicide by hanging, and the effects of drug addiction, said San Kyaw Hla. The family members of the deceased detainees told RFA that they had not been informed about their deaths. They should have told me about the passing of my husband. Now, we are not informed and living in uncertainty, said Than Khin Kyi, wife of the deceased detainee Maung Than Nu. I am trying to convince myself my husband is dead now. In my mind, he seemed to be still alive. He was in good health (when I saw him last), she said. 'Totally unacceptable to us' The remaining detainees family members said they have not been allowed to see the captive villagers since their arrest and dont know where they are being detained. They met Rakhine parliament members led by San Kyaw Hla on Thursday to ask for help. Announcing about the death of detainee is not enough, said San Kyaw Hla . It is acceptable that some people under suspicion are apprehended and detained for questioning during the conflict. But if the detainees die in detention, regardless of what the cause of death is, they are responsible to return the bodies, he told RFA. San Kyaw Hla called on authorities to return the three mens bodies to their families to be cremated according to their religious traditions. Local villagers believe that the death of the men in military custody is unusual and could be the result of torture during interrogations. RFA attempted to contact military spokesmen on Thursday for comment on the deaths and the lack of information for families, but they didnt reply. Calls to Colonel Win Zaw Oo, spokesman for teh MYanmar military's Western Command, went unanswered as his mobile phone was turned off. Oo Hla Saw, who represents Mrauk-U township in the Rakhine state parliament, told RFA the failure to hand over the mens bodies is totally unacceptable to us. Even the notorious military regime informed the families about the death of prisoners in Insein Prison after their 1988 military coup, he said, referring to the harsh military junta that ran Myanmar for about five decades before giving way to civilian rule in the past decade. They allowed the bodies to be retrieved for cremation. Now, the situation in Rakhine state under the so-called democratic government is even worse than that of military regime. Can you imagine what it will do to the family members? said Oo Hla Saw. Investigations demanded Another Mrauk-U township parliamentary representative, Tun Thar Sein, said he will submit a proposal to address civilian causalities in armed conflicts in Rakhine State. We are planning to submit a proposal in parliament to demand the government to form an independent commission to investigate all cases of the deaths, injured or missing persons and damages of home and properties from January to today, he told RFA. After an AA attack on police outposts in northern Rakhine killed 13 officers in early January, Myanmars government labeled it a terrorist group and instructed its forces to destroy it. Since then, the two sides have clashed more than 100 times, leaving some 60 AA soldiers, 30 policemen, and a dozen civilians dead. The Myanmar military has yet to reveal its casualties. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written by Paul Eckert. People stand atop a ridge overlooking the scene of a deadly mudslide at a jade gemstone mining site in the Hpakant region of northern Myanmar's Kachin state, April 23, 2019. Following a deadly mudslide earlier this week at a mine in the Hpakant jade mining region of northern Myanmars Kachin state, local residents on Friday expressed concern about future landslides triggered by the collapse of mounds of cast-off earth and water and the possible destruction of their homes. Fifty-four miners were buried along with 40 mining machines, including bulldozers and backhoes, when a lake of cast-off earth and water collapsed, triggering the slide late Monday night, sources told RFAs Myanmar Service in an earlier report. As of Wednesday, recovery teams had pulled four bodies from the sludge left by the mudslide, Agence France-Presse reported. A Hpakant resident named Nwe said she and others who reside in the area are concerned that their homes will collapse in landslides during the monsoon season, which runs from late May through October. I am really scared when it rains heavily, she said. Im concerned for my kids. As an adult, I could escape from the disaster, but it would not be the case for the children. I am concerned my house will be washed away if the heavy rains cause further landslides. Her home used to sit on smooth land, but landslides from the dumping of mining tailings in the area have caused its foundation to slide, Nwe said. You can see the land condition now, she said. I can no longer push up the buildings columns by placing stones against them. Hpakant resident Tin Hla told RFA that the ground beneath houses near jade mines becomes unsteady whenever it rains. The houses become shaky when it rains at night, she said. We are too scared to sleep at home since the ground beneath the house is already cracking. We tried propping up the house from below to keep it stable, but the more we prop it up, the more the land falls. We dont want to do the propping up anymore, she added. I want those who are responsible to repair the ground. Since early February, houses in the area have become wobbly and now appear as if they are about to collapse from jade mining companies disposing slag, residents said. Earlier, when these land plots were allotted by the authorities, these landslides didnt occur, said Hpakant local Su Hlaing. Before the earthmovers disposed the mining waste around here, there were no landslides. There were no problems for one or two years before the dumping began. [But] the land began to collapse after the trucks started dumping their waste, because of the heavy weight of slag heaps pressing down the land beneath them, she said. Since the slag heaps have piled up slowly, they are now higher than the village itself, and one of them collapsed. The dumping of tailings caused a landslide in 2017 that flattened several homes in Seik Mu village tract in Hpakant's Ward No. 6, locals said. Happening all the time Residents said they have demanded that two companies stop dumping mining waste near their homes and repair damage caused by landslides before the arrival of the monsoon season. Daung Say, administrator of Ward No. 6 where the residents live, said local authorities have asked the mining companies to repair homes. We have asked the companies to repair houses damaged by the landslides, he said. They said we have to prop up the houses using longer columns to prevent a collapse. Hpakant authorities requested that the companies not wait until the monsoon season arrives to do the work, Daung Say said. If the houses totally collapse, the companies will be responsible for it, he said. RFA was unable to reach the mining companies for comment. Residents also said they submitted a formal compliant with the township administration office, but have not yet received a response. We have instructed the township administrators to have people evacuate houses that have an immediate risk of collapse, said Da Shi Lar Sai, Kachin states minster of natural resources and environmental conservation. This is happening all the time, he said. Not just now. Government has fallen short Meanwhile, a Myanmar official said the government has fallen short when it comes to taking action against mining companies that violate industry regulations in Hpakant. Myo Nyunt, spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, said the Myanmar government is responsible for those who lost their lives in and those who are suffering from the latest disaster. But we have a difficult time controlling these companies because most of them working in the Hpakant region have connections to the previous government, and they have a lot of money, he said. When we try to control these companies, we cant do as much as we want, he said. But when we have this kind of tragedy, we have to do something to ensure accountability for the people who lost their lives, he said. The government has been planning to amend the law the regulates the granting of permission to small-scale miners to work in jade mines, Myo Nyunt said. Than Zaw Oo, general manager of Myanmar Gems Enterprise, which organizes emporiums and special jade and gems sales, said many accidents have occurred in Hpakant because of shortcomings in the operations of jade companies themselves and in government departments responsible for controlling the companies. We have the Gemstone Law, but it does not cover enough, he said. The Ministry [of Mines] might have its own plan [to control the companies], but we need to follow the ministrys instructions. After the law was passed in December 2018, London-based international anti-corruption NGO Global Witness pointed to its failure to address licensing criteria and its absence of clear guidelines and strong enforcement mechanisms to prevent companies with histories of illegal activities and irresponsible mining practices from obtaining new mining licenses. Myanmar attorney Thein Thyan Oo said mine workers do not listen to officials who warn them about the dangers of slag heap collapses. Authorities would stop the daily workers from searching for jade in the damp soil, but the workers did not listen to them because they needed money, he said. If we have to blame something, then we must blame the poverty, he said. They will work in the damp soil anyway, even though they know they can die. Authorities must work on plans for developing businesses to fight poverty. Meanwhile, they need to do something to protect the workers. Hpakant, which lies about 400 miles (640 kilometers) north of Myanmars capital Naypyidaw, is the center of countrys jade mining industry and produces some of the highest-quality jade in the world. Much of the gem output is exported or smuggled to neighboring China, where demand for the precious stone is high. Reported by Elizabeth Jangma and Khin Khin Ei for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung and Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. A new Tibetan-Canadian organization promoting Beijings rule in Tibet, and which Chinese state media said had received a letter of support from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is a front for the Chinese government, according to Tibetan activists and advocacy groups. The Tibetan Association of Canada (TAC) held a lavish launch party in Toronto on April 20, attended by local politicians, during which the head of the organization praised how China had improved the lives of Tibetans through democratic reform in the 60 years since the Peoples Liberation Army put down a Tibetan rebellion against Chinese rule in Tibet. Signs hung at the launch party were written in English and Chinese, not Tibetan, while attendees were led in singing the Chinese national anthem. A representative of Canadian Liberal Party lawmaker Shaun Chen was at the TAC event, according to reports by official Chinese media, while ruling Conservative Party member of the Ontario legislature Vincent Ke and Toronto city councillor and former Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis were also present. Chinese media reporting on the event also noted that the TAC had received letters of congratulations from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Immigration Ahmed Hussen, referring to documents that appeared to be printed on official letterhead and were circulated on social media. On Tuesday, however, the offices of both officials said the letterswhich contain multiple spelling and grammatical errorshad been faked and pledged to investigate their source. While there is no direct evidence linking the TAC and the Chinese government, a group of six different Tibetan organizations in Canada released a statement on Tuesday condemning the newly formed organization, and claiming that it had forged the letters from Trudeau and Hussen in a bid to mislead Canadas government and the public. Other Tibetan advocacy groups, including Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), have noted that the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations (CTCCO) was involved with the launch event, which they say is publicly known in Canada to be an entity that works closely with the Chinese government. Sonam Lankar, president of the Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario, told RFAs Tibetan Service that his organization is certain that the TAC is operating under the Chinese governments influence and with its support, although he was unable to provide details of the groups relationship with Beijing. Only few Tibetan participants were seen at this grand event, and some of them have associations with the Dorje Shugden, he added, referring to a Buddhist sect that a 2015 Reuters news agency investigation determined has the backing of Chinas ruling Communist Party. According to the Reuters report, China paid senior Shugden monks to plan and coordinate the activities of the sects followers overseas, controlled and funded by the Communist Partys shadowy ideological unit, the United Front Work Department. In a still taken from a video, members of the Tibetan Association of Canada address the audience during the group's launch party in Toronto, Canada, April 20, 2019. Credit: YouTube Response to activism Tsering Shakya, a professor of Tibetan history at the University of British Columbia, told RFA that the establishment of the TAC was a direct response to greater activism in Canada on behalf of Tibetans in exile opposed to Chinese rule in Tibet. In recent years, young influential Tibetan leaders like [Canadian politician] Bhutila Karpoche and [University of Toronto Student Union President] Chemi Lhamo have emerged, alarming the Chinese government and leading to these kinds of actions, he said. Bhutila Karpoche was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election, making her the first person of Tibetan descent ever elected to public office in North America. The launch of the TAC came two months after ethnic Tibetan Chemi Lhamo, who was born in India and is a vocal supporter of Students For a Free Tibet, was elected president of the University of Torontos Scarborough Campus Students Union (SCSU). Shortly after her election, Lhamo faced a torrent of online abuse and harassment, prompting Toronto police to open an investigation into whether she was the victim of a hate crime. A petition calling on Lhamo to step down garnered nearly 10,000 signatures, and screenshots calling her a "Tibetan separatist" were shared via social media. The Chinese consulate in Toronto has denied any involvement in the mobilization of Chinese students against Lhamo, saying the online comments were spontaneously generated by "objective facts and patriotic enthusiasm." ICT has documented what it says are great efforts by Chinas government to spread confusion about Tibet in the international community. The group notes that in 2000, China issued a directive for Tibet-related external propaganda and Tibetology work in the new era, which outlined a strategy to nurture several groups of hard-working people, who, as well as understanding our government policies and strategies, have good knowledge of Tibetology and foreign languages, and have expertise in external propaganda work. The setting up of these so-called Tibetan associations is very much part of this long-term strategy, ICT warns. In the U.S., bicameral and bipartisan legislation has been introduced in Congress in response to Chinas attempts to influence operations within the country, known as the Countering the Chinese Government and Communist Partys Political Influence Operations Act. The legislation aims to ensure that United States citizens, particularly Chinese Americans and members of the Chinese, Uyghur, and Tibetan diaspora who are who are often the victims and primary targets of malign political influence operations, are protected. Reported by RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. An RFA cartoonist's rendition of what the 11th Panchen Lama, last seen in 1995 when he was six years old, might look like on his 30th birthday, April 25, 2019. Tibetans around the world, their supporters and religious freedom advocates marked the 30th birthday of the Panchen Lama with marches and calls on China to release the the second most well-known religious figure in Tibet. On May 14, 1995, Tibets spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, recognized six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama and three days later, Chinese authorities took him and his family away, installing another boy in his place. He was for years considered the worlds youngest political prisoner. The religious leaders whereabouts and condition remain unknown and he has not been seen in public since his disappearance. As much as the Chinese government wants us to forget you, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wishes you happy birthday and we unanimously advocate for your immediate release, said Tenzin Dorjee, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. It is heartbreaking that you have been forcibly disappeared since age six and still remain in captivity and China has censored even basic information on you and your whereabouts. However, Tibetans faith in Your Holiness is unshakable, he said in a written statement. Addressing at the ceremony held at the Dharamsala, India headquarters of the Dalai Lama, Lobsang Sangay, president of the Central Tibetan Administration, called on the Chinese government to release 11th Panchen Lama to his rightful place and allow him to practice his religion. Also in Dharamsala, the Tibetan Womens Association (TWA) led a peace march simultaneously in five regions across India to highlight the issue of his incarceration as a young boy. One of the routes covered was from Mysore to Bangalore in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, in which 200 people walked 200 km (120 miles) over nine days. We want clarification from the Chinese government on his whereabouts. We want our Lama back or at the least Chinese government must release his picture to confirm his wellbeing, marcher Tsering Youdon, 69, told RFA. In northeastern India, a group of 250 marchers covered 106 km (65 miles) from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, to Siliguri in West Bengal. The groups Students for a Free Tibet, India and the Tibetan Youth Congress, both based in Dharamshala, staged a bike rally to honor the Panchen Lama member Panchen Lamas birthday. Thirty cyclists rode through different cities to spread awareness about the Panchen Lama, arriving in New Delhi on Thursday. The Chinese government is only to be blamed for us celebrating Panchen Lamas birthday in absentia, and through this campaign we are trying to create awareness about Panchen Lamas disappearance and Tibets issue in general," said Rigzin Choedon, organizer of the bike rally. At a birthday celebration at the Tashi Lhunpo monastery, the seat in exile of of Panchen Lama in South India, the speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Pema Jungney, told the crowd: International support is all we need at the moment to find out Panchen Lamas whereabouts. A member of Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Youdon Aukartsang, underscored in her remarks at the birthday gathering Tibetan rejection of the atheist Chinese Communist Partys interference in the selection of Tibetan lamas. How can a government that does not have faith in religion claim to interfere in the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama? U.S. Representative Jim McGovern, the chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said the Panchem Lama will mark his 30th birthday as one of the worlds longest held prisoners of conscience. The enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama is an egregious example of the Chinese governments violation of the religious freedom of Tibetan Buddhists, who have the right to choose their own religious leaders without government interference, he said in a statement. And the governments designation of an alternative Panchen Lama merely victimized another young person as a consequence of its policies to undermine and control the Tibetan people, added McGovern. In honor of his birthday, I again call on the Chinese government to free the true Panchen Lama immediately and without conditions and to uphold its international obligation to respect the religious freedom of all persons, he wrote. Reported and translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFAs Tibetan Service. Written in English by Paul Eckert. An Afghan official says at least nine police officers have been killed by a Taliban ambush on their convoy in the country's west. Abdul Samad Salehi, a member of the provincial council in Farah Province, said the ambush took place in Anardara district as the convoy was heading to defuse a roadside bomb late on April 24. Salehi said the militants briefly overran the district police headquarters, igniting hours-long clashes. Reinforcements arrived later and managed to wrest back control of the headquarters, he said. The Taliban controls large parts of the province, which is located on the border with Iran. Farah has been the scene of months of fierce fighting between the militant and government troops. The violence came as the United States continues to push for a peace settlement with the Taliban, with a new round of talks scheduled next month in Qatar. Based on reporting by AP and dpa Britain has rejected a prisoner-swap proposal by Iran's foreign minister, calling it a "vile" diplomatic maneuver. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on April 25 said "what is unacceptable about what Iran is doing is that they are putting innocent people in prison and using it as leverage." The previous day, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested a swap between Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen who is in prison in Tehran after being convicted of sedition, and Negar Ghodskani, an Iranian citizen being held in Australia on a U.S. extradition warrant. Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, Richard Ratcliffe, said the idea was "almost impossible" and not the "way forward." Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who works for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was visiting relatives in Iran when she was arrested in 2016. She was accused of antigovernment activities and sentenced to five years in prison. Ghodskani was arrested in 2017 after the United States accused her of seeking restricted U.S. communications technology by posing as an employee of a Malaysian company. The United States believes she intended to transfer the technology to an Iranian firm. Hurt said there was a "huge difference" between the two cases. "The woman in jail in Australia is facing due process, a proper legal procedure, and she is alleged to have committed a very serious crime," he said. "Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is innocent -- she has done nothing wrong." Based on reporting by AFP Yury Kartyzhev has been convicted of "insulting human dignity" and expressing "disrespect" toward "organs of state power" after he called Russian President Vladimir Putin an obscene word online. He's the first person to be convicted under the newly amended law. He's not exactly contrite. "Some people say that Putin raised Russia from its knees," Kartyzhev told RFE/RL in an interview. "He didn't lift anything, we just have oil and gas. Put a monkey [in the president's office], it will be better than this Putin." "How can I be silent? I will continue to speak out. If we will be silent they will kill us little by little," he said. Kartyzhev spoke to RFE/RL on April 24, one day after he was fined 30,000 rubles ($463) by a court in the Russian city of Chudovo. The court found him guilty of making posts on his VKontakte web page on March 31 that insulted "human dignity and public morality" and expressed "a clear disrespect toward society, the state, and organs of state power in Russia." "I am not denying that I wrote it," he told Current Time. "I did write [an obscene word but mostly] with dots [instead of letters]: 'Putin is an incredible f...wit.'" The 34-year-old Kartyzhev, an unemployed machinist, added: "This is my legitimate position [to write] with dots. I have the right to write." The court said those posts on the most popular social-media site in Russia violated Article 20.1, part 3, of the Russian Criminal Code, which was amended in late March in a move that was widely criticized by international rights organizations. Pavel Chikov, head of the legal-aid group Agora, said Kartyzhev was the first person in Russia to be convicted and fined under the recent amendments to that law. 'Genocide...Against The Russian Nation' But if Russian officials thought the draconian law was going to curb Kartyzhev's criticism of the government, it seems to have had the opposite effect. "We are killing our own pensioners.... People who have spent 40 years at work receive 7,000 [rubles] ($108) -- official salary [per month]," Kartyzhev told RFE/RL. "They have to pay for medicine, for apartment [utilities], and 3,000 [rubles] for food. No one could live on that. They are carrying out genocide...against the Russian nation." Kartyzhev said he is a supporter of Communist Party lawmaker Nikolai Bondarenko because he carried out an experiment in which he tried to live on 3,500 rubles for one month. But he also professed an affinity for Russian opposition activist Aleksei Navalny. "I think Navalny is doing a good job, opening people's eyes so they wake up to realize that the people have the power," he said. "What are we afraid of?" Kartyzhev, who said he will appeal his case to the European Court of Human Rights, pledged to continue to write critical posts of Russian officials. Kartyzhev's plight has also inspired the creation of a social media flash mob in support of his case. And although he vowed he would pay just 30 rubles of his 30,000 ruble fine, Kartyzhev later posted a picture of his bank card on his VKontakte webpage asking readers to send him money so he could pay his fine. Written by Pete Baumgartner based on reporting by RFE/RL Russian Service correspondent Mark Krutov and Current Time. A Pakistani court has extended the bail of Shahzeb Jillani, an investigative reporter accused of cybercrimes, until April 27. Jillani, who works for the Urdu-language Dunya News TV channel, is accused of cyberterrorism" and making defamatory remarks against the respected institutions of Pakistan. A court in the port city of Karachi said on April 25 that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan's law enforcement agency, had failed to file a case against Jillani with the court. The FIA had lodged a police complaint against Jillani on April 6. Jillani is accused of making "audacious remarks against invisible security forces of Pakistan" during an appearance on Dunya TV in 2017. He also is accused of making similar comments in 2019. The police report into the complaint said Jillani had also tweeted "sarcastic, derogatory, disrespectful, and defamatory language" against Pakistani state institutions. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) last week condemned what it called the "trumped-up charges" against Jillani. The Paris-based media watchdog said in a statement on April 16 that the case against Jillani has been designed to intimidate and silence Pakistans journalists. It called on the court to dismiss the charges. Jillani has been charged under a controversial cybercrimes act and two criminal code provisions. Jillani, who previously worked for the BBC and Deutsche Welle, is known for his critical reporting on Pakistan's powerful army and intelligence services. Based on reporting by Dawn and Samaa TV KYIV -- Ukraine's parliament has approved legislation that its authors say will "secure" the use of Ukrainian as the official "state language." Ukraine's outgoing President Petro Poroshenko has said that he will sign the bill into law before he leaves office in early June. But Ukraine's president-elect, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has criticized the bill as a set of "prohibitions and punishments" that will complicate bureaucratic procedures and "increase the number of officials instead of reducing them." In an April 25 statement on his Facebook page, Zelenskiy said his view "is that the state should promote the development of the Ukrainian language by creating incentives and positive examples." "After my appointment to the post of president, a thorough analysis of this law will be made to ensure that it meets all the constitutional rights and interests of all Ukrainian citizens," Zelenskiy said, adding that he will respond "in accordance with the constitutional powers of the president of Ukraine and in the interest of citizens." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow that the bill contradicts the Ukrainian Constitution and promotes the "Ukrainization" of the country. "It is actually a law on forced Ukrainization, basically a total one. Its texts envision significant restrictions, and in some case directly ban the use of Russian and the languages of ethnic minorities in different spheres of social life," Zakharova said. The bill says "the only official state language in Ukraine is the Ukrainian language." It says "attempts" to introduce other languages as the state language would be considered as "activities with the goal to forcibly change the constitutional order." The bill also introduces a legal concept known as the "public humiliation of the Ukrainian language," which it defines as "illegal activity equated to desecration of Ukraine's state symbols" under the country's criminal code. It allows language quotas for state and private television broadcasts and says at least half of the text in printed media must be in Ukrainian. The legislation also calls for the introduction of "language inspectors who will be present at all gatherings and sessions of any state bodies." They would be empowered to demand documents from political parties and public organizations and to impose punitive fines of up to $450 if they determine the documents are "not in Ukrainian." The bill also calls for the establishment of a state-run "center for the Ukrainian language" to issue certificates that confirm the language fluency of Ukrainian citizens. Public posts that require Ukrainian fluency under the bill include the presidency, the speaker of parliament and all parliamentary deputies, government ministers, the head of the state security service, the prosecutor-general, the chief of the Ukrainian National Bank, and local council members. The Ukrainian language also would be mandatory in all official documents, court records, elections and referendums, international treaties, and labor agreements,. The bill says the language rules would not apply to private conversations or religious rituals. The language issue is controversial among Russian speakers in Ukraine. Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine claim Kyiv is deliberately curtailing the use of the Russian language. With additional reporting by RFE/RL correspondent Christopher Miller in Kyiv Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected international criticism about his decision to ease the process of granting Russian citizenship to Ukrainians in territory of eastern Ukraine that is held by Russia-backed separatists. Putin told journalists in Vladivostok on April 25 that Kyiv's objections to his decree were "strange." He defended the move, announced on April 24, by claiming that his decree was similar to policies in European Union member states like Romania and Hungary that grant citizenship to "their own ethnic kin living outside their borders." "How are Russians living in Ukraine worse than Romanians...or Hungarians? Or Ukrainians who live there but feel an unbreakable link with Russia" because of family ties or "other considerations," Putin said. "I see nothing unusual here," he added. However, Putin's decree makes no reference to ethnicity, background, or self-identification. Its wording suggests that anyone living in the separatist-held parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions can apply. The decree drew a swift and angry response from Kyiv, the United States, Britain, and the European Union. In a joint statement on April 25, France and Germany -- the European guarantors of the 2015 Minsk agreements -- said Putin's decree "goes against the spirit and aims" of the Minsk process, which seeks to establish a stable cease-fire in the conflict in parts of eastern Ukraine's Donbas region and then proceed to a political settlement. "This is the opposite of the urgently necessary contribution toward de-escalation," the statement said. European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said the decree was "another attack on Ukraine's sovereignty by Russia." "We expect Russia to refrain from actions that are against the Minsk agreements and impede the full reintegration of the non-government-controlled areas into Ukraine," she said. One day earlier, Ukraine's foreign minister called it "aggression and interference" in Kyiv's affairs and a Western diplomat told RFE/RL it was a "highly provocative step" that would undermine the situation in the war-ravaged region known as the Donbas. President Petro Poroshenko said that with this decree "Russia is torpedoing the peace process in the Donbas." Ukraine's mission to the United Nations posted on Facebook that Kyiv had "asked that the UN Security Council call a session to discuss Russia's brazen decision to issue Russian passports in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory." The U.S. State Department also criticized Russia's move, saying Moscow "through this highly provocative action, is intensifying its assault on Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity." Frozen Conflicts Critics point to other frozen conflicts in former Soviet republics where Russia has granted citizenship to residents of separatist-held territory in order to choreograph demographic changes over time and justify future military operations. In 2002, the Kremlin began granting Russian citizenship to residents of Georgias breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia -- a policy that helped raise the number of Russian passport holders there from about 20 percent to more than 85 percent of the population. Then, when Russia went to war against Georgia in August 2008, the Kremlin justified its deployment of Russian military forces in Abkhazia and South Ossetia by saying those forces were needed to protect Russia citizens in the separatist regions. Russian media reports say Russia has also issued its passports to nearly half of the residents of Moldovas Moscow-backed breakaway region of Transdniester. That policy has raised concerns in Chisinau that the Kremlin may use a similar argument of defending its citizens in order to justify future Russian military operations in Transdniester. Russia has maintained a "peacekeeping" force of 1,200 troops in the Transdniester region along the border with southeastern Ukraine since they were deployed there in 1992 in support of Transdniester separatists who were fighting against Moldovan government forces. NATO describes Russia's protracted military presence in Moldova's frozen conflict as illegal. NATO and the United Nations General Assembly have both urged Russia to withdraw its military forces from the breakaway Moldovan territory. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian, Georgian, and Moldovan services, Reuters, and AP WASHINGTON -- In the lexicon of U.S. counterintelligence, it's called "spot and assess," "access agents," and "back channels." According to U.S. prosecutors, it's also what Maria Butina, a now 30-year-old Russian graduate student, was doing during her time in United States. "Butina was not a spy in the traditional sense of trying to gain access to classified information to send back to her home country. She was not a trained intelligence officer," prosecutors wrote in a memo. "But the actions she took were nonetheless taken on behalf of the Russian Official for the benefit of the Russian Federation, and those actions had the potential to damage the national security of the United States." The assertion, made in filings in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., was part of federal authorities' final arguments in their case against Butina, who is scheduled for sentencing on April 26 after pleading guilty last year to being an unregistered agent of a foreign government. She could get up to five years in prison, although U.S. officials have requested 18 months and her subsequent deportation. In addition to laying out the final arguments, the filings provide insight into how U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials view efforts by Russia to infiltrate political groups, academia, business circles, and other parts of U.S. society. "Acquiring information valuable to a foreign power does not necessarily involve collecting classified documents or engaging in cloak-and-dagger activities," another memo included in the filing said. Though separate from the now-concluded investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the case against Butina touched on many of the same issues that continue to roil U.S. politics: how and why Russia sought to interfere in U.S. politics in and before the 2016 presidential election. 'Espionage-Lite' At the heart of Butina's case is the allegation that before and during her studies at American University in Washington she sought to build relationships with U.S. conservative political groups, including the influential National Rifle Association (NRA), on behalf of at least one powerful Kremlin-connected lawmaker. She was charged not under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) but under a lesser-known U.S. law informally known as "espionage-lite." That legislation targets "espionage-like or clandestine behavior or an otherwise provable connection to an intelligence service, or information gathering or procurement-type activity on behalf of a foreign government." In court filings, prosecutors homed in on specific projects that Butina allegedly undertook. For example, in March 2015, she is said to have drafted something called the "Diplomacy Project" with help from "U.S. Person 1" and, to carry out the plan, requested $125,000 from a Russian billionaire to attend conferences and set up "separate meetings with interested parties." U.S. Person 1 is widely believed to be Paul Erickson, a conservative U.S. activist identified as Butina's boyfriend. He was charged in February with fraud in a case unrelated to Butina's. The filings have asserted that Butina's main backer in Russia was Aleksandr Torshin, a former top Central Bank official and former lawmaker whom Spanish authorities have alleged has links to Russian organized crime. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in April 2018, three months before Butina was arrested. Butina was "fully aware that he reported to the rest of the Russian government and her actions were ultimately for the benefit of the foreign government," prosecutors alleged. In their April 19 filing, prosecutors included a memo, or "declaration," by Robert Anderson, a 20-year veteran of the FBI and former assistant director for its counterintelligence division. Aimed at bolstering the government's arguments, the memo highlights in detail how the FBI identifies the activities of foreigners that would potentially be considered espionage. "A spot-and-assess operation does not require secret encryption, dead drops, or any other trappings of a Hollywood spy story," Anderson wrote. "Butina collected information about numerous American citizens who she believed had access to and influence with senior levels of the United States government. She focused specifically on Americans with political influence and Americans who had access, or were expected to acquire access, to the incoming presidential administration. Her ability to gain meaningful access to these powerful individuals would be incredibly valuable to the Russian government," he alleged. "That Butina presented herself as someone with high-level connections in the Russian government but never asked potential targets to provide any confidential information or do anything obviously illegal is entirely consistent with a spot-and-assess operation," Anderson said. Andrew Weiss, who was a top Russia director for the National Security Council under former Democratic President Bill Clinton, said the entire filing, including with the Anderson declaration, should be viewed not only in the context of the Butina case but also in parallel to what was outlined in the Mueller report, a partly redacted version of which was released on April 18. In it, Mueller corroborated U.S. intelligence conclusions of Russian meddling in the 2016 election that was won by President Donald Trump but "did not establish" that Trump campaign officials "conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities." "The biggest issue here is that we have a relatively small case compared to the massive set of issues raised within [the] Mueller [investigation]. And here you have the Justice Department prosecutors...outlining why what Butina did was so damaging, and then they amplify it with Anderson's declaration," said Weiss, who also served at the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon. Pliable Interlocutors He said that mirrored what appeared to be happening in 2016 and 2017, when Russian businessmen and others were said to be trying to reach out to the incoming Trump administration -- something that was documented in the Mueller report. "The question is: Is it bad to have people who are looking for interlocutors who might be more pliable? Is it bad to have Russian figures see if Trump administration officials might be against the prevailing Republican notions of foreign policy, or policy toward Russia?" Weiss said. When she was arrested, Butina denied the charges. She changed her plea in December and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.\ Still, defense lawyers have strenuously fought the assertion that she was a spy, insisting that she was merely an eager advocate for improving a toxic relationship between Moscow and Washington. In their pre-sentencing filing, Butina's lawyers accused prosecutors of only belatedly asserting the "spot-and-assess" accusation and asked the judge to ignore it and not to let Anderson testify at her sentencing. They asserted that the prosecutors' memo "raises a wholly new theory of espionage activity that was never charged, never cleared by a grand jury, never disclosed, and never even raised directly with Maria during her 50-plus hours of interviews." Neither of her lawyers, Robert Driscoll or Alfred Carry, would comment further ahead of the sentencing. "Anderson's phraseology is so chilling because it shows an amazing level of Russia's potential ability to tip major U.S. foreign policy making in a favorable direction," Weiss said. "How does a sophisticated adversary with a huge intelligence apparatus operate in the United States," he added. "This is one manifestation of how they operate and it's surely not the only one." Shareholders of Anheuser-Busch InBev elected the former top executive at tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. as its new board chairman. Martin J. Barrington was appointed to the position at the annual meeting of the worlds biggest brewer on Wednesday, the company said. Barrington retired from Henrico County-based Altria in May 2018 after 25 years with the company, including the last six as chairman and CEO. Altria is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, the nations largest cigarette manufacturer. We believe that his experience as a former chairman and CEO of a listed, broadly held multinational company means that he brings strong qualifications to the role, AB InBev said last month when Barrington was nominated to become the board chairman. He is an expert in governance, regulatory topics and operational excellence, and left his previous role with a recognized track record for shareholder value creation. Barrington has been on the companys board of directors since October 2016. The three co-founders of Richmond-based CarLotz are finalists for the 2019 EY Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Mid-Atlantic region. CarLotz CEO Michael Bor, Chief Operating Officer Aaron Montgomery and Chief Financial Officer Will Boland are among 40 teams of regional companies that are finalists for the award. The regional finalists will gather June 13 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., where the winners will be announced. The EY program, in its 33rd year, recognizes entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. This is the CarLotz teams second time being honored with this award. The three were finalists for the 2015 regional award. CarLotz, which sells used vehicles on consignment, opened its first store off Midlothian Turnpike in Chesterfield County in 2011. It opened a second store in Henrico County in 2012. The company now has eight store locations across Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois and Texas. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) The Clark International Airport expects to return to normal operations by Friday after it was forced to shut down due to a strong earthquake that struck Luzon. Jaime Melo, chief executive officer of the Clark airport, said they expect to catch up with delayed flights which were cancelled since Monday afternoon, as the passenger terminal was damaged by the magnitude 6.1 quake. Yung accommodation of excess passengers, today lang yan. By tomorrow, back to normal na, Melo told CNN Philippines The Source. A portion of the airport ceiling collapsed as the ground shook, injuring seven persons. The quake also damaged over 1,000 square meters of the six-year-old structure, forcing airlines to cancel flights going to and from Clark until Wednesday, or two days after the earthquake. Melo said up to 36,000 people were affected by the airport shutdown, or about 11,000 passengers each day of the shutdown. Clark airport reopened for partial operations Wednesday afternoon, starting with six airlines servicing eight international routes and three domestic destinations, according to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority. Full operations resumed Thursday after temporary repairs were made to damaged structures. Melo said that the check-in counters were the worst hit by the tremor. The repairs are already done. Its temporary. The final repairs, we will have to look for the best contractor to provide for the government, he added. The airport official also apologized for the flight delays, and said that they provided bus fares and other contingencies for passengers who needed to leave Pampanga. The province was hit hardest by the quake although the epicenter was in Castillejos, Zambales. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Director Renato Solidum, Jr. explained that Pampanga felt stronger shaking due to its soft soil which is covered by lahar deposits that trace back to the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. READ: No quake damage at SEA Games venues in New Clark City Officials of the Clark airport said they would investigate the agreement with E.M. Cuerpo Incorporated, the contractor of the old terminal, amid allegations that the company used substandard materials when it built the structure six years ago. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said repairs would cost the government about 30 to 50 million for the repairs, although Melo said the cost would be shouldered by the airport operator for now. The Clark airport is being eyed as the alternative gateway to Metro Manila, as authorities look to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Gonzalez-Flores called his girlfriend at some point later and asked her to cover for him by reporting the pickup truck had been stolen. He admitted he had been in an accident and fled. But she refused to report the vehicle stolen and asked why he fled the scene. I was born to be a dog! he replied, according to a transcript of the recorded call that police recovered after she provided them her cellphone. When police caught up with Gonzalez-Flores three days later in Colonial Heights, he admitted to being involved in the crash and fleeing the scene, saying he was scared. He told investigators he didnt know whether he hit the gas or the brake before crashing into the car. In a later interview at police headquarters, Gonzalez-Flores said he stopped briefly after the crash and saw a woman in the front passenger seat, but fled because he knew he was wanted and that he was suspended. On Thursday, Gonzalez-Flores indicated in testimony that he may have stopped and rendered aid if he had known there was an injured child in the rear seat. Ramon Camacho testified that he and Gonzalez-Flores exchanged glances before the defendant drove away. Opponents of the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines will unveil a new anthem to the cause at a benefit concert on Friday night in Charlottesville. The SUN SiNG Collective, a multidisciplinary arts project, will perform To the River at the Jefferson Theater in a concert to support the Interfaith Alliance for Climate Justice, a nonprofit group based in Fauquier County. The concert will begin at 6 p.m. The collective represents musicians, visual artists, videographers, designers and puppet masters who use their work to protest construction of the two natural gas pipelines from shale fields in West Virginia through parts of Virginia to southeastern markets. Their connection is a conviction that we must act now to stop new fossil fuel infrastructure, said Kay Ferguson, producer of the benefit concert. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a 600-mile project led by Dominion Energy, a Richmond-based energy giant, that would cross the Allegheny Highlands, the Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont to southeastern Virginia and North Carolina. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is a 303-mile project under construction through western Virginia to an existing pipeline in Pittsylvania County. The health department on Thursday warned Virginians that cases of hepatitis A have increased substantially this year. Outbreaks of hepatitis A have been occurring throughout the United States since 2016 and coincide with the rise in illicit use of opioids. The Virginia Department of Health said cases have increased 132 percent between Jan. 1 and April 19, when compared with the same time period last year. As of Monday, 45 cases were reported in the state this year. The increase in HAV cases in Virginia indicates that the commonwealth is now experiencing the effects of this nationwide outbreak, said Health Commissioner Norman Oliver in a news release. We want everyone to know how the infection is spread, be able to recognize the symptoms, and take actions to prevent the spread of hepatitis A. The virus is spread through direct contact with another person who has the infection or by consuming food or drink that has been contaminated with the virus. Those most at risk of infection are people who use drugs, are incarcerated or homeless and men who have sex with men. Hepatitis A vaccine are available at many doctors offices, pharmacies and local health departments. Symptoms include jaundice, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, joint pain, dark urine and clay-colored stools. The health department said people with symptoms should stay home from work especially if they work in food service, health care or child care. Virginia has created way for localities to host needle exchange programs as one way to stop the spread of the virus among injection drug users. Roanoke recently announced it would support such a program, the fourth in the state. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. On Feb. 18, this newspaper published a front-page story with the headline: Virginia Tech is leveraging talent, local tech giant in effort to become Blockchain U. Written by my colleague Robby Korth, the piece described a computer science class in something called the blockchain taught by Kirk Cameron. More about the blockchain is below. Suffice it to say that its a hot, relatively new technology that could change a lot of things in the world. For the past decade, its best-known use has been as the foundation for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, a medium of exchange unregulated by governments or central banks. The overarching point Cameron made in the article was, the blockchain is a technology that has a lot of applications beyond cryptocurrency. Korths article described the blockchain thusly: Blockchain technology uses decentralized networks to store and process data in a way that offers unprecedented transparency and security. Basically, its a foolproof way to document the creation and ownership of intellectual property, or to log financial transactions, or anything time-sensitive, in a public ledger open to anyone. That way, Korths story noted, there can be no disputes over who owns what, nor any policy manipulations by governments. The possible applications seem almost endless. Thats one reason Tech is offering a class in the subject, and why, Cameron said in the article, the university would recruit researchers skilled in the blockchain and professors who could teach about it. The story went on to imagine a day when Tech offered a minor in the subject. That gave me a bright idea. Full of excitement, I called Cameron soon after Korths article appeared. Unfortunately, his university voicemail was so overwhelmed with messages that it wasnt accepting any more. I sent a vague message to his public email address, asking that he contact me. It elicited no response. Heres why I was excited: The blockchain is based on an invention by two computer scientists, Scott Stornetta and Stuart Haber. In 1991, they devised and patented a digital time-stamping technique thats the blockchains undisputed foundation. Stornetta (I call him Scott) was my neighbor and best friend in junior high school. Back then, I spent more waking hours at his house than I did in my own. He was the fourth of five kids, all of whom were brilliant. Even at age 12, Scotts genius was obvious to just about everyone. Our school system tracked Scott and administered him SATs when he was in eighth grade. In high school, administrators gave him special access to the schools IBM 360, a huge mainframe programmed by unwieldy manila punch cards. At times he carried a stack of those. After high school, Scott studied physics at Harvard, MIT and Brigham Young, where he got married, and Stanford, where he earned a doctorate in the subject. Later, he and Haber were colleagues at Bellcore, a spinoff of Bell Labs, which at the time was perhaps the worlds leading communications and computer science research organization. Thats where they developed the digital time-stamping technology thats the foundation for the blockchain. Today, Scott, 59, teaches calculus and computer science at a public high school. Hes also the chief scientist at a New York-based private equity firm that invests in companies employing blockchain technology. (He looks not unlike Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft.) Last November, he was a featured star at the Malta A.I. Blockchain Summit, an international gathering of computer science luminaries on the Mediterranean archipelago. Organizers billed him as a founding father of the blockchain. When I called Scott recently to ask whether he would do a lecture at Tech, he was a bit more modest. Grandfather of the blockchain would be more accurate, he said. He seemed agreeable to a lecture, but his schedule wouldnt permit it before next fall. Amtrak to Roanoke would be the easiest way for him to get here, we decided, because he lives near a station where the Northeast Regional stops. I mentioned none of this, mind you, in my email to Cameron, the Virginia Tech professor, because I wanted to surprise him. When that didnt work, I reached out to two people at Tech who I know and gave them more details. Among those were links to articles about Scott, in publications such as the Wall Street Journal. That one was headlined The Eureka Moment that Made Bitcoin Possible. It described how Scott hit upon a solution to a problem he and Haber had been pondering for awhile when Scott and his family were in an ice cream parlor in Morristown, New Jersey. Another was an article on Motherboard.com, an online technology magazine, titled The Worlds Oldest Blockchain Has Been Hiding in the New York Times Since 1995. It described how a company founded by Scott and Haber has used the New York Times classifieds weekly since 1995 to assure the reliability of its digital timestamps. Anyway, I was assured by two different contacts at Tech that they had forwarded material on Scott to the whizbangs in Techs computer science department. Im still waiting for a response. Naively, I believed Blockchain U would jump at the chance to bring the founding father of blockchain or at least its grandfather to Blacksburg for a guest lecture. That would be akin to an aerospace engineering program having Orville Wright address its students about flight. Or Alexander Fleming lecturing to future physicians about the discovery of penicillin. At the least, I thought, it would be nifty and probably cheap for Tech to get Scott to come to Blacksburg. Maybe this column will get their attention. Well see. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By Miles Morin Morin is executive director of the Virginia Petroleum Council. As you power up your laptop, turn on your kitchen lights, or crank up your thermostat, understand that it takes infrastructure to maintain the quality of life we enjoy. Energy is the backbone of our economy, which is why natural gas pipelines and other infrastructure are essential to maintaining the everyday conveniences we depend on to live our lives. So why all the attention on natural gas pipelines in our area? In recent years, one of the largest deposits of natural gas was discovered in areas stretching from West Virginia to New York. Known as the Marcellus and Utica deposits, the discovery was tremendous in its scope. These deposits have the capacity to make the U.S. energy independent for years to come. Energy independence is a huge deal for working families. Being dependent on Russia or the Middle East for our fuel sources leaves us vulnerable to huge price increases like those that have occurred multiple times in recent decades. In fact, the price of energy is low right now in large part because of the abundance of natural gas in the United States. The bottom line is that families and businesses both benefit from low-cost and reliable sources of energy. The discovery of huge natural gas deposits comes at an important time because coal plants, for decades the principal source of electric generation in the U.S., are shutting down in large numbers. This switching from coal to natural gas has actually led to an 11% reduction in our countrys total carbon emissions since 2000. As Jason Bordott, the highly respected Director of Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy stated, The U.S. has led the world in emissions reductions in the last decade, thanks in large part to cheap gas displacing coal. Wind and solar power will play an increasingly important role in energy production, but they currently account for about 8% of all U.S. electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. More importantly in the short term, wind and solar are intermittent sources of electricity, meaning they generate power only when the sun is shining or wind is blowing. Over time, there will likely be storage solutions to address this problem. But until that occurs, utilities will be faced with the option of either running coal plants or converting to natural gas which emits half the carbon to meet public energy demands. The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) will connect these vast new natural gas deposits with markets in Virginia and other states. And make no mistake, the gas will flow locally in the Roanoke Valley on MVP, with two taps already announced in Franklin County and Montgomery County. Franklin County currently has no access to natural gas, which makes the area uncompetitive for many economic development projects. The former Franklin County Administrator stated that the county wouldnt even be considered for large industrial projects without access to natural gas. Now the county has an industrial park near one of the new taps, which will provide incentives to locate projects in this area. There are currently two natural gas pipelines serving our region, both originating in the Gulf Coast. Roanoke Gas has stated that absent a prolonged economic recession, they will reach a supply availability deficit in the near future. This is no idle threat. The utility serving large areas of New York recently announced a moratorium on new natural gas hook-ups in Westchester County because they lack the supply pipelines needed to connect markets and consumers. Other regions of the country are already suffering the severe consequences of their failure to ensure infrastructure is adequate to meet public demand. In New England in recent years, energy providers had to import liquefied natural gas from Russia because they were denied permission to build the needed pipelines to serve their consumers. The result was massive price increases during cold weather periods paid by hardworking families, with the blame resting squarely on their government leaders who lacked the will and foresight to improve their energy infrastructure. The construction of MVP resulted in the hiring of 2,500 workers during the summer. More than 800 of the workers were Virginia residents paid an average of $57,000 a year. While opponents of the project have slowed progress and the number of employees has been reduced, this has only hurt working families trying to make ends meet. Finally, the six counties where MVP will be located will benefit from $7 million a year in collective new property tax revenue to be paid by Mountain Valley. These funds will support local schools, law enforcement and other vital services. Natural gas pipelines play an important role in keeping our energy costs low and our overall quality of life high. While they may operate out of sight, their value to the public must be brought into view. By Tom Taylor Taylor is the author of The Sin Bearer and other novels. He is retired from the Norfolk Southern Corporation and lives in Roanoke. Ronald Reagan once called America a shining city on a hill. Some years ago I was trying to teach English to a Vietnamese immigrant. He had been a ranger who had fought the communists in Vietnam; and through much heartbreak, hardship and danger, had at last come (legally, I might add) to America. Once, during a lesson on American government, he asked me in seeming frustration, Who are the Americans? I think I know what he meant. All the different nationalities, races and cultures here who were the ones who laid the foundation of this shining city on a hill? Sadly, with my poor command of Vietnamese, I couldnt tell him. I wish I could have explained that America was founded, not on race or geography, but on a noble idea. Who are the Americans? In a sense they are those English nobles in 1215 A.D. who demanded King John sign the Magna Carta, that early gleaming in Western history that human liberty is granted by a higher power than the king. Among the Americans also was an influential English Judge, Henry DeBracton, who posited in 1250 AD that, while God could have crushed Satan by using his sheer power, Christ died so that Satans work could be destroyed by way of justice and law. Because God chose to work within the confines of justice, so should the King who is under Him. The Americans were those who sided with Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford. At risk to his life in 1644, Rutherford wrote Lex Rex, wherein he used Biblical Scripture to show that the Kings authority is legitimate only when he acts within the law. Then, in 1760, the English jurist Sir William Blackstone wrote Commentaries on the Law of England in which he said there are only two legitimate sources of law. One is natural law, enacted when the Supreme Being formed the Universe and created matter out of nothing. The second source is Divine law to be found only in the Holy Scriptures. The Americans embraced Blackstones reasoning. There were more copies of his Commentaries in the American colonies before the Revolution than were in England. Do we see a pattern here? Is it obvious that American liberty blossomed from the Judeo-Christian Bible? Do we see the conviction that all citizens, including government officials, are equal under the law is possible only when we believe law came from an authority higher than any man? Thomas Jefferson thought so. When he, being familiar with Blackstones Commentaries, declared our inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he appealed to the Judeo-Christian worldview that mankind is endowed with liberty by no less than the Creator God. In later years he wrote: Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that their liberties are a gift from God? To this great shining conviction the Americans dedicated their lives, fortunes and sacred honor. John Quincy Adams later said The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one dissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity. What wonderful words for a shining city on a hill. But today few hear them; and the citys lights are growing dim, especially for our young people. When Republican Senator Bill Carrico recently introduced a bill to allow elective courses in the Bible in Virginias public schools, by the reaction from some quarters, especially the Democrats, you would have thought he had introduced some new and radical, dangerous idea. But an acquaintance with the history and concepts of the Bible are exactly what students need if they would understand where our national culture and liberties came from, and the wonderful heritage of freedom they possess as citizens of America. An approaching cold front and low-pressure system will begin to spread showers over our region on this Thursday evening, continuing off and on overnight, peaking on Friday morning. There could be some rumbles of thunder, maybe a stray wind gust and some brief downpours on Friday morning, but overall rainfall amounts look to be modest for most, a half-inch or less, and there is not nearly the strong and changing winds with height that existed during last Friday's Carolinas-Virginia tornado outbreak. That said, as the front pushes by into somewhat warmer, more unstable air east of the Blue Ridge, with at least modest shear, there may be a threat of some severe storms developing, with localized damaging winds the main threat. A couple tornadoes would not be surprising, probably more toward Richmond or Hampton Roads rather than in our neck of the woods, but it's worth keeping half an eye on, as of course it only takes one rogue storm to wreak havoc for someone. While most locations near us will probably not see high winds with thunderstorms, there will be more widespread gusts behind the cold front, possibly reaching 50 mph in some spots, especially higher elevations. A wind advisory has been issued for that potential, with a high wind warning for the highest terrain of Grayson County into northwest North Carolina, where 60 mph gusts are possible. There may be a few more stray showers on those breezes during the afternoon and early evening, but likely greatly diminished from the morning. As gusty as the front may be, it's not really all that cold. Lows will drop back into the 40s for the weekend, but with some sunshine, daytime highs will rebound into the 60s and lower 70s on Saturday and likely more widespread 70s by Sunday. It will probably be midweek before the next showery cold front in the coming week. Contact Kevin Myatt at kevin.myatt@roanoke.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevinmyattwx. Local Weather Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. AN ARSON attack involving a bin spread to a shop fascia in Rotherham town centre. Firefighters were called to Effingham Street at 9.10pm yesterday (Wednesday) and were there for 20 minutes. A crew from Elm Lane station dealt with a deliberate car fire involving a Ford Mondeo at Victoria Street in Masbrough at 4.45am today. DRUG dealers who were at the bottom of the criminal food chain have been given one last chance by a judge. Jamie Blackwell (26, pictured right), of Alma Road, Rotherham, and Danny Reagan (19, left), of Powell Street, Sheffield, were sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years, at Sheffield Crown Court for dealing heroin and crack cocaine. The men were caught after police raided a bungalow in Rotherham where Blackwell was staying in February 2017. Judge Peter Kelson warned the pair if they were before him again they would see the harsh side of him. Blackwell was arrested at the scene and Reagan was caught after fleeing on foot. Mr Neil Coxon prosecuting said: Reagan was detained and was seen to throw a bag containing heroin and cocaine over a fence. These two defendants were low-level street dealers at the bottom of the criminal food chain. Reagans bag contained 17 wraps of heroin with an estimated street value of 155 and 20 wraps of cocaine worth around 200. When Reagan was arrested, he said: Theyre not my drugs. Im holding them for somebody else, Mr Coxon said. Officers searched the bungalow and found 0.12g of heroin, two sets of digital scales and cling film. When they raided Reagans Sheffield home they discovered 1,000 in cash along with two scales and a carrier bag containing 300 individual dealer bags. Reagans mobile phone, which was seized, was found to have made frequent calls and text messages to Blackwells mobile phone. The court heard last Thursday that Blackwells phone had text messages from people asking for 1+1 which the prosecution said referred to cocaine and heroin. Blackwell told police during his interview that 1+1 was the codename for painkillers ibuprofen and co-codamol. Blackwell pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three counts of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. Reagan admitted two counts of supplying a class A drug and possession of criminal property on the day his trial was due to begin in January. Mr Geoff Fleming, mitigating for Blackwell, said: He didnt have the best start in life but he now has a settled address. If he was sent into custody his reaction may well be to give up. Judge Peter Kelson said: You are both before me for serious drugs offences involving class A drugs heroin and cocaine. Danny Reagan, you were 17 at the time of the offence and I cant in my mind distinguish between the two of you, so in both your cases you will get a two-year jail term which will be suspended for two years. Judge Kelson said a psychiatric report had found that Blackwell was susceptible to subjugation being brought under control and Reagan had positive references from an employer and family members. You are both looking down the barrel of a long prison sentence but Im giving you one chance, said Judge Kelson. This is it one last chance then its all over. If you let me down, you will see me and you will see the harsh side of me. Blackwell and Reagan were ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. Captain accused Badals of trying to divide the people Fatehgarh Sahib, April 25: Putting the blame squarely on the Akalis for the spate of desecrations, and the police firing incidents of Bargari and Kotkapura, that rocked the state during their regime, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday accused the Badals of trying to divide the people and polarize the communities in Punjab. They did nothing to control the situation and allowed it to get out of hand, which clearly indicated their involvement in the Behbal Kalan and other incidents, said the Chief Minister, addressing a public rally in support of Congress candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib, Dr. Amar Singh, who filed his nomination papers today. Advertisement Just one more month for you to enjoy, and then you will meet your fate, he warned the Badals, adding that they should remember they cannot escape their sins forever. The Sikhs would never forget or forgive them for the defilement of their holy scripture, said Captain Amarinder, adding that the Badals and others claiming to be Akalis were playing a farce on the people of Punjab. The original Akali Dal, formed during the Gurdwara Movement, was committed to sacrificing itself to safeguard Sikhi, unlike the present Akali Dal which had looted the state for 10 years. Asserting that the Akal Takth was the `jaan and `shaan (life and pride) of Sikhs, Captain Amarinder called upon the people to teach the Badals a lesson for eroding the dignity of the highest temporal seat of the community by summoning and giving orders to the Jathedar. His ancestors had historic ties with the holy city of Fatehgarh Sahib and he would continue to uphold the same, said the Chief Minister, recalling that it was Baba Ram Singh (of Patiala) and Baba Tarlok Singh (of Naba and Jind) who had disguised themselves as Pandits to perform the last rites of the Bade Sahibzada. Advertisement The tradition of sacrifice for the people was in his blood, declared Captain Amarinder, adding that the self-styled `Maharathi Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife Harsimrat Badal would be routed out by the people of Ferozepur and Bathinda, from where they were contesting these polls. Though they claim to be the custodians of Sikhi, they did not do anything for the development of the holy city of Fatehgarh or the Panth, said the Chief Minister, pointing out that it was the Congress government which got the gates constructed in Fatehgarh Sahib and the 40 muktas (minarets) in Muktsar here. Advertisement Appealing to the people to vote for Dr Amar Singh, a highly experienced former IAS officer, Captain Amarinder said the Congress remained committed to the development of Punjab, which had witnessed unprecedented devastation during the SAD-BJP rule. The Congress government in the state was working hard to reverse the situation in Punjab by ensuring the uplift of all sections of the society, he said. Sharing the pain of the farmers who had lost their crops in the recent unseasonable storm and rainfall, he said a special girdwara had already been initiated and the affected farmers would soon get their compensation. Bhatinda will teach her a lesson: Captain BATHINDA, APRIL 25: Vowing to cleanse Punjab of the Badals, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said the people of Bathinda would punish Harsimrat Badal for her arrogance and the widespread sacrilege cases under the Badal rule. Harsimrat had completely betrayed Punjab and its people by her total failure to support the state in its various confrontations against the central government, in which herself was a union minister, said the Chief Minister, adding that Bhatinda will teach her a lesson. Captain Amarinder was addressing a press conference here, soon after accompanying Congress candidate from Bathinda, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, to the DC office for filing his nomination papers. Finance Minister Manpreet Badal also accompanied the Chief Minister, along with Warring and other senior Congress leaders, who were also present at the press conference. Exuding confidence of a complete sweep by the Congress in Punjab in these Lok Sabha elections, the Chief Minister said the people of the state had not forgotten Bargari or Kotkapura, which were a brazen attempt by the Badals to create communal tension. Advertisement Harsimrat Badal Prakash Singh Badal had no business intervening in the Bargari investigation, and the Election Commission crossed its line in shifting out a key SIT officer probing the incident, said the Chief Minister, adding that people have not forgotten what the Badals did and were aware of their efforts to create a communal divide in the state. How can people forget beadbi, he quipped. They (the Badals) will face the consequences of their actions, he warned, recalling that the courts had put Badal behind the bars even during his previous tenure. He had full faith in the law and the judiciary, said Captain Amarinder, adding that the law will take its own course. We have to cleanse Punjab of the Badals, he declared, adding that he planned to spend two days in Bathinda, the constituency of Harsimrat, and two in Ferozepur, where her husband and SAD president Sukhbir Badal is contesting, to campaign against them. He said he would expose the lies of the Badals on drugs and other issues, and would ensure that the people are not misled by their fabrications. Advertisement Finance Minister Manpreet Badal Pointing out that he had broken the backbone of drugs, as promised Captain Amarinder said the state government was battling drugs on various fronts, particularly the attempts of ISI to finish Punjabs youth by pushing in drugs through Kashmir, Gujarat and other states. Asked to comment on Pratap Singh Bajwas remarks against the Congress high commands decision to pin responsibility for electoral performance on ministers and MLAs of the party in Punjab, Captain Amarinder said while victory or defeat was the responsibility of the entire party, senior leaders had to be held more accountable. He warned that senior leaders found trying to sabotage the prospects of any candidate would have to face the consequences of their actions. To a question on the probe into the Maur blast, the Chief Minister refused to comment since the SIT was still investigating the case. In response to a question about Gurdaspur poll scenario in the light of the BJP pitting actor Sunny Deol against PPCC president Sunil Jakhar, Captain Amarinder said the reports from the ground there were in favour of the Congress, and his party would sweep the polls. The wife of Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of Nissan and Renault, said Wednesday she is worried whether her husband, detained in Japan on financial misconduct allegations, will receive a fair trial, and expressed outrage over a justice system that dragged him back into custody. This has been a nightmare. Were devastated, our lives turned upside down. And we see no end in sight. For him to be rearrested, and he is on bail, thats something unheard of. Im shocked, Carole Ghosn said in a telephone interview from New York. Carlos Ghosn, who led Nissan Motor Co. for 20 years, rescuing it from the brink of bankruptcy, was arrested in November and released on bail last month, but was arrested again on April 4. His wife recalled the scene of his rearrest earlier this month, saying 20 prosecutors came into their Tokyo apartment at 5:50 a.m., when she was still in her pajamas, and seized her cellphone, passport and documents that defense lawyers had been preparing for the trial. Advertisement Although such seizures might lead to a mistrial in the U.S., prosecutors are allowed such actions in Japan, legal experts say. Early morning arrests and raids are routine in Japan. We are concerned about a fair trial, she said. They now know what we were planning as a defense, what evidence we have. He has been charged with falsifying financial documents in under-reporting his retirement compensation and with breach of trust in dubious payments. He says hes innocent, noting the compensation was never decided and saying the payments were legitimate. In a video prepared before his latest arrest, he accused some executives at Nissan of plotting against him over what he called selfish fears they had about his leadership and Nissan merging with French alliance partner Renault SA. Nissan has said an internal investigation found wrongdoing, ousted Ghosn from its board and promised to fix faulty governance. Ghosns detention has been approved through April 22, but that can be extended further. Prosecutors say the latest breach of trust allegations are new, and there is risk evidence may be destroyed. Carole Ghosn said she will return to Japan when her husband is released on bail. She said the conditions of her husbands detention are harsh, using a term that refers to long detentions without convictions in Japan, hostage justice. Like others who undergo detention in Japan, Ghosn is in solitary confinement, and is interrogated by prosecutors all day. He gets fresh air a half hour each day, but is not allowed outdoors over the weekend. Carole Ghosn said she was worried about his health because he has been weakened by the long detention and is not getting enough sunlight. She was also recently questioned in a Japanese court. She declined to give details, but said there was little substance to the questioning. She is not a suspect but agreed to be questioned voluntarily. She stressed that her husband is ready for a fight, and said she was proud of him. When youre put in a situation that is so unfair, it eats you up and you want to fight every moment that you can because he knows how unjust it is, and he knows hes been stabbed in the back, she said. Anyone who is put in an unfair situation, you want to fight for your rights. You want to fight for your innocence. You want to fight to clear your name. ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Alejandra Campoverdi forged a path for herself that some only dream of, turning humble beginnings into a life of poise and power. She had been that perfect student who made it to USC and then Harvard against all odds. She turned a volunteer position with then-Sen. Barack Obamas presidential campaign into a post at the White House. She added high-profile media jobs with Univision and the Los Angeles Times to her resume and made a mighty but unsuccessful run for Congress. In campaign materials, Campoverdi was a natural, flashing a smile with her head held high, her silky brown hair primped just right. She did all this despite the disadvantages she faced having been the daughter of immigrants, raised on welfare. But something was looming in Campoverdis life, in her blood, that had the power to take all of that away. Advertisement Breast cancer was attacking every woman in her life. The disease stole her great-grandmother Maria Elena Uribe when she was in her 70s. It came after her grandmother in her 60s and then her mother at age 49. One aunt survived cancer a few years ago; another just finished treatment in February. It seemed only a matter of time before it came for her. But Campoverdis approach to the deadly disease typified a generational shift. While others in her family ignored a lump, or let the doctors take the lead, Campoverdi said she decided to become the CEO of her own body. In 2014, Campoverdi tested positive for a mutation in her BRCA2 gene, confirming what she already knew: A high risk of breast cancer ran in her blood. Alejandra Campoverdi with Dr. Kristi Funk. Campoverdis surgery was to employ an innovative method created by Funk. Christina House / Los Angeles Times Campoverdi dove into researching and consulting with doctors about what she should do next. She met with the man who discovered BRCA2 gene mutations and interviewed him for a documentary on the subject that she executive produced. She launched initiatives to make sure the path for others behind her would be a little bit easier. Through social media, Campoverdi memorialized each step of her breast cancer crusade and agreed to let Times journalists chronicle her medical journey over many months. Last fall, at age 39, she decided to go forward with a double mastectomy that would reduce her risk of getting cancer from 85% to less than 3%. Tests failed to find any traces of disease in her body, but Campoverdi decided she was going to get breast cancer before it got her. Campoverdi grew up in a cramped, rent-controlled apartment in Santa Monica, with up to eight family members living there at a time. She was surrounded by women, and her father was absent from her life. Any loss was filled by her grandmothers doting. Maria Lousia Medellin her Abi, short for abuelita walked her to school each morning after a prayer. For years, on their walks, Medellin made it a habit to bring coffee each day to a homeless man they knew as King Edward. Despite her desire to give rather than receive, Medellin depended on financial help from family to pay for rent and necessities, Campoverdi said. Health insurance was a luxury she couldnt afford. And besides, going to the doctor was for sick people. So when her grandmother discovered a lump in her breast, she didnt add a burden to the family. She said nothing. She did nothing. When her grandmother finally got medical treatment, Campoverdi had just been cast to be the lead in a high school musical, Polly Baker in Crazy for You. Drained by the chemotherapy, her grandmother was asleep when Campoverdi left for class in the morning, and when she returned home from rehearsing in the evenings. Medellin grew frail, lost all her hair and became 80 pounds lighter. She did manage to will herself out of bed one day, though. She bought a pearly blue rosary and walked to her church, where she had it blessed, and returned to her bed with the gift for her granddaughter. Medellin died the morning Campoverdis play debuted. It destroyed me, Campoverdi said. How much more time I wish I could have spent with her. Alejandra Campoverdi with a portrait of her late grandmother, who died from breast cancer. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Alejandra Campoverdis sister Monica Medellin, with their mother, Cecilia Medellin, becomes emotional talking about her late grandmother. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Alejandra Campoverdi holds a rosary given to her by her grandmother. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Alejandra Campoverdi, top, with a portrait of her late grandmother, who died from breast cancer. At left, Campoverdis sister Monica Medellin, with their mother, Cecilia Medellin, becomes emotional talking about her late grandmother. At right, Campoverdi holds a rosary given to her by her grandmother. (Photographs by Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Campoverdi struggled on, as the women in her family have always done. She finished high school racking up a list of accomplishments class president, homecoming queen, high honors and more. To make ends meet, she worked as a model and actress while studying at USC. Then, after Campoverdi graduated, her mother, Cecilia Medellin, was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was ... trying to make sure to wrap my head around what could potentially be my new reality. Alejandra Campoverdi It turned out that the same stubborn doggedness she learned from the strong women around her proved to be one of her biggest challenges as she became her mothers caretaker. Cecilia Medellin informed her daughter one day that she would not go through with chemotherapy, despite her doctors insistence. She didnt think she could take it. Things grew tense between mother and daughter. They didnt speak for a time, resorting to writing emotional letters to each other. I was obviously petrified of the idea of losing my mother, but also trying to make sure to wrap my head around what could potentially be my new reality, Campoverdi recalled. She worried that while still in her 20s she would have to serve as the mother of her younger sister. Her mother eventually relented and went through with the treatment, and a lumpectomy eliminated the cancerous tissue. Behind the story: For a daughter of immigrants, a story stirs up memories of her own famliy Years later, as Campoverdis chances of developing cancer increased with age, she urged her mother to get tested to see whether she had any BRCA mutations that put her at greater risk for the disease. Her mother hesitated before finally accepting in 2014. The test, unsurprisingly, came back positive. Thats when I decided to get tested, Campoverdi said. Five years earlier, she started at the White House and eventually became the first deputy director of Hispanic Media. From 2014 to 2016, she was director of video initiatives at the Los Angeles Times and managing editor of a multicultural effort called #EmergingUS. She went on to become senior advisor to Mellody Hobson, who is vice chairwoman of Starbucks and married to George Lucas. Campoverdi ran for Californias 34th Congressional District in 2017 with a primary platform of universal healthcare. In her first campaign video, her mother sat beside her as she spoke publicly for the first time about being a BRCA gene mutation carrier. As an aide in the Obama White House, I proudly worked to help pass Obamacare because I knew it would save lives. I never imagined one of those lives might be my own, she said in the ad. This debate isnt about politics. Its personal for millions of Americans. She didnt win the primary, but her planned double mastectomy became her next campaign. Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo, right, introduces Alejandra Campoverdi during a presentation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Los Angeles City Hall in October. Christina House / Los Angeles Times Leveraging Instagrams worldwide reach, Campoverdi documented moments leading up to her surgery and bonded with women over their shared experience. Her feed is topped with highlights labeled Surgery Prep, Surgery, Recovery and Holistic Health and she details the vitamins, celery juice cleanses and other products for her followers. In one post, theres a photo of her body being covered in white paste. She had a cast made of her torso to be plated in bronze and held as a memory of Campoverdis body before major surgery. There are photos of her at Abis grave, which she visited often to pray before the surgery in October. Be with me, be with me, be with me, she chanted to the tombstone, the pearly blue rosary wrapped around her hands. As she prepared for surgery, Campoverdi made sure to pick up two of everything, thinking of her aunt, who was to go through the same experience just weeks after her. Campoverdis surgery was to employ an innovative method created by her surgeon, Dr. Kristi Funk, whose patient roster includes Angelina Jolie. Campoverdi would first get a nipple delay, a procedure in which the full mastectomy incision is made and a portion of skin is lifted off the breasts to induce increased blood flow and reduce the risk of complications for the primary surgery weeks later. She recognizes that she is privileged, able to work with the best doctors and navigate her care with relative ease. Cultural factors, such as religion and family, may keep Latinas from getting tested, and economic disparities may prevent many from getting health insurance. Everyone, men and women, has two genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Latinas are not necessarily more likely to be carriers of a harmful mutation in either BRCA1 or BRCA2, or to be diagnosed with breast cancer compared with other ethnic populations. However, they are less likely to get preventative testing, such as mammograms, and are often diagnosed at later stages, said Susan Domchek, executive director of the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine. Thats why Campoverdi started the Well Woman Coalition, an initiative she hopes to use to empower women of color to take control of their health. She also partnered with the Basser Center for BRCA to launch Latinx & BRCA, the first awareness campaign on the BRCA gene mutation that targets Latinos and offers Spanish-language educational materials. Hooked up to an IV in a hospital bed, Campoverdi sat in a tiny curtained-off room at Providence St. Johns Health Center in Santa Monica surrounded by the hospitals hum and cream-colored walls. Cecilia Medellin makes the sign of the cross on daughter Alejandra Campoverdis forehead before her double mastectomy. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Cecilia Medellin, center, looks on as Dr. Kristi Funk talks with Alejandra Campoverdi before the surgery. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Alejandra Campoverdi heads to surgery with Dr. Kristi Funk, right, and Dr. Ritu Chopra, center. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Cecilia Medellin, top, makes the sign of the cross on daughter Alejandra Campoverdis forehead before her double mastectomy. At left, Medellin, center, looks on as Dr. Kristi Funk talks with Campoverdi before the surgery. At right, Campoverdi heads to surgery with Funk, right, and Dr. Ritu Chopra, center. (Photographs by Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Videographers pointed cameras at her, following her every move for the documentary she was producing. Even in a hospital gown, Campoverdi was at ease, and her hair shone. Knowing she wouldnt be able to shower or get a manicure anytime soon, she had gone to a hair appointment the morning before the surgery. Her nails were perfectly pink, as were her mothers and sisters. Her mother looked up from her laptop, then down again. She was reading a poem she had written for her daughter when Campoverdi had just gone through her first surgery as a child, for scoliosis. Would you like to hear it? her mother asked, and began reciting: Your love rivers in my veins Bursting them with pride Play me a love song piano girl You are not the princess You are the pyramid After taking selfies with her doctors, Campoverdi was rolled away into the operating room for the five-hour surgery that would remove and reconstruct her breasts. In the operating room, Campoverdi would recall later, she felt resolved and at peace. There, with that pearly blue rosary interlaced between her fingers, she felt her grandmother with her. The surgery went well, and in between the bed rest, vitamins and celery juice cleanses that followed documented on Instagram, of course Campoverdi had nearly forgotten about a post-op call she was supposed to get from her doctor. As a matter of routine, the breast tissue removed during surgery was closely examined, and her doctor, Kristi Funk, was to call her with the results. The call came six days after her surgery. She wasnt worried. Women who have their breasts removed never learn whether, in the end, it truly saved them. Without surgery, it might have been five years or 10 years before they were diagnosed. Maybe it would have been never. Then Campoverdis doctor spoke, and the woman used to being in control suddenly found herself struggling to follow as the blood rushed to her head. Im sorry, youre going to have to repeat everything you just said, she told her doctor. You had cancer, Funk said. As Campoverdi would recount later, her cancer was so small that it was considered stage zero hidden within her milk ducts and undetectable by every mammogram, every MRI, every ultrasound. If shed had any lingering doubts about the radical surgery beforehand, she certainly didnt have them now. I saved my own life, she said. Alejandra Campoverdi at her mothers home in Playa Vista. Christina House / Los Angeles Times Produced by Jessica Perez. Please consider subscribing today to support stories like this one. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Already a subscriber? Your support makes our work possible. Thank you. alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com Twitter: @r_valejandra Diners may soon have the chance to nibble away some of their climate guilt by patronizing California restaurants that have pledged to slash their carbon footprints to zero. Under a new program announced by state officials Wednesday, consumers will be able to choose from a list of zero-carbon eateries that offset emissions associated with their meals by funding greenhouse gas-reduction projects on California farms. Participating restaurants will either go through a verification process to be declared carbon neutral or add a 1% charge to customers checks that will pay farmers and ranchers to transition to climate-friendly practices. The funds will support gentler tilling methods, cover cropping, composting and other measures that pull carbon dioxide from their air, prevent its release from the soil or store it in the ground. Farmers will be paid $10 per ton of carbon removed from the atmosphere. Many farmers want to switch and do this kind of work, to make their crops better, to make their fields more resilient and their soil healthier, but it represents a lot of capital upfront that nobody has, said San Francisco chef Anthony Myint, co-founder of Perennial Farming Initiative, the San Francisco nonprofit that is launching the effort in collaboration with the state Air Resources Board and the state Department of Food and Agriculture. Advertisement So far, the Restore California initiative has received pledges of participation from about two dozen restaurants, including Border Grill, Cafe Gratitude and Spago in the Los Angeles area, and Benu in San Francisco. The program has the imprimatur of Californias chief climate regulator, who will develop metrics to track the amount of carbon saved and determine how much farmers should be paid by diners for adjusting their practices. People will know that their money is actually being used to reduce a very specific amount, said state Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols. Nichols and nonprofit organizers acknowledged that the zero-carbon restaurant program remains a work in progress. Funding, administration, implementation timelines and other key details are still being worked out. Its the beginning of the process more than it is a fully cooked project, Nichols said. However, she said, its an important step in establishing new mechanisms to squeeze carbon reductions from the food system a major source of planet-warming emissions. Changing agricultural practices to reduce and store greenhouse gases, known as carbon farming, holds some of the greatest promise for pulling carbon dioxide from the air, Nichols said. Its also the kind of transformation that must involve all aspects of Californias economy if the state is to meet its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. We are going to have to find ways to store more carbon in plants and in the earth, Nichols said. This turns out to be one of the single most effective ways. The developing program is an expansion of efforts by Perennial Farming Initiative, the culinary nonprofit run by Myint and his wife, Karen Leibowitz. As part of its work to fight climate change, the organization measures a restaurants carbon footprint through a top-to-bottom assessment of its ingredients and energy use and other operations. It then identifies ways to reduce emissions, such as switching to renewable electricity or sustainably raised beef. The restaurant pays for greenhouse gas-cutting projects to offset their remaining emissions until they are declared Zero Foodprint. Those assessments, Myint said, show that about two-thirds of a restaurants life-cycle emissions come from meal ingredients themselves. Though many restaurants already offer a wide spectrum of sustainable and locally grown cuisine, Myint said, it may be tougher to sell customers on paying a premium for food that is climate-friendly too. In his own restaurants, Myint said, he has struggled to make carbon-neutral cuisine as desirable as say, Kobe beef or a luxury electric car. People will pay $80,000 for a Tesla but they wont necessarily pay a dollar extra for the carbon-ranched burger, Myint said. Myint is hopeful that the blessing of state agencies will persuade more restaurants to go carbon-free or offer customers the option to offset their meals. Organizers are hoping to grow the list of participating restaurants to 100 by next year. In one encouraging sign, Myint said hes received no pushback from customers since deciding to add a 3% carbon offset charge at his restaurant Mission Chinese Food last year. Literally zero people have opted out. tony.barboza@latimes.com @tonybarboza A Pacoima man was charged with illegally storing a gun after his teenage son threatened to shoot one of his classmates at school, the Los Angeles city attorneys office announced Thursday. Albert Sanchez, 48, was charged with two criminal counts of unlawful storage of a firearm and, if convicted, faces up to a year in jail and $2,000 in fines, City Atty. Mike Feuer said at a news conference. The charges come after the principal of Chavez Academy in San Fernando reported to Los Angeles School Police that a ninth-grader threatened to bring a gun to school to shoot a classmate in November. Police said a parent went to the principal after learning that her child had been threatened. A student was identified in connection with the threat, and his locker and backpack were searched but no weapons were found. Advertisement School police then received information that there were weapons in the home of the teens father, identified as Sanchez. Officers went there, and Sanchez gave them permission to search the house. Inside, they found two unloaded and unsecured weapons. A .357 revolver was found in a bag in a dresser, and a .22-caliber rifle was found under a mattress, Feuer said. Sanchezs arraignment is scheduled for May 13. alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com Twitter: @r_valejandra It was in the dramatic final moments of the HBO documentary The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst that New York real estate scion Robert Durst is heard mumbling: Killed them all, of course. To some, his comments served as a confession to a series of killings of people close to Durst, crimes he has denied committing. And soon after the show aired, Durst was arrested in a long-ago L.A. killing. But what did Durst actually say on the HBO show, and how relevant will it be in his upcoming trial? Information provided to the court last year raised serious questions about his comment, and that could become an issue going forward. What is Durst accused of doing? He is charged with shooting writer Susan Berman in the back of the head inside her Benedict Canyon home. Advertisement Prosecutors said Berman was slain to keep her from telling authorities what she knew about the disappearance of Dursts first wife years earlier in New York. Los Angeles prosecutors have sought to build a case that Durst, the son of a prominent real estate tycoon, killed his wife, Kathleen, in 1982. Durst, 75, has denied killing both his wife and Berman, and he has pleaded not guilty in the Los Angeles case one that his lawyers argue was based on television hype, not evidence. What about the recording? Durst was arrested at a hotel in New Orleans in connection with Bermans slaying on March 14, 2015, the day before the HBO series finale aired. Officials found guns, cash, a fake ID and a mask. Dursts arrest was urgent, prosecutors argued, because the final episode included extremely damning evidence against him. In the finale, Durst mumbles a comment on a hot microphone during a bathroom break, which some have interpreted as a confession to multiple murders. What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course, Durst says, according to The Jinx. But as The Times reported last year, prosecutors played raw audio from the recording, which indicated that the miniseries producers spliced together statements out of order. Durst first mumbles, Killed them all, of course and makes several other comments before later uttering, What the hell did I do? It was edited and taken out of order, noted Dick DeGuerin, Dursts lead attorney. Yes, replied the judge, it appears it was. Some viewers considered the comment a confession to killing three people: Berman, his wife, and his onetime neighbor in Galveston, Texas. Durst fled to the small coastal town in Texas in the fall of 2000, days after articles about the reopening of an investigation into Kathleen Dursts disappearance began appearing in New York newspapers, prosecutors said. He rented a $300-a-month apartment and disguised himself as an elderly, mute woman. Prosecutors have argued that only one person in Galveston his neighbor, Morris Black knew his true identity. The real estate tycoon was charged with murdering Black but claimed at his 2003 trial that a gun fired while he was defending himself during a tussle with his neighbor. Testifying in his own defense, Durst said, The gun was aiming at me. He was pushing the gun toward me, and I was trying to pull the gun away, according to court documents. He fell to the ground and the gun went off, Durst testified, adding that he didnt go to police because he didnt think they would believe him. Durst admitted dismembering Blacks body and dumping the parts in Galveston Bay. Jurors acquitted Durst of murder. What is next in the case? After many delays, the trial is expected to begin in September. Dursts attorneys have suggested in court documents that they will file a motion to suppress evidence obtained from the documentary. Irans top diplomat on Wednesday made public an offer to the U.S. government for a prisoner swap that he said he made six months ago. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told the Asia Society that Iran had not received a response from the Trump administration. If they tell you anything else theyre lying, he said. The U.S. State Department made no mention of a prisoner swap in a statement that said: The Iranian regime can demonstrate its seriousness regarding consular issues, including Iranians who have been indicted or convicted of criminal violations of U.S. sanctions laws, by releasing innocent U.S. persons immediately. Zarif didnt specify who Iran might trade, though he mentioned the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British Iranian woman detained in Iran for nearly three years. Advertisement On the other side, he cited U.S. extradition warrants against an Iranian man with a heart condition held in Germany for trying to buy spare parts for civilian airplanes, and against an Iranian woman imprisoned in Australia for three years who was the translator in the purchase of equipment for Iranian broadcasting. He did not name either of them. Now we hear about Nazanin Zaghari and her child, and I feel sorry for them and Ive done my best to help, Zarif said. But nobody talks about this lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison, whose child is growing up outside prison with his mother in prison. As foreign minister, Zarif said, he can only involve himself on humanitarian grounds and where there is a possibility of a prisoner exchange, which he did once with the United States. We believe their charges are phony, he said of Iranians held in the U.S. The United States believes the charges against these people in Iran are phony. And I put this offer on the table publicly now: Exchange them, he said. Lets discuss them. Lets have an exchange. Im ready to do it, and I have authority to do it. Last month, former U.S. Navy cook Michael R. White from Imperial Beach, Calif., was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran, becoming the first American known to be imprisoned there since President Trump took office. Washington-based lawyer Mark Zaid told the Associated Press that White was convicted of insulting Irans supreme leader and posting private information online, but information surrounding the case remained vague. Three other Americans are known to be held in Iran. Iranian American Siamak Namazi and his octogenarian father, Baquer, a former representative for the U.N. childrens agency UNICEF who served as governor of Irans oil-rich Khuzestan province under the U.S.-backed shah, are both serving 10-year sentences on espionage charges. Iranian American art dealer Karan Vafadari and his Iranian wife, Afarin Neyssari, received 27-year and 16-year prison sentences, respectively. Chinese American graduate student Xiyue Wang was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly infiltrating the country while doing doctoral research on Irans Qajar dynasty. Iranian American Robin Shahini was released on bail in 2017 after staging a hunger strike while serving an 18-year prison sentence for collaboration with a hostile government. Shahini has since returned to America and is suing Iran in U.S. federal court. Also in an Iranian prison is Nizar Zakka, a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon who advocated for internet freedom and has done work for the U.S. government. He was sentenced to 10 years on espionage-related charges. Former FBI Agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission, remains missing. Iran says Levinson is not in the country and that it has no further information about him, though his family holds Tehran responsible for his disappearance. An avowed racist who orchestrated one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history was executed Wednesday in Texas for the dragging death of a black man. John William King, who was white, received lethal injection for the slaying nearly 21 years ago of James Byrd Jr., who was chained to the back of a truck and dragged for nearly three miles along a secluded road in the piney woods outside Jasper, Texas. The 49-year-old Byrd was alive for at least two miles before his body was ripped to pieces in the early morning hours of June 7, 1998. Prosecutors said Byrd was targeted because he was black. King was openly racist and had tattoos that included one of a black man with a noose around his neck hanging from a tree, according to authorities. King, 44, was put to death at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. He was the fourth inmate executed this year in the U.S. and the third in Texas, the nations busiest capital punishment state. Advertisement King kept his eyes closed as witnesses arrived in the death chamber and never turned his head toward relatives of his victim. Asked by Warden Bill Lewis if he had a final statement, King replied: No. Within seconds, the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began taking effect. He took a few barely audible breaths and had no other movement. He was pronounced dead at 7:08 p.m. Central time, 12 minutes after the drug began. In a statement released after his execution, King said: Capital punishment: them without the capital get the punishment. Mylinda Byrd Washington, 66, left, and Louvon Byrd Harris, 61, hold up photographs of their brother James Byrd Jr. in Houston. (Juan Lozano / Associated Press) Byrds sister, Clara Taylor, who watched King die, said he showed no remorse then and showed no remorse tonight. The execution for his crime was just punishment, she said. I felt nothing no sense of relief, no sense of happy this is over with. As witnesses emerged from the prison, about two dozen people standing down the street began to cheer. The killing of Byrd put a national spotlight on Jasper, a town of about 7,600 residents near the Texas-Louisiana border that was branded with a racist stigma it has tried to shake off ever since. Local officials say the reputation is undeserved. During the 2000 presidential campaign pitting Texas Gov. George W. Bush against Vice President Al Gore, the NAACP ran an ad depicting a pickup and chains with a narrator criticizing Bush for not supporting a hate crime bill. The narrator, Byrds daughter Renee Mullins, says: When Gov. George W. Bush refused to support hate crimes legislation, it was like my father was killed all over again. Kings appellate lawyers had tried to stop his execution, arguing Kings constitutional rights were violated because his trial attorneys didnt present his claims of innocence and conceded his guilt. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Kings last-minute appeal. From the time of indictment through his trial, Mr. King maintained his absolute innocence, claiming that he had left his co-defendants and Mr. Byrd sometime prior to his death and was not present at the scene of his murder. Mr. King repeatedly expressed to defense counsel that he wanted to present his innocence claim at trial, A. Richard Ellis, one of Kings attorneys, wrote in his petition to the Supreme Court. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also turned down Kings request for either a commutation of his sentence or a 120-day reprieve. Over the years, King had also suggested the brutal slaying was not a hate crime, but a drug deal gone bad involving his co-defendants. King, who grew up in Jasper and was known as Bill, was the second man executed for Byrds killing. Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011. The third participant, Shawn Allen Berry, was sentenced to life in prison. King declined an interview request from the Associated Press in the weeks leading up to his execution. In a 2001 interview with the AP, King said he was an avowed racist but wasnt a hate-monger murderer. Louvon Byrd Harris, one of Byrds sisters, said earlier this month that Kings execution would send a message to the world that when you do something horrible like that, that you have to pay the high penalty. King and Brewer got an easy way out compared to all the suffering that her brother suffered, Harris said. Billy Rowles, who led the investigation into Byrds death when he was sheriff in Jasper County, said after King was taken to death row in 1999, he offered to detail the crime as soon as his co-defendants were convicted. When Rowles returned, all King would say was, I wasnt there. He played us like a fiddle, getting us to go over there and thinking were going to get the rest of the story, said Rowles, now sheriff of Newton County. A week before Brewer was executed in 2011, Rowles said he visited Brewer, who confirmed the whole thing was Bill Kings idea. Mylinda Byrd Washington, another of Byrds sisters, said earlier this month that the family will work through the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing to ensure her brothers death continues to combat hate everywhere. I hope people remember him not as a hate crime statistic. This was a real person. A family man, a father, a brother and a son, she said. Sri Lanka on Thursday lowered the death toll from the Easter suicide bombings by nearly one-third, to 253, as authorities hunted urgently for a least five more suspects and braced for the possibility of more attacks in the next few days. In rolling back the number of dead from 359, a top Health Ministry official, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, said in a statement that the blasts had damaged some bodies beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Religious leaders, meanwhile, canceled public prayer gatherings amid warnings of more such attacks, along with retaliatory sectarian violence. In an unusually specific warning, the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka said places of worship could be hit by extremists this weekend. At least 58 people have been arrested in connection with the wave of blasts at churches and luxury hotels last Sunday, including the father of two of the alleged suicide bombers one of Sri Lankas wealthiest spice traders. Authorities have said those involved in the bloodbath were well-educated and well-off financially. Advertisement Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local Muslim militant group, National Towheed Jamaat. The Islamic State group has also claimed responsibility, though officials are still investigating the extent of any involvement. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said militants who may have explosives remain on the loose in the country and may go out for a suicide attack. We have rounded up a lot of suspects, but there are still active people on the run, Wickremesinghe said in an interview with The Associated Press. They may be having explosives with them, so we have to find them. Police appealed for information about an additional three women and two men suspected of involvement in the bombings. The bloodshed stirred fears of more sectarian violence in Sri Lanka, a country of 23 million people, about 70% of them Buddhist, with the rest Muslims, Hindus and Christians. Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship, the U.S. Embassy warned on Twitter. Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow. Britain advised its citizens against traveling to the island country. Sri Lankas Islamic religious affairs minister appealed to Muslims to avoid gathering for Friday prayers and urged them to pray at home. The noon prayers are the most important in the week for Muslims. The Rev. Niroshan Perera, a priest overseeing funerals of some of the dozens of people killed in the blast at St. Sebastians church in Negombo, just outside Colombo, said Catholic churches in the city all closed and canceled Mass on the governments advice. Little bit, we are nervous, he said. But Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, planned to lead a service on Sunday, the prime minister said. Ill be talking with his eminence on the security measures, Wickremesinghe said. Amid the manhunt, an association of Islamic theologians urged Muslim women not to hinder the security forces in their efforts by wearing veils. Sri Lankan leaders have acknowledged that intelligence authorities learned of the possibility of an attack weeks before. In the wake of the bombings, the countrys president ordered a shakeup of the security apparatus, ousting the defense secretary and demanding the national police chiefs resignation. The spice dealer under arrest, Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim, lives in a Colombo mansion that was the site of an explosion Sunday that killed three police officers. On Thursday, police continued to search the house, a white BMW outside covered in black fingerprint dust. The prime minister described Ibrahim as a leading businessman active in politics and said he was known as Ibrahim Hajiar, attaching the Sri Lankan term for Muslims who have gone on religious pilgrimages to Mecca. Wickremesinghe expressed doubt about Ibrahims complicity in the attack. People like that would not have wanted their sons to blow themselves up, the prime minister said. In a house on the other side of a quiet, leafy street full of mansions, Buhari Mohammed Anwar, 77, a retired teacher, said his neighbor was a nice person who helped the poor. Of the suspected suicide bombers, he said, Their father, Ibrahim, didnt expect this. Their father advises them every day. But they dont listen. ___ Associated Press journalists Rishabh R. Jain and Jon Gambrell contributed to this report. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Aid groups are suing the French government to stop the donation of six boats to Libyas navy, saying the watercraft will be used to take migrants to detention centers notorious for horrific conditions. Europe has relied heavily on the Libyan coast guard, which is part of the navy, to intercept migrants bound for Europe and return them to the detention centers, where disease is widespread and migrants say they face routine abuse. Conditions have deteriorated further in recent weeks as fighting has erupted between rival militias. The U.N. says some 3,600 refugees and migrants are detained near the front lines. The lawsuit filed Thursday by eight aid groups seeks a stay on the boat donation, saying it violates the European embargo on Libya and makes France complicit in the abuse. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. French police scientists were starting to examine Notre Dame Cathedral on Thursday for the first time since last weeks devastating fire. Among their questions: whether cigarette butts from construction workers could have played a role. Experts from three police agencies will take samples and search for clues as to what caused the blaze, a police official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to be identified in media reports. Police made a preliminary visit last week but werent able to conduct a thorough examination until the cathedrals structure was secured. Teams in white helmets talked with firefighters outside the monument Thursday, while workers shored up the roof and sides of the 12th-century cathedral. Multiple cranes are positioned around the site, as the French president pushes for a speedy reconstruction after the fire consumed the cathedrals roof and knocked down its spire. Advertisement Officials believe the fire was accidental, possibly caused by a short circuit linked to renovation work underway before the fire. Workers involved in that renovation told investigators that they had smoked on the construction site and left behind cigarette butts, according to the spokesman Marc Eskenazi of Le Bras Freres construction companies. Its not good. We condemn this, Eskenazi told the AP. But he insisted that a cigarette butt did not burn down Notre Dame. Its just not possible. He cited investigators as saying the fire started inside the cathedral, while the workers were only on the roof. He said the last worker left the building at 5:50 p.m. the night of the fire, while the first fire alarm went off a half-hour later. He said the worker switched off the electricity to the elevators and the lighting used for the renovation work before leaving. The Paris prosecutors office wouldnt comment on specifics of the investigation, but said all potential leads are being pursued. The prosecutors office and Paris police wouldnt comment on a report in investigative weekly Le Canard Enchaine that electric cables to the cathedrals bells had remained activated despite the renovation work. While the cathedral will remain closed to the public for several years, tourists massed in the neighborhood Thursday to get a closer look at the damage and the work on the buildings facade. Frances government presented a bill Wednesday aimed at speeding up the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral and providing transparency on how huge amounts of donation money for the restoration will be spent. President Emmanuel Macron has set a goal of rebuilding the cathedral in just five years which some experts consider simply impossible to reach. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The outcome of Spains election on Sunday is anyones guess. A substantial pool of voters is still undecided. The countrys traditional parties have been diluted. And a rising populist party has splintered the right. The ballot will be Spains third parliamentary election in less than four years, with no sign that the uncertainty will go away anytime soon. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is hoping voters give him a strong mandate to stay in the office he assumed 11 months ago, when a no-confidence vote ousted his conservative predecessor. However, about a third of those surveyed heading into the final week of campaigning said they didnt know how they would cast their votes. Advertisement The upstart Vox party seems sure to garner enough support to put far-right lawmakers in Spains lower house, the Congress of Deputies, for the first time since the 1980s. A strong performance by Vox would be crucial to the ability of two center-right parties to forge a majority coalition government to supplant Sanchez. Sanchez urged voters who abandoned the Socialists in recent years to once again vote for Spains oldest national party so that we can stop the three parties on the right from joining forces. If Vox does as well as expected, Spain would have five national parties of significant size. A government opinion poll of 16,194 eligible voters forecast that Sanchez*s Socialists would win 30% of the vote, the conservative Popular Party 17%, the center-right Citizens 13%, the far-left United We Can 12% and Vox 11%. All the polls published by private news organizations in Spain also forecast Sanchez leading the Socialists to victory for the first time since 2008. We are very close to seeing the Socialist party winning an election 11 years since its last victory, Sanchez said. We are very close to being able to offer all Spaniards a prospect of stability, of a country that is walking toward a future of more social justice, more peaceful coexistence and a clean manner of doing politics. In 2008, the Socialists and their ideological rivals from the Popular Party together accounted for 82% of the vote. The combined vote total for the two parties, which dominated Spanish politics for three decades, fell to 50% in the December 2015 election. In the period in between, the global economic meltdown hit Spain hard and helped give rise to the Citizens party and United We Can. The fragmentation has made the governments in Madrid much more fragile and short-lived. The current Socialist-led government and the one the Popular Party led from 2016-2018 controlled a minority of parliament seats. Neither accomplished much or came close to seeing out a full four-year legislative term. Sanchez was forced to call this weekends early election after he was unable to get a national budget passed in February. For the foreseeable future in Spain, parties are going to have to establish agreements, said Andrew Dowling, an expert on contemporary Spanish politics at Cardiff University in Wales. I dont think theres any indication any single party will be able to win. We should remind ourselves that as late as 2004 and 2008, the Socialists were able to get 42 percent of the vote. Theyre a long way from going back there. Two nights of televised debates gave the candidates ample time to trade barbs and to try to win over undecided voters. But before the election, theres been more talk about postelection partnerships than about policy platforms. Pablo Iglesias, the leader of United We Can, was lauded for his moderate tone and defense of the Spanish Constitution during one of the debates, a contrast to his fiery, revolutionary rhetoric during past campaigns. Iglesias has talked openly of wanting to come into government with the Socialists. Sanchezs ideal scenario would be to cobble together reliable support from 176 of the 350 members of the Congress of Deputies through his Socialists, Iglesias* United We Can and moderate regional lawmakers from the northern Basque Country. If he cant build a majority that way, Sanchez might find himself again relying on pro-independence lawmakers from the Catalonia region who already proved to be untrustworthy partners. Catalan separatists in parliament voted against the prime ministers national spending bill after Sanchez refused to authorize a referendum on the regions secession from Spain. The chance of Popular Party leader Pablo Casado becoming prime minister rests on his candidates beating hopefuls from Citizens and then striking a deal with the center-right party to form a coalition government. If Vox representatives agree to support the coalition, the Popular-Citizens government would be able to command a majority of votes in parliament. Casado, Citizens leader Albert Rivera and Vox leader Santiago Abascal have competed to be seen as tough enough to stand up to the separatist politicians in Catalonia. A failed push to declare the regions independence in 2017 plunged Spain into a deep political crisis. All three right-wing parties Popular, Citizens and Vox accuse Sanchez of being weak on Catalonia because he opened talks with the regions pro-secession leaders. The three parties came together to defeat Sanchezs Socialists during a December election in southern Spains Andalusia region, long a Socialist stronghold. The Andalusia election introduced Vox to the Spanish political scene. The party campaigned on stemming illegal immigration, protecting Spanish traditions like bullfighting and vows to punish Catalonia by taking over its regional government. Now the three are competing to see which of them could lead a similar takeover at the national level. I think what Sunday will decide is who is the winner on the right, Dowling said. It will be very much a kind of a choice between head and heart for right-wing voters. ___ Aritz Parra contributed to this report from Madrid. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. When Joe Biden ran for president for the first time, 30 years ago, the World Wide Web had not yet been invented. When he ran again 10 years ago, Twitter was in its infancy. Now, with his announcement Thursday that he is launching a third bid for the presidency at the age of 76, Biden is asking Democrats to decide if his time has come at last, or if it has come and gone for a man who has been in politics for nearly half a century. In a video announcing his candidacy posted on social media, Biden delivered a warning about the risks of reelecting President Trump, focusing on the incumbent more directly than most of his Democratic rivals have done. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Biden said in the three-minute video, in which he linked Trump to the violent neo-Nazi demonstration in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. Advertisement If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. That focus on Trump underscored the Biden campaigns belief that his strongest argument in the crowded field of Democratic candidates now numbering 20 is that the former vice presidents stature and long political experience make him the best equipped to beat the president, which is the top priority of Democratic primary voters. Biden has teased his announcement for months, building anticipation. With his near-universal name recognition, vast political network and long government resume 36 years in the Senate and eight as Barack Obamas vice president he has consistently sat atop polls of Democratic voters nationwide and in states holding early primaries. Now, his official entry into the race has potential to give new shape to the sprawling candidate field. As a popular centrist well known to most Democrats, he poses an obstacle to lesser-known candidates laboring to gain traction in the big field. He could stand as the principal rival to Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who has his own large group of committed supporters on the partys left flank if, that is, Biden can maintain his current level of support once he goes from hypothetical candidate to real competitor. That is a big if. Biden is renowned for his gaffes in previous presidential races. If he stumbles early, the Democratic campaign would likely become far more competitive and contentious. And beyond his history of troubled campaigns, Biden has several vulnerabilities that could trip him up: He has traditionally relied on old-fashioned fundraising from top-dollar contributors, and he will be facing rivals who have excelled at raising money from small donors who are increasingly important in todays Democratic Party. He has a record, compiled over more than 40 years in public life, that includes many positions and statements out of sync with the current views of many Democrats. He already has had to apologize for his old-school style of politicking which extends from backslapping to hugging and other personal contact that has made some women uncomfortable. Despite those problems, he and his supporters portray him as the candidate best equipped to beat Trump and restore dignity to the Oval Office a key point for Democrat voters anxious to find a candidate who possesses the elusive quality of electability. I think Im the most qualified person in the country to be president, Biden said as far back as December during a book-tour stop in Montana. The issues that we face as a country today are the issues that have been in my wheelhouse, that Ive worked on my whole life. He also hopes to benefit from his association with Obama, who remains extremely popular among Democratic voters. Obama is unlikely to back any candidate this early in the 2020 primary contest, according to a person familiar with his thinking, because he believes a robust primary is good for the party and the candidates. Shortly after the video release, a spokesperson issued a statement that praised Biden but did not endorse him. President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made, said the statement from spokeswoman Katie Hill. He relied on the Vice Presidents knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today. Bidens announcement crystallizes the big choice facing a party that is united over the desire to beat Trump but divided over how best to do it: Whos running for president and whos not Do Democrats want to choose a reassuring candidate with experience, a centrist record and roots in the Obama administration? Or do they want to make a generational leap to a candidate who speaks more directly to the diverse and restless coalition that helped the party win control of the House in 2018? First elected to the U.S. Senate in an upset in 1972 at the age of 29 he turned 30, the minimum requirement for a senator, a few weeks after the election Biden came of political age at a time when the gears of government were still greased with compromise and bipartisanship. He rose gradually through the ranks of influential committees on foreign relations and the judiciary. When he first ran for president in 1988, he had to drop out of a crowded field after a rival campaign caught him plagiarizing part of a speech by British Labor Party chief Neil Kinnock and passed the news to a reporter of what was then seen as a shocking indiscretion. A couple of months later, he nearly died from an aneurysm that might have killed him had he still been campaigning. He ran again in 2008, only to be overshadowed by the marquee candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and he withdrew after the contests first event, the Iowa caucus. His national career might have ended there, but Obama had taken a liking to Biden and in August picked him as his vice presidential running mate. In 2016, Biden gave long, anguished consideration to running to succeed Obama but decided against it in the emotional aftermath of the death of his 46-year-old son, Beau, after a grueling struggle with brain cancer. Biden raised his profile in 2018 by campaigning for Democrats in midterm contests across the country. He traveled to 24 states in support of 65 candidates and contributed more than $600,000 to them. He consulted widely before launching his 2020 bid. His allies urged him to get in as rivals including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders and former Rep. Beto ORourke got off to an early start, but they found Biden seemed in no rush because he was already so well-known and had access to a gigantic donor base. Dick Harpootlian, a South Carolina state senator, was one of many longtime Biden loyalists who urged him to run. More than ever, I believe he is the only person who could take on Trump and beat him, Harpootlian said. His advocates say Bidens greatest asset is the deep well of experience and stature that equips him to go toe to toe with Trump. Born in Scranton, Pa., Biden has held appeal for blue-collar and union voters whose defections in 2016 were key to Trumps victory. His first two campaign events are scheduled to be in Pennsylvania a private fundraiser Thursday night at the Philadelphia home of a Comcast senior executive, David Cohen, and a public event in Pittsburgh Monday. He has an unpolished quality of authenticity that at least so far has been endearing to voters tired of scripted politicians. Harold Schaitberger, a Biden supporter who is head of the International Assn. of Fire Fighters, said he believed the vice president could win back union workers who voted for Trump in 2016. A significant number of our members voted for Trump, Schaitberger said. An overwhelming share of our members would be supportive of Biden. But Bidens political assets are closely related to his liabilities. He has a lot of experience that dates back decades, but his record is littered with positions that are at odds with todays liberal Democratic consensus. He supported crime legislation in the 1990s that many blame for the explosion of prison populations. Many womens advocates faulted him for his role as chairman of the Judiciary Committee during the 1991 Clarence Thomas hearings, saying he did not take seriously enough the sexual harassment allegations lodged by Anita Hill. He is widely renowned as a legislative deal-maker, thanks to backroom skills honed in the 1990s Senate. But in todays polarized political environment, compromise and deal cutting are regarded with suspicion by partisans who tend to demonize their adversaries. Bidens practice of greeting people even total strangers with hugs and kisses was his trademark way of making connections with people. But after former Nevada state legislator Lucy Flores and several other women went public with statements that he made them feel uncomfortable, Biden released a video acknowledging that social norms have begun to change and promising to be more respectful of other peoples personal space. He enters the race after a midterm election in 2018 that exposed an electorate hungry for new blood. Democrats love Joe, hes a great guy, he does have the common touch, and hes got a decent relationship with Democrats from center to left, said Will Marshall, president of the Progressive Policy Institute, a centrist think tank. But hes also a Washington fixture, and Democrats will probably need new faces and new ideas to win over voters in the Midwest and oust Donald Trump. Bidens affable authenticity also carries an ever-present political risk: His lapses of campaign discipline have produced more than his share of gaffes, including racially tin-eared remarks as recently as the 2008 campaign, when he referred to Obama as the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. In the Montana book-tour speech, Biden was self-deprecating about his gaffes adding that his flaws do not look so bad when compared with Trumps. I am a gaffe machine, he said, but, my God, what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who cant tell the truth. This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. UofSC shares 'The Art of Healthy Living' Thousands of people interested in art and culture will gather May 10-12 in Greenville for Artisphere, a nationally recognized fine arts festival. For the third consecutive year, the University of South Carolina will have quite a presence there as well. South Carolina the states leader in health science education and research is sponsoring The Art of Healthy Living, a fun, educational and interactive exhibit in the heart of the sprawling downtown festival. For this years Artisphere exhibit, weve taken a broader view of what healthy living is, says Katherine Dyke, an integrated communications strategist in South Carolinas Office of Communications and Public Affairs. Were featuring everything from EMT demonstrations to an herb-planting station, from an art station for kids to a physical activity area, to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to lead healthier and more creative lifestyles. Kids of all ages who visit the exhibit can learn about the universitys wide array of programs related to healthy living, which range from traditional pathways, such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy, social work and public health, to disciplines that contribute to good health, including technology and the arts. From CPR training with our medical school students to showing kids actual human body parts, I learned a lot and was able to teach important skills and knowledge to hundreds of people. Taylor Wright, '19 The Art of Healthy Living has been a big hit the past two years. There was a steady flow of people ranging from locals to out-of-towners. They enjoyed both the art on display and the interactive science stations, says Jason Padaetz, who volunteered last year during his graduation weekend and is returning this year as an alumnus with an art studio degree. I am volunteering again for the unique opportunity to show my new pieces of work at this well-respected event while representing the very program that allowed me to further develop my craft, Padaetz says. Even South Carolinas 2018-19 student body president, Taylor Wright, jumped at the chance to represent the university in the Upstate. As a university ambassador and public health major, I was very excited to hear that the university was going to the Upstate to teach more people about our amazing health science programs, Wright says. From CPR training with our medical school students to showing kids actual human body parts, I learned a lot and was able to teach important skills and knowledge to hundreds of people. Artisphere has grown exponentially since its founding in 2003, and it has become one of the nations noted arts festivals. More than 1,100 artists participated in 2018, with nearly 90,000 visitors in attendance. Share this Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about The insecticide clothianidin affects different species of bees in different ways. While it has no demonstrably negative effect on honeybees, it disrupts the growth of bumble bees and threatens the survival of entire colonies. However, the insecticide does not make either species more susceptible to diseases and pathogens, as a massive field study in Sweden shows. The international team, including scientists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, reports its latest findings in the journal Nature Communications. Data for the study have been taken from a unique research project in southern Sweden. In 2013, 96 honeybee colonies were placed in oilseed rape fields where the seeds of the plants had previously been either treated or not treated with clothianidin. The researchers closely observed how the colonies developed, looked for typical pathogens, and analysed the pollen collected by the honeybees. One year later, the experiment was repeated with a subset of the honeybee colonies of the first year. "Most of the previous studies examining the negative effects of neonicotinoids on bees were conducted in the laboratory. The aim of this project was to clarify whether the lab results could be confirmed in the field," explains Julia Osterman, the first author of the study who is doing her PhD at the Institute of Biology at MLU and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). The large-scale project was led by Dr Maj Rundlof from the University of Lund in Sweden. In 2015, the research team caused a sensation when its first paper was published in the journal Nature. The paper described how the insecticide negatively impacted wild bees. In the new study, the team has augmented its previous findings with new details. One focus of the new study and a parallel -- though only one-year-long -- study on bumblebees was to find out whether pesticides make bees more susceptible to disease. The researchers found no evidence of this. Instead, the colonies near treated sites acquired fewer pathogens over time even though the pollen they collected contained considerable amounts of clothianidin, while pollen collected from control colonies were practically free of the neonicotinoid. The size of the honeybee colonies also remained constant. "Because they are so large, honeybee colonies can compensate for negative effects on individual bees much better than solitary bees or bumble bees," says Osterman. But the situation was different for bumble bees: If they were placed near fields treated with clothianidin, their offspring were not only much smaller, the colonies produced considerably fewer queens and male drones. "Since only newborn bumblebee queens survive the winter, the negative influence on their numbers is particularly worrying," explains Dimitry Wintermantel from the French Institute of Agricultural Sciences INRA, who also played an instrumental role in the new study. The new results not only confirm the analyses of the original field study. According to the researchers, they also demonstrate to researchers how important wild bee trials are in the approval process for pesticides. At the same time, the study suggests that it can be difficult to transfer results from lab tests to real conditions in the field. Both could mean that the risk assessment for pesticides might need to be changed. In 2018, the European Union banned the outdoor use of three out of five neonicotinoids, including clothianidin, due to their harmful effects on bees. This has meant farmers now have to resort to alternative pesticides. "However, it is still unclear what impact they have on bees and how the cultivation of mass crops, such as rapeseed, is changing in Europe as a result of the ban," Osterman concludes. Funding for the field project was provided by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (to T.R.-P., R.B. and H.G.S.), the Swedish Research Council VR (grant no 330-2014-6439) (to M.R.), and the Swedish Research Council FORMAS (to H.G.S. and R.B.). Parts of the pathological study were financed internally at SLU. The study of individual exposure and stability of pesticides in bees was financed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (to O.J.). A donated lung suitable for transplant is a scarce resource. For this reason, the national policy determining which patients on the lung transplant waiting list will receive such an organ has provoked significant discussion and recently generated much controversy. At issue is whether lungs should go to the sickest patients within a local area or the sickest patients in a broader region -- all while balancing the likelihood of whether a transplant will be successful. In 2017, in response to a lawsuit filed by a 21-year-old woman on the waiting list for lungs in New York City, a federal court order changed the policy covering the distribution of lungs donated for transplant. Previously, first priority for a lung transplant was given to the sickest patients on the waiting list at regional organ procurement organizations. The new policy expands the geographical boundaries, stipulating that the lungs be offered first to a patient within a 250-mile radius of the donor's hospital. Lungs that can't be matched to patients within that initial boundary are then offered to patients within a radius of 575 miles and then to patients across the nation. However, the policy change has had several unintended consequences, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The new policy has imposed a significant logistical burden on organ procurement organizations and surgical teams involved in retrieving the donated organs. These teams now are much more likely to have to fly to other organ procurement regions to retrieve lungs for transplants. This has directly translated into a significant increase in the costs associated with organ procurement, the new study found. The added costs are related to longer travel distances that often require air transport, increased medical staffing and the frequent use of expensive equipment to keep lungs viable. The longer travel distances also lengthen the time that lungs are stored in a cold solution, which may contribute to the deterioration of organ quality. The study is available online in the American Journal of Transplantation. "The new policy represents a dramatic, far-reaching change in the field," said the study's first author, Varun Puri, MD, an associate professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and associate surgical director of the lung transplant program at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH). "The concern for busy transplant programs such as ours that serve rural areas is that the new policy will overlook transplant patients in Missouri, Southern Illinois and the Midwestern region in favor of those farther away, in larger cities. The policy has imposed a much greater need to travel outside the St. Louis region to procure lungs for transplant." The study also examined six months of national data following the policy change. Overall, the number of lung transplants performed nationwide has remained steady after the new policy went into effect, with 1,142 performed in the six months before the new policy went into effect and 1,146 in the six months afterward. It was hoped that the new policy would lower the chances of patients dying on lung transplant waitlists. However, over the six months before the policy change, 169 patients were removed from the waitlist due to death or becoming too sick to undergo transplant surgery, while 190 patients were removed for the same reasons after the policy change. advertisement Patients awaiting lung transplants are scored to determine their health status; a higher score indicates a higher degree of illness. "Although the score of patients undergoing transplant has increased slightly since the policy change, the difference is not meaningful from a clinical standpoint," Puri said. "That puts patients at smaller transplant programs at a disadvantage. It is likely that lungs originating close to smaller transplant centers would be offered first to patients in large metro areas within the 250-mile radius. This policy places smaller programs at a disadvantage, as many may not be able to afford to maintain transplant programs if lungs from their regions are offered to larger transplant centers in larger metropolitan areas. This raises the problem of access, particularly with a negative impact on patients in economically disadvantaged parts of the country, who cannot travel to distant larger centers for their transplants." Fragility of lungs makes them susceptible to injuries and infections and, therefore, they are deemed unsuitable for transplant in the majority of potential donors. In the United States, only about 20 percent of lungs meet clinical transplant standards, which is far lower than other organs, such as kidneys or livers. Nationwide, about 1,500 people are on waiting lists for a lung or a lung-and-heart transplant, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which manages organ allocation on behalf of the federal government. Altogether, nearly 124,700 are on transplant waiting lists for all organs. "A similar allocation policy that redistributes donated organs for transplant to larger metropolitan areas has been implemented for hearts, and a new policy for livers is set to take effect April 30," said the study's senior author, Daniel Kreisel, MD, PhD, the surgical director of lung transplantation at the School of Medicine and BJH. "We need more national debate about what is fair and equitable, but also taking into account the increasing costs, which can become prohibitive to transplant centers and patients." The researchers compared data from before and after the new policy went into effect. The data comes from UNOS and the Washington University/BJH lung transplant program, the latter of which has performed about 1,700 lung transplants since 1988 in conjunction with Mid-America Transplant, the organ procurement organization serving the region. The Washington University/BJH lung transplant program is one of the busiest programs in the United States and, according to a recent report from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, it has one of the highest one-year survival rates in the country. advertisement The researchers examined deidentified data of 77 patients who received lung transplants from the Washington University/BJH transplant program in 2017 during the 11-month period before the policy change, as well as from 50 patients who underwent the procedure after the policy change, from Nov. 25, 2017, through June 4, 2018. They found the number of lung transplants declined from local donors -- from 45 transplants (58 percent) before the policy change, to 15 (30 percent) afterward. After the policy change, the median cost of retrieving a lung for transplantation via the Washington University/BJH transplant program nearly doubled from $34,000 per patient to $70,203. The price includes fees for land or air transportation; travel by a surgeon and others on the transplant team who determine if the lung is suitable for transplantation; and equipment costs to preserve the organ while it is outside of the body. This analysis likely underestimates the increase in cost because a proportion of air flights to retrieve donor lungs turn out to be futile, as the organs are not suitable for transplantation. For example, it costs an additional $10,000 to $15,000 for procurement teams to fly a few hundred miles to evaluate a donor lung even if the lung ultimately is deemed unsuitable for transplant. "If this trend we have observed continues, it will increase the acquisition cost for organs and lead to higher costs for lung transplantation," Kreisel said. "We know of one instance in which a transplant team from St. Louis was flying to Chicago to procure a lung around the same time that a team from Chicago was flying to St. Louis to procure a lung, where the recipients had similar degrees of lung disease. That is a tremendous waste of resources." Local transplants are also easier and less expensive to coordinate logistically, while retrieving organs at a distant location often requires nighttime flying, which can be more dangerous. "One hundred percent of Barnes-Jewish Hospital's local lung transplants were performed in the daytime as opposed to 67 percent with distant donors, where transplants were performed at night," added Kreisel, who is the G. Alexander Patterson, MD/Mid-America Transplant Endowed Distinguished Chair in Lung Transplantation. Researchers also analyzed data in a UNOS report released in June 2018. In a six-month period after the new policy took effect, the number of local lung transplants declined nationally by nearly half, from 629 before the policy change to 356 afterward. Additionally, the new policy required extended use of expensive techniques designed to preserve lung viability, increasing from 42 cases to 119 -- an increase of 283 percent. The data represent early trends, the researchers said. More study is needed to determine the long-term effects of changes to the lung allocation policy. Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed only after it has reached an advanced stage, with many tumors spread throughout the abdomen. Most patients undergo surgery to remove as many of these tumors as possible, but because some are so small and widespread, it is difficult to eradicate all of them. Researchers at MIT, working with surgeons and oncologists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), have now developed a way to improve the accuracy of this surgery, called debulking. Using a novel fluorescence imaging system, they were able to find and remove tumors as small as 0.3 millimeters -- smaller than a poppy seed -- during surgery in mice. Mice that underwent this type of image-guided surgery survived 40 percent longer than those who had tumors removed without the guided system. "What's nice about this system is that it allows for real-time information about the size, depth, and distribution of tumors," says Angela Belcher, the James Mason Crafts Professor of Biological Engineering and Materials Science at MIT, a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, and the recently appointed head of MIT's Department of Biological Engineering. The researchers are now seeking FDA approval for a phase 1 clinical trial to test the imaging system in human patients. In the future, they hope to adapt the system for monitoring patients at risk for tumor recurrence, and eventually for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, which is easier to treat if it is caught earlier. Belcher and Michael Birrer, formerly the director of medical gynecologic oncology at MGH and now the director of the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, are the senior authors of the study, published online in the journal ACS Nano this week. Neelkanth Bardhan, a Mazumdar-Shaw International Oncology Fellow at the Koch Institute, and Lorenzo Ceppi, a researcher at MGH, are the lead authors of the paper. Other authors include MGH researcher YoungJeong Na, MIT Lincoln Laboratory technical staff members Andrew Siegel and Nandini Rajan, Robert Fruscio of the University of Milan-Bicocca, and Marcela del Carmen, a gynecologic oncologist at MGH and chief medical officer of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization. advertisement Glowing tumors Because there is no good way to detect early-stage ovarian cancer, it is one of the most difficult types of cancer to treat. Of 250,000 new cases diagnosed each year worldwide, 75 percent are in an advanced stage. In the United States, the five-year combined survival rate for all stages of ovarian cancer is 47 percent, only a slight improvement from 38 percent three decades ago, despite the advent of chemotherapeutic drugs such as cisplatin, approved by the FDA in 1978 for ovarian cancer treatment. In contrast, the five-year combined survival rate for all stages of breast cancer has steadily improved, from around 75 percent in the 1970s to over 90 percent now. "We desperately need better upfront therapies, including surgery, for these (ovarian cancer) patients," Birrer says. Belcher and Birrer joined forces to work on this problem through the Bridge Project, a collaboration between the Koch Institute and Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. Belcher's lab has been developing a novel type of medical imaging based on light in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum. In a paper published in March, she reported that this imaging system could achieve an unprecedented combination of resolution and penetration-depth in living tissue. In the new study, Belcher, Birrer, and their colleagues worked with researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory to adapt NIR imaging to help surgeons locate tumors during ovarian cancer surgery, by providing continuous, real-time imaging of the abdomen, with tumors highlighted by fluorescence. Previous analyses have shown that survival rates are strongly inversely correlated with the amount of residual tumor mass left behind in the patient during debulking surgery, but many ovarian tumors are so small or hidden that surgeons can't find them. advertisement To make the tumors visible, the researchers designed chemical probes using single-walled carbon nanotubes that emit fluorescent light when illuminated by a laser. They coated these nanotubes with a peptide that binds to SPARC, a protein that is overexpressed by highly invasive ovarian cancer cells. This probe binds to the tumors and makes them fluoresce at NIR wavelengths, allowing surgeons to more easily find them with fluorescence imaging. The researchers tested the image-guided system in mice that had ovarian tumors implanted in a region of the abdominal cavity known as the intraperitoneal space, and showed that surgeons were able to locate and remove tumors as small as 0.3 millimeters. Ten days after surgery, these mice had no detectable tumors, while mice that had undergone the traditional, non-image-guided surgery, had many residual tumors missed by the surgeon. By three weeks after the surgery, many of the tumors had grown back in the mice that underwent image-guided surgery, but those mice still had a median survival rate that was 40 percent longer than that of mice that underwent traditional surgery. No other imaging system would be able to locate tumors that small during a surgical procedure, the researchers say. "You can't have a patient in a CT machine or an MRI machine and have the surgeon perform this surgical debulking procedure at the same time, and you can't expose the patient to X-ray radiation for multiple hours of the long surgery. This optics-based imaging system allows us to do that in a safe manner," Bardhan says. Monitoring patients For most ovarian cancer patients, tumor debulking surgery is followed by chemotherapy, so the researchers now plan to do another study where they treat the mice with chemotherapy after image-guided surgery, in hopes of preventing the remaining tiny tumors from spreading. "We know that the amount of tumor removed at the time of surgery for patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer is directly correlated with their outcome," Birrer says. "This imaging device will now allow the surgeon to go beyond the limits of resecting tumors visible to the naked eye, and should usher in a new age of effective debulking surgery." Now that they have demonstrated that this concept can be successfully applied to imaging during surgery, the researchers hope to begin adapting the system for use in human patients. "In principle, it's quite doable," Siegel says. "It's purely the mechanics and the funding at this point, because this mouse experiment serves as the proof of principle and may actually have been more challenging than building a human-scale system." The researchers also hope to deploy this type of imaging to monitor patients after surgery, and eventually to develop it as a diagnostic tool for screening women at high risk for developing ovarian cancer. "A major focus for us right now is developing the technology to be able diagnose ovarian cancer early, in stage 1 or stage 2, before the disease becomes disseminated," Belcher says. "That could have a huge impact on survival rates, because survival is related to the stage of detection." The research was funded, in part, by the Bridge Project and the Koch Institute Support (core) Grant from the National Cancer Institute, with previous support for the development of the system from the Koch Institute Frontier Research Program and the Kathy and Curt Marble Cancer Research Fund. A new 3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation tool developed by researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and CEA Saclay is enabling cutting-edge simulations of laser/plasma coupling mechanisms that were previously out of reach of standard PIC codes used in plasma research. More detailed understanding of these mechanisms is critical to the development of ultra-compact particle accelerators and light sources that could solve long-standing challenges in medicine, industry, and fundamental science more efficiently and cost effectively. In laser-plasma experiments such as those at the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA) Center and at CEA Saclay -- an international research facility in France that is part of the French Atomic Energy Commission -- very large electric fields within plasmas that accelerate particle beams to high energies over much shorter distances when compared to existing accelerator technologies. The long-term goal of these laser-plasma accelerators (LPAs) is to one day build colliders for high-energy research, but many spin offs are being developed already. For instance, LPAs can quickly deposit large amounts of energy into solid materials, creating dense plasmas and subjecting this matter to extreme temperatures and pressure. They also hold the potential for driving free-electron lasers that generate light pulses lasting just attoseconds. Such extremely short pulses could enable researchers to observe the interactions of molecules, atoms, and even subatomic particles on extremely short timescales. Supercomputer simulations have become increasingly critical to this research, and Berkeley Lab's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) has become an important resource in this effort. By giving researchers access to physical observables such as particle orbits and radiated fields that are hard to get in experiments at extremely small time and length scales, PIC simulations have played a major role in understanding, modeling, and guiding high-intensity physics experiments. But a lack of PIC codes that have enough computational accuracy to model laser-matter interaction at ultra-high intensities has hindered the development of novel particle and light sources produced by this interaction. This challenge led the Berkeley Lab/CEA Saclay team to develop their new simulation tool, dubbed Warp+PXR, an effort started during the first round of the NERSC Exascale Science Applications Program (NESAP). The code combines the widely used 3D PIC code Warp with the high-performance library PICSAR co-developed by Berkeley Lab and CEA Saclay. It also leverages a new type of massively parallel pseudo-spectral solver co-developed by Berkeley Lab and CEA Saclay that dramatically improves the accuracy of the simulations compared to the solvers typically used in plasma research. In fact, without this new, highly scalable solver, "the simulations we are now doing would not be possible," said Jean-Luc Vay, a senior physicist at Berkeley Lab who heads the Accelerator Modeling Program in the Lab's Applied Physics and Accelerator Technologies Division. "As our team showed in a previous study, this new FFT spectral solver enables much higher precision than can be done with finite difference time domain (FDTD) solvers, so we were able to reach some parameter spaces that would not have been accessible with standard FDTD solvers." This new type of spectral solver is also at the heart of the next-generation PIC algorithm with adaptive mesh refinement that Vay and colleagues are developing in the new Warp-X code as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Exascale Computing Project. 2D and 3D Simulations Both Critical Vay is also co-author on a paper published March 21 in Physical Review X that reports on the first comprehensive study of the laser-plasma coupling mechanisms using Warp+PXR. That study combined state-of-the-art experimental measurements conducted on the UHI100 laser facility at CEA Saclay with cutting-edge 2D and 3D simulations run on the Cori supercomputer at NERSC and the Mira and Theta systems at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility at Argonne National Laboratory. These simulations enabled the team to better understand the coupling mechanisms between the ultra-intense laser light and the dense plasma it created, providing new insights into how to optimize ultra-compact particle and light sources. Benchmarks with Warp+PXR showed that the code is scalable on up to 400,000 cores on Cori and 800,000 cores on Mira and can speed up the time to solution by as much as three orders of magnitude on problems related to ultra-high-intensity physics experiments. advertisement "We cannot consistently repeat or reproduce what happened in the experiment with 2D simulations -- we need 3D for this," said co-author Henri Vincenti, a scientist in the high-intensity physics group at CEA Saclay. Vincenti led the theoretical/simulation work for the new study and was a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow at Berkeley Lab in Vay's group, where he first started working on the new code and solver. "The 3D simulations were also really important to be able to benchmark the accuracy brought by the new code against experiments." For the experiment outlined in the Physical Review X paper, the CEA Saclay researchers used a high-power (100TW) femtosecond laser beam at CEA's UHI100 facility focused on a silica target to create a dense plasma. In addition, two diagnostics -- a Lanex scintillating screen and an extreme-ultraviolet spectrometer- were applied to study the laser-plasma interaction during the experiment. The diagnostic tools presented additional challenges when it came to studying time and length scales while the experiment was running, again making the simulations critical to the researchers' findings. "Often in this kind of experiment you cannot access the time and length scales involved, especially because in the experiments you have a very intense laser field on your target, so you can't put any diagnostic close to the target," said Fabien Quere, a research scientist who leads the experimental program at CEA and is a co-author of the PRX paper. "In this sort of experiment we are looking at things emitted by the target that is far away -- 10, 20 cm -- and happening in real time, essentially, while the physics are on the micron or submicron scale and subfemtosecond scale in time. So we need the simulations to decipher what is going on in the experiment." "The first-principles simulations we used for this research gave us access to the complex dynamics of the laser field interaction, with the solid target at the level of detail of individual particle orbits, allowing us to better understand what was happening in the experiment," Vincenti added. These very large simulations with an ultrahigh precision spectral FFT solver were possible thanks to a paradigm shift introduced in 2013 by Vay and collaborators. In a study published in the Journal of Computational Physics, they observed that, when solving the time-dependent Maxwell's equations, the standard FFT parallelization method (which is global and requires communications between processors across the entire simulation domain) could be replaced with a domain decomposition with local FFTs and communications limited to neighboring processors. In addition to enabling much more favorable strong and weak scaling across a large number of computer nodes, the new method is also more energy efficient because it reduces communications. "With standard FFT algorithms you need to do communications across the entire machine," Vay said. "But the new spectral FFT solver enables savings in both computer time and energy, which is a big deal for the new supercomputing architectures being introduced." Other members of the team involved in the latest study and co-authors on the new PRX paper include: Maxence Thevenet, a post-doctoral researcher whose input was also important in helping to explain the experiment's findings; Guillaume Blaclard, a Berkeley Lab affiliate who is working on his Ph.D. at CEA Saclay and performed many of the simulations that were reported in this work; Pr. Guy Bonnaud, a CEA senior scientist whose input was important in the understanding of simulation results; and CEA scientists Ludovic Chopineau, Adrien Leblanc, Adrien Denoeud, and Philippe Martin who designed and performed the very challenging experiment on UHI100 under the supervision of Fabien Quere. NERSC is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. Additional support for this research was provided by the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program. After 20 years of dedicated research, scientists have cracked the chemical code of an incredibly complex 'anti-tumour antibiotic' known to be highly effective against cancer cells as well as drug-resistant bacteria, and have reproduced it synthetically in the lab for the first time. This major breakthrough and world-first could hail a new era in the design and production of new antibiotics and anticancer agents. The 'super substance' -- kedarcidin -- was discovered in its natural form by a pharmaceutical company when they extracted it from a soil sample in India almost 30-years-ago. Soil is the natural source of all antibiotics developed since the 1940s but in order for them to be developed as potential drug treatments they must be produced via chemical synthesis. Unlike many other antibiotics which focus solely on killing bacteria, kedarcidin is also capable of harming tumour cells and has potential as an effective cancer treatment. Kedarcidin is incredible in its biological activity, as it works by causing DNA damage to its target, but also in its structural complexity. It has been the subject of extensive research by scientists around the world but because of its complex structure they have been unable to reproduce it in its most complete and accurate form, until now. Dr Martin Lear at the University of Lincoln, UK, and Professor Masahiro Hirama, based at Tohoku University in Japan, have become the first scientists in the world to create a total synthesis of this highly unstable natural product. Their findings are published in The Journal of Antibiotics from Nature. Dr Martin Lear, Reader in the School of Chemistry at the University of Lincoln, explained: "Following its discovery in soil it took 10 years to determine the molecular structure of kedarcidin. With a reactive core protected by a protein cloak, it resembles something like a scotch egg! "In 1997, I began the long journey of making kedarcidin's reactive core with Professor Hirama, who was recently awarded the highest honour for a scientist in Japan. We basically needed to piece together a molecular puzzle of remarkable difficulty and then develop new ways of making the jigsaw pieces. 20 years later we have finally solved the puzzle. "This extraordinary journey has revealed new molecular insights and promising mechanisms for fighting cancer and combating drug-resistant bacteria, and it has challenged the frontiers of chemistry and biology. Now the new biological knowledge and chemical ability we have can be used to develop the next generation of antibiotics and anticancer agents." It has been predicted that by 2050 an additional 10 million people will succumb to drug resistant infections each year. The development of new antibiotics which can be used as a last resort when other drugs are ineffective is therefore a crucial area of study for healthcare researchers around the world. This new study represents an important step towards making this end goal a reality. Kedarcidin's anticancer properties also make it a fascinating subject for scientists exploring new ways of tackling aggressive cancerous tumours. Now it is possible to recreate the substance synthetically, researchers will be able to gain a greater insight into the mechanisms which make it so effective against leukaemia and melanoma cells for example. Bioengineers at Boston Children's Hospital report the first demonstration of a robot able to navigate autonomously inside the body. In an animal model of cardiac valve repair, the team programmed a robotic catheter to find its way along the walls of a beating, blood-filled heart to a leaky valve -- without a surgeon's guidance. They report their work today in Science Robotics. Surgeons have used robots operated by joysticks for more than a decade, and teams have shown that tiny robots can be steered through the body by external forces such as magnetism. However, senior investigator Pierre Dupont, PhD, chief of Pediatric Cardiac Bioengineering at Boston Children's, says that to his knowledge, this is the first report of the equivalent of a self-driving car navigating to a desired destination inside the body. Dupont envisions autonomous robots assisting surgeons in complex operations, reducing fatigue and freeing surgeons to focus on the most difficult maneuvers, improving outcomes. "The right way to think about this is through the analogy of a fighter pilot and a fighter plane," he says. "The fighter plane takes on the routine tasks like flying the plane, so the pilot can focus on the higher-level tasks of the mission." Touch-guided vision, informed by AI The team's robotic catheter navigated using an optical touch sensor developed in Dupont's lab, informed by a map of the cardiac anatomy and preoperative scans. The touch sensor uses artificial intelligence (AI) and image processing algorithms to enable the catheter to figure out where it is in the heart and where it needs to go. advertisement For the demo, the team performed a highly technically demanding procedure known as paravalvular aortic leak closure, which repairs replacement heart valves that have begun leaking around the edges. (The team constructed its own valves for the experiments.) Once the robotic catheter reached the leak location, an experienced cardiac surgeon took control and inserted a plug to close the leak. In repeated trials, the robotic catheter successfully navigated to heart valve leaks in roughly the same amount of time as the surgeon (using either a hand tool or a joystick-controlled robot). Biologically inspired navigation Through a navigational technique called "wall following," the robotic catheter's optical touch sensor sampled its environment at regular intervals, in much the way insects' antennae or the whiskers of rodents sample their surroundings to build mental maps of unfamiliar, dark environments. The sensor told the catheter whether it was touching blood, the heart wall or a valve (through images from a tip-mounted camera) and how hard it was pressing (to keep it from damaging the beating heart). Data from preoperative imaging and machine learning algorithms helped the catheter interpret visual features. In this way, the robotic catheter advanced by itself from the base of the heart, along the wall of the left ventricle and around the leaky valve until it reached the location of the leak. advertisement "The algorithms help the catheter figure out what type of tissue it's touching, where it is in the heart, and how it should choose its next motion to get where we want it to go," Dupont explains. Though the autonomous robot took a bit longer than the surgeon to reach the leaky valve, its wall-following technique meant that it took the longest path. "The navigation time was statistically equivalent for all, which we think is pretty impressive given that you're inside the blood-filled beating heart and trying to reach a millimeter-scale target on a specific valve," says Dupont. He adds that the robot's ability to visualize and sense its environment could eliminate the need for fluoroscopic imaging, which is typically used in this operation and exposes patients to ionizing radiation. A vision of the future? Dupont says the project was the most challenging of his career. While the cardiac surgical fellow, who performed the operations on swine, was able to relax while the robot found the valve leaks, the project was taxing for Dupont's engineering fellows, who sometimes had to reprogram the robot mid-operation as they perfected the technology. "I remember times when the engineers on our team walked out of the OR completely exhausted, but we managed to pull it off," says Dupont. "Now that we've demonstrated autonomous navigation, much more is possible." Some cardiac interventionalists who are aware of Dupont's work envision using robots for more than navigation, performing routine heart-mapping tasks, for example. Some envision this technology providing guidance during particularly difficult or unusual cases or assisting in operations in parts of the world that lack highly experienced surgeons. As the Food and Drug Administration begins to develop a regulatory framework for AI-enabled devices, Dupont envisions the possibility of autonomous surgical robots all over the world pooling their data to continuously improve performance over time -- much like self-driving vehicles in the field send their data back to Tesla to refine its algorithms. "This would not only level the playing field, it would raise it," says Dupont. "Every clinician in the world would be operating at a level of skill and experience equivalent to the best in their field. This has always been the promise of medical robots. Autonomy may be what gets us there." The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01HL124020), with partial support from the ANR/Investissement d'avenir program. Dupont and several of his coauthors are inventors on U.S. patent application held by Boston Children's Hospital that covers the optical imaging technique. The taxonomic and trophic composition of freshwater fishes in the Ohio River Basin has changed significantly in recent decades, possibly due to environmental modifications related to land use and hydrology, according to a study published April 24 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Mark Pyron of Ball State University, and colleagues. Human-made threats to freshwater ecosystems are numerous and globally widespread. The legacy of agriculture and land use is manifested in the Ohio River Basin, drastically modified via logging and wetland draining following European colonization. After this period, the Ohio River Basin watershed was historically dominated by agriculture, and then converted from agriculture to forest during the 1960s-80s. The effects of these changes on fish throughout the basin are not fully known. Pyron and colleagues used 57 years of rotenone and electrofishing fish collection survey data (1957-2014), collected by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, to examine changes to taxonomy, trophic classifications, and life history strategies of freshwater fish assemblages in the Ohio River Basin over this period. Annual species richness varied from 31 to 90 species and generally showed a positive trend, increasing over time. Taxonomic and trophic structure was correlated with the decrease in agriculture and increase in forest. The trophic composition of fish catch also correlated with this changes to the Basin's hydrology. In general, the environmental modifications were associated with more fish species which feed on plant matter and detritus, and fewer fish feeding on plankton and on other fish. The authors believe that future land use modifications, climate change, and altered biotic interactions could continue to contribute to complex patterns of change in freshwater fish assemblages in the Ohio River. Pyron adds: We found significant changes in species and trophic composition of freshwater fishes in the Ohio River Basin from 1957-2014. Species richness increased with year and the fish assemblages varied with changes in landuse and hydrologic alteration." The early arrival of spring in parts of the Arctic is driven by winter snow melting sooner than in previous decades and by rising temperatures, research suggests. The findings, from a study of plants at coastal sites around the Arctic tundra, help scientists understand how the region is responding to a changing climate and how it may continue to adapt. Researchers studied the timing of activity in seasonal vegetation, which acts as a barometer for the environment. Changes in the arrival of leaves and flowers -- which cover much of the region -- can reflect or influence shifts in the climate. A team from the University of Edinburgh, and universities in Canada, the US, Denmark and Germany, gathered data on the greening and flowering of 14 plant species at four sites in Alaska, Canada and Greenland. They sought to better understand which factors have the greatest influence on the timing of spring plants in the tundra -- temperatures, snow melt or sea ice melt. Variation in the timing of leaves and flowers appearing on plants between the sites was found to be linked to the timing of local snow melt and, to a lesser extent, temperatures. Across the tundra, leaves and flowers were found to emerge as much as 20 days sooner compared with two decades ago. Within the same timeframe, spring temperatures warmed by 1 degree Celsius each decade on average, while loss of sea ice occurred around 20 days sooner across the different regions. Overall snow melt, which advanced by about 10 days over two decades, had the greatest influence on the timing of spring. The study, published in Global Change Biology, was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council. Dr Isla Myers-Smith, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, who took part in the study, said: "In the extreme climate of the Arctic tundra, where summers are short, the melting of winter snows as well as warming temperatures are key drivers of the timing of spring. This will help us to understand how Arctic ecosystems are responding as the climate warms." The longevity of Earth's continents in the face of destructive tectonic activity is an essential geologic backdrop for the emergence of life on our planet. This stability depends on the underlying mantle attached to the landmasses. New research by a group of geoscientists from Carnegie, the Gemological Institute of America, and the University of Alberta demonstrates that diamonds can be used to reveal how a buoyant section of mantle beneath some of the continents became thick enough to provide long-term stability. "We've found a way to use traces of sulfur from ancient volcanoes that made its way into the mantle and eventually into diamonds to provide evidence for one particular process of continent building," explained Karen Smit of the Gemological Institute of America, lead author on the group's paper, which appears this week in Science. "Our technique shows that the geologic activity that formed the West African continent was due to plate tectonic movement of ocean crust sinking into the mantle." Diamonds may be beloved by jewelry collectors, but they are truly a geologist's best friend. Because they originate deep inside the Earth, tiny mineral grains trapped inside of a diamond, often considered undesirable in the gem trade, can reveal details about the conditions under which it formed. "In this way, diamonds act as mineralogical emissaries from the Earth's depths," explained Carnegie co-author Steve Shirey. About 150 to 200 kilometers, 93 to 124 miles, beneath the surface, geologic formations called mantle keels act as stabilizers for the continental crust. The material that comprises them must thicken, stabilize, and cool under the continent to form a strong, buoyant, keel that is fundamental for preserving the surface landmass against the relentless destructive forces of Earth's tectonic activity. But how this is accomplished has been a matter of debate in the scientific community. "Solving this mystery is key to understanding how the continents came to exist in their current incarnations and how they survive on an active planet," Shirey explained. "Since this is the only tectonically active, rocky planet that we know, understanding the geology of how our continents formed is a crucial part of discerning what makes Earth habitable." Some scientists think mantle keels form by a process called subduction, by which oceanic plates sink from the Earth's surface into its depths when one tectonic plate slides beneath another. Others think keels are created by a vertical process in which plumes of hot magma rise from much deeper in the Earth. advertisement A geochemical tool that can detect whether the source of a mantle keel's makeup originated from surface plates or from upwelling of deeper mantle material was needed to help resolve this debate. Luckily, mantle keels have the ideal conditions for diamond formation. This means scientists can reveal a mantle keel's origin by studying inclusions from diamonds that formed in it. The research group's analysis of sulfur-rich minerals, called sulfides, in diamonds mined in Sierra Leone indicate that the region experienced two subduction events during its history. They were able to make this determination because the chemistry of the sulfide mineral grains is only seen in samples from Earth's surface more than 2.5 billion years ago -- before oxygen became so abundant in our planet's atmosphere. This means that the sulfur in these mineral inclusions must have once existed on the Earth's surface and was then drawn down into the mantle by subduction. The team's comparison to diamonds from Botswana showed similar evidence of keel-creation through subduction. But comparison to diamonds mined from northern Canada does not show the same sulfur chemistry, meaning that the mantle keel in this region originated in some way that did not incorporate surface material. The group's findings suggest that thickening and stabilization of the mantle keel beneath the West African continent happened when this section of mantle was squeezed by collision with the sinking ocean floor material. This method of keel thickening and continent stabilization is not responsible for forming the keel under a portion of northern Canada. The sulfide minerals inside Canadian diamonds do not tell the researchers how this keel formed, only how it didn't. "Our work shows that sulfide inclusions in diamonds are a powerful tool to investigate continent construction processes," Smit concluded. This work was supported by the GIA, the University of Alberta, the NSF, and Carnegie. It is a contribution to the Deep Carbon Observatory. For places like Swakopmund, building materials could be a challenge to come by. While this is true, the Democratic Resettlement Community (DRC) found a way to provide proper structures including a workshop, an arts and craft room, a restaurant, and sleeping rooms for the people. Around 300 people, including children, have been gathering at the Dantago Arts and Crafts Center. These are the same people who benefit from the soup kitchen and exhibit their crafts for selling in the center. Part of the structure has already been completed and is now being frequented as a tourist attraction whether by tourists or by the locals. Children take part by filling bottles with sand, collecting bottles, and carrying the sand-filled plastic bottles to the center. These are then handed over to the older members of the group that are in charge the securing the sand-fill bottles with cement, forming walls. The owner, Katrina Garises, has started with this concept in 2016 where she conceptualized a trial toilet. The construction of the toilet was done by the owner's son, Reinhard Garises. With the help of his friends, Reinhard was able to construct his mother's concept using the same innovative construction material, sand-field reused plastic bottles. Katrina explains that the method of construction is one affordable way to build a structure that can withstand the wind and cold. She added that the building materials can even save lives in case of fire because the sand helps to put out the flames. Garises added that it is also one way to keep the area clean. Some of the bottles used for the structure were picked up from the ground as thrown away by other people. One side of the center where the arts and crafts materials are stored has already been completed. Garises is thankful that members of the community bring bottles to use as well as some companies that are eager to donate. Even if a lot of bottles are needed to complete the project, Garises is optimistic that the tourists visiting the vicinity would appreciate what they see and would sometimes leave the bottles that they have used so that the center could use it. The art center also serves as a soup kitchen that would feed about 200 children from the area every morning and every afternoon. The center has taken initiative as well to teach the children some techniques in arts and crafts after they are done with school for the day. Some women are in the center making arts and crafts products which they sell to the tourists who are visiting the settlement. It is also where the community would turn to when they are in need of counseling and for their religious needs. Garises also pointed out that even if she is in the tourism business in Swakopmund, she also has a goal to uplift the living standard in the community. The center owner added that the locals have a lot of talent and just need a little guidance. Garises called for donations such as cement for construction and food for the 200 children that depend on the soup kitchen for their daily needs. Graham said The Continuum, a regional center for education and training that will open in August, is a big thing. The program is a partnership between The Darla Moore Foundation, Francis Marion University and Florence-Darlington Technical College. Students will be afforded the opportunity for training in innovative and technical skills and workforce development. We may not have a Darla Moore in every community, but theres enough people that could create a foundation to provide what she provides, Graham said. If you get the colleges and technical schools working the way you are with modern infrastructure, the sky is the limit. Moore said she is asked all of the time why she lives in Lake City. She said she attributes the level of success she has had to where she is from. She said she think it is the roots, the water and the value system. For many years, Moore said, she was accused of prettying up the town. And that was her decision. But it was all part of a 30- to 40-year project. FLORENCE, S.C. Florence County Sheriff candidate T.J. Joye said Wednesday was a sad day for Florence County. Sheriff Kenney Boone was indicted by a State Grand Jury and suspended by S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster. The indictments included two counts for embezzlement and one for misconduct. Its sad. I hate to see that, Joye said. Its a sad day for Florence County. It truly is. I hate it. Darrin Yarborough, a Democratic candidate for Florence County sheriff, also reacted to Boone's indictment. I pray for him, his family and the Florence County Sheriffs Office, said Yarborough, who had been a major with the Darlington County Sheriff's Office but was fired on the day he announced he is running for sheriff in Florence County. Joye said the Florence County Sheriffs Office is a good one that is comprised of some good men and women. I know its heartfelt for them as well, Joye said. Mexicos antitrust authority, COFECE, has come a long way since the legislative reform starting in 2006. Greater investigative powers, such as a leniency program, the power to conduct surprise raids, and higher maximum fines for competition infringements, together with the creation of antitrust-specialized courts, have consolidated COFECEs mandate as an independent regulator responsible for enforcing competition law in the country. The gradual strengthening of the Mexican competition regime has had tangible results: a growing number of cartels are being investigated in economic in sectors as varied as pension funds administration services, sugar and medical supplies, among others, and higher fines have been imposed (up to the amount of around $60 million in the pension fund administration case). Since legislative reforms in 2014, the Mexican competition enforcement system has expanded dramatically, with fines increasing by 64 percent. While COFECE doesnt have jurisdiction for anti-corruption matters, its focus is increasingly on bid rigging in public procurement, acknowledging that the complex design and regulatory requirements of public tenders in Mexico help trigger a negative feed-back loop between corruption and anticompetitive conducts. Indeed, abnormal profits are generated when public servants favor certain participants or give them undue advantages through the use of privileged information in exchange for bribes. This in turn facilitates collusion, generating a vicious cycle between corruption and lack of competition. Moreover, when a company wins a public procurement tender through acts of corruption, it is unduly increasing its market power, which can revert in the medium and long term in higher prices and lower quality for customers. COFECE calculates that 78 percent of the contracts between the Mexican government and private parties are made under a direct award scheme, and the government overpays by around 30 percent due to corruption and lack of competition in public procurement processes. Apart from proposing a more active ex ante role in public tenders (with proposals to the Mexican government such as requiring COFECE participation in tenders of more than one billion pesos, creating a General Law of Public Procurement adhering to international standards, and limiting direct award procedures), COFECE has deployed its investigative powers in a number of landmark cases in public procurement markets, such as the case of Mexicos national health system (IMSS) supply of insulin, where the bid rigging involved an agreement between the companies in order to coordinate public procurement bid proposals with the aim of allocating contracts, leading to an artificial increase in insulin prices. This was detected through economic analysis of the results of tenders. Some private companies are resisting the overreach of COFECEs investigative practices and want to establish boundaries of professional secrets, along the lines of attorney-client privilege in the U.S. system. Following a ruling by the antitrust specialized courts in November 2018 that established the corrupting effect of privileged information used by COFECE to build a case, COFECE issued draft guidelines on the handling of privileged information. The guidelines were subject to a public review that ended in January 2019. COFECE has also been spearheading the adoption of compliance programs by companies and will likely continue to be a key institution in the evolution of anticorruption efforts in Mexico. _____ Luis Danton Martinez Corres, pictured above right,is the partner leading the Compliance, Anti-Corruption and Investigations practice of the Mexico-based law firm, Ritch Mueller. He can be contacted here. Marta Loubet, above left, is an associate Ritch Mueller. She is part of the Compliance, Anticorruption and Investigations, and Antitrust practice groups. She can be contacted here. Fairfax is among the busiest. A report by the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Inspector General found that in 2016, deportation officers in the Washington suburb each handled an average of more than 10,000 non-detained cases per year: five times as many as in Seattle or St. Paul, Minnesota. The Fairfax office tripled the size of its waiting room last summer, but on this Wednesday morning, all the seats were filled within minutes. And by 9 a.m., the hallway was so full that a custodian could not push her cart down it. Oh, my gosh, exclaimed one ICE agent as he entered. Bright green signs warned that children and companions were not allowed. Yet women breast-fed their babies as toddlers dozed on plastic seats and teenagers tapped away at smartphone games. When somebody pointed to one of the signs, a mother shrugged. What am I supposed to do? she said of her young son. Leave him outside on his own? Many asylum seekers checking in for the first time hoped to make a good first impression. Some women wore bright dresses and high heels as if headed to church. One father wore a freshly ironed shirt with the tag still on it. The situation in the United States is somewhat better: 39 percent of Catholics and 58 percent of evangelicals attend church services once a week, and even more say they go a few times a month. But the numbers are in decline among the young as well. Only 11 percent of younger millennials are weekly churchgoers, while 16 percent more go either once or twice a month, or a few times a year. The secular tsunami that has swept Europe is making its way across the Atlantic. Elsewhere, in Asia and Africa, Christianity is growing and, as we saw in Sri Lanka, is increasingly under attack. But in the West, modern secularism is slowly accomplishing what the totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century tried and failed to do: eradicate God from society. We are seeing the triumph of what Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in a homily a day before becoming Pope Benedict XVI, called the "dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires." On both continents, young people are putting off or forgoing marriage, and having fewer children because a culture of self runs counter to the sacrificial love at the core of marriage and family. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) President Rodrigo Duterte in Beijing vouched for the Philippines joint projects with China which are controversial back home. In his opening statement during his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, Duterte said the agreements signed during Xis visit to the Philippines in November 2018 must be implemented at the soonest possible time to benefit both countries. We envision high-quality and good impact projects, Duterte said. The sooner they are completed, the sooner people on the ground will feel the benefits of Philippine-China relations. A total of 29 bilateral agreements, including the controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation on Oil and Gas Development, were inked during Xis state visit to the Philippines. Critics have expressed concern the billions of pesos in grants and investments from China came with strings attached and that the Philippines could fall into a debt trap something both Manila and Beijing officials denied. On Thursday, Duterte and Xi witnessed the exchange of letters on production capacity and investment cooperation between the National Economic Development Authority and its Chinese counterpart. China also turned over to the Philippines the grant-aid for drug treatment facilities in Sarangani and Agusan del Norte south of the country. A total of five bilateral deals are expected to be signed in the areas of education, anti-corruption, official development assistance, and drug rehabilitation. The Philippines [and] China must continue to work together to explore new areas of cooperation and partnership, Duterte said. This is the President's fourth trip to China since the start of his term in 2016. He went to China for the Boao Forum for Asia in April 2018, the First Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May 2017, and his meeting with Xi in October 2016. Duterte will stay in China until April 27 for the Second Belt and Road Forum. His China trip comes as the Philippines protested the swarming of Chinese vessels around Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea and Chinese fishermen's harvesting of giant clams, locally known as Taklobos, in Scarborough Shoal. China's latest actions prompted Duterte to ask the East Asian giant to "lay off Pag-asa Island," which Malacanang said is tantamount to invoking the Hague ruling that invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. 137 Ventures, a San Francisco, CA-based growth-stage venture-capital firm, announced Nicholas Procaccini as their new investment partner. Mr. Procaccini started at the firm as an associate in 2014 and has been promoted throughout his time on the investment team from associate to principal to investment partner, all within five years. He led the firms recent investments in e-commerce marketplace company Wish and a yet-to-be disclosed company in the consumer-health space. Mr. Procaccini also led diligence on Flexport, Gusto, Didi, and Curology and was involved in the diligence process for most of 137 Ventures investments since joining the firm. Prior to 137 Ventures, he worked for three years at the UNC Management Company, which provides investment management services to the University of North Carolina System and its affiliated endowments and foundations. As a senior analyst, Mr. Procaccini worked on all aspects of the investment process for the now $6-billion UNC Investment Fund. He graduated cum laude with a B.S. in business administration from UNC Chapel Hill. He is also a CFA charterholder. Founded in 2011 and led by Justin Fishner-Wolfson, managing partner, 137 Ventures is a provider of customized liquidity solutions to founders, investors, and early employees of growth-stage, private technology companies. The firm structures transactions to align its interests with those of shareholders and their companies, while offering risk-adjusted returns to its investors. In addition to personalized liquidity solutions, 137 Ventures also participates in primary, direct equity-financing rounds. The firm has raised four core funds and several co-investment vehicles, representing more than $1 billion in assets under management. FinSMEs 25/04/2019 On April 18, 2019, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, ordered a former broker, Zachary S. Berkey, to pay $106,000 in disgorgement, plus prejudgment interest, and $71,000 in civil penalties. The SEC charged Berkey on December 6, 2017, alleging that, while a broker at Four Points Capital Partners LLC, Berkey conducted in-and-out trading that was almost certain to lose money for customers while yielding commissions for himself. According to the complaint, Berkey's customers incurred significant costs with every transaction and the securities were held briefly; thus, the price of the securities had to rise significantly for customers to realize even a minimal profit. The complaint also alleged that Berkey churned customer accounts and concealed material information from his customers, namely that the costs associated with their recommendations, including commissions and fees, would almost certainly exceed any potential gains on the trades. The SEC's complaint charged Berkey with violating the antifraud provisions, Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and sought permanent injunctions, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest and civil monetary penalties. Previously, without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations, Berkey had consented to a judgment permanently enjoining him from future violations of the antifraud provisions. Chooch.AI, a San Francisco, CA-based artificial intelligence training platform for visual recognition, raised $2.8m in seed funding. The round was led by Vickers Venture Partners, with participation from angel investors. The company intends to use the funds to expand market reach and grow the team, including hiring additional engineers. Led by Emrah Gultekin, CEO, Chooch AI provides Visual AI for media, e-commerce, security, and medical industries, among others. Chooch performs object recognition and facial recognition by matching data in its neural network perception library which acquired with machine learning. Its API is compatible with photo or video content from any source, live streams, apps, web, robots, or drones. The company provides a full suite of computer vision services, from data to predictions. FinSMEs 25/04/2019 You may have noticed that we have been on a bit of a seafood umami pantry ingredient kick of late, starting with Sho's deep dive on "the Parmesan of the sea," bottarga, followed by my tribute to one of the greatest condiments of all time, XO sauce. Well, it's now time to round out this savory marine trilogy (don't worry, as with Star Wars and superhero movie franchises, there will be plenty of room for more entries in our expanded salty seafood universe) with a shout-out to another fishy Italian delicacy, colatura di alici. Colatura is another umami bomb pantry item that you should definitely try at least once in your life. Fair warning: Once you do, it will be hard to live without it. What is Colatura di Alici? Colatura is essentially the Italian equivalent of Southeast Asian fish sauce, and a relative of the ancient Roman (and current darling of the we-can-ferment-that chef world, thanks in large part to the Noma fermentation lab) sauce, garum. Like traditionally made, high quality Southeast Asian-style fish sauce, colatura is made with just two ingredients: anchovies and salt. These products are also produced in much the same way, by layering anchovy fillets and salt in wooden barrels, and then setting them aside in a temperature-controlled environment to ferment for a long, long time. During that time, the anchovies exude liquid that will age and become colatura. The term colatura di alici translates from Italian to "anchovy drippings," which is about as straightforward of a product description as you can get. How is Colatura Made? I recently picked up a bottle of colatura when I paid a visit to the Bronx warehouse headquarters of Gustiamo, an online purveyor of specialty Italian products. I spent a while chatting about ingredients (as well as about our favorite Roman coffee bars, and New York pizza spots) with Gustiamo's founder and owner, Beatrice Ughi. During our conversation, Beatrice walked me through the production process for the colatura that they carry, made by a small company called Nettuno ("Neptune"). For their colatura, Nettuno guts and fillets local anchovies and layers them by hand with Sicilian sea salt in small chestnut barrels called terzigni, a term that refers to their diminutive size (terzo means "third," and a terzigno is a third of the size of a standard barrel). The terzigno lids are then weighted down and the barrels are set aside for aging. As mentioned earlier, the anchovies are left to ferment, release liquid, and age for up to three years. For comparison, high quality Southeast Asian fish sauces are generally aged for around one year (there are specialty fish sauces that are aged even longer, such as Red Boat's Chef's Cuvee fish sauce, which is double-aged in bourbon barrels). Once Nettuno's tasters deem that the colatura that has risen above the weights is ready to go, they tap a hole in the bottom of the terzigno, and the colatura drains through the barrel, passing through the layers of anchovies, which provides one last boost of flavor to the fish sauce, while naturally filtering it in the process. The colatura is then bottled up for sale. Nettuno Anchovy Colatura Buy on Gustiamo.com Why You Should Buy a Bottle of Colatura Like other aged productsParmesan, dried scallops, jamon, Scotch whiskey, or dry-aged beefcolatura is not cheap. Aging ties up inventory, takes up space, and reduces yield. It's way cheaper to produce a large batch of Jack cheese, which only needs to age for a couple of months, than a clothbound cheddar that sits in a cheese cave for over a year. And that cost has to be passed down to the consumer. What you get in return is a massive flavor payload. It's hard to describe how deeply, intensely delicious colatura is, but it's salty and tastes of the sea, but it's not fishy. I love Southeast Asian fish sauce, and in no way do I think that colatura should be used in place of it, because they taste completely different, while being made from the same basic ingredients. As with whiskey, the same ingredients can still produce vastly different-tasting results. While I haven't tried fresh Vietnamese anchovies, I'd bet that they don't taste exactly the same as anchovies from the Amalfi Coast. The same goes for the salt. Then there are the wooden barrels, as well as the ambient air and environments that are all also different. Sho was somewhat skeptical of the reverence paid to colatura, but when we tasted it side by side with a premium Vietnamese fish sauce, he begrudgingly conceded that they are both delicious but vastly different in flavor. That said, if you like the umami punch of supermarket Southeast Asian-style fish sauce, you will definitely be into colatura. You just need to use it a little more judiciously. I like to think of it as the fish sauce equivalent of real-deal aged balsamic vinegar; it's a specialty finishing product, not something that you toss into a steak tip marinade willy-nilly. A little colatura goes a long way. How to Use Colatura Spaghetti con la colatura di alici. There are plenty of uses for colatura. Splash a little over grilled vegetables, a steak, pork roast, or fish. Use it to jazz up a batch of bagna cauda, or Caesar salad dressing. Or you could put colatura center-stage, and make one of the easiest weeknight pasta dishes ever, spaghetti con la colatura di alici. ezza nails, a Chicago, IL-based manicure startup, closed a $1.5m seed round of funding. Backers included: Matt McCall, partner at the Pritzker Group, and Linnea Roberts of GingerBread Capital. Founded in Chicago in 2017 by Ale Breuer, CEO, and Kim Marsh, COO, ezza nails offers an ethical nail care experience featuring: trained and friendly staff and a high tech, cashless experience filled with modern conveniences like affordable memberships, early morning hours and online booking that allows guests to select polish colors in advance. The brand won $75,000 in the University of Chicagos Booth School of Business New Venture Challenge in 2017 and participated in the Pritzker Summer Accelerator program. This fundraising announcement comes just ahead of the May opening of ezzas second Chicago location and a third is in the works. The company plans to hold their Series A round of fundraising in early 2020. FinSMEs 26/04/2019 Hundreds of people will be generating electricity in downtown Oakland by pedaling exercise bikes if a couple of high school students ever manage to get their idea rolling. It might not ever happen, admitted Anastasia Landry, 16. But its a good idea. Wed have new gyms spread out all over Oakland. The bikes would be hooked up to the grid. I think it would help people get their lives together. Anastasia, from Skyline High School in Oakland, was among 100 or so Bay Area students who gathered Thursday in a Berkeley meeting hall, science fair-style, to share their ideas for making the world greener, safer and happier. The ideas included flying cars, giant holes to turn rising sea water into attractive fish ponds, streets paved with mah-jongg tiles, time limits for showers, a system of Tokyo-style capsule hotels and special dormitories made out of compressed dirt. Teachers would be housed in those. It was all part of a daylong conference sponsored by the Center for Cities and Schools at UC Berkeley. The center invited kids from around the bay to spend the day on campus to share their ideas, and no schoolkid needs to be asked twice to take a day off from school for a field trip, even an educational one. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Aaliyah Sibanda, 15, also of Skyline High School, came up with the time limit for showers. People who take quick showers would be rewarded with gift certificates to local stores. People who take long showers would pay fines. San Francisco Bay would be a lot cleaner, said Vanessa Chavez, 18, if the city would install giant nets on storm drain outfall pipes. The nets would catch junk the way that mesh nets on home dryers catch lint. Vanessa, a student at Kennedy High School in Richmond, said all the city would need to do is hire about 100 people to go around town during a storm to clean out all the nets. It would be kind of disgusting, she said. But it would help clean Richmond and provide a lot of work for people. Andres Yanes, 13, of Escuela Popular in East San Jose, said his ideas for a fleet of flying cars might seem silly but it would make getting around a lot easier. He did not know where to find the flying cars just yet. Affordable living for schoolteachers is right around the corner if Marshawn Young, 18, gets his teacher dormitories off the drawing board. The teachers would have to double up in small rooms inside large buildings made from compressed dirt blocks. Rent would be $500 a month, which, he said, even a teacher could handle. We need to find a place where teachers can afford to live, said Marshawn, another Kennedy High student. He added that the motivation for the dormitories was entirely altruistic and not a way to make the teachers of Richmond spend their days encased in dirt. 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. There were adults on hand teachers mostly but they tried not to splash too much cold water on the more unconventional ideas. Teacher Terry Van Hare said she had given Anastasia an A for her electricity-generating bicycle gym idea even though she said, in a low voice, that it probably wasnt practical. I had a conversation with her, and we talked about how the bicycles would probably not be able to generate enough energy, she said. We did a cost benefit analysis. She understands. On hand to take in the ideas were city planners, city managers and some representatives from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the body that will oversee Andres fleet of flying cars in the event they get off the ground. Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com English teacher Kathi Duffel is helping her high school students lay out the next edition of the Bruin Voice this week as shes done for 28 years. Only this time, when the newspaper hits print on May 3, Duffel could be fired. Questions basic to American democracy have descended on Bear Creek High in the San Joaquin Valley city of Stockton: Do students have First Amendment rights? Is a school administrator allowed to approve or reject stories before publication in the campus newspaper? What if the subject is pornography? The predicament arose on April 11, when administrators knocked on Duffels door during her sixth-period sophomore English class. In the hall, Principal Hillary Harrell handed Duffel a letter from Lodi Unified School District Superintendent Cathy Nichols-Washer, who had learned that the Bruin Voice planned to run a story about 18-year-old Caitlin Fink, a student active in the porn industry. You are hereby directed to refrain from publishing the article prior to the Districts review and approval, Nichols-Washer wrote. Should you fail to provide a copy of the article as directed, you may be subject to discipline, up to and including dismissal. The district has since agreed to let a third-party attorney review the article to determine if its contents violate state law. Yet Duffel remains wary. The award-winning journalism adviser said she has been down this road at least three times with past administrators. She wins. They lose. And everyone gets bloody in the process except the students, she said, who get their moneys worth in the civics education department. Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle Duffel returned to her class in a daze, her mind on what would come next. You have to get your ducks aligned because youre in for a knock-down, drag-out fight, she told The Chronicle. They still have not learned their lesson or the law. California has been at the national forefront of upholding free speech for student journalists since 1977, when it passed Education Code Section 48907. With certain exceptions content that is obscene, libelous, slanderous or incites students to commit crimes at school or break campus rules the state law ensures that the First Amendment applies to youths. At least a dozen states have followed Californias model since 1988, when the U.S. Supreme Court severely curtailed students free speech rights in its Hazelwood ruling. Nichols-Washer declined to be interviewed. In her letter to Duffel, the superintendent underscored the importance of students free speech. But, she wrote, These rights are not limitless and that it is Duffels job to bar publication of outlawed content. The letter continued: The district has received information that Caitlins interview will focus primarily on her production of adult videos. Given this focus, the district is reasonably concerned that the article may contain material prohibited by law. The journalism adviser told the superintendent she had grossly mischaracterized the focus of the article. In fact, she wrote, she expects to submit it for a prize because the article speaks to every 14-year-old ... who has failed three classes her freshman year and now has a choice to make and our hope is that this article will help students think more critically about the choices they do make at this age in their lives. Duffel ended her letter by declining to submit the article for review. She then contacted the Student Press Law Center in Washington, D.C., which has represented student journalists since 1974 and cites censorship as its top concern. The center put Duffel in touch with San Francisco attorney Matthew Cate, who agreed to determine independently whether the story violates California law. The district agreed. Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle Duffel has relied on the law to halt censorship by administrators over three decades, as the Bruin Voice has won student press awards galore. Its motto: The Voice shall not be silenced. In 2013, when the Bruin Voice exposed inaccuracies in the school safety handbook, the principal at the time confiscated 1,700 copies to stop its distribution. By evening, the censorship story went viral, from the Stockton Record to the Miami Herald. In 2010, Duffel hired an attorney after the principal announced his intention to review every issue before publication. The Bruin Voice had ticked him off by revealing that his administration had improperly steered black male students into a segregated math class. The paper ticked him off a second time when it wrote that he had admonished staff for repeatedly losing expensive keys but had lost his own several times. A censorship attempt in the papers first year may have been a harbinger. In 1991, administrators tried to stop Duffel and the Bruin Voice from running two ads: one for Planned Parenthood, and another for a shop that used a picture of a kid with a condom on his head to sell bike helmets. Students threatened to sue, and the school backed off, Duffel said. She has won every fight, and nearly every award, including California Adviser of the Year last year from the National Scholastic Press Association. After three decades, Duffel hoped such trials were behind her. Then, in March, Fink agreed to an interview with junior Bailey Kirkeby of the Bruin Voice. People see the porn world as taboo, Fink told The Chronicle. But I see it as a natural thing. Youre just taking off your clothes. Its the human body. She wanted to stop rumors around school and get the facts out. Yes, she models for a porn agency called Motley Models. Yes, she sells nude videos over Snapchat and Pornhub, a sort of YouTube for sex. And, yes, shes auditioning to be a stripper in San Francisco. 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. Im 18, what Im doing is legal, and I dont see why everyone is making such a big deal out of it, Fink said, including the police. Duffel said she arrived at work the other day and found the Stockton officer assigned to Bear Creek High outside her class. She said the officer asked questions implying Duffel was involved in sex trafficking. I finally said, Why are you here? He said, I want a copy of the story. That really rattled me. Bailey, the student reporter, said her article doesnt really delve into sex at all. Its more about Caitlin as a person. Rather than glamorize the sex industry, the story is about all of the struggles (Caitlin) has been through since her early days. She said no one from the district ever asked what it was about, and that students were appalled to learn their teacher was threatened with firing. Ms. Duffel is known by the entire student body as being a very inspirational teacher, Bailey said. It definitely goes against our First Amendment rights. The district referred a Chronicle reporter to spokeswoman Chelsea Vongehr, who declined to answer questions but said, We are committed to the agreed-upon process to have an independent attorney review the article. We fully support the rights of our students to have freedom of speech, as long as it complies with the law. Cate, the lawyer, pointed to a catch-22. You may wonder, he said, how a school can know whether an article violates the law unless they look at it first, which is something the law is supposed to protect against. He said the answer lies in trusting teachers like Duffel, who won a James Madison Freedom of Information Award in 2015 from the Northern California Society of Professional Journalists. Recipients include poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Daniel Ellsberg, the Pentagon Papers whistle-blower. What Ive learned about Kathi Duffel and the Bruin Voice is that theyve got a long track record of doing really good work, Cate said. The school ought to trust her. And Bailey is sharp. Shes responsibly putting together a story about a young adult making her own decisions. Cate said hed have an answer by Tuesday. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Monsanto Co. asked a state appeals court Wednesday to overturn a groundbreaking $78.5 million damage award to a Bay Area groundskeeper who was diagnosed with cancer after years of spraying the companys best-selling herbicide, arguing that there is no credible evidence the product is dangerous. In the years that plaintiff Dewayne Lee Johnson applied the glyphosate-based weed killer to the school grounds on Benicia, and when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2014, the best scholarship available ... was unanimous in concluding that exposure to glyphosate does not pose a carcinogenic risk to humans, Monsantos lawyers said in their opening brief to the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco. Since U.S. regulators first approved Monsantos Roundup and other glyphosate products more than 40 years ago, the chemical has been among the most studied substances in history, and has been cleared by every national and international regulatory agency that considered it, the companys lawyers said. They said a World Health Organization agency that classified glyphosate as a probable cause of cancer in 2015 was a nonregulatory body whose theoretical findings at best represent a minority view. In addition, Monsanto said, if it had tried to warn Johnson and his employer of the herbicides alleged risks an omission that was the basis of much of the damage award such a warning would have been rejected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has found glyphosate to be safe. Johnson, 46, of Vallejo, sprayed a high-concentration glyphosate product called Ranger Pro on Benicia school grounds from 2012 to 2016, even after his cancer diagnosis. He testified that he was exposed to windblown sprays and was drenched twice with the liquid when his equipment broke. One of his doctors said Johnson is unlikely to survive until 2020. After hearing conflicting testimony by medical experts on both sides, a San Francisco jury found unanimously in August that Monsanto was responsible for Johnsons illness and should have known of the products dangers. They awarded him $39.25 million for economic losses and pain and suffering and $250 million in punitive damages, finding that the company had acted with malice or oppression when it failed to warn Johnsons employer of the products dangers, and when company officials failed to return his phone calls after he became ill. Superior Court Judge Suzanne Bolanos later reduced the punitive damages to $39.25 million but refused to overturn the verdict. It was the first case to go to trial among 4,000 suits nationwide against Monsanto by people suffering from cancer or other serious illnesses. In March, a federal court jury in San Francisco awarded more than $80 million to a Sonoma County man, Edwin Hardeman, who sprayed Roundup on his property for more than 26 years before being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Another trial is under way in Oakland in a suit by a Livermore couple who were diagnosed with the illness after using Roundup for about 40 years. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Glyphosate is the worlds most widely used herbicide. Lawsuits against Monsanto, now a subsidiary of the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, have cited the International Association for Research on Cancers conclusion in 2015 that the chemical is a probable human carcinogen, a finding later endorsed by the California Office of Environmental Health Assessment. Lawyers for Johnson and other plaintiffs have also accused Monsanto of ghostwriting purported scientific studies clearing glypohosate. The companys lawyers dismissed those allegations Wednesday, saying Monsanto had openly and honestly identified its participation in studies of the product. They also argued that $33 million of the jurys damage award $1 million for each year of Johnsons life expectation before his diagnosis had no legal basis. And even if the damages to compensate Johnson for his losses are upheld, the lawyers said, the punitive damages for failing to issue warnings were unfounded because there was no evidence that the company knew its product was dangerous. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko A negotiating tactic by Muni operators jolted San Franciscos bus system this week, causing significant delays and leaving crowds of baffled riders on the sidewalks. Some called it a piecemeal strike a combination of drivers calling in sick, taking family medical leave and refusing to work their days off. More than a dozen lines and thousands of commuters suffered, creating a stark, visible impact as contract talks heat up. Union President Roger Marenco said the action sends a clear message to riders and officials at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which is chronically short of drivers. The union and the agency are negotiating a three-year labor contract. Lets show the city and county of San Francisco what it feels like when we the operators take our days off, Marenco said in a YouTube video he posted late last week. It was removed some time Thursday afternoon. With fewer people on the job, riders saw gaps on the 14-Mission, the 5R-Fulton Rapid, the 30-Stockton and the 22-Fillmore, among others. The crowded 38-Geary, which putters from downtown into the Richmond District, also slowed in both directions Monday. Muni sent tweets and text alerts this week warning commuters about service gaps and extended wait times on numerous lines. Those alerts grew increasingly contrite as passengers tweeted back to vent their frustrations. Some complained that when a late bus finally arrived, they couldnt board, because the vehicle was too packed. The agency acknowledged the string of operator absences and operators choosing not to work overtime in a blog post Thursday. Over last weekend and into this week, many Muni customers were inconvenienced by an increase in missed service on several of our routes and lines, the post said. This translates to less reliable and timely service for our customers who rely on Muni to get where they need to go: to work, doctor appointments, shopping and more. This trend has continued, and in some instances, grown, through the week. The blog went on to praise Muni drivers and urge them to work overtime, which now provides about 5% of regularly scheduled bus and rail service. Some commuters said they noticed long wait times on other lines that havent appeared in Muni service announcements. This week I waited 20 minutes at a time for the 12-Folsom/Pacific and its normally very reliable, said John Massengale, who was sitting at a crowded bus stop at Fifth and Mission streets on Thursday. About 20 passengers were standing around the bus shelter, craning their necks and squinting at the westbound traffic. Kamal Kaur said she had been waiting a little more than 10 minutes for the 14-Mission, a bus that typically comes every nine minutes in the middle of the day. It beat her morning commute, when she said had been stranded at a stop for more than 20 minutes in Daly City. 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. A city report released in December showed that Muni had 1,894 operators available on a given day 411 fewer than the 2,305 it needs to deliver full service. The agency relies on employees to fill shifts on their days off in exchange for overtime pay a form of triage that holds the system together, while officials struggle to recruit and train more drivers. A board director declined to comment Thursday, citing the ongoing labor talks. Disruptions in public transit hit certain populations harder the ones hurt most are people who dont own cars, cant ride bikes, or cant afford Uber and Lyft, said Rachel Hyden, executive director of the San Francisco Transit Riders advocacy group. Still, she said the group recognizes and obviously supports operators being paid more. Marenco, meanwhile, struck a triumphal note in an interview that afternoon. He seemed satisfied that the move had caused disruption and caught the attention of the agencys top brass. Operators have been killing themselves in order to keep the system alive, Marenco said. Weve been sacrificing our health, our time with our families. Our bodies are deteriorating from sitting on the bus. He declined to say whether the action had bought workers more leverage at the bargaining table. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan San Francisco Chronicle An overturned big-rig on the Central Freeway in San Francisco was blocking lanes after spilling gravel onto cars below, jamming traffic as the evening commute began Thursday, officials said. The truck crashed around 3:30 p.m. on the curved section of freeway on northbound Highway 101 near the Ninth Street off-ramp, California Highway Patrol officials said. Facebook said on Wednesday that it expects to be fined up to $5 billion by the Federal Trade Commission for privacy violations, in what would be a record penalty by the agency against a technology company. The social network disclosed the amount in its quarterly financial results, saying it estimated a one-time charge of $3 billion to $5 billion in connection with an inquiry by the trade commission. Facebook added that the matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final outcome. The Menlo Park company and the FTC have been in negotiations for months over a financial penalty for claims that Facebook violated a 2011 privacy consent decree. In 2011, the company promised a series of measures to protect its users privacy after an investigation found that its handling of data had harmed consumers. The FTC opened a new investigation last year after Facebook came under fire for improper handling of user data involving consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, as well as for a major data breach. A fine of $3 billion to $5 billion would be a milestone for the FTC, which is regarded as having allowed the tech industry to grow unfettered. The FTCs biggest fine for a tech company has been $22 million against Google, in 2012, for misrepresenting how it used some online tracking tools. If the commission does levy a $5 billion penalty, it would bring the U.S. closer to the actions of regulators in Europe. Last year, regulators there fined Google a record $5.1 billion for abusing its power in the mobile phone market and ordered the company to alter its practices. The FTC declined to comment. Though a $5 billion fine would be substantial, it may be a price Facebook is willing to pay. The amount would be only a small fraction of the companys $56 billion in annual revenue, while alleviating regulatory pressure that has been intensifying over the past two years. This would be a joke of a fine a two-weeks-of-revenue, parking-ticket-level penalty for destroying democracy, said Matt Stoller, a fellow at the Open Markets Institute, a think tank that is a vocal critic of the power of tech companies. More meaningful to Facebook would be any FTC mandates that curb its ability to share data with business partners or require it to take more measures to inform consumers when and how it collected data. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Those will have the most lasting impact on consumers privacy, said Ashkan Soltani, a former chief technology officer for the commission. Even as the FTC and Facebook continue to negotiate, the companys business remains robust. Facebook said Wednesday that its revenue rose 26% in the first quarter to $15 billion. Net income dropped 51% from a year earlier to $2.4 billion because of the expected charge related to the FTC investigation. The company has more than $40 billion in cash reserves. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement that he is focused on a more privacy-centric vision for the company, which he outlined in March. At the time, Zuckerberg said he planned to shift people toward private conversations. We are focused on building out our privacy-focused vision for the future of social networking, and working collaboratively to address important issues around the internet, he said in the statement. Mike Isaac is a New York Times writer. Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern is considering closing Glenn E. Dyer jail in Oakland as a cost-cutting measure that could save the county millions, a spokesman said Wednesday. Sgt. Ray Kelly said officials have floated the idea around budget time every year for the past two or three years, and 2019 is shaping up the same way. Every year we look at feasibility, Kelly said. It is an old facility, and it does cost us a tremendous amount of money to run that facility. The decision comes amid declining inmate populations and rising costs to incarcerate them. While the facility houses a maximum of more than 800 people, its current population hovers around 400, Kelly said. If shuttered, Glenn E. Dyers inhabitants would be transferred to Alameda Countys other, larger detention facility, the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Santa Rita lately holds an average daily population of 2,100, but has the capacity to house well over 3,000, Kelly said. Kelly said the closing would not create layoffs, as the jails staff could be absorbed through attrition into other positions. The savings would mostly come from operational costs like keeping the lights on and running its own kitchen and medical facilities. There are disadvantages too, many due to the lengthy drive from Oakland to Dublin. The Glenn E. Dyer facility is a block away Oakland polices downtown headquarters, and transporting detainees to Santa Rita Jail would add a minimum of an hour onto each arrest, Kelly said. The Oakland location is also convenient for many family and attorney-client visits. Kelly said sheriffs officials will conduct a feasibility study before making any decision, speaking with officials from the public defenders office, prosecutors, U.S. Marshals, judges and members of the community. 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. Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods said although hes in favor of closing more jails, he believes shutting down the local facility would be ill-advised. If people from this part of the county are going to be held in custody, they should be here, closer to their community, families and the courthouses where their cases will be heard, he said. The facility holds both county and federal detainees. Kelly said if Ahern opted to close the jail this year, he would likely make the decision before the end of the fiscal year in June. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy An Alameda County sheriffs deputy appears to have been exposed to opioids while responding to a Wednesday morning call in Castro Valley, authorities said. Deputies were dispatched just before 4:30 a.m. to the McDonalds parking lot at 1620 Strobridge Ave., where four men in an SUV were reportedly looking into vehicle windows, suspected of casing for auto burglaries. After detaining the suspects, a deputy searched through one mans pocket and started sweating profusely. The deputy reported having a rapid heartbeat and needed to sit down, said Sgt. Ray Kelly, an Alameda County Sheriffs Office spokesman. His partners on scene recognized through their training from the last year and a half that he was showing signs of symptoms exposed to some type of opioid, Kelly said. Another deputy on scene administered four milligrams of Narcan, a drug that blocks the effects of opioid overdose, but the victim required a second dose to fully recover. The suspect admitted to using fentanyl and possessed drug strips to test for fentanyl, officials said. Investigators have not confirmed what substance was in the mans pocket. There was a ground-up white substance we need to get analyzed, Kelly said. We believe its some type of controlled substance, so were going to have that sent to the crime lab. Sheriffs investigators said they also found methamphetamine and a loaded Glock handgun at the scene. Three of the men were arrested on suspicion of drug possession. The afflicted deputy went to a local hospital for decontamination and has been released, authorities said. Wednesdays incident marked the third time an Alameda County sheriffs deputy has been exposed to opioids; the earlier cases occurred in 2018 in a Hayward motel room and March 2019 at Santa Rita Jail. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The department started training its deputies to use Narcan for overdoses after learning about the opioid epidemic on the East Coast and Midwest, officials said. This week the narcotics unit recovered several ounces of pure fentanyl that investigators believe was intended to be cut into the local drug supply. However, near-deadly accidental opioid exposures remain rare, Kelly said. People get freaked out about this and I would just say, we make thousands of contacts every year and heres three incidents of it, he said. Its out there, its something were concerned about, but we dont want to spread public fear. Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu BART plans to begin putting license-plate-reading cameras in its parking lots and structures, after the agencys board approved a controversial measure Thursday intended to combat crime. Since 2017, the system has seen an annual average of 1,054 auto burglaries, 387 cars stolen and 125 thefts of catalytic converters. Those numbers prompted the board to vote unanimously for a surveillance policy that allows BART to install four cameras that it owns and later pursue a contract for more. This really needs to get done and its long overdue, said Director John McPartland. Like several of his colleagues, he feared that rising crime has eroded riders trust in the system. The board had mulled a privacy policy for months, amid concerns that its data storage administrator, the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC), had contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Activists began packing board meetings in 2016 after news surfaced that BART police had installed a license-plate reader in the MacArthur parking garage. At that time the board decided not to use the equipment until they had approved a surveillance policy. The one they settled on last year requires hearings and new guidelines every time the transit agency purchases a new piece of technology. So Thursday, the board passed guidelines for four license-plate readers that BART owns. Staff will test those readers in a parking lot and gather data so the board can assess their success in a few months. The guidelines ban NCRIC from sharing information with ICE or any agency conducting immigration enforcement. They allow the center to store data for up to 30 days unless its part of an ongoing criminal investigation, in which case it may be retained for a year. 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. Officials at the transit agency hope that license-plate readers will help patrons recover stolen property, which amounts to more than $7 million annually. BART may at some point expand the function of the plate-reading cameras, which could also be used to collect parking fees or validate permits. Yet on Thursday the directors mostly focused on restoring riders confidence. I want to be in a world where people get on a train and get to their destination without incident or drama, said Director Debora Allen. Its time for us to move forward and get this done. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan LOS ANGELES International thieves from Chile are suspected of committing hundreds of burglaries across Southern California after obtaining visa waivers to enter the United States, authorities said. For months, a sophisticated ring of burglars has targeted affluent homes, businesses and cars in Los Angeles and the counties of Alameda, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Clara and Ventura, lifting jewelry, guns and other valuables, police said. A similar spate of burglary tourism is occurring in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New York and other states, as well as several European countries, the FBI said. It is a growing problem, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller. Theyre very sophisticated. Its a hot zone in Southern California. Last week, Simi Valley police, working with the California Highway Patrol and Ventura County deputies, arrested three Chilean men for multiple vehicle burglaries. Each was in the country on temporary visas, police said. The men, aged 22 to 29, used a jamming device to prevent car owners from locking their vehicles, a news release said. The device interrupts the signal when car owners activate the lock on key fobs. The visa waiver makes it hard for police to learn the real identities of the crooks, investigators said. The ESTA Electronic System for Travel Authorization visa waiver allows citizens from 38 countries to visit the United States for tourism, business, study or medical purposes for 90 days. Crime patterns began emerging in Southern California in the past year. So far, police have been unable to determine the number of heists, the value of items stolen across the region or how many people work in the ring. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The crews signature identifiers include fake passports and phony identification cards. They use rental cars, sometimes masked with paper license plates. After entering the rear of homes, the burglars typically barricade front doors, including those in gated communities with private security patrols. Once inside, crews scour master bedrooms for jewelry, money, guns and safes. Homes with parks, trails or undeveloped land behind them are prime targets, police said. Mark Puente is a Los Angeles Times writer. Oriient, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based developer of high-performance indoor GPS, closed a $4m seed funding round. Backers included: F2 Capital, and innogy Innovation Hub, the accelerator and venture capital arm of innogy SE, a German energy company. The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations. Led by Mickey Balter, Founder and CEO, Oriient provides enterprise level businesses including retailers, airports, malls and wholesalers, with the ability to allow their customers to navigate large areas and locate items with pin-point accuracy. The solution requires no installation nor hardware. Instead of using beacons or WiFi, it is based on Earths magnetic field and users smartphones. The company is already working with large retailers. FinSMEs 25/04/2019 Standing in an airy gym Thursday at a community center in San Franciscos Western Addition, Mano Raju took the oath of office as the citys new public defender in front of a large crowd of city dignitaries and attorneys. Mayor London Breed swore in Raju, 50, during the lunchtime ceremony at Ella Hill Hutch Community Center, prompting a standing ovation from some 150 people assembled many of them attorneys in the office he will now lead. This is our city, and our mandate as public defenders is literally to defend this city from those forces who might choose to turn it into a less just society, Raju said. Together, we will not let that happen. This is the commitment by which I accept this position and the promise I make to all of you. While the ceremony focused on Raju, the legacy of his predecessor loomed large inside the gym. Jeff Adachis sudden death at age 59 on Feb. 22 stunned the city and the criminal justice community, leaving the public defenders office without its outspoken leader. Adachi was known around the country for his work as a police watchdog, criminal justice reformer and relentless defender of indigent clients. Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle The city medical examiner ruled Adachi died from complications of cocaine and alcohol use, coupled with heart disease. I have no doubt Mano will continue Jeff Adachis client-centered, rebellious legacy, Deputy Public Defender Michelle Tong said. He has never uttered an unkind word about any of his clients. He has an authentic affinity for every single person. He refers to every client by their first name. City leaders took a break from work to attend the ceremony, including Supervisors Vallie Brown, Hillary Ronen and Ahsha Safai, District Attorney George Gascon, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Assessor Carmen Chu and newly appointed Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson. Rajus wife, Asha Mehta, and their 8-year-old son, Asim, sat in the front row before running to hug him after the swearing-in. Raju grew up on the East Coast with parents who emigrated from India. He went to Columbia University and then UC Berkeley, where he got a masters degree in South Asian studies before returning to the school to study law. He worked at the Contra Costa County public defenders office before Adachi hired him in 2008. He quickly became one of the offices most formidable trial attorneys and was promoted to managing attorney, overseeing the offices felony unit with another attorney. Breed appointed Raju as the public defender on March 11, but the city charter required him to move to San Francisco before he could be sworn in. Raju said he will run for the position in the upcoming Nov. 5 election. So far, no one has filed election papers or indicated a plan to challenge him. 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. Shawn George, 41, spoke at Thursdays ceremony and recounted Rajus work as his attorney more than a decade ago. George faced eight years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Raju persuaded him to reject the district attorneys plea deal and insisted on taking his case to trial. The jury verdict was not guilty. Because of Mano, I didnt become a statistic, George said. I wasnt just another number or thug or someone from the hood that no one cared about. Mano looked at me as a person that was in a bad situation. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky The white and red ensemble was one of the most exciting parts, although Im pretty sure the outfit was supposed to be the least important aspect of my service as an altar girl at Catholic Mass. A red, floor-length, mandarin-collar robe went on first, and a billowing white hip-level blouse was worn over it. My fellow servers and I would arrive early and don our robes in the sacristy, the same silent space where earlier, a priest had dressed himself in far more elaborate vestments. The big altar-server solo came when one of us got to ring the bell at the moment the priest blessed the Eucharist. Ringing the bell was a real skill, it required a perfect balance of shake and timing. When I got it just right, I liked to imagine the entire congregation noticed: Beth must be on the bell today. Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Mill Valley first welcomed girls to participate in altar service when I was 10 years old. With a hearty nudge from my feminist mother, I signed up, joining six or seven other girls. As part of our training, we attended an afternoon retreat with adult parishioners. There, I asked why we had to go to church in the first place and a fellow servers mother responded, Because we want to be a part of a community. Even at 10 years old, that seemed like a pretty good answer to me. By the time I was 14, participation in anything was deeply embarrassing and I quit altar service. But my tween-age takeaway was that its important to participate in your community, even if youre a girl whos easily distracted by the outfits. This trip down non-secular memory lane is brought to us by Father Joseph Illo, the embattled pastor of Star of the Sea Parish in San Franciscos Richmond District. Soon after he was appointed to Star of the Sea in 2014, Illo banned girls from altar service, apparently because he believes altar service to be a path to priesthood. He also denied non-Catholic students from receiving a blessing during Communion, and he passed out pamphlets to children that discussed, among other things, sodomy and vasectomies. (He later apologized for the last offense.) At a March 7 State of the School meeting, Illo was accused of trying to instigate a physical fight with a parent. He then allegedly demanded a husband order his wife to apologize for expressing her dissatisfaction with Illo. Star of the Sea Elementary School, which has been around for 110 years, will suspend classes once school ends this June. The school has offered some non-Illo-related excuse for the suspension, but what rings most true is the tragedy that one man can transform a community based around children into something so angry and, quite frankly, weird. I attended Bay Area Catholic schools for 13 years and not once did anyone, clergy or otherwise, broach the topic of vasectomies. We did have a brief life lesson in fifth-grade religion class in which our teacher would read one paragraph from the human body portion of the booklet, then have a boy read the same paragraph and a girl read, again, the same paragraph. Naturally, I got stuck reading the paragraph that contained the word vagina and was forced to sit through a building anxiety as both my teacher and a male classmate read it before me. That was as weird as my religious education ever got. Whats so heartbreaking about Star of the Seas situation is that Illos divisive actions are forcing families to turn away from the community theyve chosen. Why is a parish priest so focused on gender when, in my layperson understanding, his job is to build and cultivate a community? Illo is not like the many priests I have known throughout my life. His blog, with its repeated defense of traditional marriage, is not a reflection of the unconditional love I was taught in my Catholic experience. And while my participation has lapsed, my belief that church must be a safe and welcoming place is strong. I didnt realize how lucky I was to have known such a church. I hope the Star of the Sea students who must look elsewhere for a community find ones that welcome them with the support, enthusiasm and unconditional love that they deserve. Beth Spotswoods column appears Thursdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com Eggs do crucial work in a lot of baked goods, and vegan alternatives like flax seeds dont taste or perform quite the same. By bioengineering yeast cells to create egg white protein via fermentation, South San Francisco startup Clara Foods is ready to offer the food industry a new option. The company announced Thursday that its secured a second round of financing an undisclosed sum led by Ingredion, a global ingredient supplier headquartered in Illinois. This follows $15 million in another funding round in 2016. Thanks to the influx of cash, Clara expects to hit the market as soon as early 2020. With the commercial partnership with Ingredion, the plan is for Claras egg proteins to make their way to large bakeries and companies that produce protein bars and shakes. Clara Foods is one of several Bay Area companies that have made the region a global leader in food innovation, with companies that are developing substitutes for traditional animal proteins using a range of technologies. In addition to Clara, local companies working with yeast fermentation also known as acellular agriculture include San Leandros Geltor, which sells a lab-created version of gelatin and has raised $23 million in funding, and Berkeleys Perfect Day, which makes a cows milk equivalent and has raised $61.5 million. That innovation was what attracted Clara CEO Arturo Elizondo to San Francisco to start his company. He became interested in food tech while living in Geneva and studying diplomacy and food security. He learned about the global demand for protein and didnt see how the worlds dwindling resources could satisfy it. I booked a one-way ticket to San Francisco, he said. I thought this is where the future is happening. Elizondo landed at IndieBio, a San Francisco firm that helps biotech startups grow and raise investment, and Clara Foods was born. Clara plans to debut two products. One is a protein it found within the egg that has a clean, versatile flavor, Elizondo said. Clara says that unlike the protein powder thats often added to smoothies, its not grainy or chalky, qualities that beverage companies usually try to cover up by sweet, milky ingredients. Elizondo envisions Claras product enabling lighter, Gatorade-like protein beverages. The other product is an egg white replacer, prime for creating foams, meringues and properly leavened cakes. There is a liquid version less gooey than a chickens egg whites and a powdered version. For companies looking to make their ingredients vegan, Claras products will likely cost more than standard eggs initially. But as Clara grows, our technology has the potential to undercut and match the prices, said Elizondo. Clara has no plans to go directly to consumers via grocery stores. Its rollout would therefore be somewhat similar to that of Impossible Foods burgers or of the Just Scramble egg replacer from Just, Inc. (formerly known as Hampton Creek). Both of those companies, which specialize in high-tech, plant-based versions of beef and eggs, released their products to restaurants first. In the future, Elizondo plans to experiment with producing other animal proteins via bioengineering at Clara. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Clara Foods Elizondo grew up in Texas eating two eggs for breakfast every day until college, but hes been a vegan for the past six years. His parents arent so keen on trying his lab-grown proteins. Theyve been scarred, he said. For so many people, whenever you talk about vegan food or health food, its always like, Its going to taste like crap. Thats why Elizondo said he believes that making the most sustainable, ethical product isnt enough. It needs to also be the most delicious. Thats where you reach an inflection point of people really choosing these products, he said. They dont even have to think about it. Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker The minute the 2019 schedule came out, San Francisco fans circled this weekend on the calendar. The Yankees are making their second visit to Oracle Park the other was in 2007 and no doubt the Giants fans are pumped to see Thairo Estrada, Mike Ford, Luke Voit and Gio Urshela. There is bad news for those who bought tickets hoping to watch catcher Kyle Higashioka, however. He went back to Triple-A on Wednesday when Gary Sanchez came off the injured list. Fans also are out of luck if they hoped to see Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Greg Bird, Didi Gregorius, Troy Tulowitzki, Miguel Andujar, Luis Severino or Dellin Betances, all among the 13 Yankees who are out with a variety of maladies and will not return in time to face the Giants. They pared the list to 12 with Sanchezs return, only to add hot-hitting outfielder Clint Frazier, who developed a small tear in his ankle. All of this might be good news for Madison Bumgarner, Derek Holland and Dereck Rodriguez, who will pitch the three games, but not so much for ticket-buyers who hoped to see Judge and Stanton shoot for the Coke bottle. Or maybe it isnt, because the Yankees are winning and having a ball, taking a six-game winning streak into Thursdays game in Anaheim. Theyre above .500 and what happened was, everybody they brought up has contributed, names that came out of nowhere and have played great, Yankees radio commentator Suzyn Waldman said by phone from Anaheim. Theyre bunting, moving runners and having fun, and theyre fun to watch. Theyre also pitching, at least in the rotation, even without Severino. The bullpen has been hit or miss. Though Judges oblique injury and Stantons biceps problem have taken some of the luster off the series, its still rare to see those familiar and simple road grays on the shores of McCovey Cove. Theyre the Yankees, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. Im sure for the players and for the fans, theres so much history with the Yankees and so much history with us. Its always an exciting time (to face them). Same with Boston. Those are teams we dont see much. When the Yankees made their only visit in 2007, Alex Rodriguez was asking San Francisco reporters what Peter Magowan was like as an owner. Rodriguez was about to opt out of his 10-year, $252 million contract, which agent Scott Boras famously announced during the Red Sox-Rockies World Series. A-Rod either had genuine interest in replacing Barry Bonds as the face of the Giants or was sneakily planting a seed in the Bay Area media to up his re-signing price with the Yankees. The Giants took two of the three games, winning one in 13 innings on a Nate Schierholtz walk-off and beating Stanford alum Mike Mussina in another. Those Yankees did not have a bakers dozen players on what then was called the disabled list. Its unheard of, Bochy said. You dont see that. Then again, you look at the pitching theyre going to throw out and ... the guys getting big hits for them. Voit has really stepped it up. They have some guys you may not know, but theyre good players. When the Yankees leave, the Dodgers arrive for the first of their three 2019 visits. If you thought Cody Bellinger was hot when he hit a grand slam against Bumgarner on April 2 in Dodger Stadium, look at his numbers now. He has 12 homers and leads the majors in batting average (.426), slugging (.894) and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.394). If not for Christian Yelich (13), Bellinger would be leading in home runs, too. The Dodgers Joc Pederson is off to a potent start (.263, 10 homers) as well. As the Dodgers rotation stands, Clayton Kershaw would not pitch at Oracle, an oversight that manager Dave Roberts has plenty of time to rectify. Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: hschulman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hankschulman We missed SFFilm Festivals closing-night showing of Official Secrets, but Chronicle staffers had been invited to attend a screening the next day. The movie, which will be released in the Bay Area in late August, tells the real story of Katharine Gun (played so well by Keira Knightley that you almost forget how beautiful the actress is), a whistle-blower who leaked documents to the British press in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the war in Iraq. In the movie, Gun is working for British intelligence when she uncovers evidence of the U.S. and Britain attempting to blackmail U.N. Security Council members to get them to support war against Saddam Hussein. The guest of honor at the screening was Daniel Ellsberg, whose actions in leaking the Pentagon Papers had served to uncover some ugly secrets about U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Its a dramatic story, and when the lights came up after the movie, the audience was astounded that not only was director-writer (with four others) Gavin Hood, present, but also Gun herself, as well as Martin Bright, the journalist who received the document she leaked and then broke the story in the Observer. In a Q&A moderated by Chronicle editor Michael Gray, Hood said the tale as told in the movie was very close to real events. As the movie depicts, the documents Gun passed along made an anti-war case contrary to the pro-war position that his paper, the usually liberal Observer, had already taken, and upon first hearing that the reporter had received a tip, the editor in chief had turned down the story. There was argument on all sides, and then to his eternal credit, said Bright, the editor decided it was a fing good story. ... Against the editorial line, we were going to run the story. ... This is a film about holding institutions to account. Parliament, the judiciary, the fourth estate were corrupted by lies we were told about the Iraq War. What drew me to the story, said Hood, was that it wasnt something grand and out of reach. Gun, one person working on a large team, followed her own convictions. Most people are afraid to stand up and speak out, in fear about losing their job, said Hood. Also during the Q&A, Hood and Bright were assertive, outspoken. Gun, praised for acting on what she knew was right, was quieter. The question, said Hood, is What would I do? Would I have the courage to speak up? Whether they approve or not, most people admire the courage to speak out. Introduced to the audience, Ellsberg stood and spoke from his seat, saying he was hoping the very important film is seen by the largest audience. ... Every member of that coalition engaged in a crime against the peace. ... I know of no other leak as important and courageous as this. An Oakland Nextdoor listing cited by Laura Ingram: Im on (location), and someone has a rooster that, of course, crows. Oakland Municipal code says no roosters. The code also says chicken coops must be at least 20 feet from houses, church, etc. Im not gonna snitch anyone out. But you need to get the cock off the block. John Palme says he was texted by his smart toaster: Your toast is burning. Sad. Walking around last week in downtown Washington, D.C., blocks from the White House, Alison Moore spotted a brass plaque: BARR CLEANERS/ ALTERATIONS. 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. And David Pursley was on BART when he heard a conversation about the president having tweeted (the tweet was later deleted) that 138 million people had died in Sri Lanka. Why doesnt the president proofread his tweets? a woman asked a man. Proofread? he answered. Trump isnt into either syllable. Lynn Ludlow spent Sunday, April 21, John Muir Day, at Yosemite, where he was distressed to discover that at the two main Yosemite Valley gift shops, there was not a single book by impossibly eloquent genius John Muir. There were some coffee mugs bearing Muir quotations, but mostly the shelves were stocked with souvenir T-shirts and books on rock-climbing. Aramark, the Philadelphia corporation that runs the parks concessions, offers no books by the father of the National Parks and the co-founder of the Sierra Club. If Seth Moulton had announced first, says David Perry, Pete (Buttigieg) would have been the gay Seth Moulton. Now, Seth is the straight Mayor Pete. PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING I love these French clothes, but I dont have a body made in France. I think my body was made in Ireland. Woman to woman, overheard at an upscale clothing store in Healdsburg by Kathy Weil Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, 415-777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik Californias judicial disciplinary commission has not thoroughly investigated complaints of misconduct by judges and should discontinue allowing panels of judges to hear claims of wrongdoing against their peers, the states auditor said Thursday in a long-awaited report. Investigators for the Commission on Judicial Performance failed to pursue allegations thoroughly and ignored warning signs of ongoing misconduct in about one-third of a sampling of cases reviewed over a five-year period, State Auditor Elaine Howle told the Legislature in the first audit in the commissions 59-year history. Howle said the commission, which consists of judges, lawyers and members of the public, needs to open its doors to the public it does not conduct public meetings and accepts complaints against judges only by mail, not on its website. She also said the commission should assign its own members to hold hearings in potential disciplinary cases, rather than appointing panels of current or retired judges. In addition, she said, the commission takes a narrow view of its role that sometimes overlooks a judges history of misconduct. Unless CJP improves its practices, judicial misconduct may continue undetected and uncorrected, Howle said. She did not, however, blame the commission for its rejection of the vast majority of public complaints against judges. Of the 1,670 complaints received in 2017-18, only 9% led to full investigations and only 2% to disciplinary action not much different from statistics in other comparable states, the audit said. Commission officials say most of the complaints they receive boil down to disagreement with a judges ruling rather than ethical violations that are grounds for discipline. Howle also said the commissions members and staff were properly trained and qualified for their positions. The commission, established in 1960, has 11 members: three judges appointed by the state Supreme Court, two lawyers appointed by the governor, and six nonlawyer public members appointed by the governor and legislative leaders. It can reprimand a judge, privately or publicly, for misconduct or remove the judge from office for serious or repeated violations, subject to possible review by the state Supreme Court. In response to the audit, Gregory Dresser, the commissions director and general counsel, said it would follow recommendations to upgrade its handling of complaints and become more accessible to the public. But he disputed the auditors proposal to divide the commission into two bodies, one to hear complaints against judges and the other to make disciplinary decisions. That would require a state constitutional amendment, with voter approval, and Dresser said there was no problem with the current structure. Reviewing the commissions investigation process, the audit found that even after a complaint passed the initial screening and was accepted for review, investigators sometimes failed to review pertinent records or interview potentially important witnesses. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. In one case, the audit said, a man claimed a judge and her staff had refused to let his friends into the courtroom, in violation of public-access laws, but the commission spoke only to the judge. It did not interview court staff, look for video evidence or observe the judge in similar proceedings before dropping the case. The report also found that investigators sometimes overlooked patterns of misconduct. In one case, the audit said, the commission received complaints of serious on-the-bench misconduct against a judge for five years but either dismissed the complaints or closed them without discipline. Finally, a member of the public backed up his complaint with court transcripts, and the judge agreed to resign and never return to the bench. In another case, the commission privately disciplined a judge three times for inappropriate remarks, but when it received another complaint its eighth against the same judge over a 12-year period the investigator dropped the case when the complaining party could not provide a transcript or any supporting witnesses. The investigator could have conducted courtroom observation but failed to do so, the audit said. It said the commission should hire a manager to supervise investigators, establish an investigation strategy that can substantiate claims of misconduct, and review past complaints against a judge to identify any potential for chronic misconduct. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Weve already seen a built-in cryptocurrency wallet for the newest Samsung Galaxy S10. Furthermore, the device was completely Blockchain-friendly, but it looks like that Samsung is not done with cryptocurrencies just yet. In fact, theyve been so entranced by the technology, that they will be launching their very own one, quite soon. Even though the decision has pretty much been made already, the Blockchain developers of Samsung are still at the development & experimental phase, which means that something may change in the future. But, the sentiment that Samsung has already showcased with their new device clearly indicates their friendliness towards the Blockchain. Crypto companies beware Crypto companies in South Korea are relatively safe, all the other countries need to beware of their new fierce competitor. It has been proven many times that some of the top exchanges favour coins from already famous brands as theyre able to catch investors eye. These types of cases can be seen with Binance, Coinbase and multiple other crypto exchanges listed and reviewed at InsideBitcoins website. You may click here to see the full list of the crypto exchanges and CFD brokerages that are considered safe. However, it is clear that hihg-volume exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase are probably the only ones responsible for driving the supply of a certain coin. Yet it remains unclear whether or not theyll be open to doing the same for Samsung Coin is yet to be seen. There is one catch, however. South Korea has banned ICOs, therefore it is possible that Samsung will utilize its dozens of different branches as a starting point for the coin. No matter how big Samsung Coin becomes it will be a must-have for the crypto exchanges, which can become a launchpad for the project. But looking at a realistic point, its more believable to see Samsung only utilize the coin within its own frameworks and not encourage trading, whilst allowing listings on previously mentioned exchanges. According to Samsung themselves, the Blockchain theyre developing will be private but may go public in the future, meaning a new coin (Samsung Coin) with massive potential could hit the market. However, the Samsung representative did specify that the platform will never be fully public it would be a hybrid of both options. Savonix, a San Francisco, CA-based cognitive health company, completed a $9.6M Series A extension financing. The round, which brought total funding to date to $14.7M, was co-led by new investors Fusion Fund and Wavemaker Partners (Draper Venture Network), with participation from DEFTA Partners and existing investors Rethink Impact and DigiTx Partners. In conjunction with the new financing, Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner at Fusion Fund, BT Slingsby, CEO & Executive Director at Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, and Tony Estrella, Managing Director of Taliossa will join Savonixs Board of Directors. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate continued growth and market expansion for its cognitive platform into key markets in the US and Asia. Led by Dr. Mylea Charvat, CEO and Founder, Savonix leverages machine learning to gather insights from data to drive population health knowledge about cognition and its relationship to biomarkers and diseases as diverse as diabetes and dementia. The companys flagship digital cognitive assessment platform, Savonix Mobile, delivers an actionable mobile assessment of brain health. FinSMEs 25/04/2019 The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether or not the 2020 Census form sent to American households should include a citizenship question, and so far, its deliberations are ominous. The courts ideological divide has been starkly apparent. Its more conservative members have appeared to defer to the Trump administrations desire to include a citizenship question, while its more liberal members have been skeptical of the governments case, which is being represented by Solicitor General Noel Francisco. Experts within the Census Bureau, social scientists, civil rights groups and good government organizations have all advised against the addition of a citizenship question. For a variety of reasons, minorities and noncitizens are already less likely to be counted in the census. Adding a question about respondents citizenship is almost certain to suppress participation further. Households with undocumented residents, for example, are less likely to feel comfortable disclosing their citizenship status to the Trump administration, and so are less likely to respond to the census forms at all. Since the stakes for an accurate census are so high political representation, federal funding, and local investments all rely on census data a number of states, including California, have joined the suit against the administration. California could easily lose at least one congressional seat in the event of an inaccurate census. So far, three federal district court judges have forbidden the Trump administration from adding it to the 2020 count. But the Supreme Court may very well take a different position. One of the major arguments made by Francisco and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in favor of a citizenship question has been that obtaining citizenship information is important for enforcing the Voting Rights Act. This argument in particular is bogus. A citizenship question has not been asked of all census recipients since the Voting Rights Act became law in 1968. Furthermore, recent concerns about the effectiveness of the Voting Rights Act have centered on voter suppression not noncitizen voting. The Supreme Court should heed the advice of experts and the guidance of the lower courts on a citizenship question. If it does not, California must plan a vigorous outreach plan so all who reside within this states borders receive the representation they deserve. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. On Monday,diplomats from around the world are meeting at the United Nations in New York to review the state of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This treaty, commonly known as the NPT, came into force 49 years ago, and is widely regarded as the cornerstone of international disarmament and nonproliferation diplomacy. But if it is the cornerstone, then what is the evidence of its effectiveness? Has it blocked the spread of nuclear weapons? Has it reduced the size of the global nuclear arsenal? Has it led to meaningful nuclear disarmament or even to a diminished risk that nuclear weapons will be used? Perhaps one asks too much of a treaty that was negotiated a half century ago. At that time, the United States and the Soviet Union were ideological and military adversaries, but they also had recently avoided barely a nuclear catastrophe in the wake of Soviet deployment of nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba. The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was a major wake-up call for both Moscow and Washington, and it prompted them to negotiate several arms control accords, including the NPT. In some respects, the promise of the NPT has been realized. The pace of proliferation has been much slower than anticipated, and the treatys membership now includes almost all the nations of the world. To be sure, three nuclear-armed states India, Pakistan and Israel refused to join. A fourth North Korea joined and then chose to withdraw. But of the 13 past and present nuclear nations, four countries (South Africa, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine) renounced those weapons and ratified the treaty. The size of the global nuclear arsenal is much smaller today than it was at the peak of the Cold War a fact that the two states with the largest nuclear forces, the United States and Russia, say shows their good faith under the treaty to pursue negotiations to stop the nuclear arms race at an early date and eventually achieve nuclear disarmament. What is less evident is whether any of the nuclear-armed states actually believes in nuclear disarmament. It is also unclear if the overall reduction in nuclear weapons has made the world a safer place. Indeed, we believe that the use of nuclear weapons is actually more likely today than at any time in recent memory. The greatest nuclear danger today is the potential for a military confrontation among nuclear-armed states because of mistake, miscalculation or accident. The danger of nuclear blunder has always existed. In fact, there have been a large number of close calls in the past that did not escalate into military conflict. The biggest difference between today and the past is that there is an absence of trust between the United States and Russia. There simply is no inclination on either side to interpret ambiguous information such as an early warning signal of a missile launch as anything other than the worst case. Gary Hershorn / Reuters 1987 In order to reduce this risk of the unthinkable, a number of prominent U.S. and Russian figures have suggested that the leaders of both nations reaffirm the 1985 Reagan-Gorbachev statement that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Ideally, this modest measure would be endorsed by the leaders of the other nuclear weapons states perhaps in 2020 on the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the NPT. Such a declaration would indicate that even at a time when the world is in disarray, some fundamental, shared interests can be identified with respect to preventing a nuclear catastrophe. Sadly, a recent and little-noted effort to secure a joint statement by the five NPT-recognized nuclear weapons states along these lines proved impossible. Only China was prepared to endorse the Reagan-Gorbachev principle, while France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States either refused outright to join the statement on the basis that it was at odds with their current nuclear doctrine or declined without explanation. Anonymous/ASSOCIATED PRESS It is hard to maintain faith in the future of the NPT when states cannot even agree on the principle that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. When countries meet next week to review the performance of the NPT, they should insist that the nuclear weapons states publicly declare their positions on this basic existential issue. Jerry Brown is the former governor of California and current executive chairman of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. William Potter is Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar Professor of Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. If Californias trout country were a dartboard this year, youd better have good aim if you want to catch a fish. Across the rest of the state, most of the rivers, lakes and campgrounds are awash with high, cold water, and many of the Forest Service roads and campgrounds still blocked by snow. On the west flank of the Sierra Nevada, temperatures in the low 80s on Thursday will set off high snowmelt and feed streams with yet more water that are already running high and cold. There is one bulls-eye out there: a single 20-mile radius in eastern Shasta County with good prospects at rivers, streams and lake for trout, and campgrounds that are opening for the weekend. Its in the vicinity of Baum Lake, located east of Burney. You can fish Upper and Lower Hat Creek, Fall River, Big Lake, Baum Lake and Burney Creek. The Forest Service confirmed that campgrounds along Highway 89 are opening this week, most on Wednesday, in time for the trout season opener. At the same time, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park is opening parts of two campground loops, the Cabin Loop and Rim Loop, first-come, first-served. Park model cabins are available by reservation at ReserveCalifornia.com. Boat-in sites at Big Lake at Ahjumawi State Park out of the Rat Farm Boat Ramp near McArthur also are open and available. California has 40 major trout streams, with dozens of tributaries, and 400 lakes you can reach by car. Campgrounds are sited at many of them. Last year, a low water year with an early spring, it was a wide-open board. You could throw that dart blindfolded and likely hit a target for points. Central Sierra washout For Saturdays opening of the trout season and camping, you would have no such luck throwing a dart blindfolded at a map of California. At the South Fork American River in the central Sierra Nevada, for instance, the river has been pounding at 3,000 to 4,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) this week at Chili Bar (upstream of Coloma, near Placerville). That is unfishable. Upstream, the South Fork along U.S. 50 looks more like a flood zone than a trout stream. The Crystal Basin above Placerville still is loaded with snow with no campgrounds open. The road (paved) is clear to Union Valley Reservoir, with one boat ramp open (at West Point), the Forest Service reported. No boat ramps are open at Ice House, Gerle Creek or Loon Lakes and other small lakes in the area, with high snow above 6,000-foot elevations. Similar stories are reported from field scouts and district rangers across Californias trout country. On the west flank of the Sierra, south to north, the Merced, upper Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Yuba and Feather are running big, with delayed campground openings in the high country. If you want to go Camping: McArthur-Burney Falls State Park, 530-335-2777, www.parks.gov; Hat Creek Ranger District, 530/336-5521, www.fs.usda.gov/lassen. Fish reports: The Fly Shop, Redding, 800-669-3474, wwwtheflyshop.com. Bay Area trout plants: This week's trout plants, as scheduled by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, East Bay Regional Park District and marina concessionaires: Two plants: Del Valle Reservoir south of Livermore, Shadow Cliffs Lake in Pleasanton, Los Vaqueros Reservoir north of Livermore. One plant: Horseshoe Lake (Quarry Lakes) in Fremont, Contra Loma Reservoir in the Antioch hills. See More Collapse In the north state, the Upper Sacramento River, which runs about 40 miles from Box Canyon Dam to Shasta Lake, has been running at 3,400 cfs for much of the week. To put that in perspective, the Upper Sac runs at about 150 to 250 cfs in the summer, is good for rafting at 1,000 to 2,500 cfs, and above 2,500 cfs can be unfishable outside of pocket eddies, and for whitewater, for experts only in kayaks and rafts. The nearby McCloud River is also high and very cold, at 1,500 cfs, with vehicle access blocked at its upper end by a 40-yard slide across the Forest Service access road that leads to Ash Camp and a river trail. The bulls-eye zone What makes the bulls-eye zone unique in the Fall River Valley and nearby is that the rivers and streams are fed by a series of huge freshwater springs from underground lava tubes. That phenomenon creates a matrix of the largest freshwater spring-fed waterways in the world. Hat Creek/Highway 299: This section of Hat Creek is a slow-moving, spring-fed stream that attracts skilled flyfishers. The best access is from an access at Highway 299 (northeast of the junction of 89/299), where you walk along the river, then wade and cast. The best section (and you can expect company) is the riffle below Powerhouse 2. The Redding Fly Shop suggests using PMD, callibaetis and caddis patterns. Hat Creek/Highway 89: The section of Hat Creek along Highway 89 is a pretty stream in a forest with a series of waterfront campgrounds. It runs from the town of Old Station on north. The Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed that it is stocking the stream (usually near the campgrounds) this week with rainbow trout. Baum Lake: Baum produces some giant rainbow trout each spring, and often, good numbers of fish, before algae growth takes hold in the summer. No motors are permitted, which makes Baum great for flyfishers with prams, pedal kayaks and rowboats. This small lake provides an insurance policy if your river of choice doesnt work for you. The best patterns right now, reports the Fly Shop are: Callibaetis nymphs, damsel nymphs and midges. Fall River: Fall River is a deep, slow-moving, spring-fed waterway with crystal-clear water that pretzels its way through a valley to Big Lake. Last years high numbers of small fish in the 10-inch class have given rise to hopes of big things ahead with lots of 14- to 16-inch wild trout. The clarity requires long leaders and micro flies, long casts with gentle landings. With clear, blue skies, it can be challenging; better on overcast days. There is no access from shore. Access is limited to small boats and guides with boats at Island Bridge and out of Big Lake. Note that Spinner Fall Lodge, a public access point, was sold and is scheduled to reopen as Oak House Tavern in mid-May. Big Lake: This is the centerpiece of Ahjumawi State Park. Large trout roam near the springs, and boat-in campsites make it feel like your own. For the opener Saturday, you also can run upstream legally for the first time this season into the lower reaches of Fall River. Burney Creek: Burney Creek is a small stream that runs along Highway 89 and into McArthur-Burney Falls State Park. It is running high but fishable, and the DFW said it planned to stock it this week with trout. A trail along the stream provides shorefishing access. Tom Stienstra is The San Francisco Chronicles outdoors writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom . , 5:2 18- . , -. , 2:0 27-... Texan Beto ORourke will bring his Democratic presidential campaign to San Francisco on Sunday for a town hall meeting. The event at the Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Ave. near the San Francisco Zoo, is part of a four-day swing through California for the 46-year-old former El Paso congressman. He has similar events planned for Saturday in Los Angeles, Tuesday in San Diego and at one or more as-yet-undetermined sites in the Central Valley on Monday. Doors will open at 11:15 a.m. Sunday for the San Francisco event. No other details have been released, but ORourkes campaign Facebook page posted an RSVP link. ORourke is a graduate of Columbia University and served two terms on the El Paso City Council before being elected to Congress in 2012. He made his way into the national spotlight with his long-shot campaign to oust incumbent GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. Although he lost to Cruz in a 51-48% squeaker, he received more votes than any other Democrat in Texas history and raised an astounding $79 million for his campaign, much of it from appeals to Democrats and independents across the country. Last month he announced he was joining the crowded Democratic presidential field, promising the largest grassroots campaign this country has ever seen. ORourke told reporters at that opening campaign event in Iowa that a bottom-up campaign is the only way to win. Its the only way to effectively govern. He has some ground to make up, however. The RealClearPolitics average of major polls shows ORourke running sixth at 6.3%, far behind the front-runners, former Vice President Joe Biden at 29.3% and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at 23%. In California, a Quinnipiac University poll earlier this month also found ORourke in sixth place, running behind Biden, Sanders and California Sen. Kamala Harris. ORourke isnt the only Democratic hopeful coming to San Francisco. John Hickenlooper, former governor of Colorado, will speak to the Commonwealth Club on Friday at noon, and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee will appear at the club on May 2. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth David Blake wants voters, not the presidential candidates, to choose the countrys next vice president. Hes put up $1 million of his own money to try to make that happen. The San Francisco tech executives Vice.run website went live in March, and his team already is collecting signatures to change the way Americans pick the countrys presidential backup. The vice president was supposed to be an independent leader, not the presidents lapdog, Blake said in an interview. As the only official in the nation to serve in two branches of government as vice president and president of the Senate ... the vice president is in a unique position to bridge the gap between the two and serve as a domestic diplomat and unifier in chief. Thats a tall order for a job that John Nance Garner, Franklin Roosevelts vice president for two terms, supposedly once described as not worth a bucket of warm spit, complaining that he gave up his job as House speaker to spend eight long years as Mr. Roosevelts spare tire. Thats not the way it was supposed to be, Blake said. The vice president has an important job, especially when the country is as ideologically split as it is today. As president of the Senate, for example, the vice president breaks any ties. Since he took office in January 2017, Vice President Mike Pence has cast the tie-breaking vote 13 times, the most of anyone in the job since 1841. By contrast, Joe Biden, President Barack Obamas vice president, didnt cast a single vote in his eight years in office. The best example of how the skills of a vice president are wasted came in December, Blake said, when President Trump argued on camera with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York over the presidents proposed border wall and the pending government shutdown. As they were arguing, Pence sat in a chair and said absolutely nothing, he said. He was the only one in the room with an official role in each branch (of government) and was uniquely situated to be a bridge between the two. Blake, 35, was born in Utah and graduated with an economics degree from Brigham Young University. With an interest in both education and the workforce, he co-founded Degreed, which works with companies and individuals to provide lifelong learning opportunities, in 2012. While he had always had an interest in politics, it was his 10-year-old daughter who steered his life on a new course. At some point, my daughter asked if Americans hated each other this much when I was a kid, Blake said. I began to believe that our hyper-partisanship was going to hurt us over time. We need to govern by consensus and compromise if were going to solve the problems facing us. In 2018, he and his wife, Mikel Blake, started Americans for Common Ground, which focuses on revising the vice presidency as a way to make the country less partisan. Allowing a separate vote on candidates for vice president could attract people who know they cant get elected president, such as Republicans unwilling to challenge Trump but ready to take on Pence, Blake said. The job also is well situated for an independent, which the presidency isnt, he said. It would eliminate questions about a spoilers role and provide a candidate with an independent platform. Changing the election rules isnt nearly as complicated as the effort to eliminate or bypass the Electoral College, because the 12th Amendment already provides for independently selecting a vice president, although its never been done. In 2016, people just checked a box on the ballot for Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine or for Donald Trump and Mike Pence, Blake said. We want to change those two boxes to four boxes and hopefully even more. Blakes group is collecting signatures in every state from people pledging to support a separate vice presidential vote. They will use those signatures to try to persuade the individual secretaries of state that theres a demand for change. Secretaries of state can break out the vice presidential race as a separate contest on the ballot if they choose. Now, the effort is focused on states including Utah, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Tennessee, where only a small number of signatures are needed to put a candidate on the ballot. In Tennessee, for example, only 275 signatures are required to put even an unaffiliated candidate on the ballot, compared with 178,000 in California. Blake doesnt shy away from the likely problems. No president, for example, is going to want a vice president who not only may not agree with him, but also could be from a different party and actively work against him. An independently elected vice president could find himself frozen out of all but the most modest ceremonial duties and forced to check the internet in the morning to learn what the president is doing that day. That could become less of a concern if voters can be educated on the need for an independent vice president and what it could mean for them and the country, Blake said. The vice president is the highest elected official in the country who doesnt face the voters directly, he noted. Once the office is allowed to be sought directly, it will have its own candidates who will better represent the public, Blake said. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth WASHINGTON She worked her way up from the San Francisco district office to the House speakers office, becoming the first woman to hold her post. She says her mission is serving the American people, including assuring affordable health care, economic security and social equity. Its not happenstance that the biography of Terri McCullough sounds a lot like that of her boss, Nancy Pelosi. The House speakers new chief of staff began her career as an intern with Pelosi in her native San Francisco in 1991, then worked her way up to scheduler and legislative assistant. After five years away, working in advocacy and nonprofits, McCullough returned to serve as Pelosis congressional office chief of staff on Capitol Hill from 2003 to 2011. She took another eight years working outside Congress for womens empowerment and gender equity organizations, then returned to the Hill last month, taking over the most powerful staff position in the House. It was not a hard choice when the offer to work with Pelosi again came, she says. She asked me, said McCullough, 50. I was deeply honored and was quick to say yes. McCullough is the first woman to officially serve as chief of staff to the House speaker former Speaker Tom Foleys wife, Heather Foley, held the job in an unpaid capacity in the 1990s. Her appointment parallels her boss own ceiling-shattering turn as the first woman to serve as speaker of the House. McCullough is joining the speakers office amid a broader breaking of barriers. The new House Democratic majority is the most diverse ever, and the 2018 election ushered more women into Congress than ever before. With Pelosis encouragement, House Democrats are also hiring more candidates of color for staff positions, with the top levels of House staff increasingly diverse as well. McCullough called her own contribution to those firsts an awesome responsibility and part of something she has fought for her entire career. Shes not ready to declare the job done just yet. We are really making some great progress in terms of the different types of leaders that we are now seeing represented, McCullough said. I would like the dam to break a little further, but I do see some really good progress. She tends to pivot questions about her philosophy back to Pelosi. The broader goals of the caucus and the speaker are my goals, she says. Its why one of her predecessors says shes ideal for the job. The level of pressure that you have upon you as chief of staff for the speaker of the House is immense, said Nadeam Elshami, Pelosis chief of staff when she was minority leader and senior adviser during her first speakership. Someone like Terri who is capable of doing the job, but doing the job with a smile on her face and the trust of the staff, and more importantly, the trust of the speaker is critical. San Franciscos influence on McCullough is apparent. She had had little time to decorate when she sat down for an interview on her second day back on the Hill, but had already hung a poster of Fort Point, where she was a certified cannoneer in her youth. When shes in town, she especially enjoys dining at Goat Hill Pizza on Potrero Hill, which Pelosi also frequents. McCullough was born in San Francisco and grew up in San Rafael, graduating from Terra Linda High School. She received a bachelors degree in politics from UC Santa Cruz. When it came time to apply for internships, she sought positions with two area representatives, Pelosi and then-Rep. Barbara Boxer. Pelosi hired her. San Franciscos influence is also imprinted on some of McCulloughs most memorable experiences with Pelosi. McCullough recalled joining Pelosis office during the Democrats efforts to get money for HIV/AIDS research and prevention, strategizing with San Francisco-based organizations. She was in the Capitol at 2 a.m. working on the 1996 legislation that authorized the Presidio Trust. The overtime came with the territory she also remembers wheeling her two children in a stroller to a lawmakers office over a weekend to build support for the Affordable Care Act. Through it all, she says, Pelosi taught her so much especially to go into battle with a strategy. Its so important to have a passion for the issues that you care about, but you also need a real plan and a strategy for how to make change, McCullough said. And it sounds very simple, but not all of us are able to structure our efforts that way, and that was very important for me to learn at a very early age. McCullough also witnessed a leader who highly valued family and bringing along other women and other talented people who havent always been represented in the halls of Capitol Hill. Pelosi often mentions being a mother of five and grandmother of nine, sometimes as the experience that helps her do her job as speaker. That translated in her management style, McCullough said, recalling a call she got from Pelosi when she was in the hospital after having her first child. She said, Do not take your laptop home. Enjoy this moment, take this, McCullough said. She shows us how important family is, and she makes it very clear to us that she feels our families are important as well. McCullough says the speakers staff is very clear on its mission and priorities because of Pelosi, and requires little direction in those areas from the chief of staff. But McCullough is being thrown into a complicated position. Pelosi is navigating around a Republican-controlled Senate and President Trump in the White House, as well as divisions within her own party. The freshman class ushered in an enthusiastic and progressive left, as well as a number of key moderates who helped flip seats that gave the Democrats the majority. Elshami, Pelosis former chief of staff, said the job requires working with all members of the House, overseeing the chambers operation, dealing with the White House and Senate, and being ready for a boss he describes as always three, four, five steps ahead of everyone. You are juggling many balls, all the time, making sure none of them drop and making sure youre able to pull it out of the air the moment that the speaker asks for it while continuing to juggle the other balls, Elshami said. The job of the chief of staff is not to manage the speaker, by any means. The job of the chief of staff is to keep up with the speaker. When it comes managing to the boisterous freshman class of lawmakers, McCullough said the goal is fostering communication among everyone. It sounds so simple, but were all better when we work together, and the more you can find out about what somebodys interests or passions are or what their background is that can inform whatever youre doing moving forward, the better off you all are, McCullough said. I think that the key to engaging as a caucus here is just continuous communication and making sure that everybody is heard. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan The Trump administration on Thursday moved forward with plans to open large swaths of California to new oil drilling, dashing the hopes of many who want to see the state put fossil fuels in its past. A 174-page environmental report released by the U.S. Interior Department will expedite new extraction on roughly 1 million acres of Central and Southern California, primarily in the historical oil fields around Bakersfield and the deep petroleum deposits near Santa Barbara but potentially in the Sierra Nevada as well. The move ends what had essentially been a five-year moratorium in California on leasing federal lands to fossil fuel companies. The Interior Departments program for developing new oil sites had been halted by a judge who said the agency wasnt considering the potential dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Fracking, which is a method of extracting oil by using high-pressure water, sand and chemicals to penetrate underground rock, has become an increasingly popular way to get at previously unreachable mineral deposits. While the new environmental report fulfills the federal judges demand for a new analysis of fracking and paves the way for restarting all new oil development, environmental groups say the problems with fracking have only become more evident. They worry not just about encouraging fossil fuel use in an era of global warming, but about tarnishing the natural landscape, polluting groundwater supplies and triggering earthquakes. The science is even clearer now. We need to stop leasing lands for fossil fuels and we actually should be shutting down lands, said Clare Lakewood, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. What were seeing is the Trump administration just rush to open lands for the fossil fuel industry. The Center for Biological Diversity was one of the groups that sued the Interior Department over its initial environmental report on oil development, successfully forcing the agency to at least temporarily halt new leases. The Interior Departments move to resume new drilling in California comes amid an unexpected plan by the agency to put new offshore drilling on hold nationwide. While the Trump administration has pushed to expand oil and gas development in federal waters, and potentially off the coast of California, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told the Wall Street Journal that his agency would wait out court challenges on the matter. The administrations ambitious offshore agenda has drawn pushback not only from places like California but lawmakers and governors in coastal states across the country. Thursdays Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for California drilling identifies potential disturbances that fracking can have, from spewing dirty air to releasing polluted water, but outlines steps to minimize such problems. The trade group Western States Petroleum Association was still reviewing the environmental report, but President Catherine Reheis-Boyd said in an email that industry leaders look forward to engaging in the public process. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The document covers public lands and federal mineral estate in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura counties. Some environmental groups expressed concern that areas being opened to drilling were too close to treasured California landmarks. Extraction could take place at the edge of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks and the Carrizo Plain National Monument as well as within 10 miles of Yosemite National Park, said Mark Rose, Sierra Nevada Field Representative for the National Parks Conservation Association. Its not to say there is oil there, but theres the potential, if oil is found, those areas could be made available, Rose said. The release of the report kicks off a 45-day comment period, once its officially posted on the Federal Register, after which the Interior Department will review concerns and make a final decision about how to move forward. California also authorizes limited drilling and fracking on state and private lands, though Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged to look at restricting some oil operations. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander Brit + Co., an 8-year-old online lifestyle publication for women headquartered in San Francisco, will be laying off a large number of workers, as Recode first reported Tuesday. Site founder Brit Morin wrote about the changes to the company structure on Medium later on Tuesday, saying that the organization has "not been immune to the struggles of the industry," and will be "downsizing the team." RELATED: Brit Morin - DIY for the tech generation "This is one of the hardest things to do as a founder," Morin wrote, "and I have nothing but admiration for the people who have brought to life our mission of encouraging women to be creative and confident in pursuing their passions." The next chapter for Brit + Co., as she explained to AdAge, is closer to a direct-to-consumer brand; Morin says the company "will be placing a bigger emphasis" on efforts around e-commerce, subscription services and other licensing deals. The company already dabbles in selling consumer goods, with branded Brit + Co. merchandise and crafting kits for sale at big box retailers and on its website. Employees at the company were reportedly informed about the layoffs and changes in a 15-minute Q&A session on Monday. RELATED: SF's Brit + Co. founder thanks United pilot, agent for returning her lost wedding ring Most of the people on Brit + Co.'s 50-person staff will be laid off, though Morin hasn't disclosed a specific number yet. She also told Recode that what will remain will be a "decent-sized team." News about Brit + Co.'s layoffs underscores reports around the woes facing modern media sites. Earlier this year, more than 2,000 writers, editors and other media industry professionals at Buzzfeed, Vice, Huffington Post, McClatchy and other publications were laid off as the industry changed and its top investors and publishers reexamined revenue models. Morin is now among such execs. "As with any technological revolution," she wrote in her post, "it's safe to say that the entire industry is shifting its model as we all head into the future." Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira. Facebooks weak privacy protections exposed the personal data of millions of users, a serious failing that the company has acknowledged but refused to fix, Canadian regulators said Thursday. An investigation by the privacy commissioner of Canada and the information and privacy commissioner for British Columbia found that Facebook violated national and local laws in allowing third parties access to private user information through superficial and ineffective safeguards and consent mechanisms. But Facebook has disputed the watchdogs findings, even after CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized last year for what he called a major breach of trust in the Cambridge Analytica data harvesting scandal, the regulators said. The company ignored recommendations, some issued a decade ago, for how to prevent future exposure, they said. Theres a significant gap between what they say and what they do, Daniel Therrien, who heads the federal privacy watchdog, said Thursday at a news conference in Ottawa. The regulators, who have limited power to force Facebooks compliance, plan to take the company to a Canadian court that focuses on regulatory issues and lawsuits against the government, and may impose fines. But Therrien said that historically there have been very small penalties in the tens of thousands of dollars. He pushed for stronger privacy laws in Canada and more authority for regulators to inspect and penalize companies. They told us outright that they do not agree with our legal findings, Therrien said. I find that absolutely untenable that a company can tell a regulator that it does not respect its findings. Canada passed its first digital privacy legislation in 2000, later updating it with stricter consent rules, but regulators never adopted the stiff fines and investigative powers authorized by their European counterparts. The problem in Canada is that there is no deterrent whatsoever, said Michael McEvoy, who runs the privacy regulator in British Columbia. Officials said Facebook refused to allow audits of its privacy procedures. But the company said it had proactively taken important steps toward tackling a number of issues raised in the report and offered to enter a compliance agreement with Therriens office. After many months of good-faith cooperation and lengthy negotiations, we are disappointed that regulators consider the issues in the report unresolved, the company said. Pressure is increasing on Facebook from regulators in a number of countries. On Thursday, Irelands Data Protection Commission said it had opened an investigation into Facebook after the company told it that hundreds of millions of user passwords were stored in plain-text format on its internal servers. On Wednesday, Facebook said it expects to be fined up to $5 billion by the Federal Trade Commission for privacy violations. In Canada, Therrien called for new laws that would allow his office to regularly examine the privacy practices of Facebook and other social media companies without waiting for a public complaint. Other Canadian officials have complained about inaction from social media companies over election interference, although a federal election scheduled for October makes it unlikely that any new laws will appear until at least next year. The Canadian investigation began after reports last year that Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm hired by President Donald Trumps 2016 election campaign, gained access to personal data on up to 87 million Facebook users. Some 622,000 Canadians may have been affected, according to the regulators. Tiffany Hsu and Ian Austen are New York Times writers. Measles cases spiked last week in California, with 15 new reports that brought the total number of cases for the year so far to 38 nearly twice as many as the entire previous year the state public health department announced Thursday. The California numbers, fueled by multiple small outbreaks across the state, reflect a much larger rash of measles spreading around the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that the country now has 695 reported cases, making this the worst year for measles in more than two decades. In a media briefing Thursday morning, the California Department of Public Health revealed that 14 of the 38 cases here were in unvaccinated adults who became infected while traveling overseas. Four of those individuals set off community outbreaks when they returned home. So far there have been no reported deaths in California, though some cases have been severe. Among the new cases was an infant in Shasta County who was too young to be vaccinated. This year is a substantial outlier, said Dr. Karen Smith, the state public health officer. Thirty-eight cases is a lot compared to what we usually see. As the measles outbreaks continue to unfold, there are a few main takeaways in California as far as whos most at risk and what people can do to protect themselves. Of course, the upshot is this: Everyone who can get vaccinated should. Putting the numbers in context This year is undoubtedly a bad one for measles in California. The state reported as many cases in the last week as in all of 2017. And in the early 2000s, when measles was well under control, the state was regularly seeing one-digit case counts for entire years. But this years count is still a fraction of what the state saw during the Disneyland outbreak of 2014 and 2015, which infected more than 150 people over a few months. And the situation is far worse in other parts of the United States, where low vaccination rates have left entire communities vulnerable to infection. Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in New York have been especially hard hit, and at least one outbreak spiraled so far and so fast that public health officials instituted immediate mandatory vaccinations. Whats happening in California Two-thirds of those who developed measles were not vaccinated at all, and three or four others were under-vaccinated, meaning theyd only had one of the two shots recommended for full measles protection. The remaining 10 or so were either fully vaccinated or their immunization status was not known. The measles vaccine is about 97% effective, which is why its possible for people to develop measles even when they get all the recommended shots. The state has reported four outbreaks, which are defined as three or more cases linked to one individual. All of those outbreaks started with a person who first became infected in another country and exposed others upon returning home. The four outbreaks are in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento and a region around Butte County. The Bay Area outbreak involved three people and is now over, state public health officials said. In all, the Bay Area has seen nine measles cases this year; the six outside the outbreaks were isolated cases in international travelers. Twenty-eight of the California cases are in adults. California has relatively high vaccination rates among schoolchildren, in large part due to a 2016 law making it hard for parents to opt out of vaccinating their kids. But there is still a large pool of unvaccinated adults who either werent immunized as children because their parents opted out before the new law or who came from other countries where vaccinations werent common, state public health officials said. Those adults are bearing the brunt of this years measles. What individuals should do Parents should make sure their children are vaccinated. State public health officials arent yet recommending that all adults check their own vaccination status the total case count is still low and the risk to any given individual isnt serious. The exception is for individuals who are planning to travel internationally, especially to regions where measles is active. In California, the international cases so far have come from people traveling to India, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Ukraine. Ukraine is in the middle of a particularly bad outbreak: At least 40,000 measles cases have been reported there over the past few months. Travelers should talk to their doctors about measles before they go and consider getting the vaccine if they arent sure theyre fully immunized. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com SUNLAND PARK, N.M. Authorities on the U.S.-Mexico border have distanced themselves from an armed civilian group that detains asylum-seeking families, but the United Constitutional Patriots have never been shy about saying they work with Border Patrol agents. After its activities drew widespread criticism, the group was thrown out of its camp this week for trespassing in Sunland Park, N.M., a suburb of El Paso, Texas. Frequent social media posts show masked men in combat fatigues chasing migrants and ordering them to stay put until border agents arrive. Videos capture agents taking migrants into custody. Jim Benvie, a spokesman for the group, said in a March 7 video on Facebook titled Hunting illegals/us Mexico border that he agreed to join the effort because he was looking for action and video. He encouraged anyone who wants to do the militia thing to come to Sunland Park with a gun, if available. Everything is registered, so you work in hand with the Border Patrol, he said. Armed civilian groups have been an intermittent presence on the border for years, portraying themselves as auxiliaries to the Border Patrol and operating in areas where agents are not stationed. As the videos show, U.S. authorities keep them at arms length while also responding to reports of people entering the country illegally. Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol, said Friday on Twitter that it does not endorse or condone private groups or organizations that take enforcement matters into their own hands. Interference by civilians in law enforcement matters could have public safety and legal consequences for all parties involved, the agency said. The Sunland Park police chief said he had told the small group they could stay as long as they did not try to arrest anyone or hold anybody at gunpoint. Three Democratic members of Congress, including Veronica Escobar of El Paso, wrote FBI Director Christopher Wray asking for an investigation into the presence of armed civilians and any assistance from U.S. authorities. The right to stop and detain should be reserved to law enforcement, they wrote. Border Patrol spokesman Carlos Antunez said Wednesday that agents will investigate such groups only if a migrant complains, which has not happened with the United Constitutional Patriots. If the group is detaining migrants, thats all theyre doing, Antunez said. At that point, we take charge ... We end up arresting the people that entered illegally, and then we take it from there. The groups leader, Larry Hopkins, was arrested last weekend on federal weapons charges. Cedar Attanasio and Elliot Spagat are Associated Press writers. WASHINGTON In the months before Kirstjen Nielsen was forced to resign, she tried to focus the White House on one of her highest priorities as homeland security secretary: preparing for new and different Russian forms of interference in the 2020 election. President Trumps chief of staff told her not to bring it up in front of the president. Nielsen left the Department of Homeland Security this month after a tumultuous 16-month tenure and tensions with the White House. Officials said she had become increasingly concerned about Russias continued activity in the United States during and after the 2018 midterm elections ranging from its search for new techniques to divide Americans using social media, to experiments by hackers, to rerouting internet traffic and infiltrating power grids. But in a meeting this year, Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff, made it clear that Trump still equated any public discussion of malign Russian election activity with questions about the legitimacy of his victory. According to one senior administration official, Mulvaney said it wasnt a great subject and should be kept below his level. Even though the Department of Homeland Security has primary responsibility for civilian cyberdefense, Nielsen eventually gave up on her effort to organize a White House meeting of Cabinet secretaries to coordinate a strategy to protect next years elections. As a result, the issue did not gain the urgency or widespread attention that a president can command. And it meant that many Americans remain unaware of the latest versions of Russian interference. This account of Nielsens frustrations was described to the New York Times by three senior Trump administration officials and one former senior administration official, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity. The White House did not provide comment after multiple requests Tuesday. Eric Schmitt, David E. Sanger and Maggie Haberman are New York Times writers. WASHINGTON North Korea reportedly insisted the U.S. agree to pay $2 million in medical costs in 2017 before it released detained American college student Otto Warmbier while he was in a coma, according to a report published Thursday. The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with the situation, reported that Joseph Yun, a U.S. envoy sent to North Korea to retrieve the 21-year-old student, signed an agreement to pay the $2 million on instructions passed down from President Trump. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The bill went to the Treasury Department, where it remained unpaid throughout 2017, the newspaper said. It is unclear whether the Trump administration later paid the bill, or whether it came up during preparations for Trumps two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the administration does not comment on hostage negotiations. U.S. policy is to refuse to pay ransom for the release of Americans detained abroad. While the majority of Americans detained by North Korea have been released in relatively good condition, Warmbier, a student at the University of Virginia, died in June 2017 shortly after he was flown home comatose after 17 months in captivity. Warmbier was seized from a tour group while visiting North Korea in January 2016 and convicted on charges of trying to steal a propaganda poster and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. North Korea, which has denied accusations by relatives that it tortured Warmbier, has said he was provided medical treatments and care with all sincerity. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said the United States doesnt owe North Korea anything. Otto Warmbier was mistreated by North Korea in so many ways, including his wrongful conviction and harsh sentence, and the fact that for 16 months they refused to tell his family or our country about his dire condition they caused, Portman said. No, the United States owes them nothing. They owe the Warmbier family everything. Parents Fred and Cindy Warmbier are from suburban Cincinnati, Ohio. ATLANTA President Trump told a meeting of health care professionals and addiction specialists on Wednesday that he was committed to ending the opioid crisis once and for all, adding, thats happening. We will never stop until our job is done, and then maybe well have to find something new, he said at a drug abuse conference in Atlanta. And I hope thats going to be soon, but we will succeed. Many of the leading authorities on the opioid crisis have been highly critical of the federal governments response, starting with the Obama administration, but say there has been some improvement under Trump. Melania Trump traveled with her husband to Atlanta and addressed the conference before the president. She has made opioids one of her signature issues particularly the toll the crisis takes on babies and mothers and it is the one public policy initiative that she and her husband work on together. But some critics say Trump has done a better job at framing the problem than dealing with it, as he has other issues, such as health care and addressing the migrant surge at the southwestern border. Trumps remarks soon pivoted to the strength of the economy and the hard work of Border Patrol agents monitoring the border for illicit drugs. He also praised drug-sniffing dogs. Were going to have a wall. Its going to be a very powerful wall, he said, adding that it would have a tremendous impact on drugs coming into the country, even though most of the illegal drugs get smuggled through legal ports of entry. Overdoses on prescription opioids have claimed more than 200,000 lives in the past 20 years, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with an uptick in recent years in parts of the country where Trump is popular. In October 2017, Trump declared that the opioid crisis was a public health emergency. When President Trump designated the problem a public health emergency, something bizarre came out of that. He gets up and states the U.S. is dealing with an emergency, then offers no plan for what we are going to do about this emergency, said Andrew Kolodny, a director of opioid policy research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Its like pointing to a burning building, saying there is an emergency, then not calling the fire department. According to the White House, by October 2018, the Trump administration had raised $6 billion in new funding to address the opioid crisis. The administration also devoted a website to highlighting the personal heartache of the crisis. Michael Tackett and Eileen Sullivan are New York Times writers. Americans are among the most stressed people in the world, according to a new survey. And that is just the start of it. Last year, Americans reported feeling stress, anger and worry at the highest levels in a decade, according to the survey, part of an annual Gallup poll of more than 150,000 people around the world, released Thursday. What really stood out for the U.S. is the increase in the negative experiences, said Julie Ray, Gallups managing editor for world news. This was kind of a surprise to us when we saw the numbers head in this direction. For the annual poll, started in 2005, Gallup asks individuals about whether they have experienced a handful of positive or negative feelings the day before being interviewed. The data on Americans is based on responses from more than 1,000 adults. In the United States, about 55% of adults said they had experienced stress during a lot of the day prior, compared with just 35% globally. Statistically, that put the country on par with Greece, which had led the rankings on stress since 2012. About 45% of the Americans surveyed said they had felt a lot of worry the day before, compared with a global average of 39%. Meanwhile, the share of Americans who reported feeling a lot of anger the day before being interviewed was the same as the global average: 22%. When Gallup investigated the responses more closely, it found that being under 50, earning a low income and having a dim view of President Donald Trumps job performance were correlated with negative experiences among adults in the United States. But there still is not enough data to say for sure whether any of those factors were behind the feelings of stress, worry and anger. We are seeing patterns that would point to a political explanation, or a polarization explanation, with the U.S. data, but can we say that definitively? No, Ray said. The findings were not all bleak for the United States. Despite having widespread negative experiences, Americans also generally reported more positive experiences, on average, than the rest of the world did. Globally, just 49% of those interviewed said they had learned or had done something interesting the day before. In the United States, however, 64% of adults said the same. The two sets of questions, about negative and positive experiences, are unconnected, according to Ray. An individual can, for example, feel both stressed and well-rested for much of a given day. If you think about how you felt yesterday, you didnt just feel one way the entire day, she said. Negative experiences were assessed by asking about physical pain, worry, sadness, stress and anger. Positive experiences were measured by asking whether individuals felt well-rested, felt treated with respect, smiled or laughed, learned or did something interesting and felt enjoyment. The margin of error in the poll ranged from 2.1 to 5.3 percentage points, depending on the country. The results for the United States, where interviews were conducted from Aug. 13 to Sept. 30, had a margin of error of 4 percentage points. Negative experiences remained at record highs Worldwide, negative experiences were just as widespread last year as in 2017, which was the darkest year for humanity in more than a decade, according to Gallup. While stress declined globally, anger increased. Worry and sadness reached new heights, and feelings of physical pain were unchanged. For the first time, Chad topped the list as the country with the highest response of negative experiences in the world. The countrys overall score at least partly reflects the violence, displacement and the collapse of basic services in parts of Chad that have affected thousands of families, Gallup said in the report. Additional countries that led the world in negative experiences included other African nations, like Niger and Sierra Leone, and some in the Middle East, such as Iraq and Iran. Nations in Latin America once again led the list of countries where positive experiences were highest, despite the fact that some of the countries that topped the list, like El Salvador and Honduras, are home to some of the worlds highest murder rates. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) The Philippines is China's ally in Southeast Asia. That's what President Rodrigo Duterte told Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China, according to a statement by Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. "The Chief Executive culminated the talk with the Chinese President articulating his position that the Philippines remains Chinas ally in Southeast Asia. The former emphasised that both countries are allies, and allies strengthenand do not destroy each other," Panelo said. The spokesperson confirmed that Duterte and Xi talked about the West Philippine Sea during their bilateral meeting. During the meeting, Xi reiterated the importance of mutual trust between the Philippines and China. "President Xi cited the Memorandum of Understanding on Oil and Gas as an example where both the Philippines and China suspended their differences for a joint exploration that would mutually benefit both countries and their peoples," Panelo said. In July 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China's sweeping claims to the South China Sea and largely ruled in favor of the Philippines. It affirmed Manila's sovereign rights in some of the areas being claimed by China which fall within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. China continues to reject the arbitral ruling based on a historical sweeping claim to almost the entire South China Sea. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A California Democratic Party staffer has filed a lawsuit against his employer and its former chairman alleging assault, sexual battery and sexual harassment. William Floyd's lawsuit alleges former party chairman Eric Bauman forcibly performed oral sex on him three times between 2016 and 2018, and that Bauman groped and harassed him. His lawsuit alleges Bauman was known as an excessive drinker and that neither the state party nor Los Angeles County Democratic Party did anything to stop his inappropriate behavior. Floyd has filed his lawsuit under civil rights and workplace sexual harassment laws and he is seeking monetary damages. Bauman resigned as party chairman last November amid multiple allegations of excessive drinking and sexual harassment. This is the second lawsuit against him. He denied the allegations through his attorney, Neal Zaslavsky. "We have not yet been formally served with the lawsuit," he said in an emailed statement. "Mr. Bauman denies the allegations in the complaint and looks forward to complete vindication once the facts come out." Alexandra Gallardo Rooker, acting chair of the state party, said through a spokesman she was unaware of Floyd's allegations prior to seeing the lawsuit. Floyd alleged the party attempted to force him to quit and has not apologize for Bauman's behavior. Spokesman Roger Salazar declined to comment on whether anyone in the party knew of the allegations previously. "The allegations that are made in this lawsuit are very serious and deserve a hearing," Rooker said in an emailed statement. "The most appropriate venue for us all to learn the truth, whatever it may be, is ultimately in the courtroom where we can let the sun shine in." More for you Calif. man sentenced for assaulting child on vacation in Hawaii Floyd, 28, began working for the Los Angeles County Democratic Party in 2015 as an intern and became Bauman's assistant in March 2016, according to the lawsuit. Bauman was the county party chair at the time. "He quickly became fearful of Bauman, who drank excessively, behaved erratically, intimidated him and others and frequently threatened that 'if you cross me, I will break you,'" the lawsuit alleges. Bauman forcibly performed oral sex on Floyd three times over two years, the lawsuit said. At a county party executive committee meeting in Long Beach, the lawsuit alleges Floyd fell asleep in Bauman's hotel room where he had been hanging out with two other party employees and awoke to find Bauman performing oral sex on him, according to the lawsuit. Floyd continued to work for Bauman, accepting a position as his assistant when Bauman became chairman of the state party. The lawsuit alleges Bauman performed oral sex on Floyd twice more, first asking him to unzip his pants. Floyd complied because he was "uncomfortable, intimidated (and) scared," according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also alleges Bauman would touch Floyd inappropriately, commented on his physical anatomy and joked with Floyd about assaulting him. Floyd told a senior member of the party management about Bauman's sexual assault against him November 2018 and later talked to an investigator hired by the party to look into claims against Bauman, the lawsuit alleges. A week after speaking with the investigator, the lawsuit says Floyd was told the party was closing its Los Angeles office and he would have to move to Sacramento to keep his job. Floyd believed the party was trying to force him to quit, but he moved to Sacramento and still works for the party, according to the lawsuit. He plans to leave the party's employment this summer to go to graduate school. Floyd filed a complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the precursor to a lawsuit, in December 2018 alleging a quid pro quo and hostile work environment. His suit alleges Bauman was a well-known heavy drinker and that the county and state parties "knew or should have known that Bauman was incompetent and unfit to perform the duties for which he was employed." The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles superior court. LONDON When Munira Abdulla had last been fully awake, the first George Bush was Americas president and the Soviet Union was nearing its demise. It was the year the Persian Gulf war ended. In 1991, at the age of 32, Abdulla, from the oasis city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, suffered injuries in a road accident that left her in a state of reduced consciousness for most of the next three decades. After 27 years, she awoke last June at a clinic near Munich, where doctors had been treating her for the complications of her long illness. I never gave up on her, because I always had a feeling that one day she will wake up, said Omar Webair, her 32-year-old son, who was just 4 when the accident happened. He shared his mothers story with Emirati news website The National Monday. Dr. Friedemann Muller, the chief physician at the Schon Clinic, a private hospital with campuses around Germany, said that Abdulla had been in a state of minimal consciousness. He said only a handful of cases like hers, in which a patient recovered after such a long period, had been recorded. Patients in a state of reduced consciousness are usually classified into three categories. In a full coma, the patient shows no signs of being awake, with eyes closed and is unresponsive to the environment. A persistent vegetative state includes those who seem awake but show no signs of awareness, while a minimally conscious state can include periods in which some response such as moving a finger when asked can be noted. Colloquially, all three categories are often described as comas. Signs that Abdulla was recovering started to emerge last year when she began saying her sons name. A couple of weeks later, she started repeating verses from the Quran that she had learned decades ago. We didnt believe it at first, Muller said. But eventually it became very clear that she was saying her sons name. Muller said he had not expected such a recovery from Abdulla. She had been at the German clinic for treatment for seizures and contorted muscles that made her body hard to handle and that kept her from being able to sit in a wheelchair safely. Part of the treatment was to install a device that delivered medication directly into her spine, a factor that Muller said could have brought on her recovery. Only a handful of people are known to have made similar recoveries. Terry Wallis, from Arkansas, was 19 when he skidded off a bridge in a pickup truck. He uttered his first word since the accident, Mom, nearly two decades later, in 2003. His recovery was so unusual that scientists used it as an opportunity to study how the brain functions and to help determine which patients with severe brain damage had the best chance of recovering. The issue is often of vital importance. In a landmark ruling in 1976, the New Jersey Supreme Court found unanimously that the father of Karen Ann Quinlan had the right to decide to forgo life-sustaining treatment on her behalf. Quinlan died in 1985, a decade after she slipped into a coma. The case of Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman who spent 15 years in a persistent vegetative state before her feeding tube was removed in 2005, stoked further debate in the United States and beyond about a persons right to live or die. With medical care, some can stay in a state of reduced consciousness for decades. Aruna Shanbaug, an Indian nurse, spent more than 40 years in such a condition until her death at age 66 in 2015. She had been left in a permanent vegetative state after being strangled with a metal chain during a sexual assault. Webair, Abdullas son, said he had avoided serious injury in the accident in 1991 because his mother had seen the crash coming and managed to embrace him before the impact. To me she was like gold; the more time passed by, the more valuable she became, he told The National. According to the newspaper, Abdulla, who has returned to the United Arab Emirates, is being treated at a hospital in Abu Dhabi. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District crews are at the scene of a two-alarm fire at a commercial structure in Antioch early Thursday morning, according to fire officials. The blaze was first reported at 11:16 p.m. Wednesday at 2400 Sycamore Drive, Fire Captain Tracie Dutter said. The fire started in an exterior area - possibly a dumpster - according to Dutter, and spread to an attic area. As of midnight, the 30 firefighters and five battalion chiefs on scene had knocked down the primary blaze, and were checking to make sure fire hasn't spread to other areas of the two-building structure that can house up to 16 business. Nobody has been injured. Sycamore Drive will be closed until further notice, Dutter said. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A man suffered life-threatening injuries when a suspect stabbed him during a fight Wednesday in San Francisco's Mission District, police said. Around 5:20 p.m., officers responded to a report of a stabbing near Mission and 15th streets. There, they learned that as two men were arguing, one of them hit the other with a piece of wood. The man who was hit by the wood then stabbed the other man with a knife, according to police. The stabbedvictim was taken to a hospital, police said. Officers were able to arrest the suspect, a 46-year-old man. Police did not release his name. 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) Manohar Raju has been sworn in as San Francisco's newest public defender -- the city's first Indian American to be appointed to the position -- just two months after the sudden death of former Public Defender Jeff Adachi. During Raju's swearing-in ceremony Thursday at the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center in the city's Western Addition neighborhood, several city officials were in attendance, including Mayor London Breed, who hosted the ceremony. "We know that we can never replace Jeff. But we also know that Jeff would've been so proud that Mano has been selected to take his place," Breed said. "And here we are with an incredible leader, someone who has not just fought the battles in the courtroom, but someone who has fought the battles in the community." Raju said, "Any of my success doesn't happen without inspiration, support and input from my clients, my community, my amazing public defender family, and of course, Jeff Adachi, whose legacy I will continue to honor. "The role of the public defender should be to balance the scales. It is a constitutional right that was established more than 200 years ago that was designed to make sure that all people, not just some people, are given the right to strong counsel. The right to have someone stand up in their defense, to tell their story," he said. Breed first announced she had appointed Raju to the position last month. Prior to his appointment, Raju worked at the public defender's office for 11 years, managing the felony division. Before that, he worked as a public defender in Contra Costa County. Raju is set to serve as public defender until this November's election, when voters will decide whether to choose him to serve the remaining three years of Adachi's term. San Francisco's public defender is the only one in California to be elected to office. Adachi, 59, served as public defender since 2002 until he passed away on Feb. 22 at an apartment in the city's Telegraph Hill neighborhood. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. BERKELEY (BCN) University of California at Berkeley is hosting a #BirddayParty Thursday after Annie and Grinnell, the peregrine falcons that have set up household atop the campus' iconic Campanile bell tower, welcomed three new chicks to their nest this week. The due date for the hatchings was Thursday but Mother Nature intervened a day early for two of the chicks. The third chick then began working its way out of its egg Thursday morning. The hatchings were captured live on the Campanile's nest cam, available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaJuC-rxVAQ, and are being live-streamed until 6 p.m. on the massive outdoor screen at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive at Addison and Oxford streets in downtown Berkeley. For the free viewing event, naturalists will be stationed at a booth throughout the day to provide expert commentary and answer questions about how the peregrine chicks "pip" - raptor-biology-specialist speak for "break through the shell." Arguably the most prominent members of the East Bay's raptor community, Annie and Grinnell have made the Campanile their home since 2017, hatching two chicks that year and three in 2018. They now have a fan base across and beyond the Cal community. They even have their own social media handles and have been posting periodic updates about their expectant family via Facebook, Twitter (@CalFalconCam) and Instagram (@cal_falcons). Followers are encouraged to send their warm wishes to the happy couple using the hashtag #CalFalcons. Peregrine falcons, the world's fastest birds, have recovered spectacularly in North America thanks to the Endangered Species Act. While only two peregrine pairs were known to nest in California in 1970 -- the population low -- more than 400 pairs are estimated to flourish in the state today. To bring this event to the Berkeley community, BAMPFA has partnered with the UC Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the East Bay Regional Park District, the Institute for Wildlife Studies, and the Institute for Bird Populations. 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. Residents and visitors of San Francisco are urged to avoid the area of 16th and Mission streets in the city's Mission District because of police activity. Police were working in the area as of 5:37 p.m. 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. SUNNYVALE (BCN) The suspect in the attempted murder of eight people in Sunnyvale Tuesday evening is a war veteran who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 2006, Sunnyvale public safety officials confirmed Thursday morning. Isaiah Peoples, 34, is facing eight counts of attempted murder after he allegedly drove his vehicle intentionally into a crowd of people on El Camino Real Tuesday evening, according to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. The crash happened at El Camino Real and Saratoga Sunnyvale Avenue around 6:40 p.m. Tuesday. Peoples had picked up food and was taking it to his bible study group when he drove a black, four-door sedan west on El Camino Real and struck pedestrians in the crosswalk and sidewalk at Saratoga Sunnyvale Road and El Camino Real, Chief Phan Ngo said. Officers are still investigating his motive, and said Peoples had no criminal history and contracted for the U.S. Department of Defense as a finance auditor. He served in the Army from 2004-06 and the U.S. Army Reserve from 2006-08. A disassembled shotgun was found in his trunk, but Ngo said it was the only weapon in his possession. A 13-year-old girl remains in critical condition Thursday morning, and four others are in stable condition. A 9-year-old boy suffered minor injuries and two others were treated and released at the scene. The FBI said is assisting Sunnyvale officers, but is not heading the investigation. Ngo said Thursday that his department is still leading the investigation. "Should it be determined that a federal crime was committed, we will become more involved. For now the Sunnyvale is the lead agency," Prentice Danner with the FBI's San Francisco office said in a statement. Shantain Vargas, a San Jose resident and contractor at Google, witnessed the arrest. She said she heard Peoples say, "Thank you Jesus, praise Jesus," and that he appeared to be completely coherent. "He seemed like, completely fine, totally normal and nothing was wrong with him," Vargas said. Officers confirmed he was praying after the crash, and that he was cooperative. He has not expressed any remorse for his actions, according to Ngo. Peoples may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and been taking medications, Ngo said. Officers are investigating his belongings to learn more. The department served a search warrant at an apartment in the 1000 block of Greco Avenue on Wednesday. Peoples remains in Santa Clara County Jail without bail and is due in court for his arraignment on Friday afternoon. 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. One person suffered life-threatening injuries in an apparent stabbing Wednesday evening in San Francisco's Mission District, police said. Officers were patrolling the 1900 block of Mission Street at 5:22 p.m. when they saw two people fighting. Police said one suffered an apparent stab wound. Both persons were taken to a hospital. Police said one was in critical condition and the other suffered injuries not considered life-threatening. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SANTA ROSA (BCN) The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office again delayed filing charges Thursday against a Cloverdale High School special needs students' teacher who was arrested in March for allegedly running a "fight club" in class. The District Attorney's Office asked Judge Jamie Thistlethwaite for 60 more days to investigate the case. The next court date is June 28. Cloverdale police said high school officials informed them on March 7 about an alleged fight in a classroom. Police said they then learned about a "fight club"-style atmosphere that teacher Federico Vargas created for students and hid from the administration. Police said after several days of interviews, it became clear that Vargas not only allowed the students to fight each other, but he refereed the fights. Police said in a news release that the fights "occurred on multiple occasions over a period of time not yet determined but (was) isolated to Vargas' classroom." "Multiple student injuries were uncovered during the investigation, one of which required medical treatment as a result of the fighting," police said. Vargas, 41, of Santa Rosa, was arrested on March 9. He posted bail after he was booked in Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and child endangerment. On March 19, the District Attorney's Office requested 30 more days to investigate the case, and the judge set Thursday for filing of charges against Vargas or disposition of the case. Vargas, his attorney Justin Petersen, his wife, mother and other supporters vehemently denied the allegations after the court hearing Thursday morning. They said the allegations came as a shock. Supporters said they believe the allegations were a response by the school district after Vargas defended a 16-year-old male special needs student who was expelled for fighting in August. "I drove from Santa Rosa to Cloverdale to stop the fight," Vargas said Thursday morning. Vargas' wife Vanessa Lee-Hodson said she and Vargas have been teaching special education, at-risk students who are deemed out of control for about 10 years. "They are students other teachers don't want to teach," Lee-Hodson said. "My students support me. I just don't know how this (the allegations) could happen," Vargas said. "We're guessing there's an underlying motive for the allegations," Petersen said. "We don't have the police reports so we don't know who made the allegations and what was said." When Cloverdale police announced Vargas' arrest, Cloverdale Unified School District Superintendent Jeremy Decker said the allegations "rocked me to my core." Decker did not immediately return phone calls for comment Thursday morning on the Vargas' family's response to the allegations. The Cloverdale Unified School District Board of Trustees is meeting in a special session Thursday afternoon and will consider and/or take action during closed session on a dismissal, release or discipline of employment. Vargas, who is on leave, said he expects to be fired. 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. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) Manila Times Managing Editor Felipe Salvosa II has tendered his resignation over the local newspaper's decision to publish the alleged journalists-backed plot to unseat President Rodrigo Duterte. Salvosa on Thursday said he opposed the publication of the ouster story written by Manila Times chairman emeritus and columnist Dante Ang. "I didn't agree with the publication of the matrix story," he told CNN Philippines. The article and matrix published by the newspaper on print and online on Monday claimed there is an ongoing ouster plot against the President, tagging journalists, news-related firms, and lawyers critical of the Duterte administration. It presented a matrix linking these to "Bikoy," the man who claimed Duterte's family and friends are linked to the illegal drug trade. Salvosa, the coordinator of the Journalism program at the University of Santo Tomas, added that he was also asked by Manila Times to step down because of his strongly-worded social media posts that questioned the accuracy of Manila Times' report. "A diagram is by no means an evidence of 'destabilization' or an 'ouster plot.' It is a very huge stretch for anyone to accuse PCIJ, Vera Files and Rappler of actively plotting to unseat the President. I know people there and they are not coup plotters," he wrote on his private Twitter page on the day the story was published. In a statement issued Thursday, Manila Times President and CEO Dante "Klink" Ang II, son of the newspaper's chairman emeritus, said Salvosa "behaved unethically when he posted a statement on social media" without notifying or clarifying with their chairman emeritus. "The Manila Times has a long-standing open-door policy that allows any employee to contact or visit our Chairman Emeritus, especially on editorial matters. Mr. Salvosa did not object to the story to our Chairman Emeritus, nor did the former managing editor suggest ways of rewriting or handling the piece. He was merely told that copyediting of the story was no longer required as that was done by the editor in chief," Ang said. The article of the older Ang, who also serves as Duterte's special envoy for international public relations, was heavily backed by Malacanang. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the matrix was based on intelligence information gathered by a foreign country, adding these information were obtained through phone conversations. He said the matrix has been validated. However, gov't forces said there is no clear evidence that will link the journalists to any ouster plot. The Manila Times stood by its story, as it came from a "credible source," the Office of the President. It added that the article is not a public relations piece and that its chairman emeritus' appointment as special envoy "has no line item or office in the government or remuneration of any kind." Related: Palace tags journalists, lawyers in alleged ouster plot vs. Duterte; PNP, AFP deny destabilization plan Tagged journalists Ellen Tordesillas and Maria Ressa, news groups, and lawyers group National Union of Peoples' Lawyers denied the allegation. Salvosa is not the first one to encounter a sour exit from Manila Times this year. In March, former Senator Kit Tatad claimed he was ordered to stop writing columns for the newspaper following his story that Duterte had a kidney transplant in China. CNN Philippines Multi-platform Writer Xave Gregorio contributed to this report. A construction worker operating a front-loader accidentally wedged it underneath the Alabama Street overpass at the Southwest Freeway on Wednesday, creating what could be a traffic nightmare for commuters. Houston firefighters were called out to the site where construction crews are working on the Texas 288 expansion and toll road near U.S. 59 and Alabama Street around 2:30 p.m. A worker accidentally drove the equipment into the bridge, wedging it between the bridge deck and slope. On the surface, Mother Nature and marijuana seem like a perfect match. But, as GreenState discovered, bringing along some bud in your backpack to a state or national park isn't that easy. While most park rangers will tell you any time of the year is a great time to camp, there's no doubt that shoulder season April, May, September and October is an optimal time to get outdoors. The crowds are thinner than in the summer months, the weather is mild, and costs to camp are generally lower. Maybe you're looking to pack a sativa-based strain to 'elevate' that daytime hike across the Grand Canyon. Or perhaps your favorite indica flower is really crucial to getting a good night's sleep when your tent buddy snores louder than Yosemite Falls. So, suppose you just returned from a lengthy hike at Castle Crags or Alpine Lakes in California. You're sitting around the campfire with a handful of friends. The sun is setting in gorgeous shades of pink and yellow. You barely need the light jacket draped over your shoulders, and the crackling fire is a welcome invitation for you to prepare the perfect s'more. Wait. Your friend nonchalantly taps you on the arm, retrieves a joint from her backpack and offers it to you. No one else is around. Weed is recreationally legal in the state, assuming you're camping in California, Washington or Colorado. Does that mean it's okay to light up? Interestingly enough for Californians, a search on the California Department of Parks and Recreation website yields little to no information about marijuana following the 2018 recreational legalization. So, I called them up. It was a Sunday, and the park ranger on duty said that the chief ranger would be the person to respond to my inquiry. She wouldn't be able to do so until later that week. Fair enough, I thought, it's still the weekend. I was later put in touch with Adeline Yee, an information officer for California State Parks. She said that they would need to confirm with their legal team before I was given an answer we could publish, and that they would have it to me by the end of the week. This seems particularly intriguing. The legalization of recreational marijuana in many states is still so new, and regulations surrounding it can still be complex and unclear. As questions like ours come up, there's a possibility they haven't been officially considered yet. I did finally get my answer, though. On behalf of California State Parks, Yee said that under state law, "...persons 21 and older may possess up to 28.5 grams of marijuana." That said, smoking or ingesting cannabis products in public places is still illegal, and cannot be done in state parks, which are public lands. So, whether you're headed to Red Rock Canyon, Angel Island, Prairie Creek Redwoods, or Calaveras Big Trees, you'll need to abide by those regulations. How do these rules stack up to other states with popular parks? In Washington, marijuana usage is illegal "in public and in view of the general public." This means that if you're on streets, sidewalks, or generally anywhere where you might run into anyone else, like a public park, you can't consume marijuana. What if you're inside your own tent or RV, though? Not there either. Originally, Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission's Toni Droscher told the Seattle Times you could partake, but that was then, and this is now. Washington parks managers now tell us the interpretation has been refined, and recreational cannabis use of any kind is now prohibited in state parks. Rules are similar in Colorado due to reasons outlined in the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act. This even applies to national monuments, ski areas and resorts on federal land. (Why someone would want to ski down a mountain while high is beyond me, anyway.) Furthermore, Colorado Parks & Wildlife says that you can't bring your bud aboard a boat you'll get dinged with the same penalties for public spaces. Bodies of water like lakes, reservoirs and rivers are considered public property, so "open display or use of marijuana" is also prohibited. And, remember boating under the influence whether alcohol or other substances is still illegal. Similarly, you don't have any leeway if you're at a national park like Yellowstone, Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier or Yosemite. Yep, even if you're technically within the borders of a state where cannabis is legal. That's because these national parks fall under federal jurisdiction as national land controlled by the federal government. In spite of all of this, there is a way to enjoy cannabis and the great outdoors legally. In California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, privately owned weed-friendly camping areas are increasingly popping up. In the meantime, if you're not stingy about the type of buzz you're getting, drinking alcohol is still allowed in California state parks. The catch? You need to keep it in your overnight campsite. Maybe you're not a drinker, though, and decide to break the rules. It's true that you can't be searched without probable cause, and the telltale odor that wafts from a joint is more likely to cause you problems than discretely ingesting an edible. If you do get caught, though, you're risking the chance of getting kicked out of your campsite, receiving a citation or misdemeanor related charge, or worse. It's best to play it safe or check out a cannabis-friendly private campground near you. webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen This article was originally published on GreenState. TravelSkills by SFGate is brought to you by Visa . See More Collapse How long does it take to build a high-rise hotel in the middle of Manhattan? Two to three years, maybe? Marriott plans to shrink that schedule to just three months with a new modular construction technique. The company said it will use the modular method to erect a 26-story AC Hotel at Sixth Avenue and 30th Street in New York City. The public areas of the hotel such as the lobby and restaurant will be constructed on-site, but the 168 guest rooms will come to the site fully completed and will be stacked on top of the hotel's base one at a time- just like an erector set you may have used as a kid. MOSCOW President Vladimir Putin of Russia made a public show of support for North Korea on nuclear disarmament, seeming to undermine President Trumps approach to nuclear diplomacy, as Putin and Kim Jong Un on Thursday wrapped up their first summit meeting. Russian officials have long insisted they wanted to support Trumps efforts at one-on-one nuclear negotiations with Kim, the North Korean leader. But speaking to reporters after the meeting in Vladivostok, on Russias Pacific Ocean coast, Putin said that North Korea needs security guarantees from more nations than just the United States before abandoning its nuclear arsenal. Putin also reiterated Russian backing for a gradual process of trading disarmament for sanctions relief. If we take one step forward and two backward, then we would fail to achieve the desired result, Putin said. But it will eventually be possible to achieve this goal, if we move forward gradually and if we respect each others interests. At talks in February in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, Trump had proposed a big deal to lift punishing economic sanctions in return for a quick and complete elimination of North Koreas nuclear weapons program. Kim offered, instead, only a partial dismantling of nuclear facilities while keeping his arsenal of nuclear warheads and missiles in exchange for relief from the most harmful sanctions. With each side calling the others plan unacceptable, the talks collapsed in sharp contrast to the rosy picture both leaders painted of their first meeting in Singapore in June. After the breakdown in talks in Hanoi, North Korea vented its frustration with a weapons test and accusations that Trumps national security adviser, John Bolton, and secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, were sabotaging negotiations. In his first trip abroad since the talks in Vietnam, Kim sought to stress his friendly relations with the Kremlin as a counterweight to the hard-line tactics of the Trump administration. It is my and my governments firm strategic position that the strategic and traditional friendly relations between North Korea and Russia be strengthened and improved ceaselessly to fit the needs of the new century, Kim said after the meeting. Kim added that the two leaders had a very meaningful one-on-one exchange of opinions on issues of mutual interest and current issues. Andrew E. Kramer and Choe Sang-Hun are New York Times writers. CARACAS, Venezuela Rescuers searched for 21 missing Venezuelans on Thursday after a boat sank in rough waters of the Caribbean Sea en route to the island of Trinidad, authorities said. The small craft left Venezuela a day earlier and overturned in the sea a short distance from land, Lt. Kerron Valere of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard said in a statement. Valere said that Venezuela is leading the search within that nations waters and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard is assisting to ensure an effective search and rescue operation. Four people have been saved. Venezuelan officials did not immediately make public comments about the accident. Officials initially reported that 35 passengers were aboard, but Valere put the number at 25. In recent years, an estimated 3.7 million Venezuelans have fled the crisis-wracked country where a political struggle is now playing out between U.S.-backed opposition lawmaker Juan Guaido and socialist President Nicolas Maduro. Most of Venezuelas migrants travel by land into neighboring Colombia and Brazil, but others overload fishing boats to cross the sometimes deadly Caribbean waters and head for nearby islands. The most recent accident would be the deadliest in years, reflecting the perils that desperate Venezuelans are willing to take to escape widespread shortages of basic goods in the South American country. Fabiola Sanchez and Scott Smith are Associated Press writers. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka on Thursday lowered the death toll from the Easter suicide bombings by nearly one-third, to 253, as authorities hunted urgently for a least five more suspects and braced for the possibility of more attacks in the coming days. In rolling back the number of dead from 359, a top Health Ministry official, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, said in a statement that the blasts had damaged some bodies beyond recognition, making accurate identification difficult. Religious leaders, meanwhile, canceled public prayer gatherings amid warnings of more such attacks, along with retaliatory sectarian violence. In an unusually specific warning, the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka said places of worship could be hit by extremists this weekend. At least 58 people have been arrested in connection with the wave of blasts at churches and luxury hotels last Sunday, according to police, including the father of two of the alleged suicide bombers one of Sri Lankas wealthiest spice traders. Authorities have said those involved in the bloodbath were well-educated and well-off financially. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local Muslim extremist group, National Towheed Jamaat. The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility, though officials are still investigating the extent of any involvement. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said militants who may have explosives remain on the loose in the country and may go out for a suicide attack. We have rounded up a lot of suspects, but there are still active people on the run, Wickremesinghe said. They may be having explosives with them, so we have to find them. Police appealed for information about an additional three women and two men suspected of involvement in the bombings. The bloodshed stirred fears of more sectarian violence in Sri Lanka, a country of 23 million people, about 70% of them Buddhist, with the rest Muslims, Hindus and Christians. Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship, the U.S. Embassy warned on Twitter. Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow. Sri Lankas Islamic religious affairs minister appealed to Muslims to avoid gathering for Friday prayers and instead urged them to pray at home. Emily Schmall and Bharatha Mallawarachi are Associated Press writers. BEIRUT The U.S.-led coalition killed more than 1,600 civilians in the northern Syria city of Raqqa during months of bombardment that liberated it from the Islamic State group, hundreds more than the number the U.S.-led coalition claims over the entire four-year campaign against the Islamic State, Amnesty International and a London-based watchdog group said Thursday. Amnesty and Airwars said the toll came after the most comprehensive investigation into civilian deaths in a modern conflict. The U.S.-led coalition said last month that 1,257 civilians were killed in air strikes against the Islamic State over four years in Syria and Iraq. We continue to employ thorough and deliberate targeting and strike processes to minimize the impact of our operations on civilian populations and infrastructure, the coalition said. Raqqa was the de facto capital of the Islamic States self-declared caliphate, which once encompassed a third of Syria and Iraq. Last month, the Islamic State lost the last area it controlled in eastern Syria marking the end of the so-called caliphate. U.S.-backed Syrian fighters captured Raqqa in October 2017 after a four-month campaign. The U.N. estimates that more than 10,000 buildings were destroyed or 80% of the city. Coalition forces razed Raqqa, but they cannot erase the truth. Amnesty International and Airwars call upon the Coalition forces to end their denial about the shocking scale of civilian deaths and destruction caused by their offensive in Raqqa, the two groups said in a joint statement. In June, an Amnesty International report said hundreds of civilians were killed in Raqqa, while the Airwars said it has evidence of 1,400 fatalities. The statement said Amnesty Internationals innovative Strike Trackers project also identified when each of the more than 11,000 destroyed buildings in Raqqa was hit. More than 3,000 digital activists in 124 countries took part, analyzing a total of more than 2 million satellite image frames, it said. Bassem Mroue is an Associated Press writer. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This includes cookies from third party social media websites and ad networks. Such third party cookies may track your use on Sharedots sites for better rendering. Our partners use cookies to ensure we show you advertising that is relevant to you. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on Sharedots website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn more LAWRIE WILLIAMS: March Swiss gold exports almost back to normal After a couple of anomalous months where the UK was by far the biggest recipient of Swiss gold exports, things seem to be getting back to near normal with India the biggest individual recipient, but lagging behind Mainland China and Hong Kong if the two are combined under the Greater China label given exports to Hong Kong are mostly ultimately destined for fabrication and re-export to the Chinese mainland. The latest figures for March are shown in the below bar chart from Nick Lairds goldchartsrus.com website volumes into the Asian major consuming nations are still down on previous year but do seem to be picking up: As can be seen from the second chart published below, recent Swiss import and export figures are considerably below those of prior years, but this does not necessarily mean overall global consumption is down by a similar amount. In recent years a number of competitive refineries have sprung up in Asia and the Middle East in particular, some of which are owned and operated by the Swiss refiners. So the lower Swiss figures perhaps represent diversification of refining options rather than an overall fall in gold demand. The latest Shanghai Gold Exchange gold withdrawal figures suggest that at least Chinese demand is holding up well (See: China gold demand marginally up so far this year) and recent higher gold price premiums there suggest that there could be an even bigger uptick this month. Indian gold demand also seems to be on the rise and the countrys central bank is among those seemingly adding gold to its reserves this year. So while Switzerland remains one of the principal conduits for the ever-continuing movement of gold from west to east its importance in this respect may be diminishing. Even so, in March more than 72 tonnes of gold destined for Asia and the Middle East was refined in Switzerland, being more than 80% of the nations gold exports and equivalent to more than a quarter of the worlds newly mined gold that month. With direct exports from some gold producing or trading nations going to the regions directly gold demand in Asia and the Middle East seems to be holding up fairly well. If we add central bank purchases into the mix global gold demand remains strong perhaps only countered by the current offloads from the major gold ETFs which are adding to overall supply. For example the biggest gold ETF, GLD, saw around 1.8 tonnes of gold withdrawn yesterday making a total of almost 25 tonnes so far this month. 25 Apr 2019 | Categories: Gold Page Content Among the many students I have encountered in my role as advisor to a student SHRM chapter, a few in particular seemed destined to succeed as HR professionals. These students had some traits in common: They were hardworking, kept active on campus, and pursued jobs and internships while they were in college, which helped them grow in the profession. Ervin Santana, SHRM-CP, a former student of mine at Clayton State University in metro Atlanta, followed that blueprint and has become a successful HR professional. Originally from Miami, Santana has been living in Georgia for a little over 10 years. He now works as an HR generalist for a French multinational firm, where his responsibilities include onboarding, talent acquisition and people strategy. He has plenty of advice to share with university students on the threshold of professional life. "Maximize your opportunities while in school, such as career fairs, resume writing, mock interviews, conferences and networking events," Santana said. "Any extra training and exposure that you can get will contribute to your success as you step out into your career field. Take advantage of internship opportunities; complete at least one internship before you graduate." Santana is adamant about the importance of internships: "Now more than ever, employers are looking for real-world experience from candidates. Sometimes that internship can be the deciding factor leading to your selection for a position over someone else. [Internships] can also lead to full-time employment with the same organization after graduation. That's how I got my first HR job right out of college." In preparing to earn his SHRM-CP credential, Santana took a SHRM review course through his local SHRM chapter. "It was a great learning experience and integral to my passing the exam," he said. Santana also turned his pre-exam time into a networking opportunity. He sought out guidance from HR professionals who passed the exam and advises other certification candidates to do the same. "Most people are open to sharing their experiences," he explained. "They are more than happy to give you valuable insight into what they did to achieve their goals of becoming certified." (As Santana himself is doing, I might add!) Now that he is a practicing HR professional, Santana readily acknowledges the effects of his SHRM-CP on his burgeoning career: "The benefits of SHRM certification have been tremendous. I am seen as a valued HR professional, with practical knowledge and skills that are globally applicable and universally recognized. I'm gaining more insight into the multiple facets of HR and thinking more strategically." He felt the positive impact of that knowledge and those skills right awayespecially in the international focus of the SHRM study materials. "[That focus] allowed me to broaden my thinking and see things on a much larger scale. I have already had opportunities for my role to expand because of my sharper HR acumen." Santana has truly become a trusted business partner and continues to add value to his organization. It is always a pleasure to see the development of my former students into successful HR professionals who are passionate about what they doincluding giving advice to my current students. Santana is someone I know will continue to grow in the profession, and I fully expect him to achieve even greater success. "I believe that SHRM certification has allowed me to go to the next level in my career," he told me. Leon Prieto, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, is Heritage Bank university professor and associate professor of management in the College of Business at Clayton State University in Morrow, Ga., and advisor to the Clayton State chapter of SHRM. He is also associate editor, Journal of Management History, and co-author, African American Management History: Insights on Gaining a Cooperative Advantage (Emerald Publishing, 2019). Page Content Many European countries are better at preparing workers for jobs than the United States is, according to a yearly report on filling the talent gap around the globe. That's because these countries, such as Switzerland, create more partnerships between schools and businesses. Last November, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) released its World Talent Ranking 2018. Researchers studied 63 countries in the developed world to determine relative talent competitiveness. Switzerland ranked first for the fifth consecutive year. Denmark, Norway, Austria and the Netherlands completed the top five. The U.S. came in 12th, up from 16th the year before, due to improvements in science, technology, and mathematics education. Canada was in sixth place, Mexico was 61st, and Venezuela was 63rd. The IMD ranked countries based on three main factors: Investment and development. IMD measured resources the countries committed to cultivating homegrown human capital and took into account pupil-teacher ratios, the percentage of women in the workforce, apprenticeships, health care, employee training and total public spending on education. IMD measured resources the countries committed to cultivating homegrown human capital and took into account pupil-teacher ratios, the percentage of women in the workforce, apprenticeships, health care, employee training and total public spending on education. Appeal. IMD measured how effectively each country attracts local and foreign talent. It looked at cost of living, worker motivation, quality of life, brain drain, compensation, tax rates, rule of law, crime and private-property rights. IMD measured how effectively each country attracts local and foreign talent. It looked at cost of living, worker motivation, quality of life, brain drain, compensation, tax rates, rule of law, crime and private-property rights. Readiness. IMD assessed the quality of the skills and competencies available in a country and looked at labor force growth, skilled labor, international experience, leadership competence, the education system, science in schools, university education, language skills, student mobility and finance skills. IMD's findings indicate that the most successful countries in talent competitiveness are mainly European, midsize economies with heavy investment in education. However, investment in education doesn't guarantee a high ranking. Tom Crane, vice president of HR and communications for China Construction America in New York City, noted, "China now ranks as having the second highest number of top universities globally and continues to make important strides in producing top-educated talent." Yet overall, Hong Kong ranked 18th in the report and mainland China 39th. Why Switzerland Leads in Talent Prep "Switzerland is especially strong in developing partnerships between business and education," explained Solange Charas, Ph.D., an international HR metrics consultant who teaches at Columbia University, New York University and the University of Southern California. "[Businesses are] proactive about going to vocational schools and explaining what they are going to need in the next five to 10 years. And the vocational schools focus on developing talent to fill these workforce talent needs." How the U.S. Can Move Up The U.S. can better prepare its workforce by forming more partnerships between educational institutions, the public sector and the private sector, stated Stela Lupushor, the founder of Reframe.Work in New York City. "Most of these efforts will still be about investing in technical skills," she said. Charas recommended creating a consortium between businesses and educational institutions in the U.S., similar to the Swiss system. "We must reverse the stigmatization of vocational education. We have a shrinking middle class because not enough people are being trained for good middle-class jobs," she said. [SHRM members-only toolkit: Introduction to the Global Human Resources Discipline] What HR Can Do Education doesn't stop once a degree is earned; it continues throughout a person's lifetime. So HR could provide employees with formal learning opportunities, said Paul Jones, chief leadership development officer at USANA Health Sciences in Salt Lake City. Lupushor added that workers can learn not only through university programs or vocational education, but through such alternatives as attending conferences, job shadowing and working on projects beyond their job requirements. Page Content Unlike in the United States, time off work to bond with infants is paid in France, Spain and the United Kingdom (U.K.). Differences in the amount of time parents may take often depend on the type of leave. Employers with operations in these countries should become familiar with each nation's requirements. France Maternity leave During maternity leave, the French Social Security Authority (SSA) pays employees' compensation, and the employer may "top up" so the employee receives a full salary. Collective agreements usually make topping up mandatory. Leave is calculated as follows: Number of children expected Number of existing children Prenatal leave Postnatal leave One None or one Six weeks 10 weeks One Two or more Eight weeks 18 weeks Twins n/a 12 weeks 22 weeks Triplets or more n/a 24 weeks 22 weeks Birth leave Fathers of a newborn are entitled to three days' birth leave, paid by the employer. Paternity and 'welcome' leave The fatheror person living with the mothermay receive 11 consecutive days' leave for a single birth and 18 consecutive days for multiple births, paid by the SSA. This leave may be taken following birth leave or separately. Adoption leave During adoption leave, the SSA pays employees. As with maternity leave, the employer may top up the SSA's contribution so the employee receives a full salary, and collective agreements usually make this mandatory. Leave is calculated as follows: Number of children to be adopted Number of existing children Leave if taken by one parent Leave if split between parents One None or one 10 weeks 10 weeks plus 11 days One Two or more 18 weeks 18 weeks plus 11 days Twins or more n/a 22 weeks 22 weeks plus 18 days Parental leave Employees with more than one year's service may take one year of paid parental leave up until the child's third birthday, plus one additional paid year for a child with a disability. The SSA pays for the leave. Spain For family-related leave in Spain, the employer suspends the employment contract while the employee on leave receives benefits, but the employer must fulfill its social security obligations through payment of leave. About 85 percent of social security in Spain is at the employer's expense, according to Tax Partners. Maternity and adoption leave All employees are entitled to 16 weeks of maternity or adoption leave. The mother must take at least six weeks off immediately following the birth of a child. For multiple births, the time off work increases by two weeks for each child beyond one. If the child has a disability, the time off also increases by two weeks. [SHRM members-only toolkit: Introduction to the Global Human Resources Discipline] Paternity leave Employees are entitled to five consecutive weeks of paternity leave. For multiple births, this period increases by two days for each child beyond one. Parental leave Employees with at least one year's service may take unpaid leave for child care for a maximum of three years from the date of birth or, in the case of adoption, court order, but only if more than four years have passed since the last unpaid parental leave. U.K. U.K. employers often supplement government-paid leave for each of the family leave rights summarized below so that employees can draw a full salary. Maternity and adoption leave Employees are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity or adoption leave. Employees who've been with their employer for at least 26 weeks receive maternity or adoption pay (SMP or SAP, respectively) for up to 39 weeks. SMP and SAP are payable at 90 percent of average earnings for the first six weeks and at the statutory rate for the remainder (currently 145.18 pounds per weekapproximately U.S. $189). Paternity leave Employees who've been with their employer for at least 26 weeks can take up to two weeks of paternity leave to care for a child. This must be taken within 56 days of a child's birth or adoption. Paternity leave is paid at the lower of 90 percent of average earnings or the statutory rate. Shared parental leave (paid) In April 2015, optional shared parental leave (SPL) was introduced. Mothers can choose to end their maternity leave at any point after a two-week compulsory leave period after the birth and opt in to a period of SPL. Parents can choose how to split the remaining 50 weeks of maternity leave between them. Each parent may use SPL separately or simultaneously. SPL is also available for parents who adopt. Parental leave (unpaid) Employees with more than one year's service may take up to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave for the care of each child. Parental leave can be taken in addition to statutory maternity, paternity or adoption leave and must be used before the child's 18th birthday. Ius Laboris is the world's largest global HR and employment law firm alliance. Contributing members to this article include Jean-Benoit Cottin, an attorney with Capstan Avocats in Montpellier, France; Guillaume Bordier, an attorney with Capstan Avocats in Paris; Gisella Alvarado, an attorney with Sagardoy Abogados in Madrid; and Richard Lister, an attorney with Lewis Silkin in London. Page Content The U.S. Supreme Court sided with an employer on April 24 by ruling that a worker needs to individually arbitrate his claim against the company rather than bring a classwide claim. In an arbitration agreement, employers and workers can agree in advance to have a neutral third party (an arbitrator) decide legal claims rather than suing in court. Arbitration is sometimes viewed as faster and more cost-effective than litigation. In Lamps Plus Inc. v. Varela, the agreement between the employee and employer included broad language but did not specifically address class claims. The employer interpreted the agreement to require individual arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, however, sided with the California-based employee. California contract law requires ambiguities to be interpreted against the party who drafted the agreement, which is Lamps Plus in this case, the 9th Circuit held. The Supreme Court reversed the appeals court ruling in a 5-4 decision and held that, under the FAA, an ambiguous arbitration agreement can't provide the contractual basis necessary to conclude that the parties agreed to submit to class arbitration. The shift from individual to class arbitration is a fundamental change that sacrifices the principal advantage of arbitration and greatly increases risks to defendants, the high court said. A Win for Employers "The Lamps Plus decision is a clear win for employers," said Lauren Novak, an attorney with Schiff Hardin in Chicago. "The decision is important because it means that employers will maintain the benefits of individual arbitration and avoid the risks of class arbitration unless they agree to it." "If the parties wish to consent to class arbitration, then such consent ought to be included expressly in the parties' agreement," said Bryan Keane, an attorney with Dorsey & Whitney in Minneapolis. Many states, not just California, have contract interpretation rules providing that an ambiguity in a contract can be held against the drafter. In other words, under those rules, if a court finds that there is an ambiguity as to whether the parties intended an arbitration agreement drafted by the employer to include class claims, courts could compel class arbitration, explained Darcey Groden, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in San Diego. "The Supreme Court has cut off that argument for employees seeking to compel arbitration of class claims." Ambiguous Agreement Frank Varela fell victim to a phishing scheme at work. Hackers pretending to be from Lamps Plus got an employee to send workers' private information and then filed fraudulent tax returns. So Varela sued Lamps Plus on behalf of himself and other victims, alleging that the data breach resulted in violations of California law. The company argued that Varela should have to arbitrate his claim individuallynot on behalf of a class. Under the terms of the agreement, Varela: Waived any right to file a lawsuit or other civil action or proceeding relating to his employment. Waived any right to resolve employment disputes through trial by judge or jury. Acknowledged that arbitration would be in lieu of any and all lawsuits or other civil legal proceedings relating to his employment. A district court agreed that the parties entered into a valid agreement and that the case should be decided by an arbitrator instead of a court. However, the district court permitted Varela to seek classwide arbitration, and the 9th Circuit affirmed. High Court Reverses The Supreme Court disagreed with the 9th Circuit. The FAA requires courts to "enforce arbitration agreements according to their terms," the majority said. Courts may rely on state contract principles to interpret such agreements, but state law is pre-empted if it "stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of the full purposes and objectives" of the FAA. In a prior case, the high court ruled that because of the "crucial differences" between individual and class arbitration, there is "reason to doubt the parties' mutual consent to resolve disputes through classwide arbitration." In that case, the justices held that when an agreement is silent about class arbitration, courts may not infer consent. "Like silence, ambiguity does not provide a sufficient basis to conclude that parties to an arbitration agreement agreed to sacrifice the principal advantage of arbitration," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. for the court. Justices Samuel Alito Jr., Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas joined the majority. The benefits of individual arbitration include "lower costs, greater efficiency and speed, and the ability to choose expert adjudicators to resolve specialized disputes," according to the court. The "decision is a big win for employers and for the critical principle that class arbitration requires consent," said Robert Friedman, an attorney with Littler in Dallas. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in dissent that the Supreme Court "has routinely deployed the law to deny to employees and consumers effective relief against powerful economic entities." Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor also disagreed with the majority. "[T]he majority today invades California contract law without pausing to address whether its incursion is necessary," Sotomayor wrote in her dissent against the ruling. Drafting Agreements Employers will now have more confidence that they can require individual arbitration and that their intention to do so will be upheld by the courts, said Scott Witlin, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg in Los Angeles. However, he noted, employers should be clear if they don't intend to arbitrate claims on a classwide basis and careful not to inadvertently authorize it. Some judges are hostile to arbitration in general and may look for a way to invalidate the agreement, he said. [SHRM members-only online discussion platform: SHRM Connect] Groden also recommends having an explicit class-action waiver. The law could change, or the Supreme Court could change its view. "While employers seem to be safe now even absent such a waiver as long as they have not agreed to class arbitration, better safe than sorry," she said. (DECADE OF DEATH: This is one in a series on the boroughs opioid crisis.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the understanding of opioid addiction has improved, approaches to treatment have changed. Data from the New York Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Service (OASAS) shows that on Staten Island from 2007 to 2017 the number of admissions to medically monitored detoxification programs for heroin and other opioids went from 1,331 to 671. In that same time, the number of people admitted to outpatient clinics for those substances went from 290 to 968. The data from OASAS is limited in that it only tracks admissions to OASAS programs within the state. Staten Islanders who sought help at facilities outside the OASAS system, or outside the borough would not be in the numbers for Richmond County. MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT; RISK OF OVERDOSE One of the most popular outpatient programs for opioid abuse has become medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Drugs like buprenorphine and methadone are paired with counseling to help ease the withdrawal process for people suffering from an opioid-use disorder. Dr. Denise Paone, the director of research and development at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygienes Bureau of Alcohol & Drug Use Prevention, Care & Treatment, said the shift toward using these drugs has been done for a cause. Detox is not treatment, and, actually, detox can sometimes be a risk factor for overdose, she said. People that build up tolerances to opioids, and go through the detoxification process lose that tolerance, leaving them at risk for a fatal overdose, Paone said. If your goal is to reduce drug overdose deaths, then you wouldnt just put somebody through a detox or a drug-free program, she said. NEED FOR TREATMENT FACILITIES Ileana Acosta, program supervisor of Richmond University Medical Centers Silberstein Clinic on South Avenue, echoed that sentiment, but said the need for more fully-equipped inpatient facilities remains on Staten Island. The treatment program at the Silberstein Clinic is an abstinence-based program, according to Acosta. What I hear is, the highest chance of someone overdosing is when they had a period of sobriety, and they dont have that tolerance anymore, she said. That is more likely to happen when youre in an outpatient setting, because when youre in an inpatient rehab youre there, youre being monitored, youre not out in the environment, triggered and using. OVERDOSE DEATHS CLIMB According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, the number of overdose deaths on Staten Island from 2007 to 2017 went from 51 to 117, with the highest number, 129, coming in 2016. CDC data isnt available for the number of 2018 overdose deaths on Staten Island, but data from the office of Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon indicates there were 105. Drug users increased use of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids like it, whether intentional or unintentional, has contributed to the recent dramatic increase in the number of deaths. In 1999, there were 730 deaths nationwide that involved synthetic opioids, by 2017 that number was nearly 40 times higher at 28,466, according to the latest available data from the CDC. MAT SHOWING PROMISE, AGENCY STATES Despite the increased number of deaths, the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) says the use of MAT has been effective. MAT has proved to be clinically effective and to significantly reduce the need for inpatient detoxification services for these individuals, the federal website reads. MAT provides a more comprehensive, individually tailored program of medication and behavioral therapy. Some of the benefits of MAT, according to SAMSHA, are an improvement in patient survival, and an increased patient retention rate. Acosta said part of the reason these drugs, especially buprenorphine, are effective is because they can be used in an outpatient setting. People dont have to go to inpatient detox to receive it, and it has shown great retention rates on helping people stay off of opiates, she said. Patients who use buprenorphine also face limited disruption to their everyday lives, because it can be taken at home with a prescription. However, the drug is not without risk. It is an opioid agonist, which means it effects the brain in some of the same ways as opioids, specifically the feeling of euphoria associated with those drugs, leaving the potential for misuse of the drug, according to SAMSHA. To limit this abuse potential, naloxone, which acts as an opioid antagonist, can be combined with buprenorphine. That combination is most commonly marketed as the brand-name drug Suboxone. When the drug combination is taken orally, as directed, the effects of the buprenorphine are most felt by the patient, but if it is diverted for injection, the naloxone takes hold initiating opioid withdrawal effects. Acosta said the shift toward MAT and other harm-reduction programs need to be met with a healthy balance of counseling programs that help people work through their addiction. OASAS will tell you its fine if someone is taking Suboxone, and not doing any other type of therapy, she said. As a manager, you have to find a balance. OASAS spokesman Evan Frost said in a statement that their focus has been on an individualized model of care for patients. For some people, an outpatient treatment strategy is the appropriate type of care, while others benefit from an inpatient, or residential program, he said. We do not prioritize one type of treatment setting over another, and work with our clients and providers to determine the best type of care that will meet each individuals needs. 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. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island would have a permanent seat on the MTA Board, if proposed legislation is passed. Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis announced at a press conference Thursday in Eltingville that she will propose legislation to give the New York City mayor a fifth appointment for each of the boroughs. We dont have a voice, Malliotakis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn) said in front of the Eltingville Transit Center. This a community that has long been transportation starved, we always have to fight twice, if not three times as much to get half as much, and, certainly we deserve a representative on the MTA board. Staten Island lost its representative, Peter Ward, after a shakeup by Gov. Cuomos office announced at the end of March. The change was part of Cuomos efforts to address the diffused responsibility of the board, according to a media release announcing the appointment of a new board chairman and four new board members. Cuomos changes limit the terms of appointees to the terms of the administrations that appoint them, however Ward was appointed by Cuomo in 2016. A reason for Wards dismissal was not given. Cuomo replaced Ward and another of his appointees with Haeda Mihaltses of Queens and Michael Lynton of Brooklyn. The other two appointments, Rhonda Herman of Westchester County and Kevin Law of Suffolk County, were made by their county executives. The MTA needs a board that will oversee and manage the transit system so it can best serve its riders, and this critical component of the MTA reform plan will ensure an unmatched level of accountability that New Yorkers deserve, he said in a statement. I thank the outgoing members for their service and commitment to improving our states transit networks. In a letter sent April 17 to the governor and Mayor Bill de Blasio, Malliotakis expressed her discontent with Staten Island no longer being represented on the board. Hey @NYGovCuomo, @NYCMayor: Its unacceptable that #StatenIsland no longer has a representative on the @MTA board. Every other county has representation by a local resident. What happened to ours? pic.twitter.com/eiXyIeKdlh Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) April 18, 2019 De Blasios office did not return requests for comment about Malliotakis letter, or her proposal to give the mayor a fifth appointment. A spokesman for Cuomos office neither addressed the assemblywomans letter nor her proposal, but pointed to the recent announcement that the effective residential toll rate for Staten Islanders crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge would remain at $5.50 after it was expected to rise to $5.90. We take the transportation needs of Staten Island seriously, which is why we recently announced the freezing of the resident toll on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge - a toll that has now been frozen for 5 years and keeps it the lowest of any major TBTA crossing, he said in a statement. As of Mar. 31, the cash toll for the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is $19, and the E-ZPass rate $12.24. Staten Islanders with E-ZPass, who cross the bridge more than three times a month, the toll is $6.88. Fewer times, and the toll is $7.26. The Staten Island Resident Carpool rate is $3.40. The $5.50 number comes from rebates. A spokesman for the MTA said the agency has no say on who is appointed to the board, and pointed to the work the agency is doing to improve transit on Staten Island. The MTA is putting significant resources into improving transit on Staten Island, with a complete overhaul of its express bus network, comprehensive transportation studies on the North Shore and West Shore, the citys first contactless payment system on buses, and the upcoming full-fleet replacement of SIR trains with the newest subway car being developed, the R211," he said in a statement. Currently, the governor has six board appointees, the mayor has four, and the executives of Dutchess Nassau, Orange, Putnam. Suffolk, Rockland and Westchester counties each have one. The appointees of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Rockland counties make up one vote on the board, all other appointees vote individually. Each appointee needs to be confirmed by the state Senate, and only three of the four recent appointees have been approved, which Malliotakis said she plans to talk with her Senate colleagues about. Only three of Mayor de Blasios four appointments are filled, and the Dutchess County appointment is vacant, according to the MTA website. If Malliotakis legislation, which she said is being sponsored by state Sen. Andrew Lanza in the Senate, were to pass, it would mean Staten Island, a borough with an estimated population less than 500,000, would have the same guaranteed vote as Queens, which has an estimated population higher than 2 million. We are a county in this MTA service territory, just like every other county, in fact you have smaller counties that are represented, and so I think its very critical to point out that we deserve a voice like every other county, Malliotakis said. None of the counties represented on the MTA board with smaller populations than Staten Island have individual votes. Staten Island attorney Allen Cappelli, who previously served in a position on the unsalaried board, said issues like increased transit needs on the North Shore following a recent rezoning approval for Bay Street make a Staten Islanders presence necessary. I initially turned down the appointment to be on the board, because it was a crazy, all-encompassing assignment, he said Thursday. But then I was convinced by some that said we need to have somebody on the inside. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. announced that NYPD detective Joseph Franco, 46, was charged for making false statements that led to three unlawful arrests while he was a member of a Manhattan narcotics unit. Franco was charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with 16 counts, including perjury in the first degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, and official misconduct, according to a press release from Vances office. As alleged in the indictment, this detective lied to judges, prosecutors and his own colleagues in the NYPD about crimes that never happened, and three New Yorkers wrongfully lost their liberty as a result, said Vance. My office will continue to bring the full weight of the law against uniformed officers who lie and undermine the public trust in law enforcement on which we rely to keep New York safe." Vance moved to vacate the three wrongful convictions at the start of the Public Corruption Units investigation, the press release said. According to the press release, Franco was employed as an NYPD detective and was assigned to Narcotics Borough Manhattan South when he made false testimony in court proceedings between Feb. 21, 2017 and May 3, 2018. CITY HALL -- The New York City Council is going up against the citys iconic fashion industry with a proposed ban to outlaw the sale of new fur products. The bill is being spearheaded by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, whose district includes the part of Manhattans Garment District. He says the sale of fur is cruel to animals. Animal rights groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets) have praised the lawmakers efforts and vowed to launch ads around the city showing animals suffering at the hands of the garment industry. But many in the citys fashion industry say the ban would significantly hurt retailers. FURNYC says there are more than 130 fur businesses that operate around the city that provide 1,100 full time jobs and generate as much as $400 million in revenue annually. The group says that over a 10-year period, the ban would cost the city up to $3.3 billion in lost revenues. The proposed legislation would still allow for fur apparel to be sold if it is being worn as for religious customs. Violators would be hit with a civil penalty of up to $500 for the first violation and up to $1,500 for any subsequent violations. Not just New York City, but state lawmakers are reportedly considering a similar statewide ban in Albany, according to NBC4. The state ban would outlaw the sale any goods made with farmed fur and ban the manufacture of products made with trapped fur. A similar measure in the state Capitol in Albany would impose a statewide ban on the sale of any items made with farmed fur and ban the manufacture of products made from trapped fur. The Islands two Republican council members say they are opposed to the ban because they do not want to hurt the fashion industry. Councilwoman Debi Roses office (D-North Shore) said she is still reviewing the legislation. I am not going to support legislation that would ban an entire industry, kill thousands of jobs and eliminate millions in tax revenue, said Minority Leader Steven Matteo (R-Mid Island). Councilman Joe Borelli (R-South Shore) said: I dont believe we should put hundreds of small manufacturers, wholesalers and retail shops out of business just on some progressive whim. If you dont like fur, dont wear it; but our city has long been home to the fur industry, it was founded by a trapping company, and it would be a shame to ban it 395 years later. There are two beavers at the center of our city seal. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Six months after the project was declared dead, the NY Wheel has yet to terminate its lease agreement with the city and is incurring financial penalties, the Advance has learned. In December, the Advance reported that the New York Wheel is on the hook for the cost of restoring the city-owned St. George site where the observation wheel was supposed to be built. The NY Wheel reached its demise on Oct. 23, when the its principals announced it would not follow through with the construction of the tourist attraction. The project was seven years in the making. The city Economic Development Corp. (NYCEDC), which oversees the site, said the NY Wheel hasnt yet terminated its lease agreement and is still obligated to pay deferred rent on the property. In addition, there are continued financial penalties for the project not coming to fruition. According to the lease agreement, the rent is $1 million annually, plus interest, and its deferred until Nov. 21, 2021. Since the lease is still active, the NY Wheel continues to be accountable for the deferred rent, according to the agreement. Those payments already amount to more than $2.3 million, plus interest. NYCEDC couldnt give a dollar amount of the penalties already incurred by the NY Wheel. Had the project come to fruition, the NY Wheel would have had to also pay participation rent, which was to be based on Wheel ridership, according to the agreement. The New York Wheel did not return a request for comment. The partially completed terminal building and parking garage with incomplete stairways and ramps are seen Tuesday, October 23, 2018 after news of the New York Wheel's disbanding of the project. (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons)Staten Island Advance LEASE AGREEMENT According to its lease agreement with NYCEDC, the Wheel also signed away its rights to any parts or structures installed on the site since the project began in 2015. Materials to be incorporated in the Off-Premises Improvements and the Buildings shall, effective upon their purchase and all times thereafter but, in all events, subject to this Lease, constitute the property of Landlord, and upon the incorporation of such materials therein, title thereto shall vest in Landlord, reads the lease agreement. Through a request per the Freedom of Information Act, the Advance obtained the 236-page lease agreement and two subsequent amendments that outline the parameters of the project. IF LEASE IS TERMINATED If and when the lease agreement is terminated, the NY Wheel would still have to pay the city to restore the site to its condition or pay for the completion of the project, according to the agreement. ... that in the event pursuant to one Completion Guaranty the uncompleted work is removed from the Premises and the Off-Premises Area and the Premises and Off-Premises Area are restored to the condition that existed immediately prior to the Commencement Date then the other guarantor under the other Completion Guaranty shall, at Landlords option, be obligated to do the same (in lieu of completion of the Initial Construction Work), says the lease agreement. The Initial Construction Work is outlined in the lease as including the parking garage, along with foundations and ground work. The city has the right to demolish the work on the actual site and send the NY Wheel the bill. However, this doesnt include the parking garage, according to the agreement. MORE RECENT STORIES ABOUT THE NY WHEEL: FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER .@FDNY Exercise: 4/25 from 11:30AM-12:30PM. Emergency vehicles & personnel travelling from Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, NJ, through Staten Island ending at Bellevue Hospital, Manhattan. This is only an exercise. Multilingual & ASL link: https://t.co/oV3fGUyJUz. NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) April 24, 2019 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Emergency officials will be conducting a full transport exercise through Staten Island from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, according to the citys Notify NYC alert system. The exercise will depart Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Jersey, travel through Staten Island and end at Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan. Emergency personnel and vehicles will be seen during the drill. The planned route into Staten Island at this time extends onto the Staten Island Expressway to the Verrazzano Bridge, however it is subject to change during the live drill. Contact, NotifyNYC@oem.nyc.gov with questions or concerns. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Whether a Port Richmond felon returns to prison is entirely in his own hands. Jason Strong, 29, who was accused of injuring three cops who were trying to arrest him four months ago during a traffic stop, has reached a plea agreement that will keep him out of prison if the defendant completes a drug program. Failing to finish will earn Strong a return trip upstate. The events underlying Strongs arrest unfolded at 1:10 a.m. on Dec. 4, according to police and a criminal complaint. Cops found the defendant slumped over the wheel of a gray 2002 Acura TL with the engine running in the center lane at the intersection of Hylan Boulevard and Beach Avenue in New Dorp, said a source with knowledge of the case. A check of Department of Motor Vehicles records revealed Strongs license was suspended then and had been suspended at least 10 times, said the complaint. The defendant resisted aggressively when officers tried to arrest him, the complaint said. He flailed his arms and body, resulting in one officer suffering a sprained ankle, said the complaint. A second officers fingers were jammed and swelled, while a third cop suffered a muscle strain in his shoulders, the complaint alleged. Strong was ultimately charged with felony counts of second-degree assault and first-degree aggravated unlicensed driving, along with misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and third-degree aggravated unlicensed driving. Strong pleaded guilty Wednesday in state Supreme Court, St. George, to all the charges to resolve the case. The defendant is undergoing drug treatment. If he completes the program, the felony pleas will be vacated, and hell be sentenced to a conditional discharge and fined $500 on the misdemeanor convictions. Should he fail to finish treatment, all the convictions will stand, and the defendant will receive concurrent three-year prison sentences on the felonies. Defense lawyer Eliza Pacheco declined comment on the case. Assistant Attorney Lisa Davis is prosecuting it. Strong has previously spent time behind bars. In December 2017, he received consecutive one-year sentences for assault and unlicensed driving stemming from an incident in which he was accused of running over an officers foot in Annadale, according to Advance records. Strong, then 27, was behind the wheel of a black 1997 Nissan Maxima on Feb. 18, 2017, when officers from the 123rd Precinct, looking for burglary suspects, tried to stop him on Vineland Avenue and Carlton Boulevard at about 4:30 p.m., according to police and a criminal complaint. Instead of complying, Strong allegedly rolled over an officers foot with his car, police said. The injured officer suffered a broken foot. Online records of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision also show Strong was previously sentenced in 2010 in an unrelated case to two to four years in prison for attempted reckless endangerment. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Nintendo has reported an upturn in profits and sales for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, despite the Switch just missing out on its revised full-year sales target of 17 million units. The Japanese console maker saw net sales rise by 13.7 percent year-on-year to 1.2 trillion yen ($10.75 billion), while profits increased by 39 percent to 194 billion yen ($1.74 billion) over the same period. Nintendo largely credits that upswing to strong software sales on the Nintendo Switch. The company had 23 million-selling Switch titles across the entire year, with flagship releases like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (13.81 million units), Pokemon Let's Go (10.63 million units), and Super Mario Party (6.4 million units) leading the charge. On the hardware front, annual Switch sales totaled 16.95 million units. That's just short of Nintendo's revised sales target of 17 million units, but a far cry from the company's initial goal of 20 million units. Lifetime Switch sales now stand at 34.74 million units, and recent rumors suggest Nintendo will look to give the console a shot in the arm by launching a more affordable model with a focus on portability later this year. 3DS hardware sales, meanwhile, decreased by 60.2 percent year-on-year to 2.55 million units, although it's worth remembering the handheld is eight years old at this point. 3DS software sales suffered a similar fate, falling by 62.9 percent year-over-year to 13.22 million units. Glancing at Nintendo's digital business, the company said sales from download versions of retail software and download-only titles on Switch "showed particularly good growth," and that overall digital sales revenue rose by 95.4 percent year-on-year to 118.8 billion yen ($1.1 billion). On mobile, Nintendo's IP related income rose by 17 percent year-over-year to 46.0 billion yen ($411.8 million), and the company seemed particularly pleased with the performance of Dragalia Lost. Looking forward, Nintendo expects the Switch to provide "a foundation for further business growth," and is banking on software to continue driving the system forward. It hopes the impending releases of Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit, Super Mario Maker 2, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses will give the system an immediate boost, before the likes of Pokemon Sword and Shield, Animal Crossing, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening step up to the plate. With that in mind, Nintendo expects the Switch to sell another 18 million units in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020, helping it achieve a net sales of 1.25 trillion yen ($11.2 billion) and profits of 180 billion yen ($1.6 billion). The big banks are tipped to hold back some of the benefit of any official interest rate cut from their customers as the lenders try to ease pressure on their profit margins. Market watchers tip a rate cut could come as early as the next meeting of the board of the Reserve Bank on May 7, following the release of weaker-than-expected inflation numbers on Wednesday. There would likely be only small savings for variable rate mortgage holders if the Reserve bank was to cut the cash rate. Credit:AAP Experts say any rate cut occurring during federal election campaign would inevitably see the big banks come under pressure from both sides of politics to pass on the benefits to borrowers. But Martin North, the founder of Digital Finance Analytics, said he expected the big banks to pass on only some of a cut to their variable rate mortgage holders as they grappled with higher funding costs. Ireland's Foil, Arms and Hog, a trio who delivered high-octane sketches with stunning physical comedy and a Monk-inspired harmony that enraptured the Concert Hall, were delicious and clever. There were some shots that missed the mark. The crowd that cheered for Des Bishop's manifesto for feminist cunnilingus didn't find the same enthusiasm for Jimeoins somewhat lazy debate on whether entering a row with one's crotch or buttocks is more sleazy, and Georgie Carroll, while giggling herself, didn't seem entirely confident in the full punch of her motherhood-inspired jokes. But others hit the bull's-eye. It's been a rough couple of months and the crowd youthful, buoyant, keen at the Opera House were primed and ready for some comic relief. With all the tragedy and political turmoil 2019 has already delivered, the audience found the biggest laughs in the simple, smart quips of the evenings 14 acts. Tom Allen and his springy eyebrows hit their stride when he channelled his inner auctioneer, rattling off the reasons to not become a teacher, and Mark Forward's decision to don a hot-dog costume in homage to an imagined "Jeremy" confused, devastated and then cracked up the crowd. Phil Wang's love for our nation's capital should be rendered common vernacular "I'm a Can-Can Man-Man!" while Luke Heggies deadpan anti-drama regarding pet care could well be adopted by the more precious dog owners among us. The comics generally avoided the religious (minus Jimeoins quip that he's "Catholic-ish", because followers of Judaism are just as vague, and Jamali Maddix's quick turn from Black Israelites to plastic straws) and political (Fern Brady gave a brief but furious shout-out to Northern Ireland's DUP, and Phill Jupitus aptly described Brexit as Mad Max by the cast of Downton Abbey) danger zones. Sex was a free for all, however: Daniel Sloss defined the unique logic of toxic masculinity, recalling his "five-second kiss" with fellow comic and cracking opening act Nick Cody (who, as proof of concept, he kissed on stage at the end of his set), and Nikki Britton delighted with gyrational demonstrations of the many stages of inebriated confidence, including a happy frankfurt bounce around the stage. MC Joe Lycett manned the smorgasbord (with the UK, USA, Canada, Malaysia and home-turf represented) while bantering with audience member Ben from Branxton, who became a running schtick early on. By the end of the night the relationship had become an unexpected delight, with Ben asking Lycett to call his girlfriend; Lycett did so, and in the process asked Bens girlfriend if she wanted to marry Ben, which elicited sharp gasps. (The response elicited "awwws" from the audience. Ben from Branxton now has some thinking to do.) At what point is something truly in the past, where we can reflect on and learn from it? In the American independent drama 1985, which is set in Texas in the titular year, the decade's stereotypes are put aside so that the stark differences between now and then (along with some similarities) are illustrated by the return home from New York for Christmas of Adrian Lester (Cory Michael Smith), the closeted gay son of religious conservatives Eileen (Virginia Madsen) and Dale (Michael Chiklis). As much as the 1980s still feels familiar to those who have memories of it, it's as distant and second-hand to millennials as the 1950s is to Generation X. Writer-director Yen Tan has made a period film, using black and white 16mm film and a tragic sense of the looming AIDS crisis to create a vision of the past that is unknown for younger audiences. Adrian is isolated and forlorn, living at a time when an epidemic is ravaging his community. Jamie Chung (left) and Cory Michael Smith in writer and director Yen Tan's 1985. Credit: "The reality for people living with HIV and AIDS in the 1980s and even the 1990s was a completely different thing," Tan says. "There was a lot of people who didn't have the luxury of coming out or telling their loved ones what was going on. The stigma was so deep." Adrian lies to his parents about his life, even as he senses that his younger brother, Andrew (Aidan Langford), is on the cusp of the same confused adolescence. The film's aesthetic, shorn of period features but imbued with a sense of a different time by the grain of the black and white film stock, accentuates the distance between the gay community and then mainstream America, which would see the AIDS crisis ignored for crucial years. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has unveiled subsidies for 1600 apprenticeships in regional Australia as part of a national job creation agenda central to the Coalition's reelection pitch. The Coalition will put $60 million more into incentives for employers in rural and regional areas suffering from skills shortages, doubling down on a "bush wage" trial that was launched at the start of this year. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced subsidies for 1600 apprenticeships in regional Australia. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "This initiative is about making sure there's even more opportunities for our young people to learn a valuable trade, particularly in regional and rural Australia," Mr Morrison said in a statement. "We want to get more young people into work. We're backing 1,600 new sparkies, plumbers, mechanics, hairdressers and painters. Importantly they will be learning their trade in regional Australia where these skills are needed." When the major political parties were spared the tedium of complying with the Privacy Act in 2000, the then-Howard government argued their exemption would enhance political communication and free up the democratic process. It was a controversial enough view at the time, but it has become almost ludicrously counterproductive in the years since. None of the parties wanted to talk about what they'd done to improve security since the cyber attack on Parliament's computer network earlier this year. Credit: Technology in 2019 means malign actors can steal data and then use it to manipulate elections. That includes data on individual voters. So where precisely is the incentive for voters to engage with their local MPs or parties - thereby enhancing the political process - if they can't be confident the data generated on them through that interaction isn't going to end up in the hands of a hacker, such as a Chinese intelligence agency? I always thought that healthcare was the No. 1 priority for humanity, because you can't educate a person if they're dead. But I was wrong: we are all screwed without a healthy planet. The spectacular point of difference that some of us benefit from is the simple location of our birth. To be born in Australia, Canada, Japan or the Netherlands offers a very different set of opportunities compared with being born in Madagascar, Bolivia or Iran. The basic human rights, healthcare and education on offer in rich countries give their residents a leg-up I have never taken for granted. When I use the word "ordinary", I mean normal, human, grounded, real. I don't mean average, mediocre or dull. Remembering how ordinary we all are is humbling and encouraging at the same time. It keeps your feet on the ground when you remember you're just as ordinary as all the other humans on earth and it's enormously motivating to think you're as ordinary as people who've had a huge impact. You are just as ordinary as Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and Bill and Melinda Gates. We're just as ordinary and human as each other. How cool is that? We are all ordinary. Every single one of us is an ordinary person who has a set of talents, opportunities, challenges and experiences to work with. Whether we turbocharge those into greatness or lie on the couch is usually entirely up to us. But to start with, we are all ordinary to the core. I've been fortunate to know some magnificent people during my life, people who have achieved amazing things: miraculous recoveries, stratospheric financial successes, inspirational renewals, gobsmacking humanitarian achievements and brilliant discoveries. But they're still ordinary people. They still enjoy a nice cup of tea and a biscuit. They're still irritated by a manspreader on the bus or when someone steps on the back of their thongs. They still dye their roots and get lippy on their teeth. But something about how they use their talents, opportunities, challenges and experiences moves them to pull off great things not the least of which is having a wonderful, enriched life. It's not always perfect, but it's never boring. At the time of writing this book, Dr Catherine Hamlin is 95. I've known Dr H well since my first trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2007. After she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004, every dag and his dog (including me) wanted in on the doctor's foundation [established with her surgeon husband Reginald] to set up hospitals to help women suffering with obstetric fistulas. For more than four decades she'd been quietly working away in Addis Ababa, but after she'd been on the biggest talk show in the world, she was suddenly the duck's nuts. The cause of almost all obstetric fistulas is a lack of access to obstetric services. If we could pump billions of dollars into hospitals all over Africa, Asia and parts of the Middle East such as Iran and Afghanistan, this problem would pretty much vanish. It has nothing to do with child marriage or female genital mutilation; it's all about access to a decent hospital. About 5 per cent of women worldwide no matter what colour they are, no matter how snazzy their obstetrician is will have an obstructed labour where the baby gets stuck. Catherine's husband Reg used to say it's either the passage or the passenger that causes the blockage: the baby's head is too big, or there's something in the way such as an arm next to the head, or the umbilical cord holding the baby back. Without a nice, clean, quick caesarean, the passenger puts too much pressure on the passage. After 10 or more hours, the tissue under pressure dies for lack of oxygen. The resulting holes aren't usually rips but dead-tissue defects from vagina to bowel, and vagina to bladder. Start your game design journey this holiday and let GameMakers new Coaching program, Drag and Drop tutorial and free monthly Asset Bundles be your gift to creating great games. The government is ultra-conscious of what is happening in the Murray-Darling and recently ruled out cotton farming, which was partly blamed for the Murray-Darling's issues, in the Kimberley. WA Regional Development minister Alannah MacTiernan. That was why, WA Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said, the government would start small and evolve from there. After people see the absolute disaster that is the Murray-Darling, there is a very strong desire for there to be a precautionary principle at play here, she said. It has been a very visceral demonstration of what can go wrong in over-allocation. Most people would see what happened at the top of the river with the massive allocation for cotton and the weather patterns change. That can happen here too. Over time these things can be reviewed, but once youve over-committed it is so difficult to pull back so it would suggest to us the better way would be to start at a modest level and potentially over time grow that. "We think a more modest approach would be one that is sensible, and there are people talking somewhere around the 300 to 600 gigalitres [range]. We think those figures around that sum would still give us ample opportunity for growth in the industry, both in pastoralism fodder crops and irrigated agriculture. A torrent of opinions Loading Ms MacTiernan and her fellow environment, water and Aboriginal affairs ministers have a tough task trying to please everybody and it is inevitable someone will be disappointed. Hancock general manager of agriculture George Scott recently told a meeting with Kimberley farmers there was potential for 160,000 hectares of irrigated farmland in the Fitzroy catchment, citing a 2018 CSIRO study. He said strong industry would create thousands of jobs in the region and address the chronic social dysfunction in Kimberley towns. He took aim at environmentalists who didnt live in the region. Part of the Kimberleys future has to be to allow at least small parts of it to be developed so that it as a region can progress, he said. Red tape, green tape, and social dysfunction has been created and it has maintained a culture of dependence in the Kimberley, that is continually reinforced by politicians sacrificing the Kimberleys opportunities to satisfy the social propaganda of the voting inner-city public who are subsequently not directly affected by the results and noisy lobby groups, who often live thousands of miles from the Kimberley and have most likely never lived here. We can produce more food of higher quality right here if we allow a small part of the resources here to be developed. And lets be serious. Who wants to farm the marvellous gorges or ranges or coastlines that the Kimberley is famous for? Who wants to turn this part of the world into the Murray Darling where the water resources are over-allocated? The answer to those questions is no one does. Environmentalists, however, are resolute in their opposition, preferring groundwater irrigation options and backing calls from traditional owners to create a buffer zone. Loading The only way to prevent a Murray Darling-like scenario in the Fitzroy River is by having a buffer zone to protect the natural flows of the river and floodplains, Environs Kimberley director Martin Pritchard said. Under this scenario the river and floodplain is protected from dams, big pumps, channels and irrigation to guarantee the cultural values and health of its famed barramundi and critically endangered sawfish. Options for small scale irrigation using groundwater away from the river would remain open. Sustainable development doesnt have to be pastoralism. Other economic development options are being considered including carbon management, bush foods, cultural and eco-tourism, renewable energy, creative industries and ecosystem services. Introducing a new irrigated agriculture industry to the Fitzroy wouldnt be further pastoralism, it would be a whole new industry with massive new impacts on the rivers cultural and environmental values. The Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, which is representing traditional owner views, came up with the buffer idea but sits somewhere in between the development and environment viewpoints. Kimberley cattle Credit:Glenn Campbell The council believes there can be a win-win scenario with sustainable development and protection of the cultural and environmental features of the Fitzroy River catchment. What lies beneath NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has renewed calls for federal government to formally recognise the killing of more than a million Armenians during World War One as a genocide and slammed the Turkish government's "tactics of denial" as "textbook". Speaking on the eve of Anzac Day at an event commemorating the 104th anniversary of the atrocity, Ms Berejiklian said such denial "allows genocidal states to commit these heinous crimes in the belief that they will escape the consequences. Thats why we can never forget." Gladys Berejiklian. Credit:AAP Leaders of the Armenian community who spoke at the event had bitter words for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who despite previously calling it genocide, sent a statement to event organisers acknowledging the tragedy which stopped short of using the term. While 29 nations and two Australian states - NSW and South Australia - recognise the Ottoman Empire's extermination of about 1.5 million Armenians over the course of a decade from April 1915 as genocide, the federal government has not taken that step, and Armenian leaders blame the Australian government's diplomatic relationship with Turkey. School students are expected to absorb so much information these days, from traditional reading, writing and arithmetic to the skills for safe and healthy living to all the other extras such as languages and financial literacy. It is baffling why NSW persists with a system that forces the huge numbers of children who do not take part in religious education classes to sit around wasting time. Loading Under current NSW rules, state schools have to make space available in their timetables for religious education classes. That would be fine except schools are prohibited from offering the other children any meaningful form of instruction. The result is that children sit in the library or go to the assembly hall and fiddle with their phones. A Department of Education review in 2015 surveyed principals and they said alternative activities offered to students included "board games", "early finish" and "sitting around bored". In some perverse way the current controversy over the use of the word genocide to describe the attempted obliteration of the Armenian nation, its culture and any trace of its existence in its ancestral lands has highlighted one of the diseases that infuses our political system. On Wednesday night in Sydney, at an event commemorating the atrocity, the Armenian community snubbed Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, refusing to read aloud their messages of condolence because both leaders elected not to utter the word "genocide" to characterise the events perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Premier Gladys Berejiklian at the Anzac Day dawn service with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Credit:Nick Moir NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, whose own family were victims of that genocide, did use the word when she addressed the event, and she called on the federal government to recognise it. Yet countries that pride themselves as champions of democracy, upholders of human rights and purveyors of political righteousness continue to unashamedly subordinate those principles to economic and political gain. A man has drowned in a Gold Coast river on Thursday and was found near the boat he lived on. Paramedics rushed to John Lund Drive in Hope Island just after 7.30pm. They assessed the 67-year-old man, who was pulled from the Coomera River unconscious but he was declared dead at the scene. Police said the death was not suspicious. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Brisbane has paused to honour the fallen, in ceremonies quiet and thoughtful, with young and old shoulder to shoulder. Anzac Day began with about 20,000 of people rising early to stand at the Shrine of Remembrance in Anzac Square, connecting with Australians long gone, fallen on battlefields across the world. In his speech before dawn at the shrine, Queensland governor Paul de Jersey said there was a direct way of making a connection with them, 104 years on from the landing at Gallipoli. "We can see their faces," he said, as the crowd was shown a handful of the State Library's almost 27,000 newly digitised photos of First World War veterans. He said while they appeared ordinary, they displayed incredible courage. As the sun rose slowly on hushed crowds, veterans of old wars and new spoke of the experiences they had gone through, the reasons for their service. Brisbane residents lay flowers at the Shrine of Remembrance during the Anzac Day dawn service in Anzac Square. Credit:AAP/Darren England Advertisement Peter Rabula, 49, retired from the Army three years ago. "I prefer the dawn services - I've lost some mates overseas so obviously it's pretty emotional," he said. "Today really highlights a lot of the sacrifices a lot of our forefathers made." Veteran Anthony Griffiths, 65, said the reverence Australians and New Zealanders felt towards Anzac Day ceremonies had not diminished. As the city turned its thoughts to the fallen, on the Gold Coast at Elephant Rock in Currumbin, thousands more gathered to welcome the dawn and honour the dead. The crowd crammed on to the beach and lined the streets, breaking their silence only to applaud the arrival of a host of veterans. Currumbin RSL president Michael Humphreys said war stole the innocence of a nation. Advertisement "No one can underestimate the price that has been paid by individuals and families ... because there are hundreds, if not thousands, carrying the physical and psychological injuries and will do for years to come." He said from 2001 to 2016 there were 373 recorded suicides in the ADF community. "We must do more to help the individuals and families who suffer." Afghanistan veteran Andy Cullen said Anzac Day was difficult for many veterans. "It is a sad reminder of friends lost and sacrifices made and wounds that may not heal," he said. Soldiers march during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane. Credit:AAP/Glenn Hunt The service concluded with an emotional burial at sea where the ashes of 33 servicemen were scattered on the waves by local rowers from surf lifesaving clubs. Advertisement With the reverence of the pre-dawn services concluded in Brisbane, thoughts turned to honouring the living, those who fought and returned, and those who still offer service to their country. Pushing himself around his wheelchair at home and practising his best smile and wave, World War II veteran Noel Pilcher has been preparing for the largest Anzac Day parade in the state for months. The 99-year-old retired Private, who spent much of his war service patrolling swamps on Bougainville Island in the Pacific, now lives alone at Bowen in north Queensland. He has flown down to Brisbane with his family each year, for 40 years, to be a part of the annual Anzac Day commemorations. Marching with the 31st/51st infantry battalion for decades, retired Private Pilcher is now reluctantly pushed along in a wheelchair by his son-in-law, Russell Mayhew. WWII Private Noel Pilcher is seen during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane. Credit:Glenn Hunt/AAP Retired Private Pilcher said he would make another "special effort" to come down to the parade next year. Advertisement "I am very proud to be an Anzac, I am extremely proud of serving my country. This Brisbane crowd is so supportive and warm, you just keep coming back," he said. Private Pilcher spent five years in the defence force, with half of that time spent fighting in the Pacific. "I was a forward scout in the infantry, which was a very dangerous job," he said. "You are out there by yourself and you have the responsibility of the whole patrol in your hands. I never let the patrol down." Sandra Davis didn't serve in the military but for more than 25 years she has proudly marched on Anzac Day to commemorate her father's service in World War II. Her dad, Bill Wharton, survived three-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Changi prison after he was captured in Singapore. His secret diary and sketches of prison life hidden from the Japanese guards form part of the collection at the Australian War Memorial. Advertisement Thousands of Australians and New Zealanders attended a World War I commemoration in Turkey on Anzac Day despite fears of a terror attack. Numbers attending the dawn service at Gallipoli were down, but crowds have been declining since the centenary in 2015. Australians at the dawn service at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli. Credit:AP Dennis Basham, global head of sales for On The Go Tours, said his company did not receive any requests from tourists to cancel trips to Gallipoli as a result of the tension following the Christchurch massacre. The dawn service at Anzac Cove marks the April 25, 1915, landing of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops in an ill-fated campaign to take the Dardanelles Straits. A man riding his bike in Perth has been shot in the leg with an arrow. Police are investigating after the 31-year-old man was struck in the thigh about 9.40pm on April 24. He was riding his bicycle west along Sturtridge Road in Lockridge. The wounded man sought assistance from a resident on the street, who called emergency services. He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital where he had surgery. A young boy has been rushed to Perth Children's Hospital from Rottnest Island after a "medical incident" on Thursday morning. The RAC chopper was called in to fly the young boy to Perth. The RAC helicopter was called to assist. Credit:Mathew Hayes Authorities have been unable to say what happened to the child other than it was a medical incident. The emergency rescue helicopter landed at the hospital about 11.20am. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has given the go-ahead for a government-commissioned inquiry into illicit amphetamine use to examine the merits of pill testing. In a move welcomed by the Australian Medical Association, pill testing will be examined as part of the special commission of inquiry into the drug 'ice', which will begin its hearings next month. Premier Gladys Berejiklian, with Health Minister Brad Hazzard and NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, as she announced the special commission of inquiry into ice in November 2018. Credit:AAP It comes after the Berejiklian government has repeatedly stated its opposition to pill testing in the wake of suspected overdose deaths at NSW music festivals. The development was triggered by Ms Berejiklian's decision in February to agree to expand the inquiry's remit to cover "other illicit amphetamine type stimulants" following a request by the Commissioner Dan Howard SC. The widened Eastern Freeway as it passes Doncaster Road. Credit:Victorian Government The proposed upgrade of the Eastern Freeway for the Andrews governments North East Link will see it widened to at least 12 lanes - and as wide as 24 lanes in sections. The dramatic expansion of the freeway, which is now between six and 10 lanes, is expected to shave up to 11 minutes off trips on the Eastern. But the road widening plan has been criticised by transport and planning experts, the opposition, and councils on either side of the Eastern Freeway, where 12.7 hectares of parkland will be permanently lost. Cape Town: Flooding in eastern South Africa has killed at least 60 people and injured thousands more, authorities said on Wednesday, after torrential rains collapsed buildings, burst rivers and ripped sinkholes in roads. Thousands more people were displaced, according to Lennox Mabaso, a government spokesman in KwaZulu-Natal province, where the worst flooding occurred. Officials were providing urgent humanitarian support, he added, and had not yet fully quantified the damage from the storm. Rescue workers search for victims in a collapsed building near Durban, South Africa. Credit:AP About 254 millimetres of rain fell on the provincial capital, Durban, within 48 hours from Monday to Wednesday, according to the South African Weather Service, with even higher figures in surrounding areas. Videos shared on Twitter showed homes crumbling in front of onlookers and cars strewn in gullies where entire roads had given way. An Australian woman who suffered horrific injuries in the Sri Lankan terror attacks on Easter Sunday is now "out of danger" and is expected to be moved out of intensive care on Thursday evening, her father says. Ranjith Weerasinghe, 62, has barely left his daughter's side since a frantic call from his wife, Vipuli, telling him they had both been hurt in the suicide bombing that tore through The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo. While Vipuli suffered minor physical injuries, daughter Chathudila, 28, has shrapnel wounds throughout her body, including a ball bearing in her eye, and fractures to her legs and hands. After his sentencing, the North Koreans held onto the comatose student for another 15 months, not even telling American officials until June of 2017 that he had been unconscious all that time. News of his condition sparked a frantic effort led by Joseph Yun, the State Department's point man on North Korea at the time, to get Warmbier home. US special envoy for North Korea policy Joseph Yun. Credit:AP Yun and an emergency medicine doctor, Michael Flueckiger, travelled to Pyongyang on a medical evacuation plane. They were taken to the Friendship Hospital in the diplomatic district, a clinic where only foreigners are treated, and found Warmbier lying in a room marked "intensive care unit," unresponsive and with a feeding tube in his nose. Flueckiger examined Warmbier and asked the two North Korean doctors, who bore a thick pile of charts, questions about the lab work, scans and X-rays they had done. Afterward, they went to a meeting room where the talks to free Warmbier began. Loading "I didn't realise what a negotiation it was going to be to secure his release," said Flueckiger, who is medical director of Phoenix Air Group, an aviation company based in Cartersville, Georgia, that specialises in medical evacuations. North Korean officials asked the doctor to write a report about his findings. "It was my impression that if I did not give them a document that I could sign off on, that would cause problems," Flueckiger said in an interview. But the American said he did not have to lie in his report. Whatever had happened to put Warmbier into that state, it was "evident" that he had received "really good care" in the hospital, he said. The doctors had done "state-of-the-art resuscitation" to revive Warmbier after he suffered a catastrophic cardiovascular collapse, and it was "remarkable" that he had no bedsores, Flueckiger said. "Would I have lied to get him out of there? Maybe I would have," he said. "But I didn't have to answer that question." Yun, however, was faced with a more difficult predicament. The North Korean officials handed him a bill for $US2 million, insisting he sign an agreement to pay it before they would allow him to take Warmbier home, according to the two people familiar with the situation. Loading Yun called the then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and told him about the bill. Tillerson called Trump. They instructed their envoy to sign the piece of paper agreeing that he would pay the $US2 million, the two people said. Flueckiger discussed the medical aspects of Warmbier's evacuation, but said he was not authorised to discuss the diplomatic negotiations. A State Department spokesman and Yun, who retired in early 2018, both declined to comment. Tillerson, the Treasury Department and North Korea's envoy responsible for US affairs, based at its UN mission in New York, did not respond to a request for comment. Warmbier's brain damage and then death at North Korea's hands caused widespread shock in the United States, but the news that North Korea expected the government to pay for his care has caused further backlash. "This is outrageous. They killed a perfectly healthy and happy college student and then had the audacity to expect the US government to pay for his care," said Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. Fred and Cindy Warmbier have accused North Korea of torturing their son, Credit:AP Having signed the documentation and secured Warmbier's release, Yun and Flueckiger flew to Cincinnati to return the young man to his parents. Otto Warmbier died six days later, but the cause of his severe brain damage has never been ascertained. Fred Warmbier accused North Korea of beating and torturing him in detention, although doctors who examined him at the University of Cincinnati Medical Centre said there was no evidence of that. His parents requested that an autopsy not be performed. North Korea has insisted Warmbier became sick after eating pork and spinach, but has also said that he had a severe allergic reaction to the sedatives they gave him. The director of North Korea's Friendship Hospital said the family's accusations that Warmbier died as a result of torture were a "total distortion of the truth". Loading "The American doctors who came ... to help Warmbier's repatriation acknowledged that his health indicators were all normal and submitted a letter of assurance to our hospital that they shared the diagnostic result of the doctors of our hospital," state media quoted the unnamed hospital director as saying in October last year. Fred and Cindy Warmbier sued North Korea over their son's death and in December were awarded $US501 million dollars in damages - money that the Kim regime will never pay. But Judge Beryl Howell, of the United States District Court in the District of Columbia, said that it was "appropriate to punish and deter North Korea" for the "torture, hostage taking and extrajudicial killing of Otto Warmbier". The Warmbiers have blamed Kim for their son's death, but Trump has said that he believes the North Korean leader did not know about the student's treatment. "I don't believe he would have allowed that to happen," Trump said in Hanoi in February after his second summit with Kim. Trump said that he spoke to Kim about the death of Warmbier and that Kim "feels badly about it". "He tells me he didn't know about it, and I take him at his word," Trump said in February. North Korea has taken Americans as hostages before, and this is not the first time Pyongyang has threatened huge hospital bills for American citizens it had detained. Hong Kongs Air Accident Investigation Authority is probing a "serious" incident on a February flight from Perth to Hong Kong when the captain became incapacitated. Cathay Pacific flight CX170 had taken off from Perth International Airport on February 21 and was flying over the South China Sea when the incident occurred. The captain became incapacitated on board a Cathay Pacific flight from Perth to Hong Kong. Credit:Cathay Pacific A preliminary report has found the Airbus A350, with 270 passengers and 13 crew members aboard, was about 500km west of Manila when the captain announced to his crew he was unwell. He told his co-pilot he was short of breath and his vision impaired. At an altitude of 38,000 feet, and with an hour and 15 minutes to go before arrival at Hong Kong, the captain declared himself incapacitated. Jakarta: Bali bombing survivors are furious that construction of a five-storey restaurant and nightclub complex on the site of the Sari Club, which was destroyed in a 2002 terrorist attack, has been approved. The owners of the site have demanded the Bali Peace Park association pay $5 million up front for a 100-year lease for the top floor of the building where a monument would be constructed. A building permit sign for a 700-sqm building on the 800-sqm site was placed above fading photos of the bombing victims at the former Sari Club site in Bali on Wednesday. Credit:Amilia Rosa The October 12, 2002 attacks on the Sari club and Paddy's Bar killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. For more than a decade, the Bali Peace Park association has been fundraising to pay for a memorial on the vacant site where a carpark operates. Glasgow: The international Five Eyes network of cyber spies believes Australia is at risk from foreign interference in its federal election, including direct hacks and targeted "fake news", a security conference has been told. Disinformation is proving to be a broader challenge for the agencies because of how it intersects with free speech, one expert said. Illustration: Dionne Gain Credit: Australias top secret cyber security agency revealed on Wednesday it is on high alert to guard Australia against such threats during the campaign. Scott MacLeod, assistant director-general for "Protect, Assure and Enable" at the Australian Signals Directorate, made a rare public appearance at the CyberUK security conference in Scotland on Wednesday. London: The Duke of Sussex made a surprise appearance alongside the Duchess of Cambridge to commemorate Anzac Day at a special thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey. Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex listens to the Dean of Westminster Dr John Hall as he leaves the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, in London. Credit:PA The midday service culminated the day's big moments in London, beginning with a Dawn Service at the Australian and New Zealand war memorials at Hyde Park Corner, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Whitehall Cenotaph. Kate was surprisingly joined by brother-in-law Prince Harry, who was not listed on the official program. Commentators mused that Harry must have made a last--minute decision to attend after spending time caring for his pregnant wife, Meghan, who is due to give birth imminently. There will be colourful macaws, lithe lemurs and cackling kookaburras for sale at an event billed by organisers as "the dispersal of the animal estate of Marvin Hajos". But the animal that is likely to get the most attention is the giant bird that killed Hajos this month. That bird a hulking, flightless cassowary with a dagger-like claw on each foot will go up for auction on Saturday, local time, alongside about 100 other exotic animals that Hajos, 75, kept on his property near Gainesville, Florida. (Several other cassowaries are also slated to go on the auction block.) Cassowary birds are native to Australia and don't often attack humans. Hajos fell between two cassowary pens on April 12 and was attacked through the fence by at least one of the birds, said Jeff Taylor, the deputy chief of Alachua County Fire Rescue. When rescue workers arrived they found him grievously injured on the ground between the two pens. An angry bird stood in one of the pens. "A couple of people from our crew had to dodge the bird themselves," Taylor said. "The bird was obviously agitated and was trying to come at them through the fence, but they were quick enough to get themselves out of the way of the bird." Don McGahn, former White House counsel, was a key witness in the Mueller probe and House Democrats want to hear from him. But the White House plans to assert executive privilege to prevent McGahn and other current and former administration officials from testifying to Congress, the Washington Post has reported. Unredacted Mueller report Parts of the Mueller report were redacted, leaving some questions unanswered. Democrats have issued a subpoena in an attempt to obtain the full report without redactions and evidence Mueller relied on. Attorney General William Barr must decide by May 1 whether to comply. Barr has said he has a legal obligation to keep secret information obtained from grand jury proceedings, and that other redactions were necessary to protect US intelligence sources and avoid harm to ongoing law enforcement matters. Tax returns Unlike past presidents in recent decades, Trump has refused to make public his tax returns, raising questions about what is in them. Democrats are probing Trump's past business dealings and possible conflicts of interest posed by his continued ownership of extensive business interests. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin failed to meet a congressional deadline on Tuesday for turning over Trump's tax returns to the House tax committee, setting the stage for a possible court battle between Congress and the administration. Mnuchin said he planned to make "a final decision" on whether to provide Trump's tax records by May 6. Legal experts said House Democrats could vote to hold Mnuchin or IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig in contempt of Congress if they ignore a subpoena, as a step toward suing in federal court to obtain the returns. The accounting firm Trump on Monday filed a lawsuit attempting to keep US lawmakers from obtaining his financial records. The unprecedented suit seeks to block a subpoena issued by Cummings, whose panel is looking into Trump's financial record. The subpoena sought eight years of documents from Mazars USA, an accounting firm long used by Trump to prepare financial statements. Cummings issued the subpoena after Michael Cohen, formerly Trump's personal lawyer, testified to Congress in February that Trump had misrepresented his net worth. Security clearances Cummings said on Tuesday that his panel will soon vote on whether to cite a former White House official with contempt for failing to appear for questioning on allegations that the Trump administration inappropriately granted security clearances to some of the president's advisers. The White House told the Oversight Committee that it had directed Carl Kline, who was White House personnel security chief for the first two years of Trump's presidency, to ignore the committee's subpoena to appear. Census and citizenship On Wednesday, the Department of Justice rebuffed the Oversight Committee's request for an interview with John Gore, an official who was involved in the administrations decision to include a citizenship question in the 2020 census. The Justice Department said Gore, a lawyer in its Civil Rights Division, would not participate in a deposition set for Thursday if he could not have a department lawyer at his side. The committee had offered to let a lawyer sit in a different room. A DOJ official said the committee had provided "no legitimate or constitutional basis for excluding a DOJ lawyer from assisting at the deposition." Impeachment Trump on Wednesday vowed to fight any effort by congressional Democrats to launch impeachment proceedings against him, promising to go to the Supreme Court, even though it plays no role in the constitutional impeachment process. Hotel documents Congressional Democrats said in March that a US government agency was responding too slowly to their requests for documents about the Trump administration's abandonment of a plan to move the FBI. Before he became president in January 2017, Trump supported moving the Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters to the suburbs of Washington, Democrats looking into the matter said. They said that after Trump was elected and disqualified from bidding to acquire the site for commercial development, he switched his position. Democrats have subsequently raised questions about a possible Trump conflict of interest. Immigration aide The White House refused a request for Trump's top immigration aide Stephen Miller to testify to Congress in a letter on Wednesday to the House Oversight Committee. The maps opened the door for a rising Los Angeles County Democratic political star amid a generational shift among the region's elected leaders. They also put a dent in the chances for a Republican favorite in one of the nation's most hotly contested races. PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (TEATT) the Honourable Stuart Johnson welcomed the first set of tour operators and bloggers from The Netherlands to St. Maarten Wednesday afternoon. Mister Plenipotentiary Jorien Wuite and Marlon Beauperthuy led the group. The group is here to witness the islands 50th Carnival Celebration and to gain useful insights and content which will be used to promote the destination internationally. PHILIPSBURG:--- Volunteers from the St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation took time out of their busy schedules on Sunday, April 21, to share valuable information about Tzu Chis principles and the work of the foundation to Key to Freedom clients as part of the Tzu Chi Volunteer Training Program. A total of four Tzu Chi volunteers including two commissioners facilitated the training program, which was given to 10 Key to Freedom clients. During the training session, information about Tzu Chis benevolent efforts was shared, including information about the foundations support of disaster survivors of the deadly cyclone Idai - a category 4 storm that brought weeks of rain and flooding to the poorest countries of Africa from March 4 to 21, 2019. Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Malawi were hit particularly hard and hundreds have died and millions were left homeless without food and water. Volunteers also sang an inspirational song So I Stand Up with Key to Freedom clients. The song touched many clients as the lyrics seemed to describe their situation. The lyrics helped to inspire them to gather the strength needed to continue overcoming the challenges in their lives. Key to Freedom Director Elvison Adamus had prepared a bamboo bank (collection boxes) and held a donation drive in advance and presented the donations received to Tzu Chi on behalf of clients. The training was coordinated by Tzu Chi Commissioners Yamile Bastidas and Jane Sanchez as well as volunteer Antonette Clarke. At the end of the session, clients were treated to snacks. One of the participating volunteers said she was happy to take time out of her day to help share information that she had. She said the participants listened keenly and seemed eager to learn and she is hopeful that the information was beneficial to them. One of the participating Key to Freedom clients said although St. Maarten is still standing after Hurricane Irma, there are many places in the world such as some parts of Africa, where people are suffering badly and have noting. What really touched me is that we are here and we have to thank God for what we have because there are many people out there who are suffering and have no food and nowhere to stay - at least we have a roof over our heads and we can be thankful and make the best of it. We have to pray for others and donate even if its five cents to help others because we dont know where we will be tomorrow, the volunteer said adding that Tzu Chi is an organization that is full of love and compassion. It touches our heart, that even if you are a mean person, you can change because it is with love and peace in your heart that you can give to others. Another client said the information received had been very educational and informative and will help him to remain focused on his future. He is grateful to Tzu Chi for taking the teaching to Key to Freedom clients. Adamus said he is happy that Tzu Chi considered Key to Freedom for its volunteer training program. He said the lessons learnt in the teachings and in the song, were inspirational and educational. I learnt a lot today, especially in the song. It touched me and I can relate to it because it is about thinking good and doing good and this is something that I am always trying to practice, Adamus said. Every day, every moment and every second, you must try to purify your mind to think good, talk good and do good to others and to respect them. You should do good to everyone no matter what. I am thankful that everyone can learn something and I know it will be helpful to us. Tzu Chi Commissioner Sandra Cheung said clients participated with their eyes and hearts opened to learn all the information that was presented. With pure hearts, they look forward to our next session in May, Cheung said. She thanked volunteers for the information provided, Adamus for welcoming Tzu Chi for the training, and the clients for absorbing the information provided. CAY HILL:--- St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) recently hosted a seminar at the Divi Little Bay Beach Resort titled Change Towards Quality and Safety which was organized by SMMCs Quality and Safety Department and facilitated by a leading quality expert from the Netherlands, Dr. Everard van Kemenade. This seminar provided SMMCs medical specialists, ER doctors, House Officer and Pharmacist new perceptions in the essence of Quality and Safety Management in times of change. It provided them with clarity on properly channeling their thoughts as tools to facilitate change. The facilitator Dr. Everard van Kemenade, who is a trainer and consultant in Quality Management, stated: I was very enthusiastic about the interaction between the medical staff, expressing the current situation of the hospital, its desired situation, the roadblocks and resources on the way. He further added, There is a need for further initiatives like this where ideas can emerge and it would be very fruitful for the development of the hospital on its way to excellence. The event was a success with over 30 persons in attendance for the day-long event. Tammie Papada, SMMCs Quality and Safety Project Manager stated: This was an excellent networking opportunity to involve SMMC medical specialists as our organization strives toward meeting Joint Commission International (JCI) standards, the highest standards of quality and safety recognition on an international level. Telia wins the P3 connect Mobile Benchmark in Sweden Posted by Publisher Telecommunication P3, the international leader in benchmarking mobile networks, in co-operation with connect, an international telecommunication test magazine for consumers, have named Telia as the ?best in test? operator in the latest P3 connect Mobile Benchmark in Sweden. Following a series of both drivetests and walktests as well as crowdsourcing measurements, Telia does not only manage to lead in all tested disciplines, but achieves the highest score measured by P3 in Sweden so far. The P3 connect Mobile Benchmark in Sweden has traditionally shown strong results. This trend continues in 2019, with all operators improving over their scores from the previous test ? Telia, Tele2 and Tre with considerable score increases. Telia wins the renowned benchmark for the third time in a row. The largest Swedish operator achieves the grade ?outstanding?, Tele2 and Telenor ?very good?, followed by Tre with the grade ?good?. The clear winner of this year?s benchmark is Telia with a score of 969 out of 1,000 points ? leading the field in the voice, data and crowd categories. Tele2 ranks second with 924 points, showing the biggest score improvement over the previous test. While most of its score increase is won in the voice discipline, Tele2 also improved in the data measurements. With a score of 859 points Telenor ranks third, showing a similar data performance as the second ranking Tele2, but losing valuable points due to limited results in the voice category. Tre, the smallest Swedish operator, ranks fourth with 848 points but with overall good results. Compared to our previous test, Tre achieved a considerable score increase. The 2019 P3 connect Mobile Benchmark in Sweden consists of drivetests and walktests conducted from February 21 to March 23, 2019. Two drive test cars together covered about 10,500 kilometres, visiting 20 cities and 27 towns. Additionally, a walktest team visited eight cities. The test areas account for approximately 4.3 million people, or about 43.9 percent of Sweden?s total population. The methodology of the P3 connect Mobile Benchmark is the result of more than 15 years of testing mobile networks. Today, network tests are conducted in more than 80 countries. The methodology was carefully designed to evaluate and objectively compare the performance and service quality of mobile networks from the users? perspective. Hakan Ekmen, CEO P3 communications, explains: ?Telia is the overall winner of this year?s P3 connect Mobile Benchmark Sweden with the highest score ever measured in Sweden, reaching the grade ?outstanding? for the very first time. But there is also great news for the customers of the other Swedish mobile operators: Each of them managed to improve their scores on an already high level of performance ? Tele2 and Tre even considerably .? The P3 connect Mobile Benchmark is totally independent combining the expertise of P3, the industry?s advocate and global authority regarding measuring network performance, with more than 25 years of editorial experience and testing knowledge of connect that is regarded as a leading consumer authority in Europe. The independent benchmark methodology of P3 assures a fair, transparent and neutral evaluation of the networks under test. The benchmark is positioned to be a unique measure for management and supervisory boards to compare their networks with others, and for customers to get a better understanding of how the different networks are performing. P3 is a leading international consulting, engineering and testing services company with a rapidly growing team of more than 3,500 consultants and engineers working to develop and implement innovative solutions to today?s complex technology challenges. P3 posts a turnover of more than 350 million Euro. Offering a broad portfolio of services and proprietary tools to the automotive, aerospace, telecommunications and energy industries, P3 adds tangible value that helps clients succeed at every stage, from innovation to implementation. In the telecommunications sector, P3 communications provides independent technical and management consulting services including network planning, end-to-end optimization, security, QoS and QoE testing, international benchmarking, device testing and acceptance services. P3 addresses all industries with connectivity needs reckoning among their clients? network operators, equipment vendors, device manufacturers, public safety organisations and regulatory authorities around the world. For more information, please visit www.p3-group.com. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) Malacanang on Thursday warned that further delay in the retrieval of tons of Canadian garbage that have been staying in Philippine ports since 2013 could sever the ties between the two countries. The seventy years of diplomatic relations between the two countries will be put to naught if Canada will not act with dispatch and finality the resolution of this undiplomatic episode to which we take outrage, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, who also acts as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, said in a statement. He said Canada cannot dilly dally on retrieving the over 2,000 tons of garbage that were illegally shipped to the Philippines in several batches from 2013 to 2014. It must retrieve them pronto or we throw them back to its shores, he added, echoing President Rodrigo Dutertes earlier warning. In a speech on Tuesday, Duterte gave Canada one week to take the trash back or he would personally dump the garbage there. He also threatened to go to war against the North American country if it would not take immediate action. But Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a separate statement on Thursday clarified that the President's threat should not be taken literally. "Figure of speech lang 'yan to dramatize his extreme displeasure." he said. But in response to the President's words, the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines said they are "strongly committed to shipping the trash back to their country. A joint technical working group, consisting of officials from both countries, is examining the full spectrum of issues related to the removal of the waste with a view to a timely resolution, Canada's statement on Wednesday read. The Palace, however, dismissed Canada's response as vague and not appropriate to the strong statement we made against its throwing its garbage to our land. Not only has it not taken any decisive action on this arrant hostile demeanor, it has not likewise expressed regrets thereto, Panelo said. When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in the country in November 2017 for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Canada Summit, he told Duterte that Canada "is very much engaged in finding a solution" to the garbage problem. This was the same promise he made to former President Benigno Aquino III in 2015, saying a "Canadian solution was being developed." Trudeau said "legal barriers and restrictions" earlier prevented his country from taking the trash back, but in 2017, he said, these have been addressed. Benny Antiporda, Environment Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns, said the only thing thats blocking the return of the garbage to Canada is the expenses. Yung tungkol na lamang po sa babayaran dun sa shipping, doon sa demorahe, yun na lang naman ang pinoproblema, he told CNN Philippines in an interview. [Translation: The problem is very small the costs of shipping, demurrage, these are the only problems.] He said the government is waiting for Canada to run after the exporters and ask for the money needed for the repatriation of the trash. The Manila Regional Trial Court in May 2017 already ordered the return of 50 container vans carrying Canadian garbage, to be paid for by the Canadian private company that had it shipped. Security industry stakeholders from around the world are readying themselves for a productive three days of business in Taipei, as the countdown to the 22nd edition of Secutech enters its final few weeks. On top of the business and networking opportunities that Secutech creates, the fair also plays a crucial role for information exchange within the security industry. This year, the fairs fringe programme will cover all of the most important topics for the Asian market, including the applications of AI in safe cities, new intelligent transportation technologies and smart building IoT solutions. Smart Building IoT Industry players such as system integrators, installers, distributors and importers will be able to identify key market trends" Industry players such as system integrators, installers, distributors and importers will be able to identify key market trends through the fringe programme, said Ms Regina Tsai, the Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd. Three concurrent events of Mobility, SMABIoT (smart building IoT), and Fire & Safety, each offer insightful seminars and forums for their related sectors, while the Security & AI Forum is another significant highlight that will provide visitors with market intelligence and new trends for smart cities, smart factories and more. The information gathered by attendees will be of business value and can be put into use after the show for the benefit of the wider security industry. The 2018 fringe programme was well received by the industry, and with an updated agenda to fit the requirements of todays market, fair organisers are anticipating another positive response to the shows forums and seminars. Security & AI Forum This years Security & AI Forum will feature presentations by project managers, engineers and industry experts from Vivotek, Twoway and eRay. AI technology has been at the forefront of a paradigm shift for the security industry, offering automated threat detection with greater and greater accuracies. By exploring new application scenarios for AI, the forum will give attendees insights into business opportunities in verticals such as smart manufacturing. Other points of discussion include the Internet of Things and OSSA (the Open Security and Safety Alliance) a non-profit organisation that encourages collaboration among security organisations. Intelligent transport solutions (ITS) The Asia Pacific Intelligent Rail Transportation Forum takes place on the first day of the programme As the destination for intelligent transportation solutions (ITS), the concurrent Mobility event will feature a series of three forums and seminars dealing with the sectors most innovative technologies. The Asia Pacific Intelligent Rail Transportation Forum takes place on the first day of the programme to deliver railway industry updates from across Asia. Topics include future outlooks and the potential for ITS implementation in Taiwan and Malaysia. Among the speakers will be experts from the Taiwan Railways Administration, Gamuda Berhad and CECI Engineering Consultants. Smart transportation solutions The second day of the programme will see speakers from ACCOMP, 3S Pocketnet Technology, GNSS Asia, and STMicroelectronics discuss ITS trends in the wider mobility sector. Among the topics to be explored are video technology solutions and smart transportation platforms On the final day, the subjects of temperature-controlled logistics and fleet management will be covered at the Asia Pacific Cold-Chain Logistics Seminar. Other topics to be discussed at the seminar include RFID logistics solutions and updates on the local industries in Indonesia, Myanmar and Taiwan. SMABIoT to focus on IoT trends As the first event of its kind in Asia, SMABIoT serves as a business hub for the growing smart building IoT sector. As part of the event, the Asia Pacific Smart Building with IoT Solutions Forum has invited leading property developers and engineering companies to share smart building case studies and new trends in sustainability and smart devices. In addition, the aptly named Smart Living Solutions Seminar will take place to update the market on new smart solutions for residential communities and home. Speakers at the seminar include industry professionals from Ardomus Networks Corporation, I-TEK, and WFE Technology. Asia Pacific Disaster Management Summit Asias fire and safety fraternity also have a lot to look forward to at the fair Asias fire and safety fraternity also have a lot to look forward to at the fair. At the concurrent Fire & Safety event, the Asia Pacific Disaster Management Summit will gather industry experts and government officials from the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam. The summit will examine methods of large-scale disaster prevention, earthquake early warning systems, structural safety monitoring systems, the role of IoT in disaster management, recovery plans, flood disaster risk assessments, debris flow management and international co-operation. The upcoming edition of Secutech will be held at the Tapei Nangang Exhibition Center from 8 10 May 2019 with more than 400 exhibitors, from 15 countries and regions in attendance. At the previous edition, the fair attracted 19,907 visitors from vertical markets such as building, transportation, retail and manufacturing. The fair is organised by Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd and is part of a global network of Safety Security and Fire trade fairs. Top 10 articles of 2021 reflect a changing security marketplace Our most popular articles in 2021 provide a good reflection of the state of the industry. Taken together, the Top 10 Articles of 2021, as measured by reader clicks, cover big subjects such as smart cities and cybersecurity. They address new innovations in video surveillance, including systems that are smarter and more connected, and a new generation of computer chips that improve capabilities at the edge. A recurring theme in 2021 is cybersecurity's impact on physical security, embodied by a high-profile hack of 150,000 cameras and an incident at a Florida water plant. There is also an ongoing backlash against facial recognition technology, despite promising technology trends. Cross-agency collaboration Our top articles also touch on subjects that have received less exposure, including use of artificial intelligence (AI) for fraud detection, and the problem of cable theft in South Africa. Here is a review of the Top 10 Articles of 2021, based on reader clicks, including links to the original content: Smart cities have come a long way in the last few decades, but to truly make a smart city safe Safety in Smart Cities: How Video Surveillance Keeps Security Front and Center The main foundations that underpin smart cities are 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Cloud. Each is equally important, and together, these technologies enable city officials to gather and analyse more detailed insights than ever before. For public safety in particular, having IoT and cloud systems in place will be one of the biggest factors to improving the quality of life for citizens. Smart cities have come a long way in the last few decades, but to truly make a smart city safe, real-time situational awareness and cross-agency collaboration are key areas that must be developed as a priority. Fraud detection technology How AI is Revolutionising Fraud Detection Fraud detection technology has advanced rapidly over the years and made it easier for security professionals to detect and prevent fraud. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising fraud detection. Banks can use AI software to gain an overview of a customers spending habits online. Having this level of insight allows an anomaly detection system to determine whether a transaction is normal or not. Suspicious transactions can be flagged for further investigation and verified by the customer. If the transaction is not fraudulent, then the information can be put into the anomaly detection system to learn more about the customers spending behaviour online. For decades, cable theft has caused disruption to infrastructure across South Africa Remote Monitoring Technology: Tackling South Africas Cable Theft Problem For decades, cable theft has caused disruption to infrastructure across South Africa, and its an issue that permeates the whole supply chain. In November 2020, Nasdaq reported that, When South Africa shut large parts of its economy and transport network during its COVID-19 lockdown, organised, sometimes armed, gangs moved into its crumbling stations to steal the valuable copper from the lines. Now, more than two months after that lockdown ended, the commuter rail system, relied on by millions of commuters, is barely operational. Physical security consequences Hack of 150,000 Verkada Cameras: It Could Have Been Worse When 150,000 video surveillance cameras get hacked, its big news. The target of the hack was Silicon Valley startup Verkada, which has collected a massive trove of security-camera data from its 150,000 surveillance cameras inside hospitals, companies, police departments, prisons and schools. The data breach was accomplished by an international hacker collective and was first reported by Bloomberg. Water Plant Attack Emphasises Cybers Impact on Physical Security At an Oldsmar, Fla., water treatment facility on Feb. 5, an operator watched a computer screen as someone remotely accessed the system monitoring the water supply and increased the amount of sodium hydroxide from 100 parts per million to 11,100 parts per million. The chemical, also known as lye, is used in small concentrations to control acidity in the water. The incident is the latest example of how cybersecurity attacks can translate into real-world, physical security consequences even deadly ones. Video surveillance technologies Organisations around the globe embraced video surveillance technologies to manage social distancing Video Surveillance is Getting Smarter and More Connected The global pandemic has triggered considerable innovation and change in the video surveillance sector. Last year, organisations around the globe embraced video surveillance technologies to manage social distancing, monitor occupancy levels in internal and external settings, and enhance their return-to-work processes. Forced to reimagine nearly every facet of their operations for a new post-COVID reality, companies were quick to seize on the possibilities offered by todays next-generation video surveillance systems. The Post-Pandemic Mandate for Entertainment Venues: Digitally Transform Security Guards At sporting venues, a disturbing new trend has hit the headlines poor fan behaviour. At the same time, security directors are reporting a chronic security guard shortage. Combining surveillance video with AI-based advanced analytics can automatically identify fan disturbances or other operational issues, and notify guards in real time, eliminating the need to have large numbers of guards monitoring video feeds and patrons. The business benefits of digitally transformed guards are compelling. Important emerging technology Why Access Control Is Important In a workspace, access control is particularly crucial in tracking the movement of employees should an incident occur, as well as making the life of your team much easier in allowing them to move between spaces without security personnel and site managers present. It can also reduce the outgoings of a business by reducing the need for security individuals to be hired and paid to remain on site. The city of Baltimore has banned the use of facial recognition systems by residents Baltimore Is the Latest U.S. City to Target Facial Recognition Technology The city of Baltimore has banned the use of facial recognition systems by residents, businesses and the city government (except for police). The criminalisation in a major U.S. city of an important emerging technology in the physical security industry is an extreme example of the continuing backlash against facial recognition throughout the United States. Several localities from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco, from Oakland, California, to Boston have moved to limit use of the technology, and privacy groups have even proposed a national moratorium on use of facial recognition. Powerful artificial intelligence Next Wave of SoCs Will Turbocharge Camera Capabilities at The Edge A new generation of video cameras is poised to boost capabilities dramatically at the edge of the IP network, including more powerful artificial intelligence (AI) and higher resolutions, and paving the way for new applications that would have previously been too expensive or complex. Technologies at the heart of the coming new generation of video cameras are Ambarellas newest systems on chips (SoCs). Ambarellas CV5S and CV52S product families are bringing a new level of on-camera AI performance and integration to multi-imager and single-imager IP cameras. A conference put on by Universities Space Research Association explored the lessons we can take from Apollo for our next moon missions. As NASA prepares for the ambitious goal of landing a person on the moon within five years , a conference from the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) discussed how the past will inform future lunar plans. The conference, "Exploring New Space Frontiers," broadcast live from Washington, D.C., Tuesday (April 23) to celebrate USRA's 50th anniversary. This event included speakers who had worked during the Apollo era, or who were inspired by the Apollo era , pulling those accomplishments into a modern context. One of the speakers worked behind the scenes for decades. Christine Darden received a standing ovation after narrating her journey from Monroe, North Carolina (a small town that had little mathematics instruction for students) to NASA's Langley Research Center for a job in 1967, as Apollo was beginning. She began at NASA as one of a number of black women working as human computers, one of the few jobs open to people of color at the time. Related: Apollo 11's Vintage Tech: Amazing Moon Landing Innovations Her career overlaps with the time period described in the 2016 book "Hidden Figures" (William Morrow, 2016) and the movie based on it. Both followed which was later adapted as a movie. Both highlighted the black women at Langley who worked as computers in that era. After five years' work, Darden asked her boss about a transfer to an engineering group and was refused. Darden thought about his answer carefully, then took a career risk: She asked her boss's boss, a director, why men could do that job and not women. Darden was prepared to go back to her original job, teaching, if she was fired from NASA, but the response from the director was simple: No one had asked that question before. She was promptly transferred. Darden worked on many supersonic projects with the engineering group, and in her retirement, she now gives speeches to public school students about how to pursue their dreams. She explained that it was through taking extra classes, and through attending faraway training opportunities while teaching full time, that she picked up the qualifications to work at NASA. She called for giving as many opportunities as possible to young people. "We do need our young, bright people prepared to do work in space, and that's all of our students," she said. "We need to include our public schools. We need them to be top notch, and we need our teachers to be qualified." Evolving science Another speaker was on the front lines of Apollo science: Harrison (Jack) Schmitt, a geologist-astronaut who flew to the moon's Taurus-Littrow highlands with Eugene Cernan in 1972 as a part of the Apollo 17 mission. Schmitt is the only scientist to practice his craft directly on another world. He gave a narration of that mission, occasionally pointing to lessons from it that NASA could use today. Schmitt found orange soil on the moon that consisted of volcanic glass beads ; decades later, scientists analyzing samples from that region discovered that there were also water molecules, invisible to instruments in the 1970s. Schmitt, 83, continues working on the science. Recently, with the help of friends familiar with extracting subtle color information from pictures, he released a brand-new image of the orange soil showing vivid hues of orange and red never captured in NASA pictures before. "I finally got the colors right," Schmitt said. This newly enhanced 1972 picture of orange soil on the moon, made up of volcanic glass beads, was shown at a Universities Space Research Association conference in April 2019. The image is based on observations from Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, who first made the find, in collaboration with colleagues with familiarity in seeking information within picture files. Schmitt said this picture, for the first time, shows how vivid the orange soil was. (Image credit: USRA) In his talk, he sprinkled in tips for future moon explorers: Make sure you have a big rocket like the Saturn V, hire management that is young and ready to adapt to situations quickly, and keep looking back at the old samples that the Apollo astronauts picked up between 1969 and 1972. "I don't recommend that as your only mission," Schmitt added, explaining that he would like new samples collected as well. As for what modern moon exploration could look like, Scott Pace, the National Space Council's executive director, gave some recommendations for explorers to consider. But before he did that, he squashed the old argument that we've been to the moon before and, therefore, have no need to return. "Maybe your grandfather did that, or your Ph.D. dissertation advisor did that, but a new generation has not journeyed beyond low Earth orbit in a very, very long time," he said. The key to a successful lunar return will be thinking smartly and building a sustainable architecture, he added. One step would be to create an orbiting fuel depot a possible function for NASA's planned Gateway space station for missions to the moon and Mars, he said. He also called for a network of private entrepreneurs, universities and governments working collectively, each contributing via its own field of expertise. "We need science guided by the community," Pace said, referring obliquely to the decadal surveys and other methods that NASA and other science agencies use to guide their program planning. One recommendation he relayed from the community was to build a station at the lunar south pole, where there is more continuous sunlight and thus less stress on machinery from day-night cycles. Pace acknowledged that a five-year deadline for a human landing is tight, but added it has one advantage over a decadeslong cadence of launches: "You need focus and priority you cannot be snared in options. There's a clarifying nature to having a near-term stressing goal," he said. USRA was established in 1969 to help scientists and scholars study the lunar rocks and regolith (soil) that astronauts trucked back from the moon, between 1969 and 1972. The group's 50th anniversary this year coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, which falls on July 20. USRA's mandate today is greatly expanded to include matters such as education programs, aerospace policies, and operating and managing a number of facilities through partnerships. Life may have arisen in our solar system before Earth even finished forming. Planetesimals, the rocky building blocks of planets, likely had all the ingredients necessary for life as we know it way back at the dawn of the solar system , said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University (ASU). And clement conditions may have persisted inside some planetesimals for tens of millions of years perhaps long enough for life to emerge, said Elkins-Tanton, the director of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration and the principal investigator of NASA's upcoming mission to the odd metallic asteroid Psyche . Related: 7 Theories on the Origin of Life Some planetesimals survived into and beyond the planet-forming period, raising the possibility that one of these primitive bodies may have seeded Earth with life , she added. "Not all planetesimals are going to be involved in the kinds of catastrophic collisions that would cause them to go into a plasma or otherwise completely denature anything that was created," Elkins-Tanton said April 11 at the Breakthrough Discuss conference at the University of California, Berkeley. "Some things are going to fall like Chelyabinsk, for example back onto the surface of a temperate planet," she added, referring to the 65-foot-wide (20 meters) object that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in February 2013. "So, there is that possibility in the end." Elkins-Tanton said this basic idea grew out of a course she taught at ASU in the fall of 2016. At the beginning of the semester, she asked the students to consider whether life could have arisen on small bodies. Over the next few months, the students, Elkins-Tanton and her co-author on the newly presented work, Stephen West, explored this possibility, as well as a number of other questions that stemmed from that core question. Life as we know it requires three main ingredients: liquid water, organic molecules and an energy source. Planetesimals, which formed within 1.5 million years of the solar system's birth, likely featured all three, Elkins-Tanton said. For example, more than 35 different amino acids have been identified in the Murchison meteorite , an ancient space rock that fell to Earth in southern Australia in 1969. Murchison is so full of organics that it "smells like an oil well," Elkins-Tanton said. "What could be a better place for the advent of life than a nice, warm, wet piece of Murchison? So, that's the idea that we're starting with." The energy source on early planetesimals, such as Murchison's parent body, came from the radioactive decay of aluminum-26, she explained. The heat flowing through some planetesimals' interiors was intense enough to melt the objects completely, which is certainly not conducive to the emergence of life. But other bodies would have melted only partially, from the inside out, so they would eventually sport a metallic core, a magma-ocean mantle and a rocky, primitive crust. Such planetesimals would have had extremely hot interiors but frigid surfaces, Elkins-Tanton said. Waves of heat radiating from the depths would have spurred the release of fluids such as liquid water, driving that material up toward the surface. Such processes may have created habitable environments beneath the planetesimals' rocky surfaces. And these environments likely lasted for relatively long stretches. For example, modeling work performed by Elkins-Tanton and West, who's now at the California-based company Metis Technology Solutions, suggests that small planetesimals those up to 30 miles (50 kilometers) wide could have supported liquid water underground for about 15 million years. And an earlier study Elkins-Tanton conducted with Ben Weiss and Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that larger bodies could have remained wet for even longer perhaps 50 million years or so. It's unclear if this window is long enough for life to get going, Elkins-Tanton stressed. That's because we don't know how long that window has to be. "I'm going to bravely assert that we really have no idea," she said. For example, the earliest unambiguous signs of life on our 4.5-billion-year-old Earth date to about 3.8 billion years ago. But some scientists have presented evidence that microbes already had a foothold here by 4.1 billion years ago . And at this same Breakthrough Discuss meeting, biochemist Steven Benner of the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in Florida argued that life actually emerged 4.36 billion years ago . (Only at that time was Earth's atmospheric chemistry right for the first organisms, RNA-based microbes, to evolve, Benner said in his talk.) To be clear, Elkins-Tanton and West aren't arguing that Earth life actually did originate on planetary building blocks just that this idea is worthy of consideration. And the new work is preliminary; the Breakthrough Discuss talk marked the first time Elkins-Tanton formally presented the idea to her planetary-science colleagues. She said she hopes the work spurs further discussion and research about the origin of life and its possible dispersal throughout the solar system. "This is meant to be just a kind of a thought problem for us all to consider," Elkins-Tanton said. "Could life actually have arisen on planetesimals? Could there be evidence for life in meteorites that we have not known to look for? And if this is so, how could they have been spread through the solar system and many, many unanswerable implications of that possibility." The idea that life has spread from body to body throughout the solar system is not a new one, of course. For example, Benner and others have suggested that Earth life may actually have originated on Mars and traveled here aboard a rock liberated from the Red Planet by an asteroid or comet strike. And some researchers have even posited that life may have come to Earth from another star system , perhaps aboard a wandering comet. Mu Space CEO & Founder James Yenbamroong (left) and Relativity Space CEO & Founder Tim Ellis (right) stand in front of Relativity's Stargate, the world's largest metal 3D printer. The 3D rocket-printing company Relativity announced its second partnership ever, this time with the Thai satellite company mu Space, to launch a satellite into low Earth orbit in about three years. Los Angeles-based Relativity is a small launch vehicle developer fully funded by venture capital. Investors backing the 3.5-year-old company includes Playground Global, Y Combinator, Social Capital, Mark Cuban and Phillip Spector, who was formerly with Intelsat. The mu Space satellite would launch in 2022 on what Relativity officials call the first 3D-printed rocket ever built. According to them, this vehicle Terran 1 is designed to carry up to 2,756 lbs. (1,250 kilograms) into low Earth orbit, with a cost of $10 million per launch. Related: NASA Announces $100,000 Winners of Virtual 3D-Printed Mars Habitats Relativity officials say their Stargate machine is the largest metal 3D printer in the world, with the capacity to transform raw materials into a rocket, like Terran 1, in less than 60 days. "Stargate is constantly getting smarter and faster by using sensors and reward function-based learning,'' officials state on Relativity's website. ''We are creating an entirely new type of evolvable production line.'' The company aims to disrupt decades of global aerospace manufacturing, according to their recent announcement about the new partnership. Relativity signed its first contract earlier this month , with the Canadian satellite communications company Telesat. This is just the beginning of Relativity's ambitions. While currently striving to deploy and resupply satellite constellations into orbit around Earth, Relativity is also making bold statements about its future. By scaling rockets quickly, company officials hope to ''build the future of humanity in space,'' according to the website . ''We believe the future of humanity is interplanetary.'' The distant object Ultima Thule, as seen by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft on Jan. 1, 2019. Mysterious mound-like features on the body's larger lobe are clearly visible in this view. Ultima Thule is lumpy, and scientists aren't sure why. Just after midnight on Jan. 1, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft zoomed past Ultima Thule , a small, frigid object that lies about 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond the orbit of Pluto. The photos New Horizons captured during that epic encounter revealed a world unlike any other ever seen up close. The 21-mile-wide (33 km) Ultima Thule is bilobed and therefore resembles a reddish snowman if that snowman had been flattened like a pancake. Related: New Horizons' Ultima Thule Flyby in Pictures "These are not spherical lobes at all," New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said Tuesday (April 23) during a presentation at the Outer Planets Assessment Group meeting at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. "That caught us by surprise," Stern added. "I think it caught everybody by surprise." New Horizons imagery also revealed a number of abutting mound-like features on the larger of the two lobes, which mission team members call Ultima. (The smaller lobe, naturally, is Thule.) "They seem to be raised, but exactly what causes them we're not sure," Stern said. "It's still early days." An early hypothesis held that the mounds resulted from convection of low-temperature ice, which was driven by the heat generated by the radioactive decay of aluminum-26. But further work suggests that this is an unlikely scenario, Stern said. The team now thinks the mounds may be the retained outlines of the small planetesimals that came together to form the Ultima lobe long ago. "But there could be other processes as well," Stern said. "So, this is an active topic of debate." Ultima Thule coalesced from a cloud of rocky, icy material far from the sun. These smaller chunks first formed two larger objects, which then apparently orbited a common center of mass as a binary pair, Stern said. These two bodies then slowly merged to form Ultima Thule (which is officially known as 2014 MU69 ). The mission team has been able to put some "speed limits" on that merger, thanks to computer simulations. For example, if the two lobes had come together at about 22 mph (35 km/h), they likely wouldn't have merged at all; the collision would have been a glancing one, and Ultima and Thule would have gone their separate ways, Stern said. A collision at 11 mph (18 km/h) would lead to a merger, but not one generating an object with two relatively intact lobes like Ultima and Thule; there would be considerable distortion, Stern said. So, the New Horizons team thinks the collision occurred at even slower speeds perhaps around 5.5 mph (8.9 km/h). Indeed, the result of simulations with a 5.5-mph merging speed "is strikingly like what we actually observe," Stern said. Mission scientists have seen no evidence of any type of atmosphere on Ultima Thule, nor have they spotted any signs of satellites or ring systems, he added during Tuesday's talk. But the team isn't done looking on these fronts; it will take another 16 months or so for New Horizons to finish beaming all of its encounter data home to Earth. The Ultima Thule flyby was the second such encounter for New Horizons, which famously cruised past Pluto in July 2015 , providing the first good looks at that complex and surprisingly active world. And we may get further close-ups from New Horizons in the future. The spacecraft is in good health and has enough fuel to zoom past a third object, if NASA approves another mission extension, Stern has said. Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. Interview with Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid 'Our Government Is More Innovative' The tiny Baltic nation of Estonia is a digital trailblazer. All public services are available online, saving the country millions of euros each year. President Kersti Kaljulaid spoke to DER SPIEGEL about Estonia's burgeoning IT industry, the free market and the perils of cyberwarfare. Recap: Category is: Verdict: In the aftermath of last week's episode , the two perfectionists are waiting at the hospital for their third to get out of surgery (from her invisible hit and run injuries). Ava tries to channel some of Dylan's hopeful optimism in these dark times and they make amends at the waiting room, promising they'll stick together and take Mason down.Ali and Mona are already onto them and decide to keep the news about Taylor to themselves until they figure out how she fits into everything.In the meantime, Mona is introduced to Ava and Caitlin as their fellow liar, to which she snarkily replies "the whole posse thing is new to me". Take that Alison, for never letting her be part of your group. The perfectionists update them on Mason's transformation into Nolan 2.0 and Mona the OG stalker scoffs at this A wanna-be. Ali wonders why the hell they didn't even consult with her before plotting their revenge and then for some crazy reason Ava devices it's time to tell the cops most of the truth. That's not how things work in this universe dear Ava. And sure enough, Dana Booker is also present and has now taken over this investigation too. Is she getting paid enough for all this overtime?Our trench coat PLL queens joke about their assigned campus jobs, Ali's fashion vs Mona's campus clean up, before they split up. Mrs D is running the show, since she couldn't be present to her own dead fashion tribute. She introduces Ava to Zach the assistant, who snaps at her for being late. Mona tasks herself with sleuthing at Taylor's hide-out motor home and reflects on her own loneliness by talking to Ali about how she felt when she was hiding out in her own RV in her "A" days. Alison can relate, after running a jazz bar in New York during her dead years, isolated from all her friends and family and on the run from a constant threat.When she runs out of sleuthing things to do she plays a round of chess with Bad Bishop, who bailed on their date last week, and checkmates them with a victorious grin. A glass of water vibrating on the table makes her realise there's a whole hidden hacking cabinet. That's so MONA. "Who the hell is BH4?" Mona asks as she looks into Taylor's own impressive "A" stalking system. After being stuck there all day monitoring the campus, she gets an alert that Nolan Hotchkiss is in her apartment... can anyone stay dead in this town?Caitlin wakes up and is greeted by a swarm of security before her senator mother walks in and we finally meet her. She's disappointed she's missing her track meet and Caitlin chooses to just ignore her. She's adamant about not getting any help from mom and she's also pissed she couldn't give her other mum time off to visit her. Senator mom is worried about Caitlin "being on the streets late at night" if only she knew she also set up schemes to drug possible murderers in creepy cabinsAnd that's when Caitlin snaps at her, revealing she knows about the affair and senator mom confirms her suspicions. It's a very awkward confrontation and Caitlin awkwardly asks if she's "straight again". Caitlin has learned enough about secrets to know better but Senator Park-Lewis worries about her reputation, even if it breaks Caitlin.Much like our liars, all the perfectionists can do is laugh at the absurdity of their lives now filled with scheming, murders, and anxiety but Caitlin's British lover may have overheard them. With Caitlin safe, Ava and Dylan work out a plan to get back Mason's phone from the sewer it conveniently fell down. A gay would never agree to this. Dylan's adorable face lights up when Andrew reaches out to check in on Caitlin and he offers him a ticket to Ava's fashion show. Sadly, in the most realistic scene of PLLTP yet, Andrew starts to type a message and then stops and leaving poor Dylan on read. Zach is stealing Zoe's crown of shadiest character by throwing shade at Dylan for Andrew bailing on him.Their window is small, despite the fact that the limits of time have never presented an issue on PLL. See: Alison somehow travelling across the country in time to meet her friends and family, taunt Jenna at the hospital, blackmailing Aria's dad, meet Ian, Ezra, get buried alive. If Caitlin and Dylan don't get his phone in time once the roads open and make it back for the fashion show while ALSO avoiding Mason returning, they'll lose their leverage.Ava's runway slideshow includes, amongst some very questionable visuals, a picture of a graveyard which reminds Alison of Taylor's possible hideout spot. She meets her kindred spirit at the graveyard where Nolan rests behind a tree. Is she sleeping there? Who knows! Taylor greets her with a smile "so you think the dead girl should live again". Alison convinces her to come back and doesn't even give Claire a chance to sit down before springing her dead daughter on her.Ava rushes to the crime scene to meet Dylan before her show. PLL tackled many creepy locations in its days but a sewer is a first and Ava ends up falling down while a creepy balloon with a pig face flies by. Begrudgingly, Dylan descends and finds her hiding from someone right as the shadowy pig monster of the Beacon Heights sewers scares the life out of them. Is this Riverdale? And right as they escape Dana Booker appears, again, holding the damn phone that proves nothing about Mason because he was at a frat party the night of the murder.Jeremy visits Caitlin and holds her hand while he looks at her with his ridiculous puppy eyes. Caitlin tells him about Mason tormenting them, despite the fact that no one has actually confirmed this. It took the original liars a few seasons to tell their boyfriends and family about A. When Jeremy's gone, Mason somehow makes it into Caitlin's room and tells her to be quiet so she can finish what he started. He apologies profusely and owns up to blackmailing them using the secrets Nolan trusted him with, how nice of you. He decides being Nolan is not what he wants but when Caitlin asks him to give her the box of secrets only to discover he knew nothing about it.Back at the fashion show Zach sasses them for the 100th time for smelling like sewage. For a second I thought Ava told Dylan to go out and play born this way naked. Would have been fitting. Just like her half-assed interview, Ava decides purposefully looking like a hot mess will be the answer to getting Vogue's attention. No honey, it just means you fell down a sewer. After the show, the perfectionists reunite and make a shocking realisation: maybe their tormentor didn't kill Nolan but is instead just framing them for it. YES. Then they conclude Dana Booker has to be behind this sick twisted game. NO."You found the dead girl whose brother was killed based on a rose you found in a cabin and a map of Oz then you brought said dead girl...only to have her disappear again? That sounds Right!"Ava's supposed to be a fashion designer but she only had three models in tacky looking sparkling tops and dresses not to mention her ridiculous Liz Taylor headband. On tonight's runwayThe perfectionists officially name their tormentor Pig Man... which not really what I was hoping for but at least we have a signature. Where did this pig inspiration come from? I guess we'll find out soon enough but it's definitely not the first time we've seen them in the PLL universe.Our new friend Zach has just made himself a target by revealing he's the son of the family her dad embezzled, with plenty of motive to want to torture her back but I'm trusting that A/Pigman will be revealed as a character we know well, right?3.5/5 pig balloons go byIf this spinoff is a true upgraded PLL, the blackmailing alone wasn't gonna cut it and neither was the dead blonde girl. That's why we also have a crook cop who is announcing the fact that she's will do everything she can to frame our protagonists and break them. 1x6 is an episode that stands on the verge of ludicrous but still staying true to that classic tradition of chasing clues in creepy places, it progressed the mystery and offered closure on some of our suspects so far as well as some of the big secrets our perfectionists have been keeping.What did you think my pretty dolls? Let us know in the poll and comments below: The Farmington-based Local 919 of the United Food & Commercial Workers will meet on Thursday, April 25, to vote on a contract offer from Stop & Shop parent Ahold Delhaize that has been recommended by UFCW negotiators. More than 31,000 Stop & Shop workers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island went on strike on April 11, staying off the job for 11 days with the goal of pressuring the Quincy, Mass.-based supermarket to improve its proposed pay and benefits. This article, TurboTax is making you hunt for its free tax filing service, says ProPublica, originally appeared on CNET.com. Anyone making less than $66,000 a year can file their taxes for free. Oftentimes, that's easier said than done. Intuit, which makes TurboTax, makes it difficult for people to find the free option, according to ProPublica. Instead, searches on terms such as "irs free file taxes" steer potential tax filers to for-pay versions of its service, according to the publication. Intuit, along with H&R Block, has lobbied for years to prevent the Internal Revenue Service from building its own free online tax filing system because it would compete with their products, according to ProPublica. Members of Congress pushed to prevent the IRS from offering free online filing as recently as this month, the publication reported. The IRS has agreed not to make online tax filing free as long as tax-preparation companies, who have formed an industry group called the Free File Alliance, provide free services to taxpayers making less than $66,000. Locating Intuit's free service, however, requires a lot of work, according to ProPublica. ProPublica went to Intuit's TurboTax website and clicked on the "FREE Guaranteed" option but was tagged as a potential paying customer. The reason: Intuit doesn't offer its free version from its website, ProPublica said. ProPublica discovered the free version for filers with less than $66,000 in income is called the Freedom Edition. Once the publication had that information, a Google search brought up the right result. But the Intuit site still tried to channel ProPublica back to a for-pay version, it said. Clicking on a link titled "Start for Free" on the page led to a for-pay version of TurboTax, while clicking on "See If You Qualify" led to the actual free filing option. TurboTax also offers a product called Free Edition, a no-cost version for users with simple filings. Eligibility for Free Edition isn't based on income, but rather on filing circumstance, such as W2, standard deduction and child tax credits. TurboTax spokesman Rick Heineman said pricing for TurboTax products is listed on the company's Products & Pricing page. "This information is made clear to customers before they begin to file," he wrote. TurboTax Free File Program, which is on a page whose URL reads https://turbotax.intuit.com/taxfreedom/, is the Intuit product used as part of the income-based IRS Free File. Heineman said the TurboTax Free File Program "contains no cross-marketing or selling of ancillary products or services." Drought and risk of forest fires : Meteorologists warn of dry summer in 2019 Offenbach The German Weather Service warns of a drought in 2019 that could even surpass last year's drought. The National Association of Firefighters is demanding more resources to help them fight forest fires. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Predictions from the German Weather Service (DWD) say that Germany is heading for another possible drought this summer. "If the dry weather continues in the coming months, the drought of 2018 could be repeated or even surpassed," said Udo Busch, Head of DWD Agricultural Meteorology in Offenbach. The Bonn summer of 2018 was the second hottest in history. With extreme heat of up to 39 degrees over many weeks and at the same time hardly any precipitation, the danger of catastrophic fires last year was particularly high. According to DWD, the eastern states of Germany are particularly affected for 2019. Even if it still rains a lot, soil moisture is estimated to remain below the long-term average as we move into the summer. "The starting conditions for vegetation in 2019 are significantly worse in many areas of Germany than in the previous year." The DWD estimates that a drought this summer would not only hit agriculture hard once again, but also forestry. And the first forest fires have already struck numerous regions in Germany in recent days. In view of the drought and the high risk of forest fires, the German National Association of Firefighters is calling for more fire-fighting helicopters in Germany. Hartmut Ziebs, president of the association, told the newspaper "Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung" that helicopters with external load containers make sense for fighting fires. "This is a widely practiced procedure, but it sometimes is not possible because of the number of available helicopters. According to him, the largest water tanks have a capacity of 5,000 liters and can only be flown by helicopters of type CH-53 of the German Armed Forces. "But they are not always available. The Bundeswehr would have to maintain a few more helicopters here," said Ziebs. Altogether, Ziebs considers the German fire brigades to be well equipped to fight forest fires. However, the association president appealed to citizens to not light open fires in and around forests and to not smoke near forests. In addition, drivers should not park their cars on grassy areas. "The hot catalytic converters can set dry grass on fire." From the point of view of a forest expert, the "forest of the future" must be diverse in order to withstand possible forest fires. Structurally rich deciduous forests with different tree species do not dry out and burn as quickly as pure coniferous forests, according to natural scientist Pierre Ibisch from the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. "The large-scale monocultures will fail in the intermediate term." Democratic legislators continued to challenge Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday on who should bear the largest burden of balancing the next state budget, the wealthy or everyone else. Leaders of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee proposed a new half-penny sales tax surcharge as part of a larger plan that would funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into low-income communities. Lamonts fellow Democrats on the finance panel raised a bill last week that would impose a special income-tax surcharge on the investment earnings of Connecticuts wealthiest households. We know that Connecticut is segregated in terms of poverty, but it is becoming increasingly segregated in terms of wealth, said Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, co-chairman of the finance committee. And if we dont step up were going to see increasing concentrations of both. I dont want to live in that Connecticut and Im hoping my colleagues in the legislature dont want to either. The proposal is designed to act as an early intervention system, Fonfara said, channeling dollars to communities slipping into economic disfunction. In other words, the need for public services in these communities is growing faster than the local economy can generate the resources to pay for them. Some communities are not capable of meeting their basic functions, said Fonfara, who spearheaded the measure. We know in Connecticut that having a local mill rate above 40 is like the canary in the coal mine. Its a sign of instability. And too many towns are trending in the wrong direction. The new measure would increase the sales tax rate from 6.35 percent to 6.85 percent, raising approximately $340 million next fiscal year, according to the latest nonpartisan analysts sales tax projections. Most of the funds, approximately $315 million, would be distributed using a wealth-based formula. Preliminary estimates are that about 60 of Connecticuts 169 cities and towns would share the $315 million. The finance committee is still developing the rules that would govern how cities and towns could use the grants, but Fonfara said a heavy emphasis would be placed on encouraging economic growth. For example, a poor community with a high property tax rate might use a portion of its grant to provide incentives to encourage a local company to expand and add jobs. The remaining $25 million that would be generated annually by the sales tax hike would be made available to regional councils of government and other entities that provides services to multiple cities and towns. One of the wealthiest states in the nation, Connecticut also is home to some of the deepest pockets of poverty. And there is a measurable gap, said Rep. Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, the other co-chair of the finance panel, between the basic services these poor communities need and what they can afford. Its been the challenge facing this state for decades and its largely been ignored, Rojas said. It also needs to be recognized that there are towns with far more capacity to provide services. One example of this enormous gap can be seen in Fairfield County. Westport, one of Connecticuts wealthiest communities, spends roughly double on a per capita basis on its municipal budget than does nearby Bridgeport. More importantly, Westports grand list per capita is 10 times the size of Bridgeports. Fairfield Countys affluent communities do pay the bulk of state income taxes. According to the Department of Revenue Services, Westport paid $17,516 per capita in 2016 fourth out of 169 cities and towns while Bridgeport ranked last, at $1,029. Lamont, a Greenwich millionaire, has resisted tax hikes centered primarily on Connecticuts wealthiest households. His budget plan would increase revenues by eliminating sales tax exemptions and levies on sugary drinks, plastic bags and vaping products. These taxes are seen as more regressive, meaning the same rate is charged to all taxpayers, regardless of their personal wealth or poverty. Sen. Will Haskell, D-Westport, a freshman legislator, agrees with Lamont that now is not the time to raise income taxes, on earners of any level. But Haskell said I am open to a lot of progressive tax ideas, adding he would be willing to review Fonfara and Rojas sales tax measure. Last week the finance committee raised a bill that would add two percentage points to the income tax rate applied to capital gains earnings. But it only would be applied to single income tax filers whose overall income tops $500,000 per year, and to couples earning more than $1 million annually. Lamont has consistently opposed this approach, arguing it would drive the rich out of state and weaken Connecticuts economy, which has been on the rise. Some legislators have speculated that new tax counter-proposals are designed to force a compromise from the governor in another area his resolve not to tap the states fiscal reserves. Lamont has said he doesnt want to dip into these savings, preferring to leave them as a safeguard against the next economic downturn. Connecticut has $1.2 billion in its rainy day fund and is projected to add as much as $1.4 billion after the current fiscal year ends on June 30. And while this potential $2.6 billion reserve would be the largest in state history both in terms of dollars and as a percent of annual operating costs it still does not represent the full level recommended by Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo. A reserve of $2.6 billion would be approximately 13.5 percent of the General Fund, falling just shy of the 15 percent mark endorsed by the comptroller. Jeffrey Beckham, a spokesman for the governors budget office, said Wednesday only that the new sales tax proposal would be reviewed, adding that the administration may testify on the plan when the finance committee holds a public hearing on Monday. The bill was inspired, in part, by a 2015 report from a senior economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The economist, Bo Zhao, developed a methodology measuring the disparity between a municipalitys needs, and its capacity to afford programs and services. Zhao also testified in late 2015 before a state study panel, warning against the sharp differences in wealth among Connecticut communities, and its particular impact on non-education municipal services. Despite an array of grants the state provides to communities, these have a relatively limited impact in terms of closing the gap between wealthy suburbs and urban centers, he said. Zhaos analysis also showed many wealthy Connecticut communities receiving state aid still would hold a tremendous advantage in providing services to residents even without those dollars. Danbury Music Centre / Contributed photo Danbury Centre Strings concludes its season Sunday, April 28, at Broadview Middle School, with a performance featuring music by Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Warlock and Bernstein, among others. Led by Music Director Glen Lebetkin, at the Danbury Music Centre, Danbury Centre Strings provides an ensemble experience for string players. Members study standard string repertoire appropriate to their level of playing and develop playing technique, listening skills, orchestral technique and ensemble experience. Many of the DCS alumni go on to perform in the Danbury Community Orchestra and Danbury Symphony Orchestra. When someone wants to learn more about a business or find a product, their first step is usually a Google search. That's why getting your store to show up in Google search results should be a top priority for any business owner, especially those with brick and mortar stores. Marketing data accumulated by Hubspot reveals that 28 percent of searches for products nearby or near me lead directly to a purchase. An incredible 72 percent of local searches result in a consumer visiting a store within five miles of their location. As such, improving local SEO so your business shows up in these searches will have a significant impact on your bottom line. One of the best ways to improve your SEO (especially locally) is by acquiring more Google reviews. Related: 7 Reasons Why SEO Matters for Every Startup Of course, Google reviews dont just help you show up in search results -- they also have a direct impact on customer decision-making. A 2019 survey by BrightLocal found that "91 percent of 18-34-year-old consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, with over half not using businesses with less than 4-star ratings. Needless to say, gaining positive Google reviews could easily make or break your business. Here are some strategies to get some momentum. 1. Ask your customers how you're doing. According to Search Engine Land, 70 percent of customers are willing to leave an online review if you ask them. Sounds easy, right? However, if you want to get reviews left on your Google My Business account, you need to ask at the right time -- and in the right way. Business owners should be mindful of ways they can ask for reviews both in-person and online, Gregory Ortiz, founder of Digital Rooftop explained to me in a recent email. Many companies find success in sending a followup email shortly after the product was delivered or the service was completed. But you could also make the ask while a customer is in-store by working the request into your conversation. If theyve had a positive experience, they will be far more likely to respond well to your request. Business owners should use multiple touch points to ask customers for reviews, but be cautious to not come across as annoying or overbearing. Whether in an email, a phone call or even an app, make sure your request is short and polite. Your request will be even more appealing when you explain how feedback helps you improve your services. 2. Make it easy to leave a review. Customers can sometimes feel that leaving a review is too much effort -- so dont be afraid to simplify things for them. Quickly demonstrating how to leave a review can go a long way in encouraging customers to give feedback. When making your requests, remind customers that reviews can be only one or two sentences, or even just include a star rating. Of course, specific feedback will always be best for SEO rankings and your own evaluation of your performance. Sometimes, easy access to the review link can make all the difference. Copying the URL from your Google listings Write a Review button and embedding the link when you send an email request will further simplify things for your customers, making it far more likely that they will actually do so. Related: How to Protect Your Website from Negative SEO You could even incorporate this URL link in your email signature, so it is automatically present as a call to action each time you message a customer or vendor. With more reviews, your brand becomes more prominent and more likely to appear in local searches. 3. Be responsive to your customers. While increasing your number of reviews is a good start for enhancing your local SEO, Google will further boost your brand if you are engaging with your customers. Google My Businesss support section actively encourages brand managers to engage with customer reviews, stating: Interact with customers by responding to reviews that they leave about your business. Responding to reviews shows that you value your customers and the feedback that they leave about your business. You cant control what customers say about your business, but you can control how you respond. This is especially important when dealing with inevitable negative reviews. A proactive, non-defensive response to a negative review can demonstrate your commitment to making things right for your customers. Related: 7 Best SEO Tools to Help You Rank Higher in Google When done right, you can improve your services and the reviews themselves. A study by Mack Collier found that of customers who received a response to their negative review, 33 percent changed their review to be more positive, while another 34 percent deleted their negative review entirely. The right response can completely alter someones perception of your business! A study published by the Harvard Business Review further found that responding to reviews can increase both the number of reviews and a brands overall rating. The study, which focused on hotels, noted a 12 percent increase in reviews and a 0.12 star rating increase when the hotels actively responded to customer reviews. Getting customers to leave Google reviews for your business will require a continual effort on your part but it is well worth the investment. As you generate more reviews, you will be able to create greater trust with flesh-and-blood customers and Google itself, helping drive new business to your site. Related: 4 Simple Tips That Will Get Big Results for Your Business on Google Search Successful People Often Share These 2 Traits How to Use Google Reviews to Increase Customers and Sales Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Spores can cause allergic reaction : Sycamores in Bonn affected by sooty bark disease Bonn Several sycamore trees in Bonn are affected by sooty bark disease. The fungal disease causes the trees to die off and the spores can also cause allergic reactions in humans. The city wants to fell the affected trees. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Several sycamore trees in Bonn are affected by sooty bark disease. The fungal disease causes the trees to die off and the spores can cause allergic reactions in humans. The Bonn administration will hold a press conference on Thursday to give information on the exact extent of the disease. In other cities, many trees have had to be felled using elaborate safety measures. Sooty bark disease is caused by the cryptostroma corticale fungus, which originates from North America. It was first detected in Germany in Baden-Wurttemberg in 2005. The fungus actually lives endophytically, that is inside the plant and is classed as a secondary parasite, whose infestation does not usually cause any symptoms in healthy host trees, said the Julius-Kuhn Institute. Experts say the fungus is now occurring so often because of the extremely dry and hot summer of 2018, which weakened the trees. Black spots form on affected trees as if soot were escaping. The wood becomes brittle and the trees die back within a few weeks. This can cause branches to break off or even whole trees to topple over. The fungal spores are also dangerous to humans: if inhaled, they can cause an allergic inflammation of the pulmonary alveoli. This results in a dry cough, fever, shortness of breath and shivering. The symptoms can appear within six to eight hours of contact with the spores and can last several hours, or in some cases even days or weeks. Workers must therefore wear protective suits when felling. Original text: Nicolas Ottersbach B arclays chief executive Jes Staley on Thursday pledged to slash banker bonuses if profits dont improve in what was a tricky quarter for investment banks across London and New York. While Barclays was able to increase investment banking market share for the sixth quarter running, Staley admitted to a lightness in revenues and said bankers would pay the price. That is how a bank should be run, said Staley. Although revenues at the equities trading arm were down, the fixed-income business did well. The investment bank that activist investor Ed Bramson wants to shackle saw revenues in the first quarter down 6%. On average, Wall Street banks saw revenues fall 14% in the same period. Staley said Bramson is simply wrong to argue that Barclays is structurally disadvantaged against the US banks. Barclays made a profit of just over 1 billion compared with a loss of 764 million last time. Revenues of 5.3 billion were a bit lower than City expectations. The shares fell 2.5p to 164p. Bramson thinks the investment bank is a black box with too much leverage, but it is far from clear that he has the support of ordinary Barclays investors. Staley has now taken closer control of the investment bank after reportedly clashing with Tim Throsby, the chief executive of Barclays International. Throsby left last month in what Staley described as a delayering of the management structure. Barclays declined to put a cost on the time spent dealing with the Bramson intervention and said it had no idea if he or his representatives will speak at next weeks annual meeting. Ian Gordon at Investec was broadly supportive of the results, noting impairments on bad loans remain low and advising his clients to buy the shares. Nicholas Hyett at Hargreaves Lansdown said: A poor result from the investment bank isnt a great surprise. G ender equality campaigners called for the first female Bank of England Governor in more than 300 years on Thursday to help address a lack of women in economics. The Treasury has formally launched the hunt for a replacement for Mark Carney, to take up the 480,000 role next February. Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society campaigning charity, said: As well as putting more women on bank notes, including women of colour, lets have a woman in the top job. Academic Victoria Bateman - who recently protested naked on television against Brexit - said the post should go to the best person for the job - regardless of gender. But she added: I would like to imagine a future in which it wasnt a rarity for women to take the lead at central banks... At present, there is a real paucity of women at all levels in economics. R upert Hunt has helped nine million people find a room to live including in a church belltower, houseboats and a lighthouse in London and the rest of the UK. That's thanks to SpareRoom, the website he started in his bedroom "before graduating to my parents' spider-filled shed" in 1999. Now he's doing the same in the US where so far, Hunt reports: "American renters have much lower expectations. New Yorkers practically expect cockroaches and accept really tiny rooms." They're flocking to his site, too: some 750,000 renters have already used SpareRoom to find a room-mate or a room in New York. Next up is a push in LA and Miami followed by other English-speaking countries. Canada and Australia are top of the list of prospective locations. Hunt moved to New York for nine months for the launch, renting out a room to live in via his site, of course. Given SpareRoom is now two decades old in the UK, it was "really exciting to be a start-up again," he says. The original idea came to Hunt when he was working a shelf-stacker in Tesco's Bromley-by-Bow branch in the late Nineties. During evenings and weekends, he set up a few websites for fun, including SpareRoom hooking up people looking for single rooms in larger properties and those with extra space who were looking for flatmates inspired by his struggles to find a place to rent after moving to London. "Back then, there was nowhere to find rooms apart from cards in shop windows and a list put out by Capital Radio each Thursday which you had to go to their office to grab." Hunt moved from Tesco to a job at a web development agency, but after three years, realised SpareRoom could ultimately be a better paymaster. The entrepreneur, who is now 43, moved back to his childhood bedroom at his parents' farm near Manchester to save cash. As the site grew, he moved into that "grim shed with a tiny little window, full of spiders, where my first employee shared a corner of my desk". Another office upgrade saw Hunt move "to an outbuilding on the farm which used to be used by livestock, and, er, possibly smelt strongly of cow". Now, SpareRoom's digs are far more professional, with offices in Brick Lane, central Manchester and New York. Hunt has kept the site free for most users, who set up a profile listing a room to rent or a personal profile to find a flatmate, but premium charges around 10 a week or 25 a month give people faster access to the newest listings or flatmates. Those small fees all add up: Spare-Room's revenues last year topped 9.5 million. "By helping flatmates find the right people to live with, we're serving a market that often gets overlooked. Cities like London and Manchester probably couldn't function if people didn't share." Hunt has never accepted investment: he set up the site with 4,000 credit card borrowing and reckons: "Having a small amount of money to play with forced me to be resourceful in how I grew the business. It would have been too easy to spend naively someone else's money on advertising that may not work, or unnecessary luxuries." Hunt's market has grown too. When he started SpareRoom, customers were 20-somethings; "Now our fastestincreasing age bracket is the over-50s, who are often divorcees who are starting again and can't afford to live on their own but also like the social element of sharing." Some youngsters opt to share with older people as well: "We also had an incredible large flat listed right on the Thames, by a guy who wanted someone to move in to be a companion for his nan, rather than her living in a home." Hunt admits he has never found a place to live through SpareRoom: "But I've found flatmates using the site three times." I F YOU believe Sainsburys, nothing in todays decision from the competition regulator changes anything. We knew the watchdogs didnt like the merger from the start, so this was merely a confirmation. Wrong. In fact, it was widely seen as more likely that the regulator would offer some concessions today. These would be totally unacceptable, killing off the whole rationale of the deal, but concessions nonetheless, showing that at least the regulator was willing to talk. Instead, the door to the merger was slammed shut, triple-locked, and chained to a snarling guard dog. So, even more than we thought, the Competition and Markets Authority truly hated this deal. Which is why todays decision is terrible news for its architect, Sainsburys chief Mike Coupe. He championed this deal with all the energy he could muster. He declared it the oxygen for his companys future growth. Now it has been so comprehensively rejected, his position looks untenable. Blame the competition advisers all you like (Linklaters for Sainsbury, Gibson Dunn for Asda), but its the chief executive who makes the decision. Was the CMA right? Doesnt matter; CEOs are paid millions of pounds a year to get the big calls right, and Coupe called it wrong. He has to go. It wont happen quickly. Dont expect new chairman Martin Scicluna to serve up his head with next weeks profits announcement. But, quietly, expect the succession search to start. Luckily, theres not too far to look. John Rogers, who has successfully integrated Argos, would be a fine replacement. He didnt throw his hat in the ring last time the job came available, presumably feeling he lacked the experience. This time he shouldnt be so coy. Everywhere you look, vacancies are coming up for the top dogs. The Bank of England, Reckitt, BAT, GVC, Imperial Brands are all looking for new CEOs, chairmen or governors. Today, throw RBS into the mix. Internal hotshot Alison Rose is clearly the front-runner, but she shouldnt count her chickens. Had she been absolutely nailed-on, chairman Sir Howard Davies would have announced her succession today, alongside Ross McEwans early departure. She is clearly the top internal candidate, having worked across the bank in her 20 years there. The lender and its biggest shareholder, the Government, would like a woman in the role. But given RBSs troubled history, it wouldnt be entirely surprising if Davies decided to go for an external big hitter. He will at least be having a look. The danger of that is a newcomer to the organisation will seek to shake it up with another major strategic review. After the disruption RBS has been through in the last decade, thats the last thing it needs. R OSS McEwan on Thursday quit as chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland after more than five years, possibly opening the path for a female boss. Chairman Sir Howard Davies said the race to replace McEwan starts on Thursday, with Alison Rose widely seen as the strongest, and perhaps the only, internal candidate. McEwan will stay in place for 12 months, or until a successor is found. His departure means there has been a complete overhaul of the executive team. Finance director Ewen Stevenson quit in June to take a top job at HSBC. Rose was appointed deputy CEO of NatWest Holdings, the ring-fenced part of perhaps the most important bank in Britain, last December. Already the most powerful woman in UK banking, the ambitious Rose would become the first woman to run a major UK bank. The City regards her as a shoo-in. Internal sources say her appointment is far from certain and will depend on how she performs in the coming months. Davies said there will be a full internal and external search for a chief. McEwan, 61, said he has delivered the strategy he set out in 2013. The shares remain well below the 550p at which the government bought into the bank when it was going bust in 2008. Today the stock slipped 3.4p to 253.3p. McEwan faced criticism for closing hundreds of branches and for the awful behaviour of the banks Global Restructuring Group, accused of driving small firms out of business in order to seize assets on the cheap. He did return a bank that was destroyed under the leadership of Fred Goodwin to profitability. RBS made a profit of 1.62 billion last year and has started paying dividends again. He said: It is never easy to leave somewhere like RBS. However, with much of the restructuring done and the bank on a strong and profitable footing, I have delivered the strategy that I set out in 2013 and now feels like the right time for me to step aside and for a new chief executive to lead the bank. When McEwan took over in 2013 RBS had businesses in 30 countries. That is now down to 12. Harris Associates' David Herro, a top five shareholder, said McEwan had done a fine job. Another top RBS shareholder, who did not want to be named, said McEwan had done a phenomenal job and it wasnt a surprise he was leaving. Alasdair McKinnon, manager of RBS investor Scottish Investment Trust, added: Ross has done a good job, no doubt very tough. The next main challenge now is to restore RBS to a normal ownership status. McEwan also oversaw the botched sale of Williams & Glyn, a division the bank was required to ditch under the terms of its government bailout. It later admitted the bank could not survive on its own, not least because of IT problems. Instead, W&G business customers will be transferred to challenger banks. A 12 billion merger of Sainsbury's and Asda has been blocked by the Competition and Markets Authority. The regulator said it would result in higher prices for consumers in stores, online and in petrol stations. The watchdog also claimed the deal would have resulted in a "substantial lessening of competition" at both a national and local level. Stuart McIntosh, chair of the CMA's inquiry group, said after the publication of its report on Thursday: "It's our responsibility to protect the millions of people who shop at Sainsbury's and Asda every week. "Following our in-depth investigation, we have found this deal would lead to increased prices, reduced quality and choice of products, or a poorer shopping experience for all of their UK shoppers. "We have concluded that there is no effective way of addressing our concerns, other than to block the merger." Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe immediately hit back, saying the decision takes 1 billion out of customers' pockets. The companies had promised to invest 1 billion in lowering prices by the third year of the deal completing. "The specific reason for wanting to merge," Mr Coupe complained, "was to lower prices for customers. The merger could have led to increased prices at petrol stations, the report said / Nick Ansell/PA "The CMA's conclusion that we would increase prices post-merger ignores the dynamic and highly competitive nature of the UK grocery market. "The CMA is today effectively taking 1 billion out of customers' pockets." Roger Burnley, the Asda boss, said that he was "disappointed" by the CMA's decision. O ne of the Britains biggest plane parts manufacturers, Senior, will be forced to cut costs to cushion the fallout from Boeings 737 Max crisis, it emerged on Thursday. Norwegian Air, the Nordic-based 737 Max-operator flying in the UK, also revealed a 46 million hit from the grounding of the jets today, which followed the deadly Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes. Senior, a supplier to the 737 Max, said Boeings decision to cut down production would reduce aerospace margins, prompting a 1 million cut to costs and a hiring spree delay to keep profits afloat. Lower tax rates due to tax breaks in Malaysia, where it has large operations, should also help. Boeing has cut 737 Max production to 42 planes per month instead of 57 while it awaits regulatory approval to get the plane flying again. E d Bramson is in a pickle. The activist investor who looks like the suave doctor in a daytime TV soap he could fall back on that when this corporate raiding lark fails him wants to shake up Barclays. He wants to put an end to its ambitions to be the one last proper UK investment bank. At next weeks annual general meeting Bramson will try to force his way on to the board to push through his plan to downsize Barclays Wall Street ambitions, as if that were the solution to its woes. The interesting thing to look at will be how many investors in Bramsons own vehicle Sherborne vote against him. They might note that while returns from Barclays investment bank arent stellar, they are at least better than nearly all rivals, including the bulge bracket US banks that Barclays is making a more than decent fist of competing against. One issue counter intuitively in favour of Barclays management, just for now, is that the shares are well under Bramsons 190p buy-in price. So far, and its already been quite a long campaign, his efforts to get the shares moving have totally failed. He looks like the tin of chutney at the back of the fridge that you keep meaning to throw away. Barclays is much more than just a vehicle for already rich men to get richer. Its an important part of the UK High Street and of corporate Britain. Businesses employing hundreds of thousands of people rely on it. Bramsons unhelpful comparison of Barclays to Deutsche suggests confusion on his part. Deutsche really is a mess as todays collapsed merger talks with Commerzbank show. If Bramson thinks Barclays, which is in better shape than it has been for years, is as rocky as the German giant he shouldnt have invested in the first place. So how about this for a turn of justice: Bramson gets laughed out of next weeks AGM, shareholders throwing metaphorical tomatoes at a hairdo that looks too good to be true. He gives up, sells the shares, and faces a rebellion from his own investors who decide they want to shove him off his own board. Free from his pettifogging interference, a revitalised Barclays gets on with the business of being the global British champion we need it to be. The shares double. It could happen. Is the AA refusing to count its losses? The other week AA chief executive Simon Breakwell spoke on a very bullish webcast reassuring investors the AA had not lost any major B2B contracts. The AA, he bragged, is one of the countrys most trusted brands. A few days later the RAC announced that it had won SPA (Citroen, Peugeot, Vauxhall). These were, erm, major AA clients. This loss presumably did not happen overnight, and indeed on Vauxhalls website last week the RAC was announced as Vauxhalls supplier. So its a bit hard to see how the AA can claim it did not know about losing the contracts when Breakwell made his webcast. At 01.30 mins in he says: Pleased to announce that all of our major B2B partners renewed and at 03.20: We have successfully renewed all of our major B2B contracts. A tad misleading, perhaps. In reply, the AA says: The AA successfully renewed or retained all its key B2B contracts in FY19 including Lloyds, Ford and Volkswagen Group. Our focus is on forming partnerships with OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] where they make strategic and commercial sense. A lonely crusade on executive pay My favourite reverse indicator for what is going to happen to executive pay has always been The Guardian. An important and admirable newspaper in so many ways, this seems to be one of those issues where it reports what it thinks should happen, rather than what is actually happening. At a rough guess, Id say it has written at least 200 times in the past 10 years that a clampdown on runaway executive pay is finally swinging into action. During this period, executive pay has soared to ever more absurd levels. I thought the paper had given up, but yesterday it was back: Ballooning executive pay is as last coming under scrutiny read the headline. Public outrage is rising. And the inevitable High Pay Centre says folk think the system is rigged. A Labour MP says it is time for reform. NASAs Mars InSight lander has measured and recorded for the first time ever a likely marsquake. The faint seismic signal, detected by the landers Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, was recorded on April 6, the landers 128th Martian day, or sol. This is the first recorded trembling that appears to have come from inside the planet, as opposed to being caused by forces above the surface, such as wind. Scientists still are examining the data to determine the exact cause of the signal. InSights first readings carry on the science that began with NASAs Apollo missions, said InSight Principal Investigator Bruce Banerdt of NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. Weve been collecting background noise up until now, but this first event officially kicks off a new field: Martian seismology! The new seismic event was too small to provide solid data on the Martian interior, which is one of InSights main objectives. The Martian surface is extremely quiet, allowing SEIS, InSights specially designed seismometer, to pick up faint rumbles. In contrast, Earths surface is quivering constantly from seismic noise created by oceans and weather. An event of this size in Southern California would be lost among dozens of tiny crackles that occur every day. The Martian Sol 128 event is exciting because its size and longer duration fit the profile of moonquakes detected on the lunar surface during the Apollo missions, said Lori Glaze, Planetary Science Division director at NASA Headquarters. NASAs Apollo astronauts installed five seismometers that measured thousands of quakes while operating on the Moon between 1969 and 1977, revealing seismic activity on the Moon. Different materials can change the speed of seismic waves or reflect them, allowing scientists to use these waves to learn about the interior of the Moon and model its formation. NASA currently is planning to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024, laying the foundation that will eventually enable human exploration of Mars. InSights seismometer, which the lander placed on the planets surface on Dec. 19, 2018, will enable scientists to gather similar data about Mars. By studying the deep interior of Mars, they hope to learn how other rocky worlds, including Earth and the Moon, formed. Three other seismic signals occurred on March 14 (Sol 105), April 10 (Sol 132) and April 11 (Sol 133). Detected by SEIS more sensitive Very Broad Band sensors, these signals were even smaller than the Sol 128 event and more ambiguous in origin. The team will continue to study these events to try to determine their cause. Regardless of its cause, the Sol 128 signal is an exciting milestone for the team. Weve been waiting months for a signal like this, said Philippe Lognonne, SEIS team lead at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) in France. Its so exciting to finally have proof that Mars is still seismically active. Were looking forward to sharing detailed results once weve had a chance to analyze them. Most people are familiar with quakes on Earth, which occur on faults created by the motion of tectonic plates. Mars and the Moon do not have tectonic plates, but they still experience quakes in their cases, caused by a continual process of cooling and contraction that creates stress. This stress builds over time, until it is strong enough to break the crust, causing a quake. Detecting these tiny quakes required a huge feat of engineering. On Earth, high-quality seismometers often are sealed in underground vaults to isolate them from changes in temperature and weather. InSights instrument has several ingenious insulating barriers, including a cover built by JPL called the Wind and Thermal Shield, to protect it from the planets extreme temperature changes and high winds. SEIS has surpassed the teams expectations in terms of its sensitivity. The instrument was provided for InSight by the French space agency, Centre National dEtudes Spatiales (CNES), while these first seismic events were identified by InSights Marsquake Service team, led by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. We are delighted about this first achievement and are eager to make many similar measurements with SEIS in the years to come, said Charles Yana, SEIS mission operations manager at CNES. JPL manages InSight for NASAs Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASAs Discovery Program, managed by the agencys Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the InSight spacecraft, including its cruise stage and lander, and supports spacecraft operations for the mission. A number of European partners, including CNES and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), support the InSight mission. CNES provided the SEIS instrument to NASA, with the principal investigator at IPGP. Significant contributions for SEIS came from IPGP; the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany; the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in Switzerland; Imperial College London and Oxford University in the United Kingdom; and JPL. DLR provided the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument, with significant contributions from the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland. Spains Centro de Astrobiologia supplied the temperature and wind sensors. Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. R emember the Mayors promise when he stood for election in 2016? He said housing was his single biggest priority, mocked his predecessors record and said he wanted half of new homes in the city to be affordable. He also set a target of 50,000 houses a year, which has risen to 65,000 in City Halls new London housing plan. Anyone trying to find a home in London will know that things have not worked out as planned. As we report today, building work in the Zone 2 ring around central London has more or less stopped: developers started work on only 77 flats and houses in the first three months of the year, a drop of 97 per cent on the average in the year before the Mayor was elected. The Mayor blames Brexit, and of course he has a point. Falling prices dont encourage developers. But there are still profits to be made and people who want to buy, which makes it all the more extraordinary that analysts at Molior London say there is land with planning permission for 63,500 homes in Zone 2 but little is being done with it. What is going on? In part it is the Mayors demand that at least 35 per cent of larger sites contain affordable housing. You can see why he wants it. But if the result is no building at all, then everyone suffers. That is what will happen, too, if Labours new national policy to restrict the conversion of office space into homes without planning permission is implemented. Cutting the supply of new homes isnt a way to help people. Preventing knife crime Today brings more dispiriting news of knife crime in London, with two young men injured in a stabbing in Leytonstone only a day or so after the blade killing of a 21-year-old man in Harlesden and adding to the already grim death toll in the capital this year. At the same time, the official crime figures published today by the Office for National Statistics show blade offences in London continuing to run at near-record levels, with an average of 40 offences a day, including 74 knife homicides during 2018, despite the intense efforts of the Met to tackle the problem. None of this is encouraging, of course, but today does at least also bring more positive developments to report: the announcement of a new scheme in Waltham Forest in which the charity Spark2Life will train local residents to act as community mentors to young people feared to be vulnerable to being drawn into knife crime. The mentoring scheme will also involve teaching a resilience programme to thousands of primary pupils and aims to provide vital support and advice to young Londoners who might otherwise fall prey to the malign influence of gangs. Its aim is to keep their lives on a law-abiding track. Such efforts are commendable and provide a good example of what the much-vaunted public health approach to tackling knife crime should seek to deliver. As the Met Commissioner Cressida Dick and others have made clear, the answer to knife crime ultimately lies not in enforcement important though that is but in stopping the problem at source by persuading young people not to carry blades in the first place. Positive role models at the community level are vital. We hope to see more schemes of this sort. New hope for Nazanin We share Mr Ratcliffes hope that this apparent offer, which is the most promising sign so far from the Iranian authorities, could finally be the breakthrough that she and her family needs. A Brexiteer, a Remainer and an Extinction Rebellion (XR) protester walk into Parliament Square. This isnt the start of a comedy routine but a scene I saw yesterday when I counted three distinct protests between Westminster and Millbank. The Brexiteer hovered at the edges, England flag wrapped around him for protection. His mates had been put off joining him because they dont like XR theyre unpredictable, he scoffed. They think the world is going to end. Finally weve found a way to deter Brexiteers talk about carbon emissions. A fellow Brexiteer, in a Free Tibet T-shirt, said XR assumed she was in their gang because of her outfit. She was aghast. This is one thing that Brexiteers and Remainers agreed on. A man in a EU flag beret said XR was chaotic (but he couldnt fault their demands and was impressed by that Scandi lass, or Greta Thunberg, as she is also known). He boasted that they were better friends with the police than XR he helps park their cars. XR were the biggest presence, and the most tolerant. They clearly explained their demand that the Government pass legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025. Its simple and achievable especially compared to Brexit and surely would be easy for Theresa May to back, providing a boost to her popularity. I met two protesters from Penzance in their 40s who had been arrested for camping illegally on Waterloo Bridge. Theyd never broken the law before and were calm, saying how kind the police had been. It mattered to them that their rebellion didnt feel like a blockade but was for everyone. Far from being the shambles described by the Brexiteer, XR is a tightly organised movement, stretching across the country. The no-alcohol-or-drugs policy is strict if they go to the pub they wont camp out that night. Yet the knee-jerk reaction to them has been hostile, dismissing them as middle-class hippies. Why shouldnt the middle class believe in causes? Baiting them falls into the trap that people like Nigel Farage (who went to Dulwich College) use to win over the working class turning the middle class into scapegoats. Yesterday, both Brexiteers and Remainers appeared threatened by this new force. XR has tapped into support that mainstream political parties can only dream of. Young people care more about their cause than Brexit. So dont be like the Brexiteers and avoid them you wont succeed. I think I quite dig this new breed of Cornish activist Nationalism begins young. On the beach in St Ives I overheard two children discuss Cornish independence. Cornwall is its own country, declared one, brandishing his bucket and spade. The other disagreed you dont need a passport to go from Paddington to Porthmeor. Debate moved onto Irish, Scottish, Welsh and even London independence. Red-faced, the Cornish rights crusader threw down his spade, unable to think of a comeback to points about language and culture. I feared for the future of the dam they were building in the sand but they made up and dug on in silence. Whatever the status of Cornwall, an infrastructure project healed this divide. Meghans timely absence Meghan Markle / AP The universe has smiled on the Duchess of Sussex. When Donald Trump visits the UK in June she will be on maternity leave, so exempt from having to meet him. Its a lucky escape. She can watch from home as the rest of the royal family greet Donald with a forced smile. If I had a baby Id want to protect it from Trump too. It mayve been interesting to see how Trump would have handled his fellow American Meghan campaigned for Hillary Clinton to be President but undoubtedly them not meeting is his loss. Asking Alexa to get off iPads is bizarre Its been a busy April with calls for change coming from all sides, including Extinction Rebellion protests, Earth Day events, and now Fashion Revolution Week. This week marks the sixth anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, in which 1,138 people were killed and thousands more injured. Fashion Revolution has been calling for transparency in the fashion industry ever since, with millions of people across the globe taking part. Fashion Revolution Week has been growing year on year. Brands, retailers and consumers are realising how important transparency is. It is driving accountability, which is eventually leading to the change we desperately need to see, says founder and global operations director of Fashion Revolution, Carry Somers. Sustainable fashion brands across the globe are using this week to host pop-up shops, events and talks to share their stories with an ever-more conscious audience. In London, Fashion Open Studio is working with the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Christopher Raeburn and Elvis & Kresse to host presentations, talks and open workshops that put sustainable fashion practices in the spotlight. Ethical clothes site Know The Origin is hosting a pop-up shop in Soho, along with a daily rota of events including a talk that questions Feminism in Fashion on Friday, April 26. The Lone Design Club has popped-up on Baker Street. Labelled the antidote to fast fashion it celebrates independent designers - some with brilliant sustainable stories such as Yala Jewellery, Asmuss and Marianes. Theres also menswear from Komodo and tailored swimwear from Riz, which has spent 10 years developing its range of shorts made from 100 per cent recycled plastics. All of these events mean for most of us it doesnt get much easier to get access to the people designing and making great clothes or an excuse to shop - more ethically - before payday. The Transparency Index However, these brands are the exception and the lack of concern for the safety and rights of the workers remains a huge problem today. As such, Fashion Revolution publish an annual Transparency Index that reviews and ranks 200 of the biggest global fashion apparel brands and retailers according to how open they are about their supply chains. This year is the first time any brand has scored more than 60 per cent in the index, but none score more than 65 per cent and the average score was just 21 per cent. Adidas, Reebok, Patagonia, Esprit and H&M take top spots in the index by scoring the highest in the 61-70% range. The biggest movers in the index were Dior, Sainsbury's, Nike, New Balance and Marc Jacobs, but it must be said that though luxury brands are becoming less opaque, they still trail woefully behind, Tom Ford, for example didn't score any points at all. Transparency doesnt necessarily equal an ethical supply chain, but it is important because when companies publish this information it helps NGOs, unions and local communities to stand up to human rights and environmental issues. It gives otherwise invisible and silenced workers a platform to speak out. The global apparel and footwear industry accounts for eight per cent of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions, more than the airline and shipping industries combined, and expected to almost double by 2030, according to a recent report from Quantis, says Sarah Ditty who compiled the report. Considering the urgent need to act upon the climate crisis, we were surprised that brands were not disclosing more information and data about their environmental impacts and strategies. #Whomademyclothes So, this week especially, consider who made your clothes when you are getting dressed each day. Perhaps check out an event near you. Definitely be one of the hundreds of thousands of people who are asking their favourite brands #whomademyclothes on social media. Such a simple question, such a huge possibility for change. Kate Middleton and Prince Harry arrived in smart coordinating blue outfits to the Anzac Day service on Thursday afternoon. Both royals were without their spouses for the occasion. Prince William is currently in New Zealand to pay tribute to those affected by the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack, while Meghan Markle is due to give birth to her and Harry's first child any day now. The royal duo seemed perfectly relaxed without their significant others as they entered Westminster Abbey. Harry looked dapper in a deep blue suit, a look that has become his signature in recent years. Kate Middleton and Prince Harry arrive at Westminster Abbey / Jeremy Selwyn The Duchess of Cambridge stood out in a teal custom coat dress, which featured an elegant pleated skirt by Catherine Walker. The silhouette has become a favourite of Kate's for official engagements. The mother-of-three accessorised with a matching feather fascinator, and contrasting bottle green court heels and clutch bag, both by London-based brand Emmy London. The suede bag retails for 350 and 425 shoes. Shop it here. Kate Middleton looked chic in a Catherine Walker coat dress / Getty Images 8. Thor: The Dark World - One down, five to go" Meet the Collector Benicio del Toro had the time of his life playing the mysterious character, with a performance as bold as his outrageous platinum blonde hairdo. Viewers were first introduced to him in the credits sequence for Thor: The Dark World, which makes it clear that, like Thanos, he is looking to get his hands on all the infinity stones. The clip sees guardians Sif and Volstagg give the Aether to the Collector, in a bid to keep it away from Asgard. One down, five to go, del Toro says, adding a sinister edge to another memorable and atmospheric post-credit sequence. The scene threw a real spanner in the works for Marvel fans, leaving them with questions unanswered was the Collector looking to the Infinity Stones out of his own greed or vanity? Was he teaming up with Thanos to bring down S.H.I.E.L.D? It proved that Marvel are masters of raising the stakes with post-credit scenes and added new layers of intrigue after the film itself had come to a close. Review at a glance T he only complaint about Avengers: Endgame is that it raises the bar so high that there may well never be a superhero movie to match it. It represents a staggering achievement on several fronts, none perhaps quite as startling as its absolute mastery of narrative. The job for Kevin Feige, the presiding genius at Marvel, fraternal directors Anthony and Joe Russo, and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, was simple. To finish Marvels first decade and clear the ground for the second, all they had to do was to tie up all the myriad strands of plot and countless emotional conflictions left dangling by the 22-strong series launched by Iron Man in 2008. Oh yes, that and deal with the aftermath of last years Infinity War, which climaxed with Thanos, Josh Brolins impressively nuanced monster, annihilating half the population of the universe. It is as hard to convey the complexities of that challenge as to contain my awe at how sublimely they rose to it. Clever people talk about superhero movies as modern religion for the unbeliever. If so, Endgame is the godless version of The Greatest Story Ever Told. It starts where Infinity War ended with Thanos snapping his fingers. That turned 50 per cent of the cosmic population, a plethora of Avengers included, to dust. The Marvel Films - In pictures 1 /28 The Marvel Films - In pictures Iron Man, 2008 Iron Man launched the franchise by introducing audiences to playboy tech billionaire Tony Stark. The Incredible Hulk, 2008 This 2008 film was the first time audiences met the Incredible Hulk, with Edward Norton's Bruce Banner unwittingly becomes the green beast. Iron Man 2, 2010 Tony Stark fights both the US government and his declining health in this outing, while the Russian Ivan Vanko embarks on a vendetta against the billionaire. Paramount Pictures Thor, 2011 The first time we are introduced to Thor sees the God of Thunder battle a deceitful brother to reclaim his place in Asgard after being stripped of his powers and banished to earth. Walt Disney Studios/Marvel Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011 Captain America sticks closely to its comic book roots as Steve Rogers battles the Red Skull during the Second World War. Walt Disney Studios/Marvel The Avengers, 2012 Some of the best and well-known superheroes of all time team up to tackle the Chitauri to stop Thor's brother Loki from subjugating the earth. Marvel Iron Man 3, 2013 Stark embarks on yet another quest to destroy those responsible for almost wrecking his life while suffering from the events in The Avengers. Zade Rosenthal Thor: The Dark World, 2013 The third in the Thor trilogy sees the God of Thunder join forces with Loki to save the Nine Realms from the Dark Elf Malekith. AP Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2014 This conspiracy thriller-style blockbuster sees members of The Avengers team up to take on the mysterious Winter Soldier. AP Guardians of the Galaxy, 2014 A Star Wars-style sci-fi adventure in which audiences meet a wisecracking raccoon and a humanoid, tree-like creature led by the half-human Peter Quill. AP/Disney/Marvel Studios Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015 Age of Ultron introduces us to Vision as the superheros battle the extinction-obsessed AI Ultron and his never-ending gang of robots. Marvel Ant-Man, 2015 Scott Lang helps stop S.H.I.E.L.D agent Hank Pym's shrinking technology from falling into the wrong hands in this lighthearted heist movie. Marvel Captain America: Civil War, 2016 The showdown of all showdowns, as best friends become sworn enemies and the Avengers splinter over the Sokovia Accords. AP Doctor Strange, 2016 Neurosurgeon Stephen Strange stumbles across a mystical world as he desperately tries to heal a career-ending injury. Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galax Vol. 2, 2017 The ragtag gang of unlikely heroes attempt to find belonging in their world while Star Lord Peter Quill learns more about his parentage. Marvel Studios 2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2017 While this isn't the first time we meet him, Spider-Man's own origins story sees him face the Vulture while tackling the arguably more serious problem of high school. Thor: Ragnarok, 2017 While determined to save Asgard from Ragnarok, Thor learns he must battle more pressing family issues in the third installment of the trilogy. Marvel Studios 2017 Black Panther, 2018 Recently-crowned king of Wakanda T'Challa finds his position and sovereignty challenged by the younger Killmonger, who has his own visions on how the nation should be ruled. Avengers: Infinity War, 2018 A Josh Brolin-led Thanos embarks on a mission to collect all of the Infinity Stones in an attempt to wipe out half of all life in the universe. Marvel Studios Ant-Man and the Wasp, 2018 Lang returns with Pym to retrieve the scientist's wife Janet van Dyne from the quantum realm, who has been trapped there for 30 years. /Walt Disney Studios/Marvel Captain Marvel, 2019 Set in the mid-90s, this film tells the story of Carol Danvers' transition to the warrior Captain Marvel as Earth is caught in the crossfire of two warring alien nations. Endgame kicks off with Jeremy Renners Hawkeye, who missed that cataclysm, bemused by the spontaneous vanishing of his wife and kids. So begins a kind of intergalactic Wild Geese, as the old gang are rounded up for one last hurrah. With Black Panther, Star Lord, Vision and many others vaporised, its down to Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) and Captain America (Chris Evans), the unofficial guvnors, to lead Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and a hilariously affable Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) back to war. Newbie Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) pitches up in a fantastically cool orange spaceship and a surprisingly small part. Paul Rudds engagingly star struck Ant-Man is also on hand to lend more than comic relief to a film that couldnt need it less. There are more belly laughs here than in the last dozen comedies Ive seen combined. At its core, however, this is a loving eulogy to the stalwarts who have come to feel like old friends to the fans to whom this movie is presented as an overwhelmingly bounteous gift. Five years after the pan-cosmic genocide, the traumatised survivors are in neither the mood nor the shape for a mission calculated by Benedict Cumberbatchs Doctor Strange (the briefest of cameos) as a 14 million to one shot. A depressed Thor is in beer-bellied retirement. Iron Man has settled down with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and their little girl. Captain America is content with the quiet life. But you dont get to become a habitual saver of all creation without a sense of duty. Reluctantly, they prepare to go to battle again. Yet even if they have the will, how can they find a way? Wisecracky Back To The Future references betray a mild embarrassment about the methodology. But with trillions in need of resurrection, there is no other way. Albeit disguised in the knowing recognition that time travel is the laziest device in the entire sci-fi playbook, it turns out to be a blessing. It opens up all manner of comic possibilities as the Avengers meet earlier versions of themselves (in even naffer outfits), and dramatic ones as they encounter the colleagues who do not exist in their present. Avengers: Endgame Featurette - We Lost While the Mans Ant and Iron attempt to explain the quantum theory science, the only way to cope with the baffling temporal paradoxes is to recall David Tennants Doctor Whos wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey. Or to translate from the Gallifreyan: Dont worry your silly little earthling brains. Sit back and enjoy the ride. So far as the story goes, thats as far as anti-spoiler legislation allows. Suffice to say that the intricate details of the central plot and the many sub-plots are woven with a control and precision that beggar belief. From first scene to the last, the writing melds the humour with profoundly touching pathos in a balance that, even by Marvel standards, is exquisite. So are the performances. After so many franchise outings, it would have been easy to phone in the last. But each of the leads, particularly Downey Jr who deserves an Oscar nod gives everything. Patriotic pride dictates a shout out to Karen Gillan, promoted to a front rank role as Nebula, Thanoss troubled part-cyborg daughter. The support is glorious, with every old favourite (mine being Tilda Swintons wondrously weird Sorcerer Supreme from Doctor Strange) given their moment. Regrouping: The Avengers reassemble after the events of Infinity War As the tale darts through time and space, gradually building the epic atmosphere, elegantly resolving the romantic and parental issues strewn throughout the decade, all the stress is on character. When the CGI pyrotechnic battle scene finally arrives, it has the flavour of a Renaissance painting of a scene from the Book of Revelation. I say nothing of the languid, heartrending emotional climax, beyond thanking my neighbour for giving some cover by sniffling through it himself. F inally! No Time to Die hits cinemas this week after a very long delay. And were excited... very excited. Directed by Cary Fukunaga, the latest Bond instalment will be Daniel Craigs last outing in the role. It will also star Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear and Jeffrey Wright, who will play Felix Leiter for the first time since 2008's Quantum of Solace, while Rami Malek is joining the cast as a Bond villain. After such a long wait, were eager to find out where it will stand in the Bond canon, which stretches back to 1962, when Sean Connery first played the international agent. Heres a reminder of what came before... James Bond films in chronological order Sean Connery Dr No (released 1962) The first ever James Bond film sees the spy investigate the disappearance of a fellow agent in Jamaica, where he meets Dr No, who is plotting to disrupt the American space programme. From Russia with Love (released 1963) Connery returns as Bond to help a Soviet embassy employee defect in exchange for a Soviet encryption device but it turns out to all be part of a revenge plot by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. over Dr No's death. Goldfinger (released 1964) Goldfinger trailer Bond is sent to investigate gold smuggling by magnate Auric Goldfinger, and stumbles upon his plan to contaminate the gold reserve at Fort Knox. Thunderball (released 1965) Bond encounters villain Emilio Largo in the Bahamas during a mission to recover two stolen nuclear warheads taken by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. The evil organisation is ransoming the West, with the threat of bombing a major city. You Only Live Twice (released 1967) The first film in which Bond meets the head of S.P.E.C.T.R.E., supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The pair meet during a mission in Japan to investigate the disappearance of spacecraft in orbit. George Lazenby On Her Majesty's Secret Service (released 1969) In Lazenby's only appearance in the franchise, Bond marries the Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, the daughter of the head of the Union Corse, and goes undercover to investigate Blofeld's shadowy allergy research in Switzerland. Sean Connery (again) Diamonds are Forever (released 1971) Connery's return sees our hero investigate a diamond smuggling operation where he uncovers yet another secret plot by his old foe Blofeld. Roger Moore Live and Let Die (released 1973) Roger Moore's first turn as Bond sees him attempting to stop a Harlem drug kingpin known at first as Mr Big, then as Dr Kananga and his plans to carve out a monopoly on heroin supply. The Man with the Golden Gun (released 1974) Bond believes he is the next target of hitman Francisco Scaramanga and heads off to investigate, all while trying to recover a device that can harness the power of the sun. The Spy Who Loved Me (released 1977) While investigating the disappearance of submarines with nuclear warheads, Bond uncovers plans by villain Karl Stromberg to destroy the world and create a new underwater civilisation. He also comes face to face with deadly assassin Jaws for the first time. Moonraker (released 1979) While investigating the mid-air theft of a space shuttle, Bond meets Hugo Drax, who plans to commit global genocide and recreate life on his space station. It's not unlike the plot of The Spy Who Loved Me, simply in space and look, Jaws is back too. For Your Eyes Only (released 1981) Our suave hero is assigned a mission to locate a missing communications device before it falls into the hands of villain Aristotle Kristatos, who is planning to sell it on to the KGB. Octopussy (released 1983) Bond is sent to investigate the death of a fellow 00 agent where he uncovers a plot to blow-up a US Air Force base, which is being led by Afghan prince Kamal Khan and his mysterious associate Octopussy. A View to a Kill (released 1985) 007 is assigned to investigate a suspected horse racing scam. It leads him to the door of villain Maz Zorin, who plans to destroy California's Silicon Valley to give him a monopoly over the microchip industry. Timothy Dalton The Living Daylights (released 1987) Bond helps KGB officer Georgi Koskov defect, but the general is recaptured and Bond investigates. During his mission, he finds Koskov's defection was staged and he is, in fact, in league with arms dealer Brad Whitaker. Licence to Kill (released 1989) Bond quits MI6 so he can pursue vengeance against Franz Sanchez after the drug lord maims longtime friend and ally Felix Leiter and kills the CIA man's new bride, Della. Pierce Brosnan GoldenEye (released 1995) MI6 agent Alec Trevelyan is believed to be dead after being captured during a mission in the 1980s. A decade later, mysterious forces hijack a nuclear space weapon, and it is down to Bond to stop it being used to attack Britain. Tomorrow Never Dies (released 1997) Brosnan's second film as Bond sees our titular hero travel to south east Asia to prevent Elliot Carve from engineering World War Three between the UK and China. The World Is Not Enough (released 1999) Bond is assigned to protect oil heiress Elektra from her former kidnapper, the terrorist Renard, after her billionaire father is assassinated. During the mission, Bond uncovers a plan to trigger a nuclear explosion to destroy Istanbul. Die Another Day (released 2002) 007 is betrayed in North Korea, where he is captured and imprisoned. Released later in a prisoner exchange, Bond suspects he was double-crossed by an agent and goes to investigate. Uncovering a connection between a North Korean and British diamond mogul Gustav Graves, Bond battles to stop a satellite weapon attacking South Korea. Daniel Craig Casino Royale (released 2006) Set at the beginning of Bond's career, Daniel Craig's secret agent has received his licence to kill and his sent on his first mission as 007. He is tasked with bankrupting terrorist Le Chiffre in a high stakes poker game falling in love with treasury agent Vesper Lynd in the process. Quantum of Solace (released 2008) Out for revenge for the death of Lynd, Bond and ally Camille Montes eventually track down wealthy businessman Dominic Greene, a leading member of Quantum, a mysterious organisation which aims to seize control of Bolivia's water supply. Skyfall (released 2012, read our review) After MI6 is attacked, Bond is tasked with destroying the threat which he soon learns is part of a plot by ex-agent Raoul Silva to kill M in revenge for betraying him. Spectre (released 2015, read our review) The most recent Bond film sees the spy pitted against his past and the global terrorist organisation Spectre. His old foe Blofeld returns, and Bond discovers he was behind the events of the previous three films. No Time To Die (2021) Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, from the CIA turns up asking for help. A new trailer for Men In Black: International has been revealed, with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson struggling to save the world. The pair are tasked with fighting back against The Hive, an army of shape-shifting aliens, as the evil forces threaten to destroy both the MIB and the planet as they know it. After impressing Emma Thompson's Agent O, Tessa Thompsons Agent M is sent to team up with Hemsworths Agent H in London, learning the ways of the organisation for the first time and visiting the secret headquarters. Together, the pair set out to fight back against the malevolent alien agents, who have compromised the organisation from the inside. "You erased my parents memory, but you didn't take mine," Thompson's M says, "It took me 20 years to find you. How many people can say that? I. Found. You. Which makes me perfect for this job." We are the Men In Black the Men and Women In Black, Hemsworth says later. International marks the first sequel since Men In Black III in 2012, which saw Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones paired up for the third time since the 1997 original. The new movie is directed by F Gary Gray, known for his work on films Set It Off, Law Abiding Citizen, The Italian Job and Straight Outta Compton. Men In Black: International is released on June 14 2019 I t was little surprise Robert Downey Jr turned out to be an inspired choice to play Marvels Tony Stark. After all, many would say hes essentially playing a heightened version of himself one with an unlimited arsenal of advanced weaponry at his disposal. His reputation as a Hollywood playboy precedes him as do the stories of his 'wild years' with the actors own backstory, persona and swaggering charisma adding extra layers of believability to his turn as the Iron Man. But while hes synonymous with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and action blockbusters not to mention his buccaneering, hard-fighting take on Sherlock Holmes theres a very different side to the actor too, perhaps lesser known but no less celebrated. In reality, hes one of Hollywoods great connoisseurs. While five years of drug addiction and criminal convictions set his career and personal life back between 1996 and 2001, his work as fine character actor in his early years marked him out as one of the most talented stars of his generation. With his latest film Avengers: Endgame in cinemas now, these are the roles and projects that prove hes far more than just a real life Tony Stark even if that is a role he suits well enough to warrant talk of an Oscar nod. Saturday Night Live (1985-86) For all of Downey Jrs brooding film roles, its easy to forget that some of his earliest projects were more aligned with comedy notably his turn as Albert Einstein in mockumentary Thats Adequate and his stint on Saturday Night Live in the late 80s. He appeared in 16 episodes of the show, honing the comic timing hed show as Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes later in his career. Less Than Zero (1987) Less Than Zero - trailer This, an adaptation of Brett Easton Elliss drug-addled tale of teenage debauchery, focused on the rich kids of Beverly Hills and their demons. A young, 22-year-old Downey Jr marked himself out as a serious talent with this movie, giving a captivating performance as troubled drug addict Julian. The actor captured a sense of nihilism, as well as a tragic vulnerability a trait that crops up often in his earlier work. It was his performance that made the film so bitingly satirical and marked Downey Jr out as a thrilling screen presence. Chaplin (1992) Chaplin - Trailer (HD) Downey Jrs performance as legendary entertainer Charlie Chaplin earned him a nomination for Best Actor one of his two Oscar nominations along with a Best Supporting Actor nod for Tropic Thunder in 2008. As well as showcasing incredible physicality and comic joie de vivre, he managed to show Chaplins often troubled personal life, while also capturing his ineffable star quality. The Singing Detective (2003) The Singing Detective - Trailer This is the role that after years of struggle with drug addiction and rehabilitation helped Downey Jr find success once again. The Singing Detective saw the actor play crime writer Dan Dark, who blurs the lines between reality and fiction while suffering a life-threatening skin disease in a hospital bed. Nuanced, yet larger-than-life, this was a triumphant return for Downey Jr. A Scanner Darkly (2006) A Scanner Darkly (2006) trailer A Scanner Darkly a dense, paranoid sci-fi directed by Boyhoods Richard Linklater is one of the underappreciated dystopian movies of the 00s, perhaps due to the films unusual aesthetic. Downey Jr, though, was perfectly cast as the mistrustful, conspiratorial James Barris, and the movie marks one of the more intriguing entries in his filmography. Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006) Fur - An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006) Official Trailer Downey Jr may have become Hollywoods go-to guy for action blockbusters and superhero spectacles, but few could have predicted the move after seeing Fur in 2006. The movie showed Downey Jrs passion for auteur projects, delivering a performance that showcased a delicate vulnerability. Its a remarkable feat, given the fact he spends most of the film with his face obscured by a mask or masses of hair. Zodiac (2007) Zodiac (2007) Trailer We know so little of the worlds beneath our feet, muses the Cambridge academic and writer Robert Macfarlane at the opening of Underland, a labyrinthine, occasionally terrifying journey into subterranean spaces which he has been working on for more than six years. Travel writing usually moves across horizontal space across countries, oceans, continents. This book, however, also pushes into the earths gullet, as Macfarlane squeezes and slips through rifts and portals into networks of tunnels, caves, mines, catacombs, chasms, holes and abysses discovering an extraordinary topography of cavities and clandestine places. Its an unexpected twist in direction for Macfarlane, whose abiding interest, in Mountains of the Mind, The Wild Places and The Old Ways, has been the relationships between landscape and the human heart, as he puts it. Like those books, Underland interweaves first-person accounts of his adventures with cultural and natural history alongside essayistic reflections. But there is more of a primal, claustrophobic shudder to the terrain he traverses here. For those familiar with Macfarlanes precisely lyrical nature writing it may be quite a shock when he first goes underground, caving in the Mendips. The entry is awkward a body-bending downwards wriggle before a drop into a pot that feels locked, a closed cylinder of space, soon opening out, after squirming through a small gap, into an awesome underground gorge. As with many of the journeys here Macfarlane feels a bit nervous, and he expertly conveys his trepidation on the page you worry how (or if) hes going to get out as well as his wonder at what he finds down there. The three chambers of the book gradually track further afield. In Yorkshire, Macfarlane descends a potash mine; in Epping Forest, he explores the entangled underland of trees and fungi. The second chamber takes us to Europe: into the bone-filled maze of the Paris catacombs, where Macfarlane spends several days, sleeping there; then to an underground river in Italy; then to Slovenia. The final chamber moves north to caves in Norway, glaciers in Greenland, and to Onkalo in Finland, where a tomb for high-level nuclear waste is under construction, meant to last at least 100,000 years without maintenance. Time behaves differently in the underland, where it can be slowed or stayed, Macfarlane writes. Many of the sites he chronicles, taking calculated risks, are places where things are hidden: either because of their preciousness and value, or their toxicity and danger. Deep mind: Robert Macfarlane / Rex Features Theres something crushingly inhuman about the huge vistas of deep time, moving thousands of years into the past and the future, these excavations open up. And they sound an extremely stark warning about what we are leaving behind us ecologically. In Landmarks, Macfarlane celebrated strong style, single words and their power to shape our sense of place. He shows a keenness of perception throughout this book too, and a particular care in pinpointing what he sees around him on his trips. More than in previous books, Underland also cuts across scientific fields with sharpness and acuity, connecting a host of ideas from different spheres from dark matter to ice-core science and the wood wide web and giving them poetic resonance. Theres an earnest energy, a striving to name and place, an aptitude for rapture, which can in its very accuracy, create a slight tonal monotony, especially in the books third section. Sometimes Macfarlanes descriptions merely highlight the drama of his own perfectly executed search for the right word or phrase. But it is a style which forces a re-engagement with landscape and ones apprehension of it. All Macfarlanes books are urgings to take a closer look at the environment we live in, and at the natural world especially. They are perception-shifters. And with its darker, delving subject-matter counterweighing its lyricism, Underland is a magnificent feat of writing, travelling and thinking that feels genuinely frontier-pushing, unsettling and exploratory. B ret Easton Ellis was just 21 when his first novel, Less Than Zero, became a bestseller in 1985 and still only 27 when he published his classic shocker, American Psycho, in 1991. In White, Ellis admits that he was never happier than he was back then, in the summer of 1991. His career since has never matched up to his promise, many agree. Having been the writer who seemed most brattishly in touch with his own epoch, he has turned into a derider of the millennials he sees around him (including his thirtysomething boyfriend). White is a freewheeling mix of memoir and polemic. Theres never been a simple, centred self in Elliss writing, and there isnt here either, but theres a unifying theme his disdain for what the digital world has done to us all lately. Everything has been degraded by what sensory overload and the supposed freedom-of-choice technology has brought to us and, in short, by the democratisation of the arts, he harrumphs. He laments that movies no longer have the magical power they had in his youth. All this is over: reality TV and Instagram have replaced it. Sex he finds equally diminished by ultra-availability. When nudity and the idea of sexual gratification become so routine that you can instantly hook up with someone and see naked pics of that soon-to-be sex partner within seconds, an exchange as casual as ordering a book on Amazon or downloading a new release on Apple, then this lack of investment renders everything the same. Victim-culture has flattened art. Everyone has to be the same, and have the same reactions to any given work of art, or movement or idea, and if you refuse to join the chorus of approval you will be tagged a racist or misogynist. To prosper on social media, we have to be likeable and relatable all the time, always on the same page, the better page. He is particularly contemptuous of the babyish inability of Generation Wuss to accept that Donald Trump won the US election and get over it. He points out that he had made Trump the figure that Patrick Bateman was obsessed with, the man he wanted to be, mentioned more than 40 times, in American Psycho all those years ago. Maybe this was why I felt prepared when the country elected Trump. Dark heart: Bret Easton Ellis abhors the rise of identity politics / Corbis via Getty Images He himself never believed that politics can solve the dark heart of humanitys problems and the lawlessness of our sexuality, or that a bureaucratic band aid is going to heal the deep contradictory rifts and the cruelty, the passion and the fraudulence that factor into what it means to be human. But now, if he says anything like that, he finds himself forced into the bubble of white male privilege. Identity politics of any kind might be the worst idea in our culture right now, he moans. He had never considered whiteness or maleness to be defining aspects of his identity. But now thats precisely how he is defined. So thats what the curt title of this book signifies. T he recent transformation of Spanish luxury brand Loewe is a success story built on an unflinching dedication to progressive design. Founded in Madrid in 1846 as a co-operative of leather artisans, the house was acquired by French luxury group LVMH in 1996, but it was not until the appointment of Jonathan Anderson as creative director in 2013 that things really took off. Andersons close collaboration with graphic artists M/M (Paris) immediately resulted in a finely crafted visual language that continues to produce design of the very highest level on all of the firms printed material. Another trope that continues to drive Loewes success is Andersons love and appreciation of craft, design and art, and, how when employed intelligently they work seamlessly with fashion. Acting as a curator as well as a creative director, Anderson acquired and restored historical furniture pieces pertinent to the brands history as well as commissioning contemporary works to be part of an ever-growing museum-quality collection. The brands support and celebration of contemporary craft through the annual Loewe Foundation Craft Prize is another example of his full-throttle dedication to doing things properly. It is a carefully curated environment a place of luxury, intimacy and culture The latest manifestation of this is revealed with the opening of the houses new flagship store, Casa Loewe, on New Bond Street. A reflection of the brands growth in the UK, this three-floor, 500 sq m space is a carefully curated environment a place of luxury, intimacy and culture, accommodating larger collections and providing a home for Loewes ambitious art programme. The store features works by 14 artists and designers, including oak sculptures by Ernst Gamperl (Craft Prize winner in 2017) alongside 15 photographs by Alair Gomes, Volcano Table by Anthea Hamilton (a Loewe collaborator), William Turnbulls 1956 sculpture Idol 1 and Grayson Perrys Mum and Dad. The pieces are interspersed carefully with Loewe products, creating a sense of discovery as one moves through the space. Contemporary furniture also occupies each floor, with Lambert chairs from French designers Berger&Berger, handwoven rugs by Jason Collingwood, benches and vessels from Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley among other pieces. An open area in the entrance will serve as a pop-up space. We hear continued reports of the apparent apocalyptic fate of retail. Andersons and Loewes immersive and cultured approach could be the answer with art, craft, design and fashion in perfect unison. Casa Loewe, 41-42 New Bond Street (loewe.com) Top interior picks The tech Art Passport ArtPassport, the app from GalleriesNow that delivers an immersive experience of current exhibitions from top global galleries straight to your phone, has been upgraded. It now offers users an enhanced VR experience with improved navigation and a pinch-zoom feature to get an even closer look at pieces of art. The app has searchable listings, gallery guides in more than 40 major cities and a new NearMe button, letting you find art just around the corner. The best part is, its free a commitment to bringing art to all. The product Maestro of ceremonies: Escobedos drinking vessels Frida Escobedo, celebrated Mexican architect and designer of last years Serpentine Pavilion, has collaborated with Maestro Dobel tequila to create a set of exquisite drinking vessels based on the rich materials and textures found in the Mexican landscape. Crafted from obsidian by stone artist Juan Frag, each of the three limited-edition nesting vessels, inspired by jicaras (traditional tequila cups), represents a different variety of Maestro Dobel. 500, at harveynichols.com The person Lara Bohinc Slovenian-born, London-based Lara Bohinc founded Bohinc Studio in 2016 to explore furniture and object design. Having showcased her signature geometric, feminine designs for a third year during Milans Salone del Mobile this month, the pieces are returning to be displayed at her Notting Hill showroom. Bohinc is fascinated by cosmic forms; the new handmade Planetaria collection of lighting, seating and consoles is inspired by planets such as Saturn. (bohincstudio.com) The exhibition Classic Kubrick: 2001: A Space Odyssey T he cuisine of New Orleans is a thoroughly accurate reflection of the citys diverse cultural heritage, with French, Caribbean, German, Spanish and West African influences conspiring to make every mealtime an adventure. Now, with direct British Airways flights between London Heathrow and New Orleans, the Big Easy is becoming a top gastronomic destination for European visitors. Spoilt for choice At traditional eateries such as Commanders Palace and Galatoires, Creole soul food like jambalaya the deep Souths answer to paella, pictured below and gumbo a thick stew with French and West African roots demonstrate how diverse culinary influences can create delights beyond the sum of their parts. Even the classic on-the-go dish is a fusion classic the muffuletta is a New Orleans twist on an Italian sandwich, with cured meats, cheese and olive dressing; head to Central Grocery for a tasty, authentic example. This famously epicurean city has a robust reputation as a hotbed of culinary talent, where established and emerging chefs showcase their talents at fine dining restaurants including Maypop and Revolution, as well as modern Caribbean eateries such as Compere Lapin. Elizabeth's But eating well is a gloriously democratic pleasure in New Orleans, and a po-boy from Johnnys or burrito from Juans are just as deserving of your tastebuds attention as classic Louisianan fare served in an atmospheric Victorian cottage at Brigtsens. Recent years have also seen a proliferation of covered markets and farmers markets, and Pythian Market downtown serves as a great introduction to the local food scene, with craft beers and cocktails from Bar 1908 to wash down vegan Caribbean fare by 14 Parishes or Cajun comfort food courtesy of Fete au Fete. Venturing further afield beyond the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny, the Bywater neighbourhood is fast earning a formidable reputation as a culinary hotspot; check out the exemplary Southern fare at Elizabeths. Five to discover in New Orleans Foodie hangouts Court of Two Sisters Legendary jazz brunch spot offering great creole and cajun cuisine. And music, of course. Cafe du Monde Atmospheric open-air coffee stand serving perfect beignets since 1862. Brennans Palatial, pink creole cuisine mainstay of the city since 1946, and a popular choice for breakfasts. Mimis Marigny Cocktail and tapas hangout that claims to be two blocks from the river, three sheets to the wind. Turkey and the Wolf A laid-back cafe with gourmet sandwiches to die for. Its never been easier to fly to New Orleans N ew Orleans has always occupied a special place in the daydreams of music lovers and bon vivants, and now British Airways direct route from London to New Orleans has turned that dream citybreak into a reality. The good life is something of an art form in the Big Easy, and locals pride themselves on being a culturally engaged, music-loving, food-obsessed and unashamedly pleasure-seeking bunch. New Orleans is often referred to as the birthplace of jazz, and indeed New Orleans musicians were playing what we now consider jazz music years before the term was eventually popularised on Bourbon Street in the 1910s. The melting pot of African, Sicilian and Cuban musical influences gave the city a musical flavour all of its own, and that helped New Orleans nurture and inspire some of the greatest musicians of all time, including Louis Armstrong, Sydney Bechet and Fats Domino. The city continues to be a fertile breeding ground for musical talent, producing influential funk acts such as The Meters and rap stars such as Lil Wayne. Bourbon Street was the heart of New Orleans robust jazz scene for close to a century, and if you join the music-loving masses at the iconic Preservation Hall before ducking around the corner for a Sazerac at 21st Amendment, youll immediately find yourself immersed in the infectious rhythms of this perennially party-loving city. But to really revel with the locals, pull on your dancing shoes and make for Frenchmen Street, where favourite spots like the historic Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro and The Spotted Cat Music Club will have your toes tapping as soon as you squeeze through the door. Drink it all in New Orleans was always a pioneer in the fine art of decadence, and the city is known as the birthplace of the cocktail. Cocktail tours are deservedly popular, or you can put together your own liquid itinerary tailored to your tastes. Start with the classic, a Sazerac at the Sazerac Bar in the historic Roosevelt Hotel. Then make a pilgrimage to the award-winning artisan cocktail joint Cure for a Dune Buggy daiquiri, then make yours a Hurricane at Pat OBriens in the French Quarter. Its never been easier to fly to New Orleans N ew Orleans party spirit is the stuff of legend, extending far beyond Mardi Gras, the late-winter carnival marked by colourful costumed parades and wild street parties. On average, theres a festival every three days, and most weekends are given over to a celebration of some kind or other. The two-week extravaganza of Mardi Gras itself deserves its status as one of the most famous parties on the planet, a bucket-list celebration for globe-roaming revellers. In the fortnight before Shrove Tuesday, elaborate parades take place every day, and masquerade balls are the hot-ticket events by night. Eclectic and international French Quarter Festival Other big-hitters in New Orleans jam-packed festival calendar include Jazz Fest and the French Quarter Festival, both taking place in April. Jazz Fest dates back to the 1970s and ostensibly celebrates the citys indigenous music and heritage, but since the sounds of New Orleans encompass blues, R&B, Gospel, Cajun, folk, latin, rock, rap, bluegrass and country, you can always expect a thoroughly eclectic and international line-up. The French Quarter Festival, meanwhile, is an appetising cocktail of music and food, and it might just be the largest free festival in the United States, with around 750,000 revellers taking their Sazerac cocktails onto the streets each spring. Essence Festival deserves a special mention for flying the flag for contemporary black music and culture since the 1990s, and this annual celebration marks its 25th anniversary this July with a killer lineup of musical acts and speakers, including Missy Elliott, Mary J Blige and Pharrell Williams. In October, the Voodoo Music & Arts Experience makes for an unforgettable Halloween weekend, while the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival celebrates New Orleans most famous playwright with a programme of readings, talks and performances. Five to discover in New Orleans Lesser-known festivals Tales of the Cocktail Cocktail aficionados unite for tastings, tutorials and events. Bayou Boogaloo Neighbourhood revelry on the banks of the waterway, each May. Oyster Festival A tasty celebration of the seafood that has made the French Quarter the Oyster Capital of America. Cajun-Zydeco Festival Louisianas finest exponents of these jazzy genres gather in June. Oak Street Po-Boy Festival Sample over 60 varieties of the classic sandwich in a carnival atmosphere. Its never been easier to fly to New Orleans A security guard reportedly disappeared with 1 million after abandoning his G4S cash-in-transit van in south-west London. The driver is said to have fled with 40 deposit boxes and left the vehicle in a residential street in Clapham on Tuesday. Police were alerted eight hours after the blue armoured van, emblazoned with the G4S logo, was first seen parked on a double yellow line, The Sun reported. Scotland Yards Flying Squad unit launched an investigation and a 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft in neighbouring Brixton on Wednesday. A local resident in Clapham said he was suspicious after spotting the vehicle because there are no shops here. He told The Sun: I saw some strips of paper with mum, dad and phone numbers. That worried me in case someone had come to harm. A quantity of cash was recovered and G4S, a major government contractor, said there had been no "material" financial impact from the incident. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "Police were called at approximately 7pm on Tuesday, 23 April to reports of a theft of cash deposit boxes from a cash-in-transit vehicle. "Officers attended a location in the Larkhall Rise area of Clapham where the vehicle was parked. There was no sign of forced entry to the vehicle. "An investigation was launched by the Met's Flying Squad and a 36-year-old man was arrested by officers on suspicion of theft at approximately 3pm on Wednesday, 24 April in SW2. "He has been taken to a south London police station. A quantity of cash has been recovered." Police said inquiries were continuing into the incident. T his is the first picture of a man stabbed to death by a gang who blocked a busy road as they carried out the attack. Meshak Williams, 21, was set upon by the men in Harlesden High Street just after 9pm on Tuesday. The gang arrived in two cars and held up traffic including a No 18 bus. Mr Williams staggered to a betting shop and collapsed. He died in hospital yesterday. Last night, his family gathered at the crime scene, but were too distraught to speak. A police cordon on Harlesden High Street where a man was stabbed to death on Tuesday night A woman told the Standard: I knew him when he was younger and he was a lovely boy. He didnt get himself in trouble. Detective Chief Inspector Glen Lloyd, who is leading the investigation, appealed to people on the bus to contact police. Seven men were arrested on suspicion of offences including possession of an offensive weapon and attempted murder. In a separate incident two men, aged 19 and 21, were recovering after being stabbed outside a shop in Leytonstone High Road last night. Residents are to be recruited as mentors to help young people at risk of joining gangs in east London. The scheme is part of Waltham Forest councils new public health approach to tackling violence, involving charities, police and health and education services. One charity, Spark2Life, will train residents to be mentors to support young people vulnerable to gang activity. Another will recruit locals to be Ask Me ambassadors to address concerns around gangs. A resilience programme will also be taught to 10,000 primary school children. Council leader Clare Coghill said: We need all partners across the public sector working to bring about change. Borough commander DCS Richard Tucker said: We work tirelessly to prosecute people. But we also help to divert them from this lifestyle, so there is less need for punitive action against young people. D etectives investigating journalist Lyra McKees murder have offered a 10,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible. Ms McKee, 29, was shot dead while observing rioting in Londonderry last Thursday. Hundreds of mourners attended her funeral on Wednesday in Belfast. Launching the reward for information Crimestoppers said it could "make all the difference in helping Lyra's loved ones and the wider community have the answers they deserve". Mourners said they hoped pleas for action would not fall on deaf ears. Lyra McKee Funeral - In pictures 1 /30 Lyra McKee Funeral - In pictures A mourner wearing a Hogwarts scarf holds the order of service for the funeral for journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Getty Images The congregation arrive for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral Getty Images The cover of the Order of Service for the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast PA Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, left, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish President Michael D Higgins attend the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast AP Mourners embrace ahead of the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee lies on a pew at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland REUTERS Mary Lou McDonald, Leader of Sinn Fein and Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn attend for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral Getty Images The hearse carrying the body of murdered journalist Lyra McKee arrives at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast PA Lyra McKee's partner Sara Canning (C) reacts during the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee (29), who was killed by a dissident republican paramilitary in Northern Ireland at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast AFP/Getty Images Mourners listen to the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee outside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast PA The coffin is carried into the funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast PA A mourner wearing a Harry Potter themed scarf arrives to attend the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee at St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland Reuters The service sheet for the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast PA Mourners, including one wearing a Gryffindor scarf, wait for the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast PA Mourners arrive to attend the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee at St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland Reuters Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald PA A mourner wearing Harry Potter themed cloak arrives to attend the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee at St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland REUTERS Leader of the Labour Party,Jeremy Corbyn Getty Images Taoiseach Leo Varadkar arrives for the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee Getty Images Mourners wearing Harry Potter themed shirts arrive to attend the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee Reuters The funeral service of murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast PA Mourners arrive at the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee at St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland Reuters President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast PA Prime Minister Theresa May attends the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee Getty Images Lyra McKee pictured in a recent photo before her death last Thursday / AFP/Getty Images The congregation was led by Ms McKee's partner, aged 35, her mother Joan McKee, 68, brothers Gary and David and sisters Joan, Nichola and Mary. Her family earlier paid tribute to a "gentle, innocent soul" whose "desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical". Lyra's friends filled the pews wearing homemade TeamLyra t-shirts, with Harry Potter-esque crests on the front. The funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee Ms McKee was killed by indiscriminate fire as she observed clashes between police and New IRA dissidents on the Creggan estate on April 18. The New IRA is an amalgam of armed groups opposed to the peace process and it recently claimed responsibility for parcel bombs sent to London and Glasgow in March. Police believe the violence in Derry was orchestrated in response to an earlier search by officers aimed at averting imminent trouble associated with the anniversary of the Easter Rising. Launching the reward for information, a spokesman for Crimestoppers, said it could "make all the difference in helping Lyra's loved ones and the wider community have the answers they deserve". "This murder has sent shockwaves through the local community and across Northern Ireland. Indeed it has attracted global condemnation," they said. "Ms McKee was merely doing her job as a freelance journalist. "We know that this has affected all parts of the community and we urge anyone who has information about those who are responsible to come forward." The independent organisation takes calls confidentially via a telephone or using an anonymous online form. The spokesman said: "By contacting Crimestoppers, you stay 100 per cent anonymous. Always. "You can pass on what you know, safe in the knowledge that you're doing the right thing. No-one will ever know you contacted us and you may also be entitled to a reward." The reward will expire on July 24. A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of schoolboy Jaden Moodie. Jaden, 14, was stabbed to death in Bickley Road, Leyton on January 8, becoming one of the first victims of knife crime this year. The teenager has been described as kind, helpful, very funny and generous by friends and was someone who cared about others. Friends also said the youngster was an aspiring boxer and was thought to have moved to London months before he died. Scotland Yard said a man was arrested on Thursday and is currently being held in an east London police station. The force said detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command continue to investigate the teens death and would appeal to anyone with information who has not approached the police yet, to do so. The latest arrest comes after an 18-year-old man was charged with murdering Jaden earlier this year. A security driver today pleaded guilty to stealing almost 1million from his armoured G4S van as cops were today scrambling to find find the remaining cash. Joel March, 36, appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court today to plead guilty to the theft of 970,000 in notes destined for shops and cash machines on Tuesday. Police have recovered around 60,000 from March - but more than 910,000 is still to be found as flying squad detectives probe whether others were involved. The court heard March was seen parking the G4S branded armoured van in Larkhall Rise, Clapham, at just before 9am. He returned to the van several times over the next hour before disappearing at 9.40am. The van was parked on double yellow lines, facing the wrong way in the leafy one-way street for eight hours before G4S and police were alerted by residents. March was later followed to an address in Brixton where police found the 60,000 as well as new clothes and shoes and was arrested. Prosecutor Amanda McCabe said: "G4S did not record the van [abandoned] until eight hours later. "He left behind his body armour, phone and other items in the van. "He was eventually followed to an address in Brixton and arrested. Police seized 60,000 and some amount of clothing and footwear at the address. The rest remains outstanding. "He gave an account complaining about G4S and his mental health. "There are potentially others involved in this case. We believe enquiries are on going." Bruce Reid, defending, said March would not be applying for bail ahead of sentencing at the Inner London Crown Court next month. Magistrate Karim Ezzat added: "It is right that you will be sentence at Crown Court in three weeks time." A potential breakthrough in treating an aggressive and deadly blood cancer was announced today. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and in Edinburgh have discovered an Achilles heel in a form of leukaemia, which could open the door to less-harmful treatments. At present chemotherapy is the main treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia, a cancer of the myeloid white blood cells, which defend the body against bacterial infections. AML is a rare cancer, affecting about 3,100 Britons a year, but mortality rates have increased almost 80 per cent since the Seventies. It is most common in people who have already undergone radiotherapy or chemotherapy, who have smoked or have blood disorders. Researchers discovered that a protein known as YTHDF2 is needed to trigger and sustain the disease, but can be safely knocked out without adverse effects on the body. This means that drugs which are able to target and eliminate the protein could improve the treatment of patients with AML. Chemotherapy is toxic to healthy blood cells, leading to damaging side effects. The research was done in cells derived from blood donated by patients with AML, and in mice given the cancer. The tests on blood samples showed that the protein was abundant in cancer cells, while experiments in mice highlighted its role in enabling the disease to develop and survive. The hope is that drugs can be found to remove the cancer cells without damaging healthy blood cells. Professor Kamil Kranc from Queen Mary, who jointly led the study, said: Our work sets the stage for therapeutic targeting of cancer stem cells. Professor Donal OCarroll, of the University of Edinburghs School of Biological Sciences, who co-led the research, said: The study shows the promise of a novel class of drugs as the basis for cancer and regenerative medicine treatments. T hree young women are clearing away the drooping bunches of flowers from one of the improvised shrines on my road in Kentish Town and sweep up some broken glass around it. There are two shrines a few yards apart, to 22 year old Calvin Bungisa, stabbed to death a couple of weeks ago on the evening of April Fools Day.. One was set up on the night of his death just next to the police cordon and the other a few days later to mark the exact spot where he died. Calvins death is now on of 39 murders in London this year, with seven knife attacks last Tuesday within seven hours, including one fatality. As is usual in murder cases, the police hold the body as evidence, which is why the shrines are so important to his friends and family, including the three girls who tend them daily and read each new message carefully. Calvins friends Calvin came from a close-knit Congolese family. His father had died one year ago and the family were still in grief. Calvin, who was a musician was a particularly well-known and well-liked member of the community. Which is why he was singled out, according to one of his friends who knocked on my door in tearful shock the day after the murder. Calvins popularity made him a highly visible target. I have known his friend since he was little, and that day he wanted to try and process Calvins death with someone who wouldnt judge him. He said that he kept seeing images of Calvins last breath in his head, even though he did not witness it. I have lived in this street for 25 years and have brought up my two children (who are now 24 and 28), in this very mixed community of Queens Crescent. Queens Crescent has a reputation of depravation ever since the nineteenth century when a local author described the community - barefoot, hungry children, clad in rags - raked over the refuse heaps of half-rotten fruit. For generations there have been high incidents of criminality in Queens Crescent. In pockets of entrenched poverty there will always be ways in which people have to try and make money outside conventional society. Cuts to services in the past few years are felt quickly and keenly here. In typical London fashion the wealthy areas of Primrose Hill and Gospel Oak, and even the other end of Queens Crescent, which houses bankers and prosperous professional families, surround it. Queens Crescent feels a little calmer and less chaotic in the last decade, not because of gentrification but because the shops of Queens Crescent have been rented by Muslims of different nationalities and there are two mosques in this short street. The shopkeepers are more intolerant of anyone hustling outside their grocery stores. I remember when we first moved in I felt that I wouldnt want my mixed race son to be an adolescent here, that I would want to move away before then. I stayed and gave birth to my daughter and we are all fiercely attached to this small, lively area. It is through my children and the fact that they grew up here that I came to know the young man who came to my door and some of Calvins other friends. Like so many of the residents of Queens Crescent he says that this murder is probably connected to the two murders of young Somalian men that took place in the area in February 2018. One was five minutes away in Malden Road. He had spoken to Calvin earlier on April Fools day about doing some music production, and says that Calvin was singled out not because he considered to be connected to these murders but because he was so well known and liked that it would act as a punishment for Queens Crescent and that the whole area would be cast down and depressed. Calvin was a big personality, he was always making jokes, you know. A witty man who could get on with all sorts of people. That is why the killers knew it would make a such a big impact to murder him, says his friend, sitting around my kitchen table. This collective revenge has worked. Our end of the street is the quietest it has ever been. Mothers like Jane, who lives in the estate opposite me, is keeping her teenage sons inside when they come home from school. If people are being targeted just because they are well known and easy to pick off rather than their involvement in anything, then I feel that no young lad is safe. If you live in an area where there are rival groups of boys and men running drugs then you might well be killed just because of the estate you live in. Its terrifying. The Queens Crescent Community Centre has called two soul searching meetings since the murder a couple of weeks ago, with Calvins family, local MP Kier Stiermer, youth workers, local youth MPs, Police leading the investigation, community leaders and the admirably hands on Camden Council Leader Georgina Gould. Gould spoke of the work in Youth engagement and safety already going in Camden but said the message from the community is that we need to be faster to respond to local concerns and Camden council is setting up a Violence Reduction Team to lead that response. Chief Superintendent Raj Kohli, the new borough commander told the first meeting In terms of Calvins death investigations go on. Its fair to say the team investigation is frustrated. They dont appear to have the names of the people involved. I hear a lot about people being afraid to talk to the police and would urge anyone with any information to contact the police anonymously. Another of Calvins friends and neighbours, now at university studying for a science degree but worried about his younger brother, told me that the murder would have been carried out by young men who are tasked with killing on the orders of older men. Its very hierarchical. The foot soldiers are sent out to show that they can do it, that they have the stomach for it. The cannon fodder if you like. These criminal groups are so organised and army-like that it removes the responsibility and understanding of taking other life and the consequences. These young men are following orders, and it would take a unusually strong character to say No, this is wrong. Im not going to end a life and ruin my own. C limate change activists glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange and climbed onto the roof of a train today on the final day of their protests in London. Extinction Rebellion demonstrators swarmed into the Square Mile as part of a plan to cause roadblocks targeting big businesses and banking. Two men and five women dressed in black suits, red ties and visors glued themselves in a chain to a wall and to each other at the Stock Exchange at about 6.45am. They wore LED signs reading climate emergency, tell the truth and you cant eat money. Extinction Rebellion at the London Stock Exchange - In pictures 1 /41 Extinction Rebellion at the London Stock Exchange - In pictures Extinction Rebellion at the stock Exchange London Jeremy Selwyn A second group of Extinction Rebellion protesters, five men and one woman, who have glued themselves to an entrance of the London Stock Exchange. PA Extinction Rebellion at the stock Exchange London Jeremy Selwyn Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange. PA Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Demonstrators block traffic at Fleet Street during the Extinction Rebellion protest REUTERS Police talks to demonstrators as they block traffic at Fleet Street during the Extinction Rebellion protest REUTERS Police officers attempt to remove climate change activists who have locked their hands together, as they block traffic in the City of London financial district during environmental protests by the Extinction Rebellion group AFP/Getty Images An Extinction Rebellion climate change protester with his hand glued to the floor outside the London Stock Exchange holds a banner in the City of London AP Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Protesters block traffic at Bank Junction during the Extinction Rebellion protest London REUTERS Buses and cyclists wait as protesters block traffic at Bank Junction during the Extinction Rebellion protest Reuters Members of the public wait to enter the London Stock Exchange as Extinction Rebellion protesters glue themselves to its entrances. PA Protesters block traffic at Bank Junction Luke Upton Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters block a road at Bank AP Protesters block traffic at Bank Junction Luke Upton Buses and cyclists wait as protesters block traffic at Bank Junction during the Extinction Rebellion protest Luke Upton Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Extinction Rebellion outside London Stock Exchange. Extinction Rebellion Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters protestors block a road at Bank AP Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters protestors block a road at Bank AP Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA PA Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Climate change activists block traffic by Threadneedle street i AFP/Getty Images Envrionmental campaigners from the Extinction Rebellion"group block the junction at Bank as part of their ongoing actions and protests across the capital Getty Images Envrionmental campaigners from the Extinction Rebellion"group block the junction at Bank as part of their ongoing actions and protests across the capital Getty Images In Canary Wharf, five demonstrators climbed onto a DLR train, holding signs saying business as usual = death and dont jail the canaries, while another woman glued herself to a different train. Demonstrators stand on top of a DLR train at Canary Wharf station on Thursday / Dylan Martinez/Reuters Financial workers arrived at the Stock Exchange to learn they could not enter. One said: Its annoying. I want to earn a living and I need to make sure that I do. I need to live on the planet too. A group of protesters sitting with their hands glued to the floor also blocked the rear entrance to the building. Police try to remove protesters who blocked a road in the City of London / AP They were all being removed by officers and taken to police vans nearby. The London Stock Exchange said the markets remained open as normal. British Transport Police officers used ropes, harnesses and ladders to take down the protesters who climbed on the train. Police take away protester Phil Kingston, 83, following the demonstration / Dylan Martinez/Reuters The activists, including a mother-of-three, a grandfather and a cobbler who said they were members of a group called Christian Climate Action, were arrested on suspicion of obstructing the railway. Extinction Rebellion protesters climb on top of train At a rally for activists at Southwark Cathedral, Extinction Rebellion organiser Robin Boardman said protesters should show tough love to the public on the final day of disruption. A printed swarming schedule handed out to activists showed the group planned block a number of major roads, including Fleet Street, Bishopsgate, Upper Thames Street, Bank station and the Tower of London in the morning rush hour. At Mansion House Street in the shadow of the Royal Exchange, protesters blocked the road. One demonstrator with a guitar led the group in renditions of the Beatles Cant Buy Me Love and All You Need Is Love, while another protester in a wheelchair read a book in the middle of the road. The action comes on the day the movement is due to end blockades at Parliament Square and Marble Arch. They have been urging the Government to declare a climate emergency to avoid what it calls the sixth mass extinction of species on Earth. The group said there would be a closing ceremony at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park at 5pm. E co-warriors today glued themselves to the entrance of the London Stock Exchange as their second week of protests in the capital continues. Extinction Rebellion activists said they want the finance industry to tell the truth about climate change and the impact it has on the planet. At least seven protesters, wearing visors, were pictured outside the entrance to the LSE on Thursday morning holding financial ticker style LED screens that read "tell the truth", "climate emergency", and "you can't eat money." A further six protesters - five men and one woman - also glued themselves to a second entrance of the building on Thursday morning. They were later removed by police. Extinction Rebellion at the London Stock Exchange - In pictures 1 /41 Extinction Rebellion at the London Stock Exchange - In pictures Extinction Rebellion at the stock Exchange London Jeremy Selwyn A second group of Extinction Rebellion protesters, five men and one woman, who have glued themselves to an entrance of the London Stock Exchange. PA Extinction Rebellion at the stock Exchange London Jeremy Selwyn Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange. PA Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Demonstrators block traffic at Fleet Street during the Extinction Rebellion protest REUTERS Police talks to demonstrators as they block traffic at Fleet Street during the Extinction Rebellion protest REUTERS Police officers attempt to remove climate change activists who have locked their hands together, as they block traffic in the City of London financial district during environmental protests by the Extinction Rebellion group AFP/Getty Images An Extinction Rebellion climate change protester with his hand glued to the floor outside the London Stock Exchange holds a banner in the City of London AP Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Protesters block traffic at Bank Junction during the Extinction Rebellion protest London REUTERS Buses and cyclists wait as protesters block traffic at Bank Junction during the Extinction Rebellion protest Reuters Members of the public wait to enter the London Stock Exchange as Extinction Rebellion protesters glue themselves to its entrances. PA Protesters block traffic at Bank Junction Luke Upton Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters block a road at Bank AP Protesters block traffic at Bank Junction Luke Upton Buses and cyclists wait as protesters block traffic at Bank Junction during the Extinction Rebellion protest Luke Upton Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Extinction Rebellion outside London Stock Exchange. Extinction Rebellion Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters protestors block a road at Bank AP Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters protestors block a road at Bank AP Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA PA Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange in the City of London PA Climate change activists block traffic by Threadneedle street i AFP/Getty Images Envrionmental campaigners from the Extinction Rebellion"group block the junction at Bank as part of their ongoing actions and protests across the capital Getty Images Envrionmental campaigners from the Extinction Rebellion"group block the junction at Bank as part of their ongoing actions and protests across the capital Getty Images Members of the group also climbed on top of a train on the Docklands Light Railway at Canary Wharf station in east London. At least four people were on top on the train holding signs saying "business as usual = death" and "don't jail the canaries". Police used a ladder to remove them and they were arrested. A sit-down book club was also being held in the middle of a road at Bank and a junction near Southwark Bridge was also blocked. In a statement the group said: "Time for money to tell the truth on its impact on the climate and ecological emergency." The action is part of two weeks of protests throughout London that are expected to end on Friday. Closing speeches are set to be held at Hyde Park's Speaker's Corner. Protesters have climbed onto a DLR train at Canary Wharf station / PA A British Transport Police spokesman said: "We are currently responding to a protest incident at Canary Wharf station where a @LondonDLR service is being obstructed. "Specialist units are on scene who are working to remove the protesters." A Transport for London spokesman said: "We are aware that there are demonstrations taking place across London which may cause disruption to travel. "The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority and we're working closely with the police to manage the impact on London's transport network. We would encourage people to check their journeys before they travel." A spokesman for City of London Police, which deals with the Stock Exchange, said: "We are aware protesters have taken direct action in the City this morning. We have a policing plan in place to manage protester activity." On Wednesday, protesters in London agreed to remove blockades and campsites at Marble Arch and Parliament Square but said they would swarm the city's Square Mile to cause roadblocks and target big businesses in a bid to force the government to take action. Over 13 days of disruption, more than 1,000 people have been arrested and more than 10,000 police officers deployed. A second group of Extinction Rebellion protesters, five men and one woman, who have glued themselves to an entrance of the London Stock Exchange. / PA Eco-protesters have been urging the Government to declare a climate emergency to avoid what it calls the "sixth mass extinction" of species on Earth. In a statement announcing the end of their action XR said: "We would like to thank Londoners for opening their hearts and demonstrating their willingness to act on that truth. A protester glues her hand to a train during the Extinction Rebellion protest in London. / REUTERS "We know we have disrupted your lives. We do not do this lightly. We only do this because this is an emergency. "Around the planet, a long-awaited and much-needed conversation has begun. People have taken to the streets and raised the alarm in more than 80 cities in 33 countries. Extinction Rebellion protesters who have glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange. / PA "People are talking about the climate and ecological emergency in ways that we never imagined." T he historic Smithfield Market is set to leave central London after more than 800 years of trading as it was revealed today that Barking is the preferred choice for its new location. The centuries-old meat market is expected to leave its Farringdon site, while Billingsgate Market and New Spitalfields Market will also move under the proposals. In plans put forward by the Court of Common Council, the City of London Corporations main decision-making body, all three could move to Barking Reach. The east London site was preferred to locations near City airport in Docklands and Fairlop in Redbridge. There has been a livestock market at the Farringdon site for over 800 years, but the redeveloped Victorian buildings where Smithfields now resides were officially opened in 1868. The redeveloped market, which celebrated its 150th birthday almost a year ago, is the only one of the three to remain at its original site in the heart of the City. Billingsgate moved from Lower Thames Street to Poplar in 1982, while Spitalfields relocated to Leyton in 1991. Any move would still require a private Bill to be to be passed by Parliament. The market opens for trading at 2am every weekday / Getty Images Catherine McGuinness, Policy Chair at the City of London Corporation, said the City is committed to keeping the historic markets in London. She said: The City's three world-leading wholesale food markets at Billingsgate, New Spitalfields and Smithfield have been serving our citizens for hundreds of years, and we are committed to their future for London. In order to secure their continued success, and after careful consideration of a number of options, Barking Reach has today been agreed as the preferred site for consolidating the City Corporations wholesale markets. We intend to use this new site to offer more modern facilities and space for traders to grow so that they can continue to support the capitals food economy. We will soon be launching a public consultation on our preferred option. As part of this process, we will continue to engage with market tenants, traders and their customers, and other key stakeholders across London. Our number one priority is to maintain a top-quality market environment serving London. The market is more than 800 years old City Corporation thought Barking would be a good fit for the markets as it offered good potential to support to Citys wider vision in a location that was broadly acceptable to traders. James Tumbridge, Chairman of the City of London Corporations Markets Committee, said: The ambition to provide the right environment for the long-term success of our wholesale markets has taken another positive step forward. We continue to work toward a vision for a food centre suitable for Londons future, in terms of its scale and environmental impact. Its an honour to help guide this key part of Londons infrastructure to feed our great city. One of the largest in Europe, Smithfields Market is located within the Square Mile and is managed by the City of London Corporation. It is currently located in a Grade II listed building in Farringdon by Victorian architect Sir Horace Jones who also designed Tower Bridge. A bin man fired after hitting a broken vending machine and taking bottles of coke which fell out will be paid nearly 20,000 after a tribunal found he was unfairly dismissed. Mr M P Moran, a former waste operative in the City of London for Amey, was accused by his past employers of theft and lost his job. Agreeing to the payout, the business said it acknowledged there were shortcomings in how it dealt with the situation but insisted it had since improved on how such incidents are handled. On the day in question, Mr Moran arrived at work for 5.30am and was tired due to a bad nights sleep, which the tribunal noted may have been due to him having Type 1 diabetes. Mr Moran said he was having a hypoglycaemic episode at the start of his shift and attempted to get a hot chocolate from a drinks machine. After this Mr Moran went to the vending machine, which was broken, and struck it with notable force. The worker put the bottles of coke in a rucksack after they fell out / AFP/Getty Images This caused around six bottles of coke to fall out and, according to Mr Moran, a chocolate bar that he ate. Mr Moran put the bottles into his bag and took them to hand out to colleagues, some of whom had lost money in the broken machine the previous day. The next day, when vending machine operators arrived to fix the device, it was noted that stock had been taken and CCTV was reviewed. This led to Mr Moran being suspended and there was then an investigation into what the company alleged to be theft of confectionary and drink products. It was argued witnesses mentioned by Mr Moran that might have verified his account were not interviewed by the HR staff deciding his fate. They might have confirmed he was having an episode and also that he gave the bottles to colleagues who had paid for them. The third party company which ran the vending machine also deemed the taken goods had been paid for, so therefore they were not entirely stolen. Mr Moran appealed after his dismissal, which came in 2014 but was delayed in coming to tribunal, though this was not upheld. The tribunal, held at London Central earlier this month, found that Mr Moran was unfairly dismissed by his employer, who he had worked for since 2010. However, it rejected he was discriminated against for a disability, stating though his hypoglycaemic attack might have contributed to his behaviour it was not in itself why he was fired. The business and Mr Moran have agreed a remedy payment of 19,773.60, the tribunal noted. A spokesman for Amey said: We accept the tribunal panels decision in relation to this case. We expect our employees to uphold the highest standards of integrity, however acknowledge there were shortcomings in the way we responded to this incident in 2014. A youth worker has launched a new bus helping gang members swap a life of crime for the music business after his first double-decker was torched by vandals. Justin Finlayson, 40, started the project United Borders after James Owusu-Agyekum, 22, was shot and killed across the street from Mr Finlaysons mothers house in Harlesden in 2016. He launched the project the following year in a refurbished London bus, offering mentoring, music therapy, music production experience and education about knife crime. Last April the bus was set on fire after being parked overnight in Hatfield Heath, Essex. Justin Finlayson and the projects burned bus Mr Finlayson, a former bus driver and music producer, appealed for help and this week will re-launch in a double-decker donated by Merian Global Investors. It is kitted out with recording equipment provided by Sonos Soundwaves, a youth music education initiative. The project, which has two members of staff in addition to Mr Finlayson, is backed by rapper-poet Akala and will tour London, starting in Brent. Mr Finlayson said his family had inspired him. Last January, his son, then 21, was stabbed and nearly died but he has learned to walk again. I learned a lot from him in terms of perseverance, Mr Finlayson said. He also praised the private sector involvement, saying it showed what opportunities were possible when companies are not too risk-averse. United Borders partnered with Sonos as part of the company's social impact programme, Sonos Soundwaves, which launched last year. The partnership will enable to project to continue delivering quality studio production, music therapy workshops, well-being activities, knife safety classes and mentoring for vulnerable young people. Soundwaves has committed financial funding, product donations and employee volunteers, with the bigger aim of delivering 100,000 hours of music education to young people around the world. Shakira Payne, Communications and Sustainability for Sonos UK, said: Were excited to bring our passion for music education to life with Sonos Soundwaves. We know music has the power to transform lives and dramatically improve creativity and academic performance. S taunch Remainer Andrew Adonis has come under fire for backtracking on his fervent anti-Brexit stance after the Labour lord released a statement last night saying: Labour has always been clear that it respects the result of the referendum. Adonis was recently announced as a Labour candidate in South West England in possible European elections in May and his statement included an apology for off-the-cuff remarks he made in September last year in which he said: If you are a Brexiteer, I hope you wont vote for the Labour Party. But his volte-face, announced in a Facebook post, has been met with widespread bewilderment. Does someone need to rescue Andrew Adonis from this compulsory re-education? asked Change UKs Sarah Wollaston. Prominent Peoples Vote campaigner Emma Kennedy said this morning: This is such a turnaround from Adonis that Im seriously wondering if theyre holding his family hostage. Brexiteer Kate Hoey chimed in, saying: Well done, Seumas, a nod to Jeremy Corbyns chief strategist, Seumas Milne, who is thought to back Brexit. Hoey also asked: Does anyone believe that Andrew Adonis believes this? Adonis said in February that Brexit was a catastrophic national error, like appeasement in the 1930s. It is the supreme duty of wise national leaders to argue this and to appeal to the British people not to do it. Yesterday, however, he wrote: Labour has put forward a sensible alternative plan that would ensure a close economic relationship with the EU after Brexit. He did concede that if such a plan cannot be secured then a public vote should remain on the table. Crucially, the Labour Party is holding what one source calls absolutely crunch meetings on Tuesday. Both the shadow cabinet and the NEC are set to decide whether the partys EU elections manifesto should include a confirmatory referendum on a Brexit deal. Perhaps the Labour Lord can see which way the wind is blowing on Labours second referendum position. When contacted by The Londoner this morning, Adonis declined to comment. Bank on a woman The smart money is on the next Governor of the Bank of England being a woman. The ad for Mark Carneys successor was posted yesterday and The Londoner notes that the Treasury has hired specialist recruiters to oversee the selection process: Sapphire Partners, which specialises in placing women in top executive positions. Founded by Kate Grussing, formerly of McKinsey and JP Morgan, the company has an all-female management team, and Cherie Blair is on the advisory board. Keep your eyes on Sharon White, currently CEO of Ofcom, and Shriti Vadera, chair of Santander UK and a former top aide to Gordon Brown. --- Rory Bremner is relaxed about a comedian being elected president of Ukraine. People used to say that the problem with political jokes is that they get elected, he told us at The British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Gala Dinner at Boisdale last night. It really is open season. I dont mind a comedian being elected as leader, so long as its not Boris Johnson. --- A new gig for Jeremy Paxman, who has been appointed the star columnist at over-50s magazine Saga. After taking a one-man show to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014 and becoming the unlikely hero of a charity series of The Great British Bake Off, it seems that the combative former Newsnight presenter is embracing life in the slow lane. Models band up for UN Global Goals Camilla Rutherford, Yasmin Mills, Jasmine Hemsley, Emma Weymouth and Arizona Muse (Dave Benett/Getty Images for BOT) / Dave Benett A model showing at the launch of a #TOGETHERBAND wristband last night, as Arizona Muse, Izzy Bizu and Emma Weymouth turned out in support. This is the definitive proof that beautiful people arent necessarily evil, screenwriter Richard Curtis told the crowd. The new wristbands are designed to promote the UNs Global Goals for sustainability. So, would Curtis clamber onto a pink boat in Oxford Circus? Its a complicated issue for someone like me, who is a UN Ambassador and the founder of Comic Relief, he told us. Game of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon was more outspoken. Weve got about 20 years before weve destroyed this planet. The wristbands are created using ocean plastic from Costa Rica, illegal firearm metals from El Salvador, and then made by ladies in Kathmandu, co-founder Cameron Saul told The Londoner. Dont mention the carbon footprint Meanwhile, at another green party at the O2, Matt Smith and Nik Thakkar attended the premiere of National Geographics new series of Hostile Planet. SW1A Theresa May was in Belfast yesterday to attend the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee. But she nearly didnt make it: a source tells us her first plane failed to take off due to a hydraulics failure, forcing the PM to change to an older plane. After finally departing from an RAF base in Oxfordshire, May and her entourage landed with 10 minutes to spare, and drove full throttle to get there on time. One adviser said they could feel the g-force. --- Housing minister and ornithophile Kit Malthouse shared an update on Parliaments birds of prey last night. Peregrine falcons nesting on Victoria Tower this evening, he tweeted, adding: Lovely to see nature stakes its claim in Westminster. --- Chuka Umunna rebuts critics of Change UKs rebrand. Weve dared to use three or four different colours. Listen to yourself. The fact that using more than one colour is controversial tells you all you need to know about our broken politics. Blockbusting return for bemused Kiefer Kiefer Sutherland / Redferns Kiefer Sutherland, star of US action drama 24, is a Canadian/British citizen who was born at St Marys Hospital in Paddington. But a pilgrimage to his birthplace with friends didnt go to plan, he tells Jessie Wares Table Manners podcast. I said, Thats where I was born and as I said it a wrecking ball came out of nowhere and knocked a huge hole in the wall. (The hospital is under redevelopment) I was like, I cant believe this is happening, he continues. They were moving the hospital across the street. I got to see it the last day it was there. Quote of the day 'It's a fantasy to think a new leader will change the weather' H ealth Secretary Matt Hancock today laid out an optimistic vision for Britain with the Tories in the centre ground of politics as the race to succeed Theresa May gathered pace. The 40-year-old Cabinet moderniser also warned against his party being lured by Nigel Farages success into adopting populism that is not based on objective fact. Mr Hancocks remarks came just hours after the Prime Minister had survived another attempt to oust her. The executive of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs voted 9-7 yesterday against changing the leadership rules so another vote of confidence in Mrs May could be held soon rather than having to wait until December, a year after the last one was held. However, committee chairman Sir Graham Brady said it would be a surprising response if the Prime Minister suggested she might stay on as late as December, having pledged to stand down after the first phase of Brexit, quitting the EU, is completed. The Conservative Party is facing a drubbing in the European elections at the end of May after Mr Farage returned to frontline politics with the Brexit Party, which surveys show is due to come first. There is an important debate about how you tackle this rise of populism, Mr Hancock told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. I firmly believe that there is a big opportunity for a Conservative Party rooted in the centre ground of politics which has been abandoned by the Labour Party ... which can give us an optimistic vision to the future of the country where we deliver on the economy, on all the issues that matter to people. Pressed on whether the Tories should adopt an approach similar to Farage-style populism, he added: We need to reject a populism that is not based on objective fact, on taking the country forward and actually delivering. The Conservatives were not a party of protest that shouts from the outside he added, stressing: We are a party that at its best delivers for people. M inisters must intervene in Northern Ireland so doctors feel safe telling patients they can access free abortions in England, a senior Tory warned. Maria Miller, who chairs the cross-party Women and Equalities Select Committee, said medics fear they will be prosecuted if they refer women to English NHS services for terminations. She urged the Government to stop hiding behind the cloak of the collapse of Stormont Government and make decisions on the matter from Westminster. Mrs Miller said: Doctors are fearful in Northern Ireland of criminal action. There is confusion in clinicians minds and the Government needs to act rapidly to remove that confusion. The Government cant hide behind the cloak of the executive in Northern Ireland not sitting. The executive has ceased, they have to act on this because womens lives are being affected every single day and we cant wait for the executive to sit again. Women from Northern Ireland have been able to access free abortions on the NHS since 2017, however the Women and Equalities Select Committee found that doctors still believe they will be prosecuted in the courts if they refer patients. Mrs Miller said the guidance issued by the health services in Northern Ireland needs to be updated to give medics clarity, and statements need to be made by Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who oversees the Governments Equality Office, on the legal status of the Governments policy. Ms Mordaunt has already said she wants the Director of Public Prosecutions to issue a statement to make the rules clearer. The committees damning report also called on ministers to address human rights breaches faced by women in the province over abortion access. A UN committee found grave and systematic breaches of womens rights in Northern Ireland over abortion access. The UK Supreme Court also identified a breach of human rights over women not being able to access abortions in the case of fatal foetal abnormality, rape or incest. Abortion is only permitted to take place in Northern Ireland if the womens life is at risk. T he husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe today said he was hopeful after Irans foreign minister suggested she could be released in a prisoner swap. Javad Zarif said he might free the British-Iranian mother, who was sentenced to five years in jail after being accused of spying, in exchange for an Iranian woman held in Australia. Richard Ratcliffe said the statement came as a surprise, adding: Im hopeful, and of course a little confused and sceptical. But I think its good Zarif said her name and was talking about her release yes, in a complicated way but talking about her release. Speaking at the Asia Society, Mr Zarif said the US government knew Iran was prepared to do a swap six months ago. Although he did not name the other woman, it is understood to involve Negar Ghodskani, an Iranian arrested on an American extradition request. He said: She has been lingering in an Australian jail for the past three years. Now we hear about Nazanin Zaghari [Ratcliffe] and her child, and I feel sorry for them, and I have done my best to help, but nobody talks about this lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison whose child is growing up outside prison with mother in prison. So, what can I do as a foreign minister? And I put this offer on the table publicly now. Exchange them. A woman is campaigning to get a Dublin kennel shut down after she returned from holiday and was handed her dog, dead and wrapped in duct tape. Kristen Kinch left her beloved husky Nova at P&E Boarding Kennels and Cattery for three days on December 27, 2018, while she travelled to Iceland with her family. When she returned with her mother to collect the dog on New Years Eve, she was told by staff that Nova had been found with blood coming from her that morning and was dead. We were completely shocked and beyond devastated to hear this and at first I thought it was some horrible joke considering we had left a healthy dog in to be cared for 3 days earlier, Ms Kinch wrote in an emotional Facebook post. Ms Kinch was handed her dog who had been stored in a plastic bag wrapped tightly with duct tape / Kirsten Kinch/Facebook I was then brought in to see my gorgeous dog who had been wrapped in what I can only describe as a ball in a black bag which was covered in masking tape, there was clearly so little care and empathy in the way she had been handled and dealt with since finding her. A petition to shut down P&E kennels was launched on Wednesday via Change.org. The campaign, named Justice For Nova Shut down P&E boarding kennels! has received more than 29,000 signatures in under 24 hours. Owner of the kennels, Paddy Cullen, said he and his family have received nothing but hate mail and death threats since Ms Kinch posted her message. He told Metro that when he went to let the dogs out in the morning, he found Nova lying there dead with a big pile of blood from her behind. I rang the vet and was told to wrap up the dog so as not to infect the other dogs, he explained. What other way could we do it? We were concerned about the spread of parvovirus. We were told to seal the bag so nothing could escape. Ms Kinch said she was "beyond devastated" at losing Nova / Kirsten Kinch/Facebook Ms Kinch has rejected the suggestion that her dog was suffering from parvovirus a canine viral infection that can fatally attack the intestines. I want to let you all know that what is being said about Nova and the possibility of her having parvovirus while being boarded In P&E Boarding Kennels and Cattery is false, she wrote in a fresh Facebook post on Wednesday. This is a cover up. Nova was checked by my vet two days before going to the kennels and fully vaccinated. Ms Kinch acknowledged that the husky had been suffering from colitis an inflammation of the colon which has several of the same symptoms as the deadly virus. However, she said Nova had been responding well to steroid treatment and the vet had deemed her fit to enter into the kennels. There are no words to describe how upsetting and traumatic it was to carry her to the car and take her home in what seemed a completely inhuman way, wrote the devastated owner. Nova was a once in a lifetime kind of dog for me and my family and has left a hole that will always be impossible to fill, she is loved and missed every single day and I hope writing this can stop a similar situation in the future. Clearly this kennels are not fit to provide the Level of care they advertise. One Facebook user responded: I am so sorry for your loss. I am so grateful that you are speaking up about this. T housands of people have said they will attend a protest in London to coincide with Donald Trumps three-day state visit to the UK in June this year. Buckingham Palace confirmed on Wednesday that the US president and First Lady Melania will arrive on June 3 as guests of the Queen and will meet the Prime Minister for bilateral talks. Announcing the visit, Buckingham Palace said: The President of the United States, President Donald Trump, accompanied by Mrs Melania Trump, has accepted an invitation from Her Majesty The Queen to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom. Just 24 hours later, more than 5,000 people have said they will attend a Together against Trump protest in London on June 4. US President Donald Trump / AP Writing on the Facebook event, which more than 27,000 people have said they are interested in, the organisers said: In early June, Donald Trump is planning to come to the UK. This time, it will be for a full state visit - with processions down the Mall in a golden carriage. But there wont be any cheering crowds. Last year, a quarter of a million mobilised to say no to Trumps politics of hate and division. "This time, we will take to the streets in even bigger numbers - to fight for migrant and refugee rights, for womens rights, against the corporate elites and for the future of our planet. This demonstration isn't just about Trump as one man. He is a symbol of the new far right, a politics of Islamophobia and anti-semitism, of war and conflict, and walls and fences that are growing around the world. 2018 Trump Protests in London - In pictures 1 /54 2018 Trump Protests in London - In pictures Demonstrators gather in Trafalgar Square, London during a 'Stop Trump' march as part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK. PA Tens of thousands of people take part in a Stop Trump Coalition - Stop the War Protest against the US President Donal J. Trump visit at Trafalgar Square in London EPA 'Stop Trump' demonstrators gather in Trafalgar Square after marching through London PA Tens of thousands of people marched today in protest at Donald Trump's UK visit Reuters 'Stop Trump' demonstrators gather in Trafalgar Square after marching through London PA 'Stop Trump' demonstrators march through Regent Street in London PA The protesters took to the streets in anger at the US president's controversial visit PA 'Stop Trump' demonstrators gather in Trafalgar Square after marching through London PA Protestors hold banners during the 'Stop Trump' Women's March in London AP Donald Trump earlier gave a bombshell interview with the Sun in which he criticised the Prime Minister's approach on Brexit Reuters 'Stop Trump' demonstrators march through Regents Street in London PA Demonstrators also inflated a blimp effigy of Donald Trump PA An aerial view of the women's march in progress AP Donald Trump will meet the Queen later on today Getty Images Protesters for the 'Stop Trump' Women's March hold banners in London AP Thousands more people are expected to march later on Reuters As many as 70,000 people took to the streets Getty Images People held aloft placards that read: "Trump Not Welcome" Reuters Bianca Jagger joins protesters for the 'Stop Trump' Women's March in London PA The protesters hold balloons with anti-Trump messages on them Reuters Trump's visit was criticised heavily PA 'Stop Trump' demonstrators march through Oxford Circus PA Tens of thousands of people take part in a Stop Trump protest EPA Protesters gather in central London to demonstrate against President Trump's visit to the UK Getty Images A drag queen joins protesters against the UK visit of US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Huge crowd: a bigger protest is due later today AP Protesters for the 'Stop Trump' Women's March pass along Whitehall in London PA Protesters against the UK visit of US President Donald Trump hold up placards as they take part in a march and rally in London AFP/Getty Images James O'Brien sells Donald Trump toilet paper, as part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK PA Demonstrators protest against the visit of US. President Donald Trump Reuters A man dressed as President Trump poses for a photograph as protesters against the UK visit of US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Protesters for the 'Stop Trump' Women's March pass along Whitehall in London PA Protesters for the 'Stop Trump' Women's March pass near to Trafalgar Square in London PA Protesters join a Women's march in central London to demonstrate against President Trump's visit to the UK Getty Images Tens of thousands of people take part in a Stop Trump Coalition - Stop the War Protest against the US President Donald J. Trump visit in London EPA Drag queens take part in the Drag Against Trump protest in Piccadilly Circus EPA Drag queens take part in the Drag Against Trump protest in Piccadilly Circus EPA The "Trump Baby" balloon joins demonstrators as they march to Parliament Square in London PA Demonstrators protest against the visit of US President Donald Trump REUTERS Tens of thousands of people take part in a Stop Trump Coalition - Stop the War Protest against the US President Donal J. Trump visit in London EPA Tens of thousands of people take part in a Stop Trump Coalition - Stop the War Protest against the US President Donal J. Trump visit in London EPA Organised by the Stop Trump Coalition and Stand Up to Trump, the page added: The British elite also has a disgraceful record of racism and bigotry, and on failing to tackle climate chaos. This is when we take stand together against our own hostile environment as well as that of the American government. After the visit was announced on Wednesday, Prime Minister Theresa May said the UK and US have a deep and enduring partnership and have shared interests. She said: We do more together than any two nations in the world and we are both safer and more prosperous because of our cooperation. The state visit is an opportunity to strengthen our close relationship in areas such as trade, investment, security and defence, and to discuss how we can build on these ties in the years ahead. Theresa May and Donald Trump at joint press conference at the White House in 2017 / PA A White House spokesman added: This state visit will reaffirm the steadfast and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. During his visit in June, he will attend an event in Portsmouth to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day which will include military displays and tributes to the allied troops who fought in Normandy in the Second World War. After the three-day visit to the UK, Mr Trump and his wife will then travel to Normandy on June 6 to meet French president Emmanuel Macron. A new ITV documentary has uncovered compelling new ground in the 20-year-old unsolved murder of Jill Dando with a theory that the BBC presenter was a revenge hit for NATO bombings in Serbia. The 37-year-old former Crimewatch presenter was shot dead on her doorstep in Fulham, London in April 1999 in a notorious case that has puzzled detectives for two decades. Dando parked her car outside her home just after 11.30 after just doing some shopping. As she approached her door a man came up behind her, quickly restrained her before shooting her at close range with a single bullet to the head. Gowan Avenue in Fulham where Dando was murdered / PA Archive/PA Images The whole incident took 30 seconds from the moment she left her car, her attacker vanished quickly from the scene and the gun was never found. Numerous theories including hitmen, criminal gangs and even a stalker are amongst those which continue to captivate and confound the nation. In 2001, Barry George, a local man with learning difficulties, was convicted for her murder at the Old Bailey, but he was released in 2009 after an appeal found there was a lack of evidence supporting the Met Polices case. The documentary, which airs tonight at 9pm on ITV, also reveals new information found in boxes of evidence from the first trial, as well as an interview with Sir Cliff Richard, one of Jill Dandos best friends. However, one of the documentary's most riveting strands is a trail of evidence it follows to Belgrade in Serbia, looking at a theory which connects her murder to the Yugoslav Wars in the late 90s. The documnetary details how at the time of Ms Dando's murder, Britain was one of the main partners in NATO's bombing campaign against Serbia, which was engaged in a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Kosovar Albanians. Barry George is arrested for the murder of Jill Dando Just three days before her murder, NATO bombs fell on the Serbian state broadcaster, RTS, killing 16 innocent people. Three weeks before she was murdered, Ms Dando presented a charity appeal to raise money for Kosovan refugees. The documentary uncovers what appears to be a potentially significant flaw in the investigation into her death Operation Oxborough. Met Police said the case remains open so they can not comment other than to say detectives will explore any new information that becomes available. The Serbian population are still to this day outraged by the attack, a local man telling reporter Julie Etchingham: It would be the same if Moscow hit the BBC with a nuclear missile. According to the documentary, the police files contain intelligence reports stating Ms Dando was murdered in revenge for the bombing but the Met Police investigation did not think the Serbia theory was credible. The National Criminal Service, known then as Britains FBI, even released an intelligence report to investigators which alleged that Ms Dando was murdered in revenge of the RTS bombing. Compelling evidence shows that a man appeared to have made a series of calls to the BBC, citing the murder as revenge for the bombing of the state radio and television service. Forensic officers at Gowan Avenue in Fulham / PA Archive/PA Images The documentary states that the police had details of these calls but that they never connected all of them to the same man. By 3pm on the day of the murder, the man apparently made his first call. According to a summary of message found by the programme, he said: RE THE MURDER OF JOURNALIST TELL YOUR PRIME MINISTER IN BELGRADE 15 KILLED SO 14 MORE TO GO. Just after 11am the day after the murder, the same man is believed to have made another call to the BBC, saying: "Yesterday I called to add a few more numbers to the list because your government and in particular your Prime Minister Blair murdered, butchered 17 innocent young people. He butchered, we butcher back. The first one you had yesterday. The next one will be Tony Hall. This call was taken sufficiently seriously by police to require increased security around Tony Hall, who was then the BBCs head of news. The police suspected the same man made another call with a similar message on April 28, saying: Listen you and the BBC are the voice of your government that's why your reporter is dead because your government killed 17 innocent people. While the police were aware of the second two calls, it seems they did not connect them to the call on the day of the murder. Sir Cliff Richard speaks about Jill Dando's death and her killer Phillip Ingram, a former colonel in British army intelligence, said the three messages, taken together, could have been a credible claim for the murder. He says: Thats significant because we would have expected someone to try and claim responsibility on the day of the murder and soon afterwards. If something that significant because it happened on the day of the murder has been missed then we have to ask the question what else could have been missed. The programme uncovers further potential links to Serbian warlord Arkan, as well as to major UK criminals including evidence about the bullet used in Ms Dandos murder. F ather-to-be the Duke of Sussex made a surprise appearance today to accompany his sister-in-law Kate on an official engagement as he awaits the birth of his first child. Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge smiled and laughed together as they arrived at an Anzac Day service in London on Thursday. With Harry leaving heavily pregnant wife the Duchess of Sussex behind at home to carry out the official royal engagement, bookmakers are now predicting May, rather than April, will be the royal baby's birth month. William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: "We were as surprised as everyone else that Harry decided to attend a public event as we assumed the baby was imminent. "We are now odds on that baby will not arrive until May." The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry attend Anzac Day Service 1 /16 The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry attend Anzac Day Service The Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex attend the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, London PA PA PA Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Getty Images PA REUTERS REUTERS Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS William Hill has it at 4/5 that the baby will be born in May, while Coral now has May at 1-3, followed by April at 2-1 and June as the outsider at 11-4. The duke was a last-minute addition to the royal line-up in Westminster Abbey, where he joined his sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge on Thursday afternoon. Kate, who looked chic in a teal Catherine Walker coat and Rosie Olivia hat, was pictured laughing as she chatted to Harry, dressed in a suit adorned with medals, as they made their way into the Abbey. Kate and Harry share a smile as they arrive at the Anzac Day service / Getty Images Harry had always planned to attend the service and was said to be pleased to be able to join the congregation, but Buckingham Palace only confirmed a few hours before that he would be going. The duke's name was not printed in the order of service in case Meghan went into labour with baby Sussex and he was unable to be there. Kate and William attend the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey / Jeremy Selwyn His presence suggests Meghan is showing no signs so far of giving birth soon, with the duke able to be parted from her to attend the hour-long memorial in central London. American former actress Meghan is likely to be at home in the couple's newly refurbished Frogmore Cottage in the sanctuary of the Windsor Estate. Meghan Markle is on maternity leave and is due to give birth to her first child any day now / AP The duchess's mother Doria Ragland is said to have flown from Los Angeles to stay the couple as they await the imminent birth of the baby, which will be Doria's first grandchild and an eighth great-grandchild for the Queen. The name Grace is one of the new favourite names at the bookmakers for a girl, in joint first place with Diana at 6-1 at Coral, with Arthur 8-1 favourite for a boy. Punters are still predicting a girl, while Coral has also seen a flurry of bets on Meghan giving birth to twins, with odds of 4-1. Coral's John Hill said: "The royal baby now looks more likely to arrive in May according to the betting and that is what punters have been rushing in to back over the last 24 hours. "Grace continues to be the most popular selection in our name betting and it is the girls' names which are seeing the most money." The arrival of Baby Sussex will mean Meghan will still be tending to her newborn when US president Donald Trump makes his state visit to the UK on June 3. Harry could, however, be called upon to meet Mr Trump when the controversial American businessman is entertained by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. P rince William enjoyed a heart-warming moment with a five-year-old Christchurch terror attack victim in New Zealand after she woke from a coma. The Duke of Cambridge visited Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland today, and he spent time at the bedside of Alen Alsati, five, who was critically injured during mosque shootings that left 50 dead last month. Alen was in a coma until earlier this month. When she awoke she was unable to see, speak or eat by herself but has been making small steps in her recovery. Earlier this week it was reported she had started to speak again and she was able amid smiles and jokes, to ask William if he had a daughter of his own. He responded: "Yes, shes called Charlotte. Shes about the same age as you. The father of three sat beside the five-year-olds father, Wasselm, who was also injured in the shootings. Before heading to the hospital to meet with victims, the 36-year-old spent an hour speaking to officers, first responders and medics from St John Ambulance who helped deal with the aftermath of the shattering attack on March 15. The teams explained how they co-ordinated the response and how their training equipped them to deal with events as they unfolded. "Nothing really trains you for seeing it in real life, the duke responded. "I'm sure the team pulls together." New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush praised Prince William's visit, describing it as "wonderful". "If I could use the words he used to our staff: 'a good friend doesn't pick up the phone when a person is in need. They travel to their place and put their arms around them'," he said, adding that the duke had brought great comfort to staff. The visits came as part of a solo two-day trip to the country on behalf of the Queen and at the request of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Ms Adern greeted Prince William with a traditional Maori nose rub, known as a hongi, before the two joined thousands of New Zealanders for an emotional Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial on Thursday. Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance which commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. Anzac Day 2019 - In pictures 1 /41 Anzac Day 2019 - In pictures The Duke of Cambridge walks with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial EPA The Duke of Cambridge meets five year old Alen Alsati and her father Wasseim, who are recovering in Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland after being injured in the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack Kensington Palace Prince William greets New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden during the service Reuters The Duke of Cambridge laying a wreath at the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service PA A member of the 324 Squadron pictured during the Anzac Day dawn service at Coogee Beach in Sydney EPA A soldier raises an Australian flag before a ceremony at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images Australia's Chief of Defence Forces Angus Campbell visits the Lone Pine Australian memorial to attend a ceremony to mark the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey REUTERS Gypsy O'dea (left), granddaughter of late Australian second world war veteran and former prisoner of war Neil Macpherson, is consoled by a member of Australia's Defense Forces at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway, following the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand EPA Soldiers march during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane EPA Australian servicemen take part in Anzac Day ceremonies at the military cemetery of the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, northern France AFP/Getty Images Prince William attends an Anzac Day service in Auckland Reuters The Duke of Cambridge lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial EPA Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey Reuters People walk among gravestones after an Australian Memorial service at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images Australia's Defence Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell stands in attention during a ceremony at the Lone Pine Cemetery, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, AP Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey Reuters People visit the Lone Pine Cemetery in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey AP Australian visitors attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove Reuters Australian visitors attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove Reuters Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony at Anzac Cove Reuters Visitors from Australia and New Zealand wait at Anzac Cove to attend a dawn ceremony Reuters The Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service at Auckland War Memorial PA People participate in the Anzac Day march in Sydney, Australia EPA Soldiers march during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane EPA People attend he Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the Anzacs AP Participants take part in the Anzac Day parade in Sydney AFP/Getty Images A woman carries a photo of a veteran during a march celebrating Anzac Day in Sydney AP People attend the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand EPA Visitors from Australia and New Zealand gather during a Dawn Service ceremony at Anzac Cove Beach, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images People attend the Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine in commemoration of the Gallipoli War on Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey EPA Australian soldiers take part in Anzac Day ceremonies at the military cemetery of the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, northern Franc AFP/Getty Images Ms Adern expressed gratitude over the princes presence, saying: His visit provides the opportunity to pay tribute to those affected by the mosque terrorist attacks and show support to the local and national community. She described his close connection with New Zealand, and Christchurch in particular, which he previously visited in 2011, following the devastating earthquake in the city. S torm Hannah is set to batter the UK and Ireland with winds of 70mph or more. The storm will hit on Friday evening with Ireland set for the worst battering while south-western parts of the UK are also set to be affected. The Met Office said on Thursday that its Irish partner had chosen to name the storm and new weather warnings are to be issued. Spokesman Grahame Madge said this was due to "the impact they believe will affect the Republic of Ireland". Ireland will be the worst hit (file photo) / PA On Wednesday, Met Eireann issued a Status Yellow advisory for Cork and Kerry, warning there would be "potential for stormy conditions for the south-west later on Friday and early Saturday". This warning is due to start at 6pm on Friday and expire at 6am on Saturday. Mr Madge reiterated that the system will affect Ireland most significantly. However, he told the Standard winds of up to 60 knots, just shy of 70mph, could affect the worst hit parts of England and Wales. Mr Madge said from early Friday winds will start to strengthen. By the evening rush hour Storm Hannah would start to hit western Wales and parts of Scotland. A Met Office update on Twitter said: "The storm will bring severe gales to Ireland on Friday night, with strong winds also expected for southern parts of the UK." A 95-year-old World War Two veteran has touched hearts across New Zealand after he offered words of wisdom at an Anzac Day memorial service. John Sato walked through darkness to attend the 5.30am service in Howick, eastern Aukland, where he paid tribute to Australian and New Zealand soldiers who served and died in battle. The least one can do is to remember them with some sort of respect and I think affection, too, he told New Zealands TVNZ1s news channel. I think affection is a very important thing to remember people by theyve earned it, he said. Anzac Day 2019 - In pictures 1 /41 Anzac Day 2019 - In pictures The Duke of Cambridge walks with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial EPA The Duke of Cambridge meets five year old Alen Alsati and her father Wasseim, who are recovering in Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland after being injured in the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack Kensington Palace Prince William greets New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden during the service Reuters The Duke of Cambridge laying a wreath at the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service PA A member of the 324 Squadron pictured during the Anzac Day dawn service at Coogee Beach in Sydney EPA A soldier raises an Australian flag before a ceremony at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images Australia's Chief of Defence Forces Angus Campbell visits the Lone Pine Australian memorial to attend a ceremony to mark the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey REUTERS Gypsy O'dea (left), granddaughter of late Australian second world war veteran and former prisoner of war Neil Macpherson, is consoled by a member of Australia's Defense Forces at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway, following the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand EPA Soldiers march during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane EPA Australian servicemen take part in Anzac Day ceremonies at the military cemetery of the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, northern France AFP/Getty Images Prince William attends an Anzac Day service in Auckland Reuters The Duke of Cambridge lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial EPA Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey Reuters People walk among gravestones after an Australian Memorial service at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images Australia's Defence Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell stands in attention during a ceremony at the Lone Pine Cemetery, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, AP Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey Reuters People visit the Lone Pine Cemetery in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey AP Australian visitors attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove Reuters Australian visitors attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove Reuters Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony at Anzac Cove Reuters Visitors from Australia and New Zealand wait at Anzac Cove to attend a dawn ceremony Reuters The Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service at Auckland War Memorial PA People participate in the Anzac Day march in Sydney, Australia EPA Soldiers march during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane EPA People attend he Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the Anzacs AP Participants take part in the Anzac Day parade in Sydney AFP/Getty Images A woman carries a photo of a veteran during a march celebrating Anzac Day in Sydney AP People attend the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand EPA Visitors from Australia and New Zealand gather during a Dawn Service ceremony at Anzac Cove Beach, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images People attend the Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine in commemoration of the Gallipoli War on Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey EPA Australian soldiers take part in Anzac Day ceremonies at the military cemetery of the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, northern Franc AFP/Getty Images Gazing at the rows of wooden crosses dotted with poppies, he explained he couldnt read the names of the fallen, but added: It doesnt matter, Im here. A lot of young people that went did their best and they died, said the veteran, who served in New Zealands North Island aged 18. I hope in time people will learn that its not necessary. Mankind should learn. Its a slow process. Generation after generation they remember. This is not the first time Mr Sato has made it into the headlines. He was celebrated across the world for taking four buses to attend an anti-racism rally in the aftermath of the Christchurch terror attacks. Following the shootings which killed 50 Muslim worshippers and left dozens wounded, the 95-year-old said he felt motivated to speak out against racism and stand in solidarity with his countrymen. John Sato, 95, said he was one of only two Japanese servicemen in the New Zealand army in World War Two / Getty Images The attack has brought people together, he told Radio New Zealand. It doesnt matter what their race or anything. People are suddenly realising were all one. We care for each other. When the veteran was told his attendance at the rally had attracted global attention, he responded with bafflement: Heaven help us they probably think Im a drunk. The Anzac Day dawn service was closer to home for Mr Sato, a mere stones throw from his house in Stockade Hill, Howick. So there was no multibus excursion this morning, joked TVNZ1 presenter Seven Sharp. But if thats what was required Im sure you would have, he added. A tropical cyclone has made landfall in Mozambique threatening destruction just weeks after another huge storm left hundreds dead in the country. Cyclone Kenneth hit the country in the north east on Thursday and is expected to bring heavy rains and flooding. Coastal residents in southern Tanzania have been told to evacuate their homes in preparation. The cyclone arrived in Mozambique north of the city of Pemba with maximum sustained winds of 136mph, the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre said. Last month, Cyclone Idai brought devastation to the central part of the African country. A man stands on fallen trees which damaged his home in Moroni, Comoros / AP Kenneths violent winds hit the island nation of Comoros overnight, too. Authorities estimated at least three people had died as it swept through. Reports have suggested the countrys two main islands saw power outages and trees had fallen. Cyclone Kenneth as it approaches Mozambique / EPA Mozambique is one of the world's poorest countries and the earlier storm, Cyclone Idai, wiped out crops on the eve of harvest. Hundreds of thousands of people could face hunger in the months ahead, and a new storm bringing fresh flooding will further complicate efforts to recover. The coastline of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique / AFP/Getty Images This is the first time in known history that Mozambique has been hit by two cyclones in one season, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York. The new cyclone threatens an area of Mozambique where residents are not used to such strong storms, the UN humanitarian agency said. That includes Cabo Delgado province, which has seen a rise in deadly militant attacks in recent months. A video posted by Mozambique's disaster management office showed director Augusta Maita warning residents that the new storm could be as strong as Cyclone Idai. Compulsory evacuations began for some families, the office said, sharing a list of shelters that were mostly local schools. Fallen trees are pictured in Comoros / AFP/Getty Images The UN called Idai "one of the deadliest storms on record in the southern hemisphere" and another major storm again raised concerns about climate change. Low-lying Mozambique's 1,500-mile Indian Ocean coastline makes the country one of the world's most vulnerable to global warming's rising waters. As it approached Mozambique, Cyclone Kenneth left people in the Indian Ocean island nation of Comoros without power, with some losing their homes. The UN said it was still assessing the extent of the damage. In Tanzania, the government told students and workers in the southern regions of Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma to stay at home but said people living near the coast should evacuate J oe Biden became the clear frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination today as a poll suggested he would beat Donald Trump in a race for the White House. The 76-year-old, who served as Barack Obamas vice president, was set to launch his third run at the top job today, shaking up a crowded field of Democrats vying to take on Mr Trump, 72, in next years election. He was boosted by a Morning Consult/Politico poll showed him leading by 42 per cent to 34 per cent in a head-to-head with the president. Mr Biden has an edge over Mr Trump among women (17 points), millennials (22 points) and independents (10 points). The national survey, conducted online, also shows Mr Biden has the support of 30 per cent of Democratic Party voters, with Senator Bernie Sanders in second place on 24 per cent. US President Donald Trump who will run again in 2020 / PA Mr Bidens nascent campaign hit problems last month when he was accused by several women of making them feel uncomfortable because of his public displays of affection, including hugs and kisses, earning him the nickname Creepy Joe. However, the poll of 1,992 registered voters, conducted between April 19 and Sunday, shows that 48 per cent of those questioned have a favourable impression of the former Delaware senator. Some Democrats are pushing for a younger, more liberal candidate to take on Mr Trump. But Mr Biden, discussing his prospects last month, said: Show me the really Left, Left, Left-wingers who beat a Republican. T he Duke of Cambridge has arrived in New Zealand where he is set to meet survivors of the Christchurch mosque attacks and their families. Prince William's two-day visit to the country began as he attended an Anzac Day ceremony in Auckland, where he paid tribute to those who died in battle. Dressed in a navy blue suit and wearing medals, he joined dignitaries and a crowd of invited guests for the ceremony on the country's national day of remembrance. After arriving at the city's war memorial, William was greeted with a traditional karanga, an exchange of calls that forms part of a powhiri, a Maori welcoming ceremony. Prince William lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial / EPA He joined in a poignant rendition of hymn Abide With Me, with parts of it sung in the Maori language, before listening to a performance of Requiem for a Soldier and bowing his head as prayers were offered up for those who died in Christchurch and the recent Sri Lanka terrorist attack. Giving an address, Rear Admiral James Gilmour, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, said New Zealand was still coming to terms with the mosque shootings. "As a nation, we are still grieving the loss and the fact that this happened," he said. Anzac Day 2019 - In pictures 1 /41 Anzac Day 2019 - In pictures The Duke of Cambridge walks with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial EPA The Duke of Cambridge meets five year old Alen Alsati and her father Wasseim, who are recovering in Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland after being injured in the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack Kensington Palace Prince William greets New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden during the service Reuters The Duke of Cambridge laying a wreath at the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service PA A member of the 324 Squadron pictured during the Anzac Day dawn service at Coogee Beach in Sydney EPA A soldier raises an Australian flag before a ceremony at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images Australia's Chief of Defence Forces Angus Campbell visits the Lone Pine Australian memorial to attend a ceremony to mark the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey REUTERS Gypsy O'dea (left), granddaughter of late Australian second world war veteran and former prisoner of war Neil Macpherson, is consoled by a member of Australia's Defense Forces at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway, following the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand EPA Soldiers march during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane EPA Australian servicemen take part in Anzac Day ceremonies at the military cemetery of the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, northern France AFP/Getty Images Prince William attends an Anzac Day service in Auckland Reuters The Duke of Cambridge lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial EPA Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey Reuters People walk among gravestones after an Australian Memorial service at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images Australia's Defence Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell stands in attention during a ceremony at the Lone Pine Cemetery, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, AP Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey Reuters People visit the Lone Pine Cemetery in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey AP Australian visitors attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove Reuters Australian visitors attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove Reuters Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony at Anzac Cove Reuters Visitors from Australia and New Zealand wait at Anzac Cove to attend a dawn ceremony Reuters The Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service at Auckland War Memorial PA People participate in the Anzac Day march in Sydney, Australia EPA Soldiers march during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane EPA People attend he Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the Anzacs AP Participants take part in the Anzac Day parade in Sydney AFP/Getty Images A woman carries a photo of a veteran during a march celebrating Anzac Day in Sydney AP People attend the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand EPA Visitors from Australia and New Zealand gather during a Dawn Service ceremony at Anzac Cove Beach, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images People attend the Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine in commemoration of the Gallipoli War on Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey EPA Australian soldiers take part in Anzac Day ceremonies at the military cemetery of the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, northern Franc AFP/Getty Images The duke laid a wreath at the cenotaph before the countrys Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Auckland mayor Phil Goff did the same. He joined the crowd in pausing for a minute's silence ahead of the national anthems of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. William, travelling without the Duchess of Cambridge or his three children, is due to head to Christchurch for the second part of his trip to meet with those affected by last month's mosque shootings. The Duke of Cambridge walks alongside New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern / EPA His visit comes at the request of Ms Ardern after 50 people were killed and dozens others wounded in the attacks on two mosques during Friday prayers on March 15. He is expected to meet survivors and their families, the first responders who dealt with the aftermath and Muslim community leaders during his short trip. It is not the first time William has visited Christchurch in the wake of a tragedy, with the duke also travelling to the country following a devastating earthquake in 2011. Ms Ardern, who has been praised worldwide for her handling of the fallout from the mosque attacks, said she believed this visit would "bring comfort" to the people affected. "The duke has a close connection with New Zealand and in particular Christchurch," she said. "His visit provides the opportunity to pay tribute to those affected by the mosque terrorist attacks and show support to the local and national community. E mmanuel Macron has pledged to cut taxes for middle-class workers in a bid to quell five months of yellow vest protests. In a nationally televised speech from the Elysee presidential palace, he also warned that France and Europe must better fight illegal immigration. The French president's announcement comes after three months of national debate aimed at addressing the protesters' concerns over high taxes, high unemployment and stagnant wages. Mr Macron also unveiled measures to boost pensions and help single parents and eased rules on referendums. The French leader has promised to cut taxes for middle-class workers in a bid to end the months of yellow vest protests / REUTERS He said this would make it easier for people to find an outlet for grievances besides the street protests that have convulsed the country for 23 consecutive weeks. But Mr Macron warned that there comes a time for hard choices. "I don't believe in permanent referendums, because referendums don't allow for difficult decisions at the time when they must be made," he said. He also warned that illegal immigration was weighing on France and Europe. He said he favoured a "strong" Europe that protects its borders and at the same time is able to take in some asylum seekers coming from countries where their lives are at risk. "To be welcoming, you need to have a house. So we need borders, we need borders to be respected, we need rules," he said. The move was a bid to end months of yellow vest protests in the country / Getty Images Some critics are likely to dismiss his proposals as too little, too late. The protesters see the centrist Mr Macron, a former investment banker, as leading a French government that favours the rich and want more income equality. Many French protesters have said they cannot pay their bills due to the high cost of living. Mr Macron was going to make his economic announcements last week but postponed them when the April 15 fire at Notre Dame Cathedral broke out. Government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye said Mr Macron's party leaders and government officials will meet on Monday to figure out the best schedule to implement the new measures. Fires and teargas at yellow vest protest in Paris The yellow vests, named after the fluorescent jackets French motorists are required to keep in their cars, have been protesting for 23 consecutive weeks. The numbers of protesters have dwindled in recent weeks amid internal divisions but they remain a challenge to Mr Macron's government. The movement started in November as a protest against a fuel tax hike and quickly expanded into broader public rejections of Mr Macron's economic policies. He has already made some concessions, but they failed to extinguish the anger of the yellow vest movement. In December, he abandoned the fuel tax hike, scrapped a tax increase for retirees and introduced a 100 euro monthly bonus to increase the minimum wage, a package estimated at 10 billion euros. But Mr Macron has repeatedly refused to reintroduce a wealth tax on the country's richest people - one of the protesters' main demands - and he did so again on Thursday, saying he was aiming to keep investments in France. V accine refusal is a growing public health timebomb the head of the NHS has been warned as new figures show half a million children in the UK were not vaccinated against measles over an eight-year period. Charity Unicef said increasing numbers of youngsters are unprotected against measles, which can cause disability and death. Inaccurate and misleading anti-vaccination messages on social media are thought to be one reason why vaccination rates are plummeting. Unicef's analysis shows that an estimated 169 million children around the world missed out on the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 - an average of 21.1 million a year. Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: "Getting yourself and your children vaccinated against killer diseases is essential to staying healthy, and vaccine rejection is a serious and growing public health timebomb. a sign explaining the local state of emergency because of a measles outbreak at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y. / AP "With measles cases almost quadrupling in England in just one year, it is grossly irresponsible for anybody to spread scare stories about vaccines, and social media firms should have a zero tolerance approach towards this dangerous content." A list of 10 high-income countries, published by Unicef, shows the US has the highest number of children missing out on their first dose of the vaccine. Between 2010 and 2017, some 2,593,000 youngsters in the US did not have their first dose of the vaccine. The second most affected country was France, with 608,000 unvaccinated children over the same time period, followed by the UK, with 527,000. Other countries including Argentina, Italy, Japan, Canada, Germany and Australia also made the top 10. Unicef executive director Henrietta Fore said: "The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children. "If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike." In the first three months of 2019, more than 110,000 measles cases were reported worldwide - up almost 300 per cent on the same period the year before. An estimated 110,000 people, most of them children, died from measles in 2017, a 22 per cent rise on the previous year. Children need two doses of the vaccine for protection, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommending 95 per cent coverage to achieve herd immunity, which offers protection against the disease spreading in the community. New York county hit by a measles outbreak declared a state of emergency in March 2019 and banned non-vaccinated minors from public places in a bid to prevent the once-eliminated disease from spreading. / AFP/Getty Images In the UK in 2017, there were 259 measles cases in England, rising to 966 in 2018. In 2016 and 2017, uptake of the first dose of the MMR vaccine in five-year-olds in the UK exceeded 95 per cent for the first time. However, two doses of MMR vaccine are required to ensure full protection from measles. Uptake of the second dose of MMR in five-year-old children is 88 per cent - well below the 95 per cent WHO target. Health secretary Matt Hancock is calling on social media companies to stop the spread of misinformation about vaccines. / AFP/Getty Images Figures from October to December 2018 show nine out of 10 children received their first dose by age two, rising to 95 per cent at age five. By age five, 87 per cent had had their second dose, the quarterly figures showed. Mary Ramsay, Public Health England's head of immunisations, said: "The UK achieved WHO measles elimination status in 2017, so the overall risk of measles to the UK population is low. "However due to ongoing measles outbreaks in Europe, we will continue to see cases, particularly in unimmunised individuals. "This could lead to some spread in communities with low MMR coverage and in age groups with very close mixing. Globally, 85 per cent of children received their first dose in 2017 and 67 per cent got the second dose. Unicef said the rates reflected "lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or scepticism about vaccines". Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the rise in people not vaccinating had to be tackled, and that he was "particularly worried" about the spread of anti-vaccination messages online. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he was meeting social media companies on Monday to "require that they do more to take down lies that are promoted on social media about the impact of vaccinations". He said: "Vaccination is safe, it's very, very important for the public health - for everybody's health - and we're going to tackle it." Asked whether children who have not been vaccinated for measles should be excluded from schools, Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said: "I haven't seen anyone suggesting that. "The overall risk of measles to the UK population is very low. The World Health Organisation said the UK achieved measles elimination status as recently as 2017. "Overall vaccine uptake is also very high, at over 90 per cent, but we are continuously working to drive up immunisation rates. F ormer Vice President Joe Biden launched his campaign for White House today, declaring: We are in the battle for the soul of this nation. The 76-year-old, who served as Barack Obamas number two, released a video message announcing his much-anticipated third run at the top job - boosted by a new poll suggesting he could beat Donald Trump in a straight fight for the White House. Sharing the news on Twitter, he wrote: "The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. "Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States." Joe Biden was Vice President under Barack Obama / AFP/Getty Images In the video, he hit out at current President Donald Trump and said: "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation. "If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. "Who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen." Joe Biden formally announced his intention to run / AFP/Getty Images In particular he focused on the 2017 deadly clash between white supremacists and counter protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia and noted President Trump's comments there were some "very fine people" on both sides of the violent encounter, which left one woman dead. "With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it," Mr Biden said. "And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had seen in my lifetime." Barack Obama's spokeswoman said the former President relied on Joe Biden's 'knowledge, insight, and judgment' while in the White House / Getty Images Mr Biden, a lifelong politician who was senator for Delaware from 1973 to 2009, becomes an instant front-runner alongside Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is leading many polls and has proved to be a successful fundraiser . He would be the oldest person ever elected president should he win. Among Democrats, Mr Biden has unmatched international and legislative experience and is among the best-known faces in US politics. His announcement was boosted by a Morning Consult/Politico poll showed him leading by 42 per cent to 34 per cent in a head-to-head with the current president Donald Trump. TODO: define component type apester Mr Biden has an edge over Mr Trump among women (17 points), millennials (22 points) and independents (10 points). The national survey, conducted online, also showed Mr Biden has the support of 30 per cent of Democratic Party voters. Joe Biden joins at least 19 other Democrats vying to take on Donald Trump in 2020 / AP Senator Bernie Sanders was in second place on 24 per cent. Mr Biden is well-known nationally and popular in some places Democrats have lost recently, such as working-class swing states Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, his birthplace. A spokeswoman for former President Obama said he had relied on Mr Biden's "knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency". However, Mr Obama has not officially endorsed him or any other candidate as yet. Despite the positives, Mr Biden's run will face some questions and he recently faced new questions in regards to touching and kissing strangers at political events, with several women coming forward to say he had made them feel uncomfortable. He has apologised and said he recognised standards for personal conduct had evolved in the wake of the #MeToo movement. His 2020 bid comes four years after he opted against challenging Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic contest. D onald Trump today taunted "Sleepy Joe" Biden after the former vice president declared he would enter the 2020 presidential race. The US president told Mr Biden that the race to become the Democrat presidential candidate would be "nasty" and that he would be dealing with people who have "sick and demented ideas". Mr Trump tweeted: "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. "It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!" Mr Biden launched his campaign for White House today, declaring: We are in the battle for the soul of this nation. The 76-year-old, who served as Barack Obamas number two, released a video message announcing his much-anticipated third run at the top job - boosted by a new poll suggesting he could beat Mr Trump in a straight fight for the White House. Sharing the news on Twitter, he wrote: "The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracy...everything that has made America -- America --is at stake. "Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States." Joe Biden was Vice President under Barack Obama / AFP/Getty Images In the video, he hit out at current President Mr Trump and said: "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation. "If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. "Who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen." Joe Biden formally announced his intention to run / AFP/Getty Images In particular he focused on the 2017 deadly clash between white supremacists and counter protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia and noted President Trump's comments there were some "very fine people" on both sides of the violent encounter, which left one woman dead. "With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it," Mr Biden said. "And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had seen in my lifetime." Barack Obama's spokeswoman said the former President relied on Joe Biden's 'knowledge, insight, and judgment' while in the White House / Getty Images Mr Biden, a lifelong politician who was senator for Delaware from 1973 to 2009, becomes an instant front-runner alongside Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is leading many polls and has proved to be a successful fundraiser . He would be the oldest person ever elected president should he win. Among Democrats, Mr Biden has unmatched international and legislative experience and is among the best-known faces in US politics. His announcement was boosted by a Morning Consult/Politico poll showed him leading by 42 per cent to 34 per cent in a head-to-head with the current president Donald Trump. TODO: define component type apester Mr Biden has an edge over Mr Trump among women (17 points), millennials (22 points) and independents (10 points). The national survey, conducted online, also showed Mr Biden has the support of 30 per cent of Democratic Party voters. Joe Biden joins at least 19 other Democrats vying to take on Donald Trump in 2020 / AP Senator Bernie Sanders was in second place on 24 per cent. Mr Biden is well-known nationally and popular in some places Democrats have lost recently, such as working-class swing states Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, his birthplace. A spokeswoman for former President Obama said he had relied on Mr Biden's "knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency". However, Mr Obama has not officially endorsed him or any other candidate as yet. Despite the positives, Mr Biden's run will face some questions and he recently faced new questions in regards to touching and kissing strangers at political events, with several women coming forward to say he had made them feel uncomfortable. He has apologised and said he recognised standards for personal conduct had evolved in the wake of the #MeToo movement. His 2020 bid comes four years after he opted against challenging Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic contest. K im Jong-un and Vladimir Putin have pledged to build stronger ties as they began their first ever summit. The Russian president said the talks should help plan joint efforts to resolve a stand-off over Pynongyangs nuclear program. Mr Kim's first trip to Russia comes about two months after his second summit with President Donald Trump failed because of disputes over US-led sanctions on the North. Putin meanwhile wants to expand Russia's clout in the region and get more leverage with Washington. Vladimir Putin meets Kim Jong Un - In pictures 1 /10 Vladimir Putin meets Kim Jong Un - In pictures Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia AP Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their meeting at the Far East Federal University on Russky Island in Vladivostok EPA Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un meet at the Far Eastern Federal University campus on the Russky Island in Vladivostok EPA Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, welcomes North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un for their talks Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un prior to their talks at the Far Eastern Federal University campus on Russky island in the far-eastern Russian port of Vladivostok AFP/Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their meeting at the Far East Federal University on Russky Island in Vladivostok EPA Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia EPA "We welcome your efforts to develop an inter-Korean dialogue and normalize North Korea's relations with the United States," Mr Putin told the North Korean leader ahead of the summit. Mr Putin said the talks will help the leaders better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes going on now." For his part, Mr Kim noted that with the world's attention now concentrated on the Korean Peninsula, saying: "I think we will have a very meaningful dialogue on sharing our opinions on this matter while also jointly apprising and studying it." Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un meet at the Far Eastern Federal University campus on the Russky Island in Vladivostok / EPA He also congratulated the Russian leader on his re-election to another six-year term last year. Since Mr Kims talks with Mr Trump broke down, there has been no publicly known high-level contacts between the US and North Korea, although both sides have said they were still open to a third summit. Kim wants the US to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the US maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearization moves. North Korea has increasingly expressed frustration at the deadlocked negotiations. Last week, it tested a new weapon and demanded that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo be removed from the nuclear talks. Kim arrived in Vladivostok Wednesday aboard an armoured train, telling Russian state television that he was hoping that his first visit to Russia would "successful and useful." He evoked his father's "great love for Russia" and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. The late Kim Jong Il made three trips to Russia, last time in 2011. T he Lego foundation and Lego Group has introduced a new product which could revolutionise how children with sight disabilities learn braille. It aims to help blind children play their way to learning the tactile writing system used by those who are visually impaired. The project, Lego Braille Bricks, was unveiled on Wednesday at the Sustainable Brands Conference in Paris and is currently in it's pilot testing stage. Stackable blocks will be scored with braille dots as well as printed letters, numbers and math symbols, the company announced. The combination of braille and visible printed characters are designed to help sighted teachers, students, other children and family members to interact with the bricks on equal terms, encouraging more interactive play. According to the National Federation of the blind, only 10% of blind children are learning to read the system in the US and the new initiative was launched with the mission to encourage the learning of braille and boost employment prospects. In Europe, 75% of adults with a sight disability are unemployed, reports the European Disability Forum and European blind forum. With thousands of audiobooks and computer programmes now available, fewer kids are learning to read Braille, said Philippe Chazal, Treasurer of the European Blind Union told Lego. This is particularly critical when we know that Braille users often are more independent, have a higher level of education and better employment opportunities. Lego's new product is in its pilot stage. / Efraimstochter/pixabay We strongly believe LEGO Braille Bricks can help boost the level of interest in learning Braille. The concept behind the new bricks was first proposed to the Lego Foundation in 2011 by the Danish Association of the Blind and again in 2017 by the Brazilian-based Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind. Blind associations from Denmark, Brazil, UK, and Norway have helped shape the new produce and the first prototypes are now being concept tested in these countries. T his is the moment a bungling armed robber raided a service station while trying to disguise his face with a "bag for life." During the robbery, in Queensland, Australia, the inept raider nonetheless revealed himself when he took the bag off in order to store his loot. The man entered the station, in Caboolture, and produced a knife, police said. The sole staff member complied with his demands and he was given cash. The robber used a bag for life as his already questionable disguise... before taking it off / Queensland Police When she handed over cigarettes, however, he exposed his face as he removed the disguise and greedily filled the blue bag. As the robbery happened, a man in a green hoodie and shorts watched on while carrying a Slush Puppie-style beverage. T wo Saudi sisters have urged Apple and Google to pull the government app Absher, which allows men to monitor and control female relatives' travel. Maha and Wafa al-Subaie, who are seeking asylum in Georgia, said the app helped trap girls in abusive families, controlled by Saudi's strict male guardian system. "It gives men control over women," said Wafa, 25. "They have to remove it," she added, referring to Google and Apple. Maha, 28 and Wafa, 25 fled Saudi Arabia to for Tbilisi, Georgia via Tuckey earlier this month. The pair had to steal their fathers phone and log onto his Absher account and give themselves permission to go to Istanbul. The free e-service which is provided by the countrys Ministry of the Interior and is available in the Saudi version of Google and Apple online stores, allows men to update or withdraw permission for female relatives to travel abroad. Users receive SMS updates if the womens passports are used, according to researchers. Apple's chief executive Tim Cook said in February that he had not heard of Absher but pledged to "take a look at it". Absher allows Saudis to access a wide range of government services, such as renewing passports, making appointments and viewing traffic violations. Saudi women must have permission from a male relative to work, marry and travel under the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom's guardianship system, which has faced scrutiny following recent cases of Saudi women seeking refuge overseas. The al-Subaie sisters said they knew of dozens of other young women who were looking to escape abusive families. Tech giants could help bring about change in Saudi Arabia if they pulled Absher or insisted that it allows women to organise travel independently - which would significantly hamper the guardianship system - they said. "If (they) remove this application, maybe the government will do something," Wafa told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview. The sisters' plea added to growing calls from rights groups, diplomats and US and European politicians for the app to be removed from online stores. United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday that she had asked tech companies in Silicon Valley "tough questions" this month about the "threats" posed by apps like Absher which allow Saudi men to restrict women's movement. AFP/Getty Images "Technology can, and should, be all about progress. But the hugely invasive powers that are being unleashed may do incalculable damage if there are not sufficient checks in place to respect human rights," she said in a statement. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has introduced reforms, such as lifting the driving ban for women, and indicated last year that he favoured ending the guardianship system. But he has stopped short of backing its annulment. Western criticism of the kingdom has sharpened with the trial of 11 women activists who said last month that they had been tortured while in detention on charges related to human rights work and contacts with foreign journalists and diplomats. The public prosecutor has denied the torture allegations and said the women had been arrested on suspicion of harming Saudi interests and offering support to hostile elements abroad. A Saudi teen won global attention and asylum in Canada when she holed up in a Thai airport hotel in January to escape her family. Two other Saudi sisters who hid in Hong Kong for six months were granted visas in March to travel to a third country. "Increasing cases of women fleeing the country are indicative of the situation of women in Saudi Arabia," said Lynn Maalouf, Middle East research director for rights group Amnesty International. "Despite some limited reforms, (they) are inadequately protected against domestic violence and abuse and, more generally, are discriminated against." A German woman and her 10-year-old son have been found dead in a cave in Tenerife. Police were told of the location of the bodies by a five-year-old boy who described an alleged murder scene at the cave. He told officers his father had taken the family to the location and attacked them, Spain's private Europa Press news agency reported. The boy said he escaped after he saw large quantities of blood. Members of the Spanish Civil Guard patrol make their way to the crime scene / AP Officers arrested the father, 43, who is also German, in an apartment in downtown Adeje. The man had reportedly moved to the island on a permanent basis and the woman and their two sons arrived on Monday to visit, according to reports. More than 100 emergency workers and police, aided by helicopters, participated in the search for the mother and son. Officers arrive at the a road leading to the cave where the two bodies were found / AP They were located in a cave between two ravines at the base of the Teide volcano, which towers over Tenerife island, the Spanish Civil Guard said. The bodies had signs of violence, Spain's El Pais newspaper reported, citing anonymous investigation sources. A local court that specialises in crimes against women has taken charge of the case and sealed the investigation. The volcanic Tenerife island in the Atlantic Ocean is a popular holiday destination. T he UK has advised against but essential travel to Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday bomb attacks that claimed more than 350 lives. The Foreign Office has warned terrorists "are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka" and these attacks could be "indiscriminate" and in areas visited by foreigners. As well as warning Brits not to travel, the Foreign Office added that security had been "stepped up" on the island, including a night-time curfew. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Following the horrific attacks on Easter Sunday, and the ongoing Sri Lankan security operation, I have received updated advice from the Foreign Office and decided to update the travel advice to British nationals to Sri Lanka to advise against all but essential travel. Devastation: Police inspect the interior of St Sebastian's Church in Negombo / AFP/Getty Images "Our hope is that it will be possible to change this when the current security operation has concluded. My first priority will always be the security of British citizens living and travelling abroad. "We all hope the situation will return to normal very soon, and that the Sri Lankan tourism industry is able to get back on its feet following the terrorist attacks. We will do all we can to help the Sri Lankan authorities in the meantime." The warning comes in the wake of a terror attack in Sri Lanka last Sunday, where bombs were used to attack three churches and three hotels. More than 300 people were killed, eight of whom were British nationals. St Sebastian's Church damaged in blast in Negombo / AP Advice has also been offered for those who are already in Sri Lanka, with the Foreign Office telling visitors to "keep a low profile". It advised people stay vigilant, follow the advice of local security and avoid crowded, public places. Yesterday, the Sri Lanka police issued a warning that mosques may be targeted by attacks, specifying Aulia Moqsues connected with "the burial sties of Muslim Saints". The extent of a continued threat still remains unclear, the Foreign Office added. Police officers work at the scene at St. Sebastian Catholic Church. / Reuters The Foreign Office have put out a warning as he family of Bill Harrop, from Manchester, paid tribute to the retired firefighter, who died in an explosion at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel alongside his wife, Sally Bradley, a GP. His sons, Gavin and Miles, said in a statement: "Our beloved father Bill Harrop was a devoted father, the best anyone could wish for. "On his retirement Bill moved to Australia with Sally to embark on new adventures, which have been so cruelly ended. "His happiest times were spent with his family, sharing good times as we explored the world." Family put flowers on the grave of Rexy Duglas, 67, at a cemetery near St Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka. / REUTERS One of the suicide bombers was reportedly educated in the UK and was radicalised after leaving Britain, his sister said. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed is understood to have studied in the south-east of England between 2006 and 2007, later completing a postgraduate course in Australia. Mohamed is reported to have studied aerospace engineering at Kingston University in south-west London, but the university on Thursday said it could not confirm this. The identity of Mohamed was first reported by Sky News, which said he was in the UK between January 2006 and September 2007, before returning to the UK in 2008 for a period. Two of the bombers were the sons of a wealthy spice trader, according to media reports. The father of the men was reportedly arrested on Thursday on suspicion of aiding his sons. Many of the attackers came from well-educated, middle-class families, and had been part of a pair of little-known extremist Muslim groups, Sri Lanka's junior defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told reporters. B etting is off for who is predicted to be the next actor to take the coveted role of James Bond out of the hands of Daniel Craig, who bids farewell to the character with No Time to Die. Tom Hardy is now predicted to be the actor most likely to step into the shoes of 007 after Craig steps down. Although it has not been officially confirmed, The Vulcan Reporter claims Hardy has been locked into the role since auditioning back in June. The site said that an official announcement confirming he will play 007 after No Time To Die was due to come in November. Tom Hardy has reportedly been cast as the next James Bond / Getty Images With the rumour still up in the air, read on to discover the other predictions for which actor might take the role... James Norton Dave Benett/Getty Images McMafia star James Norton was an early favourite to replace Craig, with an odds of 4/1 in recent reports from Coral. Norton is also known for his roles in Happy Valley and War and Peace, and recently starred in Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Little Women. He told Gentlemans Journal: "Bonds such an icon and means so much to so many, so theres an inevitable amount of speculation. But thats as much as it is speculation. Very flattering, very humbling speculation." Richard Madden AFP via Getty Images Bodyguard actor Richard Madden had odds of 8/1 to takeover the role of Bond. Madden became well-known after his role as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones, and recently starred in Rocketman and 1917. Madden's Bodyguard co-star, Keeley Hawes, told the Radio Times: "I said to Richard while we were shooting, 'This is like James Bond!'" "I would love to see Richard playing James Bond; I would love that," she continued. Who could be the next 007 James Bond? - In pictures 1 /21 Who could be the next 007 James Bond? - In pictures Tom Hardy 20th Century Fox Rege-Jean Page Dave Benet James Norton Rex Luke Evans Agent Publicity Idris Elba BBC Henry Cavill PA Lashana Lynch MGM Tom Hiddleston BBC Sam Heughan PA Jack Lowden Dave Benett Aidan Turner Mammoth Screen Chris Hemsworth AP Henry Golding AP Jamie Bell AP Richard Madden BBC Cillian Murphy BBC Jack Lowden Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images The Dunkirk star was pipped for the post with odds of 16/1. Lowden has also starred in films such as Fighting With My Family and Mary Queen of Scots. Sam Heughan Getty Images The Outlander star was in equal favour with Lowden with odds of 4/1. As well as Outlander, Heughan is known for Bloodshot and The Spy Who Dumped Me. Tom Hiddleston The Night Manager star was placed in the running with odds of 6/1. Hiddleston, who played Loki in Thor, has fervently shut down rumours and told Graham Norton in 2016: No one has talked to me about it. Getty Images Cillian Murphy Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy had his odds slashed last year after Danny Boyle was announced as the Bond 25 director, with Moneypenny actress Naomie Harris throwing her support behind him. She told the Daily Mail: Hes a great actor. I can totally see him in that role. However, it's looking less likely right now, with odds of 16/1. The name's Cillian: Cillian Murphy's name has ben bandied about / BBC No Time to Die is Craigs final outing as the 007 agent after he claimed he would rather slash his wrists than make another film. Craig, who previously starred in Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre, confirmed his return in the upcoming instalment last year after months of speculation. T he Spice Girls are officially back together again and theres pictures to prove it. Scary Spice, real name Melanie Brown, was then notably away in Los Angeles on prior commitments as the rest of the group kicked off their first round of rehearsals in London last week. But they have since reunited in front of a mock-up stage with Mel C belting out a hit. The group captioned the shot: Spice in the house #SpiceWorld2019. A second shot featured a solo Mel C standing tall above a group of dancers as she practised a routine. Moving on: The group looked in good spirits after the drama / Dave Benett The Spice Dancers, who were picked from 5000 applicants worldwide, will be split up into groups of five and each assigned to a different house correlating with a member for the hotly anticipated tour. The image comes after Bunton teased Brown had touched down in the capital as she shared a video from inside the rehearsal studio on Wednesday. In the hilarious clip Baby Spice filmed her follow Spice Girls and then focused on Brown while shouting about whos here. Mel B and Geri Horner reunite for Spice Girls rehearsals after sex claims drama The reunion comes after fans were left fearful for the upcoming tour as the group practised without Brown in the UK. But Bunton last week confirmed they had all been in touch over FaceTime and were working out their routines via the video calls. On Tuesday Brown told how she had been keeping up-to-date despite being away as she shared a video of herself alongside two dancers adding that she had smashed week one of rehearsals. The group will headline three shows at Wembley Stadium in June after kicking off the tour in Dublin on May 24. J ill Dando was shot dead with a single bullet to the head on her doorstep in Fulham on April 26, 1999, 20 years ago tomorrow. She was 37 and one of the most popular BBC TV presenters. Only after a year of fruitless enquiries by the Met was local sex offender Barry George charged with her murder, in May 2000. In July 2001, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. George made repeated appeals against his conviction and the third - which excluded from evidence a single particle of gunshot residue found in the pocket of his coat - succeeded, in November 2007. A second trial took place the following year, resulting in his acquittal. George has not been given any official compensation for the seven years he spent in prison - but he has won damages from newspapers that have falsely suggested he might still be guilty of the murder. The detective in charge of the case recently said he does not expect anybody else to be charged now. Sir Cliff Richard speaks about Jill Dando's death and her killer Dandos entire TV career had been at the BBC. In 1997, she was BBC Personality of the Year and she featured on the cover of the Radio Times the week she died. Earlier this month the BBC aired what was more of a tribute to her as one of their own than an investigation, The Murder of Jill Dando (available on iPlayer). It was stylish and tasteful, long on tributes from colleagues such as Nick Ross, Martyn Lewis and Jennie Bond, as well as wounded testimony from her brother Nigel and cousin Judith. Murdered: Jill Dando / BBC/PA Archive The retired police inspector, Hamish Campbell, seemed to go quite close to revealing what he still thinks about the case. He acknowledged that people think the police chose Barry George somehow as a scapegoat and, for want of a better word, a patsy, for the investigation team, because we couldnt solve it. But that was far from the case, he said emphatically, insulting and completely untrue, and wrong. That being its perspective, The Murder of Jill Dando concentrated more on the minutiae of why the gunshot residue was excluded from evidence than on alternative perpetrators. Barry George is arrested for the murder of Jill Dando George appeared only in archive footage, a BBC spokesman saying: It was not necessary to have a present-day interview with Mr George as this film set out to tell the wider context of Jills death and the fact that her murder remains unsolved. George has been kept informed of the nature of the film and the transmission. Tonight, ITV crashes in where the BBC chose not to tread. Jill Dando - The 20 Year Mystery is grittier, more crassly a true crime show, with a pulsing soundtrack. Campbell appears again, as does the author who has most investigated the case, David James Smith. But the big reveal is a brief interview with George himself, now living in Ireland. This is not illuminating, other than to suggest that he seems, now at any rate, so mentally impaired, so low in intelligence and so blunted in affect, that it seems improbable that he would ever have had the ability to carry out such an efficient assassination, just as his loyal sister asserts. Wheeling his bicycle along a riverbank, he says: I find it sad that they done what they done to me. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) More tremors may still occur after a series of earthquakes rocked the countrys main islands this week, a scientist projected. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said there have been 680 aftershocks recorded in Zambales while 80 aftershocks were felt in Samar as of 4 am Thursday. However, there may still be more of these tremors, but they will be much weaker than the strength of the previous quakes. The rule of thumb is that the aftershock would be one magnitude lower than the main shock, said Teresito Bacolcol, a PHIVOLCS scientist. The aftershocks may occur weeks or even months after the main shock, Bacolcol added. On Monday, residents of Luzon were stunned by a 6.1 earthquake that originated from Castillejos, Zambales. At least 16 people died from the temblor while 85 were injured and 14 are still missing . The Clark International Airport suffered damages, resulting to cancelled flights while a supermarket in Porac, Pampanga collapsed from the intensity, killing five people and trapping dozens more. The day after, a 6.5 earthquake brought alarm over residents in Visayas. The second quake came from San Julian town in Eastern Samar but no residents were harmed and buildings were left unscathed. Bacolcol said the maximum strength of an aftershock from the Visayas quake would be around 5.5. Mindanao also had its share of scares after a 4.7 temblor jolted waters near Baganga, Davao Oriental on Wednesday and a 4.4 quake shook the sea near Davao Occidental on Thursday. Bacolcol explained that the Zambales quake was triggered by an unnamed local fault, while the Philippine Trench, which runs from Bicol to Mindanao, was responsible for the subsequent shocks in Visayas and Mindanao. As for the West Valley Fault, the 100-kilometer line that stretches from Bulacan to Cavite, Bacolcol said it is "ripe for movement" meaning it can move at anytime. The fault line can produce earthquakes as strong as magnitude 7.2 based on its length but it only moves every 400 hundred years. The last time it moved was in 1658, Bacolcol said. Meanwhile, according to a news release from LOWA, it hired an accounting firm to perform a forensic audit, which revealed 95 unauthorized transactions totaling $457,134. The home association filed an insurance claim with its fidelity bond insurance provider and has since been reimbursed $369,000. Brown testified Mayberry admitted to using the embezzled funds for life, and that the defendant falsified documents to internal auditors to hide his actions. Financial records show the money was used for food, mortgage payments and utilities, he added. According to an affidavit Brown submitted for a search warrant in Stafford, Mayberry told police his mother became terminally ill in May 2017 and he began stealing because the expenses associated with her illness were beyond his means. However, court records reveal offense dates between 2014 and 2018. Mayberrys mother died in December 2017. Western Nebraska Community College President Todd Holcomb has been named to head Hawkeye Community College. Last week, Holcomb was one of four candidates interviewed to head Hawkeye Commmunity College in Waterloo, Iowa. According to an article from the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Hawkeye Community College's Board of Trustees voted 8-1 Tuesday evening to offer Holcomb a three-year contract. Hawkeye Community College's current president, Linda Allen, has announced she plans to retire June 30 SCOTTSBLUFF The Scottsbluff Family YMCA will host a fun, free day of activities to celebrate YMCAs across the nation on Healthy Kids Day. On Saturday, April 27, from 4-6 p.m. Kids will be able to participate in the climbing wall, swimming, bounce house, relays, hangtime, Sample TRX, yoga, kickbox conditioning, playground activities and more. There will be a drawing for a YMCA T-shirt, YMCA bag, two three-month family memberships, two three-month adult memberships and two three-month youth memberships. For more information, contact the Scottsbluff Family YMCA at 308-635-2318. There has been only one time in U.S. political history that more than one woman was a candidate for the same party's presidential nomination. It was during the 1972 campaign: Rep. Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink, D-Hawaii, the first woman of color elected to Congress, ran against Shirley Chisholm in the Oregon primary as an anti-war candidate. She dropped out after receiving only 2 percent of the vote. The Wi-Fi on my flight from Rome to Newark wasnt working, so phones were buzzing about Notre Dame as soon as we hit the runway. After the initial shock and sadness, gratitude was expressed. There are upsides to being disconnected: At least we didnt have to watch something we couldnt control on live television. Before we knew much of anything, including the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage, that seemed to be an instant lesson. Ive never been to Paris, so Ive never been to the cathedral there. But on Monday I did the closest thing I could after I cleared customs: I went to the cathedral in Newark. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is an under-appreciated treasure. Its safe to say that most people do not travel to New York City only to hop on the train to Newark to pray. More should. As it happens, the Mass schedule was changed up for Holy Week, so my visit was short that day. But had I stayed on, I may have run into the man who would later be arrested in my home cathedral of Saint Patricks on Fifth Avenue. He had to be removed by police at the Sacred Heart cathedral for refusing to leave on Monday. On Wednesday, he was caught trying to set fire to Americas Parish Church over the Hudson. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe Banca Transilvania reported a net profit of 436.07 million lei (over 92 million euro) in the first quarter of 2019, up 19pct from the same period in 2018, or 407, 51 million lei, taking into account the bank assets tax, according to the results sent to the Bucharest Stock Exchange. "In terms of operational efficiency, it is kept at a comfortable level in Banca Transilvania, that is 47pct, calculated with an annualized impact of the contribution to the Bank Deposit Guarantee Fund and the Resolution Fund", the bank's press release reads. On 31 March, 2019, Banca Transilvania's assets reached 75.9 billion lei, and loans rose to 37.04 billion lei. Customer deposits amounted to 62.7 billion lei, of which 43.45 billion lei in deposits of individual clients and 19.24 billion lei - deposits of legal entities. The bank mentions that, starting with the financial year 2019, the Emergency Ordinance (OUG) 19/2019, which regulates the calculation of the assets tax for banking institutions, entered into force. Banca Transilvania has estimated an assets tax of 136 million lei for the financial year 2019, the release reads. Banca Transilvania has 63.7pct Romanian capital and over 30,000 Romanian natural persons shareholders. AGERPRES Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici said in Tulcea on Thursday that he hopes for construction works to start on a regional hospital in Constanta County, by the end of this year. "I have a document that should have been signed by the President [of Romania] so far. If this document is approved by the President, next steps will be mine to take before Parliament with the law, so that at the end of the year in Constanta the building of a hospital with over 1,000 beds may start," Teodorovici said at the end of a conference in Tulcea. He also said that at the moment the documentation needed to organise the tenders for the construction of the three regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj and Craiova is being worked out. "If the documentation for the three hospitals come out and bids are submitted to the SEAP electronic procurement exchange, I will declare myself pleased," said Teodorovici. He did not specify the source of funding for the construction of these regional hospitals. During the new conference, he assured that there was no problem paying disability benefits and announced several measures to be taken in the case of the ANAF National Tax Administration Agency. "What I might reproach myself of last year is that I accepted to have an ANAF management that does not meet my requirements, my performance criteria. ... Reform must continue. After the holidays, we will unveil more about how ANAF should be like. We take the customs out from ANAF's authority and move it under the authority of the finance minister. That will happen as the legislation is ready," the minister said. He also said that after Easter, he will also make public the details of a new fiscal amnesty for loss making privately and state-owned companies. "This approach will save many state-owned companies, giving them a new chance for them to become profitable and to generate substantial business, which will be carried out by SMEs," Teodorovici said. On Thursday, Teodorovici and Deputy Prime Minister Daniel Suciu attended a meeting with mayors from Tulcea County and representatives of commercial companies to find out the problems the latter are facing. For two millennia, the Risen Christ lightens the darkness of the entire humankind, the resurrection of Jesus being the true hope of the entire world, says Cardinal Lucian, Major Archbishop of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, writes in his Pastoral Letter to the clergy and faithful on the occasion of Holy Easter. "The resurrection of Jesus is the world's true hope. It is not an optimism devoid of sense, but a certainty that death is no longer the last word of the humankind's existence. There is something that transcends beyond the grave: the word of Resurrection. Alongside the Holy Mother and the entire Church, we receive light from the One who exhorts us: <> so that we all share the utmost joy of His Resurrection," the Cardinal says. The Greek-Catholic archbishop says that the Resurrection of the Lord is the supreme moment of grace and renewal. "With His power, humanity's fear the long of the centuries is erased and the lack of trust of those who doubt is shattered: <>. Celebration of the Celebrations, the Resurrection of the Lord is the supreme moment of grace and renewal that challenge us and calls us to deepen the very foundations of our faith. From the oldest times until today, the Resurrection of the Lord is a stumbling block for all those who, unable to embrace the mystery and the plan of salvation ordained by God, prefer to take refuge in agnosticism or superstition. Today is also cause of lunacy for those who come to repeal all that their rationality, limited by the human condition, cannot understand and acknowledge", the Cardinal adds. In his Pastoral, Cardinal Lucian reminds the event where Pope Francis will beatify in Blaj (Alba county, central Romania), on June 2, the 7 Greek-Catholic martyrs murdered out of hatred of the faith. "Ever since Deacon Stephen until our Greek-Catholic bishops, this is our faith. Their example must make us strong today, when we prepare ourselves to welcome the Holy Father Pope Francis who on June 2, 2019 will beatify in Blaj our martyrs murdered out of hatred of the faith. <> (John, 15:18, 20). Their testimony ought to be a beacon and hope for the new generations, for strengthening in the troubled times we live in. Their sacrifice, the blood they shed out of love for Jesus Christ and for the Church bring forward the importance of the martyrdom and sacrifice in a fluid, permissive society as the one we are living in," Cardinal Lucian asserts. His Beatitude wishes everybody blessed and holy celebrations and the traditional Christ Is Risen! AGERPRES The two Romanian soldiers who were injured on April 13 in Afghanistan and who were hospitalized in the Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre, in Germany, returned home on Wednesday and they were hospitalized at the 'Dr. Carol Davila' Central Military Emergency University Hospital (SUUMC) in Bucharest. "The patients have been brought by a C27 J Spartan aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Forces, while the road transportation to SUUMC was ensured by the medical teams of the Romanian Air Force 90th Airlift Base Otopeni," a release of the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) sent to AGERPRES on Thursday informed. In the evening of April 24, the two soldiers were submitted to a medical examination at the SUUMC's Emergency Unit, by a multidisciplinary medical team. After the clinical and para-clinical examination they decided to hospitalize them at the Multidisciplinary Medical Assistance Centre for Injured Military in the Theatres of Operations. Since arriving at SUUMC and until now, the patients' state is generally good and they will remain hospitalized for recovery, MApN specified. The deposits of the non-government resident clients have dropped in March vs February 2019 by 0.7pct to the level of RON 330.846 billion and grew by 9pct (4.7pct in real terms) vs March 2018, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) informs in a release sent on Thursday to AGERPRES. The RON deposits of the population's households dipped 0.2pct to RON 121.345 billion, and against March 2018 they increased by 6.8pct (2.7pct in real terms). The RON deposits of other sectors (non-financial societies and non-monetary financial institutions) diminished by 2.5pct to RON 95.700 billion. At 31 March 2019, the RON deposits of other sectors grew by 3.6pct (minus 0.4pct in real terms) vs 31 March 2018. The RON-denominated foreign currency deposits of the residents grew by 0.3pct against February 2019, to the level of RON 113.800 billion(EUR-denominated, the foreign currency deposits dipped 0.2pct to EUR 23.893 billion). Compared to the same month of 2018, the RON-denominated residents' foreign currency deposits grew by 16.5pct (EUR-denominated, the residents' foreign currency increased by 13.9pct). Easter is not just something, is someone, is Christ Himself, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church told those who attended the Saint Vasile Liturgy, he held jointly with the Vespers at the Patriarchal Cathedral, alongside the members of the Holy Synod. "The new Easter is not something, is someone, is Christ Himself. That's why, the Holy Apostle Pavel said: 'Our Easter, Christ, sacrificed for us. So Christ is the mystical content, secret content of the Holy Easter. But this secret of His sacrificial love, humble until the end, was shown through the Holy Eucharist. The Lord's Supper or the Holy Eucharist shows the whole love of Jesus Christ until the end. (...) So the Lord's Supper means the humble and forgiving love, which is stronger than any sin, stronger than the hate and violence of those who crucified Christ, it's stronger than any power in this world, for it is His humble love and the strongest at the same time," explained the Patriarch. He brought to mind that today we celebrate "four special moments" in the life and the work of the Savior, and we need to pay a special attention to emotions and His lessons. The Patriarch underscored that "we no longer have wine and bread before us, we have Christ's body and soul." During the service, after the consecration of the Eucharistic Gifts, it took place the consecration of the Holy Oil. At the end of the service, each diocese of the Romanian Patriarchy received five liters of the Holy Oil that is used in the consecration of churches and in the service of the Holy Chrismation. We celebrate four things on the Holy Thursday: the washing of the feet, the Lord's Supper, that is, the teaching of the terrifying Mysteries, the supreme prayer and the sale (the betrayal) of the Lord, says basilica.ro. The Holiness of the Holy Oil takes place in the Romanian Orthodox Church for the 22nd time since it was granted autocephaly. The event takes place on the exact day when there are celebrated 134 years since the issuance of the Tomos of Autocephaly the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The last time when the Romanian Orthodox Church consecrated the Holy Oil was back in 2010. GUADALAJARA, Mexico, April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) announces the resolutions adopted at the Annual General Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting on April 23, 2019 to be the following: ANNUAL GENERAL ORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS MEETING MEETING AGENDA I. In accordance with Article 28, Section IV of Mexican Securities Market Law, the following was approved: The Chief Executive Officers report regarding the results of operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, in accordance with Article 44, Section XI of the Mexican Securities Market Law and Article 172 of the Mexican General Corporations Law, together with the external auditors report, with respect to the Company on an unconsolidated basis in accordance with Mexican Financial Reporting Standards (MFRS), as well as with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), each based on the Companys most recent financial statements under both standards. The Board of Directors comments to the Chief Executive Officers report. The Board of Directors report in accordance with Article 172, clause b, of the Mexican General Corporations Law, regarding the Companys main accounting policies and criteria, as well as the information used to prepare the Companys financial statements. The Report on transactions and activities undertaken by our Board of Directors during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, pursuant to the Mexican Securities Market Law. The annual report on the activities undertaken by the Audit and Corporate Practices Committee in accordance with Article 43 of the Mexican Securities Market Law, as well as ratification of the actions of the various committees, and release from further obligations. The report on the Companys compliance with tax obligations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, and instruction to Company officials to comply with tax obligations corresponding to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, in accordance with Article 26, Section III of the Mexican Fiscal Code. II. APPROVAL for the ratification of the actions by our Board of Directors and officers and release from further obligations in the fulfillment of their duties as approved by the governing bodies. III. APPROVAL of the Companys financial statements, on an unconsolidated basis, in accordance with MFRS (Mexican NIF) for purposes of calculating legal reserves, net income, fiscal effects related to dividend payments and capital reduction, as applicable, and approval of the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with IFRS for their publication to the financial markets, with respect to operations during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 fiscal period; and approval of the external auditors report regarding the aforementioned financial statements. IV. APPROVAL of the Companys net income for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, reported in its unconsolidated financial statements in accordance with MFRS presented in agenda item III above, which was Ps. 4,936,818,189.00 (FOUR BILLION, NINE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN THOUSAND, AND ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-NINE PESOS 00/100 M.N., the allocation of 5% (FIVE PERCENT) of this amount, or Ps. 246,840,909.00 (TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIX MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND AND NINE HUNDRED AND NINE PESOS 00/100 M.N.), towards increasing the Companys legal reserves, with the remaining balance of Ps. 4,689,977,280.00 (FOUR BILLION, SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-NINE MILLION, NINE HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN THOUSAND AND TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY PESOS 00/100 M.N. to be allocated to the account for net income pending allocation. V. APPROVAL of the allocation from the account for net income pending allocation, of an amount equal to Ps. 4,737,835,452.00 (FOUR BILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVEN MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND, AND FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO PESOS 00/100 M.N.), for declaring a dividend equal to Ps. 8.42 (EIGHT PESOS AND FORTY TWO CENTS) per share, to be distributed to each share outstanding as of the payment date, excluding any shares repurchased by the Company as of each payment date in accordance with Article 56 of the Mexican Securities Market Law; any remaining amounts of net income pending of allocation after the payment of such dividend will remain in the account for net income pending of allocation. The dividend will be paid in the following manner: i) Ps. 4.21 (FOUR PESOS 21/100 M.N.) per share as of the payment date, to be distributed before August 31, 2019; and ii) Ps. 4.21 (FOUR PESOS 21/100 M.N.) per share as of the payment date, to be distributed before December 31, 2019. VI. APPROVAL for the cancellation of any amounts outstanding under the share repurchase program approved at the Annual General Ordinary Shareholders Meeting that took place on April 25, 2018 for Ps. 1,250,000,000.00 (ONE BILLION, TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION PESOS 00/100 M.N.) and approval of Ps. 1,550,000,000.00 (ONE BILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION PESOS 00/100 M.N.) as the maximum amount to be allocated towards the repurchase of the Companys shares or credit instruments that represent such shares for the 12-month period following April 23, 2019, in accordance with Article 56, Section IV of the Mexican Securities Market Law. VII. RATIFICATION of the four members of the Board of Directors and their respective alternates named by the Series BB shareholders as follows: Proprietary Alternate Laura Diez Barroso Azcarraga Carlos Laviada Ocejo Juan Gallardo Thurlow Alejandro Cortina Gallardo Eduardo Sanchez Navarro Redo Carlos Alberto Rohm Campos Maria Jose Cuenda Chamorro Juan Jose Alvarez Gallego VIII. APPOINTMENT of Mr. Alfredo de Jesus Casar Perez by Infraestructura y Transportes Mexico, S.A. de C.V., as member to the Board of Directors, in accordance with the corresponding legal guidelines. IX. RATIFICATION of Mr. Carlos Cardenas Guzman, Mr. Joaquin Vargas Guajardo, Mr. Angel Losada Moreno, Mr. Alvaro Fernandez Garza, Mr. Juan Diez-Canedo Ruiz, and Mr. Luis Tellez Kuenzler, as members of the Board of Directors, designated by the Series B shareholders. As of this date, the Board of Directors will be comprised of the following: Proprietary Alternate Laura Diez Barroso Azcarraga Carlos Laviada Ocejo Juan Gallardo Thurlow Alejandro Cortina Gallardo Eduardo Sanchez Navarro Redo Carlos Alberto Rohm Campos Maria Jose Cuenda Chamorro Juan Jose Alvarez Gallego Carlos Cardenas Guzman Not applicable Joaquin Vargas Guajardo Not applicable Alvaro Fernandez Garza Not applicable Juan Diez-Canedo Ruiz Not applicable Angel Losada Moreno Not applicable Luis Tellez Kuenzler Not applicable Alfredo de Jesus Casar Perez Not applicable X. APPOINTMENT of Ms. Laura Diez Barroso Azcarraga as Chairwoman of the the Companys Board of Directors, and the ratification of Mr. Carlos Laviada Ocejo as Alternate, in accordance with Article 16 of the Companys bylaws. XI. APPROVAL of (i) the compensation paid to the members of the Companys Board of Directors during the 2018 fiscal year and (ii) the proposal to keep the amounts for fees and payments for the Companys Board of Directors unchanged for the 2019 fiscal year, compared to those paid in 2018; with a payment of 100% for assistance. XII. RATIFICATION of Mr. Alvaro Fernandez Garza, as member of the Board of Directors designated by the Series B shareholders to serve as a member of the Companys Nominations and Compensation Committee, in accordance with Article 28 of the Companys bylaws. XIII. RATIFICATION of Mr. Carlos Cardenas Guzman as President of the Audit and Corporate Practices Committee. The Audit and Corporate Practices Committee will be comprised of the following: CARLOS CARDENAS GUZMAN, CHAIRMAN ANGEL LOSADA MORENO, MEMBER JUAN DIEZ-CANEDO RUIZ, MEMBER XIV. The report concerning compliance with Article 29 of the Companys bylaws regarding acquisitions of goods or services or contracting of projects or asset sales that are equal to or greater than US$ 3,000,000.00 (THREE MILLION U.S. DOLLARS), or its equivalent in Mexican pesos or other legal tender in circulation outside Mexico, or, if applicable, regarding transactions with relevant shareholders. EXTRAORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS MEETING APRIL 23, 2019 MEETING AGENDA I. Approval to reduce the Companys shareholders equity by a total amount of Ps. 1,592,493,907.41 (ONE BILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY-THREE THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND SEVEN PESOS 41/100 M.N.) and, consequently, pay Ps. 3.03 (THREE PESOS AND THREE CENTS) per outstanding share, and, if the amendment is approved, the modification of Article 6 of the Companys bylaws. As per the aforementioned, the amendment of the first paragraph of Article 6 of the Companys bylaws is approved. Company Description: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexicos Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concesiones Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts, and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial conditions, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that may involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party that is in charge of collecting these complaints, is 01-800-563-0047. The web site is http://www.lineadedenuncia.com/gap . GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Thursday she had sent to President Klaus Iohannis a request for him to motivate the rejection of her picks for the minister of justice Eugen Nicolicea, minister of European funds Oana Florea and minister for Romanians abroad Liviu Tit Brailoiu. In an interview to daily Adevarul, she said she did not agree with the restructuring of her cabinet, because she would rather do it "the normal way". "I talked to Mr Dragnea, we consult each other; he is the chairman of the party, it is normal for us to have discussions on each project. I did not agree with the restructuring of the government (...) I thought we had to go the normal way. I started from two aspects: I do not want a Dancila 2 Cabinet, I want to have the same cabinet. The second reason is related to President Iohannis' assertions that he will feel neglected and go before the Constitutional Court, which mean an impasse will be reached again. The third aspect: I have considered that the government is functioning well as it is now. Today I have sent to the President a request for him to motivate the rejection of the three picks, because I believe that the opportunity to appoint a new minister is up to the prime minister to decide. The President will only have to say something if there are legality issues about a recommended minister, not about the opportuneness," Dancila said when asked how she would respond to the request of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) national chairman Liviu Dragnea, who gave her until after the holidays to come up before Parliament for a new vote of confidence, and if, under such circumstances, he would accept the restructuring. Regarding the answer she will give to Dragnea after Easter, Dancila said: "On this subject, I decided to follow the normal path without restructuring. I will think about it during the holidays," adding that there is quite unlikely for her to have second thoughts about it. Asked if the picks for interim ministers - Ana Birchall, Eugen Teodorovici, Stefan Radu Oprea - were hers or the result of a discussion with Dragnea, the prime minister explained: "I talked to the party chairman, I could not leave things unattended. I discussed with Mr Dragnea and together we decided on the picks for interim minister." Dancila said that she did not know whether or not the initial three picks will still be standing, and that the issue will be considered at a convention of the PSD Executive Committee. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila carried out a meeting on Thursday with Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Romania Jiang Yu, during which the dynamic nature of the political dialogue and the bilateral cooperation between the two countries were highlighted. "The head of the Government in Bucharest congratulated Mrs Ambassador Jiang Yu on recently taking over the office as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Romania and assured her of the entire support of the Romanian authorities. The discussions highlighted the dynamic character of the political dialogue and of the bilateral cooperation between Romania and the People's Republic of China, which are based on a long friendship, understanding, mutual respect, strengthened over the seven decades since the establishment of the diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila evoked the substance meeting with Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang, on the sidelines of the summit of the heads of government of the Central and Eastern Europe - the People's Republic of China cooperation format (Dubrovnik, 12 April), as well as the meeting with the delegation led by First-ranked Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Zhang Qingli, on the occasion of the visit to Bucharest, held between 20 and 23 April," a Government release sent to AGERPRES informs. According to the quoted source, Dancila hailed the cooperation level between the two states, showing that the People's Republic of China is a very good trade partner of Romania in the Asian area. In this context, Romania's interest for a balanced growth of the bilateral commercial exchanges was highlighted, as well as for an active participation in economic missions, international fairs and exhibitions in both directions. "The Ambassador of the People's Republic of China congratulated Romania for exercising a successful Presidency at the EU Council. Viorica Dancila highlighted that Romania endorses the strengthening of the EU-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, in line with the commitments taken on at the EU-China Summit (Brussels, 9 April 2019). The meeting also occasioned the tackling of the main topics of the sectorial cooperation, namely the legal framework in focus, with an emphasis on areas with the potential to boost trade and human, tourism, educational, cultural, business contacts, including at local level. Moreover, it was welcomed the level of administrative cooperation provided by the institutional twinning of cities and counties of Romania and the People's Republic of China. During the meeting, aspects of cooperation between the two countries at the UN level were discussed, including in terms of the mutual support of candidacies," the release mentioned. President Klaus Iohannis accused the Social Democratic Party (PSD) on Thursday that it will try to boycott the referendum on 26 May, underscoring that this party is politicising this national consultation. "The PSD will certainly try through all means to boycott this referendum. It doesn't matter if the PSD opposes, it matters what you want, Romanians, who go to the vote. You have seen what laws they make for them, how they want to protect themselves. This time, there is the chance of a radical change. The signal will be given on 26 May at the referendum and elections to the European Parliament. I was accuse that I politicise this referendum. No. the PSD politicises this referendum. (...) Who goes to vote can teach a lesson to the PSD members," Iohannis said at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. Romania will be hosting next month a military exercise European Spartan 2019 designed as joint training forC-27J Spartan military aircraft pilots, the Romanian Defence Ministry (MApN) said Thursday in a press statement. According to the cited source, the European Spartan 2019 military exercise will take place May 13-24, 2019, at the 90th Airlift Base / Otopeni as part of the events conducted by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. "The exercise is part of a series of activities planned and organised by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Romanian Air Force at the 90th Airlift Base / Otopeni under the EATF (European Air Transport Fleet) programme, being designed as a multinational training event involving air transportation ," according to MApN. The countries participating in the exercise, alongside Romania, are Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania and Slovakia, but observers from other states that own such aircraft, whether European or even non-European, such as Australia, Greece or the United States, are also expected to attend. The military exercise European Spartan 2019 is unique in the EATF programme and is designed as joint training C-27J Spartan military aircraft users, to develop interoperability in tactical operation and maintenance. In this exercise, Romania has the status of host nation and the Romanian Air Force personnel has an important role in the planning team. The C-27J SPARTAN aircraft is designed to perform tactical missions in peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, providing direct air transport to the war zone, day and night. The airplane is capable of transporting forces, equipment, vehicles, light artillery, various equipment and materials and assuring the parachuting /debarkation of forces, materials and equipment. It can operate for long periods of time without direct support from the deployment base, and in severe weather. The military exercise is based on a complex scenario, which involves the practice and the consolidation of the flight mission techniques, landing on soil and short-distance tracks, personnel and materials parachuting, co-operation with combat aircraft, co-ordination of air and land actions, medical evacuation, while also exercising aircraft maintenance enforcement procedures in multinational teams. Such events are essential to the harmonisation of European and NATO air transport operations in order to improve the interoperability of air transport crews and, ultimately, to make operations more efficient in a multinational context, according to MApN. Senator Robert Cazanciuc of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD), chairman of the Romanians Parliament's Judiciary Committee, said on Thursday after meeting a visiting Venice Commission delegation that there was an open dialogue in which he explained that the controversial emergency ordinances on justice legislations were adopted to unblock things. "About my meeting with the Venice Commission I can say it was an open dialogue. If they take into account what I told them, there will be a win-win for everyone situation, as I explained very clearly why emergency ordinances were needed: because there were blockages, we did not always agree with all the solutions. We had a very good dialogue in Parliament, there is nothing special, and however, we are far below the number of emergency ordinances issued, for example, by the Ciolos Cabinet lengthwise. Unfortunately, as far as I am concerned after the last meeting, what we discussed at the meeting was not very much reflected in the report; I hope it happens this time, at least we have been assured that it will be an objective reflection of the situation," said Cazanciuc after a meeting of the Venice Commission delegation with representatives of the Judiciary Committee at Parliament House . Cazanciuc pointed out that Emergency Ordinance 92 was issued precisely to implement the recommendations of the Venice Commission regarding the retirement age, the replacement of the members of the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM). Asked to comment on the members of the Venice Commission having recommended that a special section to investigate magistrates should not be established, Cazanciuc said: "I suggested them to discuss with former prosecutor Tiberiu Nitu about the need for the special section to discuss with judges in Oradea, in Bucharest, who have been pressured into ruling a certain way. I explained to them that for me as minister of justice it was very difficult to accept - the mind of an educated, civilised man is not set to understands that at the level of a central organisation someone may abuse that position. " The establishment of the special section, added Cazanciuc, was considered by the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) to be in accordance with the constitution, and he said that the members of the Venice Commission "do not correctly perceive the realities experienced in Romania in recent years," and voiced hope that after the meeting they will have at the newly established special section, "where they will have evidence of over 1,500 cases on magistrates, they will better understand the need for this section." Representatives of the Romanian Parliament's Special Committee on Justice met the Venice Commission delegation on Thursday to discuss controversial emergency ordinances amending justice legislation. Representing Parliament at the meeting were Florin Iordache, Robert Cazanciuc, Liviu Pop, Eugen Nicolicea - PSD, Eduard Dirca, Iulian Bulai and Vlad Gheorghe of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR) and Valeria Schelean Somfelean of the opposition National Liberal Party (PNL). Senior official with Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) Dan Neculaescu had a round of consultations with Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar on Thursday to discuss the situation of the Romanian minority in Ukraine. Regarding the situation of the Romanian community in Ukraine, MAE reports that Neculaescu reiterated the clear position of MAE on "the importance of the relevant rules and standards in the field of the protection of the national minorities' rights being applied in good faith." Neculaescu referred directly to the vote on Thursday by the Supreme Rada on the use of the Ukrainian language as a state language and strongly reiterated "the need for the measures taken by the Ukrainian state to assure that the rights of the Romanian ethnics are observed in accordance with the international rules and standards in the field." "He pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will carefully analyse the text of the adopted law, pointing out that the Romanian side will continue to make every effort in the bilateral dialogue to identify the appropriate solutions to fully address the concerns of the Romanian minority in Ukraine." The two officials agreed to continue discussions within the Romanian-Ukrainian joint intergovernmental committee on the protection of the rights of the national minorities' rights, as well as the projects carried out in support of the Romanian community. Co-operation in regional formats, security in the Black Sea zone, NATO-Ukraine co-operation, Ukraine's relations with the European Union and the prospects for the Eastern Partnership were also discussed, with Neculaescu reiterating Romania's support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. At regional level, the two officials expressed their concern with the deterioration of the security environment and underscored the importance of the principles and rules of international law being observed. The Romanian official underlined the importance of advancing the domestic reform process in Ukraine based on the obligations under Ukraine's association agreement with the European Union. Agreement was voiced on making more effective the use of existing bilateral co-operation mechanisms such as those inside the Romanian-Ukrainian joint intergovernmental committee on economic, industrial, and technical and scientific co-operation. Neculaescu pointed out the importance of stepping up efforts to make concrete progress on these levels. The publication with the Electronic Public Procurement System (SEAP) of the technical documentation required for the construction of regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj and Craiova are a main priority for Eugen Teodorovici while in office as acting minister of European funds. "A very important issue is that of the regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj and Craiova. I will try a simplified procedure, a much faster one, so that by the end of my interim ministership I can see in the Electronic Procurement System the launching of the construction of the three facilities," Teodorovici told AGERPRES at the end of a meeting with representatives of the Tulcea business community. Another priority is promoting research projects that were submitted for funding in 2018 and have not received any opinion yet. Regarding the Danube Delta ADI ITI financial mechanism for integrated investment, he said he is expecting it to have a 100 percent absorption rate and mentioned that discussions are being held to make this mechanism multiplied the same area in the next programming period. "When I was the acting development minister, I discussed with the World Bank to review the current strategy and present it for the next financial cycle to see what the arguments before the Romanian government and the European Commission can be in to get additional funds in this area," Teodorovici said. He met leaders of the Tulcea business community on Thursday afternoon and announced that next month the government will make public a package of measures to support them. During the meeting with the business people, Teodorovici mentioned that he was planning to start the construction of a regional hospital in Constanta this year, an investment that will be carried out in partnership with the Turkish Government on 400 million euro. "I treat it as a civilian-military hospital (...) Constantia is ok: it has immigrants, it has a NATO base that expands, it has summer tourists and Tulcea is near. And then it will be a hospital with over 1,000 beds of about 400 million euro. When the hospital is ready, the one in Constanta must go, because at 3-magnitude earthquake it will fall and also because we do not have staff to keep two hospitals going. It will be an exemplary hospital, from the quality of the healthcare services, to the management of the facility," said Teodorovici. CALGARY, Alberta, April 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quorum Information Technologies Inc. (TSX-V:QIS) (Quorum) announces that it has changed its previously announced 2018 Earnings Results release date to allow additional time for its auditors to complete their audit of Quorums annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018. Quorum will now issue its 2018 Earnings Results after markets close on Monday, April 29, 2019, rather than on April 25, 2019. The associated conference call will take place Tuesday, April 30, 2019, beginning at 07:00 MT (09:00 ET), at which time Maury Marks, President and Chief Executive Officer and Marilyn Bown, Chief Financial Officer will provide a presentation of the 2018 Earnings Results followed by a question and answer period. Anyone wishing to participate in the conference call is asked to dial-in using the following numbers and ask for the Quorum Information Technologies Inc. 2018 Year End Results Conference Call. Callers are asked to dial in 10-15 minutes before the scheduled start time. Details for anyone wishing to participate in the conference call are: Local: Toll-Free North America: 1 (403) 451-9838 1 (888) 231-8191 A replay of the conference call will be available beginning at 09:45 MT (11:45 ET) on April 30, 2019, until 21:59 MT (23:59 ET) on May 14, 2019, and can be accessed by dialing: Local: Toll-Free North America: Password#: 1 (403) 451-9481 1 (855) 859-2056 7169819 A replay of the conference call will also be available for at least 30 days following the conference call on Quorums website, under the Investors section, at www.quorumdms.com . Quorums Year End 2018 Earnings Results investor presentation will also available for download after the Year End 2018 Earnings Results press release has been issued under the Investors section on the Companys website, at www.quorumdms.com . About Quorum Information Technologies Inc. Quorum is a North American company focused on developing, marketing, implementing and supporting its portfolio of software and services for automotive dealerships that includes: XSellerator, a Dealership Management System (DMS) that automates, integrates and streamlines key processes across departments in a dealership, and emphasizes revenue generation and customer satisfaction. DealerMine CRM, a sales and service Customer Relationship Management system and set of Business Development Center services that drives revenue into the critical sales and service departments in a dealership. Autovance, a sales desking system that increases sales department gross margins and improves customer satisfaction for dealerships. Advantage, a full showroom system for both franchised and independent dealerships and a comprehensive operating system that includes accounting for the independent market. Quorum Information Technologies Inc. is traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under the symbol QIS. For additional information please go to www.QuorumDMS.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. Quorum Contact: Daniela Trnka 403-777-0036 TrnkaD@QuorumDMS.com PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/b1dc8a9e-6d86-4587-997c-032656a01a07 MEXICO CITY In April 2017, a group of Mexican executives filed into the Texas governors mansion in Austin for a meeting they hoped would help save a trillion-dollar trade deal. They had a simple pitch for their audience Republican Governor Greg Abbott, a handful of business leaders and some party donors: it would be in Texas best interest to preserve the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Abbott was just one of the prominent names on a list of dozens of American politicians and business executives that Mexico would carefully compile to help save NAFTA from the relentless attacks of U.S. President Donald Trump. Supplying them with up-to-date information on trade and investment flows, the Mexicans believed the Americans could persuade policymakers that scrapping NAFTA would hurt U.S. workers and companies. Rather than be good to Mexico, said Juan Gallardo, a prominent Mexican businessman who helped craft the strategy, the message was dont shoot yourself in the foot. The inside story of Mexicos efforts to stop Trump from killing NAFTA and to preserve its essence in a reworked accord comes from interviews with more than 20 Mexican and U.S. officials, lawmakers and executives involved in the process. After 18 months of talks and concessions by both sides, a deal was struck. Canada later signed on in what became known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which awaits ratification by lawmakers in the three countries. But final approval has become more uncertain since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives from Republicans, a potential setback to Mexicos best laid plans. Giving ground Mexican business and political leaders, including the heads of the foreign and economy ministries, started scrambling to save the 25-year-old trade deal right after Trumps election in November 2016. Early on, they decided to avoid public confrontation with Trump, who had made blaming NAFTA for job losses, particularly in manufacturing, a centerpiece of his campaign. Tit-for-tat wasnt going to work, said Moises Kalach, head of the international negotiating arm of Mexicos CCE business lobby. We agreed not to even get into the ring. Trump showed no sign of backing off after taking office in January 2017, telling aides he wanted to withdraw simultaneously from NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), according to three Mexican business and government leaders. When Trump pulled out of TPP that month, Mexican officials feared NAFTA would be next. In Mexico City, then-foreign minister Luis Videgaray and his counterpart in the economy ministry, Ildefonso Guajardo, flew to Washington to sketch out possible concessions for an overhauled trade pact. Meeting with Trumps economic advisers and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, they floated stricter content rules for auto manufacturing, tougher Mexican labor laws and changes to dispute resolution mechanisms, Mexican participants said. Those early concessions would eventually evolve into new rules set out in the USMCA deal. Im absolutely convinced that if that didnt happen ... NAFTA would have died in January 2017, Videgaray told Reuters shortly before leaving office. While Videgaray dangled concessions, Mexicos private sector rolled out a lobbying operation underpinned by reams of data supplied by IQOM, a Mexican trade consultancy. Headquartered in an old stone townhouse in Mexico City, IQOM collected data and intelligence to pinpoint U.S. businesses with the most to lose from a NAFTA repeal. Two top Mexican negotiators of the original NAFTA, Herminio Blanco and Jaime Zabludovsky, spearheaded the effort. It was a permanent, online, computer-based information-gathering drive, said IQOM partner Zabludovsky. And a lot of data crunching. Meanwhile, the CCE hired Washington lobbying firm Akin Gump in the summer of 2017 to help identify about 250 potential U.S. allies, Gallardo said. Akin Gump and the CCE communicated daily and met regularly. The idea was to engage with USMCA stakeholders on both sides of the aisle and in the Trump administration, an Akin Gump spokesperson said, and build CCEs brand and reputation as a trusted partner. Throughout the process, Mexican negotiators were in close contact with their Canadian counterparts even as Mexico also left the door open to a bilateral deal with the United States. Eye-opener During negotiations, Mexicos private sector had some 200 representatives in Washington updating its negotiators on how best to pitch the case to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, according to sources involved in the process. Each member of Mexicos team also had politicians or executives to target. Kalach of the CCE said he spoke to 36 U.S. state governors about the value of cross-border trade. Mexican participants often expressed surprise about how little U.S. politicians knew about the extent of bilateral economic ties. Even in Texas, the state doing the most trade with Mexico, some officials appeared not to have grasped fully what a NAFTA termination could cost, Gallardo said. At the April 2017 meeting in the governors mansion, the Mexican delegation gave a detailed breakdown of trade between Mexico and Texas to Abbott and the others, who included Gerardo Schwebel, executive vice president of the International Bank of Commerce, and oil tycoon Paul Foster, sources said. Economic ties were explained by players, by amounts, Gallardo said. That was an eye-opener... no one had ever put that together into one paper. Abbott eventually sent a letter to Lighthizer defending NAFTA emphasizing that Texas exported more than $90 billion of goods to Mexico annually and that nearly a million jobs depended on free trade with the NAFTA partners. In a second letter to Lighthizer, Abbott asked the Trump administration to reconsider its demand for a sunset clause that could have killed the new agreement in five years, a major Mexican concern. In the end, the clause was left out. John Wittman, a spokesman for Abbott, confirmed the Austin meeting, adding that the governor had been engaged with various stakeholders and White House officials throughout NAFTA talks. Lighthizers office did not respond to a request for comment. Help from Wall Street High among the list of prospective allies drawn up by Mexico were several top Wall Street executives, including Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase & Co., Blackstones Stephen Schwarzman and KKRs Henry Kravis. Dimon chairs the Business Roundtable, which, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was viewed by the Mexicans as a powerful voice in support of NAFTA. The banking executive proved particularly effective, Mexican and U.S. sources said. Among others, a source familiar with the situation said, Dimon met with Kushner, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Gary Cohn, Trumps chief economic adviser until April 2018. Calling Mexico a peaceful neighbor, Dimon publicly argued a trade agreement would help ensure that the young democracy in Mexico is not hijacked by populist and anti-American leaders. Mnuchin held multiple meetings with counterparts, and offered his input to Lighthizer as he negotiated USMCA, a U.S. Treasury official said. Mnuchin sees Canada and Mexico as important trading partners, and believes free and fair trade with them benefits the United States, the official added. The White House did not respond to requests for comment about the meetings. Representatives for Cohn, Schwarzman and Kravis declined to comment or did not reply to requests for one. Kansas City Southern Chief Executive Officer Pat Ottensmeyer, whose company runs trains through Mexico, was a staunch advocate for NAFTA in the United States, and also consulted with top-level Mexican officials. Between Trumps inauguration and the end of 2018, Kansas City Southern said it had organized or participated in 65 meetings with lawmakers or regulators, as well as 76 speeches or conferences in defense of NAFTA. Ottensmeyer recalled speaking to several cabinet members, including Lighthizer and current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when he was still head of the CIA. The approach was to literally talk to anybody and everybody who we thought was willing to listen and could be influential in the process, Ottensmeyer told Reuters. A representative for Pompeo declined to comment. Within months, Mexicos lobbying efforts began paying dividends: American politicians and business executives were making a case for NAFTA directly to the White House, pushing back on Trumps ongoing threats to rip up NAFTA. From what I understand, Gallardo said, Trump never, ever in his wildest dreams imagined the kind of uproar this was going to create. And thats what stopped him. Additional reporting by Frank Jack Daniel and Anthony Esposito in Mexico City, Jennifer Hiller in Houston, Richard Cowan in Washington, David Henry in New York. Dallas, Texas, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global bioplastic packaging market size is estimated to witness the hike of USD 28.57 billion by 2025. With the increasing growth in terms of revenue is attributed to the rising environmental and social crisis arising from the self-disposal and renewability problems of the petroleum derived packaging materials. The rapidly increasing societal awareness regarding the environmental impact of food and packaging wastes have led to the growth in the bioplastic packaging market share in recent times. Request a PDF sample of the global Bioplastic Packaging market research report @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/701 The market research report on global bioplastic packaging studies the market demand, key drivers, restraints, and opportunities including trending scenario for the period ranging from 2015 to 2025. The report delivers the historical trends from 2015 to 2017 and market forecast from 2018 to 2025. Moreover, the report learns about the current status and future prospects of the market at global as well country level. The global bioplastic packaging market is segmented on the basis of solution, end-user, vertical and geography. The bio plastic is formed from biomass and food crops in-addition the supply of low cost, bio-based raw materials is greatly boosting the market. But in most countries regulation and legislation has inspired additional environmentally property business practices as an example, the Governments drive towards achieving a zero waste economy, through reducing waste and increasing exercise, has fostered Associate in Nursing multiplied consciousness of resource potency. This awareness has indirectly promoted the employment of bioplastic packaging product. The Global Bioplastic Packaging Market Size 2017 by Raw Material (PET, PE, Other Non-Biodegradable, PBAT, PBS, PLA, PHA, Starch Blend), by Product (Rigid, Flexible), by Application (Plastic, Bottle, Food Packaging, Others), By Region (US, Rest of North America, UK, Spain, Italy, France, Rest of Europe, China, India, Japan, Southeast Asia Brazil, Mexico, Rest of America, GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of MEA) and Forecast 2019 to 2025 study provides an elaborative view of historic, present and forecasted market estimates. Based on the raw material, the global bioplastic packaging market is categorized by PET, PE, Other Non-Biodegradable, PBAT, PBS, PLA, PHA, and Starch Blend. Packaging from bio based plastics have been register to develop with the detailed introduction of new materials such as PHA, PLA, starch, and cellulose based materials. The market size is dominated by bioplastic packaging PET, generating the fastest growing revenue rate. Moreover, Bio PET has hugely found application in manufacturing plastic bottles as its thermal and mechanical properties are similar to the oil-based PET. On the basis of product, the global bioplastic packaging market is fragmented into Rigid and Flexible. Furthermore in terms of applications, the global bioplastic packaging market is sub segmented into Plastic, Bottle, Food, Packaging, and Others. Direct purchase the Single user copy of the research study @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/researchreport/purchase/701 Looping on to the regional overview, the global bioplastic packaging market is wide range to North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and MEA. In 2017, Europe registered the largest market share in the global bioplastic packaging market and estimated to dominate the market during the forecast period. Moreover, regional industries have cleverly adopted bioplastic packaging over conventional plastics with an objective of transforming Europe into a proper waste management region. Regions such as Italy, Germany, and the UK are the key countries involved in the production and development of bioplastic packaging in Europe. Asia Pacific is estimated to witness the hike at the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2024. The large population base of the region is anticipated to supply growth opportunities for the bioplastic packaging market in Asia-Pacific. Leading players of the global bioplastic packaging market include BASF SE, Koninklijke DSM, NatureWorks, LLC, Metabolix, The Dow Chemical Company, Mitsubishi Plastics Inc., Novamont S.p.A, Braskem SA, and ECM BioFilms. Major points from Table of Contents: Chapter 1. Executive Summary Chapter 2. Research Methodology Chapter 3. Market Outlook Chapter 4. Bioplastics packaging Market Overview, By Raw Material Chapter 5. Bioplastics packaging Market Overview, By Application Chapter 6. Bioplastics packaging Market Overview, By Product Chapter 7. Bioplastics packaging Market Overview, By Region Chapter 8. Industry Structure Chapter 9. Company Profiles Continued Grasp advance knowledge on Bioplastic Packaging Industry through in-depth Blogs, White Paper & Infographics: Access the White Paper Bioplastic Packaging: New Material For A More Sustainable Future @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/white-paper/bioplastic-packaging-new-material-for-a-more-sustainable-future Read the in depth blog titled All You Need To Know About Bioplastic Packaging @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/blogs/all-you-need-to-know-about-bioplastic-packaging Browse more related reports: Global Flexible Packaging Market Size 2017-2023: The global flexible packaging market size is segmented on the basis of application as food and beverage packaging, pharmaceutical products, tobacco products, personal care products, agricultural products, and others. The others category makes up of sporting goods and agricultural products. Geographically, the flexible packaging market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. Browse the full report @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/industry-reports/flexible-packaging-market Global Biodegradable Polymer Market Size and Forecast, 2018-2025: The global biodegradable polymers market is projected to reach more than 800 kilo tons by 2025. Rising concern regarding plastic waste and declining biodegradable Polymers prices are expected to be the key market drivers. High-income countries including most of Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, and South Korea have an effective plastic waste management system in place. Browse the full report @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/press-release/biodegradable-polymers-market About Us: Adroit Market Research is a global business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps. Johnson As a trans person, I saw a lack of positive portrayals of us in the media and an extreme lack of documentation of us in the media in any celebratory way. It was always in a binary way of I always knew I was a man/woman, and I tire of that. Q Why are so many trans people involved in gaming? McCarthy I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that gaming is an area in which people can experiment with gender in a way that is less threatening than it would be for them to present themselves publicly in their day-to-day lives. When you create a character online, it is often the case that people have no idea what your appearance is or your life history, and they will often interact with your character online as you present. This is something that a lot of trans folks find very liberating and very useful as they begin to express their authentic selves. Johnson When I was a young person, I did a lot of Dungeons and Dragons. I have always been fascinated by geek culture and people proudly proclaiming geek status. I have always been a fan of geek culture. I have always had a fondness and a love for my geeky friends. At the end of the six-year effort, Trupiano said she hopes outcomes will spur long-term state investment. When women plan their pregnancies, they tend to be healthier, better able to achieve their educational and career goals and meet the demands of parenthood. This leads to healthier women and babies, savings in public services and reduced health disparities. What we are trying to do is level the playing field when it comes to contraception, she said. Other states have adopted similar efforts. In 2007, a private donors investment of $27 million to improve family planning services in Colorado drove a 50 percent reduction in teen births and abortions and saved nearly $70 million in public assistance costs, according to a 2017 state report. Trupiano says the funding from the foundation helps fill the gaps not covered by $5 million a year Missouri receives under Title X, the federal program that helps provide family planning and reproductive health services to low-income residents. During a ceremony at Soldiers Memorial, Mayor William Dee Becker said O'Hare's courage and dash "give voice to our pride and joy in this hour." Befitting the bravado of the times, O'Hare told reporters, "It will be a relief to get back to my real job, which is flying and fighting." In a separate interview, Rita O'Hare said she was proud of her husband, adding, "I worried only when I didn't know where he was." She had plenty more time for that. O'Hare returned to the Pacific and became lead fighter pilot on the carrier Enterprise. On the night of Nov. 26, 1943, he was shot down in his new Hellcat fighter near the Tarawa atoll. O'Hare was 29 and the father of an infant girl when he was killed. After the war, St. Louis leaders pondered building a new airport and naming it after O'Hare. Chicago scored a beat in 1949 by naming its airfield in his memory. Thus, O'Hare International Airport. O'Hare had lived only occasionally with his father, Edward J. O'Hare, who divorced his mother in 1932 and moved to Chicago. The elder O'Hare ran a racetrack there and was gunned down by mobsters in 1939. EAST ST. LOUIS A man who stole $10,000 in cash from a cashier window of a casino in August and also robbed a Metro East bank was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison. Christopher M. Coleman, 45, of St. Louis, reached inside a caged cashier window at the Casino Queen on Aug. 31 and grabbed a stack of wrapped $100 bills from the counter, Illinois State Police said. Coleman had walked up to the cashier window seeking a cash advance, police said. Before he approached, a cashier inside the caged window put a stack of cash on the counter, planning to refill her cash drawer after counting the money. The cashier "momentarily left the stack unattended," and Coleman reached into the cage, grabbed the cash and put it into his pants pocket, police said. When the cashier returned to the window, Coleman cancelled his request for the advance and left the casino. Illinois State Police obtained an arrest warrant for Coleman after identifying him as the man who took the cash, police said. About a month later, Coleman robbed a FCB Bank at 2729 Maryville Road in Maryville, according to charging documents provided by the Madison County state's attorney's office. Luxembourg 25 April 2019 Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Brs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY, ISIN LU0075646355, the Company) advises that shares in the Company will be traded ex-dividend NOK 1.50 as from today, 25 April 2019. The date of payment of the dividend will be 03 May 2019. ******************************************************************************* Subsea 7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industrys partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs. ******************************************************************************** Contact: Isabel Green Investor Relations Director Subsea 7 S.A. Tel +44 20 8210 5568 isabel.green@subsea7.com www.subsea7.com Attachment ST. LOUIS A St. Louis police officer is facing a misdemeanor charge after allegedly trying to stun another officer while she was driving their patrol car. Christopher Childers, 34, is facing a charge of assault in the fourth degree. According to a probable cause statement , Childers allegedly tried to stun the female officer with his department-issued Taser while she was driving their patrol car down Washington Avenue on Feb. 26. "The victim was afraid she would lose control of the patrol car," the probable cause statement reads. Childers has been with the department for nearly 10 years. Childers' case will go to trial in June, his attorney Nicole Moody said, and she anticipates they will enter a plea of not guilty. Moody said she could not comment further until her motion for discovery was granted by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement in response to an inquiry from a reporter, stating that since a warrant has been issued the department could not discuss the case in detail. "This incident was initially investigated by our Internal Affairs Division and the case was presented to the Circuit Attorney's Office for review," the statement reads. "We have always followed this process when necessary as it relates to criminal misconduct and we will continue to do so." Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Because of the early hour, no one was inside the building when it happened. The video carried a timestamp for the crash of 3:45 a.m., and the crash activated an alarm system at the school, Deichmann said. He couldnt explain the lapse in time before dispatchers were called. James said the boy was a student at the high school and alone in the vehicle when it crashed. He just went through the front doors, James said. He did not drive around inside the school. James said police hadnt had a chance to interview the boy. I dont know any motivation, James said. Police saw the video but do not have a copy of it. The police chief told the Post-Dispatch that the building principal "denied our request for it." The school district's custodian of records, Laura Heidenreich, denied the newspaper's request for the video, as well. BROOKFIELD NEWS, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE:BBU) (TSX:BBU.UN) ("Brookfield Business Partners") today announced an agreement to sell its 100% stake in BGRS, one of the largest global providers of executive relocation services, to Relo Group, Inc. Brookfield Business Partners expects to generate net proceeds of approximately $230 million from the sale. BGRS provides best-in-class talent mobility solutions, managing over 60,000 corporate and government client relocations annually in more than 140 countries from its 14 global offices. Under Brookfields ownership for many years, BGRS has expanded its service lines and executed a number of growth initiatives to become a global leader with a long-standing track record providing comprehensive mobility services to corporate and government clients. Closing is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2019. Advisors CIBC Capital Markets and BFIN Securities, LP are acting as financial advisors to Brookfield Business Partners. Brookfield Business Partners is a business services and industrials company focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that benefit from barriers to entry and/or low production costs. Brookfield Business Partners is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed business services and industrials company of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (NYSE: BAM)(TSX: BAM.A)(EURONEXT: BAMA), a leading global alternative asset manager with more than $350 billion of assets under management. For more information, please visit our website at https://bbu.brookfield.com. BY RONALD FRASER With each criminal conviction, the state of Missouri matter-of-factly tells the defendants how long they will spend behind bars. Hidden from view, in the fine-print, is a long list of additional penalties attached to these convictions. Only upon leaving prison and while attempting to rebuild their lives do offenders experience, first-hand, how these non-prison collateral consequences limit or deny their basic rights to housing, food stamps, education, voting, employment, child custody and much more. A 2018 study conducted by the Prison Policy Initiative found that formerly incarcerated people are unemployed at a rate of over 27 percent higher than the total U.S. unemployment rate during any historical period, including the Great Depression. Exclusionary policies and practices are responsible for these market inequities. The study concludes: A prison sentence should not be a perpetual punishment. States should implement automation record expungement procedures and reform their licensing practices so as to eliminate the automatic rejection of people with felony convictions. SAN FRANCISCO, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Algolia , the leading Search and Discovery solution for websites and mobile apps, today announced it was recognized as one of the 50 Highest Rated Private Cloud Computing Companies To Work For, in a list released by Battery Ventures , a global investment firm and cloud investor, and Glassdoor *, one of the worlds largest job and recruiting sites. This marks Algolias second consecutive appearance on the list. The list highlights 50 privately-held companiesall business-to-business, cloud-computing companieswhere employees report the highest levels of satisfaction at work, according to employee feedback shared on Glassdoor. The distinction placed Algolia at number 37 out of 50 total, with an overall company rating of 4.1. The broader average across Glassdoor is 3.4. We are thrilled to be recognized on this years list of top places to work in the cloud industry. At Algolia, we pride ourselves for our strong company culture around the world, said Nicolas Dessaigne, co-founder and CEO, Algolia. We are growing rapidlywe increased our employee headcount by 84% in 2018. This award is a testament to the teams dedication to putting culture first in the midst of such momentum by establishing an open and collaborative work environment. We also believe positive culture is a critical foundation required to build an industry-leading product, thereby extending Algolias value to customers. This is the third year Battery has issued the list, along with a related ranking of the 25 Highest Rated Public Cloud Computing Companies to Work For. The rankings highlight the broader trend of businesses increasingly turning to the cloud to run critical technology systems and software, instead of using on-premises systems. The lists also highlight the increasing importance of cohesive culture and employee happiness in running a successful business. The private companies on this list have not only scaled their products, teams and business functionsbut theyve managed to scale culture, said Neeraj Agrawal, general partner at Battery Ventures. We view these rankings as a key indicator of company health and longevity, and we hope all companies on this list view it as an honor to be included. Full lists of the highest-rated 50 private cloud companies and 25 public cloud companies to work for can be found here . Helpful Links About Algolia Our mission is to make every search interaction meaningful and rewarding through developer-friendly and enterprise-grade APIs. Algolia helps the most innovative companies across all industries create powerful, relevant and scalable discovery experiences for their users. Unlike other solutions, Algolia's hosted platform reduces the complexities of building and scaling a fast, relevant digital experience and helps teams accelerate development time. More than 6,500 companies like Twitch, Lacoste, Discovery Communications, Medium, WeWork, Zendesk and Stripe rely on Algolia to manage 50+ billion search queries a month. Founded in 2012, Algolia is backed by $74M in funding from Accel Partners, Alven Capital, Point Nine Capital and Storm Ventures. The team is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Paris, London, New York and Atlanta. To learn more, visit www.algolia.com . About Battery Ventures Battery strives to invest in cutting-edge, category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, Web infrastructure, consumer Internet, mobile and industrial technologies. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at stages ranging from seed to private equity and invests globally from offices in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, London, New York and Israel. Follow the firm on Twitter @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here . Changes to bus driver rest and meal breaks under the Employment Relations Act 2000 have forced a delay in the reinstatement of some bus routes on the Tauranga Bayhopper Network. Following feedback from local communities, the Public Transport Committee agreed at its March meeting to reinstate the Papamoa, Maungatapu and Matua bus services. The reinstated routes were due to be implemented in April, however the upcoming bus driver meal break changes means they will now be delayed until later this year. The legislative changes for meal breaks will come into effect on May 6. The legislative changes are impacting bus networks across the country. We are working closely with NZ Bus so that any changes to bus drivers rest and meal breaks can be implemented as smoothly as possible in the Western Bay of Plenty, says Namouta Poutasi Bay of Plenty Regional Council General Manager Strategy and Science. We will provide as much information as possible, as early as possible, to our local communities about any impacts to the bus network as a result of these legislative changes, including via our website and Facebook page, Namouta says. The first Civic Service took place at the new Papamoa Cenotaph today. Members of the public gathered to remember those who served in the First World War. The service began with a march lead by bagpipe players, and school students with wreaths and New Zealand Defence Force members were also in attendance. Deputy Mayor of Tauranga Kelvin Clout welcomed those who attended, and he says it was a beautiful day and place for the service. Mount Maunganui College Head Boy Louis Donovan spoke at the service. On this day, every year, we come together as a country to remember and acknowledge the sacrifices so many have made on behalf of our country. Royal New Zealand Navy representative Garin Golding shared personal memories at the service, and he says he is grateful for his Father and Grandfathers service over the years. Today I encourage you to reflect on what Anzac Day means to you. Whatever reason youve come here today, I thank you for your attendance. Police are at the scene of a serious crash in Whakatane. A vehicle crashed on Te Rahu Road, near Station Road, around 6:20pm. Police attempted to stop the vehicle a few minutes prior but it failed to stop, fleeing from Police before it crashed. The driver of the vehicle, the sole occupant, is currently in a serious condition. No other vehicles were involved in the crash. The Serious Crash Unit is in attendance and motorists are asked to avoid the area. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Irving Resources Inc. (CSE:IRV) (Irving or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Mackenzie Clugston, former Ambassador of Canada to Japan, as an advisor to provide independent and strategic counsel to the Company and its subsidiary in Japan. Mr. Clugston joined the Canadian Foreign Service in 1982 and went on to serve three times at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, including as Minister and Head of Chancery. Mr. Clugston was also Canadian Consul General in Osaka, Japan, from 2000 to 2003. From 2009 to 2012, Mr. Clugston served as Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia, with concurrent accreditation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and to East Timor. Mr. Clugston was the Ambassador of Canada to Japan from 2012 to 2016. He retired from the Canadian Foreign Service in May 2016 after a distinguished 34 year career, and currently resides in Japan. We are honoured to have Mr. Clugston join the Irving team, commented Akiko Levinson, President, CEO, and Director of Irving Resources Inc. Mr. Clugstons experience in building international relationships in Japan will prove to be a valuable asset to Irving as the company advances its exploration and potential future development activities. Mr. Clugston is a Professor at Kwansei Gakuin University and a member of the Honorary Board of Advisors to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan. He also serves as a board member for several major Japanese corporations. About Irving Resources Inc.: Irving is a junior exploration company with a focus on gold in Japan. Irving also holds, through a subsidiary, a Project Venture Agreement with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) for joint regional exploration programs in Republic of Malawi. JOGMEC is a government organization established under the law of Japan, administrated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, and is responsible for stable supply of various resources to Japan through the discovery of sizable economic deposits of base, precious and rare metals. Additional information can be found on the Companys website: www.IRVresources.com . Akiko Levinson, President, CEO & Director THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE. The Sidney City Council held its second public hearing on the proposed purchase of a three-story building at 13th Avenue and Illinois Street. The council previously addressed the proposal with four members of the council present. Mayor Roger Gallaway was absent on a previous engagement. The proposal died with a 2-2 vote. On Friday, April 12, a special meeting of the council was held to consider a second public hearing on the proposal. In the meeting, with all five members of the council present, Mayor Gallaway said he felt there were questions left unanswered in the previous public hearing. In the special meeting, Economic Development Director Melissa Norgard said the UST Global president planned to attend the next hearing. Tuesday, the council met before an overflow room of concerned citizens and company representatives, casting a vote exactly as cast to have a second public hearing. Nearly two hours were spend hearing testimony from Sidney residents and business owners, and UST Global President Kevin Adams. Mayor Gallaway instructed the crowd that testimonies would be limited to 3 minutes and are to stay on subject; no direct attack on individuals. Gallaway also said the public hearing is not an opportunity to cross-examine city staff, council members or other speakers. UST Global and Xpanxion are leasing the building from Bass Pro Cabelas. If the City purchases the building, the lease will transfer to the City. Adams said about a year ago, he entered a conversation with a customer in Nebraska. UST Global is a provider of end-to-end IT services and solutions, according to ust-global.com. The company was established in 1998 and headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif. Xpanxion, LLC. Prior to UST Global purchasing Xpanxion, Xpanxion had rural technology centers in Kearney, Loup City, one in Iowa and one in Kansas. In his introduction, Adams said the company sees Sidney as more than a business move, but also investing in the community. The Sidney plan started with leasing one floor of the three-story building, and has expanded to all three floors. The process of hiring and training is a complicated procedure, Adams said. It is a process that has taken three to four months longer than expected, partly because the company is still signing contracts with customers. The company works with health insurance companies. He cited examples such as Obamacare and medicare as services UST Global and Xpanxion service. It is a very complicated business to do, Adams said. He said even with the delay, they expect to have another 40 people hired by July, and 70 to 100 by September. He said training employees from retail or other unrelated occupations to the IT skills needed by UST Global and Xpanxion is a complicated process. Few people questioned the value of UST Global and Xpanxion opening offices in Sidney. The concern of most speakers focused on if the City should be investing in real estate, and is this the best use of $1 million from the Citys Electric Fund. Sidney resident Loren Holcomb called the proposal smoke and mirrors, calling the purchase speculating in real estate by the City. He also questioned if the citizens, the electricity customers, approved the purchase. I think your citizens would like to know where the million came from, he said. Investment Broker Greg Scripps questioned the procedure and the legality of the City leasing to a private business. Others also questioned the City spending $1 million months after announcing cuts to the Citys budget, also questioning if the purchase is competing with private business. Sidney resident and Sidney Sun-Telegraph editor/publisher Don Ogle encouraged everyone to consider Sidneys unique place in time. He said in normal times, the City has no business in real estate. These are not normal times, Ogle said. He referred to past booms and busts in the citys history including the closing of the Sioux Munitions Depot that put more than 2,000 people on the unemployment line. We went from boom to bust, and everyone wondered what they were going to do, he said. He said over time the City has been involved in many projects. Whether they were successful or not, it wasnt for lack of trying, he said. The question also brought up is where does the Sidney community want to be in the next 10 or 20 years. After a little more than an hour of testimony, the public hearing closed. Sadler said the Electric Fund with $1 million for proposed purchase of the building, cant be used for anything else. He said the funds cannot be used for a one-time reduction in rates or to help other departments in the city. He added the value of the building is in future sale, not the current lease agreement. The property is valued at $1.8 million. Sadler also said TIF (Tax Increment Financing) can only be used for changes in the infrastructure. Councilman Bob Olsen asked Adams about the future plans of the company and of the Kearney facility. Adams said the Sidney facility is the only location in this area of the country. Adams added that he considers only adding 200 jobs a failure for the company. The company is currently under a three-year lease with a two-year option, a three plus two. I didnt come to the city for the cheap lease rate, Adams said. I came to support the community. Norgard said her concern is someone purchases the building from Bass Pro Cabelas and changes the lease. The building is still listed for sale through Bass Pro Cabelas. I am deathly concerned someone is going to get wind of this and someone is going to get it and line their pockets. Thats not good for any of us, she said. Gallaway said he sees the purchase as an investment and what it can do for the community. I can assure you, he said to the residents in attendance, council has been very thorough going through this. He agreed that Sidney is not in normal times, and he doesnt want someone coming to him in a few years asking why didnt you do something? Vice-mayor Joe Arterburn agreed the question is about investing in the future. If we dont invest in ourselves, then why should anyone else? It is a tough decision, but its in the best interest of the city, he said. The council approved the proposal with Arterburn, Gallaway, and councilman Brad Sherman voting in favor of the purchase, and councilmen Burke Radcliffe and Bob Olsen voting against it. LINCOLN Governor Pete Ricketts gave compelling reasons on Wednesday to reject LB 289, the Revenue Committee's plan to enact the largest tax increase in state history. Several concerned Nebraskans joined him to voice their opposition to the tax proposal. "The idea that you can tax and spend to get more property tax relief is false. It has been tried in the past and failed," said Governor Ricketts. "We need to focus on budget control, making sure we live within our means just like every Nebraska family does." As amended, LB 289 would raise the sales tax rate to a record-high level. It would also add new sales taxes, of up to 8.25%, on services essential to the well-being of Nebraska's families. These include plumbing repairs, work to fix AC units and furnaces, and basic veterinary care. Additionally, it would raise the excise tax on cigarettes; impose taxes on bottled water, candy, and soda; and hike the real-estate transfer tax. Those opposing the hikes said worst of all, the bill would drain the Property Tax Credit Relief Fund to pay for increased spending. This would deprive Nebraskans of $224 million in direct property tax relief. "Instead of raising the sales tax, hurting those who can least afford it, we should address the underlying issue of our property tax woes-spending," said Jessica Shelburn of Americans For Prosperity. "Action should not be confused with progress," said Trent Loos, a sixth-generation rancher from Litchfield. "Nobody who really cares about the future of Nebraska thinks we can make a short-term little fix and cure the problem." Brad Beam of Lincoln spoke of the adverse effect the bill would have on pet shelters, along with the burden it would place on local governments. "Nonprofit animal shelters and rescue groups are not exempt from paying sales tax like other nonprofits," said Beam. "Imposition of a sales tax will increase costs, resulting in fewer animals being served. City and county governments will have to pick up the tab to meet community needs." "The increased real-estate transfer tax has a negative impact on our entire population but especially those seeking affordable workforce housing," said Kim Zweiner, a local realtor. Doug Kriefels-whose family owns Action Heating, Plumbing, & A/C in Lincoln-also testified that the bill would hurt Nebraskans in search of a home. "A sales tax on home construction, maintenance, and repairs will make it even harder for working-class Nebraskans to achieve and sustain the dream of home ownership," he said. Three people from the Panhandle are among a dozen new members of the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement. Rick Larson of Potter was joined by Nancy Peterson of Gordon and Douglas Olsen of Harrisburg in being elected during a banquet at the Nebraska East Union on UNL's East Campus. Formed in 1916, the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement is dedicated to preserving and improving Nebraska agriculture. Each year, the group recognizes at least one honoree and elects new members. New members were nominated by a fellow member of the hall for their significant contributions to the state's agriculture industry. Rick Larson farms and ranches in Banner and Kimball Counties. He and his wife, Diane, grow irrigated and dryland wheat, corn, dry edible beans and alfalfa. Rick is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in animal science and has served on the Kimball-Banner County Extension Board. He has served on the Nebraska Wheat Board, including as chairman. He also serves on the U.S. Wheat Board and has worked extensively with the Nebraska Wheat Growers in implementing their mobile baking lab, which is used to educate consumers and connect farmers with consumers through fresh-baked wheat food to show their food comes from. Larson also has hosted several international trade teams on his farming operation. He has been involved in Banner County Wind Committee and served as grower representative on the National Jointed Goatgrass Steering Committee. He has been innovative in adopting new technologies in his beef operation. Larson is a past winner of the Panhandle Research and Extension Center's Service to Panhandle Agriculture Award. Peterson is a veterinarian and co-owner of Plum Thicket Farms, whose stated mission is to produce high quality cattle, forage, and grain with management practices that foster the best stewardship of land, livestock, soil, and human resources. Plum Thicket Farms received the 2016 Aldo Leopold Award for Conservation and also was named the 2016 Commercial Beef Breeder of the year by the Beef Improvement Federation. Nancy and her husband, Rex, head the cattle operation. They bought Plum Thicket Farms in 1998, after moving from the Colorado Mountains where Nancy had a cow/calf veterinary practice. Olsen is a cattle producer, farmer and community leader in Banner County, where he manages a large commercial and purebred Hereford herd, with his father, Art, wife, Pam, children, and several employees. Doug, a graduate of UNL Animal Science Department, is an early adopter of new and research-proven technology, using the information and also sharing it with others through personal contact and hosts numerous field days or tours. Olsen is Chairman of the Board of the Panhandle Cooperative, and also is active in the Nebraska Coop Council, Nebraska Cattlemens Association, American Hereford Association, and National Cattlemens Beef Association. Other new NHAA members of the Ag Hall of Achievement include Barbara Cooksley of Anselmo, Ted Tietjen of Grant, Mary Garbacz of Lincoln, Terry Hejny of Lincoln, Pete McClymont of Lincoln, Richarard Rasby of Lincoln, Chuck Burr of North Platte, and Roric and Deb Paulman of Sutherland. The Hall of Agricultural Achievement's 2019 honorees were Bob Dickey, a farmer from Laurel and Al Svajgr, the owner of Agrow. The offices location is perfectly placed at the very heart of Australias tourism hub, enjoying sunshine almost all year round, an eclectic array of events, features of natural beauty and some of the worlds premium superyachting facilities. Hill Robinsons new Asian outpost can be found in the Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard, a 250 hectare area exclusively dedicated to the marine sector, making it one of the largest facilities of its kind in the southern hemisphere and indeed in the world. This prime position, in a marina dedicated to the dual values of matching top service facilities to top quality marine trades, is certainly congruous with Hill Robinsons brand. The Australian branch joins an ever-growing fleet of Hill Robinson offices around the world from Antibes, Monaco, La Spezia, Palma, Cyprus and the UK in Europe, to Jeddah in the Middle East and Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach in the US. Donna Murray, armed with a wealth of experience in yacht management in the Asia Pacific, as well as Europe and the Middle East, will head up the new office as Director. This comes after Donnas success as Global Recruitment Manager for Hill Robinson, overseeing the smooth expansion of the HRCrew division into what is now 4 offices worldwide. Having lived and worked in Europe and the Middle East, I am very excited to see the continuing growth and exploration of the yachting industry in the Asia Pacific region which has so much to offer. I am very proud to have established our new office at GCCM joined by Lisa Ricourt and look forward to bringing the global expertise and resources of Hill Robinson down under, said Murray. Hill Robinson are global leaders in yacht management, and we are delighted that they can see the growing strength of the South Pacific region as an emerging Superyacht hotspot. We are proud that they have recognised the world-class facilities and services at GCCM and chosen to open their official Australian headquarters here onsite, said GCCM CEO Trenton Gay. In addition to their mutual emphasis on premium quality, GCCM and Hill Robinson share a strong customer-oriented approach to delivering their services, with the ultimate aim of rendering all aspects of the yachting experience, from building to maintaining, the best they can possibly be. Hill Robinson is confident in its delivery of a bespoke yacht management solution to the Asia Pacific region, backed by the assurance of its successful global reach and support. And the calendar ahead certainly looks exciting for Donna and her team, who will be Silver Sponsor of the upcoming Australian Superyacht Rendezvous in May, as well as the ASMEX Conference and Sanctuary Cove Boat Show. These events mark the beginning of what will certainly be a prosperous journey for Hill Robinson into the new region and its network of relationships. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 25) A reelectionist town councilor and his nephew were killed in an ambush in Negros Occidental Thursday. The police said the victims, Moises Padilla town councilor Michael Garcia and his uncle Mark Garcia, came from a campaign sortie on board a pick-up truck when around 20 armed men fired at them. Mark is also the brother of Moises Padilla Vice Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, who is running for mayor. Yulo, who was on board another vehicle, was safe. The police have yet to identify the suspects and motive for the attack. BGen. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said the shooting incident can be considered election-related. The Commission on Elections earlier declared Moises Padilla as an area of immediate concern under red category, following the death of reelectionist councilor Jolomar Hilario in Barangay Inolingan on March 31. Under the Comelec's color coding for election hotspots, areas under the red category are those with a history of election-related incidents, intense political rivalry, and serious threat posed by the New People's Army. CNN Philippines' stringer Shiela Gelera contributed to this report. Not for distribution to US news wire services or for US dissemination. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diversified Royalty Corp. (TSX: DIV and DIV.DB) (the Corporation or DIV) is pleased to announce preliminary results for Mr. Lube, AIR MILES and Sutton for the three months ended March 31, 2019 (Q1 2019). Mr. Lube First Quarter Results Mr. Lube Canada Limited Partnership (Mr. Lube) generated same-store-sales-growth (SSSG) of 5.6% for the Mr. Lube stores in the royalty pool for Q1 2019, compared to SSSG of 4.5% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 (Q1 2018). Mr. Lubes SSSG was driven by continued growth in all aspects of the business, including oil services, tire sales and service as well as strong store-level execution. DIV expects to report that aggregate royalty income and management fees of $3.7 million were generated from Mr. Lube in Q1 2019, an increase of $0.4 million from Q1 2018. The increase in royalty income is a result of a combination of positive SSSG, the increase in the Mr. Lube royalty rate that came into effect on May 1, 2018 and the net addition of one additional Mr. Lube location to the Mr. Lube Royalty pool on May 1, 2018. AIR MILES First Quarter Results Alliance Data Systems Inc. (ADS) issued a news release earlier today announcing that AIR MILES reward miles issued increased by 3% in Q1 2019. ADS also disclosed that AIR MILES reward miles redeemed decreased by 8% in Q1 2019. Furthermore, ADS disclosed that LoyaltyOne (the operator of the AIR MILES reward program) is tracking to plan for 2019. DIV expects to report that royalty income of $1.7 million was generated from the AIR MILES licenses in Q1 2019, a 2.1% decrease from Q1 2018. DIVs royalty payment is derived from several AIR MILES metrics, including AIR MILES reward miles issued, AIR MILES reward miles redeemed, service revenue, commissions and promotional items, which affect quarterly variability. Sutton First Quarter Results DIV expects to report that royalty income and management fees of $1.0 million were generated from Sutton in Q1 2019, representing a 2.0% increase over Q1 2018. First Quarter Commentary Sean Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer of DIV stated, Mr. Lube continued its excellent performance in the quarter with very strong SSSG, lapping a strong SSSG first quarter in 2018, and Sutton continues to perform as expected. While we are somewhat disappointed with AIR MILES Q1 2019 royalty payment being down slightly, we are very encouraged to see the 3% growth in AIR MILES reward miles issued and that LoyaltyOne is tracking to plan for 2019. Mr. Morrison continued, We continue to actively pursue various opportunities to redeploy our cash in accretive and diversified royalty transactions and are targeting 1 to 2 royalty acquisitions in 2019. In addition, DIV has recently seen an increase in shareholder participation in DIVs dividend reinvestment plan with a 23.2% participation rate at March 31, 2019, compared to a 10.2% participation rate at Dec 31, 2018. This is expected to improve DIVs payout ratio when viewed on a cash basis. The financial information contained in this news release is preliminary, is based upon the estimates and assumptions of the respective management of DIV, Mr. Lube and Sutton, as applicable, has not yet been approved by their respective Audit Committees or Boards of Directors, and has not been subject to a review by their respective auditors. The final Q1 2019 financial results could differ materially from the above preliminary financial information. About Diversified Royalty Corp. DIV is a multi-royalty corporation, engaged in the business of acquiring top-line royalties from well-managed multi-location businesses and franchisors in North America. DIVs objective is to acquire predictable, growing royalty streams from a diverse group of multi-location businesses and franchisors. DIV currently owns the Sutton, Mr. Lube and AIR MILES trademarks in Canada. Sutton is among the leading residential real estate brokerage franchisor businesses in Canada with over 200 offices across Canada. Mr. Lube is the leading quick lube service business in Canada with 180 locations across Canada and over $235 million of annual system sales. AIR MILES is Canadas largest coalition loyalty program with over 200 leading brand-name sponsors; approximately two-thirds of Canadian households actively participate in the AIR MILES Program. DIV expects to increase cash flow per share by making accretive royalty purchases and through the growth of purchased royalties. DIV expects to pay a predictable and stable dividend to shareholders and increase the dividend as cash flow per share increases allow. Forward - Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information or financial outlook within the meaning of applicable securities laws that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or financial outlook. The use of any of the words anticipate, continue, estimate, expect, intend, may, will, project, should, believe, confident, plan and intends and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information and financial outlook, although not all forward-looking information and financial outlook contain these identifying words. Specifically, forward-looking information and financial outlook in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements made in relation to: the expected financial results of Mr. Lube and Sutton for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and the amount of royalty income expected to be reported by DIV as having been generated from the AIR MILES licenses during such period; DIV pursuing various opportunities to redeploy its cash in accretive and diversified royalty transactions and DIVs target of completing of one to two royalty acquisitions in 2019; DIVs expectation that the increase in shareholder participation in DIVs dividend reinvestment plan will improve DIVs payout ratio when viewed on a cash basis; DIVs ability to pay a predictable and stable dividend to shareholders; and DIVs corporate objectives. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events, performance, or achievements of DIV to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in such forward-looking information and financial outlook. DIV believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information and financial outlook are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In particular there can be no assurance that: the final financial results of Mr. Lube and Sutton will be consistent with the preliminary results; LoyaltyOnes performance in 2019 may not be consistent with current expectations; an increase in AIR MILES reward miles issued will not guarantee an increase in royalty income earned by DIV, as the royalty payments made to DIV under the AIR MILES licences are derived from several AIR MILES metrics and not solely based on the number of AIR MILES reward miles issued; DIV may not be successful in identifying or completing any royalty acquisition opportunities, and if completed such acquisitions may not be accretive; DIV may not be successful in achieving its target of completing one to two royalty acquisitions in 2019; DIV will be able to make monthly dividend payments to the holders of its common shares; or DIV will achieve any of its corporate objectives. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned that forward-looking information and financial outlook included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance, and such forward-looking information and financial outlook should not be unduly relied upon. More information about the risks and uncertainties affecting DIVs business and the businesses of its royalty partners can be found in the Risk Factors section of its Annual Information Form dated March 11, 2019, which is available under DIVs profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. In formulating the forward-looking information and financial outlook contained herein, management has assumed that business and economic conditions affecting DIV and its royalty partners will continue substantially in the ordinary course, including without limitation with respect to general industry conditions, general levels of economic activity and regulations. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. To the extent any forward-looking information or statements in this presentation constitute a financial outlook within the meaning of applicable securities laws, such information is being provided investors with timely disclosure of material financial information with respect to the financial performance of the Corporation and its royalty partners prior to the completion of year end audits. All of the forward-looking information and financial outlook disclosed in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments contemplated thereby will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, DIV contemplated by such forward-looking information and financial outlook contained herein. The forward-looking information and financial outlook included in this news release is made as of the date of this news release and DIV assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law. Non-IFRS Financial Measures Management believes that disclosing certain non-IFRS financial measures provides readers with important information regarding the Corporations financial performance and its ability to pay dividends. By considering these measures in combination with the most closely comparable IFRS measure, management believes that investors are provided with additional and more useful information about the Corporation than investors would have if they simply considered IFRS measures alone. The non-IFRS financial measures do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Investors are cautioned that non-IFRS measures should not be construed as a substitute or an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS. Same Store Sales Growth and payout ratio are used as non-IFRS measures in this news release. Further details with respect to these non-IFRS measures will be included in the Corporations managements discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2019 once filed. Third Party Information This news release includes information obtained from third party company filings and reports and other publicly available sources. Although DIV believes these sources to be generally reliable, such information cannot be verified with complete certainty. Accordingly, the accuracy and completeness of this information is not guaranteed. DIV has not independently verified any of the information from third party sources referred to in this news release nor ascertained the underlying assumptions relied upon by such sources. THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR THE ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Additional Information Additional information relating to the Corporation and other public filings, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Contact: Sean Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer Diversified Royalty Corp. (604) 235-3146 Greg Gutmanis, Chief Financial Officer and VP Acquisitions Diversified Royalty Corp. (604) 235-3146 In making the gigabit service possible, Sapp said Citizens Board of Directors has vision, and we have a family of 62 very talented and caring employeesthat make it all happen. Were also about long-term growth and sustainability and are not focused on short term profits. He added it will take a minimum of 8-10 years to recoup the cost of each fiber connected home. The total cost of the project will exceed $35 million, and Citizens has received funding to help with that expense. In November 2016 Citizens elected to participate in the Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) alternative with 200 other companies. The alternative provided extra universal service funds over a 10-year period to improve broadband service. The company also committed to certain metrics within that period. A-CAM funding represents around 28 percent of the project cost. Also, a recently awarded matching grant through the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) is helping to bring broadband to much of Copper Hill. The grant provides 42 percent of the cost, Sapp said, expressing his appreciation to the governor and others. Residents in the Copper Hill area will be going from no broadband to one gigabit service fiber to the home. Sukle wondered, Why not start with children? Why not help them cope with the trauma before their turn to drugs or become suicidal? Without such a tool, Sukle said, many children never get the opportunity to feel calm. Sukle trained with 19 military yoga teachers in Fayetteville, N.C., and heard their stories of success. She learned about how one man was able to use the technique -- slow, mindful movements and breathing -- to stay calm and respond immediately as mortars were coming in. Sukle is certified to teach veterans, individuals with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, amputees, survivors of sexual assault and other trauma survivors. People who have suffered trauma, Sukle said, tend to disconnect from their bodies, so they are very much in their heads. The body is frozen. They dont trust it or its been abused. The awareness created through yoga helps them reconnect. TORONTO, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Usually a change in a regulation under an Ontario law is posted in the Ontario Gazette and the public is given 60-days notice to give input, reported the Ontario Health Coalition today in response to new cuts to OHIP coverage that were posted online at: https://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=29390&language=en. But the public has only been given until Tuesday to provide feedback on the latest OHIP cuts revealed today. In the online posting, the Ford government reports that it met with private insurance corporations to consult about the changes, but not with patients and their advocates, seniors organizations, public interest groups or the public. The Coalition warns this is only the latest in terribly undemocratic changes to our public health care. Todays newest OHIP cuts, made without any public consultation, follow on the heels of the most undemocratic process in the provinces history used to push through a massive health care restructuring law (Bill 74) last week. Bill 74 was rammed through the Legislature at top speed with only 2 part-days of public hearings in Toronto with only 1 days notice for the public to apply for standing. Despite the outrageously short notice, almost 1,600 people and groups applied. Only 30 were heard. Amendments were due before the deadline for written submissions was reached. This is the first and only time major health restructuring legislation has been passed without a single hearing outside Toronto. The law was being implemented before it even passed in the Legislature, said the Coalition in a public statement. Doug Ford has shown the most contempt for parliamentary democracy that we have ever seen, said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. All of his radical health reform plans have been forged in secret and steamrolled through with the least notice, the least amount of public hearings and the fastest timelines ever. It seems the plan is to force things through before the public finds out what is happening. Ms. Mehra went on to explain the problems with the governments claims regarding the newest cuts to OHIP for out-of-country travellers: The hardest hit are seniors who cannot afford private insurance or cannot get it because of pre-existing medical conditions; those whom insurance corporations will not cover or charge prohibitive rates. In addition, Just because OHIP does not cover the full cost for travellers hit with unexpected illness does not mean it is useless. While it may be true that U.S. for-profit hospitals charge far more than OHIP pays, the same is not true for Canadians travelling to other countries. The Ford governments cuts to health care services are mounting at an alarming rate, she concluded. Every day there is a new leak or a new announcement of cuts or plans to privatize health care. Each service reduction impacts different people, but put them together and every Ontario family is going to suffer the sharp edge of Doug Fords cuts to health care unless we stop them. The Coalition is tracking health cuts on their website at www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca. The Health Coalition has called a major rally outside the Ontario Legislature (Main Building) at noon, Tuesday April 30 to protest OHIP cuts, mega-mergers and centralization of services, the threat of health care privatization, real-dollar cuts to hospital budgets and the betrayal of election promises to improve public health care not cut and privatize it. For more information: Devorah Goldberg campaigns and research director (office) 416-441-2502 or Natalie Mehra executive director (cell) 416- 230-6402. (From left to right) ROUTE 676 AZURE LANE: Be alert to flaggers during daylight hours on Route 676 (Azure Lane) in Washington County due to improvements to a portion of the route. (Completion: September 2019) ROUTE 677 BRIDGE: The Route 677 (Green Spring Church Road) bridge in Washington County is closed until fall 2019 for replacement. Route 658 (Lombardy Road) will serve as the detour route during construction. The bridge is located just east of Route 75. (Completion: June 2019) INTERSTATE 81 EXIT 19 BRIDGE WORK: Bridge work on Interstate 81 at Exit 19 in the Abingdon area of Washington County will require nightly lane closures on I-81 and Route 11 below the interstate. Use caution in this area, and pay close attention to signs and message boards. Syracuse, N.Y. -- CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity has named five companies as businesses of the year, an award that recognizes outstanding achievement by regional businesses. The awards were announced at CenterStates annual meeting Wednesday at the Oncenter. The Haylor, Freyer & Coon insurance company won the award in the category for companies with more than 50 employees. In 2018, it celebrated 90 years in business, experiencing a 6.5 percent growth in sales. It also hired 34 employees. The company is investing $1.5 million renovating 37,000 square feet of space for its new headquarters at One Park Place in downtown Syracuse. Northeast Information Discovery Inc. won the award in the category for companies with less than 50 employees. Headquartered in Canastota, the software company provides research and development of advanced computer network operations and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for unmanned systems. It recently acquired a new, 6,000-square-foot facility and a five-acre lot for future expansion. The company hired 13 full-time employees in 2018 and is looking to hire 40 new high-tech workers this year -- representing a combined 150% increase in staff. Nascentia Health Inc., a provider of in-home health care, won the award in the nonprofit category. In 2018, Nascentia and its nearly 600 employees moved into its new, 47,000-square-foot headquarters on West Genesee Street in Syracuse. The company also opened a satellite office in Batavia and acquired office space at Towne Center Retirement Community in Fayetteville. SRC Inc. won the award in the community involvement category. Headquartered in Cicero, the research and development companys community initiatives are focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education; the United Way; and active and retired military. Its employees volunteer more than 10,000 hours annually. NJ Jones Plumbing LLC won the award in the minority-owned business category. The family-owned and operated Syracuse company was founded in 2013 by NaDonte J. Jones, Onondaga Countys first and only African-American master plumber. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 The original Woodstock site has finalized its 50th anniversary weekend concert lineup. John Fogerty announced Wednesday that he will perform with special guests at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on Sunday, Aug. 18, exactly half a century after he performed at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair in 1969 with Creedence Clearwater Revival. Ticket information has not been announced. The former CCR frontman will close out the Woodstock anniversary weekend in Bethel, N.Y., which includes a free concert by Arlo Guthrie and a screening of the Woodstock documentary on the field Thursday, Aug. 15; Ringo Starr, Guthrie, and The Edgar Winter Band on the pavilion stage Friday, Aug. 16; and Santana with the Doobie Brothers on Saturday, Aug. 17. Guthrie, Winter and Santana all performed at the original Woodstock festival with Fogerty. Prices for Starr, Guthrie and Winter start at $33 through Ticketmaster; tickets for Santana and the Doobie Brothers start at $48. Fogerty and Santana will also perform at Woodstock 50, the official golden anniversary festival in Watkins Glen, N.Y., on the same weekend. Both rock icons will play on one of three main stages Friday, Aug. 16. Tickets for Woodstock 50 still have not gone on sale, but co-founder and organizer Michael Lang revealed this week that prices will be $450 for three-day passes. No single-day tickets are expected to be offered. Bethel Woods, where 400,000 people came to the first Woodstock, originally planned to have a three-day anniversary event, dubbed the Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival, on Aug. 16-18, but the venue dropped the fest in February to instead focus on A Season of Song & Celebration all summer long. Highlights include the Special Exhibit We Are Golden Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival and Aspirations for a Peaceful Future," and Live Nation-sponsored concerts -- including Mountain Jam for the first time after relocating from Hunter Mountain. Lang told Bloomberg this week that he blamed Live Nation for presenting the Bethel Woods festival as a rival event, and says he sent organizers a cease-and-desist letter. The official Woodstock 50th anniversary festival, meanwhile, will take place Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen with more than 80 artists, including Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, Santana, Chance the Rapper, John Fogerty, Janelle Monae, Imagine Dragons, Halsey, and Dead & Company. Tickets were supposed to go on sale Monday, but have been delayed while waiting for the state to approve a mass gathering permit. Nearly half a million people attended the first Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, held Aug. 15-18, 1969, at Max Yasgurs dairy farm near White Lake in Bethel, N.Y. Performers included Richie Havens, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Joe Cocker, the Grateful Dead and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The iconic concert was revisited in 1994 with a modern lineup of artists like Nine Inch Nails, Sheryl Crow, Metallica, Cypress Hill and Red Hot Chili Peppers in Saugerties, but Woodstock 99 -- held at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, N.Y. -- was marred by riots, fires and allegations of sexual assault. Update: See names of 65 people indicted in fentanyl, heroin, cocaine bust in CNY; read indictments SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Dozens of people linked to two drug rings have been charged with trafficking fentanyl, heroin and cocaine in Upstate New York, the state attorney general announced Thursday. An Onondaga County grand jury has indicted 65 people in connection with a Central New York drug bust. State Attorney General Letitia James announced the bust during a news conference in Syracuse on Thursday afternoon. Over $340,000 worth of drugs were seized, officials said. The 15-month investigation dubbed Operation Central City targeted drug dealers in five counties: Jefferson County, Oneida County, Onondaga County, Oswego County and St. Lawrence County. Investigators used wiretaps and covert surveillance" to catch the drug dealers, the AG said. During the bust, police recovered: About 4,700 bags of prepackaged heroin and fentanyl with a street value of about $140,000 About 2 kilos of cocaine with a street value of about $200,000 Over $75,000 in cash 3 firearms The defendants are facing crimes ranging from criminal sale of a controlled substance to conspiracy. They face a minimum sentence 1 to 3 years and a maximum sentence of 8 to 25 years in state prison. We are attacking this opioid crisis both as a civil matter and also with criminal prosecution, James said. But at the same time we recognize how serious this is and the fact that so many individuals have lost loved ones. We are committed to taking these drugs off the street because they are wreaking havoc and destroying families. The multi-agency investigation brought together resources of nearly two dozen state, local and federal agencies. More than 100 officers took part this morning in arresting about 95 percent of the 65 people named in the indictment. The first indictment included 33 defendants who are accused of selling narcotics in Onondaga, St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties. Shondell Days, of Syracuse, is accused of providing narcotics to Hillary Gilson, Salean Simmons and numerous other St. Lawrence County drug dealers. Simmons also had several other narcotics sources besides Days, including Robert Vega, Corey Tisdale, Felix Cirino and Chyna Simon-Hess, all of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Carlos Arroyo, of Watertown. The second indictment included 34 defendants, including two who also appear in the first indictment. The indictment alleges that Abdulla Quaid, Adam Durham and Louis Mike led a Syracuse-based narcotics distribution network that sold cocaine, heroin and fentanyl to drug resellers in Onondaga, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Oswego and Oneida counties. This has been the accumulation of long-term investigations, said St. Lawrence Sheriff Kevin Wells. The bad guys out there are getting more complex on how they do business, we have to also. ... We all realize that we cant arrest our way out of this drug issue that we have in our community." Wells said the arrests are the first steps to getting the drugs off the streets. James said opioids are destroying lives. That is why we are committed to taking down these operations," James said. "Operations that flood our communities with dangerous drugs that truly take lives, destroy families, destroy dreams and destroy lives. Central New Yorks leading news organization, one of its best known theater companies and its airport have earned honors from the Onondaga Historical Association for their efforts to preserve and explain local history. The 2019 OHA Medal will be awarded to Advance Media New York, publishers of syracuse.com | The Post-Standard; Syracuse Stage; and the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. The medal ceremony takes place at a breakfast from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday May 9 in the Grand Ballroom of Marriott Syracuse Downtown (Hotel Syracuse). Ticket information and details below. The medals recognize the importance the OHA places on forging partnerships in the community, association executive director Gregg Tripoli said. As with any organization, we can only reach so many people on our own, Tripoli said. What we do with collaborations and partnerships are essential in reaching as many people as we can. (These medal winners) help us tell the stories of our history and instill the pride of who we are. The OHA Medal was first awarded in 1945, and since then there have been 22 honorees. The medal itself is a two-sided bronze piece struck in 1894 to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the founding of Onondaga County. The OHA provided these descriptions of how each of the honorees earned its medal: Syracuse Regional Airport Authority: As one of the primary gateways to our region, the Syracuse Hancock International Airport is often the first impression that visitors have of our community. The Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA) recognizes that our history is one of the key elements that define our community identity. Therefore, the SRAA decided that showcasing our history is a great way to introduce visitors to this particular destination. Consequently, the SRAA chose OHA to develop a museum on our regional aviation history as an important component of its recent multi-million dollar renovation of the airport. Our regions aviation history is inextricably linked to our general comprehensive history, so we cant really present one without the other. From our central geographic location that has made Syracuse a crossroads of transportation to our innovative manufacturing legacy that gave rise to a novel automobile air-cooled motor that became the prototype for early aircraft engines, the Regional Aviation History Museum is not only an ideal introduction to our community for visitors, it is also a source of pride for local citizens. Syracuse Stage: Syracuse Stage and OHA have something in common we are both storytellers. The concept of bringing history to life in an engaging and entertaining way is central to both of our missions and makes us natural partners. Living History the process of utilizing actors to portray real people from our past to educate and entertain the public are important components of our educational programming endeavors and the premise behind Syracuse Stages Backstory program. Our collaborative relationship has spawned everything from OHA provided backdrop images for Ping Chongs Tales From the Salt City to historical panel exhibits that correspond with elements of Stage productions, to the successful World Premiere of the OHA-commissioned play, Possessing Harriet by award winning playwright, and Syracuse Stage Associate Artistic Director, Kyle Bass. Advance Media New York and Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard: The OHA has, perhaps, no greater regular partner when it comes to sharing the compelling stories of our past with the general public, than Syracuse.com and the Post-Standard. Whether its providing historic background for a current topic, covering history related events and programs, or feeding the nostalgic appetite with a touching human interest story from our past, they have always recognized the value that our history brings to their product. Syracuse.com and the Post-Standard have consistently provided OHA with the ability to bring our history beyond the walls of our museums. We anchor the back of every issue of its CNY-The Good Life magazine, and submit the popular page 2 column in every Sunday edition of the paper, in addition to feature articles that we contribute to their publications. The 190-year-old paper trail theyve left, and now the digital trail they are leaving, are major fonts of primary source material for historians. Their photographers have captured so many of the iconic images that we identify with and that have become part of our collective memory. They have truly been at the forefront of capturing our history as it is made, every day. EVENT DETAILS What: Onondaga Historical Association 2019 Medal BreakfastWhen: 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 9 Where: Grand Ballroom, Marriott Syracuse Downtown (Hotel Syracuse). Tickets and info: Regular tickets to the OHA Medal Breakfast are $50 and Patron tickets are $125. Regular tables are $500, and Patron tables are $1,250. Buy tickets. More information about tables, sponsorships, and program ads are available by calling Jon Zella, Director of Development, at (315) 428-1864, ext. 315 or contacting him via email at Jon.Zella@cnyhistory.org. Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. Bishop Richard J. Malone of the Buffalo Diocese has placed three priests on a temporary leave of absence after unsuitable, inappropriate and insensitive conversations took place at a party with seminarians. "The complaints did not include or infer any instance of physical sexual abuse of a minor or adult," a statement released by the diocese said. But several seminarians considered the conversations disturbing and offensive, the statement said. Placed on temporary leave from their parish assignments while disciplinary actions are taken are: --The Rev. Arthur E. Mattulke, pastor of SS. Peter & Paul in Hamburg --The Rev. Patrick T. O'Keefe, parochial vicar of SS. Peter & Paul in Hamburg --The Rev. Robert J. Orlowski, pastor of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Blasdell Mattulke and Orlowski were ordained in 1997 and O'Keefe was ordained in 1996. The party took place on the evening of April 11 at SS. Peter & Paul in Hamburg, according to the diocese. Seminarians from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora reported to the seminary that "they were uncomfortable with what they felt was inappropriate conversation and stories being shared by some of the priests," according to a press release from the seminary. The diocese said the seminarians had undergone VIRTUS training, a program created by the National Catholic Risk Retention Group to combat sexual abuse in the church, as well completing New York State sanctioned sexual harassment training in 2018. The Rev. John M. Staak, interim president-rector at Christ the King Seminary, said the seminarians followed established protocol when they expressed their concern to officials at the seminary. "Our primary mission is the education of our students and the formation of our future priests, deacons, and pastoral ministers," Staak said in a statement issued by the seminary. "I am pleased the seminarians stepped forward to voice their concerns about unsuitable, inappropriate, and insensitive conversations which occurred. Several seminarians in attendance found the conversations disturbing and offensive." The diocese also praised the students for coming forward and following the proper protocol, and the seminary for immediately investigating the reports. The findings were forwarded to Malone and other diocesan officials, including the diocese's Office of Professional Responsibility. Michael Sherry, the academic dean at the seminary, and the retired assistant police chief of the Orchard Park Police Department, conducted the internal investigation, the seminary said. Sherry is one of two officials designated to investigate incidents. The findings were presented to Staak and the chairman of the seminary's board of trustees. "It is of primary importance to Bishop Malone that these priests are held accountable for their actions," the statement from the diocese said. Disciplinary and corrective actions could include psychological evaluations and possible treatment, retraining in sexual harassment policies and individual retreats, according to the diocese. Based on the results of those and additional investigations, further action could be taken, it said. - By Barbara OBrien, The Buffalo News, N.Y. Jessica Donovan was heated when she left Central Avenue pizza shop in Colonie on Friday. She claimed they owed her a free pizza, and instead, she says, the employees there berated her with vulgar language. On her way out the door, she threw a handful of cookies at them and knocked over a trash can, so they called the police. Police officers confronted her at her residence. She said shed never order anything from the shop again, according to the Times Union. The officers werent interested in making an arrest, and that was almost where the story ended. Then they ran her name through a law enforcement database that indicated she had a Family Court warrant out for her arrest since November. Tonight: a Colonie mother is sharing her story of being locked up in Albany County Jail for three days by mistake. As first reported by @Brendan_LyonsTU via @timesunion -- Jessica Donovan spent Easter weekend behind bars on a wrongful warrant. Hear from her at 11p on @CBS6Albany pic.twitter.com/Vrglx969lT Emily DeFeciani (@CBS6_Emily) April 25, 2019 She tried to explain to the officers that it was a misunderstanding and that the warrant was for her ex-boyfriend John Gannon for failing to pay child support, but they werent interested in her proof. The 35-year-old mother of two ended up in handcuffs, and spent three nights in jail because of what turned out to be a clerical error. The Colonie officers, suspecting something was amiss, asked the Albany County Sheriffs Department for a full copy of the warrant to verify the information. It correctly listed Donovan as the petitioner and Gannon as the respondent, but there was a clerical error just above the judges signature, saying, You are therefore commanded to arrest Jessica L. Donovan, and bring said person before this court to be dealt with according to law. Meanwhile, in the jail, supervisors refused to let her post $500 bail insisting that the Family Court warrant trumped the town justices decision to set bail. I broke down crying, she told the Times Union. I didnt sleep. I didnt eat a single thing. I didnt drink water. I think I had one serving of milk so that I didnt pass out. Donovan was forced to endure three nights in jail without her anti-depression medicine. She was put on suicide watch where other inmates screamed frequently and she said guards cursed throughout the night. When she was finally brought before a Family Court judge on Monday, all she said was, Im very sorry this happened to you," according to Donovan. I just missed three days of my life, plus Easter with my children, Jessica L. Donovan told the paper. Somebody messed up. I honestly want somebody to pay for that. That was wrong. You just dont do that to people. They need an emergency judge for the weekend. Albany Sheriff Craig Apple explained that the jail was still right not to release Donovan on bail. The sergeant actually would have made a mistake if he released her on the $500 bail, he said. Now, judicial officials are trying to figure out how the error occurred. Apple said the incident highlights the need to amend New Yorks criminal justice laws. You have got judges looking at this giving us mixed interpretations, Apple told the Times Union. This is why the whole criminal justice system, including Family Court, needs to be overhauled. The wrong person was put in jail and she suffered through three days. And jail is not a pleasant place. The Florida House of Representatives voted Wednesday to require local officials to comply with federal immigration authorities, a move that brings the Republican-controlled state government to the cusp of enacting one of the nations most stringent laws against sanctuary cities. The House legislation, which passed in a 69-47 vote, would bar local governments from ignoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requests - known as detainers - for local jails to hold suspected undocumented immigrants until federal authorities take them into custody. It also mandates that local agencies use their "best efforts to support federal immigration law" and threatens a fine of up to $5,000 per day for entities that violate the law. A Florida Senate committee approved similar legislation last week. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who made the issue a central issue in his campaign last year, has been urging senators to act on the bill before the state's legislative session ends next week. While the definition of sanctuary cities varies, most analysts say Florida does not have any. The bill has become a top priority for Florida Republicans in recent weeks, as they have been eager to support DeSantis and President Donald Trump, who has threatened to release migrants into sanctuary cities that do not comply with ICE detainer requests. The Trump administration also has vowed to withhold law enforcement grants from localities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. "This bill is about public safety and making sure we remove the criminal element of illegals that are here," said state Sen. Joe Gruters, sponsor of the Senate legislationand chairman of the Florida Republican Party. "The president has a laser focus on the failures of Washington in terms of immigration policy, and I think that has made this effort easier." At least 25 states considered legislation dealing with sanctuary policies last year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. One of them, California, enacted sweeping statewide legislation blocking law enforcement agencies from working with ICE to house undocumented immigrants who otherwise would not be held on local charges. Two other states, Iowa and Tennessee, enacted laws requiring local officials to comply with ICE requests. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson last month signed a law to cut off funding for local governments that refuse to cooperate with ICE requests. Several other states also have policies prohibiting sanctuary jurisdictions: Iowa, Tennesse, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. A half-dozen more states are considering similar legislation this year. But Florida - a state where 20 percent of the population is foreign born - has emerged as an especially emotional battle in the nationwide fight over those laws. In recent weeks, a coalition of civil rights groups, social justice advocates, farmers and state business leaders have teamed up to try to the block the state legislation. They argue that both the House and Senate bills are drafted so broadly that Florida law enforcement officials would in effect become deputies in Trump's broader crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Earlier this month, the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union issued a "travel alert," warning that the legislation would "put immigrants at risk of violence, potentially forcing victims and witnesses to stay silent for fear of deportation." More than than 120 Florida business leaders, ranging from a former chief executive of Carnival Cruise Line to leaders of home-building companies, signed an open letter to DeSantis and legislative leaders warning that the bills could cripple the state's robust economy. "Immigrants represent over 25 percent of our workforce and employ over 500,000 fellow Floridians," the letter states. "It is their innovative spirit that keeps us moving forward. Anti-immigrant legislation will inflict long-lasting damage to the state of Florida." According to a study last month by the Pew Research Center, Florida was home to 775,000 undocumented immigrants, about 4 percent of the population. Nearly 20 percent of the students in Florida schools have at least one parent who is undocumented, the study concluded. Only California and Texas are home to more undocumented residents. After Trump threatened in 2017 to strip federal money from cities that refuse to help deport immigrants, Miami-Dade County was the first to halt the policy, even though 51.7 percent of residents are immigrants. A Senate committee staff analysis found that the bill pending before the Florida Senate would require "any sanctuary policies currently in effect" to be repealed within 90 days after the bill becomes law. Florida's attorney general could take civil action against state or local government entities, which advocates fear could make individual government employees liable for actions they make in support of an undocumented resident. Although most ICE detainers are good for 48 hours, advocates say the legislation infringes on the rights of undocumented immigrants by denying them due process. "It is really unclear why this bill is necessary," said Ingrid M. Delgado, the associate for social concerns for the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops. "This bill goes much farther than federal law requires,and mandates compliance with every detainer request, even for those who have not been convicted of a crime." The ACLU has been battling ICE over allegations that it incorrectly issued detainers on 420 U.S. citizens who had been held in the Miami-Dade County jail over the past two years. State Rep. Mike Beltran, a Republican and a co-sponsor of the House bill, dismissed concerns that the legislation could lead to more racial profiling or unfair treatment of detained citizens. "I don't think we should be out hunting for anyone, but if we come across people, and we know by checking ID and through booking that they are not legally present in the United States, it would be an abdication of duty as elected officials" not to cooperate with ICE, Beltran said. Similar laws have been challenged in other states.The Florida legislation comes two years after Texas lawmakers passed a state law ordering that local authorities cooperate with ICE. Under the law, the state could fine local governments up to $25,500 a day for refusing to cooperate with immigration agents. Elected or appointed officials also could lose their jobs, and sheriffs and other police officers could go to jail if they refused. Last year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued San Antonio on allegations that its police chief failed to turn over to ICE a dozen migrants found inside a tractor-trailer, instead handing them to Catholic Charities, the Associated Press reported. Meanwhile, San Antonio joined several of Texas's largest cities, including Houston and Dallas, in challenging the state law in court. But the U.S. Court of Apples for the 5th Circuit upheld the law. In Tennessee, Shelby County Attorney Marlinee Clark Iverson, whose jurisdiction includes Memphis, issued an opinion stating the county sheriff and jail officials did not need to comply with a new state law that sought to force compliance with ICE. "It was so vague that anybody from [ICE], even a secretary or janitor, could call and say, 'Hold this person indefinitely,' for any of amount of time, perhaps forever," Iverson said. As of January 2018, more than 760 jurisdictions are refusing to comply with ICE holds, an increase of 135 since Trump's inauguration, according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. But Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the conservative Center for Immigration Studies, predicts even more states will take up legislation similar to Florida's in the coming months now that the appellate courts upheld Texas's statute. In my experience dealing with legislators, they dont want to be the guinea pigs, Vaughan said. Texas won, so now they know they dont have to be. Franklin Graham, the 66-year-old son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, is stirring controversy with comments calling on 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg to repent for being gay. Mayor Buttigieg says hes a gay Christian. As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a womannot two men, not two women, Graham tweeted Wednesday. Buttigieg, the popular Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is a Rhodes scholar and Afghanistan War veteran. Hes also openly gay, marrying his husband Chasten last year. If elected, he would also be the first mayor to go directly to the White House and the youngest president ever, turning 39 in January 2021. Grahams comments were in response to Buttigieg telling a recent CNN town hall that God does not have a political party. [Buttigieg] is rightGod doesnt have a political party, Graham tweeted. But God does have commandments, laws & standards He gives us to live by. God doesnt change. His Word is the same yesterday, today & forever... The core of the Christian faith is believing and following Jesus Christ, who God sent to be the Savior of the worldto save us from sin, to save us from hell, to save us from eternal damnation. According to the Daily Beast, Buttigieg addressed religious criticism during the town hall. It can be challenging to be a person of faith whos also part of the LGBTQ community and yet, to me, the core of faith is regard for one another, Buttigieg said. Part of Gods love is experienced, according to my faith tradition, is in the way that we support one another and, in particular, support the least among us. Graham, whose famous father Billy died last year, became a trending topic on social media as Twitter users debated his stance on Buttigieg. The controversy comes just five weeks before Graham visits Syracuse for a one-night prayer and evangelism event at the St. Josephs Health Amphitheater at Lakeview on May 30 at 7:30 p.m. The event is part of his Franklin Graham Decision America Northeast Tour, frequently including speeches in support of President Donald Trump and Republican candidates for Congress. Graham has said Trump supports the Christian faith and has been a changed person since he took office. Buttigieg did not respond to Grahams comments. Presidential candidate & South Bend Mayor @PeteButtigieg is rightGod doesnt have a political party. But God does have commandments, laws & standards He gives us to live by. God doesnt change. His Word is the same yesterday, today & forever. 1/3 https://t.co/QHDNY3pwzJ Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) April 24, 2019 Mayor Buttigieg says hes a gay Christian. As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a womannot two men, not two women. 2/3 Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) April 24, 2019 A parrot was taken into custody Monday after nearly spoiling a raid while playing lookout for two crack-dealing suspects by repeatedly yelling, Mamae, policia! according to Brazilian police in the state of Piaui. The phrase means, Mama, police! Police encountered the unnamed parrot at the home of the two alleged crack cocaine dealers, perched inside a small brick one-story home with a windowless facade, Brazil's R7 news channel reported. As police searched for the suspects, it seemed the lime-green bird knew exactly what to do. "He must have been trained for this," one officer involved in the operation said of the parrot's attempt to interfere with law enforcement, the Guardian reported. "As soon as the police got close he started shouting." The bird's efforts were not successful, however. Footage of the raid's aftermath aired by R7 shows police cataloguing small bags of crack while the parrot sits obediently on a countertop next to a racecar helmet and a glass bottle. Its apparent owners, a man and teenage girl, were arrested, local newspaper Meio Norte reported. An officer then carried the papagaio do trafico - or "trafficking parrot," as news outlets referred to the bird - out of the house on his hand before placing it in a cage and taking him into the Teresina Police Department. The parrot did not say a word, remaining in total silence even as law enforcement sought to loosen it up. This caused the couple's defense attorney, Salma Barros, to cast some doubt on police's version of events. She questioned in an interview with Meio Norte how a bird accused of loudly tipping off law enforcement for drug dealers could remain totally quiet in the police station. Others were concerned that the bird was in police custody at all. An environmentalist named Jaqueline Lustosa told Meio Norte that she had gone to the police department in attempt to free the bird. As of Wednesday, GloboNews, one of Brazil's largest cable news outlets, reported that the parrot had been taken to a local zoo, where zookeepers would train it how to fly. The pet's stubborn silence continued even there, a veterinarian said. "Lots of police officers have come by," veterinarian Alexandre Clark said Wednesday, according to the Guardian, "and he's said nothing." This is not the first time a parrot has been accused of aiding drug-trafficking suspects. In Colombia in 2010, a parrot named Lorenzo made international headlines after police recorded it warning his owners "Run! Run!" in Spanish at the sight of police officers approaching. It was found guarding a cache of guns and pot. "You could say he was some sort of lookout," a Colombian police officer said, according to the Associated Press. Colombian officials claimed then that Lorenzo was one of 1,700 birds authorities had recently seized, believing they had all been trained to alert their owners if police approached, the AP reported. Exotic animals have long been used by drug cartels as symbols of power or as unwitting accomplices in drug trafficking. For example, Reuters reported in 2009 that traffickers have tucked drugs into hidden compartments in crates containing venomous snakes marked "Don't open!" so that customs workers would be too afraid to look inside. In 2011, Al Jazeera reported that Mexican authorities were seizing so many exotic animals from "narco zoos" belonging to Mexican drug cartel leaders that they did not know what to do with all of them. In some cases, the news outlet reported, the animals served as both symbols of power and as a warning to rival gangs: Members of the Zetas gang were rumored to have fed their enemies to the backyard tigers. In Brazil, police claimed such gang warfare was a reality. In 2008, authorities reported they had confiscated two alligators from drug traffickers who had allegedly fed the reptiles corpses of rival gang members, according to GloboNews. English French Media relations: Florence Lievre Tel.: +33 1 47 54 50 71 florence.lievre@capgemini.com Investor relations: Vincent Biraud Tel.: +33 1 47 54 50 87 vincent.biraud@capgemini.com Capgemini: revenue growth of 6.7% in Q1 2019 Paris, April 25, 2019 Capgemini Group achieved consolidated revenues of 3,441 million in the first quarter of 2019, up 6.7% year-on-year at constant exchange rates*. Paul Hermelin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Capgemini Group, comments: The Group achieved a good first-quarter performance with continued momentum in our business, particularly in Europe. We are successfully leveraging the investments in our innovation-driven portfolio and our position as a global leader in digital and cloud. These activities continue to develop, reporting growth of 20%. In this quarter, the Group further strengthened its foothold with the acquisition of Leidos Cyber, a cybersecurity leader in the United States. With this first quarter performance, we confirm all our objectives for 2019. Revenues (In millions of euros) Change 2018 2019 At current exchange rates At constant exchange rates* 1st quarter 3,153 3,441 +9.2% +6.7% Q1 revenues totaled 3,441 million, up 9.2% year-on-year. Growth at constant exchange rates* was 6.7%, with currency impacts essentially due to the appreciation of the US dollar against the euro. Organic growth* (i.e. excluding the impact of currency fluctuations and changes in Group scope) was 5.0%. Digital and cloud activities continued to grow rapidly (20% at constant exchange rates), to account for over 45% of the Group. OPERATIONS BY REGION North America revenues (32% of Group revenues) grew 7.0% at constant exchange rates. The Telecoms, Media & Technology (TMT) and Services sectors were especially dynamic, followed by the Financial Services and Energy & Utilities sectors. The performance of the United Kingdom & Ireland region (12% of Group revenues) was encouraging, with growth of 6.4% at constant exchange rates. The Energy & Utilities, Consumer Goods & Retail and TMT sectors reported double-digit growth, while the Public Sector continued the positive trends initiated in the previous quarters. France (22% of Group revenues) continued on a healthy trend, with growth of 4.8% supported by strong momentum in the Manufacturing sector. By business, growth was driven by Applications & Technology services and Strategy & Transformation consulting services. The Rest of Europe region (27% of Group revenues) maintained a robust growth rate, with revenues up 6.3% at constant exchange rates. This was mainly fueled by the strong performance of the Public sector, Energy & Utilities and Services. Finally, growth continued to accelerate in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America region (7% of Group revenues). Revenues rose 13.7%, driven primarily by Financial Services, Manufacturing and Services. OPERATIONS BY BUSINESS Strategy & Transformation consulting services (7% of Group revenues), now grouped under Capgemini Invent, recorded a 29.7% increase at constant exchange rates in their Total revenues*. This growth reflects not only the contribution of acquisitions in this sector, but also continued high demand from the Group's customers to accompany their digital transformation. Applications & Technology services (72% of Group revenues) are the Group's core business and continue to capitalize fully on digital and cloud demand in all Group regions. Total revenues* grew 7.1% at constant exchange rates. Operations & Engineering services (21% of Group revenues) recorded a slight increase in Total revenues*, with growth of 2.1% at constant exchange rates. Again in Q1, Infrastructure Services and Business Services (Business Process Outsourcing and platforms) show stabilization of their activity while Digital Engineering and Manufacturing services continued to grow. HEADCOUNT At March 31, 2019, the Groups total headcount stood at 212,800, up 4.6% year-on-year, with a 5.3% increase in employees in offshore centers to 122,000 (57% of the total headcount). BOOKINGS Bookings totaled 3,367 million in Q1 2019, a 2.7% increase at constant exchange rates on a particularly demanding Q1 2018 comparison basis, when bookings rose 15.3%. OUTLOOK For 2019, the Group targets revenue growth at constant exchange rates of 5.5% to 8.0%, improved profitability with an operating margin of 12.3% to 12.6% and stronger organic free cash flow - on a comparable basis - of over 1.1 billion. This outlook takes into account the impact of the application of IFRS 16 from January 1, 2019 on the operating margin (around +5 basis points) and on the organic free cash flow definition (around -50 million), as detailed in the appendix to the press release publishing this outlook, issued on February 14, 2019. CONFERENCE CALL Paul Hermelin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Carole Ferrand, Chief Financial Officer, will present this press release during a conference call in English to be held today at 6 p.m. Paris time (CET). You can follow this conference call live via webcast at the following link . A replay will also be available for a period of one year. All documents relating to this publication will be placed online on the Capgemini investor website at https://investors.capgemini.com/results . CALENDAR May 23, 2019 Shareholders Meeting July 30, 2019 Publication of H1 2019 results Please note that the following payment schedule for the dividend of 1.70 per share will be presented to the Shareholders Meeting for approval: June 5, 2019 Ex-dividend date on Euronext Paris June 7, 2019 Payment of the dividend DISCLAIMER This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such statements may include projections, estimates, assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and/or expectations with respect to future financial results, events, operations and services and product development, as well as statements, regarding future performance or events. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, plans, projects, may, would should or the negatives of these terms and similar expressions. Although Capgeminis management currently believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties (including, without limitation, risks identified in Capgeminis Registration Document available on Capgeminis website), because they relate to future events and depend on future circumstances that may or may not occur and may be different from those anticipated, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Capgemini. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those expressed in, implied by or projected by forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not intended to and do not give any assurances or comfort as to future events or results. Other than as required by applicable law, Capgemini does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. This press release does not contain or constitute an offer of securities for sale or an invitation or inducement to invest in securities in France, the United States or any other jurisdiction. About Capgemini A global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, Capgemini is at the forefront of innovation to address the entire breadth of clients opportunities in the evolving world of cloud, digital and platforms. Building on its strong 50-year heritage and deep industry-specific expertise, Capgemini enables organizations to realize their business ambitions through an array of services from strategy to operations. Capgemini is driven by the conviction that the business value of technology comes from and through people. It is a multicultural company of over 200,000 team members in more than 40 countries. The Group reported 2018 global revenues of EUR 13.2 billion. Visit us at www.capgemini.com . People matter, results count. * * * APPENDIX1 BUSINESS CLASSIFICATION As previously announced, the classification of the Group's business lines was simplified and standardized from January 1, 2019: Strategy & Transformation includes all strategy and transformation consulting services and corresponds to the Capgemini Invent scope; includes all strategy and transformation consulting services and corresponds to the Capgemini Invent scope; Applications & Technology brings together Application Services and related activities and notably local technology services previously included in Technology & Engineering Services; brings together Application Services and related activities and notably local technology services previously included in Technology & Engineering Services; Operations & Engineering encompasses all other Group businesses. These currently comprise: Business Services (including Business Process Outsourcing), all Infrastructure Services (including those previously in Technology & Engineering Services) and Digital Engineering and Digital Manufacturing services (previously in Technology & Engineering Services). DEFINITIONS Organic growth, or like-for-like growth, in revenues is the growth rate calculated at constant Group scope and exchange rates. The Group scope and exchange rates used are those for the reported period. Exchange rates for the reported period are also used to calculate growth at constant exchange rates. Reconciliation of Group growth rates Q1 2019 Organic growth +5.0% Changes in Group scope +1.7pt Growth at constant exchange rates +6.7% Exchange rate fluctuations +2.5pt Reported growth +9.2% When determining activity trends by business and in accordance with internal operating performance measures, growth at constant exchange rates is calculated based on Total revenues, i.e. before elimination of inter-business billing. The Group considers this to be more representative of activity levels by business. As its business evolves, an increasing number of contracts require the combination of different business lines' expertise, leading to an increase in inter-business flows (approximately 7% of total revenues today). Operating margin is one of the Groups key performance measures. It is defined as the difference between revenues and operating costs. It is calculated before Other operating income and expenses which include amortization of intangible assets recognized in business combinations, the charge resulting from the deferred recognition of the fair value of shares granted to employees (including social security contributions and employer contributions), and non-recurring revenues and expenses, notably impairment of goodwill, negative goodwill, capital gains or losses on disposals of consolidated companies or businesses, restructuring costs incurred under a detailed formal plan approved by the Groups management, the cost of acquiring and integrating companies acquired by the Group, including earn-outs comprising conditions of presence, and the effects of curtailments, settlements and transfers of defined benefit pension plans. Normalized net profit is equal to profit for the year (Group share) adjusted for the impact of items recognized in Other operating income and expense, net of tax calculated using the effective tax rate. Normalized earnings per share is computed like basic earnings per share, i.e. excluding dilution. Organic free cash flow is equal to cash flow from operations less acquisitions of property, plant, equipment and intangible assets (net of disposals), lease liability repayments and adjusted for cash out relating to the net interest cost. RESULTS BY REGION Revenues (In millions of euros) Change Q1 2018 Q1 2019 At current exchange rates At constant exchange rates North America 960 1,107 +15.3% +7.0% United Kingdom and Ireland 386 416 +7.7% +6.4% France 698 732 +4.8% +4.8% Rest of Europe 888 938 +5.6% +6.3% Asia Pacific and Latin America 221 249 +12.8% +13.7% TOTAL 3,153 3,441 +9.2% +6.7% RESULTS BY BUSINESS Total revenues* (% of the Group) Change at constant exchange rates in Total revenues* of the business Q1 2018 Q1 2019 Strategy & Transformation 6% 7% +29.7% Applications & Technology 72% 72% +7.1% Operations & Engineering 22% 21% +2.1% UTILIZATION RATES Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Strategy & Transformation 75% 79% 74% 75% 74% Applications & Technology 77% 78% 77% 77% 78% * The terms and Alternative Performance Measures marked with an (*) are defined and/or reconciled in the appendix to this press release. 1 Note that in the appendix, certain totals may not equal the sum of amounts due to rounding adjustments. Attachment NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Retail Innovation Conference has announced the detailed agenda for the Hudson Yards Store Tours, scheduled for 2-5pm on Monday, May 6. The curated, guided tours will be led by the Retail Store Tours group. Store visits featured in the tour will include: b8ta 3Den Batch Iris Nova Brooks Brothers Micro Lululemon Sephora Verizon Retail executives interested in attending the #RIC19 Store Tours can register by securing an All-Access Pass to the Retail Innovation Conference . Spots in the tour are limited, so interested retail executives should register as soon as possible. We are looking forward to working with Retail Store Tours to deliver a highly curated tour of the impressive Hudson Yards space, said Andrew Gaffney, President of G3 Communications, the parent company of Retail TouchPoints. Retail Store Tours creates customized Retail Store Tours programs at conferences and for companies. Our tours are designed for discovery, human interaction and to maximize learning and networking, said Daniel Hodges, Founder of Retail Store Tours. Retail Store Tours has guided over thousands of business executives, and is now expanding its innovative, highly curated safari bricks and mortar experiences to the retail consumer commencing with Design Week Store Tours and in fall 2019, New York Fashion Week Store Tours. Store Tours Kick Off The 5th Annual Retail Innovation Conference In its fifth year, #RIC19 will be held in midtown Manhattan at the Convene event space on 46th Street. Speaker highlights include: Fireside chat with retail legend Nicole Miller; Insights into innovation at Macys from Innovation VP Parinda Muley; from C-level speakers from Orvis, Kirklands, Vitamin Shoppe, ROAM Fitness, Glamsquad, Boll and Branch and more; from and more; 2 Womens Leadership panels , with speakers from e.l.f. Cosmetics, Wayfair, Retailwinds, TechStyle Fashion Group and more; , with speakers from and more; Keynotes Featuring industry experts Brian Solis, Deb Gabor and Jeff Fromm; Featuring industry experts Brian Solis, Deb Gabor and Jeff Fromm; Executive Panels covering topics such as: AI, Loyalty, Influencers and Experiential Retail ; and covering topics such as: and ; and And so much more! RIC19 also will feature the winners of the 6th Annual Retail Innovator Awards (RIA) , recognizing the disruptive thinkers breaking the mold in retail today; as well as a Central Park Fun Run and numerous networking opportunities in a collegial environment. In its sixth year, the program is designed to honor individual retail executives who have driven change and gained success through innovation and disruption. Registration for the Retail Innovation Conference is open now and will cap at 500-550 attendees. Register now to reserve your seat! Register for the Retail Innovation Conference here About The Retail Innovation Conference & Retail Innovator Awards In its 5th year, the 2019 Retail Innovation Conference (#RIC19) is an educational and networking event designed to spotlight retail disruptors thinking differently about todays retail experience. RIC19 will be held May 6-8 at Convene in New York City and will feature live presentations by select Retail Innovator Award winners. About Retail TouchPoints Retail TouchPoints is an online publishing network for retail executives, with content focused on optimizing the customer experience across all channels. The Retail TouchPoints network is comprised of 3 weekly e-newsletters, special reports, webcasts, podcasts, exclusive benchmark research, an insightful editorial blog, and a content-rich web site featuring daily news updates and multi-media interviews at www.retailtouchpoints.com. The Retail TouchPoints team also interacts with social media communities via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Press Contact: Sheri Butts sheri@gthreecom.com O: 201.257.8528 x248 C: 973.842.7961 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8f31720d-a843-4dfd-b03b-ad0ed440e524 The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress. Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more The Federal Aviation Administration has given its first air drone delivery certification in the United States to Alphabets Wing Aviation, paving the way for the service to begin commercial package delivery in Blacksburg, Virginia. This is an important step forward for the safe testing and integration of drones into our economy, said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. Safety continues to be our No. 1 priority as this technology continues to develop and realize its full potential, she added. This is a big sign that were finally starting to see drone delivery become a reality, said Nicole France, principal analyst at Constellation Research. Others will undoubtedly follow suit, she told TechNewsWorld. Its just a matter of time. Wing will reach out to businesses and communities in Virginias Blacksburg and Christiansburg areas to demonstrate the technology, and it plans to launch a delivery trial later this year. If the furor over electric scooters from the likes of Bird and Lime are any guide, this will garner no small amount of comment and need for policy guidelines, France remarked. A Charter Airline, Not a Drone Service Wing Aviation was certified under the rules for charter airlines rather than under rules governing drone operation as laid out in FAA regulations Part 107, CEO James Burgess said. Part 107 allows drones to be flown for hire only if flights are within a ground operators eyesight. Automated flights over longer distances are allowed only if they are demonstrations with no fees involved. Wing needed to become a full fledged air carrier to operate over longer ranges and to charge for the service, Burgess said. It makes sense that theyd fall under the same category as charter services, Part 135, said Constellations France, who holds a private pilot license. Wing Aviation probably will have to adhere to all the relevant sections of Part 135, she said. These regulations govern everything from required maintenance, documentation and training to the kind of cargo transported, operating limitations and equipment requirements. The key is to distinguish between private drone operations and commercial ones, France noted.Its ultimately about safety and applying the same standards to all commercial operators regardless of aircraft type. Coming Soon to a Community Near You A drone is 25 percent as productive as a truck, but it costs six to 10 times less, according to OC&C Strategy Consultants. Addressable demand for drone delivery will grow by 30-40 percent annually through 2023, OC&C has predicted. Sixty percent of B2B deliveries and 40 percent of B2C deliveries will be made by drone by 2023. Early uses will include couriers for time-sensitive documents and delivery of vital medical supplies, according to OC&C. Future uses will include delivery of medical supplies to homebound consumers, critical parts to manufacturers, and use by companies in the fashion, grocery and electronics industries. Commercial air drone delivery services will become commonplace in the U.S. within 24 months, Constellation Research principal analyst Ray Wang told TechNewsWorld in a previous discussion on this topic. Rays estimate is about right, France said. The FAA is not known for rushing new innovations into service and, especially given the flack it has received over its slow response to the Boeing 737-Max issue, theyre even less likely to be precocious now. The FAA has been criticized heavily in the U.S. and abroad for its slow response to Boeing 737-Max crashes earlier this year. Other countries grounded the plane without waiting for it to take action. Obstacles to Drone Delivery Services Legal issues will be the main impediments to airborne drone delivery services becoming commonplace, suggested Michael Jude, program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan. There will be lawsuits if a drone fails over a highway and crashes through a car window at speed, for example, he told TechNewsWorld. How do we settle liability then? What if the failure is due to malicious interference? A drone is typically four unprotected propellers spinning at several thousand RPM, Jude pointed out. Were talking about a flying lawn mower. Around kids. The trial lawyers are licking their lips over this. Further, other agencies might seek to regulate airborne drone services. A drone is a flying cellphone site, Jude remarked. Those things are highly regulated, because they could potentially interfere with other things or be interfered with, so the FCCs involvement is critical. National security might be a factor as well. If a drone can deliver a pizza, it can deliver a block of C-4, Jude pointed out. If I were in any of the three-letter agencies, I would keep a close eye on drones. Weather also could be an impediment. Drones are weather-sensitive, which would limit their use, he said. Amazon Grounded Amazon, which introduced the idea of airborne drone delivery, has fallen by the wayside in the U.S. It was not invited to participate in the DoTs UAS Integration Pilot Program and nothing has been heard of late about its Prime Air service. Amazons restraint tells me a lot, Jude said. With its resources, it could easily catch up. I think it will wait and see. Why it matters: Are you looking forward to 5G? If so, youll be pleased to know that Verizon has opened up pre-orders for Samsungs Galaxy S10 5G handset, which it will sell as a timed exclusive in the US. Additionally, the carrier has announced 20 new cities that will receive its ultra wideband 5G coverage before the year is out. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G starts at a hefty $1,299, or $54.16 per month for two years, for the 256GB model. Choosing the 512GB version will set you back $1,399 or $58.33 per month for two years. The phone will be available in Majestic Black and Crown Silver and will be delivered by May 16, 2019the same day it arrives in stores. Verizon is offering some incentives to make those high prices less of a turn-off. Buyers can get up to $450 in credit when trading in an eligible phone, and new customers get a $200 prepaid Mastercard when they switch to Verizon on any Unlimited plan. Verizon is also giving away a free Samsung Wireless Charging Battery Pack and free pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds for those who pre-order. Additionally, 20 more cities will be joining Chicago and Minneapolis in receiving Verizons millimeter wave 5G Ultra Wideband service this year. These are: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Des Moines, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Little Rock, Memphis, Phoenix, Providence, San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Washington DC. While 5G offers incredibly fast speeds, T-Mobile has warned that Verizon's 5G offering currently is exclusively reliant on mmWave frequencies, preventing it from ever having a chance to "reach rural America." Millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum has great potential in terms of speed and capacity, but it doesnt travel far from the cell site and doesnt penetrate materials at all, said T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray on Monday. It will never materially scale beyond small pockets of 5G hotspots in dense urban environments. Verizon has also confirmed that a 5G variant of the upcoming Galaxy Note 10 will arrive later this year. Scientists are probing the possible negative health effects of a chemical commonly used in water and stain-resistant clothing, nonstick cookware, and other products. PFAS Everywhere Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more popularly known as PFAS, have contaminated the soil and water, including sources of drinking water. "We're finding them contaminating many rivers, many lakes, many drinking water supplies," stated Linda Birnbaum, the director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program. "And we're finding them not only in the environment, but we're finding them in people." More specifically, PFAS have been found in the bloodstream and, because they do not breakdown easily, the compounds can stay in the human body for years or even decades. However, not enough studies have been conducted to investigate the side effects of PFAS to the human body. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in its website, revealed that some PFAS have been found to affect a child's growth and learning, affect a woman's chances of getting pregnant, increase the cholesterol level, increase the risk of developing cancer, and influence the immune system. Animal models exposed to high levels of the chemicals have experienced changes in liver, pancreatic, and thyroid function. "We still don't know the precise molecular ways that they produce toxicity," explained Jamie Dewitt, a toxicologist at East Carolina University. In a previous study, Dewitt and his team found evidence that one PFAS chemical called PFOA can interfere with the body's response to vaccines in both animals and humans. Regulation Of PFAS Due to the public outcry, several public health agencies, including the CDC and the National Institutes of Health, have increased funding for the study of PFAS. The Environmental Protection Agency is also looking into setting a safety limit for some PFAS in drinking water. In response to the concerns, some states are taking action to limit public exposure to the potentially toxic chemicals. Michigan will begin screening levels of five forms of PFAS chemicals, such as PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFBS, in drinking water. Public officials stated that 49 investigations are currently underway in areas that are known to be contaminated with PFAS. The Department of Environmental Protection in New Jersey, meanwhile, is ordering five industrial companies to pay for investigation and cleanup of sites contaminated with toxic PFAS. The agency said that the companies were responsible for contamination of air and water in New Jersey. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A new study suggests that Americans are spending too much time sitting in front of their computers, which increases their risk for certain diseases. Researchers from Washington University examined the different impacts of the sedentary lifestyle most people in the United States are following these days. They reviewed data from the National Health Nutrition Examination Survey. The team found that the average leisure time spent by Americans using their computers increased from 4.8 percent to 38 percent between 2001 and 2016. Health experts warn that this trend of inactivity is putting more people at risk of serious medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It also increases their chances of dying prematurely. Spending Too Much Time Sitting The researchers saw a significant jump in the numbers of people spending too much time in front of computers. In 2016, almost half of Americans (43 percent) spent two or more hours every day using their devices, and 25 percent of them spent three or more hours every day. The amount of time spent using computers also increased by as much as an hour across all age groups. Adults used up about 6.4 hours a day sitting down, while teenagers spent 8.2 hours a day. The team hopes that these findings will help raise the public's awareness on the dangers of having sedentary lifestyle and quickly change habits. Yin Cao, an assistant professor of surgery at Washington and senior author of the study, mentioned the Department of Health and Human Services' call to increase the amount of activity for Americans. "[P]eople would benefit from both increasing moderate to vigorous activity and also reducing time spent sitting," Cao said. Implementing Standing Desks Some organizations have started implementing standing desks to help limit workers' time spent sitting. However, this might not be enough to curb the negative effects of being sedentary. Prof. David Rempel, of the University of California, San Francisco, said some safety professionals and furniture makers are pushing for the use of sit-stand workstations to help improve cardiovascular health, but there is no scientific evidence to prove this assertion. While Rempel recognized that alternating standing and sitting while using a computer may be beneficial to some people, especially those with lower back and neck issues, it does not offer the exercise necessary to stay healthy. Instead of standing more at work, some health experts suggest making more time for walking breaks. Not only does it help people stay fit and healthy, it also lowers their risk for illnesses. Here are just some of the health benefits of walking for even as short as 15 minutes a day, according to Reader's Digest: Improves people's moods Helps keep the brain's creative juices flowing Reduces allergic reactions such as sneezing, itching, congestion and runny nose Helps regulate proper metabolism function Extends lifespans by up to seven years Helps people save money on healthcare Reduces wrinkles and other signs of skin aging Improves the average length and quality of sleep Helps people handle stress better Improves brain functions such as cognition, learning, memory, and reading Improves chronic pain management Strengthens bones by increasing their density Improves eyesight Builds stronger relationships with friends and loved ones through workouts Prevents development of certain illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, lung disease, and heart disease The findings of the Washington University study are featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. From sweet peaches to sour pickles, humans enjoy eating because of tongue receptors that detect the taste of food. Now, a new study has revealed that the tongue not only picks up the taste of food, it can actually also smell odors. Here's How The Tongue Can Smell Odors A team of researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia studied geneticially modified mice to determine the location of olfactory receptors and found that these receptors do turn up on taste cells. The research team then turned to human taste cells and found that these taste cells contain proteins which are known to be important in other cells that can detect odors. In fact, human taste cells do respond to fragrances, such as the smell of a clove-scented compound called eugenol, even though the concentration of these substances was below the necessary level to trigger a taste response. There is also evidence that taste cells bear both taste and odor receptors that interact with similar molecules, which backs up the idea that signals from taste and odor receptors interact with each other. Add Odors To Food To Urge People To Eat Healthier The findings of the study, which have been issued in the journal Chemical Senses, question the idea that the brain detects the taste of food and its odor separately in the mouth and nose respectively, and that the taste and odor only combine in the brain to produce the impression of flavor. The study explains that odor molecules might trigger a response in the mouth. Still, researchers stressed that the results of the study do not undermine the importance or the role of the nose in picking up odors. "I am not saying that [if you] open your mouth, you smell," said Dr. Mehmet Hakan Ozdener, the lead researcher of the study. He explained that the findings open up the possibility of using odors to coax people into eating healthier. For instance, a low concentration of odor could be added to food to make people think that it's sweeter than it really is, which could actually reduce the need for sugar and help tackle the obesity crisis. Olfactory Receptors Are Not Confined To The Nose Prof. Charles Spence of the University of Oxford, who was not involved in the study, welcomed the findings of the study. However, he said it was too early to talk about it being of help in tackling obesity. Spence said the study could help unpick some of the unexplained phenomena around taste because there is more to taste than what experts realize. He added that a past study tackled the fact that people could discriminate food that are only expected to differ by their odors, even when the nose was not involved. Meanwhile, Prof. Johannes Frasnelli from the Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres said that past studies have confirmed that olfactory receptors are not confined to the nose. Prof. Frasnelli said that olfactory receptors can be found in many other tissues aside from the olfactory mucosa, such as in sperm cells, which seem to play a role in guiding the sperm cell to the egg. Photo: Bruce Tuten | Flickr 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Researchers from the University of St Andrews in the UK think they have found the reason why myths of long-necked creatures like the Loch Ness monster became popular in recent centuries. Loch Ness Monster Stories of a creature living in Scotland's Loch Ness go as far back as the sixth century, but the legend of Nessie drew increased interest in the 19th and 20th centuries. Those who say they saw the creature claimed it stood 4 feet tall and had a long wavy neck thicker than an elephant's trunk. Researchers of a new study now think they know why the myth of the elusive creature became popular in recent centuries. Study researcher Charles Paxton and colleagues found that after paleontologists' discovery of the first dinosaurs, which were placed on display at museums across Britain in the early 19th century, the number of reports about spindly-necked creatures rocketed. Popularity Of Myth Influenced By Dinosaurs Paxton and colleagues looked through nearly 1,700 used statistical analysis to find trends in sea monster reports between 1801 and 2015. They checked historical reports from books, newspaper accounts and first-hand testimonies that go back hundreds of years, and sightings. Their study hints that the legends of long-necked sea monsters were influenced by dinosaurs. Fossils of the dinosaurs were displayed from around 1820 but before that, most reports of monsters described them as looking like large snakes. Before 1800, only 10 percent of stories about sea creatures described animals with a long neck, but by the 1930s, the number of cases was close to 50 percent. The researchers found a peak of reports between 1930 and 1934. "Witnesses only began to unequivocally compare sea serpents to prehistoric reptiles in the late nineteenth century, some fifty years after the suggestion was first made by naturalists," researchers wrote in their study, which was published in the journal Earth Sciences History. Loch Ness Monster Could Be Ancient Marine Reptile Plesiosaur Some experts think the Loch Ness monster could be the ancient marine reptile plesiosaur, which could have survived the comet strike that wiped about the dinosaurs, and managed to make its way to the freshwater loch. The first complete plesiosaur was found in 1823. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Lego is set to release a new line of toy blocks specifically designed for blind children and those with visual impairments. The Danish toy maker announced on Wednesday that its upcoming Lego Braille Bricks will feature studs molded with letters and numbers to allow Braille readers to identify the different pieces that they are playing with. The new toy blocks are designed to be inclusive, which means parents, teachers, and even other students who can see can still use the pieces to interact with visually challenged children. The company said its Braille Bricks will be fully compatible with other Lego products already available in the market. New Lego Braille Bricks John Goodwin, chief executive of the Lego Foundation, explained the toy maker's goal for the new blocks. He said blind and visually impaired children also have their own dreams and aspirations for their future just like children who can see. They want to explore the world and interact with other people through play. However, many of these children are left out from certain activities because of their condition. Goodwin believes the Lego Braille Bricks will provide a playful and inclusive way for children to learn Braille. He hopes that parents, teachers, caregivers, and practitioners around the world will be as excited about the new toy blocks as they are. Morten Bonde, senior art director at Lego, served as a consultant during the creation of the Braille Bricks. He has been diagnosed with a genetic eye disorder that is slowly taking his eyesight. Bonde said seeing the reactions from students and teachers regarding the new Lego toys was inspiring to him. It reminded him that the only limitations that he will encounter in life are the ones the he create in his mind. He pointed out that the interest and level of engagement the children experienced was evident, especially in being independent and included on equal terms with other people their age. "I am moved to see the impact this product has on developing blind and visually impaired children's academic confidence and curiosity already in its infant days," Bonde said. The new Lego Braille Bricks are now being trialled in Danish, Portuguese, Norwegian, and English at schools and other institutions. The full kit will become available by 2020. Importance Of Braille Braille continues to be a vital mode of instruction for many children suffering from blindness and visual impairment. More than 150 million people all over the world use the system for several different reasons, according to the British organization Royal Blind. One of the most important benefits of Braille is its ability to facilitate effective learning for the visually challenged. It allows users to understand spelling and punctuation, and even how text are formatted on a page. Royal Blind said previous studies have shown that people who can read Braille have higher literacy rates on average compared to those that do not know the system. The skill can also lead to a better chance of securing a job for blind and visually impaired professionals. Technology is also helping make Braille more accessible and portable for users. Several Braille notetakers, refreshable displays, and transcription software have been developed to help people process their daily tasks. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. French English Ivry, April 25, 2019 Successful refinancing of 650 million Senior Notes Fnac Darty announced today that it has successfully priced its offering of senior notes in an aggregate principal amount of 650 million consisting of 300 million in principal amount of senior notes due 2024 and 350 million in principal amount of senior notes due 2026. The 2024 Notes will pay interest at a rate per annum of 1.875%. The 2026 Notes will pay interest at a rate per annum of 2.625%. The offering is expected to close and the Notes are expected to be issued on or around May 14, 2019. Following closing of the offering, Fnac Darty expects to use the proceeds from the offering, together with cash on hand, to fully redeem its outstanding 650 million 3.25% Senior Notes due 2023 and pay all associated premium, costs, fees and expenses. Jean-Brieuc Le Tinier, the Fnac Darty Group's Chief Financial Officer, declared: "The refinancing of our bonds will allow us to extend the average maturity of our indebtedness, to spread out our repayment deadlines and lower the cost of our overall financing. The success of this transaction is a new step as part of our continued efforts to reinforce our financial structure and translates the confidence of investors in Fnac Darty's business model." BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole CIB and Natixis acted as Joint Global Coordinators and as Joint Bookrunners for the offering. Societe Generale acted as Joint Bookrunner. Banco Sabadell, BBVA, CM-CIC Market Solutions and KBC Bank acted as Co-Managers. Credit Agricole CIB is assisting with Billing and Delivery. * * * DISCLAIMER There will be no public offering of the Notes. The Notes will be offered and sold only to investors outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " Securities Act "). No assurance can be given that the offering will be completed or, if completed, as to the terms on which it will be completed. This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States or in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to whom, such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. The Notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act. The Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of the Notes to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from the Issuer and that will contain detailed information about the Issuer and management, as well as financial statements. This announcement is being distributed only to, and is directed at, (a) persons who are outside the United Kingdom, (b) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments who fall within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the " Order "), (c) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order or (d) persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in an investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as " relevant persons "). The investments to which this announcement relates are available only to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such investments will be available only to or will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this announcement or any of its contents. Persons distributing this announcement must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so. This announcement does not constitute and shall not, in any circumstances, constitute a public offering nor an invitation to the public in connection with any offer within the meaning of the Directive 2010/73/EU (the " Prospectus Directive "). The offer and sale of the Notes will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Directive, as implemented in Member States of the European Economic Area, from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of securities. MiFID II professionals/ECPs-only / No PRIIPs KID - Manufacturer target market (MIFID II product governance) is eligible counterparties and professional clients only (all distribution channels). No PRIIPs key information document (KID) has been prepared as not available to retail in European Economic Area. This announcement has not been prepared and is not being distributed in the context of a public offering of financial securities in France within the meaning of Article L.411-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code ("Code monetaire et financier") and Title I of Book II of the Reglement General of the French financial market authority ("Autorite des marches financiers"). The Notes have not been and will not be offered or sold to the public in France and shall not be distributed or caused to be distributed to the public in France. The offering memorandum or any other offering material relating to the Notes and such offers, sales and distributions have been and will be made available in France only to (a) persons providing investment services relating to portfolio management for the account of third parties (personnes fournissant le service d'investissement de gestion de portefeuille pour compte de tiers), and/or (b) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies) acting for their own account, as defined in, and in accordance with, Articles L. 411-1, L. 411-2 and D. 411-1, D. 744-1, D. 754-1 and D. 764-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code. Neither the content of the Issuer's website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Issuer's website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this announcement. The distribution of this announcement into certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This announcement may include "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These views are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other facts, which in some cases are beyond our control. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and no assurance can be given that any future events will occur or that the Issuer's assumptions will prove to be correct. The Issuer's ordinary share capital is listed on Euronext Paris. CONTACTS The universe is more than 13 billion years old. Multiply this number by a trillion and that is the half-life of a xenon-124 atom, which is the time it takes for a group of xenon-124 to diminish by half. For the first time ever, scientists were able to observe this decaying process in a near-impossible feat. "We actually saw this decay happen. It's the longest, slowest process that has ever been directly observed, and our dark matter detector was sensitive enough to measure it," said Ethan Brown, coauthor and an assistant professor of physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in a report from the university. "It's an amazing to have witnessed this process, and it says that our detector can measure the rarest thing ever recorded." Amazingly, the scientists were able to pull it off using an instrument that's designed to search the universe for another elusive sight: dark matter. Dark Matter Hunter Captures The Decay Of Xenon-124 Buried deep in the mountains of Italy is XENON1T, a massive tank of pure liquid xenon shielded from radiation. It's a machine meant to search for dark matter through the particles' interactions with the xenon, but it hasn't been successful with this goal just yet. Instead, the XENON Collaboration has captured another ultra-rare particle interaction: the radioactive decay of the xenon-124 atom into a tellurium 124 atom, which the team shared in a paper published in the journal Nature. For most elements, radioactive decay occurs when one electron is pulled into the nucleus to convert a proton into a neutron. However, in a xenon atom, a proton must absorb two electrons to convert into a neutron. It's a very rare event known as a "double-electron capture." The Rarest Event Recorded Brown explained that a double-electron capture only occurs when two of the electrons are right beside the nucleus at the exact right time. "[It's] a rare thing multiplied by another rare thing, making it ultra-rare," he added. As soon as this double-electron capture occurred in the machine, instruments detected the signal of electrons re-arranging to fill in for the electrons that have been absorbed. It's the first time scientists have been able to directly observe a radioactive decay of a xenon-124 atom. By doing so, the team were also able to precisely measure its half-life as about 18 sextillion years, a trillion times the age of the universe. "If you had 100 xenon-124 atoms when the dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago, statistically speaking, all 100 of them would still be there today," Christian Wittweg, a doctoral candidate from the University of Munster who is one of the 106 scientists part of the XENON Collaboration, described to Live Science. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Health officials in the United States have confirmed that an insect biting incident in Delaware last year was indeed caused by a "kissing bug." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a girl in Kent County, Delaware was bitten on the face by a blood-sucking insect while watching TV at home in July 2018. Initial investigations showed that the culprit may have been a kissing bug. The federal agency has now revealed that the insect was a Triatoma sanguisuga. The creature, which is also known as the Eastern Bloodsucking Conenose or the Mexican Bed Bug, feeds on the blood of both animals and humans. The Triatoma sanguisuga got its moniker as a kissing bug because of its habit of biting the faces of its victims. While the kissing bug's bite is not necessarily dangerous, the insect is known to carry Chagas disease parasites that can severely affect the brain and heart. Kissing Bug In Delaware Officials from the Delaware Division of Public Health were the ones who identified the creature that bit the girl as a kissing bug. They took photographs of the culprit and sent them to the Kissing Bug Citizen Science Program at Texas A&M University, which monitors the activities of the insects across the United States. The CDC conducted an analysis of the kissing bug's body shape and confirmed that it was a Triatoma sanguisuga. The Delaware incident is the first such case involving the insect in the state. A suspected kissing bug was reported to Texas A&M in 2017, though the supposed culprit was later found dead. The CDC said no cases of kissing bug bitings were made at the time. The specimen taken from last year's biting carried traces of human blood, but it tested negative for any presence of Chagas disease-causing parasites. The victim also did not fall ill after she was bitten. What Is Chagas Disease? Chagas disease, also called American trypanosomiasis, is a serious illness caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, according to the CDC. The infection is commonly transmitted through insect bites and is known to affect humans and animals alike. While the disease is often found in rural areas of Latin America, it has also reached other regions in the Americas. As many as 8 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America are infected with disease, many of whom are not even aware that they have been infected. If Chagas disease is left untreated, the infection is lifelong. It can also threaten the life of disease carriers. People who contract an acute case of the infection will develop symptoms of the disease almost immediately. These can last for a few weeks or months after acquiring the illness. Traces of the T. cruzi parasite can be found circulating in the blood of patients. At this stage of the infection, sufferers are often asymptomatic. They may develop fever or swelling around the site where they have been bitten by disease carrying insects. In some cases, the disease can result in severe inflammation of the brain or heart muscle of patients. It can also affect the lining around the brain. Sufferers may also enter a prolonged asymptomatic form later on. Doctors will only find little to no evidence of parasitic presence in patients' blood. This causes many people to think that they not infected or have outlasted the illness. However, the CDC said 20 to 30 percent of patients with Chagas disease will develop severe and even life-threatening conditions throughout their lives. Here are some of the known complications of chronic Chagas disease infection: Abnormalities in heart rhythm that can lead to sudden death Issues with blood circulation due to a dilation of the heart Difficulties in eating due to a dilation of the esophagus Difficulties in passing stool due to a dilation of the colon 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The race to the Moon is on. China is planning to construct a scientific research station in the lunar south pole in about 10 years. Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration, made the announcement during a speech on "Space Day," reported the state-ran news agency Xinhua. Zhang also confirmed that a fourth lunar probe, the Chang'e-5, will be launched at the end of a year. Beijing is also planning to send a probe to Mars by 2020. China's Lunar Plans Details of the planned scientific research station remains unclear, but China has been setting itself up as a new leader in space exploration. This year, the Asian superpower successfully landed the Chang'e-4, an uncrewed lander, and Yutu-2, a rover, on the far side of the Moon. CSNA recently released new images of the Von Karman Crater, a large and old impact crater in the Moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin. The upcoming Chang'e-5 mission was originally scheduled to be launched during the second half of 2017 to collect lunar samples. However, it was delayed when the powerful Long March 5 Y2 rocket which was supposed to carry it to outer space failed in another mission. The United States is also planning return and set up a permanent presence of the surface of the Moon and, eventually, send manned missions to Mars. China To Begin Construction Of New Space Station Zhang also revealed that the country will launch the core parts of its planned orbital space station, named Tiangong or Heavenly Place, onboard the Long March-5B rocket during the first half of 2020. The space station is expected to be in orbit by 2022, according to China's Manned Space Engineering Office. Tiangong will replace the International Space Station, which has been in orbit for 20 years. The ISS, a collaboration between the United States, Europe, Russia, Canada, and Japan, will be retired by 2024. China is now spending more money to fund space exploration more than any country in the world, excluding the United States. The country is also planning to explore and collect samples from near-Earth asteroid 2016HO3 and comet 133P in the main asteroid belt. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Lafayette CBD shop owner was arrested and his merchandise seized less than a week after his CBD and hemp-focused retail shop and cafe opened, reigniting confusion and debate about the legality of CBD products in Louisiana and the divide between state and federal law. Travis DeYoung, owner of Cajun Cannabis, was arrested after a traffic stop Wednesday night. Deputies with the Lafayette Parish Sheriffs Office then executed a search warrant on his Johnston Street storefront, seizing CBD oil, CBD-infused gummies and other edible products, and two handguns from his vehicle and store, among other items. DeYoung was booked on 17 charges, including felony counts for possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a juvenile and the manufacture, distribution or possession of marijuana. Lafayette Sheriff Mark Garber said Thursday afternoon the arrest was the result of an ongoing investigation after multiple complaints were filed about illegal activity at the Cajun Cannabis storefront. Police bought products from Cajun Cannabis and they tested positive for THC, but Garber did not reveal the level of THC in the products. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant. It's typically extracted from hemp, a variety of cannabis distinct from marijuana because it's low in THC, the chemical in cannabis that gets users high. The store's offerings included CBD oils as well as CBD-infused candles, lotions, bath products and drinks. Hemp is genetically distinct from marijuana according to the Congressional Research Service and has no more than 0.3 percent THC. In recent years, CBD has exploded in popularity in the United States as users tout the product's natural health and wellness benefits. Before his grand opening Saturday, DeYoung said he suffered from chronic pain and found CBD and hemp products provided greater relief than traditional pharmaceuticals. DeYoung said one of the main reasons he wanted to open Cajun Cannabis was to break the stigma against the plant and products made from it and educate the public about its health and wellness benefits. Cajun Cannabis' products comply with federal regulations that distinguish between marijuana and hemp. Louisiana regulatory authorities, though, contend that the sale of CBD products is illegal. The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control said that products containing even zero percent THC are illegal. "Theres no percentage that Im aware of thats a threshold or cutoff for state law," Garber said. As news of DeYoungs arrest and the stores sweep unfolded, the Louisiana Legislature moved a bill out of the House agriculture committee that would create a pathway for farmers to legally grow industrial hemp in the state. The bill would bring state law in line with the 2018 federal Farm Bill. Legal Louisiana hemp farming? Proposal to legalize plant's growth passes first hurdle A proposal to legalize the growth of hemp in Louisiana made it through the first phase of the legislative process Thursday, with the state agr The differences in federal and state law surrounding the hemp plant and CBD products have created confusion about what will be enforced and if businesses will be barred from selling CBD products in Louisiana. In recent months the state Board of Pharmacy and the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control have issued public notices suggesting CBD is illegal in the state. The Board of Pharmacys notice said outright that CBD is illegal, though the agency told its licensees that it did not have plans to take any enforcement actions. The state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control went as far as telling its permit holders places like smoke shops and liquor stores that it will start issuing citations to those that sell CBD products. KATC reported before Cajun Cannabis opening that Lafayette's city permit manager said in an email they had been asked by the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control to deny Cajun Cannabis an occupancy permit. The ATC denied the claim. Because Cajun Cannabis operates in a gray area and is not a pharmacy, bar or smoke shop, DeYoung said the ATC and Board of Pharmacy had no jurisdiction over his occupational license. CBD can still be found at retailers across Louisiana, with such products even more abundant at online sellers. That doesn't make it legal, Garber said. "Right now were 100 percent confident that what we seized were in fact illegal products. These were Schedule 1 narcotics and they are not legal to sell in Louisiana," he said. "Just because something is being offered in a retail establishment does not necessarily mean that it is legal to sell." Other Lafayette businesses and retailers advertise the sale of hemp and CBD-infused products, but Garber said his department would not strip CBD products from all storefronts in the area. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "This is not something where were going to check every store that sells a CBD product or were going searching through inventories at Sams Club and Costco and things like that. This was in response to multiple, specific complaints asking us to look into something," he said. Garber said outcry from the public that his office specifically targeted DeYoung and his business was "absurd." "We target crime. Were not targeting Mr. DeYoung as a person and were not targeting his business. Were simply responding to complaints," he said. The sheriff said the decision to execute a search warrant and arrest Mr. DeYoung was made after careful consideration and consultation with the district attorney's office. Garber said his department is obligated to investigate when accusations of criminal activity are made. Lafayette Sheriffs Office spokesman Lt. John Mowell said he was unaware of any similar complaints against other area businesses. When The Acadiana Advocate asked for copies of similar complaints, Mowell said they would be considered part of pending investigations and would not be something we would be able to provide details on. DeYoung was booked into the Lafayette Parish Jail just after 7 a.m. Thursday and online booking records show he was in custody as of 6:30 p.m. He was booked on two counts of possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, both felonies; possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a juvenile, a felony; seven counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances; two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia; and two counts of manufacture, distribution or possession of marijuana, one felony and one misdemeanor, according to a release from the sheriff's department and online jail records. He was also booked on three additional counts for the manufacture and distribution of drugs, online jail records show. Online jail records show DeYoung has a court appearance scheduled for Friday at 8 a.m. His bail is currently set at $332,000 for his collective charges, records show. A GoFundMe campaign was started to help cover DeYoungs legal costs and continue to pioneer this industry and show our state what the people want. Agents seized 17 bottles of CBD oil, 14 bottles of CBD gummies, 69 glass jars of CBD Shatter, a box of CBD mints and a handgun from DeYoungs vehicle, they said. They then seized another handgun, over 1,800 capsules containing CBD/THC; honey containing CBD/THC; mints containing CBD/THC; dog treats containing CBD/THC; about 37,000 gross grams of CBD; less than 1 gross gram of marijuana; over 900 gross grams of CBD/THC edibles and over 150 gross grams of CBD/THC vapes or Shatter from DeYoungs Johnston Street storefront. Garber also said DeYoung was selling items outside of the business. He would not clarify what these items were and did not comment on the gram of marijuana seized at DeYoungs business. "If youre going to do that openly then you should expect some law enforcement interaction at some point," he said. DeYoung said before his store opened he knew he might have trouble with law enforcement, but believed his approach was within the boundaries of the law. He said he intended to provide lab reports for his products and ensure they were triple tested for THC concentrations above 0.3 percent -- the federal limit. "I'm following all the rules. I'm the most transparent cannabis guy in Louisiana I guarantee it and at the end of the day no one knows cannabis like Cajun Cannabis," DeYoung said. +5 Cajun Cannabis opens, bringing CBD, hemp products -- and some legal questions -- to eager crowd Cajun Cannabis opened its doors Saturday to dozens of customers interested in its products, defying what the owners say were pressures from st Information from The Advocate reporters Dan Boudreaux and Sam Karlin was used in this report. Before becoming a co-owner and organizer of the Louisiana Comic Con in Lafayette, Greg Hanks was, first and foremost, a fan. EMS transports a victim from the scene as they respond along with Baton Rouge Police to the Walmart on College Drive in reference to a shooting, Tuesday, March 5, 2019, in Baton Rouge, La. Two victims were transported via EMS with reportedly stable, non-life threatening injuries. It is unclear where the shooting took place. Phoenix, AZ, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equality Health and Bashas Family of Stores Food City brand have partnered to launch a full-service health retail clinic that will provide underserved populations with personalized, quality healthcare thats easily accessible and affordable. The Equality Health Walk-in Clinic, scheduled to open on April 29 at the Food City located at 9020 West Thomas Road in Phoenix, will offer the full-spectrum of health and wellness services supported by an onsite care team that includes a nurse practitioner and health navigator. A pharmacy and onsite lab services will also be available. Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) show a direct correlation between overall health and non-clinical factors such as economic wellness, food security and safe and affordable housing. To address this, the Equality Health Walk-in Clinic will provide total health solutions including primary care, behavioral health, and social services support. The Equality Health Walk-in Clinic is the first among existing mainstream health retail clinics to offer this level of personalized, holistic care to underserved communities. The personalized clinic model completely focuses on total health, embraces culture and empowers the health of individuals and communities, said Mark Wright, president of Equality Health Medical Group. We are fortunate to find such a like-minded partner with Bashas Family of Stores to help us bring this innovative concept to reality. Both of us are focused on improving greater access to care and the consumer experience, and together, we feel that the clinic will provide a culturally familiar and comfortable place where people can achieve their best health. As part of the Equality Health Walk-in Clinic model, the care team will assess for social and cultural determinants of health to guide individuals and connect them to community resources and social support such as: Transportation, Housing and Food Programs Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Medicaid and Medicare Enrollment Information Disability Benefits Information Additionally, Equality Health Walk-in Clinics will offer: Support to individuals managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension Screenings for behavioral health needs including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicide prevention; consults for such services can be conducted immediately via telehealth capabilities Prescription fulfillment, e-prescribed at the onsite pharmacy or the patients pharmacy of choice Our goal is to utilize Equality Health Walk-in Clinics as a way to first treat the patients most immediate non-emergency conditions, and give them the healthcare they need when they need it most, said Monique Delgado, senior vice president, Equality Health Network and Operations. This will help expand access and alleviate avoidable emergency department visits while providing much needed care, Delgado explained. Equality Health is also taking site location into consideration as they build out future health retail clinics. According to the Convenient Care Association, the number of visits to health retail clinics have increased sevenfold from 1.5 million to 10.5 million over a period of 15 years. However, higher income families are nearly twice as likely than lower income families to visit a health retail clinic. This disparity is driven in part by the fact that the majority of health retail clinics are located in higher-income neighborhoods. Equality Health and Bashas Family of Stores aim to better serve underserved populations by adding Equality Health Walk-in Clinics to communities where convenient access to quality healthcare, affordable healthy foods, and wellness programs is an ongoing challenge. Bashas Family of Stores is committed to supporting our communities and the customers we serve through access to fresh, quality food in many areas of our state where social determinants of health play a role in daily life, said Edward Basha III, president and CEO of Bashas Family of Stores. We are proud to partner with Equality Health on this first-of-its-kind clinic and provide yet another resource for our customers to enhance their overall health and well-being. Health retail clinics are now a part of the healthcare landscape in every state and in many communities. Equality Health and Bashas believe that placing full-service, culturally competent health retail clinics in a community-focused environment that promotes healthier choices and provides easy access to nutritious foods to support health goals, will help underserved populations achieve optimum health and live happier lives. For more information about Equality Health Walk-in Clinics, visit www.equalityhealthclinic.com. About Equality Health Equality Health, LLC is an Arizona-based integrated, holistic healthcare delivery system focused on improving care delivery for diverse populations with culturally sensitive programs that improve access, quality, and member trust. Through an integrated technology and services platform, culturally competent provider network and unique cultural care model, Equality Health helps managed care plans and health systems improve care for diverse populations while simultaneously making the transition to risk-based accountability. For more information about Equality Health, visit www.equalityhealth.com About Bashas Family of Stores Bashas Family of Stores the family-owned grocer that operates Food City, AJs Fine Foods, Eddies Country Store, and both Bashas and Bashas Dine Supermarkets is an Arizona-based company founded by brothers Ike and Eddie Basha, Sr. With more than 100 grocery stores, it is one of the largest employers in the state and one of the Best Places to Work in Arizona. Since the companys inception in 1932, Bashas has given back more than $100 million to the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.bashas.com. ### Attachments Four people died in a head-on collision along Interstate 12 in Livingston Parish early Thursday after a luxury sedan careened off a section of highway overdue for the installation of cable barriers that might have prevented the crash or reduced its severity. The Louisiana Department of Transportation intends to install barriers along all of I-12 through Livingston Parish. Many are already built particularly concrete walls separating east- and westbound traffic but in other areas only a grass median now separates opposite lanes along the 60-70 mph thoroughfare. State Police are still investigating what caused the crash, but the agency says its preliminary investigation shows Willie Smith Jr., 57, of Loranger, was driving west in a Lincoln Town Car around 5 a.m. at the same time driver Tobias Jones, 30, of Magnolia, Mississippi, was traveling eastbound in Nissan Altima. Troopers believe Smith crossed the median and entered the eastbound lanes, causing a head-on collision with the Mississippi driver. Jones and three of his passengers Marcus Feltus, 35, of Crosby, Mississippi; Natasha Moore, 36, and Anya Ewell, 38, both of McComb, Mississippi died at the scene, police said. Smith sustained serious injuries and was taken to a Hammond hospital. Toxicology results are pending for both drivers to determine whether either was impaired. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development spokesman Rodney Mallett said a section of I-12 at and near the Thursday crash site is slated for cable barrier installation as part of a rolling project that will see more than 600 miles of Louisiana roads outfitted with the median devices. The portion is scheduled to go to bid in June, Mallett said. The intent is to help mitigate what DOTD calls "crossover crashes" that occur when drivers swerve into and across medians, such as what State Police believe happened in Thursday's crash. +3 Four killed in I-12 crash near Livingston after car crosses median, hits another vehicle Four Mississippi residents were killed in a crash on Interstate 12 in Livingston Parish on Thursday morning, according to Louisiana State Police. Data on the DOTD website show that, as of May 2015, barriers along 25.8 miles of the roadway in Livingston Parish were scheduled for completion in March 2018. Mallett said the project's timeline was pushed back because of another project in the area that needed to be completed first. He said in general the statewide cable barrier work is ongoing as resources and funding allow. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Mallett said that there have been no crossover crashes in areas where DOTD has already installed cable barriers. LSU civil and environmental engineering professor Brian Wolshon who also conducts traffic research for DOTD and national organizations said cases like Thursday's quadruple fatality seem to be an obvious example of the benefits of devices like cable barriers, but there are more-complex factors at play. "It's easy to look at and say if we had (those cable barriers) four people would likely be alive. It's easy to look and say it's worth that for the potential dangers of maybe somebody wrecking their car," Wolshon said. "But, it's a very, very difficult decision and we know that everything out there is not foolproof. We can't design for every possible scenario, there's always a trade-off." Wolshon said engineers are tasked with deciding whether it's of more benefit to mitigate the rare but very serious consequence of a driver crossing a median at high speed without a cable barrier and colliding with another vehicle, or to lessen injury and property damage for the countless other drivers who will swerve and hit a barrier during the course of its life. "There's not any kind of standard; it's really a very specific case-by-case basis of assessing whether it's a problem," he said. "You don't want to look at a solution to a problem that doesn't exist." He said that, generally, cable barriers are the most favorable option over other elements like guardrails and concrete walls, as they're more cost-efficient, require less maintenance, and result in less property damage and injury when hit. "If you hit any of those going at high speeds all could be fatal, but the general idea is, is it much better to hit a barrier than whatever it is you would hit without it?" Wolshen asked. Mallett said 354 miles of road have already been outfitted with cable barriers at a cost of $52 million, and another 197 miles are under construction. By December 2021, a further 75 miles are scheduled to be installed. He said cable barrier construction costs typically between $135,000 and $200,000 per mile, with a $5,000 to $7,000 annual maintenance fee per mile. A federal appeals court says a Baton Rouge police officer injured while attempting to arrest protesters after the 2016 killing of Alton Sterling can sue one of the protests organizers on the grounds he acted negligently by leading people to block a highway outside police headquarters. The officer, identified in court records only as John Doe, had sued DeRay Mckesson, of Baltimore, and other protesters who gathered as members of the Black Lives Matter movement. A federal judge had thrown out Does lawsuit, citing First Amendment rights and noting Black Lives Matter was too loosely organized to sue. In a ruling Wednesday evening, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Doe should be able to argue that Mckesson didnt exercise reasonable care in leading protesters onto Airline Highway, setting up a confrontation with police in which Doe was injured by a thrown concrete block. Mckesson, reached Thursday for comment, said "Im disappointed and troubled by the 5th Circuits reversal of the district court decision. I am currently exploring my legal options and will respond formally soon." Doe's lawyer Donna Grodner called the ruling "a stand-up victory for the Baton Rouge PD." Circuit Judge E. Grady Jolly, writing for a unanimous three-judge panel, said, Mckesson should have known that leading the demonstrators onto a busy highway was most nearly certain to provoke a confrontation between police and the mass of demonstrators, yet he ignored the foreseeable danger to officers, bystanders, and demonstrators, and notwithstanding, did so anyway. Judge approves settlement in Alton Sterling protesters' suit over arrests in Baton Rouge Nearly 70 protesters arrested during demonstrations following Alton Sterling's fatal shooting in July 2016 will each receive from $500 to $1,0 Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The court said it wasnt addressing whether Does arguments were valid. Our ruling at this point is not to say that a finding of liability will ultimately be appropriate, Jolly wrote. We are simply required to decide whether Officer Does claim for relief is sufficiently plausible. U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson had ruled that Black Lives Matter was a social movement and that Doe's lawsuit had no suitable target in that regard. The 5th Circuit agreed. "The district court took judicial notice that (Black Lives Matter) is a 'hashtag' and therefore an 'expression' that lacks the capacity to be sued," the judges said. A Baton Rouge police officer shot Sterling, who was armed, outside a Baton Rouge convenience store in 2016 after being summoned to the store. Sterlings death set off days of protests, including the July 9, 2016, protest on Airline Highway outside the Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters. Doe was among the officers at the scene to arrest protesters after they failed to clear the roadway. According to the 5th Circuit, Doe was struck in the head and suffered the loss of teeth, a jaw injury, a brain injury, a head injury, lost wages, and other compensable losses. With the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board scheduled to vote Thursday whether to give Superintendent Warren Drake authority to lay off employees, the two teacher unions are suspicious of what they're hearing. Some employees are already being told they will likely have to look for another job somewhere else in the school system. The jobs of these 100-or-so employees are in jeopardy due to a separate, annual budget process where school principals figure out the number of staff members they will have the following school year. As part of that process, affected employees received impact letters last week before spring break, telling them their position is slated to be cut because of program changes or school restructuring. Those who remain on the impact list, set to be made final Monday, won't be returning to their schools in the same positions they held. Representatives of both teacher unions in Baton Rouge said they have heard from their members about the impact letters, some mistaking the letters for the potential layoffs theyve been hearing about. Several affected employees are expected to speak out at the School Board meeting. Angela Reams-Brown, president of the East Baton Rouge Federation of Teachers, said she has concerns about who shes hearing is being let go and where. Im afraid some of the principals are using this as a way to get rid some of the people they dont want at their schools, Reams-Brown said. Gretchen Lampe, UniServ director, had similar concerns, saying some of the employees placed on the list have a decade-plus of experience and high employee performance evaluations. Some of the stuff doesnt make sense, Lampe said. The School Board meeting, which had been scheduled for April 18, was postponed because of the severe weather that blew through Louisiana that day. The rescheduled meeting is now set to start at 5 p.m. Thursday at the School Board office, 1022 S. Foster Drive. With budget hole looming, EBR school board gives Warren Drake tentative approval for lay offs With some misgivings, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Thursday gave Superintendent Warren Drake tentative approval to lay off empl The delay in the vote means that layoffs wont occur until May 26 at earliest, a week later than planned and a month after the board meeting. Drake is looking for a way to trim $20 million to $30 million in school spending in advance of the 2019-20 fiscal year, which starts July 1. On April 4, the School Board voted preliminarily, by a 6-2 margin, to give Drake permission to invoke the school systems Reduction in Force (RIF) policy if necessary to balance the budget. Invoking a RIF doesnt automatically mean employee layoffs, but it increases the possibility. In an effort to cut the budget without resorting to layoffs, Drake for nearly a year has been leaving jobs unfilled as positions opened. On Wednesday, Millie Williams, chief of human resources, estimated some 250 people are likely to retire, resign or be let go because they are newly hired and in unprotected interim positions. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Right now if things were to continue as they are, I would not anticipate a RIF, Williams said. If the board gives final approval Thursday night as expected, a RIF letter is to be sent out Friday notifying school system employees. In an embarrassing error, school employees received a RIF letter last weekend, only to receive an immediate districtwide email rescinding that letter. I hated that so bad, Williams said. Williams said HR staff had removed the letters from the mailroom, but an employee with the private contractor that maintains school facilities, unaware that the matter had been delayed a week, brought the letters back and they were sent out anyway. +2 Layoffs might be in store for Baton Rouge public schools; Supt. Warren Drake explains why For the first time since he took over as superintendent in 2015, Warren Drake is asking the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board to give him a The erroneous RIF letters arrived in peoples mailboxes even as employees, primarily at high schools, were told they would need to look for new jobs in the school district. A job fair has been scheduled for May 4. The names are being added to a still-being-finalized impact list. Williams said the school system every spring adjusts school staffing, primarily due to changes in projected student enrollment. This year is no different, she said, with some schools cutting positions and other schools adding them. More than 100 names are on the impact list now, but a few names may come off before Monday, Williams said. +4 East Baton Rouge Parish School Board will re-vote on board VP after settling lawsuit The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has settled its dispute with Baton Rouge attorney Donald Hodge, agreeing to pay his court costs and t The School Board has other prominent matters on its Thursday agenda: Roughly half of Louisiana voters view the states U.S. senators positively, according to a new poll. Morning Consult, a media and technology company that regularly ranks senators and governors based on polling in all 50 states, found in its latest survey that U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, has a 49 percent approval rating, while 23 percent of voters surveyed disapproved of his job performance and 28 percent were undecided. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, who faces re-election next year, was viewed favorably by 47 percent of respondents, with 24 percent disapproving and 30 percent undecided. The survey found that Cassidy's approval among Republicans is at 69 percent. He is not deemed vulnerable heading into 2020. No other candidates have announced plans to challenge him in the race. His polling has consistently hovered around the 50-percent mark in previous Morning Consult surveys. For its latest poll, Morning Consult conducted 472,802 surveys with registered U.S. voters from January 1 through March 31 to determine the Q1 2019 Senator Rankings. The margin of error for the Louisiana results is 1 percentage point. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Morning Consult also released Thursday its latest gubernatorial standings poll that found Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, at about a 47 percent approval rating. About 32 percent of respondents shared an unfavorable view of the first-term governor and 21 percent said they had never heard of Edwards, just months before voters will decide whether to give Edwards, the only governor in the Deep South who is a Democrat, a second term in office. Two Republicans -- U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, of Alto, and Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone have already announced plans to challenge Edwards for the job. The election is Oct. 12. A Nov. 16 runoff will take place between the top two vote-getters if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary. Edwards favorability in Morning Consults quarterly polling reached a peak in the second quarter of 2017, in a survey that had Edwards at 58 percent favorable to 29 percent unfavorable, with 14 percent undecided. Who is Scott Angelle talking to on the phone? A new crowd-sourcing effort has been launched to figure that out. Angelle, a Louisiana Republican who unsuccessfully ran for governor four years ago, is currently serving as the director of the Department of the Interiors Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. He recently was the subject of mocking from HBOs John Oliver because of a video that showed Angelle giving his cellphone number to oil and gas executives, urging them to call him directly to limit records of their interactions. The spot prompted Techdirt founder Mike Masnick to seek Angelles phone records through a Freedom of Information Act request. Now, Muckrock, a non-profit group that advocates for government transparency, is helping crowdsource an effort to identify the numbers that appear in those records. Several of the numbers that Angelle has exchanged calls and texts with are Louisiana numbers, per the records Muckrock has posted online. Angelle, who previously served as Louisianas lieutenant governor and a member of the Public Service Commission and the LSU Board of Supervisors, was appointed to oversee BSEE in 2017. A Breaux Bridge native, Angelle also is a former secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. From left, Ben Greenberg, Tomas Majcherski, Dylan James and Robert Brennan, members of the University of New Orleans Jazz All Stars, play at the University of Louisiana System Day at the State Capitol, where over 1,200 students, alumni and faculty from nine universities showcased academic programs and performance groups for state leaders, Wednesday, April 10, 2019. Who Dats gather at Jackson Square for the Blackout & Gold Second Line Parade Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, in New Orleans. Participants, marching to the theme, OCheated but not Defeated,O waved yellow flags, the kind not thrown on an obvious pass interference call during the New Orleans SaintsO NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, and mourned the untimely end to the Saints season. The event was one of many around the city on Sunday celebrating the culture and heart of New Orleans, and not the NFL, during the Super Bowl. WASHINGTON Louisiana will get nearly $95 million for coastal protection and restoration efforts in the latest round of payments from the federal governments Gulf energy royalties. State officials quickly hailed the announcement of the latest round of Gulf of Mexico Energy and Security Act funding as a win for the states conservation and hurricane protection efforts. Revenues from oil and gas activity in the Gulf of Mexico are vital to restoring our coast and protecting coastal communities, U.S. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said. American energy dominance will play an increasing role in the revenue sharing dollars coming to Louisiana, and I look forward to working with President Trump to support a robust energy strategy in the Gulf of Mexico which allows us to better protect the coast we love. The latest tranche of GOMESA funding, which the U.S. Department of Interior announced Thursday, is roughly $12 million more than the state received under the program last year about a 14 percent boost. But the annual money from GOMESA still hasnt reached initial estimates coastal officials anticipated just a few years ago. State leaders initially anticipated revenue would reach about $175 million a year by this point; the latest release tracks with revised estimates unveiled two years ago. Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Chairman Chip Kline said the increase over last year is still reason for optimism about future boosts. With oil prices and leases on the rebound, we could see additional dollars in coming years, and we are actively working with our congressional delegation to raise the cap on the total amount we could receive in peak years, he said. Stephen Barnes, an LSU professor and economist who has worked on GOMESA forecasts for the state, said the latest release is within the most recent forecasts but a little bit on the lower end. In the long run we remain confident that the overall share is going to go up over time, Barnes said. This is a small incremental gain, but every year we expect that to go up, following the long-run trend and ultimately provide a stable, larger source of revenue that weve all been looking for to protect our coastline. Congress established GOMESA in 2006 to distribute some federal revenue collected from energy-related drilling off the coasts of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas back to those states. This money is made off Louisianas coast, and it is used to battle coastal erosion," said U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville. "Its no secret that our coastline is disappearing, threatening coastal families and jobs. This increase in funding will help us restore our wetlands and preserve Louisianas future." Louisiana's cut of the nearly $215 million in total GOMESA funding thats being doled out this week is the largest among states that are part of the revenue-sharing pact, as Louisiana has more oil platforms off its coast than the other three states. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Of Louisiana's $94.7 million, about $75.8 million will go to state-level efforts. The remaining $18.9 million will go directly to 19 coastal parishes in amounts ranging from $582,000 to more than $1.8 million. The GOMESA funds must be dedicated to coastal restoration or protection work, under state law. This funding is critical to our efforts to restore and protect our coast and will allow the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to construct hurricane protection and coastal restoration projects that will better protect our communities, help restore our coast, and make our state more resilient, Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement. GOMESA has, in the past, found itself under threat of elimination as officials eyed other priorities for spending. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Baton Rouge Republican who has rallied support of the program alongside other members of the Louisiana delegation, vowed to continue "to work with the (Trump) administration, and the entire Louisiana delegation, to preserve this important program. GOMESA revenue is essential to restore and protect Louisianas coasts, Cassidy said. Other members of the Louisiana delegation also expressed optimism about the latest round of funding. Energy producing states along the Gulf Coast have waited a long time to start getting a fair share of offshore energy revenues, especially in Louisiana, where the Gulf has eroded over 2,000 square miles of our coast, said U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, a Baton Rouge Republican who led CPRA efforts under then-Gov. Bobby Jindal. Every single penny of this funding will be invested in urgent coastal restoration and hurricane protection efforts to protect Louisiana lives, communities, culture and a nationally-important economic engine responsible for 80 to 90 percent of all offshore energy production in federal waters in the United States. U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Port Barre, said GOMESA has been a leading priority for the entire Louisiana delegation. This means greater investment into mitigation and restoration projects along our coast, he said. U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, a Shreveport Republican who chairs the conservative Republican Study Committee, called the Interior announcement a big win for our state. The robust oil and gas industry in our state is key to America's economy and energy independence, and I will continue to do all I can to protect Louisiana's interests, he said. A proposal to legalize the growth of hemp in Louisiana made it through the first phase of the legislative process Thursday, with the state agriculture commissioner ushering through a bill that would create a tightly-controlled program for farmers. State Rep. Clay Schexnayders bill would create a system for farmers to grow hemp in line with the federal farm bill passed last year, though it would not get off the ground until federal regulators develop rules, likely sometime next year. If passed by lawmakers and signed by the governor, the proposal could lead to as many as 1,000 farmers signing up to grow hemp, Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain has said previously. This is just a beginning. We could have 200 farmers, we could have 500, we could have 50, Strain said. We simply dont know because this is all new. Like marijuana, hemp comes from the Cannabis sativa plant, but hemp does not have large quantities of THC, the component of marijuana that gets users high. Instead, Strain said the industrial hemp legalized by the bill would be used for things like textiles, plastics, fuels, apparel, shoes and mulch, among other things. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The bill, HB491, involves a large number of regulations for the farmers who would ultimately grow hemp. Strains office would have to license each farmer, closely track their acreage, make reports to the federal government and seize and destroy plants that have too much THC. It would also involve a testing process for hemp plants. Strain said the state must follow the federal governments lead, which is where many of the rules in the bill come from. It also would bar anyone who had been convicted of a felony or drug-related misdemeanor in the past 10 years from obtaining a license to grow hemp. Barring those with a felony was an idea that came from the federal government, while the misdemeanor prohibition came from a similar provision in Kentucky. State Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, questioned why the state should bar people with a misdemeanor drug offense from growing hemp, and Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, said he would work with her on possibly changing that provision. I just think misdemeanor, 10 years is a little much, she said. THE WOODLANDS, TX., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A Joint Venture (JV) team comprised of Florida International Universitys (FIU) International Hurricane Research Center, the Storm Surge Unit of the National Hurricane Center (NHC), APTIM, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was presented with the National Hurricane Conference Outstanding Achievement Award during its annual conference on April 24 in New Orleans, LA. This prestigious award recognizes the outstanding achievement for work developing storm surge modeling and mapping capabilities in Hispaniola. The award also recognizes a seminal publication in Remote Sensing of Environment entitled Accuracy assessment of ASTER, SRTM, ALOS, and TDX DEMs for Hispaniola and implications for mapping vulnerability to coastal flooding, where APTIM was a co-author. Through the novel application of a satellite-based technique combined with GPS groundtruthing, FIU and APTIM have been able to produce topographic data with significantly higher accuracy and horizontal resolution. The increase in mapping resolution and accuracy has allowed the NHC to produce high-resolution risk mapping for Haiti and the Dominican Republic. These maps provide an exponential leap in the ability to plan, prepare, and mitigate the risk of storm surge on these developing nations. The maps, developed by APTIM staff in Palm Beach County, Florida, promote better preparedness in vulnerable communities and ultimately help to reduce the devastation and scale of disaster recovery efforts after an event. About APTIM APTIM is a leading global provider of integrated maintenance services, environmental engineering and remediation, infrastructure EPC services, program management, and disaster response and recovery for private sector and government customers. For more information visit http://www.aptim.com. A cyclist rides past a bike rack on the Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans, La. Friday, July 7, 2017. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu signed an executive order adopting a climate action plan for the city that emphasizes the use of clean modes of transportation as well as other changes in waste management and energy reliance. Expo to feature three new experience areas, including an industry first: A 10,000-square-foot Vape Showcase A Wellness Room, with weekend-long dedicated programming Booths are sold out with more than 250 exhibitors and more companies than ever taking over larger-sized booth footprints Lift & Co. Cannabis Business Conference (LCBC) and Expo runs from June 6-9 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Tickets are on sale now and media accreditation is open at liftexpo.ca TORONTO, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lift & Co. Corp. ("Lift & Co." or the "Company") (TSXV: LIFT) (OTCQB: LFCOF) is pleased to announce it has sold out of booth space and expanded its four-day landmark Lift & Co. Cannabis Business Conference (LCBC) and Expo Toronto 2019 (the Lift & Co. Toronto Expo) taking place this June. Part of Lift & Co.s Event Marketing line of business, the Lift & Co. Toronto Expo has become one of the most effective ways for brands in the new consumer packaged goods industry of cannabis to build exposure in light of restrictive marketing. This is Lift & Co.s first Expo in Ontario since legalizationthe province is estimated to account for nearly 40 per cent of the countrys cannabis spending growth in the next five years1and its first since Ontario opened brick-and-mortar retail. As the largest cannabis consumer trade show in Canada (the 2018 event drew more than 20,000 visitors) the Lift & Co. Toronto Expo will frame the final few months as the industry prepares for the legalization of edibles and concentrates later this year. Anchored by the new slogan Get to Know Cannabis, the sold-out show floor will feature more than 250 B2B and B2C exhibitors and several larger consumer-focused spaces to give attendees ample opportunity to discover the industry, brands and products. With several companies investing over six figures in their booth footprints at our Expo in Vancouver held just three months ago, its clear that the Expo is an ultra-premium hub for connections between brands and consumers, said Matei Olaru, CEO, Lift & Co. Lift & Co.s platform of marketing channels exist to facilitate these vital connections and we look forward to elevating the cannabis experience for everyone in Toronto this June. The event kicks off with the Lift & Co. Cannabis Business Conference Toronto 2019 on Thursday, June 6, Canadas leading cannabis business conference featuring an intensive day of talks from preeminent leaders and subject matter experts. From Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9, the Lift & Co. Cannabis Expo Toronto 2019 presents a full roster of speakers and more than 250 exhibitors. Lift & Co. Toronto Expo Industry Day takes place on Friday, and the Consumer Weekend is Saturday and Sunday. The sold-out exhibitor floor this year will see a notable growth in average booth size compared to previous years as brands further use the event as a platform to make an impact with their customers and drive awareness and differentiation in the market. The Lift & Co. Toronto Expo is also expanding its presence in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, taking over the main floor for the first time with additional programming. New consumer-focused features include: Vape Showcase : Located at street level of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this 10,000-square-foot space will provide a first-ever dedicated exhibition space to the latest in vaporizer tools and technology. : Located at street level of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this 10,000-square-foot space will provide a first-ever dedicated exhibition space to the latest in vaporizer tools and technology. Accessories Zone : In collaboration with humble+fume, this space will give attendees a chance to explore an expansive collection of innovative and design-focused accessories from rolling papers to glass water pipes, preservation packs, kitchen appliances and more. : In collaboration with humble+fume, this space will give attendees a chance to explore an expansive collection of innovative and design-focused accessories from rolling papers to glass water pipes, preservation packs, kitchen appliances and more. Grow Zone : In collaboration with Green Planet Wholesale, the Grow Zone will shine a light on one of the hottest topics in adult-use cannabis: the home grow. This space will display the equipment needed and provide the necessary information to learn how to grow at home or run a micro-facility. : In collaboration with Green Planet Wholesale, the Grow Zone will shine a light on one of the hottest topics in adult-use cannabis: the home grow. This space will display the equipment needed and provide the necessary information to learn how to grow at home or run a micro-facility. Wellness Room: The wellness room on the first floor of the convention centre will be host to a weekend full of dedicated programming. The Companys most recent Lift & Co. Cannabis Expo Vancouver 2019 in JanuaryCanada's first post-legalization cannabis trade showwas record-breaking with 60 per cent growth in exhibitors over the previous year and more than 18,000 attendees. Tickets for the Lift & Co. Cannabis Expo Toronto 2019 are available now and range from $25 to $65 (CAD). A limited number of all-access passes for the LCBC, which include entry to the full Lift & Co. Toronto Expo weekend, are available for $550 (CAD). For media accreditation for the Lift & Co. Toronto Expo, please click here . Programming details including the industrys top thought leaders for keynote and panel discussions will be announced in coming weeks. About Lift & Co. Lift & Co. (TSXV: LIFT) (OTCQB: LFCOF) is a publicly traded technology company modernizing the cannabis industry. Forward-looking statements Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and the Company does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein. SOURCE Lift & Co. Corp. For further information: Lift & Co. Nikki Laoutaris, Communications Manager, Lift & Co. nlaoutaris@lift.co 1-647-464-0148 Investor Relations: Thesis Capital Prit Singh, 905-510-7636, psingh@thesiscapital.ca 1 BDS Analytics: Canada Leads the Way on Global Cannabis Legalization, April 2019 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cbaebb43-2e66-4e3e-b6b1-1819b56b0601 For generations, thousands of New Orleans families went to Circle Food Store for their everyday needs, from groceries to school uniforms. Now, saddled with millions of dollars in debt, the historic market itself is up for sale in what looks to be the final blow to a business that once was a pillar of the 7th Ward. The store's iconic building at 1522 St. Bernard Ave. is set to go up for auction at an Orleans Parish sheriffs sale Thursday. The auction is the result of a default on loans totaling more than $8 million. Its the latest travail for a long-running New Orleans fixture that was knocked down by floods, brought back with a combination of private and public money, and later entangled in accusations of embezzlement and mismanagement between its family owners. Circle Food Store dates to the 1930s and was one of the countrys oldest African-American-owned groceries. It closed in October after sputtering through a final period of irregular hours when shoppers found increasingly bare shelves. Dwayne Boudreaux Jr., who ran the business until last year, said the sheriffs auction is the end of the line for Circle Food Store. Theres else nothing I can do now, he said. Im all out of tricks. Since closing the grocerys doors last year, Boudreaux said, he heard from some local entrepreneurs interested in stepping in. But none brought enough money to the table to salvage the business, he said. Id rather sell it to someone in the community than see it go away, but no one had the kind of money the property needs, he said. The store is now a forlorn sight, with dirt piled around its doors and graffiti spray-painted across its distinctive, Spanish mission-style contours. But the building, a landmark at St. Bernard and North Claiborne avenues, was for many years a neighborhood hub, with a history reaching back to the days of the citys public food markets. Inundated after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 pictures of the building sitting in floodwaters became familiar nationwide the store finally reopened in 2014 after a renovation funded largely through loans from First NBC Bank, city-provided grants and more than $4.4 million in tax credits. Its return was hailed as an important post-Katrina comeback for the community it had long served. It was the kind of place you just thought would always be there, said Pepper Bowen, a New Orleans attorney whose practice focuses on food, environmental and water issues. They went through a lot of changes, relaunching, reopening; there was an outpouring of support for it, she said. There were people in the community determined that they would continue to shop at Circle Food Store, as long as it had what they needed. Behind the scenes, however, a number of issues were converging on the business. First NBC Bank collapsed in 2017 under a cloud of alleged financial mismanagement. The loans it made to Circle Food were snapped up by other firms that Boudreaux said have been more aggressive about trying to collect on them. The holders of about $8 million of that debt, which was taken out at the end of 2012, got the courts to order a sale of the property earlier this year. Boudreaux had attempted to seek bankruptcy protection, but his case was tossed out because he didn't have a lawyer representing him. Separately, court documents show that a firm called OSK VII, owner of another $2.1 million in debt originally issued by First NBC, filed suit against the store and Boudreaux in August, seeking payment of principal and interest. In another, separate lawsuit, Boudreaux has accused some relatives of stealing money from the family-run business. In May 2018, Circle Food Store filed a lawsuit in Civil District Court against Antoinette Boudreaux, the ex-wife of the proprietors father, and Brooke Boudreaux, her daughter (and the proprietors sister), accusing them of embezzlement. The suit claimed the two women took cash from the store safe. It also claimed that Antoinette Boudreaux wrote herself checks for company funds, drew some $14,000 from a company bank account and opened a line of credit for $15,000 and a loan for $155,000 on behalf of the company, but actually for her own use. Antnoinette Boudreaux and Brooke Boudreaux have denied the allegations. The case is pending. In still another court case, Dwayne Boudreaux filed suit over damages to the business from the August 2017 flood, when a heavy rainstorm revealed widespread problems with the citys drainage system. Circle Food Store lost much of its food storage equipment. While it was closed in the aftermath of the flood, thieves stole copper piping from the building, Boudreaux said. The store is suing the Sewerage & Water Board and the city for damages, one of many lawsuits filed by residents and businesses since the flood. The S&WB has denied legal responsibility for the damage. Circle Food Store was built on the spot that was previously home to the St. Bernard Market, part of a network of public food hubs that once dotted the city, including the famous French Market. Precursors to supermarkets, these were multiple-vendor markets where independent operators worked their own stands and had their own specialties. One of the St. Bernard Market produce vendors was Herbert Gabriel, who eventually bought out his fellow vendors and consolidated the market as a full-service grocery. The store took its name from the circular turnaround point for North Claiborne Avenue streetcars at the intersection. That stretch of Claiborne Avenue was a hub for black-owned businesses in those days, though the area was radically changed when Interstate 10 was built above the avenue in the 1960s. Over the years, Circle Food Store evolved into a one-stop shop for a wide range of products and services. It stocked school uniforms and also had other amenities, including a pharmacy, a doctor and a dentist for check-ups, and a chiropractor. Despite everything else it provided, Circle Food Store was known to many primarily for bell peppers, selling this staple of the Creole kitchen at rock bottom prices. Before it folded, there was even talk of starting a bell pepper festival outside the store. Dwayne Boudreaux Sr., father of the store's last proprietor, worked at Circle Food Store starting as a teenager. He took over the business from its founder in 1995. Reopening the store after Katrina required millions of dollars in loans and grants. The owners received a $1 million loan from the citys Fresh Food Retailer Initiative, a program aimed at increasing residents access to fruits, vegetables and other healthy alternatives to processed snacks and fast food. According to reports at the time, $500,000 of the loan was forgivable. The city also provided a $100,000 Economic Development Fund grant, and the Louisiana Office of Community Development provided a loan for $1 million. The store also received $2.2 million in historic rehabilitation tax credits equity and $2.2 million in new market tax credits equity. The store sits astride an area targeted by local officials for revitalization through the Claiborne Corridor Cultural Innovation District, a plan to bring more entrepreneurs, social services and cultural activity to the North Claiborne Avenue corridor. Bowen, the food attorney, called the chances of another grocery store eventually opening at the site a long shot. Pending the outcome of the sheriffs sale, she predicted a mixed-use development of apartments with retail or a food hall-style development could take shape there. They could have been and should have been the place that everyone still went to, the place that had that bell pepper festival, the place people went to on Mardi Gras and got supplies for second-lines, said Bowen. But it was like every time they got on their feet, they got knocked down again. It was an ongoing tragedy. It felt like a slow-motion train wreck. Boudreaux said he is now preparing to move to Puerto Rico. It will be a fresh start, he said, on an island that is still slowly working back from the ravages of Hurricane Maria. He intends to open a small grocery store there. I think the island will promote me and help me build this business, he said. Old Coffee Pot closes, but not for long; Cafe Beignet to reopen historic French Quarter spot The Old Coffee Pot is getting a new lease on life from a familiar name in French Quarter food. Occidental started the first takeover battle for a major oil company in years, offering $US38 billion ($54 billion) for Anadarko Petroleum, a bid that topped a $US33 billion offer by Chevron. The bid represents the first takeover battle for a big oil company in years. Credit:Bloomberg Both suitors are offering a premium for Anadarko's holdings in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico. The vast shale field holds oil and gas deposits that can produce supplies for decades using new, low-cost drilling techniques. Occidental's surprise $US76-per-share bid is valued at around $US55 billion ($78.5 billion), including debt. That is well above Chevron's $US65 per share offer, worth $US50 billion including debt, and would make an Occidental-Anadarko deal the fourth-largest in oil production. Anadarko said it had received the bid but had not yet determined whether it was a "superior proposal," and for now reaffirmed its recommendation of a sale to Chevron. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder then BHPs Peter Beaven and Chevrons Mike Wirth and Occidental Petroleum's Vicki Hollub are obviously seeing quite different things when they look at the US onshore oil and gas sector. Anadarko's primary appeal is its acreage in the prized Permian Basin in Texas. Credit:Daniel Acker Beaven, BHPs chief financial officer, sees something ugly whereas Wirth, Chevrons chief executive, and Hollub, Occidental's CEO, see beautiful numbers flowing from the $US50 billion ($71 billion) acquisition of shale oil and gas pioneer Anadarko Corp he announced earlier this month and the $US55 billion counter-bid that Occidental launched overnight. Wirth described the acquisition of Anadarko, whose primary (but not exclusive) appeal is its acreage in the prized Permian Basin and extensive holdings in Colorado, as the "highest-return investment dollar that we can spend." At a briefing last November to explain BHPs capital allocation process, Beaven described how BHPs foray into the US onshore oil and gas industry in 2011 ended as an unmitigated disaster, costing it the best part of $US20 billion. BHP sold its US onshore assets, mainly to BP, for $US10.8 billion last year. A fictional stand-in for Vanns father, a dentist named Jim, was also central to his second work of fiction, the novel Caribou Island, which mined the material of a second family trauma: nearly a year before his fathers suicide, Vanns stepmothers mother killed her husband and then herself, after their marriage was revealed as a lie. David Vanns seventh novel, Halibut on the Moon, returns to the 39-year-old real-life family trauma at the core of his first work of fiction, the internationally acclaimed collection Legends of a Suicide (2008): when Vann was 13, his father shot himself while on the phone to his estranged second wife (Vanns stepmother). Legends of a Suicide explores this event from various overlapping perspectives, including a what if? scenario, with consequences as tragic as the real. Memoir writers are warned of the need for distance from their lived material, so they can control it rather than being controlled by it: a writer drowning in their experience on the page is overwhelming, not unlike being in someone elses therapy session. Vanns first two books were tightly controlled, intricately plotted masterpieces about the way emotional trauma can knit itself through lives: decision by decision, generation after generation. They lived through perfect details; descriptions in which physical landscapes reflected the characters emotional ones, as well as beautifully juxtaposed observations or lines of dialogue that expertly revealed characters moments of connection and disconnection, the dreams and delusions that motivated them. Halibut on the Moon by David Vann. Credit: Halibut on the Moon is Vanns first return to this material since his novel Goat Mountain (2013), a psychologically terrifying exploration of a boys arrival into manhood through an intergenerational hunt, intended as the last in a loose trilogy inspired by Vanns violent family history. From the opening pages, as Jim Vann arrives at a California airport from Alaska, delivered into the care of his brother (under his psychiatrists instructions), he is obsessed with his gun (a Ruger .44 magnum, the one Dirty Harry used), furiously self-pitying and blindly ruled by his emotions and appetites. Why does anyone think they can control what they feel? he reflects. A few pages later: A gun demands to be used its in the nature of the thing itself, and it matches something inside Jim, some anger that the world wasnt put together right, that all rules were meant to screw him from the start. And were off, on a meandering road-trip through California to visit all the people Jim has loved brother, parents, children, ex-wives who repeatedly, almost uniformly, tell him that they love him and that hes a good person, a qualification the reader sees no evidence of in this book. New York: James Bond's next adventure will go untitled for a little longer. In a promotional video tied to the start of production on the upcoming 007 sequel, filmmakers behind the movie unveiled the cast and confirmed Oscar-winner Rami Malek will be the villain, but stopped short of sharing a moniker for the spy thriller. It will continue under its working title of Bond 25. The 25th James Bond movie and Daniel Craig's last one as 007 is heading home to Jamaica, with Rami Malek to be the villain. Credit:AP The film's producers and star Daniel Craig did hint at certain plot details even if many of the castings they confirmed had been widely reported. "We've got quite a ride in store for Mr Bond," producer Barbara Broccoli said. Fraser Anning's lead senate candidate in WA is a recycled One Nation hopeful who once said single mothers were "too lazy to attract and hold a mate" and should lose government funding. David Archibald, who stood against former foreign minister Julie Bishop in 2016 for the Australian Liberty Alliance before trying his luck for One Nation in the Pilbara at the last state election, emerged on Senator Anning's upper house ticket in WA when nominations were declared on Wednesday. Senator Fraser Anning is fielding candidates for the Senate in WA, along with three lower house seats. Credit:AAP Image/Kelly Barnes In a 2015 essay the geologist and climate change sceptic urged the government to stop funding "lifestyles" such as single motherhood and disability pensioners. "The first that springs to mind is single motherhood," Mr Archibald wrote in Quadrant. As 10 o'clock chimes in the clock tower of the GPO building on Martin Place, contingents of veterans are still patiently forming to join the Anzac Day march that started an hour earlier. There are so many organisations and so many loved ones they'd like you not to forget. After the dawn service finished it seemed as if there was just time for a quick coffee and then it was time to prepare. Thousand joined the Anzac Day march in perfect weather. Credit:Nick Moir Horses line up (two women with a wheelie bin and a shovel followed closely behind), berets are straightened and company banners readied. Contingents you may never have heard of are here: the 2/1 Anti-Aircraft Regiment, the Vietnam Convoy Escorts, Central Bureau Intelligence Corps and the Catalina Squadron (motto First and Furthest). At 3.25am theres just enough breeze to flutter the Anzac Day banners in Martin Place. The Hills District Pipe Band are warming up their bagpipes. Some have got here early, or was it late yesterday, to lay wreaths at the cenotaph. At the feet of the bronze statue of a soldier looking towards Pitt Street is a mixed bouquet. "Cpl Allen Raymond Burden. Middle East, El Alamein, New Guinea". Crowds gathered at Martin Place in Sydney for the dawn service on Anzac Day. Credit:Nick Moir Theres another. "In loving memory or our brother Pt Alfred Feeney aged 20 killed in Tobruk". Another young life lost is remembered next to it. "Ernest Lock killed in action 11 August 1918 France aged 19". Opposite the ANZ bank theres a large screen showing wartime images of Egypt, the trenches and the Western Front with familiar blackened stumps of trees destroyed by shells. The emu loose on the streets of suburban Brisbane on Wednesday night has been captured and needs emergency surgery after eating screws. Police were sent out to look for the infant emu after receiving reports about the native animal running around Chester Road at Eight Mile Plains. The emu was running around the streets of Eight Mile Plains. Credit:RSPCA RSPCA Queensland have successfully captured the emu, which is now under vet care. "Unfortunately the bird requires emergency surgery after metal objects were found in its stomach," an RSPCA spokeswoman said. Former Chairman of U.S Surface Transportation Board (STB)and Experienced Litigator LAS VEGAS, NV, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- United Rail, Inc. (OTCPK: URAL), a short-line railroad consolidator and owner of the SmartRail brand for electronic Precision Railroading and brand licensor, today announced that it has appointed Daniel R. Elliott, Esq. to its Board of Directors effective immediately. Michael Barron, CEO of United Rail said, I am pleased to announce that Dan Elliott has joined our Board of Directors. His accomplishments in the rail industry and in his law practice will prove to be invaluable as we grow United Rail. We are honored that Dan has joined our team. We know that his expertise will serve us well going forward. Mr. Elliott is a partner in the Washington, DC office of Conner & Winters, a full-service business and litigation law firm. Mr. Elliott said, I am delighted to join the Board of Directors of United Rail. I believe that the Company has a solid business plan and a bright future. I look forward to being part of the United Rail team. Mr. Elliott was formerly the Chairman of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB), an independent economic regulator of the freight railroad industry. He was presidentially appointed to two terms in 2009 and 2015 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate both times. He was designated by the President to be Chairman for both of these terms until January 2017. As Chairman, Mr. Elliott became an authority in railroad economic regulatory matters handled before the STB, in Congress and through the courts. He was responsible for decisions at the agency regarding complex rulemakings, rate cases, preemption issues, and major rail construction cases. He maintained constant interaction with Congress, especially the committees with oversight over STB activities, including testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee on several occasions. Prior to assuming his leadership role in the federal government, Mr. Elliott litigated labor and transportation cases for sixteen years before the federal courts and numerous federal agencies. He has appeared before the Surface Transportation Board, the National Mediation Board, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Department of Labor. He won numerous significant cases before these agencies and in the federal district and appeals courts during this time. He holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan, and a J.D. from the Ohio State University. About United Rail Inc. United Rail, Inc. is in the business of acquiring short line railroads in the freight and passenger excursion operations space. The company has been active in this space for several years. It has operated both passenger rail excursions and short line freight operations and plans to develop rail infrastructure projects and terminal operations. Forward-looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding United Rail, Inc. (the Company) within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding: the financial outlook of the Company, the general ability of the Company to achieve its commercial objectives; the business strategy, plans and objectives of the Company and its subsidiaries; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as believes, expects, anticipates, seeks, should, could, intends, or projects or similar expressions, and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The Companys actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and uncertainties, and may be beyond the Companys ability to foresee or control. The Company does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, and all forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by all such risk factors and other cautionary statements. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof. Contact: Michael Mason, J.D. Executive Vice President United Rail, Inc. michael@unitedrailinc.com 917-841-8371 Media Contact: Success City Online Ms. Maria Bailey Maria@successcityonline.com (702) 271-0591 The search for a man last seen at the Rabbits Eat Lettuce music festival in southern Queensland, where two people died this week, has been scaled back on Thursday. Police, SES and an RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter searched the Elbow Valley area on Wednesday for Bradley James Smith, 37, reported missing on Tuesday after not coming home from the festival. Emergency services scoured the Elbow Valley area in southern Queensland on Wednesday for Mr Smith. Credit:RACQ LifeFlight Rescue A police spokeswoman said Elbow Valley, 109 kilometres south of Toowoomba, was "saturated" on Wednesday and the search was scaled back on Thursday with only local patrols continuing. The spokeswoman said authorities did not have a confirmed sighting to indicate Mr Smith was still in Elbow Valley and they did not have any information to help narrow down the search area. We further this theme by giving the dead white crosses, implying that they have achieved purity through sacrifice. While mere mortals might have "robes washed in the blood of the lamb", these men have washed their own robes. And washed ours too. Theirs is a salvific sacrifice. These are the themes and the poetry that dominate our current observance of Anzac Day. Much of the British poetry of early World War I belongs to this romanticising, hagiographic style. Its production was driven by at least three factors. Firstly, it is easy to hold a romantic view of war in the days before the bodies begin to pile up. For the Fallen, our Ode, was published just three weeks after the war commenced. Secondly, the authorities urged poets to use their art to assist the war effort and, thirdly, poetry was seen as a way of proving the nations cultural ascendancy over the barbarians on the other side. As the war went on, the poetry became more earthy, visceral and complex. This was driven by one aim, the desire for truth telling. And for that truth-telling to reveal the reality that the authors felt was masked by the nationalistic and sentimentalist poetry. The question I have been holding as I have re-read some of the poetry is, what if we too told more of the truth on Anzac Day? How would that shape our approach to war and to peacemaking? The pivotal poem in the shift from sentimentalism to realism and truth-telling was, according to Tim Kendall, Breakfast by Wilfred Gibson: We ate our breakfast lying on our backs, Because the shells were screeching overhead. I bet a rasher to a loaf of bread That Hull United would beat Halifax When Jimmy Stainthorpe played full-back instead of Billy Bradford. Ginger raised his head And cursed, and took the bet; and dropt back dead. We ate our breakfast lying on our backs, Because the shells were screeching overhead. No glory; rather, a disturbing banality. A mate is shot in the head dead and life moves on; they carry on eating breakfast. Imagine what Anzac Day would be like if, along with our remembering of the bravery, we also recalled the banality. The waste. The insignificance before the war machine of those who died. The quest for truth telling was also driven by the fact that the powers that be were not telling the full story and were not calling out dreadful behaviour. For example, General Haig was a dangerous fool who held a romanticised view of war and of cavalry charges. He was responsible for the war of attrition at The Somme and at Ypres after it. The logic of attrition is that one sends 10,000 men a day to their death in the hope that they will kill 12,000 of the enemy. Haig actually lost more than his men killed. He almost single-handedly lost the war. In response to this type of deadly farce, Siegfried Sassoon wrote The General: Good-morning, good-morning! the General said When we met him last week on our way to the line. Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of em dead, And were cursing his staff for incompetent swine. 'Hes a cheery old card, grunted Harry to Jack As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack. But he did for them both by his plan of attack. Sassoons use of the working-class voice is a reminder that class played a role in the war; the lower classes tending to make up the cannon fodder. Imagine what Anzac Day would be like if, along with our remembering of the bravery, we remembered the self-absorbed madness of the leadership. And what if we asked ourselves on Anzac Day how we might be vigilant to ensure that war is not the plaything of narcissistic madmen and how we might encourage those who serve to be whistle-blowers? Bishops and politicians also come in for criticism. Sassoon again with They: The Bishop tells us: When the boys come back They will not be the same; for they'll have fought In a just cause: they lead the last attack On Anti-Christ; We're none of us the same!' the boys reply. 'For George lost both his legs; and Bill's stone blind; Poor Jim's shot through the lungs and like to die; And Bert's gone syphilitic And the Bishop said: 'The ways of God are strange!' And to the politicians: Go round the soldiers' cemeteries ; and then Talk of our noble sacrifice and losses To the wooden crosses He also wrote of the "impotent old friends" sitting "snug at the club" talking about how lucky their sons were to be at war. Imagine what Anzac Day would be like if, along with our remembering of the bravery, we didnt give the battles a religious gloss but read from the Sermon on the Mount, Blessed are the Peacemakers. And what if, on that day, we challenged the idea of the Just War? And what if we resolved to use war judiciously and to invest in peace-making exercises? What if we called out sabre rattling as being dangerous and risking a price that is too high to pay? And what if politicians were to fess up to the times they got it wrong, such as the Iraq war, when we invaded another sovereign nation on the basis of a lie, destabilising a whole region and giving birth to ISIS? The public are not immune from criticism either: You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye Who cheer when soldier lads march by, Sneak home and pray you'll never know The hell where youth and laughter go. So, imagine what Anzac Day would be like if, along with our remembering of the bravery, we admitted our own complicity, and the fact that we get comfort from the smoke screen provided by the elevation of those who died to white robed saints? Then there are the poems that point to the inability of religion to speak to the situation, and of the silence of God, poems that speak of suicides in the trenches, the execution of deserters, many of whom had what we now call PTSD, and the effect that murdering the deserters had on their mates when they had to shoot them. Others speak of the inadequacy of memorials and how the living betray the dead and how the returned are abandoned by the society they risked all for. What if on Anzac Day we spoke of all these things, and of those who died by suicide once home? And finally, as is nearly always the case, patriarchy tries to "keep women in their place". Many of the early anthologies of World War I poems did not include the work of women. This included, to add insult to injury, the poetry of women who served. The last poem I have chosen deals with this. Ella Wilcoxs poem, War Mothers, speaks of the young women who were seduced by those heading for war and by their own: secret wish to love and mate Ere youth and virtue should go quite to waste And who then found themselves pregnant to men who moved on and fought and bled and died; Honoured and mourned, they are the nation's pride. We fought our battles, too, but with the tide Of our red blood, we gave the world new lives. Because we were not wives We are dishonoured. Is it noble, then, To break God's laws only by killing men To save one's country from destruction? We took no man's life but gave our chastity, And sinned the ancient sin To plant young trees and fill felled forests in. The condemning clergy do not come out well in the last stanza. Australian Army veteran Peter Rabula at the Anzac Day dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Anzac Square in Brisbane. Mr Rabula was an Infantryman who served in Timor and Afghanistan during his 27 years of military service. Credit:AAP "I prefer the dawn services - I've lost some mates overseas so obviously it's pretty emotional," he said. "Today really highlights a lot of the sacrifices a lot of our forefathers made." Veteran Anthony Griffiths, 65, said the reverence Australians and New Zealanders felt towards Anzac Day ceremonies had not diminished. As if to prove his point, cousins Lexxie Desmond, 10 and Zachary Keatin, 7, said their thoughts were with their great grandfather who served in World War II. "Our great grandad Eric (Stewart) was in the war," Zachary said. "We're remembering that they died for us," Lexxie added. "I remember that they fought for us and were brave." In Currumbin, in the shadow of iconic Elephant Rock, a crowd of more than 20,000 gathered to pay tribute to servicemen and women. The rock glowed, bathed in the red light, reminiscent of the soaring cliffs of Gallipoli. More than 20,000 paid tribute at the Anzac Day dawn service at Elephant Rock, Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast. Credit:AAP The crowd crammed on to the beach and lined the streets, breaking their silence only to applaud the arrival of a host of veterans. The service, one of the biggest regional services in Queensland, began with a lone piper from the top of the rock, where Australian and New Zealand flags flew at half mast on Thursday. Currumbin RSL president Michael Humphreys said war stole the innocence of a nation. "No one can underestimate the price that has been paid by individuals and families ... because there are hundreds, if not thousands, carrying the physical and psychological injuries and will do for years to come." He said from 2001 to 2016 there were 373 recorded suicides in the ADF community. "We must do more to help the individuals and families who suffer." Afghanistan veteran Andy Cullen said Anzac Day was difficult for many veterans. "It is a sad reminder of friends lost and sacrifices made and wounds that may not heal," he said. The service concluded with an emotional burial at sea where the ashes of 33 servicemen were scattered on the waves by local rowers from surf lifesaving clubs. The burial at sea at Currumbin Beach, in which the ashes of 33 servicemen were scattered on the waves by local rowers from surf lifesaving clubs. Credit:AAP Among them were those of Allan Windham Conway, known as Ace from his days in the RAAF, and it was exactly as he would have wanted it, Mr Conway's daughter Sue Casey told AAP. It was an especially poignant goodbye for many in the RSL, with Mr Conway seen as the man who transformed the Currumbin ceremony from a small club car park gathering, to one of the largest and most moving in the country. RAAF veteran Allan "Ace" Conway, whose ashes were scattered at sea during the Anzac Day service at Currumbin on the Gold Coast. "He would never have wanted anything else. He actually ran the Anzac Day ceremony for a lot of years and it was the proudest day of the year for him," Sue said. "He lived for it." Mr Conway proudly talked of taking the event attended by just 64 people in 1982 to a day honoured by generations of Gold Coasters and beamed around the country. "He grew it. He started the flyovers and when they moved it to Elephant Rock, it was to honour those who fought in Gallipoli," Sue said. "This is his dream come to life." As moving notes of Amazing Grace sounded over the waves, lifesavers raised oars as the ashes were put to rest. In that moment, with tears flowing down her cheeks and she and thousands of people paid tribute to the Anzacs, Sue knew Ace was there in spirit. "He would be so proud," she said. "He was a true Anzac." Families huddled together for the emotional final farewell to so many who served their country. Specialist paramedics have rushed a woman to hospital after a collision between a car and two cyclists in Brisbane's south on Thursday. Emergency services, including critical care paramedics and the High Acuity Response Unit, were called to Brisbane Corso about 10.15am. A woman, who paramedics believed was aged in her 60s, was treated on scene for head injuries before being rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in a serious condition. She was believed to be one of the cyclists. Paramedics initially described her condition as critical, but later downgraded it. A man was also treated for a minor hand injury and taken to the PA Hospital in a stable condition. B flat to F. One hundred years from the end of the Great War, to 101. As the opening notes of the bugler's Last Post reverberated from the darkened Shrine of Remembrance at 6.01am on Thursday, there was a diminished crowd to hear it. The Anzac legend entered its second century this year, if you go by the end of World War I in 1918 as your marker. Now that those significant anniversaries have passed, the question will be how future generations continue to remember Anzac Day. The dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance. Credit:Joe Armao Despite perfect weather conditions, with the Southern Cross shining clear in the pre-dawn sky over the city, there were 10,000 fewer people at Melbourne's dawn service compared to the year before. A man accused of murdering a woman whose body was found on the street in Melbournes Chinatown is a diagnosed schizophrenic who was released from a facility a week ago, a court has heard. Christopher Bell, 32, was charged with one count of murder on Wednesday night after the body of Natalina Angok, also 32, was found in the middle of Melbournes CBD. Natalina Angok's body was found in Melbourne's Chinatown on Wednesday morning. Ms Angok's sister Helena told The Age Mr Bell had been in a relationship with Natalina for more than a year. "They were dating, in a relationship. That was her boyfriend. [They had been dating] for a very long time, I think together for like a year or a year and a half." Two women were attacked and had a "substance" thrown on them inside a property believed to be a crisis accommodation centre in Melbourne's south-east. Police were told the two women, aged 44 and 29, were set upon by two other women just before midnight on Thursday inside an Endeavour Hills property. The four women are believed to be known to each other. An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said both women suffered injuries to their upper and lower body. The pair were taken to Dandenong Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Perth could get a new four-hectare urban forest after the federal Labor party promised $200,000 funding if elected on May 18. WAtoday reported a year ago on the City of Bayswater's vision to turn the grassed, former tip site into an urban forest just 10 minutes from the city. The Bayswater site. As Australia worked on an itinerary for Prince Harry and his then-new wife Megan Markle ahead of their visit, City of Bayswater deputy mayor Chris Cornish went on the record with provocative comments about how any modern royal would be far more likely to want to launch a new urban forest than they would be to get quokka selfies and pat koalas. Fast forward a year and the vacant site has missed out on royals, but this week got a visit from Mark Butler, federal Labor's environment and climate change spokesman, and Member for Perth Patrick Gorman. Australia's former top cop has thrown his support behind the argument for decriminalising illicit drugs for personal use. It comes after the Queensland Productivity Commission recommended offences that did not have an obvious victim, such as illicit drug and public order offences, should no longer be crimes. Former Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Palmer says illicit drugs should be decriminalised to reduce harms for users. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen It made the recommendations in a draft report as part of its inquiry into reducing imprisonment and recidivism. Mick Palmer, who was the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police from 1994 to 2001, said the current prohibitionist approach to drugs was "badly broken". WESTFORD, Mass., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kadant Inc. (NYSE: KAI) announced it will release its 2019 first quarter results after the market closes on Monday, April 29, 2019 and will hold a webcast the next day, Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. eastern time. During the call the Company will discuss its first quarter financial performance and future expectations. To listen to the call live, go to the Investors section of the Companys website at www.kadant.com. To participate in the live question and answer session, dial 888-326-8410 within the U.S., or +1-704-385-4884 outside the U.S., and reference participant passcode 8759439. The earnings release and webcast presentation will be posted in the Investors section of the Companys website. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Companys website through May 31, 2019. About Kadant Kadant Inc. is a global supplier of high-value, critical components and engineered systems used in process industries worldwide. The Companys products, technologies, and services play an integral role in enhancing process efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in resource-intensive industries. Kadant is based in Westford, Massachusetts, with approximately 2,800 employees in 20 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.kadant.com. Contacts Investor Contact Information: Michael McKenney, 978-776-2000 mike.mckenney@kadant.com or Media Contact Information: Wes Martz, 269-278-1715 wes.martz@kadant.com A Queensland surgeon accused of bullying and sexual harassment has written to the Speaker to complain about details of the allegations being revealed in Parliament. Allegations about bariatric surgeon Dr William Braun were first aired publicly in February, when opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates tabled explosive claims. Surgeon Dr William Braun, not pictured, has written to Speaker Curtis Pitt over allegations tabled about him in the Queensland Parliament under parliamentary privilege. Credit:Nic Walker Dr Braun, who has worked in public and private hospitals, was suspended by Queensland Health. In a letter to Speaker Curtis Pitt this month, Dr Braun said he was concerned about documents containing "anonymous and unsubstantiated claims" being tabled by LNP member Ros Bates under parliamentary privilege in February, March and April. Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned on Thursday after the President blamed him for failing to act on warnings ahead of Sunday. Sri Lankan navy soldiers keep guard outside St Anthony's Church in Colombo on Thursday after more suspicious items were found. Credit:AP Police officials said on Thursday they feared there were at least two people on the loose who had planned to be suicide bombers that day. Police said they had information that another attack was imminent, posted the suspects' pictures on social media and urged anyone with information about them to call a hotline. But one of the pictures, that of US woman Amara Majeed, a Muslim activist and author, was incorrectly issued. "I have this morning been falsely identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka," she tweeted. "What a thing to wake up to!" She later tweeted an apology received from the Sri Lankan government admitting to the mistake and clarifying she was not wanted for questioning. The woman they are looking for, they said, is Abdul Cades Fathima. Loading Security services also circulated a memo saying the group that carried out the attacks could be "specifically targeting Sufi shrines". Authorities in Sri Lanka have blamed a local extremist Islamist group, National Thowheeth Jamaat, for the bombings. The local group follows a fundamentalist form of Islam that believes Sufi Muslims, who adhere to a mystical school of Islam, are heretics. The tragedy could have been much worse had it not been for a miscalculation by the attackers, officials said. One bomber arrived at the Taj Samudra, a luxury hotel, carrying explosives in a large backpack, but twice failed to trigger the fuse on the device. The bomber then left the hotel for a motel a couple of kilometres away, where he died in an explosion. Officials say he was probably trying to fix the bomb when it detonated. One of the suspected ringleaders of the attacks has been identified as Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, who had taken up postgraduate studies at Swinburne University in Melbourne between 2009 and 2013, according to The Australian. The paper reported Mohamed was investigated by the Join Counter Terrorism Team in 2014 because of his links to several suspects including Australian-born IS militant Neil Prakash. Samsul Hidaya, one of Mohamed's sisters, told the UK's Daily Mail her brother became "a different man" in Australia and became withdrawn and intense. "My brother became deeply, deeply religious while he was in Australia," Hidaya said. "He was normal when he went to study in Britain, and normal when he came back. But after he did his postgraduate in Australia, he came back to Sri Lanka a different man. "He had a long beard and had lost his sense of humour. He became serious and withdrawn and would not even smile at anyone he didn't know, let alone laugh," she said. Students at Swinburne University said the campus had a large Sri Lankan community. Pakistani student Danish Choudry attends the on-campus mosque which he says is well-attended by Sri Lankan students. The room is always full for Friday prayers at least 150 people, he said. Mr Choudry says the imams at the mosque, which is attended by both Sunni and Shia Muslims, do not preach radical values. Its more about moral values rather than Islamic values how to treat other human beings. On the same floor as the mosque is a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Sri Lanka attacks. A drawing on the memorial depicts a young girl hugging a map of Sri Lanka.Adel Salman of the Islamic Council of Victoria said no one in our network had any knowledge of him. United Sri Lankan Muslim Association of Australia president Yusuf Zarani said he did not know Mohamed. What caused it and how did it happen, we dont know. According to what Ive heard among people, he was definitely radicalised here. His ideology was changed while he was here. Alex Giang, chair of the Student Representative Council at Swinburne University, said the news had been a shock. Ive been at Swinburne for five years its probably one of the most [diverse] cultural environments. You go there and its so welcoming. I feel very safe there. It feels welcoming ... I think students are shocked. I was shocked this morning. Across Sri Lanka, Sunday services for Roman Catholics have been cancelled amid fears of large public gatherings. Tensions are rising and in some areas a violent backlash against the country's Muslim minority has begun. Navy soldiers perform security checks on motorists at a roadside in Colombo. Credit:AP Minister for Muslim Religious Affairs Abdul Haleem urged the community not to gather for Friday prayers at local mosques but to pray inside their homes. "We need to earnestly pray that the Almighty Allah destroys the activities of these inhuman terrorist murderers," he said. Loading Agents from the FBI, the British intelligence service MI6, and Indian, Australian and Swiss security agencies have all joined the investigation into the attacks. Sri Lankan authorities said more than 70 people had been arrested and they are still looking for as many as 140 suspects. On Friday, Britain updated its travel advice to warn citizens to avoid the country unless absolutely necessary. Australia's Smart Traveller website, run by the Department of Foreign Affairs, advised nationals to reconsider any upcoming travel to Sri Lanka. Moscow: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday accused Moscow of crossing a "red line" by signing a decree to ease the process of obtaining Russian citizenship in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Credit:AP "It's a fact that this is about the Kremlin preparing the next point of aggression against our country: the annexation of Ukraine's Donbass or the creation of a Russian enclave in Ukraine," he said. Poroshenko, who lost the second round of Ukraine's presidential elections on Sunday, called on the international community to prevent "the worst scenario" and tighten sanctions on Russia over the move. The team of President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky - a comedian who has never held a political post - also criticised the Kremlin's move. New York: The Minneapolis police officer who shot dead Australian Justine Ruszczyk Damond should not have used any force - even pepper spray or a taser, let alone a gun - when she approached his police car, an expert witness has testified in court. Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor, centre, has been charged with two counts of murder and one of manslaughter for killing Justine Ruszczyk Damond. Credit:ninevms Use-of-force expert Derrick Hacker told the court on Wednesday local time that just because Mohamed Noor, the officer who shot Ruszczyk, felt afraid did not mean he was justified in shooting an unarmed civilian. Noor, 33, has been charged with two counts of murder and one of manslaughter for killing Ruszczyk in July 2017. The 40-year old from Sydney's northern beaches, who had called police to report a possible sexual assault near her home, was unarmed and wearing pyjamas at the time. Hacker said Noor's actions were "excessive, objectionable, unreasonable and extremely dangerous". Ecuador shows how technology built for China's political system is now being applied and sometimes abused by other governments. Today, 18 countries including Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates and Germany are using Chinese-made intelligent monitoring systems, and 36 have received training in topics like "public opinion guidance," which is typically a euphemism for censorship, according to an October report from Freedom House, a pro-democracy research group. With China's surveillance know-how and equipment now flowing to the world, critics warn that it could help underpin a future of tech-driven authoritarianism, potentially leading to a loss of privacy on an industrial scale. Often described as public security systems, the technologies have darker potential uses as tools of political repression. A man is detained by police blocking protesters from advancing closer to the presidential palace in Quito, Ecuador, last week. Credit:AP "They're selling this as the future of governance; the future will be all about controlling the masses through technology," Adrian Shahbaz, research director at Freedom House, said of China's new tech exports. Companies worldwide provide the components and code of dystopian digital surveillance and democratic nations like Britain and the United States also have ways of watching their citizens. But China's growing market dominance has changed things. Loans from Beijing have made surveillance technology available to governments that could not previously afford it, while China's authoritarian system has diminished the transparency and accountability of its use. For locals seeking to push back, there is little recourse. Chinese companies operate with less scrutiny and regard for corporate social responsibility than their Western counterparts. Activists in Ecuador say that while they have succeeded in working with civil society groups in Europe and the United States to oppose sales of surveillance technologies, similar campaigns in China have not been possible. Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno addresses the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States last week. Credit:AP Loading "We don't have the capacity to demand information from China it's really difficult," said former Ecuadorean legislator Martha Roldos. Ecuador's system, called ECU-911, was largely made by two Chinese companies, the state-controlled CEIEC and Huawei. Replicas of the network have been sold to Venezuela, Bolivia and Angola, according to government announcements and Chinese state media. Loading CEIEC and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, Huawei said: "Huawei provides technology to support smart city and safe city programs across the world. In each case, Huawei does not get involved in setting public policy in terms of how that technology is used." In Ecuador, the cameras that are part of ECU-911 hang from poles and rooftops, from the Galapagos Islands to the Amazonian jungle. The system lets authorities track phones and may soon get facial-recognition capabilities. Recordings allow the police to review and reconstruct past incidents. While ECU-911 was sold to the public as a way to get a grip on dizzying murder rates and drug-related petty crime, it also served Correa's authoritarian streak, supporting his feared National Intelligence Secretariat, or SENAIN, according to a former head of the group. In a rare interview last year at SENAIN's headquarters in a bunker outside Quito, its leader at the time, Jorge Costa, confirmed that the domestic intelligence group had access to a mirror of the Chinese-built surveillance system. Cameras on a street in Ecuador in 2018. Cameras across the country send footage to monitoring centres to be examined by police and domestic intelligence. Credit:Jonah Kessel/The New York Times The irony is that ECU-911 has not been effective at stopping crime, many Ecuadoreans said, though the system's installation paralleled a period of falling crime rates. Ecuadoreans cite muggings and attacks that happened in front of the cameras without police response. Still, police have built public support, partly by releasing clips on Twitter and television of thieves and muggers caught on camera. Left to choose between privacy and safety, many Ecuadoreans opt for the unblinking gaze of the electronic eyes. With the mass surveillance genie out of the bottle, community leaders have called for cameras to help secure their neighbourhoods, even when their own experiences are that the devices do not work well. Concerns about the long-term political implications trail behind the pressing realities of violence and drugs. Moreno, who came to power in 2017 and has walked back some of Correa's autocratic policies, has vowed to investigate SENAIN's abuses and is remaking the intelligence collection agency under a new name. His government helped open up ECU-911 and SENAIN to The Times. "The government viewed espionage as a toolbox, and they could use any tool they wanted," Roldos said. "They could spy on your emails, your phone calls, they would set microphones on your vehicle. At the same time, you had people following you. It was a whole system." Designed by China, financed by China For a system that was supposed to fight drug dealers and killers, ECU-911 traces its origins to a different security challenge: the 2008 Olympics. Before those games, a delegation from Ecuador visited Beijing and toured the Chinese capital's surveillance system. At the time, Beijing was pulling footage from 300,000 cameras to keep tabs on 17 million people. The Ecuadoreans left impressed. "For the Olympics, China developed emergency response centres which had state-of-the-art technology for its time," Francisco Robayo, then the general director of ECU-911, said in an interview last year. "Our authorities saw these as ideal to bring to Ecuador." The timing was fortuitous. Correa was newly in power and facing high crime rates. In January 2011, he made surveillance a priority. Correa's ministers turned to China. In two months, details to install a Chinese-made technology system were ironed out with the help of military attaches from the Chinese Embassy in Quito, according to a person familiar with the process and to publicly available documents from Ecuador's comptroller. Ecuadorean officials travelled again to Beijing to scope out the system, which featured technology made by the parent company of the state-backed CEIEC. By February 2011, with guarantees of state funding from the attaches, Ecuador signed a deal with no public bidding process. The country got a Chinese-designed surveillance system financed by Chinese loans. In exchange, Ecuador provided one of its main exports, oil. The money for the cameras and computing flowed straight to CEIEC and Huawei. "The money always ends up going back to China," Rolos said. It became a pattern. In exchange for credit facilities that totalled more than $US19 billion ($27 million), Ecuador signed away large portions of its oil reserves. A surge of Chinese-built infrastructure projects, including hydroelectric dams and refineries, followed. By comparison, ECU-911 was a small line item. With an initial sticker price of more than $US200 million, construction started near Guayaquil, a booming coastal city where crime rates are high, Robayo said. Over the next four years, the system expanded across Ecuador. Cameras were hung anywhere that provided a good view. Operation centres were set up. Top Ecuadorean officials travelled to China for training, and Chinese engineers visited to teach their Ecuadorean counterparts how to work the system. The activity attracted attention from Ecuador's neighbours. Venezuelan officials came to see the system, according to a 2013 account from an Ecuadorean official working on the project. In an effort led by the onetime head of intelligence for Hugo Chavez, Venezuela then sprang for a larger version of the system, with a goal of adding 30,000 cameras. Bolivia followed. A Zoom With a View To the government of Correa, Mario Pazmino was a known man. A retired Ecuadorean army colonel who adopted stray dogs more than a dozen to keep himself busy in the twilight of his career, Pazmino kept up another pet hobby: criticising the government of Correa. A seasoned intelligence officer, Pazmino, 59, said even he was surprised when, in 2013, a video camera that was part of ECU-911 was installed directly outside his house. It hung from a pole on a traffic divider in the middle of the street, with a full view through a window into his second-story apartment. "There is a direct collaboration between ECU-911, the Intelligence Secretariat and also those who surveil and persecute political or social actors," said Pazmino, citing his own experience, as well as documents and people who had worked in SENAIN. Pazmino said that after the camera went in, surveillance teams following him backed off. The camera otherwise made no real sense where it was. Pazmino lives in a relatively safe neighbourhood and no other ECU-911 cameras were installed nearby. It was a move out of the police playbook in China, where cameras are positioned outside the doors of high-profile activists. (CNN) France's environment minister Nicolas Hulot announced his resignation during a live radio interview on Tuesday, citing his disapproval of government policies and efforts to tackle climate change. "I don't want to give the illusion that my position within the government suggested that we are answering these problems properly, so I'm leaving the government," Hulot said during a radio interview, adding: "I no longer want to lie." Hulot said he had not warned President Emmanuel Macron's government or Prime Minister Edouard Philippe prior to announcing his resignation, saying the decision was "between me, myself and I." During the interview, Hulot cited government failure on pesticides, biodiversity and soil as key reasons behind his decision to resign. Hulot added it was the "hardest decision in my life." Hulot, a former television presenter and green activist, was appointed as environment minister by Macron in May 2017. Benjamin Griveaux, spokesman for the French government, told BFMTV he regretted Hulot's decision. "I hear his disappointment but we must give him and the government credit for what has been done over the course of a year," Griveaux said. "It's a lengthy task the work on biodiversity, fighting for the environment, energy transition. We can't have results in just one year and Nicolas Hulot knows that. It takes time to change our agricultural system." "I would have liked him to stay because he brought his own voice, his own convictions and his commitment. I regret his departure." This story was first published on CNN.com, "French environment minister quits during live radio interview" NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP announced that approximately six weeks remain to make a motion for lead plaintiff in a class action pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of all persons or entities (the Class) who purchased the securities of Boeing, Inc. (Boeing or the Company) (NYSE: BA) during the period of January 8, 2019 through March 21, 2019 (the Class Period). The complaint alleges that Defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff in the Boeing class action , you must move the court no later than June 10, 2019. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery does not require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you take no action, you may remain an absent class member. Boeing designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. On October 29, 2018, a Boeing 737 Max 8 jet operated by the Indonesian airline Lion Air crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all passengers and crew. On November 12, 2018, the Wall Street Journal published an article reporting that Boeing withheld information about potential hazards associated with a new flight-control feature suspected of playing a role in last months fatal Lion Air jet crash[.] Plaintiffs allege that Defendants made misrepresentations about the safety of the Companys 737 Max airplanes during the Class Period. Specifically, Defendants allegedly concealed that (1) the 737 Max airplanes lacked safety features which Boeing sold as optional add-ons; (2) most airlines did not purchase these safety options; and (3) the Federal Aviation Administration handed oversight and certification of one of Boeings safety systems to Boeing, which had a clear conflict of interest as it was rushing the 737 Max to market. On March 10, 2019, 157 people perished after an Ethiopian Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 8 jet crashed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia shortly after takeoff. In the wake of the crash, regulators in China and several other countries grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 jets. On March 11, 2019, Boeings stock price fell $22.53, or over 5%, to close at $400.01 per share. On March 21, 2019, The New York Times reported that Boeing had concealed from pilots and passengers that Boeing created two new safety features that it sold as extras or optional features to keep cost down. This news drove the price of Boeing shares down $10.53, or about 3%, on March 22, 2019. If you purchased Boeing securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options, please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/boeing-ba-lawsuit-class-action-fraud-stock-124/ or contact Joe Seidman toll free at (877) 779-1414 or via email at seidman@bernlieb.com . Bernstein Liebhard LLP has pursued hundreds of securities, consumer, and shareholders rights cases and recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. The Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and been listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years. You can obtain a copy of the complaint from the clerk of the court for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2019 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information Joseph R. Seidman, Jr. Bernstein Liebhard LLP http://www.bernlieb.com (877) 779-1414 seidman@bernlieb.com SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP Related Links GUADALAJARA, Mexico, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) reported its consolidated results for the quarter ended March 31, 2019. Figures are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Summary of Results 1Q19 vs. 1Q18 The sum of aeronautical and non-aeronautical services revenues increased by Ps. 423.0 million, or 13.6% . Total revenues increased by Ps. 271.4 million, or 8.0%. . Total revenues increased by Ps. 271.4 million, or 8.0%. Cost of services increased by Ps. 78.0 million, or 15.1% . . Operating income increased by Ps. 233.1 million, or 12.6%. EBITDA increased by Ps. 270.3 million, or 12.1% . EBITDA margin (excluding the effects of IFRIC 12) decreased from 71.7% in 1Q18 to 70.8% in 1Q19. . EBITDA margin (excluding the effects of IFRIC 12) decreased from 71.7% in 1Q18 to 70.8% in 1Q19. Net income and comprehensive income increased by Ps. 205.8 million, or 18.7%. For the full version of this report please visit www.aeropuertosgap.com.mx Company Description Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexicos Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concesiones Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. This press release contains references to EBITDA, a financial performance measure not recognized under IFRS and which does not purport to be an alternative to IFRS measures of operating performance or liquidity. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on non-GAAP financial measures such as EBITDA, as these have limitations as analytical tools and should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, the corresponding measures calculated in accordance with IFRS. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts, and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that may involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party that is in charge of collecting these complaints, is 01 800 563 00 47. The web site is www.lineadedenuncia.com/gap . GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation. Before April comes to a close, Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas wants to recognize Financial Literacy Month. Many nonprofits and government agencies are using this opportunity to remind consumers of the importance of knowing how to properly manage their money. Whether youre a teenager in school or planning to retire soon, BBB has a variety of resources available on various aspects of protecting your finances. BBB and BBBs Education Foundation offers the following programs: Ethics in Action. Fifth through 12th graders get the opportunity for a head start on financial literacy with BBBs Ethics in Action program. BBB representatives go to local schools to teach one of the three modules offered in this program: Everyday Ethics, Online Safety & Cyberbullying and Financial Literacy. The objective of the Financial Literacy program is to create awareness of potential financial and credit-related pitfalls. Students take away common financial and credit definitions, an understanding of how to use credit wisely, tips on identity protection and creating budgets. The U.S. Small Business Administration has selected Christi and Ragan Bond, the co-founders of Brenham-based Independence Coffee Company, as Texas Small Business Persons of the Year for 2019. Founded in 2003 as a coffee shop and local roaster in Brenham, the company now distributes in New Mexico, Maine and New York, among other states. Its numerous retail partners include H-E-B and Whole Foods, according to a press release. This is a true honor. Ragan and I really view this as an employee award, Christi Bond said in a release. They really make ICC what it is and have since the beginning. We couldnt do this without them. The Small Business Administration annually celebrates National Small Business Week by recognizing the achievements of small business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide. All 53 winners have been invited to attend ceremonies on May 5-6 in Washington, D.C., where they will be honored with their individual award along with special recognition of the three runners-up and the naming of the 2019 National Small Business Person of the Year. In 2018, the owners opened Black Truck 48 Coffee and Tea Market in Brenham. According to the release, the shops name is a nod to a 1948 black Ford truck, which was the owners first coffee delivery truck. On Thursday, in the morning, at the Shrine of Remembrance, ANZAC Square, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC attended the Anzac Day Dawn Service, addressed guests and laid the first wreath. Following, at Government House, His Excellency hosted breakfast for senior defence and service representatives. Following, at the Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane, His Excellency and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended the Anzac Day Mass. Following, at King George Square, Brisbane, His Excellency and Mrs de Jersey attended the Anzac Day Parade, where the Governor read the First Resolution and reviewed the Parade. In the afternoon, at the United Service Club, Spring Hill, His Excellency attended the Anzac Day Lunch. Holocaust survivor Bill Orlin, who was 7 years old when German troops invaded Poland and marched into his hometown, will speak in Rudder Auditorium tonight at 7 p.m. According to a Hillel at Texas A&M University news release, Orlins family lived on the run from 1939 to 1945. Following the war, Orlin and his family lived in a camp for displaced persons in Germany. They departed for Canada in 1948 and continued on to the United States three years later, settling in Houston. In the release, Orlin recalled his initial impression of Southeast Texas: When we left Montreal it was cold and snowing; when we got [to Houston] it was sunny, 85 degrees, with pecans swaying in the wind. I decided this was the place for me. The U.S. Army drafted Orlin during the Korean War, and he served in Germany. He became an American citizen while in Frankfurt in 1954. Orlin was honorably discharged in 1955 with the rank of corporal. Life in these United States has been wonderful, Orlin said in the release. For more information about the event, contact Risa Bierman at risa@tamuhillel.org or 703-1856. A possible tornado touched down in eastern Brazos County, damaging structures in the area of F.M. 1179 and Coyote Run Wednesday afternoon. Photos and from the area indicated the possible formation of a tornado. Damage was reported to at least one home and several buildings in the area around the Boonville Animal Hospital, off F.M. 1179 east of Bryan. The National Weather Service had not confirmed a tornado touched down. A tornado warning was in effect until 5:45 p.m. for northern Burleson County and northwestern Brazos County. A line of severe storms continued to move across the Brazos Valley at 5:15 p.m., with strong winds and lightning reported. The storm was expected to be around Wixon Valley on Texas 21 around 5:45 p.m. A tornado that touched down in Brazos County late Wednesday afternoon caused major damage to two homes and four businesses and left at least one person with injuries, officials said. Dowling Electric Inc. employees Thomas Shumate of College Station and Steve McNeil of Normangee said they were finishing up their work day around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday when a co-worker looked out the business window and noticed a funnel cloud forming near the intersection of Coyote Run Road and FM 1179. [The funnel] was forming, breaking up and reforming, but it was standing still, Shumate said. Then it started moving in our direction. McNeil shouted that everyone should run to the bathroom, and the group took cover there and in the interior office area. The sound of the tornado just outside lasted about 30 seconds, but no damage occurred to the Dowling Electric building. When the Dowling employees finally peeked outside, though, they saw businesses across the street that appeared to be demolished, with ceilings caved in and corners stripped off buildings. The new rule likely will be a hot topic if not on the official agenda this weekend at the House Democrats annual retreat. By promulgating her rule, Bustos effectively will freeze the partys congressional delegation as is, delaying the legislative impact of the massive, and in large part generational movement of rank-and-file Democrats to the left. Today, the share of Democrats identifying themselves as liberals is twice what it was during Bill Clintons presidency, and in a series of polls, Democrats have given higher approval ratings to socialism than they have to capitalism. Disproportionately, those more left-leaning Democrats are clustered in major metropolitan areas of deepest blue, and its in those very areas that the new generation of Democratic progressives New Yorks AOC, the Bay Areas Khanna, Bostons Ayanna Pressley, Greater Los Angeles Katie Porter are winning elections. In Chicago, where Obama once challenged Rush, the newly elected city council will have five avowed democratic socialists among its 50 members. Workers walk out from a construction site at the Central Business District of Beijing on Jan. 20, 2015. (Andy Wong/AP) 11 Die as Elevator Cable Snaps at Work Site in Northern China BEIJINGEleven workers were killed and two seriously injured on April 25 when an elevator at a construction site in northern China fell due to snapped cable, state media reported. The Voice of China radio said the accident, the latest in a series of deadly industrial incidents, occurred at around 8 a.m. in Hengshui City, Hebei Province. It didnt say how far the elevator fell. Public anger over safety standards has grown in China over industrial accidents. Recent months have been particularly deadly for Chinese workers, underscoring shoddy enforcement of safety regulations and a desire by management to cut corners as the economy slows. Despite repeated government pledges to tighten safety, disasters have hit chemical plants in particular. In March, 78 people were killed in a blast at a chemical plant in the eastern city of Yancheng that had numerous safety violations, making it one of Chinas worst industrial accidents in recent years. The explosion at the plant owned by Tianjiayi Chemical Company caused a 2.2 magnitude earthquake, severely damaged more than a dozen neighboring buildings, and released contaminants into the air and water, sparking safety concerns in the area. The companywhich produces more than 30 organic chemical compounds, some highly flammablehas been cited and fined for work safety violations in the past, the China Daily said. Earlier, in November, at least 23 people were killed in an explosion outside a chemical plant owned by ChemChina subsidiary Hebei Shenghua Chemical Industry Co in Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province. PVC producer Hebei Shenghua had leaked vinyl chloride during production, and it caught fire and caused a chain explosion that burned trucks and buildings, parent company ChemChina said. Zhangjiakou, about 96 miles northwest of Beijing, is set to host the 2022 Winter Olympics along with the capital. The Epoch Times contributed to this report. 3-Year-Old Girl and Infant Brother Survive Alone for Days After Parents Murder-Suicide California authorities have praised a 3-year-old girl as a hero after she kept herself and her 2-month-old brother alive for over three days after their parents murder-suicide. Our little angel was able to keep herself and her brother alive, Los Angeles police Capt. Maureen Ryan said, according to Fox5. The baby is a miracle baby, and the little girl is a hero. Shes an absolute hero. Investigators cited by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune said the two children were trapped in a home in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles for over three days after their father shot their mother on April 18 before turning the gun on himself. Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department identified the gunman as 46-year-old David Kooros Parsa and the childrens mother as 38-year-old Mihoko Koike, Fox5 reported. The children were rescued on the afternoon of Sunday, April 21. The shooting is believed to have taken place in the morning hours of Wednesday. Authorities said both children were unharmed and under the care of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. What Happened? Police cited by KTLA said Parsa shot his wife as she lay in bed in an upstairs room of the couples home. He then committed suicide. The shooting took place on the morning of April 18 around 6 a.m., according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, citing law enforcement sources. The children remained in their dead parents home for nearly four days. The childrens grandfatherParsas fatherbecame concerned and on Sunday, April 21, he called the police. The officers went out, they did their welfare check, and didnt find anything unusual, said LAPD Detective Bob Dinlocker at a news conference Tuesday, according to The Tribune. Later that day, the grandfather arranged for a real estate agent with keys to the home and neighbors to enter and survey the scene. Neighbors Olivia and James Robinson told KTLA they found the children inside the home. She obviously was in bad condition because she reeked really bad of urine, Olivia Robinson said of the older child, according to KTLA. And she had more of a blank stare on her face. She was very, very quiet. The dead couples infant son was found upstairs, unharmed. Another neighbor, Tony Medina, took in the 3-year-old into his home and offered her food until police showed up. She heard her mom crying, and then what really was kind of heart-wrenching was when she said she saw mommy was broken,' Medina told CBS Los Angeles. Facts About Crime in the United States Violent crime in the United States has fallen sharply over the past 25 years, according to both the FBIs Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The rate of violent crimes fell by 49 percent between 1993 and 2017, according to the FBIs UCR, which only reflects crimes reported to the police. The violent crime rate dropped by 74 percent between 1993 and 2017, according to the BJSs NCVS, which takes into account both crimes that have been reported to the police and those that have not. From 1993 to 2017, the rate of violent victimization declined 74 percent, from 79.8 to 20.6 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older, the U.S. Department of Justice stated. Both studies are based on data up to and including 2017, the most recent year for which complete figures are available. The FBI recently released preliminary data for 2018. According to the Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, January to June 2018, violent crime rates in the United States dropped by 4.3 percent compared to the same six-month period in 2017. While the overall rate of violent crime has seen a steady downward drop since its peak in the 1990s, there have been several upticks that bucked the trend. Between 2014 and 2016, the murder rate increased by more than 20 percent, to 5.4 per 100,000 residents, from 4.4, according to an Epoch Times analysis of FBI data. The last two-year period that the rate soared so quickly was between 1966 and 1968. Property Crime The property crime rate fell by 50 percent between 1993 and 2017, according to the FBI, and by 69 percent according to BJS. According to the FBIs preliminary figures for the first half of 2018, property crime rates in the United States dropped by 7.2 percent compared to the same six-month period in 2017. As with violent crime, the FBI survey only takes into account crime reported to the police, while the BJS figures include reported and nonreported crime. Public Perception About Crime Despite falling long-term trends in both violent crime and property crime, opinion surveys repeatedly show Americans believe that crime is up. The vast majority of Gallup polls taken since 1993 show that over 60 percent of Americans believe there is more crime in the United States on a national scale compared to the previous year. Pew Research surveys show similar findings. A survey in late 2016 revealed that 57 percent of registered voters said crime in the nation as a whole increased since 2008, despite both FBI and BJS data showing double-digit drops in violent and property crimes. Perceptions differed on a national versus local level. Surveys of perceptions of crime levels on a local scale showed that fewer than 50 percent of respondents in every single Gallup survey done since 1996 believed that crime in their area had risen compared to the previous year. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 7-Month-Old Dies at Californian Daycare Center: Police A 7-month-old infant died while in the care of a residential daycare center in Hawthorne, California, on Wednesday, April 24, according to a police statement. Hawthorne Police Department officers responded to a medical call at around 5:30 p.m. of a 7-month-old not breathing at Swoope Family Child Care, which is a licensed residential daycare facility that can hold up to 14 children. It is not clear how many children were there on Wednesday. When the officers arrived the infant had already been pronounced dead by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Detectives were also called onto the scene to conduct an initial death investigation. Authorities are now actively investigating to determine the cause of death. According to a report by the Department of Social Services (DSS), the daycare center is run out of the living room of the home. Children have access to one bathroom and the backyard for outdoor play. The child care facility had previously been under investigation for complaints. In 2017, the facility was investigated for failing to provide adequate care as a result of children who sustained minor scrapes and bruises. Similarly, in 2016, DSS investigated the facility for using bleach water solution to clean a child, causing the childs hand to swell and develop welts. According to a DSS report, the owner admitted that after attending a training about a diapering policy, she misunderstood the instruction and sprayed the solution on the childrens hands after changing their diapers. Hawthorne Police Department is asking the public to contact them if they have any information about the incident. Vermont Childcare Provider Charged In Vermont, a child care provider was recently arrested in the death of a 6-month-old baby who police said suffered a fatal overdose of antihistamine given to help her sleep. Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to a 911 call made on Jan. 24, 2019, from a registered in-home day care facility in Rutland City, according to police. The final autopsy revealed the cause of death Posted by The Epoch Times on Tuesday, March 19, 2019 When the medical crew arrived, they found the 6-month-old infant unresponsive. The child was transported to Rutland Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Stacey Vaillancourt, 53, of Rutland, was taken into custody on March 16, on suspicion of manslaughter and cruelty to a child arising from the January death of 6-month-old Harper Rose Briar, Vermont State Police said in a news release. Vaillancourt ran a state-licensed day care out of her Rutland home. The autopsy showed that the child had high concentrations of diphenhydramine in her body. The Chief Medical Examiners Office determined the cause of Harper Briars death was diphenhydramine intoxication, and the manner of death was homicide, according to the news release. Diphenhydramine, the active sedating ingredient in over-the-counter antihistamines such as Benadryl, should not be used on infants without a doctors order, according to the news release. Police said there was no doctors order recommending the drug be given to the deceased child. The Epoch Times reporter Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. Aerial view of the West Rim of the Grand Canyon in the Hualapai Indian Reservation near Peach Springs, Ariz., on Jan. 10, 2019. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 70-Year-Old Woman Dies After Falling 200 Feet at Grand Canyon National Park A 70-year-old woman fell 200 feet to her death in Grand Canyon National Park, becoming the second person this year to die after falling over the rim. The National Park Service (NPS) said in a statement that park rangers responded to call that a person needed help at rocky point west of Pipe Creek Vista at around 1:05 p.m. on April 23. The elderly woman, who has not been identified, fell over the rim before rangers could begin their rescue efforts. Her body was recovered approximately 200 feet below the rim. Visitor Fatality at Pipe Creek Vista on South Rim of Grand Canyon National Parkhttps://t.co/uSzUe6Id0K #GrandCanyon Stay on designated trails and walkways and always keep a safe distance from the edge of the rim. Do not climb over railings or barriers. pic.twitter.com/RXcE4dK1eH Grand Canyon NPS (@GrandCanyonNPS) April 24, 2019 A total of 15 people in the parks helicopter and rescue team participated in the bodys recovery. No details about how she fell were released. Park staff encourages all visitors to have a safe visit by staying on designated trails and walkways, always keeping a safe distance from the edge of the rim and staying behind railings and fences at overlooks, NPS said in the statement. This incident is the latest among a string of accidents that have occurred within the Grand Canyon area in the past few weeks. Earlier this month, a 67-year-old man also fell to his death over the canyon rim east of Yavapai Geology Museum. His body was located about 400 feet below the rim. In another incident on March 28, a 50-year-old tourist from Hong Kong, who was visiting the Hualapai reservation outside the park fell while trying to take photos, reported USA Today. Two days before the 70-year-old fell, officials said they found a body, who was identified as a possible tourist, in a wooded area south of Grand Canyon Village away from the rim. The NPS and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are currently conducting an investigation, the agency said in a news release. Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Vanessa Ceja said that the accident on April 23 is the fifth to occur inside the park this year. She added that last year 17 people died inside the Grand Canyon National Park, reported NBC News. Its also a very drastic environment for a lot of people, Ceja told the news station. The Grand Canyon National Park is the second most visited national parks in 2018, with 6,380,495 recreational visits. The most visited national park in 2018 was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with 11,421,200 visits. Falls at Grand Canyon About 12 deaths happen each year at the Grand Canyon, park spokeswoman Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski reported on the Grand Canyon blog earlier this year. On average, two or three of the deaths are from falls over the rim. Other causes of death include natural causes, medical problems, suicides, heat, drowning, and traffic crashes. The blog recommends people stick to paved paths on the rim, watch children closely both at the rim and on trails, and be aware of the possibility of falling at all times. The official Grand Canyon website states on viewing the canyon safely: Stay at least six feet from the edge. Hold on to Children. Do not lean over or go past walkways and railings. Always be aware of your surroundings. Do not back up without first looking where you are going. NTD News reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Ammonia Leak Sends 37 to Hospitals in Chicago Suburb BEACH PARK, Ill.Plumes of a toxic gas that leaked in a northern Chicago suburb Thursday morning sent at least 37 people to hospitals and prompted an order for residents to stay locked inside their homes with windows shut tight, officials said. Three law enforcement officers who responded to the leak in Beach Park were among those injured and they were in good condition, Lake County Sheriffs spokesman Christopher Covelli said. Several other people were in serious but stable condition, Covelli said. Lake Forest Fire Chief Mike Gallo said a tractor was towing two separate 2-ton containers of anhydrous ammonia when the leak occurred around 4:30 a.m. Initial reports suggested the vehicle was involved in a crash, but Covelli later said that was not the case. The cause of the leak has not been released. The leak created a toxic cloud that lingered over Beach Park, about 40 miles north of downtown Chicago. This is a very dangerous chemical that can cause unconscious and worst-case scenario death, Covelli said. CHICAGO CHEMICAL SPILL A toxic gas cloud has forced residents in a suburban Chicago community to stay indoors with their windows closed. It's coming from a leaking tanker that was involved in a crash. https://on.fox4now.com/2DzFFw7 Posted by Fox 4 on Thursday, April 25, 2019 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas that can cause breathing difficulties, burns, blisters and is fatal if breathed in high concentrations. Farmers use it to add nitrogen to soil. Authorities said the leak was contained a few hours later and that the leaking tank was empty. Authorities were waiting for the chemical plume to dissipate. Residents within a 1-mile radius of the leak were initially told to close their windows and remain indoors, but that order was lifted at 10 a.m., Covelli said. Australian Baby Dies Just Days After Parents Ask for Return of Stolen Photo-Filled Phone An 11-month-old girl died in an Australian hospital just days after one of her parents phones was stolen. The phone apparently had a number of family photos, and her parents are desperately searching for it. Amiyah Windrosss father, Jay, said that the girls last hours were spent peacefully and calmly, cuddling in Mummys and Dadys arms [sic], reported 7News. He said that Amiyah, of Melbourne, fought undiagnosed neurological issues from the day she was born but said her strength, courage, and her unrelenting fight was on display from her first breath. An 11-month-old girl has passed away, days after her parent's phone was stolen. It holds hundreds of family photos that can't be replaced. Posted by 7NEWS Australia on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 According to 7News, tens of thousands of Australians are now looking for the phone after it was allegedly stolen during a shopping trip. Her parents said that the phone has hundreds of photos of the child, and no backup is available. We have also tried multiple ways of backups to retrieve the photos, none have worked, Dee, Amiyahs mother, was quoted by News.com.au as saying. They are offering a cash reward for anyone who can locate the phone with the priceless photos. As incredibly empty as we are feeling right now, we are relieved that Amiyah is no longer in any more pain or distress. Although this came on quite suddenly, Dee and I noticed a regress [sic] recently and weve been mentally aware that this day would come at any time, Jay Windross also stated, reported the Daily Mail. A terminally ill baby girl has tragically died just days after a brazen thief stole her parents' mobile phone containing irreplaceable memories of her Posted by Daily Mail on Thursday, April 25, 2019 He continued: Amiyah knew how much we loved her and in return, we knew how much she loved us. We could tell in her gaze whenever she looked at us. He said it has been very challenging over the past 11 months. 11-month-old Amiyah's parents begged for the return of the phone, no questions asked, so they could reclaim family photos that can't be replaced. The phone is still missing. Posted by news.com.au on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Amiyah has given us more courage and strength than we ever knew possible. She pushed us to our limits constantly, but we continuously found ways to push them further, the Mail quoted Windross as saying. Amiyah turned our relationship and home into a family and we will forever be grateful that she chose us as parents. Regarding the reward, he said there will be no questions asked and no grudge held if the phone is returned. We beg you as grieving parents not to wipe the phone. This phone holds the memories of what little life our daughter has had, he said. If you want the phone, were more than happy to arrange to meet, well copy the photos off the phone and you can keep the phone. What is on the phone is worth more than anything in our life. "Amiyah's last hours were spent peacefully and calmly, cuddling in Mummy's and Daddy's arms." Posted by 10 News First on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Her parents are looking for a Samsung Galaxy S8 with a purple cover, the Herald-Sun reported. The phone can be handed to Monash Childrens Hospitals information desk or to a local police station. Amiyahs cause of death is not clear. SIDS A number of U.S. government websites recommend that babies sleep on their backs for the first months of their lives so as to reduce the risk of SIDS. Babies are at risk of SIDS only until they are 1 year old. Most SIDS deaths occur when babies are between 1 month and 4 months of age. SIDS is not a health concern for babies older than 1 year of age, the U.S. National Institutes of Health says. Babies should be placed on their backs until 12 months of age. Older infants may not stay on their backs all night long, and thats OK. Once babies consistently roll over from front to back and back to front, its fine for them to be in the sleep position they choose. Theres no need to use positioners, wedges, and other devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS, the KidsHealth website also says. Experts disagree about whether babies should sleep with a parent in the same bed. James McKenna, a biological anthropologist at Notre Dame University, said his research suggests that babies who are breastfed have the best outcomes if they sleep with their parents or a parent, describing it as breastsleeping, USA Today reported. He said it helps the child regulate its metabolism, blood pressure, and temperature, and that the babys habitat is the mothers body. Jay Gordon, a pediatrician in Los Angeles, told USA Today that he believes co-sleeping is safer than sleeping alone. It makes mothering unpardonably harder when you tell a mother that she cant rest when the baby rests, he said. Beijing-Linked Student Group Called Out for Skirting Democratic Process on Canadian Campus Controversial Chinese Students and Scholars Association alleged to be under the direct control of Chinese embassies and consulates The University of Alberta Students Union had to step in to stop inappropriate practices in the presidential election of a controversial Beijing-linked Chinese students group on campus, The Epoch Times has learned. Andre Bourgeois, vice president of student life, says the student union was notified just ahead of the election at the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) in mid-March that the group wasnt following democratic processes. Our bylaws state that all elections need to happen under fair, democratic, and transparent procedures, Bourgeois said. He noted, however, that the CSSAs constitution had been changed so that the president would be decided by various criteria beyond simply the popular vote. These include an interview, a public speech, and then ultimately a board meeting between the incumbent executive to decide the new president. A clause on the online copy of the CSSAs 20172018 constitution says the president will be determined by the executive committee only. Another clause says the president is to serve as the CSSAs liaison officer with the Calgary and Vancouver Chinese consulates. Bourgeois says he doesnt know how long this process has been in place but notes that the current president was selected using the process. A look through copies of the CSSAs constitutions online shows that the problematic clauses have been in place since at least the 20152016 school year. Bourgeois says the current CSSA executives have been told that such undemocratic processes have to stop. CSSAs and its leaders have been mired in controversy over allegations that they are under the direct control of the Chinese embassies and consulates. A Chinese-language post on the website of the University of Alberta CSSA says it is the only association in the university that is certified by the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China. The post is typical of other CSSAs around the world. The online profiles of many CSSAs, such as the one at the University of Toronto, indicate that these groups were founded under the leadership of the Chinese Consulate. The University of Alberta CSSA did not respond to The Epoch Times requests for comment. Beijings Control J. Li, a former president of the CSSA at the University of California Technology, who didnt wish to provide his full first name, told The Epoch Times that giving the association executives the final say when installing the next president can be a mechanism allowing the Chinese Embassy to continue to maintain its direct control over the CSSA, because typically that final say of the CSSA leaders represents the voice of the Chinese missions. Li said that such changes to the constitution turn a democratic student organization into an organization that will continue to be controlled by the Chinese consulates and embassies. In a speech last year, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said CSSAs alert Chinese consulates and embassies when Chinese students, and American schools, stray from the Communist Party line. In 2011, Cambridge University in the U.K. disbanded the CSSA on its campus after the group decided it would keep its president for a second year without an election. Students and insiders at the university told The Epoch Times at the time that the Chinese Embassy had asked the president to stay on for another year. The CSSA at Columbia University in New York was shut down in 2015 for ongoing violations, according to university officials, who described the violations as financial and organizational in nature. A 2018 Foreign Policy report based on interviews with CSSA heads and internal documents said that Chinese consular officials regularly communicate with CSSA leaders and that the associations regularly receive funding from Chinese consulates. The report also says an umbrella group overseeing the CSSAs in the southwest of the United States requires all CSSA presidential candidates to have approval from the Chinese Consulate before elections take place. CSSAs are also known to join rallies organized by the Chinese embassies and consulates to welcome Chinese officials to their host countries, as well as oppose events and issues that the Chinese Communist Party is against. Recently in Canada, the CSSA at McMaster University issued a statement condemning a human rights event in February in support of Uyghur Muslims being persecuted in China. As previously reported by The Epoch Times, online discussions showed Chinese students saying they were asked by the Chinese Consulate to report their observations to the consulate and to contact the CSSA. This incident was one of three recent events on Canadian campuses where the Chinese communist regime was reported to have attempted to exert influence in Canadian universities. In March, Chinese officials tried to pressure a human rights research institute to cancel an event at Concordia University that featured an exiled Uyghur Muslim. In another case in February, a University of Toronto Scarborough student of Tibetan ethnicity was the victim of online abuse after being elected president of the student union because she had spoken out against the Chinese regimes abuses in Tibet. CSSAs have also been linked with espionage activities. In the mid-2000s, the CSSA at a Belgian university was reportedly found to have acted as a front for industrial espionage for China. In another case from the 1990s and early 2000s, Canadian immigration officials accused Yong Jie Qu, a Chinese student association leader at Concordia University, of engaging in acts of espionage and subversion. Authorities said he identified pro-democracy students and reported information about them to the Chinese Embassy. With reporting by Gary Bai and Limin Zhou. Bernie Sanders Doubles Down on Felon Voting Proposal Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) doubled down on his controversial proposal that would allow convicted criminals the right to vote while in prison, during a She the People event in Houston on April 24. Sanders, who is vying for the Democratic 2020 presidential nomination, argued that allowing criminals to vote is comparable to the civil rights movement that enabled voting rights for women and blacks. That is a right we must protect because we know the history of this country, Sanders said, referring to felon voting rights, Breitbart reported. We know that women didnt have the right to vote. We know that African Americans didnt have the right to vote. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, there are more than 1.6 million convicted criminals in local, state, and federal prisons across the United States. That includes about 183,000 convicted murderers and 164,000 convicted rapists. In his speech, Sanders admitted that his proposal had faced condemnation. But he continued to defend his stance. I was criticized rather strongly because I said that when we talk about the right to vote that right should exist for people who are currently in jail, Sanders said. And I was told this was a terrible idea, despite the fact that in Canada and in countries all over the worldwhy did I say that? Sanders said. I said that because the right to vote is essential. If you are a citizen, you have the right to vote. Sanders claimed that the right to vote is based on a persons citizenship, not their morals or actions in life. He also defended his stance on Twitter, claiming that his plan isnt a radical idea and that more than 30 countries around the world allow prisoners to vote. So my view is its not a matter if you are a good person or a bad person. You commit a crime, pay the price, go to jail, he said. But being an American citizen and having the right to vote is something we should never, ever give up on. More than 30 countries around the world today such as Canada, South Africa and Finland allow prisoners to vote. This is not a radical idea. Every American citizen must be able to vote. Period. Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 24, 2019 Since Sanders first brought up his felon voting proposal at an April 7 town hall event in Iowa, other 2020 contenders have been asked for their views on it. When Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) was pressed for comment on the issue, her response contrasted with Sanders. Do I think people who commit murder, or people who are terrorists, should be deprived of their rights? Yeah, I do, she said at a campaign event in New Hampshire on April 23. Im a prosecutor there has to be serious consequences for the most extreme types of crimes. Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), another presidential candidate, said there needed to be more debate on the issue, without offering any opinion of her own. While theyre incarcerated, I think thats something we can have more conversation about, Warren said, according to the Des Moines Register. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has been a vocal critic of the plan. On Twitter, he brought up the type of people that would be able to vote under Sanderss plan. Just when you thought it couldnt get worse.@BernieSanders supports allowing rapists, murderers, and terroristslike the Boston bomber and Dylan [sic] Roof, the individual who massacred 9 church-goers in Charleston, to vote from prison, Graham said on April 23. Boy, 6, Flees Island Cave, Leads Police Back to Unspeakable Scene A 6-year-old German boy led authorities to a cave in Tenerife, in Spains Canary Islands, where they found the bodies of his mother and brother after the boy had fled his father who allegedly trapped his whole family there. After escaping the cave, the boy, who was identified as Jonas, was found crying and covered in dirt by a group of hikers on a path near the south of the island, reported local media El Pais. It was believed the boy had been wandering the mountains alone and in shock for about five hours. A 43-year-old German national has been accused of murdering his former partner and 10-year-old son inside a cave in Tenerife, in Spains Canary Islands. Police were alerted to the crime by the six-year-old brother, who helped officers find the bodies https://t.co/EWqRgsu9Hq El Pais in English (@elpaisinenglish) April 25, 2019 The hikers took the boy, who couldnt speak Spanish, to a Civil Guard station where a local resident helped to translate. There, the boy told authorities how his father led his family into a cave before allegedly launching an attack on them. The boy said he managed to escape after seeing the blows and a large amount of blood. The father, who was identified as 43-year-old Thomas Handrick, was subsequently arrested in his apartment in Adeje, which is located in a town of 43,000 residents in southwestern Tenerife. When authorities came to arrest Handrick, he was asleep as though nothing happened. During the arrest, the 43-year-old began acting violently and refused to tell authorities where the rest of his family was, reported the news website, citing sources familiar with the investigation. He also had scratches on his face, indicating that the victims had tried to defend themselves. Using the information provided by the 6-year-old, a search party of 100 emergency workers and two helicopters went out to search for the victims bodies on April 24. The bodies of the mother, Shylvia, 39, and the 10-year-old brother were recovered in the afternoon of the same day in a sparsely populated area between two ravines. The sources told El Pais that they believe the father allegedly attacked the mother first before attacking his eldest son, who was paralyzed by fear. A police spokesperson told BBC that they believe the case is being treated as a suspected murder. It is believed that Shylvia and her two children traveled to Tenerife on April 22 to visit the father, who was living and working on the island as a cook, the news website reported. The couple had reportedly separated, and Shylvia would routinely bring the children to the island so that the children could spend time with their father. The case remains under seal and is being handled by a court that specializes in crimes against women in Arona, according to the news website, citing judicial sources. Tenerife cave: Son leads police to bodies of mother and brother https://t.co/NQtlnvy6aO BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 25, 2019 The father is being held at a police station in Playa de las Americas and is expected to appear in court on April 26, reported BBC. Adeje authorities have declared three days of mourning and also maintained one minute of silence at noon on April 25 in the wake of the tragedy. Moreover, Jonass maternal grandparents are flying to Tenerife to take care of the 6-year-old boy. This case raises the number of women who had been murdered by partners or ex-partners so far this year to 18, according to Deputy Prime Minister Calvo. Tenerife is the largest and most populated island of the seven Canary islands and is also a popular tourist destination. Six-year-old Kenzie from Indiana suffered burns to 68 percent of her body after a candle fell on a sofa and caused fire in the neighboring apartment, on Dec. 16, 2018. (Jada Haughey /GoFundMe) Candle Engulfed a Sofa in Flames and Burned a 6-Year-Old in Neighboring Apartment A 6-year-old girl suffered traumatic burns after a candle fell on a sofa and started a fire in a neighboring apartment in Indiana on Dec. 16, 2018. Her mother is warning everyone about the dangers of lighting candles. Kenzie suffered horrific burns across 68 percent of her body after an unattended candle caused the fire. Jared Mosgrove, 44, desperately looked for his three children as thick smoke engulfed his apartment and made vision difficult, reported the Journal and Courier. He could find 11-year-old Liam and 4-year-old Teagan but Kenzie was nowhere to be seen. She couldnt get to me, Mosgrove told Journal and Courier. Firefighters later found Kenzie between the couch and the patio door, directly above where the fire started on the sofa in the apartment below them. Its not easy seeing my daughter like that, Mosgrove said. Schoolgirl, 6, suffers 70% burns across whole body after candle set fire to sofa https://t.co/9qeDgNrIkR pic.twitter.com/fObJJOsrC6 Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) April 23, 2019 Kenzie was airlifted to a hospital where she stayed for four months. This one household decoration has turned my daughters whole life upside downso I want to make the dangers of lighting candles known so that this doesnt happen to anyone elses little one, Kenzies mother, Jessica, 42 told The Mirror. The child underwent six surgeries to clear her skin of infections and her left fingers and toes had to be amputated. But the most devastating news came before her fourth surgery on January 3 where we were told that she would have to have her fingers and toes on the left side of her body removed, as they had completely died. This was one of the hardest things for her to understand, as she suddenly woke up and couldnt figure out where her hands and fingers had gonewhich completely broke my heart, Jessica said. Kenzie took her first steps after her toes with amputated in February, she was discharged from the hospital on March 12 and she started going to school on April 4. Jessica described Kenzie as a brave girl and said she has made good progress since leaving the hospital. One of the sayings that has kept her going is Im beautiful, Im strong, Ive walked through firewhats your superpower? and this has been prominent in her journey. But despite how well she has done, her life is going to be altered foreverwe worry that shes not going to develop like a normal girl, and her amputations will cause difficulty with everyday tasks, said Jessica. Kenzies family has set up a GoFundMe campaign for her that has raised over $7,000. Please help if you can, the GoFundMe page said. People responded with care and concern for Kenzie and her siblings on GoFundMe. I believe we have just about everything you are going to need to set up house again. We need sizes for the kids and you. Also, something they wanted for Christmas. That way the donations will go a lot farther as we know Kenzie is going to need lots of medical care in the coming months God Bless you. Continued prayers for you and the kids, said Katie, a donator. Kenzies family is also selling T-shirts to raise money for her medical bills. In another tragic accidental fire incidence that happened on Feb. 19, seven children died in a Halifax suburb in Canada. The father, Ebraheim Barho, was reported fighting for his life after apparently trying in vain to save his children, who ranged in age from about 3 months to the mid-teens. The mother, Kawthar Barho, also was hospitalized with injuries but was expected to survive. In an interview from the hospital, Imam Wael Haridy of the Nova Scotia Islamic Community Center said the Barhos had fled Syrias civil war. Were here in hospital with a desperate mother who lost seven of her kids, Haridy said, adding: Shes saying to us, Am I going to get my children back? Its so hard. Its so sad. He said officials were conducting DNA tests to confirm the identities of the dead children before they can proceed with a traditional Islamic burial process. The family was among 1,795 Syrian refugees who came to Nova Scotia in recent years. News of the deadly fire was a blow for the Canadians who sponsored them. Everyone is devastated, and our loss pales in comparison to the parents, said Natalie Horne, vice president of the Hants East Assisting Refugees Team. Associated Press contributed to this report. Customers at McDonalds in New York Complain of Finding Earthworms in Drink Multiple customers have complained of finding earthworms in their McDonalds beverages at a restaurant in NY state, according to local reports. The New York State Department of Health told WHAM it had received multiple complaints about beverages at a McDonalds in Lyon, Wayne County. Pregnant college student Samantha Giles told WROC she went to the drive-through after classes on March 7. But as she went to chew the ice from her drink, at the bottom of the cup she found a big worm. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office and State Health Department are investigating after receiving reports from McDonald's customers in Lyons that they found worms at the bottom of their drinks. Posted by NewsChannel 9 on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 Giles took a video of the worm in the cup. She contacted the McDonalds and later called the State Health Department about the worm. They had it tested, and told me it was an earthworm, she said. Another customer, Justin Confer, told WROC his daughter found a worm at the bottom of her cup too on April 10. I didnt believe her at first. I said, Youre kidding me I went over and looked and sure enough, there was a worm in the bottom of her drink, said Confer. The McDonalds store in Lyons is franchise operated, according to WHAM. Serving safe, high quality food and beverages is my top priority and we have worked with the local health department and police department to look into this claim, said the owner and operator of the Lyons McDonalds restaurant in a statement passed through the McDonalds company, according to WHAM. Were taking this situation very seriously, including action to ensure that this doesnt happen again. The New York State Health Department told WHAM it could not comment further due to the pending law enforcement investigation. Perhaps unsurprisingly, both customers who spoke to WROC said that the incident had put them off fast food. Mind the Touchscreens In the United Kingdom it isnt what is in the cups, but what is on the touchscreens that might worry McDonalds customers. A report last year said that fecal matter was discovered on every McDonalds self-service touchscreen swabbed during an investigation in the United Kingdom. Samples were taken at eight locations, which all revealed a contamination of coliforms, which are found in human fecal matter. We were all surprised how much gut and fecal bacteria there was on the touchscreen machines. These cause the kind of infections that people pick up in hospitals, said London Metropolitan University Dr. Paul Matawele, according to Metro. Customers first choose their food on the screens before heading to the front to pick up their meals. Often times, they dont wash their hands or wipe them down with hand sanitizer, the report suggested. At one branch, a screen was found to have Staphylococcus, or staph. According to the U.S. Food Safety website, some strains can cause food poisoning when a food handler contaminates food and then the food is not properly refrigerated. Other sources of food contamination include the equipment and surfaces on which food is prepared. A spokesperson for McDonalds said: Our self-order screens are cleaned frequently throughout the day. All of our restaurants also provide facilities for customers to wash their hands before eating, according to MarketWatch. Dr. Philip Tierno, a clinical professor of Microbiology and Pathology at NYU School of Medicine, said he wasnt surprised by the report in Metro. We are bathed, as a society, in human feces, he told MarketWatch. Wherever numerous people touch the same surface over time, they deposit their germ passport, which can include bacteria from three body placesrespiratory, skin, and fecal sources. This [Metro] report shows that people do not properly pay attention to hand hygieneespecially hand washing, he explained. Eighty percent of all infectious diseases are transmitted by direct and indirect contact. Direct like coughing, sneezing, talking, kissing someone; and indirect like touching a dirty fomite (doorknob, phone, computer, elevator button, touchscreen, etc.) and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth or a break in the skin. Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips contributed to this article. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao speaks to the news media outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 4, 2019. (Leah Millis/Reuters) FAA Paves Way for Alphabet Unit to Make First US Drone Deliveries WASHINGTONAlphabet Inc.s Wing Aviation unit on April 23 got the okay to start delivering goods by drone in Virginia later this year, making the sister unit of search engine Google the first company to get U.S. air carrier certification, the Federal Aviation Administration said. This means Wing can begin a commercial service delivering goods from local businesses to homes, which includes flights beyond visual line of site and over people, the FAA and Wing said. Wing Aviation plans to start commercial package delivery in Blacksburg, Virginia, later this year. Wing partnered with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership and Virginia Tech as one of the participants in the Transportation Departments Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program. This is an important step forward for the safe testing and integration of drones into our economy. Safety continues to be our Number One priority as this technology continues to develop and realize its full potential, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. The certification is good for two years, the FAA said. One pilot can operate up to five drones at once and only during the day. Drones cannot carry hazardous materials or hover over people, the FAA said. The FAA said Wing demonstrated that its operations met the agencys safety requirements, based on extensive data and documentation, as well as thousands of safe flights conducted in Australia. Wing plans to reach out to the local community before it begins a food delivery trial in order to gather feedback, the FAA said. Wing has recently begun commercial air delivery service in the north of Canberra, Australia, and is also about to begin its first trial in Europe, delivering to homes in Helsinki, Finland. Wing said its data shows a lower risk to pedestrians from drone deliveries than the same trip made by car. In May 2018, Chao announced approval for 10 projects to help assess how to regulate drones and integrate them safely into U.S. air space. The United States has lagged other countries in experimentation with drones, something the program hopes to correct. In January, the FAA proposed rules that would allow drones to operate over populated areas and end a requirement for special permits for night use. The FAA is also considering moving ahead with additional rules in response to public safety and national security concerns as it works to integrate drones with airplane traffic. By David Shepardson The Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., in this file photo. (CCA 2.5 Generic Via Wikimedia Commons) Florida House Passes Immigration Bill Banning Sanctuary City Policies The Florida House passed a high-profile bill on April 24 that would require law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, in a bid to ban so-called sanctuary city policies that shield illegal aliens, pushing the state to the forefront of the nations immigration debate. The Republican-led chamber voted 6947, largely along party lines, to send the measure to the Senate, where a similar bill is pending. The move marks the latest effort by the GOP to enforce immigration laws. During his campaign, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signaled that he would sign any legislation that banned sanctuary cities. Currently, Florida isnt known to have formal sanctuary cities like those in other states, aside from one areaAlachua County. Sanctuary cities are locales that have enacted measures to prevent local officials from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Eight states and hundreds of cities across the United States are recognized as sanctuaries for illegal aliens. The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Cord Byrd, would ban such policies and require local authorities to honor detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that can lead to a persons deportation. The sheriffs office in Alachua County currently releases illegal immigrant inmates, rather than holding them until federal immigration enforcement agents arrive to consider their case. If the bill is enacted into law, the sheriffs office will comply, spokesman Art Forgey said. Byrd and other Republicans cast the bill as a law-and-order measure that is aimed at generating respect for U.S. immigration laws. We welcome you. But we ask one simple thing: we ask that you follow our laws and our rules, Byrd said. The bill prompted the American Civil Liberties Union to warn illegal immigrants against traveling to Florida because of detention risks. Democrats failed in attempts to weaken the bill or create exceptions. Republicans, meanwhile, rejected criticisms that the bill is anti-immigrant. This bill is not about removing illegals from the state of Florida. This bill is about protecting the citizens in the state of Florida, said Rep. Michael Caruso. In addition to mandating cooperation with federal authorities, the bill would permit local officials who allow sanctuary city policies to be suspended or removed from office, and permit fines up to $5,000 a day for violations. Similar legislation passed the House last year, but the Senate version didnt get a floor vote. This year, the measure appears to have enough momentum for final passage in both chambers. Immigration a Centerpiece Weeks ago, President Donald Trump said hes considering a plan to transport aliens who are apprehended after illegally crossing the southwest border exclusively to sanctuary cities. Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only, Trump wrote on Twitter. The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy so this should make them very happy! The Trump administration is also proposing a new rule that seeks to prevent illegal immigrants from being granted public housing financial assistance. The move would ensure that U.S. citizens are first in line to review housing subsidies. An April 25 Monmouth University poll found that 46 percent of Americans support Trumps plan to send illegal aliens to sanctuary cities, while 43 percent opposed the plan. Of the remaining 11 percent, 4 percent said it depends on the circumstances and 7 percent were undecided. Trumps illegal immigration proposals come after U.S. officials said they arrested or denied entry to more than 103,000 people along the border with Mexico in March, more than twice as many as the same period in 2018. Epoch Times reporter Ivan Pentchoukov and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Former Chinese Prisoners of Conscience Find Hope After 20 Years of Repression NEW YORKWhen 22-year-old Pan Jun hopped on the bus from university in Beijing on the morning of April 25, 1999, he had three requests to make to the Chinese central government: free the 45 Falun Gong practitioners who had been illegally arrested in Tianjin City; allow an environment to freely practice the popular spiritual discipline; and permit the publication of its books in China. Pan, a Beijing native then pursuing a politics major in college, would arrive at the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership at Zhongnanhai about two hours later, to join his parents and roughly 10,000 other Falun Gong practitioners coming from all over the country to deliver the same message. Standing quietly along the sidewalks leading up to the compound, in a line stretching for over a mile, the petitioners made up the first large-scale demonstration since the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests that ended in bloodshed a decade earlier. Pan Jun holds a banner at a rally in Flushing, New York City, on April 20 commemorating the upcoming 20th anniversary of a peaceful demonstration by Falun Gong practitioners in Beijing, China. (Stefania Cox/The Epoch Times) Around 9 p.m. that evening, all would be on their way home after Premier Zhu Rongji addressed their concerns and ordered the release of the arrested practitioners. The crowd dispersed in the same quiet manner in which they came, leaving no trace of litter or food scraps behind. But the sweeping crackdown that was unleashed just three months later shattered the practitioners hope for a peaceful resolution. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline comprising meditation exercises and a set of teachings centered on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It enjoyed immense popularity in China in the early 1990s, with about 70 million to 100 million people practicing by the end of the decade, according to government estimates cited by Western media at the time. This popularity was deemed a threat by then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin, who banned the practice in July 1999. The 610 Officean extralegal, Gestapo-like apparatuswas established to orchestrate the persecution of Falun Gong across all levels of state. Citizens such as Pan soon found themselves the targets of arrest, harassment, and abuse by a regime bent on eradicating the practice. According to estimates by independent researcher Ethan Gutmann, anywhere between a half-million and 1 million practitioners are held in various detention facilities around the country at any given time. To date, 4,135 Falun Gong adherents have been verified to have died while in police or state custody, according to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that serves as a clearinghouse on the persecution. The actual number of deaths is likely to be much higher, due to the extreme difficulty of obtaining and verifying sensitive information in China. Punished for Being Good Overnight, practitioners went from being ordinary citizens to maligned public enemies. I was disillusioned, Cao Suqin, originally from central Chinas Henan Province and now based in New York City, said in an interview with The Epoch Times. I had been a patriot my whole life and believed that police officers supported and protected people. Cao Suqin, a Falun Gong practitioner from China in Flushing, New York, ahead of a Falun Gong rally on April 20, 2019. Cao, 53, was sentenced to three years in a labor camp for her beliefs. (Stefania Cox/The Epoch Times) Cao, then 33, quit her job in 1999 after local officials constantly pressured her manager to fire her. The following year, 10 days before the biggest holiday in the traditional Chinese calendar, the Lunar New Year, she was separated from her two children, aged 7 and 9, and sentenced to three years at a labor camp in Henan. In the camp, Cao was forced to make wigs and had to meet a daily quota that required her to work for up to 18 hours a day. Cao had trouble recounting her time behind bars all those years ago. In tears, she described the torture she suffered on top of regular beatings by officers at the facility: The guards directed other inmates to inflict all kinds of torment on her, including pricking her hand repeatedly with needles until the wounds bulged, and clamping her breasts and knees with pliers. Tian Yunhai, from northeast Chinas Liaoning Province and also now in New York City, described the events following July 1999 as intensely surreal. From the time I was very little, I had been well-behaved and never did anything to hurt others, he said. So in my mind, prison and crimes were not something I had to be remotely concerned with. I never knew that for being a good person, I would spend 10-plus years behind bars. For refusing to give up his beliefs, Tian, now 46, has spent more than 13 years of his prime in and out of prisons and labor camps, where torture and exhausting, monotonous slave labor were the two constants. Once you were there, all your rights, be it personal freedom or freedom of thought, would be denied, Tian said. So the only other thing they could do was apply physical torture to coerce you into mental submission. In the early days, hearing the crackle from the guards electric batons would make Tian freeze instantly, but electrocution became so commonplace that he soon adapted to it. Tian said that one time guards handcuffed him to a heater and stripped off his outer clothing. As he was connected to the iron pipes, his body formed a huge circuit with the heater. When the guards electrocuted him, every inch of his body spasmed from the electrical current circulating through his fleshfor a full 20 minutes. Falun Gong practitioner Tian Yunhai in Flushing, Queens, on April 20, 2019. (Mimi Nguyen-Ly/The Epoch Times) Tian recalled the guards smiling as they watched him convulse in agony. They would have continued the torture session had Tians family not arrived for a prison visit. The inner torment I was going through is impossible to put into words, he said. Wary of retaliation, Tian never told his family about any of this suffering during their rare moments together. Pan recounted in an interview in New York City, where he now resides, that in the weeks following July 1999, security officers stationed themselves in front of his familys apartment building and trailed his parents everywhere they went, from their places of work to the supermarket. In 2002, Pan was sent to a brainwashing center, where he was held in solitary confinement in a 75-square-foot cell, which contained only a bed and a toilet. For half a year, guards allowed him only to stay in one positionseated on the edge of the bed. He was not allowed to talk, lie down, stand, or walk. Neither was he able to shower the entire time he was there. When Pan was released, his once straight shoulders had become slumped, his legs became extremely weak from prolonged inactivity, and he suffered from temporary loss of speech. He was later sent to a hotel-turned detention facility in Beijing. This time, he managed to escape, but was captured and sentenced to a year and a half at a labor camp, also in Beijing, for the alleged crime of subverting the state. There, he sat on a plastic stool for 10 hours every day, packaging DVDs. A New Start All three former detainees settled in the United States a few months ago. They spoke of their relief at not having to live their lives in constant fear. It feels like coming home. No one can harass me again, Cao said, adding that she felt relieved to find a community here. It feels like going back to 1999, where everyone can study, share, and practice the exercises together. Every practitioner feels like a sister or brother. Pan said: America is founded on the basis of freedom and democracy. When the Puritans came here from England, they were also seeking freedom to believe in God. He added that being able to participate in public events, such as a candlelight vigil held outside the Chinese consulate in New York City on April 20 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Zhongnanhai demonstration, makes him appreciate his new life even more. I could really see how much freedom is valued here, and how close at hand it is, Pan said. The practitioners said their newfound freedom in the United States has empowered them to spread their stories to a wider audience. Tian landed in New York City around the Lunar New Year. While he cherishes his adopted country, his thoughts remain with his compatriots back home. During the new year, Tian wrote and mailed greeting cards to Falun Gong inmates at various detention facilities in China to wish them well. Even if cards cannot pass security inspection to reach the practitioners, it will let the guards see that the detained practitioners have not been forgottenthey still have people overseas watching over them, Tian said. Epoch Times reporters Penny Zhou and Keng Onn Wong contributed to this article. Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks in front of a Stop & Shop in support of union workers on April 18, 2019 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) Former Vice President Joe Biden Officially Announces Bid for Presidency Former Vice President Joe Biden on April 25 officially announced he will be running for president, launching his third bid for the Oval Office in a video on social media. Biden, 76, starts out of the gate as the frontrunner of the now 20-strong Democratic field, according to polls. Some analysts have said that Bidens standing in the polls is the result of the former U.S. senator from Delawares name recognition from over four decades in public office, including eight years as former President Barack Obamas No. 2 in the White House. Biden, who ran for president in 1988 and 2008, is expected to make his first appearance as a candidate for the 2020 election on April 29 at an event in Pittsburgh featuring union members. The core values of this nation our standing in the world our very democracyeverything that has made America America is at stake. Thats why today Im announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. #Joe2020 https://t.co/jzaQbyTEz3 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2019 The ramp-up to Bidens announcement was marred in recent weeks by accusations relating to his conduct with women, prompting speculation that his bid for the presidency may fall victim to the #MeToo movement. Several women had stepped forward complaining that he had made them uncomfortable with his longtime tendency for kissing and touching strangers during political events. In a video post on Twitter in response to the allegations, Biden said: Its just who I am. And Ive never thought of politics as cold and antiseptic, Ive always thought of it [as] about connecting with people. I will be more mindful and respectful of peoples personal space, and thats a good thing. Biden has been aggressively critical of President Donald Trump. In March 2018, Biden said that if the two were in high school, he would beat the hell out of the president because of the way he said Trump talked about women. Trumps response was to label the former vice president as Crazy Joe Biden and to respond to Bidens schoolyard fight reference by saying Biden would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. In his two previous presidential runs, Biden failed to develop a strong base of political support, dropping out of the race both times. If he were to be elected this time, he would be 78 years old when taking office, which would make him the oldest president-elect in U.S. history. Biden has for weeks been the clear frontrunner in all major polls tracking actual and possible 2020 Democratic presidential contenders, including Morning Consult, Monmouth, Harvard-Harris, and Emerson. According to a RealClearPolitics average, Biden leads at 29 percent, while self-described socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) trails at 23 percent. But Biden is losing ground to Sanders, who came in atop an Emerson Poll conducted between April 4 and 11. Biden has seen his support drop. In February, he led Sanders 27 percent to 17 percent, and in March, the two were tied at 26 percent. Now, Sanders has a five-point lead, Spencer Kimball, director of Emerson Polling, said in a statement. The nearest candidates to Sanders and Biden are polling at around 8 percent. Trump has welcomed taking on either candidate. I believe it will be Crazy Bernie Sanders vs. Sleepy Joe Biden as the two finalists to run against maybe the best Economy in the history of our Country (and MANY other great things)! I look forward to facing whoever it may be. May God Rest Their Soul! Trump wrote in an April 16 tweet. The Emerson poll showed Biden performing best in a head-to-head contest with President Donald Trump, with 53 percent of the respondents picking Biden and 47 percent favoring Trump. Sanderss popularity is indicative of the shift to the hard-left within the Democratic Party. For example, Sanderss socialist Medicare for All bill had no co-sponsors in Congress six years ago but the bill is now supported by one-third of Senate Democrats and two-thirds of House Democrats. Reuters contributed to this report. Then-FBI Director Robert Mueller waits for the beginning of a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Jun. 19, 2013. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Georgian Businessman Releases Texts With Cohen That Were Left out of Mueller Report A Georgian-American businessman is calling for a retraction of a footnote in the special counsels report that refers to a text message exchange with Michael Cohen about a rumored Trump sex tape. Giorgi Rtskhiladzes lawyer sent a letter to the attorney general claiming that the Mueller report has glaring inaccuracies. The report quoted a text message in which Rtskhiladze told Cohen he was stopping the flow of tapes of Trump. But in a text message left out of Muellers report, Rtskhiladze suggested he did not believe the rumor. A Georgian-American businessman is accusing special counsel Robert Mueller of publishing glaring inaccuracies and misrepresentations about rumors of alleged sex tapes of President Donald Trump during a visit to Moscow in 2013. In a letter sent to Attorney General William Barr on April 23, a lawyer for the businessman, Giorgi Rtskhiladze, called on the Justice Department to retract a footnote in Muellers report mentioning an Oct. 30, 2016 text message exchange he had with attorney Michael Cohen about a rumored Trump tape. Rtskhiladze claims that the special counsels report inaccurately quotes his text message with Cohen. He says that additional text messages not quoted in the report show that he was doubtful about a rumor he had heard from an associate in Moscow about the existence of a tape. We strongly demand that a full and immediate retraction of these falsehoods should be issued forthwith to restore his good name, wrote A. Scott Bolden, a lawyer for Rtskhiladze. The letter was first reported by Bloomberg News and obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. Boldens letter takes issue with several parts of the special counsels report, including the quote of Rtskhiladzes text message as reading: Stopped flow of tapes from Russia but not sure if theres anything else. Just so you know. Rtskhiladze actually wrote that he had stopped flow of some tapes, the text messages show. Rtskhiladze told prosecutors during interviews in 2018 that he was told that the tapes were fake but that he did not communicate that to Cohen, according to Muellers report. Cohen told Muellers team in a Sept. 12, 2018 interview that he notified Trump about the message from Rtskhiladze. Rtskhiladze claims that his additional texts with Cohen show that he had no direct knowledge of the tapes and that he saw them as mere rumor, rather than fact. Bolden also says that Rtskhiladze did not hear the rumor first-hand. Not sure of the content but person in Moscow was bragging had tapes from Russia trip. Will try to dial you tomorrow but wanted to be aware. Im sure its not a big deal but there are lots of stupid people, Rtskhiladze wrote in the texts, which were provided to TheDCNF. You have no idea, Cohen replied. Rtskhiladze responded: I do trust me. Bolden says in the letter that Rtskhiladze was not present at the event in Moscow where the claim about the tape was allegedly made. Melanie Bonvicino, a spokeswoman for Rtskhiladze, told TheDCNF that he has not been in Russia in more than a decade. She said that Rtskhiladze does not know who made the comment at the Moscow party, but that he heard about it from another person. Rtskhiladze identified the intermediary during interviews with Muellers team. Rtskhiladze has also voluntarily agreed to meet with the House Intelligence Committee, Bonvicino said. The footnote in the special counsels report reignited speculation about the most salacious allegation contained in the infamous Steele dossier. In the unverified report, author Christopher Steele alleged that the Kremlin had video of Trump with a group of prostitutes in a Moscow hotel room during his visit there in November 2013 for the Miss Universe pageant. Giorgi Rtskhiladze letter t by on Scribd Trump has vehemently denied taking part in the activities described in the dossier, and such a tape has never been produced. Steeles alleged source for the claim has also come under intense scrutiny. People who were with Trump during his visit to Moscow have doubted the claims about the tape, saying that he only stayed one night in the Russian capital and was only alone for a few hours. Rtskhiladzes texts do establish, however, that rumors about an alleged sex tape made their way to Trumpworld during the campaign. Cohen acknowledged as much during a Feb. 27 congressional hearing, when he dismissed rumors about a blackmail tape of his former boss. Are you aware of any videotapes that may be the subject of extortion or blackmail? a Democratic lawmaker asked Cohen. Ive heard about these tapes for a long time. Ive had many people contact me over the years. I have no reason to believe that tape exists, said Cohen, who cooperated with the special counsel against Trump. Bolden also notes that the Mueller report mischaracterizes Rtskhiladze as Russian. Rtskhiladze was born in Georgia, the former Soviet republic, and has lived in the U.S. since 1991, according to Boldens letter. He became a citizen in 2017. Bolden acknowledged in the letter to Barr that Rtskhiladzes claim of stopping the flow of the tapes may have been a poor choice of words. But he said that Rtskhiladze was using a colloquialism to convey to Cohen, indicating that there was nothing to the rumors of the tapes, and that he did not believe there were any tapes, nor had he seen what was on the tapes, even if they existed. The text message exchange occurred during a tumultuous time on the Trump campaign, when the Republican candidate was dealing with an avalanche of stories about his relationships with women. The onslaught of reports generated widespread rumor and speculation about other possible Trump dalliances. On Oct. 7, 2016, a video was published showing Trump speaking crudely about women during a 2005 interview with radio host Billy Bush. Several women came forward to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct. It would also later be revealed that three days before the Rtskhiladze text message, Cohen had made a secret payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who claimed she had an affair with Trump in 2006. By Chuck Ross Follow Chuck on Twitter From The Daily Caller Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. Description GIS 25 April, 2019: The High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr Uyigue Oghogho Igbe, paid, today, a courtesy 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, Mr Uyigue Oghogho Igbe , said that the meeting with the Prime Minister was cordial adding that discussions focused mainly on the different ways both countries could work collaboratively and further enhance the bilateral relations. The High Commissioner also spoke on the need to identify new areas of cooperation so as to develop economic and cultural synergies between Mauritius and Nigeria thereby promoting economic development and enhancing the quality of life of the population. Protesters march along a street during a rally to protest against the government's plans to approve extraditions with mainland China in Hong Kong on March 31, 2019. (DALE DE LA REY/AFP/Getty Images) Hong Kong Plans Second Mass Protest Against Extradition Amendments In response to the Hong Kong governments plans to amend its extradition laws to allow suspects to be sent to mainland China, local groups have organized a mass parade on April 28 to oppose the amendments. Organized by the Civil Human Rights Front, a Hong Kong pro-democracy group, the parade is the second citywide protest within a month. Hong Kong residents, business groups, and international rights groups have expressed concerns that, given the Chinese regimes disregard for rule of law, the changes could allow Beijing to charge and extradite its critics with impunity. Latest Amendments Currently, Hong Kong has signed individual extradition agreement with 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. An extradition request also must be approved by the Legislative Council, Hong Kongs unicameral legislature. Hong Kongs Security Bureau first announced plans to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance on Feb. 13. The amendments would allow criminal suspects from any regionincluding mainland Chinato seek extradition without the Legislative Council signing off on the requests. The citys head of government, the chief executive, would be able to approve the extradition requests directly. The Legislative Council will vote on the amendments, which city authorities hope to finalize by the second half of the year. The government has said the proposed changes are aimed to plug a loophole exposed by a Taiwan murder case. According to Hong Kong media Singtao, then 19-year-old Hong Kong man Chan Tong-kai visited Taiwan together with his 20-year-old Hong Kong girlfriend Poon Hiu Wing in February 2018. Chan came back to Hong Kong alone soon after and withdrew 19,200 HKD ($2,450) from Poons bank account using her bank card. Taiwan police found Poons body in Taipei City in March 2018 and have pursued Chan as the main suspect in Poons murder. But Chan remains in Hong Kong, as there is no extradition agreement between Hong Kong and Taiwan. In Hong Kong court, Chan pleaded guilty to four counts of money laundering by withdrawing cash from Poons account on April 12 and is awaiting his sentencing. But a source who is close to Hong Kong Liaison Office, the representative office of Beijing in Hong Kong, told the Chinese-language Epoch Times in a recent interview that the Taiwan case is not the true reason for the Hong Kong governments proposal. It is a political task that the [Beijing] central government has commanded Carrie Lam, the chief executive, to do, said the insider, who wished to remain anonymous. The insider outlined four reasons why the Chinese regime wants the extradition laws changed: as a measure to response changes in U.S. policy toward China; to target and charge groups that the Chinese regime deems hostile forces; force mainland Chinese activists who have sought refuge in Hong Kong and strongly oppose the Chinese Communist Party to leave the city; and threaten Hong Kong pro-democracy activists into taking a more moderate route. Pro-democracy groups have sought universal suffrage for local elections and called for formal independence from mainland China, a sore point for Beijing. Chu Hoi Dick, a Legislative Council member, also shared in a Facebook post that he believed the amendments were a political ploy by the Chinese regime, including having Taiwan become a part of the Peoples Republic of China [the Chinese regime]. Beijing considers the Taiwan island to be part of its territory despite it being a de-facto country with its own democratically-elected government, currency, and military. Peoples Protest On March 31, roughly 12,000 Hong Kongers paraded in the streets to oppose the extradition amendments. At a rally, participants called it the most vicious law in [Hong Kongs] history. Joseph Zen, a cardinal of the Catholic Church, led the protest chants during the parade: Extraditing fugitives to mainland China will turn Hong Kong into a black jail. Claudia Mo, a Hong Kong politician, said during a rally after the parade that the amendments would make everybody feel risky, expressing concerns that suspects could be arrested secretly and sent to China without due process. A makeshift memorial grows outside the Dole Avenue home of Andrew "AJ" Freund, age 5, in Crystal Lake, Ill., on April 22, 2019 . (Paul Valade/Daily Herald via AP) Illinois Boy Found Buried in Shallow Grave; Parents Charged CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill.Authorities on Wednesday, April 24, dug up the body of a 5-year-old Illinois boy who was reported missing last week and charged his parents with murder and other counts. The body, believed to be that of Andrew AJ Freund, was wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave in a rural area of Woodstock, Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference. Woodstock is about 50 miles northwest of Chicago and a few miles from the familys home in Crystal Lake. Black said investigators were led to the body after they interviewed the boys parents overnight and presented them with cellphone evidence. The parents, Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham, each face five counts of first-degree murder and other charges, including aggravated battery. In a message intended for the slain boy, the chief said, We know you are at peace playing in heavens playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer. Black said his efforts are underway to confirm that the body is AJs and that his department wont be releasing further details in an effort to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Officers removed several items from the family home on Wednesday, including a shovel, mattress, paper bags and a plastic storage tub. Authorities said the couple reported AJ missing on Thursday and told officers they had last seen him at bedtime the previous night. Early on in their investigation, though, police said they didnt believe the boy was abducted or that he had left the home on foot. They also said they were focusing on the residence and the individuals that may have seen or had contact with AJ last, and that Cunningham wasnt cooperating with detectives. On Tuesday, the department released more than 60 pages of police reports written by officers who responded to various calls about the house, which is about 45 miles northwest of Chicago. One report described seeing the home littered with dog feces and urine, and a childrens bedroom where the smell of feces was overwhelming. Another report said the officer found the house to be cluttered, dirty and in disrepair, and without electrical power. The heavily-redacted reports also indicate state child welfare workers were called after officers spotted a large bruise on one of the young boys living there, but that the children appeared to be healthy and happy and were not removed from the house. Cunningham and Freund were in court Tuesday seeking custody of their 4-year-old son, Parker. Parker was taken into custody by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Thursday after Andrew was reported missing by his parents. Larry Mitchell Hopkins appears in a police booking photo taken at the Dona Ana County Detention Center in Las Cruces, N.M., on April 20, 2019. (Dona Ana County Detention Center/Handout/Reuters) Leader of US Citizen Border Patrol Group Attacked in Jail SUNLAND PARK, N.M.The leader of an armed group that spent two months detaining migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border was hospitalized after he was attacked in jail, his lawyer and authorities said. Larry Hopkins, 69, also known as Johnny Horton was in a hospital with broken ribs after being attacked on April 23 at the Dona Ana County Detention Center in Las Cruces in southern New Mexico, his attorney, Kelly OConnell, said. The detention center confirmed on Wednesday that Hopkins, a federal detainee, was the alleged victim of a Tuesday night attack and that the incident was under investigation. Hopkins was given medical attention for nonlife-threatening injuries, county spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said in an email, adding that Hopkins had been transferred out of the jail under the direction of the U.S. Marshals Service. The attack occurred the same day Hopkinss United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) group abandoned its border camp near Sunland Park, New Mexico, where they had spent two months detaining thousands of illegal aliens. OConnell said he had spoken with Hopkins by phone. This guy is very high-profile. So, if he gets put into jail and is immediately attacked after his first hearing just a few days after being put in there, can Dona Ana County correctional protect high-profile defendants? OConnell asked. OConnell said he did not know why Hopkins had been targeted. But a spokesman for his UCP paramilitary group said he believed it was because of his activity at the border. They put him in a pod cell with a group of people and they had just got done watching the article about the ACLU writing about him being racist, and as a result of that he was attacked, UCP spokesman Jim Benvie said in a video posted online. Hopkins is being held without bail at least until an arraignment and detention hearing on Monday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a judge will decide whether he will have the opportunity to post bail, OConnell said. Benvie said the UCP was moving to another campsite in a couple of days and would continue to support the U.S. Border Patrol, which has said it does not support private citizens acting as law enforcement. Flood of Illegal Aliens into New Mexico Hopkins was arrested on April 20 in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on a federal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, according to a statement by the FBI. Were not worried about it, hes going to be cleared, said Benvie, a spokesman for the UCP, an armed civilian group that has detained more than 5,600 illegal aliens in past two months. Benvie blamed the arrest on political pressure from New Mexicos Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who ordered an investigation into the group after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) accused the UCP of illegally detaining the illegal aliens. The ACLU advocates for a range of far-left causes, including the defunding of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Hopkins is the national commander of the UCP, which has had about a half-dozen members camped out on a rotating basis near Sunland Park since late February. The UCP describes itself as a patriot group that helps the U.S. Border Patrol cope with record numbers of Central American families crossing the border seeking asylum. We are here to uphold the Constitution of The United States of America. We uphold this cause against all enemies both foreign and domestic, which shall infringe upon the rights of the citizens given by the Constitution, states the groups description on Facebook. UCP members dress in camouflage and carry rifles for self-defense. Videos posted online by the group show members telling migrants to stop, sit down, and wait for agents to arrive. Crowdfunding sites PayPal and GoFundMe on April 19 barred the group from collecting donations, citing policies not to promote hate or violence. The ACLU, without evidence, called the UCP a fascist militia. Despite having funding sources cut off, Benvie said the groups online support had swelled since it came under attack this week. Its Facebook followers have more than doubled since April 17 to almost 5,000 people. Benvie said the group would probably leave if told to by state police; however, if the order violated the groups constitutional rights, the UCP would sue the state of New Mexico. Theres not going to be any standoffs, this isnt the Bundy Ranch, Benvie said, in reference to a 2014 armed confrontation in Nevada. By Julio-Cesar Chavez and Epoch Times reporter Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. McCain Family to Support Biden Against Trump in 2020 Campaign The late Senator John McCains family will support former Vice President Joe Biden as he plans to officially announce his candidacy for the 2020 election on April 25, the Washington Examiner reported. But Cindy McCain put out a statement on Twitter saying that she would not get involved in the campaign: Joe Biden is a wonderful man and dear friend of the McCain Family. However, I have no intention of getting involved in presidential politics. The news should not come as a surprise considering the personal conflict that was dramatized during the 2016 election between Donald Trump and the Republican establishment, personified in a way by John McCain. Best known for representing the Republicans in their loss against Obama in 2008, McCain served in Congress for 35 years and before that in the military during the Vietnam War. McCain passed away in August 2018. His family purposefully did not invite Trump to the funeral, unlike the Bush familys funeral observance, a few months later in December 2018. The tensions between Trump and the McCains initially began as bitter personal exchanges but escalated to a more symbolic rift highlighting divisions within the Republican party. It reached a peak when it was discovered that McCain played a role in introducing the infamous Steele dossier to the FBI in order to further defame the incoming President and contribute to the investigation into alleged collusion with Russia. Later in July 2017, the Senator also played a decisive role in his vote against the effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, resulting in one of the biggest broken promises for his party. Therefore, it is only natural that the McCains would offer support to the Democratic candidate for presidentespecially one running against a Republican president that they continue to oppose for what appears to be purely personal reasons. It should be noted though, that Cindy and Meghan McCain still publically identify as Republicans and by endorsing a Democrat, it may hurt Biden in the long run, considering how the Democratic party is experiencing an internal revolt of its own against moderate establishment types such as the former Vice President. Police booking photos showing Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham, who face multiple charges in the death of their 5-year-old son. (Crystal Lake Police Department) Murdered Crystal Lake Boy AJ Freund Beaten to Death and Forced to Take Long, Cold Shower Chilling new details have emerged in the case of a 5-year-old boy who went missing from Crystal Lake, Illinois, and was later found murdered. Andrew AJ Freund, whose body was found in a shallow grave on the morning of April 24 in Woodstock, Ill., had been beaten to death, according to WGN-TV. Prosecutors also said that prior to being beaten, AJ had been subjected to a forced cold shower for an extended time. AJs parents Andrew Freund Sr., 60, and JoAnn Cunningham, 36, appeared in McHenry County Court on April 25, where they faced multiple charges including aggravated battery and first-degree murder, according to the station. A bond of $5 million each has been set for the parents, according to the report. Cunningham, who is seven months pregnant, shed tears as the judge listed the charges, according to the station. Freund Sr. showed no emotion in court. Arraignment of the two is expected to take place on April 29. Shallow Grave The boys body was wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave in a rural area of Woodstock, Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference, according to The Associated Press. Woodstock is about 50 miles northwest of Chicago and a few miles from the familys home in Crystal Lake. Black said investigators were led to the body after they interviewed the boys parents overnight and presented them with cellphone evidence. In a message intended for the slain boy, the chief said, We know you are at peace playing in heavens playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer. Luis Maldonado, a local man, described the area where the boy was discovered as being fairly isolated. Its very quiet, he told the Chicago Tribune. If they found a body here, I dont know how they found this place. AJ had been reported missing by his parents about a week ago. Police officials were seen taking items from the family home on April 23, including a shovel. Other evidence investigators removed included a toddler mattress and a large plastic tub, according to WGN-TV. Freund Sr., the boys father, and Cunningham, the mother, were interviewed by Crystal Lake Police after the child disappeared, according to reports. His father said he didnt know what happened to his son, Fox32 reported. Investigators said earlier this week that Cunningham had been uncooperative with police when they interviewed her. Cunninghams attorney, George Kililis, said she stopped answering police officers questions after her attorneys told her not to. While law enforcement was conducting a missing child investigation, Ms. Cunningham was eager to participate, Kililis told the Fox affiliate. When it became clear law enforcement was not conducting a missing child investigation, was not issuing an Amber Alert, had stopped searching for AJ, and considered her a suspect, we did advise her to stop all communications with law enforcement and she did so at our request. [Cunningham] is a valuable resource because she was the last to see Andrew, Crystal Lake Deputy Chief Tom Kotlowski told CBS News, adding that the elder Freund spent three hours with police over the weekend. Welfare Checks On April 23, the police released more than 60 pages of reports written by officers who responded to various calls about the house where AJ lived with his parents, AP reported. One report described seeing the home littered with dog feces and urine, and a childrens bedroom where the smell of feces was overwhelming. Another report said the officer found the house to be cluttered, dirty, and in disrepair, and without electrical power. The heavily-redacted reports also indicate state child welfare workers were called after officers spotted a large bruise on one of the young boys living there, but that the children appeared to be healthy and happy and were not removed from the house. Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this article. President Barack Obama, accompanied by, from(L), Secretary of State John Kerry, Vice President Joe Biden, and National Security Adviser Susan Rice, speaks during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, on March 31, 2016. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Obama Speaks Out to Praise Biden, Doesnt Endorse His Candidacy Former President Barack Obama issued a rare public statement about the 2020 race, lavishing praise on his former vice president, Joe Biden, who officially launched his campaign on April 25. President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made, Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill told Politico. He relied on the vice presidents knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today. However, despite his laudatory remarks, the former president stopped short of officially endorsing Biden. Obama didnt endorse a candidate in the 2016 race despite his former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton being in the race. Biden, who released his campaign design, said on Twitter, Our country is being put to the test, but Ive never been more optimistic about America before adding, Together we can do this, while soliciting for donations. He also released a YouTube video and said, Its time for respected leadership on the world stageand dignified leadership at home. Its time for equal opportunity, equal rights, and equal justice. Its time for an economy that rewards those who actually do the work. Its time for a president who will stand up for all of us, the 76-year-old wrote. Meanwhile, Politico reported that Obama has met with several presidential candidates and offered his advice, but he hasnt made any endorsement. Former Obama adviser David Axelrod claimed that its not worth looking into Obamas lack of endorsements. The custom for former presidents is not to endorse presidents. The expectation that he would, I find kind of baffling, Axelrod was quoted by the political news website as saying. If Joe Biden wants to keep score: In 8 years, Biden & Obama had a net loss of 193,000 manufacturing jobs. In just over 2 years, @realDonaldTrump has created 453,000 manufacturing jobs. Dont let Biden take us backwards! Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) April 25, 2019 Trump Welcomes Biden President Donald Trump welcomed Biden, whom he dubbed Sleepy Joe, to the race and insulted his intelligence. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! he tweeted. Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 Trump didnt make any references to the allegations of sexual misconduct that are plaguing the former vice president Trump later sent a tweet to GOP chair Ronna McDaniel, who said that Biden in eight years, had a net loss of 193,000 manufacturing jobs. Dont let Biden take us backwards! she replied. Joe Biden literally cant hide from the economic successes of @realDonaldTrumps administration. Biden chose Pennsylvania to launch his campaign a state where the unemployment rate just dropped to the lowest level *ever recorded.* Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) April 25, 2019 Biden literally cant hide from the economic successes of President Trump, McDaniel said on Twitter, adding, Biden chose Pennsylvania to launch his campaign a state where the unemployment rate just dropped to the lowest level *ever recorded.* The logo for Procter & Gamble Co. is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., Jun. 27, 2018. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) P&G Operating Margin, Grooming Product Sales Dip on Strong Dollar; Shares Drop Procter & Gamble Co. reported a decline in its third-quarter operating margin on April 23 and said a strong U.S. dollar hurt sales of its grooming products, sending shares of the maker of Tide and Gillette products down as much as 3.3%. Soaring commodity and transportation costs have eroded margins across the consumer goods industry over the past year. P&G said its core operating margin declined by 60 basis points to 19.9%, and was hurt by foreign exchange fluctuations. This was considerably below the estimates of some analysts. Bernstein analyst Ali Dibadj, for example, forecast an operating margin of 20.9%. Expectations were quite high and operating margin was more sour than people thought, which raises questions of P&G having to increase investments to grow topline growth, Dibadj said. Its an industry problem but I think theyre doing what they can. The worlds no.1 maker of personal care goods, which gets more than half its sales from outside North America, has tried to offset the higher costs by upgrading several products and then raising their prices. Indeed, price hikes on P&Gs skincare and detergent lines, which include Tide, Olay, and SK-II, helped the Cincinnati-based company beat revenue and profit estimates. Were pricing to recover the costs not to recover the margin, and so we typically see margin compression, Chief Financial Officer Jon Moeller said on a call to discuss earnings. Moeller said he expected P&Gs operating margin to grow again going forward. Higher prices are often met with resistance from retailers, but Moeller said the rises had stuck so far. P&G, which also makes Pampers diapers and Febreze air fresheners, reported a 5 percent rise in organic sales, a keenly watched metric that excludes the impact of currency changes and mergers and acquisitions. Price hikes contributed 2 percentage points to organic sales growth. Some rivals, too, have benefited after raising prices. Kimberly Clark Corp., which makes Kleenex tissues and Huggies diapers, said on Monday it beat first-quarter earnings and revenue estimates by hiking prices and cutting operating costs to offset a stronger dollar and higher raw material costs. Still, the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations dragged organic sales down by 1% at P&Gs grooming business, which makes Gillette razors, gels and foams, some of the companys best-selling products in international markets. Organic sales from fabric and home care, P&Gs biggest unit, surged 7%. The beauty business saw a 9% rise in organic sales, helped by the premium SK-II brand. Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog said that while she approved of the price hikes and sales growth in beauty, she was concerned about weak sales at P&Gs grooming and baby care businesses. Net income rose to $2.75 billion, or $1.04 per share, in the quarter ended March 31. Excluding items, the company earned $1.06 per share, beating the average analyst estimate of $1.03 per share. Net sales rose 1.1 percent to $16.46 billion, beating analysts average estimate of $16.37 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. By Richa Naidu & Soundarya J An Amazon parrot from 2017. A similar parrot was seized by police on April 20, 2019 after they discovered it was trained to warn a drug dealer of nearby police. (Pixabay) Parrot Trained to Warn Drug Dealers of Police Presence Taken Into Custody A parrot has been taken into custody following a police raid targeting drug dealers in northeast Brazil. The bird had been taught to warn its owners of police presence by shouting Mamae, policia! or Mama, police! according to a report from Globo, a major Brazilian television network. The bird was seized in Vila Irma Dulce on April 22, and sent to the Flagrant Center of Teresina, the capital of Brazilian state Piaui. Police say the parrot has not said anything while in custody. Major Mello of the 17th military police battalion told Globo that the animal impressed the police. He must have been trained for that. He began to scream as soon as the police approached, he said. According to the police, the parrots owner is a woman going by the name India who has been arrested twice for drug trafficking. Police say the woman was in bed due to an accident, and it was her husband who was using the parrot. The man, identified as Edvan, 30, was arrested after police found crack in the house and the mans teenage daughter was seized with marijuana hidden inside her underwear. Both of them were sent to the Flagrant Center, where police investigate flagrant crimes. The girl was later released. It is not the first time parrots have been used by drug dealers to warn of nearby law enforcement. In 2010, a parrot by the name of Lorenzo was seized after being caught warning drug traffickers of police presence in Columbia. Lorenzo was reportedly trained to call out every time a police officer went near the traffickers headquarters. When presented to media after his capture, he said, Run, run, the cat is going to eat you. When police caught on to the ruse, they were able to sneak past the avian lookout, where they discovered weapons, marijuana, and two more trained parrots, according to the Telegraph. Four men were also arrested in the raid. Authorities claimed that Lorenzo was one of nearly 1,700 parrots trained by drug traffickers that police have seized, the Telegraph reports. Other Guard Animals Parrots are not the only exotic animals used to guard drugs. In 2011, a 4-foot-long American alligator was found guarding more than 2,200 marijuana plants in Hemet, California, according to ABC news. It is illegal to own a pet alligator in California. Another alligator, this one named Mr. Teeth, was discovered in California in 2013 guarding a marijuana stash, reports the Guardian. In 2010, a man in Canada was fined for feeding dozens of black bears that police allege he used to guard a marijuana grow operation, which at the time was illegal, according to CBC. Parrots and Drugs In India, poppy cultivation was reportedly impacted by local parrots who feed on poppy plants. A 2019 report from NDTV said the opium-addicted birds were a nuisance in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Indias largest producer of opium. India is one of the few places in the world where licensed opium cultivation was allowed. Parrots in the country have been going after poppy seeds for years. In 2015, Times of India reported that parrots who had feasted on poppy crops were dying, as the harvest season had ended and the parrots would no longer get their daily dose of opium. Nandkishore Dhakar, an opium farmer, told Times of India that their deaths were inevitable. Once we cut the pods, they are deprived of their addiction, he said. They lose their appetite, start behaving strangely, and even lose the will to live. Eventually, they just die. Parrot Trafficking While some parrots were used to help drug trafficked, many parrots are themselves trafficked. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), trade is the biggest threat to parrots, while other threats including habitat loss, fragmentation, environmental degradation, predation, and hunting for food. There are over 330 species of parrots around the world, of which the IUCN has identified 94 threatened species. Spixs Macaw, a little blue macaw from Brazil, was declared extinct in the wild last September by Birdlife International, a bird conservation organization. The blue bird, known for the titular character in the animated film Rio, is now maintained in captive breeding programs in different parts of the world. Other blue parrots, specifically the Hyacinth Macaw and Lears Macaw, as well as other endangered parrots such as the Red-fronted Macaw and Military Macaw are frequently transported across Bolivia from Brazil, Birdlife International reports. The organization says that one of the reasons why trading in wild parrots occurs is because it is profitable, where beautiful or rare species can sell for over $1,000. Workers labor at the shipyard of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines, the local arm of South Korea's Hanjin group in Subic Bay, northwest of Manila, on March 13, 2009. (Jay Directo/AFP/Getty Images) Philippine Government Excludes Chinese Bidders for Shipyard, Citing Security Risks Chinese companies are likely to be excluded from bidding to take over operations at the Philippines biggest shipyard. The shipyard in question is located in the Subic Bay, which opens to the South China Sea, where Beijing has made broad territorial claims. Until 1992, Subic Bay was home to one of the largest U.S. deepwater naval bases in the region. During the Vietnam War, it served as a forward base for repair and replenishment for the U.S. 7th Fleet. In January, the shipyards operator, the Philippine branch of South Korean firm Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction, filed for bankruptcy protection after defaulting on $1.3 billion in loans. Since then, shipbuilders from Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States have expressed interest in taking over the shipyard business at Subic Bay, according to the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Two unnamed Chinese shipbuilders, one of them state-owned, expressed interest to Manilas Department of Trade Industry (DTI), which is part of the countrys economic team that decides who will take over the shipyard. Soon after, local politicians and a former Philippines Navy chief expressed concerns that a Chinese takeover would threaten the countrys national security. On April 24, Japanese media Nikkei reported that it had learned from unnamed sources in the Philippine government that DTI had adopted the position of Manilas defense ministry, which is that a Chinese takeover could compromise national security. The issue of national security and sovereignty takes precedence over anything else, an unnamed trade official told Nikkei. DTI would not formally exclude Chinese companies from bidding for the shipyard, according to the Nikkei report, but an unnamed Philippine official said that it will be difficult for them to get it. Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in January after Hanjins default that his office would monitor possible investors in the shipyard, according to PNA. Enrique Razon, CEO and chairman of the Philippine port-handling giant International Container Terminal Services, along with a group of investors, has expressed interest in taking over the shipyard, according to an April 11 Nikkei report. The group has engaged five local lenderslocal banks that are now partial owners of the shipyard after converting $412 million of Hanjins debt into equityto come up with a rescue plan. Implications Several Philippine officials have made projections about why China would be interested in taking over the shipyard. Sen. Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV, stated that Beijing wants to use the shipyard to extend its influence in Southeast Asia, according to a January report by local news site RMN Networks. Antonio Carpio, current chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, said Beijing intends to seize the countrys exclusive economic zone, a maritime zone economic activity, and gain control of the South China Sea, according to a January report by Radio Free Asia. The relationship between China and the Philippines has been rocky at times due to territorial disputes in the South China Sea, as islands and reefs in the region are claimed not only by the two countries, but also by Brunei, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. In early April, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked Beijing to lay off Thitu Island, a Philippine-occupied outpost in the South China Sea, after more than 200 Chinese fishing boats approached the island illegally, according to Reuters. While the Subic Bay no longer houses a U.S. naval base, its port and nearby waters remain a site of regular U.S. naval visits and drills. Most recently in early April, PNA reported that U.S. amphibious assault ship USS Wasp visited the Subic Bay as part of Exercise Balikatan, an annual military exercise held by the Philippines and the United States. U.S. attack submarine USS Chicago has made at least two port calls at Subic Bay in recent years, according to the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. While it is not clear whether a Chinese takeover of the Subic Bay shipyard would result in security implications for U.S. naval activities in the region, such concerns have been raised in the case of the Israeli port of Haifa, which will soon be operated by China for 25 years beginning in 2021. The port is home to an Israeli naval base that regularly hosts joint U.S.-Israel navy drills and visits by U.S. vessels. Police Cruiser Runs Over Sunbathing Woman on Venice Beach A Los Angeles woman has described the moment a police cruiser rolled along her body as she lay sunbathing on Venice Beach. Police had told local media that they were on patrol on a sandy part of the beach on April 21, Easter Sunday afternoon, when they realized that they had hit someone. They got out to find a woman under their SUV. The unnamed woman was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson told KTLA. Three days later, speaking to KABC on the condition of anonymity, the woman said that she had fallen asleep just off the boardwalk. Calling herself Aurora, the 36-year-old said that the SUV rolled over her head and the entire length of her body, coming to a stop on her leg as the officer jumped out. Sunbather run over by cop car on Venice Beach tells frightening story https://t.co/k43kDcGvJH Julie Sone (@ABC7JulieSone) April 25, 2019 He said, Are you OK? And I told him, Youre on my leg.' I remember screaming so I was definitely in pain, I just remember that it was awful, she said. According to KABC, Aurora is nursing broken ribs and suffering broken ribs and still suffers dizziness. But she said it could have been so much worse. Police said that the officers did not see her lying on the sand, according to reports. It isnt the first time that people on the beach have been hit by official vehicles. In September 2017, a woman suffered minor injuries when she was hit by an LAPD vehicle as she was sunbathing on the beach. The lady was laying down on the beach and the cop car just ran her over, a witness told KTLA at the time. I guess they just werent looking. In November 2016, the driver of a maintenance truck failed to spot a homeless man in the sand covered in blanket, reported KTLA. He struck the 53-year-old man with the wheels of the pick-up truck as he turned around to respond to a beachgoer who was trying to flag him down. The homeless man was taken to hospital. Los Angeles County paid out $1.7 million in 2017 to settle a lawsuit filed by a woman whose liver was lacerated when she was run over by a lifeguards SUV as she sunbathed at Venice beach. Lorae Bermudez of Whittier sued Los Angeles County after the incident in September 2014, alleging negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress, reported Patch. Description GIS 25 April, 2019 : A total of 222 students received, yesterday, in Reduit, cash prizes under the School Premium Scheme for having successfully completed their School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) examinations. Cash awards of Rs 25 000 were handed over to 133 SC students each, while 89 HSC students received Rs 35 000 each. The cash prize ceremony was organised by the Ministry of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment, in collaboration with the National Empowerment Foundation. The beneficiaries are 177 students from Mauritius and 45 from Rodrigues who have benefitted from the School Premium Scheme and Government has disbursed a total of Rs 6, 440 000 million for the year 2019. Present at the event, the Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment, Mr Alain Wong, pointed out that Government is committed in its endeavours to cater to the needs of vulnerable families who are at the lower rung of the social ladder. Minister Wong also recalled that the School Premium Scheme is a measure announced in Budget 2016-2017 to better empower families registered on the Social Register of Mauritius (SRM). The Scheme, he said, has as objectives to help reduce the dropout rate of students from poor families, thus allowing them to pursue their studies. The cash award, he indicated, will be transferred into a savings account created for each beneficiary at MauBank and the withdrawal will only be possible when beneficiaries reach 18 years old. This cash award, the Minister pointed out, symbolically acknowledges the efforts and sacrifices put in by the students in their SC and HSC examinations. This initiative, he underlined, is expected to allow students from low-income families to attain higher level of education and complete their studies . He also appealed to the students to seize this opportunity to improve their living conditions and move out from poverty. A woman reacts during a mass burial of victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the island on Easter Sunday, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 23, 2019. (Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters) Pregnant Wife of Sri Lankan Bomber Detonates Suicide Vest as Police Raids Home The pregnant wife of a Sri Lankan suicide bomber detonated a suicide vest when police raided the familys Colombo home, killing herself, her children, and police officers. A series of coordinated attacks on hotels and churches devastated Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday leaving at least 250 people dead and hundreds more injured. The Health Ministry revised the death toll from 359 casualties on April 25, blaming it on a calculation error, reported BBC. A total of nine bombers have been identified by the authorities for carrying out the attacks. According to reports, two brothers Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, 31, and Imsath (or Inshaf) Ahmed Ibrahim, 33, have been identified as the suspected bombers during the attacks. Inshaf Ibrahim, a copper factory owner, is accused of being the mastermind behind the bomb plot. The pregnant wife of a Sri Lankan suicide bomber detonated the explosives as police raided the familys Colombo home, killing herself, her children and three police officers. Posted by news.com.au on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 The nations Deputy Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said that when police went to raid the brothers home in Dematagoda shortly after the bombings, the pregnant wife of one of the brothers, who was identified as Fatima Ibrahim, detonated a suicide vest she was wearing killing herself, her unborn child, two other young children, and three police officers, reported ABC. Wijewardene told local media in a press conference on April 24 that one of the brothers is understood to have studied in the UK and then continued on with postgraduate studies in Australia. We believe one of the suicide bombers studied in the UK and later on did his postgraduate in Australia before coming back to settle in Sri Lanka, he said. Moreover, Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on April 25, I can confirm that the suicide bomber had been in Australia. They departed in early 2013. That individual had been here on a student and a graduate skilled visa. The brothers are thought to be the sons of wealthy, politically connected spice merchant Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim. What we can say is some of the suspected bombers, most of them are well-educated and come from maybe middle- or upper-middle-class so are financially independent and their families are quite stable. So that is a worrying fact, Wijewardene said. Both were members of the radical Islamic group National Thowfeek Jamaath (NTJ) that has been named by Sri Lankan officials as being behind the bombings. Ilham Ibrahim had previously express extremist views and was involved in meetings with the local radical Islamic group suspected of being involved in the bombings, reported Newscorp. Meanwhile, his brother Inshaf is known to have more moderate views, was reported brainwashed by his brother over many years to become more overtly religious and intolerant, reported the National Post. Inshaf was married to the daughter of a wealthy jewelry manufacturer and had given donations to local struggling families, reports said. #UPDATE Sri Lanka detains new suspects amid frantic hunt for bombers https://t.co/JElGKAHQD3 Screen grabs from CCTV footage shows a suspected bomber (L framed by door) with backpack before he enters St. Sebastians Church in Negombo pic.twitter.com/GRId5LEwSe AFP news agency (@AFP) April 24, 2019 The brothers father, Mohamed Ibrahim, a wealthy spice trader is now being interrogated about the coordinated attacks. He had previously been recognized by Sri Lankas former president for outstanding service provided to the nation, according to The New York Times. He was also supported by one political party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, which planned to nominate him to Parliament. However, it did not win enough votes. Police are continuing to carry out raids as they investigate those responsible for the attacks. So far at least 70 people have been arrested and seven people are wanted in connection with the bombings, reported BBC. The Epoch Times reporter Melanie Sun and NTD News reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Sri Lankan Easter Sunday Suicide Bomber From Wealthy Family, Studied in UK and Australia Sri Lankas Minister of Defense, Ruwan Wijewardene, confirmed on April 24 that one of two Muslim brothers responsible for two of the hotel blasts on Easter Sunday received his higher education from western institutions, including a university in Australia. Wijewardene told local media in a press conference on April 24 that one of the brothers is understood to have studied in the UK and then continued on with postgraduate studies in Australia. We believe one of the suicide bombers studied in the UK and later on did his postgraduate in Australia before coming back to settle in Sri Lanka, he said. Australias prime minister Scott Morrison said on April 25, I can confirm that the suicide bomber had been in Australia. They departed in early 2013. That individual had been here on a student and a graduate skilled visa. The brothers have been identified in Indian news reports as Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, 31, and Imsath (or Inshaf) Ahmed Ibrahim, 33. Between them, they targeted the Shangri-La Hotel and the Cinnamon Grand Colombo hotel in two suicide bombings. The brothers are thought to be the sons of wealthy, politically-connected spice merchant Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim. What we can say is some of the suspected bombers, most of them are well-educated and come from maybe middle or upper middle class so are financially independent and their families are quite stable. So that is a worrying fact, Wijewardene said. Both were members of the extremist Islamic group National Thowfeek Jamaath (NTJ) that has been named by Sri Lankan officials as being behind the bombings that left 359 people dead and 500-plus others injured. A total of nine bombers have been identified by the authorities. VIDEO: Chilling CCTV footage of what Sri Lankan police sources say is a suspected bomber carrying a rucksack and entering St Sebastians Church moments before the massive, deadly Easter Sunday blast pic.twitter.com/lzLvqSp0v7 AFP news agency (@AFP) April 24, 2019 The father is now being interrogated over the coordinated attacks. He had previously been recognized by Sri Lankas former president for outstanding service provided to the nation, according to the New York Times. He was also supported by one political party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, which planned to nominate him to Parliament. However, it did not win enough votes. Extremist Group Wanted to Kill Non-Muslims NTJ is said to be headed by Zahran Hashim, who was also known under the name Mohammed Zahran. According to Muslim leaders in Sri Lanka, he became known to them about three years ago. It was basically a hate campaign against all non-Muslims, said Hilmy Ahamed, vice president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka. Basically, he was saying non-Muslims have to be eliminated. According to local outlet Leaders Online, Hashim was identified as a second bomber at the Shangri-la Hotel alongside one of the Ibrahim brothers. The outlet said he and other colleagues started the NTJ group due to their extreme views, breaking away from established groups such as Sri Lanka Tawhid Jamath and Indian Tawhid Jamath. According to a police report from 2016, Hasim and his followers held a meeting outside another mosque, bringing swords and clubs that they used in a clash with people in the area. Police wanted to apprehend him but he fled the area and was believed to have left the country, possibly relocating to the Maldives. No one knew where he was until he showed back up to set off one of the bombs, according to the outlet. Multiple Warnings Intelligence officials in the country said late Easter Sunday that they had received multiple intelligence reports about a planned attack on churches by NTJ. Local Islamic leaders said they also made efforts to warn the authorities of extremist groups, but the government had not taken any action. One report from Indian intelligence officers came just two hours before the first attack in addition to similar messages on April 4 and April 20. Anne Speckhard, the director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism, said that a Sri Lankan intelligence official approached her at a conference in February and described a violent, homegrown jihadi group that would just disappear when the government tried to crack down on them. The intel person kind of came up to me and said, You know, were kind of worried about this new group and theres some activity going. What do you think?' Speckhard said. It just kind of blows my mind thats who it was. While NTJ was blamed for the attack, Sri Lankan officials said it was a small organisation that had an international network for support. Investigators said the bombings were apparently in retaliation for the March 15 shootings of 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand. This is not the work of an ordinary group, nor can it be pulled off by criminal gangs, Jayanath Colombage, a former Sri Lankan navy commander who had handled Colombos security for a period during the civil war, told Nikkei. There was a lot of expertise involved to assemble the bombs, transport them to the targets, and select the time of the attacks. Phill Hynes, the lead terrorism expert at ISS Risk, a Hong Kong-based security consultancy, said that the attacks were focused on killing as many people as possible. With this scale of attacks, I dont think this was only carried out by locals. There is most likely involvement of foreign groups or people, including people moving in and out of India or Pakistan, said anti-terrorism expert Alto Labetubun told Reuters. On April 23, Wijewardene said that another local jihadi group, Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim, was also believed to be involved. Later the same day, ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombings through its Amaq propaganda agency. Rohan Gunaratna, a Singapore-based security expert, said that NJT was the ISIS branch in Sri Lanka. U.S. intelligence sources said earlier that the attacks carried some of the hallmarks of ISIS extremists, although Reuters reported the sources were cautious about declaring who was behind the attacks because there were no initial claims of responsibility. According to One India, the Sri Lankan parliament was told as early as 2016 that 32 Muslims from elite families had joined ISIS, with some travelling to Syria. ISIS seeks to impose Shariah law and an interpretation of the Quran and Muslim teachings held parts of Syria, Iraq, and other countries in recent years before it was beaten back by the United States and its allies. The group has inspired or carried out terror attacks around the world, including a mass shooting in Paris in November 2015, which left 137 dead, including seven terrorists, and an attack with a vehicle in New York City in October 2017 that left eight people dead. Some 60 people were being questioned about the attacks, including a Syrian, officials said on April 24. Most of the dead and wounded were Sri Lankans, although government officials said 38 foreigners were killed. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. Afghan security personnel present a burqa-clad resident they say is a Taliban fighter to the Afghan National Army headquarters in Khogyani District near Jalalabad on March 18, 2014. (Noorullah Shirzada/AFP/Getty Images) Sri Lankan MP Calls for Burqa Ban in Wake of Easter Terror Attacks A Sri Lankan member of Parliament has called for a ban on the burqa across the country, following the suicide bombings that killed at least 359 people and left more than 500 injured on Easter Sunday. Professor Ashu Marasinghe, a United National Party member, made the private members motion to Parliament on April 24, stating that the burqa, which is worn by women and covers the face and body, isnt traditional Muslim clothing. Marasinghe continued to say that the garment should be banned for security reasons and claimed that it has previously been used by male and female terrorists to carry out attacks, Mail Online reported. Our Muslim leaders have also accepted that Burka is not a traditional Muslim attire and some places even have notices [requiring visitors] to remove the Burka before entering, Marasinghe said in his motion, according to the New York Post. Accordingly, considering the national security I propose to ban the burqa, he added. Sri Lankas general secretary of Parliament, Dhammika Dasanayake, confirmed that Parliament had received the motion, but said that it is still deciding whether to introduce the proposal into parliamentary agenda, News First reported. A Private Members Motion has been submitted to Parliament by MP Prof. Ashu Marasinghe to ban the burka in Sri Lanka in the interests of national security.https://t.co/8K0x5FAkJ8 The Morning (@TheMorningLK) April 23, 2019 Nine suicide bombers carried out the coordinated Easter Sunday attacks, with eight of the blasts simultaneously targeting three hotels and three churches across the country, authorities said April 24. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks in an announcement on April 23, according to the groups Amaq propaganda agency. Authorities are continuing to investigate whether the attackers had links to the terror group or whether it had either trained the suicide bombers or built the devices. Two further local Islamist groups with suspected links to ISISNational Thowfeek Jamaath (NTJ) and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahimhave been blamed by Sri Lankan authorities. ISIS released footage of NTJ head Mohammed Zahran leading masked disciples as they pledged allegiance to the terror group. Marasinghes call for burqas to be outlawed in the wake of the terror attacks comes as Sri Lankas state minister of defense warned that further perpetrators or those involved with Sundays attacks could still be at large. Speaking at a news conference, Ruwan Wijewardene said, There could be still a few people out there. Right now, we are asking people to be vigilant. Within the next few days, we will have the situation totally under control. About 60 people have been questioned about the blasts, officials said on April 24. It comes amid mounting pressure from reports that Sri Lankan authorities had previously received repeated warnings from intelligence services in India about possible attacks against churches in the country. Some intelligence officers were aware of this incidence. Therefore there was a delay in action. What my father heard was also from an intelligence officer. Serious action need to be taken as to why this warning was ignored. I was in Badulla last night pic.twitter.com/ssJyItJF1x Harin Fernando (@fernandoharin) April 21, 2019 Indian officials sent a warning message on April 20, an official told Reuters, while further warnings had been sent to Sri Lankan intelligence on April 4 and April 20 by an Indian government source. A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo, the alert said. A majority of those killed and injured in the blasts were Sri Lankan, while 38 foreigners were among the dead, government officials said. File photo of a small battery, similar to the one that killed Francesca Asan, who died in May 2016 after swallowing a button battery. (CC0/Pixabay) Study: More Young Kids Going to ER After Swallowing Batteries, Coins, Toys More and more young children are being admitted into emergency rooms across America because they have swallowed batteries, toys, coins, and other items, according to a new study. One researcher, Dr. Danielle Orsagh-Yentis, the lead author and a gastrointestinal physician at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Ohio, said that an increasing number of products have button-sized batteries such as TV remotes, digital thermometers, and remote-controlled toys, according to The Associated Press. In 2015, there were 43,000 ER visits among children under the age of 6. In 1995, there were 22,000, according to a study published in mid-April in the journal, Pediatrics, CBS News reported. The rate increased from about 10 per 10,000 ER visits to 18 per 10,000 visits, CBS noted. 2-Year-Old Dies In 2015, 2-year-old Brianna Florer, of Oklahoma, died around Christmas after swallowing a button battery. On Saturday she was fine, said grandfather Kent Vice, according to a GoFundMe page. It was a perfect Christmas, he added. They believed the battery (acid) ate through to her carotid artery by way of her esophagus. We had no idea when she swallowed it. Posted by New York Daily News on Friday, January 1, 2016 Brianna celebrated Christmas with her family and got new toys as gifts. The New York Daily News reported that she opened gifts at her grandparents house one day after Christmas but had a fever. She threw up again, Vice added. It was a massive amount of blood, and they rushed her to the Grove hospital. Vice said her family had no idea when she swallowed the tiny battery, Tulsa World reported. I want to keep these things out of houses, he said. They are dangerous. Study Details Dr. Orsagh-Yentis told CBS that her interest in studying the increase in ER visits increased because we were all being called in in the middle of the night at odd hours to remove foreign bodies from either the esophagus or stomachs of children. About 90 percent of the children who visited the ER were sent home without incident, but some severe internal injuries and deaths have been reported, as in the aforementioned case with 2-year-old Brianna. The number of children rushed to U.S. emergency rooms because they swallowed toys, coins, batteries and other objects has nearly doubled, a new study says. Posted by CBS News on Friday, April 12, 2019 Batteries are quite dangerous, said experts, who have added that children who swallow them might complain of abdominal pain or vomit. Orsagh-Yentis said they should be brought to the emergency room as quickly as possible, CBS reported. Small high-powered magnets are among the most dangerous objects for children, according to one expert, as they can pinch together inside intestines and cause internal damage. They can even create holes, leading to blood poisoning. They can go through the esophagus into the stomach and GI [gastrointestinal] tract, Dr. Amyna Husain, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, told CBS. She added, If you have two magnets in different parts of the tissue and they attract each other, the tissue between the two can get pinched off and you lose blood circulation. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued warnings about magnets and small batteries. Of all the risks we want to talk to our kids about, its such a simple thing to make them aware that these things could cause serious injury and to keep them not only away from their mouth but any other opening of the body, explained Husain. And if they are accidentally ingested, they should take it seriously and let someone know right away so they can be brought to the emergency room to be evaluated immediately. Morag Mackay of Safe Kids Worldwide, an injury prevention advocacy group, said that more research is needed, according to AP. In the meantime, parents and guardians should be vigilant. Try to see the world from a childs point of view by getting on the floor so that you are at your childs eye level. Keep small objects such as coins, batteries, magnets, buttons or jewelry out of reach and sight, Mackay said. Study Theorizes That Ancient Dinosaur Discovery Fueled Loch Ness Sightings Reports of the Loch Ness monster stretch back to the 6th century, but in recent years, there has been an upsurge in sightings of the alleged legendary beast. In 1934, the famous surgeons photograph was published, fueling even more speculation about what the Scottish monster, dubbed Nessie, actually is. A study from the History of Earth Sciences Society published in April suggests that 19th-century reports of the Loch Ness monster might have been influenced by the discovery of dinosaur fossils, according to an abstract. Over the last 200 years, there is indeed evidence of a decline in serpentiform sea serpent reports and an increase in the proportion of reports with necks but there is no evidence for an increase in the proportion of mosasaur-like reports, the abstract of the study stated. However, witnesses only began to unequivocally compare sea serpents to prehistoric reptiles in the late nineteenth century, some fifty years after the suggestion was first made by naturalists. After Mesozoic reptiles became well-known, reports of sea serpents, which until then had tended towards the serpentine, began to describe the monster as more and more resembling a Mesozoic marine reptile like a plesiosaur or a mosasaur, according to the abstract. Plesiosaurs are a type of marine reptile with a long neck. Mosasaurs are large fish-like reptiles without a long neck, while plesiosaurs are amphibious and have a long neck. William Buckland, of the United Kingdom, was the first to find dinosaur fossils in 1819. Specific Details Science fiction writer L. Sprague De Camp was the first to suggest that dinosaur fossils may have fueled the sightings of the Loch Ness monster, Fox News reported. In 1968, he wrote: After Mesozoic reptiles became well-known, reports of sea serpents, which until then had tended towards the serpentine, began to describe the monster as more and more resembling a Mesozoic marine reptile like a plesiosaur or a mosasaur. There has been speculation that the Loch Ness monster might be a plesiosaur that survived an extinction-like event that killed other dinosaurs millions of years ago. Dinosaur fossils re-branded the Loch Ness monsters image https://t.co/YREYzDCger pic.twitter.com/7srtyjMHSj New York Post (@nypost) April 25, 2019 The discovery of long-necked marine reptile fossils in the 19th century does appear to have had an influence on what people believe they have spotted in the water, Fox quoted Charles Paxton of the University of St Andrews as saying. Paleontologist Darren Naish of the University of Southampton and Paxton looked at 1,500 alleged Nessie sightings going back to 1801. From 1801 until the time of the surgeons photograph in the 1930s, sightings of long-necked creatures such as plesiosaurs increased from 10 percent to 50 percent, according to Fox. The very first sighting of the Loch Ness monster was reported in the 6th century when St. Columbia gave an order to one of his monks to swim across the lake to get a boat, says the Vintage News. However, the Irish saint told the monster to stop and not touch the monk and return to the bottom of the Loch Ness. The monster then complied. Surgeons Photograph In 1934, the surgeons photograph was published by the Daily Mail, but it is now believed by many to have been an elaborate hoax. Christian Spurling, stepson of the flamboyant movie maker and big game hunter Duke Wetherell, admitted hed made the monster out of some plastic and a clockwork, tinplate, toy submarine, according to the Museum of UnNatural History. He gave an interview in 1993 about it. According to Spurling, Wetherell had created a plastic head and neck and attached it to a toy submarine, taken the photos, and had Wilson deliver them to the Mail, BT reported. A statue symbolizing the authority of justice outside the Supreme Court building in Washington on Sept. 22, 2017. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Supreme Court Hears Whether Drunk Drivers Must Give Consent to Blood Tests WASHINGTONAn unconscious person suspected of drunk driving forfeits his right to refuse consent for a blood draw aimed at gathering evidence against him because it was his own decisions that led to his unconsciousness, a lawyer for Wisconsin told the Supreme Court. On one hand, the case of accused drunk driver Gerald P. Mitchells appeal against a conviction based on a forced blood drawwhile he was unconsciouscomes as civil libertarians become increasingly vocal in their criticism of what they consider to be government-sanctioned invasions of privacy and unreasonable searches. On the other hand, government officials and anti-drunk-driving groups laud increasingly aggressive policing, saying it saves lives by keeping drunk drivers off the roads. On the political right, Rutherford Institute President John W. Whitehead is critical of what he terms the grim reality of life in the American police state, in which constitutional rights of due process, privacy, bodily integrity, the right to not have police seize our property without a warrant, or search and detain us without probable causeamount to nothing when the government and its agents are allowed to disregard those prohibitions on government overreach at will. A few years ago, Herman Schwartz wrote in the left-wing publication, The Nation, that the Fourth Amendment, which was designed to stand between us and arbitrary governmental authority has been shattered, leaving our liberty and personal integrity subject to the whim of every cop on the beat, trooper on the highway, and jail official. In May 2013, Mitchell was depressed and took around 40 pills with vodka and Mountain Dew before driving. Police found Mitchell walking near his van and administered a breathalyzer test that found his blood alcohol content (BAC) was 0.24 percent, or triple the states legal limit for driving. Mitchell was confined and moved to a hospital. Police made hospital personnel draw his blood while he remained unconscious. His BAC at 90 minutes after being arrested was 0.222 percent, so he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Mitchell said the blood-draw evidence was inadmissible because the police violated his Fourth Amendment rights. The state argued under its implied-consent law, Mitchell had effectively consented to the draw by driving on Wisconsins roads. The statute states that a person who is unconscious or otherwise not capable of withdrawing consent is presumed not to have withdrawn consent. In an appeal, a divided state supreme court upheld the conviction. During oral arguments on April 23, Hannah Jurss, Wisconsins assistant attorney general, told the Supreme Court that Mitchells defense goes against what some call the social contract, in which individuals give up some freedom to benefit all who live in society. In an argument to which Chief Justice John Roberts seemed sympathetic, Jurss said, The fundamental question is reasonableness. Every state holds drivers to a bargain to comply with testing should police have probable cause of intoxicated driving. Wisconsin, like over half the states in the country, reasonably recognizes that a driver should not evade that bargain by becoming the most dangerous of intoxicated drivers. An unconscious driver has made all the choices that put others lives at risk but then, through no fault of the government, has put himself in a position where he cannot make further choices. As medical care for him must be a priority, and as that medical care will almost invariably involve a draw of his blood to test for intoxicants, a warrant offers him only slight protection but guarantees law enforcement distraction during a critical time. Roberts said the case may turn on implied consent and privilege. Taking time to obtain a warrant may have hindered the police investigation because alcohol dissipates quickly in the blood. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg seemed unconvinced. Invading someones body is a different level of intrusion, Sotomayor said. How reasonable is it to expect that people know [a possible] invasion of their blood is part of that plan? Ginsburg mocked the idea of presumed consent as fiction not consent. How difficult is it to get a warrant in this case, she asked. The magistrates werent available by phone or email? Often, it only takes 15 minutes. Representing Mitchell, Andrew Hinkel criticized the states reliance on what he called an unconstitutional theory to draw his clients blood. Consent is a question of fact, Hinkel said. They believe: get a warrant if you can. And if you cant, you dont have to. Hinkel said when hospital personnel draw blood for medical reasons, it is legally different than when blood is drawn at the insistence of the police. The difference is that when the hospital is performing a blood draw on a person, its for their benefit we have actually a related but distinct concept called implied consent in the medical setting, because we imagine that everyone who was in this circumstance would want medical treatment, and so, if they were capable of agreeing to it, they would. We dont have that same presumption when it comes to blood draws. Australian soldiers stand guard as a bugle is played during an annual dawn ceremony at Anzac Cove where the first battle was fought in Gallipoli. (Burak Kara/Getty Images) Suspected ISIS Member Arrested Over Plan to Carry Out Terror Attack at Gallipoli ANZAC Service A suspected ISIS terrorist was arrested in Turkey on April 23 on suspicion of planning to attack a World War l commemoration at Gallipoli. The commemoration will be attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders. The suspect named by local media as Abdulkerim Hilef and Turkish authorities said that hes a 26-year-old Syrian national. A picture circulated online showed a young man with short hair and some facial hair. A source told the Herald Sun that police think Hilef was planning to bomb the commemoration on April 25 or drive a car into the crowd. The man was arrested in Tekirdag, a couple of hours from Gallipoli, after a police raid of an ISIS cell in Ismaniye, close to the Syrian border, yielded information about the planned attack. The info was gleaned from cellphones and SIM cards. Turkish security sources told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the planned attack was in retaliation for the recent attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Turkish media (Aydnlk) say person in custody over alleged plan to attack Anzac service in Gallipoli was caught after some lS members were caught in Osmaniye city his phone number was found on their phones and he was tracked @1NewsNZ they say this is his photo pic.twitter.com/Jgrm3Fq1jd Joy Reid (@JoyReidTVNZ) April 24, 2019 The threat came after Turkey banned Turkish citizens from attending the Anzac Day service on April 25 due to security concerns and after Turkish authorities arrested four Syrians on April 16 and another suspected ISIS member on April 18. Every year, Australians and New Zealanders travel to Turkey for memorial services commemorating the failed 1915 military campaign by ANZAC and allied forces to drive Ottoman troops from Gallipoli and the Dardanelles region. Commemoration activities were scheduled for both Wednesday and Thursday. The New Zealand Defense Force said in a statement obtained by 1 News that it was aware of reports that the suspected ISIS member was arrested. This is a matter for the Turkish Authorities, the defense force said in a statement. Some tour guides at the Anzac Cove site told Stuff, a New Zealand outlet, that many people who planned to attend the commemorations had canceled their trips following the Christchurch attacks. One guide said the company he worked for fielded a number of cancellations from people who said they were worried about security. He said hed attended the service for the past 22 years but wouldnt this year. It is sad. This is my place, this is my life, he said. Turkey has said ISIS was responsible for several bombings that took place in 2015 and 2016, which in total killed some 200 people. Although the terrorist group has not been active in Turkey of late, authorities still carry out routine operations against suspected ISIS members. This years ANZAC service comes a month after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan faced criticism from Australia and New Zealand for comments he made after a lone gunman killed 50 people in two mosques in the city of Christchurch on March 15. Erdogan played a video from the shootings at local election rallies and said the gunman had targeted Turkey by saying in a manifesto posted online that Turks should be removed from the European half of Istanbul. He also threatened to send back in coffins anyone who tried to take the battle to Istanbul. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder for New Zealands worst peacetime mass shooting. Fifty other people were injured in the attacks. Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD.com Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung looks on during a interview with AFP in Geneva on May 21, 2017. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) Taiwans Advances in Digital Healthcare Helping Other Countries Achieve Universal Health Coverage by Participating in the World Health Assembly This year marks the 24th anniversary of Taiwans implementation of universal health coverage. Taiwans National Health Insurance (NHI) covers the full spectrum of essential and high-quality health services, from prevention and treatment to rehabilitation and palliative care. The provision of preventive and primary healthcare is the most cost-efficient approach to achieving universal health coverage. Taiwans Ministry of Health and Welfare has developed tools utilizing artificial intelligence and cloud computing to access the massive databases it has built over the past 24 years. For instance, the MediCloud system was launched to enable healthcare providers to query patients medical records within the NHI system, while the PharmaCloud system provides prescription drug information to physicians and pharmacists. Currently, through digital cloud tools, community-based primary care providers in Taiwan can retrieve test reportsincluding CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, gastroscopies, colonoscopies and X-raysfrom secondary and tertiary institutions and receive prescription information. These digital health technologies have enhanced care services in many ways. They have improved the quality of care and reduced costs, in terms of both time and money, by properly matching health services with the locations where these services are provided. They have also lowered the potential risks arising from repeated examinations. Related systems are patient-centered, meaning that they are organized around the complex needs and expectations of patients and communities, helping realize the concept of good hospitals in the community and good doctors in the neighborhood. Taiwan has learned how to utilize its competitive advantages in information technology and medicine to deliver better care and enhance the health of the overall population. In response to the goals set by the Health Workforce 2030 of the World Health Organization (WHO), Taiwan has also provided scholarships for in-service programs and higher education to thousands of people, both Taiwanese and foreign nationals, in fields such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, healthcare administration and public health. At a time when achieving universal health coverage has never been more urgent and important, Taiwan has actively sought to share its first-rate experience in healthcare reform. Regrettably, political obstruction has deprived Taiwan of the right to participate in and contribute to the World Health AssemblyWHOs decision-making body. In the past two years, WHO has denied Taiwanese delegates, who represent the 23 million citizens of a democratic and peaceful country, access to the assembly. Nevertheless, Taiwan remains committed to enhancing regional and global health cooperation, sharing its experience and capacity in healthcare reform with countries in need, and making universal health coverage a reality by 2030. Against this backdrop, we urge WHO to respond favorably to the widespread calls for Taiwans inclusion in the World Health Assembly and related technical meetings, mechanisms and activities. WHO should abide by its own principles of inclusiveness and universal participation. Taiwan is a worthy and reliable partner that can help countries around the world achieve the meaningful goal of universal health coverage by 2030. By Shih-Chung Chen, Minister of Health and Welfare, Taiwan Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Texas Executes Racist Who Dragged Black Man Behind Truck to His Death HUNTSVILLE, TexasAn avowed racist who orchestrated one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history was executed on April 24, in Texas for the dragging death of a black man. John William King received lethal injection for the slaying nearly 21 years ago of James Byrd Jr., who was chained to the back of a truck and dragged for nearly 3 miles along a secluded road in the piney woods outside Jasper, Texas. The 49-year-old Byrd was alive for at least 2 miles before his body was ripped to pieces in the early morning hours of June 7, 1998. Prosecutors said Byrd was targeted because he was black. King was openly racist and had offensive tattoos on his body, including one of a black man with a noose around his neck hanging from a tree, according to authorities. King, 44, was put to death at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. He was the fourth inmate executed this year in the U.S. and the third in Texas, the nations busiest capital punishment state. Witnesses are being led across the street, a sign that the John William King execution is expected soon. #SETXNews @BmtEnterprise pic.twitter.com/CJkTWvfCol Ronnie Crocker (@rcrocker) April 24, 2019 King kept his eyes closed as witnesses arrived in the death chamber and never turned his head toward relatives of his victim. Asked by Warden Bill Lewis if he had a final statement, King replied: No. Within seconds, the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began taking effect. He took a few barely audible breaths and had no other movement. He was pronounced dead at 7:08 p.m. CDT, 12 minutes after the drug began. As witnesses emerged from the prison, about two dozen people standing down the street began to cheer. Kings appellate lawyers had tried to stop his execution, arguing Kings constitutional rights were violated because his trial attorneys didnt present his claims of innocence and conceded his guilt. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Kings last-minute appeal. From the time of indictment through his trial, Mr. King maintained his absolute innocence, claiming that he had left his co-defendants and Mr. Byrd sometime prior to his death and was not present at the scene of his murder. Mr. King repeatedly expressed to defense counsel that he wanted to present his innocence claim at trial, A. Richard Ellis, one of Kings attorneys, wrote in his petition to the Supreme Court. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also turned down Kings request for either a commutation of his sentence or a 120-day reprieve. Over the years, King had also suggested the brutal slaying was not a hate crime, but a drug deal gone bad involving his co-defendants. King, who grew up in Jasper and was known as Bill, was the second man executed for Byrds killing. Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011. The third participant, Shawn Allen Berry, was sentenced to life in prison. Less than 30 minutes away from the execution of John William King. King is said to be the ringleader in the dragging death of James Byrd Jr. Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011 and Shawn Berry is currently serving life in prison. pic.twitter.com/ZqejoNPJXF Makensie Hinkle (@MakensieTVNews) April 24, 2019 King declined an interview request from The Associated Press in the weeks leading up to his execution. In a 2001 interview with the AP, King said he was an avowed racist but wasnt a hate-monger murderer. Louvon Byrd Harris, one of Byrds sisters, said Kings execution sent a message to the world that when you do something horrible like that, that you have to pay the high penalty. Compared to all the suffering her brother suffered before his death, Harris said King and Brewer got an easy way out. Billy Rowles, who led the investigation into Byrds death when he was sheriff in Jasper County, said after King was taken to death row in 1999, he offered to detail the crime as soon as his co-defendants were convicted. When Rowles returned, all King would say was, I wasnt there. He played us like a fiddle, getting us to go over there and thinking were going to get the rest of the story, said Rowles, who now is sheriff of Newton County. A week before Brewer was executed in 2011, Rowles said he visited Brewer, who confirmed the whole thing was Bill Kings idea. Mylinda Byrd Washington, another of Byrds sisters, said she and her family will work through the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing to ensure her brothers death continues to combat hate everywhere. I hope people remember him not as a hate crime statistic. This was a real person. A family man, a father, a brother and a son, she said. By Juan A. Lozano and Michael Graczyk Texas School Board Apologizes After Administrator Colored in Boys Shaved Head With Marker A Texas junior high administrator has been put on leave after reportedly using a marker pen on a 13-year-olds head to fill in his shaved hairstyle. When Juelz Trice arrived at Berry Miller Junior High School on April 17 sporting a new hairstyle featuring a carved M, he was told it was in violation of the school dress code. According to a school district statement in south Houston he was given three options: face disciplinary consequences, notify his mother, or have the M filled in with marker pen. The incident came to light when his mother, Angela Washington, posted a series of pictures on Facebook on April 19, showing his hair colored in with the marker, and two days later with the marker still visible. This is unbelievably unacceptable. The culture in Pearland ISD must change, and the assistant principal who did this must be fired. Posted by Trustee Mike Floyd on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 Juelz got a haircut on Tuesday with a design, she wrote in the post. On Wednesday at school the Assistant Principal at Berry Miller Jr High in Pearland ISD told him he was out of dress code with his designs and decided to color my baby design with a PERMANENT MARKER! His only options was to go to ISS or get his head colored, she wrote. They did not call to inform me at all. Her Facebook page was shared by Pearland ISD Trustee Mike Floyd, who called the incident unbelievably unacceptable and called for the administrator to be fired. From what were seeing emerging right now in the public discourse, its just absolutely inappropriate what occurred, Floyd told the Houston Chronicle. The real problem is theres a clear and obvious display of a lack of judgment. Pearland ISD said in a statement that it was extremely disappointed by the situation and had apologized to the family. His father Dante Trice told ABC13 his son could have been put at medical risk by putting chemicals on open pores. It was wide open because he had just got his hair cut the day before, so it was wide open, he said. Im totally disappointed. Totally disappointed. According to the school district, their rules state: Hair must be neat, clean, and well groomed. Extreme hair styles such as carvings, mohawks, spikes, etc. are not allowed. Washingtons original post has gained a lot of attention on social media, where the vast majority of commentators agree that the administrator was out of line. Most local reports, together with the school district statement, do not state explicitly how the boys hair came to be colored inwhether he was asked to do it himself or whether school staff did so. The administrator reportedly told the boy his haircut was out of dress code, and he would be punished unless he had it filled in with a marker. Posted by ABC13 Houston on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 However, according to WFLA, his father said that two staff members had drawn on his head, laughing as they did so. He said that his son was too shy and respectful to talk back or resist. Washingtons original Facebook post also says that the school colored in his head. The ISD said the school administrator had mishandled disciplinary action by giving the student options including notifying his mother, disciplinary consequences or filling in the shape of the hair carving with a marker. This latter practice is not condoned by the district and does not align with appropriate measures for dress code violations. The ISD confirmed that the campus administrator is currently on administrative leave, and said further action is forthcoming. Washington told ABC13 that the administrator responsible had contacted them by telephone to explain what happened and admitted that they had not handled it right. They were very apologetic, but it still happened, she said. You know, for an adult, no one should think thats the correct way to handle a situation. Dr Helmut Marko doubts women are up to the job of racing in F1. Currently, a full grid of female drivers is preparing to race in the inaugural 'W Series'. Red Bull's Marko doubts any of them will make it to F1. "Wheel to wheel fighting at 300kph means you must have some brutality," he told Kleine Zeitung newspaper. "I don't know if that is in the female nature." Marko also said women are not strong enough for 4G-plus cornering forces. "Why doesn't Serena Williams play against Novak Djokovic?" he asked rhetorically. According to Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, Marko is simply a typically "straightforward" Austrian communicator. But F1 is clearly still a male-dominated industry, with a report in the Independent newspaper finding that the gender pay gap within F1 teams is wider than the UK national average. "One of the biggest gulfs in pay was at Williams where the average hourly wage for women was 25 per cent lower than that of their male colleagues," wrote F1 business journalist Christian Sylt. (GMM) The Mueller Report: $25 Million to Disprove Steele Dossier Commentary The nearly two-year-long investigation by special counsel Robert Muellerat an estimated cost of more than $25 millionconcluded that there is no evidence the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. Mueller has been criticized for the length of his investigation and the fact that he investigated key claims made in the so-called Steele dossier. It is important. however, to understand how far-reaching the false claims in the Steele dossier were. Paid for by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, the dossier was spread by its author, Christopher Steele, and Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson to numerous media reporters, as well as the FBI, the Justice Department, Congress, and the State Department. Many people in government and in the mediaand, in turn, the general publicbought into the manufactured narrative that Trump colluded with Russia. In this scenario, how could you possibly disprove the false allegations that were so widely spread? Any investigator in the Trump administration would have faced the risk of being seen as acting on the presidents behalf, and any investigation that didnt examine every claim would risk being dismissed as incomplete. Its a disgrace that the Mueller investigation, based on false allegations made by a political campaign, needed to be launched in the first place. However, nothing short of Muellers extensive investigation could have vindicated Trump so thoroughly. The report states that, without any doubt, there was no evidence of collusion by Trump. And because Mueller was seen by many of Trumps opponents as being on their side, he couldnt be accused of doing Trumps bidding. Furthermore, Mueller was given authority to investigate with a wide-scope, and the White House fully complied with the special counsels requests. The result is a report that finally puts to rest the salacious and unverified allegations contained in the Steele dossier. An analysis by The Epoch Times of the 103 main claims in the Steele dossier about Trump and his associates shows that the Mueller report didnt verify any of the claims. This thorough debunking of the Steele dossier has helped Trump, although this help has come at the great cost of submitting to two years of unnecessary investigation. The Mueller investigation also helped the Trump administration in another way. It took control of the examination of the allegations of collusion with Russia away from the FBI, which was headed by then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe. Following the firing of FBI Director James Comey by Trump on May 9, 2018, McCabes FBI had sought to reengage Christopher Steele. We know this from congressional testimony by the high-ranking Department of Justice (DOJ) official Bruce Ohr. McCabe, notably, had played a key role in the FBIs counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign in 2016, which relied heavily on the Steele dossier. This suggests that the FBI, even as late as 2017, still wanted to use Steele to keep investigating the president. What happened next, however, was that McCabe was completely removed from the investigation by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, effectively stopping these efforts. The deputy attorney general in fact appointed special counsel Robert Mueller, and directed that Mr. McCabe be removed from any participation in that investigation, a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement on Feb. 14. Now that the Mueller probe has concluded and the presidents name has been cleared, some key questions remain: Why did the FBI investigate a political campaign using false information paid for by an opposing campaign? What role did unofficial foreign intelligence play in the investigations? And what was then-President Barack Obamas involvement? Trump Administration Identifies 36 Countries That Fail to Guard Intellectual Property, Emphasises China The Trump administration placed three dozen countries on an annual list of trading partners that present the most significant concerns regarding the lack of intellectual property (IP) rights protections. Among the worst, placed on the Priority Watch List, are Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and Venezuela, according to a 2019 report by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), an agency that represents the United States in foreign trade talks. This Report provides an opportunity to call out foreign countries and expose the laws, policies, and practices that fail to provide adequate and effective IP protection and enforcement for U.S. inventors, creators, brands, manufacturers, and service providers, states the report released April 25. IP theft costs the U.S. economy upward of $225 billion and as much as $600 billion a year in counterfeit goods, pirated software, and theft of trade secrets, according to the 2017 IP Commission Report prepared by the National Bureau of Asian Research, a Seattle-based think tank with strong ties to major U.S. corporations. China While listing the issues of each of the 11 priority countries, the USTR report has a heavy emphasis on China, mentioning the country 154 times. Of the $500 billion or more in global imports of counterfeit and pirated goods in 2016, half came from Chinatwo thirds if Hong Kong is included, according to estimations in the March report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Despite a government reorganization and proposed revisions to IP laws and regulations, China failed to make fundamental structural changes to strengthen IP protection and enforcement, the USTR report stated. China also is lacking in opening its market to foreign investment, allowing the market a decisive role in allocating resources, and avoiding government interference in private sector technology transfer decisions, it said. For U.S. persons who rely on IP protection in what is already a very difficult business environment, severe challenges persist because of gaps in the scope of IP protection, stalled legal reforms, and weak enforcement channels. High-profile statements in support of IP and innovation by Chinese government officials are no substitute for real structural changes to address shortcomings in Chinas IP system, which cannot be excused by the countrys stage of economic development. The countries singled out by USTR will be the subject of increased bilateral engagement with USTR to address IP concerns, according to an April 25 USTR release. For such countries that fail to address U.S. concerns, USTR will take appropriate actions, such as enforcement actions under Section 301 of the Trade Act or pursuant to World Trade Organization or other trade agreement dispute settlement procedures, necessary to combat unfair trade practices and to ensure that trading partners follow through with their international commitments, it says. Trade Talks IP violations and theft are a major topic in ongoing U.S.China trade talks. President Donald Trump has spoken optimistically about the negotiations after he imposed a 10 percent tariff on $200 billion of Chinese goods in September 2018, on top of tariffs already imposed on $50 billion of goods that were implemented in August. China responded by imposing tariffs on $110 billion of American goods. However, China only imported about $120 billion of American goods last year, which gives America the upper hand in the tariff battle. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will travel to Beijing for trade talks beginning April 30, the White House said in a statement on April 23. It said Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who will lead the Beijing talks for China, also will travel to Washington for more discussions starting May 8. The subjects of next weeks discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases, and enforcement, the White House said. Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, said the United States and China were making progress in the talks and he was cautiously optimistic about the prospects for striking a deal. Reuters contributed to this report. U.S. President Donald Trump (L) talks to Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin Marillyn Hewson (R) and Director and Chief Test Pilot Alan Norman (2nd L) in front of an F-35 fighter jet during the 2018 Made in America Product Showcase at the White House in Washington, DC. on July 23, 2018. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Trumps Policies Lift Lockheed Martins Profit, Shares Surge Lockheed Martin Corp. reported better-than-expected quarterly profit on April 23 as President Donald Trumps looser policies on foreign arms sales boosted demand for missiles and fighter jets. The Pentagons biggest weapons supplier is the first major defense company to report quarterly earnings this week, which Wall Street expects to be higher than a year ago as global demand for arms rises. Trumps administration has proposed an increase in U.S. defense spending for the next fiscal year. Lockheed shares rose nearly 7 percent in their best one-day percentage rise since October 2016. Investors bet on similar results from the whole sector, pushing Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co., and General Dynamics Corp. shares up more than 2.7 percent. Lockheeds Missiles and Fire Control business, which makes missile defenses like the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), was one of its best-performing units. On April 1, in a deal that was partially brokered by Trump, the unit was awarded a THAAD interceptor missile contract worth $2.4 billion, many of which are slated to be delivered to Saudi Arabia. Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Possenriede told investors on a post-earnings conference call that profits for the unit for the rest of the year would not be as strong, a little north of 13 percent margin, because of investments in future programs. Overall, the Bethesda, Maryland-based company said its earnings rose to $1.70 billion, or $5.99 per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, from $1.16 billion, or $4.02 per share, a year earlier. That was partly helped by a $75 million dollar boost from additional tax deductions on foreign military sales, part of Trumps tax cut that came into effect last year. Excluding that one-time gain, Lockheed reported $5.73 per share profit, well ahead of the $4.34 per share that Wall Street had expected, on average, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. The company had a 12.4 percent tax rate in the first quarter but Possenriede said he expected its 2019 tax rate to be 15.5 percent. Lockheeds overall net sales for the quarter rose 23 percent to $14.34 billion. The companys sales backlog grew to $133.5 billion, up 3 billion over the quarter. Jet Sales Up Operating margins at the aeronautics division, Lockheeds biggest, fell to 10.5 percent in the first quarter from 10.8 percent a year earlier, but sales were up 27 percent to $5.5 billion on demand for the F-35 jet and some classified contracts. The United States is considering expanding sales of Lockheed-made F-35 fighter jets to five new nations including Romania, Greece, and Poland as European allies bulk up their defenses in the face of a strengthening Russia, a Pentagon official told Congress in early April. The F-35, a key program for Lockheed, suffered a setback earlier this month when a Japanese F-35 stealth fighter crashed in the Pacific Ocean close to northern Japan. The aircraft was less than a year old and was the first F-35 assembled in Japan. The company highlighted some risks in its earnings report, including U.S. government actions to prevent the sale or delivery of the corporations products to Turkey. The U.S. Congress recently introduced several bipartisan resolutions targeting Turkey, calling on President Donald Trumps administration to impose sanctions or prohibit the transfer of F-35 fighter aircraft. By Mike Stone A man stands next to the logo of Verizon at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 26, 2019. (Sergio Perez/Reuters) Verizon Raises Profit Forecast, Loses More Phone Subscribers Verizon Communications Inc. on April 22 raised its 2019 profit forecast and beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit as it focuses on cost cuts, but the U.S. wireless carrier lost more phone subscribers than analysts had expected. Verizon said it now expects low single-digit percentage growth in adjusted profit, after previously saying that its 2019 profit would be similar to what it reported a year earlier. Verizon Chief Financial Officer Matt Ellis said profit margins in the carriers core wireless business was pressured by accounting changes during the first quarter. Without the items, the business performed really well, Ellis said in an interview. Jonathan Chaplin, an analyst with New Street Research, described the results as mixed, as Verizons raised guidance seemed to be driven entirely by below-the-line items. The company said it lost a net 44,000 phone subscribers who pay a monthly bill in the first quarter, which was characterized by few big price-cut promotions. Analysts had expected a net loss of 25,000 subscribers, according to research firm FactSet. Verizon launched its 5G mobile network in two cities in the United States last month at an additional cost of $10 for customers with existing unlimited plans. It plans to spend $17 billion to $18 billion this year to build its network. Net income attributable to the company rose to $5.03 billion, or $1.22 per share, in the first quarter ended March 31 from $4.55 billion, or $1.11 per share, a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, Verizon earned $1.20 per share, beating analysts estimates of $1.17, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Revenue for Verizon Media Group, which was formerly called Oath and includes the Yahoo and AOL media brands, was $1.8 billion during the quarter, a decline from the previous year as the company earned less revenue from desktop advertising. The company lost a net 53,000 Fios video customers during the quarter, as viewers continue to shift to cheaper streaming services. Analysts had expected it to lose just 40,000 video customers, according to FactSet. Verizon said April 22 it was partnering with Google to bring YouTube TV, a live and on-demand video streaming service, to its customers. Verizon added 52,000 Fios internet customers during the quarter. Total operating revenue rose about 1 percent to $32.13 billion during the quarter, falling slightly short of analysts estimates of $32.16 billion. By Sheila Dang & Akanksha Rana People look at the Waymo car, formerly the Google self-driving car project, during the Las Vegas Convention Center during CES 2019 in Las Vegas on Jan. 9, 2019. (David McNew/AFP/Getty Images) Waymo Picks Detroit Factory for Self-Driving Fleet, to Be Operational by Mid-2019 SAN FRANCISCOAlphabet Inc.s Waymo said on April 23 it had chosen a factory in Detroit to mass produce self-driving cars, looking to the historical heart of the auto industry to build the vehicles of the future. The companys chief executive, John Krafcik, said in a blog post that Waymo would partner with American Axle & Manufacturing to lease and repurpose an existing Detroit facility that will be operational by mid-2019. Waymo said in January it had chosen Michigan for its first production facility, adding it would receive incentives from the public-private partnership agency, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and create up to 400 jobs over time exclusively related to self-driving. In a sea of rivals, Waymo is generally thought of as ahead in the self-driving race. It already operates a robotaxi service in Arizona that it plans to expand geographically over time. Global automakers, large technology companies, and startups are all engaged in self-driving efforts, but experts expect it will be years before systems are ready to be rolled out in all areas, with software and regulations among the many challenges. Waymo is competing with rivals General Motors and Uber Technologies to deploy such vehicles for the masses. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also announced the company plans to launch a robotaxi service in 2020. Waymo, which has been working on self-driving technology for a decade, provided few new details. It currently retrofits Chrysler Pacifica minivans to use in its robotaxi fleet. In March 2018, Waymo said it would diversify the fleet, partnering with Jaguar to produce up to 20,000 vehicles by 2022, able to conduct about 1 million trips per day. American Axle, with which Waymo is partnering for its Detroit facility, was formed in 1994 when an investment team purchased five plants that General Motors had put up for sale. GM plans to end output at its last Detroit factory next year, after announcing in November a plan to halt production at five North American assembly plants and cut about 15,000 jobs. Fiat Chrysler, however, said in February it would invest $4.5 billion in five plants and create 6,500 jobs in Michigan. In January, Waymo said it planned to hire engineers, operations experts, fleet coordinators, and others to retrofit vehicles with its self-driving technology. Both GM and Ford Motor Co. have said they will build autonomous vehicles at Michigan factories. By Alexandria Sage U.S. President Donald Trump touches a wheel loader made by Caterpillar while touring a Made in America product showcase with Vice-President Mike Pence on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on July 17, 2017 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) White House Faces Critical Battle Over Export-Import Bank WASHINGTONThe Trump administration is pushing the Senate to revive the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im), labeling it a national security weapon. But some Republicans and advocacy groups backed by the Koch brothers oppose the bank, calling it corporate welfare. The federal export credit agency cant authorize loans and guarantees above $10 million, since the authorization of higher sums requires the agencys board to have a quorum, which is a minimum of three members. That quorum hasnt existed since 2015. The four nominees sent by President Donald Trump are still pending confirmation by the Senate; no date has been scheduled for the vote. The White House believes the banks role is crucial for both economic and national security purposes. Its an important tool to compete with other countries such as China that have strong export-finance agencies. At the Ex-Ims annual conference last month, Peter Navarro, the White House trade adviser, lashed out at lawmakers for creating a needless conundrum. We are getting hammeredparticularly by China, South Korea, and the other countries in the G-7, he said. U.S. exporters have missed $21 billion in overseas opportunities since the bank lost its quorum, and transactions worth $40 billion are still sitting in the banks pipeline, according to Navarro. At the conference, White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow also stressed the importance of winning the reauthorization of the bank, calling it a national security weapon. The export credit agency, dating back to 1934, assists in financing and facilitating U.S. exports of goods and services. It supports large multinational corporations such as Boeing, Caterpillar, and GE; its also an important source of credit for small businesses. More than 90 percent of the banks transactionsmore than 2,200directly supported exports from U.S. small businesses in fiscal year 2017. In addition, thousands of smaller companies that serve as suppliers to large exporters also benefit indirectly from the banks activities. Ex-Im also supported over 1.7 million jobs across the country over the past decade, according to the bank. The last fiscal year that Ex-Im was fully operational with a board quorum was 2014. Lack of a quorum since then has severely constrained the banks ability to authorize large loans. In addition, the agency operates under a renewable charter and its mandate is set to expire on Sept. 30. Hence, reauthorization is an extra challenge facing the bank this year. Its really the responsibility of just a few parties in the Senate that have obstructed the democratic will of the people and the Senate, said John Schuster, the former head of Ex-Ims structured finance division. Over the past several years, the bank has become a top target for conservative Republicans including Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who called for an orderly liquidation plan of the bank in 2015. According to Schuster, Toomey has been a leader in the cause to eliminate the bank. He has recently placed a hold on Senate approval of Trumps nominees, preventing the board from operating with a quorum. And Senator Mitch McConnell, who is the most responsible party here, has done nothing about that hold, in spite of the fact that two-thirds of the Senate has voted in favor of Ex-Im Bank in the past, he said. Both McConnells and Toomeys offices didnt respond to multiple requests from The Epoch Times for comment. Unfair Advantage for Some In August last year, the Senate Banking Committee unanimously approved Kimberly Reed, Trumps nominee, as the president of the banks board of directors. While Toomey voted in favor of Reed, he still maintains his hold on three board nominees. Toomey once admitted that he was in the minority in the Senate with his views on Ex-Im. Its long been no secret I am deeply skeptical of the mission of Ex-Im Bank, he said at a Banking Committee hearing in November 2017. Its a great deal if youre an exporter and Ex-Im subsidizes a foreign company that buys your product, thats great. But sometimes that results in an unfair advantage for some and not others, he explained. He said Ex-Im subsidized aircraft for Air India, which gave them a competitive advantage over Delta Air Lines and resulted in the loss of nearly 1,000 U.S. jobs. Proponents of the bank, however, reject the arguments, calling them unjustified. They say Ex-Im takes the commercial and political risks by guaranteeing loans for entities abroad buying American goods. The U.S. government can take a risk that the private sector cannot take, said Mark Stuckart, who formerly worked for the Department of Commerce and the Overseas Private Investment Corp., Ex-Ims sister agency. And the U.S. government has much greater leverage in getting payments back and recovering defaulted loans, he explained. Commercial lenders often are either unable or unwilling to accept such risks, particularly for exports to countries with a high risk of default. According to Schuster, calling Ex-Ims below-market rates a government subsidy is also unjustified. Until it lost its ability to make large loans, the bank operated at a profit. So it was never a subsidy, said Schuster. The rates that they offered were lower than commercial markets. They were rates that were offered in response to other export agency competition. According to Schuster, given the large bipartisan majorities that support the revival of the bank, the Senate can indeed vote to overcome holds, once given the chance. In recent years, however, Ex-Im has become a political issue because of a web of unprecedented corporate influence launched by the Koch brothers, he said. Koch Network Billionaires Charles and David Koch, who are among the Republican Partys top donors, have been behind the idea of eliminating the Ex-Im. According to a Politico article published in 2015, a wide network of think tanks and advocacy groups funded by the Koch brothers put the bank on the political radar and turned it into a litmus test in Congress. In 2015, Koch Industries sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to oppose the reauthorization of the bank. We dont believe government should be picking winners and losers by subsidizing or mandating certain industries or products, the letter stated. The industrial conglomerate labeled the bank corporate welfare, a tag that was also used by former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Advocacy groups such as Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, funded by the Koch brothers, continue to urge policymakers to end the corporate welfare. The Export-Import Bank is on a countdown to expiration and Washington should make sure it gets there, the advocacy groups said in a recent statement. Ex-Im tilts the scales in favor of the well-connected at the expense of American companies and taxpayers. Koch Industries launched the campaign against Ex-Im simply because the group was not a strong beneficiary of the bank, Schuster said. The corporate welfare tag was originated by misguided Democrats, including President Obama, he said. Thats the tag that they want to pick up on. It is an incorrect reading of how Ex-Im Bank works and its a convenient way for them to do something that is really within their own political and corporate interests. Its sickening. BRIDGEPORT City Council President Aidee Nieves on Thursday called on the mayor to schedule training to reinforce to his managers youre not supposed to have relations with your subordinates. Nieves said that would better ensure we prevent these types of unacceptable behaviors moving forward referring to reports that Public Facilities Director John Ricci had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Ricci helped Grace Goncalves renovate her home, issued Goncalves a credit card attached to his own account and sent her passionate text messages. That is a line he crossed, Nieves said. Those types of actions between a supervisor and an employee are inappropriate. Nieves did not call for Ricci to be disciplined, unlike state Sen. Marilyn Moore, who is challenging Joe Ganim, a fellow Democrat, in this years mayoral race. Ricci is the target of a pair of sexual harassment complaints filed with the state by Goncalves, who is out on sick leave, and by Lisa Miro. Miro held a temporary seasonal job with a city youth program but is no longer on the payroll. Both cases are under investigation by the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Prior to taking her claims to the CHRO, however, Goncalves first filed a sexual harassment complaint with Bridgeports Office of Labor Relations. That office hired an outside law firm, Berchem Moses, to investigate. That probe cleared Ricci of wrongdoing and, instead, alleged Goncalves was the aggressor and enjoyed his attention. Berchem Moses report, obtained recently by Hearst Connecticut Media, detailed how Ricci assisted Goncalves with home renovations in 2017, charging her $3,000 when the bill was closer to $8,000; helped buy her daughter a computer; had a key to Goncalves home; and gave her a credit card in her name, linked to his account. Ricci also sent Goncalves affectionate text messages, such as Want you to know that I adore you. I am so happy you finally decided to be my girl. ... Also want you to know that I will care for you as long as I am able, I promise. ... You know that I am an incurable romantic, especially with you. Ricci told Berchem Moses he had a platonic relationship with Goncalves like a kid sister but also called it very odd. Annual harassment training Goncalves, who had been asking Ricci for her own office due to a medical condition and claimed he denied her when she refused to date him, told the CHRO, I was afraid to reject his advances too forcefully because he was so powerful in the workplace. Ricci is also a close political ally of Mayor Joe Ganims with key roles in Ganims mayoral campaigns, and in his failed 2018 bid for governor. And Ricci is good friends with Democratic Town Chairman Mario Testa. Ganim recently took two weeks worth of pay and two weeks of paid vacation away from Ricci as the result of an internal investigation of illicit scrap metal sales by public facilities employees. Those sales, along with some no-bid contracts, are part of an ongoing FBI criminal probe. Miro has similarly claimed that Ricci tried to date her while she was seeking his help to secure a full-time city job. In a prior statement to Hearst, Ricci characterized Goncalves and Miro as disgruntled workers trying to retaliate. Nieves on Thursday said, I want to state unequivocally that harassment in any form interferes with an employee's success or creates a hostile work environment, and is totally unacceptable in the City of Bridgeport. The accuser and the person accused of harassment have the right to a fair and just investigation conducted. Moore, who if elected would become the citys second female chief executive and first black mayor, recently called on Ganim to discipline Ricci for at the least having an unprofessional relationship with a subordinate. Moore at the time said, This is whats missing in this administration. Ethical behavior. Not legally wrong or right, but what is ethical. It is still not clear whether the attention and gifts Ricci gave Goncalves technically violated any city rules. On Thursday, Labor Relations told Hearst that all supervisors and department heads receive at least two hours of annual mandated workplace sexual harassment training, and that the topic of workplace relationships is not only included ... but briefly discussed in our internal customer service and positive workplace trainings. The last round of sexual harassment training for supervisors occurred Jan. 8 and 9, 2018. But Labor Relations did not detail the citys actual policy on workplace relationships. Whether or not Ganim has the ability to discipline Ricci, the mayor could fire him at any time. Ricci is a non-union political appointee. A supermajority in the House of Representatives voted Wednesday night to ask voters to amend the Connecticut Constitution to permit early voting, a convenience now permitted in most other states. If the Senate concurs by a similar margin, voters will be asked in 2020 if they want to remove a constitutional prohibition on early voting. A Senate vote of less than 75 percent in favor would delay a referendum by at least two years. Connecticut is one of 12 states without early voting at the polls and only one of three whose state constitutions bar it. In 2018, nearly 40 million Americans in 38 states and the District of Columbia went to the polls before Election Day. Tonights vote is a strong, bipartisan statement in favor of making voting easier for voters, said Secretary of the State Denise Merrill. Ultimately, this is not a question of partisanship, its one of improving the voter experience. Connecticut has fallen behind other states in removing the barriers that can make it harder for our voters to cast their ballots. The lopsided and bipartisan House vote of 125-24 easily exceeded the 75 percent supermajority threshold of 114 votes, but it came after a day of behind-the-scenes negotiations about final language and an unexpected effort by Republicans to amend the resolution to force a new election in Stratford to resolve a contested House race. A Committee on Contested Elections deadlocked along partisan lines in February over whether to recommend the House of Representatives order a new election in the 120th House District of Stratford, where an estimated 75 voters were given the wrong ballots in a race Rep. Philip Young, a Democrat, won by just 13 votes. On a party-line vote of 90-59, Democrats upheld a ruling of the chair that a new election in Stratford was not germane to the question of a constitutional amendment. But the partisan defeat did not upend bipartisan support for early voting. Thirty-five of the 59 Republicans in attendance voted to place the early-voting question on the ballot. All 90 Democrats supported the measure. In 2014, voters in Connecticut rejected what Merrill called a poorly worded amendment it talked about removing restrictions on absentee ballots and not early voting by a vote of 491,447 to 453,070. The new question asks, Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the General Assembly to provide for early voting? The overwhelming passage came after an agreement was struck to change the proposed amendment, drawing solid GOP support. Originally, it would have mandated at least three days of early-voting. The final version removes the constitutional prohibition on early voting, but leaves the ultimate authority for allowing early voting up to the General Assembly. More News House Republicans fail in getting new vote for Stratford The amendment also would remove from the constitution the limited circumstances under which absentee ballots can be used. Amending the constitution is cumbersome.There are two paths to place the question on the ballot, each requiring the General Assembly to adopt a resolution. If the House and Senate approve the resolution by a supermajority of 75 percent, then the question would go on the next statewide ballot in 2020. If not, an identical resolution must win simple majorities in successive legislative terms, delaying a referendum until 2022. Senate approval by 27 of the 36 senators would place the question on the ballot in 2020. Gov. Ned Lamont praised Merrill for pursuing passage over several years and the House for striking a bipartisan compromise. In a 21st century economy, it is simply not realistic nor practical to expect every citizen to be able to physically go to one designated location during a specific set of hours on a Tuesday, Lamont said. As a democracy that prides itself on openness, transparency, and accessibility, it is our responsibility to make it easier for citizens to cast their ballots and have a say in their government. Early voting procedures have been successful in a growing number of states across the country Connecticut has fallen behind and its time we catch up. Frederic Vasseur has played down Kimi Raikkonen's claim that F1 is now "a hobby" for him. "It's become more of a hobby for me lately than anything else and probably that's why it's more fun again," the Finnish driver said recently. Set to turn 40 in October, Raikkonen is the most experienced driver on the grid. He moved from Ferrari to Alfa Romeo for the 2019 season. "Kimi is like a gift for us," Vasseur, the Alfa boss, is quoted by Blick newspaper. "He may talk about it being a hobby, but I have rarely experienced a driver with more motivation. His contributions help the engineers to develop the car," he added. (GMM) NORWALK Questions of a potential conflict of interest have arisen after a former Walk Bridge Project design manager was named to Norwalks Harbor Management Commission. Christopher MacDonnell, a former senior supervising engineer with Parsons Brinckerhoff, was one of two new members appointed to the Harbor Commission by a unanimous vote by the Common Council on Tuesday night. MacDonnell, a Village Creek resident and a former senior supervising engineer with Parsons Brinckerhoff (now known as WSP), oversaw the design of certain components of the Walk Bridge project, including the new track interlocking system and improvements to the Danbury Branch line while serving in that role. He worked on the project nearly two-and-a-half years before leaving for another transportation and infrastructure firm in May 2018. Harbor Commission Chairman John Romano said the appointment came as a surprise to some, given MacDonnells former employer. This isnt my opinion, but I can say that Ive had people approach me many people that feel he may have a conflict of interest because its been less than a year since he separated with (WSP), Romano said. Following his first meeting as commissioner Wednesday, MacDonnell rejected the idea that his experience working on the Walk Bridge project would result in any conflicts. Instead, he painted his experience with the project as an advantage to the Harbor Commission. Theres a lot of misstated facts about the Walk Bridge Project and I think I could help with that, especially with my knowing some of the history behind the project and my knowledge of how the DOT makes contracts and manages their contractors. There are a lot of promises made at public meetings, but with these things you need to know the right questions to ask to find out the difference between an empty promise and a contractual obligation, and hopefully I can sniff out some of that, MacDonnell said. John Pinto, who chairs the commissions Application Review Subcommittee, also pointed to MacDonnells behind-the-doors experience with the project as a boon. If hes an engineer who has worked on the Walk Bridge Project then Id certainly welcome that, as long as he helps. Were all independent thinkers here, hes not going to sway our opinion. We know what the Harbor Management Plan says, and if anything is inconsistent with that plan then we will act accordingly, Pinto said. Norwalk Harbor Keeper, a conservation group suing the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration to reconsider the Walk Bridge Project, held off on commenting one way or another on the appointment. Norwalk Harbor Keeper looks forward to working with any and all commissioners to protect Norwalk Harbor, said former Harbor Commission Chairman Tony DAndrea, one the founding members of the Harbor Keeper group. MacDonnell, a Democrat, was endorsed by Common Council member Colin Hosten and the Democratic Town Committee after former Commissioner Joseph Perella submitted his resignation in early April. MacDonnell began his career with the Connecticut Department of Transportation in 1986. Since then hes had experience working on bridge and infrastructure work in Connecticut and New York. He was joined by Alan Kibbe, a former commodore of the Shore and Country Club in East Norwalk, as the newest members to the commission. When a male student arrived at a Texas junior high with an M shape shaved into his short fade haircut, a violation of the districts dress code, an administrator gave the boy three choices: call his mother, receive a disciplinary action, or color in the shaving with a marker. According to a Facebook post with pictures attached, the student ended up with marker on his head, prompting public outrage and profuse apologies from Pearland ISD officials. In a statement Tuesday evening, district leaders said the unnamed administrator has been placed on leave, with further action forthcoming, after the staffer mishandled disciplinary action involving the student. Pearland ISD officials did not specify whether the administrator used a marker on the students head. District administration has contacted the students family to express our extreme disappointment in this situation, which does not fall in line with the values of Pearland ISD, the statement read. In a short post Friday, a Facebook user named Angela Washington wrote that the student received a haircut on April 16, attended Berry Miller Junior High the next day and encountered an assistant principal who told him he was in violation of the dress code. The user, whose relation to the student is not immediately clear, wrote that his only options were in-school suspension or coloring his hair with permanent marker. The Facebook user wrote that the assistant principal decided to color my baby design with a PERMANENT MARKER, attaching three photos that appear to show portions of the design darkened. Efforts to reach the Facebook user were not successful. The post had about 3,100 comments and 2,700 shares as of Wednesday evening. In their statement, district officials agreed that the boys haircut violated the districts dress code, which states that extreme hair styles such as carvings, mohawks, spikes, etc. are not allowed. However, they said coloring in a hair carving is not condoned by the district and does not align with appropriate measures for dress code violations. Some neighboring districts do not allow carving of shapes in hair, including Alvin, Fort Bend, Friendswood and Pasadena ISDs. Houston ISD allows each school to establish its own dress code. Pearland ISD Trustee Mike Floyd, who shared the Facebook post on his personal page Tuesday, said the administrator should not be a leader on a campus with very impressionable children. From what were seeing emerging right now in the public discourse, its just absolutely inappropriate what occurred, Floyd said. The real problem is theres a clear and obvious display of a lack of judgment. WESTPORT Constituents of Connecticuts 4th congressional district grappled with U.S. Rep. Jim Himes on Wednesday night about one of the hottest topics of the day: The Mueller Report and its implications for Donald Trumps presidency. I have not developed a strong sense of conviction on impeach or dont impeach yet, Himes, D-Conn., told a packed house at The Unitarian Church in Westport at a town hall event organized by the activist group Indivisible Connecticut 4. Following the lead of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Himes said he wants Congress to gather more information and fill in the blanks of the Mueller Report, released last week, before deciding on whether to proceed with impeachment. We will do whatever it is the facts instruct us to do, Himes said, adding the political nuclear weapon of impeachment should only be used after careful and thoughtful deliberation. Impeachment is a fundamentally political decision, Himes said, adding he fears the act may damage Democrats chances of beating Trump in the 2020 presidential election. I believe that the probability that he is removed from office as a result of an impeachment and a conviction is pretty close to zero, and so my focus on getting this guy out of office has everything to do with the 2020 election, Himes said. Before making a decision on impeachment, however, Himes said he wants to hear from his constituents, about 20 of whom lined up to provide their input. Youre relying completely on the 2020 elections to save our democracy. That means your shifting the responsibility and the duties of Congress onto us, Darien resident Debbie Ice said, urging Himes to seek Trumps impeachment immediately. A show of hands of event attendees showed Ice was in the minority of those who want Himes to proceed with impeachment. The majority of constituents raised their hands in favor of Congress gathering information before making a decision impeachment. I think you really need to pull a narrative together, Westporter and Representative Town Meeting member Kristan Hamlin said, calling on Himes to hold hearings on the Mueller Report with people who can explain the documents findings to the American people. Fellow Westporter and RTM member Mark Friedman said he is concerned Trump is a risk to national security, especially around the election, and wondered whether impeachment could help the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate by shining a light on Trumps alleged crimes. This is the strength of our democracy, Himes said of town hall discussion. svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1 NORWALK The circumstances of Maureen Hanleys abrupt exit from the Maritime Aquarium are still unclear to the public, but her three-month tenure came at a time of high stakes, and high pressure, for the 30-year-old institution. Bids for the relocation of the theater and some exhibits, because of the Walk Bridge replacement project, had come in far over budget about a month before she was named CEO and president. This caused friction between the aquarium, and the city of Norwalk and state Department of Transportation. This situation came to a boil Feb. 1 when the city with the states blessing proposed cutting the aquarium out of the equation, and assumed control of the construction project and all its funds. Ten days later, on Feb. 11, Hanley was gone. She started in November with promises to see the institution through its most uncertain times. The impending replacement of the 120-year-old Walk Bridge, which carries railroad tracks over the Norwalk River, required the razing and relocation of the aquariums biggest attractions, the IMAX theater, as well as other exhibits. At the time, Hanley admitted the task would be challenging and challenging it proved to be. The aquariums plans to erect a two-story, 11,939-square-foot, 178-seat 4D theater and other exhibit space, began to come under fire from the city in December. The project, then under the full control of the aquarium, had gone out to bid in September and more than 20 companies responded by October. But, the city claimed, these initial bids substantially exceeded $34.5 million budget covered by state money, according to a memo from Buildings and Facilities Manager Alan Lo. The aquarium did not release the estimated costs of those initial bids were, but spokesperson Dave Sigworth pointed out that that was the citys interpretation, not that of the aquarium. Those werent our words, Sigworth said. In February, the city used the higher-than-expected bids to illustrate the aquarium staffs lack of experience in such projects. We believe the reason bids were so high was because the aquarium does not have experience in working with construction projects, Laoise King, Rillings chief of staff, said at a Feb. 6 meeting of the Norwalk Facilities Construction Commission. On Feb. 1, the Land Use and Building Management Committee recommended at the citys request that it restructure the financial agreement between the city, the aquarium and the state, to take control of the project from the aquarium. The Mayor and city staff agree that a restructuring is in the best interest of the project, as the City has greater expertise and experience in completing large construction projects funded by the state, Lo said at the time. Sigworth said the aquarium had no objections to the restructured agreement. But, less than two weeks after the recommendation was made, Hanley was relieved of her position. Timeline of events May 22, 2018 - Common Council unanimously approves an "Administrative Settlement Agreement" with Maritime Aquarium and the state Department of Transportation. Under the agreement, the aquarium was put in charge of the project, and its state-granted funds, to rebuild its theater and certain exhibits in a new location. May 25, 2018 - Brian Davis steps down as Maritime Aquarium president. September 2018 - Maritime Aquarium starts advertising for bids on the replacement project. October 2018 - Maritime Aquarium receives more than 20 bids on the project. Dec. 4 - Lisa Burns, then interim director of the Department of Public Works, tells the Common Council's Public Works Committee that the project will need to be put out to bid again Nov. 7, 2018 - Maureen Hanley is hired as president and chief executive officer of the Maritime Aquarium Feb. 1, 2019 -Land Use and Building Management Committee recommends an amendment to the replacement project agreement that would have the city assume management of the project and its funds. Feb. 11, 2019 - Maritime Aquarium Board of Trustees "relieves" Hanley of her position as president and CEO. Feb. 13, 2019 - Common Council approves a restructured agreement with the Maritime Aquarium and the state, which gives the city control of planning, development and the state-granted funds. See More Collapse Three days after Hanleys departure, the Common Council approved the restructured deal. Josh Morgan, spokesman for the mayor, reiterated the citys support of the restructured deal on Thursday. The city has managed hundreds of millions of dollars in large-scale construction projects over the years. We have expertise in this area. Its important that any project large or small is completed on time and on budget, and thats our goal here, Morgan said. This is a contrast from statements made by Hanley following her hiring in November. In an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media, Hanley said it was her expertise in this realm, in part, that made her a good fit. My skill set is a perfect for what the needs of the aquarium are, which are financial, fundraising and construction, said Hanley, who specialized in commercial lending and commercial real estate in her former career as a banking executive. Sigworth declined to comment on whether the restructured agreement and Hanleys departure were related. Hanley also declined to comment. Calls made to the members of the aquariums Board of Trustees, the body tasked with making senior management decisions, were largely unreturned. Those who did respond directed inquiries to the Maritime Aquarium. NORWALK Questions surrounding the Walk Bridge project have resurfaced after Gov. Ned Lamont said he would take a look at the railroad bridge replacement at a Norwalk Chamber of Commerce dinner. I havent made up my mind on that, I really havent. Its an important bridge to keep rail moving fast and to upgrade our transportation system, but I share a lot of the same distress that you do that this is not the way to run a railroad, Lamont said in response to a question asked by Jason Milligan, a local commercial real estate developer. Lamont made the comments at the event on Tuesday that was videotaped and uploaded by local online news site, NancyonNorwalk. Mayor Harry Rilling said on Thursday that he understood Lamont wanting to take a look, but was concerned over any potential delays. Its understandable and expected that Gov. Lamont would want to discuss and review this project with his team, which includes a new Department of Transportation Commissioner, Rilling said. I hope there is no delay to this project. What I have communicated to him is that if this project has to be done, it has to be done as soon as possible. It cannot be dragged out. I am concerned starting over with a new design will increase disruption in Norwalk from five years to a decade or more. Colleen Flanagan, senior adviser to the governor, said on Thursday that Lamont wanted to make sure the project was done properly. The Governor is committed to working with the DOT and the City to ensure this important project is fully vetted and implemented in a way that is most cost effective and least impactful to the City, its residents, businesses and visitors, she said in a statement. Lamonts comments come as final designs for the planned $511 million replacement bridge are expected by this summer with construction beginning in the fall. The existing Walk Bridge, a swing-span structure built in 1896, has failed to close properly on numerous occasions, which can affect the New Haven Metro-North line. The structure has outlived its 100-year life span and must be replaced, Department of Transportation The bridge carries roughly 200 trains across the Norwalk River each day, according to the DOT. The states Department of Transportation said that it plans to replace the existing swing-span bridge with a 240-foot span, vertical-lift bridge. The lift bridges towers are described as 150 feet above the level of the railroad tracks, according to a description of the project. The overall project, which includes infrastructure projects up and down the line is slated to cost about $1.2 billion. It is estimated to take four to five years to construct. Rilling had voiced his support for the project in an op-ed in March 2019, stating that he believed a movable bridge is the most effective and least disruptive option. Still, Lamonts remarks were applauded by those who are against the current plans for the 122-year-old bridge. I would be eternally grateful if he would re-examine this, Lisa Brinton, independent mayoral candidate, said on Thursday. Brinton has argued that there are more cost-effective and less disruptive options to the replacement bridge, including fixing the current one in place. Lamont said earlier in his speech that investing in transportation was key and important to the states economic development. Right now these trains slow to a crawl over these 90-year-old bridges, Lamont said to applause in the crowd. We can do an awful lot better than that and we can do it now. That prompted Milligan to question Lamont over the bridge project in Norwalk. You mention bridges. Theres a bridge in town that people refer to as a billion dollar boondoggle bridge, Milligan said. It was set up under the previous administration, is that a closed case? Is it done? Lamont said that hes talked to Rilling about the bridge and its cost. Its a lift bridge, (a) lift bridge adds a lot of cost as far as I can figure out to the cost of that bridge and Im told theres an occasional sailboat that goes by there, so all of which are reasons to say this is crazy, this is the type of boondoggle that makes people really cynical about government, he said. The river currently has a federal designation of navigable waterway, which is at the heart of the states justification of a vertical lift design, according to a September 2016 environmental assessment report. The report found that low- and mid-level fixed bridge options would meet nine of the projects 10 stated needs, while also costing less to build when compared to a lift bridge. Lamont said, however, that after talking with the federal secretary of transportation, he learned it could take delay the project 3-5 years to go through the Coast Guard, which is tasked with determining whether a proposed structure would affect waterway navigability. Rilling wrote in the op-ed that he believed keeping the federal designation was beneficial for the city. I believe a movable bridge and a federally designated navigable waterway is essential for our city, Rilling said. Having a fixed bridge, and thus removing that designation would be shortsighted and restrict a prime area of Norwalk from future opportunities. The waterfront is a defining characteristic of Norwalk, which is desirable to residents, businesses, and tourists. Brinton said that she believed the planned structure would be both a source of disruption and an eyesore. I believe its over-engineered, she said. It will disrupt East and South Norwalk. It will disrupt the environment. It will define our city. Brinton said that she believed a replacement could be done cheaper and less disruptive. She also stated that she believed the city was not properly being compensated properly for the impact it would have. I believe city hall let us down, she said. We were let down by the mayors and our representatives. Rilling said he believed that it was important the city be involved in any and all conversations, as they have been throughout the process. We have been involved at every stage - from the design of the bridge to planning detour routes all in order to limit the impact on Norwalk residents and businesses, he said. I have met with Governor Lamont and have shared the concerns of residents and businesses. There is an unprecedented amount of state projects happening now and planned in the coming months and years in Norwalk, and it is important this work be done quickly. kelly.kultys@hearstmediact.com 3 1 of 3 Norwalk Police Dept. Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Norwalk Police Dept. Show More Show Less 3 of 3 NORWALK Two Norwalk teens are facing drug sale charges after conspiring to sell Xanax to undercover officers, police said. The Strategic Narcotics Enforcement Team arranged the deal with Kamar Daniel, 19, of Broad Street, via Snapchat, police said. NORWALK East Norwalk residents got a glimpse Monday night of what to expect when work begins on three bridges in the neighborhood as a part of the Walk Bridge project. State Department of Transportation officials attended the East Norwalk Neighborhood Association meeting to provide residents with details regarding the expected duration of the projects, which could cause traffic and noise concerns in the area. John Hanifin, project manager of the Walk Bridge Program, said replacing the three aging rail bridges East Avenue, Osborne Avenue and Fort Point Street were packaged with the Walk Bridge project to minimize the amount of time spent in Norwalk on rail improvements. Hanifin estimates the work on these projects, along with improvements to Metro-Norths interlocking system, would take an additional two years if done separately. The three projects, along with a fourth, unrelated project to replace the Strawberry Avenue rail bridge scheduled to begin this month and end in fall 2020, has some East Norwalkers concerned about potential traffic jams along four adjacent routes stretching from a main road heading into Westport to South Norwalk. Hanifin tried to allay some of those concerns at the meeting. While the projects will be done at the same time, Hanifin said the DOT plans to close no more than one of the affected roads at once. Hanifin also said closures would be limited to off-peak hours, between about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Were not here to try and negatively affect you guys. Were doing the best that we can, Hanifin said. Chris Mojica, program manager from consultant WSP USA, said the work will also be scheduled to avoid road closures that conflict with scheduled events that would temporarily increase traffic in the area. Were not going to work during the Oyster Fest or the SoNo 5k. Were trying to reach a happy medium here, Mojica said. Hanifin acknowledged, however, that road closures in South Norwalk could occur at the same time as similar closures in East Norwalk. All three bridge projects are scheduled to begin about a year-and-a-half after the start of the Walk Bridge project, which is expected to start this fall. Each is expected to last about three years. The East Norwalk bridge replacement, which is estimated to cost $26 million, will include a lowering of the roadway to comply with federal clearance regulations, an extension of the East Norwalk train stations platforms and upgrades to its parking lot. Unlike the other two bridges, the East Norwalk structure will need to be built in place. Since the intersection also sees the most traffic of the three, Hanifin said, it will also be subject to the most restrictive of the construction time frames. Estimated at $20 million, the Fort Point bridge replacement will include a realignment of Washington Street, which will connect to South Smith Street, instead of Fort Point Street. Diane Cece, chairwoman of the ENNA, raised concerns that the road realignment which was a new addition to the project design could open the door for more land grabs by the state. There should be no additional easements. At least, thats the plan, Hanifin replied. The Osborne Avenue bridge is the least costly of the three projects at about $12 million, and it will include a superstructure replacement and rehabilitation to its substructure. There will also be a sidewalk added to the east side of the underpass. I must admit Im baffled by the cartoon that appeared in your paper on Easter Sunday, April 21. A caricature of President Trump is shown holding a nozzle that is pouring gas onto the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. On the roof of the Cathedral, the word DEMOCRACY appears in the flames. ORD A blend of local arts and cultural experiences will be featured Saturday at the third annual Nebraska Grown Arts Festival at several locations in the Loup River Valley. During the day, area art galleries, including the Main Street Gallery in North Loup and the Gallery: Art & Creativity Center in Comstock, will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both galleries feature original works by local artists. Both galleries and the Golden Husk Theatre in Ord will host art workshops starting at 10 a.m. The workshops will feature hands-on experiences with watercolor painting, glasswork, drawing, crafts and more. To learn more and register for the workshops, call (308) 730-8133. The galleries and businesses in Ord, Burwell, North Loup and Arcadia will hand out event punch cards that will be used for door prize drawings during an evening concert. That concert, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Golden Husk, will feature the Bottle Tops, the husband-and-wife duo of Mike and Kerry Semrad. She said the film festival has a total of 35 short films in the competition. Filmmakers from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, as well as Iran, France and New Zealand, submitted films to the festival. On Sunday, eight films produced by Hastings College students will be shown. Hastings College heard about what we are doing and wanted to make the festival open to all of their students to come to any of the blocks, Marsh said. But we felt that if we had a component that was primarily student-focused, that would really attract them to come see their friends films. Following the film festival, at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, the festival will present awards to the films screened at the festival. Marsh said awards will be given for best documentary and best narrative. An audience choice award, where audience members vote on each film block, will also be awarded. Marsh said extra consideration will be given to films with strong female leads. I didnt know how to react, said Emily Zelaya, the girl wearing the blonde wig. Shes played Goldilocks three years in a row, and it was the first time she was found guilty. It was the last time shell play Goldilocks. No, shes not looking at hard time. Zelaya is a senior, so Wednesdays two performances were her swan song. Lexis McDowell also had experience in her role. It was the second year in a row she played Mama Bear. As Baby Bear, Cassie Wing used a really goofy voice because she was supposed to be a 5-year-old. In the first trial of the morning, Christopher Ramirez used his normal speaking voice as Papa Bear. But in the second performance, he changed his voice slightly, making it a little more goofy. Why? Because theyre bears. Wing and Yajayra Borrego are used to being in courtrooms. Both are involved in mock trial. Playing the bailiff was strange for Borrego. Shes not accustomed to interacting with the judge, or visiting the jury room. It is said that those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. An appropriate history lesson for today might be this: Richard Nixons attorney general, John Mitchell, was convicted of conspiracy, perjury and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 19 months in prison. Ken Bradbury didnt have a chance to finish the play he was writing when he died of cancer in November. Thanks to the playwrights copious notes and a circle of talented and loyal friends he gathered over a lifetime rooted in central Illinois, that now-completed play Branson Bound, about a group on a bus tour to Branson, Missouri will find a stages spotlight this weekend for four performances to benefit the Ken Bradbury Foundation. When he started it, he had the first act done when he went in for his initial cancer surgery, said Jim Yale, a longtime friend of Bradbury. Bradbury emailed Yale a copy of that first act, saying, If I dont make it through this, I want you to finish it, Yale said. Yale refused to consider the possibility that anything more than a post-recovery collaboration would be necessary and told Bradbury so, he said. After that recovery, We emailed back and forth, tossing around ideas for the second act, Yale said. He may have done the same with John Love. Love is an actor-musician-playwright who got his start with Bradbury and now lives and works in theater in Chicago. Then Bradburys cancer returned and eventually proved fatal. His family asked Yale and Love to finish his last play. While Love offered Yale his feedback and some ideas along the way, much of the writing ended up falling to Yale, he said. Ken had jotted down some notes for myself and John Love, notes from a tour guide, Yale said. He also kind of sketched what he thought the seating arrangement would look like for the set. It was a collaborative effort. Bradbury also was known to handpick his cast. Rather than holding open auditions, he instead simply asked the people he had in mind for a role. The cast of Branson Bound proved no different Bradbury left notes on actors he had in mind to cast for the various roles. We kept it the same way he would have, Yale said of the cast. With a cast of some of Bradburys closest friends staging his last play, rehearsals of the comedy have had their emotional moments. Understandably, the first read-through, it was funny because its a really well-written comedy, as Kens always are, Yale said. But it also was a really emotional experience. Rehearsals also have sometimes stretched into the evening, because people just arent ready to leave, he said. We do discussion of scenes and how we could change this or that, but then folks hang around, simply because of the experience, he said. After finishing the script with input from Love and Maryjane Million, who estimates she spent probably a decade as Bradburys production coordinator for his various shows Yale then signed on to direct the play and took on a role Bradbury had picked out for him. When Ken passed away, there were people other than myself wondering if theyd ever step foot on a stage again, Yale said. If youre in a Ken Bradbury production, youre just spoiled. I came into this nervous, stressed. And its actually been really terrific because Ken picked the right cast. Despite the nerves and the stress, Yale has considered this production a gift, he said. I have found myself in tears on the long drive home (to Springfield) at night, he said. Not because things went badly but because of the gift Ken gave me to do this. He put me in his shoes, if only for one show. Million has had a similar experience, she said. Its been difficult, because its been so emotional, she said. But its also been joyful. We get to continue to share Kens work, she said. If you go Ken Bradburys Branson Bound will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday at Lovejoy Hall the former Congregational Church UCC at 520 W. College Ave. Tickets for Fridays show and the 2 p.m. Sunday show are sold out. Tickets remain available for the 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday performances. They are available for $15 at County Market in Jacksonville. The cast includes Yale, Love (in the Sunday performances only), Tom Guthrie (Friday and Saturday only), Stephanie Soltermann, Brad Barnes, Jodi Heitbrink, Mary Beth Maloney, Carrie Carls, Tammy Guthrie and Jaxon Dion. Angela Bauer can be reached at 217-408-2057. EDWARDSVILLE Real estate investment professional and entrepreneur Chelsea Coughlin will soon open the doors on an innovative, healthy alternative to fast-food breakfasts, brunches, lunch and tapas. Obar, Coughlins own signature fast-casual restaurant, will celebrate its grand opening in Edwardsvilles Montclaire Shopping Center, 1516 Troy Road, Unit B, on Saturday, May 18. On Wednesday, May 15 from 4 -8 p.m., the public is invited to an Eggstravagant Tasting session. The Obar food concept is taking the excess bread away from tasty and healthy food choices for people, said Coughlin, who is a Carlinville native. Growing up on a farm, Coughlin learned the value of a good breakfast and developed a passion for fresh ingredients and real organic whole foods served within the context of amazing flavors and healthy-size portions. Obars creative egg offerings and Coughlins signature coffee and tea recipes beverages infused with fresh fruits and herbs offer those who live and work in Edwardsville a destination for healthy fare, Wi-Fi, soft seating and a place to fuel bodies and begin the day. Freshly squeezed O Refreshers such as fruit-infused water and signature smoothies are also included in the daily menu. Tapas and freshly prepared alcoholic beverages will be available in the afternoons and evenings Thursday through Saturday. Soft seating, tables and workstations with outlets to power and recharge smartphones, laptops and tablets will provide a comfortable environment for a quick beverage or one of many healthy, tasty egg dishes. A breezeway and outdoor seating offer guests spots to relax and recharge as well. Curbside pickup and online food ordering are available, as are event space and catering menus, Coughlin said. My original recipes include omelets, scrambles and breakfast shoes, along with protein muffins, a new twist on French toast, breakfast pizzas and other healthy yet delicious choices, offer fast yet healthy solutions for those who want to start their day off on the right foot, said Coughlin. University students have an option to enjoy choosing from a flavorful, value-driven menu. Working professionals can count on Obar as a destination to recharge, check emails and plug-in their earbuds to keep current on the days news in between their appointments. Obar offers a comfortable, delicious environment for everyone. Obar hours of operation, beginning May 18, are from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Thursday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4-11 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Coughlins travels as a real estate investment professional have taken her to destinations far and wide. In return, she has taken flavorful ideas and offered them at Obar for those seeking a healthy alternative. People will love our experience, as it embraces a lot of the southern Illinois and Edwardsville culture, old and new, making it the perfect home for Obars premier location, she said. The parents of 5-year-old Andrew AJ Freund were charged with murder Wednesday, hours after authorities say they found what they believe is the body of the Crystal Lake boy wrapped in plastic in a shallow grave near Woodstock. JoAnn Cunningham and Andrew Freund both face multiple charges in the death of the boy, who was reported missing by his father a week ago. At a news conference Wednesday announcing the charges, Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said both parents provided information that helped close the case. Black spoke directly to the child after announcing the charges. To AJ, Black said. We know you are at peace playing in heavens playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer. Freund and Cunningham were charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, and failure to report a missing child missing or child death. Freund was also charged with concealment of a homicidal death. Police said both parents gave authorities information about the whereabouts of the boys body after officers analyzed cellphone records and confronted them with that information. Black, who did not take questions from the media, was joined at the news conference by Jeffrey Sallet, special agent in charge of the FBI in Chicago, which had joined the case in recent days. Sallet said his investigators have been out on the case around the clock since AJs disappearance was reported. Nobody was going to sleep and nobody will sleep until justice is brought for AJ, he said, telling reporters the investigation will continue. The cause of the boys death was unknown pending an autopsy. Police have focused on the familys dilapidated Crystal Lake home from the start, telling reporters there was no evidence AJ had been abducted. They said canine teams that only picked up Andrews scent within the residence indicated that Andrew had not walked away on foot. The body was found near Gayle Drive on farmland bounded by woods and a small stream. A neighbor who watches the property for the owner said McHenry County sheriffs deputies knocked on his door early Wednesday and said they were going to begin a search. Other agencies, including the FBI, aided in the search. Luis Maldonado described the area as fairly isolated. Its very quiet, he said. If they found a body here, I dont know how they found this place. Stephanie Diaz crouched in a grassy embankment off the road Wednesday and placed a small bouquet of pink and purple flowers on the ground. The 26-year-old Woodstock resident drives down the street every day to go to Elgin Community College. On her drive to school Wednesday, she saw a large group of police officers spread across the farmland adjacent to Dean Street. Later in the day, she heard the news that AJs body was found yards from her route to school. She stopped on her way home to buy the flowers. Diaz has a son just one month younger than AJ. How could you? Diaz said with tears in her eyes as she got back into her car. Back at the boys home in Crystal Lake, two women kneeled at a makeshift memorial for AJ that included teddy bears and toys left on the front lawn. In back of the house, piles of garbage were visible along with a discarded childs car seat. I came here to bring a flower and pray for that little boy, said Kelly Backer, 38, who lives with her three children in the nearby Crystal Lake Motel. Its too close to home, she said. To do this to a child is totally wrong. Early in the day it seemed clear there were major developments. Around 6 a.m., Cunningham and her lawyer, George Kililis, were at the Crystal Lake police station. About two hours later, Kililis walked out by himself and drove away. Around the same time, an evidence technician and other officers went to the family home and were seen removing a large tub, paper bags, a shovel and a small mattress. Handlers took a dog out of the house. A neighbor said it was Lucy, the familys brown boxer. Blue ribbons remained tied on poles in the neighborhood in support of the missing boy and a sign hung at a neighboring house said pray for A.J. A neighbor who lives across the street from the Freunds house, Janelle Butler, said that she first met the family when the boy and his mom came to her door on Halloween in 2017. AJ had bandages on his face and arm. She thought he was dressed as a mummy, but his mother said he had grabbed a pot of boiling water that day, was burned and went to the hospital for treatment. The boy seemed OK, Butler said, but, Thatll haunt me now forever that I did not call police. Andrew Freund and Cunningham reported AJ missing on Thursday. They told police that AJ was last seen at bedtime about 9 p.m. last Wednesday. When they woke up Thursday, they could not find him and reported it. An attorney for Cunningham said over the weekend that Cunningham had cooperated with police and willingly submitted to a complete body search. Later, however, her attorneys acknowledged they had urged her to stop communication with police when it appeared to them she had become a suspect. Police have called Cunningham uncooperative while noting that the boys father did speak with police detectives. In a recording of AJs father calling 911 to report the boy missing, Freund speaks calmly as he tells police that he returned home from a doctors appointment early Thursday morning and found his son missing after he went to check on him. Before calling police, he said he searched the neighborhood, a local gas station where we sometimes take him to buy treats and a nearby school, where he talked to the principal. He also said he searched everywhere inside the family home. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has had involvement with AJ and his family since he was born with opiates in his system in 2013, and the contact has continued on and off through the end of 2018. Until last week, the last contact between DCFS child protection staff and AJs family was in December. AJs younger brother was placed in the care of DCFS last week after AJ was reported missing. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin A. Ibrahim Almuttaqi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, April 25, 2019 On April 17, a record 80 percent of the Indonesian electorate cast their votes at polling stations. However, to borrow the famous words of former United States president Bill Clinton: The people have spoken, but it will take a while to determine exactly what they said. Certainly, the official results will not be known until the General Elections Commission (KPU) completes its month-long real count, which involves counting the votes manually at the subdistrict, regency/municipal, provincial and finally, the national, levels. Fortunately, a number of pollsters have released quick count results for those impatient about waiting for the official announcement. Based on a sample of votes taken from a selection of polling stations across the country, these quick counts indicate the likely results of the official tally and have proven remarkably accurate in previous elections. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. The Borobudur Conservation Office, in collaboration with UNESCO Jakarta, has opened a photo exhibition showcasing the decades-long evolution of the Borobudur temple in Magelang, Central Java. The exhibition, which ran until April 25 at the Nujiwa Community Gallery in Karanganyar, Magelang, was entitled Borobodur di Mata Suparno (Borobudur in the Eyes of Suparno) after the temples 67-year-old conservationist, Suparno. Curated by Hairus Salim, Transpiosa Riomandha and Dwi Oblo Prasetyo, the exhibition was held in conjunction with World Heritage Day, which is commemorated every April 18. Highlights from the exhibition included photos depicting modifications made to the famed Karmawibhangga relief panels, located at the foot of the temple, before and after the restoration. Suparnos photographic works document the changes made to the Borobudur temple during a major restoration taking place from 1973 to 1983. Photos of the Borobudur temple before the restorations serve as a vital comparison to its present condition, Suparno said during the exhibition's opening on Tuesday. I used to work in the chemical department. I was eventually trained as a photographer to document the temples restoration, he added. A photographer at that time lacked many of the conveniences available today in the digital era. Suparno and other photographers back then had to be very skillful in lighting techniques and they also had to be very savvy in dealing with film, especially when taking bird's-eye-view photos from a plane. Suparno's aerial photos of Borobudur were among the essential documents presented when Indonesia requested the temple to be declared a World Heritage Site, which UNESCO did in 1991. Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO cluster office in Jakarta and Regional Bureau for Science in Asia and the Pacific, said that a photo of Borobudur with a mountain and rice fields at the background reflects the cosmic philosophy of the temple's architecture. Apart from the photos taken by Suparno, Borobudur was also documented by Kassian Cephas, the first Indonesian photographer to have captured images of the 160-panel Karmawhibhangga relief that was blocked from sight by the temple foundation. Cephas photographed the Karmawibhangga relief panels when Dutch explorer Theodore van Erp discovered and restored them for the first time from 1907 to 1911. Read also: Borobudur temple to provide special route for foreign tourists Suparno, a staff member of the Borobudur Conservation Office who is also a photographer, poses with one of his works at an exhibition entitled 'Borobudur in the Eyes of Suparno' at the Nujiwa Community Gallery in Karanganyar, Magelang, Central Java. (JP/Bambang Muryanto) In addition to later photos of the Karmawibhangga relief panels taken by Suparno during the temple's second restoration, visitors may also view photos depicting the construction of Borobudur. Historic moments taking place at the temple were also captured in the photos, such as Indonesias second president Soeharto officiating its public opening in 1983. Moments of natural beauty, such as a total lunar eclipse seen above one of the temples main stupas, was captured by Suparno's lens as well. (rfa/mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Goh Yan Han (The Straits Times/Asia News Network) Thu, April 25, 2019 22:07 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734df231 2 Lifestyle Singapore,Lego,anniversary,Istana,travel,destination Free To mark the Istana's 150th anniversary, President Halimah Yacob will launch a Lego model of the presidential residence on Labour Day next week. The Istana grounds will be open to the public between 8.30am and 6pm next Wednesday. The Lego model of the Istana building was specially commissioned by the President's Office for the occasion, and showcases the Istana's neo-Palladian architecture with its surrounding verandas and grounds. Each Lego set is priced at $70 and all proceeds will be donated to charity through the President's Challenge, the President's Office said in a statement yesterday. Visitors to the Istana open house on Labour Day can also look forward to a space-themed exhibition and a variety of performances, including acts by special needs groups from Delta Senior School and Rainbow Centre. There will also be performances by Alexandra Primary School, Yishun Primary School, Nanyang Polytechnic and Temasek Junior College. At the Journey to Space exhibition, visitors will be able to control models of a Mars Rover and an artificial intelligence car. They can also take a closer look at the sun using a special solar telescope, and launch water or dry rockets on the Istana lawn. The exhibition is organised by the Singapore Science Centre with the support of the Lifelong Learning Council and SkillsFuture Singapore. There will also be booths for henna painting, balloon sculpting and ice cream. Read also: Lego boasts new 'highly detailed' Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle Those interested in the Istana's flora, fauna and biodiversity can sign up for a guided nature walk. The Lego model of the Istana building... showcases the Istana's neo-Palladian architecture with its surrounding verandas and grounds. Each Lego set is priced at $70 and all proceeds will be donated to charity through the President's Challenge, the President's Office said in a statement yesterday. There will also be a guided tour of the Istana main building, where visitors can view selected function rooms and collections of state gifts presented to the president and prime minister. Visitors can also learn more about Singapore's history and heritage at the Istana Heritage Gallery, which is located at Istana Park, opposite the Istana's main gate in Orchard Road. The Istana Heritage Gallery will be open from 10am to 6pm. Entry to the Istana grounds is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents. All other visitors are required to pay a $2 entrance fee. Topics : Singapore Lego anniversary Istana travel destination Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Thu, April 25, 2019 10:16 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734bf6f3 2 National wildlife-trade,pangolin-scale-smuggling,environment,pangolin Free Customs and Excise personnel in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, arrested two Chinese citizens for attempting to smuggle the scales of 44 pangolins through Kuala Namu Airport over the weekend. Customs officers arrested the two as they were about to depart from the airport for Guangzhou on Saturday, according to Environment and Forestry Ministry security and law enforcement center (Gakkum) official Haluanto Ginting. The pangolin scales were hidden inside a number of items such as wallets, pockets, pillows, bags, envelopes and socks, Haluanto told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. The two suspects, identified only as PF, 33, and XY, 28, are being held by the North Sumatra Police for interrogation. Haluanto said the case had been handed over to Gakkum for follow-up. He said the center had coordinated with the North Sumatra Police and the Chinese consulate in Medan. During the investigation process both suspects were placed with the North Sumatra Police, said Haluanto, adding that the two were charged with violating articles 21 and 40 of Law No. 5/1990 on the ecosystem and natural resource conservation. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra Thu, April 25, 2019 20:52 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734dda98 1 National #2019-elections,#2019GeneralElections,#2019PresidentialElection,2019-general-election,KPU,Election-day,election Free A police officer has died while carrying out his duty in connection with the 2019 general elections security operation in Hutaimbaru, Padang Sidempuan district, North Sumatra, following reports of dozens of officials and policemen passing away after working long hours during and following the simultaneous elections held on April 17. The officer, First Insp. Partahian Dalimunthe, died on Thursday after passing out while securing the elections in the district. Partahian, who regularly was assigned as a traffic officer with the Padang Sidempuan Police, died in the Padang Sidempuan General Hospital at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, North Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tatan Dirsan Atmaja said. Before his passing, he fainted from exhaustion. He was taken to the hospital, but he couldnt survive, he said to reporters at North Sumatra Police headquarters on Thursday. Partahians body had been taken to his familys house in Sabungan village, Hutaimbaru, for the funeral. Padang Sidempuan Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hilman Wijaya said Partahian was known as a policeman very committed to his duties. North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen Agus Andrianto said he would report the death to National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian for Partahian to get an honorary award for his work. We will propose a posthumous promotion, as he died on duty, he said. Partahian was among 16 members of the police and at least 144 polling station volunteers who presumably died from exhaustion in what has been dubbed the worlds most complicated elections. On April 17, in the first-ever concurrent presidential and legislative elections, voters casted five ballots for five candidates on a single day, creating a much larger workload for election workers than in previous elections. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Xinhua) Beijing Thu, April 25, 2019 22:04 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734df180 2 Business bri,Belt-and-Road-Forum,Belt-road-initiative,Xi-Jinping,Indonesia,China,energy Free The Belt and Road Energy Partnership (BREP) was inaugurated on Thursday in Beijing, marking strengthened cooperation of the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative in the energy sector. The inauguration attracts energy ministers, ambassadors and high-level delegations in the energy sector from 30 participating countries, including Venezuela, Turkey, Iraq, Indonesia and five observing countries. During the meeting, a document on the cooperation principles and concrete actions of the BREP has been released. According to the document, participating countries would strengthen infrastructure connectivity, enhance energy investment and promote cooperation in clean energy, energy efficiency, capacity building and personnel training. A series of energy projects have been launched since the initiative was proposed six years ago, Zhang Jianhua, head of the National Energy Administration said, noting that those projects have brought substantial benefits to relative countries. The Depok administration in West Java has sent a letter to the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) requesting an immediate ban of Garin Nugroho's film Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku (Memories of My Body) in theaters across the city. The letter, which was submitted on Wednesday by Deputy Mayor Mohammad Idris, raised concerns about non-traditional family values, "deviant sexual acts and blasphemy" that are purportedly presented in the film. Mohammad wrote that Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku contained negative elements that could possibly harm the younger generation. Depok administration spokesperson Sidik Mulyono confirmed its authenticity. He said that, through the letter, the administration intended to keep residents safe from deviant behavior. The administration objects to public screenings of Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku, specifically in Depok. We hope there would be an immediate ban on the film, Sidik said on Thursday as quoted by tribunnews.com. According to the official KPI website, the commission was enacted under Law No. 32/2002 on broadcasting. In accordance with the law, it is charged with monitoring content on public television and radio. Its jurisdiction does not extend to cinemas. Film censorship, which is the legal domain of the Film Censorship Board (LSF), falls under Law No. 33/2009 on cinema. On its official website, the LSF classifies Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku as 21+, meaning the film is only suitable for audience members over the age of 21. Directed by Indonesian director Garin Nugroho, Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku tells the story of a Javanese male dancer named Juno over four periods of his life. The film, which has garnered critical praise internationally, deals with the themes of identity and the nature of masculinity. The film caused a stir on social media after netizens signed an online petition calling on people to boycott it. Garin lamented the petition, saying it was proof that social media had become a medium of mass judgment and anarchy. This sort of mass anarchy will only discourage open-mindedness and harm artistic integrity, he wrote on his Instagram page, @garin_film. (rfa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, April 25, 2019 18:33 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734d9c16 4 City AJI,AJI-Jakarta,public-information Free The Jakarta administration has received a red average rating for its poor public information openness, according to a study conducted by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) released on Thursday. The administration was among 12 institutions assessed by the AJI. The rating was based on three indicators, namely proactive disclosure, institutional measures and processing requests. "Proactive disclosure means whether the institution provides information about who is responsible, whether the Information and Documentation Management Official (PPID) exists and the contact is available," AJI researcher Mawan Kresna said on Thursday as reported by kompas.com. "In the Jakarta administration, it is not completely available, and there is no person in charge," he added. For the first indicator, the administration gets a yellow rating, given for a score between 34 and 66 out of 100. The second indicator measures the implementation of public rights for information and supervision by an oversight body. The administration received a "red" rating as its score is under 33. "The benchmark is the presence of an officer. We also did not know who is responsible," he said. The last indicator measures how the institution responds to and follows up information requests. Kresna said the AJI had requested a copy of a gubernatorial regulation, but received no service. "We did not get the information or a response. The law stipulates that [a response] should be provided within 17 days," he said. The study was conducted in an attempt to evaluate the 2008 law on public information openness after 10 years of implementation. Responding to the study, Jakarta Information, Communication, and Statistics Agency head Atika Nur Rahmania, said the city administration had published all classified public information through the city administration's portal websites in accordance with the 2008 law. All requests for public information addressed to the Jakarta administration are responded to by PPIDs information service lines, she said in a written statement on Thursday. Atika claimed the public information openness by the administration had been classified as informative, according to evaluation by Indonesias Information Commission at the end of 2018, along with Central Java, West Kalimantan and West Java. (sau) (CNN) Shaymaa Ismaa'eel was attending a conference of the Islamic Circle of North America in Washington DC on Sunday when she saw a group of protesters holding signs against the Muslim faith and the Prophet Muhammad. So she asked her friend to take a picture of her while she flashed a smile squatting in front of them. "I really wanted to combat their hatred with kindness honestly," Ismaa'eel, 24, told CNN via Instagram. "I wanted them to see my face and simply walking by wasn't enough." Ismaa'eel, who works as a therapist with children on the autism spectrum in the DC area, posted the photo on Instagram along with a quote from Prophet Muhammad reading: "Kindness is a mark of faith. Those who aren't kind have no faith." The picture went viral on the picture-sharing platform, with more than 100,000 likes, and on Twitter, where it was liked more than 150,000 times. "On April 21st I smiled in the face of bigotry and walked away feeling the greatest form of accomplishment," she wrote on a tweet accompanying the picture. Ismaa'eel told CNN she noticed the protesters for the first time on Saturday, the second day of the convention, adding that most people were very upset by their presence and didn't appear to know how to react. She said that some teens tried to approach the men, but most people just walked by without giving them attention. For her part, Ismaa'eel said she kept thinking about the protesters during the conference, which included sessions on different topics including the Quran, the life of Muhammad, lessons from the Christchurch shooting, and so on. The following day, after spotting them as she was leaving the main building, she asked her friend Jamilah to take a picture. "My face honestly lit up when I saw them," she said. "I walked up as they continued yelling their hateful speech. I asked the police officer if I could stand at the curb in front of the men. The officer said 'no,' and in that moment, I felt like the biggest rebel." "I smiled so hard in the picture and the man started directing his speech toward me. Silly things like 'your face should be covered,' 'And you know it's a cult when you're walking outside wearing pajamas.'" Ismaa'eel said it wasn't the first time she had taken a photo like this. "I posted a photo back in 2017 when I was in college. It was the same message basically. Smile in the face of bigotry," she added. But she's still surprised how much attention this picture has received. "I'm a low-key person. I'm still shook that it reached more that 200 likes at most. It's refreshing to see so many people supporting." Her mother messaged her when the post was at 3,000 likes, urging: "Please be aware of your surroundings." "She's definitely nervous because it's clear people like that typically aren't the kindest. She's constantly reminding me to pray over myself," Ismaa'eel said. Her friends and family have experienced many instances of harassment or discrimination, she added. "Just this summer, my mom and her camp students were discriminated against at a public pool. So it definitely happens." Fortunately, the therapist said she had so far not received any threats following the post. "My sister in law and brother are patrolling my account for the most part. I had to take a step back cause some of the comments are interesting and I keep telling myself not to entertain anyone." This story was first published on CNN.com "This photo went viral when a woman 'smiled in the face of bigotry'" Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Maria Panina (Agence France-Presse) Vladivostok, Russia Thu, April 25, 2019 20:18 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734dd4fc 2 World #Russia,#NorthKorea,Vladimir-Putin,kim-jong-un,relations Free North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin vowed to seek closer ties as they met for the first time on Thursday, in talks aimed at countering US influence. Putin emerged from the meeting in Russia's Vladivostok saying that like Washington, Moscow supports efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he insisted that Pyongyang "needs guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty", and took a veiled swipe at the US for trying to strong-arm North Korea. "We need to... return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Putin said. The summit in the Far Eastern port city came with Kim locked in a nuclear stand-off with the United States and Putin keen to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint. The two leaders greeted each other warmly, shaking hands and sharing smiles, at the start of meetings on an island off Vladivostok that lasted nearly five hours. Putin, known for delaying meetings with international guests, was waiting for Kim when he emerged from his limousine. Both men said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. Borscht, crab, dumplings - Kim said he hoped to turn the modern relationship with Moscow into a "more stable and sound one" while Putin said the visit would give a boost to diplomatic and economic ties. Putin said he supported Kim's efforts to normalise relations with the United States and hoped to find out "what Russian can do" to help with the issue of denuclearisation. The two later shared a lunch that included borscht, crab salad and venison dumplings, Russian news agency TASS reported. Putin told reporters after Kim departed that he would fill in Washington on the results of the talks. "There are no secrets here, no conspiracies... Chairman Kim himself asked us to inform the American side of our position," said Putin, who was due to fly on to Beijing for another summit. Kim, who arrived a day earlier in his armoured train, was expected to stay in Vladivostok until Friday for cultural events that Russian media have reported will include a ballet and a visit to the city's aquarium. The meeting was Kim's first with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump, which broke down in February without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal. It followed repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. At the meeting with Trump in Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the talks broke up in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. There were no concrete announcements or agreements, but analysts said Thursday's meeting was valuable to both sides. "For North Korea, it's all about securing another exit. China talks about sanctions relief but it doesn't really put it into action," said Koo Kab-woo, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "For Russia, North Korea is elevating it back to one of the direct parties, on the same footing as China." North Korean labourers Among the issues that were likely discussed was the fate of some 10,000 North Korean labourers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Labour is one of North Korea's key exports and sources of cash. Pyongyang has reportedly asked Russia to continue to employ its workers after the deadline. Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim Il Sung as leader. The USSR reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. While ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launch of missiles which Pyongyang says are capable of reaching the entire US mainland. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Primastuti Handayani (The Jakarta Post) Seoul Thu, April 25 2019 The Korean Wave, known widely as Hallyu, keeps making headlines with the presence of boy band BTS and girl bands Blackpink and Twice. It dominates the Youtube charts, with BTS reaching total views of 5.45 billion followed by Blackpink with 2.98 billion. According to the 2018 Korea Foundations Global Hallyu Status Report, the number of Korean Wave fans reached 89.2 million in 113 countries. Some 70 million of them were in Asian countries. Jang Won-ho, dean of the University of Seouls College of Urban Sciences and director of the Center for Global Culture and Social Empathy, explained that the amount of Korean content exports to ASEAN countries had increased from US$800 million in 2015 to $1.3 billion in 2017. East Asian countries China and Japan still dominate the market with Korean content exports of $2.9 billion in 2015 and $3.3 billion in 2017. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Primastuti Handayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, April 25, 2019 14:06 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734cb0e7 1 World Korea,korean-boyband,Korean-wave,music,blackpink,BTS,kpop,ASEAN,hallyu Free The Korean Wave, known widely as Hallyu, keeps making headlines with the presence of boy band BTS and girl bands Blackpink and Twice. It dominates the Youtube charts, with BTS reaching total views of 5.45 billion followed by Blackpink with 2.98 billion. According to the 2018 Korea Foundations Global Hallyu Status Report, the number of Korean Wave fans reached 89.2 million in 113 countries. Some 70 million of them were in Asian countries. Jang Won-ho, dean of the University of Seouls College of Urban Sciences and director of the Center for Global Culture and Social Empathy, explained that the amount of Korean content exports to ASEAN countries had increased from US$800 million in 2015 to $1.3 billion in 2017. East Asian countries China and Japan still dominate the market with Korean content exports of $2.9 billion in 2015 and $3.3 billion in 2017. ASEAN is the second-largest market after East Asia, five times bigger than the North American market and 10 times that of Europe, Jang said. We can say Hallyu has attained great popularity in ASEAN. The same can be said about the fandom of Hallyu. The fandom of Kpop which is part of the Korean Wave has been known to be loyal in promoting their artists through good causes such as donating to disaster victims. ASEAN-Korea Center (AKC) secretary-general Lee Hyuk said during his keynote speech at the one-day ASEAN-Korea Media Forum to Bring the ASEAN Wave to Korea in Seoul on Wednesday that the Korean Wave had served as a firm foundation for the robust ASEAN-Korea partnership over the decades. This year, marking the 30th Anniversary of the ASEAN-Korea Dialogue Relations, the center now seeks to go beyond the one-way Korean Wave and bring two-way ASEAN-Korean Waves through the active socio-cultural exchanges between ASEAN and Korea, he said. ASEAN is the second-largest market after East Asia, five times bigger than the North American market and 10 times that of Europe. The forum was attended by 30 representatives from ASEAN and the media including members of the Asia News Network (ANN) to get together to explore greater partnership for promoting ASEAN-Korea exchanges. Apart from Lee, Korea Herald CEO & publisher Kwon Choong-won, Malaysian Ambassador to Korea Dato Mohd Ashri Muda and executive director of the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit Preparatory Office Suh Jeong-in also delivered their remarks. The ASEAN-Korea Center will continue to work with media stakeholders in bringing the peoples of the two regions closer and foster their mutual understanding, Lee said. Kim Youn-sung, director of the Star Collabo platform planning team, shared his experience on the production of hit dramas such as Mr. Sunshine, Descendants of the Sun and Goblin which are popular in ASEAN countries, including Indonesia. There is an increasing demand [for Korean dramas] in the ASEAN market. We can collaborate well [with ASEAN countries] and the AKC can be the hub for cultural exchanges for both parties, he said. I believe in the coming years, [collaborative] content from ASEAN countries will be accepted by Korean people. However, the mainstream media had been reluctant to provide Hallyu content for their readers. When Kpop groups like TVXQ, Super Junior and Big Bang started having concerts in ASEAN countries, then the mainstream media started to cover Kpop, said June Wong, chief special projects officer of Malaysian-based The Star. Herself a Korean drama fan and an ARMY (nickname for BTS fans), Wong shared how the mainstream media was losing to social media when it came to the Korean Wave. She added that covering Kpop did not provide revenue to the media industry, which was another hurdle. But Bae Kenny Kihyung, senior producer of KBS World Channel and Content, said the popularity of the Korean Wave coincided with the growing acceptance of social media networks. The growth of social media has created the environment for the global phenomenon of Kpop, he said. The Korean Wave industry keeps an ecosystem where it can continuously spread globally. Its just like Korean dramas such as Winter Sonata which was popular in 2002 that has continued gaining popularity with the recent hit Descendants of the Sun, which was popular globally in 2016, Bae added. The ASEAN-Korea Media Forum was a kick-off event of the festivities that the AKC is planning throughout this year, which marks the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-Korea Relations and the 10th anniversary of its establishment. Under the theme My ASEAN, the AKC will host events including the ASEAN Week in June, the ASEAN Train in October and the ASEAN-Korea Export-Import Fair in November. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, April 25, 2019 18:14 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734d927f 1 City jakarta,Jakarta-accidents,police,traffic-accident,TrafficAuthorities,traffic-fatality Free The police have named a 36-year-old man, identified only as AB, a suspect regarding a multiple-vehicle crash last Thursday. We name AB a suspect over the case after receiving information from witnesses. He was apparently the one who drove the vehicle, Jakarta Police traffic law enforcement unit head Comr. Muhammad Nasir told Antara news agency on Wednesday. Previously, the police reported that a man, identified only as 38-year-old DS, was the one driving a black sedan that hit a car and four motorcycles in South Jakarta on Thursday evening. The driver hit the other vehicles at five different locations on Jl. Rasuna Said, Jl. Dr. Saharjo and Jl. Minangkabau between 7 and 8 p.m. There were eight victims in the incident and seven were injured. They were Sandi Sutami, 27, Iwan, 19, Hani, 20, Fitriah, 43, Salsabila Hanifa, 15, Fani, 16, and Moh. Erlan. [Both AB and DS] were apparently in the vehicle. They are still being treated in the hospital after getting beaten up by a mob, Nasir said. Following a medical examination, Nasir said AB confirmed he was driving under the influence of alcohol, while DS passed the test. Both of them were not under the influence of narcotics such as marijuana, amphetamines or morphine, he added. AB will be charged under Article 312 of the 2009 Traffic and Transportation Law for reckless driving and causing major injuries, Nasir said. He could face a 10-year prison sentence if found guilty. (das) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, April 25, 2019 12:25 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734c7c7c 1 Business pertamina,crude-oil,imports,US Free State-owned energy holding company Pertamina has confirmed reports that it is importing crude oil for the first time from the United States. The shipment of around 600,000 barrels of imported US light crude oil is scheduled to arrive on June 7. Pertamina's vice president of strategic planning and business development, logistics supply chain and infrastructure, Hasto Wibodo, confirmed the report. "Yes it's true. The deal was needed to fulfill our daily needs for light crude. And much of WTI [West Texas Intermediate] crude has been exported from US," he said in a text message on Wednesday, adding that the deal was won through a tender. Hasto said Pertamina decided to import the light crude from the US because of its competitive price compared to other bids. "We usually import light crude from the Australian market," he said. Hasto also said the crude was shipped from the US on April 20, and that its final destination was Pertamina's Cilacap refinery. In April 2018, the Donald Trump administration expressed disappointment over its high trade deficit with Indonesia and announced that it would review the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) facility for Indonesia. GSP is a trade preference program that offers import duty exemptions for products from developing countries to promote economic development in the beneficiary countries. Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said in late March that the US would maintain Indonesia's Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) facility on the condition that the country fulfilled its requirement to make consistent regulatory adjustments. Indonesias 2017 trade surplus with the US was US$9.67 billion, up 9.89 percent from the $8.84 billion trade surplus in 2016. The country's trade surplus with the US grew from 2013 to 2017 at an annual rate of 8.47 percent. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, April 25, 2019 13:26 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734c9c77 4 Business Himbara,Link-Aja,venture-capital-firm,acquisition Free Members of the State-Owned Lenders Association (Himbara) have agreed to team up to acquire PT Fintek Karya Nusantara (Finarya), the operator of digital transaction platform LinkAja. The acquisition will be made through venture capital firms in line with Financial Services Authority (OJK) Regulation No. 36/POJK.03/2017 on cautious principles in capital injections that prohibit banks from injecting capital into any entity, except financial service institutions. Only two lenders PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia and PT Bank Mandiri currently have venture capital firms, namely PT BRI Ventura Investama and PT Mandiri Capital Indonesia. We will enter Finarya through BRI Ventura. This year, we will inject Rp 1 trillion [US$ 70.6 million], but for Finaryas entry, it wont be that much, BRI president director Suprajarto said in Jakarta on Wednesday as quoted by kontan.co.id. Meanwhile, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) plan to acquire venture capital firms so they can acquire Finarya. Shares of Finarya are now owned by mobile phone operator PT Telkomsel, a subsidiary of state-owned communications company PT Telkom Indonesia, but in the future, LinkAjas stakeholders will inject capital into the company through venture capital firms. BNI information technology director Dadang Setiadi said the company targeted to acquire a venture capital firm in June, adding that it had prepared Rp 250 billion for the acquisition. Previously, Bank Mandiri president director Kartika Wirjoatmodjo said that to acquire Finarya, Bank Mandiri, BRI, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) had to contribute Rp 300 billion. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, April 25, 2019 12:55 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734c831e 1 National KPK,West-Java-corruption-cases,graft Free The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Tasikmalaya Mayor Budi Budiman a suspect in an undisclosed corruption case, making him the fourth regional head in West Java to be charged with corruption in the past seven months. KPK deputy chairwoman Basaria Panjaitan confirmed the report on Wednesday, although she did not provide further details about the case involving the United Development Party (PPP) politician. Budi was named a suspect after KPK investigators raided his office and the Tasikmalaya Public Works Agency office on Wednesday morning, in connection to a graft case surrounding special allocation funds (DAK) and regional incentive funds (DID) in the 2018 state budget, Antara reported. KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said the KPK has seized a number of documents in relation to Tasikmalaya budgeting, although he did not comment on Budi's legal status and the case. Budi was questioned in August as a witness for suspect Yaya Purnomo, the then-Finance Ministry's head of housing and residential development financing, over a case of alleged bribery surrounding regional funds in the 2018 state budget. The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Yaya to six and a half years in prison for accepting Rp 300 million (US$21,204) in bribes as well as Rp 6.5 billion, US$55,000 and SG$325,000 in DAK and DID funds from nine regencies and cities between 2016 and 2018. One of the regions is Tasikmalaya, where Budi allegedly provided Yaya and two officials from the Finance Minisntry and Supreme Audit Agency with Rp 700 million. Budis arrest marks the fourth time a regional head in West Java has been arrested by the KPK since September. The antigraft body previously arrested Bekasi Regent Neneng Hasanah Yasin, Cirebon Regent Sunjaya Purwadisastra and Cianjur Regent Irvan Rivano Muchtar. Neneng was arrested for allegedly receiving kickbacks to issue permits for Lippo Groups Meikarta modern city project while Sunjaya was suspected of accepting bribes in favor of awarding administrative posts in his regency. Irvan was accused of receiving a portion of the regencys special allocation funds. After his arrest, a group of Cianjur residents celebrated at a city square. (ars) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, April 25, 2019 11:09 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734c19ad 4 Business Garuda-Indonesia,commissioner,financial-report,rejection Free Two Garuda Indonesia commissioners have objected to the flag carriers 2018 financial report, saying that the report did not meet the accountancy standard for including potentially misleading items. Commissioners Chairal Tanjung and Dony Oskaria rejected Garuda's financial report in a letter dated April 2, kontan.co.id reported on Wednesday. There is no problem [with our objection], as the vote was taken and [the shareholders] approved [it], Chairal said in Jakarta on Wednesday. The airline's shareholders accepted the financial report with the two commissioners' dissenting opinion. The commissioners objected to the inclusion of revenue from a cooperation agreement with PT Mahata Aero Teknologi and revenue and receivables from PT Sriwijaya Air in the 2018 fiscal year. Garuda's financial report to the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on April 1 recorded a net profit of US$809,846 in 2018, compared to a loss of $64.2 billion in 2017. The two commissioners argued in the letter that, without the inclusion of receivables from Sriwijaya Air and revenue from Mahata, the airline still recorded losses of $244.96 million in 2018. They said the financial report could be misleading because it had changed the company's financial position from loss to profit. As a result, Garuda had to pay more income tax and value-added tax that could burden its cashflow. Meanwhile, PT Citilink Indonesia, a Garuda subsidiary, said the low-cost carrier had installed inflight connectivity services under the cooperation agreement it established with PT Mahata Aero Teknologi on Oct. 31, 2018. We have installed connectivity infrastructure on one aircraft. This year, we plan to install [the service] in eight aircraft, said Citilink president director Juliandra. Meanwhile, undersecretary for financial services, survey and consultation Gatot Triharjo at the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry said that the dissenting opinion the two Garuda commissioners had lodged was in accordance with their supervisory capacity. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Thu, April 25, 2019 11:07 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734c1010 2 News san-francisco,Crooked-Street,united-states,travel,Tourist,tourism,Lombard-Street Free Visitors and tourists hoping to capture an Instagram snap while driving down San Francisco's most iconic "Crooked Street" may have to pony up an entrance fee. After years of putting up with traffic and congestion around Lombard Street, better known as Crooked Street for its steep hairpin turns, a proposal to impose a toll and reservation system is being considered in the California Legislature. According to the bill, the tourist attraction draws more than two million visitors a year, who queue for up to 10 hours for the chance to drive down the iconic street, snarling traffic and resulting in overcrowding in the residential neighborhood. During peak periods, traffic can stretch three blocks and even impact traffic on the state highway system. Read also: Tourists swamp San Francisco's famously curvy Lombard Street To remedy the situation, the bill proposes implementing a reservation system, in which drivers would have to book a specific time to visit. Entrance fees being considered range from US$5 to $10. Lombard Street is the latest neighborhood street to become overrun with visitors. In Paris, residents of rue Cremieux in the city's east end asked the city to consider closing their street on evenings and on weekends to reduce the number of tourists descending en masse on their pastel-colored, Instagram-friendly neighborhood. British woman faced 2yrs in Dubai prison for Facebook post DUBAI: A British woman faced up to two years in prison in Dubai or a fine of up to Dh260,000 (B2.27 million) for a Facebook post that she wrote in the UK branding her ex-husbands new wife a horse. policeimmigrationcrime By Poria Mermand Thursday 25 April 2019, 04:21PM Laleh Shahravesh, was convicted in Dubai for a Facebook post written in Britain calling her ex-husbands new wife a horse. Photo: Facebook / Detained In Dubai Laleh Shahravesh, 55, from London, was arrested on March 10 when she and her daughter Paris, 14, flew to Dubai airport to attend the funeral of her ex-husband, Pedro Manuel Coreia Dos Santos, one week after he died from a heart attack, aged 51. They were held for 12 hours before Ms Shahraveshs passport was seized, according to Detained In Dubai group. The teenager, who had recently lost her father and was now without her mother, returned to Britain and wrote to the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, pleading, I have not seen my mother in 23 days, and with every passing day, I feel less hopeful of her return. I ask kindly: please, please return my mothers passport, and let her come home. Ms Shahravesh had been married to Mr Dos Santos for 18 years and they lived together in Dubai for eight months before she returned to Britain with their daughter. A few months later, in 2016, she unexpectedly received divorce papers and realised from photos on Facebook that Pedro had remarried. In one Facebook post, which she wrote in Britain, she said, I hope you go under the ground you idiot. Damn you. You left me for this horse. She explained that she had no idea he was getting married again, and so soon after their own marriage broke down. I reacted badly. I lashed out and wrote two unpleasant comments about his new wife on his Facebook page. Ms Shahraveshs posts, written in Persian, were reported by Pedros new wife, Samah Al Hammadi, 42, from Tunisia, according to Detained In Dubai. As Ms Hammadi was in Dubai when the posts were written, Ms Shahravesh was liable under the UAEs strict cybercrime laws. Detained In Dubai, who campaigned for Ms Shahravesh's release, were made aware by legal representatives that the Brit faced two years in prison or a Dh260,000 fine. Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained In Dubai, said Ms Hammadi had since posted on Facebook that she was considering retracting her complaint out of respect for Paris. We are delighted to hear that the complainant is considering dropping the charges, however, it should never have become such an issue because the Dubai prosecution should not have allowed it to escalate as far as it has, Ms Stirling said. In her letter to Sheikh Mohammed, Paris said, I cannot emphasise enough how scared I felt, especially after losing my father just a week before, as I was having to worry about losing my mother as well. Yet even though I felt terrified on the day that we arrived, the sick feeling in my stomach only became worse. She said her crying mother had been yelled at by police and was forced to sign a document in Arabic which she did not understand, and that her mothers arrest had left her without the closure that I had wished to gain from attending my fathers funeral. Jeremy Hunt, the British Foreign Secretary, told reporters in Luxembourg that the Government was concerned by the situation and that Ms Shahravesh was getting the best possible service from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. The case attracted widespread international attention and British tabloid journalists were buzzing around the Dubai Court on April 11, taking photos of Ms Shahravesh, who was visibly upset. Judge Mohamed Mustafa Ibrahim Khalil said the case should be resolved quickly given the international attention it had attracted. Finally, after holding Ms Shahravesh for more than a month in Dubai, the judge issued his decision, convicting her of a misdemeanour and imposed a fine of Dh3,000 (B26,000). The judge had initially adjourned the case but decided to hurry it through due to the image that was being portrayed of the country internationally. Ironically, the UAE is heavily promoting 2019 as its Year of Tolerance, with Sheikh Mohammed stating, We want the UAE to be the global reference point for a tolerant culture, via its policies, laws and practices. Phuket hosts 109th Thailand-Malaysia Regional Border Committee Meeting PHUKET: On Wednesday (Apr 24), the Royal Thai Consulate General attended the 109th Thailand-Malaysia Regional Border Committee (RBC) Meeting in Phuket, held at Patong Resort Hotel. Safetymarinemilitarylandimmigrationeconomics By The Phuket News Thursday 25 April 2019, 12:15PM Lt Gen Pornsak Poonsawat (left) and Lt Gen Datuk Azizan bin Md Delin meet at the 109th Thailand-Malaysia Regional Border Committee Meeting in Phuket on Wednesday (Apr 24). Photo: PR Dept The meeting was chaired by Lt Gen Pornsak Poonsawat, Commander of the Fourth Army Region base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat the leading Army base in all of Southern Thailand and attended by Army Field Commander of the West-Malaysian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Datuk Azizan bin Md Delin as well as various other Thai and Malaysian delegates. The meeting, held biannually, addressed the performance of the committee during the past six months and issues pertaining to cross-border cooperation between the two countries. Gen Pornsak said at the meeting, The results of various activities carried out by the six working groups are invaluable to Malaysia and Thailand. These six working groups are Intelligence and Psychological Operations Working Group; Land Working Group; Combined Maritime Working Group; Air Working Group; Border Management Working Group; and Disaster Management Working Group. All working groups are set to work in all circumstances and prepared to combat any hardship or challenges with the aim to solve the common problems at the border areas. Close cooperation and coordination among agencies have strengthened and maintained sustainability, peace and stability along the border, Gen Pornsak told the committee. Phuket Town rolls out emergency water supply PHUKET: Phuket City Municipality last night (Apr 24) began rolling out water trucks to provide emergency water to residents without mains water supply in the Hatnanivech area on the east side of town the first such deployment of emergency water supplies in Phuket Town. natural-resources By The Phuket News Thursday 25 April 2019, 12:44PM The Phuket City Municipality water supply division last night made their first deliveries of emergency water supply to Hatnanivech village on the east side of Phuket Town. Photo: Phuket City Municipality water supply division The Phuket City Municipality water supply division last night made their first deliveries of emergency water supply to Hatnanivech village on the east side of Phuket Town. Photo: Phuket City Municipality water supply division The Phuket City Municipality water supply division last night made their first deliveries of emergency water supply to Hatnanivech village on the east side of Phuket Town. Photo: Phuket City Municipality water supply division The Phuket City Municipality water supply division last night made their first deliveries of emergency water supply to Hatnanivech village on the east side of Phuket Town. Photo: Phuket City Municipality water supply division The Phuket City Municipality water supply division last night made their first deliveries of emergency water supply to Hatnanivech village on the east side of Phuket Town. Photo: Phuket City Municipality water supply division The Phuket City Municipality water supply division last night made their first deliveries of emergency water supply to Hatnanivech village on the east side of Phuket Town. Photo: Phuket City Municipality water supply division The Phuket City Municipality water supply division last night made their first deliveries of emergency water supply to Hatnanivech village on the east side of Phuket Town. Photo: Phuket City Municipality water supply division Patcharawut Prompan of the Phuket City Municipality water supply division explained that last night was the first such delivery. The area affected is located just behind the Phuket Provincial Hospital. So far we have delivered emergency water supplies to only Hatnanivech village. We asked villagers to have their water containers placed by the side of the road at 6pm, so our water trucks could come along and fill them, he said. Two trucks were deployed to the village last night: one 10-wheeled truck carrying 12,000 litres of water, and a six-wheeled truck carrying 8,000L, Mr Patcharawut explained. We served only about 20 houses, not the whole village, as only some streets in the village did not have any running water, he said. We ill go back to deliver tonight, and every night, until normal water supply resumes, he added. Mr Patcharawut confirmed that the Phuket City Municipality water supply division had not yet been called to deliver emergency water to other locations throughout Phuket Town, but were ready to respond if needed. Water rations are now being considered. we are discussing that at a meeting this morning, he said. Phuket Town Mayor Somjai Suwansupana has twice warned residents that water rations will be introduced if the council needs to take urgent measures to conserve water use. (See stories here and here.) If the amount of raw water is not enough, Phuket City Municipality will have to reduce the water using pressure from 10am to 5pm and from 10pm to 5am each day, Mayor Somjai explained. This may cause people in some areas, such as far from water-supply points or in high areas, to have less water and possibly no water flowing at some times. If people do need urgent supply of water, please call the (Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation) DDPM hotline 199 or Phuket City Municipality at 076-211111 or the Phuket City Municipality hotline 1132 for help, she said. Water distribution points will be set up at three locations in Phuket Town: 1) DDPM office on Kra Rd; 2) DDPM office near the corner of Soi Pha-niang and Yaowarat Rd; and 3) Phuket City Water Plant at Suan Luang Park, Mayor Somjai said. We ask for cooperation from all the people to save water and keep a container of water to use during any water outages. And please notify the Water Supply Division at Phuket City Municipality at 076-211130 if you see any broken water mains, she urged. Omicron variant of COVID-19 detected in South Dakota The fast moving variant has swept around the world, with the first omicron case in the United States reported on Dec. 1. There are urgent causes for which aid groups have for years failed to collect enough money: The plight of Iraqi Christians, for instance, or food for those suffering through what the UN has called the worlds worst famine in 100 years, in Yemen. And then, very much on the other end of the spectrum, there are funding campaigns that not only meet their targets but overshoot them within days. The reconstruction of Notre Dame, French economists now say, may be one of them. The union of French construction economists, Untec, released preliminary numbers this week, indicating that the rebuilding efforts will cost $330 million (U.S.) to $670 million, not including tax. The calculation is not an official estimate and groups dedicated to preserving French cultural heritage cautioned that the final costs could be higher. The figures raised new eyebrows in France, after billionaires who rushed to save the historic cathedral faced a backlash over their donations all week. Depending on the estimate, $835 million to more than $1 billion in donations have been pledged, with most of the money coming from some of Frances wealthiest families. The first major donations were pledged before the fire had even been extinguished last Monday. Luxury goods magnate Francois-Henri Pinault said he would contribute $112 million, followed by his rival Bernard Arnault who announced a donation twice his competitors amount. Later on, LOreals Bettencourt Meyers family and the chief executive of French oil giant Total announced similar contributions. Read more: France wants to speed up Notre Dame reconstruction work Homeless activists outside Notre Dame demand a roof too Notre Dame fire was a warning bell. But will Europe listen? As the pledges were made, individuals associated with Frances wealthiest families argued the donations were tributes to the historical and cultural significance of Notre Dame. Pinaults wife, actress Salma Hayek, said the family understood the importance of this spiritual, cultural and historical treasure from Paris to the world. But Paris is also a capital city with almost 30,000 homeless people, where only wealthy tenants can afford to live near the revered cultural treasures in the historic centre. In some Parisian neighbourhoods, more than 40 per cent of all residents live below the poverty line. The wealthy central districts largely balance those inequalities out, which is why at least on paper Paris has an overall poverty rate of 14 per cent that is on par with the French average. France has some of Europes highest taxes and social inequalities are still less severe than in the United States, but anger over President Emmanuel Macrons failure to reduce income gaps has mounted. It hasnt helped that the former investment banker and youngest-ever president in French history has often appeared out-of-touch with working class voters. Last year, in an incident widely mocked by opposition politicians, he told a man struggling to find work: If you are ready and motivated, in the hotel industry, in cafes, restaurants, in construction, there is not a place where I go where I dont get told, We are looking for people. In recent months, the anger over inequality and Macrons perception as being a president for the rich spilled into the open, as the Yellow Vest movement took to the streets of France. While public support for the movement has faded amid outbreaks of violence during those rallies, Macrons approval ratings have not improved and the movements original concerns are still shared by a large number of voters. Those tensions and the debate over the reconstruction of Notre Dame merged last week, when Macron personally promised during a TV address: We will rebuild Notre Dame even more beautifully and I want it to be completed in five years. That promise sounded hollow to his critics, however, who recalled then-presidential candidate Macron vowing to work for everyone, back in 2017. On Tuesday, anger swelled once again after a soccer fundraiser in the southern French city of Marseille was used to collect funds for Notre Dame. Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson later wrote on Twitter that she left the event in protest. The money, she suggested, would have been better spent on children living in poverty. Read more about: TORONTO - Forcing gas station operators to display Ontario government stickers on the federal carbon tax violates their rights and freedoms, the provinces chamber of commerce said Thursday as it asked the Progressive Conservatives to reverse their decision. In a letter Thursday to the Energy Minister Greg Rickford, chamber president Rocco Rossi said the groups members are concerned about the political nature of the decals, which were unveiled earlier this month as part of the Tory governments fight against the federal levy. Our members including gas station operators have expressed concerns regarding the political nature of the stickers, viewing them as a violation of their rights and freedoms, Rossi said. Ontario has introduced legislation that requires stickers in English and French to be put on gas pumps showing that the tax has added 4.4 cents a litre to the price of gasoline and that will rise to 11 cents per litre by 2022. The government said last week the stickers will cost taxpayers approximately $5,000 to print 25,000 decals but that does not cover the cost to distribute them to the provinces 3,200 gas stations. Gas station operators who dont display the government-mandated stickers could be subject to fines of up to $10,000 per day. On Thursday, Rossi called on the government to scrap the section in the legislation which mandates the stickers. This initiative is an example of unnecessary red tape: it is both a new administrative burden and an increased cost to business thanks to the punitive and outsized fines for non-compliance, he said in the letter. Rickford defended the stickers, saying in a statement that the federal carbon tax will have a negative impact on every one in the province. Ontario families have the right to know exactly what the Trudeau carbon tax costs them every time they fill up at the pump, he said in a statement. The carbon tax will kill jobs and raise the price of nearly everything across our province, hurting every member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. The letter is a rare example of the chamber publicly disagreeing with the Ford government on policy since it came to office last year. Rossi points out that the chamber has supported the Tories on a number of pieces of legislation and the governments ongoing work to reduce Ontarios deficit and debt. The carbon tax is expected cost to a typical household $258 this year and $648 by 2022. Residents of provinces with the tax will be getting rebates on their income tax returns that start at $128 annually and increase for people with spouses or dependents at home. The federal government says a family of four in Ontario would get $307 this year. Ontario is one of four provinces, including Manitoba, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, where Ottawa imposed the levy because they opted not to impose their own pricing schemes on carbon emissions. CALGARYThis is the third week that veterinarians at the Calgary Zoo have been on panda pregnancy watch, but it could still be many more weeks before they know if any fluffy cubs are on the way. At the start of April, Er Shun, the zoos female resident panda, was artificially inseminated a day-long affair that used preserved sperm from two Chinese giant pandas. It was done with the help of a specialist from China and the zoos veterinarians, all of whom would have preferred she mate with Da Mao, the male panda. But Er Shun had other ideas. She just didnt fancy him, said Doug Whiteside, the zoos senior veterinarian and a professor with the University of Calgary in the department of veterinarian medicine. To us, he looks like a good looking male. But obviously to her, there's something about him, whether it's his looks or his behaviour, that she just doesn't like. The zoos pandas four in total live in separate pens and are on loan from China. They came to Calgary last year and will stick around for another four years. Back in 2012, the Chinese and Canadian governments signed a deal for a 10-year breeding loan of giant pandas. Er Shun and Da Mao arrived in Canada the following year to the Toronto Zoo and Er Shun was successfully artificially inseminated. She delivered her cubs, Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue in October 2015 the first giant pandas to be born in Canada. Now, the waiting game is on again. But breeding giant pandas is a challenge, to put it mildly. Every day for a month, zoo keepers would sneak into the cage to steal some panda urine which would then be stored in a frozen tube and checked on later. Whiteside and his team, made up of three vets, one vet intern and three animal health technologists, monitored the panda to determine exactly when she might be ready to breed. For pandas, timing is everything since they only have a one to two day window per year when they ovulate, he said. To pinpoint this exact day, her hormone levels were closely watched a zoo keeper would collect Er Shuns urine samples off the floor using a syringe (while the panda was moved to another room) then the contents were transferred into a tube that would then be frozen and checked on later. This happened twice a day, seven days a week. A drop in estrogen and rise in progesterone would indicate if and when her body was ready. When the time finally came to inseminate, Whiteside and his team had to act quickly. But he says there is usually a 50/50 chance after being inseminated and itll be several more weeks before they start ultrasounds to find out for sure. Thats because the embryo can go through whats called embryonic diapause where months could pass before it implants, Whiteside explained. The embryos will float around in the uterus and that can usually be two to three months. And then they might at that point in time, if the conditions are right, theyll implant in the (uterus) wall, he said. Once it does, gestation is only between 50 to 60 days long. Because the fertilized egg sometimes takes its time to implant, pregnancy periods in giant pandas have been recorded to be as long as eight months from the time of insemination to birth though the average is about four and a half months. In Er Shuns last pregnancy, it took about five months, which Whiteside said is what they're anticipating this time too. Its also possible for pandas to have a pseudo pregnancy, where it looks like the panda is pregnant, shes gaining weight and exhibiting behaviour associated with pregnancy, but is not actually pregnant. So if Er Shun gives birth in four to five months from now, it will be considered a big feat, according to Whiteside. It will be significant accomplishment for Calgary is she successfully gives birth to cubs, he said. It could also be a lot of work. When pandas give birth, the cubs are often twins and in the wild, theyre raised single handily by their mother until about two years old, when they separate and go on to live a regular solitary panda life. But before then, one twin usually dies. Whiteside said theres a way around that in captivity, however, and theyre prepared for it. Breeding programs in China have perfected a method called twin swapping, where one cub will nurse for a while, then the mother is distracted and the twins are swapped, so that they each get enough nutritional intake. If she doesnt produce cubs this time, however, theyll have to wait another year before trying again. But its important that Er Shun does produce more offspring eventually. According to Whiteside, every panda is an important contribution to the genetic pool of the species, which has less than 2000 of its kind left globally. Any of these pandas can go back to China, and have their genetics introduced to potentially young (pandas) that will then be released to the wild, he said. Every panda has genetic value within the population. Correction - April 25, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the number of pandas at the Calgary Zoo. Read more about: EDMONTONA skunky smell greeting travellers at Edmontons airport doesnt mean stinky critters are running loose in the area. The scent is coming from the Edmonton International Airports new neighbour, Aurora Sky, one of the worlds largest cannabis facilities, which produces more than 100,000 kilograms of marijuana per year. Aurora Cannabis, the company that operates the facility, is going to great lengths to mitigate any pot odour wafting over to the airport, as well as local hotels and outlet stores. Since the completion of the facility in January, the company has introduced two new exhaust units for deodorization, added 800 HVAC filters throughout processing areas and added 1,360 pocket filters throughout the grow bays. The facility also has an air-misting system and specialized carbon and charcoal filtration units that absorb contaminants and impurities from the air. Were committed to continuous improvement and we do this for a very specific reason we want to be good neighbours, said Cam Battley, chief corporate officer of Aurora Cannabis. Read more: Inside Aurora Sky, one of the worlds biggest grow-ops These police officers once busted grow-ops now theyre in charge of protecting them Aurora Cannabis margins contract as pot producer fetches lower prices The company said in a December email to businesses in the area that it has heard from a number of people working in and around the airport about its cannabis smell and was working to improve its odour control measures. The company does daily aroma audits at its 800,000-square-foot facility, Battley said, adding that the smell seems to be strongest at dust and dawn because of temperature changes during those times. One of the things that were doing at Aurora Sky is perfecting the technology of odour eradication. Weve done of a good job of that thus far, because its a closed a system and we control air flow, Battley said. However, we have noticed that we still have a ways to go to perfect this technology, not just on behalf of ourselves, but on behalf of the industry. Christopher Chodan, spokesman for the Edmonton airport, said it has received a handful of complaints since Aurora started production. We shared these with Aurora and will continue to monitor the situation and work with Aurora as appropriate, Chodan said in an email. Abigail Alfonso, marketing and tourism manager for the Premium Outlet Collection mall nearby, said there have not been any complaints from customers, retailers or employees. Officials with Leduc County did not reply to requests for comment. Battley said a common misconception is that the smell of cannabis can cause impairment. What people are smelling is not the cannabinoid the active pharmaceutical ingredient in cannabis, he said. In fact, its the terpenes, the aromatic compound that gives each strain of cannabis its particular smell and taste. Aurora is also building similar cannabis production facilities in Medicine Hat, Alta., and Odense, Denmark. Battley said the company is expanding the Medicine Hat plant from 1.2 million square feet to 1.6 million square feet double the size of Edmontons Aurora Sky. The company will use the methods to minimize the smell as needed in those facilities, Battley added. Just as we have advanced the technology with cannabis cultivation, we will also advance the technology of odour mitigation. Read more about: RICHMOND, B.C.Expelled Liberals Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott called out their former government over Indigenous rights on Wednesday, adding to the pairs previous criticisms that plunged Ottawa into scandal. In their first public speech together since their ouster on April 2, Wilson-Raybould and Philpott pointed to a lack of progress on urgent crises that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to tackle. My fear and disappointment, Wilson-Raybould told the audience at the First Nations Provincial Justice Forum in Richmond, B.C., is that the federal government has fallen back once again into a pattern of trying to manage the problem with Indigenous people and make incremental and limited shifts rather than reforming the status quo. Wilson-Raybould, former attorney general, and Philpott, former Indigenous services minister, resigned from their cabinet positions over allegations the Prime Ministers Office attempted to meddle in the corruption and fraud prosecution of Quebec-based engineering giant SNC-Lavalin. But in her speech to the justice conference, the former attorney general focused on her unsuccessful attempts to get more action on Indigenous issues during her time in government. She said that despite Trudeaus historic promise in February 2018 to create a framework for recognizing Indigenous rights, significant progress has not been made. This is something that a little over a year ago I expected was going to happen imminently, Wilson-Raybould said. Jody Wilson-Raybould, former federal minister of justice and attorney general, appears at a conference of the First Nations Justice Council in Richmond, B.C., on Wednesday, three weeks after she was expelled from the Liberal caucus. Read more: Exclusive: Wilson-Raybould absolutely ready for next salvo in SNC-Lavalin affair After Liberals boot Wilson-Raybould and Philpott, ex-Liberal director for B.C. says its Trudeau who should go From taking on teachers to running with bulls, Wilson-Raybould was raised to challenge power While steps forward are being taken, they are not happening as coherently, systematically or quickly as is needed. Still, Wilson-Raybould remains optimistic, saying Canadians want to address the way the country has failed to follow its own rule of law when it comes to recognizing Indigenous rights and title. She cited many times when First Nations have had to fight for their rights to land, which are already enshrined in Canadian law. She noted that Canadians from coast to coast are starting to understand the need for change after the tragic cases of slain Indigenous teens Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine. The deaths reignited public debate on how Indigenous people are treated by society and the justice system. The lifeblood of colonization is written in the laws of this country, she said. We need to ensure with respect to justice our voices must be heard and these policies and laws are based on recognition, not denial. Philpott, meanwhile, addressed the urgent need for housing and educational infrastructure on First Nations reserves, saying she was aghast at what she learned during her time as Indigenous services minister. She described the governments failure to live up to its promise of a health clinic for mercury-poisoned Grassy Narrows First Nation in Ontario and mouldy schools in Manitoba with holes in the floor, among other unconscionable crises no Canadian should be forced to accept. According to a spokesperson for Minister of Indigenous Services Seamus ORegan, who replaced Philpott, Ottawa has spent more than $21 billion to address areas of critical need. The government said it has lifted more than 80 drinking water advisories, repaired thousands of homes and schools and closed the funding gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous child services, among other measures. We know there is more to do, Jeff Valois said in an email, but reconciliation and continuing this work in true partnership with Indigenous Peoples remains at the key of every ministers mandate in our government. The Crown-Indigenous relations ministry replied that it will continue to chart a path forward that advances reconciliation, reaffirming its stated mandate to improve Ottawas relationship with Indigenous Peoples based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership. It touted its achievements settling Sixties Scoop litigation over children removed in the 1960s as well as enacting legislation on family services and Indigenous languages. Philpott also briefly addressed the SNC-Lavalin scandal, saying we will look back at this year and we will see democracy has been strengthened. In February, Wilson-Raybould alleged in testimony before a House of Commons committee she was subjected to veiled threats and months of partisan pressure to overrule her independent prosecutors decision to pursue charges against SNC-Lavalin. Trudeau initially called the story false, then accused Wilson-Raybould of failing to raise her concerns with him last fall, before admitting she had spoken to him about why she opposed intervening in an independent decision. Trudeau, who is a member of Parliament in Quebec, later said the prosecution would have cost up to 9,000 jobs in the province if the firm was convicted and thus banned from bidding on federal contracts for 10 years. Wednesdays convention featuring the pair, organized by the First Nations Justice Council, addressed proposals to reform the countrys justice system to address the persistent overrepresentation of Indigenous people in courts and prisons. Following the talk, Wilson-Raybould added that she was still talking with her constituents in her Vancouver-Granville riding and was likely not done with public life. I look forward making some decisions in the near future, she told reporters. I believe that my time in politics is not over. Cherise Seucharan is a Vancouver-based reporter covering health, civil liberties and safety/youth. Email her or follow her on Twitter: @CSeucharan Read more about: OTTAWAFive of Canadas leading scholars in fields ranging from artificial intelligence to Soviet history are being honoured with the $100,000 Killam Prize. The Canada Council for the Arts recognized academics from across the country Thursday for outstanding contributions to the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences and engineering. Winners included Universite de Montreal professors Andre Blais, an expert in electoral studies whose project examined the behaviour of voters and parties in 25 elections across five countries, and Yoshua Bengio, whose expertise in artificial intelligence has also earned him the A.M. Turing Award, known as the Nobel Prize for Computer Science. Dr. Stephen Scherer of the University of Toronto was commended for research that has shaped our understanding of the human genome and founding a database used in thousands of clinical diagnoses per day. Fellow University of Toronto professor Lynne Viola, a specialist in the history of the Soviet Union, and University of Waterloo systems design engineer Keith W. Hipel were also among the honourees. Winners are chosen by a committee of their peers. Previous winners include Victoria Kaspi, the late Mark Wainberg, and Nobel Prize winner Arthur McDonald. The Killam program also announced recipients of its research fellowships, which dole out $840,000 over two years to six scholars for independent research projects. This years group includes: Matt Dobbs of McGill University for a project called Unveiling the Cosmos with a New Paradigm Digital Radio Telescope; Dennis Hall of University of Alberta for A Green Chemistry Blueprint for Direct Catalytic Functionalization of Feedstock Alcohols; Catherine Sulem of University of Toronto for Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations: Wave Propagation in Fluids, Optics, and Plasmas; Marten van Kerkwijk of University of Toronto for Probing Extreme (Astro) Physics with Neutron Stars; and Xiao Yu Wu of University of Toronto for Smart Nanomedicine Combo for Treatment and Diagnosis of Diseases in the Brain. British Columbias finance minister says that provinces transparent land registry will push dirty money to real estate markets in other parts of Canada and Torontos at risk. If youre a money launderer, provincial lines dont matter, Carole James told the Star in an interview Thursday. Money launderers dont look at borders, they look for opportunities. If one province puts something in place and the other provinces dont ... it provides an opportunity, she said. B.C. is in the process of implementing Canadas most transparent land registry as part of a wide-ranging effort to tackle its housing affordability crisis. Across Canada, criminals have been able to buy property with dirty money by masking their identities behind numbered companies, and this has helped drive up real estate prices, especially in Vancouver and Toronto. B.C.s new registry will compel numbered companies and trust funds that buy property to reveal their true owners in an effort to cut off the flow of illicit cash. Read more: Toronto real estate is vulnerable to money laundering Real estate investigation is next for author of B.C. casino money laundering report How the laundering of dirty money in B.C. casinos was exposed Transparency is a critical piece of closing loopholes that people use to money-launder, closing the opportunity to people who want to take advantage of not paying their taxes, James said. You shouldnt have the ability to hide behind a numbered company, to hide the ownership of property in British Columbia. In Vancouver, drug money has been finding its way into the property market. At the same time, it is nearly impossible to determine the extent of foreign ownership of houses and condos and whether capital gains taxes are being paid because it is impossible to determine their real owners. These factors contributed to a housing crisis that was the biggest issue in B.C.s 2017 election. Housing prices in Vancouver had risen more than 75 per cent in the previous five years while vacancy rates were near zero yet many homes were sitting empty. When you have buildings where you can wander by in the evening and see two thirds of the buildings dark because nobody lives there, that has a huge impact on the community, James said. If we dont have teachers, or nurses or firefighters who can afford to live in your community, weve got big problems as a society. Premier John Horgans NDP government developed a 30-point plan to address the housing crisis. It included incentives to get affordable housing built, as well as vacancy and foreign-buyer taxes to discourage rampant real estate speculation. Were doing everything we can to end any kind of misuse of our real estate system. You know, homes should be there for people. They shouldnt be there for people to use as a stock market, or to be used for nefarious purposes, James said. While the federal government announced in this years budget an anti-money laundering task force that will work with police in Ontario and B.C., the few controls on money laundering that currently exist arent working. A Star investigation last fall showed that real estate agents have been widely flouting a law intended to foil money laundering. A report from Transparency International Canada this spring revealed that an estimated $20 billion in untraceable money has been used to buy GTA real estate in the last decade, much of it by anonymous numbered corporations. B.C. has been sharing the details of its approach with other provinces, none of which have made any moves to emulate them. Were the first jurisdiction, said James. This is a bold move. But in some ways, this is just a matter-of-fact approach ... to assure theres fairness across the board. Read more about: ELIZABETH, N.J.A Canadian man who gained internet fame as Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker has been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of a New Jersey man almost six years ago. Jurors in Union County convicted 30-year-old Caleb Kai McGillvary on Wednesday in the May 2013 death of 73-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy. Authorities say the two met in New York and the defendant stayed at Galfys home. McGillvary was arrested in Philadelphia days later. He alleged that he acted in self-defence following an attempted sexual assault, but prosecutors said his statements were inconsistent and also cited the victims extensive injuries. The Canadian gained some online fame after intervening in a 2012 assault on a California utility worker in which he described using a hatchet to fend off a further attack. Read more: Kai the hitchhiker charged with homicide in bludgeoning death of lawyer Kai the Hitchhiker, born and raised in Canada, faces murder charge in New Jersey Kai the Hitchhiker pleads not guilty in killing of 73-year-old lawyer BRACEBRIDGE, ONT.The mayor of a small town in central Ontarios cottage country says water levels in two nearby lakes have now exceeded those last seen during devastating flooding in 2013, and the weather forecast is not promising. Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith says a pair of lakes north of the community which has been dealing with flooding in recent days dont have the capacity to contain any more water and Environment Canada warns of another significant rainfall in the area on Friday. Smith told a news conference Thursday morning that Fairy Lake and Mary Lake, which drain into the river that runs through Bracebridge, are stressed already and more rain could be a significant jolt to the system. However, he noted that much of the existing snowpack has already thawed, making further meltwater less of a concern. Bracebridge and the nearby Township of Minden Hills have declared emergencies due to flooding, while dozens of other areas are under flood watches or warnings. On Thursday the Town of Huntsville also declared a state of emergency in anticipation of Fridays rainfall. Officials in eastern Ontario are also warning that water levels on the Ottawa River could reach levels last seen during the floods of 2017. Read more: Bracebridge mayor declares state of emergency amid flooding in Ontario town Conservation authority funding for flood programs gets cut in half by Ontario government Muskoka Lakes mayor blasts province over outdated water levels plan amid flood concerns Michael Sarich, senior water resources engineer with the Ottawa River Regulation Secretariat, says levels have been sharply increasing over the last week. Snowmelt runoff and recent precipitation have led to a forecast that indicates were going to be meeting at least levels that were experienced back in 2017, which was the flood of record, Sarich said in a phone interview Thursday. In 2017, levels and flows reached unprecedented historic levels, pretty well for most of the length of the Ottawa River. So there was significant damage: large sectors of some municipalities were affected and low-lying areas were significantly flooded. Sarich added that the impact on people in the area could be catastrophic, but noted that the region is much better prepared this time around. In Bracebridge, officials went door-to-door in some areas on Wednesday urging people to leave, although Smith said most residents chose to ride it out, while recognizing the risk of doing so. Officials from the Electrical Safety Authority would be visiting the Springdale Shores neighbourhood on Thursday, assessing whether to turn off power to some homes for safety purposes, Smith said. Should that change anybodys mind on whether they want to remain there, of course, well be sending in crews to make sure they can depart safely, said Smith. Premier Doug Ford toured the Muskoka Region on Wednesday, pledging the province would spare no resources in supporting affected areas. Environment Canada is predicting up to 50 millimetres of rain for parts of central and eastern Ontario on Friday, associated with a so-called Texas low set to track across the region. Read more about: MUSKOKA LAKESMuskoka Lakes Mayor Phil Harding is urging residents to protect their properties and to direct concerns over water levels to the province. Harding sent out several tweets on Wednesday asking the public to direct concerns over water levels to the province as the township does not oversee that function. People keep asking what the township is doing to protect property owners . . . regrettably lake levels are controlled by the province and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry who follow the Muskoka River Water Management Plan. This plan however, is significantly out of date as it came into effect in 2006, Harding tweeted. Read more: Evacuation recommended in parts of Bracebridge amid flooding Bracebridge mayor declares state of emergency amid flooding He acknowledges the anticipation of the flooding to be comparable to 2013 or worse. In his tweet Harding urged Muskoka Lakes residents to protect their properties; including removing items from docks and boathouses which could float away and to open garage doors to avoid damage. North of Muskoka in our upper watershed there still remains significant snow pack and as spring rains continue lake levels in Muskoka will rise . . . this year, the province and the MNRF neglected to draw down the lakes more this year vs. last year, hence our significant flooding, Harding said. In another follow-up tweet he argues that the data within the Muskoka River Water Management Plan is outdated and was gathered in the 1980s and 90s and is absent of climate change information and as such the plan does not address the issues facing properties. Harding goes on to say that both the Muskoka Lakes council as well as the District of Muskoka council have passed resolutions pertaining to this matter in 2013, 2016 and the township once again in February 2019. He is asking residents to address and direct concerns about the water levels to the province, Premier Doug Ford and MPP Norm Miller. Request the province to address the outstanding resolutions as well as the (Muskoka River Water Management Plan) to address climate change and protect property owners. Clearly to date nothing has been done. In fact, even knowing that there was greater snow pack in the upper portions of the Muskoka Watershed, tweeted Harding. Councillor Glenn Zavitz is in agreement with Harding. What the taxpaying residents of this township must endure again is beyond disappointing. High water and rising, damaging levels should have been dealt with at Queens Park by now . . . Why is the MNRF not revisiting the MRWMP 10-year plan instead of rolling it for another five years sight unseen? Enough is enough is what Ive heard from our mayor, Phil Harding . . . I intend to echo that sentiment and seek council support to craft a greater role and certainly a louder voice about this water that passes through this beautiful place . . . it should be enjoyed, not feared, Zavitz said. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry wasnt immediately available for comment. Lawyers representing the Ontario government are asking a judge to lift a stay on legal proceedings against three major Canadian tobacco companies so the province can pursue a lawsuit to recover billions in smoking-related health costs. Ontario launched its lawsuit against a dozen Canadian firms and their parent companies roughly a decade ago and the case was projected to go to trial late next year or in early 2021. But pre-trial preparations stalled last month after three of the tobacco companies involved in the suit sought creditor protection in response to a separate legal battle in Quebec. Quebecs highest court upheld an earlier judgement in March ordering the companies to pay out more than $15 billion to smokers in that province who took part in two class-action lawsuits. The companies quickly turned to the Ontario court for relief and obtained an order suspending all legal proceedings against them as they try to negotiate a settlement with all their creditors, including Ontario and other provincial governments. In a hearing Thursday, lawyers for Ontario argued their trial should be allowed to go ahead because the remaining 11 tobacco companies and organizations involved would not have to take part in mediation. Read more: Judge says he halted legal proceedings against tobacco companies to ensure fairness Imperial Tobacco Canada gets creditor protection in $15B Quebec lawsuit Appeals Court upholds landmark ruling ordering tobacco companies to pay billions I dont believe this court has the authority to compel non-parties to participate in settlement negotiations, lawyer Jacqueline Wall told the court. The trial cannot proceed without the three companies seeking creditor protection because the case includes joint allegations that involve them, she said. Wall said the province remains committed to the settlement discussions and, in the event the companies are ordered to pay damages at trial, it would not seek to have that judgement enforced while negotiations continue. As such, there would be no disadvantage to the companies nor the other provincial governments whose lawsuits remain halted, she said. The three tobacco companies opposed Ontarios motion, arguing that resuming trial preparations would distract from and undermine the negotiations. The province cannot claim to be committed to mediation while it devotes resources to a parallel process, they said. The fact that several provinces are pursuing similar lawsuits makes it all the more appropriate to seek a global resolution, they said. But lawyers for the Canadian Cancer Society, which is a party to the creditor protection proceedings, said going ahead with the lawsuit would in fact increase the odds of reaching a settlement in that case. In many similar cases in the United States, a deal was made on the eve of trial or even after the trial began, lawyer Rob Cunningham said outside court. It would enhance settlement because it would increase the motivation for the foreign parent companies to actually have a meaningful settlement discussion, he said. These companies are so big and (have) so much capacity, it cannot be believed that they cant walk and chew gum at the same time. Allowing Ontario to proceed would also help the other provincial governments by spurring better settlement talks and, should the matter reach trial, by making public millions of documents they could then examine for their own lawsuits, he said. He said the tobacco industry has historically sought to delay legal proceedings, and this is just its latest tactic. Ontario Superior Court Justice Thomas McEwen is expected to rule on the issue by Monday. McEwen previously extended the stay of legal proceedings, saying it was necessary to ensure a level playing field between the parties. The stay had been challenged by lawyers for the Quebec smokers, who argued the creditor protection process should be stopped if the companies sought to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. McEwens ruling on that issue, released Tuesday, said the stay would prevent the companies from applying to appeal while the creditor negotiations are underway. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version carried an incorrect last name for lawyer Jacqueline Wall. OTTAWAKatrina Adams has thought about getting a tattoo for all of her friends who have died in the past two years from opioid overdoses but she doesnt think she has enough room on her body for all the names. Instead, the 27-year-old has pictures of many of them in her Ottawa apartment, along with images of her two children. Opioid addiction leads to daily Russian roulette, she said. The supply of drugs on the street is unpredictable, a mix of different chemicals of different potencies. Ottawa police recently tested a sample of stuff being sold as heroin and found it contained no heroin it was extra-potent fentanyl, mixed with fillers. Adams knows from experience: shes overdosed seven times, including during her last pregnancy. Theres no way to tell what youre taking out there from one day to another, Adams said. I have died; I have come out the other side. Adams said she has found new hope, however, through a program in Ottawa where she can take intravenous hydromorphone an opioid known commercially as Dilaudid up to seven times a day, prescribed to her by a doctor. Participants live in an apartment building in a neighbourhood west of downtown where they can get regular medical care and support. Im not sitting in an alley shooting up with puddle water and (with) drugs that I have no idea where they came from, Adams said. As much as safe injection sites have saved lives because they are there to intervene when the overdose actually happens, these safe injection sites actually have no way of preventing the overdose itself. Dr. Jeffrey Turnbull, a former chief of staff at the Ottawa Hospital and president of the Canadian Medical Association who has worked closely with the citys homeless population for 20 years, is instrumental in the program. It began about a year ago as Ottawa faced the enormity of the opioid epidemic, with numerous daily overdoses and frequent deaths, and its aimed at exceptionally high-risk opioid users. They were injection-opioid drug users but it was all the poison that was in the heroin that were placing them at an even higher risk fentanyl, carfentanil, newer metabolites, he said. We felt that if we could take away the challenge of getting drugs, the criminality of that, take away the risk of a poisonous drug supply, stabilize the craziness of their lives then we could start to work on some of their other, underlying medical and mental health challenges. The Public Health Agency of Canada released new data this month showing that more than 3,200 Canadians died of apparent opioid-related overdoses between January and September last year alone a window into the epidemic that rages across the country, particularly in B.C., Alberta and Ontario, despite government interventions. The federal agency also reported fentanyl and other fentanyl-related substances continue to be a major driver of Canadas opioid crisis, with 73 per cent of deaths from apparent accidental opioid overdoses in the nine-month span involving the drug. The rising death count has prompted numerous health experts, including B.C.s provincial health officer, to urge the federal look at ways of supplying safer opioid drugs an avenue being explored by the countrys chief medical officer Dr. Theresa Tam and Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor. The latest federal budget proposes funding of $30.5 million over five years, starting this year, on targeted efforts to address persistent gaps in harm reduction and treatment. Specifically, funding will support efforts to expand access to a safe supply of prescription opioids, it says. Conservative health critic Marilyn Gladu said pursuing a safe supply focuses on the wrong things. I think they need to be looking at a more holistic solution with prevention and recovery, she said. I think people have compassion for those that are addicted but we need to get them off drugs. It is critical to both decriminalize and medically regulate the supply to save lives, said NDP health critic Don Davies. The problem, if we name it, is there is a toxic, poisoned, street supply, he said. Davies notes the death toll from opioids has gone up every single year. Does that tell you that (the Liberal governments) policy response is working? Its not. As political discussions unfold on policy, the crisis carries on. The rationale for the program Adams is in is similar to the one behind a managed alcohol program that has operated in Ottawa for almost 20 years, which Turnbull also helped launch. Participants live in a building run by a shelter organization and get rations of wine once an hour. When they arent always thinking about finding their next drinks, and cant binge, they can attend to other things. Studies have found that people with severe alcohol disorders who are in such programs there are versions in cities across the country have fewer hospital visits and fewer problems with the law than those who arent. It would be a game changer to think of making safe opioids available through different channels, depending on users needs, Turnbull said. He believes Canada needs to have a broader discussion about whether its on the right track in its anti-overdose efforts. I believe that we are going to have to think seriously about drug policy in this country in the face of an epidemic that kills more people than motor-vehicle accidents and suicides, he said. It is very hard for the police to arrest their way out of this problem and we are really going to have rethink how we deal with drugs and how we think of the criminality of drug use. Addiction accelerates to a point where using drugs stops being a choice, Adams said. She said expanding access to safe drugs would help give opioid users like her the chance to also see what theyre capable of, like rebuilding relationships, working toward employment and being able to make scheduled appointments. These might seem like small things in the grand scheme of things but for us, this is huge, she said. We are becoming functioning members of society again. Read more about: SAINT JOHN, N.B.Outside his familys restaurant at the Saint John Marina on Thursday, David Hickey estimated that more than three feet of water was being held back by a hastily constructed, makeshift barricade. The marina sign was almost completely submerged after what Hickey said was a significant change in water levels overnight. I was standing in the restaurant, and three feet ahead of you outside the door theres three and a half feet of water waiting to pour in, Hickey said. The eatery is in the heart of the floods encroaching on the southern New Brunswick city, Hickey said, though protective efforts started early enough to meet the rising waters after extensive damages last year. Theres a lot of others who are in a worse position than we are, without a doubt, he said. Relief efforts are in full swing as flooding continues to bedevil a swath of southern New Brunswick. Water levels were predicted to reach 5.4 metres in Saint John Thursday, rising to 5.6 on Friday. The provincial government warned residents that the waters are still expected to reach higher levels as the Saint John River continues to swell. The Trans-Canada Highway was fully closed from Oromocto to River Glade and could remain closed for several days, as the transportation department reported 84 road closures across the province. Officials said Thursday they were unable to say when the Trans-Canada would reopen. Greg MacCallum, director of the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization, said Thursday that forecasts have dipped slightly and may not reach last years levels, but warned they are still well above the flood stage. MacCallum said those in high-risk areas should pay close attention to the volatile water levels and encouraged residents to pitch in and lend each other a helping hand. This is a good day to reach out to your neighbours, to see if they require assistance, MacCallum said. We want to encourage everyone to reach out, step up and help you where they can. Everyone from community volunteers to federal officials and Canadian Armed Forces are pitching in to help even federal fisheries officers are aiding evacuation efforts in Fredericton, Quispamsis and St. George. Hickey said the worsening flooding is worrying residents who have just paid for repairs to damaged property from last years floods. He said damages from 30 inches of flood water at Saint John Marina last year led to expensive repairs to flooring to kitchen equipment hefty spending that would be difficult to match just one year later. He said he hopes all levels of government take the impact of severe climate events seriously as residents feel the effects of increasingly regular natural disasters. Weve got huge chunks of our community in Saint John and up the Saint John River being faced with these situations on what is starting to look like an annual basis, and its not sustainable, Hickey said. Across Saint John, other residents braced for conditions to worsen. The Saint John English School District announced on Twitter that four schools would be closed Friday due to flooding and impact on the sewer. On Darlings Island, residents are completely cut off as the road connecting the community to the mainland has been flooded. But resident Amy Grant said the floods have also brought out the best in the community. One neighbour, nicknamed Uber Rob, started transporting people back and forth in his small, five-seat speedboat last year and has continued the tradition this spring. Grant said Rob has posted his phone number by the waters edge, offering pick-ups at any hour of day. It really has brought the community together, Ill give it that, Grant said of the flood season. MacCallum said the recurring severity of the provinces floods has made the necessity of planning for climate change into stark focus. Its hard to define historic now ... Last year was a dramatic event and this year resembles it, he said. I would suggest we need to plan for a change in climate and we need to have enough flexibility and agility in our plans to be able to deal with these things. Read more about: WINNIPEGFamily members who have denied police accusations that they staged an anti-Semitic attack at their Winnipeg cafe have faced financial troubles, including a six-figure lawsuit from a lender. Court records show Oxana and Alexander Berent were ordered last August to pay $112,358 to the Business Development Bank of Canada for a design company the couple owned north of Winnipeg. Court documents show the bank had loaned the couple $150,000 in 2014 and had only received $40,000 in repayments. The case ended in a default judgment in favour of the bank. More recently, the couples son, Maxim Berent, was sued by the Royal Bank for $43,000 that the bank said he owed on a credit card. That statement of claim was filed this week. The allegation has not been tested in court and Berent has not responded to it. The three family members are owners of BerMax Caffe and Bistro, where police investigated a report last week of a hate crime that shocked many in the city. The business was vandalized and spray-painted with anti-Semitic graffiti last Thursday the night before Passover. Oxana Berent also reported being assaulted. Six days later, police said they believed the whole event was staged. The three Berents were charged with public mischief and released on a promise to appear in court in May. Read more: Owners charged with staging anti-Semitic attack at Winnipeg cafe Attempts to reach the Berents by The Canadian Press have been unsuccessful, however they told CBC on Wednesday that they did not stage the attack. We didnt do it. We had no reason to do it, Maxim Berent told CBC. This is not good for our Jewish community, this is not good for us. The family admitted to facing financial challenges putting their home north of Winnipeg up for sale to pay for business loans and also attempting to sell their cafe but said that would not lead them to stage an attack. Bernie Bellan, editor of the Jewish Post and News, met with the Berents on Wednesday night outside the cafe and said they appeared sincere about not staging the attack. Oxana was just shaking uncontrollably, Bellan said. She had to sit down outside. Still, Bellan said he has had questions about the vandalism since it was first reported last week, especially since police were already investigating earlier complaints of hateful graffiti outside the same business. There are many other businesses with Jewish names in the area that havent been victimized, Bellan said, and the assault on Oxana Berent was very unusual. This was unique in the level of violence and destruction. The BerMax Caffe had been a kosher restaurant until last fall, Bellan said. It now has signage that touts Italian-style pizza, French crepes and other goods. A Gofundme page set up in the wake of the vandalism has been taken down and the organizers of the fundraiser say they will refund the $900 collected for the family. Read more about: The Toronto police homicide squad has a working theory in the Barry and Honey Sherman murder case and detectives have an idea of what happened, one of the lead investigators told a court Wednesday. Its the first public indication in the 16 months since the billionaire Apotex founder and his wife were strangled that the police are getting somewhere. The detective also told an Ontario Court of Justice hearing that within a week, police are expecting a high volume of electronic records they have been trying to obtain since January, and that at least one person they want to interview has refused to speak to police. Others they want to speak to may have left the country or simply cannot be located, the investigator told court. But detective Const. Dennis Yim, one of five detectives currently working on the case, refused to answer questions in court from a Star reporter on what the theory of the case is and whether police have identified a named suspect or suspects. I think everything needs to be sealed because if the information were to be revealed, potential suspects would take steps to get rid of other evidence, Yim said during his cross-examination by the Star. This new information has emerged as part of a Toronto Star application in provincial court to have more than 1,000 pages of search-warrant material unsealed. Judge Leslie Pringle, who has authorized and sealed all of the warrants and production orders since the outset of the case, reserved her ruling after hearing arguments from the Star and Crown attorney Peter Scrutton. The bodies of the Sherman couple were discovered in the swimming-pool room in the basement of their home at 50 Old Colony Rd., near Bayview Ave. and Hwy. 401, on Dec. 15, 2017. After initially considering it a murder-suicide, Toronto police ruled it a targeted double homicide six weeks later. Sherman, a well-known philanthropist, founded the Apotex generic drug firm in the early 1970s and nurtured it into a multibillion-dollar enterprise. His wife, Honey, was a tireless fundraiser and member of numerous charitable boards and organizations. The couple were found seated by their pool, with leather belts wrapped around their necks and looped around a low railing, holding them upright. It is believed they were murdered two days before, on the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017. The cause of death was described by police as ligature neck compression. While the majority of the case information remains sealed from the public eye pending Pringles ruling, the Star has been able to learn some new details of the extent of the probe through its application to unseal the material. The material at issue is what amounts to an extensive chronology of the investigation to date, all contained in what are called ITOs information to obtain search warrants and production orders. Think of it as a road map through the police investigation. ITOs contain abbreviated statements from people the police interview, names of suspects (sometimes also called persons of interest), crime scene photos and results of previous police requests for information. Det. Yims responsibility on the Sherman case is to receive, analyze and process all of this. He told court his day begins at 7 a.m. and since the Sherman murders he has worked solely on this investigation. In court Wednesday, 10 large packets in manila envelopes, sealed with tape, sat on a table to Yims right. If one were allowed to look inside at the reams of paper, they would answer a lot of questions in what is arguably the highest-profile unsolved case in Torontos history. These materials the most recent ITO is 599 typed pages were filed in support of requests by the police for judicial authorizations which can be either search warrants to search a place, or production orders to obtain such things as records from banks, companies and cellphone providers, which maintain both call and texting records. In a modern police investigation, production orders are often used to obtain GPS tracking information from cellphone companies and automotive companies. The Star revealed last year that police investigated this case obtained production orders to obtain airline flight information from two providers of airline loyalty points plans. The identity of the owners of the cards remains sealed. The Crown is opposing release of all of this information on the grounds that, as Scrutton described it, the case is an active, ongoing investigation and any material made public could harm the progress of the case. In response, the Star raised case law to the contrary, including a series of cases related to the high-profile murder of Saint John, N.B., business tycoon Richard Oland. Within a year of Olands July 2011 murder, media lawyer David Coles was successful in having redacted portions of various search warrants released publicly, and before a charge was laid. (Olands son Dennis was eventually charged with the murder. His first trial ended in a guilty verdict by a jury but that was overturned on appeal. Evidence has recently been completed in his retrial, by judge alone, with a decision not expected for two months or more.) In the Sherman case, as of this week, the police have identified 243 people they classify as witnesses a wide classification of people ranging from friends and family of the Shermans to business acquaintances to individuals who discovered the bodies and others. In his answer to questions from the Star, Det. Yim said almost all of them have been interviewed by the police but one or more people (he would not say how many) have refused. He said he did not know the reason. They dont have to give a reason. They are not obliged to give a statement to police, Yim said. Asked if these people were what is often called persons of interest (one step below suspects in police vernacular), Yim said he could not answer. Police have also had difficulty with other witnesses they have identified. Some, he said, we cant find. Some may have left the country. At one time, in the first few months of the Sherman probe, police said 50 officers were working on the case. Yim said he is now the only full-time officer. Other detectives assigned, who are also working on other cases, include the officer in charge, Det. Sgt. Brandon Price; the former officer in charge, Insp. Susan Gomes (she now runs the police forces operations centre but is still involved in the Sherman probe), Det. Const. Kristy Devine, and an officer Yim did not identify in the intelligence unit of the force. The intelligence unit does analysis and also is often involved in covert operations, court heard. Court heard Wednesday that only a handful of interviews have been done since last September. The focus has shifted to analyzing DNA collected at the scene, security-camera footage and the massive amount of records obtained from production orders. Yim revealed to court that within a week he and his fellow officers will receive a high volume of electronic records from an entity. He said it is in response to a production order served on the entity in January. Asked if this was a significant break in the case, Yim said he could not respond without breaching the sealing orders. Asked if it is unusual for there to be such a delay in responding to a court order, Yim said he has dealt with this entity before and it is not unusual. The police investigation has also recently received 279 tips from lawyer Brian Greenspan and the team of private investigators who are employed by the four Sherman children in what was referred to in court as a parallel investigation. These are tips, court heard, that came to the Greenspan team following the posting by the Sherman family of a $10-million reward. The Star asked if Detective Yim was aware that some of these tips came from psychics who had called into the private investigators tip line. Yim said he could not reveal any information about the contents of the tips, including whether they were of value, though court was told they came to the police in weekly batches beginning on January 4 of this year. Yim said one of his primary concerns is that if the ITO information was made public, revealing the identities of the people police have interviewed, there would be safety and other concerns. Witnesses who have given us statements, if their information was to be revealed prior to any arrest they wouldnt be comfortable giving us a statement again, he said. If the perpetrators were to find out that these people had given a statement these witnesses would have concern for their safety because now the perpetrators know they have given a statement to police. The Star, in its argument, pointed to Supreme Court of Canada cases that require police to be specific, not speculative, in suggesting there was a danger in revealing information from ITOs. Yim was asked by the Star if he, in his experience, had any specific knowledge of an investigation being harmed in this manner and he said he did not. Asked if he knew of any of the 243 witnesses who had told the police they have a concern for their safety, Yim replied: I am not aware. Pringle told court she will review the material and release her judgment in the near future. She said she acknowledged the frustration of people who wanted to know what has been happening in the investigation, and those frustrated by the time it has taken to probe the murders. I think everyone wishes there had been an arrest in this case, Pringle said. Previous stories in the Star, reporting on earlier court challenges in this matter, stated that as of last Oct. 31 there had been 37 search warrants and production orders. Yim told court that previous information reflected a different way of counting the various orders. He said Wednesday that to date there have actually been 35 judicial authorizations eight for warrants and the remainder being production orders. Some of those orders gave police the authority to obtain more than one series of records (for example, cellular records from several telephone numbers). He said that in total they have received 78 batches of records or physical items. The most recent ITO was authorized by Justice Pringle on Jan. 29, 2019. More are being prepared this week, Yim said. Read more about: An elderly Waterloo man, who allegedly participated in Nazi death squads during the Second World War, has lost a two-decade-long legal battle to keep his Canadian citizenship and avoid deportation. In a decision released Wednesday, the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Helmut Oberlanders bid to appeal a 2018 Federal Court ruling that found Ottawa had acted reasonably in stripping him of his citizenship. The decision was welcomed by Canadas Jewish community and the Liberal government, which must now decide whether or not to issue a removal order to deport Oberlander to Germany or Ukraine. The government said it is currently reviewing the situation and examining next steps. This closes the book on Nazi enablers in this country, said Bernie Farber, former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress and a human rights advocate. He participated in and enabled the work of the most notorious Nazi killing unit. It took so long for justice to be carried out. He never had a right to be in this country. The Ukraine-born Oberlander, now 95, has steadfastly maintained he was just 17 when he was forced to join the Nazi death squad Einsatzkommando 10a, known as Ek 10a, which was responsible for killing close to 100,000 people, mostly Jewish. He has argued that he served as an interpreter and that there is no evidence he took part in any atrocities, but the federal government contends that because he was part of the squad, he was complicit in the crimes. This decision further supports our mandate to deny safe haven in Canada to war criminals and persons believed to have committed or been complicit in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, said Mathieu Genest, spokesperson for Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen. It is important that applicants be truthful and transparent when applying for Canadian Citizenship. Oberlander and his wife came to Canada in 1954, and he became a citizen six years later. He did not disclose his wartime experience on his citizenship application. The legal case against Oberlander began in 1995. In 2001, he was stripped of his citizenship by the federal cabinet after a court found he had lied about his service as an interpreter with the Nazi death squad a decision that was overturned in 2004 and sent back to cabinet for reconsideration. In 2007, he was stripped of his citizenship again and faced another deportation hearing. In 2009, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the federal cabinet must again revisit the decision to strip Oberlander of his citizenship and consider whether he was forced to join the Nazis under duress. Then in December 2012, Ottawa filed another order-in-council to revoke his citizenship. The move was challenged by Oberlander in Federal Court and dismissed in 2015. In June 2017, the government revoked the retired land developers citizenship for the fourth time, and another legal challenge ensued. In November, the court ruled in favour of the government and Oberlander once again took the case to the appeal court. In his latest appeal, Oberlander had argued that Justice Michael Phelan was biased because the judge had previously in 2008 made a finding in his case that he contributed to war crimes or crimes against humanity. The mere fact a judge was involved in an earlier decision and made findings adverse to a party does not, in and of itself, give rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias, wrote Justice Richard Boivin in a unanimous decision on behalf of colleagues Donald Rennie and Yves De Montigny in closing the file. To proceed from the assumption that a prior adverse finding of the fact was made constitutes a foundation for bias would have serious implications for the administration of justice. In a statement to the Star Thursday, Oberlanders daughter, Irene Rooney, said the family was devastated with the appeal court decision. The case has been in the Canadian courts for 24 years and is of national importance. We have previously won three times in the Federal Court of Appeal, she wrote. Mr. Oberlander is now 95 years old. He has health issues. He wants nothing more than to have his Canadian citizenship and his reputation restored. He was proudly granted his citizenship in 1960, almost 60 years ago, and has had to endure government challenges for 24 years despite major victories in the Canadian courts. Farber said he is both relieved and troubled that the case has dragged on for so long. It sent out the wrong message that if you committed this kind of crime, you still got to stay in Canada for decades if you know how to play the system, he said. Age should not be an excuse in matters of enabling the Nazi war machine. Let us remember these people as they were at the time, young, committed bullies of a brutal murderous regime. Many people were murdered simply because they were Jewish. They never had the opportunity to see life. This crime cannot be forgiven. Oberlanders lawyer Ronald Poulton said the family is considering an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, which must be filed in 60 days. With files from Debra Black and The Canadian Press Read more about: Toronto police have arrested a man after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 29-year-old woman twice at the Union Station bus terminal earlier this week. Police say that on Monday at roughly 10 p.m., a man followed the woman into the ladies washroom at the terminal and proceeded to look over the divider at her. The woman left the washroom, and shortly after the man approached her while she was sitting on a bench and sexually assaulted her. When she boarded a bus, the man followed her and sexually assaulted her again. Yamal Mohatar, 33, of Toronto, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with voyeurism, forcible confinement, and two counts of sexual assault. He appeared in court on Thursday. Police are concerned there may be more victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7474 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). Ilya Banares is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @ilyaoverseas Read more about: A Toronto man convicted of the unprovoked fatal shooting of a young man a judge described as quiet, happy and loving was sent to prison for life Thursday with no parole eligibility for 14 years. In passing the sentence, Superior Court Justice Michael Dambrot said he found that Simeon Harty, 25, was behind the wheel of a car when he fatally shot Kevin Gidden, 23, as he sat in the front passenger seat of Honda Civic stopped at the traffic lights at Lawrence Ave. E. and Orton Park Rd.. early Oct. 27, 2016. Harty was also sentenced to 10 years, minus two years and five months for pre-sentence custody, after a jury this past winter also convicted him of discharging a firearm with intent to wound, maim, disfigure or endanger the life of Kemar McFarlane, who was driving the Honda. McFarlane, who escaped injury, suffered severe emotional scarring after the ambush and continues to suffer from anxiety, debilitating fear and night terrors, Dambrot said. Both Harty and the passenger in his Mazda that night, Walid Zakaria, testified during the trial that Zakaria was the sole shooter, and that he fired a gun through the drivers window from the front passenger seat. Dambrot rejected that scenario. This is entirely inconsistent with the physical evidence, particularly the ejection of cartridge cases into the street rather than into the Mazda, Dambrot wrote. The judge also dismissed Zakarias testimony that the victims verbally taunted them I find as fact that this did not happen, or that Gidden was holding a gun, which the judge said is also entirely inconsistent with physical evidence. I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that there was no gun in Mr. McFarlanes car. Dambrot said there was no motive for the shooting. Harty and Zakaria tailed the victims from a gas station after seeing McFarlane inside a convenience store. McFarlane testified they were staring at him and making him feel uncomfortable. The judge rejected the Crowns recommendation that Harty receive a longer 18-year parole eligibility period, citing his modest criminal record, relative young age, employment and volunteer history. Dambrot noted he received letters praising Harty written by other inmates, who admired him for his fairness, respectfulness and honesty, and for being a peace maker. He clearly has prospects for rehabilitation. Defence lawyer Craig Bottomley had asked for parole eligibility to be set at 12 to 13 years. The sentence reflected the need for the protection from dangerous individuals like Harty who shoot people in public places, said retired homicide detective Gary Giroux, who came to court Thursday for the sentencing. Read more: No, Im the killer: A witness testified he was the real murderer. The Toronto jury still convicted the defendant Torontos longest-serving homicide cop is retiring. Heres how he says his job has changed Toronto police are asking the public for help finding a suspect after a stabbing in Cabbagetown earlier this week. The stabbing happened after two men became involved in an argument near Dundas St. E. and Sherbourne St. on Tuesday, police said in a news release. One of the men stabbed the other in the chest and then fled the area, police said. The other man was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Donovan Wynn, 42, of Toronto, is wanted for attempted murder and assault with a weapon. Hes described as five-foot-10 and 170 pounds, with a medium build and brown eyes. Police warn that hes considered armed, violent and dangerous and should not be approached if found. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5104 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477. The TTC and Bombardier have quietly reached a settlement over the transit agencys multimillion-dollar claim against the company for Torontos notoriously delayed streetcar order. Neither the TTC nor Bombardier would disclose the terms of the agreement, which was signed in January but not publicly announced. TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said the details are confidential under dispute resolution process in the $1-billion, 204-vehicle contract. The settlement comes as Bombardier races to overcome years of production problems to deliver the current fleet by the scheduled end date of 2019. Green wouldnt say whether the settlement would cover all the costs Torontos transit agency incurred as a result of Bombardiers production delays, which the TTC has previously said have run into tens of millions of dollars. The contract for the order, which the TTC placed in 2009, allows for the transit agency to claim up to about $50 million in liquidated damages from Bombardier. But a source with knowledge of the dispute told the Star the agency didnt seek the full amount and instead claimed closer to $35 million. The TTC is currently contemplating its next expensive order for new streetcars, a purchase from which the Quebec-based manufacturer has not been excluded. TTC staff have said going with another company could lead to more delays and costly redundancies. Councillor and TTC board member Shelley Carroll wouldnt discuss specifics of the settlement, but said although negotiations got really tense at times, the two sides ended up in a very fair place. Read more: Bombardiers valuation tumbles after cutting forecast Bombardier cuts financial outlook, full-year revenue guidance down by $1B (U.S.) How Fords clawback of gas tax revenues could affect TTC service Carroll said in addition to monetary terms, the settlement included non-financial aspects aimed at facilitating co-operation between the transit agency and manufacturer to make sure that we get the best out of those vehicles and get the vehicles on time. The TTC has been working with Bombardier to speed up deliveries and address ongoing reliability issues affecting the new streetcars, which have so far failed to meet performance targets spelled out in the contract. Certainly what we have now allows for us to continue a working relationship around these vehicles, said Carroll (Ward 17, Don Valley North). Bombardier didnt answer questions about the settlement Wednesday. The TTC board authorized taking legal action against Bombardier in October 2015, after the company fell badly behind in delivering the current order of vehicles. According to the agreed-upon schedule, Bombardier was supposed to have supplied 73 cars by the end of 2015, but by the summer of that year reduced that target to just 27 vehicles. Complicating the process was that early on Bombardier launched its own claims against the TTC related to design specifications for the streetcar. Although he wouldnt get into specifics, Green said the settlement resolved all outstanding contractual claims, including the TTC liquidated damages claim against Bombardier and Bombardiers claims against the TTC. A report that went to the board last year said the TTC would require 60 additional streetcars on top of the 204 it has already ordered from Bombardier to meet demand until 2023. The contract with Bombardier includes an option to buy additional cars from the company, but the manufacturers performance prompted the board to seek out other potential suppliers for the purchase. A market sounding exercise the TTC launched in 2017 identified up to five manufacturers that might be able to supply the additional 60 cars, including Bombardier. While extending the contract with Bombardier after it fell behind on the existing order could be unpopular with the transit-riding public, the report suggested that by some key measures it would be preferable to go back to Bombardier for the next vehicle purchase. Buying cars from another supplier would be less efficient because having two types of new vehicles in the fleet would require two sets of spare parts and two maintenance and operating procedures for employees to learn, as well as imposing on the TTC additional administrative costs of managing two large vehicle contracts. And while the TTC estimated Bombardier could begin supplying the additional 60 cars by the third quarter of 2020, a new manufacturer might take until 2023 to even supply a prototype that would meet the agencys specifications. A report expected to include recommendations about the next streetcar order was scheduled to go to the TTC board by last month, but has yet to be published. The purchase of the additional 60 cars, expected to cost $360 million, was not funded in the TTC budget council approved in March. In 2016, transit agency staff said the agency would need to spend $34 million to keep older model streetcars in service longer as a result of Bombardiers delays. That figure doesnt account for a separate $26-million streetcar life-extension program that failed to meet its objectives. The TTC has also blamed Bombardiers production woes for forcing it to supplement streetcar service with buses on some routes. The change is costly because buses carry fewer passengers than streetcars and require more drivers to meet ridership demand. Bombardier has increased its production output and as of Wednesday the TTC had 141 of the cars in service. The manufacturer says its on track to supply all 204 vehicles by the end of this year as scheduled. Green said the TTC remains optimistic Bombardiers recent improvements have made the year-end target achievable. On Thursday, Bombardier lost as much as a quarter of its value and bonds plunged after the company cut its 2019 sales forecast amid new struggles at its train-making business. In addition to its well-documented struggles with the TTC order, the rail division of the company, which also makes commercial aircraft, has been plagued by missteps on high-profile projects in New York and Europe. With files from Bloomberg Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr Read more about: (Bloomberg) -- Bombardier Inc. said full-year sales and profit will be lower than expected as it struggles with a slower project ramp up at its rail arm. Consolidated revenue for the 12 months will be about $1 billion less than forecast, while earnings before interest and tax may drop below the previously guided range, Montreal-based Bombardier said in a statement Thursday. The Canadian transportation giant revised its outlook amid a slower than anticipated acceleration in production on key rail projects. The timing of aircraft deliveries also led to a soft first quarter for the group, though the shortfall should be recovered and financial targets for the division met, Chief Executive Officer Alain Bellemare said. Revenue from rail will be about $750 million lower for the year, as Bombardier seeks to better synchronize output with customer demand. A transformation plan for the aerospace business remains on track, with the divestment of the Q400 turboprop plane program expected mid-year, Bellemare said. To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Jasper in London at cjasper@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net, Andrew Noel 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Bombardier Inc. lost as much as a quarter of its value and bonds plunged after the company cut its 2019 sales forecast amid new struggles at its train-making business. A slower production ramp-up on some rail projects dented first-quarter sales and accounted for most of the $1 billion cut to the 2019 revenue outlook, Bombardier said in a statement Thursday. The timing of aircraft deliveries also hurt first-quarter results, though the company said it should be able to recover the shortfall during the rest of the year. We had a soft first quarter driven by the timing of aircraft deliveries, foreign-exchange headwind and a slower production ramp-up at Transportation, which makes trains, Chief Executive Officer Alain Bellemare said in the statement. The weaker forecast adds to the pressure on the rail-equipment division, Bombardiers biggest, which has been plagued by missteps on high-profile projects in New York, Toronto and Europe. Bellemare, who is in the fourth year of a five-year turnaround plan, is counting on the business for about half of Bombardier sales as he pares the commercial-aircraft business to focus on making trains and private jets. This company has been in a state of constant restructuring, its been a consistent over promises under deliver, said John OConnell, CEO of Toronto-based investment manager Davis Rea Ltd. The timing of the forecast cut is dodgy, considering that Bombardier just did its liability management last month. The companys widely traded B shares sank 17 percent to $2.43 at 9:34 a.m. in Toronto after sliding as much as 25 percent for the biggest intraday drop in almost five months. Bombardier had advanced 44 percent this year through Wednesday, compared with a 20 percent gain for a Standard & Poors index of Canadian industrial companies. Bond Drop Bombardiers $2 billion (U.S.) in bonds due 2027 dropped as much as 3.1 percent, the most since they started trading in March. Notes due 2023 declined 3 cents to 101 cents on the dollar. The cost of insuring the companys bonds in credit-default swaps markets for five years widened 66 basis points to 422 basis points, the most since Nov. 16, according to data provider CMA. Sales from rail will be about $750 million lower for the year, as Bombardier seeks to better synchronize output with customer demand. Revenue will take an additional $250 million blow because of fewer aircraft deliveries, as the sale of Bombardiers Q400 turboprop program closes by mid-year, more quickly than expected. Earnings before interest and tax will be $1 billion to $1.15 billion, Bombardier said. The previous forecast was $1.15 billion to $1.25 billion. The Montreal-based company will release its full first-quarter earnings report May 2. (Bloomberg) -- Bombardier Inc. fell the most in five months and bonds plunged after the company cut its 2019 sales and profit forecast amid new struggles at its train-making business. A slower production ramp-up on some rail projects dented first-quarter revenue and accounted for most of the $1 billion cut to the 2019 sales outlook, Bombardier said in a statement Thursday. The timing of aircraft deliveries also hurt first-quarter results, though the company said it should be able to recover the shortfall during the rest of the year. We had a soft first quarter driven by the timing of aircraft deliveries, foreign-exchange headwind and a slower production ramp-up at Transportation, which makes trains, Chief Executive Officer Alain Bellemare said in the statement. The weaker forecast adds to the pressure on the rail-equipment division, Bombardiers biggest, which has been plagued by missteps on high-profile projects in New York, Toronto and Europe. Bellemare, who is in the fourth year of a five-year turnaround plan, is counting on the business for about half of Bombardier sales as he pares the commercial-aircraft business to focus on making trains and private jets. This company has been in a state of constant restructuring, its been a consistent over promises under deliver, said John OConnell, CEO of Toronto-based investment manager Davis Rea Ltd. The timing of the forecast cut is dodgy, considering that Bombardier just engaged in a round of liability management last month, OConnell said, extending the duration of its debt and bolstering liquidity. The company sold $2 billion of eight-year notes in February. The bonds dropped as much as 4 cents, the most since they started trading. The cost of insuring the companys bonds in credit-default swaps markets for five years widened 66 basis points to 422 basis points, the most since Nov. 16, according to data provider CMA. The companys widely traded B shares sank 15 percent to C$2.48 at the close in Toronto, the biggest drop since Nov. 16. That pared Bombardiers advance this year to 22 percent, slightly ahead of the 20 percent gain for a Standard & Poors index of Canadian industrial companies. Citi Target Citigroup Inc. cut its 12-month price target on Bombardier to C$3.40 from C$4 in a note to clients about the negative surprise from the rail business. Although the companys transport segment has been relatively stable in recent years, it would be unreasonable to dismiss the possibility of additional volatility from this segment, analyst Stephen Trent said in the report. Sales from rail will be about $750 million lower for the year, as Bombardier seeks to better synchronize output with customer demand. Revenue will take an additional $250 million blow because of fewer aircraft deliveries, as the sale of Bombardiers Q400 turboprop program closes by mid-year, more quickly than expected. The $1 billion drop in the sales forecast, to $17 billion, represents a decrease of 5.6 percent. Earnings before interest and tax will be $1 billion to $1.15 billion, Bombardier said. The previous forecast was $1.15 billion to $1.25 billion. The outlook for free cash flow, a closely watched measure, was unchanged at break-even plus or minus $250 million. The Montreal-based company is scheduled to release its full first-quarter earnings report May 2. (Updates shares in eighth paragraph.) --With assistance from Esteban Duarte and Sandrine Rastello. To contact the reporters on this story: Christopher Jasper in London at cjasper@bloomberg.net;Paula Sambo in Toronto at psambo@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Case at bcase4@bloomberg.net, ;David Scanlan at dscanlan@bloomberg.net, Tony Robinson 2019 Bloomberg L.P. The number of people in prisons and jails in the United States declined slightly in 2017, according to data released Thursday by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, a decrease driven by policy changes at the state and federal level, but still leaving the country with, by far, the largest known incarcerated population in the world. Slightly under 1.5 million people were in prison at the end of 2017, a population that if gathered in one place would be one of the largest cities in the country. Still, this was a decrease of 1.2 per cent from 2016, and a nearly 8 per cent drop from the peak of prison population in 2009. County and city jails held around 750,000 inmates in mid-2017. Combined, this would make the United States by far the worlds leader in incarceration according to data collected by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research at Birkbeck, University of London, though it is unclear exactly how many people are held in detention in China, the country with the second highest count. The incarceration rates for people in prison (those serving sentences after conviction) and jail (those awaiting trial or sentencing, or otherwise being held in short-term detention) have also decreased by more than 10 per cent over the past 10 years. The decline has been markedly uneven. A drop in the federal prison population accounts for a third of the year-over-year decline, and while some states have significantly reduced their prison populations in recent years, others continue to set records for the number of people they are keeping locked up. Given that crime rates have fallen across the nation over the past decades, this unevenness is almost entirely because of policy changes and court orders. Crime rates have been declining for 25 years now pretty much across the board, said Marc Mauer, the executive director of the Sentencing Project, a group that advocates for improvements to the criminal justice system. One might ordinarily think this should have led to a substantial reduction in the prison population. Instead, he said, what we see is that a moderate number of states have achieved substantial reductions of 30 per cent or more, but most states have only experienced a very modest decline and some states have still been increasing their population. While there has been bipartisan talk of prison reform in recent years, with laws to curb the enormous prison population passing in states controlled by Democrats and Republicans alike, a smaller number of states account for the biggest decreases. California was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2011 to reduce its overcrowded prisons by 30,000 inmates. But other states with big drops, including New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, pushed their own policy changes, such as reclassifying felonies as misdemeanours, giving more discretion to sentencing judges and changing guidelines for granting parole. The numbers also show that a dramatic reduction in the prison population is unlikely if changes address only nonviolent offenses. At the end of 2016, the report shows, more than half of state prisoners had been convicted of violent offenses. The statistics released on Thursday also show that the nature of the prison population has changed in significant ways. While the racial disparity among men remains stark, with black men serving prison sentences at almost six times the rate of white men, the disparity among women has considerably narrowed. In 2000, black women were incarcerated at six times the rate of white women, but in 2017, black women were imprisoned at less than double the rate of white women. And while the number of white women in prison has increased by more than 40 per cent since the turn of the century, the number of incarcerated black women has dropped by nearly half. HAVANA - Cuba challenged the Trump administration Thursday to back up its allegations that the communist government has embedded troops and intelligence agents throughout the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. At a news conference, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called the U.S. national security adviser, John Bolton, a pathological liar for saying that some 20,000 Cubans in Venezuela are providing security support for Maduro. Rodriguez said those Cubans are mostly medical workers. He also criticized what he said was a classified document circulated among U.S. embassies in the region containing talking points on Cuba and Venezuela. That State Department memorandum says Cuban special forces were deployed to the border between Colombia and Venezuela to engage in provocative military exercises. Thats a lie. I invite them to provide evidence, Rodriguez said. The infamous document says tens of thousands of Cubans in Venezuela have infiltrated the institutions and services of that country. I invite them to provide proof. Rodriguez said Cuba will continue to seek stronger relations with a wide array of U.S. interests, including businesses, in spite of what it regards as a hostile Trump administration and the tightening of American sanctions against the island. We will continue to expand our ties with all United States sectors ... we will use all the tools on hand to intensify communication and cultural relations between our people. So, while the government of the United States attempts to shut off and tighten, Cuba will continue to be even more open to healthy relations, he said. Trump administration officials say they want to damage the Cuban economy in order to dissuade the islands leaders from supporting the governments of Venezuela and Nicaragua, both of which are being confronted by domestic opposition movements. ARRIAGA, Mexico - Jose Vallecillo, a 41-year-old metalworker from Las Manos, Honduras, has a good-paying job welding steel freight containers waiting for him in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, at a factory where hes worked before and the owner invited him to return. But getting there has proved much harder than expected: Vallecillo, wife Sandra and 4-year-old daughter Brittany have endured a fruitless wait for visas, spent all their money on food and transportation, and escaped a police raid in which hundreds were arrested and hidden out in the countryside. Still, he remains determined to make it to Monterrey one way or another. The family is a prime example of how Mexicos crackdown on migration is not cutting off the flow of Central Americans, but rather forcing migrants into the shadows and greater danger, despite government assurances that the central thrust of its policy is to protect them. For months, Central Americans have banded together in caravans and employed a safety in numbers strategy, although efforts to discourage the large groups now have migrants wandering woods, swamps and rail lines in small bands of one or two dozen, exposed to the elements and also at greater risk of being preyed upon by criminals. Vallecillo set out with the equivalent of 13,000 Mexican pesos ($680) in savings from Honduras. Hed heard that Mexico was handing out visas to migrants, and decided it was time to go to the factory job. But hope turned to disillusionment when he found that Mexico wasnt handing out humanitarian visas at the border anymore, and the work visas it offered allow migrants to work only in poor southern states like Chiapas and Oaxaca where pay is low. The slow pace of visa processing has angered migrants so much that they have scuffled with police and immigration agents on a pair of occasions. After 27 days waiting for the visa that immigration officials promised but endlessly put off, Vallecillo and his family had enough. They joined the caravan of around 3,000 people that was passing through southern Mexico and then fled Mondays raid that broke the group up, hiding in a church and spending that night in the woods. By Wednesday they were sleeping under the stars next to some railroad tracks after local authorities in Arriaga, Chiapas, ran them out of the city park. They didnt want to see migrants there, Vallecillo said. Once you run out of money, and you cant bathe or change clothes, people start looking at you differently, like the classic stereotype of a migrant. His daughter has taken to eating seed pods from the ground. The family is now looking at hopping aboard a freight train for the rest of the trip, because they no longer have a dime. A man of calm demeanour, Vallecillos resentment is nonetheless palpable. He said he has always worked, tries to keep clean and doesnt like being looked at as a transient person. Why did they have to deceive us? Vallecillo asked. If they werent going to give us visas, why did they make us wait? At least they could have gotten out of the way and let us go through. Wed be in Monterrey by now, with a decent life. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors promises of a new, more humane approach to migration seem to be melting under U.S. pressure into the old, deportation-oriented policies of his predecessor, Enrique Pena Nieto, who launched a crackdown in 2014 that included police raids on the train line that Vallecillo now hopes to catch north. Many migrants fear raids on the train may start again. Jorge Valladares, 35, and four friends from El Progreso, Honduras, have been walking and hopping freight trains for a week, avoiding the highways where numerous immigration checkpoints have sprung up. They are determined to reach the United States; but travelling on the trains they have had to develop a safety protocol of waking each other up whenever one dozes off, to ensure that nobody falls off. Its dangerous to fall asleep, Valladares said. We are going to take the train, walk through woods, over mountains, but God willing, we are going to make it. Mexico has deported thousands of migrants in recent months and also issued more than 15,000 humanitarian visas, but officials say they are now being more selective about who gets them. Those detained in the raid this week were said to have refused to register for the regional visa that lets migrants stay in southern Mexico. Lopez Obrador has repeatedly said that migrants human rights are a priority. Officials commonly use the term rescuing to describe detentions of migrants, and some do end up in dangerous situations in need of help, such as when theyre trafficked in hot, overcrowded tractor-trailers. On Wednesday federal police and immigration agents picked up two Guatemalan couples and their two babies from the side of a highway in Oaxaca as temperatures soared near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). The migrants were so exhausted from the heat they didnt even try to run, which might have been impossible with the babies, anyhow. But many feel they wouldnt be taking the kind of risks theyre taking now if not for the raids and other measures. Dennis Javier Cortes, 21, walked with his wife and a couple dozen other Hondurans for 13 days, following the rail tracks to avoid detection and possible deportation. His feet, clad in open-toed sandals were battered and black with grime, with a half-inch-long gash on one toe. We drank water from ditches, from the swamps we passed. There was a crocodile in one swamp, Cortes said. Because they are in a mango-growing region, their main food supply on the trek has been fallen mangos. He and his wife had already been through far worse: In February a gang in Arriaga dragged the couple into the woods and held a knife to Cortes throat as they took turns gang-raping his wife, he said. While that specific incident cant be directly tied to Mexicos crackdown, most migrants say they found safety in the large numbers of the caravans. Many now see caravans as becoming a thing of the past after the raids and the fear they instilled. In social-media chat groups used to organize the exoduses, one person in El Salvador wrote this week: youd better forget the idea of travelling in caravans. One immigrant who had been deported back to El Salvador wrote that they (the Mexicans) dont want any foreigners, much less in caravans. I was going to leave on the 30th but my brother who went in the (caravan) on the 10th was deported yesterday, said another anonymous chat participant. They are blocking highways ... nobody is safe. Others feel they have been stripped of their dignity by Mexicos migratory policies. Truckers, warned by the government they could face fines, no longer stop to offer rides, and immigration officials charged with handling visas are said to have become surly and cold in dealing with migrants. Cortes and his wife filed a criminal complaint about the rape, something that should have gotten them automatic visas in Mexico as crime victims. But Cortes said immigration agents ripped up the documents during Mondays raid, which they narrowly escaped. ___ Associated Press writer Marcos Aleman in San Salvador, El Salvador, contributed to this report. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Gang members fatally shot five people and injured seven others in Haitis capital in a surprise attack, authorities said Thursday. No one has been arrested following the shooting that occurred late Wednesday in the southern neighbourhood of Carrefour-Feuilles. Port-au-Prince Police Commissioner Joel Casseus told The Associated Press that four people died at the scene and a fifth at the hospital. It is unclear what prompted the shooting. Police said officers exchanged gunfire with suspected gang members when they arrived to pick up the bodies on Thursday morning. Authorities urged people to contact police if they had any information about the incident as newly appointed Prime Minister Jean-Michel Lapin promised to take unspecified action. What happened...is unacceptable, he said. We send our sympathies to everyone that has been a victim of the state of insecurity that has been developing in the country for a long time. CARACAS, Venezuela - The Latest on the boat that sank in the Caribbean Sea (all times local): 6:10 p.m. Officials say they are searching for 25 people now believed missing from a boat that left Venezuela and sank in the Caribbean Sea before reaching the nearby island of Trinidad. Lt. Kerron Valere of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard said Thursday the number initially believed to be aboard the boat has grown. The small craft left Venezuela on Tuesday and overturned in rough seas. Valere says theyve discovered several passengers on the boat who were not listed as approved crew members and passengers. He says so far nine have been pulled alive from the water. Some survivors were found drifting up to 34 miles (55 kilometres) from where the boat sank. Roughly 3.7 million Venezuelans have fled the crisis-wracked nation in recent years, some on overloaded boats headed to neighbouring islands. --- 2:20 p.m. Officials say theyre searching for 21 people who are missing after a boat sank in the Caribbean Sea off the shore of Venezuela. Lt. Kerron Valere of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard said Thursday that four passengers have been rescued. The small craft left Venezuela a day earlier and overturned in rough seas. Valere says Venezuela is leading the search for the missing within that nations waters, and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard is assisting. Venezuelan officials say that most of the passengers were women, and the boat overturned near the island of Patos, roughly 5 miles (8 kilometres) from land. Officials had initially reported that the boat was carrying 35 passengers. ___ 1:45 p.m. Dozens of Venezuelans were missing after a boat en route to the island of Trinidad sunk in the Caribbean Sea, authorities said Thursday. An official from the countrys civil protection agency said a team is searching for those who may have drowned after the Yonaily Jose boat sank in rough seas on its way to the island early Wednesday. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. In recent years, an estimated 3.7 million Venezuelans have fled the crisis-wracked country where a political struggle is now playing out between U.S.-backed opposition lawmaker Juan Guaido and socialist President Nicolas Maduro. Authorities launched a desperate search for survivors Thursday after a vessel carrying migrants from Venezuela to Trinidad capsized and sank in the deep waters between the two nations, a disaster that called new attention to the plight of those trying to escape hunger and repression in the collapsing socialist state. An estimated 3.7 million people have fled Venezuela, the vast majority since 2015, and nearly 5,000 more are leaving every day. Since President Nicolas Maduro closed key border crossings with Colombia and Brazil in February, more migrants are trying riskier, illegal routes. The boat that capsized early Wednesday a pirogue named the Jhonnaly Jose was on an irregular voyage to Trinidad and Tobago, relatives of passengers said, and sailing in rough seas under the cover of darkness to avoid detection. Conflicting official reports put the number of passengers between 23 and 35, most of them unaccounted for. The vessel set off late Tuesday and overturned in the early hours of Wednesday morning, officials said. At least one of four known survivors was rescued Thursday after spending hours adrift in the straits between Venezuela and Trinidad. Read more: Sick, injured Venezuelan refugees flee to Colombia as economic crisis worsens My daughter has been saved, Luisa Garcia told The Washington Post in a text message. She said her daughter, Yubreilys Merchan Garcia, 23, was badly dehydrated and receiving treatment in the Venezuelan port city of Guiria, from which the vessel sailed. The salt water really affected her, Garcia said. But theres nothing she cant overcome after what shes been through. Trinidadian officials said they were alerted to the emergency at 11:40 p.m. Wednesday more than 16 hours into a journey meant to take five. The vessels last know position, Trinidadian officials said, was in Venezuelan waters near the Isla de los Patos in the Gulf of Paria. Guiria Mayor Ander Charles said the Venezuelan coast guard, civil protection agencies, firefighters, the army, fishermen and local medics had joined the rescue effort, using five high-powered vessels. In Facebook and Twitter posts, Charles put the number of passengers at 23. But another Venezuelan official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the news media, said at least 35 were on board when the boat overturned in high waves. In a WhatsApp group with almost 300 people, residents of Guiria and relatives in Trinidad and Tobago were begging for information on their children, siblings and friends. They sent pictures of their loved ones and urged the others to let them know if they learned anything. Dear god, please, can someone inform us on what happened, one group member wrote. We dont know anything about my brother. Carolina Aguilera, a Venezuelan national who has lived in Trinidad for three years, said her 22-year-old sister was on the vessel and expected to arrive early Wednesday. She said her sister, Anabelle Aguilera, planned to join her on the island, build a new life and send money back to her 5-year-old daughter, Naomi, who was left with the childs grandmother. I went to the coast to wait for her, said Carolina Aguilera, 29. I was told she was supposed to arrive at 1 a.m. But I waited and waited, and the boat never arrived. She said she returned home at 6 a.m. Wednesday and was desperately awaiting news. My sister was trying to do something good for the family, she said. In Guiria, they dont have electricity, and they cant afford food. I feel pain and anger. If it wasnt because of the president of Venezuela, no one would have to leave our country like this. Aid groups say other boats carrying Venezuelans have capsized in the waters en route to Trinidad, a sea passage rife with pirates and smugglers. There are no official counts from those incidents. Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean islands do not have anywhere near the number of Venezuelans as are in Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. But the Caribbean countries have emerged as growing draws for those fleeing Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-island nation of 1.4 million, is now home to nearly 40,000 Venezuelans, the United Nations estimates, although the country has no asylum laws and has criminalized irregular migration. Venezuelans arriving there illegally face arrest, official harassment and gangs of human traffickers. Trinidadian authorities, who maintain close ties to the Maduro government, have reluctantly offered Venezuelans living there without authorization a measure of amnesty in recent weeks, launching a registration process that offers the chance of temporary employment. But aid groups have said the gesture falls short of international standards, and they say the increasing number of Venezuelans heading to the islands despite the high risks underscores the extent of the plight they face at home. Counting the outflow of Venezuelans this year has become more difficult, aid groups say, since Maduro closed major legal border crossings, forcing more migrants to risk illegal routes to escape a nation where the United Nations estimates that more than one-fifth of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance. Venezuelans have been besieged by hyperinflation, unemployment, power outages and shortages of medicine, food and water while Maduro and U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido are locked in a political stalemate with no end in sight. How desperate do you need to be in order to board an unsafe boat with 30-plus people, and go into the sea without any protection? said Carolina Jimenez, a senior official with Amnesty International. We are afraid that these types of tragedies will continue as long as the human rights crisis [in Venezuela] continues to exist and deepen. Read more about: KABUL - The Taliban ambushed a security convoy in western Afghanistan, killing nine policemen, and in Kabul, a would-be attacker died when a bomb he was trying to plant at a private university detonated prematurely, officials said Thursday. According to a councilman in western Farah province, Abdul Samad Salehi, the ambush took place in Anardara district as the convoy was heading to defuse a roadside bomb on Wednesday afternoon. Shortly after the attack, other Taliban insurgents targeted and briefly overran the district police headquarters, setting off hours-long clashes, Salehi said. Reinforcements arrived later and managed to wrest back control of the headquarters. The resurgent Taliban, who have been active in the area and have launched large-scale attacks against Afghan security forces in Farah in the past, did not immediately comment on the attacks. The insurgents have been staging near-daily attacks across Afghanistan even as they hold talks with a U.S. envoy tasked with finding a peaceful resolution to the 17-year war. On Thursday in Kabul, a bomb meant to target the private Jahan University blew up apparently prematurely inside a campus bathroom, killing the suspected militant and wounding three students. Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the blast took place around 10:30 a.m. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion but the Taliban and Islamic State militants who both oppose womens rights to education have targeted schools and placed of education in the past. Though the Taliban are holding meetings and negotiating with U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, they refuse to talk directly to the Afghan government. Talks that were to start last week in Qatar between the Taliban and an array of prominent Afghans, including government officials and opposition representatives, were scuttled after a falling-out between the two sides over who should attend. Also on Thursday, unidentified gunmen wounded a local reporter in eastern Nangarhar province, said Farid Khan, spokesman for the provincial police chief. Khan said Emran lemar, a reporter for the Mazal radio station, was shot inside a park in the provincial capital of Jalalabad. He was hospitalized and a police investigation into the attack has begun, Khan said. In March, Sultan Mahmoud Khirkhowa, a local TV journalist in eastern Khost province, was shot and killed when two men on a motorcycle opened fire on his vehicle. The Islamic State group affiliate claimed the attack in Khost. Afghanistan is among the most dangerous countries in the world for reporters. The Afghan Journalist Safety Committee reported 121 cases of violence against journalists and media workers in 2018, with 17 killed. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Sri Lankas prime minister said Thursday that suspects linked to the co-ordinated Easter Sunday bomb attacks remain at large and could have access to explosives. Some of the suspects may go out for a suicide attack, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in an interview with The Associated Press. Wickremesinghe spoke frankly about the greatest challenge the South Asian island nation has faced since its civil war ended a decade ago. This is another experience for us. Not that we are not strangers to terrorism, but this is global terrorism, so we have to ensure that we root this out, he said. Approximately 250 people were killed in the string of suicide bombings at churches and luxury hotels in and around the capital, Colombo, Sri Lankas health ministry said late Thursday. The death toll was revised down from previous police estimates of 359 people. The attacks were claimed two days later by the Islamic State group, who posted a video of the man Sri Lankan officials say led the attack with seven others pledging their allegiance to the withered caliphate. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe takes a question during an interview with the Associated Press at his office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Wickremesinghe has acknowledged to The Associated Press that minority Ahmadi Muslims who are refugees from Pakistan have faced attacks since the Easter bombings. He said Thursday that security forces were trying to help the Ahmadis. Police, meanwhile, issued a public appeal for information about three women and two men suspected of involvement in the attacks. Wickremesinghe also said that the father of two of the suspected suicide bombers, Colombo spice dealer Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim, had been arrested. He described him as a leading businessman active in politics known as Ibrahim Hajiar, a Sri Lankan term for Muslims who have gone on religious pilgrimages to Mecca. The prime minister expressed doubt about Ibrahims complicity in the attack. People like that would not have wanted their sons to blow themselves up, he said. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local extremist group, National Towheed Jamaat, whose leader, alternately named Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi, became known to Muslim leaders three years ago for his incendiary online speeches. On Wednesday, junior defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene said the attackers had broken away from National Towheed Jamaat and another group, which he identified only as JMI. Wijewardene said many of the suicide bombers were highly educated and came from well-to-do families. The prime minister said it appeared that Sri Lankas wealthiest and best-travelled Muslims were most susceptible to the doctrine professed by the Islamic State group. They were too educated and therefore, they were misled, Wickremesinghe said. The bombers were wealthy enough to have financed the entire operation themselves, though they would have needed outside help for training and bomb-building expertise, Wickremsinghe said. He said that authorities still hadnt confirmed whether Zahran, who was supposed to have led one of suicide missions, was among the corpses recovered from the scenes or still at large. Sri Lanka has been sharply criticized for an apparent intelligence lapse. Government leaders have acknowledged that some intelligence units were aware of possible attacks weeks before the bombings, but the president and prime minister both have said the intelligence was not shared with them. Wickremesinghe blamed the incident, in part, on a breakdown of communication. President Maithripala Sirisena, who was out of the country during the Sunday attacks, had ousted Wickremesinghe in October and dissolved the Cabinet. The Supreme Court later reversed his actions, but relations between the two top leaders have remained frigid. In the immediate aftermath of Sundays attacks, Sri Lanka blocked most social media, with the prime minister expressing concern that it could be used to incite violence in the country of 21 million. Wickremesinghe said Thursday that security forces were trying to help Muslim Ahmadis from Pakistan seeking refugee status in Sri Lanka, who told AP they had been attacked and beaten in the days following the bombings. Some people had become suspicious of foreigners, not of Muslims per se, Wickremesinghe, said. BEIJING - In a story April 25, The Associated Press reported that China had complained about a French ship entering Chinese territorial waters. Chinas claim that the location in the Taiwan Strait was in Chinese territorial waters is based on a more ambiguous boundary than defined by international treaty, in part because of Chinas claim that Taiwan is its own territory. TOKYO - Shares retreated in Europe and Asia on Thursday, with Chinese benchmarks down sharply as the central bank signalled it would opt for caution on stimulus measures. Frances CAC 40 fell 0.2% in early trading to 5,562.72. Germanys DAX slipped nearly 0.2% to 12,291.96, while Britains FTSE 100 lost 0.5% to 7,438.19. U.S. shares were set to meander with Dow futures slipping 0.1% to 26,511. S&P 500 futures edged 0.6 points higher to 2,929.90. The Shanghai Composite index lost 2.4% to 3,123.83, while in the smaller bourse in Shenzhen, the benchmark sank 3.4%. Investors in China appeared discouraged by signs the central bank plans to avoid major stimulus moves amid signs the economy is stabilizing. State media reported that the Peoples Bank of Chinas latest injection of liquidity showed the use of target support rather than what the Xinhua News Agency described as a scattergun approach. Authorities have taken a more nuanced approach to monetary and fiscal support, with targeted steps to reduce the financing costs of small and private businesses, expand effective investment and encourage domestic consumption, it said. Elsewhere in Asia, Japans Nikkei 225 bucked the downtrend, gaining 0.5% to 22,307.58. South Koreas Kospi fell 0.5% to 2,190.50. Hong Kongs Hang Seng sank 0.9% to 29,549.80, while Australias markets were closed for Anzac Day, a national holiday. Indias Sensex edged 0.1% lower and Taiwan gained 0.1%. Shares were mixed in Southeast Asia. Traders are awaiting U.S. economic growth data, due to be released later in the week. ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude gained 28 cents to $66.17 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell 0.6% to settle at $65.89 per barrel. Oil has been climbing recently since dropping below $43 in late December. Brent crude gained 82 cents to $75.39 per barrel. CURRENCIES: The dollar was flat at 111.87 Japanese yen, little changed from 111.85 yen. The euro weakened to $1.1142 from $1.1206. ___ AP Business Writers Alex Veiga and Damian J. Troise contributed to this report. Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en PASYALA, Sri Lanka - After fleeing their homes in Pakistan over militant attacks and government persecution, hundreds of Ahmadi Muslims felt they finally found peace in Sri Lanka as they sought resettlement across the world. Then came the Easter bombings that killed about 250 people, many Christians praying at church, and suddenly they were targeted again. They say Sri Lankans suspicious of their beards, their little-known faith and nationalities shouted at some, throwing stones and hitting them with sticks. Others saw their homes attacked. Now nearly 200 huddle inside their mosque in Negombo and more than 500 sought shelter in the small town of Pasyala, 30 kilometres (20 miles) away just one sign of the fear pervading the Muslim community across this multiethnic island off the southern tip of India. Activists say some Muslim youths have disappeared, perhaps arrested by tightlipped security forces, while others stay at home, fearful the bombings will spark retaliation from either the government or angry mobs in a nation where interreligious violence can strike. The people in Pakistan attacked us and say were not Muslims, said Tariq Ahmed, a 58-year-old Ahmadi who fled his home. Then in Sri Lanka, people attack us because they say we are Muslims. Sundays co-ordinated suicide bombings targeted three churches and three hotels, killing about 250 people, Sri Lankas health ministry said late Thursday. The death toll was revised down from previous police estimates of 359 people. Authorities have blamed a local group, National Towheed Jamaat, previously only known for vandalizing Buddhist statues and the extremist online sermons of its leader, alternately named Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi. But by Tuesday, the Islamic State group had asserted it carried out the assault, bolstering its claim by publishing images of Zahran and others pledging loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Ahmadi Muslims say the harassment only grew more amplified in the days after the attack, fueled by a mistaken sense that since they came from Pakistan, they too must be like the extremists. But the Ahmadi themselves have fled decades of persecution in Pakistan. Ahmadis believe another Islamic prophet, Ahmad, appeared in the 19th century, a view at odds with the fundamental Islamic principle that Muhammad was the final messenger sent by God. Pakistan changed its constitution in 1974 to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims. Ten years later, the government declared it a criminal offence for Ahmadis to pose as Muslims. They are forbidden from calling their places of worship mosques and cannot sound the call to prayer. Like other religious minorities, they can face blasphemy laws that carry the death penalty, sometimes used by neighbours in petty disputes to target them. We are not their enemies. We are facing the same situation these people are facing, said Qazi Moin Ahmed, 21. We are not terrorists, but they consider us terrorists. Tension grew quickly in Negombo after Sundays bombing, which left dozens dead at St. Sebastians Church. Ahmadi Muslims who spoke to The Associated Press described being pulled out of tuk-tuks, hit with sticks or pelted with stones. Others said mobs sometimes broke into homes, while others said their Christian landlords, the police or soldiers helped bring them to safety. Now, police and soldiers protect the Ahmadi mosque in Negombo, while police man an under-construction Ahmadi community centre in Pasyala, where some 500 other Ahmadis had been bused. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledged the attacks the Ahmadis faced during an interview Thursday night with the AP and said authorities would work to ensure their safety. Some in Negombo had become suspicious of foreigners, not of Muslims per se, he said. In the heat of the moment, a few have been attacked. Nearly all the Ahmadis came to Sri Lanka with hopes of being resettled elsewhere in the world by UNHCR. Babar Baloch, a UNHCR spokesman, told the AP the agency had received word from refugees that they have been the targets of threats and intimidation, and that efforts continued to make sure they were safe. Some 1,600 refugees and asylum seekers are registered with UNHCR in Sri Lanka, he said. UNHCR is working closely with local and national authorities who have been very supportive and helpful to ensure the security and safety of all refugees and asylum-seekers during this time of heightened anxiety and concern, Baloch said. The concern extends beyond just the Ahmadi, however. There has been religious violence previously between faiths in Sri Lanka. So far, police have conducted raids and made arrest, but have been careful not to identify suspects or areas perhaps out of the fear of stoking more anger. But even as mosques hang banners supporting the government and denouncing the attack, activists say some Muslim youth have been disappeared, likely detained by authorities. Alaina Teplitz, the U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka, said she had heard of similar reports. I think those concerns are legitimate in the sense of wanting to make sure there is no overreach given past history, Teplitz said, referring to the abuses of Sri Lankas 26-year civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels. The situation remains tense in Pasyala, hundreds of men catch what sleep they can outside on the patchy grass near the community centre. Women and children live inside. At breakfast Thursday, the community prepared a lentil soup for those displaced. Men sat crosslegged on a long blue tarp, sopping up the soup with hunks of bread shared from a metal cauldron. Tariq Ahmed returned to a journalist with his mobile phone. On the line was his worried sister, Bushra Bedum, who lives in Virginia. I am very happy before because I thought he was he was safe there, but now I am frightened, she said. What can I do? ___ Associated Press journalist Gemunu Amarasinghe contributed to this report. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - The Latest on the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka (all times local): 10:30 p.m. Sri Lankan authorities say the death toll from the Easter Sunday suicide attacks is lower than previously stated and now stands at approximately 253 people. Top health ministry official Dr. Anil Jasinghe said in a statement late Thursday that the explosions had damaged some bodies beyond recognition, making positive identification difficult. On Wednesday, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara had said the death toll was 359 people. Officials did not immediately explain the discrepancy. Sri Lankas foreign ministry said on Thursday that 40 foreigners had died. ___ 10 p.m. The worlds tallest building is showing the Sri Lankan flag in remembrance of the victims of the Easter suicide bombings. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is displaying the flag on the LED display running up the side of the 828-meter (2,715-foot) building. Many expatriate workers in Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates come from Asia. ___ 8:50 p.m. The British government is warning its citizens against travelling to Sri Lanka, amid an intense security operation after bomb attacks on churches and hotels. The Foreign Office on Thursday advised against all but essential travel to the country, saying its unclear how great a threat there is of further attacks. Eight Britons were among more than 350 people killed when suicide bombers attacked on Easter Sunday. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he hopes the advice could be changed when the current security operation has concluded. Hunt said we all hope the situation will return to normal very soon, and that the Sri Lankan tourism industry is able to get back on its feet following the terrorist attacks. The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka also warned that people should avoid places of worship over the weekend because of possible attacks. ___ 7:15 p.m. The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka has tweeted a warning that people should avoid places of worship in the island nation over the weekend because of possible extremist attacks. The embassy in Colombo sent the tweet Thursday night after security was stepped up in the capital city and elsewhere in the country. The tweet read: Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship. Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow, April 26th through Sunday, April 28th. Continue to remain vigilant and avoid large crowds. Police on Thursday appealed to the public for information about three women and one man suspected of involvement in the Easter suicide attacks that killed over 350 people. ___ 7 p.m. The office of Sri Lankas president says the countrys defence secretary has resigned following a failure of security forces to stop the Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings on Easter that killed over 350 people. The office issued a statement Thursday saying that Hemasiri Fernando would continue to serve until his replacement has been appointed. President Maithripala Sirisena had announced on television Tuesday that he planned to shake up the security forces. On Wednesday, he asked for the resignations of both the defence secretary and the national police chief. Government leaders have acknowledged that some intelligence units were aware of possible attacks weeks before the bombings Sunday that struck three churches and three luxury hotels. Sirisena said he had been kept in the dark on intelligence about the planned attacks and vowed to take stern action against officials who failed to share it. ___ 6:45 p.m. Sri Lankas prime minister has acknowledged to The Associated Press that minority Ahmadi Muslims who are refugees from Pakistan have faced attacks since the Easter bombings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Thursday that security forces were trying to help the Ahmadis. Wickremesinghe said that some people had become suspicious of foreigners, not of Muslims per se. . In the heat of the moment, a few have been attacked. Sundays Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings killed over 350 people. On Thursday, Ahmadis described to the AP how they have faced violence in the time since. About 500 have fled their homes in Negombo and are living some 30 kilometres (20 miles) away under police protection. Others live under police and military protection at the Ahmadi mosque in Negombo. ___ 6:15 p.m. Police in Sri Lanka have issued an appeal for information about three women and one man suspected of involvement in the Easter suicide bombings that killed over 350 people. Police made the appeal Thursday over Sri Lankan media. They released pictures of the four. All appeared to be in their 20s. Police did not elaborate on how the four may have been involved. However, police and soldiers tightened security across Colombo and elsewhere Thursday as fears of another attack continued. They identified the suspects as Mohamed Shahid Abdul Haq, Fathima Latheefa, Abdul Cader Fathima Kadia and Pulasthini Rajendran, who also had the alias Zara. ___ 3:40 p.m. Pakistans minority Christians have gathered at a church in the Islamabad amid tight security to pay their respects to the victims of Easter bombings in Sri Lanka in which more than 350 people were killed. It was the first such gathering since Sunday, when suicide bombers attacked churches, hotels and other sites in Sri Lanka. The participants at Thursdays special service lit candles and observed a minute of silence to remember the victims of the attacks. Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy close relations and Pakistan helped train Sri Lankan army officers in their civil war battle against Tamil rebels. ___ 2 p.m. Sri Lankas former navy chief says the father of two of the Easter suicide bombers has been arrested on suspicion of aiding his sons. Jayanath Colombage, who now is a counter-terrorism expert at the Pathfinder Foundation, confirmed the arrest to The Associated Press on Thursday. Sri Lankan police could not immediately be reached for comment. Sundays co-ordinated suicide bombings targeted three churches and three hotels, killing at least 359 people and wounding 500 more. Authorities have blamed a local group, National Towheed Jamaat, for the attack. The group was previously only known for vandalizing Buddhist statues and for the extremist online sermons of its leader, alternately named Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi. On Tuesday, the Islamic State group asserted it carried out the assault, bolstering its claim by publishing images of Zahran and others pledging loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. ___ 12:45 p.m. Businesses in Colombo are advising staff to stay indoors until 2 p.m. because of a possible security threat and an ongoing search operation in the capital. John Keells Holdings, the parent company of the Cinnamon Grand hotel, one of the sites stricken in the Easter Sunday bombings, sent an email to its staff on Thursday about the unspecified threat. It was not immediately clear where the warning originated. A police spokesman was not available for comment. A series of co-ordinated suicide bombings at churches and hotels in and around Colombo killed 359 people on Sunday. Police say a local extremist group was behind the attack. 10:20 a.m. Australias prime minister said one of the suicide bombers in the Sri Lanka Easter attacks had been in Australia years earlier. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the person had been in Australia on a student and a graduate skilled visa with a spouse and child visa as well. The individual left in early 2013. Morrison told reporters Thursday the persons Australian link was part of an ongoing investigation and wouldnt comment further. Separately, a British security official has confirmed one of the bombers was believed to have studied in the U.K. between 2006 and 2007. The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, said British intelligence was not watching Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed during his stay in the country. His name was first reported by Sky News. Associated Press journalist Greg Katz in London contributed to this report. ___ 10 a.m. Sri Lanka has banned drones and unmanned aircraft as authorities continue controlled detonations of suspicious items four days after a series of suicide bombing attacks killed more than 350 people in and around the capital of Colombo. Sri Lankas civil aviation authority said Thursday that it was taking the measure in view of the existing security situation in the country. Hobby drones have been used by militants in the past to carry explosives. Iraqi forces learned that they are difficult to shoot down while driving out the Islamic State group from northern Iraq, where the extremists loaded drones with grenades or simple explosives to target their forces. Also Thursday Sri Lankan authorities detonated a suspicious item in a garbage dump in Pugoda, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) east of Colombo. ___ 6 a.m. Japans Foreign Ministry has confirmed one Japanese national was killed and four others injured in the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka. The body of the person who died was returned to Japan early Thursday. Officials at Narita airport near Tokyo lowered their heads as the coffin, covered with blue tarp and a bouquet of white flowers on top, came out of the plane. Japanese media have identified the victim as 39-year-old Kaori Takahashi. The reports say she was having breakfast with her family at the Shangri-La hotel when she was killed and that her husband and a daughter were injured in the attack. The Foreign Ministry has not released the identities of the dead and injured. Sri Lankan police have said at least 359 people were killed and more than 500 wounded in Sundays bombings, which mainly targeted churches and hotels. Most of the victims were Sri Lankan but more than 30 of the dead were foreigners. CANBERRA, Australia - Australias prime minister played down Thursday any potential link between the arrest of a suspected Islamic State group member in Turkey and a World War I battle commemoration in Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders. Prime Minister Scott Morrison was responding to media reports that detained Syrian national Abdulkerim Hilef had been planning an attack on the annual dawn service at ANZAC Cove to mark the April 25, 1915, landing of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops in an ill-fated campaign to take the Dardanelles Straits. Morrison said the arrest took place three hours away from the Gallipoli service and no changes to security were made as a result. The reports that we are receiving are inconclusive about any link between that arrest and any possible planned event at Gallipoli itself, Morrison told reporters. In fact, to make that assumption would be, I think, making a very big assumption. A Turkish official agreed that the 26-year-old suspects arrest was unconnected to the Gallipoli ceremonies. He was detained in the northwestern province of Tekirdag because he had been in contact with a group of Islamic State group suspects near the Syrian border in the southern Turkish province of Osmaniye, the official said. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations that bar civil servants from speaking publicly without prior authorization. It is not clear when the arrest took place. Morrison said Australian Defence Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell represented Australia at the service and praised Turkish police and military security. I was not concerned for the safety or security of this event, Campbell told reporters at Gallipoli. The Australian government estimated more than 1,400 attended the service under tight security involving x-ray screening and armed Turkish military guards. Concerns over security at Gallipoli escalated last month after an Australian was arrested following the killings of 50 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand on March 15. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Australians and New Zealanders visiting Turkey with anti-Muslim views would return home in coffins, like their ancestors who fought at Gallipoli. Morrison slammed the comments as highly offensive. He later said Erdogans office had explained the presidents words were taken out of context. On Thursday, Erdogan issued a welcoming message of peace, saying it was everyones duty to protect the message of friendship that was etched in Gallipoli on rocks, earth and the sea, through blood, life, determination and courage. A great responsibility befalls us all to ensure that no new war takes place and the generations to come can live in peace, Erdogan said. I commemorate our Gallipoli heroes and salute our guests attending the ceremonies ... with sincere feelings, he added. Erdogans statement did not mention the Syrians arrest. ANZAC Day services were held throughout Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, with Britains Prince William laying a wreath in the New Zealand city of Auckland. On Friday, the Duke of Cambridge is to visit the mosques in Christchurch where 50 Muslims were killed and another 50 wounded. Attendance at the Gallipoli dawn service has been falling since the centenary in 2015. But Dennis Basham, global head of sales for On The Go Tours, said his company did not receive any requests to cancel trips to Gallipoli because of the tensions following the Christchurch massacre. The Australian and New Zealand soldiers Erdogan referred to as leaving Turkey in coffins, actually were buried at Gallipoli. A monument near the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to the Turks victorious military commander at Gallipoli, Kemal Ataturk, is inscribed with his reassuring words to Australians that their war dead are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Ataturk, the first president of the Turkish Republic, is quoted as saying in 1934: You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well. Neil James, chief executive of the security think-tank Australian Defence Association, said Australians and New Zealanders should not expect Turkey to always welcome large-scale Gallipoli commemorations. Increasingly, in Turkey the battle is seen as a religious war. Its the Islamist nationals who are now running the show and I can actually foresee a time when we dont have major ceremonies at Gallipoli anymore because it just wouldnt be possible culturally and politically in Turkey, James said. What weve taken for granted as having access at the Turks pleasure to the Gallipoli peninsula might not be a long-term proposition, he said. ___ Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report. BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he has asked the leaders of four Central European countries for help in a long dispute with North Korea over the abductions of Japanese citizens decades ago. Abe says he has asked for understanding and support on an issue that is very important for Japan. Japan says North Korea abducted at least 17 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to train agents in Japanese language and culture to spy on South Korea. Pyongyang has acknowledged abducting only 13 of them. The countries have no diplomatic relations. Abe met Thursday the prime ministers of Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland and Hungarys finance minister. The countries form a group known as Visegrad Four. Abe also stopped in Slovakia as part of his tour of Europe and Washington. LONDON - Prince Harry has attended a service commemorating war dead from Australia and New Zealand as he and his wife Meghan await the birth of their first child. Meghan is due to give birth soon, though the couple hasnt revealed the due date or their birth plans. Harry was a last-minute addition to Thursdays Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey, attending alongside his sister-in-law Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William is visiting New Zealand, where he has met survivors of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Harrys attendance led bookies to shorten the odds on the baby being born in May. Rupert Adams of William Hill said bookmakers were as surprised as everyone else that Harry decided to attend a public event as we assumed the baby was imminent. BERLIN - The Latest on Europes response to mass migration (all times local): 3:30 p.m. The European Unions statistics agency says more than 300,000 people were granted asylum within the bloc last year, a drop of almost 40 per cent from 2017. Eurostat said Thursday that around 333,400 people were deemed eligible for international protection, most of them Syrians, Afghans or Iraqis fleeing conflict or persecution. The agency says 67,000 of the total 96,100 Syrians determined to be bona fide refugees across the 28-nation EU in 2018 were granted asylum in Germany. Germany, Italy and France were the EU countries that recognized the most refugees. Well over 1 million migrants entered the EU in 2015, a relatively small number compared to arrivals in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. However, the influx caused a political crisis and immigration became a hot-button topic. . EU countries remain deeply divided over the best approach despite the sharp drop in new arrivals. ___ 12:50 p.m. A survey has found that Germans are increasingly hostile toward asylum-seekers, whereas prejudices toward homeless or gay people have declined. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which commissioned the survey, said Thursday that 54.1% of respondents expressed negative opinions about asylum-seekers, up from 49.5% in 2016 and 44% in 2014. Germany saw a significant increase in migrant arrivals in 2016, with almost 746,000 people seeking asylum that year. Numbers have since declined again, with about 186,000 asylum requests last year. The representative telephone survey, which is conducted every two years, involved 1,890 respondents and took place between September and February. The study also examined for the first time how receptive Germans are to conspiracy theories. It found that about 46% of respondents believed secret organizations influence political decision-making. JERUSALEM - Israels Foreign Ministry says Israel will participate in next years World Expo hosted by the United Arab Emirates, in another sign of warming relations with Gulf Arab states. The ministry said Thursday it looks forward to sharing our innovative spirit and advances in such fields as water, information and medical technologies at the 2020 Expo in Dubai. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Israels participation as another expression of the states rising status in the world and the region. Despite their lack of diplomatic relations, Sunni Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have quietly inched closer to Israel, seeing it as a key ally in rolling back their common adversary, Iran. Over the past months, Israels backdoor relations with former Arab foes have increasingly entered public view. ATLANTA - Ten students at an Atlanta-area elementary school suffered non-life threatening injuries after being shot by a BB or pellet gun while on the playground. A statement from the DeKalb County School District says the shots fired Thursday at students of Wynbrooke Elementary Theme School in Stone Mountain appear to have come from a position away from the school grounds. The statement says county and district law enforcement are investigating. The injured students were brought to a hospital to be treated or picked up by their parents. The school district says there was never a threat of anyone getting into the school building. But its posting additional staff and law enforcement at the school Friday to ensure students safety. COLUMBIA, S.C. - Former Vice-President Joe Bidens early presidential campaign travel itinerary leaves little doubt about his strategy in early voting states. Bidens one-two Iowa-South Carolina punch next week underscores the three-time Democratic presidential candidates need to finish near the top in the leadoff Iowa caucuses as a way of building momentum for South Carolina, home to the first Southern primary. The former vice-president has a combination of strengths and enduring relationships in South Carolina that could seal him as the front-runner heading into the later contests. Next week, Biden plans to begin a two-day trip to Iowa, starting in Cedar Rapids, a working-class eastern city. Early polls have shown him as the most preferred candidate despite his absence and the robust campaigns of more than a dozen other contenders that are already months underway. Biden landed veteran organizer Jesse Harris as a senior Iowa adviser, according to people with knowledge of the campaigns hires, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to pre-empt the campaigns announcement. Harris was on Barack Obamas winning Iowa caucus campaign and helped him carry the state in 2008. Harris is known as a savvy early-vote strategist at a time when the Iowa caucuses are experimenting with virtual and early caucusing. Bidens relationship with South Carolina dates back decades, to his enduring friendships with fellow long-serving senators such as Fritz Hollings, whom Biden eulogized last week in Charleston, near where Biden and his family have vacationed regularly. Biden also has deep relationships with the states African American voters who comprise a large swath of its Democratic electorate as well as inroads with many of the retired military veterans who have come from all over to retire in the state. Likewise, Bidens centrist tendencies are expected to appeal to some moderate Republicans, who can participate in the open Democratic primary. As other campaigns have staffed up in South Carolina, operatives and officials alike have mused publicly about the waiting game created by Bidens delay in entering the race, but his two top hires are experienced strategists with proven track records. Kendall Corley, Obamas South Carolina director in 2008 and 2012 and a specialist in African American voter outreach, will serve as Bidens state director. Deputy director Mariah Hill managed the 2018 campaign of U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, who became the first Democrat in decades to flip a South Carolina congressional seat from red to blue. Hill was also a field organizer for Martin OMalleys 2016 presidential campaign. Reporting of the full team prompted reaction from many in the states Democratic circles. On Twitter, Brady Quirk-Garvan who stepped down as Charleston County Democratic chairman to endorse Sen. Cory Bookers 2020 campaign said, Im Team Booker all the way but this is an amazingly solid SC team. ... Biden is lucky to have you! Biden also has plans to visit the early voting states of Nevada and New Hampshire ahead of a May 18 national event in Philadelphia. Apart from Bidens first steps in the early-state campaign, he is sending a clear message about a general election strategy by making a stop Monday in Pittsburgh, the working-class heart of his childhood home state of Pennsylvania. There, hell receive the endorsement of the International Association of Fire Fighters and speak about rebuilding the middle class. In winning back a series of Northern states that had long been carried by Democrats, Donald Trump carried Pennsylvania. He swamped Democrat Hillary Clinton in the states west, which resonates culturally and economically with eastern Ohio, southeast Michigan and southeast Wisconsin three other states that Trump, a Republican, went on to win. A Democrat could win an Electoral College majority in 2020 by carrying all the states that Clinton won and adding Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. ___ Reach Kinnard at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP and Beaumont at http://twitter.com/TomBeaumont ST. LOUIS - Missouri wildlife officials have placed six Mexican wolf pups born in captivity near St. Louis with two packs in the wild, in a new effort to repopulate the critically endangered species. Three members of the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri, flew with the 11-day-old pups to Phoenix on April 18. From there, the pups were taken to packs in Arizona and New Mexico. Center officials say the placement increases the wild population and adds needed genetic diversity. It is literally vital for this particular population, Regina Mossotti, director of animal care and conservation at the Endangered Wolf Center, said Thursday. When youre talking about 150 animals left in the wild, genetics plays a crucial part in whether that recovery effort is successful or not. Mexican wolves once numbered in the hundreds of thousands in the Southwest. Hunting and habitat loss led to near-extinction, and the last seven remaining Mexican wolves were captured and taken to the Endangered Wolf Center in the 1970s in an effort to save the species. The population slowly began to rebound. The first Mexican wolves were released back into the wild in 1998. The centre said the population in the wild has grown to around 150, with an estimated 131 of those in Arizona and New Mexico and the rest in Mexico. The six pups three male and three female were among nine born at the centre on April 7 to parents Mack and Vera. Meanwhile, monitoring showed that several wild packs were having births at around the same time. That was important because for wild wolf parents to accept pups born from outside the litter, the pups must be born at about the same time and must be placed before they are 14 days old, Mossotti said. Getting the captive-born pups to their new homes was no easy task. After a commercial flight to Phoenix, Arizona Game and Fish provided a small plane that took Mossotti and colleagues to a mountainous area at the border of Arizona and New Mexico. From there, the women hiked, carrying the potato-sized pups in pet carrier backpacks, to sites where U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials had located the dens. One female pup was left with a pack in Arizona, which already had a seven-pup litter. The other five captivity-born pups were taken to a pack in New Mexico. GPS collars attached to some of the wolves indicates that the wild mothers have taken to the new pups, Mossotti said, which didnt surprise her given the gentle, nurturing nature of the species. They get a bad rap, Mossotti said. Were used to seeing on TV the big bad wolf, the big scary animal, which ironically is the opposite of what they are in real life. The New Mexico pack already had six pups. Experts didnt want to risk overburdening the mother so they brought three of the wild male pups back to the Endangered Wolf Center to be fostered by Vera and Mack and add to the captivity gene pool. The Endangered Wolf Center was founded in 1971 by Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom host Marlin Perkins and his wife, Carol. In addition to Mexican wolves, it works to preserve and protect red wolves and other wild canid species. WASHINGTON - Declaring the soul of this nation at stake, former Vice-President Joe Biden pushed into the crowded 2020 presidential contest and quickly sparked a fierce debate over the direction of the modern-day Democratic Party. Ignoring the political noise in his own party, Biden aimed directly at Donald Trump in an announcement video seizing on the Republican presidents response to the deadly clash between white supremacists and counter protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, two years ago. That was the spur for him to launch a third presidential bid , Biden said, noting Trumps comments that there were some very fine people on both sides of the violent encounter, which left one woman dead. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Biden declared on Thursday. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen. Yet Biden will get a chance to take on Trump only if he survives a Democratic field that now spans at least 20 contenders. And his partys more liberal wing was far from welcoming in the hours immediately after he declared his candidacy. Justice Democrats, a group created from the remnants of Bernie Sanders failed 2016 campaign, came out against Biden on Thursday and spent much of the day assailing him on social media. As an older white man with often centrist views, Biden must now prove hes not out of step with Democrats trying to push the party to the left. Hes been taking steps in recent weeks to clean up perceived missteps from his long record in elected office, including his role as a senator in allowing sexual harassment accuser Anita Hill to be grilled by an all-male committee during Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Former Vice-President Joe Biden formally joined the crowded Democratic presidential contest on Thursday, marking the unofficial end of the chaotic early phase of the 2020 presidential season. A campaign aide said Biden has privately contacted Hill to share his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country. But The New York Times reported Thursday that Hill said in an interview she was deeply unsatisfied and unconvinced by his apology. Biden has also highlighted his role in authoring the Violence Against Women Act nearly three decades ago, legislation that is credited with reducing domestic violence nationwide. Still, the 76-year-old Scranton, Pennsylvania, natives political liabilities are many. He would be the oldest person ever elected president Trump was 70 in 2016 even as his party embraces a new generation of diversity. He has yet to outline his positions on issues defining the 2020 Democratic primary, most notably Medicare for All , the universal health care plan authored by Sanders that has been embraced in one form or another by virtually the entire Democratic field. Biden is betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obamas presidency will help him win over skeptics. He quickly racked up endorsements Thursday morning, becoming the first Democrat running for president with the backing of more than one U.S. senator. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., who previously served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he had urged the former vice-president to run and highlighted Bidens potential electability when asked to assess African Americans feelings. Black voters are saying the same thing that white Democrats are saying: We cant afford to lose. That is a big message. Thats a big motivator, Richmond said. Obama has so far declined to endorse Biden, however, and several former Obama aides are now working for other candidates. Biden addressed Obamas position as he briefly faced reporters in Delaware on Thursday. I asked President Obama not to endorse, Biden said. Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits. While he didnt endorse, Obama took the unusual step of weighing in on Thursdays announcement. President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made, Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said. He relied on the vice-presidents knowledge, insight and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today. Trump was quick to pounce on Biden, who he has nicknamed Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign, Trump said. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate. Privately, Trump allies have warned that Biden might be the biggest re-election threat given the former vice-presidents potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Trump a path to the presidency. Biden is paying special attention to Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. While Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years, he was often referred to as Pennsylvanias third senator. The former vice-president will be in the state three times within the opening weeks of his campaign. He was in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice-president of Comcast. Biden was aiming to raise $500,000 at the event. In remarks during the fundraiser via a video obtained from attendees, Biden said of the Trump era: Im hoping that in a couple years, well look back and say whether it is me or anybody else replacing him that this is an aberration in American history, this four years, because its not who we are. Biden will hold his first public event as a 2020 presidential candidate in Pittsburgh on Monday. Then its off to Iowa, home of the leadoff nominating caucuses, on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by two days in South Carolina. Hell visit the other two early-voting states, Nevada and New Hampshire, in early May before holding a major rally in Philadelphia. Bidens first media appearance is set for Friday morning on ABCs The View, a move that may help him make an appeal to women whose support will be crucial to winning the primary. He also hired Symone Sanders to serve as a senior strategist, tapping a prominent African American who previously worked for Bidens chief competitor, Bernie Sanders, in the 2016 presidential contest. As Biden neared his campaign launch, his challenges came into greater focus. He struggled last month to respond to claims that he touched 2014 Nevada lieutenant governor nominee Lucy Flores shoulders and kissed the back of her head before a fall campaign event. A handful of other women have made similar claims, though none has alleged sexual misconduct. Biden, a former U.S. senator from Delaware, pledged in an online video to be much more mindful of respecting personal space but joked two days later that he had permission to hug a male union leader before addressing the groups national conference. On another issue hell have to address throughout the campaign, Biden once played a key role in anti-crime legislation that had a disproportionately negative impact on African Americans. And last month he struggled to explain comments he made as a freshman senator in 1975 about the school busing debate. Despite the challenges, his high-profile status in the race may make it difficult for his competitors. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker cast Bidens announcement as a direct threat to his own campaign in a fundraising appeal. The truth is this poses a real challenge for an underdog campaign like ours, Booker said. ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writers Julie Pace in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. JUNEAU, Alaska - After Gov. Mike Dunleavy told President Donald Trump that Alaska was interested in receiving Medicaid dollars as a block grant, Dunleavys health commissioner downplayed the prospect to lawmakers. During a confirmation hearing earlier this month, Adam Crum said there is no current mechanism for the federal government to provide block grants for Medicaid. Crum said that option would be considered if available but is not the main plan now. He called Dunleavys comments a foot in the door, and a way to let the government know Alaska is interested in pursuing options that provide more flexibility. In response to questioning, Crum said he was not actively involved in suggesting to Dunleavy that Alaska signal to Trump an interest in block grants. Crum was confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Social Services last week. In a March 1 letter, Dunleavy followed up on a meeting with Trump by laying out issues where he saw opportunities for the administrations to work together. That included Medicaid. Dunleavy wrote that Seema Verma, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has urged us to be the first state to receive Medicaid dollars as a block grant. We are eager to do this, but your support of her on this first will keep the proper focus and speed on the application. In a statement, Crum said early overtures from our federal partners included ideas like block grants. Crum said Dunleavys point was to let the federal government know we wanted to be on the leading edge of innovation for the Medicaid program and work toward an Alaska specific solution that provides the flexibility we need for better health outcomes and a more effective spend of our dollars. He said this has allowed for ongoing discussion of ideas. Dunleavy spokesman Matt Shuckerow said the Dunleavy administration is being open-minded on Medicaid. Block grants have been one part of the discussion but at this point, nothing is moving forward in that manner, Shuckerow said. ___ This story has been corrected to change had to has in Dunleavy quote. WASHINGTONIn the ballroom of the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, there will be tuxes hauled from the backs of closets and an entree with the texture of a dish sponge. There will be tipsy journalists and cocktail-party chatter. But the White House Correspondents Association dinner, an annual rite of spring that has blossomed since the 1920s as reliably as D.C.s cherry trees, will lack a few of its essential features. Most notably, the president: Donald Trump, for the third year straight, turned down the invitation by the reporters who cover him, making him the first commander in chief since Ronald Reagan to not attend, who missed the event because he had been shot weeks before. There wont be celebrities, either. The fizzy, too-beautiful Hollywood imports who have leavened the wonky crowd for decades have mostly stayed away from the dinner since Trump took office. The last element of the dinners creaky traditions to be stripped away this weekend? Laughter. The dinner has long featured a professional comedian slinging jokes about the assembled journalists, administration types and the president. The president usually takes to the dais to give as good as he gets, roasting the journalists who cover him and inflicting a few self-deprecating zingers. SiriusXM chief Washington correspondent Olivier Knox, as the president of the White House Correspondents Association, was the one in charge of selecting this years entertainment. And he fully takes the blame or credit, depending on ones perspective for dulling the dinner down. I felt that the dinner needed a reset, he said, explaining his choice for the evenings keynote not a hot standup act or Saturday Night Live cast member, but esteemed historian and biographer Ron Chernow, whose claim to pop-culture relevance is his 800-plus-page biography of Alexander Hamilton that was the basis for the hip-hop Broadway juggernaut Hamilton. Knox, like many of the members of the organization that puts on the annual dinner, wanted to do away with its celebrification and return the event to its original, albeit unsexy, roots. It had gotten to the point where you were more likely to run into a sitcom star than a sound engineer, he said. Fresh in the minds of the White House reporters who put on the event, of course, is the controversy over last years comedian, former Daily Show correspondent Michelle Wolf, whose edgy routine proved polarizing. Of White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, who attended the dinner and sat at the head table in the stead of her boss, Wolf cracked, She burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye, and later likened the Trump spokeswoman to an Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women. Trump mean-tweeted about the speech (the so-called comedian really bombed, he wrote.) Even some reporters recoiled, with then-WHCA president Margaret Talev distancing the association from Wolfs material, calling it not in the spirit of the evening in a letter to members. Media brass meaning the publishers who actually bankroll the event and the scholarships it raises money for by buying tables bristled, with the heads of news organizations including Politico and The Washington Post urging board members to scrap the tradition of having a comedian. And the Wolf controversy might not have been a one-off: Many observers say that comedy in the context of the media dinner is tough to pull off in an era where political humour is weaponized and even laughing can feel like a partisan act. The expectations by the political elite about what political humour is have changed, said Jody Baumgartner, a professor at East Carolina University who teaches a course about political humour. Youd have to bring in someone who is willing to punch really, really hard or else it would fall flat. He notes that modern political humour draws more from the tradition of former Daily Show host Jon Stewart, who combines liberal activism with his punchlines, than the gentle ribbing of late-night comics like Johnny Carson or even David Letterman, whose aim was to elicit laughs rather than advance policies. Humorists now see themselves as political activists, Baumgartner said. I always thought that Jon Stewart killed the correspondents dinner, said Steve Clemons, the editor at large for The Hill newspaper and a veteran of more dinners than he can count. Because after him, there was an edginess in comedy in the dinner ... and it all became really politically charged. The presidents absence, too, has made the traditional joking around feel off-kilter. And its not just him Trump has also reportedly told members of his administration to boycott Saturdays event. Trump has played to his base on previous White House correspondents dinner nights, holding rallies well outside the Beltway for his faithful, which he plans to do again this year. That has acted as a sort of counterprogramming to the black-tie crowd assembled in Washington, tittering over jokes likening his administration to Game of Thrones or calling Trump the liar in chief (both digs from Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minajs 2017 monologue). And Trump, unlike former presidents, seems to lack a funny bone. Former FBI director James Comey has said in interviews that he never once saw the president laugh. A lot of what humour is about is showing weakness, said Dan Glickman, the former agriculture secretary (and one-time winner of the Funniest Celebrity in Washington contest). Youre saying what about you is funny or dopey, and hes just incapable of that. Hes not funny. Many of his remarks are aiming daggers at other people where he can be funny is at the expense of other people. Members of the media, too, arent in much of a laughing mood these days when it comes to jokes aimed at them, Clemons noted, pointing to attacks on the press by the administration, the publics eroding faith in the Fourth Estate and violence against reporters around the globe. We can be a bit thin-skinned, I dont think the media has ever been targeted the way it has, he said. Journalism is on edge in terms of our role and place, and I dont think we feel as secure as we used to. There have been exceptions to the dinners all-laughs-all-the-time menu. In 1999, against the backdrop of Bill Clintons impeachment and the early onslaught of celebrity guests, the organizers attempted to restore some dignity to the proceedings by skipping the comedian in favour of a performance by soul queen Aretha Franklin. That was a moment when comedy might have felt perilous in Washington. But unlike two decades ago, the feeling might not simply pass. Its too bad, Glickman said. Because humour can be a great, unifying experience if its done the right way but its hard to do that anymore. Read more about: JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippis secretary of state incorrectly told college students that Republican former U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran is deceased. The 81-year-old Cochran is alive. The Clarion Ledger reports Republican Delbert Hosemann spoke Thursday to University of Mississippi journalism students in Oxford. In a recording sent to the newspaper, one student asked Hosemann how close he and Cochran are. Hosemann replied: Hes deceased, so Im not real close. He then praised Cochrans leadership, using the past tense. Cochran retired from the Senate amid health concerns in 2018 and is living in Oxford. A former chief of staff, Brad White, says he saw Cochran on Thursday and hes very much alive. Hosemann is running for lieutenant governor. In a statement, he said: I made an improper comment, and I sincerely apologize. ___ Information from: The Clarion Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com MINNEAPOLIS - A prosecutor criticized a former Minneapolis police officer for his decision to shoot an unarmed woman who approached his squad car, suggesting Friday that he had no basis to believe she had a weapon when he couldnt see her hands. Prosecutor Amy Sweasy pressed Mohamed Noor to explain why he didnt choose another option before he shot Justine Ruszczyk Damond in July 2017, just minutes after she called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her house. Sweasy asked Noor why he couldnt have told Damond to step back, tell his partner to drive, or tell his partner to get down. I had to make a split-second decision, Noor testified. He said he felt he had no other choice but to shoot under the circumstances, after he heard a bang on the drivers side of the squad car, saw his partner look afraid and try to pull out his gun, and then saw a woman at the drivers side window, raising her arm. Noors testimony came near the end of the fourth week in his trial on murder and manslaughter charges in the death of Damond, a 40-year-old dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia. The defence rested its case at the end of Fridays court day. The prosecution is expected to call at least one rebuttal witness on Monday before closing arguments, and the judge told jurors to expect to begin deliberating Monday. She said they will be sequestered once deliberations begin. Noor, 33, was fired after being charged. His attorneys have argued that he was justified in using deadly force to protect himself and partner Matthew Harrity from a perceived threat. Prosecutors have argued there was no reasonable threat, and questioned whether the supposed bang on the squad car was invented. Sweasy reminded Noor of testimony Thursday in which he said reacting too late to a threat means officers can die. Its also true if you dont do your job correctly, someone else could get killed, Sweasy said. Noors attorney, Thomas Plunkett, asked Noor what would have happened if the person approaching the squad car had had a weapon. My partner would have been killed, Noor answered. Noors testimony resumed Friday, a day after he took the stand in his own defence and for the first time began publicly talking about the night of Damonds death; Noor had refused to talk to investigators since the shooting. He described his training in various police skills including counter-ambush training that included scenarios such as two officers in a squad car, doing routine tasks, and an instructor yelling Threat! The officers had to make a quick decision about whether to shoot, Noor said. Emanuel Kapelsohn, a use-of-force expert, testified for the defence Friday that he felt Noor used reasonable force given the totality of the circumstances. He had to react immediately, Kapelsohn said. Two other use-of-force experts testified for the prosecution earlier that they felt Noor did not act reasonably. The defence also called a woman who lives across the alley from where Damond died, Michelle LeBlanc, who said she was lying in bed that night when she heard sounds. LeBlanc described them as boom, boom, boom and said the first noise was loud and startled her. She said the second noise was a gunshot. Prosecutor Patrick Lofton sought to raise questions about LeBlancs testimony, referring to past statements she gave to investigators and pointing out discrepancies. The death of Damond, a life coach who was engaged to be married a month after the shooting, sparked outrage in both the U.S. and Australia, cost Minneapolis police chief her job and contributed to the electoral defeat of the citys mayor a few months later. Neither officer had a body camera running when Damond was shot, something Harrity blamed on what he called a vague policy that didnt require it. The department toughened the policy after Damonds death to require that the cameras be turned on when responding to a call. Damond was white. Noor is a Somali American whose hiring two years before the shooting was celebrated by Minneapolis leaders as a sign of a diversifying police force in a city with a large population of Somali immigrants. ___ Follow Amy Forliti on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amyforliti ___ Check out the APs complete coverage of Mohamed Noors trial: https://apnews.com/MohamedNoortrial